#went on a short trip with a bunch of my friends this weekend and it was the first time i had seen most of them in more than a year

[purelyfiction]

is it too soon to do this yet? - jake 'hangman' seresin x f!reader

Word Count: 1,977 words

Summary: this aint for the best, my reputation's never been worse so, you must like me for me. we can't make any promises now can we babe? // is it cool that i said all that? is it chill that you're in my head? cause i know that it's delicate. is it cool that i said all that? is it too soon to do this yet? 'cause i know that it's delicate.

Content Warning: fluff!! possibly insta-love for those put off by that.

Author Note: first: i wrote something?? on time??? second: for @ohtobeleah 's galentines writings :))) unedited/unbetaed we die like idiots

you had been here for a good time. your friend was getting married and her bachelorette was taking place in this quiet coastal town near a naval base. had that been part of the appeal? absolutely. who didn't want to watch a bunch of walking red flags as they did their daily trainings on the beach?

a little dive bar friday night with a shoddy jukebox, cheap beer and countless sailors - it had been the most fortunate surprise when you'd walked in with no other plans but to show off your sashed friend.

luckily for your group, sailors were suckers for a good bride to be and her girl crew. even luckier for you since you'd been playing DD for the last three days of the five day trip and you were finally able to take a damned sip of alcohol, which you rightfully deserved. glass in hand, you approach the jukebox to survey the music choices as the other girls were served shots (you wanted a drink not a hangover). you're about to pick out a song when you realize the machine hadn't been modernized and it still took cash. sadly, you spin back to the bar but not before dousing the man behind you in the makings of your whiskey sour.

"fuck, i am so sorry-" a hand grips your arm and he shakes his head.

"no, no, don't worry, i'm just upset on your behalf. what a waste of good whiskey." you look up, green eyes charming their way into easing your guilt. "I was gonna offer you a song, but ugh- maybe i ought to offer you a drink instead?"

he ends up buying both.

and as your friends sing along to the ancient song on the jukebox, you sit with this lone aviator and get to know him. long after your friends have retreated to the airbnb.

it was funny to think that was almost a six weeks ago. you'd flown to california for one week of fun and never went back, thanks to a rouge cowboy with eyes that matched the jumpsuit he donned to work each day.

you'd been crashing at an short-term rental since your friend's bachelorette, save for the weekend of the actual wedding, when jake had been your plus-one. everyone had relished in how the string of fate had connected you like this.

they'd also spoken of how insane you were. to uproot your entire life for the sake of what was supposed to be a one night fling. but it didn't bother you. not when the expansive reach of his hand had guided you through crowds that night. had danced with you and made a part fool of you both. i am a fantastic dancer, i have no idea where these guys are getting the idea i'm a trainwreck. his voice so easy and content on the drive back to the hotel that night.

now here you were, cooking for the two of you in his apartment as you waited on your boyfriend to get back from work. the label was maybe a week old at this point, but it fit him like a damn glove. so much so you'd started reaching out to potential leasers to sublet your apartment back home. maybe you were rushing into this. your job had been fine with you staying out in california longer - you were remote anyways, that had been the main perk of the job. but moving? for a man you'd known maybe a month?

the door slams shut and the entire apartment shakes. jake's place was small, tiny even, so you're greeted with his tense expression the minute you look up from your spot at the kitchen counter. "hey baby, how was-"

"fine." he grits the word out, dropping his duffel to the floor and disappearing down the hall. the bedroom door shuts with a click instead of a bang this time.

this wasn't boding well for you. you had a grand plan to make dinner, watch movies and have a nice and easy night in together, maybe talk for a bit. you'd wanted to discuss going to see an apartment this weekend. you didn't want to move in together, but you needed to look for a place of your own instead of crashing here so much. if this was going down that road. yet, the pilot seems to be in the worst mood to have that kind of discussion.

when he finally comes back to the kitchen, he slinks in behind you and presses a quick kiss to your head. "how was that call you were dreading." he's changed out of his uniform, a pair of sweatshorts on his waist, a dark t-shirt on his shoulders as he glides to the fridge. the tension is still carried in his frame even if he isn't outwardly acting as if there is something bothering him.

"ugh, it was - it was fine." now you're shutting off just like he was. it might be just you mirroring his actions, or maybe it was more. uncertainty? uneasiness? doubt?

the crack of teeth on an apple pulls you from your mind. you look to the fruit in his hand as he steps out to the living room on the opposite side of the kitchen wall. "i- dinner is almost ready, you know."

the tv stirs to life, echoing off the walls of the bachelor pad. the lack of decorations or real furnishings had been one of your reasons for wanting to pull the trigger on the move. to have some of your belongings back in your life, some familiarity.

"yeah, i'll eat." finally you're over it. you're not taking this from him, not when you had shit on your own mind that needed to be addressed. turning the burner off you step out of the kitchen, coming to the coffee table and snagging the remote. with it switched off, he looks at you with offense. "i said i'd eat what is the big deal?"

"what is going on with you?" your hands come across your chest as hangman snags the apple with his teeth as he dives into his pocket for his phone.

"nut-ing" the word comes out odd since his jaw is unable to move. you raise your eyebrows at him, which earns a similar reaction from the blonde. groaning he pulls the apple from his mouth. "rough day at work. got my ass handed to me by my superior, everyone talking shit because i flew better than anyone else- just in a piss poor mood. i'm sorry." you stare at him with concern now. it was just a bad day? then why was he suddenly as secure as a vault? locked away with high tech security and an obnoxiously long passcode.

"that's not all of it." you pry, slowly coming to sit down next to him. but when you do, he immediately stands up.

"yeah it is." he moves over to the kitchen again, tossing the apple core away. frustration eats at you again, tilting your head as your tone sharpens as he starts to step down the hallway.

"are you going to talk to me like your girlfriend or just like some bitch you're keeping around? cause right now it feels more like the second one." he freezes and his head drops back.

"look, i don't do the talking about emotions thing, i don't do the-"

"oh bullshit." you stand and march down the hallway, coming to stand behind him as his head sinks. "you put your heart on your sleeve when i saw you cry at dane and avery's wedding. and when you laughed to me about your childhood dog when you were drunk the night before at the rehearsal. or how you just seemed to stare at me with no concern in the world when we went out for ice cream last week - you do emotions. you do them and you feel them more heavily than most people i know." he slowly spins to look at you. "so start talking." the command is softer than the rest of your words.

finally, he relents. you sit on the couch with bated breath as he explained that he doesn't have the social life he had presented to you that first night. that his coworkers all think he's an asshole, that he's a dick and he isn't the kind of person to be friends with. "up until now, i didn't think i was the kind of person to be a boyfriend, let alone a friend."

it stung a little. jake as little as you had known him, had been one thing - confident. reassured in his personality and his work. he had this charisma around him that lured you in without him needing to really try. "i don't know how you believe that." you speak softly, pushing hair out of his face as it falls, gel from this morning weak from the impact of G-force pressures and california humidity. "you're a fun guy. you always make me laugh. i feel so.. safe around you. it's hard to imagine anyone else not appreciating that like i do."

jake's laid back on the couch now, looking up at you before looking at the ceiling. "yeah, well i guess the reality is that i'm easy to hate, hard to love. an acquired taste."

"that couldn't be further from the truth." it slips out so easily. green eyes perk up in curiosity.

"angel, i'm- to make it quick, i'm a menace. people know my callsign and they know my reputation. a selfish dick looking to get to the top and on top of women. hell, i don't know why you've stuck around as long as you have, so clearly somehow i've rubbed off on you."

your legs shift as you try to adjust on the couch to look at him better. "jake, i'm not going to be that girl. it would be a little weird if i was that girl, i mean, it's been what, a month?" he's slowly raising onto his elbows when you start in your ramblings, "but, you just- you take me by surprise in the best way, at every turn. yeah, sure they have some idea of you but it's not jake. it's not the guy who's impulsively buying karaoke machines to have idiotic nights in, or the guy who's sneaking pictures before anyone can notice because you're sentimental. or even the guy who hides the tears in his eyes at the end of how to train your dragon-"

he points at you with an amused expression, "you saw the way that dragon curls around him, he saved him." you can't hold back the laugh.

"my point is: hangman is so, so far from jake. cause i mean, i love jake, he's... he's my guy. and i don't get what's so hard to love about that." you give a small smile until it computes in your head what you've said. "i ugh..." jake keeps a coy grin on his features, leaning into his chin now that he's rolled onto his stomach, knowingly catching onto what you've said. "is it cool that i said that? i mean i- we can pretend that i didn't and forget this ever happened-"

he cuts you off with a soft press of lips to your own. the taste of apple juice still lingers on his chapped skin, before he pulls away. "it's cool." he offers, a hand coming to take your own.

"i promise i won't say it again." there's a mad blush on your face and jake just laughs.

"ah, don't you go promising nothing. let's just go finish dinner, yeah?"

and jake takes his rightful place next to you at the stove, towering over you as his head bounces along to the music you've put on, glancing at apartment listings that you pull up.

#jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin x you #hangman fanfic #hangman fanfiction #hangman x reader #jake hangman seresin x you #jake hangman seresin fanfic #jake hangman seresin fanfiction #jake hangman seresin x reader

[applepi-1]

UNFRIENDLY FRIEND- TERUSHIMA

You first met Terushima when you saw him park his motorcycle behind the gym, you gave him a warning not to do that seeing if he’d get caught he’d be in a lot of trouble. You’ve heard of Terushima before this interaction, you never did put a face to the name that day. After school he introduced himself and offered you a coffee as a thanks, the rest is kind of history, he took you on dates occasionally showed you off to a bunch of girls. After 3 months of dating and this routine you two seemed to pick up he messaged you late at night apologizing for a friend you’ll be meeting the next day. You began to wonder in what way was he apologizing for, like is this friend preparing to step out of line or something. You shook off the feeling and went to sleep, when you woke up the next day you were greeted with your usual good morning message for Teru, you got ready for school and woke your brother up on your way out.

As the clocked ticked for school to be over, something inside you grew you didn’t know if it was curiousty or nervousness, but you walked into the gym seeing a girl pressed up to your boyfriends arm, when he saw you he moved away from her and walked over to you. “Babe,” He bent down kissing your cheek before turning to the female, “this is G/n, she’s a childhood friend, she’s visiting my family for the weekend. G/n this is my girlfriend.”

“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you.” She shook your hand her smile going down.

“Nice to meet you too…”

“Y/n.”

“Y/n, oh the pretty one.”

“I’m sorry?” You looked at Terushima confused. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, let me reword it, like the prettiest girl I’ve seen him with, it’s a compliment.”

“Right.”

“He’s told me so much about you.”

“I pretty much summed it up in a paragraph before she came.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise but somehow he figured it out.”

“Anyways, babe,” you turned to look at him grabbing his arm softly. “Are you ready?”

“Ahh, yeah, hold on,” he walked over to his coach leaving you alone with G/n.

“Okay so, his girlfriends don’t normally last long, so when you break his heart I’m gonna come for you.” You looked at her confused and he ran back.

“All ready to go. Oh yeah, did you grab your stuff for the beach trip tomorrow?”

“Yeah, well no, my bathing suit is already at your house and I was just planning on jacking a shirt.”

“Works for me.”

“Oh she’s coming on the beach trip?”

“Well, yeah. In no offense, she was invited before you seeing I didn’t know you were coming till last minute,”

“Oh, so I’m a last minute invite?”

“Yeah basically, but it’ll be fun, we should get going then.”

“Great.” The walk back to Terushima’s was more than awkward, she was trying to have a conversation with him while he was trying to have one with you. When you finally got there you took your shoes off at the door and greeted his parents before walking up to his room. You took out a pair of your sleeping shorts out of his drawer and an oversized shirt out his closet, quickly getting dressed and head downstairs, stopping halfway there to see Terushima walk out the bathroom with no shirt on.

“I was just about to grab that shirt.” He said grabbing your waist pulling your closer.

“Oh is that so? Well, finders keepers.”

“Oh you can definitely keep it, it looks ten times better on you than me.”

“Than on anyone right?” You asked softly looking up at him, he smiled weakly at you grabbing your face.

“You are the most beautiful girl I ever met, any of my clothes look better on you far more than anyone, better than the model selling the shirts or the model’s partner.”

“Now you’re just being modest.” You went to back away but his grip tightened softly on your face keeping you in place.

“I will tell you everyday if I have to, I love every single inch of your body, you’re heart, personality, you are what keeps me going in life, you’ve changed me in so many ways I never thought I could change, and I love you for that. But I love you more.”

“And now you’re gonna make me cry.” You place your hands on his chest leaning up to kiss him softly. “Now go put a shirt on and come downstairs, I love you.” You quickly pecked his lips and walked off.

“I hate it when you turn your back to me, but love the view of you walking away.”

“Such and idiot sometimes, Teru.”

“Only for you, my love.” You rolled your eyes as you reached the bottom floor. You walked over to his mom helping her with dinner like usual.

“Thank you, Y/n, I’m so glad he’s met you.” His friend walked in a little after watching as you conversant with Terushima’s mother, she walked over tapping her shoulder.

“Would you like me to set the table?”

“Oh no, that won’t be necessary, we don’t eat at the table anymore. Y/n introduced us to eating on the couch and watching a movie. I believe it’s my pick.”

“It is indeed, mom.” Terushima said as he walked in wrapping his arms around your waist. You watched Haunt as his mother is a big horror fan and after you too head to bed, his friend sleeping on a pallet on the floor.

—

When you woke up you were greeted to kissed on your neck and a gasp left your lips as he bit down, the moment was interrupted soon after his friend opened his bathroom door. You guys got ready for the beach and waited on the other volleyball members to pull up. Once on the beach you instantly put your towel down and took off Terushima’s shirt causing some passing men to whistle, only to stop when Terushima takes his shirt off next to you before kissing your neck and taking off to the boys setting up a net for their beach volleyball, you swear they never take a break. “Boys am I right?” You look at his friend who sets her towel down next to you.

“Yeah.”

“Teru sure does seem to have admirers.” You looked at the girls who’s eyes lingered on your man, you watched as he look oblivious to it as he helped the team.

“He’s hot, can’t blame him.”

“So you’re not the jealous type then?”

“Definitely not, if he wanted them, he wouldn’t be with me, I know Teru. I trust him.”

“Yeah, but before you he was a bit of a man whore.”

“yeah, keyword there G/n, before me. You can have this nice fake smile you’re doing in front Teru, but you’re not fooling anyone. You wish it was you he settled for, and it’s fine, I get it, but Teru is not going to come crying to you, cause I don’t plan on leaving.”

“Oh, I’ll find a way to get rid of you, you may be a little harder than his exs but I can do it. I’ve done it before.” You laughed at her earning a look from your boyfriend.

“Sweetly, I’d like to see you try, he’ll never see you that way, he hasn’t yet, chances are he never will.”

“Hm, but you got him to see you ugly ass.”

“There is not a bone in my body that’s ugly.” You stood up grabbing your sunblock heading towards your boyfriend. Looking at the girls who also had sunblock in their hands, you rolled your eyes applying some on your hands before touching his already red shoulders.

“jeez, don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry, my love, you’re already starting to burn, can’t have you burn to death before you kick some of your teammates ass.”

“Thanks Y/n.”

“Glad to see you have faith in us.” Two of his teammates chip in.

“You’re welcome.” Terushima turned around when you retreated your hands, you put more on them rubbing them in before spreading the cream on his chest, you looked up into his eyes as you did this smiling brightly at him. “What?”

“Nothing, just like looking at you.” You laughed booping his nose getting sunblock on it. “Oh no you don’t.” He grabbed the bottle out your hand squirting some on his before rubbing them together.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Oh I dare.” You began to run away from him trying to use his teammates as shields as he chased you, you even threw one into him as you took off down the beach, but with your legs being shorter than his he easily caught up grabbing your waist, smearing what was left of the sunblock all on your stomach and chest, you laughed as your body turned around in his arms, pushing your hair out your face you glance up at the boy. “I love you.” You froze in your spot as the words left his lips.

