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#i don’t know everything so other people feel free to chime in if i’ve missed something or made mistakes
vigilskeep · 1 year
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(1/3) Hi Harker! You know a lot about Dragon Age and its politics, so I'd be grateful if you'd help me out with the following matter: I made a non-Warden Cousland who joins my HoF during DAO events and whose personal quest is to take revenge for Howe's betrayal and crimes. She romances Alistair.
So in the Landsmeet, a visibly elf-blooded (hardened) Alistair is supported by the HoF (not Cousland) and the power-hungry Eamon but that's not enough and Fereldans are also quite racists, so I feel like Alistair is going to need marrying Anora or Cousland in order to get more votes and become the next king.
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hmm okay so the breaks from canon here are visibly elf-blooded alistair and non-warden cousland. and the question is which outcome would be best for ferelden?
even as a younger child, cousland is the daughter of a teyrn. if anything happened to her brother she would have been the future second most powerful figure in ferelden, and the people raising and training her would have been aware of this. anora has the exact same background as daughter of a teyrn, and both would have been trained to govern. while anora has experience with actually ruling the whole of ferelden, cousland is from a more established family and has no associations with loghain for those who consider him a traitor. i would say cousland’s actual fitness to rule is up to you; i can’t make that judgement on your character, it depends on who she is and what she’s like! anora is characterised as a capable ruler devoted to her country, a layered character whose dedication, practicality, and skill are equally her ruthlessness, her ambition, and her determination that she alone is the right answer. i would consider looking at your HOF’s background and considering what their idea of a good ruler is, what their perspective is on how ferelden looks under anora’s rule, etc.
considering this rule is a partnership, you may want to think through whether alistair/cousland or alistair/anora would work together best. the epilogue slides claim hardened alistair and anora work well together, a “surprisingly effective pair” who both take an interest in ruling. cousland still being around while that’s happening is a weird and interesting power dynamic; i imagine anora would feel very threatened by her overall especially if they’re still in a relationship. as for alistair/cousland, how they work together and how good cousland is at the job is again up to you, but since they’re in love i’m assuming they’re a good team. as you mention, anora would be imprisoned—i actually didn’t know that, i ran through the landsmeet dialogue for this—but i have no idea how that turns out in the long run and there doesn’t seem to be any canon information on that. anora does point blank refuse to publicly abandon her claim and i think it’s unlikely rebellion would never be raised in her name. her claim is just too good of an opportunity to miss for anyone who wanted to rebel and i don’t think anora could resist the chance if offered. possibly matters could be brought to a compromise, perhaps where she settles for the teyrnir of gwaren, but that’s still a very dangerous and powerful position to leave her in. her claim and experience will always look good whenever alistair/cousland do anything wrong, and that goes doubly if alistair’s visibly elf-blooded. frankly i could see anora being executed, eventually, if compromises didn’t work out. that’s the game of challenging royal claims and it’s what she would have done to alistair; hardened alistair very much doesn’t disregard it as an eventual option in his landsmeet dialogue, either. i think all that’s true of any version of events where she isn’t queen
personally to summarise i think it would be an odd choice in this circumstances not to put alistair/cousland on the throne because the HOF knows and presumably trusts them personally, it’s a good political solution, cousland isn’t even a warden here so those problems (with the question of heirs and with warden neutrality) are removed, and they’re in love so why actively ruin it for them. but if your HOF has a very high opinion of anora, or (accurately or inaccurately) considers your cousland personally inappropriate for the throne in comparison to anora, they might be set on the other choice. the former is more obvious but the latter may be a stronger character decision
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noodyl-blasstal · 12 days
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Cool, Calm, and Collegiate - Chapter 5
It's day 5 of @blupjeansweek and today's prompt is "Kiss".
Read below or on Ao3. Missed yesterday's? Find it here!
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“IT STARTED OUT WITH A KISS, HOW DID IT END UP LIKE THIS, HOW DID IT END UP LIKE THIS?” Lup yells happily, back to back with Ren.
Barry bumps against her shoulder as she turns back, they’re all jumping in a sweaty mass, there shouldn’t be room for them all on the stage, but they’ve crammed themselves in. Well, most of them. Lydia and Edward are stood in the corner (apparently the seats were “too much of a gamble on cleanliness.”) It’s fine really, Lup prefers them far away.
