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#a few years back but I never got around to reading it
sunflower-lilac42 · 2 days
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𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 | 𝘭𝘩43 ♔
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➪ summary: after playing over 30 minutes on the ice, luke returns home to his girlfriend where he breaks down from exhaustion
➪ warnings: the rangers game from april 4 (where you know, half of their teams got booted in the first two seconds), luke being tired/upset?
➪ word count: 1.8k
➪ file type: fic
➪ sunny's notes: i lowkey forgot about this fic, oh well
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She had let herself into their apartment halfway through the second period. She had been watching from her dorm and when the first fight broke out, two seconds into the game, she knew the team was in for a wild night. As the game went on and they showed the bench and the players, she knew both her boyfriend and his brother were tired. 
That’s when she made the executive decision to “break in” to their apartment and make them dinner. She was grateful that their fridge was fully stocked and she didn’t have to run back out to the grocery store. She got to work quickly, making something easy but also filling for both of them. While spaghetti and meatballs weren’t any of their favorite meals, not that she was hungry anyway, she knew they would appreciate the effort nonetheless. 
When the game was over she sighed at the final score, after what they had been through tonight, they deserved the win. Worried about Luke and being one of only four defensemen on the ice, she looked to see how much time he was actually on the ice and was appalled when it read 32:49. She knew he had been tired these past few weeks, this team felt like it was on a never-ending cycle of bad luck. 
She was setting the plates down moments before they walked in the door, but when she was in the bathroom, that’s when she heard them. She heard the clatter of keys and shoes and walked out immediately. Luke was attempting to stand upright, slightly leaning on his older brother. Jack looked equally tired, attempting to support both him and Luke. 
She frowned as she made her way over to them, lightly grabbing onto Luke to lessen the weight on Jack’s body. He sighed in relief as he kicked his shoes off and made his way to sit down on the couch. Y/n stayed with Luke in the kitchen, walking him over to one of the chairs. With one hand she reached for his head and took the beanie he had been wearing off, using her other one to run her fingers through his damp curls. 
“Why don’t you go take a shower, both of you,” Jack whined from the couch while Luke just buried his head into her shoulder.
She felt like she could cry from the exhaustion they were displaying. She knew how they got, both of them. She had been dating Luke since their freshman year of high school. She knew the ins and outs of all three Hughes brothers if she was honest, never finding it weird or alarming. His family loved her, that she knew, but when Jack came home drunk one night and threw up on her shoes, she accepted her role in the family.
“Jack you first, come on.”
She continued running a hand through her boyfriend’s curls as she gazed at the older boy on the couch. He finally sat up, giving her an annoyed look, but she only rolled her eyes and pointed to the bathroom. She could keep Luke occupied for another 20 minutes, “Hi baby.”
Luke’s eyes were closed as his head laid on her shoulder, he mumbled something incoherently and he just sighed. She untangled her fingers from his hair and started to pull off his jacket, he whined at the loss of contact but allowed her to continue her actions. She took his jacket to his room and hung it up before walking back into the kitchen and checking on the pasta. 
Luke, despite being tired and his body being worn, he got up and made his way over to her in order to wrap his arms around her waist and dig his head into the crook of her neck, inhaling her fading scent. She smiled slightly, removing her one hand from the side of the pan to place on top of Luke’s, continuing to stir with the other. 
It was silent up until Jack came back, who plopped onto the chair his brother had previously sat in. She looked over at him and smiled, “Do you guys want to eat in the kitchen or in the living room? We could put a movie on?”
The two nodded and made their way over to the living room as she finished plating the food and bringing it over to them, placing the plates into their laps. They each let out simultaneous soft thank yous before eating. They chose a random movie and watched it as y/n cleaned the kitchen and finished doing some laundry that had been pushed to the side.  
She felt bad for both of them, both for different reasons but some the same. Mostly because of how the team was performing this year, the way that they couldn’t keep everyone off injured reserve. Yet, for Luke, it felt different. She felt more or less worried about him than bad for him. He had expectations to live up to, people to live up to, and she knew his mind all too well. She knew what he was thinking, that he wasn’t good enough.
And it wasn’t just him that thought that. They both knew about the tweets that were in response to people's comments under articles, the articles themselves about how Luke wasn’t as good as his brothers, wasn’t as good as he should be, wasn’t as good as people made him out to be. It was what Luke thought about the most.
There was clanging from the living room and then a crash. She immediately made her way out of the bedroom and looked in between Jack, who was still on the couch, the shattered plate on the floor, and Luke, who was standing in the hallway. His face looked conflicted but it morphed into one of fear and sadness. 
“Hey, hey, what happened?”
“I-” Luke couldn’t bring himself to talk, both terrified and still exhausted from the game. 
On the other hand, y/n’s face was calm and Jack’s face was sad with a hint of anger in his eyes. Anger towards John and Kevin for leaving the team with four defensemen, anger towards Travis for making Luke play that long, anger towards himself for not checking in on his brother enough, and anger towards the Rangers. 
“Luke, it’s okay. No one’s mad at you for dropping the plate.” Jack’s voice was soft as he stood up, slightly wobbling from his lack of balance. 
The younger boy only shook his head, reaching a hand out to lean against the wall. Y/n moved forward and wrapped her arms around Luke who then slowly sank to the ground. Her left hand was placed against his head, keeping it against her chest as her right arm wrapped around him. Luke started crying, soft sobs escaping his mouth.
She looked at Jack who took the hint to walk back into his bedroom. As soon as he left, Luke voiced his thoughts, “I’m tired. I’m so tired, y/n.”
The way his voice broke almost made her choke on a sob. She bit her lip to keep her tears at bay, refusing to let Luke know how she was feeling right now. She tangled her fingers in his hair, Luke allowing the movement to calm him down a little. His harsh sobs turned into soft sniffles in a matter of minutes. She was the only one who could soothe him like this besides his mom.
Lifting his head, he dug it back into the crook of her neck. She kissed his head and continued to run her fingers through his curls like she had done earlier, using her other hand to rub circles on his back. Ten minutes had passed and she looked over at the shattered glass a few feet away from her. Her legs had started to cramp from being in the position for so long and the added weight of Luke on them made it a little worse.
“How about you go take a shower while I clean the plate, okay?”
He pulled away from her and nodded his head slightly. She aided him in standing up and watched as he made his way to the bathroom to shower. Once the door closed, she made quick work of cleaning up the mess. After she was done, she went over and knocked on Jack’s bedroom door, “Hey.”
Jack snapped his head up in surprise, “Hi.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Jack, I’ve known you for 5 years. What’s wrong?” She sat on the edge of his bed, her hands underneath her. 
“I feel bad. I mean I was so excited for Luke to come to play with me but for some reason, I feel guilty. I don’t know. It just feels like I should do more for him. I didn’t want to bring up the comments, I see them too, you know.”
Her heart warmed at the words, at Jack being so worried about his little brother. She smiled a little before looking at him, “He loves you, Jack. More than you know. I cannot tell you the number of times he calls me and is like ‘Jack this’ and ‘Jack that’. You and Quinn are his idols, it’s hard to not notice that. He is so appreciative of you. And he knows there is nothing you can do about the comments that people make, it’s not your fault.”
Jack teared up a little but smiled at her, “Thank you.”
“Of course. Now come on, give me a hug.”
Jack leaned over from his spot on the bed and hugged her, “Can I say I love you or is that too weird?” 
“Considering, I am betting on you becoming my sister-in-law, it’s not weird. I love you too, y/n/n.”
She heard a door close from down the hall and she pulled away and waved goodbye to Jack, making her way to her boyfriend’s room. When she walked in, Luke was lying on his bed, cuddling a pillow on his phone. She smiled at him and walked over to sit down, “Hi baby.”
He looked up at her and for the first time that night, he smiled. He reached out for her and she made herself comfortable on the bed, Luke wrapping his arms around her. In that moment, Luke was so grateful for her and all that she had done for him not only tonight but in the past five years. She had been there for him through everything and that meant the absolute world to him. 
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Luke. And I am so so so so proud of you for tonight.”
His smile was small but genuine, “Now go to bed.” 
She kissed his forehead and the two wasted no time in falling asleep.
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lostfracturess · 1 day
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remedies and reasons | ch. 01
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ღ pairing professor geto x law student reader
ღ summary this wasn’t supposed to happen. not that miserable internship at the law firm you hated, not him becoming your doctor, and definitely not that drunken night at the bar. but he helped, and god, you needed a friend. and he did too. except it's never just friendship with him, is it? it could be perfect—messy, complicated, but perfect. if only his heart wasn’t already taken.
ღ important this story is a spin-off of symptoms and causes, starting right after chapter twelve. while it can be read as a standalone, reading the original story first will give you a better understanding of the characters and story.
ღ wc 10.3 k
ღ warnings 18+ ONLY. contains explicit sexual content, age difference (10 years), doctor-patient relationship, fwb, smoking, mature themes, angst, and depictions of illness (will update as the story progresses). reader discretion is advised.
ღ author's note hey friends !!! i'm so thrilled to share this new story with you, even though i said i wouldn't write two stories at the same time (oops!). this chapter covers mostly chapter twelve of symptoms and causes from suguru's pov, then introduces our new reader protagonist. if you haven't read the original story, some dynamics might be confusing initially, but i hope you'll get the hang of it. remember, you're the law reader here. at the start, there's a different reader (the protagonist from symptoms and causes). i'll note at the beginning of each scene to clarify. now, i'm so excited to hear your thoughts !! reblogs and comments are love <33
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(note: s&c reader)
"You okay?" I asked, cutting through the tense quiet of the operating room.
Her eyes snapped to mine, the usual focus returning. "I'm fine," she said, gaze drifting away as a small frown creased her brow. "Sorry."
I watched her for a moment longer, unable to tear my eyes away. The soft curve of her cheek, the tender worry in her eyes — a painful reminder of what I could never have.
I wondered what she was thinking about. What occupied her mind like this. What could distract her from a surgery she normally loved with her whole being. But deep down, I knew the answer.
I hate the answer.
The familiar ache in my chest tightened as I steadied my hands, focusing back on the aneurysm pulsating beneath my fingertips. The world shrunk down to the surgical field, the beeping monitor and harsh lights fading away. Just me, her, and the delicate dance of our hands.
"Want to continue?"
She blinked, clearly taken aback. "You want me to clip it?"
"It's a gift," I replied.
"Gift? From who?"
I merely arched an eyebrow.
I didn't really need to say it aloud, did I? She knew.
She hesitated, her gaze dropping to her gloved hands. I could see her biting her lip, even beneath the mask. Doubt clouded her eyes, a flicker of insecurity that I rarely saw.
Stupid girl. 
Of course you can do it. You've done it before. Don't lose your focus now.
"And because I trust you," I added, my voice softening. "I wouldn't offer if I didn't."
Her focus snapped back to the exposed aneurysm with an almost palpable intensity. Her jaw set. "Okay," she said simply.
There she was. That's the woman I knew.
I moved to stand just behind her shoulder, close enough to monitor her every movement yet giving her the space she needed to work. She slid seamlessly into position at the microscope, her hands sure as they picked up the instruments.
"Focus," I whispered. "You've got this."
Watching her work was a bittersweet torture.
Her hands moved with a grace and precision that belied the complexity of the procedure, each movement precise yet unhurried. She was brilliant — a natural talent with an instinct few could match.
Except, perhaps, one person.
As she prepared to guide the clip into place around the bulging aneurysm, I couldn't help but feel proud. She was incredible and she didn't even seem to realize it.
"Do you ever think I'm... reckless?"
Her question, barely a whisper, caught me off guard.
I flinched, gaze snapping to study her profile. Her hands didn't falter, her focus unwavering. But I could see the question linger in her eyes.
Why would she ask that? Had Satoru put that doubt in her mind?
"Should I be worried that you're pondering this while inches deep in someone's brain?"
"Forget it," she muttered. "Just a fleeting thought."
With a small, dull click, the clip snapped shut. She had done it, and flawlessly at that. 
As I knew she would.
I let out a slow breath, not realizing until that moment how tightly wound with tension I had been. No matter how routine, those high-stakes seconds before clipping always gripped me.
"Well done," I said, watching the tension drain from her shoulders.
She glanced up at me, a genuine smile lighting up her eyes in a way that clenched at my heart. "Thanks, Suguru."
Oh, those eyes.
It pains me that it was him she was looking at with those soft, adoring eyes.
─────── ౨ৎ ───────
(note: s&c reader)
The water stung, colder than usual.
I scrubbed my hands next to her, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. Lost in thought again. I could tell. Her movements were mechanical, detached, her hands pale under the harsh fluorescent light. 
She was a mere shadow of her former self.
Damn it, Satoru. What did you do to her to get her this hollowed out? I wanted to put my fist through his face for the worry he constantly caused her. And the worst part was, she didn't even know the half of it.
I should tell her, right?
It was the right thing to do, to warn her about his failing liver, his addiction slowly eating him alive. She deserved to know, to be prepared.
But I couldn't. I'd made a promise. And he'd promised to get his shit together. But how much were those promises worth, really?
I know how this story will end. 
I'd seen it play out too many times.
I cleared my throat, pushing the thoughts away. "I'm proud of you," I said, trying to break the silence.
"Huh?" She looked at me, confusion clouding her eyes.
"How far you've come," I clarified, trying to get the words out right, but they still sounded hollow. How could I tell her how damn proud I was of the incredible woman she'd become? "Really, you're doing a great job. With the surgery, the research—you have a great future ahead of you."
She gave me a weak smile, then turned her gaze back to her reddened hands. 
She was trying to hold it together, I could see that. And it killed me to see her like this, struggling while I felt powerless to help shoulder her burdens. I wished she'd just open up, tell me what was wrong. But again, I knew the answer.
I hate the answer.
"How are you doing?" I asked gently. "Really?"
"Holding up. Somehow."
I observed her closely. Even without her looking at me, I could feel the weight of her struggles pressing down on her.  She was always so strong, so confident, but this was different. I'd never seen her so—broken. It was like the life had drained out of her. And it damn hurt.
"New semester treating you okay?"
Stupid question, I know.
"Bit stressful," she admitted. "I have to retake a few exams."
Yeah, and whose goddamn fault is that?
God, I'm repeating myself, but I knew the answer. 
I hate the answer.
I hate it so damn much.
"Listen, if you need any help—" I began, wanting desperately to ease her burden.
"Thank you, Suguru," she cut me off, shutting off the faucet with a harsh twist. "But unless you're offering to take my tests for me, I'm afraid this is on me."
She turned and reached for a towel, the action more frantic than usual. I watched her, frustration and helplessness twisting in my gut. I wanted to do more, to be more for her, but how could I when the one she really needed was — not me.
Truth was a bitter pill I had to swallow every damn day.
As she dried her hands, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I turned off the water. "I'm sorry things turned out like this for you," I said, the words almost painful. "But it's for the best, for him and for you. We did what we had to."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
I grabbed a towel. "Hm?"
"What do you mean with, 'we'?"
Shit.
I froze mid-movement, my jaw tightening involuntarily. Damn it, I hadn't meant for that to slip out.
Her eyes bore into me, demanding answers. "What did you and Satoru talk about that night? The night before the hearing? I know he was with you."
I remembered it all too well.
Satoru showing up at my door in the middle of the night, shaking, sweating, barely holding onto his sanity. The ethics committee wanting to see him bleed, the guilt eating him alive over dragging her down with him, his addiction — it all become too much.
He didn't know what to do, what the right thing was. And I helped him see reason.
Or at least, that's what I told myself.
"It's nothing important. He was confused, and I helped him clear his head."
"What does that mean? What did you say to him?"
Her hands gripped the edge of the sink until her knuckles showed bone-white through the skin. She wasn't going to let this go.
Damn it, how could I get out of this?
She deserved the truth, I knew that. But I'd sworn to Satoru I wouldn't tell. My mind raced, searching for an explanation, but the truth was, there wasn't one.
Damn it, Satoru. Why do I always have to clean up your messes?
"Tell me what the fuck you said to him!"
And then I saw it. A flash of hurt in her eyes, a vulnerability I'd never seen before. It shattered me. She was so hurt. My beautiful, strong girl was so hurt and there was not a damn thing I could do to ease her suffering.
Because she was with him.
And I was on the sidelines, forced to watch Satoru tear her apart piece by piece — until there was nothing left.
I hated it. Hated Satoru for causing her so much pain.
I couldn't take it anymore. Sorry, Satoru, but screw you and your lies. This was different, because she was different.
"Isn't it obvious?" I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "I told him to end this. That it would destroy you, and that he should take responsibility for once!"
She flinched, her eyebrows drawing together as she mutely shook her head. "You had no right. You had no fucking right to do that!"
No right?
Oh pretty, I know that better than anyone. But how could I stand by and watch her get dragged down with him? No. Not anymore. I refused.
"No right?" My voice matched hers. I hated how this entire wretched situation had me losing control, lashing out at her when Satoru was the one who deserved it. "And watch you both go down? Satoru was a ticking time bomb! It was better this way—better him destroyed than you dragged down with him."
"I had him, Suguru!" she shouted. "I almost had him trusting me enough, trusting us enough, to let me help him, damn it!"
I almost laughed, but it stuck in my throat. It hurt too much to see the hope still clinging to her eyes. "You're delusional. He can't change. You know that. It would always have ended like this."
"My god, I can't believe your audacity! You ruined everything!"
I ruined everything?
Maybe it wasn't fair of me, maybe my own feelings were clouding my judgment, but damn it, I couldn't watch this anymore. Not when I could still taste the embers in my mouth each time I saw the deadened look in her eyes.
I stepped closer, my jaw clenched. She flinched back, but I kept going. I'd watched Satoru hurt her too many times. I couldn't stand by any longer.
I had to shatter her delusion.
"You know how many times I've seen this play out? The promises to change? I've seen it too often. He won't get better, and I won't let him drag you under with him. Not you."
Her back hit the sink. I stepped closer, until I felt the sudden searing burn of her warmth radiating against me, the intoxicating floral notes of her scent filling my senses until I thought I might lose it from proximity alone.
My hand twitched, moving before my mind could catch up. I wanted to pull back, but I couldn't.
Fingertip traced the delicate line of her jaw, trembling slightly at the contact I craved so much. I fought the urge to let my touch linger, to commit every precious dove-soft plane and angle to memory while I still could.
"This is for the best," I rasped out. "You're young, brilliant. This—relationship with Satoru, it would have ruined you."
"Don't you dare," she hissed, eyes blazing as she swatted my hand away. "You have no right to decide what's best for me."
"Yes, I do. Because I was the one who got you here in the first place, it was my doing, and I—" My voice caught in my throat. "I don't want to see you hurt."
The silence that followed was deafening.
I couldn't look at her, couldn't bear to see the pain I'd caused reflected in her eyes. I'd done what I thought was right, what I believed was necessary to protect her. But in doing so, I had become the very thing I despised—a barrier between her and the happiness she deserved.
Perhaps I'd just screwed everything up even more. And it was killing me.
"Why are you saying this now?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
I wanted to tell her everything. 
I wanted to confess the depth of my feelings, the months of silent longing that felt like a steadily tightening noose around my neck whenever I witnessed her happiness with him, the aching, hollow pit that seemed to consume more of me with every smile, every tender caress between them that I wasn't the recipient of, the gut-wrenching jealousy that flayed me from the inside out whenever she looked at him with those devastatingly soft, adoring eyes that held nothing but indifference for me, the—
Sorry.
I'll stop now.
It didn't matter anyway, did it?
The words wouldn't come.
I couldn't, wouldn't allow myself to cross that line.
All I could do was look at her, my heart splitting apart from the violence of my want with every beat. The urge to reach out, to pull her against me, was almost overwhelming. But I held back, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I'd already done enough damage.
Then, my damned gaze flickered down.
Those lips. God, those lips.
Soft, slightly parted, the bottom one bearing the faint imprint of her teeth—a nervous habit I'd caught myself watching, savoring, hating myself for noticing.
How many times had Satoru kissed those worry marks away? How many times had I wanted to?
I'd lost count of the nights I'd lain awake, imagining her mouth on mine, her lips parting to gasp my name—not his. It was torture, this constant craving to know their texture, their heat, their taste.
