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#i’m having more fun than i expected reading this. it’s dense and i keep getting a lot of crazy greek names and epithets thrown at me
irisintheafterglow · 7 months
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hello (i have read you're taking requests at the moment. it's okay if you can't do this but if you can i will be so so so grateful :( ) could you please write satoru x fem! reader who has kind of a stronger, more introverted personality (a bit of a tsundere/less feminine personality) so people normally deem them as intimidating, emotionless and hard to approach but satoru is falling so hard for them? like they've been close because he's been one to genuinely care and get to know them for who they are and that's why he's so protective and whipped. he's the only one who the reader lets baby them around and vice-versa, because they both know how hard it is to keep the "strongest" facade while being so soft and love starved inside. thank you if you do this really it means a lot!
even in my worst times, you see the best in me
wc: 1.8k
cw/tags: swearing, strangers to friends to lovers, canon-typical violence, slight angst but mostly fluff, satoru has his eyes set on you and no one else
note: hi!!!! i had so much fun writing this and i hope you like it; this is literally the cutest fucking concept ever and i love it so so so so much. thank you for the ask !!!!
likes, reblogs, and replies are always appreciated <3
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“Put me down, Satoru. I don’t need you to carry me like a fucking damsel.”
“Shut up,” he mutters, his voice empty of its usual melodic teasing. He’s worried, you realize, as he sprints out of the collapsing building while the Curse tears apart the floor beneath him. Despite the imminent death chasing both of you, he holds his main concern in his arms, desperately trying to keep you talking. 
“What the hell did you just say, asshole?” Making you angry always seemed to be the best way to make you wake up. 
“I’m telling you to shut up. One, so I don’t have to listen to requests I’m not gonna obey, and two, you’re bleeding out at a speed that is less than ideal.” 
“I’m fine, really. Just let me walk–” Your words are abruptly cut off by a hazy film covering your vision, your hearing temporarily lost as you fight back into consciousness. Chunks of concrete and plumbing pipes ricochet harmlessly off Satoru’s Infinity, his technique extending to cover your limp body as well. Warping in such a volatile environment left him no choice but to race for the veil and pray you stayed alive until then. 
“Hey, hey, hey. Stay with me. You’re not allowed to die, idiot.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” you argue before darkness wipes your eyelids. 
He’d forced his dense skull through your resolve exactly three minutes after you’d sat down at your first Exchange Event. You were used to it, at this point, the way people avoided being in close proximity to you or limited interactions with you to a handful of words. Your cold, emotionless stare deterred even the warmest of people from talking to you, with your only real acquaintance being Mei Mei, who people tended to hate even more than you. Despite Utahime’s best efforts to get you to open up and be vulnerable, it wasn’t something that came naturally to you. That is, until you met Satoru. 
“Hey,” he said from above you, peering at you over the rims of his sunglasses. His eyes were just as bright and unsettling as you’d heard them to be, but they shined with fondness that you weren’t familiar with receiving. “You new around here?” 
“Are you not? We’re first-years, genius,” you deadpan, expecting him to recoil and skitter away like a beaten-up squirrel. However, to your surprise, his smile only widens and he crouches down to look you in the eye while you unconsciously sink further into your armchair. “The hell are you looking at, weirdo?”
“I’m lookin’ at you, weirdo,” he teases, sticking out his tongue defiantly. “What’s with the grumpy face?”
“I’m not grumpy; just creeped out. Why are you talking to me?”
“‘Cause you’re not talking to anyone else, duh. You look like you need a friend.” He shrugs and you’re too stubborn to admit that he’s right. “I’m Satoru,” he greets, sticking out his hand, presumably for you to shake. You eye him warily with all the caution of a bomb defuser. 
“I don’t give a shit,” you state, unentertained by his attempt to strike up a conversation. Even when you cross your arms over your chest and give him your best scowl, nothing deters him. He’s insistent on breaking through to you, even if you’re determined not to let him. Before you have the chance to tell him to get lost, though, the teachers are already announcing the rules of the team challenge. The match closely resembled capture the flag, where both teams would hide an artifact and decide whether to prioritize finding the other team’s artifact or protecting their own.
As the excited students from both schools file out the door, he catches your eye one more time and you meet his self-important gaze with a withering glare. “Have fun out there. See if you can beat me.”
You do end up beating him, much to the shock of the black ponytailed boy at his side. Your prior research into the so-called “honored one” had paid off and you managed to hold out long enough until one of his main offensive techniques failed. Despite his unfathomable level of power, it was obvious he was still learning how to use it, and you used that fact to your advantage. He may have been strong, but you were much faster. Still, Tokyo takes the victory solely because the ponytail student, Geto, had a better grip on his technique than Gojo and wiped out your team. You let yourself bask in the fact that you beat the one projected to become the strongest sorcerer in centuries, and allowed yourself to smirk when he approached you after the game. 
“Have fun out there, honored one?” His mouth breaks into another lopsided grin now that you’re actually talking to him. Whereas others avoided you because of your cold exterior, he seemed to have you warming up to him. It was confusing, to say the least, but you weren’t opposed to making a friend, even if he was a pretentious asshole. 
“Mmm, I did. I think some apologies are in order, too.”
“Apologies?”
“Yeah, sorry for thinking you couldn’t beat me. You’re really strong and I think that’s pretty cool.” You don’t know why his compliment leaves you breathless, face warming and feeling slightly dizzy. “How’d you get your technique to activate so quickly?” 
It turned out that Gojo Satoru loved asking questions, and you found yourself enjoying answering them. After Tokyo prevailed in the Exchange Event, he somehow stole your phone long enough to input his number along with a dumb photo of him beaming into the camera. The first time he texted you, you thought it was a joke and considered stomping down to the Tokyo campus and demanding what was going on. But, when you realized the idiot who put in his contact information was indeed the same one that you beat during the Exchange Event, calls with him became common while you were doing mundane little tasks; he enjoyed your voice even while you were doing dishes or folding laundry or cooking dinner. Calling before and after missions integrated itself into both of your routines and you grew to expect a tirade of worried messages if you forgot to let him know you were safe. On one occasion, you exited the veil to find him leaning against a tree, completely unannounced. 
“What are you doing here?”
“Hello to you as well, gorgeous,” he says without missing a beat. “Glad to see you’re alive after you went radio silent.”
“I was in there for an hour, you clingy bastard.”
“Hey, at least put ‘sexy’ in front of calling me a clingy bastard.” You snort and he gives you a rare soft smile, one you’ve found was reserved for when he was feeling extra fond of your tendency to push him away. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“Food. I’ve been starving to death waiting for you to finish up.”
“Again, it was an hour-long mission.”
“Felt like an eternity to be away from you,” he teases, but intuition says that he actually means some of that sentiment. 
Over time, he started breaking through the walls you meticulously constructed to keep people out. Questions about your technique became questions about your family, your past, your fears, and your strengths. He picked up on little things that no one picked up on before, like the way you pick your calluses when you’re anxious or bite your lip when you’re concentrating on solving a problem. He made you laugh, made your heart flutter, made you feel like a love-infected fool every time he breathed in your direction. It was also why it shocked you so much when you saw him as the strongest sorcerer alive, not just the dorky jester who liked to eat all of your candy when you weren’t looking. 
The events of twenty seconds seemed to slow to centuries when the piece of metal struck your side. Time became syrup-like, thick and murky to the point where you couldn’t tell when you’d inhaled or exhaled last. You saw the scene in front of you between blinks: Satoru’s face contorting in rage when you collapse, a blinding strike of violet annihilating the Curse, the remainder of the Curse’s henchmen tumbling over each other to attack you in such a vulnerable state. They’re reduced to piles of dust the instant before Satoru raises you from the ground, your head lulling against his chest. Even when your consciousness fades, your body aches to be touching him, fingers gripping his hand when you’re rolled away on a gurney. When you wake in the infirmary of Jujutsu Tech, he’s still holding your hand like you’d disappear if he let go. 
“‘Toru,” you croak, your voice hoarse and ugly from all the dust you’d inhaled. Still, his head snaps upward at the sound of your voice, eyes wider than pool balls. “W-water.” You point weakly to a cup on the bedside table and he darts away to fill it from the cooler in the hallway. He tries to hold the rim to your lips and you choke out a laugh, gently pushing his hand away. “Okay, you don’t need to do all that.” 
“What if I want to? Let me take care of you, idiot,” he mutters and you allow him to gingerly help you sip the water. “Don’t tell Shoko I came in here, okay?”
“Why not?”
“She told me to go back to my room and rest–”
“And obviously you didn’t listen,” you finish for him and he smiles apologetically. 
“What can I say? You can’t get rid of me that easily, sweetheart.”
“You stayed with me while I was sleeping?”
“Of course I did.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought you’d die if I weren’t with you.”
“How very humble of you, Satoru,” you deadpan and he lightly flicks your forehead. 
“You know what I mean. Can’t have you dying on me before I can tell you how much I love you, right?” You’re speechless and are half-waiting for him to say that he’s joking, but he doesn’t. 
“I don’t understand.” You shake your head in disbelief, baffled as to how he could have fallen in love with you when you tried so hard to push him away. “I’m ‘cold.’ I’m ‘heartless.’ I don't have the capacity to care about anyone other than myself. That’s what I’ve been told my entire life, so how could you fall in love with someone like me?”
“How could I not? It’s not everyday you find someone who sees you as a human being and not as a fallen god. If anything, you did this to yourself because I do love a challenge,” he explains matter-of-factly and you roll your eyes, letting him take your hand and press kisses to each of your knuckles. 
“Tell me how much you love me, Satoru.” He doesn’t even wait for you to finish your sentence. 
“I love you, just how you are, and I’d fall in love with you a million times more if I needed to.”
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archiveikemen · 7 months
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Harrison Gray Main Story: Chapter 6
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This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection. I do not own any of the original content. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.
❥・• Warnings and FAQ
Every day, I would type out the things I learnt about Harrison.
Holding my regular report in my hand, I knocked on the door to Victor’s office in the palace…
< time skip >
Victor: His favourite drink is strawberry flavoured milk, his hobby is reading mystery novels, and…
Kate: … My apologies. The report turned out to seem more like an observation journal.
Victor: Don’t feel sad, Kate. Harrison doesn't often let others know what's in his heart.
Victor: This is still a very valuable resource, I’ll be continuing to count on you as a fairytale writer.
Although Victor said that, I still thought that it would've been much more helpful had I written about the “curse”.
(Asking Harrison directly about his curse might be the best option.)
(But seeing as it’s Harrison we’re talking about, he won't tell me about it so easily.)
I thought of the way Harrison often used the word “recompense”.
(If I want something from him, I need to have a way to recompense him for it. So if I want information from Harrison—)
That night, I left Crown’s castle, crossed the drawbridge and travelled through the dense forest…
I went to the palace’s library.
(Wow, there are so many books here.)
The books filling every wall to capacity made the place look like a forest of books.
– Flashback Start –
Liam: Where will Harry be tonight? Hmm, Harry occasionally leaves the castle on his own all of a sudden.
Liam: He seems to go to the palace’s library often, though.
– Flashback End –
As I walked down the moonlit hallway while looking for Harrison, the smell of mint tickled my nose.
(Ah… I see him.)
Harrison was listlessly reading a thick book.
Kate: Harrison.
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Harrison: …? Oh, it’s you.
Harrison: What’s the matter, following me all the way to a place like this?
Kate: Um…
Harrison: Hmmm… you want me to tell you about my curse, isn’t it? I’m not going to tell you so easily~
Kate: Of course I’m not expecting to get the information for free.
Kate: If I want something, I have to offer something suitable in exchange for it… right?
There was a testing look in his mint coloured eyes.
Harrison: So you’re going to give me something in return for that information, huh.
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Harrison: Can I decide what I get in return?
Kate: Yes. Oh, but please don't ask for the impossible.
(I can’t afford to give him anything that costs a lot of money. I don't have any money…)
Harrison: In that case, you.
Kate: What.
Harrison: My compensation, Kate. I want you.
Kate: Y-You’re teasing me again. This is where you say “yeah, that was a lie”, right?
Harrison: Hmm, you think so?
He reached out his hand and held my wrist before pulling me closer.
(Whoa…!)
Seated in his chair, Harrison stared at me. The distance between us was so close that our breaths were touching.
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Harrison: It’s only the two of us here. One more pull on your hand and I can kiss you already.
Harrison: … I can do more than that too, of course. In a situation like this, it’s impossible for me to keep my hands off.
His mint coloured eyes had me captivated, feeling as if my breath had been taken away.
I immediately put my hands on Harrison’s chest and tried pushing him away—
Harrison: … Just kidding.
Kate: Huh…?
Harrison: Giving yourself as a reward isn’t worth it. It’s no fun to eat you when you’re being so serious.
He wore a meaningful smile, and my cheeks were beet red from the embarrassment.
(... As expected, he’s being mean.)
Kate: That’s right, I’m not particularly delicious to eat either. So please pick something else as a reward.
Harrison: Pfft, you said that yourself.
Harrison: Well then, I want you to help me with my proofreading work, in exchange for the information you want.
Kate: Proofreading…
Harrison: There are many things that need to be done before a book can be published. I’ll always welcome some extra help.
There was definitely a lot of hard work involved in the process of making books that will entertain people.
Helping writers deliver their books that convey their thoughts and feelings was in a way similar to my old job as a postwoman.
Kate: Gladly. I’ll do my utmost best to help create a good book.
Harrison: We have a deal, then.
Harrison: — So, what do you want to know?
Harrison signalled with his eyes for me to sit down, and so I sat next to him.
Kate: Every member of Crown has their own special abilities, right? For example, William's ability is—
– Flashback Start –
William: “Come here, poor little robin.”
(What the… why is this happening!? I can’t stop…!!)
– Flashback End –
Kate: He can make people obey his commands. Liam’s ability is to disappear, right?
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Harrison: Yeah, that guy sometimes disappears on purpose to surprise me. It’s annoying.
Kate: Roger has extraordinarily good hearing. I think that everyone’s ability is unique to themselves, but—
Kate: I still don't know what your ability is.
I had never seen Harrison use his curse’s ability.
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Harrison: I’ve used my ability on you several times, though?
Kate: Wait, really? But I don't remember having experienced that before…
Harrison: What do you think my ability is? Try to guess.
(I’ve seen him surrounded by women quite a few times…)
Kate: Is your ability being a great flirt? You seem to be quite the charmer.
Harrison: Are you saying that you’re attracted to me?
Kate: N-No!
Harrison: I’ll show you the correct answer.
Harrison: Tell me something that's a lie mixed with truths. I’ll expose that lie.
(Expose the lie…?)
Harrison changed his posture to look me straight in the eyes with his mint coloured eyes.
(A lie mixed with truths.)
(I lived on the second floor of a bakery, so…)
Kate: I worked as a postwoman, I lived on the second floor of a confectionery shop. And my favourite music is—
I told Harrison about how I used to live, only lying to him about my place of residence.
Once I was done talking, he narrowed his eyes…
Harrison: The part where you said that you “lived on the second floor of a confectionery shop” is a lie, correct?
Kate: Correct.
Kate: How did you know?
Harrison: “Here”.
Harrison pointed at his mint coloured eyes.
Harrison: My curse’s ability allows me to tell whether a person is lying or telling the truth, just by making eye contact with them.
(He knows when someone is lying. I see…)
Kate: So that’s why you could identify the lie amongst the truths.
Harrison could see through the other party’s lies, but there was no way for them to see through his lies.
His ability was perfect for deceiving people… perhaps that was why it was called the “Fox Curse”.
Harrison: I mean, it's not exactly a very pleasant ability.
Kate: Why do you say so?
Harrison: No one likes it when what's on their mind is divulged without their consent. There are lies they tell that they don't want to be exposed.
Harrison: Some lies are better off left unknown.
It felt like Harrison’s eyes had become as dark as a moonless night.
Exposing lies that weren't intended to be revealed was essentially the same as knowing about lies he didn't want to.
It meant having to accept all the things he didn't need to know, things he didn't have to be hurt by.
(And that leads to him suffering a lot of pain and sorrow, doesn't it?)
But everything I just thought of was only my imagination, I couldn't truly understand everything Harrison felt.
I didn't want to act as if I understood, so I acted as cheerful as I could.
Kate: Then, that means if I lie and act tough in front of you, you’ll see right through me!
Kate: It does feel better knowing that there’s no point in trying to look good in front of you anymore.
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Harrison: …
Harrison: Well, in your case, I can easily tell just by looking at your face. You’re so foolishly honest that I don't even need to use my ability to see through your lies, you know?
Harrison: However, this ability isn't anything particularly powerful.
Harrison: Although I’m able to know whether someone is lying, I can’t always tell what kind of lies they’re telling.
(That means…)
Kate: You knew someone was lying when you saved me back then at the casino.
Kate: But you didn’t know “what kind of lie” they were telling… is that right?
Harrison: Yeah. I could ask a few clever questions to narrow down the possible truths, but that would make me suspicious.
Harrison: That’s why it’s important to observe and study the other party before acting.
Kate: Observe, study, act…
Harrison: This is the basic principle the detectives in mystery novels follow. Even Holmes does.
(Knowing that in theory is a different challenge from putting that into action. Observe, study, act… okay, got it.)
I noticed that Harrison was staring at me while I mentally repeated those words.
(...?)
Harrison: I have the Fox Curse. I’ll definitely lie to you over and over again in the future.
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Harrison: But you can still expose my lies, even though you don't have any special abilities.
Harrison: Someday, you’ll be able to.
(Me seeing through Harrison’s lies… will there come a day that happens?)
That felt like something that was still very far away, I let out a wry smile in spite of myself.
Kate: Well then, will you reward me when I do?
Harrison: Yeah, only if you can?
After parting ways with Harrison, I went back to Crown’s castle with my steps feeling lighter than usual.
(I feel like I learnt a lot about Harrison tonight. The ability to expose lies, hm…)
(Huh…? But, if that’s the case, then… he must've seen through all the lies I’ve told him so far.)
– Flashback Start –
Harrison: Are you disappointed that I’m not here for you?
Kate: I’d never feel disappointed over such a thing.
Harrison: Hmm.
Harrison: … Seriously, you’re terrible at lying.
– Flashback End –
That meant Harrison knew I was lying back then.
(I mean…)
Kate: I was indeed disappointed, but not in that way!
Kate: Oh gosh…
I was so embarrassed, I had my head in my hands.
In the library after Kate left, Harrison muttered to himself.
Harrison: “Someday, you’ll be able to expose my lies”... huh.
He reached his hand towards the bottom of a large stack of thick books meant for proofreading, and pulled out a piece of paper.
Harrison: … A bit rich coming from me when I’m covered in lies.
The words on the piece of paper Harrison pulled out were—
“Confidential Document: Crown Activity Report”
I was getting ready in the morning when my designated maid, Maria, knocked on my room door holding a bouquet of flowers.
I wrote down in pen and paper, asking her about the flowers. Maria picked up the pen and responded.
She wrote, “I bought them from a florist. They looked beautiful, so I bought you some”.
I bowed my head at Maria, who went to arrange the flowers.
I gradually found out that everyone working at Crown’s castle was deaf.
It was to prevent Crown’s secrets from being leaked, and also to protect the staff’s lives from knowing those secrets.
Victor told me that it was to protect both parties.
(Victor didn't say it openly, but this arrangement might have also been for the sake of providing them with employment…)
There was a deep rooted inequality in England that couldn't easily be buried, evil would never truly disappear forever.
As if to comfort me from that unreasonable and harsh reality, the flowers displayed by my room window bloomed beautifully.
I made my way to the dining room, and saw that there were usually few people eating.
Liam: Oh, good morning, Kate. Look, Harry poured so much honey on his scones.
Harrison: It’s not that big of a deal. Everyone has their own preferences.
Liam: I’m not going to bother about you if your body becomes round and girls don't start squealing at the sight of you anymore.
Harrison: I don’t care, I’m not trying to be popular.
Liam: Wow, that’s mean.
I couldn't help but smile at the way the two friends were bickering. Then, I heard someone click his tongue in annoyance.
Jude: Enough with your yapping, you’re being a nuisance. Can’t you see I’m trying to read the newspaper?
Liam: I saw, but whatever. You’re just gathering information for your work at the trading company. Good job being a hard worker since morning, Jude.
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Jude: What's with that sarcasm? If you’ve got the time for that meaningless chattering, why don't you read the newspaper too?
(If my memory serves me right, Jude is the President of a trading company.)
An image of Jude threatening and intimidating me formed in my head, I quickly popped that thought bubble.
Harrison: Well, it's important to know the information that’s been made public.
Kate: Are you saying that there’s information not publicly released…?
Harrison: Yeah. If you’re asking about whether all of Crown’s missions end up in the newspapers, the answer is no.
Harrison: … And besides, the police might also be deliberately hiding certain things, but who knows?
