#✩ heaven never cared but you did ( sakura ic )

[unmyeoung]

@ardenssolis​​ gives me too much power pt 3.

          she startles as she bumps into him, a handful of papers falling to the ground. she immediately kneels, reaching to retrieve them quickly. she looks back up at him, pausing to note: “i.. i apologize, i wasn’t looking where i was going.. th-these papars are delicate, i don’t mean to be rude by picking them up before apologizing..” 

#ardenssolis #✩ heaven never cared but you did ( sakura ic )

[sadbean609]

Just the Way You Aren't : January — A Proposition (Part 2)

-

“So let me get this straight,” the man that Hinata now knew as Genma started, locking his phone. “You want us to date because you guys want to hang out as friends? Why can’t you hang out without us dating at all?”

Hinata nodded along, now wondering that as well. Was it so necessary to date? Couldn’t they just hang out because they wanted to?

“I don’t know if you know who Sarkura is,” Ino began, readjusting herself on the arm of the couch so that she was facing him. “But she’s a little insane. She and Kakashi had this whirlwind relationship. In the beginning, he was all she could talk about.”

“Yeah, she really could not shut up about him and his fluffy hair,” Tenten added.

“The fluffy hair, the sexcapades, you name it.” Ino tossed her perfect blonde ponytail over her shoulder as she continued. “When things started to go south, they went fast.”

“Right,” Tenten agreed. 

“One minute she was telling me how amazing he was and how he made her stomach flip, and then literally the next day she was in tears on my couch. I never asked her the specifics because I figured she needed more time, but after that first night of ice cream and wine, she just never brought him up again. Quit him cold turkey. Even after I asked her what happened, she just straight up ignored me, and it is hard to ignore me.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Tenten said with a mouth full of popcorn. After Ino shot her an icy glare that she did not catch, she spoke again. “I brought up Kakashi once after they broke up, but I didn’t know it, and she just straight up left. Like we were in the middle of coffee, she got up, and she left. Didn’t even take her coffee with her. All I wanted to know was when we were going to hang out with him and his friends again.”

“Right, and that’s when you called me.” Ino turned to look at Obito and Rin. “And they tell me they’re a match made in heaven.”

“What does that mean?” Genma asked, listening to the whole thing with a quirked brow. “I never thought Kakashi would dip it in crazy.”

Rin and Obito shared a look that made Hinata blush even though the look was not directed at her. She felt the secondhand embarrassment in her toes and she could not hide it for the life of her. “What the fuck are you talking about, Shiranui?” Obito turned his attention to Genma. “Kakashi is crazy. Sakura is probably the only woman on this planet that can handle him.”

“Handle him? The hell did he do?”

“You did not see him when they were dating.”

“That’s because the bitch blocked me!” 

Rin giggled and Obito scoffed. “Yeah, I wonder why. You were trying to hit on his mother.”

“His mother is dead! All I said was that she was a MILF.”

“Guys!” Ino interrupted. “That is not important. What’s important is that Tenten and I want to hang out with Obito and Rin. Well, mostly Rin. And Kakashi and Sakura are not going to let us because their egos are too big for each of them to handle, let alone their pride.”

“It won’t be too hard,” Rin began, shifting closer to her boyfriend. “You guys date, they’ll see that we’re all still hanging out on our own terms, and Kakashi might forgive you for calling his mother a MILF at the same time. It’s a win-win.”

“How is that a win for me?” Genma asked. 

“You get to date our lovely Hinata here,” Tenten offered, approaching Hinata with a scary smile on her face. It was bad enough that Hinata was still getting over being initially blinded by this man’s rugged looks, but now all eyes were on her. She looked down at her feet, hiding behind her curtain of hair that fell over her face.

“Oh great. I get to date a virgin.”

“Genma!” Rin chastised, hitting his arm. “Be nice.”

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Obito muttered. “Genma has never had a serious relationship in his life. Asking him to go steady is like asking Deidara not to blow shit up. It should just be a fake relationship then, if you’re so goddamn worried.”

“I don’t know who that is, nor do I care. But a fake relationship sounds like the road to take to me. Hinata is a shy little earth worm that we must bring out of her shell. But Mr. Manwhore here must behave and take it seriously. He must be exclusive or he’ll fuck the whole thing up.”  Ino was getting fed up with Genma, Hinata could tell. She was acting like how she usually did when she dealt with Shikamaru. 

“No can do, Barbie, I like my style.”

“Oh, so you like being subject to Kakashi’s whims,” Obito quipped. 

“I didn’t say that-”

“Genma, the fact of the matter is that Kakashi and Sakura are fucking crazy. I want Rin to be able to hang out with who she wants, and if I have to orchestrate some elaborate scheme just to keep her happy, I will. Don’t forget whose roommate Kakashi was before he moved in with me. I can just as easily kick him out.”

“I just don’t get why you have to rope me in with all this shit. Why is she included in this? Look at her, she’s shaking like a leaf. She definitely doesn’t want to be a part of this.”

“I do,” Hinata surprised herself by speaking. When all heads turned to her, her stomach dropped to her feet, but she somehow found the courage to continue. “I-I mean.. I’ll do it. If it’s for our friends. I-I care about them, you know… If you think that some normalcy will bring them back together th-then.. Well, I’ll do it.”

“See,” Obito turned to face Genma, shit-eating grin on his face. “She’s in.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Genma started, eyeing Hinata and causing her to sink back into her seat. “You’re telling me that you’re on board with this?”

Hinata looked at her two friends, faces now a little hopeful. She nodded.

“You’re just okay with being a pawn in someone’s game?”

“That’s a little harsh, Genma, come on,” Obito whined. “And we never said anything about how long it’ll take. Just a year.”

“Fucking what?!” Genma shouted, now standing. Hinata jumped and yipped at the sound, a very small, very annoying habit from her childhood that she could easily blame on her trauma. She hated that part about her with every fiber of her being and tried to fold in on herself even more than she already was. Genma shot her a look that looked simultaneously perplexed and concerned. “What do you mean a year?” he asked, quieter this time.

“It’ll take at least six months to get Sakura’s nose out of her fucking textbook, that’s for sure,” Ino chimed in. She walked to the kitchen, largely ignoring Genma’s leer. 

“So if the goal is to get them back together, why can’t you guys just scheme behind their backs? You can hang out more, and you get them back together. I still don’t get why we have to be a part of it.” Genma was pacing now, every now and then stealing glances at Hinata, but after their initial eye contact, he didn’t think Hinata was even capable of looking in his direction. Even if he did find her cute, it wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t pull her weight.

“You don’t know Kakashi as well as us, dude,” Obito reasoned. 

“He’s the most stubborn motherfucker you’ll ever meet,” Rin interjected. “And I bet so is Sakura. And that is why they’re perfect for each other, and exactly why this ruse is the only thing I can think of that will get those two dumbasses out of their own little world, and into reason.”

Genma gave one last look to Hinata. She met his gaze again finally, and felt her cheeks warm. She tried her best to hold it, but her eyes kept shifting to her friends. “You get the final say,” he told her flatly. 

Hinata hadn’t felt this anxious in months. It was one thing to say they were in on this, it’s a whole other thing to actually do it. And Hinata had nothing under her belt. Not a middle school boyfriend, not a summer fling, not even a one night stand. This man was clearly experienced, and she was clearly not. Not just that, but he made her feel like she was walking on clouds. How could they expect her to be part of a covert operation if she could barely form two sentences around him? Her palms already started sweating at just the thought of maybe holding his hand. She couldn’t do this. She wouldn’t do this.

-

Hinata consults her friends

-

Genma consults his friends

-

And thus is the end of part one

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#GenHina #Hyuuga Hinata/Shiranui Genma #Shiranui Genma #Hyuuga Hinata #naruto #social media AU #naruto social media au #Minor KakaSaku #Minor ObiRin #Year of the OTP Event #Year of the OTP Event 2023 #Month 1 #January #Fake Dating #Just the Way You Aren't #my works

[angrypaperearthquake-tbbb-main]

Yaah!! It's always wonderful to see South Indian teas get appreciated TT Please do enjoy (I hope it's not too expensive tho-) !! This was the longest time I've spent in the US ngl (I've been here during Spring, Summer and Autumn too and so far, Spring has been my favorite!! <3 I have cherry blossoms near my house so they bloomed so beautifully TT Ig my name, Sakura, kinda fits haha!! :'D) so I was really glad I got to spend time with them, I will miss them loads ah :') I have 6 cousins at home -oldest is 15 and youngest is 3 TT Yeah, I end up acting like a mom/10 year old and waste my time (it's quite fun tho ngl) plus there are lots of relatives nearby who come to visit almost everyday haha!! I'm planning to apply in India for my bachelors (medicine is the field I've chosen ah, it's so tough tho...) and idk about my masters just yet but I'd love to try aboard! But yes, it is expensive oof TT Lol- the weather sucks at home man, it gets cold at night but by the time it's morning, you just wake up sweating cause the heat rises to 80 F TT But yeah, my skin cracked so many times here haha!!! It was really cold ngl. DC was really cool during the winter!! We visited many places like the white house and the capitol!! I'm a bit of a history nerd so it was heaven~ And gasp! Nah, m'dude, ice cream in all weather is the thing for me- though ngl, those desserts are making me hungry too TToTT BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THAT PICTURE DID OMG!! Beauty in a plate oof- Do enjoy it well, hun!!! Hope work went well!!! Weekends are coming, yah! (except I don't have weekends because that's when I have mock exams lol) Take care hun, hear from you soon!! Byee!! -🌸

Oh, my dear Sakura-chan. I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you 🥺 I've been so busy lately between work and church, that I'm having trouble finding time to just sit and do things. I usually end up eating, watching a video, and then going to sleep after work and church stuff.

