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#this was supposed to be his chance at a happy life after the disaster of how his last one went
blackhairedjjun · 10 days
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it's you that i'd lie with. - c.yj
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pairing: choi yeonjun x gn reader | genre / tropes: angst, apocalypse au (no literally), the end of the world but make it slice of life, non-idol au, best friends to lovers, last-minute getting together (and i really mean last minute!!) | word count: 923 | warnings: implied death, natural disasters, mentioned existential crises, kissing, brief food mentions
part of my 300 followers event (event masterlist)
prompt - LAST: believing it to be their last chance to confess their feelings for the receiver, the sender tells them that they love them. (requested by @beomnoullitheorem - "I don't mind any kind of ending as I love both happy and sad endings, so I'm leaving it all upto you and I'm gonna love any of your work be it having any kind of ending!")
author's notes: hi noulli! unfortunately i don't have a copy of the stuff we talked abt for this prompt since i answered your asks privately, but i tried to remember what we said as best as i can! also i was in a very "wow i wanna kiss him sooooo bad" mood when i wrote this so uh. yeah sldkfskldjf. also the title is from "as the world caves in" by matt maltese!
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“do you really think the world will end today, y/n? like what the reporters said?”
you cast a glance up at the cloudless sky, its color a gradient of deep blue to pale yellow. meteor showers fall constantly like rain made of light. “well... if it isn’t ending, it’s putting on a hell of a show.”
yeonjun lets out a soft giggle and pulls you closer in his arms. you sigh happily and rest your head on his chest; his heartbeat is a bit faster than usual, though it is his last day on earth after all. you’ve always been touchy-feely with your best friend, but you’ve never been this close.
as soon as the news reports announced the end of the world a few weeks ago, the two of you instantly knew that you wanted to spend your last day here, at the open-air rooftop restaurant where you first met. you spent the next few weeks saying goodbye to your friends and family, checking a few things off your bucket list, and just... making peace with your life. today you and yeonjun claimed a table overlooking the deserted city below, though there wasn’t any competition anyway 一 the cooks and waitstaff had abandoned the place to spend their last day with their loved ones.
you lift your head up from yeonjun’s embrace to take in one last look at the sky, beautiful yet terrifying, a canvas of light and shadow. you wonder what everyone else is doing: maybe they too are looking at the sky, or maybe they can’t see it at all from the makeshift underground shelters they’ve gone to. maybe some are watching it alone, maybe others are watching it with a loved one, just like you.
just then you feel soft lips on the crown of your head, and you look up to see yeonjun pulling away from his brief kiss. he’s gazing at you with those warm brown eyes, and you can’t help the heat spreading across your cheeks.
“you’re quiet,” he says.
“so are you, jjunie.”
“it’s just... a lot.”
“i know.”
perhaps your brain is making you see things because this is the last time you’ll ever see him, but this is the most beautiful yeonjun has ever looked. strands of black hair fall over his eyes, and as you lift a hand to brush them aside you feel an ache in your heart.
“i was supposed to take you here again for your birthday, y’know,” he says with a small smile.
“really? you didn’t think i’d be sick of it here?”
“nah, you love it here. you’re always ordering their cheesecake.”
you laugh. “i mean, no one makes it like they d一”
just then the earth begins to shake and the whole building sways. yeonjun grabs onto you as you’re both thrown onto the ground. you bury your head in your friend’s chest and grip onto his hoodie; his own grip around your waist tightens and he curls around you. the table topples and nearly lands on your head, only for yeonjun to grab you and roll you away from the spot.
the ground beneath you rumbles, and you can hear the crashing of plates and bottles from the restaurant kitchen. tables and chairs are knocked over. you screw your eyes shut, yet the world doesn’t stop spinning...
and then an alarm starts blaring in the distance, and it’s over as soon as it started. you remain lying on the floor clinging to yeonjun, your knuckles trembling from your grip on his hoodie. he doesn’t move either, holding on to you so tightly as if you might slip away if he let go.
then you feel it again 一 that feather-light kiss on the crown of your head, lingering for longer this time. then another one, further down on your forehead. yeonjun pulls away to look at you, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes, and the ache in your heart gnaws at you even more.
“y/n, i...”
words leave him and the next thing you know, his lips are on yours. he tastes as sweet as you’ve imagined, and you wrap your arms around him to kiss him deeper. the world is spinning again, but for a completely different reason 一 with your body flush against his and his mouth moving roughly against yours, you feel as if every piece of you has been set alight.
you let out a sigh against his lips as he breaks away. he pants slightly, still holding you close, his eyes wide. 
“i love you.”
yeonjun is still breathless when he says it. had he said it on any other day, your mind would be full of questions: how long? since when? why are you telling me only now? what happens to us next?
but you don’t have time for questions. instead you lean towards him, meeting those beautiful eyes of his, and whisper, “i love you too.”
you leave a gentle peck on his lips, then another, then it’s his turn to kiss you back. next thing you know his hands are tangled in your hair and you melt into him completely, this new kiss slower than the first yet more desperate. in your last moments you’re going to love him the way you should have when you still had time.
neither of you notice the way the sky darkens to a complete black. the ground shakes again and you hold on to each other.
his warmth is the last thing you ever feel.
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zhongrin · 1 year
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newton’s second law of motion
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◇ characters ◇ al haitham (ft. kaveh, cyno, tighnari)
◇ tags ◇ divorced dad al haitham as your ex-hubby, possibly ooc al haitham (?), you have a daughter, al haitham pines on you badly, angst to fluff, crack, kaveh-cyno-tighnari support group ftw, brainrot format with a little fic
◇ a/n ◇ happy birthday you dolt (/aff). i didn't plan to post any birthday fic for him but this thought hit me as soon as i read that silly bday letter. this was supposed to be just a brainrot help-
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡
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divorced husband!al haitham who is hit by a revelation over the year he lived separated from you - that he had taken you for granted and he had driven you away by failing to communicate and appreciate you properly.
divorced husband!al haitham who receives a little package from you on his birthday; just a small, store-bought birthday cake. he's reminded of the biting words he said the year before, when he tasted the cake you made with your daughter. in hindsight, it was perfectly normal for a three-year-old to mistake salt for sugar. in hindsight, he should have known to hold his tongue. in hindsight, he could have done better than just stare as your daughter cried in your arms.
divorced husband!al haitham who knows that you were just being nice with all these small gestures. for updating him about how your daughter is doing in school every month. it was all a formality of sorts and it was an agreement you had when you broke your marriage. but he can't help the hope that sparked within his chest when he sees your handwriting and hears your voice on the rare meet-ups you organize.
divorced husband!al haitham who admits that you deserve someone better. who resolves to be someone better.
divorced husband!al haitham who picks up that parenting book he abandoned and buys new ones because four-year-olds are different from newborn babies. people stare at him in awe when he starts attending the parenting-themed seminars, and it's like he's back in his akademiya days, taking notes and analyzing research journals.
divorced husband!al haitham who, to his previous roommate's surprise, lets himself be dragged into the 'severely unproductive' weekly tcg game meeting. he silently sits and listens to cyno unconsciously bragging about the warm home he built with his spouse, tighnari proudly retelling story after story about collei taking the lead of the forest rangers, and kaveh gushing about the love of his life.
divorced husband!al haitham who, to everyone's shock, asks for their advice on how to rebuild what he's lost, who for once listens to kaveh as he guides him to emphatize more and shows him the values of white lies when used properly, as inefficient as he though it was. soon enough it turns into a full-on lecture at one corner of lambad's tavern - tighnari had brought out a whiteboard out of nowhere, and even cyno who was at first skeptical about giving him a second chance was animatedly giving his own two mora to avoid worsening the disaster that is the scribe's love life.
divorced husband!al haitham who picks up a new pen and delicately writes a letter with the ink of your favorite color, intending to ask you to meet at the library because he wanted to "further encourage our daughter's newly-found interest in reading". he's hoping it would show his sincerity (yes, he did listen when you absentmindedly told him about your daughter on the last update meeting) and imply that he wishes to make amends (because he remembers not taking much interest in the more 'trivial' things that concerns your daughter when he should have).
divorced husband!al haitham who does not understand why you didn't reply to him, and so he proceeds to recite the letter, word-by-word, to the curious table of the same friends from a week ago, their tcg match long forgotten. kaveh throws a deck of cards at him. cyno slumps back to his chair with a steely expression, arms crossed. tighnari sighs and bemoans about how al haitham is the worst student he's ever had thus far. kaveh rubs his face with his palms - "alright. okay. alright. look. clearly one lecture isn't enough. we could just. we could try again. hey, at least he tried!"
divorced husband!al haitham who wakes up the morning after because of his doorbell, with barely two hours of sleep, coffee-less (you used to make him coffee and he does not understand what he's missing because he could never make them taste the same), grumpy (he remembers the way you would laugh and boop his nose whenever he feels like this), darkened eye bags under his hazy green eyes (which you used to try and will away with a kiss; it never worked but he wishes you were there to do it still), opening the door of his abode (the house feels far too big without you) and promptly almost collapsing from shock at the sight.
it's you.
divorced husband!al haitham who fumbles with his words; his brain isn't working properly and his composure is nowhere in sight. you're holding your daughter's hand and you're looking at him from head to toe with a frown. he asks why you were here. you tell him icily that it was your scheduled date for the usual monthly update; you thought he would have appreciated you bringing your daughter this time. his brain stops. his heart swells. his chest feels warm.
divorced husband!al haitham who invites you in and blushes when you see the remnants of last night's "lectures". kaveh's silly flowchart ('when you should shut your mouth') is still present on the whiteboard. tighnari's books about child development created little towers around the coffee table. cyno's headpiece is still lying on the sofa. and his own copious notes are all over the place.
"what kind of.... project.... are you working on, exactly?"
his brain's broca's area must have been terribly damaged from all the 'scenario exercises' kaveh put him through last night, because what was supposed to be a 'pay no mind to it, it's merely a personal interest of mine' somehow turned into a sheepishly spoken: "i wanted to become a better partner and father."
and you must have thought he was crazy, too, with that look of utter shock on your face. al haitham decides to change the subject. he sees the way your daughter is eyeing the pantry - more specifically, the cabinet that used to store her snacks, and maybe it's all the books and seminars he attended but somehow he understands.
"have you... had breakfast?"
"..... no," your tone is cold and you avert your eyes. the implication is not lost on him. you had not planned to stay for long.
"i see. would you like to procure-" he pauses, gazes towards your daughter, remembering what he read - and he drops to his knees so he can be of a similar eye level with the young child. when he speaks next his tone is higher, softer, and you almost can't believe what you're witnessing, "-would you and mommy like to get some food with daddy?"
"..... yes."
his little angel's voice is barely above a whisper and slightly unsure, but it still makes a genuine smile spread onto his lips for the first time in...... what seemed like forever. he directs his gaze up towards you, like some kind of a lost puppy seeking permission from its owner. you throw one last glance at his notes and sigh before nodding stiffly.
"alright.... you look like you badly need coffee anyway."
divorced husband!al haitham who, despite the tiredness in his bones, readily escorts the two of you out of the house after quickly scribbling a note for the three guests sleeping on a pile in the guest room.
divorced husband!al haitham who asks his daughter about where she'd like to eat and agrees immediately upon her answer despite knowing that their destination would only serve that trashy coffee he loathes with his whole life (and when you ask him again whether he's really okay with her choice, he says yes even though he wanted to say no).
divorced husband!al haitham who asks you about the latest updates on your job and tells you that he thinks it's admirable, for you to balance caring for their child while also having such a stable career (you did not express the need to be getting constructive criticism on how to further improve your career and branch out your skills, so he decides to keep his mouth shut).
divorced husband!al haitham who stumbles, trips, and is still horribly clumsy as he paves a path back to walk beside you and your daughter. but he tries. and he hopes to spend his next birthday with you, your daughter, a kitchen that looked like an oven has exploded, and a deformed cake.
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and as the front door closes, the three guests high-fives each other in a small circle from behind the slightly opened door of the guest room.
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© zhongrin | 2023 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!
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rottenrosethorns · 10 months
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I see your looking for request, so I was more than happy to show up in your inbox
I came up with this randomly - anyway. Leon plans a weekend getaway/vacation for him and the reader. Somewhere where they can go swimming (beach,lake etc etc). Leon needs to relieve some tension. Leon and the reader share romantic night swim together totally on a whim, and just enjoy each other’s company, and tiny bit of smut just to top it all off.
much love x
Pairing: Leon Kennedy x afab!reader 
Genre: Fluff, Smut 
Synopsis: Disaster after disaster, Leon’s weekend plans seem to come to an unfortunate end; however, you convince him to try one last resort at a secluded campsite off the side of the road. 
Word Count: 4.4K 
Warning: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT; swimming, bugs, unprotected sex, vanilla romantic sex 
A/N: all of my a/n are like “sorry for taking so long” and “it’s longer than expected” lmao. Thank you anon for requesting, i hope you like it! I really hope i got the romance translated through the story (if its subpar, im sorry, im tragically single LMAO) 
__________
- masterlist - 
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“Hey, hey, look at me,” You reached across the center console to cup Leon’s cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, “Everything’s going to be okay, alright?”
Your voice hushes into a comforting whisper as you rubbed Leon’s cheek with a sad pout. Thankfully, your kiss seemed to soften his disarray of emotions as his frustrated wrinkles eased away as he let out a quick huff. Leon’s eyes were set looking through the windshield, avoiding your eyes at all costs as he wanted to avoid you picking up on his embarrassment. But, even without looking at him, you always knew what emotion he was feeling. You could clearly tell that Leon was disappointed in himself despite your attempts at reassurance. Leon sighed loudly, resting his elbow on the driver’s door as he looked down with his forehead resting in his left hand, “Everything was supposed to be perfect.” 
Optimistically, you tried to offer him a smile, but even you knew that you couldn’t argue with him about that one. Nothing was ever perfect, but this weekend trip was far from smooth sailing. Leon – being the vacation desperate man that he is – took the first chance to get out of town and booked a picturesque shoreside cabin for the extended weekend. It’s been way too long since he’s had a break, and all he wanted to do was spend time with you while reconnecting with nature. Well, the latter part was more so a suggestion from Leon’s therapist to which you essentially forced him to start seeing. Although he deemed it unnecessary even with his success of departing from the hardships of his trauma, Leon only agreed to comply with the treatments if you were doing them with him which included you enjoying the calmness that nature offered as well. A win is a win, you suppose. 
