#usual disclaimers (sorry if these have been done before/ooc)

[juiceycube]

so i finished neo

#i’m sorry i keep making textposts #i made these at 5am because i couldn’t sleep and i was bored #usual disclaimers (sorry if these have been done before/ooc) #twewy #ntwewy #neo the world ends with you #rindo kanade #tosai furesawa #nagi usui #daisukenojo bito #coco atarashi #kaie ono #shoka sakurane #shiba miyakaze #raimu bito #ayano kamachi #tsugumi matsunae #tanzo kubo #damn i did not think i included that many characters

[8aji]

Two in love can make it, take my heart and please dont break it. // f.t.

pairing: husband!toji fushiguro x reader, ft. megumi

wc: 1.3k

synopsis: sure, one could think of all those poor parents trying to deal with their kids' attempts at 'parent trapping' them back together, but what about the parents that have the burden of sharing a healthy, happy marriage?

tags/cw: fluff, dad + husband!toji bc best trope to ever exist <3 ooc!toji, mentions of divorce, megumi being very naive, implied insecurity.

a/n: a very very late valentine's gift from me to ya'll <3 i present you this 'parent trap' but not really drabble with toji bc he deserves all the love in the world and im willing to lose sleep if it means he gets it. // quick disclaimer! this was beta read by my best friend grammarly !! so if yall find any mistakes its one them :)

m.list ˖ tags ˖ byi/dni

"What did you say 'Gumi?" You asked, picking up the wooden spoon you had dropped to the floor. You had heard him loud and clear; louder and clearer than usual you would. But just in case your ears were failing you, you felt compelled to ask again, still stunned at the words that had slipped through your son's lips.

The spiky-haired child next to you pouted in dismay, rolling his tired eyes and dramatically sighing in dismay like a tired old man. He let his cheek fall on top of the marble countertop and looked up at you while blowing a raspberry. He wasn't asking anything out of this world; to him, it was a pretty reasonable request that could be easily arranged if only the two of you talked it out like the adults you were.

"I said," he dragged out, huffing once again and letting his arms sprawl in front of him, "If you and daddy can get a divorce."

"Why do you want us to get a divorce–"

"Who's getting a divorce!" Almost like he weighed nothing, Toji had pulled Megumi up into his arms, rephrasing your question into a lighthearted statement before he carefully spun him around, making the pouty kid break into a fit of giggles.

"You two!" Megumi exclaimed back, throwing his arms up in the air when he felt secure enough in his dad's arms.

"I'm sorry, what?" You almost ran to the other side of the counter the minute Toji's face fell in confusion, almost dropping the child he was oh-so securely holding in his arms. "Are we?"

"'Are we' what?"

"Are we getting a divorce?"

"Yes!" 

"No." You cut off an excited Megumi, making him frown again once your husband sat him back down on the counter. He refused to look at you, crossing his arms and moving his face in every direction possible just to avoid your gaze. 

Toji shot you a questioning look, trying to telepathically communicate with you at the sight of your seemingly defeated son, the one who had previously been bouncing up and down as he ran towards you once he got back home from Yuuji's house. 

You shrugged in return, not having even a clue as to why he was acting like he was denied his lifelong wish. You'd have to admit Megumi could be a very dramatic child when he wanted, but with the subject matter at hand? Your marriage with Toji was as healthy as any marriage could be. The two of you even made the bare minimum of going to therapy before raising a child, so what exactly had prompted your son to ask about a possible divorce? You had no clue; maybe you should call Kaori, and ask her what exactly had gone down at the Itadori household. 

"Megs," Toji sat on one of the stools right in front of Megumi, who looked away from his dad just like he had done to you, "why do you want us to get a divorce?"

His question prompted you to follow suit, standing next to him and leaning against his shoulder. Megumi's eyebrows fell into an even deeper frown, hugging his legs close to his chest. He looked straight at his feet, moving them from side to side as if to distract himself from the perfect display of a happy marriage in front of him.

"If you get a divorce." He mulled over the terms of his bargain, tapping his index finger cutely over his chin. "I will learn to tie my shoes on my own, pinky promise."

"'Gumi," you drawled at the evident attempt to avoid the question. You ran your hands through his messy hair, reaching out slowly to see how he would react and almost cooing once he melted against your touch, letting out a yawn in the process. "Aren't you going to answer daddy?"

"Fine," he pouted, making grabby hands towards you; you hadn't realised it was already a little bit past his bedtime. "I want you to get a divorce so me and my friends can get you back together…" He trailed off with a yawn once he was secure in your arms, nuzzling his cheek against the crook of your neck, the last bits of energy wearing off. 

"And, uh, how exactly did you come up with this idea?" You patted his back before signalling to Toji with your eyes, silently telling him to help you put Megumi to bed. You had to admit that even if you were caught off guard by his paradoxical master plan, it still made you chuckle in amusement.

"We had a Lindsay Loohan marathon today."

"'You mean Lindsay Lohan sweetheart?" Toji intervened, trying his best to contain his own laughter as he opened the sticker-covered door, letting you walk inside before leaving it ajar.

"Yes, she." he hummed through a sleepy haze, rubbing his tired eyes with the back of his hand. "Princess Diana and the puppy from Air bud were also on the movie as well."

"In the movie." You corrected, a warm smile overtaking your lips as you laid him down in his bed, motioning Toji to grab his doggy pyjamas. 

"'m sorry," he mumbled, not bothering to hide the big yawn he let out while he stretched, "Princess Diana and the puppy from Air bud were also in the movie."

"'The parent trap'?" Toji asked, brushing away Megumi's fringe before he began to change him, the hint of a smile clear through his words. It was a comically endearing sight; the humongous man kneeling on the floor in front of a tiny race car bed, making his son laugh by tickling his cheeks. 

"'t's one of Yuu's favourite films…"

"Hm, I see." You chuckled, confusion finally melting  into a mild amusement as your kid finally left  his cryptic questions behind. "And did you like it?"

He hummed again, the sound almost down to an imperceptible whisper; he crawled under his blankets while blindly looking for his black and white dog plushies. "Can we watch it tomorrow with pancakes?"

"Chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes?" Copying Toji's previous antics, you brushed your fingers through his tresses while you waited for a response.

"Both please?"

"That can be arranged," Toji adds, fondly looking at the way Megumi pulled his plushies closer to his chest, curling into a little ball as he hogged the blanket. 

You'd do anything in your power to keep the three of you like this; all huddled in your son's bedroom, the only thing illuminating the walls being the small night light next to his bed, with Toji as relaxed as he could be and Megumi all warm and cuddly. 

"For the record," your husband whispered next to you, never tearing his eyes from Megumi's sleeping form, "we're not getting a divorce, right?"

Despite his intimidating over 6ft figure, he was the most precious man to ever exist, with so much love to give even if he didn't know how to express it all that well. He had grown so much from how he had been when the two of you first met, slowly opening up to you and the rest of the world in spite of his fears and insecurities. You knew a lot of it was still deeply buried in the depths of his mind; sooner or later it was bound to arise, even if the trigger was one of Megumi's innocent, though mildly out of pocket, jokes.

Careful not to wake up the sleeping toddler, you scooted closer to him, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. A small smile etched on his lips at your touch, moving your interlocked hangs back and forth as gently as possible. No language in the world could describe the love you held for the man sitting in front of you. But you could still try. Not with the overtly cheesy words he was still getting used to, or with the thousand paged essay you could write just describing the beauty within his eyes. But with something else, more simple and genuine even if to others the true meaning could get lost in its simplicity.

"I couldn't even dream of it."

© 2023 SHINACHIRO ; Do not repost my work. Do not recommend my work outside of tumblr. Do not translate my work. affiliated with @tokyometronetwork

#master collection. #jjk collection. #toji fushiguro x reader #toji x reader #toji fushiguro x you #toji x you #toji fluff #toji oneshot #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x you #jjk fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff #tw divorce

[cnnmairoll]

Hello. I was wondering if you could you write a platonic angst story where the reader is Blade's child. I was thinking usually the only thing that could calm Blade down when the mara flared up was Kafka's spirit whisper but what if being around the reader was also able to calm Blade down for some reason because Blade barely spends any time with the reader unless it's during one of his harsh training sessions and one night the reader decides enough was enough and started packing their stuff but they left behind their lucky weapon (that's your choice) and Blade found it the next morning.

A Cup of Cold Tea

Character : Blade Genre : Angst Disclaimer : The relationship between the reader and Blade will be platonic as stated by the request. a/n : This was my first Request, but it didn't take long for me to find out about the anon sending the same request to most of the HSR writers despite their request was closed. I kept it in my drafts since it would be a waste if i just scrap it all out, not to mention my friend helped me out on this one, so I decided, why not just write the final paragraph and post? Things has been quite rough and busy for me so I'm not done with my hiatus, but I hope you enjoy p.s im sorry if he's ooc here, I don't know his chara well

His blade descends on you, striking downwards in a beautiful arc to cleave your skull.

You dodge within an inch of your life, the after image of his sword burning into your retinas as you fall into a clumsy heap on the floor. Still, you spare no moment for yourself as you scramble up, his sword drawing contact to where you lay as soon as you move.

The minutes blends into hours, time being a concept of little value in the face of Blade's viciousness. It takes everything you have to simply focus on the present, dodging and deflecting when you can. You always stay on the defensive in fights like these; any window you have to strike opens itself for only a millisecond before Blade runs it through clean with his sword.

It makes you wonder how you'd fare if Blade gave it his all. You've seen Blade fight on missions enough times to know that he is much deadlier when he is putting in active effort. In contrast, his movements here are much more sloppy and rabid, fueled only by the unadulterated desire to destroy. It is the madness of his mara in its purest form, though it doesn't make his attacks any less fatal, as proven by the countless wounds that litter your body.

Dead within the first minute, probably, comes the stray thought. It proves to cost you when you earn a gash on your arm, blood spilling freely from your left. You grit your teeth; you need to pay attention. There's never a guarantee for your life when Blade gets like this.

Red spider lilies bloom around you like a garden welcoming death. It sings of carnage, reeking of blood that it greedily consumes, begging for more even if it will eventually wilt away. It feels symbolic, in a way. Out of the two of you, only you are the one who is able to experience true death.

Still, you cannot help but find the blooming sea of red beautiful, even if it is always likely to be your final resting place.

There is a lull in Blade's movements, the manic in his eyes glazing into a dull scarlet as he catches his breath. Immortal he may be, but even he has a limit he will reach. It is a mercy; not only does it signify that his mara has not yet reached a point of no return, it also allows you time to recuperate. Had Blade been given unlimited stamina on top of his self-healing, you would surely have died a long time ago.

Now that the man has tired himself, it is time to bring him back.

"Father," you begin. It comes out as a feeble whisper, your lungs still burning from exertion. Still, you must press on. "Are you okay?"

Blade is silent for a beat, then two. This is fine; you can wait for as long as he needs for your words to reach him. You've gone through this routine enough times to memorize his mannerisms, all of which are currently saying that you are in the clear. So long as his grip on his weapon doesn't tighten again, then you have nothing to be afraid of.

Silence reigns within the room, until you recognize the clarity return to Blade's eyes.

"..You," he grunts, voice hoarse. It's scratchy from his manic screaming and laughter, and you make a mental note to add honey to his tea for his throat.

You nod approvingly. "Yes, Father. Are you okay?" You repeat the question, and this time, Blade manages a sharp nod.

You grin, happy at his answer. You open your mouth to speak again, but Blade cuts you to it. "What happened to your arm?"

The man stares hard at something, and you follow his gaze to find the gash on your left arm. The bleeding has mostly stopped from what you can tell, but it's still an ugly thing to look at. You'll have to wash it soon.

You hum, considering. "It's only a minor cut, Father. I can patch it by myself later."

His eyebrows twitch, his eyes narrowing. "Come," he says simply, walking towards the door.

You let your sword disperse into particles of light before following Blade out of the room. You know there is no arguing with him when he gets like this. Any attempt to reassure him that you can handle yourself will only end with him staring at you with unreadable eyes until you inevitably give in. You're not sure if he does this because he is aware of this fact. Blade doesn't strike you as the type to be attentive to such details, but it's worked every single time, so.

You are both silent as he tends to your wound, cleaning it thoroughly before dutifully bandaging it. Blade even add bandages to the smaller cuts you would've left alone, meticulous in making sure all your wounds are taken care of. You know it is his way to apologize, as he is a silent man who prefers actions in lieu of words. That, and that he's always been awkward when it comes emotions like remorse.

"Get some rest," he says, returning the equipment to the first-aid kit. Blade looks at you, expectant, and it is only when you nod does he leave you alone.

He never calls you by name. It's something that bothered you when you were younger, but it's something you've grown to accept. You're not even certain Blade can recall your name if asked. You know it is his way to cope, to always be prepared for the day when you, too, will leave him. Remembering names are a burden on his soul, so the least you can do is spare him from remembering yours.

Your patience reached its limit. In the dead of night, you quietly packed your belongings and left a note behind. It was brief but carried the weight of your feelings: "I need to find my own path for a while. I hope you understand." You didn't sign it, hoping that the absence itself would convey the message more powerfully.

The moon hung high in the sky as you walked away from the place you called home, your steps determined despite the uncertainty that gnawed at you. You had no plan, no destination in mind. You just knew that you needed time away.

The next morning, Blade woke up to find the room unusually quiet. The absence of the usual sounds—your soft footsteps, the steaming sound of the kettle pot when you made his morning tea—was like a deafening silence. He pushed himself up, his senses alert even before his eyes fully opened. His gaze darted around the room, searching for any sign of your presence.

The sight of your neatly made bed and the note left on the table struck him like a blow. For a moment, he stood frozen, his heart heavy with a mixture of regret and realization. He had been so consumed by his own pursuits that he hadn't noticed the growing distance between you.

His eyes shifted to a corner of the room, where a familiar object caught his attention. There, placed with careful intention, was your lucky weapon. The fiery red blade of the sword gleamed in the soft morning light, its hilt wrapped in supple black leather. The pommel, resembling the closed bud of a red spider lily, held a sense of elegance and balance that echoed the bond between you and Blade.

A pang of guilt and longing gripped Blade's chest as he picked up the sword. The weight of it felt familiar in his hand, a stark reminder of the times he had shared with you. The sword seemed to dance in the air, reflecting both its deadly capabilities and the beauty of its craftsmanship—a reflection of the connection he had with you, one he had been neglecting.

Blade's footsteps were heavy as he left the room, carrying the sword with him. As he went to sit down and process your absence, he noticed a cup of tea placed neatly on the table. The tea, once steaming and fragrant, now languished in its cup, forgotten and neglected. It had been carefully prepared by you before you left, a gesture of concern and care. The faint aroma of the blend, a comforting blend of herbs and warmth, with a hint of honey, still clung to the air around it, a lingering reminder of their intention.

But time had been unkind to the tea, its temperature steadily dropping as it sat abandoned on the table. The steam that had once risen from its surface in delicate tendrils, carrying with it the promise of comfort, had now dissipated into the air. The liquid's once-rich hue had faded slightly, a sign that its vitality was waning, much like the embers of a dying fire.

Blade's eyes fell upon the cup, his gaze drawn to the cold tea that had been left for him. His fingers, calloused from years of wielding the blade, reached out to touch the cup, and he felt the chill radiating from its surface. It was a stark contrast to the warmth he had felt earlier, a reminder of how quickly time could transform something from inviting to forgotten.

As he wrapped his fingers around the cup, he couldn't help but recall the hoarse quality of his voice that had consumed him during their training session. You noticed, as you always did, attuned to the subtleties of his state. The touch of honey they had added was a balm for his throat, a gesture that had been both practical and considerate.

Blade's throat tightened with an emotion he couldn't quite name. The cold tea before him held within it layers of meaning—your concern, your attempt to provide comfort, and a reminder of his own shortcomings.

Regret gnawed at his insides, twisting and churning with every breath he took. Guilt clawed at his conscience, tearing through the facade of indifference he had so carefully crafted. Loneliness engulfed him like a suffocating cloak, reminding him of the void left in your absence. And yet, beneath it all, there flickered a tiny ember of hope—a glimmer of redemption, a chance to right the wrongs he had committed.

Blade couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of despair that threatened to consume him whole. For in that moment, he realized that the hardest battle he would ever face was not against his enemies, but against the demons of his own making—the ones that whispered of his failures and shortcomings, echoing relentlessly in the caverns of his heart.

#˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ mai writes #honkai star rail #hsr #hsr x reader #blade #hsr blade #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail blade #blade x reader #blade honkai #blade hsr #blade honkai star rail #honkai blade #hsr angst #honkai star rail angst

[the-letter-horror-lover]

Black Butler Return: Black Butler's Lady by Kuroshoujo

Anime » Kuroshitsuji Rated: T, Indonesian, Romance & Drama, Sebastian M., Words: 28k+, Favs: 13, Follows: 17, Published: Sep 9, 2013 Updated: Jul 26, 2019

38Chapter 4: Kurousagi

Wow! Record! Record! Two chapters completed in less than twenty-four hours! Consider it a bonus, yes reader! Wait for one chapter, get two! Hehe..

Is anyone waiting for the new chapter ? Ohh.. Of course there is, right? Yes no? *Ge-eR Mode: On*

In this chapter , the story progress begins. Yes.. Levie can't just continue to be a princess who is served by a perverted butler like Sebastian. Hehehe.. You have to give an opponent or a target! let's have fun! There were punches, stabs, gunfire, bombs... from car bombs to bombs in the river *plakk* Kekekeke.. Well.. obviously, I've been trying to finish this chapter . Pray for this fanfiction to continue, OK?

Well, anyway, as usual, I'm no good at small talk. So .. happy reading!

Black Butler Return!: Black Butler's Lady

Rated: T (maybe in next chapter M? Who knows? Lol)

Genre: Romance, Drama

Cast: Sebastian M., Levie Rodrickfille

Disclaimer: Yana Toboso (just for Sebastian Michaelis for this chapter)

Warning: OOC, typo, Not Clear (GeJe :P), Location Not Real

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Chapter 4: Kurousagi

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"Sebastian.."

"Ya?"

"Why..." Levie looked around the room. The middle room. "Many cats like this?!"

On the sofa, TV, even the table lamp (?) is a cat. Almost on every corner. The cats meowed at each other. It made Levie dizzy.

"Didn't Miss last night let me bring the cat?" Sebastian frowned in confusion.

"Yes.. But not as much as this.." Levie said excitedly.

"Well, Miss.." Sebastian looked disappointed.

Levie was not touched at all by Sebastian's disappointed look. "After all, how can there be so many cats overnight?"

"I picked it up, Miss."

"In the last night?"

Sebastian nodded.

Levi rolled his eyes. Crazy. thought Levi.

"Ah, never mind. I'm going to take a shower. Once I'm done, this house must be free of cats!"

"Miss.." Sebastian made a face. Levie was getting touched. But he immediately shook his head.

"Here's an order!"

Sebastian bowed. But from the look on his face it was clear he was a little disappointed. Levi let out a resigned sigh.

"Never mind, it's okay to leave one cat. But you take care of yourself!" Levie glanced at Sebastian, curious about his reaction. Sure enough, his face became a little brighter. Sebastian then crossed his right arm across his chest and bowed.

"Yes, My Lady."

"Yes, yes.. Now I want to take a shower." Levie said then walked towards the bathroom.

Sebastian waited until Levie was out of sight. Then he bowed to the cats. "I'm sorry. I have to throw you all away, except for one cat. But we can meet again. Now, which cat stays here, huh.."

Sebastian also "auditions" the cat who will stay. Then he remembered something. He hurriedly went after his miss to the bathroom. Sure enough, a few steps before reaching the front door of the bathroom, his master shouted,

"SEBASTIAN!"

.

.

Levie drove his car to his office. Own. He forces Sebastian to let him drive his own car. He drives at high speed. He was speeding because he was still annoyed with Sebastian who casually put a cat in his bathtub . Immediately, he glanced at Sebastian.

The more he thought about Sebastian, the more he realized. When will this all end? Will this continue? Her life, which is more like an ordinary girl who works in an accounting firm, lives with a perverted butler who at any time will eat her soul.

The scene in the cold, dark, and scary place was like a dream. And sadly, it's a reality. Levie ruffled his hair. "Shit. The more I think about it, the more I regret calling him."

"Right. It's no good thinking about it."

"That's right. What happened has already happened.." Levie was silent. who said that? He glanced at him in horror. He saw Sebastian smiling beside him.

"Whaaat?!" shouted Levi. Make the steering wheel wobble. Sebastian quickly took over the steering wheel and steered it to the curb and stopped.

"How.. You can.. Here?" Levie said breathlessly. Sweat started to appear on his face.

"Ah, I'm sorry in advance, Miss, for surprising, Miss. I came here because I forgot to deliver my lunch for Miss." Sebastian said while handing a paper bag containing a lunch box with an innocent face .

This perverted devil... Levie thought exasperatedly. He thinks I'm an elementary school kid who needs lunch?

"I can buy food out or take out!" Levi protested.

"But this lunch is nutritious for you, just so you know. I have prepared a suitable lunch for your nutritional needs."

"You.." Levie hissed.

"All right, please continue on your way back to your office. I'll excuse myself." Sebastian said, then left Levie.

"Hey! Wait, Sebastian!" shouted Levie, which was of no use. Because Sebastian had disappeared.

.

.

"Hey, come on, let's talk about that guy.." Merry persuaded.

Vicky replied. "Yeah, yeah.. Oh, yeah, dear Levie, does that ' sexy guy ' have the 'taste' like me?"

"So? What have you done with him?" said Edward, who had always been a little scary.

Joe just smiled at the behavior of his co-workers. Meanwhile, Rose doesn't really care and keeps working.

Levie, who had been in a bad mood since the morning because of his ' butler' , was getting more and more annoyed when he was swarmed by a barrage of questions from his co-workers.

"Come on, Vie.. Answer please. The name of fortune must be shared.. Yes, no?" Merry glanced at Vicky which Vicky immediately replied with an excited nod.

"Especially if the luck is as handsome as that ' damn sexy guy '! Kyaa!" said Vicky, screaming like a girl.

Meanwhile, Edward was still buzzing with his awful questions. "Did you guys hug? A kiss? Or.."

"SILENCE!" cried Levi. And all fell silent.

"I don't want to hear about that ib..man now. Well, you'd better get on with your work!" snapped Levi.

Everyone stared at Levie. But he didn't care. He continued his work feeling a little annoyed. After five minutes they were still staring at him, Levie felt bad too. in his heart he intended to buy pizza for them, of course for a nice bribe.. However, his mind was immediately dispersed when they said..

"Waahh.. You're fighting, huh?!" guessed Merry.

"Fun! There's a chance! What's her name, dear Levie? If you could give me her number. Who knows she might be interested in me!" said Vicky, a little bit PD..

"Well.. It's absent tonight." Edward's tone sounded disappointed. Levie glared at him.

"Even though it was only yesterday that she was warmly picked up.. Rose was disappointed." Levie was now glaring at Rose. Until Rose too? then what did he say? friendly? What's friendly?

"Hurry up, okay, Vie." Joe advised. Levie rolled his eyes and threw himself into the back of the chair. Why aren't there normal co-workers, anyway?!

.

.

"Hey, hey, look at this. Ed." Merry said. Edward approached. Also Vicky. Rose read the news in the newspaper she was holding. "Kidnappings of young girls are on the rise these days. And many of them are unaccounted for. Well, I better watch out. You too Rose, Levie."

"Could I be the next target? Aiihh.. I'm scared!" said Vicky anxiously, to which Edward and Merry looked at him with strange looks.

"Err.. Just so you know. All the victims were young girls. And it's clear that you're... er.. not a young girl." Edward explained, trying to be a little 'polite'.

"I know, dear Eddie.. But what if they are mesmerized by my beauty and then kidnap me? Ahh.. I don't know how it will be."

I also don't know how it will turn out . Merry and Ed thought.

"What do you think, Vie?" asked Merry.

"Eh.. I..." Levie was a little nervous. "Well, I guess we'd better be careful."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm going to cut my nights out." Merry said, still seriously reading the news in the newspaper.

"Rose won't go out at night if she doesn't have to." replied Rose.

" Yeah , and you guys shouldn't go to the disco too much either."

Everyone turned to Levie. While what is seen is even confusion.

"Ada apa?"

Merry narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that most young girls are kidnapped at discotheques?"

"Eh.. Didn't you say?" Levie was getting nervous.

"No. I didn't say."

"Rose heard too. Merry didn't say discotheque at all."

"Eh.. That..." Levie was nervous. All eyes turned to him suspiciously.

"Levie. Could it be .." Merry hissed.

"Internet!" cut Levi. "I found out from the internet this morning."

But the spies did not lessen the suspicion in his eyeballs.

" Oh, come on, guys! This is a 21st Century! The century when you can found all news on the internet. So it's only natural that I happened to find out about the news on the internet?" Levi argued. He tried to say in a tone that didn't sound nervous. He didn't want them to know that he had been kidnapped by those damned and nearly killed.

His comrades were still looking at him. Making Levie smile awkwardly.

"Well.. Levie's right, anything can be found on the internet." Finally Merry spoke up. Vicky nodded.

"So are websites that are 'fun' to look at." Edward said with a smirk on his face.

Rose mumbled something about the discotheque. But no one heard.

Meanwhile Joe walked over to Levie and ruffled his hair gently.

"Thank goodness. I thought you were nervous about what.."

Levie couldn't help but chuckle at that.

.

.

Levie parked his car in Savannah Ally's parking lot. He wants to shop for groceries that have run out or have little left. He fumbled in his bag, looking for his notebook . As soon as he found it, he immediately opened the page where he recorded the ingredients to be purchased.

"Again he carelessly crossed out or changed materials..." Levie sighed. "No chocolate and ice cream? How cruel. She's not even my mother. Oh well, I'll just buy it."

"No way, Miss."

Levi flinched. He recognized that voice. Slowly he turned around and.. Sure enough. That butler .. That annoying butler .. Standing in front of him with his trademark smile. He wore a gray t-shirt with a black vest and black jeans and shoes. Don't forget to wear black gloves too.

"Surely, Nona."

"You.. Again.. I told you to stay home!"

"But I also have errands here. I want to buy Gloria's food."

"Gloria? Who is that?" Levi asked in surprise.

"The name of the cat you let me keep."

Gloria? Levie was really surprised by the behavior of his butler on this one. Totally unpredictable.

"Tsk, fine. Let's buy it together."

"Baik."

"But let me buy some chocolate and ice cream. Period."

.

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Levie and Sebastian had barely been five minutes into the Savannah Ally shops when they saw one of the shops bustling with people. There was the sound of a woman crying in the shop.

"My son .. My son .." So he said over and over while crying hysterically. The middle-aged woman who was next to him calmed the woman down.

"Already.. Already.. This is God's destiny.." said the middle-aged woman, calming down.

"What is it?" Levie asked one in the crowd.

"Her daughter was found dead in the woods up north. She was murdered. It's possible that she was murdered by that high-profile band of kidnappers. Kidnapper ."

"Kidnapper? Apa itu?"

"That's the nickname society gave to the kidnappers."

Levie didn't continue the conversation. He chose to look at the woman who was increasingly hysterical at this time. His thoughts began to fly to the past few days.

He was also kidnapped by a bunch of those damn people. And he was almost killed. Just to call him. Levie glanced at Sebastian. Yes, to call him. And who would have thought? They succeeded. But the devil chose not one of them, but Levie. Wonderful. And Levie used the opportunity to get rid of them and in the end he didn't become one of the poor girls who were killed.

If only... Levie looked at Sebastian. There's no him.. Levie's eyes started to tear up.

"Miss?" Sebastian asked, snapping Levie out of his thoughts.

"Ah? Eh.. I was daydreaming, huh?" Levie rubbed his teary eyes. "Well.. Come on, let's go shopping again."

Levie walked away from Sebastian. While behind him Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Levie. Then he seemed to feel the presence of something. He reflexively looked around him.

"Sebastian?" call me Levie.

Is lost. Sebastian thought. That Eve.. Don't be..

"Sebastian? What's wrong?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No.. It's okay, young mistress . Come on, let's continue shopping." Sebastian took Levie's hand and led him.

Levie was confused, but he didn't do anything. He let the demon's hand hold his hand, because he felt.. The hand was protecting him..

.

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"I told you I wanted chocolate!" Levi protested.

"No, Miss. Your blood sugar level is getting higher. You should reduce your consumption of sweet foods." Sebastian argued.

Levie was getting more and more annoyed, he cursed at his butler . " You damn perverted butler ! I said chocolate, yes, chocolate!"

