Tumgik
#once again the fact that I’m about to graduate medical school means almost nothing to them
nerdgirlnarrates · 2 months
Text
Had to explain to my parents last night that women don’t pee out of their vaginas. And then they just didn’t believe me!!! My mother kept saying that she knows she only has two holes (?????????) until my dad made everyone move on.
86 notes · View notes
whaleofatjme1920 · 3 years
Text
Dealing With People Who Don't Care (Ticci Toby X F!Reader)
Dealing With People Who Don't Care
[Ticci Toby X F!Reader]
[Warnings: slight language and calls to violence? Bullying, slight yandere behavior]
[AN: Requested from ѕρσσку яανισlι on Quotev! Idk if I'm ready to tell y'all that this was basically my first quarter of college.]
College wasn’t supposed to be like this, at least, that’s what you keep telling yourself. When you graduated from high school, you were told that petty drama and catty people were going to fade away because that was high school and this is college. Something new, something for young adults, and something you’d been looking forward to for far, far too long.
Truth be told, in high school, you didn’t really have any problems. You mostly got along with the people you did talk to and aside from a few arcs which you lovingly call ‘character development’, you generally kept your head down and to yourself which allowed you to stay off some of the cruller people’s radars. You were liked when it was necessary but ultimately stuck to yourself.
How did it all go so wrong?
When you first came in on orientation day, you’d met up with a group of girls and bonded on the train ride back to campus. There was a group chat made and you were a ready part of it. You felt nicely about your entire situation because these were nice girls, and they treated you like you held the sun and rose the moon. Is that what positive friendship was like?
For the first few weeks, everything with them was a bliss. Unfortunately, you were the only person from that group in your specific branch and major. This meant that you often spent most of your daylight hours alone or with yourself entirely. The other girls all had majors that were almost word for word the same, and that meant that they spent a lot of time together. Slowly, that had been growing closer and closer to each other and leaving you out.
It came in small doses at first, and you had chalked it up to your nature being so different from theirs. They were much more extroverted than you ever could have been. They were fire, and you were ice. But that did not mean that you were boring, or any less interesting, you were just quieter, preferring to take this just as softly. Wandering around the city with maybe one or two people, talking about the things that matter as opposed to getting wasted in a crowded apartment with fifty people who don’t even care about your wellbeing.
That’s what was different about you than them.
“Hey ladies,” you smile widely as you take your tray of food from the cafeteria to the table where all the girls sat. You notice that they’re all engrossed in conversation but quickly turn to greet you with smiles and waves.
“Hi, Reader! How has your day been?” Maria greets, her fingers gently tugging through her blonde hair. “Me and Georgina were just talking about you.”
Georgina nods and pats the seat next to her for you to sit down. “Yeah, what have you been up to?”
You take a seat next to the redhead and sip from your drink. “It was alright. With midterms coming up though… Little stressed,” you admit as the two girls sitting around you frown in response. “Lots of essays, some minor discussion posts, a group project but we’re just starting it early because it counts for like, 20 percent of our grade and is part of our final,” you say as you stab into your food.
“Oh? A group project?” Georgina asks with a raise of her eyebrow.
You nod. “It’s actually more like a partner project. I’m paired with this guy named Toby? But like, I haven’t seen him yet - he doesn’t show up to class,” you sigh.
“Maybe try emailing the professor,” Maria suggests. “But I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” she hums with a small smile, her hand reaching over and gripping yours warmly.
From there, the conversation that follows has you drifting away. By now, a third girl has joined the conversation and her name is Helena. Helena is also in the same class as you with the group project, but she isn’t as close to you as Georgina and Maria are. She greets you just as warmly but she turns the conversation in a direction you weren’t expecting.
Laughter rings out from the table.
“And that guy from last night?” Georgina giggles.
“He was insane!” Maria adds. “You have to come inside!” She mockingly says before bursting into another fit of giggles.
“And he dressed so weirdly,” Helena continues. “Ratty as all hell jacket and then followed us into the theatre? Asked to show us magic tricks-” she’s not even able to finish her words because she’s laughing much too hard.
You tilt your head slightly. “What happened last night?” You ask.
The girls pause for a moment. “Don’t worry about it,” Georgina says as she swats off your question. “You weren’t there.”
“This was last night?” You ask again.
They nod.
“Yeah, wasn’t anything special,” Maria attempts to shrug off before those three continue with their conversation and inside jokes.
You eat in silence, every now and then smiling and offering forced laughter as you think about what you did last night. You weren’t doing anything, in fact, your roommate went out on a date with her boyfriend and left you in the dorm all along. So, you finished your work a little early and started on some other things, then watched Netflix and fell asleep before midnight. You were free the entire night.
And they didn’t even think to invite you.
From there, you started to notice all the times they forgot about you and excluded you. It carried on in the sloughed off invites, the ‘sorry we can’t meet up for dinner,’ and generally just avoiding you. They had jokes they couldn’t share with you, and you were at their side, they acted like you weren’t even there until it faded into nothing.
Reader: Are you guys doing anything tonight?
Maria is typing…
Maria: no not tonight :(
Reader: oh okay! But if any of you want to come to Target with me or something..? Maria: sorry, I’m busy!
Georgina is typing…
Helena is typing…
After that, they’d left you on read, not even bothering to answer you. Later that night on snapchat, you saw the three of them wandering the city without you, laughing and having a good time.
Instead of talking to them right away, you focused on your classes and your work. And that meant finally tagging down toby.
You’d managed to finally get him in your sight after emailing your professor who struck some type of fear into him. You were able to meet him face to face at a little cafe somewhere off campus.
“Over h-here,” he calls out from near the window of the cafe, waving you towards the back.
You flash him a quick smile and let it fall before finally taking a seat across from him. You’re slightly surprised to see that there’s a cup of hot chocolate and a chocolate chip muffin is there waiting for you. “Oh, uh, thank you,” you say as you get comfortable.
“It’s n-nothing,” he says with a small smile. “I-I’m sorry for k-keeping you w-w-waiting all t-this time,” he continues in an apologetic tone. “T-Things with my f-family aren’t e-easy right n-now.”
Not wanting to push him, you nod and smile reassuringly. “It’s okay,” you relent. “So, this project..?”
“It’ll b-be a breeze,” he replies. “D-Don’t worry about i-it, yeah?” He picks up his own cup of hot chocolate to fight off the child of mid autumn and nods to you, his dark eyes scanning over your form. “I w-wanna know j-just who I’m w-working with.” He smirks slightly, the corners of his mouth pulling up like a know-it-all cat.
You look into your cup of hot chocolate and shrug. “Nothing too interesting,” you attempt to slide off.
Toby rolls his eyes. “Calling b-bull,” he snorts. “You l-look stressed. W-What’s on your m-m-mind?”
You sigh deeply and relax your body as you think back to the situation with those girls. “It’s nothing.”
Toby hums once more but does not push you. Deep down though, he knows something is wrong.
And that’s how it carries on. You and Toby meet every so often to work on your presentation and your paper together and your so called friends continually leave you in the dust. Before you know it, you’re spending more and more time with Toby than anyone else, and because of that, you don’t feel nearly as alone as you used to.
From Toby’s perspective, he would never tell you what he thought when he first saw you walk through those doors of the cafe to finally meet him in person.
When he first got that email in regards to him not showing up and worrying you, he’d rolled his eyes and pretended it didn’t matter. It was whatever, who cares? Apparently you. With a slight gripe in the back of his head, he looked you up on social media with the help of a friend named Ben and found all that he needed to know just by looking at your profile. He was almost ashamed to admit how enraptured with you he had become. That’s why he was so adamant you met him at a cafe, where he could spend time with just you.
When he saw you walking through the doors, his eyes scanned over every inch of you. You had a slight bounce in your walk despite it being so chilly.
He wondered if you wanted to be warmed up.
You looked so soft in his eyes, so sweet and so alluring. Just your looks alone was all he needed as water for a growing obsession.
Toby is addictive by nature. Seeing you was what allowed that addiction to take off. When he heard your voice? He felt like he was high.
He knew something was wrong with you when you sighed like that. It was a loaded sigh. Of course, after the two of you parted ways for the night and on good terms, he immediately dug into the lives of your so-called ‘friends.’ Let’s just say that damn near instantly, he did not like them.
Maria, a nursing major. He considered her an air head that wouldn’t get anywhere with substance, and saw that she was much more of a party girl than anything else.
Georgina, another nursing major. Also considered her a lost cause.
Helena, a medical assistant major. Toby considered her the worst one, but it didn’t come at first. He found that girl was vile in every sense. The things he’s overhead her saying about other people? Terrible. The things he’s overhead her saying about you? Absolutely unacceptable.
He noticed her whispers that cut like thorns wrapping around you from the shadows as he sat in class near her, but never next to her. He listened to the filth that poured from her mouth and was able to pick up the conversations from her phone like it was nothing.
And all of that? It lit a fire in him, a fire that would eventually burn her down and scorch her until she was nothing but ashes.
You’re about to head to class and present your final project with Toby. You look like a mess, and it’s not just from the lack of sleep because of your other class’s finals, but because you are absolutely emotionally drained and have nothing left to give. You’d finally formally broken up from those girls, but it did not come without tears.
Reader: hey guys, it’s been a little while, but I just wanted to get some things off of my chest before I call it. First and foremost, I want to thank you for the time we did spend together, but I don’t feel safe or happy anymore. These past few weeks have been nothing but straight ice and being left out and I’m just… I’m tired, for a lack of better words. I know that you don’t really want me around anymore, so I thought I’d just nip this one in the bud before it got out of hand or anything like that. I just - whatever, I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done to offend you.
Georgina is typing…
Georgina: Honestly don’t take this the wrong way but you legitimately brought this all onto yourself.
Georgina: you don’t really talk to us the way that we talk to each other
Reader: but you literally never gave me a chance???
Maria: shes right tho,,,,, like, you just always kept to yourself. You didnt really give us anything to go off of
Georgina: right??? And it’s not like she’d actually do any of the things we wanted to do either
Reader: I’m sorry but like, I offered for you guys to come do some things with me and I even asked for you to tell me when you guys were making plans - I would have gone out
Helena: does it even matter now though? You brought literally all of this onto yourself there’s no use for you to just beg us for you to come back lol. Just stop while you’re ahead
Helena: you were never really there to begin with tbh you just kinda existed
Maria: exactly that! Like im glad we’re getting stuff off our chest because omg did you get on my nerves. Always quiet and just watching??? Never saying anything??
Georgina: RIGHT It was like a literal ghost in the room LMFAO
Reader: are you fucking serious right now?
Reader: you’re going to act like this?
Maria: you brought it on yourself
Helena: it was bound to happen
Reader: I cannot believe you guys are acting like such assholes right now
Maria: you did it first though?????
Helena: ^^^^
Georgina: ^^^^
From there, the conversation had delved into them throwing all of their problems onto you. It honestly felt like projecting, but you had a class to go to and project to present and no time to cry.
You wiped your tears, got ready for the day and headed out to your building from out of your dorm. Soon, you would be on break and away from this place that’s driving you up a wall.
You walked across campus and plastered a faint smile on your face as you continued to move through the nippy air. You enjoyed seeing the leaves as they danced on the flowing air and eventually kissed the sidewalk. You could smell pumpkin spice and the remnants of November. What a beautiful season.
Waiting for you outside of Wendell’s Hall was Toby, hands in his pockets as he leaned up against the wall just beside the door.
“Were you waiting for me?” You ask with a small smile.
“Maybe,” he hums with a small smirk. “C-C’mon, it’s a little c-chilly out here,” he says as he gently shuffles you inside after opening the door for you. He watches you carefully as you walk through the halls and find the elevator to get to the sixth floor.
As the two of you wait for the doors to open, Toby checks you over.
“What?” You say with a small chuckle.
“J-Just checking,” Toby hums. “A-Are you okay?” He asks as the doors open. He nods for you to go in first, and then follows in directly after. He watches your finger press the button for six.
“Why?”
“You s-seem a l-little tense,” he says as he looks over you again, his eyes narrowing in on yours. “I-Is it the p-presentation?”
You hold your hand out and make a ‘so-so’ motion. “I guess,” you reply, attempting to shove off anything that might make you cry again. Your eyes are a little dark, and your skin is still soft from the saline, raw from you rubbing those pearls of water with your sleeves repeatedly.
“You w-wanna talk a-about it l-later?” He asks softly, his hand resting warmly on your shoulder as he brings you into his side.
You look up at him and smile. “We’ll see.”
When the doors open, you and Toby quickly make it to your class and are pleased to see there’s spots open and the two of you can sit together. Toby is quick to snag the seats for the both of you and his warm expression falls when he sees Helena waltzing into the room.
Helena sits a little ways from where you and Toby sit before she wiggles her fingers at you like a nonverbal smile before actually turning her lips up in a fake saccharine smile.
You shift uncomfortably and instead focus on your presentation. You feel a little nervous, mostly because Helena is here and this is also a big chunk of your grade. You’re academically passing with flying colors, but a hiccup like this could spell something bad. You breathe out deeply when you feel Toby’s hand resting on your shoulder, grounding you.
“We g-g-got this,” he says with a small smile, squeezing you lightly. “You w-wwanna get it out of the w-w-ay?”
“No,” you reply suddenly. “I just want to see how this goes.”
Toby nods and turns his attention to the other students that continue to walk through the door. “A-Anything for y-y-you,” he says softly.
You barely hear it, but you smile all the same.
Presentations pass in a pretty boring manner. Your professor seems pleased with everyone that presents, and she offers praise and saves the criticism for emails, but so far, it seems like everyone is doing well! You’re almost fully calm by the time you raise your hand to present but when Helena and her partner begin snickering, your heart sinks to your knees.
“Alright, you two are good to go,” your professor says with a warm, reassuring smile on her face after she pulls up your project on the overhead projector. “Giving the remote to Miss Reader, whenever you two are ready.” She holds the remote out to you and then whispers ‘you’re gonna do great’ before taking her seat in the front row.
You silently thank her for her reassurance and then turn your attention to Toby, who begins the presentation.
You make sure to speak clearly and concisely as you present your project, paying close attention to detail and everything that was outlined on the rubric. You watch your professor’s expression light up brighter and brighter as you carry on with your half of the presentation. It seems that she’s really pleased with the both of you, but especially you!
Your big hiccup comes when the questions part of your presentation comes up.
See, prior to this, the questions portion had been empty and pretty dead. But of course, because Helena is here, she’s dead set on making you flop.
When she starts firing questions, you and Toby answer them to the best of your abilities. Admittedly, you are more than mentally dead at this point. With every question that Helena digs into you, you feel your brain cells dying off at an even faster rate. The lights of the projector bore into you and make you dizzy. You’re just… exhausted.
Helena finally poses a question that makes your face heat up. “So?” She taunts, her eyes looking at you innocently. “I just wanna know,” she continues, her eyes flashing.
You should be able to answer this. It’s so simple and right there in your bank of knowledge you just can’t open the vault.
“Miss Reader..?” Your professor quietly asks, pulling you from your thoughts. “Are you able to-” You shake your head, feeling numb and cold all at the same time. “I’m sorry, no,” you whisper. It was one of the first things you learned in the class and one of the most important.
Your professor nods and mouths, ‘don’t worry,’ before turning to the rest of her class. “Alright then, you two are dismissed. Give them a round of applause for their work.”
The applause surrounds you but you do not feel it, and when you move back to your seat, you can’t help but feel embarrassed. The looks that you get from those around you are of pity and ‘she hasn’t learned anything this quarter, has she?’ It makes your face burn with embarrassment and you feel so unnaturally warm because of it. A rush of emotions comes over you when you see Helena’s shifty glances and hear her insipid giggles and you hurriedly get your things together and bolt out of the classroom.
Toby shoots up when you rush out and he’s not able to catch you. Instead, he sits in for the rest of the class to give you some space and anything else the professor may say. His glare is turned on Helena. When she flashes him that same sickly sweet, mocking smile, he sees red.
Class ends shortly after that, the professor clearly uncomfortable with whatever just happened with Helena and Toby is keeping his ire hidden until what comes after he deals with you. He’s got a few choice things in mind he’d like to do to Helena, mostly spinal disfigurement and popping bones from their joints and scattering them across the country, but he knows he has to play this as slimy as she did. He’s already conjuring up ways to academically cripple her.
Toby pushes those thoughts to the side before he makes his way to your dorm. He’s nodding to the guy at the front desk and running up the stairs to find you faster than his thoughts can even gather. He just wants to make sure you’re okay.
He walks through the hall of your floor before going over the room numbers. He’s only been in your dorm once - the two of you tend to spend time with each other outside of the campus. Twenty four hour McDonalds, out and about in the city, public parks, the two of you just like wandering. When he sees the numbers of your dorm, he internally sighs and knocks. “H-Hey, Reader? Y-You in t-t-there?” He asks as he knocks again.
From inside, you shuffle underneath your sheets. He’s here? You don’t answer.
“I j-just want to make s-sure you’re alright,” he continues in a soft voice. “If you n-need space though, I c-c-can go-” he barely makes the motion to move when you open the door just a crack.
You look up at Toby with dark, puffy eyes. You can’t bring yourself to say anything, but he can see that you’ve been through hell and back emotionally. You look like a mess, in less graceful words.
“Oh g-gods,” he murmurs as you push open the door just a bit more. “R-Reader,” he says softly as he takes you into his arms, his shoe gently pushing the door closed as you wrap your arms around his waist, taking in the scent of graphite and sandalwood as you sob into his chest. “What h-happened, s-sweetheart?” He asks softly as he rocks the two of you back and forth.
You continue to cry into his chest and grip onto the back of his hoodie as he gently maneuvers you to the side of your bed to let your tired body rest. “S-She’s so mean!” You cry as you continue to squeeze your eyes shut, still gripping Toby like he’s the only thing grounding you.
“What h-have they d-d-done to you?” He inquires in a tone just a little louder than a whisper. Internally, he knows he’ll make all three of those demons suffer and leave the school, by any means necessary. He just wants to hear it from you to know how hard he needs to fuck up their lives. Judging by this interaction alone? It’s monumental.
You then go into a painful detailing of everything those girls have ever made you feel, at one point even bringing up the chats you have saved on your phone. Your breathing begins to even, but Toby’s vision grows redder and redder.
He listens to everything you say as you recount your pain to him and he grits his teeth. Especially those chats - those are unforgivable.
You’re exhausted by the time you finally finish telling him everything they’ve made you feel and the things they’ve done to make you feel this way. You finish it with just a few more words. “They make me feel so small,” you admit through sniffles and broken breaths. “They just - they made me feel so left out and so insignificant,” you admit, still wiping away tears.
Toby holds you tighter before one of his hands reaches up to cup your cheek. “N-No! You’re n-not insignificant, you’re e-everything and m-more,” he begins to ramble. “Y-You’re s-s-so smart and p-put together and o-on top of i-it,” he continues, his thumb wiping away your residual tears.
“You’re just saying that-”
“I w-would never,” he cuts you off in a tone that’s more serious than he intended. “I m-mean everything I s-s-say and those g-girls suck. They d-don’t hold a candle to you,” he says as he cups your face.
“Toby…”
Toby hushes you by pressing a soft, almost scared he might spook you kiss to your lips as if he’s testing the waters. When you make no motion to fight him, he presses just a little more fervently before pulling away, leaving you with stars in your eyes. “I’ll handle e-e-everything, okay?” He promises softly, watching as the stars fade to exhaustion. “G-Get some r-r-rest,” he coos.
You allow him to lay you down as he moves the blankets to cover you before he gets up to turn off the lights. “You’re going to handle it?” You whisper as you allow sleep to veil over your body.
“Y-Yes, I’ll handle e-e-everything,” he promises again, flicking the lights off.
Toby fumbles through the dark for just a moment before slipping back into bed with you, allowing you to wrap around him like an octopus. He cradles you in his arms, his lips pressing to your forehead. “Sleepy t-time,” he mumbles as you cuddle into his chest.
You smile softly and feel your body go light, only anchored by Toby’s warm embrace.
145 notes · View notes
pennylanewrites · 3 years
Text
Tumblr media
I got seven different asks about the College AU so here are some headcanons I have about them! (imagine aiura is in the picture I couldn’t find a good one with all of them)
I definitely didn’t mean to make this so long but I can’t help it I love them all so much<3
~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~
Saiki Kusuo
→ marine!!!biology!!!major!!!!!!!!
→ doesn’t need to study but he still does bc he finds marine life so fascinating
→ read all of his textbooks on the first day bc he was so excited eeeek
→ always wears his germanium ring in class so he can stay hashtag focused
→ him and aiura have to bail toritsuka(didn’t go to college) out of jail once a month
→ speaking of aiura, she somehow has convinced him to go on a date on five different occasions
→ i think after high-school he realised he didn’t mind a kind of casual not-relationship with her
→ lets her hug him to greet him and sometimes he hugs back bc college boys stare a lot and he is just worried for her okay?
→ maybe I’m just projecting bc I kin aiura
→ does not go to parties unless he absolutely has to
→ if he does go to a party he’ll drink something quietly in a corner, just watching the crowd
→ a perv laced Teruhashi’s drink and almost lured her up the stairs so of fucking course Kusuo sprinted to help her, holding her on the way home bc men are drawn to her like bees to honey
→ she didn’t let him live it down ever
→ he rented a studio apartment and keeps it super clean, minimum clutter but enough to look lived in
→ cooks amazing food that Nendo smells from upstairs and next thing you know, they’re all bringing chairs to Kusuo’s apartment and have dinner
→ nothing excuses the fact he makes at least eight servings every time–
→ such a dad to everyone honestly
→ usually studies at a library or teleports back home if there’s a big test
→ mrs. saiki was banned from visiting every two days but she still ends up there somehow
→ not that he minds bc he’s the biggest mama’s boy ever
→ probably graduates a year early
→ doesn’t move away even though he got a job at the aquarium at the other side of the city help–
Kaidou Shun
→ fine arts major you can NOT change my mind
→ doesn’t do good in theoretical subjects but mans can draw some good bowls of fruit
→ wears those stained from the paints t-shirts all the time bc ‘no they’re not dirty it’s art!’
