#not sure if she's quite defined enough against the sky

[she-wolf09231982]

Chapter 3: Dirrty Adrian

Author Note: 18+ only, Mature Audience, Vigilante/Adrian Chase x Female, Y/N, Fluff, Detailed Smut, Consensual/Unprotected Sex, P/V, Cursing/Explicit Language, Military/Law Enforcement Terminology, Mentions of weaponry/Violence, Movie/TV show references, Italics signify flashbacks and character's thoughts.

Summary: You leave the bar with Adrian and the night leads you to his bedroom.

~~~~~~~~

Adrian paid the tab, and you walked out together. It was still early-ish so you decided to go for a walk around Evergreen. The sky was dark, revealing the twinkle of each star as a warm gentle fall breeze caressed your skin, while rustling Adrian’s dark wavy mess of hair. You strolled together in the pleasure of each other’s company laughing about things like which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle you each related most to (which you both admitted to being most like Raphael mixed with some Michelangelo). Another controversial topic you covered was if there really was enough space for Jack on the door that Rose had used as a hasty makeshift life raft after the Titanic sank to its final resting place at the bottom of the ocean.

“Dude there was totally enough room for him! All they had to do was distribute their weight evenly on the door to stay afloat. Done.”

Adrian threw his hands up like his point was completely valid. Which he made a good argument.

You had your own theory, though.

“Ok, but unless they were able to distribute their weight while conserving body heat by cuddling together on that raft, I’m sure one or both would’ve died of hypothermia anyway. That would’ve been their best chance at survival theoretically.”

Adrian rolled it over in his mind drawing his eyebrows inward in thought.

“Makes sense.” He said nodding with an impressed smirk side eyeing you.

The remaining effects of the liquor from the bar still lingered in both your systems as you walked to the outskirts of town. Sidewalks turned into the path of the park. Streets then became the trail of the forest preserve as the pair of you kept walking savoring each other’s company. The stars became livelier the further you got from the town’s streetlights. There’s honestly nowhere either of you would rather be right now with a scene as comfortable as this.

You came upon a small clearing with few fallen trees giving you two a perfect place to sit. You plopped yourselves down next to each other. You feel Adrian’s hip and shoulder brushing against yours.

“How much did we drink? After all that walking, you’d think we’d sober up. Or maybe you’re drunk on being present in this whimsical scene with Adrian.” You thought to yourself.

Adrian lazily looks over at you as you stare up into the star speckled sky, admiring them as Adrian admires the view of you. “She is stunning.” He thought.

The moon light reflecting on your silhouette defined every curve of your body as you stretched backwards resting on your palms, head tilted back to take in the full view of the night sky. Your back arched and chest pushed out as you’re leaning back accentuating your already generously large breasts in your fitted t-shirt. Adrian studied your every outline, feeling the bulge in his jeans gradually rising. He tried to adjust himself without making it obvious, but subtlety isn’t Adrian’s forte.

You look over as Adrian stirs. You raise your eyebrow at him and chuckle, “You good?”

He looked at you with a hiccup, “Um, yeah, my butt’s falling asleep.”

You laughed. “Yeah? Seems like another one of your body parts is quite awake.”

You look down at his waist and admire the bulk that seems to be at its capacity in his jeans. You bite your lower lip, then look back at Adrian with bedroom eyes and an inebriated smile.

Adrian was mortified at first that you noticed, but a look of exhilaration washed over his face when he saw that you weren’t put off by his stiffness practically unzipping his pants from underneath. The corner of his mouth curled into a playful grin.

“So, it’s not weird that you can see how hard I am right now?” Adrian finally asked.

“Not at all. I’m flattered. It’s quite the compliment.” You winked at him. 

His smile widened, looking almost cynical. He continued, “Soooo does this mean game on?”

You spun yourself towards him and swung a leg over his lap, straddling yourself on top of his aching dick. You wrapped your legs around his waist, grinding into his swelling heat. The friction of his cock against your clothed entrance had you gushing wet in your panties already. Adrian groaned, grasping your hips guiding your snake like movements against his dick making it throb and pulsate. He wants out bad…

Adrian hissed pulling your face to his, your mouths clashed like lightening, one tongue exploring the other while panting into each other’s mouths. Your bodies pressed against one another, his arms around your mid drift, your arms around his neck. His strong, calloused hands clutching your hips pushing you down harder onto his clothed dick. You pull your lips away allowing your mouth to hover over his so you can feel his heavy breathing on yours, inhaling his growls into your slightly open smiling mouth as he stares eagerly into your eyes.

Adrian whispered, “…more…”

A heat wave surged through you. “So needy.” You breathed.

Adrian smirked playfully, looking up at you through his eyelashes.

“Maybe…” he replied as he bucked his hips up into you. “You wanna sleep over?” He finally asked.

“Sleep over?” You asked chuckling. “I don’t know, maybe I should ask my mom first.” You added with a teasing smile. You both laughed.

Adrian looked at you expectantly, “Well?”

“Oh, you’re serious?” You asked playing dumb.

His smile started to fade and his eyebrows creasing.

“Well yeah! It’s not a very comfortable place to fuck for the first time. I had a much better vision of how our first time would be.”

He looked off in the distance reimagining how he had planned his first time with you and how it would feel to plunge himself inside you in his bed…in his shower, on the couch, you bent over on his kitchen counter, pinned against any wall with your legs wrapped around him, you straddling him in the driver’s seat of his Sebring, then eventually anywhere he can get away with outdoors.

“You already had an idea of the first time we’d sleep together? You’ve been planning this for a while, huh?” You said interrupting his thoughts.

He looked at you shocked, “Why not? Look at you! How can any guy not see you and imagine it?” He said with a crooked smile but suddenly added while frowning, “But I’ll kill any guy that tries to. If I catch one even drooling over you I’d have to end him.”

A fever of lust raced through you. “He’s not kidding…” You thought to yourself.

The thought of someone ready to kill a guy for you for merely looking at you should’ve been alarming, but it was kind of sweet… in its own psychotic, unstable way. Adrian’s feelings are such pure and concentrated sensations. Although he claims he doesn’t have emotions like most people, doesn’t mean he didn’t feel.

A wave of calm blanketed you, and you pressed your lips on to Adrian’s interlocking a lengthy, gentle kiss.

You pull back, “Your place or mine?” You finally asked.

Adrian’s eyes widened as he beamed at you, “My place! It’s been ready for you for months!” He said excitedly. With your legs still wrapped around his waist, he firmly placed his hands under your thighs lifting you with ease to carry you out of the clearing back to his Vigilante-mobile.

~~~~~~~~

Adrain pulled up and parked in front of his house. He quickly exited the car to open your door for you and offered his hand to help you out.

You laugh, “What are you doing, nerd?”

“I’m trying to get you in my house! Come on!” He said impatiently with a Joker-like smile.

You shake your head and take his hand. He yanks you out of the car, but before you know it, he throws you over his shoulder effortlessly, and proceeds towards his front door.

You struggle to laugh because his shoulder is pressed into your gut. You prop yourself up using your hands against his back.

“Kind of primitive, isn’t it, Adrian?” You manage to say.

He unlocked his front door, and pushed it open with his foot then said, “Don’t care.”

“This fucking guy!” You thought amusingly to yourself. All you could do was laugh.

He walked through his dark home straight to his bedroom and flung you onto his bed. He removed his sweater and shirt before crawling over you in a ‘push-up’ position, his arms flexing on each side of you caging you beneath him. He remained like that, studying your every facial feature, smiling idly.

He lowered himself to his elbows, his bare, chiseled chest resting on your still clothed body. His rough hands started trailing up your arms, squeezing at your biceps, as he started to kiss your neck. You move your head to one side to expose more of your neck for him.

You began to pant heavier as Adrian routes his kisses downward towards the exposed areas of your shirt where there was visible cleavage. His kisses turning into biting as he got closer to your nipples. Over your shirt he playfully bites at each of your tits as his hands push them upward into his mouth. The heat from his breath and the tingling from the bites had you absolutely feral. You can feel the warm wetness coating your panties as his bites got harsher.

You look down at him, “You know, they taste better without all those layers of clothes on.”

Adrian stopped and looked up at you with wide eyes. He got to work.

He pushed himself up to his knees, propped you up.

“Arms up,” he ordered. He swiftly pulled your top off in one motion over your head.

You were at eye level with his chest and abs and took the opportunity to kiss this sculpted territory. You curl your fingers into his belt loops and yank him towards you and start suckling his ‘happy trail.’ Adrian groaned while his head fell backward feeling your lips and tongue making your way down to his pant line.

He put his hands on your shoulders and massaged them, unaware he was slightly thrusting into your face. Your hands went to work on undoing his jeans. He brought his head forward, and tried helping you get his jeans off as quickly as possible.

He projected himself backward onto his back curling his knees into his chest to remove his pants and boxers. The articles of clothing were tossed into the dimly lit oblivion then he kneeled on his bed in front of you…You gaped at this man in front of you.

His biceps and forearms…those shoulders; strong and toned.

His pecs: swelling as he inhaled…you’re almost positive you can see his heart pounding behind it.

That six pack: rippling and flexing as he panted for you.

His dick…generous, rock-hard, and pulsating a flushed red with all the blood that’s coursing into it as he held himself in his hand.

“His hands, though…” You thought to yourself.

Those powerful, deadly hands that were the cause of many demises of criminals’ lives. The hands that handled weapons as second nature, and clouted lawbreakers all over Evergreen, were about to be used to do unspeakable and erotic deeds to your body.

Adrian’s voice interrupted your trance, “Uh, are you ok with this?” He asked concerned.

You blink to snap out of it then look up at him through your lashes smiling, “Oh, I’m perfectly ok with it. Get over here.” You demanded.

Adrian smiled widely and slithered over to you. You unbuttoned your jeans as he whipped them off in one sweeping motion taking your panties along with them. He sat up kneeling onto his heels and hoisted you from your ass up onto his lap as you wrap your legs around his waist. He unfastened your bra with one snap of his fingers and there you were, your tits flush against his chest.

You feel his cock settle between your slick folds sliding up and down between them desperate to find the entrance. He’s kissing and licking your bare chest as you throw your head back grinding into his thrusts, both of you gasping and growling at each other. Every time he bucks into your folds he brushes your clit with the tip of his dick sending shock waves through your entire nervous system.

You look back at him, “…get in there.” You commanded.

He looked up at you, and without breaking eye contact, he uses his hand to direct the head of his cock into the opening of your slippery cunt. You groan as he slides right into you with little resistance.

Adrian closed his eyes and snarled when you slid all the way down his shaft, “Y/N…you… are SO tight…” He rested his forehead onto your chest and tried to catch his breathe.

You put both of your hands on each side of his face and positioned it upward so you can look into his starving jade green eyes,

“Keep your eyes on me, handsome. I don’t want you to miss a thing.”

You place a deep, tonguey kiss on him as he lowers you down onto your back with one arm holding you and the other hand holding himself up on the bed cradling you downward. You fall to the mattress without him slipping out of your drenched pussy.

He pulled back to gaze at you intensely and started to speed up his plunges into you. Not taking his eyes off yours, he rails into you harder, and deeper causing your titties to bounce upwards each time his hips slam into your thighs. He groped at them with one hand while still gliding in and out of your wet cunt and growled. He increased the intensity of his thrusts until you can hear the ‘slaps’ of his balls hitting your ass. 

“That’s what I like to hear.” You whispered to him.

“Fuck…” He snarled as he assailed faster into you vigorously without mercy.

You moaned, walking your fingers to his agape mouth, “…lick.” You ordered.

Looking into your eyes, he wrapped his mouth on your middle and fore finger sucking on them. You remove them from his mouth and bring them to your clit.

Adrian’s eyes widen, “Fuck yeah, play with yourself for me.”

You smile devilishly at him as you rub on yourself with quick circles as you roll your hips into his thrusts. You whimper as you feel your edging orgasm. Your pussy dripping onto Adrian’s comforter at this point as you clench yourself around him. He can feel you squeezing his cock intermittently, sensing your finish.

“Yeah, that’s my girl, get it. Cum for me.” Adrian was on a mission to make you explode. He secretly hoped you were a squirter because he never got to see that before.

“Harder, Adrian…Fuck me harder…fucking wreck me.” You begged.

 His bucking pace increased, slamming into you as he brought up one of your legs over his shoulder to get deeper inside you.

You let out a demonic growl, “Oh…my…fucking God, Adrian!”

He maintained his thrusts, “Yeah that’s right, fucking get it!”

He spanked your exposed ass cheek and that was it. You splurged onto his throbbing dick as he rides out your orgasm until he reaches his. One final slam into your cunt as he coats your walls with his spend. He holds himself there, panting. You can feel his dick twitch and pulsating inside you.

He made one more grab of your tit, kneading it then pinching your hardened nipple rolling the tip between his fingers before slowly pulling out of you, but as he does, a mixture of yours and his spend practically waterfall out of your entrance. Adrian took his middle and forefinger and guided the escaped cum back up your folds, sliding it back inside you.

He made eye contact with you followed by a devious grin, “This stays in there.” He whispered.

You grin back, “You are dirty, Adrian Allen Chase.”

You like it…a lot.

“This will definitely be happening again.” You decided.

~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1: Who’s the New Guy?

Chapter 2: Shenanigans & Saliva

Chapter 4: My Hero

Masterlist

#hbo max #peacemaker #adrian chase #vigilante #freddie stroma #11th street kids #chris smith #leota Adebayo #john economos #emilia harcourt #shewolf #teal #adrian chase x female reader #vigilante x you #vigilante x reader #vigilante x hero #my love #adrian chase x reader #vigilante smut #dc #adrian chase smut #adrian chase imagine

[otherworldlygate]

Today is the day I finish some outlines I hope. Current progress is something like this (under a readmore to save your dashes):

Swallow the Ground: This is the sequel to Break Open the Sky, and is 90% outlined. I just need to wiggle in a tertiary plot that I'd like to carry into the third story in the series. Outline is sitting around 6,200 words and the story takes place over a full calendar year. The main plot is about Regal, Zelos, Sheena, and Raine trying to compile enough evidence against Sybak to have it shut down, with some help from Kate, Presea, Genis, Viscount Alaric, and a half-elf informant who lived most of their long life in Sybak and has plenty of evidence to spare. The secondary plot is the romance, which focuses most heavily on Raine's struggle as an asexual woman who never really processed her past relationship trauma. Even though Regal told her he didn't care how long it took for them to figure things out/things to progress between them, she still feels pressure to be ready before that one-year anniversary hits. She does a lot of conflating love and sex in the "if I love him enough I should be comfortable having sex with him" sense. As far as a tertiary plot goes, I'm thinking something along the lines of exspheres and the exsphere mines—something to draw Lloyd and Colette into the third story in the series more directly.

--

Balacruf Mausoleum Fic: The completion status of this one is hard to define. The trauma of the accident is entirely outlined, but this is the kind of story where it's difficult to figure out where to go afterward because there isn't a big catch-all solution to the issues that plague the characters. The outline is about 6,100 words long right now.

I do think any story centering on certain characters in ToS probably tends to struggle with a similar issue to what I'm looking at here, which is more or less difficulty finding a good/believable stopping point because the grind never ends. Think about Lloyd's journey to gather all the exspheres or Zelos's responsibilities in Tethe'alla in the post-game: it feels like there's no stopping point in their lives because the characters will never get a real break. In the case of this story, Raine and Regal pay pretty heavy prices for being in the wrong place at the wrong time when the Balacruf Mausoleum caves in on them. While Raine is at least logically free to do whatever she wants after this is over, Regal has to return to his life in Altamira and all the responsibilities that wait there for him while continuing to deal with his share of the consequences. Like Zelos and Lloyd, there isn't really a point where he gets a break; too many people depend on him.

This also isn't the usual kind of story for me. Sure, I love torturing my blorbos, but I don't usually delve into trauma-bonding or magic, and one of the big plots of this story is centered on the idea of what might happen if Raine severely over-extended herself as a healer as a "last stand" kind of thing and accidentally formed a very literal link/connection with the person whose life she was trying to save. And because I'm writing it, of course, this device skews toward having far more downsides than upsides, and it's almost made worse with the trauma-bonding. So while Raine is logically free to go her own way once the dust settles (so to speak), emotionally it becomes a much more difficult decision for her.

But where does a story like this go, other than smack into the daily grind of the characters as they try to untangle everything? And this, I am finding, is quite difficult to outline.

--

Declining!Tethe'alla: Character backstories are 90% complete and part of the journey arc is outlined. Sitting at 6,300 words. I don't really know what else to say about this one except that there were at least 10 ways to write any particular character arc, and I went with what seemed most appealing to me/what worked best in tandem with other character arcs.

Here are some small tidbits: Seles is Tethe'alla's Chosen of Regeneration. Zelos is the one tasked to carry on the mana lineage. Both Mylene and Seles's mother (named Carina in this story unless she has an official name) are alive. Sheena is a celebrated hero/summoner. Colette is Sylvarant's Chosen of Mana and Lloyd is her right-hand man/bodyguard/sidekick/bestie. Anna is alive. Regal has been at a human ranch for half his life. Raine and Genis are Sybak's property. Presea's story is similar to the game but somehow 10x worse.

A few characters were aged up for the sake of a better/more interesting/more believable storyline. Several relationships from the canon are also altered or changed in some way (including Raine and Genis's).

Speaking of Raine and Genis, I really wanted to avoid them being in Sybak because I feel like everyone jumps to that, so I toyed with the idea of Raine as a Desian (thanks @ciryze LOL) and while this would grant me some great storyline stuff between my blorbos if they were both at the same ranch (rapport before they meet the others!) I felt like that sort of story had a lot of short-term strength, but not enough staying power for the rest of the tale I wanted to tell. It also makes Genis a tough character to write.

Also, it's probably worth mentioning that I don't think many people actually want to read my take on Raine as a Desian; it wouldn't be that dark or interesting lmao. (I might have a one-shot brewing for this, though.)

Anyway, as it turns out, it's exceedingly difficult to ensure all these characters meet without some outside influence. While it's true that Raine and Genis could meet the Chosen's Group by pure coincidence, I would prefer a story that felt a little more intentional, especially for characters who will matter even more in a story where the Chosen herself is a half-elf. So I went with Sybak. But oops, it's not the Sybak you know and love!

The most difficult part about outlining this story is definitely getting all the characters together in a timely manner and not boring the shit out of my audience. We all played the game, after all, and we know what the Chosen's journey entails and how it should theoretically end. The second most difficult part is purely logistics-related: which human ranch goes where, which grand cardinal oversees it, how to weave in so many varying perspectives into one story, what the fUCK to do with Kratos other than let him show up, do nothing, reveal nothing, then leave, the order of the seals, and so on.

And then the third hardest thing is being nitpicky about character stuff. Let's use Regal for an example. So if he's been at a human ranch for the last 18 years, he should be long dead. He's not, so I had to figure out why. Through pure spite (or any other strong emotion) he doesn't let his exsphere awaken? He's too physically useful to be thrown away? He's not allowed to die too easily because he has to pay for the sins of his family? The Desians are intrigued by his ability to heal and use a little magic even though he reads as human to them? He has elven blood way back in the bloodline and the Desians take a small measure of pity on him? Is it possible he is being used in an experiment like the Angelus Project? Multiple of the above?

And then bigger questions, like which cardinal is most likely to have allowed this to happen? And where should this ranch be located so that the main characters can run into Regal at the right time?

We can't forget the emotional stuff, either! For example, after 18 years of mistreatment in a human ranch and seeing so many humans die at the hands of half-elves, how does Regal react to the literal Chosen being a half-elf? What about Raine and Genis, who were exploited by humans for the last 14 years?

And this isn't even getting into the backstory of his family, or George's role in anything. And this is just Regal! There are a lot of other characters, and I feel exceedingly picky about all of them.

I'm maybe 20% through this outline because there's just so much to consider.

--

One-night Stand Fic: The happier outline is 1,800 words (while the tragic version is 4,600) but it's maybe only like 30% complete. I think I'm going to go with the happier story because my blorbos need a break and there's something to be said about the consequences of a one-night stand being terrible enough on their own.

Like, imagine having to tell the friend that you banged a couple of months ago on a whim that uhhhh there's a baby now. There's something particularly bad about Raine being the one who has to get up the courage to say something, too; the world is prejudiced and while logically she's certain Regal will take the news in stride/take at least some responsibility, it's still a scary conversation to have.

Like, he is her friend, and she likes him, but this is a life-changing thing to announce. There is no way for her to know with 100% certainty how he will react to it. He has literally all of the power here.

What a terrifying situation to be in. And also to have to sail to Altamira when already suffering morning sickness? Hahaha. RIP.

#ruin mode: engage #wish me luck today lmao

[manylivesmanyworlds]

Honeysuckle

Prompt(s): "Last Night" and "Warmth" Rating: E Warning(s): --- A/N: Pretty late to the party, I know, but I'm really pleased with how this came out so I think it was worth the wait. For context, this is inspired by the Familiar AU by @finalfantasyxivwritings.

The early morning is quiet in Poiten Oikos. The sun turns from red to orange as it rises higher into the sky and its light reaches down to the floating isles with utmost gentleness, warming the grass and sifting through the trees. Not everyone is awake yet, and the ones that are have not fully freed themselves from sleepfulness. It is a benign lethargy that will be replaced by eager curiosity as the day continues.

The sunlight breaches the window of one room in particular and caresses the faces of its inhabitants. One continues to sleep soundly while the other blearily opens her eyes, bright cyan contrasting starkly against the warm dawn. She squints her eyes as her vision adjusts, and she takes a deep breath to ground herself to reality.

There is a shift and Venat suddenly remembers ah, yes, I’m not the only person here, and she looks down at the body lying next to hers, warm and soft and gently breathing. Venat does not keep the smile off her face as she cards her fingers through her companion’s hair and makes sure to smooth out the messy knots that were garnered from last night’s activities.

Rarely has Venat felt carnal desire. There have been very few people she’s ever had romantic or physical interest in, and even then her feelings were never strong enough to act upon. But this sweet creature beneath her, so soft and warm and full of life, has stolen her heart utterly. “Theros,” Venat whispers, devotion evident in her voice, “sweet little light, let me adore you as you deserve.”

A delicate whimper is all she gets in reply as she carefully pushes her fingers into Theros’ entrance. Though Venat has little experience in the art of love-making, that does not mean she cannot intuit what needs to be done.

“Do we have to get up?” Theros mumbles and tries to burrow herself further into the soft sheets and Venat’s strong arms. “‘M comfy.”

“I also wish we could stay here all day, but I have duties that need my attention.” Venat pushes herself up, careful not to jostle her bedmate too much as she stands. Theros watches with an unabashed stare as the other woman gets dressed, taking note of her defined muscles and soft breasts.

Unthinkingly, Theros reaches out to grasp strands of snowy-white hair. Venat looks downright holy in the light of the brightening sun, like a goddess having taken tangible form. Theros swears to herself that she will be her most devoted worshiper, for she deserves nothing less.

Stars, how Venat’s eyes paralyze. The same color of the bluest sea and the hottest fire, equally calming and revivifying. Now they glow with an emotion that Theros can’t quite place and she can’t decide if she wants to 

Venat presses her lips against Theros’ pulse and the familiar tilts her head back to give her more room. Venat’s fingers are moving slowly in and out of her lover as though she’s trying to ease her into her climax. Were she more experienced, Theros would be acting more impatiently, but she knows it’s better to savor her first time.

Suddenly, Venat’s fingertips reach that special spot and Theros jerks with a gasp that is promptly received with a gentle shushing and tender kisses. “Shh… calm, little one, calm…”

“Will you need me for anything today?”

“Only for your company,” Venat responds. Rarely does she need the assistance of a familiar for anything, but Theros only thinks it fair to at least offer hers.

She continues to watch Venat dress herself, if only so that she can remain in this little corner of paradise for as long as she can. The moment she steps out the door she’ll be greeted by people who see her as an extension of her creator and not as her own individual. It is a daily experience that has become more and more tiring.

“Let me help?” She asks as Venat starts to fix her hair in its usual style. The hair tie is wordlessly handed over and Theros doesn’t wait too long to sit up and carefully take the right strands to weave them into the usual crown.

Venat belatedly realizes that Theros is still very much naked as she looks in the mirror. She knows that it’s rude to ogle, but the smaller woman looks ravishing with her ample chest and thighs. Everything about her is soft and that, to Venat, is what makes her irresistible.

“V-Ven, I–”

“I know, sweet. You’re almost there.”

It’s almost cute how Theros tries so hard to keep her body from convulsing as her orgasm inches ever closer. Venat suspects that whatever part of her is still rational is trying to not be a nuisance. So considerate, even in the throes of passion.

It is not as abrupt or blinding as Theros had thought it would be. It does not crash into her like a wild tsunami or a blazing wildfire. It comes in gentle waves, surges and subsides as Venat essentially fucks her through it.

Theros sinks into the bed once it’s over. Her breathing slows and stabilizes and she feels how soaked her thighs are from her release. She feels Venat pulling out her fingers while she caresses her cheek with her free hand, and Theros happily leans into the touch.

“Would you like a bath?” Venat asks, her own body covered in a subtle sheen of sweat. Theros thinks for a moment before nodding, very much preferring to sleep with a clean body.

Theros finishes her work with an “all done” and moves back so that Venat can inspect her handiwork. The familiar then quickly gets dressed herself, now invigorated and eager to get the day started.

“You did a wonderful job,” Venat compliments. Theros doesn’t reply but the smile is noticeable.

It isn’t long before they step out the door, the warm sun saying hello and the gentle breeze hitting their faces. Theros stretches with a groan before following Venat down the path and walking beside her in pleasant silence.

They are both happy and content, knowing that today will be a good day.