"Ti-dak bi-sa." Tough Sebastian.

Levi growled. He continued arguing with Sebastian until the people around them saw their bickering. Well, although most just want to get a close look at Sebastian's cool face , anyway..

"Anyway.." Levie stopped his speech. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone. Then he immediately ran towards the person.

"Miss?" Sebastian ran after Levie.

"Sebastian, go after that person!" said Levie in the middle of his run. "He's the one who kidnapped me at the disco that day."

"Well." Sebastian ran ahead of Levie. It didn't take long to catch up to that person.

"What is this?!" the man asked, after Sebastian grabbed his arm.

Levie walked over to the two of them slightly out of breath. "Do you remember who I am?"

The man's eyes narrowed for a moment. But he said, "No. I don't remember. This is the first time we've met."

Levie stared coldly at the man. "Sebastian. Beat him until he confesses."

"Baik."

"W-wait. What are you guys doing?! Waa! It hurts! I'm sorry!"

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.

"Yeah.. I'm sorry.. I'm the one." The man said, finally confessing. He wiped his bloody cheeks from being battered by Sebastian. Surprisingly he is still alive (?). they were now in a back alley of Savannah Ally that few people passed.

"Why did you do it?" said Levi coldly.

"I.. Just an order. My job is to seduce the girls and take them to the person who told me to.."

"Who told you to?!" asked Levie again.

"Itu.."

Levie grabbed the 25 year old man's collar. He brought his face closer to the man who now seemed to shrink in front of him.

"It's okay if you don't want to say it, but don't expect you to be able to return to your home with your life still in a body that may not be whole anymore." Said Levi sadistically.

It seems that the threat also applies to the man. Trembling he said. " Kurousagi .."

"Kuro.. apa?"

" Kurousagi .. They are the ones who told me."

Levi was silent. Think. Kurousagi ? Years ago Kuro means black, Usagi means rabbit. Black rabbit?

"What kind of organization are they?" Levi asked again.

"I don't know either.. They told me not to ask further. But I think it's an organization related to black magic.."

It is true! , thought Levi.

"Do you know the name of any of them?"

"No. I don't know.. So far I've only been in touch with them via e-mail. My payments are always directly transferred to my account."

"I see.." Levie mumbled. He released his grip and walked away from the man who was now stumbling from the place.

After a few steps, Levie stopped. "Sebastian. What's the matter with you? Quickly kill that damn man." He said flatly without looking up.

The man turned quickly and looked at Levie with extreme fear.

"Y-you said you wouldn't kill me if I told you.."

Levie looked at the man blankly. "Who says it?" Levie smiled sweetly as he closed his eyes. "I said I can't guarantee you'll live if you don't tell me. I didn't say at all you'd live even if you told me."

The man was shaking. He looked at Levie and Sebastian in turn.

"Sebastian.."

Levie undid his top two buttons, revealing the contract beneath his shirt. "This is an order." Levie smirked at the man. "Kill him."

Sebastian smiled at his employer like that. He licked his lips briefly. He felt Levie's soul would be a very delicious soul to eat. He quickly got rid of his hunger and returned to his aesthetic as a butler . He crossed his right arm over his chest and bowed.

"Yes." He stood up and pulled out his right hand which now had several silver knives tucked into it. Then he threw the silver knives until they hit the man's head, neck, and chest. The man died instantly. He turned to Levie who smiled contentedly at him.

"My Lady.."

Levie and Sebastian didn't notice, someone was grinning at the scene.

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5: Their Relationship

Yaa~ I'm back~ sorry, I'm a little late (too late in fact).. Eh, maybe it's too late, huh? Oh, it's okay. Hehehe.. you know, the author is sick. The impact of completing two chapters in a day. Too bad huh? Yes, it's stupid. Finishing two chapters just hurts. Haduuh..

Very big thank's to: Kagamine MiCha, Najla, Hwang Mayumi, nana-chan love naruto, seidocamui, corn flakes, cieru cherry, mitsuka sakurai. And very big sorry : can't reply to reviews one by one -" what is clear is that I will continue to struggle to finish this ( little-little perverted) fanfiction . Please support me m(_ _)v

In this chapter , there is fashion (albeit a little) which unfortunately I have never followed. Well, lo! How do you do it? Yes, make it up! (his name is also fanfiction ) Plus ask the most powerful shaman of this century: MBAH GOOGLE. But I'm sorry, if the fashion depiction is not interesting at all, you know, this fanfiction was made by someone who at the age of sixteen didn't know what wedges were :P

Well, as usual, happy reading!

Black Butler Return!: Black Butler's Lady

Rated: T (maybe in next chapter M? Who knows? Lol)

Genre: Romance, Drama

Cast: Sebastian M., Levie Rodrickfille

Disclaimer: Yana Toboso (just for Sebastian Michaelis for this chapter)

Warning: OOC, typo, Not Clear (GeJe :P), Location Not Real

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Chapter 5: Their Relationship

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"Party?" Levie stopped feeding the Blueberry Cake with Chocolate Sauce somehow when he heard Sebastian say there was a party invitation among the letters that arrived today.

"Yes. There will be a party to mark the one year anniversary of Miss Katherine's marriage to Mr. William." Sebastian explained. Her face immediately turned angry. "Miss must come." Sebastian confirmed.

"Ah, shit. That sucks. One year to celebrate! Ten years I'm not sure they'll make it through." Said Levi sadistically. He ate the rest of his dessert in one bite. He chewed it quickly and then swallowed it. "I don't want to come!"

"But Miss is Miss Katherine's twin sister. Miss must come."

Levie looked at Sebastian with his death glare . " Yes yes! "

"Nona.."

Levi shook his head vigorously. His eyes started to glaze over. "I don't want to.. Katherine.. William.. No, I don't want to!"

Sebastian sighed . He approached her and sat down to her left. He grabbed Levie's cheek and pushed it gently so his face turned to face Sebastian.

"Miss..." Sebastian's voice was deep and soft. "I told you, don't cry over a stupid thing called love. Love will only end in pain."

"Who said I won?"

"You want to cry. Out of love. Needless to say, your eyes say it all."

Levie 's caramel eyes stared deeply into Sebastian 's ruby ​​eyes . Again, they are so close. Sebastian's breath felt warm against Levie's face. Levie was sure that Sebastian tilted his face and pursed his lips a little more, then Levie opened his mouth. And they..

No, no, this is not the time to think like that! Levi, you idiot. Don't be seduced by her perverted charms! cursed Levi.

"W-what if I cry? Because of love?" Levie asked, masking his nervousness. Still staring at Sebastian without blinking.

"Hmm..." Sebastian narrowed his eyes, as if in thought. "You won't taste delicious then..."

There was a quadrilateral on Levie's forehead. A sign he's really pissed off at someone... and the devil. That's right, he's just a demon. Wake up, Levi!

"I see." Levie brushed Sebastian's hand away from his cheek and moved his face away from Sebastian's. "Okay, I'll come."

Levie got up from the chair and carried the plate and his used teacup to the sink.

Levie turned to Sebastian. "And I won't cry. Now wash these plates and cups!" Levi ordered.

Sebastian stood up and bowed to Levie. "Yes, my lady."

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~o~

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"Where are you taking me, Sebastian?" Levie asked as they got into the car. He glanced at his watch, it was twelve in the afternoon.

"Somewhere, miss."

"Ah, never mind. Just answer, Sebastian!" forced Levi. Levie was still surprised when Sebastian pulled him into the car as soon as he came out of his room after locking himself up all day working on his unfinished work. Without being given a chance to ask, Sebastian immediately stabbed the gas towards a place that Levie had not known until now.

"All right. We're going to buy clothes for tonight's party, Miss." Sebastian said casually.

Levie immediately flinched at Sebastian's words. " Hell no! Why did I buy clothes for that damn party?!" Levi protested.

"Nona.."

"Tidak!"

"Later I'll give you my special Chocolate Gateau."

"You think I can be seduced with food like that?!"

"Large size. "

"Even so.."

"Dengan Blueberry Juice with Chocolate Ice Cream Float.."

"..."

"For a whole week." Sebastian turned to his miss. "How is it, Miss?"

"Which shop should we go to first?" asked Levie with an innocent face .

Sebastian couldn't help but smile amused at his master changing his mind so quickly.

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~o~

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"Not." Levi said.

"Tapi, Nona.."

"No. I don't want to wear a dress like that." Levie pointed to the thigh-length red dress Sebastian was holding.

"Okay.. This?" Sebastian pointed to a long black dress with ' blink-blink ' as decoration.

"No. Not that one."

"How about this?" this time Sebastian showed off a faded green evening gown.

"Not bad.. But no. I don't want to."

Sebastian sighed. "Then what do you want, Miss?"

Levie stared at Sebastian for a moment, his eyes still on Sebastian as he said, "Something William doesn't blink at me."

"Then it's hard..." Sebastian gave Levie a mischievous look. "Because the Miss doesn't have enough charm to keep Mr William from blinking at you even though you're wearing a pretty dress."

There was a quadrilateral on Levie's forehead. "You insolent devil. You want me to fire you, huh?"

"I was only joking, Miss. Now, how about this?" Sebastian took a black dress thigh-length with a V-neck.

"Good. But does it suit me?"

"Any dress suits you very well, Miss."

"Crap." Levie took the dress and carried it to the dressing room. After changing into the dress, Levie came out and showed it to Sebastian.

"How?" Levie asked, turning around.

"Wonderful. U're so beautiful, My Lady." Puji Sebastian.

"Since a long time ago." Said Levie PD.

"I'm serious, Miss. You really are beautiful." Sebastian approached Levie's back and held Levie's soft shoulder. He brought his face closer to Levi's. His lips whispered in Levie's ear. "Makes me salivate looking at you."

Levie smiled faintly at that. "Looks like you can't wait to eat my soul, huh?"

Sebastian's hand turned to hug Levie's slender waist. "Not really.. As long as Miss doesn't want to give up Miss's soul, I can still control my appetite."

Levi snorted. "You demon."

Sebastian stroked Levie's cheek and said, "I'm just a but... "

"Levie?"

Levie and Sebastian suddenly turned to the source of the voice. Merry? With Rose, Joe, and Edward?

"Y-you guys.. Why are you here?" Levie asked nervously.

"We're shopping of course. You alone.. AH, I know .." Merry smiled meaningfully.

"So you guys are okay? Rose is very happy.." Rose said then smiled with a sweet smile that even looked scary.

"Hey, it's still in public, you know. Better do it tonight in the bedroom." Edward grinned wickedly.

It was only after Edward said that, that Levie realized that his position with Sebastian seemed 'pretty dangerous'. Levie hastily let go of Sebastian's hand that was holding him and moved away from Sebastian.

"No..." Sebastian stopped when he saw Levie put his index finger to his lips. He also signaled to Sebastian to leave for a while. Sebastian smiled and said " Yes, My Lady " silently.

"Sorry, I'll excuse myself." Sebastian said goodbye, smiling at Levie's co-workers. He left them and went to the restroom. Levie sighed as he watched Sebastian's back get further away from them.

"All right, I'll start looking for a suit for myself. Dear Levie, tell me about your evening, will you? The whole thing!" Edward moved away from them.

Rose didn't know when she had disappeared, but Levie caught a glimpse of her in the goth-loli dress .

"Wow.. He's really handsome.." Merry hissed.

"Why are you here?" Levi asked again.

"I told you shopping."

"No, I mean.. Why together like this?"

"Oh.. That's because we wanted to find dresses and suits together for William's party." Merry replied, taking one of the dresses beside her.

"Ah, I forgot. William used to be an apprentice where we worked."

"Yes.. In the past when he worked with us, he was very nice to us. We were treated to lunch every day, invited to go to tourist attractions during holidays. So much fun! Too bad he only had six months with us." Merry recalled.

Joe chimed in, "Yeah, he looks really close to you too, doesn't he, Levie? Naturally, you're the twin of his now-wife, Kath."

Levie felt those words pierce the deepest corner of his heart. But forced him to smile.

"Yes. Right. By the way, when are you guys leaving for the party?"

"Around eight o'clock. We'll go together. You're going with.. what's his name? You haven't told us yet." Joe said.

"Sebastian Michaelis." Levi replied. "Yeah, maybe I'll go with him."

"That's not possible anymore, dear Levie, but it sure is!" said Merry firmly.

"Well, she's your boyfriend after all, isn't she?" said Joe in an even voice.

Levi shook his head vigorously. "No, he's not my boyfriend."

Merry frowned. "Then? If not what? You were picked up by him and you just hugged each other in this shop. What is the name of your relationship?"

Levi flinched. What is it called? How can I say my relationship is butler and employer? How can I say the devil with his prey? Ah.. Damn, I should have thought more about the answer to a question like this a long time ago.

"That.. Eh.. So.." Ouch.. What did you say? Sebastian!

"We're correspondent friends."

Levie, Merry, and Joe turned to Sebastian who was now smiling sweetly at them.

"I used to read in the correspondence section and found Miss Levie's name in that section. I tried to write to her and since then we've been sending each other a lot of letters." Obviously Sebastian.

"But that doesn't explain why you guys are hugging like that!" Merry protest

Sebastian glanced at Levie. Levie hastily added (a lie, of course).

"That.. After he moved to this country, he decided to meet me, and after meeting, we became close like we've been friends for a long time. That's how..."

"Then? How close are you two hugging so intimately?" Merry was still suspicious. Levie's heart was starting to get annoyed too.

"That one wasn't lovey-dovey! Can't you see he's just kidding? He's just teasing me. I'm used to it. You know, he's a bit... well, pervert."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Levie. Nasty?

"Who said perverted? Who perverted? Who? Who?" Edward asked, appearing suddenly and with a four-to-five spirit.

Merry gaped at the excited Edward, as did Levie and Joe. Minus Sebastian, he just looked at Edward flatly. A moment later Merry laughed so hard that he cried.

"Eddie.. Eddie.. You always get excited when someone says 'pervert'. You pervert king!" Merry rubbed her teary eyes. Edward frowned in confusion at the laughing Merry, then he shrugged and left them to find a suit for him again.

"Eh.. So Merry.. You're not angry?" Levie asked hesitantly.

Merry looked at Levie for a moment, before he laughed again. "Angry? Who's mad at you, my sweet? No, I'm not mad at all. I just want to know your 'real' relationship with him." Merry winked at Levie.

Levi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God.. By the way, where is Vicky?"

"He has a fever. I don't know why. I don't think people seem to have a fever. Well.. Whatever it is, he was unlucky today, because he didn't get to meet Sebasti.. er, Mister Michaelis."

"You can call me Sebastian."

"Ah, well, Sebastian. Oh yeah, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name is Merry, he's Joe. The pervert was Edward, or Eddie. Then another one Rose.. Where, Rose? Oh, I have to find Rose first. I'm afraid he's lost again in the warehouse like before. If you want to go first, go, Vie. Bye.." Merry left Joe, Sebastian, and Levie alone.

After Merry died, Joe approached Levie and ruffled Levie's hair. "I thought you two were dating and living together."

Levi flinched. "Eh.. Well.. Of course not, lah.. Hehehe.."

There was a gleam of relief in Joe's eyes. Sebastian squinted at the light.

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~o~

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"Haaahh.. Tired.. Just looking for a dress to this tiring.." Levie complained when they both returned to the car.

Sebastian did not comment. He closed the car door next to him and started the car, slowly leaving the Savannah Ally shopping area.

"Where are we now, Sebastian?"

"To Miss Kath's house." Sebastian replied curtly.

"What?!" Levie widened his eyes at Sebastian who was still serious about driving. "Isn't it too soon?! It's still two in the afternoon!"

"But Miss has to help Miss Kath to prepare for the party."

Levie glared fiercely at Sebastian who was driving quietly.

"You're so cruel." Hiss Levie. His eyes glazed over. He tried his best to hold back the tears that were trying to come out. "I was about to buy a dress for the party, and now you want to take me to Kath and William's house early...?"

Sebastian turned to Levi. "Isn't it your duty as twins to help Miss Kath?"

Levi snorted. "Obligation?" he smiled sarcastically. "Always. Always. Obliged to help Kath, as well as look after Kath. Just because I was born three minutes early.. So I'm the one who has to? Pathetic. There's such a shitty rule."

"You seem to be talking too much, young mistress . Just tell the truth. There's no need to go round and round like that."

"Fine if that's what you want..." Levie leaned back against the car seat, taking a deep breath. "I hate Kath. I'm so sorry she became my twin. I hate her beautiful. Also I hate her for getting William. I want them to separate and I will get William back. And I don't want to help her prepare the party for one year of WEDDING they!" Levie was frank in one breath, making him gasp a little when he finished his sentence.

"Then..." Sebastian pulled the car over and stopped at the side of the road. He turned and smiled at his master's face. "I have an idea."

Levie frowned at Sebastian. Trying to understand the demon's face. Looking for the perverted line that usually gets there when he says 'I have an idea'. But soon Levie gave up. Which human can read the devil's face?

"Would you like to hear?" Sebastian put his index finger together and winked.

Levi sighed. "All right. Tell me."

Sebastian smiled then started to explain about his idea.

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~o~

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" Omedetto, Kath and William!" exclaimed everyone at the party. While Kath who was in William's arms looked happy.

"Selamat ya, Kath! William!"

"Merry? Long time no see! " William exclaimed when he saw Merry, Joe, Vicky, Edward, and Rose came in a group. Meanwhile Kath had left to greet the other guests.

" Hey dude! Have you forgotten about me?" Joe walked over to William and hugged him.

William punched Joe in the arm. " Of course not! How are you?"

"Never better like today." Jawab Joe.

Edward menghampiri William. "William! Glad to see you again, bro."

" Hi, Eddie! Thank's for coming to my party! I thought you were doing—uhm, something—with your boyfriend?" joked William.

Edward burst out laughing. "You know my habits well. But not today, thank's . By the way, can you tell me about your night, bro? " Edward asked, raising his eyebrows.

" Always perverted like usually. But no, Ed. I can't. That's me and Kath's secret." William blinked one of his black iris eyes. Edward put on a face that pretended to be annoyed.

"William! I'm so miss youuu! " cried Vicky who immediately rushed to hug William, causing him to fall backwards a bit. But William just laughed at Vicky.

"Vicky.. Vicky.. You're no different from before!" William comments.

"Who said? I'm different. Now I'm more beautiful .." said Vicky in a flirtatious tone.

"Hey everyone! Looks like you're having fun, huh!" said Kath who was just walking around greeting the other guests.

"Well, as you can see." William said.

Kath's eyes narrowed at them. "Ng.. It seems like one is missing. Rose? Where is Rose?"

"Rose? Oh, yes! Where's Rose?" Edward asked.

"It's terrible! Don't think he's lost again! Let's go find him!" said Merry who was getting ready to look for Rose.

"That's unnecessary."

Everyone turned to look at the owner of the voice. Levi. With Sebastian and Rose beside him.

"I met him earlier in the wine cellar . Well, I don't know how he got there, anyway..." Levie said.

"Levie? Have you come? Since when?" asked Joe.

"Ng.. Since three o'clock earlier. I also have to help prepare my twin brother's party." Levi smiled sweetly.

Merry, Joe, Edward, and Vicky (not including Rose, because she had disappeared again), were slightly taken aback by Levie's words. In fact they knew that Levie liked William and 'a little' hated Kath. But their little hearts refused to instill that understanding and still loved treating Levie as usual.

"Th-that's great! Indeed.. It should be.. as twins." Merry said.

"Yeah. You're right. Guys, how about we start enjoying this party?" take Joe.

"Okay! The one who consumes the most wine wins." Edward said excitedly.

"I want to have fun with this damn sexy guy !" Vicky exclaimed as he ran towards Sebastian. But when they were just a step away, Levie got in the way.

"Sorry. I won't allow it." Levie smiled sweetly at Vicky. " He's mine ."

Merry, Joe, and Edward's steps towards where the wine stopped, they turned quickly to Levie who was now hugging Sebastian's arm.

"Levie? Y-you.. H-he.." Merry stuttered.

"I was shocked too." Bye Kath. "As soon as he arrived, he immediately said that he was dating this man."

Suddenly, Joe, Merry, Edward, and Vicky went wide. "What?! Dating?!" they shouted at the same time.

Levie just smiled at their reaction.

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~o~

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Whaaat? Levie and Sebastian dating? they finally realized their supposed status, huahahahaha.. but.. is there any other purpose behind their sudden change of status? want to know? I also *plaque* Yayaya.. I know, I made this story. but I also don't know what they mean * the author is put in shackles on a pole* okay, okay.. well.. yes, I've found it :D but I don't want to tell the story :P just wait for the next chapter . bye bye~!

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Review

6: That Shadow

Hello~ I'm back! I'm back with this chapter! ^_^

first of it, thank's to Kagamine MiCha, always give this fanfiction comments from the first chapter of this fanfiction. and don't forget to all readers and reviewers , very big thank's to you all, 'cause of u all, i can always continue this fanfiction. u're all my motivation :) hope u like this chapter!

like usually, i'm bad in opening greeting and English (yeah, that's right). sooo~

HAPPY READING!

.

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Black Butler Return!: Black Butler's Lady

Rated: T (maybe in next chapter M? Who knows? Lol)

Genre: Romance, Drama

Cast: Sebastian M., Levie Rodrickfille

Disclaimer: Yana Toboso (just for Sebastian Michaelis for this chapter)

Warning: OOC, typo, Not Clear (GeJe :P), Location Not Real

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Chapter 6:That Shadow

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"KRINGG!" the alarm on the table next to Levie's bed rang, Levie, disturbed by his annoying voice, groped the small table next to him until his hand reached the alarm.

Where the hell the button to stop this damn alarm?!, batin Levie.

After a long time of fumbling, squeezing, slamming the alarm which—strangely—is still ringing, Levie decided to throw the alarm and.. Prak! The alarm stopped, it looks like his life also stopped, because his internal organs were all out (?) *means the battery*

Levie smiled in satisfaction even though his eyes remained closed. He turned his body to the side and fell asleep again. He felt very tired today, so he decided to go back to sleep.

But Levie felt a little strange, though faintly, he felt as if his hair was being stroked, then the hand caressed down Levie's cheek. But Levie still kept his eyes closed. Soon, a whisper was heard, but Levie did not understand what was said in the whisper, but Levie seemed to know him. Is that... William?

Levie opened his eyes, and found William smiling in front of him. He stroked Levie's hair and Levie's cheeks, making him blush. He whispered to Levie, which made him really feel like he was flying up to the seventh heaven, "I love you.." William leaned forward. Levie's heart skipped a beat at the sight. He closed his eyes. Cold sweat started to wet his palms. And.. And..

Still closed, Levie shook his head, Why did my mind become perverted like this? Yet how could William be near me? Oh, shit , is it all because lately I've been with Sebastian, my super duper wuper pervert butler ? Well , maybe not that bad, but to me he's a pervert. Very.

Wait, end this silent talk with that butler pervert . What is clear, I really feel someone caress my hair and cheeks. But who?! Hell no, don't say that..

"My, my, Young mistress."

Levie quickly opened his eyes. He saw Sebastian who smiled sweetly at him. Fake smile for sure. But that's not what matters, why is he here?! Lying in the same bed as him?!

"I didn't think that even while sleeping you were still frowning. Be careful, young mistress , you can get wrinkles later." Sebastian said casually without any sarcasm in his sentence.

"W-what.. What are you doing here?" Levie hastily covered her body with a blanket, well, even though they were still fully clothed...( author was a little disappointed *plakk*). Levie in his pajamas, and Sebastian in his white shirt overlaid with a waistcoat . He was also still wearing his black trousers. Only, at this time he took off his gloves as well as his socks and shoes.

"I just want to look after Miss." Sebastian smiled as he closed his eyes. In Levie's eyes he looks (a little)... Cute.

Levie's face reddened, he quickly protested, "B-but there's no need to sleep in the same bed like this!"

"Don't worry young mistress . I'm just a butler . I won't do anything to Miss while you're sleeping."

Levie's eyes narrowed, still in disbelief. "If your statement is reversed, it means you will do things to me when I wake up."

Sebastian chuckled. "Of course not, Miss. Unless you ask for it yourself." Sebastian blinked his eyes.

Levie's face was now as red as a boiled crab. Ask it yourself? It just might happen, when I'm really crazy!

" Well , if we keep talking about this, it won't end. The point is, why are you sleeping in the same bed with me? I know you won't do anything to me, but you can take care of me without sleeping in the same bed with me!"

" My , my , it turns out that young mistress is really a talkative lady, huh? Just ask one by one. I will answer it. Well, indeed, taking care of you is the second reason. My first reason is because I am playing the role of your lover."

"Doing a role? It's not necessary. You only need to act in front of my family and acquaintances. If there's no one but us, no problem."

Sebastian sat up on the bed. He shook his head. "Again Miss gave the wrong order."

Levie followed Sebastian to sit down. He frowned at Sebastian in confusion. "Wrong? What do you mean?"

Sebastian sighed. "Try to remember what happened yesterday, Miss."

Levie's thoughts flew to yesterday afternoon, as he listened to Sebastian's idea.

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~o~

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" Would you like to hear?" Sebastian put his index finger together and winked.

Levi sighed. "All right. Tell me."

Sebastian smiled "We became lovers."

" What?! Why are we..?"

" Wait a minute, listen to me first. First, let me explain why I had such an idea. I understand you once thought that our relationship should not continue like this, human master and demon butler. Living a life without purpose, we already know the name in The one behind Miss Levie's kidnapping, is Kurousagi. But until now there are no more clues. Instead of just waiting for the clues to come on their own for a long time, it's better for you to set one more goal. The goal that Miss Levie has wanted all along."

"Apa itu?"

" Getting Mr. William. That's what you've wanted all along, right? You want to take it from Miss Kath, your twin, right, Miss .."

Levie looked at Sebastian. He had said it in an even tone, but Levie felt a hint of demonic emphasis in each of his words. Is this the so-called devil's seduction of death? The seduction that tried to sway Levie. He didn't know, but... What Sebastian said was true. He wanted to get William out of Kath's hands. More precisely, snatch it. He's right, but...

" As for Kurousagi's problem, you can find the clue yourself, no matter what, then we'll solve the problem, and it's done! Why do I have to add one more goal?"

" Because I think it will be more interesting.. If we just fix Kurousagi's problem, I don't think it will satisfy you too much. But if you also get Mr. William, your satisfaction will be doubled right?"

Levi snorted. "Knockout. How do you know my satisfaction will be doubled?"

" From your face. Printed clear." Seduce Sebastian.

"Dasar iblis."

" I'm just a butler , miss."

" Why do you always answer like that, anyway? Nothing else?" Levi protested. "And one more thing, is it true that dating you can get me William."

Sebastian smiled mysteriously. Levie gulped at the sight. What are the plans...

" I'm going to use witchcraft. What do you want? The express package or the slow one? Ah, kidding. And could you please lower the wooden pegs and garlic? I'm not Dracula, Miss."

Really, it felt like killing this demon. Do I have to be an Exorcist, huh? , thought Levi.

" So? How?"

" I will direct you later, Miss. But first, of course, we must be close to them first, and to approach them, we must first show Miss Kath that you already have a lover, so that when your 'approach' with Mr. William, Ms. Kath won't suspect anything."

" You're right. All right, Sebastian, I command you to be my lover."

Sebastian smiled with satisfaction. He then crossed his right arm across his chest and bowed. "Yes, My Lady . "

.

.

~o~

.

.

"Come to think of it..." Levie frowned. "That's right, really..."

" Yup! That's why, I still play the role of your lover even though it's not in front of your family and acquaintances."

"Well.. Can I change the order?" said Levi weakly.

"Do you think changing commands to me is like changing commands to a computer program?" Sebastian asked back.

"So..." Levie took a deep breath. "It's too late, huh..."

Levie lay down on the bed, he still felt a little tired, but he also felt sorry for his order earlier.

"Miss there is no need to be sorry." Sebastian turned to Levi. "When there's no one around, I promise to make Miss happy by doing what lovers do."

Levi's face paled. Damn, this demon is getting perverted again .

"You mean.. Doing what?" no doubt, Levie asked that too.

"You really want to know?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow and smiled meaningfully.

"Just explain.. No need to practice .." Levie said with a grimace.

"If there's no practice.." Sebastian leaned towards me. "It's not going to be fun, miss."

Unlucky. Unlucky. Damn... This damn devil, why is he making me flutter like this? And again the smell of the 'human' body is very.. ugh, seductive.

Levie swallowed hard when he saw Sebastian who turned around and started crawling towards Levie. Then Sebastian lay down with his head in his right hand right next to Levie. While Sebastian's left hand was busy smoothing Levie's hair to the side.