However, not everyone could be winners without losing once or twice, and Leon seemed to be on a streak today. With the cabin site a hefty four hours away from home, you were bound to run into some mishaps. But those mishaps quickly turned into mayhem as you faced the tribulations of Leon losing and finding his wallet, changing a flat tire on the highway, getting pulled over and let go with a warning, nearly missing a deer kissing the front bumper, and much, much more. Leon felt like he was fighting for his life more so on this road trip than being on an actual work mission. The only difference being that his enemy was the invisible universe instead of the normal mutated creatures and undead humans. 
Upon struggling to reach the cabinsite, Leon was relieved to pull into the parking lot of the front office and finally settle down after the hectic events of the day. But as if his trip couldn’t get any worse, the receptionist at the cabinsite pitifully informed you both that Leon’s booking confirmation never went through and that there were unfortunately no vacancies for the rest of the weekend. So now, you were both back in Leon’s car as he tried his best not to blow a fuse from the abundance of misfortunes. 
Just as you were about to respond back to him, your eyes shifted from Leon towards your phone screen that just lit up from being drained of its battery. Leon mistook your untimely silence as if you were condemning him at fault for being the reason why this trip was so disastrous. As he went to shift away from you, you quickly reached out and embraced his hands in yours, “We’re still going to have fun, okay? We’ve got a couple hours until sundown and I think I have an idea.” 
“You sure? If you don’t want to, we can go back home,” Leon offered with a downward turn on his lips. As much as he hated the idea of going back home and sitting idly within those same four walls of the house, Leon didn’t want you to feel as if you were being forced along with him to share the unexpected hardships of the road-trip. 
“Didn’t you say you wanted to reconnect with nature?” You laughed to yourself, already finding the imagery of Leon frolicking in the grass like some Disney princess amusing, “Let’s go here, I saw it on the way.”
Leon leaned over to look at the location you’d pull up on your phone, showing a small and secluded campsite hidden on the side of the road. Leon inspected the images with a skeptical look, “Are you sure? Those pictures seem kinda old, what if it’s not what it looks like anymore?”
You shrugged, “Then, we’ll find out and see.” 
“We don’t even have camping supplies.”
“Then, we get them.”
You and Leon stared at each other in silence as the proposition sunk in. After a moment, Leon sighed and started the car’s engine to drive off wherever you directed him to go. A part of him hoped that you wanted to tell him to turn around and go home, but the other part of him still wanted the weekend events to work out. After a bit more convincing, you managed to dissipate all his doubts and initiated yourself to take the responsibility for the rest of the trip. Although he was disappointed that his plans fell through, Leon couldn’t bring himself to put in more effort in the trip. During the ride, you constantly reassured him that nothing bad would happen although you both knew you really couldn’t promise that. It didn’t stop you from believing nonetheless. 
You directed Leon for a while until the car stopped at the nearest department store where you gathered all the necessary camping supplies and whatever food you wanted to last you the weekend. Thankfully, Leon’s mood started to brighten up as he chose your favorite snacks and even offered to buy you a cute stuffed teddy bear to keep you company. Was he slightly jealous that you were beaming at the plush? Maybe. But, he’d buy you anything to keep that smile on your face. 
Once satisfied with the purchase, you both departed the parking lot and drove until you found yourselves going down a tiny dirt path. The further you went down the road you started to second guess whether or not this was a good idea. It was a good half of a mile drive from the main road, and you were skeptical if there was even going to be a nice scene at the end of the road to settle in. The dirt road quickly started to disappear as the path became more and more overgrown as if no one had driven over it for quite some time. You cringed at the sound of the tree branches scratching the sides of Leon’s car as the edge of the forest got narrower. You really didn’t want the campsite to be bad and dampen Leon’s mood even more. You knew how much he needed a break, and you wanted to help make that happen. 
As you progressed deeper into the forest, the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach worsened. Leon seemed to notice your skepticism, “You sure this is the right place?”
You let out a nervous giggle, tightening your hold around your teddy bear, “Yes?”
Leon shook his head, unsure whether or not to believe you, yet he continued to drive forward blindly. You felt yourself holding your breath in anticipation as the thick trees looming over the road started to clear up. You lurched forward in your seat, rubbing your eyes from thinking that you saw something in the distance. As Leon approached, a laser flash of the sun’s reflection flashed your squinting eyes before you started to piece shining ripples on a water’s surface, “Is that a lake?”
Upon completely entering the clearing, your eyes were welcomed with a wide yet humble campground peacefully secluded from the main road. The campsite was equipped with a circle of rocks acting as a firepit with a small path leading down towards the sandbank and access to the lake from a wooden dock at the shore. Utterly breath taken from the sight before you, you awed the sheer capacity of the view. The lake was essentially crystal clear surrounded with rocks, cliff ledges, assortment of lush green trees, and a mountain. It was exactly what you’d see in a painting.  
Leon pulled off to the side, parked the car, and hopped out eagerly to deeply inhale the fresh scent of pine. You quickly followed after Leon and leaping into his arms for an open hug while laughing, “Is this okay?”
Leon snuggled into you, feeling happy for the first time today, “No, this is perfect, maybe even better than the cabin.” 
Leon tightened his arms for a moment as a silent thank you for your suggestion before putting you down and turning to soak himself in the view as well. While he was looking away, you couldn’t help but put yourself at ease from watching the smile on Leon’s face grow as the relief washed over him. 
You kissed his cheek and glanced at the campsite again, “Let’s set up for dinner before the sun goes down.” 
You and Leon tagged team setting up the tent and making dinner before sitting yourselves at the edge of the dock to eat and relax. 
“Can you believe that there’s places like this that actually exist?” You breathed a sigh of awe as you watched the reflection of the setting sun shimmer against the breeze induced ripples on the lake's surface. 
Unfortunately, your moment was partially ruined by some flying insects invading your vision and coming a bit too close for comfort as you swatted them away chaotically. Just as your bravery was set to dissipate, Leon aided in swatting the small swarm away. Shivering from the imaginative feeling of bugs crawling on your skin, you groaned in discomfort while rolling your eyes, “My knight and shining armor.”
“Is this your token of gratitude?” Leon feigned hurt by putting a hand over his heart dramatically, “Even after I aided your distress?”
You pushed him away with a laugh, yet your arms returned to rub them over your skin subconsciously. Even when you knew you were safe, you still felt vulnerable, especially out in the open, “I hate bugs.”
Leon hummed in acknowledgement as he intensely peered out into the scenic lake before perking up suddenly, “I have an idea!”
You eyed him suspiciously, moving your torso away and holding your hands up cautiously, “Uh-oh.”
“It’s not even dangerous,” Leon rolled his eyes, “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
You blinked, “Yeah, I don’t know about that one.”
“When have I ever put you in danger?”
“Let’s see,” You pointed each finger up, counting off the events as you recalled them, “Vegas, New York, LA – oh, don’t forget China too!”
“Alright! Alright!” Leon huffed with an exaggerated pout, “You have a point.”
“I always have a point,” You smiled in triumph, “Now-”
Leon cut you off by suddenly standing up and offering you a hand. You peered at his hand for a moment before shifting your eyes to his as you both silently communicated. Eventually, you decided to take his hand and let him lead you to wherever he planned to; however, instead of helping you stand up like you anticipated him to, Leon had pulled you forward and used the momentum of your imbalance to throw your body against his as he engulfed you in a hug and threw your bodies into the lake. 
Closing your eyes and holding your breath, you were completely submerged in the cool water. As quickly as it happened, you felt Leon’s hands grab your waist and help you break the surface and take a deep gasp for air. 
“Seriously, Leon?" You wiped the water droplets off your face and pushed your hair back,  "What are you like ten?" 
Leon’s hands moved from your waist to the back of your thighs and guided them to wrap around his waist as he floated around in the water. Leon smirked as you securely wrapped your arms around his neck, afraid to drift too far from him although you were safely near the shore’s edge, “Feels nice, doesn’t it?”
You were about to question what he meant by that before you realized that the cool sensation of the water wore off the icky feeling of the bugs crawling on your skin. Upon seeing your face, Leon laughed in satisfaction, knowing that he was right. 
“Shut up,” You mumbled. 
Leon leaned into you closer, teasingly hovering his lips near yours, “What was that?”
“I said-” You took your chance to release his neck, cup a pocket of water in your hands, and splash Leon in the face. 
Leon released you, giving you a chance to swim away before becoming a victim to his revenge. You can’t remember how long you were in the lake for, but you definitely are going to remember the memories of laughing and smiling with Leon for the rest of your life. Before you knew it, the sun was barely over the horizon as the black and blue sky began to overtake the pink and orange hues. While distracted from looking at the sky, Leon swam towards you. 
“Come on, you’re getting cold,” Leon helped you gain your footing as you both trudged towards the firepit soaking wet. 
You squeezed out the hem of your shirt in efforts to reduce the amount of water on you; however, you remained drenched no matter how much you twisted and wrung the fabric. Turning towards Leon, you meant to ask him which bag he packed the towels to retrieve them but was promptly stopped upon seeing him sling off his shirt and wringing it out. You gulped as you watched the veins trailing down his arms to his hands enhanced as he tightly gripped the fabric of his shirt. Now with the moon high in the sky, Leon’s bare skin seemed to glitter as his muscles flexed. 
You felt like you would’ve stayed there forever had your thoughts not been interrupted from Leon’s chuckle, “Can I help you?”
Adverting your eyes and clearing your throat loudly, you awkwardly pointed towards his car, “Um, I'm gonna get the towels. Which – uh, which bag did you put them in?”
“I didn’t pack towels.”
“You,” Your jaw slacked, “You what?”
Leon shrugged, taking a nearby stick and propping it upwards in the ground near the fire and hung his shirt to dry, “I figured the cabin would’ve provided some, so I didn’t pack any.” 
You stood there dumbfounded, knowing that Leon did have a point despite his lack of preparedness, “We can’t stay wet like this, we’ll get sick.”
“There’s a fire right here,” Leon stated like it was obvious before hooking his thumbs around his waistband and stripping himself from his pants and undergarments. 
You gasped loudly, turning your back towards him as your wide eyes did their best to avoid being flashed, “Leon!” 
Your voice echoed out into the forest as Leon’s boisterous laugh filled the air as he slung the rest of his clothes over another stick, “Come on, it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before.” 
Heat flushes your face as you bite the inside of your cheek from the imagery of Leon being completely unclothed, most times from events when you both were getting intimate, “T-That’s different!” 
You knew Leon rolled his eyes from the tone of his voice, “You can turn around now, I’ve got clothes on.”
Slowly, you peeked at Leon, making sure he was telling the truth before committing to fully view him. True to his word, Leon had dressed himself with his previous outfit hanging near the fire. He handed you your clothes he managed to grab and set up another row of sticks to set your wet clothes to dry. 
When he noticed you were still frozen in place, Leon asked, “What’s wrong?”
Quietly, you mumbled, “Can you turn around?”
Leon paused his movements before a wide smirk flashed across his lips, “What was that?”
“I said,” You huffed, annoyed, “Turn around!” 
Leon snickered at your embarrassment but ultimately complied as he turned his back towards you and patiently waited until you handed him your sopping clothes to be hung on his makeshift clothing line. Once you finished dressing and hanging your clothes to dry, you noticed Leon shuffling about inside the tent. You watched as Leon basically disassembled the bedding setup and placed it outside near the campfire, “You know those are supposed to go inside the tent, right?” 
For a while, you tried to decipher what he was doing while urging yourself not to scold him for placing the sheets on the dirt. Leon would set the sheets in one spot, crane his neck upwards before moving the sheets to another spot before doing the same thing again and again until he settled on a spot to his liking. He was a bit of a perfectionist and his wide smile proved that point even more as he sat down and patted the spot next to him eagerly. Playing along, you seat yourself next to Leon and follow suit as you both laid on the sheets to look up at the night sky. There you saw the blanket of darkness with billions of stars that seemed to glow brighter than it did in the city.
“See the big dipper?” Leon took his hand and placed it over yours with your pointer outwards as he stretched your arm out towards the sky and traced the shape of the constellation, “And, there’s the little one.” 
Leon continued to look up at the stars and educate you about the history of each constellation and the mysteries of outer space. You listened intently, soaking every story and fact that he had to tell, “Since when did you know all this stuff? I thought you hated astronomy and horoscopes.”
Leon shrugged, “I do, but then I watched this documentary.”
You laughed incredulously before returning to awe at the glittering specks above you, tracing the constellations’ patterns over and over again. From the forest to the lake to the stars, you felt at peace in the countryside and a part of you wondered whether you could make a life with Leon out here far into the future. While looking at the stars, a quick linear flash of light darted across the tail end of the Little Dipper, “Leon, a shooting star! Make a wish!” 
Instinctively, you brought your hands up to your chest in a mock prayer while dragging Leon’s hand in yours as you closed your eyes and made your wish. After a moment of silence, you turned towards Leon, only to be surprised that he was looking at you the whole time. Leon chuckled at your reaction, “What’d you wish for?”
“I can’t tell you, silly, or it won’t come true.”
“Fair,” Leon said without glancing away at you, “You want to know what my wish was?”
“It won’t come true if you tell me,” You said in a hush just above a whisper, noticing the twinkling in Leon’s eyes became brighter than the stars above you.
“What if it already came true?” 
Leon’s eyes traced the features of your face as the campfire’s flames illuminated your complexion. Slowly, Leon brought up a hand to cup your cheek as his thumb softly traced your bottom lip, “Can I kiss you?”
“You don’t have to ask,” You whispered. 
Immediately, Leon pressed his lips to yours in a loving embrace, only moving his lips slowly as if to slow down time and relish the feelings of this moment. You melted into his kiss much like all of his others, but you yearned for more as you broke the kiss to straddle his lap. Sitting up, Leon rested his hands at your hips as you wrapped your arms around his neck and deepened the kisses you gave him. Grinding yourself onto Leon’s hardness, you helped each other take off your shirts before Leon dove forward to pepper kisses along your neck and collarbone. You arched your back, easing access for Leon to leave a few marks behind. Leon trailed his hands up and down your exposed back before dipping them into the hem of your shorts and gathered the fabric of your underwear in a gentle tug, causing the friction to rub against your clit. 
Leon pulled back for a moment, chest heaving from lust, “Are you sure you want this?”
“This isn’t our first time,” You giggled, running your fingers through his messy hair. 
“I know,” Leon said with his eyes flickering from your eyes to your swollen lips, “I’m just checking.”
“For?”
“If you want this,” Leon hesitated, pressing his lips in a fine line, “If you want me.”
You sat back, arms dropping to your sides as you peered at your lover confused. Leon rarely ever questioned your reasoning for staying with him despite all his history and his flaws. But, it was when the crackle of the fire paired with an extra large flicker of flame flashed the raw emotion of uncertainty in Leon’s eyes when you understood that it was the insecurity of all his history and all his flaws which clouded his mind with doubt. You had to step back and see things from his perspective for a moment. Of course, Leon was used to disasters in his everyday life, but now with all the great memories he’s created today, he was scared to lose it all now that the night was coming to an end. 
