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#clenching my fists. just have to make it to thursday next week.
camelspit · 5 months
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whose ready to fail a spanish test today 💪💪
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stargirlaveblog · 1 month
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7Seals
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Chapter 17
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•Previous Chapter: Chapter Sixteen
•Next Chapter: Chapter Eighteen
•Chapter List
•New chapters every Thursday
•Content: Levi Ackerman × OC female. Slow Burn! Canon verse!
•Word Count: 1.3k
•Warning: This content may not be suitable for all readers. If you've watched all of AOT then you will understand that the show handles heavy subjects such as abuse, racism, violence, and other heavy subjects. This fanfiction will also have the same heavy themes. Chapters with heavy themes will be marked with (*) at each chapter.
A/N: Hey y’all ♡
I’m having horrible writers block. Some pieces aren’t fitting the way I wanted to so I can only do one chapter this week. I’ve decided that one Thursday every month I won’t post unless I’m itching to. My goal for that is to make sure I don’t catch up to my chapters I haven’t posted yet so I have something for y’all to read when I get stuck. Hopefully I get some creative juices in me soon cause there’s so much I have to still write about. I’m so excited for the third seal🫶🏼
Also! Shoutout to all y’all who binged the story recently. I loved seeing each part you were all at! It really helped me write some stuff for the current chapter I’m on. Love y’all’s support!!!!
(3-20-24)
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Levi's Perspective
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"Captain Levi"
I narrowed my eyes at the sight of him—the man I despised more than any other. His once proud stature had been reduced to that of a broken man, shackled by his own demons and the weight of his crimes.
I met his gaze with a steely glare, his eyes held a feral intensity, worse from the last time I saw him.
"Alexander," I replied icily, keeping my tone devoid of emotion. His smile widened, revealing a row of yellowed teeth.
"What brings you here?" he asked, his voice dripping with malice.
"I was in town," I replied curtly. "Wanted to see how desperate and disgusting you looked after all these years."
His laughter echoed off the walls of the cell, a hollow sound that mixed together with the clinking of shackles on his limbs.
"Ah, Levi, always the charmer," he mocked, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Did you miss me?"
I clenched my fists at my sides, struggling to maintain my composure in the face of his taunts.
"Careful now," I warned, forcing a smirk. "Wouldn't want to end up like last time."
But Alexander just laughed, reclining against the cold stone floor with a smug smirk.
"Oh Levi," he sighed, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're so quick to violence. Makes me wonder if above ground is really meant for someone like you."
"You're one to talk," I shot back, my voice laced with venom. "You grew up in the same filth I did."
But he just laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed off the walls of the cell.
"You think we're the same, huh?" he taunted, his eyes boring into mine with a chilling intensity.
I took a step closer to him, my fists clenched at my sides as I fought to suppress the rage bubbling beneath the surface.
"I might be a rat, but I'm not a shitbag like you," I spat, my voice dripping with contempt. "Cut the shit and tell me— who's killing the Scouts again? Is it Carter? You calling the shots behind bars?"
But Alexander remained silent, his smug smirk never wavering as he watched my every move. I gritted my teeth in frustration, knowing that Erwin's orders bound my hands, preventing me from unleashing the full extent of my wrath upon him.
I pivoted on my heel to turn back but the echo of Alexander's voice pulled me back into the suffocating atmosphere of his cell.
"How's Iris?" he jeered, his grin twisting into a smirk that oozed malice. I shot him a withering glare, my fists clenching at my sides.
"You don't deserve to know a damn thing about her,"
His laughter grated on my nerves, a grating sound that echoed off the stone walls.
"Touchy, touchy," he taunted, his eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement.
"Let me ask you something though. Did you fuck her yet? Or is she still saving herself for marriage?"
"Shut your mouth, scum," I growled, my voice low and dangerous.
But he just leaned against the cell bars, his smirk widening into a smirk.
"What's the matter, Captain? Can't handle a little banter?"
Before I could stop myself, my hand shot through the bars of his cell, seizing his collar with a vice-like grip. With a swift motion, I yanked him towards me, his body slamming against the unforgiving iron bars.
I watched with grim satisfaction as his face contorted in pain, the metal pressing into his flesh. Yet, despite the agony etched across his features, he dared to smirk at me, his eyes gleaming with twisted amusement.
"I know she's in Wall Sina right now," Alexander choked out against my grip.
"Stay the fuck away," I growled, my voice low and dangerous, as I spat in his face, relishing the sight of my saliva trailing down his cheek.
His smirk widened into a grotesque grin, his tongue darting out to lick his lips in a vulgar display. "It won't be me touching her," he taunted, his words a venomous echo in the dimly lit cell.
Disgust surged through me like a tidal wave, fueling the fury that burned within. The red haze descended over my vision, a veil of fury that clouded my senses and consumed my every thought. In that moment, rationality fled, leaving only raw, unbridled rage coursing through my veins.
This insolent little shit thought he could mock me, thought he could make light of the pain and suffering he'd caused. The audacity of it all ignited a firestorm within me, stoking the flames of my fury to new heights.
My elbow met his face with relentless force, each blow a symphony of vengeance echoing through the cold, stone halls of this damp dungeon. His anguished cries reverberated off the walls, a jarring agony that served as a grim will to his crimes.
I cared not for the ears that heard his pleas, nor for the consequences that may follow. All that mattered was the burning desire to see him suffer, to witness him endure the same torment he had so callously inflicted upon her.
The sight of blood streaming down his battered visage only fueled my resolve of the justice he so rightfully deserved. Though my pristine white shirt bore the stains of his punishment, I cared not for appearances. All that mattered was the relentless pursuit of retribution, a relentless storm of fury that showed no signs of abating.
His screams filled the air, a symphony of agony that still echoed through the darkness of the cell block. But even as the blood began to flow, I felt no satisfaction, no relief from the torment that gnawed at my soul.
I wanted him dead.
As I stood amidst the chaos, the echoes of my own name reverberated through the air, accompanied by the unwelcome touch of another's hands upon my person. My immediate response was sharp and unforgiving.
"Get the fuck off me," I growled, my voice cutting through the clamor as I forcefully shook off the unwanted contact, releasing my grip on Alexander and allowing him to crumple to the ground in a heap.
"We need a medic!"
The urgency in the interior police's voices only served to heighten the tension of the situation, their frantic shouts mingling with the sound of my own exasperated sigh.
"You got blood all over my sleeve," I muttered irritably, casting a disdainful glance at Alexander as I attempted to straighten out the mess he had caused.
Turning my attention to the trembling interior police, I couldn't help but feel a surge of impatience at their obvious unease. Rolling up my sleeves to conceal the bloodstains, I met their gaze with a cool and unwavering stare.
"His nose is broken. Might want to get that taken care of quickly or he might lose consciousness. Either way, I don't care," I stated bluntly, my words devoid of sympathy as I prepared to leave the scene behind me.
"Hey, you can't leave yet," one of the interior police protested, attempting to bar my path with a shaky hand.
"And why's that?" I countered, arching an eyebrow at the young officer before me, his nervous demeanor only serving to irritate me further.
"You need to fill out an incident report," he explained, his voice trembling with uncertainty as he attempted to assert his authority.
Glancing back at Alexander, who lay bloodied and battered on the floor, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the absurdity of the situation.
"Your incident report is barely breathing on the ground right now, I suggest you take care of it." I instructed calmly, yet with an unmistakable undercurrent of authority in my tone.
The young man quivered before me, his resolve crumbling beneath the weight of my stare. With a muttered apology, he stepped aside, allowing me to pass with a nod of acknowledgment.
"Smart choice."
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kumoriyami-xiuzhen · 8 months
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Hakuoki Shinkai Tenun no Shou Stellaworth Booklet "Her Long Day" Part 1
Sorry this is late... but I was pretty busy yesterday, and I likely will have to push next week's translation to the following Monday or Tuesday as I'll be travelling soon and won't have access to my laptop for a period of time... alternatively, I'll just translate more next Thursday because this story has 12 sections, one for each of the routes.
Though I'm having eye problems again so maybe not... 😢
Hakuoki Shinkai Tenun no Shou Stellaworth Booklet "Her Long Day" Part 1
translation by KumoriYami
Note up top... so before all the "x character moment" text, there's a term... which I'm not entirely sure what to do with. I'm pretty sure there are Japanese equivalents of what the hour ranges are referred to, but I've left them as they are in Chinese since I'm not sparing time to fix things right now but the range of time themselves are then specified in the "《X~Y o'clock》" part that follows after. I have no idea if it's like that in the booklet, but as it was in the tl I translated, I decided to keep it as is.
Maoshi · Souma Moment 《5~7 o'clock》
Everyday, I always begin with hearing birdsongs.
"......Nn.....Nnn......"
The singing voices of the sparrows that rested in the backyard served in place as an alarm clock and reverberated into my eyes.
I wanted to sleep a bit more, I tried to say so as my eyelids fluttered...
The hazy morning light came in through the sliding door and caressed my cheeks.
"......Is it.... morning..... already.......?"
To be honest, I didn't sleep last well last night, but it was my turn to cook breakfast today….
As someone in the care of the Shinsengumi, I can't procrastinate.
"Alright, i need to go wash my face...!"
I got up, and straightened myself up.
After getting dressed, I went into the corridor and the cool morning air enveloped my body.
Everyone was still sleeping, so I need to be careful to not wake them up.
As I thought that while walking toward the well, I was startled by a sound coming from the courtyard.
"——Hei! Ha! Huah!"
"....Huh, Souma-kun?"
His sword carved an arc of light and shadow, repeatedly tearing through the early morning air.
I was drawn to the by the unembellished shining blade without any confusion [???], and stared intently at Souma-kun, who after noticing my presence, stopped training.
"Ah, Yukimura-senpai. Good morning."
"Nn, good morning… You've started training this early?"
"Yes. I wanted to move my body before everyone gets up."
"Even so, you woke up early, right…"
It was almost an hour before everyone else would wake up.
Originally, pages slept later than others due to being busy with chores. Could Souma-kun still rest properly after waking up so early...?
Souma-kun didn't seem to see my concerns, and clenched his fists energetically as he spoke.
"My swordsmanship can't be compared to other people's, so even if it's only for a short while, I don't want to lose out on an opportunity to practise."
"That's why you're already practising...?"
"Yes! One day, I'm going to catch up with everyone…!"
"......How dazzling......"
I unconsciously said that.
Regardless of what happens to us two in the Shinsengumi, he will surely be able to show that dazzling smile I admire while at my side..
"And if I wake up early, I can see Senpai. That's also one of the reasons."
"See me?….You can see me at any time…."
"But, if the first person I see of the day is Senpai, there will be special sense of accomplishment."
"......."
"What is it, Senpai?"
"No, it's nothing. I just think I should be working harder!"
"??"
Souma-kun occasionally things that make people feel embarrassed like this.
For the sake of preventing others from noticing the embarassmened expression on my face this morning, I decided to quickly wash my face.
Chenshi·Toudou Moment《7~9 o'clock》
I washed my face by the well, did up my hair into a bun, and freshened up again.
I renewed my spirit and left for the kitchen which was located at the corner of headquarters.
Ultimately, the Shinsengumi is a large organization, and the number of executives and soldiers alone is quite a lot.
That's why cooking duty is done by several alternating members…
"......Hey, Chizuru."
"What is it, Heisuke-kun?"
"Isn't it torture to ask me to make breakfast while I'm hungry…?"
Heisuke-kun was in charge of breakfast with me today, looked unhappy for some reason.
To be precise, his salivating face seemed somewhat resentful as he stared at the large pot.
"What's wrong with you? You seem more haggard this morning than usual…"
"Uh… I haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday…"
"Eh…!? You didn't eat dinner yesterday?"
As I recalled dinner last night, I turned my head.
It's true that the Eigth Division's patrol was extended last nigt and they couldn't make it to dinner, but its members had rice balls that they could take back to their rooms… In that case…
"Yeah, I got some rice balls, but on my way back to my room, I noticed a stray cat in the courtyard. Since I felt sorry for it, I shared my rice balls with it."
"In that case, couldn't you have gone to explain that to get another one…?"
"I thought that too, but wasn't Takeda-san in charge of dinner yesterday?"
"Ah..."
"Anyway you must be lying about eating, right? When he said that, he wouldn't give me another one."
“……”
It's true that Heisuke-kun sometimes steals food.
So it's not unreasonable to doubt him from his normal behaviour.
But....
"....Heisuke-kun."
I looked around.
After confirming that there wasn't anyone, I secretly handed him the tamagoyaki that I just made.
"Chizuru...""
"This was just made... eat it while it's still hot."
"Ah, uh…. but is this really okay? Don't you normally get angry when I swipe food…?"
"...Today's circumstances are special. Furthermore, this is just a sample for you to taste, that's all."
It's really pitiful to have done something that was obviously good, but not have enough to eat.
Heisuke-kun stuffed a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth with moist eyes.
"Delicious…! Thank you, Chizuru. I love this sweet/gentle and soft part of you!"
"Love....?"
"Ah————no, although I said love, I however actually meant this/mean um. I mean there's nothing special!"
"Hm...?"
"Al-Alright, I'm full of energy again, so let's hurry up and prepare breakfast!"
For some reason, Heisuke-kun seemed to be a bit flustered, but he finally regained his spirits.
In order to not lose to him, I also turned around to face the large pot.
----to be continued---
sorry, i meant to do three of these, but i'm short on time right now and trying to rush something else.... (┬┬﹏┬┬)
Also tamagoyaki are a type of Japanese omelettes.
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incandescentflower · 4 months
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cherry magic th prompt:
15 soothing kisses
10 hiding their face in the other's neck
14 putting an arm around the other's waist
14 grabbing hand to show them something
thanks for the prompts, zee! these are all such good ones! and when I see soothing, I can't help but want to write Achi taking care of Karan.
this went a little long so I could fit all these lovely prompts in. :)
I hope you like it!
This is part of a Cherry Magic Thailand fic ask game I'm playing while the show airs. Send me a prompt from one of the lists and I'll write you a ficlet! Details are in this post.
I have a few more prompts I'm still working on. Thank you to everyone who sent some along!
This is also on AO3 here. The other prompt ficlets in this series are here. (yes, I named the series "with you, everything is magic" just like new's song. yes, this is definitely a sign of my current mental state)
a special something
Karan knew so much about Achi. He seemed to log every detail Achi ever intentionally or accidentally shared about himself and he used them to constantly show how much he thought and cared about Achi. He was still a little dumbfounded that Karan knew him so well and still wanted to be close to him, but Achi had even gotten used to the little ways Karan took care of him.
In the beginning, Achi didn’t know Karan to the same extent. If someone had made Achi answer quickly what Karan liked - the most accurate thing Achi could answer was, well, him. And now, he could not simply just listen to Karan’s thoughts to learn more about him. He had to make the effort.
So he had made it his assignment to spend more time learning about Karan in the same ways as he had Achi. It wasn't too difficult, but it did require not letting Karan distract Achi with the attention he gave him. Once he put his mind to it, he discovered a few things he hadn't noticed before. For example, Karan enjoyed a warm cup of tea after every staff meeting no matter the season. Achi found out that the tie Karan had let him wear was one of his lucky ties that he would wear whenever he had a big client presentation. For example, Karan enjoyed a warm cup of tea after every staff meeting no matter the season. He found out that the tie he had let Achi wear was one of his lucky ties that he would wear whenever he had a big client presentation.
Achi had already known that Karan liked vanilla, in all ways. In the flavor, in the smell. Vanilla cakes, vanilla frosting. Achi kind of loved it because for someone so interesting, Karan loved something most people would see as ordinary. But when asking more about it, Achi discovered that Karan's appreciation for vanilla wasn’t ordinary. Karan seemed to know everything anyone could know about vanilla and could tell you all about how unique the variations in flavor could be if you paid attention.
