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#do you separate inside and outside outfits
xofeno · 9 months
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JESSE LEE SOFFER as Mister Rogers Variety Interview (2023)
Stay in or go out? Stay in, I'm a total homebody.
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daze4all · 2 months
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7 Days Week HSR Sugar Daddies Series Part 2 In Progress Imagine Drabbles
Fake Fiance! Sunday, Artist! Argenti. , Childhood Friend! Jing Yuan
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Previously Part 1 Monday- Hot Teacher! Ratio, Sugar Daddy! Aventurine, Yandere! Blade
Part 3 Pending: Dan Heng, Loucha, Boothill
Sneak Peak Snippets
Thursday-Tricked! Dan Heng x Maid : Prank Call Gone Wrong (TBA)
Friday- Fake Fiance! Sunday x Reader
Saturday- Artist Argenti x Muse! Reader
Sunday- Sugar daddy/childhood friend! Jing Yuan
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Reader hired as a :
Friday- Sunday x Fake! Fiance! Reader - Thank God It’s Friday  (TGIF also just thought funny not make him Sunday)
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Yandere! Sunday especially likes adorning you himself carefully selecting what jewelry and outfit he thinks you look best in. No matter the cost having expensive elegant tastes.
You are on his arm as his partner to important family functions so that no one else tries to wrest control from him by foisting an unwanted engagement
“You do a bit too much as fake fiancé” you once teased remembering him this was just a job contract.
“For it to believable. The family must believe I fell heads over heels to bring in an outsider” Yandere! Sunday smoothly explains dabbing your mouth with a napkin and leaning close to whisper in turn in your ear.
Fake! Fiancé! Sunday was kind and polite always a gentleman but that kindness only masked his sadistic side that he let loose around you .
Yandere! Sunday worshiped you in bed and expected you to obey and worship him in turn.
“Forget the rest and stay with me in this dream” A kiss to your hand charming you with his gentlemanly act as Yandere! Sunday’s golden eyes stared at you pleading. The insinuation was heavy so you would be at his mercy alone.
“Don’t worry.  No matter how much you are sullied I will still take you. I’ll always forgive you darling”  Yandere! Fiance! Sunday would coo and promise stroking your hair.
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Saturday – Argenti – Artist! Argenti  x Muse!/Model! Reader
Paint me like One of your French Girls
How You Met: A Muse for Artist Argenti
Daily Life as a Couple
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Boyfriend! Argenti likes to take you shopping design you up and pampering you with makeup. applying the make up.
 “For whenever you smile you bloom like a rose” he promised fervently an inneoct courtly knightly behavior cheesy in embarrassing you into blushing. While another part of you worried how devoted he was to you.
For Boyfriend! Argenti occasionally wearing a matching outfit is a must.
Romantic Argenti favorite presented on valentines with a crimson tie for him from you and red rose ornament for your hair. Argenti tucked the rose gallantly behind you ear “For you my love” his eye fervent and devoted before kissing you passionately.
Knight!Argenti will be the one by the end with day sendoff “ If you ever settle down choose me my dear. “ with a fair kiss to the inside of your wrist.
Knight!Argenti while overdramatic at time his love was sweet and sincere and sometimes that scared you the most….
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Sunday- Jing Yuan -Lazy Sunday Mornings
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Childhood! Friend! Reader
Jing Yuan always knew you best, as your childhood friends but then you grew up and went your separate ways until he found you again.
Daily Lazy Sunday with Jing Yuan
Dates consist of the zoo, park, or library meandering but lazy days in bed are best seeing you tired out
Soft!Jing Yuan watches you meaningfully as you go about your lazy Sunday morning routine of pouring yourself a cup and fixing breakfast. Hand round your waist his chin propped on you maybe a quickie on the kitchen counter if you are up for it a big puppy dog wanting attention from you.
Mimi the snow lion padding to snuggle by your side to wamr your feet or jumping to make room for her during movie nights.  
“I’ll treat you right so just rest” much better than the others is left unsaid but implied in his possessive golden gaze that consumes you with so much love. You are almost tempted, but you have urges to fulfill, and even his love cannot stop it.
 Sugar Daddy! Jing Yuan goading you with words. “Does this feel good? Tell me? Sweet and slow, long and languid, or rough and hard, Your choice dear” he offers sweetly as he hovers predatorially above you.
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Side note Reader Background  might be….
-Seeking out the strongest men to renew your dying race as you were known to have very low birth rates
- Doing this to pay back a debt she has from her fallen planet.
- Possibly cursed by the Propagation or a Aeon of Lust Luxuria to constantly hunger for sex to live?
-Nymphomaniac or a person who just like sex with many men and that’s her lifestyle so why not make money off it lol
Snippets for now
Still writing full stories
A/N: Loucha I forgot, I guess because I could only do seven days of the week. Also, Gallagher not sure cuz of recent spoilers and Boothill not sure his character yet since so new.  
But might write them separately since I had only 7 days of the week to assign. May redo with next set or as separate pieces. Feel like I can only edit/write only 3 pieces at a time lol
and lost dan hengs so have to rewrite it ugh.....
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01zfan · 22 days
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see you around | l. at
swim captain!anton x fem. reader | 5.3k words
ANTON SHOULD BE AT THE CLUBBBB. inspired by impossible mv party scenes and i was listening to kraftwerk the man machine album while making this so that’s the music i imagine playing at this party.
also this was a mix of two requests it was supposed to be a secret relationship type thing but it kinda ended up being a secret talking stage? idk i hope it's to your liking hehe.
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even early in the morning in the empty hallways you looked left and right anxiously, scared that someone was going to catch you. all it would take is someone going to an extremely early morning class or an extremely late night run for you to be caught. it was already awful that you had to sneak into anton’s building by entering while someone was leaving, and you had to ask the RA to scan their ID so you could operate the elevator. two people already knew you were here and even if they didn’t know who you were, you didn’t want the number to go any higher.
you settled deeper into the black hoodie, reaching your hand to the door again. before you could knock three more times, anton opened the door. he stood against the frame with a big smile on his face as he looked you up and down. you did your own once over of him, taking in his band tea, boxers, and slides. he started at your sunglasses despite it being dark outside, then wandered down to your face mask and lingered on your all black outfit.
“i like your hoodie.” anton touched his chin like he was in thought before pointing towards the hoodie that was a few sizes to big for you. “looks realllll familiar.” he says.
seeing anton laugh at you trying to be inconspicuous made you turn on your heel and start walking back the way you came. you couldn’t even make it a step before anton reached past the doorframe to grab your arm, pulling you into the darkness of his room.
immediately once you were inside he closed the door with his foot, bringing you in for a big hug. you smiled despite trying to seem angry, taking your time before wrapping your arms around his waist. he pulled away to kiss your forehead, taking your glasses off and pulling your mask down to your chin.
“i was about to come down and get you.” anton says before kissing your forehead again.
he rocked back and forth while still holding you, and you let your body sway with his. 
“you took too long.” you chide. 
anton still holds you as he walks further into his dorm. you pass by the things you’ve seen a million times at this point. his standing jewelry organizer beside his gundam figurines, his swimming medals that hung up on the wall, and the picture of his swim team and family that rested on top of his dresser all looked at you as you went deeper into his room.
you kick off your shoes while anton continued to walk backwards, the two of you don’t stop until the back of his legs hit the edge of his bed. anton tries to bring you down with him, but you separate his heavy arms from your body to take off the rest of your things. you can see his outline in the darkness of his room, how he sits down and looks up at you while you make yourself comfortable.
you take your sunglasses from anton’s hand and put it on his dresser, taking off your rings and mask to put them all in a neat pile. when you put your phone face down on the dresser you put the framed pictures of antons’ family and his swim team face down too. 
when you hear anton laugh you turn around. he’s leaned back on his arms, legs hung over the side of the bed as he watches your every move. he goes back to sitting upright to motion towards the photos.
“why do you always put those face down when you come over?” anton asks.
he knows why, and you know he knows it too. but you two have fallen into your own routine. like clockwork, you walk over to anton and stand between his legs so he can put his hand on your waist and look up at you again. he pinches the fabric of your black zip up between his fingers and you play with his soft hair.
“i don’t want them to see.” you say.
anton lets his hands go underneath your zip up and your shirt to feel the bare skin of your stomach. he pulls you a little closer and you let him, still playing with his hair casually.
“i thought you just came over here to cuddle?” anton asks innocently.
after hearing the sarcasm and seeing the glint in anton’s eye you laugh. each time it’s the same thing, the two of you going back and forth and each time it’s too amusing. maybe it’s the novelty of the situation, you sneaking into anton’s apartment so early in the morning it’s still considered late at night. even if you guys haven’t called this a relationship you’re stuck in a routine of domestic bliss. so as if on cue, you let your hand go deeper into anton’s hair until you pull at his scalp slightly.
“who comes over at four thirty in the morning just to cuddle?” you ask.
anton smiles and brings you closer, pressing a kiss to your clothed stomach. he pinches your skin underneath your clothes and you take your hands from his hair to pull down your zipper. you’re quick, too quick for someone who’s in this same situation seemingly every day. each time you’re in a rush to touch anton, and each time you end up stumbling in your haste. it’s comforting knowing anton is no better—he accidentally scratches your skin as he pulls down your black yoga pants.
“i’m sorry.” anton apologizes before you can even hiss from the pain.
he brings you close, his hands move down to cup your ass so he can kiss the part of your upper thigh where he scratched. it’s unnecessary, the pain was already gone but you let anton do it anyway. you just focus on getting your shirt off, letting it fall in the same pile with your jacket. 
when anton pulls away from placing soft kisses you push him by the shoulders until his back is on the bed. you step out of your yoga pants that pooled at your ankles to crawl onto him. you start to straddle anton’s legs and he gives you a smile as he continues backing up on the bed, you continue to straddle him, knees walking on the bed as you follow his every move. 
when he’s fully on the bed you press a hand to his broad chest.
“what time is your first class?” you ask.
even though you have anton’s whole schedule memorized, you still always ask. maybe you just like hearing his quiet breaths, how he tries to focus on your question. you let your hand drag down his body and he parts his lips to speak.
“ten.” anton answers.
when your hand goes to the waistband of his boxers anton looks at your lips. you sink down to kiss him the same time your hand pushes past his waistband. anton tenses underneath you and sighs into your mouth when you wrap a hand around his length.
“what time do you have practice today?” you ask.
you ask your question casually, reveling in the way anton is so distracted. when you squeeze around his dick anton sighs again, one of his hands go back to gripping your waist.
“eight pm. probably be done around ten.” anton jerks his hips up. “we have a meet tomorrow so it might run a little later.” he says rushed.
you hum at his answer, slowly pumping anton’s dick while he presses his body further into the mattress. precum that beads at his tip makes the job easy for you, and hearing the tiny whimpers and hisses slip past anton’s parted lips drives you to continue. 
“any plans after?” you say, picking up the speed of your hand. 
“i have a meeting with the head coach to talk about some people on team.” anton says while leaning his head back.
anton brings a hand to flex around your wrist, but he doesn’t stop your movements.
“such a good captain.” you kiss anton’s cheek gently. “any plans after that?” you ask.
anton bites his lip and shakes his head. one of anton’s hands moves to grip your ass and you arch into his hand to give him more. excitement tingles across your body when you see anton’s shoulder move so he can wedge his hand between your two bodies. he starts by pressing his hand flat against your bare stomach before slipping past the waistband of your panties. 
anton starts by touching your clit, pressing his index finger deep into the bundle of nerves. the near pain causes you to drop your head into his shoulder, breathing heavily into the fabric of his shirt. anton takes pity on you, puling away from your clit to spread your folds with his index finger while his middle finger feels for your hole. you are already wet, and anton teases you for it, letting his finger prod past your entrance before pulling back to gather more slick. you’re almost compelled to bite anton from frustration, how he plays with you while you’re giving him your all. you only whine into his chest, moving your hips to show him what you need.
“so impatient.” anton sighs.
he cranes his neck to kiss your forehead before finally putting his finger inside of you. already you feel that warmth pooling in the pit of your stomach, lapping the edges of your resolve like a gentle fire. you speed up your hand when you feel more of anton’s precum bead at his tip and he puts in another finger.
“slow down baby.” anton whines. 
he has to bite his lip to calm himself down. he doesn’t know what he’ll do if he gets another noise complaint.
“don’t wanna.” you whine back.
anton knows by now that you’re too stubborn, and he’s too desperate to actually make you slow down. so anton adds in another finger and bends them, picking up his pace to match you.
you and anton are chest to chest, trying to muffle the pitiful sounds you both make as you two bring eachother closer to insanity. anton feels you shake your head as you try to compose yourself. he opens his eyes just to try and see you laid against his body in just your bra and panties. your drool seeped through his shirt a long time ago, leaving a wet splotch underneath your cheek. anton just wishes you would turn your head so he can see your eyebrows cinch and your lips part before you cum.
“baby.” anton whimpers.
you turn immediately, eyes blown out as you still rest your head on his chest. your hands started staggering a long time ago, and anton makes up for it by lifting his hips off the bed to fuck your hand. the only thing anton needs you to do is keep letting the quiet moans fall from your parted lips as you look at him with your widened wet eyes.
“i’m close anton.” you say.
anton feels the tension in his stomach becoming nearly unbearable hearing the whiny lift in your voice. it drives anton to push his fingers deeper and faster inside of you. when he feels your hand loosen around his dick and your stomach tighten against his, he continues.
“me too.” anton says back.
you start quickly jerking anton off in his pants, and his hips still while he is suspended in the air. neither of you stop, so close but you’re just missing one more thing. you press your spare hand into the mattress to push yourself up far enough to press your lips to anton’s. 
the kiss quick and rushed, but feeling him push his tongue into your mouth without hesitation was the last thing you needed. your legs try to instinctually come together, but anton’s legs remain steady in keeping them apart. you moan into anton’s mouth, and he does the same to you. when you start shaking anton’s hand that was on your ass wraps across your body, pressing you more into him. the restriction only heightens your climax, and you break apart from anton’s lips so a full moan can fill the space of his room. anton brings your mouth back to his, so he can groan against your lips as his cum stains his boxers and glides down your knuckles. the image of it makes anton quickly rut up into your hand, desperate to give you more. for a moment both of you are tense from stimulation, your stiff bodies resting against eachother. then you both come back, you’re pulling away with puffy lips still sensitive all over.
anton rests into his sweaty imprint in the mattress and you slump on top of him. your now messy hand lets go of anton’s dick but still rests in his boxers. anton’s fingers in your cunt bend one more time before he pulls out of your underwear completely. you sigh, trying to roll off of anton but his arm keeps you in place.
“you don’t have any classes today right?” anton asks, still trying to catch his breath.
“no.” you say.
anton’s wet fingers play with your hand that lays unmoving on the mattress.
“stay here for the day?” when anton hears you draw in a breath he continues speaking. “atleast sleep here until i leave.” he reasons.
you don’t have to look at the time to know it’s almost five in the morning. sleep is creeping up on you, and the thought of making the trek back to your dorm while your legs still feel so weak seems impossible. so you sigh and rest more into anton, laying your head over his steady beating heart. his hand across your back loosens and his body underneath yours becomes relaxed.
you ended up sleeping until anton left to go to class. you woke up underneath the covers as anton was fully ready, taking his backpack from his chair to sling over his shoulder. when he saw you were awake he looked apologetic, getting on his knees on your side of the bed to rub your sleepy face.
“what time is it?” you were groggy, wiping your eyes as you looked for your phone.
“almost ten. i’m running late i didn’t want to wake you up with my alarm.” anton says.
you blink again, trying not to be blinded by the light that comes through the windows.
“so you just guessed when you were supposed to wake up?” you asked confused.
anton only shrugged his shoulders, looking at your eyebrows before rubbing out the crease. he smiled and pressed a kiss to your skin before getting up. he put his backpack on fully and was at his door after realizing he was really about to be late.
“feel free to stay as long as you want.” anton said.
“okay.” you were still tired, your voice was raspy when you spoke.
anton didn’t say goodbye before leaving. you both knew you’d be seeing eachother later anyway. you let yourself lay in bed a little longer, thinking about how you ruined your sleep schedule once again.
you were half tempted to stay in anton’s bed all day. he offered after all, and his bed somehow felt softer than yours. everything also smelled like him, his sheets, his pillow, his clothes that you ended up in. it felt like a perfect thursday to do absolutely nothing. but then your mind went to the party you promised giselle you would go to.
“parties are important.” you heard giselle’s voice so vividly as you imagined bailing out on her. you imagined that serious look in her eyes as she told you why you should go. “you need to relieve the stress of the week so you can go back to society on monday happy.” she said.
that would be giselle’s primary reason, declaring any day there was a party as the weekend. you agreed to some extent, that’s why you reluctantly put your clothes on and grabbed all your belongings before sneaking out of anton’s dorm. 
that’s also why you were dancing on sticky concrete in an abandoned dance hall on a thursday night. the eight am lecture you were probably going to skip tomorrow was in the back of your mind as the song changed. giselle opened her eyes only for a moment and smiled seeing you dance, pulling you closer to her as she turned around. at the same time your phone vibrated in your hand, making you look at your screen. the previous text messages of your conversation with anton lit up your face.
anton: went back to my room and you weren’t there :(
sorry
anton: no worries i just wanted to see you.
anton: are you going out tonight?
yeah.
are you?
anton: i am now
you continued dancing against giselle as you responded to his message.
anton: what time are you leaving?
idk
i’ll text you when i’m ready t|
“shit. i dropped my phone!” 
giselle yelled next to you and you could see her immediately look towards the crowd for her device. you used the open messages app like a flashlight, pointing your phone screen towards the ground to illuminate the dark floor. 
your phone was the only source of light in the party that wasn’t an annoying strobing light that did nothing but cast people’s faces red, deep blue, and white. both you and giselle squatted to the floor, disrupting the dancing throngs of people around you. you could heard the soles of peoples feet dragging against the concrete from down here, even the occasional sound of feet pulling from the sticky floor. people complained as you two disrupted their groove, feet lifting up to accommodate your crouched bodies. the two of you couldn’t be bothered as you waved your phone around.  
when your phone’s white light caught on the back of giselle’s phone case you tapped her shoulder.
“there it is.” you pointed towards giselle’s phone and she picked it up from the ground quickly, turning it on and wiping the screen with a disgusted look on her face. “any cracks?” you asked.
giselle shook her head before sliding her phone into her back pocket.
“no, thank god.” she said.
before you could turn off your own phone and try to enjoy the loud party around you, giselle took a quick peak at your screen. instantly you saw that stupid knowing smile across her face once she saw who you were texting. you turned off your phone immediately and held up your finger before she could speak.
“don’t even.” you said.
giselle laughed and shrugged her shoulders. that was her way of telling you it was basically your fault for having your phone brightness all the way up. you were practically begging her to look at your phone and bring up the fact you were texting anton.
“i wasn’t even going to say anything.” when the dj—or the glorified aux—finishes one terrible song to do a terrible transition into another giselle crosses her arms. you turn from the staircase to mirror giselle, both of you watching the booth and the people dancing in amazement. after a second giselle leans to you with a smile on her face. “i was just going to ask if your little shadow was coming.” she says.
you try to ignore giselle, you really try to. you try not to mention your little shadow, the one that spent the better half of three years pining after you. at first it wasn’t obvious, you guys were two people who just happened to get along very well. but over time, the playful banter turned into flirting and you started acting oblivious. 
when anton’s advances started getting bolder and everyone started finding out you denied it more and more. you denied it to giselle, you denied it to anton’s friends and curious onlookers—you even denied it straight to anton’s face. but when you were with him in his dorm with no friends to hide behind, things came to light. but you two didn’t sit the other down to have a meaningful conversation about your relationship. instead you two communicated with your bodies and quiet hushed sounds. deep lingering kisses unveiled anton’s crush and your whimpers told him you felt the same. anton didn’t hear you speak for the next two hours until you got dressed a little to fast and headed for his door. just when he was about to call out to you, begging you to stay you turned your head around to face him. 
“don’t tell anyone about this.” you said.
anton nodded, wanting to show you he was a good listener so you would come back. before you could walk out the door he said one more thing too.
“can i take you out on a date later?” he asked.
you hesitated before leaving, but you walked out his door and closed it behind you. anton started slumping in his bed, distraught that he ruined his one chance with you. but then his phone vibrated next to him and he was a little too fast reaching for it.
yes you can.
ever since then, you and anton have been stuck in a limbo. you hated the dating scene, especially the one in college, so you refrained from calling what you and anton had as dating. all you knew was that you two were exclusive, you guys hung out whenever you two had free time, and you guys had your numbers saved in eachothers phones with little hearts next to them. you also knew that no one else knew about it, and you wanted to keep it that way.
