#i’ll be nearly 26 when you return | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

straykeedz · 6 months

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day 26: lee know x reader x han: mirror sex

©straykeedz

tw: female anatomy; mentions of kink exploring but nothing too descriptive; fingering (f receiving); cum tasting; nipple play; unprotected piv sex (don’t!!! 🤨); blowjob; cumshot; choking if you squint; creampie; clit play; mentions of overstimulation but it’s not described; oral sex after reader’s been creampied oops; slight mxm if you squint ;♡

wc: 3,8k;

okay the premise is that i absolutely hate this fic. i started four different plots for this kinktober fic and i’m not satisfied with this at all, but i needed to post something otherwise i would’ve quit. i know myself. so bare with me if this sucks, i went through (i still am tbh) a creative block and couldn’t come up with anything better.

also, funny anecdote: 99% sex, 1% mirror lol

let me know if there's any mistakes - finished writing this super late at night so there might be!

this is part of my kinktober masterlist. you can find my regular masterlist here (tho it will not be updated until the end of kinktober) ♡

🔖 : @linos-kitten ; @luneskies ; @kxcies-blog ; @idunnomanmynamewastaken ; @cessixja ; @stolasisyourparent ; @kookiesbunny ; @xoxo-xoxo-bunny ; @ivyskzsworld ; @mal-lunar-28 ; @leetaste ; @sunnykynnie ; @channiesgoodgirl ; @seonghwatoothless ; @mrsminho ; @seungminluv3 ; @jin-from-the-block ; @aaasia111 ; @sulkygyu ; @whosanaanyway ; @y-ur--I ; @vixensss ; @nightimescapes ; @freckleboilix ; @dreamingaboutjisung ; @yourbeomiebear ; @tooskathepiratefromshield ; ♡

to make sure i add you to the taglist, your age must be clearly visible on your profile. also, empty blogs will not be added - add at least a profile picture to your blog so that i’ll know you’re not a bot. ♡

smut below the cut, minors dni.

🪞

You’re not used to having two men in bed with you.

You’re not used to having two pairs of hands on you - touching your body, caressing it, squeezing it. You’re not used to having two tongues on your skin - licking every inch of your flesh; two mouths - biting every spot they can, praising you, humming against your body every time they get a reaction from you.

One of them - your sweet, beloved boyfriend Jisung, a cutie pie in the streets, an absolute freak in the sheets. A man with whom you’d tried everything in bed - literally everything, and tonight is no exception.

The other one - his best friend Lee Minho.

It was Jisung’s idea to have a threesome with him. Your jaw had nearly dropped when he specified that he wanted to have a threesome with a man - not any man, his best friend. You’d assumed he wanted to see you in bed with another woman, never in a million years you would’ve guessed a scenario like this - you, sprawled on your bed, Jisung hungrily kissing your lips as Minho plays with your naked breasts, pinching one nipple with his fingers and teasing the other one with his lips.

Well, let’s just say Jisung is a man full of surprises - not that you’re complaining, naturally.

“A threesome?”, your words nearly came out as a loud squeak.

Beside you, Jisung simply nodded. “I mean, only if you’re up for it, too.”, he shrugged. “I can live without it.”

Kink exploring with Jisung was always fun and exciting and it never disappointed you. Never. Before sex with him, you didn’t even know you could cum from your nipples only, for example. Or that you could squirt. Or that you loved overstimulation. Or or or or. Kink exploring with him was honestly your favorite thing, and you wanted to do something for him in return, help him explore his kinks.

“No, it’s okay. I want to try it.”, you promised, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Are you sure?” Jisung asked you, placing a kiss on the back of your hand. “You don’t have to say yes just because I want it. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable or feel pressured, love.”

“I’m not, I don’t feel pressured.”, you smiled at him. “Just… Do you have someone in mind? Someone you’d want to do this with?”

Jisung nodded. Now you were curious to see her - to see the woman he wants to do this with, together with you.

“Who is she?”, you asked him, but you saw him lift his eyebrows and blink a couple of times.

“Oh, it’s… it’s not a she. I was thinking…”, he trailed.

“Thinking…?”, you encouraged him.

“Minho.”

And you can’t really blame him - Minho’s hot as fuck and he surely knows what he’s doing in bed. His fingers are expert on your skin, despite this being the first time he actually touches you, but somehow he seems to know exactly where to touch you and what to do to make you squirm under his fingers. Said fingers wander all over the valley of your breasts, down your abdomen, until they stop right before he could brush your mould with his delicate digits.

“Can I touch you down here?” Minho lets go of your nipple to look you in the eyes and ask you the question - big, dark eyes staring deep into yours, pupils blown and you actually find it cute.

“Oh, God, please. Yes.” It should’ve come out from your lips - instead, it’s Jisung who says the words. You giggle, seeing your boyfriend so desperate and eager, and Minho chuckles as well.

You nod, smiling at him. “Yes."

Your breath hitches when Minho’s cold fingers slip under the fabric of your panties and finally touch you there. The way he touches you is so different than when Jisung does it - his touch is timid, tentative, and his eyes are staring into yours to search for any sign of discomfort. He doesn’t know how you like to be touched down there, after all it’s only the first time you’re doing this. His fingers brush your entrance, and he bites his lower lip when he finds out you’re already wet - no, sopping, your panties are drenched in your arousal.

“She’s wet?” Jisung asks Minho, his fingers replacing his friend’s on your nipple, unable to tear his eyes off of where Minho’s fingers disappear inside your underwear.

Minho looks at Jisung, then nods. “So wet.”, he dampens the pads of his fingers, coating them in your arousal, then you feel his digits parting your folds, and you suck in a breath, wrapping your fingers around Jisung’s wrist. “Listen.” Minho tells Jisung, and then he slowly starts to move his fingers inside of you, until squelching sounds are all you can hear.

Jisung lets out a shaky breath, then looks at you with full-blown pupils and flustered cheeks. “Oh, jagi, you’re so wet.”, he huffs. “You like having Minho touching you, don’t you?”, he pinches you nipple. At the same time, Minho’s fingers brush and tease the spongy spot inside of you, making your toes curl.

You nod, biting your lip, unable to speak properly.

“Touch her clit, hyung.” Jisung instructs. “She won’t be able to cum otherwise.”

Minho chuckles, then raises you eyebrows at you both, because he can feel you’re already close, and he hasn’t touched your clit yet. “Mh, we’ll see about that.”, he applies more pressure on your g-spot, making you whimper as your grip around Jisung’s wrist tightens. “Think you can cum like this, y/n?” Minho asks you, looking you in the eye.

You nod eagerly, feeling already close to your first orgasm of the night. Jisung’s a bit confused now and slightly offended, because he never made you cum with his fingers on your g-spot before. Okay, maybe it’s because he gets so eager and needy that he just has to pull his fingers out and fuck you with his cock after a couple of minutes, but still. And now his best friend is about to make you cum with two fingers shoved inside of you, and it’s the hottest thing Jisung’s ever witnessed, and he wants you to witness it too.

“Look at yourself, jagi.”, he holds your chin with his fingers, then turns your head to face the huge mirror doors of your wardrobe at the end of your bed. You’re met with your reflections - you, sprawled on the bed, Minho lying next to you, Jisung on your other side, staring in the mirror as well. “You’re so fucking hot, my sweet love. About to cum with another man’s fingers inside of that sweet little pussy of yours.”

And Minho didn’t even notice the huge ass mirror doors before - too lost in how incredibly sexy you are, with your chest quickly rising and falling, your legs shaking as his fingers quickly work you up to an orgasm. But now - now he’s unable to tear his eyes off of your reflection in the mirror, and he can’t wait to see how beautiful you look when you cum.

“Fucking filthy…” Jisung mumbles, letting go of your chin, but you don’t move your head. “So fucking needy, look at you.”, he mocks you, then pinches your nipple, making you wince.

Then, Jisung turns to look at Minho. “You wanna see how hot she looks when she cums? Wanna hear how sweet she sounds?”, he asks, and before he even realizes it, Minho’s nodding like crazy. “C’mon then. Make her cum, Min.” Jisung demands.

And Minho does make you cum - fingers on your spongy spot, rubbing it mercilessly as your walls clench and your legs shake. You let out a muffled cry, closing your eyes as you release around Minho’s fingers, soaking them completely. The boys are speechless - both looking at your reflection in the mirror, an ethereal sight. Minho’s sure he won’t be able to forget it anytime soon - the way your fingers fist the sheets and your chest rises and falls as you bite your lip.

You whine at the emptiness once Minho removes his fingers from inside of you - long, skinny digits glistening in your orgasm. “You should taste her, hyung.” Jisung speaks softly.

Minho brings his two fingers to his mouth, then wraps his lips around them and sucks, swirling his tongue all over them to lick them clean - you taste amazing. “So sweet.”, he mumbles, pulling out his fingers from his mouth, and Jisung quickly wraps his hand around Minho’s wrist to wrap his lips around his hyung’s fingers, even though Minho’d already licked your arousal off of them.

“Minho…” you shake him off of his own thoughts, and Minho’s eyes focus on you - cheeks flustered, still panting. “Can you fuck me now? Please.”

Minho’s eyes widen and Jisung hums around his hyung’s fingers. For a good second, he’s shocked, because he wasn’t expecting such words to leave your mouth. His eyes immediately flick to Jisung, and the younger boy smirks, releasing Minho’s fingers from his mouth.

“Whatcha waiting for, hyung? You heard her.”, he says, grinning from ear to ear. Then, Jisung looks at you. “You need cock that bad, don’t you, jagi?”

You nod, licking your lips. Jisung chuckles. “Don’t worry, jagiya. Minho’s gonna give it to you real good.”, he turns to look at his friend. “Aren’t you, hyung?”

Minho bites his lip, and his fingers begin to wander all over your body once again, pads of his digits brushing your nipples once again, feeling them harden under his touch. “I am, I am.”, he nods, and then palms himself over his boxers - now feeling incredibly tight.

Now that he knows how your walls feel wrapped around his fingers, he can’t wait to find out how you’ll feel around his cock. It should feel at least a bit wrong - to be this impatient to fuck your best friend’s girlfriend, shouldn’t it? He shouldn’t be so turned on by this. However, in the confines of his black boxers, he’s rock hard. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he kneels on the mattress and hooks his thumb at each side of his underwear, beginning to pull it down his legs. You bite your lip at the sight of those beautiful dancer’s hips and thighs, and your eyes widen once his cock is finally freed - it slaps against his abdomen, hard and thick, tip beautifully pink resting against his abs.

“Shit.”

Again - it should’ve come out of your mouth, but it’s Jisung who swears under his breath at the sight of Minho’s cock - at least one and a half inches longer than his, and slightly thicker. And Jisung’s not small - the opposite.

You prop yourself on your elbows, looking Minho in the eye. “How do you want me?”, you ask him, hooking your fingers on the side of your panties, trying to pull them down your thighs, but it’s hard using just one hand, so Jisung helps you and slides them off completely.

There’s only one plausible answer to that question in Minho’s mind.

“On your back, like this. In front of the mirror.”, he answers a little too quickly. Ever since he saw your reflection in the mirror earlier, he knew he wanted to fuck you in front of it - see your head hang at the end of the bed, witness your eyes roll in the back of your skull as he pounds into you.

Jisung smirks - he knows his hyung too well.

You smile, too, positioning yourself just like Minho wants you, and you shiver when he places the palms of his hands on your knees, spreading your legs. Even though he made you cum earlier, you still feel a little shy to be this exposed in front of him - bare pussy on full display for him to see. Minho spits on his palm, then pumps his hard cock a couple of times.

“Still okay with not using a condom?”, he asks you, staring into your eyes, wanting to make sure you’re still comfortable with him fucking you raw, like you agreed. You nod, a clear signal you didn’t change your mind.

Jisung gets rid of his boxer just as Minho aligns his tip at your entrance, making your body jolt in surprise because it feels even bigger, prodding at your entrance, ready to slip inside any second now.

“I’m putting it in now.” Minho tells you, and you suck in a breath when he finally enters you - thick tip parting your folds, slipping inside your wet, hot cunt. And once he bottoms out inside of you, Minho, too, needs a few seconds to recollect himself.

Once again - it shouldn’t feel this good, to be buried inside your best friend’s girlfriend’s hot, tight pussy. He shouldn’t feel so eager to please you, to fuck you, to thrust inside of you ruthlessly until you’re falling apart on his cock, begging him to let you cum.

It shouldn’t feel this good, but it does. It does, especially when Minho lifts his eyes to meet your reflections in the mirror - the sight so filthy and pornographic. Him, kneeling between your spread legs, balls deep inside of you - and you, lying down beautifully on the bed, one hand fisting the sheets and your other hand on Jisung’s thigh. Finally, Jisung - with his hard cock out, fingers wrapped around it as he too watches the scene before his eyes.

Minho begins to move at a slow and steady pace, knowing that if he goes too fast he’s not going to last. The way his cock moves inside of you is deliciously beautiful, hitting all the right spots, its tip brushing your g-spot with every movement, facilitated by how beautifully curved upwards his length is.

You kick your head back, looking at Minho’s reflection in the mirror, a smile spreading on your face when you see his furrowed eyebrows and focused expression as he watches how your tits bounce with every thrust.

“D’you like it?”, you purr, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “You like watching yourself as you fuck me?”

And Minho whimpers, hips snapping to meet yours. “Yes- fuck.”, he swears. “I like looking at you more, though. So fucking sexy.”, he compliments you, continuing to fuck you a bit faster now that he’s sure he won’t cum too soon.

The room is filled with moans - yours, Minho’s, even Jisung hums contently from time to time, eyes set on where Minho’s body is connected to yours. He bites his lips at the sight of your pretty pussy lips spread around Minho’s thick length, and he can only imagine how tight you feel. He bets you’re dripping on the sheets, and he can’t wait to fuck you once Minho’s done with you. Right now, however, he needs to relieve some of the tension he’s feeling - cock painfully hard in his fist.

“Think you can take care of me as well, jagiya?” Jisung asks you, lazily pumping his cock. “Think you can make me cum while Minho fucks you?”

You nod, and Minho thinks he’s about to pass out - fucking you and seeing you focused on making Jisung cum at the same time? This is even better than his fantasies. “I can, baby, you know I can. I can take care of you always.”, you whine, eager to touch your boyfriend’s cock.

Minho’s cock is pretty and he surely knows how to use it - but Jisung’s is your favorite. Long and thick enough, a long vein decorating the underside of it, and a dark pink tip - perfect. Perfect for you to wrap your hand around, perfect to take in your mouth - in your throat, actually, until your nose is completely buried in Jisung’s soft pubic hair, just how he likes it, before he’s shooting in your mouth.

“That’s right, jagi.” Jisung caresses your cheek, brushing your lower lip with the pad of his thumb as he gets closer. “I’m so fucking lucky to have you, so fucking lucky you’re mine.” It feels almost weird to hear these words come out of Jisung’s mouth when you have another man’s cock inside of you, but you know he means it, and you know he’s right. You’re his. “Now open that pretty little mouth of yours, my jagiya.”

You do, and then you feel his cockhead brush on your open mouth, before entering it. Minho doesn’t stop moving inside of you - eyes set on the image of you giving your boyfriend a blowjob while he’s fucking you. He has to grip your waist with his fingers to balance himself as he continues to thrust, eyes flicking from your stuffed mouth to the mirror, then back on your mouth and back on the mirror.

“One cock’s not enough, mh?” Jisung mumbles, running his fingers through your hair. You slowly shake your head, humming. “Such a pretty little slut, isn’t she?” Jisung moans, turning his head to look at Minho, as you continue to suck on his tip - your fingers wrapping around the rest of his length to jerk him off.

“The prettiest.” Minho bites his lip, still pounding inside of you. “She’s so tight, Han.”, he huffs, muffling a sound.

Jisung grins. “I know.”, he chuckles. “You should try her mouth next. Feels like heaven.”

“Better than her pussy?” Minho pants.

Jisung scoffs. “Yah, don’t be ridiculous, hyung. Nothing feels better than that pretty little cunt.”

It’s funny - that they’re having this kind of conversation while they’re both inside of you at the same time. It makes you hum around Jisung’s dick, which sends a shiver down his spine. You can feel he’s close, and that encourages you to cup his hot, heavy balls with your hand, knowing it’ll send him over the edge in record time.

“God, jagi, you’re gonna make me cum.”, he breathes, kicking his head back as his whole body tenses. “Wanna cum on your tits. You gonna let me cum on those pretty tits?”, he rambles and nearly slurs his words, already seeing white. You hum once again, and he pulls away from your mouth, wrapping his own hands around his cock as he strokes himself swiftly.

It’s a sight that blesses Minho’s eyes - Jisung’s cum paints the soft flesh of your tits mere seconds later, decorating your skin, some of it landing directly on your nipples, and as much as it sounds absolutely crazy in his mind, Minho feels the urge to lick them clean. Wrap his lips around your soft, sensitive nubs and suck them clean. It makes his cock throb inside of you.

Jisung wipes his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand as he tries to regain his breath as his cock softens, still glistening in his own cum and your saliva. Minho can’t fucking wait to have your lips wrapped around his cock, too. The mere thought is enough to make his cock twitch once more.

“Fuck, I think- I think I’m close.” Minho mumbles, tightening the grip on your hip as he fucks you harder now. “Can I- fuck, can I-“

“You can do whatever you want.”, you pant, already feeling the familiar sensation in your lower belly as he mercilessly pounds into you, thick, veiny cock stretching you out so good you nearly see stars. “Fuck, Minho, do something, anything.”

Minho’s hands travels all over your body - his fingers smear Jisung’s cum on your tits as he collects some of it on his pads. Then, his fingers reach your mouth, and you gladly welcome them when he shoves them in your mouth, tasting your boyfriend’s cum off of his best friend’s fingers. Meanwhile, Minho’s thrusts turn unsteady and erratic. You’re both so, so close.

“Where can I cum? Fuck, I’m so close, where-“

“Inside of her.” Jisung speaks, and you nod eagerly.

“Inside, Min. I want it inside.”

Minho cums inside of you, with his hand gently wrapped around his throat - eyes set on your reflections in the mirror doors, watching how your eyes roll in the back of your head and your lips part as you release around him, your walls squeezing him tight, milking him until he gives you all of his cum until the very last drop.

The sight is so fucking hot Jisung’s hard again.

Minho’s movements come to an abrupt halt, and you’re both panting heavily, trying to regain your breath and consciousness. He’s careful when he pulls out - your legs are still shaking and you’re pretty sensitive, he doesn’t want to overstimulate you, he doesn’t know you actually love it.

Luckily, your boyfriend does.

An evil grin appears on Jisung’s face. “Why don’t you lick Minho clean, jagi?”, he suggests, and you eagerly nod, despite being exhausted. “I bet he’d love it.”, he grins at his friend, who’s still pretty dazed from his orgasm.

Minho nods nonetheless, and kneels right next to you so that his now half-limp cock is close to your mouth. You nearly don’t realize Jisung’s presence between your legs, lying flat on his stomach, staring at your creampied pussy and biting his lip at the sight of Minho’s cum dripping from your hole.

You wrap your lips around Minho’s cockhead at the same time Jisung places his tongue flat on your hole and laps at it. “Mhh, Minho tastes good, jagi, doesn’t it?” Jisung huffs against your lips, continuing to lap at your folds, tasting your orgasm mixed with his friend’s.

“So good, baby.”, you hum, pulling out Minho’s cock from your mouth. Then, you look at the older boy and lick your lips. “Wanna find out how Jisung tastes like?”, you ask him.

Minho really shouldn’t be nodding so eagerly.

You chuckle, collecting some of Jisung’s cum from your chest with your digits, bringing them closer to Minho’s mouth. He wastes no time in wrapping his lips around them, humming as he sucks Jisung’s cum off your fingers, swallowing it greedily.

“You liked it?”, you giggle, and Minho nods - full-blow pupils, absolutely sexdrunk. “I think you should lick it off of me, then. Here.”

Minho licks Jisung’s cum off your chest, and Jisung licks Minho’s cum off your stuffed pussy.

You chuckle, running your fingers through Minho’s hair as he hums against your skin, swallowing every single drop until you’re completely clean. “Good boys.”, you praise them, and they both whimper. Predictable.

Jisung lifts his head, lips a bit smeared with both your and Minho’s cum. “Jagi, I need to fuck you now, please.”, he practically begs, staring at you with big, doe eyes. You nod, smiling at him. “On your tummy.” Jisung instructs, and you nod once more.

“This, hyung,” Jisung starts, gripping your hips and positioning your body so that your ass is up and your face flat on the mattress, looking at Minho as he speaks “is the exact reason why we’ve got mirror doors on our wardrobe.”

Jisung spits on his palm and pumps his cock a couple of times before aligning his tip to your entrance. Minho looks at you in the mirror.

“So I can look at her fucked out expression while I give it to her from behind.”

🪞

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sykostyles · 2 months

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let you love me 1.2 (final)

wc: 15.6 k (listen, i'm sorry okay)

summary: in which y/n is a 26 year old bakery owner and she can't quite get this whole "love" thing right; settling on finding solace in being alone. One day, Jackson Cole: an egotistical, but oh so charismatic professional quarterback comes along and swears he can change her mind.. and for a while he does. nearly two years of breaking down her walls.. but they seem to argue about one thing a lot. y/n's "negativity". she swears she's not trying ro be a pessimist.. it just works out better for her if she keeps her expectations low. But what happens when she meets a handsome stranger, who wants nothing more than to see her smile? Will she push everything away again or will she finally accept the love she deserves? or ; tldr sunshine! harry x grumpy! afab reader part one, two

a/n: here we have it, the last part of my first story! thank you all so much for the love so far. I can't tell you what it means to me. I can't wait to see what's next. I know this is super long but there was so much I wanted to include with harry and y/n. I hope you all enjoy!

cw: this story contains suggestive and explicit language, minor descriptions of violence, and verbal abuse. please do not continue if these topics upset you!

Never once did you think that your handsome stranger that you met nearly five months ago would still be stopping in your bakery every day. His antics lately have been amped up, he’s very determined to treat you to a night out, but you’re constantly refusing; not quite ready to let yourself be vulnerable again.

“When will you let me take you out, love?”

“When pigs fly, Harry. Doing the same as yesterday?” You say gesturing to the case.

“You wound me, but I know I’ll change your mind. Yes, same as yesterday.”

“Ya know, Harry, the last guy said the same thing, and here we are.” You say, sliding his box over for the hundredth time at this point.

“Ah, but I am indeed not the last guy.” He glances down at his phone, “Give me one moment, I need to step out for just a second.” Harry says before excusing himself out front, Though he isn’t gone long, returning holding something behind his back.

You do often find yourself daydreaming about letting yourself be happy again. It’s a feeling you crave constantly, just the desire to feel heard, feel seen, feel loved.

But, you know that in the long run, it’s better this way. You can’t get hurt if you don’t let yourself get put in that situation. Even though you’re just hurting yourself, you'll just keep pretending you’re not.

“Hopefully this will make your day go a little better,” Harry says, revealing the secret behind his back.

You stare at his hand for a moment. “How did you know?”

“Pardon?” Harry asks, his hand still extended holding the cup of coffee out to you. From your favorite coffee shop down the street. The exact way you like your coffee.

“This. How did you know?” You inquired, taking the cup from his grasp.

“A true magician never reveals his secrets, love. But Ryan just picked it up for me.”

“Har-” you start,

“I know, you say you don’t like the nickname. I’ll make a liar out of you, though. Just give it time.”

“Thank you. For the coffee” You almost whisper.

“Course, love. I’ll bring it to you every day if you’d like.”

“Oh no, I couldn't ask you to do that.” You say, waving your hands back and forth.

“Well, it's a good thing you’re not asking. I’ll see you tomorrow, Love. Have a good rest of your day.”

“Bye, Harry.” You smile to yourself after he leaves.

“And you say you’re not interested in him.” Jesse says leaning against the doorframe leading to the back room.

“I’m not. He’s just being friendly.” You say. Your nose would be growing if your name was Pinocchio, that’s for sure.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, girl. Just give in, you never know what you might be missing out on. He seems to really like you.”

“He does.” You concur, “But so did Jackson.” You whisper, leaving him up front.

Nearing the end of the summer, you finally decided to switch up your answer with Harry. After many conversations with Carly, Jesse, and even Mr. Henry had something to say much to your surprise, you decided maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just see where it went. You didn’t have to sign your life over to him or anything. You were just scared. Harry knew that. “Whenever you’re ready, love. Just know I'll be waiting.” Everyone knew that. They were all just waiting for you to come out of the hole you dug yourself into out of self preservation. They can’t really blame you for being weary, Harry is doing almost exactly what Jackson was doing when he was pursuing you. Although, you do have to admit it feels different this time around. Harry feels different. Harry feels.. Real.

Of course, you were still planning on making him work for it. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t. But like Carly said, if he was deterred by your sharp tongue and witty comebacks, he wouldn’t keep pressing on like he has been. Even though you attempted to throw out the “Jackson was the same way.” excuse but she deadpanned “Not everyone is a egotistical, meathead football player that’ll do anything to get his dick wet.” You weren’t entirely sure if you should have been offended by that statement. But after she showed you all of the headlines Jackson has been in over the last six months regarding his failing love life you both had a few good laughs.

“Good morning, Love. How are you today?” Harry says, sliding the daily cup of coffee across the counter.

“Mm, it would be better if i didn’t have to get out of bed to talk to people like you, but here we are.” You say, bringing the cup to take a sip.

“Such arrows come from that pretty mouth. What will I do with you?” He says with a smirk on his stupidly handsome face.

“You could pick your flavors for the day and move on? There’s an idea.”

“Ooh, and the sass. I’m already practically in love with you, you don’t have to try so hard, love.” He says, turning to the case. “Do you still have that one with the marshmallow in the middle? Ryan really liked those ones.”

You pause, taking a look inside the case to check, “I don’t anymore, those were limited. But tell Ryan I'll make a special batch just for him.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. We’ll do the chocolate peanut butter then. Those are a close second.” He says, mirroring your words from the first day he stepped foot in your bakery. You box up the order, and make your way to the counter. He hands you his normal black credit card, but when he goes to pick up the box, you stop him.

“No. Send Ryan in here to get them” You say, pulling the box back towards you.

“I beg your pardon, love?”

“Oh, don’t beg yet. There’s plenty of time for that later..” You smirk, “I just want to properly meet Ryan without your.. Influence.”

“Anything you want.” Harry states, making his way to the door. “See you tomorrow, Love.”

You can see Harry telling Ryan what’s going on. Ryan looks ever so confused, and maybe even a little anxious as he makes his way inside.

“Hello, Ryan. It’s a pleasure to officially meet you. I’m Y/N.” You say, holding your hand out.

“The pleasure’s all mine, Miss Y/N.” He says, taking your hand in his and giving you a delicate shake. “Your creations are delicious. Stopping here is the highlight of my day, as well as Mr. Styles out there, He quite enjoys your company.”

“So I’ve noticed.” You say, picking up a marker. You pull the box towards you once more, writing a note on top before sliding it back to Ryan on the other side. “Have a great day, Ryan. See you tomorrow.”

“You as well, Miss Y/N. Enjoy the rest of your day.” He says, making a swift exit.

Staring out the shop window after him, you see him hand Harry the box. Harry’s eyes immediately take in the note you left on top.

“Pick me up after we close at 6 tonight, Mr. Styles.” You signed with your phone number at the bottom. You can see his smile from here. It’s so contagious even Ryan starts to smile. Even YOU start to smile.

Unknown: very cheeky, love. See you tonight.

You: you shouldn't have expected anything less. See you tonight, Mr. Styles. What should I wear?

Harry: I honestly expected a little more from you. But, I accept your defeat.

Harry: And I’ll take care of everything, Love.

You: Defeat? Hold on there just a minute, mister. I haven’t lost anything.

Harry: I remember a certain “When pigs fly” phrase coming from your mouth. I told you I always get what I want. See you tonight, Love

"Shit. What did I agree to? Should I cancel? Should I close early and hide somewhere? Well then what excuse would I have when he comes in tomorrow? I could tell him I’ve got a case of food poisoning? Or a migraine?"

Just as your thoughts begin to spiral for the umpteenth time in your downtime, the bell on the door chimes. You look up to see Carly, holding a garment bag, and Jesse standing behind her.

“Uh, what are you two doing here?” You say, confusion very evident on your face. “Jesse aren’t you supposed to be like three hours away in some lecture hall?”

“Oh sure, just question why he’s not where he’s supposed to be.” Carly says, laced with a fake offended tone.

“Bitch, did you forget I went to college with you? I know you’re prone to play hooky every now and then.”

“Okay, fair.” She laughs, “But, I received a phone call so I’m doing my end of a deal I made.”

“Same here.” Jesse says from behind her. “I’m here to take over and close up for you.”

“And I’m here to help you get ready!” Carly erupts with excitement. “I’m so excited for you.”

“Wait a second, what deal?” Now you’re even more confused.

“Ah, can’t reveal anything else. Now, upstairs you two go. I got my own date with one of these cookies and cream cupcakes as my reward for helping you get laid.” Jesse says, guiding both of you to the staircase.

“Jesse!”

“Have the best time!” He says before closing the door behind you.

Carly refused to explain anything to you, other than she was given directions to be at your place to start helping you get ready at 4:30 pm sharp. She was just doing what she was told.

“Stop it.” She says, starting to remove the curlers from your hair.. “I know that look. You’re going to have a great time. He’s already head over heels for you. I can tell.”

“That’s what I’m scared of, Carls. I’m so scared.” You whisper. “I don’t know how to accept love anymore.”

“You accept my love. Jesse’s love. Mr. Henry’s. I know it’s different when it’s a romantic situation, but you’ve gotta have a little faith, babe.”

“You say that like it’s easy.”

“It’s not easy, but that’s what makes it worth it.”

“What if he ends up being just like Jackson?”

“Don’t you see how different he is from him already? He’s made all of this effort just today. He made sure I was out of work. He made sure Jesse was here on time, when Jesse’s supposed to be at school. He literally had an outfit picked up for you, Y/N. Jackson would never include me in a date plan, let alone plan anything with this level of thought behind it. I don’t even think he’s capable of deep thought, but that’s just my opinion.”

“Jackson never planned anything beyond a dinner reservation.” You half laughed. “See what I mean! I know you’re scared, babe, I know. It’s scary being vulnerable. It’s so scary. But it can be so rewarding. But you have to at least try. You won’t get anywhere if you don’t try.”

“But what’s so wrong with being alone?”

“Don’t even start with me right now. I love you, but I will kick your ass.” She says, totally serious.

“Okaaaay, jeez. I get it.”

“Good. Now, bring me your face.” She says, setting your makeup on the counter.

You never thought you’d be walking out your apartment door to meet a man you face planted into in a parking lot. For a date!

You see him leaning against the building opposite yours, dressed in a more casual outfit than you’re used to seeing him in. But you swear you might just prefer this look. His outfit compliments yours; the detailed color in the sun dress he picked out for you emulates the color of his sweater. He’s got his sunglasses pushed atop his head, one hand in the pocket of his jeans, the other hand holding his phone; and a bouquet of yellow tulips tucked under his arm. He looks divine. The casual sexiness just drips off of him.

“Well hello there, stranger. I almost didn’t recognize you.” You say, causing him to look up from his screen.

“I’m sor- woah.” He clears his throat. “You look.. Wow.”

“Well, that’s one way to put it. I guess I still got it.”

“I don’t think you could ever lose it, Love.” He says, sauntering over to you. Grabbing the flowers from under his arm, he extends them to you, “For you, milady.”

“Okay, seriously, which one of them told you everything about me?” You say, taking the bouquet from his grasp. “Yellow tulips have always been my favorite.”

He smiles down at you. “I would never throw your friends under the bus like that. But they all do love to talk about your interests and seem to have your best ones at heart.”

“They do. I appreciate them so much.” You say quietly. “Thank you. Let me put these inside real fast and we can go.”

“I’ll be right here, Love.” He says, kissing your hand before you walk away. You immediately felt your cheeks get warm.

You step inside the bakery and see Jesse standing at the counter with a vase of water.

“Oh, so you knew about these too? You’re the mole, huh? Do you know everything related to tonight?” You say, setting the flowers inside the vase.

Jesse looks at you with a smile and pretends to lock his mouth and throw away the key.

“I hate you.” You say walking back to the front door. “Thank you, Jesse. For everything.”

“You know I always got you, girl. Have a great time.”

“So, where are we going?”