"Miss is very beautiful." Sebastian said, half whispering in a low but deep voice. A voice that sounded sexy to Levie's ears.

Levi bit his lip. He felt that if he continued this, Levie would no longer be able to endure this turmoil. His heart continued to beat rapidly, while Sebastian's handsome smiling face didn't take Levie's eyes away.

"Miss.." Sebastian brought his face closer to Levie. Levie didn't dodge. He was already submissive to Sebastian. He could still hold it a few seconds ago. But now..

Sebastian's lips drew closer to Levie's. Levi closed his eyes. Be ready for whatever happens. Then..

"Levie! Let's cook!" a voice interrupted them, as the bedroom door opened. Katherine looks cheerful and wearing an apron while holding a soup spoon. His eyes widened when he saw the position of Sebastian and Levie.

"Eh.. um..." Katherine felt awkward. Seeing the paled Levie look at him and Sebastian who looked at him blankly. "Sorry, I've been bothering you!" the door slammed and there was Katherine running down the hall.

"A.. A.. Kath.. umh!" Levie tried to get up, and unfortunately, Sebastian was still nearby, and because their position was so close, Levie's lips accidentally met Sebastian's. And those lips are still attached to this day.

Neither Levie nor Sebastian expected this to happen. And they both froze until finally Levie pushed Sebastian's body so that he fell next to him, after that, Levie rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door.

In the bathroom, Levie touched his lips. Her heart was still pounding from earlier. He couldn't believe what had just happened. After controlling her breathing and emotions, and heartbeat, Levie said to himself, "It wasn't a kiss. It was just an accident. Our lips only met. It was only for a few seconds. Well, it wasn't a kiss."

Outside, Sebastian was already sitting on the bed. He just stared blankly at the bathroom door Levie had just entered. Then there was the sound of the shower being turned on. The lady has started to take a bath. Sebastian stood up, he then left the room, because he knew his job here was done.

.

.

~o~

.

.

"Wow.. I didn't know you could cook, Sebastian." Katherine said admiringly at Sebastian who only smiled in response to Katherine's compliment. Sebastian has now changed into a black shirt and jeans and he is currently decorating his strawberry cheese cake . And it was one of her favorite cakes . Miss, who was sitting on the chair beside the dining table, opposite William.

"Wow, this Gyoza is delicious." William said. "You cooked it too, Sebastian?"

"Yes. But Miss Kath helped me too."

"Ah, but I didn't do much. I was just helping him mix the ingredients." Kath is humble.

#black butler fanfiction

[multifandomlover01]

Hey if you don’t mind me asking, could I please request a Chuck Grant x German Nurse reader? Where she doesn’t really agree with the war and speaks poor English, and the boys don’t really see her as a threat and she ends up in Easy’s care. And Chuck watches her most of the time! Thank you! :) ❤️

Hey! Of course I don’t mind. I love getting requests! Thank you so much for another one! I really like this one. And you’re quite welcome!

It’s a bit different than what I usually write, and I am very excited to tread into new territory.

Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This may not be 100% historically accurate. Because I don’t think a German nurse (Wehrmachthelferin) would actually have been at Bastogne (where this takes place). But that’s ok. Just go with it, please? I’m sensitive. Also, I don’t speak German. Translation was done with the Apple Translate app. I apologize for any mistakes. Everything is translated into English right after it, though. So you know what it says. Although it got away from me and she speaks/understands better English than I had planned…🤷🏻‍♀️ oh, well. It is what it is.

No use of Y/N or anything like that (I wrote this weird for some reason, it’s, like…third person, but the female nurse isn’t given a name and Y/N isn’t used, nor are any physical descriptions, so you can treat it as a reader insert)

This…got away from me soooo bad, oh my god, I’m so sorry. Also…potentially OOC Chuck. I’m so sorry this is so late, I’ve been busy with school and haven’t had much motivation or time or energy to write.

Warning: injury depiction, not too graphic, though, probably several (other than historical) inaccuracies (sorry, please be nice)

Word Count: ~4.4k words

I might go back and rewrite the ending to this. I don’t like it. I think it sucks. But for now, I think I’m just going to leave it. 

It didn’t happen often, but that’s not to say that it never happened. Germans were captured by the Americans. It seemed to happen a bit more in Bastogne, as the lines were a bit confusing and visibility was low. It was near Easy Company lines when such an occurrence took place. Some rustling/movement/voices were heard. And people were sent to investigate. What they found was a German nurse tending to a wounded German soldier. They lowered their guns when they saw that the man was in no condition to fire a weapon, nor did he move to do so when he saw the group of US Army paratroopers. Joe Liebgott, who was among the men and spoke German, spoke to the two of them…in German.

“Steph auf.” Get up.

“Bitte. Er ist verwundet.” Please. He’s wounded. The nurse pleaded, not liking that she’d been interrupted.

“She says he’s wounded.” Liebgott told Johnny Martin, a Sargent who’d gone with the group.

“Tell them we’re taking them prisoner, but that they’ll be looked after.” Those were the orders, even though these two obviously weren’t high ranking officers.

Joe nodded before communicating this to the nurse. Johnny nodded at Shifty Powers and Skip Muck, also among the party, signifying that they should help the wounded man.

When they moved closer to the man, the nurse moved in front of him, to protect him. Johnny groaned.

“Joe, please tell her we aren’t going to hurt them. We wanna see to it that this man gets the medical attention he needs.”

“Es ist in Ordnung. Wir werden dir nicht wehtun. Sie wollen ihm nur helfen.” It’s alright. We aren’t going to hurt you. They just want to help him.

She slowly moved away from the man. Joe moved closer to the woman. And she tensed.

“Wir werden dir wirklich nicht wehtun.” We really aren’t going to hurt you.

She looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. She also saw how much care the American men were taking in handling the wounded German man. She relaxed a bit. She didn’t like that she and this man were being taken prisoner, but it didn’t seem like there was anything she could do about it. She just hoped that all the things that she had been told about Americans wasn’t true. She hoped that the Americans weren’t monsters. She hoped she wouldn’t be executed. But then again, she never truly believed the propaganda. The very same propaganda that had made her brother want to join up and fight the “horrible American bastards”. She’d only joined because she knew that people were going to be injured a lot and she wanted to help. She didn’t much care for the Nazis, nor their purist attitudes. What she did care about was her fellow man. And her fellow man was being put in dangerous situations. So she wanted to help. (Wow, exposition much?)

The paratroopers took the two into their lines and immediately to an isolated area and had called a medic. Who helped the nurse as much as he could with the wounded man. Luckily, it was enough and they stabilized him.

The two were then both searched, something that the nurse was very uncomfortable with at first. But the man who was searching her (Joe) wasn’t as handsy as she’d expected him to be. German propaganda said that all American men wanted was sex and that they didn’t treat women with respect. But, you could say that about any man of any country and it wouldn’t actually make it any more or less true than any other man in the world. A very important looking man had been called into the situation. He was talking with the men in English, a language the nurse did not understand very well at all. She spoke very little of it.

She noticed the man who spoke German was still near her after searching her, probably in case anything needed to be translated. He seemed to have wanted to assure her nothing bad was going to happen to her. He was very respectful when he searched her. He seemed approachable. So, she approached him.

“Was wird mit uns passieren?” What’s going to happen to us?

“Sie werden beide unter Bewachung gestellt.” You’ll both be placed under guard.

“Wird er Nahrung bekommen und alles, was er braucht, um zu heilen?” Will he be given food and anything he needs to heal?

“Ich nehme an, so viel wie wir ersparen können. Was nicht viel ist, weil wir anfangs nicht viel haben.” I suppose as much as we can spare. Which isn’t much because we don’t have much to begin with.

“Ich verstehe. Das ist alles, worum ich bitte. Vielen Dank.” I understand. That is all I ask. Thank you.

It was finally decided that the man would be looked after by the medic who had helped tend to him, as he’d gained his trust, and the nurse would be put into the care of Chuck Grant.

“Warum kann ich nicht mit dem Mann zusammen sein?” Why can’t I be with the man? The nurse asked as she was led away from him.

“Unsere Jungs werden sich gut um ihn kümmern, keine Sorge.” Our guys will take good care of him, don’t worry. Joe tried to reassure her.

She was led further away from the man by Joe to another man.

“Das ist Chuck Grant. Er wird sich um dich kümmern, während du bei uns bleibst.” This is Chuck Grant. He’ll be looking after you while you stay with us.

The nurse looked the man over. He seemed intimidating to her, but not at the same time.

“Was passiert mit mir nach meinem Aufenthalt bei dir?” What will happen to me after my stay with you?

Joe did not answer.

“Joe, what am I supposed to do?” Chuck asked his friend, frustrated.

“Look after her.”

“Why can’t you? I don’t speak German!”

“I don’t think Winters trusts me to…not after Holland. And I’m still playing translator, so I’ll be around, don’t worry. But Winters wants you to look after her.”

“Oh, alright. Does she understand any English at all?”

“I don’t think so. But I’ll ask. Kannst du Englisch?” Do you know English?

“Only little. Speak better than understand others. Not very well.”

“Why isn’t she being kept with a higher up. Why isn’t she being interrogated?”

“I’m sure Winters will want to talk to her later, but look at her. Does she look like a threat to you, Chuck? She’s a nurse. She’s not a Nazi. I’m sure she doesn’t know anything. The wounded man she was attending to was just a Private, at least in our terms (whatever the lowest ranking enlisted man was), he probably doesn’t know anything either. We’re tending to him and looking after him. But we’re keeping them separate. Cause we don’t want them escaping or conspiring or otherwise. But they aren’t threats. We can’t let them go, though. But we also don’t have anyone to turn them over to because we’re under siege and all.”

“So I just…watch her?”

Joe shrugged, “yeah. Look after her. Get her food. Stay with her. Even when she goes to the bathroom, you gotta take her.”

“Aw, jeez, Joe.”

“I’m not saying you have to look at her!”

“Alright, alright.”

“Since she knows at least some English, I’ll leave you two alone for now.” Joe began walking away.

“Wait!” Chuck called out to him. “She said she could speak it better than she could understand others! Joe! I can’t talk to her by myself!”

“Sure you can! Just dumb everything down.”

Chuck rolled his eyes and groaned.

He finally, actually, looked at the nurse. And he was shocked to see how pretty she was. Sure, she was German. But she was still a woman. And she was a very pretty woman at that. She noticed that he was staring. And he noticed that she’d noticed.

“I’m sorry.” He looked down. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

It took her a few moments to try and understand what he’d said, but she got there and smiled.

“It is alright.”

“I…uh…guess I’m supposed to look after you. I don’t know why they chose me. But I’m not gonna hurt you. I mean you no harm.”

“I understand. You have been so nice.”

“Well, we certainly try. Neither you nor your buddy seems like much of a threat. Don’t think you know anything either. Like…government, Nazi stuff. Important stuff. N-not that you don’t know important stuff. What I’m trying to say is that we intend to treat both you and your guy with respect.”

Chuck had spoken quite fast and had stumbled over his words a bit. Again, it took the nurse a minute to process what he’d said. When she had, she smiled and shook her head.

“No, no, no. No threat at all. Nobody tells us anything. All I know to do is help people.”

“Right. I know the feeling. Sometimes I feel like we don’t get told anything either. The higher ups like to keep the important stuff to themselves. Which I guess makes sense.”

“If I did know anything, I’d say.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t like Nazis. If I knew anything, if I could help you, I would.”

“You would?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Why? I mean…why don’t you like the Nazis? Why would you go against them and help us?”

“They hate everybody. They take rights away. They take people away. They kill. They’re not nice.”

“But you’re German, aren’t you? You’re helping the soldiers?”

“I can’t hate Nazis? I can’t help my fellow man? My people? Because I am German?”

“Well…no, no, of course you can. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just assumed…”

“No. You shouldn’t have. I could say you torture and kill prisoners, but that does not mean you do.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“We have both learned things, then.”

“Yes. We have. If you don’t mind my asking…why do you hate the Nazis so much?”

“I think I am a kind person. I care about people. The Nazis are not kind. They do not care about people. I do not care for them.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“What do you mean?”

“Can’t they kill you for that?”

The nurse scoffed. “Well, I don’t say it. Even if I did and something happened, I’d die proudly, knowing I’d said the truth.”

“But you’d still be dead.”

“What if you died here? Would that not be for a good cause? Your country?”

“I suppose you’re right. It’d suck for my family, though.”

“I understand. I didn’t mean to imply total honor in death and war. Because God knows there is not. I simply meant that sometimes there is honor in death, if you are holding steadfast to your beliefs.”

“I understand that.”

Chuck decided that he liked this nurse. She had spunk. She hated Nazis and just wanted to help her people. What’s not to like about that?

Joe came back to check on them.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Pretty good. Her English actually isn’t that bad.”

“It isn’t? That’s good. Winters wants to talk to her.” He turned his attention to the nurse. “Uh, would you prefer it if I continued to speak to you in German?”

“It would help.”

“Alright. Unser Bataillonskommandant möchte mit Ihnen sprechen. Er hat bereits mit deinem Mann gesprochen. Er sieht keinen von euch als Drohung.” Our battalion commander wants to talk to you. He’s already talked to your guy. He doesn’t see either of you as threats.

“I understand. Thank you.”

“If you’d come with me, please.”

Chuck moved with the nurse to go with Joe, but Joe stopped him.

“You don’t need to come. I’ll return her to you after Winters is done talking to her.”

Chuck frowned, but stayed put as he watched the two walk away. Why was he so upset? He really didn’t need to go with her. Joe was escorting her to see Winters. She never left the care of an Easy guy. Chuck wasn’t her keeper, really. He wasn’t her bodyguard. It was simply his responsibility to look after her. That being when she wasn’t needed elsewhere. So why was he so upset when Joe stopped him?

Joe led the nurse to Battalion CP to see Winters.

“Can she speak and understand English?”

“A little. She speaks it better than she understands it. So I think it’d be best if I translated what you say to her, and then she should be able to respond to you in English.”

Winters nodded, “alright.”

“I’d first like to know why they were so close to our lines.” He’d already asked the soldier this question and gotten a reasonable answer. He just wanted to hear it from two sources. To make sure they lined up and made sense.

Joe translated. The nurse processed and turned to Winters.

“We didn’t mean to be so close. He’d gotten lost. Another man, ours, was near and shot him, thinking he was one of yours. He didn’t know. I heard and came to him.”

This matched up with what the man had said. He’d gotten lost and was near another unit (bataillon) of his regiment (or whatever, I’m using Army terms, ok? But it’d be the German equivalent). And a man from this battalion thought he was an American that had wondered close to them. So he shot him. He was obviously dead and he didn’t check and had no interest in looting. Neither seemed to know why the man shot one of his own and didn’t know, even afterwards, what had happened. But Winters decided it wasn’t the unlikeliest event, and he believed it, as neither party seemed anything but sincere. Winters assumed that, since the soldier knew nothing valuable, that the nurse wouldn’t either.

“Alright. That’s all. I just wanted to make sure their stories matched. He didn’t know anything. I’m guessing she doesn’t either. You can take her to Roe’s foxhole. He’s looking after the soldier. She can see him and see how he’s doing. But…just watch them, ok? Guarnere is guarding them.”

“Aye, sir.” Joe explained to the nurse that they were through here and that they’d go see her guy now. Which she was very happy about.

When they got to the foxhole, Joe explained to Bill and Gene that Winters had said she could see him. They nodded and allowed the nurse to see her guy.

“Geht es dir gut?” Are you alright?

“Ja.” Yes

“Behandeln sie dich gut?” They are treating you well?

“Sehr viel.” Very much.

“Ich auch.” Me too.

“Ich freue mich, das zu hören. Ich habe mir Sorgen um dich gemacht.” I am happy to hear that. I was concerned about you.

“Das ist süß. Aber es gibt keine Notwendigkeit zu sein. Ich werde ziemlich gut betreut.” That’s sweet. But there’s no need to be. I am being looked after quite well.

“Gut.” Good.

The nurse and the soldier nodded. The nurse turned to Gene.

“Thank you. For caring for him.”

“No problem, ma’am. It’s what I do.”

The nurse looked to Joe for a translation, as she couldn’t understand his accent. It took Joe a moment to realize this, as she’d been doing so well. He chuckled and translated before telling her it was time to go back to Chuck. The nurse and the soldier were satisfied that they were both being cared for.

When they got back to Chuck, he was pacing a bit.

“Jeez, Joe, what took you so long? She doesn’t know anything, why’d Winters keep her for so long.”

“Would you keep your pants on? Winters only asked her why they were so close to the line, they provided the same story. Which Winters thinks is reasonable. Then I took her to see the Kraut soldier.”

“I thought they weren’t supposed to be together.”

“Relax. That was just a precaution. It wasn’t even needed. Besides, I was there. Bill was there, too. I heard everything they said. They were just concerned about each other and were glad they were safe and being taken care of. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Oh. Ok.”

“Alright. Now, I’ll leave you two alone now.”

Joe winked at seemingly both of them before departing. Chuck narrowed his eyes at him as he left. The nurse chuckled, catching his attention.

“What?”

“You’re cute.”

He was cute? She was cute! She was blushing! Wait…was she blushing because of Joe or him?

“Oh, yeah? Not nearly as cute as you.” Ok, that was lame. But Chuck’s flirting game was a little rusty. She chuckled again, though, so she must’ve thought it was funny.

“How am I cute?”

“How are you not?”

The nurse stopped smiling, which made Chuck frown.

“You are serious?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

The nurse blushed again and hid her face. Chuck took a step closer to her.

“Were you not serious?”

“I thought we were kidding around, joking?”

The frown did not leave Chuck’s face. He shrugged.

“I guess. I-if you wanted to be.”

Now it was her time to frown.

“Did you...not want to be.”

Chuck glanced at her, curious.

“Did you not want to be?”

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you second.”

“I’m a woman.”

Chuck looked at the nurse intently. He wasn’t sure if she was still joking or not. He continued looking at her and did not answer her question. Nor did she answer his.

She was looking at him as he was looking at her. She took a step closer to him.

“Were you serious when you said I was cute?”

Chuck averted his gaze. A blush appeared on his face. He looked back at her.

“Yes.” His voice was small and soft, barely above a whisper.

“Good,” she took another step closer to him, so she was standing right in front of him, she kissed him on the cheek, “because I was too.”

Flustered, Chuck stood still, not quite sure what to do. He only now noticed that it was getting dark.

“It’s...uh...it’s getting dark. Are you tired? Would you like to sleep? Today was a long day for you.”

“Yes. I would like that very much. Thank you.”

Chuck led her back to his foxhole, where his partner, Tab, was nowhere to be found.

“I guess you’re meant to sleep with me,” he said as he jumped down into the hole, unaware of how those words sounded in a different context.

“E-Excuse me?” The nurse stood at the edge of the hole, looking down at Chuck as he looked up at her.

“You can do it on the other side of the hole if you’d like. But it’s cold. We usually huddle together for warmth.”

She sighed before jumping down into the hole and huddling next to Chuck before he could even react and try to help her.

“Oh-kay then.” He put his arm around her to hold her close and pulled a blanket over the both of them to keep them as warm as possible.

The nurse truly was tired. Any fear she had about sleeping right next to, literally right up against, what was technically an enemy soldier diminished quickly at how warm and welcoming the physical contact was. She had never slept with anyone this way. She almost felt dirty doing it before she reminded herself that they both still had clothes on. She drifted off to sleep fairly quickly. Chuck followed soon after.

They both awoke to some fire a little ways from them some hours later. Chuck instinctually held the nurse closer as she did the same. They looked at each other when the firing had stopped and they noticed what they were doing. With their arms around each other and their faces close, there only seemed to be one logical thing to do.

Chuck looked at her lips briefly before looking into her eyes. Oh, what beautiful eyes, he thought. Even in the dim moonlight.

“C-can I-?”

Before he could even finish his sentence, she interrupted him, “please.”

Chuck certainly did not need to be told twice. They both slowly leaned toward each other. But before their lips could touch, a shell went off quite near them, startling them both apart from each other.

A cry of medic followed suit. The nurse moved, but Chuck grabbed her hand before she could make it out of the foxhole.

“It’s ok. Let one of our guys get it. You don’t have to.”

But after another couple of minutes of agonized cries and no medic in sight, she moved again, and this time Chuck did not stop her, but followed to offer any assistance he could, making sure he had his first aid kit with him. 

[fair warning, terrible depiction of injury and first aid administration; I doubt much of this is accurate, please be nice about it, I’m sensitive]

When they both got to the source of the cries, they found a Private whose left arm had some shrapnel in it. Her small and nimble fingers began removing whatever she could with them before accepting the teasers (wasn’t in a regular soldier’s first aid kit, I know, please just go with it, maybe he just happened to have them) Chuck offered her. She then removed the smaller pieces before handing them back to Chuck.

She looked at him with a confused look on her face.

“Uh...he needs...uh...powder...I don’t know what you’d call it.”

Chuck gave her a sulfa packet, which she then administered to the spot on his arm that the most shrapnel had hit and wouldn’t heal on it’s own. Chuck already had the bandage ready to go, which she quickly took and put over the spot.

“Does he need morphine or a tourniquet?”

“What?” She looked at him, utterly confused and distracted at the moment.

“Drugs or blood flow restriction?”

She shook her head. “No, It’s not that bad. Powder and bandage. It should heal. Rest will heal on its own.”

“Thank you.” The Private said.

“You’re welcome.”

Just then, Ralph Spina appeared.

“Was someone calling for a medic over here a minute ago?”

“I was. I got hit with shrapnel from a shell. But I’m alright now. She fixed me up.”

Ralph looked him over quickly and determined that it was a good job.

“Alright. Doesn’t look like I’m needed here anymore. Good job, ma’am. Thank you for helping.”

“No problem.”

Ralph went back to his hole. The two got the Private settled into his before going back to their own.

They went back to being huddled together.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

“He needed medical attention.”

“Ralph would’ve gotten there in time.”

“If he hadn’t? If the wound had been worse? If I had stayed here, we couldn’t have known when someone would come. We couldn’t have known how bad the wound was. Just because the wound wasn't that bad and just because someone got there in time doesn't mean I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

“I guess you’re right. But he was an enemy soldier.”

“So are you. And what were we going to do right before that shell went off? It makes no difference.”

“You really do just want to help people, don’t you?”

“Have any of my actions so far led you to believe otherwise?”

“No. I just can’t imagine one of our guys doing that.”

“You might be surprised. They might. You don’t know.”

“No. I guess I don’t. Let’s try to get some more sleep, eh?”

“Alright.”

They both soon fell back asleep. Only to be awoken by the sun in the morning.

“Morning,” Chuck greeted her as he saw her eyes flutter open, “did you sleep well.”

“Only as well as I could in this hole.”

Chuck chuckled.

“Yeah. I know what you mean. You hungry? Chow should be soon.”

Her stomach grumbled at that, prompting he to say: “very much.”

They set out for the chow line. Chuck immediately felt protective of the nurse as the other men looked at her. He held her close to him. But he was shaken out of this protective haze by Liebgott’s jovial approach.

“Hey! How’d you two love birds make out last night?”

The color drained from Chuck’s face. “What?” He asked, mortified.

“Relax, Chuck. It’s a joke. She do alright last night?”

“She did just fine.”

“Great. Winters is returning them today.”

“What?! Why?”

“It’s a nurse and a low ranker. They don’t know anything about their own army’s plans. They’re useless to us. They don’t know anything about us. They’re useless to their own people and will probably be treated alright. We aren’t gonna kill them. We can’t keep them. We can’t take them anywhere. We’re still under siege. We can only return them.” [No idea if any of this is true, so sorry, just go with it, please]

“Um...ok. When would he like to do that?”

“After chow.”

“Oh. Ok.”

“Something wrong, Chuck?”

“No.”

“Ok,” Joe left to get in line, glancing back at Chuck several times.

“Did you get that? We’re returning you and your guy after chow.”

“Oh. That’s nice.” The nurse had enjoyed her time among the enemy much more than she had been led to believe she would. She almost didn’t want to go back. She was intrigued by this enemy soldier she’d met. And she wanted to spend more time with him. But she knew that she must go back. She must continue helping her fellow countrymen.

They got their food and ate in silence, neither quite knowing what to say to the other. So neither said anything.

Winters and Joe came with the soldier to get the nurse to return the two. Winters had somehow gotten a message to a German officer and they had agreed to a peaceful return of the two. Of course, both sides brought muscle just in case, but nothing happened.

The nurse and the soldier were returned to their own side of the forest. They never forgot each other, though. For that one day they were together, they each learned a lot about some of the people on the other side of this war they were in.

-The End-

#chuck grant x reader #band of brothers x reader

[storiesungaa]

mobile rules & information

Since people don’t read rules all the way through i would like to preface this by saying: TRIGGERING MATERIAL WILL BE WRITTEN HERE. THIS INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO: INCEST, DUBCON, SUICIDAL IDEALATIONS, CHEATING, AND ANYTHING ELSE I WANT TO WRITE. BY CLICKING FOLLOW, YOU AGREE TO BLACKLIST THE TAGS PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF (trigger here) tw. DO NOT FOLLOW ME IF YOU THINK FICTION EQUALS REALITY OR IN ANYWAY HAS ANY REFLECTION ON A MUN’S MORAL STANDING. 

HATE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND ANY ANON’S I GET ABOUT THIS THAT IS HATE WILL BE BLOCKED/NOT AT ALL ACKNOWLEDGED.

THANK YOU.

about: this is an indie mutuals only rp blog for a multimuse with various fandoms from tv shows, movies, anime, and video games. mun is 25+, genderfluid lesbian, goes by he/him pronouns (but i am genderfluid so i don’t mind she/her pronouns, most just call me he/him) online and name Jay. Previously known as Ares and Snow.

Callout culture: Do not involve me in this. Period. I want no part of it and will block as soon as I see it, tagged or not. I believe it does more harm than good and something like tha is extremely harmful..

content: there will be some pretty heavy material featured here. such as suicidal thoughts, mentions of rape, incest, and anything else I want to write. I will not tolerate hate being sent to me about this and I will block anyone who tries to police me. The only hard limit i have and absolutely refuse to write is pedophilia.

Don’t ever be afraid to ask me to tag something!

side note: if you believe fiction equals reality, please don’t follow me.

discord: is open to those who follow me. simply ask for it. i do not write on discord though. ooc contact is highly encouraged!

disclaimer: i'm in no way affiliated with any of the actors, fandoms, or characters on this blog.  Banners, promos, and icons belong to me. Theme was made by inkfated.  all screencaps used to turn into icons on this blog are not mine and belong to their rightful owners. Lara Croft screencaps come from soulcluster. tsunade icons belong to hellspath. rectangle tsunade icons belong to me. Some psds are not mine. Credit to iconholic for Red Velvet psd. Credit to plutocommissions for psd 183 - wild. some psds used are made by rivercraze

Drama: There won’t be any. I’m too old for tumblr’s drama, if you try to start something, make me choose, or drag me into drama - you will be blocked.

DNI’s will get you blocked. I don’t agree with making people choose between people when there are things like blacklist and tumblr’s own filtering system to help you avoid a person

Hate: Character hate, show hate, etc will get you unfollowed. I don’t have time for that negativity, pls tag it so I can filter it out, thank you.

IMs: pls refrain from sending me multiple messages all at once as I’m autistic and it sends me into sensory overloads!!

follow/unfollowing: i usually follow back pretty quick. if i don't follow within a week, i'm probably not going to follow back. 9/10 i do follow back. i will not follow if i see vaguing, callouts, or any sort of drama on blogs. i also will not follow any under the age of 18.

if i’ve been following you for a month and you don’t interact with me within that time limit, I’m unfollowing. I won’t soft block because I’m totally okay with people still following me but I don’t see the point in following if we’re not gonna write.

If I do not follow you back, do not message me asking to write or become mutuals - you will be blocked.

If I block you, do not come to me asking why. It will only get you blocked all over again. Do not ask why i’ve unfollowed you, either.

DO NOT FOLLOW ME IF YOU’RE A MINOR.

side note: if you’re the type to blindly believe a callout because that’s what everyone else is doing  save yourself the trouble and don’t follow me.

Memes: Send as many as you want for as many muses as you want just be sure to specify muse or they’ll get deleted! Always feel free to turn meme answers into threads, too.

Do not use me as a meme resource. Send something in or reblog from the source, please.

note:  if you send memes multiple times and there’s clearly a way to continue them, ESPECIALLY if we’ve never interacted before, and you keep sending memes but have NO INTENTIONS on replying to them, I will be less likely to respond to them. memes, in my eyes, are used as alternatives to starters. if you don’t respond to them after i’ve responded to quite a few, that’s me putting work into it for no reason really, so yeah.