Knowing this, you smiled at him, holding his jawline with both hands as you pressed a passionate kiss to his lips. Leon responded with equal passion, but you could still sense a twinge of doubt within him. You pulled away, just enough to hover your lips over his as you rested your foreheads upon another, “Let me show you that I want this, that I want you.”
Leon gulped, eyes flickering between yours before slowly nodding and letting you take the lead. Taking his hands off your hips, you slid off his lap to fully undress yourself and guided him to do the same before reclaiming your place. You sat back, allowing enough space for you to dip your hand between your legs to grab Leon’s dick and slowly pump him at the base. Leon took a sharp inhale, eyes focused on your working hand. It didn’t take him long to get fully erect before you trailed your hand further up his shaft to drag his tip and spread your lubricant from pussy lips to clit. You spread the slickness along his shaft, causing him to hiss from the ease, “Don’t you need to prep? I can-”
You hushed him, “I’ll be fine, I need you in me right now.”
Leon twitched at your words, salivating from your eagerness. He didn’t want to lose his composure so quickly especially since you seemed to be holding on so well, but he was just as desperate to be in you and you were for him. Taking him back in your hand, you raised your weight in your knees and positioned yourself to take him in. Slowly, you sank down, allowing yourself the luxury of the initial painful stretch before using your body weight to bottom out. Leon’s face contorted with pleasure, using every ounce of self control that he could muster not to move your hips up and downwards as you took a moment to adjust to his size. Leon closed his eyes, taking shaky deep breaths in and out. 
You knew it was evil, but you purposefully prolonged your adjustment just to see Leon in this state. You found it endearing to see him so frustrated as you essentially cockwarmed him, but you knew you couldn’t keep this up for too long before Leon would turn the tables on you and make you regret testing his patience. So, with one last look of desperation on his face, you finally pumped your hips against his and took all of him. You hugged his wide shoulders and bit down on his skin as you dragged your walls against his veiny cock. The heat of your core plus the heat of the fire ignited a flush within you as the ember glow filled the air around you. 
Leon chose to show his appreciation by gripping your waist to push you back and leaving open mouth kisses on your breast and nipples. You arched your back, using his shoulders to hold for leverage as you continued to pump yourself on him. You could feel yourself beginning to tightened as you approached your finish and surely Leon could feel it too; however, Leon repositioned his hands to lift you off of him and on the blanket, so that you were lying on your back. 
“I was almost done,” You looked up at him with a pout from your stolen climax before a moan from your lips pierced the air as Leon entered you again. 
“I know, baby,” Leon hovered over you, lips on the shell of your ear as he whispered, “I just wanted to show you how much I wanted you too.”
With newfound passion, Leon rose back up and relentlessly pounded into your cunt. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head with pleasure as you gripped his veiny forearms to keep yourself from shifting away due to his force. You cried out into the night air as your moans and whimpers became lost in the wilderness. Lost in the feeling of Leon’s heavy thrusts, you hadn’t realized he took your hands in his as he continued his pace. 
“Please,” You gasped, “I’m almost there.”
You felt the familiar clench in your gut as Leon aimed at an upwards angle, deliciously pressing against your g-spot. You gripped his hands harder as you begged him not to stop. Leon edged you on by whispering more dirty thoughts in your ear as he groaned between his speech. Once again, Leon’s lips found your their way up and down your neck before leaving hickeys around the soft skin of your breasts 
“Cum, baby, cum for me,” Leon thrusted one last time into you, hips stuttering as he held your hand and pushed himself impossibly deeper into you. You moaned loudly as you wrapped your legs around his sides and clenched around him as he pumped into you. You both laid there, taking a moment to catch your breaths before removing yourselves, cleaning up, and laying covered up to bask in each other’s after sex glow by the fire. 
“Thank you for a memorable weekend,” Leon caressed your cheek, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” You kissed him lovingly and snuggled into his side to share his warmth. Although the fire was more than enough, it could never compare to the warmth and comfort that Leon gave you. 
“What should we do tomorrow?”
“Probably, get that tire properly fixed.” 
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pinknipszz · 3 months
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adagio for strings 2/4
↷ ˊ- true form!ryomen sukuna x f!reader
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"i'm not a crook!"
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you look more yūrei than human with how you stagger down the winding path, your breaths short and quick and shaky. the moon looks at you like how a mother would when her child is up to no good. she hides behind thick clouds to obscure her light in an effort to keep you from reigning carnage, but you move. to hell with the moon, you think, squinting your eyes to make out the dark shapes ahead. i don’t need a mother to guide me, much less the fucking moon.
you drag your feet across sharp stones hardly wincing, like a crippled animal on broken legs. the weight of your weapon is the only friend you have left, and you swallow the noise that crawls up your throat. you don’t know what it might’ve been. maybe a scream or even a sob, but it doesn’t matter now that the village is close. your eyes adjust to the darkness and you recognize the water well, the stone steps, the statues of yokai that are supposed to protect from natural disasters. you nearly bark a laugh at the irony.
is this what it takes to become a ghost story? you soak in the silence as you limp. in a hundred years or so, you think that farmers will warn their children about playing outside after dark, lest they want to be stolen by a pauper turned vengeful by those who damned her. it feeds your delirium and takes your mind off the ashes. this is only fair. an eye for an eye. considering the years of verbal and physical torment, you find this generous. mosquitoes swarm your space when you stumble over the steps of the first house.
it’s a humble thing, nothing impressive about it, belonging to either a cowherd or a farmer, but there are no sandals or scattered tools on the porch to confirm. after a quick assessment of the surroundings, you slip through a crack between the sliding doors. this’ll work, i’ll make it work. the inside is just as bland upon entering. you scoff, disappointed. there are no pots or paintings or portraits to take, no trophies to collect, but you find grass cushions around a low table for eating. tell-tale signs of life. they encourage you to move.
it doesn’t take much time to find a room, the only room, at the end of the sandalwood hall. you press your ear against the door, heart hammering in your chest, and wait for a few seconds. it remains silent. you pull back to stand face-to-face with the thin paper. a serpentine tongue flits across cracked lips. you don’t know what you’ll see inside. maybe a man and his wife, perhaps a family, sleeping soundly in proper, padded mattresses. they are probably dreaming about silly things, like conquering demons with sharp teeth or becoming the next shogun. 
hot jealousy swirls in the pit of your gut. it bends and snaps unnaturally, dragging its claws along the walls to tear apart your innards. dreaming of silly things is such a fucking privilege. you are more than happy to rip it from them.
but your hand never touches the wooden frame, held back by a ubiquitous force. cicadas whine for you. you blink with a bit of clarity and, for the first time in a while, think twice. your anger comes down to a slow simmer, diluted by a cold wave of realization. you don’t know what you’ll see inside. it repeats like a mantra in your head. you are thin and weak and don’t know how to fight. the words don’t feel like yours, but you listen. a man might draw his sword and strike you down. a woman might scream her head off. what then? the hand around your hatchet loosens its grip.
it repeats, you don’t know what you’ll see inside. 
your jaw is tight when you turn away, refusing to waste your chance on a bunch of strangers, before leaving as quietly as you came. realistically, you aren’t capable of fighting more than one person at a time. adrenaline has a timer that you don’t want to test. plus, there are people more deserving of death, like the kamo women. you consider it but decide that they’re not worth the effort. their esteemed estate sits at the top of the hill, and you’ll likely succumb to exhaustion before reaching it. the female seller is also out of the question; you don’t even know where she lives.
your best bet at revenge is the butcher, knowing that his house is tucked behind some trees down the street. you hesitate a little though. he is strong and powerful with burly arms that can snap brittle necks like yours, surely from experience. he is a challenge far greater than climbing a thousand steps for two women who know nothing about fighting. at least then, the playing field is even. but you remember how scared he was, and how his cowardice ran so deep that he had cried to a clan to get rid of you instead of doing it himself.
dried leaves crunch where you step. a grasshopper jumps away disturbed. that is one thing you hold over his head, it seems, one thing that makes you stronger than a man of muscle.
the walk is short. you reach it in just under five minutes minus the limping. you know that he earns more money than a cowherd and a farmer combined, if the size of his house is anything to go by. he must also be smarter because the door doesn’t budge when you try to slide it open, almost as if he anticipated your imminent arrival. but death doesn’t come knocking politely, and neither should you. you remember how you joked about squeezing through a hole in the back wall, rumored to have been from a strike meant for his prostitute wife. you’ll use it tonight to deliver the punchline.
you round the house and find the secret entrance. it’s boarded so poorly, almost as if he had just filled it with a couple of large rocks from the river and called it a day without bothering to take extra precautions. it takes the same amount of effort to pull them down with sanguine-wrought claws. luckily, the hole is large enough for a person to slip through, and you silently thank his wife, keeping your hatchet close. you hope she’s doing well wherever she is. you haven’t seen her at the market since the rumors have stopped, but you’re not overly concerned. she wasn’t kind to you either.
immediately you notice the air is different inside, almost stagnant. it’s colder too. hairs behind your neck stand on end, but you don’t let it deter you.
you explore the home with light steps. every once in a while, tatami floors creak underneath your feet. you freeze when they do and wait for frantic movements, but there’s none. you take a moment to calm yourself before continuing. in the kitchen, you find the butcher’s most prized possession: his cleaver. it rests on the wooden table abandoned by its owner. you approach to trace the metal. it’s cool to the touch and still sharp despite all of the flesh that it has cut through. this must have cost a fortune, you think. metals are hard to come by.
it would be a valuable thing to have by your side. it’d scare both people and animals more than a rusty hatchet with a weather-stained handle, and you’d never have to live in fear until the day it also deteriorates, but you don’t think that will happen for a long, long time. it’ll serve a message to the rest of them too. you’ll get to spend your final days eating peaches and melons offered out of fear, before being taken by the shogun’s army for a necessary execution. your fingers tingle. i’ll teach myself how to use you, and you reach for the foul weapon.
but your spine straightens at the sound of shuffling from somewhere deep in the house. it’s faint. horribly so, but you hear it. blood rushes to your head. you turn around half-expecting to see something behind you, but the space is empty. the shuffling continues, only this time a little louder, coming from the eastern hall with a single bedroom at the end. the butcher, you breathe shakily, forgetting the cleaver. it must be the butcher. he’s awake. you are tempted to run out of the house, tail tucked between your legs, but you swallow your fear. this bastard is the reason you’re sleeping without a roof tonight. 
you exit the kitchen and walk towards the room, your weapon ready. the shuffling grows louder, more frantic.  you focus your energy on standing upright, eyes burning from the effort to make out the darkness of the hallway. your hand glides along the wall for guidance, dust collecting at your fingertips. you only stop when you feel the familiar wooden frame of a door. when you hesitate for the nth time, the cold air curls around you with its tendrils, urging you forward. it whispers incoherent things. unable to resist temptation, you slide it open with one swift movement.
you think you’re ready for the butcher. you expect to find him twisting back and forth on his futon, or practicing his secret swordsmanship with ungraceful feet, or maybe even pacing the room like all men do. you’ve already thought of a million ways to catch him off-guard, and one of them might have worked if it'd actually been the butcher in the room, but nothing could have prepared you for this. there’s a large mass that’s darker than darkness, hunched in the far left corner, morphing between shapes as if it can’t decide between looking human or plant or animal.
you refuse to take your eyes off of it, like a sick audience for a sick show. the creature contorts unnaturally, bending this way and that before groaning a loud, horrible sound. it bounces off the walls in powerful waves that strain your ears. hissing, you don’t think twice before stepping back, but it’s already too late when tatami floors creak under your feet. immediately it silences, changing form in a blink. it is thinner and taller, closer to a corpse than anything, with features still indistinguishable in the dark. your mouth goes dry.
“what the hell—” it lunges forward. you fail to dodge.
the force of the fall rattles your bones, pushing out the air in your lungs. there is a resounding thud from where your hatchet falls. you aren’t given a chance to recover before it digs its long, black nails into your shoulders, drawing liquid copper, and claws at your flesh. the air is metallic on your tongue when you screech in pain. the creature shakes in turn, mimicking a laugh, and pushes against the lower half of your body to render it useless. you’ve only ever felt like this once in your life, when you had sleep paralysis as a child. the old sensation is ingrained in your memory, and it resurfaces only now. 
a coil snaps in your chest. “get off me!” you scream, thrashing violently. your hands curl into fists that jab at its sides. the creature doesn’t take a definite shape. you might as well be hitting air, but your efforts aren’t entirely futile. it recoils just enough for you to twist to your side and frantically search for your hatchet. when you see it in the far end of the hall, just a few arms-length away, you scramble towards it in desperation. but the creature is relentless. it grabs your ankle and pulls hard, dragging you further into the dark. no. no no no. you fight the paralysis that threatens to consume you, and with one final burst of strength, you kick.
you aren’t exactly sure why the creature lets go, wailing as if it came into contact with hot coal, but you don’t have time to ogle at how it presses itself against the wall in fear. you push yourself back on your feet and wobble quickly towards your weapon. when it’s back in your possession, you hold it tight until your knuckles turn stark white. this time you have no intentions of dropping it. your lungs burn when you breathe, and you’re sure you injured something, but you don’t dwell on it for too long. adrenaline has a timer.
you bare your teeth when the creature approaches. you’re ready to raise the hatchet. you remember the laws of nature when it lunges again, and you dodge. the strongest survive and forget the weak, who are branded for death the second they leave the womb. it runs through your veins like forbidden ichor. those gnarled hands shoot forward with inhuman speed, intent to kill, but you move just in time. you need to be the strongest in the room to win. the creature’s strikes wildly, its steps unpredictable. you cough blood at a particularly hard hit to your side. you need to be the strongest.
the creature falls forwards when you slash its legs. taking advantage of its vulnerable position, you rush forward and watch as it scrambles for footing, before you pull the hatchet up high. it looks at you then. though it lacks a proper face you think that it’s trying to mimic human emotion. you don’t know what it wants to evoke within you, but you hope it knows that it’s useless when you look back without a hint of remorse. the hatchet hits the juncture between its neck and shoulders, digs deep into black, warping mass, and comes off clean from the other side.
you watch it dissipate into nothing as if it was never there. the silence is nearly deafening. i did it. i killed it. your feet move before you could process what just happened, or what you just killed. the world blurs around you. when you pass the kitchen and catch a glimpse of the cleaver, you remember the butcher. he feels like a distant memory. you doubt he’s even alive anymore if the creature had been here the entire time. when you step out, the cool air hugs you tight. it’s still dark. you wonder if any time has passed at all.
when you reach the bottom step, you collapse forward and get a mouthful of dirt. adrenaline leaves your system before you get a chance to say goodbye, replaced instead with bone-deep exhaustion. your body remains glued to the ground as it succumbs to the exertion, fading in and out of consciousness. you dropped your hatchet again, you realize through the haze. you summon enough strength to prod at the space beside you. you swipe left and right, up and down. nothing. your vision blurs with unshed tears.
the pain is unbearable, gripping you like a vice and unwilling to go. even breathing is a difficulty on its own, with each inhale accompanied by a sharp pain in your chest. you know the injury is lethal. you wonder who will find your body first in the morning. maybe a child or a seller. you wonder if they’ll celebrate your death with sake or fresh meat before dumping your body into the river. maybe they won’t want to waste anything at all, so they’ll leave you here to rot and go about their day. before you could enjoy your pity party, a gruff voice cuts through the silence.  “pathetic. that thing was hardly a curse.”
you blink, startled. a few tears fall and mix with the dirt. you don’t dare to look. 
