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#more than what it seems page 24
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More Than Anything
Lucifer Morningstar x F!Reader
[summary: final battle lives lost but the show must go on!]
Masterlist > chapter I > chapter ii > chapter iii > chapter iv
[a/n: since it’s technically been a month Lucifer and Y/n’s relationship has blossomed but not into a romantic one just yet. Just maybe the occasional flirting but I will have flashbacks to moments to have it not feel rushed.]
[also y/n likes making cursed animal combinations like a dolphin with wings.. being in hell for a month has brought her out of her shell so much she’s much happier. also the reader is whatever height you are, but to me she's slightly taller than Lucifer. sorry if this seems rushed.. its alot of work y/n trained with vaggie in weapon combat. she also kinda had help from lucifer. if ya'll want I'll write another side chapter about what lucifer and her did in combat..]
word count: 3,789 {6-7 pages)
[warning: major spoilers for episode 7-8: mentions of sex: slight smut in the end (full poorly written smut in side chapter): death spoilers:
song
[Y/n] helped prepare the hotel while Charlie and Vaggie were out, she still couldn't help but think that if it all were to end tomorrow. Should she confess her feelings to Lucifer. She tried but failed weeks ago, and now with extermination day being 24 hours away. But even then would it even matter, if she did? If they were going to die what's the point? But then..
"Ugh, why do feelings have to be so complicated?!" She groaned to herself, as she helped fortify the hotel. In her own thoughts. Yet, she remembered how awkward Lucifer was acting this morning when they were eating breakfast. It could've been because of extermination day in the next 24 hours or maybe something else?
"A-Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, at Lucifer. Who scoffed in response and smiled nervously, "Y-Yeah, I'm alright fine perfectly fine." He sweats, as he looked at her nervously.
He watched as she left the manor to go help his daughter and the hotel prepare, and cursed to himself.. God, he was absolutely infatuated with her and couldn't even confess his feelings, for her. What if she dies? No don't think that he couldn't even bare the thought of losing her again.
He reached into his pocket and revealed the rubber duck with butterfly wings, and started at it softly.
[ Flashback ]
[Y/n] bit down on her lower lip, as she tried to make her first rubber duck. Squinting her eyes as she tried, to attach some butterfly wings. She smiled, jumping out of her chair in her guest room and ran down the hallway. She bursts into the room,“Lu, I did it!” She exclaimed, holding the rubber duck in her hands. Flapping its wings occasionally lifting itself off the palm of her hand. Flapping its wings.
“Wow, you did an even better job than me.” He said, causing her to blush. But shaking her head, “Nah, yours are way better.” She said, smiling looking at him.
She looked down at the rubber duck nervously, the extermination was only a few days away and people were preparing for a bloodbath a massacre, an all out war.
“I-I..” She sighed and downcasted at the ground, before shaking her head and smiled. “I made caramel apple pancakes.” She said, smile and Lucifer’s eyes lit up.
“Why didn’t you just say so!” He exclaimed, before she knew it he was already out the door of his study. Towards the delicious caramel apple pancakes.
She smiled sadly, looking down at the rubber duck. Pressing the secret button on its wing. “I love you!” It said its robotic child like voice exclaimed, and she looked down sadly. “I feel butterflies in my stomach when I’m with you,” she clenched her fist, almost crushing the duck but stopped. Looking at it sadly, “I really am pathetic.” she sighed, she walked over towards the shelf.
That had a rubber duck with similar top hat, to that of Lucifer and hesitantly placed it beside it. On the shelf, before backing away and leaving going downstairs to eat breakfast with Lucifer.
- ——
Lucifer entered his study after [Y/n] had left, to help prepare for war being a recently fallen angel and all. He sat at his desk, he glanced over at the shelf. Noticing a new rubber duck, figuring she must’ve placed it there.
He admired it in awe, the translucent butterfly wings. He remembered how much she loves butterflies, he remembered when she joked about combining the two. A Duckerfly. A duck with wings. Even then she was absolutely adorable, her jokes always seemed to make him laugh.
He titled his head noticing a hidden button on its wings, pressing it curiously. “I’m a duck with wings!” The duck said, and he chuckled.
“Duckerfly!”
“I love you!”
He stopped for a moment, processing what the duck had just said. Pressing the button again, “I get butterflies when I’m with you,” His heart seemed to skip a beat, he pressed it again.. and again and again. Until it looped back to it saying, ‘I love you.’
-------------------
[Y/n] smiled as she returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Charlie. “Thank you for everything,” thanked Charlie, looking up at the older woman smiling. "Ever since I was little," She said, looking up at her, "The stories, my dad used to tell me about you inspired me." and the older woman, looked at her and smiled her heart swelling with joy.
She chuckled softly, "When I was in heaven, I thought he'd forgotten about me." said [Y/n], her gaze soften as she reminisced of memories of the past. "Seems, it was quite the opposite who could've thought he'd tell stories of me to his own daughter." She said, smiling as she took Charlie by both hands.
She looked down at her, "You're like the child I've always wanted but never had," She said, the princess of hell couldn't help but chuckle, reminding her of the weird rivalry both her father and Alastor had.
"But, I'm not trying to replace your mother." She reiterated, "Not at all, I just want you to know. That I'm always here for you." She said, looking at her. Charlie pulled back from the hug, "I can see why my dad likes you so much," said Charlie, causing the woman in front of her cheeks to go red.
"Ah...Um.." She mumbled, but Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "It's okay, I think the two of you would be cute together." said Charlie, smiling. Even though she missed her mom Lilith, and that her dad might still possibly miss her. She couldn't help but notice even though on the small instances, her and her dad have spoke before all this.
She could see how happy he was having [Y/n] here, in Hell. She noticed the occasional flirting. Yes, it might sound weird but she loved seeing her dad happy more than anything. "U-Um, thank you." stammered [Y/n].
------------
[Y/n]'s eyes widened as the force-shield shattered, but she snapped back as an exorcists attacked her and she could've sworn, she heard her shout traitor. She made quick use of her weapon, and ended the exorcists life by cutting off her head.
Patches of her clothes covered in yellow ichor, a tiny cut on her cheek she sustained when fighting an exorcists. But slowly, everything seemed to go downhill as the one who was supposed to take care of Adam. Alastor had suddenly disappeared leaving Charlie to fear the worst.
[Y/n]'s eyes widened in horror as Sir Pentious' airship was destroyed, right before everyone's eyes. "No!" Charlie wailed, as tears brimmed her eyes in shock. She'd barely gotten to know Sir Pentious, in the month she was in Hell.
But, he seemed like a good person who genuinely wanted to redeem himself. Who gave trust to his friends. and in the end made the ultimate sacrifice. Gripping the weapon tightly in her hands, she charged towards Adam.
Almost impaling him, but he dodged out of the way. "Why look who it is?" He said, looking down at her mockingly. She glared at him, "Why isn't it little miss traitor." He said, and she snarled gritting her teeth as she lunged towards him, but he laughed and dodge.
"Wow, you look even worse than you did in Heaven." He mocked, and she pursed her lips eyes filled with rage. As she dodged his attacks, "Says the arrogant bastard who let himself go after Eden," She spat, and he glared at her sending a beam that almost hit her.
But wasn't so lucky about the next one, causing her to groan in pain. "Wow, you really suck at this don't you." He laughed, god she wanted to rip out his fucking tongue. "Do you ever stop fucking talking?!" She shouted, angrily.
Adam dodged her attacks as she sent them his way. Swiftly flying out of the way angering her, as her eyes started glowing as she swings at him with the angelic weapon. She glared at him angrily, “All this for a dick you can’t suck!” shouted Adam, and she glared at him angrily. Gritting her teeth, “Ugh! Fuck you.” she spat. Missing him once again.
“You really are pathetic you know that?” He laughed. Before she could even react a yellow beam, struck her already bleeding side. Gold ichor dripping from the wound, her movement faltering, "S-Shut the fuck up!" She shouted angrily, but a blast sent her flying backwards. Causing her to crash into, the hotel knocking her unconscious.
“Y/n!” Charlie shouted, watching as she plummet to the ground. But she didn’t, and felt a pair of arms wrap around her holding her, she looked up and smiled. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, “Lu,” She whispered.
Then her eyes widened, “Please tell me you didn’t hear that.” She looked embarrassed, cheeks red. Lucifer cocked his head to the side,“Not all of it just the, a dick you can’t suck part.” He said, her cheeks bright red. How she wanted to curl up into a ball and hide in a cave.
She pursed her lips inward and groaned, “I would kiss you now-” Her cheeks turned red, as a tomato as he said that. Even more so as he looked down at her with a mischievous grin, “But, we can do that later.” He said, a grin on his face then turning to are at Adam.
Glaring at him as well as she pulled away from Lucifer, “I’ll take you up on that offer, but first.” She clicked her tongue, gripping her weapon as she glared at Adam.
Seething her teeth, as she gripped the weapon tightly. “Let’s get this fucker.” She spat, with swift speed flying off towards the angel.
Lucifer smiled watching as she flew off, “That’s my girl,” He smiled, as the two of them flew off towards Adam. Following after her, the look of anger on his face seeing his daughter in danger.
Lucifer cackled as he looks down at Adam, dodging his attacks."So, this is what you've been up to since Eden?" said Lucifer, a he flew around him."Gotta say, you really let yourself go buddy." He said, as he transformed into a snake. Adam grabbing him by the tail, and trying to throw him. But before he could Lucifer transforms into a duck. "You judgin' me? You're the most hated being in all of creations." Adam shouted, angrily at him.
"Well, your first wife didn't seem to hate what I had to offer." said Lucifer, using his fingers to make a 'V' shape bringing it to his lips. "or the second. Bow-chicka-wow-wow." said Lucifer, as he makes a thrusting motion in the air. Angering Adam, "I'll fucking end you!!" Adam shouted, as he chased after Lucifer.
[Y/n] flew up towards them, she laughed mischievously, as she transformed into different animals. Teasing him, “For someone who calls himself dick master, your own wives didn’t even want yours!” She laughed, grinning as you transformed into a dolphin with wings.
She slapped him using the tail across the face. Smiling mischievously, “Ugh! You bitch!” He shouted, angrily trying to grab her but she ducked. Flying away swiftly.
“The bully gets bullied,” She cackled, making faces at him before disappearing in a poof of yellow clouds. She giggled, as Lucifer took her by the hand. And the two of took pride in dancing to dodge, Adam’s attacks. “Oh, can’t catch us..” The two of them teased.
“That duck you left me,” He said, as the two of you disappeared from Adam, dodging his attacks. Her cheeks turned red as she looked at him, “I love you too,” He said, and her heart swelled with joy. Really was he saying this now?!
Adam gagged in disgust, “Stop moving you freaks!” Adam shouted, causing the king of hell to shake his head, “Hey, I’m trying to confess my love over here!” shouted Lucifer, causing her cheeks to turn even redder. Adam growing angrier, as he glared at them.
Adam groaned in anger, as he sent a beam of yellow ichor towards them. But Lucifer holding [Y/n] close protectively, as he swiftly pulled her out of the way. “Charlie!” She shouted worriedly, and swiftly as she said that Lucifer was off towards his daughter.
[ slight time skip ]
[Y/n] placed her hand on her bleeding side, as she stood up to her feet. Glaring at Adam as she stood beside everyone else, "You don't get to end this." Adam said, as he stood to his feet weakly. Climbing out of the hole, "I'm fucking Adam! I'm the fucking man," He shouted, looking at the sinners and demons in front of him, "and you're just some fucking clown or something." He spat, glaring at them.
"I started everything on Earth." He shouted, rambling. "All of mankind came from theses fucking nuts." He shouted, staring at them. While they just stood their listening to his tantrum, "You all should be worshipping me." He screamed.
"you ungrateful, disgusting fucking losers!" He shouted,Adam wails, and everyone stars at him in shock seeing the dagger protruding from his stomach. "Hey, you got something sticking out of your..your thing there." said Lucifer, pointing nonchalantly at the dagger sticking out of his stomach.
Adam fell forward, revealing Niffty holding the blade in her hands. "Niffty?" Charlie said in shock. Niffty sat there for a moment before, "Stab! Stab! Stab!" Niffty shouted, as she laughed manically. As she continued to stab him repeatedly. "Blood! ha ha ha!" She laughed, a crazed look in her eyes.
Lute screamed, as she rushed towards Adam turning him over as he died. Crying over her friend and leader, who sent her a final smile before dying. "It's over," Charlie and [Y/n], said glaring down at Lute.
"Take your little friends," said Lucifer, as he glared at Lute angrily in his demon form, "and go home." He shouted, is voice distorted and demonic. "Please.!" He asked, relaxed and calm yet with a sinister tone to his voice. Everyone watched, as the exorcists retreated back to heaven.
Lucifer sighed and turned back towards everyone, "Alright who wants some pancakes." asked Lucifer, as he wrapped an arm around [Y/n]'s waist. "This lovely lady right here makes some delicious, caramel apple pancakes." He said, a huge grin on his face. She smiled sheepishly, as she looked at everyone. Niffty raised her hand. "But first, I need to get this bandaged." She said, looking at the others smiling softly as she pointed at the wound.
She winced in pain as she climbed, over the rubble. “I’m okay,” She smiled, looking at Lucifer. She looked over towards Charlie, as she stared at the destroyed hotel. Everyone looked at her sadly, as she stared at the destruction and bloodshed that the war had caused. Holding KeeKee in her arms, she looked down at the banner they had made for Sir Pentious month's ago. Tears welled up in Charlie's eyes, realizing the ultimate sacrifice.
"He did it for us, the ultimate sacrifice," Charlie sang, as she choked back a sob. Vaggie placed her hand on her shoulder, "He gave me his trust, and look how we pay the price," She sang, as she walked away. She looked around at the cranage and destruction, "This bloodshed could have been avoided." She sang sadly, even though they won. She felt as if in a way it was all for nothing with the lives that were lost, "If I convinced Heaven to work together," She sang, tearfully.
She walked over towards the ledge, revealing the destroyed Hazbin Hotel and what remains, "I took a hotel and I destroyed it," She sang sadly, seeing the damage she couldn't help but blame herself for, "I know I could have done better." She sang, as she hugged her self tears welling up in her eyes, as she fell to her knees. "Better, instead of letting you down," She sang, looking down at the ground.
 'Come on little lady, why the frown?' Lucifer sang, as he looked down at his daughter, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'In the last ten-thousand years. You're the first one to change this town' He sang, standing up on his feet getting in front of her, 'You can do this, now I know it!' He sang, placing his hand underneath Charlie's chin. 'For your story has just begun'
"You can't quit now, hell, you owe it," [Y/n] sang, as she smiled at Charlie warmly, "There's still damage to be undone," sang Lucifer, as he smiled at his daughter.
"You've changed my mind," He sang.
"You've touched their hearts." sang [Y/n].
"Found the good in souls gone bad"
"The stage is wrecked, the crowd is gone,"
Lucifer looked at his daughter triumphantly, and sang."But by God, Charlie!" [Y/n]wrapped an arm around her, "The show, it must go on" Lucifer and [Y/n] sang, Charlie looked up towards her friends.
“We can do this!” Charlie’s friends sang, as they looked down at her smiling comforting her, making the best of the situation. “We can build it!” everyone sang, smiling at her.
‘Best hotel that you’ve ever seen!’
‘Twice the bedrooms’
‘We can fill it’
“With more sinners than you can dream,” Lucifer sang, as he wrapped an arm around [Y/n]’s waist, a slight tint of red appearing on her cheeks. “It starts with you, you know, it's true.” They sang, as they looked down at her smiling. Hopeful despite the hotel being destroyed, despite the sinners lost.
“Fulfill your destiny!” Charlie looked at her friend, and wiped away her tears and smiled looking at them. “So long as I've got all of you with me!” Charlie smiled, as she wrapped her arms around them.
[Y/n] spreads her wings and smiles, as she flies around. Helping everyone work on rebuilding the hotel. From scratch to be grander than ever. As she sang to help rebuild the hotel she, still couldn’t believe that he loved her back. Almost feeling like a dream that he told her he loved her back. Her heart still skipping a beat, as a wave of relief seemed to wash away.
After a seemingly endless period of wallowing in self-pity, she had finally found happiness with him. With him by her side, she was filled with a sense of anticipation for what was to come in the future.
Suddenly, he scooped her up in his arms like a bride, and she let out a yelp of surprise. As he leaned down towards her, she felt his lips against hers, and a soft gasp escaped her. Her body tensed up in response as her heart began to pound against her chest, overcome with a mixture of nervousness and relief. Her eyes slowly fluttering shut as she melted into the kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning more into the kiss.
He whispered into her ear, causing her to shudder and turn beet red. Despite her flustered demeanor, he couldn't help but chuckle softly. Furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at him, and playfully leapt out of his arms.
Transforming into a duck with butterfly wings, and flying off. Lucifer chasing after her, as she switched between each forms giggling, as they continued to help rebuild the hotel. She smiled, as magic flew through her fingers butterflies flew around the hotel glowing with yellow ichor.
Everyone stood at the portrait of Sir Pentious, memorial saluting the great general who sacrifed himself for his friends. “We can do this,” everyone sang, as they stared at the portrait mourning the loss. But a smile on their face, knowing that his sacrifice guaranteed them a better and hopeful future towards redeeming sinner.
“We can do this,” Charlie sang, as she stared at the “We'll be better,” everyone sang smiling, as they remembered Sir Pentious. Saluting their fallen friend.
“We'll be better,”
‘Though redemption may take a while’
“Though it may take a while,” Charlie sang, smiling as [Y/n] placed her hand in her shoulder.
‘Wayward sinners, clear their ledger’
‘And we're doing it with a smile’ Alastor sang, as he appeared between them. Charlie’s eyes lighting up smiling, as she hugged him. “Yeah!” everyone except Lucifer, smiled as they looked towards Alastor.
‘We made a difference, wait and see’
‘We're gonna do this, you and me.’ Charlie and Vaggie sang, as they hugged eachother.
As they walked out towards the courtyard with a hopeful smile. [Y/n] smiled as Lucifer took her hand into his squeezing, she looked down at him and smiled. Fireworks lit up the red sky of hell, as they looked at the newly rebuilt Hazbin Hotel.
Lucifer used his magic shrinking the key, and handing it to Charlie. Who smiled looking at the hotel, “And then tomorrow, it will be a fuckin’ happy day in Hell!” They all sang, as they looked at the newly completed and rebuilt grander than ever. Hazbin Hotel.
[side chapter sneak peek]
Lucifer and [Y/n}, had left suddenly after saying goodbye to Charlie and everyone saying they needed some. "rest" But Angel knew all to well, he saw right past through it. "Yeah, they're about to fuck." Angel said, earning a groan of disgust from everyone. In particularly, Charlie. "Ew, that's my dad." said Charlie, in disgust looking up at Angel Dust.
"What? It's pretty obvious!" He exclaimed, folding his arms across his chest. Before looking off in the distance curiously, "I wonder what kind of kink the Short King is into." He wondered curiously, he took notice of the apples.
Charlie covered her ears, while everyone started walking off. "He's definitely into food play, whipped cream and apples." Angel continued, and "Lala! I can't hear you!" Charlie shouted, as she walked off. "Hey, Charlie give me Y/n's number so I can ask!" He shouted, running after her, "No!" shouted Charlie, as she walked towards the hotel.
"Aw, come one I need to know!" Angel shouted, chasing after Charlie.
meanwhile.. in lucifer's room{ya'll will get the actual smut later so rn its the morning after}
Lucifer's eyes fluttered open and he was met with the most wonderous sight, of [Y/n] and her crinkled up nose as she slept letting out the occasional snore. He smiled softly, as he brushed his fingers against her cheek causing her to smile. His heart seemed to flutter, how did he get so lucky?
"Aw, Lucifer." She said playfully, looking at him as he attacked her neck with kisses, "I've gotta make breakfast." She said, and he nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. "Mm, not yet." He said, as he pulled her underneath the covers. She was in for a long morning.
a/n: no y/n didn't know that Lilith was in heaven im not kidding. She had no idea, but with her coming into play for season 2. There will def be some drama stirring, if she's a villian or not.
also lemme know if theres any gaps so i can go back and fix them.
taglist: @supernerdycookietrashblrr @96jnie @mit-suri @koji-akeme @dinawss @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @wanderlustingcastaway @only-cherry-blossom @runaway-expert @buubsii @darkknightsandredrobins @kokoneai5 @colletepop @asheitoshin @thesimppotato11 @cherry-4200 @jolynetodd @blaire-blake @thedarkkitten @astrxwitch
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byersbootyshorts · 1 year
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Not So Smart Now (S.R.)
Spencer’s intelligence and cocky attitude has always infuriated you. So, when given the chance, you revel in putting him in his place.
Word Count: 2,882
EXPLICIT CONTENT MINORS DNI!!
Warnings: sub!s7!Spencer, dom!reader, smut, unprotected sex, hate sex, dumbification, slapping, degradation, alcohol consumption, language
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cocky Spencer is so yummy I wanna rip him apart
This case had been rough. The unsub had slipped through your fingers again and again and each time it seemed like he slipped further away. You forced your eyes to focus as you combed through a plethora of files, trying desperately to find something that could link the unsub to his victims. You sipped your coffee like your life depended on it, but not even the caffeine could help you find what you were missing. Morgan was sitting opposite you and he sighed in frustration. Emily paced back and forth going through the case in her head. You were all stumped.
You looked up at the investigation board, trying to give your eyes a rest from the tiny black letters they’d been staring at. You scanned the photos of the crime scenes. All of the women were found dead in their backyard. Drowned in the clean blue waters of their outdoor pools. You raised a brow, your eyes flicking frantically between the photos. The clean… blue… CLEAN!
“Oh my God, that’s it!” you exclaimed, springing out of your chair in excitement. Emily and Morgan looked at you with expectant expressions.
“What?” Emily asked after you stared in awe at what you’d missed for so long.
“All the pools, they were-,” you began, but just as you were about to explain your theory, Spencer burst through the door, not even aware that you were revealing a crucial part of the case, and began rambling.
“Guys, all the pools were cleaned the day each victim was killed. There wasn’t so much as a leaf or a bug sitting on the surface of the water. So, I checked, and they all hired the same pool cleaner.”
Spencer set a file down on the table that contained a picture of the guy you assumed was the unsub that had been evading you for so long. But you couldn’t even feel relief that you’d finally found him. Because you didn’t find him. Well, you would’ve if Spencer ‘boy genius’ Reid hadn’t of found him first.
The team rifled through photos and records of the unsub for a few minutes before Morgan finally asked you, “Oh, what was it you figured out?”
You glanced over at Spencer with a look that could kill before answering, “It doesn’t matter now. I think Spencer’s got it all covered.” Your voice was higher pitched than usual as you tried your best to fake a pleasant tone. You plastered a false smile on your face and Morgan shrugged, looking back down at the pages on the table.
