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#series: my insufferable idiot
sugusshi · 1 year
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┄ NANI?! INTENSIFIES
Part 27 of “My Insufferable Idiot” Series
MASTERLIST | previous — CURRENT — next
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➥ EXTRAS:
Is adding Koko AND Inui bringing more chaos? Yes. Do I love it? Also yes
Poor Inui has to deal with Koko (lovingly tho)
Then we have Ran giving Rin more reasons to want to strangle his brother...
How will that gc go tho? 👀 We shall see~
As always, feel free to tell me what you think in the comments or in my ask box ♡
➥ author’s note: This chapter is a bit overdue but man I've been so stressed with work asdfg. I've been so tired so I've just been working, watching my shows, and playing Genshin. Trying to get some chapters ready ahead of time though!! So we'll see how that goes too oops
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© all works belong to sugusshi | DO NOT COPY OR REPOST
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SERIES TAGLIST: @missarabellla @netzukochannn @uzumakioden @luvelyxp @xiaos-boywife @justrandomlypassing @lollipopd @kamikoii @1uvly @xbabybajix @sh4nn @rinsie @chocoberries-keisuke @bontensbabygirl @hanmasangrysmoosh @rosesandtoshi @denkis-sluttyboy @luvkaku @queen-flower @kisum9 @qualitygiantshoepsychic @shi-thats-kiera @souyasbabyy @q-the-rockaholic @animetrashchild @ayeputita @crown5 @mrsryuguji @vamptits @alex-waddles @shuujin @secretanimesimp @nanaosaki3940
(permanent taglist in the rbs)
If you would like to be tagged in this series, do comment below or send an ask! For other works, please fill out my official taglist forms in my pinned post!
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lungthief · 7 months
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tiktok is such a cesspool man after receiving thousands of hate comments over 5 years i FINALLY responded to a random one VERY REASONABLY being like “hey maybe don’t do this because it’s mean” people are like “wowww silly woman on the internet doesn’t know how to take a joke” and im just like. so tired lol
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tedhugheshater · 7 months
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Ranting ahead.
Sex Education S4 is pure shit, by the way. I’m so sad. It used to be one of my most fave shows but it became so… soulless and boring and cliche and performative. A massive cash-grab focusing too much on annoying, one dimensional characters (when will they give Cal a personality?). The portraits of people aren’t genuine anymore and instead have been replaced by “forced inclusion” - though I hate the term, as conservatives use it too broadly just to be homophobic.
I loved the “one case per episode” type of thing, and here it was completely left behind; the cases were either briefly shallowly explored (say, Viv’s abusive relationship), or with serious scenes shown as funny (the sex scene with Adam’s dad at the beginning of I-Don’t-Know-Which Episode was too… rapey? And we are supposed to just feel embarrassed for him or laugh it off).
Characterisation was more or less okay; I liked that they continued with Otis thing with sex, but there were some flaws too. For example, I don’t really think “Insufferable Feminist” Maeve would’ve continued pressuring Otis into sex once she realised something was wrong.
Side note: I’ve rooted for them since S1 E1, that ending, seriously? Ridiculous. I’m glad Maeve is pursuing her dreams etc, but the dualism of Dreams Vs Romance was already explored in S3, and, for the sake of having a cheesy happy ending like all people wanted, why not have him go to the USA too? His horrible dad could’ve tried to get him come with him for his whole book stuff, or as a fake apology. That would’ve been great for a scene where Otis’ MRA dad meets Riot Grrrl Maeve. It would’ve been funny. It could’ve given a message. And it would help characterisation of everyone involved. On top of that, it would be interesting to explore more Jean’s journey after being left, and definitely Otis’ abandonment issues. Could’ve also been cool to talk about mother’s rights and custody.
Joanna’s CSA trauma was thrown at you and never fully (guess the word!) explored either besides from implying hyper sexuality. I must admit I liked her, though. It was a nice addition - but too sudden. Seems like a desperate try at “Quick! How do we solve this plot hole!?”. Besides, the way they “well, that just happened” over Jean’s difficulty giving birth AND Joy’s dad identity??? Insane.
The whole subplot with Eric’s dreams were, at first, a shimmer of previous seasons’ whimsy, but then it became boring too. Eric’s character in general was done dirty this season, to be honest (he would not fucking wear that! Slay is dead). And his connection with religion has already been talked about till death. Please give my boy a hobby oh my God.
I missed the monster-fucker girl. She reminded me of one of my primary school friends.
Don’t even let me started on the new school thing itself. It was horrid. Like…. not even the clothes were safe from my hate.
Nevertheless there were some good scenes, like Maeve meeting Jean, or her and Otis’ first time. That was cute. The first episode was quite cool too. But all that felt somehow overshadowed by the stupid decisions - the episode about the Queer Party? That was pretty much ass. Not only performative, shallow, and with generic dialogue, but why was everyone making out all of a sudden? Romantic arcs and tension found dead. Now senseless fan service shipping only. Same goes for Aimee and Isaac, what the fuck was that, what happened to “straight men and straight women can be friends”? Too many useless romances for my taste. The pacing and editing were also disgusting in that episode.
Anyways, I was talking about the positive parts. There were a few more, but off the top of my head I liked when they protested for accessibility. I also liked when the teachers (I can’t remember their names! The english and music/biology couple) came back for Maeve’s mom’s funeral. That episode was nice, it felt accurate. I am glad Sean was back for that. Otis and Maeve dating was cute. It’s such a pity they were separated again. Also enjoyed that they talked about postpartum depression, even if a bit too in your face at times. Aimee and Adam were lovely as always. I liked how his dad is still working on himself. Ruby’s past and trauma was also a good subject. I love Ruby, even if Maeve is and will always be my girl. The thing with O was interesting! As well as the campaign. The humour was refreshing every now and then! I found it funny how Adam’s dad tried to bond with random stuff, and how, of all people, he thought he was gay for Clint Eastwood. And his gun. That chat, and how Adam’s mom later talks about “the girl with the long neck” were a nice detail.
So it really bothered me how this season definitely had a lot of potential that was wasted by such nonsensical decisions like all the ones I mentioned. Big glow down.
Tl;dr: Too Netflixesque to my tase.
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chuluoyi · 3 months
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HAPPY MARRIAGE
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- nanami kento x reader
“you don't deserve to be unhappy. and i don’t want to be unhappy, either.” you have always wondered where did you and kento go wrong. in the wake of your divorce, as you both returned to single lives, you and kento would come to realize what constitutes a happy marriage is... and it takes more than just love
genre: post-divorce angst, crack, misunderstandings, arguments, hurt/comfort, bestfriend!gojo is going to help your love life, and fluff in the end!
note: this fic... goes through a major change overnight after i was struck with a wholly different plot *sobs* and then i went through a major writing block for at least a week before i know what words i'm going to write :') anyways, this isn't really proofread so please forgive any typos to the anon who requested this and others, i do hope you'll enjoy it! tagging @tiredkitten as per request <3
listen to: today more than yesterday - kim jong kook
a part of 1K MILESTONE EVENT
series masterlist | oneshot masterlist
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No divorce ever comes easy.
When couples enter into marriage, they do so with the dream of a lifelong bond filled with love and compassion. You too did once. And even until now, you still want that for yourself.
When you married Nanami Kento three years ago, you thought it was for eternity. He was your dream man, the only man you could see yourself with. He embodied everything that was just and righteous, and he was also kind man, who would always put you first, shielding you from any sort of harm.
Even if the source of that ‘harm’ turned out to be himself.
“You don't deserve to be unhappy. and I don’t want to be unhappy, either.”
Strangely, you didn't resent Kento that much, in the end. At that time, both of you had come to terms with it and you couldn't blame anyone. But now, six months later, as you sat in this shabby bar, downing shots of gin with your thoughts swirling in an alcohol-induced haze, your emotions were all over the place, and moreover, the presence of a certain clown before you was just particularly irksome, and you knew that he was someone you could blame—
“Gojo, you prick!”
Gojo raised one righteous eyebrow. "Who, me? Sorry, but I'm not your ex-husband?"
Gojo Satoru was the witness to several milestone in your life. Insufferable as he was, somehow you clicked with him ever since your early days as a jujutsu sorcerer. You remembered sending him your handpicked wedding invitation, having him celebrating your promotions, and then coming to him with tears running down your face in the middle of the night, telling him, “We are getting a divorce.”
"You!" you snapped, slamming down your glass of gin, whipping your head around to face the blindfolded idiot that was your longtime friend. Your index finger accusingly aimed at him. "This is all your fault!"
"Wha—"
"Because of you!"
"Okay, now it's clear that you're just too far gone—"
You hiccupped, your tone laced with fiery emotion. "If it weren't for you—if you hadn't been so adamant about setting us up back then—!"
Gojo grimaced. Ah, so this was the so-called drunken musings. While it was amusing to see his friend of 7 years in this state, even he couldn't deny how a tad bit pitiful you were.
"...then maybe," you started to deflate, eyes watering and lips trembling, sniffling. "I-I won't have to go through this..."
Correction, you were so pitiful you had no idea. But still, as a longtime associate, he couldn't bring himself to abandon you there, wallowing in your sorrows all alone.
He sighed and patted your back. "There, there... what about I introduce you to other guys, hmm? See if it'll lessen the pain away?"
You shot him a look so hateful despite your bleary vision. "No! Last time you did, it ended in a divorce for me! I refuse to let you turn me into a two-time divorcee!"
"I'm pretty sure your marriage is far from my business, I'm just your kind-hearted, handsome broker—"
"Bah! You— tasteless prick!"
You burped loudly afterwards and Gojo winced, and then you suddenly (and theatrically, he might add) slumped face-down onto the table with a thud, passed out in all your drunken glory.
And Gojo could only stare at you in somewhat disbelief.
. . .
He thought then, that you were definitely going to owe him one after this.
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More often than not, throughout the past six months, Nanami also found himself thinking about you too.
Despite his calm exterior, separation with you didn't come easy for him. There was a reason he married you in the first place—he had loved you, and he too wanted it to last. You used to be the reason he went home on time each and everyday, the reason he eagerly anticipated spending his weekends with.
Everything had fallen apart before either of you realized it. Some disagreements suddenly spiraled into lonely nights, no updates during longer missions, your tears, and then ended with both of you filing the papers in the city hall to end it all.
Six months ago, he thought he was final with his decision. He thought it was the best as he was faced with the sight of your tear-streaked face.
“Kento, I’m not asking m-much, am I?” you asked between sobs, wiping your tears harshly. “Aren’t w-we family? Shouldn’t we be doing a lot of things—together?”
Recalling that moment now, it tugged at his heartstrings anew. Yet, despite everything...
“I’m telling you, I know my limits—”
“Is that all you have to say? Don’t you know how sick with worry I am?” you ended up shouting at him, voice quivering. “Put yourself in my shoes and think: how can I possibly sleep at night, constantly fearing that my husband might—” your voice broke, fresh tears flowing freely. “—might not come back?!”
He was the one who backed away first, who made you lose all hope, and ultimately, placed the sentence upon you.
“If you don't have it in you to... then, perhaps it's for the best that we... just get a divorce.”
"Nanami-san, you okay?"
He looked up from the sizzling barbeque grill pan to his junior, Ino Takuma, who looked concerned as he flipped the meat. "You have been staring into space for a while..."
"I'm fine, Ino-kun." He looked down and grabbed the tongs, flipping his side of beef.
Ino let out a sympathetic sigh. "Honestly, lately, you seem down."
Words he was holding back were "ever since your divorce", but Ino was pretty sure his senior understood the implicaton.
Nanami hummed. "Sometimes life just doesn't go as swimmingly... I'm fine."
Ino never really knew you that well and was curious. In fact, he was so very curious. When it comes to Nanami Kento, everything he does and has done is always with justified and sound reason, but he might be biased because the 7:3 sorcerer was his role model.
It might verge on invading his privacy, but—
"They said... Gojo-san was your matchmaker back then?" he went through with the question anyway, testing the waters. "I don't mean to pry, but I just thought it's cute."
To Ino's surprise, Nanami's lips curled into a small smile. "It's fine, Ino-kun. I think it has become common knowledge by now. Yeah... he was."
"For you to have fallen for someone who was Gojo's acquaintance... it speaks volumes about how charming Y/N is."
"Mmm," he nodded slightly as he indulged in the grilled meat. "She is."
"Nanami-san." Okay, Ino was starting to think that he wouldn't be getting his point across if he went the roundabout way. He would shoot it straight then. "I don't mean to patronize you... but if you're really that miserable, then I think you should go back to her and talk things out, no?"
Nanami put down his chopsticks and let out a soft sigh, making Ino to immediately regret his blatant suggestion.
"Before arriving at such a difficult decision, of course we did try to discuss some things," he explained, his gaze meeting his calmly. "I don't take matters like divorce lightly, Ino-kun."
"But still... now—"
To drove the point home, Nanami chose to vocalize the conclusion that still left a bitter taste in his mouth to this day:
"She is unhappy with the way things are, and I have to come to terms with the fact that I can't provide what she needs."
Ino's gaze fell in dejection. "Nanami-san..."
Nanami chuckled fondly. “I appreciate your concern, Ino-kun. Thank you.”
In front of his junior, he could maintain composure and narrated the collapse of his own marriage as if he were a mere spectator. But in his heart of hearts, Nanami Kento wasn’t at all the stoic man he made everyone believed he was—the fact that he had failed to give you the life of happiness he promised on the day he proposed to you still stung him to this day.
It hurt him, but echoing your words, he couldn't subject you to a marriage that felt like a dull cohabitation with little understanding.
“We never really talk anymore, do we...? We never really work on our problems too. Kento, lately, I feel like... things have changed.”
Suppose what he had to do was letting you go now.
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It was easier said than done, because when Nanami saw you the next day at the school—this being the first time in several weeks—he almost couldn’t keep his cool.
"Ichiji, don't be too stiff!" you slapped the poor guy in the back with a giggle. "It's just me, it's been a while!"
You didn't look much different than the last he saw you—still the chirpy self he unwittingly fell in love with, staying on top of the latest fashion trends and all. Yet, there was definitely something different about you, something he just couldn't quite identify...
And then those cheerfulness deflated when your gaze met his, eyes widening as you tried to get your bearings. "Oh—h-hi, Kento."
That's too forced. It was so unnatural that made him almost wince.
"Hello." But the tremble in his voice, too, betrayed him. "Have you been well?"
You shifted your gaze away from him, and right before you answered, you let out a cough, and that was when he spotted it: you looked kind of pale.
"I'm fine."
"Oh, that's good then."
Silence. This was the absolute worst.
Nanami exhaled. It was you he was talking to, his ex-wife. He knew you inside out—or at least, he used to. He knew you didn't like this dryness as much as he did. He had to say something.
He braved himself. "Are you here for a mission?"
You looked at him in slight surprise. "Oh... yeah."
Darn it. Another dry reply.
"There... is a cursed totem in North Tokyo," you elaborated, not really looking at him. "Gojo's out from tomorrow until next week. I'm substituting for him to assist the first years."
"Are you sure you're up for that?" Nanami found himself asking before he could stop. "I mean no disrespect, but you look a bit pale."
"I am," you snapped, leaving him surprised. It was as though he had unintentionally struck a nerve, quickly turning your mood sour. "I'm fully capable of handling this, Kento."
"Please, I don't mean to upset you. I'm just..."
Worried about you. Somehow his throat closed in, it didn't really feel right to say that now.
"—I know how rash you can be." He regretted his words as soon as they were out.
It was clearly a bad choice of words as you took offense, your expression quickly turned into one of disdain.
"How rich... that it's coming from you," you scowled.
Memories of your failed marriage flooded your mind's eye. The long nights your ex-husband didn't bother to leave you a message. How he would return home with wounds and blood staining his clothes. And now... he had the nerve to insinuate that you were the reckless one?
"I can take care of myse—"
"That's a whole load of bullshit!"
Good grief. Why must Gojo pick this exact scene to show up?
The blindfold took big strides and halted between the two of you, pointing one finger in your face.
“Last night, she got wasted. Like totally wasted! She could barely walk straight afterwards and then she had the audacity to blame me! Me! For all her mess! Goodness, I’m just a very chivalrous friend and yet—”
"Shut up!" you were horrified, face flushed with embarrassment. "Gojo, you complete jerk!"
Nanami wouldn't admit it, but there was always something between you and Gojo Satoru that made him a bit uncomfortable, even way back when the two of you were still married. Perhaps the closeness, the candidness you shared. He knew you wouldn't harbor anything for someone as elusive as Gojo Satoru, but still, it remained an uncomfortable sight for him.
Like there was nothing pleasant about knowing Gojo Satoru was the one taking care of you in your drunken stupor. You shouldn't have in the first place. If it were him, he wouldn't let you hurt yourself. If he were still the one by your side—
Despite himself, thoughts like that swirled in his mind far often than he would've liked.
Suddenly, the air felt stifling. Nanami didn't like this at all, and even as you two were still harmlessly bickering, he chose to leave.
"Oiii, Nanami!"
He had barely left the room when the person he disliked the most emerged from the door, following closely behind him. Gojo evidently knew what his thoughts were. As irritating as he was, the bloke was smart, he wasn't the strongest for nothing.
"Na-na-mi! You can't just leave like that! We're going to have lunch together—"
"Gojo-san," Nanami stopped in his tracks and let out an exasperated sigh, throwing the white-haired idiot a glare so hard it would curse him if only glares could. "Please stop bothering me."
“How cold-hearted,” the blindfold replied in a mocking scoff. “No matter how, she was once your wife. How could you not care one bit?”
“We have gone on our separate ways, and if she is good with the way things are, then so am I.”
What a lie. He still couldn't help but to care. If you ever needed his help in whatever way even now, he would still move heavens for you.
“And that’s where you’re wrong, Nanami,” Gojo suddenly interjected in a less playful manner. “She is really missing you, you know.”
But you had your best friend by your side, didn't you? Someone perfect, without equal. Surely, you wouldn't need him anymore.
Gojo raised an eyebrow. "How are you so sure that she's good with the way things are?"
"What exactly is she not good with?"
"Everything? You never ask her."
This was getting irritating, and before Nanami really lost control over himself, he finally drew a line.
"Gojo-san, I'm tired of people assuming things about our current relationship," he said, leveling a piercing look at him. "We are both adults. We reached the decision to separate because we both know why. If this is your way of showing concern, then thank you—but I'd prefer if you didn't interfere any further. We're handling this just fine, and by all means, I think people should stop associating us anymore."
With that, he left. Even when he wanted to stay longer with you, even when, in his wildest dreams, he wanted to rebuild everything with you again—
He knew you were there, hearing all of this.
Gojo clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. "Grr... You're so stubborn..."
. . .
There was a reason why you went to the school. Yaga's sudden request and of course, the chance to see Nanami again.
But when your conversation ended in a bitter note and he walked away, a part of you plunged into instant panic, compelling you to eavesdrop on his conversation with Gojo.
But as expected from you cool ex-husband, he was all rationale and logic.
By all means, I think people should stop associating us anymore.
Nanami would think so, wouldn't he? And he wouldn't be bothered either.
You shouldn't have expected more. This was no television drama in which the couple would get back together that easily. You were living in the harsh reality of jujutsu world, which basically, was the cause of your divorce in the first place.
At one point, you found it all to be exhausting, but upon reflection, it was more painful to acknowledge that he never truly fought to keep you by his side.
Tears welled up in your eyes unbidden, and you walked away quickly, brushing them away.
This is it. There is no use hoping anymore.
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If you weren't on missions, then you'd likely be drinking. This had been the undeniable truth over the past few weeks.
Gojo found both you and Nanami to be irritating. The way both of you would evade each other was just plain stupid by this point, since it was clear to anyone with eyes that you were still not over each other.
"Nanami! Why don't you join us for dinner tonight!"