I'm so happy you enjoyed your time in the US 🥰 And got to enjoy all our seasons! Spring is my favorite time too 🌱 I love gardening, so it make me happy to get back into the dirt and see all the green things!

Wow, you're going into medicine 😱 That's so cool! I don't have the stomach for that stuff 😅 Any specific concentration you're thinking of? Oh, and you have plenty of time before you need to think about your masters 😘

Girl, I bring moisturizer and lip balm wherever I go 🤣 The dryness also depends on the state you're in too! The midwest and west are super dry all year round.

I'm glad you got to visit some historical sites! I've never been to the White House myself, but I've heard it's pretty cool.

I did enjoy my dessert, thank you 🥰

I hope your mock exams went well!!!

Talk to you soon 💚

[mrs-hatake]

900 followers prompt list!!

We just hit 900 followers on this blog and I’m honestly so speechless! Thank you everyone for loving and supporting this blog ❤️

In celebration, I decided to make a prompt list for all of you authors and inspiring authors to help you write wether you’re on a writer’s block or aren’t sure what to write exactly. I will track this via aizawakashi prompts.

So, without further ado, here’s the prompt list!

All fandom:

- You return home after a long day at work and your character interest showers you in kisses and pampers you the whole day with your favorite food and cuddles with you watching your favorite movie.

- Day at the beach! You and your character interest head to the beach for the weekend to relax and flee from the hectic city life. 

- 7 minutes in heaven!! Bored with nothing to do, you recommend playing 7 minutes in heaven with your (multi) character interest. 

- Surprising your husband at work by bringing them their lunch or desserts because you know they’ve been working very hard lately and you just want to cheer them up.

- Masquerade ball au! You are invited to a masquerade ball. Alone and nervous, a handsome and mysterious man offers to dance with you. You are charmed by him and slowly start to crush on him. You were to kiss but suddenly, the clock stuck midnight and he vanishes. Disappointed, you look for him everywhere for months. And when you find him, you discover that he was a [insert favorite mythical creature] and offers you to join him for all of eternity.

- Meeting your parents au! After being together for a long time, it was finally time to introduce your boyfriend to your family. You were anxious that they wouldn’t get along but were surprised when they did! Later that night, your mother pulls you to the side and said that she thinks he would be the perfect husband.

- Haunted house au! Queue the funny montage scenes. Lots of hand holding and hiding behind each other. 

Naruto:

- You challenge your crush Naruto to a ramen eating contest. Kiba and Shikamaru bet that Naruto would win while Sai, ino and Sakura bet their money on you. The winner is up to you. 

- Kakashi cries after spending an hour teaching his son new words. Worried, you rush to the room only to find your son giggling at his dad while Kakashi is in a state of crying and laughing. Concerned, you asked your husband if he was okay. He replied that his son just kept making mistakes and it was the cutest thing ever and Kakashi didn’t know how to deal with such cuteness.

- Wanting to help Neji with his rebellious phase, you give him an all goth/emo makeover. Piercings, tattoos, ripped jeans, the whole work. You teach him to have fun and let loose. Hiashi is angry, forbids him from seeing you but Neji stands up for himself, fights for you and for his freedom. Hiashi reconsiders.

- While on watch on a mission, Sai couldn’t sleep and was entranced by your beauty so he decided to do a quick sketch of you while you watched over your team as they slept, not knowing that Sai was awake. 

- Kakashi introduces you to his dogs and waits for their approval. You take this very seriously as you want to impress them because they were his family.

- Seducing Shikamaru while dancing at the club. You two have been flirting for a while, making empty promises of showing each other a good time. After a long mission where the sexual tension between you was high, you finally decided to do something about it. 

- Cooking date with Itachi! You help Itachi cook dinner with him and it’s so soft and very cute. You both have a great time and you become so emotional seeing how happy and relaxed Itachi was being. 

- Hidan is a guitarist from this new rock band, Akastuki. You have a huge crush on him and one day, you bump into him as he was running away from his rabid fans so you help him escape and hide into this small local cafe that barely had any customers. 

One Piece:

- Law was being grumpy because the straw hats decided to stop at a winter island. His and Luffy’s crew were all having fun building snowmen, igloos and making snow angels. You wanted him to join and have fun for once so you took a handful of snow and hit Law straight in the face. A snowball fight commences.  

- Zoro gets separated from the straw hats while at a tropical island and wanders off to a small village deep in the forest. He finds you, the village dancer, and is hypnotized by the sway of your body and the teasing gleam in your eyes. He was enjoying himself when, suddenly, criminals raided your village and as he came to your rescue, he was surprised to know that you were strong and were a skilled [insert weapon talent here] and was very impressed...and turned on.

- A beautiful girl joins the straw hats and, for once, Sanji wasn’t attracted. He doesn’t flirt with her, doesn’t call her any terms of endearments and won’t even glance her way. You two would constantly fight and argue and everyone has had enough of your shirt. The straw hats lock you up in a room until you work things out. You were surprised that Sanji treated you this way because he had never had a serious crush on someone and didn’t know how to process his emotions. 

- Ace meets Tama’s older sister while at Wano. He was drawn to your kindness and dedication to restore your village. A short romance affair  between you began, and he offered you to join Whitebeard but refused because you had to take care of your sister. You were devastated when Luffy told you what happened to Ace.

- Luffy falls in love with a female chef. He was so in love with your cooking that he said your food was better than Sanji. Queue a cooking battle between you and the blonde chef. Luffy was the judge and  you both worked very hard to impress the judge. Of course, Luffy being Luffy declares the both of you as winners. You and Sanji become best friends.

My Hero Academia:

- Aizawa runs into his college ex-girlfriend and was baffled to see her working with the League of Villains, and worse, is Dabi’s girlfriend. He blames himself and doesn’t know if he can fight you or not since he still had feelings for you. Their reason for their break up is up to you. 

- Dabi is infatuated with a fiery quirkless civilian who wouldn’t take anyone’s shit. She doesn’t really care about the whole hero vs villain thing and Dabi is just interested in her mindset and philosophy. The two work together and reader offers him a place to stay and heal his wounds after encountering heroes. 

- While working with LoV, Hawks is drawn to villain reader who has a quirk similar to poison ivy who is also working as a double spy against the superheroes. The two team up and they’re the strongest, most feared team anyone has ever encountered. 

- Reader is Overhaul’s childhood best friend and own personal nurse. She is just as ruthless and evil as Overhaul but something in Eri’s eyes and gentle aura softens her up. She struggles between helping Eri and being loyal to Overhaul.

- Aizawa’s mom has been nagging for him to get married for almost ten years now. she wasn’t getting any younger and wanted grandkids as soon as possible. Understanding his friend’s stress and frustration, Hizashi comes up with a plan of getting Aizawa into a fake relationship with reader who works as a support teacher. Queue awkward encounters, kissing in front of Aizawa’s mom and Aizawa retelling the story of how the two of you started dating. 

- Dabi wonders what’s it like to be a civilian and live a normal life. He hides his scars with make up and cleans up his looks to blend in with society and live a normal life. During his experiment, he meets reader with a low rank ice quirk who works at an ice cream parlor. No one knows of his double life and frankly, Dabi doesn’t know if he wants to return back to being a villain, especially when he started developing feelings for the reader.   

#aizawakashi prompts #one piece imagine #naruto imagines #bnha imagine #Kakashi x reader #zoro x reader #law x reader #sanji x reader #luffy x reader #naruto x reader #neji x reader #Shikamaru x Reader #sai x reader #aizawa x reader #dabi x reader #hawks x reader

[whereisten]

Snowflake - Part 1

Part 1

Summary: You’re moving into the world-famous Sakura Castle for the month and you meet its permanent resident: Yuta.