My triggers: Sharks. That’s it. Just tag pictures of sharks for me please

nsfw: smut will be present here. i can not play the dominant party in smut, please don't ask me too. if you don't feel comfortable with it, we can fade to black, easy peasy. i won't make myself uncomfortable for some smut. All muses involved in smut or ships are 18+. If you think that aging them up is pedophila, do me a favor and get off my blog. Smut may happen with aged up characters but that does not mean it was done specifically for smut. Do not assume.

OCS: I love them. Send them my way, please!

OOC:  I post ooc, sometimes quite a bit, sometimes rarely. I am human and I will act as such. I will not tag ooc posts mostly bc i’ll forget. Sorry if that bugs people but like i said, I’m human and I like to write things down and share things with the dash.

OOC note: please do not flirt with me or ask me to date you, thank you!

Shipping: all muses are LGBT+ in some shape or form so if you want to ship, just let me know. They’re pretty open to anyone, though gay and lesbian muses will stay gay and lesbian. I ship toxic pairings and incest so if that’s your cup of tea, just lemme know, and we can work something out if not? That’s alright too!!

As previously stated, all ships and smut scenes are involved with characters 18+. I will never under any circumstance write something with underage characters. Characters, however, can be aged up but are never simply just for the sake of smut. Smut may happen with aged up characters but that does not mean it was done specifically for smut. Do not assume.

wait time: sometimes i can take months, sometimes seconds, sometimes days. I’m not a fast rper, please respect this.

writing: i generally prefer writing multi-para or novella. one-liners or one-paragraphs usually end up getting dropped or made into much longer threads as i have absolutely no chill. 

edit: from now on any drafts that are below three paras will be deleted, i don’t have muse for short things.

End note: Do me a favor and like this post if you’ve read my rules. Not needed but deeply appreciated. Also below you’ll find important links:

MUSES & NAVIGATION & MUSE INTEREST CHECKER & SHIP INTEREST CHECKER & COMMISSIONS INFORMATION & MOBILE MUSE LIST & THREAD TRACKER

#mobile rules

[hellimagines]

Indebted to You -- Barry OBX

Masterlist

Summary: As JJ Maybank’s older sister it’s always been your top priority to protect your little brother. Even if that means easing your father’s temper by indebting yourself to Outerbanks’ top dealer.

Warnings: child abuse, frequent dr*g mention and dr*g dealing (of the non-oui’d variety), paying off someone else’s debt non-conventionally

Pairing: Barry x fem!Maybank!reader

Word Count: 2.4K

DISCLAIMER: Please, for the love of fuck, DO NOT do hard dr*gs just because you think they’re ‘cool’ or because you think dating a dealer is ‘cool’. Believe me when I tell you that neither of those things are cool, and that is NOT what I am trying to get across with this story; I don’t condone hard dr*g use.

A/N: This is something I pulled out of my ass because I wanted to write for Barry really bad, but I didn’t have any ideas. It has potential but I’m not sure if it’s gonna go anywhere. Also, Barry may be a little OOC since we don’t get much from his character. Anyway, I hope you guys like this and let me know what you think!

You released a slow, aggravated huff while staring down at your drunken father. He sat hunched over on the couch, with his elbows digging into his knees and his gaze trained on the coffee table before him. Behind you, your younger brother was curled into an armchair with a frozen bag of expired peas pressed against his left eye and a bloody tissue under his nose. You yourself had a welt already throbbing and beginning to swell on your cheekbone, but you ignored it in favor of kicking your dad’s limp foot. His head shot up, neck cracking with the unexpected speed, and narrowed his eyes at you dangerously.

“You had some nerve steppin’ in on something that wasn’t your business. What’ve I told you ‘bout stickin’ your nose where it don’t belong?” he snarled while attempting to stand, but was pathetically unsuccessful due to his inebriated state. All he managed to do was stumble and fall back down on the couch with a grunt. 

You rolled your eyes, “And what’ve I told you about mixing your whiskey and blow? I already have your grave dug outback, and the sooner you keep this shit going, the sooner I get to toss your ass inside it.” Luke scoffed at your words but didn’t offer a rebuttal as he flexed his bloody knuckles. “JJ didn’t touch the fucking money-- I’ve been keeping ahold of it so nothing goes missing before I head to Barry’s. You’d remember that if you weren’t fucking high or drunk all the time. JJ’s got his own job and is making his own money, he doesn’t need to jack your rolled bills for anything.” 

You pulled out a wad of recently-flattened bills, shaking the cash in front of your dad’s face. It was roughly $600 that you had made the past weekend while bouncing from Kook party to Kook party. Luke’s eyes widened at the sight of the money and he instinctively reached out to grab it from you. Your arm jerked back and you clutched the wad tightly before shoving it back into the pocket of your leather jacket. 

With a shake of your head, you looked over your shoulder and gave your brother a once over, nodding to yourself after assessing he wouldn’t be dropping dead anytime soon. “Why don’t you go to JB’s? I’ve got shit handled here and I heard the waves were supposed to be good before the sun sets.” 

“You sure? I can go with you-”

“Over my dead body. I got involved in this so you didn’t have to. Scram, before I change my mind and make you clean the kitchen.” JJ frowned but did as he was told, depositing the peas back in the freezer before making his way out the front door. You turned back to your dad, who was now laying on the couch with an arm thrown over his face. “I don’t have many more runs to do before we’re out of this shit-eating debt you caused with Barry. Keep your paws off the cash and we won’t have any problems, okay? You can’t fuck this up before I manage to fix it. Please, dad,” you whispered pleadingly and lowered yourself to the edge of the coffee table. 

Your dad peeked open an eye at you before laughing darkly. “You’re running the game, princess. The streets know you, but even worse, those rich Kooks know you and know what you have to offer. That won’t be forgotten, especially with how good you’ve been running that shit. You’re not gonna be getting out anytime soon, so what’s it matter if a couple twenties go missin’ or a gram gets cut on our table? Don’t piss Barry off and don’t get caught by the cops, and you’ll be set for life.” 

“No, I’m not like you,” you growled as your lip curled into a sneer. “I don’t wanna keep dealing and end up bitter and angry and alone, like you. Once I’m finished working off your debt, I’m done.” 

Luke shot up from the couch in the blink of an eye, towering over you while gripping your jaw tightly. You could feel his fingers painfully digging into your skin, pressing against your teeth, and making you wince. “Doesn’t matter what you fucking want. This isn’t your world, princess. Once people know who’s moving product in the streets, you’re stuck. So you may as well embrace the Maybank name and take what you can while you can. Now, be a good girl and go make daddy proud,” he hissed in your ear, before roughly letting go of your jaw by flinging your head to the side. You teetered off the edge of the table and fell to your side on the floor, but Luke didn’t spare you a second glance as he stepped over you and stumbled to his room. 

After pushing yourself to your feet and massaging your sore jaw, you shot a glare toward the direction of your father’s room. “Fuck you,” you spat quietly before leaving the house and slamming the door shut behind you.

By the time you made it to Barry’s trailer, the sun had set and the small grassy area Barry called his ‘backyard’ was lit up with lights, noises, and people. You made your way around the trailer, nodding to a few people you recognized before you found Barry lounging in a lawn chair with a beer in his hand. His smile was wide and dirty as he laughed with the people surrounding him, seemingly at ease with everyone. When he noticed you walking toward him out of the corner of his eye, his smile brightened and he shouted out for you.

“Ay, look who it is!” he yelled, waving an arm out toward you while the others cheered at your arrival. “I was just thinkin’ about you, sweetheart. C’mon, sit down with me. I left a chair open just for you,” Barry smiled, gesturing to the black lawn chair beside him with a Mikes waiting in the arm pocket. Despite yourself, you couldn’t help but to snicker softly at him and take the offered chair. 

“What made you so certain I’d show up tonight?” you hummed teasingly while opening the spiked limeade that had been waiting for you. 

Barry grinned over the lid of his beer, his brown eyes watching you intently as you drank from your bottle. “Because I know you, sweetheart. Sunday nights are your drop-off nights.” Your cheeks warmed at his comment, but you played it off with a scoff and shake of your head. “I wanted to make sure you were more comfortable tonight, so I kept that chair open for ya and grabbed your favorite while on a liquor run.” 

A harsh scoff came from a chair on the other side of Barry, and you peeked around him to see who it came from. “Special privilege for his new fucktoy, what a surprise,” the voice muttered, and you recognized it as one of Barry’s frequent buyers, Sherry. You’d never had a conversation with the girl despite having gone to school with her in the past, and even though she was always at Barry’s get-togethers, she typically seemed more focused on her next fix rather than talking with anyone.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Barry snapped, turning to look at her with a clenched jaw. He seemed to purposefully be blocking her view of you, and you remained silent as the altercation unfolded.

“You know what it means,” she snapped back. “Whenever a new piece of trash starts selling for you, you put your dick in her and use her until another one shows up. But, you never bought them their favorite bitch-drink or saved them a seat, so what makes this one so much better, huh? Why does she get to sit in the big, nice chair next to you, but the rest of us have to have three-legged chairs and warm beers? What about her cunt makes her so much better?” Marie shouted, causing a couple of the others to whistle in disbelief. 

Before Barry could respond, one of the boys in the circle spoke up. “Maybe it’s cause she’s not a psychotic bitch who snorts the blow instead of selling it.”  You could hear Marie’s angry gasp at the diss, and when Barry gave her a pointed look rather than defending her, she flipped off the group before storming away. 

“Remind me why we let Sherry stick around all the time?” Someone questioned as you idly picked at the label on your bottle.

“Because this ain’t a fuckin’ gated community,” Barry scoffed as though it was obvious. The other chuckled in agreement before the conversation picked up and everyone went back to their own thing. You cleared your throat awkwardly once the attention was off of you, not knowing how to respond-- or if you were even supposed to. Barry gave a deep sigh, “Sorry about that, sweetheart. Don’t listen to anything she said, Sherry just hasn’t been doing great since she lost custody of her son. You’re not a fucktoy and I ain’t got no intention of using you like that.”

“Don’t worry about it, she’s going through shit and I get it. I shouldn’t stay long anyway, Luke’s fucked off his ass and if I’m gone much longer he’ll flip,” you shrugged, reaching into your pocket and pulling out the cash as you spoke. “I made about $600 this weekend, and I know it’s not as much as it usually is, but someone had already hit up the beach and two of my usual places by the time I was able to start selling. So, I was stuck at Rafe’s party all of last night and only a handful of small pickups on Friday night.” You handed the wad over to Barry with an apologetic wince. “I still have some blow left over, so I’ll try and push a few eight-balls before the weekend. I’m sorry it’s not more.” Barry flicked through the cash quietly as you explained everything to him, before folding it into his pocket once it was all counted. He finished off his beer while looking you over, causing the nervous feeling in your stomach to grow. 

“Sweetheart,” he began with a shockingly gentle sigh, “You ain’t gotta apologize for any of that shit. You’re cleaning up your daddy’s debt because he’s too useless to do it himself, yet you’re not bitter or angry at everyone because of it. I’ve heard of the way you stick by new users throughout the night, making sure they’re using safely and doing okay. You still go to your day job and take care of your brother and his shithead-friends despite being up past dawn most days. You’re doing great, and I don’t ever wanna hear you apologize for thinking you’re not doing enough.” 

Your cheeks flamed and your eyes widened in shock as you spluttered helplessly at the man in front of you. “I wasn’t implying that I wasn’t doing enough! I just know how much my dad owes you, and $600 weekends are gonna take too long to pay it off.”

Barry raised an eyebrow at you before grabbing onto the arm of your chair and tugging you closer to him. You yelped at the sudden movement, bracing yourself for the inevitable collapse of you and your chair. Barry laughed loudly at you when you squeezed your eyes shut and gripped the chair tightly, but there was no mirth or mock behind his laugh. Once the chair stopped moving and his laugh slowed to a chuckle, you breathed a sigh of relief.

“Relax,” he chuckled, reaching out to move a strand of hair out of your face. “I wasn’t gonna let you fall, just wanted to talk to you better.”

“You could’ve just asked me to move closer,” you grumbled, casting your eyes to the side as your cheeks flushed. “And I told you I can’t stay long to chat.”

Barry gave you a nonchalant shrug, “Where’s the fun in that? Besides, if your daddy’s got an issue with you keeping me company, I’ll just go and have a talk with him. I don’t want you worrying about him when you’ve got enough going on. Stay for a bit, sweetheart. I’ve got a whole cooler full of those Mikes, and you’re the only one I’m allowin’ to drink ‘em. If you really wanna go, I won’t stop you, but I want you to know that I don’t mind you stickin’ around me for a while.”

You bit your lip as you considered Barry’s offer, quietly looking out at the happy party-goers. It was calmer than any Kook party or Boneyard Blowout you had attended, and you had to admit that you loved the calm and welcoming atmosphere. Barry’s warm hand settled over your propped up knee, bringing your attention back to his hopeful eyes. 

“Okay, fine,” you caved and Barry squeezed your knee in delight. “But, you have to go get me a drink. Sherry was right, this chair is comfortable as fuck and I don’t wanna get up.” 

“Whatever you want, sweetheart,” Barry teased and patted your knee before leaving to grab your drink. You stared after him with a bashful smile, unable to help yourself as the nervous feeling in your stomach evolved into flustered butterflies.

‘Shit,’ you groaned to yourself, ‘I’ve got a schoolgirl crush on this motherfucker. I’m so screwed.’

#outerbanks #outerbanks imagine #outerbanks imagines #outerbanks x reader #obx #obx imagine #barry obx #barry outerbanks #barry obx imagine #barry obx x reader #barry outerbanks imagine #barry outerbanks x reader #obx barry #obx netflix

[emotionalcello-makefanfics]

Disclaimer tho, all my knowledge of the fandom is strictly from fanfic and google. I don't read the comic or watch the anime. I only have some vague knowledge of what's canon or not and making this fanfic has been somewhat of a fever dream.

Tags: Fluff and angst. Attempt at humor. Crying. Probably ooc. No smut, just holding hands and some hugging and some kissing. Shouto smokes, and probably incorrect depictions of smoking. Implied child abuse (you know who). Lowkey Fuyumi bashing.

Warning: In character cussing from explodo boy. 

Summary:

They found each other in coinciding vulnerability. Shouto was smoking, Katsuki was crying. Miraculously, no one died. It seems that vulnerability is exactly what they need to get through their respective problems, because vulnerability makes them do the one thing the two boys are allergic to do, opening up.

Or, Shouto and Katsuki cope with each other. It miraculously didn't end in explosions, just a lot of physical affections and crying.

Words: 10.9 k

 You don’t have to take life so seriously Shouto! It can be whatever you want to be, it’s yours!

Shouto knocks his head back and parts his lips. White ribbons bleed to the orange sky. The clouds are pretty pink instead of white. The smoke doesn’t blend in with the white clouds anymore like a few hours ago. He taps the amber ash on the portable coffin-shaped ashtray. More than a dozen filter buds crammed there.

He should go back to his room. Any darker then it would be noticeable when goes back to his room. But there’s always that small whisper at the back of his head: Maybe after one more. This spot has been his salvation from overstimulation. It’s the highest building in UA, the rooftop of the dorm. He’s been here for two years and has always been alone.

The door slammed open.

High on nicotine, Shouto passes through shock to immediate acceptance that he’s busted.

Only, he’s not busted. The next sound that came is sobbing. The first thing he sees is awry blond hair and a tear-streaked red face. Soon came the already red blood-shot eyes, staring at him with a sadness that not even in Shouto’s wildest imagination can imagine on Bakugou’s face. It takes a few seconds too long for the default glare and anger to return.

“The fuck are you doing here!” He yells, his voice croaks in a not angry way. Wet and breaking at the pitch.

Shouto, still a bit floaty and relaxed from the nicotine in his system, nor is he yet to register the shock from seeing Bakugou’s tears, just points down towards his fingers.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” his voice is scratchy, a tad bit deeper. He never smoked so many that that happened. Then again, today is a special day.

Seemingly just as shocked, Bakugou seems to still. Shouto expects crackling hands, bared teeth, or maybe a ‘TELL ANYONE AND DIE’, but never that he strides his way and sits on the floor beside Shouto.

“Still have one of those?” Bakugou leans back.

Wordlessly, Shouto digs the last pack from his pocket. There are six left. Bakugou takes one, and Shouto lit a fire on the tip of his thumb towards Bakugou.

“How do you do this?” Bakugou says, eyeing the fire.

“You’ve never done this before?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I have Icyhot! Now fucking tell me already.”

“You put it between your lips, and inhales a bit as you put this corner on the fire.” Shouto crowds him cupping the end of the smoke with his palm and keep the fire controllably small. It feels like Deja Vu, but this time, Shouto is showing someone how to smoke instead.

Bakugou tries, and before Shouto can say to take it slow, Bakugou already choked and doubled over coughing. Shouto pats his back.

“What the fuck was that!” Bakugou roars and grimaces when he sees the stacks of cigarette buds on his ashtray. “How the fuck do you smoke that many!”

Shouto shrugged, “I’m used to it.” He puts out his bud on top of the pile and picks up the mostly one-piece cigarette that Bakugou chucked to the floor and lights it up. He feels eyes on him as he put the filter on his lips and lit it up in one smooth move.

With the cigarette properly lit, he offered, “Wanna try again?”

“No! That shit’s nasty.” Bakugou snarled at the hand holding the smoking cig.

“Suit yourself,” Shouto takes a deep drag and sighs. Surprisingly, Bakugou doesn’t up and leave, and more so that Shouto doesn’t mind the silence.

Alas, it only lasted exactly 33 seconds.

“How the fuck did you get in here!” Bakugou grumbles, “The door was locked.”

“I made ice stairs from my balcony.”

“Like how Elsa did?”

“Exactly like Elsa did, she was my inspiration.”

Bakugou snorts. No sadness left, just a condescending smile, which is better than the ghostly tears in his eyes.

“How did you get in through the locked door?”

“How else would you think?” Bakugou lifts his hand, cradling a small cluster of explosions.

Shouto face palmed, dragging it down.

“What?” Bakugou barks.

“Well when they figured out the door broke then they gonna figure out that someone’s been here, don’t they?”

“That nicotine is already killing your fucking brain cells.”

“That’s not how it’s-”

“Let’s get the fuck outta here before anyone finds us you loon.”

“But I-”

“You’ve burned through enough death sticks, let’s go!” Bakugou grabs his hand and pulls him up.

“Fine fine, let me tidy up.” Shouto could barely close his ashtray with all the buds in it, and he dusted the ashes that drops to the floor.

Shouto already makes the stairs down to his room before looking back at Bakugou, “Want me to drop you to your balcony?”

“I don’t know,” Bakugou narrows his eyes dangerously, “Will it suddenly melts away as I walk on it?”

Shouto huffs, “You have no faith in your favorite sparring partner?”

“The only thing I learned these past couple of years with you being shoved at my face as my sparring partner is that you’re a little shithead.”

Shouto makes the stairs towards Bakugou’s room first, reveling in how badly Bakugou tried to cover his amazement at the stairs.

“Just like Elsa’s, right?”

“You want me to give you Elsa’s number 1 simp trophy?”

Shouto melts Bakugou’s step and lets him fall blond head first into his balcony.

“YOU’LL FUCKING PAY FOR THAT, COCA-COLA SHITHEAD!”

Bakugou roars, and Shouto giggles as he jumps upstairs to his room with explosions fading behind him.

Not until he’s laying in bed that night that he thinks about Bakugou’s tears again. Rest assured, his imagination spiraled to ‘what could it be’ until 4 am.

  ++++

 I don’t understand why your dad wants you to be number one when he should’ve want you to just be happy. Nothing in life really matters unless you’re happy.

Shouto loves everything about living in the dorm, but it has one and only one weakness. He can’t smoke as freely.

His dad knows and just rant about how it’ll affect his performance.

Now, Aizawa knows, and he’s at the principal’s office.

Shouto instantly knows how. Bakugou broke the rooftop door. Iida must’ve found it, reported it to Aizawa-sensei. Maybe his homeroom teacher has magnifying vision too because Shouto could’ve sworn he left no trace.

Yet Shouto can’t find it in him to blame anyone. He knows as an aspiring hero he shouldn’t smoke, those reasons never matter at those desperate times he needed to smoke.

“Tea?” Nezu raises his pot of pink teapot, Shouto narrows his eyes at the paw (how did that paw hold the teacup?)

“Yes, thank you.” The cup is equally pink, with two cheerful yellow flowers on each side. This looks like a tea set Eri had.

Shouto sips the possibly herbal tea, trying to ignore the glare Aizawa-sensei is sending his way from beside Nezu.

“Todoroki, how long have you been smoking?” His sensei’s voice gravels, like he just woke up from bed, his bed hair supports the theory.

Apparently  a little mental, Shouto said, “Overall or in school?”

“Both.”

“Started when I was in first-grade junior high school.” As soon as he has any time away from home. “In UA, as soon as I stayed at the dorm.”

“Now, Todoroki,” Nezu put his paws together, “You know someone as young as you shouldn’t smoke. You’re underage, and an aspiring hero on top of that...”

Nezu then continues his PSA on smoking. Nothing Shouto hasn’t heard. Every word goes in the left ear and came out the right. He also isn’t surprised that Aizawa will be taking his stash of cigarettes. It doesn’t suck as much because Shouto doesn’t have a lot left anyway, nor is he been regularly smoking. He smokes when he’s stressed and nothing else could calm him down. He never reached out to the cigs first. The coffin-shaped portable ashtray reminded him that.

As soon as he’s back at the dorm, he’s greeted with a cheerful environment. Half his classmates are hanging in the living room. There’s a group playing Mario Party, a group that’s putting on nail art, and a group that seems to cook something ambitious. Shouto usually joins the group, but not today.

“Todoroki!” Iida comes from the hall, “Aizawa-Sensei came earlier and ran through your room! He seems to confiscate a pack of cigarettes. I’ve tried to tell him that it’s all a misunderstanding-”

“No, it’s mine.”

“Todoroki! At our young age as aspiring heroes we sho-”

“Nope, sorry not today Iida. Good night.”

Todoroki feels a few eyes on his back, but he walks on. With him naturally keeping things to himself, his friends tend to worry but they trust him to reach out to them in his own time. When it gets too long they usually check up on him. Shouto wished they never will.

 +++++ 

 You have the power to be whatever you want, but why are you following the wishes of someone you hate? I know he’s your dad, but your life is yours, Shouto.

Shouto’s wish didn’t come true when Bakugou bugs him on the rooftop again two days after he was raided.

It’s Deja Vu, but fewer tears from Bakugou and Shouto isn't a pack and a half deep in cigarettes.

“I fucking know you’d be at my spot again!” Bakugou spat scathingly.

“Excuse you,” Shouto scowls, “I’ve been smoking at this spot since the dorm opens. This is my spot.”

“Well, I’ve been- I’ve been-” Shouto should’ve known that Bakugou would turn red and explodes instead of admitting he’d been caught emoting, “What the fuck are you doing here anyway! You’re doing nothing!”

“No thanks to someone.”

Bakugou narrows his eyes, confused at the implication, but his exploding friend is smart, so he figured it out, and isn’t happy with what he figures out. “The fuck, get your accusing eyes away from me discount Sans, I don’t tattle.”

“No, but you exploded the door which leads to Iida reporting it, which leads to Aizawa inspecting the premises, and him figuring it out that smoked here.”

“That’s just your fucking fault for not covering your trace clean!”

Shouto inhaled indignantly, but then too tired to justify himself. There’s no ending of arguing with Bakugou, and Shouto had learned to choose his battles.

“How about you? How did you get in here?”

“Stole a key from Iida.”

“Are you here to cry again?”

Bakugou’s palms explode, his face an embarrassed flush and teeth bared in anger, “WHOS FUCKING CRYING!!?”

“I have eyes.”

“You’ve been sucking on those death sticks way too much.”

“I wasn’t smoking that type of substance.”

“Whatever, I’m not dealing with this,” Bakugou turns to step away.

“I don’t get it, it’s not a big deal!” Shouto raises his voice a bit, for some reason his heart rate picks up when Bakugou starts leaving. “So what if you sweat through your eyes? Midoriya does it almost every day, sometimes twice a day...”

“Don’t fucking compare me to fucking Deku you fucking fried ice cream!”

“...And Midoriya beat you at this year’s Sports Festival,” Shouto dismissed.

Bakugou grits his teeth, but his eyes watch over Shouto. “Stop stalling and tell me what you want from me,” Bakugou growls.

Shouto’s eyes widen at the sudden honesty, he nibbles on his bottom lips, “Stay here?”

For a second, Bakugou glares at him, but after two years of being his classmate, Shouto can confidently say that they’re friends. He knows Bakugou isn’t angry at him. As to prove his point, Bakugou sits beside him, a bit closer than Shouto expects him to, though still with that permanent scowl. Shouto moves his palms from his pocket, letting go of the aluminum ashtray. Shouto tests the waters and moves closer so their shoulder bumps. No explosions, no snarl, success.

Instantly, Shouto relaxes. Focusing on the pressure of their shoulders, the light shifts Bakugou does (because he can never fully stay still), and the clouds moving. No thought, just being alive.

Alas, no quiet ever lasted long with Bakugou, he expected it though.

“No wonder Aizawa figured it out, this place still stinks of tobacco.”

“It does?” Shouto takes a deep sniff, all he smells is Bakugou’s sweat that always smells sweet because of his quirk. “I didn’t smell anything.”

“Yeah no shit scar head, your nose is probably numb at this point.”

“I don’t smoke that much.”

“Said someone who smoked more than a dozen in one sitting,” Bakugou’s nags turns to worry, “Damn, was it really in one sitting?”

“Is that worry I detected?” Shouto deflects.

Bakugou grits his teeth, “I’m not worried! Go die off lung cancer I don’t fucking care!”

“Good, then, because yes it was, and there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Fucking hell it’s not! What the actual fuck are your lungs made of? I barely suck it past my throat and I almost coughed out my insides.”

“I missed your dramatics,” Shouto says genuinely, and he waits for an explosion to come. Bakugou doesn’t do well with praises thinly veiled with snark.

It never came, Bakugou watches him closely instead, “Yeah? And who’s fault is that?”

Shouto dared to glare back, but it didn’t last long, he knows the answer. Shouto had come out of his shell nicely, as Momo had put it. He’s still awkward, can’t really quite grasp ‘pop culture’ and how to correctly implied it, but he regularly hangs out with his friends. As of late, he’s noticeably withdrawn. Going straight to his room after class, and opting out of game nights, nail nights, and even soba nights.

They had been giving him space, which he finds endearing. Of course, Bakugou isn’t one to give anything liberally.

“Mine...” Shouto admits, and Bakugou looks surprised.

The fun part of befriending Bakugou is that Shouto could be a bit of a bitch and Bakugou would be a bitch back, and it wouldn’t matter. No one’s feelings were hurt, and Shouto can let go of steam without guilt. Shouto could’ve been in denial, said that Bakugou should step off his dick and no feelings would be hurt.

But he had enough of space, though admittedly, he should’ve confessed that with someone that wants to be in his space.

“Finally, you’re done moping around, everyone’s been on my ass worrying about you.”

“Why would they be on your ass?”

“Hell would I know.”

“Was that the reason you cried?” Shouto is just teasing, but the grim in Bakugou’s face isn’t a familiar one.

“I told you that didn’t happen!” he growls lowly.

Shouto considers, clueless yet curious. “I’ll tell you about me if you told me about you.”

“Just because you’re vomiting your crisis that I didn’t ask for, doesn’t mean I’m obligated to do the same!”

“Okay, that’s fine too.”

“No, shut-”

“My mom and dad are getting back together.”

Bakugou’s expression mellows to confusion, “That sounds convoluted as hell. Didn’t they just got a divorce or something?”

“They never got a divorce. She’s just sent to a mental hospital and never came home, doesn’t mean the marriage is legally broken.”

The fact seems to sink slow with his explosive friend, “What the fuck.”

Shouto sighs, looking down his jittery hands, his mouth dries. “Last year when I visited my mom, we were talking about the future. She said she’d filed for a divorce, and I’d live with her.” Shouto feels oddly numb, but there’s this dull ache deep in his chest that’s constant. “I should’ve known. She said that before he ‘tried to change’... she said that when everything was still bad, she thought it still happened.”

“What still happened?” Bakugou sounds angry, but he always does.

“I got hurt a lot when I was a kid, because of training. She thought he still hurts me.”