And since you were such an irritable drunk, he chose to keep poking the easier target.
Nanami shot him a scathing look, definitely done. "I have a prior appointment. Goodbye."
"Hoh?! But! They'll have free drinks!"
For the life of him, Nanami just wanted to go back home. He had minus interest in free drinks and even less in Gojo himself, and he would make his points clear.
"For the last time, I'm telling you, I don't want any part in your—"
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Ooh, wait a minute, Nanamin! I got a call!"
Nanami gritted his teeth in pure annoyance. He truly didn't care about his call and seized the chance to walk away quickly, eager to flee.
Until—
"Hello? Yes. Yes... what? Huh— Y/N is rushed to hospital?"
...and that caused him to halt abruptly. Suddenly, his entire body went rigid, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water.
You're hurt?
"I mean why—the hell? Severe bleeding?!" Gojo's voice dramatically rose, seemingly in surprise. "Whoa, uh, traffic accident?!"
Within seconds, everything as he knew it came to an end. He spun around, yanking the phone from Gojo's grasp, indifferent to whether it caught the latter off guard or not.
"Which hospital is this?" he demanded from the person on the other end, his voice rough and harsh. Suddenly, the fog in his mind dissipated, and he was consumed by panic.
"I'm sorry, sir, that's not—oh, it's Tokyo General Hospital—"
"Thank you." Nanami shoved the phone back to Gojo and broke into a sprint, in search of taxi.
At this moment, everything was a plethora of chaos—his surroundings melded into a blur, the constant honking of nearby vehicles echoed in his ears, and the relentless pounding in his chest threatened to overwhelm him. Nothing else held any significance. Nothing, except you.
Why did you get hurt? How did you even get into a traffic accident?
This was maddening. His world was falling apart hard and fast. The beginnings of heartbreak, stirring and churning in the depths of his stomach, once again threatened to drown him whole—
To others it may seem laughable that he was this shaken over an ex-wife, but precisely because you were his ex-wife was why he was running through the streets of Shibuya, opting not to take the cab as the traffic jam was at its peak.
Oh, how Nanami regretted it. He regretted a multitude of things; those long nights, silent treatments, your tears, divorcing you. If he could turn back the time, he'd do anything in his power to prevent that divorce from ever happening. He'd treasure you better, he'd make time for you more—
Because what if, now you were really slipping away from him for good? What if, he would never see you ever again?
Within minutes, he arrived at the said hospital, haggard, spooking the nurses, demanding your room number.
Thank heavens that the visiting hour wasn't over yet. He marched towards the said room, all of his logic and rationale flying out of window as he threw open the door.
And then he saw the pristine bed, IV drip, and you—
Sitting upright on the bed, turning a page of a magazine, your eyes widening and blinking at him in complete confusion—
Huh, what?
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The last thing you would expect after waking up in the hospital was your ex-husband barging in unannounced, looking as though he'd just survived a whirlwind.
"Kento...?" you almost squeaked, taken aback at the sight.
His hair was a sweaty mess, his usually immaculate suit was crinkled and his tie was loosened, but it was the look in his eyes that grabbed your attention—as if expecting the worst.
“Are you alright?” he grounded out, approaching you in deliberately slow steps. “How long has it since you woke up?”
“Um... yes? Since about an hour or so.” You frowned. “Kento, what are you doing here?”
“They said you have severe bleeding, involved in an accident—”
“What! No! Did the hospital reach out to you?” you felt a bit uncomfortable at the thought. “I was sure I have removed you from my emergency contacts—”
“Gojo did—”
Suddenly, understanding dawned on him, and he cursed under his breath. “That rotten bastard!”
You blinked, unsure of what he meant at all. To his credit, Nanami didn’t dwell long on his thoughts and faced you once again with another fresh batch of confusion. “Wait, Gojo is your emergency contact? Why?”
“Should anything happen to me and a payment is required to settle it, he can handle the bills first?”
If Nanami didn’t look exasperated before then he sure did now. “Y/N… you…”
He released the deepest sigh imaginable before settling onto the sofa, further tousling his hair and removing his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose.
“Did you know I ran to get here because I thought something bad happened to you?” Nanami stated in a strained voice.
Why did your heart skip a beat? Why was Nanami suddenly playing the part of a concerned husband when the time for it has long passed?
Feeling suddenly irritated, you rolled your eyes. “I just passed out due to high blood pressure. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” his eyes squared on you, quiet anger behind them. “In what sense does you passing out ever ‘not a big deal’? What have you been doing?”
"Why does that even matter to you still?" you contested. "You were the one who said everyone should stop linking us together by now."
"Y/N, you're missing the—"
"You divorced me!" you screamed, tears threatening to spill from your eyes as the urge to cry threatened to consume you. "You... h-have divorced me, Nanami Kento!"
Nanami felt as if a blade had pierced and twisted his chest at the sight of you—your quivering form, the stifled sobs. He had never wished to see you in such despair again.
"So why!" you finally broke down and sobbed. "Why did you play the caring husband now? Why not before? Why do you keep toying with my feelings...?"
"I'm not." Nanami grunted, getting up and approaching your bed. "I never meant to. That was never my intention. I never—"
"Then what!? What are you doing? Why did you throw me out just like that and why now—"
"Believe me when I said that I never want you to be miserable!"
You halted mid-rant, eyes wide as you gazed at him. Blinking, you felt a tear roll down your cheek. It was the first time Nanami had ever raised his voice at you. Even in the past, he never had.
But suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through your abdomen, causing you to instinctively clutch it. You whimpered, a nearly involuntary squeak escaping you, feeling the intense burn inside.
Nanami immediately got a hold of your hunched form, alarmed. "What is it? What hurts?" When all you could manage were pained sniffles in response, he swiftly hit the nurses' button and enveloped you in his embrace.
"Hold on," he comforted, placing a hand over where you clutched your abdomen, trying to offer some relief in any way. "They'll be here soon, don't pass out!"
"Mmngh," you gripped his hand in response, squeezing it as you slumped into his chest. For the first time in six months, you were enveloped in his warmth once again, and despite everything that had transpired, you were deeply moved by his gesture.
It took seeing you in such distress to dispel any doubts Nanami may have had. You were so petite against him, so delicate as you squirmed amidst your tears.
Had you experienced pain like this in the past six months? The thought made his heart lurch. Did no one comfort you at all?
. . .
And that was when he decided it.
He never, ever wants to see you in any sort of pain, ever again. And should it happen, then he'll be the one staying by your side, just like this.
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Alcoholic gastritis. You consumed so much alcohol that it irritated your ulcer and causes a really painful tummy ache.
You could feel Nanami's judging gaze on you as your attending doctor explained your predicament. Truth to be told, you were quite ashamed. Your unhealthy lifestyle were laid bare before your ex-husband and it made you feel like a kid being scolded for misbehaving.
After the doctor left, Nanami sighed and pulled out a chair next to your bed. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah..." you mumbled, avoiding his eyes. "Sorry, that... you have to see that."
But thankfully, he was unflappable as ever. "Nothing to be sorry about. It's fine."
You were kind of embarrassed of your outburst earlier too. While you didn't regret expressing your feelings, you pondered if could've done it in a less confrontational way.
At this point, you'd accept anything. Even if Nanami told you off after this—
"Let me continue from what I was saying earlier," he suddenly began, catching your attention. You perked up, and looked at him expectantly.
Nanami released a deep sigh, and the words he spoke next were ones you never thought you'd hear from him again.
"Did you remember what I said when I proposed our divorce?" he asked, somewhat rhetorically. You wordlessly nodded, because it was one of the lines that made you unable to hate him completely.
"I said, you don't deserve to be unhappy." Nanami looked you right in the eyes, undaunted. "And that still stands until now."
Now fully engrossed in his words, the rhythm of your heart intensified, echoing in your chest.
"It wasn't a decision I blurted out lightly. I know you're hurt, because I am too. I married you with a reason. I have loved you. and if you were to ask me now, my answer would be the same—I am still in love with you."
Why did it feel like your vision was beginning to blur once more?
"But," Nanami's face contorted into a frown, gazing hard at you. "If staying with me is what makes you miserable—if waiting nights after nights, hoping I can make it each time haunts you so much—then I'm more than willing to release you from that burden. I don't want to subject you to that life."
Warm tears slid down your cheeks. Sniffling, you averted your gaze, looking downwards.
"Look, I make you cry again," he sighed, a mix of fondness and sadness in his voice, as a bitter smile graced his lips. One of his thumbs gently lifted your jaw, while the other tenderly wiped away your tears.
"Kento, I—" you quickly looked up, swallowing the lump in your throat. You had made up your mind. "I don't want you to leav—"
"I know," he cut in, his voice solemn, as he stroked your tear-streaked cheeks. "I know, and that's exactly why I'm going to say what I'm about to say next."
And with his next words, your heart burst into complete, utter warmth—
"Let's start over." Nanami Kento's voice was your lifeline, anchoring you and keeping you afloat. "We can take our time. There's no rush—we can return to how things were in the beginning. And when you're ready, then and only then... will I ask you to marry me again."
The one person who has your heart in his grasp, someone whom you are willing to care way more than yourself... You were openly sobbing now and yet a radiant smile broke through your tears.
There was only one answer you had in mind.
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Five years later
"Yes! Yes! Yay!"
Today was sunny, just like the day of your wedding. Memories flooded back as you glanced at the grand wedding portrait in the foyer, a snapshot of yourself and your husband in blissful celebration.
A smile tugged at your lips as you stared at the gentle smile on Kento's face amidst his typically stiff posture. You remembered his vows to you.
The one person who I will look for the rest of my life... is you. I have never met someone so important and precious to me that it hurts.
The sound of a car pulling up snapped you out of your reverie. Oh, he's home.
As you opened the door, your smile grew even broader, until a small figure darted past you at such speed that you were left gawking.
"Daddy!" your daughter's voice rang out with pure delight, leaping into your husband's arms the moment he swung the car door open, catching him off guard.
"Oh my, why are you so sweaty?" Kento inquired, scrutinizing your daughter with a puzzled frown, yet holding her close. "I thought we're going to the playground after this?"
"She's so excited for it that she keeps running and jumping around all the while," you chimed in with a gentle sigh, affectionately ruffling your daughter's hair as she beamed up at both of you.
Before long, the three of you set off to the playground, fulfilling the promise you had made to your daughter. As she entertained herself with the slides, Kento's low chuckle drew your attention. "What's so funny?"
"She takes after you a lot, you know," he remarked, a fond smile on his face. "The way she is just full of energy."
"Really? But sometimes she'll get this wrinkly little scowl on her face when she's annoyed—she looks like you then."
"Wrinkly...? No, surely I don't have that many wrinkles yet..."
Your laughter filled the air, a testament to the joy found in these simple, everyday moments.
Unexpected moments of joy, the comfort of family, and a love that had grown and evolved, stronger and more resilient with time...
And this, is what you'd call a happy marriage.
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finalgirllx · 25 days
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thought you hated me | mattheo riddle entry 1 of a little anthology series i am starting with mattheo. as a way to practice writing without committing to a long series, i'll be writing a few blurbs for him based on the 'enemies to lovers' trope. 1.1k words | nsfw | minors dni | f!reader this is also a thank you for 2000 followers, like holy cow. that's insane. thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has supported my nonsense.
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"Hey, hey! Watch it! The recipe calls for a scoop of rose petals, not the entire bloody jar," you scold the curly-haired prick. He abided by your warning, much to your surprise, but not without tilting the jar above the cauldron a few extra times just to savor your irritation. You can't help but wonder what past mistakes led you to be doomed by fate to be partnered with Mattheo Riddle for potions class.
The whole school was aware of your mutual hatred, and neither of you made any effort to conceal it. It had been this way for so long that you couldn't even pinpoint why you hated him. Well, besides his utterly insufferable personality and a pisspoor attitude that not even his stellar good looks could redeem.
"He's an arrogant prick." "What a wretched tart." "A hotheaded muppet." "An absolute menace to civil society."
These were just a few recent jabs exchanged between you, either spoken directly or whispered through the grapevine. As long as everyone knows how much you despise each other, it suffices.
After your taunt over the rose petals, Mattheo's gaze bore into you beneath impossibly full eyelashes before he released a huff of pure disdain at your rigidity.
"You can piss off with that attitude. I say the one of us who didn't cause an explosion in class last week gets the bigger say over our potion-making," Mattheo countered, to which you promptly stood at attention and turned to face him, hands planted firmly on your hips.
"If that's the qualification, then I've had the upper hand practically every week this entire term! I cause one explosion, and you think you're all that," you argued back, to which Mattheo responded with a tired eye roll before he fixed his spiteful gaze fully on you.
"Well, I do have the right. Especially when you caused the explosion by staring at Cormac fucking McLaggen while biting your lip like an idiot," he grumbled, his voice lowered but the intensity still sending a shiver down your spine. You knew the implications of his words and that the facade could crumble under the man's temper in moments if you didn't tread forward lightly.
"Yeah, well, I don't see why you'd care, but I'll keep my eyes off of him," you begrudgingly relented with a shrug. You would have given him an earful with just about any other provocation, but what he could risk revealing over this wasn't worth continuing to bicker over.
"Good girl," Mattheo purrs the next time he leans closer to grab an ingredient, quiet enough so only you could hear, causing the heat rising between you to stay put. "Guess I'll need to find another reason to cave the bloke's face in," he adds, much to your dismay. You wanted to say something then, but the professor's perfectly timed interjection to order you both to focus on your work momentarily set the matter aside. -----------------
"Are you really going to make an arse of yourself and beat up Cormac if he and I so much as exchange a glance?" You questioned Mattheo incredulously as he hastily pulled you into a nearby empty broom closet with little resistance from yourself. The door had barely clicked shut before he tore off his robe and moved on to remove yours.
"You want to fucking try something? See how that works out for you, I'll make your ass red for weeks," Mattheo growled into your ear as his hands roamed your still-clothed torso, finding purchase on your breasts as he began to knead them, growing desperate for skin-to-skin contact. Your insolence had gotten him painfully turned on, urging him to handle your attitude with touches he knew would render you pliant. The whimpers his groping solicited from you had become the answer to his prayers.
This little arrangement had become second nature to you by now. You give Mattheo lip, which gets him riled up, so you both seek a release for your pent-up frustrations by way of you taking his dick. Each time, without fail, you two agree that this would be the last time. But having 'hated' each other for so long, you know just how to test the other's patience, him becoming as weak to your taunts as you are to his touch.
"Care so much about who I'm looking at, huh?" you mocked Mattheo as he attempted to undo the buttons on your top, his thought capacity overridden by lust. "I thought you hated me," you continued to bait him with a hint of amusement to mask the genuine curiosity for what he might say. A gasp escaped you when Mattheo removed one hand from your chest to take your chin in between two fingers, lifting your head to meet his eyes that were already ruining you in his mind. He pressed his body against yours, letting you feel his hardness through his trousers.
"You know I fucking hate you," Mattheo replied through gritted teeth, his ferocity laced with arousal. "Doesn't mean anyone gets a glimpse of what's mine."
Your lips pulled into a smirk contentedly in response, not the least bit intimidated by him. In fact, you were pretty proud to have evoked such a reaction out of him. Sure, maybe you felt afraid for Cormac, but after witnessing Mattheo Riddle get on his knees to beg for your pussy, it had become difficult to take his threats seriously. The man was down bad, and you relished in the way you could reduce him to a needy mess, though he probably felt similar when you turned into a babbling slut every time he made you cum on his cock. If anything, the rage made you just as greedy for him as he was for you.
You took the lead in removing the rest of your top, freeing Mattheo so he could bury his face in your neck, latching on and sucking the skin to leave noticeable, possessive marks. He proceeded to cover you with hot kisses that trailed further down your chest, with each unclasped button giving him more space to work with until your top was fully removed and strewn on the floor with abandon. He sunk to his knees before you, letting you ensnare one hand in his hair to brace yourself as he took the peak of one of your breasts in his mouth, which brought a moan from your lips. Forgetting the animosity and allowing pleasure to take over, you've all but given up on believing that this time would be the last.
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kimhargreeves · 8 months
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Saved Again-Sanji x Fem Reader (One Piece Netflix)
Summary: You've been Luffy's friend for years. Being the first member to join Luffy's crew, together they are off to become pirates,.later on a certain chef has his eyes on you. And a fond memory of you and a boy after a shipwreck comes to mind when arriving at the Baratie.
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(A/N: I'm so excited for the One Piece live action do I decided to write this!! I'll start on a Part 2 once the series is released. I absolutely love Sanji and he's my favorite of the Straw Hats. I relate to him a lot too since I was training to become a chef as well…anyways the one shot might be slightly changed once I watch the series.)
(A/N: Oh and also the reader is often confused as a boy but Nami and Sanji know she's a girl.)
"That's why I'm gonna be king of the pirates!!" Luffy exclaimed enthusiastically, even though we were in the middle of nowhere.
I turned around and frowned looking at him being too cheery and loud as usual. "Can you be any louder?' I glare before pulling my head out of the small boat we were in and I continued to throw up out into the ocean.
I heard a hum coming from Luffy and saw him tilting his head a bit. "Are you sure you're okay?"
This is the downside of wanting to become a pirate and sail across the Grand Line. Well, not many people get sea sick and start to pour their guts out.
I wipe the sweat off my forehead and sighed. "If only Coby didn't accept in becoming a Marine. He would've maybe given me some of the medicine he was carrying."
"He did offer some yet you said you'd be alright without it." Luffy reminds me making me groan.
"Don't make me throw up on you." I warn.
"Will you two shut up already?" I glared and looked back at the green haired man who I forgot had joined us.
"Huh? Why don't you make me, Zoro? Our friend here might be dying." Luffy said patting my back a bit too rough.
Zoro looked at us with a bored expression on his face and went back to closing his eyes. "You guys are insufferable, would've been nicer if I was still tied up."
I point and glared at him. "You should be thankful that we saved your ass."
"Luffy was the one who did. You're too weak to save anyone anyway, kid."
"I'm not a kid! I'm older than you think believe it or not!!" I shout getting defensive and forgetting that I had be throwing up.
"Then why are you acting like a kid?!"
"Guys will you stop arguing for once?" Luffy said stepping between us and calming Zoro as well when we saw an island up ahead.
Idiots are they really dumb and don't know I am secretly a girl. The reason why I like to crossdress if for fun, but mostly because I've seen the way pirates who are men are more respected.
I once had cut my hair short but decided to let it grow and use a wig instead, besides being in disguise had helped me with stealing from people.
Luffy with his devil fruit power stretched all the way until his feet hit the sand and he looked around in enthusiasm.
"Wow this island seems so cool! But why is it so quiet?!" He asked loudly.
"Maybe this is an island inhabited with ghosts." I muttered and heard Zoro scoff and began to grab his swords when the boat hit the sand below us.
Zoro jumped off of the boat and began to follow Luffy. "Hey, (Y/N). Are you coming or staying?"
I raised my head and tilted my head looking at Luffy. "You guys can go on ahead. I'll catch up with you."
He nodded and I saw both guys beginning to walk further into the island. Slowly I got up on my feet and jumped out of the boat as well. I was deep in my thoughts imagining what it will be like to travel across the world and get to know other famous pirates.
Luffy's dream has always been to become king of the pirates and his number 1 person he's always looked up to was Shanks, maybe Gold D. Roger in second place.
As for me..I really don't have a dream. I've just been following Luffy around. I don't have a family. Shanks was the one who raised me along with Luffy, I came along later in the picture and don't have any memories of my past, only a few glimpses here and there but maybe it's just me reliving someone else's dream.
"So he's also a devil fruit user?"
I stopped walking and ran to hide behind a building and I looked over and saw a group of pirates, my eyes were set on the one between all of them. Buggy the clown. I've seen his Wanted poster.. wait!