She’s mashed into the middle of the group and usually she’d struggle her way out immediately, but Barry’s comforting bulk is beside her so she’s not worried. She loves how sturdy he is. She loops her arm through his so they don’t get separated, and leans in to shout into his microphone. The other clientele must hate them at this point, but hey, they’re here for a good time and they’re having one. She’s had to sit through plenty of duds tonight, so the regulars can deal with the musical stylings of the IPRE choir. There’s not many of them left anyway considering how late it is.
They all hit a final pose as the guitar fades. It’s not coordinated, but it’s one of those moments that she wishes she had a picture of. Everyone laughing, she and Barry shouting into the plasticky microphone without a care in the world. He’s flushed and sweaty and there’s no doubt she is too with all of the jumping about, but he looks so happy. She’s so glad he came out, it’s nice to see him feeling free.
“Alright everybody, that was our last song of the night! You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” The guy running the karaoke shoos them off the stage.
Lup nudges Barry and leans in so he can hear her. He starts to look round, but realises what she’s doing and tilts his ear closer to her mouth. “I’ll just grab my bag.”
She knows where she left it, by the twins, they said they’d keep an eye on it (“not that anyone would think something like that had anything worth taking in it”) as long as she didn’t expect them to touch it. She knows she left it here, but she can’t see it.
“Lydia, Edward, have you seen my bag?” Lup’s trying not to panic, but everything’s in there. Keys, purse, lesson plans, notes…
“A bag?” Lydia asks, smiling a particularly poisonous smile. “I’m not sure… Edward, do you remember seeing a bag?”
Lup should have known better than to trust them… Taako’s right sometimes, she does need to be more careful with her believing the best in people bullshit.
Edward scrunches up his stupid handsome face and taps his chin as if deep in thought. “A bag? I’m not the help, Lydia. I’ve got no idea where it could be.” He looks to Lup. “You really should take better care of your things.”
Lup shouldn’t set him on fire, she shouldn’t, no matter how much she wants to right now. Surely anyone would understand?
“I asked you to look after it.” She bites out. She knows they’re doing it to get a rise out of her, she knows losing her temper is letting them win, but right now there’s not enough willpower in the world to keep her calm.
“That doesn’t sound like something we’d agree to, are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Lydia asks in a sickly sweet tone which means she’s definitely fucking with Lup.
“You agreed, I trusted you with it. Why are you being so shitty about this?” Lup snaps.
Lydia’s hand flies to her chest, a parody of offence. “Lup! Such strong language, I know you’re upset that you lost your belongings, but there’s no need to take it out on us.”
“Come on Lydia, we don’t have to stand here and receive this horrible abuse.” Edward chimes in, taking Lydia’s elbow and leading her away.
Lup growls to herself and begins a more thorough search of the area.
“Is everything okay?” Barry asks tentatively.
Lup looks up from her position on the floor. “I’m not doing some impromptu burpees.”
“I can’t say that doing that seems out of character.” Barry offers a hand to help her up.
Lup laughs despite herself. “It’s good for the soul.” She grabs his hand and jumps up. He’s strong, she notices, strong enough to pull her up with ease… interesting.
“What’s going on”
“My bag’s gone.”
“Where are Lydia and Edward? They were looking after it, right?” Barry, sweet Barry, asks.
Lup laughs bitterly. “Apparently you have a memory just as defective as mine. They wouldn’t have ever agreed to look after anything and clearly I’m an idiot.”
Barry’s mouth retracts into a line. “I heard them say they would. Do you want me to report them to Lucretia? She won’t take kindly to this sort of behaviour.”
“No.” Lup says quickly.
“Are you sure?” Barry asks, gently.
“No one ever does anything.” She shrugs, blinking hard to stop the tears she can feel welling up. There’s absolutely no way she’s crying about those dickheads.
Barry opens his arms wide and Lup presses against his chest without a second thought. She hasn’t hugged anyone since Taako when she left home, and hugging him is great, it’s wonderful, it’s Taako, but it’s nothing compared to being wrapped up in Barry’s arms. He’s soft and sturdy, and pats her back reassuringly.
“We’ll find it, Lup. I’ll help.” He looks down at her and smiles so softly that she believes him for a moment.
She looks back at him and quirks the corner of her mouth.
The lights flick on. “Stop canoodling! Get yourselves out of here. We need to clean.”
“We’re looking for a bag.” Barry says quickly. “Sorry, we’ll be out of here soon.”