“anton never comes to these things” giselle said.
even in the darkness giselle could tell you were scanning the crowd. she opened her eyes only for a moment before going back to dancing to the new song while you only swayed. you watched the lights roam and flash over the cluster of people dancing like a spotlight, occasionally shining on people’s faces. each face that was illuminated looked unfamiliar, but they almost all had their eyes closed and their hands up, letting the music guide their movements. 
you shook your head, turning to face giselle. before you could lean over into her ear to yell about how you weren’t looking for anton, the words were caught in your throat.
both you and anton saw eachother at the same time. you would’ve wished to see him first—it was the main reason why you stayed at a certain part of the dance floor. your spot on the outskirts near the wall gave you a perfect view of the staircase where the entrance was. even if you had to stand next to the stained mattress where a couple made out it gave you a vantage point. he came through the door with his eyes already scanning the crowd, disguised as him trying to find the vibe of the party. but when he found you he kept eye contact, smiling so subtle you knew no one else saw it.
with anton looking at you, and the electronic music playing around you infinity felt distilled. he paused at the top of the stars when you felt another flashing strobe light illuminate your face. you remained dancing, suddenly matching the pumping energy of the people around you—but your eyes stayed on anton. he had to be pushed by his friends behind him before he broke away from you, flashing a smile over his shoulder before finally continuing down the staircase.
you continued following anton down the stairs, watching him greet almost every single person on the way down. at each step he was dapping someone up, getting pulled in for an embrace as he smiled big. his posse followed behind him doing the same except louder. people came in behind them had to wait for the big crowd to make it down the stairs, but anton couldn’t be bothered. he even stopped for a quick conversation in the middle of the staircase, turning his head so some girl could talk directly into his ear. you saw anton listen carefully, probably straining to hear their voice over the blasting music. when he was done he nodded and did the same, speaked with his hands as he yelled in the girls ear. when he was done he didn’t linger, only giving his signature smile and looking towards you before you had the chance to look away. 
you believe anton’s confidence came with becoming swim captain. being regarded as the best at anything in college automatically made you “popular”, as if that meant anything outside of high school. but winning awards for your university gave anton enough cool points that he was able to go into any party and be known by everyone, and his easygoing personality made everyone greet him. the fact that he didn’t come out to often made his attendance all the more special. even in the dark dance hall you could see the shock on people’s faces and the casual shrug anton did said i’m here, aren’t you happy? everyone loved him. you almost thought that the dj was going to stop the music to have everyone on the dance floor welcome anton and chant his name to celebrate his recent win. but it was cool and relaxed, that’s how anton was now.
when he made it to the end of the stairs anton and his friends disappeared into the crowd of dancers. you finally let your gaze drop back down to giselle, whose eyes have been closed for the past god knows how long as she danced to the music.
both you and giselle laughed as she danced against you. too many times in the night you guys would end up like this, getting lost in the music while your bodies pressed against eachother. anton came into your line of sight, standing in front of the staircase while talking to his friends. he chatted with them and you continued dancing with your friend, but the two of you kept holding eye contact. anton’s stares lingered while his friends talked directly to him, replying at the last second or when his friends bump him. giselle turns back to you and you look down at her without missing a beat. when giselle turns you around so you can dance on her, you try to not think about anton watching you.
“i’m going to go request a song. i’ll be back.” giselle said in your ear.
you turned back around but before you could respond giselle left you on the outskirts of the dance floor as she went in deep to get to the booth. you still felt the music, moving along as you followed giselle’s head through the crowd.
you were focused on your friend when anton came up to you. he didn’t have to timidly tap your shoulder when no one else was around. surrounded by people at party it oddly felt like it was just the two of you, so he touched you the way he always did. he let his arm wrap around your tricep, and he saw your hand immediately go over his and squeeze it. you kept your eyes on the dance floor for a second longer before turning to anton with that bright smile on your face. he smiled too, even when a red strobe light blinded him.
“i like your beanie.” your hand went up to mess with the thick hat, feeling anton’s wet hair touch your hand. “did you just finish practice?” you asked.
anton nodded his head before turning slightly so he could kiss the hand that was almost playing with his hair. you instantly brought your hand down and scowled at anton, looking around to see if anyone saw. he smiled back at you and his hands went to your hips to feel your rhythm.
“my friends are getting me a drink.” anton’s eyes went to the middle of the dance floor. “and giselle is preoccupied.”
you turned to see giselle lost in the moment as she continued to dance. with everyone focused on different things you could focus on anton. you liked feeling his hands on you in public, and you liked seeing the lights illuminate different parts of his face. he came in a little closer, craning his neck towards your ear so you could hear him.
“i missed you.” anton said.
you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. sometimes you think anton said corny things on purpose just to annoy you or make you cringe. he tried so hard to woo you with the stoic persona he created to try and finally get a chance with you. he tried approaching you like you were on the swim team, trying to dap you up for years like you were one of the guys. once you finally gave anton a chance the facade crumbled. he wasn’t casual about anything, evident in the way he got mushy at the drop of the hat wherever and whenever. 
you leaned close to him, feeling his fingers hook around your belt loops to keep you there.
“you saw me earlier today.” you pulled away for a second before going back in. “well you did more than see me actually.” you said back.
anton’s grip on your belt loops tightened at the recollection of this morning. you guys were at a difficult point in your relationship—if you could even call it that. after you had given anton a chance all those months ago you two had gone on a couple dates but it mainly was about the alone time you spent together in eachothers dorms. anton wondered how long you guys would sneak around before you finally let this become official. 
the music dropped, filling the room with complete silence. anton spoke straight to your face, trying to see what reaction you would give him.
“you enjoyed it though right?” anton tilted his head as he spoke. “especially when i did that thing you like.” he said.
anton said it as confidently as he could, a smirk stretching his lips. now it was your turn to stiffen as you remembered this morning. when you and anton collided, it was always hard to remember all the details. maybe it was your mind trying to save some of your dignity—the way you called for anton in your moments of desperation made you almost cringe in embarrassment. but when you were face to face with the reason you were desperate he was practically forcing you to remember. anton’s strong body underneath you, his arms rippling underneath your iron grip. everything flooding back made you shyly duck your head, and anton had to smirk to try and hide the heat creeping up to his ears that were tucked into his beanie.
you were saved by the music resuming. instead of responding to anton you let the deep synth made your hands go up, feeling each beat and the rest of your body followed the baseline. the synth made anton feel different, he kept both hands on you as you turned around to continue feeling for the music. without saying a word you came close to him, and he kept a hand on your hip to guide you backwards. 
the flashing strobe lights syncing up with the music and anton’s chest against your back made you feel the music even more. the entire party danced, even the people on the stairs too cool to do anything else nodded their heads and swayed their bodies. the drink in your hand was taken by anton, you turned around to make eye contact. he kept his eyes locked on you as he tipped your cup back, holding your drink for you so you could dance freely. 
you looked around for giselle, she had found someone to dance with closer to the center of the floor. you laughed to yourself before trying to emulate her, bouncing a little more and embracing the music to its fullest. from behind you anton leaned forward, until his breath fanned your hair and his chin almost rested on your shoulder.
“not too obvious right?” anton said.
even speaking at full volume felt like a whisper from the loud music, but you heard him clearly. you shook your head, speaking straight forward as you continued to dance.
“i dance with everyone.” you said.
“even like this?” anton asked.
when he pulled you by your belt loops until your hips were flush with his, he let his parted lips ghost over the skin of your neck. one of his hands creeped upwards, resting on the exposed skin from your crop top. you let your shirt ride up a little higher when you put your hands up, still moving them with the beat.
as if on cue, the song ended. you pulled away from anton before giselle could notice, taking your drink back from his hands. you saw his friends approaching from behind as giselle started making her way back through the crowd towards you. you had to manually detach antons hands from your body, placing them at his sides as you turned to face him.
“see you around, anton.” you said, patting his cheek.
when the light flashed on anton’s face again you could see red tint across his cheeks.
“still gonna text me when you’re leaving?” anton asked.
anton said it underneath the loud music, but you heard him clearly. you nodded your head as you started heading towards your friend. anton still stared at your back as you walked away deeper to the dance floor, not turning back towards his friends until they handed him his drink.
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beachbxtchforev · 1 month
Text
Stagecoach Diary
your friends had organized the perfect weekend, but you’re forced to share a space with your enemy Drew.
pairing: Drew Starkey x fem!reader
word count: 1.6k
warnings: 18+, smut, oral (fem! receiving), curse words, close proximity trope ish, enemies to lovers, slow burn
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country music. the desert. drinks. friends.
you were so excited to experience your first Stagecoach. growing up, your Midwest summers were always accompanied by country radio, so the opportunity to see all of your favorite artists in one place was one you couldn’t pass on. Maddie organized the whole thing; plane tickets, festival passes, and a gorgeous house just outside of the festival grounds.
it was also your first time traveling with your group of friends.
when you guys finally arrived at the airbnb, Maddie explained how she planned the sleeping arrangements. her and Carlacia in one bedroom, Madison and Mariah in another, Chase and Austin sharing, and you in a room by yourself. your single room had a catch, however. Drew, who was sleeping on the air mattress, would need to use the bathroom attached to your room since it was closest to the bonus area that was being makeshifted into a bedroom for him.
while you wouldn’t think this would be a big deal, it was.
you and Drew were not friends. you could probably be classified as acquaintances, mutuals maybe, but definitely not friends. and you really don’t know why you guys aren’t close. when you were first introduced to the friend group, he smiled, introduced himself and then acted as if you didn’t exist. you deemed him as rude and childish, wondering what you did in five minutes to push him away.
so, it became mutual. neither of you communicated and you made an awkward tension for the rest of the group.
“y/n is that okay? I know it’s not ideal but it was the best house available for the weekend” Maddie reasoned with you, treading lightly to test out your feelings regarding the living situation.
“yes, totally fine! Drew and I are adults, we can share a space for the weekend” you said, convincing her that you were brushing off your differences for the time being. which was partially true, as long as you didn’t really have to interact, it wasn’t a problem.
you roll your bag to your room, eager to start getting ready since it’s Friday morning, tonight being the first of the festival.
Maddie hired a glam team for the girls, so really all you needed was to put together an outfit. researching Stagecoach beforehand, you noticed it was a major fashion event among influencers and celebrities. you have a small following just from being associated with the cast, so you know you had to do it big.
you opted for a sheer tie front tank, lace midi skirt, chunky belt, and boots. given that the festival is multiple days, you can really experiment with different styles.
thankfully, the girls and guys had separated for this part of the process, so you and Drew weren’t running into any problems regarding sharing the bathroom. the boys moved to the backyard of the house, getting their drinking started early and playing corn hole while you girls gathered in the living room with the professionals.
after doing some professional photos out back and inside, it was time for the group to head to the festival. you were tipsy from the pregame, swaying and singing on your walk over, hand in hand with Maddie and Carlacia. the group laughed and giggled at you guys, taking some candid photos and videos that you know are bound to make it in the photo dump.
you guys had VIP passes, but stopped frequently to talk with fans, get drinks, and make sure the group was still together. finally, Morgan Wallen came onto main stage and had you singing and dancing your little heart out. what you didn’t notice in your drunken moments was the fact that Drew couldn’t keep his eyes off of you all night. the way you moved your arms to reach for one of the girls, the way your hips swayed when you danced, especially because of your cheeky bottoms. he became infatuated by you, the way he always had been.
the show was over and you guys made your way back to the house. you had sobered up a lot by now and were ready to get in the shower to wash the day’s dirt off of you. walking into your bedroom, you gather your things for a hot shower. you didn’t realize that the bathroom door didn’t close all of the way when you stripped to get under the water.
the mix of the warmth and pressure instantly relaxed you as the water pelted your sore body. so relaxed that behind the noise of the water running, you couldn’t hear Drew knocking on your bedroom door and ultimately letting himself in when you didn’t answer.
you also didn’t notice that he caught a glimpse of you behind the clear glass wall of the shower through the crack in the bathroom door. he couldn’t tear his eyes away, even if he tried. you were lathering soap on your body, running your hands over your chest and down your arms. he could feel himself growing in his pants at the sight of your simple movements, and it wasn’t until he dropped his shampoo on the ground that you noticed his presence.
“Drew?” you gasped, “how long have yo-“
“sorry! sorry, I-“ he quickly put his head down, trying to grab the bottle off the floor, flustered.
he finally picked up his things, about to turn and leave when he hears your voice, “wait!”
he doesn’t know where to look when he turns back around, awkwardly acknowledging the fact that you just caught him staring at you naked and he’s fully clothed.
“you can get in if you want to shower. I haven’t even touched my hair yet and I will probably take forev-“ you start rambling, but notice he has now stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. you watch closely as he begins to remove his clothes, biting your lip when he starts to reveal himself.
you don’t know what you were thinking when you offered to let him in the shower with you, but you were enjoying the view. when he steps out of his jeans, you see his cock for the first time and wonder if you have ever seen one prettier than his. it’s hard, and long, probably due to the fact that he has been looking at your boobs for the last five minutes and imaging the rest of your wet body.
you make room for him when he steps into the stall. “hi” you say sheepishly, as it comes out in a whisper. it felt like if you used your full voice it would pull you out of the moment.
he grins down at you, instantly relieving you of any awkwardness that could be happening. his eyes scan down your body, “you’re so beautiful y/n,” he murmurs as he bring his hand up to caress your face, “and motherfuckin’ sexy too” he adds.
you giggle, shocked to hear he feels this way about you. you nuzzle your head into his palm that’s attached to your cheek, taking a step closer to him so that your nipples are grazing his abdomen. the contact makes your take a sharp inhale. you’re so wet just at his simple actions, hoping he makes a move.
his thumb swipes back and forth, tracing your cheekbone before moving over your lips. you can’t help but open your mouth, running your tongue over it and sucking.
he groans, “shit baby, you’re playing with fire,” his words making you clench your thighs as your tongue swirls around the pad of his finger.
you release it from your mouth, “and what’re you gonna do about it, Starkey?”
his response is clear when his mouth comes down on yours, teeth slightly clashing, tongues fighting for dominance. all of your built up tension coming out in a kiss. you moan into his mouth as he brings his left hand to your chest, keeping the right locked around your jaw. he pulls away as his fingers tweak your nipple, “this okay baby?” he asks to which your fiercely nod your head.
“I need words sweetheart,”
“y-yes, please. more.” you moan out.
he chuckles, “good girl” then returns his lips to your neck. you feel his tongue meet the junction between your neck and shoulder before moving lower. replacing his hand, his lips close around your left bud. sucking and nibbling, getting another moan from you before moving to the right side. your hands grip his hair, trying to keep yourself upright while letting the pleasure takeover.
his lips move lower as he gets onto his knees in front of you. ghosting over your bellybutton, he grips your right calf and swings your leg over his shoulder.
“such a pretty pussy y/n,” he says, eyes quickly glancing up to meet yours, “so wet for me baby”
“yes, all for you Drew” you respond. breathless and he hasn’t even touched you yet.
“I’m gonna taste you, okay?”
“yes, yes! please” your hand in his now wet hair pushes him toward you, waiting to feel his mouth on you.
he licks a stripe over your slit, before his tongue rubs circles against your clit. the noises coming from you encourage him to wrap his lips around your bud and suck. you swear your knees might give out.
he moves his tongue to your hole, thrusting it in in a quick motion. you let out a scream, hoping the whole house doesn’t realize what you two are doing. your back is now pushed against the glass, cold feeling good against your hot skin as he tongue fucks you. “Drew! I’m gonna cum!” you breath out.
“cum on my tongue baby, let go,” he responds ready to catch your release. your whole body jolts as the band in your lower belly snaps, gushing onto his face.
“if I would have known this is how it was going to go, I would have walked in on you a lot sooner”
-
let me know what you think! 🤍✨
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starry-bi-sky · 10 months
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This is very inspired by @minnesota-fats post about Danny being Bruce Wayne's clone (which has been rotting in my brain for two days) but an au where danny isn't just Bruce Wayne's clone, but also not fully a ghost.
both ideas can be used separately honestly, the idea just came to me while thinking about the bruce wayne clone idea, and a lot of this idea is just "danny without his ghost powers. i might probably make a part two that delves into him being bruce wayne's clone.
Hear me out.
A Danny Fenton who has the ghost sense and the fangs and the pointed ears and the scary eyes and an increase ecto-essence, but does not have the ability to "go ghost". His accident occurred when he pressed the "on" button on the outside of the portal, and the button electrocuted him due to faulty wiring. He ends up miraculously surviving but not without some new additional abilities (and electricity-based trauma).
Since Danny no longer has a built-in alter ego with the invert wardrobe to match, he doesn't see the point to take ghosts back to the ghost zone. What the hell can he do anyways? All he has is a cosmetic add-in, a lower body-temperature with an impressive ability to hold his breath longer than a human realistically should, and a built-in ghost detector. Not very helpful if you ask him.
That is, up until he goes into the lab after his parents catch a relatively harmless ghost and sees them vivisecting it. He's horrified. He thought his parents were using hyperbole when he said they'd tear them apart molecule by molecule.
(Granted, he also believed that ghosts were unfeeling up until he saw this random ghost being absolutely terrified for its existence on the table.)
After an argument over his parents harming the ghost, Danny goes back up to his room and refuses to leave, not even for dinner. Later that night after his parents went to sleep, Danny steels his resolve and sneaks back down into the lab and releases the ghost back into the ghost zone.
This happens a handful of times, until, finally, frustrated, Danny tells the latest captured ghost to tell anyone inside that if they even think about coming through, he'll capture them and bring them back to the zone himself. It's for their own safety.
The ghost agrees, and goes back inside. Danny steals a "failed" thermos from his parents' stash of weapons. The next time that a ghost shows up, its the lunch lady from episode one. Danny manages to defeat her without being seen, but knows that if there's gonna be consistent daytime ghost attacks then he can't base his luck around fighting without witnesses.
So he fashions himself with a makeshift outfit. This really only consists of an old, nondescript hoodie and a plain black face mask. Its the best thing he can do at short notice, however. Later, for his nighttime ghost fighting, his outfit is only slightly better.
He considered using one of his parents' lab suits. But white sticks out at night and the material doesn't protect you from road burn. His outfit is pretty homemade, with knee and elbow pads under his clothes and multiple layers. A long sleeve shirt over a hoodie over a black denim vest he found on sale. He later on manages to make brass knuckles ghost-proof and manages to stitch them into his gloves. (he gets very good at sewing).
His favorite part of the entire outfit, is a Casey Jones-style full-face mask he found while thrifting. It allows him better breathability than the face mask he was using (calling Rule Of Cool law here), and he can use his scary eyes to make him look more intimidating. His gloves, his mask, and his thermos are the things he carries around with him constantly, and, later on, wears baggier clothing to hide the fact that he's wearing knee and elbow gear under his clothes.
Did I mention he has long hair? Danny has long hair (because GNC danny ftw, it goes past his shoulders) that he braids back. it's a bit sloppy but it keeps his hair out of his face well enough. He takes the fenton creep stick with him.
(He and Bruce have, ultimately, a more lean build than a bulky one. It helped Bruce with his Brucie Wayne persona big time when he had to look like a pretty skinny boy, he uses body language, optical illusion, and body armor to make himself look bulkier as batman)
He still goes by the name Phantom. He still has a bitter rivalry with his parents, who have no idea that its him. They think he's probably some other ghost with beef with the other ghosts (he still triggers their ghost sensors), and still want to capture him.
He doesn't talk around the living. He doesn't have any fancy voice changer and dropping his voice hurts and ultimately, he just uses ASL if he ever has to talk in front of people. The ghosts know his voice at night, but not during the day.
He hardly talks to the living. He avoids them like the plague actually. When he defeats a ghost and there's an audience, he barely sticks around to have a nice friendly chat. He tries to get away as soon as possible. He's paranoid over people finding out who he is. He doesn't have that ghost form to fall back on here.
Oh god this is getting so long, so i'll post another part soon.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 4.5 (Dani interlude) Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 7.5 (Dan Interlude) Part 8
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kenmjiro · 8 months
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── ◌ೄ◌ྀ ˊˎ Scenarios (TR BOYS)
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⋆⸜ 🎧✮₊˚ Characters; Manjiro Sano, Keisuke Baji, Takashi Mitsuya
ஜ ˖ ࣪࿐ TWS: Perversion, naked, lingerie, smut, +18
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𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒ Manjiro Sano
Your boyfriend's eyes couldn't be more open. Neither does his mouth.
“How does it look on me?”You adjusted the straps of your panties and slowly turned around completely. When you were on your back for a few seconds Mikey let out a little scream to himself, not being able to believe how good you looked at that moment.
You were left in front of him again, his gaze was anywhere but in your eyes.
“Let's see... I didn't see well, take another turn.” You smiled at his impudence and took a turn again in your place, so that he could see the whole thing better.
“And...?” you asked, looking at him face to face again. By now Mikey had his hand against his mouth, his eyes darting up and down, completely stunned.
“It's nice,” was the only thing he said, his voice sounding almost painful
𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒ Keisuke Baji
“Do you want me to sit there and just watch you model lingerie for me?”He asked, crossing his arms. You nodded, watching his eyebrows rise.
“Yes.” you saw him make a face.
“No, no shit, for your own good it's better that you decide for yourself about them.” he turned around and left the room. Just like that.
“Well, you lose it,”you chanted as you went to the bathroom to change. If you knew your boyfriend well then he would be outside waiting for you even if he refused.
As you left you confirmed it, causing a laugh on your part.
Half of his body was inside the room, in the door frame he had rested his mouth against the back of his hand, more than likely biting himself. When he saw you come out of the bathroom in the burgundy velvet ensemble, his eyes swept your body from top to bottom.
“What are you saying?” You turned around in your place so that he could see the details of the back in full. Baji leaned his face more to one side, further into the room to observe in detail.