Pairing: ghost prince! Yuta x duchess!female reader

Word Count: 5.2k words

Genre: Romance, Angst, Drama, Fantasy

Everything around you was a winter wonderland from a very recent snowfall. Sakura Castle was adorned with Christmas lights. The gardens were full of primroses and snowdrops. Horse drawn carriages were coming in and out of the estate. The French Renaissance-inspired chateau was located in the city of Neo Osaka. This would be your home for the next month. However, you absolutely dreaded this time of the year. You didn’t despise the concept of Christmas but your family and their acquaintances had certainly done on a number on your outlook of the holiday.

This year was the first time you visited Sakura Castle to celebrate. The only thing you looked forward to was getting the castle to yourself once your relatives left after Christmas Eve. You lived a very comfortable life. Most people would expect you to wholeheartedly embrace it no matter what. But with this life you were bound to your family. And some of your family...Well, they weren’t the most exemplary people.

You longed to escape your family at times. Change your last name. Move to a new town. Get a job you loved. But for now, you were what many would call a pampered princess. You were expected to be an administrative assistant at your father’s tech company. Then, you would get married to a Robert or a Harrison from Connecticut and he would get a job higher up than you.

Even if you were more qualified.

You would quit. Have his 4 or 5 children. Take up knitting and French pastry baking. It made your blood boil.

You were finalizing your appearance for the evening in your dressing room on the third floor of the castle. Your princess suite was the size of at least penthouses in Manhattan. It was like a little castle of its own. It had its own personal library. A bathroom with a tub as big as a hot tub. A personal gymnasium. Two walk-in closets. A balcony that overlooked the gardens. A King-sized bed that made you wish sleeping was a profession. A lot of renovations were made to Sakura Castle over the years but its integrity remained. The artwork and architecture of the castle. The furniture that dated back to at least 150 years. The skylight in the ballroom. The multiple libraries. The music room. The study rooms. The paintings of the royal families over the years.

“Miss y/n, your face almost matches your dress. Are you feverish?” Your family’s maid, Helena, asked you as she helped flatten the creases on your ruby red ball gown. It was an off-the-shoulder sleeveless satin dress that you wished you could have saved for a night that you would want to remember.

You shook your head. “I’m fine, Helena. Thank you.”

“There are a lot of fine young men arriving, y/n. I envy you.”

You frowned through the floor-to-ceiling mirror. “No...why?”

“Because they’re your suitors. Your choices are the cream of the crop. You’ll land a Prince Charming for sure.”

You wanted to vomit.

Your mother entered your dressing room. “Drop dead gorgeous, my darling daughter.”

You forced a smile. “Thank you, mother.”

“Of course you would be. Given you have my genes.”

After twenty minutes of your mom lecturing you about how to behave and how to flirt with your...you couldn’t even fathom calling them this but what else could you call them...suitors.

Oh, wait.

Bidders for an expensive and highly sought-after piece of merchandise (you). Olympic athletes trying to get the gold medal (you). Customers looking for best piece of prime beef at a local grocery store (you).

This night wasn’t going to be fun. The only thing you looked forward to was the snack table when you would be able to excuse yourself to go to the powder room. Heaven forbid your nose was ever shiny in front of anyone.

You looked forward to getting to know Sakura Castle for the estate was a magnificent being in itself. You haven’t explored the castle yet since you’d arrived a few hours ago. Preparations for the Eve Ball had been underway for months and they’ve finally winded down to the last details. Servants walked in and out of the castle. Some bringing in ice sculptures. Others bringing in King Louis XVI chairs that looked too fragile and pricey to sit on. Not that you would ever find out as you would probably be on your feet all night.

You were escorted to the main entrance of the ballroom where you would be announced. The bidders better get their paddles ready.

“Announcing y/n of House Surname,” the announcer declared into his microphone. The French double doors opened and you entered the ballroom. You were met with applause. You smiled as instructed and proceeded to walk down the steps, thankful for the last few moments you had alone.

Because when you reached the bottom of the stairs, five men were already waiting to take your arm.

Harrison Roberts was at the forefront. “It’s been a long time, Lady y/n. Can I have the first dance?”

Lee Taeyong cut right in. “Lady y/n, don’t waste your time with him. He was flirting up a storm with one of the maids when I was walking in. You deserve to dance with someone who has no wandering eye.”

Jung Jaehyun shoved them both to the side. “Care to dance with a friend who kicked your ass in Jenga too many times to count?”

You didn’t expect Jaehyun to be here tonight. “Jaehyun, how long has it been?”

Jaehyun offered his arm and you took it. “Seven years?”

You remembered seeing him off to college. You two lost touch. He was a family friend that made these kinds of events less dreadful. It was great to see him again.

The orchestra played an awe-inspiring rendition of “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer. Jaehyun led you to the center of the dance floor.

He led the waltz. He spun you around and pulled you close and for a moment, you thought Jaehyun saved the evening. But then he said the next few words:

“Wouldn’t it be cool if I took over your dad’s company?”

You stiffened but still kept moving. “What?”

“We should get married, y/n. Our families would be over the moon. I can get my dream job. Your crush on me can finally be fulfilled.”

The seven years away did not do Jaehyun good. Jaehyun went on and on for the rest of the song talking about where you would have your honeymoon and how he was sure your dad would spare no expense to let you two travel the world.

You were silent. You could feel your parents steely gazes on you as they watched from their thrones...well, from the head table.

The song ended and Jaehyun bowed. You curtsied.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to go powder my nose,” you said and quickly walked away. Thankfully, Jaehyun didn’t follow so you found your way to a part of the ballroom where a balcony was left unexplored. You walked out onto it and prayed for a few moments of quiet.

It was freezing outside but oddly enough, it didn’t bother you. You leaned onto the railing and looked down at the gardens. A spectacular fountain with a Cupid laid at the center of it. It felt like Cupid was giving you the big middle finger.

A stray snowflake fell onto your arm, quickly melting away on your skin before you could admire it.

You feared the snow would start and you would be compelled to go back inside. So you prayed to stay out here as long as you can. For any excuse. You sighed and plotted how to get to the snack table with little detection. Maybe Helena could sneak something out to you.

“For the belle of the ball, you seem pretty miserable,” a male voice started.

You jumped. You didn’t hear the balcony doors open. You turned to your right to find a young man leaning against the railing beside you. His pale blonde hair ran to his shoulders, caressing his face that was as elegant as a fairy’s. His skin glistened with the moonlight. Almost as if he was one with it. He was like a winter-themed priceless art painting come to life.

“You scared me,” you said as you put your hand to your chest.

He smirked. “Sorry.” Clearly unapologetic.

Shaking off the stunned feeling he gave you, you rolled your eyes. “Can you please leave me alone? I can’t deal with another suitor. Not this holiday season.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I’m not a suitor, your highness.”

“Don’t call me that!” You started but then you tilted your head at him in confusion. “Huh?”

“You seem surprised. I for one am surprised your ego could be so big to assume that any male in your perimeter is intent on pursuing you.”

You blushed. “That’s not it.”

He chuckled. “Oh, it’s not? Then, what is it?”

“The Eve Ball is my parents’ excuse to get me a husband. Did you not see the turnout in there? Fifty percent of the crowd are eligible men between the ages of twenty and thirty five.“ And that was an underestimation.

The young man raised his eyebrows. “And they’re all here for you?”

“They’re all here for my family’s fortune. So no. I’m...an asset?” Hearing that part come out of your mouth sounded so wrong.

He frowned, seeming to regret his words before. “So tonight isn’t as romantic as you’d hoped it would be?”

You snorted. You couldn’t help it. “I never had any hope for that.”

“You seemed happy with that man you danced with. The pale one?”

“Don’t even mention him. He’s just like the rest of them.” Thinking about Jaehyun’s betrayal reminded you of how much worse this night ended up being than expected.

The young man noticed he’d gone too far with teasing you. “I’m...sorry. I’ve been messing with you non-stop. I thought you were another airhead heiress.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to think so,” you said as you fixed the creases on your dress.

He watched you as you looked down at your dress, He was mesmerized with how long your eyelashes were. How you smelled of roses and peonies. The way your curls fell to your cleavage. You met his eyes again and he looked away.

“Seems like a lot of people are wrong about you, Lady...” He began.

You interrupted. “y/n. No need for ‘Lady’.”

“So no formalities, huh?”

“They’re unnecessary,” you said. “Unless you’re royalty and you’re being modest. I don’t want to make another assumption.” You hoped this guy wasn’t a stickler for calling you by your noble title.

He shook his head. “Can’t say I currently hold a royal title.”

You were relieved and smiled without thinking. “Okay, good. What’s your name, then?”

“Yuta,” he said, beaming at the sight of your joy.

“Well, Yuta, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The first man you’ve interacted with that didn’t want to marry you and wasn’t after your family’s wealth.

“The pleasure is all mine.” He grinned genuinely for the first time. It was a sight to behold.

“Lady y/n!” Someone called from right outside the balcony doors.