Harrison: By the way, Jude. I need to ask you about something.
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Thoughts on Mistborn: The Final Empire
I don't know how to handle long Tumblr posts about my hyperfixations but here we go lmao.
That was an incredible two-month long experience. I never thought I would be willing or able to finish a 600+ page book, but Sanderson made it possible. Even more amazing since this is the first novel I've read for leisure since middle school. I am still shocked about what happened in the climax, and I have so many thoughts, questions, and a few nitpicks.
Strengths:
Vin and Kelsier: These two were definitely the highlight characters. They had extremely interesting arcs, and have an incredibly heartwarming and inspiring dynamic. Vin is very relatable and was a joy watching her gain confidence, trust the crew, and find love in Elend. I've recently felt like I'm too afraid to take chances, or to express my emotions, or even to form a deep bond with someone(romantic or platonic). I want to be stronger than I am. I could see Vin within myself and wanted to see her grow as a person and Allomancer. But I also fell in love with Vin's flaws. She always lost sight of herself as Valette, and it made her arc that much more memorable. Kelsier is probably my favorite character between the two. As the book progressed he definitely expressed darker traits, like pitting Demoux and Bilg against each other using Allomancy, or making a religion out of himself, but I still admired his goals and understood them. His ideology, shades of gray, and ability to keep smiling and hoping and inspiring others tore through my pessimistic heart. Many of his quotes now stick with me, I will miss him very much.
The magic system: Whenever I heard about Sanderson, his hard magic systems were always brought up as a pro. I am glad to say those claims ring true. Allomancy is an incredible magic system that harkens back to the boundless praise I give Hunter x Hunter's Nen. It is logical, consistent, each metal has strengths and weaknesses, it connects back to the worldbuilding, and I expect it to get deeper as the series goes on. Allomancy exposition was subtle, dense, and easy to understand. Feruchemy is a fascinating system and I am shocked at how it connected to the Lord Ruler.
The action: The Final Empire's action scenes remind me of an anime or a top-quality Western action cartoon. They were all fluid, tense, vivid, and Kelsier vs Inquisitor might be one of my favorite fights ever. For me, it is one of my main reasons it should be adapted into an animated series.
The worldbuilding: Scadrial has to be the best world I have seen since Gargoyles. From the gothic and ash-coated landscape of Luthadel, the hollow vibe of the mists, the persecution of the Terris people and skaa, the mystery and tragedy of the epigraphs, and Allomancy's connection to the Empire's structure. I never got bored learning about the Empire or the logbook. It helped me root for Kelsier's crew and desire the Lord Ruler's downfall, and drove me to learn about ancient Scadrial's mysteries.
The prose: It might have been simple, but sometimes simple is the best way. Sanderson's simple prose made The Final Empire's cluster of information easy to digest and memorize, and the fights very memorable.
THE SANDERLANCHE: Heard about this term in my previous Mistborn posts... OH MY GOOOOODDD!!!!! The Sanderlanche flipped my expectations at a 180 degree angle and shattered them with a pewter-enhanced obsidian axe. The glorious fights, the incomprehensible dread of the Lord Ruler, the simultaneous red herring and success of the Eleventh Metal, the twist with the Hero and the packman.... Not forgetting this anytime soon. I could gush about it all day.
Weaknesses:
The side characters: Kelsier's crew members were not bad. They were fun and I appreciate their love for Vin and Kell. But aside from Sazed, and Elend on the other side of the spectrum, they were not memorable. I hope the next book fleshes them out and gives them more relationships to bounce off of.
The noble balls: My problem with the balls is tied to the side characters. I understand the balls' importance, the setting's focus on Luthadel, and loved Vin's bond with Elend and her conflict with the Valette personality. But they often felt lackluster because there were no interesting noble characters except Elend, Straff, and Shan. The noblemen and women felt like a source of information and skaa oppressors, rather than characters with differing agendas or even opinions about the Empire.
Questions(oh boy):
What even is the Well of Ascension and the Deepness?
How and why do the Ashmounts and mist exist? The Hero's logbook didn't mention anything about ash, mist, or even Allomancy.
How the fuck is Rashek both a Feruchemist and an Allomancer????? HE BROKE THE RULES!!!
How is Rashek such a fucking strong Allomancer????? HE BROKE HIS CPU!! Maybe it's the millennia of experience...
WHY DID RASHEK TORTURE HIS OWN PEOPLE??????? He was a nationalist who loved his people, and then he treated the Terris like puppets 💔💔💔
How in the Survivor's name did Vin hack her CPU to break Allomantic rules as well????? That was a Deus ex Machina but I have an eerie feeling there's another secret.
Is there a deeper reason Vin can break the rules of Seeking?
Were the Lord Ruler's last words those of a jealous and desperate deposed despot, or those of a man trying to protect mankind? I vote the former lmao 😂😂
Theories:
The distant pulsing Vin sensed was the Well of Ascension.
Rashek spent his reign holding back the Deepness.
Rashek was the first Allomancer, and gifted his long-dead allies with the power of Allomancy. He used the mists as the medium to bestow Allomantic power, but did not create them.
The mists are sentient, and that's why the Deus ex Machina was possible.
The mist spirit is the ancestor of the mistwraiths and kandra.
Mistwraiths and kandra were not created from the Lord Ruler's rise to power.
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tealenko · 2 years
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Didn't Have the Heart (Chapter 5)
Chapter 5: Echoes from the Past
Don't let the title fool you, this chapter is 30% fun and 70% angst (sorry guys... but it's ME3, there's no realism if Shepard doesn't go a bit crazy little by little).
By the way, I went a bit mad myself and there's like A TON of references to my previous fics of this saga, especially to Listen Before I Go (Shepard's pre-ME1 story in the Alliance) and Never Have I Ever (Where Shep, Garrus, Vega and Kaidan get mega drunk and say way too many things they shouldn't have).
I'm at that point where all my fics are connected and that's okay, because I'm 100% writing them for myself (well... 90%, if it was 100% they would be in Spanish lol)
Anyways...
Sorry this took me so long. Life happens (You can always check my tumblr to see what I'm writing and if I'm close to post a new chapter)
Summary: Shepard wakes up and has to deal with the consequences of what she did when she got drunk.
Words: 4717 Rating: Teens and up Warnings: language and drinking
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Through Hell and Back series -> [link]
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“Shepard.”
She hears her name like an echo. A whisper that retumbs through every shadow and fades on the horizon along with the rest of the scenery.
“Live… Be someone…”
Dark trees grow in thousands from her surroundings to infinity, planted through a limbo of trembling shadows and thick fog that makes it impossible to discern if there’s truly an end to the whole scenery.
“...be more.”
The air is so dense that she finds it almost impossible to breathe and think at the same time, feeling like an unknown gravity, way stronger and harsher than the one she’s used to, keeps trying to bring her down to the ground.
“Maybe in another life…”
After a few seconds of disorientation, she starts walking, moment in which the voice becomes louder, clearer and is promptly joined by many more.
“Kalahira…” 
“...”
“Go back and get Alenko.”
“...”
“Someone else might have gotten it wrong.”
“...”
She crouches under the overwhelming noise, hugging her legs as she fixes her eyes on the ground in a futile attempt of concentrating on something else than the many voices that haunt her past.
“First time, eh?”
“…”
She freezes in place. 
All the other voices are banished away by the appearance of the last one, which sounds so sharp and real that she is almost expecting to find its owner in front of her if her eyes ever dare to leave the ground.
Nevertheless, she keeps her sight still, along with the rest of her body, too afraid of both hearing and not hearing that specific voice ever again if she decides to move in the slightest.
“I trust your gut Dee, choose and I’ll follow.”
She shakes her head a couple of times, too tortured by the memories that are now gathering in her mind but, against her efforts, her attempt to make it all dissapear only makes things worse and, in a matter of seconds, echoes from all the past conversations with her long lost friend, start to fill the air that surrounds her.
“I’m just here because of you.” A tear starts falling slowly, way too unhurried to follow the laws of physics, somehow unaffected by the strange force that’s keeping her down to the ground.
“You already have a plan, don’t you?” She remains still, avoiding any kind of movement to see if that makes it fade away.
It doesn’t. 
“Oh, come on Dee! You don’t fool anyone... You love me and you know it!” She can hear the laugh that came along with that sentence almost a decade ago floating around her, and also feel the warm embrace that came right after. 
“Wait… That’s why? No… That’s the true meaning of that ring?” Her hand closes instinctively, trying to hold on onto the piece of jewelry that is no longer there. Hasn’t been for years now. 
A second tear falls now.
And a third. 
And a fourth.
“How about a song?”
Shepard covers her ears with her hands while the tears keep traveling steadily across her face, in a desperate attempt of silencing the voice, with every sentence hurting her more than the one before.
Nevertheless, and despite all her efforts, one last memory makes it all the way through her pain in order to give her the final strike.
“Dee, listen… Please… Do not let me become an anchor.”
Her crying stops dead the moment she hears that, feeling her heart falling apart along with whatever was left of tears and, before she has time to think about it, her body decides to move on its own, quickly redirecting her eyes against her will to search for the source of all those words.
Unfortunately, all she finds after raising her head is the familiar wall of her room, that seems now narrower than ever after her haunting visit to the vast neverending forest.
“What…?”
It takes her a few seconds to be fully awake and come to terms with where she is. 
“A dream.” She says after a big sigh, observing all the details of her cabin as her mind returns to the real world. “Another dream…”
She frets about it for a second before all her other worries distract her from this one and, in no time, her head is filled once again with the burden of all of the tasks attached to the title that, for years now, has replaced her true name.
Shepard’s usual routine starts once again but, as she finishes checking her messages on her omni-tool, one remnant teardrop falls onto it, carried along from her dreams into reality. 
She looks at it for a second before getting out of bed and, as she clears her face and what’s left of her sorrow on it, she heads to the elevator, trying her best to leave behind in her room, not only the tears, but the forest and the echoes that caused them in the first place.
"EDI, are Garrus or Vega alive right now?"
"If by alive you mean awake, yes. Garrus is in port observation, in his own words: taking a rest from ‘keeping the Normandy afloat’. Which I find to be a deeply inaccurate affirmation, but he insists that: ‘nothing could be more true’."
Shepard laughs a little.
"Thanks EDI."
After taking a deep breath, she presses the elevator panel and heads to the crew deck. 
She's resolved to go directly to talk with her friend, before she has time to overthink or question what she wants to tell him. 
Nevertheless, a familiar laugher coming from the kitchen area suddenly calls her attention, and she is unable to resist her curiosity, which leads her to lean against the hallway walls as she focuses all her senses in dropping ears in the distant conversation. 
"You have to be kidding me…" Kaidan says, way too pleased by the new information he just received. "So… I'm crazy enough to forgive her, eh?"
"That's what she said."
Liara’s voice sounds very happy too, amused, she figures, by his reaction to her news.
"Nah, you just made that up to cheer me up."
"I didn't, I swear."
"Are you sure those were her words?" Kaidan asks again. "That doesn't sound like Shepard."
"I was there, Kaidan… Why are you finding it so hard to believe?"
"I don't know…" There’s a moment of silence, but Shepard doesn't need to see Liara's reaction to understand the look she’s giving him once she hears him laughing as consequence. "Okay, okay. It's just… That I see nothing to forgive.“ He clarifies. ”She did what she had to."
That last statement hits Shepard right in her heart, who suddenly starts to understand how deep the root of her guilt of having to work for Cerberus extends into her being.
"So… You'd choose differently, if given the chance again?"
"No… No, at least I don't think so. Would you?" Kaidan sighs and giggles a little. "She is right. I'm not able to go against my morals and judgment, not even for her."
Liara doesn't add anything to his reply. Shepard can imagine her staring at Kaidan, processing all he said to her with care before she actually forms a new opinion. 
"Lucky for me, she says she likes that about me." Kaidan chuckles a little. "Which is ironic if you think about it…"
"What is?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure it wasn't easy for her… To go against her own wishes in the name of a greater good, and…" Kaidan takes a second to clear his throat. "I guess, that's one of the things that made me fall in love with her in the first place. The fact that she always puts everything and everyone before herself… I mean, to a point.” He laughs again and, this time around, she knows perfectly the reason why. “I can’t count how many times I’ve wished she would take better care of herself…" 
Kaidan stops mid sentence and sighs.
"Sorry… I was just thinking out loud." He tells her. "It's just that I… I…”
“Yes?” Liara asks him, giving him all the time he requires to reply.
“I just  wish I would’ve seen everything so clearly a year ago."
It’s difficult to pinpoint which one of them is more affected by Kaidan’s last sentence, the two members of the actual conversation, or the one this one is about, who keep listening to them from afar.
"Better late than never…"
"True."
Both of them laugh again and fall silent and, before she has time to process everything they just said, she notices a set of footsteps coming closer to her by the second.
“Hey Lola.”  James greets her, appearing out of nowhere and making her jump a little. “Uff, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” 
Shepard laughs and shakes her head a couple of times.
“No, no… It’s okay. In fact, I wanted to talk to you and your bestie, have a second?”
“My bes… Ah, Scars.” James laughs at her comment. “Yeah, of course, order and I’ll follow.”
“Great then.”
They walk together into the room and find Garrus there, sitting on one of the sofas, telling battle stories to one of the youngest soldiers of the crew.
The turian looks briefly at them before continuing talking, dedicating them a subtle nod as a greeting.
Shepard and Vega don’t even need to talk to know what to do. They just share an amused look and sit on the bar right after, pulling out a couple of beers to drink as they become silent members of the audience and let Garrus continue his stories.
They stay like that for a while. With the Turian sharing his experiences and cracking a joke here and there while everyone else listens and pays attention to everything he has to say.
After almost an hour like this, the young man excuses himself and goes away to resume his duty, leaving the three friends alone in the room.
“So…” Garrus says after a few seconds of awkward silence. “How’s it going, Shepard?”
“Great, surviving.” All of them laugh and relax a little. “How about you?”
“Well, surviving as well.” He replies. “Remind me to never accept anything that comes from Vega.”
“Hey, you asked for it, Scars.” 
“And this is your second time falling for it, Garrus…” Shepard ads, joining forces with the leftenant. “I thought by now you would’ve learned your lesson. No wonder you’ve never managed to finish the whole ship’s calibrations… I think we’re asking too much of you.” 
Shepard and Vega break into laughter right away, cheering in honor of her teasing by toasting their bottles mid air as they laugh.
“Ahh… I should’ve known better than getting aboard an all human ship.” He says under his breath, or in its turian counterpart, which makes his two friends laugh even more. “This is why you’re here? To make fun of me?”
“No, that’s not it…” 
“Lola wants to speak with us, Scars.” James interrupts her, giving a lot of emphasis to the word ‘speak’. “I guess this is when she begs us to keep the whole ‘Alenko deal’ down to ourselves.”
The two of them smile and, to their surprise, so does Shepard, who can’t avoid finding the whole situation somewhat funny.
“No, no… I mean, I’d appreciate it if I could exercise some range of discretion, I’m not gonna lie, but this kind of thing always finds its way out. Would be nice if you tried to avoid discussing it in the open, though.”
“Yeah, you got it Shep.” Garrus says, and James nods right away, both of them reassuring his friend. “We might be a pain in the ass sometime but you can trust us, right Jimmy?”
James starts laughing and nods one more time agreeing with the turian.
“Yep, and we promise to behave a little better too…” He adds, feeling a bit guilty for everything that happened in that room not so long ago. “Or at least we’ll try our best to not corner Alenko and get him drunk.”
The three of them laugh again.
“At least it was an interesting experience…” She adds when she thinks about it. “I have to say I had a great deal of fun.”
A strange silence fills the room before any of them finds the courage to ask what they really want to know but, after a few seconds of hesitation, James finally finds a way to inquire what they’re fearing.
“I really thought you were gonna scold us…” He says with a soft tone of voice. “Isn’t that why you wanted to talk with us?”
“What? No…” She replies right away, feeling now even worse about the whole situation. “No. In fact… I wanted to apologize.”
“A… Apologize?”
Despite all the remorse, Shepard can’t avoid laughing at her friends’ expressions, which have changed from remorse to disbelief in a matter of seconds.
“Yeah. Apologize.” She confirms, after seeing the confusion in their faces.  “I could blame the alcohol, which I’m sure was a deciding factor in the whole thing, but, I’m your commanding officer, and I should've known better than to guilt trip the both of you into leaving us alone in the room, no matter the fact that there was more gin than blood running through my veins when that happened.”
James’ jaw falls gradually to the ground as Shepard says all this, laughing with his eyes wild open, completely in awe of her statement.
Garrus, on the other hand, stays with a confused look for almost a minute, before everything finally clicks in his mind, starting to understand a great deal more of what Shepard said on said evening, or better said, of what he can remember, which isn’t a lot.
“Wait… Are you saying…?”
“Yes.” She confirms right away.
“That’s why you tried to make him leave…”
“Yup.” She nods again.
“And the whole ‘I’ve never had a home…’”
“Yes.” She cuts him again, this time with less enthusiasm. “And I’m really sorry about that last one. I have no excuse, no matter how much… How much…”
She struggles to find the appropriate words, so she just leaves her sentence unfinished and decides to keep drinking her beer, hoping his friends are able to understand what she wants to say.
Unfortunately for her, they are.
“... how much you wanted to bang Alenko like a door on a hurricane?”
Shepard almost chokes with her drink when she hears those words coming out of Vega’s mouth, moment in which her two friends break into laughter all at once, and, after a few seconds of general shock, she surrenders herself to the whole situation and joins in too.
“Sorry, Lola… I couldn’t help it.” James says, clearing a tear and trying to compose himself.
“Nah… That’s fine, I kinda deserve it.” She considers a sentence in her mind for a couple of seconds before she says it out loud. “And let’s be honest, you’re completely right.”
James smiles and claps a couple of times.
“Well, it’s good to know we didn’t say anything inappropriate…” He says as he stands up, getting ready to go back to his schedule.
“Oh! I mean, you totally did…” Shepard replies right away, in between chuckles. “But it takes more than the two of you, completely smashed and all, to offend me… ”
“Cool.”
“I mean… I used to deal with Udina’s shit on a regular basis, and,” she stops for a second of reflection, before adding in a lower tone of voice, “just between us, I’m kinda glad that he went mad and gave Alenko a reason to shoot at him.” 
The three friends break into laughter all in unison this time around, creating a loud noise that, even if they aren’t aware of it, scares the life out of Tali, who was coincidentally near the elevator when the whole laughter started.   
They stay like that for a while, to the point that, when Vega is finally able to collect himself and bid them farewell to carry on with his agenda, Shepard and Garrus are still struggling to go back to their normal selves.
After a few minutes like that, the turian regains a little of his composure and moves to sit next to her at the bar, needing a couple more seconds before he is finally able to say something.
“Ayy, Shepard…” He says as he pats her a couple of times on her back. “I’ve truly missed you.”
“You see me all the time, Garrus.” She says with a big smile on her face. “I mean, no one has spent more time with me in the last ten years…” She takes a moment there. “You were even crazy enough to follow me to Cerberus, being a turian and all that.” 
“Not all of us are as strong as Kaidan, Shep.” She laughs a little before hitting him gently on his arm.
“Very funny.” 
“I mean it…” He clarifies. 
“Sure”
“I promise.”
Shepard directs her eyes to the ceiling for a moment and sighs.
“So… You aren’t gonna give me the ‘are you sure about Kaidan’ talk?” She asks as she redirects her sight to look at her friend.
“Maybe a few months ago I would’ve…” He admits in a repentant tone. “Not anymore.” He states, no hint of hesitation in his voice. “It takes a strong will to do something that goes against all of your own wishes and… Well.” He stops mid sentence and points at her with his open talons. “Look who I’m talking to.”
Shepard smiles one more time because of his comment, but he can see how her expression differs quite a lot from all her previous ones, finding a well of sadness the moment he meets her eyes.
“Yeah…” It’s the only thing she adds, in a calm tone of voice, lost in her own thoughts.
“You okay?”
It takes her a couple of seconds to process his words, but his question is able to bring her back to reality.
“Yeah.” She replies again, more sure and cheerful this time around. “Just a bit tired…”
“Of course.” 
Garrus is aware that she isn’t telling the whole truth, but he knows his friend way too well to understand that delving deeper into the whole affair would only make things worse.
“So…” Shepard starts saying, trying to change the focus of their conversation. “Tali, eh?” Garrus smiles at her comment. “You moved fast Vakarian, she’s only been on the ship for a couple days.”
“We kept in touch…” He clarifies in a softer, almost shy, tone of voice. “When you went back to Earth. And well…”
Shepard touches his arm and smiles at him, letting him know she’s also able to understand what he means with only that much of a sentence.
“I’m glad for you two.”
“Yes… As I am for you.” He replies. “As I said before, I missed you.”
Shepard sighs, knowing there’s a hidden meaning in his last words, but unable to picture what he is truly saying. 