My eyes widened and then I glared when I spotted Luffy in a cage. Are you serious?! He got caught..huh? I looked and saw someone else with them too, a red headed girl.
Where is Zoro anyways?
I frowned even more when I saw he and Luffy were caught. God damn it. It's up to me now, now all I gotta do is find out if this girl is an enemy of ally.
I got out of my hiding place and prepared to face the gang of pirate clowns…
"Hang on!!"
Someone shouted and tried to reach for my hands but I was pulled away by the harsh tides of the sea. My eyes and lungs began to sting, I felt like it was the end for me. Just a few minutes ago I was with my family, are they dead? Will I die as well and meet them again?
I couldn't swim so I felt myself sinking lower into the dark cold sea. I wanted to cry but couldn't and right when I was ready accept my death I felt someone grab onto me and I was being pulled up again.
I gasped along with the person who had saved me. A man about the same age as my dad saved me, I continued to gasp and began to cough up the salty water I had in my lungs.
The sky was dark with clouds covering the sky, it was heavily raining with thunder.
"Don't die just yet kid! Hold onto this." The man exclaimed.
The man could swim with ease and he had placed me on top of a wooden piece of what I assumed was part of the ship that had exploded. I looked to my right and saw a boy my age, with blonde hair and green eyes, his eyes seemed scared as well.
Are we the only survivors?
My answer was clear the more we got away from the shipwreck and landed on an island. The man easily picked us up and placed us on his shoulder, but the more he continued to walk the more I felt he was struggling, it wasn't until we made it inside a cave that I realized he lost his leg.
I was about to comment on it but didn't when the man seemed angry at something. The boy and I exchanged looks and didn't say a word, we only saw the man lighting up a small fire place as we continued to hear thunder and lightning.
I don't know who this man is, this boy surely isn't his son…mom..dad…my eyes began to sting and I began to cry out loudly with tears running down my face along with a runny nose.
The man didn't say anything and the little boy seemed to stiffen and I saw a few tears forming in his eyes as well and he began to silently cry…
By the next morning the man, the pirate who saved us said he wanted to be alone so he left the boy and I a large bag of food. "We refuse to eat this because you're a pirate and pirates are bad people!!" The boy had shouted earlier.
The man said almost nothing and left me alone with the boy. The boy and I looked at each other and we both didn't say a word about the man.
"Umm do you think we can make a boat somehow and leave the island?" I quietly asked nervous and shy to ask this stranger for help.
"Does it look like we have a way out of this island?! The boy shouted glaring at me. "What would a girl know about sailing anyways?"
I began to cry again and I did the first thing that came to my mind, and I had punched him. "All I want is to see my parents again!"
The boy seemed surprised by my action and began to hold onto his swollen cheek. "H-hey don't cry. You're gonna make me cry again!"
It was too late. He was crying again….
It had been many days until the three of us were rescued. An odd boat with some friendly men were the one who saved us, the man who rescued the boys and us took the boy in as his own in a way, and he was about to send me off to live a normal life with someone who was willing to raise me.
The man somehow got a nice dress for me to wear, as a last send-off he had done a dessert for me. A strawberry cake I came to love at first bite.
He along with the men on the ship all were outside ready to say their goodbyes to me. I even saw a man or two begin to cry.
"I always wanted a small girl."
"You can't even feed yourself properly how are you supposed to raise a kid." I heard one of them say to another.
"You ready, kid?" I heard the man ask making me turn to look at him. I shook my head and the man sighed and patted my head once. "You'll soon understand why I'm sending you off. You'll have a proper life."
My eyes wandered over to the man and over to the small boy I was saved with. The boy stiffened when I looked at him, and I saw his pale cheeks turn to a pink color.
"I-I…" I didn't know exactly what to say, that's until he spoke up.
"I d-do hope you enjoyed the cake I made with help! Next time if we meet again I'll bake you a whole lot more..also…if we meet again I'll make you my wife!!" He exclaimed.
The men behind the boy groaned and one of them lightly hit his head. "That's no way of a send-off!"
I shyly smiled at all of them and the boy….
"Usopp!! Nami!! Are we there yet?!"
"How many times do we have to say, no!!"
I squinted my eyes when I opened them. "That was a strange dream." I muttered to myself and glared at the three who woke me up.
Few days have gone by since he fought Buggy and his crew along with a few more pirates. Usopp was the new crew member. He's a bit odd and a scaredy cat but he means well. If it wasn't for him. Luffy wouldn't have his new and proper ship, officially presenting himself as a pirate.
The sailing ship was huge and fitted with us do well. Luffy named it the Going Merry. A fitting name for a ship.
I looked to my left and saw Zoro fast asleep, I felt envious that he could sleep through this much talking and noise. I made sure my wig was still in place and I got up to join Nami up front. At least it's nice to have another girl around.
"So…you don't have trouble with sharing a room filled with guys?" I asked and saw Nami giving me an odd bur serious look.
"No?" She squinted her eyes looking at me and looked back at the tides.
Weird…It's a shame I can't talk about girl things with her.
Luffy said he was searching for the last member to our team. Luffy is Captain, we have a navigator..well kinda that being Nami, the main fighter being Zoro, Usopp as the sniper and I fix anything on the ship
Since none of us are cooks. Luffy suggested on finding a chef. I offered to be the one to fill everyone's stomach, but everything I cook always ends up burnt.
The rest of us began to get things done on the ship until a fight began with another ship and the Going Merry crashed into a ship. My mouth fell open when we crashed and accidently directed a cannon ball into the ship that wasn't even attacking us.
"Crap…Luffy!" I shouted and saw him smiling shamefully.
All of us walked closer to the deck and saw the great damage the other ship received. "We better head in there and talk to the person in charge. And you are going to apologize." I said grabbing onto Luffy's straw hat and he quickly grabbed it back and placed it on his head.
He said nothing and began to follow us. We got onto the other ship and read the ships name, The Baratie.
I looked around and this seemed familiar. "You okay?" Nami stopped and asked glancing back at me.
"Yeah.. everything's fine." I said still looking around and ran over to her side and began to follow the rest of the crew.
We all entered the ship and wow was it beautiful and extremely fancy. "Wow..this is something else. It doesn't feel like we're in the middle of the sea." I said in awe and stared around.
Everything looked so expensive. I saw people around sharing their meals and couples smiling at each other and drinking fancy wine. Not to mention the smell, I wonder how the food must taste!
I was practically drooling when I saw a huge meal in a table. Nami had grabbed the back of my clothes and dragged me away from a couple who was staring at me weirded out.
"Get a hold of yourself, (Y/N)." Nami muttered and went to sit down on an empty table.
I nodded at myself then went back to checking the place out. This seems so familiar…I started to walk around and peeked over and saw many chefs cooking the meals and they seemed to make it so easy.
"I have an order for a large plate of seafood rice, potato pallie and medium sized bowl of sea pork soup. I need it done in less than 10 minutes!" My mouth began to water even more.
"All have it done in 5." Someone said on the other side with a British accent.
"(Y/N)!" Someone hissed my name and I quickly went over to sit next to Nami and Zoro. Luffy came in as well while we sat down and patiently waited to talk to someone.
I had excused myself after waiting for a bit and went to the bathroom. When I returned I saw Nami still sitting down and she raised an eyebrow looking not pleased when a man began walking towards her.
I felt my heart race when I saw a tall figure standing just a few inches away from her. A handsome man with blonde hair with one of his eyes being a bit hidden by it. He was wearing a dark suit with a blue and white striped shirt under it with a black tie and matching dress pants.
"Would the lady like something sweet?" I saw a smirk spread across his face and Nami just stared at him and rolled her eyes.
Who is he?? And does he know Nami? The man was clearly flirting with her.
"You gotta be joking." I heard Nami ssy. She then turned to look at me.
I didn't know what to do or say. I simply stared at her confused then looked to see the man look at me, he glanced for a second then once again and was now looking directly at me. He immediately walked away from Nami and began to walk towards me.
I began to take a few steps back and I gasped when he took hold of my hand with both of his hands and saw him get down on one knee.
"You are the most gorgeous being I've laid my eyes on. A sight no other I've come across in the Grand Line.."
Thank goodness Nami couldn't listen but it was quiet clear to anyone that this man was flirting with me.
"Y-You've got it all wrong!" I said trying to pull back and felt my cheeks turning red. I can't let anyone know at the moment that I was crossdressing as a guy!!
"I'm never wrong. My eyes never fail when I see a beautiful lady as yourself."
If I weren't in this situation I would be falling on my knees. He's so cute and handsome! My lips began to quiver and I felt my entire body freeze. I've never met a man who shameless at flirting with a stranger.
The man rose up to his feet now towering me and smiling down at me. "I-I…"
He smiled and Introduced himself. "My name is Sanji."
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cinnamostar · 4 months
Text
six dates to fall in love
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part one. part two (here). part three. part four.
pairing : hyunjin x gn!reader
summary : after a two year long unspoken hatred, hyunjin and you are forced to be costars in a romantic series, but when it comes to filming any of the romance scenes, you both utterly fail and are unable to get through your lines. the director threatens to take your roles away if you two aren't able to get past this within the next week, which spawns the genius idea from both your managers: can you learn to (fake) fall in love in seven dates and save your careers?
wc : 2.3k
cw : actor!au, enemies to lovers ?!, slowburn (?!), cursing, one gorey joke thing, arguing, angsty, they're each other's biggest haters, let me know if i missed anything !!
a/n : this parts shorter unfortunately but i hope u like it! likes, reblogs, and feedback appreciated. pls read part one first if you havent! well. now theres a whole new hurdle for these two to conquer heh... this part is a lot shorter, so sorry for that but i felt like it was best to keep it at this length :o
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“He said what?” Chan asked, shock coloring his voice as you updated him on the night’s events, and how absolutely insufferable Hyunjin was.
“I’m telling you, that guy’s a dickhead,” you mumbled angrily on the phone, shuffling through your apartment as you discarded your outfit and headed into the shower.
Chan took in a deep breath from the other side of the line, “Well, I knew that already, but that was just a new low.” You hummed in agreement, rolling your eyes, “Yeah, whatever. I just have a bad feeling this isn’t going to work out in our favor.”
“You never know, maybe tomorrow will go a lot better, Y/N!” 
You smiled at Chan’s attempts to lighten the mood, “I seriously doubt it, but I will try to put my faith in you and this plan of yours,” you sighed, “Well, I’m going to shower and go to bed, thanks for listening.”
“Always, Y/N. Tomorrow will be better, okay?”
“Right, good night, Chan.”
“Good night!”
God, you could only hope that Chan was right.
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You were definitely having a severe case of deja vu as you sat at your local coffee shop, a pistachio latte in hand as you waited for Hyunjin to arrive for your second date of the week. You both had agreed over text this morning that you’d meet at 12:30pm, but it was nearly 1pm and there was no sign of Hyunjin. Great, you thought to yourself, as it seems like his inconsideration was not limited to just your feelings, but also your time. 
He most definitely was doing this on purpose, there was no way this wasn’t just one of his other tactics to get under your skin before even arriving. Was this how every date was going to be like this entire week? You wasting fifteen to thirty minutes of your life waiting for some conceited asshole to make it, even though he was the one to pick and agree on a time. This was ridiculous, and you couldn’t help but feel peeved as you watched the cafe’s clock tick by, mentally noting how much time had passed at every minute. Maybe it was best to go home, maybe this whole dating thing wasn’t going to work out and it was best to just cut your losses.
Right, going home sounded nice and at least you wouldn’t be losing time on some bumbling idiot. You let out a sharp exhale as you stood up, grabbing your bag and drink to make your way out, but as you turned around, you were met with Hyunjin, who was standing a few feet away from your table with his own drink in hand.
With an eyebrow cocked up, he mockingly cooed, “Aw, you were going to ditch me on our date?”
You rolled your eyes in frustration, an exasperated sigh escaping you as you sluimped back in your seat, motioning Hyunjin to take his seat with a hint of sass in your gestures, “Oh, right, I was the one ditching you, not the other way around.”
“I did not ditch you, I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You’re thirty minutes late, Hwang,” you deadpanned.
“Better late than never, no?” he smirked, taking delight in how easy it was to rile you up with such little effort on his end.
You pursed your lips as you glared at the man who sat across from you, a small ‘hmph’ leaving you, “Whatever.”
Much like the day before, the familiar tense atmosphere took its place once more as you both sat quietly in your own seats, occasionally taking a sip of coffee every now and then. Having Hyunjin in your company was torturous, it was almost as if he held you captive in the most miserable week of your life and he made no attempt to make it the least bit enjoyable.
You, once more, decided to remain quiet, allowing Hyunjin to be the one to make any conversation since he seemed to be the one struggling the most with this arrangement. It was best to let him go at his own speed, right? Although that did not stop the displeased look from leaving your features, your eyebrows remained furrowed since the moment you were made aware of his presence.
Hyunjin let out a gentle huff, placing his drink down as he analyzed yor features, “Do you always have this much attitude?”
Rolling your eyes, you responded sternly, “When it comes to you, yes.”
“Right, because I’m the problem,” murmured Hyunjin sarcastically.
“Glad you know.”
Hyunjin bit the inside of his cheek, lost in thought as he tried to figure out the right string of words to say, ones that wouldn’t kindle the already burning heat of hatred you had for him. The silence was unbearably uncomfortable, restricting him of any chance to catch his breath as anxiety and trepidation took over him. He despised this, he hated having to always be on guard around you and it was getting overwhelming, despite it only being the second day of this so-called plan. Hyunjin wasn’t dumb though, while he may be upset with these current circumstances, he would be an idiot to not take advantage of it. His plan was simple, all he had to do was get under your skin as much as he can throughout this week in hopes you’d decide to drop out of the project altogether, which would mean he would no longer have to worry about getting kicked off the shoot if they only had to replace you, he thought.
Unfortunately, you were as hard-headed as a bull, bulldozing over any hope Hyunjin had as your stubbornness made itself apparent through your countless attempts to speak to him last night. Though, something had to be working, he thought, as you reached a standstill of quietness in the middle of this bustling coffee shop. 
The coffee shop was brimming with life, fellow patrons laughing with their company and baristas shouting out names to orders as the espresso machines and blenders whirred in the background. It was a relaxing, welcoming, and cozy environment which sharply juxtaposed the energy emanating off you and Hyunjin. If anything, you and Hyunjin would be more fitting standing outside in the cold, icy, and piercing winter winds as you exchanged hardened gazes, neither wavering from their stance. Anyone who stepped within a three foot radius of you both would feel instant chills due to the intensity of the situation, yet, everyone was too absorbed in their own world to pay attention to the mental battle you and Hyunjin were engaged in. 
“What did I ever do to you?”
The sudden question surprised Hyunjin, effectively drawing him out of his stupor as his gaze softened at the vulnerability in your tone and the slight quiver to your voice, though your features remained in the permanent scowl that seemed to falter ever-so slightly. This was new, this was something Hyunjin had never seen from you before and it made his heart ache to hear the confusion and uncertainty reverberate from your words. This show of weakness from you should be something he celebrates though, this means his attempts to push you away from this project had to be working, yet why did he feel so guilty? Why did he feel his stomach drop slightly when he heard you tremble over your words? Moreso, why were you asking him that?
Hyunjin’s face contorted with perplexity, “You’re seriously asking that?”
Your frown changed into one of curiosity, not entirely understanding what Hyunjin meant by his question, “... What?” 
Hyunjin could only return your confused gaze, your cluelessness only seemed to light a fire under him as fury began to settle in his eyes, “You’re joking, right?”
Taken aback, your mouth struggled to form any words as your brain tried to rack through your memories, searching for a moment in time that you could’ve upset or hurt Hyunjin back then, but there was nothing. You were drawing a blank and could only wonder what you could’ve possibly done to cause this kind of rage in Hyunjin. You spoke cautiously, afraid the wrong words could escalate the situation as you desperately did not want to call attention to you two, “I’m sorry… I don’t… know what you’re talking about.”
Hyunjin could only wear a baffled look in his face, scanning your eyes to only find you were being truthful, no sign of deceit and you were not feigning ignorance, you were genuinely lost at his sudden outburst. He couldn’t believe it, had his version of reality been entirely false this whole time? Up to this point, he had scrutinized you as a villain, one of the worst in the industry, yet the thread that held this belief was quickly unraveling as he took in the innocence your eyes conveyed, a silent plea for him to not doubt your honesty.
“Weren’t you the one…” Hyunjin questioned, uncertainty in his voice, “Didn’t you sabotage me from getting that role on Director Han’s project?”
“Huh?” 
That was all you could muster out, your jaw dropping at the sudden accusation, “What the fuck are you talking about, Hwang?”
“I saw you talking to him on the set of your first film project together! Just a few days after my audition,” he spoke firmly, doing his best to remain steadfast in his perception of events.
“Yes, I did speak to him. In fact, Hyunjin,” you spat his name out, anger burning in your eyes as you tried to keep your voice down, “I was telling him how much of a joy you were to work with and was recommending him to cast you.”
“You’re lying.”
You stood up suddenly from your seat, hands flat against the table, refusing to listen to Hyunjin’s fictitious words and accusations as you felt yourself ready to explode, struggling to keep the heated discontentment you felt contained. Has this really been the reason why Hyunjin had been so cruel to you all these years? Over some dumb hunch that had no weight to it, no proof other than it being a convenient explanation? Was it simply easier for him to frame you rather than accept someone with more talent landed the role? It took everything within you not to slap Hyunjin across the face as you seethed in your rage, trying to make sense of everything that had occurred since that time. 
Of course, missing out on the role was absolutely heartbreaking for Hyunjin, as that film ended up being a blockbuster success and would’ve launched his acting career in a way so many could only dream of. Though, it absolutely wasn’t your fault that the director decided to cast a more experienced and already established actor, one whose name alone would’ve bought the film instant success.
“Right, I am so lying. Because there’s absolutely no way in hell they decided to cast someone who was just a better actor, right? It’s all my fault because of course, the great Hwang Hyunjin could never be a failure.”
Your eyes narrowed at him, studying his reaction as he remained frozen in his seat, a conflicted expression on his face as he tried to process your words. However, Hyunjin was a deeply insecure individual, one who needed constant praise to feel any bit of confidence in his ability to perform and he was quick to become defensive when it came to facing failure. Perhaps that is why he was so sure to blame you without second thought, someone who was such a stark polar opposite from him, someone who had all the confidence of the world in themselves, someone he absolutely envied and grew to hate over some theory he piped up to cope with his own shortcomings. 
You scoffed at his lack of response, muttering, “Unbelievable.”
Yet, you cannot expect someone to just back down from their version of events that they upheld as truth for so long. He had spent two years believing this, and how could he ever be so sure that you weren’t just lying to him in his face? What if you were just trying to maintain your image through lies? Though, something about the expression you wore told him that was not possible, but his own selfishness refused to let him fully accept that. 
“I don’t believe you,” was all Hyunjin could say, stubbornly holding onto the reality he had unknowingly fabricated as he did his best to ignore the hurt in your eyes.
“Why would I lie to you about that? Why would I have ever done that to you?” you whispered, tears welling up in your eyes as your frustration was finally getting the best of you. 
Finally uncovering the truth behind Hyunjin’s hatred towards you was not as satisfying or relieving as you had always imagined it to be. The growing indignation you felt was overwhelming, you were losing control of your own body and emotions, control slipping between your fingers like grains of sand as another wave of emotions began to make itself known. It pained you to know Hyunjin had thought so poorly of you for so long, your heart aching at the thought of him thinking you’d do something so terrible to him. 
The molten lava of anger that flowed through your veins finally met the cool, tumultuous sadness your heart took on, turning into stone as the emotions fought with one another for dominance, but the heavy weight of cobble filled in the cracks of your resolve and urged you to maintain your composure. 