“Ah, that would spoil the surprise.” Harry says, checking his mirrors before switching lanes. “But I have a feeling you’re going to enjoy what I’ve got planned.”

“Cutting me up and spreading the parts out across a fifty mile radius?”

“You’re a little morbid, you know that?” he chuckles softly

“So I’ve been told. Does that bother you?” you’re grinning at him.

“What do you think?” He smirks at you, sliding his hand over to rest on your knee.

The car comes to a stop outside a brick building. “Pottery Painting Class Tonight 8-9pm” Reads on the small marquee board.

“Okay now I know you talked to Carly.” You say excitedly as he helps you out of the car, “I’ve always wanted to do one of these!”

“I had a feeling.” He chuckles. “We are a little early, but there's a diner I love across the street. Come,” He says, holding his hand out to you. You gladly take it and begin to walk hand in hand to your destination.

Settling into a corner booth, your waitress comes and takes your drink order before leaving you to look over the menu. She returns and you let Harry order for you since you were stuck on two options.

“So, what made you finally cave?” He inquires, a heavy smirk upon his face.

“First of all, I didn’t cave. I figured if you’re going to kill me, I might as well get a date out of it.” You quip, leaning your chin onto your hand.

“Always so quick with the comebacks.” He teases. “I don’t think I’ll have time for that this time around, but there’s always next time.”

“You think there’s going to be a next time?” Your eyebrow raises, a smirk tugging on your lips

“Oh, I know it.” He states without even thinking about it.

“I do have a few questions for you, though.” You say, your tone somewhat serious.

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

“Why me?”

“Why not you?”

“You don’t even know me.” You start, “Well, besides what you got out of my friends. You ran into me one day, and then just started showing up out of nowhere. Which doesn't make sense to me either. How did you find me?” Your tone started to seem kind of accusatory. You don’t even let him answer before you start again, “Don’t get me wrong, I love the daily business, but it just seems too calculated to me. It’s been plaguing my brain since the first day you walked in my shop. So, Why me, Harry?”

“I know how weird this all seems, and I profusely apologize for making it seem like my intentions were anything other than good.” He starts, reaching his hand across the table, his way of asking for yours. You hesitantly oblige. “But I will explain everything to you from my point of view, if you’ll allow me.” He says, thumb gliding over the back of your hand.

“Well yeah, I’m here aren’t I?” You smirk at him. “But, I’m also here because you got a stamp of approval from my entire peanut gallery. So be grateful to them.”

“I’ll be sure to send them a thank you card.” He says. “But let me start from the beginning, Love.”

Harry had just arrived at the stadium. Head coach Johnson requested his presence to show Harry just how far their dead last draft pick Jackson Cole had been improving. Harry was less than thrilled when his decision was overruled when it came to drafting Cole, he wanted a different pick from the University of Miami, but they went with majority ruling and thus here we are.

So needless to say, Harry didn’t really want to be here right now, but he knew it wouldn’t take too much of his time. Watch the kid throw the ball a few times and gauge his performance from that. Or so he thought,

“Are you kidding me? Star quarterback kid forgot his practice bag? His practice bag, for the championship game he should be grateful he’s even getting the chance to play in, since my first string is out with a torn ligament? Why am I here wasting my time?” Harry states, business mode turned all the way up to ten.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Styles. He says his girlfriend is on the way with the bag.”

“If the bag isn’t here in ten minutes, I’m leaving. And something will be done about this.” He says, pulling his phone from his pocket.

The ten minutes pass, and Harry’s irritation rises. He stands from his seat in Johnson’s office and turns to Ryan on his right, “Call for the car, we’re leaving.” Looking to Johnson sitting behind his desk, he points at him, “We’ll be looking to extinguish your contract. If you can’t get your players to remember their gear, why would I think you can get them to remember plays?”

“Mr. Styles, I plead with you to thin-” He’s cut off by the sounds of yelling in the hallway.

All three men make their way out the door to see what the commotion was all about.

“You have got to be the definition of ungrateful. For the greater part of two years I have given you everything and you still think you can talk to me like that?” Harry hears from down the hall.

He turns and sees Cole’s back facing him, and just over his shoulder he sees a woman. A woman with tears in her eyes and shock and terror all over her face.

“Is that your star quarterback over there, verbally abusing that woman?” Harry inquires, turning to Johnson. “I swear on your life, i will remove you from this office myself if that boy over there causes any kind of uproar in the media, Do i make myself clear?”

“Crystal, sir.” Johnson says, fear laced in his voice.

Harry turns back towards the scene unfolding before him, but the woman was gone.

“Mr. Styles, the car is up front.” Ryan pipes up from behind him.

“Right, let’s go then. Don’t make me repeat myself, Johnson.” He says before they take off.

“Wait a second, you were there for that?” You question him. He nods, picking up a french fry.

“I was. I heard the whole thing. Right pissed me off. I wish I would have stepped in instead of threatening Johnson.” His jaw ticks.

“You don’t really seem like you could have that kind of scary demeanor.”

“I only show it to people that need to see it.” He says matter of factly. “But, you don’t get very far in business without being like that. At least sometimes. But outside of my business, I’m nothing like that. Unless you want me to be.” He smirks at you.

You blush, but a realization comes into your head, “Hold on, I completely just let this go over my head. Who are you, exactly, Harry?”

He smiles. “I was waiting for this. I’m the majority owner for the team, Love.” Your face goes pale.

Wait. Huh?? The Owner? This is the owner you embarrassed Jackson in front of?

“Jackson said I embarrassed him in front of you that day.” You say, looking down at the table.

Harry laughs, “If anybody embarrassed Jackson, it was Jackson. What grown ass man forgets his work gear? This is his job after all. And, who then verbally assaults the person who brings it to him? In front of everyone, nonetheless.”

He takes in the frown on your face, and decides to shift the direction of the conversation. “You really had no idea who I was this whole time.” He says, more of a statement than a question.

“Was I supposed to?” You respond quietly, still not sure what to do with this information.

“No, I don’t mean it like that. I’m honestly more surprised than anything.” He says, holding his hands up like he's pre-defending himself, “And i don't mean this in any kind of derogatory way against you, but normally I have women lie, saying they don’t know me to get closer to me. But you really had no idea this whole time. It’s honestly refreshing.”

“You seem really full of yourself.” You say, taking a bite of your pancakes.

“There’s a fine line between confident and cocky, and I know how to keep myself on the right side. But, let me continue.” He says before continuing his story.

Harry made his way out of the elevator with his band of associates behind him. Ryan was giving him the run down of his next meeting as they walked to the car.

“We have a 1:30 pm meeting with Lyons, but I can resche-” Ryan is cut off by the sound of Harry huffing.

“Woah there love, I gotcha.” It's her. It’s the woman Cole was belittling. She looks so.. sad. I should offer to do so-

“Sorry. You can let go now.” Nice one, Styles.

“My apologies, Love.”

“Don’t call me that.” She says, rolling her eyes at the man before her.

He continues to recount your first meeting exactly as you remember it. He throws in the detail of asking Ryan to look into you, wanting to be fully transparent with you.

“So you knew who I was before this? How is that fair?”

“I suppose it’s not, but I only requested your name and where you worked. I didn’t want to learn anything else before I heard it from you.”

“Say’s the guy who made a ‘deal’ with all of my friends in order to get me here today.” You chuckle.

“Okay, fair. But in my defense, how you take your coffee, what your favorite flower is, and something you’d be interested in doing for a date isn’t entirely sensitive information, Love.”

“On the contrary, Mr. Styles. I happen to take my interests and passions very seriously. These are very sensitive topics.”

“I’ll gladly discuss any sensitive topic you’d like, Love. But perhaps we should save that for when we’re alone, no? Unless you’re into that.” He teases.

“You know, Harry, I just might have met my match with these comebacks of yours, and I don't appreciate being threatened.”

“Is that a challenge?” He says, leaning closer to you across the table.

“It’s whatever you want it to be,” you say, matching his movements.

Just as he’s about to seal the deal, his phone buzzes letting him know your class is about to start across the street.

“Ah, but I guess that will have to wait until later.” You say, standing from your seat.

Harry ran his hand along his face, covering his mouth and breathed out a laugh. “This girl.” He thinks. He takes your hand after throwing more than enough cash down on the table, and you make your way back to the brick building that will be housing your date for the evening.

Throughout the course of the rest of your date, you learn more about Harry. He’s 30. His favorite color is orange. “Wait no blue. No, orange. Orange.” He’s an Aquarius, though he swears he doesn’t understand why that’s relevant. He was born in England but moved here when he was 22 to run the US branch of his company. He has his hands and feet in all kinds of different baskets. He’s in the market of construction, publishing, restaurants, real estate; you name it. He’s worked every single day since the day he graduated and he’s turned his business into what it is today. His successful business is what made it possible to be the majority owner of the team Jackson plays for. His parents and sister are still back in England and he misses them terribly, but he travels back as often as he can to see them. Especially now that he’s an uncle! He loves all sports, but American football just really spoke to him. He says soccer is his second favorite. Or the true football according to him.

“But why did you decide to pursue me so intricately? I was so rude to you both of the first real times we spoke.” You question, sweeping your paintbrush across the teapot you chose.

He ponders for a split second, “I got fixated with how it made me feel inside to be the one to make you smile” He says without looking up from the bowl that he chose to paint. “Plus, I saw your disdain for me as a challenge. And I love a challenge.” He smirks, still not looking up at you.

You stare at him in awe, taking in how his brows furrowed together in concentration. He answered you with such an easiness in his tone. “I just don’t know how someone like you could be interested in someone like me.”

“How could I not?” He says, finally looking up at you. ”You’re so determined, and incredibly talented. You’re undoubtedly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. But you looked so broken and exhausted when I saw you for the first time at the stadium. It broke my heart. I wanted to do everything in my power from that moment on to put a real smile back on your face. I didn’t know you then, but I wanted to. I wanted to take all the pain you were feeling away. That’s all I know.” He says, setting his brush down.

You thoroughly enjoyed yourself tonight and you probably told Harry how much fun you had about 13 times in the time it took him to drive you home. It made his heart swell to know he’d made you so happy tonight. Harry walked you to your apartment door, before turning you to face him, his hands finding purchase on your lower back.

“I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Love,” He says, reaching up to tuck your hair behind your ear; his touch ghosting your skin, giving you goosebumps.

You roll your eyes. “You won’t ever let up with that nickname, will you?”

“Never. Not when I get this reaction out of you.” He smirks, looking down at your lips. “May i?”

You don’t even hesitate before you nod. He immediately leans down and covers your lips with his. The feeling of warmth, and desire seeps into every pore across your entire body. His kiss feels like everything you’ve ever longed for. You feel safe. You feel at home. A feeling you hadn’t felt since you were twenty years old and lost the only two people you had left you were willing to call biological family. He made you feel alive again.

“Mm, exactly how I imagined.” He says in between rushed kisses, lips moving perfectly in sync.

“You imagined this?” You say breathlessly.

“Only every second of every. fucking. day, Love.” He says after he reluctantly pulls away. “But, I need to stop myself before I get too excited. I want this to be right.”

You shake your head, “You’re just fine.” You say before cupping both of his cheeks and capturing his lips with yours once more. “This is just right.”

“As much as I want this with you right now, we shouldn’t.” He’s gripping your wrists and gently pulling them from his face. “You have no idea how bad I want this.”

“So let’s go upstairs.” You say, trying to free your arms from his grasp.

“Love, look at me.” He says, now grabbing the sides of your neck to angle your head up at him again. “I want nothing more than to take you upstairs and give you everything you deserve.” You’re nodding along with his words, a desperate smile on your face. “But I want to take my time with you. Will you let me take my time with you and do this right?” He asks, sliding his hands up and caressing your cheeks with his thumbs.

“I guess so.” You say, voice echoing disappointment.

“Hey, none of that. I’ll take care of you soon, I promise. But for now, I want you to take your cute butt upstairs, and call your friends. I’m sure they’re all waiting to hear how much fun you had tonight. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, Harry.” You say, rolling your eyes.

“Good girl,” He says, making your breath hitch and cheeks flush. “Now, Up you go. He says, not before pressing one last kiss to your pouty lips.

“See you tomorrow?” You say, turning towards him one last time.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Love.” He waits until he hears your door close behind you before making his way back to his car. He feels his phone vibrate in the cup holder.

You: Thank you for tonight, Mr. Styles. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Harry: The pleasure was all mine, Love. I would enjoy doing that again with you sometime soon.

You: Whenever you want, Harry.

Harry: Ah, I did mention getting what I want, didn't I? How about this weekend? Saturday after you close? I’ll pick you up.

You: It’s a date. Goodnight, Harry.

Harry: Goodnight, Love.

Throwing yourself down on your bed you call Carly. Of course she’s answering on the first ring because she’s as nosy as the rest of us. “GIRL YOU BETTER TELL ME EVERYTHING!” She says as soon as the lines connect.

“Why else would I be calling? I have so much to tell you!” You recount the night's events to her with as much detail as you can. Although that doesn’t stop her from trying to pry for more.

“What do you mean he rejected you? I am so confused.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. He just wants to ‘take things slow and do this properly’ as he said in his fancy accent.” You tell her.

“What a gentleman.” Carly muses. “I want one.” She huffs through the phone. “Is Ryan single?”

Saturday’s business hours come and go before you can even process them. I mean, you did close two hours early to get ready but you still didn’t think you weren’t that close to your date with Harry.

Although, you haven’t seen Harry yet today. Ryan is the one who stopped in at lunch time. Ryan claimed it was because Harry was taking care of some business he needed to attend to before your date tonight. Harry told Ryan to make sure you didn’t worry, that you were still on for tonight and that he was sorry he couldn’t be there today. You made your way upstairs and began your getting ready process. Which included a hot shower, exfoliating, shaving every inch.. You know, the everything shower. Carly asked if you wanted her to help you again, but you declined; wanting to take your time with your self care.

Checking your phone for the hundredth time this hour, you finally get the message you’ve been waiting for.

Harry: I’m on my way, love. Can’t wait to see you.

You felt immediate goosebumps all over and butterflies in your stomach. “Oh god.” You think. “I already like him. maybe too much.” You could hear Carly scolding you now, “Bitch, knock it off. You’ve been miserable for long enough.” You think maybe she's right.

Harry’s there to pick you up at 6 pm on the dot. His black Range Rover settled behind him as he watches you make your way across the street. He reaches his hand out for you to grab once you’re close enough and he pulls you to stand between his legs, hands settling on your hips.

“Hello, Love.” He smiles down at you, eyes peering over his expensive sunglasses.

“Ello, govna. Fancy a date wiff meh?” You choke out, in your worst accent possible. He chokes on his own spit at that.

“Oh my g-, what was that?” he says, unable to hold his laughter.

“I thought I'd give your accent a shot.” You say, shrugging your shoulders.

“It’s a good thing you’re talented in other areas, love, because impressions are not your strong suit.” He says, leaning down to kiss your cheek. “Shall we go, then?” He says, nodding towards his car.

“We shall.” You let him guide you around the car and open your door for you. (Jackson would never btw) He makes his way back around before sliding into his seat and taking off.

Your second date ensues without a hitch. He took you to a record store! He perused the entire store with you for hours. You both showed each other different albums and explained what they meant to you. He showed you his favorite Pink Floyd record and you showed him your favorite band's sophomore album that had gotten you through some really dark times. He kept eye contact with you and nodded along with your words, expressing his condolences for you having to experience so much already in your life. The fact that he even remembered you mentioning you enjoy vinyl hunting had you sure of one thing, you’re certain you like this man more than you should. And you’re terrified. But in the best way.

Harry gets you home around 10 pm, and walks to your door again.

“I would like to ask you a pretty important question.” Harry states, placing the palm of his hand against your cheek. You lean into his touch and nod, letting him know to continue. “I know this is rather sudden, but I would like to start seeing you. Officially, I mean.” Maneuvering his hands to tilt your face towards him, he presses a kiss to your cheek. “Call you mine.” The other cheek. “Make you happy.” Now your forehead. “Treat you with the utmost respect, like you deserve.” He kisses your nose. “Will you let me do that, sweet girl?” He pauses, gauging your reaction.

You nod your head like a mad woman, a massive smile on your face, “Oh god, yes!.” You say. And it feels like an entire weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You never imagined all those months ago that you’d be standing here with your handsome stranger agreeing to start a relationship with him. Who are you? What have you done with Y/N? Is Y/N even in the room with us?

Harry smiles a smile that can only be described as.. painful looking. “My sweet girl, gonna treat you so well. The way you deserve. Been waiting months for this.” He says, pressing his lips to yours. You reach your hands up, tangling them in his soft curls, and pull yourself to your tippy toes, attempting to meet his height. “Please,” You whisper against his lips before kissing him again. He leans down over you, trying to pull you as close to him as possible. “Please what, sweet girl?” He teases, “Gotta use your words for me, pretty.” He says, tilting your head back and placing featherlight kisses along your jawline, heading towards your right ear and taking your lobe into his mouth.

“Oh my god, Harry–Fuck.” You groan out. “Please, don’t make me wait again.” You plead, pulling his lips back to yours.

“Is my girl sure this is what she wants? I thought we agreed to take this slow.” He teases again.

“I changed my mind! Please, Harry. Please.” You plead, making him chuckle.

“Who am i to deny you, Love.” He says.

You clumsily make your way upstairs, the both of you too damn stubborn to attempt to break your kiss. Layers of clothing are shed as you make your way into your bedroom. He pauses one more time at the end of your bed, both of you only left in your underwear, “Are you sure about this Love? We can stop right now and it wouldn’t change anything.” You shake your head and push him down, straddling his lap. “I seem to remember a promise you made about taking me upstairs and giving me everything I deserve. I’m waiting for that promise to be kept, Mr. Styles.”

“Well then, allow me to demonstrate.” He says, flipping you both over so you were under him, eliciting a shriek of laughter from you.

1.2.1 (please mind the tags before you read!)

A couple months have passed and it’s cold out again. Harry’s been making good on his promise to treat you well, treat you how you deserve. He still makes his daily stops to get his cupcake and drop your coffee off, and he makes sure to give you the dozens of kisses you demand before he’s allowed to leave. You feel like a different person; you would never be caught dead showing this level of affection to a partner, let alone in a semi public setting. All of your friends are so immensely proud of you, but nobody says anything lest to make you feel embarrassed. Harry claims the title of your biggest fan and your number one supporter. Although he and Carly like to “argue” over that title. You were thrilled to finally have a relationship where your boyfriend and your best friend actually got along.

When Mr. Henry stopped in the day after your first date, you feigned ignorance.

“Good morning, dear. How was your evening?” He inquires, a smirk evident on the elderly man's face.

“Eh, it was pretty boring. I tried out this new recipe for a chocolate ganache to put on a cake. Turned out pretty well. I’m kind of excited.” You say, boxing up his normal order, plus some extras as a thank you for him to find later.

“What do you mean? I thought yo-, wait a minute. You’re being a smart ass aren’t you?” He asks, brows furrowing together.

“What was your end of the deal? I already got it out of the other two. What’s your excuse, huh?” You tease him.

“You little shit. Haha, alright. You got me there. I didn’t agree to get anything in return. There isn’t anything he could give me that I need, dear. I have all I could ever need right here.” He motions to you and Rocco. “I just wanted you to have a chance to be truly happy, like I got to be. I want you to find someone to eat peanut butter cookies for after they're gone. That’s all I asked for from him in return. He said he would do his best to make me proud. And I believe him, dear.”

The tears well in your eyes before you can even process what’s happening.

“Well, now I didn't tell you that to make you cry.” Mr. Henry picks up a napkin and hands it to you, “I’ve told you before, no time for that. You’ve got cookies to sell.”

Jesse has returned from school again for winter break. He’s been keeping tabs on you while he’s been gone though. He was so excited for you when you informed him you and Harry were officially an item.

“Yeah, and you tried telling me you weren’t interested in him.” He says, spinning a rose nail between his fingers like you taught him.

“Ooh, see! now, twist it back and start where you left off.” You said, encouraging his progress. “Ya know, Jesse, I never claimed to be perfect.” You joke.

“I know, girl. I’m just glad you’re letting yourself be happy again. It right hurt my heart to see you so sad. Mr. Henry and I were about to start scheming together.” He picks the rose up off the nail, and sets it down where you have it marked on top of the cake.

“I think all of you did plenty of scheming, don’t you?” You say, raising your eyebrow at him.

“Okay, you got me there. But can you blame us?”

“I suppose not.” You say checking the time on your phone. “Hey, Harry asked me to make his cupcake drop at the stadium. Are you okay if I run these to him real fast? I’ll be back in no time at all.”

“Go on, girl. I got this. Go get your man.” Jesse says, starting another rose on the nail. “Still can’t believe you bagged a team owner. Badass — seriously.”

You make the drive to the stadium and you’re surprised to see the team in the parking lot doing drills. You don’t think anything of it and pull into one of Harry’s parking spots near the gate like he told you to do. Gathering your various items, you step out of your car and turn to close the door.

“What are you doing here?” You hear behind you. Jackson.

“Mm, I don’t really think that’s any of your business.” You huff before continuing on your way.

“We haven’t been together for nearly a year, I have no desire to see you here.” Jackson says, rather angrily, following hot on your trail.

“Well, it's a good thing I’m not here to see you. So if you’ll excuse me.” You make a hasty exit from the conversation and let your feet carry you to Harry’s office.

“Hello, my love.” Harry says upon your entrance. “What do you have for me today?”

You half smile at him, “Um, there’s a cookies and cream for you, and the marshmallow filled for Ryan.” You say, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” He inquires from his seat.

You nod, even though it’s a lie. He shakes his head at you. “Come here, Love.” he says motioning for you to join him on his side of the desk. He pulls you to sit in front of him on the desk, he cages you in with his arms “Now, you know I don’t like dishonesty, Love.” He starts, “What’s bothering you?”

“I hate that you can read me like a book.” you mumble, your eyes beginning to well with tears.

“Mm, Have been able to since the beginning. Are you gonna tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“It’s just Jackson.” You mumble, fidgeting with your hands in your lap.

“Did he say something to you?” Harry says, his tone serious now.

“No! I mean — kind of. The guys were all in the parking lot doing drills and when he saw me, he asked why i was here, I told him it was none of his business, and then he told me he didn’t want me here.”

“I hope you gave that punk an earful.” He says, running his palms over the tops of your clothed thighs..

“I told him that it was a good thing I wasn't here to see him, and to excuse me.” You said, recounting what happened.

“Good girl. That works too. I’ll deal with him. Wanted him gone a long time ago”

“No, please, just leave it be. I don’t want to give him a reason to hate me even more. He still scares me. I didn’t recognize him that night. H-he grabbed my face and told me I n-needed to be m-more obedient to him. Please don’t make it any w-worse, Harry, please,” You plead tears beginning to stream down your face.

“Woah, pretty, let's calm down, yeah?.” He coos, pulling you off of the desk and onto his lap. He rubs soothing circles on your back and guides your breathing. “It’s okay, my sweet girl. Nobody can hurt you. I’ve got you, baby. Everything will be okay.”

Harry holds you for a while longer while he continues to do some of his work at his desk. He glances down at his watch, taking in the time. “I’m sorry, Love, I’ve got a meeting in 15, I would cancel again but that would be three times in a row.” You sit up slowly before you say, “Oh, it’s alright. I’ve gotta get back to Jesse.” He tucks your hair behind your ears and kisses you softly. “Will you be alright getting back? Should I send Ryan with you?

“No, I’ll be okay. Will I see you tonight?” You inquire, standing from his hold.

“Well, of course. I expect my nightly dose of attitude when I get there, too.” He says before giving a light pinch to your ass, making you squeal. “Let me know once you’ve made it back, my love.”

“Yes, sir.” You mumble out and you swear you almost hear Harry groan.

“Keep it up, sweetheart. You might like what happens.” He wiggles his eyebrows at you.

You make your way to the door and he opens it for you, letting you step into the hallway before him. You’re trying to be cute when you attempt to leave without a proper goodbye, but he isn’t having any of that. Harry reaches out and spins you to face him, arms immediately wrapping around your frame, making you giggle.

“And just where do you think you’re going without my ‘see you later’ kiss, hm?” He inquires.

”I’m sorry, who are you?” You say, looking up at him through your lashes.

“Oh, baby, allow me to remind you.” And he's kissing you again, making you whimper, but not for long before he’s pulling away.

“Nooo, one more.” you plead, chasing his lips with yours.

“Who are you begging for a kiss from a stranger? Naughty girl.” He teases, making you giggle again. “Off you go, my love. I’ll see you tonight.” and he sends you on your way.

You begin to make your way to your car, unaware of the following eyes. You start to hear the echo of footsteps behind you, so you peer over your shoulder and see Jackson at the end of the hall trailing behind you. You panic and begin to speed walk the last bit to your car before locking your doors once inside.

“You know, I thought you were pathetic, but this is ridiculous.” You hear through your driver side window.

“Go away, Jackson.”

“How long have you been fucking him? Huh? How long have you been plotting this? Was this your plan all along? Sleep your way up the football hierarchy? I gotta say, you made one hell of a jump; quarterback to owner? Damn girl. Could’ve at least started with an offensive coordinator, or one of the coaches.” His words were coming at you so fast.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you wanted me first, remember?” You say, starting your car.

“You’re a right bitch, you know that? He’ll realize it soon enough and leave you in the dust like I did.”

“Did you literally forget that I’m the one who left you, genius?” You said before backing out, and pulling away.

Jackson stood and watched your car leave the parking lot, a scheme brewing in his big ass head. “I’ve got just the way to make you crumble, princess, don’t worry.” He says, laughing to himself before making his way back into the stadium.

Christmas is coming, really fast. Like in three days fast. You realize you have nothing for anybody besides Jesse. You’d gotten him a figurine of his favorite character from his favorite anime. With the promise to Jesse of as many cupcakes as he wanted, you asked him if he’d cover by himself for a few hours while you attempted to get something for Harry, Carly, Mr. Henry, Rocco, and Ryan of course. Jesse of course accepted, settling on the idea of continuing his cake decorating. You dress yourself for the cold and make your way to the mall you know has everything.

Carly, Mr. Henry, and Rocco are all very easy to shop for. Carly loves wine, makeup, and the show Sex & The City. Mr. Henry always enjoys extra cookies of course, but you also like to get him a new set of cold gear every year. He wears them until they’re worn out until the next Christmas. He says he always appreciates it because his wife used to do the same, and that it really makes him feel cared for. That man just loves to make you cry by being sweet, and then tell you to knock it off for crying. You can't ever win with him. Rocco of course loves a good treat bag and a new toy. But you always make sure to get him a doggy scarf to match with Mr. Henry’s.

You’d even surprisingly found something for Ryan, well two things. One of them is just a tie in a very specific color he mentioned liking, and the other is a pen that makes a sound when he clicks the top. It says “Yes, Mr. Styles.” in Ryan’s voice. You swore you’ve heard Ryan say those words more than you’ve heard him say anything else. Makes sense since he is Harry’s right hand man. But now, here we are. Nothing for arguably the most important person.

Taking out your phone on your journey back to your car, you tap on his contact. He answers the phone on the second ring. ”Hi, sweet girl. You okay?”

You giggle, “Of course I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?” Reaching your car, you set your bags in the trunk and slide into the driver's seat.

“Well, you never have time to call me in the middle of the day, so I thought something might be wrong.” He says, his voice seeming calmer now.

“Oh, yeah, I’m out shopping. I guess I actually do kind of need your help.” You make his heart rate pick up at him hearing you needing him for something. He knew how hard asking for help was for you, no matter how small the act in question was, so he was proud of you.

“I’m all ears, baby. What can I do for you?”

You hesitate for a moment, “What is something you think you’d like for christmas?”

You can hear him sigh a laugh through the phone. “Baby, I don’t need anything from you. I have all I could ever need. You gave me everything the day you agreed to be mine.”

His words make you tear up, but your bratty side still takes over 99% of the time. “Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?” You say, tone feigning attitude.

“Mm, sometimes my girlfriend does when she’s pretending to be pissed at me.” He quips back at you.

“She sounds like a handful.”

“She’s many things, but never that.” He’s doing that thing again where he talks about how easy it is to love you. “She thinks her words are sharp enough to cut.” He starts again, “But I think she’s just deflecting.”

“I hate you.” You whisper, but he can hear your smile through the phone.

“Are you sure about that, Love?

“Yes, you still didn’t answer my question. I asked what you wanted, not what you needed.” Attempting to steer the conversation from where it was going.. But that didn’t work out very well.

“Sweet girl, I don’t think you want me to tell you what I want over the phone when I know what I’d tell you would leave you an achy mess for the rest of the day.” there’s not a single ounce of hesitation in his voice.

“Like you’d pass up an opportunity to make me squirm.” You say, a real attitude prevalent in your tone. Since he wants to go there.

“Is that a challenge? I can start listing all the ways I plan on making you squirm once I get my hands on you. You want that?”

“Y-yes.” You breathe out. Until you realize you’re sitting in your car. Sitting in your car in a public parking lot. Y/N, get a grip. “I mean, n-no. No. Stop distracting me.” You clear your throat. “Tell me something you want for Christmas, I’m serious Harry.”

“You really want to know?” He says quietly, but you know that voice.

“Nope. Bye.” You say hanging up on him. You knew exactly where that was going. He immediately calls you back but you send him to voicemail. Putting your car in drive, you take off after the perfect idea popped into your head. You just hoped this place still had what you were looking for. Harry’s still trying to call you but you’ve turned on DND. You start to get excited wondering what his reaction will be to that.

Making your way back to the bakery, you’d called Jesse ahead of time requesting his help with the big box while you got the bags. “Where do you want this box?” He asks walking in after you.

“Would you mind taking it upstairs? Pretty pleaaaase?” You say, setting your bags on the counter.

“You got it, girl. Be right ba-, wait, keys? Oh, I see them. Be right back.”

You turn to see the cake he was working on, thoroughly impressed by his progress. His roses are damn near perfect at this point. Now if he could just get some not dude looking handwriting, he’ll be golden! You’re turning the cake to check out the other side when the doorbell chimes. Without taking your eyes off the cake you begin to speak, “Welcome in, give me just one second.” Lifting your hands up you begin to slide the cake off of the lazy susan before turning to place the cake in the cooler. But when you turn around, you’re met with Jackson; standing at your bakery counter with a blue folder in his hand, and a devious smile on his face. He has you cornered. And Jesse is still upstairs. The cake falls from your hands right onto the floor in front of your feet.

“I finally have a way to make you pay for what you did to my career, you football ladder climbing slut.” He sneers at you, waving the folder back and forth.

“I-I d-don’t, wh-what?”

“You. You ruined me when you left.”

“I didn’t do anything to you. I didn’t say anything about you. I don’t even think I unfollowed you for heaven's sake, Jackson.” You say getting louder, hoping Jesse will hear and come back down. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’ve played like shit since you left. You fucked with my head and I haven’t played the same.”

“I fucked with your head? You’re joking right?”

“Dead serious, princess. As serious as this folder right here. Here, this is your copy anyways." He says, sliding your bags off the counter, sending the limited edition Pink Floyd album that you had just bought Harry for Christmas onto the floor. Completely shattering it. The album was a first edition pressing from 1975 when the album came out. Harry wouldn’t let you buy it for him the night of your first date. “Haven’t got a turntable, Love. I wouldn’t be able to appreciate it properly.” But that’s what Jesse was taking upstairs. You’d bought him a turntable and his first record. That was now shattered on the floor. “Oops.” Jackson says, feigning an apology.

“What do you want, Jackson?” You say, snatching the folder from his hand.

“I now own this entire building, and you have one week to get all of your shit and get the fuck out.” He says, inching closer to you over the counter.

Your eyes widen. “W-what, what the fuck are you talking about? Jesse! Jesse, come back, please!” You scream, flipping through the pages of the folder.

“Jesse, come back, please!” Jackson mocks you. “Jesse can’t do shit.” but that's when Jesse comes barreling down the stairs.

“Ah ah ah, pretty boy. I will own everything you own in the matter of seconds once you lay a finger on me. Let me explain to the both of you — since you demanded an audience — how this works.” He says, sauntering over to the table by the window and plopping down in the chair. “You own this business, not the building.” That is true. Your business is a part of a strip of brick buildings and they all have apartments above them. You paid rent every month like everyone else did along the strip. “The building was owned by Jeff Walker, who just so happened to get a pretty nice cash offer from yours truly. And now I’m the owner. How does that make you feel, princess? You wanna sleep with me again now that I own something?”