Achi felt satisfied not only learning these things about Karan, but also by the fact that each thing he discovered felt right. He would think that's so Karan, because Achi had started to really know him too.
Not everything he discovered about Karan was a fun little fact. Sometimes it was something Achi never knew that was really important. He was surprised to discover the most stressful day of the week for Karan was usually Thursday because twice a month on that day he had a call with their most demanding customer. No matter how calm Karan looked on the outside, if it didn't go well, he would spend the last hour of that day writing plans for the next meeting in his notebook.
So on a Thursday when Achi knew it was a call day with that client, he took Karan out for a meal. Karan didn’t seem particularly stressed at first, but Achi had learned to look for the signs. Karan was a little quieter, a little more lost in his own head. His jaw looked tense and he clenched his hand into a fist, until he noticed and forced himself to relax momentarily, until it happened again.
It confirmed for Achi this was the day to put his plan into action. He suggested they go relax at Karan's condo after dinner. Karan looked tired, but he agreed easily. When they entered Karan’s apartment, he immediately went into host mode, asking Achi if he wanted a drink. Achi had been there countless times before so it was silly that Karan still treated him like a guest.
Instead of allowing him to wait on Achi, he held his hand out to Karan and said, “I’ve got something to show you.”
Karan seemed confused, but he took Achi’s hand and followed him over to the couch. 
“I know you had your tough client call today so I made you something for days like this," he said as they both sat down.
“How did you know I had a tough client today?” Karan asked.
“Because I pay attention to you,” Achi said and grabbed Karan’s hand. He took Karan's palm and spread it out, relaxing it. “And you had this fist clenched all dinner.”
“Oh,” he said, relaxing his hand. “I’m fine, really.” He gave Achi a half smile. 
Achi narrowed his eyes at Karan. He was so impossible sometimes. “Well, that’s too bad because what I have here is for someone who maybe isn't actually fine.”
“What? What is it?” Karan asked, perking up. 
Achi had his hand in his backpack, as if he was going to pull something out. He made a show of thinking really hard about it. “I don’t know. Is there someone here who could use a pick-me-up?”
“Okay, yes, fine, Achi. I would like a pick-me-up, very much so.”
“Was that so hard?” he asked.
“Incredibly,” Karan said, but he sounded very fond.
Achi pulled a small rectangular basket out of his bag and put it on the table. He tilted his head toward it, an invitation for Karan to take a look. Karan beamed and reached for it. Achi couldn’t help but feel so very pleased with his reaction. 
Karan dug into the basket, picking up each item and looking it over carefully. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“You do this kind of thing for me all the time.”
“You really didn’t have to do this, Achi.” 
“Yes, I did, Karan. I can take care of you, too.”
He grasped Achi’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”
“But that’s not everything,” Achi said.
“Oh?”
“Each item comes with a special something. Which do you want first?”
Karan tilted his head. “Can I know what they are?”
Achi shook his head. “Nope, they’re surprises. Pick one tonight. Then you can save the others for later.”
“Okay,” he said, “but you know I’m greedy.”
“Just pick.”
Karan investigated the items again and finally picked out a small bottle of essential oil. He made a thoughtful face as if he might return it, but then held it out to Achi. “This one.”
Achi took the bottle. “This is a good one,” he said. “Very good choice.”
“Thank you,” Karan said, looking pleased.
“Come here,” Achi directed, beckoning him forward. 
Karan scooted himself closer. Achi opened the bottle and dabbed a little on each of his thumbs and pressed them to Karan’s temple. He massaged each side of his head lightly. Karan’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch, his breath slowing.
Achi moved his thumbs down the side of Karan's face, carefully massaging each point of contact. The oil had the lightest scent of vanilla. Although it was Karan’s favorite, Achi knew he did not like it if it was too strong, so he had spent some time trying to find the one that seemed pleasant, but not too powerful.
Karan inhaled, his shoulders relaxing. “That’s nice,” he said. 
Achi moved his hands slowly down to Karan’s neck, sliding his hands around the back, where he knew Karan kept so much tension. Karan melted into it, his head lolling as Achi gently rubbed the back of Karan’s neck with his fingers. 
Karan groaned softly, Achi giving a little more attention to that spot in response. After a few minutes of this, Karan exhaled deeply and opened his eyes. He cradled Achi’s face in return. “I’m so lucky,” he said, a dreamy look on his face.
Achi could so easily be distracted by this. That’s what Karan did, pulled Achi into him, made him feel so warm and loved and special. But this wasn’t supposed to be about Achi.
“Who said I was done?” he said, giving Karan a playful frown. 
“Oh? Something more?”
“If something hurts you, Karan, I want to be the one to make you feel better. Can you let me do that for you?”
“Okay,” Karan agreed, still watching Achi with intense curiosity.
Achi pulled Karan’s face toward him into a gentle kiss. It was a kiss with intention, one to show Karan how much Achi wanted to be someone who he could count on, who he could lean on, who could be his partner in all ways. 
Achi moved his lips slowly, but attentively, interspersing brief, light kisses with longer, deeper kisses. When Achi finally pulled back, Karan looked completely taken over with an absolutely goofy grin on his face.
“Now I’m done,” Achi said, satisfied.
“Oh no, not yet,” Karan said, putting his arm around Achi’s waist and pulling him back toward him. Karan returned Achi's kisses in equal measure while holding him tight.
They continued to kiss like this, softly, gently, just holding each other, until they were exhausted and breathless. When they broke off from one another, Karan shifted to bury his face in Achi’s neck, tightening his grip yet again. 
“Thank you for making this a much better day,” he said, muffled into Achi’s shoulder.
“Anytime,” he said, stroking Karan’s hair.
“Do I really have to wait for another bad day to find out what the other special things are that come with my gifts?” he asked, raising his head and giving Achi his best pleading eyes.
“Yes, you do,” Achi said, staying firm.
“I feel like I might have a streak of bad days ahead of me.” 
Achi knew Karan was teasing, but Achi would love nothing more than to have Karan tell him if he was having a difficult time. And even if Karan used this playfully to get Achi's attention, Achi could also use it as an excuse to ask him about the toughest parts of his day.
No matter what, Achi felt like this was a good step forward.
“If you do," Achi said. "I’ll be here to take care of you.”
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maimaiapologist · 1 year
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WIP WEDNESDAY
okay it's technically thursday here but shh don't tell anyone
tagged by @just-a-cybercroissant 🫶 tysm for the tag! and i'm tagging @ghostoffuturespast @avani-hub @theviridianbunny @wanderingaldecaldo @imaginarycyberpunk2023 and anyone else who wants to do it!
i've been pretty busy this week so i didn't have time to draw but i did manage to write a bit! here's an excerpt from my fic that I'll publish uh... soon-ish?? i honestly don't know
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(pic by the amazing @lizzy--wizzy )
“You stole from my family. You killed my father. And now, you abduct my sister.” The allegation, as false as it is, makes her blood boil. He's the reason why she's here in the first place. If he had kept his temper under control, if he hadn't put his hands on his old man—as despicable as he was—, her life wouldn't have gone to shit. She wouldn't have needed to claw her way out of a landfill, half-dead, nor take those pills to delay the inevitable. And Jackie would still be alive. "Tell me. What were your intentions?" "I didn't—" V clenches her fists so tightly that she feels her fingernails digging into her skin. "You fucking liar! Saburo— You offed him, and you know it!" It's too late when she realizes that she just dug her own grave even deeper. She's a washed up merc that wasn't even good enough to be a nomad, gutter trash that will end up as a body dumped on some grimy alley. She's got dirt and dried blood on her face, stains on her torn clothes, and the look of someone whose words will never make any impact against what corporate royalty—like him—have to say. Even if anyone else did believe her, he could (and would) easily buy their silence. As the realization dawns on her, she swears there's a smug smile plastered on Yorinobu's face. She's expecting him to send her back to her cell, or tell his guards to kill her right then and there. But the words that come next aren't any of that, and genuinely catch her by surprise. “Leave us. I will deal with her accordingly.”
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livredebelle · 9 months
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25.5: Death beckoning
I FOUND MYSELF IN AN EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION. Standing in front of the hospital room where my friend was staying with a bouquet of flowers in my hand, I wondered if I could form the right reassuring words that would need to be said to mend a person's broken spirit.
Last night, I had received a call from Maria with the terrible news that Abel had been in an accident. Without knowing further details, we had rushed to the hospital where he was reportedly getting surgery after having been run over by a car. The surgery had taken all night long, but it was a success, and he was now resting. When the surgeon had stepped out of the operating room to meet his family and friends who were waiting anxiously, he said with grim expression on his face, "I'm sorry. We did what we could to save his life, but..."
With a shaky breath, I bravely pushed the door open with a fake smile as I moved forward to approach my dear friend. 
"Hey. Happy birthday, Abel." 
Instead of responding, he was staring out the window, his body motionless and frozen as the anesthesia slowly wore away. His body was covered in bundles of bandages and casts, especially his legs. His mind was rattled and he was dazed because everything had changed and happened so quickly before he'd had time to react. What had the doctor said to his parents that he could hear their wailing out in the waiting area a couple hours ago? What could have been so painful to hear? 
"I know this is lame, bringing flowers for your birthday gift. I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of anything better, and then I ran out of time..." 
My voice trailed off as I struggled with the next thing to say. In front of me, I saw a soul that was suffering immensely. It was this inexplicable feeling I had, but I could practically hear the sound of Abel's heart breaking. 
How could I save him... 
I wished Maria were here with me, but it was understandable. Maria was too shocked and traumatized after what she'd heard what the doctor had to say post-surgery, and after everything that had happened. She had walked out of the waiting room in a trance-like state, much like Abel was in right this moment.
"What day of the week is it today?" he asked suddenly in a barely audible whisper. 
"Oh, um... it's Thursday." 
"I... have practice today... I need to tell Coach..." he trailed off. 
I said nothing, not having the heart to tell him the news. I bit her lip and clenched my fists. It just wasn't fair. Why did good people like him have to be punished? What wrong did he do that justified a punishment such as this? What could I even say to make it better? My thoughts were racing at the speed of light. 
The sound of drizzling rain could be heard from the outside, as neither of us spoke further, letting the silence wash over us like a deluge. 
***
It was spring all too sudden. Time waits for no one; in fact, it seems to always be in a hurry to move forward, even if one isn't ready to move on from one's pain. 
The three of us were hanging out on their school's rooftop eating lunch together as usual, except for the pin-drop silence. Things had been tense ever since the accident. Abel wasn't his usual cheery self; he had been like a zombie, always staring ahead at nothing, as if being in the present was too much for him to bear. In such a short amount of time, he had lost everything: his dreams, his ambitions, his scholarship to university, his ability to walk... He would never be able to swim again. That part of him was lost for good when that intoxicated driver had slammed his car into him and thereby crushed his legs, severing all their nerves. Every morning, Maria and I would come pick him up at his house, where his mom and brother lived with him, and we would wheel him to school and walk to school together as if it was any other day. But no matter how hard we tried to cheer him up, or just be there for him, Abel had shut himself out of our grasp, and he didn't respond to anything. He hardly talked for the past couple of months. 
"How's PT going?" I asked cheerfully, trying my best to fake a smile. "I heard from your mom that you're already showing so much improvement. I'm so proud of you, you know." 
Maria leaned her head against his wheelchair. "Are you going to the game tonight, by the way? Should I come pick you up?" 
Abel noticeably flinched, and anger flashed in his eyes. "No. You know I can't... anymore." 
"Chill. I meant we should watch the game together. It's the season playoffs, right? I'm sure your team would appreciate your support--"
"I said no! You... you don't understand anything. Both of you, stop trying to make it better. Because it isn't going to get better!"
We were startled. Abel never raised his voice, no matter how upset he was. He was just not that kind of person. He had changed so much since the accident, yet neither of us could say a word, because we were too afraid that the wrong step would cause our best friend to shatter; he was too fragile... Seeing the surprise in our eyes, he turned his face so they couldn't see, and started wheeling himself away. 
I frowned. The distance between us was widening. How had things become like this? I was determined to set things right. "Hold on," I said to Maria, "I'm going to go after him."
"And do what?" 
"Well, talk to him. This can't go on. He's wallowing in his depression and it's only going to get worse if he keeps shutting himself out." 
"We have no idea what is going through his head, or how he's really feeling right now," Maria said softly. "I think it'll be better to give him some space. He'll come back; I know he will." 
"Maria--"
"Please, just let him be. He'll get better." 
But Maria was wrong for what it seemed to be the first time. In fact, things kept getting worse; Abel's mood became darker with each passing day, and he hardly talked anymore, no matter who was talking to him. It was as if he genuinely couldn't hear them; his world had seemingly lost color and sound. Without swimming, he was no one. He was losing his sense of self, and no one could prevent that.
I kept trying to reconnect with him all the same. I had such a hard time connecting with people in general, so I didn't want to lose a friendship so precious. Determined to help Abel the way he had saved me those two years ago with a simple act of kindness, I never left him alone, and continued to treat him as normal. But I didn't know how. I felt like I had already repeated myself over and over like a robot: 'Everything will be fine. You'll definitely recover from this. Hang in there,' etc., etc. Was any of it enough, though? 
It was now the month of May; our junior year was ending. I wanted desperately to make things right again before the school year's end approached in June. 
My eyes kept darting back and forth from my test paper to the clock, which was positioned at the front of the class. Soon, it would be lunch, and I would go find wherever Abel was wallowing by himself and drag him to the rooftop to join us for our usual routine. It would be all right. As soon as the clock tolled twelve, I bolted from my seat, submitted the exam, and raced to his homeroom. As expected, he wasn't there; he had been actively avoiding us more recently. I scanned the room for a familiar face, and when I found one, I immediately went up to him and demanded, "Where the hell is Abel?"
The classmate who sat next to him choked on the rice ball he had been eating. "Uh--I dunno. I think he said something about seeing his coach or something." 
So he would most likely be at the pool. I rushed there, and sure enough, there he was, sitting in his wheelchair and staring placidly at the calm pool waters with an unfathomable expression. What was it about that expression that made me so damn nervous? I couldn't put a finger to it, but the way Abel had been behaving lately had made me feel increasingly on edge, like I needed to be on high alert for him. It was the least I could do, I thought. But when he turned his wheelchair around and grimaced at seeing me, my heart fell and I felt more discouraged than ever. 
But I couldn't give up on him now. He had been there for me--I would do the same. 
"Hey, there you are. I was just--"
"You can stop now, Irina. I'm tired." 
"...Huh?"
His eyes were dull and dead, devoid of any light as he slowly spoke, enunciating every word. 
"You are being a nuisance, you know that? Constantly following me everywhere like a stalker. Does my misery make you happy? Am I not allowed one goddamn minute to myself, now? I'm offended, honestly."
"Abel--you know that's not what I meant..."
"Well, have you considered how I would feel, constantly being watched all the time? I'm not a child; I don't need to be taken care of by someone else. You don't even know how I feel. You've never had this happen to you." 
It was a fact, but the way he distinguished himself from me made it feel like he was forcefully putting distance between us. 
"Our team didn't make it to the finals. I saw Coach and the team wrapping stuff up earlier, and I could only watch. If I had been able to swim, maybe I could've made a difference. Maybe not. But I'll never know for sure. Instead, I'll always feel this emptiness within me, knowing I made absolutely no fucking difference at all. For me, swimming was like breathing; it was my reason for existence, and it was taken away from me. Do you know what that feels like?" 
I didn't know how to respond to that. He was right; I would never know how he truly felt unless I had encountered the same ordeal. It would be dishonest of me to act like I could ever understand, and egotistical for me to assume that I could understand his pain just because I thought I knew pain. My shoulders drooped in shame. 
