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bugs1nmybrain · 4 months

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Give Your Heart a Break - Chapter 3: Tomura Shigaraki x fem!reader series

Notes: This series is going to be released slowly due to my workload from school and jobs. That said, it may be sloppy and inconsistent. I will try my best to make it all mesh together! I reread Chapter 2 and will admit it was weak, but I was kind of just trying to gear up for them to meet in person.

ALSO! I am going to try to include songs that inspire my fics at the top of them! I hope it helps convey the mood of my stories.

Summary: Tomura and the reader finally meet in person after their discord call from last chapter.

Warnings: 18+ content (minors don't interact), shigaraki has a psychotic disorder and his voices act up violently when he's stressed, substance use (weed), POV swings, repressed Tenko Shimura themes, Dabi shows up but doesn't do much, long chapter, reader and Tomura are moving fast tbh, not fully proofread

Word Count: 4568

Notes About Y/N?:

anything from ch 1 and 2 applies here

she's a stoner

reader is actually hella shy

autistic coded

she has an interesting quirk<3

reader is the child of people who use substances, but she herself doesn't use anything past the holy trinity of "okay" substances: alcohol, weed, and nicotine

she's a virgin

Shigaraki was about to jump out of his skin. He could see your silhouette through your window as he stood outside your house. Even through the window, he could see how curvy you were. It made his mouth water. Fuck, you aren't even out the door and he's already being a pervert.

He was so anxious yet very excited. He was confident that you somewhat liked him, too. You wouldn't have agreed to come out with him at almost midnight if you didn't. His mission tonight was to be as not-scary as he could be, which he didn't think he'd ever want to do.

The sound of your front door opening made his heart pound viciously, and he stood where he was across the road with a shit-eating grin on his face and a fruit punch rockstar (pinky up!). You looked at him with a blushy smile and began stepping close to him, stomping heavily in your platform-heeled black boots. When you got up close to him, he couldn't help but laugh softly when he realized that you were still so short even with the shoes, though you didn't seem to pick up on his laughter.

"Hey," Tomura said with a crack in his voice, as if his voice couldn't get any more raspy.

"Heyy," you replied nervously, but forcing a smile.

"Howyadoing?"

"I had a long day at work before we started talking."

"Sounds like shit. I got you this," he looked at you like an excited puppy and held you the energy drink. "This is the kind you like, right?"

"Yeah," you smile kindly, taking the can. "Thank you for getting this."

"Of course, hehe. Have you been dressed like that all day?"

"No, I only got dressed like, 20 minutes ago?"

"You look pretty," Tomura smiled, looking visibly turned on by your fitting clothes, though he tried very hard to keep eye contact. He noticed you look down at yourself briefly whenever he snuck a look and you were clearly uncomfortable. Fuck, that's the last thing he wanted. Has he already fucked this up?

You fucking monster

Take her

Tomura began itching his neck in frustration, though he took a deep inhale through his nose and tried to pay attention to you instead.

"Whatcha wanna do?" He asked, huffing out his words anxiously.

"I don't know. To be honest, I don't hang out with people often," she shared.

"That's good, it means you realize how shitty most people are, right?" he laughs.

"Yea, that's true. I'm also new around here."

"It's my pleasure to be your new best friend, then," Shigaraki chuckled. "Or no?"

"You move fast."

"What's moving, exactly?" He retorted with a cocky face.

damn,,

Your laughter was like bubbles popping to him when he heard you giggle in response. He's got you, he knows it. You kept holding your head down at your feet, a habit Tomura noticed while you were talking. It frustrated him because he wanted to see your pretty face and the spooky makeup you put on it.

On the other hand, he understood what it was like to not want to flaunt your face. If you didn't happen to be a normal civilian he would've shown up with father on his face and maybe some of the others. Instead, he wore a hoodie, though his hood was up. He hardly ever left it down in public.

Now that he thought of it, he remembered you saying you liked his hair. Tomura let his hoodie down, falling to his shoulders and exposing his dry, tangled blue hair. Your face froze as you admired his baby-blue pigment. You also began to take in his ruby-red eyes and dehydrated appearance, with scars on his neck and face. He looked like a beaten-up kitten and a strange part of you instantly wanted to take care of him.

Shigaraki took your appearance in as well because now he could properly see your face. You looked at him with curious eyes, perky and alert. At the top of your shoulder, though, he saw what looked like an animated red heart beside you. Then it faded away.

Was he hallucinating again?

He shook the thought off and started noticing your face, instead. Your black eyeliner smudged your eyes, making them look intimidating, though to him you were no threat whatsoever. He admired your lips, as well. They looked softer than his, and he wondered how they'd feel. Even at 20, he had never kissed anyone. He had gotten one blowjob, but it was a hooker that he had paid for, and he couldn't shake the thought that the one sucking his cock was only doing it for money. Not that there was anything wrong with that at all, Tomura was just more romantic than he thought. They never kissed, and it felt empty for him.

"We could just take a walk," y/n suggested. He noticed your face back down facing your feet.

"Do you want to come to my place?" Tomura suggested back. Though bringing you around his roommates might be a challenge. You're cute.

He saw your hesitant face, a little offended by your quick distrust, at least from what he could tell. "I promise, I don't bite." Oh, the irony. The only thing roaming around in your head was what his intentions were. Tomura didn't exactly know himself.

"Where's your place? I'm not sure if I can stay the night."

"When did I say you could?" He retorted sarcastically.

"Oh, sorry."

"I'm teasing. I live about a 15 minute walk from here, is that okay?"

"Yea."

On your way to his place, you took in the fresh air and calming night scenery. There was a strange nostalgic feeling, though for no particular reason that you could think of. There were moments between you two when you wouldn't talk at all, but when you did, you came to notice that Tenko was a geeky, yet feisty guy. He had an interest in games, and had admitted to playing League of Legends, DOOM, some shit on the Switch, and occasionally GTA but he said that "the fun stopped years ago."

The two of you fumbled a bit, more you than him. Your socially awkward composure made it hard for you to not be jittery, but he seemed like a harmless guy thus far (haha, you had no idea). He was awkward, too, but had more guts to speak up.

Tomura would discover how truly shy you were. Your body shook when you talked, and your voice cracked in sheepish fear (he knew well what that looked like). He could tell you were socially anxious and that it probably wasn't just because he was scary, but he had a deep feeling that you thought he was. However, when he managed to get you to talk, you were quite funny and unique. It was cute to him, freakily enough, turning him on a little. He's had a semi for a bit, but the hoodie covered his crotch, thankfully.

His libido got the best of him sometimes, because the ass on you was a distraction. You were walking a little in front of him, so he could get a look without feeling like too much of a pervert. You looked cozy and huggable.

"fuck," Shigaraki thought abruptly.

He thankfully had a pair of gloves from Dr. Ujiko, ones that combated his quirk. He only really used them when he was sleeping or when he couldn't possibly avoid disintegrating something. He'd been careless, not even realizing how his quirk could easily fuck this up until now. Maybe he was being a bit entitled to already think that you'll automatically let him get close enough to touch you.

Still, explaining his quirk to you was going to be interesting. It would probably break his heart if you didn't want him, fuck, even want to be friends with him because of his quirk.

grab her, she is yours

Tomura ignored his aggravating voices and you and him continued to walk, laugh together, and drink your energy drinks like punkass kids. You finally came up on an apartment complex. It looked run down from the outside, most of the nearby apartments did, too.

His place was a few floors up. As soon as Tenko opened the doors, there was a whiff of a musky, dusty smell. A linger of cigarette smoke, maybe a little weed. For you, there was some level of familiarity with the smell because of your upbringing. The time was about 12:11am, so the apartment wasn't loud, although there was a faint sound of rap music playing in someone's room, and they were clearly smoking, based on how fresh the odor was.

"So, let me address this now," Tenko began. "Are you comfortable being in my room?"

You cocked an eyebrow.

"I mean, like, I know it's awkward being in a guy's room. We can hang out in the living room, if ya want," he pressed his lips together, sort of wishing you said yes to his room.

"Can we hang out-out here?"

"Nooo," Tomura thought internally.

"Aight," he said aloud.

Tomura plopped down on the couch, looking in your direction to indicate that you could sit there too. You sat some space away from him, making him a bit sad.

Shigaraki had never had a girl in his place before, not one that wasn't Toga or Magne. Not one he wanted. He was kind of nervous, but excited! He saw this as a good opportunity to try to get to know you, and maybe rizz you up a lil. Though, he'd never done that to anyone who wasn't a person on Discord, so he wasn't sure how to establish a bond.

Honestly, he was taking a bit of a chance with you. You didn't really do much to impress him yet, but your warmness to him made him feel important. In a different way than being his master's successor.

"Do you want to play video games? That's kind of the only thing we have to do here. And smoke weed, but I don't know if you do drugs."

"That's kind of an intense way to refer to weed," you comment.

"Then you smoke?"

"Yea."

"Awesome. Let me grab some shit and we can smoke. Maybe game at the same time??"

You laugh softly, "sure, sounds fun."

He could see a restless tremor in you, though, he felt that you liked him. That you enjoyed him, thus far. You were probably just shy because you had a crush on him :)

You had taken note at his neck when Tenko took off his hoodie, noticing how slender he was under it. You only saw him with his sweatshirt on so far. He was kind of...sexy? Your body radiated a few small hearts, dark red in color. Tenko was already out of the room before he could see, you thanked.

Little did Tenko know, you were also an inexperienced person when it came to girl and guy interaction. You were attracted to him, definitely. You were a virgin, though, and were worried to get too close to the "wrong person." You didn't know much about him yet. You sat patiently in the living room, tired from the day behind you. Thanks to Tenko, you now had caffeine, helping you fight the eepy.

It didn't take Tenko long before he reemerged with a pipe and a bag of pot. You got an instant waff of the flower when he opened the bag and took some out. He sat down, close beside you. You were a little nervous and startled, but you now got to smell his scent. He was a little smelly, but in a way that you hadn't known before. It was masculine and acted as pheromones for you right now.

Your hearts started popping out, this time colored a tangerine orange shade.

Tenko swung his head in your direction, instantly seeing them. He squinted at you and looked confused. You recalled that he heard voices, so maybe he thought that he was seeing things. You averted eye contact very quick and started mumbling.

"Uh..I'm sorry.."

"Huh?"

"Oh..um..tch..."

"Huh? I can't hear you."

"My quirk."

Tenko began picking out the stems in the weed, and you noticed he was wearing black gloves, but they were only covering he ring finger, pinky, and thumbs. You hadn't seen them on him before. Did he have a germ phobia? He didn't smell like he did.

He turned to face you every now and then, "I'm listening."

"I..uh.."

"You sure stutter a lot."

"Yea, I do."

"Are..the hearts your quirk? Or am I seeing things. In that case, this must be confusing as fuck to hear. Sorry."

"No! It's okay. No, you're not seeing things."

"Huh..What does it mea-."

Separate foot steps came up to the living room. You and Tenko looked up to see an average height man with black hair and burn marks all over him, staples keeping himself in place. He had piercings on his ears and his nose, and he had a cocky demeanor to him. You recognized this guy, you thought, but were having trouble thinking where from.

"You smoking?" He drawn out in a tired yawn.

"Uh..yea," Tomura replied.

"Who's this?" Dabi said, eyeing you down. Tomura had a millisecond instinct of possession. If Dabi swooned you, which wouldn't be a surprise, he'd be very pissed. Furious, even. He shot Dabi a look of "don't try anything," and Dabi knew full well what his face was telling him.

"I'm y/n," you said.

"Ah. I've never seen you. Are you and Shigaraki together?"

Tomura froze.

Not this quick, he thought. He thought he could pull some Aladdin shit and roll with a fake identity for a bit.

DABI YOU FUCKING IDIOT he thought, starting to panic internally.

K-kill he-

"Jesuss..." Tomura groaned, trying to drown out his voices. He held his hands at the back of his neck and leaned back.

Fuck

Destroy her, destroy, kill

You furrowed your brows and now it was coming together on your end.

The League of Villains were infamous, of course you knew the name "Shigaraki." The most wanted criminal around and notorious for rather..inhumane crimes. You tried telling yourself that he could be a different Shigaraki, but you now figured out the guy with patches on himself. Dabi, who stood out like a sore thumb in the photos that were taken of their gang. Shigaraki did, too. But he had a dead hand on his face whenever you saw pictures, so you didn't recognize him.

Tomura could sense your own panic from planets away. He saw you trembling, and he was trying to come up with a quick lie in his head, but you were already speaking.

"Are you Dabi?" you said in a neutral tone.

"Yeuh. How'd you know?"

"Uh.Ten...Tomura?" you said his name as if you were asking him a question, but continued. "He's talked about you."

He was confused now. Were you playing along? The fuck? Or did you feel like you had to? You could've felt in danger, he considered.

"Good things, I hope," Dabi slurred.

Tomura wanted to question you, but didn't want to cause tension about the fact that you now both knew he was manipulating you into thinking he was some ordinary guy. He also didn't want to have this conversation around Dabi. You didn't say anything else.

Dabi crouched on the floor. "Give me some."

"Invite Spinner, too, I don't want to look at only your ugly face."

"He's sleeping. Don't you have eye candy next to you?"

Oh right. He thinks you and Tomura are dating. And he called you "eye candy." So many angry thoughts were racing through Tomura's head. You were probably terrified right now, and he knew this whole situation was fucked. He had no idea what to say.

But he tried, turning to you shamefully and mumbled out, "do you still wanna smoke?"

You paused, unsure what the answer should be. You should be trying to find a way to leave and soon. These guys are...well. The League of Villains. Though, you found yourself agreeing with their mission, even if murder, abducting a high schooler, and assaulting people weren't anything you necessarily felt comfortable with.

Tenko- or Tomura, had made you feel seen up to this point. You didn't feel that way, ever. He took interest in you while also wanting to listen to you. You shared interests, and personality traits even if yours were more sheltered away. When you knew someone closely, you were talkative and feisty, too. You felt understood, somehow. And maybe that shouldn't excuse him being a horrible person, but your need for validation and attention took over you.

"Light that shit up," you declared.

You saw a smile crack on his face, which was admittedly very cute. He was scary looking, but not to you. He looked run down and scrunkly, with his pale skin and tinted sharp teeth. Itch marks all over him and dry wrinkles at his forehead and eyes. He also had a beauty mark below the edge of his dry lips.

But he looked adorable, and you had a desire to just have him hold you. You knew of his quirk, of course. But you were guessing that his gloves were because of his quirk. He was protecting you.

Your hearts fluttered rapidly, and Dabi raised an eyebrow. He didn't care to ask anything, figuring it was your quirk. He could tell it was in response to Shigaraki, which was easy to deduce. Tomura started to get it, too.

Tomura, you and Dabi all passed around the bowl, not saying much. You'd cough viciously, trying to hold it back. Shigaraki saw your eyeliner mess up from the tears you made from coughing. He wanted to snatch you up, absolutely infatuated with your girlish charm.

"You alive?" He asked.

"What strain is this??" You asked with slurred speech and dozed off red eyes.

"Uh, weed. I don't know. Dabi, what's this shit?" He asked, as Dabi usually was the one who acquired the League's stash of pot.

"Probably GMO."

"Probably? If you lace my company I'll knock you out."

You giggled out. Tomura's sense of humor was one of your favorite things about him so far. And maybe you should be scared, but you felt comfortable around him whenever he cracked jokes and smiled at you.

"Jesus, it's not laced. If I wanted to do coke or something, I'd do the actual thing," Dabi joked.

"It's okay. I'm just really stoned," you laughed.

"A lightweight, huh?" Tomura snickered. "It's cuz you're so little."

"Am not."

"You're like, 5 foot nothing."

"I'm (your height)!" You retaliated.

"Uh-huh. I could put you in my pocket, if I wanted. Do you wanna game?"

"Yeaa."

Tomura turned on his console, giving you the option to pick a game. You chose your favorite video game, as it was already owned by Shigaraki. He and Dabi watched you play badly, with Dabi chuckling and Tomura groaning at the sight.

"Let me try," he said.

"You'll just steal it from me," you assumed.

"Well, you've tried this mission like 6 times," he pointed out.

"Three."

"Oooo okay smart ass," Tomura said in a flirty tone. "Let me show you then, hm?"

Tomura scooched closer to you, holding his controller with his hands perched on against the top of your thigh. He was trying to show you what moves to play, telling you all his strategies. He was also testing you and paid close attention to how you responded to his close proximity. You had to now know what his quirk was. You didn't pull back from him to his satisfaction, but he was still confused.

"Here, you see how I'm doing this? Now you try."

Every time he talked to you, he had a sort of softness to his voice. A raspy yet nurturing tone, even when you messed up your game repeatedly. And you'd respond with a blushy and embarrassed tone, but obviously swooned by Tomura's charisma.

Dabi could sense the horny from Tomura and got up, not wanting to see this shit. "You two have fun."