He felt the shoulder beside him tensed. Beside Shouto’s jittery hands is Bakugou’s clenched shaking fist. Shouto looks up from their laps and finds that Bakugou’s face... an eerie stoic.

“Hmmm,” Bakugou hums, and a chill runs down his spine. “When did you start training by the way?” not even a curse in that sentence.

Shouto realizes then, this is Bakugou truly angry, even though Shouto can’t figure out why on earth would he be.

“The day after my quirk manifested.”

His childhood is unforgettable. The day his training starts with fear and pain, then ends with exhaustion and anger. The day Touya never came back, the day his mom left, the longing stare towards the backyard wanting to play with his brother and sister. He remembers it all, like a tattoo in his memory.

“We been knew that Endeavor was an ass but I didn’t know he’s a fucking child abuser.”

The words snap him away from his musing. This time, Bakugou looks angry angry. Teeth-gritting, scowling, boiling anger.

Oh, that’s why he’s angry.

“It was training.”

“Not at five fucking years old you e-boy himbo!” Bakugou barks.

“That’s new, what’s a himbo?”

“Not the fucking point!” Bakugou takes his shoulder away, and suddenly Shouto feels cold. Then he’s held by his shoulders, pinned by sharp maroon eyes, and the lack of warmth turns cold when a growl says, “You’re telling me that your dad’s been abusing you, and no one stopped him? And he’s fucking getting away with it??”

There are so many things wrong with that question and implied statement. One is that it was not abuse. Two is that no one could’ve stopped the then number two hero. Three is that Shouto didn’t tell him any of that but Bakugou assumed anyway.

Shouto doesn’t get to say all of it as Bakugou lets go of him and takes deep breaths. Bakugou pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly displeased at what he’s thinking.

“Why did you think your mom wants to get back together with your dad?”

Shouto feels relieved now they’re back on topic, “I don’t know. It feels like one moment she’s afraid of him, and now she wants to be with him again. I guess... he did ‘try to be better’. Everyone else seems to forgive him, but I can’t.”

Then Bakugou does something that he didn’t expect, he defends them, “I mean... He’s not that much of a dick now, right? He’s a dick but he was pretty alright when we have a work-study at his agency. And your mom’s better, so maybe they could make it work?”

Shouto knows it’s technically true, but displeasure clawed him still, his blood boiling.

“I don’t care whether it works! I hated that she forgives him so easily!” Shouto shouts.

“Well, that’s selfish of you, isn’t it! It’s her decision, not yours!” Bakugou barks back.

“What the fuck do you know about it?” Shouto spats, he stands up, “They’re going to destroy each other, and what then? Do they want me to just look at their trainwreck while they insist everything is okay? No! I’m not going through that again!”

“You’re just not trusting your mom! Things changed!” Bakugou stands up too, he looks exceptionally angrier than ever.

“No, I don’t. Especially after she said she wanted to get a divorce with him then changing her mind only a year later. Of course, I don’t trust her!”

“But isn’t it better to have both your parents together?”

“No, it doesn’t especially when she’s not happy!”

Bakugou doesn’t bark back, and Shouto only realized how Bakugou’s question was laced with a cracked voice. Shouto looks, only partially surprised that the eyes that look back thinly veiled with tears. The heat in his bloodstream wanes out, more worried/horrified that Bakugou is now openly crying.

This is the worst. Both of them are socially awkward lone wolves that have no idea how and what to do with emotions. So, Shouto does his #best.

“You can tell me.”

Bakugouu glares. Okay, so maybe Shouto’s #best isn’t what he needs.

“Only if you want, if you don’t then it’s okay too.”

“Shut the fuck up, thermostat.”

What else do you do when someone cried? Shouto racks his memories of times when he was crying a lot when he was little, trying to find examples he could follow. He remembers his mom.

“Come here.”

“The fuck are you trying to-”

Shouto cuts him off with a hug. It’s as awkward as it comes. Shouto has his arms around the broad shoulders, his chin hooked on the right side. Shouto doesn’t know how tight he should hug, but it’s enough to press their chest together. Then one of his arms, the left one, rubs Bakugou’s back, emitting a slight warmth. In two languid swipes, Bakugou’s tenseness bleeds slowly.

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Shouto says, mimicking what his mom had said once upon a time when he’s upset. “But it’ll be okay. Maybe it’ll take a long time, or it’ll be really hard, but you...” have me, you don’t have to deal with everything alone, was what his mom finished with. He doesn’t know if Bakugou would see him as reliable, but Fuyumi had said that intentions are the most important. “You have your friends, and you have me. I don’t know what will help, but I’ll do it if you asked.”

Shouto surprised himself that he means it. When he encounters an emotionally fragile situation, he usually gets Midoriya, or Urakara, or Momo to handle the situation. With Bakugou however...seeing that his usually prickly friend tipping at the edge like this, Shouto felt like he wants to help. Perhaps it was the camaraderie of the S.S. Emotional Constipation that makes him reach out his personal hand towards Bakugou.

Shouto found another surprise when Bakugou hugs him back, his spiky blond head tucked at the crook of his neck. Shouto also didn’t expect the reflex tears pooling in his eyes at the feeling of tightening arms around his torso. He’s being held, tight and needy. When was the last time he’s held like this? Tears pours without his will when he realized the last time someone hugged him was Touya as Dabi when he was about to burn himself along with Shouto.

They stay there on the rooftop just holding each other as if they’ll fall apart if they don't. When Bakugou lets go, his eyes are even redder than it already is. When those red eyes look up, he noticed the tear streak down Shouto’s face and doesn’t comment about it.

Instead, Bakugou says, “My parents are splitting up.”

Shouto says nothing, only to pull him in his arms again.

They say nothing else as they sit at the same spot on the concrete floor leaning on each other, hand in hand. Shouto instinctually teared up again when he remembered the last time someone holds his hand was his mom as she walked him to a park, all those years ago. Other than that, it was for survival and fighting.

Bakugou leans his head on Shouto’s shoulder first, Shouto says nothing about it. He then leans his face on top of Bakugou’s hair, it feels like a bed of grass, Bakugou says nothing about it too. Shouto realizes that Bakugou can be vulnerable as long as no one points it out. Being untalkative, Shouto can do just that.

The future is scary, especially when their supposed foundation is changing. Bakugou’s foundations are breaking apart, while Shouto had grown accustomed to the torn apart pieces now move together crossing fingers that they fit.

But the future is for tomorrow. The changes are not theirs to make. All they can do now is hold themselves together as everything changes, hoping they don’t break in the process.

Eventually, nightfalls, but none of them moved. Shouto suspects that Bakugou might be sleeping on him.

It’s a suspicion no more when Aizawa found them there, and Bakugou doesn’t stir from being found. Those tired eyes already look exasperated as he finds Shouto’s tear-streaked eyes looking back.

Aizawa sighs, “Is it life-threatening ?”

Shouto knows that the teacher is prone to worries despite his appearance. Their stumble at first year seems to scar him and made him extra vigilant with his students ever since.

“There’s nothing we could do about it,” Shouto says, which is true, but seemingly a wrong thing to say.

“That doesn’t answer my question, trouble child.” Aizawa scowls, which means his worry cranked up to max. “Are the both of you facing a problem that harms you, or threatening your life?”

“It’s nothing like that,” says the bundle of blond in his shoulder. Bakugou sits up and stretches, yawning so big his jaw seems to unhinge a bit. He doesn’t look angry, just tired. “It’s family drama, you know how it is.”

“Is it really just drama?” Aizawa squints at Bakugou, too knowing for someone without a mind-reading quirk.

Bakugou looks at Shouto, searching and prodding. Shouto doesn’t understand what he could be looking for, or what he wants. Bakugou just sighs, “Yeah, just drama.”

Aizawa looks at Shouto too and softens. “If you two need to cuddle you can just do it in your respective room.”

“Nah, too many nosy people.” Bakugou starts to leave.

Shouto follows with a “Good night Sensei.”

Aizawa grunts.

“We can use my Elsa stairs,” Shouto pipes in as he walks alongside him.

Bakugou looks at him and huffs, “Turns out you’re not a himbo after all.”

Since Bakugou won't tell him, Shouto looks up ‘himbo’ himself. This raises a lot of questions about how Bakugou has been seeing him, but Shouto decides that he’d be offended by it.

  ++++++

 You could still be lonely even though you have tons of sibling, or even when they really love you. I guess they just don’t know how to show us they love us.

He really should’ve known. He really should’ve fucking known.

The thought spins in his head as he smoked the last cigarette on his freshly bought pack. No one to catch him this time. It’s the weekend and he’s supposed to be at home, but it’s unbearable to be in the same room with his family. Usually, he could just slurp his soba in feigning ignorance but not now.

He’s sitting by the bench of a lonely park. He’s been sitting here since sun down. He has no idea what time it is. His phone in his pocket is on silent, he hasn’t checked on it since he walked out.

He should’ve stayed at the dorms, fuck the family dinner.

It’s not that Shouto wants things to end up badly. It’s not like he doesn’t want to be home, especially since his mom finally comes home after so many years. Everyone is happy that she’s back, even Natsuo, even his dad. Everyone except her. It looks so hard for her to be there. Shouto can see in her face that some places still hold strong bad memories for her.

His mother is strong because she pulls through. She holds herself through it all even though it seems only barely.

Yet why is he still so angry at her? Maybe not angry, frustrated. Shouto wants to ask her clarity. Why is she doing this? Why did she change her mind? Why come back here? Why not grasp the independence she had been telling Shouto she strived for? Was she coaxed to be here? Was she feeling some kind of responsibility to go back here? To salvage that sham of a marriage she had with Endeavor?

Shouto wants to ask, wants to understand. He crowded her with questions that moment when they said they’d be getting back together, only for his mom to wince, eyes widen, and quickened breath. For the second time in his life, his mom had looked at him with fear. Today, Shouto could barely meet her eyes again.

Is he really such a monster in her eyes just because he’s half his father? Then why go back to his father at all?

Shouto bought half a dozen packs as per tradition. Also because of his self implied tradition, he puts all the ashes in the coffin-shaped ashtray, even though there’s a park ashtray right beside him.

“You carry that everywhere,” Says a groveling voice that Shouto would notice anywhere.

Bakugou is in casuals. Black jeans and a grey hoodie seem like he’s out in a hurry. Just like Shouto.

“You’ve got to stop stalking me,” Shouto inhales deep, watching red amber burns till the filter and sighs.

“Who fucking stalking you Zuko.”

“Zuko doesn’t have-”

“Shut up,” Bakugou plop his ass beside Shouto, sitting waaay too close. He snatched the coffin tin, inspecting it. “Even when you didn’t smoke you carried this.”

“How did you know?”

“It shows your pocket, not big enough for a phone.”

Shouto knows he can’t get away once Bakugou began prying. “My first friend gave it to me.”

“That fucking Deku???”

“No,” Shouto chuckles at the image of Midoriya taking the role of what his first friend did. “It’s someone I met first-year junior high. She gave me this after introducing me to cigarettes.”

“That’s so fucking passive-aggressive I would’ve punched her in her teeth,” Bakugou grumbles, putting the ashtray to Shouto’s lap. “And why the fuck would anyone smoke at thirteen anyway!”

“Exactly because we’re thirteen, Katsuki, just because,” Shouto chuckles again at the memory. Seemingly too carefree from the nicotine, Bakugou had become Katsuki in his tongue. Katsuki bristles at his given name, but says nothing about it. It mysteriously made Shouto very happy.

“Among everything though, she was my first best friend, she teaches me a lot of things that make me who I am. She made me realize that I didn’t have to follow my dad’s wishes. That I can be what I want to be instead of what I was born for. That it’s valid to be lonely even though I technically have a big family. That it’s okay to not strive to be the best and just to be... happy.”

Shouto closes his eyes, remembering her lessons always fell bitter-sweet. But he’ll hold it in his heart forever.

“What you’re born for?” Katsuki says scathingly.

“Yeah, you know about this.” Shouto was told that Katsuki had eavesdropped on his conversation with Midoriya. Shouto was born to fulfill another man’s vendetta. A purpose first, and a son last.

“Seem like a wise person for a thirteen-year-old,” Katsuki sneers.

“She was, I loved her,” Shouto’s confession brings Katsuki’s face to a red grimace.

“Shit, I didn’t ask you to tell me your fucking secrets.”

“It’s not a secret.”

“Oh, really?” Katsuki spat bitterly, “Then why are you hiding your girlfriend from us?”

So many things wrong with that question. Shouto raises his eyebrows in surprise, “She’s not my girlfriend, and I’m not hiding her. She’s dead.”

The grimace fell like a hot potato, it would’ve been fun watching how Katsuki splutters if he didn’t look like he’s legit choking. “Holy fuck, that's... fuck, then why the shit you’re so stoic talking about it,” Katsuki seems appalled.

“It happens a long time ago. She seems accepting of her death that I... well I want to respect her decision.” Shouto knows it’s weird to not feel mournful of the departure of your closest friend. He still misses her, but she had been so positive until the very moment she left. Shouto was sure that she’s happy, so Shouto wants to be happy for her.

Katsuki paled, horrified, seemingly to misunderstand again.

“She had a terminal illness. Very likely no chance of survival. She chose to live her remaining time normally instead of undergoing treatment.”

“There’s... There’s no way her parents let her do that.”

“They’re economically challenged. They tried though, just too late in the end.”

“Fuck...” Katsuki cursed, running through his hair roughly. “Never thought you’d be the type of person to have life-changing moments like that.”

“A lot of people have proven to me that everyone has potential to be unexpected, and that’s just how it is.” Shouto looks pointedly at Katsuki, who glares at him in retaliation. “There’s a reason why we’re both here instead of home.”

“Yeah?” Katsuki mumbles, clearly not wanting to talk.

Shouto doesn’t too, to be honest, and yet keeping it in feels more exhausting, “My mom’s home.”

“No shit?” Katsuki was mildly surprised, “So it’s really happening huh.”

“It’s like walking on eggshells with her. I wanted to ask, but last time I did she flinched at me. I couldn’t look at her today.”

Katsuki sighs. This time, Katsuki is the one that scoots over till their shoulders touched all the way to their thighs. The contact makes Shouto breathes easier, he’s drawn to it like moths to a flame. His body goes limp as if it’s been too tense too long from holding itself together, and he drapes himself on top of Katsuki. Shoulder pressed together, his head heavily falls on Katsuki’s shoulder. Instinctually, his hand looks for another hand. Katsuki snakes around his hand and clasps it with his. It’s uncharacteristic, but Shouto finds himself grateful for it.

It’s warm, it’s damp, it’s grounding. Like lying on even earth after running away for so long.

“I don’t want her to be with him under the obligation that parents are supposed to be together for the kids. She’s been through so much, I would’ve understood, but I didn’t know how to say it without triggering her.” Silence follows, and Shouto realized what he said. “Sorry, uh, I’m not insinuating-”

“Shut up candy cane, I know.” Katsuki leans closer, his head on top of Shouto’s.

It’s warm, just what he needs in the middle of an emotional crisis at the beginning of November. It’s a bit out of character for Katsuki to do this, nor Shouto, neither of them are known for physical contact or talking about their personal lives. Yet here they are.

And Katsuki speaks anyway, “They’re fighting.”

Shouto, contrary to what Katsuki called him, isn’t a himbo. He knows who they are and he knows what a fight could entail.

“Did they hurt each other when they fight?” Shouto asks, then mused even if they did, could Katsuki do anything about it? Shouto couldn’t back then.

“No!” Katsuki says, indignant, “Of course not, they’re just bitching at each other about... about... I don’t know, it’s fucking stupid.”

“Hm, that’s good.”

“Fucking hell it’s good, they’re being idiotic!”

“They’re not hurting each other.”

Katsuki paused, his hands clenched tighter, “Did he hurt your mom when they fight?”

Shouto takes a deep inhale at the surge of memory. The fear that settles is old, he knows. Just leftover trauma that never went away, still, it bubbled to the surface, makes his skin cold.

Not trusting his voice, Shouto nods.

“They were fighting about me,” Katsuki says after a while, his voice a bit shaky, and Shouto knows better than to point it out. He keeps his head on the shaking shoulder and listens. “They didn’t know I was listening, they never did. They never... Turn-Turns out they didn’t even plan on having me.”

Katsuki holds his hand tighter and trembling.

“I’m a fucking accident,” Katsuki spat, venom dripping in every word. “Then they had a shotgun wedding, they didn’t even love each other at all.”

Shouto hears one escape of a sniff and lets himself relax, feigning clueless that Katsuki must’ve been crying. He lets the silence stretches until the hand holding his relaxed and the shaking subsides. Shouto had the same breakdown before. It downs to him that they’re not so different after all, children of a loveless relationship. Though he wonders if that instantly means he’s unloved. It had felt that way, but now... now it feels so much complicated than yes or no.

“Does it matter why we’re born?” Shouto hears a deep inhale of an incoming rant but he cuts it off with, “We’re our own person, with our own lives, and our own dreams. No one can tell us otherwise. Not even the one who makes us.” Shouto pauses and listens, what came to his ears is soft breathing, so he continues. “So what you’re not planned? That doesn’t mean you’re unwanted,” Shouto rubs his thumb over the damp knuckles, “You’re not unloved.”

Because Shouto had been to the Bakugo residence. Bakugou Mitsuki is as explosive as he is, but he can see her adoring stare at her son even when she’s scolding him. Bakugou Masaru is softer, always trying to calm both of them and giving small smiles when Shouto tells him stories about his son at school.

“What the fuck do you know, water dispenser?” Katsuki lowly growls, but it doesn’t have that biting hate, he doesn’t move away from Shouto.

So Shouto only hums and lets the silence stretch. He grabs the ashtray with his other hand, rubbing the plain surface with his thumb, remembering her, thanking her.

“What’s her name?” Katsuki says after minutes of silence, his voice with less snarl.

“Arisu.”

“... I’m sorry you lost her.”

And that’s what happened, isn’t it? Shouto may be able to let her go, but she’s still lost to him. Still hurts, Shouto still mises her. “Thank you.”

They didn’t let go of each other until Shouto’s phone rings. It’s Natsuo. His brother is just as unhappy about their parents' reunion, though for him it’s more about hating their dad and less about questioning their mother as Shouto did. Natsuo called to offer to spend the rest of the weekend at his place. Shouto immediately agrees, then he remembers Katsuki.

“Is it okay if I bring one of my friends?”

Katsuki instantly glowers at him.

“Who?”

“Katsuki.”

“Who??”

“Bakugou.”

“Oh, yeah sure. Buy some dinner on the way, I didn’t get to eat much.”

“Okay, me too.”

As soon as they hang up, Katsuki bares his teeth.

“Who says I’ll go with you, Pokeball?” His voice raised a bit, his arms crossing defensively.

“I’m not, I said if. You don’t have to, but if you want, you can.”

“No one fucking asked you for shelter,” Katsuki scoffs, facing away.

“I know...” Shouto knows Katsuki would rather leave than accept help. The only way he accepts it is that if no one acknowledges it. He knows Katsuki can take care of himself, but Shouto is the one that doesn’t want him to leave just yet. Shouto knows he’ll go back to Natsuo’s place only to hear him bitch about Endeavor when the real problem is with their mom and her odd decision.

“Can’t you just stay for dinner?” The desperation in his voice is real, Katsuki seems to notice it and is bewildered by it. “Please?”

Katsuki’s eyes widen at the magic word because no, Shouto doesn’t say it often, much less towards Katsuki, he had enough ego already.

Nose flared and fist clenched, Katsuki finally barks, “Fine! But we’re cooking instead of ordering take-out, I fucking know what you’re gonna get you soba simp. Your brother better has a kitchen.”

“He does,” Shouto replies, the upbeat tone in his voice is rare. Can you blame him? He’s excited that he’s not coming home, and Katsuki goes with him with his admittedly superior cooking.

At Natsuo’s apartment, Shouto helped Katsuki cook, nothing more than chopping stuff. Natsuo gave him a brief summary of what happened at home after Shouto left, but thankfully, he’s not saying too much because Katsuki is there. Once Natsuo finished talking and left to get beers, Shouto gives Katsuki an arm squeeze of thanks. Katsuki only grunts.

Dinner is ‘simple’ in Katsuki’s opinion. Stir-fried vegetables, miso soup, and hamburg steak. As always, it’s delicious, and Natsuo who’s none the wiser to Katsuki’s God-like cooking skill is blown away.

They’re in the living area on the sofa watching TV when Shouto scoots closer again. Natsuo is in his room studying.

“You can stay here for the rest of the weekend if you want,” Shouto says, bumping shoulders.

Katsuki frowns, eyes on the screen. “I don’t have my change of clothes with me.”

“You can borrow mine, I have some here.”

“Ran away a lot don’t you?” Katsuki sneers.

“You have no idea,” Shouto admits.

The sneer falls, “Why?”

“Just because I finally can.”

“You couldn’t before?”

Shouto shakes his head, finding his head heavy, so he lays his head on Katsuki’s shoulder again. “Before he was number one, he insists on using all my free time on training. If I didn’t, he’d take my phone, or the internet, or my manga, even burned them on some occasion. He even flushed my pet fish, rest in peace Kiya. Then he’s number one, and the dorms are established... so...”

Shout shrugs. He doesn’t reach for Katsuki’s hand this time, just pressed against him, afraid if he pushed then Katsuki would retract. Shouto doesn’t want to stop his newfound comfort just yet.

Then his hand is grasped by a firm clammy hand. Shouto keeps thinking of how Katsuki’s sweaty hands must be because of the nitroglycerin of his quirk. If he’s not thinking about Katsuki’s quirk then he’d think about how it makes his heart skipped a beat that Katsuki initiates the touch again. So yeah, clammy hands that hold him tight.

“Why didn’t you tell anybody?” Katsuki says, weaker than he’s accustomed to. It makes Shouto wary.

“I don’t know what is there to tell.”

A groan stretches, “What do I do with you?”

“Hey...” Shouto mock complains “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Does he still train you like that?”

Shouto feels a bit of whiplash with all these questions. Katsuki has been asking personal questions left and right, and Shouto doesn’t understand why answering it doesn’t feel as hard as usual.

“No, not since he became number 1.”

Katsuki scoffs, “Got what he wanted didn’t he?”

“Sometimes I wonder if that’s the case. When he got it, he didn’t seem happy, just angry. Then he started wanting the family he broke to get that number one spot.”

That renders Katsuki to another bout of silence. He knows Katsuki strives to be number one too, and at first, Shouto had ridiculed him about it. Why does a superficial title mean so much anyway? Katsuki changed over the years though, with Midoriya being the main cause of it.

Heart on his throat, Shouto dare asks, “Hey, Katsuki? Why do you want to be a hero?”

Katsuki tensed, but Shouto holds him tighter, “Why are you getting nosy all of the sudden?”

Shouto knows he’s not getting things easy, “I just wanna know.”

“Yeah, that’s nosy.”

“No, I just want to get to know you.” Shouto bites his lips as soon as the words left, was that too forward?

They’re not looking at each other, but Shouto can feel the glare directed at him. “Why?”

“We’ve been friends for a while...”

“We’re not fucking friends-!”

“...But I feel like I’m taking you for granted. I didn’t even know you’re going through something so big.” Some friend I am, Shouto broods.

It takes a few seconds, but Katsuki defeatedly sighs, and Shouto smiles in victory, “At first, I just want to be the best.”

“Best at what?”

“Everything...” Katsuki muses, his head knocked back, “Then I realized that it was an impossible goal... Did a lot of thinking, did a lot of uh, self-reflecting. Started talking to Ito-san too. I realized that I just want to be needed.”

It makes sense why Katsuki is here then. Shouto wished he could outright say that he needs him so Katsuki would stay longer, but just imagining him doing so already makes him pink in embarrassment.

Ito-san is the school counselor, her doors are open for every UA student. Shouto had half the mind to go to her, but there’s always this weight of silence from being a son of a high-profile hero. Endeavor always drilled him about secrecy and how he shouldn’t say anything about his family to anyone or it’ll ruin everything. It’s the reason why Arisu was his only friend, she was dying, and she did take his secret to her grave. Shouto still feels guilty about that.

“Have you ever talked to Ito-san?” Katsuki asked as if reading his mind.

“Can’t.”

“Why?”

“Everything that comes out of my mouth is tabloid-worthy. Endeavor had drilled me from way young that I can’t run my mouth about our lives. He’s right about that at least, I didn’t want paparazzi swarming us demanding half-assed rumors if I can help it. It had happened before, someone even sneaked into my mom’s hospital to reach her. I guess... that’s also why I never told anyone at all about anything.”

“You told Arisu didn’t you?”

Shouto bites his lip, guilt gnaws at him, “Because I know she won't carry my secrets long enough.” Please don’t hate me. Shouto’s grip on Katsuki tighten.

“But you told Deku, you told me.”

“Well, I trust you,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing. “You sure you don’t want to stay over?”

Katsuki leans away, and the cold strikes immediately. Shouto leans back, pointedly not looking at red irises.

“Fine.”

Shouto quickly looks up, then he finds Katsuki’s face odd. There’s something familiar with it. He’s... smiling, only slightly, but it’s a smile, and his eyes aren’t furrowed or angry or glaring. His eyebrows relaxed and he looks.... soft. Maybe Shouto fell asleep and currently dreaming.

“I’ll need to call my parents first,” Katsuki says after clearing his throat, looking away a bit flushed.

“Sure, I’ll get you settled.”

Shouto is half excited half worried. He told Natsuo that Katsuki will be borrowing the couch, which only replied with a hum while his eyes doesn’t leave the book. His brother is not unfamiliar with runaways. Shouto isn’t the only one seeking shelter at his place.

Shouto passes the balcony where Katsuki is screaming at his phone. Shouto can only hear muffles, but he gives Katsuki some privacy and gets some spare clothes. When Shouto sees that Katsuki is still on the phone even after ten minutes have passed, he takes the liberty of taking a shower first.

When Shouto walks out, he finds Katsuki sitting by the sofa, his hands suspiciously inflamed. He faces the screen but looking particularly nowhere. Shouto had seen those empty looks before.

“Katsuki?”

He jerks slightly as his name is called. Katsuki schooled his expression to a careful stoic, walls up. No matter, Shouto thinks, sometimes you don’t need to tear down walls to help a person, just hold their hand through the gate.

“Go take a shower, bath’s warm.”

Katsuki nods, taking the towel Shouto offered and the spare clothes. Shouto makes tea, for him, his brother, and Katsuki. Shouto delivers the cup of tea to Natsuo’s room, seems like the books are multiplying around his brother.

“Tea,” Shouto says before putting it on a coaster.

“Thanks.” Natsuo finally looks away from the book and takes a sip. “That Bakugou, how is he?” Natsuo asks, knowing that Shouto only brings his friend here in a dire situation.

The only other person he brought was Kaminari, believe it or not. Kaminari had said he didn’t want to come home for the weekend because he was scared of facing his parents after he came out via text. From the replies, it hadn’t been good. Kaminari spent the rest of the stay switching between sobbing and full-on crying. Only God knows why Kaminari asked him instead of any of the Baku-squad, but Kaminari is still his friend too, so Shouto provides.

But today with Katsuki is different though. Shouto had to beg him to stay, whether it’s for the benefit of him or Shouto the line had blurred.

“Hopefully he will be,” Is all Shouto can offer. Natsuo nods before going back to his book.

Shouto lays out his futon in the living room adjacent to the sofa. He’s laying down, scrolling at his phone. Putting his dad on read and ignoring Fuyumi’s and mom’s chatbox. He opted to look at cat videos instead. Soon, Katsuki came out of the bathroom, drank the offered tea, and laid down on the sofa.

They spent probably an hour separately looking at their phones when Shouto finally calls it a night. He turned off the lights, and tuck himself in. Before he said goodnight, Shouto thinks and his desires take.

“Wanna hang out tomorrow?” he asked.

Blood red eyes look at him from the screen, “Where?”

Shouto shrugs, “I don’t know, just around, get my mind off things. There’s a cat cafe I’ve been wanting to see, then we’ll go from there.”

Katsuki stares, seemingly thinking it over, “Have you ever been to a rock climbing gym?”

“A what?”

Katsuki smirks, sharp-teethed and evil, “Oh you’re in for a fucking experience, red velvet oreo.”

Shouto is a bit suspicious, even so, he finds himself looking forward to tomorrow.

  +++++

 I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, but you shouldn’t think that way. Of course you’ll have more friends. You’re more lovable than you think, Shouto.

Something changed between them after that weekend. Comfort grows between them. Comfort that they don’t want to let go just yet, perhaps not anytime soon.

The bad thing about it is that everyone notices. Everyone.