“Doesn’t look like you’re looking for a bag to me.” The staff member says pointedly.
Lup has no idea why he’s so dedicated to the idea of inappropriate behaviour, but there’s no point in exploding at anyone else. “Is there any chance you’ve seen my bag? I need it before I can go home. It’s a black satchel with flames.”
“Oh. That’s over there, I just saw it.” The guy gestures over his shoulder with a thumb.
“Thank fuck.” Lup rushes towards the place he’s gesturing. She was worried she was going to have to meditate outside long enough to find object it… not that she hadn’t had to do that on nights out before, but still. It’s been a while. She’s grown.
The bag’s on the floor near the entrance, shoved to the side. Fuck. She hates seeing it treated like that. It was a gift from Taako at a time they definitely couldn’t afford anything nice. He cast all the spells and sewed the flames on himself, she’s had it forever… At least whoever nabbed it will have just gone for her wallet and there’s nothing of any substance in there. She stoops down to grab it, but it’s worryingly light. “No, no no no no no no no…” Lup opens it quickly and checks… shit. All of her notes are gone. Who the fuck would want those? And why the fuck have they dug through the dimensions of the bag to find them?
“You’ve got it!” Barry says happily as he catches up, then sees her face. “Oh no, what’s wrong?”
“Someone’s taken my stuff.”
“Sorry Lup. We can sort something out. Can you cancel your cards? We’ll report it in the morning. Have you got your keys at least?”
Lup hadn’t even checked, she didn’t get past the missing notes honestly. She checks the relevant pockets and comes up with her untouched wallet, but no keys.
“Maybe accommodation will have a spare set of keys?” Barry asks.
“They’re shut. It’s late… well, early.” Lup says, voice flat.
She can’t deal with logistics right now. What she’d really like to do is go yell at the fucking twins for being such dickheads, but that’s not constructive and yelling at dickheads usually makes you look bad in the eyes of others, no matter how justified it is (which is ridiculous, thank you very much.)
“Okay, you’ll stay at mine tonight… uh… if that’s okay. Obviously you don’t have to, I can cover a hotel room if you’d prefer, that was really forwar…”
“Thanks Barold. That would be nice. Can we just go please?” Lup’s got no juice left in her. Her get up and go has got up and gone, and all she wants in the world is to be asleep right now, ten minutes ago, even. At least she won’t have to think about how long it’s going to take her to redo everything while she’s passed out.
He must pick up on how exhausted she is, because he doesn’t say anything, just takes over. They’re in a cab before she knows it, and then he’s letting her into his apartment and asking if she needs anything to drink or if he can do anything for her. While she sits on the sofa he fusses round, hands her a glass of water, tucks her in a blanket, says he’s going to sort the room out and for her to hold on. She’s barely aware of him leading her to his bedroom. She thinks it’d be nice to sleep next to Barry honestly, he’s big and soft and solid, like the best teddy bear. But instead, there’s a neat pile of ‘pyjama options’ and some painkillers and he’s trying to leave. She doesn’t let go of his hand.
“Stay?”
“Uh… Lup, it’s fine, I’ll… the sofa.” Barry points, as if she’s forgotten where it is.
“Do you want to go?” She asks.
There’s a long pause.
“You can if you want, but if not, stay.”
Barry looks at her, really looks, searches her face for something, she’s not sure what.
“Okay. I’ll let you get changed. I’ll be back.”
The tshirt he left out is soft and baggy and smells like him. His lemony soap and the washing powder he uses. It’s comforting. Comforting enough that she feels strong enough to check her bag again… okay, keys and notes are definitely gone, but they didn’t get everything. The scrappy notes are still in their section, whoever grabbed them didn’t look too hard.
Barry knocks softly on the door. “Is it okay if I come in?”
“It’s your room, Bear.” Lup says.
“Bear?” He asks, opening the door.
Lup doesn’t reply. Isn’t quite sure how to explain that one.
“They left my scratch notes. So they haven’t got anything from your project.” She’s still jittery, but it’s such a relief.
“Oh… that hadn’t even crossed my mind. I’m more concerned about you.” Barry crosses the room and starts fluffing pillows and tugging the duvet. “Are you sure that…?”
Lup puts her poor, defiled bag down gently, then slides into bed and pats the space next to her. “The water’s fine, come on in.”
“Are you completely certain, I don’t want to…”
“I’d prefer it, I don’t really want to be on my own.”