“I love you, too.” He smirked before he leaned down capturing your lips with his, picking you up slightly before walking you back into the direction of your friends. His friend glanced over at you two, the look in Terushima’s eyes proved your words, he was never gonna love someone else as much as he loves you.

#haikyuu #fluff #cute haikyuu #angst #haikyuu!! #haikyuuimagines #Haikyuu Terushima #terushima x y/n #terushima yuuji #terushima x reader #jealous #unfriendly friend #unwanted

[anonsally]

Weekend in Chicago

Day 0

Unusually, I didn't feel particularly anxious about this trip, though I still slept badly the night before departure. Although I left slightly ahead of schedule, I had a long wait for BART and then a long wait for the little mini-train to my terminal at the airport, and then the line for security was longer than I expected, so I only just had time to buy food for the flight. When I arrived at my gate, my group was already boarding. Since I’m usually at the airport 2 hours before departure, this came as a bit of a shock! But once I was on the plane, it all went smoothly. Nobody was in the middle seat next to me (I had a window), and I spent the flight reading a novel. I finished it just after we landed! [separate post coming about the book]

I landed at Chicago O’Hare around 8pm. Because it was such a short trip, I hadn’t checked a bag, which is practically unheard-of for me; I was proud of packing so light! Although it’s obvious, I still felt surprised at how quickly I could leave the airport since I didn’t have to wait for checked luggage! Because it was dark (and raining a little), I took a cab to my hotel, where Best Friend had already arrived. We went up to the room to drop off my stuff, then went out for dinner. This was a hip hotel in a hip neighborhood called River North, and we were decidedly not cool enough to stay there! However, we were also old enough not to give a shit!

By then it was 9pm (7pm for my body clock though), and we were very hungry. We had thought we would just go to a little ramen shop nearby, as surely at this hour restaurants would be emptying out, but it turned out to be packed. It was Saturday night, and I guess people in Chicago are back to going out at night. We struggled to find a restaurant that could seat us, but we eventually got a table at Hub 51. Chicago is a foodie town, and we enjoyed our meal, though the portion sizes were enormous.

After that, we returned to our hotel and went to bed soon afterwards.

Day 1

We had a leisurely start before heading out to grab breakfast en route to the Art Institute of Chicago, which was the main purpose of this weekend getaway. They had an exhibition of Remedios Varo, my favorite artist, called Science Fictions. It was fabulous. If you are in or near Chicago, I think you still have a week or two to catch this before it closes! I will be posting photos. I had only seen a few of the paintings in person before, and there were more paintings than I expected, along with a bunch of sketches. As always, seeing the paintings in person brought out details I hadn’t noticed when looking at reproductions of them, and in fact, I think there were some paintings I wasn’t familiar with at all. We spent quite a while in that exhibition before moving on to look at other works in the museum, including some great Georgia O’Keeffe paintings (I loved the landscapes) and quite a few Sargents (many from early in his career), the Chagall window, the Tiffany window, some Frank Lloyd Wright-designed things, and some furniture (some of which was great and some of which was hilariously hideous). We ate a late lunch in a sheltered courtyard café in the museum and then resumed looking at art.

After the museum, we wandered through Maggie Daley Park. It was late afternoon, and I did some birdwatching while Best Friend made a couple of phone calls. I saw a palm warbler! That was a new bird for me, and I also got a good look at a fairly distinctive bird but still couldn’t identify it. I took photos, and was later able to determine that it was an ovenbird, which is also a new one for me! There were lots of white-throated sparrows (uncommon where I live) and yellow-rumped warblers, as well as some northern cardinals (which don’t exist where I live).

We ate dinner at a deep-dish pizza place, which seemed mandatory while in Chicago. It was delicious! This restaurant makes single-person pizzas, which are cute (the fork and pen below are normal-sized and included for scale). I still couldn’t finish mine, so I brought ¼ of it back to the hotel (in a cute box!) to eat for breakfast.

We then returned to the hotel to pack and wind down.

Day 2

I had set my alarm for the ungodly hour of 6:45am, not because either of us had an early flight (we didn’t), but because we wanted to do something fun before heading to the airport. So we checked out of our hotel at 8:30, left our luggage, and took the metro (well, the el) to the 606, a repurposed elevated rail line that is now a sort of park/trail for bikes and pedestrians. Best Friend admired the architecture of the neighborhoods we were walking through, while I did some birdwatching. We then walked through Humboldt Park (more birdwatching, the highlights of which were a golden-crowned kinglet, wood ducks, lots of white-throated sparrows, and more northern cardinals, though there were also about 60 Canada geese, which was slightly terrifying!).

On our way back to the el, we stopped at Typica Café, which turned out to be Venezuelan. Best Friend had to attend a Zoom meeting for a half hour. I ate a delicious guava-cheese puff pastry, which is apparently a Venezuelan thing and which I highly recommend if you get the opportunity to have one! The hot chocolate was also exceptionally good; it was made using Venezuelan cocoa and, I think, a tiny bit of caramel syrup. It was excellent; not too sweet.

We then walked to the el and rode back to our hotel, picked up our luggage, walked to the pizza place so Best Friend could bring two frozen pizzas back for her husband and son, and then rode the el to the airport. We had gotten day passes for the Chicago el, which were a steal at $5.

At the airport we hugged goodbye as we were on different airlines. Going through security was fine, and I got to walk through the colored light underpass that is the only good thing at O'Hare. I bought snacks to eat on the plane. Boarding was a bit of a fiasco (they started boarding group 3 before group 2 for some reason) and very inefficient, but as we all reminded each other and ourselves, the only thing that really mattered was getting to our destination safely and approximately on time.

The flight itself was full and slightly delayed but fairly uneventful, and I got home via BART within 1.5 hours of landing. Yay! Although it was frankly bananas to fly halfway across the country for a 2-night stay, I feel very refreshed and energized by it and am glad I went, and particularly glad that Best Friend joined me. She's a great travel companion (despite her snoring), and I think it's the first trip we've taken together since she had her son nearly 13 (Edit: 14!) years ago.

I plan to post some photos from the trip. (I realise I didn't manage to do that after the Europe trip this summer, but this was only 2 days so it should be more manageable!)

#personal #travel #birdwatching #food #art #remedios varo

[umichenginabroad]

Madrid Week 7: Viva Italia (not america..?)

Hola a todxs :). Niko back here again with week 7’s blog of my study abroad experience in Madrid! Like I mentioned in last week’s blog, this last weekend I traveled to Italy, and this past weekend I was in Sevilla, Spain. My trip to Italy was particularly transformative and jam packed with personal reflection. Read on for the reflection, stay for the photos (and Italian food p*rn). This blogpost probably took the longest for me to write, and was honestly pretty difficult for me to put in words. I hope I captured my thoughts well, and I always welcome feedback and discussion to any and all readers (at any point in time!).

Argentina (but aren’t we talking about Italy?)

As I’ve mentioned before, the summer after freshman year, I studied for 6 weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina. One particular weekend, I took a trip to Iguazu Falls — the largest waterfall in the Americas by volume, and one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Long story short, I got onto a tour bus with a bunch of strangers from around the world, drove 15 hours across Argentina to get to the falls, randomly selected hostel room groups based on who was sitting nearby on the bus, and ended up in a group with 4 girls from Mexico, my travel buddy from the USA, and 1 girl from Italy.

We spent a wonderful weekend together seeing the waterfalls (barring a short-lived but intense spout of food poisoning after eating something funky at a Brazilian buffet), and formed the foundation of what could turn into lasting friendships. But, come Monday, we parted ways, not sure whether we would ever see each other again. 

This trip was the first time I went into a travel situation without a true support system, and an important exercise in “trusting in the process” — and It helped me realize that I was capable of forming meaningful connections across language barriers, cultures, and in un-traditional social situations.

If it wasn’t obvious already, you might be able to see where this little backstory fits into my recent trip to Northern Italy. Before I departed for Spain in January, I sent a text to Gaia — the Italian friend I met in Iguazu — that I would be in Europe for the semester, and would love to see her at some point if the logistics work out.

Now we actually talk about Italy

Flash forward a few months, and well, the logistics worked out. Although our original plan was to go skiing in a small village in the Alps, we ended up being unable to due to weather issues. Instead, Gaia, her friend Camilla, and I took a tour of Northern Italy, visiting Turine, Asti, Moncalvo, and Milan. 

In a way, this trip was an even bigger exercise in trust — although this time, it was my gut I was trusting, not the process. I hadn’t seen Gaia in nearly 2 years, and the only other time we had met lasted just 3 short days. I was about to spend another 3 days with her — but this time, nearly every waking moment would be spent together.

For some reason, the thoughts of “what if we didn’t get along?”, “what if it was awkward?”, “what if we got on each other’s nerves?” — normal things to think in this situation — never crossed my mind. I trusted my gut: that Gaia was someone that I got on with in the past, and I had a feeling that the people we grew into over the past two years would mesh just as well.

So, I didn’t worry. And I was right not to. After a short period of hesitancy, we clicked. We spent the weekend learning about each other — both from a personal and cultural point of view.

And by the end of this trip, I felt culturally enriched. There’s a level of cultural intimacy (is that a term? Well now it is, I just coined it) that can only be experienced by being someone who has lived and breathed that culture for their whole life — something that I feel like I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing in my own heritage, first or second-hand.

A short aside on heritage in the USA

Ethnically, I am half Italian, half Greek. My great grandparents immigrated to the USA from the south of Italy through Ellis island, raising my grandmother, who gave birth to my mom. 4 generations later, I feel more comfortable calling myself Italian-American than Italian. 

My mom’s side of the family was raised in northern New Jersey. I was raised Roman catholic, and I have 11 first cousins. Family gatherings are loud and boisterous, and people talk with their hands. My grandmother makes delicious Italian cookies called Pizzelles, and we call dish towels Mopinas (which isn’t even in the italian dictionary — it must have evolved on its own. Call it Englitalian [Italinglish? Coined.] ).

And that’s about all I’ve got to hold onto of Italian culture. Although I have more contact with Greece through the Orthodox Christian community and my direct-immigrant grandparents, I’ve never felt particularly connected to either culture. I don’t speak either language, and up until this past summer (when I visited Greece), I’d never been to either country. 

People from the United States of America — especially, I think, those in the Northeast — place emphasis on their ethnic heritage that those from other countries around the world do not. Ask an American, and they’ll probably know where their blood comes from — if the records of their ancestor’s immigration do exist. Ask an Italian, or a Spaniard, and they probably will not. Odds are, in fact, that their blood will be just that: Italian, or Spanish. 

The USA is a country built on immigrants, and it continues to be so to this day — and to me, it somehow feels wrong to not know anything about your cultural background.

This is a weirdly complex topic — one that I’ve thought about a lot —but bear with me here (and keep in mind, this is all from my personal point of view, and I welcome all new perspectives! Feel free to send me a message to discuss🙂). I think that, in the more liberal sphere of American adolescents, it’s almost “bad” to not know anything about your heritage — especially among white people, which is a label that I identify with. The USA has done a lot of messed up stuff in the world, and I think this is true to an extent that young Americans feel a desire to distance themselves from their nationality. 

Instead, we grasp on to what we have that sets us apart from it — where our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents come from. It gives us something to point to in conversations, something that lets us say “see, look, I’m not just a white-washed American, I’m cultured”, something to help us feel like we have more depth — especially in a country where everything feels like it comes from something else.

This is why I mentioned above that this is more common in the Northeast — although I can only truly speak on what I’ve experienced in Northern Virginia and in the University of Michigan. When I think of the term “melting pot”, I think of places like New York City. Southern states, and perhaps those in the West, have developed a culture that feels more unique, more distinctly American, and this is why (from my outside perspective) it seems like something more people feel proud of and claim as their own.

As I mentioned, this perspective comes from personal experience. And this is all something I’ve felt as a white American, at least 2 generations removed from my “mother countries”. After spending a weekend in Italy, I finally got a piece of that contact that I had always craved.

Italo-

Italian culture is just that — uniquely italian. Food, history, architecture, art — not only is it unique, but it is rich. From the first day that I spent with Gaia and Camilla, it was apparent that they felt a deep connection, pride, and understanding of their culture — and this is something that they graciously and enthusiastically shared with me.

I now have a greater — albeit limited — understanding of what it means to be Italian, in Italy. I learned about Italian espresso, when to have it (spoiler alert — any time of day is game), how to prepare it, and how it tastes. Some of my favorite moments of the trip were peacefully spent over the breakfast table in Gaia’s home, enjoying a light carb heavy breakfast and freshly brewed coffee.

We ate simple, delicious food at every restaurant we went to. The food was less extravagant than I expected it to be. Most of the meals were simple, with a focus on the ingredients and their preparation. Pastas, pizza, Milanese, Ragu, more pasta. Tiramisu, and gelato, too.

We had a night out — first to aperitivo, then to dinner, then to a bar that was built in an old desecrated church, then to a cheesy karaoke bar where the whole place was singing old Italian songs at the top of their lungs — with a group of 12 in Gaia’s hometown, which was made up of friends stemming from her high school days. The biggest difference between the Italian dinner party and an American one — we took our time. There was a feeling of ease at the table. Nothing was rushed. We enjoyed each dish, each glass of wine, and over everything, enjoyed each other’s company. The focus was on the people and the conversation, not on what was to be ordered and how fast it came out. I hope to bring this rhythm back to Ann Arbor with me (but that may be more difficult than I think. See footnote 1 below*).

We explored multiple Italian cities, and walked a TON. I learned an interesting perspective of Milan (which was a beautiful city) from Camilla’s boyfriend — Milan is Italy to Europe, and Milan is Europe to Italy. (See footnote 2**). The architecture was beautiful, and after a rainstorm, Milan looked magical. The ground was sparkling, reflecting the dramatically lit buildings of the city center in the puddles that gathered on the ground. I saw the Italian countryside, picturesque rolling hills backdropped by an epic sunlit cumulo-nimbus cloud.

I even learned a base of the Italian language (I probably said “Come si dice” 100 times) that will serve me well if and when I want to learn it in the future — or if I ever get my Italian citizenship and decide to move there. Guess only time will tell.

-americano

3 days is not a long period of time, but I can confidently say now that I understand a little better what it means to be Italian. I feel more connected to my cultural heritage — and in turn, I feel more connected than ever to my native culture in the USA.

It’s true that the USA has done a bunch of messed up stuff in the world. Imperialism, war crimes, political and economical extortion — the list goes on. But the longer I spend in Europe — the more I come into contact with different cultures, and understand foreign perspectives on the USA — the less these things feel like they’re inside a black box. Instead of avoiding these hard truths, I can face them head on — allowing me to acknowledge the bad and the good that comes with US culture.

A big critique I’ve heard abroad is that the United States has no culture of its own — but I don’t think that’s true. The USA is a place where global cultures collide, providing its citizens the opportunity to experience bits and pieces of the world and giving rise to unique elements born from this fusion.

Over the past 2 months, I’ve slowly shifted away from the feeling of shame that comes with being an American in Europe — and that’s thanks to a willingness to learn, adapt to, and accept cultures that I experience while I’m abroad (re: cultural humility, blogpost coming soon). Now, I’ll proudly say that I’m 50% Greek, 50% Italian, and 100% American. With my continuously evolving understanding of my individual parts (and all of the other cultures I come into contact with, especially Spain), I feel like I can better understand and contribute to that fusion, both in the melting pot of the United States, and as an international citizen in Europe — enriching the lives of myself and those I come into contact with.

Such is becoming “cultured” — a concept that has a bit of a pretentious connotation (IMO), but is worth striving for. I’ll be returning to Italy for spring break (Rome, Florence), so hopefully I’ll continue to develop this connection then. I also bookmarked in Google maps here all the places I visited in Italy this trip (and will do so in the next one) if you're considering taking a trip and want recommendations!

I planned on writing about Sevilla this week too, but I think this post has gone on long enough. I thoroughly enjoyed the different vibe it has from Spain, even through the rainy weather we experienced. 

As always, check out the image descriptions for more details on each one. I hope everyone has a great rest of their week, and see you back here next soon!

