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suzannahnatters · 10 months

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Trope Talk: Friends to Lovers

I almost never talk (or even think) about the friends-to-lovers trope; it's never really been on my radar as a Thing I Love. There are two main reasons for this. First, in romance, I tend to adore a good, spiky enemies-to-lovers situation. Second, when it comes to friends, I actually go feral for platonic friendships, particularly m/f friendships, that STAY friendships. I want to talk about those too, but over the past week I had the absolute pleasure of watching the kdrama HAPPINESS, which features an absolutely marvellous friends-to-lovers situation (with added slowburn marriage of convenience). That reminded me that there are a few friends-to-lovers stories that I absolutely adore - Jane Austen's EMMA, for instance (particularly in the Johnny Lee Miller / Romola Garai miniseries adaptation), or the ambiguously romantic friendship FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD. So, let's talk about one thing that makes this trope difficult to pull off, plus some things that make a friends-to-lovers work for me.

DIFFICULTY: Romance Where Most of the Work Is Done The problem with friends-to-lovers, and the thing that makes it offputting for me, is that you're coming into the story with a couple who have already done most of their work. They already know each other, often quite intimately. They already respect each other, they already like each other…where do you take things from here? How do you make this interesting when the two people are already on the same page and fanatically devoted to one another?

For me, the most important thing when constructing a romance is to create a push-pull between the characters. They need a compelling reason to be together, and a compelling reason to be apart. In an enemies-to-lovers story, the reason to be apart is far stronger than the reason to be together, but because the trajectory is towards togetherness, I can see far more scope for creativity in ETL than I do in FTL, where the reason to be together is usually far stronger than the reason to be apart. The journey is far shorter in FTL than it is in ETL.

But, I think the solution is to be smart about what kind of conflict works best for the story and the characters you have in mind. Let's talk about conflict for a moment. Conflict can be of two sorts: internal, inside the character, and external, between the character and others. In romance, there is a third layer of conflict, which sits between internal and external. Let's call it intimate conflict: it's the reason the characters should be apart.

In an ETL story, the intimate conflict is often the same as the external conflict: the reason for the characters to be apart is because they are on opposing sides of a war. They are each other's antagonists. In a FTL story, the characters are usually allies or colleagues, fighting together on the same side. As a result, the situation with the conflict isn't so simple. The intimate conflict is going to be different to the external conflict.

In EMMA, the reason the characters are apart has a lot to do with Emma's age. Since she's significantly younger than Mr Knightley, she's never really seen him as a romantic prospect at all. She also intends never to marry, and focuses on other people's romances rather than her own. Similarly, Mr Knightley has always seen Emma as a younger sister, and he hasn't come to see her as a romantic prospect either. There's very little external conflict in EMMA, which I think is unusual for a friends-to-lovers story, but what there is focuses on Emma's efforts to find a good match for her protege Harriet. Mr Knightley isn't exactly her ally in this, but as Emma falls into one social snarl after another Mr Knightley is usually the one who helps her out of them. Austen makes it work, but the point is that the story is a VERY slow burn in which the romance only develops very late in the piece. In this, it's a typical friends-to-lovers story.

By and large, I think friends-to-lovers works best when the romantic realisation hits late. Friends-to-lovers IS a shortcut. All the work of slowly building trust, respect, and liking for one another has already been done when the story opens, so it's a great choice for either a) supporting characters who don't have as much screentime or b) situations where there's a strong external conflict to provide a sense of threat to the story. In FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, the romance that sent me feral is one glimpsed in the margins of the story between two supporting characters, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye. The intimate conflict between them - the Reason To Be Apart - is, according to the author, that as military officers the two of them aren't supposed to start a relationship. The external conflict on top of this is that the two of them are conspiring to overthrow their nation's dictator and they can't afford to be made each other's weakness. In HAPPINESS, meanwhile, the relationship got off to a rocky start when Yi Hyun asked Sae Bom out within seconds of meeting her (and being pushed off a roof by her). Sae Bom turned him down right away and like Emma, still hasn't figured out that she might be falling for him by the time she decides that she might as well get fake-married to him for the nice apartment she's always wanted. The intimate conflict is thus simply that Sae Bom hasn't got around to returning Yi Hyun's feelings yet. The external conflict is very strong to compensate for this, however: the two of them are fighting zombies together, and that's not even mentioning the HOA.

An enemies-to-lovers story doesn't work for HAPPINESS, even though there would be enough screentime for it, because the themes and the antagonists don't allow for it. The antagonists are both literal monsters (the mindless zombies) and figurative monsters (the scummy rich). One of our beloveds does eventually become a literal monster, but this doesn't create an ETL situation because it's a morally neutral state and their innate goodness prevails even when having episodes. As for the figurative monsters, their whole deal is that that is NOT a morally neutral state and they got to where they are by being genuinely irredeemable people. This means that none of them can genuinely fall in love. So, ETL would be impossible in this situation. The third option would be a meet-cute with zombies, but this would also detract from the themes of cosiness, happiness, safety and domesticity which the show pits against the evil rich. Friends to lovers, in this setting, is the only choice.

So now that we've talked about some of the thematic and structural situations that might lend themselves to writing a friends-to-lovers story, let's talk about the things that can make this trope TRULY delicious.

CHEMISTRY: Of A Friendship Kind A lot of romance is, let's face it, very badly written. It's as though most writers think that two pretty faces + some light banter = believable romance. It can be very difficult to believe that two people who just met each other five minutes ago would be dying for each other now. Friends-to-lovers solves this problem by starting with two people who already know, like, and respect each other, and the only hard part is to sell the audience on why these two obviously appreciative people HAVEN'T yet sealed the deal. Further: sometimes for whatever reason the characters don't see each other in a romantic light, or better yet they DO but for Reasons have decided to deny those romantic feelings and simply enjoy the philos love which they CAN have without insisting upon the eros they CAN'T have. Either way, the friendship chemistry between them is likely to feel real, mature, and grounded. You really believe that these people care for each other in a uniquely unselfish way - which makes their eventual romance epiphany all the more powerful.