Shiggy felt like he could breathe with Dabi leaving. Now he had you all to himself, which might work in his favor. You still seemed uneasy, but at the same time he saw that your body had relaxed more. He was a little shocked, and wondered what the ulterior meaning was for it.

"So.."y/n started. "You're..not Tenko? Or is that a nickname?"

"Uh..jesus," He sighed, cupping his forehead anxiously. "No. No, I'm not. You know who I am, right? I'm sorry."

"I, um. Yea, I think so. I knew who he was, too. You're Tomura Shigaraki?"

"That's meee. Are you gonna leave? Tell someone?" He sad in a worried and sharp voice.

What? No. I won't, it's just, I guess I'm taken aback."

"I couldn't just tell you who I was that quick, d'ya get it? Especially online."

"Yea, I know."

You and him turned and faced each other, both of you breathing hard. Your hearts turned blue, but appeared in slow succession. Tomura cocked a brow, and finally was able to inquire about your quirk now that Dabi was gone.

"What are those hearts about? I have a guess, but.."

"mmmnNN," you grunted in embarrassment. "It's nothing.."

"Liar," he chuckled. "Is it cuz you like me?"

He was taking a bold risk to ask that, but so much was already on the table. Asking you if you wanted him wasn't much more intimidating, unless it added to the mess. His eyes were lidded and he smirked when he questioned you. You could tell he liked you, himself. There was a hint of desire and arousal that you could sense from him, as well.

You blushed a deep rose color and looked away from him. "K-kind of..."

"Mm, and is the Shigaraki thing a dealbreaker?"

"I..I don't want it to be," you smiled, and he saw your eyes shine at him.

"I promise I'll be nice to you," he joked, leaning closer to you.

"I...okay. I trust that, and honestly, I kind of don't care? That you're Shigaraki, that is. Well! Of course I care. But I like you, and you've made me feel like my company is wanted. People see me as weird, and offputting. You don't, at least I don't think. Why me, though? I mean, why do you like me?"

"Uh, cuz you're cute?" wow Tomura. "Shit, that was creepy. Uh, you're nice. Nicer to me than most people, and you like my hair and stuff. You also seem to find me quite funny, yea? You're also unique, and you dress spooky. You're a funny girl, and you play games with me!! I can tell you're an anxious mess, but you seem to want to be around me, and even when you found out about me being who I am, you didn't try to leave or treat me differently. I don't know, I just think you and I would be good together. And what's not to like? You're kind of my dream girl."

You laugh, flustered and feeling undeserving of all the praise. "You don't know me much."

"Can I get to know you, then?"

"I mean..yes..can I get to know you too? I don't know if what I hear on the news is all that you are,"you smiled widely while looking away from him. It pissed him off a little when you'd avoid him. He brought his gloved fingers to hold your jaw, and gently turned you to look at him.

"I can see you better when you look at me," he said in a seductive tone. He stroked the side of your jaw with his thumb while he ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth. The risk of decay scared you, but you trusted the gloves would be okay, and if your quirk did the right thing, you two may not need them soon...The hearts you produced had many colors now, all red, dark red, and white.

He snickered. "Do the different colors mean different things?" Tomura asked.

"Y-yea..The standard color is red, but different colors mean different emotions."

"So," Tomura rang his hand to pet your hair for a brief moment before setting it at your side. Rapid dark red, white, and red hearts continued to flutter out of you. "What do those ones mean?"

You tensed up, knowing full well the meanings, but admitting to two of them was embarrassing. Vulnerable, even. Was this all going too quick? Frankly, the adrenaline and attraction were entirely operating you at the moment.

"Spit it out," he jabbed.

"The red ones..they're standard hearts that say, "I think you're attractive.""

"Thanks. I think I'm ugly as shit, but-"

"You aren't. I think you're very cute, hehehe!!"

"Oh really?" He teased. "Ehah..what do the burgandy colors mean? And..the white ones?"

"Mrnrnjdsn..."

"What?" He laughed, getting the feeling that they had a not-so-innocent meaning to them.

"They, uh..they mean that-that I'm..that I'm turned on."

Satisfaction grew in Shiggy's eyes, his eyes the color of a scorching fire. He clenched his grin into an excited and relieved expression.

"So I turn you on?"

You nodded your head bashfully.

"And the white ones?" Shigaraki pestered.

"urrrnnnnn, I can't say it!!"

"Come on! Out! I wanna know..."he said with a yearn in his voice.

"They, they mean my body is responding. You know..that I'm wet, and that my horny-ness is spiking."

"Cum colored, haha. That's not surprising."

You and Tomura sat in a quiet tension for a bit, and he looked like he was hungry and trying to hunt his prey silently. His lips parted a little, and you saw his tongue run against his teeth as he leaned his face closer to you discreetly. You pressed your lips together tight and tilted your head up slowly, your eyes darting all across Tomura's handsome face and instinctively moved closer, as well. Your body knew exactly what it wanted and what was natural. Tomura became daring, and pressed his lips on yours without much warning, wrapping his lips in between yours.

You instantly hummed, unsure what to do. You moved your lips to dance with his as well as you could, and you started with passionate and sweet kisses. The whole act was uncoordinated, and you both weren't sure how to keep going. He kissed you for a long time, holding your neck while he leaned closer than you thought possible. His smell clouded your thinking, and built your arousal little by little.

He finally pulled away, taking a deep breathe and looked at you with a seduced flushed face. "Do you wanna go to my room now?" He scoffed, knowing his intentions, and you did too. He wanted you. It was fast, but he didn't really care. He just wanted to claim you, and make you his.

"Mhmm," you mumbled in approval.

Taking your hand in his protected ones, he guided you off the couch.

"Lets do that then, yea? I want to get to know you, like we talked about. I gotta know all about you."

#shigaraki tomura #shigaraki x reader #tomura shigaraki #shigaraki tomura x reader #shigaraki x fem!reader #tenko shimura #shigaraki fic #Spotify

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one-fandom-became-all-fandoms · 3 months

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First and Last Lines

Post the first and last lines of the last 10 fics you've posted (or WIPs). Tagged by the lovely @thotpuppy and broke out the laptop to do, so here we go!

Equal opportunist here, so we'll do 5 for last-posted and 5 WIPs because I have so many

1. Friends Don't Kiss... Except When They Do

First: "Christ on a cracker—can you fuck off?" Last: "I'm bi."

2. Recharging Red Batteries

First: It was a day like any other. Except this day in particular, her boyfriend planned on popping by between bouts of time travel. Last: What Rachel didn't heal today would be top priority tomorrow. But for now, sleep claimed her mercifully.

3. Girls Night In

First: Lydia thought the worst thing to happen that night was the thunderstorm raging outside—until Allison showed up on her porch. Last: Allison nodded, the beginnings of a smile working its way to her face. "Better."

4. Stole My Heart (Not My Body)

First: It was another dirty tactic the Port Mafia used against them. First Dazai, now Atsushi. Last: And Kunikida took that as his sign to never interfere with another kidnapping again, without having a ransom note first.

5. Jump High: Home of the Titans (Ch. 1: Rocky Start)

First: It was another sunny day in Jump City. The smell of her mother's cooking wafted into Raven's nose, waking her from pleasant dreams. Last: Beyond the sea of students, Kori and Jinx rounded the corner. Raven hoped the next period wouldn't end in disaster like the last.

6. Knights in Shining Amor (WIP)

First: They both knew she hated going to those types of events. Ones where fancy royals flaunted money, power, privilege and everything else Loona never had. Last: For the first time all night, Loona smiled. Her heroes finally rescued her.

7. Womanhood (WIP)

First: At first, Cora thought she didn't wipe herself enough on her last bathroom trip. Last: With a small smile, Talia shook her head once more, turning to put the soiled cotton into the wash.

8. Do It Again, You Coward. (WIP)

First: "You're awake." Last: "Oh." A moment of silence passed between them before Izuku caught on. "Oh," he repeated.

9. Misery Loves Company (WIP)

First: It was her mother's funeral. So of course it rained. Last: From the heavens, Noshiko patted herself on the back and reveled in her daughter's happiness.

10. The Tuesday From Hell (WIP)

First: Time was a precious, valuable thing. It happened to be extremely fragile, too. Last: "Ugh, don't remind me," Garfield winced, digging into his late night snack.

This called me out on how I start fics with "it was a day" blah blah. It also reminded me how many WIPs and nearly-ready-to-post WIPs I have, so thanks @thotpuppy for double calling me out.

But I'm on my laptop now, so all good things.

With no time restraints, min/max fic count or obligatory commitments, I'll tag @raisesomehale @anxioussquirrel @sapphireginger @giveemhales and @roseszain to partake if their hearts' desire.

#tag games #tag game #ask meme anything #ask game #wip ask game #multifandom #teen wolf #titans dc #bsd #bungou stray dogs #helluva boss #bnha #my hero academia #teen titans #wip

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titlemewickedwonderland · 10 months

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The Manager (Ghost Fic) Chapter 4

Summary: The Ministry announces an outsider coming to be part of the congregation to help with the Ghost project as a tour manager; little did the Ghoul know; she is nothing like they pictured her or how she'd affect them all.

Check out My Other Work!

Chapter 3

She checked her phone for the tenth time in half an hour as she waited for the others to drag their asses out of their rooms. Piles of luggage surrounded her as a few siblings went about putting in the compartments on the tour bus. Ari had woken up hours earlier to make sure she had everything she needed in the bags she'd packed the night before and taken a shower before checking the schedule for today's trip. It was mostly driving time with a few well-placed stopping points to stretch legs and maybe grab something to eat if needed. But because she was the first to get up to make sure everything was set she found herself in charge of making sure everybody else got up to; starting with Copia.

That man was a hard one to get out of bed - not because she walked in on him with a sister naked in bed or anything (which she had that morning and swore she needed bleach for her eyeballs now) but because he was just so stubborn. He was certainly not the easiest to wake up. The sister had scurried from the room without much prompting making Ari assume this wasn't the first time Copia had been walked in on; at least Ari didn't walk in on them in the act.

But if she wanted to get them out on time and do her job properly as she was being paid for she had to get her ass into gear and that meant tugging the blankets off the bed and throwing a robe at the man to cover himself and shield her own eyes from his naked ass; even if he did have a nice ass.

When she knew he was officially awake she grabbed the luggage to place with the rest of them by the bus he would be taking with the ghoulettes. They didn't have a bus made big enough for everybody to be piled into so they had two buses for the band. The male ghouls shared one that she would be riding in and Copia took the bus with the rest of the band. The band's helpers would help set up the equipment when they got to the venue and the tech hands were driving separately and would meet them at their destination later on.

"It's too early in the morning to be this chipper." Ari turned around to find Dewdrop dragging his personal bag over his shoulder as he sulked toward her.

A wide-awake Swiss and Phantom chatted to each other right behind him with their own personal belongings. Ari smiled in sympathy as she patted Dewdrop's shoulder and gave it a squeeze when he passed her.

"Don't worry, you have plenty of time to sleep when we hit the road." she told him in reassurance as he trudged his way into the bus.

"Morning darlin!" Phantom rested his arm on her shoulder as he looked at the assembly. "We got everything packed up yet?" he asked scanning the boxes.

Ari wrapped an arm around his waist to give him a sideways hug in greeting; having gotten used to the touchy affection that he and Swiss were known for by now. "Almost, I think they have a few more boxes to back in the back. We're just waiting for everybody else to get here. I think all we are missing is Mountain and Rain. Have you seen them?" she asked.

"Rain's just getting out of the shower. Mountain's packing the last of his things." Swiss replied coming up beside them to stare at the workers.

"Well, let's not dwaddle. We have a long journey ahead of us. We're going to be on the road for 8 hours today so why don't you guys go ahead and unload your bags into your bunks. I'm going to go check in with the others and make sure Copia has everything he needs before we hit the road." she said slipping from beneath the other two and headed in the direction of the other bus.

She climbed the stairs inside to peer into the little living area. "Copia? You here?"

There was a sound of shuffling from the back before Cirrus popped her head out of a bunk.

"He's checking in with Sister Imperator. He'll be here in a minute." she informed her.

"Oh, okay good. Do you guys need anything before we head out?" Ari asked

"Nope! We're all here. Aurora went to take a nap. She's not a morning person. Cumulus is..." Cirrus looked around the bunks before frowning. "I think she went to grab something from the rooms."

The sound of someone coming up behind Ari made her turn to find Copia and Cumulus right behind her. "We're here, we're here!" the curvy Ghoulette huffed as she threw a bag onto the floor and flopped onto the couch.

Ari smiled and turned to Copia. "All set?" she asked.

"Si si. Is everyone ready to go?" he asked clapping his hands.

"Got to go find Rain and Mountain but otherwise yes. Looks like the equipment has been loaded up just waiting on the stragglers." Ari peeked out the window as she spoke.

"Good good!" he nodded before heading past her with a pat on the back and went to his bunk at the back of the bus; naturally, the biggest space for a bed within the tour bus.

Ari smiled in amusement before heading outside. "I'll call you when we have everybody so we can head out!" she called over her shoulder as she stepped out.

She noticed Mountain and Rain heading towards their bus as she left Copia and the girls and sighed in relief at least she didn't have to go chasing the ghouls around. This wasn't their first rodeo unlike her so they had better time management. She smiled sympathetically when she saw how sleepy Mountain looked as she approached them.

"I packed a few different teas for you Mountain, they're in the cabinets above the sink if you'd like for me to grab you a cup?" she offered

"I'll make myself one, don't worry about it. Thank you for thinking of me." Mountain rumbled plopping a large hand on her head as he passed.

"Did you happen to bring coffee?" Rain's hopeful voice made Ari turn and give him a warm smile.

"Of course I did! I'll go make us a fresh pot once we hit the road." she promised; a warmth spreading in her chest at the look of delight on the water ghoul's face as he skipped into the bus.

She followed them inside and checked in with the driver letting him know they were good to go before dialing Copia and letting him know they were all set. Before long both buses were heading out of the Abbey to hit the road and Ari finally found time to breath as she headed into the kitchen to make a much-needed cup of coffee. She needed one just as much as Rain did.

"So, Ms. Manager. Are you excited about your first tour?" Swiss called cheekily from where he was lounging on the sofa.

Ari looked over her shoulder and gave him a small smile. "Excited and nervous. I haven't seen you guys perform in person so I'm interested to see you guys up on stage." she smiled in return.

"It's really fun! Even if being shoved in a small bus with 6 guys isn't exactly my idea of a fun time." she narrowed her eyes playfully at him.

"Aye, we aren't that bad!" Phantom piped up from the opposite sofa across from Swiss. "Well, not all the time."

"Trust me, I know how things can get. Just, all I ask is that you guys think before you do something stupid okay? I don't want to lose my job because you guys sabatoge me with stupidity in the heat of the moment." Ari's words were serious even if her tone was light.

"We wouldn't do anything to get you fired Ari." Rain looked a bit hurt at the idea.

"Yeah, we don't want you to get fired. We like you." Swiss replied.

"Good." Ari replied with a small smile as she made herself a cup of coffee. "Rain honey how do you like your coffee? I have some creamer in the minifridge if you want me to add some to yours?" she asked changing the subject.

"ooh!" the water ghoul hopped up and headed over to grab the creamer.

Ari watched in stunned amusement at how much sugar and creamer that boy put into his coffee wondering if there was any coffee left in that nearly white concoction of his but he let out a happy sigh when he took a sip so she didn't say anything.

"Hey, Ari? Are these your bags right here?" Mountain asked looking down at a few black duffle bags sitting by the couch.

"oh shit! Yeah sorry, I uh...I didn't know which one was my bunk so I was just waiting for you guys to grab yours before I found an empty one." she replied suddenly worried that there weren't any bunks left and she'd be left sleeping on the couch for the next 2 months.

Dewdrop didn't say anything as he moved from the back of the bus and grabbed her things before just as quietly moving into the hallway that he had just come from all the way to the back.

"Hmm, looks like that answers your question. You'll be bunking with Dew." Swiss watched with a glint of what could only be amusement in his eyes.

"Is that a bad thing?" Ari asked as she took her seat beside Phantom

"Nah, he usually bunks alone in the back. It's a surprise though that he's willing to move you in with him. He likes his space." Phantom replied kicking one foot over the other as he got comfortable.

"Oh?" Ari mused sipping her coffee.

"Guess the spitfire is warming up to you." Rain smiled to himself as if he was in on some kind of inner circle joke.

Ari thought about the night she had a few days ago with Dewdrop when he sought her out and helped her take her mind off of her situation with her husband by teaching her how to play guitar and figured he really was starting to warm up to her. That made her happy so she didn't say anything further about bunking with the ghoul.

"Well, I'm tired from waking up so early so I'm going to go take a quick nap! Wake me up when we stop somewhere yeah?" Swiss yawned before heading to the bunks and slipping into one of the top ones.

Mountain grumbled something that sounded like an agreement before heading to his own as well. Which left Ari in the living room with Rain and Phantom. Rain was fiddling with his phone; scrolling through Instagram or something by the looks of it while Phantom stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"I think I'm going to go head to my bunk and unpack what I can. I'll be back." Ari informed the suddenly quiet room.