Hasta luego,

Niko Economos

Aerospace Engineering

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Madrid, Spain

* In Italy, and the rest of Europe, servers get paid fair wages. In the USA, it’s not required, because it’s expected that servers will make up the difference in tips. I worked as a server for 2 summers, and made $3.50 an hour. The amount of money I made in a night was directly correlated to the number of tables I turned over. As a result, I did my best to get orders in fast, food out faster, and clear the table as quickly as I could so that I could make more money. Until this fact changes, I think it’s hard to have the same no-rush Italian experience over dinner unless you’re really conscious of it. Personally, if I’m not feeling pressure from a server to leave quickly, I’m likely feeling a sense of guilt for staying too long and reducing their nightly wage, no matter how well I tip. Maybe home cooked meals are the answer, which I’ll hopefully be well practiced with next semester :)

**To Europeans, they look at Milan and see what they think of Italy. The world capital of fashion, beautiful architecture, prosperous and well known city. Italians look at Milan and see what they think of as Europe —highly international, intercultural, and as a result more gentrified and expensive. I found this to be really interesting. Is there a US city that fits this bill?

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEUC3M #NikoEconomos #IPEWinter24 #Spain

[i-used-to-wear-the-fedora]

Mama Claudia AU, Neil Hargrove

"You're late."

The second Billy entered the house and he saw his father sat at the kitchen table waiting for him, he knew he was in trouble. The man put down the newspaper he'd been shielding his face with reveal a look of annoyance at the boy.

"I-"

"You got off at four and according to my watch it's," the man looked down at his wrist for emphasis, "five thirteen. Now if I didn't know better, I'd think you'd have forgotten about the deal we made."

"No. I just-the guy I got a ride from. He had to drop off a few other people."

"Excuses Billy, really?" The man frowned as he stood up. "I suggest you find someone more reliable for a ride in the future. If you want any chance at getting your car back, you're going to have to start being more responsible. Do you understand?"

"Yes...sir." Billy gritted out. Neither Max nor Susan were home meaning if he did something to piss his dad off, he wouldn't have any reason to hold back.

"Good. And the one hundred dollars you owe me?" Neil stuck his hand out. Digging through his pocket, Billy pulled out the bills and gave them to his father. The man counting each twenty carefully as if Billy would try to short change him. Ever since his birthday a few months back where he became a "legal adult" the man had begun demanding rent in the form of about half of his bi weekly paycheck. Billy tried to protest at first but a trip to the emergency room later made him shut up about it.

'I hope you know I'll start charging you for this kind of thing too. Nothing in life comes for free.'

The insurance would cover Billy for another few years free of charge but Neil decided to add calculated hospital bills to money he was owed. Along with electricity costs, water bills and food. The latter hadn't been much of an issue lately much to his dismay. Mrs. Henderson's casseroles and meat loaves helped him at least start to stow away some money for leaving here and there. All of it kept in a Peanuts thermos under his bed unknown to Neil.

Billy knew Neil thought he was up to something when he confiscated (stolen) the keys to his Camaro again saying that he shouldn't be wasting money on gas when they could use it for more important things. A Camaro he saved up for, paid off and restored. Of course, he had to have his father's signature on the title because at the time he was underage so now he could legally sell the vehicle off if Billy so much as looked at him wrong.

"Well it's all here." The man put the money in his pocket. The distinct outline of Billy's gator claw keychain poked out the top teasingly. "Susan's at her mother's this weekend so I'm going to need you to make dinner for me and a couple of friends tonight. Think you can manage that?"

Billy nodded. Every Saturday, Neil always had a bunch of his military buddies come over to hang out and watch Football. They'd get very drunk and very loud, Neil making him sit with them despite having nothing in common with a bunch of guys his dad's age. He remembered asking if they could watch basketball one night and his father calling it a game for pussies who couldn't play real sports.

"Here." Neil shoved a box of tools into his son's hands. "I need you to have a look under the sink in the bathroom then...." Billy started tune out as his father went on.

'Just a few more months of this bullshit.' The blonde reassured himself as his stomach growled. Suddenly craving more of Mrs. Henderson's leftovers.

#stranger things #fanfiction #stranger things au #billy hargrove #neil hargrove #mama claudia au #tw: child abuse #neil hargrove sucks

[papaivcallme]

10, 16, 17, 22 for the music asks! 🎶

THANK YOU SCHMOOPIE 🖤🖤

10.) "What was your first concert?" THIS ONE'S A DEEP CUT LMAO I don't know if this counts as a concert bc it was actually more of a small bar gig not a big concert, but I count it bc I love them My first concert (that I remember at least) was going to see Driftless Pony Club!! I'm pretty sure it was around 2011, so I was like… 12/13? It was super fun!! WheezyWaiter signed my sibling's friend's face connecting his beard to his sideburn it was great askansjdf. If you've never heard their music and enjoy some early 2010s indie, I highly recommend their first two albums "Buckminster" and "Expert," the sound of my childhood 🖤🖤

16.) "Have you ever been in the first row for a concert? if not, what was the closest seat you’ve ever had?" Not yet, I really, really hope to get close for Ghost in Sept. tho 😭 The closest I've been was in GenAdm at Monumentour 2014 seeing Fall Out Boy and Paramore lmaooo I'm not as into them anymore, but I had the TIME OF MY LIFE. I was like five rows of people from the stage and I could have touched Joe Trohman it was amazinggg. I have a bunch of shitty quality pics and videos of it from my ipod touch 4 LMAO I was also pretty close to the front when I went to see Against Me! in 2018, we were standing a level above ground to avoid the pit, they put on an AMAZING show. I adore LJG and Against Me! holds a very special place in my heart (Also idk if this counts bc not a concert, but I got front row tickets to see the Beetlejuice musical on broadway. It was the second to last show with the full original cast before Rob McClure left and I cried so hard it was amazingggggg 😭😭😭)

17.) "If you could go back in time and attend any artist/band’s concert that you were unable to attend, who would it be and when?" FR??? I just want to go back in time a few years and have listened to Ghost since Meliora era. I was so close!! I've known about them for a while having had only listened to Square Hammer, but only recently got really actually into them. Gross buzzword, I know, but I have such fomo for not being able to see papa iii in concert 💀💀💀 That, or, there was a time Todd Rundgren came to a city near me. I wanted to take my dad for Father's Day bc he introduced me to his music, but I just wasn't able to swing it 😔

22.) "Name a song that reminds you of one of your best memories" Ooooh that's a tough one, I've got bad memory kasdfkjank A lot of these are more like general ethereal feelings of being happy with people I love since I'm bad at remembering specific events 😭 The entire RENT soundtrack makes me happy bc it makes me think of many a road trip spent with my sibling and my best friend from high school, that and screaming Hamilton with my sibling driving me back and forth home on the weekends for the short time I was in college The Sweeney Todd soundtrack makes me think of my mom, she's the one that got me into musicals from her love of theater. We used to have matching MP3 players, and that soundtrack specifically was one of the few things on hers LOL Meat Market by Everybody Else and How The Day Sounds by Greg Laswell make me think of playing OMGPOP games with dear friends I have a lot of music that I connect to my bestie and roommate kenzie, but we've been living together for over two years through the (multiple) pandemic(s) so I Cannot list everything, mostly more musical soundtracks come to mind. I love that bitch ✊✊ Also in general, Welcome To The Family by Watsky gives me a very warm happy feeling and always makes me think of my friends

#sorry schmoopie is a goof name my friend uses and it rubbed off on me askdjfnak #ALSO SORRY THIS IS SO LONG #i really love music and feelings it can give you #it's a fuckin powerful thing man 😭 #ask games #ask #wow-david

[lotstosaylotstodo]

friend has been here for over a week i think and it's been a blast. i love having them over and spending time with them. went to the beach over the weekend and although it was short, i still love that we got to spend that time with each other. my partner and i slept in the same bed as them--it was cute.

i still have a bunch of things to do, but i did do some of it! that's a pat on the back in my book. my mind kept racing because of all the things i'm supposed to do, but will save those for later when our friend leaves again. definitely lots of catching up to do. i asked my partner what we're doing when our friend leaves because our days have been filled with just being together and having a laugh. we said it wouldn't be as fun as having our friend over but it will be a different kind of fun. we're planning on cooking lots what when things free up. wanna get back to playing games with other friends too, i really miss that as well.

as i was lying down i kept thinking about how it would've been if we did go on that beach trip i wanted to go to (not the one we went to), because that would mean possibly including someone who I've come to dislike by a lot. would they have gone with us? would i have had to take film pics of them too? waste those film shots on them or just pretend to take the shot? haha. i probably would have. that's how much i dislike them. i do miss the food on that island though. hands down the best food i have ever eaten i think.

friend is leaving in a couple of days and that makes me sad; but they will come back next year with another friend and i'm sure that will be a hell of a time.

[yiifu]

so it's 11.50pm on a Saturday night now and I've just properly finished reading the entirety of mdzs (in english) not including the extras. it feels so surreal and strange, because I'd started the English translations in Jan this year (I read exiled rebel's version) while sometimes reading pdfs of the 7seas one at the same time just to see the differences in translation. I remember blazing through the equivalent of 7seas book 1-3 from Jan to early March. From mid-March to now I took a bit of a break from mdzs to read other things like 2ha (which I'm still reading now), the 2ha manhua and the tgcf manhua. I managed to finish 7seas mdzs vol 4 in mid March too (binge reading sessions before bed, mostly) and then I stopped cos 7seas hadn't released vol 5 yet and I thought I'd just wait. then after a week I decided I couldn't wait that long so I went back to EXR to read what was left of the story until the end (before the extras). Still I took my time with it so the guanyin temple arc took me a few weeks to get through.

but tonight I decided to return to mdzs to finish the guanyin temple arc and that short little bit after that (everyday means everyday, meeting luo qingyang and mianmian, riding off into the sunset while wangxian plays in the distance) and now I'm at the end, also after reading the author's notes. so much effort went into it really and that makes me appreciate the story even more (thank you mxtx for that wonderful mind of yours and for the characters and story you've created!!) I'll probably save the extras to read when I get the digital version of 7seas vol 5 just to participate in the finale mood yknow.. I know 7seas isn't done with mdzs yet there's still the entire manhua to be released which is a whole diff beast but for now the completion of the full English novel merits some special mention at least

and it's like, yeah I'll def grow a little distant from mdzs for a bit while I tour other stories and fandoms and media but everytime I come back to it, to these familiar characters, it feels like coming home. I've consumed this story in so many forms (manhua, donghua, novel, now just left with the audio drama and the untamed) and I've drawn a bunch of fanart of them, even read longfics starring these characters, after a while you just feel like you know them as old friends. and getting to the end of the story and closing the book on these guys, even though it's only temporarily, just feels all sorts of weirdly happy and sad to me now. this story has accompanied me through a holiday trip in dec 2022, through lunch at work, weekends spent reading and watching it, work breaks spent reading it and looking at the wiki and TV tropes page for character info...it's just such a concrete part of my daily memories it really helped me get through this tedious thing called working life

I'm not even saying this to anyone in particular - maybe I'm saying it to the characters and the story - but thank you so much for existing! yall introduced me to the wonderful and heartbreaking world of historical danmei where heroes, magic, gods, ghosts, and everything in between live out fantastical tales of wonder and bravery and resilience and love and so mdzs will always have a special place in my heart for being that first piece of fiction that brought me into these worlds ❤️

#fav #mine

[purplesurveys]

1533

What was the last liquid that you choked on? I don’t think I’ve recently choked on a drink recently...my best guess would be the Sprite I had a couple of weeks ago, only because I never liked soda and am bad at drinking it straight haha. I probably choked then. How many times did you wake up today before actually getting up? Just once. We had to go to mass today and I actually accidentally slept in (I turned in super late), and only woke up once my mom intervened. Otherwise I probably would have woken up at like 10 or 11. What breed was the last dog you saw? Those would be my dogs. Cooper is a beagle, Aki is a Yorkshire terrier.

When you sign your name do you use your middle name? If you mean my maiden name then yes, I always include that initial.

Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower? Technically it’s outside of the shower area, as in I step out of the divider that we have. I still dry off inside the bathroom though; I prefer to do it there instead of stepping out to transfer to my room.

Describe the last place you went farther than one mile from your house? It was a Kenny Rogers in Laguna that we went to for my uncle’s birthday. As for the general vicinity itself, it’s really nothing to write home about. It’s a province down south and it largely just reminds me of the streets back here. I will say that they need to have wider roads though, it’s easy to tell that the traffic can get awful on busier hours.

Who did you celebrate your last birthday with? My family on the actual day of; then on that weekend I went on a trip with Hans, Angela, and Reena.

Do you have anything important to do today? Nope and I am SO happy I don’t have to go to work tomorrow.

Was your last kiss initiated by you or the other person? Eugh that was ages ago dude I don’t remember things like that anymore.

What appliance in your house had a light bulb burn out last? The one lighting up the staircase. That baby was out for at least a couple of months and we’ve only had the chance to fix the issue like, two weeks ago.

Do you buy a ton of things at the store at once or just for that day? This question is a bit vague to me; I have no idea what store this is referring to. I’ll just use grocery shopping as a reference, and for this we normally buy enough items to suffice for a couple of weeks.  What did you last eat that required milk? I’m pretty sure this creamy mushroom chicken dish I’m having for dinner at the moment has a certain amount of milk in it.

What brand of clothing dominates your wardrobe? Continued from last night. I wanna say H&M but there is also a bunch of stuff from ukays too. When getting dressed do you put your pants or shirt on first? My top, because I often tuck them in whatever bottoms I’m wearing. What color was the last thing you ate? This creamy mushroom chicken recipe of my grandma’s.

When you kiss a person where do your hands usually go? The other person’s cheek, neck, or waist.

When drinking hard alcohol do you take shots more or make mixed drinks? I really like mixed drinks; they’re enough to give me a good time. Shots are fine but 1) it depends on the spirit, and 2) I have to prepare mentally for them lol I’m not exactly the best at alcohol tolerance – plus I drive myself so I have to be more cautious compared to my friends.

What is one song you listen to that you’re sure not many people do? Uh, most Kpop songs. I mean, the people that live in this area probably do not know / listen to any Kpop. < Yeah this is probably the most glaring answer. I think my area is a huge huge huge hub for K-pop actually, but in the grand scheme of things I also think there’s still a lot of people who look down on it.

Have you ever woken up next to someone after a night of drinking? I mean yeah, but I always knew who they were and I always have an idea of what I did the night before. Is your toilet paper on the right or left side of the toilet? It’s right across.

Have you wore shorts or pants more in the past seven days? Shorts. 

Have you ever been told you’ve punched someone in your sleep? Maybe as a kid yeah.

Do you use a handrail on stairs if there is one? Not for the most part because germs are gross. But if the individual steps are REALLY tall and the height freaks me out then I might start holding on.

What was the last thing you saw that made you smile? My dogs staring up at me.

What is your favorite drinking game? I’m not a big drinking game fan tbh. I do have a deck of These Cards Will Get You Drunk that I like to pull out when having chiller and more laidback drinking sessions with friends, i.e. not at a bar.

Do you have any tattoos that you don’t like anymore? I don’t have any at all.

What was the last thing you sat on? My bed.

Who was the last person to sleep in your bed? Some person.

Do you have a shower curtain or door? Door.

When can you legally go to an American bar? Apparently I wouldn’t have been able to go in one until 2019. That’s so lame lol.

If a bug is in your car, do you kill it or try to push it out your window? I try to shoo it out. I don’t want a squished bug in my car. Does your mail go to a P.O Box or to a mailbox at your house? We don’t have a mailbox, so it just gets squished in the door.

Is there laundry in your room that could be done? Not at the moment. Who was the last person from your high school graduating class you saw? I had some drinks with Kaye last Friday. We were never all that close in high school, but she invited me out because she’s been going through a rough patch and she wanted unbiased opinions about her situation (and since we weren’t super close, I was more likely to be objective with her haha).