His words make you want to vomit. You’re thankful Harry has never called you princess.

“Dude, get out of here. Don’t make me call the cops.” Jesse says, stepping in front of the counter.

“Oh, I’m not staying. Just gotta let my tenants know who their new landlord is. You got a week, princess. And you’re out.” He says, flinging the door open before leaving.

You’re frozen. You’re staring at the papers saying Jackson owns your building, and you’re frozen. You can’t move. You can’t think. You almost can't even breathe. You don’t even hear Jesse calling your name. Not until he grips your shoulders and shakes you.

“Y/N, come on, come back to me.” He pleads. But you’re sinking to the floor, pulling your knees to your chest. He panics. Looking in your bag, he grabs your phone and calls Harry.

“Oh, now you want to continue what you started earlier? I see how you are, Naughty girl.” Harry says when he answers the phone.

“Look man, I’ll pretend like i didn’t hear that if you please get to Y/N’s shop as soon as you possibly can.”

“Did something happen? What’s wrong?” Panic rising in Harry’s tone.

“Jackson was here, there’s some folder. I don–, just get here, please. She needs you.”

“Fuck, Okay. I am on my way right now. Thank you for calling me, Jesse. Tell her I’ll be there soon.”

Jesse gets down on the floor with you and wraps his arm around your shoulders. “Hey, you’re good. Harry’s on his way, alright?”

Harry gets to your shop in record time. Pushing the door open and rushing inside like his life depended on it. “Baby? Where are you?” he asks, not seeing anybody.

“We’re down here!” Jesse claims from behind the counter. Harry walks around the counter taking in the sight before him. You’re cradled into Jesse, absolutely shaking.

“Oh no, my girl. Come here, baby.” He says.

“She says she can’t stand.”

“Oh, I know she can. She’s strong. C’mon baby, let's go upstairs.” He says, placing his hand on your shoulder. “C’mon, I know you can.”

You shake your head. “H-he b-bought the building, H-harry.” You cry out, “I’m going to lose ever—” Unable to speak, your sobs take over.

“What is she talking about?” He asks, looking at Jesse, not wanting you to try to talk anymore.

“It’s all in that folder.’ Jesse nods his head towards the counter next to Harry.

He picks it up, flipping through the contents. “Hah, that fucker.” He says, folding the folder in half and tucking it into his jacket pocket. “Alright, Love.” He says, leaning down to pull you up and into his arms. “Up we go.” He tosses you slightly to get his arms in the right spots under your knees and across your back.

“I’ll take care of everything down here. Thank you for coming, man.” Jesse gently grabs Harry’s shoulder.

“Of course. Thank you for calling.” Harry responds before he disappears with you up the stairs.

He walks you into the bathroom and sets you down on the counter before trying to step away from your hold, but your arms remained locked around his neck. “No. Stay. Please.”

“I am, baby, I want to run you a bath.” He chuckles, “Promise, I'm coming right back, yeah?” he presses his lips to your temple to soothe you. You nod and let him go. Harry walks over to the bathtub and turns the knob. Setting his arm out to test the water until it’s warm enough for your liking, and drops the stopper in the drain. Before returning to you, he drops some of your lavender bubble bath that’s placed on the side of your tub. He stands between your legs again and places his hands on your hips. “Alright, my girl, arms up.” He says while grabbing the hem of your sweatshirt.

“Will y-you get in w-with me?” You ask as he reaches behind you to gently undo your bra.

“Of course, If that’s what you want.” He’s reaching down to unbutton your jeans and you slide down off the counter so he can pull them down your legs along with your underwear. “My girl. I hate seeing you so sad. Let’s get you relaxed. Deal with what we can right now, yeah?” You nod, trying to even out your breathing. He pulls his clothes from his body before settling in the tub. Harry holds his hand out to help guide you, “Careful, don’t slip.” he says as you set your foot down into the warm water. You sink down and Harry pulls you to lay on his front, wrapping his arms around your waist before sinking so you're both covered by the water. “Alright, sweetheart, you’re safe now. I’m here with you,” He says, rubbing soothing circles where his thumbs rest on your hips.

“He’s ruined everything, Harry.” You cry.

“Baby, he hasn’t ruined anything yet. He’s got a piece of paper saying he’s giving Walker some money. We can’t solve anything about that right now. Let’s focus on what we can solve, okay? What can we solve right now, even if it’s small?” He asks you, reaching up to rub his hands all over your back.

You shake your head, “Can you just hold me, please?”

“Course i can. We can talk later if you want?”

“Can you just talk? Distract me?”

“Absolutely, love. About anything in particular?”

“Talk to me about your tattoos.” You say, running your fingers over the ones you can see on his chest.

Harry goes into his story about when he started getting his tattoos. He tells you the stories behind the ones that mean the most to him. He explains his tattoos as a collection of memories of instances in his life that he never wants to forget. You think that sounds wonderful.

“Would you get one for me?” You ask, partially teasing.

“Of course I would. I’d do it tomorrow.”

“Wait, really? I wasn’t serious. That’s permanent, Harry.”

“Really? They are? I had no idea.” He teases you. “Better get my money back. I was wondering why they weren’t coming off in the shower.”

“You’re so annoying.” You huff at him, making him breathe a laugh through his nose. “What would you get for me?”

“Hm, hard to tell. Perhaps the outline of a cupcake?” He muses at you.

“I quite like that idea, Mr. Styles.”

“I enjoy any idea that keeps a piece of you with me forever.” He says placing a kiss on your forehead.

“You know, you give my cupcakes a run for their money with your sweetness.” You say earning a chuckle from him.

Harry continues to hold you until you begin to stir. “Are you ready to get out?” He’s looking down at you, continuing his ministrations with his hands on your hips.

You nod, “Yeah. Will you keep holding me though?” You ask.

“Anything you want, baby.” He assures you.

Harry gently dries you off before helping you brush your hair, and put a set of your pajamas on. You’ve seen every inch of this man but these actions here feel so much more intimate to you. You’ve never felt so cared for in your life. He slides into a pair of his clothes that you keep in a drawer for him in your dresser--He melted when you told him that it was his drawer– and he gets into your bed with you. He curls himself around you, face tucked into your neck, an arm sliding under your shoulders, and the other across your waist, and he pulls you as close as he possibly can.

You’re soothed by the soft thump of his heartbeat against your back, and the warmth of his even breaths against your neck. Your breathing finally begins to fully calm, and you slowly stop shaking.

“M’ so tired, Harry.” You whisper. He places a soft kiss on the nape of your neck.

“You wanna take a nap, baby? I’ll stay with you.” He says, breath tickling your throat.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m tired of everything going wrong.”

“Everything hasn’t gone wrong, sweetheart. I will look into this first thing in the morning, okay?”

“He broke your christmas present.” You say, turning yourself in his hold so you were facing him. “I found you the perfect gift and it’s gone. Shattered, Harry.”

“Baby, I told you, you’re the best gift I could have asked for. Material things are great, but I’d rather have you.” He says, cradling the side of your face.

“You have me all the time, Harry. Why do you always have the right thing to say?” You roll your eyes at him, trying not to smile. He makes it so hard to be upset. He looks at things with such a positive outlook and it’s so contagious.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” He quips, sliding his hand under your jaw and lightly squeezing, eliciting a whimper from you.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You say, blinking your lashes at him.

“Sure you don’t, pretty.” He says, placing a chaste kiss to your lips. “I’m sorry you had such a rough day. We’ll start over tomorrow, okay? Is there anything else we can do tonight to make you feel a little better?” He says while peppering kisses all over your face, making you giggle. “Anything at all, baby?” You know exactly what he wants, how he wants to distract you.

“Nope, not a thing.” You say as he slides his other hand further down your body, teasing the hem of your sleep shorts. “Can’t think of anything else I n–eed toni–, ohh.” The tips of his fingers find that spot, and you’re at a loss for words; He stole them right from your mouth and replaced them with his tongue. You reach your hands up, winding them in his hair and pull him off of you, “Please, don’t stop.” You say before connecting your lips again.

“Oh, but I thought my girl didn’t need anything else from me?” He teases.

“Harry, I swear to god I'll kill you.”

“Ooh, she’s feisty now, everybody.” He says while gently turning you two over so he’s leaning over you. “Sure you can’t think of anything else you need?” You shake your head, trying to pull his face to yours, and hooking your leg around his hip to pull him closer, but he’s not budging. “Gotta use your words for me, baby.”

You pout at him, “I hate you.”

“Sure you do, sweetheart. Gonna tell me what you need?”

“You. Need you. Please.”

Harry wakes up a few hours later to the feeling of you wrapped around him. If you asked him, he’d take this version of waking up every day. But he'll have that conversation with you later, when he knows you’re ready to have it.

Slowly, he peels himself away from you, it warms his heart to see your sleeping frame frown at the loss of his warmth. “I’ll be right back, baby. Just need to make a call.” He whispers against your forehead before pressing a kiss. He knows you’re sleeping, but just in case a small part of you wasn't, he didn't want that small part to worry. Harry quietly pulls your bedroom door shut before making his way into your kitchen. He finds his jacket and retrieves his phone, immediately calling Ryan.

“Yes, Mr. Styles?” Ryan says as soon as he answers the phone.

“Ryan, I need you to do something.” Harry breathes into the phone. “I need you to get a meeting with Jeff Walker. As soon as possible.”

Stretching your arm to the right, you feel the cold sheets of your bed. You sit up and notice your door is slightly ajar, and faintly you can hear the clattering of pans in the kitchen.

“Harry?” You call out, slipping out of the comfort of your bed. You wince at the ache in your legs once you pull yourself to stand. Harry’s sweatshirt is laying on the ottoman at the end of your bed, so you slip that over your head and make your way towards the sounds in the kitchen.

Taking in the sight before you, a shirtless Harry standing at the counter, whisking something together in a large bowl. His sweatpants are hanging dangerously low on his hips, and his hair is wildly unkempt looking. But you’d wake up to this sight every day if he asked you to. He’s still unaware of your presence, so to really get his attention you saunter over behind him and slowly snake your arms around his middle, laying your cheek against his bare back.

“Good morning, pretty.” He says placing one of his hands over yours on his chest. “Did you sleep well?”

“Mm, like a baby.” You hum against his back. “My legs are sore though, you menace.” He chuckles at that, turning himself in your hold, wrapping his arms around you.

“Are you complaining?” He asks, placing a kiss on your temple.

“No, not at all.” You roll your eyes at him.

“Rolling our eyes this early? You a masochist or something?” He teases you, pinching your ass and making you jolt.

You shake your head and press your face into his chest. “No. You’re just annoying.”

“Mm, mhm. So annoying, baby.” He says before kissing the crown of your head. Harry then reaches his hands down the backs of your thighs and lifts you onto the counter.. “Let me finish this, and then I’m all yours until we have to get ready for work. How’s that sound?”

“I don’t think I can do it today, Harry. I’m so mentally exhausted. I don’t want to open my shop if I won’t be able to open it a week from now.”

“Oh, my sweet girl. Everything will fall into place, I promise.” He says cupping your cheek; swiping over the surface with his thumb.

“How can you stand there and say that? How can you know that?” You say, not accusingly but with a pleading tone. You want nothing more than to believe him, but you’ve lost so much in your life, it's hard to believe in any kind of positive outcome.

“I don’t. But you have to look at it that way. You have to give yourself something to hope for. You’re just making yourself miserable by expecting the worst.”

“It’s easier if I expect the worst and then the worst happens. I prepared myself for it at least.”

“No, baby. That’s not healthy.” He says tilting your head back to look into your eyes. “I know you’ve been through so much, and it always feels like life is out to get you. But I promise it’s not all bad out there. There are so many exciting things for you to experience, but you have to try. You have to have hope. Can you try for me today?” He asks, pressing a kiss to your nose. “Please, my girl?” You slowly nod your head in his hold, but he shakes his. “Nuh uh, baby. I need to hear you say you’re going to try for me today.”

“I pr-promise I’ll try, Harry.” He smiles at you.

“Good girl.” He says, stepping back to the stove, but not before pecking your lips.

He continues to make breakfast and serves you at the island. As he places the plates down, his phone vibrates next to him. A message from Ryan displayed on the screen.

Right Hand Ryan: Good morning Mr. Styles. Walker agreed to a meeting this morning at 10:30. I’ll see you when you arrive at the office.

Harry: Thank you, Ryan.

Going about the rest of your morning routine with Harry feels so domestic and right to you. You still can’t believe that a stranger you met in a parking lot would mean this much to you now. You’re certain of how you feel, but you won’t let the words come out. But Harry knows. He can see it in how you look at him. He just hopes you can tell he feels the same in the way he looks at you.

The two of you make your way downstairs, just in time for Jesse to make his way inside to help open.

“Good morning you two. I wasn’t sure what the plan was but I was gonna show up either way.” Jesse says from the doorway.

“We’re gonna milk this for all it’s worth and go from there.” You say, squeezing Harry’s hand beside you. He squeezes yours right back. “Everything will fall into place.”

“Hell yeah. I like the sound of that.” Jesse says, pumping his fist in the air. “I’ll get my stuff set up then. See you later, Harry. Thanks again for yesterday.” He says, giving Harry a fist bump before he goes into the back room.

“What a lovely pep talk, baby. Sounds like you’ve got a great life coach.” Harry says leaning down to kiss you.

“Mm, not sure about a life coach. But I’ve got a pretty good boyfriend.”

“Can he fight? Because you’re mine, in case you forgot.”

“Not sure about that. I’m sure he can though. He’s good at everything he does. Especially this one thing with his ton-,”

“Okay, pretty, I really have to go, and if you finish tha-“ you cut him off with a kiss.

“Off you go, my sweet boy.” You say smiling up at him. He’s got hearts in his eyes at the moniker. You haven’t called him anything but Harry all these months.

“I’ll be back for you later,” he grumbles before kissing you once more, and then he’s gone.

Jesse does his best to distract you throughout the morning. He kept showing you how well he could form a rose now on the nail. It was so nice seeing him so proud of himself. You felt so happy knowing that the knowledge you taught him was making this kind of impact on him.

It’s Christmas Eve. Harry asked you to spend the holiday with him at his place, but you begged him to spend it with you at yours. You said you wanted to spend as much time in your place as you could before it was no longer yours. It tugged at his heartstrings and he folded. You had no idea of the trick up his sleeve anyhow. So the place he presented it to you was of no matter.

“Baby, can you help me with this real fast?” You say from the living room. Harry nearly slices his finger off at you calling him ‘baby’. He still hasn’t stopped thinking about you calling him your ‘sweet boy’ the other day. After hearing both of these names you’ve chosen for him he’s certain he never wants to hear you call him Harry again.

“Y-yeah, of course.” He says setting the knife down and walking over to you. You’re setting up the christmas tree you had tucked away in the closet, but you can't quite reach to set the star on top. “What’s up, pretty? Oh, you’re being vertically challenged, eh?” He teases, taking the star from your grasp and placing it atop the tree. He turns and looks at you and chuckles at the frown etched all over your face.

“Shut up. It’s not like I can help it.” You huff. “Not everyone is a big, tall, pain in the ass of a man.” You say as he inches closer to you, winding his arms around you and pulling you closer with every word that left your lips.

“I know, I’m sooo annoying and such a pain in the ass. I know, baby.” He coos at you, placing a kiss to your forehead. You spin in his hold and take in the state of your christmas tree. “Looks beautiful, my girl. He places another kiss to your temple.

“Does it? Is it good enough to be our first christmas tree?” You ask quietly. Placing your hands over his arms as they lay across your chest.

“You kiddin’? Course it is. You did it, so it's perfect.” He says, making you roll your eyes. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me. It’s true.” One of his hands travels south to pinch your ass, again.

“How would you know I rolled my eyes? You can’t even see my face.”

“Mm, on the contrary, my love. I see your face every time I close my eyes. But I know you rolled your eyes because I know you.” Harry says, spinning you back around in his hold. “Now, come. We have much to do in the kitchen.”

“Harry, I’m not kissing you every 30 seconds because you bought yourself a ‘Kiss the Cook!’ apron.

“No, no. None of that in my kitchen right now. We’ve got a meal to prepare. Now, follow my lead.” He says placing your hands on his hips and guiding you to the kitchen.

Harry had two different gifts to give you, but he had to wait until early Christmas morning to get one of them. He wooed you with a delicious home cooked meal, some wine and another bath that wasn’t so PG rated thanks to said wine, and a good cuddle session before bed.

Harry stirs awake just a little before the sunrise. He eases himself from your hold and sneaks his way into the living room. Looking for the item in question, he places it into the gift box and sets it under the tree with the other presents, and then tiptoes back to your bedroom to lay with you until you wake up. He sets himself back down on your bed and inches his way towards you, careful not to wake you before you’re ready. (He made that mistake before) You stir slightly in your sleep and turn towards him, placing your hand on his chest. He takes the opportunity to take that hand in his and position himself under you so you could rest your head on his chest. He studies your face and takes in how serene you look. How at peace, how happy you look. It makes tears burn at the seams of his eyes, but you begin to move and he wipes them away.

“Too early.” You mumble, pulling your comforter up over your head.

“Ah, but baby, Santa was here and I think he wants you to open your presents.” Harry coos at you, slowly pulling the blanket off of you.

“Santa can fuck off.” You huff.

“Such language. You kiss your man with that mouth?” He quips at you, placing a soft smack to your ass.

“Mm, all the time. Says he loves my filthy mouth.”

“Oh, I do, sweetheart.” He concurs. “But, I do really need you to get up. We’ve got a breakfast to make and presents to open, my sweet girl.” He says placing his arms under your legs, and your back before lifting you from your bed.

“Harry! Stop, I need pants.” You say as he leaves your bedroom.

“Oh, I beg to differ on that one, love.” He says setting you down on the couch.

“It’s cold in here, you horn dog.” You scold him.

“Ah, but I can think of so many things we could do to warm you up that don’t involve pants.”

“Oh my god, down boy. Take your bone and chill.” You say making your way back to your room.

Upon your return, Harry is waiting for you on the couch, quite literally looking like a kid on Christmas. “Come sit with me.” He says holding his hand out to you. Taking your seat next to him, he pulls your legs to rest in his lap before reaching over and grabbing the two gift boxes he has for you.

“Oh, yours is that big box right there.” You point next to the tree. He smiles and grabs the box and places it in front of him. He hands you the first of the two boxes he wants you to open. Pulling the ribbon from the top of the box, you pull the top of the box off and open it to find a singular key. “It’s a key.” You say. “I’m lost.” You laugh out.

“That, my love, is a key to my house.” He deadpans, searching your face for a reaction. “If you want it, of course.” You snap your head to look at him. Tears have formed in your waterline and your lip begins to quiver. “Oh, baby. This wasn’t meant to make you cry. I’m sorry.” He says pulling you into his embrace.

“No, No, it's fine. Really. I’m happy.” You assure him. “I’m so happy.” You say pressing your lips to his. “So, so, so happy.”.

“So you’ll move in with me?” He asks excitedly.

“Of course I will.” You say, grabbing his hand and leaving a kiss on his palm. “I’d love nothing more, baby.”

“You keep calling me that.” He mumbles.

“I’m sorry, do you not like it?”

“No, I don't like it.” He deadpans, making you sweat a little. “I love it. Please keep going.”

“Oh, okay you narcissist. Your turn to open something.” You say lightly pushing him off of you.

“Alright, alright.” He slides the big box closer to him. “I thought I told you I didn't need anything from you.” He says.

“I thought I told you to shut up and open your present.” You scold him

“Okay, down girl.” He muses at you. Harry starts tearing the wrapping paper to get to the present beneath it. He’s met with the words ‘Audio Technica’ and a smile breaks onto his face. “A turntable? You got me a turntable?” He looks to you with adoration in his eyes.

“Yeah, thought you might like to start your own collection since you liked going through mine so much.” You say smiling at him.

“My sweet, sweet girl.” He says, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. “Thank you, baby. I absolutely love it.”

“There was another part to it, but that’s the part that Jackson broke.” You whispered out. “I went back to that record store you took me to on our second date and got you that limited edition Pink Floyd record. I wanted to get you your first record too.”

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. I love this without the record. We can always find another one someday.”

“I guess you’re right.” You huff.

“Course I am. Now, I believe you have one more present to open.” He says handing you the other little gift box. He keeps his arm wrapped around your shoulders as you pull the top off of the box.

“It’s.. my keys?” You say pulling your keys from the box. “What is it with you and keys?” You ask him. He just stares at you with a shit eating grin. “Well?”

“Allow me to explain.” Harry says before his story begins.

The morning of his meeting with Jeff Walker, he’d been determined to change the outcome of this purchase no matter what it took. He was certain things would go in his favor; they always did. It also helped that Walker was a past associate of Harry’s so there was already a mutual respect there.

Walker knocks on Harry’s office door and Ryan lets him in. The men shake hands and proceed to take their respective seats. “Harry, you old dog. I must say, I was surprised to get your meeting request, old friend. How long has it been?” “Too long, Jeff. How’s the wife?” Harry muses from his seat.

“Ah, Janet is lovely. She’s actually in Japan right now, but she is not the reason you wanted this meeting. So, my good man, do enlighten me.

“Nothing gets by you, Jeff. I indeed do need your help.”

“Well, I am all ears. Always willing to help an old friend in need. What can I do for you, Styles?”

“First, let me ask you this, what exactly is your business with Jackson Cole?” Harry asks, fiddling with the pen between his fingers.

“Ah, that boy. He came to me a few weeks ago asking if he could buy a property of mine. Says he wants to delve into the realm of property owning.” Jeff begins, “But at first I wasn’t budging. That was until he offered to pay in cash. So I accepted his offer.”

“See, that’s where my problem is.”

“I’m not following, Harry.”

“Jeff, I met a girl this year and she’s turned out to mean more to me than anyone else on this planet.”

“That doesn’t seem like much of a problem to me.” Jeff laughs from his seat.

“No, that’s not the problem.” Harry chuckles, “The problem is that she used to be in a relationship with Cole. A toxic one; He was horrible to her. And now Cole is planning on using the building he’s purchasing from you to try and ruin her life. Her business is in that building, and he’s told her she’s got a week to get out.”

“Well, the sale isn’t even finalized until next week.” Jeff says from his chair. “And I don’t like the sound of this kid. I’m surprised he’s still here.”

“That’s being handled once we’re done here,” Harry muses, “So there’s time then? To cancel the deal?”

“Indeed, but i quite liked the idea of selling that building, Harry, i can’t even lie to you.”

“I’ll buy it then. I’ll give you what he was going to give you. I’ll even throw in covering the cancellation costs and a stipend for you.”

“You really like this girl, huh, Styles?”

“You have no idea, Jeff. Do we have a deal?” Harry asks, reaching his hand across his desk.

“Of course, old friend.” He grabs Harry’s hand in a firm shake, “Let’s try to not let as much time pass before our next meeting, Harry.”

“Agreed, Jeff. Have a great trip back to the city. I greatly appreciate your time today.”

“I hope you make that girl's day when you tell her.” Jeff says before making his way out. Harry lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. He was certain he’d be able to get what he needed from this meeting, but it still shook him to his core to know that Y/N’s business was on the line. He was willing to do whatever it took, but he was thankful Jeff was so willing to help Harry out. Although it might be because Harry had been Jeff’s biggest donor when he was starting his company. But Jeff would never admit that.

“Are you going to tell Y/N?” Ryan asks from his desk in the corner.

“Soon, yes. First, I need you to get Cole in here. Tell him I’m not asking.”

“Yes, Mr. Styles.” Ryan says before leaving the office in search of Jackson.

“Y-you bought this place?” You ask him, unable to contain your tears anymore. "I thought you said Walker backed out of the deal."

“He did, out of the deal with Jackson and into one with me. It's all yours, Love.”

“Wait. Harry, I don’t know how to be a landlord.”

“Ah, not to worry, love. I’ll take care of all of that. You just worry about making your sweets and running your business. But I still want you to come home to me every night.”

“Harry.” You say. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, baby. You don’t have to say anything at all.” He says cradling you to his chest.

“I just can’t believe someone would do something like this for me.” You say cupping his face with both hands.

He reaches up and grips your wrists lightly and looks into your eyes, “I would do anything for you, my perfect girl.” He kisses you softly. “I love you.. So much.” He says, happy tears streaming down his face as he looks at you with such adoration.

Those words. Those words you’d been so desperate to hear for the longest time, and for someone to mean them? You’re a mess. Harry showed you that it’s okay to get your hopes up, because he’ll max out your expectations every time. You’re sure you’re bawling but can’t seem to care. You’re certain you feel the same. “And I love you so much, my sweet, perfect boy.” You say before kissing him with more fervor than you ever have before. He pulls away and he’s looking at you like you hung all the stars in the sky. “Merry Christmas, Baby.” You say to him.

“Merry Christmas, Love.”

Bonus:

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Styles?” Jackson says as he enters Harry’s office.

“Indeed, son. Have a seat.” Harry motions to the chairs across from his desk. Jackson takes a seat and glances around the room warily.

“Now, I’m going to explain this to you very quickly and carefully, Cole. You are going to walk out of this office, go into the locker room and clear your shit out.” “Wait a sec-” Jackson begins to speak, but Harry’s quicker.

“Silence. I’m speaking.” Harry says, waving his hand. “As I was saying, after you’ve cleared out your locker, there's a plane waiting for you at the airport. Your apartment is in the process of being sold and all your items are being packed at this very moment. The plane will be taking you to Los Angeles where you will join their 53 man roster as a third string quarterback.”

“Third string? What is the meaning of this, sir?”

“I am so glad you asked.” Harry muses. “It seems you can’t leave alone what’s mine. So I'm removing you from the situation in a way that keeps you alive, me out of prison, and my girlfriend's mind at ease.”

“Mr. Styles, with all due respect I’m of more use to you here.”

“Really? A dead last draft pick that cant keep his feet on the ground is of use to me here? How does that make any sense? The same dead last draft pick that fumbled the ball more times than I could count in last year's championship game?”

“Sir, please, I’ll do anyth–”

“Enough. The decision has been made, Cole. You’re free to go. Say goodbye to your teammates and be on your way.” Harry says, making Jackson stand from his seat. “One more thing,” Harry starts before Jackson can leave, “If you ever try to speak to, bother, or even breathe the same air as Y/N again, I will have your career. You’re lucky you still have one. You can thank her for that. She wouldn’t be able to live with it if I’d gotten to do what I actually wanted to. So, count your blessings, boy.” He pauses briefly, taking in the look of anger and desperation all over Jackson’s face. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Y-yes, Mr. Styles.”

a/n 2.0: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING ALONG WITH ME ON THIS JOURNEY!! THANK YOU AGAIN TO MOTHER @freedomfireflies FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND LOVE. I really owe so much to you!! I absolutely adore you 🫶🏻🩵

please like &/or reblog if you enjoyed <3

taglist: @stylesfever @olipoli21 @hermionelove @st-ev-ie @mrs-anna-styles211994 @hannah9921 @velvetballaspark

#harry x reader #mdni & dividers both by @/cafekitsune #harry imagine #harry styles fanfiction #harry edward styles #harry styles one shot #harry smut #harry styles

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shanastoryteller · 9 months

Note

Happy Pride!!!! Living Blood or Lady Mo please!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Xuanyu disrobes unashamedly, hesitating only at the last second with the sleeve covering her left arm.

Jiang Yanli laughs. “Bit late to be modest, I think.”

“Modesty is overrated,” she returns, which is something that Zixuan would say and A-Yao would think. She slips the rest of the robes off and steps into the steaming bath, letting out a deep sigh of satisfaction.

The changes her body has undergone are even more obvious without the thick layers of the robes obscuring her form. The extra weight seems to have settled in ideal places, not only thickening her waist and limbs but settling heavily along her hips and breasts, which hadn’t exactly been small to begin with.

She sits behind Xuanyu, filling a bowl with water and then pouring it over her hair to rinse it of blood and dirt that had been hidden by her dark hair. Acting as a bathing assistant is far below her station, but Xuanyu had sent all the servants away and she doesn’t mind, really. Xuanyu is her sister, likely the only one she’ll ever have considering A-Cheng’s track record with matchmakers, and she’s been worried about her. This gives them time to speak alone. “How has your marriage with Lan Wangji been? Has he been kind?”

Xuanyu pulls a face, which isn’t encouraging. “I guess. He mostly left me alone, and then we had a couple fights and he was a jerk, and now I think he’s trying to make up for being a jerk, but it’s a little – well, it’s nice that he’s making an effort. I suppose.”

Not as good as she’d hoped, but not as bad as she’d feared. “Sect Leader Lan seems fond of you.”

“Oh, Lan Xichen is great,” she says easily. Better than reaction to Lan Wangji, but still not what Jiang Yanli had been hoping for. Then her eyes light up. “Sizhui is wonderful! I’ll give Wangji one thing, he’s raised a good kid. He’s so sweet, and a great cultivator, and he’s always trying to help out everyone around him. I’m glad Jingyi’s always hanging around – without him, I think everyone would just take advantage of Sizhui’s good nature.”

Well, that’s something. Surely Lan Wangji can’t resist Xuanyu’s charms for long, not when she dotes on his son and gets along with his brother.

“What trouble did you get into on the road?” she asks, running her hand over the wound on Xuanyu’s shoulder. It looks nearly fully healed already and there’s another mostly healed wound on her hip, a thin slice on her left arm, and the shadow of various bruises that were likely much worse a couple hours ago. It’s of course a good thing that Xuanyu has a strong golden core, but Jiang Yanli can’t help a moment of wistfulness.

Her own core never lived up to her mother’s expectations, or her own. If she’d had a stronger core, she could have given A-Ling siblings. A child should have siblings. She would have had a calmer childhood without two little brothers underfoot, but a lonelier one too.

Xuanyu shrugs, lazily scrubbing herself down. “Looks like Xiao Xingchen picked up the girl, A-Qing, while he and Song Lan were separated and was trapped in this place that was basically a ghost town.” How could he be trapped by a place that had no people? “And I’d heard some rumors so when we ran into Song Lan I helped him find Xiao Xingchen, but there was a bit of a fight with someone who didn’t want him to leave. I just happened to get caught in the crossfire, so to speak.”

She’s stretching the truth to outright lying. Before Jiang Yanli can call her on it, her stomach growls.

“Didn’t get a chance to eat on the road?” she teases.

Xuanyu flushes, ducking briefly beneath the water to hide her flaming cheeks before resurfacing. “Things were a little hectic. It may have slipped my mind.”

How has she managed to put on weight while also forgetting to eat? Perhaps Lan Wangji deserves more credit.

“I think I have some candies in my room, if you want something before the banquet,” she offers. “I know the speeches take forever.”

Her eyes light up before dimming and she slumps in the bath. “Thanks, Yanli-jie, but I better not. Sizhui gave me some on the road and I usually love them but just putting it in my mouth almost made me sick. It was awful. And weird! They’re my favorite.”

Jiang Yanli blinks then gives Xuanyu’s significantly larger chest a considering look. It could be nothing. It’s probably nothing. She hasn’t even been married a year and it doesn’t sound as if she and Lan Wangji have been seeing eye to eye.

Then again, the same could have been said about her and Zixuan.

“Can I ask you something personal, Meimei?”

Xuanyu nods. “You can ask me anything, Yanli-jie.”

“Are you and Lan Wangji having sex?”

She turns bright red and ducks beneath the water for so long that Jiang Yanli is starting to get concerned before she resurfaces, still red faced. “Um. We did once. Well – I guess, technically, it was three times, but it was only one night.”

Well. Apparently Lan Wangji has stamina on and off the battlefield.

“One moment,” she says, briefly squeezing Xuanyu’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

It takes one whispered conversation with the servant outside the hall and approximately ninety seconds before her personal healer is standing in front of her. Jiang Yanli ducks back inside to see Xuanyu out of the bath, in a thin bathing robe that’s clinging to her as she wrings her hair out. “I’d like my healer to take a look at you, Meimei.”

Xuanyu freezes, slowly standing straight with a wary look on her face. “That’s really not necessary. The wounds were just superficial and they’re basically healed already.”

“It’ll be quick,” she says, because if she’s right then she can’t let Xuanyu go down to the banquet without letting her know. “She’s very discreet – she’s been my personal healer since I was a child.”

“Jiang Xingyi?” Xuanyu asks, some of her tension draining away.

Jiang Yanli nods, trying to think of some reason that Xuanyu would know her healer’s name, or her reputation, but all the servants are terrible gossips and her health is a frequent topic of derision. “Just your wrist, okay? Your golden core has changed a lot. I just want her to take a look.”