You shook your head at Hyunjin, who still remained still in his seat, and without a word, you turned to leave the coffee shop, abandoning this stupid date idea your manager had conjured up from whatever demented reasonings he had. Maybe you should have left earlier, maybe it was best to cut your losses and accept defeat. All you had now was an unquenchable amount of anger that no amount of water would ever be able to fully put out, and this only intensified your dislike for Hyunjin.
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taglist: @kopikokrunch @icouldntcareless22 @kidrauhlschik @hhwangsmoon
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kodydrs · 7 months
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The Vice-Admiral’s Daughter - Portgas D. Ace ( I )
➥ the first drinks
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a/n: ace is the loml. i love him sm. this is gonna be a multi-part “story” but only like 4 or 5 parts. Hope everyone is having a nice day, and why not reply & reblog or send in a request / ask?
warnings: ace x fem!reader, pirate!ace x fem!reader, fxm, underage drinking, 18!ace, 16!reader, swearing, tension (you decide whether it’s sexual or not) eventual smut, ace likes to call reader “princess”, marine!daughter!reader, not proofread (it’s never proofread), i’m bad at tagging
summary: a series of you and aces “first times”. - ace is a pirate, and you’re a vice-admirals’s daughter. you’re not 100% sure how you came to be together, but now he’s standing at your window on the second floor for the first time.
ib: none
request: yes / no
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‘Ace.’ You hissed, seeing your boyfriend trying to quietly open your window. ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’
Portgas D. Ace. More famously known as Fire Fist Ace, is one of the most feared pirates on the Grand Line. With a bounty of $550,000,000 berries, you can’t exactly remember how you’d come to meet him for the first time, but you remember the second time when you found him face down in his food.
‘Ace?’ You called, shaking his limp body. ‘Get up before you choke.’ As if he was taunting you, the man shot up, coughing and spluttering. ‘Idiot.’
You smacked the man’s back, watching in disgust as he spat the food out. With a grimacing face, he brings a hand to his throat and rubs is gently while looking around the room. When the man’s gaze falls on you, his eyes light up.
‘Hey! It’s the Vice Admiral’s daughter! Long time, no see!’
You fold your arms, staring down at the pirate with a raised eyebrow. Ace just smiles and laughs at you. Without a word, you grab him by his hats string and drag him out of the restaurant onto the street.
‘Oi. Oi. Hey. Calm down, girl. I was just trying to have a meal.’
‘A meal where you die via food and a marine catches you? fucking idiot.’
He laughs quietly to himself as you drag him along the road.
‘Oh please. No marine is going to arrest me when I have my trusty Admiral’s daughter by my side.’
‘Vice-Admiral. And I have a name, you know?’ You let go of the string, turning to finally meet him face to face. ‘Plus, just because I’m around doesn’t mean you won’t get caught. I’m fully open to turning you in if you annoy me enough. And you’re a bigger idiot than I thought if you think I won’t.’
‘Yeah, yeah, whatever.’ He replies simply, brushing you off and turning to the nearest tavern.
‘Ace.’ You whine, grabbing both his shoulders. ‘I’m telling you to leave. Leave before we both get into trouble.’ The pirate just grins and ruffles your hair. In defeat, you flip your head to the ground and groans. ‘You’re insufferable.’
He laughs, linking arms and walking into the building.
‘So they say. But no complaints on my behalf.’ You let the older drag you along into the tavern, sitting you down at the bar. ‘2 beers please.’ He says to the bare tender, slapping a few gold coins onto the counter.
You’re quick to put your hands up, denying the offer.
‘Oh no. I don’t drink.’ Ace’s grin widens.
‘Why not? You’re so pretty and young, and you’re telling me you aren’t hitting the bar each night. What harm could it possibly do ya?’ His voice drops an octave, becoming almost seductive sounding. ‘Come on, princess. Let me buy you a drink.’
You looked between him and the bartender, smiling sheepishly at them both.
‘I’ll just get a water, please.’
‘Coming right up.’ The bartender says, working quickly to get you both your drinks.
‘So tell me.’ Ace says, leaning forwards with his forearms against the table. ‘Why doesn’t the Vice-Admiral's daughter drink?’
You smiled to the bartender as he placed your drink down and quickly took a sip.
‘You just answered your own question, fire fist. Vice-Admiral’s daughter. Don’t wanna get myself caught up in all the other drunks shit and give my family a bad rep.’
Ace laughed, taking a large swig of his ale. He looked from his drink, to you, around at the other people, then back to you.
‘But getting caught up in their shit is the most fun, especially when you’re young and without a care in the world.’
‘And if I do have a care in the world?’ You rested your chin on your hand, sighing deeply. ‘I’m not a pirate, Ace. I can’t just do whatever I want.’
His gaze drops and he takes another swig before looking back at you.
‘I’m sorry.’ His voice has lost it’s laughable tone, turning into a more serious one. ‘I didn’t mean to make you feel like you have to explain yourself. Especially not to a pirate.’ He nudged you with a slight grin. ‘How about this then? You drink to your hearts content, and I’ll make sure you don’t get caught up in “the drunks shit”. Sound fun?’
You finish your water and shake your head, eyes brows raising momentarily.
‘Mhm. And what? So you can take advantage of an innocent 16 year old?’ You say it with a fake pout and stare at him with a slight squint, trying to see through the facade he’s put up. He just laughs, looking around again before leaning in close.
‘Now let’s be honest for a second here, miss. I am not that much older than you.’
You blush at the close proximity, but swallow it down.
‘Sure.’
He leans back with a smirk, seeing your pink face.
‘One drink then? Please.’
Your hesitancy shows you’re not completely against the request. You lean back in your chair, running your hand through your hair and then over your face with a low groan.
‘One drink. And that’s it.’
The ravenette laughs quietly and nods.
‘Alright, alright. One drink and no more. You have yourself a deal, princess.’
Ace calls the bartender back and you get yourself an ale. At first you take small sips, but as the night continues, you find yourself taking large gulps. Suddenlyone drink turns into 2, and then 2 turns into about 6, and then you find yourself laughing at things no sober person would laugh at.
Ace watches as you knock back each drink, grinning from ear to ear as your laughs fill the bar. Occasionally he’d join in on your laughs, but he’d up kept his original proposal of staying sober while you got drunk. The sun had long gone down and the moon was shining bright in the night sky.
You were laughing at how a random man’s shadow cast in the moonlight when the fatigue hit you like a freight train. In an instant, you felt your whole body turn to jelly and you began falling.
Ace caught you around the waist and hoisted you up to his shoulder without dropping off his own seat. He keeps talking to you, making sure you’re awake and responsive. Not that you’re actually talking back. More just grumbling.
‘Let’s get you home, shall we?’ He asks, paying for your drinks as he practically carries you out of the tavern and down the main street. ‘Not that I exactly know where that is. Can you give me directions if you’re not too drunk?’
‘I’m not drunk.’ You instantly protest.
‘That’s a no, then.’ He laughs, carrying you into a nearby alleyway. ‘Just wait a second while I think of a way to get you home.’
‘But I’m not drunk.’ You whine, nocturnal to what he’s actually saying. ‘Come on. Let’s go back to the bar. I can have one more drink.’ You push off the pirate, trying your best (and failing) to stand up straight. Ace steps towards, holding your forearm gently to keep you stable on your feet. He looks at your eyes and giggles.
‘You’re so cute when you’re all messed up like this.’
‘I’m not drunk or messed up!’ You shout. He laughs again and leans in closer, eyes drawn to your lips momentarily before returning to your eyes.
‘You are, princess. And regardless of whether you want to admit it or not, you’re completely helpless right now- a perfect combination of hot and vulnerable. It’s a shame I can’t do anything without us getting caught…’
He’s teasing, and being as unserious as they come, but you’re just staring at his lips in your drunk-gaze.
‘I really wanna kiss you right now.’ You blurt out. His eyes widen before diverting from yours, a hint of surprise in his action.
‘Say that when you’re sober, princess.’ Without a further arguing, he lifted you off the ground and over his shoulder.
He carried you back to the tavern and laid you down in one of the booths before going to the bartender.
‘Can you please make sure she gets back to wherever she’s meant to be? I don’t really know her other than drinking buddies so I don’t know where she lives.’
‘Well, sure.’ The bartender laughs, cleaning up the last of the mugs. ‘You sir have been drinking with the Vice-Admiral's daughter. They’ve got big hopes for her. Think she'll be a Vice-Admiral when she’s old enough.’
‘Is that so?’ Ace hummed with a smile. He thanked the bartender and left, leaving you sleeping.
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padfootagain · 4 months
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Black Dog Neighbour
Hi everyone ! Today, we’re answering a request made for my 6k followers event by @nobodyshomearchive : “hi hello lovely xxi have been hooked to your blog lately, and to say that is an understatement in all honesty. congratulations on 6k followers <33 so for your celebration can i get an enemies to lovers (ouh massive surprise 👀) with sirius black (preferably post azkaban but it's okay if you don't want to!) cause i'm literally so head over heels for that man. and i'm loving your something good series :) again, congrats and feel free to ignore the request if you don't feel like writing it/it doesn't hit your creative spot.
have a great day/night hun <;3”
Thank you so much for your request, and I hope you like this! I didn’t do post-azkaban Sirius, because he doesn’t exist in my brain. I have been in denial for so long, the Potters are living their best lives, didn’t you know?!
Anyway, still went for post-Hogwarts and post-war Sirius, simply didn’t include anything referencing to Azkaban or… anything canon compliant, to be fair. But as per usual for me when it comes to this character…
Hope you like this! Tell me what you think!
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Pairing: Sirius Black x reader
Warnings: A small warning for an ex being an arse and showing up drunk on your doorstep (there’s nothing violent, but you do physically push him away, so heads up on that, just in case). But the rest’s cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!!
Summary: God, you hate that guy next door. Bloody annoying neighbour with his noisy motorcycle, his loud friends, his annoying laugh, his charming smile, his amazing hair, his effortless way to sport sexy leather jackets. He’s insufferable, you hate him to bits. The fact that he’s a talented wizard who can magically change into a dog to guard your door when your ex comes bothering you again will not change your first impression in the slightest, by the way. You still hate him to guts. Probably…
Word count: 4592
Sirius Black Masterlist – Main Masterlist
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Sirius fucking Black.
Your neighbour, aka worst enemy, aka the person you despise the most on earth.
He is loud. He is annoyingly pretty. He is getting on your fucking nerves... again!
Of course, it is Friday night, which means that his stupid friends are over for a “boys’ night”. What a scam…
In consequence, you are currently casting sound-proofing spells all over your walls in an attempt to shush their idiotic laughs. And especially Sirius’s; his unmistakable bark-like laughter, loud and boisterous and absolutely prone to draw a grin from your face even if you don’t mean to. By Agrippa’s hat, you will soon either cut his throat or call for an auror. Or maybe you could burst into his apartment and shout into his face just so he can see how bloody annoying that is. Or kissing him to shut him up sounds like a plan, too…
You shake your head, grinning at your own genius idea. Sirius and his friends are being rudely loud again, when you have already told them a thousand times – which is to say every Friday for the last six months, since Sirius moved in the apartment next to yours – that the walls in this old building of Diagon Alley are too thin, that you can hear everything going on in Sirius’s apartment despite sound-proofing spells… and that they need to keep it down past 11pm because you have work the next day. The absolute dread of working in retails does not, by any means, spare the Wizards and Witches of this world…
You look through your apartment for the object that would make the most noise. You give a few items a try, but settle for the good old pan and spoon. Ha, what precious allies these two are, never failing you.
You add a little spell to amplify sounds – just for good measure – find some earplugs, and then proceed to bang the shit out of that pan, right by your common wall with Sirius’s apartment.
It goes on for five full minutes before you manage to catch the quietened sound of something against your door…
And sure enough, when you stop and take your earplugs out, someone is banging at your door.
“Y/N!” a voice that you easily recognize shouts. “STOP THIS FUCKING NOISE!”
You open the door wide, and have to bend to the side to avoid Sirius’s fist as it misses the door.
“Merlin! Sorry! You’re okay? I didn’t touch you, right?” Sirius asks with anger instantly replaced with worry.
“I have amazing reflexes.”
And anger is back into his dark grey eyes again...
“What the fuck are you doing in there?! Are you mental?!”
“I don’t know, Sirius. I didn’t notice anything over the cacophony of your friends shouting into my ears all night!”
His jaw clenches, and you hate yourself for noticing the trembling of the muscle there, and finding it terribly attractive…
“And you had to make all this ruckus instead of simply walking three meters to my door and nicely ask us to shut our mouths because…?”
“Because I’ve asked you dozens of times, this has been going on for fucking months, Sirius!”
He rolls his eyes, and Merlin do you want to punch him straight across the jaw… his very sharp, very pretty jaw…
“We’re just having a nice evening…”
“And I am trying to sleep!”
“It’s barely midnight!”
“I work tomorrow, you asshole!”
“Ermm… guys?”
“WHAT?!” you both exclaim, turning to face a shy-looking Remus.
“Sorry about the noise, Y/N. We’ll be more careful next time. We’ll leave for the evening.”
“You don’t have to leave…” Sirius complains, but James is already walking out, helping a drunk Peter to cross the corridor.
“It’s late, anyway. Lily’s gonna worry, I was supposed to be home twenty minutes ago,” James argues, and Sirius has to yield.
“Alright, see you on Sunday, then!” he shoots his friends a grin, and the group waves at you.
You rudely ignore them, crossing your arms before your chest. And as Sirius turns back to you, his frown is icy and he quickly matches your stance.
“You’re such a pain in my ass, Y/N…”
“And you’re a jerk.”
“Asshole.”
“You’re insufferable, you know that?”
“You’re one to talk!”
“Oh, you talk plenty enough for both of us. And loudly so!”
Before he can reply, you’ve stepped back into your apartment and slammed the door.
You hear him pestering after you for a moment, then nothing, and finally a door slamming.
Well, that went well…
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You are in trouble.
Big… huge trouble.
Your ex has just stepped into your shop, and you don’t know how to react.
You didn’t break up in a horrendous way, on the contrary! He wanted the two of you to remain friends, and you simply didn’t, worried that you wouldn’t be able to get over each other if you stayed in touch. And by the look he gave you as he stepped inside your shop ten minutes ago, and the many glances he’s thrown at you since, you’re pretty sure that you were right about this.
It's not like your relationship was terrible, by any means. Josh was nice, reliable, but also… not for you. You didn’t have much in common, at the end of the day, and if his personality and looks were nice, it was hard to build a lasting relationship on… nothing. It was for the best that you called it quits.
And as if your day needed any darkening, Sirius Black chooses this very moment to step into your shop. You don’t wait for him to aim for the counter to take out a large pouch in which you have gathered all the ingredients for his friend’s monthly brew. He smiles at the sight, moves towards you. And you hate yourself for the leap your heart makes as he comes closer.
“Hi, Y/N.”
“Hi.”
It’s the first time you speak to each other since the ‘spoon and pan incident’, and you both hesitate. How are you supposed to act now? Apologise for being petty and kind of a dick? Ask for his apology for being a dick? Act like nothing happened?
“Thanks for Remus’s stuff,” Sirius says, voice quieter than usual, gentle, asking for a truce.
Outside, it’s snowing, winter claiming the streets of London, and there are little snowflakes caught in Sirius’s hair. It looks lovely.
All of a sudden, you’re longing for some eggnog, and some pumpkin pie.
His fingers are cold when they meet yours, tips brushing over your knuckles as he picks up the bag, and you hate your own heart for stammering.
“No problem. You know the drill,” you tentatively smile, while Sirius hands you some silvery Sickles.
“I would also need pearl dust, please. Here’s the amount.”
He hands you a parchment with quantities written on it, four small packages to be prepared separately.
“How many hearts do you intend to break with so many love potions?” you joke, turning around to get to work.
The brass scale is set on a small table, pushed right against the wall, behind the counter. It is an easy task for a professional like you, measuring quickly while Sirius laughs.
“No one, thankfully,” he replied.
“Oh… some Amortentia, perhaps? Trying to figure out who your crush likes?”
“No… nothing like that. It’s the properties for invisibility that I’m looking for.”
“If you plan on breaking into Gringotts, I don’t want to know.”
Again, a loud laugh. And you wish you could hold back your smile, but you can’t, the sound is too infectious for that.
You’ve forgotten that your ex is here, you’re reminded of his presence only when you turn back towards Sirius and he’s standing right behind your tall neighbour, a bag of potion ingredients in his hands.
You avert your eyes, and Sirius frowns at the sight. He glances over his shoulder, spots your ex, but says nothing. You only notice how he tightens his hold on the pouch.
“Pearl dust’s quite expensive,” you tell him, handing him the phials, before announcing the price.
“That’s alright.”
He hands you the galleons, takes the vials, but doesn’t step away just yet.
“You… you’re okay?” he asks, and you’re not sure what to do with his expression. It’s somewhere between annoyance and genuine concern.
“Yeah, sure.”
He nods, like he’s disappointed. He’s not bringing up The Incident, and so you won’t either.
“Right, good day.”
He turns in a hurry, not waiting for your answer, but you notice the way he throws a look back before stepping out into the street, snow falling over his dark coat and dark hair again. You hate how your eyes linger on his frame until he’s out of sight, walking down the busy street, but you can’t help it…
“Hello, Y/N.”
You’re brought back to Earth as your ex speaks, and you turn to him, your smile turning from genuine to polite.
“Hi, Josh.”
“How are you?”
“Good! Do you need anything else?” you ask, pointing at the ingredients he’s put on the counter.
“Huh… no, nothing else.”
“That makes two Galleons, 5 Sickles and 3 Knuts, please.”
He hands you some money, and you hand him his change. You see him hesitating, before diving.
“Look, I… I came here hoping to see you.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I… I’ve been meaning to tell you. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about what happened, and… Look, I know I could have done better when it came to us. And I thought… perhaps… if you were willing to give me another chance…”
“Josh…”
“Just… hear me out...”
“No. I’m sorry, but no. We… we were not compatible, that’s all. I like you, you’re nice, but… It won’t work between us.”
Slowly, he nodded, apparently defeated. And when another client cleared their throat behind him, he finally left.
What a mess of a morning…
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It is Friday night, and the Marauders are keeping it down. You are surprised by it, but you can only praise these men for being, for once, well-behaved. 11:30, as you slip under the covers, ready for some well-deserved rest before waking up too early to open the shop in the morning. You are ready to fall into Morpheus’s arms and abandon yourself to slumber when someone knocks on your door.
You ignore the sound for a while, but it starts again, and again…
And you thought Sirius was making some efforts. You were ready to commit murder…
You stand up, grab a bathrobe and walk to the door, ready to throw hands with Sirius at this point. Only… only, when you actually open the door, it’s not Sirius who’s facing your wrath.
It’s Josh.
“What… What are you doing here?” you ask, too stunned to think about being polite. “It’s almost midnight.”
But then he looks up at you, and you notice at once that he’s been drinking. His eyes are glimmering, he sways slightly before finding back his balance…
“Josh…”
“Y/N, I… I know that now is not the time, but… please, give me another chance. Please…”
“Josh, we’ve talked about this. Us… it’s over. We’re not getting back together. I’m sorry.”
“But I can try and be better. I’ll be better, let me show you.”
You push him off when he staggers forward, trying to hold you.
“Josh! Stop it!” you raise your voice, trying to get him to let go.
“Please…”
“I said no! Get off!”
He’s finally letting go, but doesn’t take a step back. Instead, he leans against your doorframe, not stepping inside, but making it impossible for you to simply go back in and close the door.
“Josh! Go away! I’m sorry, but this is over between us. You have to leave me alone!”
“But I don’t want to! Y/N!”
“Hey!”