“what happened to that spirit of yours? don’t tell me you’ve given up. get up.” it’s harsher now, like the sound of sharpening two swords.
what else is there to lose?. you force two arms under you, shakily planting your hands to push your upper body off the ground. you find a pair of feet, attached to two strong legs, a solid waist and—
your eyes widen in horror, and for the first time in your life you see a real monster. he possesses four— four— arms, two of which hold weapons you do not recognize, a second pair crossed over his chest. all four of his eyes watching you with disgusting amusement. he reeks of arrogance and condescension, etched in the grooves of his hideous face and the criminal tattoos worn with pride. you don’t know what kind of expression you’re wearing, but he laughs at it so loudly that you wonder how no one has woken up yet.
no, not again. your breaths turn rapid, eyes full blown and wild. i can’t do this again. this guy is different from the one in the house. i can’t— you could only imagine what he sees. a woman with sunken cheeks and torn skin, dressed in dirt and bloodied, battered garbs, lying on the brink of death. you come to think that he’s here to finish you off. at least one of you is enjoying themselves. “there you go,” he purrs, smiling sharp with pointed teeth stained red. “you nearly had me worried. it’d be a shame if you died already.”
you want to scream with what little voice you have left, but it only comes out in short, pained grunts. the monster notices this. carelessly, he throws his weapons behind him to crouch in front of you. he abandons them so easily that you wonder how he thinks of himself so highly that he can fight without them. he’s still massive from this angle, and your neck hurts from the effort to crane up at him. he props a now-free hand on his knee and rests his chin on its palm. “sounds painful,” he drawls, dripping with feigned concern. “need some help?” you simply stare.
“did you forget how to speak?” you think for a moment before shaking your head. “then speak.”
“i c-can’t,” you nearly punch the words out of you. 
a heavy sigh blows over you as he massages the bridge of his nose, grumbling something under his breath. the situation is almost comical. you can’t discern between his anger and disappointment. they blend so well together that you think he only feels both simultaneously, one unable to exist without the other. you aren’t surprised if that’s the case. everything about the monster came in pairs. two arms, two faces. of course he’d feel double the hatred over you. you just don’t understand why he hasn’t killed you yet. a creature like him doesn’t look like he’s capable of patience.
“you know,” his eyes narrow to thin slits. “you cause a lot of trouble in these parts. you’re like a fucking spawner, creating a bunch of pitiful curses.” so he’s not going to help you. the monster leans in to grab your face with one hand, squeezing your cheeks tight until your lips pucker. it feels like he’s trying to shatter your jaw with how much pressure he uses. “bet you don’t even know what curses are.” you don’t, but the word is familiar. you think that he catches the glint of recognition in your eyes, because his smile turns devilish.
“it’s a shame that you’re ugly,” he continues, humming to himself as he turns your head left and right. “you barely got any fat on you. you’re giving me close to nothing to work with.” fear shoots down your spine at his words, suddenly realizing the full extent of your vulnerable position. you think he notices that too because he simply chuckles and offers no clarification. his large hand crawls up the side of your face before tangling itself into your matted hair. he pulls back harshly and you wince.
“tell you what. i’ll give you food, water, and a bed if you make a deal with me.” his promise is vile. he takes advantage of your silence knowing full well that you’re unable to ask for its conditions. 
but still, you weigh your options. there is nothing left for you here in this small village. no family or friends to remember, no home to turn to. you were never liked by the residents either, and you doubt you ever will be no matter what you do. plus, people will think that you have something to do with the butcher’s disappearance. although you were supposed to, you’d still be falsely accused for a kill that wasn’t yours, which you still think is highly unfair. you’d be doing everyone a favor if you disappear anyways.
so you look at him with the last bits of your bravery and nod. he grins fiercely, pleased with your decision. 
“uraume,” he says. your eyes widen when a familiar figure materializes from nothing. the monk-child, who you saw at the market, the one that gave you your first pomelo. when they stand side-by-side over your collapsed form, something in your mind clicks. this four-armed freak is what leaves the village so restless. when sellers and ladies aren’t complaining about you, they talk about him. the “cursed object.” you still don’t know what that means. uraume’s expression is just as unreadable when they study you for the nth time. 
“prepare a room at the temple, and cook twice as much for dinner,” he orders, his eyes raking over you. his companion, who you’re starting to believe is his servant, bows their head and mutters a humble “yes sir” before dissolving into air. you gape, eyes are fixated on where they stood. the monster merely chuckles at your ignorance. his grip on your hair loosens, and he pushes your head back into the dirt, surely leaving a mold of your face for the sellers to marvel over the next morning.
you don’t know about the other hands hovering over your back, expelling enough energy to seep through your robes, past your flesh, and into your bones. “you don’t understand now, but you will soon,” his voice is hypnotizing, bleeding through the static in your ears. you feel your ribs click back into place, and you taste earth when you gasp. “i’ll make you an expert in curses.” 
exhaustion finally pulls you into its arms. it is your last embrace for a long, long time.
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wolfmadefromash · 16 days
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Thought on 7x05
I've seen a mixed response for the episode last night, things from the shared photos not playing out how many hoped or wanted. There was the photo of Eddie and Marisol sitting at the table at the end of the row from Tommy and Buck, making it really look like he was there for more of their date than he was. The photos we got of Buck and Eddie the gym and in Buck's apartment, the expectation was different there too.
I didn't think for one second that there was a chance for there to be a Buddie kiss in the episode, I can understand were people were coming from with that though. The theory of Eddie being jealous when he finds about about the date and that has him realizing he has feelings for Buck makes sense. But I prefer the way it played out, even if I do still very much ship Buddie.
The date was just... oh man so bad, Buck was a disaster but it also makes sense. This is new for him, he doesn't exactly understand his role or how he should act. It hasn't caught up to him really that it doesn't have to be any different than dating a women, just relax and talk and enjoy the company. His biggest mistake was acting the way he did when Eddie showed up, I get that he's not out to anyone yet but Eddie was there with his girlfriend and just happy to see his too friends hanging out. Buck talking about getting chicks and calling Eddie bro was a bigger red flag than if he were to have been waving the literal bi flag in Eddie face. I mean... come on dude, you've literally never once uttered the word chicks and you haven't been one for bar hopping and picking up randoms since before you even met Eddie. That's Buck 1.0 behavior and Eddie doesn't know that Buck. He's stressed and he panicked, so I get it but... sir... no. Tommy bailing on the rest of the night, while is sucks that that's how Buck "first date with a dude" (pro tip Ev, maybe don't call your date dude) ended, I understand Tommy's side. He was kind about, looked like he felt bad. I do with that he explained that is was more him not wanting Buck to feel pressured to make steps before he was ready, rather then telling him at the end of the episode when they meet for coffee.
I was almost heartbroken for Hen and Karen, finding out that the little girl they were supposed to foster was going to stay with her grandmother. I was so excited to see them welcoming in a baby girl after the struggles they day with fertility and having to let go of Nia (truly a crime because that little girl was so cute and I miss her). I love that they're giving Mara this chance to find peace with a new family after what that poor girl went through. I know some aren't happy with Karen's reaction over Denny getting hurt, especially when Denny was standing up for Mara himself telling them she didn't mean it. But Karen's first priority as a mother is her own child, and while the intent is for Mara to fit that role eventually, she's still new and now she's harmed her son. In that moment, it didn't matter that Mara clearly went through something traumatic in her life and that she needed time and care. He son was hurt and Karen was going to do what she needed to keep him safe. I am glad that they made the extra effort to learn more about Mara's situation, kind of feels like the sort of thing they should have been told before but they weren't. Mara's story will be complex and heartbreaking I'm sure, but I do hope that she is here to stay because that little girl deserves to feel safe and protected and loved.
I loved Buck's coming out to Maddie, literally accidentally just because he kind of got carried away with the story, saying "he left me stand outside the restaurant" after having been very careful to be as vague as possible when talking about the date. The little slip of the pronoun of course didn't go unnoticed by Maddie and she zeros right in on it. Buck not understanding why he acted the way he did, still under the assumption that his shouldn't have mattered who he was with, because he's an ally. Except, you can be an ally then find that you're more than that and it can still be confusing because its new. Buck lying to Eddie about what he and Tommy were actually doing doesn't make him less of an ally or make him any less bisexual. It was unexpected to see Eddie, he wasn't out to anyone yet, he was even resistant to come out to Maddie but he need to talk to someone about how he acted. So Maddie's right, him being on a date with a guy probably has everything to do with him lying to Eddie and really hurting Tommy in the process. Maddie's reaction to Buck saying "sure I'll check out a hot guys ass, but that's normal"... she's amazing for just sort of letting it go and mildly agreeing. "It's not abnormal" but not exactly normal either. Most straight men are out here checking out a hot guys ass. They might look and compare or something but it's not really that they're checking it out and they're certainly not acknowledging that the guy is hot. I love Buck's coming out journey so far, he's a gem.
Eddie's Catholic Guilt... is amazing. His reaction to Marisol almost being a nun feels like a bit much to me, almost like he's repressing something... Also, dude why are you asking her to move in with you??? Thank god she didn't have plans to sell her house so she can go back there, honestly the fact that she wasn't selling the house was a sign that the move or relationship wasn't going to last. With the news that Marisol was almost a nun, thought I'd seen it floating around for a few week not knowing where that came from, it's given me a theory for the break-up; not even a unique theory because I think we're all thinking the same thing. Marisol obviously still has a connection to her faith, she's kept things from her time doing... whatever it is nuns do to be come nuns. She'd likely a devout Catholic and we know how most (if not all) feel about the LGBTQIA+ community. I'm thinking that Tommy and Buck are talked about in some capacity and she learns that they're dating, or she sees them at the Madney wedding. She shares her thoughts with Eddie, maybe not as ugly as they could be because lets let us have some peace from that in one area of our life, and he'd appalled. Because Tommy's he's friend and he's great and Buck's his best friend and has been helping him raise Christopher for years now. Who they're dating doesn't change how great they are, Eddie's not going to just turn his back on his friends. So they break up because Marisol sucks. The only reason I don't fully believe it'll happen this way is because of the actresses current reputation and her apparent views towards the LGBTQIA+ community. But... art imitates life and all that...
Also, love the idea of Demi Eddie and it feels like it really fits.
Eddie being more hung up or surprised by the fact that Tommy's gay, rather then his best friend who's he's know for like 6 years now was just on a date with a man is amazing to me. For one, it feed into this head canon that everyone kind of already knew. And two, it just reaffirms that to Eddie it doesn't matter. Buck is Buck, Eddie will be there for him no matter what. I did was some level of something more there, some sort of tension or hurt between the two. A touch of the divorce era without it being full blown no contact for 2 episodes. I wanted Eddie coming into the loft after having found out Buck and Tommy were on a date from someone that wasn't Buck. Maybe Marisol saying something about thinking they were crashing their date. I wanted Eddie asking Buck why he thought he couldn't trust him with this, why he felt like he couldn't open up to him, why he doubted that he would support him. Throw in a call back to season 5 when Buck broke down Eddie's bedroom door to get to him when he was crying on the floor, arguably Eddie's most vulnerable moment. The kind of moment you share with someone and know you can be 100% you with them. But the whole coming out scene was very lovely and I am happy that Buck experience so far with the people he's told has been incredibly positive. I know this isn't how it is for far too many.
I loved the little coffee date(?) with Buck and Tommy. I love that is was Eddie who encouraged Buck to call Tommy and the Buck is really willing to take this leap into the unknown. Everything about this scene is so soft and sweet, Buck is very clearly infatuated with Tommy at the very least, and Tommy is so gentle and kind. I don't know that there would be a better first boyfriend for Buck than Tommy. Again, I still very much ship Buddie, but there is something about Buck and Tommy that I love.
As much as I want Eddie and Buck together, I am a bit of a realist or more negative thinker lol I mean I was very much under the impression that Buck would never be canonically Bi even if he always gave vibes that I couldn't begin to explain. It something that I thought "it'd be nice, but it'll never happy. At least there's fan fiction." But here were are, 5 episode into setons 7 on a new network and Buck is kissing boys and dating dudes. It's a big moment, taking a character like Buck who's part of the main cast and allowing him to be queer in any way, it can also be a big risk to take. But ABC and Tim Minear did it, Oliver himself has said that he saw this being a direction for Buck for some time and he was more than open to explore it. Tim Minear has never out right said no to Buddie, at least in recent conversations. Ryan and Oliver haven't said no ever, they've always been noncommittal about the direction of Eddie and Buck's relationship. But more recently... it seems like they're keeping the door open a crack to allow for speculation to run wild. Dropping hints and clues. It seems to me that it's unlikely that they'll give Eddie a queer story arc, seems like too big of a leap for any network like ABC to take at least while they're already exploring one character. I want to say I truly believe that we'll get Buddie eventually, but I really can't put too much hope or faith in that. I will be thrilled if they do, genuinely.
I rambled... it happens. Not often but these last few episodes were a lot to reflect on. I'm loving Buck's story, loving that he's in his 30's and going through this now at a time where people think you should have you're life figured out. I love this because it just makes me feel some much better about my own journey. I'm in my 30's, only in the last year or 2 have I even had any thoughts about my own sexuality really. I'm not a very confident person, I have body image issues, not the most out going and I don't love talking to new people. I haven't given myself the opportunity to really explore. But I have thought recently about how I would feel about a relationship with someone of the same gender and came to the conclusion that I'm not put off by the idea, I'm very much open to it. I haven't figured out a label that feels right yet but I'm fine with no label at all. I just hate the idea of being closed off to something that could be potentially amazing, who a person is should matter more than what they are. Labels can be so restrictive but I understand that is makes some feel secure and feel like they're a part of something bigger.