#wondroustailsofffxiv #wondroustailsofffxiv2022

[hwandorp]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖎𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖍𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖒𝖚𝖓 𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖘 𝖋𝖔𝖗

YOO AHRI ( she/her ), a 23 year old SENIOR witch seeking a degree in DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS and minor in MUGGLE STUDIES as a member of the JUJAK house, the institute of hwando welcomes you with open arms and hopes that you will find nothing but safety and a place to call home on this island full of boundless magic.

extracurricular: vice president of the defense against the dark arts club, jujak quidditch chaser, dueling club, swimming club

QUESTIONNAIRE

what is your muse’s favorite spell and why?

ahri couldn't possibly pick one spell, she's entirely fascinated with all of them but the one that she's had the most fun learning had to have been "expecto patronum" , conjure up your happiest memory... it took her weeks to learn it. no memory quite did it.. not until... and now it's probably her favourite one. not to mention her patronus is the cutest.

what do you think is your best and worst trait? 

some of ahri's best traits: intelligent ( more than people think ) , quick-witted , observant , loyal and a fast learner

some of ahri's worst traits: impulsive , befuddled , sensitive and apathetic

if your muse had to choose only one between having wealth, happiness or power, which would they choose? why?

ahri absolutely despises questions like these, always unsure of her answer.. so painstakingly unaware of what she wants. what she really wants. they had all the wealth so her family would have her simply answer "power", but a part of her dreams of a kind of happiness that you could only hope for.

what’s been the biggest challenge in your life and how did you deal with it?

she'd chuckle at that, ahri's never had any challenges. she's miss perfect living a perfect life, raised by a perfect family and has the perfect grades. perfect. no room for challenges, nothing to deal with.

that's never the case now is it? ahri has challenges.. she has them everyday, here she stands a phoney in her otherwise ideal family, the woman hasn't belonged since day one but the problem is that she doesn't know how to deal with that. so she flows with the wind. smiles when they tell her to and does what needs to be done.

if your muse had to live as an animal for a whole day, what would it be and why?

scoff. who has the time to think about things like that? not ahri, that's for sure. she's never thought about how freeing it would be to fly around like an eagle in the sky. no one to listen to, no one to be bound to and no reason to stop. still majestic and wanted, still powerful but living on the terms she'd set for herself. yeah... an eagle would be nice.

what would your muse be remembered by if there was only one thing that could define their entire life?

ahri hesitates with this one the most. the twisting in her chest with the thought of her family hurts.. but's the most accurate guess. has there ever been anything significant she's done that hasn't been completely shadowed by the yoo name? has she been brave enough to do that?

she'd be remembered as a disgrace by her family if she broke free, but others would've looked upto her and talked about her courage... wouldn't they? or would they have just called her an imposter who could truly never be loyal to anyone?

OTHER DETAILS

wand details: acacia wood, dragon heartstring core, 9 1/2 inches, and briskly flexible

patronus details: wolf

boggart details: she sees herself alone because everyone's abandoned her

schooling prior to hwando: hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry / gryffindor

housing: emerald dorm, ROOM 1A

#hwnfollow #hwn:jujak #hwn:undergrad

[sixofclovers]

test render!

#unburied #the gardener #animation #blackbird protostars #soc art #not sure if she's quite defined enough against the sky?? #hmmm #shall have to think on it bc i like the morning glow #thots are appreciated sigh #Original Work #more WIP updates on my patreon of course

[majestyeverlasting]

can you write prompts 3&10 with beefy!bucky x reader where he takes her on a surprise date under the stars n they cuddle n it’s cute n shit :)

✩ Alas, the time has come for a night under the stars. These prompts are amazing together, and tried my best to make it as cute as possible. It takes place in Brooklyn, and there's fairly lights, caresses, and of course kisses. A sprinkle of innocent teasing as well. Thank you so much for your patience, and I hope you enjoy.

✩ Prompt 3: “I told you the stars were gonna be out tonight.”

✩ Prompt 10: “It’s hard to concentrate when you’re kissing my neck like that.”

Brighter Than We Know

The same sky that was once a rich blue mixed with the warmth of orange had begun to welcome the beginnings of darkness. Only a trace of daylight remained, nothing more than a fleeting hint of illumination that proved the sun once shone over Prospect Park. That's where the two of you found yourselves, settled on a red blanket in a clearing of grass with a view of the lake. A few small mason jars filled with fairy lights were positioned on the ground around you.

The hands of time always seemed to move faster when you and Bucky were together. An indescribable easiness never failed to accompany his presence.

There was a warmth to the air of the budding night, and cricket chirps ascended from all around. Bucky sat with his legs outstretched, leaning back onto his hands. And you laid perpendicular to him with your head resting in his lap, gazing upwards and allowing yourself to be lulled by the atmosphere. When you closed your eyes, he traced a finger along your hairline and all the way down to follow the curve of your jaw. A pleasant tingle was left in its wake. The content hum that rose from your throat served as all the encouragement he needed to continue.

However, as his fingertips began to trace your lips, you opened your eyes and took his hand in yours—you’d always adored his hands. They were so strong and yet so gentle. You pressed a kiss to his palm, smiling at the way his fingers curled ever so slightly. Then you let go, and he continued to caress your features as if trying to further engrain them in his mind.

Soon, Bucky eventually said. Soon it would be dark enough for the stars to be seen in the heavens above. There was an inkling of doubt that you ended up voicing to him, but he soothed it with an easy smile and another promise that it was only a matter of time. The outing itself had been his idea. After dinner, you were expecting to go back to his apartment. But that’s when he’d told you that there was one more thing he’d planned.

Curiosity getting the better of you, you’d asked him question after question as the two of you arrived at Prospect Park, and began to walk through it; even going over your favorite bridge, and getting to hear the trickle of the small waterfalls leading into the pond beneath. There was something different about the way he was holding your hand, he was guiding you. Not merely walking with you.

It came to the point where the path you’d been following was no longer lined with trees. That’s when you saw everything in the grass a short distance away—the blanket, the mason jars. There were others out enjoying the stillness, but nobody occupying that space. Surely, that wasn’t for you two. But he led you right to it, and your heart soared in awe. There were a couple pillows and a bag of your favorite chocolate as well. You’d attempted to ask Bucky how he’d managed to put everything together, but the only answer he gave you was that he'd had help from somebody who was fond of the two of you.

Ms. Cleary. It had to have been her. Bucky winked when he saw the realization in your eyes. Virginia Cleary was a kind, older woman who lived across the hall from him. She spoke whenever she saw you, and had given him an original canvas painting of hers back when they first got acquainted. Her husband had passed away years prior, and her son worked as a businessman upstate. So she took pleasure in being caring and nurturing towards the two of you.

In that moment, you swore your gratitude for them was endless. The week had been so demanding of you, and in an instant their efforts had lifted the ghost of the weight that lingered on your shoulders.

Bucky began to shift, and you realized it was because he was lying onto his back. Naturally, you repositioned as well, opting to snuggle into his side and rest your head on his broad chest. You felt its steady rise and fall as his arm wrapped around you. He smelled woodsy with a hint of something warm and spiced. The dark gray shirt he wore defined his upper body, and you let one of your hands run up his torso, and over the hard shoulder of his metal arm. There was a solidness to his muscularity, but he was relaxed underneath your touch. There was no tension to be felt.

You glanced at his face, and saw that his eyes were directed upwards. You followed his gaze to where the stars still had yet to appear. Any moment, though. You craned your head and began peppering featherlight kisses to the crook of his neck. His stubbled Adam's apple bobbed with a swallow. And you felt him squeeze your waist as the exhales leaving his nose grew more audible.

“Doll.” His voice was gruff. “It’s hard to concentrate when you’re kissing my neck like that.”

You hummed, but went on to start nibbling his skin, unable to contain a smile. After a few more seconds, you relented, and heard him whisper something quick under his breath. A chuckle bubbled out of you, as you propped yourself on his chest.

“What was that?”

He lips twitched upwards. “I said ‘please give me the strength.’”

You playfully clawed your fingers in his thick pecs. “You’re already pretty strong.”

“Not up against you, I’m not.” There was love in his eyes. A silence settled between the two of you for a few moments. You even let your cheek come to rest on your arms as they were folded on top of his chest.

But then Bucky shook your shoulder after a while. “Hey, look up, pretty girl. You can see ‘em shining now—all over.” His voice was low and measured, proud too.

As if charged, you pushed yourself up into a seated position, eyes wide and curious as they began to scan the vastness of the sky. They seemed to be everywhere, the stars. Some were clustered whereas others seemed to be off by themselves. But no matter the distance, none of them were truly alone as they shone amongst each other.

“See there, pretty girl?” Bucky said. “I told you the stars were gonna be out tonight.”

The moment you turned around to look down at him, he feared being awakened because your smile looked like something out of a dream. The glow of the fairy lights and the lampposts in the distance just barely helped illuminate your face—he saw you nonetheless. In a way only he could, however. He saw beyond your appearance, to what radiated from within you: the childlike wonder you held onto like a friend, your constant pursuit of the ‘extra’ in the ordinary, the love you were always so willing to extend. The extent of your beauty was a fountain that never ran dry.

Bucky thanked his lucky stars that out of every soul in the universe, he got to grow in the understanding of yours.

“You did tell me,” you spoke up. “Thank you. For this—for everything.” You meant that, strongly.

“Of course. Figured you’d appreciate it. I know you’ve been working really hard, and that you…”

His words trailed off as you moved to lay on your stomach beside him. You remained propped on one forearm, and rested your free hand on his chest before dipping your head down to kiss him. But not on his lips quite yet. You pressed one to the tip of his nose, then some to both corners of his mouth. Flutters of anticipation stirred within his chest, and you rendered them into longing when you placed yet another to the dimple of his chin. The sight of you pulling away to study his face made him release a quick exhale of disbelief tinged with amusement. You gave him a little knowing smirk before finally leaning back down to connect your lips.

Bucky used his weight to push you onto your back so that he was the one hovering over you. In the process, your lips parted, only to find each other once again. The way he kissed you was more tender and reverent than anything. But of course, fueled by that spark of passion that was always alight whenever he was with you.

After pulling away, he dipped to return the little kisses you’d given his neck. The added scratch of his stubble drew the sweetest giggles out of you that you attempted to stifle by biting your lip. Bucky felt like he was floating as he detached himself from you entirely, letting himself roll onto his back once again.

There the two of you were, buzzing and looking up at a sky full of stars.

Bucky took your hand in his, and ran his thumb over the back of it.

“They’re the brightest I’ve seen them in a while,” he said.

You squeezed his hand. “And they’re even brighter than we know because they’re so many miles away.”

-

✩ Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed your night under the stars.

✩ More fluffy Bucky fics

#bucky barnes #beefy bucky #beefy bucky x reader #bucky x female reader #bucky fluff #bucky x reader #bucky barnes imagine #sebastian stan #winter soldier #tfaws bucky #marvel #marvel fic

[imaginativeamateur]

Hi! Congrats on 500 followers! I absolutely love your blog, and I'm so happy to see it grow and achieve new milestones!

I would love to make a visit to Ramen Ichiraku :)

Table 1, 1 bowl of Shoyu ramen with Chashu and Wonton, with some Green Tea, please!

Arigatou gozaimasu!

[Kakashi Hatake X Reader] Let the Rain Kiss You

|500 Followers Event|

Order: Table 1: Shoyu Ramen with Chashu and Wonton, Green tea

Pairing: Kakashi Hatake x fem!Reader

Note: Hey!! Thanks for placing an order! This one is a bit different from the style that I've been writing in, I wanted to try something different :D So definitely let me know what you think! Without further ado, please enjoy your ramen!

Mid-summer rains were for flowers to bathe their shying petals in serenity.

Mid-summer rains were for memories to drop by and once again relive…

You were having an uneventful day at the bookstore where you were landing a part-time job at. It was summer and dewy raindrops pounded at the front steps melodically. Your bookstore was located in the outskirts of the village, quite far from where the downtown hustle was, making it even more solemn on days like this. The sky started to pour at four and it was six by then with customers so few that you could recall which sections they stopped by without hesitation.

One more hour until closing time and you found yourself bending languidly across the desk, eyes gazing over the green grass just outside the glass window. The ticking of the clock and dulcet songs playing in the background brought reminiscence to you as you watched the clear droplets hitting the leaves then gliding smoothly against the flourishing surface. You remembered the first time you came here and immediately fell in love with the tranquility the place possessed, from the wooden shelves packed with paperbacks to the windows that would glow misty every time it rained—it was relict yet refreshing in a mesmerizing way.

Your thoughts were disconnected when faint footsteps approached the entrance. A silver-haired man calmly shrugged off his drenched flak jacket and got inside the store. The droplets of water fell from the tip of his hair and trailed the outline of his sharp jaw. One of his eyes was covered with a forehead protector—the Konohagakure symbol shining brighter with a layer of water atop. Though you were unfamiliar with Konoha’s Shinobi and never went outside of your village for the entirety of your lifetime, you were able to detect a powerful aura emanating from the man.

You stood up from your seat abruptly to welcome the newly arrived customer with a bright smile, “Hello, how may I help you?”

He scanned the whole storey and put his hands into his pant pockets, seeming dejected. “I don’t think what I need to find is here.”

“May I know what books you're looking for?”

He thought for a moment and looked around once again before clearing his throat, “… Some poetry would be fine.”

You were puzzled. Your store was full of poetic compositions, from hundred-year-old ones to the most recently published ones, but he just said what he was finding was not here. Albeit confused, you made your way around the desk and walked closer to him. Only then did you realize that he was dripping wet.

You wearily offered, “I think it’s best if you can come in and dry yourself a little.”

He nodded and smiled humbly, “That’s very kind of you.”

-----

In fact, Kakashi was on a journey for his mission when it rained and he could not find a roof to seek asylum—none besides a lone storey that stood out at the border of the forest, not too far from the center, but distant enough to preserve its own peace and quiet. When he came closer, his hope faltered when the place turned out to be a bookstore, not an inn. But the girl was benign enough to offer him some hospitality. Though he noticed that she was cautious of him, she still guided him through the hall and into a larger room, surrounded by old bookcases with a mystic scent of forgotten beauty.

“Please wait here if you don’t mind,” she whispered, “I’ll go get you a towel.”

Kakashi settled himself on a bench, resting his head against the side of one of the shelves when she stepped out of the room. He could see the last weakling rays of the day shining through the glass windows, casting a warming yellow tone on the ancient volumes neatly placed on the bookcases, pleasant to the eyes. His thoughts slipped at the slight cracks of her footsteps approaching and the gust of wind that billowed into the room once she opened the door.

She carefully handed him a plain white towel, her gaze never left the floor in the process. The space was accommodated with comfortable silence and the rhythmic raindrops being the only sounds making their way through the little creak of the partially agape glass panes. Kakashi dried his damped hair with the towel, inhaling the subtly sweetness from the soft fabric, the furrow of his brows unconsciously loosened themselves.

The last exquisite glimmers finally dimmed, leaving the warm lamplight draping the room with pleasant hues of amber. She had long disappeared behind the shelves, swiftly strolling along rows of different compositions, looking for what he—an unexpected, special customer—asked for. Kakashi did not notice the moment his visible eye started trailing her petite figure across the room, following her lithe steps as she turned side to side in her search. He could not help but wonder the peculiar thoughts that quickly entrenched his mind—Kakashi suddenly felt oddly sedate.

-----

You came back with five books of different thicknesses and covers in your arms, sweats glimmering on your forehead from the quite strenuous expedition. You placed the books down one by one while explaining with faint pride, “I didn’t know what you like specifically, so I picked out five different styles for you to choose.”

You looked up with glinting orbs but your face immediately flushed a deep shade of pink when you saw his still slightly wet top glued to his defined frame, outlining the muscles underneath the thin layer of black fabric. Your eyes drifted outside the large window, pretending to admire the night rain, clearing your throat in embarrassment. He seemed to have noticed your flustered state, a low chuckle vibrated in his chest as he leaned forward to draw in one of your picks. The sudden closure of the distance between your body and his made you flinch, instantaneously stepping back, and missing your footing carelessly.

His hand flung out of instinct, grasping tightly around your wrist, pulling you back from landing on the hard wooden floor. Yet, with the strong force that he was used to exerting in his training, your dainty figure was forced into his bosom in a mere second, too fast for you to register everything. When you finally realized that your palms flattened themselves against his broad chest to cushion the impact and the beating of his heart was right under them, you gasped in surprise.

-----

Kakashi peered down at her with his only visible eye, sophisticated gaze scanning her body for any injuries. Seeing that she was still staring at him in shock, her hands right on his chest, he felt another surge of warmth flowing through his heart, leaving his mind in a daze. Kakashi gave her an assuring grin, and she snapped back into reality, hastily standing up from his lap, looking at him timidly as she scooted farther away. He felt empty when she escaped from his embrace. The cold air surrounded Kakashi almost instantly after she got up made him a tad unsatisfied.

He reached forward again for the leather-cover book, flipping through the first few pages with elegance. She stood there and watched silently, not daring to make a single noise. Though his eye was fixed on the pages, his focus was on the figure standing at the other side of the table that was rubbing her hands together out of nervousness.

“I like this one,” he blurted, trying to assuage the invisible tension.

Her eyes lit up and the familiar smile returned to her lips, making Kakashi smile too.

“This one is an old publication,” she explained as she led him back, “I remember seeing this one around when I was four or five.”

He took the paperback with one hand, the other grabbing the green flak jacket hanging from the hook, “It’s probably a great one for sure.”

Kakashi left when the rain stopped, with poetry in his hand and her smile in his heart. When he was finally able to find an inn and settled in for the night, he held the book once again in his hands, smoothing the cover with adoration. The title graced in silvery read, “Let the Rain Kiss You.”

-----------------

Taglist: @dai-tsukki-desu @thenightfallingstar @animepickle7 @simping-master-69 @tirzamisu @rinnegankakashi @the-tiniest-one @greenshirtimagines @theacevampire

#kakashi x you #kakashi x y/n #kakashi hatake x you #kakashi hatake x reader #kakashi imagines #kakashi hatake x y/n #hatake kakashi x reader #hatake kakashi x you #hashirama x reader #kakashi hatake #kakashi hatake imagine #kakashi hakate #hatake kakashi

[xenospacebabe]

Broken Wings

Hawks drabble

A/N: So I imagine for some reason that regular doctors and surgeons are capable of treating Hawks to a fault. But when it comes to his wings, they’re a bit...lost?

Summary: After coping with treating injuries to his wings by himself, Hawks finds himself with a more serious injury than he can handle. He can’t open his wings, or fly. The pain is mind numbing. He finds himself breaking into an animal clinic for some help.

Warning: Broken bones. Mild language

HawksxReader

7am. The doors don’t open until 8:30, but you still had things to do from yesterday that weren’t even started. Clutching your steel tumblr full of coffee that’ll barely scratch the surface of your exhaustion, you stifled a yawn and crawled out of your car. Barely remembering to lock it. You always parked on the side of the building so as not to take up any spaces in front. The key missed the lock a few times before eventually sliding inside and turning to the side.

The moment you turned on the lights, a couple of dogs in the back already started barking, hungry for breakfast and ready to go home. Your veterinary clinic was modest in size, but it was always busy. It was your father’s practice before he retired and passed it down to you after finishing school. Now it was all yours. It was hard work, but your clients were loyal. Many of them have been around since the place opened almost 30 years ago. You were the vet that people would recommend to their friends who needed help and had struggles affording it. Your clinic was the one that everyone knew cared the most about patients rather than money. And it showed. While your profits were great, it wasn’t what you were concerned the most about.

After setting down your things in your office, you tied back your hair into a high ponytail and took a long drink of your “breakfast.” You looked at the white board on your wall, deciding which surgery from yesterday to start on first. Picking the cat spay, you headed towards the back to get started. Passing surgery and into the kennels, you found your patient and greeted her with a sweet voice and scratches on her cheeks.

“Good morning, Sadie. You ready, sweet girl? C’mon.” The cat whined tiredly as you scooped her into your arms to bring into the surgical room. But when you lifted your head and looked inside you screamed. Unfortunately, this spooked your cat and she bolted out of your arms to hide under the kennels.

“AH SHIT! Sadie! Sadie c’mere girl! Who are you?!” There sitting on your operating counter was a man. A shirtless man with enormous wings that nearly filled the small room. He was covered in decently serious lacerations and wounds that made the surface of his skin look like a blue, black, green, and purple water color canvas. He looked terrible with deep bags under his eyes. However, he looked at you through messy strands of hair that hung in his face with a tired but smug expression.

“Really? You don’t know who I am?” He said, his voice croaking out with a subtle groan of pain. Your eyes shifted from his, those golden pools that shined like the sun, to the massive crimson wings. They, too, looked to be in disarray. Feathers stuck out in random places, others crumpled, many painted in blood. However his left hung in a slightly abnormal manner.

“I’m sorry. You shocked me all of a sudden. You’re Hawks right? What are you doing here? How did you even get in? The doors were all locked.” As you finished your statement, a single red feather lifted in mid air and hovered, showing you its bent up quill. He picked the lock with the feather and locked it behind him.

“Sorry. I just-..mmgghh...I think it’s broken. And the clowns at the city hospital the commission would send me to aren’t capable of fixing it. I found you online, you do exotics, right? Birds and stuff?”

All the while he was explaining his situation, you were assessing his condition. The area that connected the wing to his back appeared incredibly swollen, and slightly out of place. Without thinking, you reached out to palpate the area causing him to immediately flinch and groan out loud.

“Sorry! Sorry. I’m used to my patients being-...well animals. But yes, I’m a small animal and exotics vet. There’s a couple birds I’ve been treating for a long time.” Now this time, as you were talking, Hawks had his eyes trained on you. He was listening to every word you spoke intently. “Some of them were my dad’s patients before he retired. Shows how old they can get.”

Hawks braced the cold steel of the table, crouching forward some. His skin seemed damp with sweat, the pain he was in must have been affecting his body temperature. You needed to act quickly if you were going to save his wing.

“Okay, so. I have to touch it. I need to get a couple xrays to see if we have any breaks and we’ll go from there. I don’t....all I have are sedatives for animals. Would that..?”

“It’s fine, ain’t no pain out there that I can’t handle.” He looked at you with a charming smirk, clearly flexing his pain threshold to impress you. Because he looked you up and down and liked what he saw. Even in those scrubs which were relatively form fitting but patterened in cartoon cats and dogs.

“I’m serious. This is really going to hurt. Are you-“

“I said I can handle it.” Hawks snapped, frustrated with the questions now. He just wanted the pain to stop. And besides, that cute look on your blushing face was too good to miss.

“Alright...well...first you need to help me find my cat that you scared off.”

“You mean this one?” Appearing in front of you held under the arms and the butt by a trio of feathers was your very angry, very sleepy cat. You sighed in relief and retrieved her into your arms. It took some settling to calm her down but you were a natural with all animals. It came so easily. She was comfortable in her kennel when you set her back inside and you felt your brain shift gears.

You first had to get your hands on the wing. Just to get a feel of what you were working with. You’d never seen such beautiful, red feathers before. Even though you saw parrots and other birds daily. These were just...breathtaking. But even the most beautiful wings didn’t stop the pain of broken bones. Hawks groaned behind tight lips when you gently palpated the swollen wing. Inside you felt the distinct break and slight crunchiness that accompanied it. The growling in his throat didn’t frighten you, after all, you dealt with aggressive animals day in and day out.

“Y-you almost finished there, Doc? Agghh...” He finally outwardly complained when you flexed his wing. Your hands were gentle but it was still nearly unbearable. Slowly and carefully, you folded his wing back down into its natural resting position.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I know it hurts. But thank you for holding still. Alright. Let’s do some xrays.”

After some struggling and repositioning, and many awkward brushes of hands and faces, you and Hawks were successful in taking some clear shots of what you determined was a broken wing. You didn’t notice his eyes on you as you explained it to him. The room was dark, illuminated only by the backlight box that made it possible to see the xray photos. But he was studying your face quite intently.

The space between your eyebrows crinkled a little when you would point to a specific spot on the xray in concentration. When you were quiet in thought, your tongue pressed against your cheek or you nibbled your bottom lip. The slope of your nose was accentuated by the pale shine of the light box to make it look like you had a cute button nose. Everything you were saying filled his ears but didn’t register as anything coherent. Eventually, you noticed.

“Hawks? Are you okay? Are you in pain?” Your voice brought him out of the trance he’d slipped into and he blinked rapidly to soothe his eyes. He hadn’t blinked once.

“Oh! Uh-...aheh...I’m fine. And please...call me Keigo.”

“Keigo?”

“Yeah, that’s my real name. Hawks is just my hero name. I can trust you, yeah?” He looked down at you with those eyes that you swore were glowing and swallowed harshly. Suddenly your throat was dry.

“R-right! I knew that. Keigo...so...like I said. The break is pretty clean. Luckily there’s no fragments or splinters that would make a problem.”

“So what can you do to fix me?” He lied, though, about being in pain. Broken bones were painful enough. But a broken bone that carried the heavy weight of his wing was absolutely agonizing. However, years of working as a pro hero conditioned him into hiding his pain from his enemies.

“Well, there isn’t a lot we can do. Other than immobilize the wing so the bone can heal back together.”

That got his attention.

“Immobilize? You mean I can’t-“

“Fly. Yeah. Not forever, but for a while. You’d have to come back every now and then for xrays so I can see how the healing is progressing. Given the size, I’d imagine...6 weeks?”

6 weeks? Of no flying? Hawks hadn’t spent that long out of the sky in so long that he wasn’t sure he remembered what it felt like to walk anywhere. You could see the panic in his eyes, beads of sweat formed on his neck and forehead. So you reached out and placed your hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. He froze, not sure of what to do.

“Sorry! Sorry.” You quickly withdrew your hand. “That’s a habit. I always try to comfort the parents of my patients when they get difficult news.”

“No no, it’s-...you just surprised me.” He reached for your hand and returned it to his shoulder which was still bare. You hadn’t even realized he hadn’t redressed after finishing the radiographs. Your palm rested on his shoulder, his skin was warm to the touch. Your thumb gently stroked the end of his collarbone as you often did to support your clients. Beneath your fingers you felt the impressive muscle he had, in spite of appearing relatively lean, the muscle tone of his torso was quite defined. You imagined it had to be in order for him to fight villains and hold himself aloft while flying.

“I know it’s a difficult thing to hear. Your wings take you everywhere, I’m sure. But this won’t last forever, okay?” Something about your voice was so soothing to his fried nerves. But you’d never know because of how cool and composed he made himself appear.

“You don’t mind?” Hawks felt his anxiety dissolve when he thought about getting to see you next. It was a strange feeling, but he knew he could trust you. Those pretty eyes of yours really spoke volumes.

“Of course not. Now let’s get you taped up and on your way. I’m sure you’re exhausted, no doubt whatever broke your wing has you worn out.”

“Heh you can say that again.” There it was, his suave and too-cool demeanor. But you didn’t mind it. You were sure it was just a front he was used to keeping up. After all, you were just a civilian and he couldn’t afford to let anyone know just how weak he was.

You managed to tape and place Hawks’ wing in a makeshift splint. He refused any medication but you could tell by the way he white knuckled the table that he was in pain. A majority of the time, your patients were under anesthesia when setting broken bones. So you had to be careful this time about how heavy handed you were. By the time you were finished, you had less than 10 minutes to get him out the door before your techs and kennel attendants showed up for work.

“Come see me in a week. We’ll take more xrays and make any adjustments if you need them. Try to keep the splint dry, and rest. I mean it, Hawks.”

“Alright, Doc. I’ll be a good little bird just for you.” The winged hero winked at you as he slipped out the back door. You felt your heart leap into your throat and cheeks burn up as a result. Just as he disappeared, you heard the sounds of your employees coming in and quickly closed the door and composed yourself.

