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#I thought we just used sugar cause we were poor. Lol
emmi-kat · 6 months
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NGL for probably my entire childhood I thought you were supposed to eat grapefruit with chocolate and marshmallows such like Cass Elliot did on Scooby-Doo.
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heronoegg · 1 year
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If you don't mind, can we please get some bakusquad hcs from your au? 🥺👉👈
YES YOU CAN ANON
Bakugo
Bakugo is albino, if she wasn't she would have brown hair like her dad.
She has special headphones she's supposed to wear when using her Quirk at all times. (She at first didn't bc Bakugo is stubborn) She insist her ears were fine until she tried to show off one day by making a big explosion and blew out her ear drums for a entire day. Don't worry recovery girl fixed it that was her last warning and it scared her so bad.
Bakugo has hearing aid's we live for this hc she does not know sign language because her hearing problems didn't start to get worse/ to the point of needing the hearing aids until she got into UA where she's using her quirk on overdrive all the time.
She loves her dad, that's her best friend. Bakugo is a daddies girl all the way.
They have daddy daughter days and he loves to buy her outfits they are best friends they go shopping together
Bakugo's dad calls her "Katsuki kitten"
Bakugo's uncle on her dad's side was the one that got her interested in mountain climbing, he would take her up when she got big enough but before that he used to bring her back cool trinkets from where ever he'd go in the world.
Bakugo has a complex relationship with her mom, it's a lack of understanding on her mom's part and the fact they are literally same personality different person doesn't help. It's hard for Mitsuki to understand Bakugo but she is still a trying parent.
If Bakugo was a parent she wouldn't be hard on her own kid as her mother was on her.
Bakugo has a young chaotic cousin who she thinks is annoying as heck that Deku never knew about because she never mentioned him and he never seen him. He wants to beat Bakugo and be better and he's just loud and annoying even to Mitsuki.
Bakugo's parents work at a modeling place that is why they are rich.
Bakugo calls Deku's mom aunty Inko but Deku does not call Mitsuki aunty lol
Bakugo developed a crush on Todoroki and only released it when they were side kicking with Endeavor.
Somestimes Bakugo and Todoroki do this thing when Todoroki jokingly leans in like "Well, i guess we gotta kiss" and then stops. At first Bakugo thought he was a freak for doing that but it became a normal thing they would do all the time and sometimes she would lean in as well when they became closer and they both just not actually kiss until one day they did.
Bakugo doesn't like being a third wheel which she usually is to a lot of people.
Bakugo and Sato cook together a lot.
Bakugo calls Sato by his name because she can't come up with something that doesn't sound like a romantic nickname for him besides Sugar jock.
Bakugo gives people nicknames cause she has a hard time remember names.
There is some of Deku's clothes at Bakugo's house incase he comes over for a sleep over they have a mattress and everything for him in Bakugo's closet.
Bakugo is friends with everyone in the Dekusquad.
Bakugo respects Uraraka because she's the only girl she knows who can lock eyes with her and take her down if she wanted to.
Bakugo likes spicy food but can't handle as much as Deku can. Nobody else in the squad except mildly Sero likes spicy food.
Bakugo's middle school friends live in this AU and they go to UA but they are in class C the one Shinsou was moved out of. Tomo (long fingers),Kirisame (short black hair) and Tsubasa (Kid with wings)
Bakugo never makes it known she is a rich kid but bought kirishima's groceries once because he's kinda poor and was about to go the the corner store for groceries and Bakugo was just not having that. Told him everything he needed put it in the cart and she would pay for it that's when they really became friends.
Bakugo ignores Togaru's existence rival who? but they fight a lot.
///
Kirishima
His parents split and he lives with his single dad.
Ryukyu is his aunt, Tatami is his sister and Tetsutetsu is his brother.
Kirishima has depression but it's diagnosed and he takes his meds.
He can't keep a secret, if you tell him something and tell him not to tell he'll go "I wont!" but if you pressure him a little bit like keep asking him once or twice he'll tell you everything.
There is dragon quirks in his fam's genes so he has retractable tail and wings.
He hates that he has to peep talk himself cause of his depression, it helps him get okay for the day.
Kirishima's and Tetsutetsu bite and wrestle eachother a lot when Yo came over once he bit him and he cried, Tatami thought it was funny.
Kirishima and Sero train together a lot Kirishima almost always wins.
Kirishima is the one who created the Bakusquad, he befriended Kaminari first then Sero, Sero like the vibe of these people. lastly he slowly introduced Bakugo to the group because Kaminari and Sero didn't really want to be friends with her because she was mean. Mina was already his friend even though they weren't in middle school she just became his friend really quickly.
Kirishima calls Bakugo Ladybro
Kirishima if somebody says anything about him being the only boy in the Bakusquad he'll say it's them who's protecting him and that girls can be aggressive.
Kirishima wanted to be friends with Bakugo cause he used to have a bully in middle school and something happen to that guy and he feels like even though he was bullying him if he had one friend maybe he wouldn't have done what he did. He knows Bakugo and Deku have history and he feels like if he makes friends with her she wont be so mean anymore. He forgives Bakugo for the bully she used to be cause he knows she is kind in her own way.
Kirishima's middle school friends or at least one of them was his "Happy buddy" which means that was the one who knew he had depression and would help him with it. They don't go to this school so Kaminari is his new happy buddy.
Kirishima is kinda poor and feels bad his dad has to pay for him and Tetsutetsu to go to UA
Kirishima isn't really close friends with anyone outside of the Bakusquad.
Kirishima is the one who has a crush on Sero first.
//
Kaminari
Kaminari dad was a deadbeat from America who his mom met when she was living there. Kaminari went to kindergarten and elementry school there before his mom decided to move to japan.
Kaminari has a little sister her quirk is called "Volt stream" She can emit electricity from her brain in low voltages, electricity is constently surging through her body and her vines like blood so she has to let it out sometimes or she'll feel what she calls "Prickly" Everytime she uses her quirk depending on the voltage she will either feel light headed or pass out. Her name is Rai
Kaminari's mom is a pro hero name Electric pop
Kaminari's mom's quirk has the same quirk as Kaminari but she can only shoot the lightning from her finger tips, she can't discharge in any other way.
Kami's dad just had a basic lightning quirk he was a hero in amaerica but like only for the money she left him but Kaminari did get to be around him for a while. He wasn't a good dad but he wasn't an awful dad.
Kamianri's parents taught her basic fighting just in case.
Kaminari can speak English but not write it very well.
Kaminari lives close to wherever Todoroki's house is and can get there pretty quickly.
Kaminari can skateboard that is her means of transportation.
Kaminari cooks macaroni a lot.
Kaminari makes cursed food mixtures. She made a peanut butter girlled cheese once.
Kaminari eats pickles from the jar, drinks the juice and all. once that's all she ate in a day woke up in the dorms one evening ate a pickle and went back to sleep.
Kaminari comes into Tokoyami's room for nails to be painted stays for the company.
Kaminari is friends with Tokoyami and Dark shadow.
Kaminari is also friends with Aoyama they are a blonde duo.
Kaminari lives next to Kinoko and they are friends and neighbors.
Kaminari is also friends with Rin kinda.
Kaminari had a crush on Mineta for some odd reason and never said anything about it cause she thought it was awkward and weird.
//
This kid from the where Bakugo and Todoroki retook their liesense exam
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is Sero's little brother his name is Sho he can peel his skin like tape (It's not as painful as it sounds) he's annoying.
Sho goes to pre-school with Eri he has a best friend name Chocto who is Hound Dog's son (we call Hound dog mad dog in this au)
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Skeptic is Sero's local evil uncle on her fathers side who nobody rats out because the whole family is scared of him.
Skeptic traumatized Sero as a kid being just generally scary with his quirk.
Sero lives with her older cousin Shin and Sho because there was an argument about Skeptic and Shin took it upon himself to get the kids away from that house.
Sero and Shin have a really close relationship, he makes her feel safe and he's always looking out for Sero. He's like that really chill older bro everyone wished they had.
Sero is very smug and that's how she relates most of all her emotions.
Sero doesn't like to feel strong emotions (sadness or anger) she would really rather not talk it out or have complex conversations when there is a problem. Just one person take the blame and don't do it again so we don't have to talk about this or bring it up anymore. In other words she hides from her feelings.
Sero dated a lot in middle school but never felt anything for anyone until she started liking Kirishima.
Sero feels inferior to Bakugo that Bakugo could have just the right things to say to help Kirishima and she wouldn't know what to say. (Example: Kirishima was having a breakdown and Sero didn't know how to talk to him so she called Bakugo who calmed him down. She felt really bad and useless that she was closer and right there but there was nothing she could do)
After the sports festival Sero developed Bell’s Palsy from Todoroki freezing her.
//
Mina
Mina doesn't mind a lot of things she's really chill.
Mina is the gateway to the whole class to the Bakusquad because she is close friends with so many other people outside the squad.
Mina isn't too sure what love is about and says that a lot. she'll randomly put it in after a normal sentence. "Lets go to mcdonalds, also im not too sure what true love is actually"
Mina comes from a neglected household. That's why she loves so much she doesn't want anybody to feel left out.
Mina is moth coded so at a certain point when they've lived in the dorms one day she just got super sleepy and fell asleep went into a cocoon for a week and came out looking fresh.
Her horns fell off after that and grew back, she could grow another set of arms and wings which was freaky but cool.
Mina is good at listening when somebody needs to vent. "Come get in my bed and we can talk comfy"
Mina is a gossip channel, her and Toru they know everything.
Mina's purse is a bottomless pit. She has everything.
Mina always wants to put makeup on somebody.
Mina is friends with Toru and Toru is friends with Dark Shadow but not so much Tokoyami.
Mina can relate to Mineta about being a neglected.
//
Jirou
Mina is the one who even got her included in the squad. She would always look over at them so Mina slowly introduced her until she was part of the squad.
Jirou is whatever she needs to be to get out of a satiation or win a battle. In our sports festival there were two brackets of the tournament and she made it to 3rd losing to Jurota Shishida. She fought Rin before this and tried to kiss him throwing him off guard, she kissed him and used her quirk through her lips to send her heartbeat into his head resulting in her win.
If Jirou uses her quirk to much she'll pass out because it's putting a strain on her heart.
That is how she lost to Jurota she amped up her quirk to it's fullest and they both passed out but she passed out first.
Jirou is the youngest of two brothers. Jude and Hibiki. Hibiki is a pro hero musician and Jude is in a boy band.
Jirou's house is a music store where they sell instruments and teach lessons. She offered working there as an option for Tokoyami who works there now.
Jirou is friends with Tokoyami they are goth buddies but not so much dark shadow cause she thinks dark shadow is annoying.
Jirou has a crush on Rin.
Jirou's hair is naturally curly like her dad's she straightens it. Later she lets Mina braid it.
When they live in the dorms She gets her hair cut's from Tokoyami.
Everyone who paints their nails gets their nails painted by Tokoyami including Jirou.
When Jirou says something is "Punk rock" she means it's cool. she'll say something like "that wasn't very punk rock of you" or "Wow! that's punk rock!"
Jirou is friends with Mineta (Mineta is more respectful in this au he actually is grossed out/scared of girls because of something that happened to him in his old household he got adopted by Midnight)
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retrievablememories · 3 years
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three’s company | kai & taemin (m)
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title: three’s company pairing: taemin x reader x kai genre: smut, fwb request: “hello!! can I req a kai and taemin with female reader smut fic?” word count: 4.4k warnings: MMF threesome, oral (female and male receiving), deep throating, fingering, unprotected sex (don’t try at home 🚫), cumshots, some spanking, taemin has dom tendencies, the aftercare is a bit lacking i think sjdfklfsk a/n: i have not written a proper threesome fic in so long, this didn’t come as easy to me as i thought it would 🤧
at the beginning of the fic—if you don’t know about taemin’s infamous slippers here are some references lol
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“Open the door for your best friends!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Taemin’s head peeks through the crack in his front door only a few seconds later, and he grins at the sight of you and Kai standing on his front step, overnight bags in hand. “Took you long enough.”
“We would’ve got here sooner if Y/N didn’t take a hundred years to find her favorite slippers,” Kai says, snorting.
“I can’t go anywhere without them, they’re part of my bedtime routine,” you protest, stepping inside as Taemin opens the door wider for the two of you to come in. “And I am not wearing Taemin’s rat fur shoes as a consolation prize like he tried to make me do last time.”
Taemin rolls his eyes at your complaint. “Rat fur slippers or not, you have no problem stealing all my other clothes.”
“It’s not my fault your clothes are so cozy.”
“You say that every time you steal our stuff,” Kai points out, walking past you both to make himself comfortable on Taemin’s couch. “How many of my poor hoodies are hanging up in your closet, never to be worn by me again?”
“Just the right amount,” you insist, dropping your bag to the floor and jumping onto the couch with Kai, splaying yourself across his legs and the couch cushions. He grins at you like you’re an overexcited kid and leans against the back of the couch.
“You’re so goofy. I hope you don’t plan on having me take care of you all weekend like the last time you ate too much sugar and crashed like hell,” Kai says, tapping his finger on your forehead and making you swat his hand away.
“No, I’m not gonna do that again...I don’t need to be babysat, Jongin!”
Taemin passes by the two of you on the couch and pinches your thigh as he goes; fortunately for him, he’s fast enough to escape a slap from you. “Don’t worry...even if it does happen, we’ll take good care of you.” He leaves with a joking smile as he goes into the other room, though the teasing note in his tone makes you wonder for a brief moment.
A few hours later, the three of you are in the kitchen preparing snacks for your movie night—which usually ends up with you and Kai doing most of the work because Taemin tends to be a mess in the kitchen. Kai’s phone pings from the living room, and he leaves the both of you alone to go check what it is. Taemin sidles up to your side as soon as Kai exits the room, and you give him a questioning look when his arm goes around your waist.
“What do you want,” you deadpan.
“Don’t be so mean to me.” His tone is playful, but the lips at your ear are not so innocent. “We haven’t even seen each other in a while.”
“I know, which is why I’m astounded at your inability to keep it in your pants. You should’ve had plenty of practice by now.” Taemin gives an amused laugh, his eyes watching the doorway the entire time, and while the coast is still clear he takes the opportunity to press his hot lips against your neck. You shy away from him, but only because you don’t want to get caught.
One game of Truth or Dare with Taemin more than a year ago had gotten out of hand—a game the three of you usually played together, but Kai had been busy with EXO’s promotions for Obsession at the time—and the next thing you knew, you were sleeping with one of your good friends.
You knew that friends-with-benefits arrangements often ended in flames—you’d seen it happen too often with your other friends and their sexual partners—but you didn’t regret anything about the situation. You both enjoyed the sex, and it hadn’t managed to ruin your friendship, so neither of you saw any real reason to stop. No regrets—except for maybe the fact that you were keeping it secret from Kai.
It was Taemin’s suggestion and you went along with it, though you weren’t really sure what difference it made. He always acted as if letting the younger man know would be too much shock for him to take, or maybe he’d find it awkward to continue hanging out with you two, which you found ridiculous (it turned out fine with him, why did it need to be kept from Kai?) but you weren’t interested in arguing about it.
Taemin looks like he’s about to say something else, but he’s suddenly zipping away from your side just as quick as he came. You see the reason why when Kai walks back into the room seconds later, seemingly unaware of Taemin’s earlier antics. You screw up your mouth and glare at Taemin for almost getting caught when all this secrecy was his idea.
Kai raises his eyebrows. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me Taemin is bothering you again.”
“When is he not?” 
“Stop pretending like you don’t love it.” Taemin pulls out aegyo that makes both you and Kai cringe like you’ve been stung. Taemin laughs at both your expressions, though he’s also a bit embarrassed for even trying to use the cute card on you; you rarely fell for those tricks of his.
Kai shakes his head. “This is going to be a long weekend.”
Despite Taemin having more than enough space in his home to host all three of you in your own rooms, you all end up in Taemin’s bed when you decide to turn in for the night. Kai swore he was only stopping in to talk before going back to his own room, but he never left his side of the bed even after the overhead lights were turned out. You lie in between the two men the whole time, enjoying their body heat on either side of you and the comfort of having them nearby.
Kai is already knocked out on your left, but Taemin remains awake, his eyes sparkling with devilment in the dark. He angles his body more towards you, lying on his side, and you mean to ask what he’s doing and why he’s not asleep yet when his hand lands on your thigh.
Your lips part and your mouth moves aimlessly for a few moments as his hand works up and down your thigh, warming you up. “Jongin…” you finally whisper, and both of you know that you speaking the other man’s name is not you trying to call out for him—it’s a warning.
“...is asleep,” Taemin says, unfazed.
“This is wrong,” you mutter, but you don’t make a move to stop him when his hand comes closer to the space between your thighs. Taemin brushes his fingers across your pubic mound as he reaches his hand over to your other thigh, teasing you. “You were the one who wanted to keep all this hidden. Remember that.”
“Correct,” he responds, still sounding perfectly casual about the entire situation. “And we still can, if you just be quiet for a little while and let me do this.”
“Can’t you wait until later?” Your voice comes out strained. When his hand inches closer to your inner thigh again, you don’t know whether you want to ask him to stop for his own good or go further. “Like when he’s in the shower or something?”
Taemin slides his hand fully between your legs now, the heel of his palm rubbing against your clit. “I have to touch you.” He says it like he doesn’t know what will happen to him if he doesn’t get the opportunity now. The tinge of neediness in his voice breaks something inside you and makes you want to relent without a single question more.
The sudden movement of his palm on the most sensitive part of your body causes you to jerk, and your elbow hits Kai right in the side by accident. For a tense moment, you think maybe you haven’t woken him, but then he grumbles and gently shoves you back. “Why are you elbowing me?” he murmurs, and then you freeze when he turns his head and opens his eyes to look at you. His eyes are only cracked halfway, but even in the dim room you know there is a good chance he can see how Taemin’s hand is now halfway tucked into your sleep pants as he begins his descent into your underwear. You stay stock-still as if that’ll make him unable to see you, which feels as ridiculous as it sounds.
“I-it was an accident, sorry,” you stammer. Kai doesn’t respond right away, too busy blinking his eyes against the dark. Then he says,
“If you two are going to do that, go in another room.” He scoffs and turns over, and you’re mortified. He sounded completely nonchalant about finding the two of you in a compromising position, which makes you wonder; does he somehow already know about the arrangement you two have? Maybe neither of you were ever really as sneaky as you’d thought.
“You should join us,” Taemin suggests, throwing yet another wrench into the situation. Kai’s body stiffens beside you, and there’s silence before he faces you both again.
“Join?”
“Aren’t you being a little—”
“Yes, join.” Taemin interrupts you, and you roll your eyes, pinching his arm. “Don’t pretend like you haven’t thought about it before.”
“What does that mean?” you blurt out, jerking your head to look at Taemin. What secrets have they been keeping from you? Kai looks equally bewildered, which makes you more confused.
“I—when have I suggested anything like that?” Kai argues, though his voice is uncertain.
“You don’t have to. You are easy to read, Jongin.” Kai makes a disapproving noise at Taemin’s statement.
“Easy to read? What about you thinking you were being sneaky with Y/N this whole time—”
“Well, I thought we were pretty damn clever—”
“Look, if you two are just going to go back and forth, I’m going to sleep—”
“Fine. Let me join, then.” You want to complain at being interrupted again, but Kai’s words make you pause. And then his eyes drift over to you, his face turning towards yours on the pillow and his voice becoming more yielding. “If you’re okay with it.” 
You feel a bit winded, never really expecting him to say yes. But now here it is, out in the open and waiting for you to take hold of it—or shun it away. You also know yourself well enough to understand the second choice isn’t even an option for you. Taemin waits in silence to see what your answer will be, though the corner of his mouth is already lifting in a smirk because he can take a good guess.
“Okay. Then let’s do it.”
With your acceptance, there’s a tense pause as everyone waits to see what the other will do first.
Taemin makes the first move by sliding his hand the rest of the way into your underwear, his fingers dipping down to feel you. You’re not as wet as he’d like yet, which he immediately seeks to remedy by rubbing your clit and bringing his plush lips to your exposed collarbone.
“Kiss her,” Taemin says in between laying kisses of his own across your chest. Kai stays still for a moment longer, and you wonder if he’s regretting this decision, but when you glance up at him his eyes are glued to where Taemin’s hand is moving beneath your pajamas. Finally, he tears his stare away from the scene playing out in front of him and meets your gaze, coming closer to press his mouth on yours.
More often than not, Taemin’s kisses are heated and frantic, as if he can never kiss you enough—which is not to knock his experience or skill, because he has more than enough to satisfy you—but Kai is soft and slow against your mouth, kissing you deeply and intensely like he might not get to do it again.
Taemin laughs quietly against your neck at how you grow wetter beneath his fingers from this one kiss. 
Kai’s touch is a little more tentative because he hasn’t done this with you before, but his hands go to the hem of your shirt. He goes underneath the fabric, pushing it up your stomach along the way, to touch your breasts. Your nipples harden at his touch, and he rolls them between his deft fingers. It doesn’t take long for him to begin desiring more contact, and he shoves your shirt up above your chest, lowering his head to take a nipple into his mouth.
Taemin situates himself further down to let Kai have his way with your upper body and introduces one of his fingers into you, sliding the slender digit inside and crooking it up to find that soft spot. You twitch around him, your thighs tensing and flexing, and he keeps his lips pressed close to your hips, biting the skin there and then dragging his tongue across the places he’s just irritated. You’re already feeling overwhelmed at having both men pleasure you at the same time, and you’re not sure how you’re going to make it through the rest of the night.
Your pulse races against Kai’s mouth as his kisses travel to your neck, making you shiver. “Does that feel good?” Kai asks, his voice low, and you nod without a second thought. You belatedly realize he’s referring to Taemin's actions when you notice his eyes have drifted below the waist again. He seems entranced with the way Taemin fingers you, or maybe he just wants a turn for himself. 
“It does,” you say, as if your nod wasn’t confirmation enough. Your words trail out of you in a breathless whisper. Kai soon shifts lower down your body just as Taemin eases another finger into you, which makes you moan softly. You think your heart might beat out of your chest when Kai settles himself beside Taemin, and you can guess what’s about to happen.
“Are you going to have her all to yourself?” Kai remarks, his tone joking.
“I was here first.” Taemin grins deviously, but he shuffles over to make more room for Kai between your legs.
As Taemin keeps moving his fingers inside you, brushing them against your g-spot and making you moan desperately, Kai lowers his head and drags his tongue over your clit. You gasp sharply at this brand-new sensation; the sight of it is even more erotic than you could’ve imagined. Kai wraps his mouth around your sensitive clit and Taemin observes closely as the other man sucks and licks into you. Though Taemin sometimes likes to pretend he isn’t as easily aroused as you know he can be, he can’t hide the way his breaths grow rushed and his face becomes more flushed.
The soft but intense sucking of Kai’s mouth and the smooth strokes of Taemin’s fingers have you careening off the edge faster than you anticipated, and your legs scrabble against the sheets as you toss and turn in the tide of a strong orgasm.
Kai comes back to your upper body when he’s finished, leaning in close to where your head rests on the pillow. Your chest heaves as you try to regain your breath. He smiles down at your supine figure, pressing another kiss to your lips. “You’re so sweet,” he murmurs against the seam of your mouth, and he slides his tongue in to let you taste yourself even more deeply.
Between kisses, Kai pulls your shirt the rest of the way off. You end up doing the same for him—with his help—and you run your hands over the newly exposed skin, feeling the soft but firm ridges of his abs underneath your palms. The length of his cock presses against his sleep pants, half-hard and still rising. Somewhere below you, Taemin removes your panties and pajama pants from around your ankles, and even though you feel spent, your body is already reacting to the idea of him pressing your legs open wider and pushing into you.
“Turn on your stomach,” Taemin instructs, though he’s already grabbing your hips and shifting you over before you can do it yourself. He doesn’t miss the opportunity to palm your ass as he does, his digits dipping down between your legs like he’s going to start fingering you again. Some nights, he can spend forever doing just that—pulling you apart with his hands and mouth and denying you his dick until he finally feels like giving it to you.
His plans for tonight are a little different, though. 
Taemin taps your lower back and says, “I think you know what to do.” You can’t see his face, but he must be giving Kai a certain look because the other man smirks, shaking his head.
“Come closer,” you say to Kai, because just as Taemin predicted, you know exactly what he expects you to do. You run your fingers up the length of Kai’s strong thighs, feeling the hard muscle of them and bringing your hands up higher to caress the bulge straining against his pants. Kai’s eyes grow heavier as he watches you palm his dick, and he settles himself in front of you with his legs spread.
You could probably occupy yourself all night with pulling reactions out of him and teasing him, getting to know what he likes and making him drip sticky precum down your hand. You are too eager to see his dick and feel him in your mouth, however, so you drag the waistband of his pants and underwear lower to bring it out. It’s thicker than Taemin’s, pretty and tan with prominent veins, and you can only imagine how it’s going to feel once he actually gets inside of you. Kai watches you with burning eyes as you grip the base in your hand and get his dick wet with your saliva, sliding your tongue across the shaft. A heavy, shaky breath leaves him when your mouth makes the first contact.
Behind you, Taemin’s cock nudges your entrance and then pushes in, and you whimper from being stretched while Kai’s dick bumps against your lips. Taemin keeps his hands on your ass as he begins thrusting into you, taking his time with it and building your pleasure up with slow thrusts. You want Taemin to move faster and send you spiraling headfirst into pleasure again, though. You whine with your mouth still around Kai’s tip, which makes him give an answering moan.
“Stop playing around and swallow his dick, Y/N,” Taemin taunts you from above. He angles his hips a bit differently to find your g-spot, and you make a choked noise when he locates it, causing Kai’s dick to slip from your mouth.