To their friend's credit though, they came to school together, walking very close to each other. It was fully initiated by Shouto, but Katsuki didn’t snap or push him away, so he assumed everything is okay.

Everything is absolutely not okay because the moment he walks to class everyone has eyes on them. Shouto thought it won’t matter to him, but Katsuki tends to be defensive. When Katsuki is defensive, he pushes people away. Shouto tried not to watch Katsuki for the whole class.

Momo noticed, of course, but she notices more than superficial things.

“Shouto,” Momo whispers, “Everything alright?”

Shouto gives her a smile and nods.

It’s not until they’re getting up for lunch that Shouto is tested in a form of Kirishima.

“Bakubro! How long have you been dating Todobro?”

The world screech halt, and Kirishima tensed at the sudden chill he’s feeling. When Kirishima found the source of burning in his back, he sees Shouto, glaring hard and terrifyingly at him. Face darkens, pupils small, ready to kill.

Kirishima squeaks, “He-hey, uh-”

“Back off Kiri, it’s none of your business,” is all Katsuki says. Not even a scream, just a conversational tone as if he’s bored. No defensiveness, no snarling at Shouto in retaliation. “The fuck are yall extras staring at? Move outta my way, I’m hungry!” Then he left.

No one is barging Shouto with questions instead. It’s out of character of his classmates to not poke their nose in something juicy, but as he drops his butt at his chair, he finds himself alone in class.

Shouto is left in class with a big wave of relief, so much that he couldn’t stand. Why is it that the thought of Katsuki pushing him away scares him this much?

A hand landed on his desk, he looks up to find Momo’s honest stare, “Something is not alright.”

Shouto sighs, “No.”

Unlike Katsuki, Momo never pries, only assuring that she’s there for him. Unlike Momo, Katsuki understands that some things can’t be fixed, wherein if he opens up to Momo and some others, they tried to help by fixing. The number of times his friends told him, again and again, to go to Ito-san when they found out about Dabi being his brother is an exhausting amount. Maybe that’s why Shouto has been more comfortable with laying his problems to Katsuki.

So he eats lunch with Momo in the silence of comfortable company, and there’s just that.

  +++++

 Thank you for being there for me. You’re the bestest best friend I could ever wish for. And you won’t be lonely for long, you’ll see.

Shouto has peaceful days following that first Monday. His comfort with Katsuki doesn’t change. Though they don't get together on the rooftop anymore (Iida never let go of his key since Katsuki managed to steal it), they still gravitate towards each other whenever they don’t feel particularly great.

Katsuki would approach and say things like, “They want me home this weekend.”

“You wanna stay at the dorms or my place?”

“Can’t. I know they wanted to talk to me about who I wanna stay with.”

“We can make up an excuse if you want.”

“Hm.”

Then they spent the rest of the day together, just sitting at the school’s lawn, looking at particularly nothing. And if they sit too close together and their clasped hands only partially hidden by their legs, no one pointed it out.

Shouto would approach and say things like, “Fuyumi wants to call me, I know she’s just gonna talk about how I’m tearing the family apart.”

Katsuki snaps from his bed towards the window where Shouto is stepping down from his Elsa stairs.

Katsuki’s shock then turns to fury, “Your sister, Fuyumi, THAT Fuyumi said that to you?”

“She wanted the family together. I think she’s frustrated that I keep making my parents' union difficult.”

“You know what, her spicy mapo tofu isn’t that delicious anyway!” Katsuki barks his hands clenched down mini-explosions. It’s one of Katsuki’s outbursts that Shouto doesn’t understand, nor does he understand why her mapo tofu is related in any way, so he doesn’t comment.

“I’m gonna head up to the roof, wanna come?”

“No, you’ll just smoke and you’d give me fucking cancer.”

Shouto feels cold, Katsuki had never said no from hanging out before, “Fine.”

“Who said you can leave? Come here!” Katsuki held his ankle from the balcony, gripping tight.

Shouto blinks, remembering what Aizawa-sensei had said some days ago. “Oh, are we gonna cuddle?”

Katsuki’s face set aflame, “Just fucking come in here Katy Perry, before I yank you by your stupid Poland flag hair.”

Shouto finds himself obeying at the thought of cuddling, but then confused, “Why Katy Perry?”

“Hot and cold.”

“I guess that’ll make sense if I know who Katy Perry is but.”

Katsuki spat a curse, “Alright, time for a session of pop culture.”

“But I already had them with Mina and Sero”

“And they’re doing a shit job about it if you didn’t know the person that shapes a whole ass generation.”

It started with a music video of Hot and Cold by Katy Perry and ends with a retelling biography of Lady Gaga. Who knew Katsuki is so knowledgeable about female pop stars.

“TELL ANYONE AND DIE,” He said after Shouto pointed it out.

Most important of all, they did cuddle. They were sitting on the bedside then suddenly they’re laying down side by side. They’re watching a gameplay video of a Swedish man playing a horror game, another important role in pop culture as Katsuki said. It’s an old video, and Katsuki said that the man owns some part of Antarctica, which Shouto knows it’s some kind of an inside joke.

The nights getting late, and Shouto is reminded of the text on his phone, how it vibrates occasionally. Shouto has been in Katsuki’s room for four hours, but he doesn’t want to go back to his room.

Katsuki notices him lingering, “You wanna stay here for the night?”

Shouto looks up from Katsuki’s phone with big sparkling eyes, “You sure?”

“Tch, I wouldn’t have offered if I don’t.” Katsuki looks away, exposing his neck that seems red to the tip of his ears, “It’ll be a little cramp though with my single bed.”

“I don’t mind it. Just don’t kick me out of bed.”

“No promises.”

Katsuki didn’t. He curled away from Shouto as soon as the blankets tucked.  Their backs pressed against each other because of the small space. Shouto finds it hard to fall asleep, could be the new environment or the gnawing anxiety.

He’ll admit that Fuyumi is his favorite sibling. She’s there for him when he was condemned in that lonely manor only to train and study. Fuyumi stays back for him, tend to his wounds, cook for him, keep him company. Natsuo had left and rarely come back, even though he’s there for Shouto in the end.

Then his dad had a bootleg redemption arc and Fuyumi dropped him like hot potato and shoved both of them together despite what Shouto feels about his dad. When his parents are getting back together, Fuyumi stopped consoling Shouto and started to support them blindly. So desperate to have their family together. Doesn’t she know that there’s nothing to salvage? Doesn’t she remember what he did?

“I can hear you from here, air conditioner,” Katsuki grumbles, his back vibrates, “Go to sleep.”

“I’m trying.”

Shouto can’t stop thinking, can’t stop getting angry and getting hurt. It hurts when his sister is pointing the blame at Shouto, it hurts even more when it’s kind of true. It hurts that despite his fear of facing her, he still owes her a call at least. He’ll never be ready for what she’s about to say, never be ready to be hurt by her. Shouto turns around and buries his face at Katsuki’s back, ducking under the cover.

“What is it?’ Katsuki asks, not demanding, but Shouto’s floodgates are opened.

“I don’t understand how they could forgive him. He hurts mom, he hurts Touya to a point that he left and hates us, and he... he hurts me. It’s just training but-but- fine, okay, it hurt and I was scared most of the time that he’s not gonna pull his punches. Fuyumi forgives him so easily, and mom just went back in there even though they were never in love in the first place. It’s like they’ve forgotten what he had done, how deeply he scars all of us. Like what- like what happened didn’t matter.” Shouto’s voice breaks the whole time, a sob escaped in between the jumbled words and he’s trying so hard, so hard not to cry.

Katsuki turns around, his arms wrapped around Shouto’s hunched shoulders. A burnt sweet scent hits his nostrils, his face pressed against a defined neck and collarbones. All tenseness bleeds away when Katsuki starts rubbing his back, and tears break from his eyes without his will. Shouto wraps his arms around his friend’s torso, feeling his chest constrict when Katsuki mercifully says nothing about the silent tears landing on his chest.

He shuts his lips, pressing tightly because he’s not sobbing to Katsuki’s chest. They’re comfortable with each other but not that comfortable... right? Shouto’s tolerance to breakdown cries is thanks to exposure to crying most of his childhood, the same can’t be said for Katsuki. The hug is enough, it’s everything. Shouto never realized how much he craved being touched until that day Katsuki sits way too close to him.

His lips pressed tight keeping from sobbing, but his hands tremble on Katsuki’s back instead.

“Damn, you’re touch starved aren’t you,” Katsuki sighs to his hair, his face buried there.

“I didn’t know,” Shouto’s voice shaking pathetically, breaking at the edge and Shouto is too torn to care about it.

“Me too.”

Shouto doesn’t know which one Katsuki meant, but neither let go until they sleep.

  ++++++

 I love you too, Shouto. Don’t be scared of letting people in, okay? Not all of them are gonna leave you, I promise.

Things get rough, but their comfort pushes each other through.

Katsuki chooses to stay with his dad, but he’s co-parenting with his mom. Katsuki spends his weekends at both their house, switching every weekend. There’s still tenseness between his parents, and Katsuki explodes whenever his dad or mom asks Katsuki about the other. ‘Stop fucking asking me! If you wanna know so much then you shouldn’t have gotten the divorce!’ Katsuki doesn’t want to hear their reasoning, feeling better to just accept the change and move on, but Shouto thinks he’s just not ready to hear it. Sometimes Katsuki stays at the dorms with Shouto or the Todoroki estate when he gets overwhelmed.

Shouto finally talks to his mom. At first, it didn’t go anywhere. She’s as unsure as Shouto, but her willingness to try and salvage the marriage is as honest as it comes, even though her feelings might not be there yet. It feels like hearing Fuyumi talk, hearing the same desperation and blindness in putting things together. It’s hard to understand her foolishness, but Shouto tried to trust her. Shouto’s opinion might have been persuaded a little when his father announced that they’ll be moving houses due to mom’s tense reaction to the place. It’s a plus that his dad is willing to do that for his wife, but Shouto is still keeping an eye on them.

Then things get better, but their comfort doesn’t stop. Shouto is comfortable in following his desires without questioning them, but he quizically finds that Katsuki seeks him too even though he no longer approach Shouto with that near tears scowl, and situation bomb.

“How’s your mom?” Katsuki asked out of the blue under the summer blue sky. They’re sitting by the school lawn, their backs to a tree trunk, their friends strangely been leaving them alone.

“She’s fine.”

“Then why did you want to meet here?” Katsuki murmurs, looking down at the comic book Shouto lends him but not reading it. The tips of his ears are red.

Oh, Katsuki is testing the waters, “I just want to be with you.”

Katsuki flushes, “Ew, where the fuck did you even get that cheesy line.”

Shouto pays the snark no mind. “We haven't had any excuses for being together lately, do we?”

Katsuki hums.

“Do you not like it?”

“It’s fine,” Katsuki grumbles.

“Say... If I ask you to go to a cat cafe this Saturday, will you go?”

“Satan in hell, cat cafe again? I still have fucking fur on my black jacket from the previous visit! I felt like we’ve been to all the cat cafes in the country!”

Shouto pouts, “That’s not possible.”

“Let’s go hiking instead.”

“Okay.”

Katsuki twist his head towards him, “You would?”

“Just us two right?”

“Obviously, there’s no way I’m taking those extras. Those nature documentaries made them wimps.”

Shouto only listened to the first word he uttered, “I’ll go with you.”

Then Katsuki looks him that way again. Soft eyes, relaxed eyebrows, fond stares, and the most devastating of all, a small genuine smile.

“Cool. Come to my place, we have to wake up early. I miss seeing the sunset there, it’s awesome.” There’s light in his maroon eyes, excited to go, and he’s taking Shouto with him to his hobby, his precious place.

Shouto feels warmth radiating from his chest all the way down to his toes, a smile blooms on his face. He’s been feeling this mysterious warmth pretty often lately, only now has he realized that Shouto is happy and that he hasn’t been lonely despite his current family strain.

Katsuki’s rambling about his favorite hiking spot is cut short when Shouto leans in to kiss the corner of his lips. The smile is exchanged with shocked parted lips. Shouto feels himself shrink by the silence of Katsuki’s loud mouth and the pinning stare of his sharp eyes. Blood rushed to Shouto’s cheeks, knowing that he’s blushing up a storm, suddenly nervous.

“Is that okay?” Shout asks, too cowardly to say that he wants more, closer, to continue being together for no reason at all other than just because.

“No.”

He’s grabbed by the face, and a pair of lips pressed against his. Shouto expected to be bitten, his head clawed, and his lips bruised. But the weeks he spent with Katsuki should’ve made him know better. Because the gentle hands cradling his face, the complete capture of his lips, and the soft nips are all unsurprising. Shouto melts away, leaning his whole weight so they’re chest to chest. He grabs Katsuki by the hips, pulling closer, kissing back.

Katsuki hums, and the vibration echoes on Shouto’s body deliciously. Katsuki’s lips taste sweet and hot as it moves to nibble Shouto’s bottom lip. The hands cupping his face moves past his neck. One is clutching his back and the other plays with the hair at the back of his head. Fingers card gently around his nape and Shouto has a whole body shiver.

Then the lips go missing, and Shouto goes limp in Katsuki’s arms, gasping for breath on his chest.

“And that’s how you kiss, Strawberry Shortcake,” Katsuki says smugly, patting Shouto’s back condescendingly.

Shouto scoffs and leans back. Katsuki still has that fond eyes as he looks at him, but now paired with a cheeky smirk. Shouto wants to kiss that too, and Shouto does.

From then on, it’s expected that he sometimes steps down his icy stairs just to cuddle with Katsuki, and it’s perfectly acceptable that Katsuki barges into his room and starts pulling his hand towards wherever he wants.

They’d still bicker sometimes, and sometimes Shouto unintentionally steps on some lines that set Katsuki to explode. Sometimes Katsuki is frustrated with him. Those days they fight makes him nervous.

But they always say their apologies eventually. Katsuki always comes back and tries again with him. Even when the fights are between them, they eventually get over it and get better while they’re still leaning onto each other for comfort.

Eventually, Shouto keeps the coffin ashtray in his keepsake instead of his pocket.

He’d like to think that he can finally let her go now that she’s proven right.

Shouto finds someone that loves him, someone that makes him happy, and someone that doesn’t leave.

 ++++

nicknames that didn't make it: Colgate toothpaste, hot pocket, tide pod, dry ice. nicknames that I magically forgot: Half and half.

Tag yourself as Shouto’s nickname, I’m water dispenser.

#todobaku #bakutodo #todoroki shouto #todoroki shōto #bakugo katsuki #todobaku fic #todobaku fanfic #Todobaku fanfiction #emocel's #I'm crying #i googled shouto's nickname for this #I saw 'Strawberry Shorcake' and I lose my mind #I saw a trope that Bakugo smells like caramel becs of his quirk and i lose my mind #todoroki shoto fluff #boku no hero #boku no hero fanfic #my hero academia #my hero academy fanfiction

[omgrachwrites]

Too Different - Frank Castle

Pairing: Frank Castle x Reader

Summary: When a familiar face stumbles into the lobby of your apartment building, you take it upon yourself to tend to him. Reigniting feelings you haven’t felt in a while.

Warnings: mentions of blood, fluff, ooc Frank (probably)

Words: 2329

Disclaimer: Frank will probably be occ and this gif doesn’t belong to me!

A/N: This is the sequel to Park Avenue Princess, but you can read this one on its own, I’m thinking of making a series of one shots about Frank! I just started watching The Punisher and I was thrown off by how nice Frank is to Sarah and Karen! This is set before the events of The Punisher! Hope you guys enjoy this one and please let me know what you think! I love you all xxx

You heaved out a heavy sigh as you stepped out of the cab with a box of donuts in hand; another day of working a job that you hated was over. Fixing a smile on your face, you walked into the lobby of your apartment building that was always pleasant and bright. It smelled of sweet flowers and you smiled as you spotted the vase of white lilies on the front desk.

Henry, your kindly old doorman smiled at you warmly as you walked up to him and lifted the lid to the box of donuts, offering him one, “Miss Y/N, you spoil me,” he chuckled as he took a glazed donut for himself and a chocolate one for his wife, as usual, “how was your day?”

You shrugged as you grimaced, “the same as usual.”

Henry sighed and placed a hand on your shoulder, “don’t waste your time doing a job that you hate, kid.”

Before you could tell him that it was expected of you, a loud thudding sound against the floor startled you. With wide eyes you whirled around to see a man all dressed in black slumped against the golden marble floor. Without thinking twice, you ran up to the man, gasping when you noticed a thick patch of red in his side, blossoming by the second. He’d been shot and in serious need of help.

You looked at his face and realised with a jolt that it was the same man that had kindly helped you into a cab, on the night when you had practically run away from Matt. You never thought you’d see him again; you didn’t even want to see him again. You cupped his handsome face, feeling the rough stubble beneath your fingers.

“Hey, you need help, let me call someone.”

With a groan, he opened his eyes and shook his head, “no, no hospital. I must be dead because you’re definitely an angel,” he laughed but seconds later, it turned into a wince, “I’ll be fine,” he tried to get up, groaning in pain as he lay back down on the floor.

An amused smile spread against your lips as he felt well enough to flirt with you, “well, if you don’t want a hospital then you have to at least let me help you, you’re losing a lot of blood,” without waiting for a reply you looked at Henry, “can you help me?”

Henry nodded, eyeing you warily as he helped you haul the stranger to the elevator, “are you sure about this, Y/N?”

You nodded, this stranger had helped you when you were upset, it was only a little thing but you had appreciated it. It seemed unwise but you wanted to help him.

A muscle clenched in Henry’s jaw, “he tries anything, then you call me. Promise me.”

You huffed out a laugh, “I promise, thank you, Henry,” you smiled as the doors closed and the elevator took you up to your penthouse.

You managed to drag the tall man into your apartment and laid him down on your brand new sofa, wincing as you realised that he was going to bleed all over it. You made sure that he wasn’t going to die from loss of blood before running into the kitchen to grab the supplies that you needed to remove a bullet and close the wound.

“You a doctor or somethin’, lady?” he hissed through his teeth as you gently lifted his shirt and poured the whiskey over his wound, trying to ignore the sight of his rock hard abs. You lifted an eyebrow as you pressed the lip of the bottle to his mouth. He gratefully gulped down the strong amber liquid, nodding at you in thanks.

“I used to be a med student,” you smiled sadly, watching his eyebrows knit together in confusion, “but don’t worry, I still remember how to successfully close a wound and get a bullet out,” you laughed but to your ears it sounded forced and hollow.

The man was silent as you tended to him but you could feel his dark eyes burning into you. When you glanced up, you were thrown off by how gentle and soft his eyes were, he was a man who liked like he could snap you like a twig but he regarded you with so much kindness that it almost brought you to tears.

“I remember you,” he whispered, “you were so upset, were you okay? Did anybody hurt you?”

You bit your lip as you dug into his wound with tweezers and managed to pull out the bullet after a few minutes of rooting round. He hardly even winced, “you’ve got a high pain threshold,” you smiled, changing the subject.

The handsome stranger laughed, it was a deep rich sound that made warmth spread throughout your body, “it’s not the first time that I’ve been shot.”

You paused your movements as fear ripped through your body like a white hot knife. What sort of man had you brought into your home? You should have judged him by the way he looked.

He must have seen the look on your face because he smiled, his teeth digging into his bottom lip, “I was a Marine, in Afghanistan. I promise that I’m not going to hurt you, miss…” he trailed off and raised an eyebrow at you questioningly.

“Y/N, my name is, Y/N.”

“I’m Frank,” he gave you a cheeky grin that made you flush as you got to work on closing his wound.

It was quick work, Frank was silent and he didn’t complain but he turned down the aspirin that you offered him. You were strangely worried about him, though he was clearly a man that could take care of himself, “you should stay here, you’ll be safe. Whoever shot you will be looking for you. The sofa is comfier than the spare bed, I’ll get you some blankets,” you offered him a small smile.

Frank swallowed as he looked away from you, you could tell that he wanted to argue so you were surprised when he gave you a curt nod, “thank you, Y/N.”

You smiled at him as you stood up, “you’re welcome, Frank.”

You had a restless night of sleep but you were in a good mood when you woke up. Whether it was the beautiful weather that sparkled through your bedroom window or the handsome man that was sleeping in your living room, you weren’t quite sure. Your happiness popped like a bubble when you walked into your living room and saw that there was no sleeping man on your couch.

He’d folded up the blanket ever so neatly and when you padded over, you noticed that he’d left a note on top of the blanket. It only had two words, scrawled in messy handwriting, “thank you.”

You tried to ignore the bitter sting of disappointment as you went about your day but it was no use. That gorgeous injured ex-Marine would soon become a distant memory, perhaps it was for the best, you were obviously from two very different worlds. Your family would never approve. You tried to get on with your day and forget about him but it was easier said than done. Frank had made a big impact.

A couple of nights later, you were answering a couple of work emails and cooking your grandmother’s famous pasta dish, when there came a knock on your door. You frowned as you stared at it, normally your friends would call you to let you know that they were coming over. When you opened the door, your heart leapt in your chest as you saw who was standing on the other side.

Frank was holding a bouquet of daisies; he looked gorgeous dressed in a leather jacket and a white shirt that stretched taut across his muscles. His smile faltered ever so slightly as his eyes trailed down your body. You wondered if he was silently judging you for the designer labels you were wearing. You were happy to see him.

“Frank! What are you doing here?” at your question you could have sworn that he blushed and chuckled as he averted his eyes.

“I um, I wanted to properly thank you,” he gestured at the flowers, “I’m not even sure if you like daisies,” he bit his lip and held out the flowers, “I’m sorry that I left without saying anything, I didn’t want to outstay my welcome.”

You smiled and took the flowers from him, “they’re beautiful, Frank. Thank you, and you wouldn’t have outstayed your welcome,” Frank grinned before arranging his face into a stoic expression but it was still a look that made your heart flutter, “would you like to stay for dinner?” you asked without thinking, eager to spend more time with him and know him better, “I always make enough pasta for a small army.”

Frank opened his mouth and you were frightened that he was going to say no, “I shouldn’t,” he bit his lip as your heart dropped with disappointment, “I shouldn’t even have come here,” he swallowed and made to turn away before you stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest, feeling the hard plane of muscle.

“I don’t mind that you came here, I like the company actually,” you laughed nervously and Frank’s face softened as he smiled at you.

“Sure, why not,” he shrugged, “I guess that I can stay for dinner,” he grinned and you ushered him into your apartment.

You busied yourself with putting the gorgeous flowers in water while Frank looked around your penthouse with interest. You wondered whether he felt out of place, “this is a real nice place you got here, Y/N,” he mumbled, “I didn’t realise while I was bleeding out on your sofa,” he chuckled as he looked out of the massive windows at the glittering city below.

“Thanks,” you smiled, “I love it here, whiskey or wine, Frank?”

Frank turned back to you with an eyebrow raised; he screwed up his face like it was the hardest decision in the world, “err, whiskey. Thanks, Y/N,” he grinned as he joined you in the kitchen, “would you like a hand with anything?”

You were struck by how nice this menacing looking man was and how safe you felt when you were with him, “I’ve got it, thank you anyway,” you smiled as you poured him his drink.

“This is so good,” Frank groaned, the deep sound of it made you clench your thighs together, as he looked at you with approval and shoved another forkful of pasta into his mouth, “it’s been a while since I’ve had a home cooked meal.”

You laughed as you took a delicate sip of your wine, “it was my grandmother’s recipe, she told me to guard it with my life,” you winked at him.

Frank lifted his gaze from his plate to smirk at you, “I’ll take it to my grave,” he chuckled as he placed a hand over his heart. He paused as he took a swallow of whiskey as he regarded you with his deep brown eyes, “are you a doctor, Y/N? You told me that you used to be a med student but you patched me up with expertise.”

You sighed as you shook your head, pushing your food around your plate, the memory still stung, “no, I’m not a doctor. I dropped out of med school a couple of years in.”

Frank furrowed his brow as he swirled around the whiskey in his glass, “why?”

You raised an eyebrow at him as your lips parted, your ex-boyfriend, Matt hadn’t even cared enough to ask. You were touched that a man who was little more than a stranger wanted to know, “my parents forced me to,” your voice wasn’t harsh but it had a sharp and final tone to it.

Frank nodded as a look of understanding washed over his face, “I get it, I’m sorry for asking. Though, I would have thought your parents would be proud of you.”

You laughed bitterly, you thought the same thing, “it’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

Frank was a closed off man and you vaguely wondered what had made him that way. He mostly talked about his time in the Marines which you both bonded over, since your dad had once been a military man. In turn, you complained about your job, making sure not to tell him too much. You were worried that he would think that you were a spoiled brat.

It was a nice night, full of conversation; it was the best conversation that you’d had with an attractive man in a while.

Frank smiled at you as he stood in the doorway, “thank you for dinner, Y/N. You’re too kind,” he squeezed your elbow gently.

You bit your lip and watched his eyes follow the movement as you ran your tongue over it, you wanted to kiss him. But, you weren’t sure whether he was married or with anyone, he definitely hadn’t mentioned anyone. You decided that you couldn’t risk it; you’d be so embarrassed if he rejected you.

“It’s no problem at all, Frank. Will I see you again?” you tried not to make your voice too hopeful, you wanted to see him again.

He smirked as he raised an eyebrow and lifted a shoulder, “maybe,” he grinned and strode down the hallway, glancing over his shoulder at you.

When you were safely behind your closed door, you finally let out a breath that you didn’t realise that you’d been holding. Butterflies swarmed in your stomach and you smiled to yourself as you thought about Frank. It could never work out, you were just two different, and it would be a mistake. A wonderful mistake.

You walked over to your refrigerator to grab the bottle of wine and you saw a scrap of paper on the kitchen counter. It had Frank’s number on it.

------------------------

@smiithys​ @elayneblack​ @amelie-black​

#frank #frank castle #the punisher #punisher #marvel tv show #marvel #frank castle imagine #frank castle one shot #the punisher imagine #the punisher one shot #frank x reader #frank x reader insert #frank x you #frank x y/n #you x frank #frank castle x reader #frank castle x reader insert #frank castle x you #frank castle x y/n #you x frank castle #fluff #tw:mentions of blood #mentions of blood #jon bernthal #matt murdock

[kitty-kat-ty]

A Jinpachi drabble

What's hidden behind that calm gaze

Disclaimer:

This is purely fiction.

Likely OOC, as his route hadn't come out yet.

There might exist grammar mistakes somewhere.

Type narrative.

Read at your own discretion.

Also it was written without any plot idea so it might be random. Just enjoy.

Inspired by the Claim me event on Nobuyuki's route, made it just for fun and because his seriousness has me curious and wishing to break his cool.

He walked towards his Lord's room as quietly as he always does when a loud yell from said room picked up his attention, his gaze sharpened as he approached the door, pushing it open slowly.

The noisy one was backed against the wall by the air, or so it appeared at first.

He walked into the room noticing his liege Lord wasn't on sight but a young woman in his stead staring at nothing.

"Who are you?" He spoke coldly, suspicious yet curious. 

Her reply was fast but you could read how shaken she was as it dragged on, "The new maid… I… please, kill it!" 

He didn't register what she meant until he addressed his gaze towards the 'object' she was looking at horrified. 

The little bug squirmed in what looked like a spider net, reaching for it, it was set free as he held the small bee in between his hands, walked over the window and let it fly away towards its freedom.

He saw it flying towards the garder, a gentle smile tugged at the corner of his lips, whilst his always hard stare softened ever so slightly.

Spinning around when quiet footsteps walked on his direction, his expression shifting once more to a blank one.

"Thank you, Sir. I thought I was gonna die for sure…" she said sincerely, yet he couldn't help but being wary of her. 

"You're welcome. Could you answer my question now? Why are you in this room alone?"

She blinked a couple times thinking about an answer. "I was sent here to deliver a package. I'm sorry if I barged into your room, Milord" she bowed apologetically.

His left eyebrow lifted for a brief second yet he controlled it once he noticed it, "You must learn to wait for an answer before you walk in" he warned yet wasn't going to correct her impression of him.

"I will next time. Thanks once more" she whispered yelled, turning around and sprinting away from the room.

His eyes followed her till she was out of his sight yet he didn't stop staring at the now closed door.

Minutes later his trance was broken when his liege Lord walked through the door with what seems a plate of sweets and tea.

"There you are. I was looking for you in the kitchen. Any news?" He put the plate on his table, grinning like the cat who got the mouse.

"No yet. There is nothing rising inside the castle, yet there is an unexplainable amount of new workers. It would take us a week to see if they are trustworthy."

"Hmmm… I see. Keep on the look. Also make sure father doesn't arrive just yet. I suspect they are spying on us  here."

