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#tangled tuesday
sunlightdrop · 4 months
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    a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens.
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qqhoneydew · 2 months
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we're so back
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she-anemone · 3 months
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Princesses Dangle and Whispalina
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bonefall · 2 months
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For Flowerstem vs Maplewhisker, maybe they're both present and one is like… an aide to whichever is the deputy? Not officially, but in the midst of All That they just happen to be helping/supporting the other, and are a clear choice of new deputy once the dust settles.
They're not necessarily friends at the start, either acquaintances that grow closer through a shared sense of "someone has to keep things working", or maybe even rivals of a sort- they don't get along great initially, but they respect each other, and it turns out they're willing to back each other up when it matters (+ the value of having a second-in-command who's willing to disagree with you)
idk i'm just spitballing here tbh
I layed around and daydreamed about it for a bit, and I think this is a great idea. I have even more thoughts to share as fragments;
To start with, I'm thinking Flowerstem is going to be the Winner of the Conflict, and Maplewhisker is going to become her friend and future deputy. Mothpelt is going to be the oldest heir*, who dies of poisoning along with a few of his children.
And to reiterate, Jumpfoot is the descendant of Riverstar's firstborn child, and Mossfire is his adopted heir.
Renames to get the names more in-line with where they were at this period in history;
BB!Flowerstem -> Flowers Came First. Nickname: Flow. A River Kingdom title. Comes from a translation quirk. "Stem," prryem, is the place where plants erupt from the ground in modern Clanmew. Over many generations, influenced by the story of Redscar's sign, "Came" and "First" merge into a single word, Prryem. Eventual winner of the conflict.
BB!Maplewhisker -> Maple Whisker A Mountain Cat name. Actually a reference to the odd saplings that were planted in SkyClan's territory (and is now ThunderClan's). Maple might be a migrant from SkyClan or a second-generation descendant of them, so a more accurate translation would be Sycamore Whisker, but the translator chooses to abide by the precedent set by Mapleshade. Flow's future deputy. (I don't currently have a Mountain family with the Whisker last name, I might end up making it something that came from a Mountain x Forest/Park blended family, as a Mountain cat wanted to name half of the kits for their mate as is tradition.)
BB!Mothpelt* -> Dead Moths Pelt. Nickname: Moth (though I'm easily tempted by funny into making it Moe.) Another River Kingdom title, for the irony factor. It's actually a reference to how he rescued a ton of pelts from a moth infestation, by recognizing they were laying eggs and stopping them before they hatched. Hard to translate into just three words, because in Parkmew it was "Killed (the) moths (to save the) pelts." * = Watch this space. Might change in a future draft.
BB!Jumpfoot -> Jumping Foot Nickname: Jump Actually from WindCo. I haven't worked out the meaning behind this title yet. I'm going to make it so Duststar is supporting this cat for leadership; they might even be slightly related. Cousins, perhaps.
BB!Mossfire -> Mossfire Alight Only given recently, when Moss set her own fire for the very first time. Barely out of apprenticeship, but very popular. Riverstar's adopted child.
(I also need to pick the ThunderClan "Diplomat" character.)
More fragments and assorted thoughts;
(Three parts: Opening, Middle Stuff, and Redscar's Choice)
Opening and political setup:
BB!Flowerstem, Flow, is kind of like an older sibling/nanny of Moss. She was an apprentice of King Riverstar, and unofficially trusted to watch over Moss, who is considerably younger than she is. She wasn't formally adopted by King Riverstar but he always felt like a father to her.
BB!Jumpfoot, Jump, is from WindCo. Riverstar's firstborn was not legitimate, who lived a long and happy life as a traveler going between the various groups.
Riverstar is actually Jump's great-great-grandfather, but Jump is an accomplished, confident warrior who's just young enough to have a long rule, but experienced enough to make Mossfire look like a child in comparison.
And, importantly, Duststar wants Jump in power.
When Riverstar is on his deathbed, Flow, Moth, and Moss are there. Jump actually blows in later, and the Unnamed ThunderClan Diplomat.
The Diplomat is going to be one who does the poisoning later. Jump is REALLY easy to pin the blame on, because he's aggressive and kind of arrogant.
Through the story, Flow is trying to protect both Moss AND keep the River Kingdom functioning. Without even realizing it, people keep coming to her for advice.
Maple Whisker is her really good ally through all this. I'm not sure how they're going to begin, they COULD be rivals, but the important thing is that Maple and Flow naturally end up supporting each other.
While Flow is trying to keep Moss safe and fend off the other Heirs who are showing up looking to make claims to power, Maple is handling a lot of the logistical things.
Flow is an excellent "face." Her judgement is generally influential.
She's kind and compassionate, and it means that she's able to smooth out conflict in a way that King Riverstar used to be able to.
And there are a LOT of fights to break up.
Jump is a complete troublemaker already trying to assert his claim, and he's got cats to back him up.
Moss, who is really trying to be fair here, often gets pulled into fights.
FLOW'S biggest "flaw" is that she's honest. At some point she even admits, "Moss is really not ready for leadership. She needs more time before she has this responsibility."
unfortunately, opportunists and blood-loyalists who don't believe "adopted" can count as legitimate jump on that. Mossfire resents this, even though Flow is right, and she IS in waaay over her head.
But, thankfully, there's still an option.
The Eldest (currently living) direct child of Riverstar, Dead Moth Pelt, Moth, is the obvious alternative. He's older, speaks highly of his father, has connections to the River Kingdom.
And, importantly, he's got kittens of his own. Easy choice! They'll continue the dynasty and we won't have to worry about this again.
They're Just Like The Wind Runner
(jump and duststar disliked this)
.....hmmmmm. You know what would be cool?
The ThunderClan Diplomat being one of these kids.
Maybe in a future draft the Diplomat will be Mothpelt, and the ELDEST will be Beechstar. Maybe their name can be Beech Shore.
Add some more messy dynamics here, have it that Mothpelt "wants to avenge!" the father he actually killed.
But ANYWAY. This draft first.
Moth is a showman and a people-pleaser. He decides he wants to have a party to honor his father's life,
At this celebration, Moth's direct family all eats from the same, very special pot.
Everyone in this family is poisoned. None of them are able to make the trip to the Moonstone, and one-by-one, Moth and his kits succumb to it.