“Shit, why are you doing this to me?” the boy snorted and began to mutter quietly to himself.
𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒ Takashi Mitsuya
“You're good at these things so be honest and don't say it's cute just because you like me, okay? ”Mitsuya looked at you and nodded, totally firm.- Great, wait for me outside here.
“Anyway, I could make you an outfit,” Mitsuya murmured into the air. “And I would be more than happy to take your measurements,Y/n”
You dressed inside the bathroom quickly and came out after a while. The black outfit fit your body perfectly, the panties had two straps that wrapped around your hips, to tell the truth it took you a little while to put them on.
“Mhm... come closer.” Mitsuya settled back in the chair, moving his hips slightly and called you with his hand.
When he was in front of him, he stood up again and stretched his hands to the height of your panties, adjusting the straps over the bone of your hips. At that moment he took advantage of touching the material with his fingers, outlined the edge a little and separated his hands from you.
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cythiraeth · 7 months
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cupid's chokehold! - i. e. the moment genshin men knew they've fallen for you
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✧ ─ ⌑ pairing: gn!reader x al-haitham, cyno, xiao (separate)
✧ ─ ⌑ short summary: the exact moment (or process which lead to it) when genshin men knew that they are head over heels in love with you!
✧ ─ ⌑ about the work: lowercase, fluff, not proof-read, lighter (?) and more free form of the work this time!
✧ ─ ⌑ notes: ehe, long time no see! i'm back to life and posting, so to start i picked something that was easier to write and is slightly in a different form than my previous works, however, i hope you'll like it :> also, i'm still waiting for any work requests, so if you have any idea, feel free to messege me!!
✧ ─ ⌑ word count: 1.5 k in total
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 al-haitham
seeing you in a pretty, elegant outfit, probably some kind of dress or suit, maybe showing your collarbones or it just being mesmerizing,  it's up to you how you imagine a perfect fit ;) he is just PHYSICALLY UNABLE to take his eyes off you! the usually calm and collected al-haitham forgets how to use the ability to speak for a brief second.
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the moment you left the room in which you were getting ready as he was waiting outside, he almost gasped out loud
i mean literally, this man's brain stopped working for a second
you two were supposed to attend tighnari's birthday party, and while he didn't consider it a occasion to wear something elegant, you did the opposite 
that's why he was left so speechless. because he was caught by surprise! he thought you would wear your casual clothes just as he did…
but it happened, you wore one of your favorite outfits for special occasions, and he was flabbergasted 
of course it's not like your look was the only reason he has fallen for you! he was definitely considering it many times before this happened, but he was living in denial.
"no, i don't actually have feelings for them. they make me feel comfortable, i crave hearing their voice or laugh and i care about them a lot, but no, we're just friends" - probably al-haitham to himself at some point in his life.
but this time, he couldn't explain his feelings in any rational way known to man. you were so stunning that his eyes shined uncontrollably when he laid them on you. he was so busy studying your silhouette, your face and your hair that he didn't even hear your first question, which was:
"and? how do i look?" you asked, opening the door but still keeping your hands on the doorframe and leaning on it. you were slightly blushed because it was quite embarrassing to let him see you like this, but if you were to be honest, you were also a little bit excited to see his reaction
so when he didn't even answer you and remained indifferent on the outside, the slightly raised corners of your mouth drooped
you just weren't aware of what he's been experiencing on the inside…
because his heart started pounding a little bit faster and he was ashamed of it but on the other hand you looked gorgeous and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about what would he do if you were in relationship
(he had such a strong urge to kiss your hand like a gentleman for some reason)
"what? do i really look that bad?" you asked after you have swallowed the bitterness of your first impression
"sorry?" he said, blinking, your words drawing him out of his reverie, "did you say something?" 
you snorted, annoyed by his behavior, assuming that he probably couldn't care less about your look at the moment, but at least he should try to pretend he does 
but oh, how wrong you were…
when you repeated the question he only murmured something under his breath in response, so you decided to let him be
you noticed he got sweaty all of sudden, it was probably too hot for him inside, you thought, so you took the last things and you two left the house.
in reality, he wasn't feeling hot because of the temperature of course, but he was just as surprised by his own actions as you were. surprised in a slightly different way though….
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cyno
talking with tighnari... he found all his confidence to talk to him about his possible feelings for you, that he could not recognize and tighnari was left speechless because of how innocent and lost in his feeling cyno looked
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he was probably hanging out with tighnari someday, maybe they went out for a dinner, and somehow the topic of conversation has come down to you
for a long time he was hesitant to talk about his feeling towards you out loud but today he decided he'd try discussing it with his friend
because if not tighnari then who would be a suitable person? surely not you 
also, don't think that he was aware of what he's feeling. HAHA, no. he would never 
"what in your opinion y/n thinks of me…?" was his first question. he tried to choose the words carefully and say it in his normal tone but even a small sign of arousal in his voice was enough for tighnari to notice that something is up
"and why are you asking?" he wanted to make sure that his interpretation is right
"no reason in particular," his answer was quick, those words escaped his lips uncontrollably, so he had to add something "i just consider them a close friend and i want to know if they do too."
tignari almost started laughing out loud, but he controlled himself.
close friend? oh man, he is so clueless…
"are you sure that they are a "close friend?"" he was actually having some fun but at the same time he just wanted to smack himself on the forehead, he couldn't decide 
"well, definitely not a "distant friend"" 
that's it, that's the moment when tighnari smacked his forehead 
"i'll pretend i didn't hear that," he tried to be serious, but it wasn't easy. "listen, you look at them like they are your entire world. that's the kind of look people give to their lovers, not close friends!" he finally said it out loud
cyno had to blink twice to process what was just said.
he. in love. with you? 
maybe? i mean, he always cared about your opinion about his jokes the most and he wanted to spend as much time as possible with you… but he thought that it's normal for friends to feel this way. and to steal glances at you person when you aren't looking, and to read every book you recommend him…
"you say so?" he finally asked, resting his chin on his hands "then maybe you're right," he admitted out loud
"FINALLY" tighnari couldn't hold it any longer… he was SO relieved that his friend won't be acting like he is running around in the fog anymore… right?
"and why are you so emotional about it?" cyno was genuinely confused (pls help this man he is often so clueless)
"because by now even collei knew"
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xiao
 when you kept coming back after all of his attempts to push you away. he wanted to protect you, protect you from him, because for a human it would be better to stay away from his karmic debt, right? but when you remained determined to get closer to him no matter how many times he tried to disencourage you, he slowly realized that maybe, just maybe he can let you get closer to his heart than he ever let anyone to be.
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in his case, there wasn't any particular situation that made him realize his feelings, it was rather a complex and long process (not really a chokehold then but shh…)
he knew you for several months despite of his numerous attempts of cutting any ties he had with you
it was just that… you were stubborn. but not in a regular way, no. your stubbornness was much less invasive and annoying, and it manifested in your constant willingness to get closer to him
however, you never imposed yourself nor did you try convincing him! you were just visiting wangshu inn regularly, maybe tried striking up a conversation a few times, even just sitting in silence was enough for you
and because of all those actions he never felt overwhelmed by your presence! actually, after some time, he just got used to it and secretly started liking it
however, there was always this silent voice in the back of his head that he shouldn't be doing this and that he's forgetting himself
so definitely, when he slowly started thinking of you in that way at the very beginning he was IN SUCH A BIG DENIAL that it's almost unbelievable 
alright, he admitted it to himself, but swore to N E V E R talk to anyone about it, especially and above all, to you.
he just decided to act as if those feelings didn't exist, that's all. and it went like that for quite a long time unfortunately… (at least you can be sure that he keeps his promises at all costs!!)
and after some time, when he was surprised that they didn't just go away, a certain thought crossed his mind…
he started thinking about what ifs and imagining what could happen if he theoretically decided to tell you about his feelings 
(he spent another few months on that though)
at some point he just couldn't look at you without seeing you both holding hands in his mind or stand next to you without the urge to put his hand on your shoulder (of course only in private, he would never do pda…)
but still, his karmic debt… 
he was so torn between those two thoughts (there were two wolves inside of him)
but as you expect, after months of his internal struggling, and your consistency in getting closer to him and encouraging him to open up, he let his feelings win for once in his long life
(take good care of him because he deserves it)
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⌞⌑ cythiraeth - 23.11.2023. please, do not copy, claim as yours or share outside tumblr! ⌑⌝
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haechwrites · 1 year
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sugar, butter, & the royal crown - L.DH
prince!lee donghyuck x baker fem!OC (no name!)
synopsis: prince donghyuck only has one princess on his mind, but she's not actually a princess. she's just the royal baker's granddaughter.
wc: ~17.1k
warnings: pet names used only so i don't have to namedrop lol. no other warnings tho!
A/N: this is my second longest fic i've actually finished hehe i'm really happy with this one and now i wish i had a prince haechan lol
-- some things to note first:
THIS FIC IS WRITTEN IN FIRST PERSON. if you see ♔, that means it's in haechan's pov written in third person!
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
As a child, life is all about the simple pleasures. It didn’t matter that I’d come home to a dark house carrying the faint snores of my mother. I was still reeling from the sweet taste of mangoes on my tongue, the slight dusting of sugar in my hair, and the lingering soreness from laughing in my cheeks. I’d quickly wash up, give my mom a quick peck on the forehead, and tuck myself in bed. Before I know it, the sun greets me again and I meet my grandma outside as she leads me to the palace. This was my routine and for my young brain, there was nothing ever wrong with it.
My grandma is the head baker at the palace. Since the separation of my parents, I have spent my days with my grandma at work. It was all I knew and I was content with it. Every sunrise, I’d have 30 minutes before I had to meet her outside. Together, we’d walk to the palace’s servant entrance and my grandma would give our favorite guard, Doyun, a warm smile and a promise to slip an extra pastry in his meal for letting me tag along. I’d walk past him with a finger to my lips asking him to be sworn to secrecy. He’d always return it with a wink and a small laugh. It was our little promise, though I’m sure no one would actually mind an extra guest on the grounds – especially a mere 7-year-old. 
Once inside the kitchen, I strap on the apron that the palace’s tailor secretly made specifically for me. Grandma told me that the busiest times in the kitchen were the mornings, so I always sit in the corner to let her start the day. I occupy myself for at least an hour before my friend comes to play with me. His entrance is always the same: a secret knock on the side door and a gleaming smile when I open it for him. 
Today he’s dressed up in a super fancy garment, almost like a uniform. I had never seen him in anything other than his casual button-up and pants, typically covered by an extra adult-sized apron we’d find laying around.
“Donghyuck! What are you wearing?”
“Princess!,” He’d squeal, pulling me into a tight hug. “It’s my special outfit.”
“Is it your birthday?” My nose scrunches in confusion, looking him up and down. Even if it was his birthday, I can’t imagine his servant parents could afford such expensive fabric. 
Donghyuck laughs before yanking a spare apron off its hook and pulling it over his head. 
“Nooo. I have something important to do today. That’s why I’m wearing this,” He explains, looking a little nervous.
“Oh wow. You look like the King. Or like a prince,” I say jokingly, but Donghyuck freezes. His eyes are wide like the time he accidentally ate the last mango tart I was saving.
Then he breaks out into an awkward laugh and smiles wide at me, “I am a prince… because you’re my princess.” He says with utmost confidence, before grabbing my hands. We’re standing the way I position my two play dolls during a pretend wedding ceremony.
I quickly turn the shade of freshly baked cherry pies and I tear my hands out of his hold.
“Donghyuck-ah! How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?” I huff, crossing my arms. 
He snickers, “Hmmm… maybe one hundred more times.”
“One hundred more times?!”
“Yes, if you can even count that high,” he smirks, instantly easing the tension from earlier. He plops down onto my stool and looks up at me. “So what are we playing today? Or should we read? Or does Baker Grandma need help?”
I aimlessly kick the leg of the stool, thinking about what we could do today as I can see him anxiously bounce around in his seat. He looks like he’s running on limited time today. Sometimes Donghyuck disappears on me in the middle of our hangouts or doesn’t show up at all. I just assume his parents need help with their tasks just like how Grandma often calls me to help her bake. He’s never told me where in the palace they work despite the years we’ve been hanging out. 
“What if we help your parents today?” The minute the question leaves my lips, I hear a snort from the kitchen staff and Donghyuck goes into a coughing fit as if the flour seeped into his lungs.
I begin to feel myself turn red again and wondering what was so wrong till I feel a familiar warm hand on my shoulder.
“Ah Donghyuck, you’re here today?” My grandma looks at his attire with a suspicious gaze. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Her hands are on her hips and it feels similar to the times she’s caught me using the oven on my own.
Donghyuck starts shyly giggling while fiddling with the oversized apron my grandma is reaching to remove. I stand there in confusion as he looks like a puppy that was told he wasn’t allowed to play or have a treat. I want to help him but the look on grandma’s face is too scary to fight.
She’s slowly ushering him out the door and I’m holding his apron in my hands, watching him pout.
“Bye Hyuck,” I mutter, sad that our day was cut short before it even began. This was the quickest that one has ended.
“Byeee Princess,” He says with as much despair in his voice. He always has to be a little more dramatic than me. I giggle and wave him goodbye, spirits lifted by his antics. I see a smile grow on his face at the sound of my laugh before my grandma closes the door.
My loneliness returns as I stare at the wooden panels of the side door. 
“Did he have to go?” I ask, slumping back onto the stool he was just on.
My grandma turns to me with a quizzical look. I can’t tell if she’s angry, sad, or disappointed and then she’s crouched down in front of me. Her flour-coated hands are resting on my lap.
“Donghyuck got called by his parents. They’re very important people,” She starts slowly. Grandma has never talked about Donghyuck’s family or personal life before. It was never brought up in the past because I assumed he was just like me. Now that we’re finally beginning to talk about it, the hesitant look on her face makes me not want to know anymore. 
“Guards?,” I ask. To me, Doyun is the most important worker in the castle as he freely lets me in and out. Maybe guards earn enough to adorn such fancy clothes I saw Donghyuck wear.
“No, honey,” She glances back at her staff, and I notice they’ve been watching. They give me a reassuring smile, but there’s uneasiness quivering on their lips.
“Donghyuck… Donghyuck is the Prince.”
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
They found him. Donghyuck’s personal guards find him where they usually do when he escapes his tasks, and that would be at the palace kitchen. This time, they find him outside the door, rather than inside scarfing down mango tarts. 
Without any hesitation and with no room for him to trick them and run, they grab the tiny prince and bring him to the meeting he was meant to attend with the King. It was meant to be the first glimpse of his life as a future ruler, attending meetings with fellow diplomats and other boring princely things. Donghyuck does not understand why he can’t spend his day playing like a regular 7-year-old with his pretty friend from the kitchen. 
Despite having complained and whined his way out of most duties, Donghyuck had reached the level of maturity to know that this one he couldn’t fight. I mean, the tailor adjusted his royal attire just for this one-hour meeting. After having come to terms with sitting in boredom for an hour, Donghyuck did not expect to be dragged into more as he was about to skip his way over to the kitchen once the diplomats left.
“And where are you off to now, Donghyuck?”
He freezes in his tracks and a shiver ripples down his spine at the sound of her voice. He’s been caught again.
He spins around, plastering the biggest smile possible on his face. “Nowhere, Mother. Just strolling around until my tutoring session.” He hopes she doesn’t recognize this path to the kitchen.
“And is your tutoring session located in the kitchen today?” She asks, words dripping with a patronizing attitude. Nothing Donghyuck isn’t used to.
“Oh! I wanted to see if I could get a quick snack before. My brain needs food, right?” He hides his crossed fingers behind his back, praying she doesn’t call his bluff.
“And you’re not just going there to see that girl, are you?” She takes a step closer and Donghyuck is scared she can see the drip of sweat beginning to trickle down his forehead. How did she know about Princess? He wonders if his guard ratted him out… even after Donghyuck gave him half of his tart. The betrayal, he scoffs. 
“There’s no girl, Mother.” Donghyuck decides it's best to deny it and stare straight at his feet. 
“You are correct, there will never be a girl. Instead, there will be a future queen. A princess for now and you need to begin meeting our potential suitresses,” The queen firmly states, grabbing his shoulders to steer him towards the library. Before he could stop himself, his chest bubbles with heat, and his brain is fogged with confusion. He can’t imagine anyone by his side but her.
“Why can’t she be my princess?”
The words spill out from his royal lips before he could catch them. There’s no missing the instant look of rage and disgust on the Queen’s face when her son’s true desires are revealed. Desires of the heart, but a complete disgrace to his duties as the Prince. Her eyes grow colder and her skin pales till her blush is the brightest hue on her cheeks. 
Donghyuck feels his throat go dry and the crossed fingers behind his back unlock. No luck can help him now.
“No more kitchen visits, Prince Donghyuck.”
The queen’s words are final. His shoulders slump lower and his feet are heavy as he drags them across the cobblestone trailing toward the library. It feels like there was a wall that slammed into the ground behind him, forbidding him from seeing her again.
“Yes, ma’am. No more.”
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
^ FIFTEEN YEARS LATER ^
The only memory of my childhood that lingered was the heat of the oven. Like I did every day at the age of 7, I continued to bake to keep that fire alive. There were days where the warmth was cooler than normal and my urge to bake waivered. Days like when my grandma stopped showing up outside my house every day a half hour after sunrise. Days like when my mother decided I was too much to raise when I stopped spending my time at the palace. And days like the one when I moved out of the city to live with my dad. 
However, there were also days where the flame was ablaze. Days like when I got my own personal baking set. Days like when I got accepted into a baking school. And days like today, where I return to the city that pushed me out fifteen years ago to open a bakery. Despite the dismal circumstances of the day I left, I always felt the urge to return. It never felt right that I moved in the first place. Confusion still envelops my mind when I think about how my grandma stopped taking me to the palace for unsaid reasons and how my mother was incapable of taking care of me due to it. There had to be something more going on. 
Outside of this mystery of my childhood, my main goal was to return with my own bakery specializing in my soon-to-be infamous mango tarts. I had visited the city for the first time since my move before to scope out bakery locations. But today was the day that I officially move in, to both my home and bakery, and kickstart my business. My first task was to put up a sign displaying the bakery’s name.
“Oh my goodness… so it is true!”
Warmth blooms in my chest; I would recognize that voice anywhere. I flip around and I’m greeted with her same sugary sweet smile. My grandma looks just as she did before but her hair is dusted white like the flour she worked with. But she still smelled like spiced apple pie, my eyes watered in disbelief. 
“Grandma!” I ran into her open arms and I could feel her chuckle. 
“Oh honey, it’s been much too long. Look at you now… a beautiful woman before my eyes,” She’s smiling widely and I can see her eyes take in my features. Fifteen years worth of change and growth. 
“I’m sorry we haven’t been in contact much. I could barely find the time to tell you I was coming back.”
“It’s alright. All that matters is you’re here,” Grandma rubs my arms reassuringly. “And are you here alone? Or have you moved back with a lover?” The childish gleam on her face makes me giggle and I quickly correct her that I’m single and focusing on my baking.
“Ah, I see. In that case, you must have more time than I anticipated. You must come with me to work one of these days. Just like old times. Consider it research for your bakery.” The way she sways with excitement makes it hard for me to turn it down, and I can’t deny the flutter in my heart at the idea of stepping foot onto the palace grounds again. It was where it all started for me. I agreed with a smile.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
After a week of prepping the bakery, I decided to visit my grandma. To be completely honest, outside of the work I had to do, my nerves did play a role in keeping me from going earlier. But now that I’ve decided I’ve run out of excuses, I’m walking to the servant entrance of the palace a little before noon to give my grandmother the morning to solely focus on work. It makes me smile knowing I still remember the schedule of the palace kitchen. 
The streets surrounding the castle are quiet at this hour. I can still remember the hustle and commotion of the staff in the early morning, lining up to get inside to start their days. It was never daunting to be a young girl surrounded by a diverse array of people. It was thrilling and almost comforting and it was much better than staying home alone. 
When I reach the gates, I feel like I’ve traveled back in time because blocking my path is a young guard who looks eerily like Doyun, the guard I knew from before.
“How can I help you, miss?”
“Hi.” I’m inspecting his face. He has the same colored hair, but it’s parted differently. He has the same warm light brown eyes and his face is a little softer than Doyun’s. My mind can’t help but ask, “I’m sorry if this is a strange question but do you know Guard Doyun?”
His stiff demeanor drops like a curtain and the young guard’s eyes light up, “I’m his son, Yunseo! How do you know my father?” Suddenly I don’t see a guard in uniform, but instead a bright, inviting individual in his place.
“No wonder! I’m the granddaughter of the head baker. I used to greet your father every morning when I was a child.” 
“Oh yes! Yes, she told me you were coming. You can go right along in, just make sure she knows to sneak me an extra sweet treat.” He opens the gates for me.
“Ah like father, like son,” I giggle, slightly bowing to him as I enter.
“Do you remember how to get to the kitchen?”
I stare at the familiar worn cobblestone paths and nod, “I think so.”
The walk to the kitchen is shorter than I remember but the smell wafting from the windows is all the same. I reach the side door and I’m about to knock when I notice it’s creaked slightly open. I hear a voice above all the kitchen noise.