“Shut up, Taem. It’s not like you’re making it easy.” Taemin gives a sudden rough thrust in answer to that, and even Kai grins at the pleasured expression on your face and the surprised yelp you let loose.
“Try harder.” Taemin insists, and he lands a swift slap on your ass. It’s not harsh, but it’s enough to make you cry out. “You want her throat around your dick, don’t you, Jongin?”
Kai raises his eyebrows at Taemin’s words, but the twitch of his cock in your hand and the bob of his Adam’s apple are unmistakable. “Can you take it?” Kai asks you, voice thick with desire.
“Give it to me.” You open your mouth, sticking your tongue out for Kai to slide in. You’ve deep-throated Taemin numerous times before, and you are impatient to let Kai try it now. His gaze darkens, and he grips his cock and leads it deeper into your mouth. He shudders visibly when the warm, wet heat of your mouth envelops him. He hesitates for a moment, like he doesn’t want to go too deep and hurt you, but you look up at him from beneath your lashes with your best pleading eyes and he is completely lost to your longing expression. His stomach tenses when he pushes further, feeling the tight space of your throat squeezing around his tip. More precum drips from him.
“Good girl,” Taemin whispers from above, his eyes glued to the back of your head. He leans forward for a better view so he can watch Kai’s dick disappear between your lips, and that movement ends with his hips pressed flush against your ass, his length as far in you as it will go. You moan helplessly around Kai as Taemin continues fucking you at this depth and angle, one of his hands gripping your hip tightly. You feel beyond full, unable to think about anything other than the two men inside of you.
“Don’t come yet.” Taemin pushes into you as steadily as ever, rushing towards his own climax as his breaths grow more broken-off.
Kai groans as your tongue slides sloppily against his shaft, your body being repeatedly pushed forward by Taemin’s thrusts. He doesn’t even have to do much work to fuck your mouth. He only keeps his hand at the back of your head, more because he just needs to touch you somewhere rather than trying to control the pace. The wet and filthy sounds of his dick hitting the back of your throat bring him ever closer to his end, but Taemin’s gaze gives him pause. “You’re telling me not to come yet?”
“You still have to fuck her,” Taemin says, smacking your ass again. He slows his pace momentarily to lift your hips slightly, sneaking his hand beneath you to circle his fingers around your clit, and your body tenses as you give a stifled cry. “You’ve got to feel her. This pussy is so fucking good, isn’t it, Y/N? Want him to fuck this needy little hole? You’re already getting tighter around me just thinking about it...how dirty.” There’s no way to respond with your mouth currently occupied; you only give a low, shuddering moan.
“F-fuck.” Kai abruptly pulls himself out of your mouth to stave off the orgasm threatening to overtake him at the sight of you looking so fucked-out. Like Taemin said, he definitely wants—needs—to be inside of you at least once before the night is over.
“J-Jong—” You want to beg for him to put his dick back in your mouth, gripping his thighs and trying to get closer, but those attempts are lost when your climax finally comes crashing over you. Taemin keeps his hand on your lower back to prevent you from squirming away from him as he continues thrusting into you throughout your orgasm, overstimulating your already wired senses. Weak with pleasure and shaking, you let Taemin use your body to get closer to his own end, which you’re more than happy to do.
Seconds later, Taemin is pulling out of you and stroking his dick, spilling his cum on your lower back and your ass. He lets go of his dick and slips it between your ass cheeks, thrusting between them and milking himself of the last few drops. He smirks at the messy creation he’s made all over your skin.
When Taemin lies on the bed next to you, Kai sheds his pants and takes his place. Kai gently turns you onto your back and grabs your weakened legs, pulling them around his waist, and you let him maneuver your body as he wants.
When he pushes into you, you almost want to sob at the way his dick spreads you open, sliding deep inside your oversensitive pussy. His eyebrows crease together at how you feel around him, so warm and wet.
Kai’s pace is not as quick as Taemin’s; his strokes are deep and hard as he buries himself inside and pulls nearly all the way out. Your lingering pleasure is stoked even higher by the intense way he’s fucking you, and your muscles feel like they might cramp up, but he keeps your legs spread open for better access.
“Is it good, Y/N? Do you love it?” Taemin asks from beside you, his voice light and airy as if he’s in awe of it all. His hands sneak over to your breasts, and his lips soon follow.
“Fuck, yes.” Kai brings one of your legs up to his shoulder to get a better angle. His gaze is burning as he looks at you and Taemin—Taemin sucking your breasts, your knitted eyebrows and half-open mouth, the sight of his shaft disappearing into you. “You feel s-so good. So fucking deep...” You grab Kai’s arms on either side of you, nails pricking his skin.
“Y/N…” Kai’s voice has grown rough, tinged with desperation. Sweat drips from his face and down his abs. His pace increases, and the tension tightens in your lower stomach again as his hips slap against yours.
Taemin grips your chin and turns your face towards his, sliding his tongue into your mouth in a wet kiss. At the same time, he moves his other hand lower to stroke his fingers across your clit, and this pushes you off the edge into a dizzying orgasm. It’s strong enough to turn your whole world blurry with an endless ecstasy.
When Kai gets close, he pulls out like Taemin did to jerk himself off and come across your stomach, painting your skin with his warm cum. His groans are deep and rich and lovely, and they make you clench with the last waning vestiges of your orgasm.
Kai lies beside you on the free side that Taemin isn’t occupying, keeping one hand on your thigh like he needs to have some part of you always touching him.
“We need to clean up,” you mumble, uncomfortable with the cum drying on your skin, though you’re also trying to battle the increasing sleepiness threatening to drape itself over your eyes like a veil.
“Maybe later.” Taemin throws an arm around your waist and cuddles his face into your neck. Kai grins and nudges his nose against your ear, tickling your skin. Their breaths fan over your skin, and you sigh and close your eyes, contented despite the mess.
“Fine. As long as you carry me to the shower later.”
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queenxxxsupreme · 3 years
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Hello!! I'm kinda embarrassed but could you do an uno reverse with the chubby Arthur fanfic but its with a chubby reader instead?? (your choice to make Arthur also chubby or not) Thank you!!
A/N: Don’t be embarassed (I spelled that wrong but autocorrect won’t work right now and I’m too dumb to know how to spell it off the top of my head lol) I absolutely love to write for Arthur! I feel like he doesn’t get enough attention anymore. Thank you for the ask!! I hope you like this! The ending got a little messy and not great cause I didn’t know how to end it but I hope you like it!
Warnings: mentions of poor body image and Micah being a fucking douche, but there’s fluff! Arthur makes things better
***
“Y/N!” Mary-Beth called your name. 
You turned your head to look at her. Karen and Tilly stood with her by the wagon. John was hitching up a couple horses to the wagon with Lenny’s help.
“Hi, ladies.” You greeted them as you approached the tent. 
“We’re gonna go into town. You wanna come with us?” 
“What are you plannin’ on doing in town?” 
“Oh you know, just the usual.” Mary-Beth answered with a little wave of her hand. “Seein’ what the folk around here are like.”
“And maybe robbin’ them.” Tilly giggled. 
“But we aren’t gettin’ into too much trouble.” Karen added. “John won’t let us, will you John?”
“I hope not.” He sighed, buckling a strap on the horse. 
“So what do you say, Y/N?” Tilly asked you.
Arthur watched from across camp as you declined the ladies’ offer to join them on their trip into town. His eyes stayed on you while you watched them leave in the back of the wagon John and Lenny were driving. 
You began to pick at your nails, the furrow between your brows becoming more prominent. The picking at your nails was a bad habit of yours, one you only did when something was clouding your mind. 
“Are ya even listening to me, Arthur?” Uncle asked him.
Arthur took the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it into the fire as he stood up. You were going to your tent so that’s were he planned on going. 
“Stopped listenin’ a while ago, Uncle. Thought you would’ve noticed.”
Uncle began to complain about Arthur’s inattentiveness but the outlaw was already leaving the table, making his way across camp to check on you.
Arthur ducked inside the tent he shared with you, taking his hat off. 
“Hey, pumpkin.” He greeted you.
You turned to face him, offering him a little smile. 
“Hi, Arthur.”
“What’re you up to?” He asked. Maybe you were too busy to go into town. 
“Gonna go read out by the cliffside for a bit.” You picked up your book from the end table. “Do you want to come with me? Or are you busy?”
“I’m never too busy for you, pumpkin.” He flashed you a little smile as you moved towards him. He was expecting you to stop, even if only for a moment, to give him a kiss on the cheek or to brush your hand along his chest like you always did when you passed him by. But you simply walked by him without even looking at him.
Something was definitely wrong. This confirmed his worries. 
“How was meetin’ up with Mary?”
“Went about as pleasant as you’d think. Wanted me to get her brother back from that religious group, the Chelonia.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Depends on your definition of fun.” Arthur muttered.
You were thankful that no one was down by the edge of the cliff. You wanted to have some peace and quiet away from everyone. 
You decided to sit beneath a tree, placing your book in your lap. Arthur grunted rather dramatically as he got down next to you.
“M’too old for this kinda shit.” He sat facing you. One of his legs was loosely crossed while the other was spread to cross over yours, though he didn’t put any weight on your legs. 
“You don’t gotta follow me around, you know.” You giggled softly.
“I know. Just like spendin’ time with ya.” He took his hat off and put it in the grass beside him. “I, uh, I heard the girls were askin’ you to go to town with them.”
You nodded your head, opening the book in your lap so that you didn’t have to look at him. 
“Why didn’t you go? Thought you were tellin’ me just last night you had some errands to run in town.”
“I can do them another time, Arthur. It wasn’t anything important.”
Arthur rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say next.
“Mary-Beth sounded a little eager to have you go with them, don’t you think?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“She was just bein’ friendly though, wasn’t she? She’s a good kid.”
“Arthur, what are you getting at?” You looked up from your book, meeting his gaze.
“I don’t know.” He sighed heavily. He ran a hand over his face. “I-I saw that look on your face when you were watchin’ them go, pumpkin. You looked upset about somethin.’” He paused to gauge your reaction. “Did something happen with one of the girls?”
“No, Arthur.” You dropped your attention back to the book.
“Karen’s not bad unless you get her drunk.” Arthur thought out loud. “And Tilly’s a nice girl, least from what I’ve seen. Mary-Beth too. Abigail can be.... something else. Did she do something?”
“Arthur, please.” You closed the book firmly. “Just stop.”
“Pumpkin, I’m just concerned is all.” Arthur reached over to place his hand on yours. “I don’t like that look I saw on your face. It don’t belong there.”
“The girls didn’t do anything to me, Arthur.” You murmured quietly, feeling a scratchy sensation begin in the back of your throat. “It’s all okay, I promise.”
“You say that, but I don’t see it in your eyes.” He shook his head. Cerulean blue eyes gazed at you with such a softness that you could’ve melted right there, but the torment you felt in your chest and in your head were too much. It pushed that softness he was able to make you feel away and brought in a dark feeling. 
“It doesn’t matter, Arthur.” You stood up, brushing off your skirt, and began to move back towards camp.
However you didn’t get very far. Arthur’s hand found your arm, bringing you to a stop. 
You turned your head to look away from him, taking a steady deep breath through your nose in an attempt to make the tears go away. If you could calm yourself down, they would go away. 
Arthur’s hand slid down from your bicep to your hand and his thumb began to trace small circles on the back of your hand. You turned your hand over so that you could lace your fingers together. 
“You don’t gotta tell me, pumpkin, but I just hate to see you so upset and so quiet about it.” He stepped closer and leaned down to kiss the top of your head. 
“I just…. I can’t stand some of these people, Arthur.” You tilted your head down, unable to look up at him. You focused your eyes on his boots. “Just can’t fucking stand them. They’re just….” You couldn’t find the words to accurately describe what you wanted to say. 
“Who was it?” Arthur had a very short list of who would put you on the verge of tears. Possibilities and scenarios began to race through his mind. 
“Micah just…. He was just being a bastard.” Your voice cracked. “He said you were going into town to see Mary Linton. I knew that’s where you had been earlier today. But he just…. He started saying that you were going to…. That you and her…. Because she’s-she’s thin and pretty and I’m as big as one of the pigs Pearson butchers.”
“He what?” Arthur had to pull his hand away from you as to not cause you any harm. His fingers automatically curled into tight fists and he felt the need to seek out Micah Bell to cause him serious damage. 
His eyes left yours and he tilted his head up to search the camp behind you. Micah was sitting at a table with Bill, sharpening his knife. 
“It doesn’t matter, Arthur.” You sniffled, looking down at the buttons on his shirt. “He wasn’t wrong. No use in sugar coatin’ it.”
Arthur stared at you for a few moments, his brain still trying to process the anger he felt. Then he took a breath and ran a hand over his face. 
“Micah Bell is a miserable son of a bitch, Y/N. He ain’t right about nothin’. Not a damn thing.”
“But Arthur, I don’t-I don’t look like other girls, like Mary or like Karen.” You whispered, tears trailing down your cheeks. You crossed your arms over yourself, suddenly feel extremely self-conscious. “I-I didn’t go into town with them because every time we go into town, people stare at me.”
“Pumpkin, they stare at me too. They’re just a bunch of judgemental pricks.”
“That’s different, Arthur.” You shook your head. It was sweet of him to try to make you feel better, but they stared at him for different reasons than they stared at you. “It’s-It’s just not the same. You.... You’re a normal size. You just come across as intimidatin’ and sometimes folk don’t know how to take that. But me.... They see me and all they see is a pig in a dress.”
“Don’t you say that, Y/N.” He reached up to cup your face, calloused thumbs brushing away your tears. “You don’t look nothin’ like a pig.”
“Mary, she’s just…. She’s so different from me, Arthur.”
“Course she is, pumpkin.” Arthur leaned forward to kiss your forehead, then he placed his hands on your hips and pulled you in for a proper hug. His slipped around you, providing you with a sense of protection. “I don’t see nothin’ wrong with that. And I definitely don’t see nothin’ wrong with you. You’re absolutely gorgeous in my eyes, pumpkin. Wouldn’t change a damn thing about you.”
“But Arthur, I look like a cow.”
“Stop comparin’ yourself to farm animals, Y/N.” He kissed the side of your head. “It’s breakin’ my heart.”
You frowned, leaning your head against his shoulder. Arthur pressed his lips against your head. 
“I know you’ve never had the best thoughts about yourself.” He murmured into your hair. “But I got plenty of good thoughts about you for the both of us. I’ll make sure to share them with you until you start thinkin’ about yourself differently. I need you to know that it don’t matter that you’re different from Mary or Karen or anyone else. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. It’s who you are.”
“Thank you, Arthur.” You sniffled. “You’re too sweet to me.”
“Only ‘cause I love ya, pumpkin.” 
***
Hosea caught sight of Arthur as the burly outlaw made his way across camp, a dark look in his eyes.
“Arthur-,”
“Not now, Hosea.” Arthur waved him off. His eyes were set on Micah who wasn’t even looking at him. His back was to Arthur. He sat at a table with Dutch talking about something Arthur didn’t care to listen to. 
Arthur grabbed the back of Micah’s chair and tipped it back, knocking Micah out of his seat and on to the ground. In the same heartbeat, Arthur drew the revolver from his hip and cocked the hammer with his thumb. 
He put his foot on Micah’s shoulder and aimed the gun at Micah’s chest, glaring down at the man. 
“Whoa, cowpoke!”
“Arthur!” Dutch shouted. “Put that gun away!”
Arthur ignored Dutch. The anger bubbling and festering in his veins made him focus solely on Micah.
“It’d be in your best interests to leave Miss Y/L/N alone.” He spoke lowly.
“I was just havin’ a conversation with her while you were out with your old fling-,”
“What I do ain’t none of your goddamned business.” Arthur cut him off. “If I find out you’ve said anything out of line to Y/N again, Micah Bell, I’ll be puttin’ a hole through your goddamn chest.”
Micah said nothing, locking his jaw as he glared up at Arthur. Arthur lowered his gun and then removed his foot from Micah’s shoulder. 
Hosea watched as Arthur moved towards his tent, holstering his weapon. 
“You’re a funny guy, Arthur Morgan!” Micah stood up, angrily brushing off his clothes. 
“And you’re a dumb bastard.” Hosea muttered, shaking his head as he walked away. “Surprised it’s taken this long.”
Taglists:  @winterwolf @doggone-cowgirl @lauramb7 @caraqas @bluscryn @nonodino @krenee1drful @thefirelordm @sargeantsea @sokkasdarling @zodiacaldust @gabstaroc @cal-lifornication
If your name is in italics, it wouldn’t let me tag you :(
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OBEY ME! CHAPTER 51 DETAILED SUMMARY + THEORIES
MC goes out looking for them, in the music room the record player starts on its own. MC ends up wondering the empty house on their own, ending up in the library. They reminisce about a conversation with the brothers where they were debating who the real killer of the OG HoL family was. With Asmo & Beel (Beel because he can never imagine family killing each other despite how bad things get and Oh Beel you Sweet sugar plum welcome to the human world~ it be like that sometimes) saying it was the servant, Belphie saying it was a stranger (cause the oldest and the servant are too obvious, and maybe the oldest wasn’t killed cause he was not home at the time) and Satan & Mammon saying it was the oldest brother (with Mammon defending his choice by saying that as they are always the meanest and nastiest it’ll be in an oldest brother’s nature, but also that in the story the oldest never got along with his siblings), Mammon’s argument makes Levi join team oldest. MC chooses who the killer was (it was the oldest c’mon! the guy bought a gun days before a similar model was used to shoot and kill his entire family, and he was seeing arguing with the servant the day before the murder). MC then gets a call on their DDD, and you can choose whether it’s from Satan or Simeon.
MC tells whoever calls what’s going on, while cats shriek in the background of the call (poor Simeon…) One cat is climbing and scratching Satan, Da Vinci and Michelangelo are fighting and the call is kept. They remember more times in the HoL; Lucifer trying to get Belphie to stop napping in the library cause it’s too cold and he’ll get sick, Asmo cooing over how adorable Belphie is asleep, Mammon & Levi arguing about money (Levi: give me my money back Mammon: Chill. Soon.  Levi: What’s soon? In 30s? In 1min? In 1min 30s? Mammon: is getting your money back on your bucket list and you’re wondering if you’re gonna croak soon?   I dunno I thought it was funny…), Satan yelling at them to find another place to fight cause he’s reading, Beel watching a gory horror movie and devouring snacks, MC is asked if they like horror movies. If they say they like it Lucifer says it’s good that they don’t scare easily, Asmo says they can handle any situation with cool and calm, Levi says they’ve already conquered 7 of the devildom’s most powerful demons so really what’s there to it, Mammon says that either way MC has nothing to worry about, Lucifer agrees adding that they’ll always have the brothers at their side (why is this so sweet?????). MC pines for them rn and tries to reassure themself only to satan to ask them what’s wrong and if they missed him that much (and this is the point irl where I would have taken the nearest solid object and chucked it at his head but MC’s made of stronger stuff)
Simeon is there as well and Satan is covered in powder (he’d been testing a new drink flavour which pissed all the cats and now he’s covered in the flavouring. Simeon says that wouldn’t have happened if there were no cats in the café in the first place. Satan says they are an improvement. Simeon – poor fellow – still has no idea why Satan thinks he wanted a cat cafe), MC screams wtf and they explain that Barbatos had dropped by and they’d asked him to portal them to MC and why hadn’t they done this in the first place? I mean ik they probably all wanted to spend time together via a mini vacation and all 3 of them are probably too scatter brained to think of Barbatos on their own but why did no one else suggest Barbatos? Barbatos had apparently being fuming cause he’d gone to the café to take a small break from his man-child of a boss and his other 24/7 duties only to be placed in charge of a café full of manic cats. Satan thinks being stuck in a cat café is heavenly, Simeon disagrees and says Barbatos will find a way to get back them. MC tells them calm the fuck down cause your brother and your son are missing! Satan says he is calm, heavily implying he was seconds away from losing his shit. Simeon changes the subject by saying that the imitation HoL looks like a carbon copy of the OG, Satan says the books in the library (where they currently are) are different to the ones back home and that the ones in this house are more to satan’s taste than the ones back home. Simeon notes that they all seem to be about art. Satan picks up an odd book out, it’s old and ragged with a picture of a pink geranium on it.  The title is Ma…14-31 with the middle part faded out. Simeon stresses that they should be focused on finding the others but both Satan & MC wanna open the weird book. Simeon manages to drag them away though to search for the others and come back to the book but when he opens the door out of the library they’re enveloped in a bright white light.
They end up in a brightly lit forest, with Satan wondering tf happened and Simeon saying he recognises the place, an unknown voice asks who’s there, revealing angel!Beel dncjndsjND is MC time travelling AGAIN!? How many times are they gonna fuck up history!? Also what about Satan!? Man’s gonna lose his shit!!? Also I desperately wish MC remembered their last trip to the past just so they could be like ‘lol hey guys long time no see’ and Satan & Simeon would just ???????!!!?? Beel (who’s a gate protector angel? Something like that) asks who they are and MC (who unfortunately remembers nothing) goes “Beel!? Tf you wearing” and he goes “tf are you”, Satan is stunned silent and Simeon soothes things over by being Simeon. Beel asks Simeon who MC and Satan are and he says they are his acquaintances – MC and Sully…….SULLY!! SULLY !!? SULLY!!!!? Out of respect to everyone named sully I won’t say anything, ANYWAY satan has the same issues with the name Sully as I do but Simeon whispers and tells him he doesn’t know if they’re in the past, in an AU or something else entirely so it’d be safer to keep the name ‘Satan’ a secret. Simeon asks what Lucifer’s doing and Beel tells him that he’s at the Celestial Palace, with Michael and the other higher ups which should include Simeon. Simeon says yes but “you see these two idiots here behind me are so fucking dumb they fell into a hidden pit and called me to rescue them because they were too fucking dumb to remember that as angels they have both magic and wings” Satan has the same issues with that excuse as I do. Simeon asks about the brothers, Beel says the same as usual. Levi’s holed up in his room cause he fears he’ll be made redundant with the end of the war (so this takes place around the same time as the last trip to the past). Satan mumbles about Levi being the same even back when he was an angel, MC asks whether Satan remembers anything from when his brothers were angels, he says he has broken fragmented memories from their times as angels because he only sometimes was able to see through Lucifer’s eyes (and I just realised how similar Satan and MC are? They’re both relatively newcomers to the family, biologically they’re nothing like the brothers and probably the rest of their species (Satan being born from Lucifer’s rage and MC having a fallen angel as an ancestor), they both accidentally became part of the family with Lucifer having no choice when all the others were picked by him, they’re both cool, collected and calm but hide destructive magic, from everyone else in the HoL they’re the more normal ones but are also up for stupid shenanigans, they’re both pretty considerate and seem to show affection through acts of service – with how they look out for the others and their needs and likes, neither are scared to talk back to Lucifer, neither have met any of the celestial realm higher ups or know the workings of the celestial realm, neither have really met Lilith, they both had some kinda beef with Lucifer, they were never part of the war between the demons and angels or part of the fight before the Fall, their few memories of the Celestial realm come from either what they saw through Lucifer or what Lilith showed them, they’re the only ones in the family who are biologically related to someone else who either is or was part of the family, they’re stubborn and hardworking, and because right after the Fall and after Lilith’s death I’d imagine Lucifer being broken and regretful of what he see as his decisions - fuelled by his anger - leading to her death and seeing Satan being created from all that overwhelming anger and pain…he probably saw it as everything he did wrong manifesting in the form of a person. As I said earlier I’m pretty sure Mammon’s the one who raised Satan considering he was the one doing a lot of the heavy lifting during the early days of the fall and Lucifer would only later come to acknowledge Satan, and as far as we know he’s only ever acknowledged that he’s technically Satan’s father twice and by this point after years of the two of them avoiding the topic Satan reacts to that acknowledgment with understandable anger but at some point right at the beginning I’d bet a much younger Satan wanted to be accepted and acknowledged by Lucifer, specially after all the others did so. What I’m trying to say is that MC and Satan’s initial relationships with Lucifer were probably similar too with Lucifer being mostly polite and even somewhat protective over them but also being distant and prickly while he tried to determine whether they were a threat to the rest of his brothers, while they resented him, butted heads with him and wanted to be acknowledged and accepted by him in equal measures after everyone else had already accepted them. Also in S1, specially towards the end, MC making pacts with the brothers became less about freeing Belphie and more about proving something to Lucifer – while Satan always seems to have something to prove to Lucifer. Overall, Satan and MC have a lot of similarities and a severely underrated friendship that I really wanna explore more of – I want them coming to each other for problems that the others won’t understand them having, to talk about the few memories they have of the celestial realm, to diss Lucifer, to talk constantly containing destructive power/anger in them, just I need more of them.  Plus would Belphie also have had issues with Satan, initially? I mean imagine your older brother coming to you and saying “so your little sister died in my arms but check out this other kid I just gave birth to”. I dunno Belphie’s grief and anger was irrational thousands of years after Lilith’s death when he blamed her death on the entire human race and you know not the people who actually shot the arrow that killed her (really need to talk about this too), so I can’t even imagine what he would have been like when the loss was still raw and not even a minute after her death Lucifer’s somehow found some new sibling for them.) Right enough rambling. Back to it. Beel says he’s looking for Belphie. Mammon turns up and asks who the shit MC and Satan are, Satan is once again speechless, Asmo’s with Mammon and calls the two of them cuties – poor Satan doesn’t like that one bit. Levi asks for their names and Simeon introduces them – Mammon seems highly suspicious of them, but Asmo accepts it in stride and says ‘Sully’ is an adorable name. Satan looks like he wants to throw hands. Simeon says that he has an idea where Belphie might be and that he & MC will go find him and has asks the others to look after Sully for him. Satan immediately protests but Beel agrees and Levi drags Satan along with them, while Mammon contemplates putting Satan to work to help with whatever they were doing which Satan complains more about (and isn’t this a topsy turvy world), Asmo helps to pull Satan along and Satan screams about where exactly Asmo is putting his hands – Asmo is merely flattered about Satan knowing his name. Satan screams for help as MC and Simeon turn to leave.