“Shit!” You exclaimed. “Hide me now.” You said to no one in particular. The only good time you had at the ball was about to end.

Yuta surprised you when he moved closer to you and held you.

“Yuta, what are you-“ You started.

He placed his fingertip on your lips. “Shh.” He shushed you.

Jaehyun came out onto the balcony. Kill me now, you thought. You didn’t know how Jaehyun would react to seeing you in the arms of another man.

Jaehyun looked around the balcony in confusion.

He looked right through you. In fact, he walked right through you as he looked past the railing.

You prayed you weren’t breathing too hard because being invisible had never felt so good. Feeling Yuta’s strong arms around you. Tight and secure. His body was so warm through his slim fit tux. His head laid on top of yours, teasing you that you were so short compared to him.

“She wouldn’t run off, would she?” He asked himself. He shook his head and headed back inside.

You exhaled when Jaehyun disappeared.

And then you realized what happened. You escaped Yuta’s embrace to look up at him.

“Yuta, sweetheart,” you said, laughing nervously, “What the holy hell was that?”

He smiled sheepishly, “We were invisible?”

You nodded. “Uh huh...I got that much. That begs the question...How?!”

He sighed. “I didn’t anticipate telling you this but...I’m the spirit of this castle.” He shrugged like he just told you his Zodiac sign.

You didn’t know what that meant so you shot him a look.

“y/n, I’m dead,” he delivered, deadpan.

You backed away. How could that be? He was warm and his presence just...glowed.

Maybe that glow wasn’t human like you thought.

Yuta continued as he snapped his fingers and a plate of your favorite desserts appeared on his other hand. He handed it to you.

You were torn between crying tears of joy that the holiday brownies didn’t run out and having a total meltdown.

You couldn’t be high. Your drink couldn’t have been spiked. You get your own beverages, much to the maids’ chagrin.

He nodded. “Come on, y/n. I know you’re hungry. One look at you and I could see the sweet tooth.”

You hesitated to reach out to him even though you were quite comfortable in his arms before. He handed the plate to you and you simply held the plate of chocolate-covered sin, focused on Yuta.

“You’re a warlock?” You asked. That much you could believe in because you always clung to the possibility of there being more than the mundane in this world. Even if it rattled you.

He nodded. “An undead warlock, if you want to be more specific.”

You nodded carefully. “But I...can touch you.”

He said, “Yeah, I can’t explain that either. You’re the first person in a century that could touch me. Which is why I had to meet you.” He looked at you carefully, then.

“A century?” You asked in disbelief. “Wait, when did I touch you?”

Yuta smiled. “I like to pop up around the castle every now and then. You bumped into me. You muttered something about ‘not missing your recording time’?”

You blushed. You remembered that. This morning, you had some free time before you had to prepare for the ball. So you wanted to record for your podcast where you just talked about everything and nothing.

You recalled bumping into a few people and apologizing profusely. You had no idea one of those people was a ghost. Much less the ghost of a sorcerer.

Yuta laughed. “You record? Music?”

You shook your head. “It’s a podcast. I talk into a microphone and record it. Post it online and people can hear it if they want to.” You had a decent-sized following. You modified your voice, of course. Your family wouldn’t approve that their high-profile daughter was posting about her inner thoughts and desires on the Internet. People always asked for your name and your face. But you went by the name Sunflower. It was what your grandparents called you when you were a child.

Yuta widened his eyes. “That sounds right up my alley. I’d love to do that.”

One look at Yuta and you knew he had a lot to say.

“Lady y/n!” You heard again. This time you had no time to hug Yuta.

You turned to him but he vanished. It was your mother, looking none too pleased. “Where have you been? Jaehyun has been looking for you for the past half hour.”

You sighed. “I’m sorry, mother, I...I needed some fresh air.” Suddenly, your teeth started chattering. Was it always this cold since you stepped outside?

Your mother looked down at your hands, seeing the plate full of desserts and frowned. She took it out of your hands and tsked. “That’s plenty of fresh air, darling. Now let’s go back inside. It’s cold out here! Jaehyun has turned into a fine young man, has he not?”

=

There you were, making chit chat with the Jung family. Jaehyun made no mention of the extravagant honeymoon plans or the kind of desk he wanted in his office. It was all smiles and fake concern for your well-being.

“y/n, can I get you something to drink?” He asked, putting on his best concerned boyfriend face.

You immediately shook your head. “I’ll get it myself.”

Jaehyun protested. “I insist. You’re a lady. A lady shouldn’t get herself her own drink. She should be waited on.”

You were about to speak up but your father halted you with the raise of his hand. “Son, please respect my daughter’s stance on this. We’ve insisted on it for years but she will have none of it. It’s best not to argue with her on it.”

The one thing your parents listened to.

And you’d soon realize that would work in your favor.

You went to the table where there unopened drink bottles (per your request) and poured yourself a glass of champagne.

You were surprised to find a strikingly gorgeous woman with long white hair tied in a French braid and a baby blue long sleeved dress. She looked eerily familiar. Her elven-like face was softer than...

Yuta’s..

“y/n, it’s me...Yu...na.” Yuta whispered playfully.

The woman before you was actually Yuta.

“Yuta?!” You whispered.

He...she winked at you. “Not bad, huh? I may just steal your thunder.” She spun in a circle, making a show of her sparkly blue dress.

You laughed. “Feel free. I’d love to see you slow dance with Jaehyun.” Only for Jaehyun to realize that Yuta was a ghost. And a man. But he’d be passed out on the floor before he reached that tidbit.

Yuta chuckled. “We must catch up...since we’re old friends from horseback riding lessons.”

Puzzled, you asked, “How did you know I...Never mind. What are you saying?”

Yuta took the glass of champagne you drank from and took a sip. “Your parents have to let you get away if a dead old friend wants to catch up.”

“You mean a dear old friend...” You said warily.

He smiled. “Sure.”

Yuta led you back to your parents and the Jungs.

“Father. Mother. Duke and Duchess Jung. Lord Jaehyun. This is my childhood friend, Yu..na.” Excellent delivery, you told yourself.

Jaehyun’s jaw nearly fell to the ground.

Yuta curtsied. “It’s a pleasure. y/n and I took horseback riding lessons together.”

“Oh, goodness. That was so many years ago I almost forgot y/n took those lessons. I went around saying you figure skated,” your mother said, oblivious to how hurtful those words were. That made everyone, except you and Yuta, laugh.

Yuta continued, “Yes, I was hoping to catch up with y/n. Just us girls. You see, I was recently stood up at the altar...The man was after my family’s fortune. But he found love instead. Horrible man. Shouldn’t have led me to the altar if his heart wasn’t in it. Makes me wonder why people don’t just marry for love...I needed to see my dear old friend. Talking to her helps me overcome this immense pain in my heart.” Yuta almost made you laugh with what were surely crocodile tears. You grew more fond of him when you realized he was making a slight dig at your parents.

And it didn’t go unnoticed by them either.

Your father cleared his throat while your mom downed the rest of her champagne. The Jungs were simply confused. Jaehyun looked at Yuta for far too long.

Your mother started. “Yuna, this ball tonight is for-“

“Mother,” you interrupted. “This is the Eve Ball. It’s for all of our friends and acquaintances to ring in the sacred celebration of Christmas, is it not?” Or was she going to admit that this was a mating ritual for her own daughter?

Your parents’ were taken aback. Surely, they weren’t going to admit the truth out loud for appearance’s sake. Even if everyone already knew.

Your father spoke up, “You’re correct, y/n. Well, since you’ve spent some time with the Jungs, you are free to spend time with your friend.”

Translation: Jaehyun was proposing when you returned from your holiday in Sakura Castle. You knew your parents were set on it when you saw how they never left the Jungs’ side. And why Jaehyun persistently searched for you.

You allowed yourself the luxury of relief for the moment, though. “Thank you, father.” You curtsied to the others. “Good evening.”

Yuta cheered. “Let’s go, y/n. Let’s bring out the Ouija board!” She squealed like a teenage girl.

Yuta was a little too convincing at that.

That cracked a smile out of you. She took your hand and you made a beeline out of the ballroom.

=

You led Yuta up the stairs to the top floor where your suite was. You opened the imposing double doors to your bedroom and pulled Yuta inside.

You undid the bobby pins so all of your hair fell free. You sighed in relief. That hair bun may have been one of your best hairstyles yet but it hurt like a bitch.

You checked yourself in your vanity and turned to see Yuta had reverted back to himself. His face was unreadable but uncharacteristically, he was silent. You jumped at his transformation back.

Yuta laughed. “What’s wrong?”

He knew damn well what was wrong.

You let a man you barely knew into your bedroom, essentially.

You faced him and got up the nerve to talk to him like you were unbothered.

And not that you’d forgotten that Yuta was a man. A ghost, yeah. But a man all the same.