→ him and aren have small designated spaces in their apartment so they can focus on their hobbies/studying
→ his corner at the living room has newspapers on the floor to protect it from the splattering paint, some canvases propped up on the wall and a lot of unfinished projects
→ hides all of them when Nendou comes over
→ can not cook or clean to save his life
→ so he calls his mum to help clean up when Aren is at work
→ got over his 8th grader syndrome at some point
→ still wears red bandages bc he’s edgy
→ volunteers at the neighborhood exhibit centre
→ got asked to showcase his own works for a night and hasn’t shut up about it since
→ goes to yumehara for relationship advice and braids her hair as a thank you
→ couples sleepovers with Yumehara and Teruhashi (yes they’re dating shut up)
→ always makes something for Aren at special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries etc)
→ at first he went back home every saturday bc he missed his family :(
→ Aren helps him get over it though!!!!
Nendou Riki
→ got in on a sports scholarship
→ we already know he couldn’t be accepted in a college otherwise
→ in the chiropractic major bc he wants to be one of those athlete doctors
→ has failed way too many exams and classes
→ Hairo helps him so much though!!!
→ the last one in the group to graduate but somehow gets a job first (excluding Saiki)
→ him and hairo get up at 5 am for jogging or to hit the gym
→ and then he goes and gets noodles bc ‘if noodles aren’t for breakfast why do shops open at 6 am?’
→ hasn’t stepped foot in class in months
→ he gets decent grades after failing the first semester and it’s totally not Saiki’s doing
→ he ends up signing up for way too many clubs
→ attends all of the meetings and has so many friends through them
→ I would be his friend too in college honestly
→ a fraternity wanted to get him bc he’s so good at sports
→ he declined bc he does not understand how fraternities even work
→ is the life of EVERY SINGLE PARTY change my mind you can’t
→ whatever you do don’t imagine nendo surprising his boyfriend with flowers after every practice
→ *dies cutely*
Kuboyasu Aren
→ SOCIOLOGY MAJOR
→ idk I just think he would enjoy Marx’s Capital
→ debate club? hell yeah
→ gets in philosophical conversations at the school yard for HOURS
→ kaidou has to drag him away
→ only shops at thrift stores and makes coffee at home bc “capitalism is not accepted in this household”
→ rides his motorcycle to college even though he lives five minutes away
→ grew his hair out in a mullet again and he looks *chef’s kiss*
→ thought he would be moving too fast if he asked Kaidou to rent an apartment together
→ aiura convinced him it was fine
→ cooks kaidou’s favorite foods every day
→ participates in student rallies, human rights protests etc etc
→ comes home with bruises and kaidou thinks he looks so hot but still yells at him
→ Aren’s favorite place to study is his balcony or at a coffee shop
→ always with kaidou! cute boyfriends who do everything together!!
→ gets so drunk when they go out
→ drunk karaoke with kokomi yes yes yes
Hairo Kineshi
→ did someone say Athletic Training?
→ does every single sport and is amazing at it
→ will cheer for his bf if they have a game at the same time though
→ it was his idea to move in together bc ‘hey we’ve been dating for three years now might as well’
→ volunteers at a nearby elementary as a coach for the kids
→ SO GOOD WITH KIDS
→ wants to be a P.E. Teacher and he’s going to be great at it
→ does everything he can at campus
→ helping random clubs, making posters, cleaning up the hallways, helping the cheer squad with their new routine
→ dances ballet as a hobby even though he’s so good at it that he could be a professional
→ makes everything a competition with Nendo so they never get bored
→ once made everyone get up to jog with them and they ended up sleeping on random benches while Hairo and Nendo were halfway across town
→ will punch someone if he sees them catcalling a girl
→ doesn’t drink at all and eats super healthy
→ designated driver for the group’s outings downtown
Aiura Mikoto
→ THEATER MAJOR
→ is so good at stage acting it’s unreal
→ lands the lead role almost every time
→ is also an amazing singer so she gets great roles in musicals as well
→ doesn’t have to get a job bc she gets all her money from doing readings on campus
→ gets coffees and pastries from all the coffee shops around campus and sits Kusuo down so he can taste them
→ they have a little taste-testing date in his apartment until they decide none of them are as good as the ones at Cafe Mami
→ she totally doesn’t make him teleport there every morning and he totally doesn’t listen to her
→ moved in with chiyo bc they wanted a nice place that they couldn’t afford on their own
→ teruhashi told them to move in with her but they already loved their little place
→ aiura’s bedroom is the most comfortable and cozy room ever
→ their apartment is also the hang out spot for the group bc it’s just so homey
→ hangs out with her theatre group a lot, especially after class
→ they can’t compare to her friends though:(
→ everyone goes to her when they’re worried and she loves it bc she’s the mummy of the group
→ she makes everyone coffee and their comfort food before big exams:)
Yumehara Chiyo
→ psychology major one thousand percent
→ you know how they say that people choose psychology bc they don’t know what major they want?
→ that’s exactly what happened except she fell in love with it immediately
→ such a good student!!!
→ always does her assignments on time and still manages to have a social life
→ teruhashi asked her out at the end of their first semester and that’s the first time chiyo missed a deadline
→ practically lives with teruhashi, insisting it’s just to leave aiura alone
→ she’s just IN LOVE OKAY?????
→ would want to be a sorority girl at first
→ changed her mind when she realized how much shit they all talked
→ her and kaidou drink wine and talk about their relationships and studies
→ she’s so sleep deprived it’s unreal
→ she doesn’t need sleep anymore though
→ coffee is her best friend
→ makes asks Aiura for readings twice a week
→ brings all her psychology friends home and they analyze their textbooks
→ once she got the hang of it, she decided to examine Kusuo
→ she told him he needs actual medical evaluation
→ he almost threw her out the window when she offered some Xanax for his nerves
→ chiyo is a neat freak one hundred percent
→ hates when Aiura throws everything on the floor, but she loves cleaning
→ opens her own office after school
Teruhashi Kokomi
→ PRE-MED
→ lesbian doctor :)
→ just wanted to get away from her perv brother at first
→ she always wanted to be a doctor though, preferably a neurosurgeon
→ she’s super duper smart and hates when she gets good grades bc of her good looks:(
→ makes it her goal to show her professors that she’s more than a beautiful girl
→ hasn’t failed a single exam
→ helps everyone with their studies even though she’s drowning in work
→ drops the perfect girl image at college and decides she should try and aim for something normal
→ gets invited to every single party
→ in a knitting club bc it would get disbanded without one more member
→ knits!!!matching!!!sweaters!!!for all of her friends!!!
→ asked Chiyopipi out while drunk
→ never regretted it though
→ her and aren get so drunk when they go out with the group
→ it’s honestly unreal how much they can drink before passing out
→ has to get carried home
→ wakes up after getting drunk and runs to her class before remembering it’s Sunday
→ her penthouse has the perfect view of the sunset and sunrise and is all she could ask for in life
→ does get lonely so she’s practically living with Chiyo and Aiura
→ once she realized she didn’t like boys she made it her goal to get Saiki and Aiura together
→ people wonder how she has so much time to play matchmaker and volunteer while she’s in premed
→ does her internship at a hospital
→ ends up working there as a neurosurgeon after her Doctorate degree
~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~~~♡~~~~~~~~
245 notes · View notes
sadclearance · 3 years
Text
right hand
pairing: katsuki bakugo x male!reader
summary: 5 things bakugo uses his right hand for + 1 thing bakugo uses his left hand for *wrote with “left hand” being in mind as a prequel, but can also be read as a standalone 
category: fluff
warning(s): none
word count: 1500
key:
s/t - skin tone
Tumblr media
i.
when they were in high school, midoriya izuku noticed that bakugo katsuki--his childhood friend and bully--always started fights with a right hook.
which was incredibly powerful, albeit predictable.
midoriya still remembers a specific sunny morning in their third year when this expected yet efficient move was used for something that wasn't exactly a fight. a second year had made the unbelievably stupid mistake of--
"watch it, dumbass!"
and immediately after bakugo caught y/n before he could fall on his ass, bakugo's right fist met with the second year's nose, successfully breaking it and scorching off the hairs of the kid's eyebrows.
at the time, nobody really thought anything of it. bakugo was protective of the few people that he considered--but would never outright admit--to be his friends, and y/n was one of them.
ii.
but it was at the christmas social event that was held for the third years to get a chance to make connections as well as have fun before the end of their student years that it became clear that it was much much more than just friends looking out for each other.
"what're you doing all alone?" kaminari asked as he leaned against the wall next to y/n.
"everyone's either flirting with pro heroes or kissing their asses, and i'm not really in the mood to do either."
"yeah, i can see that," kaminari snickered as mineta got slapped in the face by mount lady after both a series of terrible flirting and a horrendous attempt to literally kiss her ass.
"surprised you're not doing the same."
"well..." kaminari said as he pointed up. he was wearing a hat with a hanging mistletoe.
"how not unexpected," y/n laughed.
"you know the tradition," kaminari winked pointing at his lips.
"okay, okay. for the holiday spirit--"
and as y/n leaned in to give kaminari a peck, a strong right hand grabbed his chin, and his lips met with a pair that belonged to someone else.
kaminari was too shocked to be disappointed after being pushed away by none other than bakugo.
"fuck off, dunce face," bakugo said before crashing his lips against y/n's.
that was one hell of a way to find out that two of his best friends were dating.
iii.
bakugo's jealousy only got worse after graduation.
but to be fair, that was his own fault.
he may have chilled out since their time together as first years, but he was still a headstrong ambitious hero.
they didn't go public with their relationship because bakugo figured it would be distracting to his goal.
which was a decision that he immediately regretted when he remembered just how attractive y/n was--something that other people clearly appreciated as well.
y/n got gifts, compliments, and very suggestive comments wherever he went, which did nothing but fuel bakugo's anger and displeasure.
there was a solution to this problem, and it was to let it be known to the world that y/n was his and his only.
instead of doing what normal couples do and going to an interviewer or announcing their relationship on his social media accounts, bakugo decided to--
"so... y/n," the barista looked at the name she just wrote on the cup and then back to y/n. "are you seeing anybody?"
"what's taking so fucking long?" bakugo asked as he came up behind y/n, right hand harshly meeting y/n's left ass cheek.
"ow! what the hell? there's paparazzi right outside of the window," y/n scolded, gesturing toward the crowd of people with cameras on the other side of the glass wall.
bakugo's only response was to press a kiss against y/n's lips, smirking into it as he saw a flash of light in the corner of his eye, fully aware of the fact that his hand was still on y/n's ass.
iv.
when he saw a building crumbling on top of y/n, he knew what he had to do.
he had faced a similar obstacle to this in his first year of high school, when he was up against round face--ochako. she had collected rubble that he had unknowingly provided and gathered it all up to the sky, later using it as a weapon by making it rain down on bakugo.
a building, however, had much more stone than a collection of collateral concrete that an individual collected over only a few minutes.
"y/n!" he shouted.
recreating the move from his first year, he raised his right hand and released a massive explosion--one much larger than the original maneuver.
he had succeeded for the most part. small bits of rubble rained down on them, but it was more like getting hit by hail than being buried by a boulder.
"bakugo!"
the mentioned man gritted his teeth and pressed the rough fingers of his left hand into his terribly cramped and pained right hand.
"you overdid it, you idiot!"
y/n rushed to get medical attention, and bakugo reluctantly let himself be pulled around.
he would've crudely yelled back that he didn't need help, but the worried look on y/n's face stopped him.
"i'm not gonna die, dumbass," bakugo rolled his eyes. the words were intended to come off harsher, and more like bakugo insulting a subordinate for not being able to see the obvious, but they came out closer to a soft reassurance instead.
"do that again, and i'll kill you myself," y/n glared. he looked more like an angry puppy.
"as if you could even land a hit on m--"
y/n's lips shut him up.
"even though that was the stupidest thing i've ever seen, thank you for saving me," y/n smiled, rubbing soft circles into bakugo's right hand.
"'stupidest thing you've ever seen'..." bakugo grumbled.
v.
"what the fuck are you doing?"
it's been a habit to hold hands while doing almost anything since their time together at u.a.
hell, they used to hold hands throughout basically all of high school except during hero training.
subjects like math, language, history--they didn't require both hands. they only needed to write on a piece of paper, and they only needed their dominant hands for that.
so it comes as no surprise that that habit followed them to their pro hero years, pale left hand entwined with s/t right hand as they finish their paperwork.
bakugo's confusion was prompted by y/n's sudden fascination with his right hand.
"i rarely ever give this one attention," y/n shrugged.
"it's not its own being. like a pet or a person."
the look bakugo gave y/n told him that he was the biggest dumbass in history, but y/n ignored it in favor of responding, "still a part of you i rarely get a piece of."
"i hate the way you worded that, creep..."
"you're still blushing."
"in your fucking dreams!"
+i.
going to a nice place was somewhat out of the ordinary for the two of them.
bakugo was focused on being the top hero, and being the top hero meant sacrificing a lot of time.
y/n doesn't know what changed bakugo's mind so suddenly, but he wasn't about to reject a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"the breeze is so nice," y/n breathed in the fresh air of the beach.
he had ran up to the gorgeous ocean, cold water hitting his bare legs while he tried to convince bakugo to join him.
"not up to the challenge? that's rare," y/n teased, turning his back to him and going deeper into the sea.
"oh, shut your trap! i have a damn good reason."
"yeah, i'm sure you do. you sure you aren't just cold?"
"i said shut the fuck up!"
"okay, okay," y/n complied and entertained himself with the vibrant blue waves.
"i love you," came bakugo's voice abruptly.
"that's weird, you never say it first, especially not without any form or profan--" y/n turned around to give bakugo a ridiculous look, laughing as he did, only to stop almost immediately.
"fuck y--" bakugo had to stop his habitual reflex. "marry me... dumbass?"
bakugo with a nervous tone, one knee in the sand, struggling to not get up because of the annoying shifting and imbalance, and a ring in his hands was a priceless sight to see.
"yes! yes! yes!" y/n ran back to the dry sand.
bakugo grinned and accepted the kiss but broke it off sooner than he would've liked for the fear of dropping the ring and losing it to the waves.
he slid the ring on y/n's hand with a proud smile before y/n demanded to have the other ring.
"shit, calm down," bakugo laughed, but he couldn't help but feel happy that y/n was just as ecstatic.
although he was the one to say that, bakugo's left hand struggled to stay still as y/n put the ring on bakugo's ring finger.
"i love you," y/n pressed his lips against the trembling left hand once he was done.
with the rings safely on their hands, bakugo could freely go back to enjoying the treasure that was y/n's lips.
❥๑━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━๑❥
a/n;
a sequel exactly a month after
i like this format because i'm shit at transitions
i mean just look at the shift from iii to iv...
i had an idea for the right hand theme for a while now since the battle trials when izuku mentioned the right hook thing but i was like woah i could do it with this while writing left hand
481 notes · View notes
babbling-idiot2 · 3 years
Text
Raoul Silva x reader
Tumblr media
Requested: “Hello!! May I please request a Raoul Silva x female reader? Where the reader works with Bond, but for a time is kidnapped by Silva and then when she escapes and works with Bond again she is conflicted because she has feelings for Silva and then there is a showdown between her and Silva but she doesn’t shoot him when she has the chance?? And then they end up kissing. (Bond is not around) If that is waaaaaay too specific, I completely understand. I’m also a writer and really like this idea, I just don’t have any motivation right now. But If that’s too specific, then just something Silva x reader please?? If not, that’s cool! Thanks and have a blessed week!” -By Anon
Warning:
(Hello! Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy this. It’s actually kind of funny I had a fic for him in the drafts but never got around to posting it. But this was a better idea then mine so, I hope you enjoy!!)
*****
It wasn't suppose to be hard. Nor was it ever hard to do your job. Sure a few bruises and cuts here and there but it was your job and you enjoyed it. You have feared for your life before but at this point in time you weren't that scared anymore. Especially when it involved getting kidnapped. Now you had gotten kidnapped before. But it was also so easy and almost boring. Like they didn't try anymore. Well that was until you got kidnapped by a man named Raoul Silva. You knew him from a brief glimpse of a case file yet you didn't know enough to be interested. Only in the fact he is a ex MI6 agent. That's the only thing that caught you attention. 
In training you are taught many things. One being to never get involved with the target. Ever. If you did you would also be terminated. So, you never ever were involved with anyone. Even outside of your job. But luck would have it, as you've found yourself in quite a pickle. Did you get kidnapped? Yes. Was it on purpose? Well of course not. Did you know who kidnapped you? No! But it was quite the shocker to find out the ex MI6 agent, Raoul Silva had been the one behind it. When you were finally sat down. You sat in an empty room. Filled with high tech computer equipment and the sound of people moving around behind you. Mostly out of boredom and the fact that they themselves are bored with this charade. Then as you were also getting bored, you hear an elevator. You looked forward and could clearly see an elevator opening at the end of the room. Silva steps out and begins walking over to you. "Miss Williams. It is truly a pleasure to finally meet you. I must say that I have read much about you." He’s close enough now that your finally able to see him up close. You shouldn’t be thinking this about your kidnapper but he was very much more attractive then his picture "Good things I hope." "Oh nothing less of good I can assure you. Though I am disappointed they left out so much." You continue to look at him, trying to figure out where he was going with this, already having a good idea "Well that's the point isn't it? To keep as much personal information out of the files?" He tilts his head and nods slightly "Yes. I suppose that's correct but I must admit, I would like to know more about you before I get to the real reason why I brought you here. If you don't mind?"  You raise and eyebrow curiously as you continue to follow him with your eyes. You didn't answer and he seemed to just take that as a yes. He was walking around the area, not once making his way towards a chair. He kept walking, pacing in the same line as he questioned you on your past. "From what I know, you were a top student in school. A plusses and never once a B. You were dedicated to learning everything. You even graduated 2 years earlier than your classmates. Did you enjoy it? High-school, I mean." You shrugged your shoulders "Its hard to remember everything, since it was a little while ago. I do remember enjoying it though. Many good memories." He hums out in either approval or refusal. Which turns out to be refusal. "I do not believe that. You see your file here says, 'School for miss Williams was, in her words: Troubling, I was bullied a lot and had no friends. My studies were the only thing I focused on. I was the laughing stock of my high school career." You didn't say a word, you had no idea that he was really seeing your file right in front of him. "Now Miss Williams, you were bullied, treated horribly and now you are an MI6 agent. Says you've never had any infatuation for anyone in your life. Is that true?" You close your eyes and shake your head "No. I've never been in a relationship nor do I ever want one." He chuckles and looks at you, straight in the eyes "Miss Williams you do know I have your file here and every word you've said is a lie. I do not think that is a good idea. Tell the truth." He says now looking at the file again. This time you roll your eyes and adjust yourself in the seat "I was in one relationship in college. We only dated a week." "Why?" "Because he was a creep. And an asshole." "See now that is what a want to hear. The truth!" You roll your eyes again and become even more annoyed. 
You had no idea how long it had been but what was for sure was that it was long enough. You could hear the sounds of gun fire coming from outside of the building you were in. You thought for a moment that you were hearing things but when you heard the door being slammed open and the sound of an MI6 agent calling your name, relief washed over you. You were soon taken onto one the helicopters and was taken back to HQ. There you were met by a medical team and M. She was glad to see you walking and not in a body bag. She nodded your way before telling the medical team to take care of your. Also ordering you to go with them, knowing how much you hated any kind of medical attention. But you agreed and went along anyway.
Not even a day later you were reunited back with bond and even he was happy to see you again. But sadly even though reuniting gave you a slight feeling of happiness, you were conflicted. For a time you didn’t know what by. Was it work? Did you receive bad news? Did you say something and regret it? You had no idea, until it hit you one day like a truck. You thought back to when you got kidnapped by Raoul Silva. You couldn’t get him out of your mind. It was like he was an infection in your brain and you couldn’t get rid of it. Bond could tell something was wrong with you. Just by looking at you for an extended period of time, he could tell. But he had no idea what it was or better yet, who it was. 
You were ordered to go after him. Simple task, easy enough right? Well not exactly. You were hot on his trail, right behind him and yet he was just that much faster then you. Suddenly out of know where he turned this corner and right before this very large door could close you just made it through when it closed with a loud thud. Silva was at a dead end and had no where to go besides the way you came. When he turned around you already had a gun pointed in his direction. Completely prepared to shoot him if he made one wrong move. He knew that you would so, he would have to choose his next words and moves very carefully. “Miss Williams, I am very amazed at how you caught up so quick. I was not prepared for this encounter today.” “Yes well, you’ve screwed up your chances at getting out. I suggest you make yourself comfortable.” You say gesturing to the ground. He knew you wanted him to sit down on the ground but he couldn’t let that happen. “Miss Williams, Or better yet, Y/n? We both know that you won’t shoot me.” He says stepping closer. Though the fact that he knew your name was quite jarring, it didn’t impair your judgement. It was a sign that he was trying to get close. And you most definitely couldn’t let that happen. You pulled the hammer of your gun back and stepped a bit closer, keeping eye contact as to try to intimidate him. “You really think I’m afraid of what M will do if I shoot someone like you? I could care less. You’re actually lucky your up and walking now.” You never once let your confident and intimidating persona drop, not around him and at a time like this, it would be game over for you. But Silva was smart and he could see through your demeanor. “You are smart Miss Y/n. And you hide your private life so well. So hidden like a hermit in the sand. Yet I see right through the cracks. You have feelings for me.” You clench your jaw and shake your head “In your dreams Silva. I could never like someone like you.” “In my dreams? No, no, no y/n. In your dreams. You’ve thought about me since the day you got kidnapped by my men. Ever since you saw me and now, you cant get me out of your head. You can’t hide your feelings for me y/n.” He says now even more closer then he was before. You couldn’t back up anymore, for the door was closed and there was no escape from this. Your finger tightened and he saw this. He reached his hand out. Hoping that you wouldn't pull the trigger. Your brain told you to pull the trigger and end all of this now. But the more irrational part of you held you back. When he got close enough he wrapped his fingers steadily around the barrel of the pistol. He directed it out of the line of his face and slowly stepped into your personal space. He smiled at you and tilted his head at you. “There we are. I knew you couldn’t shoot me.” “It’s the worse decision I’ve ever made. I’m just as good as dead as your are now.” he starts to shake his head at you “No! No, no, no, no my dear! No one will know about this. Not even Bond. You just have to keep this a secret. You’re good at that, right?” You clench your jaw at hearing that. Keeping a secret from the MI6 was like trying to keep candy from a toddler. But nevertheless you nod your head and look to the side. You weren’t looking away for long until you felt a hand on your chin pulling you back. You looked back at Silva and saw a look in his eyes. You weren't sure what it was but what he did next gave you a good idea. He leaned forward and kissed you. It wasn’t for long but it definitely took the breath out of you. When he pulled away, on instinct you chased him slightly. When you realized what you did you looked away embarrassingly. Hoping he didn’t notice. He did, and smiled from ear to ear. Kissing your forehead and the side of your face. He leaned down where his mouth was near your ear before whispering “You should never feel embarrassed around me dear. I want to see you for you, not what they made of you.” You swallowed your embarrassment and looked up at him before leaning in slowly to kiss him back. It was quick, nervous and very sloppy. You were sure you kissed the side of his mouth. He smiled nonetheless and looked down at his wrist. Sighing out in annoyance he looks back to you. “I’m very sorry my dear, but I must end this meeting. I am suppose to meet my men in 5 minutes or our plan is ruined. Till next time my dear.” As he was walking away you stared confusingly at him. “Wait so this was part of the plan wasn’t it?” He turned back as he was about to pull a hatch open that was in the ground. He smiled at you cheekily. “My dear, I have a plan for everything.” He says as he closes the hatch behind him. You stared wide eyed at the hatch before you. 