She feels bad about lying, but Xuanyu had lied to her first.

Xuanyu relaxes even further. “Okay, Yanli-jie. If it’ll make you feel better.”

“Thank you,” she smiles, then opens the door to usher Jiang Xingyi in.

The old woman doesn’t smile, but Xuanyu grins back undeterred, and says, “Hi, Granny,” before paling and adding, “uh, um. Sorry.”

Jiang Yanli feels a familiar pang of grief go through her. A-Xian had referred to Jiang Xingyi as Granny, the only disciple both bold and beloved enough to get away with it.

Jiang Xingyi ignores her, instead reaching for her wrist and pressing her fingers against it. Xuanyu fidgets, shifting from one foot to the other, but says nothing as the moments stack on top of one another.

Finally, Jiang Xingyi drops her wrist and steps back. Her stern visage breaks, a smile stretching her mouth across her face. “Congratulations, Madame Lan.”

She knew it!

“Thanks,” Xuanyu answers before wrinkling her nose. “Um. For what?”

“You are expecting,” she answers. “At least a couple months along, I believe, although I’d have to do a more thorough examination to be sure.”

Jiang Yanli moves to embrace her, but Xuanyu’s face drops and she turns dangerously pale. “What? No. That’s not possible. I can’t be.”

“Three times,” Jiang Yanli reminds her, trying to goad Xuanyu into laughter.

But instead she just shakes her head. “No, no I can’t, I – this can’t be happening,” she whispers to herself, grabbing her own arms in a white knuckled grip. “It’s not. It’s impossible. I can’t be.”

She’s young, and this wasn’t a marriage of her own choosing, and it’s so new. Of course she’s surprised and nervous. Jiang Yanli touches her elbow, intending to say something soothing, but Xuanyu collapses into her arms, gripping her waist and hiding her tears in her shoulder.

“Xuanyu!” she says, hugging her back just as fiercely, her heart breaking for the younger girl’s anguish. “Meimei, it’s okay, I know this is scary, but it’s going to be fine.”

“It’s not,” she says, voice thick with tears, “A-jie, this is awful, this is – it can’t happen! It can’t, Wangji is going to be so mad, he’s going to hate me, and everything is ruined and awful, I can’t be – I can’t! I’m going to die!”

Jiang Yanli’s whole body goes cold and she grips Xuanyu even tighter against her. “You’re going to be fine,” she says, pushing her conviction into every syllable.

No matter what Jiang Yanli has to do, Xuanyu is going to be fine.

#oh wwx #our babygirl is going through it #dw everything is going to be fine #wwx is like i'm going to die before i can have this baby and kill lan zhan's baby and he's going to hate me forever #and jyl who obviously has no context for this hears that xuanyu thinks that lwj is going to kill her #which she'd think that lwj would never do but also she saw him during war and she's not the one married to him #and everyone knows he didn't want this marriage and also made a big thing about how sizhui's position won't be usurped #jyl to herself: do i have to kill lan wangji?#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #anon #untamed

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jjungkookislife · 3 months

Text

Lonely Night

♡ pairing: hfth!jungkook x f. reader

♡ genre: established relationship, fluff, [18+]

♡ summary: It's your first night alone without Jungkook at your side.

♡ wc: 2.2k

♡ warnings: food mention, mention of spiraling

♡ date: January 26, 2024

♡ series masterlist

Winter break ends faster than you realize. Jungkook and you hadn’t had a chance to see the house Grandmother Jeon had gifted him.

“Mom!” Jungkook whines with a pout on his pretty pink lips.

You giggle as you take the second large bag of food she hands you.

“We have more than enough,” Jungkook insists as a third, smaller bag was pressed to his chest.

“You can never have enough,” Aera insists as she walks you to the door, where Seokjin and Jimin wait in the car.

“Share with your friends,” Aera waves as Jimin takes the bag from you while Jungkook hugs his mother tightly. “And call me when you get there.”

“I will, Mom. I’ll see you as soon as I can, okay?” Jungkook kisses his mother’s cheek and takes a step back as you approach.

“Oh, sweetheart! It was so nice meeting you,” Aera is nearly in tears as she wraps you up in a tight hug. “Call any time! Come visit whenever.”

“I will. I promise,” you say as she gives you one more squeeze. Dae stands on the porch, waving at the two of you as Aera cries.

“Honey, the kids will be back before long,” Dae comforts her, rubbing her back as she places her head on his chest.

“Momma Jeon,” Jimin hollers. “We love you!”

Aera laughs wetly through her tears, waving at Jimin and Seokjin as you and Jungkook climb in the car. Seokjin has his playlist loaded, and ready to go and Jungkook is quick to hand you an earbud the moment your seatbelt clicks.

When Seokjin pulls out of the Jeon’s driveway, he starts belting Christmas carols again.

“Just because the holidays ended, doesn’t mean the spirit has passed,” Seokjin states firmly as he keeps his gaze on the road.

Jimin slumps in his seat, his noise-canceling headphones doing their job, a present from you and Jungkook.

In the car in front of you, Taehyung, Yoongi, Namjoon, and Hoseok pass around snacks from their parents. Mrs. Park and Mrs. Jeon made them a special batch for the trip back home and the men were digging in greedily.

“Next time I’ll drive us up here,” Jungkook assures you as he laces his fingers with yours.

“We carpool!” Seokjin interrupts, his eyes locked on Jungkook’s in the rearview mirror.

“Yes, sir!” Jungkook responds before giggling beside you. Seokjin rolls his eyes but smiles fondly as he catches your gaze. He winks at you before his eyes return to the road, and he belts out a high note rivaling Mariah Carey’s.

Impressive.

“Are you sure I can’t take you home?” Seokjin asks for the third time as he helps Jungkook unload the trunk.

Jimin got dropped off first a few minutes ago, and now Seokjin was at Jungkook’s apartment.

“It’s no big deal,” Seokjin assures you, but you shake your head.

“Jungkook and I are gonna split Momma Jeon’s food,” you grin as Jungkook takes his luggage to the porch and returns for yours.

“Alright,” Seokjin nods as he hugs you. “I’ll text when I get home.”

You return his hug before Jungkook joins in, squeezing the both of you before Seokjin licks Jungkook’s cheek.

“Ugh!” Jungkook wipes his cheek with the back of his hand. “Must you?”

Seokjin shrugs. “I brushed.”

You laugh as Seokjin gets in his car and drives away. Jungkook flips him off before turning to you.

“I call dibs on the brownie bites,” he smirks.

“Hey! Seojun made those for me!” You exclaim but Jungkook is already running to the front door to claim his prize while you run after him, laughing into the home.

Jungkook clings to you as you head for the door. A pout on his lips as he snuggles into your shoulder.

“Are you sure you have to go?” He asks for the third time in five minutes.

You’ve divided the brownie bites, most of the leftovers, and stolen two of his sweatshirts that you stuffed in your suitcase.

“I have to get back to my dorm room,” you remind him as he kisses your cheek.

The last time you were in his apartment you were still fake dating. Now that you were dating for real, it felt more comfortable for you to laze around with him. Plus, you got to cuddle in his bed with him for a little while, but now you had to head back to the dorm.

Laundry was calling, and you had to prepare for the start of the semester in a few days.

“I know,” Jungkook sighs in resignation as he takes your suitcase and wheels it onto the porch. You slide your shoes on while he pockets his keys and helps you out of his apartment.

A few minutes later, he rolls your suitcase to your dorm. You thank him with a kiss on his lips.

“I’ll let you get settled, baby,” Jungkook smiles as he hugs you again. “I’ll text when I’m home. We can have breakfast tomorrow.”

“I’d love that,” you grin as you kiss his lips again before he leaves you be.

You get in the shower minutes later. However, it’s not until you’re getting dressed in one of Jungkook’s sweaters and a pair of comfy pajama pants that the realization hits you.

You miss him.

You spent nearly three weeks sleeping in his arms, and now you were in your bed alone, staring at the ceiling. The semester hasn’t even started yet. How would you get through it?

Sighing, you do your best to fall asleep.

Hours later, you’re still tossing and turning. You’re miserable as you huff and stare blankly at the ceiling. You didn’t think it would be this difficult to sleep without Jungkook beside you. Even his snoring would lull you to bed tonight.

You love the way he looked when he slept. His cute lips were still in a pout as he snored beside you. His body was like a furnace when he wrapped around you, always snuggled into your side for warmth and comfort.

How long would it take you to fall asleep without him? How long could you go without him at your side?

This was something you’d have to get used to though. You were still early into your relationship, and your dorm room was yours for the semester. You couldn’t abandon it to run to Jungkook’s arms every night. You didn’t want to rush but you also missed being around him day in and day out.

Your phone rings on the nightstand where you left it to charge before you showered. You turn on your side and reach for it, not surprised to see your boyfriend calling.

“Hey baby,” he says softly once you answer. He’s in bed with the covers up to his shoulder, but you can see a bit of skin when he pulls his pillow closer.

“Hey,” you greet him, ignoring the sadness in your chest.

“In bed already?” He asks with a teasing smile.

“It’s cold,” you laugh as you pull the covers closer.

“Is that my sweater?” He laughs when he spots the logo on your chest. You rush to cover it with your blanket, and Jungkook laughs harder.

“I may have borrowed it,” you explain. “Without asking.”

“It looks better on you anyway,” Jungkook smiles as he takes in your soft smile and the way your eyes sparkle even in the dim light of your dorm room.

“I think so too,” you stick your tongue out at him, and he does the same. Your heart flutters and your stomach fills with butterflies. He was your boyfriend now. Yours. The thought makes you nearly swoon but then the sadness seeps in. Slowly first, and then it seems to seep into your bones until it fills your very core.

Suddenly, your throat burns like an inferno as you try to swallow the sickly feeling of loneliness. Were you being ridiculous missing him so soon? Was this too much too fast?

“Darling?” Jungkook whispers with concern etched on his forehead in between his furrowed brows. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you lie, clearing your throat.

Jungkook can tell from your tone and your sudden change in demeanor that you’re lying.

“Talk to me, baby,” he encourages gently.

“It’s dumb,” you try once more to wave off his concern as you sniffle. Dammit.

Jungkook frowns. “Nothing you could ever say is dumb. You don’t have to tell me if you truly don’t want to, but I am here for you if you wanna talk.”

You nod, biting your lower lip as you debate telling him.

A heavy sigh slips past your lips. “I miss you.”

Jungkook’s taken aback. That’s not what he expected you to say, but only because he was sure you were ending things between you now that you were home. Okay, maybe he had been spiraling a little before he called you but only because he missed you desperately. His empty bed wasn’t the same without you in it and he didn’t want to overstep by asking you to stay the night or a few nights at his side.

Hell, he’d ask you to move in if he was sure he wouldn’t get shut down.

“I miss you too, darling. That’s actually why I called,” he admits bashfully.

“Oh?”

Jungkook nods, his hair falling over his eyes. You smile at him through your phone.

“I was wondering if you could sleep at my place tonight,” he pauses. “O-or I could go to your dorm.”

You remain silent as the fluttering in your chest grows rapidly.

“Or not, if you’re not comfortable,” Jungkook rushes when you don’t respond immediately. “We could just forget I said anything.”

“Jungkook,” you say his name softly with a smile.

“Come pick me up in ten minutes, okay?”

Jungkook nods excitedly with a smile. “Yeah! Totally! I’ll be right over, babe.”

“Drive safe, Koo. I’ll grab a bag of my things and wait for you, okay?”

“Yes, baby. I’ll see you in a bit,” Jungkook blows you a kiss before he hangs up.

You kick the covers off of you as you grab a duffel bag and pack your things.

A second later your phone dings.

[Kookie 🖤🍪🖤] babe, pack some extra clothes

[Kookie 🖤🍪🖤] I cleared a drawer for you in my room 🥺

You squeal in excitement! Why was your boyfriend the cutest? You want to laugh and cry at the same time but you sniffle and respond to his text before running around your room to pack your bag.

Ten minutes later, you meet Jungkook at the entrance of your dorm. He smiles brightly when he sees you.

“Hi, baby,” he greets you with a kiss on your cheek before he takes your bag and slings it over his left shoulder. His tattooed hand reaches for yours as you greet him.

“Sorry for getting you out of bed so late, darling,” Jungkook apologizes as he opens the car door for you and waits until you’re buckled in to shut it. He opens the back door and places your bag on the seat before shutting the door and jogging to the driver’s side.

“Jungkook,” you grab his hand before he starts the car. You wait until he meets your gaze. “I missed you. I don’t think I could have slept without you beside me and I’m glad you called. I’m glad you came to get me. Don’t apologize.”

The smile on Jungkook’s face makes your heart flutter as he cups your face and leans forward to capture your lips with his. The kiss is slow, unrushed, and passionate as he deepens it and his hand grips your thigh. You moan softly when he tugs lightly on your bottom lip before releasing it and ending the kiss.

“Let’s get you to bed,” he whispers with one last peck to your lips.

Jungkook folds your clothes as you get ready for bed. He places them in the drawer he’s cleared for you with a smile and a flutter of his heart. He’s got a purple toothbrush in the bathroom for you beside his black one.

When you climb into his bed, he lets you cuddle your favorite stuffed animal of his.

“Good night, baby,” you whisper as he wraps his arm around your waist and the purple bat you’ve chosen to cuddle in front of you.

Jungkook kisses your shoulder, his hand gently rubbing your hip.

“Good night, darling,” he replies. And it is a good night. A very good night as he sleeps soundly beside you.

In the morning he’ll wake up well-rested with you snuggled in his chest, your leg twined with his and he’ll watch you sleep for a while. His fingers will gently brush your hair out of the way, and he’ll trace the curve of your lips with his thumb.

Jungkook will wonder how he’ll sleep tonight without you at his side, how he’ll sleep this peacefully with you nestled in your dorm room.

However, one day he’ll wake beside you and know the two of you never have to part again.

For now, he’ll focus on your time spent together in bed, on your soft breaths and cute face pressed into his chest. He’ll rub your back gently, and picture the rest of your lives together.

#fic: home for the holidays #fic: hfth #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook drabble #jungkook x you #jungkook x reader #jungkook x reader insert #jungkook x y/n #bts christmas #bf!jungkook

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writer-ishh · 20 days

Text

My Dungeon Meshi Modern AU Thoughts Instead of Writing My Economics Research Paper lmao

Ughhhh,,,, okay have been thinking about them all day and if one person manages to make it through the void and hear me out and talk about them with me then I’ll be happy lol.

WARNING: this is stupidly long, like I spent an absurd time writing every single little detail down. With that being said here we go:

cw//mentions and minor graphic descriptions of death, bullying, discrimination, injury, abuse, trauma, mental health issues, and abandonment

• Laios

- currently 26 and living with his sister Falin

- studying zoology part-time at the local college

- mostly does night classes since he works 1-2 jobs during the day to help pay for his and Falin’s tuition and apartment

- he and Fallin took their dog Muimui when they moved out, they also feed the local stray cats

- lived on a farm with his sister and parents when he was a kid, and is where his love of animals comes from

- however did not have the best of childhoods, as he was a frequent target for bullying due to having undiagnosed autism, and his father was very much a “nothing is wrong with you, toughen up the world isn’t going to coddle you” kind of person

- this was further cemented when he cried going hunting with his dad for the first time and refused to eat any of the deer or rabbit they had caught

- his mom had her own mental health problems that she was never diagnosed for, so often she fell into the same mindset as her husband when it came to Laios’ and Fallin’s behaviour, only she was more erratic due to her fear of one or both of her kids becoming like her

- never forgave his father after he sent Fallin off to a private middle/high school far away from their home, little did he know it was because the severe bullying Fallin was receiving was too much for her, and he wanted to send her away before she got hurt or worse

- nearly tried to run away at 16, however was caught by the police almost immediately and returned home

- completed his high school diploma and took off with Muimui without even saying goodbye to his parents, Fallin nearly joined him in the city but since she was still under guardianship of her parents, she couldn’t leave until she became an adult

- once graduated, she reunited with Laios in his apartment where they now live

- works nearly full-time at Senshi’s restaurant and works part-time as a janitor at their local zoo (he wants to be close to the animals lol)

- very busy but he makes it work, Marcille and Kabru have no idea how he does it without any meds or caffeine

- either has a worn out picture of him and Falin with their old dogs, or has a hand-made drawing of his theoretical strongest monster in his pocket that he looks at whenever he needs inspiration

- both him and Falin live wayyy out of the city center since rent is fucking abysmal downtown

- insists on taking the bus or walking everywhere since taxis and buying a bike costs too much, even if the commute is like 2 hours with 3 transfers

- despite this, he still has a drivers license

- the kind of guy you would expect to be eating leafy green tofu bowls from your local hipster vegan bistro, but is actually the kind of guy who eats the dubious $4 ground beef chubs and off-brand deli ham from walmart

- socks and slides with free college club t-shirts and cargo pants from the gap that come with like 50 pockets so he can carry all his stuff (the stuff mostly being dog treats and loose bird feed) bro has no drip aside from one outfit put together by Marcille

- uses the same highlighter blue and yellow adidas backpack he’s had since middle school, carries literally everything in there

- doesn’t listen to music, but if he does it’s rain/nature sounds with the $2 headphones you get from the dollarstore

- not much of a gym freak and usually just goes casually, prefers sports to working out (will have a protein shake but does not invest in creatine or other pre-workout supplements)

- either uses the same recyclable water bottle with the label torn off from a pack of 50 he got 3 years ago, or just uses one of his protein shake bottles I can’t decide

- hangs out with Marcille and Falin the most often (since Marcille constantly makes excuses to study with Falin at their apartment), sometimes gets smoothies or juice with Kabru if they run into each other

- hangs out with Senshi and Chilchuck less often, their time spent together is usually limited to having a beer after closing the restaurant or meeting together with everyone else to have dinner every couple months

- goal is to become a wildlife biologist when he graduates

- more to add if I think of it

• Fallin

- currently 23 and lives with Laios

- in her second year of studying veterinary medicine at their city’s main university

- grew up with Laios and her parents on their farm, also developed a deep love and appreciation for animals early on, but while Laios was more interested in the study of their behaviour, she was more interested in healing them

- also has undiagnosed autism like her brother, only when it came to her behaviours, she stood out a lot more and was subsequently bullied heavily for stimming, having major sensitivities to light and sound, self-isolating, talking to inanimate objects or “ghosts”, having a special interest in things like bugs or plants, and having a very specific schedule that adults had to help her with

- never really understood why adults or other children treated her differently, as she thought it was normal for everyone, however was still affected by having no friends aside from her brother during her younger years

- the bullying got so bad that kids began physically tormenting her, and since she never told Laios (who was in middle school and couldn’t always be with her), there was essentially no one to defend her

- very sadly culminates in an incident where she was intentionally locked in a graveyard overnight, and although she didn’t sustain any injuries she was fairly traumatized by the event, it was the final straw for her father to send her away to a private school at 12 years old to finish her education

- moved to a different city the next year where she stayed in dormitories, had her own room due to enrolling late

- also initially had a hard time making friends, and often cried since she couldn’t be with Laios, however no one bullied her for her autism and most often ignored her or gossiped

- had Marcille as a “buddy” to help her get acclimated to school life, however their relationship was quite awkward initially as Marcille thought she was unnerving and frankly a little stupid, however was completely shocked at Fallin’s nearly perfect grades

- school policy at that time stipulated that students had to return to the main hall for dinner at a certain time, however when Fallin doesn’t show up, Marcille has to look for her

- she finds Fallin at her secret hangout spot, similar to her dungeon in the anime, a corner with a group of trees and thick bushes that opened up into a grassy nook and a little pond, there they talk about what she does there and why she skips

- also similar to the anime, a fox (rather than a slime) catches them by surprise, but as Marcille tries to get it to run away by throwing rocks at it, Fallin stops her and explains it never comes closer than the tree line, she then points out that hurting while it’s already injured (has a slight limp) will cause it to die, allowing for the prey animals like squirrels and rabbits to eat away at most of the fauna surrounding the school, basically emphasizing the importance of all animals in an ecosystem and how it’s wrong to try and shift the ecosystem solely for our comfort or benefit (cheesy I know but it’s for the plot)

- she then offers Marcille the raspberries that grow on some of the bushes, and soon after Marcille asks if she would like to be friends

- they remain as friends in school only for another year, as Marcille graduates early and leaves Fallin behind much to her heartbreak, however does promise that she’ll visit and reunite with her soon

- by the time she graduates, she moves in with Laios and begins attending the same university as Marcille, there their friendship is reaffirmed, and they both start to develop feelings for one another

- full-time student but does work a few shifts at one of her university’s coffee shops whenever she can (tends to feel guilty about Laios helping her out with tuition on top of taking care of everything at home)

- in the honours program, and although she gets good grades her commitment is often questioned due to her habit of skipping

- reason for skipping is because she often does volunteer work at a nearby veterinary clinic

- unlike Laios, Fallin likes to bike to and from her classes

- it’s her main source of exercise, though she also does go to the gym if she has time, girl is absolutely built and is much stronger than she appears

- lives off of daily sweet treats and fried bologna sandwiches or tomato soup made by Laios

- frequently raids the raspberry bush growing outside hers and Laios’ apartment building, as well as the crabapple tree that technically belongs to the house next door but has its branches growing over the fence separating them

- also does not rely on excessive caffeine, but she does enjoy tea and coffee unlike Laios

- has a fjällräven backpack that Marcille gifted her for her birthday, mostly full of her textbooks but she does use it to carry rocks or sticks she finds interesting

- water bottle is a very dented bright pink hydro flask (also gifted to her by Marcille)

- has the jean shorts, tucked in t-shirt, and long cardigan look on lockdown, also wears hiking boots or converse, rarely is she seen in flipflops

- no make-up either, Marcille had to practically beg her to at least start using a clear lipgloss

- isn’t picky about music and usually just listens to whatever Marcille or Laios plays, sometimes she indulges in some lofi hiphop beats if she’s studying

- obviously best friends with Marcille but does not know she has a crush on Marcille, and thinks that her intense feelings of love and happiness are just normal girl friendship feelings (oh you poor thing)

- only vaguely knows of Senshi through the leftover food Laios sometimes brings home after his shifts, with Chilchuck she is more familiar since she sometimes visits him with Marcille on the weekends

- favourite thing is when her, Laios, Marcille, Izutsumi, Chilchuck, and Senshi all gather to get dinner together

- when it comes to her parents, she still maintains contact unlike Laios, though her messages tend to be generalized or cordial (not necessarily her intention it’s just she isn’t sure what to talk about in regards to her life beyond school)

- goal is to become a travelling wildlife vet

- more to add when I think of it

• Marcille

- is currently 26 and lives by herself (due to it being a modern au I’m imagining all races have the same lifespan of around 70-80 years)

- had probably the most normal upbringing and early adulthood out of all of the characters, both of her parents were very loving and attentive, always encouraging her and supporting her keen intellect through her hobbies

- however, they weren’t always around due to being very busy as government lawyers and often working late, she has very distinct memories of winning math and science awards as a child, looking out towards the crowd only to see her parents weren’t there

- was generally quite lonely during her childhood since she had no siblings or cousins to play with, a similar situation at school where most kids considered her stuck up or bossy when in reality she was just smart and was blunt about telling people when they were wrong about something

- is very close with Chilchuck, having known him and his family since she was little, although them all getting together was fairly rare, some of her fondest memories have been when they’d go on family trips together and she would get to play with Chilchuck’s daughters

- lost touch with him from ages 9-15 but reunited with him at 16 while he crashed at their place after his work injury and during his divorce, became very close with him during this time and developed a deep familial fondness for him despite all his teasing

- at 19 years old, she suffered a great deal of mental anguish as Chilchuck began to lose contact with her, Fallin was considering moving to a different city for university, and her father died due to a very sudden and unexpected stroke, she felt as though everyone in her life was slipping through her grasp and as a result, developed severe depression that would last until she completed her masters

- luckily, she had a good support system during that time and she was able to make it through the worst of it, however she still does struggle with motivation over simple tasks such as doing her hair or brushing her teeth

- her mood and outlook is much better though, having mostly returned to the same bubbly and dramatic personality that she once had

- is best friends with Fallin, and met her while at private school, mostly explained above, but her initial reaction of Fallin was quite negative before switching around after she realized that her way of thinking isn’t always the right one, even if the facts are right, her perspective and way of interpreting them isn’t always going to be sound

- this new perspective is what caused Marcille to become so enamoured with Fallin, eventually becoming a stupid crush that sticks with her to this day

- has her own studio apartment downtown, brand new building and everything (both parents are government lawyers so you can imagine the kind of money she has lmao)

- has a fawn floppy-eared bunny named Ambrosia

- despite her wealth, she doesn’t look down on her friends whatsoever, if anything she buys them expensive gifts as an act of kindness rather than an act of arrogance or condescension

- in the middle of attaining her phd in microbiology while doing independent research specializing in the study of telomere function

- attends the same university as Fallin

- graduated from high school at 16 and was done with her undergraduate by 19 and her masters by 21, a lot of people tend to think she’s full of herself but she often disregards them as people who don’t try hard enough

- born to carry her baby blue apple ecosystem in a cute tote bag, forced to haul her 7 biology textbooks in an ugly ass dark purple swissgear backpack she picked out when she was 12

- she has an unhealthy addiction to coffee and diet coke, literally cannot function without at least one per day

- cannot cook to save her life, lives exclusively off of pre-made grocery store meals or the sandwiches her university’s grab-n-go store sells, the kitchen aid mixer in her kitchen is practically a decoration at this point

- is actually the kind of person to be eating the leafy green tofu bowl from the local hipster vegan bistro

- has her own car and license, but lives close enough to her university to walk, Laios cannot fathom why she pays insurance every month for it but hardly uses or let anyone else use it

- I personally think she likes to rollerblade too

- jogging is her main form of exercise, but will also do yoga or calisthenics occasionally, probably the type of person to fall for a juice cleanse scam until Laios or Chilchuck scolds her for not eating enough

- I feel like she would be an intense swiftie (sorry :3) other than that, she likes the typical pop radio stuff that is played constantly

- at least she’s not a Stanley cup girl, she will use her scuffed gallon water bottle with the printed times of day until she dies

- very fashionable and loves to wear makeup, like wide leg pants or pleated skirts with penny loafers and cutesy blouses, a firm believer that any Korean makeup brand is far superior than anything Sephora could offer

- practically attached to the hip with Fallin, girl will find any excuse to study with her (the most pathetic sapphic ever someone put her out of her misery)

- otherwise, she’s buddy-buddy with Laios and Kabru but that’s about the extent of it, she’s known Chilchuck since she was little so he’s like an uncle to her

- she is quite friendly with Senshi and enjoys his cooking but hasn’t known him for a long time like the others, Izutsumi she treats like a little sister/niece and is always buying her things

- more to add when I think of it

• Chilchuck (you can tell he’s my fav because he has one of longest backstories lmao)

- currently 49 and living with Senshi and Izutsumi

- owns a two bedroom bungalow outside of downtown but still within the city, saved up for it after his divorce

- used to live in the suburbs with his ex-wife and daughters, but before that it was a shitty apartment close to where Laios lives now

- teen father, had Mayjack when he and his wife were 17 and had to graduate early so they could move out, they had Fullertom soon after and then Puckpatty by the time they were both 20, they got married at 22

- since neither could afford university at the time, Chilchuck went straight into a locksmithing trades program so he could have a decent income, his father had instilled a deep sense of responsibility and honour towards being a provider so he threw himself into his work which caused his and his wife’s initial frustration with one another

- when he was done apprenticing and when the kids were old enough to go to school, his wife went to university to begin studying teaching so she could become a professor, despite having to be home more often, Chilchuck still remained somewhat emotionally detached from his family

- by the time his daughters entered middle school, they had bought a house in the suburbs and his wife became qualified to teach

- feeling pressured by the mortgage, debt, and having to save for his daughter’s college, he began drinking more and taking a lot more hours at work, if he wasn’t working he was at the bar with his coworkers, he often didn’t come home until it was very late

- the final straw for his wife was when he showed up to work severely hungover and exhausted, then proceeded to nearly die in a home renovation project (passed out standing up and fell of a 20ft scaffolding, broke his hip and pelvis pretty badly as well as his humerus and quite a few of his ribs, also had a life-threatening brain bleed due to a skull fracture)

- at that point, all three of his daughters were already in university or trade school so his wife moved out and sold their house while Chilchuck was recovering in the hospital, she moved into a townhouse closer to the city’s main university where she still lives now with Fullertom

- having basically nothing in his savings, he crashed at Marcille’s parent’s place until he could save up a bit and get an apartment or townhouse (he and Marcille’s dad were friends in high school), essentially lived on their couch for about two years

- during this time, he became known as “Uncle Chil” by 16 year old Marcille and he developed a close uncle/niece relationship with her

- teased her as much as any uncle would, but also took her out shopping every couple of months, could never afford the stuff she wanted but he always got her lunch

- eventually, he saved up enough for the down payment of the two bedroom bungalow he lives in now and moved in, initially lost touch with Marcille but started being there for her more after her dad died, even began getting in touch with his daughters again at Marcille’s suggestion

- from then on, he took his work life more easily and tried to make time for himself in between shifts so that he didn’t feel he needs to drink himself stupid every time he came home, tried to pick up multiple hobbies and eventually settled on pottery making and brewing his own alcohol (that he sells…. mostly lol)

- meets Senshi at 42 when he is called in to install the locks and security system of the new restaurant Senshi is building, initially they had not been super friendly with each other, as Chilchuck found it infuriating how Senshi kept on wanting changes to be made to his security system, and how he was basically a walking construction accident waiting to happen

- once everything was finished however, Senshi offered Chilchuck a free dinner at his place as an apology for being stubborn, and unable to say no to free food (and alcohol) Chilchuck agrees

- they become friends after the dinner, however proceed to dance around each other for another 4 years until Marcille threatens to tell Senshi about Chilchuck’s feelings if he doesn’t confess himself

- Chilchuck does eventually confess (during a very charged “guy’s trip” to a resort in Mexico) and they start dating, after the trip, Senshi and Izutsumi move into Chilchuck’s place where they still currently live

- thanks to living with Senshi, Chilchuck adopts a more healthy lifestyle where he stops smoking, eats more, and drinks less, in return, he helps Senshi manage Izutsumi during her teen years as well as help out around his restaurant when he has time

- is generally living comfortably now, with a nice salary and more free time to commit to his hobbies, despite this he still deeply cares about his work and is a union man at heart who is always willing to rally behind his coworkers and organize when something happens

- mostly listens to 80s dad rock and some 90s grunge, is very proud of his CD collection

- dresses similar to Laios, however ditches the college club t-shirt and cargo shorts for polos shirts and chino shorts or dress shirts and casual slacks, also wears tacky boomer sandals for his feet or his construction boots

- drives a land rover defender that he bought in high school, cares for it deeply but isn’t a car guy by any means, he does the bare minimum maintenance to keep it safe and functional

- carries his minimal stuff in a sling bag and lunch cooler, but he also has a survival backpack in the back of his land rover for emergencies

- is a Stanley cup owner, has two, one from the 70s that his dad gave to him, and another white modern one from Marcille, his older one is covered in princess stickers from when his daughters were young

- pretentious black coffee drinker, makes fun of Izutsumi all the time for the amount of simple syrup and cream she puts into her iced coffee

- is okay at cooking, but is definitely more of a grill master, never ask him to deep fry anything though

- is also surprisingly handy thanks to the skills his dad passed onto him, speaking of his family, he isn’t very close to his mother and siblings since they all moved back to their home continent after Chilchuck graduated, he still sometimes travels alone on special holidays or on the anniversary of his father’s death but only if he can afford it

- is now a supervisor of his own crew, initially he wanted to own his own locksmith company, but he also wants to retire soon so he needs to save up as much as he can

- has two main friend groups, one he refers to as “the freaks” which includes Laios, Marcille, Fallin, Kabru, Izutsumi, and Senshi, and the other he refers to as “work” which includes Namari, Mickbell, Kuro, and Dandan

- is closest to Senshi and Marcille, seeing them as his family, however is a bit more distant with Izutsumi since he doesn’t want to automatically take on a “step-dad” role in her life, the reasoning mainly stems from his respect of her and her decisions on who she gets to let in her life, but is also because he wants to avoid things becoming awkward between them

- is, if not begrudgingly, friendly with Laios and Fallin, deep down he cares about them more than he lets on, is mostly cordial with Kabru

- is surprisingly close to Namari, however they keep their relationship strictly within their workplace and the bar they sometimes hit up afterwards