You tried to follow suit, picking up a page printed with the guy’s phone records. You knew the only thing on your mind should be figuring out how to find this son of a bitch. But you couldn’t concentrate. You were literally seconds away from saying exactly what Spencer said before he stormed in and stole your thunder. He did it all the time. And you hated him for it.
The case was solved and the unsub was found. As always, the team congratulated Spencer on figuring it all out. And you allowed them to. One thing didn’t want to do was make a fuss and say you solved it too. But if he smiled that stupid, cocky smile one more time, you weren’t sure if you’d be able to contain your anger. And sure enough, you couldn’t.
You had just touched down at Quantico. You walked with Emily and JJ to the bullpen to collect some things before leaving. Then, as always, you ended up standing around your desk chatting about the case.
“I don’t think I’ve ever drunk as much coffee in a 24 hour period than I did on that case,” Emily laughed.
“It was rough,” JJ sighed. “I’m glad we got him. I don’t know how many pools there are in Florida but if we hadn’t of caught him I’m sure he wouldn’t have run out of victims.”
You smiled. Finally this was something that would prove your intelligence to the group.
“Actually there’s one mill-,”
“There are one million, five hundred and ninety thousand pools in Florida.”
You turned around to glare at who’d interrupted you. Your eyes narrowed when you saw Spencer sitting at his desk. He hadn’t even looked up from his computer before he’d stolen your opportunity to be smart.
“Oh my God!” you shouted, your eyes widening in disbelief. Of course he had interrupted you again.
Spencer turned to face you at the sound of your raised voice. A puzzled expression spread across his face. He was clueless. He didn’t even know he was doing it.
You knew you should just let it slide and say, “Yeah, that’s correct,” or “That’s what I was going to say,” but you couldn’t this time. You were done putting up with him constantly undermining you.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” you said, almost laughing at just how much of an ignorant asshole he was.
“Huh?” Spencer grunted, getting up from his desk and walking towards the three of you.
“You don’t even know what you’re doing, do you?” you asked. You stepped forward so there were only inches between the two of you. Your eyes stared daggers into his.
Spencer shook his head in confusion, his breath wavering slightly. You pretended not to notice the blood rush from his face and down his neck towards… Nope. You weren’t thinking about that.
“You know what, just forget it,” you said, stepping away from him. “You’re not worth my time.” You grabbed your bag, stormed out of the building, got in your car, and sped home.
It had been about thirty minutes since you’d slammed your apartment door, grabbed a bottle of vodka from your cabinet and sat on your couch, scrolling aimlessly through random TV channels. You drank straight from the bottle, your mind reeling with hatred for Spencer. It was like he had some sort of radar that could sense when you were going to say something impressive. And when that radar went off, he had to come in and ruin everything. He was such a know-it-all. And maybe he did know it all, but he didn’t have to rub it in everyone’s faces all the time.
You took another swig from the bottle and sighed. You had no idea how you were going to face him the next day. Being on the team with him was becoming insufferable. You had to do something to stop yourself from wanting to punch him every time you saw him.
It was just past midnight, but you were still wide awake, when you heard a knock on your door. Your brow furrowed as you considered who it could be at this late hour. You set the bottle of vodka on the coffee table and went to unlock the door. When the door swung open your eyes darkened at the figure in front of you. It was Spencer.
“What is your problem with me?” he asked, not even bothering to say hello.
You let out an uncontrollable laugh of sheer anger at his utter obliviousness. The only reason he should be showing up at your door in the middle of the night was to apologise. And yet here he was, not even aware of what he’d done wrong.
“You are unbelievable,” you sighed, turning away from the door and walking back into your apartment. Spencer took that as an invitation to come in, so he stepped forward and shut the door behind him.
“No, seriously, why don’t you like me?” he insisted. “Because I can’t think of anything I’ve done to you that should make you act like this.”
Spencer’s voice raised and his tone became sharp. You couldn’t believe this. He was angry? He had no right to be angry with you.
“Well, Doctor Reid, maybe you’re not as smart as you think you are if you can’t figure out something that’s so painfully obvious,” you snapped.
“Enlighten me, then. Tell me why you hate me so much,” Spencer retorted.
“No,” you said. “If you can’t see what you’re doing wrong then I’m not telling you.”
“Tell me why you hate me and I’ll tell you why I hate you.”
You paused for a moment. You knew your feelings towards him were of hatred, but you had no idea he returned those feelings. Now you were curious
“I hate you because you can’t shut up for one second to let someone else say something smart for once,” you began hastily, desperate to know what he hated about you, but also relieved to get everything off your chest. “Everyone knows you’re a genius, Spencer. You don’t need to prove it all the damn time.”
“What, so you hate me because I’m smart?” Spencer questioned.
“No, I hate you because you don’t let anyone else be smart. I hate you because you get that stupid little grin on your face every time you say something smart.” You began walking towards him, slowly backing him against the wall. “I hate you because every time I see you I have to force myself not to slap that cocky grin right off your face.”
Spencer stayed silent for a moment. He was almost right up against the wall. Your face was so close to his you could feel his breath. You could also feel something else starting to grow in his pants.
“Well, don’t force yourself this time,” Spencer breathed.
“What?” you asked, confused.
“Hit me,” he said bluntly, his mouth widening into that familiar, infuriating grin.
“Oh, don’t tempt me,” you said, taking a step back.
“No, do it. Hit me,” he said, genuinely.
You gave him a hesitant look but he continued to smirk like he was the smartest man alive. You made up your mind. He was giving you the opportunity and you weren’t going to turn it down. You raised your hand and slapped him hard on the cheek. Spencer whined and his hand flew to his face. He rubbed the red mark that was appearing on his cheekbone but his eyes never left yours. And that stupid grin remained on his face.
“Just out of curiosity, is there anything you do like about me?”
You seriously considered his question. You tried to think of one thing you liked about him. It was harder than you thought. Until you remembered the way his breath hitched when you got near him.
“I like that when you look at me your dick gets hard,” you said calmy, grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand away from his face. “I like that I have the power over you to make you do that.” You traced your fingers over the red spot where your hand hit his cheek. “You might be a genius but you’re still just a man. You have needs.” With your other hand, you lightly touched the bulge in his pants. He swallowed but still his eyes remained locked on yours. “Your mind might be one of the greatest of our time, but your body is just like every other man’s. You say you hate me but your body’s telling me something very different. It’s pathetic.” You pushed him back again so he hit the wall. “I could lower your IQ one hundred points just by fucking you,” you whispered.
“Wanna bet?” Spencer raised an eyebrow.
Without hesitation you slammed your lips onto his. He whimpered as his head hit the wall behind him, but soon he melted into the kiss. You could feel his lips curl upwards against yours. He was fucking smiling. He was enjoying this. That only enraged you more. You pushed yourself away from him and glared at him.
“Come here,” you said, turning around and walking towards your bedroom. You escorted Spencer inside the dimly lit room and turned to face him again. You looked down at the ever-growing bulge in his pants and began unbuckling his belt in silence. He sighed when you pulled down his underwear.
“You know what? I excepted more from you, Doctor Reid,” you said finally, smirking down at his below average sized cock that was now fully exposed to you.
Spencer said nothing, but, for the first time, his eyes drifted away from yours.
“Oh, don’t worry. That’s not a bad thing,” you smiled, wrapping your hand around it. “That just means I can take it for longer.”
You picked up the pace of your hand and Spencer moaned quietly. His head fell to lean on your shoulder and he sucked a spot on your neck. Eventually, you lifted your hand from his dick and began unbuttoning his shirt. When you pulled his shirt off his arms you turned your mouth to his ear and whispered, “I’m going to fuck you dumb.”
You pushed him down onto the bed. He lay there while you undressed, taking in your figure. You climbed on top of him and his hands immediately travelled to your thighs. He stared up at you with that smart ass glint in his eye. He wouldn’t look like that for long.
You didn’t flinch as you lowered yourself onto his dick. Spencer squirmed slightly beneath you, trying his best to stifle a whimper.
“I- I know a ton of other facts about Florida, you know. Not just how many pools there are” he said, his smugness slowly draining from his body as you rode him.
“You won’t know them for long,” you smiled, alternating your pace between fast and slow. Your inconstant rhythm was torturing Spencer.
“It’s state flower is the orange blossom,” he said confidently. “And it’s the flattest US state.”
“Shut up,” you whispered, anger flaring up in you again. You wished you could tear his brain right out of his head.
“It’s also 65,758 square m-miles, making it the 22nd largest s-state,” he continued, his words slowly starting to slur.
You looked down at the egotistical smile that was still plastered on his face, despite his stuttering. “Shut up!” you said, raising your voice. You lifted your hand and slapped him again. Harder this time. The whimper that Spencer had been holding in since you started finally escaped his lips.
And, at last, he shut up. The only noise he made was the occasional whine every time you quickened your pace.
“You masochistic fuck,” you laughed, grabbing his shoulders as your thighs began to burn. “All I had to do was hit you again and you’re reduced to a whimpering mess.”
“Shit,” Spencer breathed. “I- I’m go-.” But he couldn’t even warn you before you felt his cum shoot inside of you.
“Not so smart now, huh Doc?” you said shakily. Your breathing was ragged but that didn’t stop you. It didn’t matter that Spencer was finished. You weren’t.
Spencer didn’t get time to recover from his high as you immediately began to pick up your pace again, grinding harder and harder as his cum seeped out between your legs.
“Why don’t you tell me another fact?” you taunted. He looked as though he couldn’t speak, never mind tell you a fact. “What about an easy one? What’s the population of Florida?” you asked.
“It’s, uh- I don’t-. Fuck, I don’t know,” he stuttered.
“Seems like I won the bet then,” you panted. His hips jerked up and you moaned at the sudden movement. Finally seeing Spencer a pathetic heap below you sent you over the edge. You came without a uttering a word. The sensation caused Spencer to shake beneath you as he came for the second time.
You rolled off him and sighed. Spencer’s chest moved rapidly up and down as he tried to catch his breath.
“Fuck,” he said under his breath, brushing his hands through his hair.
“What? Are you annoyed that I made you dumb?” you asked, your voice laced with patronization. He rolled his eyes at you and you turned onto your side so your face was close to his.
“You know, you never told me why you hate me,” you said, running your finger down his chest, making his stomach tense.
“It doesn’t matter,” Spencer mumbled, his face flushing slightly.
“Yes it does,” you argued. “I told you, so now you have to tell me.”
Spencer hesitated for a moment before he whispered, barely audibly, “I hate you because… Well, I-.”
“I can’t hear you,” you said, looking at him expectantly.
“I hate you because I’ve wanted you to do that to me since the day I met you,” he blurted out.
You chuckled, grabbing his chin between your finger and thumb. “Well, if you’d told me that when you met me then this could’ve happened a lot sooner.”
“You wanted this to happen?” Spencer asked, a smile forming on the corners of his mouth.
“I wanted to prove you’re not a genius all the time. The sex is just an added bonus,” you explained.
Spencer’s cocky grin appeared back on his face and in an instant you were reminded of how much you detested him.
“Oh, it’s a bonus?” Spencer smirked. “Does that mean you want to do it again?”
You scoffed at his confidence. “I hate you,” you groaned, as you climbed back on top of him, ready to leave him a dumb, pathetic mess once more.
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ellavatorz · 1 year
Text
Kiss me Plenty || c.b. x reader
summary: you play the “I can’t stop kissing you,” prank on colby.
tags/cw: implied smut, kisses (lots of ‘em), tooth-rotting sweet fluff, established relationship, youtuber(s) relationship.
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a/n: there isn’t much for me to say except that I have a very strong yearn for colby to be kissed 24/7. if that man isn’t being kissed at every second of the day like he deserves, then the world is a cruel joke of a place.
and a huge thank you to everyone who enjoyed my last work, you guys are so sweet T.T happy holidays!
- - -
You have the camera set up first thing in the morning. It’s hidden out of visible-sight and is focused on Colby’s usual spot; his desk, where he normally films intros to videos amongst other tasks in respect to his shared channel with Sam.
The plot of your video to be filmed today is explained to your audience. All while a grin is spread on your lips. “Today’s goal is to annoy the shit out of Colby by kissing the hell out of him. I don’t know how he’ll react considering he’s hyper-affectionate as it is… but its also normally something he does rather than me initiating it. So maybe he’ll suspect something right off the bat? Who knows!”
By the time Colby has migrated from your shared bed to his desk, you’re just outside the door, anxiously prepared for whatever may come of the situation. Without much of an extravagant entrance, you move toward where he is and stand behind him. His eyes are glued to the screen and you pretend to seem intrigued by whatever it is he’s looking at.
A yawn escapes his mouth as he reaches an arm behind himself, subconsciously searching for any part of you to grasp onto and reel in. “Good morning, baby.” He rasps, last night’s rest still grappling at his body.
“Morning,” you reply, allowing him to pull you closer. You take this as an advantage to wrap your arms around his shoulders from where you now stand beside him. “What are you working on today?”
Colby’s gaze is still caught on the screen when his own arm is snaked around your waist. His eyes flicker from one end to another, clearly focused on whatever he’s reading. “Just emails right now. I have a bit of review and editing tasks to get done on the apparel website too..”
“Ah, I see.” You sigh. Your eyes flash a mischievous glint toward the camera before you begin leaning into his space to plant a soft peck to his cheek. “Do you need anything? Water? Snacks?”
Still enraptured by work, he acknowledges your question half-heartedly. “No, love. Thank you though.”
You feign a frown at his response and begin swaying his chair left to right when the hold on your waist is replaced by the computer’s mouse. He scrolls through several pages, reading what he can manage to as you continue rocking his chair.
“What time do you think you’ll be done?” You question innocently, though you both are aware that his work is capable of enveloping the entirety of his day. He shrugs, too focused to respond. You take this as an opportunity to leave a kiss on the crown of his head, moving behind his chair to loosely circle your arms around his neck. “I think I’m gonna finish my Christmas shopping while you’re still here.”
He hums and it’s evident that he isn’t regarding your presence to the full extent that it’s normally at. You huff and lean over his shoulder to litter butterfly-light kisses along the side of his neck. He unconsciously cranes his neck, providing you with more access to the skin.
“Shouldn’t you come and eat breakfast first? You haven’t eaten anything.” You ponder aloud, and this time, he shakes his head.
“I’m fine, babe.“ he mutters, eyes squinting in the analysis of his emails. Your tongue comes out to swipe at your lips, wetting them before leaning further into his space and kissing him straight on the mouth. At this, he cocks his head to the side, granting you access for more.
You continue to press into him, feeling accomplished when you realize that now he’s fully focused on you. The kiss is languid and feels good enough to praise, but before you can fully enjoy it, Colby is pulling away with a pitiful smile. You don’t even have to question him because he’s apologizing in an instant.
“I’m sorry, petal. I really have to get these things done. I promise as soon as I get this out of the way, I’m all yours.” He says and you can’t help but feel a tug at your heart. God, he really is the cutest. With the way his eyes glimmer at you, you’re confident with the idea that this man could un-alive your childhood pet and get away with it by just looking at you with those damned ocean eyes.
“Just a minute more?” shaking off the thought of ending the video early out of awe for your boyfriend, you continue your antics. You plead instead, batting your lashes tauntingly while returning to his side.
He blinks owlishly at you and ultimately accepts, pulling you into his lap by the hips and allowing you to straddle him comfortably. You grin, wasting no time and diving straight in for a passionate kiss. His hands snake around you to land on your ass, giving a gentle squeeze to which you groan into his lips for.
For a second, you’re convinced that this moment would last for an eternity with the pace that he’s taking. Theres not a doubt that he’d absolutely waste an entire day just to kiss you, and in this case you want this to be one of those days. His kiss is smooth, gentle, yet fierce and meaningful. Your hands move on their own accord; one pressing into the broad of his chest and the other entangling into his hair.
There’s a moan serenading your ears after a few rough tugs to the strands on his head. However, before you know it, he’s giving you one last playful tug to your lip and placing a good space between the two of you. While you’re grateful for this moment to breathe, you also fall clueless as to why the hell he stopped.. until, of course, you remember that you’re filming a video, and he’s working. Hello!
“Do you know how distracting you can be?” Colby chuckles, and you take a few seconds to take in his appearance; hair tussled, eyes dark and dilated, lips swollen with a few teeth indentations caused due to your own accord. You almost want to spend the rest of the video admiring your work, but conclude that the show must go on.
“What ever do you mean, coleslaw?” You quip, pushing against his hands from where they’ve been placed on your shoulders to distance you from him.
He immediately motions for you to get off of him, his hands already shoving at your chest. “Coleslaw? You’re done. Get off of me.”
You laugh and reluctantly remove yourself from his lap only to make an attempt at lifting him up with you. As if knowing exactly what you’re about to do, he drops his weight into his chair. You grunt, tugging on his arms with all your might. He doesn’t budge.
“Baby,” you whine, and add a childish stomp for emphasis. “Can’t you just take today off to spend time with me? Please?”
He falls limp at your words, tossing his head back against the chair’s headrest and huffs in thought. “We already hung out yesterday. The entire day! What do you want to do anyway?”
Pouting, you take advantage of his loose posture to throne his lap once more. Again, circling his neck with your arms and trying to pull him impossibly closer. Though, he does his best to keep a stoic expression and an emotional stiffness to prevent persuasion.
“I miss you,” the words seemingly fall on deaf ears as he remains unfazed, eyes wandering around the room; in other words, anywhere but you. “..just wanted to kiss you today.. but i guess you don’t want my kisses. guess I’ll just find someone else who does—“
His sigh mimics one of defeat. His hold on your tightens in protectiveness, as if afraid you may be taken from him. You begin to feel that bubble of mischief rising to your cheeks, tugging your lips into a smile. Yes! It’s working!
“One more kiss, and i seriously have to get back to work, okay?” He gambles, and suddenly your smile is fading into a frown. He directs his stare back to you, a small quirk at the corner of his mouth. “What, isn’t that what you want? Take it or leave it, baby.”
You bare your teeth in grimace, eyes twinkling with competitiveness before you dive in. Planting your lips on his, you nip and lap at the opening he gives you. Without much hesitance, he’s reciprocating in eagerness. Your tongues dance in the heat of the moment, teeth clashing with force. It’s clear how much you two want each other. And it’s even more evident just how far you’re willing to go for it.
“God, what’s gotten into you?” He manages to slur through the daze you’ve entrapped him in. The intimacy in the kiss exceeds even deeper when you apply pressure against his crotch, gaining a desperate reaction in return. He whimpers against your lips, bringing you impossibly closer to his form as he ruts against you.
“just.. really.. want.. you.” Your voice tapers off into a moan with each breath you take in between. And that’s when you realize. Oh shit. he’s hard.
A probing feeling at your clothed entrance is all it takes for you to pull back and freeze, hands instantly darting for the camera from where it was hidden just a few minutes ago. You focus the rest of the footage toward you, regarding your boyfriend’s lustful daze as a sign to come clean. Placing one hand on his cheek while the other holds the camera, you give a breathy and worried giggle.
“Are you—“ you start, motioning toward the evident tent in his sweats. His eyes waver from your face for a mere second to assess the situation before returning to you. “Colby?”
“Is this is a prank?” He mumbles, cocking his head toward the camera in your hand. You nod, curtaining your smile by placing a palm over your mouth. “Oh,”
“Colby, It’s a prank. I didn’t expect it to go this far!” You admit, and suddenly the giddiness you had been shielding from escaping you throughout the video is released. You laugh in embarrassment. “Oh my gosh. Guys, if you saw anything…. No you didn’t. Haha! But seriously, my poor baby suffered today so if you enjoyed the video, be sure to like and subscribe. Until next time, bye!”
The moment the video comes to an end, Colby is cursing you up and down for the scheme you had hidden from him. However, his scolding shortly concludes with a soft, and admittedly disappointing, “—had me all excited..”
“Oh my poor baby,” you coo, both of you now free from an audience’s presence via camera. Holding his face in your hands, you apply pressure to his cheeks, forcing his lips to pucker when you go in for a gentle kiss. “‘M sorry. The fans really wanted to see what you’d do.”
“Well now they know, so can we please not do that again. you’re very irresistible and convincing you know that?”
You press a gentle peck to his cheek and huff. “Yeah I’ve heard it a few times from my boyfriend.”
“Wow. I feel bad for your boyfriend.” Colby jokes playfully.
“Do you? Hm. Guess I should be a little nicer to him.”
“Maybe.” He pouts his lips toward you, proceeding to lift you from where the two of you sit on his office chair. Your legs wrap around his middle as he travels toward your shared bed. “I think your boyfriend deserves it.”
“I think so too,” you smile. Continuing from where you had left off, you both spend the rest of the morning doing exactly as you begged for; spending the day together. And making out, of course. And maybe a little more than that.
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Text
Google reneged on the monopolistic bargain
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I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and TOMORROW in SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!
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A funny thing happened on the way to the enshittocene: Google – which astonished the world when it reinvented search, blowing Altavista and Yahoo out of the water with a search tool that seemed magic – suddenly turned into a pile of shit.
Google's search results are terrible. The top of the page is dominated by spam, scams, and ads. A surprising number of those ads are scams. Sometimes, these are high-stakes scams played out by well-resourced adversaries who stand to make a fortune by tricking Google:
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/phone-numbers-airlines-listed-google-directed-scammers-rcna94766
But often these scams are perpetrated by petty grifters who are making a couple bucks at this. These aren't hyper-resourced, sophisticated attackers. They're the SEO equivalent of script kiddies, and they're running circles around Google:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security
Google search is empirically worsening. The SEO industry spends every hour that god sends trying to figure out how to sleaze their way to the top of the search results, and even if Google defeats 99% of these attempts, the 1% that squeak through end up dominating the results page for any consequential query:
https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf
Google insists that this isn't true, and if it is true, it's not their fault because the bad guys out there are so numerous, dedicated and inventive that Google can't help but be overwhelmed by them:
https://searchengineland.com/is-google-search-getting-worse-389658
It wasn't supposed to be this way. Google has long maintained that its scale is the only thing that keeps us safe from the scammers and spammers who would otherwise overwhelm any lesser-resourced defender. That's why it was so imperative that they pursue such aggressive growth, buying up hundreds of companies and integrating their products with search so that every mobile device, every ad, every video, every website, had one of Google's tendrils in it.
This is the argument that Google's defenders have put forward in their messaging on the long-overdue antitrust case against Google, where we learned that Google is spending $26b/year to make sure you never try another search engine:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-27/google-paid-26-3-billion-to-be-default-search-engine-in-2021
Google, we were told, had achieved such intense scale that the normal laws of commercial and technological physics no longer applied. Take security: it's an iron law that "there is no security in obscurity." A system that is only secure when its adversaries don't understand how it works is not a secure system. As Bruce Schneier says, "anyone can design a security system that they themselves can't break. That doesn't mean it works – just that it works for people stupider than them."
And yet, Google operates one of the world's most consequential security system – The Algorithm (TM) – in total secrecy. We're not allowed to know how Google's ranking system works, what its criteria are, or even when it changes: "If we told you that, the spammers would win."
Well, they kept it a secret, and the spammers won anyway.