You’re both distracted by the new voice that comes shouting through the corridor. Sirius is standing before his front door, wearing a Queen t-shirt and some dark sweatpants, in what you guess his is nightly outfit. Still, when he comes nearer, hair tied in a bun, glowering, he looks intimidating, tattoos all over his arms on full display, traces of ink peeking above the collar of his t-shirt.
You think for a second that he’s going to make a scene because of how noisy you are right now, not ironic at all given his habits of messing your sleeping schedule, and you’re ready to get angry at him, because this truly is the last thing you need tonight, when…
“You leave her the fuck alone!”
You’re too stunned to react when Sirius comes to stand right by your side.
“She told you to fuck off, so you fuck off!”
“Who the fuck are you?” Josh replied, words a little slurred.
“Her boyfriend,” Sirius lies, but it works wonders, as Josh becomes suddenly very pale. “Now, you fuck off, or I’ll throw you out of the building.”
“You? With him?” Josh asks as he turns to you, and you feel pity for the pain in his eyes, but you don’t regret leaving him.
“Yeah. He’s my boyfriend. Now, please, Josh… leave me alone.”
But he shakes his head.
“I can’t. I can’t. I still love you…”
Sirius looks at you, but you shake your head.
“You have to leave me alone and move on.”
“No… I… I’ll come back later…”
Sirius notices your worry, it almost looks like fear, and he doesn’t hesitate when he grabs Josh by the collar.
“You listen to me now, dickhead,” Sirius growls, it’s almost animalistic, and you’re frozen by this threatening tone of his. “If you set a foot in this building again, if you go see her at her shop, if you so much as breathe in her direction or step in the street she’s in, I will come for you, and I will make sure you can never bother her again. Do you get that?”
“You’re bluffing.”
Sirius grins, something twisted and terribly dark, and even you shiver when he speaks again, voice low and terrible.
“I fought for the Order during the war. I’m a Black. Trust me, you don’t want to fuck with me.”
Slowly, Josh nods, struggling to swallow.
“So… will you leave her alone?”
Again, Josh nods.
“Good boy. Now get the fuck out of here.”
He’s barely released Josh that he’s sprinting down the stairs, stumbling and catching himself against the wall, before disappearing.
But you don’t see that. You’re staring at Sirius, and seem unable to look away.
“You’re alright?”
You’re startled by the softness Sirius’s voice is now wearing, such a stark contrast with the threatening tone he wore a minute ago.
“Y/N? You’re okay? He didn’t hurt you, right?”
“What? No… no, I’m fine! He just… showed up and I couldn’t get rid of him.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
“Thank you,” you whisper as he gets closer.
“You’re sure you’re alright?”
“Yeah, just… a little shaken, I think.”
Slowly, Sirius nods.
“Hey, no need to worry, okay? I’ll keep an eye out tonight. He won’t bother you again. And if he does, in the coming days or weeks, and I’m not around, then you come and tell me. I’ll give him a good fright, and he’ll leave you alone.”
“Thanks but… why would you do that for me? You hate me.”
Sirius chuckles at that, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t hate you. You’re annoying, but I don’t hate you.”
“Oh…”
His touch is infinitely gentle when he rests his hand on your arm.
“You can go back to sleep. Don’t worry, he won’t bother you again tonight. I promise.”
Slowly, you nod, a little too stunned to complain or argue or discuss what has just happened. Instead, you walk back to your apartment, lock the door, and go back to bed, thinking about the way Sirius’s hands looked gentle without his rings…
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You’re in a hurry this morning. Your brain has not finished to process everything that has happened last night, but this will have to wait. You must rush to the shop, and you can’t find your bloody wand…
Ha! There! What is it doing under the couch? Never mind, you need to hurry, and you need to hurry now!
Only, when you open the front door, you almost trip onto a large black door sleeping on your threshold. A huge black dog, as a matter of fact.
“What in Merlin’s beard…?!”
His ears perk up at the sound of your voice, and he looks up at you with dark grey eyes that remind you of someone…
But it’s impossible, of course. That must be his dog, though. Since when does Sirius has a dog though?!
The animal slowly stands, a real giant, all dark fur and intimidating growls, until he’s shaken some sleep off its frame, and then he looks up at you, as if expecting a command.
“Hi,” you say, feeling foolish, but finding nothing better to say.
The dog merely comes closer, slowly, ears down in submission, as if he’s worried to scare you away. You hold out your hand, and he hurries to rub his snout into it, licking your fingers.
You giggle at the sensation.
“You look intimidating, but you’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
He barks in agreement, and you give him scratches as a reward.
“Who do you belong to, huh? Are you Sirius’s dog?”
The dog merely licks your fingers again.
“You look the part, at least. You fit the motorcycle-and-leather-jackets aesthetic.”
A few scratches more, and you finally remember that you are running late…
“Shoot!”
You lock the door, hurry towards the stairs. But you stop the dog when he tries to follow.
“No, no, no! I’m going to work, you stay here. I’m sure Sirius will be back soon. You stay here.”
The dog blinks, but sits anyway, letting you go.
For the whole trip to the store, you wonder who this dog belongs to, and who would let him sleep outside like this. If he really did belong to Sirius, he would hear about this…
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Your day is a weird one.
After arriving almost late, but not quite, you spend your morning being busy and running around the store looking for the right ingredients for various potions and clients. And yet, several times during your shift, you feel someone looking at you.
The first time, it’s Sirius, who’s squinting on the other side of the glass door. He looks away the second your eyes land on him, and you’re almost certain that he blushes, although you didn’t think it to be possible to make Sirius Black blush.
The second time, it’s the black dog again, who remains sitting by the door under the falling snow for about ten minutes before leaving.
The third time, it’s the dog again, you see him being petted by a customer as she walks out of the shop.
But if the dog belongs to Sirius, then you guess that he’s been around several times throughout the day, which seems odd. Also, you want to chastise him for leaving the animal alone in the cold for extended periods of time throughout the day. Is he heartless?!
So, as you go home that night, you leave your coat in your apartment before heading to Sirius’s.
He answers on the second knock.
“Oh! Hi, Y/N!” he grins a welcome at you. “Need anything?”
“Yeah… I wanted to talk to you, if you have a minute.”
He merely nods, moving to let you inside.
You’ve been here a couple of times before, but you still appreciate the warm atmosphere of the large space that forms his living room. A huge Gryffindor flag is hung across the wall on the right, while windows let you see falling snow over the roofs of Diagon Alley on the opposite side of the room. A large chimney surrounded by comfortable armchairs and sofas, along with a soft red carpet seem to call for you.
“So? What can I do for you, Y/N?”
You turn to him again while he points at the sofa, silently inviting you to sit, but you remain standing. You cross your arms, and he frowns at the sight.
“Where’s your dog?”
Your tone is sharper now, and his frown only deepens, brows knitted together.
“My what?”
“Your dog. Huge. Black. Looks like he could bite my throat off.”
“I don’t have a dog.”
“Really? He’s been following me around all day. He was on my threshold this morning…”
“…Y/N…” he tries to interrupt you, but you don’t let him.
“No! Listen… Thank you for what you did last night. I was really… Thank you. Josh wouldn’t leave and you were most definitely helpful. But let’s be clear, I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself! I don’t need your protection or anything, got it?”
You wonder why he’s smiling now, but he is all the same.
“Got it. Was just trying to be helpful.”
“You were.”
“Good.”
“Good. But your good action doesn’t mean that I’m going to accept any harm coming to this cute dog of yours!”
“I thought he wanted to bite your throat off.”
“He looked like he could. He was pretty sweet, though.”
“Hmmm…”
“Anyway… what’s wrong with you!? Leaving him outside all night and then in the street while it was snowing!?”
“Y/N, relax. I don’t have a dog, let me explain.”
“Then whose dog is it? Cause we have to find his owner, I’m going to throw hands!”
Sirius laughs, his usual, bark-like laugh, and your puzzled by the sound. It resembles a bark even more than usual.
Sirius heaves a sigh, shakes his head, apparently hesitating, but eventually, he takes a step closer.
“You have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone about this.”
“Why?”
“Because if you do, I might be arrested.”
Your eyes grow round.
Oh dear… the…
“…Potion. The potion! You’ve done something illegal with it!”
Sirius laughs again.
“The pearl dust you mean? It’s just a trick for my godson, for Christmas. How do you think the presents get under the tree without anyone carrying them in? The fellow is a rascal, standing watch all night to catch Santa red-handed. We need to get more and more creative each year. No, don’t worry, it’s nothing like that.”
“Oh… but then… what are you talking about?”
“Do you promise that you won’t tell?”
“Have you killed someone?”
“Of course not!”
“I don’t know, you were pretty… scary last night.”
“Did I scare you?”
“No… but Josh was ready to faint.”
He laughs again at that.
“I haven’t harmed anyone.”
“Okay… then, I promise.”
Sirius hesitates some more, before warning you not to freak out. You don’t have time to question him though, he’s already transforming into…
“… the black dog!”
You gasp at the sight, but you don’t back away when Sirius approaches under his animagus form. Instead, you reach out for him, giving him a few scratches between his ears, making him wiggle his tail happily.
“Oh wow… you’re an animagus! This is beautiful…”
He laughs as he changes back into human, the sound still somewhere close to a growl.
“Am I a good boy, then?” he teases, making you laugh. “No need to call for the animal welfare…”
“But… what were you doing around the shop today? And last night? Did you sleep on the porch?”
Sirius averts his eyes, and you have to double-check, but you’re certain that he is blushing right now.
“Ha, that… I didn’t mean to look like a creep or anything. But I… I was worried your ex would come back. Just wanted to check on you, ‘s all. I didn’t follow you around or anything! I just… went to check that you were alright at the shop a few times.”
“Why?”
He looks up at you with a slight frown, as if it is obvious, as if you’re stupid for not guessing.
“Because… I was worried about you.”
“About me?”
“Is it so surprising?”
“You hate me.”
“Again, I don’t hate you. You’re simply annoying the shit out of me. I like it, actually.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
You blink, trying to make sense of all this, and Sirius looks at you with amusement.
“Is that why you were quiet last night? To not bother me?”
“Oh, the boys weren’t here. Busy week. We’ll be back at being insufferable next Friday.”
You roll your eyes at that, but Sirius laughs.
“I’m joking! I understand, okay? We’re too loud. We’ll keep it down from now on.”
“Right, okay…”
He bit his lip, ran a hand through his hair, in what you guess is shyness. God, you would have never thought to use this adjective to describe him. His rings catch the warm light of the fire burning in the hearth as he moves his fingers through his hair.
“Look, I… I’m sorry for the other night. Actually… for all the other nights. We’ll be more careful next time,” he says, and you raise an eyebrow in surprise.
You never thought you would hear an apology from him, even less so an earnest one, and yet…
“Thank you, Sirius. I’m sorry, too. It was petty and uncalled for.”
“No, you… you were right.”
He heaves a frustrated sigh, runs a hand through his long dark curls again, rebel strands falling before his eyes. You hold tightly onto the sleeve of your hoodie, refraining the sudden urge to push the curls away from his face, brush them behind his ear…
“Look, I… I don’t want us to be on bad terms,” Sirius goes on. “Could I make up for being a dickhead by buying you some fancy Christmas drink? My treat. As a token of good faith and a sign for peace in our building?”
He offers you his open palm, and you shake hands with a smile adorning both of your faces.
“Deal.”
“Any afternoon free this week?”
“Wednesday?”
“Then, I’ll buy you the fanciest cocoa I can find. And even some pumpkin pie, if you’re nice.”
“Sounds good.”
You’re reluctant to pull away but have to let go of his hand.
“Actually… scratch that,” Sirius shakes his head. “Would you go on a date with me?”
Your eyes grow round.
“A date? With you?”
“Yeah. On Wednesday?”
“But… with you?”
“Don’t act so surprised. You really think I play bodyguard for just anybody?”
You laugh at that, you can’t help it, even if you’re still quite stunned by the whole situation.
You weight your options, but then you look at him again, and the answer you want to give is obvious, even if he gets on your nerves all the bloody time…
“Okay. A date. On Wednesday.”
He grins, bright and infectious.
“Great! Awesome!”
“Great.”
“Great.”
You remain staring at each other for a moment, both of you trying to hide your excitement, until you finally clear your throat.
“I should…” you begin, pointing at the door.
“Sure… busy day?”
“You can’t imagine.”
“Hmm…”
You hurry towards the door, feeling overwhelmed by his nearness.
“See you on Wednesday then!” he calls after you as you reach for your own door.
“Sure! But it better be the best hot chocolate I’ve drunk, or I’ll ask for a refund!”
He laughs, and when you turn one last time towards him, Sirius is leaning against his doorframe, staring at you with a grin on his lips and mischief painted all over his features. He winks, and your heart skips several beats.
“Oh, don’t worry. You won’t regret this.”
*********************************
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reputationmunson · 1 year
Text
Crossing Lines | S.H x fem!reader
part one | part two | part three | part 4
series summary: steve isn’t your biggest fan, so why does he ask you to be his date to a wedding? | enemies to lovers, fake dating
chapter summary: a day at the lake with the Harringtons followed by a night out
content: steve and reader arguing (what’s new), drinking, swearing, these two idiots being in love, she/her pronouns, use of y/n
word count: 3.3k
_
You wake up with a wine-induced headache and you look over to see the spot next to you empty.
Yeah, you and Steve kissed last night, but so what? It didn’t mean anything. It was simply all part of the plan to be a more convincing couple. It would be weird if you guys didn’t share a quick peck every now and then if you were so ‘in love’ like you claimed to be, right?
You quickly shake it off and leave the bedroom to find out where Steve went. You’re half expecting to find a note that says ‘hey that kiss made me wanna flee the country. see you never’
Instead, you see Steve sitting on the front porch in one of the rocking chairs, taking in the scenery.
“Good morning” you say and sit down in the chair next to him. He doesn’t say anything, just gives you a nod instead. You refuse to let it be awkward. The weekend has only begun and there’s no way you’re going to let a dumb kiss that meant absolutely nothing make everything weirder than it already is.
“Remember when we kissed last?” you try to lighten the mood. “Do we really have to talk about that? It’s been bugging me all morning”
“Oh, so you’ve been thinking about me all morning, huh?” you tease and he lets out an irritated sigh “do you not know how to be serious about anything?”
“What's there to be serious about? We kissed, for scientific reasons I might add, and it doesn’t have to be weird.” you shrug like it’s no big deal. Except it is a big deal, to Steve, at least. The kiss wasn’t terrible, he might’ve even liked it and he doesn’t want to be dramatic, but that might be the worst thing that’s ever happened. “It is weird though, isn't it?”
“Why? because you liked it?” you ask, expecting him to immediately deny it, but he doesn’t. “Steve? you liked it, didn’t you?” you boast. “No! no, I didn't like it. It was just really stupid and I think it’s insane that you don’t regret it”
“Oh my god, Steve. It was a kiss! You didn’t even hesitate, you practically jumped at the opportunity! then, you initiated the second one!” you proclaim. “Jumped? You were the one making that face!” he argues and you scoff “Face? What face? I was not making a face!” you insist and his eyes roll. “Oh, you so were. You were all like ‘Steve, please kiss me! I’ll even pout my lips and bat my eyelashes at you’” he attempts to make the look that you were allegedly making last night.
“Are you admitting that you think I’m irresistible?” you smirk at him and the triumphant look on his face immediately disappears. “You’re insufferable, you know that?” he says, avoiding an answer to your question. “Yeah, okay, but you still think I’m irresistible” you chaff and he stands up. “You’re about as irresistible as a bed of nails that got set on fire. Now, if you’re done arguing with me, we gotta get ready”
“Ready for what?” you question “There’s a private beach around here and my family wants to go in about an hour” he tells you as you follow him inside. “An hour?! Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” you chastise. “Because you were too busy drooling on your pillow this morning and no, you don’t have time to yell at me because you’re gonna need all the time you can get to look decent before we leave”
_
Apart from the human embodiment of stepping on a piece of gum in a new pair of shoes that is Steve Harrington, today was a lovely day. The sun was shining and there was a cool breeze that balanced perfectly with the weather, making the heat more bearable. The beach was nice, too. It was secluded and Steve’s family were the only people here. Now, if only you could find a way to leave Steve stranded that would make this day even better.
“You finally made it! We were starting to worry!” Steve’s mom, Joanne, greets you. “Sorry about that, Steve forgot to tell me about it last night so I got a late start getting ready” you explain.
“That’s Steve for you. Communication and time-management skills shouldn’t go on his resume if he ever decides to get a real job” His dad chimes in and you can’t help but feel a little bad. “Oh, no, he’s usually always great when it comes to that. We just all have our off days” you defend him and Steve gives you a slight smile as a way to thank you.
“Exactly, George, give Steve a break. I know it’s a little early, but I brought some wine if you’d like some, y/n. It is a vacation after all.” Steve’s mom seems to drink a lot of wine, but if you were married to someone as condescending as George, you would too. “I’d love a glass, thank you”
You sit with Joanne on a blanket while Steve goes over to join his cousins. She pours you a hefty glass of wine and you decide she’s your favorite Harrington.
“How are you two enjoying the house? I know it’s a little small, but we wanted you to be close to us” Their definition of ‘small’ is much different than yours. “It’s perfect, thank you, again. Steve and I had our coffee this morning while admiring the view” okay, you didn’t have coffee, you had a little disagreement, but you were still admiring the view.
“Steve seems absolutely smitten with you. I know I have my faults as a mother, but I still have my instincts and they tell me that maybe in a few years we’ll have another wedding to put on our calendars”
“Oh, I um-”
Before you can get a response out, Steve comes out of nowhere and you don’t think you’ve ever been more grateful for his presence. “We've been challenged to a game of chicken. best two outta three, you in?”
“hm, I don’t know. Do you have to be my partner? I would like to win” you tease. “yes, because it’s couple versus couple and you know you can’t win without me. c’mon” he offers his hand to help pull you up off the ground.
When you pull off your bathing suit cover up, Steve knows he should look away. He shouldn’t care that the one-piece you’re wearing in the god awful shade of your signature color, hugs your body perfectly. His eyes definitely shouldn’t briefly flick down to your ass when you bend over to set the coverup on the blanket, but they do.
“Ready?” you ask, pulling him out of whatever weird trance he was just in. “y-yeah. let’s go”
“What did my mom say? you looked a little freaked out back there” he asks once she’s out of earshot. “something about you being just so head over heels for me and how we’re going to be married in a few years” you let out a sigh like it’s something to brush over. “Don’t listen to her, she’s drinking too much wine. Something you guys seem to have in common”
“how else am i supposed to cope with being your lover”
“gross. don’t say that” he whines and you laugh at him as you always do.
“this water is freezing!” you squeal as the water comes to the shore. “hm, really? how freezing?” he asks with a tone that sounds like he has a plan. “that’s a dumb q-” before you can finish your insult, Steve lunges at you and his arms wrap around your waist and he drags you deeper into the water.
“Steve! let me go!” you screech. “if you insist” he replies before dunking you into the water. You get a hold of him and pull him down with you. There’s no way you were going down without a fight.
You both emerge from the cold water, laughing and neither of you have a look of anger on your faces. Which is strange because usually just the sound of each breathing is enough to set either of you off, but you rarely ever see him have fun. It’s kind of nice to see him let loose even if that means being submerged in frigid water.
“If you lovebirds are done, we’re ready to take you down now” his cousin shouts and you both quickly retrieve your touch from one another. “you think you’re gonna be alright with my legs on your shoulders?” you ask him, not meaning for it to intend to sound as dirty as it came out and his cheeks turn pink. “my god, Steve, stop being a perv and squat down. We are not losing this game”
Steve crouches down so you can sit on top of his shoulders. He hands grip your thighs to steady you and you thread your fingers through his hair to keep your balance. He notices that your thighs are soft and smooth. It’s probably from the lotion that you constantly put on ‘cause you smell nice too. He hopes this game is over as soon as possible.