(except, of course, the diplomat, if he ends up being a descendant of The Eldest.)
The Diplomat, whoever they are, makes the obvious accusation;
Jumping Foot did this.
MIDDLE STUFF
All this while, I think Flow should be realizing there's something wrong with the Diplomat. But there's ALSO a lot wrong with Jumping Foot
As Jumping Foot becomes unpopular, his supporters are rallying around him and the accusations are starting to get thrown around
Re: It's VERY useful that Flow remains the only POV here, realizing that the fighting and the fracturing factions are starting to affect the function of the River Kingdom
Maple Whisker is by her side, constantly running to come fetch her to break up fights and arguments
Dens aren't getting maintained, cats are going hungry as there's no one really "in charge" of making meals for everyone
I want to make sure it's clear that it's not an "ABANDON OLD PEOPLE" situation. It's Flow laying it out directly;
"Everyone who isn't part of a large family is suffering. You HAVE to pick a side in order to have access to good food and shelter... and Jumping Foot is backed up by the Wind Coalition!"
In this shuffle, she's having a hard time protecting Moss, who's getting sick and tired of her Kingdom being yanked around.
She's growing up quick, having to work with Flow to take care of the cats in the Kingdom, but it's also making her more aggressive. Less patient.
Through The Diplomat, ThunderClan also begins to stick their nose in, which The Diplomat frames as "aid, they are our allies after all. Ties to them run deep, unlike those of the Wind Coalition."
Flow starts to realize that between these two huge coalitions, backed by outside forces, the River Kingdom will get absorbed.
In the shuffle, Flow and Mossfire Alight are starting to break apart. They used to be close, but the stress is making Moss aggressive and short-fused.
She NEVER used to start fights like this, but now Flow is finding herself trying to stop her previously so openminded charge from escalating conflicts.
It's a complete lost cause. There's no way Mossfire is going to be able to come out on top between two very powerful choices, backed up by other Clans
Most River Kingdom cats DO actually believe that it would have been King Riverstar's will for his adopted heir to take over. They disagree on if that's the right choice, or if an adopted one can be legitimate at all, or, WORST of all, if they even CAN support her when a lot of their food and supplies are coming from ThunderClan and WindCo
This comes to a boil when SkyClan charges in for a surprise attack, seeking to claim the territory before it's fully absorbed by the other two.
Because the River Kingdom's camp was on the Sunningrocks, an island in the middle of the river, this battle is CHAOTIC and DEADLY
The island was almost too small to hold all of the reinforcements and MORE AND MORE kept coming, packing in like sardines
The fighting was spilling over onto the banks, over the log bridge, a fight almost as dense and even more SUDDEN than The First Battle
Noncombatants were getting swept up into the fighting, no one knowing who they were supposed to be fighting against, some cats just jumping on those they didn't like, cats who couldn't swim were getting launched into the water
Flow and Maple Whisker can't SAVE all of them
And in the brawl, Mossfire leapt on the cat who she felt had been making her life hell, who KILLED Moth and his children, who needed to DIE
Jumping Foot was happy to return the sentiment, ready to eliminate this bloodless brat once and for all
As they tussled and tumbled, they crashed into the waves, biting and scratching, not realizing that their crowns had become tangled.
Mossfire tries to break the water for a breath, but Flow only sees her back breach the surface before getting dragged under
She leaps back in to try and save her, trying to pull her up, but Jumping Foot is a WindCo cat who doesn't know how to avoid drowning. He grabs at Mossfire in a panic, joined at the crown, and Flow can't pull them both up
The last time Flow sees Mossfire is in that terrified, tangled image, sinking down to the depths, seemingly locked in eternal combat down to the bottom of the river.
Redscar's Choice
When we cut back to Flowers Come First and Maple Whisker, Flow is absolutely haunted.
It seemed like the "obvious" choice was The Diplomat... but after that awful fight, an emergency gathering had to take place.
EVERY Clan lost warriors. ShadowClan was demanding to know why-- as they were the only one not officially involved in the fight, and even THEY are missing warriors.
WindCo has the most losses, and Duststar is VERY quiet. Jumping Foot's death shook him. There wasn't even a body to bury, and he hasn't gotten word on if Jump's gone to StarClan or not.
He's quiet because the guilt is eating him from the inside out. He's doing some sort of prayer behavior, quietly, as if he doesn't even seem to realize he's doing it.
(probably keeping his whiskers tilted upwards at the stars, twitching whenever the breeze hits them.)
ThunderClan's leader seems more frustrated than anything. Flow interprets this negatively, like they just want to get on with it and claim River Kingdom as their own.
(in truth, it's more likely this leader is annoyed with The Diplomat's meddling, the Kingdom isn't a prize they really want, they just honored an alliance and lost a ton of warriors for the trouble. But what matters is what Flow feels about them.)
SkyClan got absolutely humiliated. They were the catalyst for the battle but were quickly overwhelmed, and the current leader just took a MASSIVE reputation hit. It's not the Era of Skystar any longer.
(someone makes a xenophobic comment about "Jump back up into your trees, gray squirrels")
Maple Whisker, in a quick-thinking effort to avoid The Diplomat being officiated, calls upon a neutral party. Redscar of ShadowClan.
If mortals cannot figure out the rightful heir, then surely, StarClan must.
Duststar jumps on this immediately.
Diplomat doesn't like it, but it doesn't matter, because the ThunderClan leader does. Speaks right over them.
Over a couple of days, Redscar "deliberates" by visiting River Kingdom to "spend time under their stars."
But what he's REALLY doing is checking out how the Kingdom runs. And he's really gentle with Flow, in particular, like he's very interested in her.
When she questions why, he lies, "You have spirits around you."
This gets her to open up about how close she was to so many of the cats that died, explain how hard she's worked to keep it all together. How much she misses Mossfire, how she feels she failed her.
And King Riverstar, and Moth, and his poor kits.
I feel like The Diplomat is probably constructing signs to try and appeal to Redscar, thinking he's looking for them, but Redscar is NOT looking for signs. He's actually ignoring them completely.
This is going to be remembered as "seeing through false omens" but in truth, he was not interested in what StarClan actually had to say here, if they even did say anything.
(King Riverstar, as a patron, is remembered as NOTORIOUSLY silent. He never says anything directly.)