A viral post by Housefresh – who review air purifiers – describes how Google's algorithmic failures, which send the worst sites to the top of the heap, have made it impossible for high-quality review sites to compete:
https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/
You've doubtless encountered these bad review sites. Search for "Best ______ 2024" and the results are a series of near-identical lists, strewn with Amazon affiliate links. Google has endlessly tinkered with its guidelines and algorithmic weights for review sites, and none of it has made a difference. For example, when Google instituted a policy that reviewers should "discuss the benefits and drawbacks of something, based on your own original research," sites that had previously regurgitated the same lists of the same top ten Amazon bestsellers "peppered their pages with references to a ‘rigorous testing process,’ their ‘lab team,’ subject matter experts ‘they collaborated with,’ and complicated methodologies that seem impressive at a cursory look."
But these grandiose claims – like the 67 air purifiers supposedly tested in Better Homes and Gardens's Des Moines lab – result in zero in-depth reviews and no published data. Moreover, these claims to rigorous testing materialized within a few days of Google changing its search ranking and said that high rankings would be reserved for sites that did testing.
Most damning of all is how the Better Homes and Gardens top air purifiers perform in comparison to the – extensively documented – tests performed by Housefresh: "plagued by high-priced and underperforming units, Amazon bestsellers with dubious origins (that also underperform), and even subpar devices from companies that market their products with phrases like ‘the Tesla of air purifiers.’"
One of the top ranked items on BH&G comes from Molekule, a company that filed for bankruptcy after being sued for false advertising. The model BH&G chose was ranked "the worst air purifier tested" by Wirecutter and "not living up to the hype" by Consumer Reports. Either BH&G's rigorous testing process is a fiction that they infused their site with in response to a Google policy change, or BH&G absolutely sucks at rigorous testing.
BH&G's competitors commit the same sins – literally, the exact same sins. Real Simple's reviews list the same photographer and the photos seem to have been taken in the same place. They also list the same person as their "expert." Real Simple has the same corporate parent as BH&G: Dotdash Meredith. As Housefresh shows, there's a lot of Dotdash Meredith review photos that seem to have been taken in the same place, by the same person.
But the competitors of these magazines are no better. Buzzfeed lists 22 air purifiers, including that crapgadget from Molekule. Their "methodology" is to include screenshots of Amazon reviews.
A lot of the top ranked sites for air purifiers are once-great magazines that have been bought and enshittified by private equity giants, like Popular Science, which began as a magazine in 1872 and became a shambling zombie in 2023, after its PE owners North Equity LLC decided its googlejuice was worth more than its integrity and turned it into a metastatic chumbox of shitty affiliate-link SEO-bait. As Housefresh points out, the marketing team that runs PopSci makes a lot of hay out of the 150 years of trust that went into the magazine, but the actual reviews are thin anaecdotes, unbacked by even the pretense of empiricism (oh, and they loooove Molekule).
Some of the biggest, most powerful, most trusted publications in the world have a side-hustle in quietly producing SEO-friendly "10 Best ___________ of 2024" lists: Rolling Stone, Forbes, US News and Report, CNN, New York Magazine, CNN, CNET, Tom's Guide, and more.
Google literally has one job: to detect this kind of thing and crush it. The deal we made with Google was, "You monopolize search and use your monopoly rents to ensure that we never, ever try another search engine. In return, you will somehow distinguish between low-effort, useless nonsense and good information. You promised us that if you got to be the unelected, permanent overlord of all information access, you would 'organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.'"
They broke the deal.
Companies like CNET used to do real, rigorous product reviews. As Housefresh points out, CNET once bought an entire smart home and used it to test products. Then Red Ventures bought CNET and bet that they could sell the house, switch to vibes-based reviewing, and that Google wouldn't even notice. They were right.
https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/welcome-to-the-cnet-smart-home/
Google downranks sites that spend money and time on reviews like Housefresh and GearLab, and crams botshittened content mills like BH&G into our eyeballs instead.
In 1558, Thomas Gresham coined (ahem) Gresham's Law: "Bad money drives out good." When counterfeit money circulates in the economy, anyone who gets a dodgy coin spends it as quickly as they can, because the longer you hold it, the greater the likelihood that someone will detect the fraud and the coin will become worthless. Run this system long enough and all the money in circulation is funny money.
An internet run by Google has its own Gresham's Law: bad sites drive out good. It's not just that BH&G can "test" products at a fraction of the cost of Housefresh – through the simple expedient of doing inadequate tests or no tests at all – so they can put a lot more content up that Housefresh. But that alone wouldn't let them drive Housefresh off the front page of Google's search results. For that, BH&G has to mobilize some of their savings from the no test/bad test lab to do real rigorous science: science in defeating Google's security-through-obscurity system, which lets them command the front page despite publishing worse-than-useless nonsense.
Google has lost the spam wars. In response to the plague of botshit clogging Google search results, the company has invested in…making more botshit:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked
Last year, Google did a $70b stock buyback. They also laid off 12,000 staffers (whose salaries could have been funded for 27 years by that stock buyback). They just laid off thousands more employees.
That wasn't the deal. The deal was that Google would get a monopoly, and they would spend their monopoly rents to be so good that you could just click "I'm feeling lucky" and be teleported to the very best response to your query. A company that can't figure out the difference between a scam like Better Homes and Gardens and a rigorous review site like Housefresh should be pouring every spare dime it brings in into fixing this problem. Not buying default search status on every platform so that we never try another search engine: they should be fixing their shit.
When Google admits that it's losing the war to these kack-handed spam-farmers, that's frustrating. When they light $26b/year on fire making sure you don't ever get to try anything else, that's very frustrating. When they vaporize seventy billion dollars on financial engineering and shoot one in ten engineers, that's outrageous.
Google's scale has transcended the laws of business physics: they can sell an ever-degrading product and command an ever-greater share of our economy, even as their incompetence dooms any decent, honest venture to obscurity while providing fertile ground – and endless temptation – for scammers.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task
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jiminjamms · 4 months
Text
sex therapy :: 25. messed up
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chapter tags/warnings: naoya fucks toji's ex-wife again. aggressive sex. creampie-ing. misogynistic! naoya. hurt/comfort. naoya views women as nothing but a hole. broken marriage. heavy angst. infidelity/adultery. family drama. strong language. manipulation undertones. corruption. 
word count: 4.1k
notes: thank you always for all the support! on to the plot for our final arc! this beginning excerpt is a rewording from a line in “spy x family” (any fans out there?) that i believe captures the dynamics in our characters as well. enjoy! likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated. xoxo
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fic masterlist | 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
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❝ Every person has a self that one conceals, a side not shown to anyone else. Not to friends. Not to lovers. Not even to family. Behind lies and painted smiles, individuals shield their true natures and desires…and, in doing so, the world thus maintains its thin veneer of peace. ❞
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Who in the world was Toji Zenin?
The Toji that you had always known was Toji Fushiguro, so what was your husband’s cognomen doing besides your sex therapist’s first name on the latter's university diploma?
Even Google seemed to deny that Toji Zenin existed.
Showing results instead for ‘Toji Fushiguro.’
No, that was not what you wanted! 
One step forward in understanding this enigmatic man might as well be three steps backward because, each time you thought you had learned something about him, you only come to the realization that nothing much had been discovered at all.
But as investigations via search engines, social media sites, and Wikipedia pages proved futile, sources that could quell your curiosity dwindled.
So, you turned to your last resort.
“Who’s Toji Zenin?”
“What—”
Across from you, the raspberry macaron in Mai’s hand stopped by her lips as the girl snapped her focus from the pastry to your unanticipated question, with Maki visibly turning stiff in the adjacent chair. The three of you sat surrounding a small table in the twin’s private lounge, located in the northern wing within the Zenin residence. 
Visiting the central family property was not uncommon ever since your engagement and wedding earlier this year, but the architecture would never fail to impress you. The mansion itself resembled the Imperial Palace more than anything—an edificial centerpiece defined by the elegance and simplicity inherent in traditional Japanese design, with latticework embellishing the wooden exterior and, inside, carefully painted doors opening into tatami rooms.
Given that Mai and Maki were back in Tokyo for their summer breaks from universities abroad, the sisters established themselves as your close friends and had brought you into their tea room, adorned with European furnishings that would come off as atypical compared to the Japanese heirlooms elsewhere in the residence. On the table sat an imported tea set from England, at the center a French-inspired pastry tower prepared with caramel-topped croquembouches, chocolate-covered profiteroles, and the like. 
In great admiration, the sisters had been barraging you with inquiries about your life back in your bachelorette days, asking about your volunteering trip to the Philippines or the charity auctions in Dubai.
Now, with the shift in discussion, the sisters exchanged an uneasy look.
An entire conversation appeared to be held in the way they traded glances. The usual sparkle in their eyes faded, which must mean the girls were remarkably uncomfortable, but Mai forced a polite smile as she placed down her macaron. 
“Y/N,” she began carefully, “May we ask how you know Toji?”
Even though she tried to spin the question as casual curiosity, her apprehension could not be more obvious. 
“I don’t know him, really,” you lied. While dishonesty went against your morals, watching the twins’ shoulders fall with relief was enough to assuage the guilt. “He’s just…” My friend, to put things in the mildest terms. “He’s just a name I have heard. That’s all.”
Maki dabbed at her mouth with a lace handkerchief, not making a big deal as she added, “Toji’s a cousin.”
So, the Zenin last name on his diploma was not a coincidence at all. 
Such a groundbreaking discovery should have thrown you into a whole whirlwind but, to be frank, the realization did not come off as too surprising at all. If anything, Toji as a member of the Zenin family was the perfect explanation to why Toji seemed so astute, why he would talk like he knew more about Naoya than you, and—as Geto had once said—why Toji was ‘not where he could possibly be.’ 
While Toji’s reason for opting for the Fushiguro name remained a mystery, what you did know now was that he was indeed affiliated with the twins before you by blood, which—by extension—must mean that Toji would also be a cousin to…
…your husband. 
Wait.
An unsettling chill ran down your spine.
“Cousins, as in,” part of you didn’t want to know the answer, “distant cousins? Or…?”
“No,” the older twin interjected matter-of-factly, not knowing the full background behind your seemingly innocuous question. “First cousins.” 
Ah, so the closest type of cousins possible, which was exactly what you had hoped not to hear. With this additional information, you tried to hide the clamminess in your palms. What would be the best word to describe this void now? Did you feel disappointed? Misled? Betrayed? Toji certainly had known that you were wed to his younger cousin, yet he willingly chose to hide his background as he kissed you, touched you, and fucked you.
A reversal from your sentiments before, you currently felt both disgusted and hurt.
Why did Toji keep this information from you? What sick person derived satisfaction from having sex with his first cousin’s wife? You were so damn stupid for placing all your trust in him. Looking at the situation now, he was just another iteration of the same manipulative and disrespectful man you had been trying so hard to avoid. 
“Are you close with Toji?” 
Mai shook her head. “No. We don’t talk to him anymore.” Her comment struck as odd. Anymore? Had they once been, then? Before you could ask, her gaze darted around in caution before she leaned forward and said lowly, “For your information, Naoya got into a huge dispute with him earlier this year.”
That’s quite recent. 
You understood that Mai and Maki had been uncharacteristically tight-lipped as they did not want to slander the family heir in front of his wife. Blissful ignorance was what the twins must be thinking, hoping to preserve the peace between you and your husband. However, what you had yet to reveal was the broken marriage that had been masked for everyone’s sake, disguised by a pretense that all was well.
Which was why, on that note, the timing could not have been more perfect as a tall young man with ombre hair and hazel eyes flung open the door in one unforgiving slam, rattling the fine china and startling the seated individuals inside.
“There you are, you whore!” 
Your eyes widened with shock upon seeing Naoya Zenin in the entryway, your husband’s scowl icy and malicious. He came stomping toward you as his eyes held a dangerous hostility that was impossible to ignore, and you could oddly sense an impending doom when he stormed with zero regard for anything in his path, kicking aside a potted plant and toppling over a ceramic vase.
Standing up, you tried to hide the confusion that befuddled your already mish-mashed brain. 
Today was Tuesday.
Was he not supposed to be at work?
“Naoya,” you began calmly, cognizant of the onlooking sisters behind you, “this is not the right place to—”
“You’re such a fucking desperate bitch, aren’t you?” His words were sharp and bitter, his glare filled with hatred like a fire doused with gasoline. Before you could request clarification, he stopped steps away and swung his right hand up, pressing a black business card to your stunned face, the paper crinkled from his intense grip and rendering you petrified in your stance. 
No, this couldn’t be…
From your peripheral view, you watched Mai and Maki place their hands over their open mouths as they read Toji Fushiguro’s calligraphed name on the business card that also had in obvious words: 'sex therapist.' Shame racked your stomach. Merely minutes ago, you convinced the twins that Toji was to you nothing more than a name, and now, karma bit you back like a bitch. 
With your voice evaporated, you croaked.
“Where did you find that?” You had been sure that you placed the badge away.
Naoya used his anger to crumple the card and tossed the now useless paper ball to the side. “In your purse,” he gritted, “How long were you planning to hide this from me?”
The ensuing guilt suffocated you. “I—” I don’t know.
Sensing the weakness in your will, Naoya burst into a maniacal laughter that cracked through the air, creating a disconcerting symphony. He bent forward, shoulders convulsing with every diabolic and mirthful guffaw. 
“You’re so god fucking pathetic, woman. Do you have any idea who Toji Fushiguro is? That bastard is Toji Zenin, you ignorant slut—he is my cousin. Well, I guess I never told you about him, though, because he doesn’t fucking matter anymore anyway. I don’t know how you ended up crossing paths with him, but this is hilarious!” The man kept cackling and roaring like he had gone insane. “Were you two brewing shit about me? Actually, let me guess since you’d gotten hold of this business card: did you have sex with him? Did you have sex with Toji? Going around fucking your husband and then your husband’s cousin is nothing to be proud of. Tell me, did you meet the other sex therapists as well? Did you get stretched out by them, too? Whose dick did you like best? Whose? Whose? Is that what you like, being passed around and used like some sick trophy? What a fucking animal! How dare you disrespect our marriage. How dare you disrespect your own hus—”
Your hand lashed out before you could suppress the impulse and delivered one resounding slap across Naoya’s face. You watched him shut up and stumble backward, clutching his cheek. 
"Ow!"
For a moment, the world seemed frozen still: the sisters gaping in complete stupefaction, your husband staring at the ground wide-eyed, and you heaving from the incoming emotional onslaught.
”How dare you…How fucking dare you disrespect me!” The coalescence of anger, agony, and resentment—bottled up in your heart for months upon months—was now being released as you dissolved into tears. “What the hell is wrong with you?! How could you say such messed up things? You are sick in the head, Naoya, you know that? Out of respect for myself, how could I possibly respect you?!” The only sound echoing in the room became your uncontrollable cries, sobs that escaped past your lips in raw and muffled bursts. Torn apart by sorrow, you could hardly breathe from how constricted your throat had become, your knees wobbling and weak. “Y-You have no idea how lonely and miserable I have been since I walked down that aisle. For the past six months, you—as my husband—have done absolutely nothing but make me feel like a rat in my own home, a mistress in my own marriage!” 
“Fantastic! Exactly what I wanted to hear, I am glad I have made your life horrible!” Naoya snarled, not caring for how everyone else’s eyes widened at the scathing statement. Unbelievable. Truly, painfully unbelievable. Did your husband really just say that to your face? He could not give a shit that you wept pitifully, instead catching your shaky wrist in the tightest grasp possible as he added on, “My only regret is that I had not made your life even worse.” 
“What the fuck!” you heard Mai gasp as a gut reaction.
What the fucking fuck, indeed.
While you had been subject to Naoya’s verbal harassment during these many weeks, for him to tell you that he wished he had tortured you further was beyond heartless. The searing ache that burned your skin might as well be fatal because your respiration turned erratic like someone had trapped you inside a bubble.
Hyperventilating, you subsisted on shallow gasps.
“Don’t go around thinking that you’re any better, alright? You’re calling me pathetic for sleeping with your cousin, but have you considered that I had been placed in that position because, since the start, you’ve been cheating on your wife?” 
Yelling at his face allowed you to release more tears from your lachrymose eyes. Now, Mai and Maki must truly be appalled at all these revelations. What happened to the fairy-tale marriage you had told them about? Well, that never existed to begin with, and with these thoughts in mind, you found a sadistic satisfaction in watching your lawful spouse fume with deep-seated rage. 
“That’s right,” you mused with derision, “we’ve been two sides of the same coin all along.”
Naoya clenched his hands at his sides, disgusted to have been compared to you. “Do not put me on the same level as—”
“No. No, you don't get to talk! All you have done since we have been married is for you to talk and complain and bitch about everything, but now, this is my turn,” you screamed in return. “I…I hate you!” and you pointed right at him, “In fact, I despise you. You never tried to see what I had to tolerate to stay with an asshole like yourself because you had been too busy sticking your dick into another woman while you could hardly look at me! No wonder your cousins worried about me. No wonder Toji told me to file for a divorce. Because you, Naoya Zenin, are a total piece of shit!”
His momentary pause hinted at the tiniest self-actualization that flickered within him. Perhaps he finally realized how you had been feeling now that you freely spat out all the turmoil that had been chaining your soul. He took one additional step toward you, torn between whether he should keep up with his anger or succumb to remorse for hurting you.
But, knowing this man, he—of course—opted for the former. 
“I never,” he seethed lowly, “wanted this marriage.” 
Maybe you truly have become deranged or maybe you genuinely found his statement funny, for you began to emit tearful cackles in your laughter.
“Now, that is one big fucking lie.” Since your earliest encounter, Toji had suggested that Naoya solely regarded you as nothing more than ‘a sweet, innocent fuck,’ and the longer you had stayed with your husband, the more you began to acknowledge how these accusations were all true. “We all know that you’re going to be nothing without me. A CEO who could hardly keep his wife for half a year? What a loser. What makes you believe that I wanted to be married to you? Who do you even think would want to do business with you after this? You never had respect in the real world because all that respect rests upon me.”
While you never fully understood Naoya, your words must have snapped a particular chord in him because he suddenly lunged forward.
“Fucking cunt—” 
But before he could get too close, you darted away from him. “Don’t touch me!” you shrieked, voice shrill from the top of your lungs. “Do not ever touch me again. If you want to lay your dirty hands on someone, go touch your girlfriend instead!”
That’s right, he had another woman who he doted on far more than he could appreciate you. This wedding band, this engagement ring on your left hand meant absolutely nothing. Toji had been spot on—why the hell did you cling onto stupid shit like this, twisting the jewelry as if that would save your messed-up union? Without further empathy, you slid off the two rings and hurled them toward your husband’s chest before the circlets clinked upon hitting the ground.
At first, Naoya scoffed. He watched the ludicrous scene with a comical gaze, and when his brain processed what he just saw, he quickly fell onto his knees. All at once, he tossed his head back and let out a chortle—a full-bodied cachinnation that took the room completely aback—as his hysteria mounted.
“Good, good, good!” His screeches were like those of a maniac, his chuckles haunting, throaty, and lacking in sanity. “I’m glad that you’ve come to show the witch that you have been all along! Look at yourself! No wonder no one wanted you!”
Unable to be a bystander any longer, Mai stood up and hurled toward her cousin. “Shut the hell up, Naoya!” 
But the said man was quick, using one powerful movement to punch the older twin first. “You shut the hell up, scum. Unless you want to be pummeled to the point where people will feel sorry to look in your direction.”
“Watch what you say!” and when Naoya turned to the new voice, the evil glint gleaming from his brown eyes appeared ablaze.
“Oh? Someone’s bold, too. Shall I bully you first then, Maki?” the timbre in his disdainful laugh crescendoed into unhinged amusement. “Say one more word, little girl,” he taunted, his imp-like face riddled with mockery. “C’mon. I dare you. I will throw you into the courtyard and beat your ugly face up. That’ll bring back warm memories from the good old days, huh?”
The younger twin gritted her teeth, her sister reaching for her arm as a signal to back down and stay levelheaded.
Meanwhile, once Naoya rose from the floor, he nonchalantly kicked at the rings because those emblems of your union had always been meaningless garbage anyway.
“If wanted to leave this badly, then fucking leave,” he deadpanned, his tone the calmest he had been this whole time. “I don’t give a fuck anymore.” 
Those were your husband’s last words as he walked away, leaving you sobbing and shuddering with a lost soul and sore heart. While weeping and gasping, you had to endure watching his figure fade from view, all while wanting to stop the uncomfortable distress that heightened with his departure. You were huffing, panting, trying to stop your trembling.
The second Naoya slammed the door behind him, Maki ran up to your side and embraced your shaking form, all while you bawled and clutched at yourself. Her expression remained strong, but her palms were damp as they pressed onto your back, her arms quavering slightly as she soothed your cries.
“Sh, don’t cry. My sister and I are here, okay? Mai and I will protect you. Everything will be alright.”
Despite her reassurances, she sounded nearly as broken as you appeared, especially when your hand violently trembled because nothing could save you from the agony that drowned your tattered soul. You felt the disgusting urge to throw up—you were completely broken inside. In a futile attempt, you sought to regulate your breaths with one deep inhale.
Yet, at some point, Maki peeled back and she mouthed something.
Was she talking to you? 
Why…why could you not hear her?
She sounded so muffled, as though you were underwater.
Why did everything sound so far away?
With your throat constricted, you could not breathe. Gagging. Gasping. Big, huge gulps of air, but the oxygen failed to enter your lungs. You couldn’t breathe. You could not fucking breathe. 
You gripped the fabric by your chest and your other hand sought for something else to hold, but you ended up on the ground anyway. Choking. Coughing. Was something foaming at your mouth? Something warm and wet spilled from your orifices. Were you vomiting? Why were you vomiting?
Holding your body upright, Maki was the only reason that you had not remained on the floor like a fool, but even she stared at you with concern and…horror? Why did she look so scared? Was she screaming? She looked like she was screaming, but her face appeared all contorted like you were looking at her through a fish-eye lens. 
After a while, you could not even see her or her sister anymore because your vision turned spotty and then black. 
See! 
Open your eyes, and see! 
Why could you not see?
When your hearing returned to some degree, the sounds that filled your ears were frantic shouts and endless clamor.
“Call Toji! He’ll know what to do. Hurry, where is your phone?” It was Mai. Scrambling. Bags were being opened. Items being tossed. “Call Toji, now!”
A phone started to ring.
Buzzes and buzzes and more buzzes as the waiting intensified.
Then voicemail. 
Hello, this is Toji Fushiguro.  
“He is not picking up!” 
Unfortunately, I am unable to pick up the phone right now. 
“Get…”
But please leave your name and number—
“Get Megumi.” 
—and I will return your call as soon as possible.
“What about Tusmiki?”
“Tsumiki is still in London at university, idiot! Call…Call Megumi!”
“Okay. I know, I know! I’m calling him already!” someone screamed back. Was this Mai? Was this Maki? You could no longer tell, but the same person shouted, “Wait, wait. He is calling back. Toji is calling me back.”