It was great but by god did it drain the social battery out of me. She wanted to meet up early so we met up for early dinner at like 4 PM, stayed at the restaurant til about 6 PM. Then she said her friends were gonna come over too, so I was relieved about the company because I wasn’t sure if I can sustain enough topics with her throughout the night. Lo and behold her friends were really late so I had to keep talking with her for like...literally the next 4 hours, because her friends arrived at 10 PM. Then when they got there that was another wave of socializing, which lasted til midnight lol.

#survey #surveys

[hicycling]

22.08.2022

I got lucky – my room stayed empty last night. I’m was hopinf that it would stay that way, at least until the weekend.

 I got up late, but earlier than I have been getting up at home.

 Got showered and noticed a fucking used condom on the floor in front of the bathroom.

 Now I’m very live and let live, but that was fucking nasty.

 I told the reception downstairs, but had a slight misunderstanding with them – I don’t even know,  it actually really doesn’t matter.

 Then I charmed the lunch lady into filling up my water bottle. I guess this doesn’t sound like  a big accomplishment, but she was hella tough.

 It’s overcast today. I’m outside in a t-shirt and a shirt as a jacket.

 I took the tram to a café called ‘Datscha’ in an area called Friedrichshain (I think).

 Kind of made me sad that when I looked on their website, they had a whole section about how they’re against the war. I mean, that’s a good thing, but I wonder if non-Russian cafes and restaurants feel compelled to make their position known like that.

 This area is making feel a little uncool, a little country-mouse-esque. I saw several people with neon eyebrows, and I wonder if they feel at ease, or if they’re just trying harder than me.

 Should I get a piercing? I’ve been toying with the idea for a while.

 I ordered Blinis, which I haven’t had since I went to Poland on a school trip. I remember how I really loved them. They were served with a tart plum jam and sharp cream cheese.

 A lot of my classmates were really rude to the people who ran the hostel we stayed in, really going on and on about how awful they thought the food was.

 I was ashamed to be there with them. The food was so nice.

 My blinis today were really good, ten out of ten.

 I’m tense because my dad’s university friend is really hard to get a hold of. I am supposed to talk to him, but he keeps asking me on really short notice and really late, so it hasn’t happened yet.

 I kinda wish my dad hadn’t organised this, it’s another thing I’m failing at.

 I’m not going to take initiative to text Mr. Standard Handsome right now, it’s giving me a weird feeling.

 I am thinking that it might be nice when I get back home though.

 My initial plan was to come to Berlin and just see where to go from here. But I’m realising that there are some things that I really do need to take care of back home.

 Renewing my library membership and returning all my loaned items.

 Enrolling in university.

 Filling out the unemployment forms.

 So I’m thinking about buying an Interrail Pass, going home for a week, get all my affairs in order and see how I feel about Mr. Standard Handsome if I see him again.

 Then my proposed route is as follows:

 Paris: éclairs, the Louvre and seeing how Notre Dame fairs these days.

 Rome: just vibe checking, I guess? I’ve always wanted to go, but don’t actually know anything about it.

 Maybe Venice?: I hear autumn is the best time for it.

 Vienna: I guess it is waiting for me.

 Home: hopefully a better person by then.

 As for my stay here in Berlin; I want to go to all the museums. There is a great museum pass for 25 Euro, that allows me to go to a bunch of places, but only over the course of 3 days. I’m thinking that I will do that later in the week, because it’s supposed to rain then.

 However, I am supposed to meet a friend of my mother and I guess that might be on the weekend, so I wouldn’t be able to use the ticket to the fullest then.

 Something to think about.

 I walked around and got stopped by a young woman collecting donations for some cause. She asked me if I lived in Berlin, to which I said ‘No’,

She had that look in her eyes, that said that she didn’t believe me completely. Which made me quite proud, I am blending in with the local populace after all.

 I then walked along the east side gallery, saw the murals on the wall. The kiss, which is obviously iconic, but some other pieces spoke to me much more.

 I sat down by canal close to the gallery for an hour or so and read. I haven’t been able to just be calm down enough to read consistently in ages. But I am getting back into the mindset here.

 It was sunny, and remarkably calm. There was a cute dog that came to lick my hand.

 Then onto Kreuzberg.

 I stopped in front of an old building, which turned out to be a community centre for the arts.

 Just before I could go in, my sister called. She’s going through it, just like me. Wants to quit her degree and start studying something else, maybe even move to France.

 We talked for a while, which made me happy. I miss her and I didn’t talk to her enough these past weeks.

 The inside of the community centre was great.

 Now, if I haven’t reached this point yet anyway, warning for tmi??

 I used the public toilets there, which I rate 8 out of 10 – didn’t have soap, otherwise it would have been a 10.

 This is because I could hear cello practice on the toilet. The music reverberated through the old building, a great experience, I have to say.

 The second half of the day was a bit unorganised, honestly.

 I went to a comic store and got a graphic novel that looks really promising. I will read it sometime in the next few days.+

 I was getting hungry again, however, and wanted to go to a specific place that I had found online, only to arrive and find that it doesn’t exist anymore. Very disappointing.

 I went to a Thai restaurant instead, the food was great but I spilled a bunch of sauce on my shirt.. I feel like a toddler, honestly.

 I then went to an art store, because I wanted to sketch, but was to cheap to buy one of their fancy mechanical pencils and spent over two hours searching for a cheaper one, only to give up after all.

 I did go to a park and start sketching though. I continued to draw people on the tram, on the way to the hostel.

 Back at the hostel, my room isn’t empty anymore.

 But the young woman is really nice. She’s here to buy a car. We’re thinking about having breakfast together tomorrow.

 Standard Handsome messaged me in the evening, which pleased me.

 Asked how my day went, so I sent him one of my sketches.

 I needed to call my sister in a panic though, because I didn’t know how much to write etc. – I’m a mess.

 She got really invested in him, it’s quite funny actually.

 Then I chatted to my ADHD Buddy, just for a little bit. I like ending the day talking to my friends, just recapping.

 Ending my day here. My feet hurt, but I feel quite content.

 Still anxious about my dad’s friend and the fucking work reference however. Really need to sort that out tomorrow.

[itsuhlayn]

as promised, updates! courtesy of the notes app hehe

received a compliment that I think I really needed in the ladies' room of 30th st station. today I'm wearing white on white (white linen pants, white silk short-sleeved button down. cropped, baggy, and half-tucked in). and it's an outfit I'd never thought I'd confidently wear out until today. the lady said she loves it, and that I'm beautiful, and asked about my nationality. she said "you're just beautiful, stunning" and it was as if I'd never heard or felt that before. she really got me so close to believing it, too. weekend trip off to a great start. healing is not linear but it sure feels as if I am healing well!

the person I'm sitting next to on this train smells like vanilla, and I like vanilla

went to a local jazz concert and sofar sounds concert in Williamsburg. my favorite artist of the night was a beatboxer! sat next to a couple on a first date and I think it went great

the Starbucks on E 17th and 1st Ave is way nicer and bigger than the one on E 13th and 1st Ave. not sure why I never go to this one. they have a bathroom and cushioned seating and they're way less busy

happy to see a bunch of young people and children at the ballet. Philly's met opera interior and architecture exceeds NYC's and I'm always amazed at how lackluster it is when I'm here lol. sat next to an older mother/daughter duo on my right and a few NYU students who invited me out for a free bachata/belly dancing class after the ballet. 10/10 bachata is fun! my partner's name was Ed and he was pretty tall.

the concert last night was... emotional for me (?) I think. honestly, doing what I enjoy by myself gets me in my feels, but last night I was more emotional than usual. (in hindsight, it was a total indicator that that time of the month was near lol.) like I was literally enjoying myself, rocking to the music, eyes closed, yelling lyrics. it was unreal for me. this music hall always does this to me!!! I think the more I spend time in the east village, and the more I spend at rockwood music hall, the more I fall in love with this city and the more it'll always have a piece of my heart. one day I hope to live here at least temporarily in my 20's. it's a great escape from academia and it's a city that I feel truly suits me.

hung out with my good friend today at the Lazy Llama cafe (new for the both of us). 9/10 coffee, 6/10 food just because who the heck runs out of avocados?!!!!

went vintage shopping and found this beautiful ring with pretty jewels on it. visited a vintage guitar shop, saw a guitar I thought was gorgeous, and found out it was $20,000+ so I quickly said nevermind and refused to play it

chilled at Central Park, ate freshly cut melon from Whole Foods and people-watched before leaving to go back to Philly

now I'm on a low after being on a high in the city I love most. see you soon, nyc.

#journal

[textpostsofdebauchery]

if god exists, i'd want them to be like indus

also, let sylvie say fuck 2k21

#epthet erased #ee #ramsey murdoch #giovanni potage #dr sylvester ashling #dr sylvie ashling #sylvester ashling #sylvie ashling #percival king #percy king #zora salazar #mera salamin #molly blyndeff #indus tarbella #epithet erased text post meme #also idk if y'all pay attention to when i post but i usually queue posts to go up at 2pm so sorry this one is a lil late #went on a short trip with a bunch of my friends this weekend and it was the first time i had seen most of them in more than a year #all of us are fully vaccinated ofc and we all wore masks when we were out in public #i had a ton of fun but it took a lot out of me as evidenced by the fact that i slept for 12 hrs after i got home yesterday #so it took me a lil bit longer than normal to put this together

[elliestormfound]

List of free things

Happy Birthday @thecomfortofoldstorries​ <3 

I’ve written fluff for you! 

In which it's Geralt's birthday and Jaskier has compiled a list of free activities for them to do Or: modern au roommates idiots to lovers (1,796 words)

CW: nothing, just idiots mutually pining with a happy end :D

read on ao3

-

“I made a list,” Jaskier said as he walked into the kitchen of their shared flat. He looked expectantly at Geralt, who was preparing a sandwich with marmalade and cheese. After two years of living together Jaskier did not even raise an eyebrow at this odd combination of ingredients. He was used to Geralt’s weird tastes by now.

“What for?” Geralt looked up and frowned at his grinning roommate. He knew nothing good came from this particular grin. But fuck - it looked just too cute on Jaskier. 

“For your birthday!” Jaskier said and threw his hands in the air in a dramatic gesture.

Geralt groaned and rolled his eyes. “You know that I hate birthday parties.” Parties, especially ones where he was the center of attention, made Geralt incredibly anxious.

Jaskier clapped him on the shoulder and replied, still smiling, 

“I know, that’s why I thought of something else.” Geralt raised his eyebrows.

“Do you want it to be a surprise?” 

Geralt shook his head. “You know I hate these kinds of surprises.”

Jaskier eyed him for another moment and nodded. “I know our money situation is a bit tight at the moment, so I researched places that give out free stuff on birthdays!” With that, Jaskier pulled a piece of paper out his pocket, unfolded it and put it on the kitchen table. 

They sat down and went over the list together. Some of the items were crossed off instantly,  others they argued over for a while but in the end they arrived at an array of activities that could fill a day, but were not too much. Geralt was still not a hundred percent sure about this, but the idea of spending a day with Jaskier, the man he was secretly in love with, was enticing, no matter what they did. 

-

“Happy Birthday!” Jaskier called as Geralt walked into the kitchen a week later. Geralt just grunted in reply and walked over to the counter. But when he reached for the coffee machine, Jaskier sprang in the way, wrapped his arms around Geralt and squeezed him tightly. 

Geralt sighed, but hugged him back and murmured, “coffee.” Geralt rested his cheek on Jaskier’s head, whose hair was still a bit damp from when he had washed it earlier, smelling of the fancy lemon shampoo he used. Geralt had to admit that hugging him was a rather nice way to start his birthday. 

After a moment Jaskier took a step back and said with a smile, “that’s where we’re starting off. A coffee at the Gasolin.” That was the coffee shop Jaskier frequented for their open mike nights. 

Geralt was not sure if Jaskier had called ahead or if the barista was just as uninterested as they looked, because they did not congratulate him as he told them it was his birthday. They just asked for his order and moved on to Jaskier. And as he had reassured Geralt, he did not have to pay for the latte. When they both had their drinks, Jaskier maneuvered him over to a table in the back where it was less crowded. 

Eskel and Lambert were sitting at the table. Jaskier had told him where they were going but had not mentioned inviting his brothers. As far as surprises were going, this was a pleasant one, and to be honest, Geralt had suspected that they would show up for one of the activities today. 

“Happy Birthday, asshole,” Lambert said as he hugged Geralt and clapped him on the back. After Eskel had hugged him too, everyone sat down. For a while they talked about Eskel’s fishing trip he was planning for the weekend and about the roller derby game Lambert had visited the day before.

When Lambert and Jaskier were deep in conversation about the new jammer of his favorite roller derby team, Eskel bumped his knee into Geralt’s to get his attention and said quietly with a grin, “don’t worry we’re just here for the coffee, then we’ll leave you two alone.” Geralt’s face grew hot but he did not reply. Eskel could be as much of an asshole as Lambert sometimes.

Eskel knew that Geralt had had a crush on his best friend and roommate ever since they met in uni years ago. But Geralt had never acted on it. He knew Jaskier was never shy about his emotions and attractions and he had never even hinted at finding Geralt attractive. 

But Geralt enjoyed moments like this, sitting next to Jaskier on the narrow bench, their knees and elbows pressed together. There weren’t many people he was comfortable being so physically close with, crush or no crush. The coffee was excellent, and Geralt began to relax. 

After his brothers had excused themselves to go to work, Geralt and Jaskier went on a walk down the little river towards the next thing on Jaskier’s list: the art gallery where Geralt - the birthday boy, as Jaskier had called him - got in for free. It was still early in the day and they only saw a group of school children being herded through the otherwise quiet rooms. 

But that did not stop Jaskier from linking his arm with Geralt’s and whispering into his ear as if he did not want to disturb unseen visitors. Jaskier had been at the gallery before and could tell Geralt a lot about a bunch of different paintings. When he had seen the art gallery on Jaskier’s list, he had protested at first, telling him it would be boring, but Jaskier would have none of it. And he had been right. Learning about the lives of the artists, the circumstances of when and how a painting had been made, made the visit much more interesting. 

And to be honest, they could have been in the most boring museum on earth because having Jaskier practically clinging to him and whispering into his ear felt wonderful, especially when he giggled about his own jokes. Not that the jokes were that funny, but the pure joy radiating from him was intoxicating. Geralt nearly frowned when they reached the last room and Jaskier untangled his arm from Geralt’s as they left the gallery. 

After that they went to a bakery where Geralt got a free piece of chocolate cake and a corner shop where he got a small bottle of champagne. They went into the nearby park and shared both.

The next point on their list was the beauty salon, where Geralt got a free hand massage. Jaskier and Gerallt had invited Yen to join them here.

“Happy Birthday,” she said as she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She and Jaskier got their nails done - both black - as one of the women of the salon kneaded Geralt’s hands and fingers skillfully, rubbing soothing oils into his skin. Yen told them about a case she was working on at the moment. She was a lawyer, having started out as a divorce lawyer and then specializing in child custody cases. At first glance people would not assume that the immaculately dressed woman with the sour expression had a heart of gold, but she always fought tooth and nail to get the best solution for every child caught in the middle of a divorce war. She and Geralt had dated for a short while years ago but had found out that they were much better suited to being friends rather than lovers. 

It was late in the afternoon when they left the beauty salon and Yen hurried back to work. They collected the last few things on Jaskier’s list on their way home: a few samples from the tea shop, a magnet from the plumber (yes, a magnet from the plumber - in the form of a comic-style u-shaped pipe with huge eyes they would put on their fridge) and a single red rose from the small flower shop, which Jaskier carefully threaded through a buttonhole on Geralt’s shirt (making Geralt blush).

“And now to the last part of the day,” Jaskier said.

Geralt furrowed his eyebrows. “But there was nothing more on your list.”

Jaskier laughed and replied, “it’s just ice cream on our balcony. But I bought your favorite kind.”

Geralt exhaled slowly and grinned. “Sounds perfect.”

Half an hour later they were sitting on their balcony in the evening sun, shoulder to shoulder.

“So, did you enjoy your birthday?” Jaskier asked, leaning a bit more into Geralt.