"I... I just wanted to make you feel better, because while I might not know exactly what you're going through, I wanted to be there for you... I wanted to comfort you."
"I don't need to be comforted."
"But you were so kind to me when we met, and I..."
Abel snorted, which shocked me. He found this to be humorous? How? "It's not a give-and-take kind of thing, Irina. I just genuinely wanted to help you back then."
"As do I now," I refuted. 
Pause. Then, "I know. But this... this isn't what I want. I know you mean well. And I'm sorry, but you can't help me. I need time to figure this shit out by myself." 
"You're probably right..." 
I had stepped over the line. Of course I couldn't comfort him--I didn't even know how. My sloppy approach at friendship had invariably made things worse. Although it pained me immensely to come to that realization, I realized that I would not be able to return his favor; I couldn't pretend to be someone I wasn't--and that was someone who knew how to make others feel better. 
Abel's face turned pale, and he looked so dejected. "Please. If you really care about me, or want to help me... just leave me alone already. Stop pitying me. I can see it in your eyes." 
And as he wheeled himself away, I felt like I had lost him for good. But what could I do? If I intervened, I would hurt him. And if I did nothing, I would hurt him. There was no good solution to the problem. 
Things turned for the worse when after lunch, upon hearing what had happened by the pool, Maria slammed her locker door in pure frustration. 
"Dammit, Irina. This is why I told you to leave him alone, didn't I? You went too far. Why did you have to go and pretend to be something you're not? Why didn't you listen to me? Watching him be like that was painful for me too, but don't you think when I said what I said, I had his intentions at heart too...?" 
When Maria walked away in her fit of anger, too, I felt like I had lost everything. Somehow, I had managed to anger my two only friends in a single day. It felt like I must have extremely bad luck or a bad personality (or maybe both) to be able to do this. 
"Hah..."
For the first time in two years, I felt completely and utterly alone.
0 notes
pilothusband · 3 years
Text
All Hail The King
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Rating: Explicit (18+)
Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!reader
Warnings: Alcohol, oral sex, p in v sex, praise kink. I’m a horny bitch, okay? This is purely indulgent.
Word count: 5k
Author’s note: Special thanks to @wyn-dixie​ for reading this over before I posted it and for enabling this filth. ❤️ This idea entered my brain randomly and I had to write it out. Please let me know what you think! I want your feedback. If I had Photoshop I would have made an edit of Frankie with a crown for this but I don’t have it so here’s this gif instead.
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The bar is humming with activity, but the table you’re nestled at in the back provides enough shelter to allow you all to converse without having to yell at each other.
You’ve been nursing a glass of water for a while now, since you’re the designated driver this week. It doesn’t bother you, though— you’re just happy to be out with your friends.
Every once in a while you steal a glance over at Frankie, who’s sitting diagonally across the table, next to Santiago who is directly across from you. Benny is to your left, his large body crowding you into the wall, and his brother Will is at the head of the table.
“Hey Fish,” Benny claps a hand on his shoulder. The force of his hand jostles Frankie’s solid body backwards a little, but to his credit he doesn’t flinch. “How are things with that girl you were seeing? Jennessa? Jennifer?”
You take a sip of your water and look down at the table to mask your interest at the sudden change in conversation.
“Jessica,” Frankie clears his throat. “They aren’t. We didn’t have much in common so she broke it off after a few dates.”
Queue the internal cheering. Jessica was a bit of a wet mop, to be honest. She never had anything to say when Frankie brought her around and she would scoff at everything that was slightly unsavory in her eyes. Deep down, you had to come to terms with the jealous twinge you felt in your gut every time she would squeeze Frankie’s shoulder affectionately, her immaculately manicured nails pressed harshly into his jacket.
“I’m sorry, Fish,” Benny said, slinging his arm around the man, the clumsy movement knocking his hat slightly askew. “Her loss, brother.”
“Here here,” Santi agrees, raising his bottle in the air. “To the king!”
Benny cheers clinks his bottle against Santiago’s echoing his sentiment. Will huffs out a laugh and Frankie groans, hiding his face in his hands.
You gape at the two men in question, but they just giggle like a couple of school girls.
“I didn’t realize I was in the presence of royalty,” you say, trying to figure out what they’re talking about. You look over at Frankie as he takes an impatient sip from his drink.
Benny just about spits out a mouthful of beer onto the table.
“Shut the fuck up, guys.” Frankie warns his friends. “Seriously.” Santi and Benny give him an innocent look. Will focuses his gaze on the bottle he’s holding, picking at the paper label, damp and curling at the edges from condensation .
Santiago leans towards you, his breath hot in your ear.
“We call him the pussy eating king.”
You thank the powers above you weren’t mid-sip, because the choked sound that emits from your throat was both involuntary and sudden. Heat blossoms in your stomach and your thighs clench together as you make eye contact with Frankie. He looks away nervously, embarrassed even. 
“So was this a self coronation or..” You trail off, grinning at the flush on Frankie’s cheeks.
“It was that really talkative chick he was seeing for a while,” Benny says, turning to you. “Brianna?”
“Brenda,” Frankie sighs.
“So Brenda crowned you the pussy eating king?” You ask Frankie, who still refuses to meet your eyes.
He grumbles in response, waving off the subject.
“Yeah, she went on about it in detail for the whole night one time. I think you were away for a work trip or something” Santiago is absolutely smirking, loving the way Frankie is physically shrinking under the group’s attention. “Come on Fish, don’t be so modest. You’re a beast in the sack, it’s a good thing!”
You smile, but it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. You remember why you weren’t there. It was because you couldn’t stand seeing Frankie so happy with another woman, so you feigned sick.
“Well, I can see why things with Brenda didn’t last,” you respond, knowing Frankie was kind of a private guy. “But hey, at least she can tell all her friends she got the royal treatment while it lasted.”
Benny, Santiago and even Will all roar with laughter, fists banging raucously on the table. Frankie huffs out an embarrassed laugh, despite himself.
“Yeah, yeah,” he takes a swig of his beer, emptying it. “I need another drink.”
“Hey Ben, what time is your fight next week again?” Will calls over to his brother. You’re grateful for the change of subject. Frankie’s had enough torture for one night and you aren’t sure how many more details about Frankie’s sexual prowess your nether regions can take.
Benny turns towards Will to talk about his upcoming match and you take a sip from your glass to try to hide how flustered you’re feeling. Did this bar get hot all of a sudden?
The glass lands back down with a dull thump and you look up to find Santiago studying you, his eyebrow raised.
“What?” You don’t mean to sound aggressive, but his gaze is unnerving, as if he’s trying to suss out something you’re hiding.
“Nothing, nothing at all.” He smirks and tips up his beer, taking a long gulp. You roll your eyes at him and look down to pick at your nails.
A few moments later, Frankie returns with a fresh beer and you can feel Santiago turning his face in your direction again to read your body language. You school your reaction, fingers digging painfully into your pint glass. Sometimes Pope is too fucking nosy for his own good.
He must lose interest after a moment though, because he turns his attention back to Benny, who’s still talking about his upcoming fight.
The topic doesn’t come up again, thankfully, and you’ve dropped all the boys off at their separate destinations, save for Frankie, who lives the closest to you.
The car ride alone with him isn’t as tense as you were expecting, since his tongue has been loosened with the fair amount of alcohol he’s had tonight. You both chat easily about the upcoming week and how much you’re dreading going back to work on Monday.
You can’t resist one smart remark though, as you pull up to Frankie’s house.
“Your castle awaits, my liege,” you quip, trying and failing to hide your amused smile as you look over at him.
Frankie throws his head back and laughs freely, opening the car door with a wink.
“Goodnight, my queen,” he bows exaggeratedly before shutting the car door.
The butterflies don’t tamp down until you’re securely inside your own apartment, locking the door behind you.
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That night was a month ago, which means it’s been a whole fucking month since your brain flew the coop. Every time Frankie does just about anything with his mouth, everything else around you ceases to exist.
Take last Thursday, for example. Frankie dropped by after work to help you change your porch light, since the fixture is too heavy and the light is too high up to easily reach.
He steps up the ladder with ease, unscrewing the fixture and holding it with his left hand. He puts the screwdriver in his mouth so he can hold onto the ladder as he gingerly hands you the fixture. You grab onto it and hand him the replacement bulb so he can swap them out.
He gets the lightbulb in and gestures towards you to hand the fixture back, which he screws back in before stepping down.
“Blegh,” he wipes his mouth on his sleeve, an action that has your last two brain cells screeching to a halt. “Screwdrivers taste awful.” 
His statement is cute, self-deprecating, and you try to respond appropriately but all you can do is gape at him like a fish out of water.
‘Get your shit together, he’s wiping off the taste of rust, not your pussy,’ you try to mentally shake yourself out of your stupor, but it does no good.
He turns back towards his toolbox to drop the screwdriver in and close the lid.
“All set,” he says, dusting off his jeans. He sounds a little uneasy, probably because you’re acting like a complete weirdo.
“Thank you so much, Frankie. I really appreciate it.” You find your manners and pull him in for a hug, secretly reveling in how good he smells.
“Any time,” he tells you as he wraps his arms around you and squeezes softly.
Before he pulls away you make a spur of the moment decision, and reach up to give him a small kiss on the cheek. He’s so impossibly warm and so inviting, you can feel your heart flutter in your chest. The sparse hairs on his face tickle your chin. 
Frankie clears his throat and ducks his head down, mumbling a hurried goodbye before he heads back to his truck, toolbox in hand. You don’t miss the way his lips are turned up and the crows feet make an appearance in the corner of his eyes, nor do you miss the brilliant flush that spreads over his face and down his neck.
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It’s Saturday now and your torment knows no end. You decide you’re too tired to go out and opt to invite the guys over for a movie night, to which they all agree. 
You decide you’ll just have to look away every time Frankie takes a sip of a drink, or eats a handful of popcorn. Or God forbid, if he licks his lips.
The group chat has been a nightmare, with everyone trying to come up with a movie to watch. Benny wants to watch The Expendables, Will mentioned something about wanting to see Dunkirk for ages now and Santi is playing devil’s advocate, disagreeing with all of their choices but not coming up with one of his own.
Frankie has been quiet in the chat, besides initially agreeing to come over initially.
It’s 9:00 PM, you have a 30 rack of beers in the fridge and some popcorn set out for everyone. All you have to do now is wait for the guys to arrive. Your phone chimes with a notification from Benny.
Benny and the Jets 🥊: Sorry lady, I got called in for a last minute practice. Raincheck?
Ironhead 🦸🏼: I gotta duck out too. The lady wants to have a date night. Sorry!
You type out a reply to them, a little disappointed but bidding them a good night all the same.
A knock sounds on the door and you rush over to answer it. The door swings open to reveal Frankie, wearing the softest looking navy blue hoodie you’ve ever seen, along with his Standard Oil cap. He looks as unsure as ever, holding a bottle of red wine.
You chirp an over-enthusiastic greeting, internally cringe at it, and step aside to welcome him in.
“I know you like red wine, so I got some for you on the way here. I hope it’s the kind you like.”
You accept the wine and look at the label. It’s a California Zinfandel. You can’t believe he remembered your favorite wine.
“I love it, thank you so much.” You pull him into a hug, nuzzling into the soft material of his sweatshirt. He returns the hug just as enthusiastically, pulling away to kiss your forehead.
“Is Santiago on his way?” You ask, padding into the kitchen to grab a glass from your cabinet. “Do you want a glass? Or I have some beer if you’d prefer.”
“Beer is perfect, thanks,” he says a little breathily as he looks over at you. “Santiago said something came up and that he’s sorry.”
Something feels a little fishy with the three of them ducking out all at the same time, but you don’t mention it as you hand him a beer and search through your drawer for a bottle opener. A few minutes later, you’re both set up on the couch and are scrolling through Netflix for a movie.
“I have no idea what to watch. Do you?”
“Want to watch Civil War? I know the guys will bitch we’re continuing the rewatch without them but they can deal.”
You tip your head back and laugh, navigating over to your Disney+ app.
Frankie takes off his hat and sets it aside while you spread a blanket over your laps, braving a chance to scoot closer to him. He takes the hint and wraps his arm behind your shoulders, nestling you closer to his chest. You settle in and try to pay attention to the movie, despite the wild fluttering that is taking place in your stomach.
Frankie shifts uncomfortably and winces a little. You can tell he’s trying to hide it, but little does he know you’ve been watching every single movement he makes like a hawk. Or a nervous lap dog.
“Does your back hurt? I can move,” you start to get up but Frankie grabs onto your wrist and pulls you back in.
“No, stay. I just need to find a comfortable position.”
You make a soft noise of surprise when he lifts you up and pulls you towards him, settling back so he’s spread out on the couch. You’re settled on top of him, your legs stretched out over his with your back to the cushion, half draped over his torso.
This position has your heart thumping hard in your chest. His face was just a few inches from yours. All he’d have to do is tilt his face towards yours, and you’d be practically kissing.
Focusing on the movie is harder than ever. Your left hand rests on Frankie’s chest and your right is near his head. Without even thinking, you reach out and start stroking your fingers through his soft curls. He hums contentedly, the pleasant sound rumbling through his chest.
A hand makes its way up your arm leaving goosebumps in its wake, landing on your shoulder.
You brave a glance at Frankie and feel your heart stutter in your chest when you realize he’s been looking at you. His eyes are as dark as ever, twinkling against the flicker of your TV.
He closes the gap and captures your lips in a tender kiss. His lips are warm and soft, melding to yours perfectly. The brush of your mouths together is intoxicating. Your tongue darts out to lick at him and he complies, letting out a guttural moan at the sensation as your tongues meet languidly.
You shift your leg so it slots between his and both of your hands find his shoulders and squeeze them, eliciting a soft mewl from Frankie’s mouth. His hands are hot on your back and he slides one down to your ass, kneading the soft flesh over your leggings.
Your hips press into his, rutting into him, soft pants falling from your mouth– mingling with his. You need to be closer, closer, closer. He tightens his grip on your ass in response and rolls his hips so you can feel how hard he is against your belly.
“Fuck, baby,” he rasps, breaking the kiss, words tumbling out between his ragged breaths. 
You can feel yourself throbbing for him, wetness rushing to your core as his hushed baritone makes your head spin with need. Somewhere in the back of your mind you’re convinced this is a dream. That there’s no way you’re dry humping the man of your dreams on your couch right now.
You duck down to hide your expression, not wanting to ruin the moment with your anxiety and doubt. You’ll take whatever this man gives you, even if it’s just this moment. 
You busy yourself by peppering small kisses on his neck, trailing them up to his jaw.
“Hey,” he slows your movements and holds your chin with his thumb and forefinger, tilting your face up gently up to look at him.
“I want you. I want this. Do you?” 
You feel the urge to look away, his gaze is intense and laser-focused on you. Eye contact has never been your strong suit, so this was a lot for you to handle. But you fight the urge to flinch and stare back, searching to see if there was anything that will give away any trepidations. His expression remains hard set, serious but not unkind. It’s just like Frankie to have eyes as clear as day, giving away all of his secrets. They’re just like him— strong, unrelenting in their hardness and softness.
“Yes,” you reply. Your voice cracks a little, thick with emotion. “I’ve wanted this, wanted you, for so long.” 
You feel embarrassment wash over you with the admission, but Frankie doesn’t let it last long before you crushes his lips to yours in a searing kiss. He breaks it off after a moment, lips swollen and pink.
“Baby, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.”
He strokes a hand down your jaw, his thumb caressing your skin as a goofy smile blooms over your face.
“I want to make you feel good, baby,” he whispers, his thumb catching on the swell of your bottom lip. “Will you let me make you feel good?”