What Redscar ultimately concludes is, "It seems you and Maple Whisker have ruled together this whole time, with your leadership and her stewardship, it was almost strong enough to keep the Kingdom together."
Flow makes a remark that it sure didn't turn out well, if that's the case.
"Through no fault of yours."
Shortly afterwards, he constructs the False Sign which selects her as a leader. Redscar also insists that, because she did not rule alone, Maple Whisker must become a "deputy," as they have in ShadowClan.
She agrees to this term, justifying it by saying that it is sort of like an advisor role, which she used to be... but it's not. It's quite different.
This law is eventually adopted as Commandment 3: The Law of the Deputy. That all Clans must have a Leader, and a Deputy. The Deputy must be appointed before Moonhigh, and to become a Deputy, you must have once been responsible for young lives.
(This is in honor of Flow's relationship to Mossfire. It will be tweaked over the generations to specifically mean a mentor/apprentice relationship, but the first draft of the law could also include being a Mi or Ba.)
Thus, the River Kingdom is no more. RiverClan is born, and in agreeing to the terms, WindCo becomes WindClan.
Something changes on this day, with so many cats dead and the group now being something very different. The era of charitability and open relations between Clans... is starting to seem like a bad idea.
The current of the river is the same, but somehow, the water is different.
Last plot thread left to wrap up is The Poisoning.
It's GOTTA be a dramatic reveal of some sort. The Diplomat makes one last grab at power. I think it would actually be a BIG power move if Flow came back with her lives, receiving the wisdom from Redscar that Diplomat was constructing false signs, putting two and two together...
A feast is thrown, she decides to eat in the same exact way Moth did, makes it very clear she's "repeating" the mistake because Jumping Foot is dead and that means that the assassin is not here to put down poisons. The Diplomat falls for it, hook, line, and sinker, tainting her food in between servings.
And when they do, Flow INSISTS that The Diplomat come, and have a bite with her.
She's got nine lives to spare now. She can give one up, just for the satisfaction of locking eyes with them as they both have a bite of the same poisoned food. The horror, the panic, in their expression is the most delicious thing Flow has ever tasted.
If seeing Mossfire's crown tangled with Jumping Foot's was like a stag who dies with antlers locked, then Flow dying next to The Diplomat, sticking around in StarClan to watch them damn them and send them to the Dark Forest, and then rise again to attend her Clan, this moment was like being a stag who outlives their foe and wears their skull as a second crown.
Long Live Flowerstar.
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varibean · 1 year
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ok varigo time, thinking about varian and hugo both being big gushy romantics but absolutely dropping the ball on important events in their lives
eugene comes down to ask them what they’re doing that night and varian tells him that they’re going to put hotdogs into test tubes bc they’re hot dog shaped and they’re going to cook them with different chemical fires and see which one tastes the best and eugene is just like “ok for starters, that’s disgusting. and following that it’s your wedding anniversary!” 
and varian is just “Oh shit, hugo, change of plans we’re going out to eat tonight for our wedding anniversary”
only for hugo to pop his head out from wherever he is just like “:,c but we were gonna do the hot dog thing :,c” 
but on the flip side rapunzel will walk in on varian making some big, extravagant meal and a huge, perfectly decorated cake for hugo and ask what the occasion is and varian just looks at her like “It’s tuesday <3~” 
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eryanlainfa · 10 months
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ArtFight Revenges and Attacks I did this week !
Characters credits :
Renee belongs to @disast3r4rtist
Thelmo's from @/lunhaku (on insta)
and Emily belongs to @/thooth._.editz (insta as well)
I love them all so much they're so cuuute!!!
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inkykeiji · 1 year
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Did you forget that Dabi is responsible for what happened with Ending?? Is Natsuo not allowed to call him out for this shitty behavior?
hahahahahaha i had been half-joking, anon, purely because dabi’s my favourite character and i feel fiercely protective of him. obviously he is an awful, terrible, homicidal, sociopathic criminal and natsuo’s anger at him for not only the atrocities he’s committed but also natsuo’s general anger over how the situation as a whole has turned out (aka his older brother chose to become a villain) is more than warranted.
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silhouettecrow · 11 months
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365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 146
Adjective: Occult
Noun: Tear
Definitions for those who need/want them:
Occult: of, involving, or relating to supernatural, mystical, or magical powers or phenomena; beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or experience, or mysterious; communicated only to the initiated, or esoteric; (medicine) (of a disease or process) not accompanied by readily discernible signs or symptoms; (of blood) abnormally present, e.g., in feces, but detectable only chemically or microscopically
Tear: a hole or split in something caused by it having been pulled apart forcefully; (informal) (US) a brief spell of erratic or unrestrained behavior, or a binge or spree; a spell of great success or excellence in performance; a drop of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in a person's eye when they cry or when the eye is irritated; the state or action of crying
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mercyofempty · 1 year
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are you ready for the next #TangleTuesday?
you betcha boss
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ask-random-sonic · 1 year
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are you the one who goes around on Tuesday nights to terrorize the local Walmart?
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Tangle the Lemur: Wait, is it Tuesday? Huh, neat.
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flashmod · 1 year
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TMI Tuesday: Fave gadget?
Wireless Ear Buds
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sunlightdrop · 2 months
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rapunzel's braid ✿
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starchipuppy · 1 year
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imagine not liking tangle
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thedaintydoe · 11 months
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monday: he said the car was somewhere over here…
agent rose: shit, it’s monday. what the hell is he doing here?
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thepastdied · 7 months
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You're nervous about cougar groupies getting Eddie's attention.
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"Uh... Eddie?" You nervously shifted on your feet as you watched your best friend run back and forth to get the stage set up for his weekly Corroded Coffin show.
The Hideout never attracted a crowd on Tuesday nights. I mean, it wasn't a good night for him to choose in the first place, but... it wasn't your business. Today is Friday, though. And you know there are gonna be more people. You know that there might be some hot milfs there looking for a good fuck from one of the band members and, of course, Eddie would definitely be attracting many eyes aside from the handsome and freshly graduated (and legal) Jeff.
"What's up, buttercup?" He called over his shoulder, only looking back at you for a moment before turning his attention back to the tangled cords that his fingers fiddled with, his tongue sticking out in concentration.