Simeon is giggling evilly about Satan’s face when they left him, MC notes he looked happy, Simeon agrees – shocked and freaked out but happy. Simeon said he didn’t leave him back just to be mean but instead because Satan was curious about his brothers’ celestial realm days. MC says “yeah sure you didn’t leave him just to be mean”, Simeon laughs and insists he’s “a nice angel” in the fakest way possible. Simeon says he loves the Celestial Realm air but that this doesn’t feel like the past. MC asks him what past Simeon would be up to – Michael and Lucifer were bossing him around and running him ragged, he says that hasn’t changed since then and that the both of them are sadists at heart who love making things harder for people (Luke vs Simeon’s view of Michael are so different it’s jarring but I also have the picture of someone who looks and acts like Lucifer’s complete opposite with a sweet, sunny personality hiding a cutting, cruel in the same was Lucifer is, even prideful person underneath it all. I just love characters who look and act kind but could and would murder you in cold blood if it benefited their cause),when he wrote TSL – he wrote it after the brother’s left cause he missed them. “No offense to Luke and Satan, who haven’t been born yet but this was the most fun period of my life,” says Simeon to a person who also hasn’t been born yet (also how are angels born? We know that all though there are lots of similarities between the Celestial Realm & the Devildom and Heaven & Hell they aren’t the same places at all, Lucifer refers to God as Father and I’m assuming the other brothers do as well but they’ve said before none of the brothers are actually related to each other, I always assumed God just poofed them into existence. But then how was Luke specifically born? Because it’s heavily implied that Michael is in charge of the Celestial Realm the same way Diavolo is, meaning God – like the Demon King – is probably maybe taking a power nap and Luke is only some hundred years old so he’s probably way after God’s time so how was he and all the newer angels created? I’m 100% sure most of the demons in the Devildom – Diavolo included – were biologically reproduced so did angels learn to do that? Does Luke have parents? But then Raphael saw a normal human party as immoral so, even after so long, I can’t see them promoting sex so then did Michael poof Luke? But if so wouldn’t Luke call Michael Father, the same way Lucifer called God Father? Or is there some cosmic magic energy that poofs out new angels? You guys ever watched that first animated Tinkerbell movie where she was still learning to be a tinker fairy? Remember how she was created? The little dandelion seed that was mixed with that gold glowing fairy dust & magic mixture until it spit out a person? that’s how I imagine OM! Angels are created minus the dandelion part. Swirling unknowable natural magic that mixes with emotions and cosmic matter it draws from its surroundings till it creates an angel.) Simeon makes MC stop and kick a tree as hard as they can (which they do without question) until Belphie falls out.
After Belphie is introduced to MC he asks if they’ve met before and MC very lowkey gaslights him for the sake of the already fucked timeline and Simeon tells him Beel is looking for him. (MC can also tell Belphie they live together and he now considers them a crazy person, unless they are the rat in the attic that’s taken a humanoid form in which case he’s gonna avoid them for the rest of eternity). Belphie says Lucifer had wanted him to do a job but he ‘lol noped’ outta there and now he’s recruiting MC and Simeon to help him with who knows what cause he refuses to explain when MC asks. Belphie is surprised that Simeon has two angels assigned to him and Simeon asks if he’s too much of a low level grunt to be given two angels and Belphie’s like “Dude you’re literally one of the highest ranking people here” and Simeon’s like “oh shit lol we’re in the past” and MC’s absolutely unhinged curiosity and unwillingness to let something go only strikes at the odd moment so they never bother asking how Simeon went from one of the most powerful people in the Celestial Realm to a low level grunt (fucking idiot). Belphie hears Simeon’s oh shit comment and asks what he said, Simeon lies through his teeth and MC comments on angels lying. Simeon gave us the whole white lies speech that our parents gave us at some point. Belphie insists that MC’s familiar and MC suggests in a dream, which Belphie takes cause when you spent most your time asleep reality starts getting warped. Belphie makes Simeon and MC carry 6 blankets, when MC asks what exactly Lucifer made Belphie do he says he made him go get blankets for 6 people & that Lucifer had just given them a list of stuff to get and none of them knew what for. Belphie says that Lucifer’s being gone a lot lately cause the prince of the Devildom keeps calling for him (and so this is definitely after MC’s first visit now and I loved the Devilgram about Lucifer & Diavolo’s first meeting but I need detailed backstory about every meeting since then, about how Lucifer started slowly warming up to Diavolo, how Diavolo was always in awe of him despite how much of a prick he was, how he slowly started doubting the celestial realm and seeing things Diavolo’s way, how he felt like the Celestial Realm was lying to him about how things should be, how he should be and that started building up his resentment and anger that would one day turn into Satan, how he felt more comfortable in the Devildom than he ever had in the celestial realm, how much guilt and anger towards himself all this made feel, I mean all this is briefly touched upon in the devilgram but I need it in depth pls someone come scream at me about this!) Belphie says today is Lucifer’s first free afternoon in a long while. Outside the door they hear Mammon yelling at Satan to catch something.
Outside Levi and Satan are trying to catch fluffy eggs (multi coloured eggs with wings), Levi calls Satan “Sully dear” when he tells him to watch his step which Satan takes great offense to. Satan makes a plan that leads to Levi catching all 6. Asmo comments on how despite just meeting they make a perfect team. They go to the brothers’ secret room where the others were making fluffy egg sandwiches on Lucifer’s orders until Beel let them escape. Beel says he didn’t mean to let them escape cause he only wanted to eat them and Mammon says that’s worse (love to see that Beel’s taken MC’s advice from their previous visit and is not trying to control his snacking). Mammon leaves MC in charge of making sure Beel doesn’t eat the sandwiches and asks Beel when he became so food crazy and he says lately he’s been getting more hungry than normal (I like to think that yeah this is Beel unconsciously following MC’s advice to give in to his urges but also Beel and the rest of the brothers unknowingly already starting their fall into being demons as they become more discontent living in the celestial realm during peacetimes). Satan tells Levi to put only thinner layer of butter on the bread and levi does so, Asmo says that there’s something about MC and ‘Sully’ that makes it feel like despite just meeting them that day it feels like they’ve all known each other much longer (I love how Satan just immediately fits into the group dynamics showing that even though he wasn’t there in the beginning he was always meant to be and how both this and last time MC’s just easily accepted like ‘yeah here’s this weird new angel they’re sticking with us now’). Belphie agrees saying he feels like he’s known them forever. Simeon asks MC and ‘Sully Dear’ if they heard that and that it seems like they all share a special bond. Sully dear takes extreme offense to his new nickname. Asmo tells MC and ‘Sully Dear’ that they’ve now been adopted into the family and that any attempt to resist will be futile. MC tells Asmo that it may not be possible. Belphie’s sad. Beels acts like they didn’t say anything and just repeats that they should stay with them. Mammon adds a ‘forever’ onto the end of that and that Lucifer will make it happen cause there’s nothing he can’t do (do you think if Lucifer stayed in the celestial realm he would have just kept on adopting random misfits and oddballs?). Satan’s daddy issues pop up at the mention of Lucifer and he says that even back then Lucifer was pompous with an over inflated ego (something I like about OM! Is how Satan’s deep issues with Lucifer are never resolved after one wacky adventure. They’re deep and old enough that it’ll take a long time to be fixed but progress is being made after each therapy session with Satan even if there’s the occasional regression. It makes it feel much more real). Satan’s annoyed enough about Lucifer that he doesn’t bother lowering his volume so the brothers end up staring at him silently. Probably shouldn’t have dissed Lucifer in front of people who think he’s the best thing ever. Period. Y’know since sliced bread probably hadn’t been invented at the time. Actually when was sliced bread invented? Wait. July 7 1928. Also apparently sliced bread is banned in the US? Is that true? Oh shit okay I actually read through the article and this happened during WWII and the ban was lifted 3 months later. Also it’s implied the saying “the best thing since sliced bread” originated from Americans pushing back against the ban. Look I don’t wanna start discourse about sliced bread but this one lady wrote to the new york times about how she had to slice 22 pieces of bread everyday to feed her family and like yeah I hate cutting bread too but like damn I’m not gonna write to the papers about it, some people are just so goddamned passionate but then again I don’t need to cut 22 slices of bread everyday – maybe I’d be passionate too in her circumstances)
Mammon, Lucifer’s #1 lil lapdog, says he has no idea what sully’s smoking to be talking about ‘back in these days’ but calling Lucifer ‘pompous with an overinflated ego’ is going too far, Satan’s dumbstruck by Mammon’s betrayal because despite everything Mammon’s always been there ready to badmouth Lucifer. Beel says Lucifer’s a good guy who always thinks about them and does what’s best for them (so it’s the same as now except he doesn’t try to hide all that behind 36 layers of assholery). Belphie says he can be easily misunderstood because he’s cold and blunt. Satan comments on everyone up here loving Lucifer (so it’s the same as now except they don’t try to hide it all behind 36 layers of assholery). Asmo asks why they wouldn’t love him when he’s their ‘beautiful, strong big brother’ and that they’re all proud of him (guys Satan’s seconds away from losing his shit and this is the last chapter dbksnkdsjksdnk next lesson the entire Celestial Realm gets reduced to rubble as Satan goes on a rampage rip). Levi says Lucifer looks after him even though he’s totally useless (he says it so casually too I don’t know whether to laugh or cry). Asmo & Belphie says they don’t know how well Sully knows Lucifer but if he knew him properly it’ll be impossible not to love him (honestly that’s true I hated him till we started learning more about him and now he’s my second favourite character! Guess who’s my first, I bet you can’t!). Satan’s absolutely dumbfounded by the suggestion. Simeon agrees with them saying it’s time to mend fences and maybe Satan can take the first step. Satan seems upset, realising that Simeon left him with the brothers in the hopes that they’d get through to him about Lucifer but then he gets pissed demanding if Simeon set up this whole journey to the past thing. Simeon denies it and tells satan to calm his tits. But Satan’s on a role now, asking if he’s doing it for the status, if he gets Satan and Lucifer to work things out he’ll get prestige amongst the angels which honestly makes no sense but anger rarely makes you rational so whatever. He goes on to ask if Simeon hoped he could control Satan, the same way Lucifer does (and hoo boy the issues. I like to imagine MC’s contemplating jumping out the window right about now.) Simeon tries to deny all of this but is cut off by Satan saying that Simeon thinks Satan needs to understand where Lucifer’s coming from and how he’s not so bad but that Satan doesn’t like Simeon telling him what to do and that he can’t believe Simeon created a whole illusion just to get what he wanted. And then he’s screaming about how if Lucifer is so precious to Simeon he should try being “Lucifer’s sweet, obedient little brother” (to be fair the idea of being micromanaged by your father who doesn’t even want to admit to being your father is very shudder inducing). The brothers obviously where no idea what the fuck is going on (MC has created a rope by tying blankets together and is now rappelling down through the window), Levi stutters and asks what Sully’s talking about, Beel asks if he and Lucifer have history, Satan looks shocked and sad for a second before he storms out (probably not a good idea considering what he is, where they are and when they are). Asmo seems upset he left, Mammon seems agitated and wonders wtf his deal was. Simeon says he hadn’t meant to set him off like that and that after all of MC’s therapy sessions Satan would have been more open to talking about everything but that he realises that Satan’s progressing at his own pace. MC knowing their job is never over (climbs back up through the window) offers to go after him. Simeon thanks them and says he feels terrible and will apologise but to spare Simeon’s head being ripped from his shoulders MC really should go smooth things over first. They find Satan in the woods looking sad and ask if he’s okay, he doesn’t reply. They can either hug him or take his hand. Hugging leads to a kiss there’s no choice (whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy let MC hug their friends and give the option to kiss or not instead of them both being to kiss). They sit silently together under the trees, holding hands and looking up at the Celestial Palace and this is the sweetest type of silent understanding that I love. After Satan’s calmed down he says MC can leave and go back to the others now. Just before they can answer they are confronted by Lucifer who asks them who they are and what they’re doing there. And that’s the end :))))))))))))))) Next Lesson’s either gonna be a long ass therapy session or a full out street fight can’t wait
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His Dark Materials S2 Ep 6 - Rambling/Thoughts
I really cannot believe that we’re at the penultimate episode already, oh my gosh. It’s gone by so fast??
Again, because I’ve reread TSK in the last couple of weeks, the book is fresh in my mind but I’ve probably still missed stuff
Also last week was so intense and seeing the “previously on” section made me remember just how intense that was, so it’s a hard job to top that!
ANGELS AHH RIGHT AWAY IM GEEKING OUT
“The last time they were seen was to make war” - IT’S HAPPENING ASDFGHJKL
Ruta going off to see Asriel and me just remembering what exactly went down between them while she was there with him... heh
So Will’s hand looks AWFUL oh my god poor Will 😭
Pan is REALLY into his Red PAN-da form oh my goodness
So the other kids out for revenge terrified the living SHIT out of me, dear god I don’t think it could be any creepier than dozens of them appearing out of the shadows like that, like it’s genuinely terrifying
Serafina just dropped right in to rescue them and I was both relieved and a little disappointed? Because in the book the whole chase sequence is so much longer and more important, like it takes up most of an entire chapter I think, and here it’s like two minutes?
Serafina: What does this edge cut? // Lyra: Everything (Will at the same time: Nothing.) - 😂
I missed Lee and Jopari tbh so yay to seeing them once more! And they’ve crossed into the next world!
Oh hi again Mary!
^ I wasn’t expecting to see Mary again this series because in TSK book, her last appearance is going through the window (which was last episode), so I’m a little curious as to whether we’re going to get a TINY little peek into The Amber Spyglass here (it’s been years since I reread it, I apologize). Because last series they did a bit of TSK (namely introducing Will + him crossing into Cittagazze), so it would be interesting!
“Good, something I can understand for a change” - LOL Same
Serafina wants to take Lyra back to her world?? Really??
Not gonna lie, the two girls spying on Mary was kind of low-key creepy
Lyra mentioning that she crossed worlds to find out about Dust and mentioning Roger 😭
Also I’m so emotional over just how much she wants Will to be safe, like she would really do anything to keep him safe and I love it
Lyra asking the Alethiometer where Will’s dad is and “he’s in this world” - ahhh it’s going to happen!
Also I really hope that the BBC/whoever decides to sell replica Alethiometers because the design is so beautiful?! I would fork out serious dough for one, and it would go nicely with the one I have from the film
No but seriously, words don’t describe just how badly I want a replica
“I wanted to fly so I summoned you here, now I’m flying” - LOL OKAY THEN JOHN
Ooh damn, that outfit Marisa is wearing is FINE. I’m slightly gayer than I was before, ngl
I was like “nooo Mary don’t be nice to these kids, they’re awful”
But it’s very sweet that she offers them food?? Like she pulls a chocolate bar out and is like “it’s no good for you, it’s full of sugar”... I love her
The way that Mary was so happy and excited when they mentioned Lyra, only to tell the girls off for trying to kill her - more of a mum than Mrs Coulter tbh
“Miss, can I have a hug?” - AWWW OMG WHY AM I SAD
They asked Mary to stay and look after them omg 😭😭😭
“Come with me, I’ll bring you to your adults” - ooh okay this could go any number of ways... Either she actually reunites them with their families and all’s well, or she takes them up there and their parents/adults are all dead (for lack of a better word)? Or the Spectres attack after Mary leaves them with the adults??
Jopari talking about meeting his dæmon and also a little bit about trying to get back to his family :(
“Can you magic us up a fire?” “One moment” *presents a box of matches” - LMFAO
Wait did Serafina seriously just imply that she thought Will might hurt Lyra?!?
Serafina saying that if protecting Lyra means protecting Will as well... Yes, protect Will please! Protect BOTH of these children, I literally BEG you, they’ve gone through far too much
Ooh okay so the witch ritual/spell was kind of cool to see!
Lyra saying “please tell me he’ll be alright” 😭♥️
The fact that Lyra curled up close to Will and then Pan (in ermine form) curled up CLOSER to Will is so cute, they both love Will so much
Pan: “We feel safe her... don’t we?” / OOF OKAY THIS IS F I N E
I already know what Lyra’s “other name” is because I read the book but the hints are anything BUT subtle tbh. “Mother of us all, cause of all sin, tempted by the serpent”... I’m not even that religious but I think it’s pretty obvious.
Also, if Mary is playing the part of the “serpent” within Lyra’s destiny, does that mean that Mary has tempted Lyra? Or that she will?
Boreal being nervous about being in the city and Marisa is just so unimpressed by him... Mood
That smirk she had when going up to that Spectre victim was so chilling, we have to stan Ruth Wilson and her incredible acting
Also, fun fact, Ruth Wilson went to my sixth form college and is from Surrey (like me), and she grew up in Shepperton, which is where my Nan used to live when she was alive (my uncle and aunt live there still), so that’s super exciting!
“We could learn from this” - PLEASE DO NOT MA’AM
God I hate the Magisterium so fucking much, the patriarchy is so strong with them
Oh great, now they’re gunning to kill Lyra :/
Also, off topic, I’ve only just connected that Will Keen, who plays Father MacPhail, is Dafne Keen’s dad?!?
“She’s lost a lot for one so young” - AND SHE’S STILL GOING TO LOSE PEOPLE, WHY IS THIS FAIR PHILIP PULLMAN 😭
“She must be protected” - AGAIN, they BOTH need protecting PLEASE
The Spectre noises reminded me of the noises of the Smoke Monster from LOST, so that’s definitely trippy for me
Thanks, I hate it
I nearly shouted “WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING” out loud in front of both my parents, I seriously thought she had a damn death wish
I have never been so damn tense in my entire life as I am watching this show - and I KNOW what happens
HOW DID SHE DO THAT WITH THE SPECTRES SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN
Lee’s so worried about Lyra - 11/10, Father of the Year
The Magisterium airships... NO. FUCK. WE’RE AT THAT POINT ALREADY AND IM NOT OKAY BECAUSE I KNOW HOW AND WHERE THIS ENDS AND I HATE IT
I deadass thought Marisa and Carlo were about to kiss when he ran up to her and I actually said out loud “NO please don’t”
Look I must just be so dirty minded but when she said “let’s celebrate”, my immediate reaction was “NO NO NO NO EW EW EW NO” and “I hope she just means having a drink and not doing the frickety-frack”
I was so close to tearing up as Will was talking about his mum, her illness, and the boys who were mean to her because of it. His love for his mum is so beautifully written and the way Amir Wilson is playing Will is so wonderful
I was also close to tears when he was talking about his dad and how he used to imagine about his dad, so maybe I’m just emotional anyway
“Could go to school... have friends” - okay yeah no I’m definitely crying 😭
“I couldn’t trust anyone.” “Until you met me.” “Yeah.” - EXCUSE ME ♥️😭 my HEART
I love one (1) soft boy, and one (1) feral girl and her dæmon
The relief I felt when I saw Marisa and Carlo were literally just having drinks 😅
“They consume what makes us human, so I just suppressed that and hid it” + *cut to the monkey looking kinda sad/uncomfortable* - Umm fUCK OKAY THEN
Why am I feeling sorry for the monkey?!?
“You think we’re equal?” - LMFAO RIGHT
EWW THEY KISSED. No, just... nO
When I saw his snake dæmon moving towards her monkey, I thought one of two things was about to happen: 1) the monkey was going to pet and paw and the snake as Marisa seduced Boreal, or 3) the monkey was going to strange the snake and kill Boreal
OKAY THIS TOOK A SHARP BUT NOT UNWELCOMED TURN
“You’ve NEVER been my equal.” “You’d only hold me back.” - OH MY GOD YES THE SHADE
She’s not wrong though let’s be honest here
So she poisoned him I’m assuming? She poisoned his drink because the monkey didn’t actually touch the snake... damn.
Her just sitting there and continuing to drink with his dead body there is... damn.
“Into that valley” NO NO, please no
Jopari really just summoned a whole damn storm huh
Also the fact he fully trusts in Lee’s abilities to land them safely :3
Lee: “Can we trust him?” // Hester: “Do we have another choice?!!” - LMFAO I love them so much
THE WAY I NEARLY SCREAMED WHEN THAT WITCH GOT ATTACKED BY A SPECTRE OMFG AT LEAST WILL WAS THERE TO SAVE HER
Okay but did Marisa REALLY sit there for HOURS with Boreal’s corpse sitting opposite her?!?
Her burning her hand on the flame in front of the monkey, and the monkey clearly whimpering and in pain was so agonizing to watch, I can’t take this show
Also, you have to wonder just how many times she’s harmed herself (and him) for her to keep doing it with next to no problems (like separating from each other all the time)
I was so excited to see the birds attacking the zeppelins, like it was one of my favourite details in the book, and I worried that they wouldn’t have the budget for it but yay!
I do kind of wish that we’d had Sayan Kötor as the “eagle Queen” leading them though - she probably was but I wish we’d actually seen it or heard Jopari say it or whatever
THEY SHOT THE GAS CANNISTER OH SHIT THEY’RE GOING DOWN HARD AND FAST IN THAT BALLOON
HOLD ON BBC YOU CANNOT END THIS THERE?!? EXCUSE ME?!
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The last episode is next week and on an hour earlier, so that’s exciting! I have no idea what I’ll do once this series ends, or when we’ll even get the third and final series because of COVID and filming delays, but I’m excited for it nonetheless and hoping it’s next November/December or something!
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Paint My Spirit Gold
Dukeceit Week Day 2: Green/Yellow
Fans of the YouTubers "Deceit" and Remus "The Duke" Sanders start to suspect that maybe, just maybe, the two of them are more than simple internet pals.
AO3 Link: [here]
Word Count: 2187
Warnings: n/a
@dukeceitweek <3
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[ID: A screenshot of a Twitter post by user @CallMeDukie. It features a watercolor-style painting of a snake. The snake appears to be made of melting chocolate, and there is a large bite taken out of its tail. Cherries and jam are leaking out of the snake at the bite wound. The snake's expression of horror is overly-exaggerated to the point of comedy. The caption reads: "liked your snake boi, @SerpenThyme. thanks for the inspo." /end ID]
A notification ding cut Janus off mid-sentence. 
“Wow, someone left their cell phone on, so professional,” he said, giving the camera a dramatic eye roll. That someone was him, of course, because he was the only one in the apartment- just him and the running livestream- but that was no excuse not to be a drama queen about it. He finished wiping flour off his hands and grabbed his phone to silence it; but the notification made him pause. He flicked his eyes up toward the camera and gave a slight smirk.
“My goodness, I’m famous,” he drawled. “The Duke himself has graced little old me with some fan art.”
Most of the comments in the chat wanted him to show it, so Janus opened up Twitter to see the full post he’d been tagged in. It was a watercolor painting of the coiled-snake chocolate sculpture- lovingly named Jake by his viewers- he’d made for his YouTube video last week; it was wearing an expression of such comedic horror that Janus had to stifle a laugh. He flicked his phone screen toward the close-up camera on his counter so his viewers could see.
“How kind of you, Remus,” he said. “All of you should go scold him for what he’s done to poor Jake here.”
Most of his viewers would know he was joking- after all, they were the ones to nickname him Deceit when he provided neither a real or fake name for his online persona. They knew full well what he was like by now.
The oven timer dinged. Janus silenced his phone and set it aside.
“And our first batch of cookies is done. You know, why don’t we show the Duke some appreciation?”
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[ID: An Instagram post by user @SerpenThyme. The photo is an artistically-framed shot of a stack of sugar cookies with green, yellow, and pink icing. Propped up against the stack is another cookie, with an intricate icing-drawing of an octopus. The photo appears to have been color corrected to have high contrast, low saturation, and a dark vignette at the edges. The Instagram user @OctoDukie is tagged. No caption. /end ID]
“You know, I have often been accused of actually being a little old lady, what with my fondness for knitted jumpers, rocking chairs, and incredibly fucked up murder mystery books. Today I am doing nothing to dispel this accusation, by making soup.”
The studio was dark and empty aside from Remus' workspace. Everyone else had left long ago, even his own brother, which meant that it was officially ass-o'clock in the morning (or, as most people called it, somewhere between 1 and 2 a.m.) But Remus was stuck in hyperfocus, honed in on putting the last touches on a commission that he'd been putting off for weeks. It's not that it was a tough painting- once he'd gotten started, it was actually a very creatively satisfying piece- but man, executive dysfunction could go suck a dick
“French onion soup, specifically. Because while I do like to pretend I am a classy bitch, I am also, regrettably, a lazy bitch with a distaste for anything that takes longer than one bottle of wine to make.”
Remus hated working in silence. It was stifling, almost suffocating. His brain needed noise like his lungs needed air. So when the studio had grown still and silent, Remus had flipped open his laptop and queued up some YouTube videos. 
“So we have here three pounds of onions that we need to slice up, pole to pole. You’re going to cry no matter what, so if you have any memories you’ve been repressing since middle school, now is an excellent time to dredge those up.” 
And if it happened to be 90% SerpenThyme videos, well. Sue him. 
“Now the first rule of caramelizing onions: fast and sloppy is always better than slow and thorough… at least, that’s what every man I’ve ever slept with tells me.”
Remus choked and glanced over to his laptop screen just in time to catch Deceit's trademark smirk directed at the audience just for a moment. It was the deadpan delivery that always got him. Remus could barely hold onto a joke long enough to get through it without cackling mid-punchline, but this fucker could say the funniest shit like an off-hand comment. 