Despite her better judgment, her curiosity ends up winning and, after a few seconds of processing everything, she finally decides to reply instead of using her standard strategy of avoiding this kind of conversation.
“You’ve said that already.”
“It is true.”
“So… You missed me since you saw me yesterday?” She asks with skepticism.
“No… No. I’ve missed you since I saw you fall along with the Normandy.”
For a second there Shepard feels completely defenseless against his comment. 
A strange force appears out of nowhere and tries to rip her soul apart from within, both too similar and nothing alike what she remembers the feeling of drifting away into the vast space was like, with the gravity of Alchera sucking her into its atmosphere at complete mercy of the forces of the universe.
Despite everything going inside of her, she maintains a straight face. She even laughs a little at Garrus’ comment once the initial shock is gone, trying her best to hide or, better said, avoid all of her memories as long as she’s able.
Unfortunately for her, her friend doesn’t seem to be willing to let the whole thing go away so easily.
“I missed you for years now… The real you, that is.” He insists, trying his best, and failing miserably, to get a better understanding of what she’s really going through right now. Nevertheless, he keeps going with his speech. “And, for the first time in years, I'm starting to see glimmer of you, the real you.”
Shepard gives him a dry smile before gulping what was left of her beer with a somewhat annoyed look on her face, but that doesn’t stop him either. 
“I mean, you even seem happy. Who would've thought that to be possible a few months ago?”
“You're exaggerating…” She tries to deflect again.
“Well, I guess that's another thing we have Alenko to thank for…” He turns a little to look better at her, knowing the effect the mention of Kaidan’s name is going to have on his friend.
For the first time in their whole conversation, he gives her enough time to process all of his words, instead of expecting an instant answer, and decides to continue with what he’s been meaning to tell her. 
“That’s also the main reason I’m not gonna give you… What did you call it? The ‘Kaidan talk’?”
She laughs at his comment, this time for real, shaking away some of her previous feelings and memories for the moment.
“Yeah, something like that…”
Garrus smiles with her, thinking about the implications of her original sentence.
“Are people giving you shit about him already?”
“Already…” Shepard laughs again. “I’d say ‘still’ fits the whole situation.” She rests her arms on top of the bar, leaning backwards on her bar stool. “Not that I care, though…” She smiles. ”I’ve wanted this for so long that I really don’t give a…”
Shepard lets her words disappear into thin air, suddenly aware that she’s giving him more information than she wanted to say.
She waits patiently for his comeback, completely sure he is going to ask her to finish her sentence, but instead, he just looks at her for a few seconds and nods, not needing to hear this either to know what she meant.
“I understand.” Garrus finally tells her, moving to sit closer to her as he starts to smile, already amused by what he’s going to say. “And, next time someone tries to give you ‘the Kaidan talk’... Call me up.” He tells her, giving her a soft nudge on her arm. “I still owe you for the last two times you prevented me from killing someone.”
Making use of all of her strength, Shepard manages to control her grin long enough to give a comeback.
“Three…” She corrects him right away.. “But who's counting.”
The two of them start laughing at both of their comments, finding each one of them, and what they imply, as funny as the other.
They calm down quicker this time around, giving Garrus a new opportunity to strike one more time.
“Sooo…” He starts again once he has the chance. “Everything okay, then? With the whole ‘Kaidan thing’, I mean. Are you okay?”
As always, there’s only preoccupation in the tone of his voice, no judgment or will to pry on her personal life. Just overall worry about someone he cares about.
Her whole body asks her to reply right away and say ‘yes’, a self defense mechanism she’s been implementing since she can remember. Nevertheless, she manages to fight against it and attempts to slow down her thoughts, searching for a true answer to his question.
“I don’t know…” Shepard finally states, taking a small pause to think about her feelings. “I…”
“You feel guilty.” Garrus adds without any kind of doubt.
“Yes.”
“For being happy.”
“Yes.” She admits again, finding some sort of peace after saying it out loud. “Am I that easy to read?”
He smiles a little at her comment.
“Of course not, Shepard. It’s taken me a lot of years, alcohol and effort to refine the noble art of knowing what’s really going on inside of your head…” He says in between laughs. “I guess I deserve it, for deciding to have a human as my best friend.”
His last words crash against her harder than she could’ve ever imagined, bringing back echoes of her past that instantly begin to haunt her, no nightmare nor forest needed this time around.
I prefer to see you like this. 
The voice of her long lost friend retumbs on her mind, replaying memories so accurately that she can almost see them.
Talking and laughing.
Shepard quickly stands up and takes a few steps. Summoning all her strength to hide from Garrus what’s really going on inside her head.
Please, stop. She says to herself, clenching her fist. Don’t start again…
Her own memories answer her begs, using the same reply that was used against her so many years ago.
I know, I know. You don't talk about that. You don’t talk about your name. Or about your family. You don’t talk about your past. Or your feelings. Or what you’ve been through… 
“You okay?” Garrus asks, as careful as he’s able, knowing something is happening to her right now, but well aware that if he pushes this too far she’ll run away as fast as she’s able.
And he isn’t wrong.
“Eh? Ah, yes. Sure”
I get it. You never talk about yourself… 
Shepard ignores the voice and keeps looking away from Garrus.
“I just remembered I… I…”
But you cannot deny that you're way happier now than when we met for the first time.
“I needed to talk with someone…”
“Someone?”
“Joker, I need to talk with Joker. Yes… To apologize and all that, for the whole drunken call.” She turns for just one second and forces a smile to say goodbye. “See you around, kay?”
And just like that she vanishes before Garrus is even able to comprehend what just happened, running from the whole situation in the blink of an eye.
“Okay…” He replies to the empty space she’s left behind, his mind still trying to find some kind of sense in the whole situation. “What…?”
After a few seconds of general confusion he shakes his head a couple of times, inspects the room and decides to clean a little, needing something else to focus on for a moment.
Garrus drags the stools closer to the bar and throws the two empty bottles of beer in the trash and, while he’s on it, his head keeps replaying the last few minutes of his conversation with Shepard, trying to find the moment where he crossed a line he shouldn’t have.
He’s been out of the loop with Shepard before, but this is new to him. This time around, he wasn’t expecting it and, worse of all, he has no idea of either the root of the problem nor its solution.
“...”
He quickly runs out of distractions and, the moment there’s nothing else to do, he goes back to his frozen pose and is instantly swallowed by the dilemma once again. 
The fact that she reacted better than he thought she would to everything he was afraid to ask up to that point isn’t helping either, making the whole problem even harder to pinpoint.
“Maybe it's nothing and I’m obsessing over it…” He says, almost surrendering to the whole idea that if he isn’t able to find the problem, there must be none. “Yeah, that  has to be it.” 
He starts walking towards the door and, for a few seconds, he almost succeeds in fooling himself. 
“You worry too much about nonsense, Garrus.” 
His own lie works flawlessly against him for a moment there, for who could know more about Shepard than him, right? He says in his mind. If I don’t see anything…
Nevertheless, something makes him stop at the threshold, right when he’s in the middle of his inner speech, no longer able to deny what’s the real thing he needs to do in order to get some clarity. 
“Ah…” He sighs at last, finally choosing to do what’s best for his friend, and not what’s easier for him to accept. “I need to talk to Kaidan.”
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*hums melody before starting to sing* loooook I made you some conteeeeeeeeeent XDDDDDDDDDD Sorry, I had to.
Errrmm... I'm going to address it in the future but, for those who didn't understand what's going on with Shep, the main character in her dreams, that she also hears at the end, is the main character in LBIG. Her best friend from training days and... Well, my Shep has the survivor background so... you can imagine the rest (and if you don't it's okay, I'm going to write it... aaaaand that fic will end in Akuze T-T) Anyway... You may now be able understand why Garrus calling her his "best friend" is so triggering for her.
Btw, don't worry, next 2 chapters are going to be more fun than angsty (I promise XD)
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krewe-yukii · 2 years
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I thought of a fun scene while trying to sleep last night and felt like writing it out. Nice and short, but it’s a good read if you want more insight on Yukii, Eviia, or Sakki’s personalities :3
Yukii leaned back in her wicker chair as she scrolled through the dense document on her datapad. The sunset felt warm on her face, streaming through the clouds to the balcony of her coworker’s apartment. “This… seems low,” she said, squinting at the screen.
“Business negotiations are one of my many specialties.” Eviia, the apartment’s owner, spoke without turning away from the balcony’s edge. The view of Ljos setting over the ocean was the only reason she felt regret over the planned move to Kryta, and she wanted to soak in the sight while she still could. She sighed. “I did have to commit to a longer lease to get the lower rate, but-”
“But you know our construction plans and don’t expect another move any time soon?”
“Exactly.”
Yukii chuckled. “Once we get that antenna built, we’ll be stuck there for a while.” She reached the end of the document and set the tablet down on the small glass table in front of her. Eviia turned her head to Yukii, still leaning on the railing.
“Stuck? It’s not like you to talk like that.”
“It was a joke, Eviia.”
“Ah.” She turned back to the ocean view. A faint beep played from inside the apartment, and the balcony door slowly opened. “Sakki. Nice to see you using the door for once.”
The new arrival stopped mid-step, halfway across the threshold. “I got tired of your downstairs neighbors always yelling at me for climbing on their railings!” Eviia could hear the pout on Sakki’s face.
“And?”
“And I don’t want to have to pay to replace their windowsill again.” She paused, noting Yukii’s confused expression. “How was I supposed to know that thing was held on with tape?”
Yukii laughed, stood up, and pulled Sakki in for a hug. “You’ll have to tell me that story later tonight, Novachaser.” The last word was spoken in a teasing tone, through a smile. Sakki pulled away and pumped her fist in excitement.
“Does that mean we got approved? Please please please tell me we got approved, I’m tired of our tiny office!”
Eviia picked the datapad up off the table and held it out for Sakki. “We did. With quite a large grant and a low lease on the facility grounds, might I add.” She paused and waited for Sakki to take the tablet. She did so, scrolled through until finding the relevant numbers, and whistled.
“Dang, you weren’t kidding. We might actually be able to build that dish our fearless leader keeps talking about!”
“Is that why you let me have the krewe chief title? To call me that?” Yukii put on a show of being hurt, but Sakki knew she was just teasing.
“Nah, I just hate the paperwork. You two are so much better at it than me anyway -”
Eviia cut her off there. “You’re a division leader, Sakki. That means paperwork for you too.” 
“I’ve got plans, don’t worry about that.”
“I wasn’t worried before, but I am now.”
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frogtanii · 3 years
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iwaizumi was... overwhelmed, to say the least.
the past few days had been such a whirlwind of change that hajime could barely properly process, much less appropriately react to it all, so he behaved much like a zombie, saying yes when prompted, signing papers when told, and packing up what was his entire life for the past 11 months.
wow. iwaizumi collapsed on his bed as he scanned his now barren bedroom. he’d been here for almost a year and yet, all his belongings were in boxes within a couple of days.
hajime couldn’t keep the disbelieving chuckle from escaping his chest as he leaned back on his bed, dark brown eyes trained on the ceiling.
it felt like he’d spent such a large chunk of his life trapped in this house, under the foot of the woman who he thought he’d marry but in reality, he’d been in little leagues longer than he’d been in love.
iwaizumi scoffed and rolled his eyes. yeah, “in love”. it’d been about a week since his whole life started to unravel and he had hardly seen, let alone spoken to meiko throughout that entire time.
over text, she’d sworn up and down that she loved and cared about him but as she passed by him packing his things a few days ago, she’d barely spared him a second glance.
hajime wasn’t going to lie. it hurt. he’d opened his heart up to her, something he didn’t do easily, and she’d taken his trust and used it to twist him into her weapon.
he always believed he was stronger than this — he’d never forget his mother telling him so when he was younger. he had fallen and scraped his knee yet he refused to cry to keep from upsetting his mom. iwaizumi existed to live up to what his mother thought of him but here he was, completely enveloped in meiko’s shit, doing her dirty work and following her bidding like some mutt.
god, toorū was right. he really was her bitch.
“i could hear you thinking from down the hall, iwa-chan.” speak of the devil...
oikawa stood at his doorway, leaning against the frame with a posture that seemed relaxed at first glance but if you looked a little closer, you’d notice the tenseness in his shoulders and the tightness of his smile.
hajime quickly sat up on his bed before motioning for his old friend to enter. “uh, yeah,” he began, his voice cracking a little from disuse, “i have a lot to think about.”
the light haired brunette let out an understanding hum before wandering into the room, sharp observant eyes darting to look at all the empty walls. “looks like you’re all packed.”
“pretty much,” iwaizumi nodded before the room fell into an awkward silence, the two childhood friends completely avoiding one another’s eyes.
“look, i-“
“iwa-chan, i’m-“
they both paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, the sound carrying into the hall and throughout the house.
hajime wiped a few stray tears from his eyes, shaking his head at their awkwardness. “you first, shittykawa.”
toorū gasped in halfhearted mock offense before quickly sobering up, training iwaizumi with a completely serious look. “i’m sorry and before you go on some bullshit, self sacrificing rant, you’re not the only one to blame for what happened to our friendship.”
he sighed while making his way to iwaizumi’s bed, sitting down gently beside him. “i should’ve known better, okay? i shouldn’t have let my jealousy and insecurities get in between us but i guess i got swept up in the attention, yknow? meiko is actually charming when she wants to be.”
iwaizumi nodded in agreement, knowing all too well how compelling meiko could be. the room fell into a more comfortable silence as both boys escaped into their thoughts, questions about the future of their friendship flitting throughout their minds.
“oh!” oikawa was pulled out of his own head at hajime’s exclamation, his eyes moving to observe his friend dig through his pockets to procure a thick white envelope. “here. i’d like you to give this yn.”
all toorū could do was nod, his brain short circuiting at the sight of iwaizumi’s apparent kindness to the woman he tormented for so long. “uh, what’s in it?” he ventured to ask, his soft hands toying with the sealed envelope flap.
a soft chuckle came from across the bed. “don’t be so nosy toorū, just give it to her, yeah?” oikawa rolled his eyes but obliged, the bed creaking as he stood to his feet.
“so... this is it, huh?” it was like the reality of the situation was just now sinking in — they hadn’t been close in a while but iwaizumi was still his best friend and he wasn’t quite ready to let him go.
they’d been through so much together, practically growing up together and now, they’d only see each other on holidays, if even then, and then he’d never be invited to hajime’s wedding as his best man as they’d planned and he also wouldn’t be the coolest uncle/godfather of iwa’s children and—
“fuck no,” hajime scoffed with a bright grin on his face. “thought you were gonna annoy me til the end of time shittykawa. don’t tell me you’re quitting your job now.”
the hidden meaning behind iwaizumi’s words brought tears to oikawa’s eyes and before he could stop himself, he launched his body into iwa’s arms. hajime hesitated, his hands stuttering at toorū’s sides as though he’d forgotten how to hug but the feeling passed, his arms winding around his friend’s lithe waist.
“‘m gonna miss you hajime,” oikawa’s voice came out as a broken whimper, his arms tightening around his shoulders.
iwaizumi hummed instead of responding, too afraid of his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. they stood there for a moment but the honk of the moving truck outside signaled the both of them of their limited time.
hurriedly, oikawa wiped the tears off his cheeks before waving awkwardly at iwaizumi as he left the room with a friendly, “don’t be a stranger.”
and then he was gone.
toorū finally allowed himself to collapse into sobs on his best friends empty bed, his palms pressing into his eyes as he sat there and just let himself feel.
apparently, he wasn’t crying very quietly because it took only a few moments for you to find him, your soft footsteps alerting him to your presence. oikawa scrambled to wipe away what he knew was an unattractive mixture of tears and snot as you got closer.
you were one of the last people he wanted to see him like this.
“hey,” you whispered, standing a few feet away from him. “um, i know this is probably a bad time but i just wanted to thank you for apologizing? back at the awards show?”
toorū sniffed as he looked up at you with confusion written on his face. “what? you shouldn’t thank me for apologizing. ‘s common courtesy.”
you laughed softly, nodding in agreement. “well, not always. so, thank you.” finished with your piece and not too keen on lingering where you weren’t wanted, you moved towards the door but were swiftly stopped before you got there.
“um, here. it’s from iwa-chan.” you gaped at the thick envelope oikawa was handing you before taking it and opening it, a low curse falling from your lips.
inside the package was a dense wad of cash, more money than you’d seen in months. accompanied with it was a letter, written in beautifully loopy handwriting.
you shut it quickly before oikawa could see, stuffing the envelope deep within your pocket where you could access it alone in the depths of your room.
“do you wanna come eat? last i heard, bokuto and tsumu were doing a cooking competition and i’m sure it’ll be fun to watch.” you were severely thrown off by the money and letter but you were determined to show toorū that you’d accepted his apology and were on your way to making amends.
he gave you a shy nod and trailed behind you to the kitchen, the loud sounds of fire and screaming coming from down the hall. you wanted to focus on the fun and merriment but the envelope was practically burning a hole in your pocket.
later that night, you finally got the chance to open the letter and read it, your former manager’s words bringing tears to your eyes.
dear yn,
i’m probably the last person you expected to hear from. you probably didn’t want to hear from me at all if i’m being honest and i don’t blame you. i know there is nothing i can say that could make up for what i’ve done to you but i’d like to try.
i’m sorry. those words don’t nearly express in and of themselves how truly remorseful i am but they needed to be said. there’s no excuse for how i treated you — not meiko, not my stress, absolutely nothing.
you deserved my common decency and respect and i didn’t give that to you. instead, i abused my position and made your life hell. i’ll never forgive myself for that.
uh, i bet you’re wondering what the money is? i promise i’m not trying to pay you off, it’s just all the money i’ve denied you since you moved here. i have a lot of wrongs to right and this is one of them.
sorry, i’m not very good with words but i just wanted you to know that i’m very sorry for everything that i’ve done. and i’m in no place to make demands or anything but i just wanted to ask if you’d keep an eye on oikawa for me.
he’s strong but he’s also vulnerable. he might be a pain in my ass but he’s my best friend and since i can’t keep him from drowning, i was wondering if you’d do that - not for me but for him.
anyways, this letter is shit but i suppose you get the gist. use the money for whatever you want and if you’re as unselfish as i’ve heard, you don’t owe me anything. you don’t owe me money, kindness, or forgiveness.
take care of yourself,
iwaizumi hajime
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℗ poker face
so... this is it
series masterlist
(●’◡’●)ノ
an - soooo m back :D hopefully this is the last of my mini hiatuses!! this chapter sucked to write but i’m not mad at how it turned out?? pls let me know how i did skjdkd don’t forget to feed me <3333
taglist - if your name is in bold, i cannot tag you
@boosyboo9206 • @geektastic84 • @elianetsantana • @trashy-simp • @infinitebells • @6mattsun9 • @suhkusa • @katsulovee • @kotarosbabygirl • @fucktheworlddude • @insomniacwreck • @calumsfringe • @saltylettuce • @chai-blu • @al3x1ss • @hawksyoongi • @syndellwins • @jooleuuh • @loubells • @kissungjae • @liberhoe • @tetsurocore • @animeoverdosee • @duhsies • @saikishairclip • @afire24 • @premiyagi • @kit-kat428 • @doctorspencereid • @daphnxy • @kyomihann • @maer-333 • @sinoflust19 • @peteunderoos • @peachiikichu • @iidanotlida • @yongboxerrr • @kac-chowsballs • @tanakaslastbraincell • @memorableminds • @risjime • @starry-magicshop • @sugavwara • @smuttyanimeslut • @kiwibirbs-library • @haijkk • @airybnb • @crybabygumi • @iwaisa • @decaffinatedtealover • @notameera • @kawaii-angelanne • @rintarovibes • @urlocalsimp
the rest of the tags will be in the replies!!