"I will Nobuyuki! Milord. There was a new maiden here when I came to deliver my report. She was staggered against the wall because of…" he shut up before finish as he found it hilarious. 

"Uh?" He looked at his subordinate  amused yet intrigued. "Keep going, Jinpachi. What stopped her?"

He smiled softly, eyes focusing on the spider web "This. It was a bee in here. Also, she might have mistook me for the owner of this room"

Nobuyuki burst out laughing, eyes squeezing close, laughing to his heart's content, "You can't be serious… wait, you don't joke around. So this is true. See, you're so handsome you could pass like a real Lord, hahaha"

"This is a serious matter, Milord" he said awkwardly at that joke, but he didn't show it, "She likely thinks I'm the castle's Lord as she was led to this room".

Nobuyuki eyes gleam with mirth addressing at his personal assistant, "We can't go around lying cute maidens, can we?"

Jinpachi knew what he meant, he hadn't spent half his life working for this man for nothing, he knew where it was going and he didn't like it not even a bit.

"We shouldn't. Now if you excuse me" he bowed ready to walk out the door but Nobuyuki stopped him on his track, landing a hand on his shoulder, grinning but his eyes shining mischievously.

"It won't hurt anyone. Plus, see it this way. You can protect me better this way. They would think you are the Lord. All we need to do is tell our old staff what don't  sneak in this information." He pressed on.

Jinpachi locked eyes with Nobuyuki for what seems like an eternity, then a loud sigh was heard, "a week, no more" he said knowing his Lord would do anything to get his way. "But you must stay close. I can't unattend my responsibilities either."

Nobuyuki chuckled, "sure! I'll be your assistant now. This will be fun. Yukimura would make a fuss if he were to know about this."

He shaked his head, staring at the blue eyed Lord. "He's with your father but we have only a week before they arrive. You better not stray away." He asked, hoping this won't get out of hand.

By night time the old maids and retainers were informed to keep the lie and they should start acting as if Jinpachi were the castle's lord.

As told by the liege Lord, Jinpachi has to sleep in said man's room and Nobuyuki will sleep in the attic above it, he opposed it but Nobuyuki didn't want it otherwise. 

Days passed and finally they were having a hint of whose were the spies, the young Maiden was among them, or that's what Nobuyuki insisted on being set up as a practicing page for Jinpachi.

He knew his Lord did it out of amusement to see if he could get a reaction out of Jinpachi, yet the one flustered there was the girl herself. 

Her name is Merina, but everything about her life before her arrival to the castle is blurred, apparently she arrived asking for a place to work in after the lands where she used to live were taken by the war and she, as others were kicked out from their homes. At least that's what the girl who arrived with her said as Merina lost her memories as she was injured when war broke in.

She knocked the door, holding a big stack of letters in both her arms, using her head to knock on it.

From inside Jinpachi called in: "come in" suspecting who it was.

After a couple seconds of not seeing the door opening Nobuyuki made his way to it with a grin plastered on his features, sliding it open he saw her and chuckled helping her taking them from her. "I can't understand who would be this heartless as to send such beautiful girl holding this heavy letters"

She shook her head side by side smiling widely, bowing at his kind actions, "it's my duty. Also it was me the one who said who wanted to come in.." she looked in Jinpachi's direction, somehow happy to see him working so diligently.

Or what one could call work as he was assisting Nobuyuki on his duties, yes, to the outside world he was the one handling matters regardless of the castle and lands, but Nobuyuki himself was the one doing it. But it was fun to him being treated like an equal in his own castle.

"We thank you for your hard work" he said bowing to her briefly but then composed himself as he is the 'Lord'.

Nobuyuki settled the stack of paper on the desk and waved to her, "would you mind keeping company to our Lord? I have some matters to attend now. I'll be back right away" he said with his usual kind but persuasive tone which was difficult to refuse.

She felt guilty turning down such a request, nodding as she stepped into the room closer to Jinpachi, smiling brightly, somehow comfortable with his company.

"You're a lifesaver. I'll be back as soon as possible" he whispered in her ear before puffing away like a ninja.

Jinpachi wondered if his Lord had been training secretly lately trying to steal his job, his eyes landed on Merina as she sat in front of his desk, unsure what to do or how to help him.

It isn't like dealing with this is anything new to him, indeed his job requires he goes any length to get information or get his job done, but something about her was unsettling him.

"Would you mind ordering them by the sender's name?" 

She nodded, concentrated into it, maybe forcing herself to get distracted with it as she could feel his strong gaze piercing her soul.

Her heart beats as loud as drums resounding on her ears, biting her lips, preparing herself to speak up. 

He kept on sneaking looks at her whilst he read the stack left by his Liege Lord, but forming a new stack as he knows it needs his final approval.

"So… are your memories back?" He asked to break the silence, eyes fixed on her cowered frame in front of him as she reads.

Her hands stopped working, lifting her head meeting his eyes, those chocolate brown eyes which melt her to the core, as reflection she nodded but then denied it as the meaning sank in. 

"No yet… uh, I barely remember my house." She babbled, shifting her gaze to the right, trying to reminisce about the past.

He shook his head and spoke calmly, "Maybe those memories are painful. But how about making new ones?" He didn't even know why he suggested that, but couldn't stop himself from saying that out loud.

She grinned hopefully, eyes sparkling like diamond, "Can't hurt me, can it?"

He nodded, then a knock came at the door, he called them in, a tray with exquisite dishes was placed in the middle of the room, the one bringing them walked out of the room right after.

"Would you mind joining me?" He surprised himself as he kept on speaking his mind, yet his demeanor kept calm. 

"I'd love to!" She squeaked reaching for a plate but stopping herself when he didn't do the same, "Forgive my bold behaviour, Milord".

He chuckled softly, a rare sight to be honest, but one which would increase your heart ratio. 

Cheeks stained in a bright shade of pink, smiling back.

He nodded as giving her permission to get a hold of her favourite dish or anything of her liking.

Encouraged by it she grabbed the boiled dumplings with her chopsticks and brought them to her lips, parting them the moment they touched them.

Out of curiosity or maybe something deeper than that, his gaze didn't withdraw from her for a single second, his thoughts betraying him the same moment the soft pale dumpling was dragged in by her teeth and tongue. 

He twitched a little in his seat, averting his gaze, distracting himself reaching for some fried seaweed, bringing it fast to his lips almost to sate his sudden hunger.

She kept on eating happily, stealing glances at him, "what do you like the most?".

Although the innocence of her question it setted him off for a second, "what?!"

Tilting her head she grinned, her little fingers pointing to the tray, "which of them do you like the most?"

He let out a breath, then stared at the tray analyzing them. "All of them are good"

"Uh?" This didn't sate her curiosity, so she didn't hold it back, "there must be one which you like the most."

His heart and brain had an inner conflict about it, yet his mouth came out with a new conclusion, "the rice balls"

"This one?" Lifting one of them she stared at it, tilting her head side to side, then gave it a big bite missing the moment he flinched as reaction to her action. "This one is good.. salty kinda fishy but good so far" in no time it was gone.

This is part 1 of 2-3.

I could have gone straight to the spicy scene, but without building up their story I'd betray my own beliefs.

I still have a bunch on Docs but most of them need a good start or at least a start.

Any comment/suggestion is welcome. Give a like and share if you liked it.

Happy Tuesday ~ hopeful the spicy part be ready for Thursday.

#slbp jinpachi #slbp #voltageinc #jinpachi #npcharacters #jinpachi fanfic #nobuyuki as the castle lord #slbp fanfic #slbp ff

[eirist]

Little Bits and Pieces of Heaven

TRICK OR TREAT?

One-shot #: 22

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible. One shot.

Rating: T (Playful, sexy, suggestive)

Note: Happy Halloween! What is this day if we don’t have a ZoNa one-shot centered on this theme right? This is Prompt #9 – Trick or Treat from the Autumn/Fall (and Halloween!) Prompt List.

Summary: Because when are treats just sweets?

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Laughter filled the air, its tone howling and mocking—obviously at the expense of one poor soul unluckily enough to be the cause of it.

“Shut. Up.”

That comment prompted another round of laughter. Louder, more jeering.

“What in the—hahaha!—world… ha-happened to y-you?” Usopp stammered the question, gasping for air as he tried to get some words out while still laughing.

“I said. Shut. Up!” Zoro snarled towards his direction.

Sanji’s grin was pure evil as he peered down from the galley deck, laughing as well. “Say what now?” He teased. “Kindly… uh… growl that again for us?”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Usopp did not hold back this time. He had actually fallen down to his knees on the grassy deck, laughing still and clutching his middle at the same time.

“Guys…” Nami was trying hard—very hard—to hold back her own laughter at the sight before her. Her lower lip trembled at the effort and she bit at it, hoping to gain some control.

“But Nami-san…!” Sanji wasn’t able to continue what he was saying. He exploded into laughter again while pointing at the three figures standing in the middle of the Sunny’s deck.

Their three crewmates had just returned to the ship after frolicking in the island where they are docked. It would’ve been a normal occurrence… if not for the fact that the three are wearing costumes.

Animal costumes.

Animal jumpsuit costumes.

Nami covered her mouth with her hand to prevent the snort of  laughter that threatened to come out of her as she stared at Luffy, Chopper and…

… dear Kami, Zoro.

Her eyes met his and her shoulders shook from hindering her laugh. His glare was scathing, venomous even.

And she wisely kept her mouth shut lest she incur his wrath.

She actually doesn’t want to get into his bad side tonight.

Not when he is in that tiger costume looking like he was gonna maul everyone to death any minute now.

Nami managed to take a deep breath and compose herself. Yet, she cannot prevent a grin from appearing on her face as she asked. “Are you gonna tell us what’s up? And what’s with the outfits?”

Usopp and Sanji were laughing again, slapping their hands against the lawn deck and the banister respectively.

Franky walked past them on his way to the dock system. And he did a double take. A minute passed before he said, "Aw! Nice costume Zoro!" He gave him a thumbs up before disappearing down the hatch.

If looks could only kill, the cyborg will be dead on the spot… right after that comment.

Zoro’s lone eye narrowed at the two. “You two done now?” He looked unamused; arms folded over his chest as he waited for his idiot crew mates to calm down.

Which honestly looks like it’s gonna take some time.

“No, not yet!” Usopp was still cackling. “This is gold.” He was now sitting down the lawn deck, trying to catch his breath. “Haaah! I’m laughing so hard I think my stomach muscles are cramping.”

“What in the world made you wear that marimo?” Sanji was now heading down the stairs, shaking his head, the snide grin never leaving his face.

Zoro didn’t answer, instead he pinned the blond with the deadliest glare he could muster.

Which is definitely not working since what he was currently wearing undermines the intensity of the look he was giving the chef.

“I asked him to…” Chopper suddenly said in shy, little voice that had most of the Mugiwaras halting. Usopp choked in the middle of his laughter, ending in a coughing fit as he tried to get some air into his lungs.

The others exchanged glances. Everyone has a weak spot for the reindeer after all.

“Actually, me and Luffy kinda forced him.” Chopper admitted, looking up at Zoro who was still glaring at the cook.

Ah. Everyone had the same thought instantly. The reindeer and the captain, huh? The two persons on the ship that the swordsman can hardly ever say no to.

“Well,” Sanji squared his shoulder. “Good job choosing the costume then.”

An expletive escaped Zoro’s mouth.

The cook’s face lit up at that as he reached the deck, standing beside the still crouching Usopp. “Louder will ya?” He smirked. “Aren’t tigers supposed to be capable of growling loudly?”

“I will bite you in half shitty cook!”

“Whoa! I see we are really getting into character now. Whatever happened to using your katanas?”

“Temee…”

“Sanji-kun!” Nami suddenly stepped in front of Zoro with one hand pushing at the taller man’s face. “Stop riling the tiger up!”

“Grrr… you’re next witch!” Zoro scowled underneath her palm, before slapping it away with his own hand… or paw to be exact.

“I think we look awesome!” Luffy shouted excitedly. “Chopper and I really got lots of candies and goodies!” He showed them the pumpkin pails he was holding, overflowing with different treats.

“Yes!” Chopper’s eyes are brimming with delight. “And Zoro gave us his share as well!!!” He also showed them his goodies.

“Don’t need ‘em,” Zoro muttered curtly, still trying to swat Nami’s hand away.

“Oh?” Sanji leaned down to inspect their pails. “Looks like the tiger’s kind of a softie.”

Now that had Zoro roaring and lunging at the blond. “Come here shit cook!”

Nami thwarted his effort with a hand on his chest and the other scratching one fluffy ear of the costume’s hoodie.

“There, there tiger,” she cooed. “Calm down.”

“Stop it witch!” He glowered at her. But it turned to a smirk when Sanji whined a ‘Nami-san, pet me too!’.

“Aho…” he drawled and it was Sanji’s turn to get riled up.

“GET AWAY FROM NAMI-SAN YOU DUMBASS!!!”

Robin came out of the aquarium bar and approached the group. She had heard the commotion but refrained from leaving her location. She was engrossed with the book that she was reading and had used her hana hana no mi to find out what’s going on.

“Ara…” she said gaining everyone’s attention. “Did you three have fun?”

“Robin-chwaan!” Sanji was immediately distracted by his other female crewmate. “I hope we didn’t disturb you my lady.” He was instantly suave and gentlemanly and was kneeling down on knee, holding the older woman’s hand in his.

“Not at all,” she smiled. “How was your trip in the town?” She directed the question to the three costumed Mugiwaras. Not once did her calm, composed demeanor break… even at the sight of their intimidating swordsman donning on an animal jumpsuit.

“It was so much fun!” Chopper gushed showing her the pumpkin pails. “Look at all the candy I got Robin!”

“Me too! Me too!” Luffy flaunted his as well.

“Looks like it was an amazing trip then,” Robin smiled.

Luffy nodded. “Yep it was awesome! They have something going on there where. You knock on doors and say trick or treat!”

“Then they will give you candies! Lots and lots of candies!” Chopper explained giddily.

“But you have to be in a costume first! And Zoro said we can’t go knocking on houses dressed in the usual!” The rubberman added.

Behind them Zoro was rolling his eyes in exasperation.

“Pretty good call,” Brook suddenly appeared and sauntered towards them with a tea cup in hand, nodding at Zoro. “We are in a civilian territory and some might recognize your faces from the posters Luffy-san.”

“I’m surprised you don’t find this funny.” Usopp pointed at the three, raising an eyebrow at the skeleton.

“Ah I did… I already laughed my eyes out before I went here, yohohohoh! Even if I—”

“—don’t have eyes to see.” Usopp deadpanned with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Yeah, yeah.”

“That is not very nice Usopp-san!” Brook retorted when his skull joke was foiled.

“Hmmm…” Nami suddenly hummed. “I see… since Zoro is the delegated baby-sitter of you two for the night…hence the costume.” She smiled cheekily at him before scratching his tiger ear again and he gave her a sharp look.

Luffy nodded. “You said he should come with us! And I’m not gonna go back here empty-handed. Everyone is giving away treats and candies in town!” Then he frowned. “But there’s no meat though…”

Robin laughed softly. “Well, the island’s tradition is to give out sweets to those who are trick or treating. That’s why there are no meats or other foods.”

“Or beer.” Zoro complained as Nami flicked Zoro’s nose playfully.

He glared angrily at her.

“So who picked the animal costumes?” The navigator asked, curious why Zoro ended up looking like this.

“Us!!!” Luffy and Chopper raised their hands.

“I wanted to be the monkey!” Luffy pumped his hands into the air. “Because…”

“Monkey D. Luffy?” Sanji cut in, blowing a stream of smoke nonchalantly.

“Right!”

“Figures.”

“And Chopper-san’s supposed to be a…?” Brook queried.

“Tanuki,” Zoro answered, his lone grey eye still looking daggers on Nami.

“Isn’t that a bit redundant?” Usopp raised an eyebrow at Chopper.

“It’s not a raccoon-dog! It’s a raccoon Zoro!” The doctor corrected him.

“Right. Sorry.”

“So you’re a….” the sniper prompted. He still cannot make up his mind between raccoon, raccoon-dog or a reindeer in a reindeer costume.

“Raccoon! This costume is a raccoon!”

“Honestly, I’m confused,” the sharpshooter admitted, blinking at the others doubtfully.

“Usopp you asshole!” Chopper screamed in indignation.

“Hahaha! Just kidding,” Usopp backtracked. “Of course the great god Usopp knows what you are already!”

“Which is?” Nami queried, looking at him unconvincingly.

Usopp coughed and ignored her. “And how did Zoro ended up as a tiger?”

“It was the only available one,” the swordsman grunted.

“Why didn’t you just covered him with anything green and let him come as his marimo self?” Sanji inquired, that shit-eating grin he has on his face never waning.

“I will kill you aho cook.”

“Oh!” Sanji trembled mockingly. “Whatcha gonna do hit me with your paw?”

They were about to lunge at each other when Nami raised both of her hands to stop them.

“That is enough!” Nami then stood on tiptoes and reached out to pinched ears of the tiger costume. “Let’s all just agree that as much as it is funny, they look absolutely cute.

Sanji looked shocked and whimpered, “Nami-san!”

“I am not cute woman! Get off!” Zoro groused as he tried to pull Nami’s hands away. It required some effort to be honest as the jumpsuit he was wearing ended up with paws for the hands.

Robin let out a soft giggle. “For what it’s worth… I honestly think it is cute Zoro.” She offered her two cent’s worth, her smile ever polite. “And sweet,” she added as well as her gaze hovered over Chopper and Luffy affectionately, knowing that the swordsman did it for the two.

“It is,” Nami agreed, breaking into a grin. “Especially that drawn nose and whiskers.” She tapped Zoro’s nose and it had him growling at her. This time she laughed… out loud. He’s kinda getting into that tiger persona quite effortlessly.

Though she maybe laughing at green-haired man’s expense yet that doesn’t mean she didn’t find his current look… enticing. And yes, cute.

Absolutely cute.

She could just eat him right here. Right now.

Zoro snorted even as his face turned red at their comments. Chopper then explained that the store owner where they got the costumes from had offered to draw on Luffy and Zoro’s faces.

“It is cute, ne Robin?” Luffy aimed the question at the older woman, smiling brightly.

Robin’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “It is senchou.”  

“Hey! Why don’t we all go and trick or treat some more?” Luffy suggested. “I’m pretty sure there are houses we still haven’t visited…”

“Yes!” Chopper pumped his hooves up in the air. “More candies!”

“Sanji you should go with us as well! We’ll find you a costume like what we have!” Luffy grabbed the cook’s hands much to his chagrin.

“What? NO!”

“Good maybe there’s an ero-kappa costume where we got this. That’ll suit him.” Zoro suggested, smirking at the thought that the stupid chef will end up in a stupid costume just like him.

If it wasn’t for Luffy and Chopper… this would not have taken place. Damn it!

“You asshole!” Sanji shouted as the same notion dawned into him.

“I’m done.” Zoro then announced with a huff. “It’s your turn to babysit them now. I’m gonna go nap. Chopper, you can drag Usopp as well this time for another round of trick or treating.”

“Alright.” The reindeer beamed at him. “Zoro thank you for tonight!”

That pulled the corner of the grumpy tiger’s lips up before he headed towards the sleeping quarters.

“Not another word witch.” He muttered as he passed by a still grinning Nami.

“I didn’t say anything,” Nami retorted as she watched him head towards the men’s room.

“So,” Robin caught everyone’s attention at that. “Shall we head back to town, get some costumes and enjoy some trick or treating ourselves?”

A chorus of yes answered her.

-------------------------

A soft knock on the door woke Zoro up.

He opened his eye at the sound. The men’s quarter was dark and the ship silent. 

The others are still probably trick or treating in the island.

Sitting up he realized that must’ve fallen asleep on the sofa in the middle of the room instead of his bunk bed.

Another knock sounded. And he sleepily stood up, groaning when he realized he still hadn’t gotten out of the stupid tiger costume he was wearing.

Running a paw over his head (in an attempt to run his fingers through his hair) he approached the door and opened it.

He was met with a Cheshire cat-like smile on a cat burglar’s face—who was wearing a sexy, black cat costume.

A far cry from the conservative jumpsuit he and the others had on.

She was clad in a one piece black suit so tight it was hugging her curves. The front was zip only halfway up, displaying her ample cleavage. Black stockings and heels made up the lower part of her attire and cute cat ears headband completed her feline ensemble.

Trust Nami to find some way to don a costume that’ll flaunt all her generous assets.

"Trick or treat?"

She inquired as she smirked at him.

"Tch!"

And she chortled as his reaction, plus at the fact that he still hadn’t taken his tiger costume off. She took a step inside, her black high heels made a clicking sound against the wooden floor, the tail of her one piece suit swaying at her movement in time with her orange curls.

"So trick or treat?" She repeated when Zoro didn’t make another sound and instead was scrutinizing her up and down.

Zoro snorted as he followed her. Her hand reached out and grabbed the front of his jumpsuit, pulling him closer to her. Licking her thumb, she reached out to try to erase the drawn tiger’s nose on his own, as well as the whiskers on his face.

“None,” he finally answered as she rubbed her finger on his face.

Nami laughed. What a grouch. She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. His arms automatically encircled her waist.

“Wrong answer,” she whispered cattily.

“I don’t have any treats here. Luffy and Chopper has them.”

“Wrong again,” she kissed him on the jaw, tugging back the hood of his costume so she can ran her fingers through his hair.

His lips quirked up as she placed light, nipping kisses on his lips… her teasing smile never leaving her face.

She tugged at the front zipper of his costume down and watched fascinated as the toned muscles underneath it were slowly exposed. 

"See Zoro…” she said, savoring the sight before as her eyes and hands trailed down his body. She pushed the garment off his shoulders. “Here’s my treat." She declared licking her lips naughtily.

#zoro x nami #ZoNa #zonami #zonalove #zona one-shots #zoro nami fanfiction #zona autumn/fall prompts #roronoa zoro #nami

[juiceycube]

tthe joshneku dynamic. to me

#happy purge march release day btw #usual disclaimers (sorry if these have been done before/ooc) #the world ends with you #twewy #neku sakuraba #yoshiya kiryu

[trashy-mctrash]

Leona Chan’s Harem - Part 1(Of 4)

This is a crack fic based on the random anime that @goldendeeeer1 and I designed on the twst server. The characters may seem ooc or ridiculous but keep in mind that that's the whole point. Sorry if there are any mistakes, its been a while since I wrote. Google docs was my proof reader so blame them. And with that please enjoy! :)

Disclaimer, naughty language. 

Leona Chan was never interested in love, why would he be. It's not like anyone would ever love him, people were always more drawn to his older brother so how could he trust anyone that claims to be interested in him. But he would be lying if he said at times he didn't crave the support or trust of someone he could truly be himself with. 

He sighed as he made his way to the dorm kitchen to grab something to eat before hedging to class. His plan was only to attend the first two lessons then nap in the greenhouse as usual wanting to avoid any drama that always seemed to happen at the school. 

“Oh so you finally decided to come out of your room Leona.” Ruggie greeted Leona as he sat down placing a plate of toast in front of him. “I thought you planned to spend all day sleeping. You used to always try and do that when we were kids.” Ruggie continued to rant on about their past while Leona decided to zone him out. Ruggie had been by his side since they were kids due to their similar beliefs and being outcasts, eventually becoming his close friend and part time mother with how much he nags at him. Despite the nagging, Leona knows that he can trust Ruggie even if Ruggie was only with him for his own gain. 

“Oi Leona if you don’t go now you’ll be late for class, you better get going else there would be no point in getting up at all.” said Ruggie snapping Leona out of his daze. “Shit you’re right, I’m heading out then” Leona exclaimed while grabbing a slice of toast and shoving it in his mouth  before running off. “Hey why don’t we-” Ruggie started but it was too late, Leona chan was already gone. If only he had stayed long enough to hear what he had to say. 

On his way to class Leona chan had bumped into his arch enemy, Malleus. He hated how much Malleus reminded him of his brother and was constantly seen as being better than him. Little did he know that Malleus in fact did not hate him but was inexperienced in expressing love and therefore believed that their constant teasing and arguing was a way of deepening their relationship which would hopefully blossom into love. 

Malleus called out to Leona. “Huh lost little kitty~” he smirked while crossing his arms. Leona rolled his eyes, not wanting to waste his energy on Malleus, “not as lost as you coat hanger, you’ve wandered quite far from the beast’s castle.” He walked away leaving Mallues laughing. “Hahaha, you’re as witty as ever...I can’t wait to make you mine” Mallues whispered as he watched Leona chan walk away, “after all I’m the only person capable of taming you.” 

However, unknown to the both of them there was someone else watching their interaction. Free range Azul had been following Leona chan waiting for the perfect opportunity to confess his feelings. Azul wasn’t stupid though, he was aware that Leona would never accept his feelings so he had been working hard to perfect a spell that would cause Leona chan to fall in love with him. After all with Leona’s strength and Azul’s brilliant mind, they could accomplish many great things together. It also helped that Leona chan was a prince meaning that he would be able to help fund all of Azul’s schemes. They were clearly destined to be together, at least that’s how free range Azul saw it. 

He would wait for Leona to go to the greenhouse for his nap and cast the spell on him. His plan was fool proof, no one else would be there to stop him. “Soon we'll be together my beloved. You aren’t aware of how much you need me but don’t worry, I’ll help you open your eyes to the truth.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leona chan yawned as he made his way to the greenhouse, finally he could sleep and escape Rook’s creepy gaze. Seriously what was wrong with that guy, it’s like he was obsessed with him. On the plus side he hadn’t seen Malleus at all after their previous encounter, it's like he had disappeared. It's not like he cared if anything he was quite glad. 

As he headed to his favourite spot, he saw Azul already standing there. He was flashing his usual suspicious smile, the one that Leona hated. It lacked any true emotion and showed how Azul was always plotting causing Leona to be more on guard. 

“Ahhh Leona, I was hoping to see you here.” Azul made his way towards Leona still smiling. “There was actually something important I wished to discuss with you.” 

Leona skimmed his brain unable to think of any reason why Azul would want to see him. “What are you up to?” Leona asked, taking a step back. “Oh you wound me,” Azul wiped away a fake tear. “Accusing me of causing trouble after I went through the effort to come out here.” 

Azul walked forward standing right in front of Leona and looked up into his eyes. “Leona…I know this might seem odd for you but I can’t deny my heart’s desires anymore.” He placed his hand on Leona’s arm, stroking it gently while his eyes softened. “I love you. I wish for us to be together, my heart swoons everytime I see you and I’m always lost in those forest green eyes of yours losing the ability to properly express myself.” Leona started to freak out. What was Azul talking about? Love? Him and Azul? Impossible. They never got along, this had to be another scheme.

Leona shook off Azul's hand, “Look. Despite how I look and act, I hate playing with someone’s feelings.” He turned around staring to leave, “You can’t fool me. No one can love me so I’ll be going now. Go find someone else to toy with.” Shoving his hands into his pockets and walked off. A part of him heartbroken that Azul would try to deceive him with such a sensitive topic to him. Leona chan sniffled holding back his tears. 

Before Leona could walk out the greenhouse, he felt a tingly sensation in his chest. The feeling quickly spread to the rest of his body and made his vision hazy. His mind started to get fuzzy and feel extremely warm, sweat covering his forehead. He felt himself lose conscience only faintly being able to hear Azul. “Leona. I think you are mistaken. I love you and you love me. We will be together.” Azul appeared behind Leona who had collapsed on the ground. He knelt down lifting Leona chan’s chin gently to stare at his eyes. His previous green eyes now ruby red reflecting Azul’s sinister smile. “You love me too right?” he asked using his thumb to stroke Leona’s cheek. “O..of course Azul. I love you too” Leona whispered gazing longingly back at him as he nuzzled into Azul’s hand, “I want to be with you forever.”

Free range Azul laughed. He did it. Leona was all his and together they would rule as the most powerful couple in the world. No one could stop him. That was until he heard a rustle from a nearby bush. That wasn’t right, everyone should be in class right now so who could be here. Azul stood up bringing Leona with him who began cuddling him while purring. “It’s quite rude to spy you know,” Azul said, wrapping an arm around Leona, “show yourself.” Out of the bush appeared Ruggie carrying a sandwich and a drink. “My bad I just came here to find Leona to give him his snack and drag him back to class.” Ruggie looked down at Leona who was still burying himself in Azul and appeared to be oblivious to his entrance. “It looks I came at the right time, what did you do to Leona?” Ruggie demanded his hand crushing the sandwich causing it to crumble onto the ground. 