As the ‘battle’ starts, his grip on your thighs tighten, but you don’t have time to focus on the way it’s making you feel when you’re worried about trying to take down the other team.
You win surprisingly fast. Steve was expecting an immediate takedown that resulted in your flying off of his shoulders. Actually, it was more like hoping than expecting. You’re unexpectedly competitive. Steve figured since you’re so sweet and shy (other people’s words, definitely not Steve’s), that you’d go done in a split second, but you stuck to your guns. He’s decently impressed.
“I’m gonna take a walk to dry off. do you wanna join me?” he asks once you’re out of the water. “yeah that sounds nice”
As you walk, your arm wraps around his and he accepts it without question. “I’m gonna say something but don’t let it swell your ego any more than it already is” he starts and you refrain from a sarcastic comment. “I'm having fun with you today and I guess it’s not totally awful that you’re here”
“Should we get you to a hospital? I think there’s a blood-sucking leech in your brain”
“yeah, i think so too” he looks over at you and sees you're already looking at him. The sunshine really does something to his eyes and makes the freckles on his face more noticeable, you could almost connect them like a constellation. Maybe there’s a blood-sucking leech in your brain too.
“I'm having a good time too. Ya know, despite having to constantly be around you” you joke and he chuckles. “well lucky for you, the guys and I are going out to some bar so you’ll have the place to yourself for a while”
“thank god. i’m going to need some time to recover from being nice to you”
“you and me both, y/n. you and me both”
_
With Steve being gone, you had planned a relaxing evening. There was a little general store not far from the house and you’d gotten all the necessities; snacks, a face mask, and some stuff for a bubble bath. You’re about to start a bath when you hear a knock at the door and you pray that Steve isn’t back already.
“Hi!” One of the Harrington wives, Mary, greets you when you open the door. “Hi! Steve isn’t here-”
“Oh, I know. I’m here for you! Are you still getting ready?” She asks when she notices your robe and face mask. “Getting ready for what?” you question. “We’re meeting the guys at the bar! Didn’t Steve tell you?”
“Y-yeah, he did. I just thought it was a pity invite” you lie. “I don’t really have anything to wear for a night out”
“Honey, let me tell you something that I wish someone told me when I first joined this family; never travel without your favorite little black dress when you take a trip with the Harringtons. Especially us young ones. Those boys always go out”
“I don’t have a little black dress. '' You mumble, a little embarrassed. “Lucky for you, I always bring an extra. Here, try it on!” she hands you a dress from her bag along with a pair of black heels to match. Steve is definitely going to make fun of you for this.
You were expecting to feel out of place in this dress, but honestly, you look hot. The dress is a spaghetti strap with a simple square neckline and it’s shorter than what your choice might’ve been, but it’s stunning.
“Oh my gosh, you look incredible! Steve won’t be able to keep his hands off you” she squeals.“I don’t know about that…” you mutter. “Please. I see the way he looks at you and once he sees you in this dress he’s going to lose it”
People keep talking about the way Steve ‘looks’ at you and you’re starting to think they’re just saying it to say it. How can they confuse his looks of dislike and revulsion with love? No wonder Steve thinks his family is crazy
“Alright, I brought us some drinks and they aren’t going to drink themselves. Let’s get to it!”
_
“Hi, boys. Miss us?” Mary announces once you all approach the half-circle booth the boys are sat at. Steve does a double take when he sees you. Not only was he not expecting to see you here, he definitely wasn’t expecting to see you in that dress.
“Hi, Stevie” you say in a sing-song voice. There’s no denying you’re already a little tispy. Your eyes are glassy and you have a loopy grin on your face. “Hi, babe. I thought you were staying in tonight?”
“I was going too but I just missed you. I hope it’s okay I’m here”
“Oh, it’s fine” One of the men interjects. “Steve’s been talking about you all night”
“I have not. They’ve been asking about you and I’ve been answering questions” he explains. “And what have you been saying, Stevie?” you wonder. “He was just telling us-”
“Alright, that’s enough. How about you grab a chair and sit down, yeah?” You look around to try and find an empty chair but with the bar being crowded, there aren’t any available. “Just sit on Steve’s lap! None of us are prudes, clearly” Mary says and you look at Steve with hesitance. “Yeah, that’s fine. Just hop on” hop on? he repeats in his head. He can’t believe he just said that.
You sit on his lap like it’s something you’ve done a million times before. Your arm wraps around his shoulders while his arm wraps around your waist. Once you’re seated comfortably, his hand comes to rest on your thigh, a little too close for comfort. Your breath hitches slightly and you hope Steve didn’t notice. He did notice, and he’s planning on using this against you later.
Steve can’t focus on any of the conversations happening because the only thing on his mind is the fact that he doesn’t entirely hate your closeness. He blames it on the alcohol coursing through his veins. You look rather pretty tonight and you smell so good that it’s more intoxicating than the drink in his glass.
He absentmindedly begins to rub your thigh and you let out a small gasp, causing him to smirk. “Sorry. Just keeping up appearances” he whispers in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. “It’s fine” you whisper back.
Except, it wasn’t fine. It wasn’t that his touch was making you uncomfortable, it was the complete opposite and that was the problem. You felt yourself melting into his touch and craving it every time his hand left your thigh so he could take a sip of his drink.
You feel like you should regret not staying back at the house, but you don’t. Not even a little bit.
_
“You have to turn the key to the right, Steeevvvee” you drunkenly whine as Steve tries to unlock the front door. “I am turning it to the right” he whines back, mocking your tone. “That’s the left” you point out. “You try it then” he challenges. “Watch and learn, pretty boy”
The key doesn’t budge. You turn it left, you turn it right and nothin’. “Watch and learn. I’m soooo much smarter than Steve” he mimics you as you drop the key on the porch. “It’s broken! What’re we gonna do?” you pout, standing close enough that your chest is flush with his. “Follow me”
You follow Steve to a window that’s slightly open a little higher up than other windows. “I can’t climb through that window in a dress!” you exclaim. “Well, you can’t lift me, so up ya go”
“That is so sexist”
“I know, I’m the worst, blah blah blah. C’mon, let’go” Steve hooks his hands together for you to use as a step. You grip his shoulders and once you're balanced, you’re able to grab the window frame. “I need more of a boost” you tell him. “This is all the boost I got”
“Then throw me!”
“Are you insane? I’m not gonna throw you!”
“We’ll sleep outside, then”
“I have an idea, but don’t punch me! I’m gonna have to touch your butt” he giggles like a four-year-old when he says ‘butt’, making you giggle too. “Lucky you, then. Try not to bust in your pants, okay”
“You sure are confident when you’re drunk. Okay, on three” Steve counts to three and pushes you as much as he can until you’re able to pull yourself through the window. “I’m in!”
“Yeah, I see that. Go unlock the door” he says and you shake your head. “Oh, no no no. If I had to do this, so do you. It’s fun!”
“Why do you have to make everything difficult?”
“Scared you can’t do it?” you taunt. “What was that you said earlier? Watch and learn?”
Steve starts to climb the house and you can’t help but laugh at how many times he slips. Once he’s almost made it, you grab his hand and pull him into the house causing him to topple you to the ground and throwing you both into a fit of giggles.
“Alright, I admit that was fun” he says, a bit breathless. “I know. I’m full of great ideas”
You both stand up and flop onto the bed. “I’m ready to go to sleeo” Steve says with a yawn and closes his eyes. “Noooo, you can’t sleep in those clothes. That’s so uncomfy”
“I can’t move” he grumbles. You move to stand at the foot of the bed and reach your arms out to him. “Get up. Just grab my hands” he lazily grabs your hands and you let out a groan as you pull him up. “Hey, I’m not that heavy” he laughs. “If you say so”
Neither of you have moved from where you’re standing. Your hands are still holding his and his face is close to yours that you could count his eyelashes. “You look really pretty tonight” he whispers like he’s afraid you’ll hear him. “You don’t have to say that. No one’s around”
“And if I said I wanted to kiss you… what would you say to that?” his hand comes up to cradle your cheek and you lean into his touch.
“I’d say it’s a bad idea” you slightly lean in “I know” he leans in closer.
“We hate each other”
“We do”
“And we really shouldn’t kiss ‘cause I don’t think I’ll be able to stop”
“Okay” His nose brushes yours, but his lips press against your cheek instead. This is the one time you wish he wouldn’t listen to you.
“I wouldn’t be able to stop either” Steve confesses before going to get changed in the bathroom, leaving you to feel more confused than you’ve ever felt.
Fuck.
_
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(for some reason there were a few blogs that i wasn’t able to tag:( i apologize!)
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seonghwaddict · 8 months
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EYES DON'T LIE — i. heat, physics and jeong yunho.
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synopsis. you've always resented jeong yunho, and you were positive that the end of high school would've marked the end of your rivalry and hatred. yet now you find yourself in the same crappy hotel as him. assigned to be right next to each other much like the good old times. pairing. jeong yunho x fem! reader. genre. mini-series, fluff, slice of life, mature, academic rivals to lovers, non-idol au. chapter warnings. mentions of infidelity, immature teenagers, swearing. word count. 0.7k
playlist. chapter ii.
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if you were asked to list three things you hated, it would have been the following:
1. heat
2. physics
3. and jeong yunho
first, it started with you two being in the same class for the entirety of elementary, middle and high school. you were an exceptionally hard working student; top of the class in every subject.
nearly.
because jeong yunho was just always equally as good as you. he just had to be. it’s not like either of you were first or second place. it was a shared space at the top. it was the most annoying thing. you hated it, but most of the time you refused to let it bother you. sometimes you thought about him too much, thinking about how if it weren’t for the constant arguing and you weren’t so petty, you could’ve been great friends. perhaps more.
unfortunately though, it seemed like his mission was to be a cocky smartass who just had to annoy you every chance he got.
like in chemistry class, you two were paired up out of a coincidental and greatly unlucky wheel of names spin. and he just wouldn’t stop taunting you.
“i think you’re doing that wrong.”
“one more word out of you and i’ll break this beaker with your face.”
“as if you could reach.”
“jeong yunho, if you don’t-“
or that time when you were assigned to sit next to each other in english for a full year. one day you walked in looking positively murderous because you hadn’t slept in three days. and he just wouldn’t mind his own business.
“damn, were you run over or something? who hurt you?”
“you. 5th grade spelling bee where you beat me by one word.”
“really?“
“no, of course not… actually maybe partially.”
or of course the times where’d you’d spit immature jabs at each other for no particular reason.
“you look stupid with your hair like that.”
“your lips are chapped.”
“stop looking at my lips, idiot.”
“i would but they’re so dry they might compare to your social life, it’s painfully hard to ignore.”
but then things got slightly more serious.
despite you warning her, your best friend started dating your mortal enemy jeong yunho in junior year. it wasn’t a surprise to you when they broke up and she came running to you, crying and stuttering out about how he absolutely broke her heart.
about how their three month long relationship came to a stop when he drunkenly admitted to cheating on her. multiple times. with different girls.
after that, any respect you had for him which wasn’t much anyway disintegrated into nothingness. though you did talk shit before, now it was a lot more frequent.
you found yourself and your best friend going on and on about how insufferable he was. how much you both despised him though you were usually the one throwing in more and more points.
to you, it was justified and perfectly valid.
he broke your friends heart, and soon after, you also heard about the things he’d say about you. spitting shit about how you thought you were “soooo much smarter than him” which you were and how you were “so obsessed with him” which you definitely weren’t.
you were more than relieved when twelfth grade came to an end. nothing could’ve ruined your day not even when the devil himself jeong yunho sauntered up to you with a cocky smile. you barely spared him a glance, even when he brought up the fact you were each other’s co-valedictorian—a title your school had come up with because they genuinely couldn’t choose who deserved it more.
after the ceremony, the two of your had to stand together for almost half an hour, receiving flowers and congratulations from teachers and parents alike. but, alas, before you knew it, it was over.
all the prolonged eye-contact and glares from across the classroom. all the accidental run-ins during your free periods. the heated yelling during debate club. analysing and picking him apart to find flaws, just to realise there weren’t any. the bickering. the frustrating and borderline flirtatious comments he’d make any chance he got.
it was all over and you’d never have to see him again.
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playlist. chapter ii.
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[ lilo's notes . . . ] and there is the first chapter. i hope you guys enjoyed this :)
[ networks . . . ] @cromernet @blankjournal [ taglist . . . ] @diorwoo @yuyusuyu @loveyluv7 @ad0rechuu @h-nji [ permanent taglist . . . ] @ad0rechuu @sankatchu
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sugusshi · 1 year
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┄ GOOD EVENING KITTEN
Part 26 of “My Insufferable Idiot” Series
MASTERLIST | previous — CURRENT — next
─────────────────────── ༉‧₊˚.
➥ EXTRAS:
Another new character introduced! Did ya see that one coming? hehe
Break from the drama and back with more fun times!
Will Izana ever stop instigating stuff? Probably not.
This won't be the last time you'll be seeing Iwaizumi either :>
As always, feel free to tell me what you think in the comments or in my ask box ♡
➥ author’s note: AFTER MONTHS I AM FINALLY BACK WITH AN UPDATE! First of all, apologies for disappearing like that! It's been really hectic in real life and my mental health wasn't doing the best oops. But I'm doing better now! (won't go too long into that; will do blog update soon) Updates will still be sporadic, but thank you for the continuous support even while I was MIA!
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© all works belong to sugusshi | DO NOT COPY OR REPOST
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SERIES TAGLIST: @missarabellla @netzukochannn @uzumakioden @luvelyxp @xiaos-boywife @justrandomlypassing @lollipopd @kamikoii @1uvly @xbabybajix @sh4nn @rinsie @chocoberries-keisuke @bontensbabygirl @hanmasangrysmoosh @rosesandtoshi @denkis-sluttyboy @luvkaku @queen-flower @kisum9 @qualitygiantshoepsychic @shi-thats-kiera @souyasbabyy @q-the-rockaholic @animetrashchild @ayeputita @crown5 @mrsryuguji @vamptits
(permanent taglist in the rbs)
If you would like to be tagged in this series, do comment below or send an ask! For other works, please fill out my official taglist forms in my pinned post! I have also removed accounts that looked to be deactivated or changed username (and I can't find the new one). If you were tagged and wish to be untagged, please let me know so I can untag you! Thank you!
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| actually the worst | part 4
ao’nung x f!reader
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part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | bonus part
summary: just when things start to seem decent between you and ao'nung, you discover that he's done something terrible. though your family begins to forgive him, you know he doesn't deserve forgiveness for being a total dick. so why do you feel so bad for him?
includes: enemies to lovers, swearing, teasing, mentions of fighting/death, ao'nung being a terror😐
word count: 3k
a/n: okay i thiiiink i can wrap this up in one or two more parts, so hopefully this series will be finished up in a few days. i’m sorry i think this is getting repetitive, but i swear things are gonna change up a bit soon😏
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“What was the one thing I asked? The one thing?” Your father demanded, sounding like he was gearing up to give one of his famous “Lo’ak Lectures” as you and your siblings called them. His disappointment was understandable, but you were itching to try and set the record straight. You thought Lo’ak was incredibly stupid for starting a fight, sure, but it seemed unfair for him or any of you to get into trouble for standing up for yourselves.
“Stay out of trouble…” Lo’ak answered wearily.
“Stay out of trouble, right.” Jake was about to go off when Neteyam tried to intervene.
“It was my fault-”
“I don’t think so. You have got to stop taking the heat for this knucklehead!” Jake exclaimed, making you flinch. He was being harsh, as per usual, so you decided to see if he would listen to you.
“Dad. Ao’nung was picking on Kiri.” You said calmly, hoping your twitching tail didn’t betray how angry you actually were.
“And you.” Lo’ak added, giving you a look. “He called them freaks.” As if he hasn’t called me that a million times already, you thought to yourself, though you had to admit that this time was less teasing and more targeted.
“And he hit you?” Your dad questioned, gesturing to the newly forming bruise on your cheek, anger flickering in his eyes. You could tell what he thought of Ao’nung without even asking.
“What? No!” You couldn’t help but reach up and brush your fingers over your cheek, wincing a little. You hadn’t stopped thinking about Ao’nung’s expression after you had gotten hit. You had never seen him look at anyone that way before, almost like he was actually concerned. “It was an accident. I stepped into the middle of the fight like an idiot.” You shrugged, realizing you felt a little afraid for Ao’nung, not wanting him to take the heat for something you could never imagine him doing. You took solace in the fact that the feeling was involuntary. You still wanted to kick his teeth in.
Your father sighed, looking around as he decided how to respond. “Lo’ak, go apologize to Ao’nung.” He said finally, sending your heart plummeting into your stomach.
“What?” Lo’ak breathed, incredulous.
“He’s the chief’s son, do you understand? I don’t care how you do it, just go make peace. Just go.” He shooed Lo’ak outside, his lips pressed into a thin line as he watched the boy stalk angrily away. You groaned, thinking about how smug Ao’nung was going to be now. You imagined your life was about to become insufferable.
“So, what’d the other guys look like?” Jake tried to ease the tension, though he appeared genuinely curious. You rolled your eyes.
“Worse.” Neteyam replied.
“That’s good.” Even with a straight face, you could tell your father was secretly proud of his sons, but it did little to make you feel better.
“A lot worse.” Neteyam decided to push his luck, smiling cheekily as he peered up to get your father’s reaction. The tiniest of smiles tugged at the corner of Jake’s mouth before returning to his familiar strict expression.
“Get out of here.” He said, and you and Neteyam quickly distanced yourselves from the marui.
“Should we go find Lo’ak?” You asked. “He’s probably gonna have permanent ego damage after this.”
Neteyam laughed. “Probably. But nah, he’ll come find us after he’s done licking his wounds. Let’s go tell Kiri and Tuk what happened.” He tugged you toward the village, the two of you setting off to find your sisters.
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It was getting late, but you didn’t have an appetite, so when your siblings started heading back to the marui for dinner, you decided to walk around the beach instead.
You spent most of your walk looking down at the sand, trying to spot some nice shells to collect. You were just about to reach down to grab an iridescent-looking one when you bumped into something warm and solid. Blinking, you realized that your face was mere inches away from a broad chest. You backed up hurriedly, blushing.
“Sorry I-” Your apology was cut short when you finally looked up and saw those piercing blue eyes staring down at you. He seemed just as startled as you, the two of you standing in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say. The look on his face was strange, guilty almost. You figured he would have been cocky as ever after Lo’ak’s apology, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Looks like Lo’ak got you good.” You broke the silence, deciding the most normal way to go about this interaction would be to tease him. He took the bait, narrowing his eyes as a sly smile tugged at his lips. His eyes roamed your face, inciting that buzzing feeling in your stomach that often came about under his gaze.
“Looks like-” But his words died at his lips when his stare came to rest on your cheek. Most of your hair had fallen down to cover it, but you guessed that some of your bruise must have been peeking out enough for him to notice now. He stepped forward seemingly without thinking, gingerly pushing your hair back behind your ear as he examined the bruise with a hard expression. You were frozen in place, unsure of how to respond.
“Are you okay?” He questioned, his voice low and quiet.
“Um, what?” You couldn’t help but be confused, having never seen the tall boy act like this before.
“Does it hurt?”
You narrowed your eyes. “What do you think, genius?” This made him huff in annoyance, but he didn’t move away.
“Come,” Was his only response, placing his hand on your back as if to guide you along with him when he started toward the village. Against your better judgement, you found yourself being guided along with little resistance.
“Where are you taking me, weirdo?” You tried to put some venom into your words in an attempt to get the old Ao’nung back instead of this strange, concerned clone of his.
“Do you ever stop talking?” He bit back, rolling his eyes. There he was. You almost smiled.
“You know, if you’re taking me somewhere to murder me, everyone is going to suspect you, like, immediately.”
“I’m not going to murder you.”
“Then where are we going?”