Your stomach tied in knots. You should be happy for him. This was a big night for him. A crowd of 20-30, maybe more, instead of the usual 10 max? Fuck, that's great. But what if he...
"Can I talk to you for a sec? Just... just a sec." You forced out.
Eddie turned his head again and really looked at you this time. His grin faded as he dropped the cords to the floor and instantly skipped over to you.
"You okay?" He dipped his head slightly to make his eyes level with yours.
You nodded and blinked a few times, trying to figure out how to say this.
"Eddie... uhm. You know, there's gonna be more people tonight. And, I just... you know, as your best friend, I just think that you should... be careful of the... uh.." Your eyes were glued to his, begging for him to understand what you meant despite being very vague.
"Uhm..." He stared off for a moment, his eyes focusing on nothing before moving back to yours. God, they were so warm...
"I've never fallen on stage, man. Don't worry. I ain't nervous at all." He grinned widely before slapping your shoulder, causing your whole body to jolt.
You frowned as you watched his hair swoosh while he turned back around.
"N-no! It's not that." You called out, your cheeks warming at your outburst.
He tilted his head quizzically and waited for you to continue.
"There's definitely going to be some women here, older women that are looking to... you know that..." Your eyes were again pleading for him to catch your drift.
Eddie laughed out loud, his eyes closing before smirking.
"Oh, I know.." He wiggled his eyebrows jokingly and laughed again, making a blow job motion with his hand. You frowned even more, and he noticed.
"Woah, woah, wait. Hey..." He stepped closer to you, placing his hands on your shoulders and dipping his eyes level again, looking at you through his bangs.
"I'm.. I'm kidding. You don't think I'd actually..." His eyes remained on yours, narrowing as he turned his head slightly.
Your cheeks warmed again and you looked away.
"Hey, look at me." Eddie poked your cheek as he struggled to hold back a smile.
You shyly looked back to him.
"First of all..." Eddie made a face as he cringed and shook his body. "No way." He laughed lightly. He paused for a moment, nervously swallowing as he looked your face over, wondering if this was the moment that he would finally... that he would... after all this time of frustration between the two of you, he should just...
"And second of all... you know I already got my favorite girl right here." He gave you a lopsided smile as his eyes danced around your face, trying to read you. It was the perfect time to... after all this time, after all this tension and... He sighed as he looked at your lips. Yeah, he just needed to...
Eddie glanced at your lips and noticed how you lightly bit on it to hold back from grinning like an idiot. But he didn't. He allowed his lips to curl into a grin like a fool before moving a hand to your neck firmly and pulling you closer to him, smashing his lips against yours into a crushing kiss.
His rings were ice cold, and you shivered. Or was it just him? Probably just him. Your hands clenched and unclenched, unsure of what to do with them before they grabbed onto his shirt that was clung to his waist. Though it didn't stay there for too long as he pulled away, his hand still holding your face close to his by your throat. Both of your cheeks were flushed as you looked at one another, lips pink from the force of the kiss. He licked his bottom lip, tasting your lipgloss and grinning again.
"Strawberry." He gave you a cheeky smile.
"Y-you just.... you-" Your mouth opened and closed dumbly as you tried to spit out a sentence.
He laughed as he smirked and took a few clumsy steps back toward the cords he was previously attempting to unravel, snapping his fingers and shooting you with finger guns as he winked.
"Catch you after the show, babe."
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nanamikeento · 1 month
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im a mess (but im the mess that you wanted)
s.: you've been with nanami for few months, but he never stays the night. could he be lying to you? (or: the one where you find out about nanami's secret) (nanami kento x f!reader
w.c.: 5.6k (i got carried away srry)
t.: suggestive at the beginning, developing relationship, hurt/comfort, smut at the end! see spoiler tags on ao3
✦ .  ⁺   . ✦ .  ⁺   . ✦
His lips trace your neck in gentle kisses, body still glued to yours, sweat glistening on his skin. The sheets on your bed are soaked, but you don’t mind as his body is on top of yours and he looks down at you with his beautiful brown eyes and smiles softly.
“You okay?” he asks, stroking his thumb on your cheek, looking into your eyes. You lean in and kiss him, the dizziness from your pleasure fading away.
“Yes,” you answer, smiling, “that was amazing, as always.”
Nanami laughs softly, a light shade of pink painting his cheekbones.
“Come on, let's clean up.”
It's been five months since you've been seeing your coworker, Kento Nanami.
It's easy to be with Nanami, you found out. He doesn't mind your unorganized self. He doesn't care if your makeup is smudged or if your hair is tangled. He even told you he liked it. Although you have to pretend nothing is happening between you and him at work, he often gives you rides back home at the end of the day. He invites you out often, and takes you to the fanciest restaurants in the city, usually at night.
“Will you stay the night?” You ask as he pulls you up by the wrists.
He looks at you and seems to think for a moment.
“I can't. Sorry.”
You can see his shoulders sag a little as your heart sinks.
“Okay.” You whisper and stand up, walking towards your bathroom. Then, he calls your name, making you turn around to face him. His brown eyes meet yours, almost taking your breath away.
Nanami opens his mouth, then closes it. It's clear that he's nervous, that he wants to say something, but he just sighs quietly.
“Are you okay?” He asks again.
A smile spreads across your lips, even though you want to cry. “Of course.”
You watch as he nods and then enters the bathroom.
He never stays the night. He never invites you to his apartment either. He never asks you out during the week, or on your days off.
I wouldn't be surprised if he had a wife.
The thought makes you gasp out loud, the sound covered by the water of the shower. But what if he had a wife and you're just his mistress? What if he had a family, someone waiting for him every night while he fucks you into oblivion in your bed?
You suddenly feel sick. You have to ask him, you have to know. It makes too much sense. It would explain why he never takes you to a picnic, or invites you to lunch.
When you leave the bathroom, hair up in a bun and a soft towel wrapped around you, you see that he changed the sheets and made your bed while you were in the shower. He's dressing his clothes in a hurry, phone in hand.
“You're not gonna shower?” you ask, watching as he hastily buttons his shirt.
“No, sorry. Something came up.” He says, looking up at you.
You look at the clock on your nightstand. It's two in the morning. What does he mean something came up? Your heart only sinks further. No words are exchanged while he finishes dressing and gives you a kiss, before leaving.