“Hm…,” Geralt began and swallowed. It had been a good day. A great day. And he didn’t mean all the activities. They had been fun too, but the best part had been spending time with Jaskier. Jaskier giggled and Geralt could not suppress a smile. 

“Eloquent as ever, my dear,” Jaskier said. 

Geralt breathed in deeply. Jaskier had organised this wonderful day for him and he wanted to thank him for it, but words had always been hard for him. But Jaskier deserved a thank you and so he cleared his throat and said quietly, “it was great...you are...I mean you did great.” His cheeks felt hot and his throat was suddenly dry. So instead of saying anything more, he extended his arm and wrapped it around Jaskier, hugging him to his side. There was a soft gasp of surprise but then he felt Jaskier relax against him. 

Jaskier in turn reached for Geralt’s other hand and slowly interlaced their fingers. 

Oh. Geralt had not expected this. It was weird, on the one hand Geralt’s heart pounded and he worried that his sweaty palm would make Jaskier withdraw his hand (he didn’t!) and on the other hand it felt like their fingers were meant to be interlaced, fitting perfectly together. Geralt closed his fingers around Jaskier’s, squeezing them softly. 

Geralt looked up from their entwined fingers into Jaskier’s eyes. The sun accentuated their ocean-blue color and his cheeks were flushed. Geralt was sure that he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. His eyes wandered down to Jaskier’s lips.

Then Jaskier said softly, “ would it...would it be okay if I kissed you?” The breath that escaped Geralt’s mouth was more a sigh and he nodded as no words wanted to come over his lips. So Jaskier leaned the rest of the way forward and brushed the tip of his nose against Geralt’s before their lips met. 

It was a slow kiss, unhurried, and it felt like the only logical conclusion to this day, to their friendship. “This is the best birthday present,” Geralt whispered as they broke apart and Jaskier smiled brightly. And even though he hadn’t thought it possible a moment before, Jaskier looked even more beautiful with kiss-swollen lips and hooded eyes as he leaned in to kiss Geralt once more.

-

Link to my master list for more of my fics

Tag list: @jaskierswolf @dani-dandelino​ @hailhailsatan @panerato @marvagon @x-anxious @moonysrz @kaktusbambus @wildonewrites @dapandapod @honeysuckletook @thecomfortofoldstorries @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde @broken-verses @vampire–dad @whenrainbowsend @geralt-of-riviass @sleepy-thief @artistsfuneral @stinastar @innocentbi-stander @in-love-with-writing002 @fandommagpie @fontegagrilledcheese @kozkaboi @nonegenderleftpain @veritasrose @havenoffandoms @feral-jaskier @llamasdumpsterfire @dhwty-writes @trickstermoose67 @rockysstupidity @peanitbear  @pomegranatebitch  @mayastormborn @strippiluolamies @kmuir1 @holymotherwolf @imweakmylove02 (please let me know if you want to be added (18+) to or removed  from my tag list)

#geraskier #witcher #geralt #jaskier #the witcher #EllieStormfound #witcher fanfic #geralt x jaskier #jaskier x geralt #modern au #happy birthday comfy

[the-modernmary]

you’ll always know me || aaron hotchner x reader

Summary: "I would have stayed... If you asked me to.

After your high school graduation, you left without saying goodbye to Aaron Hotchner, your best friend, and nobody had heard from you since. Years later, you're back in DC, and catching up with Aaron brings more than you could have possibly hoped for.

Warnings: mentions of weed

A/N: I really wanted some soft Hotch content in my life after all the angst in my best habit, and this is about as soft as I can get. Inspired by Taylor Swift's "dorothea". Honestly, I was listening to evermore, blacked out for about three hours, and this is what came from that. There is no other explanation for this. It's written differently than my usual style, but I hope y'all like it still!