Emma and Mr Knightley are a great example of this. The Romola Garai miniseries turns this up to 11 by giving the two of them amazing chemistry. Their faces light up when they see each other, sometimes from far away. They're drawn together in every space they mutually inhabit. From the very first episode they're revolving around each other and although neither of them have realised it's love, their attraction is palpable. There's an age gap in EMMA which some modern viewers may find slightly problematic, and Austen (and the show's director) do a fantastic job of selling this relationship through the chemistry and framing of the relationship as a genuine friendship on both sides long before it becomes explicitly romantic.

EQUALITY: The Couple That Battles Together Stays Together Romance can come with a lot of baggage around inequality. A lot of people even today still view power and maturity imbalance as being definitionally romantic. A lot of men still want to feel stronger, smarter, richer, and more intelligent than their female partners. In a world where the sexes have often been unequal, a male/female friendship can be radically levelling. This has been acknowledged by scholars studying friendships across history. When a man befriends a woman, it's a signal that he appreciates her as she is, that he recognises her as a kindred spirit and an equal in ways that aren't always indicated by romantic interest. He knows that a sexual relationship with her is off the table, but he wants to spend time with her anyway. Their relationship is often founded on mutual interests and occupations, as well as on simple respect and enjoyment of each other's company.

This means that a romance which starts out as a friendship often achieves a sense of unique equality between the two partners, because we've already seen the two of them working together. It also leads to a strong partnership between them as they tackle all their problems together. (ETL also achieves a sense of equality, of course, but this comes about as the two characters battle and outwit each other). HAPPINESS is a great example of this: Yi Hyun becomes a detective partly because Sae Bom has become a special forces officer, and together the two of them keep the peace and battle zombies in a locked-down apartment building. Roy and Riza are also an iconic battle couple in FMAB, and even though Riza is Mustang's military subordinate their relationship is clearly one of such mutual dependence and respect that it doesn't come across as unequal.

BICKERING: When Acting Like an Old Married Couple Isn't Just for Lovers Just because a couple are longtime friends doesn't mean they can never disagree, which is why the greatest one-sentence friends-to-lovers romance in history comes at the end of CS Lewis' THE HORSE AND HIS BOY: “Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up they were so used to quarreling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently.”

Most friends-to-lovers stories I love don't have all that much intimate conflict between the characters: the focus is squarely on the two of them fighting the world together. They may bicker and banter, but they always have each others' back. The notable exception happens in EMMA, especially the Romola Garai miniseries, where once or twice Mr Knightley gets quite exercised as he rebukes Emma. I think the thing to notice is that while in an ETL story the conflict between the characters normally involves a genuine attempt to destroy or frustrate the other character in some way, and in a meet-cute story the characters come into conflict out of a misunderstanding of each other, in a FTL story the conflict arises out of the characters' intimacy: that is, they are so comfortable in each other's company that they find it safe to disagree with or insult each other.

DEVOTION: I Would Die For You Let's face it: some of the most scream-inducing stuff in a romance are the moments when the two leads start putting unreserved trust in each other. They start throwing themselves in front of bullets for the other person. They start being utterly and totally vulnerable with each other. Sometimes this is delicious because it conflicts with who they ought to be: perhaps they have all sorts of reasons to distrust each other, perhaps they should be trying to kill each other and they know it. But friends-to-lovers skips right past all that. This is just who these two are, you know? They're utterly devoted to each other. They will take bullets for each other without even thinking. In their case, it doesn't contrast with their better judgement: it contrasts with the way they interact with everyone else around them.

Again, this is why I think FTL works best when the couple are up against strong forces of external antagonism - monsters, zombies, or just some really despicable blighters. When you can't trust ANYONE but This One Person? When the whole world is dangerous, except for the absolute safety of YOUR person? That's when FTL ascends and becomes truly superior. That's why nothing hits as hard as the moment in FMAB when Mustang muses over a chessboard about all he has lost - his pawn, his knight, his rook, and his bishop. "And worst of all…they've even taken my queen." unhinged screaming

VULNERABILITY: If You Dare Hurt Them Much of the fun of ETL is seeing the characters go a little unhinged, as a treat. Well, if you've been building your FTL pair right, you get to see them go unhinged in stereo! You've given them a sense of utter devotion to each other, and you've put them in incredible danger. Now it's time to split them up and put each of them in danger separately…just so the other one can go beast mode getting them out. They are each other's ultimate safety, and God help the fool who puts either of them at risk. As exhibit A, I call the HAPPINESS car chase to the stand. Yeah? YEAH.

EPIPHANY: The Love of Their Life Was There All Along At some stage, if this is going to be a FTL story, there needs to be the romantic epiphany when the pair realises that their friendship has turned into romance and that they want to be more than friends. There are a few ways to play this. Sometimes, both of the couple realises during the course of the story, as in EMMA. Sometimes, one of the couple has been romantically interested in the other for years, as in HAPPINESS, but the other one hasn't come around yet. And of course, in FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST the romantic interest remains undeclared, but the scene where Roy compares Riza to his queen has the same emotional wallop because it's the moment at which the audience realises that he views her differently to the rest of his friends - he sees her both as his most powerful ally, and as his wife.

The unique FMAB example aside, however - much of the power packed by this moment of the story has to do with the protagonist realising that the love of their life was there all along, and perhaps they nearly missed them. In EMMA, Emma only figures it out in a fit of jealousy when Harriet claims to be in love with Mr Knightley (it's hilarious that throughout the entire book she never tries to set anyone up with her village's most eligible bachelor). In HAPPINESS, Sae Bom figures it out after Yi Hyun makes a farewell video confessing that the reason he agreed to their marriage of convenience was because he is genuinely in love with her; the marriage which was fake to her was real to him all along. Combined with the knowledge that she might be about to lose him forever, this is enough to make her acknowledge her own feelings.

MORAL COMPASS: I Know You're In There, Fight But here's what I think is my absolute favourite thing about friends to lovers. It's something that happens in all three of the FTL examples I've been analysing here, and it's also something that has deep roots in the way friendship has been viewed throughout history. In Edmund Spenser's FAERIE QUEENE, each Book focuses on a specific virtue - holiness, temperance, and chastity, for instance. Book IV deals with Friendship, and in this book Spenser defines friendship as being built on a foundation of other virtues. That is, evil people literally are incapable of true friendship because they do not have what it takes to treat another human being with genuine kindness and selflessness. All three of my favourite FTL stories follow Spenser in pitching the friendship as a moral compass for one of them.