“I'll call you tomorrow, alright?” he says at your doorstep. Tomorrow is Saturday.
You nod, “Take care.”
After he leaves, you put on the massive t-shirt you call pajamas and hop into your bed.
It's only when you rest your head on the pillow, that the tears come.
He doesn't call you all weekend. And doesn't show up at work on Monday.
You resist the urge to text him. Part of you doesn't want him to be in trouble with his hypothetical wife, even though he's the one who's allegedly cheating. The thoughts drown you and you can’t focus on your work.
On Tuesday, he shows up looking like death. Dark, deep, bags are under his eyes and an exhausted look on his face. He doesn’t meet your eyes, not right away. It doesn’t soothe your anxieties when a coworker teases you about wearing mismatched shoes to work – your head was so jumbled in the morning that you didn’t realize you grabbed two similar shoes that belonged to different pairs – and he interrupts the interaction, telling them to go back to work. 
Later, near your usual smoke break, you get a text message from him.
You okay?
Swallowing, you take a deep breath, trying to push away all doubts and questions, you type an answer:
Yeah. Meet me at the roof in 10?
Of course.
When you push the door to the roof open, he’s already there. The sunlight momentarily blinds you, a contrast to the artificial lights of the office. You walk towards him, hands shaking. He looks at you, once you’re near enough, and smiles, letting out a relieved breath. His hands reach for you, pulling into a tight embrace. It’s like he’s relieved to finally get a moment alone with you. It warms your heart and it makes you forget about your worries for a second.
“You didn’t call,” you say, wrapping your arm around his neck.
“I’m sorry.” He buries his face on your neck, inhaling your scent. The scent of your deodorant and something he can’t describe, but it smells like you , “Had a family emergency. This weekend was crazy.”
“Oh.”
A family emergency.
That could mean anything. Maybe his brother was in an accident, or his grandmother tripped and fell, or his cousin got sick, or… Or he has a family, and you’re just a secret. Just a way for Nanami to release his stress from work and then go back to the family waiting for him, lie in bed with the woman he actually loves.
Your eyes sting with unshed tears and you hear your own voice asking,
“Are you married?”
Nanami’s body tenses before he releases you, searching your eyes.
“What?”
“Are you married?” You repeat, vision going blurry now. When he doesn't respond, you continue, “I mean, you– you never stay the night,” great, now you’re sobbing, “and you never invite me to come over, and– and–” your eyes are like an open faucet, “and you didn’t call me on Sunday and didn’t come yesterday, so, please, if I’m just your mistress, please tell me.” You sob, wiping your nose with the sleeve of your cardigan, “Please.”
Kento cups your cheek and wipes your tears, looking into your eyes.
“I’m not married,” he responds and then pulls you in a hug, kissing your hair and tucking your head under his chin, “I’m sorry my actions made you believe I was.”
You sniffle, feeling stupid now, “Okay.”
After a brief pause, he speaks again, “Would you like to come over tonight? For dinner?”
You look at him, pulling away from his embrace, “Kento, I didn’t mean–”
“I know.” He interrupts you, “I still want you to come.”
Nanami’s eyes are warm and he doesn’t care that you’re a snotty mess right now. So you nod, looking away from his perfect face. He pinches your chin gently, bringing your gaze back to him and then presses his lips against yours. Your heart leaps.
He’s never kissed you in the office before. Well, technically, you’re outside, but he never showed a sign of affection like this out of fear someone would catch the both of you. Somehow, you’re not worried about that.
“Meet me at the garage floor when you clock out.”
“I’d like you to meet someone,” Nanami says, as you click your seatbelt off.
The ride to his apartment was filled with soft conversation, but when you entered the apartment complex garage, he spoke with a careful voice, as if he was afraid of your reaction.
“Oh?” You wonder what's this about, since he said he wasn't married.
He leads you to the elevator and presses the button to the second to last floor, placing a hand on your lower back. Your heart is hammering inside your chest, as you get closer to his apartment. Then he guides you to the door, inserting a key and opening it.
“Papa!” a flash of pink hair runs towards Kento and hugs his legs.
“You're home early– oh.” A second voice makes you look up from the little boy attached to Nanami.
A teenage boy with dark hair stares at you. Then, Nanami calls your name.
“This is Yuuji, my son,” he says, “and that's Choso, his brother.”
You don't know where to look. To the little boy in Kento’s arms, or to the grumpy teenager that's staring with suspicious eyes at you. Nanami then introduces you to the boys. Yuuji smiles politely, but you can tell he's a bit shy.
“Um… hi,” you say, looking at them.
Choso scoffs, “That explains a lot.”
“Choso–” Nanami starts but the boy just waves a hand at him.
“Yeah,  I know. I have to go, though. Got too much homework to do and this little devil kept me busy.” He ruffles his brother's hair who giggles. Then he looks at you, “Nice to meet you. Your shoes are mismatched.”
You look down at your feet, even though you know you have different shoes.
“Choso.” Nanami sighs, “Be nice to your mother.”
The boy just waves a hand at him. You look back at Nanami and Yuuji.
“Do you want to come in?” He asks, smiling. Yuuji looks at you curiously, but still apprehensive, clinging to his dad's shirt and tilting his head until it rests on Nanami’s shoulder.
Oh, fuck.
You feel so stupid right now. He clearly has a family, but he doesn't have… a wife? Choso has a mother, so he’s only Nanami’s? Then why is he leaving?
Sensing your confusion, Nanami touches your arm. “I'll explain everything. Come inside.”
For some reason, you oblige. His apartment is big as you enter the foyer and observe the living room.
“You have to take your shoes off.” Yuuji’s voice stops you from taking another step into the apartment. You look at him, surprised.
“Of course,” you answer, toeing off your – mismatched – heels, revealing the chipped black nail polish on your toenails.
Should you have dressed better for this? Maybe if he told you beforehand…
No, this isn't fair on him. You're the one who cornered him and asked about his personal life.
“Are you feeling better?” Nanami's voice is soft as he talks to his son, walking inside the apartment. It hardly seems like the man who talks obscenities to you in bed.
Suddenly, you feel like an intruder. His home is clean, neat, save from a few toys on the living room floor. The open kitchen is pristine, it seems like the counters and stove were cleaned with one of those expensive products your mom used to use at home. The massive TV is turned on, on some children's program.