- is closer to his ex-wife and daughters now, having dinner once a month at his ex-wife’s house, they still haven’t really reconciled but they’ve allowed each other to move on

- more to add when I think of it

• Senshi (also super long please forgive me)

- is currently 52 and living with Chilchuck and his adopted daughter Izutsumi

- lives in Chilchuck’s house, but used to own a condo near the restaurant he used to work for

- when he was a child, he lived on an entirely separate continent in the remote far north, the village he grew up in was known for its mining industry, most of the community including his parents were miners, however an accident killed his father and cancer killed his mother when he was a baby, so his father’s friend Gillin took Senshi in when he was 2

- due to the mining culture surrounding the village, it was expected that Senshi also become a miner when he grew up, this coupled with the hyper-masculine ideas of honouring his late father and carrying on the bloodline, made Senshi not really put in much effort into school since he believed it had no use for him, a decision that would later hinder his career and degree options greatly

- once graduated from high school, Gillin immediately had Senshi take his safety courses and get his certification so he could get a job as soon as possible, with some references from Gillin himself, Senshi was able to land a beginner’s position within the company Gillin was in

- worked 7 years mining coal until the mine ran dry and he had to look for work elsewhere, jumped positions between 3-4 companies over another 8 years mining iron and copper until he landed a 2 year contract at a remote but booming silver mine

- was put into a 6 man team composed of himself, Gillin, Brigan, Invar, Totan, and Noor, where they would descend into a highly unregulated and dangerous mountain mine and extract the massive veins of silver, they all were paid well, but the conditions were next to abysmal

- 1 year and 9 months into the contract, a rockslide on the south side of the mountain caused a cheap tunnel support to collapse over the only exit leading out of the stope they were mining in, effectively trapping them indefinitely

- luckily they had a ventilation shaft, but none of them could fit inside and escape or yell for attention since they were trapped over 200ft deep and 500ft in the mountain, so their only option was to ration their food and wait for help to arrive

- they do try to escape in other ways, such as mining through the collapsed support, however this only leads to injury among the group, and as much as Senshi wanted to help, he was under strict instruction by Gillin not to over-exert himself, even though he wasn’t a kid anymore, he still had the most strength and wits among them all, this also results in him receiving the most food much to Brigan’s rage

- in an attempt to be useful, Senshi started drawing up the maps of the mine to see if there was a tunnel close by they could mine into

- as more time passes and they realized no one would be coming to help them, their escape attempts become much more desperate, one attempt to blow up the collapsed tunnel entrance with their remaining explosives leads to the death of Totan, another attempt to start mining over the collapsed tunnel entrance leads to the death of Noor, one last attempt to remove the panelling lining the ventilation shaft so they could be able to fit through leads to the death of Invar, leaving only Brigan, Gillin, and Senshi left

- after six weeks of being trapped under ground, Brigan mentally snaps and tries to cannibalize Senshi so they could eat his flesh, this leads to a physical altercation between Gillin and Brigan which ends in an unstable overhang of rock to collapse and crush Brigan and for Gillin to succumb to his wounds and exhaustion

- alone and starving, Senshi realizes he is now skinny enough to fit through the ventilation shafts and crawl his way out, he uses a combination of ropes and support spikes to help aid him, but soon quickly realizes he mostly has to navigate in the dark

- for two more weeks, Senshi follows the map he memorized and the feeling of airflow to make his way out, only surviving off of his remaining water, in the end he managed to crawl out of a shaft just outside the mining camp

- relived and also deeply saddened, Senshi remains near the shaft until some workers doing a perimeter check find him in the morning, he is promptly taken into the hospital to treat his injuries

- after explaining the situation to the police and his boss, his boss offers him a $30,000 payout to keep quiet and say nothing, the officers say it is possible to take his boss and the company to court, however it would likely put him into massive debt trying to find a good lawyer, in the end Senshi takes the money and leaves the camp for his village

- what’s left to him by Gillin is another $50,000 in savings and property assets, the rest is given to his remaining family, the first thing Senshi buys with the money is his adamantine pot and mythril knife, using both to make a soup Gillin would often feed him, and leaving five bowls of it outside of the collapsed silver mine before moving out of his village for good at aged 35

- he moves to the continent and city where all the other characters are currently living, buying his condo and deciding to enter into 4 year culinary school program

- during these 4 years, Senshi comes to realize that cooking is his true passion, finding it immensely rewarding and fulfilling, and even though he didn’t make many friends due to his unorthodox taste and recipes, it was still the most happy he’s ever been

- about 1 year after graduating and getting a job as the main line cook for a high end restaurant, Senshi meets and adopts 5 year old Izutsumi

- he initially sees her wandering around the green belt outside and behind the restaurant, kicking rocks and occasionally running and hiding in trees, he was always worried she was homeless, however would always see she was gone by the time he was done his shifts

- around five months of this, Izutsumi notices and begins to approach Senshi, as if she had wanted food, Senshi would usually offer some of his packed lunches or leftovers and she would always accept and sit next to him while they ate

- Izutsumi usually never spoke but was always ravenous, Senshi often worried that she was being abused, but whenever he would ask she would always say no, and since she was a healthy weight and never had any bruises or welts, Senshi reluctantly believed her, after that though he began packing more food

- eventually, a woman (Maizuru) approaches Senshi after one of his shifts and bluntly asked if he would like to take care of Izutsumi from then on, baffled he asked who she was and why she knew he was feeding Izutsumi, and she explained that she is her caretaker

- she also explained that since Izutsumi seemed to trust and respect Senshi the most, that he would be the best person to give her a chance at a normal life and raise her into an adjusted adult, due to the fact that she has no regard or interest or respect in her or the rest of her foster family, she then conceded that her question was rather sudden, but still implored Senshi to take her into his care or otherwise she would be forced into an orphanage

- thinking of Gillin, and with the wound of his crew’s death still in his mind Senshi, perhaps impulsively, agrees to take Izutsumi in, much to Maizuru’s delight and thankfulness

- the next day, she returns with Izutsumi and her things and tells Senshi that she will handle most of the legal paperwork aside from the few forms that he will have to sign

- from that point onward, he took care of Izutsumi and made sure she got through school, although she wasn’t completely responsive and obedient, he was still very patient and understanding with her, except for the first few times she would keep on running away from school to join him for his lunch breaks

- they have a very trusting relationship with one another, and Senshi is the only one Izutsumi will open up to, Senshi often encouraged her talent of athleticism by signing her up for various sports, he was and still is very attentive towards her needs and is always feeding her the things she likes (and dislikes)

- Senshi works at the restaurant for another 9 years, simultaneously saving up for his own restaurant and saving for Izutsumi’s college, at age 45 he meets Chilchuck during the construction of his restaurant and they form a close friendship

- subsequently, he is introduced to Marcille, Fallin, Laios, and even Kabru, but still mostly interacts with Chilchuck and Itsuzumi

- however he is quite close with Laios since he works as a server at his restaurant and is very enthusiastic about his cooking technique, flavour pallet, and types of dishes he serves

- at age 49, he officially opens his restaurant and starts dating Chilchuck, the three of them all move in together and become a household unit

- is now very happy with where he is at in life, works and manages his restaurant while still making time for Izutsumi and her hobbies, is very close with Chilchuck and becomes the first person he opens up to about his past and what he went through, generally the grossest and most sappiest old couple you will ever meet

- made a Senshi-sized hole deep into the fabric of Chilchuck’s home, converting his backyard into a full vegetable and flower garden that he maintains, is super proud about it and often leaves the prettiest flowers on Chilchuck’s side of the bed or in a vase on Izutsumi’s bedside table

- head-chef and owner of his restaurant, his favourite part is being able to cook what he wants for a very specific audience (people like Laios)

- his food is not super high-end but also not like a family diner either, a healthy mix of both, like kid friendly while still being classy and opulent enough to take someone out on a date there

- drives his beloved suzuki carry to and from work every day, does a good job maintaining it on his own despite it being boring according to him

- I honestly don’t really know what Senshi would listen to, I feel like the most in character for him would be folk music from his home country or bossa nova i can’t really decide

- coffee with lots of sugar but no cream or milk, prefers drinking black tea with milk and honey if he has a choice

- bag is a basic backpack with minimal items like wallet, keys, lipbalm, mints, etc… always has a change of clothes in case his gets dirty at work, also has extra hair and beard nets, some stuff for Izutsumi is in there too

- water bottle is also a vintage stanley cup, but his is wayyy more dented than Chilchuck’s and older (from like the 50s) refuses to buy anything else until it is unusable, has had the same piece of duct tape sealing a leak near the bottom for the past 20 years

- also can’t decide if he’s a t-shirt or Hawaiian shirt kind of guy, probably a healthy mix of both, also mostly wears shorts or a kilt-like garment native to his home country, lives exclusively in sandals you will never find him in close-toed shoes unless he’s working

- funny story deriving from this fact, the first impression Chilchuck ever had of Senshi (aside from “damn he’s kinda hot”) was “oh my god how the fuck is this guy not dead” due to the fact that Senshi showed up to the construction sight with flip flops, no safety helmet, and no safety vest on whatsoever

- more to add when I think of it

• Izutsumi (still a cat-girl in this universe)

- currently 17 and living with Senshi and Chilchuck

- used to live with the Nakamoto’s as a foster child, however hated living there due to the unfamiliarity and attempts at sweeping her past trauma under the rug and refusing to treat her for it

- life before the Nakamoto’s is fuzzy, it’s implied by her councillor and confirmed by Maizuru later on that she was raised by her mother until she died or abandoned her at 3 years old, was then placed into the care of another foster home who physically and verbally abused her, keeping her chained up in the basement most of the day and hardly feeding her, if not forgetting about her all together

- she was taken in by the Nakamoto’s at aged 4, and had a very hard time managing her due to her stunted social skills, anger issues, and delayed language development manifesting itself in avoidance behaviours such as running away and lashing out violently

- had frequent nightmares during this time, resulting in her becoming very clingy during the night

- would often run away to the green belt close to her house, the same green belt that was connected to Senshi’s restaurant

- initially only approached him because of the smell of food, her prior abuse and malnutrition resulted in an early form of binge eating, so she often sought any sight, smell, or taste food as a way of safety and comfort

- unlike all her previous caretakers, she found Senshi to not be malicious or uncaring towards her, especially after he started sharing and bringing food for her, her ease around him didn’t go unnoticed by Maizuru who then offered Senshi the deal to take care of her

- initially hated living in Senshi’s condo since the small space reminded her of the basement she was kept in, but soon found it to be much more comfortable if she could smell the food Senshi would make

- Received counselling for her trauma and slowly began to get better, however she would still frequently act out or skip school as a coping mechanism, however, Senshi helped her regulate her energy and emotions through signing her up for various sports, she did volleyball, hockey, wrestling, swimming, etc… until she settled on gymnastics and Muay Thai

- has somewhat of a complex towards love and attachment, in that she doesn’t fully believe an individual cares for her or loves her so will often do whatever she likes both because she doesn’t think it affects the other person that much and because it will prevent people from wanting to get close to her and have a meaningful relationship, a complex that stems from her past abuse

- is now in a much better headspace than she was in, as she has two caretakers who are patient and understanding with her, but are also willing to discipline her and prepare her for the outside world, she also has a good external support system and even a friend at school whom she often hangs out with

- she is currently in her junior year of high school, with decent grades, but only because Senshi and Chilchuck want her to do well so she has more options for university

- her best subjects are science, phsy ed., english, has a hard time with social studies and math

- her one friend her age is Tade as they both are frequently sent to the after-school homework program to help improve their grades, Izutsumi is usually good at shouldering off her homework to her in exchange for ice cream or food, but she’s usually caught and forced to do double the work

- Tade is also a foster kid of the Nakamoto’s, in fact she was the one Izutsumi would usually go to sleep with if she had a nightmare, so they never hang out at her house and either stay at Izutsumi’s house or hang out at the local park/mall

- is very talented athletically, and has won multiple awards at gymnastics and Muay Thai competitions

- still a ravenous eater, but with a crazy fast metabolism so she gains almost no weight, still picky with vegetables and mushrooms but will still eat them as long as their hidden in her food well enough

- coffee flavoured milk drinker, if there’s even a hint of bitterness in her coffee she’s throwing it out

- is into most old alternative or indie rock, appreciates Chilchuck’s taste in music immensely, she’s been learning how to play the bass recently

- has been learning basic recipes from Senshi and can manage a few dishes on her own, is much better at baking overall, never leave her alone with the blowtorch or barbecue though

- aside from sports, she enjoys playing video games and sleeping, she likes mostly storytelling or competitive console games like Skyrim, God of War, and Call of Duty

- bag is a simple black backpack that has all of her papers and textbooks haphazardly shoved in with no regard for neatness or organization, on a good day a pencil will be in there too

- water bottle is non-existent, she uses drinks from the school water fountain as an excuse to get out of class and wander around for a bit

- is old enough to drive and has her license, but doesn’t have her own car yet and still has to catch the bus, if she does drive it’s Senshi’s suzuki, Chilchuck let her drive his land rover once and she backed into a pole

- lives in crop tops and shorts, is actually quite fashionable but doesn’t have the energy or motivation to pull anything off, either wears converse, slides, crocs, or doc martens as footwear, most would describe her style as grunge-ish

- makeup is hit or miss, sometimes she can muster some concealer and eyeliner, but for the most part she just washes her face and nothing else, she is big into jewelry though and likes to wear lots of accessories

- has been allowed to pierce her ears quite extensively, as well as her nose, however both Senshi and Chilchuck have drawn the line at any other face piercings until she’s an adult, much to her dismay

- outside of Senshi, Chilchuck, and Tade, she is probably the most friendly with Marcille and Fallin as they frequently visit and interact with her, Marcille especially loves to spoil Izutsumi with treats and gifts since she never had a little cousin growing up

- Izutsumi likes Fallin for her quietness and ability to keep out of her business, however saw first hand how weird she can be when she held up a massive rhinoceros beetle without even flinching, also when she kept on excusing herself to their backyard to go snack on their strawberry plants

- Laios and Kabru she knows of, also finds Laios to be very weird but is less friendly about it than she is with Fallin, his lack of understanding of social cues also confuses her

- more to add when I think of it

AND THATS IT!!! This was stupidly long, I hope I didn’t bore you to death lol. I’ll probably do another one of these so I can include Chilchuck’s daughters, Kabru, Namari, etc… maybe with some additions to the main cast, but yeah that’s about the extend of it, hope you enjoyed :3

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #laios touden #falin touden #chilchuck tims #senshi of izganda #izutsumi #marcille donato #modern au #farcille #chilshi #labru if you squint #dungeon meshi minor characters #this took me forever I am so exhausted #I kinda wanna make a fic out of this but I have no idea what plot line or what character I should even focus on lmaooo #hooray for hyper-specific character interpretations!!

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lulublack90 · 3 months

Text

Prompt 26 - Delivery

@jegulus-microfic January 26 Word count 962

Previous part First part

It had been about a month since that first dinner. James remembered it fondly. The look on Sirius’s face when they walked back into the kitchen. He’d choked on his beer and had to be thumped on the back by Remus to get his breath back.

“You had better not have defiled my bathroom!” He coughed, wiping his mouth on a paper napkin.

“Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.” Regulus had teased. “And I think you’ll find it’s my bathroom.” That was the night Sirius’s head had nearly exploded.

Since then, James and Regulus had spent nearly every free minute together. Regulus had all but moved in. His excuse for not going home was to give Sirius and Remus some time for themselves.

“That and Sirius is a screamer. There are only so many times I can hear him getting off before I’m jabbing a pencil in my ear.” Regulus had grimaced when James asked why he hadn’t been home in a week. James hadn’t minded, not really. They got along so well. He still didn’t understand why it had taken him so long to notice Regulus. He supposed it was because he’d always seen him as Sirius’s little brother. Well, now he was Sirius’s little brother and the man who did unspeakable things to him.

He hadn’t broached the subject of labels. He wasn’t sure Regulus would respond well to being called his boyfriend. He thought he’d leave it for a bit and see where they went before he scared him off. As far as he knew, Regulus had never had a serious relationship, just a few dalliances here and there.

James was busy in the kitchen making dinner. Nothing special, just pasta and sauce and a ton of grated cheddar cheese for him and a block of Parmesan for Regulus. —“Heathen.” Regulus had called him the first time they’d had pasta.— When there was a soft knock at the door. He put down the wooden spoon he’d been using to stir the pasta sauce and went to answer it.

Regulus was standing on the doormat, bottle of wine in hand.

“I heard a sexy dark-haired Adonis was living here.” He said as his eyes ran up and down James’s person, taking in the bikini-clad headless lady’s body printed on the apron he was wearing. “But clearly, that information was incorrect.” He bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing.

“Oh, shut up and get in. Dinners nearly ready.” James huffed, turning his back on Regulus and returned to the kitchen to check that his sauce wasn’t burning.

Regulus came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him as he reached up on his tiptoes to kiss James’s neck. James tilted his head to the side to allow Regulus’s mouth more access. He moaned gently as Regulus sucked little marks into the delicate skin.

“Reg, dinner will be spoilt if you continue.” He groaned, knowing exactly where this was going. Regulus moved to the other side of James’s neck and began sucking and kissing there as well.

James’s breathing became ragged. “Reg,” He whined as he pathetically stirred the bubbling pan.

The timer on James’s phone went off, startling Regulus and giving James a second to clear his head. “You,” He growled, brandishing the dripping wooden spoon. “Sit down and behave.” He waited until Regulus did as he was told and began serving their dinner.

They were tidying up the used plates when there was a knock at the door. James went to answer it, Regulus following closely after.

“Hey, dickhead. I’ve bought you some clean clothes seeing as you haven’t been home in a week. Oh, and you had a delivery this morning. It was signed for, with the angry beeps and everything.” Sirius stood in the doorway holding out an A4 packet. It was thick and looked important. Regulus froze as he stared at it. Sirius wiggled it in front of him. “Earth to Reggie. Come in Reggie—Oi Regulus!” James put a hand on Regulus’s shoulder, snapping him out of his stupor.

With shaking hands, Regulus carefully took the packet from Sirius and, without a word, walked past James into the office, shutting the door behind him.

“Do you know what’s in that?” James asked, looking confusedly at the closed door.

“No idea.” Sirius shrugged. “Gonna invite me in for a cuppa then? Instead of leaving me standing out in the cold.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry, yeah, sure, come in.” James moved aside, letting Sirius pass.

They left Regulus alone. He’d come and tell them what was up when he was ready. James made him a cup of tea anyway.

It took Regulus over half an hour to emerge from James’s office, the now open packet still in his hands.

He sat down at the kitchen table opposite James. James hurriedly made a fresh cup of tea and slid it across the table. Sirius pulled a hip flask out of his pocket and poured a liberal amount of whisky into the tea.

They sat and waited in silence. Finally, Regulus took a sip from his scalding tea and inhaled loudly.

“That was a job offer for my dream job.” He told them, his voice quiet and not at all excited.

“Wow, that’s amazing, Regulus, congratulations.” James beamed at him, his eyes crinkling at what he thought was good news. Sirius, on the other hand, knew his brother better.

“What’s up, Reg?” He said, watching his brother’s reactions through narrowed eyes.

“It’s a three-year contract.” He told them, swallowing audibly.

“So, what’s the problem?” James was worried now, cottoning on to the tension that had taken over Regulus’s body.

“In New York,” Regulus said almost apologetically. All the air escaped out of James’s body.

“Oh…”

Next part

#January 26 #jegulus #jegulus microfic #james potter #regulus black #james fleamont potter #regulus arcturus black #regulus and james #james x regulus #regulus x james #sirius black #remus lupin #delivery

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bwabys-scenarios · 10 months

Text

Reunited

Part 25

Illumi x Reader x Feitan

part 24

part 26

taglist: @tsukilover11 @mercyboluthecrazychicken @sxyriii @shidoni-san @living4tomrua @lemonslut @honeylunalove @sugarrushdaydream @canthebest1

if you’d like to be ADDED to the taglist, please comment a red heart ❤️, make sure you’re able to be tagged/mentioned, and have your age in your bio(IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TAGLIST, YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK TO BE ADDED AGAIN!!)

warnings: feitan calls reader fat, reader gets insecure about it… he’s mean but he does feel bad about it eventually!!!

It had nearly been a week since (Name) had saved the strange man, and she still hadn’t been able to learn his name.

He was still rude and violent if pushed, but he had chilled out considerably. Feitan allowed her to feed him and took his medication when asked, if begrudgingly so.

It was a sunny afternoon, the smell of her lemon tree calling to her. It had been a while since (Name) had made lemonade, because it was a lot of work for just one person.

But now she had a guest, and decided that it would be worth it now.

Feitan sat on the couch, watching some random program on the tv absentmindedly. He glanced at the girl pulling a pair of socks on near the front door.

“… what you doing?”

(Name) looked up after tying her shoe. “I’m gonna pick some lemons! Do you like lemonade?”

He never answered her immediately, so (Name) continued getting ready until he replied.

“Sometimes.”

She hummed. “Is there a reason you only like it sometimes?”

“Too sour.”

(Name) patted herself on her shoulder for being able to hold a conversation with him for longer than five seconds. “Okie dokie! I’ll make sure it’s nice and sweet then.”

Feitan didn’t respond, only watching her leave with a raised eyebrow.

(Name) returned 30 minutes later carrying a basket full of lemons. Her forehead was covered in sweat as she dropped the basket off on her table.

Feitan turned to watch her, a habit he had picked up within the past two days. Whenever Feitan didn’t understand something, he’d observe it until he did.

(Name) wasn’t very easy to understand, however.

The girl at down and began to juice the lemons, humming to a song that Feitan didn’t know. The citrusy smell of lemons filled the air as she toss the remains of the lemons into a plastic box.

Feitan turned his attention back to the TV. He didn’t find her that interesting, but he caught himself stealing glances at her as she worked.

“Hmm, this should be enough…”

He heard her chair squeak as she stood, carrying the lemon juice to a pitcher, where she added sugar and water.

“It’s ready, I’ll bring you a cup!”

She sat a cup of lemonade in front of him, making sure the straw she provided was reachable. He waited for her to walk back to grab her own cup before taking a sip.

(Name) had made it sweet enough to satisfy the man’s needs, Feitan downing the drink in seconds. He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was.

——————

“Hey, no offense, but you’re gonna need to bathe. You’re starting to smell.”

Feitan looked up at the woman hovering over him with a towel and a change of clothes in hand. He scowled at her, a growl in his voice.

“How I bathe if can’t move arms? Stupid.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll help you, of c-“

“No.”

(Name) groaned. “Ugh, I thought we were over this by now. Why won’t you just let me help you?”

He gave her a warning look, causing the girl to cross her arms in defiance.

Feitan narrowed his eyes at her, making sure her eyes were on his hands as he sharpened his nails into points. “Warning you. Don’t touch.”

She sighed and stepped back. “At least let me give you a sponge bath or something. Wouldn’t it feel nice to be clean?”

He hesitantly looked between her and the mirror facing the wall.

His hair was greasy, and he doubted he smelled good. Feitan didn’t know why this made him feel slightly insecure, but he reluctantly nodded his head.

“Okay, but stop if I say. Or hurt you.”

Feitan followed her into the barroom, sitting on the edge of the tub as she warmed up the water.

“I’m gonna remove your bandages, alright?”

He nodded and watched as her fingers delicately unwrapped his bandages, being careful not to brush against his wounds. He found it amusing how she jerked back when he made even the slightest of movements, looking up to make sure she hadn’t hurt him.

Once finished, she stood up and grabbed a rag, wetting it with soap and water before gently brushing it over his back.

He tensed at contact, shooting her a glance as she gently rubbed at his sensitive skin. Next, she moved to wash his chest, looking away bashfully.

This didn’t go unnoticed by the man. Did she find him attractive, or was she embarrassed to be bathing a man, one she didn’t really know at that? Either way he found it quite funny how she shrunk under his intense gaze, looking everywhere but his face as she washed him.

She applied some cleanser to his face, holding back a giggle at his grumpy expression. He looked kind of cute when he wasn’t biting at her fingers!

She rinsed his face, careful not to get any soap in his eyes. Feitan usually just washed with water and whatever soap he could get his hands on, so this facial cleanser was a new experience for him, one he didn’t entirely hate.

“Okay, I’m gonna wash your hair now. I’m gonna need to get in the tub to do this.”

She rolled up her pants legs, the man watching her as she did. (Name) stepped into the tub, turning on the removable shower head and wetting his hair.

Feitan had to admit, having someone play with his hair felt good in more ways than one. Her fingers combed through his locs with care, asking him several times if it was okay.

“… it’s okay. Keep going.”

She didn’t judge him for his dirty hair, only diligently cleaning it. (Name) didn’t once make him feel uncomfortable or hurt him, something that made him relax under her touch.

He stiffened when she added the conditioner, not used to the texture of it. “This helps keep your hair soft so it doesn’t tangle. Wanna see the bottle?”

He looked over the bottle with a curious eye. It was a woman’s conditioner, strawberry scented. Although his pride didn’t want him smelling like a girl, he couldn’t help but find comfort in the soft scent.

She finished washing his hair by rinsing, grabbing a towel to dry it off. “Okay, almost done. I’ll dry your hair and then you can change into some fresh clothes.”

Something about her talking through every step felt reassuring to the man. She treated him so gently, like he was glass that would break with too much pressure. The woman didn’t know how wrong she was to think that. It was her that could easily be crushed under his foot like a bug.

So why did even the thought of harming her make him uneasy?

“There! Do you feel any better?”

Feitan looked himself over in the mirror. He still had dark circles under his eyes and a frown on his lips, but his hair was neatly(or well as neatly as possible) brushed and his face clean of any dirt or blood.

He looked nice, handsome even.

‘Wonder if she thinks I’m handsome…’

Wait, where did that come from?

The man stood up and left without another word, kicking the door to his bedroom shut behind him.

———————

His stares only intensified the following days, but now he was beginning to follow her around the house. (Name) would be cooking dinner, look over her shoulder, and he’d be there, just observing her.

He didn’t seem to understand that what he was doing would be seen as creepy to some people. In his mind he was trying to figure her out and what she wanted from him, and why she acted the way she did.

(Name) would attempt to place a hand on his shoulder or brush his hair out of his face, just for him to run away and stare at her from a distance. He was kind of like a skittish cat.

She didn’t understand his strange behavior. What did he want from her?

“Are you gonna tell me your name yet?”

The two were sat down at the dining table, Feitan sipping on a milk shake she’d prepared for him. He stopped sipping to look at her suspiciously.

“Why you need to know?”

“It would be a lot easier to talk to you if I knew your name.”

He frowned. “Don’t need to talk to me.”

This went on for a few more days, the man’s eyes following her wherever she went. It was almost like he enjoyed sneaking up behind her, causing her to jump in fright when she turned around. Feitan didn’t have a lot of control over his current situation, so this was his way of taking control.

At the two week mark, Feitan was able to walk for a few minutes before needing to rest. His weakened body frustrated him to no end.

“Do you have any family that you can contact?”

Feitan looked up from his lap to see (Name) standing in front of him. She was carrying a basket on her hip, the sound of clinking jars telling him she’d filled it with the jam and jelly she’d been making.

“No family, but some… acquaintances.”

She nodded and opened up her notes app. “Can you tell me their numbers? We don’t have signal out here, but I should be able to call them when I get to town.”

He eyed her for a moment, searching for any malicious intent behind her e/c eyes, but there was none. Feitan sighed and started listing out numbers, barking out insults when she needed him to repeat it.

“I give you my boss’s number. Don’t waste his time, tell him Feitan asked you to call. Say I got hurt, but alive.”

(Name) paused, glancing up at him as she typed the number into her phone.

“So… your name is Feitan?”

He scowled. “If you know boss’s number, my name doesn’t matter.”

She looked back to her phone before responding.

“It’s a nice name.”

——————

Feitan watched her leave, smirking when she tripped on some gravel. Over the past two weeks he’d come to know her as a bit of a klutz, constantly tripping over her own two feet.

For a moment he wondered how easy it would be to kill her. She was weak, even in his current state he could end her life easily. It would be tough to eat by himself and keep his wounds clean, but feitan had been through worse.

Just the thought of her blood on his hands made him pause. An uncomfortable feeling settled into his chest. It felt wrong to think about killing her, as if it were taboo. He shook his head.

‘Just a random woman, no reason to not kill her. Already knows your name, she is a liability.’

He nodded to himself, glancing at the mirror across from him. He watched as his face twisted into an uncomfortable grimace as he imagined taking her life.

The man hadn’t even bothered to remember her name, so why did he care if he killed her or not? It confused and annoyed him.

‘Whatever, think about that later.’

Feitan used her absence as an opportunity to do some light exercise.

(Name) didn’t prevent him from doing what he wanted, but she would hover over him if she thought he was overexerting himself, which he found endlessly annoying.

He started with some sit ups. They were easy to do without the use of his arms, and would help build up his core strength.

——————

(Name) sat behind her booth at the farmers market, typing the phone number and pressing call.

It rang for a few seconds before being picked up, the sound of a man’s voice on the other end.

“Hello?”

(Name) blinked. ‘Wow, that’s the voice of a handsome man…’

“Um, hi! I’m calling on behalf of Feitan!”

The line was quiet for a moment before he answered. The man seemed amused, a laugh echoing into the receiver.

“Oh, really? Why’s that?”

“Oops, sorry just one second!”

(Name) handed a woman a jar of canned peaches, thanking her for her patronage. Once finished she quickly replied.

“Sorry, I’m working right now but he asked me to call you because he was hurt during… a mission? I think that’s what he said. Both of his arms are paralyzed and he’s just now able to walk easily again.”

The man hummed. “I see. Who are you to Feitan?”

(Name) laughed. “By the way he looks at me you’d think I’m his worst enemy, but I guess I’m just the person that found him. Oh, do you need my address? Sorry, I know how suspicious this all must sound. I’d put him on the phone but we don’t have any signal at my house, I had to go to town to call you.”

“You’re fine, miss. I can tell by your voice you’re not lying. Send me your address and I’ll send one of my comrades to check the situation out when they’re available.”

“Of course!”

The two chatted for a bit longer. He was much more talkative than Feitan, introducing himself as Chrollo. The man seemed interested in her, asking random questions that sometimes teetered on too personal. She didn’t seem to care about that too much, answering to her best ability.

“Hmm, that’s interesting. You’ll have to send me some of that jam.”

“Definitely. Are you a fan of jam and syrup, Mr. Chrollo?”

“Chrollo is fine, and yes. Especially when they are home made. There’s something endearing about the domesticity of it.”

(Name) didn’t really understand what he was talking about, but hummed in agreement none the less.

“Well, I must be going (Name). I had a nice time talking with you. If you can’t reach me through calling, text me. I am usually busy with work, but I’ll respond eventually.”

(Name) nodded, but quickly realized he couldn’t see her. “Yes, I understand. Thank you for speaking with me!”

“Oh, and one last thing before you leave.”

(Name) paused, saying silent and waiting for him to continue.

“Tell Feitan I said to be… careful with you. Excuse his behavior please, he is not used to women. Especially when they dote on him, I imagine it must be hard for him to handle.”

“Oh, I see. I’ll make sure to tell him. Goodbye Chrollo, be safe.”

The man paused at this, if only for a second. “You as well, (Name). Goodbye.”

—————

Chrollo clicked the button to end the call. He stared at his phone for a moment, a soft look in his eyes.

Throughout their conversation, he had been carefully asking questions that would help him delve into her psyche. She passed his tests with flying colors, not giving him a single red flag to grab on to.

She obviously wasn’t bothered by Feitan and his behavior in the slightest, even having an endearing tone when speaking about him. Although she had only known the short man for 2 weeks, it was clear the girl cared for his well being.

“He’s in good hands. Though, it might be best for you to pay them a visit to see the extent of his injuries, and the steps we should take next.”

A hulking figure of a man stepped into the light, crushing a now empty can of soda in his fist. “Little Fei is getting special treatment from a dame? Never would have thought he’d allow that.”

The man let out a barking laugh, slapping a hand over his knee. Chrollo smiled softly, crossing his legs. “Try not to damage any of the woman’s belongings. She’s caring for a fellow spider, Feitan at that, so her works cut out for her.”

Uvogin’s laughing died down, the man serious. “Do you think she may be the one?”

Chrollo hummed, looking off in thought. “Maybe. Depends on how Feitan’s feelings develop. With the fact she’s still alive, I think there’s hope.”