Barry eases the covers back and gets in gingerly.
“Is it okay if I…?” He shuffles slightly closer to Lup.
She decides to take a chance, she’s tired, it’s so late, she’s emotionally done. “Yeah.” She shuffles closer and snuggles herself into his side.
Gently, so gently, he wraps an arm round her.
She nuzzles into his side, glad of his warmth, his bulk, his friendship. “Thank you, Barry.”
He strokes lazy circles on her back. “Hey, it’s okay. I’d never leave you stuck.”
“You wouldn’t, would you?”
“No.” Barry’s confused as to why she’s asking, but she ploughs on anyway.
“You wouldn’t take my research either, would you?” She keeps her voice lower this time. Almost whispers it. If she doesn’t say it too loudly he can’t surprise her, that’s flawless logic.
Barry freezes, then turns slightly so he can look down at her with his big beautiful eyes. They’re full of concern and Lup can’t bear to look back at him for long, she hides her head buried in his side instead. “Lup, did someone do that?”
“You all do, don’t you?” She says bitterly. “You know, supervisors.”
Barry shifts back. “What?”
“That’s just the breaks. You work hard and do all the research, and then your supervisor takes it because really it’s his because you were working in his lab and that means he can publish your theories and not even bother putting your name on it.”
She expects him to be angry, to fight with her, to deny that anyone would do that. Academics are upstanding! They’re ethical! They do their own research and credit properly and…
“Oh Lup, I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Barry pulls her tighter to him. “I’d be heartbroken if I’d worked so hard for something to be taken like that.”
“I reported it.” She says quietly.
“Good.” Barry says. “I hope they got rid of hi…”
“They didn’t do anything.”
“Oh… Oh no.” Barry sounds genuinely upset.
“They said my research was technically university property.” She continues.
There’s a long silence, punctuated only by her occasional sniffles. She could have a cold, Barry doesn’t need to know she’s crying.
“I would never ever do that to you Lup. In fact, I was going to ask, but I didn’t know when was appropriate, I’m sure now probably definitely isn’t that, but, uh, will you co-author the bond replication article with me?”
“What?” Lup refuses to be pitied. “I don’t want you to…”
“I will show you the message from three weeks ago when I asked my friend how best to broach the topic with you.” Barry counters before she can even finish objecting.
“Oh.”
“You’re a genius Lup, I keep telling you. I want you on my team, I want to see my name next to yours.”
“Drs Bluejeans and Tacco.” Lup laughs, wetly.
“Yeah. That’s it, that’s my official title.” Barry chuckles, and she loves the sound even more from here. Tucked into him and warm and feeling the laughter vibrate through him.
“It should be.”
“I’ll think about it. Dr Barry Bluejeans, Serious Science Guy, at your service.” Barry says in his best Very Serious Voice.
Lup laughs so hard that the tears are no longer self-pity, but mirth.
She must drift off to sleep after that, because the next thing she remembers is waking up in twilight, hand splayed against Barry’s chest, face resting on his bicep. She slips out of bed as delicately as she can, unable to argue with her bladder, but when she returns Barry pulls her close again. Maybe she’s the teddy bear she thinks, as she drifts off again.
Waking up properly is a slower, more delicate thing. Both of them easing gently into wakefulness. Neither of them willing to untangle themselves quite yet. Lup’s leg’s wrapped over Barry’s hips, his leg pressed to her other shin, her hand on his chest, his hand on her back. It’s companionable, comfortable, and probably incredibly unprofessional, but fuck it. Lup cuddles her friends and Barry’s her friend! It was just a shame she didn’t get to find out how good this was sooner. Magnus was going to love Barry cuddles when they met.
“I can make coffee.” Barry says groggily.
“I know, it’s real good, you already showed off about that.” Lup teases.
“No, I mean, I can make coffee now, for drinking.” He mutters.
“Drinking coffee? Ooooh, fancy!” Lup shouldn’t tease him really, but morning Barry was new to her and she couldn’t resist. How lucky his past partners were to get to see him like this every day.
“Grurgh.” Barry says.
“Coffee would be lovely.” Lup decides it’s probably kinder to humour him.
“M’okay. I’ll go now.” Barry snuggles deeper into the covers. “Just in one minute.”
She pets his hair. “Sleep Bear, I’ll go do it.”