“Then pick up the phone!”
“Toji…” one of the twins started, the cracks in her tone making her sound like she was weeping too, and her words composed your last bits of memory before the world dissolved completely. “Please…help us.”
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Even labeling Naoya Zenin as ballistic would be far too much of an understatement.
The rage, wrath, and sheer indignation that swelled in his every capillary surpassed the twenty-five years' worth of virulent rancor that he had for his fucked-up family.
Since when did you get so goddamn arrogant? Naoya wanted to hurt you, ruin you, and do everything in his power to sabotage you. 
Not just you, though. Because that would be too easy.
But also his father, his cousins, his ex-coworkers, and—most importantly—Toji. 
Such ill feelings were what led the Zenin CEO to practically leap into the Mercedes-Benz that awaited him at the entrance to his family home, and he immediately ordered his chauffeur to press on the pedal toward a very certain condominium several kilometers away.
Fifteen minutes later, a very surprised Mari opened her door and an enraged Naoya greeted her, shoving her against the wall and colliding his lips into hers for a fierce kiss. His actions lacked passion, only charged with aggression as he stripped her and threw her onto the living room sofa. He could hardly care that he treated the woman as though she was nothing more than a prostitute, while the latter mistook her boyfriend’s rage for desperation, and she begged for him to pull at her hair and force his tongue down her mouth. 
At some point, Naoya drove his mistress’s face into the couch cushion and dragged her hips to have her ass raised high. He was too clouded by fury and too blinded by anger to think twice before he forcefully penetrated the woman. He fucked her raw and held her close, jostling her body as though she was a ragdoll, eliciting her loudest mewls that cried for his name. 
“J-Just like that!” she whimpered, eyes rolling to the back of her head as he pummeled into her dripping hole, paying no mercy for destroying her with his ruthless pace. Her knees gave out from under her, and she crumbled from the sofa and into the carpet, only for him to tumble too to follow the socket he needed to keep his dick soaked. 
“I need to break you,” he hissed.
Fuck, he was going to come soon. 
His nails left crescent marks on her flesh, his hands burning her scalp as he tugged her strands and met her buttocks with hard thrusts, and he knew he was going to come. 
Feeling the first of his seed trick into his mistress’s life-giving cavern, he toyed with the idea of giving Tsumiki and Megumi a baby sibling. That would be fun. He could then imagine the subsequent mortified reactions from his deplorable cousin and from his wretched wife (whom he would hardly call himself married to anymore, anyway). The fantasies, everything that he would do to spite those who had wronged him, had Naoya cackling as his viscous cum spurted from his tip and deep into his mistress’s womb.
He pulled out once he made sure that every single drop had been milked from him, his ejaculate dribbling from her pussy like someone had taken a bite from a cream-filled donut.
Rolling into the carpet and onto her back, a panting Mari took two fingers and pressed his precious seed back into her cunt. “That was so hot.” A lazy smile pulled across her face. “Thank you for the unexpected visit.”
Naoya completely dismissed her comments as he tucked himself back into his pants, not in the right mood to respond. 
“Cool. Clean this mess up,” he demanded instead, “I’m leaving for work.” 
He ignored the woman’s ensuing pleas to stay at least five minutes longer. Unlike her, he had better things to do, and he rushed out as he fetched his phone from his back pocket and surveyed for any messages he might have missed while he had been away. 
But when he turned on his screen, his most recent notification had his blood turn cold.
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last chapter || next chapter
end notes: The absolute fury in the argument, the complete panic between the twins, and the maniacal temperament in our husband…so much packed in this chapter! If you can’t tell already, my favorite POV to write from is Naoya’s, ha. Also, I took some creative liberty here to convey the intense emotions, so let me know what you think! Hugs to all.
taglist: @dissociatingdiva @httpsplanetmarsdotcom @nemoyr @huangfairy @shadowarchon @203steph @agentdedf1sh @cloudybabes @lynn-writes-things @illicitwriter @7oji @kikuchimi @chaoticjojofan @musicisme333 @kumocchin @s-guru @mwahilovemylife @hey-gurls69 @cloudsinthecosmos @moon-mumu-moon @kazscara @skilerfrostfairy @funicidals @nico707 @proteovaldez @tsukiyohanayome @marimoares @qirbys @puffaloxx @sakanoshitaa @arizzu @kissditrio @lewd-bunny14 @mistyheart @szired @supsii @yvy1s @tokyometronetwork @downtown-roponggi @the-cosmos-network
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samkerrworshipper · 7 months
Text
safe and sound | leah williamson x reader
themes of suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, self harm, depression, anxiety, angst, 4000 words
sorry this is messy asf and not spell checked whatsoever cause i’m uploading this at 1am lol but got this from a request and felt like i had to finish it before i start the lucy smut that i’m starting so here it is my loves xoxo
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I blamed myself for getting myself into this position. Maybe if I’d been a better friend or a better player or maybe just if I hadn;t of woken up on the left side of the bed this morning. Maybe it would all be different if we hadn’t just won a home Euros, maybe I wouldn’t feel the same pressure from the media, maybe I wouldn’t have felt so goddamn anxious to go anywhere. Maybe if I hadn't transferred from Barca I’d feel safer, maybe if I wasn’t so focused on my career I would have seen the warning signs. I hadn’t though, hadn’t seen the way that I felt so fucking tired after every session, even the easier ones. Hadn’t noticed the fact that I wasn’t sleeping anymore and that I was always checking social media to see what people were saying about my most recent game. I hadn’t noticed that I was picking at my nail beds again until they were a bloody mess. Hadn’t noticed that the accidental nicks along my legs from my razor had slowly become less accidental. Hadn’t noticed how absolutely broken I had been from the inside out until I was sitting on top of my apartment car garage contemplating everything.
The sun was setting slowly, the yellows and pinks and oranges all mixing like a starburst tie dye across the sky. It was incredible, something I’d never really seen in London, it felt symbolic. Maybe if I hadn't been choking down my feelings for so long I wouldn’t have been looking at the concrete 30ms below me and finding comfort in it. Finding comfort in the poetic way that it spoke to me, that it made me feel a little bit more at peace. Solid, grey, concrete. Nothing special about it but there was also something so special about it. A gust of wind would probably be enough to send me plummeting onto it, my brains and blood spilling out all over it. It would never look the same after that, never be quite so mundane and normal. The bloodstain would be hard to get out, the deep maroon seeping into the stone and staining it within a matter of minutes. I thought about the headlines for a few seconds, I’d probably make the front page of about every newspaper in the nation, ‘Y/n Y/l/n, Lionesses star striker, dead at 24 due to suicide’, it sent shivers down my spine, the good kind of shivers that made you feel at peace.
I’d never really let myself get further than that, never left myself alone long enough to think of a plan, actually think about much further than sitting here. Now though I felt more alone than ever, I shouldn’t have ever left Barca, shouldn’t have left my family there. It had seemed like the right decision coming to England, to play for Arsenal, to play at home again. Now though I couldn’t have regretted my decision more, I mean I was pretty much calling Lucy or Alexia everyday telling them how desperate I was to come home, balling my eyes out to them on the phone about how much I missed our team in Spain. I was technically only on loan for a season, just to find my footing, but now I was certain that I stood no chance of surviving the whole season. The girls are lovely, Jonas was lovely, I was playing alongside the woman I loved but everything about it felt so wrong. Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was the location but it all was just so wrong and I couldn’t tell you why. I woke up every morning, went to training, came home, ate, tried to sleep and then repeated it all. It was a strenuously depressing pattern that never ended. It was the same, day in, day out. I didn’t have my found family anymore, just myself and my girlfriend who was too occupied with being Arsenal and England’s captain to have much time for me anymore. I didn’t really blame her, she was a busy woman, and she had such a good pure heart that she used to do so much good.
Sometimes it was overwhelming to me how much she was willing to give, to other people, to anything. She put her whole heart into everything and it was something I envied so much in her. Her willingness to give up anything for the people she cared about was insane to me. She cared so deeply about everyone around her and it was truly astounding but it did leave me feeling neglected occasionally when she was busy helping out someone or busy dedicating her time to a project that needed her more than I did. I didn’t like to be needy, so maybe even though I’d been struggling for a few weeks I hadn’t flagged it with Leah.
She’d caught on somewhere along the way, stopping me one morning to check in, I’d shaken her off with a smile telling her I was just a little bit burn out with the Euro’s and changing to Arsenal, I could tell she hadn’t believed me but she also knew that I didn’t respond well to being pushed, normally she would wait me out, wait until I came crawling to her to talk but this time it felt different, like maybe this was the end. Maybe this time I wasn’t going to get around to talking to Leah, maybe this time I didn’t want her to help me, maybe I just wanted to be done with trying to be better, trying to be okay when I wasn’t. Maybe this ledge was the end of my story, maybe it was destined to be.
“Hey honey.”
The sudden voice behind me was almost enough to send me over the ledge, my knuckles turning white from clutching onto the edge. I flinched as the source of the voice climbed up onto the ledge and sat down beside me.
“Beautiful sunset, how was your day?”
It was such a mundane question and the simplicity of the statement was enough to bring me down to earth enough to realise that there were tears falling down my face and my whole body was shaking slightly.
“Reminds me of the ones in Barca. It was alright.”
Leah nodded at me, keeping her own eyes on the horizon, the sun had almost fully gone down but there were parts of it still peeking out.
“I went and saw Keira and Jill, Keira was in town to visit Millie and some of the other girls, she said she missed you, that you’d been missing her and Luce’s calls for about a week now.”
My hands were almost numb from the death grip that I had on the ledge that we were sitting on. She had distanced herself enough that we weren’t touching but close enough that I could feel her presence.
“It kept slipping my mind to call them back.”
It was all excuses, things that I was telling Leah to avoid the conversation.
“Fair enough, they’re both just worried about you, I’m worried about you sweetheart. Did you end up going for coffee with Katie this morning?”
I knew she was asking me the questions as a distraction technique, new she’d been taught it from Lucy when I’d moved here, the same stuff Lucy had been taught from my therapist. I knew that subconsciously but for some reason it worked every single time, without fail.
“Felt sick.”
“She called me, said you’d bailed last minute and asked me to check in with you for her, to tell you that you guys would have to reschedule. What did you eat for lunch?”
I could feel my legs kicking out against the solid concrete below my feet, I was averting Leah’s eye contact with everything that I could, keeping my eyes on my feet or the sky that was gradually getting darker.
“Felt sick, wasn’t hungry. Why are you here? I thought you had that dinner thing with Alex.”
It was the first question that I’d asked in the conversation, my curiosity taking over slightly.
“I came to check in with you, you weren’t answering my texts or calls and I was worried you were sick, so I came to check in before heading off to Alex’s, it’s unlike you to not be on your phone.”
I nodded, it was a fairly good explanation and it made sense but it also annoyed me so much because Leah showing up here was fucking with everything.
“You can go to Alex’s, I feel fine.”
“I love you, you know that right?”
Leah’s words hung heavy in the space between us.
“I know Lee.”
I rubbed at the tears that were drying up on my face with the sleeve of my hoodie, I was still trembling slightly but my tears had come to a slow.
“If anything ever happened to you I’d be beside myself.”
I felt my two front teeth falling to my lip, clutching it between my teeth and biting down on it.
“Lee, I’m fine.”
“No you’re not angel, and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s okay for you to not be doing okay. We wouldn’t be sitting here if everything was fine, how about we get down from here, yeah? We can head down to your apartment, or my house if you want. We’ll go see the dogs, we can talk if you want, or we can call your therapist, or Ale, or we can just cuddle in bed, whatever you need.”
I shook my head almost immediately.
“Leah I need you to leave me alone, please, just leave, go home, go hang out with Alex, just leave me.”
“I can’t do that sweetheart and you know it, and if you can’t get down from here then you know that I won’t hesitate to call 999 if it's what I have to do to keep you safe. I love you Y/n, but I will not love you to death. So you can either get down from here by yourself or with my help, or with the help of a policeman, those are your options.”
It was the stern Leah that was now coming out now, the Leah that came out when she needed to help a teammate who was struggling but wouldn’t admit it, the Leah who was relentless and would do anything to protect the people she loved.
“I can’t do this anymore, I can’t fucking deal with this anymore.”
That was when I broke, tears and sobs cascading from my eyes and mouth.
“I know sweetheart, and I am so sorry that I didn’t realise that it had gotten this bad, I am so sorry for that. Let me make it up to you, let me take you home and I can take time off, we can both take time off, travel, whatever you need. Y/n/n, I can’t not do life without you, so let’s get down from here, let’s work this out at home.”
I was at a crossroads, on one hand I was very much so aware of the fact that I could jump right now, that Leah couldn’t stop that, I also knew that I wouldn’t do it with Leah here, the guilt of making her watch it would eat at me too much. So eventually, I was going to have to get down but for right now I couldn't, I needed to hold on to this for a little bit before having to get down and face reality.
“I’m not going to jump, I just need a few more minutes here.”
“I don’t know if I trust you right now honey, no offence, but I’m looking out for you.”
I nodded, it was fair judgement, I probably wouldn’t trust me either in her position.
“You can hold onto me if it helps, I just need some time here.”
Leah conceded to me, but wrapped her arm securely around my waist, moving herself so she was flush against me and holding me tightly against her body.
“How was Keira?”
“She was good, misses you, her and Lucy are good, I think Keira is getting the sense that Lucy might be tiptoeing around proposing. Apparently she’s been very secretive and antsy, typical Lucy fashion, I told her I knew nothing. Jill made me promise that we’d meet up with her, she says she misses my better half. I picked up Scout from the groomers, you should see the hair cut they gave her, just pure fluff. I went to the grocers, the fancy one that you love so much down the road, picked up all of your favourite stuff, even the stupidly expensive soup that you like. If you want we can go back to mine and you can eat it while we talk.”
She was trying to coax me away, with the promise of soup, which sounded so stupid but she knew me so well that it made me laugh a little bit.
“Can I have the soup without talking?”
“You can drink the soup first but we have to talk and you know it, whether you realise it or not it’s for the better.”
I nodded into Leah’s side, she was right, she was always right. She was so wise for her age and sometimes it felt like instead of being two years older than me she was 20.
“Let’s head home, yeah?”
I pursed my lips, still contemplating my options.
“You’re going to make me anyways, right?”
“Yeah babygirl, it’s for the best.”
I nodded at Leah, accepting defeat.
“Can you help me?”
Leah nodded at me almost immediately, getting herself down and then reaching up for me. She lifted me off of the ledge and pulled me down onto the ground beside her. The first thing she did was drape her jacket around my shivering form. She didn’t say anything else, she just immediately started walking, dragging me along towards her car and gracefully fastening the passenger seat belt around me before climbing into the driver's seat and started to drive.
The car ride was silent, I was a shivering, crying, mess. Leah was keeping up her strong facade, clearly not prepared to give me any sympathy. It wasn’t her way, she was a tough love kind of person. She gave it to you how it was and that was that. I loved her for that, I didn’t like people who bull shitted you with false sympathies and sweetness, I was a realist and so was Leah.
The drive to her house was reasonably short, she lived about a ten minute drive from my apartment or a half an hour walk. It was convenient, especially when one of us needed a little bit of space but we also wanted to be within reach of the other. When we did make it back to her house I was kind of feeling inexplicably numb, my thoughts eating at my brain and body and leaving me feeling frozen in time. Leah unbuckled me from my seat and helped me up, helped me walk through her front door before getting me seated on her couch with our dogs before walking into the kitchen to get that soup that she’d promised me.
When she did finish warming up the soup I was melting into the couch practically, our dogs, Scout and Saidee had apparently gotten the message that I needed them, so both of them were draped on top of me, it was what I needed. Leah returned with a bowl of soup and placed it down on our coffee table before sliding in next to me on the couch.
“I’d give the soup a few minutes to cool down, how about we talk until then?”
I didn’t want to talk, but it didn’t seem like I had a choice.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“How long have you been feeling not okay?”
It was a rough question, but not something that I hadn’t been expecting.
“Honestly, a few weeks, since my move here. I love you and I love being with you but being here isn’t easy for me and I’m struggling to settle in.”
Leah nodded, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for her to hear, that’s probably why I’d avoided telling her for as long as possible. Arsenal was her family, Arsenal ran in her blood and I knew that there was a chance she’d take it personally that I hadn’t been finding it easy to settle in.
“Okay, I wish you’d told me earlier but that’s okay. Change isn’t easy, I can’t blame you for struggling. Obviously, I love having you here but if it’s not meant to be then it’s not meant to be. I’m sorry if I haven’t been focusing on you enough, I know that I’ve been so occupied with everything else but that isn’t a good enough reason for me to have been neglecting you. I have to ask this question, were you going to kill yourself tonight?”
I took a deep breath through my nose, no one is ever prepared for that question, it’s not something anybody wants to hear or talk about ever.
“Look, I’m not quite sure. I wasn’t really thinking, if you hadn't showed up, maybe. I don’t know Leah, I just know that I was feeling so fucking out of control and when I fele out of control I stop thinking.”
Leah just pursed her lips, it was clear that she didn’t know exactly what to say, or she was trying to put what she was thinking into words.
“Okay, that’s okay. Obviously it’s not okay, but that’s okay. We have options here, you have options. Let’s book an appointment with your therapist tomorrow, firstly. Secondly I think you and I should maybe sit down and have a proper conversation about your mental health, just so that I can become more educated on it and I can be more aware of these kinds of situations, because I want to be. I love you y/n and I want to be here to support you fully, but if I’m going to do that I need to understand how I can love you but also look after you and help you, because I want to.”
I was anxiously patting our dogs stomach, as I thought about how the fuck I was going to talk to Leah about this.
“I’ve had fucked up mental health since I was a kid, it fluctuates, you know that I get panic attacks and spouts of depression. Sometimes it worsens, Lucy can give you more details, honestly I don’t think I’m the best at explaining it. Sometimes I get really low, I’ve had my fair share of suicidal thoughts and self harm over the years, I’ve never gone through with anything and honestly my mental health has been really good over the year or so, that was why I didn’t flag it with you, and I’m sorry I didn’t. I am so sorry that you had to see me like that, I’m sorry that your fucking worrying about me.”
Leah’s arm wove its way around my waist, bringing me flush against her and it felt so right in that moment.
“Y/n, look at me.”
It was the first time that I’d looked her in the eyes the whole night and it kind of hurt in some bizarre way staring into her brown eyes. They were full of so much emotion, so much feeling and pain in them.
“You should not be sorry for having human emotion. I’m sorry for not seeing the warning signs, for not being around enough to see the signs. I’m still learning, I’m trying to be better for you, so let’s just agree that neither of us are perfect. This is new to me, but I’m going to try my fucking hardest for you, whatever you need. We’re going to make you feel happier, put that smile back on your face that made me fall in love with you, if it’s the last thing I do. Maybe we take a break if that’s what you need, or we explore other options, anything to make you feel happier, anything for my girl.”
584 notes · View notes
lightseoul · 1 year
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prove it
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synopsis. bakugou katsuki starts acting differently after your last conversation. you finally arrive at an agreement. (part 1) (part 2)
cw. fem!reader, worker!reader, prohero!katsuki, aged-up (~24 yrs old), lots of cussing
word count. 3.6k words
a/n. the last part of the series! thanks so much for all the love on the first two parts, everyone! i had such fun writing this <3 again, reblogs, tags, and comments will be highly appreciated!
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You barely slept a wink that night.
After that exchange with Bakugou, you immediately left his office, not even bothering to greet his secretary (partly because you couldn’t bear the possibility of her overhearing), and headed straight to your desk.
A feeble attempt at going back to work was made, but you’d be lying to yourself if you said you actually got something done.
Even as you commuted your way home and got ready for bed, your brain wouldn’t stop replaying the conversation, lingering especially on his loaded confession.
He still loves you.
What now?
Sadly, just because you're marred by sleep deficit and boy problems doesn't mean you get to miss out on work. You now walk down the hallway of your floor on the way to the break room, desperate to inject some caffeine into your system to get you through the day.
And to help you focus and get your mind off of Bakugou fucking Katsuki, thank you very much.
You’re one foot into the room when it suddenly dawns on you how you consumed the last pod of your favorite brew yesterday (before all the shit went down), which means that you’re now out and caffeine-less.
Fuck.
“Well, don’t you look like shit.”
Mikuri hums from her favorite spot on the sofa, a cup of what you think is green tea in her hands.
“Thanks?” you mumble begrudgingly as you plop yourself across from her, mood growing sourer by the minute.
“What’s up with you?” she sounds amused, a brow quirked in question.
You sigh, smoothing the wrinkle on your blazer you didn’t have the energy to iron out that morning. “Am sleep-deprived and out of coffee. Not everyone can be chipper like you on this fine day, I guess.”
“No, you’re not?”
You sit up, eyes narrowing, “You mean to say I look like shit normally and not just because I didn’t get enough sleep?”
She frowns, “You know that’s not what I mean. What I meant is that no, you’re not out of coffee.”
“Look,” she gestures to the beverage area with her free hand.
Your brows shoot up in response as you take in the freshly stocked shelf.
Weird, you think to yourself.
You were normally the one to restock on that specific flavor, being the only one on your floor who is partial to it.
Unless…
You shake your head to rid yourself of the unwelcome thoughts, willing to crush the butterflies erupting in your stomach.
Mikuri doesn’t get the chance to comment on your unusual behavior because the Performance Management head of your HR team pops in through the door, a grin adorning his face.
“Good morning, boss! See you in 15.”
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Yamakawa, the Recruitment head, rifles through her documents before standing up to distribute them to you and the other sub-department leads.
She goes around the room to hand you what seems to be a substantial amount of pages, “Here’s the status report on Bakugou’s new sidekick.”
“Already?” you splutter, gaining the attention of your direct subordinates. You straighten up, slightly embarrassed. “I thought they’re just starting today?”
“Yeah, well. We figured you’d want to hear it,” Yamakawa says as she gets seated and goes through her copy.
“Get this,” she continues, “he’s way more cooperative than we predicted him to be. Moriyama-san, or Water Jet Hero: Aqua Girl, is already in his office, discussing—” she glances at the report, “—battle strategies and joint training schedules as we speak.”
The others hum in acknowledgment as you sit there, still struggling to wrap your head around what was just said.
“And no one coerced him to do this?” Tanaka, the Performance Management head, pipes in. You whip to look at Yamakawa, anticipating her answer.
“Apparently, he emailed Moriyama-san yesterday himself to set the meeting.”
Delighted noises erupt across the room as you stare at the Recruitment head in disbelief.
“This is great news, right?” the Socialization head exclaims. “If we’re talking long-term, Bakugou’s workload will definitely lessen with a good sidekick around, meaning we’ll get fewer angry outbursts and a more decent-to-be-around boss!”
You know they’re making sense, and that this is supposed to be amazing news to hear as the HR department head, but you can’t help the tinge of anticipatory dread rising in your gut.
“Why don’t you seem happy?” Tanaka asks you, before turning to the others. “Hey, why isn’t Y/N happy?”
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The unusual events don’t end after that.