“Morning, Doc!” One of them said as you appeared in the exam area. You smiled and waved, reaching into the pocket of your white coat with your other hand. Something was in there. You looked inside and saw red. A feather. Unbeknownst to you, Hawks had slipped one of his feathers into your pocket. You couldn’t fathom why, but you felt a strange sense of comfort when you ran the tip of your finger along the center spine. It quivered when you did so.

“Ungh...” In an alley a block away, Hawks had to brace a brick wall with one hand. His insides trembled as he sensed you touching his feather. Even he didn’t know why he left one with you. But the thought of parting made him remarkably...sad?

“Get it together, Keigo...” He muttered to himself, shaking his head and continuing back home. It would be a long 6 weeks out of the sky, but at least he’d be able to see you.

A/N: This was longer than I anticipated omg. Does anyone think I should continue?

#winged hero hawks #hawks drabble #keigo takami #bnha keigo #hawks x reader #veterinary #writing #bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero

[fruitcoops]

Could you maybe write a “73 questions with Sirius Black” Vogue one? Or something like that.

Yes! I had never seen these videos before and it was a fun challenge to write. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

The house is large, two stories tall and painted a soft gray with white trim around the windows. Holiday lights have yet to be taken down and shine in all colors of the rainbow from the eaves as the camera crew walks up the front steps. The curtains in the window tremble for a moment, then a dog pokes her head through—she is all-black and curious, and looks quite large.

Dorcas Meadowes knocks on the front door; a moment later, it swings open and reveals Sirius Black. “Hey, guys, come on in! You can leave your shoes by the door inside.”

“Thanks, Sirius.” Dorcas kicks off her flats and follows him inside as he sets a dish towel on the end table and leans against it. “How are you today?”

“I’m doing pretty well. Morning practice was productive and I’m feeling good about our upcoming game.”

“We’re here today to ask you 73 rapid-fire questions while you lead us around. Sound good?”

“Sounds good. You can all come inside instead of freezing on the porch,” he laughs, waving them closer. The door shuts with a gentle click.

“First question: on a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now?”

“Hmmm. A solid seven.”

“Do you have any pets?”

“I do!” Sirius leads them into the other room, where the dog is curled up on the couch below the window; he picks her up and gives her a kiss on the head. “This is Hattie and I love her very much.”

“Cute! If you could do a dramatic love scene in a movie with anyone, who would it be?”

Sirius sets the dog down and thinks for a second. “Aside from my fiancé, I’m going to say James Potter. We would kill it and I don’t think it would be that awkward.”

“What’s the origin of your name?”

“Pretty much my whole family has star-themed names. Sirius is the dog star from Canis Major.”

“Brightest star in the sky, too. What’s one thing people don’t know about you?”

“I’m an introvert. Lots of people assume that I’m super social because of my job, but I’m very quiet in real life.” He walks back out to the entrance and takes the towel off the table, then moves into the kitchen. It’s well-lit and painted a deep, warm red. The countertop is scattered with knickknacks and picture frames—clearly, this is a place people spend a lot of time. Hattie, who followed them in, lays down by the oven with a heavy sigh.

“What’s your wakeup ritual?”

Sirius reaches up and pulls two mugs out of the cupboard. “I wake up around seven am and make coffee while Re is in the shower, then rinse off and get dressed while he makes breakfast. It’s a good system. Want some tea?”

“Sure. What’s your bedtime ritual?”

“I don’t think I have one,” he says as he puts the kettle on and ignites a burner on the stove. “Usually we read or watch a movie, then go up to bed and talk for a while. There’s not a big routine or anything.”

“Sounds nice. What’s your favorite time of day?” Dorcas sits on the other side of the kitchen island while he takes a box of peppermint tea down.

“That’s a tough one. I like the in-between spots, like just after sunrise or dusk. Three in the afternoon is usually pretty chill as well. Does anyone else want a cup?”

There are a few murmurs behind the camera and he takes two more down. “What is one thing no one knows about you?” Dorcas asks.

He raises an eyebrow. “If I told you, everyone would know, and it wouldn’t count.”

“Fair enough. Dream country to visit?”

“Anywhere. I think I want to go to Ireland first, though.” Small wisps of steam begin curling out of the kettle, but it doesn’t whistle.

“Do you ever feel pressure to post things on social media?”

Sirius makes a face. “I used to. Eventually I just got tired of it, you know? The whole point of social media is sharing bits of your life with people and it makes me happy to show off my dog, or Re, or my friends. I post things just for fun now.”

The kettle begins to hiss and he reaches back to turn it off. “Sneakers or skates?”

“Skates.”

“Vintage or new?

“Vintage, especially for t-shirts and sweaters.”

“Who is your biggest role model?”

“Pascal Dumais.” Sirius stops pouring for a moment to look up at the camera. “If you ever get a chance to meet him, listen to what he has to say. You’ll be better for it.”

“Wise words. How do you deal with negativity? Oh, thank you.” Dorcas wraps her hands around the mug and takes a small sip while Sirius passes the other ones to the crew.

“Honestly? I don’t give a shit. It used to really bother me, but I’m happy, I have a job I love, and my family cares about me. Why should I care what people I’ve never met think of me?” He sits on the counter and rests his elbows on his knees, blowing on the hot water.

“What are three things you can’t live without?”

“My dog, Remus, and my family.” There is no hesitation in his voice.

“Not hockey?”

“I’d be devastated if I couldn’t play, sure, but it’s not the central focus of my life anymore.”

“What’s one ingredient you put in everything?”

“Does salt count?” He winces as he takes a drink. “Ugh, burned my tongue. I put salt on a lot of things because I drink so much water that it throws my balance off.”

“What is something you’re completely bored of right now?”

Sirius rolls his eyes. “Gossip columns and tabloids in general.”

Dorcas hums in agreement. “What’s your biggest fear in life?”

“Losing my loved ones.”

“Window or aisle seat?”

“Window. Anyone walking by always steps on my foot or hits my elbow if I’m in the aisle. Plus, I get a good view and an easy nap spot.”

“What’s your current TV obsession?”

“Avatar: The Last Airbender, which I’m watching for the third time already.” He shakes his head. “It’s just so good.”

“Favorite app?”

He takes a second to think. “Spotify.”

“Secret talent?”

Sirius looks at her over the rim over his cup. “This is going to shock you. Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Hockey.”

“You’re the worst.” Despite her words, Dorcas smiles. “What the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?”

“Uh, probably going to Europe with some of the guys last year. We had a lot of fun, but it was crazy.”

“I can imagine it was. How would you define yourself in three words?”

“Tall, dark, and handsome.”

“And apparently not humble,” Dorcas teases. “Favorite piece of clothing?”

“Hoodies.”

“Clothing item everyone should have?”

“Hoodies.”

A door opens behind them and the camera turns; Remus walks out of the basement, covered in sweat as he wipes his forehead with the hem of his shirt and holds his skates in his other hand. “Baby, have you seen…” he trails off when he sees the group of people in the kitchen. Hattie’s tail thumps on the floor. “Um. Hello.”

“Hey, Remus, how are you doing?” Dorcas asks mildly.

The camera pans out to catch both Sirius, who is laughing quietly, and Remus, who flushes pink. “I’m good. I thought you were coming at ten?”

“It’s ten-thirty, sweetheart,” Sirius says, hiding his smile in his tea.

Remus glances at the clock before giving an awkward nod and walking toward the stairs. “I guess I’ll take a shower, then. Sorry about that. Uh, carry on.”

“What’s a superpower you would want?” Dorcas asks as soon as he disappears.

Sirius shakes his head with a grin. “Uh, teleportation. That would be really cool.”

“What’s inspiring you in life right now?”

“Ah, une grande question.” He thinks, then tilts his head toward the staircase. “Moments like that. And the Stanley Cup, of course.” He reaches back and knocks on the wooden cupboard.

“What cause is closest to your heart?”

“LGBT+ rights, especially trans rights. I’m privileged enough to have a platform and I intend to be loud as hell about that.”

“Good.” Dorcas sets her almost-empty mug on the table. “What’s one thing you’d say to your teenage self?”

Sirius lets out a long breath and drums his hands on the light blue ceramic of his cup. “I would say…it gets better. It really, really does. You’re going to feel super shitty for just a little bit longer, but then I promise you will be so incredibly happy that you wake up every morning and it hits you all over again.”

Dorcas nods, and the kitchen is quiet for a moment. “What’s a book that everyone should read?”

“The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien.”

“What would you like to be remembered for?”

“This is going to sound so corny, but I want to be remembered for just being a good person.”

“That’s not corny. How do you define beauty?”

“Remus Lupin.”

“That’s corny,” she laughs, making him smile. “What do you love most about your body?”

“I’m a big guy, which can be a little bit intimidating, but it means I give really great hugs. I’m sure everyone saw the video that went around a while ago.”

“Cap Cuddles?”

He snorts. “Right. You’ve got Finn O’Hara to thank for that.”

“In your opinion, what’s the best way to take a rest or decompress?”

“Being alone,” Sirius says. “There is literally nothing better than getting home and sitting down with a book or something while I can hear Re doing his own thing and Hattie’s napping. It’s one of my favorite parts of the afternoon.”

“That’s the most introverted thing you’ve ever said.” Dorcas grins and finishes her tea just as a faint beeping noise begins in another room. “What’s your favorite way to experience art?”

“Through music, for sure.” He slides off the counter and walks down the hall, leading them toward the laundry room. He gives the camera crew a look as he pulls dry clothes out of the machine and heads back to the living room. “What? Did you think I didn’t do my own laundry?”

“You lost a sock,” Dorcas informs him, picking it off the ground and laying it on top of his head.

“Thanks, D.”

“What question do people ask that you wish they wouldn’t?”

“Lots of people have asked me when I decided to be gay, which is wrong on so many levels.”

“If you could master one instrument, what would it be?”

“Guitar or piano.” He dumps the load of laundry on the couch and opens the back door, holding it for the crew as they walk out into the sunshine. Hattie weaves through their legs and disappears into the bushes along the back.

“I might have to take your dog home with me. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?”

Sirius mock-glares at her. “Let me have my girl! Um, I would love to have a tattoo somewhere on my arm.”

“This might be a hard one. Dolphins or koalas?”

“Oh, that is hard. Probably dolphins. The ocean is terrifying but those little guys are just having a blast.”

“What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?” Dorcas asks as he picks up a tennis ball and throws it across the yard. Hattie emerges from the bushes and races after it in a blur of black fur.

“An engagement ring.”

“Yeah, it was.” Remus walks into the backyard and kisses Sirius’ cheek before bending down to catch Hattie in his arms. His hair is still damp from the shower. “Hello, sweet girl!”

“Who’s your favorite musician?”

“Queen.” Sirius laughs at her surprised look. “I’m gay, what did you expect?”

“True. What’s your favorite board game?”

“Monopoly.” Remus and Hattie disappear from the frame, but the bouncing sound of the tennis ball creates some background noise and Sirius watches them for a moment with pure affection.

“Favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“Least favorite color?”

“Orange.”

“Bowties or knot ties?”

He frowns. “Don’t they all have knots?”

“Smartass.”

“Yep! Uh, regular ties.”

“Bowties are superior!” Remus calls.

“Get your own questions!” Sirius laughs.

“Going off your music answers: records or CDs?”

“I don’t own a lot of records, so I’m going to have to go with CDs. I love the way vinyl sounds, though.” His eyes widen as he looks to the side. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Remus wheezes. “I didn’t need those ribs anyway.”

“For the viewers, the dog just football-tackled him into the grass,” Sirius says, and Dorcas snorts.

“Your hair is famously luscious. Blow-dry or air-dry?”

“Air dry.”

“Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee, but tea is nice in the evenings.”

“What’s the weirdest word in the English language?”

Sirius laughs. “There are so many. Uh, ‘jeez’ is the one that comes to mind first.”

“What about the French language?”

“Oiseaux,” he says in a crisp accent. “It means ‘birds’, and you pronounce about three of the actual letters.”

“Good to know. Do you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate?”

“Dark chocolate.”

“Stairs or elevators?”

“Elevators. I don’t want to walk up three floors after playing hockey for two and a half hours.”

“Summer or winter?”

Sirius bites his lip in thought as they walk around the yard, where small flowers line the fence in beds and colorful pots. “I love summer because I have actual free time to be with my friends, but winter is hockey season. I don’t know, next question.”

“What’s a dessert you don’t like?”

“I’m not a huge fan of caramel. It’s too sticky.”

“A skill you’re working on mastering?”

“Will you ban me from more interviews if I say hockey?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, I’m working on keeping plants alive, as you can probably see.” He taps the nearest flowerpot gently with his foot; it has ‘Harry’ painted across it in sloppy blue letters. “My godson made that for my birthday.”

“What’s the best thing to happen to you today?”

“This, for sure,” he says with a smile. “I haven’t seen you and Marley in ages.”

“We missed you, too. What’s the worst thing that happened to you today?”

He pouts slightly. “Burning my tongue on tea.”

“Hugs or kisses?”

“Hugs! Though I’ll accept kisses from a few very specific people.”

“Do you have a favorite smell?”

He pauses and cranes his neck to look behind the cameras. “Re?”

“Yeah?”

“What shampoo do you use?”

“Uhhh…” There’s a moment of quiet. “It’s something with lavender, I think.”

Sirius turns back to Dorcas. “Something with lavender.”

“How specific,” she laughs. “What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?”

He smiles to himself. “There was a young woman, maybe sixteen or seventeen, that came to one of the games earlier this season. I saw her standing with a puck and went over, and while I was signing it she looks at me and says, ‘you are exactly what I wish my older brother was like’. Turns out, she was bisexual and her brother wasn’t super accepting of her. That was…” He shakes his head. “That meant the world to me. I’ll never forget it.”

“You’ve definitely made a big impact on the community,” Dorcas agrees. “What’s the last piece of content you consumed that made you cry?”

“I watched ‘Soul’ the other night and almost had to pause it at one point to pull myself together.”

“Do you prefer animated movies or live-action?”

“Animated, mostly because I wasn’t allowed to watch Disney movies as a kid, so I’ve been catching up as an adult and they rock.”

“What’s your nerdiest quality?

“I love watching documentaries.”

“Sweet or savory?” The back door creaks a bit as they walk back inside and the camera catches a few frames of Hattie and Remus running around the yard together.

“Sweet.”

“In ten years, you have a daughter. What age do you let her date?”

Sirius gives Dorcas a look. “Whenever she wants to. I’m going to impose curfews and stuff, but I’m the last person on the planet to police her love life.”

“Good answer. What’s a song you can listen to on repeat?”

“Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. Absolute banger.”

“If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be?”

“Arthur Weasley,” he says after a moment. “I would love to know what it feels like to get up in the morning and know you’re about to spend another day wrangling our team. It’s a miracle he hasn’t killed us all with his clipboard.”

“How do you know you’re in love?”

“Oh.” Sirius blinks at her in surprise at the sudden topic change. “Well, for me, I think it’s just…being comfortable around someone. Being able to spend time with them without saying anything and knowing you’re safe, no matter what. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

“What are you most excited about at this time in your life?”

A slight smile crinkles his eyes. “Getting married. That’s going to be awesome.”

“Who is your go-to for having a good laugh?”

“James Potter. He’s the best, and I love him.”

“Last question,” Dorcas says, sliding her list into her pocket. “Many LGBT+ people, especially teenagers, have spoken about how you’re an inspiration. Any words for them?”

Sirius hums in thought. “First of all, thank you for being so open and welcoming. I would never have expected the sheer force of people’s love to come through like that when so many people were saying horrible things. Second, to any kids out there who need to hear it: I’m proud of you. It takes a lot to be true to yourself and even if you’re still in the closet, you’re just as valid as the rest of us. Stay proud.”

“That’s a wrap.” Dorcas gives him a quick hug that he happily returns. “Thanks for letting us crash your morning, Cap.”

“Any time. Thanks for tuning in to Lion Pride, everyone!”

[mellowyandere]

SCP Academia Eraserhead Part 2

Reader: F

Characters: Aizawa Shouta (main); Kurogiri

Summary: After struggling to find his way out with Dr. L/N, Eraserhead is offered some help. (This turned into a lot more exposition than expected. Part 3 will get steamy though I promise! I’m just a hoe for setting the stage.)

Length: 1442 words

Warning: Yandere-themes.

He had been running for a while now. Hallways and corridors bleeding into one another in a way that turned his head upside down. He hadn’t had to open any doors so far, and a strange absence of security set off little alarms in the back of his head.

Left…no right? He snarled in frustration. Curse this stupid foundation. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy but this was simply ridiculous. He peered down at your unconscious form, nestled protectively against his chest in a layer of his tendrils. So small and weak... he had to keep pushing forwards.

He had been forced to kill a couple of SCP’s along the way, not all being as sentient and rational as himself. Their desire to kill you forfeiting their rights to life.

Shit. Another dead end.

Something cleared their throat behind him, causing him to spin on his heel. His tendrils flared out ready to cut down whatever it was. To his surprise there stood what appeared to be a man made of mist, wearing human clothing. His sharp attire strongly contrasted his own, which consisted of an orange jumpsuit, the top half having been torn to shreds when he unleashed his tendrils, and a pair of standard issued boots.

“Move out the way. Don’t make me hurt you.” He didn’t have time for this, who knew when security would appear to regain control of the breach.

The mist man raised his hands to show his non-hostility. “You look a bit lost… would you like some help leaving this place?”

Eraserhead narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Why would you help me?”

“Don’t you find it odd..” Ah great this might take a minute. If he wasn’t blocking off the hallway Eraserhead would have left by now, but the man in front of him didn’t look like someone he could simply side step.

“Beings such as ourselves don’t belong here. By all means humans are nothing more than fodder in comparison. And yet they contain us? They’re witty creatures with dangerous minds, it’s what gotten them this far. But so are we. This containment breach was no accident, I’m sure you’ve already noticed almost every enclosure open, save for the truly unhinged ones. And a complete lack of guards to corral you back to your prison. No, there are higher powers at play. But now isn’t the time to delve into that, so I’ll ask again… would you like some help leaving this place?”

The mist man finished his little speech and opened his arms, inviting Eraserhead forward.

“What’s the catch?” Eraserhead knew better. Nothing in this world was done from the kindness of one’s heart. Well, except for you. You were the only real kindness he had ever known.

The mist man chuckled. “I see you are a man of caution. Yes this exchange is not for free. We’ll be keeping tabs on you. Your intelligence and abilities make you a very strong creature indeed. One day we’ll need you to help free our kind from the shackles of humanity.”

Lowering his arms the man took on a more sinister aura. “Let it be known though, I don’t need your consent to teleport you. I’d choose my offer. After all that human in your arms looks so frail, she might not make it out here alive if you keep at it.”

Shit. This bastard wasn’t leaving him with much choice.. should he fight his way out? He wasn’t exactly sure what his opponents abilities were besides teleportation. Even if he erased them, can you punch a man made of mist? His clothes clung to him, but who knew his real body composition.

No. This man was too dangerous, and his threat towards your well-being still hung heavily in the air. “Alright. Deal.”

The mist mans nodded with a hum, satisfied with his answer. “Start with continent, State or province, then major nearby city. Small nearby towns if applicable.”

Eraserhead listed off what was asked of him. His goal was to bring you to his old self-isolation home. He used to live amongst humans with little to no problems. His larger than normal stature at 6’10” raised a few eyebrows but nothing too serious. He kept the dark markings along his torso covered, and a scarf helped to hide his deathly white complexion. As for the eyes, he always wore sunglasses.

His issue had arisen with the month of his “birth”. For as long as he could remember, during the month humans called November, he went absolutely feral. Losing all control over his himself he’d slaughter anything that crossed his path. He’d make sure to isolate before November came along, and for the most part it worked. He had lived many centuries alongside humans with only the occasional slip up.

Five years ago he slipped up. And the SCP foundation had been all over him ever since.

“I can’t get you to any of the nearby towns, but I can get you to the city,” the mist man stated. “Step forward, I’ll take you there now.”

With that the man began to spread out the mist that defined his body, pooling out until he filled the entirety of the corridor. Eraserhead stepped forward into the blackish purple abyss, his vision going dark. Squinting he tried to peer through the pitch black that surrounded him, until finally he could see again. Stars lit up the night sky above him, and the sound of cars echoed down far below. Stepping onto concrete he moved out of the portal. This creature had quite a powerful ability. 

“What you do from here is up to you. We’ll give you some time to adjust and then we’ll contact you. Do not think that you can hide from us.” With that the mist vanished and Eraserhead was left alone atop a tall building with you in his arms.

It would be about a half a day of running to get you home from here. Meaning it would be wise to stock up on supplies now. That way he wouldn’t have any reason to leave you alone for the next week or two as you adjusted to your new home. The tall creature checked you over, making sure you wouldn’t wake up anytime soon before leaving you on the rooftop. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but he’d move fast.

Jumping from building to building he made quick work of locating and snagging some clothes from a local donation box in order to change out of the tattered orange jumpsuit. One extra-large black long sleeve shirt and accompanying extra-large pair of blacks pants. Grabbing a few bags that had also been inside, he headed for the nearest chain supermarket. He’d stock up on essentials like food and nest making materials, as well as daintier things that you might like such as feminine soaps and fluffy stuffed animals.

Due to the limitations in his interactions with you he didn’t really know what you’d want, but he had the rest of your time together to learn.

He was going to prove to you that he was the best mate you could ever dream of having. No one else would ever be good enough for you. And no one else would ever be good enough for him with you now in his life. He had never encountered a human like you before, and he’d be damned if anyone ever dared try to take you away or hurt you.

Making quick work of the supermarket he dashed out as the alarms rang. It hardly mattered though, he wouldn’t be coming back to this city. He had enough money stashed away that he’d be able to buy what he needed from small towns as to not draw attention to himself. Despite what the mist man had said about a new world order, he didn’t want to chance the foundation getting back on its feet and finding him.

Quickly climbing the building he left you on he was relieved to see your small form still sound asleep on the cold concrete. He wrapped his tendrils around his new stash of goods and scooped you up in his arms yet again, taking a moment to nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck and deeply inhaling your scent.

Even if he had to give up part of his freedom to get here, holding you in his arms had all been worth it. Now all he had to do was get you home, and then he’d make sure to repay every gesture of kindness you had ever shown him tenfold. His precious cute little human.

#yandere aizawa #aizawa x reader #aizawa shouta x reader #yandere shouta aizawa #aizawa x you #bnha aizawa #SCP Academia

[midnight-in-town]

About the current (last?) arc of AnY and going full circle

Sorry if some fans already mentioned those ideas but I’ve been rereading the current arc, because it’s been quite long and the pace has its flaws sometimes, so I wanted to broaden my perspective on the story. 

First of all, as an introduction can I just say that I’m, as always, impressed by Hak’s character. He had so much cliché and shallow potential when the story started (I really used to roll my eyes at him), but he became one of my absolute favorite by how deep and strong-hearted he actually is, once he allows people behind the walls he built around him. Anyway, my love for his character & development knows no boundary. I had to say this, ok. I’ll explain why later in the post. Moving on. 

A conflict of generation

If there is one thing I love about Kusanagi-sensei, it’s the feminine touch she adds to her writing. For example, when she naturally addressed periods during the Xing arc and it fit perfectly, because that’s just how her writing goes. In this arc, it shows through the initial bold move to tell us readers about the past through the thoughts and words of a character we’ve never met, that is to say, Yonhi, Yuhon’s wife and Suwon’s mother. 

And yet, it made absolute sense, because Yonhi was the reason behind the cataclysm that eventually led to Yuhon killing priests, as well as the falling-out between him and his younger brother, Il. All along, Yonhi was the silent but pained witness to this feud, watching as the ego of two brothers destroyed everything when none of the two backed down, leading to first Kashi’s death, then Yuhon’s murder and finally Suwon’s coup. 

So, in a way, even if I think Suwon makes a far better king than Yuhon or Il, his circumstances kinda precede the logical decision to get Il out of the picture before he completely annihilated his own kingdom in poverty and war, because there is too much resentment and hatred that fueled Suwon while growing up, even if we readers know that his motivations are primarily about saving Kouka from war against the Kai Empire.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely despise both Yuhon and Il but, unfortunately for Suwon, Yona growing up sheltered and mostly unaware of the horrible truth highlights her own decisions throughout the series to be completely selfless and wanting to own up to her father’s misjudgement, rather than trying to get back at Suwon, effectively breaking the cycle of hatred amongst the royal family. 

Why the Wind Tribe kept on supporting Il when everyone else could notice that he was betting on his daughter as the reincarnation of King Hiryuu to save his country is beyond me (Mundok plz explain). Not that Yuhon was better, preaching wars, and I’m glad that Il eventually reconciled with Yonhi, telling him that he would accept Suwon’s judgement but...

...I can’t forgive him for his words. 

Like Yonhi, I’d rather he would have hoped that his conflict with his brother did not reach his children than entertaining it the way he did.

Hopefully though, now that Yona read Yonhi’s memoirs, she will work towards achieving that goal. Not that I have any doubt, since she never really managed to hate Suwon. 

Speaking of the past generation, reading the latest chapters I couldn’t help but wonder about Yona's sad dream... could it be that she inherited Kashi’s gift? Kashi did say that she had these prophetic visions since very young which doesn’t seem to be Yona’s case, but I’ll keep the idea in mind, because it’s interesting. I mean, from Yonhi’s memoirs, it seems that Kashi envisioned that the child she would have would be Hiryuu’s reincarnation (whoever the father was going to be), so Yona inheriting the same prophetic gift from her mother would make sense. 

What an ironic parallel to Suwon inheriting the Crimson Illness from Yonhi if that’s the case, am I right? 

Yona as Kouka’s next Queen

And by that I do not mean Keishuk’s plan to marry her to Suwon, because of her popularity with Kouka’s people. Obviously, the story always was to conclude in Yona getting her throne back and that’s even easier to imagine with Suwon’s disabling illness, but becoming a ruler is tough work and Yona had no real experience acting as a leader for an entire country. 

She didn’t know much before her father’s murder and, even after she became a runaway with Hak and the rest of the HHB, she finely dealt with crises affecting some parts of the kingdom but never the whole kingdom at once, like it’s doomed to happen with the war against the Kai Empire. 

So I really appreciated her stepping up when Suwon couldn’t, because that’s definitely good training and we see the results in the latest chapters:

To be fair, I always thought that Keishuk would be the biggest thorn in Yona’s side during this arc but, as many characters have said in this arc, he’s rather clever and honest about what he intends to achieve, which is why it’s not in his interests to get in the way of Yona if they share a similar goal. 

Looking forward to her facing even greater challenges. Good luck, Yona. <3

War against the Kai Empire: there is strength in unity

The Kai Empire has been depicted as the story’s big bad for a long while now and the common goal for which Yona’s faction and Suwon’s allies could unite, but I’m glad to get more specifics and new characters to explore that part of the plot.

Namely, Mei and Vall. With Chagol, they seem like the perfect foil trio to Suwon, Yona and Hak, except that Chagol seems like a real thorn in the other two’s backs, when a strong bond still ties our main trio in spite of the sad circumstances of the beginning. I particularly love the mirroring reflection between Mei and Yona...