You blink and swallow heavily, a fresh wave of arousal flooding to your center as the deep rasp of his voice utters those words, smooth as caramel– dousing over you like kerosene on a fire.
You nod, not trusting your voice at this very moment.
“I need you to say it out loud, honey,” he says, his lips brushing against yours ever so lightly.
“Yes, Francisco,” you breathe out. “Make me feel good.”
He bites your bottom lip and tugs, then growls playfully before he grabs your shoulders and flips you over. You let out a delighted shriek, giggling as he lifts up the hem of your shirt and kisses every inch of skin that’s revealed.
“Wait,” you call out. He stops his movements immediately. “You first.”
Frankie grins. You want to press your fingers into the dimple that appears and feel the scratch of his beard under your nails. He leans back and lifts his sweatshirt over his head, the grey t-shirt he’s wearing sticks to the inside of it and he rolls both garments down his arms. 
His chest is bare to you now, smooth except for a smattering of hairs in the middle of his chest, and a patch leading down into his jeans. You want to reach out and run your hands down the planes of his torso and follow the path of hair,  but your arms aren’t long enough to reach. 
You remove your shirt, leaving you in your leggings and bra. It’s a soft lace number, a delicate pink with no underwire. You watch as his hungry gaze roams over your chest. To your surprise, he doesn’t motion for you to take it off. Instead, he leans over you, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.
 He moves downwards, tongue darting out to taste the salt of your neck. He continues his path and mouths between your breasts, one of his hands reaches out to squeeze the plump flesh in his large hand. You nipple instantly pebbles under his ministrations and he pulls the fabric aside to tease it with the pad of his finger. You moan softly at the sensation and yelp in surprise when he sucks it into his mouth and bites it, soothing the sharp sting with a flick of his tongue.
 “Mmm, love how responsive you are already,” he hums, moving down. Your back arches as his mouth makes a hot trail down the rest of your torso. You look down and notice he’s left wet patches where his mouth has been, coating you in saliva and leaving goosebumps in his wake.
 He reaches the waistband of your leggings and pushes them down, letting out a strangled groan when he gets an eyeful of your panties, the same shade of pink that matches the bra you’re wearing. 
“So fucking sexy,” he breathes.
He peels your panties down your legs and pulls them off along with your leggings, leaving you completely bare from the bottom down. You start to cross your legs to hide yourself, feeling self-conscious at how exposed you are, but Frankie grabs your thigh to halt the movement.
“You better not hide this pretty pussy from me,” he says, licking his lips.
You half expect him to dive in, but he takes a moment to look at you. He’s resting a hand on your hip. His pointer finger makes a path down, tracing an invisible line up and down your slit. You hiss at the ghost of his touch and thrust your hips towards his hand, seeking out more friction.
Frankie lets out an amused chuckle at your reaction and leans forward to plant a wet kiss to your inner thigh. You let out a shaky breath in anticipation– your heart feels like it’s beating out of your chest. He kisses up your thigh until he reaches the apex between your legs, then licks a stripe through your folds with the flat of his tongue, pulling a surprised gasp from your parted lips.
He sucks your clit into his mouth and you can’t help it– you buck up into his mouth and grab onto his hair and tug at the strands. He grabs onto the flesh of your hip and whimpers into your pussy. Despite being almost dizzy with need, you feel a rush of power knowing you have this effect on him.
“You taste so fucking good. So wet for me,” he punctuates his words with bold licks up and down. “Never want to stop.”
He changes patterns, making tight circles on your clit with his tongue. The sudden switch has you mewling and your legs clamp around his head involuntarily. Frankie grabs your thighs and wrenches them apart, hooking them over his shoulders as he latches onto your pussy. His hands are on your ass, holding you up as your back arches off the couch.
All you can do is scramble at the cushions below you for purchase as Frankie buries his face into your cunt, lapping at you with abandon. His tongue licks into you with an intensity you’ve never experienced before; it has you seeing stars.
You have no idea how he knows exactly how to manipulate your body to pull the pleasure from you so naturally. Every lick feels like it’s searching for treasure, every suck hits somewhere deep inside, reverberating through the muscles of your thighs and up in your abdomen.
He gently places you back down to the cushions and rubs at your entrance with his pointer finger, looking up at you for permission.
“Yes, please–“ you whimper brokenly. He complies immediately and plunges it into you, following with a second finger, and curls them up. His pace is slow at first and he flicks his tongue out to play with your clit at the same time. He’s soon spurred on by your moans and sets a brutal pace. You once again feel the urge to clamp around him to increase the pressure, but Frankie uses his broad shoulders to hold your thighs apart.
 Seeing his shoulders, bare and perspiring from his intensive movements, so wide and flushed, coupled with the furrow of his brow, his eyes pinched closed, makes something primal within you awaken. You barely have time to feel your orgasm coming before it’s hitting you– thighs shaking, back arching, hands in his hair. You don’t even realize it, but you;’re shrieking his name, chanting it like a prayer. He’s groaning in reply, milking you through it with his fingers and tongue, lapping up your release, syrupy sweet and indulgent.
 He doesn’t stop until you’re flinching from overstimulation. He kisses up your body lazily, taking his time before capturing your lips. You kiss him back, licking into his mouth and tasting yourself on his tongue. He grinds into you, his jean-clad erection rubs against your aching cunt and rekindles the fire, molten heat shooting through your entire body.
 “Wanna fuck you so bad, baby,” he says, panting the words into your mouth.
 You moan and break the kiss.
 “Want to take this to my room?”
 He doesn’t reply, but instead swings his body off the couch and picks you up bridal-style. He stumbles a little with the first steps and you both laugh, kissing each other with each step he takes towards your bedroom.
He tosses you onto the bed softly and you let loose another delighted giggle when Frankie flops over you dramatically, caging you in his arms. Your tongues tangle together in an impossibly sensual kiss. He’s momentarily distracted, caught up in the feel of your body underneath his with the soft touches of your tongue, and you take the opportunity to roll him over and straddle his hips.
Frankie is looking up at you as if he’s in awe, like he can’t believe you’re here right now, naked from the waist down and grinding down on his hard cock, tenting his jeans.
You move down his body and zip his fly down, pushing down the denim along with his boxer briefs. His cock springs free, hard and hot and leaking at the tip. You can’t help but lick the bead of precum, and a broken whine rips from Frankie’s throat. His hands are clenched into the sheets, knuckles white with how hard he’s gripping the mattress beneath him.
You’re bobbing your mouth up and down his length, tongue licking around his shaft and cheeks hollowing out. His moans are loud, constant. He’s babbling praise, telling you how fucking amazing your mouth feels, how badly he wants to fuck you. It’s a heady feeling, bringing a strong and quiet man to his knees like this. You love that he’s letting you know how much he’s breaking for you.
Your tongue finds its way down to his balls and you suck them into your mouth, moaning at the musky taste. His moans are high pitched now and his hand is squeezing your shoulder.
“Baby, you gotta stop,” he grabs onto your hair to pause your movements. “I need to feel you.”
You give him one last broad lick up his shaft and shift back up, and look down at Frankie to catalogue the number you’ve done on him. He’s absolutely wrecked– brown eyes blown wide, chest rising and falling rapidly with his uneven breaths.
 You remove your bra, stretching it over your head and throwing it to the side. Frankie follows the movement and lets out a needy, staccato moan at the sight of you, completely bare before him.
 You reach down and kiss him soundly on the mouth, lining his cock up with your entrance.
 “I’ve got you, baby boy,” you coo, sinking down on his length.
 “Fuck,” he grits out between his teeth.
 You give yourself a moment to get used to his size and rock into him. His hands fly up to your chest, squeezing lightly and rolling your nipples in between his fingers.
 “So fucking big,” you pant out. “So good for me.”
 It seems Frankie loves praise as much as you do, evidenced by the twitch of his cock inside you.
 Your pace is agonizingly slow. You’re trying to tease out the moment, stretch it out so it lasts forever. It doesn’t last long– you can’t stand it anymore. You bounce up and down on him, snapping your hips when they meet his.
 “So fucking perfect,” he pants out. “Wanna fuck you from behind.”
 You breathe out a moan and stop your movements. Frankie mistakes your pause for hesitation and reaches up to brush the hair out of your face.
 “We don’t have to,” he says, voice gentle, brow furrowed in concern. 
 “No, fuck. No, Frankie. I want to.”
 You gingerly get up and whimper at the loss when he’s no longer inside you. Frankie sits up, shoulders rocking forward and cock bobbing with his movement as he settles onto his knees. You watch him and bite your lip, getting on all fours and lifting your ass up in the air to present yourself to him.
 Frankie can’t help the groan that falls from his lips and sinks forward to lay an open-mouthed kiss on your pussy from behind before he lines himself up. He enters you without hesitation, hips slapping against your ass rhythmically, setting a decisively fast pace. 
 All you can hear is the filthy sounds of your wet pussy as he pounds into you, along with your strangled moans, and his heavy breathing, laced with whispers of praise you can’t discern. The waves of pleasure are too much, too strong. You can feel the familiar build up of an orgasm. Your head is in the clouds as it climbs and climbs– then crashes.
 His fingers on your clit is what does you in. Your whole body shakes and all you can do is whimper and moan around his cock while he fucks into you. The strong, practiced rock of his hips become sloppy as he chases his release, muttering words of adoration into the air as he pulls out and cums, spilling onto your back. He pulls every last drop out of his cock before collapsing over you, forehead resting on your spine as he catches his breath.
 “Fuck, baby,” he says, once he’s caught his breath. “Should have done this ages ago.”
 You both laugh and Frankie gets up to grab a wet face towel from the bathroom
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A little while later, you’re both in bed, blissed out and wrapped up around each other. The movie, drinks and snacks are all forgotten. All that matters is here and now– your breaths mingling together as you kiss each other lazily, tongues probing slowly. 
In the other room, both of your phones ping on the coffee table with unheard notifications.
The first text is from Santiago.The other boys follow suit, not a minute apart.
Pope 🤦🏻‍♂️: 👑
Benny and the Jets 🥊: 👑
Ironhead 🦸🏼: 👑
Neither of you see the texts until the next morning.
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 The following weekend, it’s Santiago’s turn to be the designated driver. He’s parked outside of Frankie’s house, waiting to pick both of your asses up. He starts to tap his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel after the first 15 minutes. 
“What the fuck are they doing in there?” He asks Will and Benny. They all know the answer, but don’t say anything.
Meanwhile, Frankie has you crowded against the front door, your sundress is hiked up and his face is buried in your pussy. Neither of you can hear the sound of Santi’s impatient honking over your moans.
And if you end up going to the bar sans panties because you can’t find them before Santiago is pounding his fist on the door, well that’s just a secret you and Frankie will have to keep.
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Taglist: @tenderclio @softdin @darnitdraco @freeshavocadoooo @recklessworry @wyn-dixie @manalg14 @codenamewife @comphersjost @princessxkenobi @manalg14 @comphersjost @a-skov @sheresh0y @greeneyedblondie44 @blackmarketmummy @brandyllyn @gracie7209 @bootyliciousbilbo @dobbyjen
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eijishimas · 3 years
Text
caught red handed.
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18+ nsfw content. minors dni. all characters are aged up.
masterlist.
content warnings: f!reader, college!au, masturbation, mentions of alcohol, voyeurism, daddy kink, bit of a handjob, bit of oral (m!receiving), filming, slight degradation, creampie, one (1) instance of bakugou slapping your pussy.
notes: happy belated birthday to my bestie, @rekiri . you deserve the world and so much more, you’re sweet and hilarious and i fucking love talking to you, whether we’re joking or being more serious. i know you told me not to, but i really wanted to write something for you as a gift (because ya girl is a bit of a broke bitch). ik it’s not eren, kiri, or reki, but i hope you like this piece regardless. i love you, even if you annoy me to death, you whore /j. this one’s for you <3
wc: 2.6k | inspo (nsfw link): xxx
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Everyone knew college was stressful. Deadlines nearly every single week, assignments and essays, not to mention attending classes brought a whole new wave of anxieties for students every single day. Sometimes that stress was either doubled or relieved by having a partner for a project or two. Luckily for you, you and your old high school classmate Katsuki Bakugou were paired up for a project for one of your Quirk Law classes. It was a research project, one that required a forty slide presentation. You were headed on your way to Katsuki’s dorm today to work on it at the time you agreed upon: 5pm. Then you two would study together for upcoming midterms. It was all planned out down to a tee. So at around 3:50pm, Katsuki knew he had time. He figured he needed a break from his Rescue Tactics Indoors II class, otherwise his brain would begin oozing from his ears.
Pushing aside his overpriced textbook, he rolled his shoulders back, hearing the cracks of his stiff muscles while he stretched at his desk. He let out a sigh, propping his chin up on the palm of his hand as he scrolled mindlessly through his socials. Mina had posted a Throwback Thursday post, an old one of him and you back in your freshman year of college. His nose twitched in annoyance as he recalled the parties, more specifically Denki Kaminari’s birthday party, where he had gotten so drunk that the walls melted and bent before him. Katsuki’s expression changed however, as he swiped through the collection of photos to stumble across an image of you and him. Have you always worn dresses that tight? You practically had your ass out from how short your garment had been cut, tits threatening to spill out of your low hanging neckline. Not only that, but Katsuki had an arm slung around your shoulder. His smile was stretched wide due in part to the alcohol in his system, but also because you were standing next to him. You were laughing at something Mina had said behind the camera, your hand tossed against the slightly unbuttoned shirt Katsuki had worn that night. Your fingers had brushed against his toned chest and he scoffed at the thought. Slowly but surely, memories of that party flooded back to Katsuki in waves.
They were mostly recounts from Kirishima and Mina, but apparently you two had made out in front of everyone that night. He swiped left again, swallowing dryly as he saw just that. Your manicured fingers were wrapped tight around his party shirt, tongues in a deadly dance of want and desperation for each other. Katsuki’s eyes grew as he noticed that the photo hadn’t cut out the part where he had been kneading your ass through that skimpy dress of yours. Immediately, Katsuki went to Mina’s dms demanding to take down the photo. And she did, thank god, but not without sending Katsuki more than ten photos of you and him making out at the party. He clenched his jaw, anger and a low desire plaguing his conscience. Glancing to the top left corner of his phone, he noted the time. 4:10pm.
He had time.
Saving the photos to his gallery, he pushed his chair away from his desk to have some fucking breathing room. His eyes flitted down to his sweats and as he expected, there was a tent forming. He groaned, wiping the sweat from his palms off on his pant leg before languidly beginning to palm himself through his clothes. His breaths quickened, chest stuttering as he looked to his phone displaying the photos of you and him. There’s a faint recollection in the back of his head of how you taste. Like cherries from your glossy lips, like vodka from the shots you took off of Denki earlier that evening, how you moaned into his mouth the night you had drunkenly kissed.
Katsuki tugged the waistband of his sweats down, allowing his previously constrained cock to breathe. It slapped against his stomach, heavy and leaking. Shit, he didn’t remember being this horny at the beginning of this. Spitting into his palm, he lubed up his dick as best as he could on short notice. His eyelids drooped as he swiped through the pictures like a filmstrip, a montage of all the best moments he had with you at that party. You grinding on his lap, you whispering dirty ideas you wanted to do with him later, you, you, you…
Katsuki squeezed his aching shaft, fisting his cock as precum dribbled down his slippery head. His face was an uncanny shade of crimson, a testament to how horny he was all for a few old pictures of the two of you. “Y/n.” He swore he barely recognized his voice from how breathless and needy it was. He continued to pump his cock, the only thoughts replaying in his mind were perverted fantasies of you bouncing on his dick hard enough to hear the slap of your ass cheeks against his abs.