It was wrong, so fucking wrong, to think about her that way.
But there I was, night after night, picturing those lips forming my name in a way friends never do. Dreaming of tasting them, feeling them, knowing them in every way I shouldn't.
And it hurt.
I sucked in a hard breath.
Sorry, Satoru. I can't keep this to myself anymore.
"You know damn well why."
I couldn't say it out loud, couldn't bring myself to admit aloud what she patently refused to see with her own eyes. No. I simply couldn't.
"No," she breathed. "You can't—"
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "Yeah, I know. You don't have to tell me that."
I already know that painful truth, pretty. It was a wound that refused to heal. I'd lived with that realization for far too long.
Suddenly, my pager blared, shattering the moment. Damn it. I cursed under my breath, pulling out the device. My face went taut as I read the message.
Yaga: Office. Now. Bring the student too.
That bastard. Why the hell did he want to see me now? And why her? Was it something Satoru screwed up again? Or something else? Did Satoru get the same message?
This couldn't have come at a worse time.
"What is it?" she asked, her eyes searching mine. I couldn't meet her gaze. Not after I'd betrayed not only her, but Satoru too, with my stupid, selfish feelings.
"Yaga," I choked out. "Wants to see us. Now."
Our eyes finally met, hers filled with questions I've longed so much to answer.
"Why?"
"I...I don't know. But we should go. Come on."
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(note: s&c reader)
My foot tapped a nervous beat on the scuffed wooden floor.
Why was I so damn nervous? I knew Yaga's games, been through them a thousand times. But this felt different. Because she was here. And she shouldn't be.
A knot tightened in my gut.
He wouldn't bring up that topic again, would he?
I glared at Yaga, willing him to just spit it out already. My eyes flicked to her, sitting stiffly beside me. Her face was a mask. I wondered what she was thinking about. Was she thinking about what I said? Or about—no, I didn't even want to think about that.
I know, I know, I'm repeating myself.
I knew the answer.
I hate the answer.
"So, shall we begin?" Yaga's voice finally cut through the silence, like he'd been enjoying our discomfort. Damn old bastard. "I've called you here to discuss a research project that I want you to redo."
He slid a folder across the desk towards her.
No name, just a mess of loose papers threatening to spill out. She picked it up, her brow furrowing as she opened it. Then her grip tightened on the file. I leaned closer to see what had her so tense, and my stomach dropped.
I knew that title.
Knew it better than anyone, except maybe the one person who'd written it.
"You want me to redo a study that was completely pointless?" she asked, her voice sharp.
"Yes," Yaga said simply.
"The results were inconclusive. A dead end."
"Your research held promise. Dr. Geto never failed to remind me." Yaga's eyes flickered to me. "Now, you have better resources, better support. You can refine it, perfect it."
Damn it. I should've kept my mouth shut.
Regret gnawed at my insides like acid. Regretted telling him what a brilliant mind she had, how much she deserved to be here—among the best. 
Because she did.
She was a natural, something I'd rarely seen before, maybe only in Satoru. Hell, it was like watching a younger Satoru at work. And it hurt. It was painful to see so many parallels between them, knowing that I could never measure up to him in her eyes.
I'd brought her here because I believed in her. Because I wanted her on my research team, because I wanted to work with her. But now, I wasn't so sure.
Had I screwed up? Was I the reason she was in this mess? Had I brought her here only to watch her world fall apart?
I didn't want to admit it. Couldn't bear to be the cause of her pain.
I glanced at her, catching her eye. Frustration and confusion were written all over her face.
Shame washed over me.
It was stupid, I know. I shouldn't feel ashamed for recognizing her talent, for bringing her here where she belonged. She deserved it all. But I couldn't shake the feeling that without me, she would've been better off.
Without me and Satoru.
Her knuckles turned white as bone as she gripped the file tighter, then slammed it shut.
"That's not the point," she said. "My CAR-T Therapy research was theoretical, a mathematical model that was inherently flawed. All the best equipment in the world won't change that. It's a black hole."
Yaga leaned forward. "Listen, we have a generous donor. I think you met her at the conference? She took quite a liking to you. Her husband recently succumbed to this very type of tumor."
I knew it.
Yaga, the greedy bastard, never changed his stripes.
The silence was heavy, the only sound the insistent ticking of the clock on the wall. Her mind was racing, I could feel it. So was mine.
I must have spaced out for a second, because the next thing I knew, she was speaking again, her voice dangerously low. "You want to use me to exploit a grieving woman just to line your pockets?"
Yaga's mouth hung open, the smug look wiped clean off his face.
In any other situation, I would have laughed. She, a mere student, had managed to stun the all-powerful Yaga into silence. But the situation was anything but funny. Still, I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. She was something else.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. I didn't even need to turn my head to know who it was.
"What the hell is going on here?" Satoru's voice boomed through the room.
Yaga's face hardened. "Dr. Gojo, what a... surprise. Here I thought you might have finally bothered to read your emails."
"Cut the bullshit, Yaga," Satoru spat. "This is a new low, even for you. Forcing a student, exploiting a grieving widow—have you no shame?"
Yaga rubbed his temples, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Dr. Gojo, your dramatics are exhausting. Do you understand the costs your actions have inflicted on this institution? A shred of gratitude, a willingness to shoulder some responsibility, might be a welcome change."
"Responsibility? You want to talk about responsibility? You're exploiting a woman in the depths of grief, using one of my students as a bargaining chip. What the hell happened to you, Yaga?"
The two of them went at it, their words flying back and forth faster than my eyes could follow. 
Yeah, Satoru sure knew how to make an entrance. Not a trait that was always helpful in situations like this, because something in Yaga snapped at his words.
Yaga stood up so abruptly his chair screeched against the floor. "Happened to me? Dr. Gojo, have you considered the consequences of your reckless behavior? You're the one spiraling, and frankly, it's becoming unbearable."
Damn, these two were about to kill each other. Satoru should know better than to provoke Yaga like that. The old man was stubborn as hell. But so was Satoru.
I closed my eyes briefly, then stepped between them, forcing myself to sound calm. "Director Yaga, please. She's a student, her focus should be on her studies."
"Of course, which is why you and Dr. Gojo will provide your expertise. Your old lab is free to use, funds are secured, equipment at your disposal. You have free rein."
Huh?
I narrowed my eyes. As if that made it any better.
Satoru let out a bitter laugh. "Free rein? Or free rein to do as you please? Despicable, Yaga. Truly despicable." He leaned back, folding his arms.   "And wasn't I suspended? Investigations and all that? But I suppose principles go out the window when money enters the picture."
"You have no right to dictate what happens here, Gojo," Yaga snapped, his composure slipping. "You answer to me. This research holds immense potential, not just for the university, but for the field itself. You will do it. End of discussion."
"Potential? Or is that just fancy code for fattening your wallet, Yaga?"
"Don't play dumb, Gojo. You, of all people, know exactly how the game is played."
"Don't. Do. This." Satoru leaned forward, his chest brushing against my hand as I tried to hold him back. "Involve her in your schemes, and I swear—Leave her out of this. Suguru and I can do the damned research, but let her focus on her studies."
"You're in no position to bargain. I can make things incredibly difficult for you, Gojo. Throw away all that potential, all that talent... it would be a shame, wouldn't it? But I am more than willing to do so if you prove uncooperative."
Smug bastard was really pushing it today.
He was nothing without us, and he knew it. This whole place would crumble without Satoru and me. We were the ones who brought in the grants, the prestige, the groundbreaking research. And yet, he treated us like we were disposable.
I pushed Satoru back, stepping up to confront Yaga directly. The urge to wipe that smugness from his face with my fists was nearly overwhelming, but I forced control over my rage. One hothead was more than enough for today.
Still, my words came out in a tone of barely restrained menace. "Director. Dr. Gojo has a point. This research will be a massive distraction. Her studies should be her priority."
"Yes," Yaga drawled. "I heard about her recent... setbacks." Yaga sank back in his chair and opened his laptop. "A failed practical exam, a theoretical test barely passed. And this isn't the first time, is it?"
He turned the screen towards her, her failing grades a glaring red on the display. "Tell me, which subject would you like to miraculously pass? A click of my fingers, and it's done."
Before I could say anything, Satoru exploded.
"You blackmailing piece of shit!"
"Blackmail?" Yaga said. "No, blackmail would be threatening to cut her scholarship, endangering her entire future here... which, thankfully, our generous donor would be more than happy to preserve."
This was too much. 
Now he had two pissed-off neurosurgeons on his hands. I braced my hands on the desk, leaning towards him. "Yaga, this is beyond the pale! This blatant manipulation—"
Suddenly, her voice cut through the tension. "I'll do it. I'll work on the research."
The room fell silent. 
Satoru and I both whipped around to look at her. Her gaze was fixed on Yaga, not flinching. There was something defeated about her, something I wasn't used to seeing. It chilled me to the bone. She wouldn't give in like that. I knew her better than that.
But what had changed?
"Someone finally sees reason," Yaga said, breaking the silence. "You start this week—"
"No," Satoru interrupted. "That's not up for debate. We start next week."
"This week," Yaga repeated, his voice firm.
Leaning in, Satoru's voice took on a dangerous edge. "Next week. Or I walk out that door and you can find yourself a new star surgeon."
Huh?
Why did the start date matter so much to him?
Was that the real issue here?
"Dr. Gojo, you are exceedingly close to losing my goodwill," Yaga ground out. "Fine. Next week."
Satoru backed off and started to pace the room. I glanced at her, who was still sitting silently in her chair. She looked so small, lost in the shadows of Yaga's office. I wanted to wrap her in a hug, tell her it would all be okay.
But it wasn't my place. I knew the answer—
Sorry.
I'll not repeat myself yet again.
My gaze shifted back to Yaga. "And if we find nothing? Months, years, wasted on a dead-end?"
"You'll continue as long as the funding lasts."
"Of course," Satoru spat from across the room.
"Well, look at the bright side, Gojo," Yaga said, adjusting his glasses and focusing on some papers on his desk. "I just approved that fancy new CT scanner for the ER. Isn't that what you've been whining about? Finally found some spare change in the budget, did we?."
"You fucking bastard," Satoru hissed.
Yaga merely shrugged. "Everyone has to play their role, Gojo."
I watched the exchange with a growing sense of disgust. Yaga's power plays were nothing new, but this — this was something else. Exploiting a grieving widow's generosity, using my student's academic struggles as leverage. It was sickening. 
I'd always known Yaga was ruthless, but this level of manipulation left a sour taste in my mouth. He was like a parasite, feeding off the brilliance and drive of others, all while masquerading as an advocate for the institution's best interests.
I clenched my jaw.
How could I continue to work for a man who treated his students and staff as mere commodities to be exploited?
Suddenly, I heard a shaky breath behind me.
I turned to see her staring blankly ahead, her body trembling ever so slightly. "If you'll excuse me," she whispered, then abruptly stood up and practically fled the room.
"Wait—" I started, but she was already gone, the door clicking shut behind her.
"Fuck you, Yaga!" Satoru shouted, slamming his fist against the wall hard enough to leave a mark. "This is your fault, your doing!" With that, he stormed out after her.
And I couldn't follow.
All I could do was try to clean up the mess that was left behind.
As soon as they were gone, I turned back to Yaga, who seemed to think the conversation was over. Oh, but it wasn't. Not by a long shot.
"You know about them," I said, not bothering to phrase it as a question.
"It's obvious even to a blind man, Dr. Geto," Yaga replied, his eyes glued to the papers on his desk.
"And you're just going to ignore it?"
He looked up, a cold glint in his eyes. "I finally found Gojo's weakness. Why would I let that go? At long last, I have a way to make him obey me."
I scoffed. In one swift motion, I swept the papers off his desk, scattering them across the floor. I leaned forward, my hands braced on his desk, glaring at him.
"This crosses a line, Yaga. You've gone too far."
His eyes narrowed. "Watch your tone, Dr. Geto. You're treading on dangerous ground."
"No, you are!" I shot back, my voice rising. "You're exploiting her, using her for your own gain. You think you can manipulate everyone, but you're wrong."
"Control? Greed? Those are harsh words coming from you," Yaga retorted, standing up to face me. "And here I thought you, of all people, would understand."
"Understand your greed? Not a chance."
"I don't care if you like my choices or not. This is how things work. You can play by the rules, or be replaced. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're irreplaceable, Dr. Geto."
"Your arrogance is going to cost you another surgeon if you don't watch it. You drove Sukuna away, and now you're halfway there with Gojo and me."
"Sukuna was a different story!" Yaga snapped, his face contorted with a rage I couldn't quite comprehend. He quickly regained his composure, but the outburst had left an uneasy silence in its wake.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and saw Shoko's name. Frowning, I answered the call. "Shoko? What is it?"
"Suguru, there's a patient here who insists on seeing Satoru. She says it's really important, but he isn't answering his phone, and she won't leave.“
"Why can't you see her yourself?"
"I need a neurologist's assessment," she replied. "And she specifically asked for Satoru. They had an appointment scheduled, and she's adamant about seeing him."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "There are other neurologists on staff right now."
I could hear her sigh on the other end of the line. "She's never seen anyone else here, Suguru. I'm pretty sure there's a reason she's so insistent on Satoru. Just look at her, do me a favor."
"Alright, I'll be there soon," I conceded. "Bring her to my office."
I ended the call and turned back to Yaga. I took a deep breath, trying to quell the rage that threatened to consume me. "This isn't over. Not by a damn sight."
"Yeah, yeah, Dr. Geto, as always," he dismissed me, already back at his papers. "By the way, there's a legal consult regarding this research coming up for you and Gojo. We don't want a repeat of past indiscretions, now do we?" He looked up at me.
I wanted to smash his smug face in. 
I turned and stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind me. My blood was boiling, my fists clenched tight. I hated this whole damn situation. Hated Yaga, hated his manipulative tactics, hated how he was using her. But most of all, I hated feeling so goddamn powerless.
As I walked down the corridor, my anger slowly hardening into resolve. Yaga might think he was in control, but he was wrong. I wouldn't let him manipulate her, or Satoru, or anyone else.
Not this time. Not ever again.
─────── ౨ৎ ───────
(note: r&r reader)
I made my way to the hospital.
A damn patient was really the last thing on my mind. I had more important things to do than deal with a hysterical patient. What was it even about? Why did it have to be Satoru she wanted to see? Some relative of his?
I tried to take a deep breath and calm myself, but the downpour between the parking lot and the main entrance made it damn near impossible. By the time I got inside, I was soaked to the bone. No umbrella in sight, of course.
My office door was slightly open. I pushed it in, expecting to find some old lady or something. Instead, a young woman sat in the chair across from my desk. Mid twenties, maybe, with a delicate, almost fragile look about her. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap.
The office was dark, the lights off, which struck me as odd given the gloomy weather outside. But the light from the window beside her illuminated her face, and I had to admit — she was beautiful.
I must have hesitated overlong in the doorway, because her gaze suddenly snapped up to meet mine, those stunning eyes of hers holding me captive. "You are not Dr. Gojo."
"I'm Dr. Geto," I managed, clearing my throat against the strange tension. "You not fond of light, are you?" I asked pointing towards the light switch.
"I like it a bit dimmed," she said, and I didn't question it further.
I stepped into the room, glancing down at my clothes. Not exactly the most professional look for a doctor, standing there soaked through in front of a patient. I threw on my white coat, but it did little to hide my damp appearance.
"You were here for Dr. Gojo, right?" I said as I sat down behind my desk.
"Yes," she said, her eyes following my every move.
"I'm sorry, but he isn't available right now. But I'm a neurologist as well. Perhaps I can help you instead?"
She slid a piece of paper across my desk, her hand still resting on it. "I just need a signature here."
"A signature?" I leaned forward, water dripping from my hair onto the form. I quickly pushed my wet strands back. "This is a health screening form."
"Yes." Her eyes darted nervously to mine. "I need it for my job."
"Can I take a look at it?" I made to take the paper, but her hand remained firmly in place.
"Just the signature, please. Then I'll be out of your hair."
I raised an eyebrow. "I can't sign something without knowing what I'm signing."
Her brow furrowed, and she snatched the form back. "Sorry to have wasted your time," she muttered, starting to get up.
"Wait," I said, stopping her mid-motion. What was it about this woman? What did Satoru have to do with any of this?
"Tell me." I leaned back in my chair. "What did you and Gojo agree on regarding this?"
She hesitated, biting her lip. "Dr. Gojo agreed to sign it without asking too many questions."
Something didn't add up. Satoru might be an addict, but he wasn't reckless with patients.
"I swear, I'll give you the signature you need if you'd just let me take a look at it first."
Reluctantly, she slid the form back across the desk, avoiding my eyes. I scanned it quickly, my brow furrowing as I saw the long list of medications, mostly anticonvulsants. 
That explained the lights being off.
"You have epilepsy." I looked up at her. Why would she think either of us would sign this without checking it out first?
"Yes."
"And you're currently taking all these meds?" I gestured to the list.
"Yes."
I leaned back, studying her face. "And Gojo knew about this?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any other words in your vocabulary besides 'yes'?"
Her brow furrowed, and a flicker of defiance flashed in her eyes.
I sighed. "Come on, sit down."
Reluctantly, she settled back into the chair.
I studied her face, looking for any signs of her epilepsy — a slight tremor in her hands from the Topiramate, maybe. But there was nothing. She was perfectly still. Satoru must have found the right dosage.
The silence stretched on. I waited for an explanation, and she knew it. I could practically see the gears turning in her head.
"He's been treating me for a while," she finally said.
"I see. And he agreed to sign this health screening form for you?"
"Yes—"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Look, Dr. Geto, I really need this for my internship," she pleaded. "It's really important to me."
I glanced back down at the form. "Nishimura and Asahi, huh? That's a big deal. You're a law intern?"
"Yes, I am. I'll be working there for the next semester."
I skimmed the papers again, test results, MRI scans. "So, you're almost done with your studies?"  I asked, not looking up.
"I do my second state examination after my internship, yes, then I'm done."
"Hmm." I looked up from the papers, the rain drumming against the windows, the only sound in the otherwise silent office. She stared at me, unwavering.
"So you're preparing for your final exams while working the internship? Sounds stressful," I tried to broach the subject carefully.
"Please, Dr. Geto," she said. "I just need a signature on this paper, and I'm out of here."
I sighed. "I understand. But I can't just sign this without checking in on you first. I need to run some tests, make sure you're fit for work."
My eyes scanned the papers again. Blood tests and medication checks were recent, but the MRI scans were outdated. Even Satoru wouldn't have let her slide with that.
"Look, we can make this quick," I offered. "Your MRI scans are old. We take new ones, and then—"
"No," she blurted out, her voice rising in panic. "I mean, isn't there another way?"
"Another way to look into your brain?" I raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid not."
She bit her lip, her hands clenching and unclenching in her lap, saying nothing.
"Look, it's crucial for me to get a clear picture of your brain activity," I explained. "It's the only way I can make sure you're safe and healthy. Otherwise, I can't sign that form."
She looked up at me again. "I... I can't do MRIs. I'm not really comfortable with enclosed spaces."
Huh?
Was that the problem?
I ran a hand through my damp hair, looking back at her scans. "Your last scans were done by Dr. Gojo too, right?"
"Yes."
She was a woman of few words, it seemed.
"Was there something special Dr. Gojo did that made you feel more comfortable in the MRI? Did he give you any medication? Vistaril? Valium?" I knew it wasn't that, though. Those drugs would interact badly with her other meds.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking like she might throw up any second. "He... held my hand."
Ha?
My eyebrows shot up. "He held your hand?"
She lifted her chin and looked away. "It... it helped."
I can only imagine the dumbfounded look that must have settled on my features as I processed her words. I couldn't picture Satoru, who rather had his patients in and out in mere seconds, being so patient and caring with anyone. Let alone holding their hand through a brain scan.
She crossed her arms, a stubborn look on her face. "I swear, nothing weird happened. He just held my hand, that's all."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"It's not funny," she protested, her cheeks flushing. "It was really embarrassing."
"Oh, I'm sure it was," I teased, enjoying her flustered reaction. "But it's also quite cute."