To your surprise, Bakugou starts to attend meetings that concern him, instead of the usual—letting Kirishima do all the coordinating with you and your department. He’s even offered to help you with your analysis report on his new sidekick (quite awkwardly, at that), which you so quickly and frantically declined in front of everyone.
You suspect your subordinates are starting to deem you as weird, too.
If they only knew.
Regardless, with each passing day, you seem to be seeing more and more of him around the office, and needless to say, it’s messing with your head.
The always-stocked shelf of coffee isn’t helping either.
It’s gotten to the point where it’s starting to affect your sleep as well, with how much you overthink these sudden changes in his behavior.
In an attempt to get your mind off him and the confusing mix of hope and dread circling your stomach, you start to drown yourself in work.
Ah, your ever-trusty friend: avoidance.
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You stand by the coffee machine as it does its magic, your foot tapping against the floor impatiently. You glance at the wall clock, which reads 8:01 PM.
You sigh, grabbing the freshly brewed beverage not even a second after the machine dings.
It’s been two weeks since that heated conversation with Bakugou, and one since your self-mandated oath to bury yourself with work, at least until your thoughts get a little bit less muddled and Bakugou stops acting differently.
“You’re still here?”
You startle from your absentminded stirring and look toward the source of the voice.
Speak of the devil.
Seeming as though he’s fresh from a shower, you stare at Bakugou as he stands by the doorway of the break room.
You eye the duffel bag that’s slung over his shoulder.
“You’re leaving already?”
Fuck, you think to yourself. Now you feel like a creep for knowing that Bakugou leaving two hours after his shift is considered early in his dictionary.
And now you feel stupid for answering his question with another question.
What’s gotten into you?
“Yeah,” he answers curtly, not offering much of an explanation. “What’re you doing working overtime?”
You place the mug on the marble countertop and cringe when it makes a loud, clashing noise.
You turn back to face him. “Have to work on the biannual report.” You shrug, as nonchalantly as you can, “It’s due soon.”
Bakugou grunts in acknowledgment, shifting on his feet.
“Well, thank you for your hard work,” he offers. “And for—uh—helping me choose my sidekick.”
Your stomach whirls in delight despite yourself.
You clear your throat, “Again, I was just doing my job.”
At that, he deflates ever so minutely, so you follow it up with: “But you’re welcome. I heard you’re thinking of hiring another one?”
“Yeah, just to help with the workload,” he nods. “I met him yesterday.”
“...You’re right, by the way,” Bakugou adds after a few seconds pass without you saying anything.
“Huh?”
He looks away, breaking eye contact. “I don’t like how similar we are. But he’s good.”
You have no idea how he knew you said that.
Scratch that—it was probably Kirishima.
Damn that meddler.
You clear your throat again in an attempt to change the subject and drop the conversation in its entirety.
“Well, I hope you have a good rest of your night.”
Bakugou meets your eye again, and for a moment he looks like he’s about to say something, then hesitates.
He opens his mouth ever so slightly before closing it again, eyes still fixed on you, before simply saying: “You too.”
At that, he turns on his heel and trudges towards the elevators.
Once you’re sure he’s out of sight and earshot, you bring your hand up to clutch at your heart, which is going at an alarmingly fast rate.
“Shit.”
You can’t still be in love with him?
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“What?!” Mina hops on her feet, almost knocking your glass of iced tea off the table.
“Dude, you’ve got to stop doing that,” you seethe, looking around your go-to café. It’s unusually barren on a Saturday afternoon.
You look back at her, “People stare, you know. And besides, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL?!” she parrots incredulously.
“Just—” you scramble for words, “please sit back down?”
At your pleading tone, Mina finally gets seated, but her pinched eyebrows tell you she’s far from being done with the conversation.
“Fine,” she relents, “but you’ve got some explaining to do, missy.”
You sigh, “Okay. What do I have to explain to you?”
“Wha—” she starts, aghast, “I mean—first of all, why the fuck are you asking me to contact your blind date when three weeks ago, you were practically disgusted with the idea of going on one?”
“We talked,” you shift your eyes away from her. “Bakugou and I.”
Mina snorts.
“Let me guess. You realized you still love him?”
Your head whips to look at her, “Mina!”
“What?” she spits back. “Don’t use that accusatory tone on me.”
“I have the right to use this accusatory tone on you. I have a feeling a certain someone broke her promise about not saying anything about our last conversation with Bakugou.”
At that, Mina visibly cringes.
“In my defense,” she starts, voice raised, “it was only because that cemented how you’re both still into each other!”
You scoff.
“Aren’t you?” she presses, shooting you a pointed look, “Still into him?”
“I—I don’t know okay,” you raise your voice, inadvertently catching a few café-goers’ attention. You sink back into your seat in embarrassment.
“All I know is that the circumstances between us still haven’t changed. And that this shit is confusing—he’s confusing.”
You wave your hand around vaguely, “He’s been acting all weird and stuff.”
“How so?”
“Well, for starters…”
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“Hmmm…”
“What do you mean, hmmm?” you ask, exasperated.
She rolls her eyes at you, “Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that he’s trying to prove you something?”
At that, your heart leaps in your throat. You push it down, though, as best as you can. Crossing your arms across your chest, you huff.
“If he thinks restocking my coffee for me is proving something, he’s got another thing coming for him.”
Mina guffaws, and you can’t help the smile that creeps on your face. Once the laughter has died down, though, she eyes you for a moment before sighing in resignation.
She picks up her phone and thumbs out something on her keyboard.
“Well, you’re in luck,” she starts, “Daichi-san is still interested in meeting you.”
You don’t know whether to be annoyed at Mina for ignoring your earlier request to cancel or be grateful for indulging you on your current one.
Not wanting to change her mind, you merely opt for mumbling a quick ‘thank you’, glancing at your phone as it dings with a message from her containing the engineer’s number.
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You look around the interior of the restaurant, past the windows of the private room you’re in where a beautiful traditional garden lies, illuminated by the dim orange outdoor lighting.
You chance a peek at Daichi, who is already looking at you when your eyes meet.
Embarrassed, you look down at your ridiculously elaborate main course, finding yourself grateful that you opted for the fancier of your two dresses earlier this evening.
“So,” he breaks the silence as he pours you a glass of wine whose name you can’t even begin to pronounce. “Ashido-san told me you work at the Ground Riot agency?”
“Yes,” you smile gratefully as you bring your glass to your lips and take a sip. “I’ve been working there for a year now.”
“Must be exciting, huh?” he adds pleasantly, “working for top Pro Heroes?”
Man.
You purse your lips together, not wanting to seem stilted by the question. “It is. It can get quite hectic, though.”
He hums in agreement, “I get that.”
Daichi then proceeds to talk about the agency where he works, and normally you’d be kind enough to actively listen and throw in some follow-up questions, but your mind is now drifting towards Bakugou and your last encounter at the mention of the Pro Hero.
What did he want to say to you?
“L/N-san?”
“Huh?”
Daichi chuckles awkwardly, “I was just asking if you wanted some spice on your salmon."
Spice.
Bakugou would’ve wanted some.
Bakugou, you think to yourself.
Bakugou.
“Bakugou?”
You gape at the figure looming over your dining table.
The very man is standing there in his regular clothes that would’ve disguised his identity if it weren’t for his distinct blonde hair and hulking figure.
“What are you doing here?!”
“I need to talk to you.”
You nervously glance at your date, who seems to be starstruck by the Pro Hero in front of him.
“I’m kind of in the middle of something?” you whisper-shout.
Bakugou barely pays him any attention—gaze remaining on you. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think an unspoken ‘please’ lies at the tip of his tongue.
You shake your head in bewilderment, or in an attempt to shake off these thoughts—you don’t know.
“Don’t you have the night shift? And how’d you know I was here?”
He exhales heavily, jaw tensing.
“I had Kirishima cover for me. And…” He looks away for a brief moment, before turning back and fixing his gaze on yours. “I asked Mina, and she told me you’d be here.”
You don’t know what comes over you, but at that, you stand up on your feet and stare him down.
“You can stop now, Katsuki,” you hush, wary of your date eavesdropping on your conversation. “Quit wasting your time on me just to prove a point and go back to the agency. You’ve done enough.”
His eyebrows furrow in what you’ve grown to identify as defiance, but he doesn’t make a move to fight back or leave.
Instead, he says through gritted teeth: “I’m not just trying to prove a fucking point, Y/N.”
“Then what are—”
“Excuse me?”
You both whip your heads in the direction of the voice, only to see Daichi sporting a sheepish look on his face as his eyes dart between the two of you.
A pang of guilt courses through you at the sight.
He clears his throat, “Do you guys need a minute alone?”
“No, we’re just—”
“Yes.”
You turn back to look at Bakugou in angry confusion. To your astoundment, he leans in ever slightly, mouth nearing your ear. From how close you are, you see how his Adam’s apple bobs as he gulps before speaking.
His voice is barely above a whisper when he says: “I can’t pretend that this isn’t bothering me.”
You jerk away at the sensation and take a step back, flustered. Before you can even gather your bearing, Daichi speaks up again, albeit quite hesitantly.
“I know I’m supposed to be the one leaving here, but if you want some privacy, this restaurant has a private patio right to your left.”
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“I can’t believe you interrupted us like that,” you spew as you step out into the restaurant’s patio, which is fortunately empty except for the two of you.
Bakugou follows behind you, trying to catch up as you speak.
“I just needed to talk to you.”
At that, you spin around to face him, and he halts in his step in front of you.
Incredulous, you stare at him for a few seconds.
“Talk,” you finally command.
His eyes widen in surprise, and you can tell he didn’t expect this conversation to arrive at this point so soon.
A moment passes, but not a single word is uttered. Bakugou’s mouth opens and closes, opens and closes, as he attempts to get a word out but to no avail.
“What, now you don’t have anything to say?” you ask pointedly, irritation bubbling in you by the second.
You wait for a few more, excruciatingly quiet seconds before huffing in defeat. And disappointment—you finally admit to yourself.
“If you’ll excuse me,” you turn on your heel, “I have a poor date to return to.”
You start to head for the restaurant’s back door when Bakugou makes a grab for your hand, spinning you around to face him.
“Just—wait.”
His voice is pleading now, frustration and desperation evident in his tone. You’re itching to yank your hand back, which is getting alarmingly clammier by the second, but you fight the urge.
The pained look on Bakugou’s face is enough to freeze you solid.
This time around, you patiently wait for him to gather his words with his hand still wrapped around yours and your heart betraying you, beating at an abnormally fast pace.
What feels like an hour goes by before he finally manages to speak.
And what comes out of his mouth throws you right off.
“I strengthened our coordination with the other agencies around the district.”
“...What?”
You absentmindedly touch your face with your free hand.
You can’t be having a stroke right now.
Bakugou shifts on his feet, a nervous tic you’ve noticed developed over the years.
Okay, if you’re coherent enough to observe that, maybe you’re not having a stroke.
“I mean—” he scratches the back of his neck with his free hand. “—Shitty Hair and I, we clarified jurisdictions around the area so that the two of us won’t be the go-to contact every time there’s a villain around.”
“I’m still not following, Katsuki.”
He ignores your comment, choosing to continue on his tangent instead.
“And I started seeing my therapist again. That damned hag went on telling me she was glad I’m getting help again like she was my mother.”
You blink at him as the gears start turning in your head.
Jurisdiction.
Less overtime.
More sidekicks.
Therapy.
Communication.
Suddenly, everything clicks.
“Maybe I am trying to prove a point,” Bakugou mumbles, more to himself than you.
“But it’s not just that,” he continues, looking back at you and not letting you get a word in.
“I’m here to tell you that I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect. Despite all the adjustments I’ve made, there are still gonna be days when I have no choice but to prioritize my duties as a hero over you.”
He looks down at your joint hands and squeezes, “Over us.”
“But I’m trying my best,” he declares with such certainty it knocks the wind off your lungs. “And I’ll keep doing so, if you’ll give me a chance to prove to you that I can do it.”
A million questions race through your mind. Why couldn’t he have done this for you the first time around? How is this time going to be any different? Are the changes going to be enough?
But he’s staring at you with such longing and hope and determination that the only thing you can think of is: How can you not?
Dizzy from the revelation and robbed of all words, all you can do is nod in affirmation as the tears you didn’t even notice were there start falling down your cheek.
A sigh of relief wracks Bakugou’s body as he scoops you in his arms, engulfing you in an embrace that has you sobbing even more on his shoulder.
The wet sensation spreading on your bare shoulders tells you he’s crying, too.
After what feels like an eternity of shedding tears and being wrapped in each other’s arms, Bakugou finally moves to unwrap his limbs around you, now holding you at an arm’s length.
Now not in spite of yourself, your hand shoots up to wipe off the tear streaks on his face, which he leans into.
“I’m sorry, by the way,” he whispers after a moment.
Your hand freezes in its track. “For what?”
“For not being able to immediately answer back when you asked me if you loving me changed anything.”
He looks down at his feet, uncertain. “I think—I just—” he stutters, “Fuck.”
You can’t help but chuckle in response, and he looks up at your face at the sound. He’s trying to playfully pout, but you can tell by the look on his face that he’s feeling the farthest from playful.
Flashing him what you hope is a reassuring smile, you reach for the hand on your shoulder and squeeze it. “Go on, Katsuki.”
He sighs for the nth time at your coaxing, the slightest bit of relief flashing across his features.
“At that moment,” he finally continues, voice raspy, “I guess I was just scared shitless. I was paralyzed with doubt—in myself, in my capability to not mess up the second time around.”
He huffs, eyeing you, “Didn’t occur to me how stupid that was until I was walking home later that night.”
You’re about to reassure him when he snorts. “The fuck am I saying—I’m still scared.”
At that, you audibly laugh, running your fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. He visibly softens at the gesture, lids fluttering shut for a moment. When he opens them, you then look him straight in the eye—the laughter long gone, now replaced with a palpable seriousness.
“I’m scared, too,” you say, voice quiet. “But we’ll try and make things work. Right, Katsuki?”
He nods vigorously, hand clenching yours and his crimson orbs filled with nothing but sincerity that all the apprehensions floating in your mind suddenly disappear.
“We will.”
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tagging. @katsukis1wife @rinalou @bakugouswh0r3 @poemzcheng @lovra974 @jasmixs @xoneaboveallx @bontensh0e @kooromin @sirenmoi @buzzbuzz-hm @xzsanaa @baddecisionsworld @iam-thevillain-of-thisstory @i-simp-to-much @goldenglow149 @fixed211 @zenxvii @roses-arerosies @tiredjuniper @curbstompedrice @loverboyrin @brunnetteiwik @bkgnotsuma @6423btw @kaeremin @ghastly-san @jasmixs @javochqaa @nnubee @just-ambxrr @idk-sam @dream-walker-cat @kitthepurplepotato @endlessfreaky @myrunawaysweets @bxbyyyjocelyn @smolbeannnn @seabass17 @serendipitous-fernweh @the-weeping-author
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sillyyuserr · 2 months
Text
A longer, more in depth (9 parts all in one) terukane analysis, and/or everything i could find, compiled (one of my better pieces of work imo) ⭐️
Ok so it might be the fact that i ship them so i see alot of things they do as possibly romantic even when theres no romantic undertones, but the amount of times it feels like AidaIro seems to be implying that teru likes akane is getting to a suspiciously high number. Like lets look at this from a non-shipper’s pov
Item A: teru looking at akane
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If you told me (with context) this was a STRAIGHT man looking at another STRAIGHT man, i’d be a little iffy (for lack of better words). Without the fact that he’s looking at akane, he genuinely looks like he’s showing something of raw emotion, unchanged by his “fake persona” but a genuine reaction. I mean i wouldn’t say “omg hes so in lovveee!!!” But considering he doesn’t really open up to like anyone, i think this is definitely something.
Item B: them going together on a romantic outing
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Yes i did make it sound much more compelling then it actually is but cmon man. The school festival is considered a “romantic event” and these two spent the entire time hanging around the school together. Giving the excuse that "it's our job being in the student council" (which i guess it is) but in reality it was because no one wanted to come with them.
Which i mean they also did technically go on an actual date together
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also nene looking like a hamster 😭😭
Item C: teru trusting akane more than anyone (?)
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Teru likes talking to akane, trusts his intellect, and considers him someone he can rely on but doesn't like it when his whole world starts to revolve around aoi. My guy, that's jealousy.
He is shown to trust him and even show his back to him in multiple instances, knowing he wont hurt him, and he’s someone he can trust (lets ignore what happens on the literal next page)
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Even literally being one of those “i fight alone” type of people but when akane’s there, he’s never fighting alone
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Item D: not sure if thats whats happening here but im pretty sure he tried rizzing akane up, even going as far as to blush, all so he doesnt rule him guilty
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And then got agitated when it didn’t work
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Item E: akane knows teru better than we think
When kou and teru were fighting, the reason teru even walked out in the first place was because of the fireworks. And whos idea was that?
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Akane’s. He knew he liked fireworks and that they’d lure him out of his room. And again, he was right
Item F: valentines day event
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i dont think i even need to break this one down. Its a picture of JUST them TOGETHER posted on VALENTINES DAY. 2/14/24. THE ANNUAL HOLIDAY THAT CELEBRATES NONE OTHER THAN ROMANTIC LOVE. Also teru’s color being used as akane’s sparkles and akane’s color being used as teru’s sparkles kinda shows that AidaIro arent just showing us two characters, they’re showing us TERU and AKANE, TOGETHER. If it really could be anyone im sure they’d put them in a general setting, but with the paired colors i’d say that says otherwise.
some might say they’re looking at eachother
Item G: possible fruit symbolism
first off, this picture.
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First lets look at hanako’s. We can see he has two drinks, both red + with strawberries, along with a red straw. While also being pictured near other red fruits.
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In this picture, nene’s flower(s) are literally strawberry flowers, putting the association between strawberries + nene out there. Meaning the strawberries in his drink could be purposeful, along with the red undertones. (red being her eye color) (sorry for quality im doin this on iPhone)
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Moving on to teru’s, he has one drink, being yellow-ish with pineapple on the side, and chunks in the drink itself. Whilst his straw is orange, while also being pictured around a ginormous pinapple
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And this isnt the first time we’ve seen him pictured with pineapples
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This god awful picture unfortunately exists so im adding it as proof/evidence for my argument. (Oh and not to mention akane has green pants on so everyone’s a lil funky igs)
notice how as soon they got to his house his outfit changed? This is him when they got to his house (clearly in a long-sleeve shirt, not the hoodie)
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this is him with akane + nene going on a date
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All within the same chapter i think, but him changing outfits i feel like says something. Like we’re supposed to associate that with something other than aoi (them talking ab how to save her at his house) or his family. He even straight up left when they started talking ab how they missed aoi at the karaoke place. (More or so when he left they started talking but ykwim) Since nene is being associated with strawberries it leaves the only other person to be akane, this making sense also because of the straw color. (The straw being orange)
also the fact that fruit is literally associated with the queer community
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Item H: triangles + queer symbolism
Quick history lesson, A triangle has been a symbol for the queer community, initially intended as a badge of shame, but later reclaimed as a positive symbol of self-identity. In Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, it began as one of the Nazi concentration camp badges, distinguishing those imprisoned because they had been identified by authorities as gay men. In the 1970s, it was again, reclaimed as a symbol of protest against homophobia, and has since been adopted by the larger queer community as a popular symbol of queer pride. More or so, the upsidown triangle. and guess whos ALWAYS wearing a fucking upsidown triangle
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My guy has one for EVERY OUTFIT 😭 also im not even shitting you i would add more but ive reached the limit of 30 photos per post
Item I: extras
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This picture. Him holding akane’s shirt and aoi’s bag really shows that AidaIro REALLY doesn’t want us to know which one he likes 😭 (if you’re confused, to sum it up AidaIro did a really good job keeping teru’s stance on the “love triangle” between akane, teru and aoi, ambiguous. If you are STILL confused go check out my other analysies i only have like 5 other posts, they go more in depth ab it)
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Him looking at akane after he ate his “home made cooking” 😭 ALSO HIS EYES?? Dude they’re glistening. And the slight blush too
In the “kiss comic” part of the art book, not only are teru and akane’s on the same page, but they also look like they go together
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Thats all i got for now (´-ω-`) MAN this took me like 5 different consecutive days. I wrote like 3 parts on one day, 2 more parts the next, and 1 more part today. 😭 hope you enjoyed and this re-gave you faith that terukane might be canon one day 😔 fake it till you make it
Feel free to comment and tell me ab anything i may have missed!! :3
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licorice-tea · 2 months
Text
You Feel Right; Stay A Sec
Pairing: Trafalgar Law x reader
Content: pining, yearning, wanting, and needing <3 no smut just fluff! kissing and smooching, just one mention of “going further”! reader is a heart pirate and likes reading :)
Word Count: 1.4k
A/N: it’s been a while since i wrote something for my man (Law <3) so i had fun with this😇☝️inspired by lyrics from the song “Hostage” by billie eilish… i love writing based on songs, it’s probably bc i have music playing 24/7 in either my headphones or on a speaker, and i just love music! so it’s easy to get inspo or create scenarios while listening to it, yk? anyway, hope you enjoy! <3
I wanna be alone
Danger around every corner, piles of work, tasks demanding his attention, and crew members in need of their captain’s opinion are all sources of constant stress for one Trafalgar Law. It’s not that he doesn’t love being a surgeon; it’s his passion, nor his crew; they’re the closest thing he has to a family now. It's just that his battery in all aspects- social, mental, physical- is constantly drained.
The only things keeping him going are steaming cups of black coffee and the rare moments of quiet before he passes out on top of his comforter. And, no matter what form the momentarily relief from life takes, it most always comes when Law is alone. He prefers it that way, anyway.
Alone with you, does that make sense?
He prefers being alone, really. Which is why nothing about you makes sense. Right off the bat, Law has felt differently around you than others. He made an effort not to show that difference in opinion no matter how strong it came to be at times.
Times like now, where sleep eludes Law despite how damn tired he is. For whatever reason, all he wants is to hold something- no, someone… you. Law wants to hold you. Or maybe you could hold him, who cares about the specifics?
Law flips on his stomach and groans into his pillow. This is new territory. He’s never wanted someone the way he wants you. A partner to hold close on nights like these, or to simply be alone with.
I wanna steal your soul
He has considered, on multiple occasions, telling you how he feels. But Law would never actually do such a thing. It would be a complicated and messy affair, surely, thanks to your positions. (His as your captain and yours as his subordinate.) And he wouldn’t want you to feel like you had to accept his confession, either.
Still… he wishes you were his, in every way a person could give themself to another.
And hide you in my treasure chest
At least you’re on his crew. You’re always nearby, should he need you, which he often does. Sometimes, Law likes to call you into his office for a made up reason. “Y/n-ya,” he’d say, “give me a rundown on tomorrow’s conditions at sea.” Though you’re not the navigator of the ship, you still know plenty about seafaring, so you’d comply. Then he’d find some other trivial matter to discuss, or offer you a new book so you could later exchange thoughts on it. Just something- anything to keep you around as long as possible. It’s so much more peaceful with you.