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poledancingdinos · 4 months
Text
Hostile Territory - Chapter 18
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Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC (Leah Coleman)
Word count: 3.1K
Warnings: grief, past loss
Catch up: Series Masterlist
Taglist: @amberangel112 @utterlyhopeful-fics @marantha @kebabgirl67 @littleone65 @omgkatinka @luclittlepond @persephonepraxidikechthonios @enchantedbytomandhenry @narnianaos   @geralts-yenn @peaches1958 @avengersfan25 @sillyrabbit81 @summersong69 @identity2212 @liecastillo @lena-banena @mrsevans90 @confessionbrain-writings @eclecticfashionbookszipper @happydistraction @hannah9921 @valacircareads @toooldforobsessions
Masterlist
Day 202
Leah’s first stop after getting off the plane was her childhood home. Her second stop was the cemetery.
She walked along the path she had come to know by heart. The land was not very big and was surrounded by a line of trees to shield it from the nearby road. She came to a stop in front of the fourth headstone of the thirteenth row on the left.
“Hey Dad.” Leah set her bag down on the grass, kneeling beside it. “I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last visit. I’ve been moving around for the better part of the last three years and I haven’t had many opportunities to come home.”
Leah pulled a packet of wipes out of her backpack and began cleaning her father’s headstone. The lawn around it was well maintained by Caleb but the recent weather had left splatterings of mud on the smooth surface. Once she finished her task, she sat down facing the inscription, lifting her knees to her chest.
Gage ColemanDearly Loved,Sadly Missed,Forever In Our Hearts
She and Caleb had agonized over what to write. The man at the funeral home had shown them a bunch of examples for “loving father” and “taken too soon” but none of them had felt right.
A dozen men whose lives he had saved overseas had shown up to his funeral. There were two dozen more from the VA, the dog shelter, his work and Caleb’s year in school.
Leah and Caleb may have been his only living relatives, but they hadn’t been his only family.
“I’ve been so lost since you’ve been gone, Dad. It’s been so hard finding my place.” Leah buried her face in her hands, choking on a sob. “All I ever wanted when I was younger was to be like you. It hurt so much knowing you never wanted this life for me.”
Leah took a moment to brush her tears away with the sleeve of her hoodie, fixing her gaze on her father’s name.
“But I think I get it now—why you didn’t want me to follow in your footsteps. It’s not easy. Actually, it’s been really fucking hard, but I just know that this is what I’m supposed to be. I hope you’re not too mad.”
Leah didn’t want to spend her entire visit with her father in a blubbering mess so she blew her nose on a tissue from her bag and took a few calming breaths.
“I, uh… I met this guy. He’s more than just some guy, really, he’s my captain. I know, I know, it’s a recipe for disaster. I think if you met him he’d change your mind though.” Smiling to herself, Leah remembered how Sy had said he and her father would probably get along. She was sure her father would agree.
“I mean, Aika—she’s a german shepherd we rescued—Aika loves him and you always said dogs were the best at judging character. I think I might be in love with him and I… I’m so scared, Dad. I’m scared of what might happen if I do this but I’m also scared that if I don’t take this chance, I’ll regret it forever.”
After a few terrible attempts at dating after high school, Leah had somewhat given up on the idea of finding someone to share her life with. She was so independent and bullheaded that she didn’t think she would ever manage to make a relationship work. Then there was the whole fear that a guy would never be satisfied with her and would always inevitably cheat on her as had happened before.
“Were you happy, Dad? After mom left and you were all alone with us, were you happy? Maybe I was just a clueless kid and you were this big ladiesʼ man but based on the lack of female presence at your funeral, I don’t think that was the case. Sometimes I wonder if you were lonely without a girlfriend. I hope you didn’t feel like that was a sacrifice you had to make for us but if it was then… Thank you. Thank you for always putting us first. Thank you for being such an amazing dad.”
An alarm on Leah’s phone informed her that it was time to head back to the house. Caleb was going to be home for dinner and she wanted to have food ready and waiting on the table so that they didn’t have to worry about anything but catching up and enjoying their time together.
Leah stood, packing up her trash and getting the dirt and grass on her jeans.
“I love you, Dad.”
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Sy’s welcome dinner with his family was as uneventful as ever. He hadn’t expected some big shindig but he had pictured a tad more enthusiasm. Never had he felt so much like a stranger in his own home as he did at that moment.
His nieces and nephews were barely old enough to remember him since the last time he’d visited. It was also a school night so his sisters had taken the kids home right after dessert. His brothers had stayed a while longer but once the youngsters had fallen asleep, they and their wives had also gone home to put them down in their own beds.
After helping them carry the kids to the car, Sy spent another few minutes talking to the twins before retreating to the porch. His brothers had only been twelve when he left and now they were both fathers. He’d spent more than half their lives away from them.
The screen door slamming alerted Sy to his mother’s presence, drawing him out of his thoughts. She dropped down by his side on the porch swing, not saying a word for a long time.
“I’m so sorry, honey.”
Sy was taken aback, turning to face his mother.
“For what?”
Sy racked his brain, looking for a reason as to why his mother would want to apologize but he came up blank. When she looked up, her eyes were red and brimmed with tears. A million different thoughts slammed into him, filling him with dread but none of them had prepared him for what she eventually said.
“For not helpin’ ya more when you were young.”
He knew instantly what she was referring to but he’d never expected her to mention his childhood, much less apologize for any of it. In fact, he didn’t think his mother had anything to apologize for but by the looks of things, the guilt had been eating away at her for quite some time.
“Mama, ya had two other boys who needed ya more than I did.”
She shook her head, wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders.
“No,” she said adamantly. “Ya needed me just as much as they did but I didn’t see it because ya always acted so strong. I wasn’t the mother ya needed me to be. I wasn’t there for you.” The sobs she’d been trying to suppress finally broke free, prompting her to lift a hand to her mouth. Sy watched, feeling utterly powerless as the women who’d raised him fell to pieces right in front of his eyes. “I didn’t see it and maybe if I had and I’d been a better mother then then ya would never have enlisted. You would be safe here with your family instead of out there, riskin’ your life and worryin’ me sick every second of every day.”
Hearing those words, Sy pulled his mother into his arms, her tears soaking his shirt as he held her. He hated hearing that she blamed herself for his shortcomings. Knowing that his parents had their reservations about his career and hearing that his choices actively caused them pain were two very different things.
“None of this is your fault, Mama. Ya can’t know that things woulda been any different.”
“Yes, I can.” She pulled away enough to hold his face with both hands. “You are so smart, baby. Ya coulda done anythin’ ya wanted, ya just needed a little more help in school than the others. Maybe if we’d caught on while you were still young we coulda found a way to make things work and ya wouldn’t have fallen so far behind.”
Sy closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against his mother’s.
“Mama, I never regretted joinin’ up. I love you and I know me being away is hard for ya—it’s hard for me too.” He pulled back to lock eyes with his mama’s. “But I never regretted it.”
“But maybe ya wouldn’t have felt like the army was your only choice. Maybe ya coulda gone to college right after high school, met a nice girl and been around long enough to give me a few grandbabies.”
Sy couldn’t help but huff at that last comment. Even when she was breaking down she was your typical southern mother—so full of love that she wanted as many grandkids as possible to share it with.
“Ya already have six grandbabies, Ma,” he admonished.
“That’s true, but I wouldn’t mind havin’ a mini you runnin’ around.” She pulled him down to kiss his cheek then wrapped both hands around his biceps to rest her head on his shoulder.
Sy kissed the top of her head in return, smelling the familiar fruity scent of her shampoo. She’d been using the same brand for as long as he could remember. In fact, when he was a teenager he’d asked his father to buy a different kind because he didn’t want to smell like a girl.
It was strange to think there was a time where his biggest concern was what he smelled like. Or that there was a time where his hair was long enough to warrant using shampoo instead of bar soap. He’d given up almost everything that tied him to a life outside the army but maybe it was time to make a few exceptions.
“I uh… I don’t know that babies will be involved, but there is this one girl that caught my eye.”
His mother immediately perked up, as he knew she would. 
“Oh?” she wiped her cheeks. “And what’s her story?”
“Her name is Leah and she… Well she’s one of my soldiers. She was assigned to my unit a few months ago.”
“Wow. She must be a real tough girl to make it into the special forces.”
Sy nodded. “But she’s got a good heart too. She’s an artist, she loves dogs and she’s real close with her brother ‘cause they’re each other’s only family.”
“Ya sound real smitten,” she teased, nudging his side.
“I guess I am.” Sy managed a half smile as he turned his gaze downward. “I just wish I’d had more time with her before she got on her flight to Denver but maybe it was better this way. If we got together while she’s still my subordinate and someone on base found out it could ruin both of our careers.”
“If she’s the one for you, ya can’t let her go. Who knows when you’ll have another chance like this. I think you should go after her.”
Looking out over the yard of his childhood home, Sy considered his mother’s suggestion. It had always been a little wild and unkept when he was young. His little brothers’ toys had always been strewn about, his own bike laying amongst them more often than not.
Now, however, the lawn was neatly trimmed. His mother had planted lush flower beds that were in full bloom and pruned daily. Even the house itself was unrecognizable after a few necessary renovations. At least the ceiling in his old bedroom no longer leaked when it rained.
He wanted that for himself. A place to call his own. Somewhere to return to. A house that would change over time and age with his family. He wanted a home. Hopefully one with Leah in it.
He shook himself out of his reverie. “Mama, I haven’t been home in almost two years. I can’t run off after less than twenty-four hours.”
“Nathan, sweetie, if you feel this strongly then there’s nowhere else I want you to be than with her. I want to see you happy.”
She stood from the porch swing, tapping him twice on the knee.
“Take the night and sleep on it, but I have a feeling your heart already knows what it wants.”
Sy nodded in acceptance, standing to kiss his mother on the cheek and pull her into another embrace.
“I want you to know, baby, that I am proud of the man ya grew up to be. It scares me to death that I might lose ya but that don’t mean I’m not as proud as can be that you’re my son.”
With that, she said goodnight before heading inside.
His mother was right, Sy didn’t need to think another second whether or not he wanted to go after Leah. He wanted to jump in his truck and head out on the road but he also had no idea where to go.
Sy pulled his cell out of his pocket, tapping the screen and bringing the device to life. It was late, nearly midnight, but with any luck the man he needed to reach would see his message somewhere between when he stumbled out of the bar and when climbed into bed with whatever man or woman would be warming his bed that night.
To Sy’s surprise, his phone lit up with an incoming call as soon as the message had been delivered.
There was noise in the background as he answered, some classic rock song Sy couldn’t quite hear clearly enough to recognize it.
“Why do you need Coleman’s info at this time of night?” BJ was shouting over the music but soon the sound faded, letting Sy know that he had walked out of the bar to take the call.
“Whatever business I have with Coleman is between us. Do you have her address or not?”
“Really? You ask me for a favor and you’re gonna give me that bullshit?”
Sy knew it wasn’t fair of him. Especially since BJ had trusted him enough to confess his own biggest secret. He was the only person that knew BJ was bi. They’d lost a man a few years back and it had sent BJ into a spiral. That was when he’d confessed that the two of them had grown to be more than teammates.
If anyone was going to understand how he felt about Leah, it was BJ.
“I need to see her. I need to see if she feels the same about me as I feel about her.”
“And how exactly do you feel about her?”
The Captain sighed, sinking down into the porch swing. “You really gonna make me say it?”
“Damn straight I am.”
He scrubbed a hand over his beard which was overdue for a good trim.
“I need to know if… If she’s willin' to give us a shot. If she can’t stop thinkin’ about me the same way I can’t stop thinkin' about her.”
Sy held his breath as he waited for a response. A moment passed. Then another.
“I’ll text you her info when I get home. It’s on a scrap of paper in my pack.”
With a relieved exhale, Sy said a silent prayer to whatever god was listening.
“That’s it? No follow up questions? No snarky comments?”
“Na, I’m just glad you finally got your head outta your ass. Your moping around was getting real fucking old.”
“I really owe you for this BJ.”
“Make me the best man at your wedding and we’ll call it even.”
An image of Leah in a white gown walking down the aisle towards Sy suddenly flashed through his mind and he groaned inwardly. Fuck. He really liked that image.
“She can make you her maid of honor. I’m sure you’d look great in a fluffy pink dress.”
“Don’t think I won’t do it, Sy. I fucking love that girl, I’d do it if she asked.”
A door slammed closed somewhere on the other end of the line, a muffled male voice following shortly after. “Babe, why’d you disappear on me? I turned around and you were gone.”
“Sorry, it’s my captain. Give me a sec. Sy, I gotta—”
“All good man. Thank you.”
“Keep me posted on how it goes.”
With a brief goodbye, they hung up and Sy made his way back upstairs. He quickly used the washroom and slid between the sheets of the queen bed his parents had purchased specifically for him.
The other two bedrooms had been turned into a craft room and a proper guestroom. His, however, had been saved for these rare moments when he made it home. He’d been the only one to have his own room growing up. The girls had shared one and the twins shared the other. It must have been the only blessing of being the middle child.
They’d changed it, of course, clearing out any clutter and moving it to the attic in case Sy ever wanted to go through it all. His first time back home following his enlistment, he’d had to squeeze his newly acquired muscle into his old twin bed. His parents had taken pity on him, investing in a bigger bed despite knowing it would barely get used. They’d also elected not to remove the posters of half naked women he’d put up when he was fourteen.
Sarah Michelle Gellar had been his number one crush at the time. It seemed his tastes hadn’t changed much—strong, sassy, independent.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand and he was happy to see an address from BJ. Sy immediately booked a flight to Denver for the next morning. He was able to find a last minute car rental as well but decided to wait before booking a hotel.
Maybe it was presumptuous of him but he hoped he’d be able to stay with Leah even if it was on her couch. He still checked availability at a few local motels then set an alarm early enough to give him time to pack some clothes and get his duffle ready. He was not going to risk missing his flight on the off chance that his body managed to sleep past sunrise the next morning. That was, if his impatient ass managed to sleep at all.
Chapter 19
48 notes · View notes
thegreymoon · 2 months
Text
The Story of Minglan
I've been fighting off a monster of a headache all day with copious amounts of coffee but that could only go so far and I had to take painkillers in the end, so I am now in a drug-induced happy haze, very ready to bask in happy feels and root for the OTP 🖤
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I love how he sees the real her.
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Qi Heng only ever saw her public face, Liang Han also never realised her true character and thought she was obedient and boring. I think He Hongwen came the closest to understanding her, but he is nowhere close to being her intellectual equal. She would have run circles around him and though her life might have been peaceful at his side (though with that family of his, even this is doubtful), it would never have been as fulfilling as it will be with a man who can match her.