She huffed, turning her head away. "It's not cute. It's just... something he did."
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk. "And would you like me to do the same?"
Her eyes narrowed, a spark of challenge in them. "His hands were really soft."
"Is that so?" I leaned back in my chair. I could see the wheels turning in her head, her stubbornness a thinly veiled attempt to stall for time.
"And warm."
"Aha."
"And he had this way of holding my hand," she started, demonstrating with her own hands. My eyebrows shot up even higher as she mimicked Satoru's thumb stroking her knuckles. "Like this."
Somewhere in the middle of her demonstration, she must have realized how ridiculous this was, because she abruptly stopped.
"Don't laugh!" she warned, and I realized I was indeed grinning like an idiot.
Before she could object, I reached out and took her hand in mine.
Her skin was soft, her fingers delicate. I held her gaze, challenging her silently. Not sure what I was trying to prove, but the warmth of her hand in mine felt... good. I knew I was crossing a line here, but I couldn't bring myself to care.
"See? Not so bad, is it?"
She didn't say anything, but her grip tightened a bit. I held her gaze for a few more seconds, then my thumb brushed against the back of her hand in a soothing gesture. She seemed to relax slightly under my touch.
Her eyes darted around the room as if searching for an escape route. "I... I suppose."
I couldn't help but let the moment linger, our hands still intertwined. I noticed a slight tremor in her fingers, and my thumb instinctively smoothed over her skin again.
She suddenly gasped. "That's... quite weird."
"And with Gojo it wasn't weird?"
She shook her head, eyes glued to our hands. "No. I just realized it's weird in general."
I smiled. "Well, then it's settled. We'll schedule your MRI for tomorrow morning."
"You're not like other doctors."
"Perhaps not," I said, finally letting go of her hand. "But you're not exactly your average patient either."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she gestured towards my soaked shirt. "You're the doctor who's completely drenched. I can practically see your skin underneath. Not very professional, is it?"
I glanced down at my sopping clothes. I hadn't even realized how see-through my shirt was. "For someone who's afraid of an MRI machine, you sure have a big mouth."
She crossed her arms. "And for someone who just held a patient's hand without their explicit consent, you sure have a lot of nerve. That's a violation of medical ethics, you know. I could report you for that."
"A law student, are we?" I raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at my lips. "Perhaps you should focus on passing your exams before you start threatening lawsuits."
"Yeah, well, I'd need that signature before I can do that, wouldn't I?"
"Fair enough." I stood up, keys in hand. "Until tomorrow then. Try not to sue me in your sleep."
I turned to leave, but her voice stopped me. "Just so you know, Dr. Geto. I'm not afraid of MRI machines. I just don't like them."
I turned back, a grin spreading across my face. "We'll see about that tomorrow, Attorney," I challenged. "We'll see about that."
The hallway was empty, the silence broken only by the steady drip of water from my clothes. As I walked, the adrenaline of the encounter faded, replaced by the familiar weight of the day's earlier events. The tense confrontation with Yaga, the lingering ache for her — it all came back, a dull throb in the background of my thoughts.
Her face.
Her eyes.
That damn smile.
I ran a hand through my hair.
Fuck.
─────── ౨ৎ ───────
(note: r&r reader)
I held my promise.
Her fingers were cold and clammy, her pulse racing beneath my touch. My thumb traced the back of her hand, hoping to convey some sense of comfort. The MRI machine's steady thrum filled the room, but beneath it, I could still hear her shallow breaths.
How the hell did I end up here? Holding hands with a patient during a goddamn brain scan was definitely not in my job description.
"Can you tell me something?" she asked. "Dr. Gojo always talked to me while I was in here."
"What do you want to know?"
"How did you and Dr. Gojo meet?"
I hesitated, slightly irritated by the personal question.
"We've known each other our whole lives. Kindergarten, elementary school, high school... we didn't always get along. He can be a real pain in the ass. But somewhere along the way, we just clicked. Been stuck together ever since. Same university, now working together."
"So you've never been apart?"
"Not really," I said, continuing to soothe her hand with my thumb. "I think the longest we were separated was when he did a semester abroad. Six months, maybe."
"Wow. Sounds like you're an old married couple."
I huffed. "Yeah, somehow we were that."
"Were?"
I looked up, realizing I'd slipped into past tense.
There was a long silence as I thought about it. We used to be so close, inseparable. There was nothing we didn't share, nothing that could ever come between us. But lately, it felt like we were drifting apart.
Maybe I was only realizing it now.
"Oh, I..." I trailed off. I rested my chin on my free hand, looking away from her. "I guess it's only natural. People drift apart. Life happens."
What the hell was I doing?
This was some random patient of Satoru's, a complete stranger. I should've stuck to small talk, the weather, anything but my personal life. But maybe, with everything going on, I just needed to talk about it — to anyone. Because I sure as hell couldn't talk to Satoru about it.
But she wouldn't understand, would she? She was just a stranger.
She wouldn't understand the sleepless nights, the endless tossing and turning, the hollow ache in my chest that wouldn't go away.
"Hmm," she murmured, her grip on my hand tightening slightly. "Was it a woman?"
"Huh?" I looked at her, or at least the part of her face that wasn't hidden by the MRI machine.
"The reason you parted, I mean?"
"No. It wasn't a woman."
The silence hung in the air as the MRI hummed and clicked. She didn't say anything.
I took a deep breath. "It was a woman. But not in the way you think."
"It's never what it seems, is it?"
I hesitated, not sure how much to share. But something in her voice, a softness, made me want to go on. "They share a bond... a deep one. I've never seen anything like that. It's like they're the very air the other breathes."
Her grip on my hand tightened, as if she understood the depth of my pain, even without knowing the full story. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"It's alright," I said, trying to shrug it off, but the pain was still raw. "I knew from the start that they were made for each other."
The truth sliced through me, sharp and cold.
They were too similar, both bordering on insanity to be fair, but similar. Yet, they were so stubborn, so unwilling to admit their need for each other, that they'd rather tear each other down.
It was a damn tragedy.
Even more of a tragedy to get caught up in their destruction, to have these stupid feelings I'd rather not have.
I stayed silent, unsure if I wanted to say anything more. It hurt too much to talk about it, the wound still too fresh. But then, her voice cut through the silence again.
"The law firm is hell."
"Huh?" I was pulled back to the present. "What do you mean?"
"The corporate types are all so stiff and judgmental," she complained. "And the other law students... so ambitious, always trying to one-up each other. I hate it."
My lips twitched into a light smile. "Yeah, law students were always ambitious, even back in my day."
"They are. Everyone's so focused on being the best, even if it means stepping on others. I'm not sure I have that kind of ambition."
"But you got an internship at one of the top law firms in the city," I pointed out. "That must mean you're pretty ambitious yourself."
There was a pause, then she almost whispered, "Yeah, but at what cost..."
Hm?
I barely caught her words, but before I could ask her to repeat herself, a sudden beep from the MRI machine cut through the air. The machine whirred to a stop, the sudden silence almost unsettling. The scan was complete.
The table slowly slid out, bringing her back into full view. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light. "That's it?" she asked, sounding surprised. "It's over?"
"All done, Attorney," I said with a reassuring smile. "You did great."
As she started to sit up, I realized I was still holding her hand. She glanced down at our intertwined fingers. "You can let go now, Dr. Geto."
I blinked, snapping back to reality. I quickly released her hand. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she said, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "I tend to have that effect on men."
"Again, for someone who's afraid of MRIs, you've got a pretty big mouth."
"Again, I'm not afraid of them. I just don't like them."
"Yeah, yeah," I said, helping her off the table. My hand brushed against hers again. "Now let's take a look at those scans."
─────── ౨ৎ ───────
(note: r&r reader)
As the images flickered onto the screen, my focus sharpened, my eyes scanning the intricate patterns of her brain. The room was quiet, broken only by the soft hum of the computer and the rhythmic beeping of the nearby monitors.
"Everything looks good, Attorney," I said. "No signs of any abnormalities or lesions."
She leaned forward, her eyes wide with interest as she studied the images. "So, I'm all clear?"
"As far as I can tell. Your epilepsy seems to be well-controlled with your current medication."
"Thanks, Dr. Geto, I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome," I replied, grabbing the form from my desk. "Now, about that signature..." I quickly filled it out, my pen scratching across the paper. With a final flourish, I signed my name at the bottom.
"Here you go," I said, handing it over. "All set."
She took it, her eyes scanning the document quickly. "Thank you. You've been a lifesaver."
"Just doing my job." I waved away her thanks. "Now, go out there and conquer the legal world."
She looked up from the paper and met my gaze with a boldness that caught me off guard. "Would you like to go out for drinks this weekend?"
I blinked, my mind scrambling to process her words. "I... what?" I stammered, completely taken aback. "Are you—asking me out?"
"No, no, that's not it at all!" She quickly waved her hands in front of her face. "I mean, not like a date or anything. I could really use a friend, someone to show me around and... you know, just hang out with."
I stared at her, amused and bewildered at the same time. "Attorney, I'm at least ten years older than you."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Ha? How old are you?"
"How old are you?"
"Didn't you read my medical history, doctor?"
Right. Now I remembered. Twenty-six. Yeah, ten years older. I leaned against the desk, not quite sure what to make of her proposition.
"I'm your doctor," I said, reminding her of the obvious.
"Technically, I'm Dr. Gojo's patient."
"Even so, you realize how this could be perceived, right?" 
"It's not like I'm asking for your kidney. Just a few drinks." She shrugged, unfazed. "Besides, you seem like a nice guy."
"That's all it takes for you?"
"Come on, don't make it so hard for me," she said, pouting playfully.
"I'm not sure I'm the best person to show you around town. I'm a bit of a workaholic. Socializing isn't exactly my forte."
She tilted her head, studying me with a curious gaze. "So you're saying you don't have any friends?" she asked, a playful challenge in her voice. "Are you a loner, Dr. Geto?"
I hesitated, thrown off by her directness. "Do you always speak your mind so bluntly?"
She shrugged. "Only when I'm talking to heartbroken doctors who seem a little lonely."
I couldn't help but be intrigued by her persistence.
She was unlike any patient I'd ever met — bold, witty, and surprisingly insightful. And despite the age difference, there was some sort of strange understanding between us. I couldn't quite tell if she was doing this for herself or for me, but I found myself wanting to find out.
"Alright, Attorney," I said. "You win. I'll show you around town. But don't expect any wild nights out. I'm more of a quiet bar and good conversation kind of guy."
Her face lit up with a genuine smile. "Sounds perfect. Just promise me you won't try to diagnose me with anything while we're out."
"Why, is there more to diagnose?"
"Nothing major," she said with a chuckle. "Just the usual existential angst, quarter-life crisis, questioning my entire career path kind of stuff."
"Don't worry. I won't diagnose anything outside this hospital."
"Great." She grinned, extending her hand. "Then it's a deal."
As our hands clasped together, I returned her smile. "Deal."
─────── ౨ৎ ───────
(note: s&c reader)
Satoru's call woke me up, telling me to get my ass to the lab. It was my day off, damn it, but when he mentioned she wanted to meet us. I dragged myself out of bed.
By the time I got to our old lab — now ours again, apparently — Satoru was already mapping out the entire research study on the whiteboard. He must have been there for hours.
Good thing I'd brought two coffees. I knew this was coming.
Hours passed in a blur of caffeine and whiteboard markers. Satoru and I argued over every damn strategy, our approaches clashing like always. He wanted to go one way, I wanted to go another. Every idea we had was met with immediate criticism and erased within minutes.
New idea, erase, repeat.
But we kept going, trying to find a plan that would work, not just for us, but for her. We both wanted to take some of the burden off her shoulders.
Then the lab door opened. I turned, surprised to see anyone before the afternoon. My heart stuttered in my chest.
It was her.
She walked over to us, her expression unreadable. It was the first time I'd seen her since Yaga's office, since I'd almost let those three damning words slip past my guard. Since I'd seen the confusion in her eyes when she realized what I was about to confess.
God, what had I been thinking?
That she'd what, return my feelings?
Foolish.
"What are you doing here?" Satoru asked. "Don't you have a lecture right now?"
"Yuta's covering for me. It's fine."
"That's not how this research will work. You won't jeopardize your studies for this," Satoru said, his voice firm.
"Last time I checked, this was my research. Remember?" she retorted, her tone just as sharp.
Satoru merely huffed. She shifted under his gaze, looking uncomfortable. And tired. No, tired was an understatement. She looked like she hadn't slept in a week. Her cheeks were hollow, her skin pale. I hated seeing her like this.
"You look exhausted," I observed quietly. "Are you sure you're up for this?"
"I'm fine," she said, but it was a blatant lie.
I glanced at Satoru, who was already looking at me with a frown. He thought the same thing I did.
"Look, I have an idea," she said suddenly, walking over to the whiteboard and snatching the marker from my hand. Before I could react, she erased our notes with a few harsh strokes.
Ouch.
"My original approach was too theoretical—too cautious," she began, drawing on the whiteboard. "I wanted to use CAR-T therapy to treat brain tumors like blood diseases, but that's not enough. What if we combine CAR-T with targeted antibodies?"
I took a seat next to Satoru, my eyes following hers as she scribbled diagrams and equations on the board. I took a sip of my coffee, already cold. "Antibodies... what kind?"
"T-cell engagers," she said without missing a beat. "We can engineer them to bridge the gap between the CAR-T cells and the tumor."
"That's never been tested before," Satoru chimed in.
"That's why we'll be the first," she retorted. “We'll modify the CAR-T cells to specifically target the glioblastoma's antigen fingerprint. But we need to combine them with T-cell engagers, designed to simultaneously bind the EGFR protein. This way, we can maximize tumor cell destruction."
It was hard to keep up. Her words were spilling out a mile a minute, as if she was afraid they otherwise might slip her mind, the drawings on the board barely legible.
Then, she spun around. "And we'll inject them directly into the brain."
Silence.
Satoru and I stared at her, trying to process what she'd just laid out. Even as seasoned neurosurgeons, we were struggling to keep up. This was on a whole other level than anything we'd considered.
We were looking for something that would work and be safe.
She just wanted to find a way to make it work, damn the risks it seemed. The lack of sleep was clearly messing with her head, but in a twisted way, it made sense. Still, we couldn't actually go through with this, could we?
Her gaze flitted between us, waiting for a response.
God, I need a cigarette.
"That's," I paused, searching for the right word, "—bold."
"More like insane," Satoru countered. "When was the last time you actually slept?"
"Ha? Tell me this doesn't make sense."
I leaned back, drumming my fingers on the armrest as I thought it over. "It does. Theoretically, it could work."
"Combining CAR-T with antibodies? Direct brain injection? We don't have preclinical data, not even hypothetical models to support something this radical," Satoru countered.
"So?" she challenged. "Isn't that what groundbreaking research is about? Taking risks, pushing boundaries?" She gestured to the whiteboard. "This—this is worth the risk."
I stood up and started pacing, rubbing my chin as I thought it through. I walked back over to the board, took the marker from her hand, and started scribbling.
"She's right,"  I said, my mind racing.  "Direct injection cuts through the blood-brain barrier issue. And targeted antibodies... that opens up possibilities we haven't even considered."
But there were still so many obstacles. "The potential for cytokine release syndrome—" I mused aloud. "If the T-cells overreact, we could trigger an inflammatory response."
She leaned closer, her eyes focused on the board. "We can manage that. Steroids, anti-IL-6... strict monitoring protocols."
Hmm, maybe. But there was still more to consider. I kept writing. "And what about the target itself? EGFRvIII is notoriously heterogeneous. We need robust evidence that our antibodies won't miss their mark—"
"Is it just me, or am I the only sane person in this room right now?" Satoru interrupted, his arms crossed as he glared at us from his chair. "We're not talking about hypothetical models here. We're talking about messing with someone's brain. Someone's life."
"I'm well aware of the risks, Satoru," she shot back.
"Aware and reckless aren't the same thing," he retorted.
"Coming from you, that's rich."
God, I need two cigarettes now.
"Look, you've barely slept for a week, and now you're proposing—what, supercharged T-cells?" He gestured towards our chaotic notes on the whiteboard. "Have you both lost your goddamn minds?" His gaze flickered between the two of us.
I was surprised he was so hesitant. Satoru was usually the first to jump into the deep end. Somehow, I had the feeling he changed. He wasn't as risky as I used to know him. Must be her influence.
She took a step forward, her eyes locked on Satoru's. "This could work, Satoru. Or are you too much of a coward to even try?"
"Ha?"
She leaned in, her hands gripping the arms of his chair. "Tell me, do these supercharged T-cells unnerve you? Make you uncomfortable with yourself?"
I had to look away. The sight of them so close together made my stomach churn. I didn't want to see whatever was about to happen. She whispered something I couldn't make out, but the intensity in her eyes was clear. A wave of irritation, of jealousy, washed over me.
My phone buzzed, a welcome distraction. I pulled it out, annoyance flaring when I saw the caller ID.
"Damn it." I answered the call. "Shoko, what is it?"
"Hey Suguru, look, we have an emergency here and the other neurologist is out sick. We need someone to jump in, can you come?"
I rubbed my temple. "Alright, I'm on my way."
I turned back to them, already gathering my things. "We'll pick this up later. There's a situation at the hospital." I looked at her, concern replacing my irritation. "Get some rest. You look like hell."
The words were out before I could stop them, harsher than I intended. But I was already halfway out the door.
Later, as I was scrubbing into surgery, my own words echoed in my mind.
And I felt awful.
─────── ౨ৎ ───────
(note: s&c reader)
Sharp autumn air stung my lungs with each greedy drag on my cigarette.
Across the table, Satoru's fingers tapped an impatient rhythm on the worn table that set my teeth on edge. I had to resist the urge to reach over and grab his wrist to make him stop. His eyes were glued to his phone. Overhead, the sky was a bruise-colored canvas, the sun barely visible.
Forgotten coffee grew cold between us.
I took another long drag from my cigarette. Satoru shifted opposite of me, his leg bouncing with nervous energy. He hadn't looked away from his phone in minutes, his fingers twitching as if itching to type a message.
We sat like this for a while at the campus outdoor cafeteria. Students hurried past. Neither of us said a word.
"Sorry for ditching you with my patient the other day," he finally said. "How'd it go?"
I exhaled a plume of smoke and watched it vanish into the leaden sky. "Everything's fine. Medication's good, MRI was clean."
"That's good news," he said, already back to his phone, unlocking and locking it in a nervous tic. "Knew you'd take care of her." He glanced up with a smirk. "So she actually went through with the MRI? How'd that go?"
I let out a dry laugh. "Let's not talk about it." I stubbed out my cigarette butt in the grimy ashtray and immediately lit another. "Didn't know you were so soft with your patients."
"I'm not a monster, you know." He shrugged, gaze dropping back to his phone. "I do what's best for them, even if it means bending the rules a bit." He paused, a smirk once again forming on his lips. "She's pretty straightforward, huh?"
"Did you sleep with her?" I asked bluntly.
Satoru's head snapped up, eyebrows raised. "What, you think I'm screwing every student that walks through my door?"
"You seem familiar."
"She's nice. I was nice in return. That's all." His attention was already drifting back to the bright screen. "Besides, she works with Higurama. He asked me to keep an eye on her."
I exhaled slowly, the smoke a grey ghost against the darkening sky.
"She's doing okay, by the way," he offered without looking up.
My blood ran cold. 
I knew who he was talking about. We both did.
Satoru's gaze met mine, his smirk gone. "I know you want to ask."
Silence fell. I wondered if he could sense the fever-pitch of my pulse, if he knew about my feelings for her. Because the way he looked at me now, I had a sinking feeling he did. My fingers tightened around my coffee cup.
"It's not easy for her," I said, trying to sound indifferent.
"Yeah." Satoru's expression hardened. "I should kill Yaga over this whole mess."
"Still, her plan might actually work. It's a good one."
"Yeah, but at what cost?" His leg started its anxious bouncing again under the table. "She's pushing herself too damn hard."
He paused, then blurted, "We should leave this university."
"Like we talked about before you backed out?"
"You know why." He unlocked his phone again, only to lock it a second later with a sigh. "I can't leave her alone with these maniacs."