“Stop asking dumb questions, forest girl.”
“Just tell me where-”
“Maybe I will murder you just to have some peace and quiet.” Ao’nung growled, steering you up to a very small marui pod that seemed to be unoccupied. “We’re here.”
You chuckled, unsurprised that this whole thing had turned out meaningless. “Wow, this is really nice. Thank you for the pointless walk and terrible company, but I have to get going now.” You deadpanned, turning to go, only for him to grab your arm with a huff.
“Would you just sit down? I know what I’m doing.” He gestured to the small ledge just outside of the marui. You rapidly tried to work out what his end goal was, but obliged to his request, sitting cautiously as he ducked inside. When you peeked into the pod, you noticed various pots, bottles, and dried greenery, but you and Ao’nung seemed to be the only living beings around the area. The thought set your heart racing.
“Here. Now stay still.” Ao’nung popped back out of the pod, holding a small pot of what looked like ground up herbs in some kind of paste. It was then that you remembered who his mother was and figured this was probably storage for her medicines. You tensed, scooting away from him.
“I am not letting you play doctor on me.” You scoffed.
“Don’t be such a baby. My mother is Tsahìk, I know what I’m doing.” He sat down beside you, waiting annoyedly for you to allow him closer.
“Yeah? Well, you’re still a dipshit, so stay away from me with that stuff.” Ao’nung shook his head, groaning.
“You are impossible,” He hissed. “I use this all the time on myself, okay? It works.”
You glared at him for a long moment before giving in, still wary of his insistence to help you. He smirked when you relaxed somewhat, and dipped his fingers into the paste as he leaned toward you.
You gasped a little when he made contact with the bruise, surprised at the coldness.
“Don’t tell me that hurt, forest girl.” Ao’nung mocked quietly, smirking at your annoyed expression.
“Was just cold.” You mumbled, and he went back to gently spreading the paste along your tender cheek. His featherlight touch and warm breath fanning across your skin gave you goosebumps. The silence was too much for you.
“I don’t know if you got brain damage from being punched too hard, but we,” You whispered, gesturing dramatically between the two of you. “Don’t get along.” You stared directly into his amused eyes. “It’s actually weirding me out that you’re being… nice?”
“Just shut up, freak. Listen to the ocean or something so I can enjoy the quiet.”
You wanted to keep talking just to annoy him, but you soon settled into the comfortable silence, listening to the soft lapping waves and the insects humming.
The sun had begun to set, washing everything in golden light as it started to dip below the horizon. Ao’nung’s skin looked soft in the golden glow, his eyes turning a shade of blue that you didn’t even know existed. You were staring but you couldn’t pull your eyes away, not when he was practically caressing your face. Suddenly, his eyes flickered away from his focus on your bruise and locked with yours. The air in the minuscule space between you felt charged with electricity. You briefly wondered what it would be like to lean a few inches forward and kiss his cheek. Or his lips.
“[Y/N]! There you are!” Neteyam’s relieved voice instantly shattered the strange bubble you and Ao’nung had just been living in. Both of you jerked away from one another, as if burned. “What are you doing here?” Neteyam’s tone changed when he took in the full scene before him. Despite the distance you had just put between yourselves, there was a only so much space on the marui ledge, and both of you looked flushed.
When he didn’t receive an answer right away, Neteyam stepped closer, narrowing his eyes at Ao’nung. “I asked what you are doing here. With my sister.” He said through clenched teeth, looking murderous.
“Teyam, it’s okay. He was helping me with this. See?” You turned your cheek slightly to show him your newly treated bruise. Neteyam’s gaze flicked between that and the paste still in Ao’nung hand. He seemed satisfied enough with the answer, but still didn’t relax much.
“Well, mom and dad want you back home soon. It’s almost dark.” He stretched his hand out to you, helping you down from the ledge to stand beside him. Your heart was still racing and your skin burning as your mind tried to make sense of everything. Ao’nung said nothing, though his own chest was heaving slightly.
“Let’s go.” You murmured, lightly pulling your brother away. “Um- thank you.” The words came out robotic, and couldn’t bring yourself to meet Ao’nung’s eyes as you said them. You didn’t wait for a response before you and Neteyam slowly trailed away. You were rapidly trying to decide how to explain everything to your brother when he spoke, seemingly more worried about something else.
“I thought Lo’ak would have been with you.” He was clearly deep in thought, concerned over something you were unaware of.
“Why? Didn’t he go back to the marui for dinner?” That’s where you assumed he would have been. It wasn’t like him to skip a meal.
“No, he didn’t.” Neteyam shared a look with you. “I told mom and dad that I would bring him back with you.” He looked scared now, and you didn’t blame him. As you racked your brain, also growing scared for your brother, you suddenly stopped, remembering something.
“Ao’nung!” You whipped around, starting quickly back toward the marui where the boy still sat. His surprised expression rapidly shifted into confusion when he noticed the look on your face.
“Where is Lo’ak?” You demanded, not missing the way he tensed before slumping his shoulders slightly. He looked down.
“I was going to tell you…” He started and it took everything in you to stay calm and let him continue. “That’s why I was on the beach. I was looking for you. But then I saw you were hurt and I got distracted-”
“Where. Is. Lo’ak?” You breathed, far too mad to register his unusual remorsefulness.
“We took him out hunting,” His head lowered even more, his voice downcast. “Past the reef…”
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It was safe to say that your entire family was seething at Ao’nung, though your parents clearly tried not to show it. You knew they constantly worried about offending the Olo’eyktan- and Ao’nung happened to fall under that umbrella of protection. You, however, couldn’t care less who he was. You wanted to kill him.
He had told your parents everything after you and Neteyam dragged him back home, which resulted in a search party being sent out to look for Lo’ak. The thought that he might not ever return gripped your throat and lungs, making it hard to breathe. Tears were streaming down your face, but you couldn’t find it in you to be embarrassed, despite the large amount of people who could see you crying. Ao’nung was trying to help by explaining where they had taken your brother, but you had begun to notice that he would frequently pause to glance at you from afar. You kept your distance for fear of not being able to control yourself if you got too close. It didn’t matter that he had already apologized a thousand times. It didn’t matter that he seemed genuinely sorry. That damage was done.
As you began gearing up to take your ikran out (against the wishes of your parents), a horn sounded, followed by some unintelligible shouts while a crowd formed at the dock. You instantly dropped your gear and ran toward the commotion, arriving just in time to see Lo’ak approaching on the back of someone’s ilu. He stepped off easily, thanking his rescuer before turning to face the crowd. Without a second thought, you jumped down into the sand to meet him, wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug. He may have been larger than you, but you felt that you could have picked him up and swung him around.
“I’m okay.” He breathed, patting your back in reassurance. You only released him when you noticed his vision fall on Ao’nung who was standing on the dock above you. Lo’ak narrowed his eyes, starting menacingly toward him.
“Hey, hey.” Your father had appeared behind you, grabbing Lo’ak to prevent him from getting into his second fight of the day. “Let’s have a look at you.” He quickly examined your brother, who surprisingly appeared unharmed. Only a few marks here and there.
“He’s fine, he’s fine. Just a few scratches.” Jake was quick to try and wave everyone away, as if that would magically fix the situation. The tension only tightened as Neytiri arrived, assessing Lo’ak’s condition.
“I pray for the strength that I will not pluck the eyeballs out of my youngest son.” She hissed, making a clawing motion at his face. Lo’ak, however, seemed to have calmed down, an almost bored expression on his face.
“No! My son knows better than to take him outside the reef.” Tonowari spoke up, putting a hand on Ao’nung to push him down to his knee, looking more ashamed than ever. Despite what he had done to your brother, your felt a pang in your heart.
“This is not Ao’nung’s fault.” Lo’ak suddenly said, standing up straighter, and you couldn’t believe your ears. What was he doing? Even Ao’nung looked extremely taken aback. “This was my idea. Ao’nung tried to talk me out of it.” If you didn’t know him so we’ll, you might have just believed him. A stunned silence followed, no one sure of what to say in the face of such a humbling remark. Eventually, Lo’ak stiffly nodded at Tonowari and set off toward the village.
You quickly scrambled after him, dying to ask him why the hell he was suddenly being so humble.
“Lo’ak!” You panted, jogging up beside him. He didn’t slow down, but he didn’t look annoyed that you were there, either. “What was that?” You pressed. He only shrugged, making you roll your eyes. “Lo’ak, come on, why-” You didn’t get to finish before someone approached on Lo’ak’s other side.
“Why did you speak for me?” Ao’nung asked, confounded. You stayed silent, hoping Lo’ak would actually give a proper answer.
“Because I know what it’s like to be one big disappointment.” He turned to briefly meet Ao’nung’s eyes, not a hint of sarcasm or malice in his tone. He was speaking from his heart, causing yours to break a little in turn. Ao’nung stopped walking, a curious expression overtaking his face, though you and Lo’ak kept on walking. It took a good amount of self-control for you to rip your semi-murderous gaze off Ao’nung and keep walking straight. It was silent between you for a long while.
“So, what?” You finally cut in. “Are you two just on good terms now?” It was mostly a joke, but Lo’ak dipped his head into a nod.
“I’m not going to hold a grudge about it, if that’s what you mean.” He said, and your eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“What? I mean, after everything you’re not even a little bit mad? You could have died, Lo’ak.”
“Look, he apologized. He seemed weirdly genuine about it. Besides, if we keep holding grudges then this stupid revenge cycle is never going to end.” You had never, in your entire life, heard your youngest brother say something so wise. It made you wonder what really happened to him out at sea.
“Okay, mr. peacemaker. Well, I’m still gonna be pissed at him.” Lo’ak laughed at this, turning to walk backwards in order to face you. It was good to see him smiling again.
“That tracks. Hating each other seems to be your guys’ favourite game.” He grinned as you scowled.
“It’s not a game, Lo’ak. He’s actually the worst.”
“Yeah, actually the worst guy to have a crush on. That’s why you hate him.” Lo’ak snipped, his grin as wide as ever. “You hate that you like him.”
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taglist:
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chuluoyi · 2 months
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✎ stupid liar
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- gojo satoru x reader
no way. impossible. you couldn't possibly be jealous of gravure idol gojo likes so much now... or could you?
genre: jealous!reader vs slightly jealous!gojo, crack, and obviously, fluff !!
note: based on this post :))
a part of gojo's love entries
series masterlist | oneshot masterlist
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"Look, Suguru~ Isn't she pretty?"
Your eye twitched at the sing-song voice, lips twisting into a scowl as you glanced at him from the corner of your twitching eye.
No. You don't care. Not in the slightest.
You stabbed your fork into your cheesecake with more fervor than necessary though.
"Eh?"
"Inoue Waka!" Satoru exclaimed with an enthusiasm that felt almost too bright. "This is her in her newest issue!"
‘Newest issue’ being a bikini special, with the said model lay sprawled in the most revealing piece possible. That indecent photo had also become the wallpaper and lockscreen on your boyfriend's phone, and he shamelessly showed it off with pride.
You steeled yourself. Again. No. It's not a big deal. You weren't jealous, especially not over some... heavily-altered picture of a porn actress!
"Ahh, she does look nice..."
You attacked your now-mutilated cheesecake again, feeling your mood plummet further after hearing Suguru's response. Now you were convinced, all men are dogs!
"—but not exactly my type," he added quickly, his gaze darting towards you. His interest lay more in your reaction, which was why he stirred the pot further: "Is she your type, Satoru?"
Your boyfriend, whether oblivious or intentional, erupted into giddy laughter like a kid. "Ehh... why of course!"
His enthusiastic agreement seemed to echo louder in your ears than it probably should have. The cheesecake, once a treat, now felt like lead in your mouth.
That's it. One more time and—
But then, Suguru's voice cut through your irritated thoughts again, clearly amused. "Well, but I've always thought real beauty lies not just in appearances but in strength of character. Wouldn't you agree, Satoru?"
You knew it, Suguru was indeed the best. You dared to glance up from your plate, curious about your cocky little clown’s response. But you really shouldn't, because Satoru, the absolute cretin he was—
"Why are you getting philosophical all of sudden?" he sullenly grumbled. "Important thing is if she's hot, then she is hot." You could have sworn he briefly side-eyed you before saying, "And no one is hotter than Inoue Waka."
Stupid. Idiot. Insufferable.
Standing up, your patience dissipated into thin air. Your brisk pace made Shoko, who was beside Suguru, to quirk an eyebrow. "Oh, leaving already?"
"I'm going back. Have a practice."
"Ehh? You didn't say?" only now did your shameless boyfriend turned to you fully. "It's still break time—"
"Nanami is waiting for me, goodbye."
You didn't look back even once, too annoyed to notice that Satoru was gawking at your words.
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Satoru couldn't believe this. You ignored him. You actually did… in favor of Nanami!
He was starring daggers at how the two of you conversing so amiably across the hall. You were his girlfriend already, but he could barely able to make you look as sweet as you were with Nanami just now. You were always prickly with him!
Okay, but rest assured—with Suguru he may have doubts, but with Nanami, he was convinced he outshone him by a wide margin, perhaps even ten or twenty times over!
"Why are you sparring with him?" he was sulking when he caught you on the way back to the dorms after school. "Why not Haibara instead?"
You scoffed. "And why do you idolize Inoue Waka and not Yuzuki Tina?"
Oh, so that's what this is about. Suddenly, he didn't feel as miffed as a stupid grin split his face. "Ooh, you're looking into gravure idols too?"
"..."
"Heh, if you're doing it for research purpose, that's totally okay~"
"..."
"Pfft, you're so jealous it's so great to watch—"
You halted abruptly, your annoyance now at its peak. Facing your infuriating boyfriend, you leveled a piercing glare at him that caught him off-guard. "Gojo, from today onwards, we're having a ban."
"Whoa, hey—"
"—and in the meantime, you can print Inoue Waka out of your phone, hang her in your dorm and kiss your wall instead—"
"Just a minute!" Satoru interjected, eyes rounded with slight alarm. "Don't be too hasty!"
He looked at you, really looked at you, and saw that you were actually upset.
A twinge of... what is it? Some kind of guilt, he supposed, pricked his chest. He didn't like seeing you like this, especially knowing he had played a part in it. You should be smiling sweetly and catching his heart with it, not frowning like this.
"Hey," he started, his voice softening as a small, sincere smile crept onto his face. You continued to look away, a stubborn pout fixed on your lips. Darn it, how did you manage to look cute while angry too?
"Look at me, I'm all yours, okay?"
That got you to shoot him a sharp glance, and boohoo!—the ice in your heart thawed slightly as you met his smile, which soon evolved into a toothy grin.
But then, in one swift strike, he pulled his phone out and took a snap of your very-not-ready face.
"Satoru!" you screamed in panic, trying to climb over him to pluck his phone. "No! Delete that!"
"Ah ah," he crisply snickers, raising his hand with the phone high above where you couldn't reach. After pressing a few buttons, he triumphantly showed you his phone screen, now displaying your flop picture in all of its glory.
"That's seriously awful!" you grimaced, a look of horror in your face. "Satoru, for real—"
“You’re adorable,” he countered almost immediately, his smile wide and unabashed—the very winning smile that won your heart. “My girl is cute as heck and you know what the best part is? She’s mine.”
. . .
—okay, you were now positively melting. This was irritating, how can you forgive him this easily?
You huffed, raising your chin high to cover the very sizzling heat in your cheeks. "Hmph. Keep that photo then. But I'm still sparring with Nanami though."
"Mm-hmm, whatever. I hope his foul hairstyle won't affect you—"
"Don't badmouth him! Wait, don't tell me... you feel threatened by him?"
"Wha? Why would I!? I have the better face, better wallet—!"
Together, you walked back to the dorms, the evening air somehow felt lighter around you. Satoru's hand found yours along the way, and the two of you kept up a playful banter, followed by shared giggles afterwards.
. . .
What you didn't realize, however, was that there was another reason behind Satoru's happy laughter... his secret little mission had been a smashing success~
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Epilogue
“I put too much faith in Y/N. I’m disappointed.”
“We are paying Gojo, damn it.”
Suguru and Shoko let out collective sighs, looking at the two of you. They witnessed your little outburst and that sealed everything.
You used to not give in to so easily. Unfortunately now, you were whipped for that idiot too, enough to get jealous over him.
As Suguru opened his wallet, a realization struck. “Shoko, now that I think about it… why am I always losing these bets?”
“You could just suck… or maybe," she glances him over before letting out a snort. "Your bangs just bring bad luck?”
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theewokingdead · 1 year
Text
F My...Tonsils? - Benny Miller x wife!Reader
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Pairing: Benny Miller x wife!Reader (1st Person POV; Benergy Universe) Summary: Benny is attractive despite the ridiculous things that come out of his mouth. Word Count: 600+ Rating: No rating but my blog is 18+ Warnings: 1st person POV, Language, Allusions to oral Notes: Things were changed, but this was inspired by a legitimate exchange between me and my husband. As always, Benergy is a collection of one-shots so this can be read without having read anything else.
Main Masterlist | Benergy Series Masterlist
“Boom!” Benny leaps to his feet as he slams his last Uno card onto the table. “Suck my dick!” He gestures to the area in case I’ve forgotten where his dick resides, despite the fact that the two children sleeping above should make it clear I know.
Typical Benny.
I pretend to be annoyed, rolling my eyes while I gather the pile of cards, seeming to ignore the fact that he’s now strutting around the dining room like a peacock showing off his plumage. Secretly, I watch him out of the corner of my eye, trying to hide the smile that's creeping up on my face as I realize how much I enjoy his playful antics.
“You wish,” I mumble. I shuffle the deck, waiting for him to settle down to see if he wants to continue or call it a night. We've been playing games for hours while eating snacks, chatting, and joking around – our little date night with kids when we don't have a sitter. It's not always easy balancing parenthood and romance, but nights like these make it all worth it. We share many laughs, teasing and taunting each other, just having fun and enjoying each other’s company.
“No, you wish,” Benny retorts, and I raise an eyebrow in response, curious as to where he’s going to take this conversation. He places his hands on the table and leans forward, a mischievous glint in his eye. “You wish I was touching your tonsils right now.”
My face twists in shock, unable to believe he just said that. I don’t know if I’m more stunned by his words or the fact he thinks it’s even possible.
Fuck…why is the thought of that so hot? Benny deep in my throat…chocking on his-
I try to compose myself and respond, “You know I don’t have tonsils, right?” But deep down, I can feel my cheeks burning and my heart racing. As much as I try to deny it, there's something about Benny that I can never resist. Maybe it's his sense of humor or his confidence, but I find myself drawn to him more and more each day.  
Benny isn’t thrown off by my response. He simply smirks and says, “That’s how deep I’d be. I’d touch the ghost of your tonsils.”
Jesus Christ. I can’t help but pinch the bridge of my nose and, for a moment, reconsider all of my life choices. My mind races with conflicting thoughts and emotions. Part of me thinks he is such an idiot while another part of me is so incredibly turned on by him.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Before I can fully process my thoughts, Benny walks to where I’m sitting, tips my chin up, and kisses me, sending a rush of desire through my body. I melt into the kiss, my hands finding their way to the back of his neck as I pull him closer. It's like every nerve in my body is on fire, and I can't get enough of him. But as quickly as the kiss started, it ends, and Benny pulls away with a smirk on his face.
“I knew you couldn't resist me," he says, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement.
Once more, I roll my eyes, trying to hide the fact that he’s right.
“You're insufferable,” I reply, but there's a hint of laughter in my voice. I rise from my chair and push past him, heading toward the stairs that lead to our bedroom.
“Where are you going?” he questions, and I feel his gaze following me.
“Upstairs to perform a séance to see if the ghosts of my tonsils want to get fucked tonight.” I stop and turn to look down at him, seeing that he hasn't moved. "You coming or not?"