“Well then, where did he go Williams?” You sighed out in annoyance “Like I told you before. I went down the hatch as I saw him do, when I got to the bottom he wasn’t there. He was gone. I ran to the end and searched. He was gone.” M stared at you, disappointment lacing her features as she looked at you. You could practically feel it by now. She shook her head and waved you off not bothering to say another word to you. You rolled your eyes and walked out. Fully intending to just go home. 
When you got there you hung your coat up and slipped your shoes off at the door, barley noticing the other pair of shoes right there next to yours. You looked up and sure enough you could see the back of someone's head sitting on your couch. You didn’t have your gun, and hand to hand combat was the only thing you had up your sleeves at the moment. When you came around the couch all thoughts of intruder and fighting left your mind. Silva was sitting there flipping through one of your magazines you had sitting on your table. “You know, you should invest in better security and better reading material.” He says still eyeing the magazine. “And you know I have a full bookcase right there? Also I like to be notified when I have company before they come over. I hate surprises.” He smiles and lays the magazine down, looking up to you with the same smile on his face. “But you like me, so it’s a welcomed one.” You shake your head smiling before walking over to the kitchen. You looked back and he was still seated there, looking out into space of your living room. You had no idea how you were going to deal with him. You had no idea how long this would go on for, but only time could tell now.
*****
(Hello so, I hope you liked this! If you did, any kind of feedback is amazing and highly appreciated! I hope you enjoyed and I hope you have an amazing day/night and stay safe out there in the world!)
96 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
massive and small stars
❝ you were a massive star destined to burn for a few hundred thousand years, culminating in an inevitable explosion. kuroo tetsuro was the sun, a small star, bound to give light for several billion years. the difference between the two of you makes you ask him how he manages to keep his light. ❞
pairing. kuroo tetsuro x fem!reader
genre. college au where you and kuroo are apartment neighbors, implied comfort 
word count. 1.7k words
warnings. themes of burnout due to the pandemic
a/n. reblogs are very much appreciated. i’d be happy to hear your thoughts too. 
HAIKYUU MASTERLIST • AO3
Tumblr media
You are by no means an astronomer. You are studying to become a physician. You are a hundred and ten percent certain of this fact. But as you lie limp atop your unmade bed, your mind can’t help but ponder on stars, how they are made, and how they die.
The lifetime of stars depends on their size. Massive stars exhaust their energy much faster and are only able to last for a few hundred millennia. Small stars, on the other hand, burn slowly, allowing them to exist for several billion years. 
You have always been told that you were destined to be a star, to burn brighter above everyone else. You are fated for brilliance, they said. All your life, you are convinced by their words.
Entering college, you believe it is your time to shine. Your days in the dust are long gone. All the ashes and gas are finally going to pool together as the enormous celestial body everybody expected you to be. You are finally away from the drama of high school. You’re supposed to be joining organizations, getting good grades, making lots of friends, and living.
You were supposed to be doing all of that. You were finally safely moved into your one-bedroom apartment near a prestigious university in Tokyo, aching for all of it.
Then the pandemic hit. The club fairs turned into online zoom meetings. The good grades turned into just-above-the-passing-rate marks. Those friends turned into monotonous group chats about academic requirements. Living turned into surviving.
You are destined to be a star, they said. Indeed, you feel like a massive star. You expected too much, gathered too many particles from the universe, that you ended up an immense ball of burning gas about to explode in the near future. You are so close to wearing yourself out. You try everything to avoid it.
You turn up the volume of your favorite songs because maybe it will drown the negative voices in your head.
You bathe yourself in sunlight because maybe it will overpower the darkness slowly wrapping itself around you.
You soak yourself under the shower for hours because maybe it will wash away the dread and anxiety.
You laugh humorlessly.
As if.
As much as you were predetermined for greatness, you are designed for destruction as well.
You look at the time. 5:11 PM.
There’s still time before he comes. You can still take a nap. You’ve been a light sleeper for the past few months anyway. You’ll hear him knock.
Tumblr media
The knock comes two hours later, 7:00 PM sharp.
“Good evening,” Kuroo Tetsuro says.
You mimic his greeting weakly.
Kuroo Tetsuro is your university apartment neighbor. You became friends a month into the pandemic, when he came to your rescue after you almost burned down your apartment (you left the stove on while you were in the shower). Since then, the two of you had formed an unusual partnership. He was in-charge of half of the groceries and cooking the main course. You were in-charge of the other half of the groceries and preparing dessert. You took turns with the dishes.
You’re grateful for his companionship. Somehow, being able to interact with another person face-to-face lessens the gravity of the whole situation.
Today, the weight is just a tad bit heavier for you. You barely have the energy to contribute to the dinner table conversation. You just nod along and give a few replies here and there.
After catching his fingers lingering on his phone and after noticing his sensitivity toward notification sounds, you sense that the weight is heavier for him too.
“Expecting a call?” you ask, getting a bite of tonkatsu.
“Hoping for one,” Kuroo answers, picking at his own food.
“She cut the call short again?” Whether it was his mother or his sister, you don’t bother asking. It was always between the two of them anyway.
“Didn’t even bother answering,” he says. That explains it.
You offer him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”
He scoffs. “’S not your fault.”
You know that. Still, you wanted to help him.
There was only one thing you can think of at the moment.
“Dessert?” you offer.
His face lights up a bit. “Yes please.”
You give him a small smile and stand up to reach for the newly-bought mochi.
Tumblr media
 The days after, you still feel the looming sense of your inevitable combustion. Exams were still difficult. Readings were still extensive. Social interactions were still monotonously online. Club participation was still nonexistent.
 You turn the volume of your music a little higher. You stay under the sun a little longer. You soak under the shower head a few minutes more.
Yet, you still end up on your bed, drained. Nothing’s changed.
Another thing that hasn’t changed is him.
Seven o’clock sharp, he’s there, knocking on your door (tap, tap-tap-tap, tap-tap—a unique pattern he uses every time). He still cooks you dinner. He still talks to you about his day. You never see the light leave his eyes.
Kuroo Tetsuro was a star by his own right. He was the sun, bright and warm. You are always sure of his presence. You sense the remnants of his radiance the night before in the early morning just as you wake up. You hear the warmth in his boisterous laughter through the thin walls of your apartment. You feel his blazing passion for the sport that he loves when the sound of rubber on skin hits your ears (or sometimes it’s the sound of things getting broken).
Kuroo was the sun, a small star. Small stars don’t go as loudly as massive stars do, and they stay around for much longer. But they still cease to burn once they exhaust their fuel.
You wonder, sometimes, how Kuroo manages to keep his light burning.
There are days that the darkness creeps into his being. You’ve seen it. On days when the knock on your door isn’t as loud and lively, when his hands aren’t as nimble in slicing onions, when his laugh doesn’t ring the right way. And you know that the sun, like massive stars, like all stars, will collapse.
But he doesn’t.
He still calls his mother and sister relentlessly, trying to rekindle what was once there. Despite the social barriers that the pandemic has built, you can hear him still laughing loudly with his friends on video calls. Despite the halt in sports activities, he keeps his love for volleyball burning.
It makes you rethink whether he is a star in the first place. Something as brilliant as he is, who manages to burn bright despite everything, is something out of this world.
Tumblr media
 You ask him one day.
On this particular day, he shows you a meme, “Are medical students who graduated online called google docs?”
You give a skeptical look at the idiot who was hysterically cackling himself to death.
“Why do you laugh at this as if it’s going to solve all of your problems?” you ask him.
The premise is anything but serious. Yet, you feel like he knows what you’re talking about.
Kuroo tries to regain some composure.
“It won’t,” he says, moving a hand across his all-time bedhead. “But hey, at least even with all my problems, I was able to laugh, right?”
 Huh.
You stare at him, as if seeing the sun for the first time in a long while.
Tumblr media
The next day is still loaded with tests and homework. You still feel dumb. You still have no friends and no clubs. You still turn up the music. You still linger under the sunlight a little while longer. Your time in the shower is still a bit lengthier.
This time, you allow these things to make you smile.
Six fifty-nine—you are by the door, waiting.
Tap, tap—
You open the door before he finishes knocking.
“Good evening,” you greet first.
“Good evening,” he says, a bit taken back.
You hum your favorite song as he cooks sanma shio yaki (which you know is his favorite) and talks about his day.
Later, when you are preparing dessert, he asks, “Did anything good happen today?”
You think about it. “Hmm… Nothing in particular. Why?”
“I just… haven’t seen that smile in a while.”
Your fingers stop cutting midway across the strawberry shortcake you bought two hours before.
“Hmm?” You glance at him in your periphery.
“Yeah. It looks pretty.” 
You take a sharp breath in.
You sense him take in his words as well.
You slowly turn your head back. As you expect, Kuroo Tetsurou has his hands scratching the back of his neck, trying to avoid your gaze.
Well, I’m not going to be the uncomfortable one here.
You allow yourself to tease him. “I do look pretty, don’t I?”
He glares at you. “As if!” But you see his ears flush pink.
You return to the strawberry shortcake that you were cutting.
You feel the edges of your lips inching their way closer to your eyes.
It’s been a while since you felt this way—this light. At the back of your mind, there were still essays to write, exams to study for, professors to impress, parents to make proud, and yourself to fix. The problems will never disappear.
And it’s not as if louder music, stronger sunlight, more bath water, and cornier jokes of the guy behind you could solve all of them.
But maybe if they can make you smile despite all the problems, then maybe… maybe you’re going to be okay.
Tumblr media
Whether you are a massive star or whether Kuroo Tetsuro was the sun, you don’t know for sure.
You are by no means an astronomer. You are studying to become a physician. Instead of concerning yourself with celestial bodies, you should be concerning yourself with the human body.
From all the things that you were taught in medical school, this is something you know by heart: humans are made of the same elements as the stars are.
They are the same, yet they are different. Stars burn bright. And borrowing Guy Consolmagno’s words, they will end “either in a bang or in a whimper.”
Humans are different. They can burn unyieldingly without ceasing. Kuroo Tetsuro has proven that to you.
At present, that is all the reassurance that you need.
Tumblr media
HAIKYUU MASTERLIST • AO3 LINK
118 notes · View notes
may-day-voice · 3 years
Text
Prom Night Lights - The Beginning
Katsuki Bakugou Timeline | 172732014
please do not repost, but you have permission to reblog :)
• Watch/ Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8SB9fJZ5a7s
• Read on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1112396862-katsuki-bakugou-pro-hero-au-172732014-prom-night
It was supposed to be a simple day. A simple, normal day filled with anticipation and excitement. The day when you stepped into the real world outside from the safety net. But you never prepared for what was to come, for the hurt that would inflict, for the dark to overshadow.
You weren’t prepared for your heart to break.
Tumblr media
You grabbed hold of hands that grasped onto your fingers, hanging upside down in the air while maneuvering yourself a safe distance from the crash site. Out on patrol with fellow interns turned into a rescue mission when a massive traffic incident occurred in one of the most populous intersections in Musatafu. Cars and trucks were mangled or destroyed, billowing smoke into the air while emergency personnel made headway in tending to the wounded.
Meanwhile you floated towards the borders of the intersection, carefully dropping a casualty towards medics on the scene. Your hands were covered in blood and soot, having to pull those who were trapped within the metallic wreckage.
“That’s number three,” you called, still dangling aimlessly in the air.
“Impulse! We need help here!” Called a fellow intern from amongst the crash site.
With a click of your ankles, you landed onto the ground to push yourself back into the air, soaring towards your teammate above the fire and smoke. His large hands lifted part of a car, revealing a young woman in the crash, her eyes searching above while she breathed erratically.
“Don’t know how long I can hold this up,” warned your teammate, his usual stoic gaze now concentrating on keeping the mangled car lifted for access to the woman below.
“Here, grab my hand,” you ordered, floating slowly into the maw of the wreckage while reaching for the woman inside. The look in her eyes caught yours, finding the fear written all over them, terrified.
A slip of your teammate’s feet caused the car to creak, almost snapping onto you from above, your hands immediately pushing against the heavy wreck in reaction. Your eyes searched in his, concerned about the situation only to notice he found his footing again.
“I’m okay,” he reassured, holding the car back once more. “Go.”
You drew back to the woman, spotting her body recoil back inside in fear. With a deep breath, you slowly floated back in, hanging upside down with your hands outstretched towards her. “Come on, let’s get you out of here,” you coaxed, your open palm inviting her in.
Slowly, her shaking hand reached out, grabbing hold of yours. With both your hands securing her grip, you slowly floated out from the hole, taking the woman with you, her weight pulling at your arms before you spotted her feet clearing the maw.
“Let go now,” you called, watching your teammate finally relieve himself from the strain and the piece of metal crash into the wreckage that trapped a casualty.
Two hours. It took two hours to help clear casualties from the crash site. The aftermath left you and your teammates to be checked out by medics before being discharged from the incident, followed by your supervisor Kido back to the agency for a debriefing on today’s activities.
It felt like a quiet day, which was good for the most part. You scratched two hours of the day, plus another hour for debriefing and cleaning up. It allowed less strain on your body, and more focus on other events you had penciled in ever since-
“Man, you? A plus one? Lucky,” spat a classmate of yours inside the locker rooms. “I would kill to get past those gates.”
“You really don’t mean that,” you replied in jest.
“Oh no, I do. Truly, happily.”
“Have you figured out what you’re dressing in?” Spoke another, the same one who helped you on the rescue. “You should talk with him about that.”
“Coordination is key,” chirped the other.
“Guys, it’s a first time thing, okay?” You reassured. “They’re in the middle of graduating right now for all we know.”
“But to be invited to a prom of all things in UA? Whoever is the event coordinator is a genius.”
The vibrations of your phone caught your ear, spotting a text message appearing on your screen. A sneak peek of the message was the usual - an ETA for tonight. That was all. You noticed the messages were getting shorter and sharper with your beau. It has been over the past year. Still, being the final year in UA was probably a stressful time for students from across the board. You had felt the pressure yourself at your schooling.
“You think if I could catch Todoroki’s eye maybe-“
“Stopping you there,” interrupted one of your classmates, his drowsy aloof eye staring at the other. “He’s probably taken.”
“You don’t know that!”
“He talks about someone from his school very frequently. I think he’s taken.”
Another buzz from your phone caught your ear, checking the screen to spot a message from someone unexpected. Eijirou Kirishima’s name was emblazoned in the text box with a video attached. Watching your classmates bicker between themselves gave you the perfect opportunity for you to view this message without their attention, opening it to reveal the stage of the graduation. Perhaps this was very recent, considering the time of day it was before a familiar blond student walked up to the podium. You couldn’t hold back your smile, watching Katsuki Bakugou be congratulated on his graduation day, and turn irately towards the camera following Kirishima’s loud and rambunctious celebratory yell from the crowd.
“Did your beau send something juicy?” Chirped your classmate, turning to find a coy smile on her face.
“What? No!” You deflected, placing your phone away. “I gotta make tracks anyway.”
“You better take photos or it didn’t happen!”
You waved both of your teammates goodbye, hoisting your backpack onto your shoulders to add more weight to your less than convenient gravity. Stepping out of the agency, you tapped your toes before making your way towards the tall white gates of UA. Despite the lack of information you gave to your teammates back at the agency, you had already picked out your formal wear. You had planned to make a day of UA’s graduation for their students, knowing your own from your establishment was happening first thing tomorrow morning. The more time you could spend with the city’s foremost Pro-Hero candidates equaled sacrificing one night of preparation for your graduation, at least you convinced yourself as such.
Everything had been planned ahead of time, thanks to your beau’s meticulous need for timing. However, you had other plans ahead of his own, ones you had announced to him during his plans which, to your dismay and unsurprising predictability, did not please him. Reassurance wasn’t his strong point, and you’ve learnt it wasn’t yours as well. At least when trying to ease his passive aggressive tantrums.
Another buzz of your phone caught your attention again from those thoughts, picking it up to find a text message from Izuku Midoriya of all people.
Can’t wait to see you again! You’re on the way?
Actually, I’ll be another 20 minutes. How was the ceremony?
It was great! Everyone’s excited here at the dorms. I’ll be setting up Gym Gamma for tonight, so meet me there?
And Kaachan can’t wait either.
You chuckled at the words, wondering how Bakugou must be feeling after today. It made you wonder about the months leading up to today. In fact, it seemed a bit odd, watching him at the agency being almost cold and aloof, answering you in short and distancing himself half of the time. Again, UA was a prestigious academy. You thought the same way that the stress must be getting to the students.
Further fact, that short text felt like-
Yeah, I’ll meet you at Gym Gamma. Let Bakugou know I can’t wait either.
Lately it had been this way, communicating with other students rather than Bakugou himself these past months leading to the end of the school year. You’ve heard from Midoriya, Kirishima, even Denki Kaminari spoke to you a few texts here and there. Bakugou however had gone dark some of the time. You recalled a few times in your second year having constant late night calls with him, some of those nights being a saving grace when the both of you were too busy to just stop for a coffee or a shake. But nowadays, he had been-
Hey! You coming over soon? Kaminari is practically begging for a player two on his team.
I’ll be there. Just stopping by somewhere first. Maybe another 25?
You better hurry up. Bakugou’s practically wiping the floor with him in this game.
Well, another thing to slot in, but nothing that detracted from your original plans. With a smile, you continued on your walk to UA, hands on your straps while you felt the strain on your shoulders once more.
——
Soon, the familiar white gates appeared. As per usual, you stood by the entrance, waiting for some time before being verified to enter the grounds. It took a while for this process. At first, you were accompanied by your beau when he came along to invite you, or when he had to make it for Management classes. However, over the years, it became an infrequent visit with the Hero students. Lately though, it was between how quickly the guards could phone a friend. Even more so, it was less your beau, and more so one of the Hero students, whether it was Midoriya, Kirishima, or even Shouto Todoroki of all of them. It used to be Bakugou, but even he had been slow to answer.
After being granted entry, you immediately made your way to Gym Gamma, watching the large group of students prepare for the night. You had not seen so many fairy lights in your life while they were being strung up high across the pathways and into the auditorium. It was a mess, but it was organized chaos while you traversed between wandering students and piles of decorative materials for the festivities to follow.
“Midoriya!” You called from across the auditorium, spotting the green-haired boy ahead. His eyes turned towards you with a smile, lightly jogging his way through the auditorium.
“Hey, how are things?” He asked with a hug, his large arms engulfing you.
“Pretty good, we were in the middle of a rescue mission in the city,” you replied with a smile. “But that’s all the excitement today.”
“You’re not excited about tonight?”
“I mean, yeah, of course I am! Congratulations! Think I can collect my clothes?”
“Oh, right, I don’t have them on me because of everything happening right now, but they’re at Heights Alliance.”
“Then, why did you ask me to come here first?”
“I wanted to say hi.”
You chuckled at his reply, happy to see Midoriya well. There had been some controversy with all that happened throughout the years, things that you felt were considered taboo, however, stories came with time. You noticed the extra scars across his body, also recalling the scars Bakugou had received during Musatafu’s darker times. The worry that drowned you was immense, only subsiding after months of silence, and that one phone call from Todoroki surprisingly.
With a goodbye, you left Midoriya to his devices in the auditorium, leaving him behind for Heights Alliance. Eventually both shoulders felt sore from the weights in your backpack, deciding to only hang the bag from one shoulder and feeling your toes scraping the ground. According to the predetermined ETA, you had a few hours to spare. Still, it felt like you had very little time left until you stood before Class 3-A’s dorms. Midoriya had explained he left your formal wear with Bakugou, who by his description of the event, reluctantly agreed. With a heavy sigh, you made your way up the stairs, only to bump into somebody walking out from the dorms.
“Oh sorry!” You blurted.
“No, you’re good!” Quickly piped the student before they walked away from the stairs, lightly jogging towards the large pathway towards the school. You watched them take flight, trailing with a dress suit on their shoulders only to shrug it off and continue into the dorms, knocking on the door.
Luckily, that student left it ajar.
“Hello?” You called inside, spotting very familiar faces by the lounges in the foyer.
“Yes! My player two!” Yelled Kaminari, quickly running up to you and pulling you inside. “Kaachan keeps whipping my ass!”
“That’s because you suck, Dunce face!” Growled Bakugou, his red eyes flashing towards the door before they laid on you.
“You made it just in time. Kaminari was getting desperate,” voiced Kirishima with a toothy grin.