"The whole staying away from her thing isn't really working out, huh?"
"Of course not," Satoru scoffed with a weary sigh. "I should've known better."
I took a sip of the coffee gone cold and bitter minutes ago, watching him over the rim. He raked a hand through his hair, then tugged at the strands, his leg still bouncing under the table. Something was eating at him.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, fine," he replied curtly.
I watched him for a beat longer. He was clearly anything but fine. But I knew better than to push it. He wouldn't tell me anyway. Satoru always kept that shit bottled up tight.
But there was another issue too, wasn't there?
"How's the medication treating you?" I asked instead. "We should get your liver enzymes checked soon."
"Huh?" He looked up from his phone, clearly surprised by the question — as if he'd forgotten about his failing liver.
Just then, Zenin Maki and her friends strolled past our table. Okkotsu gave us a quick wave as they passed, and I returned a faint smile.
It was strange. She wasn't with them.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen her around campus at all since we last crossed paths in the lab.
Satoru's gaze followed them as they scanned the outdoor seating area for a table. His eyes widened, then he quickly stood up. "Sorry, Suguru, I have to go," he said hastily, not giving me any explanation. But I should be used to this by now.
It wasn't the first time.
He was already gone, leaving his coffee cold and abandoned in his wake. I took another long drag of my cigarette, stubbed it out in the overflowing ashtray, and reached for my phone.
[12:15 PM] Me: So, Saturday at 9pm? Know a good sports bar if you're into that.
[12:16 PM] Attorney: Sounds good, love sports. Send me the address.
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next chapter ->
author's note: i'm so thrilled to hear your thoughts on geto's pov! he's really struggling with gojo and s&c reader being the mess that they are and his feelings in all of it, but don't worry, he'll get his happy ending (with you) too hehe <33
i hope it wasn't too confusing though. this is my first time writing a spin-off, so if you haven't read symptoms and causes, it must be quite confusing at times. but the next chapters will focus less on the s&c reader and more on geto and the r&r reader of course. but i love how i can provide background info for s&c through this story and vice versa :)) & lastly, thank you so much for reading !! your support truly means the world. hope u all have a great day !! <3
🏷️ @nanamis-baker @whereflowerswenttodie @certainlysyko @ri-sa20 @biancaness @roseified @rixo-19 @madaqueue @starmapz @alwaysfreakingout @gojoluvs @totallytatum @shervinss (pls comment on the series masterlist to get tagged in the future, this way it's easier for me to keep track!)
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© lostfracturess. all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, translate, or modify my work without permission. fanart credit. thanks for reading and supporting my work !! ♡
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jemiswumbo · 13 hours
Text
bulletproof love (18+)
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twitchstreamer!luke x reader
author’s note: omgg this oneshot took all my blood sweat and tears to produce. i am NOT a graphic designer. i do NOT normally write smut. but this idea had to come to fruition before i went insane. HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY!!!!
title is from bulletproof love by pierce the veil. lyrics have no correlation but it IS a certified banger.
tags/warnings: smut!! minors dni. oral (m receiving). use of y/n. not proofread. kinda long. teeheehee etc.
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i.
You met Luke Castellan at the grocery store.
He looked like a completely normal (albeit, very attractive) guy in his twenties. His dark curls fell slightly over his warm, chocolate brown eyes. A mischievous smirk was plastered across his cheeks, showing off a small dimple on the left side. He wore a simple hoodie and sweats as he perused the pasta aisle, picking up different jars of sauce and reading the labels absentmindedly. He did, however, have an interesting scar sitting jagged over his cheekbone, but it was so faint that you hadn’t noticed it until way later on.
You would have never guessed he was a near millionaire with close to a million social media followers. You would have never guessed he spent the majority of his life not at the grocery store, but rather streaming FPS and RPG games for an average of fifty thousand views at a time.
You would have never guessed he’d take a liking to you.
You, who worked part time at this very grocery store. You, who didn’t really know the first thing about video games, except that they were confusing and it was insane that some people could build ridiculously complex structures at a mind-boggling speed on Fortnite whilst also shooting with godly precision.
He had backed into you accidentally whilst you were restocking a shelf, causing you to drop a couple glass jars that cracked open upon impact with the floor. You apologized, even though you’d really done nothing wrong. He obviously thought you attractive (or maybe he just didn’t leave the house much?) because his idea of an apology was taking you out to some lavishly expensive dinner the next night.
The dinner was okay but the conversation is what got you hooked. He was so sweet and told you so many wild stories that had you laughing until your chest ached. He paid for the meal and held your hand on the drive home. When he dropped you off, he casually told you his Instagram handle and told you to shoot him a follow. You blushed, smiled, and scurried inside.
You just about died when you saw his profile.
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ii.
It’s been about a year since you had started dating Luke Castellan, otherwise known as his twitch handle “SonofHermes.”
(“Because he’s the messenger god, right? In, like, Greek Mythology? And I felt like a damned messenger god when I was a moderator for four different discord servers and a twitch chat—“)
Luke’s twitch streams occured mostly every night, from 8pm to about 3am. He always began his streams with some FPS game (Overwatch, Valorant, CS:GO, or something similar). After a few hours he would swap over to a different game for his variety segment. His chat was hilarious. They loved to tease Luke and joke around with him and donate silly messages. And, of course, because Luke was so very attractive, a decent chunk of his fan base was dedicated towards swooning over his every word and look and smile.
You, honestly, never really minded. Mostly because Luke was yours. You were sure the thirsting from chat would diminish once they knew you were dating. But… you really, truly, had no desire to be in the public eye. Having nearly a million people know your name and your face was daunting and scary. You also had enough common sense to realize that some of his fans were probably batshit crazy and would send you hate and death threats for dating Luke. You were a part time employee and a student; you did not need another reason on top of that to have poor mental health.
Luke loved you unconditionally and that was all that mattered. You were perfectly content spending most evenings to yourself. He was a good boyfriend, though, and did schedule days off to take you out and show you incredible amounts of love and support. You were both very happy and secure in your relationship.
One particular evening, you were staying over at Luke’s apartment. It was a Friday, and you had no work tomorrow, so he bought alcohol and weed and selected a list of movies to marathon. It was basically your most ideal way to spend the weekend.
That was, until, Luke’s gamer friends messaged him on discord, begging him to join their Rust server to defend their group base.
Luke had met these friends through Twitch events and game conventions. There was Percy, who streamed with his girlfriend Annabeth. They were one of the most adored couples in the gaming community. They all lived in the same state, so Luke hung out with them pretty often. There was also Grover, who was Percy’s roommate and would join his streams from time to time. As well, there was Thalia, who was a huge advocate for women in eSports, and played in a professional league. Luke had introduced them too you a few months ago, and they all swore to help keep your relationship a secret.
The five of them often played different games together, as most of their fanbases consisted of the same people, so it really raked in the views and made for good content. Plus, it was just really fun. You knew how much Luke loved his friends and cherished the times they got to play together.
The Rust server was a recent hyperfixation that you were positive would fade once a new MMO came out to grab their attention. But, you were also aware of how much time and effort Luke had spent constructing this base of his.
“Go,” you said, noticing his confliction. “You can have one hour to play. Stream, too, so I can watch out here. But after that, you’re mine for the rest of the night.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Luke said with his devilish grin. He kissed you hard, leaving a swarm of butterflies dancing in your stomach. He hurried off to his bedroom, where he kept his gaming setup, and shut the door.
You were fine with spending an hour alone. Flipping through Netflix, you cracked open a bottle of wine and relaxed into the sofa.
One hour went by fast. Luke didn’t return to the living room.
You picked up your phone and opened the Twitch app, clicking on Luke’s stream. He was currently in the middle of some intense adventure with Percy. Luke’s webcam was situated in the top left corner of the game feed, and he looked so cute and handsome under the glow of the monitor and the purple LED lights.
To be honest, the wine was getting to you. You felt such a strong desire to be near Luke and to feel him and be with him. He bit his lip on camera, deep in concentration, and that action alone had your heart rate increasing.
“Fuck it,” you said, turning off the TV and standing up from the couch. His hour was up, and it was time to take the matter into your own hands.
iii.
Luke enjoyed playing his games with the volume high in his headphones. It allowed him to feel like he was actually in the game, and unaware of the outside world. This also was an issue, because more often than not he would lose track of time and forget about his plans and scheduled events.
He just couldn’t help it — he loved video games. Currently, he was busy perfecting his base on Rust so it wouldn’t be broken into again. It took a lot of effort and concentration, and Percy and Grover dicking around and goofing off did nothing to help his focus.
So, it only made sense that he didn’t notice his bedroom door opening. The door wasn’t in frame on his camera, so he didn’t see it open, either. He didn’t notice it close. He didn’t notice you, getting down on all fours and crawling over to his desk setup.
He didn’t notice you, at all, until you put a hand on his leg.
Luke jumped a bit and glanced down, meeting your mischievous glance and the naughty smile on your cheeks.
“Uh, chat — sorry, gotta go to the bathroom, one sec —“ Luke rushed out. He shut off his camera and muted his mic, double checking that it was definitely muted by quickly scanning the latest messages in his chat:
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He rolled his eyes at the messages, and pushed his chair back, glaring at you on the floor. “Baby, what the hell are you doing?!”
You smiled. “I was just missing you, is all.”
“So you snuck in — wait, shit, you said one hour. It’s been an hour hasn’t it?” Luke said, running a hand through his messy curls.
You nodded, and gave a weak shrug. “It’s okay, though. I think it would be fun if we also played a game of our own.”
Luke raised his eyebrows, feeling a blush form on his cheeks. “What’re .. what’re you suggesting?”
You unbuttoned your blouse and tossed to the floor, leaving you in a lacy black bra and your mini skirt. You let your fingers linger on the strap of your bra. “I’ll let you stream longer. But.. once you cum, you have to shut it off.”
“You want to blow me on stream?” Luke asked, incredulously. He could already feel himself start to harden at the thought of this ‘game’ of yours occurring.
“Like, secretly, though.” You said with a slight eye roll. “You can try to keep your composure for as long as you can, but you’ll be all mine for the rest of the night. Okay?”
Luke took a minute to ponder. If he somehow got caught… the consequences would be severe. His reputation would be tarnished. He’d lose his job and his income and the entire career he had worked so hard to build.
But on the other hand.. you looked really fucking sexy, staring at him with your doe-eyes, feigning innocence in the most seductive lingerie he’d ever seen you in.
“Fuck’s sake.” Luke pulled his chair back towards his desk. He tugged his sweatpants down to his ankles, giving you a face full of his half hard cock and his toned, muscular thighs. “You have to be quiet too, you little slut. I seriously cannot get caught.”
“Of course,” you replied, slightly moaning as you took his length into your hand. “You’re so incredibly attractive.”
“Shut up,” Luke said, adjusting his camera angle to absolutely ensure it cut off at his upper chest and nothing lower than that was visible. He took a deep breath and was about to rejoin his stream, when you began sucking him off. “Fuck!”
You pulled your lips off of him with a loud pop. “Come on, Lukey, you can last longer than that.”
“You’re mouth feels so fucking good though,” Luke groaned, threading his fingers through your hair. He took another deep breath and guided your head back to his cock, which was now fully hard and aching for your mouth. This time, when you licked up his shaft, he was more prepared and was able to maintain his chill composure. “Okay. Okay, baby, I’m turning my stuff back on. Be quiet, please.”
You nodded, slowly taking him back into your warm mouth.
Luke turned on his camera. He turned on his mic. He ran a hand through his hair and grabbed his mouse and keyboard. “Okay, I’m back. Chat, please tell me Percy and Thalia didn’t do anything stupid while I was gone.”
“Hey!” You heard, faintly from Luke’s headset. “We didn’t do anything, and if your chat says otherwise, they are lying!”
You giggled as quietly as you could, and clearly the vibrations from such movement felt good for Luke, because you heard him take a sharp intake of breath.
“Wh-whatever. Doesn’t matter. Let’s get back to work.” Luke said defensively.
“What?” Percy asked. “You sound weird, man. Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong!” Luke replied, too quickly and at an octave higher than he normally speaks. You couldn’t help but get a little nervous. He was terrible at being subtle.
“Okay…” This was a girl’s voice, and sounded like Thalia. “My chat agrees that you’re being weird.”
“Same.” Percy agreed.
“Yeah, well,” Luke scanned his second monitor to check in on how his chat was reacting. He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “My chat is being dumb, as per usual.”
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Below the desk, your nerves had subsided and instead you became preoccupied with the notion of possibly getting caught. It was kind of twisted but this caused your lower region to dampen. You lifted your short little skirt over your hips and moved your lacy underwear to the side, giving you access to finger yourself.
You moaned, with your mouth full of thick, heady cock, and brain slightly foggy from the wine consumption. You were close already.
“What?” Luke said, clearly reading something on his monitor. “Chat, that was my phone vibrating on my desk. I did not moan over that headshot Percy made. Be so for real”
“Rude,” Percy said. “I would’ve moaned. I’m like, the god of gaming.”
“Loser.” Luke responded, biting his lower lip and slightly bucking his hips into your mouth. He must’ve been getting close, too.
From that moment on, you were desperate to make Luke finish. You abandoned your slow and gentle place, and took his entire cock down your throat. You silently gagged, and bobbed your head up and down, making sure to suck a bit longer on his leaking tip. You grabbed his balls in your right hand and squeezed, keeping your left hand on his upper thigh.
“Fuck,” Luke murmured, just under his breath. You sucked harder in response. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“What is going on, dude?” Percy questioned. “You’re stressing me out.”
Luke glanced over at his chat again.
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Luke flipped a middle finger to his camera, and gave a playful, “Chat, you all suck.” Obviously, he loved his fans and was eternally grateful for their support. It was just fun to mess around with them and feign a love hate relationship. It did make him a bit anxious, however, that everyone easily picked up on the fact that something was affecting Luke. It didn’t exactly help that he was really close to finishing and was starting to lose track of what was happening in the game. All he could feel was his cock going in and out and in and out of your soft lips, that we’re now costing in a mixture of salvia and his precum. It was just about driving him insane.
You, on the other hand, were knuckle deep inside your own cunt and sucking Luke off with some much fervour your jaw was starting to ache. But you loved the feeling. And you were determined to get him off. Now.
Suddenly, Luke felt the familiar feeling build inside himself. Before he realized it was happening, he was shooting thick ropes down your eager throat. “Fuck!” he screamed, legs shaking and eyes squeezing shut. He shuddered and gasped for air as you did not let up on your pace, sucking every last drop of cum from him.
He realized how fucking weird this whole ordeal must’ve looked to his many (many, many) viewers.
Instead of confronting what just happened, he slammed his mouse on the End Stream button and shut off his computer, without so much as a goodbye. He pushed his chair back and grabbed your shoulders, pulling you up to your feet.
You smiled at him sweetly, a sheen of sweat covering your entire body. Luke leaned down and kissed you hungrily.
“Y/n,” he said, once he was out of breath from such an intense kiss. “I.. Need. To be inside of you. And you can never, ever do that again.”
“Mhmm,” you hummed innocently. “Kinda seemed like you really liked it though.”
“Oh, shut up.” Luke said with a grin. “Bed. Now.”
You obliged, heading over to his comfy queen sized bed, unaware that you were about to have the most mind blowing sex of your entire life.
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authors note: aaaaa ok. first of all i’d like to apologize. i have not proofread this at all and i wrote each chunk on separate days. i will proofread it eventually and fix the errors lmao.
also! now that all the ~lore~ to this AU is sorted, if you ever wanna send me twitchstreamer!luke specific prompts, i would ADORE THAT.
thank you all again for reading !!!!! <3
taglist: @notacluelessblonde00 @lilyirlevans
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grind-pantera · 20 hours
Note
How would Noa react to human reader on her period? I’m currently on mine and got this thought!
It's like you and i are the same person bc im on mine too ( The first time in like three years, im SUFFERING, ) Let's get self-indulgent. YOLO.
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. READ THE PROMPT ABOVE AND MAKE THE CHOICE IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH THIS CONTENT, OTHERWISE, PLEASE DO NOT READ. Ty ty.
Due to the environment and stress of living in the society you were placed in, your period was admittedly not regular though you tried your best to keep track of it. It got lost from time to time and you were left unsure when it would rear its ugly head back in. Sometimes, it was remarkably early by a few weeks, sometimes, it was at least a month late.
Your first period while with the Clan? You had nothing prepared. Nothing to ease your bleeding, nothing to ease yourself into some semblance of comfort. You quite frankly go into a small panic. You don’t know who to talk to - there’s no humans here, and Apes don’t bleed and have symptoms like Humans do. 
Oh my god avoiding Noa for the few days out of embarrassment - How do you even begin to explain to him?
Don’t think for a moment that Noa doesn’t know something is going on. The boy has an acute sense of smell. The roll of your pheromones, how they hit him and stuck around like a fog around his head,  how they adjusted ever so slightly a few days before you began ignoring him? Noted. You’re more hungry than usual - going for seconds at the evening meal. Nothing savory though - you stocked up on fruits and berries and just explained to him that the sweetness was more up your alley. He’d mention that maybe you should have some meat to balance but the absolute daggers you gave him caused him to never bring it up again. Noted. The pull to your emotions, like you were swinging from a branch, back and forth not able to teether yourself to one? You began crying one day with him next to you while watching the Baby Apes play with each other. The next moment, you were snapping at him for even looking at you. Noted. The subtle shift in your body? Becoming a bit more reserved , you often kept your hands in front of your chest, blocking him from looking at you fully? Maybe, he even notices when your arms grazed your chest that you flinched - Tender breasts. Noted. Heightened mating the last few days? Oh, absolutely noted. Not as tired as you though - Noa noticed you getting more tired during the middle of the day, asking him a few days before your period actually hit if you could go take a nap while he went with Soona and Anaya to fish. Noted.
You go to Soona and Dar in hopes that maybe you can talk to them about it and actually have them understand. You’re too embarrassed to bring this up to Noa and you doubted that he’d understand at all. Noa does show up mid-conversation though- You had been talking to Soona and Dar about something from his perspective. He doesn’t take much time to notice that, letting his green eyes rest on you for a moment longer but the tone of the voice you’re using with his Mother and Soona? Quite, hushed, like you had a secret. Noa has to admit that he’s a tiny bit intrigued and he lingers, trying to pick apart the conversation despite his brain telling him not to, that it was obviously a private matter. But… The other side of him bargained and he wondered what secret you could have that you wouldn’t want him to know about. After all, you had been avoiding him for a few days and he needed to know why if that’s what you were talking to Dar and Soona about. Admittedly, as you explained to them what was happening  ( Soona and Dar ) they were more confused than you initially wanted them to be with your vague words, having to go into more detail and explain - Which was not on your bingo-card at all. You were unsure of what words/phrases they were going to understand so you had to transverse carefully around the subject. You felt like you were going to cry from embarrassment before a look of understanding flashed from Dar.  ~*So, from listening to the conversation he was not supposed to be a part of, Noa gathered only a few things: you were going through something that affected females? Hence, why you went to Soona and Dar. You were embarrassed to talk to Noa about it, it must have been pretty contentious. And went through this consistently, albeit not regularly? It was a sign of Echo maturity, your body coming into its own. On a consistent basis? Noa was confused. How does your body do that?
Oh my god Noa asking you about it. The blood rushing to your face as he mentions that he had heard you talking to his Mother and Soona. Your first instinct is to get defensive. You cross your arms in front of your chest, pretty adamant in telling him that there was nothing going on. Noa retaliates in defense of himself and says, “I… just want to know why… you… Are ignoring me.” The spacing of his words gives away that he was being careful to choose what he told you. Irrational anger bubbled to surface and you just snapped, “I’m on my period! Okay? I already talked to Dar and Soona about it and now you’re at my throat? Period! Is that a good enough answer for you!? It’s not always about you Noa!” You storm off, leaving the Ape bewildered. You eventually do return an hour or so later, this time, incredibly apologetic with tears in your eyes as you’re muttering to him through a flood of tears, telling him all about what was happening and how you were feeling. Your cramps, the headache that wouldn’t go away, your insatiable need to eat everything insight, the pure driven desire you had to be both angry and sad at the same time. You even went as far as to tell him that you were indeed bleeding -Something Noa didn't have the heart to tell you that he was aware of. Remember that acute sense of smell? He noticed it. He noticed it the last few days, figuring you would bring it up when you were ready. Noa pulls you into him, lightly pressing his forehead against yours. He’s still not 100% on the details but… He hated to see you cry. Hated to see you angry as well. He tells you that it’s okay, to calm down and that it’ll all be okay.  Those swinging emotions he recalled from a few days before your period? Yeah, they happen during as well and you flew off the handle. “I am calm! What makes you think I’m not?” You groaned, pulling away from him, “I’m going to lay down.” He just watches wordlessly as you walk away; wondering what he said that was so offensive.