&

...except that Mei is not at odds with one kingdom but with two and that she also deals with the Crimson Illness. :/

Now that war has started, the big threat that South Kai represents will obviously be dealt with, but Kouka kingdom will need more than its five tribes to win this. That’s where I’m sure we all expect to see old “enemies” come back, namely Xing Kingdom, since Kouren signed a military agreement with Suwon, thanks to Yona and Tao. I would bet that this won’t be enough either, but Xing are the only known allies that Kouka kingdom has. 

There is another “enemy” we know from the previous arc though, who have strong feelings against the Kai Empire, specifically about rulers treating their women badly and they are...

...Ying Kuelbo and the Tully tribe. 

The big difference between Xing Kingdom and the Tully tribe is that Suwon never met or dealt directly with Kuelbo the way he did with Kouren and Tao. The Tully tribe lost and Kuelbo ran away, betrayed and having to find a new way to take on the Kai Empire. That’s why I think the Tully tribe would eventually make for a good ally in this war: it showed good promises when Yuran and Yona got along and I think Yona understood where Kuelbo was coming from, especially now that Mei is with them and can probably tell them in details about Chagol.

Not saying this will happen soon, but since there is someone who met and fought against Kuelbo, probably gaining his respect, if this person was to seek the Tully tribe to make them Kouka Kingdom’s ally on Yona’s guidance, I think Kuelbo would give it a thought. That’s right, I’m talking about Hak, who’s currently on his way with Yoon to the Earth Tribe to fetch a drug that will not be able to save neither Suwon nor Mei, thanks Zeno for spoiling us. 

That’s what I meant when I said that Hak slowly became one of my favorite characters throughout the story. While the Sky Tribe seems to be taking bets on who between Yona and Suwon will eventually sit for good on that throne, there is a good chance that Hak will be one of the key players when it comes to winning that war against South Kai. Not that we should expect any less from the Thunder Beast. <3

To be very honest though, I expected this arc to be very tough for his character, because the truth behind Il’s death and Suwon’s coup would never be easily understandable to him (Yona’s own words, not mine): 

Yet, surprisingly he was able to at least listen and, no matter if he will ever understand Suwon’s choice or not, he decided to trust in Yona’s decision to back Suwon in the rising political issues.  

In general, I love how Hak is the least bound by the past before Suwon’s coup. He did respect Il as his king, but he did not protect Yona in the beginning for anyone else’s sake but her own. Just like Kashi once asked him to always protect Yona (which is sweet since she could see the future) but, considering he never even thought about her words once in the story, it’s likely he doesn’t remember that at all, making the choice to be by Yona’s side defined as solely his own. 

It’s this strength of his that eventually led him to say recently that he would go fetch that drug with Yoon, knowing that it was for Suwon’s sake (surprising Suwon himself), just like he will definitely fight for Kouka Kingdom, not because Yona wants him to but because it’s clearly his own desire (see ch211 where he let Yun go alone so that he could help the Earth Tribe fight):

All that makes Hak the wildest card of every agency in the plot, not simply because he’s strong and reliable and the biggest worry of the Sky Tribe, but because...

...Yona and the four dragons will never give him up.

Through Hak, Yona will be able to assert her political weight and he will be there for her, like he always was, making it impossible for their little group to lose. What a power move, I love it. 

I think I should stop there because I already rambled so much. Looking forward to the rest of the arc, it’s going to be a wild ride!! 

#akatsuki no yona #hak #yona #suwon #yuhon #king il #yonhi #kashi #any theory #as of: #any211 #my analysis

[kuroopaisen]

the in-between | i (kuroo tetsurou)

➵  it took you and kuroo 24,000 words and 69 pages of pure behemoth far too long to learn that love was never singularly defined. it can be both striking and understated, sudden and unhurried, gentle and all-consuming. and most of all, it can be anything else in-between.

wc: 9k (part 1 of 3)

warnings: f!reader, good old f2l (do i write anything else?), depictions of anxiety & depression, cursing

 a/n: i cannot thank @w-yuren enough for all the love and care she poured into beta-ing this :( i’m honestly so touched you worked through this absolute monstrosity w me (and put up w my incoherence) ren u deserve the world <3 (also @jupiturde erin ilysm thank you for reading this over So Many times you’re incredible!!) 

m. list | ch. 1 ↠ ch. 2 

"I'll help you," Kuroo sighed. "On one condition."

The scant bit of confidence you’d worked up was starting to crumble. You clenched your fists, steeling yourself. At this point, you're willing to do just about anything.

"Manage the volleyball team for a while."

Your face fell. "What, really?"

"Mhm," Kuroo nodded, still slouched over his desk.

"You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head. "Nuh-uh."

This wasn't quite how you’d expected the situation to go. And quite frankly, you were just upset that you were even in this situation in the first place. But, who wouldn't be?

Begging Kuroo Tetsurou to help you with chemistry wasn’t a situation you’d envisioned yourself ending up in. But, something had to be done about those abysmal exam marks. Your grades in everything else were fine; good, even. Certainly high enough to earn you your spot in Class 5. But that chemistry grade was something to be concerned about. Your homeroom teacher had warned you as much on the very first day of the school year.

And for the handful of weeks since, you’d been driving yourself mad trying to think of a solution. Hard work had only gotten you so far, and none of your friends felt they were competent enough to tutor you. You needed help – desperately.

So there you stood, in front of the desk of a boy you’d never had a proper conversation with before, asking for his help – all while uncomfortably aware that this was cutting into his lunch break.

You hadn’t quite known what to expect from this interaction. You weren't really friends, after all; you’d been vaguely aware of him over this past year and a bit, but knew little, if anything, about him. All you knew was that he was topping the grade when it came to chemistry, and therefore, turning to him in this time of need might help.

You hadn't expected this ultimatum.

"Why?"

It was a genuine question.

"Hm?"

"Why ask me to be your manager?" You asked, tilting your head at him. "I know nothing about volleyball."

"You'll learn."

You frowned. "This is the only way you'll tutor me?"

"It's not the only way," Kuroo shrugged, raising an eyebrow at you. "But it'd certainly bump it up my priority list."

The worst thing was that it didn't even seem like he was trying to be a dick.

Right, you thought. Pros and cons.

Cons: being a manager would eat up a lot of your time. Presumably. Maybe. You didn't have any real idea.

Also, it would mean spending a lot more time around sweaty boys. That sounded kind of gross.

And what time did practice finish? Walking home after sunset was always a little scary. Certainly scary enough to stoke a bit of anxiety.  

More importantly, it sounded like responsibility. Maybe you were overestimating just what being a manager meant, but it sounded like there was plenty of stuff you could mess up.

Pros: it'd look really, really good on your college applications.

Just like a passing chemistry grade would. Which you weren't going to get all on your own.

“It doesn’t have to be for long,” he offered, raising an eyebrow at you. “Just a couple of months. And I’ll be your resource to use as you please.”

You blinked at him, baffled at his choice of phrasing.

“How about you just drop by practice this afternoon?” He suggested, balancing his chin on his fist. “You can get a feel for it.”

You sighed.

“Alright.”

You were willing to do just about anything, after all.

✧ ✧ ✧

Teenage boys, no matter how polite or kind or accommodating, are always scary in packs.

That little revelation came to mind as you pressed yourself meekly against the wall of the gym, watching a gaggle of boys running back and forth, jumping and hitting and shouting. Part of you wanted to melt into the wall, hoping that none of these giants would pay you much attention.  

You’re painfully aware of one of them staring at you; a first-year, judging by his use of honorifics. He’s tallish, but not enough to be scary, with close-cropped hair and grumpy eyebrows. There’s a certain intensity to him – he seemed like the sort of person with too much tenacity for his own good. 

And yet, he seemed terrified of you. Was he the sort of boy who couldn’t talk to girls?

You smiled to yourself. Such dichotomy in one personality, huh?

There was another boy that caught your eye. A quiet one, with chin-length black hair who seemed to want to sink into the ground. He didn’t look like the sort of boy you’d expect to find on a high school sports team. He was a little shorter than everyone else – except for Yaku, who’d greeted you quite amiably when you’d first arrived.  

But Yaku seemed like he wanted to be there. Like he enjoyed it. This kid? He looked like he just wanted to melt into the shadows. He always flinched whenever anyone called out to him. Hell, he seemed to flinch even when someone so much as looked at him. Was he okay? Should you ask if he’s okay? Should you point him out to Kuroo? But Kuroo had already spoken to him a few times…

Well, checking in with people’s well-being would be part of your job as a manager, right? It’d be your duty to make sure that the club members were doing okay. 

But practice was still going. You’d have to put a pin in that thought.  

The third years were frightening, as expected. But, you felt as though your upperclassmen would always be somewhat scary. The captain had traded a handful of words with you – hellos, nice to meet yous, a what are you even doing here – but he hadn’t made any particular point to help you out.

That job was left to the coach, who, thankfully, seemed quite kind. You had said very little to him, but you could tell that he loved his job just from the serene smile that graced his face as he watched his team go at it.  

Practice was over before you knew it. The sun was setting outside the windows, the sky blushing orange. You bit your lip. Maybe you’d be able to get home before it got too dark…

You sighed, turning your gaze back to the gym floor. Maybe you should try talking to one of the boys… Yaku had always been friendly. Maybe he’d tolerate a conversation with you? Oh, what about Kai? He’d been very quiet, but he seemed nice… There was Kuroo, too…

You pressed your lips together, eyes scanning over the gaggle of boys in front of you as your mind ran through the pros and cons all at once.

You frowned. The third years were yapping at that quiet boy; whatever they were saying, it didn’t seem exactly friendly. You froze. Should you do something? Was this normal? Was it a problem? He looked terrified – not that he showed it outright, but it was in his eyes.

Kuroo was standing behind him, saying something to one of the third years. You couldn’t quite hear them, but Kuroo’s expression was… cold. Not confrontational, just unyielding. Whatever he’d said, the third years stalked away.

You watched closely as Kuroo’s expression softened as he looked at the shorter boy. He looked concerned. Were they friends?

“Oi, manager chick!”

You cringed. It’s one of the third years – not the captain, but someone you’d noted had quite the nasty serve.

“Help clean up!”

“Right!” You gave a quick half-bow, your head flicking around almost frantically as you looked for something to do.  

You settled for collecting stray balls, rushing them back to the ball bins. All the while you watched the sky darken beyond the gym windows – and with it, your anxiety began to blossom.

By the time you were picking up your bag to go home, the sky was positively black. You bit your lip as you stared out the gym windows, your eyebrows a little furrowed.

“Hey.”

You looked up, a little startled. Kuroo, forehead slick with sweat and cheeks tinged red from exertion. You resisted the urge to scrunch up your nose. Being this close to a sweaty teenage boy wasn’t high on your priorities list.

“What’d you think?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck with a towel.

You shrugged. “Seems intense.”

“But you don’t hate it, right?” He smiled. It’s hopeful. Almost pitifully so.

You bit the inside of your cheek. In truth, you didn’t. There’s something quite fun about watching them play volleyball up close. They all got so into it. It was always nice, watching people care about something so deeply that enjoyment seeped through every part of their being.

“We’ll see,” you said. “Maybe I’ll come back tomorrow.”

He smiled brightly at that half-promise. Brightly enough that you knew you didn’t want to let him down.

This side of him was already a far cry from that trickster-like figure you’d negotiated with this morning.

“Hey, uh…” He cleared his throat, one hand finding its way to the back of his head. “I was wondering… did you need me to walk you home? I know it’s getting kind of late, so…”

You felt something that’s not quite elation, but certainly a bit more intense than relief. Tokyo’s a safe enough place, yes, but that fact’s never enough to quell the anxiety you’d always felt from walking home in the dark.

“If it’s not too much trouble.” You tried to make your smile look relaxed and natural, but you knew some hint of tension had made its way in there.

“Cool,” Kuroo said, giving you a little nod as his eyes scanned your face. He relaxed his shoulders a bit, slouching down a little. Was he… trying to make himself smaller? “But, uh… where do you live?”

By some miracle, it’s not all that far from his place. You caught the relief on his face, even if he made an effort to hide it. Would he really have walked you all the way to your house, even if it wasn’t in the same area?

He didn’t give you time to think about it, turning around and waving a hand in the air.

“Hey, Kenma!”

Your brows rose instinctively as the shy kid scurried over, head hunched down and hands stuffed into his pockets.

“This is Kenma,” Kuroo smiled, nodding at him. “He’s my next-door neighbour.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” you smiled, tilting your head at him.

“Yeah,” Kenma nodded in a quiet response, not quite able to meet your eyes. You didn’t press it. You offered him your name quickly, a bit like an afterthought, but Kenma gave you a little nod in recognition.

“You guys ready to go?” Kuroo looked between the both of you, tilting his head at the door.

You glanced over at Kenma. He didn’t glance back.

“Yeah,” you nodded, relieved that you wouldn’t have to walk the dark streets on your own.

✉

[YOU] 7:21 PM: hello! Is this kuroo?

[Kuroo] 7:34 PM: you got it

[YOU] 7:36 PM: thank goodness! I just wanted to say, thank you for walking me home today. I was a bit worried about it, but I didn’t want to impose

[Kuroo] 7:38 PM: not a problem. I’m more than happy to do it again tomorrow

[Kuroo] 7:38 PM: since you are coming to practice, right?

[YOU] 7:40 PM: Sure :)

✧ ✧ ✧

Kuroo Tetsurou hadn’t been what you’d expected.

For one thing, he’d actually made good on your deal. You’d half-expected him to bail on tutoring you – though you couldn’t exactly say why. But, you supposed it would be hard for him to dodge the ire of his club manager. Regardless, he dedicated most afternoons to helping you study.

You’d meet up in the library before practice and you’d always start with chemistry. He was actually kind of good at explaining the concepts to you in a way you understood, without all the bells and whistles. He had a way of simplifying the concepts to their bare bones. That’s not to say that it wasn’t difficult; you still felt like you’d been left far, far behind. But, Kuroo was something of a comfort.

Somehow, you’d end up working on other subjects. Apparently, Kuroo’s surprisingly bad at literature. He was doing well enough, but it was something he just couldn’t wrap his head around. Maybe you’d been a bit gung-ho about offering your help, but you were just glad you finally had something to offer in this arrangement. Even though you were still managing the volleyball team, overwhelming as that could be sometimes.

But, you’d made a deal, and the whole manager business was less scary than you’d first thought. And you felt that with time, you’d get the hang of it. Maybe.

More often than not, your study session before practice wasn’t enough time to cover all the content you needed. So, sometimes, you’d continue it after practice, holed up in the library until you got kicked out. Kenma usually stuck with you guys, sitting in the corner with whatever game console he’d brought that day.

And without fail, Kuroo walked you all the way to your house every night. And during those walks, you talked. Rather animatedly.

“What I’m saying is that the divide between the arts and the sciences is arbitrary,” Kuroo shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “When they work together, incredible things happen. Genuine art happens.” He cocked his head at you, that perceptive grin of his spread across his face. “You’d really disagree with me on that?”

“I didn’t say I disagree,” you grinned. “I’m just surprised that you’re not one of those sciencey people who thinks that the arts are worthless.”

He scoffed at that, shaking his head. “Excuse you. I’ve got more nuance than that.”

“Sorry for doubting you,” you giggled.

“You better be.”

The thing you’d been most surprised about, above everything else, was just how enjoyable it was to talk to him. How easy it was to get lost in a conversation that most of your other friends might get bored by. It’s not that your other friends treated you badly, but Kuroo had a way of naturally drawing out your thoughts, and he usually treated them with enough respect to engage with them. Of course, there were times when he loved to tease, and you’d learnt to not take it too personally.

Kuroo Tetsurou was far more interesting than you’d first given him credit for. And you felt kind of bad for that. You’d known he wasn’t just some dumb jock – he wasn’t topping chemistry for nothing – but you hadn’t expected him to be so… clever. So playful. So fun to talk to.

You were beginning to feel that maybe, just maybe, he was someone you could end up being quite close to.

✉

[YOU] 10:41 PM: hey, kuroo?

[Kuroo] 10:46 PM: what's up?

[YOU] 10:47 PM: i was just wondering, why did you ask me to become manager?

[Kuroo] 10:48 PM: oh ahaha

[Kuroo] 10:48 PM: i thought having an extra pair of hands around would help the coach out a bit

[YOU] 10:48 PM: wait really

[YOU] 10:48 PM: that's it?

[Kuroo] 10:50 PM: ??????

[YOU] 10:51 PM: you were so seedy about it!

[Kuroo] 10:51 PM: was i?

[YOU] 10:52 PM: i–

[Kuroo] 10:53 PM: :)

✧ ✧ ✧

“Kenma wants to quit.”

Your head shot up, turning to Kuroo with wide eyes. “What?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, one hand raking through his hair. “The third years have been giving him a really rough time.” He bit his lip, glancing at you. “You’ve seen it yourself.”

You swallowed. “I hoped I was just being too sensitive, but…”

Kuroo groaned, running a hand down his face. “They’re such assholes.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, unsure of what to say. The third years had almost made you want to quit in the early days. They were scary, sharp, unrelenting. But they’d left you alone pretty quickly once you’d settled into the thrum of your responsibilities.

Kenma hadn’t been so lucky.

“Is he okay?” You murmured, brows knitted together. “I mean, I know he’s getting picked on, but is he… is he… I don’t know…”

“I get it,” Kuroo sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. He doesn’t really talk about that sort of stuff.”

You set your pen down on the dining table, shifting in your chair to face him directly.

Practice had been cancelled for the afternoon, and Kuroo had bustled you out of school before you even had a chance to ask why. You’d been surprised when he had asked if the two of you could study at your place that afternoon – and some part of you had dreaded what your parents might say about you bringing a boy home – but you’d conceded. He’d seemed stuck in his head; something not unusual for him, but he’d been just withdrawn enough to pique your concern.

This must’ve been why.

“I just don’t know what to do,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. “I don’t want to push him too hard or anything, but I don’t think he’s making the right choice.”

You bit your lip.

“Why?” You asked, feeling bold.

“Huh?”

“Tell me why you don’t want him to quit,” you said. “Other than the obvious.” You sat up a little straighter, grabbing your notebook and picking up your pen. “We can brainstorm together.”

“Other than the obvious?” He tilted his head at you.

“You know,” you shrugged. “I know you want him to stay around because he’s your best friend, but... there’s more to it, right?”

“Well…” Kuroo swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck as he leant back in his chair.  “We’re not gonna get very far without him.”

You scribbled that down quickly. “Why’s that?”

“He’s a good strategist,” Kuroo said carefully, “And he’s great at running through all the potential outcomes on the spot. And nobody on the team’s as observant as he is.”

You bit the inside of your cheek as you transcribed. You weren’t narcissistic enough to think you knew Kenma better than Kuroo did. Nor did you want to presume you were closer to the second-year than you actually were. But you wanted to help.

“Why don’t you… explain that to him?” You asked, peering down at your notebook.

“What do you mean?”

“Like… just tell him the logical reasons you want him to stick around,” you shrugged. “I think he’d respond well to that.”

“I guess…” Kuroo pursed his lips, looking at you with a frown.

“What I’m trying to say is that… maybe putting it into terms that’ll resonate with him is the best way to go.” You weren’t quite sure if your point was getting across. You just had to hope that he understood.

“I get you,” he nodded, crossing his arms. “I dunno if it’ll work though.”

“He’ll listen to you,” you mused, propping your hand on your chin.  

“Huh?”

“It’s obvious you mean a lot to him,” you shrugged. “Even if he doesn’t really use his words to express that.”

Kuroo blinked at you, a touch of pink to his cheeks.

“I mean, he’s stuck it out with volleyball this long, hasn’t he?” You smiled at him, watching his cheeks grow even pinker. “That’s because of you.”

He cleared his throat as he looked down at his lap. It was strange to see him so… speechless. He was the sort of person that always had a comeback. You were never able to get a one up on him. Sincerity, however, seemed to be his hamartia.

“I just… I wanna go as far as I can with this team,” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “You know, me and the other second years… when we first joined the team, we were asked about our goals.”

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “We all said that we wanted to win nationals.”

He wasn’t quite sure why he was telling you all this. He didn’t know where it came from. But he knew he’s grateful to be able to just talk. To share this with someone.

“Yaku and I used to fight all the time,” he smiled sheepishly, casting his gaze at you.

“I can see that,” you giggled. There was always a little fire between the two of them; it’d given you a good laugh many times.

“It was kind of stupid, but… we got over it. We learned to work together,” Kuroo sighed.

“I feel bad for poor Kai,” you smiled.

Kuroo laughed. “Yeah…” He sighed as he leaned over the table, resting his chin on his folded arms. “Nekoma used to be hot shit, you know.”

“Did we?” You asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Made it to nationals a couple of times. But, we sort of… fell off. We haven’t been as good as we could be for a while. And… I want to change that.”

He pressed his lips together, his brows furrowing. “We can’t do that if we don’t work together. And I know that sounds obvious, but… we need to focus on our teamwork more. We’ll only be great if we all learn to rely on and trust each other. We’ve gotta make the best use of all our strengths while covering our weaknesses.”

You nodded, making a little noise of agreement. You couldn’t help but smile as you listened to him. This side of Kuroo – this genuine, honest one – was quickly becoming your favourite.  

“Sorry,” he chuckled, sitting up straight. “Didn’t mean to ramble at you there.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” You shook your head. “Ramble all you’d like.”

He quirked an eyebrow at you for that, but he was smiling.

“Hey, Kuroo?” Normally, you wouldn’t have thought to ask the questions that were currently poking at the back of your mind. But he’d just been so honest, so open with you in a way he’d never been before. Maybe it was okay to be a little bit curious. Just this once.

“Hm?”

“I have a genuine question,” you said, folding your hands in your lap.

He looked at you, pouting a little.

“Why volleyball?”

He bit the inside of his cheek, brow creased ever so slightly. Usually, he’d just dodge a conversation like this; not because he was particularly embarrassed by it or anything like that, but because he didn’t want to talk about himself too much. He didn’t want to be rude and dominate the conversation.

But, you were asking. And, you seemed genuinely interested.

A little bit of sincerity wouldn’t hurt, right?

“My family moved here when I was pretty young,” he said, shrugging. “And I didn’t really… know how to make friends. Before I moved, I’d been part of a volleyball team. All my friends were on it, and… I had to move away from them.”

It was a little strange, trying to pull up all these memories. And trying to condense them was harder than he’d expected. “When I first met Kenma, we just played video games. I didn’t really… know how to talk to him. But he agreed to play volleyball with me, and that made things so much easier. I had something to talk about.”

You smiled to yourself, the image of a shy little Kuroo more endearing than it should be.

“I even convinced him to go to a weekend class with me,” he smiled, looking down. “You know, I even remember when I first met Coach Nekomata.”

“Huh?” You frowned.

“The old coach who used to work here. Rumour is he’ll come out of retirement sometime soon,” he smiled. 

You nodded, even though you didn’t quite understand. 

We bumped into him at one of those classes,” Kuroo said. “He told me, ‘do what you love, and success will come.’ I still think about that.”

Do what you love, and success will come. Yeah, that definitely sounded like something that’d resonate with Kuroo.

“Anyway, I joined the team in middle school, and that made it a lot easier to make friends,” Kuroo shrugged. “I don’t know. I love volleyball. Have for as long as I can remember. It’s fun. And… it helped me connect with people, even when… even when I couldn’t find the right words.”

He looked at you, a bit more tentative than usual. But, you were smiling, your chin propped up on one of your palms as you listened to him talk.

“Believe it or not, but I was a really shy kid.” He didn’t know why he’s still talking. And honestly, he’s a little embarrassed by it. But, you’re still listening. And for that, he’s grateful.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” you grinned.

His eyes widened a little. “Huh?”

“You think so much,” you mused, looking upwards. “But, like… in the way introverts do, you know?” You blushed, looking down at your hands. “Well, I mean… I tend to overthink everything I say, right?”

“No, really?” Kuroo gasped, covering his mouth with one hand.

“Shush,” you shot him a half-glare, suppressing the urge to stick your tongue out at him like a child. “It’s just that… I see a little bit of that in you, too. Not… massively, but it’s there.”  

You couldn’t quite read his expression. It wasn’t one you’d seen before. And honestly, he wouldn’t know how to describe it himself. He was caught between the relief at being seen, at being understood, and the embarrassment of being called out. People didn’t tend to pick up on that part of him – and yet, you had.

He wasn’t used to being the one getting read.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, “I really didn’t mean to ramble so much.”

“Oi,” you giggled, “I said it’s fine, didn’t I?”

He raised an eyebrow at you.

“It’s nice that you care so much about the game.” You were smiling at him. Nothing unusual. But the look in your eyes was so genuine, so bright that he could feel his face burning up from looking at it.

“Yeah,” he smiled, breaking eye contact with you. God, he really didn’t know what to do in conversations like these. “Anyway, should we get back to chem?”

✉

[closet introvert] 9:22 PM: so

[YOU] 9:25 PM: so

[closet introvert] 9:25 PM: i think i’m gonna try to talk to kenma after school tomorrow

✧ ✧ ✧

If there was one thing you were fairly decent at as manager, it was looking after the first and second years. Bit by bit, you’d worked up an adequate rapport with each of them, and you had most of their personalities sorted out. Most importantly, you knew what to do when they were down.

You just had to let Yaku rant – let him shout and gripe and swear, and he’d be okay. Kai liked a constructive conversation, had in soft, measured tones, and offering a solution or two. Yamamoto wanted fire and conviction, a challenge to do better, to be better. Fukunaga liked a distraction, something to take his mind off of whatever was bothering him. Kenma liked to be left alone to sort things out for himself – but you were permitted to make him a care package or two.

You’d known Kuroo long enough by now to know that he was rather reticent when it came to his own feelings. He wasn’t the sort to talk about them upfront; you had to peer at the silences and the spaces between his words to find out what he really meant. You had to look at his behaviour; he was never too straightforward. That sort of thing seemed to overwhelm him.

That presented a bit of a problem. If he didn’t want to talk about his feelings, he simply wouldn’t. He’d deflect the conversation, or downplay how he was feeling. Sometimes he gave you bits and pieces, but he rarely spilled his true thoughts and feelings. They were exceedingly difficult to draw out of him – he had to offer them up himself. And most of the time, he bounced back pretty quickly from his more melancholic moods on his own.  

But not today.

Kuroo wasn’t exactly loud. At least, not in the same way Yamamoto was – or that rambunctious wing spiker from Fukurodani. It was well within Kuroo’s abilities to be obnoxious, but he wasn’t loud. But even for him, he was being uncharacteristically quiet today.