I don't know what to do
But how to make your role in his life a more permanent one? Law hasn’t a clue. Tonight, like many others, you sit on a couch in Law’s office. Neither of you speak, but the atmosphere is calm and comfortable.
Or it should be. Law discreetly looks your way every few minutes, then every few seconds. His eyes follow the way yours scan side to side over a page of your book. From the lines of your jaw and neck, to stray hairs falling over the curve of your cheek.
The usually undetectable tension seems to be coming to a point tonight, and Law doesn’t know how to resolve it. But he wants to, almost as much as he wants you.
So, for once in his life, he moves without much planning. Law rises from his desk and crosses the room to sit beside you. He (stiffly) puts his arm around the back of the couch. Naturally, you give him a perplexed look- it’s not like Law to suddenly reach out like this, physically or otherwise.
“Good book?”
“Yeah, thanks for recommending it.”
“For sure.”
“…Is that all?”
He nods, then pulls his hat lower over his eyes. Silently, he makes a plan to abort this failed mission.
Luckily, you stop him and take the initiative.
To do with your kiss on my neck
Law lifts his arm back off the couch and over you. But, you gently grab his wrist before he can go any farther. “Law, is there… You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Again, he simply nods. A moment of silently staring into each other’s eyes passes, and he leans forwards extremely hesitantly. Your hand moves from his wrist and tentatively rests on his shoulder. Still, Law doesn’t break eye contact (for once in his life), continuing to lean forward at a painfully slow pace. So you allow your hand to travel up to the side of his neck.
“You can kiss me.”
He nods again slightly, “I know. I- I will.”
I don't know what feels true
At long last, Law places a featherlight kiss on the corner of your lips. It’s an unsure, awkward action, but welcome nonetheless. His lips linger on yours, not quite aligned for a moment. Despite your breath being held, you allow your eyes to close and savor the feeling. You want more than this chaste kiss from him, of course, but you’d take your time with it. Law isn’t the kind of man you’d want to have a touch and go experience with. No, he’s the kind the one that you want to savor. The one that you want to take your relationship slow and steady with as he wants, and as a result get to spend even longer in his company.
When he pulls away, you can’t help but smile. Law’s parted lips close into the gentle curve of a smile as well, his usual smirk appearing much more bashful. The two of you lean back into each other. Your noses are nudged and warm breaths mingle before your lips can meet again.
But this feels right, so stay a sec
Law realizes he’s never done this before; kissing. But now, he’s hooked. He still doesn’t really know if he’s doing it correctly; if you’re enjoying the experience as much as he is, but it feels good. Therefore, he must be doing something right. Plus you only pull away from him to take breaths before immediately returning your lips to where they belong (on his), which confirms his hopes.
What started as a sweet and slow kiss ends up becoming a much hotter make out session. Months of pent up attraction and feelings for each other spill over, out of your mouth into his (and vice versa.) He’s the first to swipe his tongue across your bottom lip and get you to open up, and proceeds to groan into your mouth in a way that’s surprisingly communicative of how strongly he feels. It gets to the point where, besides your hands roaming over each others backs, you feel that your saliva must also be permanently entangled.
But all good things must come to an end. You pull back completely so that you and Law are properly facing each other, rather than within kissing range. “Law, I… We should talk about this. Before we go any farther.”
His face heats up at the implication; he hadn’t even thought that far ahead, too lost in your sweet taste, warm skin, and soft lips to do so. He nods and just murmurs, “Okay, let’s just keep doing this.”
You agree and kiss him without another word.
Yeah, you feel right, so stay a sec
When you do both finally wind down, and are left as nothing but half-sleep puddles in each other’s arms, Law murmurs something unintelligible into your hair.
Silence passes, though you can practically hear the gears in Law’s head turning. Finally, he speaks his mind. “Don’t go.”
A smile graces your features. How pleasantly surprising it is to have your captain- possibly the most closed off man you’d ever known- asking for you to stay. Of course, you hum in negation. “Wasn’t planning on it.”
His arms seem to tighten around you- though whether it’s reflexively or to keep you close, you’re unsure. “Good.” Then, Law murmurs something unintelligible against you.
“Hm?” He can feel the vibration on your lips against the side of his face more than he can hear it. That’s how closely you’re pressed into him.
Law clears his throat. “You feel right.”
“So do you.”
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vioartemis · 6 months
Text
Friends? (Part 2)
(Wednesday Addams x fem! reader)
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Summary: Your friendship with Wednesday takes another turn after one of your night visits doesn't go as planned. Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 Warnings: erm blood, werewolf attack (not described) a/n: I guess a part 3 is going to be written (I wanted to try something longer but woah maybe it's a little too long) (English isn't my first language, I'm sorry if there are mistakes or if something doesn't make sense TvT)
After that night, Wednesday and you started texting, mostly exchanging about poisonous plants and outcasts. Her texts were well written, good punctuation, good grammar… Really in her style.
The average person would probably not particularly appreciate the way she texts -and talks- but you knew she wasn’t just that. You knew she wasn’t just the cold goth girl without a heart everyone seemed to believe she was.
You loved her personality and enjoyed her company.
Hence why you spent most of your nights in her and Enid’s dorm, or sometimes in the Nightshade’s library when no one else was there. The books they had in there were just amazing. You spent hours reading them, utterly fascinated, with Wednesday sat at the opposite side of the room.
Despite all her efforts, the raven couldn’t seem to be able to concentrate on her own reading; her eyes were glued on you. She had never seen someone so passionate while reading.
The way you were biting your lip when reading, feeling the pages under your thumb, turning the pages carefully not to tear them…
Even though she had said she only tolerated your presence, Enid could see she was looking forward to your visits. The blonde knew her roommate liked you more than she wanted to admit.
One night Wednesday even took you to the greenhouse to show you some of the plants you told her you would love to see.
For the first time since she met Enid, she really enjoyed spending time with someone. You were interesting. Not glued to a phone 24/7, not hating on others because they’re different.
You were a normie, but an outcast amongst the normies. In a sense you were just like her.
This night was another night out for you. You were on your bike, on your way to Nevermore.
Wednesday was waiting for you in her dorm. She had something she wanted to show you, which she was sure you would like.
She turned to her roommate’s side, about to ask her something, only to find her side empty. The raven frowned.
“Thing, where’s Enid?”
Thing tapped on the desk.
The raven’s eyes widened slightly.
Wednesday rushed to her phone. She forgot the full moon. And even if the werewolves were supposed to be locked away during this night, but accidents happen -already happened before.
For the first time since she gave you her number, she called you. No answer. She tried again. Still nothing.
She swore under her breath, and tried again.
“Wednesday?”
“You have to go home.”
“What? Why? I didn’t even get to see y-”
“Y/n. Listen to me. It’s the full moon, it’s not safe.”
“I’m already under your balcony! I just can’t go bac- Wait, aren’t the werewolves supposed to be locked up?”
“Sometimes the cages break. I’m serious, Y/n. You have to-”
She could hear a growl on your side, and heavy breathing.
“Y/n? Y/n!”
She burst out of her dorm and ran to Yoko’s, hoping to find Divina or Bianca there. She banged on the door, still on the phone with you.
She heard you swear, then a noise she couldn’t identify, and the call ended.
“Wednesday-”
“Y/n’s in danger. I need your help. … Please.”
The three girls knew it wasn’t very Wednesday like to plead; the situation must be serious.
Wednesday explained the situation to the girls while they were going down to where you were. The raven hopped they wouldn’t find you. It would mean you were safe.
Sadly, a few meters away from the gate, an inanimate form drew her attention.
You were laying on the grass, blood all over you.
The raven was frozen in place. It reminded her of when she brought Enid to the Gate’s house the year prior. It reminded her when Eugene got attacked in the woods while she was at the Rave’N.
She was responsible. If you died she would be responsible. You would never get to finish your studies on outcasts. You would never get to experiment with Aconitum, or Nightshade, or every other plant you wanted to experiment on. Because of her.
“Wednesday!”
Bianca was holding her by her shoulders.
“She’s alive. But we have to do something quickly.”
The girls carried you to the botanical class. They didn’t have enough time to drive you to the hospital, they had to use what they had.
Bianca and Wednesday were looking through all the plants around them, trying to find the right ones to use, while Yoko and Divina stayed by your side, trying to stop the bleeding.
After what felt like an eternity to the raven, they finally found something that could work.
“Are you sure-”
“No. But that’s all that we have” Bianca said
They prepared the plants, so they had a liquid, before taking a nearby syringe. Once everything was ready, they went back to you.
“Do you want to do it?” the siren asked the raven
She didn’t answer, and just took the syringe. She took a deep breath, noticing her hands were slightly shaking, before injecting you the liquid. She looked at you, eyes full of worry.
It wasn’t 100% sure to work. But it had to. You just couldn’t die like that.
A minute passed. Nothing happened.
Wednesday took your hand in hers, holding it tightly.
“If you die, I will kill you.”
The other girls looked at each other, concerned.
“Wednesday…”
“No. She’s going to wake up. We just have to wait.”
She didn’t really know if she was trying to convince them, or herself.
You were part of her life now, she was used to talking to you every day, to seeing you almost every night… She couldn’t lose you. She liked you.
“Guys”
Wednesday’s eyes moved from your face to your wounds as Yoko pointed toward them. Your cuts were healing! The blood was like absorbed back by your body, leaving deep cuts and coagulated blood. You would have scars, but you were alive.
She let go of your hand to wipe some tears she hadn’t noticed had rolled down her cheeks.
“I’ll stitch her back up. … Thank you.”
The other girls gave the raven a little smile, relieved you were okay, and knowing how much it had cost Wednesday to ask for their help.
Thanks to the girls’ help, Wednesday could bring you back to her dorm and lay you on her bed.
While she was stitching you up, she couldn’t help but take a closer look at your wounds; she didn’t know exactly how the plants they used worked, but she was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to make the blood coagulate so fast. Maybe a sort of mutation happened.
Her pale hands were still tainted with your blood when you opened your eyes. You groaned as you tried to sit up, catching Wednesday’s attention.
“What are you doing?” she asked while she forced you to lay down as gently as she could “You’re hurt. Don’t move.”
She grabbed a bottle of pills and a glass of water, and brought them to you.
“Take that, it’s painkillers.”
You nodded and took the medicine with her help.
“… I’m sorry”
“What? Why?” you asked, surprised by her sudden apology
“I put you in danger, I’m sorry.”
She had learnt from her mistakes -from her fight with Enid after they got attacked at the Gate’s house. Even if she would never admit it, she didn’t want to lose you.
“It’s not your fault, I should have listened when you told me to go home…”
“… You shouldn’t stay close to me. All I ever do is destroy everything.”
You sat up, ignoring the pain, and grabbed her hand.
“That’s not true. Like I said, it’s not your fault. And I’m alive!” you looked directly in her dark eyes “I’m not leaving you. I like you. Maybe even a little more than I should…” your grip on her hand loosened a bit “Anyways, my point is I don’t want to stop spending time with you”
She felt her cheeks heat up a little at your words and at the look in your eyes. With Enid, you were the only one you ever fought to stay with her even though she pushed you away. Even though she put you in danger.
She liked you a lot, but it scared her; she wasn’t familiar with this feeling. Her only experience with love was what she saw with her parents -which she had always found disgusting. But maybe, maybe, with you it wouldn’t be disgusting. If you liked her back.
Because you said you liked her ‘more than you should’, but what did that mean exactly? It could mean a lot of things. And Wednesday didn’t feel like just asking you, it would be awkward.
But if you liked her back and she didn’t do anything there was a chance you’d fall in love with someone else, believing she didn’t like you. She did like you. And the thought of anyone else having you made her crazy.
You were still holding her hand. Your warmth was comforting.
She decided it was time to make a move and intertwined her fingers with yours.
Her action surprised you, to say the least. Your gaze was fixated on your linked hands, processing what just happened. After a second, you felt your cheeks burn.
“D-do you um… Do you want to go out with me someday…? Like for a coffee, or go to the library or anything else you’d like” you asked hesitantly
“Are you suggesting a date?”
Your cheeks heat up again at her words.
“Y-yeah… I mean if you want…”
Wednesday stayed silent for a second before cracking a little smile.
“I’ll pick you up at 4 tomorrow”
[Previous part] || [Next part]
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freyyzu · 1 year
Text
I LOVE YOU’S
In which there are a thousand ways to tell you “I love you,” but saying it is still my favorite.
a/n; because i love them. and also because every time they say “i love you,” in-game i start kicking and screaming from embarrassment. not proof-read or edited because it’s too long and i wanted to be done already aksjd
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LUCIFER —
Lucifer has always been openly honest with how he feels for you.
Words of appreciation aren’t considered strangers in your relationship, and there’s not a day that passes by where they’re not exchanged.
Simple ‘thank you’s when you hand one another an extra pen or paper.
Brief kisses and ‘good morning’s when you pass each other in the hallways of the House of Lamentation.
Gentle reminders to ‘sleep well,’ when you know there’s a long day ahead tomorrow.
He’s always been a person reserved in showing you physical affection in public, but you know more than anyone that he cares more deeply than he’ll allow anyone to see.
Lucifer was used to working for long hours, oftentimes going the whole day without leaving his room — today just so happened to be one of those days.
It’s late evening when he finishes going through all the papers that have piled on his desk. A full 24 hours without running into any of his brothers or even taking a break to eat.
It’s strange, he thinks. Typically when he works he could still hear the ruckus outside. Whether that be Levi chasing down Mammon for not paying him back for something or Satan yelling at Beel to stop clearing out the kitchen before any of them have time to cook a proper meal.
With curious steps, he makes his way downstairs, hoping to see what his brothers are up to and sneak in a late night snack whilst he was at it. To his surprise, the only thing he finds is an empty, quiet house, and you standing in the kitchen preparing a tray of food.
“Ah, Lucifer!” The way your expression lights up upon seeing him makes it feel as if all the stress from the past few hours have melted away. “Are you done with your work? I was just about to bring you something to eat since you missed out on your meals.”
Lucifer doesn’t find the need to respond, or perhaps he’s simply too tired to, all he does is walk over to your side and wraps his arms around your waist. Immediately, he feels your hand come up to rest on his head, gently rustling his hair.
“You did good today.”
“Mmhm.” He eases into your touch, “I love you.”
Your laughter tickles his hands, “I love you as well. Now c’mon, you gotta eat. I’m sure you must be starving.”
MAMMON —
There’s never a day in which Mammon wouldn’t deny being in love with you.
He’s lucky that you find it endearing above all else, otherwise he would’ve suffered a few bruises already.
Because he finds it difficult to tell you how much he loves you, he decides it’s probably best to show you, instead.
He holds your hand on the walk to RAD, making sure to tell you that it’s simply ‘for your protection,’ even though you both know you’re more than capable of handling yourself now.
That cake you had offhandedly mentioned wanting to try shows up in front of your door the next day along with a very embarrassed demon holding on to it, claiming how he ‘just so happened to get lucky,’ even though the lines for the bakery are known to span for three hours long.
Mammon can’t seem to focus.
Perhaps it was the boring lesson plans that he had to get through, or maybe it was Lucifer’s threat of once again stringing him from the ceiling if he failed another test looming over his head, but the demon’s thoughts were only fixated on you. You, who’s currently sitting right beside him, pointing at blurry words on a page and spouting nonsense about some history notes he’s going to forget three seconds later.
“And so… Mammon?” You look up at him curiously. “If you’re tired we can—”
“I love you.”
The words leave his lips before he could even process he was saying it, or even why he was saying it. There’s nothing romantic about your situation right now. There are papers scattered all across your coffee table, eraser shavings lost within your carpet, and three books open, none of which he has paid attention to. If anything, this was the absolute worst moment he could’ve picked to say that phrase.
You blink.
And then he blinks.
You turn red.
And then he turns red.
“Ah…”
“AHHHHH,” he covers his face, flailing his hand wildly. “Ignore that! I didn’t say anything!”
He’s ready to get up and run out of the room, failing the test and being strung up again be damned, if not for you grabbing his arm and preventing him from moving anywhere.
“Say it again,” you insist, leaning in closer and giving him your best puppy-dog eyes, ones that you know he can’t resist saying ‘no,’ to. He caves, as you were sure he would, “I… I love you. I love ya’ lots, okay?!”
If smiles could reach past the eyes, he was sure yours would. “I love ya’ lots, too, Mammon.”
LEVI —
Levi would rather hide in his room for a hundred years than ever say that he loves you.
Of course, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to, but every time he tries he chickens out.
Thankfully, you have the patience of a saint, and he couldn’t be more grateful that you haven’t tried to pry those three words out of him (yet).
Still, Levi does what he can to show you he cares in his own way. Whether that be buying games of your favorite genre, or binging your favorite series just so he has more things to talk with you about, anything else will do.
Though it makes him feel extra bad whenever you say it so easily and he’s left to be a stuttering mess.
Levi sucks in a deep breath.
He hardens his nerves, counts to three, and then tries his best to vocalize how he feels. “I…” He pauses, eye twitching from nervousness. “I- I- I CAN’T DO IT!”
A loud groan escapes his lips as he crouches onto the floor of his bedroom, covering his face with his hands from embarrassment. He’s been at this for days now, looking at Henry through the tank and trying with every nerve in his body to just get those three words up and out of his throat to no avail.
Every time he thinks he’s going to get it your face pops up and instantly all his confidence disappears into thin air.
Levi sucks in another deep breath.
One more time, just one more time, he’ll get it this time.
If there was ever a time for the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it,” to be used, this would be the time. With newfound confidence, he pushes himself up to his feet again and stares directly at Henry, who looks back curiously.
“I-” he scrunches up his face and forces the words lodged in his throat out in a tiny squeak. “I love you.” It’s so quiet, and he barely manages to get your name out afterward, but he did it!
He did it!!
He—!
“I love you too, Levi!”
“AKJSDHJKSFGFGKJ????!?!”
“Wow, I didn’t know you could vocalize a keysmash like that.” You’re laughing, he’s on the floor, face completely red and regretting all his life choices, and you’re laughing. “Sorry for entering without your permission, but I tried knocking a few times and no one answered.”
The best thing you could do for him right now is to stay away, get out of his room even, while he waits for the floor to consume him whole, but instead, you walk towards him, stopping just inches away from his face.
“I couldn’t hear you very well the first time. Could you say it again?”
SATAN —
If simply being in one another’s company and enjoying each other’s presence is considered a way of saying ‘I love you,’ then no one does it better than Satan.
He doesn’t really find the need to say the words very much, but when he does, it’s filled with so much softness and care.
He’ll also say it the most when it’s just the two of you, away from prying eyes.
It’s something special, only for your ears, something only you get to hear.
The best moments in life are the ones where you get to spend them with your loved ones, and for Satan, it was no different; a book in his hand, you in his arms, a blanket thrown loosely to cover your legs as your head rests on his shoulder.
It's been two hours now, two hours of uninterrupted reading time — no brothers barging in his room looking for you, no text messages blowing up his notifications, no uninvited guests knocking on the doors of the House of Lamentation — there wasn’t much else he could ask for right now.
“‘And so, the man looks at the person standing in front of him, the person he’s respected and cared for the most in the world, and holds out a hand. Whatever it is that you need, whether it be riches, luck, or power, I’ll be there to deliver it right into your hands.’”
You shift in his arms, and he pauses his reading for only a moment to make sure you’re comfortable before continuing.
“‘And what if I said that the only thing I desire right now was neither riches, nor luck, nor power, but happiness — happiness with you? What would you deliver unto me, then?’”
“‘I would tell you then that I love you. That I would deliver to you: me. Mind, body, and soul.’”
Satan chuckles, “you stole my line.”
You smile, blinking up at him innocently. “Then just say it again.”
His eyes scan over the words once more, “I would tell you then,” he places the book down and cups your cheeks, pressing your foreheads together, his steady gaze holding onto yours. “That I love you. That I would deliver to you: me. Mind, body, and soul.”
ASMO —
No one tells you that they love you more than Asmo does. To him, saying he loves you is just another ring thrown into an endless pool of compliments.
‘You look so cute today!’ He’ll tell you the moment he spots you with a new outfit on. ‘Are you using a new lipstick?’ He notices every small change that you make to your appearance.
It makes you undeniably happy, of course, but it also makes it hard to differentiate from when he’s just being from when he’s being genuine.
Though if you ask him about it, he’ll be more offended than you could ever imagine. Everything he says to you is genuine, how could you ever think otherwise?
There’s been something strained about your relationship with Asmo lately, and unfortunately for him, he can’t seem to figure out what it is.
His compliments don’t have much of an effect anymore. The cute blush you seem to always adorn when he tells you how cute you look doesn’t appear, and every time he gives you a kiss he sees for a fraction of a section that a frown adorns your lips.
“Now, will you please tell me what it is that I’m doing that’s making you sad? I can’t bare to see you frowning anymore.”
Today, he plans to get to the bottom of it — and the first step was to corner you.
You’re laying on his bed with him on top of you, arms caging you in to prevent you from running off. Still, the both of you know full well that if you really had any intention on escaping then you could easily use your pact.
“I just…” You break away from his gaze, embarrassed, mumbling something incoherent under your breath.
“One more time?”
You turn even redder, “I don’t know… what it is you really like about me.”
Asmo blinks.
What do you mean you don’t know what he likes about you? Does he not tell you every day in full detail? So much so that his brothers would actively complain about how annoying and overbearing he is? He sits up, and pulls you forward to face him.
“I love your eyes,” he begins, “I love how they light up every time you get excited about something. I love your personality, how kind you are to everyone, even if they won’t show that same kindness back. I love your determination, how you never give up even when things don’t go your way.” He reaches out to cup both of your cheeks. They’re warm. “I love how rosy your cheeks get whenever I compliment you.”
“I-” you stutter, and his grin widens. “I think I get it now, please stop!”
“Stop?” He muses, “but what about my compliments? I think I deserve that much after you’ve been avoiding me for a week now!”
You glare at him, no doubt just wanting to end this conversation already. “I love you.”
Oh, that’s just unfair. You can’t just pull the ‘I love you,’ card out on him like that and get away scot free — but you do, and he lets you. “I love you, too, cutie!” The both of you once again crash onto the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around your neck. “Don’t you ever forget that!”
BEEL —
If you looked up the definition of ‘gentle giant,’ in the dictionary, Beel’s face would appear.
Despite his larger stature, there’s no one more willing to lend you a helping hand, whether you really need it or not. He just wants to make your life a little bit easier.
To Beel, ‘I love you’s don’t need to have any special meaning behind them. He simply says it because he wants to, whether you’re doing mundane things, or going through something eventful.
He just wants to remind you from time-to-time, and you enjoy doing the same.
“You aren’t mad at me?”
“Hm?” Beel hums, glancing at you, resting on his back. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because I made you leave fangol practice early?”
His thumb absentmindedly brushes over your thighs, shifting you into a slightly more secure position (not like he would let you fall either way). “It wasn’t your fault.” If anything it was his.
“Really?”
“Really.”