You nervously giggled while being dragged inside, noticing how careful Kaminari was to keep your feet on the ground. It had been a couple of years now, but ever since that scare, you figured Kaminari had learnt his lesson. Otherwise, by the way Bakugou was, it came as no surprise that Kaminari was just being more careful around him. You smiled at the irate blond before Kaminari handed you a controller, soon convincing Kirishima to join in a game of teams. It was a whirlwind of a greeting, suddenly being sucked into a game of wits and fun with the Hero students. It was the release you needed filled with laughter, for at least a good hour losing to Kirishima and Bakugou.
After admitting defeat and a quick conversation with the students, Bakugou led you to his dorm, taking the elevator up to the fourth floor. The ride was silent, leaving you to wonder what was going on through his head, stopping yourself a few times to speak until the doors opened on his floor. From the corner of your eye, you noticed a familiar dual-haired student speaking with another by the stairs with quiet voices before being led to Bakugou’s door, watching Bakugou unlock it-
“Congratulations,” you finally spoke, catching his ear. “I got to witness your graduation, kinda.”
“What do you mean?” He asked gruffly while allowing you in.
“Kirishima sent me a video.”
“That Shitty Hair sent it to you?”
“I thought you knew.”
“I’m gonna kill him.”
“Please don’t.”
A grunt escaped Bakugou’s lips before he made his way to his closet, pulling out your outfit already packed in a large box. You smiled up at him, taking the box from him and placing it on his bed.
“Thanks Bakugou, I really appreciate it,” you warmly said while you opened the lid.
“What are you doing?” he asked with genuine confusion.
“Getting dressed.”
“Here?”
“Well, Midoriya offered to help but since he’s been put on the event committee I have to do it in your room.”
“So the nerd was going to dress you?”
“Do you want to help me?”
The look on Bakugou’s face was one of confusion, anger, and frustration - a fairly normal reaction for the most part. However, unbeknownst to you, he felt a flush of heat wash through his cheeks. This was never discussed between Midoriya and himself when he agreed to hold onto your outfit for tonight. In fact, the getting dressed part was never mentioned. His thoughts held his focus until he glanced your way, already stripping off your shirt.
“Wait a goddamn minute, Lightweight!” He yelled, stopping you from stripping any further. “At least, let me turn my back on you.”
You soon found Bakugou’s back indeed turned to you, looking out his window instead. You couldn’t help a small giggle before you walked up to him, grabbing hold of his wrist. “I just need your hand on my shoulder,” you reassured, placing his hand across the crook of your neck. “Just ground me. I won’t take long.”
Bakugou grumbled under his breath, but still kept his eyes outside of his room. Every movement you made caused his fingers to slip on your skin, feeling the tension in your muscles. He figured you had that backpack on for some time to keep you from flying away, but he also felt something else other than that. The short amount of time you spent with everyone downstairs gave him an odd feeling. Even the elevator ride up to his room was tense. Bakugou knew he hadn’t been keeping contact whether at the agency or on call, but today he saw something that you wanted to say.
It bothered him.
“Okay, you can let go now,” you said, allowing Bakugou to release his fingers and turn around to see you now fully dressed in your attire. What surprised him the most was that you were on the ground without any apparatus to hold you.
“Bracelets,” you explained, showing off metallic braces on your wrists. “And anklets. It took a while for support to come up with something practical for social outings.”
“Um… you look… good,” he complimented, taking you by surprise.
“Thanks, I’m glad you think so. Anything that’s good for Lord Explosion Murder-“
“Shut it with that name! It’s Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight!”
You giggled again, finding the joy of pushing his buttons sometimes before you noticed the time - close to the ETA.
“I’ll see you tonight, God Dynamight?” You asked with a smile. All you received was a scoff, enough of a response from Bakugou before leaving his dorm room and heading for the elevators. On the way, you walked past Todoroki, greeting with a quick hello before disappearing into the elevators, eager for the night to start.
Bakugou couldn’t stop this feeling that had him aloof and frustrated. He had tried to tell himself otherwise, focusing on his studies and his credentials to become a certified Pro-Hero. But with every phone call, every text, every passing moment he saw you, something stirred. It felt good, but it was wrong. You were with someone else - that Management student - that he knew did not treat you with the respect you deserved. The number of late night phone calls were proof of that, and yet, you still stayed with the man.
He couldn’t fathom your choice. And he hated it.
“Are you busy?” Asked Todoroki by his open door.
“Does it look like I’m busy?” Spat Bakugou.
“No.”
“What is it, Icy-Hot?”
“Are you going to do something about it?”
Bakugou eyed the dual-haired man, filled with anger from his thoughts, but silent without a scoff or a grumble. “What’s it to you?” he questioned with a sneer.
“We all know he’s bad news,” continued Todoroki. “Nepotism at its best.”
“Look who’s talking Half-and-Half, son of the Number One.”
“The point is that he’s rotten, never worked a day in his life, and was given a silver spoon. All signs of an arrogant, spoiled, hand-fed individual. And he doesn’t deserve them.”
Bakugou turned his glare onto Todoroki, noticing the seriousness in his eyes before he walked away from the door, leaving Bakugou with his last words. The blond stood in his room, contemplating on Todoroki’s words and the number of conversations to and fro about this feeling. He knew that the Management student was a bad egg, someone undeserving, yet he knew he couldn’t actively try to convince you. Even though he had time and time again called your beau a moron, it wasn’t enough.
For once, he hated not being direct over these years.
He grumbled while he rummaged through his closet, pulling out the outfit Kirishima had picked out for him for tonight. Perhaps seeing you later would ease the tension headache that persisted.
——
Night fell across the sky with the dying light of oranges turning into purples and the stars twinkling in the clear. The number of students that made their way to Gym Gamma came in waves, including the Hero students who came as a group. Despite his friends trying to persuade him to join, Bakugou advised he needed some time to get ready, earning a teasing jeer from Kaminari. Bakugou cared less about what words were shared, preferring to keep himself hidden after a majority of students had made their way to the prom planned for their graduation.
He was left to his thoughts, hoping that you had already made your way to Gym Gamma with your date for the night. He didn’t want to see that picture of you in his arms, knowing you chose him. That frustration brewed, coming to terms with his want of asking you to the event for months, and not going through with it.
After some time to his thoughts, Bakugou made his way, walking alone on the grounds of Heights Alliance. The quiet was deafening despite the loud music catching his ear ahead in the auditorium. He felt trapped in this emotional limbo, desperately needing to do something to satiate his need to see you. Pulling out his phone, he located your number, immediately texting without any hesitation.
I’m expecting a dance.
He smirked, feeling some sense of pride in himself, and hopefully reprieve from his own emotions until the sound of a phone caught his ear, one that immediately received a text. Bakugou stopped, turning towards the entrance of the school lecture halls, past the shoe lockers that lined the room. The closer he made his way, the louder the sobs, finding your cries echoing in the empty halls.
“Lightweight?” He called, catching your attention before you quickly tried to wipe away the tears that stained your cheeks.
From around the corner of the stairwell, you found him climbing towards you, his red eyes glaring at the sight of you sitting on the stairs, leaning underneath the railings.
“What did he do?” He quickly snapped.
“Nothing,” you spoke through your tears, attempting to calm yourself down. “He did nothing.”
“Like hell he didn’t!”
“No, Bakugou, just-“
“I’m gonna kill him.”
You saw a rage unlike anything you had seen in the blond. Despite your emotional state, you had gotten used to Bakugou’s anger, even understood it. But this was almost unspoken of, seering through his very core. Bakugou lost control. His own emotions spilled upon seeing you torn and worn, used and spat out as opposed to how happy you looked hours ago. Whatever frustrations he held, they were unleashed with a furious rage.
“He broke up with me,” you admitted, gaining Bakugou’s attention from the whirlwind of emotions he felt. “He didn’t want me to drag him through the mess that I am. I didn’t save enough. I wasn’t fast enough. I couldn’t-“
You held your head in your hands, trying to keep the tears at bay until you felt large hands grab hold of yours, pulling them away to reveal yourself to Bakugou, his eyes glaring into your red sore ones.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Asked Bakugou, his voice painted with a calm tone despite his gruff voice.
“… am I a Hero?” You asked, sniffling while your eyes looked away from his. “Am I good enough?”
Bakugou was surprised and yet confused by the question. He was still trying to understand his own feelings, this abrupt need to protect you everywhere you went despite your own independent and wayward nature.
“Five. I only saved five in two hours,” you continued. “And there were more bodies-“
You stopped your breath, holding your tears back from the thought, before the realization dawned on Bakugou. He had kept up with the news recently, a way to pass the time while waiting in his room earlier that night. An incident occurred in Musatafu involving multiple cars in a massive crash, and he recalled the body count.
He held onto your hands tightly, now realizing your hesitation to speak or start conversations. It would’ve been at the forefront of your mind, only masked by the smile you had all day for UA’s graduating classes. The next thought to follow left a bitter taste, wondering what that Management student must have said to you to think this way. With what Todoroki and he had discussed earlier that day, Bakugou could only fathom the disgusting nature of your interaction with someone who looked down at failures.
Tears continued to well up in your eyes. They wouldn’t stop. You couldn’t until you felt a large pair of arms hug you close, pushing you against the stairs but closer to his chest, engulfed in his embrace.
“You’re more than good enough,” whispered Bakugou in your ear, comforting your head against his shoulder. “You don’t need my approval or anyone else’s for that matter. You make that choice for yourself. You’re smart, you have common sense, half the time, and… you’re one of the few people I can talk to.”
He pulled you away, his eyes now glued back on yours while you stared into his, swallowing the words you just heard moments ago.
“He doesn’t deserve you,” he slowly started. “You deserve better than that trash. You know I already call him a moron, because he is one. You-“
“You ground me,” you interrupted.
“What?”
“You’ve always grounded me Bakugou. You’ve kept me close. You’ve always looked out for me. Why?”
Bakugou choked, wondering what to say, almost feeling like he was cornered, surrounded by the emotions that had been drowning him for months. Was it right? Was this the moment?
“I’m sorry I asked,” you quickly quipped, trying to stand before you felt yourself pull back into Bakugou, his lips crashing into yours. It was a light kiss, despite the rush into it, almost hesitant on its touch before you eased into his rhythm. He was warm, tender, and it lit a spark that you wished would never stop while you held onto his neck. He pulled away slowly, caressing your cheek and embracing your breath on his, feeling every part of you while you sat by the stairs.
“You’re worthy to be a Hero,” whispered Bakugou. “And I’m proud to have you stand with me out there.”
“I’m worthy to be next to God Dynamight?” You asked with laughter breaking through your tears.
“Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh.”
Whatever sadness that broke your heart was mended in that moment, by none other than Bakugou of all people. Still, for all those moments the both of you shared, you felt a bond with him, one that incited jealousy from a growing toxic partnership. He was an explosive light that brightened the dark. He was the warmth that healed the pain.
“Still, the God Dynamight will always keep me grounded,” you continued with a smile. “Starting from zero.”
“Just call me Katsuki, dumbass,” he inferred with a growl, causing another giggle to erupt from you. “How about you come to my graduation prom with me, Twinkle Toes?”
Today was meant to be a simple day, but it wasn’t simple at all. It was more than that.
It was the start of something wonderful.
32 notes · View notes
hidden-otaku-stuff · 3 years
Text
Different but the Same (epilogue)
Tumblr media
tw: mentions of drinking, bad coping mechanisms, jealousy/envy
Word count: 1.8k
Rating: R18+/M
Omegaverse AU, Rating: 18+/M
Pairings: Iwaizumi x fem!reader, Ushijima x fem!reader
Summary: An unexpected encounter at the Inter-High tournament tossed you into a whirlwind. Being tugged between two males, two different packs, who will reign supreme in this battle for your heart?
Masterlist | prev
epilogue
“...I can’t return your feelings.” She hesitated. “No matter how much I feel drawn to you, my love for Hajime will always be stronger and it isn’t fair to you or him to take you on as my mate.” 
“I understand.” 
Everything hurt. 
A sudden gust of wind blew the scent of pine over to the two, drawing their eyes to Iwaizumi who was standing by the chain-link fence. “Thank you for allowing me to be the Omega for your pack, Ushijima-san.” He winced at the formalities. “I wish you luck in your future endeavours.” 
Ushijima gave her a stiff nod, grasping her hand softly. He pressed his lips to her knuckles. “Thank you for your kindness, (Name).” 
She gave him a soft smile, nodding at him before escaping from his grasp like water that trickled down cupped hands. The Omega made her way over to Iwaizumi who opened his arms to her. Stepping into them, Ushijima watched as Iwaizumi’s hands fell onto her waist, pulling her flush against him as he pressed the gentlest of kisses to her forehead. 
*****
Wakatoshi Ushijima would always remain in some facet of their lives. She finished the season out with the Shiratorizawa pack, letting their mark fade and leaving a faint scar. On some days, she could feel a lingering ghost of emotion through it, typically more intense emotions after events like when he lost his first professional match. Since the accidental bonding, they’d had a frank discussion about what had happened. He understood her decision, though it had broken his heart. Ushijima never did find another Omega like her. Later, he ended up marking and mating with an Omega he had met while traveling with his professional team, but there were some nights, when he looked at the sky and thought about the strawberry Omega that had slipped away from him. 
Iwaizumi and (Name) both ended up at the same university, both studying some form of sports. Iwaizumi studied sport medicine while she studied sport management with a focus on marketing. This, and the fact that Oikawa played volleyball professionally still, kept them in the loop of the going-ons of volleyball. All three of their fates would forever intertwine with volleyball. The summer after they graduated, Iwaizumi and (Name) got married, with invites extending to both the Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa packs. Though she didn’t maintain the mark, the Omega was still always included in Shiratorizawa annual reunions having won their hearts all those years ago. It wasn’t unheard of for both the teams to host reunion plans because of that. Since it was rare for Ushijima to go due to his intense schedule, they never really worried about it but whenever they encountered the Apex Alpha, they were always cordial. 
*****
Gravel crackled under their feet as they went through the pristine white gates, heading to one such gathering. A firm hand laid on her hip, the other occupied with a smaller hand. In her arm was a tray of onigiri, her other hand also similarly occupied with an even smaller hand. “Hey, (Name)! Welcome back to Japan!” 
A dazzling smile made its way to her face as she greeted her old friend. “Well, well, if it isn’t Semi Eita,” she teased. The child on her left, Daitan, held her hands out to the former setter, begging to be carried. “It’s so great to be home.” 
A few years ago, Iwaizumi had moved them out to California for an internship, and that’s where their children had been born. They’d only just gotten back to Japan a year ago.
“Oh wow, you’re getting so big Princess!” He picked up the toddler, spinning her around in greeting. 
“Eita, be careful.” Besides him was his mate, Jen, a lovely Alpha that (Name) had introduced him to from one of her college classes. 
“I’ll be back, love,” Iwaizumi’s gruff voice whispered in her ear, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips before he slipped off with their son, Arakan, to join his pack-mates. 
“Uncle Tendou!” Her daughter squirmed in Semi’s arms, reaching out to the red-haired middle blocker as he suddenly appeared at Semi’s shoulder.
“Well well well! If it isn’t my little darling,” Tendou cheered, scooping the child out of Semi’s arms as he ran away. 
“There goes my children and husband,” (Name) chuckled, turning back to Semi and his mate. “How have you two been? I haven’t seen you guys since last Christmas.” He shrugged, a mischievous smile on his face as he placed a hand on his mate’s stomach. (Name)’s mouth dropped, “no, you aren’t!” They both nodded, glee on their faces.
“Twins too!” Semi chirped. His mate playfully shoved him.
“I don’t know how you manage to wrangle those two together. I’m so nervous for when these two little pups join us.” Jen rolled her eyes. “They keep me up at all hours of the night, and I get to send him on all types of late-night craving runs.” 
“Mommy, mommy!” A loud cry pierced the air as Daitan scrambled to her side, begging for the Omega’s attention. A laugh slipped from her lips as (Name) scooped her daughter up, letting her rest against the hip. “Uncle Oikawa is being mean to me!” The tanned setter appeared from the path that the toddler cleared, panting. Glancing around, she noticed Tendou preoccupied with another female. 
“I did not!” 
“Did too! He took the ball from me and wouldn’t teach me how to set.” 
The other former third-years of Aoba Johsai followed the child, jumping in as they made fun of the former captain. Semi and the two Omegas simply laughed at his reddening face. Iwaizumi came over, his hand holding tightly onto the hand of the older male toddler, who had his father’s disposition. His hand found its way to his mate’s waist again, gripping it softly as he pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek. A cry from the boy had (Name) lifting Arakan onto the other side of her hip. 
****
His thundering footsteps were followed by softer ones. Her hand clutched at his, nails digging in as a citrus scent bittered in apprehension. It had been years since he had seen his pack-mates, and it had been years since his Omega had met them. The only encounter they had at their wedding had been brief. “You’ll be okay.” His deep voice filled the stagnant air as they walked under the arch. Ushijima Kei, his Omega, pursed her lips at his words but remained silent. As they entered, a warm strawberry scent overwhelmed him instantly. A sigh—almost one of relief—escaped him as his eyes wandered. His jaw relaxed as they found her. Kei’s brown eyes narrowed slightly at his reaction, noticing where his gaze fell. Citrus bittered even more at it, unnoticed by Ushijima. 
“Wakatoshi!” The spell broke as his attention was brought back to Earth, an arm thrown around his shoulder. “It’s been so long!” 
“Hello Tendou.” 
Tendou’s wide smile filled his face as he looked beyond Ushijima, his other arm supporting a young girl. “And this must be your lovely wife, Kei! You look as lovely as you did on your wedding day.” The child squirmed in his arms; Ushijima could faintly catch the smell of strawberries on her. “Off you go darling! You should go bother Oikawa,” he grinned, placing the child down as he gently pushed her in the direction of the setter. He turned back to the couple who watched as the toddler ran off. Oikawa’s loud exclamation filled the air as he scooped the child into a hug.
“Hello again, Tendou. I hope you’re well.” They continued to make small talk as they made their way to the table of food. Ushijima wanted to pick up a bottle of beer but reached for sparkling water instead. Due to his rigorous training schedule, he wasn’t allowed to enjoy small luxuries like that. As he opened the bottle to sip at it, his gaze wandered back onto her. The way the golden rays bathed her made her look like a goddess to him, almost as pretty as Aphrodite in the Greek myths of old. Her laugh tugged at his heartstrings. 
The bitter citrus scent became stiflingly warm. 
“Are you okay?” Ushijima’s gaze shifted back to his Omega, who looked uncomfortable. She shook her head, telling him that there was nothing wrong. He hummed in response. Olive eyes spotted Goshiki. “I’ll be back,” he promised, making his way towards his kouhai. Kei let out a noise of discontent, eyes flitting back to the other Omega. Tendou’s gaze followed hers, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“Do you know (Name)-chan?” 
Kei froze, doe-eyes blinking at Tendou. She stammered in response as Tendou grinned benevolently. 
“Don’t worry! She was just our lovely Omega manager in our third-year of high school.” 
Hesitation filled her, citrus scorching his nose. “Wakatoshi seems...taken..with her.” 
“I’m not surprised,” Tendou hummed, sipping at his beer. “They were courting at one point.” He tilted his bottle at (Name) as they watched Iwaizumi rejoin her side. “They’d both marked her at one point, but she ended up choosing Iwaizumi instead.” 
Kei’s mouth ran dry, fist clenching at her side. “I see..” 
They surveyed the couple as the Omega’s laugh carried to them. She watched as (Name) picked up her children. Kei grabbed Tendou’s beer, finishing it off for him as his eyebrows raised at her actions. 
She and Ushijima had been married for years now, having met at one of his practice matches. As a sports medic, she had taped up his fingers when he had accidentally hurt himself serving and since then, he’d started courting her. A loud hiss sliced through the tense, stale air as another beer was opened and downed. 
They had never once talked about having pups. Nor had he ever mentioned his past, let alone the fact that he had courted and marked another woman. 
Her eyes wandered back to her mate, watching his expression. Tendou couldn’t help following her gaze, sighing as he shook his head at his best friend.   
Olive eyes were transfixed on the Omega and her children. Ushijima’s heart had both warmed and cracked at the scene. He had always imagined that she would make a wonderful mother. He just wished that it was his pups that she was carrying. Another pang of envy slipped through him as her (e/c) eyes drifted and met his olive ones. A small smile, meant only for him. Smaller, dark brown eyes swiveled to look at what her mother was smiling at. A tiny fist waved at him, a wide smile that reminded him of her appeared on the toddler’s face. If only he hadn’t let himself get lost along the way, perhaps he could have had a chance. After all, he wasn’t too different from Iwaizumi, was he?
*****
Fun facts:
Arakan means worthy one, hero
Daitan means daring, bold one
Kei means reverence, rapture
*****
A/N: Holy fuck y’all. I deadass have been working on this for months. If I’m being honest, it was up in the air of who she was going to end up with. Thank you for joining me in this monster of a self-indulgent A/B/O read. I love this type of dynamic, and I was honestly struggling to find good content so might as well, y’know?
How are we feeling? Is this what you expected? What was your favourite part about DBTS?
Please, spam my ask-box with your thoughts/comments/ideas. God I’m so emotional just posting this asdfghjkl
Just like for Lockscreens, I will be permanently opening DBTS Supplements! Feel free to send in your suggestions, ideas, and/or questions about their future. 
If you have any comments about their past, please send them my way too! I’m slowly working on a prequel for DBTS featuring Iwaizumi and (Name).
Major shout-out to everyone who has been reading from the beginning, to everyone who has joined throughout the journey, and especially to @newfriendjen​ (aka Semi’s mate) for always beta-reading for me and for letting me bounce ideas off of her! 