Practice had gone fine, as far as you could tell. Nothing had gone obviously wrong, and nobody had gotten injured. From your perspective, things had even gone well. Admittedly, your knowledge of volleyball didn’t run particularly deep just yet, but you were trying your best.

Kuroo was usually so bright after practice, always grinning or cackling at something despite his exhaustion. Half the time he’d point things out to you, explaining certain moves they’d practised or formations they were trying out.

But today, he’d just picked up his bag dourly, waiting at the door for you and Kenma to leave. He’d said very little on the walk to the train station when usually he’d be rambling about something or other. You and Kenma exchanged a look; he was just as concerned as you were.

And just like you, he didn’t know how to breach the conversation.

“So… how do they even work?” You asked, blinking down at Kenma’s DS screen.

You couldn’t stand the silence for much longer. And you knew that a sure-fire way to get Kenma talking was by asking him about video games – especially optimization.

“EVs are gained by defeating specific Pokemon,” Kenma murmured. “If you defeat a Pokemon with naturally high HP like Chansey, you’ll gain EVs towards your own HP. However, you can only gain 252 EV’s towards any one stat.”

You nodded, opting to let him ramble. Usually, Kuroo would’ve led the conversation between the three of you. But, you’d valiantly taken that task up yourself today – and the easiest way to help things go smoothly was to get Kenma on a roll.

“You can gain a maximum of five-hundred and twelve total, so realistically you can only optimise two stats at a time,” he continued, eyes still glued to his screen. You took a moment to glance at Kuroo. He was staring out the window of the train, his expression worryingly forlorn. Was he even listening?

“IVs are a Pokemon’s innate capabilities.” Kenma was still going. You made an affirmative noise in the back of your throat, nodding. “A Pokemon with a high attack IV will have a naturally higher attack stat than a Pokemon with a low attack IV, even at the same level.”

On the one hand, it was nice to know that Kenma was comfortable enough with you to ramble like this. It was also nice to see Kenma talking freely; a rare and precious sight.

On the other hand, it just made you more stressed about Kuroo. He hadn’t breathed a word the entire ride. He hadn’t even taken a moment to gaze fondly at Kenma while he was rambling. And he always did that when Kenma was on a roll.

You managed to ask enough questions to fill the distance to Kenma’s house. He was speaking more than usual. That much was obvious, yes – but even for a Kenma that was geeking out, this was unusual.

And with the way his gaze kept flicking to Kuroo, you knew it was because he was truly, deeply concerned.

Kuroo still made somewhat of an effort to say goodbye to Kenma, despite his mood. The usual “make sure you don’t go to sleep too late, okay?” and “make sure you drink enough water, so you don’t get a headache.”

But before Kenma walked through his front door, he looked at you. And when you looked back, he held eye contact. Then he looked very pointedly at Kuroo, who was staring up at the sky. By the time you turned to look at Kenma again, he was already scurrying through his front door.

“You ready?” Kuroo asked, now looking at you.

You nodded, half-jogging to join him on the street. Even today, even when it seemed like he just wanted to go home and sleep, he was still walking you home. Sure, your house wasn’t all that far from his, but he still went out of his way every night, just to make sure you felt comfortable.

That quiet thoughtfulness was part of who he was. You’d seen him direct it at Kenma all the time.

The same Kenma who’d just sent you a silent plea.

The Kenma, who never looked you in the eyes for longer than half a second.

The Kenma, who had just asked you to speak to his best friend.

That was all the push you needed.

“Hey, Kuroo?” You murmured.

“Hm?”

“Are you okay?” You asked.

Kuroo looked at you, one eyebrow raised. He was torn.

Should he really burden you with this? Was it right for him to worry you again?

But you’re looking at him with such genuine concern, such genuine care. And the advice you’d given him when he was worried about Kenma had been both helpful and effective. And surely, you wouldn’t have asked that question if you didn’t want a proper answer, right?

Fuck it, he thought.

“I feel like I’m not measuring up,” he sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “My blocking hasn’t been improving. And I don’t know why. I’ve been trying to work on my read blocking but I just can’t get it down. I can’t even fix the problem because I don’t know what the problem is.”

He took a deep breath, his steps slowing to a stop. “I convinced Kenma to stay on, but I’m not a team-mate he can be proud of.”

“Kuroo…”

You looked at him, cloaked in the shadows of the street. His gaze was cast at the ground, his brow furrowed and the smallest of pouts on his lips. You wanted to hug him, but you weren’t sure if that’d help.

You didn’t quite know what to say. You knew what it was like to get caught up in your own insecurities – you were sure most people did. You knew he couldn’t see himself the way you saw him; tenacious, hard-working, passionate.

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” you murmured. No, that was too soft – too wishy-washy. “I know that it… seems kind of silly for me to say, but you are.”

You clenched your fists to steel yourself, taking a step closer to him. That got his attention – he looked up at you, eyes slightly wide.

“You feel like you’re not measuring up, or that you’re not improving… but I don’t see it that way.” It was true. You watched him push himself harder each and every day, improving little by little. And when he wasn’t, he’d learn from those mistakes.

“It must be easy to lose yourself on the court, but from where I’m standing… you’re improving every day.” Your eyes searched his face, looking for any indication that your words were having some kind of impact.

“And… you don’t need to be the world’s best middle blocker, you know?” You said, tilting your head at him. “You’re good, Kuroo. And you know you’ve got space to improve – that’s your strength. That makes you a team-mate worth being proud of.”

He was staring at you, eyes still wide. The dim light of the street hid the blush on his cheeks. For that, he was thankful.

“Uh…” He felt like he should say something. But he didn’t quite know what. ‘Thank you’ would’ve been the natural response, but those words just wouldn’t come.

“Sorry,” you blushed, your nerves finally catching up with you as you looked away from him. “I didn’t mean to… push your boundaries or anything like that, but… if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

Had you overstepped his boundaries? Had you made him uncomfortable? Those questions plagued you for the rest of the way home, Kuroo still quiet and reticent at your side.

You hadn’t overstepped his boundaries at all. Kuroo just couldn’t find the right words, even as you closed the distance to your house.

In all honesty, he’s touched. Touched that you cared so much. Touched that you reached out, even though he could tell how nervous you were. Touched that you were paying that much attention.

As he walked through the door of his own home, he couldn’t get the image of you looking up at him so resolutely out of his head.

He’d have to thank some deity above for the fact you were bad at chemistry, wouldn’t he?  

✉

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:57 PM: hey so uh

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:57 PM: i just wanted to say thanks

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:58 PM: for listening to me be all emotional like that

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:58 PM: i put a lot on you but you were really nice about it

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:59 PM: so yeah

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:59 PM: thanks

[YOU] 10:59 PM: NO! DON’T APOLOGISE!

[japan’s okayest tutor] 10:59 PM: !?!?!?!

[YOU] 11:00 PM: honestly, i don’t mind! and i’m happy to listen :(

[YOU] 11:00 PM: i’m here if you need to talk to anyone, okay?

[japan’s okayest tutor] 11:04 PM: you too

✧ ✧ ✧

You were alone.

Your sobs were the only sound fracturing the fragile silence of the empty gym as you slumped against the wall, your knees brought up to your chest.

Why did you have to fuck up so bad? You’d managed to survive your first year with no drama, the only cause of concern being your studies. They were overwhelming enough  to deal with on their own. You’d certainly felt down about your grades and whatnot before, but those ruts were a little easier to pull yourself out of. ‘They’re just grades,’ you’d try and tell yourself. ‘You can improve next time. And they don’t define you as a person.’ Even if you didn’t quite believe any of that, it was nice to have some rhetoric to at least attempt to counteract those thoughts.

But now? Now you truly felt alone. Like no-one cared about you.

You felt like you deserved it. Like anyone who cared about you was wasting their time. Like you were taking up their time and attention undeservedly.

It was all too overwhelming.

The pain choked you. Every thought, every feeling you’d been trying to fend off for so long ripped through you like an arrow.

Fuck, why couldn’t you just hold yourself together? Why did you have to be so weak?

You let go. And you cried. And cried. And cried.

The sound shattered the vacuous silence of the gym. You weren’t sure how long you’d been sitting there, letting your sobs rack through your body.

Your throat was sore.

Your eyes stung.

You were alone.

And you deserved it.

“Woah.”

You froze. You knew that voice.

“Hey.” Kuroo knelt in front of you, his hands finding their way to your forearms. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He was knelt in front of you, eyebrows knitted together as his eyes roamed your face.

You shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut. Shit, why was he here? Why hadn’t he just headed home?

You didn’t want anyone to see you like this. You didn’t want to worry them.

Kuroo’s arms found their way around you, coaxing you gently towards his chest. You collapsed into him, burying your face in his chest.

Fuck, that didn’t help at all. Your sobs came with more voracity, rawer and harsher than they had been.

He just held you, chin propped on your head and one hand rubbing your back. He didn’t say anything; he knew you didn’t need that right now. He knew that in moments like this, it was nice just to be held. To feel like someone’s there.

And then slowly, breath by breath, everything seemed to calm. Your sobs grew softer and softer against his chest, his gentle hums setting a new rhythm for your fractured mind. He was grounding you; each touch, each sound was an attempt to bring you back down to earth. You could tell it wasn’t the most comfortable position for him, crouched awkwardly in front of you while holding you to his chest, but he stayed. 

He stayed until your breathing had levelled out, and your grip on his shirt had loosened.

“There you go,” Kuroo murmured, letting you go. He shifted to sit next to you, and you immediately missed his warmth. You found a little comfort as he looped an arm around your shoulder.  

You took a long, shaky breath. You weren’t sure how long you’d keep it together for, but you were glad for the reprieve.

“What are you doing here?” You sniffed, rubbing your nose with the back of your hand. He shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t have made him worry about you.

“You didn’t show up for our little study session,” he said, eyebrows knitted together. “I tried texting you, but you didn’t respond. And I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

Shit. You’d forgotten to tell him you’d ‘headed home early.’

“I was worried about you,” he murmured, giving your shoulder a squeeze.

You swallowed roughly, the guilt bubbling up in your chest.

“I’m sorry–”

“No.” Kuroo shook his head. “Don’t apologize. If you need to get it out, you need to get it out.”

You bit your lip, looking down at your hands. Your knuckles blanched pale as you clenched the fabric of your skirt.

“And,” he swallowed, “if you need to talk to someone… I’m here.”

Your breath caught in your throat as you felt everything rush back. The fight. The loneliness. The insomnia.

Kuroo didn’t need to hear this. And you didn’t want to burden him with this.

But God, you needed to talk to someone.  

“I- I had an argument with Hana,” you sniffed, fingers playing with the hem of your jacket.

You could barely remember how it started. Something stupid, probably. Something immature. But it had blown way out of proportion, and she wasn’t speaking to you anymore. You’d been spending your lunchtimes alone, behind the gym or in an empty classroom. You didn’t have the strength to face the rest of your friends, nor did you know what she’d been telling them.

It had struck at the worst possible time, too. The usual anxieties about grades and the future had been compounding recently. You’d been a bit more down than usual, and this whole Hana debacle had exacerbated that. You were usually able to manage feelings like this, finding ways to keep your head above water.

But not this time.

“I just,” you swallowed, squeezing your eyes shut. “I just feel like something’s missing. And, and I’m… there’s… there’s this gap in my heart, and I don’t know how to stop feeling so empty.”

You took a deep breath, feeling it tremble through your body. “But… but I also just feel so numb.”

And all of it, even the numbness, was overwhelming. No matter how desperately you tried to distract yourself, you couldn’t. Nothing worked. You’d lost too many nights sitting at the bottom of your shower, letting the water run down your back as your mind ran in the same repeating circles.

You were exhausted.

“And part of me,” you swallowed, your throat rough and dry as your emotions tried to hammer themselves into something coherent. “Part of me feels like… like it’s wrong to feel like this.”

God, that felt stupid. Stupid, but true. On top of everything, you felt defunct.

And frankly, you couldn’t say why. Was it shame? Guilt? Something else?

“Hey.” Kuroo’s voice was low, almost soft as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder. “You’re gonna feel what you’re gonna feel,” he murmured, “You shouldn’t feel guilty about that, okay?”

He felt you tremble as you tried to take a deep breath.

He knew that your pain wasn’t a one-to-one reflection of his own. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to understand exactly what you were going through.

But he knew what it was like to be a small child, so afraid, so alone, without an understanding of what was really going on around him.

He knew what it was like to feel as if something was missing, like there was a constant gap in your heart. He’d felt that way when his parents had split up. He’d only been a kid, too young to properly comprehend why that had been happening.

All he had known was that his family had crumbled to pieces around him. And then his mother was gone, half a world away with little more than a kiss on his forehead as a goodbye. He hadn’t been ready for it. He had felt like he might never be.

That feeling of separation had followed him, even into his teen years. It was quieter now, a half-whisper on the bad days. Usually, he could ignore it, setting his mind to more productive concerns. But, it never quite disappeared.

Kuroo knew what it was like to be lonely.

And he hated seeing you go through the exact same thing.

Lonely. Afraid. Probably hoping that someone, somewhere, would acknowledge your pain.

That was the worst part. Wanting your suffering to be known. Wanting someone to look at all of it, to see it for what it was. But no matter how palpable that desire was, how desperately you wanted it, it was too terrifying. To speak up was to be a burden. To speak up was to expose yourself to pity; and that was always the last thing you needed.

Pity’s useless. All you were asking for, all you really wanted was understanding. Acknowledgment. To have someone see.

He knew exactly what that was like.

“You, uh…” The sentiment caught in his throat, somehow both persistent and reticent.

“You don’t have to do this alone.”

They were the very words he’d wished someone had said to him all those years ago. The words he’d wanted someone to offer him, a child who didn’t know how to reach out. To cry out for help.

And in that moment, with his arms around the manager who had looked after him and his boys so well, Kuroo felt that call.

✉

[passable at best] 8:30 PM: hey

[passable at best] 8:30 PM: how are you feeling?

[YOU] 8:45 PM: alright

[YOU] 8:45 PM: i ate dinner and i’ve just been watching youtube

[YOU] 8:46 PM: and i’ve been drinking a lot of water

[passable at best] 8:46 PM: i’m glad to hear that

[passable at best] 8:46 PM: make sure you get an early night, yeah?

[YOU] 8:47 PM: i’ll try

[passable at best] 8:47 PM: and if you need anything, please text me

✧ ✧ ✧

"Come to the temple with me."

The surprise was evident on your face. You’re glad he couldn’t see you. "What… just us?"

"Yeah." There's a pause. An almost painful one. "I couldn't get Kenma to leave the house, so…"

You pretended you weren’t disappointed. If anyone could see you, they wouldn't be convinced.

"Oh, well, uh…" Your fists curled into your nightgown. "Sure."

"Great!" You could hear the smile in his voice. It's the one you like best; full of sunlight, pure and whole. The one that reached his eyes. "I'll, uh… see you at eight?"

Usually, if someone had called you at seven-thirty in the morning, you would've simply ignored them. But when you’d seen that it was him, you’d answered immediately. The lack of hesitation was almost frightening.

There was no reason that your fondness for a certain Kuroo Tetsurou should scare you. You just knew that you adored the guy. In less than a year, he’d become one of your favourite people. And, he’d been such a solid support for you. Of course you’d go to the temple with him.  

But as you stood at the temple steps, swallowed up by a coat and two jumpers, you wondered if anyone was worth being this cold for.

“Sorry I’m late.”

You glared up at him, nose embarrassingly red.

“What?” He groaned, hands dug deep in his pockets.

“It’s cold.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“It’s eight in the morning.”

“Hey,” he grinned, reaching up and ruffling your hair with a gloved hand. “You could’ve said no.”

You huffed. Unfortunately, he was right.

“Well, I’m touched,” he chuckled, looking up at the sky. “It’s a nice morning, though.” He looked back down at you with a grin. He was far too peppy for this hour of the morning. “You ready?”

The walk up the steps was almost laborious, given just how cold it was. Your breath misted in front of you as you told each other about your first dreams of the year; he’s still regaling a tale about Kenma turning into a dragon with five heads and chasing him through the streets of Tokyo by the time you reach the fortunes.

You tried to shake off the superstitious jitters as you carefully chose one of the knots on the string. Kuroo showed much less care.

As you read the fortune written out on your strip, you let out a surreptitious sigh of relief. You looked at Kuroo, tilting your head.

“What’d you get?” You sniffled. You hoped you wouldn’t get a cold from this.

“Bad luck,” he said, turning the strip towards you.

You snorted. “Oh, ow.”

He shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal.” His expression said otherwise; it was that half-grimace he had whenever he didn’t want to admit he was wrong. Or that Bokuto had done something cool.

“Really?” You grinned, tilting your head at him. “You’re not bothered by it at all?”

“Alright, what did you get then?” He peered down at you, puffing out his chest.

“A little luck.” You held your strip towards him, and he scowled.

“Bad luck’s more exciting,” he mumbled.

“Don’t be mad about it,” you smiled, nudging him with your elbow. “God just likes me more.”

“Oi,” he huffed, ruffling your hair with a cold hand.

“Hey!” You wacked his hand away, but he just cackled.

“Anyway, you’ve forgotten the most important part of a temple visit,” he yawned, looking back at the fortunes lined up on the strings.

“Hm?” You frowned.

"You gotta make a promise," he sniffled, his fortune scrunched up in his hand.

You pouted, your hands dug deep in your pockets. A promise, huh? Did he mean a wish? You weren’t about to argue the point. He’d win it, anyway.

“You go first,” you mumbled, a little embarrassed by the fact that nothing was coming to mind.

He paused, staring at you for a moment. You squinted back, perhaps half as a challenge.

"Hm," Kuroo puffed his cheeks out, looking up at the sky for a moment. "I promise… to always be there for you. No matter what."

You blushed. What sort of promise was that? And why did it make you feel like… this?

Thwump!

You were only half aware of it as you punched him in the stomach.

“What was that for?” He wheezed, hands clamped on his stomach as he stumbled back a few steps.

“You can’t say things like that!” You whined, feeling the colour in your cheeks growing deeper.

“Why not?” There was something a little too genuine in his frown.

“Because I was going to say something really lame!” It was only eight-thirty in the morning, and Kuroo had already worked his way under your skin. And you weren’t entirely sure he’d meant to. “If I knew you were gonna say something like that, I’d’ve said it back.”

He raised an eyebrow at you. “You still can, you know.”

“Oh.” Yeah. You could.

That was all he needed. In an instant, that familiar grin was once again adorning his face, and he was towering over you. A little closer than maybe was appropriate.

“Is that… a blush I see?” Oh, he looked far too pleased with himself. You had half a mind to punch him again.

“Shut up,” you huffed.

“Aw, have I made you all embarrassed?” He grinned, ruffling your hair. “I’m sorry,” he said, the words spoiled by his fake pout.

“If you don’t shut up, I won’t say it,” you threatened, glaring at him as resolutely as you could. The weird twang in your chest made it more difficult than it usually was.

He shut his mouth immediately, eyes a little bigger and much more expectant than usual.

“Kuroo Tetsurou–”

“Are you about to propose?”

“You know what? Nevermind–”

“No, no, no! I’m sorry!” His shoulders were slouched towards you, head tilted to the side and a bright smile on his face. “I’ll shut up.”

You took a deep breath. It certainly felt a bit like you were trying to propose to him. You shuffled that thought out of your mind as quickly as you could. Once again, Kuroo had put you in a situation you hadn’t quite anticipated.

“No matter what comes, and no matter how irritating you are–”

“Hey!”

“–I promise that I’ll be there to support you,” you managed to say, cheeks flaring and fists clenched. “I… really care about you.”

You couldn’t bear the look he was giving you. It was the look you’d give something you positively adored – something you believed would bring nothing but light to your life. It was a look so full of affection that you felt like you might shatter beneath it.

He reached out and wrapped you in his arms, pulling you gently into his chest. You snuck your arms under his jacket, circling them around his waist. You’d done it mostly on instinct, but you weren’t upset about it. It’s warm, and it’s nice, and you didn’t want to question it. 

There’s too much to worry about – studies, volleyball, the fact that it’s really not all that long until you’re third years. That took precedence. Whatever’s going on here – whatever this was – couldn’t take priority.

All you knew for certain was that you loved Kuroo Tetsurou. In what way didn’t matter. And this in-between, this unnamed space was comfortable. And, as far as you could tell, it belonged to both of you. If he didn’t want to say anything about it, then neither did you.

✉

[i can be your angle] 5:21 PM: hey hey

[YOU] 5:21 PM: hey hey hey!

[i can be your angle] 5:21 PM: no don’t do that

[i can be your angle] 5:21 PM: anyway, i just wanted to make sure you’re practicing appropriate after-cold care

[YOU] 5:21 PM: why do you always have to phrase things Like That

[i can be your angle] 5:22 PM: no idea what you’re talking about

[i can be your angle] 5:22 PM: anyway, drink a tea or two, stick a heat pack (or seven) in the microwave, and rug up

[i can be your angle] 5:22 PM: can’t have you going and catching a cold

#haikyuu x reader #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsurou x reader #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo imagine #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuuwritersnet #once again what are tags #i didn't want to cut this up but it got Too Long i'm so sorry #n e way hope you like it?? #the in between

[shiny-jr]

❝ ʙ ᴜ ᴛ ᴛ ᴏ ɴ s ❞

Yandere!Husband x Reader - Kade 

Note: I merely wanted to share one of my most popular oneshots from my Quotev account. Yes, it is inspired by Coraline. This story was originally published as a 1,000 follower special, so it’s quite lengthy meaning it will be split into different parts. I hope you enjoy! 

Warning: there will be violence, gore, profanity, and other things such as. You have been warned.

Part Two.

Act I

Slim, cold hands held a rag doll. The black button eyes seemed to stare into his very soul and a permanent smile had been stitched onto the doll’s lips. Carrying the plaything to his desk, he began working oh-so-diligently.

Opening his kit of tools, he placed the doll atop the center of his desk, its back overturned. Cutting clear through the small dark black clothing on the doll, the small figure was soon made bare. Nimble fingers pulled at the raven hair strands, leaving the doll bald. Proceeding with the next step, he unstitched the black button eyes and removed them from their place. Next, he cut a straight long line at the mouth, and by hand, he removed every single piece of cotton used to stuff the doll until the figure was nearly as flat as paper. Turning the figure inside out, he then added sand to replace the cotton. Threading a needle, he carefully stitched the mouth closed and made it appear like a gentle smile. Pulling open his drawers, he scanned the dozens of pairs of buttons in his storage, selecting a black medium-sized pair to fit for the eyes before stitching them into place. Gingerly he threaded each strand of (h/c) yarn to fit for hair on the doll’s head, precisely measuring each strand to make it fit perfectly.

The man hummed, voice silky and slightly deep but appealing to the ear. Continuing to hum as he worked steadily, he remained focused on the task at hand. With scissors he cut out the design of the small clothing, stitching it together and sewing it so it would be flawless. Once done, he fit the clothing onto the small doll and then placed the tiny figure on the windowsill, prepped and ready for his newest guest. 

________________________________________________

"Un, deux, trois~ Un, deux, trois~" An older man hummed as his fingers danced on the black and white keys of the piano, creating a melody with his foreign counting and humming. Smiling in accomplishment as his mind formed the next notes of the melody he would compose for his circus. "Un, deux-" Stopping abruptly as his train of thought was disrupted by the screeching of tires outside, causing him to become startled and his fingers to bang horribly against the piano keys. Scrunching up his nose in irritation, he pushed back his seat and approached the window to see who had ruined his creative thought process.

A little red car zoomed down the small dirt road, honking its greeting as it was tailed by a large moving truck. The small car disappeared around the corner of the aged house, leaving the larger automobile to park and the workers to begin unloading all the furniture and cardboard boxes as the new residents entered their new home for the first time.

The foreign man huffed and closed his curtains, wishing to ignore all the sounds of the outside world and focus on creating a masterpiece of melodies for his circus. Two elderly women who lived below used the stairs to catch a peek of all the commotion, pleasantly surprised to see the new neighbors had finally arrived. They kindly waved to the men who transported the boxes and furniture inside.

When all was inside the house, one mover held up a clipboard with a paper in need of signing. A young man inside took the ink pen and signed his name in smooth cursive. However, before he could close the door, the mover stopped and extended his hand out for a tip. The young man merely sighed and handed him a dollar bill before slamming the door shut, no longer wanting to deal with the hassle of the movers or furniture in need of unpacking.

A young woman closed the back door, deciding to take a stroll and explore the new environment. After all, it was a major change from her previous home and habitat. Shrugging the olive green jacket closer to her form, her gray cotton blouse and black jeans provided extra warmth, and the black rubber boots kept her feet clean from the mud. Stepping down from the porch, her (e/c) hues scanned the surrounding area of the garden, all dead and shriveled up. Everything was dull and almost gray, as if the life had been sucked out of all things in the area. Stepping along the cobblestone path, she analyzed the scenery. Instead of bright city streets brimming with life, her surroundings were that of gray dying woods and sad, forgotten apple carts. There was no music or endless chattering mixed with honking cars; all was silent here. Here, they hadn’t the luxury of malls and boutiques on every corner; it was at least a few miles to the closest town.

Sighing in defeat, she frowned and slowed her walking pace. The scenery wasn't a beauty to paint either; it didn't exactly spark any inspiration or motivation. Nearly jumping in surprise when a small pebble bumped against her boot, her gaze traveled to the rocks and she rose an eyebrow. "Hello...?"

Silence…  

"Anybody...?"

Only silence filled the air…

Frowning at the lack of response, the young woman picked up the small pebble that had tumbled to her feet. Weighing the rock in the palm of her hands, she eyed a set of boulders sitting along the slope of the hill beside her, she shrugged, and then tossed the stone back up to where the boulders stuck out. A pained yeowl and angry hiss emanated from behind the stones. A white cat with brown and black patches hopped atop the boulders and glared at the woman.

(Y/n) shuddered and averted her gaze, speed walking away deeper into the woods to avoid further angering the feline. However, when she stopped and turned around, the cat yowled at her from atop a stump, frightening the woman for a moment. She pouted. A staring contest ensued between her and the strange cat. "This is the worst..." Crossing her arms over her chest, in the pit of her stomach she began to feel a thick growing desire to return back to her old home. "I lost my friends, the city—comfort, and all I get in return is you? He said this would be better. How is this better...?"

The feline stared, tilting its head. A low rumble emitted from its chest, its tail swishing back and forth slowly. Its mottled fur caused it to stand out, as it was probably the most colorful thing she saw since arriving in this plain little town.

She rubbed her arms, sighing as she murmured, "At least I still have Kage. That's something, isn't it...?" In reality, she was unsure. Her marriage with Kage was still young, but she knew she loved him. Although, recently she began to wonder if that love was noticed by him. She loved him deeply, but recently he’d become so engrossed in his work that it seemed like they were drifting apart.