Phantom gave her a thumbs up but Rain didn't seem to hear her as she passed by them and headed to the back. The back room, unlike the other bunks, was not set up as such; there were two single beds on either side of the space with a built shelving system for their things in between and Dewdrop took one of the beds while the other was empty. When she entered he looked up from his phone and she gave a small smile before pointing to the free bed and he nodded silently.

She grabbed her bag and pulled out her blanket and pillow from it's roll before making her bed and grabbed her satchel to begin opening up her work stuff and plopped her ass on the mattress to look over her things.

"Is that all you ever do?" Dewdrop's voice spoke up startling her and making her look up.

"Hmm?" she asked in confusion.

"Stare at paperwork? That's all you ever seem to be doing or having an excuse to do." he replied glancing up from his phone.

"Oh...I mean...I just want to do my job right and make sure I'm not missing anything." Ari felt her skin flush in embarrassment. "It's part of the job isn't it?"

"We're on the road and I'm sure you've already mapped everything out beforehand. Just take a moment and relax for a bit for once. You always have your nose stuck in that journal and a pen in your mouth like your studying for a huge test." he grumbled and Ari blinked at him.

"Well...I mean..." she didn't have an excuse for that because he was right. She always did spend a lot of time mulling over her paperwork because it was what she was used to. She wasn't used to being stuck on a bus with men for a while she almost forgot how to socialize herself again.

But he was right so she closed her journal gently and set it aside before giving him her full attention. "Okay, you caught me." she smiled slightly. "Tell me about tours. I don't care what. Stories, places you've visited, what you guys do for fun! Tell me everything you want me to know." she leaned forward watching him and he stared at her a long while until she thought he wasn't going to say anything more.

But then he surprised her by reaching up and grabbing a hand-drawn picture off his side of the wall. "Well, when we were in Oregon for a tour, this one girl had gifted me this drawing at the end of a show...."

Ari smiled as she took it listening to his words as he began telling her the story and further stories from that particular tour and by the end of it their laughter could be heard from the front of the bus where Phantom and Rain were.

The quintessence ghoul looked over toward his packmate and grinned as he rested his chin on his palm. "Oh yeah, she'll fit right in." he grinned listening to the tour manager bonding with the fire ghoul in the back filling the bus with their infectious laughter.

Chapter 5

#ghost ghouls #the band ghost #ghost fandom #ghost band #ghost #titlemewickedwonderland #swiss multi ghoul #swiss ghoul #rain #rain ghoul #mountain #mountain ghoul #dewdrop #dewdrop ghoul #phantom #phantom ghoul #papa copia #copia emeritus

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inevitably-johnlocked · 1 year

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Good morning/afternoon dear, I hope you're feeling alright and well rested today. I was wandering if you knew a fic where John finds himself back in time, on the day of our favourite dinamic duo's first meeting I think. I had read it some time ago, but now it popped back up in my head and I can't find it. Thank you for all your work, it can't be easy so if you want to answer take your time 😊

Hey Nonny!

Ah, the one I INITIALLY thought of was this one:

The Engine by stitchy (T, 8,294 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss, Post-HLV, ASiP Do-Over, Sci-Fi, Time Travel) – Shortly after the events of His Last Vow, Sherlock has an opportunity to revisit the night of A Study in Pink and get some perspective on the destiny of he and John's relationship.

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But that one is Sherlock... Then Maybe it's this one?

The Invocation of Saint Margaret by Ewebie (E, 15,831 w., 1 Ch. || Semi-Time Travel AU || POV John, Crossing Timelines, Light Angst, Fluff, Series 3 John / Series 1 Sherlock, The Matchbox, Mushy Romance, First Time, Bisexual John, Pining John, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Sensuality, Emotional Love Making, Snippets of Time) – When Sherlock Holmes opens the matchbox from The Sign of Three and John finds himself years in the past, back to that first dinner at Angelo's with a much younger Sherlock Holmes. Is he dreaming?

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Those were the two that came immediately to mind... If those aren't it, does anyone know which one Nonny is looking for?

And Thank you Nonny for your kind words!! <3

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #help steph find fics #time travel fics #my fic recs #found fics #i hope?

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eggs-can-draw · 1 year

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First, I bring the sneak peek

this master post is being made by a person who has a monster energy drink cans hung above their bed as a pride flag (the 8 colors version), I get to make it an eyesore (would make anything rainbow if given the opportunity to do so)

I am going for chronological events over chronological posting, definitely not done adding subcategories there, I know The Horrors will include Live Parents Reaction section and the alt ch 3 section. Speaking of which. I have an oumatsu question, I mentioned in the tags while reblogging the fic you wrote for Shuichi and Kokichi. Or more like multiple, is the alt ch 3 canon to the AU timeline or is it a what if? In the fic that I will be writing, would you rather I be evil and made their confession during a very emotional (crying & more crying & hugging) ch3 moment or be nice and do it after Kokichi wakes up in a soft kind of tender moment with a proper conversation (the Shuichi plan) they're going to have either way happening as part of the confession? Unrelated question, but did you reblog the outfit kitties just bc they're cute or are you doing the drawing meme? I just think Raspberry has Kaede vibes all over it, Kokichi would look good in Lilly Pilly Berry and Shuichi could match them in being pink as Strawberry or Pine berry, but like, I already visualized them in my head so no pressure if you weren't going to be taking requests on that. If I could get one request of them, I'd rather get this one I've had since last night, it's something I am going to put in the fic so it'd be an illustration basically.

post-game cuddle pile, Kokichi's old cat (10 years old at this point) sleeps above their heads, Kokichi himself is sprawled on top of the two of them, basically on Shuichi, would be listening to his heartbeat if they weren't asleep, but with an arm and a leg thrown over Kaede, who's snuggled up to Shuichi's side, it's Summer and they're in a sunbeam, so the blanket is nearly fully kicked of, tangled between their legs. They weren't supposed to have that sleepover, but Shuichi had a nightmare and when they checked on the groupchatTM after he calmed down it turned out Kaede was awake too, so they texted her to come over, knowing that none of them would be able to go back to sleep on their own.

It doesn't have to be today or under this ask, if you don't have time for drawing when you see it, I need answers for questions more.

Last bit: them playing house as kids and having all those weird ideas about what a normal family is like because as little kids they have no idea their parents are... pretty unique. Only in funny ways, tho. Like, I just imagined that as opposed to Kokichi's mind blown Kaede's reaction to polyamory was just like "that's how things are, I am going to have that in my future" and she makes a drawing of that future, explaining it to Mikan "this is my husband A, cooking dinner, and this is my husband B cleaning, and I am on tour playing piano like a girlboss", M: Hmm... A girlboss? Did Monaca teach you that word? K: Yes, when I learned playing that pop song to make an original TikTok soundtrack for her last week, it's not a bad word right? M: It's not, but... what song? K: Uhhh, the Boss... girl song. Or like "So which one of you is the one that gets a lobotomy?" type beat

Phwoof this is a biggun get ready for WORMS

YOOOOOO THATS SUPER COOL DUDE!! I like how organized it is that’s so fucking dope my dude <- (is going to be thinking about this for the next few hours)

QUESTION TIME:

✨ The alt ch3 is canon it scratches my brain too much

✨HONESTLY EITHER WOULD PROBABLY MAKE EMOTIONAL

✨ honestly it was a mix of both lol, cute fruity kittties and if anyone wants I can draw fruity blorbos lol

✨ALSO IVE GOT YOUR REQUESTS SCREENSHOTTED AND ILL GET TO THEM ASAP (which means I’ll probably thumbnail it during work and get started after work lol)

ALSO ALSO I LOVE THEM HAVING DIFFERENT TAKES ON WHAT A “NORMAL” FAMILY IS LMAO. I kinda like the thought of Kokichi’s polyamory realization being that you can just have more than one parent lol

They’re silly funky

#eggs can answer #monster energy drink pride flag is fucking awesome #kokichi ouma #shuichi saihara #kaede akamatsu #oumatsu #MORE TAGS LATER

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toointojoelmiller · 9 months

Text

please don't go: a last of us fic

chapter 4

after David / Silver Lake / post-episode 8

angst, Joel & Ellie bonding, 99% canon compliant

rating: mature - content warnings re: s/a, violence, more

ch 1 | ch 2 | ch 3 | ch 4 | ch 5 | ch 6 | ch 7 | ch 8 | ch 9 | ch 10

link to whole story (work in progress) on AO3

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note for this one (+ blanket S/A trigger warning for this fic):

I deviated from canon in only one way which is David did assault Ellie - here's why I did this (from my ao3 post) - It’s not that I think that there’s a need to dial up what happened in canon - what Ellie experienced was traumatizing and horrifying enough. But, maybe I’m cynical - I have always felt that the way we saw the action unfold in the restaurant was a bit *sanitized* for a video game audience… and in the show (David gives good villain monologue, don’t get me wrong), once he takes Ellie down, there’s just so much taking time, slow talking, slow moving. Perhaps he's just “savouring the moment” (gag) but I’ve always had this feeling that a man as dark and brutal as him, once he gets his victim where he wants them, especially so full of rage, wouldn't hold back with causing a ton of damage even if it's just in a small amount of time. So, I have made a few changes to canon in that sense, only because it feels just a bit more (sadly) realistic to me.

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It only takes a minute for Ellie to completely stop crying. She scrubs the wetness from her face with her palms, smearing some of the blood splatters around. She ends up shuffling a bit until her shoulders are against the wall. She keeps her knees pulled up, hands clasped in front to hold them, eyes still shut as her face tilts up to the ceiling, head resting on the wall behind her. She thumps the back of her skull on the wall once - twice - the blanket isn’t on her anymore, has ended up pooled on the ground behind her, so nothings cushioning it - he leans forward, but she stops on her own.

Because he’s a coward, Joel lets them slip back into quiet. “You’re not fine, baby, but it’s ok to need help,” he might try saying if he was a better man, “You don’t have to handle everything alone.”

Ellie guarded her independence ferociously from the moment they’d met - desperately tough, hating being babied, willing to be taken down going full out against unbeatable odds if it meant she didn’t look weak. Scared the shit out of him. He could lie to himself and say that’s why he doesn’t say anything as he watches her, but he’s too fucking drained to bother with his bullshit.

He’s just afraid - of saying something wrong and pushing her too far, snapping something. Breaking her in a way she can’t pull back together. So he lets her drift.

He rubs his hand across his face, squeezes his eyes closed tight and presses the pads of his fingers against them until little patches of light and dark pop up in his vision. And then, since he’s never been any good at having his hands sitting idle, he finds himself moving to pull the first aid kit out from under the shelving, sliding it closer until the flashlight beam can fall on it. One of the plastic latches snaps apart as he flips it open, brittle from age, the cold.

It’s not untouched, but more intact than most he’s come across. A grubby looking stick of After-Bite and pack of Benadryl sit on top, and he tosses them to the side to run his fingers through the mess of little white packages underneath. Gauze, bandaids, sterile scissors, tape. A thick stack of antiseptic wipes - long dried out, he guesses, and proves himself right tearing a corner off in his teeth and pulling out a bone dry little white square. A dash of red catches his eye and he picks out a couple of what look to be mini toothpaste tubes, red and white and purple - squints to read the label - “Insta-Glucose”.

“Look, Ellie - sugar.” He watches as she opens one eye to peek at him. That gets her attention.

“Hm?”

When did you last eat, he wants to ask, too scared to know, keeps up his cowardly streak by swallowing the question down.

He slides one of the tubes over to her, puts it just in front of the toes of her boots. “It’s uh - I think they made ‘em for diabetics, mostly - just sugar. Carbs. S’posed to eat it, get your blood sugar up”.

She blinks at him but doesn’t move to take the tube, so he grabs it again, twists the tear away top off, and holds it out to her. “Here, eat some - it’ll - it’ll help,” he says, and counts one - two - three seconds until she reaches up to take it. She pinches the tube between her fingers and nothing comes out, looking back at him. Blank.

“Sorry, must be frozen - dried out,” he takes it back to crush it a bit between his fingers until little red crumbs are making their way out of the top. He tries to hand it to her but she doesn’t take it back - stares at it for a moment, shakes her head.

“Don’t… dunno if I can.”

He’s trying not to sound frustrated - he’s not, not one bit, not at her - but the fatigue is creeping into his voice and he can hear himself sounding shorter. “Don’t really have to swallow, it’ll kinda - melt. Put a bit in your mouth and you’ll - it’ll still work."

She touches her fingers against her lips as she replies, “Mouth’s dry.”

Of course it is - he hasn’t thought to get a drop of fucking water into her. Shelter - get warm - hydrate. The fucking basics.

As he sits in the shame, registering the fact that he keeps finding ways to fail, a memory flashes at him. Cold water, tasting like salt, trickling on his face, his chin, a few droplets slipping past his cracked lips. A sliver of relief as he’s trapped, in and out of his body, sinking in endless dark, made only out of pain. Tiny fingertips brushing little bits of moisture, mercy, across his lips again and again.

His eyes burn. Trying to think of the steps he has to take next. Put them in the right order. It takes way too long.

Right. Grab her bag again - there was a bit of sloshing in her thermos when he dug past it earlier taking stock of her clothes - just enough for a few mouthfuls. He pushes it into her hands and twists the top off for her. “Drink - slow, though. Bit at a time.” She takes a small sip while he grabs the blanket from where it’s bunched up on the floor behind her, trying to tug it up again, settling on wrapping it around her sides, about halfway up her arms. Then he turns away, dumps the first aid kit contents out onto the floor and stands up.

Ellie would never let him get away with a real old man groan like the one that just came out of him. Wouldn’t live that shit down for weeks.

She just stares up at him in confusion.

He gestures with the now empty plastic kit. “For snow - keep it under the blanket to melt a bit.” No reply as she lifts her thermos back up for another sip.

He cracks open the door and pauses to let his eyes adjust to the dark after getting used to the flashlight brightness. There’s a decent amount of light coming from the moon and being reflected off the bright snow everywhere, so it doesn’t take too long. In the time he spends crouching down to fill the kit with snow and stand again, Ellie gets up and moves behind him. He nearly bumps into her as he starts to turn back. “What’re -” he starts but she’s already telling him, in a miserable sounding voice -

“Have to pee.”

Fuck, he thinks. “Okay,” he says.

He leans around her to toss the container of snow onto the shelf and turns back to her. “I’ll come with you.”

She whines out an exasperated “Jo-el,” sounding every bit a teenager. She’d probably stomp her foot, he thinks, if she wasn’t so - well.

“You’re not going out alone,” he’s saying on autopilot, and she tenses her shoulders up instantly.

Dial it back, dick.

“Sorry -” he starts over - “I’ll give you privacy, Ellie, but - we’re both a bit - unsteady,” he's fumbling, “Just - in case, ok?”

She gives up too easily.

“D’you want the jacket?” he asks, hesitating with what to do here. Seems stupid, finally getting her warm and then taking her back outside underdressed - but his coat is so big on her, hanging past her knees, her hands - might be more of a hinderance just now.

She shakes her head, so he moves around her for a moment to grab the pistol he’d unholstered as they warmed up earlier. Goes to pick up the flashlight, and then reconsiders - hell of an easy thing to spot waving and moving around in the dark, even far away. Moonlight will have to be enough.

“Alright, c’mon then. Let’s be quick.”

He twists awkwardly to close the door behind them as they step out, trying not to lose too much of the heat they’d built up inside. Like earlier in the day, she leans heavily into him as they slowly pick their way down the steps. With no sun the temperature has dropped since they were out, and he feels them both tensing up quickly as the cold cuts right through their clothes. He keeps her upright with a hand clasped tightly her shoulder.

It’s hard to say for sure in the dark - not to mention how he’s burning through his last fucking brain cells at this point - but he thinks she’s moving a little worse than before, actually - frowns a bit more as he takes in how much she’s hunching forward, keeping one arm around her middle.

Shit.

He glances around in the dark. Doesn’t hear a sound.

“Just go here,” he decides, moving a few more steps until they’re tucked around the corner, along the side of the little building. She tips away from him to steady herself against the wall.

He hesitates. “Do you - need help with anything?”

But she shakes her head, so he reluctantly takes a few steps back around the corner.

He pauses for a few seconds, not hearing anything. Finally she asks in a small voice, “Can… a little farther?”, and he makes himself give her the privacy he’d promised, even as every step away from her feels wrong to his bones. He glances back briefly, feeling a bit relieved to see that the light cast by his flashlight - left it on inside to drain even faster on them, moron - isn't all that visible from out here. He turns back around and purposefully moves slow, taking smaller steps to shorten the distance he covers.

He hears her start shuffling around, and he clears his throat a few times, tries to be a bit noisier than he needs to as he picks up and sets down his feet, kicking the snow a bit- maybe some background sound will make it easier for her to go quickly.