Panic sets in your throat. He has a son, a family. And you’ve… you've never wanted kids. You're not good with them, they don't smile at you when you talk to them, always hiding behind their parents. You're too serious, too stiff, for them.
Kento calls your name and you look up at him, blurry vision. He's got a concerned look on his face.
“Yuuji, why don't you go get your new shoes to show our guest?” He sets the kid down, who nods and runs to another room – his bedroom, you suppose. Kento approaches you, gently taking your hand and maintaining eye contact with you.
“I'm sorry,” he says, “I should've told you.”
“No, no!” You're quick to say, “I– I shouldn't have…”
“Asked?” he finishes the sentence for you, “Sweet girl, it’s perfectly understandable why you asked.”
Your heart skips a beat at the endearing name. He cups your cheek, pressing his lips on your forehead.
“Kento… I’m not good with kids…”
He smiles at you, “Don’t worry. You’ll find out that Yuuji is easy to impress.”
As if on cue, Yuuji runs back to the living room and ends up tripping on his own feet, falling to the ground. You gasp, expecting tears, but he just stands up and resumes his run to you.
“Look!” He stomps on the floor and his shoes light up, colorful lights blinking.
You raise your brows, actually impressed by them.
“Oh, wow. That's… actually kinda cool.” 
Nanami smiles softly at you, even though you're not looking. You didn't force a baby voice, or crouched down to meet Yuuji's eyes, but the sincerity in your voice is real.
“What do you want to eat?” Kento asks you, carefully.
“Ramen!” Yuuji says, giving you a toothy grin.
Nanami snorts, scooping him up quickly. “I didn't ask you !”
Yuuji giggles loudly as his father holds him upside down, Nanami smiling at the sound. You've never seen him smile like that.
“Ramen is fine, actually,” you say and they stop, looking at you for a second before Kento puts Yuuji down.
“Go put your toys away, Yuuji.” He commands, voice soft and calm. Looking back at you, the man approaches, hesitantly takes your hands, and pulls you further inside the apartment, “He got sick on the weekend. I had Choso take care of him, but he got worse on Saturday night and we had to rush him to urgent care.”
You feel your eyes widening, eyeing the kid gathering his toys in the living room.
“His fever broke yesterday morning, but I decided to take the day off just to be sure.” Nanami continued.
“Oh.” If you felt stupid before, now you feel like an idiot. The guilt blooms inside your chest, making you swallow hard and look away. And, with a tiny voice, one you don’t expect him to hear, you say, “I’m such an idiot.”
To your surprise, he laughs softly, cupping your cheeks and kissing your eyebrow.
“You aren’t.” He pulls you in an embrace, “You couldn’t have known.”
“I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, though.” Your voice is muffled against the fabric of his suit. Nanami’s fingers intertwine in your hair, so, so gently. So different from what you’ve experienced with him. The action makes a soft, fuzzy feeling jump inside you.
“It’s alright.” He then pulls away from you and smiles. “I would’ve too.”
You blink at him as he turns around and enters the open kitchen, leaving you to think about his words. If the situation was reversed, if you had a kid that the man you were hooking up with didn’t know about it, you’d be sure he wouldn’t bat an eyelash about it.
But you’re talking about Kento Nanami here.
The stoic, cold faced, man that is your coworker. The man who always focuses on the tasks that need to be done. The man that’s showing you he cares, that he’s soft, a totally different side of him, and, little by little, tearing down the walls around your heart, making you feel… special.
A little hand pulling on yours interrupts your train of thought and you look down to see Yuuji pulling you to the living room.
“Do you want to see my new toys?” He asks, already urging you to sit down in front of the coffee table.
“S-sure.” You look back at Nanami, but his back is turned to the living room.
There are a bunch of plastic toys scattered on the table: little trucks and cars, plastic bugs and dinosaurs and a few superhero figurines. He looks very proud of his collection, smiling and looking at your reaction as he shows you the things his dad and big brother gave to him.
Then, he hands you a toy phone. You reluctantly pick it up.
“Nanamis’ office, how can I help you?” You say into the fake phone, making Yuuji laugh, “oh, he’s not available right now, his schedule is pretty tight– Sir, please calm down, no need to yell.” Yuuji laughs more, but your face is so serious that Kento wonders how you do it, “Alright, sir, I’ll ask, just a moment.” You place a hand on the ‘receiver’ and look back at Yuuji, “Sorry, Yuuji, but Mark from sales wants to speak with you, do you have time?” he has a toothy grin plastered on his face. You resume your fake conversation, “Uh, he’s really busy, doing important things, you’ll have to call later. Would you like to leave a message?”
A deep laugh interrupts your play and you look up to see Kento smiling at you. Your cheeks burn as you put the fake phone down.
“You’re funny.” Yuuji says, leaning on your side. You look back at him.
“Thank you.”
Kento, then, places a sousplat on the coffee table, following with a bowl of ramen in front of you. He does the same for him and Yuuji, warning the boy about the temperature. The little boy sits between you and Kento, happily grabbing the spoon and scooping the warm liquid. You watch as he brings the spoon to Kento and waits for him to blow on the food.
Your heart does that funny thing again.
Deciding to ignore it, you take the spoon and bring the soup from the ramen to your lips. The high temperature burns your mouth, making you drop the spoon, clattering on the ceramic bowl.
“Shit” You mumble, bringing your hand to your lips.
“Shit!” Yuuji exclaims, with a toothy grin.
Widening your eyes and looking at him, then at Nanami, you feel your heart drop. You did not just teach a little kid to curse, did you?
“Shit!” The boy repeats. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!”
“Oh, no.” As your heart beats faster, Nanami smiles at you, laughing softly.
“Choso taught him how to curse last week.” He explains, reaching to the jar of water on the center of the table and pouring you a glass.
“Shit, fuck!” Yuuji continues.
Surprised, you let out a nervous laugh.
“Yuuji.” Nanami scolds, gently. “We have a guest tonight. Be polite.”
Yuuji giggles and takes a bite of his food, like nothing had happened. Nanami is still smiling softly at you, lingering his stare. His brown eyes are soft, as if he holds a certain admiration for you. 
The rest of the night goes with conversations with a kid, helping Kento to tie up the kitchen and putting Yuuji to bed.