It takes a few tries to leave bed, Barry clinging tight and grumbling in his sleep as she tries to go, but eventually she slips away. By the time she comes back with two steaming cups he’s half-awake again.
“I’ve got coffee for us, babe.”
A string of words issue forth from the pile of duvet Barry has ensconced himself in, all she can make out is “Lup” and “beautiful.”
“I agree, coffee is a beautiful thing, now c’mon. I’ve gotta go to the accommodation office this morning, and cha’girl refuses to do that uncaffeinated.”
Barry slowly shuffles into a seated position. “Thank you.” He takes the cup gratefully. “It smells right.”
“I learned from the best in the business.” Lup winks.
Lup leans against Barry’s side and they drink in companionable silence.
“I meant it, you know.” Barry says, most of the way through his cup.
“Meant what?”
“About the article. I want to publish with you.”
“You can’t talk dirty to me at this time in the morning!” Lup deflects, she’s not emotionally ready for a serious talk.
“I simply can’t help myself. Wanna hear about referencing style choices for the journal?” Barry deadpans back. He’s adjusted well to her teasing, less flustered, less awkward. She likes that.
“I still don’t know who would have wanted my lesson plans.” Lup says.
“I’m more worried about the fact they took your key. I’m, uh, well, I’m going to come with you to your accommodation if that’s okay?”
“Shit. I didn’t even think about that. Gods. I hope they haven’t fucked around in there… although, there was nothing on the key to say which room or where it is, so hopefully it’ll be fine.”
“Yeah.” Barry says too fast. “Hopefully whoever it was didn’t know already. Now, do you want the bathroom first? You’re welcome to borrow anything that’ll fit.”
“How much of it is denim?” Lup asks, pointing at Barry’s wardrobe.
“Er....”
-
Ko,
You’re getting a postcard on the fly today, I’m writing this at Barry’s while he gets ready. Last night was good until it wasn’t. We were singing karaoke and it was brilliant, Barry danced and it was magical to see. He’s so much fun, I can’t wait to introduce you. I think Kravitz would like him too, you know.
Anyway, anyway, then some fucker stole my bag (yes, the one you made, don’t worry, I got it back at least). They swiped all my session notes and my room key, so you know, nothing useful to most people. Thank goodness they missed my purse! I’m fine though. Barry adopted me for the night (I know you know, we’re talking right now, but you’re getting these postcards whether you like it or not, and I’m going to tell you what’s going on whether you know it or not. At least this way you can’t make gross insinuations like you did via video call (any woman would be lucky, obviously, but he doesn’t think of cha’girl that way!))
Right. I’m going to do battle with the accommodation office, think of me at this difficult time (which i’m experiencing in the past and definitely already have a solution to.)
Love you always,
Lup xxxxxxx
-
I hope you enjoyed! Want to read more? Great news! The next installment is here.
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casspurrjoybell-17 · 1 year
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HEART'S FATE - CHAPTER 44
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*Warning: Adult Content*    
"What trouble you Wolves do find," Shanti, the 'snake lady' exclaims once they've filled her in on their travails. "I wonder you do not look for it." 
"I think it looks for them," Skylar West says. "I've traveled the better part of the globe and never encountered so many... 'unusual people'... as I have here in Spring Lakes."
"Indeed," Shanti agrees. "This town is a focal point, a nexus of power. All who can sense it, consciously or unconsciously, are drawn here. Not unlike yourself, perhaps."
Joining a hand with his mate, Martin Hunter, Skylar smiles. 
"Perhaps. I've rarely strayed so far inland, much less settled down to stay. You were drawn here as well, it seems."
"So I was, though that was in pursuit of others who came seeking power. But the shop likes it here and as long as the shop is happy, I will stay.
After proper introductions, Skylar has learnt of her convoluted relation to Ambrose Thorne and of her first encounters with Noah Hunter and the Hunter clan. 
As a Nagi, she splits her time between the human and  Nāga realms, which are connected through bodies of water such as lakes and lotus ponds. 
Noah hopes she can use this ability to help us travel directly to Thassos, bypassing the protections keeping outsiders at bay, Skylar hopes that with both pieces of the amulet and Martin at his side, the terms of his mother's curse will be satisfied. 
If they can break her spell, she'll be free to resume her role as queen and Skylar will be free of his obligations as heir. 
Once she knows everything, she might even forgive his father and allow his return to her side.