He wiped his hands off on his jeans (what use were clothes if you couldn't use them as paint rags?) and pulled his laptop across the table.  He typed out a quick comment, citing the timestamp of the joke, and after it was posted, he shut his laptop. 
'Cause ass-o'clock was short for "get-your-ass-home-or-I’ll-kick-it" o'clock. 
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[ID: A screenshot of a YouTube comments section. The first comment is by user TheDuke, and reads: "10:42 wow, rude." The second comment is a reply by user SerpenThyme, and simply reads ";)" /end ID]
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Janus plopped down on the couch with a slight groan. He didn’t need to stream today, but he really hated missing days. Besides… he was fine. Really. 
He adjusted the camera until he was happy with the framing, and then checked the settings on his streaming software. Satisfied, he started the stream, and watched as his usual viewers rolled in. 
“What do you mean I’m not in my kitchen?” Janus drawled, addressing the chat. He glanced around with an expression of faux-shock on his face. “My goodness, when did that happen?”
He chuckled, and then gestured to his surroundings. “Yes, we are in my living room today. If you must know, my closest and most trusted friend tried to murder me today- yes, Virgil, it was attempted murder and nothing less- and I survived with nary a scratch… and a broken foot, but that is beside the point. Anyway, I’m not allowed to stand for long periods of time, and I may or may not be somewhat inebriated by pain pills and couldn’t stand even if I wanted to. So we are cooking from my couch today.”
Janus paused for a few moments to read the chat messages as they popped up. A few get well soon’s, a few theories about the “attempted murder,” Virgil- who moderated his chat for him- vehemently denying the “attempted murder” but otherwise refusing to clarify the event, and a large volume of wtf why are you streaming today, take care of yourself comments, which made him smile. But one particular comment caught his eye, almost lost amid the torrent of an active chat: wait this kinda looks like the Duke’s living room?
“Oh, VampSuga,” he said, addressing that commenter in particular with a slight smirk. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. Anyway, since I can’t reach my oven from here, I thought some no-bake cookies were in order. For these you will need-”
-
[ID: A screenshot of a Discord conversation. The text reads:
“VampSuga: Ok ok hear me out. Dukeceit. 
Starstruck96: who?
IneffableSnek: lmao
FeralBeauYasha: lol
VampSuga: Deceit and Remus Sanders! They’re totally dating. I will die on this hill. 
FeralBeauYasha: Isn’t the duke w/ PatPat?
IneffableSnek: no thats his brothers bf
FeralBeauYasha: ohh
VampSuga: Did anyone see Deceit’s stream today? I swear that’s the Duke’s livingroom. 
StarStruck96: idk that seems like a stretch
IneffableSnek: no wait i kno what u mean
IneffableSnek: im watching the duke’s old videos and that one where he shows off all his old weapons he’s in a living room kinda like deceit’s 
FeralBeauYasha: They were acting all cute on twitter too
VampSuga: DUKECEIT”  /end ID]
-
"Hey guys, been a while since you've seen my face and not just whatever my hands are busy with, when it's within YouTube's terms and conditions I mean. They used to be way more lenient…" Remus trailed off for a moment, then shook his head sharply and plastered on a grin. 
"Anyway! In June me and a few other creators did a fundraiser for the Trevor Project, and y'all smashed the goal, so I let you decide what video I'd make this month." He paused, and gestured to the mountain of clothes piled behind him on the bed. "And you had so many juicy ideas to choose from, but you decided to dress me up like a Barbie instead."
Remus paused to scroll through his phone for a few moments. "Ah, ok, here we go. Twitter user YoonIsMyCat- oh, BTS, nice- sent in this first outfit. Uh… future Remus, put up the post here somewhere." He gestured vaguely to his right. "Y'all went with either a fuckton more clothes or a fuckton less clothes, which I respect. Apparently this outfit is called…” He squinted at his phone. “Amish chic? I take it back, no respect at all.”
Remus cycled through the outfits his viewers sent in, which ranged from the aforementioned “Amish chic” to “2008 rave attire” to “ok now you guys are just fucking with me” (which consisted of one of those big puffy snow coats, lime green in color; booty shorts with the shrug text emoji across the ass; fuzzy pink boots; and a yellow cowboy hat to top off the whole thing. It was awful. Remus loved it.) The mountain of clothes on the bed gradually became a mess of clothes spread across the floor instead, until there was just one outfit left. 
“Ok so Twitter user VampSuga sent me this outfit that I’m gonna call ‘sexy librarian.’ I couldn’t find this exact sweater online, but-” he paused for dramatic effect, before brandishing a sweater toward the camera like a bullfighter. “My boyfriend had something that was close enough.”
Remus hopped up from the bed and switched off the camera so he could change.
“They’re going to lose their minds,” a voice drawled from the doorway. Remus threw his shirt at him.
“Shoo, I’m getting naked.”
-
[ID: A Twitter post by user @CallMeDukie. It features a selfie of YouTuber Remus “The Duke” Sanders, a Hispanic man with his hair dyed green and styled into a spiked mohawk. He is wearing a yellow knitted cardigan over a black button-up shirt. He is grinning widely at the camera. The caption reads: “my viewers pick my outfits! now live on youtube. go see what i look like as a sexy librarian!” /end ID]
-
DukeceitStan
first and only dukeceit shipper ig
DukeceitStan
wow there’s so many of you now! Hi!!
DukeceitStan
i want this to be canon so bad omg
DukeceitStan
i mean just look
[image]
how 
[image]
cute
[image]
[ID: A series of three gifs featuring Youtubers SerpenThyme, aka Deceit, and TheDuke, aka Remus Sanders. Deceit is a black man with long, dreadlocked hair, and vitiligo patches along the left side of his face. Remus is a Hispanic man with green-dyed hair styled into a mohawk, many ear and facial piercings, and tattoos covering both arms. Each gif is edited so that the highlights are tinged yellow when Deceit is seen, and tinged green when Remus is seen.
The first gif depicts a close-up shot of Deceit’s hands as he carefully decorates a cookie with green and yellow icing. The cookie art he is working on appears to be a half-finished octopus. The gif then fades into a mid-shot of Remus, with his back to the camera, facing a canvas. The canvas is blank, and Remus appears to be laying out paints on a table to his left. 
The second gif depicts Deceit seated at his couch, facing the camera. He has many ingredients spread across his coffee table (including oats, cocoa powder, and butter) and appears to be in the process of laying out several more. The gif fades to show Remus seated at a similar couch with a similar coffee table in front of him. The camera is angled slightly downward to better show the myriad of knives spread out across the table. Remus is gesturing wildly with a morning star held in his hand. 
The third gif depicts Deceit in his kitchen. He is pulling on a bright, yellow knitted cardigan, and smirking toward the camera. The gif fades to show Remus in his bedroom, seated on his bed. He is holding up a similar-looking cardigan toward the camera and grinning. /end ID]
“Remus, it’s almost two in the morning. Come to bed.”
“I’m coming, sorry. Twitter distracted me.”
“Mm. I can’t believe the bird app is more distracting than I am.”
“You should try harder.”
“Come to bed and maybe I will.”
“Ok, ok, I’m coming. Hang on though, is it cool if I post this?”
“Sure. They figured it out anyway.”
“Sweet. Ok, Jannie, I’m coming.”
-
[ID: A screenshot of a Twitter post by user @CallMeDukie. It reads: “Dukeceit is canon.” /end ID] 
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love-fireflysong · 3 years
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Oh my god, I'm so sorry that this one took so long holy shit. I have no excuses, other than the fact that I'm a terrible person who can't be trusted with deadlines it seems. But it is done! Yay! So, as successfully chosen by Miss '@clumsybookworm18' Mel, here's my entry for hurt/comfort (finally). This is actually the beginning part of a sole survivor chris/ash au I've been imagining for over a year now, and will very likely be the only part of that au I will ever share. That au is for me. And me alone, sorry lol.
Can't Undo the Scars can be read over on AO3 of course (and I would recommend it if only for the snazzy looking texting lol) but it is also under the link as usual.
Can't Undo the Scars
Tropes: Hurt/Comfort Fandom: Until Dawn Characters: Ashley Brown, Chris Hartley Words: 9749 Rating: Teen (mentions of past trauma, unhealthy coping mechanisms, separation anxiety, nightmares that involve death) Author's Notes: Will I ever be happy with this fic? No but I'm as content with what I got as I ever will be. What Chris and Ash are doing to try and get back to 'normal' is so stupidly not healthy for either of them, but they are young kids that just want to try and move on with their lives. So be nice to them (and me obviously lol).
"I think we should take a break."
Sitting across from Ashley at the table in the quiet cafe where they had gotten coffee together, Chris fumbled with the sugar cube he had grabbed. It bounced off the small table and tumbled to the floor, not that he was paying any attention to it anymore. Not when it felt like all his blood had frozen in his veins. Still, hoping and praying that he was misunderstanding what Ashley was trying to get at, he let out a forced little laugh. "...like a KitKat? Oh man, when was the last time I had one of those? Must have been ages ago, you're totally right we should go and grab a bar or two after this. A little snack and treat we both totally deserve and I'll break us off a piece of that—"
Chris let everything else he was about to say trail off when Ashley pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and shook her head fiercely as she refused to look at him. The loose sleeves of the sweater she was wearing were pulled far down enough that only the tips of her fingers were poking out, and those tightened around the mug of coffee she was holding onto. "No, I-I mean, I think we need to take a break from each other. At least for a little bit."
Forget his blood freezing, Chris felt everything around him freeze. His breath froze in his lungs, his heart froze in his chest, and time seemed to freeze around him. "Ash, are-are you," Chris swallowed roughly as he tried to keep himself together, "are you breaking up with me?"
Immediately Ashley's eyes snapped up to meet his, and they were wide with the same fear that Chris was pretty sure had replaced all the blood in his body. "No! No, that's-that's not what I'm doing! That's not what I want at all!" Her hands left the mug she had been gripping on the table and reached out to take Chris's, but hesitated and pulled back at the last second. "Why? Do you want to...?"
Chris closed the distance between their hands and grabbed hers in his, but was careful not to touch her wrists. He was more relieved than he had imagined it was possible to feel (and he had felt some pretty intense feelings of relief in the last half a year) when she responded by immediately turning her hands over so she could curl her fingers into his. "I don't! I can't think of a single thing in the world I want to do less than that."
The jerky nod that Ashley gave in agreement should have left him feeling better, but it didn't. "Good. So we're not br— not gonna do that then."
"Cool. Cool cool cool. Glad we're in agreement. But then, what did you mean by that, Ash? That we should..." Chris couldn't even bring himself to say the words, instead letting them die in his throat when Ashley slowly withdrew her hands from his and placed them back around her quickly cooling mug.
"It's just, this isn't healthy Chris. This can't be healthy for either of us."
"Healthy? What isn't healthy? This much coffee? The amount of sugar I put in my cup every morning? Is the amount of sugar I use turning you off Ash? Cause I don't think I can fix that sorry."
She didn't smile at that, not even a hint. No faint tugging at the corners of her mouth, no sigh of exasperation, nothing. And it was then that he knew that whatever this was all about, she was as serious as he'd ever seen her, and that terrified him.
"This, Chris. None of this. The fact that neither of us can sleep alone. That I'm terrified that the moment you leave my sight I'll never see you again. I hate that it feels like neither of us can go out in public unless we're both there."
"Oh. That. Yeah, I-I can see how that might be a problem. But Ash, it wasn't—it's not as if it's our fault. We're just trying to heal, I mean that's what all the doctors keep telling us at least. And if this is what it takes, then what's so wrong about that?"
Ashley looked up at him again, and while he wasn't shocked at the dark circles around her eyes (they were identical to the ones around his after all), the tears that had started to build up in the corners of them had him reaching over the table so he could take her face into his hands. Her hands cover his a second later, but not pull them away like he feared, instead she curls her fingers into the palms of his hands so she can hold him there. The two of them lean over the table to meet in the middle, likely looking like a romantic embrace shared by lovers in the corner to anyone looking on, but this is anything but. "But it's been months Chris," she starts and he wipes away the first tear that threatens to fall before it ever gets the chance to, "since, since..."
Since Blackwood, he finishes for her in his head, it's been months since Blackwood and it still feels like we're no better than when we first came down. And it has been, Blackwood had been nearly six months ago now and the two of them still jumped and grabbed for each other at what seemed like every little thing. A loud bang, even from something as small and normal as a car backfiring down the street, always sent Chris back into that room in the basement, watching as Mike aimed that gun at Emily. The sound of a glass cup shattering as it hit the floor would have Ashley locking up in fear, her grip on Chris's hand tightening to a point far beyond pain.
That first week of July had been terrible for them both. The smart thing to do would have been to get as far out of town as possible, but that would have left them basically stranded in the wilderness; surrounded by trees on all sides as they jumped at every little sound and animal call, wondering if it was yet another one of those creatures from the mountain trying to finish them off. Instead they had elected to stay home, cowering together in Chris's basement as the fireworks going off with loud pops and bangs from nearly every house in the area had managed to cut through their earplugs and send them both into a tailspin. Remembering every bullet that Chris had shot into the Wendigo that had chased him from the shed, none doing any damage at all except to push it back further and further from him. Remembering the sound as the lodge exploded into a ball of fire, leaving them to sit cold and alone in the snow as their ears continued to ring and ring. The coolness of the basement had done little against the summer heat either, reminding them too much of the heat from the burning lodge that had threatened to cook them both from the inside out.
July had almost been worse than February, and nothing would ever top those two days in February.
He's not worried about the scene the two of them are making in the cafe though. The table they had chosen—had been using since they discovered this beautifully quiet and peaceful cafe back when they had both finally worked up the nerve to leave their houses back in May—was in a secluded corner with no windows. It was a defensible position (or at least as defensible as a table in a public cafe could be) and as long as they stayed quiet then no one would pay any attention to them. Not when the other patrons were too busy chatting with their friends or typing away on a computer. And the employees? They had more to worry about then two nerdy regulars who for all appearances looked like they were having a romantic and private conversation.
"Can you at least just tell me why?" Chris whispers, his words choked as he continues to wipe away her tears. "Why now? What happened to make you think that we need a—" his m0uth moves but nothing comes out until he finally manages to force the word past the blockade in his throat "—a break."
Ashley leans into one of his palms and smiles at him sadly. "I know we both decided that we were gonna try and start school again in the winter semester, and that our admissions had already been accepted, so I was looking at dorm availabilities when you had fallen asleep last week. They only have a few single dorms and those are available only for married students. Which is fine, it's way too small to room two people at once for durations longer than a weekend. But it also turns out that there is no option for co-ed dorms, the school doesn't allow them. No exceptions."
"What? But, surely they must—"
She shakes her head. "No exceptions, they were very clear on that. I don't know how many times me or my mom or any of the doctors emailed them to try and explain the circumstances, but the response back was always the same. They 'feel sorry and understand how difficult this must be for us' but no exceptions means no exceptions. We either agree to separate dorms with roommates of the same gender or we have to find another set of lodgings."
"But that's...that's bullshit! So the thought of a boy and girl sharing a room apparently goes so far against their-their—what, good Christian values?—that giving our poor roommates nightmares while we scream ourselves to sleep is an acceptable alternative?!"
Ashley turns her head so she can leave a chaste kiss in the center of Chris's palm in an effort to calm him down, and decides to just stay and murmur her next words there. "I hate it too, but what other alternative is there? You know we can't get a place together, there's no possible way we could afford the rent for one."
"We can...we can..." Chris tries to find something, anything, he can say to make this not happen. "I can find a job, work and go to school or—"
"And we arrive back to the same problem, Chris. If we can't survive a separation at school, how are we supposed to do it when we're both out working as well, just so we can stay together. I don't want to do this anymore then you do Chris; I really really don't. You have no idea how much I don't want to do this, but we have to get used to not being able to see each other all the time. And I would rather do it on our terms then because the school or our roommates decided we can't."
Ashley's right, of course Ashley's right. It's Ashley Brown after all, she's always right, but he doesn't want her to be. Not about this. "Okay," he agrees instead, even as it feels like saying the word is stealing something away that he can't quite name. He hides this by lowering her head so he can place his lips on her forehead and say the words there instead. "Okay. Just-just tell me how long."
"A week." Chris feels something in his stomach turn into stone and sink to the bottom of his gut. He had been hoping for something like a day or two, not a full week. He isn't sure he can survive seven days without seeing her. "I-I thought long and hard about it, but a week. We're gonna have periods anyways where we won't be able to see each other because of exams or projects, so if we can manage a whole week then we can do those no problem."
"Are you sure that maybe we shouldn't, I don’t know, just build up to that? A day here, two days there, just so we can get used to it?"
Ashley shakes her head firmly enough that it jostles Chris's hands right off of her face, but keeps her hands in his anyways. "No. I want to get this over with. Prove to everyone, to ourselves, that we can do something as simple as this. I mean, we used to go periods all the time when we didn't see each other for ages, so what's so different about this?"
"Everything", Chris wants to say, "Everything's different now. It changed the moment we left that mountain behind." But he doesn't. He doesn't because he wants her to be right, that this is just a minor hiccup and if they can overcome this, then they can overcome anything. So with one last squeeze of her hands and a pained smile, he lets go and takes a sip of his coffee and grimaces at the taste. It's cold now, had probably gone cold a long time ago and he can tell from the shared frown on Ashley's face that hers has gone cold too.
With no reason for either of them to stay here now, they had only brought enough money for a single coffee each, it's pretty clear that their little coffee date is over. Neither of them say a word as they clean up their table and leave the cafe, their fingers intertwined as they usually are nowadays, but holding on tighter than usual. They separate only so they can get into Chris's truck, but the moment they settle into their seats, their hands find each other once again. And that's how Chris drives Ashley back to her mother's, hands gripping so tightly that they're fingers have turned white and not saying a single word the entire drive back. They never mentioned it, but neither of them have to. The moment they arrive at her place, then this is it. This will be the last time they're gonna see each other for an entire week, and the moment one of them speaks then any and all willpower they have to pull this off is going to be gone and they'll be back at where they started. They need to do this, even if neither of them want to.
It isn't until Chris pulls up in front and watches her let go of his hand to take off her seatbelt that it actually hits him. For the first time in six months, he's not going to be following her in. That he's going to continue the drive back to his own house alone. The realization shudders through him and he quickly finds himself fumbling at his own seatbelt clasp, and the moment he's free he's surging across the divide between them and taking Ashley's face in his hands as he kisses her like he's never going to be able to again. She doesn't hesitate to return the embrace either, throwing her arms around him and gripping onto him as though she never wants to let him go.
They spend what is probably far too long delaying the separation, but inevitably they do separate. And when they look at each other it's with tears in their eyes and their foreheads pressed so firmly together it's almost like they're trying to become one person.
"Just seven days, right? And that's it, we'll never have to do this again? You promise?"
Ashley doesn't say anything, she just nods and leans in for one last kiss, as though trying to memorize it and him for the coming week. And when she does pull away to leave, it's with her arms slowly untwining themselves from around Chris's neck, and then letting her fingers trail lightly over his shoulders, down his arms, and past his hands. Though she is stopped when Chris curls his fingers so that they catch on his, and doesn’t fight it as she watches wordlessly as he lifts them in front of his face and carefully lets the loose sleeves of her sweater drop so he can see the faint scars on her wrist that were left when the rope burns had healed. And as always, he makes no comment as softly places a kiss into the center of each wrist, followed by the palm, and then the tip of each finger, finally closing his eyes as he presses the back of her knuckles to his lips and holding her hands there. Just to remind himself that she was still here, that she hadn't died on Blackwood Mountain with all the rest.
He drops her hands when she pulls them back, but doesn't open his eyes when he feels her shaky fingers carefully remove his glasses and place them on the dashboard before returning her hands to his face in order to complete their little ritual. Gently, she traces the contours of his face with the pads of her thumbs, brushing them over his eyes, his nose, his lips, and following each with a soft kiss to the body part in question. Finishing as she always does by placing her lips in a closed mouth kiss to the area where his jaw and neck meet, and lingering just long enough so she can feel his pulse thrum beneath his skin. The minor burn from where he had once held the gun to his jaw had faded a long time ago, but he doesn't think that either will ever forget exactly where it used to be. And when she leans back, the usual expressions of relief and awe are hidden so far underneath the absolute heartbreak that they may as well not even exist. "I—" he starts, but stops just as quickly. It's far too overdue, but the timing isn't right. "I guess I'll see you next week then."
Ashley looks like she has something she wants to say, but instead reaches out to put Chris's glasses back on his face with shaking hands and as she opens the passenger door and gets out of the vehicle, she gives a weak smile. "Yeah, I...I'll see you then."
Chris just watches as she walks up to the building, gripping onto the steering wheel as hard as possible in an effort to hold himself back from trying to follow her into the building like every fibre of his being is screaming at him to do. And after sharing one last shaky and teary eyed smile from the top of the steps, Ashley unlocks the door and enters, leaving his sight for what feels like both the first time in forever, and the final time he'll ever get to see her.
He rushes the rest of the way home, and the moment he gets back he just about runs to his bedroom and hides under the covers of his bed, ignoring both the surprised greeting his mother sends his way and the inquiry about where Ashley is. He just wants to sleep.
The week will be over quicker that way.
***
By the end of the first day Ashley is ready to scream. Not because she misses Chris horribly (she does), or because waking up without Chris at her side had sent her into near hysterics (it did). She had expected these things after all, they were all things that she had to get used to again, he wasn't always going to be there with her after all. It still hurt—good god did it hurt—but all in all, it wasn't going terribly for the first day. She'd had no nightmares thankfully, and had spent most of the day reading, with some minor tidying up in her room and helping her mother around the house.
Oh no, the reason she was about to scream was her mother in question. Who after finding out why exactly Chris hadn't come home with her yesterday, and never made an appearance later on in the evening just before bed, had been frantic. Saundra wasn't angry, she didn't scream or yell or try to do anything that might set her daughter off, but she was being horribly insistent that maybe Ashely and Chris should have thought this through more. Asking why Ashley had never brought this up to her, and if she even mentioned that they were doing this to their doctors. She hadn't of course, because Ashley was fully aware that they would have done almost everything in their power to try and talk them out of it, telling them that the two of them weren't ready for separation of his magnitude yet. And of course neither of them were ready for this—they likely never would be—but it needed to be done if her and Chris had any hope of even trying to return to a normal lifestyle in time for them to return to college in January.
And, well, she was terrified about what would happen to them if they didn't. Sure it was deemed 'healthy' for now, as they tried and struggled to recover from what everyone around them said was a horribly traumatic series of events. But what about when it wasn't simply seen as healthy and therapeutic, but harmful and co-dependant? Ashley loved Chris, even if neither of them had said the words yet she felt it in her entire being everytime she looked at him, and the idea that one day they might grow to hate or resent each other for being unable to let go was too much. And so the completely necessary trial separation came into being. If they could prove that they could successfully be apart for something as short as a week, then this wasn't codependency in the making, it was healing pure and simple.
Now she just had to convince herself of that.
***
By early morning of the second day, Chris had finally admitted to himself what he had figured out a few short hours into his self-exiled bedrest: sleeping the week away when he had been finding it hard to sleep in general for months now was quite frankly going to be impossible. And so he had with great reluctance rolled himself out of his far too empty bed and into the shower, passing his own mother talking in hushed voices on the phone. Voices that quickly stopped the moment Lilith realized that her son was finally up and moving again, and then immediately confronting him afterwards and pleading that he tell her that nothing bad had happened between him and Ash. He weakly assures that everything's fine between them (it's not, everything is not fine, it won't be fine until she's by his side again), and that he'll talk to her after. The only thing he wants right now is a hot shower. Lilith lets him go reluctantly, but Chris is also very aware that the moment he steps foot into the bathroom, that she's going to be back on the phone with Saundra speaking in hushed and worried whispers.
The rest of the morning passes by in a haze of motherly questions—mixed with the occasional fatherly one every now and again just for spice—and a large breakfast that tastes and feels like ash in his mouth, and it bleeds into the afternoon, and then into the evening. Which finds Chris both bored out of his mind and desperate for a distraction as he digs through a pile of video games to try and find something to play. But everything he finds was either given to him by Ash, or ones the two of them had played together (if not both), so he abandons his search and instead finds himself out in the garage digging through dusty and broken down boxes until he finds the old playstation and games that his parents had gotten for him before he had ever met Ashley or...or...
Well, the point was he had a game now that carried no memories of anyone or anything except being six and terrible at video games. It does nothing to wipe away the loneliness and despair that covers him like a heavy blanket, but it's a start. An extremely stalled start to a race he wants nothing to do with, but a start nonetheless.
***
On day three, Ashley is starting to think that maybe her mom had been right and that this was such a stupid idea. Last night was especially bad. No matter how many blankets she had piled on her bed, no matter how many childhood stuffed animals she had shoved back on to fill up the empty space, none of it had helped. She had never felt so cold in her life and all the open space on the bed had made her feel like she was going to be swallowed up into the emptiness. In desperation she had started ripping the drawers from her dresser and throwing clothes from her closet, frantically holding back burning tears of frustration and the scream building up in her throat.
And then she found it. One of Chris's sweaters shoved half-hazardly away into a dark corner of her room under the bed, and had been forgotten about by the both of them until now. The immediacy with which she had fumbled to grab the thing and throw it on probably would have frightened her any other day, but with the tears finally flowing hot and heavy down her cheeks as she buried her face into the dark fibres, all she could feel was bone-crushing relief settling over her. Her room a mess she could deal with in the morning, Ashley had crawled into bed hugging herself and the sweater as close as she physically was able. She wasn't cold anymore, and the bed felt less empty too.