Taglist: @sawamooora​​  @kriswu46​​ @pantasticalcat​​ @shadowkunoichi​​ @awuariyuh​​ @4lfalfagarlic​​ @kuroowh0r3 @sourapplex​​ @pastelpuffbar​​​ @froyopet​​​ @micheleinumaki​​​ @gywjd0131​​​ @aideen00 @loudpoetry23 @kaizumi​​​ @chrisrue15​​​@aideen00 @Mayor-chu-of-many-towns @ ephemeralninon @kinkymint  @dabilove27​​​ @sol-demure​​​ @dark-mermaid25​​​ @otaku-explosion​​​ @fake-id-69 @zlatanakermann​​​ @killuaking​​​ @hxsxxk-180294​​​  @uwukris​​​ @cheerysparkle​​​ @seiijixcia​​​ @tsumue​​​ @shoyomeow​​​ @vicassa​​​ @newfriendjen​​​ @jubilee40​​​  @kiritokunuwu​​​  @cuddlesslut​​​ @terminallyvolatile​​​ @indecisivehusky​​​ @kaitycole​​​ @bioticbarbie @reaper-chan666​​​ @ash-aph​​​​ @aruhappy​​​ @fortunatelylazystranger​​​
*Bolded names were unable to be tagged
180 notes · View notes
blazinbeautywrites · 3 years
Text
Quiet
Tumblr media
Note: Due to the rampant uprising of plagiarism on this site and others I am stating once and once only that this is my ORIGINAL work. If I find out that you have stolen/taken any part of my work I will handle you and the situation the way I see fit.
None of the pics or gifs I use belong to me so full credit goes to the originators of said gifs and pics.
Length: 1,528 words
Genre: Smut
A/N: I missed my mans Christian and he been looking delicious in his recent releases and appearances and now I feel some type of way.
Luxe wanted to be anywhere but at this dumbass party her parents decided to throw in her honor. They were celebrating the fact that she finished medical school and was now a doctor. She thought it was all unnecessary. While everyone was mingling she snuck off and was enjoying herself in her parents back garden when she heard someone clear their throat. She smiled as she immediately knew who it was.
“Christian.” She said as she went to hug him.
“Luxe Morgan Johnson. My my have you grown.” Christian replied.
“Oh my god. I see you’re still a huge flirt.” She said.
“Only for you baby girl.” He retorted.
“Ew gross. How did you even find me out here?” She asked.
“I know you too well. Plus you’ve always said this was your favorite place to relax, especially when your parents annoyed you.” Christian said as he took a seat next to her on freshly mowed grass.
“I missed you, you know. I don’t know if your mom told you, but I came looking for you that summer after I graduated from college. She said you were long gone. What happened?” Luxe asked.
“Honestly? Nothing bad I just…...I had to get out of this town. My dad was on me to take over the firm, my mom wanted me to apply myself more in school. I had enough so I just left.” Christian replied.
“You should have called me. I would have been there for you.” Luxe said. She was a little hurt that her best friend had kept this from her but she figured he had his reasons so she dropped the issue.
“I know I know but that’s in the past. But anyways your dad sent me out here to get you because dinner is being served in a few minutes.” Christian said. He stood up and held out his hand to pull her up. Luxe dusted off her clothes and headed inside with Christian. She walked in just as the servers started to bring out appetizers. As she took her seat she looked at all of the relatives and family friends and wanted to throw up. She vaguely remembered most of these people looking down upon her and her parents as they struggled to succeed. Now look at them, all gathered around her parent’s luxurious dining table ready to eat thousands of dollars worth of food. She shook those thoughts out of her head as Christian took a seat next to her. Once everyone was settled her dad lightly tapped his fork against his champagne glass and Luxe was not looking forward to whatever speech he was about to give.
“I just want to say that I’m so glad you all could make it. I am so proud of my baby girl and all that she’s achieved. TO LUXE!” Her dad cheered, the guests following his lead. One by one the guests gave speeches but Luxe and Christian were in their own little world.
“I’m sorry but this shit is boring. I need some entertainment.” Christian whispered to Luxe. Feeling his hot breath on her neck made her tingle. She shifted in her seat and Christian noticed. He smirked to himself and placed his left arm on his lap. He made sure no one was looking and slowly slipped his hand to the inside of her thighs. Luxe inhaled a sharp breath and tried her best to relax but how could she when her best friend’s hand was under her skirt. She composed herself and continued to listen to the speeches as Christian’s fingers ghosted over her lacy underwear. Thankfully the last person had just finished giving their speech and everyone was now free to eat. Luxe could still feel his hand between her legs as he lightly rubbed her through her underwear, making it extremely hard for her to eat her food.
“Ummm, I have to freshen up. Those speeches really moved me. Be right back.” Luxe quickly got up and made a beeline for their guest bathroom that was right off the dining area. She leaned over the sink and tried to calm her nerves. After about a couple minutes, she heard the door open and when she looked in the mirror she saw Christian standing behind her.
“You good?” Christian asked.
“You know damn well I’m not. What the hell was that?” Luxe asked.
“You seemed a little tense, I was just trying to help you. Plus like I said, I was bored and needed some entertainment.
“So your form of entertainment is fingering girls underneath the table in a room full of people? She asked.
“I mean I couldn’t bend you over the table so under the table was the next best thing.” He replied. He bit his lip and stared her down. Luxe kept up the eye contact, almost challenging him.
“So why are you in here? Did my dad send you to find me again?” Luxe asked.
“Does is matter why I’m here? Plus, I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I saw you sitting in the garden.” Christian said. Wasting no time Luxe pulled him in for a deep, passionate kiss when he suddenly pulled away. She was taken aback and got worried.
“What’s wrong? You okay?” She asked.
“Nah I’m good, it’s just…….that’s not where I wanted to kiss you.” He said as he slid to his knees. Once at eye level with her heat he pulled her skirt down and watched as it fell to her feet. He ran a finger up her soaked underwear and she let out a moan that was music to Christian’s ears. He stared at her as he moved her underwear to the side. He licked a long stripe up her slick folds and she visibly shuddered.
“I-I need more. Fuck I need more.” Luxe moaned out. Christian was more than happy to oblige. He immediately dug in. He began eating her like she was his last meal. Luxe lost her balance and he swung her leg over his shoulder. She grabbed a hold of his raven locks and tried to steady herself some more. Her other hand held onto the wall and she was losing her grip.
“Mmmm you taste so damn good. Bend over for me.” Christin demanded. Luxe obeyed and turned around and when she looked in the mirror she became even more aroused. Especially the way he was looking at her. He pushed her forwards, bending her over the counter in the bathroom. He  gave a sharp slap on the ass and inserted 2 fingers inside of her.
“Fuckfuckfuuuuuck.” Luxe moaned.
“Like I said before, I need you to be quiet.” He spoke the last part in her ear, making her shiver. He moved his fingers, massaging her insides. This drove her insane.
“Oh shit. Just like that baby oh my god.” She breathed out as he fingered her at a vigorous pace. 
“You take my fingers so well baby girl. God I can’t wait to be inside that tight little pussy.” Christian said. He pulled her up by her throat and kissed her as his fingers continued their assault on her already sensitive pussy. She could taste herself on his lips and it took all her self control not to drop to her knees and suck his dick dry.
“I’m about to come, shit I’m about to come.” Luxe cried out. Her legs gave out and she came hard. Christian didn’t stop and continued fingering her.
“Come on you can take one more, can’t you?” He teased. Luxe clung onto his jacket as he guided her through another orgasm. She was spent and had no idea how she was going to go sit at a table full of family and friends and pretend she wasn’t a soaking wet mess. Once she’d calmed down a bit she turned back around and took his fingers and licked them clean. 
“Mmmmmm. Tasty.” She said as she made eye contact when she was done. Christian’s pants felt tighter as he was rock hard. Oh he was gonna fuck the shit out of her as soon as he gets the chance. He washed his hands and helped her pull herself back together and they made their way back to the dining room.
“Ah there she is. Honey are you okay? You look a little flustered.” Luxe’s mom said.
“Yeah she’s okay. Just a little emotional that’s all. But everything is fine now.” He said. Luxe and Christian exchanged knowing looks as he pulled her chair out for her.
“Wow. Lying to my parents? Good move.” Luxe teased.
“Well I damn sure can’t tell them that I made their daughter cum twice in the span of 10 minutes.” He replied.
“You're in for a ride of your life sweetie. I plan on getting you back later on.” Luxe said as she took a sip from her wine glass.
“Oh is that a threat?” He asked.
“It’s a promise.” She replied. They clinked their glasses together and shared a look of anticipation. Both knew that their night was far from over and they were excited to explore this new side of their relationship.
149 notes · View notes
cl-01-kestis · 3 years
Text
Dismay - Grand Admiral Thrawn x Rebel!Reader | Prologue
Summary: You had lived on Csilla your whole life as a human with adoptive Chiss parents. You enter the Imperial academy with high hopes for your future career, but your career is quickly forgotten about when you end up sleeping with your comrade, Lieutenant Thrawn.
Warnings: Long-Ish, mentions of sex, sexual tension, pregnancy, lots of abrupt time skips, I’m also switching up the events in the timeline a bit
(If something is in italics, it means the reader and Thrawn are speaking in Cheunh)
Tumblr media
You stood as straight as you possibly could, arms clasped behind your back as you kept your chin high, avoiding contact with the commanding officer as much as you could handle as he inspected your room. He sniffed about it as if there was a bad stench, bending down to make sure there were no creases in your bed before leaning back up and nodding.
“Very good Lieutenant (S/N), at ease” He ordered, your shoulders and arms relaxing as you brought your hands to your sides. You thanked him politely before he left to inspect the next room beside yours and leave you be. You let out a breath you weren’t aware you held in, your chest pounding as you quickly turned around and took the condom wrapper out of your uniform pocket, chucking it inside the small bin on the side of your bed before tidying yourself up and heading for the mess hall go get breakfast.
On your way there, you felt a pleasant ache in your inner thighs but you brushed the memories of the night before away to the back of your head when you greeted your superiors that passed you in the hall. When you arrived at the mess hall, you looked to the table you usually sat at and noticed Eli and Thrawn chatting to themselves. You smiled, pushing away the tension in your stomach when you saw the Chiss man and made your way over to the table with a confident stride in your step.
“Well morning! You look hellish!” Eli exclaimed with a happy, sarcastic tone, his brows raised as you sat down next to him and shook your head, scowling at him.
“Bad sleep” You murmured, flashing Thrawn a glance which he caught and caused the corner of his lip to curl up in amusement.
“You always have a bad sleep, try getting to sleep earlier? That’s why I’m always as fresh as a daisy in the morning” Eli bragged, flicking his hair in a sassy manner which made you giggle.
“You’re well behaved, that’s the difference between us Eli” You judged him before reaching over the table to steal Thrawn’s half finished drink. He didn’t bother complaining, he wasn’t thirsty anyway and this was something you always done in the morning, ever since the two of you first got together. Eli stared at Thrawn.
“Do you not want a drink? It’s hard getting another one, you know” Eli informed Thrawn with a knowing expression, earning a shrug and a soft hun from the Chiss who looked back to you sipping on his drink.
“I’m not thirsty” Was Thrawn’s come back, taking another cautious bite of his sludge-looking food that the Empire always supplied during breakfast, lunch and dinner. You hid your smile in the cup, trying not to giggle as Thrawn’s gaze turned sharp, as if he was telling you that if you made a sound there would he hell to pay.
“I wonder how long Chiss can go for without drinking or eating” Eli raised a brow, crossing his arms and leaning back in his black plastic chair which creaked unpleasantly.
“Probably much longer than us, Eli” You chuckled, setting the now empty cup back down on the lunch table and returning your gaze to Thrawn and Eli.
Eli scoffed, unable to come up with a reply as he looked around the room and tapped his fingers on the sleeve of his shirt. You took the opportunity to glance at Thrawn once again, noticing his eyes were glued on you as well and narrowed when your gaze connected to his.
“Are you coming tonight?” Thrawn asked in Cheunh, knowing fine well Eli wasn’t listening in. You eyed Thrawn darkly, looking to Eli who was in his own world and was yelling over at another comrade from another table.
“Of course, don’t tell me... you’re starting to like my company?” You smirked, teasing Thrawn who frowned at your playful attitude, jaw clenched and eyes fixated entirely on you as you trailed your finger on the edge of the cup.
“No comment” The Chiss said finally before the Imperial alarm went off, signaling the start to another day at the Imperial academy. You stood up from your chair, slapping Eli on the head to knock him out of his tired trance which almost made him fall out of his chair. You didn’t bother hiding your laugh since the room was swarming with conversation. Surprisingly, you earned yourself a soft chuckle from Thrawn who was no longer frowning. You hated to admit it but his smile made your heart flutter, it was beautiful.
For years you had known Thrawn, since you were practically children, and only now did you develop feelings and start... well, sleeping around with him. It wasn’t exactly the best way to express how you felt towards him but this was the Imperial Academy, not a matchmaking school. You knew by the time the both of you graduated, you’d most likely never see him again, and you weren’t prepared for that, not now, not ever.
-
It had been three years since graduation, making you 28. Things were going just as you imagined them to be, but at the same time it wasn’t a complete shit show. You and Thrawn had been assigned to the same program after the both of you graduated, so you were stuck with him unless you went on special missions that included an assassination of some kind. You were the commander of a small squadron of highly trained soldiers that took care of the Empire’s dirty work, only you were in a higher rank than just an average assassin.
As for your relationship with Thrawn - even though you didn’t get to see him as often as you did in the Academy, your presence would be requested to his chambers around once every month, which only meant one thing. Thrawn was very cautious about his reputation as the ships Vice-Admiral, he wanted to uphold the respect towards his name and make his meetings with you as secret as possible, cutting off any chances that your secret would be discovered. You would meet him most when everyone else was asleep, tip toeing your way to his chambers in nothing but your black nightgown and putting in the code he gave you so you could get in without authorisation. Nights with Thrawn were always spent well, he would make the most of your time and if you ever slept in his chambers overnight, he would wake you up early to hurry you back to your own chambers in time for inspection. He would kindly let you use his shower and leave some of your stuff in his room, of course hiding it under his bed so no one saw it when room inspection was taking place. Training was also on the table, he would teach you different combat skills to use and he even once let you go up against one of the sentry droids.
Thrawn offered you many of his own comforts, just like he did back at the Academy. After sex he would always play with your hair and tell you things he remembered from when you both lived on Csilla and the memories of your shared childhood. You were always the first one to fall asleep due to how soothing his voice was, even if he was commanding others he would sound so calming to you.
But only recently had things drastically changed.
You woke up one morning with the most awful headache and the urge to spew up your guts. Without even thinking, you ran to your refresher and threw up in the toilet, stomach churning each time you coughed and gagged over the toilet. A part of you knew, your mind was screaming at you with all sorts of things that could happen to you if you were in fact pregnant. But after a trip to the medbay and a checkup with one of the medical droids, your horrors were confirmed.
You were pregnant, very pregnant in fact, and you were too late to get a termination. Your dreams of your future career with the Empire vanished the moment you heard what the medical droid had to say, considering you were also having the Vice-Admirals baby, which meant Thrawn would most likely have his reputation shattered and rank stripped from him completely. The both of you would be kicked out, and that was the last thing you wanted especially with Thrawn.
You were 3 months pregnant when you found out, looking at your stomach you could definitely see the small bump poking out and also started eventually showing through your uniform. If someone ever asked about it, you would plaster the truth up by saying you had gained a lot of weight. If Thrawn had any suspicions, you wouldn’t know. And that terrified you. For weeks you had been deciding what to do without telling a single thing to Thrawn, but that’s when you had a ridiculously dangerous idea.
What if you joined the rebellion?
It was a stupid side thought at first but the more you looked into it the more you were considering it. A part of you told you not to do it, it would cost not only your life but your babies as well if the Empire were to find out. But at the same time, the Empire had never been kind. You were aware of all the terrible things they were responsible for and all the years you were working with them, you pretended not to notice. That was until now.
You took your chance and escaped the Empire without a word, dressed in your usual commander uniform but a black cloak covered you whilst you carried your bag full of everything you had in your room. You had left many things in Thrawn’s room but you didn’t dare go and collect them, not to leave and never see him again. Leaving now was hard enough, you didn’t need the burden of seeing him before you left. Luckily your base was located on Coruscant so you didn’t need to steal any ties to escape. You got past security, slipping into the shadows and using your stealth to not get spotted by any wondering stormtroopers. You successfully got out of the base and took the first transport out of Coruscant, leaving your life at the Empire behind and burying all the memories you had in their grave once and for all. You tried not to cry on the transport, hiding your face with the hood on your cloak and cloaking the hot tears running down your face.
The transport took you to a planet called Yavin 4, dropping you off at the outskirts and leaving you stranded beside what appeared to be a base of some sort. You’d heard about the Rebel base on Yavin, it was absolutely tiny and hard to notice but you were no stranger to rebel antics, you practically studied them your whole career in order to take them down. With a cautious approach, you grabbed the attention of all the rebels stationed at the base but you surrendered the moment they pointed their blasters at you with panic.
You stated why you were there, begging them not to shoot since you were pregnant and needed help hiding from the Empire. As reluctant as they were to help you, there were some who accepted you without thinking. One of those many people was a woman called Ahsoka Tano, she was very kind to you and she gave you a place to sleep which was in her room. There were two beds so you two would be roommates, and you didn’t have a problem with that at all.
By the time your baby arrived, you were a full blown rebel. You ditched your Empire uniform and sported comfortable beige, brown and cream tones. You gave all the information you knew about the Empire to those who were working at the base on Yavin and overtime, success started increasing. You had gotten multiple questions from almost everyone about who the father was, and every time you refused to answer. As for Ahsoka, she didn’t pry at all into your past and what your life used to be like. The most you told her was that you were adopted by a Chiss couple and raised on Csilla, you were fluent in Cheunh and you were 28. You didn’t ask anything about her either, but you had a feeling she was a woman who had went through more than anyone you had ever known.
As for your baby, when the time came for you to deliver, most of the rebels were rooting for you around camp. Multiple hours of labour went by, a total of 35, and you gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with bright blue skin and red eyes just like Thrawn. Everyone celebrated that night but many people were surprised to find that the father was a Chiss, considering their kind were extremely reserved and considered sex to be a somewhat taboo. You stuck to the Chiss traditions and named your daughter Mitth’omani’zorva, but you and the rebels called her Omani for short.
Your life on Yavin was quiet for a very long time, up until the Empire started gaining real power and started targeting the planet. You and Ahsoka raised Omani together since there was no father and the Togrota felt as though there should be another parent just so you could get some support. Raising Omani was more difficult than you thought, she cried a lot at night which gave both you and Ahsoka hardly any sleep, but most of the time Ormani fell asleep cuddling up on your chest after a quick feed. She wasn’t much of a challenge to get to sleep but it wasn’t fun when she was crying at 3am.
As for Thrawn? You knew nothing. You heard his name being mentioned a few times by a couple rebels but never anything important. You never let his name slip from your lips in suspicion to Omani, you didn’t want the rebels putting the pieces together and realising there was only one main Chiss in the Empire. No one had figured it out for a long time, not until the time Omani was 14 to be exact.
You and Omani had an unbreakable bond, it was clear to the rebels that there was nothing more important to either of you than each other. You couldn’t live without Omani, despite her reminding you everyday of her father who had no idea she existed. You tried on countless occasions to open up about Thrawn to Omani but nothing ever slipped past your lips, you were too scared to tell her that her father was in fact one of the strongest bodies in the Empire and a Grand Admiral. You did teach her about Chiss culture though, her first language was Cheunh and you also taught her Aurebesh when she reached about 7. You taught her a bit about your own culture as a human, you even bought your own ship and flew around the galaxy to show her different kinds of planets along side Ahsoka who came as extra security.
But coming up to present day, things were changing. And the only name that was being whispered around the base was Thrawn, marking the start to the worst era of your life.
93 notes · View notes
avidreider · 3 years
Text
Journals Part 1 ~ flatline (Spencer Reid x Reader)
Journals Series 
Based on the song, “Flatline” by Justin Bieber. 
Summary: Spencer is physically and emotionally distant and Reader decides that she won’t tolerate it anymore.
Pairing: (Pre-Prison) Spencer Reid x Reader. 
CW: angst, cursing. 
Key: Y/N = your name, italicized = unspoken thoughts, bold = texts/emails/notes, bold + italicized = song lyrics. 
-- I do not own rights to the gif nor the song. -- 
Tumblr media
When you and Spencer first started dating, you couldn’t have been happier if you tried. He was always so attentive and caring and all of your previous relationship trauma and insecurities melted away. He had been rather transparent about the fact that he came with a past of traumatic experiences of his own, but he refused to weigh you down with the details of all that baggage. His friends vaguely explained that he suffered from addiction and lost a past girlfriend at the hands of an unsub. However, you never discussed any of this with Spencer. Regardless, you assured him that you would stand by him no matter what. 
Your relationship progressed somewhat quickly, but it was because the feelings you had for each other ran so deep. You didn’t get to spend much time with him - you were a medical resident and the nature of Spencer’s job significantly limited your time together. You dedicated large chunks of time to your own job, though, so you never complained about how much time he spent with the BAU. 
You did begin to complain, however, when he would leave in the middle of the night for ‘work,’ but then you’d get a call from Penelope or Emily asking you two what you were up to on an evening off. The first time it happened, you assumed that he just needed a break after a long case. But the second, third, and fourth time you became quite insecure. And this night, the fifth time, you felt the anger before anything else. 
“Sorry, baby, but I have to head into work. They need me,” Spencer had said to you, as he walked into the bathroom to get ready. You were immediately suspicious, so you called Emily to confirm your suspicions. 
“Hello? You okay, Y/N?” she said when she answered on the second ring. 
“Yes, Em, I’m fine! How are you?”
“I’m okay. I think Morgan, Garcia, and I are gonna go out for some drinks if you and Reid would like to come!” 
You felt your eyebrows shoot up, even though you weren’t necessarily surprised. “I’ll discuss it with him. Thanks for the invite!” and with that, you hung up. 
“So Spence, what’s the case that has you rushing off at 11pm?”
“Oh, we won’t know until we get there,” he responded. 
“That’s so unfair that they’re making you work, especially when half the team is out clubbing,” you spat, daring him to deny the truth that you already knew. 
When he said nothing, you inquired, “This isn’t the first time that you have said you had to go work when you didn’t. So what is going on? Did you fall off the wagon? Is there another woman? Did you lose the feelings you had for me?”