The fairest man you’d ever encountered. “Thank you for getting me the hell out of there, Yuna.” You said his alias pointedly.

He poked his cheek and said in a cutesy voice. “I got your back, sister.”

You giggled a little too enthusiastically. You cringed.

He eyed you. “You okay?”

You sighed. “I’ll answer that when I get out of this dress.” You couldn’t wait to get into a Spongebob tee and some shorts.

Yuta whistled as he twisted your words. “I was going to be a gentleman but if you insist...”

You smacked his arm. “Stop it.”

He laughed. “You make it so easy, y/n.”

As you changed out of your dress and into your pajamas in your dressing room, Yuta waited for you in the library.

You joined him and watched as he picked a book off the self.

“I was wondering...” You started.

“Yes, I will stay the night,” he said with a lazy smile on his face. He flipped through the pages of The Shining by Stephen King.

“That invitation was for Yuna. But actually...How have you been in this castle for so long? I mean, it must be-“

“Agonizing. Endless. Despairing. I could go on. But I keep trucking along. I get to haunt a lot of the airheads when they come stay here. So it’s not all a big downer,” he said calmly.

You hurt for Yuta. All of this time, you thought you were trapped but meeting Yuta made you reevaluate your perspective.

Yuta noted the somber look on your face. He placed the book back on the shelf and took your chin into his hand. “Chin up, y/n. I may not be able to leave this castle but I’m a warlock who was has travelled all over the world before his death. And a photographic memory to boot. So if I wanted to go to Paris...” He snapped his fingers again.

Your room transformed into the sidewalk by the River Seine. The Eiffel Tower was across the street at night. It shined its brilliant shades of oranges and yellows. Crowds of people passed you by. It felt too real. Like this was truly present-day Paris. You looked down at at your clothes and you wore your favorite brand of skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Yuta did as, well, but with a leather jacket.

Of course, he was a leather jacket guy, you thought.

It was spring time in Yuta’s manifestation but as it was nighttime in the scenario, it was a little colder.

Yuta removed his jacket so could put it over your shoulders.

Why didn’t he just conjure up a jacket for you?

Practically reading your mind, he admitted, “I wanted to put my jacket on you.”

Feeling very shy all of a sudden, you looked all around in awe. You haven’t been to Paris since you were ten but you treasured that time always. You visited with your maternal grandmother. She took you to all the patisseries your stomach could handle. It was one of the best experiences of your life. Growing up, you were closest to her. You teared up, remembering her and just being overwhelmed with what surrounded you. The hustle and bustle of the traffic. The faint accordion music in the distance. The laughter of children in the park.

“Not bad for a manifestation, right?” Yuta asked you as he proudly looked around at his creation. Then, he heard you sniffle.

“y/n,” he said, alarmed.

“Oh, no, It’s okay. I’m...happy. I love it, Yuta.” You wiped your tears with your arm. “Oh, look, crepes!” You saw a crepe stand by the river.

Yuta walked with you to the stand.

The vendor greeted you in French. “Welcome. How can I help you?”

Yuta replied fluently in return, lifting two fingers up. “Hello. Please, may I have two Nutella crepes?”

“So you speak French,” you said, preparing for another slick comeback from him.

“I can sing to you in French as you fall asleep, if you’d like,” he said quietly. No trace of mockery in his tone.

Caught off-guard by his candor, you sputtered. “You’re messing with me.”

Yuta shook his head. “I don’t mess around when it comes to my vocals.”

=

“Do you want me to shift it back?” Yuta asked after you two stared up at the stars together. You laid on the grass by the river.

“Not yet...I...Just a little longer,” you said, barely above a whisper.

Yuta continued, “You have questions.”

Sure, some quiet did you good. But you felt tense around Yuta. Feeling him so close to you. The rise and fall of his chest as he laid so close to you. Without touching you. It was killing you both, actually.

“You said you’ve been trapped at the castle for a century...You died there. So you must have lived in the castle prior. Were you a nobleman? If not, who were you back then?”

“I was the crown prince of Sakura. Before it was renamed to Neo Osaka.”

You turned onto your left side to look at Yuta and found he was already facing you. He pulled at the grass. “The Nakamoto family,” you said, recalling some of the castle’s history from your research.

“So you’ve heard of us.” Yuta met your eyes.

“The history books aren’t very kind, I’m afraid,” you admitted.

Yuta laughed. “Really? Tell me. What do they say?”

The Nakamoto family was the last of the royal line in Sakura before the country reformed. Sakura became a municipality called Neo Osaka. Nobility died quickly. Including any whisper of witchcraft.

“They called us devil-worshippers, didn’t they?” Yuta broke the ice.

How could you tell your new friend that his family’s name was dragged through the mud?

You nodded.

“They were jealous. The lot of them. My family had powers beyond anyone’s wildest dreams,” he said. You were surprised at how his words carried no emotion when they should’ve been spiteful.

“The books said your family was executed,” you quickly let out. Then, gingerly, you inquired, “But how could you still be at the castle?”

Yuta sighed. “You’re good. Getting to the root of my problem...My family wanted me to wed Princess Yena from Neo Seoul. Her family possessed the same powers we did. My parents believed that uniting our families would ensure the Nakamoto family’s eternal reign. Father and Mother were so excited to marry off their only son to a woman he didn’t love.”

And suddenly you had more in common with Yuta than you first thought.

“I didn’t want to marry her, y/n. I was young. I wanted to keep traveling. Meet more people. Improve my skills as a warlock. Maybe if I met Yena down the road, I...would’ve tolerated her as my wife. But as her family and my family pushed, I rebelled.”

Yuta began to shake. And with that, the illusion of Paris faded. You were back in the library, laying on the carpet.

You had a very bad feeling about this.

Yuta continued, “I planned to run and when I was about to, Yena and her family infiltrated the castle. In cold blood, before my very eyes, they murdered my family. My parents. My sisters. Our visiting relatives. All of my existing bloodline.”

You had no words. The only thing you could do was wait for him to finish this tragedy.

“Yena did the honors of saving me for last. And when it was my turn, she cast a curse on me. ‘Darling fiancé, may you haunt these halls for a millenium and remember how because of you, your entire family perished. You may never leave the perimeter. No one can touch you. You can be seen but can never have the warmth and affection of another’.”

You stood there, silent. Heartbroken for the man who stood before you.

He was quiet for a moment. You knew well enough not to say anything along the lines of “my heart goes out to you” or “that’s terrible”. You knew it wouldn’t do any good. It killed you not knowing what to do.

Because you wanted to help him. How? Hell if you knew.

Yuta cried silently, tears falling down and hitting your knees as you sat close to him.

You reached for him and wiped his tears away. Yuta looked at you and the most enchanting smile appeared.

“But you...y/n...you can touch me,” he rejoiced.

That puzzled the both of you. You didn’t know what this could mean. But it gave you great joy seeing how happy it made him.

“If that’s the case...then the curse is not all-binding. You may be the answer, y/n.”

No pressure, you thought to yourself.

Yuta lived with regret all of his afterlife and to find that you could be the key to his freedom...it gave him hope. He took your hands in his and begged, “Please help me. I need you.”

You didn’t know what you were getting yourself into but your heart was telling you that this was where you were meant to be. At this very moment. With this man who was too wonderful for words to describe.

You nodded fervently, “Of course, I will.”

Yuta thanked you profusely and kissed your cheek. You blushed and your eyes shot out.

Yuta apologized, “I’m sorry. I got a little excited, that’s all.” But you could see the smug look on his face. He liked having an effect on you.

You didn’t know this but from the moment Yuta first saw you, he was smitten. From your rose-colored cheeks. To your grace as you danced with that ogre Jaehyun. To the trust you two immediately had for each other in a short span of time. Yuta knew there had to be a reason why you were the only one who could touch him.

And that he was set on finding out.

To Be Continued

A/N: Hey it’s Ari! It’s been long overdue: a Yuta AU! When Yuta covered “White”, I was even more sure I wanted to write this. “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi served as a big inspiration. Shoutout to Krys for the inspiration behind the title of “Snowflake”, originally called The Winter Prince. I hope you enjoy! PS LETSLOVEYUTAONTHISBLOGALILMORETAEYONGISGREATBUTYUTAISJUSTASGREATKTHANKSBYE

#nakamoto yuta #yuta #yuta scenario #yuta scenarios #yuta imagine #yuta imagines #yuta blurb #yuta blurbs #nct romance #nct fantasy #yuta au #yuta ff #yuta fic #nct yuta #nct 127 yuta #nct 127 au #nct au #kpop au #kpop romance #yuta romance #nct love story #nct 127 love story #nct 127 romance #nct 127 fantasy #yuta fantasy #kpop fantasy

[gaymirajane]

--  We have been Heaven blessed

Happy Birthday to my actual mother, @mdelpin​. There was so much I wanted to do for you because you deserve the world, but when I really thought about it... this just made sense? I have my own next gen ocs which fit into the canon universe, and within that Gray and Natsu adopt a baby girl named Haru which they find, abandoned, on a job. This is just the beginning of their story, and although I have written snippets before there was nobody else who I could dedicate this to. 