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kageyuji · 3 years
Text
his teammate has a crush on his s/o
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⤷ oikawa, atsumu, akaashi, tsukishima, tanaka, kenma ; [gn!reader] — part 2
tags: jealousy, fluff(?), a few swears, the teammates had to be mischaracterized a bit for the plot, and a little sprinkle of threats as a treat
note: you’re so cute when you reblog <33
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━━ OIKAWA
oikawa was always protective of you, though he is terrible at swallowing his pride and will never admit to being jealous
but he couldn’t deny it to himself
not when he saw how mattsun laughed whenever you spoke to makki, how makki always seemed to have his eyes on you
then again he knew how much he could read into things, how whenever an idea got planted in his mind he’d overthink it
so he brushed it off and tried to ignore the bitter feeling he got very time you interacted with the other guy
it wasn’t until he overheard mattsun and makki talking that he realized he was right
“you can’t deny that y/n is cute, mattsun, look at them. probably cuter wearing my t-shirt though, hm?”
when i tell you he froze
he literally stopped, volleyball in hand. it seemed like he was frozen in time, holding his breath and eyes staring at nothing, but seemingly at something that scared him
then he blinked, turning his head to offer makki a confused but hostile look
“come again? i don’t think i heard you right.”
now it’s makki’s turn to freeze
eventually he’ll offer a nervous, apologetic smile and say it was nothing, but he also won’t look oikawa in the eye anymore
oikawa doesn’t walk away then, instead opting to walk over to the two of them
“y/n is my partner. not yours, ok?” “ok!”
oikawa then makes a point to have you wearing either his extra jersey or hoodie around the team, especially around makki
━━ ATSUMU
atsumu is another thats already protective of you, except he doesn’t mind showing it
he’ll deny that he’s doing it, but no one misses the way he puts an arm around you and pulls you close his chest, or the glares he sends the other person
he especially gets worried around other guys that you’re close with. he knows he can’t contol your friends and it’s not like he wants to
but he just wishes you wouldn’t seem to have more fun with them than with your boyfriend
what really bothered him though was the way you and suna seemed to get along — suna had always been the type to tease the people he liked and atsumu hated how he did that to you
he trusted suna though, trusted that even if suna did have feelings for you he wouldn’t do anything about it
atsumu had written off his jealousy once again, though he hated the way his teammate had made you laugh
that was until he heard suna say something like “they’re cute”
atsumu turned around quickly, jaw set and something like betrayal written on his face
“are you talking about y/n?” he says, as though he doesn’t already know the answer
suna doesn’t respond, just turns to atsumu and looks as though he’s trying to find some sort of excuse without actually having to lie
“i can’t control whether the two of you talk, but don’t you dare fucking flirt with them again.”
if you thought he was touchy before, he’s even more so now
he always makes sure that you’re either wearing something of his or that he’s touching you in some way — he’ll hold your hand, hug you, press kisses to the side of your face
━━ AKAASHI
though he hates it, he tends to get insecure
and he’s insecure about literally everything, but he’s especially worried that he’s not good enough for you
so him being jealous on occasion is in the package deal
he hides it well though, usually calming himself down enough by holding your hand or looking at a photo of the two of you
usually he’s good at communicating whenever he gets like that, he’ll tell you later whenever it’s just you and him
but he didn’t really know what to do about the fact that konoha had seemed to be getting more and more flirtatious with you
you were always at his practices and his games, he couldn’t expect you not to talk to konoha so much
besides, it was probably just his insecurities again... right?
he kept telling himself that, at least until bokuto had mentioned it nonchalantly
“what did you just say?”
“uh, the part about konoha liking y/n? or the other part?”
his heart drops, eyes quickly scanning the room to find you and hoping konoha wasn’t talking to you
but of course he was talking to you and cracking some dumb joke that made you laugh
and then suddenly there was akaashi beside you, wrapping his arm around you and staring at konoha with hostility in his eyes
he won’t say anything to konoha in front of you, the last thing he wants is to make you uncomfortable
but the second you’re gone akaashi won’t hesitate to confront him, digging his nails into his palms to keep himself calm
“i don’t control y/n or their friends, but keep in mind that you’re their friend. and i’m their boyfriend. and i get that feelings are uncontrollable but if you flirt with them again i might just feel like hitting you.”
━━ TSUKISHIMA
tsukishima actually wasn’t the type to get jealous a lot. even when guys openly flirted with you, there was a feeling more like pride then jealousy
he only really got jealous when the guy posed an actual threat, and even then he played it off with a cocky smile and pitying look at the guy
but this time it was different
he never got along much with kageyama, so he wasn’t completely sure why the setter had taken to talking to you of all people
hinata was the only person that kageyama usually talked to; it was logical for tsukishima to wonder why kageyama had been starting conversations with you
so he watched the other boy with a careful eye for a while and made sure he wasn’t getting too comfortable around you
it wasn’t until he overheard kageyama and hinata talking that he had confirmation
“kageyama, you don’t have feelings for y/n, do you?”
“well... i don’t know, i mean they’re cute and they’re really nice, don’t you think? maybe if tsukishima w-”
without missing a beat, tsukishima turns and smiles at the setter, “yeah i agree. the difference between you and i though is that y/n is mine, know your place, king.”
kageyama didn’t say anything in response, just wrinkled his nose, grabbed his bag, and left the gym
tsukishima knew that you liked him as opposed to kageyama, so he wasn’t exactly worried about it
but he did try to smoothly mention that maybe you shouldn’t talk to kageyama as much (spoiler: it was not smooth and all, you ended up asking why and tsukki had to admit what happened through red-tinted cheeks)
━━ TANAKA
the king of getting protective and jealous
he doesn’t mean to be, he just doesn’t understand why you chose to be with him of all people
he’s grateful that you did though, he honestly doesn’t know what he’d do without you
on the bright side though, he isn’t one to hide his jealousy either. if he deems someone to be getting a little too friendly with you, he’ll step in and let them know you’re taken
obviously if his protectiveness makes you uncomfortable he’ll tone it down, but unless you tell him that he’s going to make sure everyone knows that you’re dating
so it only takes once for someone to get what he deems flirtatious and he’s letting the other person know that they’re crossing a line
except this time it was nishinoya, and tanaka was a little torn
he trusted his best friend obviously, but then again he knew that nishinoya showed off and bragged to you a lot more than he did with other people
he watched as nishinoya grabbed your hand, kissing the back of it and then smiling
and then in no time, there was tanaka, holding the other boy by the collar of his shirt
“what the hell man?!” he says, then finally let’s go of nishinoya
“sorry...” nishinoya says quietly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. instead of saying anything else, he looks at the ground and starts walking away
“i’ll deal with him later,” tanaka says, voice much softer than it had been
he wraps you in a hug, burying his face into your neck and leaving gentle kisses there. he won’t let go for a while unless you ask him to
━━ KENMA
kenma didn’t get jealous a lot either, he could easily tell whenever someone was flirting with you as opposed to when someone was just being friendly
the only time he actually got jealous was when people flirted with you. and even then he’d just walk over to you and grab your hand, giving the other person a bored look
however, it was harder for him to tell if you were close to the other person
which was why he was a little skeptical whenever yaku seemed to be getting a little too close to you
he tried to believe it wasn’t; yaku wouldn’t flirt with someone he knew was in a relationship. especially not if the person was dating his teammate... would he?
except whenever he saw yaku blush and smile at something you’d said, then said something to make you laugh, that was his confirmation
“so what are you talking about?” kenma said, walking over to you and yaku. he wrapped his arms around you, hooking his chin over your shoulder so he could see the other guy
he saw something like concern appear on yaku’s face now
kenma couldnt help but smile, not when yaku said they were talking about nothing, though their was panic lacing his words
“hm,” kenma hummed, pressed a quick kiss to the side of your face, and then turned his eyes back to yaku
“well maybe the next time you try to flirt with my partner, invite me next time.”
“i-i wasn’t... that’s not it-“
“i’m not dense, just understand that y/n is my partner, and i’m their’s. step off.”
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© kageyuji 2021. do not copy, modify, or otherwise plagiarize in any way.
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fireflykaizoku · 3 years
Note
Hellooo!!
I read all your soulmate AUs and they are SO well writen! I was wondering if I could request the same soulmate body swap AU with zoro instead?
Absolutely love your writing and thanks in advance😚😚
Hello! i'm sorry i took so long! but here it is and thank you so so much! ❤
That night, the Strawhats were at a bar celebrating Zoro’s 23th birthday. Sanji didn’t want to make cake for him, but Nami asked him very nicely. Brook and Franky sang him songs, and Usopp made him a present. The young man was having fun, surrounded by the people he loved, and even the cook wasn’t being annoying. He was feeling thankful.
— Maybe you’re going to meet your soulmate this year. — Robin smiled.
— Soulmate? — the green haired man raised an eyebrow, not knowing what she was talking about. He was very dense about things like that. — What do you mean?
— When the youngest soulmate turns 23, they switch bodies. And the only way to fix it and switch back is kissing. Not simply kissing, but kissing after falling in love. — she giggled. — Isn’t it fun?
— No! I would hate to be in someone else’s body for who knows how long. And if I don’t fall in love, I’ll never go back to my body.
— Well, mosshead, I don’t think you falling in love would be the problem. — Sanji interrupted the chat. — But someone falling in love with you is impossible.
Even though it was Zoro’s birthday, the two of them couldn’t stay without fighting for 24 hours anyway. Meanwhile, you were having a sleepover at your house with a couple of your best friends. You were drinking some wine, talking about your love life, and hearing your friend’s story about when she met her soulmate. The story about when they met, when they kissed and switched back. It sounded so magical, you couldn’t wait to meet yours.
The next morning, you woke up and stretched before opening your eyes. The house was noisy, more than the usual, and the place smelled so good, like someone was making food. Which was weird since your friends never really made breakfast after a sleepover.
Opening your eyes, you looked around and noticed this wasn’t your room, and the people sleeping there definitely weren’t your friends. For some reason, you felt like you couldn’t see well. Also, the chest with scars and the calloused hands weren’t yours. The portholes made you realize it was a ship. Looking at the people sleeping, they didn’t look like marines, nor had any uniforms in sight. So your soulmate was a pirate! Which was very exciting.
All you could feel was genuine happiness when you realized it your soulmate! You finally switched bodies with him. After years imagining how it’d be and how they looked like, it finally happened.
You got up trying not to wake the others, and went to try to find a mirror as soon as possible, wanting to see every detail of this man. You already knew he had strong arms and a toned chest, but you wanted to see his face.
While heading to the bathroom, you saw a blonde man. Since he was apparently a crewmate, you smiled and greeted him.
— Good morning. — you said, walking trying to find a bathroom before the cook could even answer. Sanji was speechless by Zoro being suddenly polite and waking up earlier than everyone else, that he didn’t even have an answer on the tip of his tongue like he usually does.
You finally found a mirror in the large bathroom. The place was beautiful, not the way you expected a pirate ship to look like.
The reflection showed a green haired man, tanned skin, wearing three earrings on his left ear, the man also had a scar over his left eye, which was closed. He looked intimidating in a good way, if that makes any sense. Damn, that man was good looking.
You traced the scars on his chest slowly, wondering how he got it. You only imagined the stories he could tell you after switching back.
— Marimo, are you going to be there forever? — a knock on the door made you jump. — This bathroom isn’t only yours.
You opened the door and saw the same man from earlier. Giving him an apologetic smile, you made your way out of the room.
— I’m so sorry, I was already leaving.
A few minutes later, everyone started to wake up. During breakfast, you tried to keep as quiet as possible, sweating whenever the cook stared at you as if something suspicious was going on. Should you tell him about what was happening?
— Hey, Zoro, why aren’t you drinking your sake yet? — a boy with a long nose asked you, tilting his head to the side.
— Isn’t it too early to drink that? — you raised an eyebrow. Did your soulmate really drink that early in the morning?
When you asked that, everyone went silent, except the boy with the strawhat, who kept eating everything from his plate and from other plates too. Their eyes were wide, and mouth hanged open.
— Zoro, are you feeling sick? — a cute raccoon asked you. When you saw him talking for the first time, your heart stopped, but everyone on this ship acted as if it was natural. — You usually don’t refuse to drink.
— I’m okay, but thank you. — you smiled, patting the animal’s head.
While finishing your meal, you heard the crew whispering talking to each other while staring at you. It felt awkward, but you tried to act as normal as possible.
— I didn’t think Zoro would find his soulmate so soon. — Robin said. — That was fast. What’s your name? — she asked, looking at you.
— I’m… (Y/N). I’m from a small island, hopefully not far from here. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything… — you bit your lip. — I was afraid of how people would reacted when I told them the truth, so I tried to act… As if I was him, but I have no idea of how he acts.
— You refused beer and were polite with Sanji. You started wrong. — the orange haired girl giggled. — Don’t worry, let’s find your island.
When you told him about where you lived, you realized it’d take around two days to arrive. It was frustrating, but you spent a lifetime waiting, two days are nothing compared to that. You took this time to get to know the crew better, while everyone kept telling you stories about Zoro.
He was a strong swordsman, who always got lost and liked to drink sake. He took many naps and spent the rest of the time practicing. Everyone said nice things about the man, except Sanji. Apparently they fought a lot.
And then the day was finally there, and you could see your town from far. The crew decided to go with you trying to find Zoro, since he probably went out and got lost. You gave a few descriptions about your appearance so they’d know who they’d be looking for.
Walking in front of a forest, you spotted your figure walking. It was your soulmate, who was lost. He was cussing and walking in circles.
— Hey! — you said, smiling and waving, getting his attention. — Found you!
— Ah, I guess you’re my soulmate. — he walked towards you. — I was taking a walk but… This forest wasn’t here before, I don’t know what happened.
You couldn’t help laughing, he wasn’t joking though. He really believed the trees popped out of nowhere like magic, and that’s why he couldn’t find his way back. The two of you went silent, a comfortable silent, just looking at each other.
— My friend explained about soulmates and all… So we can… Try to switch back now, if you want. — he looked away, trying to hide the fact he was extremely flustered.
— Yes, we can. — you bit your lip, cheeks feeling warmer. — I guess we’re alone here, so it’s a good time now.
You closed your eyes and waited for him to make a move. Zoro didn’t have much experience with this, but he wanted to impress you anyway. So his hands gently held your face, while he pulled you into a kiss. A gentle peck that became a little sloppy kiss, you tried to make him follow your movements. He took the hint and finally it felt like your lips were perfectly for each other.
Opening your eyes, you saw your soulmate. His half lidded eyes, and a slight smile on his lips. He looked so good, and cute at the same time. Without any warning, you claimed his lips one more time. The man was caught off guard.
While walking around trying to find the others, you two started to actually talk to know each other.
— Hey, Zoro... — you said, getting his attention. — When did you fall for me?
— Well, I'm not the best with this kind of stuff, but when I saw the swords in your room, I knew the universe brought me the right soulmate.
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feiwelinchen · 3 years
Text
How Tsukishima would react when you bring home a kitten
Tsukishima Kei x reader (I’m not sure I’m using pronouns, but I wrote it for a f!reader)
Warnings: angst, Tsuki is an idiot; this is my first post, so I don’t know what else I should warn you about; English is not my first language; copy pasted it from Word, sorry if the layout or such is messed up.
Word Count: 2k
I upload it on ao3 as well. Please don’t repost. Reblogs and comments appreciated
I don’t own Haikyuu or the characters
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You heard the click of the lock just before the front door opened and closed. Then the rattle of keys hitting the glass of the bowl by the door.
"I'm home." Tsukishima's voice rang through the apartment. He furrowed his brow when there was no answer. Your shoes were in the small genkan; you should be home. "I said I'm home!" He repeated himself; it wasn't like you not to answer. Tsukishima entered the light living room.
And there you were, sitting on the couch, hunched over and looking absolutely guilt-ridden.
"What did you do?", Tsukishima's annoyance was clear as day. He knew that look on your face. It was the exact look you had that day you broke his favourite dinosaur cup. The same look, when you ate all the strawberry chocolate while on your period, the particular look you wore the day you confessed to him.
 You were still in high school back then, but you had known Tsukishima Kei for a few years already since you have been seated next to him on your first day in middle school. He became your friend first, but after a year of friendship, he became your first love. Your only love, for that matter. You kept it quiet, though. You knew how he could be and how this revelation might alter your dynamic. So you kept your mouth shut as long as you could. But at the end of your second year at Karasuno, you couldn't keep it in any longer. You met him on the rooftop, and he stopped the moment he saw you. Your face was tilted to the left, your lower lip between your left canines. Your brows were ever so slightly furrowed, with your tear trimmed eyes looking upwards directly into his soul.
"Even though this might destroy our friendship", you started, "even though you might never talk to me again after that."
"I-", Tsukishima starts but was immediately interrupted.
"Please." You stammered. "Let me finish before I lose my courage and become the coward I am again."
"You're not a coward.", his voice was stern.
"Tsuki. Please." And to your surprise, he kept his mouth shut. "Even… even though you will probably laugh at me or make fun of me or whatever… I have to tell you because I can't anymore." You took a deep breath. "Tsukishima Kei." He straightened at his full name. "I'm in love with you. And I have been for four years already. And I know you don't like me like that, and that's fine. I don't expect anything, and I really want to stay friends. But if you can't, I understand. I just… needed you to know. I needed you to know how I feel." Your facial expression hadn't changed throughout all of this. "You can say something now, Tsuki." Your mumble barely reached him. "Please say something.", you pleaded after a few more moments of deafening silence.
"I knew you were dense, but wow," Tsukishima smirked. "And a good actress, I might add. Four years. Really? That's an awfully long time for a teen crush. And I would know. So how about we go to your place and talk about how utterly simple-minded you must be not to pick up any signal I send you over the last five years, huh?" At that, you perked up. "I was watching you closely, but you never gave anything away. Not once did you give me any indication you might like me more than just a friend. I'm honestly a bit impressed by all of that. Why the heck did you wait so long?"
"I didn't want to ruin our friendship", you mumbled.
"Yeah, well. Congrats. You will get upgraded to girlfriend anyway. Now come. If we hurry, we can get some strawberry shortcake from the bakery on our way." He turned around and left, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart and force the blush on his cheeks to vanish with sheer willpower.
 He would never admit it out loud, but this look of yours, this very facial expression: Head tilted to the left, bottom lip between your left canines and eyebrows slightly furrowed, this was his favourite demeanour of yours, for it brought him back to the day on the rooftop. When his heart had been beating faster and louder than anything. When you confessed and put an end to his silent misery. When you became his, and he became yours.
So when you were sitting there, all guilt-ridden and lovely, he had to fight down his smile and the blush creeping its way onto his cheeks – just like all those years ago. Just like always when you looked like that. He knew he wouldn't like what was to come, but still, he knew this wouldn't be too bad – nothing could.
"What did you do?" He repeated with an annoyance laced voice. "Just get it over with."
You didn't answer but slowly lifted your hands and a tiny fluffy looking kitten with them. A high pitch mewl escaped the small pink mouth of the little black furball.
"Did you… did you buy a cat?" Tsukishima asked, utterly perplexed. He had some ideas about what you could have done. Getting a cat without even asking was not one of them.
"He is so cute. I was at Yachi's –"
"Was it her idea?" He butted in, in a frighteningly calm voice.
"We were just looking at the shelter's website, and then I saw him, and I immediately fell in love with him and I… I just got him." You cradled the kitten in your arm, and he nuzzled your hand.
"And you didn't think of asking first?" Tsukishima's voice cracked a bit. His temper was coming out.
"You would have said no."
"Of course, I would have said no!" His speech got louder. "We can't have a cat. We're living in an apartment!"
"I talked to the landlord. Cats are ok!" You stated quickly. Hoping to bring some peace to his mind. Unfortunately, quite the opposite was the case.
"So you called the landlord, but not your boyfriend, who will have to live with your decision and should get a say in what kind of animal he is sharing his home with?"
The sound of his voice scared the black cat. He jumped out of your arms, looking for protection under the TV cabinet.
"Kei! You're scaring him!" You fell to your knees, trying to coax the small feline out of his hiding spot. But nothing worked, and the little one stayed put in his place.
"Get dressed and pack him up; we are bringing him back." That was all he said before vanishing in the bathroom.
It took nearly half an hour for the little furball to come out from under the TV. The whole time you pleaded with your boyfriend to just let you keep him, but Tsukishima didn't budge.
"If I wanted a cat, I would have brought it up with you, and we would have talked about it and made a decision together. You know we are supposed to make these kinds of decisions as a couple and not solo, right?" He snarled while fastening his seatbelt. "And stop heaving like a brat. What did you think would happen?" He asked. "That I would come home finding a cat in my living room and instantly fall in love with it?"
"Kind of… yeah." You mumbled, stroking the soft fur between the ears of the kitten in your lap. He purred heavily, not knowing what was happening around him.
"Do you even know me? When did I ever fall instantly in love with anything?"
"You instantly fell in love with me!" You retorted.
"I should never have told you that."
The car ride was silent, apart from your sniffles and the mewls of the cat that desperately tried to cheer you up by licking your nimble fingers and purring his heart out.
Tsukishima, at one point, tried to take one of your hands – to hold it like he always did while driving – but you slapped him away.
"Did you name him already?" He asked after a few more minutes with both hands on the steering wheel.
You shook your head.
"Good. That will make it easier."
 He pulled the car into the parking lot of the shelter. It was just before closing. Tsukishima was lucky – you were not.
He looked at the animal shelter and then back at you. You stared at him.
"Kei… please…"
Tsukishima swiped away a stray tear with his thumb and held your face. "Come on. They are closing soon."
He got out of the car, walked around it and opened your door – something he usually wouldn't do, but Tsukishima knew what had to be done to get you out of the car. You left with the kitten pressed to your chest.