Tapping the screen of his phone twice to zoom in, he admired your curves with pursed lips. Fuck, you really were gorgeous. Everything about you radiated a sinful nature he could never put his tongue on. You were tempting him, licking flames up his body with such intensity that made him shiver. He cursed, thumb drifting over his slit as he hissed. Fuck you for being as ravishing as you were that night, fuck you for making him feel so goddamn needy for your-
“Bakugou, I was about to text you but I remembered you were studying today, so I figured it would be okay if I came a bit...” your words trailed off. You blinked rapidly in an attempt to process the scene unfolding before you. Katsuki Bakugou, holding his dick in his hand, face on fire with a deep blush, his other free hand secure around his phone with- was that a picture of you from your freshman year of college? There was a beat of silence, Katsuki’s uneven breathing the only sound in the room aside from the low drawl of the ceiling fan over both of your heads. You gaped at him, tongue darting out to wet your lips upon realizing his hand hadn’t stopped moving. If anything, you saw his hand flex around his cock, further tightening his grip as you stood right in front of him.
“What the fuck-”
“What?” he beat you to the punch, his lips twitching into a devilish smile, “Don’t like what you see?” His confidence knocked the air out of you, your bewildered attitude showing true on your features. Your body feels warm, searing beneath his gaze. “Excuse me?” you squeaked out, overcome with both curiosity and a hint of lust for the ash blond.
“Are you gonna fucking help me or not?” His pride was refusing him to be flustered, not when he was this feverish for you. He needed the upper hand, he needed control over this situation. And it seemed by how you were shifting your weight from side to side, that it was happening just as he wanted. Who were you to refuse such an offer from Katsuki Bakugou?
And that’s how you ended up here, nestled between thick, muscled thighs with your hand wrapped around his throbbing cock. He had you spit over his dick, his entire shaft gleaming in all its glory as it stood to attention in your grasp. The flash of his camera burned your eyes as you suckled on his crown, hand continuously jerking his cock while he ravenously watched you through the screen. The guttural groan that escaped him was nothing short of music to your ears, your thighs tensing as the coils of heat continued to build and knot between your legs.
“Mm. Keep going like that, take it. All the way in now, like a good little slut,” Katsuki instructed, his voice slicing through the heavy atmosphere of desire. The words make you whimper, enveloping his sensitive head in vibrations while you lick around his slit. A large hand cupped your face, forcing you to make eye contact with the ash blond behind the camera. His black tank top truly had no confines over him, since it was tight enough to see the outlines of his pecs and ripped torso. Katsuki sure worked hard to maintain his appearance, but you knew he had the strength to back those muscles up. The thought of him completely dominating you, holding you with strong arms and pinning you down with his body made your pussy even more wet with your slick than it already was. Even from how you were on your knees, Katsuki possessed an unspoken will over you. You wanted to please him, make him feel good, make him have no good reason not to give you everything he had to offer.
You took your lips off of his head with a little ‘pop’, eyes wide and expectant as a string of drool connected your bottom lip to the tip of his cock. Bakugou’s smile grew, making sure your face was completely in frame and in focus. “Dirty girl,” he hummed, thumb tracing the apple of your cheek before guiding your lips toward his twitching cock. You slowly kissed the vein on the side of it, mumbling out four words:
“Your dirty girl, daddy.”
The moment the words left your mouth, Katsuki let out a low, gravelly moan. It was as if a switch inside him had flipped. Without warning, he’s pulling you off the floor and sitting you down in his desk chair instead. He’s a bit rough, his vision clouded by the sheer want to fuck you until you were screaming his name, until his name was the only word your pretty little brain could recall. He abandoned his phone and instead had his hands drop to the armrests of his desk chair, encasing your body as he towered over you. Your skirt was immediately shucked up your waist and Katsuki’s hands went to work on your panties. He ripped them off completely, tossing them aside without a care as to where they went. He gazed down at you with fervour, licking his lips at the sight of your dripping cunt.
“Who’s pussy is this?” he coaxes with a grin, teeth shining. His hand slipped between your thighs, his index and middle finger tracing up and down your slit. Goosebumps erupted across your skin, your thighs instinctively closing around his hand. Your face bloomed with warmth, eyes darting away from his cocky demeanour, “Baku—”
Your body jolted as a firm smack was delivered to your sensitive pussy, a wet, lewd sound meeting your ears as he did. It made a high pitched, whiny moan be pulled out from your throat.
Fuck.
“Try again,” he ordered, tone demanding and almost condescending. His lips ghosted yours yet he never had any intention of moving close enough to seal the gap between the two of you. You whimpered, eyes meeting the dark red irises that were staring straight through you.
“‘S yours, daddy.”
“Now that’s a good fuckin’ girl.”
His lips found yours, teeth tugging at your bottom lip hard enough to make the warmth in your stomach double. The liquid heat had been building ever since you walked in, and you were fairly certain that you weren’t going to last much longer.
He hooked your knees over his elbows, biceps flexing as the muscles in his arms supported your full weight. He picked you up with such ease, your arms flying around his neck as you squeal, gasping at how little effort that took him. He was a pro-hero in training, of course he had practiced lifting people up no matter their body type or size. Either way, it didn’t matter to him. He thought you looked rather angelic clinging onto him regardless. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat with his hands spreading your cheeks, grunting as he adjusted you in his arms. He slid slowly into your slick cunt inch by suffocating inch, your walls fluttering and enclosing around his throbbing cock. Katsuki’s breathing was unsteady, eyes watching your expression intently in hopes that this new position would give you as much pleasure as it was giving him. His ego was running rapant from how you were holding onto him for dear life. You were practically shaking in his grasp, mouth open in an ‘o’ shape as all you could do was gape at how deep he reaches within you. You were keening, eyes hazed with lust and nails digging crescents into his shoulder blades hard enough to make him hiss.
When you finally catch your breath and adjust to his size, you give him a curt nod as an indication for him to start moving. Slowly, he lifted you up off his cock until his head kissed your entrance before allowing gravity to do most of the work. This position had his cock nudging your cervix and it made the knot in the pit of your stomach squeeze further, threatening to snap with every loud smack of his balls echoing through his dorm room. He pistoned into you like that, reaching deeper to rearrange your insides. It was like your entire body was being engulfed with pleasure and fire. He took in your face, how it scrunched in pleasure, hair sticking to your face as you mumble out how much you want to cum, how much you need to cum.
“Fuckin’ tight just for daddy, hah?” he cooed to you, “You wanna cum all over my cock like a little slut? You were watching me from the door jerking off for you. Dirty fuckin’ girl. Who’s making you feel good? Say it. Spit it out.”
“You!” you moaned, your head feeling light from the way the veins on the side of his cock rubbed your walls, “You, daddy. Please let me cum. I w- wanna cum!”
“I can’t hear you,” Katsuki rumbled, eyes steeled before you unmoving and unwilling to give you permission just yet. “Please!” you begged, “I’m a dirty girl. I’m your dirty girl, daddy! Please let me cum!” You were too engrossed in your pleasure to have any semblance of shame. Katsuki grinned. That’s what he wanted to hear. He let out a tiny ‘tch’ before uttering out, “Then cum, slut.”
Without another word, you let out a final wanton moan, gushing around him as the liquid heat finally expels from your body. Your orgasm hits you in waves, your body quivering with each new sensation as you hold Katsuki’s cock within your cunt. Your nails leave angry red marks along Katsuki’s shoulders, ultimately sending him hurtling towards his own release.
Cum dripped down his twitching cock, your chest heaving as your legs feel like jelly. Tingles shot down your spine as Katsuki pumped rope after rope of his sticky cum well enough to paint your inner walls white. He helped you ride out your high, delivering harsh bitemarks to your neck to leave a mural of hickeys claiming you as his. The smile he gives you is cocky, prideful, and arrogant. He placed you back down on his desk chair, your thighs still going through the aftershocks of your high. Reaching for his phone, he tapped the app icon for his camera. He knelt down, chuckling as your fingers slid between your legs to spread your lower lips for him. His cum seeped out past your slit, leaking down to your puckered asshole.
“There we go. Aren’t you daddy’s good girl, hm?”
Tiredly, you nodded.
“‘M daddy’s good girl.”
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all works © eijishimas 2021. do not reuse, modify, or repost.
tags:
@lonleyweeb77 @cynthus-no @lonelyheart-cluband @smhhyung @stoopidnekobish @kiridarling @kirislilrock @baku-deku1 @hajisuu @damnitcrowley @foruthemoon @peaxhcringe @justanotheruselessextra @izukuuarchive @katsuki-kitten @shokoarashi sorry i couldn’t tag all of you!
want to be on the taglist? see here.
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fruitcoops · 3 years
Note
So I know that Heather has helped Sirius a lot with his family issues and I loved your last fic about him and baking. Do you think you could write something about Remus going to Heather about Greyback, like before their first game against Vegas?
Of course! The other therapy fic is here for anyone interested, and SW credit goes to @lumosinlove <3
TW for therapy, discussion of past injury/ trauma
The room was quiet. Soft. Remus clenched his fists, feeling his short nails dig into the meat of his palm as he kept his eyes focused on the floor. Heather sat across from him, silent and warm and absolutely without judgement. Push me! he wanted to shout. Make me talk to you so everything comes out at once!
“I—” he began, then faltered. She said nothing, just kept looking at him with the same gentle neutrality. The room was quiet.
Part of him wanted to cry. Part of him wanted to scream. Part of him wanted to curl up into a ball and numb himself to the world so he could finally, finally let go of the ball of nerves clogging his chest and pushing painfully on his heart.
“Sirius doesn’t deserve this,” he said at last.
“Sirius isn’t here, and it’s not up to you to decide what he deserves. He’s perfectly capable of making those decision for himself. What are you worried about, Remus?”
He leaned his elbows on his knees and rubbed his eyes. “I’m a neurotic mess that’s offloading my trauma onto him when he has enough to worry about on his own. It’s been years. I should be over this.”
“Please don’t diminish your trauma.” Her voice was so kind it hurt. “You went through a terrible thing. You survived, and you have done a beautiful job of making a life or yourself. But it makes sense that you would be anxious about this when—”
“I’m not anxious,” he interrupted. “Well, I am, but—but I’m sad and I’m angry all the time now and I’m scared out of my fucking mind.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want him to hurt me again.” His throat tightened.
“That’s a valid fear. You have every right to those feelings.”
“Every time I think about the game I feel like I’m going to throw up. Or punch a wall. Maybe both.”
“What do you do instead?”
“Read. Go for a walk.” Shut down.
She gave him an inquisitive look. “What else?”
Remus swallowed hard. “I stop talking. I try to shut everything else off. I sleep, if I can.”
“What do you think will help?”
Breaking Fenrir’s face. “Playing the game, so I know he doesn’t have power over me anymore.”
“You don’t have to play the game to know that,” she said. Her shirt was a gentle blue, like ocean waves or the lake at his parents’ cabin. He avoided looking at her face and sniffled. “You’re not a mess, and you’re not a burden. You are having a very normal response, actually. I’m glad you’re talking to me about it.”
“I don’t know what to do.” His voice was hoarse; fragile. The words burned like acid, but it felt better to get them out at last.
“You don’t have to. Not right now, at least.” Tears blurred the carpet’s pattern into continuous beige and he inhaled harshly through his nose. “You’ve been trying to act like your normal self, but that’s not helping, is it?”
Remus shook his head.
“Bottling up your feelings is not a good way to cope, Remus.” A tissue box appeared next to his knee and he took one with a shaky hand and a muttered thanks. “Coming to me to let this out and work through it was a really, really good choice. How much time do you have until the game?”
“Eight days.” And four hours.
She jotted something down on her clipboard. “I’d like to get at least two more appointments in during that time. Does that work for you?”
“Yeah.”
“Remus, can you look at me for a second?”
He gathered up his frayed courage and swiped at his face with his sleeve before raising his head. She offered him a small smile.
“You can do this, and I’m proud of you.”
“Right.” His voice cracked as two more tears slipped out.
“This is not just any game, and you have shown immense bravery so far by not treating it like it is. Channel that into your playing. Take that power back from him. There is nothing he can do to you out there that you can’t push back against. I know this has been weighing on you for so long, but you don’t have to be afraid of him anymore.”
“But I am.”
“That’s why I’m here, remember?” The sides of her eyes crinkled in reassurance. “We’re going to work this out, even after you’ve played that game. Whatever the scoreboard says at the end, you’ll win either way. Now let’s work on some strategies to calm down when you’re overwhelmed.”
----------------------------
“Thank you for doing this,” Remus mumbled into the pillow. He groaned as Sirius’ hands found a knot of tension in his mid-back and felt him laugh above him.
“There?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Christ, your muscles are like rocks right now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, just—”
“No.” Remus patted his thigh and Sirius slung his leg back over, allowing him to sit up. “No, I’m sorry for not talking to you when I was upset about Fenrir. That wasn’t fair to you.”
Sirius’ face softened and he kissed him slowly, as if savoring Remus’ lips as he cupped the side of his face. “Hey, don’t talk like that. All’s forgiven. Do you feel better after talking to Heather?”
“Loads. I’m seeing her again on Tuesday and Thursday, so we might have to cancel date night if it’s rough.”
“Okay.”
He made it sound so simple, so easy. Easy in a way that always took Remus by surprise. You actually care. The thought struck him like a bolt from the blue sometimes, that wild idea that Sirius didn’t mind cancelling the one night a week they set aside for just them in case Remus had a breakdown. He smiled, and kissed him again. “I love you.”
“Love you, too. Do you want me to keep rubbing your back?”
“Is that even a question?” Remus snorted, rolling over again with a contented sigh. Sirius’ palms were broad and the perfect temperature as they pushed down with the gentlest pressure, smoothing out more internal turmoil that external; Remus felt a buzz travel up his spine and let out a slow breath, closing his eyes. This was safe. This was home. This was calm. He could be untouchable.
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cipheress-to-k-pop · 3 years
Note
Hello!! sorry to bother you could write a ben 10 x reader? (the reader is kidnapped by vilgax and ben has to save her, after that ben and the reader has an argument) please, i love your fics!!
Storm Before The Calm
Pairing: Pre-Established; Ben Tennyson x Reader
Warnings: None
Word Count: 3.4k words
A/N: I changed up the request a bit (I figured it shouldn't matter which villain was used here) also I was planning to have this as sort of a damsel in distress situation but after having a chat with some boys pigs I decided a self indulgant badass reader was right up my alley
Additional A/N: I have a math exam on Thursday and I cannot focus for the life of me. So, I decided to finish up one of my drafts. Now hopefully I'll be able to work like a robot for the next week, after satisfying my creative side. Also, this fic was super self indulgant.
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"I trust Ben.” You did. With your entire being.
Kevin chuckled from beside you, “Yeah, try saying that without cracking the fillings in your teeth and maybe we’ll believe you.”
His words caused you to relax, only then realizing how hard your jaw was clenched in fury. Gwen sighed in disappointment and for a second you wanted to defend her cousin and your boyfriend. Until you realized that he deserved every bit of unbridled anger coming to him.
“I trust him. Doesn’t mean I’m not mad at him.”
Your hands were balled into tight fists and even though you wanted to take your eyes off the television screen and take a warm bath, you also for some reason couldn’t stop yourself from watching it.
Like you were afraid something would happen when your eyes were off the screen for even a second. Maybe you didn’t trust him.
But honestly how could you, you were currently watching your boyfriend relax in a hot tub with Jennifer Nocturne and the sight was enough to send bile up your throat.
Ben wasn’t returning any of her advances, but he wasn’t stopping her either. And the thought made you sick to your stomach. You knew Ben was faithful and you knew he would never cheat on you but watching how the Hollywood starlet continued to hang off him sent waves of jealousy through you.
Not to mention anger at the fact that he wasn’t doing anything to stop her. When he got back, you were going to wring his neck.