Respect for her privacy aside, it’s pretty clear when she’s finally able to, and when she’s done. He hears her breathe out a whisper - “Fuck,” - and then the shuffling sounds are back, along with a few new whimpers - struggling to get her pants back up?

“Everything ok?” He asks, not able to help himself. She doesn’t answer, but then he hears her start walking - takes it as his cue to move quickly back in her direction.

She comes into view around the corner a second before he reaches it. Managed to get her pants up on her own, then. But right away he clocks how her whole body is vibrating, hard, and even in the dark he can tell she’s wide eyed. Her breaths are short and shallow. He needs to get her inside, now.

“G-got-” she stutters out as he steadies her from the side and starts moving them back up the steps, “peed on my p-pants.”

“Don’t matter - you’re changing anyway,” he reminds her.

They make it back through the door and he pushes it shut with his foot, both of them huffing a bit to catch their breath. He’s relieved to find that it’s stayed marginally warmer inside.

“No fair,” she slurs - he can hardly make out what she’s said, now, her voice sounding newly thick, even more off than before.

“Mm?” He nudges her after she goes silent for a stretch, keeping his arm around her back, not confident she’d stay up if he let go. He tries to scan what he can see of her face, now lit up again partially in the flashlight glow - she’s looking straight ahead and away from him.

“S’easy - you,” she twitches a hand vaguely in his direction, “piss anywhere.”

He’d laugh at that, if this were any other time. Remembers, uselessly and painfully, how Tess voiced the same complaint - “Don’t know how lucky you are, Texas” - anytime the two of them had to rough it somewhere.

“You’re not wrong,” he responds. Unholsters the pistol from his hip with his free hand and tosses it onto the shelf next to the first aid kit full of snow. He steps around so he’s facing her more directly, moving to grab her by the shoulders to steady her with both hands and almost forgetting about her injury. He hovers the hand on that side for a moment, and then he settles it lower on her arm, by her elbow. Ready, just in case.

She stares right through him, barely there - glassy eyed, frighteningly pale. She’s going to crash soon, it's clear from the look of her - might be about to faint on him. A fresh surge of fear has him feeling suddenly, newly clear headed and alert.

“We’re gonna put on your dry jeans now, and get you layin' down, warmin’ up again,” he says slowly, watching for any sign that she’s hearing him. “I’ll put some more water in your thermos - you can take little sips of it - but other than that I don’t want you movin’ around. You - your body needs some real rest to heal, baby. And - you need to tell me everywhere you’re hurtin’,” - she looks down to the floor and he clenches his grip on her, fighting the urge to shake her - “Please, Ellie - you’re scarin' me.”

There’s nothing in her stomach. But she lurches forward in a violent dry heave, giving it her all anyway.

----

link to whole story (work in progress) on AO3

#ellie and joel #last of us fanfic #last of us fanfiction #joel miller #dad joel #tlou angst #god I love Joel Miller #joel and ellie #silver lake #tlou fic #tlou fanfiction #Joel angst #ellie angst #protective joel #ellie is a badass #Joel loves Ellie #Ellie loves Joel #please don't go #the last of us

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mysticnightmarewrites · 1 year

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the night we met - Ch. 3

When Gendry's world starts to break apart, shattering all the dreams he'd only recently dared to hope for, he turns to Sansa, who offers sisterly advice and her delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. It's been weeks since he last talked to Arya, and it's time to confront the truth.

Read Ch. 1-2 on Tumblr

SONG: "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron

PAIRING: Arya/Gendry

LENGTH: 1.5k words

WARNINGS: Fic is 18+ (minors DNI)

All that time I’d been saving up for a ring, planning our whole lives together, she had already been slipping away, and I’d never noticed a thing. Arya had always called me stupid. She’d meant it as an endearment, but gods, she was right. I was stupid.

“Please,” I whispered to any gods that may be listening. “Please take me back. Let me change this. I’ll do anything.”

They were the cries of a broken man who had nothing left to believe in. Because what was the point in loving something so much that losing it hurt this bad? It’s not like it would have ever worked out for us. I understood that now. Arya had needed something more, something that was just hers, not tainted by the flashing lights or a family name. She’d spent her whole life living up to how others saw her. To her dad, she’d been the favorite child, and when he died she became the rebellious daughter of the late Ned Stark. I had watched her get lost in it all, and I’d let her get lost in me, too. I was just a reminder of some of the worst moments in her life, but Braavos? Braavos was freedom.

The now-familiar pull tugged at me, sending me backward again. This time to Sansa's old apartment in the capitol. I'd driven for hours just to see her that day. The wound of my disinheritance had stung so deeply, I'd spent weeks hiding away, ignoring Arya's calls. Resigning myself once more to the bleak future I had seen for myself growing up, interrupted only by the daydream that was Arya Stark and Riverlands U.

One day, I woke up to a kitchen full of mostly empty pizza boxes, milk spoiled on the counter, and nothing but half eaten takeaway in the fridge. My overdue rent bill had glared at me from the spot where it fell through the mail slot. I couldn't go on like this anymore. But how could I face Arya after all the days I'd spent pushing her away? She deserved so much better than me. And so I had turned to the smartest person I knew – her sister.

"Who was that guy you were working for when we met?" She'd asked while flipping the grilled cheese sandwich on the stove. "Tommen? Toby?"

"Tobho," I said, leaning over the kitchen island.

"That's right. You should give him a call. See if he needs any workers. Arya said you were a really good mechanic."

She flipped her auburn hair behind her head as she turned to plate the sandwich, putting it in front of me.

"Go ahead, eat, and we'll work out the plan, OK?"

There was a reason I had turned to Sansa when my life turned to shit. She was the closest thing to a sister I'd ever had, and I loved her for it. We talked as I ate, with the occasional notification popping up on Sansa's phone. I hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but now I knew just who Sansa had been talking to.

When the brunette ball of fury stormed through the door, I let out the breath I had been holding, but the Gendry I was watching stumbled off his stool and fell to the ground in shock.

"What are you doing here," I'd asked, weakly.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" The anger in her voice had rattled me to my core, and I did my best to keep looking into her cold, gray eyes.

Sansa reached a hand down to help pull me to my feet, and I had stared at her, as if begging her to save me from this misery of my own making.

"This was for the best, Gendry," she said, squeezing my shoulder and giving Arya a nod before leaving the room.

There was silence for a long painful moment, to the point where I couldn't take the void that was settling between us.

"Do you want any?" I finally asked, picking up the second grilled cheese sandwich Sansa had just set down for me.

My casual words seemed to break her and suddenly, she was up in my face. She may have been a good head-and-a-half shorter than me, but she still seemed dangerous when she was mad, and I had almost dropped the plate instead of setting it down safely.

"You could drive halfway across the country, but you couldn't even show up at my door?" She said, like it had taken everything in her to just get the words out. Tears slid down her face, staining her cheeks with the sadness that had tried to hide behind the anger.

"I didn't feel like I had the right," I admitted, collapsing onto the nearby sofa that had already been pulled out into a bed. My head hid in my hands. "At first, I just needed a few days to process everything, and then I spent the next week too embarrassed to tell you, and then it felt too late. I'd kept it from you too long. You deserve better."

"Maybe that's true, but I want you. We have a few hours to spend together in a car to get home. You can tell me then or you can tell me now, but you will tell me."

I nodded, scooting over so she had a place to sit.

Once the words started coming out, I could stop them. I listened for what felt like hours as the past me explained it all. The letter I'd gotten in the mail. The end of the once seemingly endless cash flow that I, a poor boy from Flea Bottom, had grown accustomed to. How all the dreams I had never hoped to dream fell to the ground like dust. No more becoming an architect or an engineer. No more corner house on a good street with enough room for a pack of dogs to run around. No more the kind of man who could marry into one of the most important families in the realm.

After a while, I got up to grab a glass of water, but the silence didn't last long.

"That's why you haven't talked to me in nearly a month? I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere until Hot Pie said you texted him."

"It felt like I was," I said, taking a sip in the quiet that followed her words. It was true. When I was younger, I'd been called gutter trash all the time, and gutter trash I'd become once more.

She was still angry with me, I could tell, but her expression softened, and she held my back to her chest all night long. And when we returned to my small flat, she didn't even make a face at the stench coming from the kitchen.

I watched as slowly, my dear, sweet Arya put all the pieces back together. Without knowing it, she was the glue that had held me together all those years.

She dished both of us up a plate of spaghetti and sat down beside me, idly twirling the strands with her fork.

"I don't know if I can trust you now, Gendry. I was really hurt," she admitted.

"I know," I said, putting down my fork. "I won't do that again. I promise. From now on, you'll have all of me. Every piece."

After everything I'd put her through, though, and everything she was dealing with too, after that day, she only had most of her to give. And I took every morsel I could.

This time when I felt the pull of the magic dragging me farther into the past, I fought it as hard as I could. "I can't. I can't," I muttered to the unyielding force gripping me ever tighter. "I can't," but I knew I had to.

Suddenly, I was back on campus, laying flat on my back with clouds drifting through the endless blue sea of the sky above.

Arya's laugh filtered through everything else, and I closed my eyes to hear it better. It was even more beautiful than the sunny sky. Better than the feel of the soft grass under my fingers.

For a moment, I let myself pretend I was laying with her there again, as if for the first time, blocking out my past self who was also lying on the sun-warmed lawn.

"This is nice," I said, my words an echo of the past.

"The sun is nice," Arya said, and I let her voice surround me in a way the grass under my back never could.

"No," I said, in perfect tune. "I meant this, lying here with you."

"Oh!" I could hear her smile. "You're right. I could do this forever."

A tear dropped down my face, one that hadn't been there before, my broken voice joining that of a green boy of 24.

"I could too."

Opening my eyes to the bright light, I watched Arya and my old self stroll down the hillside on paths I could no longer follow, leaving me broken with the sky open above.

#arya x gendry #gendrya #modern au #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #game of thrones #gendry #gendry baratheon #arya stark #hurt/comfort

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margotw10 · 1 year

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Crashing on Crush. JJK (m)

Pairing : crush!Jungkook x Female Reader

Synopsis : Jungkook invites you to eat ramyeon, but as your feelings grow for him maybe he hasn't been completely honest with you...

Words : 4.7k

Warnings : explicit language; cursing; oral sex (f. receiving); protected sex; mention of bullying

A/n : Hi! The new chapter of this fic, pls check the previous ones :) Don't hesitate to comment. Please keep in mind that English is not my first language. Once again, Mathilde worked hard to fix my grammar mistakes <3

Ch. 1---- Ch. 2---- Ch. 3---- Ch. 4---- Ch. 5---- Ch. 6---- Ch. 7---- Ch. 8---- Ch. 9----

Jungkook left a few minutes after because he had to wake up early the next morning. You were disappointed because after sharing such an intimate moment, you would have liked him to stay. You have felt so close to him. And you had the feeling that your connection disappeared with his absence. You have felt so alive, and the next moment you are completely alone, and not so much alive. It was kind of terrifying how your mood changed because of him: you were beyond clouds when he was next to you, and completely in the darkness when he left. This emotional rollercoaster made you cried that night. You were too lost in your own feelings. You felt closer to him and at the same time so far away.

The whole next day, you kept making mistakes at work, your brain overthinking the last night. You were thinking about Jungkook and wondering if he were thinking about you too. The possibility of it not being the case and of you being just another girl he had fun with squeezed your heart.

That’s why, heading out of the art gallery, you thought like you could finally breathe. The pure fresh air of Seoul filled your lungs like it was your very first breathing. That’s when you saw him, leaning against his black Mercedes.

Jungkook smiles at you when he notices you. A genuine smile, that makes you smile equally. A pure wave of happiness swaps your body and you wish you could jump in his arms. Once again, a little word with huge meaning starting with ‘L’ pops in your mind and warms your heart.

"What are you doing here?" You ask him, trying to not sound as cheerful as you are

"To see you"

The simple but so sweet respond attacks your heart. It would be illegal to be such a flirt.

"I was thinking I could cook for you"

"Oh, you know how to cook?" You tease him

"Are you questioning my cooking skills?" He replies, a brow lifting up suspiciously

Jungkook’s smile is so pretty. When he smiles, he looks like the happiest man alive and, oddly, seeing him happy makes you happy too. You realize that you want to make him happy.

"Prove me wrong then" You say, opening his car door.

———

You didn’t know what to expect from Jungkook’s apartment but it surely looks like him: a big living room with a huge TV screen, a large black leather couch, some paintings on the walls ; a modern open kitchen and a dark wood diner table making the transition between the cooking area and the living room. You see some photos of him, his family and his friends. It’s like Jungkook has brought all his memories from his brain and materialized it into his place. You feel good here, at peace, like in a cocoon, protected from the outside world. It’s the same feeling that when he wraps his arms around your frame.

As Jungkook washes his hand with soap in the kitchen sink, he speaks up:

"Do you want some ramyeon?"

You immediately burst into laugher and Jungkook follows you.

"I mean, real ramyeon but if you want that, I will love it too"

"Real ramyeon is okay" You say, blushing

Jungkook starts boiling water in a saucepan and grabs two packs of Shin Ramyun, the less spicy ones after you told him that you were sensitive. It doesn’t take long for the noodles to be ready and you two sit down at the dinner table.

The conversation goes smoothly. You talk about you two, your childhoods, the things you like and don’t like. You just get to know each other. Despite being unlabeled, it looks like the beginning of a relationship. Few memories of how it started with your ex-boyfriends come back to you and you realize that what you are leaving now with Jungkook is like that, but way better because you get along with so many things. You laugh at the same jokes, you are upset about the same things, you care about the same subjects. However, you don’t want to rush things. It’s been a long time since you were in a relationship and you want to take your time. You don’t have to put a name on what you and Jungkook are.

"Do you have nicknames?" You ask him at some point

"Actually, I have a lot of them: JK, Kook, Kookie" He pauses and a sparkle of playfulness brightens his doe eyes "Daddy…"

"Jungkook!" You blush and choke at the same time, which makes him laugh.

"You can call me whatever you want"

"What’s your favorite nickname? And don’t say Daddy" You ask him, genuinely wanting to call him by a name he likes

Jungkook takes the time to think and then, gets a tiny closer to you. When he talks back, his voice is way deeper and you feel a change in the air around you.

"Call me yours"

You don’t understand what happens next because in just one second, your lips are on Jungkook’s. He grabs your waist to pull you closer, basically putting you on his laps. Your hands are in his smooth, long hair. Your kiss is messy, eager and your panties gets quickly soaked. Then, Jungkook pulls you up and leans you on the table, the tableware pushed aside carelessly. The cold and hard material in your back contrast with the fire in your body and the softness of Jungkook’s lips on your neck. His hands struggle to unbutton your pale yellow blouse and he is too impatient to wait. With a sharp movement, he pulls over both sides, causing all the little buttons to pop and fall around you.

"Jungkook!" You scold him

"I’ll buy you a new one"

He even seems amused and kisses your breasts. It’s enough for you to forget about the ripped clothes. Jungkook sneaks a hand on your back and undoes your bra. He quickly takes off both your messed up blouse and your bra. Then, he cups your boobs with his large and warm palms and takes the time to admire your picked nipples - caused by the cold air on your burning skin and your horniness. His mouth dives onto your nipples and he rolls his tongue around it, sucks on it and gently bites it. The simulation of this sensitive zone causes you to moan his name. You tell him to take off his shirt - honestly, who will say no to sneak on his perfect body?

You flick his firm chest and abs. He is way too handsome with no shirt on. But Jungkook doesn’t give you too much time to enjoy the show because he unzips your black slacks and slides them down with your panties. Completely naked, you feel his glaze on you and you blush when he licks his lips, ready to eat you out.

"You are so beautiful" He whispers before he kneels down to kiss your pussy.

A choked whimper escapes your mouth. Feeling Jungkook’s lips on you, and especially on your wet pussy, is electrifying. A wave of arousal washes over your body. He eats you out like a starved man. You feel your juice mixed with his saliva dripping down to your ass and your pussy clenches on nothing until Jungkook hears your silenced prayers and enters you with two fingers.

"Oh my god!" You exclaim at the sudden and delightful stretch

"I love how tight you are, babe"

You barely hear his voice because his mouth is glued to your clit but the pet name drives you crazy. You’re losing your head, trying to grip the corner of the table not to lose your sanity under these perfect tongue flicks. Jungkook enhances the pace of his fingers, hitting your g-spot every time. You can’t take it any longer and you feel your orgasm building up in your body so fast that you can’t even tell Jungkook - not that he needs you to speak because your walls around his fingers getting tighter tell enough. You scream his name when you reach your climax, spams of pleasure all over your body.

You look literally fucked up and it’s what Jungkook wanted. Seeing and even feeling your pleasure makes him horny. He can feel his hard cock completely squeezed in his pants, it’s uncomfortable. You naked is a view he wishes to see everyday. At this thought, he can’t help but caressing his dick through the fabric of his clothes and he kisses your inner thighs, he even bites them gently. The contact of his teeth on your sensitive skin makes you flinch. He knows damn well how to use his pretty mouth… He ends up sucking on your inner thigh skin to leave a mark. He loves thinking that you’re his, even if it’s just for a moment. His possessiveness does’t just turn him on, it does the same to you. Someway, you are proud he wants you the same way you want him, and you do want to be his. And you want him to be yours.