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↳ Nanami x Tiana
↳ After Nanami's return to jujutsu society, he is tasked with an overseas mission, one smack dab in the center of New Orleans, a place with magic, curses, culture...And a woman who mirrors him far too closely, but with enough spitfire to challenge him and a smile sweeter than the beignets she makes. With an eleven day countdown and the safety of New Orleans on the brink, can Nanami differentiate between magic and voodoo, curse and love?
↳ Genre: Romance, Slight pining, Modern AU
↳ Warnings: None ↳ Word count: 4K
↳ Notes: Tiana's story occurs in the 1920's, but I took the liberty of bringing the timeline to the present, aka the 2010's. This also means that Nanami is in his early twenties, when he just quit being a salaryman and went back to jujutsu society.
| Series masterpost | Next chapter. . . |
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This place reminded Nanami of Tokyo a lot. Loud, crowded, hot and humid. Human.
The air was more muggy here than in Tokyo actually. It was more dense, hanging in the air and weighing down the suit that now seemed too unnecessary and cumbersome.
‘No’ , he adjusted his tie, and weaved his way through the outskirts of the crowd. He was a sorcerer, and wherever he went he had an image to maintain.
A sorcerer. It felt strange to call himself that again, after four years as a salary-man. Strange but right. It was the only path that seemed right to him, the only one where he felt he could make the smallest differences. It was the only reason he came back.
It was the only reason he was here, six thousand nine hundred and five miles away from Tokyo, in the heart of New Orleans, creeping up on mardi gras season. Music blared from the balconies and in the streets, and Nanami sighed, sticking to the edge of the crowd, as best as he could.
He wouldn't be here exactly if he wanted to. But he hated owing debts, to anyone, much less the insufferable Gojo Satoru.
_ _ _ _ _
“It's a yearly mission for grade 1 and above sorcerers,” Gojo Satoru laid on the couch, his too long legs dangling off the edge. “There aren't many sorcerers in America, but there are plenty of curse users.”
“Then why aren’t we sent to get rid of the curse users and then the curses? It seems like we’re attacking a symptom rather than the root cause.”
“Ah, my dear junior, see? This is where you need my expert knowledge and guidance,” He shot up like a cartoon character, lanky and exuberant.
“Curse users are identified as anyone who uses cursed energy against civilians, with the intent to cause harm. Or, are able to use cursed energy but are not labeled as sorcerers by jujutsu society. But, in the port city of New Orleans there's a special phenomenon. Almost the entire populace are labeled as curse users.”
Nanami's eyes widened behind his glasses. “How does that make any sense? People who are able to use cursed energy are already rare as it is, but an entire populace ?”
“Crazy, right? Even ordinary folks who stay there for an extended period of time are able to see cursed spirits, a general skill that's been lost to most people since the time of the Heian era,” Gojo supplied.
“Maybe it's due to the rich history of the land and the people that came before it. Maybe it's their longstanding voodoo and spiritual practice; though to call voodoo cursed energy is not really accurate, and kinda racist, you know? Anyways, your job is to take care of all the cursed spirits that arrive during the mardi gras season.”
“...And that's all?”
“Now don't think this will be easy kohai!” The idiot grins.
“Due to the highly superstitious and spiritual beliefs of the people, the curses grow strong and unnatural. Due to varying cultures and influences we don't know what kind of curse it'll be, just that it’ll be strong.” He points to Nanami.
“You will take care of all the curses, and the semi special grade that will appear sometime during the end of the season.”
“...This is going to be a very long term mission, isn't it?”
“Oh, don't be like that, Nanamin!” in a blink Gojo is draped over his shoulders like an annoying shawl.
“You just came back to us after four years of no contact, you have to prove yourself! And anyways, it's a very famous tourist attraction so you’ll have lots of fun there, a full week and a half of leisure, pretty much!” he sighs, frowning under that blindfold.
“Honestly, besides the curses it's a very fun, relaxing trip, you should be grateful I'm handing it off to you. Anyways, who else besides you can speak English so well? We need you Nanamin!”
That at least had some weight, a long term mission in America would need a sorcerer who had at least an intermediate level in english. He’d take the job, it seemed simple enough.
_ _ _ _ _
He understood exactly what Gojo meant when he entered the city, a peculiar wave of cursed energy flowing over his senses. It shocked him, how potent it was- the only times he felt energy this vivid and strong was when he was surrounded by other sorcerers, particularly in battle with other cursed users, both spilling cursed energy like blood, giving it their all.
But this was not a place of gloom–it was bright and cheerful and loud and colorful, there was the scent of something delicious in the air, and the people all around him looked self assured and content. The problem lay deeper into the city, and would show itself soon enough.
For now, he needs to find the place he's going to stay. Lodgings had been provided for him at a decent hotel, and after a long plane ride and bus, a full twenty hours of traveling, he was tired and irritated.
The crowd jostled along as he tried making his way, so that he could get to the hotel and rest already. He thought to ask for directions, but the was still getting used to the sounds here.
The language was thicker, richer; the accents ranged vibrantly and almost seemed like its own separate lingo, which he supposes it could be. He could make it out if he focused, so this was good practice for him.
His maternal grandfather had been Dutch, and insisted Nanami learn to speak it, as well as English, as he had with his mother. And just like the heritage he passed down, so too did he pass down the cursed energy; a carrier like his mother, curling softly in their core like the blonde shade of their hair until it at once bloomed in him. He was the only sorcerer in the entire family. They still think that he's a salary man.
There was a loud commotion further down the street, a large crowd of people moving his way, and he sighed hard, moving off the curb so he could let the crowd pass.
A lady suddenly fell not too far from him, landing right on the edge of the curb. And while people stopped to help her up, it was much too crowded, and they kept being accosted and jostled.
Nanami moved, forming a barrier between himself and the crowd so the lady could be helped. She was an older woman, and fixed her skewed hat as she was helped to her feet and the crowd started to thin.
“Oh goodness, If only I was young again to go charging through a crowd and carry on my way, yeah?” He held out his arm so she could straighten herself. She was tiny, brown eyes and a wide mouth, set in a warm smile. Her skin was dark and weathered; she looked kind, but also tired.
“Are you a tourist? Here to enjoy the last of the mardi gras season are you?”
“Something of the sort.” The words felt clunky on his tongue, but manageable. She patted his arm and smiled wider.
“You're not from around here are you? You must have come a long way.”
“From Tokyo ma’am. Are you alright? Are you heading somewhere?”
“Oh my lord, that's a long ways away. Are you-oh!” she took a step and stumbled, wincing as she leaned on his arm.
“Goodness, must of hurt my ankle in the scuffle.”
“Are you going anywhere? Let me escort you.” He couldn't leave this lady injured in the midst of this crowd. He could get her to sit somewhere, and phone someone to come to her aid.
“I’m heading over to that restaurant a couple streets down, my daughter works there and imma pay her a visit. She is always so busy, and never has any time to visit her poor ma.” He helped the lady, letting her lean onto his side he went down the street she gestured towards.
“So what brought you all the way here from your Tokyo young man?”
“I’m taking a vacation from work; I decided to go somewhere far away.”
“Well you certainly got the far part down. Did you just arrive? Forgive an old woman but you look a fright.” He's sure he does. After quitting his job he was finally able to get some decent sleep, before his missions started up again in earnest. He hasn't felt this tired in weeks.
“I’ll be going to my hotel after I drop you off ma’am.” She chuckled, and Nanami could smell her perfume, floral and powdery fresh.
“Well, thank you for helping out a frail lady. My name is Eudora. Eudora Breaux, it's a pleasure to meet you.”
“Nanami Kento. Likewise ma'am.”
She led him to the street and pointed him inside a bustling restaurant; despite the amount of people inside the servers and waitresses shouted out greetings to the lady as they stepped in, obviously familiar. Immediately a waiter ushered them to a table, where a large robust man sat with a pink clad lady, both the same shade of blonde.
They all greeted each other warmly, and Nanami was ready to leave, until they managed to drag a seat and pull him down, setting a plate of powdered beignets in front of him.
“Another tourist for the mardi gras season, huh? Welcome to New orleans! I'm the mayor of this town, you can call me Big Daddy La Bouff.” He wasn't going to call him that, ever. Mayor La Bouff hooked the lady next to him under his arm, near suffocating her in his affection.
“And this princess right here is my daughter, Charlotte La Bouff.” She was an elegant woman with bright eyes and a cheeky smile, as she introduced herself and held out a hand for him to shake. Her grip was surprisingly strong, for those dainty hands.
“Nice to meet you Sir, how's your stay been so far?”
“I just got off the bus, so I couldn't tell you, miss.”
“Oh!” She covered her mouth, her hands covered in delicate lace.
“You just got here? Goodness, do you have a place to stay?”
“This young man was on his way to his hotel when he stopped to help me, after I hurt my ankle,” Breaux cut in, wiping the powdered sugar from her lips.
“And what hotel are you staying at son?”
“The Peter and Paul hotel. If you could give me directions I could be on my way.”
“Nonsense!” La Bouff waved his hand.
“Guess what, I own that hotel! Its near booked with tourists now, so I'm not sure if you’d be able to get a room any time soon, son.”
“A colleague of mine booked me a room there, so I should be fine.”
“Well that's well and dandy then. And, you already met the owner,’ Miss La Bouff said conspiratorially, with a sneaky grin, “So if you have any problems or want a better room just speak up, ‘kay? I'm sure we can hook ya right up.”
“Charlotte! Just what are you saying? Is this how I taught you to do business?”
“'Buy cheap sell high', I know Daddy! But look at him, he seems like an honest, hardworking gentleman; I only want him to enjoy the last few days of Mardi gras in comfort! As a thank you for helping Mrs. Breaux, of course.”
He’d be comfortable if he could leave and get some rest before working tonight, but it would be rude if he just got up and left. He would have done it to anyone else, said his polite farewells and left, but he was in the presence of the mayor and his daughter, so it was best not to.
He reached out and took up one of the beignets in a napkin, biting into it. Immediately, the texture of the treat stunned him, and he swallowed. It was good. The slight crisp on the outside, the soft buttery layers of the inside, the sweetness of the powdered sugar. Like, really good.
“Are these the best darn Beignets you've ever had or what?” Mrs. Breaux rested her chin on her hand. “They’re made fresh here everyday and sell out fast, so lucky we came in to a fresh batch.”
He had to admit, these were incredibly good. Almost like they came from an actual bakery, and not a dime a dozen restaurant in this port city. And he’s traveled a bit and gone to some truly extraordinary bakeries. These were on par.
Memories of a brunnette baker flooded his mind, a heartfelt thank you, but he let it slip away to the back of his mind.
“Who made these? They’re delicious.”
“My baby girl, Tiana! I tell you, she's the best cook in this whole spot, and when she gets her own restaurant, people are gonna come here from everywhere .” It was easy to see how proud she was of her daughter, pride and love gleaming in her eyes.
“Ever since her daddy handed her a cooking spoon when she was five, she's been in love ever since.”
Hm, perhaps then…Maybe it’ll be alright to stay for a meal, if the beignets were this good.
“Then I’ll have to give my compliments to the chef.”
“That you will, and I’d like to see you fed before you go off your way. Look at how sharp and gaunt your cheekbones are!” His face was not gaunt, he just had a shaped face. Nevertheless, Mayor La Bouff chuckled jauntily.
“Those eastern types don't put on weight that easily miss Breaux. Strong and lean types I tell you. But I agree, let's get some food in this man's belly! Where is your daughter Breaux?”
“Right here folks, can I take your order?” Nanami turned and a young woman stood behind him. Her skin was dark, covered in a layer of sweat from all the humidity, a dark curl of hair escaping from her hair net. Nanami could recognize her, she had the same face as the woman he brought in here.
“Tiana!!” Miss la Bouffe shot up from her seat, rushing around the table to throw her arms around her friend. She quickly let go after noticing the sweat sheening her skin. She smiled bright at the lady, before taking stock of her mother, the way she kept her injured ankle raised.
"Oh, ma! Are you alright?!” She set down her notepad and came around to her mother, who raised her hands to wave her away.
“I’m fine, I'm fine girl. I fell and hurt my ankle a little but this man right here helped me.” She turned to him, and Nanami met her gaze.
His eyes were still covered by his glasses, but it seemed that didn't matter because her eyes immediately knew where to look. Her gaze was direct and scrutinizing, and he felt himself being evaluated. For a moment, he felt a fluctation of cursed energy, a slight waning, like opening a window to let in a breeze; But before he could really remark on that it slipped from his grasp. It was for no more than a second or two, and La Bouffe spoke up.
“We wanna get him a nice meal before we send him on his way, so give us the best you have to offer. Can you do that for us, Tiana?”
“Who do you think you're talking to?” She hadn't drawn her gaze away from his face as she took back her notepad. but she smiled at Nanami, analyzing him for a moment more and nodding.
“It can be a little hard to know what you want, but I got just the thing for you, A perfect taste of New Orleans. Don’t worry, you helped my mama so it's on the house.”
“I couldn’t possibly accept. I’m fine with paying.” Despite the trouble with changing currencies and how expensive things were in America. Damn their economy. But she shook her head, scribbling in her notepad.
“It’s fine, I insist. And I already know what you folks would like. I'll be out in just a minute.” She turned and left, disappearing past a door leading to the kitchens.
“Your daughter works as a waitress here as well?”
“Waitress and cook, when they’re short staffed like this, honestly she does it all,” Miss La Bouff sighed, fond and tired.
“She's trying to save up for her dream, owning her own restaurant. That girl’s a heck of a cook, and she's got a great head on her shoulders.”
“Which she all gets from her mama.” Mrs. Breaux flushed a little, bashful.
“It’s been hard on that girl. The towns never fully recovered from Hurricane Katrina, so there's been less jobs and less money to make. Still, she doesnt stop.” Mrs. Breuax sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Seriously, even if she's got free time she's either budgeting or meeting with realtors or cooking up new recipes; Charlotte girl, why don't you take her dancing or something?”
“I’ve tried Mrs. Breaux! We all have! She never wants to go!” The table burst into loud, playful conversation that only those close could, and Nanami zoned out.
He’ll go to his hotel and rest for a few hours, before he heads back out again to go curse hunting. There was another foreign sorcerer that he could meet up with, in case anything went wrong. They were ranked as a special grade, and according to the report, kept to themselves in the swamp, only leaving to help if the situation was dire. Introverted, but not unfriendly.
But he could deal with things for now, the way they were. In the meantime, he’ll dig for intel on this town, to help him parse out what kinds of curses he’ll be dealing with. It’ll take a few days to get an idea of what this semi special grade will be, since he doesn't know what kind of cursed energy surrounds this place.
Even now, he can feel it like a second skin, a film that won't dissolve on his tongue. There was something strange about this town, and it wasn't the strange amount of cursed energy either. Despite being in such a large crowd of people, he hasn't seen a single curse. Not even a single third grade, or flyhead or anything.
It was suspicious.
Miss Charlotte tapped on the table to get his attention, and he slipped out of his thoughts.
“Yes?”
“Oh, you looked like you were lost in thought. I was asking what it's like up there in Tokyo? How different is it compared to here?
“...Not much, it's just as crowded, though not nearly this loud. And it's only ever this hot in the summers, which unfortunately is when I'm at my busiest.” Summers were notorious in jujustu society, people were hot and agitated, and it was an apt time for those with seasonal depression to have those feelings flare up, birthing more curses.
Miss Charlotte tilted her head. “Huh. What kind of salaryman is busy in the summer?”
“The kind that are in tokyo.”
“Hm, you dont look like a typical salaryman. I tell you though, that white suit is snazzy! Though you could have chosen a different tie. Was that one a gift maybe?” His tie was custom made, so it could match the wrapping around his blunt sword. It was perfectly fine.
He opened his mouth to maybe tell her that, but in a rush the young miss Breaux came bearing a platter of dishes, setting them around the table to their respective peoples.
“And for the mister, a plate of creole gumbo, it doesn't get more authentic than that,” She grinned at him, the same warm smile as her mother.
"I hope you enjoy.”
“It's your cooking Tiana, who wouldn't like it?” Charlotte rolled her eyes, already starting to dig in.
“If anything, you're gonna ruin him for any restaurant in this city!“
“Don’t be silly Charlotte.” She shook her head. “I’m pretty sure there are other restaurants he will want to try. It’s Mardi Gras season, everyone is creating new specials for the people to try out.” As they were talking he spooned some of the gumbo and rice, with an Itadakimasu, tasting it for himself.
Onion, bell pepper and okra simmered in a light roux, with spiced ham and shrimp mixed in, and served over white rice.
It was amazing.
“It's amazing. It tastes delicious.” The best thing he’s had since the airplane food, and the rushed onigiri he had on his way to the terminal. And honestly, it was the perfect first meal in this city. Maybe he didn't really need to visit another restaurant if this one here already seemed like the best one. The flavors weren't too heavy and everything was balanced--fresh and savory and a hint of spice.
‘Oh, I'm so glad you like it, Mister! Remember, it's on the house so no worries.”
“I’m going to pay for my food, it’d be rude otherwise.” He took a spoon and spoke again when he swallowed.
“This reminds me of a home dish, Hayashi rice. It's more of a beef stew though, served beside short grain rice.”
“There's no better compliment to a chef than when their food reminds someone of home. A beef stew, hm? What kind of beef? Could you make that with Wagyu beef, maybe?”
“If you’re feeling especially decadent, yes. Though it's more of a home meal.” He fed himself another spoon of the gumbo, the flavors delightfully balanced and rich. He had heard the food was good here, but this exceeded his expectations.
“Sir, might I ask where you'll be staying? I had heard that you might need directions.”
“He’s staying at one of Daddy’s hotels–The Paul and Peter Hotel specifically.”
“Oh, that's just northeast of the french quarter right? Well sir if you’d just head…” The directions were actually simple enough, and the food was also gone quickly. He wiped his mouth with a napkin , and as Mrs. Breaux gathered his plate, he stood and slipped a few bills into the side pocket of her apron.
“Hey, sir?! I told you said–”
“And I appreciate the sentiment, but there's no need. You're working hard and I simply want to pay my fair share. I left you a tip as well.” He set his napkin down, and before he remembered his manners he bowed his head towards the people at the table. Oh well, a mishap.
They didn’t seem too perturbed though, having charmed smiles on his face when he rose.
Miss Breaux had too many platters to hand the money back to him, so she just sighed and shook her head.
“I can see you’re a man of principle. Oh well, I’ll just have to owe you a meal then.’
“And you’re a rather stubborn woman. I assure you, there is no need.”
“Well, I said I'd like to repay you for helping my mama; foreign stranger from a strange land. I’ll pay you back before you leave this town, I promise you.” A playful challenge lit up her eyes, and he shrugged.
“You can certainly try. Anyways, the directions seem easy enough to follow, so thank you for your meal and time.”
“Come back again sometime, before you leave! We’d be glad to see you.” Miss La Bouffe waved enthusiastically, nearly tipping her father’s glass over. Mrs.Breaux set it right before it could fall.
“Preferably when it's less crowded. Early mornings are best, when the coffee and the bread is freshest. Have a good day young sir.” They waved him off, and he left the restaurant. It was hot outside, but compared to the restaurant it was just the slightest bit cooler.
He wasted a lot of time, but he didn’t feel it was a complete waste. Knowing the mayor and being on cordial terms with him could prove useful; He didn't forget the importance of building connections from his old job. It was an important thing not just for work but for life as well.
And the food was actually really good. He heard food was one of the many reasons people traveled so far to get here, and honestly, his hopes were lifted a little. It would at least get rid of some irritation over taking on this mission.
The restaurant was loud, crowded and hot, but quaint. And if Miss Breaux was a frequent cook there, it would be worth it to make another visit sometime soon. As long as she didn’t insist on giving him a free meal again.
Now if he could find a decent bar somewhere in his time here this mission might just become bearable.
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