Chrollo had a soft spot for his short friend. Feitan may seem cruel and unapproachable, but behind the layers of coldness and anger was the need to be loved. Although he was better at hiding it from most people, Chrollo, Uvogin, and Phinks knew better than anyone that Feitan needed the soft touch of a woman in his life.

It may be strange for a thief to care that much about their friends love life, but the Phantom Troupe weren’t exactly the most normal of people.

“I know you’re a great judge of character, Uvo. If she seems off, don’t hesitate.”

Uvogin grinned, his teeth bared. “Trust me, I won’t.”

——————

Feitan sat up when he heard the sound of the doorknob jiggling. He could sense (Name) behind the front door, unlocking it.

“Feitan, I’m home!”

He stiffened at the sound of his name before he remembered giving it to her just hours before. The man stood and walked into the living room, watching her open empty jars and set them in the sink to wash later.

“Talk to boss?”

She nodded, brushing the dust off her hands. “Yes! He said he’s sending someone to check on you.”

Feitan nodded. He’d expected that. Chrollo was a great leader, and any great leader would make sure the people working for him were safe and in good health. He was kind like that, having saved Feitan more than once from fates worse than death.

“Anything else?”

“Oh. He said to… be careful with me.”

She seemed to have not wanted to say that, busying herself with unloading the jars. He raised an eyebrow, approaching her.

“Already am careful. If I wasn’t, you’d be dead.”

He wasn’t lying, he’d certainly held back even when lashing out against her. It would be a hassle to clean up a dead body when he couldn’t move his arms, at least that’s the excuse he gave himself for not ripping out her throat with his teeth when she touched him.

“Oh. Well thanks for not killing me.”

That’s a response he hadn’t been expecting. No, she shouldn’t give him a sweet smile and thank him for sparing her life, that’s not what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to be scared, flinch from his touch and avoid him, leaving him to his own devices so he could ignore her presence.

She had a habit of making things much harder on him.

“… don’t thank me, idiot.”

Despite his petty insults, she continued smiling as she scrubbed the jars clean.

—————

“Feitan!”

The man looked up to see (Name) running towards him from outside, kicking off her dirty shoes before walking in.

“… what?”

She smiled down at him. “You should come outside with me today!”

“… why?”

(Name) giggled, walking around and grabbing various items. A towel, an umbrella, and a foldable chair we’re among some of the items being snatched up.

“It’s nice out so I’m gonna swim! The water might feel nice on your body.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, glancing between the girl and her ever growing hoard of items she planned on bringing with her.

“I don’t swim.”

She tilted her head. “You can’t swim?”

“No, just don’t enjoy it.”

She bummed. “Well, if you don’t like swimming you can just dip your feet in the water and relax under the sun. I’ll bring an umbrella if you get too hot!”

She beamed at him, her eyes shining. He tried to think of an excuse to not go, but each one was quickly shot down in his mind.

If he said he wasn’t feeling well, she’d stay and dote on him, if he said he was tired she’d tuck him into bed and stay by his side to make sure he wasn’t getting worse again.

Feitan couldn’t think of anything, so he nodded.

“Alright… just for a little while.”

——————

Feitan regretted his choice almost immediately.

The girl was quick to run off, stating she needed to change. He didn’t understand why that was necessary, she should have been able to swim in what she’d already been wearing. Then he remembered.

When most people swam, they wore bathing suits.

(Name) walked out of the bathroom wearing a simple pink one piece, pulling up a pair of white swim shorts over her hips as she walked out. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, his gaze lingering on her chest and ass.

She wasn’t what he thought his type was. He’d never been interested in women, but from what he’d seen men usually liked thin women with small waists and large breasts.

She certainly had large breasts, but she was not thin. It was obvious when he woke up with her pants hanging on his waist that she wasn’t a small girl.

But he couldn’t help but find his eyes glued to her figure. She was attractive, and he hated her for it.

“Feitan, are you ready? I’ve got some shorts and a tshirt for you to change into if you’d like.”

He didn’t really see a point in arguing, so he allowed her to help him into the shirt.

—————

Feitan had to admit, it was nice out.

The sun shone in the sky, but it’s rays were gentle. The countryside (Name) lived in was usually sweltering hot, even Feitan breaking out in a sweat, and he’d been raised in a desert. But right now, it was a comfortable amount of heat, just enough for Feitan to be able to nap.

The girl set up a spot for Feitan to sit before lathering his exposed parts in sunscreen. He didn’t complain, mostly because he knew how his fair skin would fare if she didn’t.

“Okay, now my turn!”

She slipped her shorts off right in front of him and set them by his feet. He watched as she lathered herself in sunscreen, humming as she did.

There was something strangely fascinating about her unaware nature. Did she notice him staring at her with his intense gaze, eyes darting from her ass, to her thighs, to her face, and back to her ass?

He felt a little bit embarrassed, not because he felt shame for viewing her in such a way, but because he should have more control over himself.

In his 25 years of life he’d never felt the need to look at a woman the way he was now. What was she doing to him? She was pretty, something that Feitan was still processing.

“I’m gonna go swim now, just call for me if you want to go inside!”

She was quick to run, tripping over the river rocks before getting up and running again. He snickered to himself, watching as she jumped into the water.

(Name) surfaced and let out a squeal, complaining that it was cold.

“If cold, get out.”

She pouted at this and stuck her tongue out at him before diving back into the depths.

——————

“Feitan! Feitannn look!”

The man opened his eyes to see (Name) waving to him from the water. He raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he asked, annoyance clear in his tone.

“Watch!!”

She dipped under the water, only for both of her legs to stick up out of the river, wiggling them around. (Name) surfaced, taking in a breath before smiling at him.

“Did you see? I did a handstand?”

‘What is she, a kid?’

He scoffed and leaned back against his chair. “You can’t do one on land? Dumb.”

She didn’t reply, so he opened an eye to see her expression had soured. “Hmph.”

The girl dipped back into the water, swimming a bit further down the river until she was out of sight.

‘What’s up with her?’ He thought, watching her until he couldn’t anymore. ‘Whatever.’

The man dozed off, letting sleep take him.

When he woke up, about an hour had passed. He opened his eyes and peered around.

He didn’t immediately spot (Name) but when he did he bursted into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?”

The girl sat on the riverside, her cheek red with an imprint the shape of a fishtail. She held a bucket, the sound of something thrashing inside it clueing Feitan in to what might be in there.

“You- you got slapped by fish!” He couldn’t help but double over in laughter, his amusement only increasing when she huffed.

“I MAY have gotten smacked by a fish, but at least I still caught it! It took a while because it kept slipping out of my hands-“

He stopped laughing for a moment to stare at her with a dumbfounded face. “… you catch his hands? Do you not have net?”

She didn’t reply, but he could see her working out the answer on her face, her pout slowly turning into an embarrassed expression.

“Well. It’s caught.”

If she was anything, (Name) was certainly entertaining.

Feitan stood and walked over, peering into the bucket.

He was surprised to see the fish took up most of the space in the large bucket, bearing its strangely sharp teeth. He glanced back up at the girl, raising an eyebrow.

Was she some kind of mountain girl? How did she catch this beast of a fish with only a slap of its tail to show for it?

———————

“Did you enjoy your nap?”

Feitan glanced at the girl who was toweling off next to him, tearing his gaze away when she caught him staring. “It was okay.”

She bummed in response, dropping the towel and bending over to pick up her shorts. The woman pulled them up over her thighs, jumping around to get them over her ass.

“Ugh it sucks putting on clothes when you’re all wet.” She complained, unaware of the man’s eyes on her form.

“Should have dried off more.”

She nodded with a sigh. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m not very patient, though.”

She sat down at the edge of his chair, her thigh brushing his. Feitan pulled away, shooting her a glare. He still didn’t like any unnecessary physical contact, using his knee to prod at her side. “Move.”

She glanced back at him. “I just need to put my shoes on, it’ll only take a second.”

Feitan would regret the next words out of his mouth for a long time, physically cringing at himself far into the future.

The man shoved his knee into her back. “Gonna break the chair, fatty. Get up.”

For the first time since he’d come to be under her care, (Name) listened immediately.

She was strangely quiet, her usually constantly moving body completely still, rigid even.

“… sorry. You’re right.”

Feitan watched as she picked up her towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. “… I’m going inside to make dinner.”

With that she left without another word, her steps careful and quiet.

Feitan didn’t think anything of this reaction at first, just scoffing before lying back down to nap again.

——————

He first noticed her strange behavior when he walked inside to see her wearing a thin long sleeve shirt and pajama pants. She usually wore a pair of shorts and tank tops around the house. He didn’t blame her, it was hot, even during a day as nice as that one.

He watched her stiffen when he walked in, pulling at the fabric around her stomach nervously. “Welcome back. Dinner is almost ready.”

Feitan walked past her to the bathroom, grunting in response.

The next thing he noticed was she didn’t make herself a plate during dinner.

She would usually eat as she fed him, stealing bites of her food as he chewed his. Tonight, she just fed him quietly.

After he was finished, (Name) would peek at him from the kitchen, quickly turning away when they’d make eye contact. This was weird behavior, even for her.

“What you want?” he asked, peering at her from the corner of his eye. She stiffened at his question, playing with the hem of her shirt.

“N-nothing. It’s just late, so I assumed you’d be sleeping soon.”

He hummed. Wanting to test something out, he faked a yawn. “Yeah.”

Feitan walked to his room, peeking through the crack in the door.

(Name) leaned against the counter to see that he had left before sighing, pulling her long sleeve shirt off to reveal a tank top underneath. She fanned herself as she made her plate of food, sitting down at the dinner table and eating alone.

Feitan may sense, but the man was perceptive. Why was she acting like this?

He had only two people he could think about asking, but quickly shook the thought from his head. Why did he care if she was acting strange? As long as she performed her duties, it didn’t matter.

But still seeing her shrink under his gaze uncomfortably made him… nervous. He didn’t like it.

He climbed into bed, looking up at his ceiling. A frown pulled at his lips, the man falling into an uneasy sleep.

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kydrogendragon · 4 months

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Dec 26 - Sweet Kisses

(Ao3 Link) (Masterpost Link)

Hob is dreaming.

Well, he’s pretty sure he’s dreaming. He doesn’t remember his flat having candles for light, not for a long time. And the small leviathan relaxing in his sink is also a decent giveaway. He blinks and suddenly the sleepy haze of his dreamscape shifts into stronger clarity.

A figure stands before him clad in flowing black robes with equally flowy hair. His skin is pale white and he’s staring at Hob. There have been many dreams that Hob has dreamt of his Stranger before. He doesn’t know why now he knows this is not merely his mind’s version, but his actual Stranger. No. Not Stranger. Not anymore. It’s… it’s Dream.

Memories flood back into him. The rescue, the fishbowl prison of glass and iron, Alexander Burgess’s blood coating the basement floor. Right, Hob thinks to himself. Dream smirks and steps closer. He is taller here than he was when Hob last saw him. In fact, he’s a good head or two taller than him. Hob swallows as he tilts his head back to stare at the sharp angles and dark eyes of his friend. He knows he’s dreaming, that he’s asleep, but he swears he can still feel blood rushing south as his friend looms over him.

“Hello Hob,” his friend says. Good God, it sounds like his voice is everywhere. It’s like Hob is swimming in that velvety deep voice of his. It’s not doing his dick any favors.

“Hello old friend,” he says. “I am dreaming, right?”

His friend huffs, but the smile on his face remains. “Yes.”

“Ah. Right.” Hob wants to look around if for no other reason than to hopefully distract his body from how easily aroused it is by just being looked at. But he can’t. All he can do is stare up into those pitch black eyes of his. It’s a mesmerizing sight. The longer Hob looks, the more he thinks he can make out… yes, yes those are stars in his eyes. Christ on the cross, of course his friend has stars for eyes.

“I promised you I would return, did I not?” His friend whispers as he leans in closer. Hob can feel his own breath bouncing back at him off of Dream’s face. He tries to suppress the shiver that runs down his spine and utterly fails. Memories of their kiss, of the feeling of Dream’s lips on his and the promise of more hits him and he moans.

“That you did… I’ll admit, thought I would have seen you in the real world, not in a dream.” His friend frowns.

“Dreams are as real as the Waking World.” He leans in, brushing his lips against Hob’s. “Are you unhappy with this?”

Hob reaches his hands out, holding gently onto Dream’s hips to keep him close. “No, never. Just… not what I expected was all. Not complaining. I’ll take anything. Whatever you give me.”

Dream hums as he finally presses his mouth to Hob’s. It’s different here, in a dream. Both more real and not. And then Dream’s tongue is pressing into him and it’s hot and soft and so much more than he was mentally prepared for. He gasps into Dream’s mouth and earns a growl in response. Cool, slender hands hold Hob’s face between them and Dream leans further into the kiss. Hob’s head is nearly staring straight up in order to stay connected. His neck is vaguely aching, but he couldn’t care less.

They part, at some point. Hob’s pretty sure he ought to have passed out by then, but he is still dreaming, so he chalks it up to that. Dream gazes down at him, those deep space eyes of his hooded as he trails a finger down the side of Hob’s face.

“I am not an easy lover, Hob Gadling. I will demand all of you. I would consume you and all that you are. I will bring you nothing but ruin.” His voice is soft but shakes as he speaks. It breaks Hob’s heart.

“Then ruin me. I have all but been ruined for anyone else but you. Ruined for anyone else’s touch or kiss.” Hob pulls Dream back down and presses a chaste kiss to his lips. Dream goes willingly and all but melts against Hob’s form. Hob wraps his arms around his friend and realizes that he is, in fact, melting slightly. Or his robes are at least? Hob thinks that’s a good thing.

“This dream is over.”

Hob wakes up with a gasp, blinking away the sleep from his eyes. Then, he processes the unfamiliar weight on his legs. Looking up, he sees the more familiar version of his friend, of Dream, perched over his thighs. His eyes are no longer the dark black and star-filled ones he had just gotten used to but the brilliant ocean blue he first fell in love with.

Reaching out his arms, Hob smiles. “C’mere love,” he says, his voice thick and rough with sleep. Dream stays still for a few moments before falling against Hob’s chest. He clings tight to him, nuzzling his face into the junction of his neck and shoulder. Hob squeezes him tight and presses a kiss to the top of his head.

“You will come to resent me,” Dream mutters into his skin.

“Never. Just you wait and see. You’re the one whose gonna get tired of me.” Hob says with a chuckle. He feels a puff of air against his skin as Dream shifts, aligning their bodies even closer together.

“Impossible man.” Hob just smiles in response.

#dreamling #hob gadling #the sandman #dream of the endless #ky writes #december writing list #kydrogen's december drabbles 2023

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heyidkyay · 10 months

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I guess I’ll take this pain, instead of your name |

Part Twenty-Six

A/n: Hey! Finally giving you 26 alongside some answers! Not sure how I feel about this part just yet, it was difficult to write but I hope you enjoy it all the same:) Let me know I suppose!

Summary: In life, things changed. The boys you'd once grown up with were men now, and famous ones at that. The type that toured the world and had millions of adoring fans.

The five of you shared a shit ton of history. But you also shared a lot of mixed emotions for one of them in particular, a certain drummer.

Warnings: Lots of feelings, swearing but should be expected this far in, mentions of toxic relationships

Masterlist

And wouldn’t you just’ve guessed it. Ross was sat waiting on the steps of the villa for me when I finally returned. He watched me as I stepped out of a cab and ambled my way up the long drive, a cigarette pinched between his steady fingers.

It was quiet. Had been since I’d left Alvaro at the hospital.

I’d wandered around for a bit, unable to do much else other than think. He’d really given me a lot to think about.

But then my migraine had started back up again and I’d suddenly felt sick to my stomach, I’d had to have this little old lady, working a stall, phone for a driver for me whilst I’d kept myself from spewing into the bath of a nearby fountain. It hadn’t been my finest moment but I’d made it back to the villa alive and the throbbing pain in my skull had dulled somewhat on the drive over.

Ross was watching still as I walked closer and took perch on the step beside him, thankful for the small amount of shade the roof provided us with, the heat was doing nothing for my remaining nausea. He didn’t say anything for a long while, nor did he offer me a drag or a smoke of my own, which I wasn’t too fussed about. But even if I had been, I couldn’t have brought myself to ask, the sickness still there but getting easier with each deep breath I took.

“Sent the lads out once we realised you were missing.” He murmured to me, eyes trained on the pebbled drive lain out before us.

I’d forgotten about them, the boys, in my hurry to escape. Just needing to unwind, desperate to forget, to get away. Matty had been asleep still, the others dotting about on their own. George… I had no idea, so I simply shook away the thought.

“Knew you’d be back soon enough though.” Ross went on, taking a longer drag when he realised I wouldn’t be adding much to the conversation. “How’s the head?” He then asked me, changing the subject completely.

I swallowed, toying with a loose thread on my cardi. “Nearly chucked up in this pretty fountain down by the old town, gave the locals a right show.”

He didn’t laugh but I saw the corners of his mouth turn upwards, so easily amused by my sufferings. “Probably thought you were hung to hell, out on the piss ’til morning.”

I hummed around a tiny smile, tugging on the thread and enjoying the way it unraveled for me. “How’s the album coming?”

If Ross was surprised by my question he didn’t let it show, merely tilted his head then shrugged a shoulder lazily. “It’s not. Matt’s mind is elsewhere and G is… well, G is being G.”

That familiar guilt throbbed in me again, a reminder.

“Can’t be helped though.” Ross sighed, flicking away some remnant ash. “Can’t force this shit. It comes or it don’t.”

We were swept up by a breezy quiet then, both of us lost in our own heads. I kept finding myself opening my mouth to say something though, once, twice, then three times. There was this heated little knot of anxiety balled in the hollow of my ribs and someone just kept on tugging at it tighter and tighter until I finally begun to feel it fray and splinter.

“I kissed George.”

Ross’s head snapped in my direction at having heard my muted admission, but my eyes were trained still on the lit cigarette he held in his hand as though he’d forgotten it was even there. “What?”

But I knew he’d already heard me.

“You kissed George?” He breathed out once I made no move to repeat myself.

I hummed again, swallowing down past the ache in my throat as I clung to my cardigan tighter. I glanced up at him when he didn’t say anything more, he was just staring back at me with these huge surprised eyes. I’d’ve smiled, it wasn’t every day you got to witness something like that, but couldn’t dim my anxiety.

“You kissed George.” Ross said again and I blew out a soft sigh whilst I let him internalise it. “When?” He asked me, unblinking.

“’S’mornin’.” I mumbled in answer, those fraying threads of anxiety polluting the rest of my body now, like maggots infecting a soldier’s already dirtied wound.

“Jesus Christ.” Ross breathed, shaking his head, and then he dragged a heavy hand down the length of his exhausted face. I suddenly felt like a chastised little kid getting ready to get told off. But Ross was better than that, he never rebuked the actions of the rest of us unless we took it a step too far- ‘Live and learn’ he’d often spout like the wise old man he truly was. “Explains why he had the face of a slapped arse then, don’t it?”

My brows rose but I didn’t push his reply. I didn’t want to know any more.

“What a way to start a holiday, hey?” He then added and we both had to laugh a little at his words, even if they were more depreciating than other. We shared another sigh and I watched on whilst he took one final drag before stumping the butt out, he glanced over to me after.

“I’m guessing the kiss is why you disappeared then?” Ross questioned, head tilted slightly as his eyes found mine. The smile I answered him with was wet and watery, and he could only lift an arm out towards me. “Oh, B…”

I let out a scoff of a cry at his pitiful words and fell limply into his side, feeling so incredibly lost. So stupid.

“It’s okay.” I heard him murmur above my head, both arms curling around my broken self to hold me better together. “It’ll be okay.”

Because it had to be, right?

—

I’d gone to bed after my impromptu sobbing session with Ross. How the man had yet to get sick of me and my onslaught of tears was beyond me- but I was thankful for it nevertheless. Especially when he brought a decent cuppa and a couple of biscuits to my bedside after.

That’d been a long while ago now though, long enough for the biscuits I hadn’t eaten to have gone stale and the tea discoloured and cold. I laid there, still, staring up at the ceiling.

When I was little I used to paint stars up there with strokes of my eyes, imagine dark blue hues and gradient purples surrounding planets and glowing suns. But then I’d grown up and the dark had crept its way in, drowning my pretty stars in its shadows.

I could still picture them sometimes though, mostly back when I’d been curled up in bed with George. I’d see them. Dimmer than the years before, but there, twinkling. They’d long since abandoned me again though. All I saw now was a blank ceiling staring back at me.

I sighed, forcing my eyes away from it and out towards the window where the sun had since set. I questioned how another day had so quickly slipped past me.

The boys had since returned too, I’d heard them stumble in an hour or two ago. Maybe even three. They’d wanted to check in, I’d seen their shadows dance beneath my closed bedroom door and heard their muted arguments. But my guess is that Ross somehow waylaid them, because they hadn’t pushed any further than that. Although, my phone had buzzed a couple dozen times.

It was somewhere on the floor, settled on the pile of clothes I’d stripped out of.

Quiet now though. The villa, I meant. My mind not so much. I still couldn’t work out for the life of me what the fuck I wanted. Scared and too fucking afraid to come to an actual decision. I didn’t want to be hurt again, but I also knew that either way I could be. So, I either push George further away and end up breaking my own heart, or risk everything and just have him do it for me, for the hundredth time.

Too many fucking thoughts. Too big a decision to make.

I wanted to bury myself in my pillow, burrow further away, but I could feel a headache coming on and so, in hopes to avoid it, I peeled myself from out under the safety of my covers and over to the door, figuring that a decent brew might just do the job.

The house was dimmed as I made my way down the stairs, only the outside porch lights were still on, though I could hear murmurs of movement as I passed by the guys’ rooms.

I kept the kitchen light off when I made my way over to the counter, instead opting to use the fridge as a lamp whilst I worked my way around the kettle, nicking one of the many Russian caravan teabags Matty so liked.

It was nice, down here alone, bare feet sliding across the chilled tiles as the evening air crept its way inside through the French doors. Peaceful almost. Once the tea was made I figured I’d make my way out there too and so I did, settled myself under the familiar peach tree I’d taken to seeing as it’d been a few days since I’d had the opportunity to hide out underneath it.

I could see the ripples in the pool from here, as well as the shorts some of the boys had left out to dry, three pairs of them all slung over a sun-lounger, a damp puddle beneath. I sipped away at my tea and felt myself longing more and more for a cigarette, I hadn’t had one since the night spent with George, and even then it’d hardly been a drag.

But what I wouldn’t do for another.

A small sigh escaped me and I settled my teacup down to the side so that I could pull my legs in closer, knees tucked up under my chin as the wind danced over my bare skin.

“What would you do then, hey?” I heard myself whisper out into it, eyes casted upwards towards the so-called heavens. “Probably wouldn’t say much. Just sort my mess out for me, yeah?”

I blew out a tiny wet chuckle, knowing I was dead right.

It was nights like these that I just found myself talking to him, my dad that is. Not often but enough. On days when things felt heavier, harder.

It had been a long time since I’d last done so. That fact alone also reminded me of how much time had passed since he’d been gone. Been gone longer than I’d ever known him. We’d never had enough time. But that was just life, wasn’t it?

I vividly remember the day he passed. I’d felt it long before they’d ever even told me. Sat on the bottom step of the staircase, phone pressed tightly to my ear. I’d felt it. I’d known something had happened. But he’d been at the hospital and she’d been there with him. So I’d phoned, and she’d said everything was fine. But I’d known. I’d felt it deep down. Something had shifted.

It made me wonder now, here in this pretty little garden, how many times a heart could shatter before it stopped letting you put it back together. Too many pieces lost in the explosion. Not enough parts to make it work the same.

My dad’s death had taken a few too many pieces, I think. The rest had just followed.

Now, he wasn’t much of a gambler, my old man, but I knew that he’d bet a pretty penny if he was here right now on my next decision. He’d always had a way of knowing my next move before I’d ever even thought it. Wise in his own way and not the traditional sort. Hated school but loved anything that could keep his hands and mind busy. Could read people better than he could most words.

I was wired in a similar way.

And I couldn’t stop myself from wishing then that he could only hear me so that he’d just tell me what I was going to do next.

It was hard, not having him here.

“You ever think they look back?”

My head jerked upwards like a horse dislodging a fly at the unexpected voice, only to find George stood there by the door, bare foot too with his hands tucked into his pockets. I gaped for a brief moment before I swallowed down my surprise and followed his nod over to where the stars were twinkling high above.

“Maybe.” I replied, unable to help myself.

George hummed and stepped closer, down off the step he was tittering on. I wondered how long he’d been there. “Always loved them though, you have. Remember you dragging me out into the fields late at night to watch them years back. Only ever loved London in the day because at night they were too hard to spot.”

I exhaled the heaviness I felt weigh on my chest. “They give me hope. Let me pretend that things last.”

“What d’you mean?” He questioned, both our voices far too quiet. Too careful. There were lines being tread now.

I shrugged a single shoulder, chin digging deeper into my shin as I stared up at the well-lit sky. “They die, don’t they? Just like us. Give the illusion that they’re permanent, that they’ll never fade out. But they do, we just don’t see it. Don’t realise that they’re all just dying millions of miles away.”

“Biblical that.”

I snorted at his dry response, a soft sound I couldn’t quite help. “Far from.”

He merely hummed again, then took another step closer drawing my attention, I dipped my head once and then looked away when he pointed down to the ground beside me. I focused on keeping my breathing even as he settled there, stretching his legs out before us.

“Where’d you disappear to then?” After you kissed me… George questioned after a minute.

I wet my lower lip and let a hand slip from where it’d been curled around my leg to toy with the tea I’d brought out with me. It’d gone cold.

“I walked around for a bit. Just thinking.”

“Ah.” He replied, a very George like reaction if I did say so myself. So monosyllabic. “Anything good?”

I huffed a small amused chuckle, wrinkling the cup’s dark liquid. “Did I think of anything good?”

“Hm.”

I shook my head, flicking away the wetness I’d gathered on my fingertips. “Dunno. Not really. Just had a lot on my mind.”

“Thing with thinking, is that it’s dead useful, but only sometimes.” George retorted and I glanced over to find him fidgeting with the grass beneath us. “Most days I just wish everything would shut up. Gets too loud and I can’t even escape it, you know? ‘Cause it’s all in my head.”

I did know.

He looked up and caught me staring, gifted me the tinniest of smiles from beneath shadowed eyes and dark lashes. “Seen any shooting stars whilst you been out here then?”

I returned the sentiment, eyes lingering on the curve of his lips, remembering…

“No, but you know me, luck’s never been very fortunate to us.”

George’s gaze drifted between my own. “I don’t know about that,” He said, voice velvety and low. “You seem to do alright on your own.”

I scoffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah, if you could call it that.”

George’s elbow nudged my side. “Come on, look at what you’ve got. A job you love, people you love, smile of an angel.”

I nudged him right back, mostly in retaliation for that last comment. Charmer, just like Nana had always claimed.

“Oh yeah, can’t complain me.” I joked, mind stuck on every bad thing that’d ever been thrown at me. And though I tried not to let it show, he still knew.

He knew me better than I knew myself. And vice-versa. I’d almost forgotten that fact about us.

George was turned better towards me now, his stance a little more open, and in the haze of the moonlight I caught sight of his eye, my head shot out to really see it.

“Oh God,” I gasped mutedly, hand reaching out towards the welt on his face before I could think better of it. “Did I do that?”

George just laughed me off, hand catching mine before I could touch the injured eye, my attention snapped down towards it, though he didn’t release me. “It’s not that bad, just raised a bit, like you said it would. Go down in a day or two.” He assured and I could only mutter another quiet sorry before he was shaking his head at me and smiling. “It was an accident- and even if it weren’t, it’s the least I deserve, innit?”

He laughed whilst I simply scowled. “Don’t say that.”

“What? It’s true, ain’t it?” George replied, “Been so shit to you. Never fucked up more. So I wouldn’t blame you for it even if you did choose to batter me.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, George.”

“Like I did you?” He quipped straight back, hard eyes trained on mine now, “‘Cause it’s the truth. I fucking promised no one would ever hurt you again, all those years ago. Remember that? And look at where we are now. I’ve broken that promise nine times over.”

I let go of a heavy sigh, “G, you haven’t-”

“The fuck I haven’t! I have! I have. And do you know what’s worse?” He asked me, hand still cradling mine, hold soft and gentle. “I have the fucking nerve to sit here and ask you to forgive me, to take me back.” He scoffed at himself and my breath caught when he finally dropped my hand. “The things I‘d do to take it all back.” He muttered deeply, clucking his tongue as he shook his head.

“I wouldn’t want you to.” I told him honestly, my reply surprising both him and I.

“How can you say that?” He looked back at me, his expression pinched.

I shrugged, casting a long glance out over towards the pool. “‘Cause you can’t take it back, can you? So there’s no real point in trying, or stressing about the things we’ll never be able to change. Life is shit, you deal with it.”

George released a shaky breath and dragged a rigid hand over the back of his head. “I really messed you up, didn’t I?”

That made me pause. It was too close to the truth.

“No more than anyone else did.”

The sound that escaped him then shocked me to my core and my head snapped back over to where he was perched beside me, tears in his eyes, mouth strained to keep any other sound like it from falling out. He wouldn’t look at me, just kept on shaking his head. “And that’s what kills me.” He breathed, voice tight, cheeks hollowed. “God. That’s what fucking kills me.”

I didn’t know what to say. I could only stare at him, wind caught on the lump in my throat.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him cry, but I knew it’d never been like this.

“George-” I whispered out, unable to utter much else, but he just shook his head again, rubbing at his eyes.

“Nah, it’s fine.” He sniffed, chuckling at himself whilst he worked his jaw to keep from outwardly crying anymore. “It’s- well it’s like I said, ain’t it? No less than what I deserve. Fuck. I’m just so sorry. So fucking sorry. And I’m not sure if I’ve even told you that yet.”

“You have.” I reassured him in a croaky whisper, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. “You did.”

“I want to take it all back. I just want to do it all over.” He choked out, trying so very hard to avoid my gaze, to not let me see him cry. “I want so fucking much, but, there’s not much point in wanting, is there? I can’t take it back, I can’t make it make sense. And I can’t tell you how much I wish that I’d never fucking let you go in the first place. That I’d ever let myself fuck up the best thing I’ve ever had. No fucking point, no use!”

I untangled myself from my position to reach out towards him, fingers catching the side of his face like they had that very same morning. My mind flashed back to him in my bed, my lips against his. I forced his face towards me, coaxing him, “Look at me, will you? Just look at me. I need you to see. Okay? I need you to look at me and see the mess that I’ve become, the mess that I’ve always been, yeah? Because neither of us are fucking perfect, G, and, sure, you might’ve messed up, you might’ve hurt me, but that doesn’t just make me stop loving you, okay? That doesn’t erase our past and make everything that we’ve ever shared just go away. Alright? I need you to know that. I need you to understand that no matter what happens from here on out, that you will always be apart of my life. I need you to know that. I just- I need you to, okay?”

His dark and watery eyes were flitting back and forth, left then right, between my own, blatant shock staring me back in the face. I had to tell him though, he had to know. He had to.

“You hear me?” I shook his head in my hands and he raised his to cover my own, he nodded at me, just barely, and let his fingers rest against mine. My eyes were locked on his, I saw every emotion he’d ever felt flit through those brown eyes, because we were like magnets, George and I, when we collided nothing else on God’s green Earth could pull us apart, and in that moment I wanted it to always stay that way. With him beneath me, the stars in his eyes.

My forehead was pressing against his before I’d even felt myself lean in, knees hooked over either side of him, pressing deep into the soil. His hands stayed with mine, but his eyes were hooked on me so intensely that I had to let my own fall close. His fingers interlocked with mine. I felt his breath tickle my skin.

My heart ached like a hole that had been torn through my chest and it felt as though we were floating, far from the villa and its peach tree, from the Earth and all its noise. Like we’d just gone and switched the entire planet off.

I heard his swallow. And fuck, he was so shaky it almost felt like holding onto my very own earthquake.

“I’m right where you left me, Birdie.” George murmured into the blank space between us, that inch of air that separated us. And those words just rendered me helpless.

And who could really blame me? Blame me for being drawn in again. For reaching out and cupping his familiar face, for trailing a careful thumb over the curve of his cheek to the corner of his mouth.

He made me so irrational. Made me forget. Had me faltering above him, even when I had the upper hand here, made my lips part on their own accord just as his nose lightly brushed my own. I couldn’t waste another second debating with myself, looking for answers that ceased to come; I slid my hand to the back of his neck and let him draw me in further, pausing only slightly for just a second before my lips found his.