You are out of breathe, slowly reaching down on Earth after being beyond clouds. You don’t think straight and that’s why your mouth speaks without consulting your brain.

"I want you" You hear your raspy post-orgasm voice says

Jungkook kisses you, some of your juice mixing in your mouth with your and his salivas. He leaves you just a few seconds and comes back with a metallic square packet in his hand.

"Are you sure?" He asks you

"Yes"

You have no doubt. You want Jungkook. You want to feel the closest you can, you want to feel him in you.

He kisses you, more gently than before, almost in a romantic way, before taking off his pants and underwear. The sight cuts your breathe: his cock is already hard. You can’t deny that a new wave of wetness shakes your pussy. You wonder how stretching will his thick length be, you know he will fill you completely.

He puts the condom on, and gives himself a few pumps before placing his body closer to yours, right between your opened legs. The few seconds you have to wait to feel him are like torture. The emptiness of your pussy and the beautiful view of his hard cock so close to you makes you shiver in an impatient horniness. You’re losing your mind, but it’s even worse when Jungkook takes his length and slides upon your dripping pussy. You moan and then whine in pleasure when you feel it rubbing your swollen clit, causing a spam in all your body. His hard cock on your sensitive bud is the most delightful thing in the whole world.

"Jungkook, please" You beg

Once again, you don’t know how much you are turning him on with your plea. "What a good girl", he thinks when he finally enters you. Slowly. Making you feel each inch stretching you and causing your mouth to open. It’s so big, painful. It’s so good. You don’t really know if it’s his cock or the realization of him filling you up but you are, once again, on the edge of your orgasm. However, you want this delightful sin to last as long as possible. That’s why, when he is deep inside you, all his thick dick swallowed by your cunt, you put a hand on his firm abs to stop him from moving. You need to control yourself and take deep breathes. He is standing up, having the greatest view of your entire perfect body. Even though his position makes him dominant, on the inside, you are shaking everything in Jungkook. You could ask him anything, he would say ‘yes’.

"You’re so good" Jungkook says in a raspy voice before pecking you, this small gesture squeezes your heart with sweetness

When you begin to whimper from the lack of the now needed sliding, Jungkook gets the message and starts bumping. He begins quite slow but enhances the pace at each single bang. Your breasts bounces at the same rhythm and it’s a call for him to grab your boob with his tattooed hand. His skin is even hotter than yours and the feeling is so damn good. His touch is like a delicious burn on your skin. His left hand keeps you in place while he penetrates you again and again. He enters you with all his length each time, hitting your g-spot. The pace is the perfect one: just providing the good amount of pain before it’s unbearable. But what is unbearable is the arousal growing even bigger in your body.

"Oh my fucking god!"

"You’re taking me so good, Y/N. So fucking perfect"

His head spins by the amount of pleasure. It’s the pleasure of stretching your tight pussy but also of being the one in you. He keeps telling to himself how beautiful you are and how perfect your pussy feels around his cock, just like you were made for him. He wants each pounding to remind you that, at this moment, you’re his and he’s yours. There is nothing in the world but your two bodies being one.

He leans down to kiss you messily. You grab his hair and moan his name in his mouth. How can you survive so much pleasure? It’s not just his perfect cock, Jungkook exactly knows how to move. He seems to know what you like, what you want and he gives it to you at the exact right time. That’s why it’s the best, best, best sex in your life.

"Are you so wet just for me?" His voice is full of cockiness and it makes you crazy, even his possessiveness creates a wave of arousal between your legs and makes your walls clench around him. "Answer me" He orders, giving a slap on the side of your ass, tightening your pussy even more and Jungkook mentally notes that you like that.

"Yes! Yes!" You repeat the only words you manage to say

"You’re such a good girl" You can hear his smirk in his breathless voice, and it’s fucking hot

You are so close, his cock stretching and pounding your dripping cunt. Jungkook feels your pussy clenching and he smirks. His inked hand leaves your breast to rub your clit, tightening your walls even more. It begins to be hard for him to enter you smoothly when you’re so tight.

"Oh my god, Jungkook!" You moan, fighting to keep your eyes open just to see his face full of horniness and his messy-fuck hair sticked on his forehead. He is so perfect, so handsome. His puffy lips are slightly open and you swear that when he looks into your eyes, you can see his soul for a second.

"So fucking tight" He says with his jaws clenched, trying to not cum before you "Cum for me, babe. Cum around my cock"

His puzzling possessiveness towards you pushes him to fuck you harder. Eyes closed by the overwhelming wave of arousal, you have no idea that Jungkook is still watching you. So beautiful with your face torn by pleasure. He wishes to be the only one to witness it, the only one to provide you such an orgasm. And in fact, you’ve never cummed this hard. You get choked up, unable to make any noise, when you feel the most alive than you’ve ever felt - you don’t even know if you’re still on Earth - but Jungkook keeps fucking you through your orgasm. The overstimulation is almost too painful. Almost.

"Please, please" You groan

You don’t know if it’s for him to stop, to continue or to urge him to feel how good cumming right now is. Anyway, just a few poundings are enough for Jungkook after your little begging to fill the condom.

You are both panting and sweaty. Jungkook almost collapses on you and your burning skins melt into each other’s. You feel so… overwhelmed. You don’t even know what you’re feeling right now except that you want to feel him closer. Not physically because you can’t be closer than that - especially when Jungkook is still inside you - but emotionally. Your shaky hands - caused by the orgasms or your emotion - caresses his sticky hair. Jungkook throws his strong arms around you and rests his head on your breast, listening to your pounding heart. The feeling of your fingers playing with his black strands is soothing, he likes it. No, he loves it. He has never felt like this, in complete peace. He knows he is where he is to be.

You’re happy Jungkook can’t see your face because two big tears escape your eyes for an indeterminate reason. Well, actually, deep down, you know the reason but you’re not ready to accept it just yet. Thankfully, you have time to dry your eyes before Jungkook lifts his pretty head and kisses you. A real, beautiful, perfect kiss. A kiss that says everything, every truth of the world and even more. Or is it your imagination because of your foggy post-amazing-orgasm brain?

Jungkook straightens up slowly and pulls out from you. The void between your legs is unpleasant, like a piece of you is missing. He grabs your hand to help to get off the table. Your weak and shaky legs abandon you but Jungkook’s quick reflexes prevent you from hitting the ground.

"Wooh, easy cowboy" He laughs, kissing your temples

Why does he have to be so cute right now? Your legs are not the only part of your body to be weak at this moment: your heart is too. And his bunny smile, his adorable doe eyes and his scrunched nose are a huge threat.

You try to push this thoughts away and concentrate on stabilizing yourself. When you feel like you won’t directly drop, you carefully let go of Jungkook’s support.

"I should go take a shower" You say with a still raspy voice

"Sure, I’ll give you a towel. And a t-shirt" He tells you playfully, glancing at your yellow once blouse.

You try to clean yourself quickly to give way to Jungkook but you still take the time to appreciate the smell of his body wash. It’s not the usual strong and manly scent but a sophisticate amber and lemony fragrance. You realize it’s perfect for Jungkook: mannish but soft at the same time. Okay, your brain is definitely not working well if you think his body wash is a mirror for his personality…

Out of the bathroom with the clean oversize black t-shirt and a pair of boxers that Jungkook gave you, you see him cleaning the diner table dressed only with his underwear. The mesmerizing view makes you blush. You don’t say anything to enjoy the show a little longer. But Jungkook eventually notices you and gives you a genuine smile.

"You can choose a movie while I go shower, if you want"

He says that so naturally. Does that mean he expects you to stay over? Not that you complain but last time he left, so you kind of supposed you’d have to leave too. You are in fact really happy to stay and to spend more time with Jungkook after this intimate moment. Does he feel like something changed too? It was not only the sex but the few minutes after, while you were pressed against each other. You know what aftercare is but it was more than that.

———

"What are you doing this weekend?" Jungkook asks you

The movie has been going on for almost a hour now. You were surprised - but so happy - when Jungkook sat next to you and pulled closer, his arm around your shoulders. The fact that you smelled the same kind of made your heart beat faster. Silly, you thought. It was so good that you didn’t want to think it was anything more than after-sex moment because if Jungkook decided to not see you again, you knew it would hurt you.

But now, he is asking for this weekend. So maybe, just maybe, he wants to see you again. Maybe to start something more serious?

"I have a thing Saturday. But I’m free Friday night and Sunday" You try to control your smile. "What about you?"

"I was thinking we could go to the Lotte aquarium. Have you been there?"

"Never" You answer, remembering that Suzi and you always talked about visiting it but always ended up doing something else. "I’d love to go"

You bite your lower lip to prevent you from asking "Is it a date?".

"Great" Jungkook smiles at you with his cute bunny smile, relieved that you agreed to go out with him. "What are your plans for Saturday, if it’s okay for me to ask?"

"One of my friends is graduating from high school"

"You have young friends!" He jokes

"Yah, I’m not that old! You, on the other hand, can’t say the same" You tease and he looks falsely offended

"Come on, Y/N, I’m like three years older"

You don’t really think before kissing Jungkook. It’s only when you pull your lips apart that you realize that you got carried away by the flirty situation and that you might have crossed a line.

Seeing the panic in your eyes, Jungkook reassures you by kissing you. Himself can’t get enough of your pretty lips. Being with you, watching a movie, having you in his arms seems so natural to him. As it’s always have been like that. He doesn’t know why, and he doesn’t even try to understand. He just wants to enjoy it.

And he does. All night. You sleeping in his bed is a blessing, almost a dream. That’s why he wraps your body with an arm: he makes sure that you won’t disappear. He can’t deny that this fear comes with old demons that he tries to push away.

———

"Jongseob!" You scream your friend’s name like a proud mom

He is wearing his high school uniform and, something unusual, he has styled his caramel hair - and yes, he has been punished for dying his hair. However, you can’t yell at him when he is this cute.

"Noona!"

He immediately jumps at you and you notice that he has grown since the last time you saw him a few month ago.

"I’m so, so proud of you" You tell him, hugging him tightly. "I have something for you"

Jongseob grabs the bag you hand him and takes a look. His almond eyes sparkles and his lovely smile gets bigger. He looks genuinely happy to discover the new video game he told you about and a full box of donuts from your favorite coffee shop.

You are moved to see him happy. It’s a drastic change from your first encounter and each time you think about it, your heart is painfully squeezed. It was three years ago. Suzi had sent you a text to tell you that she would be late. Grumbling, you decided to start shopping for the weekend party without her. You were strolling in Myeongdong when you heard some strange noises coming from a narrowed alley. A small group of high schoolers were having fun. Or that’s what you thought at first. But watching carefully, you noticed that four of them were, indeed having fun from bullying a younger boy. You felt panicked, sad and angry. You didn’t think a second before rushing toward them and yelling at them. They might have think you were crazy.

"If you touch him again, I swear to God that I will make you regret being born" You told them

It was not really your threat but the fading amusement that made them leave. When you turned around, you saw this scared but cute boy. You hugged him tightly and told him that he’d never be alone again. After that, you both sat at your now favorite coffee and you payed him a donut. Since then, Jongseob is like your little brother. You really, purely love each other. And you are so, so proud of him: he is more confident now and he graduates with special mention.

You can see in Jongseob’s eyes that he is also thinking about your first encounter. Both of you have watery eyes now. He’s never told you that he thinks you’re his guardian angel. You helped him so much that he made a promise to himself: he will work hard and will give everything you want. He will take care of you the same way you took care of him. You’re the person who knows him the most, like a big sister, his Noona.

You let him go join his classmates and you sit on the bleachers to follow the graduation. Pride brightens your eyes and warms your heart. When the headmaster calls ‘Kim Jongseob’, he stands up, takes his diploma and looks for you in the crowd. When his eyes meet yours, he waves at you with his certificate, a perfect sign of success after all he’s been through.

"Noona, I’m not a kid anymore" Jongseob complains when you hand him a hot chocolate

You roll your eyes. After the ceremony, you invited him at the coffee shop and ordered the usually: a hot chocolate for Jongseob, a latte for you and two glazed lemon donuts - you told him to bring back home the ones you gave him earlier.

"Yah! It’s not because you’re not in high school anymore that you can’t drink hot chocolate. Come on, I know you love it"

With a sigh, Jongseob gives up the protest and takes a sip. The sweet flavor makes him forget why he wanted anything else.

"I’m so proud of you"

"Stop! You said that a hundred times today"

"I know but it’s true"

You can’t control your emotion. Like you said earlier, you look like a proud mom and you are not going to be sorry for that. Moreover, you know that Jongseob is secretly happy to know how you feel about him, his own parents are not very supportive.

Jongseob’s phone rings and he immediately jumps on it. He reads the text, blushes and answers. You squint and wait for him to put down the device. Jongseob notices the suspicious and amused expression on your face.

"What?" He asks, blushing harder

"Don’t you have something to tell me?" You take a sip of your latte, trying to act detached while you’re dying to know all the details

"There is this girl, Jiwon, she is so pretty and nice. We-we talk, that’s all"

"You like her?"

"I-I think"

Jongseob is too cute when he is shy. He is a good guy, you have no doubt that Jiwon will see it too. You are also happy that he found someone, a friend, to talk to. After being bullied, it was hard for him to trust other people and you were the only one he talked to. But you have noticed a slight change in him: he is more open to others and, even if they can’t be described as ‘friends’, he spends some time with them.

"What about you, Noona?"

"There is this guy, Jungkook, he is so pretty and nice" You tease him and Jongseob gently slaps your arm to make you stop. "I’m kidding! But for real, there is a guy. I don’t really know what we are"

Actually, you are glad to talk about Jungkook to someone. You know you can talk to Suzi but she is too implicated so Jongseob can help you see things differently, especially when he doesn’t know Jungkook.

"What would you like you two to be?"

It’s a simple question. And yet, you never thought about it. When you’re with Jungkook, you feel so good. He makes you happy, alive and it’s more than just sex. The physical attraction you’ve had for him for months became something deeper when you started spending time with him. It’s also scary how such a short time was enough for your heart and your brain to be full of Jungkook.

"I… want him" You whisper "I feel alive when I’m with him. I don’t know how to explain but I want to be with him"

"What are you wanting for?"

You look at Jongseob with a surprised and confused look. He looks so confident - you don’t know that it’s thank to you that he can be.

"Go tell him. You have nothing to loose. And honestly, if this Jungkook guy doesn’t want to be with you, he sucks"

Jongseob’s cute smile gives you courage. He gives you a ‘go girl!’ look. You grab you bag, kiss Jongseob on his chubby cheek and waves him goodbye.

———

The bus ride allowed you to organize your speech. You feel so fucking stressed. Your heart beats loudly in your chest. You know that it’s not easy to lay yourself bare and confess your feelings but you also know that you shared something real with Jungkook. You can’t be the only one to feel this way, he must feel it too.

You arrive at the closest bus stop to Jungkook’s. You place your hand on your crazy beating heart and take a deep breathe. It’s okay, nothing can go wrong. You walk to his building and you are surprised to see him, standing up next to his Mercedes. You are ready to call him out but you throat goes dry when you see a girl hugging him.

What the hell?

You are close enough to hear them talking. But this can’t be happening. It’s all a misunderstanding, like in movies. The girl took him for someone else, or Jungkook is going to push her away. But no. The ground is opening under your feet, swallowing you. However, it’s even more painful when you hear what they are saying.

"Kookie, I need you" The girl says in Jungkook’s chest

"I’m here, I’m not leaving you"

Each word coming from his mouth is a dragger in your broken heart.

He wraps his arms around the fragile girl’s body, an awful reminder that he’s done the exact same thing to you just a few days ago.

"I love you" She says

Please, don’t. Don’t say it.

"I love you too"

#jungkook x you #jungkook x y/n #jungkook fiction #bts jungkook #jungkook #bts fanfic #bts #fanfic #jongseob #jeon jungguk #p1harmony jongseob #jeon jungkook

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toburnup · 2 years

Note

SO. JUST FINISHED READING CH 4 AND.

ok first actually this is literally so good this whole fic is so so good and has been living rent free in my head since august 25th ok i literally think about it a minimum of 3 times per day and thats a very conservative guesstimate. ok.

BUT. BESTIE. IM UNWELL. (please forgive this outrageous outpouring of emotions in ur ask id comment on ao3 but i forgot my password and can't be bothered to fix it rn)

"There are more stars out, and the moon is bright." THERE ARE STARS OUT TONIGHT AND HE CAN SEE THEM PLEASE STOP IM ON THE FLOOR.