In EMMA, Mr Knightley regularly rebukes Emma for her social failings. When he points out her rudeness to Miss Bates, it's a huge turning-point in their romance. Emma's response, which is to acknowledge her faults and try to put things right with Miss Bates, is what awakens Mr Knightley to his love for Emma. On the other hand, Emma realises that Mr Knightley is a big part of her moral compass and superior to the other men she knows, and it's this that makes her realise how necessary he is to her.

EMMA is a lowkey example, but FMAB and HAPPINESS come out swinging when it comes to the moral compass, and it's absolutely spectacular on both occasions. One of the reasons Mustang depends so deeply on Riza is that she is his protector, not just in a physical but a moral sense. She is the one who has promised to put him down if he ever loses his way. Naturally, this moment comes for them, and the two of them survive it, but only barely. And it's GLORIOUS. HAPPINESS plays things a little differently: there's no long-standing promise between them, but the whole show, the characters are told that those infected who really wish to resist the thirst can do it. When Sae Bom comes charging in to get her husband at the end, he's about to lose his battle, but she manages to pull him out of his episode. Again, it's glorious.

CONCLUSIONS I love ETL stories for their intensity, their moral complexity and the delicious emotional contrasts at play between loving a person and wanting to defeat them. But…as hard as it can be to find really good ones, a great friends to lovers story comes with all those things and can be just as satisfying.

#trope talk #writing advice #writing #romance tropes #friends to lovers #ftl #fmab #fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood #fma:b #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #fullmetal alchemist #emma #jane austen #happiness kdrama #happiness tvn #happiness #tvn happiness

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bethanydelleman · 1 year

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My biggest piece of advice to people who write and want to improve is to find someone whose opinion you trust and then take their feedback. Preferably a writer whose writing you enjoy.

This message is only for people who want to improve. If you just write for fun and post for pleasure, keep keeping on.

I was extremely lucky. When I started writing again and was doing JAFF for the first time, I read a self-published FF novel and posted on Facebook about how much I loved it. The author and I started direct messaging and now we trade beta reading. This is fairly common in the JAFF/FF community by the way, not with bigger authors I imagine!

But it's not enough just to ask for feedback, you have to divorce yourself from emotion about it. It isn't an attack on you, it's about making your work more understandable, more true to the canon characters, and just generally better. I have removed entire scenes that I loved because my readers were right and it didn't fit properly. I think about concrit (good, real concrit) as something that can only help me, not hurt me.

That said, it's also about balance. I take everything readers say into consideration, but I don't always act on their feedback. It is still your work and your creative vision. But if someone is telling you that they do not even understand this character's motive or why something happened, you need to listen.

#writing advice #JAFF #jane austen fan fiction #general writing #I write original works too #maybe someday one will see the light of day

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enbyjane · 1 year

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The Mentalist: season 4, episode 12 - My Bloody Valentine

#the mentalist #s4e12 #the mentalist season 4 #the mentalist season 4 episode 12 #patrick jane #grace van pelt #took these screenshots for a meta post i'm writing #but i'm still mentioning some thoughts here #she's like a younger sibling coming to their older sibling for advice #'brother what do i do with all this grief' 'you can forget it or live with it.'#and the way he tells her it's her choice. he cannot choose for her.#and then she chooses the choice opposite his. she chooses to let go and move on #i would've done more if i was the showrunner because grief and trauma are not as easily thrown away #- as if it no longer exists if we throw it in the garbage #but i do like the parallel #i almost forgot - i love his compassion here #craig came to see you didn't he?#he puts it in a way as to show she's not crazy - just traumatized #he's patient and kind here

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chickycherrycola · 2 months

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"The only way you can fail at a first draft is by not finishing it."

-Jane Smiley, 'Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel'

#monday motivation #i write therefore i am #writeblr #jane smiley #quote #writing quotes #writing advice #writing tips #writing resources #writing

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whimsyqueen · 2 years

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“Although we first absorb printed letters or words as pictures, we also “hear” them: neural activity registering sound is about the same whether a word is read silently or aloud; a part of the brain called the Broca’s area generates the “sound” of a word internally. So, reading, we see a picture and “hear” a sound, and in both cases we experience the word in time. (The sense of a word, its clarity or cascade of connotations, naturally also affects how long the word feels to us.) In English, the sounds of letters and syllables are so varied that their length isn’t as measurable as scored notes of music, but we still sense differences among them. The letter t is quicker than the letter m; bit is quicker than bite. We see and hear the difference between tot and tomb, between tot and tomatillo. We might also see and hear commas, semicolons, question marks, periods— the tribe of punctuation— and the spaces between marks. All of these take portions of time. So, types of letters, lengths of words, friction or fluidity among them, repetition, pauses or liltings within our inner ear signaled by commas or question marks: these are our elementary particles, the visual, the auditory, and temporal units with which we first design.”

- Jane Alison, Meander, Spiral, Explode

#writeblr #creative writing #writing community #writers #Jane Alison #this is one of my textbooks for my fiction class #and I can’t get over this passage #and a lot of the things she says in this book #just about constructing narrative and patterns within it #but I wanted to share this with you guys #because I thought you’d like it maybe #writing advice #writing #writing resources #writing references

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misscrawfords · 1 year

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Should I do a PhD on intertextuality between Jane Austen and her contemporary novelists???

#yes asking tumblr for advice is always good #i'm thinking about giving another talk to the Jane Austen Society on Cecilia and its influences on Pride and Prejudice #and I am more excited about it than I am about literally anything in my current job #I have adored Jane Austen and her contemporaries since I was 10 years old #I know a lot (within reason - I'm not an academic) about them #I'm very good at writing #and giving talks

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wordlywriter · 2 years

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Me: hah this 19th century novel can’t make me cry

Jane Austen: She was convinced that she could have been happy with him, when it was no longer likely they should meet.