Nanami sighs as he closes his son's bedroom door and walks over to you, back in the living room. You stare at each other with soft smiles for a moment, prolonging the time; you avoid saying that you have to leave, wanting to stay longer in his company, in his home.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” He asks, and your heart warms.
“It's a weekday,” you argue.
“I know.”
Then you nod, feeling the heat creep on your cheekbones. Nanami pours you a glass of red wine and guides you back to the couch. He crosses his leg, supporting an ankle on a knee, and stretching his arm on the top of the couch. He turns to face you, taking a sip of his red wine. Accepting his invitation, you approach him and snuggle on his body, his warmth radiates to you.
“How old is he?” You ask, after a moment of silence.
“Four,” he answers, rubbing circles with his thumb on your shoulder. When you don't say anything, he continues, “his… his mother is not in the picture.”
“Oh.” Your heart breaks a little to think of him and Yuuji abandoned by a faceless woman.
You feel him swallow hard and pull away to look into his eyes, “You don't have to tell me if you don't want…”
Nanami smiles softly, brushing a strand of your hair away from your face.
“It's alright.” He whispers. “I want to.”
You sit with your legs crossed on the couch as he tells you all about it. He tells you how he met Yuuji's mother at a bar and had a one night stand that resulted in her getting pregnant. He tells you how she wanted to get rid of it, and how he even drove her to the clinic, but felt an urge to convince her to keep it.
“I told her it was her choice, and hers only,” he says, “but if she wanted to, I'd support her in any way possible. She already had Choso and being a single mother is very hard. In the end, we decided I'd get the baby and she'd pay for child support. I told her it wasn't necessary, but she insisted.”
A valid reason, you think. Maybe this woman was so hurt in the past that another kid wouldn't do well for her.
“It's been Yuuji and I, ever since. At least until Choso found us last month.”
A smile creeps on your face, “He seems… nice.”
Nanami almost barks a laugh, holding himself to not wake Yuuji up.
“He’s a teenager. But he's very protective of Yuuji. I guess he's always wanted a brother, that's why he looked for us.”
You nod, reflecting on what he said. You can't help but feel compassion for Nanami, imagining it must have been hard for him in the first moments. Taking care of a newborn, on his own, and still going to work… you feel your heart squeeze.
“I know it's a bit overwhelming,” he says, interrupting your thoughts, “I-I… I won't blame you if you don't want this anymore…”
There. The insecurity is clear in his eyes, that avoid yours, in his stuttered words – have you ever heard him stutter before? –, in the way he leans his elbows on his knees. You can't help but feel sorry for him, but a deeper feeling takes over you.
Something strange, unfamiliar, but comforting. You don't know what it is yet, but you'll soon find out.
But it's something that drives you to uncross your legs and lean forward, against him. Gently, you take his chin and guide him to look at you. Without saying a word, you bring your lips to his, in a soft kiss.
“I don’t know how to deal with children,” you say, touching your forehead with his and closing your eyes, “but you can teach me. I know I’m clumsy and I have problems paying attention to what I wear to work, but if you… if you both give me a chance to let me in, I’ll do my best.”
Nanami cups your cheeks and leans forward to kiss you, before murmuring on your lips,
“You’re already in, sweet girl.”
Tears pool in your eyes as you kiss him back, not paying attention to the half empty glass of wine in your hands, only when it spills all over your blouse and on the couch.
“Fuck,” you whisper, quickly catching the – now empty – glass and standing up, “I’m so sorry!”
He stands up as well, never minding the stain on the couch, “I think that’s on me this time, darling.” Looking at your blouse, wet and stained, he inhales deeply. “You uh… That’s gonna stain if you don’t wash it soon.”
You look at him, knowing damn well the blouse is gone, the white fabric forever stained red. There’s a blush on Nanami’s cheekbones that makes you snicker.
“Should I take it off, then?” You ask, feigning innocence.
“Yes.” He answers too fast and you know what’s to come.
Untucking the blouse from your skirt, you cross your arms at your front and pull it over your head. Nanami’s breath hitches and he closes his hands in fists when he sees your black bra. It’s simple, not even lacy or anything, but the sight of your breasts in them makes him want to lose control.
You hand him the blouse with a smirk on your face. He says something under his breath that you can’t understand and takes it from you, “This will probably take all night.”
“I can stay as long as it takes,” you reply, “if that’s okay–”
“It’s okay.” Again with the quick answers, “There’s a shirt in my bedroom. It’s at the end of the hallway. I’ll throw this in the washing machine and be right there.”
You can tell he’s holding himself by the strain on his voice, but you put that aside, because now you’re excited to see his room. Walking through the corridor, you pass Yuuji’s bedroom and what looks to be Nanami’s office. His bedroom is neat, organized, which reflects on the kind of person he is. It’s bigger than yours, with floor to ceiling windows, and a king sized bed – that looks so soft you’re afraid to sit on it–, a walk-in closet, and a big mirror leaned on the wall.
The windows are what catches your attention. You’ve never seen a city like that, lit up in the dark, you can only see the lights of other buildings and the cars down there. It’s beautiful.
Two hands snake on your waist, making you jump. Nanami’s lips brush on your shoulders from behind as he pulls you closer, your back against his chest. Relaxing your muscles, you lean back on him, touching his arms. 
“The view is beautiful.” You tell him as he peppers wet kisses from your shoulders to your neck.
“Hmm, this one too.” he says softly and you smile.
He starts to run his hands on your body, squeezing the flesh of your hips, cupping your breasts and hiking your skirt up to caress your inner thighs. Nanami moans in your ear.
“These damn lacy thigh highs.”
“Kento…” You sigh, leaning your head on his shoulder, “What about Yuuji…”
“I guess you’ll have to be quiet tonight.” He caresses your back and your neck until his hands are in your hair, giving it a tug that makes you whine quietly, desire coursing in your veins.
His mouth finds yours in a desperate kiss, all teeth and tongue, and it’s like he doesn’t kiss you in years . Nanami unzips your skirt from behind and pulls it down, turning your head, making you look at your reflection on the window.
“Do you know how hot you are?” He whispers, a feral look on his face. You don’t have to look into his eyes to know his pupils are dilated with lust.
“No…” You sigh. “Tell me… Show me.”