As long as she had a reminder that Chris was still alive, that she could still smell him even on this dusty and long-forgotten piece of clothing, then even if he wasn't physically here with her she could manage. And she would manage, she would. They were already halfway through the week after all, and she would prove to everyone—to herself—that they (she) could do this.
Ashley wears the sweater all the rest of the day once she wakes up.
***
In true Chris Hartley fashion, day four finds himself absolutely glued to the screen of his phone. Shortly after forcing down a small breakfast in an attempt to alleviate his worried parents' concern, he had spent what was probably a far too long amount of time in his text messages just staring at Ash's name. His thumbs hovering nervously over the keyboard as he fought with himself over and over again, debating if texting Ashley would be okay. Yes, the two of them had agreed that this 'break' (he hates the word, hates it hates it hates it with every fibre of his being) was needed if they wanted to try and get themselves ready for the separation that college life would inevitably bring, but that was to try and prepare themselves for not being able to see each other for long periods of time. They wouldn't be able to see each other during classes or during periods of intense studying and working on projects, but they would still be able to talk. Hell, his entire first year of college while she was still in high school had been just that. They hadn't been able to hang out in weeks, but they had still texted all the time.
So biting the bullet, Chris had gone ahead and texted Ash a quick and easy 'hey'. No 'miss you', no 'this was a terrible idea', no ' i wish you were here right now'. Just a simple 'hey' and then he stared at his phone, face pale and hands shaking as he waited to see what she would do. He didn't care if she would just send back a scathing reply about how he was breaking the rules by doing this, he just needed her to respond and reassure him that she was alright. That she was still alive and his insecurities were getting the best of him.
The phone rumbling softly in his hand was a godsend, and so too was the affirmative 'hi :)' that she had responded with. After that, it was as though the floodgates had opened. The two of them texted each other back and forth the entire rest of the day, her telling him about the books she had been reading as he told her about his adventures through late 90's and early 2000's gaming. They told each other what they had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They talked about everything and nothing and it was so blissfully normal that Chris wondered why on earth it had taken him this long to text her in the first place. He thinks that he was so used to just having her there with him all the time, that the idea that they could still text hadn't even crossed his mind.
There are things he doesn't tell her of course. That the idea of falling asleep without knowing she's next to him and safe is so ludicrous that he had stopped trying, only sleeping in small, unintended fits that leave him feeling even worse than before. That despite at least continuing to eat, the food tastes like nothing and he can only manage a few bites before excusing himself. And what little he does eat almost always manages to come back up during the night, though thankfully when his parents are both sleeping (he doesn't want them to worry more than they already are). Chris doesn't want to worry Ashley, not when it seems like she's managing this whole seven-day long affair better than he is so far. If she can do this, then so can he.
So no matter how many times his thumb hovers over the call icon in the corner, he does not press it. Texting will have to be enough, he knows that the moment he hears her voice then every single shred of resolution he has built up will crumble in seconds and he'll be driving as fast as he can so he can see her again. And they're already four days deep into their seven days, the last thing he wants is for Ashley to decide that they need to start all this over from the top again.
***
Ashley is comfortable in her bed, more comfortable than she's ever felt in her life honestly. Chris's arm is draped heavily over her waist, and his breath is warm on the back of her neck as he peacefully naps the afternoon away. His body is solid against her back and she feels so, so safe and so, so loved as she continues to read her book, a favourite of hers that she had read cover to cover a million times but always felt like coming home in its warm familiarity. Contentedly, she flips a page and snuggles back further into Chris's body and she feels something warm and wet drip onto her neck.
"Chriiiiiiis," she groans, but not without an edge of laughter, "wake up. You're drooling on me, you dip." He doesn't move, and Ashley repositions herself a little, made difficult by the weight of his arm over her, and jabs her elbow into his gut. "I'm serious you dork, wake up. I swear to god, you sleep like the de—" The words die in her throat in horror when she turns her head to face him.
His head isn't there. Nothing is there. Just dark blood pouring hot and heavy from the open space above his neck, staining the fur lining his coat and the once clean, white snow as the blizzard rages around her. Desperate to prove that this isn't real, that it can't be real, she fumbles for the hand that hangs limp at her waist and threads her fingers through his, but his fingers are cold to the touch and black with frostbite, and no matter how hard she squeezes he isn't squeezing back. She's fully aware that she's openly crying and sobbing as she repeats his name over and over, begging him to wake up and tell her that this isn't real. Her tears are freezing on her cheeks the moment they fall.
From deep within the treeline, a high-pitched shriek that rattles the teeth in her mouth echoes long and loud around the wide, open snow-covered space.
Cries and nausea alike stick in her throat as she tries frantically to wiggle out from Chris's body, but his arm is a dead weight that keeps her pinned in place against him. "C'mon, Chris. We need to go. We need to hide. Get up, please please please get up."
There's a soft thump of a large body landing in the snow far off to the right, unseen but not unheard, and she freezes in place. Hoping and praying that the thing won't see them as she huddles in closer to the protection that Chris's body is offering, her blood stained fingers tightening painfully on his limp hand and around the leather bound journal she is still holding in her other. In fear she buries her face into the snow beneath her, the cold biting at her skin and the metallic taste of Chris's spilt blood filling her mouth and nose. For a moment, there's nothing. No sound except for the wind whistling through the trees as the snow whips wildly around them.
And then Chris is gone. The comforting and yet horrifying weight he had been is just gone as he's suddenly flung through the air and colliding into a tree with a sickening crunch. Her hand had been gripping onto his so fiercely and so tightly that she had been pulled with him for just a second before his hand had been violently ripped out of her grasp. Leaving Ashley to stare wide-eyed and terrified into the face of the thing—its body too long and spindly with far too many sharp angles to be considered human—standing above her as she lays on her back. Milky-white eyes gaze back down unseeingly at her and Chris's blood is dripping from sharp, deadly claws that splatter onto her face. The thing opens its mouth to showcase row upon row of crooked and yellowed razor-sharp teeth and it screams at her, spittle flying into Ashley's face as her ears ring and ring and ring.
Too scared to cry, too scared to move, Ashley just wishes that Chris was still here with her and not lying broken and mangled and headless at the foot of a tree as he continues to slowly bleed out into the crisp white snow. A small little whimper, barely louder than the whisper of wind blowing through grass and certainly going unheard in this howling blizzard, escapes past her lips but it's enough. In a flash, the same deadly claws are raking towards her face to rip her head off in the same way it had to Chris.
And Ashley screams.
She screams and screams and screams, and screams only louder when a pair of hands cradle her face and a voice begs and pleads with her to wake up. Ashley tries to fight back against the hands and the voice, screaming for Chris to wake up and help her, but her own words keep getting caught on the blood that is bubbling out of her mouth. There's another scream, this one not her own, and then the hands have moved to try and open her mouth but she won't let them. She doesn't want her jaw ripped off like what had happened to poor Jess. Like what she had seen in the pictures that the rangers had shown her and Chris so they could identify the half naked body discovered in the mines. So she fights back even harder, trying to claw at the person or thing that killed Chris and Jess and everyone else. And then there's a cry of pain, and the hands on her face have vanished, appearing around her wrists so they could try and hold her panicked flailing back.
The moment the hands appear on her wrists, Ashley's eyes fly open and she can't breathe. She can't breathe because she's hanging in the shed, the wood cold against her back as saws whir menacingly both in front and above her as Josh hangs limpy next to her. The lower half of his body an impossible mess on the floor and the grey intestines that had managed to stay in his upper half hanging down towards it like grotesque party streamers. From behind the steel chain link fence that partitions the room, Chris stands looking straight at her as he holds a gun to his jaw, his face pale as he smiles shakily at her and pulls the trigger.
Somehow, the scream that finally manages to break through is louder than all the rest.
There's more begging and pleading that she can't make out against the loud mechanical whir of the saws. And then a phone chimes, only just managing to cut through all the screaming and whirring and echoes of gunshots. And then it chimes again, louder this time. And again. And again. And she realizes that she recognizes it, it's the ringtone that Chris had set on her phone for his contact ages and ages ago as a joke, and she had just kept forgetting to change it back until it just became his notification, joke or not.
Slowly, the shed fades away until all she's left seeing is her mother standing in her brightly lit bedroom, screaming at someone through her phone. But all Ashley is paying attention to is the repeated chimes going off constantly on her phone one after another, the screen never getting the chance to go dark before another text comes in, and Chris's name appearing for every single one.
Saundra seems to notice that her daughter has finally stopped screaming, and although she continues to plead with whoever it is on the phone with her, she reaches out a hesitant and unsure hand. Ashley notices none of this as blood continues to dribble slowly out of her mouth as she picks up and unlocks her phone.
***
Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong and it isn't the fact that Chris is kneeling over the toilet as he retches into it for the second time tonight. Oh no, the something wrong is due to the fact that despite it being past midnight he can hear his mom trying frantically to calm someone down on the phone. It was the phone ringing that had woken him up in fact from where he had accidentally dozed off on the couch, waking up to find the old playstation controller hanging loose in his fingers and Crash idly spinning a piece of wumpa fruit on his finger in all his polygonal glory. Chris had dropped the controller the rest of the way to the floor in his rush to the bathroom though, startling poor Toby from where he had been snoozing the night away in his dog bed. He had only barely made it before he found himself throwing up what little food he had been able to eat during the day, and the coolness of the porcelain against is forehead was a balm of relief when compared to the burning in his throat and heat of his tears as they flowed slowly down his face.
He could tell the moment that Lilith had found him from the surprised cry of alarm behind him, quickly followed by a clatter as she dropped the phone to the linoleum floor in her shock as she reached out to take her son's face in her hands. Chris knew that he must have looked a dreadful sight, his face pale and drawn while his eyes looked at her with a glassy stare. The next second, she was yelling over her shoulder for his father to wake up now and turn on the car, but Chris wasn't paying any attention to that. Not when he was just starting to make out the sound of the voice through the phone, and more importantly, the screaming in the background of the call.
That was Ashley's scream. It was a sound he didn't think he would ever be allowed to forget and it hit him that she was screaming—screaming for him—and he wasn't there.
Clumsily, he ripped his face from his mother's hands and stumbled to the living room where he had left his phone on the couch. He had to help her. She needed him and he had to help her. The moment he finally had his phone in his hand he pulled up her contact name...and then he froze unsure of what to do. He couldn't call her, not because of this whole stupid break thing, but because the sound of her voice sobbing on the phone will cause him to break down with her and the last thing either of them need is to scream and cry while they're both so, so far away from each other. So he does the next best thing he can do:
He texts her.
C: what does a cloud wear under his raincoat? C: thunderwear C: why are teddy bears never hungry? C: cause they're always stuffed C: why do ducks have tail feathers? C: to cover up their buttquacks C: what kind of shoes do private investigators wear? C: sneak-ers C: why do i never tell jokes about pizza? C: they're too cheesey
And on and on and on. Even as his fingers shake he continues to text her stupid little jokes. The same ones he tells to her when he's there to hold her in his arms and remind her that he's still okay and that she’s safe. There's no describing the sob of relief he makes when she finally responds.
C: prime-mates C: what event do spiders love to attend? A: Cats C: webbings
There's a moment where he doesn't know what she means by that. How on earth could cats be the pun he was looking for in the joke? And then it hits him. She needs to know that it's really him telling these jokes and that she's not just making up everything she's seeing on her phone. Ashley is asking for the stupidest jokes about cats he knows so she can confirm that it's really him on the phone. Even tired as he is—and he is so so tired—they come naturally to him as only talking with Ashley and middle school dad jokes ever did.
C: what's a cat's favourite colour? C:purr-ple C: what do you call a cat that loves to bowl? C: an alley cat C: what's a cat's favourite tv show? C: claw and order C: what does the cat say after making a joke? C: just kitten
And so on and so forth. Ashley throws out a new topic for jokes and Chris replies with them as quickly as he can. He can hear his mom and dad talking in the next room, to each other and Saundra on the phone, but the only person he cares about is the one on the other side of his. He needs to call her. He knows what Ashley needs when she has a nightmare this bad, and the jokes are helping but she needs to hear his voice to be truly convinced that he's okay. But he can't hear hers without making things so much worse than they already are and he doesn't know what to say that would calm her down and—he stares at the last joke he had just typed out unconsciously it hits him.
C: what did the two volcanoes say to each other? C: i lava you C: i'm going to call your phone but whatever you do don't answer it C: just let it go to voicemail and please don't answer it C: please
Chris doesn't wait for her response as he shoves past his father to his bedroom, ignoring the startled shout as he slams the door behind him, and slumps against it to the floor. He doesn't want his parents to hear this. It's not anything that would worry them, but it's so so private and the only person he wants to hear this is Ash. He still doesn't look at her response as he frantically taps the call button and listens to the phone ring. And ring. And ring. And ring. And ring. And then, finally, he hears her voice for the first time in nearly a week.
"Hi, this is Ashley. Sorry I can't come to the phone right now but leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Promise!"
***
Please enter your password.
6279#
You have one new voice message. To play your messages, press one. To record—
1
"I love you. I'm so sorry that I'm not there so say it to your face but I love you so much that I can't fucking stand it somedays and I should have told you ages ago. I should have said it five days ago but I didn't. I should have been saying it to you before falling asleep and after waking up every day. On the helicopter ride down the mountain. When you kissed me for the first time. I think I was lying when I said that nothing was wasted between us, because I should have been screaming this to you from the first moment you smiled at me. I wasted so much time not telling you this so I'm going to say it now. I love you, I love you, I love you, I lo—"
To replay this message: press one. To go to—
1
"I love you. I'm so sorry that I'm not there so say it to your face but I love you so much that I can't fucking stand it somedays and I should have told you ages ago. I should have said something five days ago but I didn't. I should have been saying it to you before falling asleep every night and after waking up every morning. On the helicopter ride down the mountain. When you kissed me for the first time. I think I was lying when I said that nothing was wasted between us, because I should have been screaming this to you from the first moment you smiled at me over that diner's table. I wasted so much time not telling you this so I'm going to say it now. I love you, I love you, I love you, I lo—"
1
"I love you. I'm—"
1
"I love you."
1
"I love you."
1
"I love you."
1
"I love you. I'm so sorry that I'm not there so say it to your face but I love you so much that I can't fucking stand it somedays and I should have told you ages ago. I should have said something five days ago but I didn't. I should have been saying it to you before falling asleep every night and after waking up every morning. On the helicopter ride down the mountain. When you kissed me for the first time. I think I was lying when I said that nothing was wasted between us, because I should have been screaming this to you from the first moment you smiled at me over that diner's table. I wasted so much time not telling you this so I'm going to say it now. I love you, I love you, I love you, I lo—"
To replay this message: press one. To go to the previous message: press one one. To pause during message playback: press two. To fast forward a message during playing: press three. To hear this message, and the time it was delivered: press five. To copy this message to another person: press six. To erase this message and go to the next: press seven. To reply: press eight. To save this message and go to the next: press nine. To—
9
You have no new messages.
*beep*
A: I need you A: Please A: Please A: I need you A: I need you A: I need you
Please enter your password.
***
The car ride over was almost unbearable. Chris wasn't driving himself fortunately, with how tired and anxious he had been feeling for days now it would have been an absurdly stupid idea that likely would have ended in his death if he wasn't extremely lucky. As it was, he had been ready to go and beg a ride from his parents but had found Gabe already standing by the front door with the keys in hand. His almost pure white hair messy from being pulled from bed unexpectedly and leveling Chris with a glare that brooked no argument. It wasn't an argument that Chris intended to fight against as he hugged his father hard in thanks before climbing into the back of the vehicle.
But the drive had felt so much longer than it usually did, and Ashley having stopped responding to his texts certainly hadn't helped matters any. He still sent them anyways, more for his own reassurance than hers now. Lilith sat in the passenger seat next to her husband, still talking on the phone to Saundra to give progress reports and reassurances that yes the three of them were on their way now, even as she sent the occasional nervous glances at Chris in the backseat. Though worried for him or for the car upholstery in case the movement of the vehicle set off his gag reflex was anyone's guess.
The moment Chris felt the vehicle slow down his eyes jumped to the window and saw the familiar and welcoming shape of Ashley's building and he was already fumbling with seatbelt and opening the car door before they had even fully stopped. He hears his parent's cry out in shock as he dives out the still moving (even if very slowly) vehicle and he's stumbling towards the door. Chris realizes in horror that in his hurry to leave he had managed to completely forget his keys by the front door, and in the time it takes him to realize that the door has already opened. Saundra is standing in front of him dressed up for her overnight shift at the dispatch center that she is now extremely late for, and phone held up to her ear as she stares at him with wide eyes.
Chris doesn't even bother to say thanks or remark about the deep scratches on her cheek, the pair still bleeding just a little, before he's shoving his way past her and up the stairs to where Ashley's room is. He trips on the last step and falls forward, his phone skittering across the floor, but leaves it once he gets to his feet and just about barges into her room.
He takes barely a moment to stare at Ashley huddled up on her bed, looking so small in his dark sweater, and her eyes squeezed shut as her phone is pressed as close to her ear as possible as she rocks back and forth. There's a thin streak of dried blood from her mouth all the way down her chin and her eyes fly open in shock when he takes an unsteady step towards her. For a split second he's too scared to move, he doesn't want to frighten her anymore than she already is, but then the phone drops from her fingers and she whimpers out his name like she can’t believe he’s really here and he breaks.
He's already fully crying as he collides into her on the bed, but so is she so there's no need to feel embarrassed about that. He can hear his own voice as a tinny facsimile from the phone as the voicemail continues to play out before starting off into the electronic drone of the operator, but he ignores it for the feel of Ashley's arms wrapped firmly around him, her hands clawing into the back of his shirt to try and hold him closer as they both sob bitterly into each others shoulders. Chris is the first to pull back, though it's just so he can hold her face in his hands as he presses their foreheads together, thumbs wiping away tears that won't stop falling even as he continues to cry himself, just soaking in her presence in front of him. Ashley takes no time for her hands to start roaming all over his skin when they snake underneath his shirt, just feeling the unmarked bare skin as she searches for wounds and marks that no longer exist or have never even existed in the first place.
The two of them sit there like that for an unknown amount of time, just confirming that the other is truly alive and safe. Until Ashley slowly removes her hands from under his shirt so she can drag him down and forward into a deep kiss. A kiss that is by all accounts is downright awful considering that Chris never got the chance to rinse out his mouth and all he can taste is the blood in Ashley's from where she had bit her tongue during her nightmare at some point. Neither of them care. And he still doesn't care when Ashley starts to leave what may very well be slightly bloody kisses as she trails her lips from his mouth to the corner of his lips, across his cheek, and down his jaw until she finds the spot she's looking for and stops there so she can feel his frantic pulse thrumming beneath the skin. She holds her mouth there for what many would likely consider to be an uncomfortably long amount of time, but Chris says nothing. Not when he's now too busy picking up where Ashley had let off, letting his hands skate over the area of her stomach and waist beneath her shirt and his sweater.
The moment the two of them have calmed down enough that the sobs have lessened into quiet tears, Ashley finally removes her lips from his jaw and lowers one of her hands so she can place it flat on his chest and can feel his heart thumping steadily beneath her hand. Chris lets a hand cover hers to hold it there while he carefully places the other on the back of her neck, this thumb soothingly rubbing back and forth to comfort her. And gently, so gently, he brings their foreheads back together as they let the last of their adrenaline run out.
She's safe. He's safe. They're both safe and that is all that matters right now.
"I'm sorry," Ashley is the first to speak and words catch and almost shatter on the way out. "I'm so sorry. This was such a stupid idea and—"
He doesn't disagree with her. This had been a terrible idea from the start and while she's not wrong that they need to get used to not being around all the time, this was too much too soon. For both of them it seems. "I can't do that again Ash," he says instead. "We'll figure something out. Make agreements with our dorm roommates if we have to, force the college heads to accept our emails and the doctors advice, or rent the shittiest and cheapest apartment we can find. I don't care. We'll figure it out, but I can't do that again Ash. I love you but I can't."
Ashley nods weakly against his head in agreement. She can't do it again either. The two of them had barely lasted five days after all, and this whole failed endeavour had probably sent them back months. "I love you too. I love you so so much. You can't leave me, Chris, please. You can't. Not tonight."
He has no intention to, he doesn't know what his parents intended bringing him here, or if they thought he'd be going back home with them after this, but he's not going anywhere. They'll have to drag him kicking and screaming from the bed if they try, and now that the adrenaline has finally worn off, the lack of sleep he'd been having the last five days is hitting him and he is just so, so very tired. So tired, that all he gives in reply is just a reassuring forehead kiss in promise that he won't be going anywhere, not for a long time if he can help it, and then starts to bring Ashley down so she can lay on the bed with him. She follows without a fight.
It only takes them a moment to settle, Ashley laying so her front is flush to his back as is physically possible with her arm draped over his waist and fingers threaded tightly through his. Chris takes her other hand so he can softly kiss her inner wrist and then holds the knuckles lightly to his lips. The two of them slowly drifting off as Ashley continues to softly whisper declarations of love into the back of his neck.
Chris's eyes are closed, just enjoying her whispers that are meant just for him to hear, and even then he can tell that someone is standing in the door and watching them. But even if he opened his eyes to see who it was, with his glasses now resting in their spot on Ashley’s bedside table, he wouldn’t be able to tell anyway. And he’s just far too exhausted to even try right now. It’s only her mom anyway, or one of his parents—quite possibly all three of them—and he knows that come morning and after hours and hours of sleep, that there are going to be some conversations and intense worried scolding that need to be had. But with Ashley's fingers squeezing around his, and him squeezing back just as firmly, he doesn't care.
For the first time in a little over five days, the two of them fall asleep peacefully. Secure and content in the knowledge that they’re not gonna have to do this again, not for a very, very long time.
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a-pretty-nerd · 4 years
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Tomura Shigaraki x AllMight!Daughter!Reader
Chapter 6
Premise:
When The League of Villians discovers that AllMight has a daughter, they are quick to snatch you up and hold you hostage. Shigaraki had a careful and thought out plan, but that was before you got there. Now you're in the mood for some not-so-healthy rebellion.
Word Count: 1,988
Trigger Warnings: None really, homelessness? 
A/N: Shit! This chapters later than I wanted it to be! Since I've been back to work my schedule has been all fucky. Usually I try to post every friday but...lol. Anyways, If you like my work, don't be afraid to interact! I love hearing from you guys! Also check out my Wattpad for my original works, and my Patreon if you wanna support me further!
Enjoy!
Chapter 5 Chapter 7 
Toshinori watched from the doorway of what he once called home. He watched men in police uniforms, suits and ties, and underground heroes, rush through the apartment. Now living exclusively on campus, the apartment felt like a grim reminder of your absence. Your mother and Xavier poured over pages upon pages of eyewitnesses and anything else that could give them a clue.
Unlike the last time the heroes found and raided The League, there were no signs of known members. Meaning they were either being more careful, or they were no longer in Musutafu. He shuffled into the room, sitting down on the couch and looking outside to large windows onto the city below. Suddenly, the phone rang.
Everyone froze. Heads swiftly turned. Was this news of your disappearance? Had you been found? Detective Tsukauchi was the first to move. Slowly picking the receiver, and placing it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hello, yes, who is this?" A scratchy voice asked.
"I am Detective Tsukauchi. Who am I speaking with?" His voice was firm and demanding. A dark chuckle came from the other end, sending a chill down the poor mansion spine.
"I think you know who I am, detective." Another laugh rattled from Shigaraki's chest. You watched him from the other line. Everyone sitting patiently around him as they watched him on the phone. You sat beside him, hands placed on either side of you on the couch. Anxiously waiting for your turn.
"Can I-"
"Shh." He hushed you gently, putting a finger to his lips before they broke into a wide smile.
"You see I just called because someone here has a little message for you. It's family business you see, would All Might be available to talk?" He pulled the phone away before letting loose another laugh. The room jumped and coiled in uncontrollable laughter. Like a group of kids making a prank phone call.
"Shigaraki...I swear if you lay a finger on her I'll-"
"Hold on one sec, she's right here. Y/N?" He pulled his attention away from the phone and smiled at you as he handed it over. You took it and gently pressed it to your ear.
"....Dad?"
"Y/N! Are you alright? Have they hurt you?"
"No...No I'm fine actually." Shigaraki watched you with a clever smile stretched across his face. He leaned back against the couch, resting his head in his hand. Clearly very proud of himself and the torment he caused.
"Where are you?"
"I don't know actually. It's like a repurposed office building I think. I don't know where it is, all the windows are boarded up. They brought me by car."
"By car?”
"Yeah, I don't really know what they're up to. I mean, I do, I just... I don't know they do things weird." Shigaraki's smile slowly started to fade as you critiqued. When you looked up and saw his expression, you felt compelled to respond. "What? You do." You told him. He shrugged you off.
"You sound...alright." Your father said, confused and concerned.
"I guess I am relatively okay. They feed me and clothe me and no ones been really that bad to me yet so...I'm okay I guess."
"She's lying!" You heard a voice chirp from the other line. Your stomach turned. Xavier was there?
"Y/N! Y/N tell us where you are!" Your mother demanded as she wrenched the phone away from your father. Her voice was jarring and rough. You tensed up.
"I...I don't know where I am. I told him it’s like an old office building I-"
"Can you tell us anything else? What do you remember from the car ride?" She was frantic now.
"Nothing. I had a bag over my head the whole time. This place has some electricity and some running water but it’s not to the whole building? It's old... it's been years since anyone has been here-"
"Anything else!?" She cried. You paused.
"No...I...I'm fine otherwise." Shigaraki made a 'speed it up' motion with his hand. "I...I have a message for Detective Tsukauchi, could you put him back on?"