“No, Y/N, God -- how can you think that I’ve been doing drugs?”
“That wasn’t the only thing that I asked you, Spence.” 
“I have been going into the office to help JJ with the backlog of paperwork that she has to deal with. I also go there just to clear my head. I don’t want to just sit around here with you when I can’t focus on you. I don’t want to bring my work or other problems home with me -- I want to keep this apartment a happy place.” 
“Oh Spence, it’s our apartment. Of course it’s a happy place. I don’t want you to feel like you have to face your demons alone. If there is anything you want to talk about, I am here for you. I love you, babe, and your problems are my problems,” you assured, as your rubbed soothing circles onto his back. 
He hugged you back, and a few moments passed before he spoke again. “I don’t want my problems to end up being your problems, Y/N. You are so incredible, and-and I’m sorry, don’t take this the wrong way, but I just need some space.” 
Your mouth was wide with shock. Space? How could you take that in the ‘right’ way? How could he ask you for space when you only spent a few short hours with him in the span of a week? Your residency takes up between 40-80 of those hours, and his job usually takes up more than that. You also make a conscious effort to spend time with his friends and your friends, as well as designate time for yourselves. You practice self-care or go to the gym, while he sits at his desk and reads, or writes letters to his mother. When you do spend time together, you rarely argue. You snuggle as he reads to you, or talks about his cases (and you talk about your day at the hospital), you watch your favorite television shows, or you’re asleep. You thought that you had the perfect relationship. But apparently Spencer didn’t agree. 
“I’m just gonna go out and get drinks with Emily, Derek, and Penelope. You can come if you want, but otherwise, just enjoy your ‘space,’“ you said, with a snarky emphasis on the last word. And with that, you got dressed and walked out the door. 
You stumble back into your apartment early the next morning, and end up passing out on the couch. When you wake up, Spencer is sitting in the chair next to you with almost a guilty look on his face. “Good morning,” he said once he saw your eyes open. 
“Good morning,” you mumble. 
“So, I’ve been meaning to tell you something. I’ve agreed to be a volunteer teacher at a local high school. They’re incredibly short-staffed, and they want me to step in when I can for physics, biology, and psychology. I-I also agreed to be a mentor for the school’s chess club,” he said. 
“Okay, Spence. That sounds like a great opportunity,” you replied with feigned optimism. Great. Even less time I get to spend with him. But whatever. If he needs this much space from me, I’ll give it to him. 
The next couple weeks passed slowly; Spencer was only home early in the mornings (while you had to get ready for your shift at the hospital), and late at night (when you were already asleep). You loved that he was so passionate about his job, but you were beginning to feel resentful that he chose to take on all these other commitments when it was clear he was neglecting your relationship. 
Lately you've been busy, Wonderin' if you miss me, Why did you go against me? I just wanna know... How come you act so different? Talk to me, I'll listen, All the love I'm givin', don't act like you don't know...  
You hadn’t been intimate in nearly 3 weeks; the last time being a few days before you went out for drinks with Emily, and you hadn’t felt like he truly loved you since even before that night. And quite frankly, those feelings were justified because he hadn’t said it since then, either. He still called you periodically, and texted you when calling you wasn’t an option, but those conversations were incredibly dry and only made you feel worse. In a desperate attempt to try to feel connected to Spencer, you logged onto his laptop on his desk and, if you were being honest with yourself, started snooping. You found that he had been emailing a teacher at the high school that he volunteers at. You wanted so badly to trust him, but the feeling your gut told you to read them.
To: Ms. Everett
From: Spencer Reid 
Re: Biology 
Ms. Everett 
Thank you so much for letting me lead the lecture on genetics. You sure know your stuff! Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t believe that you teach high school! You are a brilliant woman, I can’t believe you aren’t out there finding the cure for cancer or something. If there is anything else that I can do for you or your class, please don’t hesitate to email or call me! 
With Regards, 
Spencer Reid
Call him? Does that mean she already has his phone number? I don’t think that Spencer has ever called me brilliant before, either. She’s so brilliant, but his girlfriend who is actually a doctor isn’t?
You knew that your thoughts were relatively petty, but you didn’t care. Your feelings were hurt. You kept reading anyway. 
To: Spencer Reid 
From: Ms. Everett 
Re: Biology 
Dr. Reid, 
Oh please, call me Lila! And I thoroughly enjoyed your lecture! You are one captivating man! And thank you, but you don’t have to stroke my ego! I considered medical school as well as graduate research positions but my true calling is teaching children! Maybe one day I can teach your sweet Godson! I will give you a call! If you don’t have any plans this weekend, perhaps we can grab a coffee? 
Love, Lila 
LOVE? Is that a stab at me? I took the ‘easy way out’ by going to medical school? Who is this bitch?
To: Ms. Everett
From: Spencer Reid 
Oh, you don’t have to use my honorific! Spencer or Spence is fine. And that is incredible. I love teaching children as well, obviously. I have a feeling Henry would love you! And yes, coffee would be great. 
Spencer
Hmm. Is it considered cheating to get a coffee with some strange woman who you flirt with virtually (and do not tell your live-in girlfriend about)? Something is telling me ‘yes.’  Also, he’s letting her call him “Spence”?
You read a few more of his emails along those same lines, until you felt sick. After the nausea passed, the rage came. You pulled out your phone to send Spencer a text message. 
At first, you just wanted to see if he’d lie. 
You sent a text that said: Hey babe! How’s work going? If you don’t have a case this weekend I’d like to go out on a date or something. I miss you! 
Hi baby. I might have plans, it depends on the day... he responded. 
What plans? You asked innocently. 
Just professional plans. That’s kinda vague, Spence. 
Coffee plans, with super brilliant people? 
Yeah, boring stuff. But I’m sure that you and I can still do something. 
The rage began to build as you realized that he was actively keeping Lila a secret from you. 
Oh SPENCE. When were you going to tell me that you want space from me just so you can spend more time with some slutty biology teacher?! 
Your phone buzzed almost immediately. 
What are you talking about?
Don’t play dumb with me Spencer. “You’re a brilliant woman”?! Are you kidding me? How long were you planning on keeping Lila a secret from me?
This time the buzzing was more persistent. He was calling you. 
“What, Spencer?”
“How do you know about Lila? Did you go through my computer?” 
You let out a frustrated sigh, “Yeah, obviously. And I don’t regret it, because apparently you were never gonna tell me about her. Which isn’t even surprising, you don’t talk to me at all anymore. But if you were gonna cheat on me, maybe you should’ve just broke up with me instead!” 
“She’s just a friend, Y/N, and I never cheated on you! I never would. I-” but he didn’t get to finish, because you hung up. You have been so close to your breaking point these past couple weeks, and Lila was that little push it took to send you over the edge. You packed as many clothes your suitcase could fit and took off to your best friend’s house. She would let you stay, no questions asked. And that was a good thing, because you didn’t wanna talk about it just yet. She let you in her home with open arms, prepared to be that beacon of emotional support you’d been lacking from Spencer. 
---Spencer’s POV---
COME ON, Y/N, ANSWER THE PHONE! Ugh, why did you have to go through my computer? Are you that insecure?
The phone kept ringing, but to no surprise, she didn’t answer. 
I’ll call Derek. Everyone knows he’s had his fair share of relationship issues. 
“Hey pretty boy, what’s up?” He answered. 
“Derek, Y/N won’t answer her phone.” 
“Why? What did you do?”
“Why do you assume that it was me who did something wrong?”
He just laughed. 
“What’s so funny?”
“Pretty boy, for a genius you can be so dumb sometimes. I assume that it was you who made a mistake for two reasons. For one, you called me for what I can only assume is advice on how to fix it. And for two, you’re the man. It’s usually the men who mess up in relationships. So what’s going on?”
He had me there. “Okay so for the past couple weeks things between us have been... off. I’m not sure what I was feeling, but I told her that I needed space. I think I got scared because we established a routine. It made me nervous. So I picked up some hobbies.”
“What kind of hobbies?” His suspicious tone made me feel guilty. 
“I volunteered at the high school to help with some classes and to mentor the school’s chess club. But while I was there, I met this biology teacher -”
“A female biology teacher, I assume.” 
“Yes, how did you know that?”
“Reid, I know where this is going.” 
Where was this going?
“She’s a pretty woman, huh?”
“Well, yes, Lila is pretty and smart, but so what? I’m allowed to have friends. But anyways, her and I began emailing and we planned on getting coffee and Y/N got on my laptop and read those emails and -”
“You can’t be that stupid, Reid. First of all, you don’t actually want space from Y/N. You are always beaming after spending time with her. You love her more than you love yourself, and everyone knows that. Everyone but her, and probably Lila now - and that is probably one of the worst things you can do. You can’t let your woman feel like she has to compete with other women, and you can’t let other women feel like they have the chance to steal you away. That’s how you lose a good woman. You were emailing this woman, and you set up a date with her? After reducing the already limited time that you have to spend with your girlfriend, who is also incredibly pretty and smart too, I might add.” 
“Oh...” OH! She’s not insecure, I’m just an idiot. I didn’t even want space at all, I was just scared. I just didn’t want to get complacent. When my parents got complacent in their relationship, it ended. Same with Hotch and Hailey. And Penelope and Kevin. Oh my God. What did I do?
“Exactly, pretty boy. You better show up at home with some flowers and chocolates and be prepared to kiss her feet. And I’d take a break from lecturing at that school, too.” 
“Yeah, no doubt. Thanks Morgan.” 
“Go get her, tiger.” 
After hanging up, I opened the messaging app on my phone to send her a text just to let her know that I am willing and ready to fix my mistake. 
Hey baby. I just want you to know that I won’t volunteer at the school anymore, if you don’t want me to. I will also take you out this weekend, wherever you want. I love you, and I’m on the way home. 
I was out there on the road, life out of control, She became a victim to my busy schedule, And I know that it's not fair, that don't mean that I don't care - This one's dedicated to the girl out there...  
She probably won’t respond, but that’s fine, we will talk when I get home. I asked the florist for a sunflower and rose combination, and bought food from her favorite Mexican restaurant downtown. I also stopped at the grocery to get a tub of ice cream along with chocolate, caramel, and strawberry syrup, with candy and sprinkles to make sundaes. I one-upped Derek’s recommendation, and I couldn’t wait to tell him about it. 
“Baby, I’m home! We need to talk. I am so, so, sorry sweetheart... Y/N?” I shout, even though it’s pretty clear she’s not here. 
Setting my bag on the end table, I notice a note on the refrigerator. 
Spencer, 
I am really sorry that I didn’t end up being good enough for you. I hope you don’t mind but I’ll be back for the rest of my things eventually, but if you still need space from me, it can wait. Thank you for the best year of my life. You were amazing, and I hope that Lila makes you feel the way that you made me feel. I will always love you, and I know that you will continue to do amazing things in life. Tell your mom that I love her, too. 
Love, Y/N
It was actually 15 months, 6 days, and 43 minutes, approximately. 
I dialed her number without even thinking about it. Still no answer. 
I can’t believe that she left. It feels like I’m drowning - my breath is caught in my chest. BREATHE SPENCER!
She took most of her clothes. She took her computer and books too. She’s gone. She left me. Oh no. What have I done? 
Girl you always catch me at the bad time, When I know you probably think it's a lie... And I know I told you last time was the last time, How could you pull the plug and leave me flatline?
Not breathin', what is it that I'm not seein'? Said she's leavin', damn I can't believe it... It's like my heart's bleedin' - Knowin' that you don't need me. Shut my heart down, now I don't know what Imma do now...
54 notes · View notes
k0dzukwen · 3 years
Text
ʚ 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞 ɞ
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
- ”I would’ve never thought I would have to say goodbye to my paradise so soon...”
pairing: tendou x gn!reader
genre: angst, tragedy
word count: 1.7k
song inspo: mr. loverman by ricky montgomery mixed with as the world caves in by matt maltese
warnings: major character death, mentions of eating disorder, mild cussing, hospitals, 
pre a/n: if you wanna blame someone for this idea blame rex orange county, jjk newest ep, and my bestfriend ANKNKA ok but fr...i was thinking of who to do for this for about like..30 mins, it was between tendou, kita, and atsumu. i’ll try to do atsumu tonight because i have a AMAZING prompt for him ok? anyways enjoy this :))
Tumblr media
“I can show you everything”
You wanted to be shown everything once, you were so eager to go everywhere and memorize every detail. And there was one person who you wanted to travel everywhere with
Satori Tendou
You were captivated by him, thoughts of him fogged your mind daily and you could barely focus. You knew he was the one for you that day you first started as a manager and he offered you candy, along with asking if you read manga. His smile when you said yes and accepted his snack made you melt on the inside, you practically started floating when he sat next to you and started talking about character complexes and powers. You listened to him for hours that day, you secretly wished he had invited you over so he could talk to you more. You went to sleep that night reminiscing over every word, every sentence, every laugh you both shared. 
Were you really that head over heels after one day?
As the days went by you and Tendou grew closer, becoming best friends within weeks. Yet the sparkle in your eyes when he smiled and laughed never faded, the warm feeling from being with him remained with you only growing stronger. You always fell too easily which left you vulnerable to getting hurt, yet with him you wanted to open yourself up completely hoping he would do the same. Months turned into years and before you knew it, You guys were graduating. Everything went by so fast you would believe you blinked and suddenly became a third year, now you were laying in the grass behind the dorms stargazing with your bestfriend who you had unironically fallen in love with. Have you told him how you felt? Nope
“Do you know what paradise is?”, Tendou stared up at the sky the slight light from the lights nearby illuminating his face and causing his eyes to sparkle
“Something or someone you find comfort in, Something you’re so addicted to just doing it or being around it brings you unimaginable joy. You can’t and won’t imagine ever leaving it or stopping it voluntarily” You sighed and looked over at him, gazing into his red eyes, “Why do you ask?”
He laughed and closed his eyes, breathing deeply “This is my paradise...I don’t think I’m ready to leave..” He opened his eyes and smiled, “But you know, This is a part of growing up right?”
“Ugh..” You huff and sit up, “What the hell is growing up anyways?”
Tendou sat up and shifted closer, leaning in so his nose could almost touch yours, “You aren’t old enough to understand”
Your face flushed a deep pink, he was so close to your face if you accidentally moved closer your lips would meet. You smiled at him and burst out laughing, laughing so hard you had to lay back down and hold your stomach. He laughed too, laying next to you and continuing to point out constellations like nothing had happened. What did he even mean “You aren’t old enough to understand”, he was only one year older than you so what did he mean?
Did you really want to know?
You never really understood the term “growing up”, deep down you wanted to stay a a kid forever. You knew that growing up brought unwanted pain and stress and even trauma, if you weren’t stressed with college enough you also had to deal with paying for bills on your studio apartment and making money from the cafe you worked at. And to make it all worse your best friend, the guy you were lovesick for was moving across the country to pursue his dreams
In Paris
You always asked why Paris, didn’t he want to go pro in volleyball? Wasn’t that his paradise? You knew you wanted the best for him but deep down you didn’t want the love of your life to move across the country, you knew you would both lose communication with eachother, you knew he would forget about you and you didn’t want to bear that pain. Yet he didn’t want to listen, he left to paris and exactly what you predicted happened. You started off calling him every day along with texting him, sending him pictures of what you did in everyday life. You didn’t have many friends so you often found yourself waiting for his reply, you knew his job was time consuming but impatience still got the best of you. Hours without a reply turned into days, the realization that you had lost your love ate at your soul. You found yourself skipping meals, and slacking off in school. You knew it was unhealthy and that you needed to stay strong but you couldn’t, his laugh and smile lingered in your dreams. You missed him dearly, but still couldn’t get the confidence to dial his number. One day you couldn’t take it and booked a flight out to Paris, you thought at the moment it would be the best option.
You never even left the hotel
You paced around the room, the TV playing in the background. You knew the chocolate shop he worked at and had a way of transportation but couldn’t bring yourself to go, what if he didn’t remember you? What if he had someone else? You tried to talk yourself up, motivating yourself to press the button
“God damn Y/N just-” You were cut off by a breaking news report, Your gaze switched from your hands to the TV. You squinted at the screen as it showed a report of a young male involved in a car collision, you didn’t even know what the instinct was but you ran out your hotel room down to the lobby, you busted through the entrance and started to run to the hospital the news report specified, tears welled up in your eyes as you ran praying that it was just a mistake. You prayed that the male in critical condition wasn’t who you thought it was, you stumbled and bumped into people as you ran saying a quick “I’m sorry” and keeping your pace. You arrived at the hospital and bust through the doors, running up to the desk
“Please miss, Who was the man involved in the car collision? The one in critical condition?” Tears pricked at your eyes as you stared at the woman in front of you expectantly
“Oh, at first we labeled him a John Doe but after further inspection we have confirmed the mans name is...Satori Tendou, We really shouldn’t give out this info but you seem like a family member or-”
The nurse continued on but you couldn’t hear, everything went silent as if you had just became deaf, Your knees felt weak and threatened to give out. It couldn’t be him, You shook your head and covered your ears despite the fact you couldn’t hear anything, everything started to swirl together like a fever dream. Thats right, it was just a dream, This wasn’t happening. You were gonna wake up from this crazy situation and go see your bestfriend, You were gonna finally see your best friend and he was going to be alive and healthy. Everything was going to be just fine, This was just a sick nightmare thats it
“Excuse me, this is his room. I’m sorry but he has about 20 mins left to live, he can hear but can’t move or respond to anything...I’m sorry”
The doctor patted your back and left the room, gently closing the door to avoid startling you. You hadn’t spoken a word since the news was given to you and of course, you didn’t take it well. You broke down completely, the nurses had to escort you to a room and try to calm you down
But even now you felt nothing but numbness
You stared at Tendous body blankly, gazing at all the tubes coming out of him, the beeping of the heart monitor and pumping of the life support machine kept the room from being completely silent. You felt tears well up into your eyes again and this time you didn’t fight them, you slowly walked towards his bed and gently touched his face. You could feel his face flinch and heard a wimper escape from his body, you let out a quiet sob and placed your hand over your mouth. You remembered how the doctor said he could hear you and feel everything
Feel Everything
He could probably feel the tubes and they were probably painful, He probably didn’t think that life was worth so much pain. 
“Tendou...” Your voice cracked and you sniffed, “I’m so sorry...I should have been there..for you” You sighed and sat down in a chair, leaning on the bed “Did I ever tell you about my paradise? Well unlike you...My paradise was a person, They were super funny and their smile could brighten anyones day” You smiled at the last part, unknowingly laying your head on the bed, “They had am amazing laugh too...It was so contagious I learned to memorize it, whenever I was around them...I felt like I was complete. I felt like I had a life worth living when they were around, I loved them..letting them go was the hardest thing, but at least they were safe and happy...” You started to choke up, tears streaming down your face, “You’re my paradise Tendou...I’m in love with you and I want to stay here forever if It means I’ll be with you”. You looked up at the monitor noticing how it was slowing down, You didn’t know much about medicine and medical things but you knew that wasn’t a good sign. You gently grabbed his cold hand and squeezed it, you blinked through tears and opened your mouth. You didn’t know what to say until the monitor started to rapidly beep, fear shot through your body causing your tears to flow faster and your body to shake. You broke your gaze from the monitor and looked at Tendou, his skin was pale and you could barely see his face through all the tubes
“I would have never thought...I would have to say goodbye to my paradise so soon. I love you Satori, I’m sorry I was too late” 
Tumblr media
↳𝐞𝐧𝐝 
post a/n: currently sitting here crying, i’m not even attached to Tendou like that and i’m HURT why do i do these things to myself i’m sorry to whovever reads this </3
47 notes · View notes
skevans · 3 years
Text
Nocturne op.72 no.1 — Essay
Hi, welcome to my long-forgotten tumblr I barely remembered existed. Dust and cobwebs aside, this is an essay I initially wrote in French for a Literature class. Don't ask me how the hell I found the will to hand this in to my teacher, bless his soul.
A couple of years later, I found that essay in the depth of a folder on my computer. I remembered what was in it, to a point, but when I decided to read it again, I got very emotional (and very mortified 'cause oh god school). And during the following weeks, I started thinking about a lot of things that were still floating unresolved within my head. But then, I decided to write. And after a few days of internal debate, I posted the first chapter of A Sea of Silence.
It's been months since I finished that story, and those months have not been kind to me for many reasons. And maybe that's why, this week, I started thinking about that essay. When I did, I was overcome with a desire to share it with the world—and especially with the people who read my fic. So here it is, hastily translated but just as honest. Please note that it discusses anxiety.
And so, thank you if you take the time to read this, and an even bigger thank you if you read the essay, too! 
Nocturne op.72 no.1
When I think back on my childhood, I hear the sound of piano. Various melodies follow me, accompanying me in a waltz between memories. It’s my mother’s interpretation of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata that haunts the quiet moments. My sister and I would play in an adjacent room, glowing with delight as our mother started the first movement. It’s the piece’s somber and melancholic tone that colours my memory, but it’s a good kind of darkness—the kind that feels like the soft touch of night as you walk under the stars. My mother didn’t stop there; she would segue into the second movement, a graceful interlude that almost got swallowed in between the grandiosity of the other movements. And at last, she would tackle the final piece. I remember the anticipation; I remember wanting to watch her fingers fly over the keys. We would sneak in the living room—don’t make so much noise, you’re gonna bother her!—and thus we became the spectators to a private concert. The combination of semiquavers and staccato, everything played presto agitato, was the most fascinating thing. And despite the intensity and the tempestuous rhythm, I would sense my muscles relaxing, my thoughts lightening, the frenetic beat of my heart slowing. When I listen to this piece now, there’s still a glimpse of that long forgotten peace.
I turn six and I learn the piano. It’s a decision that comes from me, but also from my mother. It’s a decision that pleases me, even enchants me. The learning process goes well; I love to learn and I love to play—a rarely seen fervour seizes me. My motivation originates both from a desire to walk into my mother’s footsteps and from a childish inclination to create noise. The teacher likes me, and the sentiment is reciprocal; she speaks with a soft voice, but underneath there is an unyielding tone that I come to respect. She nudges me forward, constantly making sure that I don’t neglect my practice. I try to meet her expectations because I want to succeed, but also to maintain that impression of calm that possesses me when I sit at the piano.