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LMAO 🤣🤣
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LMAO, if he keeps this up, she really will smack him 🤣🤣
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He's just lucky he's so cute.
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LOL, deserved 💪💪
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I still maintain he should have approached her directly.
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LMFAO
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WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU EXPECT??
YOU GOT MARRIED, YOU LOSER. WHAT WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO, PINE FOR YOU FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE?
(With that said, as much as I despise Qi Heng, this actor is crazy beautiful and he is really tempting me to watch Guardian at long last 😭😭)
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LOL, it is not fate.
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It is your shitty classism, ego and garbage behaviour.
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My guy, YOU MARRIED ANOTHER WOMAN.
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Oh, shut up.
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I am still mad about him suggesting that brain-dead plan to kidnap the princess and get all their families executed for it.
Also, he is a liar.
He revealed just now that he had decided to marry Minglan after she gave him advice on Rongjie. That was after he saved her from the pirates. It was before the whole Prince Yan disaster. This either means that this storyline is inconsistent or that he never actually intended to follow through with what he was offering. He expected Qi Heng to turn him down just so that he could go, "BuT i tRiEd tO HeLp yOu!" and absolve himself of guilt for backstabbing a peer because even then he knew that he would be going after Minglan himself. Honestly, I actually like this interpretation better than him being genuine in his offer, but it is still unnecessary. Qi Heng renounced all claim to Minglan when he married another woman. Gu Tingye owed and still owes him nothing.
Minglan is a whole-ass human person with her own agency, thoughts and feelings. She is not a leftover piece of pizza you can call dibs on. Qi Heng had his chance, the best chance of all her suitors because she actually liked him, and he blew it. Minglan wouldn't take him now if he was the last man on Earth.
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LMAO, yes, tear him a new one, Tingye!
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Yes, Qi Heng, either shit or get off the pot.
The nerve of him.
The self-serving selfishness.
Both he and his evil mother need to be taken down several pegs.
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It is called having 🌟self-respect🌟
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I love Minglan, she has a spine of steel and a very long memory. She neither forgets nor forgives her grudges.
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LMAO, end him, queen 😂😂
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I love Xiaotao 💙
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Perfect 🤗
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24 notes · View notes
Text
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♥ remember you . oneshot ♥
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. pairing : austin!elvis x fem!reader
. summary / request : finding out that your pregnant is an exciting thing-- for most. but with your boyfriend set to go off to war for two years, you worry over whether or not it's the right time to start a family. (request by @diamonddiv245)
. notes / warning : pregnancy, mentions of war, mentions of periods and all that stuff, slight angst, tooth rotting fluff, swearing, happy ending, more may be included.
. word count : 2k
(♥) . . . request something . masterlist . taglist . navigation
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It had been about a week since your period was presumably due, and you were starting to get worried.
Of course, tracking it was always a tricky thing-- it was normal for the dates to fluctuate and for it to come later or earlier than usual, but considering what you'd been up to in the past month, you were beginning to consider that its lateness may have been caused by something else more serious.
Plus, the occasional throw-ups truly only seemed to be there to prove your point.
Elvis had been your boyfriend of five years, and counting. Although most couples didn't last so long, especially after having gone through high school together, the two of you were practically inseparable.
You supported Elvis through his career, coming on any trips you could, but most of the time, you had to stay at Graceland. His mother, of course, didn't mind your company at all, and you made sure to keep her company and to help her around the house. Especially now that she was drinking more and more, you'd keep a close eye on her more often than not.
But, even with the support from your family and his, you knew that a child going without a father for the first two years of its life would be cause for disaster. Him going off to Germany was bad enough-- but the chances of you having a child during that time? You could only worry about the outcome.
Elvis wasn't home when you slipped off to the doctor's to take a pregnancy test. Your heart beat erratically in your chest as you drove off, your nervousness almost causing you to crash several times. You did, however, manage to get there in one piece.
Taking in a seat in the waiting room (as you'd already spoken to the lady at the front desk), you fidgeted idly with your hands, clothing-- really anything you got a hold of.
"Y/N L/N," a monotone voice read out.
Your stomach filled with dread.
Slowly, nervously, you entered the doctor's room. You were met with an average looking man, presumably in his thirties, who greeted you kindly.
"Take a seat."
The process was quick enough. He asked you to pee in a cup so they could have a urine sample-- which, gross-- but you did it anyway. You listened intently and quietly as he explained the process of how the test worked, that is, until he spoke of when you'd get the results.
"We'll give you a call in about two weeks to tell you if the test is positive or not."
Time seemed to stop. Two weeks? How were you supposed to keep that information from Elvis for two whole goddamn weeks?
"Um, okay, thank you."
The doctor smiled at you reassuringly, and you did your best to return it before beelining straight for the door. The hospital was causing you much too much stress and anxiety.
Shit, shit, shit!
What were you going to do? You didn't want to just tell Elvis that you'd taken the test before you got the results-- you didn't want to worry him unnecessarily. But, then again, he did deserve to know. He was to be the father of whatever child you may or may not have.
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Elvis wasn't home for most of the first week-- something about needed to get more press (you never really knew when it came to the Colonel)-- which, you supposed was good. It gave you time to try and decompress due to the whole situation.
The second week, though, Elvis was home most of the time, making sure to make up for all his time spent away from you and Gladys. It was nice, too, having him home, though you did find that his lack of knowledge of the situation was starting to weigh on your conscience.
"Hey, Elvis, what are your thoughts on a family?"
The question seemed to catch Elvis off-guard, who stared at you in surprise for all but a fleeting moment.
"You mean havin' a family of our own?" You nodded. It was then that a smile slowly crept onto his face.
"Well, I s'pose I wouldn't mind having some little Presleys running 'round the house." His grin only grew wider when he paused and stared in your direction. "And I quite like the ring of Mrs. Presley for you, if you know what I mean."
You let out a chuckle at his statement, and he did the same, before capturing your lips in his. He was sly, just barely parting your lips before slipping his tongue inside you mouth, causing a small groan to escape your lips.
He then slowly pulled away, opting to rest his forehead against your own. "After the war," and there it was-- those words that you had been dreading for him to say. "I'm gonn' come back, I'm gonna give you the bestest welcome any man's ever given to his woman, and I'm gonna marry the shit outta' you, until even the Lord is on his knees in awe."
And, in spite of the new sinking feeling in your stomach, you couldn’t help but feel your grin grow wider as you nodded, before pressing another kiss on Elvis’s lips.
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The evening that you got the call, Elvis wasn’t at home.
For the past day or so you’d been camping by the only telephone in the house, picking up practically every call that rung. You were sure you already knew the answer, anyway– your period had still not come, putting you at nearly a month past your due date.
When the phone rang beside you, you were quick to pick it up. You didn’t get so much as a word in before the person on the other end spoke, “Hello, is this Y/n L/n?”
You eyes widened as you nodded, before you let out a small laugh. You’d momentarily forgotten that the person on the opposite end could not see you.
“Yes, who is this?”
“Ms. L/n, this is Dr. Owens! I’ve called to inform you that your results are positive! Congratulations!”
Your lips parted in surprise. Of course, you’d expected as much, but hearing it confirmed by someone else made it feel all the more real.
“Uh, thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it.”
You hung up before he could respond.
You let out a dry chuckle, no humor evident in it. Just my luck. Of course you got pregnant right before Elvis went to war. And– what, you only do it a couple of times and this happens?
It wasn’t like you hadn’t thought about having a child before, in the future. With Elvis’s whirlwind of a career and the fact that he was shipping off to Germany for two years, the least you thought you could do was wait until everything died down and you could settle down with him.
It was then that you heard the front door open and close, and in came Elvis, battered and tired from a presumably long day. Speak of the devil.
Upon seeing your form curled up on the couch, Elvis offered you a kind smile. “Hey baby.”
Walking over to you and giving you a tender kiss on your forehead, he was surprised to find that you leaned away from his touch. You didn’t mean to, of course, but you couldn’t help it. All your pent up guilt over the past was starting to fester– and Elvis, being the cause of your guilt, made you almost instinctually pull away from him.
“Baby?” Elvis’s voice was soft, gentle as he sat down beside you and placed a hand on your shoulder. “Is anythin’ wrong?”
You stared at Elvis and your lips parted, as if to say something, before you slowly closed them and shook your head. “It’s nothing.” Elvis, however, didn’t seem convinced.
“Bullshit.”
You stared at him wide-eyed. “What?”
“I call bullshit. You ain’t been acting like yourself for weeks now, Y/n. I know there’s somethin’ you ain’t tellin’ me.”
You sunk into yourself. “I told you, Elvis. It’s nothing.”
“Bullshit.”
Upon seeing your conflicted expression, Elvis let out a small sigh. “Look, Y/n, you don’t have to tell me now, but whatever this is, it’s obviously botherin’ you, and you’re going to have to tell me at some point.”
You bit your lip before you spoke. “I’m pregnant.” Your voice barely exceeded in a whisper, and you silently wished Elvis wouldn’t be able to hear you.
He, of course, did, and, eyes widening, said, “What?” At his surprised expression, you felt a hole grow in your stomach, though it was soon filled as Elvis’s face of surprised was slowly replaced by a wild grin. “Baby, why didn’t ya’ tell me earlier?– That’s amazing!”
“So you’re not– mad?”
Elvis let out a laugh, “Mad? Why on Earth would I be mad?”
“Well, uh, you’re–” You were momentarily cut off by a sweet kiss to your lips, catching you off-guard as you let out a muffled moan. Elvis, in response, only laughed more before reluctantly pulling away. “Sorry, baby, I just couldn’t help myself.”
“It’s okay,” you whispered.
“Now, what were you saying?”
“Well,” you felt that pit in your stomach return just as it were before. “Elvis, you’re going off to war for two years. I’m not exactly sure if this is a great time to start a family.”
To this, Elvis paused, deep in thought. “Well, you were talking about startin’ a family before, right?” You nodded. “Well, every family has its challenges. My daddy went off to prison, and I had to start workin’. And your mama– she died when you were just a young girl, didn’t you say?” At the mention of your mother, your eyes floated to the ground in shame, though Elvis was quick to gently tilt your chin towards him. “Baby, I’m sorry, but, look– all I’m trying to say is, we’ve both had challenges once it’s came to family, and that’s all this’ll be. Another challenge.”
“Another challenge,” you echoed, allowing your mind to wander.
“And– look, I’ll call you every day to ask you about our son or daughter, and I’ll send you presents all the time, and I’ll visit whenever I can, alright?” Your eyes were distant as he spoke, and you were only startled out of your thoughts when you felt a hand gently squeeze your own.
“You hear me, baby?”
“Um, yeah,” you said, nodding. “Okay.”
Elvis smiled. “Good.” He then pulled you in for yet another kiss, this one longer, before slowly placing a hand over your belly. “You know, I think this one’s gonna be a girl.”
You quirked an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”
“Mmm, I can feel it.”
You allowed your smile to linger for a while before you were harshly brought back to reality. “Elvis?” Your voice was once again quiet and meek as you whispered out his name.
“Yes?”
You took a deep breath. “What if you don’t come back?”
It was then that Elvis’s voice grew dark. “Now, darlin’, I love you beyond belief, but I don’t want to ever hear those words come out of those pretty lips of yours again, you hear me?”
You bit the inside of your cheek. “Well, it’s just–” You sighed. “I don’t know, I just… They’ve been talkin’ about the war getting worse and worst, and I… I guess I just don’t know what I’d do without you– what we’d do without you.”
“Listen here, okay? I ain’t never leaving you, Y/n– or this baby, you got that? I will go to the ends of the Earth and back just so I could be back with you.”
Silence. He allowed the weight of his words to sink in.
“Do you promise?
To this, Elvis could only laugh as he spoke his next words. “‘Course darlin’. I promise.”
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want to join my taglist?
taglist: @iloveaustinelvis, @powerofelvis, @kendralavon7, @austinstyles, @bobthefishiesworld, @ramirezb-blog1, @itlover8000
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nikki-might-know · 2 years
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Being Best Friends with Robin and Going from Enemies to Lovers with Steve HCs
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When Robin first tries to convince you she's actually friends with Steve Harrington, you don't believe her.
Acquaintances? Sure. They work together and they seem to get along well enough. You've watched them banter plenty of times when you come to visit Robin at work.
But something changes.
You're not sure what happened exactly, but sometime after the disaster at the Star Court Mall, Robin and Steve become inseparable.
Robin's happiness has always come first for you. She's your best friend, practically a sister at this point, but you'd be lying if you said you weren't insanely suspicious at this new development
Maybe it was jealousy talking, but you didn't trust that someone like "King Steve" turned his life around over night. What if this was all a prank? What if he was going to humiliate Robin and really hurt her?
"I know he's a dingus. But he's good, I swear. Just give him a chance." Weeks of Robin's pleading pout and puppy dog eyes sold you.
"Fine. I'm going to be a bitch the entire god damn time." Robin grins. "You won't regret it I swear."
The first time you all hang out it is so unbelievably awkward, Robin spends forty five minutes rambling non-stop without a single breath. It's impressive.
At some points she does have to pee though so she leaves. It's just you and Steve.
The silence is fucking deafening.
Finally you speak. You are trying not to be petty, you swear, but you can't help but be protective of your favorite person.
"Listen, Harrington. I know you and Robin are besties now, or whatever. But if you hurt her, I swear to god I will bury your ass so far into the woods no one will ever find your body."
Steve just stares at you, mouth hanging open, eyes blown wide. It would be hilarious if you weren't dead serious.
"Whoa, what the hell?" You are surprised to see that Steve looks genuinely hurt. A feeling of guilt bubbles up in your gut seeing the wounded look on his face. It's almost as if you've slapped him. "Why would I ever hurt Robin?"
You blink at him, stunned. This is not the direction you saw things going. The person sitting before you is not the swim captain, basketball star, with his signature smirk and arrogant attitude. You swallow around the lump in your throat suddenly embarrassed.
"I don't know. You wouldn't have given either of us the time of day in high school, and now I'm just supposed to believe you're not the same kid who watched Carol and Tommy spray paint my fucking car two years ago?"
You can't look him in the eye so you start picking at your nails. "Look, I can take that shit. I've got a thick skin. But Robin's not as tough as she seems. She's got this sensitive side that people don't really think about. And I'm not going to let her get hurt."
When you finally look up, you watch as ten different emotions seem to be competing with one another inside of Steve. Honestly it makes your stomach drop. Maybe Robin isn't the only one with a secret sensitive side. You try to hold on to your self righteous anger, ready to fight with Steve, when you hear him release a sigh.