"Let me talk to her!" Xavier begged.
"I don't have much time, please, Detective-"
"Y/N! Baby!" You cringed at the sound of your boyfriend’s panicked voice.
"Hey, babe. I'm fine." You tried to brush him off.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm alright, I guess. A little tired. Scared." You had to remember the last part.
"I can't imagine what you're going through without your meds."
"Oh. Yeah. My meds. I'm losing my mind." You said in a flat, sarcastic tone. It made the others snicker.
"Just remember your breathing exercises we did, okay? Do them with me now, okay? You ready?"
"Yeah-uh-"
"One, two, three, in.........out. Okay? One, two, three IN! . . . . . . . . OUT! One, two, three, in . . . . . . OUT! Okay? Do them with me. Remember to align your chakras!" He went on like this for a solid minute. Unable to contain yourself, you covered your mouth with your hand and held the speaker out so the whole room could laugh at him. Even Shigaraki, who turned away to laugh joined in on the fun. "Y/N?"
"Yeah?" You smiled through.
"We're coming to get you, alright? Just hang tight a little longer."
"Uhuh."
"Don't worry, okay?"
"Okay."
"I love you, sugar muffin."
"Right. So Detective Tsukauchi."
"Okay, yes, here he is...I love you!"
"Love you too." You chuckled, your hand playing with the flesh between your brow as you laughed at him.
"Y/N." Finally.
"I just, have a message from the villains." You told him with an awkward smile.
"Go ahead." You looked up at your captor.
"They say if All Might doesn't come forward soon, they won't be giving me back." You watched his smile widen. "They want the world to know the Heroes' failures. It's either me or the truth. Your choice." And with that, you hung up the phone. The room fell into a satisfied and relaxed state. A sense of victory went around the room as smiles and giggles greeted you. 
"Who the hell was that last guy!?" Toga shouted as she laughed.
"Oh, that was Xavier, my boyfriend."
"Ooh! Boyfriend! How Sweet!-Gross!" Twice added.
"You've never mentioned a partner before, Y/N." Mr. Compresss added. You shrugged.
"I guess I forgot. Being kidnapped and all."
"You've been pretty forgetful latley haven't you? First your meds, now this. Anything else you care to share with us?" Dabi questioned.
"Not that I can think of. I guess sometimes I forget I should be scared nowadays." You paused before turning to look back at Shigaraki who wore a satisfied grin as his eyes wandered around the floor. Clearly dissociating. “Shigaraki?” 
"Hm?"
"...what happens to me, if they don't comply?"
"They will."
"Are you going to kill me?" He rolled his eyes.
"No. I'm not going to kill you. Especially now with that quirk of yours."
"But-"
"Are you really questioning why I'm not going to kill you?" He took the phone in his hand and dusted the object. He stood and started walking out to another room.
"I just...aren’t I a pain in the ass to keep around?" You asked the room. A few answered with a nod, others stayed silent.
"Come on. I wanna show you something." You stood and followed him down the hallway. You followed him through the building, through the parts that were inhabitable and rotting. He took you up a few flights, up to the very top just before the roof. There was a large room filled with old desks, chairs, computers, etc. He stopped in front of a large window that overlooked the city. "Come here." You stood beside him and looked out the window at the people walking around. You saw an old alleyway that housed a few homeless people as they went about their day. A few passers-by ignoring them and rushing past. "What do you see?"
"A group of homeless people. Why?"
"And what about him?" You watched as a man, well dressed and well-kept walked down the street. He starred at a man who begged him for money, then laughed in his face before walking away.
"Some asshole." You noted. He smiled.
"The world is littered with them. And it’s the heroes that encourage it, they demand it. They created a world where we steal and rob and ignore each other assuming someone else will take care of it. Heroes created a society that requires you to assimilate, to obey. If not, you're thrown away like trash." He grumbled as he watched the homeless man. 
"Is that...what happened to you?" You asked. He didn't answer. "What about her?" You watched as a woman passing through stopped to give the homeless man some change.
"What? You think she deserves a pat on the back for the bare minimum?" He snarled.
"Huh?"
"What good does that one act do, huh!? He'll have a meal and live to see another miserable day. She solved a minor problem, she's not doing any real good. And she doesn't deserve anything for it."
"But-"
"It doesn't matter unless you do something to change the bigger picture. She can give all the change she wants, take him in for all I care. But she only helps one person! She won't do any real good unless she demands change for them! Unless she actively works to make sure people like him don't end up like that!" You took a few steps back as he yelled.
"Alright! You don't have to yell at me!" You barked, the tension in the room coming to a climax when your quirk pulled a few chairs and tables closer to you. Making a horrible screeching sound as it did. "I understand." You finally spoke when the two of you had calmed down.
"If All Might doesn't come forward and tell the truth, you'll be working with us."
"What? Why? My quirk is dangerous and volatile. I have no control, I'd be practically useless."
"That's why your training starts today."
"Training?"
"What? You wanna be a slave to your quirk forever? Because if you wanna go back on your meds, you can. But I doubt you want to keep living in fear of yourself." You thought for a second before answering.
"I...I don't know..." He slowly started to approach you.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore. I can help you."
"How? You hardly have control of your own emotions as it is. You think you could help teach me to control mine?" You chuckled.
"If my research is right, this isn't about control, it’s about distribution."
"Distribution..."
"If you could learn to express your emotions properly. Let yourself be free from the fear of your own quirk, you could learn to repurpose that energy, and gain anatomy."
"Those disgusting bastards!" Xavier growled under his breath as his nails dug into the sleeve of his button-up. He rattled with rage in the corner as others worked. Your mother paced back and forth, spewing theory after theory.
"She sounded...fine..." Toshinori said in disbelief.
"Clearly she's traumatized beyond repair!" Your mother declared.
"Everyone." Another detective called. The room fell silent. "I think you should hear this." Pressing play, the sound of your recorded voice played out.
"In......OUT! One, two, three, IN.........out." From the other line, the sound of soft snickering and laughter could be heard. Your laughs being the loudest.
"Is she, laughing?" Your father asked.
"She's laughing...with them," Xavier observed.
"What!? Laughing? A reflex! She's disturbed! She's hysterical!" Your mother shouted.
"They're turning her," Xavier said softly. "They're corrupting her...without her meds she's left defenseless and scared. They're taking advantage of her good nature!"
"We got it." Detective Tsukauchi declared.
"Got what?"
"Well, it was difficult considering it was a prepaid wireless phone but...We've got her location."
Taglist: 
@craftybean13 @babayaga67 @imjustverable
@bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-love
@kamenoyaki @hentaiqween101 @skzero-99
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flyingpochama948 · 3 years
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Things that really grind my gears about the WiR sequel. Warning this is going to be negative so don't read if you like the movie
No Bad-Anon meeting shown. Granted you see some of the members in the background but that's it. Cause showing that Ralph had other friends besides Vanellope would surely ruin the plot
Which brings me to my next point. Ralph was made to look like he had no friends other than Vanellope. Yes they are my brotp and they had cute moments. But Ralph does have other friends. Again, I think this was done to make it look like he had an unhealthy attachment to Vanellope.
We were promised Mario but there was no Mario. They even removed Bowser. Though maybe Nintendo took one look at the plot and went “lol nope”.
The Sugar Rush game console is suddenly a 1P model instead of a 2P model. Again, for plot convenience.  Cause the unplugged thing wouldn’t have worked if another seat was functioning.
WTF was Ralph doing in Sugar Rush during game hours?? Like the whole basis of the first film was that his game was doomed of he wasn't in it. Get back to your game Ralph or so help me.
Litwak unplugs Sugar Rush MERE MOMENTS after the steering wheel breaks off. In the first movie he let Fix-It Felix Jr. stay plugged in with just an Out of Order sign on the screen. Why do that now? Has there been a power shortage in recent years so maybe games that go OoO get unplugged right away now?
27 years???  27 years. Okay let's go with that.
Who is this lady and what have you done with the real Calhoun? I understand she probably became a lot friendlier being with Felix but I always imagined she'd retain some of her toughness. She would have kept those kids in line the moment they acted up.
Felix and Calhoun were horribly ignored.  A complaint that is the most prominent in the fandom.  I kinda wanted them to be on the adventure with Ralph and Vanellope. But being that they wanted to go with the adoption thing I would have thought they would have spent more than 3 minutes on it.  There were a lot of deleted scenes showing them bonding with the racers and that would have been great to see.
Shank... I don't need to say more.  No maybe I do.  I’m sad we got this watered down design when we could have had one of those gorgeous big girls from the concept art.  But also, to me, she is a very uninteresting character.  Just the standard badass female with very few personality traits that you see a lot of movies dishing out lately in the name of woke feminism.  Again, I stress, this is an opinion, not a fact.  But it’s not just this but how she acts later on in the film which I point out a bit later.
Ralph is made to look like an idiot doing these memes to get money for a steering wheel. They were meant to be funny but I cringed way too much. I get Ralph was also humiliated a lot in the first film but at least it followed along with the plot. And were funny without trying to force it on us. Unlike these memes.
I love them but the Disney princess scene dragged on for way too long. The whole part with Disney properties did. Can't have Nintendo characters but we can have Storm Troopers and Baby Groot!
Vanellope running to Shank to talk about her problems and not Ralph. Then deciding to race in Slaughter Race not for any other purpose then to have fun despite the fact she could die. The fact that the adult Shank let her do it. Which I still believe she did because she was bored like Vanellope.  I’ve mentioned before that Vanellope is very impressionable and Shank is the role model whether she likes it or not.  And she acts like a very poor one.  She should have told Vanellope to go talk to Ralph immediately and maybe return home to weigh her options.  Though really, this is still the WiR universe where you should definitely not leave your game.  She as a video game character should get this.
And here we go. The coup de gracé of Ralph's portrayal and why it infuriates me.  Despite the fact that in the last film that him accidentally bringing a virus into a game nearly destroyed it, he just thought "well maybe it won't be as bad this time" and PURPOSEFULLY brought one into another game. And he does it WHILE VANELLOPE IS IN THERE???
Just the whole Ralph insecurity virus thing never sat well with me.  Especially when all those Ralph bodies form a giant Ralph. Just...eww. Though yes, he handled it terribly, he still had valid issues with abandonment.  And I feel they played it off as if he was some manchild who couldn’t except change. Which made people have those awful takes of Ralph being an incel and was mad that he couldn’t control women.
My brotp is now officially "co-dependent" for the sake of the plot and Disney princess dreams. Yay...
It's okay for Vanellope to just straight up abandon her game despite that being a total no-no in the first film. Granted she's not as essential of a character as Ralph is and was already absent from gameplay for 15 years but she's still the leader of Sugar Rush. They really need her there.
Ralph and Vanellope are forced apart and now she has a new best friend, the totally flawless badass Shank.
Not once is Vanellope called out for anything she did and that angers me more. Vanellope I love you and will defend you till the end of time and yes I understand you endured incomprehensible trauma from those in your game but seriously.  As a video game character, you just can’t just leave your game.  Like maybe if they went that route that Vanellope was still traumatized by how the other racers used to treat her I would understand a lot more. But they just play it off as boredom. Boredom that can easily be solved WITHOUT abandoning the game and your best friend. Ralph could have made new tracks for her to have when the game isn't being played.
The Sugar Rush racers being nice to each other now was shown in such a disingenuous way that it's unbelievable. That interaction between Taffyta and Rancis almost seemed like sarcasm. I get it's for comedic effect but I don't like it.
Just the whole concept of the movie focusing more on the internet and capitalism more than it did gaming. Online gaming was said to be explored in this film but they only went to one game. The rest was eBay and Disney and memes and a phony Snapchat/Youtube/Twitter hybrid. 
I wanted to maybe watch the film again to get a bit of refresher but I cannot bring myself to do so. I just can't. It infuriates me too much. IDK I guess the moral of the film brings up bad memories for me. As I feel for Ralph when you have a friend you were so attach to decides to hang out with someone new. Either another platonic friend or someone they're romantically involved with. It's happened way too many times in my life. And might partially be the reason I fear having friendships now.
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atiny-ahgase · 3 years
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A message to my Moots
Hey all, I originally wasn’t gonna do this cause I honestly didn't even know where to begin (I still don't tbh) but I said that I’ll still give it a try cause I wanted to tell you all my feelings before the new year rolls around (for me at least lol). So let’s get too it.
Firstly thank you to every single person that follows me, or has read any of my fics or liked any of my edits or even just interacted with me in any form. Thank you for the immense love and support that I’ve received on this site, honestly I didn't expect to make any friends here and the fact that I was able to meet and befriend so many amazing people. So I just wanna say thank you so much for being a part of my life. I’ve always put up walls and I’m really bad at getting close to others but Tumblr was the first site that I’ve really felt comfortable enough to be the real me. So thank you for that.
Now on to the Mentions
I had no idea how to start this so I decided to start at the beginning.
@mingishoe -Luna, you were the reason that I joined Tumblr in the first place, your fics brought me here and your interactions with other blogs opened up so many doors for me and helped me to interact and befriend so many amazing people. You were the first person that I ever sent an ask to, you made me feel so comfortable and welcome so thank you for that. Thank you for being you, a literal moon; bright and beautiful always lighting up the way. I honestly don't think that I would ever be able to explain how much I love, admire and look up to you, I honestly can’t find the words. Honestly, just thank you for being there for your little anon (Idk if you know which anon I am though lol)
@vocalyunho -Ames!!!!! The 2nd person that I followed! an absolute angel. You are such a calm soul and I just love your vibe and energy so much. I think that I’ve said this a million times but you just make me feel so safe and secure, you have such a calm and capable aura that is just so soothing to me. Thank you for coming into my life and being the amazing person that you are.
@jonghoshoe -ZAD!!! Baby Brother! My Teddy Bear! My Sunflower!! Where do I even begin?!? You were basically my first friend on Tumblr (and I am even more grateful to Luna cause I found you through her). IDK what it was about you but you had such an amazing out look on life while still being chaotic in the best way possible. I would wake up every morning and look out for your posts cause you would always make me smile. Without even knowing it you became a big part of my life and I am so grateful for that. You were my motivation when I was feeling down, you encouraged me to see the good things in the word, you hyped me up to write fics; honestly you are part of why I am the Gabby that I am today and I cant thank you enough for that, I love and admire you so much.
Next on my list is my little bunny @lustjoong -PK PK PK, my knee loving queen!!!! IDEK what to say cause I feel as though I confess my love to you at least twice a week on discord lol. I love talking with you, you're incredibly level headed and give amazing advice (which I always need cause I’m a mess lol). I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again that I admire you so much and would of never imagined that I would of ever gotten the chance to talk to you (much less be able to call you my friend) cause in my mind I always saw you as this amazing and untouchable writer (but then I realized that I’m taller than you so... lol I’m kidding). I’m happy that you found out that I was messaging you on anon and thank you for reaching out to me. I look forward to more chaotic conversations and knee pics in the new year.
@atiny-piratequeen -FIE I FREAKING LOVE YOU SO MUCH THAT I MIGHT EXPLODE!! You fill me with so much life that I cant even begin to explain. I’ve said this a million times before but I love how you aren't afraid to speak you mind and say how you feel. You're such a strong figure to me here on the platform and I've always admired how natural and bold you are with your opinions. I find your personality to be extremely refreshing and welcoming, I was never afraid to interact with you (I combusted when you sent me an ask but that’s only natural..) so thank you for providing me (and a lot of other Atiny) with a safe and welcoming place that we can come to.
@twancingyunhoe -Allyssa!!! My mom!!!! My cookie baking, Yunho loving, cat mom!! where do I even begin?? Thank you for being an absolute angel! You shine so brightly here and you're always so supportive to literally everyone. I am and always will be there for you no matter what so I want you to remember that in the coming year. and remember that I love you in your highs and your lows and I am available to provide cuddles anytime they are needed or wanted cause you are precious to me ok luv.
@felixs-moonlight -my little duckling AJ!!! I’m wishing you the best in the new year cause that's what best bois deserve! You are so incredibly sweet and caring so don't you ever forget. Even if you do forget don't worry cause I will always be there to remind you.
@seoultraveller -Cat. Your presence makes me so happy!! IDEK what it is I just love seeing you on my dashboard, when I don't see you I wonder how you are. I hope that this new years is treating you well. Also, you are NOT boring and lets talk a lot more in the coming year okay luv
@yunhozone -Jey!! I miss you, I hope that you're well, its been raining lately so I hope that you're staying dry and safe. I love your boldness and sense of humor so please don't ever change. i started following you on a whim and I have never regretted following you ever since. You make me smile and laugh so much and I hope that I can do the same for you in the coming years. Stay safe okay luv
@pirate-hongjoong -Kayla, lets both talk more in the coming year ok luv. I pretty much told you everything that I wanted to on your post so I’ll try to keep this short. I think that you're really sweet and we should get to know each other more, I’ll try to reach out some more and be a little less shy. so lets continue to grow our friendship okay.
@taelepathysroom -You were the first friend that I made on Tumblr all on my own (meaning that I didn't see you interacting with a moot or anything, I found you all by myself) to this day I don't remember how I mustered up the bravery to message you. I remember wanting to message you on anon and realizing that you had anon off and I STILL went for it lol, apparently I was wilding. But that was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, I love talking with you and receiving all of your extremely important messages and I look forward to many more (my heart is not ready but it is fine).
@moongaera -Gaera you are such a great motivation to me and I’m so happy to be a part of your life. You are so sweet and incredibly talented. I love seeing you on my dashboard and talking with you cause you honestly make my heart want to explode.
@yungidreamer - Big sister!!!! Kelsi!!! My aesthetic queen who I am convince is tryna kill me on our discord chat you are so kind and helpful and give such great tips. You are such a calm soul and I love interacting with you (especially when things feel crazy) its like you just magically know the answer to everything.
@yunhoiseyecandy -Violet, we don't really talk much but I think that you're really cool and fun so lets talk lots in 2021 ok. Also IDK why I felt like this was the perfect place to post this but you're the only moot whos emoji pops up when I start to type their name in the hashtags and I always thought that its really cute. (You're also really cute). I think that we would be really good friends so I cant wait to talk with you more.
@hwaberrykiwi -CAM CAM CAM CAM CAM!!!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! You are so fun to talk to and so sweet and so calming and you make my heart feel like its bursting (in the best way possible). I hope that you're well and I look forward to sharing more moments here with you on Tumblr (and I am still keeping my promise of not eating Lemon Bars if they aren't from you so...)
@atinywrites -Angel!!! My precious, little angel who always attacks my poor little heart. I love your messages and how you just pop up randomly and shower me with love (then I read your posts and you're just straight up roasting people JBJDJFILJFISREHF) I love absolutely everything about you and I’m really happy that we met each other, I cant wait to see what 2021 has in store for us.
@choisans-dimples -Cass my dearest little Sugar Plum, apart from you being absolutely precious you are also extremely previous to me. I remember our first interactions and they still bring a smile to my face (we were like Tom and Jerry and honestly in a way we still are lol). But you mean so much to me and you never fail to make me laugh or smile no matter what is going on in my life. I wish for you to never lose that smile in 2021 and if it ever begins to falter just know that I’m here ok luv
@latte-fairytaekwoon -Latte, I’m not gonna lie; when Mei started adopting family members I felt like my brain was gonna explode but I gotta hand it to her cause she has great taste in family cause she chose you. If it wasn't for her then I probably would of never found you. if that happened then who would spoil me rotten?!? I am so happy to have met you I honestly thrive every time I see you on my dashboard, you are absolutely hilarious and I love to see your interactions. I cant wait to see what you do in 2021 and all of the other years to come. Thanks for being a great Tumblr Mom
@little-precious-baby -Mei, where do I begin?? You came out of no where for me, you just sort of appeared and then in the blink of an eye you became so dear to me. Id just find myself looking out for your posts and wondering how you are. IDK how to explain it but you've somehow managed to bring so many amazing individuals together in such a short time, you're absolutely amazing and I hope that one day you'll be able to see yourself the way that we already see you. Ik that things can be hard (and they will be because that’s life) but just know that this family that you helped to bring together is always here for you when you need someone to confide in and when it feels like its too much and you need a break we’ll be right here waiting for you until you come back. Just remember that your big sis loves you ok my little bean.
@ateez-little-star -JAS!!!!!! My babie sister IDK how to write this without crying cause you make me so happy that idek what to do. You are so bold and brave while still being shy and cute, I cant explain it. You are so wholesome to talk to and so fun and interesting and sweet and loveable! Like how could someone not love you!! Thank you for always checking up on me and showering me with love and just making me smile.
@yunhofingers -My sweet little bean who definitely never behaves badly!! I am sending you all of the positive vibes for the new year. Ik that things wont always be easy but just know that I’m always here and I believe in you. You are so sweet and kind and bold and I love that about you, don't ever change and thank you so much for making me smile; I hope that I can do the same for you in 2021 and beyond cause I hope that we can be friends for a really long time.
I also wanted to include the moots that I do interact with but I also want to talk to even more in the coming year. Thank you for being here for both me and other people in the kpop community. I love your blogs and you all are so incredibly kind (and ridiculously entertaining; I’m looking at you Caly and Vivi lol), I hope that we can become even better friends.
@hanatiny @sansbun @hongism @multidreams-and-desires @smallfrye @aixy-hpsa @galaxteez @jongpleasure @simphwa @inkigayeo @heeseungluvs
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theskeleton-system · 3 years
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Fungus Dangerclaw's Origins
((TW; death, kidnapping, going missing, cults, physical and psychological harm, loss, blackmail.))
You guys are probably looking at those TW and panicking lol; We're in for one hell of a ride folks. Fungus may be silly goblin, but he has real character under all this feral-
Fungus is the youngest in the Dangerclaw family. He has two older siblings and was raised by a single mom, Dandi Dangerclaw. Funguses siblings were always distant to them, but they didn't mind, as long as they had mom. He was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age, and struggled a lot in social situations and in understanding others. Fungus didn't have many friends, but he had family. Contrary to Fungus as we know her now, she used to be extremely talkative, and it was the main thing that used to get her in trouble with her mom and siblings. She would spout off her life story to every grumpus who would listen, even if she didn't know them.
Dandi was the one thing keeping her kids together. She was on good terms with all of her kids, and made sure she'd separate her time between all of them; and sometimes she'd even manage to get them all to spend time together.
The Dangerclaws weren't that well off, but they didn't need to be. At least, not in Fungus' opinion, they would rather play in the outdoors with sticks and rocks and leaves than with toys that the other kids played with. But of course, Dandi still felt awful about not being able to spoil her kids, like any good mom would. This is why she spent so much time with them instead, it was her way of making it up to them.
Once, Fungus went into the woods on his own (after being told not to very strictly by Dandi) and stumbled upon a man wearing a hood. He sat next to the man and rambled for what felt like forever to Fungus, until Dandi tracked him down, apologized to the man and swiftly left with him. The man had been so friendly to Fungus that as they grew older they kept visiting that spot, meeting the man and talking to him about his problems and worries. The man, one night, gave Fungus a broach, and told her to take very good care of it; explaining it "holds great power".
The next day, Fungus' oldest sibling went missing.
Dandi was distraught. Blaming everyone and everything, but mostly herself. It had been because they were so poor, or they'd been kidnapped, or they'd run away...but it was always Dandi's fault to herself.
Fungus was 9, and couldn't grasp the concept of danger. The autism caused Fungus to not realise the severity of the situation, and that they may never see their oldest sibling again. She would try to console her mother, but Dandi was too consumed with grief and anger to let her.
Fungus fell asleep that night holding the broach she had been given as tightly as she could, wishing for her mom to feel better tomorrow.
A week went by, and Dandi had become a vastly different woman. A shell of her former self. She spent less time with her two remaining kids, as it hadn't felt the same without all of them there. Fungus became an after thought to Dandi, and Fungus' remaining sibling saw this. So they began to take care of Fungus instead, until Dandi would feel better.
Fungus didn't mind at all; after all, they were still getting attention at the end of the day.
However, after the disapearence of the oldest, the man in the woods disappeared too. Fungus had almost thought he'd never existed...but he had to, right? Where else did that broach come from?
Arguments became more frequent. Fungus' sibling belittling Dandi for giving up on her other two kids because she lost one, and complaining to Dandi about caring for Fungus...
...Fungus spent that night in the woods, sleeping in a tree. The man still was gone, and Fungus began to feel an uncontrollable anger towards him, though, she had no reason to...
And then, it was Fungus' other sibling.
Gone.
Dandi was done. One morning, Dandi told Fungus to get dressed. The two of them walked to the police station, Dandi keeping the firmest grip possible on Fungus. Dandi demanded the police actually helped, and things got out of hand.
She was arrested for assaulting a police officer, and next thing Fungus knew, they were alone.
Placed in care, Fungus was heart broken. Age 13 and utterly alone.
Nothing made sense to them anyway, but this was different. It made Fungus boil with rage that she couldn't understand.
She went into the woods, the place where the man once was, years ago. Broach firmly in hand.
He yelled and yelled for the man to reveal himself.
No one.
Fungus looked down at the broach and threw it to the ground. Finally breaking, and falling to his knees in tears.
And then. Everything stopped. Everything went black. And Fungus felt like his head was going to burst. He had been attacked.
I won't sugar coat this bit to you guys. Fungus was kidnapped by the Grumpinati. The head trauma they suffered made a lot of memories fuzzy, and the Grumpinati brainwashed Fungus into a primitive state. Turning the poor thing into a weapon. Making him fight for survival.
Fungus didn't "accidentally" end up on the ship to Snaktooth. They were planted there by the Grumpinati. But they don't want to work for them. She knows they're horrible people.