“Gran, please sneak something in my food today so I can get sick and stay in bed for the whole week. I do not want to court these women.” I peek my head in further to take a look at the man speaking. I let out a soft gasp when my eyes land on him.
Outside of his stunning beauty, he looks familiar. His tufts of chestnut brown hair are slightly waved as they curl around the nape of his neck. He often shakes his head to get the bangs out of his face, exposing his tan skin. If I look close enough, he has distinguishable moles on the plush curves of his cheeks. His rosy lips are wrapped around a piece of pastry and even when he’s talking with his mouth full, he’s still attractive. My eyes instantly widen when I notice his outfit: the royal attire.
A squeal escapes my mouth and before I could hide, the door is swung open by my grandma.
“You’re here!”
At the announcement of my arrival, the young man is dusting the crumbs off his hands, and looks like he’s about to make a quick escape. 
“Hi Grandma,” I give her a hug, not minding the flour sticking to my sweater. “I was just about to knock.” I let out a small laugh to hide the fact that I was definitely eavesdropping not moments ago.
“Grandma?” I hear the man say behind her. He decided to stay after realizing it wasn’t one of his guards coming to get him, but instead a pretty woman. An oddly, familiar, pretty woman. 
My grandma bites her lip to keep from smiling any bigger and she grabs my arm to present me to the man.
“Oh my. I forgot you guys know each other! It’s Donghyuck, do you remember, honey? You used to play with him every day as I worked.” The glint in her eyes is something more than just happy nostalgia and I give her a look.
“Pri-... Princess?” When the old nickname leaves his lips, I gasp and feel my cheeks bloom pink. The layers of the handsome man in front of me started to peel and I could see the little boy I spent my early life with. Most of my warmest days were spent with him. But I’m also brought back to one of the colder days of my childhood. The day I found out my childhood best friend was the Prince. 
At first, I didn’t understand why my grandma was so fearful of telling me who he really was. I was ecstatic to hear that Donghyuck was royalty. I was fascinated and curious to see what his life was like and how it compared to being the granddaughter of a palace worker. I soon learned that what I wanted to discover was not so glamorous. Because apparently, his life excluded me. I didn’t piece that together until a few years after my move. Why else did Donghyuck stop showing up and why else was I forbade from going to the palace with my grandma? When I came to the realization, I began to resent him and eventually, completely forgot about him.
“Prince Donghyuck,” I bowed, trying not to show any expression. He had his arm slightly raised like he was about to reach for me but his body stiffened at my curtness. My grandma even looks at me with confusion. “It’s… It’s nice to see you again.”
“Oh, there’s no need to be so polite. You guys were friends!” My grandma squeezes my arms, urging me to get closer. I stay in my place.
“He’s the Prince, Grandma,” I whisper through my teeth and I can tell he hears me by the dejected look on his face. I can’t get myself to look him in the eyes.
“It’s quite alright. I actually have to get going. Prin-... Sorry, It was lovely to see you,” The Prince ducks his head and leaves the way I came in. He looks back at my figure once more, thoughts churning, before he disappears.
My feet remain still and I’m staring at the place he stood. Staring at the pastry he bit into. He’s real and he’s back. And the door he walked through was the same one he used to leave me 15 years ago. The alarms rang in my brain and I quickly shook my head, grabbing a bowl and mixing whatever contents are in it. The faster I stirred, the more I begged my mind to stop thinking about Donghyuck.
“You’re overwhipping the cream.”
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
On every page he turned to, the words blurred and all Donghyuck could see was her. She was more beautiful than he remembered. She’s much taller now, and he naturally smiles remembering when she used to argue that he was only taller than her by a centimeter. Her hair was also longer and not bound in her classic two braids. Though he didn’t get to see her smile, he was sure that it’s brighter than before. After all, everything about her seemed to have grown more beautiful than before. Donghyuck wonders if he should be calling her “Queen” now with how wonderfully she’s aged. 
A delicate tap on his shoulder forces Donghyuck out of his lovestruck haze. “Prince Donghyuck, are you enjoying your book?”
He remembers that he’s in the library with one of his potential suitresses. He turns to her and almost wants to laugh. For the years that his childhood friend has been gone, it was the memory of her that invaded his mind whenever he was forced to go on these dates. But now that Donghyuck has seen her again in the flesh, he realizes how doomed he is and how these other princesses definitely don’t stand a chance.
During the fifteen years apart, Donghyuck’s gloom exacerbated the Queen’s determination to find him a future queen. Out of all his regular royal responsibilities, his courtships took the most time. He excels in all areas of his duties, but the one he can’t manage to succeed in is getting a wife. From playdates to formal dates, Donghyuck aged and remained single. And both he and the head baker knew why. 
Despite the Queen’s warnings to never enter the kitchen, Donghyuck found himself there every week whether it was to steal extra mango tarts or ask about the baker’s granddaughter. It was usually after failed dates when he’d trudge into the kitchen, completely drained of energy, and beg the baker to talk to him about his first love. Questions about where she is, how she’s doing, and whether she thinks of him spill from his mouth, and the baker would entertain him every time. Even if he only knew and could only remember the child version of her, Donghyuck still managed to compare her to every suitress he met. None of them stood a chance against his princess. And though with time he could recognize how silly this infatuation had gotten, he grew fatigued of courtship and this was the easiest way to go about it. The grandmother was wary of this long overrun connection as well, but at the same time commended him for his commitment to her granddaughter. She also didn’t have the heart to tell him to move on.
And now Donghyuck’s here, on another date and he actually has an image, a real person, to be thinking of. 
“I’m sorry. I don’t think this is going to work out.”
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
“So you are hiding from me?”
“Oh Jesus Christ,” I drop the bowl of frosting at my feet and scramble to pick it up. A pair of far too expensive shoes enter my vision. I shoot up and my heart races, knowing exactly who it is.
“My prince,” I bow, meeting the ground once more. I stand upright and give him a passing smile.
“I like hearing you say that,” The Prince smirks. He swiftly scoops a finger of frosting before popping it in his mouth.
“Formalities,” I respond and I move the bowl out of his reach.
He chuckles and he starts to fiddle with an apron left on the counter.
“So you’ve been visiting at nighttime. Are you actually avoiding me?” He looks at me like he’s challenging me to say no. 
Yes. “No, I just prefer the kitchen at night.” I clutch the frosting bowl tighter and focus my attention on what’s salvageable.
“You mean my kitchen… which you’ve been sneaking into with the help of my guard.” I can feel that he’s moved closer and I wince.
“Yes… I’m sorry. My grandma said it’d be okay and my kitchen at the bakery isn’t finished being built. If you’d like me to stop coming, I can.” I start to untie my apron and his hand catches my wrist.
“No,” He blurts out. “There’s no need. Feel free to use the kitchen.” The Prince raises his hands in the air as if to give me permission. I politely nod and go back to fixing my frosting, ignoring the tingling I feel on my wrist. 
He doesn’t make a move to leave. Instead, he puts on the apron from the counter and leans in to watch.
“Um, what are you doing?” The Prince is tapping the table and humming as he stares at me.
“Hanging out,” He says matter-of-factly. 
“I see,” And that’s all that I can say because who am I to kick the Prince out of his own kitchen? So I just mix and continue doing my thing.
“Just like the old days. You do remember, right?” I make the mistake of looking up and meeting his eyes. He’s looking at me like his question meant more than just a test of my memory.
“Vaguely… It was a long, long time ago.” A time I don’t wish to relive.
There’s a short pause before The Prince replies.
“Well, I remember. I think I’ll always remember. You were my best friend… And those were probably the best days of my life.” He doesn’t look at me when he says this. In fact, he looks nervous to be admitting it in the first place. 
All I can do is nod, not knowing what to say to his confession. Especially when the feeling I get when I look back on those times is not as positive.
“Anyway… I’m planning on recreating those times.” Without thinking, I meet his eyes and he’s smiling hopefully. “So don’t try to hide from me next time. I’ll be here whenever you are. Think of it as your payment for using the kitchen.” 
The uneasiness and warmth in my stomach are hard to decipher. The thought of spending more time with him is thrilling and terrifying at the same time. I try to ease my nerves by mixing even harder and he notices before laughing. 
With my unspoken agreement, we spend the rest of the night in silence, just in each other’s presence. Every now and then he steals a bite of my makings and tries to lighten the air with a poorly made joke. And I don’t hold my laughter back.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
“And then, once the frosting is on, you can add the strawberries.” I demonstrate by putting the nicely sliced strawberries on in a thin layer. 
“When are you going to teach me how to make the mango tart?” The Prince pouts and bites the strawberries instead of putting them on the cake. I scowl and move the bowl away from him. 
“When are you going to stop eating my ingredients?”
He smirks and taps the counter, “When are you going to stop using my kitchen?” He tilts his head to the side to goad me.
I roll my lips into my mouth and stuff another strawberry in his face when he laughs. 
“Eat up,” I say sickeningly sweet.
Completely out of my control, my hangouts with Prince Donghyuck have returned. However, this time, I know he’s the prince and instead of every day in the morning, it’s 2 to 3 times a week at night. My excuse is that my kitchen in the bakery isn’t done being built, but to be completely honest, I could have it done by the end of the week. Maybe it’s because I enjoy my time with the Prince or maybe it’s because I actually do want the extra amenities I asked to be installed last minute… who knows? The end conclusion is that I find myself in the palace’s kitchen more often than I intended, and I find myself enjoying the Prince’s company more than I intended.
“Okay, your highness. Do you think you can stack these layers evenly?” 
He gives me a playful salute, mouth full of cream, as he hops off the kitchen counter. He stands by my side and takes the cake from my hands.
“You know… as much as I like hearing you call me ‘your highness,’ why don’t you ever call me by my name anymore?” 
“Because now I know you’re the Prince.” And I don’t know how it feels to have your name roll off my tongue as it did before, I think to myself.
The Prince lets out a low whistle. “Do you see me differently?” He trains his eyes to the level of the cake to get it precisely right. I watch him from above.
“It’s been fifteen years… so yes, I do see you differently.” I move to mix more frosting to coat the cake with.
“Okay,” He nods, thinking about my response. “So me being the Prince isn’t part of it?” He glances at me quickly with what I can assume is worry before he goes to add another layer of cake.
“Mmm… It is. Not a big part, but definitely a part. I think it’s mainly because you’ve grown up, We’ve both grown up. Maybe me more than you,” I tease. He sticks his tongue out at me and I make a face back. “Example number one.”
He finishes putting on the last layer and stands up straight to admire his work.
“What makes me different than before?” He takes the frosting bowl from my hands and begins icing the cake like I’ve taught him a couple of days ago. I take this as a break and I lift myself up to sit on the counter, dangling my feet.
“You’re taller than me, for one,” he gasps in fake shock and I hit him on the shoulder. 
“You’re dressed nicer.”
“That’s not a compliment for me, that’s a compliment for my stylist,” He corrects me.
“True, okay. You’re smarter than before, I can see you’re not skipping your tutoring sessions. And… you’re not as cute.”
At that, he perks up, frosting is long forgotten. “What do you mean I’m not as cute?” And with the face he’s making, I almost take back my words.
“Well, your highness, you were a boy before. Of course, you’re not cute now. You’re a man.” I roll my eyes as if that were the most obvious thing.
“If I’m not cute, then what am I?” He squints at me and I can tell I’ve fallen into a trap.
“You’re… You’re handsome. Now,” I mutter out. I quickly clear my throat and point to a bald spot on the cake. “Hey, you missed a spot.”
Without even looking at him, I know he’s smiling. “You think I’m handsome.”
“Alright,” I drag out the word. “You’re the Prince. Aren’t you supposed to be handsome so you can woo and marry a pretty princess?”
“Not exactly. Being ridiculously handsome isn’t a royal requirement.”
I let out a scoff, “When did I say ‘ridiculously handsome’?”
“You didn’t have to, I see it on your face.” He taps my cheek and I suddenly notice how close our faces have gotten. Before I know it, my face is blooming pink again and I can feel the warmth shoot from my head to the rest of my body. I launch myself back and adjust my apron. And he stares at me like he’s won.
“Okay, your turn. What’s different about me?” I look around the kitchen to get my heart to settle down. What is happening?
The Prince doesn’t hesitate. “Well, you’re just as beautiful as you were before. Maybe even more.”
I gasp at his words and look him in the eyes. There’s no hint of his typical teasing attitude; he looks completely genuine. My mind goes blank and my ability to respond is rendered useless. He seems to notice that so he brushes off his comment quickly, thinking he’s overstepped.
“Anyways, since we’ve discovered that the only thing that makes me different from before is that I’m exceptionally more handsome-”
“Didn’t say that.”
“-Then why don’t you just call me ‘Donghyuck.’ Like you did before.”
Maybe it’s because he called me beautiful. Maybe it’s because I like the idea of exclusively calling him ‘Donghyuck.’ Or maybe I’m excited to eat the cake we just made, but my heart is fluttering quicker than it ever has.
“Okay. Donghyuck.”
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
“FIRE! DONGHYUCK! FIRE, FIRE!”
“OH SHIT!”
Watching the medium sized fire bursting from the top of the pot, I run to the fire extinguisher. I’m scrambling to grab it, swift to squeeze the white dust all over the burning stove, despite the dough covering my hands. I hear Donghyuck’s screams in the back and he’s grabbing my shoulders to hide. Once I see the last flame get coated, I drop the extinguisher on the ground, exhausted.
I feel his hands digging into my shoulder blades and I grab him by the jacket, turning him to face me. Knowing how to cover his ass, he smiles in shame, rubbing my arm.
“I swear I was watching the stove,” He whips out his baby voice and try my best not to smack the side of his head. He’s the Prince. He’s the Prince. He’s the Prince, I repeat to myself. 
“Your looks distracted me.” I slap him anyways.
He groans in pain, even though I could’ve slapped harder and I cross my arms to look as threatening as possible. 
“You burnt the caramel,” I whine, staring at the black tar in my brand new pot. “And my pot!”
He immediately attacks me with a hug, shaking me around, mumbling apologies. “I’ll buy you a new one, I promise! I’ll buy you three! Four? Seven!”
“Make it eight,” I huff, tearing his arms off me, only to weirdly miss them.
He gasps, hands against his head in shock. “You definitely dressed prettier today just so I could set your pot on fire and buy you twenty more… You’re evil,” He looks at me like I’ve masterminded the biggest robbery of the century. 
I narrow my eyes at him, lifting my hand to smack him again. “And you’re on timeout. No more baking today.” I start putting away the dishes I had ready.
“Hey! Who’s older here?” Donghyuck begins helping me sort the supplies into the pantry.
“I’m pretty sure I am,” I say, trying to remember if we told each other our birthdays back then.
“When were you born?”
“May.”
“Shit,” He mutters. He tosses the burnt pot into the trashcan, wincing at the char. “Okay, let’s keep the ball rolling. What’s your favorite color?”
I laugh, “Really? Also should I save this dough for tomorrow when we try again?” I hold it up to show him and inspects it.
“Yeah, why not? Just wear a trashbag or something tomorrow.” I kick him in the foot and he chuckles. “But yes, really. What’s your favorite color? I like red.”
“Purple,” I play along while saran wrapping the dough. “Favorite food?”
“Kimchi jjigae,” he spits out, with no hesitation. I nod along, remembering all the times he’s requested it as a midnight snack while we bake. “What do you like to do besides baking?”
“I like to go on walks. When I moved out of the city and with my dad, we lived near the beach. It was nice to just walk on the shore only five minutes away from me. I miss it sometimes. I should probably visit soon.” I tap the bowl mindlessly, trying to figure out my schedule.
“You should take me,” Donghyuck says. He’s right next to me now. “I always wondered where you went after I stopped seeing you. I assumed you were still in the city, until your grandma told me you moved-moved.”
“Ohh, no, yeah. I moved. It was hard leaving everything I knew, but at the same time, I learned so much when I was there with my dad. Come with me next time, and we can hangout on the beach. Nothing should be too flammable there.” I tease, bumping his hip with mine. He laughs with me, but I can tell his mind is somewhere else. His eyebrows are furrowed, and he looks almost guilty.
“You know, when I found out you were the Prince, I wrote down a list of questions. I was so excited to see what your life is like.” 
This grabbed his attention and my heart eased seeing his eyes light up a little more. The kitchen was relatively clean now, so I decided to prop myself up on the counter. Donghyuck always gets mad at the sudden height difference, but I can tell he loves it when he naturally wedges himself between my thighs like he does right now.
“Yeah? Do you remember any?” His hands were pinned on either side of my hips, forearms pressed against my outer thighs. It’s comfortable. I’m not sure when we got so comfortable. “This is kind of like ‘Princess and The Pauper.’”
I snort trying to remember my list. “I think I wanted to know how many crowns you had.”
“Classic question. I’m pretty sure I have three. My head’s kinda small, so it actually takes awhile for them to make it.”
I hum, investigating his head. “I can tell.”
“Mean.” He lightly pinches my thigh and I stop staring at his skull.
“I also wanted to know if you had any royal pets.”
“A cute, small, white dog. Yep.” He nods, like he’s impressed with himself for having such a basic dog and I have to laugh. 
“Any cool cars?”
“Tons,” He brags. “Okay, what does ‘Adult You’ want to know?”
There’s always been a question I wanted to ask him since I started hanging out with him again. It nagged in the back of my mind as I watched him, always happy, always cheering everyone on. Despite his bright facial expressions and body language, I could tell it was tiring, it must be. I never imagined the royal life to be hard, or as hard as my own, until I met him again.
I look at his face, checking for any signs that I shouldn’t be asking him. But he looks at me with such softness and openness, that I don’t hesitate to ask.
“Are you happy? Like… do you like being the Prince?”
His eyes widened at my question and he looks down at my lap to think. He takes longer than I expect, and I assume no one has ever bothered to ask. His silence is telling.
“Hey…,” I reach for his face to lift his chin up. “It’s okay to say you’re not. You don’t have to be all the time.”
He flinches like this was a concept he couldn’t accept for himself. I grab his face a little tighter so he really hears me.
“As long as you’re at least looking for your happiness, that’s all that matters,” I stroke his cheek with my thumb. “You deserve all the happiness, Hyuck.”
I can see his mind slowly wrapping around my words as something in his face shifts. He looks hesitant for a different reason.
“And what if I find my happiness in you?” I gasp, instinctively letting go of his face slightly. He’s fast to bring his hand up to keep mine there. His fingers slot between my gaps. He looks desperate to keep me here.
Knowing my words hold immense weight, I still don’t stop myself from saying, “Then I’ll be that for you, in whatever way I can.”
Despite me being vague, Donghyuck takes all that he can. His face blooms into a smile and I return it, knowing it was cause of me. He holds my hand this time and brings it down to my lap, sighing happily.
“Thank you.”
And for a split second, I’m scared for what I’ve promised. After all, he’s the prince and I’m the pauper.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
Donghyuck is the happiest he has ever been. Unlike how it was when he was a kid, he’s attending his classes, his meetings, and even having lunches with the princesses the Queen sends over. However, he can’t promise that these dates are leading up to a potential marriage. He’s doing just enough so that his mother doesn’t get suspicious. Best of all, for most nights, he gets to sneak into the kitchen and talk, bake, and laugh for hours.
The secret hangouts are going amazingly. He can tell she’s warming up to him as she did back then or maybe it’s just the fire from the oven heating up the place. Last week, the kitchen at her new bakery finally finished being built and he knows this because he hired his staff to make sure the job was done well without telling her. That day he expected her to come in and tell him that she had to stop seeing him, but she still showed up like clockwork – two to three times a week. 
Next week, her bakery is set to have its grand opening and Donghyuck hopes this isn’t what actually stops her from coming to see him. He’s even practiced his baking skills on his own and eaten less of the fruit while they’re together in hopes it doesn’t make her want to leave again. And so for the following week, Donghyuck is treading carefully.
“Do you need help with that, Princess?”
“Should I preheat the oven for you?”
“Here, let me tie your apron.”
“I’ll carry that for you.”
All of these mini acts of chivalry are met with a suspicious gaze and a light dusting of red on her cheeks. Donghyuck feels a sense of achievement whenever she accepts his help. And this all leads up to the night before her grand opening.
Donghyuck is lighting the last candle when the sound of keys unlocking the side kitchen door is heard. He quickly blows out the match before scurrying behind the table to greet her with a “Surprise!”
“Donghyuck! Don’t do that! God, I thought I was caught for sneaking in.”
He rolls his eyes at her lackluster reaction and reorients himself. 
“I said… Surprise!” He dramatically waves his arms around to show all the work he put into decorating the kitchen. She finally notices her surroundings and her eyes light up. Donghyuck can feel his heart soften, compared to how it was racing earlier trying to set all of this up without his staff.
“What… what is all of this?” Her hands are covering her mouth in disbelief. There are streamers and fairy lights gracing the walls and candles are littered all around the room. Donghyuck is standing in the center with a single cupcake in his hands.
“Congrats. I heard from the grapevine that your bakery opens tomorrow.” She laughs at his theatrics and sets her bag down to look at the cupcake he’s made. In messy red font, the top of the treat reads the name of her bakery. She almost wants to tear up.
“Only one? Are we sharing?” She takes the cupcake from his hands and he tries not to think too hard about her fingers touching his.
“Well, I made that myself, and I personally don’t trust that I didn’t mess up the recipe in some way. So if anyone’s getting food poisoning tonight, it’d be you.” He taps her nose. “Eat up!”