He was the one who had gotten distracted in the middle of their practice match and turned right as he threw the ball and ended up almost hitting you in the face. Thankfully you had stepped out of the way in time, but ended up tripping over the bench and sprained your ankle, leading Beel to call off early to take care of you and help you back home.
You had insisted that you were okay and that just a bit of ice and bandages would be enough, but he insisted. With his genuine concern in wanting to help, and the notion that he might’ve been the one caused you to get hurt, there was no way you could have denied him.
And so, here you were, arms wrapped around his neck as he carries you back to the House of Lamentation, piggyback style.
There’s a rumble on his back, and he hears your quiet giggles. “Thank you for always taking such good care of me, I love you, Beel.” Your thanks are followed by a quick beck to the back of his head, and he wishes he could just move you into a different position right now and return the favor.
Unfortunately, he can’t without risking further injury to your leg, and so he settles for pressing a kiss to the side of your arm. “Of course I do, I love you after all.”
BELPHIE —
Will tease the living daylights out of you to show his affection.
If you want him to say ‘I love you,’ you’re gonna have to jump through three rings of fire and let him use you has a pillow for minimum three days first.
Even then, he’ll only say it if he’s in the mood, and probably after you’ve already fallen asleep so you can’t hear it.
“What do you mean? I already told you yesterday,” he’s having way too much fun with this. “When? While you were asleep, of course.”
“You’re terrible.”
He chuckles at your comment, simply basking in the way your hands brush through his hair.
So what if its been two weeks of him teasing you just for you to finally hear him say that he loves you? It was fun (to him) and that’s all that matters. Besides, it wasn’t as if he’s never said it before, he just wanted to make it a little game this time around.
“You say that, but here you are.”
“Well,” you brush a strand of hair away from his nose. “Even if you are an ass this feels nice for me as well so it’s okay.”
“So it’s alright for me to never say it again?” He teases, knowing it’ll just push your buttons further.
“Don’t push your luck.”
It’s the dead of the night when you finally fall asleep and somehow, Belphie was still awake. He pokes your cheek, stifling his laughter when you shift uncomfortably and mumble something akin to ‘that tickles’ before proceeding to bury yourself further into his chest.
He likes this, he thinks. It’s fun to tease you, and it’s even more fun knowing that you’re just playing along with him when you could full-well just use your pact to make him say it already. Though, he’s sure that if he mentions that you’ll retaliate saying it’s more genuine to hear him say it without using the pact.
“I love you.” He places a gentle kiss on the top of your head.
You don’t need to know he’s been saying it every night.
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tookthe-405 · 1 month
Text
VBS
Prologue :
“Sun bleached Flies” ~ Ethel cain
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DAILY CLICK🍉🍉
DONATIONS AND INFOS🇵🇸
rebel!ellie x fem!reader
PLAYLIST
summary: you grew up religious without a choice, and in summer you would get send to vacation bible school. The camp always felt like prison to you, until a very interesting girl appeared.
c/w: smut in future chapters!!! , religious trauma, homophobia
1,1 k words
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24/11/2004
Age 16 Reader pov:
"And as the Bible says in Micah 7:7: But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my savior, my God will hear me"
Your eyes burn, not because you are crying, but because of the very bright spotlights that are shining on Pastor Tobias. The youth lesson takes place every Wednesday evening and today's topic is faith and trust.
The paper and pen in your hand feels heavy and rough, you should have already written down what you’ve learned new, but your head is just so empty today.
As it has been so often in the last few weeks, which makes you feel guilty and ashamed again. You stare at the blank page and don't feel anything, that you could put into words and on paper. You can think of many questions that you would like to ask, but are too embarrassed for.
"hey is everything ok?"
your head follows the whispers next to you. Hazel looks at you worried. This girl is the only reason you enjoy being here, and there is no judgment in her look.
“I’m a bit stuck on this today” you whisper back and point at the empty paper, she nods.
you could feel the eyes of the employes. When sermons are held it is always very quiet and all these people you grew up with are listening to the man in front of you, the faintest whispers can be heard. You quickly concentrate again and look ahead.
"We're closing the sermon today with a prayer and the requests that you gave us"
On the board next to him are various prayer requests that the young people brought to the lesson. But a few of them catch your eye more than the others.
- Please release me from the shame within me - Let me grow with your word - The temptations of the evil one shall not harm me
The prayer lasts 7 minutes and your mind keeps wandering. When you pray, you always forget where you are and feel a bit stuck in your head. That's why you've given up the habit of closing your eyes, which helps you to ease the restlessness in which your inner self is bursting. You can't get rid of it at anyway. You observe the people around you a bit. You know every face all too well, the reason for that includes going to a the private Christian school and the many prayer evenings that your parents and siblings like to attend to.
When praying, each face shows a small part of the person. Some look deep in thought, others look as if they were about to burst into tears at any second and one or the other sit on their seats with a contented and calm expression on their faces. You would give a lot to feel whatever they are feeling.
Hazel's expression reminds you of a frightened animal that has just been captured. She was one of the fearful prayers.
All you wanna do, is try to get her out of this state and keep her safe with you, but you know that you can't do that for her. Only the god she prays to can do that.
"Amen"
“Amen” everyone says together and the word leaves your lips quietly.
Everyone stands up from their seats and whispers spread. You know all these people and you knew from your private life that some of them weren't good people, but the church seemed to change that completely. At least for a short time. As soon as the free time begins, you notice that the facades are falling again. This has always confused you a bit.
Two years ago, so many people were converted here, that the church was rebuilt and there were now many different rooms for different concerns. There was the sermon Hall, which is full every Sunday and is used for worship services. There is also a kitchen and dining room with couches. One floor higher was the room for the young people, which is used every Wednesday to pray, study and spend time together. A few couches and many chairs with tables.
The whole youth group is there and a few people start to play games. Some have a religious background, some don't.
After the sermon, you and Hazel go from the sermon hall to the youth room, where a few people from your class have already made themselves comfortable on the couch and seats. At school you always talk to Hazel, who is a very social person and that's why you are forced to talk to other people as well.
Samuel and another boy are talking as you both sit down on chairs, and the whole group seems interested in the conversation.
"My mother said that, Pastor Tobias told her on Sunday"
"What's going on?" Hazel's gentle voice asks Samuel.
He excitedly turns away from the other boy and addresses Hazel.
"My mother said that we were going to a camp this summer, we young people, there was a lake, forest, church, everything"
“Do we have to camp?” Asks Kate, a girl in a class below you.
The thought of having to go camping immediately puts you off, but you'd have to go anyway if it actually takes place.
After all, Samuel talks a lot but it doesn't always reflect reality.
"She said there is a youth hostel with lots of rooms, but they are shared."
You could live with that. Hazel nudges you with a smile. Now the excitement hits you too, if you and Hazel are in the same room together, swimming in the lake all day long and there were going to be funny events, it will definitely be pretty fun.
You smile back excitedly and the other people around you seem to be looking forward to it too.
“Have you heard of Anne Marie’s husband?”
The group becomes quiet and looks at Sofia, with a thoughtful look and crossed arms.
"A few people from church mentioned something but I don't think it's true," Naveah says next to her and rolls her eyes, but Sofia shakes her head confidently and leans forward.
“My brother said it was true, he was there at the prayer meeting for him” Naveah’s face falls and that made you a little nervous.
"what?" ask someone, but you won't know who.
"They prayed that his homosexual desires would disappear"
The room generally seems to become a little quieter; the other groups of friends also seemed to have heard the word, which had probably never been uttered here before.
The tense atmosphere spreads through the room like poison and you hold your breath.
" I didn`t knew he had such disgusting thoughts"
you are too shocked to notice who said it, but you still clearly hear the others agree.
“The sin is disgusting, but we should pray for him,”
Austin decides, but his gaze seems a little concernt.
After the prayer you feel emptier than before, almost as if you had been sucked dry. Your thoughts left more marks and you knew what you would pray for tonight before you went to sleep.
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INTERACT WITH THE LINKS ABOUT PALESTINE 🇵🇸
a/n: this is a bit more angsty and can trigger some people so pls read the warnings!! I felt a bit uncomfortable too writing it, but it’s still important to talk and write about it, because it is reality!!!
!!!Pls Reblog and like!!!
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peterparkersnose · 11 months
Text
Dragon Rider
pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Stark!reader
word count: 5k
warnings: helluva flirting, so many sexual references that its not even funny, bantering, nothing too bad, angst perhaps or just tense moments that made me melt while editing this
a/n Perhaps Aemond is a bit more outgoing in this fic then usual, apologies if I didn’t capture his potentially flirty side correctly. I started watching GOT in October and ended it in March (took a hiatus from Jan-March tho) and I watched HOTD in like a week after that :)
dragon? yeah dragon these balls
I am in no way claiming I am an expert in this, the world george rr martin created is so complex I truly think he is the only one who understands it all.
summary Y/N takes a ride on Aemonds dragon...
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read time: 18 mins 24 seconds
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Reading in the presence of the gods was one thing Y/N enjoyed doing on occasion. She would pick her favorite book and seemingly sit there for hours at the Godswood, appreciating the sounds of nature along with the calm winds that often blessed King's Landing.
Today she was reading a book about the arts. Not many words, but beautiful images filled the pages and seemed to enchant her. She was so involved in the book that she didn't notice Aemond as he entered the courtyard. He took a moment to appreciate her beauty as she read. The complete innocence of the sight made his heart warm.
Her outfit was simpler than usual; a light dress with no undergarments besides the essentials. It was nothing near the clothes she usually wore. Thick winter dresses were her usual attire in the North. It felt strange being in such a light dress. Even with the dresses she usually wore around the Red Keep, this dress was nothing as she had ever worn out of her bed chambers. It was a scorching day in King's Landing and she couldn’t bare the thought of going through a day with a corset on.
She heard footsteps as he entered her line of sight. Her heart rate increased. She didn't even have to look up to recognize his figure.
"Reading again, are we? What is it this time... hopeless romance novels? Or historical texts that could actually do you some good to read." He asks cockily. She didn't look up from her book, but a slight smile spread on her face. She could see his figure towering over her in her peripheral vision.
"I suppose," she replied, trying not to let her emotions spill out onto her face.
He took another moment to take in her beauty before he spoke. "W-How are you?" he stutters, his hands fidgeting together as he tries to crack his knuckles. It was a strange change of topic. He didn’t expect her voice to sound so sweet, he didn’t expect her to hide her grin. It caught him off guard almost. He couldn’t care less about the book she was reading anymore. It wasn't often that Aemond Targaryen was nervous... and it was very rare that he let his guard down. Especially in front of her.
"I am doing just fine, Aemond. I see that you stuttered there—do I make you nervous?" she asked him playfully, wishing he would sit beside her against the large tree trunk.
"Perhaps," Aemond said, with a light smile on his face. He chuckled a bit at her remarks as he leaned against the trunk. A playful look came over him as he began to look somewhat flustered. "You never answered my question,"
"What question?" she asked, closing her book and looking up at the mysterious man.
"What are you reading?"
She turned her book so the cover was facing her and read off a false title.
"It's a tutorial novel, in fact. Called 'How to get men to let you read in peace'." she chuckled. Aemond bent down and sat next to her. "I suppose the tricks you've read about haven't worked for you yet?" he smirks.
"I suppose not."
Aemond let out a small sort of sigh. "You do look quite beautiful today."
She looked at him from the side of her eye as she set down her book in front of her. "Your too kind sometimes, my Prince. I miss when you would tease me."
His brows raised. "Tease you?" he asked inquisitively.
"Is that what you'd like?"
The pit in her stomach lit up like a fire. The tone this man used was unreal. He knew how to rile her up and read her sensitivity, even if she tried her best to hide it.
"I'd certainly enjoy it. I've been told I can be quite a brat," she teased, looking at his sharp facial features instead of keeping eye contact. She turned so her body was now facing his.
"Is that so?" Aemond said with a laugh. "Well, you are very much definitely that."
She was taken aback a bit that he replied to her tease with such ease, agreeing with her bratty ways. "You tease." she muttered, taking her bare foot and pushing it against his crossed leg. It was his 'punishment' for agreeing with her statement of being a brat.
Aemond flinched as her bare foot touched his leg. She just knew how much he absolutely hated feet.
"...Ow..." he said sarcastically, his hand rubbing his pant leg where her foot had just touched.
"Have I hurt the strong Prince Aemond? Is he going to send his dragon after me?" she says dramatically, placing a hand on her chest.
"I'm not afraid to bring him out... I'll do what I have to do." Aemond charmingly remarked. "I'll let your insult to the royal Prince pass for now."
"How big is that thing anyways...?" she asked playfully. His eyebrows rose at the question. “Your dragon?”
His voice became hushed. "Very big," he assured her. "Do you want to see?"
"Your dragon?" she asked quickly again, following his question up with hers.
"Yes, my dragon. I would be delighted to show you my dragon," he said, bowing his head and grinning. "Perhaps up close?"
It was becoming very obvious that this conversation was not about Vhagar.
"I thought Targaryen dragons didn't have a fondness for others of houses? I'm sure your dragon would absolutely destroy a Stark like I."
"Destroy you...?" he asked with a brow raised, his voice mixed with a toxic amount of curiosity and mischief. Passion burned in his eye, daring her to resist him.
"It would devour you. In one... single... bite." he whispered, his voice dripping with seductive passion. As each pause came off his lips, it shook her core, leaving her wanting more.
"Oh really? I'd like to see it try. I can be... convincing." you played back, squinting your eyes. His gaze upon you felt hotter than the air in King's Landing that day,
"Convincing?" he repeated her words. He stared down at her with a look that only came once in a lifetime. He had a tantalizing grin on his face.
"Are you just going to repeat my words, or are we going to go see your dragon? Where do you keep that thing anyways? Perhaps in your chamber… do you cuddle it every night before bed?" she asked, brushing off her dress as she began to stand. She steadies herself against the tree. He looked up at her. He had never seen this view before; he usually towered over her. Her hands rested on her hips as she awaited his response.
He let out a laugh. "Is that what you think I do?"
She shrugged, offering him a hand to help him rise from the ground. He accepted her touch, smiling when she struggled to help lift his weight from the ground. "No."
"I want to see it," she begged. "Please, Aemond?"
Her begging unleashed a violence in him that he hadn't felt in a long time. So pretty she sounded, her voice begging to see his prized possession. 
"Follow me then," he said in a hushed tone, a hint of mischievousness still lingering.
"Where are we going? Will I need shoes?" she anxiously asked, following Aemond out of the courtyard. He chuckled to himself at her question and answered, "You won't need shoes. Just follow me," he said, his eye widening a bit in response to her questioning.
Her stomach began to clench in fear as the large facility came into sight. She thought perhaps they would go to his chambers... oh, how she was wrong. They had finally reached the dragon pit. As they entered, she noticed how far up the circular ceilings rose and how dark the pit became after each step down the stairs. She sensed Aemond's presence next to her and wrapped her arm around his bicep.
Aemond let her hold on to his arm, and he gave her a reassuring smile. His eyes looked down at the dim light that showed over her face. They had to see the woman he loved so much holding on to him for comfort. "There's nothing to be scared of," he tried to assure her. Aemond's comforting words just made her hold on tighter to his arm.
"Why is it so dark?" she asked him. The facility was silent as much as it was dark. "I can barely see you anymore."
"Don't worry," he assured her, handing her the lantern he had been carrying. "This should help."
He shook off her grip but took her hand immediately after. "We're close to his lair," he announced.
"Am I in any particular danger being down here? Not being of Targaryen blood and such... I've heard they can smell who is a Targaryen and who isn't." she asked quietly, her voice tinged with a mix of caution and intrigue. The dim light danced upon her face, revealing a flicker of concern in her eyes. Aemond let out a laugh that bounced off the walls with what seemed like a never-ending echo. "No, they cannot smell your bloodline," he reassured her, squeezing her hand a bit. Her absurd question was one he found much humour in. "You are completely safe with me."
His presence seemed to calm her a bit, but her anxiety rose as they made their way toward Vhagar's pit. Aemond motioned for her to set down the lantern and stay quiet with a finger to his lips. He raised his hand to her, signalling for her to stay in her place.
Aemond yelled confidently in High Valyrian, something beyond Y/N's sense of knowledge from the North. The dark abyss became alive as if the words were the spell to unleash the devil.
Vhagar's eyes shot open as they heard his rider approach. The large dragon raised its head from the entrance of the pit and aired out its wings from where they were folded against its body. Vhagar let out the loudest roar Y/N had ever heard. It was enough to make her hair flow behind her face as the dragon's hot breath reached her skin. The floor shook with a danger that scared Y/N to her core.
Her eyes widened as she beckoned backwards. She lost her balance after trying to take in this magnificent creature and tripped on the lantern. Luckily, it stay lit.
"Are you alright?" Aemond asked, rushing to her side. The dragon watched the pair. The movement of his head let another rush of air escape. Aemond seemed panicked, worried this had been a bad idea. Perhaps she wasn't ready for this.
"I... I-"
She was genuinely speechless, looking at this mysterious dark creature that lurked before her. The dragon was quite large; sure, she expected the dragon to be large. But not quite this significant size. This was bigger than any ship, perhaps any castle she had ever seen in her life. He seemed as if he could pick the Red Keep up with his claws and fly away. However, that might have been an exaggeration, but it seemed real to her in this moment.
Aemond shook his head and recognized her fear. "She's... big." Aemond breathed out, reaching out his hand for her as she did for him in the courtyard earlier that day. "Bigger than any dragon I've ever seen, that's for sure." he followed up his statement. She took his hand, and he pulled her up with ease.
Without warning, Vhagar lets out a breath of fire directed toward the ceiling of the pit. The fire edged the structure with a beautiful haze. It wasn't anywhere near close enough to reach the two of them. It seemed as if Vhagar was showing off, playing as Aemond's perfect wingman. Almost literally.
Vhagar's flames disappeared as he watched them reflect in Y/N's eyes. Vhagar turned and began to approach the two of them. Its overgrown claws clipped at the stone floor with the dragon's booming steps toward them. Y/N held on to Aemond, almost as a shield. "I-Is it going to hurt us?"
Aemond chuckled. "Hurt us? She seems to like you. I think Vhagar wants you to approach her."
Y/N looked at him with a truly shocked look. "Me?" she asked, tilting her head. She looked back at the dragon. Vhagar lowered its head about twenty feet away. Y/N was curious to know if the creature was about to roll on its back like a lazy dog or charge at the two of them.
"Yes, you." Aemond said with a softer tone, trying to encourage her. He placed a hand on her lower back to comfort her.
"Why me?" she asked him, looking between his gaze and the dragons.
"Why not you?" he asked, wrapping his hand from her lower back to around her waist. His fingers give her a comforting touch as they lay on her waist.
The dragon began to inch its way closer to the pair. Its golden eyes blinked, seemingly changing color in front of her eyes. As each claw hit the ground, it shook, giving her an uneasy feeling and a reason to return to above ground.
"Go on... stand up straight, do as I say, and stay still. Do not have any rash movements. Do you hear me?" Aemond instructed her, letting her go from his grasp with a tiny push. It was physical, and yet also an emotional push at the same time. "Trust me."
She walked slowly towards the dragon until she could feel the dragon's calm breaths hit her skin. She wished she could turn around and run, but then she surely would have ended up as Vhagar's afternoon snack.
"Now," Aemond said calmly but urgently. She listened to the Dragon Prince, not daring to disobey his orders. "Place your hand out."
"What?" she called back, not questioning his orders but shocked at them. "Do as I say, Lady Stark. She won't eat you." he ordered her, chuckling at his cruel comment. Her whole arm shook as she held her palm to the dragon as a peace offering.
"Eat me?" she whispered, looking behind her and finding him standing there with a stupid grin. "Keep your gaze on the dragon now," he advised, his tongue sharp. "It won't harm you at all. Not with me here,"
Vhagar stood Y/N down. She couldn't help but feel like this could be the last moment of her life. As the dragon moved closer, it had a surprisingly soft touch as it touched its ginormous snout to her hand.
"Just relax..." Aemond said from behind her. Watching the woman he loved interacting with his dragon was enough to send him mad. Vhagar was the most important thing in his life, but perhaps now she sat right next to the dragon on his list of importance. Aemond slowly began approaching her side. He touched her arm, making her jump slightly. "You can stroke her," Aemond suggested. She looked over to Aemond with fear in her eyes. "Are you sure?" she whispered. He shook his head up and down slowly, with a confidence that drove her wild. "You realize, if I die, Cregan will declare war. Correct?"
Aemond smirked. "You won't die. The dragon won't allow that," he said with a grin, his eyes locked on her.
"Are you still afraid, Y/N? Vhagar seems to like you. She wants you to come closer." Aemond said, placing his own hand on his scary dragon as it seemed docile. "She wants me? For what?" Y/N asked, her hand moving slowly over the rough skin of Vhagar, following Aemond's actions. The thick black skin covering the grand dragon felt weird and gritty under her hands as the hot air from its huge mouth blew into her face again. A deep purr-like rhythm escaped from the dragon's throat.
"Just for the both of you to get to know each other. It's not often a dragon takes so kindly to a stranger." Aemond added.
She let out a long-held sigh of relief, which she seemingly had been holding a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She smiled as the dragon let out another low, guttural purr.
Aemond looked endearingly at his woman, proud of the progress she had made. He had a smug look on his face with a sense of absolute faith towards her. She got along with his dragon. Any other girl in the realm would have left terrified by now- but she was different. She cared enough to see his dangerous interests and perhaps risk her life for his satisfaction. She truly cared. It warmed his heart, even though he would never let this be known to any other living soul.
"She likes you," he says with a teasing tone, placing his hand around her waist again. "I can tell," she replied, mimicking his tone.
She leaves his side and brushes her hand along the rest of the dragon's large face as it rested on the ground of the pit.
"What are you doing?" Aemond asks. He wasn't mad that she was testing her limits with Vhagar, just simply annoyed she left his embrace. "Just stroking it a bit," she teased, looking over the scales' rough details.
Aemond let out a small chuckle, his eyes darting to the floor as he followed her. He kicked his foot on the ground, making a few stray rocks bounce. "Stroke it some more... you seem to like to stroke it, don't you?"
Her head turned back to look at him. She had a passion in her eyes that drove Aemond wild.
"I can tell she likes you a lot. So much... that if you were to stop, there would be some consequences indeed."
He could feel his pants growing tighter. All the teasing she had done that day was enough to last him for a lifetime of private moments in his personal chambers.
"I have to stop sometime, you know. I cant pet a dragon for the rest of eternity," she says with a realistic tone, not teasingly at all. Aemond wouldn't lie; her practical mindset disappointed his fantasies. His encouragement was helped back up as she asked him a follow-up question. Perhaps she could sense his disappointment.
"How do you even ride this thing, anyway?"
Aemond walked over to the side of the dragon. She could just see him behind the wing. "This," he yelled to her confidently and held up a rope. "It's connected to the harness."