Now, the sight of the triangle and eye send them into a white rage, and they must destroy whatever they see it on. (Including Snorpy's conspiracy board, RIP)
The reason Fungus refuses to remove the shawl is that, on the nape of their neck is a scar in the shape of the Grumpinati symbol. He was branded with a hot poker and now has to hide it with the shawl.
In Fungus' satchel bag, however, remains the only thing Fungus has of his family left. A picture of the four of them. If he were to lose that, he knows he would forget their faces. Just like how he forgot their names. That's why no one is allowed to touch her satchel bag.
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littlemessyjessi · 3 years
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And another thing! Where is the representation of my melanin queens on every day things?! I’m just really upset about alot of fanfiction right now.  Like, I don’t get it.  I’m using every fucking piece of information that I have gathered from my godmother, an indescribably beautiful melanin goddess, over the years and I’m using it in fucking fanfiction because it’s fucking important.  For example:
My godmother, Dana, is a STUNNING black woman.  She was there for me when my birth mother would straight up drop me on her doorstep and I would see her for months. 
Dana, the queen that she is, is a beacon of light and information. 
I had an interesting childhood.  
I’m a mixture of a lot ethnicities to be honest and I spent my childhood back and forth between two countries if you want to know the truth about it.   But when I was in the USA, I was supposed to spend time with her which lasted for all of about two weeks full of abuse.  Looking back, honestly being with Dana is probably what saved me. 
Anyway, personally I’m a red head but my curl pattern is somewhere between 4B and 4C.  Naturally, it has a tendency to be frizzy and is heavy on the dry side.  I have my mother’s hair. 
Dana knew this, as she grew up with my mother and actually has a very similiar hair texture. It’s just that her’s is dark. So she knew exactly how to handle me when my mother jumped ship. 
And my dad didn’t know how to do that.  He’s Serbian and white. Not to mention the fact that he worked all the time over the road trying to provide for his four children. He wasn’t around much but it wasn’t because he didn’t want to be.  It’s just that someone had to provide for us and that was him.  Side note:  All of have different mothers and they’re all crazy.   I think he has a type.  He didn’t turn them crazy.  No, no. They were like that when he met them.  I just think he’s a glutton for punishment. 
Anyway, the hair. That was a foreign language to him.  I mean, he tried but he was hopeless until Dana legit showed him. 
This fucking angel introduce me to the bonnet when I was four. Four.  To this day, I refused to go to bed without a bonnet.  
She also introduced me to protective hair styles and the concept of a damn headwrap.  Which is fucking life changing mind you.  My cuban fiance, Valentina, bonded over this when we first started talking because she video calls me one morning to talk to me while we were getting ready for our respective days. 
Of course, I answer.  Still in my pjs, bonnet on my head and slathering myself in shea butter.  Again, thank you Dana for your life changing knowledge of shea butter and cocoa butter.  I attribute my good skin to you, love. I’m in my late twenties now and honestly I don’t really look any different as to what I did when I was eighteen.  Perhaps, it’s genes.  But I think it was Dana and her knowledge. 
Anyway, we’re sitting there talking and all of a sudden Val just has the biggest smile on her face and I’m like, what?
And she was just like, “I love that you have your bonnet on.” 
And I was like, “Uh, ok? Should I not?” 
And we got into a whole discussion about it and how it’s viewed.   
Listen, if I am deep conditioning my hair I will walk straight out this house with a bonnet on and not give a single fuck.  You think I’m playing but I am not.  And that’s my point.   I don’t know why things like this are looked at differently and I’m sick of it.   
What’s even more disgusting is that I would get less looks for it than a black woman.  Why?  Because regardless of the fact that I actually came out of an extremely deeply darkly skinned woman, I pass as white. 
That god damn statement enrages me to my core.  The fact that I, someone who passes as white, can do basic things like wear a bonnet or a headwrap and while I may recieve some strange looks here and there..... it’s really nothing. 
Whereas a woman of dark complexion has a totally different experience.  And that enrages me.   I used to lose my temper over it when I was about 10 or so and Dana would take me to the movies on Sundays.  That was always deep conditioning day and so we went in our bonnets.  And these mother fucking girls would snicker and point and act like fools.  I, all 4′11′’ of me, nearly got into a fight with them b/c I have a short fuse on a big bomb.  But Dana just pulled me back and told me not to worry about it.  But I was upset.  Dana is literally one of the most beautiful people I have ever met, inside and out.  And I couldn’t understand how someone could be so nasty.   We had a talk that day about skin and why it was different.   I mean, I knew Dana and I have different colors to us but I never thought much about it to be honest.  
She was very honest with me in her experiences and she told me that we were different and even though that shouldn’t make a difference at all, for some people it did. 
Cue tiny preteen Kenny going on a fifteen minute rant until she gave me pineapple and tajin and told me to chill out, lol. 
Also, if you’re not putting tajin on your pineapple, what are you doing?  You’re missing out and I highly reccommend you see to it immediately. 
She told me the best thing to do was to ignore them and to just live my life.  And I see her point but I also don’t.  Because if you always look the other way then nothing changes b/c it just keeps getting swept under the rug.   
Dana is a lot nicer than me.  And perhaps, she’s smarter b/c she’s older and she just knows more than me.  But I will not stand for this! 
I realize how ridiculous that may sound but I don’t care.  I will call someone out on it in a heartbeat. 
I just get heated about things I feel strongly about. 
So all this to say that I was listening to this video where a girl was talking about how upset she was about the lack of representation in fanfiction and I was just consumed with anger b/c she’s right! 
And I was just so pissed. Poor Val listened to me rant forever before she just called Dana and was like, ‘Please calm down your child.” 
Because yes, as far as I’m concerned, Dana is my mother.  Not my birth mother. 
And, lol, Dana told her, “Just give that little hot cheeto some pineapple and tajin. Or make her some kool aid.  She’s just gotta rant for a minute and get it out of her system.” 
And Val said, “I tried to give her kool aid.  She spazzed out and drank half a pitcher.  Now she’s on a sugar high and she’s worse.” 
I’m assuming Dana told her to just hand over the phone and she promptly told me to calm down before she came over to deliver an ass whoopin.  
And then she asked me what was wrong and so I told her. 
And so she said, “Just write the fanfiction how you want it.   That’s what you’ve always done. So if you want to see mentions of bonnets in stories, start putting them in.   Make it a point to create scenes that specifically give you an opportunity to showcase some of that stuff.  Talk about the struggles of finding a foundation that actually matches your skin tone.  Talk about wash days and co washes.  And for the love of the all mighty, please mention to someone to put some damn lotion on their elbows and knees.  I’m tired of seeing these ashy ass people.” 
And we talked for quite some time about it and she made me feel better.  Like she always does.  I didn’t come out of her but Dana has always been my mother.  And always been there for me.  Always given me the best advice.   Always knew just what to say when my emotions wreck me. 
So I know a lot of you like my reader content and I’ll continue to do that. I promise.  I mostly just do plus size reader. But maybe we’ll include some specific POC plus size reader.  I mean, that’s not new for me.  I’ve done that before but you get my point.  The only way to get passed some of these irritations and unfairness is to normalize it to the point of common knowledge. 
And you might be seeing more and more POC OC’s from me.  This isn’t new either as I’ve got plenty of them.  But you might see an influx lol.  Because I’m upset about it and b/c it’s deserved.  You know what I mean?  
Also, for the love of god, please please please if you are writing reader insert when you are talking about someone blushing... jesus christ, Dana could be embarassed and you’d never know b/c she is literally as dark as a dark chocolate bar.   Blush doesn’t show on her skin tone and I can imagine it doesn’t show on a lot of deeper skin tones.  It doesn’t on Valentina and she’s cuban caramel candy.  
There are other ways.  Like heat creeping up the neck or whatever.  You know what I mean.  
Also, the ‘he ran his fingers through my hair’ bit?  Ugh.  First of all, with my hair.... I’d like to see them try.  Second, don’t. touch. my. hair.  
Just saying.  There are other ways.
Anyway, thanks for listening. 
And Dana, if you’re reading, cause I know you come read my stories sometimes- thank you for listening and giving me good advice.  As you always have.  I love you and I’m just really thankful you’ve always been there for me and taught me so much.  I love you, Mama D.
Love, 
Kenny
Also, ya’ll pray for me.  I have a whole pitcher of kool aid, that I made so it has way too much sugar in it.  And if I can’t calm myself down, Valentina may murder me.  And ya girl is trying to get some tonight, lol. 
P.S. If she does away with me and you never find my body, someone just tell Idris Elba, Queen Latifah, Sebastian Stan and Aaron Taylor Johnson that I love them and that I died well.  
Probably not though.  
Valentina is mean.  She’d make me die a slow and horrible death. 
Like depravation of cuddles and chocolate. 
The horror. 
Shit, I like her feisty though. 
Anyway, I’m rambling. 
I love y’all and that’s really all I had to say about the issue lol. 
17 notes · View notes
1zashreena1 · 4 years
Text
Diego Requests an Audience -1
18+, m/f, technically OCxDiego Jimenez [Power]
Summary: Princess gets the rich bad boy equivalent of a call the next day from what she thought was a fairy tale of a one night stand.
WARNINGS: Ridiculous descriptions and 'the code is more like guidelines' outlook on grammar. Is it OOC if the character was given essentially zero development in canon???
Mentions of drugs/alcohol use, no actual smut in this one but references to multiple forms of sexual activity with m/f dynamics, plus size woman+fit man, early stage sugar daddy vibes, bad boys with too much money and not enough impulse control, secondary OCs, excessive swearing (???), illegal business dealings... I mean, its DIEGO
A/N: Princess took on a life of her own and has essentially become an OC. There are infrequent mentions of her description (specifically as plus size) and her actual name in later pieces (its Bicki). She started as self-insert so she looks like me. If that is not your thing, I totally understand. And do not feel obligated to read this, I will not be offended!
I'm not a fan of "plot" so be aware that most of this series is just meandering through their relationship, angst-fluff-smut whiplash style. But with dick jokes.
Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'm an old timer at Fandom but a baby content creator.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read @chelsfic Princess pieces first, that is the beginning.
https://chelsfic.tumblr.com/post/613340476058304512/princess-for-1zashreena1-diego-jimenez-x
https://chelsfic.tumblr.com/post/618297838815920128/princess-awakes-diego-jim%C3%A9nez-x-reader-ficlet
Last thing before Murder Panther, I promise!
Huge, tremendous, throbbing THANK YOU to @chelsfic​ !  My fanfic creator mommy, I could not and would not have done this without you or your devious reverse psychology  You're gonna have to thwack me super duper hard with a rolled up newspaper to get rid of me because ily.
Massive shoutouts to @symbiont13​ @rosee-sensuelle​ @bunnykjm​ @mandoplease​ @nicke0115​ (y’all know what you did)
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You're sitting in your car on your lunch break listening to the same song for the seventh time in a row because that is a thing that you do. When you like something, you like it. The song has pounding bass, if you close your eyes you can almost imagine being in a club. You never did get to do much of that, your twenties were spent working two jobs and sleeping in your car sometimes, so your just passed birthday weekend escapade was really something else. You've never done anything like that before and it was-
Ding-DING
Your phone chirps with a text message from an unknown number. You peer at the screen with a furrowed brow, I don't know anyone in California, must be a wrong number. You open the message cautiously, who knows what kind of weirdness it might be. 
Good morning Princess
What. No. There is no way. Absolutely not possible. Un uhh. Nope.
You should come back to NYC. I want to have you again.
Holy fucking shit. Its really him. It's Diego. Its Diego of the big brown eyes, even bigger hands, and absolutely the biggest cock you have ever seen. Diego viciously-gorgeous stupefyingly-rich incredibly-dangerous exhaustingly-insatiable Jimenez. 
Whom you most definitely did not Google upon your return home only to discover that he is an international criminal. Yeah, he's criminally hot.
You really do wish that little voice in the back of your mind was helpful. 
Yes, but he was nice to you. Really not helpful. How many times did you even come that night? There was the bed, the floor, over the back of the sofa, the kitchen counter (which he referred to as 'snack time' because he ate, and wasn't that adorable), and then that kiss/invasion of your oral cavity before you left. After he made you breakfast. And gave you a pair of Ugg boots that were magically in your size because it was cold out. Okay, so he was REALLY nice.
Wait. I didn't give him my number, what the fuck.
Hi Diego
And you hit send before you can stop yourself. What in the actual fuck am I doing?
I knew you remembered me. 😉Come up here this weekend. I want you
He wants you. He said it himself. Oh my god oh my god oh my god. Like, want-want? He saw you naked in broad daylight so he definitely knows what you look like. I want you, your mind just keeps repeating it. Hold up, is an international drug lord, cartel boss, top ten FBI most wanted man texting you with emojis???
I hadn't really budgeted on another trip so soon
Is that too much? Are you revealing your pathetic poor-ness and he definitely will not be into that?
Please🤚 Do you want to come?
Oh lordy, but he knows exactly how to word things. 
… I mean, yeah. Preferably repeatedly
Okay, yes, you've always been a pervert but something about this man only encourages you. Surely it wasn't how he laughed every time you made an innuendo. 
Then I've got you 💵😙 Princess👑
Do you want a hotel or stay with me?
Harrisburg is your nearest airport, yes?
Never before in your life have you had cause to use the word 'Baller' but here you are. Is he seriously going to fly me to him? Am I seriously going to go? What level of booty call is this?
Penthouse. Spoil me 😏
And yes Harrisburg. What are you going to do, fly me up there?? Lol
At this point you might as well see how far you can milk this. Also, apparently he knows where you live?
...yes. I have a private jet. I'll text you the info. We're going to have fun little girl😈
Well damn. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You send the entire conversation to Lisa in three screenshots. She calls you at 4:37 while she knows you're still in the car and you spend the entire drive home screaming together as best friends do. 
"I can't believe him! A private jet? Oh my god girl, you better bring home some stacks!"
"I know! Like, what the fuuuuuuuuuck! Lisa, Lisa, oh my god, Lis, what the hell should I pack?! Oh no, oh shit, I don't have any sexy pajamas!" Your high is coming crashing down. Its Tuesday, so you have two whole days to figure this out.
Her laughter is so loud it makes your speakers crackle. "After what you told me from that first night it sounds like you better pack a case of lube and an ice pack!" She dissolves into hysterics.
Well, she's not wrong. "Dude! I was so sore, I couldn't walk for days. This shit is BYOIP: Bring Your Own Ice Pack!" Lisa shrieks while you howl with laughter. 
"Okay, okay. Meet me at Macaroni Grill and we'll formulate a strategic plan of attack over carbs. We have to go to the Frederick's of Hollywood outlet." Lisa is already crafting a plan. 
"See, this is why you're my BFF!" You proclaim before you whip across three lanes of traffic to change course. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You take way more clothing than you could possibly need for a weekend but better safe than sorry. The private jet looks like it came straight out of a music video, you're afraid to even think about how much this costs. Hell, he even paid to have your car valet parked in the only locked and guarded parking garage at this tiny regional airport. There are all kinds of snacks and drinks on the plane, there's even a tiny galley and what looks like a daybed. Noted for later.
The driver who picks you up at the airstrip in New York is Bastian and he is pleasantly surprised that you talk to him. You're pleasantly surprised at how nice Escalades are on the inside. The last time you were in this vehicle you were a little, ahem, distracted.
Diego is extraordinarily pleased to see you wearing the Ugg boots he gave you. The man is all growly innuendo and (mostly) gentlemanly manners, the contrasts are mind-meltingly hot. The weekend passes in a blur of a good time; orgasms, a stroll through some really expensive stores, more orgasms, two clubs on Saturday night, another set of orgasms (Did I really let him finger me in a VIP booth??), your first time trying weed, a sleepy orgasm in a jacuzzi tub (Wet Diego, so gorgeous), the best brunch of your life, another first by having orgasms while on top of a man, and, just before you leave on Sunday evening, a very nice Brahmin purse that you gawked at in one of the stores on Saturday. 
Yet again, Diego corners you by the elevator and attempts to climb down your throat before you're allowed to leave. You have no complaints.
~~~~~~~~~~
The very next Monday you get an extremely sweet text very early in the morning thanking you for coming (all puns intended). Wednesday brings a cookie bouquet to your front door with a note stating that you don't seem like a flowers kind of girl. Incredibly early on Saturday morning is another text, he sounds like he might be a little drunk, confessing that he wants to do it again. 
You forward the message to Lisa with your own addition:
Look, all I'm saying is I'm gonna take this top shelf dick and all the gifts that come with it for as long as he wants to give it to me
It only progresses from there.
55 notes · View notes
doctor243 · 4 years
Text
The End of the World
Ok here’s the IronWidow I promised you lol
Chapter 3: Comfort
Summary: “This is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a……” or How I feel Endgame should have been written.
AO3
Pairing: Tony Stark x Natasha Romanoff
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“Any news?” Natasha took a bite out of a PB&J sandwich. Her hair had grown longer in the past three years, and she now had it in a ponytail.
The older man sighed and shook his head. “There haven’t been any signs of his appearance since the last massacre.” Nat nodded, steeling herself.
“The Chinese Secret Societies?” She asked.
“No, the Italian Mafia,” he looked at her sympathetically. “Nat, if he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be. You know that,” he said gently. “He’s got the same S.H.I.E.L.D. training as you.”
“I know,” she smiled at him sadly. “But I still have to try.”
The colonel nodded solemnly and reached to end the call.
“Rhodey,” she called out. He paused and looked at her. “Thanks for doing this.”
He just smiled at her and hung up, his image fading into pixels on the hologram projector. She let a small sob escape her lips as she fell back into her chair and brought her hands to her face. The Red Room had taught her how to eradicate any outer indication of emotion, but that never meant that she had none. It was a simple choice of hers whether to display the emotions or to hold them inside. But the Red Room had only prepared her for infiltration and interrogation and assassination and intimidation. Never would she have dreamt of being ready for death on such a large scale caused by beings from other planets, or superpowers that had only been true in fantasy.
“Still can’t find the little birdy?”
Nat’s head whipped around to find Tony leaning against the door frame of the hologram room. She shook her head, not trusting her voice.
“Oh Natalie,” he sighed, walking over to her while she snorted humourlessly at the name he used. “Come here.” He opened his arms to her.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she threw herself into his arms and wept, tears falling shamelessly and arms tight around his middle. The past three years had seen many of their hugs, and many of their tears. They had become each other’s confidant, helping each other to heal, even when the world seemed to have done so swimmingly.
“I need to find him, Tony,” Natasha whispered.
“I know, Nat,” he soothed, his warm hand rubbing circles on her back.
“He was there when I had nobody,” she continued. “He gave me a chance to have a new life, and without him, I never would have been a part of this team.” Her grip tightened on him. “This family.”
“We’ll find him,” Tony promised.
“I need to be there for him,” she cried again, heart aching as she thought about how he must have felt when he lost his wife, his children, and his entire world. And yet, a tiny part of her wondered if she actually wanted to find him. What could she do if they found the archer? She had nothing to offer him that could dampen his pain.
“We’ll be there for him,” Tony whispered once more, and Nat finally smiled as something clicked in her mind.
We. Us. Family.
Tony roared, the sound ripping through the entire cabin and breaking the blessed silence of the night. The door to Natasha’s room was flung open and the redhead shot out towards the source of the sound. She ignored the way her heart clenched at the pure sorrow that she heard in his voice. Yet when she ripped his door open, ready to rain down all the wrath and fire that heaven and hell could offer, his voice had reduced to a low wail, and her heart only dropped further. His hands were covering his face, but through the gaps of his fingers, she could see his frantic eyes darting around, as streams of tears leaked down his knuckles.
“Tony,” she whispered, inching forward cautiously.
He didn’t appear to register her voice, but his voice had died down to a soft whimper and an occasional sob. She continued to gently close the distance between them, hands held in plain sight as though she were approaching a wounded wolf. The nearer she got, the more she noticed his shaking body and hiccupped breath.
“Daddy?”
Immediately, Tony snapped out his stupor and looked to the door, where the silhouette of his beloved daughter stood. Natasha turned around as well, unsure whether she should usher the girl out the room or allow her to comfort her father.
“Hey baby,” the mechanic choked out with obvious effort. “What’s going on?”
“I heard yelling,” Morgan mumbled, rubbing her eyes. “’s everything ok?”
“Of course, Morguna,” her father smiled shakily as he trembled out of the bed and opened his arms invitingly. “Daddy just had a nightmare.”
Natasha sighed with a fond smile and ushered the sleepy girl forward. “Give your father a hug and go back to sleep.”
Morgan drowsily wrapped her arms around Tony’s neck and mumbled something incoherent. Nat noted his rattling hands calm a little as he took in a deep whiff of Morgan’s scent and his touch confirmed the reality of the situation. When they finally parted, she gave him a kiss on the cheek before stumbling blindly towards her bedroom. The master assassin followed her out as she gave Tony a look of concern.
“I’ll be back,” she assured him. “I’m just gonna put her to bed.”
Morgan had fallen asleep the minute her head touched the pillow, and Natasha couldn’t have been more grateful that she could hurry back to Tony’s side. She found him in the same spot she’d left him – at the foot of the bed, knees propped up and eyes staring into blank space.
She gingerly took her place next to him and placed her hand over his and waited.
“I was on Titan again,” he whispered after a very long few minutes. “And Peter was disintegrating in my arms. Again.”
Natasha gripped his hand even tighter.
“I couldn’t even preserve his ashes, Natasha,” he grunted. “Not a single one of his atoms.”
Still, Natasha said nothing. What could she say? Any word uttered would be a poor comfort to a broken heart. So instead, she stood up and pulled him into bed. He followed wordlessly, and she pulled up the quilt, before wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
“Hold on tight,” she breathed. “I won’t disappear.”
He didn’t reply, but his arms grew secure. When she woke up in the morning, he was still holding her.
“…and then I swear, she just caves!”
“Holy crap, Tones I hope you got that on video,” Rhodey laughed, his arms crossed in amusement.
“I wish I did,” Tony mused regretfully.
“What’re you talking about?”
The genius turned around to find Natasha walking into the hologram room.
“Oh nothing,” he teased. “Just how Morgan flashed her puppy eyes at you and you caved to her request for ice cream.”
Natasha rolled her eyes and stood next to him. “Your daughter is too cute for her own good, Stark.”
“She gets it from her dad,” he smiled before looking at the rest of the participants in the room. “Alright, now that the boss is here, we can begin.” Natasha swatted his arm while Steve laughed and Okeye smirked before beginning her update.
“Daddy! Can we have cheeseburgers?” Morgan bounced over to her father cheerily with a grin.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” he smiled as he picked her up. “We have to ask Aunt Nat. She might want something else.”
“I love cheeseburgers!” she hummed.
“Me too,” he laughed. “So you need to ask her really nicely okay?”
“Okay!” she agreed. “Aunty Nat!” she called when they got into the house.
“Hello, my little munchkin,” Natasha smiled fondly. “What’s going on?”
“Can we have cheeseburgers?” she asked with a grin.
Natasha looked over at Tony’s knowing smile and decided to play. “Hmm I don’t know, sweetie,” she placed a finger on her lips. “I kinda wanted pasta today.”
“Do the eyes, Morguna,” Tony whispered excitedly. “Do the-” Nat’s hand shot out and slapped over his mouth. She didn’t need the little one to know how much power she held with those compelling eyes. Tony’s eyes narrowed while Morgan looked around, confused. Suddenly her hand felt a wet slick and Natasha yanked away with a yelp, a shiver shooting straight up from the base of her spine to her head.
“Oh my god, did you lick me?” she cried out incredulously.
“Did you not expect me to?” he sniffed. Morgan just chortled gleefully while clinging to her father.
Natasha just walked to the sink in disgust. “Ugh, fine, we can have cheeseburgers.” Morgan cheered in victory while Tony watched her, a smug smile on his face. When the father-daughter duo left to procure their dinner, Natasha wondered why she couldn’t stop thinking of his tongue on her hand.
“Can’t sleep?”
Morgan shook her head as she rubbed her eyes. Natasha just smiled and walked over to pick her up. The adults had been in the living room reading when the little angel had trudged down the stairs, looking frustrated.
“What’s wrong, love?” her father got up as well.
“inon’tknow”
Natasha laughed as she rocked the little girl in her arms. This little bundle of joy that brought her so much peace after so much devastation. “I have a great idea,” she thought out loud.
“Uh-oh,” Tony teased.
“Let’s build a blanket fort!” She suggested, locking eyes with Tony. His eyes widened a little before they filled with warm familiarity.
“And hot chocolate,” he finished with a smile.
“Exactly,” she answered, green eyes sparkling. Morgan giggled in agreement. She liked hot chocolate.
Twenty minutes later found the trio huddled underneath the cover of blankets, the only light coming from the lantern in the fort, and a mug of steaming drink in each of their hands. Tony and Nat, of course, had their additional secret ingredient, while they decided to give Morgan a little less sugar in hers. Nevertheless, she loved it.
“Did I ever tell you the time I met Uncle Steve?” Tony asked his daughter, who shook her head, a moustache of whipped cream decorating her upper lip. Natasha smiled by the side, reaching over to wipe it off. “Well I hated him.”
Morgan gasped in surprise. “Really?”
“Yep,” he confirmed, before continuing the story and putting a lighter spin to it – he didn’t need a traumatised five-year-old on his hands. By the time he was finished, their mugs were empty, and the child was asleep. He gently stroked her hair and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Alright,” he groaned, climbing out of the tent and picking Morgan up. Natasha slid out as well, picking up the empty mugs and placing a kiss of her own on the girl’s head. She’d grown attached to the sight of Tony’s paternal affections and they must have rubbed off on her. “I’m gonna put the little miss here to bed. You go and get us some refills.” The redhead perked up with a nod, a hint of a smile forming at her lips as she bounded to the kitchen.