It felt like coming home, kissing George. So familiar, with a vague sentiment of relief. The kiss was slow and delicate, probing almost, like we were both still trying to get over the fact that it was even happening. This kiss so unlike the one we’d shared before.

George responded in kind, let his lips fall open even more to savour it, his hands diving to my waist, fingers pressed into my sides.

I’d pictured this, made up so many scenarios in my head over the span of the last year that it was hard to rationalise the how and the why. But it was happening and I couldn’t bring myself to stop it, to pull apart.

George was so tender this time around and I welcomed him in when he ran his tongue searchingly beneath my own. The softness of the kiss had me falling further into his embrace, and he didn’t even bat an eyelid, simply held me up. Like before. His touch grew more needy, fingers digging deeper into my waist when I pressed my chest up against his, teeth grazing lightly over my bottom lip enough for me to let out a soft moan, a moan that he then swallowed whole.

And it was then that I felt so overwhelmed, wanting more. Needing more than just this. But I couldn’t bring myself to shift any closer, to have him lay back, to lose myself in the madness that was him. His hands slipped to my hips, fingertips skimming the edge of my top, touching skin, it was that which made me stiffen, pull away.

I was breathing heavily, as was George when he quickly dropped his hands and allowed me to create some much needed space between us again. My head swimming.

“We can’t.” I attempted to say and he nodded, eyes taking in everything they could of my face. I must’ve looked a right picture as I inhaled shakily above him. “Not like this. I- we need to talk.”

George nodded again, I watched his chest rise and fall, watched him rub his lips together. Gaze trained on me.

“We can’t.” I whispered again, but I no longer knew who I was speaking to.

“We can’t.” He parroted me, seeming to really understand the words now. He inhaled sharply and then glanced down. “But if we can’t, then you’ve really got to get off my lap now, B.”

I followed his gaze and blinked, realising my position. “Shit, yeah. Yeah, sorry.”

George blew out a faint chuckle, watching as I rolled off him. Warier still whilst rearranging himself, as though he was scared to take another wrong step. “No need to say sorry, always enjoy a lapful of you.” He gifted me a kind grin. “But you are right. We should talk.”

Talk. It felt like all we’d done since the night of my birthday is talk. We were talking and talking, saying an awful lot without saying much at all. But I had no idea where to start here.

Thankfully though, he did.

“I ended things.”

The air in my lungs froze as I moved to inhale, never having expected that to be the thing he’d start with. A truth, yes, but one I hadn’t thought he’d admit out loud, let alone to me.

“You did.” I breathed, blowing the stilted air through my nose as I fought not to let the ground shift beneath me. Talk, we were finally talking.

“And I was a fucking idiot.”

I scoffed out a surprised laugh, “You are.”

He smiled at me, but it was hastily replaced by a melancholy I hadn’t much seen on him before.

“I should’ve just spoken to you. I realise that now, but I was so fucking lost, B. Like, I could hardly even think, let alone open up about how I was feeling.” He murmured to me, hands clasped tightly in his lap, I watched them whilst he watched the sky once more. “I was too scared. I was a fucking coward. And when I left, I realised I couldn’t go back. ‘Cause that look you had on your face.” He shook his head, inhaling deeply, “That look…” He blew out the breath. “God, I’d never hated myself more.”

I didn’t say anything in return. Whether it was due to my surprise at the pair of us finally hashing things out, or something other, I couldn’t be sure.

George continued on and I was confused by his next question, “You remember the week before it?”

I just had to nod, “Vaguely.”

It’d been a normal week, him in the studio, me at work. Hadn’t seen much of each other but he still came home each night, we fell asleep together. Like always.

He huffed then sucked in a cheek, chewing on his lip in thought, eyes stuck on the horizon. “I’d leave early morning, walk around for a bit, then end up in the studio and not leave ’til late. I couldn’t sleep at night, so I’d just lie there with you. If I caught a couple hours then I’d be able to plaster on a smile for you, the guys. But my head was properly fucked. Couldn’t stop thinking. Phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Ended up drinking just to get through the days. All ‘cause I felt fucking sorry for myself.”

It didn’t make much sense. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask or to look away, sure that I’d see something in his next movement that would fill me in or maybe hear it in his words.

He toyed with the grass. “Mum phoned me a couple times before that week. She showed up the Friday before everything went to shit.”

I gave a slight nod again as I took it in, understanding a little better now. It explained his mood. How quiet he’d been. I’d reckoned he was just tired, drained from constantly working the way he did. But if his mum was involved, then I had no idea what could’ve gone down. Nothing good though.

“I’d always kept her at a distance since we’d left Manchester.” He went on to say, “We spoke when needed, saw each other when she asked. Mostly for my dad’s sake though.”

But I already knew all this.

“She turned up that Friday ‘cause I’d kept on dodging her calls. No warning. Just turned up out of the blue. And I was mainly just thankful that she’d managed to catch me on the way out, instead of at the flat with you. Didn’t want you to see her, her to see you.” George admitted quietly, eyes flicking towards me for a split second before darting away again. “No clue how she’d known where to find me either, but she’d driven all night- or so she claimed. And I felt as though I owed it to her to hear her out, so we walked on over to that little cafe on the corner of our road and she told me she couldn’t take much more.”

I frowned. “Take much more of what?”

“Me.” He laughed, a hollow sound that made me still. “Had enough of me, of the papers, the headlines. People back home. She was embarrassed apparently. And I could understand somewhat, the drugs she’d never liked, the drinking too excessive, but then she reckoned she’d been told a couple stories, yeah?”

Confused, my frown only deepened. “Stories?”

He licked at the flesh of his lip, my eyes tracked the movement then dropped down to where he was drumming his thumb on his kneecap. He wouldn’t look back at me.

“Stories. Just, gossip, you know. From the locals back home.” George stated, gaze jumping from one thing to the next. But never landing on me. “She’d hurt her hip the year before and so she’d stopped working remotely, decided to ease her hours down so that she could take things a bit easier. Dad seemed all for it when he’d let me know, having her back home. But, that meant she was actually there and I reckon that’s why people took note of her. She hadn’t been around much since the band started but you know how them lot are, they like to talk. To stick their noses in everybody else’s business but their own, wanted word on us lot down in London. If we were really making it big.”

George rolled his eyes then swiped a tongue across his front teeth. It angered him, irritated him when people felt as though they deserved to know the ins and outs of his entire life. He was a private person for the most. And I knew it agitated him more for the fact that his mum had been involved.

“What stories, George?” I asked, heart in my mouth. Because I already knew, didn’t I?

He worked his jaw, thumb still tapping relentlessly away. I wanted to reach out and still the movement, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t bare to move.

“What stories?” I prodded again, firmer this time.

“About Matt and his family, him using. Rehab. If I were the same way. You know.” George replied hurriedly, jaw still tightly wound, and I titled my head at him wanting to hear the rest of it that was bound to come. “She said some vile things, yeah? And, I don’t know. I just, it, they pissed me off. I didn’t want to stay sat there and listen to her rant, just let her go on and fucking on-”

I cut him off. “What else did she say, George?”

He closed his eyes and then slowly turned his head towards me, I saw the guilt swimming in them when they reopened, the pain, the anger. “They told her all there was to know about you. They told her all about you, Birdie.”

Suddenly my tongue was too heavy to sit comfortably in my mouth and my eyes were stinging in time to match the swelling of my throat. They’d told her about me. And I wasn’t stupid enough not to realise exactly what that meant. What had been said. I knew what they all thought of me, what they’d always thought ever since that fucking night. Knew that they still let him walk around free, that they listened to his tales, to his lies. That they whispered about my mum, the neglect, the things I’d supposedly done to have survived living in that poor house. George knew I knew too. That’s why he’d been so reluctant to say. That’s why he’d-

“That why you fucking walked out then?” I spat at him, my anger misplaced but I didn’t care. I didn’t care that he’d been the one to hold me through most of it, didn’t care for his previous claims, because he’d left, hadn’t he? And this was the fucking reason.

George opened his mouth to speak, brow pinched, but I didn’t let him get a word in edgeways.

“What, was it too much for your big rockstar image then? To have a girlfriend as fucked as me? What, were you suddenly embarrassed, George? Did your mum make you finally see sense? Reason?” I laughed bitterly and moved to stand, to walk the fuck away from him and all the emotions he pulled so effortlessly out of me, but a firm hand caught my wrist and I snapped my gaze down towards him. “Don’t grab me like that.”

Immediately George released me and he looked apologetic for a brief moment, but that anger was still there and that only sent my guard up more.

“You know fucking better than that!” He retorted heatedly, “Don’t just section me off with the rest of them, yeah? ‘Cause you know I don’t deserve that. I was fucking there! I never left. I was there through it all. And never once did you ever or have you ever embarrassed me! Not you, not your life, not your fucking story! So just don’t, eh. Don’t go and say shit like that to me. Not when we both know that it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”

“Then what am I supposed to believe, George!” I shouted back at him, tears welling in my eyes, hands fisted to keep from lashing out, to keep from breaking completely. “Because how can I not assume that, when you’ve treated me exact same way they have! When you pushed me out and fucking left without even a warning, without a reason! Tell me, what am I supposed to think!”

“I left to fucking protect you, you daft cow!” George shot back, bewildered with his face so open. “I left because there was no other fucking way to keep you safe from the rest of the fucking world! I left ‘cause she threatened to tell people, to sell it all to the tabloids or whoever the fuck would listen, if I didn’t get my act together, if I didn’t-”

“If you didn’t leave me.” I finished for him.

All the fight seemed to drain out of the two of us then. George’s head dropped in acknowledgment and I pressed my lips tightly together as I casted a blurry glance out over the rest of the garden to keep from outwardly sobbing. If I cried now, I didn’t know if I would ever stop.

“And you listened.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, rubbing at my strained eyes, the headache that had been tittering was a full blown minefield now, exploding across the length of my skull. “You listened.” I repeated and heard the way my voice cracked, how dry my throat felt.

“Of course I listened. There was nowt else I could do! You were fine being in the background, watching us. You didn’t want anything else! If I’d’ve let her leave, she would’ve told everyone. She’s fucking spiteful if nothing else, can’t stand to see me happy, would be better off seeing me skint on my arse and working in a factory than have any of this. This life. She hates it!”

“And what does she think of me now, hey? Must reckon I’m some cheap skank dirtying you up, dragging you down with me.” I scoffed at the very thought, but mostly because it felt much too close to the truth. I had been dragging him down with me and it hurt to realise that he’d probably be better off never having even laid eyes on me.

He pointed a finger towards me hotly which counteracted the way he shook his head so sadly. “Don’t say shit like that, okay? ‘Cause I know exactly what you’re thinking. I know it, because I know you. Not once have you ever, ever made me feel that way. When I’m with you-” George blew out a breathy laugh, “With you it’s like there is no one else. Don’t you get that? Didn’t you see the fucking state you left me in? I was a mess! You were the only thing ever keeping me on track. How can you not see that?”

“George, look at where you are!” I argued with him, “Look at the life you’ve built for yourself. The places you’ve been, the people you’ve met! And yet here you are, still sat with me, a florist who can hardly tie a ribbon, a girl sick beyond help, asking for another chance. You could do better, George, you know it. ”

“Fuck you.” He was angry again, but more sad than angry this time, his nose flared and his eyes were cut towards me. “Nah, honestly fuck you for saying that. For thinking it at all! ‘Cause I’m the one who left you, B. Not just once, no, not just fucking once, but twice. Twice! I should’ve manned the hell up! Pulled myself together and been there for you after that accident. Not walked away when you needed me most and left you in that ambulance! On your own! With fucking strangers there instead of me! Me! I’m not the one who deserves better, Birdie, that’s all you.”

He chuckled, though not one full of humour. One of mourning regret, the kind that seemed to catch you dizzyingly and make it so you couldn’t make any other sound. I stared at him, chest rising and falling with each trembling breath.

“And what life would I actually have if hadn’t been for you, eh? What life?” George added, prodding further, and I saw that he was crying too, silently like me, eyes shinning with unshed tears. “Because if I remember rightly, it was you that gave this all to me. You who walked in and changed everything.”

“How the fuck did I do all this then?” I laughed, more of a broken sob than anything else though, shaking my head at him with a pitiful smile. “How is this all down to me!”

“You don’t see it, do you?” He whispered to me quietly in reply and it made me realise how loud we must’ve been, screaming at the top of our lungs. “You’re the one who gave me the boys, the band. You’re the person who gave me a fucking escape, Birdie. ‘Cause you might claim to be screwed up, B. But I’m exactly that, only twice as bad.”

“You’d have gotten here in the end, G. You’re too talented not to’ve.” I told him in a defeated tone, too tired to continue on with this pissing contest anymore, to scream and shout and claim to be the worser person. He’d left me. And yeah, he’d left me more than once, but who could blame him? Who could honestly put up with the likes of me? “We all make choices and, yeah, the ones you’ve been making as of late have been shit. But we live with them. We learn. You’d’ve made something of yourself, George, with or without me.”

George sighed heavily and forced his head back to stare up at the dark night sky, whilst I wiped helplessly at my tear stained cheeks and the wetness which clung to my chin.

“But I did it with you, B.” He finally spoke before he released another breath and dropped his head down to look back at me. “And I wouldn’t change that for anything in the world. I did it with you. I did it all for you. So that me and you could leave that fucking town. So that I could keep my promise.”

My heart broke just as his voice did on that very last word.

“I love you. And I don’t care how long I have to spend proving that to you. But if it takes me the rest of my fucking life, then I’ll do it without complaint. Because you are it for me, Birdie. I’ve lived without you, and I didn’t like it much. You are the only thing I need.”

I stared at him.

“What about your mum, the fans?” I voiced the hushed question into the otherwise silent garden.

He licked at his lower lip and I watched the way his eyes flickered when he sucked in another long breath. “That’s down to you. I can’t protect you from the world, I should’ve listened when you told me that all those years ago, but I’ve learnt now. And maybe, maybe I’m scared too. Maybe I’m terrified to hurt you all over again, or for you to just give up on me. But I’m asking for a chance, and with it, I’m prepared to give up everything else.”

I cocked my head at him, confused. “What do you mean? Give what up?”

“This.” He told me plainly and I knew, my lips parted and I could only shake my head in return.

“No. No, I’d never ask you to do that, and fuck you for even thinking I would.”

George reached out to me then, hands carefully taking my forearms, an attempt to soothe me. Like old times, I thought. I wondered if he thought the same, or if it was just instinctual.

“You wouldn’t have to ask, B. And I’m not asking you to. I’m telling you now that I don’t care what I have to lose. This? This life? It means nothing without you in it. It means nothing if you aren’t here to share it all with me. I’ve lived it. I suffered through it, felt nothing but fucking regret.” He murmured and it was then that I felt the first few drops of summer rain. “A chance. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“A chance.” I mimicked, blinking at him from under wet lashes whilst raindrops came down heavier around us.

“Just a chance.” He assured me before he wiped the dampening hair from off my cheek, hands resting either side of my face. “That’s all I’m asking for.”

Part Twenty-seven>

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meeks-just-wants-to-scroll · 4 months

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Line-up ref sheet for the cast! I’ll provide a summary of each character. Under the cut is the lore for the game, Epicenter.

Mitch: mid 20’s - he/him trans man - demiromantic ace spec - Easy going but reclusive guy. He’s on the autism spectrum and doesn’t go out of his way to appease people or make friends. He’s a delight to be friends with, it just has to be Bonds of Proximity friends (the kind you form by going to school, working, or living with someone). He has bouts of paranoia and dissociation. This is why Bax targeted Mitch the hardest; Bax would just have to play some ultrasounds or infrasound’s from his speakers and Mitch’s brain will do the rest. Mitch isn’t a fan of being a leader, but if forced to he will. He starts mother henning and wearing himself to wits end, though… He doesn’t like himself for doing this, but he does hold grudges towards other people and REALLY struggles to be nice and approachable when that happens.

Tex (Texico): early 20’s - any pronouns agender - questioning sexuality - in college for sculpture and art ^.^ they’re a fun, albeit eccentric, person. With friends she is happy to yap about whatever with vigor. She is the biggest video game nerd out of the friend group and has a soft spot for weird old games (like Epicenter). Shooter games are her jam. She is a “run head first into the enemies” type of player. She thinks highly of her fighting skills. Tex is usually upbeat and a big support for keeping the group happy during tough situations. When she is down, though, SHE’S DOWN… it is really hard for her to find a reason to keep going when she is beaten down emotionally. (Keep going as in finish a project or talk to her friends or finish a video game. She is in therapy for depression).

Laís: early 20’s - she/her cis - unlabeled; has little interest in dating men - Ranges from silent and sad/grouchy to happily talking with her classmates and teacher (depends on how tired she is that day). She’s good in class, though she has a few late assignments hanging over her head because of work and family. She was friends with Mitch before meeting the others. Laís is the illusive friend who pops into voice calls every once in a while. She does her own thing and doesn’t budge her head into the established friend group because she knows Mitch and that’s about it. She worries she’s seen as an outsider who doesn’t belong in the friend group because she doesn’t have the same chemistry. Laís too is a video game fan, but more so because she likes learning about American video games. She’s the kind of person to sabotage and explode her friends in shooter games, all in good fun :-). She can be stubborn at times. She puts herself before others because it’s always been how she lived. Especially in the friend group, she thinks of herself as an outsider even when the friend group makes an effort to welcome her. She can be hard to work with sometimes because of her unwillingness to compromise.

Mill (Milly/Miller): early 20’s - she/he/they Demigirl - pansexual ace spec - quiet book worm 🐛. He helps the friend group with homework as long as they can bribe him with something in return (usually random things or trinkets. Never money). He doesn’t talk a lot, even in the friend group. He feels Mitch and Tex (and sometimes Laís when she hangs out) fill the air enough with chatting. Mill is the emotional anchor of the group, able to reel everyone in if they get too heated or sad or what-not. Not to say Mill is invincible emotionally; he can lose his cool if people don’t listen to his advice. He fears he couldn’t be a good leader; he’s just a background nobody who follows people. Mill Second to Tex, Mill has good knowledge of games from the 1990’s and 2000’s. Mill was the person who brought up Epicenter to his friends.

Bax (Baxter): was trapped in a video game for nearly 26 years… - any pronouns (but Bax is referred to as He/they/it by the other characters) - unlabeled sexuality - He is… something? The extent of his influence on technology is blurry. He has full control of stuff in the Epicenter game (like a player with god mode and cheats), but he is incapable of leaving said game. Bax is hard to pin point because he is conflicting at times. He can be antagonistic or lovey dovey, he can be all up in your business or cold and distant (even disappearing sometimes). His motives are unknown to the friend group. If it wasn’t for the amnesia and mixing of scripted code into the players, the cast would have likely rejected Bax. Luckily, Bax knew that if he wanted to follow the team, he’d have to implant fake memories. The cast (apart from Mitch) are warm or Luke-warm with Bax because of the fake memories.

I honestly asked ChatGPT to spit out a half-life inspired game and I pieced together my favorite parts. I’m not a gamer so I am heavily following the well-treaded path of Half-Life 1.

The game gist is that Epicenter is a single and multiplayer game. In single player, the 4 class choices (soldier, agent, scientist, security) offer 4 different POV of the same catastrophe.

In multiplayer, the game becomes a cooperative neutral path. Compared to single player, the multiplayer game is less individual character motivation driven and more so about getting all player to the end of the game. The game adapts so even if you have 2, 3, or 4 people, it’ll be balance and accessible (ex: if someone plays as scientists then there’ll be puzzles that require him unlocking lab doors, but if no one is playing scientists then these doors would be jammed open with debris since other classes can’t unlock top secret doors).

There are aliens, but it’s more so man-made bioweapon rather than Xen/other worldly aliens. They still look freaky and unworldly because I say so.

The single player game is class-driven and show different facets of the bigger story.

Soldier: Shows how the US military came in to kill the bio weapons but also reveal the US doesn’t care if innocent people must be murdered in the process. Sometimes they go out of their way to cover up by killing witnesses. It’s similar to HL Opposing force in that you play a military goon who gets caught up in shit going south. Your character starts defecting from the military when you start being commanded to kill innocent people (are they innocent? They sure cower and scream like they are…)

Gov Agent: a reconnaissance mission to see what went wrong; Let’s the player see the unethical tests and dubious goals of the government laboratories. What was the use of the bio weapons? Was America planning to declare a war and win asap with it? The secret agent was at the facility before the catastrophe. They were originally there to smile and talk with officials about the future of the organization.

Scientist: Closest copy to Gordon Freeman’s pov. scientist just needs to get out asap. It gives the pov of the innocent people caught up amongst this all and how hard they had to fight to escape. You’re also given clearance to most of the establishment so you get to see it all. Perhaps some plot about doubting if you’re actually an innocent worker? What have you as a scientist done to help with the government’s plan for war? Do you inadvertently have blood on your hands by helping America’s thirst for more efficient war? 🤔

Security: focus is on saving others, not yourself. Wiping out enemies and solving puzzles to get NPC from danger to safe zones is key. Scientists, guards, and medics are kept alive. The guard doesn’t have clearance to everything so they must use scientists they saved to unlock doors. As they delve deeper into the establishment, you start to be horrified by it all realizing how demented the goal of this establishment really is. The player is given the option to continue saving the workers, or start murdering them all like the bioweapon beasts they exterminated.

The thing setting scientist apart from guard is that the guard is disillusioned with the government fast and is easily convinced everything was black and white malicious. The scientist on the other hand bought into this all long enough to see the grey of it all. They consider the good they could do. The needless blood as man after man is sent into war to die… Wars could end faster with bio weapons. They make medicine too! So many diseases were cured because of this laboratory. Drugs strong enough to defeat even Superbugs were invented.

I’ll stop there. :p

It’s a bleak “ooohhh gov is maybe evil! War bad” generic story but it’s good enough to be a fictional game for this story. The game is supposed to be made in the 1990’s which is far from the peak Cold War scare, but imagine this game’s message about science and war was inspired by the lingering worry from the Cold War and such.

The classes —the character arc they’re coded to follow— influences how the friend group cope with being trapped in the game. 👍

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the12thnightproject · 6 months

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Chapter 26: Stealth: Mitsuhide, Kyubei, and Katsu try to discover where Mai and Hideyoshi are being held captive.

Mitsuhide x OC; Hideyoshi x MC (Mai)

All Chapters Archived on Ao3

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

“I put you through a lot today.” Mitsuhide glanced at where I had hung up my clothing to dry. What was left of my inner kimono was little more than a rag at this point, with shreds of fabric fluttering in the breeze. There was a look of regret on his face. “You should take the opportunity to rest when it is offered.”

After all he had demanded of ‘Kaya,’ why not put me to work as Katsu, especially since I was far more suited for this job? “I at least have had a bed to sleep in this week, rather than a cell floor. If anyone needs rest, it’s you.”

Before the argument could escalate, Kyubei stepped between us. “Katsu makes an excellent point about the potential advantage of a translator, Lord Mitsuhide.” While Mitsuhide was still processing what had to have been an uncharacteristic rebellion from his vassal, Kyubei turned to me. “Katsu, make certain you return with Mitsuhide.”

Something unspoken passed between the two of them, but I didn’t need further insight into Kyubei’s motivation. He suspected that if given the opportunity, Mitushide would make a suicide run to rescue the others. That… was clearly a possibility. “I’ll bring him back.” How I would manage that, I did not know – it wasn’t as if I had ever been able to get Mitsuhide to do what I wanted. “Even if I have to tie him to me.”

“Dear me, I hadn’t realized how fond you’d become of restraints.” The smirk had returned. “I weep for a lost opportunity.”

Sigh.

“I … might have been too quick to promise to bring him back,” I said to Kyubei. “Too many more of those comments and he will find himself tied to a tree instead.”

Kyubei suddenly smiled, a look of joy that nearly split his face open. What had amused the normally stoic vassal? Mitsuhide loudly cleared his throat, and Kyubei sobered up instantly. “I’ll finish organizing and double checking our weapons and supplies.” He unearthed a spyglass from his pack. “As well as monitor the shoreline, although I expect Lord Nobunaga will keep Motonari busy for the remainder of the day.”

With a nod, Mitsuhide acknowledged Kyubei’s plans, then beckoned me to follow him. “I presume I will not need to tell you that stealth is of prime importance.”

“You just did. Besides, I’m not the one wearing noisy armor.” Though to be honest, Mitsuhide’s clothing wasn’t all that loud. He wore his battle gear relatively tight against that… body. Stop that Katsu! Consciously imitating his phrasing, I added, “I presume what you actually meant is that you would prefer that I don’t talk.”

“Indeed.” He rubbed his finger across his bottom lip. “Interesting that your understanding doesn’t translate to obedience.”

He … had a point, so I mimed zipping my lips. Probably a useless gesture, since zippers would mean nothing to him. Therefore I was surprised to notice that an expression of stunned amazement on his face. Maybe Mai had zipped her lips at one point or another?

Without continuing the conversation, Mitsuhide simply turned around and melted into the forest. I mentally shrugged – another mystery of Mitsuhide – and hurried to silently catch up to him.

Since we already had a general idea where we were heading, the uphill climb involved less tracking and more pausing to hide at the sound of other beings crashing through the brush. Most of those tended to be wildlife, though once we had to roll into the underbrush when a contingent of about half a dozen soldiers stomped down the hill. They were not making any attempt to be quiet or stay hidden themselves, so apparently they didn’t expect to encounter anyone.

As they closed in on our location, Mitsuhide pushed me underneath him. “Shhhh.”

I hadn’t said anything.

I hadn’t even planned to say anything.

I couldn’t protest that I wasn’t going to say anything, because that … would be saying something. Nor could I give him my death-glare, because I was facing away from him. I settled upon showing my annoyance by poking his side… and in the process, jammed my finger on his armor. His amusement of my plight showed in a brief quiver of his stomach… it felt like he swallowed his laughter.

Only then did I become how deeply aware of how intimate we were. Working with Mitsuhide seemed to involve quite a bit of ambient touching. I mean, I knew I was totally swathed in Katsu’s clothing and that he was wearing armor. But the way my body responded, we could have been naked. Thanks to our dip in the ocean earlier today, I had a very vivid memory of what his body looked like, the sharp planes of his muscles, and that taught belly.

Maybe I was just dealing with a delayed reaction to wet, half-naked, Mitsuhide?

Yeah, it was an image with an extended mental half-life. Maybe in about six… years… I’d forget what he had looked like.

While I was distracted by my untimely fantasy, the soldiers came close enough to us for their conversation to be audible. They spoke in Japanese, speculating on the very obvious battle going on just offshore. I understood from what little was said within earshot, that while they had been expecting Motonari to lead the Oda here, they were not expecting it to occur this soon. “Weren’t he gonna let Oda stew in his own juices for a while longer?”

One of the other soldiers made a dismissive noise. “Eh, he probably had his reasons. By the time we get back to camp, I expect we’ll have a message from Lord Motonari.”

Message.

Hadn’t thought of that.

Crap. The men on the hill might even now be expecting us.

“Not to worry, brat.” Several moments after the soldiers left our vicinity, Mitsuhide’s voice purred low in my ears. “Kyubei will make sure no messenger reaches them.”

“How did you know?” He couldn’t even see my face to read my thoughts.

“You tensed up, and it was a logical progression. You are nothing if not logical.” He rolled off me, stood up, and helped me to my feet.

Still, even though he had spoken confidently, Mitsuhide’s trek up the mountain became more purposeful, and he walked in grim silence, with his hand on the gun Kyubei had brought for him. His intensity was contagious, and I grabbed my sword, readying myself to fight if needed. Our caution was unnecessary though, and within another half an hour, we’d reached the summit of the hill without any further encounters.

Although the Mouri’s camp didn’t look like a permanent fort, it was clear they’d been here long enough to dig in, erect a few buildings and shore up defences. A rough wooden wall encircled the entire area. There was only one entry, right at the end of the footpath. Even so, while they might be able to fend off a direct attack, they would still be vulnerable to stealth. All of the surrounding trees were tall and sturdy and several had branches that hung over the camp. Easy enough for a few ninja – or one Kitsune and one scout - to climb over and drop in (though exiting would be a different story).

Mitsuhide and I crept around the perimeter of the wall before boosting ourselves into a thick tree that shaded a narrow windowless building in the corner. We could see the entire fort from where we perched. This building, and another on the opposite side, were the only solid structures in the compound. Several large tents covered the grounds. In the center of the camp was a cookfire, a command tent, and far too many barrels of gunpowder. They were armed enough to withstand a long siege – much better equipped than we were, in fact.

From what I could see of them, the majority of the soldiers were Japanese, but a couple were Nanban. Mercenaries, from the look of them, for they were subservient to a Japanese man who appeared to be in charge. We had arrived at a meal time and most of the men were sitting around eating off trays, or slurping some kind of soup from wooden bowls.

Suddenly a yelp of pain came from inside the building directly below us. I looked at Mitsuhide, wondering if that noise had come from his friend Hideyoshi, but he didn’t appear to recognize the voice. Then the yelper continued in Portuguese, “Let go of my hand, you bitch!” This was followed by a-

Thwap!

A few moments later, a man stalked out of building, cradling a bleeding hand to his chest. “The Oda whore bit me,” he said to one of the other Nanban mercenaries. The two of them walked over to the commander and had a conversation involving a fair amount of mime. Eventually, the commander himself marched over to the building below us and disappeared inside.

“The next time you bite one of my men, I will remove every one of your lover’s teeth.” His voice was a low growl, but the acoustics of the building sent the conversation straight upward, right into Mitsuhide and my ears.

“How do I even know he’s still alive?” The woman’s voice carried a mixture of defiance and despair. Mitshuhide’s hand clenched convulsively on the tree branch he was holding until his knuckles were pale with tension. I wanted to comfort him, but what could I say? What could I do that wouldn’t seem patronizing or appear to be making light of his friends’ situation. I finally settled on placing my hand on top of his for a moment – a brief touch, to remind him I was here if he needed me.

“He’s alive… whether he remains so, depends on you.” Then something was said that I didn’t catch, and a few moments later, the commander returned to the campfire and again spoke to the Nanban who had been bitten. The Nanban took a bowl of food to the other building … and…

Two buildings. Two bowls of food. Two prisoners.

Mai. Hideyoshi.

There was no evidence of Aki.

“Mai bit the Nanban.” Probably that was unnecessary information, as Mitsuhide could have figured that out from the context, but after nearly half an hour of hiking in silence back down the mountain, I felt the need to offer something of value to justify my inclusion in the scouting mission.

“Indeed. She is but a mouse, but she can be quite fierce when she is passionate about something. It’s quite compelling.” Yet again, a reminder that this girl, though unattainable to him, was probably the love his his life. It was essential not to forget that. “What is wrong, brat?”

Not wanting to admit to… was it jealousy? It didn’t feel like jealousy; it felt like… loss. I seized upon the other thing that had bothered me. “Aki isn’t there, is he?”

He was quiet for a long moment, then Mitsuhide took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I don’t believe so. But … we’ll find him.”

We continued back to our camp and only when we got within view of Kyubei did I realize we were still holding hands. We let go… but not before Kyubei saw us and gave us that smile again. “All has been quiet here. I intercepted one messenger.”

There was no evidence of either a fight, or a messenger, or a body, but before I could ask for more details, Mitsuhide interrupted my train of thought. “Brat, why don’t you get some sleep? Kyubei and need to set some things up, and you might as well rest while you can.”

I wanted to protest being told to nap like a two year old, but my head had been aching for a while, and Mitsuhide had probably noticed. So, like a good girl, I made a bed on a pile of leaves, curled up in a ball, and took a quick snooze under the warm late afternoon sun. I must have needed the rest, because even the sound of the distant battle at sea did not prevent me from dropping into a deep slumber.

When I woke up some time later, the sun had set, and Mitsuhide was sitting next to me, gazing down at me with an unreadable expression. I cautiously swiped my hand across my face, to check for drool. "Don’t do that. Yeesh. Fifty shades of creepy."

He tilted his head in mock confusion. "Am I to understand from that rather odd colloquial expression that you feel uncomfortable if someone watches you sleep?"

"Yes. Wouldn't you?" I sat up, searched for my waterskin, and quickly rinsed my mouth out. "For the record, calling my name is enough to wake me up."

And before he could take that statement and turn it into a teasing opportunity, I changed the subject. "What is the plan?"