The next step is to play at a recital, so we set off for the musical conservatory. I’m ten the first time I play before an audience. Panic controls me—I worry I won’t be able to perform, and the thought loops in my mind until I believe it. I climb on the stage in spite of my terror, and the room morphs into a cage. At 10 years-old, the size of the concert hall is intimidating, to a point that my heart crawls up my throat. The exit is far—way too far—and all the stares fixed on me feel more like I’m attending a trial than a recital. My hands become damp (how will I play if my hands slip?), but wiping them on my dress of red velvet means showing my fear—and my father always tells me not to show my fear. So I look at the floor and force my legs to move until finally, finally, I stand before the piano. I sit. Even now, I believe it’s impossible for me to play my piece, that piece I yet find so easy. I take my time adjusting the bench; once done, my hands reflexively settle over the keys. One deep breath—and I start to play. That tranquility I’m so desperate for guides me, and the audience fades from my mind. My eyes track my fingers as they find all the notes—not one mistake—and for a moment, it’s like I’m floating over my body, surrendering utter control to instinct and music. Once the piece ends and my hands lift from the piano, it’s the thunderous applause that tugs me back into reality; I walk off the stage, that paralyzing feeling of fright dismissed.
The feeling that possesses me is anxiety. At 6 years-old, as I begin learning the piano, I don’t know what anxiety is; the only thing I understand is that music offers solace. When I turn 10, I can’t find the word to explain that emotion that assaulted me as I stepped on the stage. It’s with time that I discover the word “anxiety”. I see my reflection in the definitions I find in dictionaries and on the web; it’s those definitions that grasp onto me, that glue themselves over me until I cannot dissociate them from my being without ripping out of my skin. The term “anxiety” now belongs to me—or rather, I belong to it. The years pass and my thoughts cede before it. My anxiety takes control of me for a period of my life; I have lost all mastery of myself. I graduate from high school with terrible difficulty; I drop out of college three times. But anxiety doesn’t stop there; she smears her poison throughout all spheres of my life. My relationship with my family degenerates slowly but surely—so do many of my friendships. Working becomes a hurdle because my boss at the store agitates me with her severe attitude—it feels like nothing is never enough and everything is wrong. I cannot stand myself anymore. Anxiety seeps into my body, an army of swarming bugs that infiltrate all I am as an individual. They contaminate me from the inside, and I am nothing but a puppet, subjected to circumstances out of my control. And this lasts and lasts and lasts for eight years—eight long years. I lose my footing and fall into the arms of depression several times. Appointments with doctors tell me what I already knew. We try solutions and then more solutions; there are good times, scarce but cherished. But happiness and peace of mind slip through my fingers like grains of sand; I grab another handful, but it was never meant to last. These feelings end up seeming distant, unreachable, impossible. I mind myself to the fact that I will have to live with the physical and emotional wounds my anxiety inflicts on me. Time and experience allow me to gauge my level of comfort and how to react; sometimes, I cannot step out of my apartment. And so life goes on—and I am swept away by the tides.
Thinking back on this slice of my life, I’ve come to several conclusions. There were many happenings that were completely out of my control—and yet, as I dig deeper and deeper, I realize that this deviation originates from one thing in particular.
The year I turn 15, I experience an acute pain in my right wrist. Holding a pen for longer than a few minutes is impractical; playing piano on a regular basis is impossible. Those news, validated by a medical consultation, are not surprising—but they are heartbreaking. Later, the pain extends to my shoulder. Within weeks, I become an unwilling witness to the collapse of my dream of studying and teaching piano. The problem comes from within me, within my body—my love for the piano is the trigger to this pain. I’m told that a cure is implausible—you can do exercises to lessen the pain, and you have to eliminate repetitive movements since they will worsen it, and yes, miss, that includes the piano. I used to play piano at least one hour a day, something that unconsciously kept my anxiety at bay—but the inability to play for longer than a few minutes opens the door to my anxiety. I discover myself anew when I’m 16: tirelessly worried, always anxious, terribly distrustful. It’s the start of the downward spiral. I am not me anymore, I am someone else. Anxiety is my mother, instability is my father, fear is my sister. I am reborn into an unknown world dubbed Real Life by my family, who firmly believe this is part of being a teenager. But I don’t believe in this Real Life, and I pray to all and nothing for a miracle. I only know one line of prayer so I make up my own. I fill fictive litanies with my fears and my hopes. Amen. I refuse to consider this existence as True because to me, it can only be False. But my convictions are tossed aside, their dismissal hammered into me endlessly. It’s almost as if a huge neon sign hangs on a wall of my bedroom: Welcome to Real Life! But all I see are ridiculous directives that only bring misfortune—don’t forget to register for our latest draw! Discover what setbacks you will endure next! I don’t want this—I refuse, I reject, I refute. It’s the song of my mind, playing on repeat; I want to believe it—I want to believe it more than anything else because I have exhausted all of my solutions and the future beyond is veiled in uncertainty.
But with time, I realize that simply wanting something, no matter how much, doesn’t mean it will slip into the world through the cracks of my resolve. And so, I begin to toil over my own fate. I try to shape it. I fail. I try again. It’s a cycle with no end in sight. I wander aimlessly through life, and thus I discover more of myself and I try to understand. Questions assail me; most of the time, there is no answer; when there are, they are often unpleasant. Still, I accept them—because I have learned that closing my eyes and rejecting a reality will not bring me anything. This crushing problem, this anxiety that manipulates me, I try to be aware of it—and in the end, I accept it. She is part of me, too intrinsic for me to surrender her; she welded her existence in my foundations, and if I break free, I negate myself. But what crystallizes with time is the recognition that I’m living a fight that I believed lost before even entering the arena. It’s an intimidating fight: my adversary is formidable, and there is no end in sight; it’s an everlasting battle that occurs every hour, every minute, every second. And yet, I am not done—I gather my arsenal, I warm up, and I entre the arena. No referees—this isn’t a fair fight; there cannot be a winner, only moments of victory. My adversary steps forward, and in her, I see me—me as I was for eight long years. The signal goes off and we begin. No turning back now.
Strangely, what helps me survive the daily fights is time. Throughout this turbulent journey, my wrist undertakes its never-ending recovery. Nine years later, the dreadful pain I felt at every move has become a memory. I live alone now, and getting access to a piano is not always easy; neither is it regular. But one day—one day, I decide to try again. I make my way to my mother’s house on a day where she and her husband are absent; the fragility of my resolve hangs over me, and I cannot let it waver out of self-consciousness. In the basement are all of my mother’s sheet music—all of my sheet music—and it takes a lot of searching before I finally find the last piece I learned when I was 15. The last piece I ever played. Too eager, I snatch Chopin’s Nocturne op.72 no.1 off the floor, grabbing a few more sheet music from that part of my life forever ago. At last, I sit on the piano bench. I open the booklet, flipping through the pages until I find the Nocturne; it’s one of my favourites, whether by coincidence or a design of my own. But it’s with wretched bitterness that I realize I am unable to play the piece. Not only has it been nine years, but my dexterity has vanished, bidding me goodbye with a mocking smile. My fingers each weigh a pound; I hear myself strike the keys with a mortifying clumsiness; the resulting sound is disappointing, closer to chaotic noise than the flowing music of my memories. Nothing happens like I want it to. However, the same passage of time that helped my injury gave me the strength to cross out the word “abandon” from my vocabulary. I sometimes know victory, more often I know defeat, but what has become unfamiliar is capitulation. So I close the booklet, hiding the piece I yearned for, and I pick another one. It’s an easy piece, but in truth, nothing seems easy anymore; the piece is a crutch, a stepping stone towards more. In time, I will get sick of hearing Chopin’s Waltz op.69 no.2, my mind saturated by the melody from months of practice. It’s a challenge, and I start to get obsessed with the notion of learning this piece, because learning it means I can learn more. Nothing will stop me.
There is progress, but it’s slow and it’s tedious. Each week, I ride the bus to my mother’s house so I can practice for one hour, sometimes two. These hours are precious; I try not to squander them and I try even harder to remind myself this is just the beginning. My wrist still hurts at times; whenever I test my limits, a zap of pain echoes through my hand, signalling the end of the practice. It slows me down, frustrates me to no end, but the possibility of not playing for another nice years snaps me out of those low moments. And one day, six months later, I pick up Chopin’s Nocturne op.72 no.1 again. I start with the left hand; the constant rhythm of the triplets played legato rips the stitches of a long-buried wound. A ghost rises out of it—it’s Me as I was, and it possesses me, guiding my hand with its cold touch. I play the first line, then the second; soon enough, I jump to the second page. I am not here, not really; rather, I am lost to that old fragment of beloved peace. Now that I recognize the beast in me as anxiety, I finally understand that those moments of solace happen when I hear the twinkling notes of the piano. And so I get on my feet in the arena and I stand ready to continue the eternal fight. There are other ways to keep anxiety away, to rationalize it, and I think back on my first fifteen years, nearly empty of anguish, full of other pains, but also filled with hours of music. I learn Chopin’s Nocturne in three months. It’s not perfect—it will never be—but I can play it. I play it until I can do so with my eyes closed.
The year I decide to sit at the piano again, I return to school. The first semester is trying; I haven’t studied seriously in over five years—good habits are difficult to unearth. I try to keep my demanding job despite the crushing amount of pressure, but there comes a moment where I cannot breathe under that weight, and stress wins once more. Everything appears ready to crumble before it began. Luckily, my mother realizes that my fragile pyramid of cards is about to fall, and she wakes me up with harsh and well-aimed and true words; we don’t always understand each other then, and feelings get bruised, but in time, things will change for the better. I still fail the classes I took; I search for a new job. My anxiety hit me with an uppercut that could have turned the tables in her favour, but I stand again and again—I stand long enough to finish college a year later. I am 24 the day I hand in my final project that allows me to graduate. As I walk out of the building, there is pride accompanying me, but most of all, it’s a soothing sensation of satisfaction that wraps itself around me. It resembles that peace of mind I find from the piano, and that is what makes me smile.
The next fall, I have my own piano. The opportunity to play whenever is still incredible. Not long before the purchase, the pain in my wrist flares once more, stronger than before. But this time, I know what to expect. I adapt instead of running away; I’m not 15 anymore and I have so much more experience in the suitcase I carry through life. I get tests done in hope of a permanent solution; they reveal nothing new, but the professional advice that follows those tests opens the door to new possibilities to rein in the pain. Those possibilities are comforting in their own way; that absolute sense of defeat is now barely discernable.
I still believe that the Me from over ten years ago will not come back to life; she doesn’t exist anymore; her only vestige is her love for music. But that is alright—I am not the same person I was at 6 years-old when all I knew was the music weaving through the house. I am someone else, so I baptize myself anew. I allow myself the sanctity of a second chance, that unreachable notion always evading me. But this time, I chase it. I grasp it close to my heart. I take it—and I live it.
24 notes · View notes
killemwithkawaii · 4 years
Note
So I have a hard time keeping on weight, and I just found out I’m going back on prescribed calorie shakes :( May I please request a body positivity post about this with Yan! Larry?
Body positivity is for ALL bodies! I hope you enjoy, Danu-chan 🥰
Yan!Larry and his underweight darling-
>Finding out that [Darling]s difficulties with maintaining a healthy weight are severe enough to warrant medical intervention and prescribed dietary supplements would activate the infamous Lar-bear protective instinct even more than it already is, because Larry is, of course, very concerned about well-being of his darling, both physically and mentally. 💕
>He was always the noodle-armed string-bean growing up, and went on a respectably strict diet and exercise regimen once he graduated high school in order to gain some muscle mass (he won't admit that it's mostly vanity muscle, but he also can't deny that he skips leg day more than he should). 💪
>He changed his body because he wanted it to be different, mostly because of external pressure and the desire to defend others. But, he would never want that for his darling- whether they're actually physically healthy or not, nobody had better say anything about their body or they'll have to answer to him. The only exception is maybe his darlings doctor, but they're still on thin ice and had better tread lightly... 🩺
>It's kind of hard for him to admit, but he honestly likes (and kind of gets off to the fact) that his darling is so much smaller than him. Being able to pick them up so easily and whisk them away at his whim, totally engulfing them when he holds them, seeing how they almost disappear when they borrow one of his shirts, the cute way they compare their waifish limbs with his and marvel at his muscle tone- it all makes him feel big and powerful, just like he'd wanted for his entire adolescence 🐻
>He wants to keep his darling safe and will work tirelessly to do so, whether they like it or not. He'll insist on coming with them to their doctors appointments and any other errands, both to spend time with them and act as their bodyguard. He knows that his being next to [darling] deters gawkers from making unwanted comments about their body or diet- nobody dares to say shit when his intimidating self has an arm around [darling] and is staring them down (possibly while absently playing with his pocket knife with his free hand for good measure).  🔪
>Even if [darling] feels like they can care for themselves and they don't need his protection, they have it. He'll tail them when he knows they're going somewhere crowded to make sure they can get from point A to point B and then back home again without being hassled. Of course, he doesn't show himself in these situations unless completely necessary. He doesn't want his darling to feel weak or helpless (unless he's the one making them feel that way), so any assholes who do make unwanted remarks will be dealt with under the radar- if they want to control the condition of a strangers body, he makes sure to show them what thats like on the receiving end, and he makes a rather lasting impression every time.... 🤕🩸
>Scary Larry isn't so scary when it comes to his darling- he handles them like a fragile, precious thing, and is very careful to keep them comfortable. He's always willing to lend them his coat (or himself) if they're cold or if they need something soft to sit on, and usually has some calorie-dense snacks on him in case they need something to eat. 🍫
>One exception to this gentle doting is the love marks he likes to leave on [darling]. Them being particularly thin means they tend to bruise pretty easy, and he just can't resist leaving hickies all over them, both to act as a further deterrent to strangers, and for his own satisfaction. [Darling] just looks so cute, all dotted in pink and purple and blue... he considers the ever-changing mosaic on his darlings skin to be some of his best work, and how could it not be, with it spreading over such an adorable canvas? There's simply nothing that can compare, as far as he's concerned~ 🎨💓
63 notes · View notes
spield · 4 years
Text
picking up v (suitor...s enter!)
Hey, hey hey!! So, here’s the latest installment of the picking up! verse! You can read the other “chapters” here.  In which Kakashi meets the other suitors.  part i - part ii - part iii - part iv
Tumblr media
“I’m sorry about that.” Sakura apologized, settling the wine glass down. They’ve barely made it to their reservation, with the stare off that happened between Kakashi and Tobirama back at the lobby.
The two silver-haired (foxes) men kept their composure with small (non-existent) small talk, gauging each other. Sakura believed that the only thing that stopped them from going all caveman was the fact that they knew she hated it.
She was not a prize, damn it.
Good thing they knocked it off and Kakashi and Sakura went on their way. The restaurant they chose limited their capacity to provide a sense of privacy and exclusivity to their diners. Their table sat by the window, inside a small function room.
They just finished their main courses when Kakashi waved her off, “Don’t apologize. I didn’t know you were so popular, but I can’t say I’m surprised.”
Sakura’s smile strained, thinking of all the male guests in the wedding entourage. From what she heard, Pein will be there. That’s an entire headache right there and oh if only he knew.
“Ah, well. Tobirama’s an old patient. He got shot by one of  his client’s enemies after court.”
“Hmm,” Kakashi hummed, “I think I read about that in the newspaper. The Shimura case?”
“Yes —“
“Excuse me, here are your desserts.”
The waiter laid out a souffle for Sakura and a plain vanilla ice cream for Kakashi - which Sakura just found completely adorable.
Kakashi watched as Sakura’s eyes lit up at the first taste of the chocolate souffle, her cheeks flushing with delight. He could watch her eat forever. He’ll give her all the souffle she wants, if she asks for it.
Their conversation picked up, rounding with the details of the infamous Shimura case, and how it shook their nation. With the not-so white elephant in the room, Kakashi decided it’s time to bat it away.
Half-jokingly he asked; “So… are there any other suitors I should know about?”
Tumblr media
The Uchiha family for all its riches is a subtle one when it comes to throwing parties. Which is the opposite of the Hyuuga clan. Glancing at the grand displays of 7 foot flower arrangements and number of tables for the pre-wedding party, Sakura guessed it was Hanabi’s family that won out when it came to decorations.
The wedding was tomorrow, this party, according to the invitation, was to allow the two families to get to know each other. Or, looking at the amount of passive-aggressive bragging, to one-up each other one way or another.
With the Hyuugas in politics and the Uchiha in the police force, Hanabi and Sasuke’s marriage seems like a political alliance to the untrained eye. But as Sakura sat waiting for Kakashi to return from the restroom, she could see the couple’s eyes soften at the sight of each other at their own table of honor.
It’s about love - and politics. Not the other way around.
“Please don’t tell me you’re not pining for your ex-husband at his own wedding party.”
Sighing, Sakura rolled her eyes at the droll voice from behind her. From her periphery, a red-head moved and sat across her - Akasuna no Sasori.
“Why are you here?” Sakura’s eyes narrowed at Sasori, “You hate Sasuke.”
Sasori shrugged, his indolence marking his movements. “It doesn’t change the fact that his father invested in our hospital.”
Ah, of course it doesn’t.
It’s love, politics and money - what a trifecta.
For a moment, it was silent between the rivals. They’d met at medical school, both studying under the heavy hands of Senju Tsunade and Akasuna no Chiyo. Sasori had been her senior for a year, before their tense rivarly started when Sakura dismantled his thesis paragraph by paragraph, making them graduate at the same time.
Their rivalry’s legendary. Rumor has it Tsunade and Chiyo still had a bet going on about when Sasori will confess his begrudging respect and hate-love for their favorite student - not that Sakura knew that.
“So should I keep my eyes peeled for a dramatic entrance of a scorned ex-wife tomorrow? Let me know, I’ve got to get my camera ready.”
Sakura’s eyebrow twitched, “I’ll peel your eyes for you if you don’t leave me alone.”
Sasori’s lips twitched upwards, satisfied with poking fun. “And here I was keeping you com—“
“Ah, Sasori-san, I didn’t know you were here!”
The Uchiha Matriarch, mother, or was it back to Mikoto-san now? was a lifesaver. Looking every bit of a matriarch with her pearls and beautiful dark blue dress, Mikoto still held an effortless elegance about her.
Sakura’s lips twitched at Sasori’s deflated expression, quickly masked with impassive politeness. He rose and kissed the matriarch’s hand. “I wouldn’t miss your son’s second wedding for the wedding, Mikoto-san.”
Mikoto took the insult in stride. Sasuke’s first marriage didn’t have a wedding - not of this magnitude of course. Given all the… circumstances surrounding it. The matriarch glanced at her former daughter-in-law, now shooting her a relieved smile.
What a pity she had to leave the family. Mikoto mused. Sakura-chan’s a great woman, smart as a whip with a backbone of steel - perfect for the Uchiha. With a glance around the ballroom, Mikoto could already tell the line of men wanting to steal her away, starting with this doctor. She also saw Congressman Uzumaki (yakuza, if she remembered correctly) lurking about and that lawyer Tobirama.
Mikoto smiled a practiced smile at Sasori, before placing her hand on the crook of his elbow, talking about the new technology Suna hospital has because of their investment -
They want her daughter-in-law?
They could try.
Tumblr media
Hand-washing was one of the habits (or coping mechanisms) his former occupation left on Kakashi. Counting backwards from 100, he meticulously scrubbed his hands on the sink. From the cubicle behind him, a familiar figure emerged.
“I see that you lost the face piercings - good look. Must be a hit with the voters.”
Pein knew Kakashi, perhaps even knew what he was before he was a high school teacher (and even during that), and it really shouldn’t surprise Kakashi that he was here. A political gathering disguising as a pre-wedding banquet.
“And you lost the mask - you’re almost unrecognizable.” Pein said, standing next to Kakashi and turning on the sink - drowning out their conversation.
Kakashi picked off a few tissues and dried his hands, his customized face mask sitting snugly on his face. “Heh, it was going out of fashion. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date to attend to.”
“Does she know?”
Kakashi paused, his back facing the legislator. Slowly, he turned and faced the impassive face of the shadow leader of one of the oldest Yakuza families in Ame. “That’s none of your business.”
Tumblr media
“I knew you prefer older men.”
Sighing, Sakura turned to Shisui and shrugged off his arm from her bare shoulders. “Hello to you too, Shisui. I’m assuming you’re the one who sent her?” Emerald eyes pointedly looked at the lady Kakashi’s politely twirling.
He’d gotten back right as the meals were served and was promptly whisked away by an overenthusiastic lady with a penchant for pointing out their age differences.
Shisui shot her a grin before bowing in front of her with flourish, offering his hand for a dance, knowing that propriety dictates that she can not refuse.
Soon, her soft hand slid into his and he whisked her away for a dance. As they sway back and forth to the orchestra, Shisui lowered his lips to her ear. “You’d be surprised who’s more devious between Itachi and I, Sakura-chan.”
Sakura’s eyes narrowed, roaming the room over Shisui’s shoulder. She found Itachi near the grand staircase, already looking at her with molten eyes.
“You two are persistent.”
Shisui laughed, leaning back an inch. “We prefer, determined. If you don’t mind.”
Sakura sighed, swaying in his arms, “You do know it’s odd if I get married to someone in your family again, right? Let alone my ex-husband’s brother or cousin.”
Shisui’s chuckle reverberated against Sakura’s chest, his lips grazing her ear. “Darling, once part of the family - always part of the family.”
Tumblr media
“What are you doing?” Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised and arms crossed.
Finally, Sakura had thrown in the towel and bowed out of the reception with a goodbye and a hug with the newly-weds. She had whispered in Sasuke’s ears a request to keep his relatives away from her.
“You still love her?” Shisui asked, daringly, eyes sharp. They were in Sasuke’s room, lounging, some sort of last bachelor’s party with wine and business plans.
“Of course.” Sasuke answered with not a beat missed.
Theirs was a history too long and too sweet to be brushed away. They may have ended but the bitterness of that ending was nothing compared to what they’ve been through. They grew together, loved together, had a beautiful girl together. How could he not love her?