Kage had explained before moving to this gray town that maybe this change would be for the best. A new environment, a fresh start. Someplace for them to mend their relationship, to grow closer. A new home for them to begin anew. They even hoped the work would lessen and they could spend more time with each other. Yes, he was trying, but she feared the worst.

Blinking as she felt a drop of water, she looked up and saw the gray clouds shifting. Water droplets began to fall from the sky, creating a light drizzle. The cat scampered off, probably to find shelter from the oncoming rain. Shrugging on the hoodie of her green jacket, she jogged back to the house. Her rubber boots slipped in the mud, and she scraped her palm as she caught herself. "Damn it!" Grunting in the process as her sleeves were now dirtied and hands injured, she stood up and wiped off the mud. Great, just her luck! She already hated this place! 

________________________________________________

(Y/n) quietly shifted through some of the boxes, organizing the packed furniture in the cozy living room. However, she glanced at her husband, Kage. He was as quiet as ever, typing away on his computer. Kage was an author, a well-known one who’d published many wonderful books while he was still young. They had barely said a word to each other since arriving yesterday, and she desperately craved attention. Anything to fill the silence suffocating her. "Yesterday, I ran into a cat while I was taking a stroll. I'm pretty sure it was wild or something."

"Uh-huh..." Kage continued to type away, his pale fingers swiftly dancing across the keyboard. Never taking his gray eyes off the screen, he feared he would lose his focus. In his mind he pictured a lovely sunset at the beach and a young couple walking on the sands, a scene that was picture perfect. He blew a strand of his wavy black hair out of his vision, revealing his handsome face. The light of the screen was reflected in his smokey-gray eyes, and he anxiously bit down on his full pink lips, his well defined cheekbones highlighted by the laptop’s blue light.

"What if it was feral?"

"That's great... I mean, interesting..."

She saw he was fully invested in his writing, not giving her enough attention to respond with a proper reply. However, that did not deter her. Placing down a portrait of herself and Kage on their first date back in college, she stared at it fondly. Turning her attention back to her husband, she waltzed around the room as she mused, "Isn't it the perfect weather to go out?"

At her musing, he took one single glance outside. Beyond the large windows, rain poured, hitting the glass and drenching everything outside. "It's the perfect weather to catch a cold in," he replied, slowing his typing process. The sleeves of his white hoodie jacket drooped down his wrists onto the laptop.

Taking a seat across from him on a small cushion seat, she asked, "When was the last time we properly went out together without work?" Appearing downcast, she added with a sad frown, "Kage, isn't that why we moved here? To spend more time together?"

Kage stopped typing completely and spared his wife a brief glance. As soon as he saw her dejected frown and sad eyes, he sighed, "No- No, don't you do it. Don't give me those puppy eyes, (Y/n). You know that I—... Damn it..."

"You're great at writing romance novels, but you're not exactly a prince charming..."

"I'm charming to a certain degree, thank you very much. Please, just give me time. I'm very busy with this novel." For once he managed to ignore her pleading look. He knew she would be upset, but he needed to finish this one chapter, and then all his time would be hers. "The clothes still need unpacking, you know. To pass the time, you can finish that. I don't want to leave all the unpacking for later."

"You're no fun..." She pouted, crossing her arms in disappointment.

Remembering the strange item he found at the front door while his wife was out for a stroll, Kage reached by his feet and picked up the object resting there. He held it up for her to see, it was concealed and wrapped in newspaper. Holding it out for her to take, "You left this on the porch."

"Me?" (Y/n) accepted the item, curious about what it could be. She didn't recall forgetting any items. Most of her belongings were in her backpack or stored away in packed boxes. But curiosity has been known to kill a cat or two. Seeing that Kage had gone back to writing his novel, she unwrapped the newspaper, revealing an old fabric doll. A doll that looked oddly like her.

The color of its fabric skin was identical to her skin tone, and its black button eyes were wide and unblinking. A gentle smile graced the doll's lips, and strands of (h/c) yarn decorated its head, each one appearing to be precisely measured and fitted to make the doll more identical to her. Even its tiny clothing was exactly the same as hers: her favorite olive green jacket and current gray cotton blouse and black jeans covered its form, and on its little feet sat a matching pair of black rubber boots.  

The young woman raised an eyebrow, slightly disturbed at the uncanny similarities. "It looks like me... This isn't mine, Kage."

"Oh? Don't look at me..."

An idea popped into the woman’s head. (Y/n) smiled mischievously, lounging on the couch right beside him. Holding the doll up, she examined it thoroughly and giggled. "If it's not mine and not yours, maybe it's from a secret admirer~?"

Kage stopped completely, freezing in place. Glaring at the doll, he appeared upset and envious now. Frowning, he looked to her and muttered, "If it is, I'll beat him into the next dimension."

"I'm just kidding!" (Y/n) laughed lightly, noticing his faint blush as he turned back to the screen of his laptop. She was happy she got a reaction out of him, that he cared and was protective enough to be upset at the mere thought of his wife having a secret admirer. Although all jokes aside, she was really curious about the mysterious origins of this odd look-alike doll. "But seriously, where did this toy actually come from?"

"Don't have a clue..."

She huffed and stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles on her clothing as she declared, "You know what? I'm going to explore this house. There has to be something interesting in this dusty old place!"

Lifting one hand, he lazily waved without tearing his attention away from his work. "Good luck..."

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After spending nearly one boring hour wandering the halls and exploring her new home, she had not found a single thing of interest. The rugs were overdue for a wash and were blanketed in a layer of dust; the windows fogged up easily and leaked, dripping rainwater in the hallway; and the bathroom wall was insect-infested while the water looked rather unsanitary. She waltzed into the last explored room, a large spacious area that was probably once a guest room.

(Y/n) planned to make the entire room a library for Kage. She wanted the area to be a place where he could store his prized novels and favorite books, a room they can retreat to when looking for a moment of peace and quiet. The walls would be lined with shelves and shelves of books, and cozy seats and warm blankets would decorate the floor. So far, only a few shelves had been set up against the wall. Many of the others lay face down, waiting to be lifted up. Gathering an armful of books, she began to organize them in alphabetical order. Fingers tracing over the spine of the novels, she stopped at twenty books. Before she could gather a few more to organize, she stopped upon noticing the look-alike doll had disappeared from its place atop a few empty boxes.

(E/c) hues scanning the room, she frowned and turned. Where had it gone? Had she misplaced it? It was atop the boxes just a few minutes ago. Turning around, she noticed the little black button eyes peeking at her from behind a shelf waiting to be set up. It's lifeless eyes unmoving, the doll peered at her quietly from behind the piece of furniture. Stepping closer, she kneeled down and carefully picked up the doll. Her eyes trailed off to the side, and there against the wall she spied  a smooth bronze knob. A door knob.

She pushed aside the shelf, the closed door was revealed fully. Wallpaper covered the surface, but the knob made it obvious that an entrance was there. Tracing her fingers along the wall, she could feel the outline of the curving designs on the door while the tip of her fingers collected dust. What could this door lead to? Wishing to know immediately, she called out loud enough for Kage to hear, "Kage! There's a door over here!"

Kage groaned and rubbed his head. Just when his fingers had matched the pace of his imagination and he had a good pace, his train of thought was snapped in half by the shout from upstairs. The young man grumbled, "I'm pretty busy right now!"

Examining the keyhole, she attempted to use the knob. It squeaked as it turned just slightly but not all the way, meaning it was locked. The door refused to budge. “Kage!”

The young man winced once he was called again, further prying him from his work. Realizing she was not going to stop anytime soon, he put aside his laptop on the couch cushions and rose from his seat. Stomping across the halls into the spacious room, he examined the door his wife was so fixated on opening. Turning his gaze to (Y/n), he glared and frowned. This only served to irritate him further. He’d paused his work for a locked door?  

“Aren’t you curious too?”

“Frankly, no.” Kage replied curtly, eyeing the knob and doorway. “If I open this stupid door will you leave me alone?”

“Yes...”

The young man sighed as he fished his keys out of his pocket. Chiming and jingling, the keys shifted as he searched for the one that would open this damned door. As he looked, he mumbled to himself, “Unbelievable... Kage do this, Kage do that...”

Finally he held one single, strange-looking black key. The top was round and identical to the black buttons eyes stitched on the look-alike doll. The bottom half was thin and it fit perfectly when it slid into the keyhole. The wallpaper tore as the door was pulled back, and (Y/n) watched it open with bated breath. Her curious eyes peering at the opening door as she gripped the doll.

Creak . . .

Concrete. Just bricks and concrete filled the space behind the door. It certainly wasn’t the secret room that she had hoped for. “But...”

“Logically, it most likely would’ve led to the basement or attic where our neighbors live.” Brushing himself off, Kage tucked his keys away. “We’re done here.” Without another word he returned to the living room to resume his typing, leaving (Y/n) alone.

(Y/n) frowned, knowing he was upset at and irritated with her. Closing the door, she tossed aside the stupid doll. No longer could she go pester Kage as she promised she would leave him alone if he opened the door. All she could really do now was waste the rest of the day setting up the library. Maybe her husband would be in a better mood later on.

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. . . . . .

Tick!

Tick!

Tick!

The ticking of the clock on the wall filled the dark silence. The steady beat matched her even breaths, but she was unable to attain sleep. She was instead left to stare up at the ceiling and contemplate the events of the day.

Kage was still as busy as always; he had fallen asleep on the living room couch with his computer screen glowing and filled to the brim with pages upon pages of text. (Y/n) knew better not to wake him up, so she merely saved his file, charged the laptop, placed a pillow under his head, and wrapped him in a blanket.

While she had retired for the night in the bedroom, the look-alike doll sat perched on the nightstand. Leaning against the lamp, it lay limp but continued to watch the woman with its black button eyes, even as she shifted on her side and reached for the small framed photo on the nightstand.

(Y/n) admired the photo, missing the moments and memories of the past. How things used to be. Before Kage became an author—when he was just a bookworm in college. When he had so much time to spare and spent it all on her, when he used to be so shy but affectionate instead of distant like now, when they felt so close—like nothing could ever tear them apart. (Y/n) longed for those days.

Creak . . .

The wooden door slowly opened, the old hilts creaking as a dim light seeped through the slim crack. Gingerly placing down the framed photo, she sat up and raised an eyebrow. “Kage...?”

. . .

No answer. Deciding to investigate, she slipped off the bed and slid on her slippers. Shrugging on a jacket over her short-sleeved shirt, the hem of her long loose pants brushed her bare ankles. Stepping into the hallway, she whispered, “Kage? Are you up here...?”

. . .

Looking left then right, she spotted the guest room at the end of the hall. Straight ahead, she saw the hidden door opened a crack. She was perplexed, as she was certain she had closed it shut. Curiosity filling her, she decided to venture forward to close it. Lighting flashed outside illuminating the room, thunder shook the ground. Still she reached forward and turned the knob, pulling the door back. There were no concrete or bricks obstructing her view like before, instead the door led out into a slim lengthy hallway that glowed a reddish pink. Like something out of one of her husband’s fantasy novels.

It felt like something or someone was calling to her from the other side. This was a dream. That was it, and nothing more. Mustering up her courage, she stepped inside. Each time she took a footstep, the ground beneath her feet glowed red. The deeper she traveled, the more she noticed tiny petals fluttered and rained down from above. A faint breeze brushed by, carrying a few petals along the way. Warm and gentle like a hug, its warmth beckoning her further inside.

When she reached the other end, she carefully pushed the door open and crossed the threshold. The space she now found herself in looked nearly identical to her own soon-to-be-library, however, the design was somewhat different. There was a plush couch set in front of a roaring fireplace alight with warm, red and orange flames. Lights were hung on the walls, and their dim glow was an inviting yellow. Strings dangled from the lights, holding clipped polaroid photos. Upon closer inspection, she realized the photos were of her and Kage. Pictures of memories from their first meeting in the college library, their first date at a local cafe, shopping and picking out clothes for each other, reading at home by the warm fireplace. In each photo (Y/n) could be seen as clear as day, but Kage’s alluring smoke-colored hues were concealed by a pair of dark sunglasses or hoodie.

Raising an eyebrow at the space she entered, she felt a slight tinge of worry. This was most definitely not her soon-to-be library. Kage wouldn’t leave his work to decorate. She waited for something, anything to awake her from this fantasy where she would jolt up in bed and think, What a strange dream.

“Every day, I imagine a future where I can be with you~ In my hand is a pen that will write a poem of me and you~” A voice sang. The tone was so familiar: silky, slightly deep, but very appealing to the ear. Complimenting the ringing of the piano’s melody, the lovely tune drifted throughout the house. “The ink flows down into a dark puddle... Just move your hand- write the way into her heart~!”

(Y/n) took quiet steps, following the lullaby-like melody that lured her deeper into the home. Her furry slippers muffled the creaking of wood beneath her feet. Her (e/c) hues examined the walls of the hallways, decorated as they were with beautiful framed paintings and photos all from memories of which she was fond of. Prying her gaze away, she stopped at an open room, the source of the singing. Peeking in, she spotted a familiar figure seated at a piano, his back to her and his slim fingers dancing along the black and white keys.

“But in this world of infinite choices, what will it take just to find that special day? What will it take just to find that special day~?”

(Y/n) blinked when the music stopped, his fingers pausing a top the piano’s keys and his beautiful voice fading into the air. Seeing the figure turn to face her, she was finally able to examine this man’s features. Strands of wavy black hair rolled down his neck like a waterfall and were partly brushed to the side to reveal his hues. Full lips a shade of light pink that curled into a smile and well-defined cheekbones complimented his facial structure. This man was identical to her husband Kage, yet one thing was off. Those stunning gray hues she loved to admire, were replaced with black button eyes.

“Ah, you’re finally awake, (Y/n)!” The doppelgänger smiled welcomingly, standing from his seat. He wore a white hoodie and tangerine colored cargo pants with simple yellow tennis shoes. Even his clothing matched her husband’s usual sense of style, but this was not her husband Kage. “Please, tell me what you think. Did you like the song I wrote for you? I spent quite some time thinking about it, attempting to properly convey my feelings with a sweet melody.”

“Who are you...? You’re not Kage, he doesn’t have...” (Y/n) took a step back, eyeing the young man with suspicion, unable to look away from his black button eyes.

He smiled fondly at her, pointing to the objects that had caught her attention. “Buttons? Do you like them?” Noticing her concerned frown and hesitance, he cooed, “Did you hit your head, dear? My name is Kade, not Kage. I’m your other husband~” When he reached her, he gently rubbed her head, his nimble fingers weaving through her locks before he lightly tapped her nose, “Boop!” Chuckling at her flustered expression before placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, he added, “I’d never dream about hurting even a single hair on your pretty little head~”

(Y/n) was rigid, still in place. She did not reel away. No, instead she felt a familiar warmth budding in her chest. The heat that had warmed her when Kage used to give her affection when their relationship had just begun. Gazing up at him with question, she raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean other husband...?”

“Dear, you are my precious wife.” Tussling locks of her hair, he continued his explanation. “Everyone has a significant other.” Hands trailing down, he intertwined his long slim fingers with hers and smiled lovingly at her. “I knew you were going to wake up hungry, so I took the liberty of making you a late dinner. Come on, let’s hurry before our meal gets cold.”

(Y/n) was led through the hallways, following this strange man that very much resembled her husband. There’s no way these spacious rooms and extensive hallways resided all within the home, it was impossible. This had to be a dream. A dream in which her mind conjured someone like her husband, possibly as a result of her lonesomeness and lack of Kage’s attention.

The kitchen was warm. Dark coffee colored bricks of the wall matched the mocha counters and iron gray kitchen utensils. Lights hung from above, reflecting against the surface of the center table which was smooth black marble, and each chair was cushioned with a pillow. A heavenly scent of freshly cooked food wafted in the air, it smelled simply divine and nearly made her mouth water.

Kade lifted her hand he held, guiding her to one of the seats around the counter. Like a gentleman he helped her into her seat. However, as soon as she was seated, he took a glance at her and smiled. Lifting her hand up, he placed a kiss on the back of her hand before taking a strand of her hair between his fingers, it curled around his thumb as he hummed, “I hope you're hungry. I’ve made enough for a king’s feast!”

The odd button-eyed man proceeded to gather plates and the meal he had cooked. Leaving (Y/n) to simply stare and wonder at the odd scenario she was in. The young woman examined the kitchen once more. It was squeaky clean and flowers seemed to decorate every corner, either in vases or simply sprouting from somewhere. This was a beautiful kitchen, like a remodeled version of the one in the house she moved it.

(Y/n) perked up once she heard humming. The man named Kade hummed the same song he sang earlier, his hands busily working on the final preparations for dinner. Laying out silver utensils on a white cloth napkin, with plates so clean one could see their own reflection, topped with an empty glass for wine. Finally, the main course. In the middle of the counter he set a large plate of spaghetti with meatballs, a bowl of salad off to the side, a basket of bread, with a small tray of various pastas. And with so many more delectable choices laid out in front of her, just for her choosing.

(Y/n) merely blinked at the sight before her, shocked beyond words. Her husband never did anything like this. Kage always forgot to eat with how his job occupied all his time. Even if he did occasionally remember, the most he would do was heat up instant ramen. “You... You did this?”

“Of course, who else would? I couldn't just let you go hungry." Kade chuckled as he poured her a bit of red wine that matched the palette of the diming lights, red and pink illuminated the entirety of the kitchen as the love song he wrote by hand magically played on harp strings originating from some unknown source.

The scent of the home cooked meal smacked her sense of smell, causing her to look down at the multitude of plates once again. It all appeared so delectable, as if it had taken hours to prepare it all. It made her stomach grumble, causing her to low her gaze in embarrassment.

He laughed lightly, amused at her timid behavior and cheeks red with embarrassment. "Don't be shy, darling~ Eat as much as your little heart desires." Swiftly he served her a plate of the main course, the spaghetti. The dish was topped with the perfect amount of smooth red sauce, meatballs perfectly spherical andhinted with tiny herbs that had been gently sprinkled over the top.

It did look appetizing, and she really did wish to try just a bite. It appeared so much better than sloppy mashed potatoes and a soggy sandwich she had for dinner. As the odd button-eyed man sat down and served his own meal, she failed to notice his observant gaze. Instead, she picked up her fork and twirled the tip of it on the plate, collecting a few strands of the spaghetti. Hesitantly she sniffed it, still cautious, yet nothing smelled off. So with her hunger gaining the best of her, she tasted the bit on the kitchen utensil. It's taste was simply divine, better than anything she had ever tasted before. Bright (e/c) eyes trailing up to the young man, she swallowed the portion in her mouth and commented in delight before she could eagerly fork more of the meal, "This is so good! How did you make this?"

"With a determined mindset and... oh, something else too. But I can't really reveal that..." Gaze traveling away to the opposite wall, a small pout etched onto his pink lips.

Lowering her fork as she took another bite, curious about what he could possibly mean. "Why can't you tell me?"

Knowing his little facade worked, he smirked playfully and rolled his eyes as he drawled, "Well... It's a secret ingredient. I use it in every meal and it works like a charm, making every dish perfectly flavorful and savory..."

Intrigued by his words, and she did not miss that playful smirk. Raising an eyebrow in interest, she propped her head up, knuckles supporting her chin. "Hm... Now I'm really curious. Can't you tell me? I won't tell another soul, promise."

"Well, I suppose since you are my wonderful wife, it's only right that you knew...~" Finally his gaze traveled back to her as he looked left then right, before leaning in close after he saw no one else was around. His positive features turned serious as his black-button eyes locked onto her (e/c) hues, whispering quietly, "I'm about to reveal to you a great secret, one for you and you only, dear. Are you ready to hear this valuable piece of information?"

Eagerly she nodded, entranced yet a bit disturbed by his buttoned gaze. Managing to respond meekly, "Yes, I am."

"The secret ingredient... is my love for you!" He grinned, planting a quick kiss on her nose while she was entranced into the moment. Black button eyes watching realization dawn onto her, her cheeks flushing red again but the slight smile on her lips proved her bashful joy. His words only furthered the embarrassment for her, "Isn't my love so sweet? It's only available for you, and I do everything for you whole-heartedly~"

After (Y/n) was over her initial embarrassment, she remembered Kage still had to finish writing his novel. She hated for the moment to end, this was the most fun and attention she had in such a long time, but he must’ve been busy. “We should probably finish soon... I know you’re busy with your book, and I wouldn’t want to bother you for too long.”

“Hm? Oh, don’t you worry, dear. I’ve already finished writing, so my attention and time is all yours.” He smiled reassuringly, ignoring his meal as hegaze was glued to her form. Humming lightly, basking in the moment where nothing was said and his song continued to play gently in the background.

(Y/n) felt slightly unnerved by his unwavering gaze, forcing herself to look away, at anything else as she was uncomfortable staring into his button eyes. It served as a reminder that this was some strange wacky dream. Unable to continue her meal, she wiped her hands on the white napkin before momentarily glancing back at him, his gaze still concentrated on her while a smile played at his lips. “Is... Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, no, no, no, no! I just... can’t help but admire you. I truly am the luckiest man on the face of the earth, to be wed to such a perfect woman~ I'm very happy to be with you again, (Y/n)."

Unsure about the entire ordeal as he gently took her hand, choosing her choice of words cautiously. "Again...? I'm sorry, but Kage is the only husband-"

"I am your other husband!" Kade stated, emphasizing his words. There was a brief sign of visible irritation and impatience before it vanished in an instant. Calmly he stood, his slim pale fingers carefully tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Leaning forward, he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I've always been existent, but I've never been noticed by you. Finally, I've been blessed with the chance to greet you. After all this time, I welcome you home, my dear~" Behind him, lights twinkled like stars, almost like tiny fireflies floating through the air. Magically with the dim white light, a phrase was spelled out in neat fancy cursive, "Welcome home!"

Red flags. This entire situation was unsettling, and the way he momentarily held anger frightened her. Pulling away from his touch, she stood from her seat and took a few steps back. Wearing a small smile to conceal her nervousness as she managed slowly, "I see. Um... I'm actually kinda tired right now. You know, with unpacking and moving the furniture." This wasn't right, she had to leave. This Kade figure was posing as her husband, and it was wrong.

Standing upright, he blinked before nodding in understanding and smiling so lovingly. Linking his arm with hers, he led her away from the kitchen and through the hallways. "Of course, of course! Say no more, darling. Let's go, let me take you to our bedroom."

"Right..." For a moment she did not believe him. A shared room? It sounded far-fetched. Technically, she did share a room with Kage, but he always fell asleep in the living room or another room so it wasn’t like they slept beside each other. “Okay, that sounds... normal...?”

When Kade pushed open a door, she was taken aback by the contents inside. It was dim, illuminated by the same familiar floating lights from the kitchen that twinkled and sparkled gently. It was decorated neatly and a perfect cozy place. With one corner topped with dozens of Polaroid photos, the young man with her in the photos had his eyes concealed yet again.

Pulling back the soft covers of the bed, he allowed her to hesitantly lay down on the plush mattress. She wasted no time in pulling the blanket to her chin, resting her head on the pillow. About to flutter her eyes shut in an attempt to end this dream, but she stopped when she saw Kade kneel to his face was at level with hers. “Uh... Thank you for the meal, I guess I'll go to bed now...?”

"Wait a moment, love. Did you think I wouldn't notice?" Kade took her hand, his black-button eyes glimmering in the dim light as he examined the cut and scrape against her palm. The injury from when she fell as she explored earlier. Tsking as he shook his head, chuckling lightly as he picked a bottle from the nightstand drawer. Sprinkling a few droplets on her hand, he hummed, "You're so clumsy, dear~ What would you do without me?"

(Y/n) pressed themselves closer to the bed, using the blanket to cover herself from her toes to her nose, peeking out as she remained anxious under the odd man's watchful gaze. Averting her gaze, breaking the eye contact as she pulled her treated hand underneath the safety of the warm covers. "Thank you again... and goodnight...?"

Kade merely tilted his head. No longer was his expression innocent and joyful, his smile seemed somewhat strained,as if it would break its positive curl at any given moment. However, again it was gone in an instant, and he hummed in delight. “Goodnight, my dear. Sleep tight~”

. . .

(Y/n) had closed her eyes and everything went dark, she had fallen asleep almost instantly. Only when she fluttered her eyes open, feeling groggy and sluggish as she did not wish to leave her bed.

“Huh...”

Slowly she sat up, looking around only to see the walls practically bare and the room nearly empty. Much of the furniture had yet to be unpacked, still lying dormant in the many boxes littering and stacked on the floor.

It was a dream, she realized. An odd dream.

The young woman scratched her head, her fingers becoming tangled in the mess of her bedhead. Blinking sleepily as she stretched, a yawn escaping past her lips. (E/c) hues traveled across her dull room, only now noticing the look-alike doll propped up against the lamp on the nightstand. Its black-button eyes were similar to the man's own strange eyes from her dreams, that just seemed to stare her down. A bit unnerved, she reached over and picked up the doll, eyebrows furrowed as he recalled the details from her dream. It felt so strange and odd, but the attention was nice and the man named Kade seemed well-mannered.

(Y/n) sighed and placed down the doll atop of her sheets, mind wandering into what she had experienced into her sleep. Unconsciously she scratched her hand, eyes slowly trailing down to the flesh on her palm, only to see it completely clean and injury-free. No cuts and no scratches, the injury was gone. She gasped and examined her own skin, recalling it was the exact spot where Kade had applied that ointment to treat her wound. "How did...?"

She ran out of her room, hurrying to the guest room in which she planned to be a library. The same room in which the strange door was located, the one in which she traveled through in her dreams. Staying quiet to make sure she didn't accidentally awake Kage if he was still asleep downstairs. As soon as she reached the door, she swung it open, expecting to see that magic hallway that glowed red and pink. "Aha!-..."

Concrete and bricks greeted her, making her smile vanish and causing her to go silent. That... That was impossible! As if choosing not to believe the fact the entryway was concealed, she pressed her hand against the surface. Her healed palm touching the firm surface, clear evidence that there was no magic hallway. Slowly she closed the door, puzzled still at this predicament she found herself in. Was she going crazy believing in only a fantasy from her dreams, or was Kade actually real?

________________________________________________

The kettle boiled, whistling as steam escaped with the increasing heat until her husband removed it from the stove. As he continued to make his morning tea to freshen him and prepare himself for another full day of writing. The young man remained silent at the counter as his wife spoke of a vivid dream she had.

"It just felt so... real! You were there, but you weren't really you. It was like a carbon copy that called himself Kade!"

"Buttons for eyes, hmm?" Kage poured himself a cup of tea, raising an eyebrow as he saw her nod. Taking another momentary glance at her as he sighed, "Interesting, I suppose... Certainly creepy, but interesting." Taking his seat at the table, he took a sip from his tea, allowing the warm liquid to soothe his nerves and stresses. "(Y/n), are you sure you just weren't so hungry that you dreamt of that meal?"