At that, her jaw drops and she keeps the cupcake at a distance as if it’s some nuclear substance.
“Do you secretly want me dead?” She laughs.
“Hey, when it comes down to a royal and a baker. The baker’s going.” Donghyuck mimics his throat being slit and bites his lip to stop himself from smiling too hard. He loves to mess with her.
“You are the worst. Way to look out for your people, your highness.” She begins to unwrap the cupcake, taking a sniff out of precaution.
“‘Your Highness’? Aw, Princess, don’t be like that.” He moves closer to her and she shifts back, tutting.
“Nope. As a baker under your kingdom, I will gladly sacrifice myself by eating this cupcake. Alone.” She dramatically curtsies before going in for a hesitant bite.
Donghyuck swiftly beats her to it and takes a large bite out of the other end as her lips touch the cupcake. Her eyes widen in shock and he sends her a wink before brushing the crumbs off his mouth.
“Now you can’t tell me I don’t care about my people,” He says while chewing the weird texture of his creation. Donghyuck smirks at the deer-in-headlights reaction she has on her face. 
She gulps, shaking her head so that her hair hides her blush. She sets the cupcake down, not wanting a reminder of how close his face just was.
“Well, it’s edible,” She jokes. Donghyuck’s tongue prods the inside of his mouth as he takes in what was supposedly a compliment.
“Says the one who took the smallest bite known to man,” He accuses, pointing at the cupcake.
“How was I supposed to take a bigger one when you practically shoved your face into it and devoured half?” Once again, she’s reminded of what just transpired and feels her cheeks growing warm.
“Ooo, did I make you flustered? Scared your lips were about to touch mine?” Donghyuck takes a step closer and brushes a nonexistent crumb off her lip with his thumb. He hopes she doesn’t feel his heart pounding like fireworks.
Like she can sense his fake confidence, she grabs his wrist. “Is that what you were thinking about when you took a bite? Kissing me?” She tilts her head to the side and his whole body buzzes.
Before he could crumble even further, he tears his hand out of hers. “Please. Like I’d let anyone touch these royal lips.” He turns around to calm himself down and pretends to busy himself with something on the fridge.
He hears her laugh behind him. “I bet they’re not as sweet as a baker’s.”
He turns around and narrows his eyes at her. “How did this grand opening celebration turn into you messing with me?” Accepting defeat, he resorts to fake anger and his signature pout.
“You started it,” She playfully rolled her eyes. “Anyways…”
With the softest smile, she says, “Thank you, Hyuck. I really appreciate you.”
He returns it, “Always.”
The rest of the night is filled with laughter and playful bickering as the two avoid finishing the mysteriously textured cupcake. Donghyuck makes multiple attempts to pit the blame on her as the teacher, and the soon-to-be bakery owner fails to leave and sleep early at the expense of the Prince’s whines. To be honest, the lack of sleep was worth it if she got to spend more time with him.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
Now that the bakery is well past its grand opening and flourishing greatly, I’ve gotten my days back. My employees are well-trained and seasoned and I feel comfortable taking days off when I need to. Oddly, my new opened-up schedule was somehow sensed by Donghyuck and I was invited to the palace during the daytime for the first time ever. I was nervous at first to be sneaking in in broad daylight, but he assured me that if I followed the steps he gave me exactly, I’d be fine – not that reassuring. 
As written in his note, I greeted Yunseo, the guard, as usual, and he gave me weird looks, going back and forth between the sun and my face.
“You know the sun is out, right?” He asked, still looking at me funny.
I gave him the most incredulous look. “You’re joking? It’s not nighttime?” I made an effort to crazily look around and he sighed.
“Alright, alright, I get it,” He shook his head. “What are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d switch things up,” I shrugged, not wanting to reveal who I was meeting.
Yunseo nodded, “Fair… okay, be careful, okay? The palace feels a little frantic today.” With that, he opened the gates for me and I gave him a smile.
“You’re the best. Make sure to stop by sometime this week, I have pastries for you.” I waved goodbye as he promised to come. 
Following Donghyuck’s poorly drawn-out map, I realized our meeting point isn’t the kitchen and that he’s taking me on an obscure path that the Queen and King definitely are not aware exists. As I walk through centuries-old, dimly lit stone walls, I think about how many times Donghyuck has used these secret passageways and if little Donghyuck used these when he snuck out to see me, 15 years ago. I can imagine 7-year-old Donghyuck discovering these routes within the castle’s walls.
“Stop right there!” A voice echoes through the abandoned hallway.
My heart spazzes and as loud as my brain is yelling at me to run, my feet don’t budge. I curse under my breath and crumple Donghyuck’s map in my hands, remembering to kill him unless I die right here. And if I do happen to die here, then I have to make sure I return as a ghost, haunting that man for life. I turn around slowly, eyes half closed, to see who’s behind me, but there’s no one there. There’s no one in the passageway at all. I whip around a few more times to confirm and I notice a crack in the wall to my right. It’s a peephole overlooking the actual palace hallways.
Out of curiosity, I look through and I see the Queen, face as red as the beautiful gown she adorns.
“Prince Lee Donghyuck,” his name is spat out like bile. “You will follow my orders.”
Coming into view, I see Donghyuck. He and the Queen are in the middle of a heated argument. His head is hung low and I can see him playing with his sleeves like he does when he gets anxious. I wish to reach for him, but then I remember the wall separating us.
“Your majesty, I… I can’t. I don’t want to,” He hiccups, and if I can’t see the tears on his face, I can hear them. “I never did.”
The space in my chest feels as tight and narrow as the walkway I’m in and I want to look away, but I can’t.
“It doesn’t matter what you want. You are the Prince and you are expected to marry a Princess. How dare you fool me for all these years?” As the Queen, she still carries her natural elegance, but her words burn like acid. She’s speaking to him at a normal volume, but her tone pierces your ears. 
“I-I didn’t mean to fool you. I tried my best, but I don’t love them. I don’t love the suitresses you send. And I need you to understand that I never will.” Donghyuck finally looks up and I can see the desperation in his eyes from where I stand. 
“Love?,” The Queen laughs bitterly. “I don’t need you to love them. You just need to marry one. As the Prince, what makes you think you have the privilege of being in love? Not when you have a country to rule.” There’s less anger in her words and more disappointment. 
Donghyuck winces, looking like he’s fighting back what he wants to say. His bottom lip is trembling and the grip he has on his sleeves is tight. His whole body practically shakes. Eventually, he lets go.
“If I’m not meant to love someone, then explain to me why I already do. Explain to me why I love her? Explain to me why I can’t have her?!” 
Tears are rolling down his cheeks like heavy rainfall. “I never asked for this!” He screams, and I wonder to which he’s referring to. 
My body is sweaty like I ran a mile and I feel like my breathing can be heard through the wall. He never mentions my name, but I know, I can feel, that he’s talking about me. My whole body is buzzing and I don’t know whether to feel ecstatic or sad. Despite my confusion, one feeling is clear: fear. Before I can hear what the Queen has to say, I run. 
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
“Oh God. Sorry, I was supposed to get here before you. I was supposed to be part of the surprise,” He smiles meekly, praying the puffiness from crying doesn’t make him look strange. He accidentally sniffles and hopes she blames it on the flowers and his chronic allergies.
She’s sitting in the garden chair next to the tea table Donghyuck had set up an hour ago. He scoped out a secluded spot in the royal garden and slowly put everything together. He moves to sit down across from her and she’s staring intently at the cup in front of her. 
“I asked Gran what your favorite tea is and brewed some for us. I know I don’t have your baking skills, but if we get hungry, we can sneak back to the kitchen,” he playfully winks, trying to hide the fact that he was in the worst state five minutes ago. Although he can’t bake, he can definitely make a good batch of tea. He hopes it hasn’t gone cold. 
He waits for a response, but she’s still frozen, chewing the inside of her cheek. Maybe he’s still on edge from his argument with the Queen, but she doesn’t look happy. This is definitely not the reaction he was expecting.
“Do you wanna try the tea? I bet it’ll amaze you so much, you’ll beg me for the recipe,” he teases. The teapot hovers over her cup, but she makes no move to accept it.
“Okay, no tea. That’s fine,” Donghyuck chooses to laugh it off. “Do you wanna walk around? Most of the garden is secluded so we don’t have to worry about someone catching us.”
“Would that be so bad?” The first words she whispers strike him with confusion. Her voice is dry like she just strained it.
“Huh?” He tilts his head, scooting his chair in closer to hear her.
“Would that be so bad?” She says, unable to bate her anger. “Being caught with me? Would his royal highness hate being found walking with me?”
“Hey,” Donghyuck grabs her hand from her lap, interlocking his fingers. “What’s going on?” She tears her hand out from his hold like it stung and he feels like he’s making mistake after mistake.
“I-I’m sorry, is this too much? I wanted to do something nice for our first date outside of the kitchen. Was this a mistake?” He starts to stack the plates, quickly discarding his work. “I usually don’t plan these myself, so I’m sorry if this is bad. I-”
Donghyuck sees her wince in his peripheral and feels her hand on his wrist as he’s about to haphazardly dump the tea in the bushes. Her hands are cold today.
“Date?” The word leaves her mouth as if it made her sick.
The alarms go off in Donghyuck’s mind. “Date? Did I say date? Sorry, I actually mean-”
“Donghyuck,” she cuts him off. He can see her harshly swallow. “Why are you doing this?”
He blinks. “I… I wanted to do something nice for us. It doesn’t have to be romantic if you don’t want it to be. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Donghyuck can feel himself beginning to ramble.
“No. Why have you been hanging out with me? If it’s because you feel guilty about ditching me all those years ago, forget about it. I don’t care anymore.” She looks at him with so much intensity, not only trying to convince him, but convince herself that none of this matters.
“Princess, please. No, it’s not out of pity. You know that.” He shakes his head almost violently, begging her to believe his honest intentions. He was shocked he had to convince her in the first place, always assuming she knew his heart better than him.
Completely ignoring him, she continues, “And why aren’t you married yet?”
“W-what?” Similar to whiplash, Donghyuck feels like his brain has just been jostled. Are his ears tricking him and forcing him to relive the traumatic conversation he just had with his mother? Why is this topic being brought up?
“You’re the Prince,” she says like it’s an unwavering fact. “You’re meeting with princesses weekly. You’re meant to rule side by side as King and Queen. Why… why aren’t you married yet?” She asks and her eyes are ice cold like her hands. 
She too closely resembles the older woman who was just yelling at him moments ago. The casing around his heart begins to harden and the feeling he gets from the girl in front of him is now anger. The same bitter taste returns in his mouth.
“Are you serious?” He looks at her and the Donghyuck she knows has washed away. Betrayal, rage, and sorrow are painted across his face. It was like she was looking through the peephole again.
“Don’t ask stupid questions you know the answers to,” he mutters, words barely making it past his tight lips. He’s breathing much harder than before.
“Answer me. Why. Aren’t. You. Married.” Her hands are gripping the edge of her knees to stop them from shaking. 
Donghyuck stares at her for a long time, eyes flittering over every facial feature, confirming that she actually wants to hear the answer. Her face is firm and her question is set. He takes a deep, pained breath and leans back slightly.
“It’s because I love you.” Not like the confession he imagined in his head, Donghyuck reveals his long-term feelings like this was their end and not their new beginning. The period at the end of a sentence. The last page of a hardcover book. The last second on a timer.
She simply nods, stiff in the neck. She excuses herself before standing up, bowing, and walking away.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
“That’ll be $6.06. Would you like your receipt?”
The cash register dings with another purchase and I slump back in my chair as the customer leaves. It was a slow and agonizing shift with only two more hours till closing. It’s also been a slow and agonizing two weeks. 
I’m haunted by what went down at the royal garden almost every hour of the day. At first, I was using every chance I could get to skip work and wallow at home. But suddenly the plants in my room reminded me of him and the teacups in my cabinets smelled like the tea he prepared for us. So for the second week, I decided to dedicate myself to work. I’ve been coming in every single day and overworking myself to the point where my employees don’t know what to do but stand around. I debate whether or not to let them leave early when a familiar head of brown hair walks in. My heart picks up its pace and it’s like the teacups all over again.
“Donghyu- oh. Hi, welcome!” I smile wide, trying to hide the previous disappointment drawn on my face. The customer gives me an awkward smile back and begins browsing the pastry racks as I mentally slap myself.
I slump down to the floor behind the counter and silently groan in my hands. Why does every male brunette customer these past two weeks remind me of him? And why are there so many of them? Like every other time I’ve confused a customer with Donghyuck, the guilt begins to creep back into my system and I get flashbacks of our last conversation. 
“Why aren’t you married?,” I mock my own voice. “Are you stupid?” I repeatedly hit my palms against my head when I hear a ding from the counter bell. I quickly shoot up and brush the bangs out of my face, hoping the customer thinks I’m at least slightly normal.
“Hi, how can I hel- Grandma!” On instinct, I glance behind her, foolishly hoping he’s hiding behind her tiny frame, and my shoulders slump when I’m met with no one. So now I’m really imagining him.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, composing myself.
“Just checking in on you. I notice you haven’t been coming to the kitchen because when I come in in the mornings, my counter is actually clean,” she jokes. I smile sheepishly and nervously adjust the apron string around my neck. 
“Sorry, it’s usually Donghyuck’s fault,” I quickly clear my throat, answering a little too fast. “The Prince, I mean.”
Grandma’s eyebrows shoot up at the mention of his name and she looks down at her feet, suddenly fidgety. I notice her change in demeanor instantly. 
“Speaking of him…”
“We don’t need to,” I cut her off. “Speak about him, I mean.” I wince at how suspicious my words sound.
“If you don’t want to, that’s okay. I’m just curious… if anything happened between you two.” She whispers the last part, looking back at the customer to make sure he can’t hear. She clears her throat and steps behind the counter with me, naturally rearranging the bread in the display case. She busies herself while encouraging me to speak.
I gnaw on my lip, tapping the counter, debating if I should finally talk it out with someone. I’ve only been talking to my employees about bread starters and yeast.
“We fought.” I admit.
“About?” Grandma loads the case with more bread. I start passing them to her one by one. 
“He told me… he told me he loved me.” I press my lips together and I hear her head hit the top of the display case and the bread hit the floor. “Grandma! Are you okay?”
I crouch down, grabbing the top of her head to inspect, and she’s giving me the most incredulous look.
“He told you he loved you?!” She squealed at an embarrassingly non-discrete volume, making the customer drop the pastry in his hands. He’s looking around, frazzled, and I can see him debate whether or not he should pick it back up.
“Don’t worry about it! I’ll clean it up!” I screamed from behind the counter. 
“Grandma, keep it down,” I curse through my teeth.
She’s rubbing her head and shaking it in either pain or confusion.
“I know, I know. A Prince saying he’s in love with the baker’s granddaughter is farfetched and unrealistic. I get it.” It’s what has been circling through my brain every day.
“That’s not what I’m confused about, dear.” She looks like she’s debating what to say next. “Did you not hear?”
“Hear what?” At the end of my question, and like a universal sign, the door jingles and the mailman is rushing in, hair swept back by the wind. 
“Sorry! I forgot to drop this off this morning. It’s urgent mail.” He salutes and is out the door as quickly as he enters. 
On the counter is a letter with the royal stamp. My stomach feels queasy assuming this is the first contact I’ve had from Donghyuck since our fight, but I can’t help the naive smile that breaks out on my face. I rush to open it, not worrying about the papercuts. Every doubt that was just in my head disappeared and my grandma interjects, hoping to bring me back down from my high.
“Sweetie, wait. I need to tell you that-”
To the owner of Princess Bakery,
Prince Lee Donghyuck will be celebrating his union with Princess Nam Soohae on 26 May, 2023 at the royal garden grounds. The royal family requests a wedding cake to be made with your expertise and culinary skills. 
Please accept this royal assignment with details soon to come.
Signed,
The Lees
The words on the page silenced me and my thoughts, my breaths barely leaving my lips. My eyes kept darting across the paper; the calligraphed words are being repeated over and over again in my brain. 
Prince Lee Donghyuck.
His union.
Wedding cake.
Realization finally dawns that this isn’t the love letter or apology I was expecting from Prince Donghyuck. A breath finally escapes and it’s shaky as it wavers in the air like an offkey music note. A heart-stopping pain envelopes my chest and it seizes up to my eyes. The whites of the paper burn my irises. I catch a teardrop splattering onto the parchment. I’m haunted with images of Donghyuck at the altar with someone else. And then I’m thinking about the garden. And us. 
Surprise.
Our first date.
Because I love you.
Because he loves me? Because Prince Lee Donghyuck loves me? Prince Lee Donghyuck who is getting married to an actual princess in a week? Suddenly, it feels like the floor’s unsteady and the oven temperature was turned up to the highest. The letter wrinkles between my fingers and the ink smudges with salty tears. 
This is what I was afraid of. And yet this is what I set myself up for. I knew I should have stopped seeing him. I knew it the moment mango tarts began to remind me of him. The moment my secret ingredient of love found in every bake was powered by him and his place in my heart. Even though I meant to stop this from happening during our talk in the royal garden, that small teaspoon of hope was still sprinkled in my mind. That hope stayed every time I saw a plant, a teacup, or a brunette. But now it’s dissolved.
A new feeling washes over me. One that I haven’t felt once these past two weeks. Not false hope. Not heartbreak. And not regret.
Anger. 
“Don’t blame him.” 
My grandma’s words slice through the red and her hands on my arms attempt to calm me down. I look up through wet lashes, lips trembling.
“Donghyuck… Prince Donghyuck had no say. The royals… they never do.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be my grandma?” I clench my jaw to stop the shaking, slightly regretting my bitter words. 
Her grip is softer. “Oh honey, I am. And that’s why I’m telling you not to waste this energy on being mad at him. What you guys share is beautiful, don’t let this taint it.” She takes the letter out of my hands and physically turns me to face her.
“Shared,” I corrected her.
“Share,” She corrects me. “Your love for each other is seen by everyone. I know it can’t flourish the way love is supposed to, but at least cherish it for what it was.”
Her words reintroduce more feelings. Sorrow. Frustration. 
“I was really hoping this time it works out…” She voices my thoughts.
At this point, I’m hiccupping between breaths, caught between reliving the past and hearing these explanations. The world was never meant to have us together it seems. But at least I was told this time we had an ending.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
The next royal letter came two days after the first, and I was called to spend a week in the royal palace to test out different wedding cakes. I essentially had no choice but to say yes as the royal chauffeurs picked me up every morning to take me there. It felt like those sunrises with my grandma when I was seven but the butterflies in my stomach turned into bees. Unlike the past, I prayed I wouldn’t run into Prince Donghyuck, but with him having requested I make his cake, I’m sure he knows I’m here.
My grandma designated a portion of the kitchen to me as the head baker and it mimicked the old days as much as it could. That was until I got a visitor on the second day.
“Good morning! I’m Princess Nam Soohae.”
My eyes widened and my whisk fell out of my grasp as I took in her presence. She’s beautiful. She’s an actual princess. Her bright, toothy smile would’ve made anyone smitten if it weren’t for the fact that she was about to marry the man I loved. The pretty pink dress she wore was tinted green through my eyes. I shook my head, trying to remind myself of my place. 
“Good morning,” I bowed. “I’m the baker in charge of your wedding cake.” My smile faltered only slightly with the mention of the union.
She giggles and I almost want to laugh with her. “I know that, silly. I was sent by the Queen to sample some. Or should I say my future mother-in-law.” She bites her perfectly manicured nail with excitement.
Soohae leans her hands on the counter and peers at the bowl in my hand.
“Is there any to try right now?” Her head surveys the kitchen like a kid looking for cookies. It’s genuinely hard to dislike her.
“Um, I have a few cakes placed to the side to cool right now. There’s no frosting on it yet, but I’m sure it’d be good to try the base first!” I move to grab one of the trays and she flutters to follow me.
“Ooooh!” She gushes. “I’m so excited to try it. My own wedding cake, can you believe it?”
“No.” I almost drop the cake. “I mean, yes? Sorry. Getting married to the one you love is… it’s a crazy thing.” I cut a piece of cake and place it on a plate for her.
She doesn’t hesitate to take a bite and as she chews, she thinks. 
“I don’t love him yet, to be honest. This cake is really good, by the way.” I start cutting a slice from the other cake to sample. “But I know I will love him eventually. I already get butterflies when I look at him. I trust that he’s the one for me, I mean have you seen him?”
Before I can agree, and thank god she doesn’t give me a second to, she continues, “I know it’s silly for a person in my position to believe in the one. But I really, really do think it could be him. The other day he brought me my favorite flowers, like how did he know?!” She pops a bite of the other cake in and her eyes light up.
“Oh this is the one! Don’t even think about giving me another,” The Princess reaches for another bite and applauds me.
I laugh and make sure to note to go with the lemon base and not the mango one. As my hands are about to toss the mango cake away, my mind stops me and I consider whether Donghyuck would prefer this instead. The clanking of the Princess’s fork on the plate, finishing the lemon cake slice till it’s crumbs, reels me back and I let the cake fall into the garbage. It feels eerily like a metaphor.