You inspire, you nurture, and you love. 

Keep being you, because without you there would be no me. 

Love, your partner in crime / eldest child

The battle had finished quickly, as it often did when their team got serious. Gray felt as though he had barely lost any magic power, and he grinned at Natsu, who was yelling at the bandits which Erza had already tied up. 

They had been dating for a while new, Natsu and himself. Things were moving quicker than either of them had ever expected, but they were both happy, and that was not an emotion which Gray took for granted. He had grown so used to not experiencing it, being with Natsu was like the sky parting and finally feeling the sun on his face. 

As Wendy healed Lucy’s minor wounds, Gray scanned their surroundings. It was getting colder again, and the clearing they occupied had just lost the sheen of ice when they arrived. The forest beyond that, however, still glimmered with frost. Gray thought it was beautiful; it reminded him of home. 

He heard a noise, a cry from in the forest, and immediately ice prickled across his skin. The others had missed it, but before Gray could alarm them he heard it again. It did not sound like a man, and Gray could sense no magic energy; as far as he could tell, the source of the noise was safe. An animal, maybe, but it if was crying then it had to be injured. Gray couldn’t just leave it. 

With a frown, he jogged across the clearing. Something inside Gray was warning him about what he may find, and with caution he approached the edge of the forest. 

The noise came again, caught between a gurgle and a whine. It was not animalistic enough, but still Gray could not work out what it could be. He scanned the area, eyes falling on a pile of blankets. 

“What the hell?” 

Gray’s eyes widened as he realised what was bundled in the package. Small hands grabbed at him, searching for comfort which could not be found in the cold. A baby, ruddy cheeked and teary eyed, not old enough to support its own head but still able to process that it was alone.

He pulled off the blanket to reveal the rest of the child, trying to find a clue as to who had left it there and why, but all he could see was a pink jumpsuit and a silver rattle. Gray presumed that that made the baby a girl, although that was the least of his concerns at the moment. He swaddled her back in the blankets and picked her up. Even at the simple touch of his skin, the baby began to settle. 

“What are you staring at?” Natsu sprung at Gray’s back, jolting him slightly. 

The babe stirred in Gray’s arms, and he turned to glare at Natsu. 

“Careful, Natsu!” He scolded. 

Natsu gasped when he saw the precious bundle which Gray cradled. He glanced from the baby to Gray, demanding answers which the ice wizard was unable to provide.

“Where did she come from?” 

“I just found her here. Alone.” 

Immediately, Natsu’s expression shifted to one of anger. His eyes went hard, and his eyebrows formed an intense line of pink. This girl, this innocent baby, had been abandoned by her parents, and that sense of loss was something which Natsu could relate to, and Gray understood that. However, he also knew that this was different.

When Igneel had left him, the dragon slayer could still support himself. He could walk, find food, even use magic, in the crudest sense. But this little girl, with her tufts of Sakura hair and gentle, unaware eyes, was entirely defenceless. If a predator were to find her, or Gray had not been observant enough, she surely would not have survived more than a couple hours, a day at the most. 

“What are you both doing?”

“Making out, I bet.”

Erza’s shout and Lucy’s grumbled startled both of the men, and Gray clutched the baby close to his chest as he turned to face them. 

Lucy’s expression went from one of humour to horror, and instantly Erza was at Gray’s side, examining the baby girl. 

“Where are her parents?” Her voice was stern, brown eyes scanning the area, but there was no trace of life. The infant was alone. 

Wendy appeared, red-faced and panting, slower than her taller guildmates. Still, her empathy was second to none, and she began to use her healing magic, searching for any wounds. She gave a sigh of relief, 

“She seems to be okay, Gray-san.” 

Even though that pleased him, Gray knew that this situation should never have happened. He did not know how to feel, focused only on keeping the baby safe. She had her palm flat on his guild mark, scraping her nails along the skin and gurgling intently. She seemed happy with him, and with each second Gray felt more protective of her. 

“Although that is a positive, we still need to try and track down her family and alert the authorities.” Erza hummed pulling her communication lacrima from thin air. “She will need to be placed into care until we can find out what has happened.”

The sheer notion of that made Gray feel sick. 

“No.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of her head, watching as her eyelids began to close. “She isn’t going into care. No way.” 

“Where else can she go, Gray?” Lucy looked to be on the verge of tears, but Gray’s attention was not on her; instead, he met Natsu’s gaze steadily, hoping that his boyfriend could understand. 

“She can stay with us.” 

Natsu agreed readily, nodding and gently warming the blankets which swaddled her. 

“You don’t have anything ready for her, and you’ve never taken care of a baby before.” Lucy grimaced, but Gray cut her off.

“We’ll learn, and we can buy what we need on the way back.” 

Although it seemed as though Lucy would protest once again, Erza spoke before she could, dialing a number and holding the communicator to her ear. 

“That’s settled then. I will contact the guild and see what we can pull together.” 

So far, only Levy and Gajeel had had a child, but there were other parents which could help them out. Even without that, Gray felt confident. This child had settled with him, her breath leaving her in soft snores. He could not abandon her, not again. 

Gray walked with her pressed against his chest, and Natsu wrapped his arm around Gray’s waist, untangling his scarf and folding it across the sleeping baby. His expression was warm now, the fire leaving him at the prospect of keeping the child with them. 

Things were moving quickly, but Gray could not find it within himself to be afraid. Instead, he celebrated quietly. He lived with the man he loved, worked with friends who were more like family, and spent every day wondering what would be their next adventure. And now they had someone else to care for. Maybe this would be the biggest adventure of all. It would be difficult, but after battling monsters and facing death, Gray had faith that they could figure this out. And with Natsu by his side, Grau truly felt as though there was nothing else for him to fear. 

#gratsu #gray x natsu #my writing #aesthetic #my edits #mine #otps: dont die #ft

[sunokasai]

Of Magic and Friendship - Chapter 3: Lost in the Aftermath

Guess you didn’t see that coming, huh? :D

Thanks to some “word wars” with some awesome people I kind of... managed to write this in three days. You have no idea how happy I am (I’ll give myself one week before I start freaking out again because I do not update).

So a huge thank you at everyone evolved in getting me motivated and especially @nanjolking for being my beta this time around. And since it’s been a while - again - let’s stop rambling. Enjoy the new chapter~ *whispers* Feel free to leave a comment in my ask box, though. ;)

words: ~3900

“Your mages are certainly something.” Sasahara said, arms crossed over her chest.

In front of her was a crater, several meters in diameter and approximately 5 meters deep. All in all not to big but certainly big enough to cause a loud explosion. That was what had driven the citizens out of their homes to take a look to begin with.

Everyone had feared for the worst after the mages had lost their previous battle. So when they arrived at the scene neither of them had expected to see the nine young mages victorious. But there they were, eight of them at the edge of the crater, looking just as stunned as the townspeople. In the middle laid the last one, the orange haired girl, alongside the dark mage.

Now, after they had brought the girls back to tavern to allow them to rest, Sasahara stood alongside Mamoru, overlooking the scene. The others checked the scene, the most amazing thing being a golem covered in flowers, and trying to think of a way to use this mess.

“Yeah, they worked well together.” Mamoru answered, his brows furrowed as he looked at the crater.

“I’ve known you long enough to know when there is something troubling you, Mamoru.”

“It’s her magic. Honoka’s magic.”

Sasahara sighed, knowing what her old master was referring to. “Crash magic.”

Mamoru nodded. “Magic in general is pretty dangerous if not controlled properly. Crash magic and its destructive power even more so. But she just can’t control it, she’s afraid.”

“She needs to overcome this fear. Otherwise she’ll never improve.” Sasahara said, looking down at the other mage. “Do you have an idea how to help her?”

“I might have.” He answered. “When she joined Sakura Heaven, Hana asked me why her father dumped her at our guild, requesting that we teach her magic. Apparently she lost control over magic power and destroyed her family's home.”

Neither of them said anything for a minute, both deep in their own thoughts.

“If that’s true it explains a lot.” The tavern keeper finally said, her eyes downcast while watching the other townspeople.

“It does. And I want her to forgive herself.” Mamoru turned around, intending to go back to the tavern where his mages rested. “By the way. Thanks for letting them stay there, I’ll make that we leave as soon as possible.”

“Don’t sweat it.” Sasahara smiled, watching the former master of her former guild going back. “I’m sure you’ll help them.”

Once the explosion had been over, everyone of them had held their breath, hoping that their plan had worked. The moment they had spotted Jurek on the ground had been such a relief that some of them had dropped down onto their knees. They had been glad.