He definitely begins to track it with fever though; just another thing for him to notice about you,  and he really did his best to be accommodating despite not fully understanding the reason why you went through it. He would tell you when he knew it was coming, something that you actually came to gratefully accept because the mutiny that was your body made it hard to track yourself.
Uhm hello? Noa bringing you an herbal drink that the Elders swore by to help with mild pain in the body. Usually, it was Apes that had joint problems from age, or some from injury, but the drink did help ease your headache and cramps to a semi-bearable state.
He scours the dinner for the most sweet berries and fruits. Noa is able to tell from look and feel which ones would be more welcomed by you and he’s always so diligent to bring you two bowls. One for now, one for later.
OHHhhh my god Noa resting his hands on your stomach when you’re tangled in the nest together. He can sense the discomfort you’re in. You had tossed and turned almost the entire night, keeping the two of you awake. Now that it was dusk, you felt more at ease as he placed a hand on the lower part of your abdomen and groaned at the pleasure of feeling his heated skin.  ~*Definitely becomes more of a coping action that Noa works around. If Noa senses you’re feeling either nauseated or in pain, he’s rather quick to pull you into him and ease it the best he can. Favorite position? You’re laying on your side and he is spooning you from behind. Hands on your lower stomach, lightly at first but more intense if you’re craving more pressure and heat from him. He’s noticed you like to fall asleep like that. And he’s more than willing to oblige. 
Ah god the forehead touches when you have a headache? Someone sedate me. ~* He really gets into it and will wrap his hands around your head, his fingers almost meeting at the back of your neck. The heat from his hands feels absolutely euphoric against your temples as he pulls you towards him. You fall lax against him and ultimately let Noa pull you into his lap. Hands run from the back of your neck down to your lower back. He’ll place tender touches there too, knowing that lower back pain was also common.
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kentophilia · 2 days
Text
oh my god, they were roommates!
contains: character x character, alcohol consumption, smoking, frotting, anal fingering, sub!toji, dom!nanami, whiney toji, something something bisexual tojinana <3
wc: 2k
a/n: this was only supposed to be a flashback for The Threesome but i got carried away >///< it's my first time writing character x character so please bear with me. gentle reminder that my requests are still open, please read my rules! :3
reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated!!
minors, ageless and empty blogs will be blocked immediately!
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the lock clicked and in stumbled toji and kento, both very drunk and very horny. they sported a fat boner each, feeling too awkward to look at each other despite being roommates for years.
they both took off their shoes and jackets, an uncomfortable silence hanging over them. kento was in the middle of getting them both a glass of water when toji blurted out: “wanna make out?”
the blond man could only nod.
toji had drunkenly confessed to kento that he thinks he might like guys too, in that slurred speech he always has when intoxicated. kento, a heavyweight in drinking and still feeling quite sober, was taken aback but also intrigued. so he stayed quiet.
“ah, forget i ever said anything, i’m just drunk.” toji had waved him off when kento wanted to talk to him about it later. “let's get more shots!”
well, those few shots later, toji had brought the topic up again, cigarette in hand.
“y’know, if i was gay, i’d fuck ya, ken,” he slurred. kento took a long drag from his cigarette, looking at his roommate with raised eyebrows.
“i mean, what's not t’like? y’r handsome, smart, come from a good family and you make people very happy from what i heard.” the black-haired man winked at him and took another swig from his beer. toji laughed boisterously when kento cringed at that last part and its insinuation. the walls were thin and the amount of times they had heard each other fuck was astronomical.
“thanks, toji. but who's saying you’d do the fuckin’?” kento retorted, causing toji to swiftly choke on his beer. when their gazes met, the tension started to rise, a spark waiting for a match to strike.
“i ain't no bottom.”
well, that statement was quickly retracted when, in their drunken stupor, kento and toji found themselves on their shared couch. lips conjoined, spit swapped and toji whimpering under kento's touch. toji was trapped under kento’s large build, his thick legs wrapped around the other’s waist and hips seemingly having a mind of their own.
toji leaned back, panting, “i've never had anything in my ass before, not even a finger.”
“y’sure you don't wanna try? feels good from what i heard,” kento murmured against toji’s wet lips. toji was flushed, crimson rising from his chest to his cheeks to the tips of his ears. “you tried it?” he whispered, scared to talk any louder.
kento nodded, pulling his shirt over his head. “only on my own though, but it did feel nice. and my gay friends can't seem to get enough of it, so there must be something to it.” he delved down to toji’s jaw, leaving gentle kisses in his wake.
toji whined, feeling out of his element since he usually did that part. taking care of someone, their pleasure, making them flustered and see stars. it was embarrassing for him to be in that position but not necessarily unpleasant. kento’s lips against his scorching skin felt… really good, actually. his hands were everywhere, on kento’s shoulders, in his hand, on his back, his hips, his—
toji sobered up very quickly there, apologizing profusely when he was interrupted by kento gently taking his hand, cold into warm, and placed it on his heavy bulge. he then placed his own on toji’s, forcing a whimper out of the mean-mugged man at the friction.
“it's okay. you can always say stop and we’ll stop. i won't do anything you don't want, toji. i just wanna make you feel good. because i am.”
as those words left kento’s lips, toji pulled him down, their lips crashing together once more. as their tongues danced around each other, toji pushed kento back, straddling him. he felt like he was going to explode, arousal thickening his blood to the point where toji couldn't think straight anymore.
they only parted for toji to almost rip off his shirt out of nervousness. as soon as the fabric was gone, he dove right back in, teeth clacking against kento’s. the blond man chuckled at toji’s eagerness. it was a little awkward, big hands and muscles everywhere but neither complained. the seams of their jeans created the most delicious friction on their restrained cocks.
“kentooo…feels so good,” toji whined, drool threatening to spill out of his mouth. kento could only watch with half-lidded eyes, watching intently where their clothed bodies met. he never in his wildest dreams would've thought that toji, his roommate, one of his closest friends, the loudest, rudest and most confident man he knew, would fall apart like this.
the heat between them felt like an impending supernova and they shed themselves of their clothes, trying to combat it. sure, they'd seen each other naked at home on accident – more or less – and after practice in the showers. but still, seeing toji’s build – and cock – right in front of his face made kento flustered. little did he know that toji felt the same.
the latter got comfortable on kento’s lap again, their dicks touching and twitching against each other. a warm hand wrapped around their lengths and kento started a slow jerking motion. a simultaneous groan of “oh fuuuck” erupted from their chests, their hips moving in tandem. toji let drool run down his lips onto their cocks, lubricating whatever kento was doing to him. toji didn't understand, mind too hazy from the alcohol and the arousal rushing all the way down to his dick.
“ken, please,” toji whimpered, “more.”
kento could only oblige, how could he say no when he was asked so nicely, all breathy and desperate?
he moved his hand faster, the friction becoming almost too much to bear. toji’s spit and their precum made it more slippery, adding to the intoxicating rush.
toji gripped kento’s shoulders, nails leaving indents with the ferocity he was holding onto the other man and kento groaned. the blond man leaned forward, lips attaching to toji’s collarbone, sucking on the damp skin.
“need, haa… need more, kento. please, wanna try it,” the raven-haired male whimpered, the alcohol making it hard to finish without added stimulation. kento could barely make out the words. but when his brain finally registered them, he gasped and gripped toji's face, squishing the latter’s cheeks. the hand that was currently jerking them off halted and toji cried out.
“what'd you say?” kento inquired, heart and mind racing.
“mmm – wanna try it. wanna have your fingers in me, please?” toji begged through smushed cheeks. kento paused, trying to sober up and bring himself back to earth. there were tears making their way to toji’s dark eyes at the silence that settled between them. scared that he'd asked too much of his roommate, toji tried to wiggle out of kento’s grasp, but to no avail.
“let me get some lube then.” kento’s gentle voice reached toji’s bright red ears and he was gently pushed off the other’s lap and onto the soft couch before kento sprinted to his room. he emerged soon enough, a small bottle in his hand.
“it'd hurt without it,” he mused, awkwardly wiggling it between his fingers. toji let out a huff through his nose, shuffling around. “how d’ya want me?”
they were back to their original position, kento hovering above toji, lube being warmed up between his fingers. toji spread his legs, looking away with a burning blush as he exposed himself.
kento gave him a warm smile. “you sure you wanna do this? and with me?”
toji gave a nod, his blush intensifying. “yeah. if anyone puts a finger in my ass, i'd want it to be you. and we already got this far,” he grumbled, feeling even more exposed under kento's attentive gaze. the blond man breathed out an “okay” before leaning back on his haunches. “i've never done this to another person before either so we're somewhat in the same boat.”
toji laughed, “oh yeah, totally the same thing.”
kento cringed at himself and got more comfortable, putting a throw pillow under toji's hips for more leverage. one hand was spreading the cheeks while the other found toji’s twitching hole, spreading some lube onto it. toji flinched and relaxed immediately, the sensation so unfamiliar to him. kento circled his finger around it, registering toji’s noises and reactions.
pushing past the tight ring of his entrance, toji let out a pornographic whine. one that made him slap his hands on his mouth out of embarrassment. kento smiled, peeling them off. “there's no one here, keep ‘em comin’.”
toji didn't know what to do with his hands, fingers twitching and rummaging to find something, anything to hold on to while kento provided him with pleasure. it was so unfamiliar, a little sting at the stretch but it felt so good. kento started thrusting his finger in and out of toji’s hole, his mouth agape and sweat running down his temple. toji started moaning unabashedly, eyes threatening to close but the need to watch kento was stronger. he was so focused on the way toji’s hole was sucking him in and toji swore he could feel his heart flutter.
kento started pushing in a second finger gently, feeling the resistance of toji's hole and slowly but surely edging it away. the black-haired man squirmed, gasping, “oh fuck, oh fuck!” at every gentle thrust.
kento started curling his fingers, seemingly looking for something in toji’s velvet walls. “digging for gold?” toji giggled and suddenly whimpered when kento pressed against a certain spot, precum running out of his swollen tip. “found it,” kento chuckled.
“wh-wha…what's that?” toji questioned, barely able to string a cohesive sentence together due to the white hot pleasure burning through his body.
kento grinned, adjusting their positions without pulling out, toji straddling him again on wobbly knees. “it's your prostate – s’posed to make ya feel really good,” kento murmured, still moving his fingers slowly. toji whined and started moving his hips, desperately trying to find that kind of pleasure again.
kento gripped both of their cocks again, a low moan emitting from his throat at the friction. toji kept grinding on his fingers, the ecstasy multiplied by kento’s warm hand and their cocks twitching against each other. “that's it, keep moving,” kento ordered and toji obliged, chasing his orgasm. the blond man started increasing the pace on his jerking, every tug more delicious than the last.
kento felt himself grow close. toji’s hole warm and clenching around his fingers, the cock hot and heavy against his and the sinful whimpers right in his ear had him spiraling quickly. he curled his fingers again, pressing against toji’s prostate and keeping the rough pads of his digits right there. toji reacted immediately, almost shouting at this point, white flashing behind his eyelids. his eyes were screwed shut, loud moans of “please, please – gonna cum” echoing in kento’s ears. he stored that away for later.
“go ahead, cum for me, toji,” kento whispered loud enough for the other to hear. toji’s burning gaze found his as he spilled all over kento’s hand, hole clenching and unclenching almost as rhythmically as his heart. a moan of kento’s name spilled from toji’s spit-slicked lips as he rode out his high, effectively pushing kento towards his. expletive groans left kento’s throat as he made an even bigger mess of them both, slowing down both of his hands as the overstimulation set in.
he let go of their softening cocks and pulled out his fingers with a lewd squelch, feeling toji slump against him. he quickly wiped his hands on the shirt that was thrown over the backrest before returning his touch to the man on top of him.
“i would've done this sooner if i’d known how good it is,” toji mumbled sleepily against kento’s shoulder. the latter chuckled and patted the damp black hair. “you always know better afterwards.”
“you know what would've made it even better?” toji murmured, heartbeat slowing down and drowsiness taking over. kento hummed in question.
“having a girl sit on my face.”
that was the last thing toji said about it before dozing off and kento struggling to get him into bed. though, he kept that information safely hidden in the back of his mind.
they never mentioned it again after that, acting like nothing had changed. but the underlying sexual tension never truly left their friendship.
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tags: @nkogneatho @kentocidal @the-masked-ram and thank you to @teddybeartoji @togamest and @cockaiine for proofreading :3 mwah! @houseofsolisoccasum @interstellar-inn
© kentophilia 2024 — all rights reserved. please do not plagiarize, translate or steal any of my works.
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firewasabeast · 18 hours
Text
Our Future
(a bucktommy mini(ish) fic)
ao3 link or read below
Summary: Buck gets a little reckless at work, and Tommy gets a lot upset.
It had started with the silent treatment when Buck first got home from work. Tommy was fixing dinner, forcefully plucking basil leaves from the stem and tossing them into the pot when Buck came in.
He knew something was wrong right away, especially when he was only greeted with a monotone, “Hello,” and no attempt to move away from the pot that did not actually need to be stirred at the moment.
Buck had walked over to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek before going to shower.
Once he was showered and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, he came back out and sat down at the kitchen island, where Tommy was now aggressively chopping lettuce.
“So, how was your day?” Buck asked cautiously.
“Fine.”
“Do anything fun?”
“Not really.”
“Get some rest?”
“Tried to.”
Buck rested his hands on the counter, tapping his fingers a few times before asking his next question. “You didn't... Did you happen to catch the evening news?”
Instead of answering, Tommy stopped chopping the lettuce, put the knife down and went to the fridge to get a cucumber. A thick silence filled the space between them as Tommy washed the cucumber and returned to his cutting board. He picked back up the knife and resumed the harsh chopping.
“I will take that as a yes,” Buck mumbled. He sighed, briefly resting his head in his hands before continuing, “Say something, Tommy. You've got your grumpy face and everything; I know you're mad.”
“I'm not mad,” he answered, obviously mad. “And I do not have a grumpy face.”
“You very much do have a grumpy face.” He tried to meet Tommy's eyes from across the island, but Tommy was avoiding him. “Come on, Tom,” Buck said calmly, patiently, “Talk to me.”
Tommy put down the knife and, for the first time since Buck got home, he looked at him. His eyes were red. It almost looked like he'd been crying.
“I just don't get it, Evan. What would possess you to do that?”
“It's my job,” Buck defended. “It's our job. It's what we do.”
“No. No, what you did was way beyond the job. You know how I know it was beyond the job?” He asked rhetorically. “I know because, when I was watching the news, I could hear Bobby on the live feed yelling at you to not go back in.”
“I- I had to go back in though, Tommy. I had to save him. If I didn't go back in, he would have died.”
“He. Was. A. Hamster!” Tommy replied, emphasizing each word. “You risked your life, for a hamster.”
“Of course I did!” Buck said, as though it was crazy to think he wouldn't go back in. “Tommy, you didn't see that little girl crying. Sh- She just got Georgie a couple months ago for her birthday a- and she took such good care of him. She was freaking out. I didn't really think about it, I just went.”
“That's the problem!” Tommy exclaimed, motioning to Buck. “You didn't think about it. You never think about it. You go, and you run into the fire, and you become the hero, and you never once stop to think about you!”
“Hey, that's not fair-”
“What if the ceiling would have collapsed?” Tommy continued. “What if your exit had become blocked? Or the buildup of smoke got you lost? You never considered those things, did you?”
“I told you I didn't think about it,” Buck replied. His voice was quiet, reserved. He wasn't sure if what he was feeling was anger or shame. Either way, he hated it.
“Well, you should have.”
Okay, now Buck knew it was anger he was feeling. “Oh, thank you for those- those wise words. You've really changed my perspective. You should have,” he mocked, getting up from his seat. He went to head toward their bedroom, every intention to slam the door behind him, but instead he turned back around to face Tommy. “You know, we've been together for two years and never once have you made me feel bad for doing my job! In fact, most of the time, you seem to find it pretty hot.”
“When you're not being careless.”
“I was not being careless! I was saving an animal! I was helping that kid wh- who just lost everything she had.”
“Yeah, well what about us, Evan? What about everything you have? Our future? Our kids?”
All the retorts Buck had prepared suddenly disappeared. He stared at Tommy for a moment, dumbfounded, before uttering out, “Our... Our kids? Tommy, we don't have kids.”
Tommy put his hands on his hips, standing straighter. “No, not yet, but one day we will.”
“You think about that?”
“Of course I do,” Tommy replied as though it should be obvious. “We've talked about having kids someday, Ev.”
“Yeah, I- I know we talked about it I just didn't know you thought about it.” Any hint of anger in his voice had long fallen away.
“Don't you?”
Buck nodded. “Yeah. A lot.”
Tommy took a breath, rubbing his hands over his eyes to try and wipe away some of the exhaustion from the day. He moved around the island, taking a few steps closer to Buck. “I just worry,” he said, his voice faltering. “I worry that one day you're going to run into a burning building looking for a turtle, or a fish, and then I'm gonna have to explain that to our kids. I'm gonna be left,” he paused, “left alone, and I can't- I can't handle that.”
“But what if it's a person?” Buck asked. “How would that be any easier?”
“It wouldn't be easier,” Tommy admitted, “but at least I'd understand it then. Listen, Evan, I love animals as much as the next person but I love you a lot more. I'd like to know that when you're at work, you're there with the priority to come back home.”
Buck moved closer to Tommy. Close enough to reach out and grab his hand. “I can't promise you that I'll never run into a building looking for an animal again. That's just me, you know that. But I can promise you that surviving and coming home to you, and our future children, is always in the front of my mind. Always.”
Tommy nodded, blinking away tears. “Today was, um, it was the first time I was ever home, just sitting and watching the news and there you were. They had a special alert for the fire, and it was just live coverage of everything happening, and there you were,” he took in a shaky breath. “I couldn't do anything but watch and when you ran back in, I- I started counting. It was four minutes, twenty three seconds and I don't think I took a breath that entire time. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it kind of felt like my heart was breaking apart, piece by piece.”
Buck shook his head. “That's not ridiculous,” he said, squeezing Tommy's hand even tighter. He pulled Tommy closer, wrapping him in a hug. “I would've felt the same way if it was you. I'm sorry.”
Tommy rested his chin on Buck's shoulder, closing his eyes. “You don't need to be sorry.”
After they held each other for a moment, Tommy pulled back just enough to look at Buck. “Evan, I don't want you to change who you are. You know that, right?”
“I know,” Buck replied, and it was true. He knew Tommy loved him for exactly who he was, even if he was a little reckless sometimes.
“I just-”
Buck raised a hand to Tommy's cheek, stopping him. “I know,” he assured him. He leaned in, giving Tommy a soft kiss. Tommy sighed into it, the tenseness from the day leaving his body.
“I think we should order out,” Buck said once they parted. “Dinner's starting to smell a little charred.”
Tommy's eyes widened. “Oh God,” he said, rushing over to the burnt pot of food on the stove.
“So, did they say anything about me on the news?” Buck asked cheekily as Tommy turned off the stove and dumped the pot into the sink. “Come up with any good nicknames?”
“Oh, actually, yeah,” Tommy replied. “They were calling you the Rodent Rescuer.”
Buck's face fell. “You're kidding.”
Tommy smiled. “I'm not.” He walked back over to Buck, pressing another gentle kiss to his lips. “I prefer Hamster Hero,” he said, smacking Buck's ass playfully as he headed into the living room to get his phone and order some food.