"Steve already knows and his stomach fills with those butterflies he's still trying to get used to." butterflies to get USED TO I AM BEGGING FOR MERCY

""What are you so afraid of?" Steve asks, holding him there, so he can't run away from this. Eddie's voice is soft, serious. Earnest. "You."" literally just kill me rn it would hurt less.

the kiss the kiss the kiss tHE KISS THE KISS THE KISS THE KISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

also thank fUCK these morons are finally starting to TALK TO EACH OTHER GOOD GOD

i have perished this is so exquisite the pinING the MORONIC but so relatable desire to not look/feel vulnerable. bOTH making comments that just end up living rent free in the others head. the unfoRTUNATE TIMING WITH THE DAMN TEXTS. i-. im gonna stop myself right here. but. i love this fic so much. thank u thank u thank u for writing this 😭💕😭💕

ALKSDAJLSKD i'm so glad you're enjoying it. this was like. VERY NICE TO READ 💙 😭😭 like you just popping over here to make my day?? pls do.

okok but to speak to the points you liked!! (which, ty for including, i love hearing about what stood out) i'm gonna pop them under a read more cause it got a bit long. I GUESS I HAVE A LOT TO SAY 💙

steve looking out at the stars!! big sky! big feelings!!! he's stepping out onto the balcony and is opening himself up to it. he has a big heart, he's just bad at using it sometimes.

the butterflies!! honestly, it was so fun to see steve is like. acknowledging he has a Thing for eddie and it's not just about him wanting physical closeness (chapter 2 steve would've been like ? this isn't butterflies, this must be indigestion). and he's like OK I ACCEPT. reluctantly, and a bit sadly, but he accepts it!!

but on the flip side, acknowledging that he has feelings means it's real now, and steve is impulsive and likes to have confirmation so :) :) he went and tried to get it, haha. and didn't that go well.

steve is someone who has no problem admitting what he fears - probably because everything has sort of 'worked out' in that regard so far - but what he loves, on the other hand?? terrifying to admit in the circumstances that it might not be reciprocated. also, i think the nancy breakup is always going to be a big turning point in steve's life cause it's like the MOST stable thing suddenly crumbling.

all that to say, steve doesn't see revealing that he's scared as a big deal quite like eddie does. so eddie saying steve is who he's afraid of - to his face - is like. ultimate vulnerability. he wouldn't tell steve he was afraid of him (or afraid of steve breaking his heart 😌😌) if he didn't trust him. steve doesn't see it that way tho. steve's worst fear is being feared lol.

annnnnnd the kiss 😌😌😌 with so much buildup, i was like. yikes. i hope this goes over okay. but then the plot did its thing and turns out it's just another step on the way there, 'cause at the end of the day, the no-kiss thing is just a piece of a bigger issue here.

anyway, ty for sending this very sweet message 💙 i hope you enjoy chapter 5!! should be up this week.

#god i feel so lucky rn #thank you for this #💜#bowlegs-and-freckles #viospeaks #my fics

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sanddusted-wisteria · 4 months

Text

Earth and Sky, Ch. 2: Sprout

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“I don’t know about you, but…” Wisteria says. “I’m glad. I’m glad that we’re both here now.” And as Qi looks up from his empty glass, seeing her eyes glow in the golden twilight and a serene smile light up her face, he can’t help but agree.

Also on AO3

A/N: If you read Chapter 1 of this fic when it came out, there isn't anything new in this chapter. This is the second half of the old Chapter 1. I split it up bc I realized that 12.5k words in a single chapter was probably a bad idea. :P

Qi sighs as he looks over his assistant’s work. So many careless errors. Of course, time pressure could be a factor in it, but if he was going to work at Qi’s pace, this kind of imprecision was unacceptable.

“Assistant,” he calls towards the shelves, where he was gathering some materials for him. “You need to review your calculations. I count 3 significant figure inconsistencies, 2 arithmetic errors, and you didn’t use the proper statistical test here. The variances are nowhere near equal.”

He expected another annoying groan or complaint from the man, but he’s met with silence. “Assistant?”

More silence. Qi scowls. “Assistant, if this is your idea of what diligence is, then—” He whirls around, coming face-to-face with…Wisteria. She’s just standing there, a curious brow raised.

“Everything...okay?”

“Hello, yes, sorry, Wisteria,” Qi huffs. “No time for pleasantries, I’m afraid. I’m too busy wasting time correcting this assistant’s mistakes. Where is he?!”

Wisteria looks over at the door. “...Was he the guy that just ran out? He was yelling something about an interview and calling you crazy…”

“He…ran away.”

“Yyyep,” says Wisteria, pursing her lips and popping the “p”. “Looks like it. Sorry.”

Qi tsked. “Unbelievable. This man is an Atara University graduate, can you believe that?!” Atara’s education system had some catching up to do. Not that it was any competition to Vega 5 anyway…

“Oh…!” Wisteria chimes, brow furrowing. “Uh…is that…good?”

“It’s supposed to be,” Qi sighs. “Atara University is supposed to be one of the Alliance’s premier institutions in all disciplines! …Second to the University of Vega 5, of course. I thought I would find higher quality assistants from there, but it seems they’re lacking there, too.”

“Assistants, huh.”

“Yes. Right now, I’m preparing for an observation of an Old World orbital construction facility. By my rough estimates, it should be here in about a month or so, but I need to hurry and get a precise trajectory at least a week in advance. And to dedicate myself more to that, I need an assistant to assist with…well, pretty much everything else.”

“Mm-hmm. Sounds…like a lot.”

“Indeed! With my workload, it is indeed a lot. I figured at least one of these candidates would have the drive and the knowledge to handle it, but apparently not. I keep having to teach all of them even the most basic things.” He brings a hand to his head. “Utterly daft.”

Wisteria hums, a hand on her chin. “Are they all fresh to the field? They probably don’t know very much anyway. That’s why they’re just…assistants.”

“Most are, but they’re forgetting things from their core curriculum. The one before this one forgot all the laws of thermodynamics!”

“I mean, even so,” Wisteria crosses her arms and shrugs. “They’re still new. And you’re just throwing them into the deep end. Uh, the…proverbial deep end. Can’t expect them to know everything on day one.”

Qi scoffs. “I knew everything I’ve given these assistants and more on my first day of working.”

Wisteria leans in a little, her brow lowering. “But were you like those guys?”

Qi opens his mouth to retort, but he freezes. Wisteria only keeps her gaze leveled on him, applying invisible pressure. He slowly closes his mouth, clenching his jaw. “No,” he says quietly. “I was not.”

“Hm.”

Wisteria has an odd talent for throwing him off-guard, he realizes. He never expected anyone in Sandrock to be able to challenge him. And even if he did, he only braced for challenges on the research front. Not…whatever this was. Wisteria, though, a humble builder, likely with no serious academic expertise…

“...Would you like to apply?” he asks suddenly.

“Huh?” Wisteria’s hard stare vanishes, replaced with a confused one.

“For the open assistant position.”

Her expression only grows more confused. “Uh–me? U-um…if an Atara U guy isn’t qualified, then I don’t think I’d—”

Qi holds up a hand. “I’m aware that you likely don’t possess the prerequisite knowledge for a position like this, but I’m familiar with your character already. Lacking character from my previous candidates was just as detrimental for them as lacking knowledge. I’d say you’re just as qualified as they are.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?” Wisteria snorts.

“Er, it’s neither. You’re at the same starting level as they are. Your performance will determine whether you end up the same way they do, though.”

“So you’re challenging me. Got it.” Wisteria chuckles, bent over with a grin. “Alright, I’ll bite. Let’s give it a shot.”

Qi feels his mood lighten a bit. “Good. Let’s begin tomorrow, then. Report to the Research Center at your earliest convenience. Be prepared.”

A smirk lifts the corner of Wisteria’s mouth. “You bet.”

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

Wisteria arrives at precisely 8:03 the next morning. “Whatcha got for me?” she asks with a confident grin.

“Ah, good. You’re here. So. Your first assigned task is to clean up the debris around the Research Center.” Qi gestures around to the piles of odd goo, broken glassware, and scattered books around the floor. “An experiment I performed last night proved to be more discombobulated than I anticipated, but I don’t have the time to address the mess.”

Wisteria’s grin disappears. “So…I’m your cleaner now?” Her lip curls a bit in distaste.

“Part of an assistant’s duty is maintaining the lab environment for the principal researchers. Besides, while it’s not a part of the experiment, I’m sure all this waste has at least something of interest in it. After all, it’s been left out in the open air for around 12 hours now. If you find something, do let me know. Oh, but, only after you’re done. Please do not disturb me before then.”

Wisteria sighs, but nods. “Alright, boss. You got it…”

“Director. But, good. There are cleaning supplies in the back by the storage shelves.”

He hears a noncommittal hum as he turns back to his calculations. It’s quiet after that, save for the sounds of sweeping and the stacking of books.

“Think that’s all of it,” comes Wisteria’s voice from behind him after a while. “I don’t know how you organize your bookshelves, so I just left them in a stack on the floor.”

“Good,” says Qi as he turns around. “Now, your next task. In that cabinet—” He points at his relic storage next to the Mobile Suit. “—there are many different relics that I have yet to examine. I need you to write a preliminary report on at least 50 of them.”

“50?!” Wisteria cries, flinching. “H-how much time do you think I have?!”

“Until midnight,” Qi replies. “They’re just preliminary reports. No longer than an abstract or so. Just focus on the most important details about its potential research value.”

Wisteria pinches the bridge of her nose. “And…what is an abstract…?”

Qi’s about to demand why she doesn’t know, but he clamps his mouth shut just in time. Right. She’s a builder, not an academic. “Just…limit each one to a paragraph or so. No more than 250 words.”

Wisteria lets out a loud sigh. “…You’re getting bullet points.”

“Fine. As long as it’s comprehensible, I can accept informal formatting for your first day. Now please, it’s best if you get started now.”

He hears a faint muttering as he turns back to his notes. And then a few seconds later, he hears a tremendous CRASH.

“Be careful! The relics are fragile!” he calls over his shoulder. But when he looks over, it’s not just the relics that have been knocked over.

Wisteria was buried underneath a large pile of boxes and miscellaneous parts, slowly shaking things off her with a grunt. Qi stares dumbly for a moment before realizing that his assistant probably needed some assistance.

“Everything alright?” he asks carefully as he gets up from his desk. “Nothing injured?”

Wisteria manages to uncover her face with a grimace. “We’ll, uh…we’ll see. Can you help?”

Qi quickly nods and joins her in swiping away all the junk. Finally, Wisteria’s uncovered enough to sit up. No visible cuts or bruises. And to his recollection, there was nothing in there heavy enough to concuss. At least, on the higher shelves.

Wisteria glances around at the mess. “Looks like I might have to repair all these guys. Oh, and your cabinet’s broken.” She points up at the splinters of what once were the shelves.

“Unfortunately so. Even though your work rate with the reports will be hampered with the repairs, these relics don’t have very much research value in pieces like this.”

“Do you want me to handle the cabinet, too?”

Qi shakes his head. “No. Right now, your job as assistant is to handle the relics. I can call upon your services as a builder later.”

“Alright,” Wisteria says as she clears some room on the floor around her. “Do you mind if I run back to my place for a bit? I need to grab some more glue.”

“Go ahead. Be back soon, please.” Qi carefully makes his way back to his desk.

“I’m not running away, I promise,” she says lightly as she stands up, tiptoes around all the relic pieces, and heads out the door.

She’s gone for an oddly long time. He’s not sure on the exact time it takes to get from here to her workshop, but it certainly shouldn’t be this long. He forces himself to give her the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps something urgent just came up.

Finally, the door opens again, revealing a sighing Wisteria. “Sorry. Ran into Dan-bi. She tried to get me to do another job for her and would not let me go.”

“Ah, the Church. Ever insistent on wasting our time.”

“Eh, they’re alright in this town. For the most part. There were some real…dedicated ones in Highwind. Being a farm city might have something to do with that. Anyways.” She takes a seat on the floor and starts sorting through the relic fragments.

Pleased that she knew to get right back to work, Qi turns back to his own. His calculations go a lot faster than they have in the past several days, now that he doesn’t need to fuss over his assistant. Wisteria’s quiet, for the most part. Every so often he hears a hum through the clatter of relic pieces. He gets up a few times, mostly to refill his tea. Every time he passes her, she’s engrossed in her task, meticulously fitting pieces together and taking notes on a notepad in her lap with a book as a clipboard.

There’s not a lot that she’s able to do in his lab without advanced knowledge, but with her keen eye, steady hands, due diligence, and undisruptive presence, she’s easily the best candidate he’s ever had. This single builder could outpace even alumni of his alma mater.

Eventually, his train of thought is interrupted by a loud sigh. He looks over his shoulder to see Wisteria leaning against the cabinet with her eyes closed.

“My wrist hurts…” she mumbles, shaking her right hand out.

“Ah. Perhaps I should have told you to pause and stretch occasionally. Excessive writing puts you at risk of strain. Or worse.”

��I know, I know…” Wisteria extends her arm, carefully flexing her wrist with the help of her other hand. “I was just so into what I was doing that I forgot.” She flexes her fingers, popping her knuckles.

“A feeling I’m familiar with. How’s your progress, anyhow?”

“I’m done, actually.” Wisteria hands him her notepad. “Looks good?”

He skims through some of her notes. There’s about a page per relic, each with a bunch of bullet points. It looked like she had some experience with basic physics, engineering, and materials science. Befitting a Builder Academy graduate. “At a cursory glance, it looks like these are proficient. Good attention to detail.”

“Mm. Thanks.”

“Suffice it to say…” Qi says, closing the notepad. “...I believe you are the most qualified person to be my assistant. At least, from the pool of candidates this region has to choose from.”

“Wonderful…”

Qi raises an eyebrow. Was she not happy to have made it? “If your productivity has reached its limits for today, then you may go home early. We’ll start again tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow…?!” Wisteria groans. “Qi, it’s 6 o’clock! I’ve been here all day! I have a full-time job already!”

Qi’s head whips up to glance at the wall clock. 5:56. He’d used up all her daylight hours already. “Hm. That is an issue. Perhaps we could agree to a part-time arrangement? Weekends, maybe?”

Wisteria waves a hand. “Let’s…let’s work it out later. I’m tired. And hungry.” She slowly pulls herself up, dusting her pants off and running a hand through her hair.

“Oh. Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

Wisteria lets out an indistinct mumble in reply, already making her way downstairs towards the back door.

It’s only when her head’s disappeared down the stairs that Qi remembers. He gets up and quickly peers over the railing. “Oh, Wisteria, wait!”

She freezes, one hand on the door.

“Er…thank you.”

Wisteria glances back over her shoulder with a tired smile. “You’re welcome.”

Warm sunlight shines on the surface of the soil.

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

“I’m so sorry, Director, but our friend Wisteria’s got her own workshop to worry about. She’s just about the best darn builder that our city’s ever had, and well… We need her to be that!” The minister gives Qi a sympathetic smile.

“Of course I know about Wisteria’s skill,” Qi huffs. “That’s why I—my laboratory needs her. Even only as a part-timer, her skillset would be able to take our city’s scientific capabilities to new heights!”

The minister’s face falls. “Now, Director… I know that you don’t like gettin’ out all too much, but… You’ve at least heard about all the things that’ve been goin’ on ‘round here, haven’t you? When the Geeglers were menacin’ us, Wisteria gave ‘em what was properly comin’ for ‘em! When the bridge gave out, Wisteria was buildin’ up those trusses before we could even utter a word! Need I remind you about your robot…?”

“Mobile Suit.”

“Right, right, the Mobile Suit,” the minister nods. “Point bein’... I know you need Wisteria, but…we all do! Sandrock needs her! Who knows what kinda roughness we’d all be in without her help? We need her as a builder, lookin’ out for all of us. For the future. None of us can hog her all to ourselves, now. Although…I do understand it’s temptin’!” She laughs. “Such a capable young lady with you every step of the way, instantly doublin’ your potential…”

“…So…part-time isn’t an option?”

The minister sighs. “No, no part-time, either. City Hall won’t take her on any paycheck.”

“…Fine.”

A gentle smile reappears on the minister’s face. “How’s this? If Wisteria wants to do volunteer work for ya, she can absolutely do that. But no more than a handful of hours a week, alright?”

Qi sighs. “It sounds like these terms are non-negotiable. Fine. Volunteer work it is.”

The minister’s smile brightens. “Wonderful! Well, I’ll leave you to your science now. Have a nice day, Director!”

“Good day.”

Qi shuts the door and huffs another sigh as he heads back to his desk. Of course this had to happen. Assistantships were probably just a cursed position in general for him. He picks up his pencil and tries to get back to work to vent his frustrations.

The calculations don’t feel even remotely as straightforward as yesterday.

After a while drifting through the numbers, the door opens again. He glances over, and it’s Wisteria, as he expected. Her lips drawn into a thin line. “Matilda just told me.”

Qi grimaces. “Indeed. It’s disappointing. I’d thought they’d understand the importance of your work as assistant.”

They’re both silent. Wisteria’s gaze idly wanders about the floor.

“You know…” she mutters. “If there’s anything I can do for you that’s on the job, I’d be happy to.”