Azul chuckled, “me? Nothing. Leona just poured out his heart to me and I just reciprocated those feelings and well now we’re together.” Azul pulled in Leona closer who just mewled while staring lovingly back at him. “You must be so happy that he finally found true love since you're his best friend but your services are no longer needed.” Ruggie growled, this couldn’t be true. There was no way that Leona would love that slippery octopus. No Leona deserved someone better, someone who truly understood him and was always by his side...someone like him.  

“Get away from Leona!” Ruggie shouted. “I don’t know what you’ve done but you’ve clearly messed him up!” Azul looked at Ruggie with an umamused look, “is that so? If i had messed with Leona could I do this.” He turned towards Leona who was smiling back at him before moving his face closer to his lips. Leona closed his eyes leaning in to meet Azul’s, his eyes closing. Ruggie was enraged, he chucked the drink in his hand at Azul causing him to move away from Leona and tumble to the ground. Not giving him any time to process what happened, Ruggie ran and jumped onto Azul and began punching him repeatedly. “How dare you! I’ve stayed by his side through everything and had to keep my feelings for him bottled up to not get in the way of his dreams!” he began crying, his punches getting weaker. “Do you know how hard it is to always see Leona and not be able to hold his hand or kiss his soft cheek. Are you even aware of the way he smirks when he comes up with an idea or how his tail sways after he eats a meal? You know nothing about him! You could never fully love or appreciate Leona!”

Before Ruggie could continue, Leona pushed Ruggie off Azul and stood in front of him, leaving Azul passed out on the floor. “Please don’t hurt Azul I love him Ruggie” Leona cried out his own tears falling down his face. “I don’t know what he’s done but I promise you he means no harm.”

Ruggie stood there shocked. His eyes filled with tears and he stared at Leona. How could he have allowed this to happen? “Leona, I’m sorry. I only ever wanted to see you happy and your dreams come true.” He shankingly took a step towards Leona, “I knew that I never stood a chance to be with you, yet I couldn’t stop myself from falling in love with you. I don’t care if you don’t love me, I just want you to be with someone who I know will cherish you forever.” Ruggie started to sob heavily and his body began shaking. 

Leona was baffled. He was confused as to why Ruggie would be crying but for some reason he felt a deep pang in his heart. He reached out towards him, arms slowly wrapping around Ruggie. “Please don’t cry. I..I hate seeing you cry” he said as he stroked Ruggie’s hair. He moved Ruggie so that they were facing each other, for some reason looking at him made his heart hurt. He felt a sort of yearning. Before either of them realised it, they moved closer to each other. Their eyes closing as their lips gently grazed each other. Unable to control his urges anymore, Ruggie pushed forward and kissed leona. Leona’s lips tasted better than he thought, warm, wet and rough, he could taste the apricot jam he had that morning. Leona was lost in the kiss, his once fuzzy mind was clearing. Ruggie’s scent pulling him back to his senses. He opened his eyes shocked to see Ruggie staring back at him. Both of them jumped and pulled back.

“Wh..what the hell is going on?!” Leona demanded his fingers coming up to gently swipe across his lips. The last thing he remembered was moving to leave the greenhouse and then blank. Ruggie was confused too until he looked at Leona’s eyes to see the familiar green that he loved. “Uhhh to be honest I dont know,” Ruggie said as he moved his eyes away to stare at Azul laying there, “ask him.”

Leona turned around bending down to slap Azul across the face. Azul woke and slowly sat up and as he stared at Leona. “The spell. Did it wear off?” he asked cautiously. “Spell? You scumbag I knew you were up to no good.” Leaona was furious, how could he have let this happen. He looked to Ruggie for a proper explanation.  Ruggie sighed, “Azul had used some sort of spell that caused you to fall in love with him and I guess I tried to stop him.” “ So you kissed me?” Leona responded. Azul stood up dusting himself off, “ahh I see. It appears that true love’s kiss wins once again. How original” he sighed. “I guess I’ll be going now, but don’t worry Leona. I haven’t given up on us yet” and with that Azul left the two alone. 

“Man this day was exhausting, I’m heading to bed” Leona said. Ruggie was confused, “wait so you’re not gonna push more about the kiss?” “What do you want me to say? Thanks for the kiss Ruggie it tasted surprisingly sweet and good.” Ruggie was lost for words, “are you serious? After I poured my heart out to you?” Leona sighed and made his way to Ruggie, “don’t worry I’m just getting there. It was your voice that guided me back and it was your words that made me realise something.” Leona started to blush and fidget with his hands as he tried to gather his thoughts, “Ruggie. You were the only person who saw me for who I truly am and embraced both my good and bad. Despite my shit attitude you still supported me.” Ruggie grabbed Leona’s hands gently nudging him to go on. “This is hard for me to say so listen carefully as I’ll only say it once. I love you too Ruggie, You and your stupid laugh,” Leona mumbled. 

Ruggie’s eyes widened, he never dreamed that this day would ever come, “you do?” “Are you daft, what did I just say?” Leona glared at Ruggie as he began to laugh. “Wow. this is amazing ah.” Ruggie gave Leona a warm smile, “so.. Would it be too bold of me to ask you out then?” “I’d expect you too, after all what would be the point of sharing my feelings if I didn’t want to be with you?” Leona replied. “Ahh I’m so lucky to be dating a prince as charming as you~” Ruggie responded poking his cheek. Leona swatted his hand away before leaning towards Ruggie, “just shut up and kiss me.” And with that the two sealed their love with a kiss.

Meanwhile, outside the greenhouse a certain hunter gazed in at the two lovers kissing before walking away. He’d let Ruggie have this moment, it wouldn’t last long anyway.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst leona #twst ruggie #twst rook #twst azul #sorry its so long #leona kingscholar #ruggie bucchi #rook hunt #azul ashengrotto #twst malleus #malleus draconia #crack fic

[soaringlark]

(disclaimer: all my vore is non-sexual; especially this piece!!!)

(If asked to delete this, I will. I don’t want make anybody uncomfortable) Warning: this contains mild spoilers for The 0wl h0use up until s1 ep 17, don’t click read more if you don’t want to be spoiled

(I can not put this in any form of The 0wl h0use tag, sorry. I would get murdered immediately)

Oh, and there is tecnically no vore in this, but there is “mouthplay” (that word feels dirty, I don’t like it) so nobody is swallowed. The reason I put it in this tag is to see, if it’s safe to post more of it.

Anyways, here’s the post.

I have a little story to go with the image, but it’s not in my usual style of writing and maybe really OOC, since I have never written the two before. Higher quality image (with the story) can be found on my deviantart Pepsithedog (the link wasn’t working)

(I forgot her nail polish)

Before reading it should be mentioned that the characters are 14, which is why I want to know if this is acceptable. The first paragraph is a little questionable, but I thought it was too funny to remove.

...

Ami/ty was a little shy about having her crush literally exploring her mouth. To be fair, she didn't think Lu/z meant like this! She thought, she was flirting! What worried her the most though... was the fact that she really liked her taste.

She was suprised, but not disgusted, to taste such a... sweetness on her. Like a fruit... but which one? It wasn't sour at all. A peach or plum maybe? Or a cherry... definitely not a citrus fruit.

She hadn't even realized she had closed her lips around Lu/z, before she felt her trying to get free. She spat her out, out of shock, and, quickly, wiped the drool of her chin.

"LU/Z! I'm so sorry! I did not mean to do that!"

Lu/z took a moment to compose herself. "It's alright, Ami/ty..." she let out a winded breath. "You knocked the wind out of me though."

"Sorry..."

"It's okay!" Lu/z replied, getting up on her feet. "Guess I'm pretty tasty, huh?"

Ami/ty had thought her face couldn't get more red; she was wrong. She could barely stutter out a sentence. "N-no, gah, I, uh..." She didn't know what to say that would make her reaction seem logical. "My mouth was getting tired."

Lu/z raised an eyebrow at her. "yeah sure, that was why your tongue was lapping at me." There was a laugh in the shrunken humans voice, making Ami/ty's heart flutter. "It's okay, I figured I would be, with all the things that tried to eat me on my second day here."

She looked away in embarrassment. Why did Lu/z have to taste so nice? She really wanted to shove her back in her mouth, but that was a weird thing to even think. She felt the heat in her cheeks spark up again. Her next question was almost too embarrassing to say. "So..." she rethought how to say it, "I mean- I guess- Are you done looking around?" She didn't want to say she wanted her back in her mouth.

Lu/z laughed. "Ami/ty, you can just tell me if you want another taste!"

Ami/ty dug her nails into the table. "uh..." Lu/z apparently took this as a sign to shove her upper body into her mouth. "mhH!" Ami/ty was careful not to chomp down on her. She felt Luz's stomach press down on her sharp teeth, quickly shifting her tongue, so they wouldn't hurt her. Her taste hit her like a bullet, as she immediately began drooling again. She swallowed the saliva around her, knowing that there was no way Lu/z would follow.

She opened her mouth a little, in case Lu/z regretted going in, but she showed no sign of wanting out. Ami/ty closed her mouth back up, enjoying Lu/z's flavor. Lu/z had agreed to this, so she couldn’t get mad if Ami/ty took her time with it. She swallowed once again, hoping that Lu/z's didn't mind being... well pretty much a human lollipop; even with the fruit flavor.

Ami/ty didn't even notice the fact, that she was shoving more of the human into her mouth. She gently pushed Lu/z farther in, with the tip of her index finger. It startled her when she heard Lu/z yell at her.

"Ami/ty! I didn't say you could eat me!" She felt Lu/z kick against her fingers, quickly opening up her mouth again to let her back out. Lu/z spilled back out on the table, covered in Ami/ty's slobber. "What was that about?" Lu/z's voice wasn't too serious, but she clearly a bit confused.

"I don't know, I didn't even realize I was doing it," she replied shyly. But suddenly she realized how much she wanted to devour the human. She backed away from Lu/z immediately; she was not hurting her. Not the only person that truly mattered to her.

"Ami/ty, what's wrong?"

She realized, she had nearly jumped back covering her mouth. "I want to eat you!" She blurted out behind her hand. Why did she say that? She didn't want to scare her. "I won't do it! But..." Ami/ty paused, but what? "Actually no, I won't do it." Lu/z's eyes searched around the room, before she began laughing. "That was a good prank, Ami/ty!"

"What?"

An uncertain look fell over Lu/z's face. "Telling me that you want to eat me? I nearly thought you meant it!" She still laughed, but Ami/ty could hear the nervousness in it.

She decided to play along.

She mimiced her anxious laughter. "Oh, I thought it was a bit more convincing," she replied, making a frustrated gesture. "Shoot, I almost got you!"

Lu/z looked up at her with a much calmer smile. "Well, with that scare, I think we're done with this."

Ami/ty smiled back down at her, although her smile was a lot more nervous. She was definitely never telling Luz the truth...

...

Let’s see how people react... I hope you enjoyed! I don’t want to remove this... But I will if asked. I will ask questions first, but that’s just to be sure that you’re serious (this sentence has been edited, ‘cause I sounded like a Karen)

#safe vore #my writing #my art #mouthplay #still leaves a bad taste in my mouth #haha it's a pun #but I need to see how people react

[nilim]

How would someone start to get into LARPing? I've always thought it sounded interesting but I have no idea where to start.

Oh boy, both a very easy and a very complicated question, because it depends on where you live and what you want. Also I haven’t been to that many different LARPs, so I will keep this mostly general…. This got long, so tips under the cut:

I’m very much a ‘jumped in the deep end without any preparation and see where I end up’ kinda person. I first started LARPing when I was 18. It was a ‘smaller’ LARP and it was at a place where my brother also LARPed at, although I didn’t see him for the entire weekend so I was pretty much alone. It was also an ‘adult’ LARP, so 16+ only. It was also the most I laughed in a 3-day stretch of time and absolutely delightful.

Basically, anyone can get into LARPing, you just have to keep an open mind when going into these things. Here’s a disclaimer though: I’m an easy person, I don’t have any disabilities, was in a mentally healthy state and I’m very used to camping outdoors, so I could put up with a lot - there was nothing that really ‘scared’ me about going except the whole ‘oh no strangers’ and mild social anxiety thing. Therefore, I didn’t do a lot of research beforehand about which LARP I wanted to attend - I attended my first LARP because it was relatively close to where my parents lived and I knew my brother LARPed there. That’s it.

However, that was more than 10 years ago and I’ve since grown a little more socially anxious and also a little more socially aware, so I would advise you to scout out different LARPs in your area. Almost all LARP events I know of have an online presence, through twitter or facebook groups, websites, etc. Just have a look what players are saying on those pages - you can usually judge the general feel of a LARP by the type of discussions players are having. 

Also, ask questions if you’re unsure about something. In general I’ve found that LARPers are very eager to bring people into their hobby, and are very helpful and honest when answering questions. Check whether there is a code of conduct. Check whether there are confidential counselors present if anything were to happen. Check whether there are rules about harassment etc. If you’re unsure about something, ask the players on those social media pages what their experiences have been. Usually they will be honest, because they are ‘customers’ of the LARP much like you will be. Treat it like you’re shopping around for a hotel or holiday! Weigh the pros and cons.

As for the LARPs themselves, there are many different kinds of LARPs. I’ve only done high fantasy LARPs so far, and pretty large ones as well. Conquest of Mythodea is the largest LARP in the world, and it can be overwhelming for some people. But I also find them very calming in a way? When there’s so many people around there is almost no direct pressure on me to do anything. The story will continue regardless of what I do. With small LARPS or ‘parlor’ LARPs, which usually consist of a very limited group in a much smaller area, there can be more pressure on you to ‘perform’ your role. However, the upside of these LARPs is that you get some very deep RP and your character is important to the story. The game leaders will make sure to focus on you, and that can be very exciting! 

I’ve also only attended LARPs where I would stay overnight. My first LARP lasted 3 days (Friday-Sunday), and Conquest of Mythodea lasts 5 (Wednesday -Sunday night). If you’re unsure about immediately going for such a commitment, maybe try out shorter or smaller LARPs first to see if you like it? Also, almost all LARPs have out-of-character areas, so if things get too overwhelming you can retreat from the game and just chill. Usually there are dedicated areas in the game, as well as your personal areas (e.g. people’s personal tents are completely off limits in Conquest, and nobody may enter them except for you. They may also not demand that you come out, etc). 

Once you’ve settled on a LARP you want to attend, but don’t want to do it alone, you can ask around to see if there are any groups that might interest you in joining. Most LARPs have many different factions that you could join, and a lot of larger LARPs also have newbie groups that are specifically designed to teach you the ropes of the game. We joined the banner of explorers in Conquest of Mythodea and people were very friendly with explaining rules and such to us. However, they also usually let you go off and do your own thing if you’re not interested in participating or being forced into performing faction-related things. It was real nice. Again, ask around, see which groups of people can take you under their wing - usually there’s a lot of people willing to help you! A lot of this asking around you can do online before you even attend the LARP.

Once you’ve chosen a LARP and/or even a faction, make sure to read up on the rules of the LARP. Sometimes there’s a lot. Nobody is expecting you to know everything by heart, but it’s appreciated to take a little bit of effort so you know the general rules, especially around OOC vs IC gameplay, and the concept to roleplay with other people. LARPing is very much a “Yes and…” kind of experience, much like D&D. Prevent shutting down other people’s RP moments just because you want to do something cooler. (Note: Absolutely shut down somebody’s RP moment if it is making you uncomfortable. You are more important than RP!). Read up on combat rules, if you’re planning on taking part in combat. Make sure never to just hit people on the head, never carry sharp objects on you, make sure to know the rules about touching and grabbing other people, some LARPs don’t allow it.

Now you just need a character. Many LARPs have you build a character much in the same way like you would build a D&D character; you have a number of skill points that you can assign to different skills, such as thievery, magic or hitpoints. Read up on the rules and do whatever you think would be fun. In my general experience, these skill points are way less important than you think. 99% of LARP is just hanging around and talking to people, and you don’t need skill points for that. Additionally, realize that nobody actually knows your character (unless you’re playing a small parlor LARP), so you can usually tweak your character while you’re playing. So far I’ve always tried to play shady thief characters or dumb fighter characters, but I always instantly get sucked in when there’s puzzles and mysteries to solve, so I often let the ‘stoic person who doesn’t care about books’ thing go as soon as the game presents me with secret puzzles and coded texts. And that’s fine. Just make sure that once you’ve settled as a character after some time IC, and people know you as that character, you roleplay somewhat consistently or otherwise it gets confusing.

As for preparation for going to an actual LARP: There’s a lot of good resources out there on the internet! Just google things like ‘essential items for a LARP’ or ‘packing list LARP’, especially if you’re planning on camping. There’s also a huge amount of online stores that cater to LARP outfits, LARP weapons, and adjacent fantasy setting camping items. If you’re on a budget, don’t worry about it - nobody is going to be snobby about your outfit if you don’t look as cool as the next guy. However, please do try to keep it setting-compliant. Don’t show up in jeans and a t-shirt to a fantasy LARP. Even on a budget, it’s relatively easy to find some second-hand clothes at a thrift store or flea market (that’s where I get half my LARP clothes). Much like many hobbies, this one too requires a little bit of investment on your part before you go. Please don’t splurge on equipment before you’ve even attended a LARP though – maybe you won’t like it, and then you’ve invested all that effort already. Just take it easy and test out the waters a little bit.

And in-game? What if you’re unsure about how to get into the game? First you have to realize that everything is game. Even just sitting around the campfire enjoying some bard songs is game. There’s no right or wrong way to play in a LARP. But if you want to get into more plot-related stuff: Talk to others. Ask questions, about everything. During our 5 days at Mythodea this summer we did literally nothing but walk up to random places or events, tapping random people on the shoulder and going ‘what’s happening here?’. And people will do it a lot with you too, we’ve had so many people asking us who someone was, or what was going on, even though we didn’t know. Be not afraid to ask questions. It’s the quickest way to make new connections and get new friends and to get involved in the plot. Usually there’s NPCs around that you can ask for quests. Try to find out where stuff is happening. Or make your own quests, if you enjoy making that kind of character. It can be a lot of fun to send out other players to do things for you. Player characters come in all kinds of flavours. Maybe you just want a character that hangs out in the camp and cooks for people. That’s fine too! Like I said before, there’s no right or wrong to play. 

If you want to fight undead and smash people with a foam sword, there’s LARPs for that. If you want to solve a murder mystery in a haunted mansion, there’s LARPs for that. If you want to be a wizard and attend magic school, there’s LARPs for that. If you want to sneak around and steal people’s valuables, there’s LARPs for that. It’s great! Just look around and see what kind of LARP and what kind of character suits your style. And it’s also fine to have your first LARP be a run-of-the-mill fantasy setting where you just walk around and observe other people and don’t get involved in the plot at all, which is mostly what I did during my first LARP. 

Anyway, this got very long, sorry. But I hope these tips help you out!

#LARP #Anonymous

[blackbeltkitten2ficsnships-blog]

Bad, bad Alphonse Capone (Chapter 11)

Cher soldat.

Fandom/Movie/Series/Ect: Night At The Museum

Setting: Larry is still the night guard, several exhibits from the Smithsonian are at the Museum of Natural History

Pairing(s): Eventual Capoleon, Jedtavius, Teddy/Sacagawea

Characters: Al Capone, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ivan the Terrible (Awesome), Larry Daley, Teddy Roosevelt, Sacagawea, Jedediah Smith, Octavius, Ahkmenrah, Shaka Zulu, several Zulu tribe members, Dr. Richard McPhee, several Mobsters, Antonio Villalobos, Mariana Villalobos, Ramón Espina, Doctor Jess McClain, Docteur Alain Chaput, Claude Travere

Genre/Warnings: Some slightly graphic violence, Foul language, Fic inspired by a song, I’ll come up with more tags later

Notes: I listened to the song “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce about a thousand times and decided I just HAD to make a fic.  The reason Al and the boys get made into color (as a plot point) is so everyone can see what happens to Al.

If anyone is OOC or this reads like a Dick & Jane, this is my second posted fic and I haven’t done much writing in the NATM field. (Disclaimer: I don’t own the song, nor the characters.) (If anything suddenly changes, I had to fix a mistake I missed.)

The title’s translation is “Dear soldier.”

I’m sorry it took so so long to update but I lost my motivation there for a bit, and I finally forced myself to finish this chapter and begin on the next one!

I proofread this thing what feels like five times and I’m honestly so done with it, just message me/comment if you notice any mistakes.

Word count: 1,495

Summary: Al and the boys practically beg (Though they won’t stoop so far as to say they were actually begging.) for him and his gang to be colored up like everyone else.  Finally one day they get a paint-job, despite McPhee’s ever-present paranoia; Capone and the gang being popular in grey-scale.  Several weeks after they finally get what they want, Al gets in a fight, and doesn’t come out of it well.  Luckily for him Napoleon is compassionate enough to put up with Al’s grating personality to help him.

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Napoleon leaves the office next to Al, and makes his way to the usual meeting room.

Napoleon had planned to meet with Frankie and Claude in the meeting room at seven, one hour before the meeting is to take place.

Napoleon and Claude find Frankie there, sitting on a stool and down to some kind of bodysuit at six forty-five.

“Set the trunk there, and return at eight.”

The trunk thunks when it hits the floor, and the soldiers march out and off down the hall.

Claude opens the trunk and pulls out a shirt.  Frankie snatches it from him.

“What’s with you French and puffy shirts, anyway?”

“Frankie, if you had been in Italy during our time, you would be wearing a shirt five times as billowy as this, count yourself lucky.”

Frankie snorts.

“If you say so, Napoleon.”

He bunches it up and almost puts it over his head before Claude manages to stop him.

“Wait, take off the...  Whatever that is you have on.”

Frankie’s eyes widen.

“Are you kiddin’?  You want me to take off my union suit?”

“Oh, so that’s what Al was talking about...  Yes.”

Frankie stares at Claude like he’s turned green.

“But...  I’ll be naked...”

Claude glances over at Napoleon and visibly bites his cheek.

“Not after you put the shirt on.”

“So you go around commando all day, every day?”

Napoleon grins when Claude makes a confused noise.

“Just take it off.”

Frankie sighs and unbuttons the union suit down to his bellybutton, pulls the sleeves off of his shoulders and puts on the billowy shirt, before unbuttoning the union suit the rest of the way and letting it fall out from underneath.

Frankie cups his hands in front of his crotch and both Napoleon and Claude have a hard time not laughing.

Claude hands him a pair of stockings and garters.

“Well I know what these are-”  He shakes the stockings in one hand.  “But not these.”  He shakes the leather garters in the other hand.

Napoleon shakes his head.

“Garters, how else will your stockings stay up?”

Frankie sighs and sits down on the stool, and pulls the stockings on, before wrapping a garter around his thigh.

“No, just below the knee, they’ll slip if you put them around your thighs.”

Frankie buckles the garters on.

Claude pulls a pair of creamy white breeches out of the trunk and hands them to Frankie, who just stares at them.

“Did anyone wear these before me?”

“No, those haven’t been worn.  You draw the tails of your shirt between your legs when tucking your shirt into your breeches, so even if they had been, no direct contact is made.”

While Frankie pulls on his breeches and buttons them, Claude buttons Frankie’s collar and buckles on his stock.

Claude hands him a pair of boots, which he pulls on.

“You are coming together, Frankie.”

“You’d think that, Napoleon.  I feel like an idiot.”

Napoleon sighs.

Claude hands him a waistcoat and coat.

While Frankie puts on and buttons the waistcoat and pulls on the coat, Claude dusts off a hat.

“Great, and a hat too, huh?  Can’t have me besmirching the French army, can you?” 

Claude tosses the hat at Frankie.

“I’m going to round up some of the men, I shall see you momentarily, Général.”

Claude bows respectfully and jogs out of the room.

“So...  Would you prefer I call you ‘Frankie’, or your whole first name while you’re a French soldier?”

Frankie sticks the hat on his head.

“Call me Frankie, Francis, or Francesco, I don’t care.”

“Francis it is.”

Napoleon sees Frankie step on another soldier’s feet again and halts everyone.

“Francis, come here a minute.”

Frankie tromps up and does his best to stand at attention.

“Were you ever in the military?”

“Nah-  I mean no sir.”

Napoleon sighs.

“Francis, I mean no offence, but you’re a terrible soldier."

“That’s why I didn’t get drafted, sir.”

Napoleon points him back in line and continues drills.

Napoleon only stops drilling once Frankie gets the moves correct, mostly.

“You’ve done good today, men.  Find a group, set up your fire, and we’ll eat.”

Every soldier finds his preferred group, leaving only Frankie standing alone in the middle.

“Francis, join this group here.”

Napoleon points toward a group that always sets up in front of his and Claude’s tables.  The whole group looks between themselves and grumbles quietly.  Napoleon give them his best “Try me.” glare.

Frankie leans his gun on the wall and joins the group.

After several minutes of arguing they finally set up their fire, pull out stools, and set up the trivet.

Napoleon hears a mumble behind him and turns around to Al standing in the doorway.

“Hey, Napoleon, wanna talk?”

Napoleon dodges a few soldiers carrying his table and stool, and slips out into the hallway beside Al.

“Is there something urgent?”

“No, just wanted to talk to ya, we didn’t make much conversation while you were changing my bandages tonight.  Sorry for yellin’ at ya when the door was locked yesterday.”

“It’s alright, Alphonse.  Again I am sorry for looking into your life without asking you first.”

“I’m over it.  What all did you learn anyway?”

“The most important would be is when you accidentally insulted a woman and got slashed by her brother, and you hate being called Scarface.”

“It wasn’t much of an accident....”

Several shouts of “Join us, Général!” pulls Napoleon out of the conversation.

“I have to go, I must converse with my men.”

Al nods quickly and turns to walk away.

“Uh, feel free to gather the rest of your men and join us, it’ll be much more interesting with some new company.”

Al turns back, grinning.

“Will do, Napoleon.”

Al salutes and jogs off down the hallway.

A few minutes before food is served, Al and his men show up, hovering awkwardly in the doorway.

Napoleon waves over a few men and has them set up a table and stool next to his own, with a bowl, spoon and knife.  A few more soldiers set up some stools in other groups, away from Frankie.

Johnny, Tony and Ralph all find stools among the soldiers, while Napoleon waves Al over.

“Sit, sit, we’re about to eat!”

Al shuffles over and sits down.  The stool creaks underneath him, and Al winces.

 “They do that all the time, we’ve only had one break so far, do not worry u mo amicu.”

 Al grins a little and drums on the table softly with his fingers.

“So what are we eating?”

A soldier comes around with a pot and a ladle, and pours bean soup in their bowls, Napoleon first, then Claude, and finally Al. 

 Another soldier comes up with a plate of bread slices next half of a loaf, and a small platter with butter on it.  He sets the half loaf and the butter on Napoleon’s table, and three slices each on Claude’s and Al’s tables. 

 “Soupe de haricots and bread.”

Napoleon watches Al out of the corner of his eye, and notices him glance several times between his and Claude’s tables and Napoleon’s table.

“You sure get preferential treatment, eh Napoleon?”

There it is, the judgement.  Napoleon sighs loudly.  He waves over a soldier carrying platters and takes two, dividing the butter into thirds and giving both Al and Claude one.

“Général Sir, you know I don’t want butter on soupe de haricots night.”

Napoleon stares at Al as Claude slides the platter back to Napoleon’s table.

“If you want anything else, feel free to insult me again.”

“I didn’t...  I’m sorry.”

“Un-training the etiquette is harder than just asking for something.  Your apology is accepted.”

A third soldier comes up with three wine glasses and a bottle of wine.  He sets the glasses down and pours the wine in the same order, Napoleon, Claude, Al.  He sets the wine bottle on Napoleon’s table and walks off.

Al picks up his glass indelicately and sniffs it, a puzzled look on his face.

“Is it no good?”

“Nah...  it’s just, I’m not good at identifying wine.”

“By the way you are holding that glass, I can tell you don’t drink it much.”

Al chuckles quietly.

“So...  How’s Frankie been doin’?  Hopefully he didn’t accidentally stab anyone.” 

“He came close a few times, but no injuries, aside from squashed toes.”

“Mmm.  He didn’t mouth off to you at all did he?”

Napoleon cuts off a chunk of bread and butters it thoroughly.

“Fortunately no...  Any more pain?”

“Nah, just tingly if I bump my neck.”

“That’s good.”

Napoleon spoons some bean soup on his bread and eats it.

Al snorts quietly.

“Nice, I do that too.”

Al spoons a big pile of beans on his own bread and manages to fit it in his mouth.  Napoleon tries not to laugh when bean juice drips down Al’s chin.

Napoleon watches Frankie conversing with the other men in his group.

Translations:

Général = General

Soupe de haricots = Bean soup

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