A hand dips between your thighs, pulling your underwear to the side, and wasting no time in coating his fingers with your wetness. You hear him groan and say something, but your mind goes blank when he messily rubs your clit. A moan escapes your lips and he lets go of your hair to cover them.
“Shh…” Nanami says, “Be a good girl and I’ll let you come tonight.”
Oh, god. You love when he takes control like this. It’s how you know he’s going to fuck you good.
Without warning, Nanami sinks two fingers inside you. You’re so wet that they glide in easily, making him chuckle.
“Kento…” you mumble, voice muffled by his hand. “Please…”
He moves his hand from your lip to your neck, “What’s that, sweet girl?”
“Please…” you repeat.
“Please what? Use your words, princess.”
Your breath hitches at the endearing name, “Please, fuck me.”
Nanami smiles and it takes a second until he guides you to bed.
“Take these off,” he says while unbuttoning his shirt, “keep the thighs on.”
You know he loves when you wear high thighs, especially the lacy ones. Reaching behind you, and unclasping your bra, a smile graces your features when he takes his shirt and pants off. 
It never gets boring.
Nanami grows impatient and helps you pull down your underwear, spreading your legs after. The anticipation and excitement make you lose your breath, as he softly runs the back of his fingers on your inner thighs, tracing the lace and the soft skin of your upper thigh, getting closer and closer to where you want him to touch you the most.
“Kento…” your breath hitches when one of his fingers barely touches your center, “don’t tease.”
He laughs, smiling at you. “Now you want to tell me what to do?”
“No!” You shake your head, closing your eyes, “I just… Need you.”
Without warning, he kneels between your legs and latches at you. You whine, falling on the mattress and tangling your fingers on his soft hair. Nanami eats you like a starved man, like if you're someone he’s been missing for a long time. Your breath gets heavier by the second and, particularly, when he inserts two fingers inside you again, using his thumb to circle the most sensitive part of you.
“Love the way you taste,” he says, eyes hooded and cheeks flushed. You don’t answer as you feel your orgasm building up slowly on your lower stomach.
“Hmm, don’t stop.” You manage to say.
“Anything for my good girl.” He mumbles, putting his mouth on you one more time.
The compliment is what makes you come, your hand over your lips to muffle your moans and whimpers. Eye rolling to the back of your head, you try to close your legs but Nanami doesn’t stop, riding out your orgasm like he does so many times.
When he’s done, he leaves a trail of kisses up on your stomach until he reaches your face, hoovering above you.
“You look so pretty when you come.”
Laughing, you try to hide your face, but when Nanami pries your fingers apart, he kisses you softly. Your moans, muffled by his lips, are quiet when he sinks in you, starting a slow pace; he buries his face on your shoulder and you wrap your legs around his hips, hugging him closer – as if it was possible – to you.
It’s not enough.
“Kento,” you whisper in his ear, “fuck me harder.”
Nanami grunts and pulls away from you, slipping out and roughly flipping you on your stomach.
“Ass up.” His voice is commanding and you oblige, moving to stay on all fours, “you asked for this, sweet girl,” he thrusts into you hard, “now take it like the good girl you are.”
He hits a spot inside you that makes you see stars; you can’t help to think how full you are, how complete you feel with him inside.
“ Shit .” Nanami’s voice is a hoarse, breathy, mumble. His fingers dig on the skin of your hips. You can feel the pressure of his blunt nails and it only makes you shudder. Your eyes rolling back, a strangled moan leaves your lips.
“I-” you try to speak, but Nanami grabs your hair by the roots, pulling you up so your sweaty back meets his hard chest. “Fuck, Kento!”
His mouth finds your ear, breathing hard as his hips meet your behind, “You like it when I pull your hair like this?”
Words escape you when he hits that spot inside you again, taking your breath away. It only makes Nanami pull harder on your hair, your scalp stinging pleasantly. The all too familiar sensation on your lower stomach starts to emerge.
“Do you?” he insists, his pace becoming slower, teasing you.
“Yes, fuck-” you gasp.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, Mr. Nanami ! I love it when you pull my hair!”
He hums satisfied, “Good girl.”
Nanami lets go of your hair too soon, pushing your face against the mattress, but you don't have time to whine as he starts thrusting faster and harder inside you. Your knees almost give in and your legs shake. Trying to warn him, mumbling as he pistols his hips with no mercy. It’s only when the pad of his thumb presses against the tight ring of muscles behind you that you let out a raspy moan, letting it all out.
“Fuck, you little slut ,” he groans, coming together with you, releasing his spill inside you, “look at the fucking mess you’d made.”
Your senses are out of control, you’re seeing double and you barely register the soaked sheets as Nanami rides your and his orgasms out. When he finally stops his pace, you let out a shaky breath. You feel him pull out of you with a groan, leaning against your back once more, planting kisses on your face. The sigh that leaves your lips in relief is replaced by a yelp when he turns you on your back, pressing his lips on yours.
“Make up your mind, am I a good girl or am I a slut?” you smile on his lips.
He lets out a laugh, his smile making his eyes wrinkle at the corners.
“You’re wonderful,” he replies, out of breath, “You okay?”
“Yes.” you nod. “Sorry about the mess.”
Nanami shakes his head, “I love your mess.”
Lips parted, you pause at his words and absorb its meaning.
“Do you want to shower?” He asks, as if nothing has happened.
“Yes, please.”
Nanami guides you to the bathroom and gives you toiletries, kissing you one last time before you enter the shower. You use his soap, so uniquely him , and the extra toothbrush he gave you to brush your teeth. Then, when you leave the bathroom, he’s wearing his previous boxers and has already changed the sheets. As usual.
When he looks up at you, he smiles, “Will you stay the night?”
Warmth blooms in your heart. You nod quickly, not saying a word, afraid you’ll tear up.
Then he hands you a pair of pajamas. “Sorry, I only have men’s pajamas.”
“It’s okay.” You whisper. “Thank you.”
Nanami presses his lips against yours in a short sweet kiss, “You go ahead and lie down. I’ll take a quick shower.”
Nodding again, you smile to yourself as you dress the blue pajama he gave you and get on bed. Everything about this night was perfect. Meeting Yuuji and having dinner with both of them. Learning more about Nanami’s life, him showing an important part of him.
And you can’t wait to wake up next to him tomorrow.
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