You were waiting in the entrance room of the animal shelter. An employee said she would be with you shortly and scurried away. Tsukishima looked around and read a few posters and flyers while he waited. His glance drifted to you every once in a while, observing your interactions with the cat in your arms. He watched how you kissed the little furry head and scratched the tiny chin, and he saw the pink tongue licking your fingers. He pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up while doing so, before shifting his focus back to his flyer.
"Sorry for the wait.", the blonde employee was back. "How can I help you with?"
Tsukishima was at the counter in no time. "My girlfriend adopted this kitten today." He motioned in your direction and waved you over. "And…" He watched you walking towards him and spotted new tears in your eyes. He took a deep breath.
"Oh no. Is your partner allergic?" The employee immediately inquired.
"No… That's not it." Tsukishima said. "I… We…" He looked at you again, then at the kitten in your arms. His eyes fell down to the flyer still in his hands. "Well… this flyer says house cats should better not be raised alone. So we are here to get another cat. Preferably one he gets along with." He pointed at the cat.
It took Tsukishima less than 2 minutes to decide on a red male kitten from the same litter, who climbed up his leg the very moment Tsukishima set foot into the enclosure.
 You were sitting in the car while your wonderful, lovely, and absolutely adorable boyfriend was driving. Two little cats cuddled into each other and sleeping on your lap. You grinned at him.
"Be glad I love you so much, dumbass." He said drily.
"I am, Kei. I love you." You answered and took his hand.
"You're an idiot."
"But I am your idiot." You planted a kiss on the back of his hand, which made him smile.
"We still need names.", he said after a while.
"Ok… How about Hinata for the red one and Kageyama for the black one?"
"We are not naming our cats after my former teammates, especially not after that hyperactive moron Hinata Shoyo, nor his Highness King Kageyama Tobio!" Tsukishima warned you.
"What?" Your eyes were blown wide. "But I thought you chose him because he looked so much like Chibi-chan."
"Absolutely not! And he does not look like that Ginger."
"… well… he does, though."
"He does not, or I turn around, and we return both!" He threatened.
 A week later, you came back from the grocery store when you found your boyfriend on the couch with two sleeping kittens on his chest. You quickly snapped a couple of photos.
"If anyone ever sees these, I'm renaming them to Ankylosaurus and Iguanodon! Are we clear?" He warned you with a dangerous sparkle in his eyes – one that promised much more later on.
"Crystal clear, Tsukki-poo."
He growled at the nickname. But everything was forgiven and forgotten when he saw the strawberries you bought to bake him some shortcake the next day.
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lordoftherazzles · 3 years
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Can I you write something on jealous thorin! I am dying to read something like that... Like Bilbo going somewhere and getting flirted by someone (except elves and dwarves) for example by a normal handsome person. And even Bilbo is attracted and stupified by his elegance and his slender body.
Thank you so much for this prompt!! I love writing a grumpy guy. This one was a lot of fun for me and gave me an opportunity to explore a "during the quest" setting! I hope you enjoy it!
prompt "I do believe our burglar has a type,"
word count 2175
relationship(s) thorin oakenshield/bilbo baggins
character(s) thorin oakenshield, bilbo baggins, the company of thorin oakenshield
additional notes this one was insanely fun for me, that's all I gotta say! I'm LOVING these prompts and ideas you guys are giving me!!
-----
Thorin didn’t like Lake-Town.
Namely, the Master and his greasy little sidekick, but they were given more of a welcome and more accommodation than the bargeman had been able to secure. The sooner they were out of here, the better, but there was still a bit of time before Durin’s Day, and there was no need to camp aimlessly outside of a hidden door.
Celebrations and the promise of riches for all had kept spirits rather high, except for Thorin’s. He had tried to put on a mask, the type that was reserved for social affairs that he hadn’t been a part of since he was a much younger lad. Thankfully this was nothing like the social gatherings that had been held between Erebor and Dale once upon a time.
There was that stench of stale ale in the air, as well as fish, but that seemed to sum up Lake-Town entirely. Thorin sat near the end of one table, tapping his fingers against the wood as his glare seemed to be burning into the back of someone at the second table that housed his company.
Feeling an elbow jam into his own, a scowl formed on his lips as Kili wedged himself to sit at the table, sitting far too close for Thorin’s comfort. “Why the long face, Uncle?” Kili chimed, a small slur to his voice as he had a mug in one hand and the other hugging onto Thorin’s arm. At least the alcohol was keeping the younger dwarf from grimacing every single time he took a step. That shot to Kili’s leg had been bound, but certainly not healed.
“I’m fine,” Thorin insisted with a growl before Fili wedged in on his other side.
“You don’t look fine to me. I know that look. You’re angry.” Fili nearly had a sing-song tone to his voice, but at least he didn’t reek of ale as Kili did.
Another nudge at Thorin’s elbow had the leader of the Company squishing in on himself so that he wasn’t bumping elbows. It was a failed effort.
“Could it be because a certain someone has his attention fixated on someone else? I do believe our burglar has a type,” Fili gave Thorin’s arm a comforting pat, not trying to sound teasing whatsoever. Though the same couldn’t be said for Kili.
“What? Tall, dark, and broody?” Kili sputtered out with a laugh, spilling a quarter of his mug across the table. “Though, I do suppose Uncle could be considered tall for a dwarf!”
Thorin’s face was flushed, be it by both anger as well as embarrassment as he felt his ears burn. He couldn’t let his eyes tear away from Bilbo’s back, or the small nods of fascination that seemed to come from the hobbit as he was engaged in deep conversation with one of the Lake-Town locals.
A tall fellow, dark hair wedged beneath a hat and a beard that surpassed even Thorin’s own. Not that the dwarf was examining this fellow that much, but he was one of the more reasonable fellows to look at in this fisherman’s town. Never before had Thorin been concerned about his appearance, not like this, and yet here he was, idly reaching a hand up towards his shorter beard and scrubbing at the coarser hairs that didn’t measure up to any sign of beauty among dwarves.
“There is a solution in all of this, Uncle. You could just go over there and sweep the burglar off his feet for yourself?” Fili offered up, trying to sound helpful, but he was fixated with a glare that told him to snap his jaw shut.
“I am not bothered if Mister Baggins chooses to socialize during our stay. I will not tell my company who they may or may not speak with.”
“Yeah, but it’s what we do with those we speak with that may capture more of your attention, right?” Kili jammed his elbow into Thorin’s arm again. “Or rather, one specific person. You couldn’t give a whit what Fili or myself do while we’re here, or Dwalin or Nori, but you get my point. However, when it comes to him, you care.”
“I do not care,” Thorin insisted once more, feeling like a tightly sealed vault full of feelings instead of gold.
“All we’re saying is that if you’re waiting for the right moment to make your move, it’s probably now. Or someone is going to beat you to it.” Fili always seemed to be slightly more mature one of the two nephews, but his words were just as unwanted as Kili’s.
“You’re both wretched little creatures and the topic will cease, now.” Thorin’s stern tone seemed to ward off more harassment when it came to Bilbo, save for one parting statement.
“Alright, we’ll sod off, but I gotta say, green just isn’t your color, remember that.” Fili gave Thorin’s shoulder a fond pat before moving to fish his younger brother away from the table with no small amount of difficulty. That wound, accompanied by a few mugs of ale, didn’t make it easy for anyone to toddle off.
Thorin was left to his own devices, tapping his fingers again against the table as he stared and simmered and let the words of his nephews influence that agitation brewing on the inside. Just what did Bilbo find so appealing about this fellow he was chatting and laughing with? What sort of stories could a fisherman in this drab place have to tell? So yes, Thorin was jealous, almost on an embarrassing level. It made him even more agitated to feel this way, but then again, these were feelings that he hadn’t felt before.
Life had been hard and duty-bound for so long, and where Thorin Oakenshield had assumed he had seen it all, he was now being sent into an uncomfortable frenzy over some butterflies in his stomach. It made his insides hurt, but there was a quest to focus on, and the rest could wait until after. A mountain was far more important than his silly little love life. Once he reclaimed his homeland, surpassed the expectations of those around him, and set Erebor back on the path to greatness-
Oh, who was Thorin kidding? Bilbo would be long gone by then.
It made a sinking feeling enter his stomach, tearing at those angry butterflies as he dropped his head some. What was more important? Pining? Or extreme focus on winning a mountain? If he let this go, would Thorin ever truly be focused on the quest at hand?
Swallowing thickly as he lifted his eyes to catch a lingering hand at Bilbo’s back, whatever tentative stare had dared to glance towards Bilbo was snuffed out in favor of a roaring blaze of a glare.
Jolting up from his seat and rounding the table towards the next, Thorin held zero hesitation to land a hand next to where Bilbo was leaning on the table - dreamy eyed and seemingly enamored with this fisherman fellow sitting next to him. “Master Baggins, if you don’t mind I’d like a few moments of your time.” Bright blue eyes darted towards the tall fellow who looked rather perplexed at the sudden dwarf’s appearance. “Alone.”
Bilbo gave a small wave of dismissal, “I best take this conversation, though I appreciate the fine stories you brought. You don’t want to see this one in a bad mood,” Bilbo teased, clearly indicating that Thorin was temperamental and unpleasant and- well, maybe he was right. The hobbit shifted in his seat as he and Thorin were left alone, staring up towards the standing dwarf and looking rather delighted - much to Thorin’s dismay. “What’s so important now, Thorin?”
“I did not expect for you to be such an obvious flirt,” Thorin grumbled, a bit of displeasure to his tone as Bilbo’s face twisted to more surprise than anything.
“Me? Oh, that?” Bilbo had a grin twitching on his lips. “Does that bother you?” Bilbo twisted in his seat, looking over towards the bar where his previous company had sauntered off to. “He is rather attractive, isn’t he? A bit rugged looking, with long locks to die for, and quite a nice beard.” Bilbo rubbed the air around his chin as he was describing said beard, eyes darting to the corners as he barely caught Thorin’s frustration in his sights.
“I suppose.” Thorin hissed between his teeth, shifting in his boots and wondering just how far a chair could sail if he kicked it.
“Though I prefer blue eyes, myself. His were brown, and he wasn’t a dwarf. A moody dwarf, specifically.” Bilbo spoke as he patted the seat next to him. “Do you wish to join me, Thorin Oakenshield?”
Thorin was certain his jaw could hit the floor as he stood there and felt his face heat up. Bilbo looked entirely too content and pleased while he stood there like some red faced fool. “I...I beg your pardon?”
“I was wondering how long it would take you to stomp over here instead of huffing over there. Thorin, if you think you’re subtle, you’re not.” Giving the seat next to him another pat, Bilbo used his free hand to claim the stein before him once more. “You’ve been staring at me all night, and ever since we escaped Mirkwood for that matter, but I wasn’t going to bring that up.” And yet he had.
Thorin stood there dumbstruck for a moment before slowly sinking into the seat next to Bilbo’s own in silence. Gnawing at the inside of his cheeks for a good moment, the dwarf wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Had he truly been that obvious? Thorin thought himself a rather reserved fellow who was decent at schooling his emotions and expressions. Perhaps he wasn’t nearly as good at that craft as he assumed. “And all of this was just for show?” He asked quietly, finally daring to look towards Bilbo at his side with extreme caution.
“Really, Thorin…? Are you truly this dense?” Bilbo’s laugh sadly was not contagious. He was an observant sort, at least for the most part, so as he noticed Thorin’s face turn a touch redder, Bilbo quieted down before nudging Thorin’s arm a bit and dropping his voice. “I simply figured you had enough on your mind without adding myself to the mix.”
Which was exactly what Thorin had planned on. Win the mountain, secure Erebor’s future, and then the rest would follow. Well, as he had told Balin before, plans changed.
“Plus, watching you squirm between your troublesome nephews was rather amusing.” Bilbo grinned proudly.
Thorin’s brows furrowed slightly as he shifted his gaze and felt a little bit of that embarrassment start to flow away from his face, though still rosy cheeked. “You’re as considerate as you are cruel, you know that?” Purposely driving that jealousy to a point where Thorin couldn’t stand it anymore.
“I’ve been called worse,” Bilbo reached up just as Thorin leaned down, latching his hands against both of those braids that lined the sides of Thorin’s head, giving them a small tug before both of them came to a pause at bumping noses and foreheads. “Ah, Thorin?”
“Are you truly wanting to ask me a question right this second?” Thorin murmured, bright blues focusing on the hazel ones that were so incredibly close to his own.
“Well…” Bilbo started before his eyes flickered to the side, which caused Thorin’s own to shift, following Bilbo’s gaze.
A table crowded with dwarves all staring with amusement and all the cheekiness in the world.
Thorin pulled back slightly, fully turning his head to face that company of his with a small sigh escaping his lips, but he didn’t look nearly as put out as one might expect.
“Don’t make me come over there and smash your heads together!” Dwalin barked over the table, earning a chorus of laughter - and even a small huff of amusement from Thorin.
Bright blue eyes shifted to meet hazel eyes once more. “I don’t fancy being entertainment for anyone,” he started while sliding from his seat, “save for you, Master Baggins.”
That low murmur just about sent Bilbo melting into the floorboards as a large hand engulfed his own. “I should have started flirting with others a lot sooner,” Bilbo chuckled before being fixed with a look as he too was slipping from his seat.
“I would be most obliged if you saved your flirting for me. Alone. Away from this miserable audience.”
And boy did he not have to tell Bilbo twice. The hobbit followed one a step or two behind Thorin, one of his smaller hands still gripped in a larger dwarven one, and honestly, propriety and expectations could go hang themselves. Bilbo didn’t give a whit at the groans and catcalls that followed during Thorin and Bilbo’s retreat, but no doubt there would be more conversation to be had in the morning over breakfast...
...Or perhaps second breakfast. Bilbo had a feeling that sleeping in tomorrow may be inevitable.
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spiltscribbles · 3 years
Note
Prompt: Pro Athlete Sirius because that my and Remus' kink
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~Notes: OMFG VICTOrIA!!!! I FUCKING SCREECHED!!!! lkadfjlaksdgjoiaejfalskdgjioeugisfkldshg Yes tis my kink as well!!! And then I saw this from Nonny and worlds collided and BOOM! I hope you like this my love<3<3 You incredibly talented sugarplum!!! TBH I want to write a thousand more things in this AU XD
.-
FROM THIS LIST  |  Send Me A Prompt!💜 | A REBLOG MEANS THE GALAXY!!💜
.-
When Remus was young— surrounded by the light breeze of the Welsh coast and the harmony of birds chirping in the distance— he would follow his mother to their small garden behind their cottage  at the cusp of twilight as his father cooked their supper, and he’d watch as she laid flat all sorts of newspapers written in French and Arabic and English, watch as she brought her red pen against the ink and marked the articles with underlines and shorthand he wouldn’t understand for years still.
He asked her once, when he was barely eight years old, why she bothered to keep up with so many different publications, why she read the same story penned by countless perspectives when all the facts stayed the same at the end of the day. And he remembers how she had let out a quick, shrill of a laugh, tossing back her golden head while sucking in a puff from the bubbling hookah she had set up besides her— a habit she acquired from her Algerian, refugee parents, and one that became synonymous to those late nights in Remus’s eyes.
“Facts can be wielded to someone’s personal vendettas, Remus John,” she had crooned in that adoring way of hers whenever she spoke to him— honey eyes that were the same color and shape to Remus’s own flashing alight and their matching smiles going crooked in her stunningly beautiful face. 
“Oh.” Remus had replied, still confused as all get out but was perfectly fine with just holding his small vigil, watching her beneath moonlight and the soft glow of their outdoors lamps, as he listened to the shuffling of papers while she commenced this odd quirk. 
It’s a decade and a half later—  as his editor for the Phoenix, a small, but bustling online editorial that plans on dethroning the likes of Politico and Vox in only a matter of years, scans his latest findings on the corrupt boosters linked to MP Avery from Leeds— when Remus thinks he suddenly understands what his mother, with her keen eyes and pixelated air, had meant by facts in how they can be colored differently simply by the words surrounding them. And he wonders if one day soon, one of his bylines will join her little stack of stories, if she’ll be proud of him even if she says as much even now, when he’s a lost twenty-something stumbling through life in the capitol and barely making it as is, between his actual job and the gig he has at the coffee shop nearest his dingy flat he shares with three other blokes.
“Mmm, this is good, Lupin,” Dorcas declares after what feels like an eon, dropping her long, dark legs from where they were lounging leisurely on her desk and scuffs out her cigarette in a pretty, glass ashtray. “Send it over to Flores to look into deeper, maybe it’ll corroborate the info she’s already gotten from her sources.”
Remus feels himself bristle, hopes that it doesn’t show, that his face stays passive as he contends, “I think I should at least help her write the expose, I’m the one who got this bombshell.”
“That’s not how it works, sweets,” Dorcas toots, tossing back her dark head of curls as she rises, perching on the corner of her desk delicately and looking down, straight into his gaze. “I know it’s frustrating, but you’re fresh blood. barely six months here, but Alice has been with us for years. This is her baby, and we’re just here to nurture it.”
“So I’ll have to wait another ten months, at least,  to get the same treatment?” He argues in an admittedly petulant way, making Dorcas laugh endearingly, and Remus is suddenly,  searingly reminded of his age, and how he’s the youngest staffer that this London based news outlet has on hand. 
“C’mon, love, it won’t be that long for someone as sharp as you, just be patient, and don’t try to pull a Zoe Barnes on us, yeah? You’re far too pretty to clean up on the rails of  the tube.” Dorcas tousles a hand into his dark tawny curls, and Remus holds back the roll to his eyes that he feels willing up inside of him as he stands fully.
“Thanks Cas.”
She smiles beatifically, and throws him a wink. “You’re joining Emmy for the report tomorrow on those United footballers and their fundraiser for the hospital, yeah?”
“Bright and early,” Remus replies, still feels a bit miffed that he was chosen to write up the charity function, considering he doesn’t know a lick about football and doesn’t really get on with anyone who does. But Caradoc— their typical sports reporter— is out sick with the flew, so it’s on him. “I’ll have it on your desk early enough so it’ll be published by tea time.”
“Good man,” Dorcas says in thanks, picking up her crowing cellphone before waving him off.
Remus isn’t all that surprised when he strides out of the office only to find Benjy Fenwick sitting against the opposite wall, knees pressed to his chest and quickly scrambling up when he catches sight of Remus. Sometimes it’s impossible to believe that the bespectacled man in front of him is one of the top editors for the Phoenix, that he’s a regular corespondent for places like the BBC or CNN— that his rebukes against the piss poor inquiries waged during PMQs have become more anticipated than the sessions themselves. Remus tends to forget all of that when he sees him like this, messy haired and wearing a graphic T-shirt with some marvel superhero embossed on the front. “Wotcher Remus.”
“Hiya Remus says, smiling softly and rocking back on his heels. “You wanted to talk to the sergeant then?”
“Huh? Oh, no, no. I didn’t want to talk to Dorcas, I just— Erm, I know you were showing her that stuff you got from that intern, Pettigrew, and i know you were chafed about not getting any opportunity here so—“ He trails off, scratching the back of his head and studying a point over Remus’s shoulder, and it’s all too endearing, and Remus is so beyond thankful he’s made such a good friend here.
“No cigar,” he says in answer to the unspoken question, shrugging noncommittally even if he feels like shit over it.
Benjy nods, face contrite in a way that tells Remus he never thought it would’ve went otherwise. “I’m sorry, that’s bollocks.”
“’S whatever,” Remus shrugs off the apology, begins walking down the hall and straightening his report to hand over to Alice. 
“Ah,, erm. We can get a drink, yeah? In commiseration,” Benjy offers, and Remus stilts only for a beat before continuing the twisting trail to where Alice is set up with the more senior members on staff. And he feels only sorta bad about wanting to refuse. He knows that if he says yes, it’ll mean something different to Benjy than it does him, that he’ll probably take it as Remus finally giving into his pestering and deciding to actually go out with him, even if he’s refuted the other four times he’s asked as much. Remus’s simply just too busy trying to get a footing in this city, and trying to figure out where he’s suppose to go from here, and what he’s suppose to do. And yes, Benjy is cute— a complete Seth Cohen archetype. And he’s sweet and smart and funny enough. But Remus is really not in the mood for doing the whole flowers and wine and candle lit dinners shtick, had gotten enough of that while still with his university boyfriend. And yeah, he’s only just turned 24, but he already feels too old and too jaded for that sort of puppy love— even if Benjy’s got a good decade and some change on him.
Probably sensing his hesitation, Benjy is quick to rectify the offer. “I’ll ask Mary, and Fabian too, and a few others. We can make a night of it, just some drinks on a Friday after work.”
Stalling by the last turn to Alice’s desk, Remus looks at him from over his shoulder, and sort of hates himself for being such a soft hearted fuck sometimes. “Yeah Benj, sounds nice. Just let me know on the group chat, yeah?”
Benjy grins, much more genuine than his awkward quirk of the lips from earlier. “Yeah, good call, I’ll let the others know pronto.”