Trusting him was getting harder with Gwen constantly insisting that you dump him.
Honestly, you wondered how that girl even kept a relationship.
When Ben eventually came home, all the entertainment channels were still talking about the two of them and the well-known picture of Jennifer Nocturne kissing him was circulating about. Each time you looked at that image, you wanted to shoot an arrow at the TV.
As time went by, your anger slowly fizzled out. You were unable to maintain your rage at Ben, quickly getting a headache and feeling tired of trying to maintain negative emotions. Even then, you couldn't push down the uneasy feeling in your heart that seized your stomach.
You kept expecting a text message from Ben, an apology call but as the night proceeded you understood that he was having way too much fun with another woman to even think about how you must be feeling.
The thought of that made you want to go back home and crawl underneath the covers, hiding away from the rest of the world.
But Gwen was persistent and any time you tried to wiggle away from the pair of them and go home, she insisted that you stay and make sure Ben knew how upset he made you tonight.
You were more than happy to give your boyfriend the cold shoulder until he apologized rather than have to confront him. That was just how your relationship with Ben worked. Neither of you were the type to lose your tempers and yell and scream at each other.
Although you were worried what would come out of this. Would you be able to peacefully discuss your feelings and then come to some sort of conclusion civilly? Seems too good to be true honestly.
Even then you waited until Ben came home, listening to Gwen and Kevin about how you should rip the band aid off and get everything off your chest rather than ignore him for a couple of days until the two of you got bored.
Usually, the latter would work but you had an inkling that it wouldn't be the solution for this particular argument because if you didn't communicate your emotions then he would never know how you felt about it.
So, even though your stomach filled with anxiety and sadness as the hours passed, you still didn't leave, determined to talk to him about it.
Your jaw was clenched tight when he finally did come back home, utterly relaxed and even happy like he wasn't just curled up against some Hollywood starlet while his girlfriend was watching it on E!
"I'm really upset with you." You ground out when Kevin and Gwen left, not knowing how else to start the conversation.
"What for?"
You didn't reply, picking up the remote and flicking to a gossip channel, then a news channel, then an interview show and all of them had the picture of Ben Tennyson and Jennifer Nocturne locking lips.
Ben winced, "She kissed me! I didn't even return it."
You still refused to look at you, crossing your arms aggressively, "Uh huh and what was today all about?"
"It's just publicity. Jennifer thinks that it'll help with my career."
You scoffed, "What career?"
Ben's back tensed up and he turned to give you a stiff expression, "I'm a superhero. I've saved the universe a thousand times and now that I'm finally getting recognition for it, you want to be petty?"
"Petty? You think I'm being petty? Well forgive me for getting upset after watching my boyfriend curl up to some other woman in a hot tub for the last five hours!" You bit, standing up from the couch.
"It wasn't like that! Stop blowing everything out of proportion!"
"No, you stop pretending like this isn't a big deal! Ever since your secret got out you've been acting like an ass and since meeting that blonde rat it's only gone through your head more!" You shouted, clenching your hands at your sides. How could he not see your side of this?
"Well shouldn't I get to enjoy my life once in a while?! I'm the one saving the planet constantly! I'm the one with constant death threats and near death experiences every other week! Shouldn't I get some attention for it?! God knows I don't get any from you!" He yelled back and you grit your teeth.
"Don't forget that while you were out there risking your life, we were right beside you!"
"Oh, so that's what it is, you're jealous that everyone thinks of you as the sidekick!"
"That is so NOT what this is about!"
"Oh really? Because it sounds like you're jealous because you're not getting attention by mooching off of me!"
Your eyes widened in shock. Mooching? Did he seriously think that you risked your life alongside him every day to help other people and more importantly, keep him safe, for attention?
Your body trembled, outraged and you didn't say another word, leaving his house in a rush and slamming the door behind you.
You needed something to hit.
***
Your body pumped with adrenaline and anger, muscles itching to be used as you sauntered through the old and run-down factory with reckless abandon. You briefly wondered whether you should've told Gwen or Kevin you were going there but then decided against it, pride and anger too great.
Any doubts or hesitation you had disappeared when you saw Vulkanus, standing tall and broad in his metal suit. And as per usual, he had his herd of minions doing his physical labour.
"If it isn't the Plumber's sweetheart." He drawled once he noticed you. You didn't bother with the stealth, leaving the door wide open behind you and letting the sunlight seep in. If he knew what was good for him, then this would be over quick.
"Hello Vulkanus." You greeted politely and he rolled his eyes. Of all people, he knew just how misleading your innocence was.
"Where's the cavalry?"
"Just me today." You answered and for a second you were confused by your own confidence. Maybe you were taking this just a little too easy. Oh well, that was another thing you could blame your pig-headed boyfriend for.
"Well then, this is going to be easier than I thought. Hope you said goodbye to your boyfriend, sweetheart." He rasped out and the corner of your mouth twitched into a smirk. Without another word, you raised your arms, feeling the familiar heat of fire in the palm of your hand before chucking it at him.
Just as you knew he would, he sent his minions towards you first. They were embarrassingly unskilled but the problem came in numbers. They swarmed around you like ants and you felt yourself getting irritated at the clicking sound they were making.
Unfortunately for Vulkanus his make-shift factory was right beside a dam which gave you an endless supply of the elements to work with.
Summoning all the water you could manoeuvre, you pulled it into the factory, shattering the windows along with it and flooding the room. It only took a few flicks of your wrist to create a whirlpool in the centre, knocking all the workers off their feet.
You stiffened your hands, curling in your fingers and the temperature dropped, the water solidifying with each second until all of them were encased in ice. Another flick of the wrist had the path clearing between you and Vulkanus, who was still warm.
"You-You're sparing me?" He asked, confused and a dry laugh left you.
"Not at all," You sang, eyes turning dark, "I'm giving you special treatment."
Vulkanus bounded towards you, holding his mallet high and you swiftly dodged, using water on the floor to slide quickly. He crashed into the engine of one of his machines, the fuel tank exploding and spewing fowl smelling petrol onto the floor.
It floated above the level of water and began surrounding both of you.
He once again came at you, letting out a roar and you used the water to sink through the crevices of his suit, freezing it from within and you heard the satisfying sound of his suit cracking.
Just a little more strength and forcing a gust of air through the cracks had it falling apart and his frail body fell out of its metal encasing.
"You'll pay for this! You big bully!"
"Thanks for the fun time today, Vulkanus." You smiled, strutting to the door just as confidently as you came in. Even though your body was burning from the workout and you could barely breathe, you still couldn't get over the high.
Before leaving the building, you turned around to see him still glaring at you from his place on the floor.
"Oh, I should probably free your minions, right?" You commented, eyes flickering between the ones still encased in ice and the floor that was still flooded with water and petrol.
You let out a fake sigh, "I guess I'll be nice today," You winked at Vulkanus, "Thanks for the playdate, sweetheart."
His eyes widened when you blew a kiss to him, watching in fear as you ignited a flare in your palm and blew it towards him before turning around and using the wind to slam the doors behind you. When you were just a few feet away you heard the place blow apart.
Slowly, the adrenaline began melting and the blood rushing through your ears was much more audible. You were panting, tired from the exercise and the thought of calling Kevin to come and pick you up. Or maybe even Ben. You were calm enough now to have a conversation with him.
When you pulled your phone out of your pocket you felt a hand on your shoulder and spun around to meet eyes with Captain Nemesis. For a brief second you were wondering if he was here to invite you to some inane party or even to tell you that Ben was at one.
Although you hardly looked the part, you were sweating and your face was probably red and blotchy.
"Can I help you?" You asked, taking a step back, he was a little too close to you and the look in his eye freaked you out.
"As a matter of fact, you can." He said, "You see I'm arranging a little stunt for Ben Tennyson. An opportunity if you will, to showcase some of his heroism."
You rolled your eyes, turning away from him. The last thing you wanted to do was feed Ben's ego at the moment.
"With all due respect, I don't really think I'm up for a damsel in distress routine right now, Captain, I'd rather just get home. And If you take another step towards me, I'll kick you where the sun doesn't shine." You snapped and he backed off obediently, raising his hands in a form of surrender.
"That's too bad." He mused and you turned away from him, intent on walking back home or even calling a cab. Anything to get away from this creep faster.
"Too bad you don't really have a choice."
You felt his hand on your bare shoulder again but before you could even react you felt volts of electricity rush through you. You gasped painfully, feeling fire through your veins before everything started to hurt.
White burned in your vision and colours started to blur together as your eyes filled with tears. Your body crumbled, falling forward and Captain Nemesis caught you.
Right before your consciousness slipped away you heard him say something.
"For your sake, you better hope that Ben Tennyson is as great as those gossip channels make him out to be."
***
When you felt yourself regaining consciousness, you could feel your weight pulling down and also couldn't feel the ground. This had your eyes snapping open, regardless of how dizzy you were and how many dots were in your vision.
You hazily made out the venue, Nemesis Tower, before recognize the blonde woman tied up beside you. It didn't take long before you realized she was tied to the other end of the rope, suspended through mid-air just like you.
This was no doubt going to be some sort of deathly choice.
You noticed when Ben came in, turning into Ultimate Humangasaur. He looked furious, like you've never seen him before and you knew it was because Ben was certain he'd teach him a lesson today.
"Where's (Y/N)." He all but growled and your heart soared. You didn't realize how much you missed him until now, everything from before was forgotten.
"Right up there. And so is Jennifer." He replied, still smug despite the way Ben was pining him to the ground by his throat. Ben followed his gaze to meet your eyes and you took a deep breathe, bracing yourself.
A selfish part of you wanted to stay and see what Ben would do, would he save you even though Jennifer was a civilian and world famous?
Even then you figured that you shouldn't risk anyone's life for petty jealousy, so you took a deep breath, blowing it out through your mouth and watching as a gust of wind blew past, the pressure making you swing.
You swung a few feet back, letting your body fall a little before blowing again. Once you gained enough momentum, you looked up to the rope tying the two of you together and spitting fire at it, falling at an angle. You briefly heard Jennifer scream and revelled in her karma for a hot second.
On your way down, you quickly burnt off the rest of the ropes, bringing a pool of water to crystallize into a makeshift slide as you slide on your knees across the floor, just in time to catch Jennifer in your arms.
Your knees stung as they scraped across the concrete and the wind was knocked out of you when the woman fell into your form.
She gasped and her eyes that was screwed shut gently fluttered open. Up close you could understand why everyone was in love with her. Even then you couldn't spare her any concern.
You quickly pushed her out of your arms, noticing Gwen and Kevin staring at you in awe when you stood up. You cracked your knuckles, making your way over to the older man with a scowl.
"For your sake, you better hope that I'm just as weak as you think I am. Spoiler alert, I'm not."
Ben spared a small smile at you but you couldn't feel anything aside from hot fury. You felt water surge beneath your fingers and threw it at him, pulling up a wall of earth to block his blasts.
Your boyfriend immediately began fighting alongside you and your bodies fell into a familiar rhythm. Even though there was a crazed narcissist trying to kill you, you felt safe beside Ben.
It wasn't long before the four of you managed to overpower him, rendering his armour useless until he was defeated, lying pathetically on the ground.
You walked up to him and your lips twisted into an unimpressed frown when you noticed the way he had the audacity to glare at you. Without a second word, you raised your leg and kicked him right between the legs.
"I always keep my promises, Captain."
Kevin began laughing behind you and Ben cringed.
Finally, when you turned to meet Ben, now de-transformed, all the fight left your body and you relaxed. He looked apologetic and you let him approach you.
His arms wrapped around your waist and you leaned into him, breathing the familiar scent of his deodorant and snaking your arms under his jacket to fist his T-shirt.
He sighed into your hair, arms tightening around your body, "I'm sorry. For being an ass to you and saying all those horrible things, I was being an idiot and you deserve an apology."
You didn't move, not pulling away from the way your forehead was pressed against the length of his neck, "Thank you for coming to save me."
"Didn't look like you needed much help." He chuckled and you felt happy hearing the pride in his voice.
"I missed you." You murmured, holding him a little tighter and he turned his head to kiss your forehead gently. And just like that, everything was right in the world. Just as long as you were in each other's arms.
"I love you."
You heard the click of a camera and your head snapped up to see a herd of cameramen and reporters along with a couple of police cars. Ben laughed nervously beside you, "I guess we won't have to worry about another actress coming between us."
You gave him an unimpressed frown and he just smiled, leaning to peck your lips and you heard the crowd of reporters’ gasp and heard the shutters of cameras before they began shouting questions at you.
You pulled away from him when you saw Jennifer Nocturne make her way towards you. You figured she wanted to snuggle up to Ben now that the cameras were filming.
Instead, she walked right up to you, hugging you tightly and your arms flailed pathetically beside her, unsure of what to do, "You saved my life! I don't know how to thank you!"
She pulled away for just a second before pressing a kiss to your lips. Your eyes widened in alarm and the shutters began once again and flashes practically blinded you.
"Huh, so that's what that feels like." Ben murmured when she pulled away from you. Kevin was smirking beside him, satisfied that he got a taste of his own medicine and Gwen was just in shock.
Ben felt his stomach turn at the sight of Jennifer’s lipstick on your mouth and you were unsure whether you should feel repulsed or cocky.
But as you wiped the pigment off your lips and curled back into Ben's side you couldn't feel anything other than your burning muscles and your drooping eyelids.
You squinted because of the bright lights, feeling a headache grow as the exhaustion from before crept up on you again. After 2 fights and a kidnapping today, there was nothing more you wanted than a nap.
"Wanna go home?" Your ever observant boyfriend asked just as the nausea started to kick in. You nodded and he guided you away from the reporters to his car.
He gently placed you into the front seat, shielding your head as you got in to prevent you from hitting it against the hood before buckling your seatbelt, watching carefully as you drifted into a sound sleep.
Ben heard everyone behind him swoon as he lovingly placed a kiss to your knuckles and then climbed into the seat beside you, sparing you one last warm glance before starting the car and driving away.
He'd definitely notice the shy smile on your face when you saw that Ben kissing you was on the front page of a magazine.
And you'd notice the jealous scowl he'd have when he saw that Jennifer kissing you was on the front page of another.
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hikarimiyanaga · 3 years
Text
Loving You (Part 5)
Part 1 I Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4
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Because exams make me stressed. But I did get through some of them. And I think I only have one more to go! So here comes an update!
Warning : Omegaverse. Beta!Reader x Omega!Wanda Maximoff. Curse Words. Mentions of Bullying. Indication of Self-Harm.
Also, just tell me if I need to add more warnings so I can edit as quickly as I can.
Taglist : @mitchiesdungeon / @upsidedowndanvers / @trikruismybitch / @fayhar / @madamevirgo
-
Monday comes and you stretch your body. You were spent yesterday. There was an emergency at the firm, so your Mom and your sisters had to be there. So you spent half of the day cleaning the house with your Ma but then she also had to go because the emergency got bigger so you had to go do all the cleaning and chores by yourself. You also didn’t get to talk to Wanda because your phone was inside your room all day. The morning was a blur and you snap out of your daze when someone talks to you.
“Did I do something wrong?” Wanda asks before you could even go to your locker. You furrow your eyebrows and shake your head.
“What? No.”
“Then why didn’t you talk with me yesterday?” You yawn.
“Do I have to?” Wanda gets taken aback as you push past her. She looks shocked at your question. She thought that things were going well? Did she really do something wrong? She clutches her chest as she goes to her first class. Pietro pushes you away from your locker and you let him. It was like the old times where people just shove you or push you.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you an idiot?” You don’t answer. You just get your book and close your locker. “Y/LN!” He grabs your arm and you have had enough.
You haven’t had enough sleep.
Your body hurts like someone just smashed it with a sledgehammer.
People are suddenly talking to you.