Me: *has breakdown* SHE WAS CONVINCED that she could have been HAPPY WITH HIM when it was NO LONGER LIKELY THEY SHOULD MEET 😭😭

#writers #writerslife #writing community #writersociety #writing memes #writing problems #writing #writing advice #reading #booklover #jane austen

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jane-alma · 7 months

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Advice for planning your story

Plotting out a story is an essential step in bringing your ideas to life and creating a compelling narrative. Here are some valuable tips that I personally find helpful to effectively plot out new story ideas <3

1. Start with the basics: Begin by identifying the key elements of your story – the main characters, setting, and central conflict. Understand who your characters are, what they want, and what obstacles they will face. This foundation will serve as a solid starting point for your plot.

2. Outline the major plot points: Once you have a clear understanding of your story's foundation, outline the major plot points. These are the significant events or turning points that drive the story forward. Consider the introduction, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. This structure will give your story a sense of direction and progression.

3. Create a timeline: Develop a timeline or sequence of events that organizes the flow of your story. This helps you visualize the progression of events and ensures a logical and coherent narrative. Consider the cause-and-effect relationship between different plot points and how they impact your characters' journey.

4. Use storyboarding or visual aids: Visual aids, such as storyboards or visual diagrams, can be helpful for visual thinkers. Create a visual representation of your story's structure, mapping out the key scenes, character arcs, and plot developments. This can provide a clear overview and help you spot any gaps or inconsistencies.

5. Balance pacing and tension: As you plot out your story, consider the pacing and tension. Ensure that your story has a good balance of slower, introspective moments and high-stakes, action-packed sequences. Introduce obstacles and conflicts that keep readers engaged and eager to turn the pages.

6. Allow for flexibility: While it's important to have a solid plot outline, don't be afraid to deviate or adapt as you write. Sometimes, characters surprise you or new ideas emerge during the creative process. Stay open to these possibilities and be willing to adjust your plot if it serves the story better.

7. Revise and refine: Plotting is an iterative process. Once you have a draft of your plot, review it critically. Look for areas that may need more development, pacing adjustments, or additional conflict. Refine your plot to ensure it aligns with your overall story vision.

Remember, plotting is a guide, not a rigid framework. It's there to help you stay organized and focused, but don't be afraid to let your creativity flow and explore unexpected avenues. With practice and experimentation, you'll become more adept at plotting out your story ideas and creating narratives that captivate readers <3

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npcemi · 10 months

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I started my first draft of the next chapter of Elegance and Alleyways. I have such a love hate relationship with this writing style. Especially with the Dysgraphia, ADHD and dyslexia. I either mess up the order of the letters or skip words in a sentence entirely. For me at least it’s a lot more labor than my other fics but the end results are so worth it.

but I have never had 5 drafts for a fanfic before, obviously when writing like a novel or paper there have been more than five drafts, but usually for fanfic I only need one or two.

My process is as such,

1: Write the chapter in third person. Keeping the centric character’s voice in mind. start drafting general sentence structure.

2. Vocabulary pass, see if some words or phrases can be better and more in the proper style for Austen.

3. Text to speech, correct and fix any weird sounding things, missed words etc.

4. “rewrite”/edit to 3rd person point of veiw. I do it this way, because I found for me this gets that intimate almost gossipy vibe she has to her works. it allows me to keep a character focus, but still be omniscient. Check phrasing and do another vocabulary check.

5. Final Text to speech pass/es. Make sure all the POV words/ rewrites make sense. Listen to vocabulary, intonation, flow, and cadence.

This is my current process for writing this fic. If anyone has any advice on streamlining or how to make it easer or better when working with Jane Austen’s style that would much appreciated.

#fanfiction #fanfic #writing #writing advice #i need writing advice #the blacked out part is the outline and i didn't want to spoil #jane austen

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mssarahmorgan · 2 years

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Book 57 of 2022: Never Say You Can't Survive by Charlie Jane Anders

This book is funny, generous, wise, warm-hearted, practical--everything you could ever want in a book of writing advice for people living through really tough, dispiriting times. And how much do you want precisely that, now that you know it exists? This book made me feel like writing. It gave me ideas. It made writing feel more possible and accessible. I am very grateful to Charlie Jane Anders for writing this and all her other fantastic, creative, funny, wild-spirited books.

What to read next: I thought of Douglas Adams more than once, reading this. There's a certain cheeky, can-you-believe-I-get-to-just-make-shit-up energy that reminds me a bit of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

#books #essays #writing advice #books i've read #read in 2022 #charlie jane anders

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shelbgrey · 9 months

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Hi, could I request more about "Being Carlisle and Esme's youngest daughter HCs:" and we have the Volturi wrap around our finger, please, thank you, and love it.

You put it, the Reader doesn't get along with Bella. I was hoping you could tell us more about that relationship. And I personally would love it if the Volturi knew that we're there since Carlisle and Esme got custody of us. They are "Cousins [ Demetri, Felix, Alec, Janeand Heidi,] Anutes and Uncles [ Uncle Aro, Caius and Marcus] to us". When Alice goes and saves Edward dumbass. We're there to save Edward, but we're also happy to see them. When Demetri and Felix came, we called them Cousin Dem and Fe while smiling. We hug Jane, holding hands with her. The Cullens knew about what we call them. We really don't care what happens with Bella, but we do care about our brother and sister. Personally, I got the feeling we don't really care if Bella lives or dies

Thank you so much 💓

P.S. feel free to message me if you need anything clarification on this

Being the daughter of carlisle and the Volturi loving you:

So I usually don't write for the Volturi so bear with me.

🩷MasterList 🩷twilight List

So you want to know more about Bella and y/n's relationship...

So, I want to compare how Edward thinks and how Bella thinks to show the two girls relationship.

I think when Bella is finally introduced to the family she's quite jelouse of Edward's relationship with you, there's no real incureties to it, she just doesn't want girls hanging around Edward.

Bella also thinks your plan and shy, there's off hand comments on how she's discribes you, Edward on the other hand discribes you as happy, humorous, and so beautiful.

You guys are always throwing harmful comments to each other and Bella usually takes it too far.

You also hate how she's treats her father. She always gets mad and says it's none of your business and you have no idea what you were talking about.

“my parents chose me, yours just got stuck with you”

Carlisle and Esme would put a stop to it, there's been many times Carlisle and Charlie have had talks about Bella's bullying.

Of course you're parents know your not a saint in theses situation, but Bella is usually the one to start it.