Swallowing the bite she had taken of her muffin, she replied, "I was not hungry!" She huffed, stirring the straw in the cup of her morning beverage. She continued on the topic of her dream, recalling the choice of clothing Kade wore and what he did throughout the dream. "You were also playing the piano too, and you had these tangerine-colored cargo pants on!"

Kage frowned, wincing in disgust as he placed down his cup, "Tangerine? Ugh... Dream version of me has no style. I've learned all my style from you. If it's not good enough, I won't wear it. And I most definitely would not wear tangerine cargo pants." He scoffed, rolling his eyes as a slight smirk formed on his lips, "You should share some of that magical ointment with me. There's a chance it could clear up this writer's block I have."

(Y/n) smiled, rolling her eyes slightly. She could imagine him wearing those tangerine cargo pants. More importantly, she was glad she could have such a calming peaceful moment with her husband. This was the first time they shared breakfast in months. This moment was really needed, it eased her worries and stresses. Before she could speak up and continue their pleasant conversation, she watched Kage stand and carry his tea with him. "Where are you going?"

"Back to work, my novel won't write itself." The ravenette picked up his newspaper and other papers holding scribbled notes. Looking through what he had written with his free hand, humming lightly as he admitted, "Although, your dream you told me about just gave me an excellent idea! I have to go write this down before I forget!"

"What am I supposed to do now...?" (Y/n) sighed, throwing away the wrapper of her muffin and mindlessly twirling the straw in her beverage. Slouching slightly, she used her hand to prop up her head by her chin. Perking up when she heard Kage shuffling in the living room, calling out a response before he would become silent because of his work.

"Why not go introduce yourself to the neighbors downstairs? You should go on our behalf. It would be rude if one of us didn't say hello."

The young woman recalled the married ladies downstairs. They were old and strange, but welcoming and kind, yet it seemed they bickered often. "Didn't you say they were crazy?" To be completely honest, those two were a great deal different from her last neighbors. Standing up, she placed her cup in the sink to wash later. When she did not receive a reply, she called out once more, "Are you even listening to me?" She peeked out into the living room, spotting Kage completely engrossed in his novel already with his eyes glued to the screen and fingers already typing away.

It was too late, he was already lost in his work. The only thing left to do was do as Kage advised and that was to visit the old married couple and introduce herself on her and Kage's behalf. 

❂     ❂     ❂     ❂     ❂     ❂     ❂     ❂     ❂     ❂

(Y/n) shut the front door behind her, stopping when her foot hit something that was laid out on the front porch. Looking down, she was puzzled when she saw a small stack of packages was what she hit. Eagerly picking it up, she imagined gifts sent from her friends back home only to see across the top it was addressed to someone by the name of Yakovich. Shuffling through each one, every package had the same name. "Yakovich, Yakovich, Yakovich, Yakovich..."

Abruptly a strange scent smacked her senses, causing her to raise her eyebrows and eye the packages she held. Holding the packages higher up closer to her face, she sniffed and reeled back once the pungent odor wafted through her nostrils. "Ew!" The look of disappointment from before was replaced with disgust as she lowered the packages in her arms. If she recalled correctly, a man with the same surname that was printed on the packages, happened to live upstairs in the attic space.

Well, she supposed now was a better chance than ever. Might as well go introduce herself to both the upstairs and downstairs neighbors. Traveling up the stairs on the side of the house, she kept the packages far from her face and turned her head away to avoid smelling whatever was inside with the horrible smelling contents. Once on the high porch, she knocked on the wooden door. Waiting a moment before calling out, "Uh... Hello? Your packages got left at our door!..." She took a step back, waiting patiently for a minute or two before leaning against the entrance to see if she could hear anything. "Would you like me to leave it here or-? Ah-!"

The door swung open with her weight, revealing a dark disorganized space only illuminated by a window and a dim lamp. Abruptly a man appeared behind the door just as the young woman stumbled up. The man stepped out quickly and slammed the door shut, "Secret! Famous jumping mouse circus not ready!"

(Y/n) stood up straight, eyeing the strange man. This was the guy named Yakovich who lived in the attic...? He spoke with an accent. He looked as if he hadn't seen the sun's light in months, his skin was dry and pale with tired bags underneath his eyes. Tall but lanky and slim, and wore a simple old white undershirt turned yellow overtime with jeans that were dirtied with unwashed food stains.

"Circus...?" She snapped her stare away from the man standing in front of his door, remembering the reason why she had come up here in the first place. "Oh, but I brought up your packages."

For a moment he appeared disinterested until she mentioned the packages he had been expecting. A grin spread across his lips and replaced his disinterested frown, partly concealed by his mustache. Eagerly he snatched the packages, relishing in the odor that emitted from the boxes. Murmuring something in a foreign language as he smiled in content.

"Huh...?" For a moment she was concerned, was Kage correct saying that the neighbors were crazy?

"New cheese samples." Yakovich clarified as he placed down the packages, popping his fingers as he stretched his bony arms upwards. Then picking up one box, he leaned forward toward the girl and scolded, "Very clever using this mix-up to sneak my home and peek at mushkas!"

"Umm... Mushkas?" She racked her brain for some help on foreign language, she didn't quite recognize the word.

The neighbor nodded firmly, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the door. "The mice!" He then stretched, shifting his arms from side to side.

"Al... Alright..." Perhaps this was the best time to introduce herself, it was now or never. "Uh... my name is (Y/n). (Y/n) (L/n). I'm sorry my husband Kage couldn't introduce himself, he's been busy with work lately."

He nodded, stopping his stretches as he extended his arms out wide and announced, "I am the stupendous Yakovich! But you, you may call me Mr. Y. Stupendous already know that I am!" This man was certainly... interesting to put it nicely. "Here is the predicament, little one, my songs I wrote go: oompaoompa! But tiny jumping mice only play toodle-too, like that! Is nice, but not so much stupendous. So now I switch to stronger cheese and soon! Wham!" Abruptly he picked up his packages and pulled a beetroot from his pocket, placing the vegetable in the girl's hands, "Have beet, make you strong." Mr. Y kicked open his door and backed inside, bowing as he stepped back, "Dasvidaniya, (Y/n)."

Just like that, Yakovich disappeared inside him home, slamming the close door as the bell on the door frame chimed. (Y/n) blinked, unsure what to make after that strange encounter. Looking at the beetroot, she tossed it over the railing and jogged down the steps. Walking along the dark grass surrounding the home, she stopped in her tracks upon hearing a voice.

"Hey, (Y/n)!"

The young woman looked up just in time to see the odd man swing effortlessly on the railings and metal stairs until he landed flawlessly beside her. Yakovich leaned closer, whispering breathlessly as he stated, "The mice asked me to give you word message."

"The... jumping mice?"

"They are saying-" He looked left then right, making sure no one was listening in as he continued in quieter whisper, "Do not travel through strange door."

(Y/n) gasped lightly, blinking in disbelief. How would they know that she...?

Mr. Y shrugged, inquiring curiously, "Do you know such a thing?"

The only strange door she could think of was the one in the guest room. The one in which she traveled through last night, where she met Kade and that strange world. "The one behind the wallpaper...?" She thought about it for a moment. When she had checked it for the first time upon arriving and even the time this morning, "It's all covered up. I can't enter it even if I wanted to."

"So sorry, it's nothing." Mr. Y brushed off the warning from the mice as he shrugged, slowly climbing the metal steps as he mused, pointing to his head for emphasis on his words, "Sometimes the mice are little mixed up." The young woman watched him as he strolled atop the high patio to his door. He continued, "They even get your husband's name wrong, you know? They call him Kade, not Kage. Not Kage at all!" He threw up his hands before returning inside his home, "Maybe I work them too hard."

(Y/n) stood for a moment watching the still door and empty high patio. Frowning lightly, she decided to brush it off for now and continue her task of introducing herself to the neighbors. Now, only the two old women who lived in the basement were left. Brushing down the wrinkles on her outfit, she hopped down the steps that led to the front door of the elderly couple's abode. Intaking a deep breath, she dearly hopped Kage wasn't right about these two like how his predictions were correct about Mr. Y. Lifting her hand, she reached forward and tapped her knuckles against the wood-

"Woof! Woof!!"

She stumbled back, frightened at the sudden movement. Little dogs, black Scottish Terriers, jumped up and clawed at the door as their barking alerted their owners to the guest at their door. As soon as the door clicked opened, the three little dogs scattered into the open towards the guest. Jumping up, they panted and rested their front paws on her leg, eager for a pat or scratch behind the ear.

"Oh, cease your infernal yapping!" The old woman scolded, watching as her pets began to settle down and simply circle and sniff the guest. She stepped back, using her cane for support as she gave a smile with wrinkled dimples to the young woman, "How nice to meet you dear! My, what a lovely sight you are. Do come in." Copper-colored locks were short and brushed to her lower neck, tucked in by the fuzzy green coat she wore which matched the makeup she wore.

As she took a step back, (Y/n) followed the elderly woman inside to the small dark hallway, closing the front door once she made sure all three dogs had returned inside. Giving a smile, relieved that the old woman seemed normal at least. "You must be Agatha. I remember the contractor mentioned you."

"Ah, yes! Wilma, put the kettle on!!" The old woman smiled welcoming to the young girl, sending her a wink before shuffling past the red curtains.

(Y/n) hesitated as her eyes landed on an old board advertising an act of two stunning women. The lady on the left was short and had beautiful wavy red hair that curled around her ears and shoulders, while the one on the right was tall and had magnificent blonde locks that ran down to her hips like a waterfall. Beside the red-head was the name, Agatha! and by the blond was the name, Wilma! Slowly she removed her jacket, no longer needing it now that it was warm down in this basement. Pushing past the red curtains, she could then see that her initial thoughts were incorrect and Kage was spot on once again.

Inside was a large living space, where the trio of pups immediately rushed to claim spots on the velvet sofa. Vintage music played in the background, matching the dim lighting and giving off a calming chill air to the whole place.

An elderly woman stumbled out of the kitchen, placing her glasses on to assist her in her vision as she eyed the stranger, "Agatha, I think you're being followed!"

"It's the new neighbor, Wilma." Agatha explained as she shuffled towards the velvet seats, leading the guest along the way. (Y/n) shyly offered a greeting wave to the other woman, before the copper-haired woman continued, "Her name is (Y/n)."

(Y/n) eyed each poster and old advertising board, noticing that each and every one of them depicted the same two young ladies, the red-head and blondie. Perhaps those were the elderly couple in their prime, back when they performed in shows at theaters.

"She'll be having the oolong tea!"

Wilma protested, picking the beverage, "No, no, no, I'm sure she'd prefer jasmine." Adjusting her glasses, she could now better see the young guest, noticing and admiring her shining locks and bright youthful eyes. Turning to see her partner frowning in disagreement.

"No, oolong."

The white-haired old woman ignored her, deciding as she picked up an extra cup. Turning away so she could not see Agatha's eye-roll and annoyance, "Jasmine it is then!"

Agatha shuffled over to the velvet couch, waving her pets to move as she urged, "Come on, off with you, boys!"

“I’m sorry my husband Kage couldn’t join us.” Now that the couch was empty, (Y/n) took her seat and placed her coat beside her. Eyes wandering the room, she finally took notice of the shelves lining the walls on each side of the couch. “He’s been so busy with work lately, and—“ Eyes going wide, she gaped at the realistic figures of Scottish Terriers dressed in white cloth and topped with a plastic golden halo over their heads. There were so many of them lining the shelves, it was unnerving as she saw each were even in different poses. "Are those dogs real...?"

"Ah, that’s alright, dear! And those? Those are our sweet departed angels~ Couldn't bear to part with them,” Agatha took her own seat on a single couch. She spoke so casually about her dead pets that it was scary. Smiling lightly as she sat just in front of the shelves, “so we had them stuffed.” Proudly she gestured to the stuffed dog corpses, beginning to list off the names of the pets, “There was Amish the Third, and—“

Drowning out that disturbing conversation, the young woman saw Wilma approaching. The new neighbor now wary of the tray the elderly lady placed down, a bit more than concerned after hearing that the old couple kept their dead pets.

”Oh, go on, have some.” Wilma slid the tray forward, posing dramatically as she boasted, “It’s hand-pulled taffy from Brighton. Best in the world!”

(Y/n) picked a small round pastel colored piece of candy, surprised to see as soon as she picked the singular piece, the bowl and other pieces came right along with it. She continued to ignore the dog names Agatha listed,while attempting to pry off the single little piece. Seeing that each movement was like quicksand, it became stickier until she accidentally flung it upwards and it stuck to the ceiling like glue.

”I’ll read them if you like?” Agatha smirked mischievously, catching her off guard.

The young woman blinked, realizing she had missed some of what she said. “Read what...?”

“Oh, your tea leaves, dear!” As if planning this to happen, the copper-haired elderly pulled a small top hat from beside her. Placing the hat on her head, she continued, “It’ll reveal your future!” Agatha watched as the new neighbor seemed unsure, but the elderly woman encouraged, “Go on, go on! Drink up! Not all of it though!”

Deciding why the hell not, she went along and picked up her teacup from the tray. Holding it delicately as she downed the warm fresh liquid, drinking drown to the last drops until the very bottom of the teacup was filled just a bit.

“Now let’s see what fate has in store for you!” Agatha took the teacup from her hands, squinting down as she moved the cup so the remnants swished back and forth. The dim lighting cast an eerie glow on her wrinkled face and chubby cheeks. The copper-haired woman gasped, “Ohhh... Oh, (Y/n)! (Y/n), my dear, dear, dear child! You are in grave danger!”

Wilma reached over and snatched the top hat, mistaking it for the teacup. Noticing the poor young woman’s frightened reaction as she scolded her partner, “Oh, give me that cup, Agatha! Your eyesight is going!”

”My eyesight?” Agatha scoffed, offended at the mere thought. Grabbing Wilma by her coat sleeve, turning her to face her and taking back her top hat as she snapped back, “You’re blind as a bat!”

The white-haired old woman ignored the insult as she accepted the teacup, placing on her glasses which she squinted through to properly examine the tea leaves. “Let’s see, let’s see... Ah! Not to worry, child! It’s good news!” Wilma assured as she readjusted her glasses, taking a better look as she announced, “I see a tall handsome beast in your future? But... aren’t you married already?”

”I am! I can’t picture myself with anyone other than my husband.” She attempted to brush off her prediction of her future. Perhaps it was better if she hadn’t allowed them to read her fate in the first place.

Agatha rolled her eyes, pulling on Wilma’s sleeve again as she received the teacup back. Pointing out the spots as she clarified, “Wilma, you’re holding it wrong. See? Danger!”

(Y/n) watched as the old couple squinted to analyze the bottom of the teacup, both with their own opinion on what it meant. Although, she was curious, “What do you see?”

”I see a very peculiar hand...!”

Wilma huffed, turning the cup around as she replied, “Well I see a giraffe!”

Dismissing the thought, Agatha hopped off her chair, “Giraffes just don’t fall from the sky, Wilma!”

”Well, what do you ladies recommend I do?”

The two elderly ladies began to list their own superstitions, warning the young woman as they discreetly pushed each other to be at the center of attention.

”Never wear green in your dressing room!”

”Acquire a very tall step ladder!”

”And be very very careful-! Now! Was there something you came to tell us?”

(Y/n) shook her head no in response as they leaned forward in interest. Standing from her seat and picking up her coat, she watched as the trio of pups jumped at the opportunity to settle themselves on the couch. “No, I guess not... But thank you for the tea, it was very nice meeting you.”

”Toodle-oo!”

”Cherry-bye!”

The young woman made her way to the exit, shrugging on her coat as she stepped into the dark hallway. She could hear the elderly couple begin to chat away, bickering once again. The noise of their voices conversing only vanished once she exited the basement and stepped up the concrete steps into the foggy day.

Stepping along, she noticed that with each step the fog swished from beneath her feet and below her knees like a blanket of clouds decided to cover the earth like snow. Fishing her phone from her pocket, she checked the time. Only an hour had passed, it was now 9:45 in the morning. It wasn't likely that she would get another moment with Kage like that unless he took a rare break at a random time, or until the next morning as he was preparing his tea. Sighing, she kicked the dirt with her rubber boots, kicking a rock that struck something in the distance.

"Hisss!" A familiar puff of fur jumped up onto a fallen tree, angrily yeowling and hissing at the young girl.

She must've kicked a rock or pebble to the cat on accident, she realized. It wasn't her fault, it's not like she noticed the feline with all the fog on the ground. As she stepped closer, the cat arched it's back, warning the human to stay away. "Oh, stop it. I'm not gonna do anything. Scaredy cat." (Y/n) scoffed, crouching down so she looked up at the stray. "Come to visit? I don't have any food for you."

The cat slowly relaxed, the feline steadily sitting down on the mossy bark. Only now did she notice this cat had different colored eyes, one was yellow and the other was blue. It’s unwavering gaze concentrated on her.

”Don’t tell me you’re a neighbor too? That makes you the fourth one.” She held her head up, propped up by her palms as she looked up at her supposed neighbor.

The stray cat licked its paw, no longer interested in the human. A light purr emitting from its chest, prying its gaze away.

(Y/n) huffed, crossing her arms as she stood, "You don't listen either, you're just like him. At least, you both don't listen for long..." Seeing the feline look at her once again, she was not surprised to see him jump off the fallen tree and disappear underneath the blanket of fog, only his tail poking out marking his location as he wandered off. Leaving her alone once again.

End of Act I 

#yandere #yandere guy #yandere male #yandere scenario #yandere writing #yandere imagines #yandere oc #yandere author #yandere x darling #yandere x you #yandere x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere au #coraline #shinyjr #shiny-jr #yandere husband #buttons

[drewstarkeys]

SINCE WE’RE ALONE: TONI SHALIFOE

Summary: Trying to prove to Toni that you won’t leave, based off of Since We’re Alone by Niall Horan.

Word Count: 2k

Pairing: Toni Shalifoe x Reader

Warnings: Maybe like a little (lot of) angst, language, and uhh fluff?

A/N: I tried not to put any sense of what day it was on the island because truthfully we don’t know if they were taken off the island right after the shark attack or not and I wanted this to be as late onto the island as it could possibly be!

Toni knows her past and she knows her anger. Her heart is scarred with the memories of being told that her anger was something that was confusing to handle. She can’t erase the memories of being compared to birch bark and how she sets fire so easily. That’s why once she lets her anger out- she’s gone just like that. She can’t handle seeing the destruction she caused because she knows how it affects people and her relationships with others.

Her anger had outlets back home, well until she got kicked from the basketball team. Despite her outbursts on the court, the truth was that the sport calmed her down. It gave her a creative way to get competitive and get nasty without being looked at like she was just some girl that couldn’t control herself. Of course, her slight grip on control during that sport was ripped during one of her games, and she lost the only good outlet she had to express her emotions.

Her anger is a dark cloud that hangs over her head at all times and the leash she has on it is weak and ripped. Of course, getting stranded on an island only adds fire to the fuel as heated situations are near inevitable and stress only brings out the worst in people. Thus, why she spends most of her time on the island alone or moping, some of her only bright moments are spent with you.

You’re not sure what to make of her anger, you know it’s there and you can feel it, even when she’s peaceful and at rest. You know she tries to hide it from you because of her past and how anger ripped that relationship from her, and it hurts you to know that she’s not being her entire self around you. You’ve seen it in the way that she won’t let herself make eye contact with you after she yells too loudly or tears down a hut in frustration, she’s terrified it will scare you away.

That’s exactly what just happened: she let her anger get the best of her, again. One little fight between her and Leah over rations and she’s gone again, her head exploding with feelings of anger and the feeling of control slipping from her fingers. She barely even looks at you before she’s running off around some corner to go sit in the dark by herself. You know deep down that it’s how she likes to cope, but you’re not giving up on her just yet. You want her to see that you’re there for her through it all, even her dark moments.

“Since we’re alone, you can show me your heart. If you put it all in my hand, no, I swear I won’t break it apart.”

Before you knew it, you were next to her on the rocks, your mind racing with what you could possibly say to her. You had seen this side to her a few times since she had been on the island, but this was the first time you were brave enough to go talk to her. In all honesty, you didn’t know how she’d react but you needed her to understand that you weren’t going to push her away over this, that you were with her no matter what.

“When I was younger my mom accidentally dropped this pet toad I had picked up in my backyard and instead of crying, I yelled at her. I yelled at her so much that my voice ran dry and I finally broke down into sobs. I told her these nasty things that should’ve never been said to my mom… ever. My toad was okay, probably traumatized, but he was okay. After she dropped him, I wouldn’t talk to her for three days and she was on the verge of bringing me to a counselor before I finally spoke to her.” You finally said, letting the words flow out before you truly knew where you were going with this, something about what you were saying felt right to you.

She looked over at you in confusion, unsure of why you were sharing this with her, but she stayed quiet, knowing you were about to speak again. “I know it’s not really comparable or anything to how you feel sometimes but the truth is that we all have anger inside of us and sometimes that comes out stronger than we mean it to. We take out pain and fear in anger and it gets the best of us. This island brings out the worst of us and sure, it can be ugly but I mean, where else are we supposed to lose our minds, right?” You added, trying to think of what you were getting at. “I see the way you hide your anger around me, I see the way you run the second you lose control, the way you refuse to let anyone see you weak. I don’t know why you do it, but I just want you to know that I’m here. You’re not going to scare me off or make me leave because you’re upset.”

Toni looked to you, her eyes softening slightly but you could still feel the hesitation and anger coming from her. “I just get so angry and I can’t stop it. It’s not something that came out on the island, I’ve always been like this and probably always will be like this.”

You frowned, noticing the slight bitterness to her words, hinting at a rough past with how she handled herself. “That’s okay too, you know that right? I mean none of us are perfect, far from it actually. Just so you know, it’s not anger that defines you, it’s just a piece of you. When I told you that I was falling for you, I meant all of you, not just the good parts, every single thing about you. I might not get your anger or know your past but I know you now.” You said as you reached for her hand, grabbing it lightly so she had the chance to pull away if she wanted to.

“Since we’re alone, show me all that you are.”

She held onto your hand in response and turned to face you, “I’ve lost people and good things because of how I am, you get that right? It’s not worth falling for me if you’re just gonna become afraid of me when you see how I really am. It’s just how the world works, you know? Like look at Martha, she’s so pure and full of light and even she can’t handle me sometimes, how do you think you’re going to be able to handle it, huh?” She asked you, her eyes slowly watering at her words and you reached up with your free hand to wipe the one that had fallen free.

Shaking your head you tried to think about how to explain it to her, “I’m a lot tougher than I look. I want you no matter what that means, you’re Toni, you’re my Toni and I wouldn’t have you any other way.” You mumbled, knowing it wasn’t enough but you couldn’t quite find the words you wanted to say.

Toni smiled at your words but it was clear that she was still guarded, “thank you.” She said, squeezing your hand in her own as she turned to face the ocean and watched the waves as they crashed lightly onto the rocks that sat in front of the two of you. “what if I hurt you or something?” She asked, still refusing to look over at you.

The flashbacks haunted her, the feelings of abandonment and not being enough in her past left her worried for the future of the two of you. Only one person knew how much she was hurt when Reagan left and that was Martha. She loved Reagan more than anything and Toni’s own mistakes drove Reagan away from her. She couldn’t bring herself to hate Reagan for leaving, Toni knew why she did it and Toni was afraid that you’d do the same. She was worried that you would stop being so understanding about her anger and that you would leave.

“And if you get lost in the light, it’s okay. I can see in the dark.”

You pulled her close to you, wrapping both your arms around her shrunken figure and pressed your lips to the side of her forehead, “I’m not leaving. You’re so worried about hurting me and that fear is enough for me to stay, Toni, I trust you more than anyone else on this island. I trust you more than I trust myself. I’ve never felt anything but safe around you. I need you to understand that, okay? I don’t want to lose you.” You whispered, keeping her close to you as you spoke.

Her leg bounced against the rock as she let your words sink in, to allow herself to understand that you wanted to stay, to realize that you wanted her; the good and the bad. No one had yet taken the time to completely understand her and talk through her anger and what it meant, but she appreciated that you were the first to bring it up freely. It made her feel like that side of her wasn’t something to hide but rather it was something that was just another piece of her.

“Can you promise that you’ll stay?” She asked you, her voice coming out quiet as she was afraid of a truthful answer here. She knew that a promise like that was almost bound to be broken but she needed the temporary comfort of those words from you.

Pointing your pinky finger to the sky, you extended it over to her so that Toni could wrap her own finger around yours. “I pinky promise, Toni, plus if I ever break that- you can break my finger and say that it was just karma or something. That’s just how pinky promises work,” you said, a small laugh falling from your laugh as you kept your fingers locked together.

She shook her head, holding back a laugh from your words but a carefree smile had made its way across her face at your words, “yeah I wouldn’t do that, but if it ever were to happen in some freak accident, then that would definitely be karma. Or you know, in case you want your finger to be extra safe, you could just stay.” She responded, her words coming out lighthearted but you could feel the plea for you to stay true to your promise in her words.

You nodded, breaking your hand apart from hers to place it on her cheek, slowly guiding her closer to you. Your eyes flick to hers once more before down to her lips, and then they finally shut as you close the distance between the two of you. When Toni kisses you back it’s so full of love that you nearly cry, you’re finally breaking down her walls, you’re finally getting all of her and there’s nothing you want more. You feel her hands slide up to cup your face as you let yourself melt into the kiss and you decide in that moment that if you were going to die on the island, it would be worth it because you had her.

She pulls away first, resting her forehead on yours as her hands fall down on top of yours and she holds them tightly. The two of you sit like that for a minute, just listening to the sounds of the island and clinging to the feelings of closeness you had just created. “I think I love you,” she whispers, keeping her eyes trained down at your hands but you could hear the smile in her words. That was one of the final walls around her heart starting to come down and both of you could feel the amount of weight those words carried for her.

“Good, because I think I love you too,” you answer her, a bright smile slowly spreading across your face as you let her words sink in.

#toni shalifoe #toni shalifoe x reader #toni the wilds #toni shalifoe imagine #toni imagine #the wilds #the wilds on amazon prime #erana james #erana james imagine #erana james x reader #fluff #toni shalifoe fic

[nythberryy]

Hold Me Tight (Erwin x fem!Reader)

I wrote an Attack on Titan fanfiction (oneshot) in which Erwin Smith is a real gentleman.

Words: 2955

Warning:

The story contains 18+ scenes and builds up slow.

-They'd known each other for a long time, yet none of them confessed until that rainy night.-

It starts a bit sad, but trust me, it ends well. 💞

It's my first story written in English, so I apologize for grammatical mistakes and cringe writing.

I hope you’ll still find it enjoyable. 💞

(I also posted it on ao3. You can find me there as: NythBerry)

Thank you for your time!✨

September was usually gilded by the last sunbeams of summer, however that day was colder than usual. As clouds gathered, the sky turned grey. Raindrops began to knock on the red tile roof just to then fall and soak the ground. It was raining all day without a break. Everyone from the city struggled to get through the mud. The carts couldn't fight it, the horses neighed as they tried to push forward. Wooden wheels crackled, some even broke in two.