For the rest of the week, Princess Soohae visits me and taste tests the frosting, fondant, and other things she wants. With every passing day, I hear more about Haechan and I can feel that her words have turned fonder. Coincidentally, her sweet tooth has gotten worse and the final components of the wedding cake are a complete sugar bomb like her personality.
On my final day, the Queen joins her. The last time I saw her majesty, she was berating the Prince as I secretly watched. It felt like I was in that hidden passageway again as she watches me prepare a slice of the wedding cake for her. My hands shake, placing the plate down in front of her and her gaze is sharp. It’s interesting how harsh her energy is when her facial features are as soft as the Prince’s. She looks like she’s been through a lot and I wonder if Donghyuck will experience the same thing when he fulfills his role as King. Like she can tell I’m thinking about him, The Queen’s eyes narrow. 
“I hope you enjoy,” I bow, and she doesn’t say a word. Princess Soohae on the other hand is completely bubbling over how good it turned out and how her guests are sure to love it too. 
The Queen simply nibbles on a piece and nods along. The black and white vibes almost give me whiplash as I stand there, watching the two of them. A sweat forms on my hairline and I’m internally glad this is my last day. I can’t go through this any longer. 
And like a karmic jinx, the kitchen door opens and a familiar brunette walks in. This time, it is him.
“Oh my! Prince Donghyuck!” Princess Soohae scrambles off her chair and bows both gracefully and clumsily. I bow as well, trying hard to hide the immediate blush on my face I get whenever I see him. I wonder if I can stay bowing so I don’t have to meet his face. The last time we saw each other was when we talked at the royal garden, and as much as I prayed I wouldn’t run into him here, truthfully, a part of me also hoped I would.
As soon as I force myself to stand up straight, we lock eyes and the strain in my chest loosens like a snapped thread. I can feel my lungs fill with air and it’s relieving to see him again after so long. It hurts in the best way as I’m overwhelmed by his presence. That familiar brown waved hair, the sunkissed tan skin, and the plump smiley cheeks. Everything is how I left it but his expression is not one I expected. He’s in complete shock and I don’t know what to do but look around the room to find something that would cause such surprise. I quickly glance at the Queen, and for the first time since she sat down, there’s a small lift in the corner of her mouth. Is she smirking?
“Princess?” He tilts his head, still staring at me before he realizes what he just called me. “Princess! Princess Soohae! I came to get you.” He runs over to grab her hand and the lifted cheekbones on her face tells me she’s grinning. 
“What- uh- what’s going on?” I’m fixated on the way he fiddles with her hand as he looks around the room for answers. 
“Cake testing? How did you forget, silly?” Princess Soohae laughs as she playfully pats his cheeks. Everyone in the room can tell she’s head over heels and my stomach hurts. As I’m clutching my stomach and the Prince stares at me quizzically, there’s one person in the room watching all of this go down.
“She’s the wedding cake baker we outsourced, Prince Donghyuck.” The Queen says calmly, gesturing to me. She tells him like it’s his first time hearing this and I’m taken aback, my movements making the utensils on the table quiver slightly.
“He didn’t know?” My mouth was too quick to voice my thoughts. “His highness, I mean.” I bow in apology.
“No. No, I didn’t.” His hands are at his side now, gripping the fabric of his sleeves. The shock left his face and now he’s staring at me with pity and then silent anger when his head turns towards the Queen. My eyes follow his and she returns his look as if to challenge him to say more. 
Completely obvious to the shift in atmosphere, Princess Soohae raves about the final wedding cake decisions and begs the Prince to try a bite. He turns her down without sparing a glance and asks her to leave with him. He doesn’t give me a second thought as he breaks eye contact with the Queen and drags his future wife away. There’s no stopping the ache that fills my chest again, slow but strong like the rising tide.
“So he still likes you.”
Snapped out of my haze, my ears don’t believe the words I hear coming from the Queen’s lips.
“Pardon?” She’s looking at me now and it’s a mixture of disappointment and disinterest etched on her face. The warmth on her face has depleted. 
“My son. Prince Donghyuck. He still likes you,” she laughs dryly. “After all these years…” 
My eyebrows furrow and I feel myself getting dizzy. Maybe this is all some sort of hallucination and the Queen isn’t talking to me right now. I grip the counter for support, and she doesn’t wait for me to respond.
“You know, I thought I handled the issue 15 years ago when I asked the head baker to stop bringing you here. I was stupid to think it would be that easy when he purposely sabotaged every date I set up for him the years after.”
She’s twirling the fork on the plate now and the scrapes make me flinch. The kitchen no longer feels like a safe space for me right now as her words slowly suffocate me. 
“And when he started to actually go on these dates this year and report back to me that they’re going well? I was foolish to think it was him beginning to try. I saw you one day, back in this kitchen. Back in his life. It all made sense and it made me so angry.” Her hands grip the fork handle. They’re dainty, but if you look close, they’re calloused, indicating years of work. Her face appears the same. If it weren’t for the terrifying state I was in, I would’ve wanted to comfort her. She looks up at me, and I felt tinier than I did before, her eyes piercing into me. 
“Do you not understand the life I’m trying to set up for Donghyuck? He’s the future king. He needs a queen, a real queen to survive in this world. As the queen, I know firsthand what he needs. My king wouldn’t be anywhere without me and his mother who set me up with him. You’re not fit for this role and you never will be.” She finally sets the fork down with a clatter. 
“Listen to me, and let him go. It’s what’s best.” Her threatening nature fades as quickly as it came and she gracefully stands up, brushing the nonexistent debris on her gown. The Queen gives me one final look, waiting for me to bow and essentially agree, before leaving the kitchen. 
The air returns and I grasp my chest to let myself breathe. Tears prick the corner of my eyes as I choke back sobs.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
“Remember, it’s the room on the right hallway. Third door. And if anyone sees you, don’t tell them I sent you. I’ll get in trouble.” My grandma hammers in the details one more time, waiting for me to nod in confirmation.
It’s the end of my final day and she asked me to deliver pastries to a room in the palace before I leave, saying her workload is too large to be going herself. I figured it’s one more thing I could do before I never step foot in the palace again. I almost turned her down earlier in fear of running into the Queen. Just the thought of that happening makes me feel sick, but I know I won’t be seeing her again after this anyways.
I scoff, “So you’d rather I get sent to the guillotine?” I tease her with an exaggerated horrified look. 
She easily flicks my forehead, despite our height difference, and I grab it wincing. “You’re lucky I don’t chop off your head myself with that attitude of yours.” She sneers at me and I giggle.
“Fair…,” I playfully mutter, soothing the area between my brows.
Her directions sent me to a room with beautiful brown double doors. I smile at the two ladies standing outside of it and I’m about to explain why I’m here before they cut me off.
“Pastry delivery for the Prince?” They say in unison.
Like a horror movie, my jaw drops and I lose my instinct to run. One thing I do know is to make sure I yell at my grandma later as I nod and tell them they’re correct. She completely set me up.
On another occasion, I would’ve appreciated the doors to Prince Donghyuck’s bedroom more, but right now, they look like the gates of Hell. I attempt to swallow whatever saliva was left in my suddenly dry mouth as I brushed my hair out of my face. The ladies allow me to knock on the door. My palms are sweaty as I shakily knock on the varnished wood, hearing it echo into the space on the other side. His room must be huge.
No responses are heard. This was my out, but my body was telling me not to leave, even though my mind was screaming to run. Instead of knocking again, I turn the knob and almost wish it wasn’t unlocked, but it was.
There he is on the other side, scribbling at his desk. His back is facing me and I watch the muscles in them move with vigor. I haven’t seen him work this hard since he convinced me to teach him how to make a creme brulée and accidentally made scrambled eggs with the yolks.
I shut the door behind me and hope it catches his attention, but it doesn’t. I gulp, realizing how very real this situation is and I almost want to throw up knowing I have to speak.
“Hyuck.”
I hear him inhale and he spins quickly out of his chair to look at me. Different to how it felt seeing him in the kitchen earlier today, his face is softer, accepting my presence. My heart floats in my chest, wondering why I was so nervous to see him when just the sight of him oozes comfort. He looks at me like he’s feeling the same way. I see the longing in his eyes and the way they warm, I close my own to stop myself from giving in too much.
“Princess.”
His voice is fragile and his choice of words makes me shut my eyes harder, scared that I’d lose all my resilience and run straight into his arms. He doesn’t correct himself this time, and he says it again with more confidence.
I finally peel them open and force myself to act cold. Just an hour ago I was finishing his wedding cake; this fire has to be extinguished.
“Princess Soohae will make a great queen.” I move to set the pastry basket down on a table near me.
“It’s not what you think. I was going to-“ He turns around in a frenzy and grabs the paper he was just writing on. The Prince takes a step closer and it takes all my strength to recoil. It takes all of me not to be swayed by the obvious hurt on his face. This will be good for us, I have to remind myself.
My hand is up, drawing the line. “You don’t have to explain. It’s not what I’m here for.”
He hesitantly puts his arm down, eyebrow twitched in confusion. The paper is still in his hands.
“I got you a gift,” I partly smile. “A wedding gift and I guess, also… a goodbye gift.” With that statement, I break away from his stare, fixating on a corner in his grand room. 
I hear paper wrinkling. “A goodbye gift?” His voice gets lower and it causes me to wince. It feels like all the tension in the room gathered in the small vacancy in my chest and the overwhelming pressure makes my eyes sting. I can already feel the tears build up as I play with the hem of my shirt. 
“Mhm,” I painfully affirm. “The wedding cake. It’s both my gift and my goodbye. I thought you requested it when I first got the royal letter,” I laugh at the situation, trying to stop myself from letting him see me cry.
“Turns out it wasn’t you, but regardless. You’re getting married and I can’t be here anymore. So I left it in the kitchen. Obviously, it’s not a goodbye-goodbye, since I’ll still be living here in the city, but… No. Yeah, it’s a goodbye,” I nod to myself, trying to unravel the knot in my throat. “I guess you took my advice, huh? Congratulations, your highness.”
The silence from him is thick and it leaves a sour feeling in my stomach. It calls me to look up at him, and his eyes are icy cold. The sweet honey brown is as dark as coal.
“This is your response?” His words are robotic, I can feel the venom on his tongue as it pricks at my heart.
“S-sorry?” I tilt my head, not understanding him. It felt terrifying to make him repeat himself in the state he’s in.
“I told you I loved you. I’m assuming this is your response.” My eyes flicker to the paper in his fist, no longer readable. Neither is his face as he gives me the blankest look. It makes me want to cry more knowing this is how I will remember our last moments.
This time, I do take a step towards him but he’s shaking his head aggressively, lower back pressed against the edge of his desk. Now I know how he felt.
“If you want to hear me say ‘I love you’, you know I can’t do that.” Just having those three words leave my lips causes a tear to roll down my cheek. 
“Because I’m the Prince?” This time, his expression changes to match mine. I can feel the frustration and pain radiating off of him, and all I want to do is to tell him what he needs to hear. But I just nod, forcing a distance.
“So it always mattered. What if… what if it was 7-year-old Donghyuck asking his princess? What would you have said? You didn’t know who I was back then. I was just… just Donghyuck.” He sighs, his body is limp as he settles onto his desk. I notice his frail build, worried that he’s been eating less.
I smile, fondly remembering the ignorant bliss from 15 years ago. But then I’m forced to remember our situation now, our ugly situation where our hearts are demanded to stay silent. 
“I would’ve told him I loved him too.”
And with that, all strength is gone as I sob into my palm. I’m trying to force the wails in, but my body is shaking. My legs feel weak and he’s over here and his arms are wrapped tightly around me in a second. I can feel his heart beating against my arm trapped between our bodies and his breath shakily blowing on the top of my head. One hand is holding me tight and the other is brushing through my hair as he shushes me. 
“I love you. I love you. I love you,” He repeats. A part of me thinks this is to calm himself down too. 
I know I’m right when I slowly pull myself back and see the red in his eyes and on the tip of his nose. My hand flinches as I’m about to caress his cheek. His breath is steadier as it now fans across my face and his eyes are lidded like they’ve finally got some rest. My hesitation vanishes as I let myself cup his face, trace the constellation painted on his cheek, and feel the sweetness of his lips on mine. The warm sensation that envelops my body makes me gasp and Donghyuck tightens his embrace on me, refusing to let go. He tasted better than every sweet treat I’ve had combined. He was intoxicating and my whole body buzzed like a sugar rush. 
I close my eyes tighter, savoring the feeling of his lips, wanting to remember every trace — letting myself be selfish this last time. He’s sugary, cozy, and soothing like the afternoon sun on my back. His mouth moves with such ease against mine and it feels like I’ve been kissing him my whole life. The feeling of his tongue gently nudging my bottom lip jolts me back to reality and I push away, seized by the cold air of his big room again. 
I bring my hands to my face, hoping to cool down the flush. The Prince is breathing as heavily and in sync with me, and all I can hear is our matching breaths and the ringing in my ears. I have to end it here. 
“Um. Congratulations on your wedding,” I say in one breath. I don’t dare look at him as I quickly bow, scrambling to his door. 
“Princess! Wait,” He grabs my wrist, almost too tight. “I can’t go through with this. Please, I-I only want to marry you.”
“Your highness…”
“Don’t. Don’t call me that. Say my name, please. Call me Hyuck. Call me Donghyuck. Anything but that. Just don’t-“ His teeth are chattering and he blinks away the tears. “Don’t leave me again.”
Without a second thought, I’m shaking my head ‘no.’ Even with tears blurring my vision, I can see the hurt on his face and I feel a part of my heart rot. It pains me just as much to reject him, but the Queen’s words swirl around in my head, unrelentless. I’m forced to leave him and my heart here and I want to scream, but I can’t. He notices that. It reminds him of himself.
Letting the finality of my decision settle in, he lets go of me, taking in a shaky breath. This was our end.
I restrain myself from taking any steps towards him as I reach for the door behind me. The wooden panel swings open, gliding past my extended fingers as I’m met with the face of the Queen.
That same hand shoots up to touch my lips, remembering what just happened in here and I bow till my hair grazes the tiled floors. 
“Your Majesty,” I squeak. She looks at me with a million emotions and plants her glare at the Prince. Like pieces of a puzzle coming together, her face twists into anger, dissecting the situation. I take this as my cue to leave but the Queen shuts the door behind the both of us. I don’t hear the Prince make any moves to save me.
“What were you doing in there?” She angrily whispers between clenched teeth. Not sure what comes over me, but the fear I felt before is gone. Instead, I’m left feeling numb.
“Don’t worry. I was just saying goodbye.” I swallow, bracing myself for her reprimands. 
A beat passes, before she speaks, this time in a normal tone. “Are you done?” 
I nod, “Yes, and I’d like to be excused from attending the wedding to serve the cake.” The Queen’s eyebrows quirk up, shocked that I’ve made a request. I look her straight in the eyes so she knows I mean it.
“I can’t… I can’t be there for that. I believe I’ve done all the preparation I can and I am not needed to actually attend.” My confidence waivers, and I draw my attention back to the ground.
“Fair enough. You don’t have to attend. I’ll tell the other bakers to serve it.” I take my chance to meet her eyes again and I can almost see concern on her face. I shake my head of that ridiculous thought, and offer her my best smile.
“Thank you, your majesty.” I bow before dragging my feet off the palace grounds. Hoping to never set foot in here ever again.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
Bells. I plan to remove all bells from my bakery. The royal wedding bells have been ringing all morning and I don’t need any more reminders moving forward. 
I spent the whole night crying after leaving the palace and then my anxiety kicked in, trying to get me to map out my life without him. Naturally, I planned to pour myself into work and here I am, out of bed, manning the shop by myself on his wedding day. I may have cried into a batch of dough in the morning, but baby steps are important. This is only day one anyways.
I realized I made a mistake leaving the house when I overheard everyone in town talk about the wedding of the century. I even let my employees off for the day, mainly to have my space to wallow alone. Practically everyone was outside the palace gates, waiting to get a glimpse of the couple. The streets were currently empty and I wonder if I should just close up shop. 
Right when I was about to count up the cash and close out the register, the bell on the door jingles. I’m halfway into the one dollar bills when I roll my eyes at the sound, pressing my lips together to stop a groan. I make a mental note to remove the bell before I leave.
I look up to check on the customer and I see a man with, of course, brown hair surveying the bread on the back wall. All I can see is the back of his head as he peruses. I scoff to myself at the instant fluttering of my chest at yet another brunette customer. Is no one blond anymore? Are gingers that rare for me to never encounter one in my bakery?
I finish counting the ones and I move onto the fives when I realize he’s still standing in the same spot. I’m organizing the bills in my hands as I examine him. Normal guy. Black hoodie. Jeans. 
Maybe he’s just really indecisive. I can see him tapping his foot from the counter. I decide to offer help after I finish counting the five dollar bills.
With the last dollar to count, I place it in the tray and slowly walk over to the man. As I get closer, my stranger danger instincts kick in and I suddenly regret my decision. His foot is still shaking and from this close, I can see him fidgeting with his sleeves in front of him. I grab a pair of tongs from the closest case and approach him.
“Excuse me, sir? Can I help you find something?” I have the tongs gripped with both hands, discreetly but ready to swing. 
I see his body tense and my breath hitches, thinking I’m really going to have to hit this man with my makeshift weapon.
He turns around painstakingly slow and I raise the tongs instinctively to block my face, before letting out a squeal.
But then I see his face. And different bells go off.
“Oh my god. Hyuck?”
The bags under his eyes are prominent and I finally notice the way his hair has been pulled in different directions. His lips are dry as he cracks a sheepish smile. He’s rubbing the back of his neck and notices the kitchen utensil in my hands.
“Were you gonna hit me?!” His mouth is open in surprise and he’s taking the tongs from my hands. I let him and put my hands up in defense.
“You were standing there for so long, all fidgety! I’m alone in here, what was I supposed to think?” I fight back, taking the tongs back and clutching it close to my chest.
He lets out a long sigh, seemingly frustrated with himself as he runs his hands through his hair. I hate that I find it attractive.
“Wait.” He looks up at me through his lashes, swallowing. “What are you doing here?” I ask. He blinks, knowing that question was coming. 
I expected to feel sick awaiting his answer, but instead my heart is racing, anticipating his next words. I almost feel that false hope I felt a week ago, and I try hard to deny it. But the way he’s looking at me leaves me with no doubts. 
I’m about to push him out the door when he digs a hand into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. The wrinkled piece of paper from yesterday. He plays with it in his hands as he thinks about his next move.
“I was drafting a request to get the law changed.”
His words peak my interest. I set the tongs down and let him continue. Wrapping my arms around my waist for security, I’m fearful of what he has to say next.
“I’ve actually been working on it for the past two months.” He flattens the paper out in his hands. “You caught me finishing the final draft yesterday. I didn’t expect it to take up until my wedding day…” He laughs, unhumored by the situation. 
He hands it to me. “This is an old copy now, but it’s actually already being reviewed by the King. Right now. Being who I am, I fled just in case.” 
He looks at me anxiously as I read the top of the page, the words in bold:
Formal Petition to Repeal the Royal Marriage Ordinance 
Written By Prince Lee Donghyuck
My eyes don’t believe what’s written, like the royal letter I received not too long ago, requesting I bake the royal wedding cake. The same royal stamp and all rests in the top left corner. 
This time, I can read the words clearly. They settle into my chest, leaving me with such a funny feeling. I read the text and I can tell it’s written by him. I imagine him staying up every night after we meet in the kitchen, working by himself on this proposal. All of his hard work for the past couple months was printed on this very paper. All this work… for us. 
I feel my cheeks wet from pure joy and I cover the smile straining my mouth. A rush unfurls through my body like sweet, sweet sugar and I look up to share it with him. 
“Donghyuck… You-?”
“Marry me.” 
He gets down on one knee, holding my free hand. He’s rubbing that one spot on my ring finger and it feels unreal. The gleam in his eyes reminds me of the toasty fires in the oven, the glistening mangos on his favorite tart. His smile matches mine, nervous just slightly, and I want to paint this memory in my brain forever. The love and desperation in his eyes are begging me to think of him. Think of us. Every fear that had been eating away at me the past month was overcome by his pleas. This paper and his actions are proof that we can happen.
He continues, 
“Princess, please marry me. I’ve only wanted to marry you almost my entire life. I know that sounds crazy, but how can I doubt my obvious soulmate? You always come back to me, but I still don’t want another reason for you to have to leave. So please, trust me and trust us. Forget everything and everyone else and say you’ll marry me. If this petition doesn’t pass, I’ll continue to fight. Just…
Say you’ll be my princess forever.”
I tug his hand softly to get him to stand up. He obliges and I free my hands to hold his face. He finally breathes and closes his eyes, leaning into my touch. I can feel him relax and his hands rest on my hips, drawn like a magnet. My mind is bouncing back and forth trying to contain the frenzy in my heart and the steady warmth of my core. I tap his eyelid lightly with my thumb and ask him to look at me. He opens them slowly, fear still trickling in his irises. I smile at him.
“My Prince,” His breath hitches. “I love you too.”
Donghyuck wastes no time tucking his head into my neck and lifting me against his body. He spins me around between the cases of bread and I giggle, feeling his heart beat erratically against mine. He softly lets my feet touch the ground and we’re looking at each other again, tears adding sparkles to his eyes. I wipe them away instantly.
“Thank you for coming back,” he whispers, but it feels like he said it with his whole being.