"So, will you help us?" Noah asks, leaning forward in his seat. "Is it even possible to travel to...?"
"Thassos," Skylar supplies. "Mer is the name of both my people and our 'nation.' Thassos is our city-kingdom,  the last that remains."
She nods. 
"I have heard of your people, though I know little beyond the fact that they exist. As you have said, they are insular and reclusive and keep to themselves. Mostly."
Her dark eyes sparkle with gentle amusement and a subtle breeze stirs about the room, carrying with it an echo of chimes and a hint of incense and it occurs to Skylar, he is in the presence of a strange and powerful being, indeed.
"That aside, as long as I can envision a place, I can travel there. This is much the way that young Miguel will travel in his spirit form, though it is a bit more complicated than it sounds. The more power one has, the more often the question is not whether one can do something but whether one should."
Noah lifts his brows at her.
"With great power comes...?"
"Great self-doubt," she says, smiling wryly. "I wish to help you and your family but I cannot allow my personal feelings to influence my judgement. I must meditate upon the wisdom of action in this case."
Martin clasps his hands between his knees and leans forward. 
"Please. From what I've heard, you were human, once. You must understand our urgency. Time is something..." 
He stops and licks his lips before continuing. 
"Time is something we don't have a lot of."
Shanti inclines her head. 
"I do understand and you have my compassion. However, you must understand that my perspective spans Kalpas, great eons of time. Actions and the effect of actions, have consequences and echoes that may be felt far into the future. I must be certain that my actions do no more harm than good, at the very least."
"Hmm. Must be nice," Dane Hunter says, leaning back in his seat and absently scratching himself. "For us mere mortals, it's a crapshoot. We follow our hearts and hope for the best."
Noah looks scandalized by his brother's behavior but Shanti merely laughs as the subtle, scented breeze stirs the air again.
"You are quite right, Alpha Dane," she says. "Sometimes, in taking the long view, we miss the beauty that is right before our eyes. There is a universe on the atomic scale and one on a scale beyond what you would call 'the universe' it is difficult to determine on which to focus, at times."
She adjusts her silks and recrosses her legs
"Give me three days. Then, at dusk, meet me by the shores of yonder lake."
She gestures at the window and the little park on the opposite side of the street from Noah and Ambrose's house. 
"Then you shall have your answer. In the meantime, is there any chance of getting some tea?"
At Noah and Ambrose's insistence, they stay over for the interim. 
Martin and Skylar take the 'blue room' while the children choose to bunk down in the library. 
It makes sense, with the rendezvous spot so close and the old house having so much room but Martin's fear of imposing makes itself known, nonetheless.
"Are you sure about having us here?" Martin asks at dinner the first night. "I remember you loving that old Ben Franklin quote about fish and houseguests."
Noah snorts. 
"Family aren't guests” he says, as he serves Martin heaping piles of wilted greens, baked mac and cheese with a breadcrumb crust and buttermilk chicken. 
Despite Skylar’s dubious tastes in 'land food' his mouth is watering and yet he seems to remember something about cholesterol being bad for humans.
"Is this... heart healthy?" he asks, pointing at the food.
Ambrose, the cook of the evening, smirks at him. 
"As I've said, there's nothing at all wrong with anyone's heart. A bit of butter and oil are just fine, in moderation. And the greens make up for it," he adds, pointing at them with his knife.
Skylar sees a good sheen of olive oil and butter there as well, among the toasted garlic bits but signals his agreement anyway.
"Ah, well, as Shanti said, the scale of time matters and we must get our pleasure where we can."
With this in mind, Skylar meets Martin's eyes across the table and reach for his hand. 
Martin joins his fingers with Skylar’s and blushes delightfully, a strawberry flush beneath his dark skin.
At his side, Flora clears her throat and stabs at her greens with more force than is needed and Martin releases his hand.
Skylar sips his salted water and cast him a sly, sidelong glance. 
As his children grow up, Skylar shall endeavor to ensure he stays young. 
Fate willing, that is.
On the appointed day, they gather on the shores of the lake at eventide, Martin and Skylar, Julian and Dane, Noah and Ambrose. Martin's children stay home, watched over by Chloe and Grace. 
They wait as the sun sets, as the world gradually darkens and the waters grow calm. 
Insects skim the quiet surface, which the occasional splash of a leaping fish breaks into ripples that spread and fade into stillness again. 