But the moment Rin had spotted Honoka laying there as well had been the complete opposite. Those who had still been able to had rushed to her side to help her up and those who could barely stand did just that.

On their way back they had encountered the townspeople, alarmed by the explosion. Among them had been Sasahara who had advised them to go back to the tavern.

Now, here they were. After dealing with their injuries everyone had been on the verge of falling asleep while standing. Honoka, with bandaids on her cheeks and bandages on her right arm, leaned against Kotori, sleeping soundly. Kotori’ head rested atop Honoka’s. She had fallen asleep the moment she had been sure Honoka was fine.

Hanayo had treated Rin’s wounds, the both of them quietly talking to each other. Rin had apologized for her behaviour again. Now the two of them slept peacefully while leaning against each other.

Maki, who had been treating Honoka, Eli and Umi, had fallen asleep the moment she had sat down on a chair. She now leaned on her arms, resting on a table.

Nico had refused any help. After she had put some band aids on some cuts and bruises she had taken a spare blanket to wrap around herself and was now leaning against a well, sometimes mumbling in her sleep.

Umi and Eli laid on the floor, the latter on her stomach. The blonde mage had refused help as well first, but after she had winced in pain and almost falling down Maki had forced her to let her help Eli.

On the other hand Nozomi was still wide awake, with a blanket around her to keep her warm. Although she was tired all she could think of was the moment when Eli had pushed aside to take the hit for her. The fact that the ice mage was barely able to move was her fault, Nozomi thought.

At the same time she wondered why Eli had helped her in the first place. She didn’t seem like someone who cared about others.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

A voice pulled Nozomi out of her thoughts. Raising her head she saw Mamoru entering the tavern, a small smile on his face.

“I am not that tired.” Nozomi tried to convince him, but apparently it didn’t work.

The old man walked over to her, readjusting the blanket around her shoulders and tugging her in a little more.

“How long have we known each other now, Nozomi-chan?”

“A couple of years I guess?” She smiled a little sheepishly.

Mamoru giggled, careful not to wake the others. “A couple of years, indeed. I’ve seen you growing up in the guild and believe me when I tell you that I can see when something is troubling you.”

“Am I that transparent?” Looking down Nozomi sighed. “It’s just that… I don’t know.” She had never been someone to openly express how she felt or what she was thinking. But Mamoru always seemed to know when something was bothering her. So Nozomi decided to open up to him. “When we were fighting I was about to get hit by one of these golem. But Eli pushed me away, taking the hit instead of me. And you know how I’ve been trying to...”

“Yeah, I do.” Mamoru interrupted her, knowing that the girl rather liked to bottle up her feelings with all her might. He didn’t want to push her. “And know you don’t know why, am I right?”

Nozomi nodded weakly. “Did she protect me just because she figured it might help her get an opening to attack like it did? Or did he protect me because… well… because she just wanted to do that. Protecting.”

It was silent for a moment, both of them lost in their own thoughts as they looked over the other eight girls.

“That girl is hard to read and even harder to understand.” Mamoru finally said, his gaze lingering on Eli. “She won’t open up to anyone, opting to keep the walls she built up around herself instead while pursuing a goal only she knows of.”

Nozomi sighed. “Yeah, she doesn’t want anyone to be close to her. So she might just wanted to end the fight.”

“Not necessarily.” The old master added quickly. “She might act like this but there has to be something that still drives her forward and that made her like this.”

“So you think she might have just wanted to protect me?”

Mamoru didn’t miss the hope lingering beneath Nozomi’s words. He smiled. “I don’t know, but want to hear what I’d do?”

Nozomi nodded eagerly this time, looking at the old master as he got ready for bed himself.

“I’d just ask her.”

Nozomi sighed, having expected something different. “She wouldn’t answer.”

“Maybe not now, but maybe someday. All that I know is that you won’t know the answers to your questions if you don’t ask. You, of all people should know that.”

Feeling slightly offended Nozomi stuck out her tongue mockingly. But deep down she knew that he was right. She just wasn’t ready to make this step yet.

“Now…”

Nozomi heard the amusement in Mamoru’s voice but before she could react a pillow hit her straight in the face.

“Go to bed. We’ll be travelling back to Otonokizaka tomorrow.” He smiled at her, threatening to throw another pillow.

“Okay. And Mamoru-san? Thank you.” Nozomi got up from the chair she was sitting on to find a comfortable place to lay down. She fell asleep immediately, the fatigue finally catching up on her.

Mamoru looked at her, a fond smile on his face as he remembered the day he was introduced to Nozomi and the nickname she would refuse to listen to soon after. “You’re welcome, Non-chan.”

When Minami had decided to send Kotori out as well she had thought that she would be able to handle the fact that she had put her own daughter in danger.

Now, four days after seeing them off she felt more nervous than ever. She hadn’t been updated by Mamoru and neither did she hear anything of Sasahara who she knew Mamoru wanted to stay with for the time being.

The rest of the guild had already noticed that something was wrong with their master and tried to help as best as they could, be it with her favourite brand of tea or keeping any visitors out for now.

As of now that didn’t seem to work because she could hear people arguing in front of the door to her office before someone knocked.

“Come in.” She leaned back in her seat and took a deep breath. Minami really wasn’t in the mood right now but when did that stop anyone from demanding something.

“Master Minami?” Midou Yuuri, a young mage of the guild, entered by sticking her head through the barely opened door. “We have a guest but I told him that you were busy.”

“You’re guild master would do well not to refuse the head of one of the ten families.” A male voice sounded from across the door and made Yuuri flinch.

“Let him in.” Minami announced, preparing herself for the worst. Having to deal with the ten families never was an easy task, especially if the head of one decided to visit personally.

Yuuri opened the door and stepped aside to create as much space as possible. The young girl looked over to Minami, unsure of what to do. But judging by the way she clenched her fists together Minami could tell that she was nervous so she dismissed her with a nod of her head and a mouthed thank you.

The moment Yuuri was out of the room Minami stood up and walked over to the entrance, closing the door tightly. As she turned around a tall man in his forties with reddish hair and beard and purple eyes stared down at her. She knew in an instant who she had to deal with and it send a shiver down her spine.

“Nishikino-san.” She outstretched her hand to greet him. He reluctantly took her hand and let go after a second, obviously more interested in scanning her office than the person in front of him. “I am pleasantly surprised to have a visitor like you, seeing that the Magic Council is about to gather in the next couple of days.”

Dealing with the ten families taught her one thing: A conversation with them was like walking over a field with hundreds of hidden explosives.

“Ohara-san is going to take my place.” He replied, not interested in a longer conversation, that much Minami could tell.

Instead she opted to get straight to the point. “In that case, what can I help you with?”

“I am sure you know that my daughter went missing over a year ago. We haven’t found her so we think she might be hiding somewhere.” Nishikino said, finally looking at Minami to scan her face for any hint that she might be hiding something.

“And you thought that she might be hiding by joining a guild?” She crossed her arms over her chest. For years she had wondered why Mamoru tortured her with playing poker all the time.

By now she knew why.

“It’s a reasonable idea, don’t you think?” He countered, the both of them now standing eye to eye.

“I doubt that any guild would risk the wrath of any of the ten families. So sadly I have to tell you that your daughter isn’t here. But rest assured that I’ll call you the moment I see her. I even have her wanted poster on my desk.” Gesturing towards the picture she kept eye contact.

With a last judging glance Nishikino looked down at her, trying to use his height advantage to intimidate her. Not that it would work.

“I hope you’re telling the truth. If not… your guild will feel what you called our wrath.”

With that he stormed out, leaving Minami alone in her office.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to relax her tense body after this conversation. If one may call it that. She looked at her desk and onto the wanted poster that said “Maki Nishikino”.

“Guess I finally have to talk to her.”

“I can’t believe they beat me!” Jurek shouted in the small dark cell he currently was in, his hands bound together with cuffs to suppress his magic. “I got careless and didn’t realize one was missing.”

“That happens when someone thinks he’s superior.”

A female voice echoed through the dark room before a familiar blonde mage stepped out of the shadows, limping a little bit.

Jurek smirked. “Uh, did my golem hit you a little hard when you were trying to protect your friend?”

“Friend?” Eli raised an eyebrow before she realized what he was hinting at. “Oh, you mean Tojo?” She walked closer to his cell before crouching down right in front of the iron bars. “And stop smirking. After all that small hit didn’t stop me from destroy two of your precious golems, did it?”

“What do you want?” His voice became darker as he looked straight at Eli, dropping the playful act.

“I need some advice.”

Jurek started laughing. “What can I possibly help you with?”

“Have you been working with some dark guilds?”

Now Jurek got suspicious. “Why would you wanna know that?” He raised an eyebrow,

Eli just shrugged. “I have my reasons. Now, have you?”