Buck smiled. “I hate you,” he said, plopping down on the couch beside Tommy.
Tommy wrapped his arm around Buck, pulling him to his chest. He leaned down and kissed the top of his head, running his fingers through Buck's hair. “Yeah, I hate you too.”
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thelov3lybookworm · 2 days
Text
Never Meant To Be
Beron Vanserra x Reader
Summary: an elite member of the society and a poor girl from the lower part of the town are destined to never be.
•○●⛦●○•
A/n: this is a beron fic. i do not in any way support abuse irl, but i wanted to rite for him. if you dont like beron, please dont read 😭
also. BIRTHDAY GIFT FIC FOR MY BELOVED @fell-in-luvs 🥹❣️
(dividers by @tsunami-of-tears <3)
anywho. enjoy!!
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Drip. Drip. Drip.
Y/n paused midstep, curious eyes peering over the railing, trying to find where the sound was coming from. Hands tightened on the wooden bannister of the stairway, eyebrows furrowing. Maybe she should have brought a candle with her. The room was too dark for her to make out anything but the window in the far wall, lit up with the moonlight that spilled in, liquid and shimmery under the cover of night.
Breath escaping her lungs, Y/n descended the rest of the stairs, carefully tiptoeing so as not to wake her father sleeping on the floor above. By this point, she could recall the creaky steps from memory, and it was easy to avoid them. What she was more concerned about was bones lying around. Those sharp bones that flew around as her father butchered animals was the only thing Y/n was concerned about, really, considering she was barefoot.
Quietly, she made her way towards the window, slowly pulling open the drawer where she kept the candles. By the time her fingers wrapped around the waxy stick, her eyes had started drooping already. It hurt to keep them open, to the point she considered just returning to her room and ignoring the dripping liquid. But the area she lived in was poor, and the people here could not afford to waste resources. Water was precious, most of it being used up by the elites of the society, whatever little was left flowing down to the lower suburbs where Y/n resided with her father.
She brought out the candle, shutting her eyes tight before blinking them open again in hopes it would help her shake the fatigue that began weighing down her shoulders. Lifting her fingers to the wick was a task that seemed impossible, but she somehow managed to light the candle up. With that, she hurried towards the faucets in the kitchen, squinting. Sure enough, water dripped from the tap. A breath escaped Y/n as she reached her hand out, grabbing the handle and twisting until the water stopped dripping.
She turned, wondering if she should take the candle back to her room.
Whack.
Y/n blinked, wincing. What was that? She made her way back towards the window, peering out. As her gaze wandered out towards the street between the crowded homes, her eyes narrowed. A group of what looked like… higher up males messing around.
Scoffing, she turned away, ready to just go back to bed.
Alas, the males had other plans for her as the moment her attention flitted away, the sounds of howling and loud, obnoxious cheers reached her ears.
Pompous snobs. Rolling her eyes, Y/n decided that her father waking up because these boys who lived on their daddy’s money thought it’d be funny to be loud in the night, when everyone was sleeping, was not worth it. Her father was always so tired, and the few hours of rest he got were precious.
She yanked open the window, leaning her head out. "Hey! Shut it!"
The four males turned to look at her, their eyebrows raised. They all looked young, maybe around four hundred years old. They had expensive looking embroidered jackets on, their hair either slicked back or pulled into a ponytail.
"Oh? And what will you do if we don’t shut it?"
Jaw clenched, she studied the males. Two of them had dark hair, blue eyes, and the build of a teenage mortal. Possibly more into studying arts and literature than being a warrior. One had long, flowy blond hair, his eyes hooded and green like the skin of a toad.
That thought brought satisfaction to Y/n.
The one who looked the oldest among the fae, the one with short length auburn hair, stared straight at Y/n, no emotion on his face. The others had sneers and taunting smirks plastered on their faces, but not this one. He stood stoic, his eyes fixated.
She stared back at him for a few moments, unable to look away. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she somehow knew him. That she was supposed to know him.
But then he turned away, dismissing her. She stared at his back in bewilderment, her temper rising, sleep long forgotten.
Who did he think he was?
She wanted to call him, demanding an explanation. But that would have consequences, and neither she nor her father could afford it. Not to mention that if any of these males were a part of the high lord’s court, it would mean a death sentence or banishment.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Y/n retreated, blowing out the candle and shoving it back in its drawer before she stomped her way back to her room.
Y/n was mad because of the males behaviour, but more than that, she was mad at the fact that she was so bothered by the red headed male turning away from her, like she meant nothing. Like she was less than the dirt on the bottom of his boots.
Fuck him.
Sleep evaded Y/n for the rest of the night, her mind too busy trying to dissect her reaction to the male.
It was unusual for her. She never really cared for what people thought of her, having learned long ago not everyone would be nice to her all the time. But this male. He stayed on her mind, refusing to leave.
Morning came earlier than it should have. And with the first rays of the sun came her father’s booming voice, yelling at her to stop sleeping and to get her ass moving.
It grated on her nerves, and she had half the mind to yell back at him. But she pulled herself together, donning a simple dress. She did not help with the butchering, not really, but she did have to go out every morning to get some extra water from the creek nearby.
"Father! I am leaving!" She called out as she slid on her boots. A grunt was the only answer she got in return.
Early mornings were a precious time, for most of the people only started to leave their houses once the sun was higher in the sky. That meant that Y/n was all by herself at the creek.
Silence, cherished and peaceful, surrounded Y/n, only occasionally broken by the chirps of birds flying overhead in search of food for their younglings. The sun peeking out from behind the distant hills bathed Y/n in a soft warmth, warding off the early autumn chill. She was grateful for the sun’s loving embrace and its company as she settled down at the riverbed, the wet soil under her legs soft as she started to fill up her bucket.
Water gushed around her hand as she broke the water's current, filling up the vessel in her hand.
Crunch.
Y/n’s body locked up, her heart rising into her throat at the sound. No one should have been here. Not at this time. It was too early. Her instincts roared at her to get up, to flee. But she did neither.
She turned her head, glancing over her tensed shoulders to look for the predator that had decided to make her their prey. Because this was a predator, Y/n knew in her bones. Be it fae or animal, it was a predator.
Her eyes wandered, cautiously landing on the immaculately dressed male.
Amber eyes met her own.
Auburn hair. Amber eyes. Embroidered, expensive jacket over a silk tunic and tailored pants.
The male from the previous night stared back at Y/n, a sadistic glint in his eyes.
"Think I lost my way." He called.
Y/n narrowed her eyes. There was no way he didn’t follow her.
"What do you want?" Y/n questioned, getting her feet under herself, trying her best to not have her back facing him.
A corner of his mouth lifted. "Nothing, really." At her skeptical expression, he chuckled. "Did you have a good night of sleep last night?"
Y/n narrowed her eyes. "Is that all you came here for?"
He took a step forward, grass bending under his boots. Y/n took a step back instinctively, a lump rising in her throat. Muscles rolled and moved to try and accommodate it, but swallowing did not help as he continued to come closer.
"No. That is not all." Y/n glanced behind her, realising she stood at the very edge of the bank. One step was all it would take for her to tumble back into the water, and she’d rather be yelled at than drown in front of him.
"I wanted to make it up to you."
Y/n blinked. "I… what?"
He smirked, barely inches between them when he next spoke. "Did you not hear me the first time?"
Blood rushed to Y/n’s face. Now that he was so close, she could make out the shadow of a beard on his face, like he hadn’t shaved in days.
"I don’t understand how you are going to get me back my sleep."
His head tilted to the side, animal like. "How old are you, little fawn?"
Her chin lifted, refusing to budge under the intense gaze of the predator. "Twenty three."
The corner of his lips lifted higher, and for a moment, Y/n could not help but stare.
Eyes flitted away after a moment, realising she had been staring. "Twenty three? You’re basically a child."
Muscles rolled in her neck, then she met his eyes. "And?"
He shook his head, leaning back. "Let me make it up to you, beautiful. Meet me at the town square at sunset."
She blinked. "Why would I do that?"
He smirked. Shrugged, his jacket moving with the movement of his wide shoulders.
Then he turned, and stalked away, leaving her gaping at his back.
What just happened?
She did not have the answer to that question, but she did know she was not going.
Quickly, she composed her thoughts and set to filling up her bucket again, already dreading the scolding she would receive from her father because she took too much time to return home.
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"Was he at least rich?"
Y/n froze, her fingers curling tighter into the sponge she had been rubbing against the pot. "What?"
"The male who wasted your time this morning. Was he one of the elites?"
Cold eyes turned to look at the weathered butcher, his eyes fixed on the meat he continued to whack with his knife. But Y/n knew his attention was fixed solely on Y/n and her answer.
Blowing a collected breath out of her nose, Y/n turned back to the pot she’d been scrubbing. "Maybe. How would I know?"
He scoffed. "Don’t play coy with me, girl. Do you want to keep all his riches for yourself?"
Eyes wide, she turned back to stare at him. "What do you mean by that?"
"You cannot expect me to believe your lies. A male just approached you out of nowhere, talked a little, then walked away, with no ulterior motives in mind?" Y/n simply stared at his back, and he finally dropped his knife, meeting his daughters eyes. "He obviously wanted to do something with you. He either wants to marry you, or he wants to use you for one night. Surely you can’t be that naive?"
Huffing, Y/n placed the pot back in the sink, throwing the sponge next to it and washed off her hands, trying to calm down her rising temper as she watched the soap suds vanish slowly.
"I’ll be outside."
"Go wherever you want, girl, as long as I get my share of money!"
Her eyes closed, a frustrated sigh puffing out from between her lips. Deciding that she needed more than the fresh air outside her walk, she began walking towards the town square mindlessly.
Not realising that it was almost sunset.
The square was busy, filled with males returning home from work and people who just wanted to have an early start to their nightly activities. The area was so crowded that Y/n debated turning around, but the thought vanished when she remembered why she was here in the first place.
To get away from her father. Maybe sit with some older ladies and have a chat.
"Going somewhere?"
Y/n glanced over her shoulder.
The male from the river side.
Her eyes widened, realising what time it was. He simply smirked and stalked forward, the crowd automatically parting for him. He didn’t even seem to realise that there were people around him.
"You look surprised." He mused.
Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe because I am?"
He chuckled. "You look like you’re in need of a distraction."
Y/n turned away. "Do I?"
He hummed. "I can provide a distraction."
She shot him an incredulous look. "No thank you."
She turned away, beginning to make her way through the crowd again. But… 
Maybe it would be a good idea to indulge him. At least for some time. Maybe she could even figure out why his nonchalant attitude bothered her so much.
"You know what? Humour me…"
A smirk spread across his lips, the first genuine expression Y/n had seen on him. "Beron."
Her brows furrowed. She knew she had heard that name somewhere.
There could be so many more males named Beron, She tried to reason with herself.
"Hmm. Let's see what you can do, Beron."
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Being a four hundred year old heir was a hard job, one Beron excelled at. His father was a fucking monster, but at least Beron could forget about the asshole when he snuck out with the bastards who kissed his ass every chance they got. Beron knew that they did not really care for him. No, they just wanted a shiny title once Beron became high lord.
Beron never really considered himself a nice male. He knew he was going to turn out just like his father, and if he was being honest, he was fine with that fact. He had no interest in becoming a better person.
But then Y/n pushed her way into his life. Or maybe he simply dragged her in. All that mattered was her, and nothing more.
She was a shiny gem.
Beron was a dragon.
And he wanted her in his collection, no matter what it took. Beron would gladly take all the torture his father made him go through if it meant at the end of the day he would get to see her. Maybe fuck her. But she made him come alive. And for the first time in all his four hundred years of existence, Beron wondered.
Wondered what a family with her would look like. Maybe he would become a better man.
But if there was one thing Beron wasn’t, it was delusional. He knew it was all wishful thinking. She was a nobody, a poor butcher’s daughter from the lower clans of autumn court. He was destined to take over ruling the whole court. They were never meant to be.
But in the cover of night, within the safety of the four walls of his room and under his blanket, Beron let his thoughts run wild, letting himself imagine a world where his father was a better man.
Of course, his hope was dwindling down day by day.
Particularly after his run in with his father that morning.
"You summoned me?" Beron muttered, his eyes lowered in deference.
The high lord hummed. "Come in." Lungs expanding, Beron made his way to stand in front of his father. "I will save us both time and get to the point."
Beron blinked.
"The peasant girl you’re fucking. I don’t want anyone finding out."
His blood chilled, eyes flying to fix on the relaxed figure of his father. "What?"
The high lord snorted. "You think I am naive? dumb? Listen closely, Beron. You are most likely going to be chosen by the magic to be the next high lord. I don’t want you marrying a good for nothing peasant. Fuck around, sure. But if I were you, I would make sure she did not fall pregnant." He finally looked at his son. "Oh and, start preparing. I have set up a marriage for you which will be beneficial for everyone."
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Nothing ever surprised Y/n. And if it did, she was good at hiding it.
It was a surprise to Y/n when Beron showed up at her house every day since then, but he was one of the elite families in the autumn court. So that meant he was never denied anything in his life, so it came as no surprise when he thought he was entitled to her time.
But what did surprise Y/n when she actually wanted to spend time with him. So she just went along with his plans, often spending time together sitting at the cliff sides, watching the sunset.
He just… pulled her in. He enchanted her, and she was grateful he did. He had bewitched her, body, mind, soul. And she never wanted to go back to what she was before he came along.
She was aware that their union was improbable. Maybe impossible. But no one could fault her for being hopeful.
The crisp autumn air swirled around Y/n as she made her way to the hut outside of the town's borders, invisible to the fae passing because of the cover of trees around it. Shivers wound up her spine, leaves crunching under her boots. She pulled the scarf around her neck tighter, already anticipating wrapping herself around her lover when she got to his secret home.
He had revealed the place to her late one evening, handing her the keys to it. Later Y/n found out he had brought the place specifically so the two of them could meet in peace.
Moments passed in silence, only broken by her steps and the movement of the trees, animals and spirits around her in the forest. She hurried on, eager to tell Beron about the kitten that had started following Y/n around the previous day, only slowing down when the wooden structure came into view.
Along with it came dread.
Why, she did not know.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, like even the wind was holding its breath.
Confusion dug its claws in, along with doubt and fear. Was Beron home?
The door creaked open, and she tiptoed inside, a resounding click echoing behind her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside, she stopped breathing.
What happened here?
The whole interior of the house looked like a storm had been inside. Shards of glass, cutlery, plants, wood pieces littered the ground, a dark stain covering a small area on the opposite wall. Hell, even the dining table was upended.
Her heart slowed, then resumed its hard pace. "Beron?" The sound of the name was shrill, panic evident as she discarded the basket in her hand next to the door, running deeper. "Beron? Are you home?"
Crash.
And then silence.
The door to the bedroom was cracked open, and the closer Y/n got, she could hear heavy breathing from the other side of the wood. Steps slowed, air rushing in despite the barrier in her throat as she peeked inside.
The first thing she noticed was the blood.
A lot of blood.
Dripping from his fist as he stood there, staring at the shattered glass at his feet.
"B- Beron?"
Wild, primal eyes met hers, mad intent in them. Fear started to seep into her blood the longer she stared back at him. And if she hadn’t been watching him so intently, she would have missed his whispered words.
"I’m getting married."
Ice. So cold, so numbing, took over any other emotion in her body, overriding her senses.
"Oh," deep breath, "well. Congratulations then."
And with that, Y/n turned away, ignoring his incredulous laugh echoing through the hollow walls that surrounded her.
"Go on, run away! Everyone does."
His words followed Y/n all the way to her home, haunted her all night. That laugh, the crack in his voice, the emotions that ran rampant in his eyes. All of it kept her up. Pained her, dug its claws into her heart and ripped her apart from the inside.
It felt like someone had cut open her body and lit a fire to her organs.
And she deserved it.
She hurt all night long, the tears running down the sides of her face and back into her hair burned too, like acid. But growing up in the lower parts, she was used to ignoring all pains. That's what people did when there were things to be done.
Ignore the pains during the day, cry about it at night. But keep it all inside, don’t let anyone find out.
So when the sun’s rays broke in through her windows, she made herself get up. Got changed. Stared at herself in the mirror until she was sure there were no cracks.
And then she went about her day, ignoring the shards of her broken heart that poked at her flesh.
Just like she had ignored the shiny, golden string that tied her to Beron.
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The females had been whispering. Everyone around Y/n seemed to know what was going on. She could not be quite sure what they were talking about, but from an overheard conversation between two housewives at the town square, Y/n drew the conclusion that the high lord had passed.
And the heir was going to take over soon. He was also getting married in a few hours in the sacred temple in the middle of the town, and anyone was free to come see and give their blessings. As Y/n had expected, her father jumped at the opportunity to even be breathing the same air as the elites.
Y/n knew he also wanted to go and see if he could find a male willing to pay in exchange for Y/n’s hand.
"Y/n! We will miss the wedding! Can you be any slower?"
Deep breaths. She reminded herself as she fixed her skirts, eyes fixed on the mirror. When she deemed herself fit to be presented, she turned.
Her father looked livid as he stood outside the house, and Y/n knew a tantrum was on its way. But to Y/n’s surprise, he turned and walked away, leaving her to run after him to catch up.
The air was unusually humid the closer they got to the clearing in the forest where every high lord had held important events.
It seemed like everyone had come to see the new high lord get married. Every few moments, an elbow would hit Y/n in the back, in her ribs. Anywhere, really.
It was by the time that she was sure that her skin was going to bruise that the high lord came into view.
And Y/n’s lungs turned into rock, refusing to expand to let air in.
Amber eyes surveyed the crowd, landing on hers with unnatural precision.
Eyes prickling, Y/n watched him glance at his bride, who nodded along to the priestess, before returning to her.
A silent, long moment passed. And then his eyes widened, shining with so much emotion. She had never seen him this bothered.
And finally, the empty, cold void that had been on the other side of the golden string that had laid dormant in her chest filled, light and fire filling her chest.
But Y/n turned her head away.
She was not someone he should have even talked to in the first place. She was far beneath his level. He would not forfeit his throne for her. And she could not forfeit the simplicity of her life for him.
They were simply not meant to be.
And the light that had just reached her slowly diminished, the life going eerily quiet. She knew she hurt him, but she could do nothing to fix him, even as her chest started filling with numbness, anger and resentment pouring in from the other side.
With one last glance, Y/n sprinted away, back to the little hut she shared with her father.
She would never be able to forget that look on his face. The hrd angels that seemed accentuated by the weeks worth of stubble on his jaw, the fury that seemed to age him another century.
But they were never meant to be.
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Tim and Sylvia Friendship Headcanons
-They both met at Buck’s when they were ten years old, Tim having just started dealing and Sylvia flirting with the old drunks at the bar so she could pickpocket them. Tim noticed how much money she was getting and tried to shake her down for it but when he flipped open his switch she just laughed at him and pulled out one of her own. They’ve been best friends ever since, even though it took ages for Tim to admit it
-Sylvia is the only person who can call him ‘Timmy’ without getting slugged and it’s mostly because she wore him down.