“if someone pushes you, you push back” Emmett always says, which is why your never scared to decened yourself.

And since your the youngest, your basically the center of the Cullens universe, but then Bella comes along and puts your family in danger, that's your problem.

You also have a problem with Edward putting everything aside no matter what for her, your happy he finally has a girlfriend but there should be boundaries.

You especially started hating her when Edward decided to go to the Vulturi after Bella's supposed death.

You knew about the Vulturi and you became friends with them in fact, your uncle Marcus(yes, you heard me right) says your the glue that holds you all together.

After Aro found out about a human joining Cullen Coven, he showed up to see if it was true, Aro didn't really have a plan for what he was gonna do, but when he met you he saw no harm. He was in aw at the sight of the small child.

The deal was that you could stay human with the family as long as you wanted, you just had to keep the secret of the Vampires.

Honestly you see Aro as the creepy uncle, you'd never say that to his face and he'll never found out because he refuses to read your mind.

“but, Dad he creeps me out! None of the others do”

Dispite you thinking he's creepy, he'd never hurt you.

At first Cauis wanted nothing to do with you and didn't agree with Aro's decision, but the more the family interacted with the Vulturi the more he grew a soft spot for you.

Marcus is more of a grandpa than an uncle if were being honest, he's a lot older than the others and he's always been so gentle and kind towrds you.

He gives you advice and is there if you need to talk.

I don't know much about Heidi, but I figure she'd absolutely love you and is always spoiling you.

Demetri is like a big brother/cousin and you kinda have a love/hate relationship. You guys tease each other and sometimes it'll get mean, but trust me he'd kill anyone who harms you.

Your probably closest to Jane and Alec, they're both closer to your age and you three just hit it off immediately. You hate hearing about they're tragic back stories but they always tell you it's not your fault and you make they're lives better.

Then Edward left for Italy to go and execute himself 🙄

You were so made at Bella for putting Edward in this headspace and situation, especially after you found out she's was perfectly fine.

But, anyway Alice was getting ready to take Bella to Italy and you wanted to Tag along. Not because you were there to support Bella, but because you wanted to see the extented family.

Ya know... Going to Italy to beat Felix and Demetir at Mario cart again...

What you didn't want to do is see Bella getting all dramatic and telling your Uncle Aro to kill her instead of Edward.

You rolled your eyes and came up to hug Jane as she threatened to use her gift on her, she was only using like 5% of it on Edward just for ✨dramatic effect✨ . “alright Jay, they've learned their lessons”

Jane chuckled and stopped using her powers on Edward, wasn't too painful for him.

“Aw, I was having fun” Felix sighed as you ran up to him and hugged him.

Cauis rolled his eyes trying to hide his smile as Bella looked completely confused. “What just happened?”

“nothing... Just you being dramatic for no reason, they're on our side bone head, You think they'd actually hurt Eddie?”

You left Felix's arms and walked around the Castle. “by the way, where's Dem?”

He appeared and hugged you while Bella looked even more confused and kept asking unanswered questions. “aw, she's still alive”

You laughed and quickly shhed him.

“what? You think just because they're old school and basically vampire royalty they're evil? you asked Bella, you were kinda pissed off she thought so low of them.

“yeah we never said we were gonna kill him and Alice never said that either” Aro said, clapping his heads together.

You then clicked your tough, with a sarcastic smile. “well, we send little miss. Main character home and me and Alice can stay here for the weekend, dad said we could.”

Jane hugged you excited for some girl time while Felix ran around the Castle making sure you had a comfy room to sleep in.

“do what ever you want Dem, killer or set her free, send her to the moon, have her for dinner, I don't really care”

Uncle Cauis laughed as bella started stuttering as Felix and Alec came back with arms full of dvds.

“wait, what?” Edward sighed. “they're kidding”

“we could watch a bunch of TV shows, we got Bones, and supernatural” Felix smiled.

“no Supernatural, they got the vampires all wrong” Alec said.

The two boys and you and Jane both just walked off talking about what you should watch without even a goodbye for Edward and Bella. “What about Moon Knight, dad finally got an account for Disney+. It's a really good marvel show”

“ooh, I heard Oscar Isaac is in it, he's so hot” Jane said, Felix and Alec groaned as you girls started thirsting over male actors.

“they're just gonna be horny for 40-something year old men the whole time” Alec sighed, heide slapped him and told him to be nice.

Bella scoffed and left with Edward after Alice smiled and ran after her sister and Jane.

“Lators Gators” you shouted to Edward.

#Volturi #Volturi x reader #Cullen family x reader #Aro x reader #Marcus x reader #Jane and alec #Jane x reader #Alec x reader #Demetri x reader #Felix x reader #Alice cullen x reader #Edward cullen x reader #Bella swan x reader #Volturi headcanons #Cullen Headcanons #twilight headcanons

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badgerbl00d · 1 year

Text

one piece boys confessing their feelings

☆ characters: zoro, mihawk

☆ up next: what are we? (law x reader)

☆ a/n: my two favorite swordsmen.. i didn't realize how much i missed writing for zoro so definitely expect more marimo content in upcoming posts. enjoy lovelies!

zoro

“Let’s go fishing, Usopp,” Luffy laughed, “Oi! Zoro! Wanna fish with us? I heard there’s Sea Kings in these waters!”

Zoro waved a hand in Luffy’s direction to dissent, though he wasn’t really paying attention to anything happening around him.

A third bottle of beer found its way into the hands of the scarred swordsman, and was happily chugged within seconds.

His head was buzzing, though not from alcohol.

He was nervous.

He wiped his sweaty palms against his shirt for the umpteenth time that night, trying to work up a sense of courage.

To his satisfaction, no one else had seemed to notice his behavior,

You were flipping through a magazine with Nami, suntanning in the tiniest bikini he’d ever seen.

He couldn’t think straight when you were around and he really needed to- now more than ever.

For weeks now he’d been trying to think of how to admit his feelings to you- a harder feat for him than most.

To completely let down every wall he’d spent years and years building up for even just a moment or two of vulnerability.

He’d come close to telling you several times already, and he was pretty sure he might have let something slip before when he was drunk, leading to more than one awkward morning after. He’d avoid you, beat himself up over it, get drunk again that night to forget anything ever happened, and repeat the night before.