“No.” Even if he had he would never tell that girl.

“Figured as much.” Eli sighed, scratching the back of her neck. “Well, do you know some people who could help me out with some information?”

Shaking his head Jurek chuckled. “I do, but I won’t tell you.”

Eli got as close as the cell allowed her to. “I think you don’t realize in what position you’re in.”

Her voice became deeper and Jurek could feel the chill the ice mage was sending out. When he looked at the floor he saw how a thin layer of ice creeping up on him.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.” Eli smirked.

The ice reached his food and started crawling up his leg, causing him to flinch back when the cold started to set in. Jurek looked at Eli who just smirked, having no intention to stop the ice.

When it reached his knees and a second layer started to coat the first he started to panik.

“Ok, ok, I’ll tell you!”

The ice retreated back and Eli smiled. “Thank you.”

“Rin-chan, wake up.”

“Just a little while longer.” Rin moaned, trying to get back to sleep and ignoring that someone shook her shoulders.

“Get up Hoshizora. Because of you we all have to wait.”

She heard another person and felt someone lightly kicking her feet to rouse her. She pulled her blanket over her head.

“Ma- Ichinose-san, stop it.” The first person whispered shyly.

“What? I am just telling the truth.”

The voices got louder and Rin frowned. There was no way she could fall back asleep. “I get it, I get up!” She pulled her blanket off of her and sat up, startling both Hanayo and Maki who were standing right beside her. When she looked around she noticed that the others had already finished cleaning up and had their bags ready. Honoka was the only exception because of her injuries but Kotori helped her.

“Hurry up already.” Maki said while walking away.

Turning to Hanayo the other girl smiled slightly at Rin before standing up as well to get back to her own belongings.

Rin sighed, starting to fold her blanket until someone tapped her shoulder from behind. Turning around she saw Nozomi smiling and holding up her already packed bag

“Here you go, Rin-chan.”

“Thank you, Tojo-san!” Rin jumped up, grabbing the bag and stuffed her blanket in.

“Nozomi is fine.” Nozomi said, her arms behind her back.

“Eh? Where is Ayase-san?” Kotori asked once she finished helping Honoka. She looked around the room but couldn’t find the blonde mage.

“She got up early in the morning, took her stuff and left” Nico chimed in while sitting at a table, her arms crossed over her chest. Her leg rocked nervously up and down.

“What?” When Honoka tried to stand up her face contorted in pain. The impact of her own magic had hit her as well. Though she was lucky that didn’t suffer some broken bones she still had bruises and sore muscles all over her body. “She can’t just leave.”

“Technically… I can.” Walking through the door was Eli. “I don’t need to travel back with the rest of you.”

Honoka smiled, despite the pain. “But you came back because we are a team.”

Nico snorted before bursting out in laughter. “No, no, no, no. That was a once in a lifetime thing because we had no choice. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“I agree with Yazawa.” Umi said, standing in a corner. “Besides, we were all assigned to this mission by master Minami, otherwise I’d never have worked together in the first place. I guess Ayase agrees as well.”

Eli just nodded, ignoring the glances by Honoka and the others.

“You’re kidding, are you? Are we back to all this arguing and fighting?” Honoka asked, but before anyone could answer Sasahara walked through the door.

“Good morning, everyone! Are you rea- Did I interrupt something?” She immediately caught up on the bad mood in the room and looked around but neither of the girls looked at her.

The silence was a little awkward, even for Sasahara. She didn’t know what to say, doubting that this was the outcome Minami and Mamoru wished for. Everything seemed back to how it was before they lost their first battle.

“So… the townspeople prepared a carriage for you because some of you had troubles walking. It’s a thank you for helping us out.” She finally said.

Honoka looked up, a forced smile on her face that made Sasahara frown. “Thank you.”

“Girls, get ready! We are departing. We’ve stayed here long enough, Sasahara needs to get the her business going again!” Mamoru announced as he walked back in, standing beside Sasahara.

While the nine young mages all made their way out, Sasahara nudges her old master. “They are back to square one.” She said sadly.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. I feared that may happen.” He whispered. “But some of them actually opened up to others.”

He looked at Rin and smiled. The girl had always been a gentle soul and seeing her apologizing to Hanayo despite the fact that her injury wasn’t even Rin’s fault made him proud. Now she helped the others, especially Hanayo since she still felt guilty, however she possibly could.

“Especially Sonoda, Yazawa, Ichinose and Ayase won’t open up that easy. I think Hana underestimated that quite a lot.”

“I bet she’ll just be happy that Kotori is fine.”

Mamoru just nodded.

They travelled back in silence, neither of them uttering a word.

Honoka and Hanayo sat in the carriage together with Kotori and Nozomi. Despite trying to convince Eli to do the same the blonde had refused and was now walking beside the carriage, still limping a little. Rin was together with Mamoru handled the horses while Umi, Maki and Nico walked ahead, a visible gap between them.

While he was happy that they were all somewhat fine, especially Kotori since he didn’t want to know what Hana would have done with him if her daughter would have been seriously injured, he still worried for what would happen in the guild.

He knew Hana ever since she was little. She never did something without a goal in mind and if she really wanted these girls to become friends her plan had failed miserably. At least this time.

For now he was glad that he didn’t need to threaten any of them again.

With his mind wandering he didn’t realize that they were approaching Otonokizaka. Only when Umi called back that she could see the town he was pulled out of his thoughts.

They sped up a little to make it back before dawn and sure enough they soon were walking through the streets. He was greeted every now and then but Mamoru really didn’t feel like cheering.

When they came to a stop in front of the guild he and Rin helped their passengers to get down while Eli announced she would go straight to the library and no one should disturb her. Umi, Maki and Nico followed suit and Mamoru guessed they’d just check on the newest requests or retreat to be alone as well.

What he didn’t expect was to see Minami at the guild's counter stopping them, though.

“Mama!” Kotori ran passed him, dropping her bag on the floor.

Upon being called Minami turned around, a relieved smile on her face as she caught her daughter in her arms, hugging her tight. “So I guess everything went well?” When Kotori just nodded, Minami loosened her hold to look at her daughter. “Great. I am proud of you.”

“Did you stop us just so we see the family reunion?” Nico asked, obviously annoyed. Behind her where Umi, Maki and Eli, the latter two looking away.

“No, I didn’t. But first….” Minami turned to Mamoru, finally seeing Hanayo’s broken arm and the patched up Honoka. “What happened?”

Mamoru sighed. “Long story short: the hotheads there rushed ahead.” He gestured at Umi, Nico, Eli and Rin. “In the process Hanayo got injured and they lost the battle. Afterwards they agreed to team up, with Honoka-chan here being the leader, and, with a well thought out plan, managed to successfully end the mission you assigned to them.”

“That is great news.”

“Yeah, whatever. It’s not like we’ll work together again.”

“You’re wrong if you think that, Yazawa-san.” Minami said with a smirk that Mamoru really didn’t like. Nico was staring at here with raised eyebrows and so did everyone else.

“Because as of now the nine of you will be an official team of this guild.”

#random writing #LL!magic AU #NozoEli #NicoMaki #RinPana #KotoUmi #TsubaHono #I hate tagging them all xD #eli ayase #nozomi tojo #nico yazawa #maki nishikino #kotori minami #umi sonoda #hanayo kouzumi #rin hoshizora #honoka kousaka #wanna bet how long the next update is going to take me? xD

[unmyeoung]

 --{ tag dump don’t perceive

#✩ from the stars down to you ( lumine ic ) #✩ icy wings and a heart to share ( ayaka ic ) #✩ a song to soothe ( barbara ic ) #✩ if we work hard and we try our best ( ganyu ic ) #✩ and what a wonderous world we live in ( sucrose ic ) #✩ the dragons never left ( kokomi ic ) #✩ we fight to sing our song ( kohane ic ) #✩ if the world fights me i'll fight back ( ena ic ) #✩ living everyday to the fullest ( saki ic ) #✩ every step closer to saving the world ( ritsuka ic ) #✩ heaven never cared but you did ( sakura ic ) #✩ and to protect a child's dreams i'd do anything ( nr ic ) #✩ our melody awaits ( nanami ic ) #✩ with fates intertwined i was never quite free ( yui ic ) #✩ the clumsiest girls have the biggest secrets ( marinette ic ) #✩ you'll never find a better friend ( mabel ic ) #✩ only evil need fear what we can do ( maka ic ) #✩ one pink star reaching for the sky ( miyu ic ) #✩ unwillingly seeking the future ( kasey ic ) #✩ what a way to earn our wings ( rosa ic ) #✩ a human's way is not so different ( hiromi ic ) #✩ to half belong means nothing alone ( theodore ic ) #✩ and if we are kind maybe the world will change ( adelaide ic ) #✩ hi is me ( mun )