-Sylvia is a con artist extraordinaire and Tim’s a gang leader and somehow they know everything and nothing about each other at the same time
-Almost everyone in Tulsa thinks they’re an item/have hooked up at least once but their relationship has only ever been 100% platonic. Even if Tim wasn’t gay and Sylvia was capable of love they both just couldn’t ever look at each other that way
-Tim thought HE had a good poker face but his is nothing compared to Sylvia’s. The only thoughts or feelings people can read from Sylvia are the ones she wants them to 
-They both have a radar for when Curly and/or Angela are about to get into trouble even though Sylvia is better at dealing with problems AFTER they arise whereas Tim is all about stopping them from happening in the first place
-Sylvia will occasionally disappear for a few days or a week and Tim never asks where she’s gone, but once she was gone for nearly two months and when she showed back up (twenty pounds lighter and with a newly stitched stab wound) he almost cried- he didn’t, but he did hug her and she actually let him
-Sylvia has been locked up almost as many times as Tim has, and they have a joking competition where they keep track. Whoever has the most tally marks each new years owes the other a pack of cigarettes. Tim had the title for three years in a row before Sylvia beat him and he was genuinely kind of upset about it (mostly because she kept making smart remarks about him becoming a ‘model citizen’ and he has a reputation to keep)
-Curly got the idea to play chicken with Ponyboy from Sylvia because he overheard her make an offhand comment about she and her cousins used to do it
-Sylvia originally went on a date with Dallas Winston because she knew it would piss of Tim, and then kept going out with him because of curiosity (y’know that meme that’s like ‘i wanna study you in a lab but also share fries with you’- that’s how Sylvia views Dally)
-Tim also warned Dally he had no idea what he was getting into when he asked Sylvia out but he obviously didn’t listen 
-we all know Dally & Sylvia we’re a toxic ass couple, and I think a huge contributing factor is that Sylvia played dumb but she was actually way smarter than Dally ever gave her credit for so every time he thought he had her figured out, she’d do something or say something that would shake up how he saw her and it made him feel stupid (which we all know he hated) but also made him more desperate to figure her out 
-Sylvia thinks the Curtis brothers are strange and avoids them as much as possible because they’re genuinely upstanding guys and she’s not used to people who aren’t just out for themselves
-Sylvia lives in six inch stilettos and they make her the same height as Tim (Sylvia is already tall for a girl) and it annoys him to no end
-Sylvia and Steve absolutely loathe each other but because they’re both friends with Angela they try to be civil when she’s around. Tim finds Sylvia’s ire at the guy endlessly funny
-Sylvia was the first person to find out about Tim being gay. He was terrified but she just rolled her eyes and told him to hide his magazines better 
-Tim is the only person who knows anything about Sylvia’s parents that isn’t rumour based speculation, and he will take those secrets to his grave
-Sylvia was originally HORRIFIED when she realised Tim had a thing for Darry Curtis because she does NOT trust that guy he is too nice to not be hiding some dark secret. It’s the only time Tim didn’t at least take her advice into consideration (and Sylvia was eventually forced to grudgingly admit she was wrong about this one)
-Sylvia is a better marksman than Tim, but Tim is more patient than Sylvia, so when they go hunting Tim bags more animals, but when they’re target shooting Sylvia always has a better score
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losfacedevil · 2 days
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Darkness of The Night // SFK
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a/n~ This one is something that has been eating my brain for the last few weeks. I know very little about Vampires so please, be gentle. I’ve pulled a lot of inspiration from I See Hell In Your Eyes by @joshsindigostreak (run and read it if you haven’t!) Also the biggest shout outs to @vanfleeter @readyforthegarden & @joshsindigostreak for fully supporting and encouraging this idea, I may not have written it had they not! (WC 3.3k)
WARNINGS: Mentions of blood, biting and such.
Without further ado…
There was a certain comfort that was found in the freedom and solitude of hitting the road with no real destination in mind. A night away from home after a stressful, and trying week calling your name as you packed an overnight bag and slipped into your car. Jamming the key into the ignition, you started the car and backed out if your driveway, a soft sigh escaping you as you began the short journey to the highway. 
With the windows down as far as they could go you zoomed down the highway, just barely abiding by the speed limit. Feel good music of your teenage years blasted through the car radio speakers, just loud enough to be audible through the wind whipping around the car but not loud enough to earn you a citation from an angry state trooper. The farther you traveled the lower the music was set as the wind slowly dissipated around you and the calm of the night time sky shrouded the road in darkness. 
You glanced at the clock on the dashboard, noting that it was close to dinner time, and as if on cue, your stomach rumbled loudly. A soft chuckle slipped past your lips and you reached down, rubbing your hand gently against your stomach as your eyes scanned the road signs, looking for one that advertised any sort of food that was nearby. It didn’t take long for you to find an exit that lead you directly to a small little mom and pop shop just down the road from where you exited the highway and you pulled in to the parking lot, cutting the engine off as you stared into the dimly lit building.  
Wired - a little hole in the wall mom and pop shop you had never heard of and the perfect indication that you had traveled a lot farther than you had meant to travel. Pulling a deep breath in through your nose, you secured your bag on your shoulder and slid out of the car, eyeing the building with just a little more suspicion. A flashing neon ‘Open’ sign being the only indication that the diner was open. 
A little set of jingle bells placed above the door began to sound as you pushed the door open, alerting the waitress to your presence. She popped her head around the door frame from kitchen and a soft smile spread across her lips as she wiped her hands on the dish towel slung over her shoulder. She sauntered her way out from the back and rested her arm against the countertop, leaning forward slightly as you stood just inside the door looking around at the quaint little dining area. 
“Hey, Sugar. What’s got you down around these parts?” She asked, slapping her order pad and pen down against the counter top. A sheepish smile spread across your face as you made your way to the counter and perched yourself against the edge of the chair. 
“I just needed to get away for the night so I packed a bag and hit the open road. Any hotels around here you could recommend?” You asked and pulled the laminated menu across the counter so you could get a better look at it. The waitress never took her eyes off of you as she watched you scan the menu curiously before deciding on the easiest thing they could make. 
“There’s one just a few blocks up a friend of mine owns, he’ll help you out, no problem. Now, what can I get you to eat?” She cooed and quickly jotted down your order for a burger and fries with a coffee to wash it all down with. A soft smile spread across her face and she produced a water bottle from what you could only imagine was a mini fridge under the counter. 
“You hang tight, I’ll have that food ready for you in a jiffy!” The soft tone of her voice reminded you that you were safe in the diner - even if you felt like the area was a little bit off for your liking. 
You let your mind and eyes wander, taking in every ‘first dollar’ from their original opening and subsequent re-openings over the years. A peculiar painting of what looked like a family from a fantasy world occupied the spot right next to the door to the back. A tall man with long, dark hair, a long dark goatee, and oddly pointed looking ears sat next to a blonde haired blue eyed woman who was holding a baby that looked to be her carbon copy. 
That was when you caught movement out of the corner of your eye. Taking a deep breath, you shifted your gaze to the opening in the wall and that was when you spotted him. A boy who looked no more than twenty one peered at you around the far back corner, in constant motion as he washed dish after dish, leaning over only slightly to place them in what you assumed to be a drying rack. His gaze was piercing, the dark color of his irises only amplified by the dim lighting in his work space. He worked blindly, his gaze not leaving yours until you broke the awkward eye contact and averted your gaze to the very outdated menu board to your left. 
You were shaken out of your thoughts as the bubbly waitress made her way out of the back and placed a plate with a burger the size of your face and a heaping helping of fries to match down on the counter in front of you. Your mouth watered as the smell of the food hit your nostrils and you shot the waitress a beaming smile as you began to pluck fries off of your place and popped them eagerly into your mouth. 
“If you need anything else you let me know okay, Sugar? I’m gonna go help Sammy back there wash the rest of the dishes from the dinner rush. Just give me a holler.” She smiled brightly and placed a hand against yours, squeezing it gently before she turned on her heel and disappeared into the back. 
There was something calming in the quiet of the diner, the only sounds drifting through the air being that of the clinking dinnerware being washed somewhere behind the wall. You pulled out your phone and headphones, needing just a little enrichment in the quiet space of the diner. Placing an ear bud gently in your ear you scrolled to your favorite chill playlist and let the soft music engulf your mind and senses as you enjoyed the food set in front of you. 
It didn’t take long for you to finish your dinner, having not eaten anything in the last couple of hours, and you sighed contentedly as you sipped on your remaining coffee. You let your eyes begin to wander again, this time landing on a portion of the wall that was covered with newspaper clippings and articles all about Wired and its rich family history. ‘Family owned for 90 years!’ Read one of the article titles. Squinting your eyes you tried to make out some of the print below the title, quite curious about the diner you sat in. 
The sound of someone clearing their throat caught your attention and you turned your head back to the proper position. There in front of you stood a tall, lanky male; one you recognized as the boy that was holding a starting contest with you earlier in the evening. There was something about the dark amber color of his eyes that had you entranced and a soft smile spread across your face by way of a greeting. 
Your heart hammered in your chest as you took in his appearance. The youthful glow of his skin was something you could only wish to be in possession of. The warm color of his cheeks having your stomach feeling weird and it was then that you noticed his hair. Worn in a loose bun at the nape of his neck, you couldn’t help but wonder just how long his hair truly was. 
“Mind if I?” He mumbled and motioned to the now empty plate that sat in front of you. You shook your head gently and nodded at the plate, signaling you were fully finished using it. 
“Absolutely, have at it.” You couldn’t help the giggle that slipped past your lips. There was just something enchanting about the man that stood in front of you. His gaze never left yours as he scooped up the plate and grimaced slightly, his thumb having slipped into the now warm ketchup that was smeared across the lip of the plate. 
“Ketchup is far too reminiscent of blood for my liking.” He mumbled and swiftly turned on his heel, making his way back into the kitchen where the clattering of the plate in the sink could be heard. A breath you weren’t aware you had been holding whooshed out of your chest and you slumped forward slightly, suddenly light headed. The waitress - whose name you hadn’t caught - made her way back into the dining area and a worried look kissed her features. 
“Hey honey, are you feeling alright?” She asked, placing a cool hand against your now flushed forehead. You nodded your head and tried to straighten the way you were sitting. Reaching forward you grabbed for the now room temperature water bottle that sat next to your cup of coffee and downed half of it in one gulp. 
“Yeah I… I think maybe I just need rest. Where did you say the nearest hotel was?” You asked, trying to will away the woozy feeling you weren’t sure the cause of.  You could see the man you now knew as Sammy out of your peripheral vision, standing just slightly out of view in the doorway to the back of the building. 
He had scented you before he even saw you, noting the way something subtly sweet and floral clung to your skin. His mouth had began to water and gums itched as his fangs tried to break free of their confines and slip down into place. He knew better than to act on the instincts he was still trying to learn to rein in, having only been working in the same building as humans for a very short period of time. 
Sam’s mind reeled with the possibilities of getting you alone and convincing you that just a little taste would be okay. But he knew better, human blood was not there for the taking. He couldn’t stand the phantom hammering of his heart in his chest and spun on a heel, trying to distance himself even further from you when his coworker called his name. 
“Sammy, won’t you be a dear and walk our friend to her car? We wouldn’t want anything to happen to her, now would we?” She drawled and placed a reassuring hand on your arm, instilling in your head that you would be safe and unharmed in Sam’s care. His eyes fluttered shut and he swallowed hard, willing the flaring of his nostrils to cease as he turned back around and slowly made his way to the counter. 
“Yes, we wouldn’t want any… demons of the night to come out and snatch her, now would we, Marjorie?” The way he spoke was smooth, his voice keeping a steady tone even when he turned to you. You felt your eyes widen slightly and you swallowed hard as you willed yourself to believe the way his eyes shown red was a play of the dim lighting you were sitting in. 
Sam made his way around the small counter and cupped his hand gently around your elbow, helping you to stand and slowly began to lead you out of the diner. You weren’t sure why you felt the way you did or why you were fully on board with this man having a steadying hand against your elbow, but you allowed him to lead you out of the diner and into the darkness beyond. 
“So what’s a pretty girl like you doing around these parts alone?” The last word slipped past his lips in a tone you weren’t quite sure how to decipher. You swallowed hard and shook your head gently, trying to rid it of the brain fog that was slowly creeping in. 
“I uh… needed a night away from my life so I…um. I packed a bag and just took off but I’m not entirely sure… where exactly I am.” Your ability to form sentences became sluggish and you squeezed your eyes shut as you wracked your brain for the words you were looking for. 
The hammering of your heart in your chest was starting to drive him crazy. His eyes fluttered shut and his grip on your elbow faltered, allowing you to free yourself from his grasp and you leaned up against the side of your car. Sam regretted the deep, calming breath he pulled in through his nose as your subtly sweet scent enveloped his senses and his gums began to ache. 
“And how did you find us? We’re not exactly your average fast food chain.” He mumbled and let his eyes meet yours willingly for the first time that night. You swallowed hard, hoping the darkness and the fluorescents of the street lights were the reason the amber coloring of his eyes seemed off. Pulling a deep breath in through your nose you couldn’t help but take notice of the way he smelled. The richness of what you could only guess what leather and a hint of bitter sweetness danced in your nostrils. 
“There was a sign advertising food at this exit. This place was the first place I found.” You gulped as his hand came to rest on the car next to your head and he leaned in slightly, closing some of the distance between the two of you. A soft smile spread across his lips as he reached up with his other hand and curled his index finger under your chin, tilting it ever so slightly. 
“And we were… enticing enough for you to stop, were we?” He questioned and swallowed hard, dipping his head lower and pulled a deep breath in through his nose. Your eyes fluttered shut as the sudden contact, focusing on how the cool skin of the tip of his nose felt against the warmth of your neck. 
Iris - your scent was sweet and subtly tainted of the scent of irises. Sam’s mouth began to water and his fangs slowly descended as your scent wrapped him in feelings he was unsure of how to handle. 
“This was the closest place… I didn’t want to fall asleep at the wheel… needed food.” Your thoughts were jumbled as Sam’s large hand engulfed the side of your neck, his fingers spread wide and he slowly danced them over your warmed skin. 
“Your skin is so soft…you wouldn’t mind if I stole a little taste of it… would you? The perfect payment for your meal.” He mumbled, nuzzling his face gently into the crook of your neck. You felt the scrape of something against your neck and your mind went blank, unsure of what exactly was happening. 
Sam knew he had you right where he wanted you and he slowly pierced your skin with his fangs. A groan slipped past his lips as your blood slowly trickled into his mouth, so warm and sweet, a taste he knew was forbidden but too good to pass up. His pulls were gentle at first, his intentions only meaning to pull a taste from you. But the more he savored the taste, trying to put his finger on what exactly you tasted of, the harder the pulls he began to take from you. It was then that a memory of yours bloomed in his mind - something he wasn’t familiar with.
Tears streamed down your cheeks as you sat in the break room of your store, trying to process what had just happened. Being called out by a customer wasn’t anything out of the ordinary in your line of work but the hand she had raised and struck you with had taken you fully off guard. You had spun on your heal and ran to the back, wanting nothing more than to shrivel up and hide. 
“Hey, are you okay?” Your coworkers placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder and help up an ice pack for you to take. You nodded gently and accepted her offering, holding it gently against your cheek. 
“What happened?” She asked, rubbing your shoulders reassuringly as she listened to you recount exactly what had happened. A deep sigh slipped past your lips and you shrugged your shoulders, pulling the ice pack away from your face briefly so your skin could warm. 
“I just want to go home. Maybe take off for the weekend, I don’t know.”
The memory faded away and Sam’s mind became painfully aware of just how slow your heart beat had gotten. He willed himself to pull back and ran his tongue along the puncture wound by way of healing it, as panic slowly began to set low in the pit of his stomach. Your body has since gone limp, legs no longer holding your own weight  as Sam pressed his chest firmly against yours. He knew he screwed up and only had a matter of minutes to make a decision to let you go or heal your now lifeless body. 
“Shit, shit, SHIT!” His words came out on a whispered scream, not wanting Marjorie to become aware of his antics. 
Sam sank to the ground and leaned his back against your car, slowly laying your lifeless body across his lap. He drew in a deep breath between his gritted teeth and lifted his bare wrist to his lips, piercing his fangs through the thin skin of his wrist. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the blood he had drawn from his own body pool against his skin. Panic began to cause a phantom hammering of his no longer beating heart in his chest and he brought his wrist to your slightly parted lips. He couldn’t help the way his eyes widened as you still lay unresponsive, the inner turmoil of you being his first kill something he couldn’t fully come to terms with. 
“C’mon, please, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” His voice broke as his whispers fell on deaf ears. There was a feeling of finality washing over him as he made the decision that you were too far gone. A soft sigh escaped him as he flexed his wrist once more and a fresh stream of his blood trickled into your mouth. Sam let his head fall back against the car door, fighting the phantom feeling of tears prickling the backs of his eyes. 
It was then that he felt your muscles tense slightly, a positive reaction to the blood he had been feeding you. Your head fell to the side and your lips wrapped around his wrist, the tell tale feel of and instinctual pull causing all of the air to whoosh out of Sam’s chest as he realized you were going to pull through. 
Your body felt more alive in his lap, your muscles no longer laying lifeless against his thighs. Sam breathed a sigh of relief as your lips released his wrist and you head rolled in the opposite direction. Sam’s eyes snapped in the direction of the diner, knowing he had been outside for far too long and he focused his mind on Marjorie’s and slowly back tracked the timing in her head, accounting for more than half of the time he had been out of the diner. 
Pulling a deep breath in through his nose he shuffled the way he was sitting and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. Tilting his head to the sky he screwed his eyes shut and blindly maneuvered through his contact list. He pressed the phone to his ear and counted the rings on the other end, knowing Josh wouldn’t answer on the first. His chest ached as the line came alive and his eldest brother greeted him down the line. 
“Josh… I screwed up big time.”
Until next time….
TAGLIST: @vanfleeter @readyforthegarden @joshsindigostreak @ascendingtostardust @sammysprincess @sammykiszkamyass @belovedsamuel @dannythedog @stardustvanfleet @devilat-thedoor @the-wicked-gnome @runwayblues @gracev0609 @lipstickitty @sunfl0wer-power @allieisacrybaby
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Rain
Ed x gn!reader
i tried to do some experimental writing. idk if I like it yet. art is by @11039 on twitter warning-reader wears a skirt
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Ed never understood why you liked the rain so much. He hated the feeling of water dripping down his neck and how the cold air would graze his skin. He cursed under his breath, leaning against the wall and pulling the hood over his head against the sudden overcast. The rain was relentless, coming down in heavy sheets that made it almost impossible to see more than a few feet in front of him.
As a kid, he remembered lying awake, unable to sleep due to the rhythmic tapping against the tents, and he refused to step foot outside, in fear of confronting the thing that was making all this noise. Ed could almost hear his old man giving him hell for staying up so late, especially when he couldn't open his eyes for more than a couple of seconds in the morning.
But as he got older, he saw the rain as another means to wash the blood from his split knuckles and to soothe his aching muscles whenever he was caught in the middle of it. Nothing more, nothing less.
He watched you from under the awning, as you stood amidst chaos, head tilted to the sky, and eyes closed as the rain kissed your face. The water soaked through your clothes and clung to your skin, but you didn't seem to care. Occasionally, someone would pass, huddled under their umbrellas, and shuffling through the streets to get home. Good to know they have half the brains to take shelter when cats and dogs are falling outside.
The sounds of your laughs were almost drowned out by the storm as you played in the puddles. At least someone can appreciate this weather more than him.
You were a mystery to Ed, one he couldn't wrap his head around. He never understood you and he never will. But occasionally, he can catch a glimpse of your world when he stares at you from a distance.
You once told him it was about the feeling the rain brought, how it cleanses the streets of dirt and grime to make room for something new. Yeah, well I don't need a cleansing, he said. I never said you did, you replied.
You never needed to.
Lost in thought, Ed hardly noticed when you stood in front of him, lifting the hem of your skirt slightly to keep it from dragging in the water collected by your feet. And eyes glossy as the droplets of rain clung to your eyelashes.
You simply stood there and extended your hand with rain dripping from your fingertips. Waiting patiently, for him to make the first move.
He stared down at the palms of your hands, which were different from the callouses and scars he'd built up on his over the years. They say you can tell a lot about a person from how they present themselves down to their fingertips.
But he couldn't even get a read on you either. You were a walking contradiction, delicate yet brutal, kind yet selfish, strong yet weak, and the list goes on. You were something new but different to him.
And no matter how much he wanted to claim how different he was from you, he had to admit you were just like him. Two sides of the same coin, wanting to get stronger for different reasons.
With a sigh, he pushed himself off the wall and stepped in front of you, eyes burrowing in yours as you gazed back at him with a smile on your face. Whenever you wanted something from him, Ed never gave it to you without a fight. Ed knew you knew what he was doing, and he was watching your every move.
Your gazes met, and suddenly, it seemed as though the world around you disappeared, leaving just the two of you alone in the rain. There was a challenge in his gaze, a silent dare for you to meet him head-on.
How long were you willing to stay here if he doesn't give in to your whims? 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day? Knowing you, you'd probably stay here until you both kicked the bucket.
Stubborn brat.