“Aces,” Remus says, tosses him a obligatory thumbs-up before finding an expectant looking Alice who’s tapping her foot impatiently.
Yeah, today is so bloody shit.
.-
Surprisingly, the round of drinks turns to another and then a third and fourth and Remus is currently nursing his fifth mango margarita on Benjy’s tab, and he actually feels lighter than he has since taking the job at Phoenix, feels bright and bubbling and like absolutely nothing could be wrong as long as he’s got this drink in his grasp and he’s sitting with the handful of reporters and photographers from the office that don’t all have sticks up their asses. It’s fun, it’s good. So obviously it couldn’t have lasted.
Mary is currently cackling about her Uber driver from last night who asked her all sorts of well meaning, but incredibly dense questions about her hijab— a freshly poured glass of coke in one hand, while the other is tangled into her girlfriend Emmy’s. And From his left Remus can hear Fabian ribbing Frank on his crush on Alice, while Benjy scoots intermittently closer as they watch Kingsley and Marlene sparring over something to do with a Kardashian or TikTok trend or whatever the fuck else— The guy has resilience, Remus has to give Benjy that.
“Right, who’s buying next?” Marlene asks, abrasive as ever while scrolling through her phone, ostensively finding something to prove her point against the managing editor.
“Reckon it’s my turn,” Benjy crows, standing up smoothly and glancing down at Remus with a nervous sort of half grin.
“Just a water for me, ta. I need to sober up,” Remus tells him, feels proud that he didn’t even slur slightly. Benjy bobs his head understandingly, and Remus turns to ask Marlene about her latest tinder hookup which always is a good laugh, but then he catches on it. On the sound of the pub’s doors flinging open, followed by a raucous crowd of athletic looking guys probably only a bit older than he is, clambering indoors. 
They’re all so very sixth-form, broad grins and slapping each other’s shoulders with jeers, topped off with loud, bark like laughter that makes it obvious to Remus that these wankers think that they’re some sort of group of gods amongst men, roaming around like everyone should fall to their feet and offer everything they have. It makes Remus roll his eyes so far back that it feels like he might’ve sprained them. They just give off this exhausting aura that reminds him of a past boyfriend in tenth year who was on the footie team and who’s favorite activity was either making Remus feel lucky enough to go out with someone so popular, or dragging him around like some sort of bloody trophy.
To put it nicely, Remus sorta hates them on sight. So when he sees one of the tossers— regrettably the brightest of the lot who’s all pearly teeth, and glittering eyes and incredibly impressive shoulders that tape off to a narrow waste in an objectively infuriating matter— swivels up to the barkeep and jostles Benjy on his way, well Remus doesn’t hesitate to dart forwards to tell him off.
“Oi, watch where you’re going, yeah?”
Benjy and the bloke who looks like he might moonlight as a model for Calvin briefs for when he’s not lounging in a yacht off the Tuscany coast, both turn to him at the same time. Benjy looking abashed, and the aforementioned tosser preening like the cat who’s just caught a canary.
“Sorry, love. Didn’t see you there,” he says in a delightfully deep tenner, giving Remus an appreciative once over, and Remus absolutely despises how the action makes him feel both thrilled and irritated. “Trust and believe, I wouldn’t have looked away if I saw you.”
“Not me, arse.” Remus spits back, refuses to pay any credence to how his cheeks have begun to flush. “You bumped into my mate right there, the one with the tray of loggers.”
The tosser darts his almost molten gray eyes over to Benjy for a sparing second before he laser focusses back onto Remus, the most phony expression of contrition all over his face. “Sorry to your friend,” he says the descriptor like a joke that no one else is in on. “Let me buy you a drink in sorry for the one I made slim here spill.”
Remus is officially unimpressed, hopes that his flat tone gets it across. “You’re an arse.”
“You’re mouthy,” he retorts, looks like it’s something he greatly appreciates— delights over even. 
“Ah, ’s fine Remus, really. I’ll just bring these back and get us a new glass.”
“Listen to slim, Remus, he’s got the right idea.” The tosser hurriedly interjects, strutting close enough to him that he makes it so Remus has to tip his head back just slightly so not to drop his gaze. “I’m Black, Sirius Black, just to get the pleasantries out of the way.” His leer tells Remus that the name should probably evoke some response of aw into Remus, but all it does is make him sound so egregiously pretentious that Remus wants to smack his own bloody head against a dry wall and stay in the hole until this ruddy Sirius bloke leaves him the hell alone.
“Good for you,” he says instead of all of that, and spots Sirius’s friends from behind Sirius chuckling and elbowing one another. Evidently this is a line the tosser uses frequently, and Remus is pleased that he might be one of the first who aren’t at all impressed by the grandiose way he introduced himself.
“Hah, you know I’m use to the pretty ones playing hard to get, but I’m really feeling here that you’re not exactly liking my company, love.”
Remus sucks in a frustrated breath through his nose, shouldering past Sirius and taking the tray of drinks from Benjy before storming back to their table where the others have begun openly gawping at the scene— Marlene outright squawking with Fabian just as Remus takes his seat.
“Don’t,” Remus warns them all as he silently says fuck off to the water and instead gargles down one of the loggers. And if he has to steadfastly not turn around for the rest of the night towards where he can feel Sirius’s gaze burning into his back— well then so be it.
.-
The next morning, Remus has to puke twice into the toilet, and gulps down three aspirins just to stave off his bloody hangover from the night before where he decided that getting properly sloshed would prove as a good technique to not end up making out with Sirius in some dark corner— or regrettably the backseat of his car. And if he does still remember flashes of ranting to him about how insufferable preppy, rich boys actually are while Sirius gazed at him endeared— well Remus just decides to purge it out along with the stomach acid. It’s not like he’ll ever see the douche again.
.-
He meets Arthur— one of the accountants who also helps out by taking photos for more low key news stories— outside the hospital where the conference will be taking place with the Manchester United team. There was a scrimmage that they all played with some of the kids in the cancer ward that occurred at around eight in the ruddy morning, but thankfully Remus didn’t have to show up until an hour later when the team presented their big shiny check, to the big, shiny hospital. 
However, Arthur has been here for hours, so he’s beyond chirpy and looks like he’s downed three cups of espresso as he chatters on about his son Percy starting secondary school, and his eldest, Bill, getting an award for his reading prowess, and all the strange craving his wife has been having throughout her pregnancy with the twins they’re expecting any week now. And Remus loves Arthur, he does— one of the sweetest folks he’s ever met— but God, his head is still thrumming from those misguided tequila shots and he really just wants to get his three quotes, and write up the story so he can find refuge back in his sheets.
While Arthur has moved to talking about his wife, Molly’s, plans to open up a daycare in their refurnished garage, Remus scans his eyes over the familiar face of reporters from other outlets who look just as bored as him, and then to the stage where a woman in a sharply pressed suit is ushering for the group of football stars to join her, so that the conference can finally fucking begin. 
And Remus thinks that their faces are sorta familiar, probably from all the publicity they get on the telly— but then he freezes as he stops at one of them with dark brown skin, and thick rimmed spectacles— and he suddenly can hear him chatting about his redheaded girlfriend and drunkenly declaring that she’ll be the mother of his children some day soon. So he completely expects it when his stomach drops as he moves his glance just a bit to the right, being struck by pearly teeth, and glittering eyes and incredibly impressive shoulders that tape off to a narrow waste, made all the more infuriating by the tight kit he’s got on and the blazing number twelve splayed against his chest.
And fuck.
Remus runs through about a dozen scenarios in which he can make a discrete, or not so discrete exit before he notices him, but in tandem to his spiraling thoughts, the wanker actually looks forwards, and like a creepy metal detector, his quick silver gaze pinpoints onto Remus.
They stare at one another for a beat before his smirk goes wolfish, and he runs a hand through his artfully tousled hair in a way that practically screams, fancy meeting you here. And holy fuck he looks so mouth watteringly attractive with that faint film of sweat running down his neck, and how his smile pulls slightly more to the left, and how he’s looking at Remus like he’s his birthday and Christmas presents all rolled into one.
Remus suddenly hates everything— but most of all hates Sirius, and how bloody fit he is.
“Oh, you’re a fan then?” 
Starting, Remus shifts around slightly so that he’s facing Arthur completely. “Pardon?”
“Sirius Black I mean, you’re a fan?” Arthur asks in that abrasively congenial and intensely scrutinizing way that he treats everything. “I mean he’s a great player, but I know you don’t really watch. So I bet it’s all that charity work he does, yeah?”
“Charity work?” Remus echos, feeling like a floundering fish.
“Truly some amazing stuff.” Arthur pontificates, rubbing a hand against his jaw as he tips his head back. “I mean obviously I’m partial to the fundraising for Reporters Without Borders, but of course the things he does with the more impoverished kids is great. And I know Molly likes his very outspoken posts about being anti war and his annual live streams to earn money for refugees in those war torn nations, like the last one he did for Syria?”
“Oh—“ Remus says, feeling like his head is being overrun by a fountain of new information.
“Yes well, you don’t usually see athletes get into the thick of it with political issues, but I reckon he never really minded. I mean the fact he’s the first football star from United to have come out without any fanfare really proved that. Oh, I think they’re starting, I should probably get some photos before Dorcas gives me a tongue lashing.”
And as quick as the flash of his camera’s lends, Arthur is using his considerable height to get to a more advantageous spot towards the front, and leaves Remus in the dust, as if he hasn’t just obliterated his every assumption of Sirius from after that initial meeting.
And unbidden, the words his mother had told him so many years ago, about facts and how they can color a situation just simply based off the person who’s speaking them— flood to the forefront of his mind.
“Fucking hell,” Remus mutters lowly, gets jostled by Greengrass, a hawkish reporter from a rivaling publication who always has on the most wickedly sharp acrylic nails, and perfectly quaffed curls— as she waves around her certification to speak her inquiry.
“My question is for Potter,” she announces when the woman leading the event, McGonagall, points her way. “And I was wondering how early you boys have to rise for training during the season? And how intense the sessions are that Coach Hooch puts you guys through?”
Potter, the one with the redheaded girlfriend that Remus heard so much about last night between his ranting at Sirius, parts his lips, but it’s not his voice that ends up reverberating through the outdoors space. Instead, it’s Sirius, who’s shouldering him with a goading air, obviously expecting his comment to have only ended up in Potter’s ear and not caught by the mike.
“I wonder if Lupin will let me wake up with’m so he can let me get some real training done before practices, eh?”
And just as soon as his words pitter off, the entire crowd drops to a hush— quiet enough so that they could probably hear it if a pen dropped. 
Sirius’s handsome face— strong jawline, and broad but sharp cheekbones, and a long, narrow nose— goes suddenly ashen, and he flashes over to Remus as if he’s terrified that he’ll bite his face off.
God, what an idiot.
With a long suffering sigh, Remus plucks out the microphone from a slack faced Greengrass’s hand. “We can discuss the regimen afterwards, Black. Just meet me by the front doors and let your mate answer the bloody question.”
Everyone around them falls into laughter that’s caught between uncomfortable chuckles and amazingly amused cackling, but the only person Remus is paying any mind is Sirius, and how he seems to have gone absolutely incandescent, nodding electrically before miming the zip of his lips and gesturing for Potter to carry on.
Jesus help him, Remus has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.
.-
~My Wolfstar FIC Masterlist
~Buy Me A Coffee 
203 notes · View notes
salemorbit · 3 years
Text
Do-Over
[Pro Hero!Katsuki Bakugou x Pro Hero!Reader]
warnings: angst y'all i'm feeling angsty; ends with fluff hehe; it's a LONG one boys!!
~~~~~~~
in which you and bakugou hit a speed bump in your relationship
~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~
You dropped your keys on the table next to your door, slamming it shut with a sigh. You grimaced as you turned awkwardly to strip off your jacket, your shoulder twinging with pain from a minor injury during your recent scuffle.
The apartment was dark, not a soul around to greet you or wait up for you at such an hour. And that was fine, that was how you lived. But deep down inside, at this moment, you felt a pang in your chest that took the shape of a specific blond haired fireball.
Slipping your phone out of your back pocket, you unlocked it and let your thumb glide instinctively to the contact that you talked to the most. You pressed the call button and held the phone to your ear, slipping off your shoes gratefully.
It went to voicemail. Not even his mailbox was set up, just the automated number played in your ear. You let the robotic voice run through its mantra before leaving a message at the tone.
"Hey, it's me. I just got home. I...just wanted to make sure you were okay." You fiddled with your belt. "Call me when you get this."
You clicked end and slid your phone on the counter, leaving it be while you undressed from your work clothes. You cradled your whining shoulder as you slid off your shirt and tossed it aside, mentally making a note to do laundry later.
The past few days at your hero agency had been hard. There were so many hoodlums and villains clogging up your to-do list that you barely had time to call your boyfriend and make sure he was doing all right. It was radio silence from him nearly all week.
But you two had been busy. For some reason, this week was the one time that every baddie wanted to cause chaos. Or at least it felt like it. You slumped down on your dingy couch and stared at the ceiling. Hero work was exhausting, and you didn't even know if it paid off in the long run.
And just a few hours ago you were dealing with a messy explosion of villainy in the middle of your district. It was hard to keep the destruction in check, and you had gotten minorly injured in the process. Your sore shoulder was a scar to boot.
Katsuki had been there, in fact a few of his co-workers had been, too. But he didn't pay you any special attention. You didn't know if that bothered you or not.
Yes, you were both on the job and vowed not to let your relationship get in the way of your hero work as much as possible. On the other hand, you hadn't seen or spoken to Katsuki in a whole week, and the first time you had and he didn't even nod a greeting. What was his issue? It wasn't like you had gotten into an argument or anything.
Shuddering out of thought, you heard your phone buzz once on the counter. You got up and checked it, half expecting it to just be a junk mail message. You were surprised to see that it was a message from Katsuki himself.
I'm home. Goodnight.
You frowned. That was it? You called and left a message, he hadn't spoken to you all week, and all he sent was a three word text?
You didn't know what overcame you, but the frustration inside bubbled up and spilled over in an instant. You turned and activated your quirk out of pure adrenaline, chucking your phone across the room and sending it straight through the apartment wall and soaring into the street below.
That calmed you down quickly. You ran over to your window and threw up the sash, looking down and around for your shattered piece of a phone. But it was gone. You sighed heavily and shut the window, storming into your bedroom and falling into your sheets with a huff.
Now you needed a new phone and, quite possibly, a new boyfriend.
•••
The next day you were off of work, so you took a pain reliever for your shoulder and headed to the nearest phone store to get a new phone. After awkwardly explaining the situation to the clerk, you received a new model and decided to pay a visit to the one man who had gotten you so riled up in the first place.
Katsuki would've been lying if he said he wasn't relieved to see you on the other side of his door that afternoon. He'd had a tiring week, and honestly all he wanted to do was spend time with you and recharge for the most part before doing it all over again.
What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the frown on your face and the angry tapping of your foot as you stood in his doorway.
"You seem unbothered," you said shortly. Katsuki furrowed his eyebrows and let himself get shoved aside as you bustled into his apartment.
"Who pissed in your cornflakes?" Katsuki muttered as he shut the door. You grit your teeth and crossed your arms, obviously unhappy, though Katsuki couldn't figure out why.
"Go look in the mirror and take a guess," you glowered. "What's your issue? Why haven't you returned any of my messages this week?"
"I've been busy, you know that," Katsuki crossed his arms as well, not allowing you to have an intimidation factor in this conversation. "This week was hell."
"It was busy for me, too, but I still made the time."
"What are you going on about, dunceface?"
"Your inability to communicate!" You threw your hands in the air. "I've been trying to check in on you this week, but you haven't responded, if at all. And you didn't call me back last night! Just a text? One? I wanted to make sure you were okay after that fight, and you didn't even humor me."
"So? I'm fine."
"I didn't know that," you stressed. Katsuki let out a breath, still not getting it, and this made you even more angry.
"I don't know where this sudden clinginess is coming from-"
"It's not being clingy!" You erupted. "Are you so dense that you haven't realized how checked-out you've been recently? I've given you multiple opportunities to pick up the slack. I've excused your behaviours, given you space, and respected your silence this entire time. You haven't given me anything to work with. It's called being concerned and trying to keep our relationship going, which you don't seem the least bit interested in doing."
"And what if I'm not?" Katsuki growled, just plain upset you were accusing him of things he wasn't doing, at least in his mind. "What would you do if I didn't want to keep this schtick up, huh?"
"Then I'd be wasting my time standing here," you snapped. "And I'd have wasted the last two years on you."
Katsuki felt something in his chest cry, shattering and splitting through the floor below his feet. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes, trying his best not to set his living room on fire.
You were there. You were right there, somewhere you hadn't been for the last week. And yeah, he'll admit that maybe he's been a bit distant lately, and the sudden influx in hero-work definitely wasn't helping the situation either. But he was trying to deal with things he hadn't quite felt before, one of those things being his feelings for you.
As of recent, something had shifted in his gut. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, and it wasn't like he was going to consult Kirishima or Kaminari about this. God knows they'd just make fun of him for worrying about your relationship.
Did he feel ashamed? Was it embarrassing him that he felt like this for someone? Katsuki Bakugou didn't get embarrassed, so what was this?
"I think we're done here," you muttered, looking down to hide the tears welling up in your eyes. You slid around Katsuki to reach the door, but you were stopped by Katsuki grabbing your arm gently.
You jerked your arm from his grasp, turning to look at him with your chin held high, keeping your trembling lip from showing itself. Katsuki had something in his eyes that had never been there before, and you hated it. You hated that you couldn't read him anymore.
"I don't know you like I thought I did, Bakugou." He flinched at that one. "This was obviously a mistake. I'll see you around."
And you were out the door and out of his range, leaving Katsuki Bakugou to stand in his living room at a loss for words. Something he hadn't been ever since he first met you.
•••
You took the breakup terribly, to say the least.
Yes, you were technically the one who broke it off, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt to do it. You didn't want to shut things down like that, but Katsuki had left you no choice. He wasn't getting it, and it felt like he was going to continue to not get it. You just couldn't spend your energy like that anymore.
Mina and Momo were there for you from the second you broke down at a bus stop and called them to pick you up. They were there in a split second, not pressuring you for information until you wanted to tell them.
They were more disappointed in Katsuki than mad. They didn't like how he hadn't been communicating things with you about how he felt or why he had been distant. You broke and told them how it had been going on like this for almost a month now, and this last week was just the tipping point. They backed your decision and got you anything you needed for the next few days, until you were able to be on your own and process the emotions you felt.
Katsuki hadn't tried to call you at all. No texts, emails, voicemails. Your phone was a dry desert, except for the concerned text Midoriya sent you after you assumed Mina and Momo had told him about the debacle. He offered to talk to Katsuki about it, but you declined. It was best to just let it be, let it sink in that Katsuki had messed up royally.
Meanwhile, the man in question was quiet for the next few days. His coworkers noticed his lack of remarks, his friends noticed his distant appearances. All Katuski had been doing since you walked out that door was think. He was thinking long and hard about what he wanted, where you fit into his life, and the way he had acted as of recent. This was quite possibly the most Katsuki had ever thought about anything; typically he was so sure on the get-go that he needn't time to stop and reflect.
But this was different. You were different.
It wasn't until the next Saturday after your breakup that Katsuki found himself on the other side of your apartment door, hand poised to knock. He decided he didn't want to do something like this over the phone; it was just too impersonal. So he mustered up the courage to face you again, and prayed you wouldn't throw him out of your four-story high window in the process.
He knocked, waited. No answer. Getting slightly annoyed, he knocked again, louder. Still no answer.
Katuski was now incredibly annoyed, and bent down to take the key from under your doormat and just unlock the damn thing himself. As he lifted the mat, he saw a slip of paper taped to the floor where the key should've been:
Don't try to break in. Calling the police is not below me.
Katsuki huffed, standing up and going to knock on the door again when he was interrupted by the rustling of paper bags. He turned over his shoulder and saw you standing on the opposite end of the hallway, holding some grocery bags in your arms and staring right at the blond standing on your doormat.
There was a tense few moments of silence before you broke it, audibly frustrated.
"Can you get out of the way so I can put these inside?" You frowned. Katsuki blinked, then moved aside to let you fumble your key in the lock dumbly.
"I can-"
"Shut up," was all you said before opening the door and letting it bang against the inside wall. Katuski stood on the threshold, unsure of if he should just walk in or not, before inviting himself in as soon as he figured you wouldn't give him the time of day. He watched from your counter as you passive aggressively slammed things on the counter or into their place in your kitchen.
"Care telling me why you're here?" You asked, flat-toned and not looking at Katsuki in the slightest.
"I wanted to talk."
"About?"
He rolled his eyes. "Us, dimwit."
You stopped and let your head hang, propping yourself on the counter with your hands spread flat. You still didn't look up at him, which was greatly pissing him off.
"We already did. Last week," you said.