read on ao3 || masterlist

~~~~~~~

“What’s got you in such a rush?”

  Rossi eyes Aaron carefully as the latter circles around his office, double and triple-checking that he didn’t forget anything. The last thing he wants is to have to come back to the office and cut his day short.

  Aaron shoves a few case files in his briefcase. “An old friend from high school is in town and I’m meeting up with her.”

  Rossi perks up at the word ‘her’ and he leans against the door frame. Aaron notices this, too, because he shakes his head quickly. “It’s not like that. We both got sent to boarding school for being problem children and we became quick friends. I haven’t talked to her since graduation. She just packed up her stuff and left the very next day.”

“You sound bitter,” Rossi points out.

  “Not at all,” he lies, trying to forget the hurt of running to your dorm for your weekly breakfast together, only to be met with an empty room and a singular polaroid. “I knew she hated it there and her goal was to travel and see as many places as she could. Honestly, I’m surprised she’s back stateside at all. Last I heard, she was doing some art apprenticeship in Italy, but that was years ago.”

  “You sound like you have a long evening ahead of you, so I’ll get out of your hair. And have some fun tonight, Aaron. You deserve it,” Rossi adds on as an afterthought. 

  The corners of Aaron's mouth lift slightly. “I will. Try not to let the building burn down while I’m gone. Reid is back on his physics magic kick, and I think I heard something about a lighter.”

  Rossi gives Aaron a two-finger, half-hearted salute in acknowledgment, which is all it takes for Aaron to shut his office door and head towards the elevator. Knowing that you’re just outside, he has to make a conscious effort to slow his pace from an excited jog to just an anxious speed walk. The elevator ride is slow, seemingly stopping at every single floor on the way down, which gives his mind ample time to wander and think back to graduation day.

  “There you are!” Aaron shouts from across the football field as he runs up to you, shoving through bustling groups of families trying to take pictures. He has so many stoles and cords and leis around his neck that you can barely see the suit he’s wearing underneath his gown. It’s a stark contrast to you, with only a singular chord for academic achievement, although a 3.2 wasn’t much of an achievement in the eyes of most people at boarding school.

  “Here I am!” you laugh, throwing your arms around him in a hug and breathing in the smell of his cologne.

  “Where’re your parents? Didn’t they come?”

  “Of course they didn’t. They’re not ones for celebrating something as trivial as high school graduation, not when it’s just expected of me.” You roll your eyes. “What about you? I thought you and Haley were going to do the whole ‘meet the family’ thing today?”

  Aaron is oblivious to the bitterness in your voice, although that’s nothing new. “We are, but I just wanted to give these to you.” It’s then that you notice the bouquet of flowers in his hand, although it’s now being pressed into your arms. “As a congrats. And a thank you for being there for me this whole time. You’re my best friend.”

  You try to ignore the ache in your chest at his words. “Thank you, Aaron. I… I didn’t get you anything, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” he waves it off. “If you want to get me something, breakfast is your treat tomorrow.”

  “Okay, deal,” you agree, the smile coming back to your face. Selfishly, you don’t want him to go back to Haley or his family just yet. You want him to stay there with you so you don’t feel so lonely in the crowd of happy graduates. “God, I can’t believe you’re staying in D.C. for college. We always talked about getting out, seeing the world and never coming back.”

  Aaron shrugs, and you watch as he brushes away a piece of his hair that falls into his face. “I’m hoping that going to GW for undergrad will make it easier to get into law school there.”

  “And Haley Brooks is still here for another year,” you point out, half accusatory.

  “Yeah, that, too.” Aaron chuckles uncomfortably before quickly switching the conversation. “What about you? Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

  “There’s an art school in Glasgow I’m thinking of going to. But, you know… George Washington also has an art program. It’s pretty nice, too. I’m still deciding.” You trail off, looking straight into Aaron’s eyes, giving him every chance in the world to make the decision for you.

  Aaron hesitates, fighting an internal battle. “Go to Glasgow!” he says, fake enthusiasm in his voice, but your disappointment blocks out anything but his actual words. “Then I’ll have an excuse to visit Scotland.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I was leaning towards, too,” you lie. “Aaron, I—”

  You’re cut off by a voice calling his name. You both turn around to see Haley Brooks waving him over, her other hand holding 7-year-old Sean’s hand. She looks like spring personified, her blonde hair in bouncy curls and her pink sundress swishing around her long, slender legs. Her smile is so big that it could have parted storm clouds, and you want nothing more than to hate her with every single fiber of your being.

  But then you see Aaron, returning her megawatt smile with his own, one you rarely ever saw, and how can you hate somebody who makes him so happy?

  “I have to go, I’m sorry,” he says, although there’s not even a hint of regret in his voice. “But I’ll see you for one last Sunday breakfast tomorrow?”

  “I’ll see you then,” you lied.

  How Aaron could have missed the signs of your unhappiness, he’ll never know. At that time, all he knew was that you left without ever saying goodbye, leaving behind only a polaroid of the two of you from your weekend trip to Virginia Beach, both of you drunk and laughing with your arms wrapped around each other. He still has it, buried in his nightstand somewhere, but he hasn’t had the courage to look at it for a few years now.

  As Aaron steps out of the FBI building, he recognizes you instantly, even though it’s only the back of your head, and it causes his breath to catch in his throat. He calls your name and watches as you turn around, your hair whipping around you, and the fact that you still have that same mischievous glint in your eyes is enough to make him feel like he’s sixteen again and nervously skipping class with you holding his hand and pulling him towards the school gates.

  “Aaron!” You jog up to him and throw your arms around him in a hug, which he happily reciprocates. You press a quick kiss to his cheek before pulling away, and Aaron’s entire face burns.

  You keep your hands on his biceps, holding him at arm’s length, as you study him. He looks almost exactly the same as he did all those years ago, with soft hair and the slightest bit of stubble, but he looks less carefree. He seems more mature, like life had aged him 100 years. Still, as cute as high school Aaron was, it had nothing on how good he looks now. “Look at you, Mr. FBI, all suit and corporate-looking! I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “Yeah, I guess I’ve changed quite a bit,” he admits, and the sight of his dimples makes you want to melt right there into the sidewalk. “It’s really good to see you again. I’ve missed you.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you barely thought about me,” you joke, but hurt flashes through your eyes.

  Aaron wants to argue, to tell you that he thinks about you all the time, but decides against it. He doesn’t want to spend the precious few hours he has with you bringing up old issues. “Are you hungry? Because there’s this diner a few blocks down with giant milkshakes.”

  “Why are we still standing here, then? All you had to say was milkshakes, they’re my favorite.”

  “I know. I remember,” he says, and that all-too-familiar pang in your heart comes back like it had never left. “Come on, we can walk and cut through a park.”

  The two of you start your walk in comfortable silence, listening to the bustling city around you. Every once in a while, your hands would bump into his, and you were doing everything you could to ignore it.

  “So did you ever go to that art school?” he asks suddenly, looking over at you.

  You nod, a soft smile forming on your face. “I did. You were right, I loved Scotland.”

  “Where did you go after that? Nobody heard from you.”

  Your eyes sparkle as memories of your life the past few years flash through your mind. “Everywhere. Literally. I took a bunch of odd jobs and spent my time traveling,” you admitted. “I taught English in Vietnam for a year, worked on a cruise ship that went around South America, was an au pair for a French ambassador, went on research expeditions… Even dated a pilot for all of six months. Anything I could do that would let me see the world.” You laugh to yourself, shaking your head fondly. “I really put that private boarding school tuition to good use, huh? My parents were pissed.”

  “It sounds like you were living the life you dreamed of,” Aaron says softly, looking down at you.

  “It was,” you agree, your voice a little sad.

  “So then why are you back here in DC?”

  You shrug, your hands clasped behind your back, and you step down on a particularly crunchy leaf. “I’m just passing through. I’ve been going around the US and looking for a place to settle down. Finally. Figured I might as well put that art degree to good use. Maybe I’ll open a gallery or something.”

  Aaron nods slowly as the chill of autumn runs through his bones. It’s nice, though, in a weird way. He’s always preferred the fall over spring. “Where have you looked so far?”

  “Lots of places. San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Atlanta, San Antonio, Miami… I’m heading up to New York next. Nothing’s felt right so far. But enough about me, how are you? I heard you married Haley Brooks.”

  That same bitterness you felt in high school when you talked about Haley comes back with a vengeance. It’s unfair, and you know that. How was Aaron supposed to know that you were practically in love with him in high school if you never told him? Even now, you’re sure that he hasn’t put together the pieces.

  You watch as his gaze falls slightly. “I did. She died a few years ago.”

  “I’m sorry,” you whisper, and you reach out to give his hand a small squeeze.

  “We got divorced a little while before it happened,” he explains, unsure why it’s so important to him that you know that. “I blamed myself for it for a long time. But I’ve, uh… I’ve made peace with it now.”

  You give him a comforting smile, fully aware of the fact that you’re still holding his hand. “Aaron Hotchner, making peace with something in his life? I never thought I’d see the day.”

  Aaron chuckles and bumps his shoulder to yours. “I’ve been known to do it a few times. But only a few. Haley and I have a son, though. His name is Jack. He’s 8 now.”

  You shake your head in disbelief, and your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “And you’re a father? Wow, you really have changed.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” he asks, and you shake your head wordlessly.

  “I like every version of Aaron Hotchner,” you promise. “Besides, change is a good thing. Especially since this city hasn’t changed a bit.”

  Aaron looks around, eyebrows furrowed, like he’s seeing DC for the very first time. “It’s actually changed quite a bit. But it’s subtle. Only people who have been here as long as I have would even notice it, probably.”

  The words cut through you both as a painful reminder of your abrupt departure from DC, and the silence settles over the two of you like a thick fog. This conversation was going to have to happen no matter what, you knew that going into this meeting with Aaron, but you didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

  “I would have stayed,” you whisper, your voice barely audible. “If you asked me to.”

  Aaron shakes his head as his Adam’s apple bobs. “I thought about it. But I couldn’t do that to you. I knew you wanted to see the world, and you said it yourself. This city had nothing left to offer you.”

  You pause, rubbing your thumb over your fingertips with your freehand. “It had you,” you reply, and Aaron feels like he was just stabbed in the heart. “That would have been enough.” Seeing Aaron’s dejected face, you quickly keep talking. “But I get it, don’t worry. You were head over heels for Haley Brooks. Everybody knew you two were meant to be together.””

  “What does that have to do with you leaving?” he asks, more accusatory than he intended.

  “Everything.”

  Aaron breathes out your name, unsure of what to say until he settles on: “I’m sorry.”

  You wave him off, forcing a laugh. “Don’t be. I was 17 years old with a crush. We do stupid things, like want to stay at home for a boy. I’m glad I left. Besides, Haley Brooks was clearly the love of your life, and far be it from me to try and break up the golden couple.”

  The two of you stop in front of the diner and you drop Aaron’s hand, much to his disappointment, although you’re still close enough to him to see your reflection in his brown eyes. “I didn’t know you felt like that about me,” he says.

  “Which is surprising, because everybody else definitely knew. But you’ve always been a little clueless when it comes to stuff like that,” you tease, flashing him a toothy smile. “But it’s in the past. So come on, I want to hear about this FBI stuff and drink a milkshake so big it makes my stomach hurt.”

  Twenty minutes later, you and Aaron find yourselves smushed together in a corner booth covered in cheap vinyl, splitting a chocolate milkshake and laughing as you stroll down memory lane. 

  “You know, I ran into Stephen yesterday! A little coffee shop not too far from here,” you tell Aaron.

  Aaron almost drops the fry he was about to eat. “Do you mean Stoner Stephen? What is he doing back here?”

  You take a sip of the milkshake, and Aaron’s gaze is intense as you wrap your lips around the straw. When you pull back, he’s still staring at the soft pink your lipstick leaves behind. “Apparently, he’s lived here for years. Also, did you know he’s crazy smart? Like… graduated 4th in our class, went to Brown undergrad and Columbia graduate, smart.”

  Aaron’s eyes go wide in disbelief. “And this is the same guy who, completely sober, tried putting his mattress in the pool so that he didn’t have to sleep in his own dorm?”

  “The very same one. He’s like a lobbyist now or something for some activist group.”

  “Wow, I did not expect that. Do you remember when he got so high that he thought his joint was going to catch the dorms on fire?” Aaron asks, the words barely discernible through his laughter. “So he warned campus police that the whole school was going to burn down.”

  “Yes!” you giggle, your head thrown back in laughter. “They thought it was an arson threat and they had to evacuate the whole school. I was taking an English final during that.”

  Aaron’s shoulder pressing against yours makes a shiver run down your spine. You idly wonder how much closer he can get to you if he really tried.

  As if reading your mind, Aaron turns towards you a little more so that your knees are touching and you can feel his breath on the side of your neck. “We went to the beach that weekend,” he says quietly, unwilling to break eye contact with you. “Drank cheap beer. You got stung by a jellyfish. I had to carry you back to the car.”

  No, no. You were not about to fall for Aaron Hotchner’s charm again that easily. Not again. It took you too long to get over him the first time. Still, you were leaning closer to Aaron, and Aaron was leaning in towards you, and your noses brushed as you tilt your head to the side ever so slightly and—

  And his phone rings. Aaron’s eyes flickered to your lips one last time before pulling away, giving you an apologetic look.

  “Hotchner,” he answers, and you pull your coat tighter around yourself as realization sinks into you. You feel like you’re 17 again, desperately waiting for Aaron to ask you to prom, only to hide in your dorm for days on end when he asked Haley Brooks.

  When Aaron hangs up, he immediately reaches into his pocket to pull out his wallet, setting enough cash on the table to cover the tab and tip. “That was work. We have to fly out to Arizona. I’m sorry.”

  You nod understandingly. “Gotta catch the bad guys. When do you leave?”

  It’s silent for a few torturous moments before he finally answers. “An hour, at most. We brief at the office and then get on the plane.”

  “Wow,” you breathe. “You weren’t kidding when you said that you live out of your suitcase. Can I walk back with you, at least?”

  Aaron smiles, a small smile that makes you wonder how often he actually smiles now. It used to be a lot, but from what he’s told you, it seems like he’s had a rough go of it the last couple of years, and has a lot less to smile about. It makes you sad because when you were traveling the world, his smile was the one thing you missed the most.

  “I’d really like that.”

  The two of you make small talk on the way back, swapping stories about Jack and your various adventures around the globe. The autumn air is crisp with leaves falling all around you. At one point, there was a big gust of wind, and leaves and pine needles got blown onto the two of you, and you took your sweet time running your fingers through his hair, bushing it all off him. 

  When you get to the entrance of the FBI building, neither one of you says anything. You just stand there, both unwilling to say goodbye. You turn to face each other, just as close as you were in the diner booth.

  “Oh, you have a…” Aaron delicately reaches his hand to your hair. His fingers in your hair make your stomach do flips, and you’re almost positive he can hear your racing heartbeat. His eyes stay trained on yours the entire time, never blinking. “Pine needle,” he whispers, holding the offending object between his fingers.

  “Thanks,” you breathe, and you’re not sure if it’s the autumn chill or his hand reaching to cup your cheek that sends goosebumps throughout your body.

  As if he were magnetic, you rise onto your toes, bringing yourself closer to him, and you press your lips against his. Aaron deepens the kiss and runs his thumb across your cheekbone. His other hand wraps itself around your waist. The kiss is slow and sensual and better than anything you could have dreamed of — and you dream of Aaron kissing you more often than you’d like to admit.

  All too soon, the two of you pull away from each other, both wearing matching smiles.

  “I should probably… get in there… before my team sends out a search party,” Aaron says reluctantly, pointing towards the entrance. 

  You give his hand a soft squeeze. “Go save lives. I’ll probably be around for a few more days before heading up to New York. If you’re back by then.”

  Aaron purses his lips, deep in thought. “You’re definitely settling down somewhere? Done with seeing the world?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “Have you… Do you think…” Aaron takes a grounding breath, trying to gather the words he was too afraid to ask back at graduation. “Have you ever considered settling down here? There’s a pretty big art community here.”

  You shrug, ignoring excitement building in your chest. “I think my work is a little too experimental for the people of the capitol.”

  “You’d be surprised,” he chuckles.

  You bring your lower lip between your teeth, chewing nervously at it. “I don’t know… I left for a reason. I just don’t know what DC has to offer me anymore.”

  Aaron spreads his arms out at his side, palms facing you in an uncharacteristic display of vulnerability. “There’s me,” he offers, and, when your eyes go wide, he adds, “And Stoner Stephen, if I’m not enough.”

  A laugh bursts out of you uncontrollably, which seems to put both you and Aaron at ease. “That makes it a very tempting offer,” you tease.

  “And I have a coworker who flips houses. He’ll be able to tell you where to get the best deal on an apartment,” Aaron presses as if you need any more convincing. As if your mind isn’t already made up.

  “First, I need to know that there’s more than one good place to get milkshakes,” you point out, shoving your hands in your coat pockets. “You’ll have to show me around when you get back.”

  Aaron’s lips quirk up in a hopeful smile. “It’s a date.”

  He makes his way towards the entrance of the Hoover Building, but you call out his name, stopping him once more. “We’ll also need a new Sunday breakfast place. Since our old one is closed down.”

  Now, his smile is one of pure joy, and his eyes are sparkling in a way you haven’t seen in years. “I know just the place. As long as you don’t up and leave without telling me again.”

  “Never again,” you promise, and for once, the idea of staying doesn’t terrify you.

  “Then we’ll get breakfast together as soon as I get back.”

  You smile at him, already missing the feeling of his lips on yours. “I’ll see you then.”

#criminal minds #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner fanfiction #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x y/n #criminal minds fanfiction #my writing

[mystic-sky]

A/N: here’s Part 2/4💘 I told y’all I’m gonna finish this and I will. this short series is NSFW. Enjoy 😭❤️

✨part 1 here✨ | ✨parts 3 & 4 on ao3 only✨

Some would say this was entirely unnecessary, perhaps even a little too casual for work. But you know when you have one of those really good friends you’d do anything for? The kind you’d spend money on without a second thought? That’s how you felt about Suguru. You could call him whenever you wanted and he’d come fix up your car for you, help you lift things, or just lend you his ear. He was an extremely good listener, and he was always there for you. It was hard to believe such a sweet guy could be friends with Satoru. It was also hard to believe how you could ever favor Satoru more.

You were incredibly excited to give Suguru all the things you had gotten him over the weekend. Then, like a raining brick shower, did you remember that he came to your work place, with Satoru, and you anonymously gave him a lap dance. And now, you have to talk to both of them like you weren’t shaking your ass in their faces the night before. Tough.

You questioned all your life decisions as you anxiously dialed Shoko. You told her it was urgent and that you needed help with the gift bags, as well as time for girl talk and morning coffee before work. 

When she arrived you graciously hugged her, whining and crying her name as you reached over the arm rest. 

“You didn’t tell anyone where I worked at, right?” You say, tear stricken and panicked as you peer at her through wet eyes. She shot you an almost betrayed look. When did you start thinking she could be that menacing? 

“No- are you crying? Jesus, what’s gotten into you?” She pushed you away, staring worriedly with baggy under eyes.

“Suguru and Satoru showed up to my other job last night.” You shrieked, leaning against the wheel of your car and burrowing your head in your arms. 

“I did have a blindfold on but I don’t know if they knew it was me.” You say, muffling your embarrassment. 

Shoko could’ve laughed a bit, picking up her iced coffee. 

“You always did talk about giving Satoru the dance of his life to put his pitiful attitude in check.” She said, unpackaging the straw and stabbing the lid.

“Shoko!” 

“What? Your words not mine.” She said smugly. 

“I mean that’s how I felt but then he actually showed up! And then he gave my co worker his number to give to me! He definitely knows it’s me!”