Qi frowns. “What do you mean?”

“Like, if you want me to keep an eye out for a relic, I can see if I can find it while I’m mining. Or if you need more power stones or something, I’ve got plenty to spare. Oh, and…” She grins and points to his still-broken cabinet. “I can probably take care of that now.”

“Ah yes, that. Please do, if you could. And also, now that your employment contract is officially null and void…” He turns to his desk and takes the stack of Gols already counted out in advance. “Here. For your working hours. I decided to pay you at Vega 5’s rate. Sandrock’s wage is near-unlivable.”

Wisteria takes the coins with a raised brow. “Oh. Thanks. You know, for what it’s worth… I kinda had fun yesterday.” She fiddles with the coins in her hand with a smile. “Never thought to try restoring relics by hand before.”

A light smile briefly tugs at Qi’s lips. “Ah. You see? This is what the bureaucrats don’t understand. They’ve never gotten their proverbial hands dirty with science. They can’t appreciate it for what it is.”

“I mean…they were kinda right. I’m not a scientist. And this town’s always got something that needs to get done. Or else we die and all that.” Wisteria chuckles.

“Hm. True. But science!”

That draws a full laugh out of her. Qi finds himself quietly laughing along, to his own surprise.

Wisteria’s laugh peters out with a sigh. “Well, I’ll grab some wood and I’ll get started on that shelf now.”

Qi nods, turning back to his work. “Thank you. Again.”

Strangely, his pace has suddenly picked up again. How odd, he thinks to himself, as the sound of Wisteria sanding the shelf and putting the relics away fades into background noise.

The soil is infused with nutrients. Molecule by molecule, a proper growing spot is made.

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

The next day, Wisteria stops by with two fresh cups of tea from the saloon.

Qi was interrupted in the middle of writing a proof, but he’s surprised to find that he doesn’t mind all that much.

Wisteria takes a seat on the railing near the generator. They drink their tea and talk about this and that. Wisteria was just finishing up the algae machine for the mayor’s planting plan. Qi talked through a sticking point in the proof he was just writing, and actually managed to solve it.

When their tea is finished, Wisteria bids farewell without much fuss, and Qi is quickly left back to his own work.

It’s…pleasant. Or at least, not unpleasant. A non-unpleasant social interaction that forced him away from work.

Qi’s mind freezes for an instant at the realization. How…bizarre.

He dives back into his proof again to try and shake the thought off.

It swiftly comes back the next time Wisteria shows up again at the Research Center, two days later. Already, she’s breaking the trend of 1.14 average visits per week. And neither of these visits were strictly for work. This time, she hands him some data disks for a new cooking station, but the conversation quickly devolves into pleasantries.

Wisteria listens closely as he talks about one of his current projects. It doesn’t seem like she completely understands, but she does ask an intelligent question occasionally. There had never been too many opportunities outside a monthly report where Qi could talk about what he was currently working on. Even fewer face-to-face with another person. But he feels invigorated now that he has some.

And just like last time, Wisteria doesn’t stay too long. Once the conversation peters out, she hops off the railing and politely sees herself out.

Qi stares at his desk for a lot longer than necessary after the door closes behind her. Now it’s a pattern.

And where there’s patterns, there’s research to be done.

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

Qi idly taps his foot as he stands outside Wisteria’s front gate. It’s not out of impatience, but…trepidation? He’s not sure why he would have any reason to be nervous.

He looks around her yard another time to take his mind off it. It’s considerably more well-kept than when Mason owned the property. A house bigger than a shack, an organized array of machines, and even a garden plot off in the far corner. Unsurprising that a person named after a plant would take to gardening.

The front door of the house creaks open, and Qi feels a shift in his stomach. Wisteria emerges, quickly spotting him. “Hey, what’s up?”

Qi’s about to respond with what he rehearsed before something noisy collides into his legs. It’s…a dog. A very excited dog. It’s the one he’s seen scampering about town on occasion. It’s yipping as it goes between sniffing his shoes and hopping up into its hind legs, grinning up at him.

“Uh—er…hello?” He’s never sure what to do around animals. At least it doesn’t look aggressive.

“Ah, Nemo, give him some space!” Wisteria laughs. She walks out the gate, and the dog runs up to her instead. “He’s friendly,” she tells Qi as she gives Nemo a scratch on the head. “He’s always so excited whenever someone comes over.”

“I…see.” Damn it, he already forgot what he was going to say.

“Anyway, why are you here?” Wisteria asks with a polite smile.

“Ah. Well. You see…” Qi stammers. “I…was planning on doing some…field research. On…social interaction. I figured that, since you are the person I am most amicable with in this town, you could assist me the most.”

Wisteria gives him an amused look. “…You wanna hang out.”

“Er. Um. That is a…very informal way of putting it, but…”

“Yeah, of course,” Wisteria laughs. “I don’t have a lot to do today, so I can probably start working in the afternoon.”

“Oh. That’s fortunate.”

Silence. Nemo seems to be satisfied with the petting, and runs off towards town to play. Wisteria raises an eyebrow.

“So…you, uh, have any plans?”

“…Not particularly. You seem more experienced in this matter, so I figured I would leave the plans to you.”

Wisteria hums. “Well, I’ve never had you over before, so we can hang out here, if you want.”

“If that’s alright with you.”

“Uh, yeah. That’s…why I offered.”

“Oh. Ahem. Of course.”

Wisteria holds the gate open. “I’ve got a table in the garden over there. I’ll be there in a sec. Careful you don’t get your shoes dirty.”

She disappears into the house as Qi makes his way over to the far side of the yard, passing her idle machines. The garden’s clearly still a work in progress. Spades and shovels and seed pouches and watering cans are left haphazardly around the ground, sticking out of fresh piles of dirt. A lot of the plants are still only sprouts, now that he sees it up close.

“Sorry about the mess,” Wisteria says, appearing with glasses and a pitcher of water. “I only have so much time to work on it, so I don’t waste time taking things out and putting them away every single time.

They both take a seat at the rattan table, right underneath a large, ivory-colored pergola. Wisteria pours both of them water.

Qi quickly remembers why he’s here. Social interaction…the most basic strategy is idle chatter based on a topic in the immediate temporal or physical vicinity. “Do…you garden…often?” Was that the right way to ask?

“Back in Highwind? I used to. For a while, at least. We’re all required to take plant classes until high school. I went with horticulture. If I wanted to learn agriculture, I could just talk to my parents.”

Qi’s brow furrows. “Really? Odd curriculum.”

“Yeah, my guess is that the Highwind government wants everyone to have at least a little bit of planting knowledge. Just in case we get a sudden food crisis or something and everyone has to drop everything and work the field. It’s like, uh…” she frowns, clicking her fingers. “...What’s that unethical thing they did in the Old World?”

Qi snorts. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

Her face lights up. “Oh yeah! Conscription! It’s like conscription, but like, for farming.”

Qi makes a note of the small bit of lightness he feels as he chuckles. Amicable conversation did indeed produce positive reactions, just like the last several times. The brief high is quickly snuffed out with the realization that he needed to respond now. But he can’t think of anything…

“It’s been a while, but once Zeke showed me the planting kit, I figured I’d pick it up again. And then a friend back home got wind of it and tossed a whole bunch of seeds my way to see what can grow out here.” She gestures around to all the seedlings. “These little guys are all the guinea pigs. I hope they can all make it, though…”

Qi nods silently. If he knew anything more about botany or the like, he could probably say something insightful. But he doesn’t. So he can��t.

Thankfully, Wisteria doesn’t pressure him to answer. “So what’re you up to?” she asks, taking a drink of water.

“O-oh. I’m…glad you asked.” He clears his throat. This question was always the easiest to handle. “You’re well-aware that I drink tea. But lately, I’ve been trying to find a way to concentrate the amount of caffeine I intake…”

He relays his ideas to her. It feels just like the last two times he’s done this, just in a different location. Refreshing, engaging…pleasant. It helps that Wisteria’s a good conversation partner. She’s skeptical in the right places (“Won’t more caffeine just make you pee more?”) and supportive in others (“Just make sure your heart doesn’t explode…”).

Eventually the conversation steers away from work entirely. Qi’s usually not all too interested in the goings on of the other townsfolk, but it’s good to at least stay informed on the general state of things. With how socially mobile Wisteria has to be with her job, she’s well aware of issues that arise. She was the one fixing a lot of them, after all.

He stays a lot longer than he expected to. Soon, his stomach grumbles as the sun sits high in the sky. He lets out a hum, interrupting their chat about the inane ramblings of the ranch man. “I think we should return to work now. It’s midday already.”

Wisteria’s brow goes up. “Oh wow. That was quick.”

“Indeed. I think I can declare this experiment to be a success. Lots of insightful data.”

“Ah, right. The experiment,” Wisteria says with a knowing grin. “Well, feel free to tell me if you ever wanna do another one of these…experiments.”

Qi stands up with a nod and the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. “...I believe I just might.”

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

And so it continues. Every other day or so, or whenever the need for a new diagram arises, Wisteria arrives at the Research Center. Sometimes she brings tea, other times disks. Sometimes she has a relic she wants him to look at and tell her more about it. And every time, without fail, Wisteria never overstays her welcome.

Sometimes he leaves the Research Center to mill about town with her. Sometimes they get lunch at the saloon, or sit in her yard or next to the oasis and talk. Sometimes they spar (he always loses) or partake in the mediocre offerings of the Game Center.

All of it…enjoyable.

The pleasant feeling that Qi felt the first time it happened wasn’t a fluke, then. He really did enjoy interacting with Wisteria. Time spent together never felt like a waste or a burden. And that’s when he realizes:

He has a friend.

Another drop of water, another beam of sunlight, another milligram of nutrients. Small things. But they add up over time.

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

Qi lets out a breath as he sits down on his roof. Another spectacular clear night.

He cranes his neck up to see the arc of the Milky Way, aligning himself quickly with the distinct bright light of Deneb.

His mind starts to empty out as he’s left with nothing but the sight of the stars and the feeling of the chilly autumn night. He was struggling earlier with formulating a rational response to a particularly egregious study and methods that somehow managed to get published in one of the Alliance’s premier research journals. How on earth did garbage like that manage to get a favorable review, let alone a publication? Meanwhile, he kept having to fight through the proverbial slush pile…

Qi furiously shakes his head. He came up here to alleviate his crummy mood, not to stew in it further…

Footsteps across the wooden deck below suddenly get his attention. Those don’t sound like Mi-an’s footsteps. He bristles a little bit as they start walking up the stairs. Whoever it is had better not…

“Hey.” It’s Wisteria. “Got your commission.”

Qi feels himself ease up a little bit. Wisteria was the least irritating person who could’ve shown up.

She holds out a bundle of plastic shells, neatly stacked on top of one another.

“Thank you. Your efficiency is proficient, as always.” He pulls the payment out of his pockets.

Wisteria lets out a quiet chuckle as she quickly counts the coins. “Efficien-cy proficien-cy.” She slips them into the coin pouch on her tool belt with a nod.

Qi expected her to leave right after that. But she doesn’t. She just…stands still. He feels a little annoyance bubble up. He really wasn’t in the mood to talk. He turns his head in her direction, trying to put together the right words to tell her to leave as politely as possible.

But when he looks up, he sees her gazing up at the sky. Her face is relaxed with no particular expression. And the faraway look in her eye…

Is she…curious?

She suddenly peers back down at Qi. “Any interesting stars to see?”

Qi raises an eyebrow. “Um…all of them?”

Wisteria laughs. “Care to be a bit more specific…?”

Qi hums. There’s nothing particularly special tonight. “Depends on what you deem ‘interesting.’ Do you have any experience in astronomy?”

“Not really,” Wisteria shrugs. “I know some of the well-known stars and constellations—” Qi forces himself not to interrupt with the correction—it’s “asterisms.” “—but nothing really past that. Oh, maybe a planet or two. Like that over there’s Venus…” She points at a yellowish dot.

“That’s Jupiter.”

“...Oh.”

“Venus is below the horizon this time of year. At least until early morning.”

“Hm.”

It didn’t look like Wisteria knew how to respond. Qi scans the sky a bit before spotting Saturn just behind her. He leans forward and points at the small, pale dot. “Do you see that?”

“Uh…Can you narrow down which tiny speck you’re talking about?”

Qi sighs. “Here, sit down. Get on my eye level.”

Wisteria lowers herself to sit cross-legged. Qi raised his arm again. “Over there. That’s Saturn.”

Wisteria leans closer to him to try and see just where he was pointing. “Ohh, that’s it, huh?” She sits straight up again. “How’d you know?”

“I’ve kept an extensive catalog of star maps over the years. Planets are slightly more work to chart than stars because of their orbits and how close they are, but I’ve done enough to be able to mentally extrapolate where they’ll be on any particular night.”

Wisteria lets out a hum. “You really can keep track of all that?”

“It takes practice and time, but yes.”

“Don’t think I have the patience for that,” Wisteria chuckles.

Qi shrugs. “All a matter of passion, that’s all. It’s easy to dedicate yourself wholly to something you have an affinity for, and difficult for something you don’t.”

“Passion, huh…” A strange look passes over Wisteria’s eyes. She looks like she wants to say something, but she just turns to look out at the sky.

In the silence that follows, a thought suddenly strikes Qi.

“The telescope. We can probably see Saturn with the telescope.”

“R-really?” Wisteria’s gaze whips over towards Qi. “That’d be cool if we could…”

“Of course we can. And I still owe you that primer on the telescope.” He pushes himself up and walks over to the eyepiece of the telescope. Taking a hold of the sides, he pivots it right, carefully checking where it’s pointing. Wisteria follows him over, waiting behind him with bated breath.

“Sometimes it takes a while to figure out where you want the lens to point,” Qi explains as he checks where he is again. “The moon or some feature on the ground can make a good reference point at this height. It’s mostly down to patience.”

Sure enough, Saturn’s brilliant rings soon slide into view, albeit rather blurry. Qi points at one of the knobs behind the eyepiece. “When something isn’t clear, you have to adjust the focus. Every celestial object is a different distance away from us, so you have to do it with every new object you want to look at.” He gives the dial a quick twist before stepping back. “You try.”

Wisteria eagerly brings her eyes up to the lens. She fiddles with the knob for a few seconds before her eyes widen. “Whoa…” She lets out a breath. “That’s…it’s…”

Qi feels a stir of excitement. There’s hardly an experience quite like seeing the true magnificence of the cosmos for the first time. He opts to remain silent, to let Wisteria relish that feeling.

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” he says quietly when she pulls away. “That’s the power of a telescope like this.”

Wisteria’s still looking up at the sky, lost in awe. “The pictures don’t do it justice…”

“No, they really don’t. Even all the advanced satellite technology from the Old World can’t capture the same…well, for lack of a better term…magic. Something about seeing it with your own eyes is remarkably different.”

Wisteria manages to peel her eyes off the stars for a second. “What…what else can we see…?”

Qi doesn’t even resist the smile that appears on his face. “Oh, what else, indeed? Let me see…”

He shows her more planets, the surface of the moon, distant supergiants, anything that comes to mind. Every time the telescope is pointed at something new, she gapes with the same amount of wonder as the last. Her excitement bleeds into him, and he can feel his own excitement bleed back into her. Time seems to pass so quickly. Despite having the universe’s largest natural clock circling right above their heads, Qi quickly loses track.

After catching a glimpse of the Orion Nebula, Qi suddenly realizes that it’s around 2 AM. “As much as I hate to cut this short…it’s very late now. 2 AM. We both should rest.”

Wisteria finally tears herself away from the telescope. “Oh. Already?”

He nods. “So. What do you think?”

Wisteria looks up again, lost to the stars once more. “Ah man, what do I think? What do I think, he asks…” She runs an antsy hand through her hair. “It’s…well, it’s…” Her awe-filled grin morphs into a mischievous one as she looks back down at Qi.

“It’s…stellar.” She chortles a little bit.

“Indeed. Quite literally, in fact.”

Wisteria’s face twists in an odd way. “...Uh. Yeah. That…that’s the joke.”

Now it was Qi’s turn for a self-satisfactory chuckle. Wisteria just lets out a snort and shakes her head.

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

“You ever miss Vega 5?”

The question comes suddenly as Qi and Wisteria sit in the middle of Wisteria’s steadily-growing garden one day, steeping in the silence and watching as afternoon turns to evening.

Qi looks away from the thorny jumper milling by the fence and back at Wisteria. Her arms are crossed on the table, chin resting on her hands. She’s staring at the glass of iced tea that’s barely been touched. Her gaze seems unusually cloudy. Unfocused.

He doesn’t even have to think about his answer. “No.”

Her eyes glance up at him as her brow goes up. “Not even all the tech and the resources?”

“There’s plenty to study out here.”

“Not even your family?”

He hesitates. The last time he wrote to his parents was a month ago. The last time he wrote to his grandpa was for work. “They’re doing well for themselves. I’m not concerned.”

Wisteria stares at him. Her gaze suddenly feels a little more intense. “That’s…not what I asked,” she says gently.