It was a disaster.

“You know,” Sanji had said one particularly awkward morning after- more to himself than Zoro, “You’d have a better shot if you didn’t ignore her completely the morning after a horrendously drunk and half-assed confession.”

Zoro had ignored him and stormed out to cut something in half but his advice- if you could call it that- stuck with him.

So here he was now, looking for a quiet place so he could rehearse what he was going to say.

What did he want to say? He paced back and forth, muttering lines he’d written down from movies or famous love quotes.

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more,” he’d tried, turning towards a mirror to see how he looked.

Absolutely not. You’d definitely read that book.

“You have bewitched me body and soul- No. No way, I’m not saying that.”

He crushed the piece of paper in his fist and opted to take a nap and have a drink, failproof support systems that had yet to fail him.

“I don’t know, Nami,” you said, “I mean he’s been drunk every single time and it’s starting to really piss me off.

It’s like… every time I’m stupid enough to believe it! Even though I know he’s drunk he gets so sincere for a moment or two and says stuff like ‘You're really beautiful you know that?’ or ‘I feel… a connection with you’. And I’m dumb enough to believe it every damn time.”

“And then he ignores you the next day and pretends nothing happened.”

“Yeah. It’s so weird though, ‘cause I swear- it’s like he gets possessed by rationality and calm in the midst of being a drunken idiot and he says these things with such intent! It’s jarring. I mean he goes from a moron to a Jane Austen romantic hero. What the hell is that?”

“I mean, no offense,” Nami started, your stomach churned with dread before she could even continue, “But maybe he’s just.. you know, trying to hook up. Drop some half assed compliments and hope that’s enough to get him laid.”

An uncomfortable feeling of sadness swallowed you whole. You sighed, taking a sip of your drink.

“I know. I don’t think he’s lying about the attraction, but it would save me a lot of grief if he was just straightforward. That way I could just hook up with him and get it over with.”

Nami laughed, “Gross! You know he showers like once a week right?”

“I can fix him,” you said, laughing with her.

The boys had caught a mountain of fish and sea creatures, so Sanji had promised you all a feast.

Brook had started playing before the sun had set and Robin and Franky were dancing.

You played some beer pong with Luffy and Usopp, while Nami helped Sanji in the kitchen.

You loved nights like these, but as much as you wanted to enjoy yourself you knew that with parties and fun came booze.

And with booze came a certain drunken swordsman promising you sweet nothings.

You tried to focus on the game but were getting badly beat.

You walked into the kitchen to sit with Nami who was sipping on a piña colada, special treatment from Sanji, of course.

“Make me one too Sanji-kun! Please,” you asked.

He gladly obliged.

The three of you talked and laughed while Sanji cooked, enjoying the music and sight of the younger boys playing with Chopper.

The kitchen door swung open and in walked Zoro, who had been very clearly napping. His hair was matted in some places and his eyes still carried the sag of someone who’d been involuntarily woken up from a nap.

“Smelled food,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

You finished your drink and got up out of your seat.

“Leaving, Y/n?” Sanji asked.

Zoro turned to look at you, like he was about to say something.

“Uh, yeah, I’m gonna go read for a bit. Thank you for the food!”

Nami shot you a sympathetic look and waved bye to you.

Zoro sighed, not totally oblivious to the timing of his entrance and your departure.

Sanji and Nami glared at him.

He rolled his eyes at them, “I’ll fix it.”

And he walked out to join Luffy.

Amidst the general excitement that had spread itself throughout the crew over the course of the night was Zoro who was making his way toward the crow’s nest, in hopes of finding you.

You were tucked into a corner of the room, reading a book.

Your knees were up on the sofa and you seemed to be nearly asleep.

He felt somewhat guilty interrupting you.

But it was now or never.

He walked in, not saying anything.

You sat up, closing your book.

Your stomach was in a knot.

The swordsman sat next to you, close enough that his knee touched yours.

He was sitting up straighter than usual, and seemed restless, fidgeting with his hands until he finally set his left hand on top of your right one that was resting beside you.

Your eyes widened, you were surprised by this, but didn’t say anything.

“Y/n, can I tell you something? I’ve been meaning to for a while but I- Well, I’ve never done anything like this before so I fucked it up. More than once. So I’m going to fix it right now.”

You nodded hesitantly, caught somewhat off-guard by his unusual behavior.

“I love you.”

Your heart stopped.

Everything around you momentarily stopped as your brain tried to catch up to speed with everything that had just happened.

In an instant you were suddenly hyper-aware of everything- the strong pulse of your heartbeat, the sweat that had gathered on your palms, how you felt suspended in both motion and time as he sat waiting for some kind of response.

But you knew Zoro, and recognized that rosy glow on his cheeks. You knew that when he approached you after midnight with unusual confidence and gusto, on a night when you’d all been celebrating.

How he always sat next to you, closer and closer every time, this time placing his hand on top of yours.

You broke eye contact to look down at your hands.

“I love you, too,” you chose to interpret it as a friendly drunken slip-up, “Make sure you tell everyone else that you love them too, or they’ll get jealous.”

You turned back to your book, trying to ignore the ache in your chest, covering it up with an unconvincing smile.

“No.”

You turned, confused, “N-no?”

“I meant it.”

You didn’t say anything, just stared at him.

“I love you.”

The air around the two of you was completely stagnant, full of tension.

He’d done this before; gotten drunk, been suddenly affectionate and touchy, and then acted completely normal the next day, even ignoring you when you tried to talk to him about it.

You weren’t going to let it happen again.

Scoffing, you brushed him off, moving your hand out from under his.

“You’re drunk,” you said, trying to ignore the disappointment that had started to spread throughout your body, “Why don’t you get some water? Or bread? But don’t do this to me again.”

You got up and placed your book down, ready to make your way to your room and try and forget anything had happened, like he would.

A hand grabbed your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.

Zoro stood up behind you and turned you around to face him.

“I’m not drunk,” he started, “Last thing I’d want to do is ruin this with some kind of idiotic drunken rant. I-I want to remember this- I want you to remember this!

Everything about this- how damn cold it is up here, what you’re wearing, what I say to you, how it ends, everything.”

His hands were squeezing your shoulders, and his stare was full of an intensity you couldn’t have reciprocated if you tried.