"That wasn't a conversation," Katsuki ground out. "That was you coming to me and exploding out of nowhere. I didn't even have the chance to-"
"It wasn't out of nowhere," you interjected.
"Stop interrupting me, damn it, and just let me talk!" Katsuki spat. You looked up at him with a withered look, making his fire simmer down immediately.
"Fine," you said, voice wavering slightly. Katsuki cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" He smiled slightly, bittersweet. You didn't react, so he went on.
"You're an idiot because you've got terrible tunnel vision," he said, glancing at the living room that looked like you had been sleeping in. You had a perfectly tangible bed in the next room, but there were just too many memories in there for you to spend the night in again.
"I can see fine," you grumbled.
"No, you can't," Katsuki looked back at you. "You haven't been able to see how hard I've been trying these last few weeks to figure things out. Figure us out."
"Well how the hell am I supposed to know that if you don't tell me anything?" You asked, trying to keep your voice from rising. The last thing you needed was a fight. You were just too tired.
"That's...something I need to work on," Katsuki muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "And I will admit that. Don't make fun of me for it."
"I never said I would."
"Great, because I gotta whole lotta other things to admit to." His eyes narrowed. "I don't wanna hear shit from you for the next five minutes, got it?"
You sighed, miming zipping your mouth shut as you went back to putting away your groceries. You might as well let him talk, since you knew his stubbornness wouldn't let him leave your kitchen so soon without him getting in his two cents.
"I've been thinking long and hard lately," he began. "On my own. Nothin' from anyone else except my own thoughts. So this is one hundred percent me.
"I screwed up. I did. And it took me a minute to realize it because I was so much in my head about things. I was so focused on trying not to mess us up that I went and did that shit anyway. And all you've been is supportive and caring, and quite honestly I don't know how to handle that since I haven't really been with anyone like that."
He was being honest, you knew from his tone of voice. It was a tone you had heard only a few times before this moment: when he told you he loved you. And you believed it.
Katsuki took in a breath: "So I'm here. And I'm sorry. At first I was mad at you for marchin' into my house the other day and spewing things I knew nothing about, but then I realized that you were spewing those things because you knew nothing about me and where I was at. And that was frustrating for you because you got that whole communication thing you like to do, or whatever."
"Or whatever," you mumbled to yourself, smiling slightly. He picked up on that, his spirits lifting a bit as well.
"I've just been thinking about things and where you are and who I want you to be to me as we live our lives. And I screwed it up by not talking to you about that either. It's a conversation we both should have. So," he sighed, "I'm sorry. And I'll continue to be sorry because you don't deserve to be left in the dark. I love you, and I want to be better."
He finished his little speech and the two of you were quiet. You had paused putting things away about halfway through, really listening to him and what he had to say. He deserved that from you in the least.
You looked up at him and saw that he had already been staring at you, an intent look in his eyes. It was your turn now. He wanted a response to his being vulnerable. You knew it wasn't easy for him to open up like that, despite the last two years of helping him get comfortable, so you didn't torture him with the suspense.
"We'll see," you said. Katsuki did a double take, eyebrows furrowing.
"We'll see?" He repeated. You nodded rounding your counter to stand in front of him.
"If we want to keep doing this for however many more years we keep doing this," the corner of your mouth lifted in a smirk, "then we'll just have to see."
"Great," Katsuki rolled his eyes and sent a seething glare out the window. "I totally lay myself on the train tracks and you just run me over like that. Thanks."
"But," you continued, trying to catch his eye, "I appreciate you coming to me. And I appreciate the apology. However, I won't know if I can accept it until I know you'll actually go through with it."
"Understandable," Katsuki sighed, comprehending this. "I deserve that one."
"Are you ready for a do-over?" You asked, catching his hands in yours. He couldn't help but notice a weight in his chest lift at the presence of your touch after weeks of barely anything. Katsuki still had some work to do, but it was worth it if he could keep you around.
"Always," he kissed you on the forehead and you smiled giddily.
"Awesome because we now have two weekends of cuddle-time to make up for, and my bedroom hasn't been used in a week," you led him to your door.
"Oh no," Katsuki complained sarcastically, "however will we make up for such lost time?"
"Shut up, you big doofus," you grinned. "You know you love me."
"That I do."
~~~~~~~
a teensy tiny bit of OOC bakugou near the end there but like. he'd be a sucker for that and totally willing if it was just the two of you around HAHA
anyways this was cute and i....am forever still in love w bakugou :))))
291 notes · View notes
hajimesh · 3 years
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𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 — pro! oikawa / fem reader
after visiting oikawa's family, you both spend a relaxing weekend at an exclusive onsen—enjoying the warm bodies of water. but what starts as playful banter, turns into him reminding you why you love him and no one else.
⥅ word c. 2,273
⥅ warnings. brat/sub reader, brat tamer oikawa, intercrural + semi-public + water sex, degradation (mild), dumbification, daddy kink, pet names, aftercare
⥅ author n. my piece for the @bbthots-underground nsfw mini collab !! thank u @tsumue for literally giving me a plot to work with, u saved me<33 and @chibi-chanforever + @crescentsteel for taking the time to beta read ♡
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dense layers of white snow coat the wooden rooftops, the sunlight reflecting on them which brightens your surroundings. you can’t help but marvel at the blinding sight before you, a breathtaking scene worthy of the title ‘winter wonderland’.
oikawa did warn you about how winters in japan are cold, but you weren’t expecting it to be this cold. thankfully, the warmth of the onsen wraps around you like a comforting blanket as you bask in its water. it’s in moments like these when you’re thankful for your boyfriend’s remarkable career and popularity, allowing you to enjoy most of the luxuries that are handed out to him on a silver platter.
a well-known onsen in the prefecture of iwate offered him a weekend getaway for two, and after spending the holidays with his family, the two of you agreed that you deserved a few days just for yourselves; to relax and enjoy each other’s company before he got busy again with his volleyball duties. the place is almost empty since you got snowed in after your first day, which stopped the usual flow of tourists, and save for the staff —who have been nothing but attentive to your needs and very respectful of your privacy— you and oikawa have the place all for yourselves.
your favorite part has to be the private rooms: spacey, indoor baths framed by glass windows that allow you to gaze at the dazzling white snow from your spot inside the water—the warm water soaking your skin and seeping through your pores, as it relaxes your tense muscles.
oikawa’s arms are wrapped around your waist, pressing his chest to your side and hiding his flushed face in your neck. his usually fluffy hair lies flat against his forehead thanks to the humidity in the air, and before you can think twice about it, your hand pushes it back—away from his handsome face. 
“this is nice, isn’t it?” he murmurs on the skin of your shoulder, placing a faint kiss on it.
you hum as your eyes switch from the falling snowflakes to his form, “i missed spending time just with you.”
a comfortable silence settles between the both of you, his breath fanning over your neck while your head rests on top of his.
“my family loves you,” he breaks the silence after a few minutes, “i think even more than they love me.”
you recall the way his family teased him, —all in good fun, of course— telling you that you still had time to escape and find someone better. so, after noticing the way he huffed out the words, it’s only natural you decide to play along with it. 
“and i love them more than i love you.”
his hold on you tightens, a low chuckle escapes his lips, making the hair on your body rise.
“we both know you don’t mean that,” his lips trace the sensitive skin of your neck, reaching your jaw and pressing a light kiss on it, “right, love?”
“mm, i don’t know. maybe i do.”
you feel his arms growing limp against you, a rush of coldness grazes your side as he moves away from your body. you’re about to complain when his hands grab you by your waist and turn you around so you can face him.
“say that again,” he challenges.
his usually relaxed face is gone, a stern look taking its place instead. but the faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips spurs you on all the more.
“i love your family more than i love you,” you say, and lift your chin in defiance, watching his eyes fire up at your reply.
before you can even imagine what’s going on through his mind, an involuntary shiver runs down your spine when his hands move upwards, his fingers grazing the skin of your breasts. 
“no, you don’t,” he states, his face leaning closer to yours, “and i’m going to tell you why since it seems like your dumb little brain is getting fogged up by the vapor.”
your breath hitches at his words, excitement running through your body as he looms above you.
“feel this?” he asks rhetorically, the pads of his thumbs rubbing circles on your nipples, “i don’t even have to touch your pussy to get you aroused. or am i wrong?”
you’re so lost in his eyes, the lustful look in them taking your breath away plus the sensation of his fingers tweaking your erect nipples, that you’re unable to think of a coherent answer.
he chuckles, releasing one of your nubs to caress your damp hair away from your face, “can’t even talk right now, huh? where did my brat go?”
your lips part, about to defend yourself, when he captures them with his. the kiss is messy, wet, his tongue immediately prodding between your lips in search of yours. a weak sigh leaves your mouth, his hand settling on the back of your head to keep you in place —to ensure your lips stay locked with his— while the other travels down your body until it reaches your throbbing clit.
he swallows down your squeal of surprise when his pointer and middle finger start massaging your clit in slow circles. if you had to describe his ministrations on you, you’d label them as thrilling and erotic; clouding even more your already hazy mind.
with a gentle bite on your lower lip, he finally pulls away from your mouth. but he’s still close enough for your breaths to overlap one another. you involuntarily buck your hips against his fingers, wanting —needing— more of his touch.
“patience, baby. i haven’t finished my explanation yet.”
oikawa takes a seat on one of the steps, the water reaching just below his waist, and proceeds to pull you between his legs. you try to sit down but he keeps your hips up, accommodating his erection between your thighs, so you place your hands on top of his to steady yourself.
“here’s another reason why you love me: no one pleases you like i do,” he accentuates his statement by thrusting up, cursing under his breath when your soft skin rubs against his length, “just as no one else can make me this hard, only you. is that what you wanted to hear?”
“tooru,” his name leaves your lips in a breathless way, your foggy mind filling with lewd images of him.
you can imagine his parted lips and the way his brown irises focus on you through half-lidded eyes, following every single one of your movements.
“yes, baby?” he coos and all you can do is whine. a twinge of tenderness swirls on his chest at how obvious it is that you’re enjoying it, “use your big girl words, sweetheart. i know this might be too much for you, but i need you to tell me how you feel.”
the head of his cock rubs between your thighs, grazing your slit slightly and providing you with a smidge of the pleasure you’re longing for.
“g-good, feels... so good.”
he stills for a moment, observing you closely while his hands cup your breasts, “now, can you tell me who do you love the most? or do i need to keep reminding you?”
before you can think of an answer, his thrusts suddenly pick up making your ass smack against his thighs as his fingers play with the soft flesh of your chest.
“tooru, i–”
the words die on your tongue at the sudden stimulation, your head rolling back and whimpering when his fingers give a harsh pinch to your hardened nipples.
“my dumb little baby, becoming stupid as soon as i play with your body,” he breathes out the words on the back of your neck, struggling to maintain his composure. your eyes cross at a particular thrust, at the same time his chest vibrates with his deep laugh, “that’s another reason why you love me. only i can get you to lose all coherent thoughts, making you my dumb little cumslut.”
a groan leaves your lips at the name, wanting nothing more than to have him inside you and filling your pussy with his thick cum.
“you crave it, always needy and wanting my cock inside your cunt,” he kisses your back, bending on top of you so he can hold you closer.
“i-i need you, please,” you turn your head to the side and your eyes meet his, “please, daddy.”
he stops as soon as the name rolls out of your tongue, a shiver running down his spine and making his cock throb between your thighs. he loves having you at his mercy, to see his cock-hungry baby begging for him.  
“what is it that you want, princess?”
“daddy’s cock,” your pouty lips look so enticing to him that he has to stop himself from shoving his length inside your mouth, “i n-need it so bad.”
“alright, since you’re finally starting to use your words.”
he releases his hold on you and makes you face him, climbing on his lap and wrapping your legs around his waist as the flushed tip of his cock grazes your folds.
“we can’t be too loud, okay?” he slowly eases himself inside of you, and a moan threatens to escape your mouth at the delicious stretch, “don’t want anyone to hear how gorgeous my princess sounds as she gets fucked. only i get to hear it,” he growls in your ear.
your jaw falls open, your eyes closing in pleasure when he finally bottoms out “ohh, daddy. s-so big.”
he hisses at the way your walls flutter around him. he lifts you up from his lap, leaving just the head of his cock inside, only to ram it back into you; and this time you can’t contain the moan that slips past your lips, slightly echoing in the room.
your eyes widen when you realize what you just did, looking into his stern gaze and knowing you’ve successfully pissed him off.
“what did i tell you?” he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest and thrusting up, groaning in your ear, “you’re such a slut, wanting to let everyone know you’re getting off on my cock.”
his pace quickens, the feel of your pussy squeezing his cock prompting him to bite down on your shoulder, which earns him a cry of pain from you. he pulls you away from him, holding your jaw in a bruising grip as he looks straight into your eyes.
“i told you to be quiet, didn’t i?” he hisses, his brows furrowing and his harsh gaze making you clench around him, “look at you, a dumb bitch so cock-hungry that can’t even follow one simple order.”
your mouth opens in a silent scream when his cock hits your cervix, “d-daddy, ‘m so so sorry! i promise i’ll be good–”
“then shut up already.”
you try to stay quiet as he keeps reaching the right spots, the pleasure too overwhelming that you end up falling limp against him. his arms circle your waist and hold you close to his chest, thrusting up into your hole and making the water slosh around you. 
you’re thankful the staff gave you privacy, otherwise they’d be getting one hell of a show.
after maintaining the same pace for a couple of minutes, he slows down and allows himself to relax, resting his back on the stone and watching you bounce on top of him, the current position causing his pubic bone to brush against your clit.
you can’t help but dig your nails on the skin of his arms, whimpering when you realize your release is approaching alarmingly fast. you don’t have time to warn him of your impending orgasm before warmth fills your belly and extends through the rest of your body.
“shit— princess, hold still,” he groans as he watches you writhe on top of him, your walls fluttering around his girth and sending him towards his high as well.
warm spurts of cum fill your cunt, his hips jerking a few more times before he finally stills with his cock still buried inside of you. your pussy throbs around him, spasming and prolonging both of your highs. once you’ve both calmed down, he brushes your hair away from your face, leaning forward to kiss the tip of your nose and then capturing your lips in a delicate kiss. 
his large hands cradle your face once you break apart, his thumbs rubbing the skin of your cheeks comfortingly, “are you good, princess?” he coos, lifting your face so he can see you properly.
“just tired, wanna take a nap.”
he envelops you in a hug and lifts you up from his lap, a faint whimper escaping your mouth as he removes himself from your tender walls. he pulls you out of the water and immediately covers you with a towel, kissing your forehead before fetching one for himself. once you’re both fully covered in your bathrobes, he grabs your hand and starts making his way to your room with you right behind him, looking back at you every few seconds and noticing your eyelids getting droopy.
“let’s take a nap, baby. you did so good,” he guides you to the bed once you’re in the privacy of your room. he settles himself right next to you, squeezing you between his arms as tiredness takes over you.
it’s not until you’re finally asleep when he hears you mumble the words he had teased you with, making his heart swell in delight...
...and relieved to know you love him as much as he loves you.
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My Liability, My Deadweight
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Fandom: The Chronicles of Riddick
Collection/Series: My Liability, My Deadweight
Pairing: Richard B Riddick x Female Fat + Glasses Wearing Reader
Writer: @writings-of-a-hufflepuff aka @hufflepuffing-all-day-long
Rating: T (Swearing, Riddick is Riddick, violence)
Warnings: Swearing, violence towards deadly alien creatures, violence from deadly alien creatures towards the reader
Summary: None of this was supposed to happen. You were supposed to be on a holiday resort planet, relaxing by glistening waters and forgetting your troubles. Not traipsing through a deadly jungle on an uncharted planet with a just as deadly companion who seems torn between helping you and hating you.
Notes: So I guess this is going to be similar to Western AU Din in that i’ll probably write some stuff in the same sort of world/vein as this. I’m just interested in the idea of Riddick with a reader who is the opposite of a survivalist, who isn’t fit or strong, who is scared. The idea of Furyans having mates or soulmates that they don’t really get to choose and the idea of Riddick having to come to terms with the idea that the person he wants to protect so bad needs his protection more than most is interesting to me.
This is probably such a niche thing to write, not only because the fandom is tiny, but also because people tend to write Riddick fanfic where the reader or OC is extremely capable, but I wanted to write it. So self-indulgent fic coming up.
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Kratos is a horror show of a planet. It’s the sort of planet you’d never thought you’d end up on, the sort of planet that you saw on horror vids and read about in the tales of survivors of tragedy. You weren’t supposed to be on it. You were just on a short trip, just supposed to go to a stupid holiday planet, at the insistence of your boss that you needed a break from your desk, that you worked too hard. You were a city slicker, an urban citizen, not an outdoorsman or an adventurer, certainly not the sort of person who’d come to a planet like this. But, your pilot had needed to make a stop, said there was a problem with the fuel cells that he needed to check out. So you’d made a pit stop on a barely charted planet. Nothing good ever happens on a barely charted planet. 
Covered in dense, muggy jungle, the planet would have been beautiful had it not been trying to kill you and your, for want of a better word, companion at every turn. It was covered in vibrant green forest, tropical plants, exotic and brightly coloured flowers (many of which, it turns out, were deadly themselves). There were brightly coloured bird-like creatures and primitive mammals that scurried through the trees and across the ground. It would have been beautiful, except for the limp in your walk from the burning claw marks deep in your thick thigh, except for the blood that followed in your wake, the dead bodies of the crew you’d left behind, and the yellow eyes that seemed to follow the two of you under the dark canopy.
After a stupid decision by your group to go out into the jungle to try and find a settlement of some sort, just because it had seemed like (as if there was any real reason to leave), you’d been picked off one by one. You could only describe the beasts as fucked up panthers. Two tails with stingers at the end, sharp spindly spines along their backs, an elongated neck, venomous fangs and sharp teeth and claws. They were hard to spot, silent in the underbrush and decidedly and most definitely deadly. The only reason you were still even alive was because of Riddick, because for some unknown reason the man, the murderer, had decided to stick close to you, like glue. You weren’t complaining.
At the time of boarding the ship for your trip it had seemed horrifying, to know that you were travelling on the same transport as Richard B. Riddick, escaped convict, known murder, predator. He was the sort of man your parents whispered about, the sort of man that you never wanted to meet. He was someone from your worst nightmare. Now he is your saving grace and surprisingly not what you had expected of a notorious big bad. While he meets many of your expectations, crude at times, harsh, and physically intimidating, he defies them too. He is at times oddly gentle with you and, the mere fact he cares about someone’s survival other than his own, is in itself a surprise. A fortunate one for you. 
“Are we nearly back to the ship?” You ask because your leg is killing you, because you so desperately just want to get off this planet even if it means being stuck in a confined space with a convicted murderer. You hate this planet, you hate the constant feeling of fear and of uselessness. You hate the truth of it all, that you are weak, vulnerable, prey not the predator. It has you realising your many weaknesses, many vulnerabilities, many failings. 
“Shhh…” Riddick raises his hand out in front of you, a universal sign to stop, while the other comes to his lips in a shushing motion. If he were a dog, his ears might very well have pricked up at the slightest sound. 
To you nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There were no unusual sounds or movement in the brush. You couldn’t see anything out of place. Just as you begin to notice the silence, the lack of sound, that is the moment everything goes terribly wrong.
“Riddic-” You were cut off by your own scream. 
Things happen so fast that you don’t really have time to process them. One minute you are standing behind Riddick attempting to get his attention, the next a dark shape crashes into you and you’re on the jungle floor a heavy weight pressing on your chest and stopping your breathing. Your hands reach up instinctively, pushing against the creature in an effort to keep sharp gnashing teeth from your face, but you’re not strong and you’re not a fighter and you can feel your arms beginning to collapse already. Can hear yourself screaming for Riddick even as part of you thinks he’ll leave you there, abandon you to be eaten alive. There is a deep fear that this is it, this is the end. That it shall be painful, terrifying, lonely, and unfamiliar. 
Claws scratch at your arms, blood runs over your skin in rivulets as you scrabble in the dirt. Then as suddenly as the weight came it was gone, hefted off of you with an angry roar and the sound of a knife hitting flesh over and over again. You don’t look, can’t bring yourself to look, just lie there and breathe, in and out. You don’t want to see him do what he’s good at, don’t want to see alien blood, a dying creature, the parts of him that are less than gentle. So you stare up at the canopy and catch your breath, feeling the blood flow down your arms, the bruises that ache over your stomach, hips and legs. Feel the relief flow through you, combat the shock, as you realise you are not dead, you are alive, and he did not leave you to die. 
You’re rather numb in truth until you hear him muttering above you, “goddamn liability, deadweight…”, it shouldn’t upset you because it’s true. But it does, it upsets and angers you because you didn’t want to be here, you didn’t want any of this and you didn’t ask him to hang around, didn’t ask him to help you. You had no say in this. This was not your idea of a holiday, your idea of fun, or your fault. 