Your own family doesn’t trust you.
Janine just tried to bully you again last week. You had a nightmare about all the things she had done last year.
You got mad so suddenly because people think you’re trying something when you just want a quiet life.
You’re falling faster and you can’t risk it if Wanda is not your soulmate because you knew that if you do fall then that’s it. A one-time deal that you had no say in.
You dread every day that you get older because it’s just a step away in proving to everyone that you won’t get accepted to colleges.
You’re a Beta who doesn’t deserve to live.
Tears fall and you take a deep breath. Pietro lets go and you thank the stars. You don’t need anyone trying something with you today. You were silent as you wipe your tears away while going to your class.
-
“Y/LN.” Natasha calls out during lunch and you sigh. You were inside the library and people still somehow found you. You look up to her and sigh as you pack up your things and get your bag. She drags you outside and you just let her. Will this be the day that the Avengers would finally bully you? You just hope they don’t drag along Wanda… damn it. It’s your fault again. Your stomach falls as Natasha drags you to the cafeteria. Will they publicly humiliate you?
“Natasha! What are you-“ Natasha stops as you both get to their table.
“Explain.” You stop as Wanda hides behind Pietro.
“What?”
“Why are you suddenly being a dick?” Angel holds out her hand for them to stop.
“Why are you wearing a jacket?” You pull down your sleeves to hide your wrists and both Wanda and Angel lunge at you, you try to push them away but Natasha tackles you down. She holds you down as Wanda and Angel look at your wrists. They let go as they gasp. You stop resisting and sigh. Natasha checks and glares at you.
“WHAT THE FUCK!?” She shouts at you and you don’t even flinch. You look at her with blank eyes and she gulps. What the hell happened?
“Get off me.” You mumble and Natasha complies. You get your bag and get the letter that you received yesterday. “Here.” You hold it out to Wanda and she shakily gets it. You stand and try to leave but Angel stops you. Wanda opens it and cries as she reads. She hugs you and gives Angel the letter. You don’t hug her back.
“What the hell!? Who the fuck sent this!?” Angel shouts and Natasha snatches the letter out of her hand. “You fucking assholes!” Pietro holds Angel back as the Avengers read the letter. Their faces get angrier by the second.
“Who the fuc-“
“Does it matter?” Wanda pulls away and you snatch the letter up. “It’s the truth anyways. Hope you had-“ Angel slaps you and you scoff. “Is that-“ Pietro grabs your collar. He snarls at you.
“This isn’t the truth! For fuck’s sake!”
“It is.” You mumble and Wanda grabs your hand. She drags you to the courtyard and pushes you on the bench that you two always hung out on. She straddles you and you immediately feel calm. She whispers comforting words and you can’t help but hug her. You realize your actions while in daze and you can’t help but cry. You whisper your apologies over and over but Wanda just keep shushing you and rubbing your back.
-
You groan as the school bell rings. You went to the nurse and got your wrists bandaged up. You’ve been out of it and only went to classes like a drone.
“You okay?” You nod at Angel and get your things into your bag. It’s a good thing that your hand just wrote notes automatically since you knew that nothing got inside your head. “Let’s start tomorrow, okay? Rest up.”
“Thanks.” You mumble as you get out of your last class. You realize that two people were waiting for you and Angel.
“Hey, babe.” Angel greets and Natasha smiles as they hold hands. They kiss and Angel turns to you. “Bye, Y/N, Wanda.”
“Bye.” You both say and wave at them as they leave. You sigh as you face her.
“Wanda. I’m really sorr-“ She hugs you and you hug her back.
“Don’t be. Just.” She pulls away and flicks your forehead. “Tell me next time.”
“About?”
“The letter and the thoughts.” You nod and sigh. You both walk outside.
“It’s just.” You sigh as you run a hand along your hair. “My thoughts got out of hand and there was just no one else in the house.” You clench your fists. “They spiraled before I noticed.” Wanda holds your hand and you calm down.
“That’s why tell me. I’ll run to you if you ever have them.”
“Why?” She smiles and pulls you closer to her.
“Because I meant what I said. I don’t think I could live without you.” You kiss her and she kisses you back.
“Aren’t we moving too fast? We just met a month ago.” She chuckles and pulls away.
“Maybe. But I don’t care.” She intertwines her hand to yours. “This feels right. You feel right.” You smile at her words.
“I love you.” Wanda’s heart beat faster and you smirk as she blushes. “I love how your hand fits with mine. How your scent calms me down. How kissing you feels like I’m on cloud nine.”
“Sweet talker.” She kisses you.
“No. Just being honest.”
-
You go to school next day with your bandaged wrists exposed and you feel everyone stare at them. You go to Wanda’s locker.
“Hey.” She smiles at you and closes her locker. She takes your hand and you kiss her.
“You’re not covering them.” You hum as you both go to your locker.
“Mom and Ma got angry which is why I’m going to Therapy later. Sorry I can’t meet with you.” She shakes her head as you take your books.
“Your emotional health takes priority.” You pout as you close your locker.
“But you’re my cure.” She pushes you away and you chuckle.
“Shut up.” She mumbles as you take her hand.
“Y/N? No jacket?” Angel asks as she, Natasha, Steve, Bucky and Pietro approach you two.
“Nope.” You show them your wrist and shrugs. “Why bother?” Angel smiles. “By the way, can we start on Thursday for the project? I have a session today and a date tomorrow.”
“Oh? So it’s official now? You two are dating?”
“Oh. They are if they’re not then I’m going to beat up Y/N.” You chuckle as Wanda rolls her eyes.
“You’re only older by twelve minutes, Pietro, don’t push it.”
“Older is older, Wanda.” You laugh as you all get to class.
-
Lunch comes and Wanda picks you up from your classroom. You both go to the cafeteria.
“Finally eating like normal people?” Angel asks as you and Wanda sit on their table.
“We do eat.”
“Sandwiches and juice. The cafeteria offers much more.” You shrug as you eat.
“Convenient is convenient.” Angel shakes her head at you.
“Y/LN.” Tony calls out and you look at him.
“What’s up?”
“Sorry for being sexist assholes.” You stop and so does everyone else around you. They wait with bated breath. “We judged before we even knew you.” You smile at him and before you could even reply, Natasha says something first.
“Sorry for getting jealous. I don’t like it when anyone else asks for Angel’s number.” You chuckle and nod.
“Thank you for apologizing.” Tony holds out his hand and you accept it.
-
“Y/N!” Alsie calls out from her car and you turn to Wanda.
“That’s my ride. See you tomorrow?” She nods and you kiss her.
“I love you.” You grin.
“I love you too.”
-
“So what do you think was the cause?”
“Two phrases. It was ‘always your fault’… and-“ You mumble the last part and your therapist, Dr. Martin lean towards you.
“Y/N. Speak up, I’m af-“ You cut her off.
“Wanda is just pretending.”
“And you believed it?” You laugh.
“Yes. That’s why I was in a daze. I believed every line and every word.”
“Why is that?” You sigh.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Everything that was happening.” You take a deep breath. “People were being nice to me. My sisters suddenly visited. My mom and ma started getting interested in my life… I guess everything was changing and I didn’t want to believe it.”
“Or rather you were afraid of it.”
“Yes.”
“I know changes are a scary thing but they are inevitable. You have all these happenings, what do you think is the root of them?”
“Wanda.”
“Who?”
“Well, she’s-“ You take a deep breath. “I think I’m falling for her.”
“Think?” You shake your head.
“I already am.” Linda smiles and you sigh. “I just- I think it’s too fast. Everything that’s happening.”
“And why is that?”
“I’m just a Beta! I don’t deserve-“
“And that’s why you’re so afraid. You’re second gender.” You nod.
“It’s the reason why I got bullied. Why teachers are ignoring me. Why people avoid me.”
“Why you also got disconnected with your own family.”
“Yes. I believed that I deserved everything because of something that I cannot control.”
“It’s good that you do remember our past sessions.” You chuckle.
“Things are changing and I have to accept them for what they are.”
“Yes. And you’re second gender?”
“Is something I did not choose nor should be ashamed of.”
-
“How’d it go?” Alsie asks as you stretch your body after leaving Dr. Martin’s office.
“Good.” Alsie nods then stands.
“Where’s the letter?”
“Why? What do you need it for?”
“Things.”
“You’re going to find who wrote it, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” You comply and give her the letter.
“Tell me who it is before you destroy their life, will you?”
“Why?”
“I might want to get in a punch or two.” Alsie grins and nods. You both get out and go home.
-
You go to school the next day and stretch as you walk down the hallways. You see Wanda and smile as you approach her.
“Hey, gorgeous, good morning.” “Morning.” She yawns and you take her hand.
“Is something wrong?”
“Just tired.” Pietro chuckles as he approaches you two. “Mom made her clean our garage all night.” You raise an eyebrow at him.
“Why?”
“She was caught sneaking out.”
“For what?”
“You. I wanted to see you.” You grin and kiss her.
“You could’ve just video call me.” She pouts.
“That’s not the same.” You laugh.
“I guess not.”
-
You hum as you sit on the bench. You just finished your date with Wanda and you were both on a stroll around the park. Wanda straddles you. You hug her and she hums.
“Don’t you have curfew today?” She frowns at you.
“Do you want me to leave?” You shake your head.
“Of course not, but I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to be a bad influence.” You kiss her. “When I meet your parents, I want them to know my intentions with you.”
“What intentions?” You hum.
“That’s for them to know and for you to find out.” She pouts and you chuckle.
-
You yawn as you and Angel hover your laptop. You were at the cafeteria with the Avengers. You’ve brought your laptop for the day so you two could start the project. Both Wanda and Natasha are fuming with your and Angel’s closeness but you just ignore them. This project costs about quarter of your grade in an AP class. Both you and Angel love them. Really. But priorities need to be put first.
“You two are serious about that project, huh?”
“Quarter of overall grade.” “AP Class.” You both answer and Natasha sighs. Wanda holds your hand and you look at her.
“What’s up?” She shakes her head and you give her a small smile.
“Just wanted to.” You chuckle and kiss her hand. You spend the whole lunch holding her hand whilst paying attention to Angel and making plans for the project. “Y/N.” She calls out and you look at her. She was holding up your meal’s spoon with food on it. “You need to eat.” You sigh and nod. You accept the food and hum. She smiles as you finish it. You kiss her cheek and get back to Angel. She eats her own food as she makes random patterns on your palm.
-
You groan as you and Angel spend your last class, just researching for the project.
“Miss Wanda that much?” You glare at her and she snickers.
“Shut up.” You grumble and focus on your research.
-
“That was good.” You hum as you pack up your things and laptop.
“We’re already halfway done.” You both get out and both Natasha and Wanda were waiting for you two. And you flinch as Natasha approaches you.
“Y/LN. Here.” She gives you a book and you look at it.
“Wha-“
“An apology for the last time. I got jealous and was immature. I should’ve trusted you and Angel more.” You sigh.
“You should.” You cross your arms. “She’s your soulmate, woman.” She groans.
“I know. My instinct just told me that you were a threat.”
“Why? I’m only a Beta.” Wanda hits you softly and you smile at her. “Besides.” You take Wanda’s hand and kiss it. “I only have eyes for her.”
“Okay. We get it.” Angel gets Natasha’s hand. “You two are running for the cutest couple.”
“I’m pretty sure you two won that last year.”
“Well now, we have serious competition.” Angel smiles and she holds up her hand. You slap it with yours. You both laugh. “See you tomorrow, Y/N.”
“See you too, Gel!” She and Natasha waves at you and Wanda before leaving. Wanda holds in her laughter and you turn to her.
“Gel?” You scoff at her as you two walk together.
“It’s a nickname!”
-
“What’s that?” You hum and raise an eyebrow at Alsie. It was already Saturday before you knew it and you had a date with Wanda tomorrow since she was busy today. “New book? That’s not your usual genre.”
“You mean her usual documentary, mystery or thriller?” You glare at Valerie who smirks. You sigh as you keep reading.
“Someone gave it to me.” Your two sisters look at each other and they both hum.
“Wanda?” You shake your head and they get taken aback. You had more friends?
“Then who?”
“Romanoff.”
“Natasha? You’re friends with Natasha Romanoff.” You nod and they gasp. You close your book and glare at them.
“WHAT?” They get up in front of your face and you shield yourself with the book. They barrage you with questions and your eye kept twitching as you get more annoyed. The hell is wrong with them? “Stop!” They both back off as you glare at them. “What’s with you two?”
“You know her parents?” You raise an eyebrow as you nod.
“They just switched to our firm last week.” Oh.
“The emergency?” They nod. Alsie gets up and Valerie nods at her.
“They were the reason why we were all needed there.”
“Even Ma?”
“Ma was there to calm the employees down.”
“Ah.” Alsie comes back and holds out a brown folder to you. It says Romanoff Airlines on the side and you take it. “This is?”
“Open it and read it.” You nod and Alsie turns on the TV.
Romanoff Airlines. Opened in 1956 and has been one of the Pioneer Airlines in both Europe and America. This is because of their partnership with Stark Industries who provide the latest technology to Air Transportation through them.
Current Owners: Melina Vostokoff and Alexei Shostakov. Both are Russians and ex-spouses. Although they are divorced, they still live together with their two children.
Heirs: Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. Both are adopted and have decided to take their biological parents’ surnames but are still living in America and with their adoptive parents.
Natasha Romanoff. Currently attending high school. Can speak many languages (Exact number was not extracted), is friends with Tony Stark, Vision Stark and many others. Is a helper of martial arts clubs. Martial Arts Expert. Is a gifted student, passing all of her classes with flying colors. Decided not to take any AP Classes because it was ‘time consuming’.
Yelena Belova. Currently attending middle school. Can speak many languages. Martial Arts Expert. Gymnast. Gold Medalist.
You read everything before closing it.
“You okay?”
“Why switch to our firm?”
“Apparently because their previous firm was shady and we were recommended by Natasha.”
“Did you ask her why?”
“Yep. She just said that we know why.” Their words click inside your head and you look shocked.
“Me?”
“Most likely.”
“Huh.” You give the folder back to Alsie and hum.
“You good?”
“Yep.” You say as you open your book and continue reading.
A/N:
Because Angst makes me feel things.
I don't think I would ever write a series without an ounce of angst.
Thank you for Reading!
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nuttynutcycle · 3 years
Text
Movie Night
Part Two here
"Is this a Star Wars or Star Trek night?"
Villain glanced back and forth between the two titles, conflicted.
"My gut says Star Wars." Hero answered. They split the popcorn into separate bowls and brought them over to where Villain was sitting. Hero took Empire Strikes Back and began the setup. A sound of rustling papers came from behind them.
"Lion King."
"Nope." Hero replied over their shoulder. They heard Villain scribble something down.
"Thirteen going on Thirty."
Hero considered lying, but didn't feel like going through the cross-examination. "Also nope."
"Sharknado."
"That can't be a real thing." Movie ready, they took a seat beside Villain on the couch. "How many are on your must-see list for me now?"
Villain double-checked their worn notebook. "Around 70."
One movie a night - that was going to take months to get through. Time spent away from keeping people safe. And if the current evening death toll kept up… Hero did the math and paled.
Seeing the look on their face, Villain took a fistful of popcorn from Hero's bowl. “A shame you didn't spend more of your past watching famous movies. Calm down; you're well on your way to interacting in society without making a fool of yourself."
"Ah yes, because Star Wars references are incredibly useful in saving lives." Hero snapped. Honestly, they didn't see the appeal behind the franchise. What kind of antagonist's main intimidation tactic was breathing loudly? Who wears a cape in space? Plus, Hero still wasn't sure who had shot first in A New Hope.
To be fair, they would have enjoyed the movie a lot more without the terrified sobbing coming from the corner.