"I'm really sorry."
What the fuck.
"I'm sorry that Carol and Tommy fucked with you. And I'm sorry I didn't do anything to stop it. They're dickheads, and I should have stopped hanging out with them a lot sooner. " He runs his fingers through his hair and looks like he's genuinely embarrassed. You're convinced you've entered some alternate dimension.
In your experience people only apologize when they want something or if they've been cornered, but Steve seems so unbelievably genuine-- you don't question it for a second.
"Uh... Well.. the past is the past, Harrington. Don't worry about it. I just want Robin to be happy is all."
Steve looks at you and you can't remember the last time you saw eyes that earnest. "Robin has done way more for me than you know. I would never hurt her."
After that, you and Steve begin a tentative acquaintanceship.
You never spend a lot of time alone together, but you do come into the Family Video every single day after school to bother him and Robin.
It isn't long before the three of you start having move nights together, often featuring Steve and Robin's squadron of adopted young nerdlings.
All of them seem to accept that you are now one of their surrogate parents almost instantly. It's actually unnerving how quickly you're just absorbed into the routine of things.
And at some point you realize your mutual protectiveness of Robin is just one of many things that you and Steve have in common.
Steve is genuinely interesting. He's got pretty descent taste in music and movies. And more importantly, he's more open minded than you imagined.
You often run up behind him and plop the headphones of your Walkman on his head, misshaping his perfect hair. "Listen to this."
He'll grumble, pulling at his hair but keeping the headphones in place. He sits through entire songs, even if you can tell he hates them. He'll begrudgingly endure it all just so he can give you an accurate analysis at the end.
Then there comes a day when you walk into Family Video and see him behind the counter, shelving videos, knowing he will be on his own. "Robin isn't here."
"I know. She stayed home sick. I've got her homework." You wave a binder in front of him. "I just..." you feel embarrassed as you try to explain yourself. "It felt weird not to come in. Even if she isn't here, you know? It's like... annoying you is a tradition or something."
Steve studies you for a long time. "Damn. Between you and Henderson there's never any peace." His brown eyes are mesmerizing as always, especially when you can see the humor and joy shine through them. "I'll give you a ride to her place after my shift. Just give me 20 minutes."
And that's how you and Steve start spending more and more time alone.
It isn't really intentional at first. Just whenever Robin isn't around.
But Robin suddenly starts to have lots of other things to do, so your one on one time with Steve becomes much more frequent.
You start to become a little suspicious when Robin tells you she has to go get her haircut twice in the same week, but you're also not mad about being alone with Steve so you decide to let it slide.
(Robin really is the wing-woman of the century though and will be demanding acknowledgement at some point.)
It feels silly, in retrospect, but you didn't even realize you had a crush until it all hit you like a baseball bat to the head.
You were just cruising around in Steve's car, listening to a mix tape he'd made in companionable silence, when one of your favorite songs came on.
"Holy shit! I thought you said you hated this song." You lean over to turn up "Crush On You" by The Jets. You'd listened to this single so many times the record had broken.
You roll down the window of Steve's car and singing along "How did you know? Cuz I never told. But you found out, I've got a crush on you~"
Your eyes meet as you turn to elbow him, trying to get him to sing along.
Any desire to tease him dies on your tongue.
Those big brown eyes are making you feel something you've never felt before. Your entire body is on fire. It's hard to swallow around the lump in your throat, but nobody has ever wanted you as clearly as Steve does right now.
"You have to look at the road or we're going to die" you finally say, your voice struggling around your own want.
Steve pulls the car over on the side of the road so fast in nearly gives you whiplash. Thankfully the forest road is basically empty besides the two of you and a bunch of squirrels
"Jesus Christ, Harrington. You should have your license revoked."
But he's already unbuckling his seat belt and reaching over to grab your face. You let him, struggling to undo your own.
Kissing Steve is unlike anything else you've ever experienced. He's so goofy 99% of the time, but right now he's pouring his heart and soul into the moment. It makes your insides flip and your breath catch in your throat.
It turns out making out is another hobby you both share in common.
Robin spends the first few weeks of you two dating strutting around with the smuggest fucking look you've ever seen. "I told you he's not so bad, didn't I?"
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The FujiLup Divorce
So. Part 5 all takes place post divorce, we know this, which shapes why everyone is acting the way they are. That’s not the point of this I want to talk about what actually seems to happen with the divorce.
So. This whole thing is sort of set up for disaster, because the idea to marry Lupin comes in the wake of the Rebecca situation. Fujiko’s anger at the wedding is partially about the treasure and not being included but it’s more so about being caught off guard by the idea of Lupin getting married.
Women are constantly told that getting married is just something you will do. So even subconsciously Fujiko may have just been assuming that some day her and Lupin would get married. Not because she particularly wants to marry him (or anyone for that matter) but because getting married is just the thing you do.
That being the base this marriage is formed on already gives it this heavy weight of obligation and jealousy and like Lupin is making up for the Rebecca incident.
But despite this Lupin and Fujiko get married, and for a while it works. The marriage is shiny and new, and still entertaining enough for them. Lupin is enjoying being domestic and playing Mr. Husband and Fujiko always loved being doted on.
After a while, It’s Fujiko that realizes it’s not working. Lupin is playing Mr. Husband to the best of his ability, they’re in Paris, they’re supposed to be happy. But Fujiko realizes having Lupin has taken the thrill out of life. It’s bad enough they’re not stealing and scheming but she thought that with his personality, if anyone could make domestic life interesting it would be Lupin.
But there’s no chase, no thrill, no uncertainty. Not when they wake up in the same bed every morning, unless he’s gotten up early to surprise her with breakfast. He’s doting and loving and everything she should want.
But since when has Fujiko Mine ever done what she was Expected to.
So she leaves.
‘Adieu’ written in lipstick the only note she gives.
And here’s where it gets good (and tragic).
Lupin has two choices.
Chase her to the ends of the earth and refuse to let her go when he catches her, and to let her go.
Fujiko thinks she wants the chase, but really? If Lupin chased her down, caught her and refused to let go?
She’d hate him for it. She’d feel trapped and suffocated and everything good about the two of them would be gone in that moment. After that she’d be trying to Escape him. He’d be turning into just another man in her eyes.
So Lupin, knowing there’s no winning here, but at least that losing her for now means there will be a chance to have her again in the future, let’s go. He doesn’t fight it.
She’s mad he didn’t fight it, obviously. Why wouldn’t he fight it, doesn’t he care, doesn’t he want her?
He loses her in the short term.
But in the end that was the right choice.
Because she comes back.
They’re never going to be the same again. There’s always going to be this shadow on their relationship (which in my opinion is why the Part 6 kiss in the rain is so tragic), but they’re able to still be in each others lives. To have each-other in smaller ways, and that’s really the best outcome they could have asked for.
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verdemoth · 8 months
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i cant post Tune without also posting Odyssey. do not separate.
Odyssey is an engineer, formerly the director of Mission Control, and before even that e did field work. Now, e’s supposedly retired from all duties, but Odyssey refuses to leave. E wont let the new owners run the team into the ground. (and e’s still holding onto some distant hope of finding es best friend alive, or at least closure)
-> Originally Odyssey was a field researcher alongside es queerplatonic partner Tune in their 20s, until the risks of such work became apparent. E then went on to develop systems to communicate with and coordinate the research team and monitor the Otherworld from safely on the ‘reality’ side of the portal. E established Mission Control, and led it for decades.
-> Tune and Odyssey were very close for a very long time, having met in their school years. They were best friends, partners for life, two halves of a whole. It’s been some years now since Tune’s disappearance, and Odyssey’s mostly come to terms with it, but still feels his absence keenly.
-> Odyssey’s a generally kind individual but not particularly nice. E’s gruff, immensely stubborn, with a mean sarcastic streak. Some coworkers might describe em as cantankerous. But at the end of the day e’s well-intentioned and altruistic.
-> Odyssey is very, VERY bitter about the investors who bought ownership of the team from the original founders a couple years back. E hates them. E’s just WAITING for the chance to prove there’s something unscrupulous happening, e can FEEL it. E hasn’t had results yet but the vibes are rancid.
-> Though formally retired, Odyssey continues to do much of the same work e’s been doing for decades, out of spite and because e trusts few people with the systems e built. E adamantly refuses to cooperate with anyone associated with the company, which is probably directly related to es early ‘retirement’. Odyssey’s not happy about it and won’t do them any favours.
-> Odyssey is only middle aged but e feels so much older. E’s so tired. And so worried. E hopes for the best but is always prepared for the worst.
-> Odyssey’s role as director was succeeded by Maven, who e mentored. Odyssey treats them as a ward and as a friend. E respects and trusts them, but…… When the Storm hit, it was one of Maven’s first missions directing with little input from Odyssey. It was supposed to be that, anyway, before that disaster. Odyssey doesn’t blame them for what happened, but but can’t seem to talk them out of beating themself up over it. Directing the EEG is no longer Odyssey’s job so e tries to step back and let Maven make their own decisions, but they’ve obviously not dealt well with the pressure, and Odyssey can’t leave well enough alone. E has a tendency to step in and take over es old duties at the first sign of trouble in a misguided attempt to shield Maven from the trauma of handling another crisis. E doesn’t mean to imply that they’re not capable, but unfortunately they are not helping Maven’s shattered confidence and fear of making mistakes by taking control from them.
-> Odyssey is legally blind, and though es glasses can help em make out some shapes in the right conditions, in unfamiliar spaces and bad lighting e utilizes a cane to get a feel for es surroundings. While es poor eyesight is likely hereditary, e became an amputee following a severe injury on es last field mission. E opts not to use any prosthetics, finding them uncomfortable and unwieldy. E’s often accompanied by one or both of the spider shaped robots e designed and programmed to assist the exploration team, which have been retired from the field as well since suffering some damage in the Storm. Odyssey is very fond of them.
-> The larger robot, Marie, was named after Odyssey’s cousin Mariner, who also worked for the EEG for a time. The two used to be close, but have had a falling out coinciding with Tune’s presumed death and Mariner’s retirement. Xe pushed for Odyssey to quit as well, but despite xer desperation xe wouldn’t confess why xe was so adamant about it.
-> The loss of Tune hit Odyssey very hard, and e’s become quite reclusive. E tends to stick to es room when not doing other work, and would spend a lot of time alone if not sought out by the other people who are close with em.
-> Spirit, Tune’s sibling, can probably best understand what Odyssey’s going though. The two have always gotten along well, having met through Tune. When Odyssey was injured, they requested Spirit join the team in es place, providing a glowing recommendation to the then owners. E’s always thought highly of Spirit, as a skilled and reliable member of the team (and someone e could trust to keep an eye on Tune where e couldn’t).
-> Spirit’s been different, recently. Odyssey has slowly tried opening up to them to talk about their shared loss, after es initial attempts to distance emself from the team in es grief. But any attempt seems stilted and awkward, so usually Odyssey never gets around to that part, and sticks to shallow small talk and talking At them about other problems. Honestly e just wants their company, and e feels they could use it, too. Odyssey worries for Spirit’s physical wellbeing in the Otherworld, and their mental wellbeing in the wake of losing their sibling. But they’re still capable of looking after themself, so e doesn’t push too hard. E just figures… well. Spirit probably needs the same kind of help e does, and e’s trying to be that for them.
-> If there’s a coworker that Odyssey really Does Not get along with, it’s Curiosity. In the past they’ve had a standard and respectful relationship. But with Tune M.I.A. and the EEG’s new ownership, Odyssey’s being phased out of the team though circumstance and es own actions and e’s feeling quite frustrated. E projects a lot of those frustrations into Curiosity, the new de facto leader of the field team and symbolic of the changes Odyssey rejects. Curiosity, for her part, isn’t keen on sitting around and taking flak from Odyssey.
-> Mostly they try to avoid each other, and that turns out fine. But when they do interact, Odyssey is… difficult about it. E will nitpick any plan of hers to test how it holds up, always double-checks her work, tries to pull rank/seniority regardless of relevance.. all in all, nothing malicious, but instead unreasonably hypercritical. E claims e’s only making sure she’s up to handle whatever the Otherworld throws at them next.
-> Phoenix on the other hand is a long time friend of Odyssey and Tune, having also met them through school before he dropped out. They’ve been a sturdy pillar of support for Odyssey through es grief, and regularly checks up on em to make sure es looking after emself. Though Phoenix, like Curiosity, is ambivalent about the new ownership, he is unlike Curiosity in that he is in good standing with Odyssey and is privy to sooo many rants about it. They talk often. Phoenix is really the only other person Odyssey trusts with maintaining the systems e built.
-> Phoenix and Odyssey had a brief romantic fling as young adults, which Odyssey now finds very amusing. Even moreso because Phoenix is kind of embarrassed about being ‘something of a headstrong dumbass’ at that age, in their own words. It’s one of the few things Odyssey and Curiosity (who also once dated Phoenix) can agree upon. It’s all in good fun.
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seraphiism · 1 year
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Hello happy 1k, you deserve it so much! may I request for the dreamscape event: twilight, ☁️ + nanami, and plumeria? Best of luck for your next endeavors!
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𓆩 ღ 𓆪 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬
( i'll rewrite this whole life and this time there'll be so much love, you won't be able to see beyond it. )
chara : nanami kento fandom : jujutsu kaisen quote cr : warsan shire a/n : thank you sm <3 !! i hope you enjoy! reincarnation!au
・❥・[ dreamscape event ] ༊*·˚ ⌛ angst & fluff • ☁️ nanami • 💐 plumeria : new beginnings
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ACT 1 : nanami kento does not know what it is like to live, a heart decrepit and withering since youth. it is a very optimistic betrayal , the growing of oneself, body & mind, and the hopeful future one dreams of. he sighs, wonders how he has ended up here. a mindless loop, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. it is all very much the same, this dreary, slow, and yet all too fast passage of time.
what does one do with regret and failure? enduring is something he has known for far too long, but there is no forgiveness in sight, so the suffering will always be felt, and maybe it is supposed to be that way.
maybe it is supposed to be that way for those who deserve it.
another sigh. weary, he casts his glance at the window, observes the dim moonlight that seeks sanctuary in the bedroom you share. he does not know how you gaze wistfully at him, an ache in your being at his melancholy. you speak his name, gentle, before you usher him closer, rest his head on your chest as you hold him.
"tired?"
he hums in confirmation, takes note of the way there is an absence of regret the moment he finds himself in your arms. you feel the tension leave his body, fingers weaving through his hair until he eventually stills, falling asleep in the comfort of you.
there is a quiet smile that finds its way to your lips ; a blessing and curse all the same, sorrowful yet serene all the more. what a very lonely life this is, the life of a sorcerer gone wrong.