With a stick, he sketched out a map of the Mouri camp in the dirt. "While they appear to be guarding against attacks from this two direction," he made a mark on the map, "it seems they anticipate a large force and are prepared for a prolonged battle. However, they will not expect a single agent to slip in, and there are weaknesses from above." He drew a fairly accurate line of trees around the fort.

"Kyubei will create a diversion, here.” He pointed to another grove of trees that was on the opposite side of the hill. “While they are distracted Katsu and I will approach through the forest here. Katsu, you will be stationed in this tree to provide cover, while I slip in and free the others."

“They are being held on opposite sides of the fort.” I didn’t want to argue with him, not now, but... oh what the hell, I'm not going to start censoring myself at this point, especially when I thought he was wrong. "As soon as you free one of them, the guards could be alerted and thus increase the danger to the other prisoner. Look, I'm completely happy to stay in the tree, and pick off as many as possible, but wouldn’t it be better if we each went after one of them and snuck them out?"

"Are you doubting my ability?" Those eyes dared me to say yes.

"No... I'm just noting another way might be more efficient." I wasn't asking to throw myself into more danger on a whim.

“Duly noted." He poked at the area within the tree line. "Stay in the tree. I do not have time to give you a refresher lesson on the importance of doing exactly what I say when in a battle situation.”

It was, more or less, a variation on gigs I'd done with Aki in the past, so it wasn’t like I didn’t understand was was expected of…

“I told you to wait for my signal! Then you were to stay in the tree. Are you in the tree?”

“No, but-“

Aki didn’t let me finish. “Are. You. In. The. Tree?”

“You said stay hidden unless it was necessary. I made a judgment call that improvisation was necessary.” I glanced back toward the travelers, where the warlord-from-the-brothel was tying up the sniper I had shot out of the tree.

“Judgment call? Your job is not to make judgment calls. Your job is not to improvise. Your job is to do what I say!” Aki was actually yelling… yelling at me. He’d never yelled before. “You’re too impulsive, Katsu!”

“Katsu!” Mitsuhide placed his fingers under my chin, and lifted my face until we stared into each others eyes. “Promise to stay in the tree.”

“Yes.” My answer came quickly, but my mind was on that memory/not-memory that had just popped into my brain. What the hell had that been? Was my concussion acting up again? Aki and I had never had a fight like that. If it hadn’t been the concussion, was I going crazy? No… I couldn’t dwell on that new worry now. It was not the time to add to the confusion. Aware that Mitsuhide was watching me closely, I shook off that… whatever, and got to my feet.

The three of us packed up our supplies and hid them. If we needed them later, they would be ready to grab on our way out. Everything else - our weapons, a couple of small, easily shutterable lanterns, some portable medical supplies (Kyubei had been thorough – one would think he had done this before) - we carried with us.

On this cloudy night, the climb back up the hill was slow going. Even with the small amount of lantern light, the need for silence and the uncertain ground made us careful in our steps. Kyubei split off first, taking with him some incendiary devices, as he planned to light fires all along the eastern approach to the Mouri camp. We were high enough that I could see the lights of the battle happening out at sea. "I thought the Oda navy was bigger," I said to Mitsuhide.

"It is, but the object is to keep Motonari too busy to come to shore. Nobunaga has some iron hulled warships lying in wait if Motomari brings in his navy." Then he put his finger to his lips and indicated the path with a nod of his head. We were getting too close to talk any more.

We circled the wooden barrier until Mitsuhide stopped in front of the maple tree we had climbed earlier. "Up you go, Brat. Do try to stay put. I would prefer not to start torturing you at this late juncture."

He hasn't been torturing me all this time?

Since it was too dark for him to see my face, I rolled my eyes, then boosted myself up into the tree. The thick branches hung over the building where they were holding Mai prisoner.

While there were guards stationed at posts around the camp, the majority of the solders were seated around a fire pit. It looked like we had once again timed our visit with a meal. I imagined that Mitsuhide had, in fact, accounted for that, and planned things that way. Men with full bellies are slower to react. I settled in, and took the time to memorize where everything was within the camp, trying to determine how many men were armed with guns versus swords. Below me, Mitsuhide was running his hands along the rough-hewn bark of the wall, pressing his palms against it, as if he could become insubstantial and walk through it like a ghost.

What did I know? Maybe he could indeed.

About twenty minutes later, a shout went up amongst one of guards at the gate. He'd spotted one of Kyubei's fires. The commander sent a detachment of about a dozen out to investigate.

While the commander ordered another group of men to monitor the progress of the sea battle, the rest hurried to finish off their meal. One man picked up a bucket and poured the remains of dinner into it. It looked like Hideyoshi and Mai were getting the slops of everyone else's food, which, yuck, but at least they were not being starved, not even during this potential attack situation.

I quietly relayed that information to Mitsuhide. "They're bringing food to Hideyoshi’s building."

Mitsuhide nodded and hauled himself over the wooden fence. He dropped silently to the ground on the other side. I doubted any of Motonari’s men would notice him. Even I, who knew where he was, couldn’t see him, for he stayed in the shadows untouched by lantern light.

When the guard returned with the empty bucket, a faint shadow eased the building – I only saw him because I knew what to look for. Meanwhile the bringer of food filled the bucket with more slop and headed toward the building below me.

“Watch your fingers,” someone called to him. “The bitch bites.”

“I’m not scared of a little girl.” The man shrugged and continued into the building. I listened as his footsteps progressed deeper inside.

"Here's your dinner Princess.” The words were gruff and sarcastic on the word ‘Princess.’

If all went well, I'd soon be able to hear Mai’s joyful reunion with Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide.

Unfortunately as it turned out, what I heard was:

Clunk!

Oof!

As if someone, like a mercenary, had just been hit with something heavy. Like… a bucket of food.

Those were not good sounds.

Those were the sounds of a woman who had gotten impatient and was trying to stage her own rescue, which good for her (#GirlPower) but her timing sucked. Because if her Birdman of Alcatraz cosplay attracted the attention of any more guards, this camp could become a battleground before Mitsuhide could break Hideyoshi out.

Should I do something?

Stay in the tree. I do not have time to give you a refresher lesson on the importance of doing exactly what I say when in a battle situation.

I couldn't tell if Mai had managed to free herself.

Maybe all hell was about to break loose.

Stay in the tree.

Maybe she had things under control.

I hung out in the tree for a few more moments, listening closely for any sounds below that would indicated whether or not Mai was in any additional trouble, but all I heard was soft clanking.

Ok, she… might be ok.

Then the commander looked toward Mai’s prison and motioned for another guard to check on her. “Looks like someone needs to be taught a lesson.”

Hell breaking loose, it is.

@bestbryn @selenacosmic @lorei-writes @lyds323 @tele86 @akitsuneswife

#10things #10 things I hate about Mitsuhide #mitsuhide monday #ikemen sengoku #fanfic #ikesen fanfic #mitsuhide akechi #ikesen mitsuhide #ikesen kyubei #katsuverse #ao3 link

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the-bar-sinister · 3 days

Text

Lucifer Was an Angel As Well (14252 words) by thesavagesabretooth

Additional Tags: Ambiguous Relationships, Dubious Morality, Post-Canon, Inappropriate Behavior, vera has a crush on the man who almost killed her, Extremely toxic, Vera Misham-centric, Kristoph Gavin-centric, not ship not not ship but a secret third thing Miles Edgeworth has been looking out for Vera Misham since her father's death, but he's not the one she considers her guardian angel. The letters had started almost immediately after the devil was locked away from the sunlight, and she keeps them hidden from everyone despite their influence on her.

Meanwhile in jail, Kristoph tries to weave another spell, and regain some measure of control. Will he be able to secure a deal that allows him his freedom, or anything like it? And what will happen if he does.

August 26, 2028– 10:15 am

Vera was almost done with her shopping and packing for police academy. There wasn't much left to do, and a hum of excitement ran through her body, not only the thrill of her new future.

There were also the letters she'd received back from her guardian angel.

…it pains me to see the wrinkles and smeared ink on your letter– does the thought of me make you cry so much? Or is it really the thought of my absence that upsets you?

If it's the latter, I have news that might excite you. Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth will be contacting you very soon to ask you a question that may alter both of our fates…

Vera felt lighter than air as she folded her new wardrobe neatly upon the bed. She still had some shops to visit, some supplies still left to find, but she was nearly ready to face the Police Academy with all the strength she’d worked for these past few years.

The letter still lay open behind her against her desk, a source of strength and joy that she found herself returning to again and again as she bustled about her apartment. The news within, the amazing and unbelievable news, warmed her the way the last letter had left her cold.

Kristoph Gavin may escape the hangman's noose– the opportunity she’d been hoping for to save her guardian angel…

According to my sources I need three people to speak on my behalf if prosecutor Edgeworth is going to strike a deal. One I already have. The others are yours and Miss Trucy Wright's. Perhaps you could quietly put in a good word on my behalf?

Vera Misham’s heart fluttered in her chest as she once more turned back to the letter. With a word, she held his life in her delicate, paint-stained fingers. Mr. Edgeworth wanted to know if she forgave Kristoph for what he’d done…if she’d endorse his salvation.

He didn’t–couldn’t– know just how desperately she wanted to give it. And with Mr. Edgeworth’s offer, she no longer needed to throw herself into a drastic measure to save him from the gallows.

The small and fragile smile never left her face as she held the letter to her breast, inhaling its gentle perfume .

“I’ll tell him yes…” she whispered in reply to the written word.

And just like the devil had promised him in his letter, Mr. Edgeworth had sent her a message letting her know that he had a serious matter to discuss, and if it would be alright for him to visit this morning.

She’d responded in the affirmative, busying herself happily with preparing her bags for the big move to the barracks.

She’d written a reply to her guardian angel and already mailed it out before Edgeworth would ever have the chance to see it. A promise that she’d put in a good word…that, if Mr. Edgeworth’s kindness allowed, she would see him soon.

All that remained of the visible evidence was the letter she held to her chest and refused to hide until it was necessary.

Of course, it shortly became necessary when– right on time as always– Mr. Edgeworth knocked on the door of her home.

Vera quickly hurried to her drafting table, flipping open the drawer and hiding the letter under its false bottom with the rest.

After carefully closing it, she hurried over to the door and opened it with a bow of her head.

“...Mr. Edgeworth. Thank you for meeting me here, I’ve been busy packing..”

He smiled pleasantly at her, and even performed a little bow.

"I'm very aware, Vera, thank you for lending me your time. I know you're in the middle of a lot right now, and I hate to put more on your plate. Hopefully, this will be a simple matter."

He stepped inside, letting the door close behind him.

Vera raised her freshly painted nails to her lips as she let him inside.

“Can I make you some tea, or do you think you won’t have time…?”

"Things are busy at the office right now, admittedly, but I always have time for tea with you, if you've got time to spare from your packing."

He shrugged off his outer coat and hung it on the peg by her doorway, following her toward the kitchen area.

Vera smiled timidly his way with a nod as she bustled along to start the water “Busy at the office huh? Is it with whatever you need to talk to me about?”

"That's part of it, yes," he nodded. "We're in the middle of doing a lot of restructuring in the department. – is there anything I can help with, or shall I stay out of your way?"

Vera leaned on the counter as the flame flickered to life under her teapot.

“Just make yourself comfortable…the water’s got to heat before I can do much of anything.”

She put her fingers to her lips again “I heard a little about that from Mr. Wright the last time we spoke..that there were changes happening in the justice system.”

Edgeworth arranged himself elegantly in one of her kitchen chairs at her insistence and nodded. "Mr. Wright is correct. It's a big job, but it has to be done."

Vera thought carefully, disguising it as her usual quiet and hesitant affect. The restructuring of the justice system..; the changing of the very way they treated suspects and prisoners..this was what Kristoph had meant in the letter.

“I think that’s really admirable, sir.” She put her fingers to her lips, before they shifted to wind through the ribbon-wound braid over her shoulder. “The justice system has…has its flaws, we saw some of that in my trial, didn’t we?”

"I suppose we did, yes," Edgeworth nodded, leaning on her table. He seemed hesitant, and a little defferent to her today. "But thankfully we managed to get to the right place in the end, despite mistakes and assumptions."

“Despite mistakes and assumptions…” she trailed off. “Part of why I want to become a detective, Mr. Edgeworth, is to try and help with that. By being one of the people with their hands on the evidence itself…”

"I look forward to having you on our investigative team, Vera, truly," he nodded. "Your skills, I know, will be incredibly valuable on the side of the law. Especially once we've finished refining how the law is applied."

Vera smiled a little wider, a rare thing that only flitted on her face for a moment before she twisted her braid around her fingers again.

“I’ll be doing my best, I promise. Maybe I can help— help change the law for the better.”

"Perhaps.Actually– the application of the law is the reason I've come to talk to you today."

The water heated behind her, she could hear the faint burbling of it inside her old and battered kettle as she fussed her fingers through the ribbon of her braid.

“I’m happy to talk about it, Mr. Edgeworth…what is it?”

"I'm afraid it's not a very pleasant subject. So I'll approach it delicately. Are you familiar with Prosecutor Simon Blackquill?" Edgeworth laid his hands on the table, one over the other as he leaned toward her.

Vera nodded quietly. “Yes sir, I know him. I followed Mr. Justice’s cases on TV. He’s the former death row inmate who was prosecuting for a while while serving his sentence. There was that whole thing with the Cosmos case, too.”

"He was," Edgeworth nodded seriously. "He was prosecuting cases for me as part of a larger investigation that I hoped would exonerate him for a crime he didn't commit– and that is fortunately what happened. However, my actions with that regard have set a… precedent."

The chief prosecutor spoke carefully, and precisely as he described the situation. As if he were in court in a delicate situation, or a tight corner.

“That someone could be allowed to prosecute from within prison, if they prove to be trustworthy enough?” Vera asked. “or even be exonerated, or pardoned if the situation allows? Just like Simon Blackquill?”

She kept her voice quiet and even, tensing her fingers around her braid. She didn’t want Mr. Edgeworth to think she was getting excited…to think she knew. Her letters had to remain secret, her thoughts on her guardian angel had to remain her own little secret.

He wouldn’t approve.

"Precisely," he agreed, nodding. "And someone that I consider a dear friend, whose judgment I once trusted implicitly, and still put good stock in, has asked me to consider another case for such a situation. A prisoner has requested to be allowed to work with the prosecutorial department. A matter on which I am seeking your opinion."

From the way Edgeworth's stormy grey eyes caught hers, she could tell he was wondering if she would guess what he had to say next, or if he would take her off guard.

Vera’s heart fluttered in her chest, but…she’d always had a good control of her emotions. Her quiet, placid expression never left her face as she tilted her head to the side.

“If you’re coming to me…” she started carefully “then it has to be about that case, yes? Mr. Kristoph Gavin?”

Edgeworth closed his eyes briefly behind his little glasses, and he could see his hands tense on the table. When he spoke again, his tone carried little urgencies in it– sure to be attempts at reassurances, so that Vera would not recoil in horror.

"Indeed, it is the very same. I will tell you now, that I am very hesitant to even consider the idea. Blackquill, we had good evidence that the conviction was wrongful. You and I both sit here knowing that Kristoph Gavin's conviction was not. The man is a killer, and I do not trust him. But I have set the precedent, and I must give the matter due and honest consideration."

Vera opened her mouth to reply, only to be startled by the shrill whistle of the teapot. She jumped, her hand to her chest before she wheeled around and began setting up Mr. Edgeworth’s tea and her own.

In turning her back to him, she allowed herself the frail and tentative smile that had been threatening to bloom.

“Your friend thinks that he’d make a good candidate for the precedent you’ve set?” she asked quietly.

"She has made the case to me, yes," he said delicately. "She was very compelling, admittedly, but I am extremely hesitant. After all, we've seen that Mr. Gavin can be both dangerously forward planning, and alarmingly physically violent."

Vera watched the water pour into one cup after the other, before adding the small metal strainers with her loose leaf tea packed within to each and clipping it to the side.

But he’s so much more than just the darkness. A devil is an angel too, after all. Where he could be physically violent, he could be tender, like when he taught me how to paint my nails. His forward planning could both be dangerous, and helpful…his advice sound.I wouldn’t have gotten this far out of the shell my father kept me in if it weren’t for his encouragement.“That’s true…” Vera murmured quietly. “But I wonder if it’s really true…his violence, or how much of it was circumstance.”

Edgeworth looked up curiously, and there was a small, sad smile on his face. "That's very compassionate of you, Vera. I need you to know I am very much not pushing you to agree to this. And rest assured your opinion isn't the only one that I'll be considering. I had him speak with a psychologist, trying to ascertain the answer to the very question you mention."

“And what did the psychologist say?” She asked curiously, placing the mug down in front of him with the faintest smile.

"She worked up a psychological profile of him that went on for ten pages," he drawled. "The short version of it is that she thinks he's stable, and that circumstances that drove him to kill are, in her words 'unlikely to be repeated'. She believes him to be largely self-interested, and that despite his confidence, he wouldn't attempt another murder now that he's been caught. Additionally she– like Lana, my friend– brought up the idea of justice being done by him being given the opportunity to do good in the world rather than evil."

Vera sat down opposite him, looking up at him with her dark and serious stare.

“I think I agree with that, Mr. Edgeworth. From what I know of Mr. Gavin…that sounds like him.” Her hands folded around her mug, rubbing the ceramic with the edge of her thumb as she nodded once. “I think he’s not likely to kill again…and I support the chance to let him do some good in the world…though there’s on-one thing…”

Edgeworth raised his eyebrows, and leaned toward her. "I'm listening, Vera."

She rubbed her thumb nervously over the hand painted mug’s surface

“If it works out– and he prosecutes for you. If I don’t fail in my time at the Academy…I want you to assign me to him. “ She hesitated before she added– “so I can keep an eye on him.”

Miles Edgeworth looked at her in sheer disbelief, his eyes wide and his glasses slipping down his nose. "Vera, I– that's certainly a request I did not expect. I can see why you'd want to keep an eye on him, but wouldn't you prefer I assign some– mm, more heavy handed watchdog to the man? Should any of this even take place."

Vera watched every expression flicker over Edgeworth's face. Perhaps he was thinking about what had happened with Simon Blackquill's 'watch dog'

Vera sipped her tea quietly before she worked up an answer.

“I’m not as weak as I was two years ago…and I don’t think a heavy handed touch would help with Mr. Gavin, anyway.” She looked into the darkened liquid in her cup, and the ripples that flowed as she placed it down again. “I trust myself to keep him in line, and I don’t think I’d be happy if someone else were to watch him on my behalf.”

Miles Edgeworth wrapped his fingers around his cup of tea and took a sip. He made a wildly incorrect guess.

"You think it would be… useful… to remind him constantly of his sins."

It was a useful lapse of logic for her, at the very least. Better than the unpalatable truth that the devil still held a hold on her heart. She smiled faintly with a nod.

“Potentially, yes. It could be a reminder…I could be the angel on his shoulder.”

Yes, the devil certainly had a hold on her heart– maybe his methods had even rubbed off on her. It was a bit manipulative to allow Mr. Edgeworth his misapprehension. But if she didn't… would she get what she wanted?

"The angel on his shoulder," Miles repeated, considering. "I suppose that you could be. If this were to move forward. You said that you'd support the idea if I were to allow this condition– shall I assume that if I do not, then you would revoke your consent?"

“I would have to strongly consider it,” she murmured. “but I want him to have the chance to make up for everything he did.”

I want him to be free…I want to see him again.

"As if such a thing could be possible," Edegworth sighed. "Vera, I will consider your request, but I don't know if I can guarantee it. If nothing else, there will have to be someone else assigned to him while you're in the academy. I'll be asking Trucy Wright her opinion next. if, for some reason, she should give her support…"

“Then Mr. Gavin will be given his chance at rehabilitation?” Vera couldn’t help but lean over the table, even if she stifled the hope before it became audible.

He set his jaw, and wove his fingers together.

"So far, as well as Lana Skye's endorsement, my court psychologist, Athena Cykes has given her own firm endorsement. You have given me a hesitant one. In light of this, should Ms. Wright give me her own firm endorsement, I may be forced to allow the precedent to hold. If she's more hesitant, I may return to confer with both of you on the subject. Vera– if you want to shut this down, all you need to do is give me a firm 'no' and it will be spoken of no more."

Vera grabbed her mug with a quiet smile.

“I want this to happen, Mr. Edgeworth. ...I just want to be a part of it. Like I said…” She brushed her finger over the mug. “...Please tell me what Trucy says.”

August 27, 2028– 4:00 pm

It turned out that Vera didn't need to ask Mr. Edgeworth to relay Trucy's reply to her, because the next day, Trucy contacted herself and asked if she could come over and talk about 'Mr. Edegworth's question'.

Vera replied– after putting away her half packed suitcase and the partially complete attempt at a painting on her drafting table– telling Trucy that she could come over whenever she wanted.

So Trucy had already been told. Meaning the votes that will determine Kristoph Gavin’s future were cast.

When Trucy came in that afternoon and hung her hat and her magician's cloak up, Vera could see the dark circles under her eyes, even though she smiled widely.

"Long time no see, Vera!"

Vera smiled at her faintly as she gestured for her to come inside. Her own eyes had dark circles, as they often did, for for once her and her eternally peppy friend seemed to match.

She could guess exactly why…

“Long time no see, Trucy.” she murmured happily. “I’ve missed you..”

Trucy grabbed her into a little hug. "Aw… I missed you too. I know you've been pretty busy, like Pearl, huh?"

Vera squeezed her tight with a quiet laugh. “Yeah…the police academy’s got us both running around getting ready. I still wish I took a little time to visit anyway, though.”

"It's okay. I've been busy training up my new assistants, too. Seems like everybody's busy, busy busy." Trucy chuckled and shook her head as they parted.

Vera nodded, brushing her hair over her ear…she hadn’t had the time to put it into the braid just yet today, and it hung in curls over her shoulders.

“The world’s changing and we’re changing with it…” She gave Trucy a smile. “...it’s not always a bad thing.”

"Sounds like someone's excited for the big day." Trucy smiled, and wandered into the room toward the kitchen. "You must be mostly packed, huh?"

Vera followed closely behind. “Mostly…I need to do another shopping trip for some essentials, mostly. But other than that it’s just the last suitcase…can I get you something to drink?”

"Sure," Trucy chirped. "Whatever you're having– I don't want to trouble you."

The magician leaned on Vera's counter and gazed thoughtfully up at her ceiling.

Vera thought for a moment before she got out some iced tea from inside her fridge, bustling around the kitchen as she worked to get Trucy a glass.

“You’re never trouble, Trucy…you’re one of my friends…” Something precious to her, given her late start and withdrawn personality.

"You're too sweet, V." Trucy smiled, looking at her over her shoulder. "I'm really glad we're friends. Are you doing okay?"

“I’m glad too, Trucy...” Vera turned with a nervous nod of her head. “Yeah…I mean, I’ve had a lot to think about, admittedly. Are you doing okay?”

She offered her a glass of iced tea, ice clacking against the glass’ sides.

Trucy took the glass and raised it in salute to her. "Me? Oh yeah, doing just fine you know?"

Vera raised her own glass. “Even with Mr. Edgeworth’s question?”

"Oh sure!" she said, taking a sip of the tea. "Kind of wild though, you know? Not exactly what I expected from my afternoon!"

Vera blinked a bit at her, before she took a sip of tea as well. “Not what I expected from my afternoon either when Mr. Edgeworth spoke to me…I..ah…I gave the idea my approval.”

The ice cubes in Trucy's glass clinked as she jolted. "You did, huh?"

She nodded slowly as she stared into her glass.

“Yes. I did. I know Mr. Edgeworth wasn’t…happy…to hear it. And I know he killed my father, but I wanted to …” She trailed off before she spoke back up and continued “I wanted to give him the chance to do some good.”

Trucy looked at her out of the corner of her eye, without turning her head toward her. "What about you, Vera? I mean, you're the one he tried to kill, right?"

Vera looked at Trucy with a tilt of her head. “And he almost did, yes.”

She had thought about it, the feeling of the poison in her veins, the pulse of agony before she’d fallen into the seemingly endless darkness– the fact that death was hidden in her two favorite things in the world…

Her magic charm, and her favorite stamp of Trucy’s father and his troupe.

She knew Edgeworth, Trucy, Phoenix– they all would have wanted her to hate him for it.

She couldn’t help but think it was almost mercy.

She’d been, at that point, condemned to a life of being nothing but a printer of copies. Too scared to leave the house, ever deeper in criminal corruption without even understanding what it was she was doing.

She was glad he failed, and glad she survived. But she could see the logic she knew their surely had to be in the seemingly cruel and heartless action of the devil himself.

“But I-..in trying to poison me, it allowed me to meet all of you and to find a foothold in a life I was never meant to have.”

"Well, I guess, but it's not like he meant to do that, right?" She cocked her head at her again, looking at her with her deep, penetrative gaze. "Do you know why he did it?"

Vera’s heart skipped a beat, and her fingers tightened on her glass. “Not 100% for certain, but I have my guesses…strong guesses based on his behavior towards me since I’d met him.”

"Can I ask?" Trucy brushed her hair out of her face. "Cause.. that's kind of my hesitation, you know? I know he killed my dad and all, but…"

“But there was a circumstance?” Vera asked a little faster than she knew was ‘acceptable’.

She bit her lip and her manicured nails tapped against the side of her glass.

“...I think he did it as a twisted way of trying to save me, Trucy.” She looked down into the glass “My life was hopeless when I met him. I was too scared to leave the house, and instead of…of ever doing anything to help me overcome it or even just protecting me as I tried, my father saw my talent for art and turned me into a production mill for forged art. My life was that rotting old house, my father, and my criminal talent.”

Vera frowned thoughtfully. “Papa was a demon who played the ‘kindly old man’ role to perfection. Mr. Gavin…he was kind to me from the moment I met him. I think in his own mind, letting me pass into the next life was the only way I could have been free. That’s why he chose something so quick, if not painless.”

Trucy's fingers tightened on her glass, and she nervously chewed the knuckle of her free hand.

"Trying to protect you, huh? From your rotten papa…."

Vera’s smile turned tentative on her face as she nodded.

“Yes…trying to protect me from my rotten papa…and trying to help me escape the filthy prison I’d grown used to.” She brought her thumb up to her lips, nervously nibbling just under where her nail ended, against the fingertip. “like a guar…guardian angel. So…so I’m willing to give him a chance, provided I can watch over him. It…it sounds like you heard something similar?”

Trucy put her hand down, and bit her lip, looking away. "Something like that, I guess. At least I think I understand a little more. I wanted to know if you'd be upset, you know? And also if, well, he just tried to kill you cause he was completely bad."

Vera shook her head.

“...I’m not upset. I’ve actually asked if I can be assigned to him once I graduate…” She chewed her fingertip quietly as she murmured ‘...that makes sense…but no, I think he had a reasoning.”

Trucy shifted where she was standing and turned to face Vera more fully now.

"You asked to be assigned to him, huh/"

Vera nodded, keeping her expression still and placid as she could. “Yes, I did. Mr. Edgeworth seemed unhappy, but I insisted.”

"I can see why Mr. Edgeworth wouldn't be too happy," Trucy said. She took another long sip of her iced tea. "But if that's your ambition, then Trucy Wright will support you all the way, got it?"

Vera looked up at her in surprise

“Trucy…thank you. ..you really are one of the best friends I’ve ever made.” She smiled widely. Cautiously, she reached her hand out towards her. “Whatever your ambition is, you’ll have my support too. Okay? And if you need someone to talk to about…all this…”

Trucy smiled back, and clasped her hand. "You too, okay? A magician is great at keeping secrets, you know. So you can tell me anything you don't want to tell anybody else."

Vera nodded seriously.

“You’ll be a confidant.” she murmured softly, and her eyes briefly glanced towards her desk “...sworn to secrecy.”

"Magician's honor. And I trust you to keep my secrets too."

Vera laughed into her shaking hand “I’m no magician…but I can promise you that I can keep a secret. I won’t tell a soul anything you ask me not to.”

Trucy put her finger to her lips and nodded. "I trust you, Vera! So that makes us confidants."

Vera nodded.

“Confidants, Trucy Wright.” She looked down into her glass before she looked up with a genuine smile “I’ve been keeping correspondence with Mr. Gavin since his imprisonment.”

Trucy's hand flew to cover her mouth as she gasped. Her look was shocked– but not necessarily judgemental.

"Oh my goodness, you have?"“Please don’t tell anyone…” Vera’s fingers tightened on her glass. “but he sent me the first letter only a few months after I woke up from my coma. Ever since then we’ve been writing back and forth…he’s given me advice, and I’ve kept him company through the…the written word.”

"Oh wow…" she chewed on her knuckle. "Right after… I guess it would be easy to send you letters, huh, since you live alone?"

Trucy glanced away thoughtfully.

“Exactly… and something grew out of that. A correspondence, back and forth." She looked up at Trucy, her expression making it clear something was on her mind “...thoughts?”

She bit her lip, looking uncomfortable. "Just that if he ever sent me any letters around that time.. I don't know that I would have received them."

Vera nodded slowly, brushing her hair over her ear with a sad half frown. “...Because you live with your father, who…who was very unhappy with Mr. Gavin.”

Trucy nodded along with her. "Yeah, um. Mr. Gavin and my daddy were very…. close. I think it hurt daddy a lot when it turned out he did what he did, and he got put in prison."

“I understand…I think Mr. Gavin hurt a lot of people that day. Mr. Wright most of all, perhaps.” Vera sank into her chair. “And Mr. Wright isn’t a man who forgives easy.”

She followed Vera over and put her arms around her from behind the chair. "He's super not. Daddy's amazing and loving and cool and courageous– but he doesn't forgive people easily at all. So. If Mr. Gavin ever sent me any letters, I didn't get them. But it sounds like you've had quite the correspondence."

“Sorry you didn’t get any, Trucy. …I can ask him if he ever sent you any, if…if you want me to.” She bit her lip “..I have over five hundred letters in my drafting table…if you want to see some of them.”

Trucy's hand flew to her mouth again. "500– in two years? That's so many…. wow. You guys must have shared a lot by now. Um… honestly, I'm curious, but I think it would feel too rude to snoop on your private letters."

Vera relaxed a little bit, leaning back into Trucy with a little smile. “That's fair. We’ve shared a lot…twice a week like clockwork. He’s the one who suggested I try and become a forensic scientist after I lost my inspiration for art.”

"He is, huh? Well, you seem pretty excited for it." Trucy leaned down close toward her, unconcerned with personal space as the magician usually was.

A while back, Vera had been nervous about it. She was unused to others, especially so close to her personal space. The attempted kidnapping, her father, they all lead to a certain wariness over her personal space.

But the more she got to know Trucy Wright, the less nervous she got. She had to admit it was a comfort by this point– a sign of friendship and care.

“Of course I am…when he brought up the idea I got excited…more excited than I’d felt in months. My eyes and hands are good for more than just forgeries, after all..”

"It's true. You can do whatever you want to do with your talent, not just what–" Trucy faulted and fell silent for a moment, and Vera felt her fingers tighten on her, "well, what other people expect you to do with it, you know? You don't have any duty to just keep doing what you were raised to."

Vera looked up at her, tilting her head back with a concerned furrow of her brow. Trucy Wright– the magician scion to the Gramarye legacy, her old idols from the only show she’d ever seen, certainly knew about the weight of talent, and the path of expectations.

She’d followed every trial obsessively, tracked every revelation and twist during that tumultuous year in the Wright Anything Agency’s life. She knew the cursed and bloody Gramarye legacy weighed heavy on Trucy’s shoulders…after all…

She’d written part of it with her forger’s hands.

If anyone aside from Mr. Gavin understood her, it was Trucy. And she understood her.

“Nobody’s beholden to what they’re raised to be. Even if it’s hard to break away from it.” ” she quietly agreed. She reached up and put her hand against the side of her face with a sad smile “...Thank you Trucy. I know you understand that as well as I should.”

"Yeah," Trucy nodded, leaning her cheek against Vera's hand. "It can be hard to break away from, but you're not beholden to it. It's all up to your own choice. And it sounds like… somebody's helped you make a good one for yourself."

Vera nodded, her thin fingers brushed against Trucy’s face with smooth and manicured nails.

“Someone has, and…and I’m embracing the path I chose with the push I needed.” she smiled at her, the implicit continuation on the tip of her tongue. ‘And you can too’.

#kristoph gavin #vera misham #trucy wright #ace attorney #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic #archive of our own #ao3 #darkfic #dark fic #fic: lucifer was an angel as well

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