Shisui watched as his cousin’s eyes glazed over, looking inwards, his body language softening before hardening as his coal eyes narrowed.
Itachi stared at his brother as if seeing him for the first time. It seemed they’d underestimated Sasuke’s loyalty. “We’ll take care of her, otouto, you know that.”
“I’ll always love her.” Sasuke reiterated, pointedly ignoring his older brother. He poured himself a glass of wine, remembering how Sakura looked up to Kakashi when they left the banquet. “Which means if any of you fucks up Sakura’s happiness, there will be hell to pay.”
Tumblr media
When they arrived in Kakashi’s room, Sakura spilled out all the “suitors” who suddenly emerged after her divorce. Kakashi was pretty sure they’ve always been around, but he kept that to himself. 
A doctor, nay, an owner of one of the biggest hospitals in the country - Akasuna no Sasori. Championed by many in their field, saying that he and Sakura are the next power couple of the field. 
A lawyer, nay, one of the best criminal lawyers and co-owner of the Senju Co law firm - Tobirama Senju. The contender of the whole Senju family, including Tsunade (who had no apologies to give to Kakashi, she wanted Sakura as her official relative - sorry) 
A legislator and a yakuza head - Uzumaki Nagato. Or Pein. Who was frankly just a pain in the ass to deal with. Kakashi still had some scars to prove that. 
And of course, the Uchiha cousins. Championed by their whole clan, judging by the way the matriarch and patriarch approvingly gazed at them while they whisk Sakura for a dance. 
And then there’s Kakashi. 
“I’m just a humble soon-to-be college teacher,” Kakashi started and Sakura almost rolled her eyes thinking that there’s nothing humble about a retired military man who may or may not still be covertly working for the government and instead let Kakashi continue.
“Are you sure you’re fine with me?” he asked. And though he said it with humor laced in his voice, there’s a hint of truth. 
Sakura’s heart clenched painfully, and she took Kakashi’s hands. “Are you okay with me? I’m dragging you from your peaceful life and well, into this.”
“Can’t say it’s not gonna be interesting.”
Sakura laughed, leaning against Kakashi. In turn, he wrapped his arm around his shoulder and smothered his laughter against her hair.  (He’ll have to make some calls. Get the Hatake estates and businesses up and running. He’s not just. And maybe he didn’t have a yakuza family or a corporation, but he had Sakura- and the only approval he’ll ever need - Sarada’s.) 
86 notes · View notes
jaybear1701 · 4 years
Link
One-night stands are supposed to be quick, easy, and forgettable. 
No strings attached.  
And they’re certainly not supposed to show up on your first day at work--your first crime scene, no less--with a roguish grin and sparkling blue eyes that are just as mesmerizing in the harsh light of day as they had been after four cocktails in a dive bar.
"Oh,” is all Scylla can manage to breathe out when Dr. Izadora L’Amara aka the medical examiner aka Scylla’s boss for the next year introduces her to Raelle Collar. Detective Raelle Collar of the Salem Police Department. It should be illegal for someone to look that good in black slacks and a form-fitting blue oxford rolled part-way up her forearms. 
“Pleased to meet you, Dr. Ramshorn,” Raelle drawls as they shake hands, her grip lingering perhaps a second longer than necessary. “Again.” Her blonde hair--braided on one side like it had been on Saturday night--practically glows in the sun, and Scylla tamps down the memory of how much better it looked as a golden halo spread across a pillow.
“The pleasure’s mine,” Scylla says and then inwardly cringes when Raelle’s grin widens into shit-eating. She could have phrased it better. Much better. 
“I didn’t realize you two already knew each other,” Izadora says, arching one eyebrow.
“We’re acquainted.” Raelle winks at Scylla, whose cheeks burn. At least Scylla could blame it on the summer heat.
Izadora hums as she makes her way to the bodies. Raelle follows after with Scylla in tow, past a small crowd of curious onlookers and a television news crew that’s setting up their camera and mic’ing up their reporter.
They approach an alleyway barricaded with yellow police tape, which Raelle pulls up to allow Scylla and Izadora to duck underneath. 
“What do we have?” Izadora asks as Raelle leads them to the crime scene where three victims await, bodies arranged in a perverse triangle.
“Triple homicide,” Raelle answers. “And one we’ve identified as Constance Treefine, so you can imagine the press will have a field day if that gets out. Still waiting to confirm the identities of the others.”
“Treefine?” Scylla asks.
“A member of one of Salem’s oldest and wealthiest High Atlantic families,” Izadora explains.
Around them, patrol officers and crime scene investigators bustle about collecting evidence. 
“Think the cause of death is pretty obvious,” Raelle says. 
“We’ll be the judge of that, Detective Collar, thank you very much.” Izadora crouches down next to the closest victim and snaps on a pair of latex gloves. Scylla and Raelle follow suit. “Male, 40s,” Izadora says.“Ramshorn?”
“His larynx has been extracted.” Scylla prods at the wound carefully with a gloved finger. “The cuts are clean. Precise. Almost… professional. No signs of hemorrhaging, which is unusual. Cause of death unclear.”
Izadora nods in approval.
“If you say so, beautiful.” Raelle shrugs. 
Izadora returns to a standing position. “Dr. Ramshorn, complete your preliminary examinations and meet me back at the station.” She eyes Raelle. “And Detective Collar, please remember to be professional. Lest I have another conversation with Sergeant Quartermaine.” 
“Yes, ma’am,” Raelle gives her a jaunty salute before turning all her attention back to Scylla, who pretends she’s not there as she continues a visual examination of the bodies. 
She notices a patch of red skin behind the victim’s ear and carefully lifts his lobe. “There’s some kind of marking here.” Scylla points at a black symbol of what appears to be a complicated sigil. “A tattoo, perhaps.”
“Fresh by the looks of it,” Raelle says before waving someone over. “Tal, get a shot of this.” 
One of the investigators with a DSLR approaches, a woman with long red hair tied in a ponytail. She crouches down and snaps a photo, the camera’s light flashing. 
“Fascinating,” she exclaims. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” She looks up and smiles at Scylla. “And I’ve not seen you before either.”
“Oh, sorry,” Raelle says. “Tally, this is our newest pathologist, Dr. Scylla Ramshorn. Dr. Ramshorn, this is Tally Craven, one of our best CSIs.” 
“Nice to meet you, Tally. I’d shake your hand, but...” Scylla raises her contaminated gloves. 
“No worries.” Tally nods in understanding. “Scylla’s a really beautiful name. Greek, right?” She tilts her head toward Raelle. “Didn’t you say you met a Scylla the other night?”
Heat prickles across the back of Scylla’s neck.
Raelle clears her throat. “Just a coincidence.”
“Huh,” Tally says. “Well, welcome aboard, Scylla. Let me know if there’s ever anything I can do for ya.”
She pops back up and wanders over to take photos of the other victims, leaving Raelle and Scylla together in an awkward silence. Raelle looks like she wants to say something more, but she doesn’t. Thankfully. 
“Well, I’ll let you get to it, Doc,” Raelle says before she walks away to confer with other officers.
And Scylla lets out a breath of relief, thankful that she can focus on the task at hand, trying her best to ignore the occasional looks Raelle throws her way. 
 ***
 Several hours later, Scylla's on her way to the morgue, eager to begin the autopsies. This is where she thrives, alone with her work, disengaging from emotions and focusing on science to  uncover secrets from the dead that only she can find. To bring them justice. And, she hopes, a modicum of peace.
She doesn't expect to bump into Ralle at the elevator, waiting for the car to arrive. 
“So, Doc, you left super early yesterday," Raelle says as she falls into step next to Scylla. "Missed out on some mean chocolate-chip pancakes.”
She has to nip this in the bud. Pronto.
“Let me stop you right there, Detective,” Scylla interrupts. “Saturday night was… fun." That's an understatement. Mind-blowing is more like it. Earth shattering. Game changing. "But nothing more. And the sooner we put it behind us, the better.”
Raelle’s smile falls from her all too-attractive face. “Sure, of course.” 
Scylla inwardly curses.
And that's that.
***
Or so she thinks. 
Every once in a while, Raelle stops by the morgue to check on the “windpipe” case--Raelle insists on that description even though Scylla has thoroughly explained that the trachea and the larynx, despite their proximity, are two very different anatomical parts. 
Raelle's professional and polite, despite Scylla's rejection, but doesn't quite get the memo that she's not supposed to be charming or cute or adorable.
One day, Raelle sets down a disposable cup of coffee on Scylla’s desk and pushes it toward her. A familiar logo adorns its sleeve: two coffee beans in a V-shape to form a heart. It’s from Scylla’s favorite shop, nowhere near the precinct. 
 "Kona, no cream, one sugar," Raelle props her hip on the desk. "I've heard on the grapevine it's your favorite."
"Are you stalking me, Detective?"
"Stalking?" Raelle mimes being stabbed in the heart. "You wound me, Doc. It's called gathering intel."
"Gathering intel," Scylla repeats, leaning back in her chair. She'd prefer to keep Raelle at arm's length, but a small part of her feels flattered anyway, an unwelcome warmth spreading through her chest."
"Learning about a new colleague."
"Temporary colleague. The fellowship's only one year."
"Still plenty of time for us to get to know each other better. And there are much easier ways than me tracking down your coffee order. Like, lunch? Or dinner?"
Scylla has to shut this down. Again. 
"Detective Collar."
"Raelle."
"Sorry?"
"You can call me Raelle. Like you did when we met."
"Detective." Scylla’s face heats up, remembering exactly how she had said Raelle’s name on that particular night. Had breathed it out like a prayer, and a curse. "You're sweet.. But I don't date coworkers." 
Let alone one-night stands.
"Who said anything about a date?" Raelle rubs her chin between her thumb and forefinger, just beneath the scar along her cheek that Scylla vividly remembers worshiping with her lips in the not-so-distant past. "You’ve gotta eat, don’t you? Or are you not friends with coworkers, either?”
Scylla rakes her teeth across her bottom lip, partly mortified by her assumption. 
“Tell ya what,” Raelle grins as she slides off the desk. “If you're ever in need of wholesome and completely platonic sustenance, you know where to find me."
Scylla picks up the coffee and removes the lid. She blows on it, breath skimming the heavenly brown liquid, and sips. It burns her tongue anyway.
   ***
"So, how are things?" Sergeant Anacostia Quartermaine takes a large bite of her turkey on wheat, elbows on her desk as she chews. 
Much like Anacostia, her office is practical, functional, and no-nonsense, with hardly any personal decorations except for a single picture frame on her painfully neat desk. In it is a photo of Anacostia and Scylla on her graduation day from medical school, both of them beaming at the camera.
Smiling at the memory, Scylla unwraps her own lunch, a vegetarian wrap. Extra mushrooms. "Not bad," she answers.
"Not bad?" Anacostia repeats. "We've got a serial killer on the loose and all you have to say about it is: not bad?"
"Fine, it's amazing," Scylla says in an overexaggerated manner. "A dream come true. In fact, it's beyond my wildest imaginings."
"And here you thought coming back home for your fellowship would be boring." Anacostia smiled. "You making any friends?"
Scylla waves that off, as she takes a bit of her wrap and mumbles, "I'm not here for that." 
"I know, but it wouldn't kill you to have some fun every once in a while."  Anacostias waggles a potato chip at Scylla before popping it in her mouth.
Scylla stops mid-chew. "That's hilarious coming from you."
"Excuse you. I have fun."
"Your idea of fun is organizing your kitchen pantry by alphabetical order. You don't get to judge me."
"I'm not judging. I'm encouraging, as is my right as your guardian."
On the other side of the glass wall that partitions Anacostia's office from the rest of the detectives' desks, Scylla notices Raelle enter the room. She doesn’t take note of Scylla at first, but when their eyes lock, she gives her a slow smile that still makes Scylla’s stomach flutter despite the self-imposed distance she placed between them. And Anacotia--being the savvy detective that she is--notices Scylla noticing Raelle noticing Scylla.
"Not making friends, huh?" Anacostia has a knowing smile on her face. 
"We’re not friends," Scylla says perhaps too quickly.
“If you say so,” Anacostia says. “Collar is one of my best detectives, but…”
“But?”
“Just be careful with her,” Anacostia  warns softly. “She’s not as tough as she’d like people to believe.” 
   ***
If there’s one thing Scylla learns about Raelle after her lunch with Anacostia, it’s that she definitely has quite the reputation. Not that Scylla’s going out of her way to “gather intel” on Raelle. Not in the slightest.
Raelle and her partner, Abigail Bellweather of the High Atlantic Bellweathers, are the two youngest detectives in the department. They’re on a hot streak for solving murders, but they also have a penchant for mayhem. Lots of mayhem. Rumor has it that they once managed to blow up two large trucks in the pursuit of a serial bomber, damaging parts of a newly paved stretch of highway. The mayor was, suffice it to say, far from pleased. Neither was Abigail’s mother, Chief of Police Petra Bellweather. Aside from their destructive tendencies, Raelle, apparently, is also notorious for charming the panties off half the women in the precinct and breaking hearts--if scuttlebutt can be believed. 
And Scylla takes it all as proof that she made the right decision to keep Raelle at arm’s length. Raelle is nothing but trouble disguised behind gorgeous blue eyes and a roguish smile. 
   ***
But Scylla also discovers Raelle is very much a study in contradiction. She plays hard, but works hard, too. On nights Scylla leaves late at night after a long day of autopsies or reports, Raelle’s always at her desk whenever Scylla walks past the detectives’ offices, typing furiously on her keyboard, candy bar wrappers and open cans of Red Bull sitting atop stacks of manila papers and folders.
One night, Scylla can’t resist and stops in the doorway. “Do you ever sleep?”
“These cases aren’t gonna solve themselves, Doc.” Raelle leans back in her chair, lips turning up, languid and easy. 
Scylla hates how Raelle’s smile still makes her heart skip a beat. “Detective, are you familiar with the law of diminishing returns?”
“Should I be?”
“Yes, for your well being,” Scylla says. “At some point, the benefits you gain from working start to decrease the more you overwork.” 
“Correct me if I’m wrong.” Raelle makes an exaggerated show of stretching out her arm and squinting at her wrist watch. It’s nearly midnight. “But it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.”
Scylla rolls her eyes. “I’m just saying, breaks are good every now and again.”
“Doctor’s orders?” Raelle winks.
“Yeah, doctor’s orders,” Scylla can’t help but smile. 
“I’ll take it under advisement,” Raelle accedes. “Though, if you’re offering to help me comply with those orders...”
And that’s Scylla’s cue to leave before she can do anything she might regret. Again. “Goodnight, Detective.”
 ***
The murders continue. Always in the same pattern. Three unrelated victims, of every age, sex, race, national origin, religion, and socio-economic status, positioned to form a grotesque triangle. All with their vocal folds removed with minimal blood from the wound site. All with a different sigil tattooed somewhere on their bodies..
“Toxicology finally came back on the first victims.” Scylla hands a copy of the report to Abigail, adopting a neutral and professional tone that she hopes effectively masks her disappointment that a certain blonde detective is nowhere to be seen. “Each victim had etorphine, pentobarbital, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride in their systems.”
“And what does that mean in English?” Abigail frowns as she flips through the pages. 
“Etorphine is a tranquilizer. The others, when combined, are commonly used in lethal injections.”  
Abigail’s head shoots up. “Seriously?”
It’s then that Raelle rushes into the room and brushes past Scylla, a little worse for wear. She tucks her dress shirt in her pants, creases apparent against white, and tosses a wrinkled blazer on the back of her chair. It looks suspiciously like she’s wearing the same outfit as yesterday.
“Sorry, I’m late.” She sits and rolls her chair up to the desk. “Oh, hey there, Doc.” Self-consciously, Raelle combs her fingers through her hair, wincing when they snag against tangles. “Didn’t think you’d be visiting this early.”
“It’s almost noon,” Scylla points out.
Abigail gives Raelle an unimpressed once over. “You look like shit.” 
“Why, thank you, Bells. You always know how to make a girl feel special.”
Abigail gives her a flat stare. “Where have you been? Quartermaine would have had your ass if she didn’t have a meeting with the chief.”
Scylla bites the inside of her cheek at the mention of Anacostia. She wonders if anyone has put two-and-two together about their relationship. Not that they’ve been hiding it, per se.
“Had another all-nighter,” Raelle shrugs. “You know how those go.” 
Abigail just shakes her head. “You’re hopeless.”
Scylla’s unsure what an “all-nighter” entails, though she has an inkling. Her stomach twists slightly, even though she has no right to be bothered about whatever (or whomever) Raelle does. 
“Anyway, what were you guys talking about?” Raelle asks.
Abigail tosses the file to Raelle, who fumbles it slightly as she catches it. “Ramshorn here says the victims were drugged and executed.”
“Based on our findings, it’s plausible the victims were sedated and killed before their larynxes were removed,” Scylla explains. “That could explain the lack of blood around the extraction point.”
Raelle eyes the report. “So we could be dealing with a medical professional?”
“Assuming nothing was stolen or otherwise acquired through less than legal means,” Abigail says.
“Well, it’s more than what we had before,” Raelle smiles.  “Thanks, Doc.”
“Oh, Scylla, there you are!” Tally bounds up to them from out of nowhere. “I swung by your office, but you weren’t there.”
“Sorry, Tally, I’m just finishing up with the detectives,” Scylla says. “Unless there’s anything else you two need?”
Abigail shakes her head. “Whoa, wait, your name is Scylla?”
“That’s right.”
Abigail’s gaze ping-pongs between Raelle, who looks ready to murder Abigail on the spot, and an increasingly embarrassed.Scylla, who wonders just how many people Raelle had told about their night together. For all she knows it’s the entire precinct. 
“Well,” Abigail’s eyebrows raise, “That’s interesting.”
“Not as interesting as coffee,” Tally hooks her arm through Scylla’s.
“Wait, you’re having coffee together?” Raelle asks. She looks almost hurt, not that Scylla cares.
“That’s right.” Scylla smiles. “Tally Craven, let’s have that coffee.”
Tally beams as she pulls Scylla away. 
Scylla swears she can feel Raelle’s stare every step of the way. 
***
After another long Friday of autopsies, Scylla can’t wait to get back to her apartment and take a soak in a hot, hard-earned bubble bath. She’s almost to the front entrance when she nearly runs headfirst into Raelle, who’s sporting a busted lip and a bruise on her left cheek, just above her scar.
“Detective, what…” Scylla is at a loss of words, heart in her throat.
“Oh, hey, Doc,” Raelle tries to give her usual playful grin, but the effect is lost amid the shallow cuts along her chin and the dried blood caked around her nose. “Heading out?”
Worry claws at Scylla’s stomach. “Your face.” 
“Still pretty, right?”
Scylla places a hand on Raelle’s elbow and guides her to the side. “What happened? Are you okay?”  She asks as Abigail pushes the doors open, probably with a little more force than necessary. Unlike Raelle, Abigail is unscathed, a deep scowl on her face.
“Long story,” Raelle says.
“She tried to stop a robbery without backup like a reckless maniac.” Abigail crosses her arms.
“Okay, maybe not so long,” Raelle admits.
Scylla frowns, unable to stop herself from brushing a few strands of blonde from Raelle’s face. “You should really get yourself checked out.”
“I’m fine,” Raelle protests. "Everyone's overreacting."
“Raelle," Scylla says, immediately grabbing Raelle's attention with her use of her first name. "Come with me. Let’s get you fixed up.”
The corner of Raelle's eyes crinkle in a pleased smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good,” Abigail huffs as she turns to leave. “Get her out of my sight, Ramshorn, before I kill her myself.”
Scylla leads Raelle back to her office near the morgue. Thankfully, it’s late enough that it’s empty. Dr. L’Amara had left hours before.
“Sit and wait here,” Scylla orders.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re hot when you’re bossy,” Raelle says, wincing as she lowers herself in a seat in front of Scylla’s desk.
Ignoring Raelle, Scylla enters the exam room to wet a washcloth, retrieve an ice pack from the freezer, and collect a first aid kit. When she returns, she sits in the chair next to Raelle and hands her the ice pack. Raelle presses it to the side of her head with a sigh.
Scylla begins cleaning the blood from Raelle’s face with gauze soaked with a saline solution. Although she takes extra care around Raelle’s wounds, she still winces in pain. 
“You really don’t have to do this,” Raelle insists, pink tinging her cheeks. 
“And you really don’t have to be reckless,” Scylla says, uncapping a tube of triple-antibiotic ointment, squeezing some on a cotton pledget, and applying it to Raelle’s cuts. “But here we are.”
“I’m not reckless,” Raelle insists as Scylla takes the ice pack so she can examine Raelle’s scalp. 
“Right, that’s why you’ve got a lump the size of a softball on your head.” Scylla’s fingers skim across Raelle’s braids, gently outlining a hematoma.
“Someone had to step in,” Raelle says with quiet conviction. “It was the right thing to do.”
Scylla bites back a lecture. It’s not her place to chastise Raelle or tell her how to do her job, even if she can’t quite shake the worry that’s weighing in the pit of her stomach. Instead, Scylla hands back the ice pack, picks up an otoscope, and shines a light into Raelle’s eyes. One pupil doesn’t constrict, confirming Scylla’s suspicions. 
“You have a concussion,” Scylla turns off the light.
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Scylla sighs. “You should rest, but it'd be better if you stay up for a few hours.”
“You know, I might need some help staying up. What do you say, Doc?” Raelle waggles her eyebrows and Scylla can’t help but laugh because Raelle’s incorrigible .
"In your state, I doubt you'd be able to keep up with me," Scylla lightly teases. It’s not flirting, she tells herself. It’s harmless banter among colleagues.
"I like challenges." Raelle’s blue eyes are serious now, no longer joking, and Scylla finds she can’t breathe. Or look away.
"Collar!” Anacostia barks from the doorway, startling them both. “In my office. Now!"
"Some other time then,” Raelle says with a small smile before she leaves.
When she’s gone, Scylla slumps back in her chair, hand resting on her chest, wondering what in the hell she’s doing.
49 notes · View notes