"it'll be fine." you murmur, more to yourself than anyone, so you press a kiss against his temple, close your eyes. "you'll get the life you deserve. i promise."
( & there is something so somber yet relieving in this promise, and in a death you both are fated to succumb to, there is a beginning, not an ending. )
ACT 2 : in a life anew, there is not always the restoration of memories, the days of tragedy and terror left behind, death and disaster forgotten. in a life anew, there is something more, something better-- a peace, a tranquility, and the knowing that everything is alright. no longer are the days past filled with a haze, a repetition, a dreadful mundane, but instead, vitality and vigor.
in this life anew, neither of you remember the past, yet in the thread that binds you together, you have found your way back to each other, confessions of love that have always felt so familiar repeated once more.
in this life anew, you are happy.
ACT 3 : nanami kento does not know what it is like to live a life of tragedies, a heart blooming and flourishing since youth. it is a very optimistic path , the growing of love shared and the hopeful future you dream of together. he sighs, wonders how he has ended up here. it is all very much different, this wondrous, content, and yet all too fast passage of time.
he listens to your heartbeat, feels a strange sense of deja vu, of reliving, and he does not know what to do about it. he remains silent, finds that there is no worth in contemplating the unnecessary. you have done this before, somehow, and you both are well too aware of it.
"do you ever wonder," you start, fingers tracing circles into his skin, "if this is our second chance?" you pause, quiet, unsure how to describe the feeling. "like we've done this all before somehow, but it's--"
"better."
"yeah." your voice barely a whisper, you nod, almost bittersweet. "safe."
a silence fills the air, lingers with curiosity and the musings of what once was. maybe you were someone back then, too. maybe it was different back then, the act of survival versus living. perhaps you take this life for granted.
you hug him a little closer, know that he can read your mind so easily. he, too, thinks the same things, knows that this could have been very different.
no, neither of you remember the past, nor do you know if there even was a past. it doesn't matter anymore, not really, because there is only the road forward, and so you will deem what you have now as a blessing, take it in stride and hope it continues until you are both old and gray.
"no matter this life or the next, even the past, i am grateful to spend it with you."
( he almost smiles at the way he hears your heartbeat quicken. your hands tremble ever so gently in the way they hold him, and you wonder if you have heard those words before. )
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clowncroccharms · 1 month
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Thank you guys for the love on my KimKenta fic 🥹 It really means a lot!
I’m going to have chapter 2 out soon, I plan on it being a longer fic as well as part of a series of sorts, the other parts being a PeteWay fic and a NorthSonic fic!
If you missed the upload and want to read it, I’ll put the link here!
I love seeing all your comments, it makes me so happy to know you guys like it!
Thanks again!
The Fic
Kim is drowning.
He isn’t drowning, he is distinctly aware of that, but the thought crosses his mind; this is what drowning must feel like.
Kim's life is not normal prior to his chance encounter with Tony that led to his racing contract, but it was certainly less twisted than this. What was supposed to be an opportunity of a lifetime has left him in ruin and with an ally, Tony's own right hand man, that he isn't entirely keen on trusting.
Kenta had not signed up to be the doctor for Tony's newest exiled racing star, but he's left with little choice after Kim digs too deep into Tony's closet of skeletons, yet the man still wants him alive for reasons Kenta can't quite figure out.
Haunting dreams that bring ruin and fear along with secrets kept hidden for decades find their way into the lives of the two men and when they're pulled together by disasters outside of their own control they have to decide if it will bring them together or tear them apart forever.
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musingsfromalily · 1 year
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Royalty AU Sentence Starters / Knights & Nobility
Lines taken from/inspired from misc. but primarily Kageki no Kuni Remember to specify muses for multimuses! Feel free to modify any of the lines to suit your muse.
“Why am I aching for you to understand my true self?”
“I’m unable to hold back my desire to confide in you.”
“This emotion...Please use your words to give it a name.”
“My apologies, making you listen to my ramblings...”
“The only thing that I can do is to risk my life protecting your secret, until the end of me.”
“No matter the sacrifice, I still wish to protect you.”
“I want to stand up and face it with my own strength.”
“If you value your life, don’t get close to ___ anymore. If you continue to remain beside them, disaster will fall upon you.”
“....Can you please leave me alone without asking anything for now?”
“Please don’t involve yourself with me anymore.”
“It’s a matter that has nothing to do with you, ___.”
“From now on, properly keep your distance from her. 
“Although my life has no freedom; As long as I can act, my soul is free.”
“Even if my fate is to be used by others, this is the path I have decided to walk!”
“The enemies are also attacking from above us!”
“My utmost apologies for coming so late.”
“I’ll be both your sword and shield.”
“My beloved ___ .... I will protect you, even if I have to bet my life on it.”
“A woman who can only be protected is out of fashion, after all.”
“I don’t want you to give up what’s important to you anymore.”
“ ____ isn’t the gentle person you believe them to be, you know.”
“Just the fact that he survived such an upbringing....You have guts, being with him.”
“The guy I’ve seen so far, he’s not the kind of person who gives any mercy to his enemies.”
“They are going home, let’s go too.”
“No matter how dirty that feeling is, you have to let it out. Don’t hold it in even in the slightest.”
“You’ve been acting strange since yesterday.”
“He won’t say anything, but in place of that; He smiles.”
“We are royalty, so we have been taught not to show our feelings on our faces. It’s something like a ‘habit.’ ”
“Your being able to live freely is a result of your older brother’s kindness. You understand that enough, don’t you?”
“Just now, there was a transmission. If it is deemed that you are unable to complete your assignment, you will return home immediately.”
“That means you will have to return to your former life.”
“You absolutely have to complete the assassination. This is the last chance that I am giving you.”
“Please think more about your position.
“Sorry, there was no other way to protect you but this.”
“It was an instant decision, but I think it’s better than being discovered by them.”
“This situation is very rude towards a lady.”
“Please forgive me, ___.”
“Take my hand so you won’t slip.”
“I don’t want you to close your heart, so...I came here.”
“I don’t know how I should say it, but...I want to convey my feelings properly.”
“If possible...I want to know your feelings, too.”
“If my incompetency makes you feel uncomfortable, then...”
“--You completely found out my inner feelings. Even though I was supposed to be trained not to show them...This is really embarrassing.”
“That’s why, without running away--Please answer me properly.”
“I thought you didn’t trust me.”
“I...I’ve never kissed before.”
“The moment I think of ___ ....My inexperienced heart can’t stop racing. It becomes very hard for me to act.”
“If I’m like this...everyone...and ___, too....Won’t I disappoint you...?”
“Having these feelings, it’s embarrassing--I ended up avoiding you.”
“Just keep silent and act like it’s nothing; I already trained myself to give up....”
“You’re the first one that I want to tell anything.”
“There’s not much time left. You’ll have to let me train you like a Spartan.”
“Your heartbeat is so loud.”
“It’s okay. I’ll accept everything.”
“Only I can see __ like this...I’m so happy.”
“Have you...ever kissed someone before, __?”
“I’m almost at the point where I don’t want to let the others see this.”
“Throw away your restraints.”
“Are you thinking of another person? You can’t do that. Now, just look at me.”
“That gaze, too...Everything is mine.”
“--It’s my first time. I kissed the person I love on my own.”
“Ever since I arrived here, I was trapped in a cage.”
“Something like love, I thought I couldn’t have it.”
“But precisely because of this life, I met you.”
“My happiness is like an overflowing song; I want to dance.”
“For now, let us only allow the moonlight to see us.”
“For our whole lives, we will definitely never forget. Our love story.”
“This is something I received from my mother, it’s my protective charm. I want you to hold onto it. My mother told me that one day, when I found the girl I love--To give it to her.”
“That love--Every last drop is mine, right?”
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victorluvsalice · 4 months
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Merry Christmas SatiricalDemon!
@thesatiricaldemon *waves* So you requested a fic about Daniel, Dommik, and N on an inter-dimensional vacation to one of my other fic verses...and the very first thing that came to mind was a follow up on a thread about a certain crystalline butterfly birthday present Dan sent to the Victors that my Secundus boy found very inspiring. XD So yeah, that's what you're getting. Hope you enjoy!
This Feels Like A Recipe For Disaster
“. . .and that allowed me to dampen the threat response! They still react if one of the flock gets injured, but it’s more of a ‘chase away the potential threat’ thing – they won’t try a full swarm unless you full-on shatter one of them.”
“Oh, excellent, excellent! And I see in your notes here you were looking to see if you could get different colors – I would imagine that if you added that lovely compound to the caterpillar mid-metamorphosis, you could get a truly acidic shade of green!”
“Maybe, but that also has a good chance of completely destabilizing the metamorphosis entirely. . .though I guess it’s all about how much I add. . .”
Alice looked over at the two, hunched over the main experimentation table in Victor’s greenhouse lab, and shook her head fondly. “I’m sorry, it sounds like they may be at this for a while,” she commented, turning back to their other two guests. “Victor was – very inspired by that little gift your Dr. Daniel sent along for his birthday.”
“So I can see,” Dommik said, grinning in that rather off-kilter way he had. Then again, Alice supposed that since he was really some sort of odd vampire-worm thing running around in a human suit (and how she wished she didn’t know that), it was only to be expected. “Daniel was hoping that he’d enjoy the statue, but I don’t think he expected him to try and recreate it.”
Normally it’s a bad idea for anyone to attempt to copy anomalous flora and fauna, N added, their cold gaze fixed on Daniel and Victor as they kept exchanging ideas on tweaks to the crystalline butterflies Victor was working on. But your husband seems to have a rare talent in that regard.
“Only because it’s a butterfly, I’m sure,” Alice replied, folding her arms. “Lepidoptery is Victor’s specialty. He can work with other insects too – we’ve got a hive of modified bees from a honey-making venture he attempted a little while back – and he’s got some talent with engineering, but butterflies and moths are where he shines.” She grinned. “Possibly because his very first project as a Touched was figuring out how to make them glow.”
“Oooh! I’d love to see that!” Dommik said, excitement shining through his eye sockets. “I’m sure they’re beautiful!”
“They are – and much less deadly than the creatures you lot apparently deal with on a daily basis,” Alice said, glancing between them and Daniel. “I thought Secundus could be a rowdy place to live sometimes, but after the stories you’ve told us of your world, it seems almost – peaceful.”
It is a difficult place to exist sometimes, N agreed. But we have found happiness there, regardless of the circumstances. They tilted their head at her. I do still find it interesting you do not exhibit the same Hume potential as the Alice we know at home.
“Oh, I’d love to be able to bend reality to my will,” Alice grumbled. “It’d make life so much easier. . .then again, your Alice seems to have had a very different life to mine, even if some of the broader events match up?”
“Mmm? Oh, yes – I’ve noticed your meta-narrative placement is much different from hers,” Daniel commented, looking up from the notepad he’d been sharing with Victor. “As is this Victor’s from the one I know. No waking up Emily means no potential for necromancy at all!”
“I’ll take raising butterflies over raising the dead,” Victor mumbled, scribbling something with a frown. “Hmmm – I’m not entirely sure that’s adding up right. . .”
“I’m just wondering where Smiler is,” Dommik said, looking around.
Alice blinked, then glanced over at Victor, who looked equally confused. “Ah – who?”
“You know – Smiler! Your themfriend?”
“Wrong universe, dearest,” Daniel said, with a slightly softer version of his trademark manic grin. “This romantic situation was resolved before their creation – though they may be here somewhere in potentia! Perhaps I could look into the matter!”
“Who are they?” Victor asked. “Other than a ‘themfriend.’” He smiled, tone light. “What, are we supposed to be a threesome too?”
Daniel laughed. “You could if you wanted to be! In fact, in studying the meta-verse for this trip, I actually located a reality where you and Alice are part of a nine-person polycule!”
Alice and Victor shared another, much more astonished glance. “. . .all right, now you have to tell us about that one,” Alice said after a moment, shaking her head. “Because I have got to know.”
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scottxlogan · 1 year
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5 Sentence Drabbles
20. Cookies (Bucky/Tony)
76. Broken Pieces (Emma/Steve)
Okay so I cheated a little bit in these as I think they might've hit the 6 sentence marks lol, but still....here you are. (Under the cut)
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20. Cookies (Bucky/Tony) Thick clouds of darkened smoke poured out into the hallway accompanied by the piercing sounds of the smoke detector as Bucky rushed into the kitchen area fully prepared to find a war taking place. Instead, Bucky discovered Tony hunched over the now open oven with a red and white checkered hand towel in front of the cloud of smoke, waving it in a desperate attempt to pave the way towards leaning forward and salvaging the charred remains of what he’d been working on within the industrial sized oven. “What’s going on in here?” Bucky was almost afraid to ask as a visibly flustered Tony worked to extract what was left of the blackened, round rocks of death he’d been baking before his lover’s arrival.
“You talked about loving chocolate chip cookies, and I wanted to surprise you by giving them a go for your special day…so happy birthday baby,” Tony beamed with the same sideways, triumphant smirk he’d carried with him in his every attempt at problem solving as in this baking disaster Tony was still bubbling with the same enthusiasm Bucky had grown so very fond of.
Bucky took it all in with a smile, soaking up the smoke and the sight of the cookie batter over Tony’s Kiss the Chef apron with the way Tony’s eyes lit up at the sight of Bucky while Tony proudly held his charred death rocks on the cookie tray, so hopeful in his approach as Bucky bridged the distance pulling Tony into a deep, appreciative kiss knowing that in that moment he’d never loved Tony Stark more.
76. Broken Pieces (Emma/Steve) A diamond is never supposed to shatter, but for Emma Frost she’d spent a lifetime hoping to pick up the fractured pieces knowing that the dream of the knight in shining armor was nothing more than a fable told to placate young girls into believing in true love, yet she knew better than to believe. Scott Summers had proven that even the good guys were capable of far more pain than love was worth, so after that Emma had closed herself entirely until that fateful Hellfire Gala when Steve Rogers came searching around working to find his way into her world. Steve had been relentless and determined, hoping to prove that not all nice guys could prove to be thoughtless and horrible and soon Emma began to feel her diamond-hard skin repair itself and heal finding hope for the first time in a long time that perhaps the white knight was more than a myth.
“Give me a chance to prove you wrong,” Steve had once suggested as he laid his claim to winning over Emma’s jade heart and soon much to her surprise and delight, Steve proved to her in his valiant efforts that romance was still possible for a broken girl with a cold heart who’d been lost from the world for so very long.
Now as Emma found herself staring into the impossible blue eyes before her of a man determined to prove her worth, Emma found herself coming around to believing that perhaps true love was still a possibility in her life after all.
Thanks for these. They were fun!
Five Sentence Drabble Prompts
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