"Tell me, have you ever ridden a horse before?" Aemond asked with a curious tone, raising an eyebrow now as he kept his eyes locked on her, and he let the saddle strap back down onto Vhagar. "Many times, yes." she answered him as he made his way back to her side.
"Mounting a dragon is a very similar, yet different experience."
She turned to him, cocking her head. "Y-you want me to mount Vhagar?"
"Perhaps we could take her on a small ride? I know how badly you want to ride a dragon, dear." he sweetly suggested, brushing his hand against her cheek.
She looked dauntingly into his eyes. All the banter had boiled up to this point. She wanted to kiss him terribly. The yearning look she gave him begged for his lips on hers.
"You think I have what it takes to ride a dragon?"
"I know you have what it takes to ride a dragon, love."
He took her hand and slowly walked with her to the saddle strap.
"Aemond," she says, standing a few feet behind him. He expected her to follow his lead. He turns back, loosening his footing on the dragon. "I'm no Targaryen... I'm not a dragon rider. It's not in my blood,"
He slowly reached the ground with his feet and begins to walk towards her. Aemond outstretched his hand, cupping her cheek and looking down into her eyes. "Are you suggesting that it takes more than just a little courage to ride a dragon? You know I won't let anything happen to you. As long as you are with me."
She closes her eyes for a moment, enjoying this intimate moment with Aemond.
"It takes a whole bloodline that I do not acquire,"
A slight smirk rose to his face as he looked down at her. Her silly question made his stomach churn, knowing that he wanted to make her a Targaryen more than anything in the world.
"Nonsense," he whispers. "I have seen children half your age ride dragons before-"
"-But those are Targaryen children, Aemond." she cut off his sentence. He would be pissed at the usual person for doing so, but she gained the pass for disrespecting the Prince.
She placed a hand on his chest. "I am a Stark. I have no Targaryen in me,"
Aemond had to try to hide the grin he yearned to display on his face. He winced a bit, trying to keep his thoughts pure. Evidently, they were not.
Not yet. Oh, my love, not yet.
"I'd say that you're wrong," he concluded, placing his hand upon the hand she had placed on his chest. "There is plenty of Targaryen in you."
He playfully interlocked his fingers with hers.
"I am purebred Stark, unfortunately." she sighed, not a disappointed sigh but what seemed to be a sarcastic one.
"Unfortunately?" Aemond asked her as they began to walk slowly, hand in hand, near the beast.
"Shall we leave Vhagar to rest?" she asked, changing the subject. He could sense her tense demeanor as they got closer and closer to the dragon.
"Rest? Vhagar looks like she's ready for an adventure!" he says playfully, grabbing her other hand and dragging her towards the saddle rope.
She rolls her eyes and follows his grasp. Without asking or with a warning, he picks her up by her waist and mounts her up on the dragon's back. She let out a small yelp, not prepared for his intimate touch.
Vhagar began to squirm as she waited for Aemond's instructions. "Get on, will you?" he yelled playfully to her, nudging her leg in the right direction. "I'm right behind you."
She grabbed the rigid girdle and hoisted herself up onto the leather saddle. Vhagar began to stir. He stood up and took a step before Aemond could successfully hoist himself up on the saddle. Y/N yelled his name out and outstretched her hand. He grabbed her hand and yelled something in High Valyrian to the dragon.
"Hold on, my love." he said to her. Y/N wrapped her arms around his torso as he held on to the harness and began shouting more at the dragon.
The dragon began walking out of the pit. Vhagar let out a large screech, one that was louder than the last roar she had heard from the dragon previously. If she wasn't holding on to Aemond for dear life, she would have fallen off from the absolute jump scare it was.
As Vhagar let out another loud roar, the ceiling began to open. The hot skies had turned gray and overcast. She couldn't be holding onto Aemond any tighter than she was. As the dragon took flight, a rush of wind swept through Y/N's hair, tousling it playfully. The ground below grew smaller, the dragon pit almost becoming a speck of dust in her vision.
Her chin rested upon Aemond's shoulder as she anxiously held on to him. The refreshing scent of oncoming rain calmed her. The dragon could sense her newfound ease on her back and took its first swoop through the air. As Vhagar did this, Y/N let out a terrified scream, but the fearful tone soon turned joyous. Y/N's eyes widened as she watched King's Landing disappear beneath the clouds.
Her cheerful cries satisfied Aemond. She had finally gotten to experience the flight of a dragon. The times he had tried to explain this feeling to her in the past were no match for the real thing. Aemond's heart swelled with a deep sense of pride, a feeling always there, but it seemed to expand with her holding on to his waist.
With every beat of the dragon's wings and each breath of wind brushing against their faces, Aemond wished he could see her facial expression. He imagined the feeling of freedom in her, the same feeling he had many years ago when he first tamed Vhagar.
Her laughter was music to his ears.
The dragon ride represented more than just a thrilling adventure. It was a glimpse into the potential future they could build together, filled with shared experiences, trust, and an unspoken understanding. She was willing to take on the risky Targaryen lifestyle, even if it meant riding him or the dragon. Her ambition was the right one to match his. He had trusted her with something he had never trusted anyone else to do, not even his own brother. How she honored his house and their traditions were enough to make him fall off the dragon and mush into a pile of bliss.
Vhagar screeched and let out a breath of fire. Y/N's stomach dropped as the dragon dived straight into the ball of fire and hid her head in Aemond's shoulder. He laughed gregariously at her fear, grabbing her hand around his waist and interlocking their fingers. The heat didn't burn the two, but a rush of hot air pummeled around the two of them. The exhilarating feeling of adventure filled her, and she begged for more.
With each beat of the dragon's wings, Y/N's fears dissolved being replaced by a profound sense of freedom. She laughed and cried out with ultimate joy alongside Aemond. Her sweet words to him were carried away by the wind and unheard by his ears. Aemond didn't need words to know the exact feeling she was attempting to express to him. The world became a blur of colors and sensations, an exhilarating rush that filled their senses.
Rain began to fall. It drew down heavily on them since they were so high in altitude. Aemond spoke to his dragon once more in High Valyrian. Vhagar seemed to calm her sharp swoops and cries out and find his way back to the hill upon which the Dragon Pit sat.
Y/N was speechless as Vhagar landed. It was a bumpy landing due to the ground. It was now muddy.
Three men dressed in robes came out screaming in High Valyrian at the dragon. Aemond balanced himself on Vhagar's back as he reached out a hand for hers. She took it and swiftly slid down the dragon's back as Aemond pushed her ahead of himself.
She stumbled on the ground and fell to her bottom. Her dress was dirtied due to the dragon's soot and the fresh mud. It didn't matter anyways. Her dress and hair were already soaking wet. She watched as Aemond gracefully slid his way down the dragon. His Princely traits are shown brightly. He smirked at her as the wind blew his long, wet hair behind his shoulders. Vhagar complimented his aura as the dragon let out a long roar behind him. She was almost lost in his enigma.
As if he walked in slow motion toward her, he reached out his hand to help her up.
"Not bad for your first time," he stated, pulling her up and straight into his embrace.
Vhagar screeched from the back as the robed men guided her back into the Dragon Pit.
She steadied herself in his embrace, grabbing both of his arms. Her dress clung to her as it was soaked. Y/N pulled at it; she hated feeling it against her skin.
Her eyes met his gaze as he smiled, almost cruelly at her. He didn't care anymore; Aemond let his gaze fall down to her chest and below, taking her beautiful sight in.
"A beautiful girl who just rode on a beautiful dragon. My beautiful girl, my beautiful dragon." he said, pulling her closer. Their bodies were practically touching. Thunder cracked behind them. She smiled, touching her forehead to his.
"We should get back before the storm gets bad,"
He hated her realistic talking. Oh, how he loathed her responsibility just as he admired it. He had to stop these words... he had to shut her up.
"Shush," he whispers in his raspy, needy voice.
The rain created a symphony around them, the soft droplets pelting them softly as they stood together on Dragon Pit's hill. Aemond closed the distance between himself and Y/N with a soft and determined gaze.
She tasted of rain mixed with sweat and adrenaline. Something that made Aemond just crave her more and more with each second passing. His hands made their way around her, embracing her with a firm grasp around her waist. The rain seemed to shield them from the rest of the world as they stayed embraced like nobody was watching. There was no care in the world at that moment, just the two of them standing sopping wet in the storm.
As they finally parted, she struggled to catch her breath. Her lips still tingled with the remnants of their kiss. Her heart raced, looking back at the face of the man who had just given her the most sense of freedom she had ever felt, along with the most sense of fear. With a shaky exhale, she felt all of her anxieties and doubts go away about her relationship with Aemond. At that moment, she knew he was the one for her; the only one in the world fit for her. He could meet her adventurous needs, as he also aspired to the same ones as her.
"My dragon rider," Aemond declared softly, still close enough to feel her breath on his. The nickname sent chills down her spine. Aemond was proud to claim her as his with this new name. It was one he knew he would be calling her for the years to come. Aemond would never forget this special day. He would yearn to relive it for years.
"My Prince," she declared, smiling and looking up again to meet his eager gaze.
With that, Aemond and Y/N walked back to the Red Keep without a care in the world. They were sopping wet, but they were in love. They didn't care what the guards would think or his mother's spies she had placed strategically around the castle.
Vhagar was not the last dragon she would ever ride. As a Stark, she knew she could never own her own dragon. The man who gently held her hand and looked down at her with an undescribable lustful look would have to do.
-
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Note
So Yves doesn't like children, but what about Blanche? Would he be willing to have a child with Reader? If so, I bet he would be very loving and gentle. he would knit baby clothes with the reader and talk about the names he liked.
Anyway, I love your work! I reload your tumblr page every day to see Blanche's content, I want to bite him and eat him with love. I love Monty too! Since your post about what he would be like with kids, I've had baby fever.
Have a nice day! <3
Yes, that is true. Blanche would definitely be very loving and gentle. Perhaps a bit nervous and awkward at first, but he quickly becomes an excellent parent passing on wonderful morals. Yet it feels like something is wrong.
His arms are wide enough to fit the two of you, you would be holding your child while sitting on his lap, as Blanche sways the rocking chair back and forth. Occasionally pressing kisses on your forehead and the baby's.
The mortar and pestle would be out a lot more. As he doesn't have a food processor, Blanche would be making all the baby food by hand, grinding and pounding it down with strenuous love. The child will only eat the most nutritious produce from his garden. Blanche will take note of their likes and dislikes, so he knew which one to plant more of.
The sound of a baby crying may be grating, but never to Blanche. He would simply pick them up and coo until they stopped, or let them babble happily because Daddy is there to comfort them. Oddly, he never got irate due to lack of sleep or personal time. Unlike you, Blanche doesn't necessarily need that.
Unfortunately for you, Blanche would be guilt-tripping you a lot more to stay for longer. You wouldn't need to do most of the hard work anyway, but say goodbye to your social life, as you will have to be with him and the baby 24/7. You wouldn't have to do anything, though. Blanche would cook, clean, and give you backrubs all while caring for the child so much that it wouldn't cry, as it's always smiling and content.
More often than not, you would feel bad. Or get frustrated at the speed at which he's moving. So you would take over his chores and tell him to focus on the child. Blanche would refuse, choosing to hover near you while bouncing the baby up and down in his arms. He wanted to be with the love of his life and his giggling blessing as much as possible.
He would be wearing that baby sling until your child is old enough to move around on their own. Then, it would be retired to the "Chest of Love and Memories" in the shared bedroom.
All their clothes would be handmade, and Blanche would lovingly embroider their name onto them while humming the tune they seemed to like. The same goes for the toys, he would make sure it's safe and age-appropriate. His whittling knife would be out a lot more, but not around the baby.
He would name his children based on flowers such as Rose and Marigold, bringing out a book about botany from his Box of Jolly and Joy, telling you all the names he found beautiful and fitting towards the bundle of joy that is about to be.
Blanche will instill patience, love, and calmness in the child. He leads by example by never being aggressive, loud, or unpleasant, he punishes them firmly yet lovingly. You're just glad they grew up to be mild and mellow, unlike other teenagers who seem to rebel if their parents are too much of a pushover or too much of a stuffy jerk. Your child would strangely prioritize your needs and wants over anyone else's, not even their own. While it's sweet, it is a bit concerning. It's as if Blanche has trained them to devote their lives to serving you, and you only.
Your husband is always present, maybe even too present. You couldn't remember the last time you didn't see or hear Blanche and your child around. Although it's warm and fuzzy to constantly have them around, spending time with you, sharing laughs, cuddling, and bonding tightly, it's undeniable that they're driving you crazy. The three of you are always together if you're not working, Blanche makes sure of it.
If you are holding down a job, your husband and your kid will try everything under the sun to get you to be with them 24/7. They will cling onto you and you will not shake them off no matter what.
Blanche isn't very keen on letting the child go to school, preferring to teach them everything himself with the help of books, exploration, and real-life applications. Your husband would beg to keep them homeschooled, Blanche is an excellent teacher and he can prove it; especially when you realize that your child's vast knowledge in language, arts, mathematics, and science rivaled that of a 50-year-old when they're only 8. When you put them into the public schooling system against Blanche's wishes, your husband would burst into tears, fearing that his child would go through the same levels of bullying he did.
While your child excelled in every class, and every subject and became the favorite of all the teachers, they were alienated by their peers, just like how their father was. At least they're not beating him up like how they did to Blanche in his youth. But still, Blanche would continuously pressure you to pull them out of the education system, trying to convince you that it isn't required for your child to be in this environment. The three of you could live together in the woods, isolated and in bliss.
Your child agreed too. They could not determine what would make their classmates want to be friends. They tried and tried until they were tired, your child wanted nothing but to go back home to their family.
They're so mature, so much more beyond their years that it's unbelievable. It's almost like the fact that parenthood can be hard, painful, and ugly is a myth. They have never acted out, never been disrespectful, always heed your words, and never had to go to you for help on normal teenage things. It's like another mini Blanche was instantly birthed, it's so very eerie.
And you knew that it has everything to do with your husband's way of bringing them up. He's with them every waking and slumbering second of the day, they're inseparable and always working as a unit to care for you.
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vodika-vibes · 2 months
Text
Do It For Me
Summary: You are a Forensic Scientist who has been put in charge of the lab for Coruscant in spite of your youth and your relative inexperience. Due to budget cuts and the fact that there's so much crime on Coruscant, you are severely overworked. Hound takes an issue with that.
Pairing: Pre-ARF Trooper Hound x F!Reader
Word Count: 1837
Warnings: None
Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni
A/N: I was writing a Fives fic and it was turning into hot garbage, so I wrote something else instead. And I'm in a Hound mood for some reason. AND I made a new divider for this story specifically.
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You are severely overworked. 
You know this. You’ve known this for years. And yet no one seems all that interested in making it better.
You thought, hoped, prayed, that the creation of the Coruscant Guard was going to lessen your workload.
It didn’t. In fact, it just made you busier.
Now there are a lot more men out there investigating crimes, and sending their evidence to your lab, and the same number of techs trying to analyze the evidence.
The turnover rate at your lab is, frankly, embarrassing. 
You’re the employee who’s been here the longest, and you’ve only been here for two years. The fact that you’re now in charge of the lab, at barely 24 years old, is horrifying.
But none of the people who trained you were willing to stay.
And you can’t even keep new hires around for longer than a couple of months.
In fact, you once had a recent graduate that you interviewed and hired, who took one look at her to-do stack, and resigned. She worked less than an hour. You hadn’t even had time to finish filing her paperwork before she resigned.
It was impressive. 
But as impressive as it was, it didn’t help with the fact that you’re one person doing the job of five.
You haven’t seen your apartment in a week.
You haven’t had a vacation since you were hired.
You haven’t slept more than 6 hours a night in over six months.
And still, still, the work keeps piling up.
At this point, every time you close your eyes, you see blood splatter and blaster round trajectory and dead bodies. Every night for the last week, you’ve had nightmares about the morgue-
You need a break.
Desperately. 
But, in the end, it doesn’t matter what you need. Because crimes keep happening, people keep dying, and the evidence keeps piling up, and there aren’t enough employees for anyone to even take a day off, let alone a vacation.
You push your fingers through your hair, pulling it out of the tail only long enough to use your fingers as a brush, and then you pull your hair into a messy knot, and focus your exhausted eyes back on the file in front of you.
30 year old Nautolan Male, found murdered in the lower level. Coroner's report indicates that he was executed, two bolts to the back of the head. Victim was a known member of the Justic-
The words start blurring on the page, and you sigh and press the palms of your hands over your eyes.
You are so kriffing tired.
There’s a sharp knock on your door, and you lift your head as someone clad in gray and white armor walks in. The locations of the colors indicate that he’s a member of the Coruscant Guard, and the colors themselves indicate that he’s an ARF Trooper.
Not for the first time, you curse the fact that the Guard doesn’t allow for more unique body armor paint.
You squint at him for a moment, waiting for your eyes to agree with you so you can focus better on the man standing in front of you. “What’s wrong, Sen’ika, can’t recognize me?”
You recognize the light tone, and familiar nickname, before you recognize the man, and you send up a silent prayer of thanks that the clones only have identical faces, and not identical personalities.
“Hound,” You even sound tired to your own ears, and as he comes closer to you, you see a concerned expression on his face, “Ah, sorry. Sergeant.” You correct hastily.
“You don’t have to use my rank, Sen’ika.” He crouches next to your desk, his sharp eyes taking in the bags under your eyes, the way your hands are trembling, and the blanket and pillow on your couch. “When was the last time you went home and slept?” He asks, his voice gentle.
“Does it look like I have time for that?” You ask as you rub your tired eyes, “I dunno, it’s been a week, I think.”
“Sen’ika,” Hound frowns at you, “This isn’t healthy.”
“It’s not like crime stops because I need to sleep,” You grouch, “And the evidence keeps piling up, and I can’t get anyone to stay longer than a few months and-” You trail off, “And you have another case for me, don’t you?” Your voice becomes dull and almost lifeless.
Hound stares at you for a moment, and then he flashes a small smile. “I don’t, actually. I just wanted to come and see you.”
You squint at him, “Come and see me? Why?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“...I guess not?” You ask, bewildered.
“Exactly!” Hound smoothly slides something onto your desk while you watching him, bewildered, and then he takes your hands and lightly pulls you to your feet, “We’re taking a trip.”
“I can’t! I have-”
“You have a legal requirement to take an hour break every 6 hours.” Hound interrupts, “How many hours have you been working? More than 6 I’m guessing.”
“...Yeah, maybe.” You don’t fight him as he draps an arm over your shoulder and he guides you out of your office, and down the hall, and then outside, to where Grizzer is waiting.
The large massiff immediately bounces around your feet, and you duck slightly to give her a scratch. You’re a familiar person to her, likely because of how often you bump into Hound at various crime scenes.
“You never did tell me where we’re going.” You say to Hound once you straighten back up.
“Trust me.” Hound offers as he takes Grizzer’s leash and then tugs you against his side.
You’re a little confused at the way he’s being so comfortable with touching you, but you’re also not too bothered. Hound is Hound, after all. He’s always been safe.
So, as he leads you down the street, you don’t offer any complaint outside of a very weak argument that you needed your purse and your comm. And, with a laugh, Hound disagrees.
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Hound doesn’t have an office, per se, but he does have his own space where he’s able to do his own paperwork, and where he can take Grizzer when she gets overwhelmed.
And apparently, where he brings overworked and underpaid civil servants who are working themselves to death.
His sen’ika is sitting on the old, worn couch he got from somewhere, her arms draped over Grizzer who is asleep on her lap. She looks exhausted. The kind of exhausted that he’s only seen on Fox before.
In a word, he’s worried.
“Sen’ika,” He coos the familiar nickname, and she lifts her gaze to look at him through hazy and exhausted eyes, and even then she’s the most stunning woman he’s ever met, “You can lay down and take a nap, I won’t judge you.”
She’s already shaking her head, “I have to get back eventually.”
“But if you get up, you’ll disturb Grizzer.” Hound points out.
She looks down at Grizzer, and she must be more tired than he thought because she just looks puzzled, like she can’t quite figure out the best way to get free. His worry increases.
“Just a short nap, sen’ika.” Hound encourages, “You’re not going to be able to finish your work with how fuzzy you are right now.”
For a moment she looks like she’s about to agree, but then she presses her lips into a thin line, “I have to get back, Hound.”
Hound leans back in his seat, his mind racing. He can’t let her go back. Not in this state. And using Grizzer as an excuse isn’t going to work anymore, he already knows.
“Alright,” He says slowly, thoughtfully. 
He gets to his feet and carefully moves Grizzer, and then helps his sen’ika to her feet. Hound isn’t the least bit surprised when she stumbles into him, though he is glad that he thought ahead and removed the majority of his armor.
“...m’sorry.” She says quietly.
Hound closes his eyes for a moment and then, very gently presses his hand against the back of her neck, holding her against him. “You haven’t done anything wrong.” His voice is soft, soothing.
Her hands come up to press against his chest, and for a moment, Hound thinks she’s going to push away, worries that he pushed too hard. But, instead, she curls her fingers into the thin material of his blacks. “I’m so tired,” She whispers, and her voice cracks.
And that’s what Hound was waiting for.
His free arm wraps firmly around her, holding her tight, “You don’t have to go back to work. You need to take a break.”
He feels her tears soaking into his top and Hound turns his head to press a light kiss to the side of her head, “Someone has to do it-” She whispers, her voice thick with tears.
“That someone doesn’t have to be you.” Hound murmurs in reply as he slowly, and carefully, walks her back towards the couch. He readjusts her, and then sits on the couch, while holding her close. “We can reach out to the Jedi, they can help you.”
“The Senate-”
“Kriff the senate,” Hound’s voice holds no heat as he gently offers what comfort he can, “You’re working yourself to death, and I’m not going to tolerate it anymore.”
She pulls away from his shoulder and looks up at him through miserable, watery eyes, “Why do you care?”
“Because you’re my friend. Because I care about you.” Hound brushes his fingers against her cheek, “because I love you more than anything in this galaxy. Take your pick.”
She blinks at him, and then drops her head on his shoulder. She doesn’t say anything positive, but she also doesn’t say anything negative, which is good enough for now.
It’s not fair to spring love on her when she’s so exhausted. The fact that she’s not running away is good enough for now.
“Will you stay here and take a nap?” Hound asks as he strokes her back lovingly, “For me?”
“Every time I try to sleep, I have nightmares,” She admits quietly.
“Then you can sleep on me. I’ll wake you if you look like you’re having a nightmare. I promise.” Hound offers. “What do you think?”
She sighs, soft and quiet, “I suppose I can agree to that.” His sen’ika’s eyes drift shut, and Hound carefully adjusts her so that she’s leaning against him comfortably. 
Fox is going to blow a gasket, but if he words his request properly, maybe then the Guard and the Forensics unit can get Jedi oversight. That can only help with his poor Sen’ika’s problem, and it’ll keep Fox from working himself to death.
Hound glances at the woman in his lap, and his gaze softens, before he presses a light kiss to the top of her head. That’s a problem for later, for now, he has the love of his life asleep in his arms, and he’s going to just enjoy it while he can.
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