You’d seen him before in battle- swords drawn, back hunched, and eyes settled onto his victim like a hungry animal.

But this was different, it was vulnerable. He was being weak in front of you.

He took a deep breath.

You had never felt so focused in your life, your eyes were intently set on his and your brows furrowed in concentration as you took in everything about this moment.

“I love you! I love you and- and I don’t mean it the way we say it to each other in battle, or as crewmates.

I hate that! I hate calling you my crewmate, my friend, my companion.

You are!

You are, but I hate that that’s all I can call you.

So I came to you to tell you that I love you.

Entirely.”

He brought his hands down to interlace them with yours.

“I love you,” he said again, this time bending down slightly to level his eyesight with yours.

He looked at you with concern, lips slightly parted.

Your breath was shaky and you had unconsciously grabbed onto his forearms to stabilize yourself while you tried to process what was happening.

You stayed silent, your confusion as evident as his desperation.

Another few moments passed with no words exchanged, it felt like the whole world was holding its breath- waiting for you to say anything.

You took a deep breath and swallowed, your mind racing through the millions of different things you wanted to say.

How dare you? Are you serious? I love you too! I never want to talk to you again. I love you too! What happens now?

Zoro’s grip on your shoulders softened and his shoulders sunk. A look of disappointment settled itself onto his stoic features and he let go of you, in a kind of heartbroken acceptance.

He nodded, more to himself than you.

“Goodnight,” he said, walking back out.

“Zoro- Zoro, wait! Wait, please.”

He stopped and turned around- Were those tears in his eyes?

“I love you, too,” you said, in a much calmer tone than expected, “I have since I set foot on this ship, since I first saw you. I love you.”

His eyes widened and he picked you up in his arms, wrapping them around your waist as you sunk into his chest hugging him back with all the force you could muster.

He spun you around, pressing kisses to the top of your head.

You cried into his chest, and felt a tear or two fall onto your forehead when you looked up at him as he finally set you down.

“I thought that- I thought I’d fucked everything up and that-”

Zoro was rambling, his hands holding onto you again, with a grip that reassured you he didn’t want to let go.

You interrupted him by crashing your lips into his, sending him reeling backwards.

He landed on the floor, one arm breaking the fall and the other wrapped around you.

You straddled him and deepened the kiss bringing your hands to rest on his chest as he pulled you closer into his body.

The two of you kissed and kissed, pulling away only when you were desperate for breath, before resuming again.

When you were finally tired enough, you simply sat smiling like idiots at each other.

“I should’ve been honest with you months ago,” Zoro said, bringing a hand up to your face, his thumb gently brushing over your cheek.

You grabbed his forearm, leaning your cheek into his hold.

A smile spread out over your face.

“It’s okay, I knew.”

mihawk

He’d been dreading it for weeks- months, even.

Never in his life did he think that he’d find himself in a position of having to stay on Red Hair’s ship, but here he was. Sat at a table on the deck, an overflowing pint of beer in his hand, and Red Haired pirates laughing and swearing and drinking on all sides of him. And then out of nowhere, there was you.

They told him you’d been part of the crew for 5 months now, a rookie pirate in need of a ship and some stability and had found your way onto the Red Force after winning several games of poker against Shanks.

He’d had an eye on you from the moment you walked out onto the deck, in a pair of deliciously short shorts and a tank top that hugged your curves in the most alluring way he’d ever seen.

You poured yourself a pint and played a game of blackjack with members of the crew whose name’s he didn’t know, or care to know.

He sat with Shanks and the other officers in the crew.

“She’s somethin’, isn’t she?” Shanks asked, laughing as he took note of his friend’s interest in you, much to his evident annoyance.

“I suppose I just didn’t think a woman like that would be on a crew like yours, Red Hair.”

“Neither did we,” Benn chimed in, earning a playful nudge from his captain.

A sudden eruption of noise diverted their attention towards the betting table you were sitting at.

You were smiling, graciously accepting your winnings from your crewmates who were alleging cheating.

“There’s only four jacks in a deck!”

“I saw her hand moving!”

“She was card counting!”

Yasopp laughed and called you over, “Before they start swinging!”

You approached their table, weaving your way toward them through your drunk and rowdy crewmates, before taking a seat next to Mihawk, who was clearly uneasy with your presence.

What was he supposed to do? He felt a strange desire to make a good impression on you, and realized part of him was hoping to form a friendship. His stomach churned at the unusual feeling.

“Didn’t think I’d ever meet a legend like yourself,” you’d said to him, as you extended your hand, “Y/n, pleasure to meet you.

You’re a lot less scary in person! And a lot more handsome.”

You smelled like cherries and whiskey, sweet and addicting.

He took your hand, despite his embarrassment at your compliments and against his better judgment followed up with, “Likewise.”

Shanks whistled, and put his arm around the swordsman’s shoulders, “Never seen you flirt before!”

The table laughed and you asked Benn for a cigarette, bending over to let him light it for you.

“Calm down, Shanks,” you said as you puffed a small cloud of smoke, “No one’s flirting.”

He felt his chest tighten slightly, had you not been flirting? He wasn’t experienced but he figured that you had at least professed some kind of interest.

You turned to look at him and winked.

His chest tightened again.

Lucky had started another card game, and you played as you talked. Mihawk asked about your life before piracy- a story for another time, you’d told him. He talked about details of his life that were unknown even to Shanks- small things like his garden at home, his favorite things to cook, and even certain details of his warlord duties. It was unlike him to share anything with anyone, but the way you stared up at him batting your big doe eyes with a cigarette hanging lazily from your plump glossy lips… he found himself unable to resist the urge to keep you interested in his presence.

The noise of the ship eventually faded into the background, the talking and laughing melting into their own conversations.

Hours passed and eventually music started playing, some other new crew members that had brought their instruments on board with them.

“We finally have some good musicians, don’t we Y/n?” Shanks asked.

“Mhmm,” you replied, looking through your cards barely paying him any attention. You tapped your feet rhythmically against the floor, humming along to the quick paced flamenco melody that was playing.

“Do you dance, swordsman?” you asked, turning to look at Mihawk.

You heard Shanks groan in the background.

“Occasionally.”