Ed couldn't help but scoff at the thought, though a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He looked at your extended palm once more before taking it in his. Your fingers were cold against his warm skin. And his touch made you feel warm while yours made him feel cold. I'm guessing this what you wanted, right? he said as you swiped your thumb along his knuckles.
Yeah, it was, you replied, squeezing his hand and slowly pulling him out from his shelter.
And like an idiot, he stepped headfirst into the storm.
Ed still never saw the 'beauty' you always told him was in the sky, like the diamonds glistening in the rain or angels singing a quiet choir as the clouds parted. And maybe he never will.
But through the rain, he saw you.
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The English Client — Twenty
— PAIRING: Tom Riddle x F!Reader
— SYNOPSIS: The year is 1952. Tom is working for Borgin and Burkes. He is sent to Rome to acquire three ancient books of magic by any means necessary. One in particular proves challenging to reach, and the only path forward is through a pretty, young bookseller. A foreigner like him, she lives alone, obsessed with her work... until Tom comes into her life.
— WARNINGS: angst, and a bit of fluff
— WORDCOUNT: 2.2k
— TAGLIST: @esolean @localravenclaw @slytherins-heir
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I
He woke up with her in his arms the next morning. It was often the case when they slept in her flat too, although mornings at Tom’s were colder — probably because his room faced west and got little of the sunlight. She was still asleep when he opened his eyes with her back turned toward him. Tom didn’t move not so much to let her sleep a little longer as to allow himself a few more moments to think. He was ashamed of what happened. Just when he thought he had her wrapped around his finger he had failed, and found her as resolute and stubborn as always. It was his own fault for underestimating her resolve, and it was a strange sensation indeed to be proud of her and ashamed of himself.
She’d curled up with her back to him over the night, difficult as it was with his bed so narrow, and hugged her knees to her chest. Tom held her from behind, one arm thrown over her waist above the covers. His body felt quite stiff and colder than usual — and then he realised he’d gone to bed wearing nothing, and sighed. His fingers around her waist flexed open and cupped the hint of her tummy beneath. He was, in a stilted sort of way, frustrated with himself. He hadn’t made a lot of progress with her when it came to making her cooperate… Even if they had made love — was that what it was? — and he’d shown her a perfect path to submission, and after all the careful planning that went into choosing an opera about running away from one’s duty and how sweet that could be… After all of that, she still wasn’t convinced. He could heap pleasures onto her, but he couldn’t tempt her. He wanted to slap himself. He’d never met a more difficult woman.
Tom sighed and watched as his breath tickled the hairs at the nape of her neck. He was on his own again, as he always had been.
He wondered if he should count it as something to her credit rather than a personal failing of his… Had he just read her that wrongly, miscalculated her mettle, or had he simply gone about this clumsy and half-heartedly? He didn’t fail often, and his failures never ended well — in fact, they usually ended with him being punished — but this one really stung. He didn’t even want to consider that the reason for his failing was her.
Whatever fretting he was doing, however deep within, it must have been loud enough that his breathing or his grip on her gave it away. She whimpered in her sleep and her limbs shifted as she stretched. Her naked legs bumped into Tom’s and that’s when she must’ve remembered he was there. She stilled, and turned, and immediately smiled upon seeing him.
“Good morning,” he said with a smile of his own, albeit a more contrived one.
“Mornin’…”
“Tired?” he asked, his left arm sliding from underneath his head to brush the messy locks of hair off her forehead.
“Sore,” she groaned, although her smile gave away that she didn’t mind it very much.
“Mmmm… You’re welcome.”
“Have you gotten up yet?”
“Not yet. I’ve been waiting for you,” he said. He didn’t even have to lie.
II
Breakfast took priority over a shower, especially as in Tom’s building there was just a public washroom that was shared among the neighbours. She brewed the coffee while Tom buttered slices of toast, and as his flat had hardly enough furniture for both of them they ended up eating in bed, the plates arranged carefully on top of the duvet. Tom couldn’t be bothered to dress for the day, so he merely threw on yesterday’s clothes. She held her cup with one hand, the drink long since gone cold, while she picked fallen crumbs from the bed and put them back onto her empty plate. Tom didn’t look up. He didn’t need to. He followed her movements from the corner of his eye and felt the full impact of her thoughts upon him.
“You should say what’s the matter before you leave.”
She looked at him. A fire smouldered in her eyes that he felt like fleeing from. Tom knew she was upset about how he had behaved the night before, and he also knew more could be accomplished by addressing it out in the open. What she felt. What he pretended to feel.
“Is that all you have to say? After… after everything?”
“Every-what-thing?” Tom sighed, covering his mouth with a sip of black coffee.
“Tom!”
“What?”
“I have the sneaking suspicion you don’t realise just what you did last night.”
“Well clearly it can’t have mattered very much,” he said with an arched brow. “Nothing has changed in how you feel about me, has it?”
She looked at him with tired anger, her back straight but her limbs completely sapless. “You’re still upset with me.”
“No,” said Tom, placing his empty plate and cup on the bedside table, then leaning over to pick hers up too. “Nothing has changed, in fact. Nothing ever does.”
She frowned at him. Even his closeness couldn’t melt her that morning. As steadfast as Tom was, she was quite the same, and if he couldn’t convince her to join in his plan, all that was left to him were petty punishments. For someone like her, it meant withdrawing his love, however false it was to start with.
“You really are heartless, aren’t you?” she whispered, seeming quite upset at the realisation. “You’re just… indifferent to everything. To everyone. Nothing ever moves you.”
Tom looked at her coolly. He was beyond proving her right or wrong. She wanted to draw him closer, to tempt his heart to beat for someone, for her, but he would not permit it. It would only end in tears.
“How would you like me to be?” he asked, rolling up the sleeves of his wrinkled shirt. “Do you want a simpering idiot, a liar, a slave? Or do you want me, as I am?”
“And what am I to you, then?” she challenged, leaning toward him on the bed. “A gullible fool, I suspect.”
His eyes traced her naked shoulders, her soft hair that cascaded over them, the way her wrinkled slip dipped to cover her breasts in its shadow…
“You are what you choose to be,” he said, dragging his gaze to hers. “If you wish to open yourself to me, fully, I will take you, take everything inside both good and bad. But if you want to keep me at a certain distance,” he continued, somewhat accusingly and with shameless hypocrisy, “then I will forever be a distant, abstract thing to you.”
He was being cruel to her, he knew, and he wished he didn’t have to be. But as far as Tom was concerned, she’d forced his hand. He didn’t especially relish the prospect of threatening to take away the only comfort he’d provided in her life — that was, his companionship — but even more than that he loathed having to start again with finding an ally to help him get that book. And if he dug deep enough, he wouldn’t be surprised to find there a certain sense of betrayal. After everything I’ve done for her, he thought, and she still won’t trust me. She’s too smart for my own good.
Her eyes narrowed as if she could read his meaning in the air. Her heart understood him with shattering clarity, and then her mind begrudgingly accepted. Sweetness hadn’t gotten him what he wanted, so now he punished her. But as she looked up at him, realisation dawned that something was amiss. That natural confidence he usually displayed had withered and was covered up with frowns and haughty looks and sneers, a threatening closeness in his body and a distance in his eyes and all around him the air of evasion. He was ashamed of what he’d just confessed to.
“Is that all I am to you?” she pressed, sitting up in bed to face him. “A key for you to turn this way and that? And for what?”
Of course, for Tom, she was. She had to be. But as he sat so close to her, only softness and morning light between them, with her figure and her spirit and her voice aflame, he couldn’t bring himself to say it, not even to think of it. Why?
She took his silence to mean something else and her anger faded leaving behind bitter sadness. She pulled back and wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to clothe herself with something, to hide herself from him. And suddenly, the work of months melted before him. Was that how he should let it end? With the pettiness of a lover’s quarrel on a cold autumn morning? There had to be more, he saw it in her… So much potential. To some extent, if he was being honest, Tom was angry with himself for not doing a good enough job of pulling it out. He excused himself by thinking that he’d never had to do that before, with anyone, so of course he had no idea how… All his so-called friends from childhood had their uses but they were limited in their own ways. The professors too. After Hogwarts, he used and was used in turn by Burke, but that, at least, was a measurable quantity. And in his control. As for all the women he’d had dealings with in his employ, none of them were more than gnats in his estimation. There was nothing to them. Not like her.
Perhaps that was why the prospect of losing her scared him so deeply.
“No,” said Tom with a tired sigh, “you’re not.” Too proud to approach her again, to touch and hold her, he merely let his hands fall open on his knees. “I’ve been a bit of a monster, and I’m not sorry. But I don’t want to lose you because of it.”
He barely moved, the hint of an invitation in his subtle shift and the hopeful look in his dark eyes, but she crawled into his arms anyway. She hid her face in his lap and clung to him and Tom was quick to cover her with his body, resting his head over her back. She curled up tighter and pulled the edges of her slip over her knees like a shy little girl.
“I’m sorry too,” she mumbled. “For not being able to… to be as brave as you want me to be… To leave with you —”
“Hush now. We can forget all about it this morning.”
Their reconciliation was so sweet he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. She seemed to want more than anything to hide, to disappear, and Tom wanted to help her. And he wanted to help her achieve all those other things she didn’t dare demand — stupid and selfless as it was, and doomed to fail — in a way nobody had helped him before. Because, in his case, nobody else cared. However angry she made him, this silly muggle girl, he wanted the pride of that accomplishment as something separate from, and not necessarily in conflict with, his own goals. And he knew that something, someone inside him, would shame him if he failed.
III
Complete and utter darkness. That was what she saw in Tom’s embrace with her eyes closed and pressed into his trousers, her whole body curled and hidden by his own. It was a comfortable place to be. Tom was comforting, something he didn’t often allow of himself. It made her doubt everything she’d just accused him of. It wasn’t in his nature to explain his actions or to protest at all even against blatant unfairness… No, he held it all inside, buried beneath the dirt of his expansive pride.
“I’m sorry,” she sighed into his lap. “I want to think the best of you. I truly do. And I want… I want…”
His hands tightened on her arms for a moment and then came up around her shoulders to gently rub across them. If he felt anything he did not say it. But then, she didn’t need him to. She just tightened her grip around his waist, nuzzled her face into his thin and narrow abdomen, and rested in that quiet darkness. He’d scared her the night before, when he wouldn’t, wouldn’t stop no matter how many times she asked, even if it felt so good, but this… This felt better. Like something lost returned to her, a sense of innocence and joy which bloomed in her mind like a long-lost memory. With a few kind words from him and a welcoming embrace, it was suddenly as if she’d known Tom all her life. As if they’d grown up together.
His thumb brushed the top of her spine and as his grip around her tightened somewhat possessively a gentle swaying took them over. It was like a blood memory of what comfort felt like, not something either of them was familiar with and yet it came most naturally to them both. Perhaps it helped her that she couldn’t see his face, nor read his thoughts.
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whimsyprinx · 1 year
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as someone who read the unwound series a while back and the uglies pretty recently; they were surprisingly dark books from what i remember (but in like a good way)
!!! they are!!! my roommate and I were both describing the books to each other like “it’s fucked up and really messes with you” because like the fear and like idk despair, hopelessness, etc of the characters in each book is so real and there. Like they live in these ideal utopian worlds, this is all they’ve ever known and what they’ve been taught us okay and good and should be celebrated but then they start to question it and like ofc you the reader are already aware of the horrors but once the characters realize it too it sets in more (imo). I’m gonna be real I haven’t read a book book in A Long Time but unwound is now on my list of books to read and I also wanna try and get all the books for the uglies series again because I enjoyed them a lot.
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falled-over · 6 months
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remembering truganini is enough to ruin my day.
#i kind of want to make an art piece about her but i do feel weird using her as a basis for it. so it just exists in my head#its not like a 'i would need permission from palawa people to make it thing' i wouldnt do it even if i got permission. its not mine and#doesnt need to be#im sure the person reading this doesnt know who she is so heres a small part of her story;#she came from lutriwita tasmania. during her lifetime she personally witnessed an estimated 96% genocide of her people.#in the 1830's george a robinson towards the end of the 'black wars' (attempted palawa aboriginal genocide. it was very much#a war) travelled to offer a 'peace treaty' of sorts to the very few remaining (from an estimated 6-20 thousand to around 1-2 hundred)#saying they could go and live on an island where they'd be given flour and tea and a 'good white man' to protect them. truganini was asked#to be his guide to ensure he wouldnt be killed when attempting to speak to people. her reasonings for accepting were of course never#recorded but she did. and helped round up those people. almost all of whom died in the horrible conditions they were forced to live in on#that island (wybalenna). 16 made it back to lutriwita.#she saw the graves dug there for her people looted by settlers.#looted for bones. and skin. so they could be studied like specimines#the remaining people were sent back to live in an ex-convict camp in 1838. 8 years on that island. most died. as was the intention#even on her wikipedia page she is credited as 'one of the last full-blooded tasmanian aboriginals' which is a phrase highly contested by#living palawa people today. but she knew her reputation. she was considered the last tasmanian aboriginal.#upon the approaching of her death she took a trip to a nearby river and pointed to the deepest part of it#asking to be buried there#she had seen how her friends family and people had had their graves robbed by white settlers and knew the same would happen to her. she#wanted to rest in peace. in the bush. in the deepest part of the river#born around 1811-1812 she died in 1876#and the last piece of her skin was returned to lutriwita from a british scientific association in 2002.#126 years later#her skeleton was on display in the tasmanian museum (still in operation i might add) until the 1940s. some 70 odd years. and remained in#the museums storage before being returned to the palawa community in 1976. 100 years after her death#she asked to be buried in the deepest part of the river. where no one could touch her.
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greaseonmymouth · 1 year
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went through my marked for later list on ao3 to whittle it down as it’s been 5 years since I last just cleared the history knowing I would never get around to reading all 19 pages anyway, but I didn’t want to do that this time because I have just added a bunch of fics to it and anyway I had 14 pages and now I have 8 and I’m not sure that made any difference actually
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youngks-smile · 3 months
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What I Want You To Know About Long COVID
Well lads, I've been suffering from Long COVID for over a year now. My life is at a complete standstill. I'm 25 years old and I'm too sick to go back to school, I can't work, I had to move back in with my parents and I'm still stuck here.
Here are just a few things I wish people knew about Long COVID, including things I didn't know myself until I got it.
COVID destroys your immune system. Yes, even if you don't have Long COVID. Are you getting sick more often now? When you get sick, does it last longer? There are many studies showing that COVID causes t cell depletion, even in mild COVID cases! T cells are how your body remembers how to fight off infections you've had before so losing those cells? Bad news.
Your initial infection can be mild and you can still get Long COVID. Right from Yale Medicine, "Most people with Long COVID had mild acute COVID." (This is also a good link for a basic Long COVID overview).
There can be a gap of time between when you "get better" from the initial COVID infection to the onset of Long COVID symptoms. Some people get sick with an initial COVID infection and never get better. Some get better and then weeks or months later start developing Long COVID symptoms. Long COVID symptoms can even fluctuate over time, can go away for months and then suddenly come back.
So many people have Long COVID and don't realize it. Do you feel more tired lately but no matter how much you sleep, nothing helps? Is it harder to concentrate at work or school? Can you just not think like you used to? You could have Long COVID and not even know it. Even mild post-COVID symptoms are still Long COVID.
COVID can do anything to your body. Long COVID has over 200 recognized symptoms and can affect basically any part or system of your body. There is no one mechanism or cause of Long COVID which unfortunately also means there's no one cure either.
The effects of COVID are cumulative. Each COVID reinfection increases your chances of developing Long COVID. COVID is also affecting your body in other ways, yes, even if you're otherwise young and healthy! "Repeat COVID-19 infections increase risk of organ failure, death".
Once you have Long COVID, repeat COVID infections will make your symptoms worse. "80% [of Long COVID patients] saw their symptoms worsen [from reinfection]. In 60% of people who were in recovery or remission from Long COVID, reinfection caused a recurrence of Long COVID."
There is a lot more I want to say about Long COVID but I want to keep this post at least somewhat manageable to read. Like how when COVID is contracted during pregnancy, those COVID-exposed fetuses have a 6.3-fold increased risk of motor developmental delays, or that another study found 50% of babies exposed to COVID in utero had developmental delays.
You need to keep caring about COVID, for others around you and also for yourself even if you're "healthy". Everyone is at risk. And don't forget 40-60% of COVID infections are asymptomatic, which is why masking even if you feel fine is crucial. The only way right now to not get Long COVID is to not get COVID in the first place. It's not too late, if you've stopped masking it's never too late to start again! I know it's easy to get distracted by things in your life that seem more real than the possibility of getting sick some time in the future, and the peer pressure to not mask can be intense. But it only feels less real or less important until your entire life is having Long COVID. Trust me.
I know this is a complicated issue, many people can't afford to stay home when sick even if they want to because of their jobs, there are disgusting policies trying to ban wearing masks, but please if you can. Keep masking. Masking works, masking saves lives.
This post got a bit longer than I wanted so below the cut is a non-exhaustive list of my Long COVID symptoms and some of my experiences as one of the "healthy young people" who got "unlucky". cw brief mention of suicidal ideation.
Welcome to the Thunderdome that is my body with Long COVID. Keep in mind these are just my experiences and symptoms, Long COVID can cause any range of symptoms at varying severities.
Dysautonomia: Exercise intolerance, Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM), fatigue, and heat intolerance. What do those things mean? Here's some specific examples. Absolutely terrible circulation I am so cold all the time but also, if I get a little too warm I will pass out. Eating hot food makes my heart rate spike, I sweat, my body feels heavy. Blood pooling and pins and needles in my feet when I walk. Don't even think about exercising past walking, it's impossible. I used to work out an hour a day 4 times a week and now walking up one flight of stairs makes my heart pound and I can't breathe. Can't take even just warm showers anymore or I will pass out. Heat rashes from being in the sun for 10 minutes.
Digestive issues: Honestly too many to name but: constant bloating, extreme nausea, constipation, slow motility, lack of appetite, just so much cramping and pain. I lost 18 pounds from Long COVID, as someone who was already considered underweight their entire life, and almost had to get a shunt put into my chest to deliver nutrients because I was nearly completely unable to eat. For the first 6 months of Long COVID, if I could manage 600 calories a day, that was a good day.
Histamine intolerance: Oh boy. My worst symptoms, I don't even know where to start with it. If you know Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) it's very similar. I can only eat 19 foods. If i eat a single bite of something not on that list, it's 48 hours of absolute hell. Coughing, migraines, itchy eyes, such extreme nausea I cannot even describe it, panic/feeling of doom, racing heart rate, derealization, rash, uncontrollable muscle tremors. I only learned about histamine intolerance 5 months into having Long COVID so before that, I was experiencing these symptoms nearly every single day. Terrifying isn't even a strong enough word to describe how it felt to experience all this and have no idea what it was, how to stop it, or if it would ever stop. Really dark times.
Neurological issues: More of that derealization. Inability to concentrate. Anxiety. OCD-like symptoms such as thoughts getting "stuck" in my head, repeating 24/7 completely unable to stop them, genuinely felt like my brain had cracked open and I had lost my mind. Constant dizziness like I'm on a boat.
Sleep issues: I sleep like garbage. I have insomnia, I wake up dozens of times every night and every single time I sleep I have intensely vivid dreams. I can't sleep longer than 7 hours total no matter how exhausted I am. It is exhausting. I'm exhausted, I'm so so tired.
And finally. Just. Really intense suicidal ideation. My body, my health, my entire life has been stolen from me because someone else decided my life was worth less to them than wearing a mask or staying home if they feel sick. Before I got Long COVID, I was preparing to go to South Korea to teach English, then on to a PhD in neurolinguistics, I was supposed to meet my long distance partner and had already booked plane tickets when I got sick. All of that has been destroyed.
Most of us with Long COVID are stuck in a cycle of being extremely sick, then if you're lucky you'll slowly get better over months, just to get reinfected and go right back where you started or worse. Honestly, I'm not scared of dying from COVID. I'm scared of living for a long time, suffering from Long COVID the entire time. This isn't living.
I don't know how to end this now. I'm still fighting, I'm trying experimental treatments, I'm not giving up yet. I hope everyone reading this stays healthy and well.
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