He can’t hold her gaze anymore. “…Perhaps,” he murmurs.

She’s kind enough not to press any further.

Silence falls over them just as the twilight does the same.

“…Do you miss Highwind?” It comes out softer than Qi thought it would.

Wisteria hums, closing her eyes and tilting her head to rest in the crook of her elbow.

“I don’t know,” she says finally.

Qi had never been the best at interpreting intent and tone when talking with others. But he doesn’t need to analyze her words at all to know that it’s more complicated than she can describe.

He decides that it’s only fair if he doesn’t press any further, either.

But Wisteria decides to press it herself instead. “…Do you know why my workshop’s called ‘Fresh Pines?’ Even out here in the desert with…no pines?” She chuckles a little.

It’s a simple yes or no question that he already knew the answer to, but Qi still felt it impossible to respond.

Luckily, Wisteria doesn’t hold up for a response. “This isn’t my first workshop.”

Qi feels his brow raise. That was news to him. Though, with the quality of her work even as early as her first day, maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised.

“The first one was back in Highwind,” Wisteria continues. “Along a quiet little street on the edge of a pine forest. I loved it, even though it was basically just a shack.” A wistful smile curls her lips upward. “I named it after the fresh smell of pine wood that always wafted down that street.”

She falls silent. Qi suspects that he already knows where her story was going.

She lets out a sigh as her smile fades. “I ran out of money,” she says dully. “There were too many builders in Highwind back then. I suspect some fuckery in the Commerce Guild, too. How else could all the big city commissions be snagged off the commission board in under two seconds and just so happen to go to the builders with the heftiest pockets?”

A frown wrinkles her brow, before slowly easing up. “That was almost four years ago,” she sighs. “Couple months after that, an old classmate of mine managed to save my hide and I worked for them instead. Didn’t make as much that way…and it was boring as hell…but I was surviving.”

She’s silent after that. It seems like the story is obvious after that point. Several years pass without a workshop, then here she is with a new workshop, named the same in tribute.

“Building never felt good back in Highwind,” she whispers, tired eyes staring off into the middle distance.

Qi briefly wonders how different the town would be at this point had she never arrived.

As they stew in the silence again, Qi feels the only social instinct he’s mastered kick into gear: obligatory reciprocity.

“…Do you know why I insist on being addressed as ‘Director?’” The question rolls off his tongue with surprising ease.

Wisteria hums, thinking for a moment. She pauses to pick her head up and take a drink. “Is it the only title you have?”

He’s half surprised that she managed to get it right. Only half, since he knows that she’s far from stupid.

He nods. The story rolls out soon after, also with a surprising amount of ease: why Director Qi was never Dr. Qi; how the university announced a dissertation defense with a rather familiar title and abstract, under a name that wasn’t his; how his blood boiled as someone he once respected ran all around the city just to avoid confronting him; how the Board of Trustees wouldn’t even consider the case, no matter how much he or his advisor or even his grandfather begged them.

Years of his own work, of time and sweat and dozens and dozens of books, just another stepping stone for someone else’s career.

A story of a lengthy C.V. just thrown away without a second glance by people who should have known better, just because of a missing line in the academics section; of work he was grossly overqualified for; of reading the classifieds to spot jobs on the mainland; of a telegram to a town no one cared about.

Publish or perish, they say.

And here is where Qi ended up, in a land of death and dying dreams.

Wisteria listens, attentive as ever. She nods along. Sometimes her brow knits with pity. But she doesn’t interrupt him once.

Qi doesn’t know how to give the story a proper end. It just trails off. He almost didn’t realize that he’d stopped talking. The story seemed to tell itself, while he was in some sort of stupor.

She picks up on his silence. “I’m sorry,” she mutters. “You didn’t deserve that. Makes sense why you don’t miss it.”

It’s a simple sentiment, but Qi appreciates that she doesn’t give him too much pity. It seems like they have that in common. Neither of them like to wallow for too long. It’s unproductive.

“You didn’t deserve that either,” he replies. “With your old workshop.”

Wisteria shrugs as she sips her diluted tea. “With everything that’s happened here, it feels like forever ago. I don’t really feel all that mad about it anymore.”

Qi wishes he could say the same.

“I don’t know about you, but…” Wisteria says. “I’m glad. I’m glad that we’re both here now.”

And as Qi looks up from his empty glass, seeing her eyes glow in the golden twilight and a serene smile light up her face, he can’t help but agree.

“We could certainly fare a lot worse,” he says lightly. She chuckles.

Deep inside him, the seed germinates. The hull dissolves as the new sprout stretches its modest growth up towards the sun, and its roots down towards the very core of his heart.

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

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#shady's fics #e&s

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wanhedas-dagger · 2 years

Note

How do you deal with new ideas popping up in your head while currently working on something?

i let them ruin my life.

a more serious answer is, i write down whatever ideas I get. before it used to be ideas for oneshots which were a lot easier to deal with. because then i'd just write it while working on whatever multichapter I was working on. but nowadays it tends to be ideas for multichapter fics or or more elaborate au's. so I make a folder for it on the notes app and put down any and all ideas I get so I can develop them later.

i talk about them a lot on tumblr too, like the t4t au that's the one currently ruining my life on top of tarnished. and sometimes, I'll just start writing that new fic too, bits and pieces and scenes and whatever else comes to me. the t4t au has three chapter in progress atm. ch 1 is almost done. ch 2 is about halfway done. and ch 3 has only been started. i also started two other scenes which will be much later on in the fic.

#anon #ask #answer

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sweet-by-and-by · 3 years

Text

Give Me What I Need- Arthur Morgan x Reader

summary: Arthur finally makes it home after a stagecoach robbery scouted by Uncle goes horrifically sideways. You have just the thing to set his sour mood right.

pairing: Arthur Morgan x Reader

warnings: smut🔞, small spoilers for "An Honest Mistake" in Ch.3

a/n: “It was a dark and stormy night” Just kidding! Kind of. The temptation to start this fic with that sentence was seriously too strong. Just a little diddy I came up with while sitting in a thunderstorm! With our first heatwave inevitably comes a string of wild thunderstorms, and I’m definitely looking forward to sitting in my sunroom and watching the rain. SO much love to @farbenfux for beta-ing this for me!! I can not tell you how much better this fic is now that she’s worked her magic on it ❤ Check her out to see her incredible artwork!

AO3

The crack of thunder startled you, making you jump involuntarily. You laughed at your reaction, chastising yourself for being frightened so easily. You shook your head and returned to your sewing, holding the needle close to the lantern to aid your sight as you slipped your thread through the eye and looped the knot.

It was late evening in Lemoyne, and based on the sound of thunder in the distance and the wind that had picked up after supper, one hell of a summer thunderstorm was rolling in. You and the girls had cleaned up quickly before retreating to your tents, them to their shared lean-to and you to the tent that you and Arthur shared.

As you returned to your mending, your thoughts drifted to your outlaw. The last you saw Arthur, he was riding out to rob some stage coach with Uncle, Charles, and Bill. He was already in a mood when he came to kiss you goodbye, and you were sure getting caught in a storm would do nothing to ease his temper.

You checked your pocket watch, your concern growing as you realized how late it was getting. They should have been back before supper, but the sun had long disappeared behind Flat Iron Lake and there was still no sign of their crew.

You pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind, focusing on your task to distract yourself. It worked for a few more hours when the rain started, but when your watch read past midnight and your lantern flickered as the oil burned low, your stomach had sunk and your heart was hammering. Something had gone wrong and all you could do was wait for one of them to show up, yelling about how the law had got them and they were all fit to hang.

Just as your sinister thoughts had you rising to go find Dutch or Hosea and organize a search party, the canvas walls of your tent flew open. A crack of lightning struck in the distance, its accompanying thunder growing louder than ever. Rain wailed against the side of your tent, testing the waxed canvas for everything it was worth. You yelped as a very wet, very angry Arthur Morgan stormed in through the opening he had made.

Your heart fluttered at the sight of him, and relief flooded through you as you registered that he was okay. You took a deep breath and brought your hand up to your chest, settling yourself from your scare and your hours of worrying.

This was completely unnoticed by Arthur, who stomped over to the table to drop his soaking wet hat. You winced at the sound of water squelching in his boots, and you had to stifle a laugh at how deep the frown was set on his face.

“That man is the laziest, dumbest, drunkest no-good son of a bitch I have ever had the displeasure of knowing,” Arthur growled, sliding his satchel and gunbelt off and throwing them on the table beside his hat. “I swear, the next time he brings in some incredible tip, I’m throwing his pickled ass right into the lake.”

You blinked as Arthur continued his rampage, plopping himself on your cot and fighting to remove his boots.

“Arthur...” you said, drawing his attention to you. You moved to sit next to him on your bed, resting a hand on his shoulder to calm him. “...what the hell happened to you? I’ve been sitting here for hours worrying myself half to death.”

Arthur sighed and chucked his sopping boots, shaking his head and resting his hand on top of yours.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” he said, “I didn’t mean to worry ya’. Things got a little out of hand with the stagecoach. Turns out they ramped up security after Uncle picked up the lead. Had to wait ‘em out in some barn and shoot our way outta the woods. Then this god damn storm came in and soaked me down to my bones,” he explained, gesturing to his dripping hair and soaked jeans.

Your eyebrows shot up to your hairline and your eyes grew wide. You couldn’t believe they had made it out of that glorious mess, and you couldn’t blame him for his frustration. Leaning in to kiss his cheek empathetically, you cupped your hand against the other side of his face and pulled him close.

“Tell you what,” you murmured, a smirk blooming across your face as you swung your leg over to straddle him, “why don’t we get you outta’ these horrible clothes and take your mind off of things.”

Arthur’s hands moved instinctually, settling on your hips. You worked the buttons of his shirt open, placing kisses against his skin as you revealed his neck and chest. You nipped at his collarbone, biting at the sensitive skin with just a hint of teeth before returning to kiss his neck. He hummed happily, the deep sound tingling against your lips.

You pushed his shirt off of his shoulders, forcing him to let go of your hips to free his hands. You took the chance to rise to your feet, hushing his protests as you backed away. He tossed his shirt to the ground with a splat, the sound of the wet fabric making you giggle.

Before Arthur could reach for you, you sank to your knees in front of him. You pushed his thighs apart and crawled in between, looking up at him and batting your eyelashes. Your innocent gaze was a sweet contrast to the movement of your hands, sliding up his thighs to reach for his fly. He groaned at the sight of you, his half-hard cock already straining against the buttons.

He threw his head back and moaned when you unbuttoned his jeans, cupping and squeezing his length through his union suit. You pressed the heel of your palm lightly against the base of his cock, stroking your thumb along the length of his bulge.

He whined quietly when you released him, shushing him as you hooked your fingers in his waistband. He arched to help get his jeans off, lifting his hips as you dragged the wet denim down his legs and tossed them behind you.

You turned your attention to his union suit, rising to your knees to start at the top. He roughly pulled you in for a kiss - all teeth and tongue in his impatience. A small bite to your bottom lip and the following soothing nibbles had you groaning. You forced yourself to pull back, leaning away as he chased you.

A firm push of your hand to his chest pushed him back into a half sitting, half leaning position on your cot."Ah ah,” you scolded, “you’ll get what you want, but you’ll get them on my terms.”

Arthur scowled at your words, glowering at you with unrestrained passion. His eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth, staring you down from his place on the cot. You laughed at his expression, keeping a hand on his chest as you leaned in to press a chaste kiss against his lips, appeasing him only slightly. You returned your focus to his buttons, baring him as you finally uncovered him.

The fabric was just as soaked as the rest of him, his skin glistened from the rain as you revealed him bit by bit. You ran your fingers through his damp chest hair, playing with the soft curls for a moment before resuming your work. Arthur’s hands rest anxiously on his thighs, squeezing the fabric as he tried to resist reaching for the buttons himself. He knew what your terms meant, and any disobedience would draw your motions out even longer.

You rewarded his patience one you were finished by letting him strip himself of his union suit before grabbing his thighs and pushing them wide. You lowered your face to his crotch, dragging your tongue from root to tip of his fully hard member. You wrapped your fingers around him, pulling back his foreskin to circle your tongue along the ridge below his head. He moaned loudly, his hands flitting to the back of your head as he threaded his fingers into your hair. You licked at the velvety crown with just enough pressure to send a shiver up his spine, savouring the taste as you lapped a bead of precum from his slit.

Squeezing the base of his cock lightly, your lips stretched over his head as you swallowed him whole. You felt Arthur’s grip tighten, pulling your hair as you pressed your tongue against him. You forced yourself to relax, taking him as deep as you could until his head brushed against the back of your throat. Arthur groaned at the sight of your nose pressed against the hair at his groin. Your eyes fluttered closed as you moaned in response, the vibrations making him thrust involuntarily as you held him down. You hollowed your cheeks and pulled off, the tip of your tongue teasing his frenulum before releasing him with an audible pop.

You looked up at him with a heated stare, pushing against his hands as you lifted your head. Arthur’s knees weakened at the sight of your pupils blown wide and your lips swollen and rosy, suddenly grateful to already be seated. He took his hands from your hair and held your face, pulling you up to press his lips against yours. He kissed you hungrily, bringing you up to sit on his lap once more. He dragged the tip of his tongue along your lip, seeking entrance while his hands worked at the buttons of your blouse. You let him undress you, complying as you deepened the kiss and allowed him to take over.

He made quick work of your blouse and skirt, fighting a little with your corset before getting you down to your chemise. He tugged the garment over your head, tossing it to join the rest of your clothing as he dragged his gaze up and down your body. You flushed under his attention, arching your back to give him a show. He growled at the sight, wrapping his arms around you to hold you against him as he thrust against you.

You gasped at the feeling of him pressed so close to your core, grinding down in search of relief. He ran his hands down your sides, reaching behind to squeeze your ass before slipping a hand between you. He rubbed his thumb against your clit, breathing hot against your neck as he circled your mound. You clutched him and groaned when he slipped a finger inside of you, surprised at how little resistance he met. He quickly added a second, your slick dripping as he stretched you out. You dug into his shoulder when he added a third, working you open perfectly as he crooked his fingers inside of you. He brushed against the spot that made you see stars, and it was your turn to throw your head back and moan. Your hips grinded against his hand, bringing you closer and closer to your edge.

You hissed at the loss of Arthur’s fingers, whining in his ear as he wiped his hand against the bed. He shushed you reassuringly and grabbed hold of himself, lining up until the head of his cock brushed against you. He pushed in slowly, rolling his hips and encouraging you to sink down onto him. You obliged, taking him inch by inch until you were fully seated.

You panted as you adjusted to his size, the tight heat making him whimper against your skin. You clenched around him at the sound, and he let out a broken moan. You rocked against him, his big arms wrapped around you as you eased off of him. He thrust upwards, meeting your hips each time as you set a steady pace.

You felt yourself clawing at his back as you took him deeper each time, the feeling of being so full sending your mind into a haze. Your world shrunk down to the feeling of him . Arthur slipped even deeper as he angled his hips and pulled you down onto him, leaving you gasping at the new stretch. You took him willingly, the sounds falling from your lips growing louder as you felt a familiar heat pool in your stomach. You quickened your pace, using your hands on his shoulders as leverage to ride him, the glorious feeling of him fucking in and out of you sending you barelling towards orgasm.

“Arthur,” you groaned, “I’m gonna-”

“Me too honey, don’t stop!”

The sound of thunder drowned out your cries as you tipped over the edge, the tight flutter of your walls bringing Arthur with you. He pressed his hips against yours as he came, moaning wantonly into the crook of your neck as he bit at the flesh there. You were sure it would leave a mark in the morning for all to see, but you couldn’t find it in you to care at that moment.

Your movements slowed as you both came down, the fogginess in your mind still hanging. You breathed heavily and reached out for Arthur, lifting his head to rest your forehead against his. You stayed like that for a moment, breathing together as you grounded yourself back to reality before dipping in for a kiss.

You pressed your lips against his softly, savouring the afterglow before you forced yourself to rise. Wincing a little when he slipped out of you, chuckling to yourself when you noticed he did the same. You crossed the tent to retrieve the wet cloth from his shaving kit, cleaning yourself up before bringing it back to where Arthur sat on your cot.

He had leaned back against the wagon, his eyes closed as he once again breathed steadily. You touched his knee, alerting him to your presence before you wiped up his spend with the rag. You whispered apologies at his grimace, still sensitive as he came down.

You tossed the rag off with the rest of your laundry and lowered yourself onto the cot. Arthur followed, pressing up against your back and swinging an arm over you. You nestled into him, shuffling to get closer while he drew up your blanket and wrapped you in its warmth.

“Feeling better?” you asked.

He tilted his head to press a kiss into your hair, humming thoughtfully as you squeezed against him.

“We can figure out what to do with Uncle in the morning, dear," you teased, closing your eyes and letting yourself give in to sleep.

“My vote is still on the lake, but I’m open to suggestions.”

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