You set your cards down, face up, revealing a winning hand. The rest of the table threw their cards down in frustration.

“Will you do me the honors?”

A rare smile settled onto his face. He offered his hand to help you up out of your chair, and you guided him to a more open area on the deck. He placed a hand on your waist, and you took a guilty pleasure in how unyielding his grip was against you. You could feel the pads of each of his fingers holding onto your soft skin, and trailed your hand up to his face, lightly tracing a finger down the side of his neck before resting your hand on his shoulder.

People whistled and clapped.

“Keep up,” you said.

“I’ll try.”

He appreciated your warning, you were like a different person when dancing. The cool, calculated demeanor you adopted when playing cards with your poker face perfected and your breathing steady and even, was completely washed over by a fiery intent to move.

He did struggle to keep up at first, you slipped through his hold like water, your feet moving and landing between and around him like a downpour of rain.

He managed to match your tempo- catch the tail end of your movements and proved a worthy partner, but he didn’t come close to matching your mastery of the art.

By the time the song was finished beads of sweat dripped down his neck, and his heart was pounding loud enough that he could barely hear the cheering coming from the other pirates.

He wanted to give you the credit of wearing someone of his caliber out, he could take on a hundred men and barely increase his heart rate.

This was different though- the beating in his chest, the excitement in his belly, the way his eyes clung to your figure as though attached with string. He couldn’t get enough of you, he inhaled smelling your perfume again.

Another smile settled onto his face, one of satisfaction.

Three week had passed and Mihawk was grabbing the last of his things- a photo of the two of you you’d forced him to take. It was of you pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Shanks lightly knocked on his door.

“Sure you don’t want to stay another week?” he asked, awkwardly standing by the door.

“That’s what you came to ask?”

Shanks rubbed the back of his neck, “No, it’s actually about Y/n.”

This caught his attention.

“What about her?”

“Well,” Shanks walked over to sit on the bed, “I think you should talk to her before you leave, tell her how ya feel.”

“How I… feel? And how exactly do you think I feel?”

“C’mon man, it’s obvious- No offense. The way you two look at each other? You danced with her. In front of people.”

The swordsman scoffed, but didn’t disagree and chose to maintain his silence as he packed the rest of his clothes.

“She likes ya, Hawk-eye. I think you knew that though.

Don’t say anything if you’re gonna hurt her.”

He got up and gave him a friendly pat on the back before heading back out, “We’re headed to a bar right now, so you’ll have the ship to yourself. Take care of her!”

It was unclear whether he was talking about the ship or you.

Mihawk sighed, he adjusted the collar of his loosely fitting white shirt, and set out to find you.

You were in one of the common areas, one of the musicians was showing you how to play the guitar. Plucking at a few strings here and there, you laughed and sang, trying to play a song with your clearly limited ability.

Mihawk stood and watched you for a moment, before clearing his throat.

You turned, smiling when you saw him.

“What do you think? Good enough to dance to?”

He let out a light laugh, “Maybe in ten years.”

You smiled, plucking a few more strings before asking, “What brings you here? Shouldn’t you be packing?”

“I was hoping to speak with you for a moment,” he paused when you stayed put, “Alone.”

Your eyes widened, “Oh! Of course!”

You handed the guitar back to its owner, ignoring the whistles that followed you out of the room.

You took Mihawk’s arm and walked toward the deck, your stomach turning.

You stopped at the railing, leaning over it, trying to take deep breaths of the salty air to calm yourself.

What on Earth could he have to talk to you about? Shanks had promised not to say anything… Could he possibly-

“I’m… very appreciative of your company these past few weeks.

You’re a very intelligent, talented, beautiful woman, and I cannot think of a better companion with whom to have spent my time,” he started, interrupting your train of thought.

You softly smiled, a light breeze dancing around you both.

You said nothing and only looked up at him, unsure of how to pick up from where he left off.

Luckily, he continued, “You… You are a good friend. Of mine, I mean. And I hope that my departure from this ship won’t change our proximity.”

Friend. A dull, warm pain ebbed in your chest.

It wasn’t sharp like a direct rejection would have been, it felt more like a heavy rock had been gently placed right on your heart.

You nodded, looking out toward the ocean when you felt some tears well up in your lash line.

Blinking them away you turned back toward him suddenly emboldened by the memory of how he held you that night when you danced.

“I hope this isn’t too forward, but can I ask if you hold me in any higher regard than that of a friend?”

He was silent. Color rushed to his cheeks and he stared down at you. His eyes were undersold in legend. To say they were hypnotizing was a disservice. They were compelling- when you made eye contact with him your entire being longed to be with him.

“I do.”

You exhaled, tension lifting itself from your shoulders.

“I like you, swordsman,” you gently wrapped your hands around his, bringing his hand up to your chest, placing it against the left side, “I’ll miss dancing with you. Please visit. Please don’t forget me.”

In a sudden motion, Mihawk wrapped you into his chest, his strong arms wrapping around your shoulders as he pressed you into him.

You wiggled your arms free and quickly reciprocated the hug.

You breathed in a long, long inhale, and as you exhaled sunk even further into him.

“I’ll visit,” he promised, “I’ll write. I’ll call- I’ll think of you always. You’re quite unforgettable, you know?”

You laughed and looked up to him as his hold on you softened.

You inched yourself up onto the tips of your toes, hovering your lips just slightly over his.

A smile creeped onto his face, and his hands dispersed across your body, one grabbing onto your ass- something he’d longed to do since the first moment he saw you. The other hand wrapped around your waist to provide you support.

You brought your hands to the collar of his shirt, gently tugging him toward you.

His lips closed around yours, and you deepened the kiss- pulling him closer into you, your tongues swiping at each other as you closed your eyes and indulged.

You inhaled each other- the taste of wine and mint flooding your mouth, the smell of his cologne overwhelming your senses.

The strong grip he had on your ass was so deliciously indulgent.

You let out a soft moan into his mouth before you pulled away from one another.

He tucked some stray hair behind your ears, and you gently wiped some of your gloss from his bottom lip.

“I’ve been waiting for that for weeks now.”

He picked you up, making his way toward your room, peppering your face and neck with kisses and you laughed and kissed him back.

“Let me make it up to you, hermosa.”

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