“Why would he give it to you again on a piece of paper if he knew it was you?” Shoko quizzed. 

“To fuck with me, obviously.” You mutter, sinking into the drivers seat. “That’s Satoru shit.”

She swished her coffee around, further mixing her creamer. “That does sound like Satoru behavior.”

“Shoko!” You whined again. “How the heck am I supposed to face him? Not to mention, I got Suguru all this stuff and I was so excited to give it to him. You think he knows too? And what if he didn’t know but Satoru told him? Ugh- my head hurts.” You say, taking up your coffee and plunging the lid with your own straw. 

“How good was your blindfold?” She raises a brow at you.

“I looked like Harley Quinn’s knock off stripper sister.” Shoko let a laugh, earning a grunt from you.

“Okay okay, so they probably don’t know. But I would just suck it up and act like you don’t know anything either. Like an ‘I know that you know that I know’ kinda situation? But you’re not gonna do anything about it- kinda thing.”

“And you could always switch jobs if you’re that mortified. Poor Suguru, and his gifts though. It seems like Satoru ruins everything for him.” She sighed. 

Shoko had a way of pretending like things weren’t as bad as they were, and though sometimes it bothered you, talking to her helped you relax.

“I forgot to mention I gave Suguru a dance.” You sink more into your chair, covering your face.

“Oh then they definitely know.” She teased.

“Shoko!!!” You whined again.

“I’m kidding! There’s no guarantee that they know or don’t know.” Shoko said, placing her coffee down. “I would fake it until you can’t.”

You wanted to crawl in a hole. Couldn’t you just live a peaceful life?

“I have to move away and change my name, it’s the only way.” You cried. 

“Let me help you get the bags,” Shoko said, stepping out the car and ignoring you entirely.

“I was only messing with you, they don’t know a thing. I overheard the two of them inside talking about how nice the place was. They didn’t mention anything in particular while I was clocking in.”

You panicked anyway. Why would they?

“Now up and out, you can’t hide in your car forever.”

You sluggishly climbed out the vehicle and opened your trunk. 

“If it makes you feel better I’ll ask them about it for you.” Shoko helped you gather Suguru’s gifts and you went inside.

Just relax, (Name). Be cool, be cool. 

You were dazed, deep in thought as you and Shoko walked through the halls. You never regretted giving anyone a lap dance during your entire dancing career. You honestly don’t know what came over you. All you wanted was to make Satoru’s mouth water. It’s not like you didn’t already have his attention with his constant flirting at work but still, why did you have to be so gutsy?

You set the gifts down on your desk, before slumping into your office chair. 

“Good morning!” You heard the white haired devil chirp through the door way, knocking ever so lightly on the already opened door. Suguru trailed in quietly behind him, greeting you and Shoko.

“Morning!” Suguru hummed, taking a delicate sip from his coffee. 

You shyly waved, before Shoko spoke. “How was your night out?” 

Breaking the ice for us all Shoko, I thank the heavens and earth for your existence.

“It was great! Wish you guys could’ve been there. Fanciest club I’ve ever been to, like ever.” Satoru spoke, shoving his hands in his pocket. 

“It was cool. I still would’ve rather went to dinner with everyone.” Suguru shrugged, setting his coffee on his desk. You watched Satoru approach your table, quickly changing the subject of conversation. 

“What’s all this?” He quizzed, looking down at your sheepish body in your chair. Did they really not know? Or were they possibly pretending not to?

“T-These are gifts, for Suguru,” you stand, feeling a bit more confident. The dark haired male perked up at you, before walking towards your desk.

“I told you not to get me anything,” he sighed. You could see the soft smile edging on his lips as he looked down at you. “And then you spoil me like this? People are gonna think we’re dating, you know?” 

You swore you heard Satoru scoff.

“Hush, I told you it’s not a big deal. Besides, you’re always helping me out without asking. You deserve to be spoiled!” You say firmly, hands on your hips. He blushed a bit, realizing he wouldn’t be able to argue with you if he tried.

“You never spoil me this much on my birthday,” Satoru pouted, quickly inserting himself between the two of you, both verbally and physically.

“You’ve got to make your mark on people Satoru,” Shoko said, taking a seat behind her desk.

“I spoil all my friends as needed.” You say, crossing your arms proudly. “If you were a little nicer, maybe I wouldn’t think twice about buying you a bunch of nice things. Besides, your mistresses spoil you plenty.” 

“Mistresses? What mistresses? (Name) it hurts my feelings when you talk like that.” Satoru put a hand on his chest, pretending to be offended.

“You have feelings?” Everyone but Satoru said this in unison, resulting the room to fill with heavy laughter. 

“Oooo so funny.” He said sarcastically, keeping the straightest face.

“If you’re good to me for the rest of the year I’ll get you something nice.” You say, soothing the wound you all gave him.

“But it’s not your birthday right now, is it?” You say, flipping your hair and shifting behind Suguru. You gave him a little push.

“Go head, open them!” You say excitedly. Suguru lets out a soft laugh, before digging into his bounty.

After watching him open his gifts while Satoru graciously recorded the entire moment for his Instagram, the white haired fiend sparked up an idea.

“So, since Suguru kept saying he wanted to do something with everyone I thought we could take a getaway trip this weekend to my folk’s place in the country side.”

“Just us 4?” Shoko asked. “And are you sure we won’t be bothering your parents?” 

“Oh no, this is their vacation house. They only go on the holidays. Also, Nanami is definitely coming!” Satoru cooed.

“That sounds like so much fun!” Shoko swooned.

“I haven’t seen Nanami in so long. This should be exciting.” You clasp your hands together delightedly.

“Why do I get the feeling you didn’t actually ask Nanami if he wanted to come yet...” Geto squinted at Satoru, who smiled childishly.

“Nanami loves me. He is coming by default.” He says proudly. “Speaking of, I have to go meet with him tomorrow to take care of some business. So unfortunately, I won’t be able to train with Megumi. (Name) do you think you could pick him up from school for me tomorrow?”

“The middle schooler you’ve been teaching? Why do I have to do it?” You ask, swaying your hips as you look at him.

“Because~” he sung.

“Because...?”

“He’s been talking about meeting you!” He gleamed.

“Has he really? Are you talking about me behind my back or something? How does the kid even know who I am?” 

“Of course! I’ve told him plenty stories about the all powerful (Name)! The mightiest jujutsu sorceress to date.” He was clearly just trying to flatter you.

“Fine, I’ll pick up the kid.” You roll your eyes.

“Yay~” He says, casually hugging you. He always did that, not that you actually minded. And you knew he knew it got to you every time, hearing him smirk as you push him off. You force back a blush as Suguru speaks.

“That didn’t take much convincing,” he smirks with him a bit.

“I just wanted him to stop talking.” You say, grabbing your purse. You could hear Shoko attempting to stifle a laugh behind you. 

“Anyways, I’ll see you guys later. I have a class to teach.”  You waved goodbye, on your way to cater to the class of second years you were currently responsible for.

You were finally able to relax, feeling like your dancer identity was safe. Now, all you have to do is forget the lap dance and pray to whatever God there is that neither of them would come back. You proceeded to take out your phone and text your club manager, asking for the weekend off. You were lucky she was so lenient. 

The work day lasted longer than you’d liked to, and you hadn’t stayed behind to chat with anyone. Shoko knew you were always keen on going home to shower and relax a bit before your shift at the club.

You were in the club locker room, just barely after 10pm. You wanted to ask Tasty for juicy details on Suguru. You were eager to know if he had texted her or had talked of coming back. Fortunately for you at the same time, she was off today. To you, this decreased the likelihood of seeing the dark haired male and his devilish best friend. That is, if he truly liked her enough to come back.

You were wearing a more revealing set this evening- a suede, pink two piece. You made sure your heel straps were tight enough around your ankles before walking out onto the floor to do your first 10 minute set of the evening. You spun on the pole, climbing gracefully. The higher you went, the more dollars being thrown. You slid down the pole, connecting your body to the floor with a split. You crawled lionlike towards the edge the stage, greeting some of your regulars who sat towards the front. Flipping your body, you get up smoothly ending the routine and collecting your bounty.

As you walked down the stage and made your way towards the bar, you could see the silhouette of a tall, white haired male, speaking to the bartender. His body was turned away from you, and he was ordering a drink as if he just got there. 

You knew it was him. You could recognize his cocky stance just about anywhere. You dropped to the floor, crawling away and earning stares from plenty of your coworkers and customers alike. Oh I’m definitely quitting, you thought.

You managed to crawl back towards the locker room. 

“This cannot become a routine,” you clutched your chest. It felt like you were having another mini heart attack like the night before. Did he just decide this was his new favorite spot? You could’ve sworn you were in the clear. And two days in a row?

He knows, he has to. Should you confront him? Twice was too many times. You almost can picture his smug face out there right now. You’re a bit angry that he had the nerve to come back again, but a portion of you, the little devil inside you- wanted him to watch you dance again.

Then you remembered Shoko’s words. Fake it until you can’t anymore. 

If he wanted to play, then you’d give him exactly what he wanted. You opened your locker, fiddling around through your costumes and head coverings. You took hold of the a pink masquerade mask you had left over from a theme night at the club a few weeks ago. 

“This should do.” You say, sliding on the seductive looking mask and fixing your hair in the the mirror.  You struck a pose, before flipping your hair in satisfaction and strutting out of the room. You walked past a few regulars, and made yourself comfortable by the bar area. You decided you’d dance around everyone but him. 

Satoru took note of your scent first, realizing your feminine force was behind him. He sipped his drink before spinning in his barstool to look at you dancing amongst the other customers. He adjusted his sunglasses, taking in the sight of you.

The set you wore was more revealing than the one from yesterday. He felt like he truly missed out the night before as he watched you drag your hand down the chest of a stranger, feeling a bit envious. His length felt tight in his jeans yet again. But he was a smooth guy, he knew exactly how to make you come to him. 

You noticed him get up from the bar, walking away from where you danced. You couldn’t help but get distracted and anxious. You didn’t want Satoru anywhere you couldn’t see him. You almost jumped when your club’s bouncer, Ravi, approached you in the middle of your mini lap dance. 

“Candy, the tall guy,” he tried not to point, “the white haired one with dark glasses wants a private dance.” Satoru approached the bouncer earlier when he first came in, pre-requesting a dance from you and tipping him a hefty amount for it. Though he’d explained he’d be fine if you declined it, he truly just wanted to see just how far he could get.

You stared at the thick wad of cash that stuck out of the pocket of Ravi’s dress shirt. You knew Satoru had the guts to ask you directly, but it was more so that he was that much of an asshole, who simply wanted you to approach him on your own.

Ravi then pointed loosely with his chin at Satoru, who had been sitting on the sofa on the other side of the club now.

You nodded, assuring Ravi you weren’t going to keep him waiting. You walked slowly towards him, he barely made eye contact with you. 

Fake it until you can’t.

“Hey handsome,” you lean over the railing, displaying your breasts right beside him. He perked up a bit, though he briefly watched you walk towards him beforehand. He sparks a grin, and you can see blue orbs peering ever so slightly over the edges of his glasses. 

“Hey,” he confidently sits back, not even shy about looking at your breasts.

“Have you been here before?” A classic conversation starter, but were you were  attempting to poke fun at the awkward situation. 

“Ahh, yes! Ms. Number One, from the private dancer line up. I was here yesterday with my friend.” He took a sip from his glass. “But I don’t expect you to remember. You’re a very busy, and talented woman.” 

You bite back a blush, “Thank you.” 

“A little birdie told me you wanted a private dance,” you maneuvered around the railing but still leaned against it. 

“Oh yeah,” he preferred not to waste time. He pulled a thick and wrapped stack of cash from his shirt and placed it on the table in front of you. You tried your best to keep your eyes from widening. The currency strap read $5000. 

“A private dance in the private booth costs a hundred.” You felt inclined to remind him as the both the stack and him stared back at you. “And if you wanted the highest package it’s $500 with champagne and refreshments included for the hour, typically for a group.”

“It says that on your website,” he nods, clearly already knowing the information. You almost squint at him before he speaks again.

“Also, I figured I’d pay you enough to go home for the night if you felt like it.” He shrugged. The Gojo family clearly had it well for him to just toss five thousand dollars at a stranger. You shivered when you remembered counting your earnings from the night before, two thirds of the pile being from Satoru. 

A part of you felt like ripping your mask off and asking him to go home. Your awkward silence made him stifle a laugh.

“Candy, baby girl, is somethin’ wrong?”

You knew he knew you were blushing, even with your mask. But you promised yourself one thing after leaving the locker room- you would bring him to his knees. And if  he wanted to play, you’d be sure to win.

“Alright hot stuff, come with me.” You used a finger to slide the stack towards you before picking it up. 

He grinned at you before you brought him to one of the private rooms. Everything was preset up considering Ravi saw you warming him up prior.

Satoru made himself comfortable in the soft velvet cushions and red lighting. You sat beside him, taking hold of one of the champagne bottles from the ice bucket. You popped it open, causing some of the foam to splatter onto your breasts and stomach.

“Whoops,” you said playfully. You always liked to tease with the exclusive dances. He bites his lip while he watches you fill both of your glasses, taking up one soon after.

“Do you guys have candy here?”

“Only mints by the bar. Did you want something sweet?” That’s so like him, you thought.

“Nah, mints don’t count.” He shook his head. “Chocolate anything?”

“We have chocolate-covered strawberries,” you suggest.

“That’ll do,” he clutches one of the heart shaped pillows, flashing smile.

You rung the bell on the wall, speaking into the microphone beside it to make the request before plopping beside him.

“You’ve got me for the hour,” you leant towards him, crossing your legs. “So let’s make it count.”

“I was hoping we could talk for a bit first,” he said, swishing the liquid in his glass. You almost panicked, but quickly spoke up.

“Sure, whatever you want.” You lean your arm on edge of the couch. It wasn’t uncommon for guys to request dances from you just for you to listen to their qualms for the hour. Although, you never pictured Satoru as the type to do so. Actually scratch that— you settled into the sofa, preparing to hear him ramble on about himself. You made sure to keep eye contact with him, making it known you were indeed listening.

“I got a thing for this girl— she’s amazing. She hates me though. Granted, I’ve been an asshole since high school. I think she’s into my best friend, although he promises me it’s nothing like that.”

“Have you tried flirting with her?” Satoru was infamous for being a casual, serial dater. You wondered who she could be. Just because you were in his inner circle didn’t necessarily mean this girl was you or anyone you might’ve known. But you couldn’t help but put yourself into perspective anyway. 

“Yeah, but she’s pretty mean though.” He grinned, “To me.”

“And that makes you happy?” You questioned.

“I mean, obviously it doesn’t.” He clarified, realizing just how crazy he looked in that moment. “Oddly enough, I’d like to think she likes me back a bit.”

“Sounds kiddish right?” He chuckles. “Like is she a middle schooler or something? She’s been playing hard to get for a while now.” 

You twitch your eye a bit, was he really that full of himself? 

“She probably doesn’t like you. You shouldn’t try to read between the lines. Have you ever asked her directly if she does?” You reason, trying to humble him a bit.

“Nah, I guess I’m just afraid to ask her the right way.” He cocked his head back, earning a confused look from you. You never knew Satoru could be afraid of anything. He was seemingly a fearless person and he was the most powerful jujutsu sorcerer to date.

“Could you elaborate?” You poked.

“She’s the only woman whose ever rejected me. Can you believe that?”

You’re partially amused, these truly were the thoughts in his head— you were sure of it.

“What I mean mostly is that I think she’s an idiot,” he chuckled. You almost broke into laughter.

“For rejecting you?” 

“No, no, no— well, maybe. I think she’s incredibly dense. I’ve known her for like 10 years. That or she just tunes out my advances.” He scoffs. 

“Everyone else knows it’s obvious I still like her. I think the reason why I’m never direct with my feelings, or the reason I boil it down to casual flirting is because I’m scared of her rejecting me again.” 

“The first time was when we were both seniors in high school. She told me to try again after I learned some ‘compassion’. It feels like she’s somewhat interested in me. And I hardly think I need to learn anything— but it’s been years since she said that.” He adds.

He hadn’t looked at you the entire time, sort of ogling at his drink before setting it down. 

He was unraveling in front of you, as a complete stranger.

“You get this a lot— the sappy talks, right?”

You nodded, “It’s no big deal.”

“I promise I’m not like this all the time.”

A clearer look inside Satoru’s mind was interesting, to say the least. You don’t think he acted this way on purpose. Perhaps, nothing has pushed him into such a corner for him to begin actively taking people’s feelings into account the way the average person might.

He huffed. “What would you do?”

You pondered for a bit, what would you do? You weren’t sure who the mystery woman he described was but you felt a little jealous, trying to wrap your head around the idea of him being this smitten over someone. He had given you a taste of himself, something he dared not to show you when you weren’t wearing the mask.

“Be direct next time you approach her. Stop playing around so much and tell her how you really feel. Nothing too grand, and try your best to understand her if she rejects you again. You’re a handsome guy, so it won’t be the end of the world if she does.” You explain.

“I don’t mean to sound insensitive by saying that last part either.” You added. Though his head was cocked back, his gaze shifted towards you. He hardly looked worried or sad at all. He shot you a toothy smirk, making you squirm in your seat a bit.

“I know that,” he finally says. There he was again, being his typical arrogant self. “If it doesn’t work out, you’ll see me back here again.”

Dear God, Satoru becoming one of your regulars? You didn’t know if you could handle that. You could just work in a different club. Lord, let this mystery woman scoop him up, and make your life easier. 

The thought of him coming regularly just to see you made you happy sort of, but you found yourself getting jealous for the days you wouldn’t work. Suddenly, you didn’t want anyone else dancing for him. It had to be you.

“Woah, you okay?” He tilted his head towards you. You held your cheeks in your hand. If you were a kettle, you’d physically be steaming.

“You’ve got a cute side, Ms. Candy. That’s precious.” He leant forward, glasses sliding down his nose a bit. No matter how long you’ve known him, he would still give you butterflies just like when you were younger.

The server entered the room, placing the strawberries that he ordered onto the table. You watched him take off his shades and hang them on his shirt.

“Fuck yes,” he grinned, picking up one of the chocolate covered fruits. You watched him take a bite, tugging on your own bottom lip. He slid his tongue between two fingers, blue orbs just barely glinting at you. He hummed in delight as you awed at him. Really, everything about him was perfect aside from his flawed personality. You would’ve been dating him already if you felt he’d be a good boyfriend. He was obviously and unfairly attractive. You were positive the sex would be good too, considering you heard more than satisfactory things. He was tall, and wealthy, and strong and talented. He was just a shitty person sometimes. 

Somehow you liked him all this time, he’s been the only man whose kept your interest. That’s partially because he was persistent, in the most attractive and appealing way. But you’re adults now, maybe you should stop playing around so much. 

Did you even have time to change your mind with this mystery girl in the way?

“I think I’m ready for my dance now,” he said smugly, breaking you out of your thoughts. 

“Of course baby. Just sit back and relax.” You had to remind yourself, you’re Candy right now, and not (Name). 

He sunk back into the sofa, spreading his legs as you got up and positioned yourself in front of him. He spreads his long arms on the head of the sofa, slight smile leaking at the corners of his lips. 

You swayed your body, giving him a show. It was finally happening. You were giving him the very thing you fantasized about since you started dancing. You climbed onto his lap, grinding against him as the music played in tandem with your hips. He seemed elated, and not even remotely ashamed of the growing bulge in his jeans. You were feeling antsy, watching him with his arms sprawled out like that.

“I don’t normally let people touch me during my dances, but you can if you want.” You weren’t supposed to sound so shy when you said it. 

“You’re being extremely generous, I’ll tip you again, for sure baby.”

You felt his large, hot hands connect with your back, running down the smooth skin. You smiled smugly, looking down at him. You grinded against him some more, feeling his bulge confidently poke against your sex.

All you ever wanted was for him to touch you like this. You were mad at yourself for holding out this long— why did his hands feel so good against your bare skin?

Possibly just because you liked him, and that amplified the experience. 

Lost in the moment, you felt your hands run through the smooth fade of his undercut while you humped his lap. The amount of stimulation this gave the both of you was astounding. You heard a soft groan leave his lips, rising color out of your cheeks. 