Blindfolded, gagged and restrained with earplugs, the civilians were never aware of their purpose. Every night a new one would be taken and, if Hero behaved, released when the movie was over.
The first time Villain showed up on their doorstep with a hostage, Hero had leapt to free the shaking young woman. Villain broke her arm in retaliation without blinking an eye.
After a few weeks, Hero had gotten somewhat used to the terrified leverage Villain held over them. If anything, the civilian would be safe for the evening while Hero was out of commission. Whoever was paying Villain to keep Hero 'entertained' excelled at spreading the news of Hero's newfound break time to the rest of the underground. Crime and death rates skyrocketed during those evening hours. Watching the reports later was always the worst part of Hero's guilt-ridden mornings.
"I'll try to grab a quieter one next time. This is really putting a damper on the experience." Villain turned their head to glare at the oblivious civilian.
"Not like it will make this movie any worse. I can feel it lowering my IQ." Better to aim the angry villain at themselves. They knew from experience how much Villain adored movies and the brutal reaction to criticism.
Malice emanated from the Villain as they leaned back with a calculating tilt of their head.
"Darth Vader is Luke's father and Leia is his twin sister."
"… real mature revenge. Thanks for spoiling the trilogy for me, dickhead."
Villain grinned, the tension defusing. "I feel like I just deflowered you in some way. How does it feel to be spoiled?"
"Shut up." Hero grumbled, turning their attention back to the movie. Excluding the civilian's sobbing and Villain's hysterical laughter during Luke and Leia's kiss, the rest of the film passed quickly. Hero even found themselves getting lost in scenes before a siren would go by. They'd grit their teeth and try to ignore Villain patting their shoulder in mock comfort.
Once the movie ended, Villain handed the hostage off to their lackey waiting outside the house and paused. Turning back to face Hero, Villain closed the door behind them. "This Thursday, we're doing a full day of Disney. You're running low on popcorn, make sure you pick some up tomorrow."
Hero froze. Their blood ran cold at the words, at the thought of what could be accomplished in that time. "What’s your boss planning?" they asked quietly.
"She's gotten tired of holding back." An excited, almost manic gleam entered Villain's eyes. "Don't worry, I think you'll love what we do with the city."
Pure fury at the Villain and their own helplessness took over. Hostage forgotten, they lunged for Villain. They managed to crack one hit before invisible hands gripped and slammed them against the wall.
"Don't do anything stupid." Villain warned. They rubbed the spot Hero had struck them, a sharp shiner rising. "Against my better judgement, I've grown fond of our movie nights. I would hate for you to be distracted from Return of the Jedi by human remains all over your couch."
The hands on Hero tightened, and breathing suddenly shot to the top of their priority list. They fought for air. "Why… why are you telling me about Thursday?"
"Who knows? Maybe I like making threats. Reminding you of the position you're in. Maybe I like how you look when you're angry." Villain straightened their clothes and let Hero drop, satisfied with their point made. "Or maybe, like I said earlier, it's the popcorn. Seriously. Get some of that popcorn salt too."
Hero gasped for breath from their place on the floor. "Anything else I should get? Before the big day?"
Villain laughed, kneeling beside them. "I'm not that easy, Hero. You won't get any information out of me. Let's just say I'm very excited." They lifted Hero's chin, probing Hero with a piercing gaze. "Are you going to cooperate?"
After some hesitation on Hero's part, they nodded.
"See, I told her you would behave. Nice to know you're still predictable." They stood, giving a mocking smile before leaving Hero's house for the night.
Clenching their fists, Hero marched over to the couch and searched it for any bugs Villain might have concealed. The same process was repeated for the rest of the room. Satisfied, Hero sat and placed their head in their hands. 24 hours for the criminals to do whatever they wanted in the city… Hero shuddered at the thought.
Their situation was not, as Villain assumed, completely binding of Hero's ability to do their job. It just made it impossible to do without loss.
"911, what is your emergency?"
"Hero is going to be out of commission on Thursday. You need to call in heroes from other cities. The criminal underground is preparing -"
The operator interrupted. "Slow down. How do you know this?"
Hero took a deep breath. What good is a hero with no one to protect?
When it came down to it, they chose people over their secret identity every time.
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taizi · 3 years
Text
a little room to grow
@natsumeweek 2021 day 5; freedom/possession
read on ao3
(previous part)
x
Hinata takes one look at them and says, “Holy shit. Get in here, Natoris.”
So they must look pretty bad, then. 
Takashi is uncharacteristically quiet, going right to the sofa and gathering Hinata’s cat up in his arms. 
Hinata watches him for a moment, turns and stares directly into Shuuichi’s face, and then heads into the kitchen to snatch up a takeout menu that she keeps permanently stuck to the front of her fridge under a huge Cinnamoroll magnet.
“Sit,” Hinata says with a jerk of her chin towards the table. She tucks her cellphone between her shoulder and her ear and unfolds the paper menu with a business-like snap. “I’m ordering enough junk food for all three of us, and then you’re going to tell me why you look like that.”
Shuuichi sits. 
Hinata lives with her single mother, who works thirds, and her aunt, who doesn’t work but often has somewhere else to be. It’s unlikely either of them are going to make an appearance tonight.
The TV is on in the living room, playing what sounds like Sailor Moon. Takashi is watching it just because it’s already on, but he’s slowly becoming more invested the longer he sits there—Shuichi can tell from the way his hand on the little cat in his lap slows its petting, the way his round brown eyes become fixed on the screen. The sounds of traffic and rain outside are muted, the outside world hardly existing past what little pieces of it make it through the open window in the kitchen. 
It’s peaceful here. It’s almost home, even.
Hinata puts the phone down, sits across from Shuuichi, and crosses her arms on top of the table. Her silence is expectant.
Shuuichi says, “I don’t think I’m going to university.”
His friend inclines her head, an invitation to go on. 
“The university my father wants me to go to is almost an hour away from here,” Shuuichi says, clenching his fists. “And it wouldn’t be possible for Takashi to transfer there, because someone in the school district administration is a cousin of his or something. Word got around about his behavior, and they don’t think he’d be a good addition to their student body.”
“Takashi’s relatives haven’t had anything to do with him since he was five,” Hinata says hotly. “What the hell do they know about his behavior? He’d be the best thing to happen to that school in the last hundred years.”
Shuuichi, who completely agrees with her, says, “You’re biased.”
“I’m right.” She taps her fingers anxiously against the table. “Let me guess, your dad—”
“Doesn’t see the problem. Told me I was going anyway.” Shuuichi barks a tense, humorless laugh, sitting back and pushing a hand through his hair. “Could you imagine? Me, leaving Takashi in that house, with those people? With no one but ghosts to talk to?”
It was inevitable that Hinata would find out about Shuuichi and his brother’s ‘gift,’ given how much time they spend together and all the odd things Takashi says on a daily basis. The most remarkable thing to come of the ultimate reveal was the solid three months she spent relentlessly trying to bribe, coerce and blackmail Shuuichi into using his paper magic to send her notes during school hours, because they were put in different classes in their third year. 
Now, she frowns deeply, and says, “No. That won’t do. So what’s the plan?” 
“I’m working on it,” Shuuichi replies. 
“I would be okay,” Takashi pipes up. Shuuichi looks up to find his little brother standing by the table with wide, grave eyes. He’s tugging anxiously at the cuffs of his sleeves. The worry on his face doesn’t belong there. It doesn’t fit someone his age. “If you had to go.”
Shuuichi pushes his chair back and lifts his arm. Takashi rounds the table and allows himself to be tucked against Shuuichi’s side snugly. 
“Maybe you would, but I wouldn’t,” Shuuichi says. “I’d miss bugging you too much.”
“I mean it,” Takashi says stubbornly. “I don’t want you to get yelled at anymore.”
“I mean it, too,” Shuuichi replies. “Dad can yell all he wants. You’re stuck with me, squirt.”
Saying it out loud settles something anxious that’s been rattling around in his chest. Knowing what he has to do makes it easier to focus on the steps that come next. For now, he tilts to the side so that he can rest enough of his weight on his little brother that he starts to sag underneath it.
“Nii-san! Stop, you’re heavy!”
“What was that?” Shuuichi says loudly, tilting farther, half out of his chair at this point. “I’m heavy? Is that what you said?”
The doorbell rings, and Hinata says, “No no, I’ll get it, don’t let me interrupt your intricate bonding rituals,” which is a cue that they should stop messing around and go help her carry in the frankly staggering amount of takeout bags a weary-looking delivery boy is wielding on the porch. 
“Munchkin, will you get some glasses and the iced tea?” Hinata asks. “Let’s eat in front of the TV like slobs.”
Takashi slides back into the kitchen, skidding a little too far in his socks and knocking the paper towels off the counter, and Shuuichi snorts. It feels like the first time he’s smiled in a year. 
Hinata touches his arm. “Hey,” she says seriously. “I’m going to visit Isamu on Thursday, and I’m staying for about a week. You two should come with. Stop thinking about all this stuff for a bit and give yourself a break.”
“I don’t want to bother you guys—”
“Try not to be an idiot for once in your life,” Hinata says with an exaggerated air of total exhaustion. “You know it wouldn’t be a bother. Besides, Isamu has a little sister Takashi’s age, and she’s into all kinds of weird stuff. They’d probably get along like a house on fire.”
Shuuichi thinks a week in the country sounds pretty good, actually. He’s mulling it over when Takashi comes running; with a stack of colorful plastic glasses in one hand, a pitcher of tea in the other, and a box of Koala March tucked into the crook of his elbow.
“Can I have these, nee-san?” he asks brightly. He looks nine years old again instead of ninety, all that worry from earlier finally unseated. 
“Oh, I guess,” Hinata says with deep reluctance, as if she didn’t buy them specifically for Takashi in the first place. She doesn’t even like chocolate. “Dinner first, though! Put those koalas where I can see them!”
She cares about Takashi like it’s effortless. Like it just makes sense to make space for him in her home and keep his favorite snacks in her kitchen. Considering the place they came here from, it disarms Shuuichi completely.
“We’ll go with you,” he says without thinking.
“Of course you will,” Hinata replies immediately. “I was only asking to be polite. Now eat your food.”
And that’s how they wind up in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto, of all places. It’s unmistakably beautiful but Shuuichi only gets a brief moment to appreciate the scenery before Hinata is dragging him—and by extension, Takashi—out of the station to the street outside, where a familiar face is waiting. 
She releases Shuuichi in order to fling herself bodily at Isamu, who doesn’t so much as bat an eye. Hinata is much taller than her boyfriend, which Shuuichi thinks is just typical of Hinata, but Isamu doesn’t care. She could be seventeen feet tall and weigh a thousand pounds and he would still find a way to hold her. 
“Hey,” he says over her shoulder, lifting one hand to wave at the Natoris. “Hug train is pulling out of the station, get yours before it’s gone.”
Laughing, Shuuichi says, “I’m good. Takashi?”
“No, thank you,” Takashi says politely.
“Your loss.” Hinata sniffs, and busies herself with picking up the bags she’d flung to the ground. “Is your sister at home?”
“Mhm,” Isamu says, taking one of Takashi’s bags and slinging it over his own shoulder. “She’s shy. I’m amazed she agreed to meet you guys at all. Bribery was involved.”
Takashi shuffles, glancing sideways at Shuuichi. 
“I’ll bet you two-thousand yen that you’re best friends by the end of the day,” Shuuichi says at once, to make the situation a win-win. That always works.
Sure enough, Takashi holds out his hand. “Deal.”
They shake on it solemnly. 
Isamu gives Shuuichi a deeply approving look and says, “I’ll have to remember that one.”
Tooru and Takashi are actually best friends within about an hour and a half. 
Once the Natoris have been settled into a large guest room and wandered around on a cheap tour of the estate, and Hinata has dumped all of her stuff in her boyfriend’s bedroom, Isamu drags Tooru out of hiding to eat a late lunch with them. 
Tooru shuffles into the chair across from Takashi and makes her polite introduction, and then mumbles that she only has a couple of friends so she isn’t sure what they ought to talk about. Takashi blithely replies that he doesn’t have any friends, because he can see yokai and people tend to think that’s strange. Shuuichi and Hinata are both frozen, holding their chopsticks halfway to their mouths as they wait to see which way this is going to go, but Isamu just takes an unhurried sip of tea.
And then Tooru lunges across the table to seize Takashi’s hands, shouting, “You can see yokai? You have to come meet my grandpa!” and all but drags him out of the kitchen, their lunches left untouched. 
“You might never get your brother back,” Isamu says mildly. “That’s okay, there’s enough space here for two little weirdos.”
“So you believe in ghosts now?” Hinata demands. 
“I don’t believe in things I can’t see for myself,” Isamu replies. He waits a beat, rolling a thought around in his head like a marble, and then adds reluctantly, “But if three people I trust can see them, maybe that’s just as good. I already apologized to gramps for thinking he was just a delusional old man.”
“You did not say that to your grandpa,” Shuuichi says, horrified. 
“I didn’t say it, I just said I was sorry for thinking it.” Isamu sits back in his chair, frowning at his plate. “Tooru never needed any proof. She believes him just because she loves him. I think there’s value in that. Figured I’d give it a try.”
When Shuuichi tracks the kids down later, they’ve multiplied. Sasago and Urihime are supervising as Tooru, Takashi, and two little boys of a similar age chase each other around the garden, a half-dozen little yokai running underfoot. 
Takashi spots him and brightens, breaking away from the game to jump up onto the porch and slam into Shuuichi’s side. Shuuichi ruffles his hair, because it’s already a windswept mess, and it makes Takashi wrinkle his nose in annoyance. 
“Taki-ojisan wasn’t feeling well, so he’s taking a nap,” Takashi explains. He’s flushed from the sun and grass-stained. “We had fun, though. All of his yokai friends had lots of things they wanted to say to him so we played telephone. Mostly they were teasing him, which didn’t seem very nice, but it made oji-san laugh a lot.”
“And who are those two?” Shuuichi asks, nodding at the unfamiliar boys. 
“Tooru’s friends from school. They were coming by to see if Tooru wanted to go to the river with them, and she introduced me.” Shyly, Takashi adds, “They’re nice.”
“Hey!” the russet-haired boy calls over. “Are we going swimming or what?” 
“Can we, please?” Tooru asks, folding her hands together.
His brother gazes up at him with eyes that are big and hopeful, a look that has worked for him for years. Shuuichi shakes his head ruefully. 
“As long as you stay with Tooru, and don’t let your phone get soaked,” he says sternly. “And you know to answer when I call, right?” 
“Right,” Takashi says, without attitude, because that’s one of their most important rules. “Can I take Urihime with me? She’ll throw Satoru in the water if I ask her to, Sasago won’t.”
“For that reason alone, you’re taking Sasago,” Shuuichi replies. 
It’s a noisy circus troupe of kids who finally leave, armed with towels and a bag of snacks pilfered from the kitchen and an entourage of rowdy spirits that only one of them can see. 
Shuuichi leans against the gate, watching them go. He’s wary of the unfamiliar yokai, but with his shiki nearby and clearly unbothered, he doesn’t see a reason to break up the strange congregation. Over the years, he’s had to get used to the way Takashi attracts these things. They come to him like moths to a flame. 
Most exorcists hate yokai, but Shuuichi doesn’t. How could he? His little brother is a medium, and some of the only people he can count on to babysit for him are his familiars. Yokai are so much a part of his life that to hate them would be to fill his heart with hatred, and he doesn’t have room in his heart for all that. It’s too full of other things. 
Hinata joins him by the door. 
“You know,” she says carefully, “I was going to bring this up later, but…the university that Isamu and I are going to is only a half-hour away from here. And the schools here are really good.”
Shuuichi stands in the sun, watches his little brother laugh with children his own age, and exhales.
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