A tall man walked into the guesthouse. Water was slowly dripping from his clothes. With each step he made, he left a puddle on the freshly washed floor. (Y/N) recognized him in a blink of an eye though his face was covered by the green hood he was wearing. He stopped at the counter and revealed his face. His blonde hair, that was always slicked back nicely, now was a mess. Wet strands fell on his forehead.

(Y/N) put down the mop and wiped her hands to greet the man. "Erwin!"

"Good evening, (Y/N)! I'd like to book a room for tonight."

"What happened to your trousers?" it was covered in mud to the knee "Is it that bad outside?"

"It's raining quite heavily" he said "I don't think I would be able to go back tomorrow."

"I'll prepare a room for you. Just sit down please. There's no one here anyway, except an elderly couple upstairs. Do you want to drink something warm? Tea maybe?"

"Tea is fine, thank you."

Erwin took a seat in front of the counter and watched the woman placing the teapot on the stove. She quickly ran into the pantry and returned with a basket full of baked goods. She put some on a plate and gave it to the man.

"How's your father?" he asked while (Y/N) wiped the floor again. Her father owned this little guesthouse that once was famous.

"He's alright. But I'm afraid we won't be able to afford his medications. Less and less people can afford to book a room and we simply can't make the prices cheaper. I don't really know what to do."

"Don't worry, (Y/N)!" a kind hoarse voice appeared from behind. It was her father. "Welcome, Commander Smith! What brings you here again?"

"Good evening!" he greeted back. "Just another budget negotiation. As usual, the government has no intentions of increasing funds."

"As much as I want to support the Scouts, I unfortunately see why they don't want to do so in moments like this." Her father was in the regiment before he retired. Erwin and he shared similar views on the importance of going beyond the walls. "(Y/N)! Go prepare a room and find some clothes for him."

While she went to search dry clothes that would fit the commander, the two man began to talk about a different topic.

"I know why you visit this place so often" chuckled the father as he opened a bottle of whisky. He poured them both. "I see how you look at her."

For a moment Erwin didn't know what to say, which was quite unusual of him. A small smile curved his lips. "So, you found out my secret."

"It wasn't that hard to figure out. I have eyes. It's that simple." he sipped "You've known my daughter for years. Since when...?"

"It's one of those things that just can't be put in words. It was four years ago, that moment I realized I wanted to see her as many times as I could."

"Why didn't you tell her? You're afraid I'd bring the rifle? Or maybe you're more afraid of her? You think she would reject you?" he smiled "I can tell she has feelings for you too. Haven't you noticed how excited she is seeing you? She's not even looking at other guys, though she's in the age of marriage. What will she do when I'll be gone? At least you, as a commander, would make a great reputation for her." he joked "She'll be left alone like the last leaf on a tree before winter begins."

"That's why I won't tell her. I don't want to cause pain." he grabbed the glass and drank from it "To be honest, I don't even know if I'll be here next month. There's just no guarantee." he sighed "But I'm a selfish man. I still want to see her every time I'm near her. I'm truly the worst. I can't give her happiness, only suffering. I don't want (Y/N) to lose more people."

(Y/N)'s father knew Erwin was right. Her mother passed away, when she was fourteen; lost many loved ones when Shiganshina fell. Childhood friends, friends whom she trusted the most, old neighbours she liked and nearly all relatives of their family were gone now.

Both men knew the feeling. Without further words they agreed and sat back quietly.

(Y/N) heard the conversation. When she heard that Erwin had feelings for her, she thought her heart was going to break through her ribcage, like a desperate bird ready to be free. However, as he continued, her hearth shattered into pieces. (Y/N) pretended she didn't hear anything and told the blonde man his room was ready. He stood up and walked towards the stairs where she was standing.

"Change into these" she gave him the dry clothes "I'll knock on your door in ten minutes."

...

"Can I come in?" she asked. Erwin replied with a yes. (Y/N) walked into the room catching a glimpse of the commander's chest while he was buttoning the last button. He picked up the soaked clothes from the chair and held it out for (Y/N).

"Thank you for taking care of me."

"Erwin..." she began faintly and grabbed his arm "We need to talk."

"About what?" he looked surprised.

"I heard everything and-"

Erwin interrupted. "You don't have to worry about it. I won't do anything." he shook her hand off.

"You don't even want to know how I feel?"

"What would it change? You should find someone better. Someone who can be there for you. Someone who's not selfish. There're many good men out there."

"What about my choice? You think you can make decisions for me?"

He put the clothes back on the chair. "I don't want to put you through hell."

"It's already hell." she said with a slight hitch in her voice "You have no idea how long... How long I've ... Erwin..." Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheek.

It pained him to see the woman, whom he loved the most, looking so defeated.

"I love you, Erwin!" she cried out "And nothing can change that."

It snapped him out of his stubbornness for a second. He gently pulled (Y/N) into a hug, placing her head on his chest. The feeling of his warmth and beating hearth was pure heaven.

"I want you. Only you."

"(Y/N), I can't give you happiness."

"What it is at all?" she sniffled. "There's no such thing as that... It's not a destination you can arrive to and stay there for the rest of your life. Happiness is a temporary state. It comes and goes. And... What defines it anyways?

"I still don't want you to get hurt. Especially because of me." he paused for a bit "I could die at any time. What if I go on a mission and never come back?"

"You think I don't know that, Erwin? Every time you go out the walls I worry, but... Did you know that in this awful world you're the one who keeps me alive?" she pressed herself against his comforting chest "And what about you? You think you don't deserve your so-called happiness? If you have feelings for me, why don't you..."

As she looked up, her eyes met with his. Tears were coming to his sky-blue eyes.

"Are you sure, (Y/N)?"

"I am. I want you to hold me tight and never let go."

...

Erwin placed his hand on her face caressing her cheek gently with his thumb. He leaned closer to kiss her forehead, then gave another kiss on her nose making her blush. Finally, he pressed his warm lips against hers. He sucked her lips slowly, evenly, as he was dining something sweet as nectar. She was his delicate flower.

His kiss was subtle and tender, however a wave of heat flushed through him causing to kiss more passionately. Erwin slid his tongue across her bottom lip luring her mouth to open for him. His tongue swirled around hers composing an intimate, sensual dance. A slight moan escaped from (Y/N) in response. She slid her hands up his back, running her fingers through his soft blonde hair. As a result, he groaned, and the urge to pull her hips against his grew. As much as he wanted to devour her, he had to resist.

The commander pulled away, only to realize that he wasn't the only one getting excited. The woman's body was filled with desire too. He watched her chest rise and fall hastily with each breath she took. He couldn't help but admire the beauty that was in front of him.

"You're gorgeous, (Y/N)." he held both of her hands and placed two gentle kisses on them "If we don't stop now, I won't be able to hold back. You're driving me crazy."

"I feel the same. I want you, Erwin."

Their lips met once again. The passion they felt had been buried in their hearts for years. The man possessed her lips claiming every centimetre of it while she held onto his strong shoulders tightly. Erwin guided her slowly to the writing table, not breaking the kiss even for a second. He lifted her up and placed her on the desk.

The commander's lips travelled down her neck and goose bumps flooded her skin tilting her head to the side. He tucked her blouse out of her skirt to slide his large hands under the fabric. When he touched her stomach, a sudden thought startled her. What if she's not good enough?

"Erwin... The candles..."

"I want to see you" he whispered in her ear.

"But..." she grasped his shoulder.

"No buts. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. No one can compete with you" the man kissed her cheek "Can I take your blouse off?"

She'd been deprived for far too long of this man who now was standing right in front of her. She nodded, and looked away in fear of what he would see might disgust him. Erwin took it off her and freed her breasts from the undergarment.

"Look at me, (Y/N)." he begged and with a bit of hesitation, she did so, finding his sparkling blue eyes, so full of love and excitement, staring down at her. Meeting his gaze, she smiled sweetly before closing her eyes as he inclined his head. He also pulled his hips tight against hers. "You did this to me, (Y/N)."

He laid her down gently on the wobbly desk and his mouth was on her breasts quicky, conquering all of it. His fiery tongue played with one of her nipples while the other was held in his hand. Next, he travelled lower and lower, down to her stomach, only to find the skirt in the way. She felt a sudden wetness between her legs.

"Can I?" he asked for permission. She nodded. She ached for it.

He removed the skirt and her shoes too. Erwin placed a kiss on her beauty through her panties before he pulled it off and trailed it down her leg. He kissed the hill again and ran two fingers down on it.

"You're soaking already, (Y/N)." then he started to explore her slit with his tongue "You're so sweet, my darling."

He sucked on the folds a little, then parted them to make his way up to her clit which he tickled wickedly. With a finger he began tracing circles around her entry. Shortly after, he slid it in. (Y/N) flinched a little, letting out a moan. After he realized she could take more, he added another one.

She enjoyed it greatly. She grabbed Erwin's head, ran her fingers through his soft hair while pulling him closer to her hips. She wanted more. Erwin was surprised by her action, and began to lick and move his fingers more passionately. Her body was burning in explicit heat. A sudden wave of extasy rushed through her and he was proud seeing his efforts paying off.

The man straightened up to hurriedly rip his shirt off and throw it on the floor. (Y/N) was mesmerized by his well- built form. She wanted to touch it, so she sat up to lean closer. She explored each muscle with her finger, even caressed his hard nipples. She travelled further down to his pants. Hearing the sharp intake of breath as her fingers lightly touched his sensitised flesh made her wanting Erwin even more.

"If you touch me like that I might..." Erwin's mouth left an excited hiss as she pulled down his trousers a little.

He stepped back to take it off along with his shoes as well. As he tugged down his underwear, his rock-hard, massive manhood revealed.

"Well..." she said in surprise "That is a titan."

He couldn't help but giggle. (Y/N) glanced up, seeing him smile at her with a sweet, sensuous smile. He stepped closer to possess her lips and lift her up from the desk just to then put her gently on the bed.

He was on top of her. The woman's breast against his chest while she wrapped her legs around his trim waist made him lose it all. He wanted to be inside her.

"(Y/N)" he sighed "Can I?"

"Yes, Erwin!"

He began to trace her entry in circular motions with his member. Softly, he placed the tip inside. She moaned in pain, feeling it tearing her walls.

"Are you alright, darling?" he asked with worry in his eyes.

"I'm okay. It's okay" she caressed his clean-shaved face. "Go on, my commander."

Their lips joined again, while he grabbed her hips and plunged deep inside her. He waited a little so she could get used to his size. A couple of minutes later, he began to move gently, sliding in and out gradually going further and speeding up the rhythm. As he heard her sweet moans, felt her warmness and tightness around him, he fell into an abyss of pleasure. Erwin couldn't tame his desire anymore, finding himself thrusting into her with an enormous intensity. He couldn't get himself to stop now. He wanted her.

Erwin grunted and groaned which she found immensely sexy. The pain already faded away, endless pleasure and joy replaced it. His thick hands made their way up to her breasts, grabbing it with more and more greed.

"I love you, Erwin" she cried out.

"I love you more."

Shameful sounds filled the room and the man increased his speed to the maximum. (Y/N) latched onto his shoulders and buried her head into his chest, trembling hard against him. A wave of pleasure started to hit them both. She tightened around his manhood, and he couldn't hold on any longer as she continued to clutch. The unbearable yet wonderful torture of being lost in her made him release his seed inside of her. It was an indescribable feeling being filled up by the man of his dreams. They remained like this for a while, panting heavily.

Erwin pulled out of her but didn't let go as he wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry." he said, stroking her hair.

"For what?"

"For loving you so badly, that I lost myself and couldn't hold back."

"You're so silly." she chuckled "I enjoyed every minute of it."

"Can I clean you up?" he asked placing a gentle kiss on her forehead "I've made a mess down there"

She nodded and the commander put his underwear on. He brought a wet towel and sit back on the bed. He gently spread her legs to wipe her womanhood. Then he softly stretched her entry with his finger. Erwin blushed as he saw his liquid oozing out of her.

"Erwin?" she noticed the rosiness on his cheeks.

"Nothing..." he said looking away "I apologize."

"No need to." she sat up giving him a quick little kiss on his pink cheek "I love you!"

"I love you more, (Y/N)"

...

Morning came shining its warm, golden sunbeams. All the clouds were gone and she was in his arms, all his and he would never be so foolish to let her go. She opened her eyes, only to get lost in his sky-blue iris.

"Good morning, love!" he caressed her face.

"Morning, Erwin..." she yawned and quicky realized, that she should've been up a long time ago. "My god! I should be downstairs! What time is it? Oh! And I haven't even washed your clothes!"

"Shhh..." he stopped you from jumping out of the bed by hugging you from behind "No need to hurry. It's only six thirty."

"I wake up at five!"

"You're open at seven..."

"Yes, but there's work to do. Buying things from the market, breakfast to prepare, cleaning..." she counted on her fingers.

"It can wait. Just stay with me like this for five minutes"

"Then hold me tight, Erwin."

She couldn't resist him. She was lost in his alluring presence whenever she was with him. It was pure heaven to be in his loving arms.

The end

#erwin #erwin smith #erwin x reader #erwin x y/n #attack on titan #aot #snk #aot erwin #erwin smith fanfic #erwin smith oneshot #erwin smith x you #erwinsmith #shingeki no kyojin #commander erwin

[all-about-seggs]

The Game of Three-

Rating : 18+, Explicit

Word count : ~ 3K

Pairing : Geto Suguru x female reader x Mahito

Warnings : Mirror sex, dub con, gaslighting ( kind of, like I wanted to add it but not sure if I did it right), Fingering, Cunnilingus, degradation (slight), voyeurism, choking, threesome near the end.

A/n: When describing Suguru's place I totally went into weeb mode and used traditional Japanese terms but I tried to define them to the best of my abilities so y'all won't get confused and I put the link of their pictures in their name as well, so you can check them out if you want.

The red clouds above you parted to reveal the cerulean blue sky, painting the engawa in front of you in its hues. Giving a quick look over to the now clean surface beneath your feet, you made your way to the supply closet to put the mop back.

It's been a few uneventful months since you got employed as one of the only two maids in the entire manor. It was fairly big, atleast for just one person, and minimally decorated so it wasn't that hard to keep the entire place clean even with the two of you. The other maid was a nice old lady who showed you the way around the place and how to do what when you were just starting out.

The manor was quite, most of the time, even with your boss's guests staying over for a couple of days, the place lacked any sort of liveliness much less talking. Just a few more hours until your evening shift is over, you mused to yourself roaming around the garden to feed the pond's fish their dinner as the sun began its descent. Mindlessly, you kept looking around the area until one of the rooms caught your eye. On your right you saw the silhouette of your employer through the thin Shoji door that coverd his room.

Having finished bathing, you saw his toned mascular arms slipping out of his thin bath yukata that contrasted to the one he usually donned, his elegant movements accentuated by the growing darkness the evening provided. His daily outfit was nothing if not modest, covering his body from head to toe, leaving everything to the imagination but right now the delicious shape of his body was on full display, making it harder for you to move.

It wasn't until his form moved closer to the door, that you realised how badly your current actions could effect the job you were given. Just the thought of yourself getting fired after being considered a peeping tom made your breath quicken and not in a good way. The panic surging through your veins momentarily turned your mind blank, making you stumble until the heel of your foot slipped on one of the algae coated rocks. Clenching your butt cheeks you braced yourself for the impact but the efforts proved pointless as the considerably shallow pond's bottom made full contact with your body.

Pain aside, the cold water of the pond was what added most to your immobility until you heard footsteps heading towards you. Looking up from your seated position, the tall figure of your boss, maybe ex boss, loomed over you. He extended one elegant hand towards you.

" Are you okay.....?", His soft tone carried nothing but gentleness but being a mess, both physically and mentally, it took you sometime to process what he had said. Hesitation was clear in your actions as you meekly let him pull you up. His grip on your arm was firm and with how easily he pulled you out of the pond showed his Zephyr-like nature had a brute strength underneath. Threads of wet, black hair covering the sides of his well sculpted face, reached all the way to his mid- back. His usual heavy garb was replaced with a single, cotten yukata which were damp in every places his hair touched.

"Y/n...... Was it?, Can you stand", putting both his hands on your shoulders he peered at your face, you still for a moment, too fascinated by his slitted eyes to look away. This was the first time you two had a real conversation so you forced yourself to speak,

" Oh...umm, I'm sorry! I didn't payed attention to the slippery rocks and fell,.....but I'm okay! So..... Yeah... thank you", it was difficult to keep your voice steady, not wanting to reveal your obviously perverted BUT unintentional peeping. Yup. That's what you kep telling yourself although his secretive smile told you that your poor lie didn't make the cut.

" I see, so tell me y/n dear.....", His hands on your shoulders gripped them a little tighter as he leaned down until his face was right in front of yours, " where exactly were you paying attention to?", The question was simple, nor did it had any threatening undertones but your throat still felt clogged. It was too embarrassing, telling your boss that you were shamelessly ogling at his silhouette changing clothes. One second, two seconds, a lot of seconds passed with you playing dumb until you heard a soft sigh.

" Alright...... If you don't want to tell me, I'll let it go........for now", emphasizing the now, he took your cold hands in his warmer ones, leading you inside his room. You were still drenched, hesitating to climb on the perfectly dry floor of his room,

"It's okay..... I'll go ask for a change of clothes so you sit here, better than the outside right?," Smiling, he disappeared down the hall. The whether wasn't cold, so you didn't have to worry about getting sick but you still reeked of fish and algae, making a change of cloths a better option. You could chid yourself for it but looking at the things in his room can't be considered peeping so you turned around from your sitting position, taking in your surroundings.

His room was relatively normal, just like rest of the manor, the furnishing was minimal, a low chabudai with a few soft looking zabuton around it, a wooden cupboard, the slightly elevated tokonoma on the right side of the room had a full body sized mirror, along with a couple of other tiny decoratives. Nothing stood out with everything in place, your boss sure had simple tastes, you thought to yourself when the door slided again, when the owner of the room itself entered.

He was empty handed , earning a questioning look from you, " it's gonna take a few more minutes to find women's clothing, I hope you don't mind, for the time being....", He walked over to cupboard, producing a towel out of it.

" Use this to dry yourself", handing you the towel he kneeled beside you, he was being so nice, you hadn't expected him to be so kind but you gratefully accepted it. When you began drying your hair, you felt his eyes on yourself, pointed and unnerving. You gulped, feeling like he could see right through your head, just waiting for you to fess up on your own. You were lost in your thoughts when his voice suddenly filled the room.

"You know.....y/n, when you desire something.....", His fingers made their way to your collar, playfully stroking your neck," you should let yourself have it", his last words were nothing but a whisper against your ear as he placed himself right behind your seated form. His upper half of the robe already wet, stuck to his body, defining each and every cut of his muscles. He was somewhere between lean and mascular, his beautiful face giving him just the right amount of sensuality. You weren't naive enough to be oblivious to his suggestive tone.

It was weird to you, perplexing even as to why a clearly well to do, good looking guy would not only make a move on his maid but a maid who smelled like she just popped out of a can of tuna fish. His deep, even breaths stroked your ear as he waited for you to answer.

" I really wasn't thinking about....... 'This'", you pulled his hands wrapped around your shoulders away, to prove your point. You thought he'd be upset but his face only lit up by your rejection.

" Is this embarrassment I see y/n? Because it's not cute", he rose on his knees, looking down at you he gently added, " the mundane world would feel much better if you indulged yourself a bit more you know, even if those indulgences are only of....."

" Sexual nature", his sharp eyes slited as his lips curled into a wicked grin. Impossible to read, his actions did nothing but lure you in a honey coverd poisonous trap. It was obvious with the way his hands started massaging your arms, right where it hurt from your previous fall, blowing softly in your ear. They was all just tricks to make you fall just so he could shame you from above but you'd be damned if it didn't got you all hot and bothered. He grazed his hand across your blouse sticking to your bust, your nipples hardened with the slightest touch. The reactions your body gave were no lies and therefore couldn't be hidden. He pressed your bodies closer until you sat snugly against his torso. You closed your eyes, still unable to decide whether or not you want to let him have his way and deal with all the risks that would soon follow after.

The front of wet your shirt was completely open by now, reveling the garment underneath. Suguru's hands trailed up and down your thighs as he hiked your long skirt higher until it pooled around your hips sticking to the sides. He hooked his left hand under your left knee, doing the same with your right side, he pulled your legs apart, with the mirror in front, you and the man behind you had a full view of your damp panties.

" See that? This is what you want. To be exposed by me. Just the thought of spreading yourself open in front me have you this wet y/n...... Are you sure you weren't waiting for this moment all along?", His voice had a mix of mockery and eroticism in it, his words only adding to the fire burning in the middle of your core. With his right hand, he grabbed the thin strap of your panties at the side of your hips and tore them off until the shredded garment was left dangling on one of your hip. The air in the room, made contact with you now naked pussy but what made you shiver was the mirror in front of you. Suguru held both of your legs as far apart as possible, his face, now lacking all the warmth it had just a few minutes ago. When you tried to squeeze your eyes shut he pinched your inner thighs hard, making you cry out in a mix of pain and pleasure.

" Keep looking y/n, I'm proving it to you, just how much you're body is begging for me. And I won't stop until you've said so yourself, so keep. Your eyes. Open.," The darkness of his tone was accentuated with the look in his eyes. The fingers of his right hand made their way to your cunt, with two of them he spread your dripping lips apart, reveling the tiny swollen bud that was screaming for attention. You felt it too, the need for release spreading in your body but voicing it meant your defeat so you held your breath, letting the self assured guy behind you continue his ministrations.

" Why can't you be honest just like your needy cunt?", He cooed against your throat as he rubbed your nether lips with his digits, coating them in your slick. He didn't touch your clit, if you were going to be a brat then he's bringing his A game too. Making you beg was his only motive now, his eyes met yours, the mirror in front of you showing every nook and cranny of your privates and by now you're sure Suguru has memorised all of it. The ache between your legs was getting worse as he kept on sliding his fingers up and down your folds but never touching the rest of your sex. You knew what would make him do it but after the prolonged defiance you're not sure how to put it into words.

" Whats wrong y/n, are you ready bow to your filthy desires?, Getting off on my fingers is going to be a lot better than yours right?", Damn his rude ass remarks but they were true, the last few months have been very long and dry for you, day in and day out all work, maybe that's why you're giving in so easily, what he promised was as tantalizing as his actions, that's why you were so horny, easily aroused even.

"Right..... You're .... right, so do it.....master", you broke out, the last of your self control shredding itself as you let your voice flow out just as much as your cunt, your juices.

" Finally gave in huh?, It would've been so much easier if you'd just admitted to being my slut from the start, but oh well, this is also good", his thick fingers slipped in you with ease as he wrapped his left hand around your throat, making you look straight at the mirror. You were a mess, a totally different kind of mess you previously were, in addition to your already damp hair, your eyes were glazed with lust, the corners of your lips moist with your drool that threatened to spill out, your clothes were disheveled and tattered, you were disheveled in general and barely recognisable.

" Now look at yourself closely, how your face twists when I make you cum, how you look when you're begging to me like a real slave," his fingers picked up a brutal pace, going in and out of you relentlessly, his thumb roughly massaging your throbbing clit, sending shivers up your spine. You could clearly see your drool covered face turning hotter by the second, pussy dripping from your buliding orgasm on the tatami mats below it, your moans coming out in broken whimpers as Suguru's hand tighten around your throat, eyes rolling back for a second, you cum around his fingers hard.

" Do you see that ? How disgusting she looks right now?", Turning his gaze to the left he called out to his accomplice in crimes, " Mahito", the other man, with an amicable smile on his peculiar face stared at, not where you lied on the floor, but at your pitiful form that appeared in the mirror.

" I just dropped by to give you the clothes you asked for the young lady earlier," his talked merrily, not minding the scandalous sight in front of him one bit," but it appears that you aren't going to be needing them for a while", throwing the cloths aside he sat on your left side. Suguru kept his eyes on the mirror, loosening his hand around your neck he let you breath, mind still hazy.

" You're free to join in, if you have the time. But I'll have to warn you though, she's a persistent one, it took me a while to break her as well", Suguru smirked, pulling his fingers out of your abused hole making an exaggerated show of bringing his cum smeared fingers to your face, as if prove his victory.

" I don't mind a challenge every once in a while Geto kun, I'm not bad at 'this' myself, but to make sure, why don't you keep sitting, after all it's been a while since touched a living human", Still a bit delirious, it took you a few more seconds than usual to process the change in your situation or what he meant by living just now or touching even. The man named Mahito kneeled in between your still parted thighs, you thought it was strange that your brains last and probably rotting cells decided to focus on his eyes. They were heterochromatic, it gave his already scared face a haunting quality.

The fact that you were sandwiched between two men soon left your mind as Mahito started sucking on your still sensitive clit, your legs instinctively clamping if it's weren't for Suguru holding them apart. The man behind you weren't entirely evil though as he rubbed soothing circles on the soft inner flesh of your aching thighs, his touch only heightning the touch of the man between them.

Mahito licked your juices as if they were made to be feasted upon, slurping on them lewdly, the V of his fore and middle finger seperated your pussy for more access, he grazed his teeth lightly across your clit, fighting the urge to bit it down. You didn't have any energy at this point to put up a show of defiance so you kept moaning, the sight of the man lying flat on his stomach along with his face hidden in between your legs was urging you to cum, but the abrupt thrusting of Suguru's fingers in your mouth cut them off.

" If you're mouth is available enough to scream for just anyone who makes you cum then you truly do have the makings of a whore.", His words were nothing more than a possessive hiss against you throat, long fingers grazing your tonsils as he pushes them deeper. You gag a little, the fingers in you mouth kept you from reacting to the man who worked your pussy until it throbbed against his face.

Mahito turned his heterochromatic eyes towards your face, it seemed like someone was keeping you from your release, he sucked on your clit again adding two fingers in your streched out cunt. He moved both his tongue and digits in similar motions, causing a surge pleasure wash down your senses, with just a few quick pumps of his fingers, your juices gushed on his face as your moans get stifled by the fingers in your mouth.

" That wasn't so bad right?", Mahito pushed himself up as he asked his partner in crime, something about his tone was awfully cocky, making Suguru's face scrunched up in a haughty smirk as he added,

" Indeed, you sure know your way around the human's body Mahito kun, but maybe a little less egar to please attitude would do better. Can't let our toy think we're just here for catering to her needs now can we?", His voice loaded with provocative innuendos sounded nothing but gentle but the other man knew better.

" Hooo?, Is that a challenge for round two, then?", He met Suguru's goading with a playful and assured tone. Both of them stared each other, neither of the males backing down they both turned their eyes at your spent body, and you know even without having to look, that it was going to be a long night.

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