It forces you to your feet, forces you, despite the blood dripping from your wounds, to stand and face him, despite the bruises, despite the pain, despite the fear. You find yourself planting your feet even as you sway unsteadily, standing with hands on your wide hips and a scowl aimed at a man that could kill you easily. For the first time you’re too angry to overthink your actions towards the man. For a moment you stop thinking and start acting. 
“If i’m such a goddamn liability, then just leave me here! I didn’t ask for you to stay, Riddick! I didn’t ask for your help! If it’s such a fucking chore to have me along, if i’m really dead weight then leave me! Go!” You didn’t normally scream at anyone, it wasn’t your personality type. You were quiet, shy, retiring. A wallflower. You didn’t scream. You didn’t start fights. You didn’t do any of that. Anger wasn’t your natural response to anything. Fear was. But after being hunted down, time and time again by giant alien cats with venomous fangs and an uncanny ability to hide on a jungle planet, all while being called a liability, a dead weight by the one person you had to rely on, well, you were finally at your wits end. You were in pain, you were upset, frustrated and ready to just go home. 
You didn’t understand it. Why Riddick even bothered with you, practically a stranger. You knew you were a liability, that’s why it hurt so much when he said it. You were soft, emotionally and physically. You were a slow runner, a poor fighter, had terrible eyesight that required glasses, you weren’t light on your feet or graceful and you certainly didn’t know much about survival. You were overweight, unfit and unsure on your feet. You were prone to panic and tears, you were easily emotionally and physically unbalanced. Until this trip from hell you’d been content in the inner rim, working a normal job, a safe life. Your day to day had been comfortable, safe. Easy. You weren’t cut out for this, for danger and potential death and had Riddick, this known criminal, one of the most sought after murderers in the verse, not decided to stick by your side you’d have died at least ten times already. It didn’t make any sense and your frustration at yourself, the situation and at him had tears pooling in your eyes. You didn’t ask for any of this.
“I can’t.” He’s so impassive, so calm, that it pisses you off more. It pisses you off how hard it is to read him, how he hides his eyes behind black goggles that stop you understanding him. How he hides all emotion from you so easily. How is he okay with this? How is he so calm when everything around the two of you wants to kill you, when he could have left this goddamn planet already if you weren’t slowing him down at every turn? How could he stand there above the body of some hell spawn creature and just stare at you like that, like everything was just fine, just normal? Like he wasn’t covered in it’s blood. Like you weren’t dripping in your own. Like you hadn’t almost died. Again. 
“I..I don’t get it…? What do you mean you can’t? You could walk the fuck away right now. I can’t stop you! No one else is here to stop you! If you want to leave, leave! No one’s holding you back, Riddick! No one is going to stop you! I can’t bloody well can’t! Look at me!” You sound hysterical even to your own ears but you can’t help it. You are so scared, so confused, so frustrated, so panicked by all that’s happened, all that could happen. You gesture down to yourself, to the bloody coating you, the way you protectively hold yourself off of your hurt leg, the sheer stature different between the two of you. All the things that make it very abundantly clear that if he chose to simply walk away you couldn’t stop him. 
“Listen, princess, it’s not that fucking simple!” The snap is almost relieving, that he’s not as cold, not as impassive as you thought. That he could break too. That he could be angry, that he could be upset, that this wasn’t just normal. Even as his steps closer cause your back to hunch, cause you to second guess your antagonist behaviour. 
“I don’t understand!” 
With a growl he’s crowding you against a tree, thick arms caging you in. He’s imposing, large, a head taller than you and the action has him taking over every one of your senses. He never touches you in anger and while the display is intimidating, it oddly enough doesn’t scare you. It almost feels secure. Perhaps because not once has he done anything to suggest to you that he would hurt you, every move he’s made has been to keep you safe. Every time he’s touched you has been to pull you from danger or bring you back to your feet. Despite his harsh appearance, his foul language and the deadliness that he displays at every turn, he has never once given you cause to fear him. To fear how he would treat you. 
“You’re my mate, got it?! I don’t get to choose, I don’t get a choice! I can’t leave you! I just fucking can’t, so you’re a fucking liability and dead weight, but you’re my dead weight, got it? I ain’t fucking leaving you, we either both get off this motherfucking planet or we both get eaten by these fucks, princess. There’s no inbetween, understand?” Silver eyes flash at you as he tears the goggles from his eyes,  his brow furrows and the muscles in his thick neck and broad shoulders bunch and move with every piece of tension that bursts through him. You are distinctly and sharply reminded that Riddick is a predator in every sense of the word, while you are prey. You are on two separate ends of the spectrum. 
“Mate…?” Your eyes flit across the landscape behind his head, trying to process all those words and all their meanings. You don’t understand, you don’t understand any of it. But, those words soothe you in a way you can’t explain. He isn’t going to leave you. For whatever reason, for whatever this is, whatever he means, he isn’t going to leave you.  You let out a breath you didn’t even realise you’d been holding. He’s not leaving, even if you’re a liability, a deadweight. Even when things get bad, he’s not leaving. He is, at this point, your only chance at getting home, getting away from him, of surviving. The panic in you begins to soothe, calm and settle. 
“We don’t have time for this.” You’re startled by the sudden display of affection as the man cups the back of your neck and presses his forehead into your own, “Just trust me.”
“I do, Riddick, I trust you” It’s hard to explain, the trust you feel for him, the safety as you let him lead you once more through the jungle. You are bleeding, in pain and still ever so aware of the dangers around you, but you have an implicit belief that with Riddick you are as safe as you can be. That if there was ever a person to carry you through this it would be him. 
You might still be confused, might not understand what he means by you being his mate or by his obligation towards you, but you know that he isn't leaving you for dead and that is enough right now. That is more than enough.
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The Gift She Wants
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Warnings: None this is just pure fluff.
Relationships: Nalu
Summary: Natsu attempts to write Lucy a love letter for her birthday. 
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Lucy’s never really enjoyed her birthday. It used to be fun when her mom was still around. But after her death, her birthday had always been ignored by her father. But that all changed once she joined Fairy Tail. Every morning on July 1st she’d walk into the guild to find a huge party set up for her. It was a sweet gesture even though the guild hall usually wound up trashed by the end of the day because of all the drinking and fighting that ensued. 
But that wasn’t the only thing that was the same every year. The presents that Lucy got from her friends were all the same. Gray would make her a little ice sculpture of a star that would melt after a day but she never had the heart to tell him. Gajeel did something similar with jewelry but it was made out of iron and really big and bulky so they were all too heavy to wear for long. Similarly, Erza would give her a sword or some other weapon that was too heavy for Lucy to lift. Juvia would offer her baked goods she made herself but for awhile Lucy was always cautious to eat them, knowing how jealous Juvia was about her friendship with Gray. Thankfully that wasn’t a problem anymore, and now her gift was one she was looking forward to along with the book from Levy and perfume from Mira that she got every year. There was only one gift she truly dreaded and that was from Natsu. 
Every year she hoped that he would give her something different, only to be proven wrong when he whisks her away on some dangerous job that leaves her exhausted, dirty, and bruised. The only good part about it was that she got to spend time with him, and have a little fun when she wasn’t fearing for her life. And as the years went on, she hoped that perhaps him taking her on these jobs alone meant that he would talk to her about things. Things that she knew he probably never thought about but that deep down, she dares to hope that he does.
So she thought she knew what to expect during her birthday party this year when he approached her, holding something behind his back. She took a deep breath, ready to see what job flyer he’d present her with only to find a book with a pink bow wrapped around it instead. 
“What’s this?” Lucy asks, surprised and cautiously optimistic. “Is it part of a job or-”
“No it’s not a job. It’s just a journal.” Natsu says. “I couldn’t figure out what to get you for your birthday this year so I asked Gildarts for advice and he told me I should get you something that you’ve been wanting to get or something you’d like so I thought I’d get you both!” 
Lucy was confused and touched at the same time. She was also relieved that for once she wouldn’t have to worry about getting hurt on her birthday! And it was a really sweet and thoughtful gift! She likes to write so he got her a journal...He really thought about it to get her something she’d enjoy! Is he starting to change? 
“Thank you so much Natsu!” Lucy exclaims, beaming with happiness as she holds the gift to her heart. “I love it!” 
She had no idea just how much she’d love it later.
--------------
After the party, she brought all the gifts she was able to carry back to her apartment with her and immediately unwrapped the bow on the journal to open it. 
To her surprise, there was already writing in it. Natsu’s writing. 
Her heart sunk. The last time he had written her something was a note telling her he was leaving for a year with Happy. And then the guild disbanded and she was all alone. He wasn’t leaving her again was he? 
With her heart pounding, she scanned the page, reading the words and bracing herself for heartbreak. But instead she found the opposite. 
Dear Lucy,
I hate writing and I’ve never written something like this before so I don’t know how good it’s gonna be but this is something I know you want to hear so I’m gonna try my best for you like I always do. I’m not good with words. Most of the things I say to you make you upset with me so I try to show how I feel about you with my actions instead of my words. And while I think that’s given you enough of an idea to know that I care about you, I don’t think you get how much I really do. So I guess I’ve got to be more clear and I figured since you love writing this is the best way to do it. 
You’re amazing. You’re so powerful, beautiful, and kind and you shine brighter than any star or dragon’s fire. I have no idea why you still hang around an idiot like me who doesn’t know how to treat you right but I hope the reason is because you feel the same way about me that I do about you. I’ve never had feelings like this before, so I’m sorry if I’ve frustrated you but I just don’t know anything about love aside from how I feel about you. Gramps and Gildarts used to lecture me on how great relationships are and how they hoped I’d fall in love and get married and have kids someday but I never wanted that because there wasn’t anyone I wanted to do that stuff with until you came into my life. 
It took me awhile to figure it out but now everything they told me about makes sense. I want to be with you Lucy, as more than just a friend. I know I don’t deserve you but I’m working hard to make you happy because that’s what you deserve. And I can tell that not knowing that has made you unhappy. So I’ve got to just be straight to the point and say it. I love you Lucy Heartfilia. I think that’s what you want to hear, so that’s what I’m giving you for your birthday.
~Natsu 
Lucy’s tears of joy were dripping onto the page so she quickly closes the book to keep her tears from washing away those sweet words. 
This was better than she could have ever imagined. And all she wanted was to run to Natsu and start this new chapter in their relationship together. Thankfully, knowing him, she didn’t have to go far. 
With tears dripping down her cheeks, she pulls back the curtain to her bedroom to find the man she loves and his blue cat in her room. She’d never been so happy to have them break into her apartment. 
“Lucy did you like the-Aw damnit, you’re crying!” Natsu exclaims, looking hurt and disappointed with himself. “I messed up again!” 
“What did you expect, you took relationship advice from Gildarts!” Happy chastises. “That guy can’t hold onto a woman, what does he know-” 
“No you didn’t!” Lucy reassures him. “Natsu it was perfect! I love it! I love you too!” She exclaims. 
Before Natsu has a chance to process what she said, Lucy dashes across the room, tossing the journal onto her bed before throwing her arms around his neck as he catches her in his before she kisses him. 
Happy’s jaw drops and Natsu’s eyes go wide for a moment, surprised by her affection before he returns the kiss, closes his eyes and moves his hands along her back to hold her closer to him as he relishes in this new feeling. 
She brings her hands up to his face to run her thumbs along his cheekbones while his hands settle on her hips as they gently pull apart. 
A blush forms on Lucy’s face as she realizes what exactly she’s done and is immediately embarrassed by how forward she was being. 
“Oh my gosh I’m so sorry that probably came out of nowhere and I should have asked first-” Lucy rambles before Natsu’s chuckle pulls her gaze back to his face and when he sees the warm look in his eyes and the smirk on his lips, she instantly relaxes. 
“It’s fine Lucy. I was hoping you’d kiss me. I just hope it was a good kiss, considering I’ve never done that before...” Natsu admits shyly. 
“It’s okay. I’ve never kissed anyone before either.” Lucy tells him. “This is new for me too. We’ll figure it out together, just like we do for everything else.” 
She rests her head on his chest and Natsu holds her close and rests his cheek on top of her head. 
“Well you know a lot more about this stuff than I do. So you’ll have a lot to teach me.” Natsu admits and Lucy laughs. 
“Well you gave me a very thoughtful gift, so clearly you’ve already got some idea of what to do.” Lucy says. 
“You just mean so much to me.” Natsu says. “I’ve never felt this way before for anyone else and I doubt I ever will. You deserve someone who can make you happy and give you everything you want.” 
“Well if everything you wrote in that letter is true, then I have no doubt that person is you.” Lucy says. “I just want one more thing.” 
“What is it?” Natsu asks, pulling back to look at her. “Whatever it is I’ll give it to you.” 
“Just tell me you love me. I know you wrote it but I want to hear you say it.” Lucy requests. 
Natsu smiles, more than happy to fulfill that wish. 
“I love you Lucy.” Natsu says and fresh tears spring from Lucy’s eyes as a result. 
“I love you too Natsu.” She says before kissing him again. 
The sounds of Happy sniffling pull them out of the moment. 
“What’s wrong little buddy? Are you crying because you’re happy for us?” Natsu asks. 
“I’m so happy for both of you!” Happy sniffles. “But I can’t believe that someone as dense as you managed to get a girlfriend before me!” He wails and the new couple laughs. 
Yep. Definitely the best birthday ever. And now Lucy couldn’t wait to see what Natsu would do for her next year. 
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pair-annoyed · 4 years
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Anime I Watched This Summer
Summer 2020 has officially come to a close. It’s fall in Animal Crossing and the trees are beginning to turn. Much like quarantine, I spent a lot of my free time watching anime when I wasn’t stressing over starting college. Now that the school year has begun, I thought it would be nice to reflect on everything I’ve watched! 
These Anime were seen between 6/14 - 8/31 (my Birthday!) and are listed in chronological order.
They will be rated on a 1-10 scale; 1 meaning complete garbage, 10 meaning masterpiece. I will offer my thoughts on what I did/didn't like about each show!
1. Bakemono no Ko - 8/10
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This was such a great way to start out the summer! I love the dynamic between Kumatetsu and Ren. Overall its a little cliche, but it’s also very wholesome. It’s by the same studio that made Wolf Children (which I loved!). so I knew it was going to be good. My favorite aspect of this movie was its backgrounds and world building! 
2. Wan Sheng Jie - 9/10
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Oh my gosh! I know that this is technically a donghua, but its on MAL, so it counts. This show quickly became my favorite slice of life of all time. I adore the art style and all of the characters. The comedy, plot, and design blends so well together. Everything in Wan Sheng Jie feels warm and comfy. It’s also confirmed for a second season! After seeing its cliff hanger ending, I’m so anxious for what comes next! 
3. Dororo - 7/10
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I’ll be honest, I’m a sucker for studio MAPPA. I really liked the historical aspects of Dororo. From the outfits to the ways characters behave, its grounded in the constraints of feudal Japan. I would have given this show a higher score if it was a little more grounded in science. I feel like more time should’ve been given to the demons and antagonists of the show. Our MC was so over powered, which made the final fights of the series more lack-luster. I think its less of the anime’s fault and more because the original source material is from the 60s. That being said, I loved this show! It was cute and action packed. Though it isn’t perfect, it holds its own.
4. Bungou Stray Dogs - 5/10
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The concepts and action are misconstrued in Bungou Stary Dogs. This is one of those shows that I chose to watch because it was all over Tumblr. The powers themselves are cool, but I can’t understand why this series is so praised. At it’s core its predictable and basic. The fights seemed low stakes and low energy. None of the humor really felt like it belonged. It tried too hard to be something it isn’t. I don’t think I’ll watch beyond this first season. 
5. Kami no Tou - 4.5/10
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First off, fuck Rachel, me and my homies hate Rachel. I really really had high hopes for Tower of God. It paves the way for Webtoon adaptations in the future. Its such a shame that this adaptation SUCKED. I have not read the source material, I’m going solely based on the anime. It wasn’t good? It was horrible. I hate Bam, I hate Rachel. I think all the characters expect Rak were awful. Please don’t make a season 2. Please. If you’re interesting in Tower of God, just read the webtoon. 
6. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun - 7/10
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Shoujo anime is my guilty pleasure. I especially liked the way Gekkan Shoujo tackled Sakura and Nozaki’s relationship. Besides just the main characters, even the side characters were enjoyable! It was a fun and creative show. My only complaint is how dense Nozaki is, but I also absolutely love that part of him.
7. Jojo no Kimyou no Bouken (Parts 1-2) - 6.5/10
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Jojo is not the saving grace of shounen anime. It isn’t something super revolutionary and it certainly will never be a 10/10. Part 1 was so slow and boring. Jonathan was just mediocre at best. I definitely liked Joseph a LOT more than Jonathan. Part 2 overall was much easier to watch than part 1. The fights are good, but there’s just something about Jojo that I can’t get behind. Although I’m completely bashing this series, I’m going to keep watching it. At this point, I wanna know what a stand is. 
8. Clannad - 5.5/10
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I was expecting Clannad to be sad, but instead I got a cute, slice of life, romance. It wasn’t unenjoyable, but it was also a pretty slow-burning show. I loved watching Nagisa and Okazaki slowly fall in love with each other. It was funny at times and sad at other points. I am currently watching Clannad: After Story (which I’ve heard is heartbreaking), so I’m hoping to get some catharsis out of that. 
9. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai...  - 6/10
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This show is only 12 episodes, and yet it still has filler episodes for some reason? I’m a person who doesn’t typically watch isekai because the genre is so over done. However, when it’s done in a very specific way it’s really fun to watch! This show was definitely a lot of fun, it’s also cute and has so many interesting character-character interactions. The ending is painfully cliche, but I think it adds to this shows charm. 
10. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen  - 8/10
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I loved Love is War so much! I love their weird romantic dynamic. I love the characters, and I love the animation. It’s over the top and executes it humor masterfully. The entire show fills you with anticipation for the two main characters. Kaguya is my favorite character. Although I haven’t seen season two yet, I most certainly will! I’m so upset I hadn’t seen this show sooner.
11. Great Pretender - 8.5/10
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This show is so colorful and bubbly. The animation is so smooth and they are able to tackle so many different kinds of things given its plot. The whole show itself just feels like summertime. It came out not to long ago, so some people may not be familiar with it. On top of the show itself, the music is great, with a Jazzy OP and and ED that features Freddie Mercury
12. Steins;Gate 0 - 8/10
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 I loved the original Stein;Gate so much! So it’s no surprise how much I liked the second season. It builds significantly off the first season in a sort of “off shot” OVA kind of way. The events of Steins;Gate 0 don’t actually happen, but that doesn’t stop it from being meaningful. The big “twist” was predictable and a bit of a let down, but I still enjoyed this. Granted, I’m bias. 
13. Seishun Buta Yarou wa Yumemiru Shoujo no Yume wo Minai - 9.5/10
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I sobbed. So much. This movie was phenomenal, it was such a trip. Having watched the original series, this tore my heart apart. It gets a high score for being able to take the characters I love and creating a wonderfully emotional experience. If you haven’t seen Bunny Girl Senpai, please watch it, and then watch this movie. You won’t regret it! 
14. Hotaru no Haka - 6/10
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Grave of the Fireflies made me stop watching anime for a while. Studio Ghibli created something grim, something that leaves the viewers feeling hollow. Its a movie about WWII from Japan’s perspective. As an American, all I could feel while watching this was immense guilt. I will say though, that some of the movies main plot could have easily been prevented if the main character had swallowed his pride. His younger sister was also my least favorite character. I get that she’s a kid and that kids are fussy, but you would think that during wartime, she’d be more understanding and at least try to eat the things she dislikes. 
15. Yagate Kimi ni Naru - 9/10
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This was a great way to end the summer. This is more that just GL romance, its a love story. Its about growing up and learning to understand your feelings. I related to Yuu so much, which made this more emotional than I expected. It’s really unlike another romance anime I’ve seen. I hope it gets confirmed for a second season. If not, I’ll be reading the manga. 
Seasonal Shows: (Things that are still airing as of 9/5/2020)
1. The God of High School  7.5/10
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Another thing done by studio MAPPA. Are you surprised? I absolutely love the action in GoH. The plot however, is all over the place. The story seems fragmented and hard to follow. Like Tower of God, it was poorly adapted. I’m giving it such a high score, because it’s SO much more enjoyable then Tower of God. 
2. Enen no Shouboutai: Ni no Shou - 4/10
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My thoughts on season 2 are about the same as my thoughts on season 1. The only difference is that this season has more Jojo references. I’ve rated it lower because its so repetitive. I’m so sick of watching it, but I’ve got to see it through the bitter end.   
3. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season - 8.5/10 
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All I’m going to say about Re:Zero is that I love it. I can’t give an accurate review of it because I’ve been hyping this season since it was announced. If you’re into non-typical isekai, watch Re:Zero, its so enjoyable!
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