“Always.” I say with just as much commitment.
We’re cherishing the moment together, laughing at how happy we get to be, when the wedding bells go off once more. I look at him with confusion and he shrugs, just as lost.
“I can’t believe my wedding cake is going to waste,” I pout, remembering all my hardwork. And he squeezes my hip at my choice to be silly, snickering.
“I can’t believe you went with a lemon cake. Do you even know me?” He teases, pretending to be hurt. I gasp, slapping his chest.
“I’ll make sure to go with the mango tarts for ours.” I press a soft kiss on his lips and he smiles with me, pulling me unbelievably closer. 
“I like the sound of that,” Donghyuck hums.
“I’m sure you do.” I laugh.
Donghyuck and I stand there in each other’s arms for as long as our legs allow. We talk about the past, how it felt to leave each other. We talk about the garden and I admit to catching him talk to his mom, which explains everything he needs to know. Even as I’m profusely apologizing, he’s doing the same, saying sorry for putting me in such a situation. I choose to ask about Princess Soohae and he bites his lip nervously, telling me he hasn’t handled that predicament yet. I almost drag him out of the bakery at the sound of that. We even go over his repeal proposal and I call him out for some typos.
Eventually we move to the kitchen, doing what we do best, and what we’ve done for years, waiting for someone to find him. The Prince and his Princess.
⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
A/N: i hope you enjoyed!! pls like, reblog, reply, whatever!! if u want hehe
1K notes · View notes
itzjaza · 9 months
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OMG THANK U FOR THE IÑAKI POST 😭😭 can you please do another one 🥺 could it be headcanons about him as a boyfriend? and the reader is his co-star. THANK YOU!!! MUAH!
THANKS FOR REQUSETING POOKIE!!!!!!!!!!
Iñaki Godoy as Your Boyfriend:
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How you met: As Iñaki stepped onto the OPLA set for the first time, he couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all. The production was massive, with hundreds of crew members bustling about, rushing to prepare for the day's filming. As he tried to find his way to his trailer, he spotted y/n l/n, another actor who was a part of the live-action, and who was already in her outfit with some clips in her hair talking to one of the crew members, and Iñaki being Iñaki decided to say go on and say hi. After exchanging greetings, y/n offered to show Iñaki around the set, pointing out important landmarks and introducing him to everyone. As they walked, Iñaki couldn't help but be struck by the warmth and the beauty of y/n. She seemed to have a natural talent for making people feel comfortable. When they arrived at Iñaki's trailer, he thanked Y/n for showing him around and telling her that he couldn't wait to work with her on screen.
Realising he's in love with you: As Iñaki and y/n sat in her trailer, going over the script for the day's filming, Iñaki felt a strange sensation wash over him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something in his heart was changing. Suddenly, he found himself looking at y/n in a new light, no longer just seeing her as a fellow actor, but as something more. Y/n was laughing, her eyes sparkling as she recounted a particularly funny moment from their previous scene. Iñaki couldn't help but be drawn to her warmth and wit. He found himself wanting to hear her laugh, to see her smile, and to spend more time with her. As they continued to go over the script, Iñaki's feelings only deepened. He found himself drawn to the sound of her voice, the way she moved, and the way she made him feel. He realized that he had been falling for her for some time, but it was at this moment that he truly realized just how deep his feelings ran. As the day went on and they went their separate ways, Iñaki couldn't stop thinking about her. He knew that he had to find a way to win her heart, but he wasn't sure where to start. He knew that he would have to take things slow, to get to know her better and to show her the kind of person he was.
When he asked you out: As the OPLA production continued, Iñaki found himself growing ever more attracted to y/n. She was smart, funny, and had a way of making him feel like the most important person in the world. He knew that he had to ask her out, and he found himself nervous and excited all at once. As they got some downtime between takes, Iñaki found himself walking towards her trailer. He could feel his heart racing as he knocked on her door, and he was relieved when she answered with a smile. As she led him inside, Iñaki took a deep breath and told her how he felt. He told her that he had never met anyone like her before and that he would love to spend more time with her outside of the set. Y/n smiled as Iñaki spoke, and he could feel a sense of bliss wash over him. He knew that this was just the beginning of a beautiful relationship, and he was grateful for the chance to get to know her better.
The first date: As the day of the date arrived, Iñaki found himself filled with nerves and excitement. He had planned out every detail of the evening, from the restaurant to the movie they would see afterward. He knew that this was a critical moment in their relationship, and he wanted everything to be perfect. When he arrived at her apartment, Iñaki felt his heart skip a beat. She looked absolutely stunning, and he knew that he was lucky to have found someone like her. They smiled at each other, and Iñaki held out a bouquet of flowers as she opened the door and greeted him. When they got to the restaurant, they sat down and started to chat, laugh, share stories, and getting to know each other better. Iñaki felt like he was flying like nothing could bring him down. The night was perfect, and he knew that he was falling in love with her. As they seated, they found themselves deep in conversation, discussing everything from their childhoods to their hopes and dreams for the future. Iñaki felt like y/n was the only person in the world who truly understood him, and he was grateful for the chance to spend time with her. As the night wore on, they found themselves at a movie theater, snuggled up together as they watched the film. Iñaki felt like he was in a dream like this was too good to be real. He knew that he had found his other half and that he was more than willing to put in the effort to make this relationship a success. As they said their goodbyes at the end of the evening, Iñaki felt like his heart was bursting. He had finally found someone who truly understood and supported him, and he was forever grateful for the chance to meet y/n. He knew that this was just the beginning of something truly special.
When he asked you to be his gf: Ever since their first date Iñaki and y/n became even closer than before. One night as they laid on the couch, snuggled up together, watching a movie, Iñaki found himself filled with love. He knew that he wanted to take the next step, so he turned to her and took her hand in his. "Y/N, I know this might come out of nowhere, but…" Iñaki stumbled over his words for a moment, lost in thought. He knew that he wanted to be with her more than anything in the world, and he was tired of waiting. He took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on his mind for days. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Y/n smiled at him and took his face in her hand. "Of course I will," she said softly. "I can't imagine my life without you." As they shared a loving kiss, Iñaki felt like he had found his other half. He knew that he would have to work hard to make their relationship a success, but he was more than willing to do whatever it took. As they continued cuddling and watching the movie, Iñaki felt like he was in the perfect place, with the perfect person. He knew that this was just the beginning of their journey, and he was excited to see where it would take them.
How he is as a boyfriend: Ever since you two started dating, Iñaki found himself becoming the best boyfriend he could be. He was always there for her, always willing to lend a helping hand, always ready to make her smile. He knew that her happiness was the most important thing to him, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make sure she was always smiling. When she was feeling down, he would take her out to her favorite places, remind her of all the ways she was special, and make her laugh. He knew that the small things mattered, that a kind word or a gentle hand on her shoulder could make all the difference. Iñaki also knew that communication was key to any successful relationship, and he made sure to listen to her, to really hear what she had to say. He was always willing to have tough conversations, to work through any conflicts with her, and to make sure that they always came out stronger on the other side.
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cheezbites · 10 months
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Dating König
✎: My third blog already!!! (Thank you all so much for the previous notes on my Chris McLean blog LMAO)
♡Summary: Wholesome head cannons of dating König💕!!!
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆
Bf!König dreaded shopping; but when it came to shopping with you? He’s down. He'd show he valued spending time together - being with you felt like a melody of heartbeats, each beat echoing his love. And since taking your sweet time, inspecting every cute item you saw, König would be exhausted after hours of consecutive shopping.
And still, he would do it all with a smile to make you smile. The worth-it part of it all to him was the astonishing Haul's he received after. From you trying on short skin-tight dresses, to matching onesies... He truly enjoyed it all, mostly for you. Aside from his complete oblivion to fashion or anything of that sort - he'd pretend for you.
Bf!König would reserve a table for you both at a nostalgic fast-food joint. When your meals were served to you - You could distinctly remember him asking for no pickles on his burger, yet they ended up being there.
"It's fine, I'll just take them out." He tried to reason with you because he knew how far you were willing to go over this for him; even if it was as minor as being over a pickle. You were a
"Excuse me, he asked for no pickles." Girlfriend, he was the reserved boyfriend who would awkwardly watch. At least you got a refund and a newly made burger for him. (He low-key loves it when you stand up for him, though).
Bf!König adored it when you cooked for him, he loved your meals and appreciated the time you spent making them. They were his happy place, he was a 'love goes through the stomach' kind of guy. "Danke, meine Liebe, du behandelst mich so gut." (Thank you, my love, you treat me so well.)
So you often teach König how to bake, cook, stir fry... all the basics. Most of your inside jokes were born from your failures, especially baking. You guys baked cookies this one time, they had increased in size tenfold. It was a giant cookie circle to put it simply. Every time you baked cookies, the 'Cookie Monster' joke would be repeated countless times.
Bf!König couldn't stand long separations, so you swapped pieces of clothing to keep each other's scents close. You wore his shirt (which looked like a baggy short dress on your figure), and you gave him a custom-made black bracelet and hair ties. As well as an oversized hoodie that looked normal on him.
Bf!König wasn't a morning person, at all. He would still routinely send you good morning texts that made you smile from ear to ear every time you received them.
"Guten Morgen, mein Liebling. Hope you slept well and dreamt of us. Sending u hugs and kisses"
"Guten Morgen, Liebling. Sending u extra ❤️ and virtual hugs to start your day off right. Ich vermisse dich"
Bf!König dealt with the spiders around the house for you, whenever he heard you unexpectedly screech, gasp, or gush "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." He knew what he had to do.
"See? They're harmless." He quipped as he guided them outside with the plate and glass combo.
"No, it was about to kill me! What if it bit me," you mindlessly blurted whilst rushing back and forth.
"Then you'd be Spider Woman, no? You'd fit perfectly being a badass superhero."
Bf!König shared a secret stash of snacks that you hide from everyone else and enjoy together during movie nights. When you fell asleep mid-movie, he carried you back to your room bridal style without disturbing you.
"Good night, meine Leibe." He silently muttered before gently planting a kiss on your head.
Bf!König Was perplexed whenever you held up two obscurely different eye shadows up to him, and asked him which one he preferred. To him, they appeared identical. But for you, one was a vibrant lavender, a touch too saturated, while the other, was a soft violet, more versatile for various outfits.
"Aren't they ... the same colour?"
"Excuse moi?!"
Bf!König Let you do his skincare. Though skincare was another thing he was completely oblivious to, he mildly enjoyed it. All he did was rinse his face with tap water, apply lotion and called it a night. On the other hand, your routine was the definition of intricate. And so before movie night, you used cleanser, face masks, serums, moisturisers and all that good stuff on him.
PART TWO IS OUT !!
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bokutosbiceps · 11 months
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i love you
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fushiguro toji, gojo satoru, nanami kento, (separately) x gn!reader | fluff | words 2.2k
summary: the retelling of the moments that some of the jjk boys tell you they love you in their own way. *NO CURSES AU*
warnings: mild cursing (it’s Toji, duh), handsy!Toji, suggestive themes
a/n: again, i tried to make this gn but pls let me know if there are any gender specific words, etc !! btw, i'm just going to set this as 18+ since toji is in it + it's a lil suggesstive in both toji's + satoru's. these are all grown men LOL. anyways, enjoy 🌸
18+ MDNI
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fushiguro toji
“I think you look good in just about everything, or nothing at all.” Toji ran a hand over his face in exhaustion. “Why do you keep fucking asking me?”
You pouted and put your hands on your hips as you whirled around to meet his gaze. “Because I wanna wear things that my boyfriend likes! Is that bad?” 
“I just told you I think you look good no matter what.” Toji smirked, “You just wanna hear me compliment you, huh?”
You blushed and turned back around, looking at yourself in the mirror before proceeding to strip. If Toji wouldn’t okay this outfit, then you didn’t want it. If Toji didn’t help you choose some outfits, then you were going to make him shop all day long. You got dressed in the clothes you came in before grabbing the bags full of clothes you had already purchased. “To the next store, then.”
Toji grunted and followed you, placing his hand on the small of your back as the two of you waded through the mall crowd. Toji would only willingly be in this sea of assholes because you asked him to. He grinned at the memory of you begging him to come to the mall with you on his day off. He would’ve said yes if you’d just asked him normally, but he really wanted to see you beg.
After about twenty minutes of window shopping, you set your sights on an outfit that you were absolutely in love with. Toji cursed as you disappeared inside of the store, gritting his teeth as he bumped shoulders and elbows with people coming out as he was trying to follow you inside. Toji looked for you all over the store, even venturing to call your name a few times in a deep, hushed yell. 
An unsuccessful search for you led Toji to the fitting room, where he asked the attendant if she’d seen a “little, excitable brat wander into here.” The attendant smiled knowingly, chuckling a little bit at Toji’s exhausted expression.
“Your partner told me to keep an eye out for you.” The attendant motioned for him to follow her. “Follow me, please.”
Toji followed the attendant to a fitting room at the end of the hall, thanking her gruffly before knocking on the door twice. The door swung open and Toji, for the first time in a long time, found himself speechless.
You were standing in the doorway of the fitting room, wearing the outfit that had seemingly caught your eye. He could appreciate your taste—this outfit hugged your body in all the right places and you looked absolutely stunning in it. You were nothing short of blinding to him. He let himself rake his eyes over your body before pushing himself into the fitting room with you and closing the door behind him. 
“Toji, what are you—” You were shut up by Toji’s lips finding their way to yours in a rush, his hands running up and down your sides before dipping lower to squeeze your ass. You moaned into his mouth at feeling his growing erection against your thigh.
You pulled away from him, panting and with a thin string of saliva connecting your lips to his. “I take it you like the outfit, then.” You teased.
“Strip.” Toji ordered, before leaving the fitting room and closing the door to give you some privacy. You were left completely confused, yet you obeyed, taking off the new outfit and putting your clothes back on. As soon as you set foot outside of the fitting room, Toji grabbed the outfit from you.
“C’mon, we gotta get home.” Toji threw the outfit over his shoulder, grabbed your hand, and led you to the checkout counter, where he pushed the payment for your new outfit into the cashier’s hands. It all happened so fast, you didn’t even get a chance to offer to pay.
“Thanks, Toji. That was so sweet, you didn’t have to—” Toji cut you off for the second time in the past ten minutes by placing a rough, yet sweet kiss to your lips.
“Just ‘cus I love you, brat.” He snorted and ruffled your hair, taking your bags from you and walking off ahead of you. You stared, bewildered, at his back, trying to digest the words he had just said to you. You blinked once, twice, before running to catch up with him.
“Did the emotionless hard-ass Toji Fushiguro just tell me he loves me?” You teased once you had returned to your rightful place beside him. 
“Don’t make a big deal out of it or I’ll take it back.” He sneered, looking at you out of the corner of his eye.
“No need!” You smiled happily as you took his free hand and laced your fingers together. “I’ll remember this moment forever.” 
Toji would be lying to himself if he denied the squeeze of his heart at your sappy, sweet words. “Whatever. You can thank me by putting on a little show for me in that outfit when we get back to my place.”
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gojo satoru
“Wah, y/n! You just dumped half of the entire bag on me!” Satoru whined, pouting at you behind glasses coated with flour. You giggled, imagining that his hair must have been covered in flour, too, but his pure white locks hid it well.
“Satoru, I told you not to run around the kitchen like that!” You bent down to pick up the bowl, now empty, and placed it in the sink. “It’s what you deserve.” You smirked while you washed the bowl and placed it back on the counter to redo the sugar cookie mix.
You felt Satoru’s arms snake around your waist and pull tight, earning a gasp from you and a chuckle from him. “What do you mean it’s what I deserve? Are you saying that I deserve flowers in my hair?”
“Flour in your hair, Satoru, flour.” You turned around in his grip and ruffled his air, sure enough causing a small cloud of flour to fall out. Satoru frowned when you turned back around to focus on the mixture.
“I should go take a shower, huh?”
“This is your place, do what you want, honey!” You quipped, focusing on the instructions on your phone. Satoru huffed and let go of you, making his way toward the bathroom in his bedroom. You heard the shower being turned on and water running.
“Wanna join?” Satoru yelled from his bedroom, knowing that you’d decline but, hey, the guy could always try.
“No thanks! Enjoy!” You yelled back, shaking your head as you used the standing mixer to make the cookie dough. Satoru’s forwardness had never ceased to amaze you. You’d only been dating for two months officially, but he was always making suggestive comments and trying to make you blush. 
You’d love to be physical with Satoru, hell, you loved Satoru, but due to shitty partners in the past, you didn’t want to get physical with a guy who couldn’t even tell you he truly cared about you. 
Baking cookies at his apartment and making out on the couch was enough, for now.
Once you had put the cookie dough in the oven and made the icing for the cookies, you plopped down onto Satoru’s couch just in time for Satoru to come out of his bedroom. You looked up to tell him the cookies would be done any minute but had to do a double take.
Satoru was shirtless and wearing sweatpants with strands of damp, white hair sticking to his forehead and shades nowhere in sight. You’d seen him without his shades many times, but each time was just as breathtaking as the previous.
“See something you like?” Satoru teased, crawling onto the couch and laying down with his head in your lap.
“You’re gonna get my leggings wet, Satoru.” You mumbled, running your fingers through his hair, eliciting a content sigh from him. 
“Doesn’t seem to bother you that much, though.” Satoru teased once more before closing his eyes and relishing in the movements of your fingers against his scalp. The silence was broken by the oven timer going off, and you dutifully got up to take the cookies out, despite Satoru’s whining.
Satoru sat up to watch you in the kitchen. He watched as you knitted your eyebrows, rolled up your sleeves, and focused on cooling down the cookies before icing them. His mouth watered at the thought of the cookies he was going to devour in one sitting, but in this moment, he was focused more on your expression as you tasted a bit of the cookie and icing together. You seemed satisfied with your work and smiled happily to yourself. An overwhelming wave of affection overcame him.
“God, y/n, I love you.” Satoru blurted, playing it off like he meant to say that out loud. You turned to stare at him.
“Can you read minds?”
“I just told you I love you and that’s how you respond?” Satoru clutched at his heart and got up, reaching you in the minimum amount of strides. “You wound me, sugar.”
“I was just—” You remembered earlier, when you were wondering how Satoru actually felt for you. Now, you knew. You sighed and smiled softly at your freshly showered boyfriend, cupping his face and placing a gentle kiss to his lips. “I love you, too.”
Satoru’s lips slowly spread into a wide grin. “Sweet.”
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nanami kento
You glanced up at the man sitting before you, taking a sip of your tea and not noticing how the heat singed the tip of your tongue.
Kento had insisted on sitting by the biggest window in the cafe, because apparently natural lighting was better for your eyes than the fluorescent lights that adorned the coffee shop. He had scouted out two green, velvet arm chairs that were facing each other, only a granite table separating them.
The two of you had settled into a comfortable silence, Kento reading a new book on how to properly express oneself to coworkers and you reading the newest installment of your favorite series. The only time either of you had looked up was when the waiter came by with your jasmine teas and coffee cake, Kento tipping him generously and with a polite smile.
But here you were, savoring the sight of your boyfriend, looking perfectly serene and relaxed on his day off, which he chose to spend with you. You wondered how you had gotten so lucky as to be in a stable, far-from-perfect-but-just-right-relationship with a man such as him.
“What are you looking at, dear?” You hadn’t even noticed Kento glancing up to meet your eyes, and the realization that he had caught you staring almost made you spill your tea.
“Nothing, nothing!” You said hurriedly, setting your cup down and picking your book back up. Kento just sighed, a microscopic smirk playing on his lips before he decided to follow your lead and turn back to his book.
The rest of the two hours consisted of content sighs and short conversations on something interesting one of you had found during your readings or wondering if you guys should order something else from the bakery. Kento had asked to finish the rest of your coffee cake and you knew that you would feel forever guilty if you had denied him, so you just ordered an entirely new piece for him, and the smile he thanked you with was nothing short of sunshine. 
On the walk back home, with Kento’s arm wrapped securely around your waist and your footsteps in perfect sync, Kento decided he wanted some answers.
“Care to explain why you were staring at me earlier?” 
“You remember that?”
“Of course. I thought I had something on my face, couldn’t figure out what you were staring at.”
“No, no, nothing like that.” You blushed deeply, knowing that Kento would get annoyed if you didn’t answer his question. But you couldn’t just give up your secret so easily.
“Then what was it like?” Kento pressed, turning his attention to you.
You kept your gaze forward, knowing full well that Kento was looking down at you. He kissed your temple, not really one for PDA, but hoping this would coax the truth out of you.
“I was just…looking at you.” You turned your head up to meet his gaze, hoping to convey exactly what you meant in just your eyes alone. Kento held your gaze before clearing his throat and facing forward, seemingly concentrating extremely hard on the path home, even though he knew it by heart.
A couple minutes of silence passed before he replied, “I love you, too, darling.” 
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ladythornofrivia · 10 months
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TR! boys headcanons with S/O, who fell in love with the rival gang member (ft. Ran, Rindou, Kakucho, Sanzu, Mikey, Mitsuya, Baji, Chifuyu, Izana, Taiju, Hakkai, Hanma, Shinichiro, Wakasa, Benkei, Kokonoi, Inui, South, Takeomi, Kazutora & Draken)
A/N: I want to do something a little different from my usual writing. And I miss writing Tokyo Revengers fanfic. Enjoy.