You brought a finger to the string of your outfits top, pulling it undone and gracing him with the sight of your breasts as you tossed the fabric on the sofa. He was sort of surprised, but his facial expression was nothing short of cocky. It wasn’t the first time a stranger stripped top-less for him, and coincidentally, making panties drop was his hobby.

“Oh~?” 

His voice was terrifically deep, you never knew he could drop an octave this low. You’d usually be talking up a storm, doting on your customers with compliments and saying appropriately reassuring things. The entire experience was weird, having your childhood crush grope you and nuzzle his face into your breasts hadn’t been on your to do list for the evening.

He hummed against the skin in the center of your chest, sending vibrations up your spine.

“I know I’m pushing it, considering this is nothing but a service agreement, but I’d be happy to make you feel good— if you want me to, that is.” 

You looked down at him, knowing the mask you wore couldn’t save you from him noticing the blushing look on your face. 

“Just what do you take me for?” You’re being playful about it, wrapping your arms around his neck so he knows you’re not offended. 

“A hard working woman. I envy the man who gets to spoil you.” 

You couldn’t think of a response, and you assumed he caught on due to the way your lips parted and no sound emerged. 

“Ohh-hoh??? There isn’t one, is there?”

He stole the show from you, and now you’re sitting in his lap like some sort of blushing sheep. 

“That makes me feel sort of special,” he purred, taking one of your nipples into his mouth. You let out a dainty moan, grinding harder against him. You were no longer grinding along with the music, just finding a rhythm that would satisfy the both of you. He grunted at your sudden change in pace, his searing hot breath against your skin.

“Is that a yes?” He asked, nipple between his teeth.

“What about the girl you like?” You found yourself regretting even saying that, considering you were supposed to be a neutral party.

“You jealous?” 

You suck in your bottom lip, barely forming a pout. He truly was an asshole to everyone. It didn’t even matter if someone was on top of him. Before you’re able to say anything, he speaks again.

“Don’t be.” He pressed a sweet kiss to the center of your chest, heightening the crimson hues on your cheeks. His soft lips unfortunately tore from your body when his phone rang. He slipped the thing from his jacket pocket, answering the call. 

“Alright, I’ll be there in 30.” He said finally after following subsequent huffs. He ended the call, looking back up at you with apologetic eyes.

“I’ve gotta cut this short,” he was pained to say it. He was having too much fun. 

“That’s alright.” You say, sliding your leg off him and finding your top.

He stood, straightening his clothes whilst muttering what you barely made out as ‘fuckin’ Nanami’ through his teeth. You almost laughed, as you tied your top back on.

“Candy, baby, I’m sorry. Guess I’ll have to come back again.” He looked too happy to say it.

“Before your confession?” You say smugly. “Or after?”

“No no, I’m a man of my word. I’ll come back only under those conditions I mentioned.” He says.

“I wish you the best of luck.” You say, crossing your legs.

“You’re rooting for me? You really don’t wanna see me again.” He chuckled as he towered over you, his blue gaze now covered by his glasses again.

“I’m always rooting for my customers.” You smile slyly.

His grin softened, and you wish you knew why he was looking at you like that.

“See you around, Ms. Candy.”

He waved goodbye as he exited the room, finally allowing you a some relief. Hopefully this chick doesn’t reject him, you thought.

Even though he probably wouldn’t come back, you thought about quitting and working elsewhere anyway. You tore off your mask, pushing your hair back out of your face.

You really didn’t want to have to wear one of these again.

#gojo satoru #gojo smut #gojo satoru x reader #jjk smut #jjk fluff #jjk fanfic #Jujutsu Kaisen #jjk gojo #lil bit if suguru in here #geto suguru #getou suguru x reader #getou suguru #getou fluff #jjk x reader

[imaginethoseguys]

Liquid Courage

Hi, I need to submit a seminar paper in 10 days so naturally I wrote this 3k+ fic for Itadori Yuji girl, bye

Pairing: Itadori Yuji x fem!S/O Word count: 3.3k Warnings: fluff, drinking, drunk confessions, slight angst, au motifs Summary: No matter the chosen activity, Yuji would be equally excited to simply spend time with her. He didn’t even need her to reciprocate his feelings. He felt comfortable in his lovable bubbly state, and she most likely loved him as a friend, so all was well. Trying to take things further would be a risky move anyway and he would not dare take his chances at the expense of making things worse between them because the last thing he would ever want is to make her upset or uncomfortable. He still remembered all her stories about friendships she inescapably lost after the “I need to tell you something” texts in the middle of the night from guys who she felt comfortable enough to be herself with.

Yup, no way that was happening. a/n: Itadori's in his 20s (as well as s/o)

gif credit

It wasn’t Yuji who offered to spend the Friday night at a bar. He didn’t enjoy drinking that much, and there was some weird old movie at the local theatre that they could watch and make fun of together. But it was an unusual occasion, they were on a week-long mission, dealing with curse activity in Osaka, and, well, it was  her  who asked, so of course he agreed. He never went against her suggestions, he trusted her fully, maybe even too much. Possibly, it was her way with words. Somehow, she knew exactly what to say in situations where Yuji often found himself at loss for words. She was reliable and reassuring and had a certain kind of warmness to her.

Or, possibly, it was Yuji’s six-years-long crush on her that had him blushing and hyperventilating at anything she did, so opinions were divided on this one.

No matter the chosen activity, Yuji would be equally excited to simply spend time with her. He didn’t even need her to reciprocate his feelings. He felt comfortable in his lovable bubbly state, and she most likely loved him as a friend, so all was well. Trying to take things further would be a risky move anyway and he would not dare take his chances at the expense of making things worse between them because the last thing he would ever want is to make her upset or uncomfortable. He still remembered all her stories about friendships she inescapably lost after the “I need to tell you something” texts in the middle of the night from guys with who she felt comfortable enough to be herself. Yup, no way that was happening.

“Oh, look, they have homemade plum wine!” her exclamation brought Yuji’s attention back to reality. “And it’s in pitchers too. Lucky!”

“You do remember you can’t hold your liquor, right?” he said, propping his face on his right hand while watching her mumble giddily “plum wine and soda, plum wine and soda.” She lowered the laminated menu sheet and leveled him with an annoyed gaze.

“I am a grown young woman who earns a living by exorcising curses, I’m pretty sure I can handle a glass or two,  Yuji .”

“Including that time when you threw up on Fushiguro mid-conversation?”

“That was graduation! And we did shots.”

“Yeah, it was also 7pm.”

“Enough of you, mister.” She threateningly pointed a finger at him and turned around to call the waiter. Receiving an acknowledging nod in return, she turned back. “Besides, if we’re talking about you, everyone is terrible at holding their liquor in comparison.”

“I’m just heavyweight.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“You’re just a beast machine who suppressed the King of Curses and can run 50 meters in 3 seconds,” she shook her head at her own description, “no wonder you’re Special Grade. Why do you bother drinking at all? Pretty sure it does nothing to you.”

“I don’t do it on my own. I like the company.” He said timidly.

“Aw, see? This is why I love you.”

Yuji’s eyes widened unintentionally, but she didn’t look at him long enough to see it, her attention swiftly taken away by an approaching waiter. He assured himself he was better at controlling his feelings, but it was all falling apart now, like a bunch of lies, because he could feel his entire face and ears pulsate from heat. He stared at the way her lips moved, making the order.

as a friend as a friend as a friend as a friend as a friend

“Yuji? Yuji!”

He snapped back, looking even more surprised.

“You wanted the Ginjo-Shu, right?”

His gaze lingered on her face, open and bright, with eyebrows slightly raised.

“Yeah.”

This is fine.

* * *

“Ah, see? This is exactly what I was talking about.”

Yuji furrowed his eyes helplessly and took the glass from her hand. She tried to down her drink in one motion but missed and spilled it over herself. Looking back now, he wasn’t sure if it was her being lightweight or her not stopping in time.

“When did that even happen,” he mumbled to himself, “she was fine a minute ago.”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” she moaned in drunk annoyance, “because I  am  here.”

“So it seems,” Yuji smiled.

“And I may be many things, but there’s one thing that I am not, and it is deaf. Or stupid.”

“Yup, that’s two things though.”

She sighed loudly and leaned back on the wooden wall of their booth. They were surrounded by soft mixes of white noise: distant frying and sizzling from the kitchen, clinking of glasses, and giddy discussions of the upcoming weekend. They could almost feel like they belonged here, to the normal crowd of Osaka drinking their weekly stresses away, complaining about their bosses, bills, and personal dramas.

Is that what it’s like to be normal?  Both of them thought.

Yuji looked over at her and felt the heat returning to his cheeks. This drink spill felt too deliberate to be accidental. And her bra was very thin, and the bar’s AC was on and—

Yuji groaned and swiftly took his hoodie off, almost throwing it in her direction.

“Wear this, please.”

She didn’t really fight it and slowly put it over her head, beginning to crawl inside. She stopped somewhere in the middle and breathed in.

Ah, it smells so good. Smells like him.

She pressed the fabric into her face, taking in his scent. When did he manage to put on cologne? That’s just unfair.

“You okay in there? Are you stuck?” Yuji looked questionably at the wrinkly bundle that was now his hoodie with her somewhere inside.

“Listen, Yuji.”

“You’re just gonna talk to me like this, huh?”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured in a soft voice. “I know this isn’t how you would spend your night, but—I wanted to—you know. But in the end, I just—and—”

Suddenly, she felt a gentle tug, and her head popped out of the hoodie, revealing Yuji’s face lightened by a warm smile.

“I told you, I like the company.”

There was a needle prick somewhere around her heart, and she pressed her lips together, taken by a sudden wave of sadness.

“Let’s get back, yeah?”

* * *

Their hotel wasn’t far from the bar, but due to her condition, the walk back took longer than usual. Summer was ending, the air was still warm, but there was a tingling coldness with each wind blow,  a careful reminder of the approaching grey sky and smell of wet concrete, covered by tired leaves.

The path to the hotel entrance was hidden among the sleeping quarters, illuminated by floor lights, and framed by tall bamboo sticks. Yuji walked first and was right in front of the automatic sliding doors when he stopped and turned around to check on her. Instead of right behind him, he saw her at the beginning of the entrance path with her head down.

“Hm? Are you okay? Wait, are you sick?? Then stay right there, if you wanna throw up, do it—um—” he swiftly looked around. Seeing a gardening pot near one of the doors across the street, he pointed at it. “Here, maybe in this pot? Wait, no, this is a nice neighborhood, imagine waking up and finding vomit in your plants… ah, maybe in this bamboo? I’m not sure if it’s real though… ah, but this hotel allows hosting of jujutsu sorcerers because the owner is a friend of someone from the higher-ups, and if we vomit here—"

“Yuji.”

“Oh, maybe vomit in my t-shirt? And I’ll carry it to the nearest dumpster? No, that’s a horrible idea. Are you sure you can’t hold it until we get to our room? Then—”

“I’m not sick, Yuji!” she said loudly, maybe even too much so. “Although all this vomit talk is grossing me out.”

Yuji raised his eyebrows. “Then what’s wrong? Wait, did drinking uncover your hidden phobia of hotels? I read that somewhere…”

She smiled sadly. “You’re such an idiot.”

He bared his teeth, clearly offended. “Well, I’m sorry for trying to be helpful! Jeez, if you can’t walk – just say so, I’ll carry you to our room.”

“I don’t want to go to our room!” she yelled again. Yuji’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t say anything.

“Because then we go to sleep, come back to Tokyo and—I—” She squeezed the hem of his hoodie, “and I’ll never get another chance.”

There’s a short silence after her outburst. Yuji glanced over her hands that were clenched in fists and looked to the side.

“I mean, it’s not like this is our only chance to visit Osaka, we can always book a vacation and come back here.”

“Huh? Who cares about Osaka? It's—”

“I’m not very smart,” he interrupted her quietly, “so you’ll need to be straight with me, otherwise I won’t understand what you mean.” Then, his voice got even quieter. “Or I’ll start imagining things that aren’t real.”

“Yuji, I—” she tried to speak fast, because she felt a betraying lump in her throat, “I never wanted to drag you into a bar. There was this old movie at the local theatre that we could have watched, but I—If I didn’t drink, I would have never gotten the strength to say the things that I’ve been meaning to say for a long-long time. And this trip felt like a perfect opportunity, and you’re right, I’m a lightweight and I overdid it, and I was so close to saying it, but I thought—I cherish you so, so much , Yuji, it hurts me to even think about it. I tried to tell you before, after graduation, but you distanced yourself from me that night, so I figured it was a bad idea. I still think it is, but I—Yuji, I—”

Yuji shortened the distance between them with a desperately fast sprint and grabbed her with both of his hands, squeezing her so tight that she could barely talk anymore, her face pressed into his chest. He was silent for a bit.

“I distanced myself from you during the graduation night because you looked so vulnerable. I thought you were doing things you would regret the next day, so I didn’t want to take advantage. Because when you’re like this with me, I,” his hands trembled, “It’s so hard for me not to be selfish.”

“Wait, Yuji,” she tried to move away from him, but no matter how hard she pushed, she would never win Yuji in a battle of strength. “Please, let me finish.”

“No,” he sounded uncharacteristically serious. He lowered his head and pressed his cheek to her forehead. “When you say that this is not the way I would spend my night… You can invite me to dumpster dive or read books about molecular physics in a public library, or lick poles in winter, and I’ll choose it over anything else. When I found out we would go on this mission together, I was so happy. I can be doing the grossest, most stupid, and pointless things, but if I’m with you – it would be the best way to spend all the time I have. I hate being alone, and it's all I ever felt for so many years of life. But when I met you—when I’m with you – I feel so warm. You make me forget about the bad stuff. When you’re next to me, I—I feel wanted. So please,” his hands weakened his grab on her frame, letting her lean back and catch a glimpse of his face. “Please, don’t give me false hopes.”

Their breaths were hot and shaky as they looked each other in the eyes, hypnotised by each other’s presence. She cautiously moved closer to him and cupped his cheeks. Yuji swallowed thickly, he had to stop himself, but her hand was soft and warm, and the number of times he dreamt about this exact moment didn’t let him move an inch of his body. She raised herself on her tiptoes and leaned to his lips. She smelled so sweet, and her body was so close to his that—

“Ghh, stop,” Yuji groaned and pressed his forehead to hers in agony.

“Why?” She asked breathlessly, “you don’t want this?”

“ No ! I mean, yes. God, I want this so much my head could explode, b-but,” he leaned back slightly, revealing his glowing red face, from the neck to the tips of his ears. “You’re drunk, and we’re tired and I,” he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “I want this to be right. If you wake up tomorrow and don’t remember any of this, I—”

“Stop talking,” she moaned and pulled him back by the fabric of his t-shirt, crushing her lips into his, arms then moving up to snake around his neck. Yuji had to resist. He had to, but when she touched him like this, the taste of plum on her lips, and when her—

“Mhm,” Yuji groaned hopelessly, feeling her tongue explore the insides of his mouth. It was hot and wet, and he felt like his heart could stop. Suddenly, he was so putty in her hands, he would do anything for her to keep touching and kissing him like this. No, for her to do anything she wanted with him. He would make a pact with a curse and sell his soul to stay like this a little longer, or to never feel the need to breathe again, so her lips can remain sealed with his forever. Still desperate for air, however, he forced himself to pull away, a shining string of saliva stretching between their lips.

She breathed in, preparing to talk. “I—”

“No, please, don’t say it.” He pressed their foreheads together again, breathing heavily. “Allow me to be selfish. I—I want you to say it tomorrow, in the morning. So that—”

“—It’s real?” she finished for him.

“Yeah,” he smiled bashfully, looking into her eyes. He could see himself in the glassy reflection of her eyes. They were bright and kind, and they looked at him the way he never thought would ever happen. He never thought he would be close enough to her to have the chance of examining just how deep and gentle they are.

Yuji moved a hair strand away from her face. “C’mon, I’ll carry you.”

He lifted her in one motion and pressed firmly to his chest. She could hear the rapid pounding in his chest, and it made her heart race after it. Pressing her ear closer, she could almost hear his thoughts. She didn't really need to hear them, she got the general idea from how uneven were his breaths and how his fingers trembled around her form.

While they waited for the elevator inside, she looked at him.

“Can I keep kissing you?”

His face heated up for a hundredth time this night, as he diverted his gaze nervously. She could feel his hands now squeezing her a little tighter.

“Y-yeah. I would like that.”

* * *

Yuji did not know that pain can bring such an amount of happiness with it. There were two single beds in their room, but they ended up sharing one of them together, which resulted in soreness and numbness in different parts of Yuji’s body. His back ached from arching it so that he didn't fall, and he couldn’t feel his right arm anymore because he went to bed while hugging her. Not that he was complaining though. He could go to sleep on hot coals for all he cared if that meant she would lie on top of him. Feeling her body next to his sent vibrations down his spine. Suddenly, he heard her groan, and his heart fastened its pace.

Nanami Kento was right when he said that getting old is manifested in small things. One of them was getting morning sickness and headaches from any amount of drinking, moderate or otherwise. She hid her face in both of her palms and turned to the side, trying to hide from the morning sun. Sliding the palms down to her chest, she was met with Yuji’s glowing but anxious face: his hair was a mess, and there was a big imprint on his right cheek from the pillow wrinkles. She smiled softly, reaching out to fix one of his hair strands.

“Hi,” she rasped.

“Hi,” he responded, sounding relieved.

“Remind me to never drink again,” she said, turning on her back tiredly. “I lose years of my life from each hangover.”

“I mean, it’s exactly what I’m doing each time, but the strategy doesn’t seem to be working.” He chuckled, slowly getting up from the bed. “I’ll bring you an aspirin.”

Her eyes traced his features radiating in the morning sun as he made his way to the coffee table across the room. He had plenty of scars across his back and more on the chest. None of Jujutsu High students got anything close to normal school life, but Yuji certainly took the cake. And to remain so gratuitously giving and caring all while dealing with so much burden and pressure—her heart sank from just the thought.

She sat up as Yuji sat in front of her on the side of the bed, giving her a glass of fizzling water. She smiled in gratification and brought it to her lips.

“By the way, can you tell me what we ended up doing yesterday? I don’t remember shit,” she said nonchalantly before starting to gulp down the medicine.

The look on Yuji’s face filled with terror and chagrin; he felt his fingertips grow colder as he grasped the bedsheets beneath his hands. He lowered his gaze in silence, feeling the heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Meanwhile, she downed the glass and put it on her nightstand. Looking back at him, she lifted the corners of her lips.

“Kidding.”

He let out a questioning yell and grabbed a pillow, aiming a blow. “You’re so mean! Never  ever  do that shit again!”

He threw the pillow into her face, and she laughed, grabbing his hand, and pulling him on top of her. Yuji positioned his hands on both sides of her head and felt the familiar heat run up his neck to his cheeks, nose, and ears.

“Sorry,” she whispered softly.

“I’ll think about it.”

She lifted her hands and palmed his face, looking deep into his amber eyes. Yuji swallowed thickly, both of his palms twitching uncontrollably.

“Yuji.”

“Y-yeah?”

“I love you.”

The warmness from her hands went deep beyond his face. He felt her arms reach out gently into his chest and cradle his heart, calming its frantic heartbeat and holding it with such care that it sent lumps to his throat. He fought back the quivering of his lips as her thumb stroked across the scar right beneath his eye.

“I love you so  so much,” she murmured fondly, squinting from her growing smile. Yuji lowered his body closer to hers and hid his face in the crook of her neck, hugging her from behind.

“If you don’t stop, I might die.”

“Why?”

“I shouldn’t… feel this happy.”

She closed her eyes contently and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a slow kiss to his temple. “Well, that’s not for you to decide, dumbass.”

She played with his messy hairs, breathing in his scent.

“But if you don’t reciprocate, I might die as well.”

Yuji rose sharply on his hands and leaned forward, crushing his lips into hers for a quick second.

“I love you,” he said loudly after breaking the kiss. Then he leaned in and kissed her again.

“I love you. I love you I love you I love you,” he kept repeating after kissing her over and over again. “I lov—” She interrupted him mid-sentence and took initiative, thrusting into his lips and parting them with a twirl of her tongue. He moaned and gave in, moving his head to the side.

Please, don’t leave me

I’m with you until the world collapses

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk x reader #itadori yuji #itadori yuji x reader