When he returned, she was already waiting for him, curled up under another (another??) blanket with renewed cups. She watched him climb in and join her with a chuckle. This blanket fort was smaller than the one they’d built in the tower, years back, but it was just as comfortable, and possibly even more cosy.
“She’s such an angel,” Natasha sighed contently.
“Yes, she is,” Tony hummed, taking a sip from his mug. His cheeks were starting to get a little pink, but to be fair they’d gone a little strong on the Irish Cream. To be further fairer, Natasha’s cheeks were kind of rosy too.
“You know, I found her grabbing cookies out of the jar and she said they were for you.”
Tony looked up in astonishment. “I never got any cookies,” he gasped, flabbergasted. “How could you let her lie to you like that?”
“Well,” the super-spy answered, finishing her mug. “She has her mother’s smile.”
“She does,” the Mechanic agreed softly, before turning to look at her. “But she has your kindness.”
“Me?” she snorted, rolling her eyes. “There’s so many things wrong with that statement.”
“Why?” Tony challenged, a spark in his eyes. “Because you’re not birth mother?”
“Well that,” Natasha huffed, suddenly exasperated. She didn’t want to have to spell it out for him, even if he was teasing her. “And I mean, ‘kindness’ is not exactly the word most would associate with the Black Widow.”
“That’s true,” he replied with a chuckle. “But I would associate it with ‘Natasha Romanoff’.”
She looked at him with a quirked eyebrow (there was that dangerous, dangerous eyebrow) and frowned. “Stop kidding,” she warned. She was getting a little upset by how irritating he was being. There was no need to dive into her can of worms.
“You are probably the kindest person I know,” Tony insisted, placing a hand on her wrist. “So kind that you don’t even know it.” She scoffed, but he insisted on continuing. “Who waited until the last possible second to close the wormhole just so that I had a chance of returning to this world?”
“Anyone would-”
“Who was the only one who could calm the hulk down?”
“That’s cuz-”
“Who immediately started relief work when she got back to New York? Who moved five states away to be by a lake just so I wouldn’t be lonely? Who organises meetings across the galaxy so that we’re still connected? Who helps me through my nightmares without a single complaint? Who spent the last three years looking for her best friend? Who still hasn’t given up?”
She finally shut up and broke eye contact, her fiery green eyes burning into the pillows they were lying on.
“Who took care of my daughter when I was stuck in space?” He whispered with a hint of pride, brushing his thumb against her cheek. She looked up at him, a small hint of defiance in her eyes, still unwilling to accept his praise. Was she hearing gratefulness? There was a warmth in his voice that made her suddenly nervous, and she bit her bottom lip. Nervousness was unfamiliar to the Black Widow. She’d sooner swallow the head of the source than allow herself to be seen as flustered. …not really a viable option here.
“Morgan is as much your daughter as she is mine,” Tony said finally. “You’ve raised her alongside me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Her eyes started to sting as tears threatened to spill. Judging by Tony’s glistening eyes, so were his.
“Thank you.”
Natasha closed her eyes and breathed. “You don’t have to-” She froze when she felt his lips on her forehead. His lips, slightly chapped, lingered for a little, before he pulled back. The spot burned as her cheeks did, and her heart threatened to break through her ribcage. She stopped breathing. Why was this happening? Displays of affection were no stranger to her, and she was thoroughly trained in physical manipulation, so there was no reason for her to have such a strong reaction to a damned kiss on the forehead.
The only problem was that this wasn’t a physical action, it was one of the soul. She could feel his sincerity and emotions in that kiss, and the silent message: “you are part of my family…if you’d like.” Tony seemed to sense her shock and pulled back.
“Um…Nat?” He asked cautiously. “Are you-”
It was her turn to interrupt him. She reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him in as their lips crashed together. She heard him breathe in sharply in surprise, but when she persisted, he melted into her embrace and reciprocated, fingers gently reaching into her hair and tangling themselves into her hair. She groaned as her lips moved against his, the pool of nerves in her belly raging like a bag of beaten snakes, as if she were a teenager again. She barely registered the feeling of spilt hot chocolate on her thighs when she hooked a thigh around Tony’s hips and straddled his waist. His hands roamed the curve of her back while her hands desperately explored every inch of his torso, all the while, the sounds of breathy moans and shifting sheets filled the air.
“Tony,” she gasped when she finally pulled away. She was an absolute sight, her lips swollen, her chest heaving and her cheeks red for a reason other than the alcohol. “Tony,” she repeated.
“Nat,” he answered her, hair messy and panting just as hard, and she soaked in the view, her heart thundering in her ears while her hazy green eyes roamed over his panting chest, the glow of the housing unit from under his shirt, and his piercing eyes, before resting on that infuriating smirk that was still on his lips. Natasha bit her cheek – she had to kiss it away.
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⁂ Confessions (Masaharu Niou)
Niou X Reader req: Niou says in one of the databooks he’d make the other one confess their feelings no matter what. “The other one” knows, but is enjoying his increasingly unsubtle attempts to coax them into confessing.
@its-been-quite-a-while​
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Genre: Fluff, Slice of Life, Friendship, School ☁
Word Count: 4,433 ☁
Pairing: Reader x Niou ☁
World: Prince of Tennis ☁
Author’s Note: Is this trash? Or is this not trash? I don’t know, but I blame the mosquitos outside because I haven’t been able to sit outside and write because of them lol I started this and just let it go where it wanted. Either way, I hope you enjoy and thanks for requesting ^-^/
━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━
You sat in homeroom during lunch, going over the history report due by Friday. Niou sat a few desks back in the row to your left, mindlessly fiddling with his pencil as he stared at your back. A couple other students lingered in the room, paying the two of you no mind. Ryusuke, an old friend and your seatmate, entered the room with two bread rolls and two cans of Ponta.
As he slid into the desk on your right, he handed you one of each. “He’s staring at you again.”
You smiled, popping the top of the can. “I know~”
“Doesn’t it bother you?” he wondered, glancing back at the silverette who simply sent him a smirk.
“Not really,” you responded, taking a sip of the beverage. Noticing his unsure look, you added, “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
“If you’re sure,” he shifted in his seat, carefully removing the plastic from the roll as he changed the topic to something more light-hearted.
Although Niou had told no one, not even Yagyuu, of his plan, to you it was quite obvious. You had always been the type of person that could read people well, and with him being such a close friend, you were able to read him like a book and, to be honest, you found the boy to be quite endearing. He had grown to love you over the years and wanted you to be his. Likewise, your feelings for him were just as solid, but you refused to confess because you knew that is what he wanted – he was determined to make you confess first, but you were enjoying his attempts at coaxing you into doing so far too much.
Niou, meanwhile, was starting to grow a bit annoyed at the situation. It had been almost four years now and he knew you shared his feelings, so why wouldn’t you just confess? He didn’t understand and he certainly didn’t like it. It made him feel more determined.
With a smirk, he stood up and approached you, his hand finding the small of your back as he leaned on the side of your desk, his thumb gently stroking your shirt.
You raised a brow when he didn’t speak. “Need something, Niou-san?”
He didn’t mention it, but you knew the use of his last name with the honorific really bothered him. “Got any plans this weekend?”
“Hmm, are you asking me out?”
“Nope,” he responded, popping the p with a grin. “I’m spending my weekend with Aiko.”
Your lips twitched at his lame attempt to make you jealous, but you kept a soft smile in play. “I didn’t know the two of you were dating. Congratulations!”
His own lips twitched, but he maintained his grin. “It’s not serious, you know. If someone else asked me out this weekend, I’d drop her. Puri~”
“That’s not very nice, Niou-san,” you chided with a frown. “Think of poor Aiko-chan’s feelings!”
His teal orbs flashed with something you couldn’t quite catch and you noticed they were a darker shade than usual. “You didn’t answer me, Y/N.”
Before you could, Ryusuke leaned forward to peer around you and interjected, “Y/N is going camping with me this weekend.”
‘Nice one!’, you mentally cheered. As far as you were aware, he didn’t know anything about the silent battle between yourself and Niou, yet he still managed to help you score some points.
“Where?” he inquired.
“Shindo,”
Niou visibly frowned at the answer, his eyes flickering back to you. “Have fun.” And with that, he left the room without looking back.
You hadn’t expected that reaction and it worried you. ‘Did I take it too far?’
Ryusuke rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. “Sorry about that, Y/N, it just kinda came out. Don’t worry, we don’t have to actually go!”
“No way, it sounds fun!” You chirped, shaking your head to try and erase Niou’s expression from your mind. ‘Some time away from that trickster will do me good!’
━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━
Two days had passed by uneventfully and that really concerned you. In the time that you had known Niou, he never failed to have some form of communication with you each day, be it through text, calls, in person, or even via notes, but since that day in the classroom, he had been silent. You had to fight the urge several times to keep from approaching or texting him. On the bright side, it’s Friday and the camping trip started that night.
Now that, you were excited about.
The final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. You packed up your books, chatting with Ryusuke about the trip when you felt a hand slide into your pocket. Alarmed, you whipped your head around to find Niou passing by, sending you a look. Your hand slid into the pocket, feeling a small piece of folded paper.
Ryusuke glanced at the male before returning his gaze to you. “Everything okay?”
“Yup!” you responded. “I have to talk to Mizuki-sensei about my history grade and then I’ll head home to get my bags. Meet you at the bus stop?”
“Of course! See you soon, bye bye~!” He waved at you with a grin before turning and leaving the classroom.
You waited a moment to make sure he was gone before pulling the paper from your pocket, smoothing it out on the desk. The note was simple; ‘Meet me at the gate, we need to talk’. Your immediate thought was, ‘What about practice?’ but you shook your head and stuffed the note back into your pocket before leaving the room. Your mind was running wild with possible scenarios that could potentially play out when you reached the gate. The one you wanted most, though, was the least likely.
Niou was leaning against the school gate, the breeze ruffling his silver locks. His eyes met yours as you approached, expression deadly serious. As you got closer, he pushed away from the wall and started to walk away, moving slowly so you could catch up. For several moments, the two of you walked side by side in silence and, just as you were about to break it, he finally spoke up.
“You shouldn’t go camping,”
“And why not?” you challenged.
He stopped dead, staring at you with slightly wide eyes. “The campground killer,”
“The what?” Just what was he trying to pull here?
“I did some research,” he explained. “Two years ago, a man went on a killing spree across Kanagawa, targeting campers and hikers in pairs. They never caught him.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that?” you rolled your eyes and made a move to continue on your way, but he grabbed your wrist.
“If you don’t believe me, ask Marui. He did a whole report on the guy at the beginning of the year.” He paused for a moment before releasing your wrist and shrugging, hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked away.
You frowned at his back before shaking your head with a huff. ‘There’s no way that’s a real thing, he’s just trying to mess with me!’ With some effort, you brushed it from your mind and continued home, forcing yourself to focus on the fun you’d be having that weekend.
━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━
Niou entered the bakery, a waft of sugar-filled air hitting him in the face. His eyes scanned the room, finding his two friends sitting near the back of the store.
Marui huffed when the trickster reached the table. “It’s about time!”
“Puri~” he smirked, falling into the seat beside Jackal. “Has Y/N texted you yet?”
“No. You’re still gonna buy me some cake even if they don’t, right?”
“No,”
“Rude!”
Jackal sighed, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand. “This isn’t right, trying to scare Y/N like this. Can’t you just admit you like them and move on?”
“Never,” Niou responded. “I’ll make them confess their love for me no matter what it takes.”
“So complicated,” he sighed again.
“Puri~”
Marui’s phone vibrated on the tabletop, causing the drink glasses to shake. He picked it up, glancing at the screen. “It’s a message from Y/N! Cake, here I come~”
“What did they say?” Niou asked, leaning forward on the table.
Marui read the message aloud, “‘Hey Bunta-kun. Did you write a report about a serial killer this year?’”
The silverette scowled at the use of Marui’s first name and familiar honorific. He was still salty that you had returned to using his last name. “Tell them yes,”
“I know,” Marui pouted at him before typing his reply. It didn’t take long for you to respond. “‘Will you tell me about him? What was his deal?’” Before he could respond, another message came through. “‘Asking for a friend,’” He chuckled before responding by parroting what Niou had told you just twenty minutes earlier, changing a few words at Jackal’s suggestion so it didn’t seem more suspicious than it already did.
As payment for his service, Niou treated the sugar addict to the cake of his choice.
━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━
You frowned at your phone as you sat at the bus stop, waiting for Ryusuke to arrive. At first, you had no intention of letting Niou get into your head, but as you sat on the bench waiting, you couldn’t help but think about his words. You figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask Marui for his side of the story but, to your surprise, he gave you basically the same information that Niou had.
Now, you were concerned.
The phone buzzed as Marui texted you again with a simple message. ‘Are you still going camping?’
You were about to respond when something clicked in your mind. You hadn’t mentioned going camping, you simply asked if he had written about a serial killer, so how did he know that information? Sure, it was possible Niou had mentioned it, but that seemed unlikely. Your eyes narrowed as conspiracy theories swirled in your brain.
‘That damn Niou… he’s playing me! Fine, if that’s how he wants to do things. Player two has just entered the game!’ Your fingers quickly typed out the message, ‘Of course! What’s life without a little thrill?’
“Y/N!” Ryusuke came jogging up, bag slung over one shoulder and a tent bag in his hand. “Sorry, my sister kept insisting that I make sure I had everything.”
You chuckled, “No worries. Here comes the bus.”
The two of you stepped back as the bus crept up to the curb, the door squeaking as it slid open. You paid the fee and headed for the back, passing a thin man huddled up against the window, his face covered with a torn, brown hat. The sky was dark, the bus lit up by dull yellow lights above each window. There was only one other passenger on the bus, a little old lady sitting at the front and carrying on a conversation with herself.
As you fell into the seat, setting your bag beside you, your phone buzzed again with several messages from the fuschia-haired boy – ‘What?’ ‘Did you not read what I just wrote?’ ‘He was never captured!’ ‘It’s too dangerous,’ ‘Y/N, why aren’t you answering?’ ‘Oi~!’
Ryusuke glanced at you. “Better respond quick, the reception at the campsite is horrible. The last time I visited with my dad, our phones were useless until we got close to the city again.”
“Makes sense,” you murmured, relaying that information back to Marui before telling him not to worry. Satisfied, you put your phone on silent and slid it into your pocket before turning to Ryusuke. “So, what’s on the agenda?”
“Well, once we reach the trail, the campsite we’ll be staying at is a twenty-minute hike from the trail, but don’t worry, I know the woods like the back of my hand!” he grinned, explaining that he had been camping there with his family since he was a small child. “Once we reach the site, we need to set up the tent and start a fire. I brought some board games and some horror books, plus I borrowed my sister’s camera and brought some binoculars. The Brown-Eared Bulbul is pretty common at this site and they’re so adorable, I bet you’ll love them.”
You smiled as he started to go on about random bird facts, mostly about the Bulbul, but then branching out into other species you might come across over the weekend. Seeing how passionate he was about birds made you think of Niou and how passionate he was about tennis and then you cursed yourself for thinking about him again. You turned your gaze to the window, watching as the city slowly disappeared, giving way to a grouping of trees that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles.
If you were to be honest with yourself, you’d much rather be spending the weekend with Niou, no offense intended toward Ryusuke. He was a good friend and you enjoyed his company, but your feelings for Niou were far more intense and, lately, the two of you just hadn’t been spending much time together. ‘Maybe I should just let it go and tell him how I feel… he’s so stubborn, there’s no way he’ll ever give in.’
Your eyes slid closed as Ryusuke continued to rattle, his voice growing muffled as the movement of the bus lulled you to sleep.
━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━
“Niou!” Marui burst into the silverette’s room without knocking, the door bouncing off the wall before hitting him in the face.
Awoken by the noise, Niou rubbed at his eyes as he slowly sat up. “What?”
Rubbing his red nose, Marui rushed farther into the room with a panicked expression. “It was true!”
Niou blinked, tiredly, glancing at the clock. Six in the morning on a Saturday was far too early to be dealing with this. “What?”
“The serial killer,” Marui stressed, shoving his phone in the male’s face. “I mentioned the fake story to my dad and he said there was a similar incident last year. I looked it up and it’s true!”
Niou took the phone from him, rubbing at his eyes to clear up his vision. On the phone was an article from around the same date last year, detailing the events of a madman in the woods. The location was the same area that you and Ryusuke had gone camping and the madman in question had killed an entire family, robbed them, and left them to rot in the woods. There were no leads on who he was or what fueled the attack. His heart skipped painfully in his chest.
The story was real.
Dropping the phone, he grabbed his own off the bedside table, quickly navigating to your name before pressing the call button. It went straight to voicemail.
Marui frowned, “I’ve been texting and calling Y/N all morning. I even got Ryusuke-san’s number from one of his friends, but his phone is going straight to voicemail, too! What if the madman got them?!”
Niou pinched the bridge of his nose, willing his heart to calm down. All he could think about was the possibility of you being hurt in the woods with no one around to help you. He threw the covers off and started to pull clothes from his closet. “I’m going to Shindo!”
“What? But there’s a killer out there!”
“Yeah, with my Y/N.”
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Sun shone through the door of the tent which had been left half-zipped, birds chirping in the distance. You yawned, stretching your body out as best you could in the small space before crawling from the tent, squinting against the bright light of the sun. A thin mist covered the land before you, making it hard to see more than a few yards before you.
“Ryusuke?” you called out, straining your ears for any sound of him, but your only response was a curious chirp somewhere above you. You felt a pinch on your forehead and didn’t hesitate to slam your hand against your skin, wincing in pain. When you pulled your hand back, you found a mosquito squished against your palm and you made a face, quickly rubbing it on the shorts you wore.
Camping was pretty peaceful and relaxing, but the bugs you could live without, especially the mosquitos. You scowled, ‘Stupid things, do they ever sleep?’ “Oi, Ryusuke! Where are you?”
A few birds took flight from a nearby tree at your raised voice, but there was no sign of your friend. Where had he gone? With a shrug, you approached the tree across from the tint, carefully reaching up to untie the cooler from the branch – Ryusuke had sworn that it was best to put your things up in trees to keep them away from predators. Whether that was legit advice or not, you weren’t sure, but you were happy that the food had been untouched. You had been worried that, even in the tree, ants or flies would find their way inside, but the seal had not been breached by even the smallest of insect.
You set the cooler down by the firepit before plopping onto the ground, wincing when a stick dug into your ankle. Leaning your body to the side, you swept your hand under your leg to clear the debris before sitting upright again and turning to the fire. So far, Ryusuke had been the one to start the fire each time, but you had watched him close enough and, since he was currently missing in action, you needed to step up. Either that, or you’d just have to skip breakfast, something you were not prepared to do.
‘Okay, Y/N, you got this!’ You tried to recall what Ryusuke did. ‘First, I have to find that long piece of wood he used. I think he called it… a fireboard?’ Your eyes scanned the area around the firepit, looking for the board in question, but you didn’t see it. You carefully moved the leaves around with your hand, thinking it might have been buried by them, but it still wasn’t there. Had he taken it with him? But why would he do such a thing?
You frowned, pulling yourself to your feet and brushing the dirt from your hands. ‘Maybe I should try looking for him instead,’ you returned to the tent to grab your phone, checking for signal but, just as it had been since you left the city, there was none. Next, you grabbed a compass, a bottle of water, and picked the thickest branch you could find to use as a walking stick before slowly leaving the campground.
The sun was higher in the sky now, breaking through the leaves and beaming down on you like a spotlight. The fog had cleared, birds chirping loudly in every direction and, worst of all, mosquitos buzzing around everywhere you looked.
‘If I remember correctly, the river is… this way!’ You turned northeast and started to walk, leaves crunching under your boots as you went. You had only made it the length of four blocks when you noticed the sound of rustling in the bushes in front of you, making you pause for a moment before slowly creeping forward, thinking it could be a small, furry animal. The bushes parted quickly and you yelped in surprise, backpedaling too fast to keep your body upright.
What stepped out was quite furry, but it certainly wasn’t a small animal.
The thin man from the bus stared down at you with blank eyes, scratching at his thick beard. His fingers were dirty as if he had been digging with his hands, the nails bitten down to the quick. His clothes hung off him, clearly a couple sizes too big for his lithe frame, the fabric marred with large holes and tears.
You suddenly remembered the story Niou and Marui had told you and fear gripped your heart, but you quickly shook your head. ‘No, that’s ridiculous! He made that story up to scare me, that’s all.’ With an awkward smile, you pulled yourself to your feet. “You scared me! I thought you were a rabbit,”
“No,” he grunted blankly, his voice hoarse.
You cleared your throat. “Right… well… excuse me,” You tried to step past him but he grabbed your arm with a weak grip, bony fingers digging into your skin. “Do you… need help or something?” His eyes moved to the bottle of water peeking out from your pocket and his lips parted, but no words escaped. Cautiously, you pulled the bottle from your pocket and held it out to him.
The man’s gaze flicked to meet your eyes before returning to the bottle, his hand releasing your arm so he could take it from you. He fumbled with the cap for a moment before he was able to get it off, bringing the bottle to his lips. He nearly downed it in one go. He took a deep breath after pulling the bottle from his lips, “Thank you.”
You smiled warmly at him. “You’re welcome. Are you camping here?”
He shook his head, a leaf falling from his tangled hair. “No, I live here.”
“Oh,” Before you could say anything else, your name rang out in the air, startling a few birds nearby into taking flight. The voice sounded far away and familiar, and you assumed it was your camping buddy. “Over here, Ryusuke!”
“Y/N!” The voice was closer now, coming from behind you. You squinted against the sun as a figure appeared from the treeline.
You waved, standing on your toes to make yourself taller while glancing at the man. “Have you eaten? Once Ryusuke gets the fire going, I’m sure -”
“Y/N!” A rush of silver covered your vision. “Stay away from them, you murderer!”
“Niou?” you cried in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
He glared at the man, using his body as a shield between the two of you. “I won’t let you hurt them!”
“Niou!” You grabbed his shoulder when he made a move for the man, “He hasn’t done anything wrong,”
“Yet,” he scowled, not letting his teal eyes leave the man. “Are you crazy, Y/N? I tell you about a serial killer on the loose and you go anyway! And then you talk to a strange man in the woods!”
You scoffed, putting your hands on your hips. “I know you made that story up to convince me not to go on the trip.”
“Wait… you knew?” He sent you a surprised look before shaking his head and turning his gaze back to the man. “Okay, fine. I did make it up, but then Marui looked it up and the story is real.”
“It’s… real?” Your eyes widened, snapping to the man. Could it be? Could this homeless man be the lost serial killer from a year ago? The man in question had stopped paying attention, nursing the last of the water in the bottle. You were no expert, but the man didn’t seem like a killer to you. You moved closer to Niou, lowering your voice. “I don’t know, Niou, this guy seems pretty harmless.”
Whether he agreed or not, he didn’t say. His hand slipped into yours and, before you could say anything, he took off running, pulling you along behind him. You glanced over your shoulder, but the man was nowhere in sight, almost as if he had vanished into thin air. Niou didn’t stop running until he reached the campsite where Ryusuke sat in front of the fire, whistling happily as he made breakfast.
Hearing the two of you approach, he looked up with a smile. “Welcome back -” he paused when he saw Niou, his smile dropping. “What are you doing out here?”
“It’s… a long story,” you supplied, glancing at Niou. “Where have you been? You were gone when I woke up.”
“I went fishing!” He grinned, motioning toward the fish that were cooking on sticks above the fire. “The fish around here are most active during the morning,”
“That’s great, I’m starving!” You clapped your hands, sending a look to Niou, a silent plead for him to behave.
His eyes met yours, lips twitching upward. “Puri~”
━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━
“I can’t believe you came all this way,” you mused as you walked down the street, Niou at your side, carrying your bag. The two of you had arrived back in the city twenty minutes earlier and had parted ways with Ryusuke, who lived in the opposite direction. The night sky was littered with stars, though they weren’t nearly as bright as they had been in the woods.
Niou sent you a smirk. “I couldn’t let you get murdered before you confess your undying love to me~”
“Really?” you deadpanned, coming to a stop. “And what makes you so damn sure I’m going to confess?”
“A psychic told me.”
“You’re unbelievable,” you sighed, running a hand through your hair.
“Puri~”
“And you’re also right.”
“Puri?”
You chuckled, stepping up to him so you could wrap your arms around his neck. “Masaharu Niou, I love you and want to be your partner, even if you are an infuriating little trickster.”
His grin rivaled that of the Cheshire cat as his hands found your waist, pulling you closer. “It’s about time,” Before you could retort, he silenced you with his lips.
Just as he had predicted, he had won the battle.
You smiled as you pulled back, slipping your hand into his as the two of you continued your trek home. ‘But the war’s only just begun~’
━━━━━━༻BONUS༺━━━━━━
Ryusuke peered around the brick fence, watching as you and Niou walked down the sidewalk hand in hand. He couldn’t help the frown that overtook his lips. “I still feel kinda guilty about all of this,”
A figure seemed to materialize beside him from the shadows, furiously scribbling in a little black leatherbound notebook. “I received some valuable data from this,”
Ryusuke sweatdropped. “Do you feel any guilt at all, Yanagi-san?”
“No,” he responded simply. “Let your uncle know he did an excellent job. I’ll inform my sister that he is worth the leading roll in her play.”
“Thank you so much!” the brunette bowed. “He’ll be super excited about the… oppor… tunity…”
Renji paused his writing, glancing up at the male. “Is something wrong? You’ve gone quite pale.”
“My uncle,” he squeaked in reply before turning tail and running like the devil himself was giving chase. “I left my uncle in the woods!!”
Renji watched the male until he disappeared in the distance before returning to his book and scribbling furiously once more. “Data,”
━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━
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