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Falling in love with an enemy is prohibited, especially when you’re in a different clan, who swore to destroy them the next day or the day after tomorrow. What better way to end the tension between enemies is to date them. Better yet, fuck them. With your legs spread wide before them, their eyes glazed with lust, holding onto your thighs as they dipped their head between your limbs as they licked your folds. On a hot weather, you were only wearing nothing but a halter shirt, a ripped denim shorts and pink boots. Everything is sweet and divine. The hottest of summer has drove them mad to a brink of taking clothes off less than a minute. Both of you sneaking out late after the gang meetings just to spend each other fucking anywhere as long as you have each other. Whether it’s the bed or kitchen or shower. This time he wanted to make love to you on the dining table, where the companions—his enemies—hadn’t known of your whereabouts.
“Stay still, baby. I’ll make sure you won’t be able to walk the next day,” he said, licking and savoring your folds. You whined, clutching his hair tight. His long and girth cock twitch, aching for your walls. He lifted his face up to meet your lips, kissing you before plunging in further into your walls.
“You’re gonna have to beg for mercy for how you’re making me feel by choosing to wear that sexy outfit of yours.”
Taking your wrists, he rapidly slipped his cock in.
The table rocked at his speed, and by the time he’s done, his cum went leaking from your pussy until it flows onto the table.
“(y/n), I’m home,” someone behind the closed door said. But when you and your boyfriend didn’t have the time to react, a familiar member of the rival gang caught you red-handed.
“What the fuck!?” your friend said, dropping their takeout.
Your boyfriend looked up to his rival. Licking wet juices onto his mouth, he gave a smirk and said, “So, can I call you my brother-in-law?”
Izana, Ran, Rindou, Sanzu, Wakasa, Takeomi, Taiju, Hanma, South, Kokonoi, Kazutora & Bonten!Mikey
People with forbidden romance only exists in fiction. Surprisingly, you and your boyfriend from the rival gang managed to spend time together without getting caught. Both of you are good at making excuses. Everyone can take it without a grain of salt. For a better result, they ignored you the whole time. As you thought your dirty and mundane scenarios with your secret boyfriend. Mostly it’s cooking or going outside and play games, and sometimes going to yours and his favorite hiding spot—a hideout away from their friends with prying eyes. There are days when you want this rivalry to end, but you don’t know how, so you ended up crying, not knowing how the relationship will end once the enemies discover what you and your boyfriend are really up to. Afraid of being used or getting sick and tired of you, you confronted your boyfriend to announce the separation, for his safety, even if it means getting heartbroken.
That way, it’d be easier.
Your boyfriend gave you a pissed off look on his face, before tackling you by sweeping you up and slung you over his shoulder and slammed you down on the bed inside the love hotel.
“Not goin’ to happen, sweetheart. You think I’m going to roll over and accept this? Why waste our love together when we can run away and start all over again. Just you and me, my good, little wife.”
He slammed his lips to yours before he tore your clothes apart, leaving you nothing but underwear.
“No bra? You’re so naughty, angel,” he said, holding your hands above your head as he slid your underwear, exposing your wet, tight pussy.
He licked his lips with admiration, his pants were undone. “You’re going to regret what you said to me today. So don’t think we’re going to break up because of them or their laws.”
“It’s too full,” you whined, nails clawing onto his shoulders.
His chuckles tickled against your skin.
He pounded himself into you, filling the walls with your loud moans as your nails clawed onto his back, strapping him naked from wearing their uniform. With sharp final thrusts, he spilled himself inside you.
“We’ll make a lot of cute babies,” he said, kissing you softly after a long night of fucking you onto the mattress. He plopped down on an empty side of the bed and take you in his arms, caressing the outline of your waist, hoping for the semen to sink into your belly. “After this, I’m going to buy you a ring.”
Shinichiro, Kakucho, Chifuyu, Baji, Mitsuya, Kazutora, Inui, Draken, Hakkai, Benkei & Toman!Mikey
© ladythornofrivia- all rights reserved.
please report if anyone decides to steal/plagiarize my work and notify me. thank you.
Taglist: @colored-tr-panels @galactict3a @slay0368 @f1yh1gh
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chosokamosbf · 1 month
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𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝕺𝖋 𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙.
☆ 18+ only/no minors. | jason todd x gn! reader.
SUMMARY: a nsft fic about brat taming with a needy jason who's trying to make up for an argument. in his own way.
WARNINGs: 18+, dom! gn! reader, sub! jason, no penetration, brat taming, shoe humping/grinding, (minor, on reader's part) degradation & praise, (minor, on reader's part) slapping, partial nudity & begging on jason's end.
WORD COUNT: 1700+
NOTEs: second person & no plot. first smut & not beta'd. this insert is more of a mean type until the end. [guy, and no pronouns used to refer to the insert/reader.]
It's never easy to get him into that 'sub' mindset. He's always catching on to exactly what you're doing. At every turn, he's struggling against you, making sure there isn't a moment of vulnerability with how easy it can be to crack down the tension into something enjoyable. Sometimes.
The mere thought of giving away someone else that control is enough to stir nausea in the pit of his stomach.
And it stays there. For days, if it wants. Jason's head never makes it easy. Even through the fog that wraps around him in the most gentle manner that can be mustered, the worst possibilities always stand at the back of it. It makes him regret even letting himself be touched; no matter how much he's reassured you'll never take advantage of what's given.
The other half of the time, he craves it like air.
Finally, it's not only the ache. His head doesn't have to be caught on solely about how bad his legs are still burning up on the inside, be it from patrol or whatever the hell else he was doing, because he can grasp onto the sweat-slicked memories that came with the previous day despite it. 
The sting remains, and yet. Wounds are carefully tended to afterwards, and bite marks from a completely separate source are kissed until enough is enough, and you are pushed away with whatever laughter his sore throat can still give.
Today is one of the better ones.
The earlier thoughts aren't biting away at what can be considered rational. His heart isn't running a marathon in the cage around it, but Jason's breathing is still one of the loudest sounds in the room, other than the bed creaking under your weight as the space between the two of you is closed.
Under thick lashes, hazel eyes stare up at you from the floor, and you groan at the obvious intent to get back into good graces. "C’mon, don’t look at me like that."
The argument that brought up the act was, honestly, not the worst. Another misunderstanding, something taken out of context. Words were left unsaid, and the 'wrong' ones were spoken out without much thought other than they'd dig deep. Compared to the start of the relationship, it's been getting better.
Jason tries with what little he knows and pushes past the urge to cut everything off at the roots. He could've left for weeks—leave entirely without a single message. Instead, he's not going to put you through that again, but it'll never be easy for him. And so, he takes a different approach.
He's on his knees in front of the bed with a wounded, puppy-eyed expression. With the bottom of his outfit stripped, he's left all alone in a hoodie and jockstrap as dark as the night outside your guys's little hideout. The black straps stretch around his thighs, and with his pants forgotten somewhere around the apartment, the bulk of his scars are out in the open.
His underwear gives away at the bulge underneath. Even kneeling in front of you alone made him unreasonably needy.
The remark has Jason nuzzling his head on top of one of your legs. Black curls envelope your knee.
"'M sorry. I wanna be good, I swear," He purrs, and he wants to try and smile to play the part, be cute, and let anything else fade into background noise, but he's not suited for that. Eyes scan over your face, looking for some semblance of understanding. "Feel good. All for you."
Your foot presses against the bulge enough for him to feel it down almost the entire length. A hiss breathes through his clenched jaw, and he lets a whine slip and curls forward, resting his cheek on your leg.
"Hmm—don’t know. You sure you can do that without barking at me like a dog tonight?"
He takes full advantage of the indulgence, dragging his face against you in slow motion while he pushes down the edges of his lips. Well aware he's won, his hands come up around your leg, palming at you for the chance the contact might be taken away as easily as it was given.
The act drops instantly.
"What, you can’t handle it?" His eyes shut for a second before staring back at you with heavy, glassy lids, mouth agape as he practically drools in panted breaths. "I'm not a fucking dog."
In small, janky movements, so it isn't obvious, Jason rocks his hips forward. He stops complaining, though, when your hand comes down to pet his curls.
As much as your boyfriend's merciless begging and apologies are usually enough to get the better of you in these quiet moments, it hasn't been hard to notice how he's been exploiting the niceties to compromise with you over every act in bed.
It's difficult to get him to let go of control despite the obsession and encourage him to rest in a healthy manner once in awhile if it's just so easy to swindle you into doing what he wants. He seems to think he'll get everything he wants with a few pretty sounds, and that's been cemented in his head.
So, tonight—maybe if the cards are played right—can be a good teaching point. Just to show you aren’t going to put up with his bullshit.
“You can cum with my shoe, right, Jay?”
His brows furrow, but then he dips his back to the floor while his eyes flicker close.
Yeah, no. The summer heat isn't kind to the city, leaving your shared room smoldering apart from the fan in the corner, so every motion forces him to suck in more heated air. At the very least, he could be up there with you. It wouldn't be some plain clothes sticking to his skin from the sweat.
The floor, though padded with carpet, is getting uncomfortable real fast.
"Please—please, can you use your mouth or hands?"
And much to his surprise, you press on his dick uncomfortably hard. He tries not to shift in place as it happens, taking in a harsh breath all the while listening to you—listening to the words sink in through his racing head.
"What, is my foot not good enough for you? Little brat."
All his plans turn into nothing. He thought it'd at least take awhile before you'd get this harsh. He wasn't even trying to be that, but it's good enough.
The lump in his throat is swallowed past, and nothing sounds out. Jason shakes his head lightly, refusing to even lift his bottom lip from where he has it pinned under his teeth.
"Good. Then hump my foot." He lets out a pitiful whimper, hoping to coax some sympathy out of you.
It doesn’t work. So slowly, he pushes his hips forward and back.
And he does that for awhile, and it doesn't even feel that good. It's embarrassing being forced to listen to himself heave through every breath.
Gradually, pre-cum soaks through the jockstrap. It makes it easier, but it's still a fucking shoe. It's all he can focus on. He struggles to not dig his fingers into the thick of your leg, to get his mind to focus on anything else but the sting that comes with moving them at all. His knuckles are pressed firmly against the wrap around them—his knees hurt.
He's cursing himself out in his own head. It doesn't help with the burn at the edge of his lids, obviously.
He wipes the beginning of the waterworks against your pants, doing it along with each drag so it isn't too clear what he's doing while his forehead is pressed to your knee, but it doesn't stop. So, he spares himself a bit of the shame and tries to use it to garner some pity.
"Please, please—"
"Do you even know what you're begging for?" You know what he's doing. As hard as it is to ignore the pretty sobs that always distress you, you continue, "What are you crying for, brat?"
He really should've taken that glass earlier without letting his thoughts get the better of him, forgetting everything else you've done for him in the years you've known each other in favor of an intrusive thought.
Jason's voice sounds as rough as it feels as he wails and grips your leg tighter. "Please—touch me. Touch me; I'll be good."
"You sure? You going to listen for once?" You lightly push down on his bulge once again, and that just gets him to grind more frantically in the moment.
A light slap comes over the side of his face, and finally he peers up at you while your hand comes around to tilt his face up by the jaw. Your thumb runs over the streaks of tears, drying that part as you make sure his attention is on you alone.
"You gonna be a good boy for me and listen to me?"
His eyes seal after a moment.
And then a groan slips by undeterred. He leans into your hand, nodding while he does. His hips buckle without any protest, grounding against the leather of your shoe, because if he doesn't do something fast, the heat building up in his stomach is going to burst into nothing but a spark.
Your voice draws him in further: "Alright then, then do what I said."
The last few stray drops are dried by your pants. And just like that, he is cumming. You rub against his clothed cock, coaxing him through the short scene of euphoria as his cum leaks through the underwear.
It's not much, but it helps to glide your shoe nicely over the twitching length.
You don’t stop the stroking, and he begins to hiccup at the overstimulation. Jason doesn't do anything but shudder in response; he can't bring himself to. As much as it'd be nice to pull away now, the top of your hand is inching into his hair, your fingers brushing through it just barely.
Your foot eases off.
Once he catches his breath, the long sleeves of a hoodie wrap around your leg wholly, and during that, he uses it as a clutch while practically collapsing forward.
"There’s my boy."
With the exhaustion wrecking him altogether, Jason lets himself smile without punishment for once. His head begins to nuzzle into the warmth of your hand.
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capsyst · 6 months
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I am deeply touched that so many people enjoyed my little animation of Technoblade. I genuinely didn’t think that my post would get spread much, if at all, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for reblogging it and giving me such kind words.
While Procreate does include a playback feature, unfortunately the playback for how I animated this is 45 minutes long and well beyond the capacities of tumblr’s compression and limits. And since I don’t yet have a YouTube channel to host such a lengthy video, the best I can to is provide this quick and dirty breakdown of my process.
I animate the roughs in procreate and you can see that I am VERY loose with my initial pass. I often forget if I’m drawing him with 4 or 5 fingers, I changed his outfit halfway through the animation from a draping cape to a coat, and proportions fly all around. The most important aspect of this initial pass is just to get the timing and movement right.
I then do a second cleanup pass. It is not shown here, but this is what the lineart will eventually be based on. This pass is to refine the art and solidify it. Fix anatomy issues, those finger and clothing issues, and just generally work on sticking closer to the model I had chosen for my reference.
Then I do the lineart pass. I did this in Procreate Dreams by importing the animation as a video, lowering the opacity to 50%, and using it as a guide for the lineart. Here I refine the animation further and clean up any lingering problems.
Finally once the inking is done I color the animation. In Dreams I realized that groups are a godsend for this process. Every color was its own separate layer. But once I finished a layer I could group it together and Dreams treats it like it’s own singular track on the timeline. Then once I finished another color I would group those together with the group I already finished. And then again and again and so on until eventually I only had one layer for all the lineart and color. But if I ever needed to fix anything I could expand those groups and go directly to the frame in question. It’s a really handy feature!
Because he looks out the window at one point I wanted to have the light cast shadows on him. So I colored all the frames before and after the window in a darkened pallet, and the frames where he is at the window in the actual colors. Then I animated a shadow layer that I placed over those frames where he’s at the window at 30%.
For the background I drew an extra wide scene in Procreate and imported it into Dreams. I included an outside, and inside, and three curtains. Two closed, one open. With all of this in Dreams I then added the camera move, and a warp effect on the open curtain to make it seem like it was pulled open quickly. It was surprisingly easy to do!
As a final touch I added a reddish tint to the end when he goes full crazy.
If anyone has any questions about the animation process, or about Dreams or anything, please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer as I can.
Again, thank you for enjoying this animation. I’m deeply touched by the response.
As an added bonus, here’s my 3 favorite smear frames!
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illdowhatiwantthanks · 2 months
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Alex Cabot x Reader Headcanons
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from my own wishful thinking & context clues & absolutely nothing else
Smart as fuck.
Loves brunch. Orders an omelet and a mimosa every time.
Grew up crazy rich. Trust fund baby.
New England law royalty.
Her favorite flowers are mums.
Would roundhouse kick anyone else who tried to hug her, but is super snuggly with you.
Eerily good at reading people.
Legendary speeches and closing arguments.
Would make an excellent politician, but doesn't like the ethically slimy things required.
Sees the good in you when you don't.
Stays up so late on weekends, then sleeps til noon. Even though you have told her time and time again that this is bad sleep hygiene.
Hot when she wears glasses and she knows it.
Chooses your outfits when you go on vacations because she wants the Instagram pics to be perfect.
Leaves you little love letters on sticky notes when she has to leave before you wake up.
Loves to Netflix and chill all weekend. With a big emphasis on the chill. 😉
Very hard to intimidate.
Not great about saving money, but she doesn't really have to be.
Spends an ungodly amount of money on omakase.
Doesn't let many people get close to her, but is very close to those she lets in.
Makes sure you're included in conversations because you can be a little on the shy side.
Ridiculously long nighttime skin care routine.
Has watched every single comedy special on Netflix.
Nearly unstoppable when she turns on the charm.
Makes you get to the airport 2.5 hours early, despite the fact that you both have TSA PreCheck.
A slut for cacio e pepe.
Will choose a hotel based on nothing but how the pictures there would look.
Her suitcase is always too heavy, and she always asks to put stuff in yours.
Has a parfait for lunch every day.
Cafe con leche supremacy stan.
Silk sheets only.
Sweeps you away on far-flung vacations as often as she can.
A gin-and-tonic is her Bad Day at Work drink.
Got in trouble all the time as a kid for playing with her mom's makeup.
Would 100% use her family's private jet if you hadn't convinced her it was socially and environmentally unethical. She hated that you were right.
Mulled wine on Christmas Eve. Always.
Will melt if you give her jewelry. Doesn't even care that she could buy herself better pieces.
Lets you get quirky and colorful with holiday decorations inside, but outside it's classic white lights and wreaths and candles only.
Would never ever admit it but gets pissed when you don't interact with her Instagram posts.
Favorite candy is Skittles, but she feels this undermines her badass bitch persona at work, so she'll only eat them at home.
Secretly likes to wind down with a joint on Friday nights after work.
Reminds you to wear SPF moisturizer. Every. Single. Day.
Holds your hand firmly in crowds so you don't get separated.
Takes so long in the shower in the morning that sometimes you have to get in, wash, and get out all while she's still showering.
Gets a facial and a massage every week like the bougie bitch she is.
Gives absolutely no fucks.
You do not want to be on the receiving end of an Alex glare.
The ultimate hype man. Believes in you so much that you actually believe in yourself.
Never not running late because it takes her so long to get ready. But somehow always gets there on time?
Compliments you incessantly. Like to the point that it flustered you at first.
Has to drink herbal tea instead of coffee after lunch or she'll be up all night.
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sashi-ya · 5 months
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𝑵𝑬𝑾 𝒀𝑬𝑨𝑹'𝑺 𝑩𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑵𝑮 suguru geto x f! reader
⤹˚ synopsis. a devotee of a self proclaimed god. A god willing to purify you, monkey.
tw: degradation, humiliation. dom! geto. thigh fucking. vag. unprotected. cream pie. wc: 681
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Be thankful, monkey… that a god like me is fucking you like this.
His arm, coming from behind, snaked around your neck to hold you still. Wide back, taking over the space, making you feel so little, so tiny.
Hardness peeking through flowy blue clothing, worthy of a prophet, of a messiah. It gets closer to your thighs, that tremble and get warm and coated in his sprouting precum.
“Do you think, you monkey, that your wholes are worth trying?” he asks, with soft voice and still grunting in your ear. His black, long hair tickling your uncovered shoulders.
He said he would free and devour your curse… but you seem to be the curse, after all.
“Please, Geto-sama…” you barely mumble, with your cheek pressed against the wall, your breasts, and your knees as well.
“I didn’t allow a monkey like you to speak, only to serve me…” he moans, biting your earlobe and pulling from it.
The warmth of his sex, sliding in between your inner thighs. The free hand of his, big and dominant, squeezes your breast with violence and strength.
“We will see if your holes are worth fucking, for now, please me with your legs”
Suguru masturbates with the soft tissue of your thighs, he urges you to keep them shut tight and you can feel the drizzling arousal running down.
The upper part of his length, juicy and throbbing, deliciously grazes your sex. It hits the right spot, forcing your labia to press on your clit. And even maybe, if he doesn’t mean to please you, he definitely does.
You squirm and definitely naturally trap his sex with your legs, causing Suguru to moan louder in your ear. It can be definitely heard by the people outside his personal shrine, waiting for his blessing on New Years eve.
He chose you, from a crazy amount of followers, to be “purified”… And you wonder what and where the blessing will be given to you.
“Such a whore, pressing that way so that you can also hump like the monkey you are… well, if you are that needy…”
“Geto-sama ~”
He turns you around, hitting your back against the wall and making the shrine integrity to tremble like your insides. He is definitely big underneath all that clothing.
His slanted eyes take a quick look at your needy self, with lips separated, breathing hastily and shiny legs from his precum and your arousal. His stare is more than lustful, it shows disgust as well… that type of humiliating domination of a self-proclaimed God with a devotee desperate for him.
You want to touch his chest, at best. His skin looks so kissable whenever he speaks to his worshippers…
His hands, however, stop you from doing it as he lifts and traps them over your head.
“Absolutely not. A monkey shouldn’t touch me. Be thankful I’m going to fuck you”
You watch him pumping his sex with his free hand, the blue upper part of his outfit opening slightly to bless you with the imagery of his chest.
Geto-sama comes closer to your trembling, almost swollen sex. The tip barely grazes your entrance, and you are already purring, mewing.
More, Geto-sama. Go deeper Geto-sama.
“Despite you being a monkey, you smell pretty well… I could use you more often” he groans, impaling you deeply and almost forcefully.
You mewl; louder. Your legs lose the strength to keep you standing with those merciless thrusts. And it’s ok, you don’t really need to stand up as he lifts you up to fuck you as much as he wants. He can carry you, he will if it gives him more pleasure.
With the back of your head hitting the wall, with his teeth now biting your neck and his dick destroying your insides, you come like never before. And it pleases him to know you could also enjoy the pursue of his own pleasure. But he is not over, and you are there to serve him… until the last drop of his blessing leaves you full, he wont stop.
Oh, Geto-sama, I already feel purified…
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