Early stars speckle the indigo sky and the chill of mid-November adds a bite to the air.
For thirty minutes or so, they stand about talking quietly among ourselves. 
Skylar stays close to Martin, holding his hand as they take comfort in one another's presence and in the nearness of his family and friends.
At last, Ambrose signals for their attention and gestures at the lake. 
Near the center, a cloud of tiny bubbles erupts and breaks the surface with a hiss, sending little waves outward in concentric circles that roll gently to lap upon the pebbly shore. 
A moment later, something winds its way towards us, a dark shape upon dark water, long and serpentine.
Skylar catches a glimpse of iridescent green scales as the water rises and breaks across the back of an enormous snake. 
It slithers to shore and then, so seamlessly Skylar would miss it if he blinked, Shanti takes it’s place, her flowing silks and long black hair completely dry.
Pressing her palms lightly together, she inclines her head.
"Greetings, my friends. I hope you are well."
Ambrose waves his hand impatiently. 
"Never mind the pleasantries. What's the verdict? Will you help?"
Ignoring him, she turns her attention to Martin and me.
"My meditations have yielded no clarity. I am sorry."
"So, that's a no," Skylar says, disappointment coloring his voice.
Shanti smiles. 
"I did not say that, only that the future is uncertain. Sometimes fate is like a boat caught in a torrent, inescapable. Other times, it is as a bubble floating on a fitful breeze, the slightest thing may change it. At this moment, your fates are like the latter and I cannot say what will help or harm. However, my conscience will not rest with inaction and so the choice is yours, if you desire my aid, I will give it with the best of intentions."
"The road to hell," Ambrose murmurs but Martin squares his shoulders and steps forward.
"Please," he says... "We have to try."
Shanti bows her head and extends her hands to us. 
"Very well, then. Come, Thassos awaits."
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Text
Rant:
Am I allowed to shout into the void anymore? Are my feelings and thoughts even my own? I mean what am I doing anymore?
One day I’m trying to fall for someone the next we’re fighting. What’s happening? Where does it break down?
I keep wondering if it’s me and if I’m doing something wrong. I keep wanting to say something but at the same time, maybe it’s not me for once. I did promise myself not to chase something that hurts me so. So I have to breathe.
Maybe I’ll write out everything I feel towards her. But I feel that currently there will be nothing until she can bring her half to the relationship.
—————————————————————
Can I chime in?
Sure.
It’s been a while. Hasn’t it?
Yeah. Too long. I have so much to say.
I know. You got into another argument with her. She wasn’t listening and invalidated you again. She doesn’t see it and you feel like she doesn’t care about your feelings again.
Yea…
Just maintain. I mean it hurts but like it’s not your job. It’s hers. If she notices you’re hurt she should say something. If she doesn’t, she doesn’t care.
Bur that’s not a good philosophy.
So-so. You can’t constantly throw yourself and your feelings out there. You’re trying and doing too much. I get that you’re ready to love but you’re not worthy of it going about it this way.
Makes sense. I… don’t know what to say. As in I don’t have the strength to argue.
How’s home?
Scary to be honest. I don’t want to be home. I don’t feel comfortable or happy anymore.
Still? Well let’s ask this, what makes you happy? I know that you also feel uncomfortable out, what do you feel is missing? What would you rather do?
Well, that’s a good question. I’m not in my element. I rarely am. The bar doesn’t play my music, the movies out aren’t playing what I wanna see. It’s hard to describe. It’s like when you’re hungry and you know what you DONT have a taste for, but not what you actually want.
So it’s picky. Complex.
Yeah. Like I close my eyes and I can see flashes of things that make me happy, but I can’t explain it. Like I can see myself taking photos with people as we dress up as cowboys or looking up retro fashion, but I don’t see how we got there.
Have you tried asking people to do these things?
I have. And I get that question a lot. I have all these cool ideas in my head but I have a hard idea trying to get them out. Lots of cool adventures but like I describe them like I’m stupid and I honestly get insecure after so many rejections. I just really start to feel like I’m not fun.
That’s really rough man. But like it’s hard to describe what to do. You can try to keep selling your idea or find other people. I know it’s timing and waiting for a yes feels like forever and a day.
Yeah. It’s not that I want to do it alone, I’ve already thought of it, it’s that j want to share the memory. I don’t want to do it alone is the big deal. Things are better with company and so I can always dress up, but to be goofy with a friend feels so… freeing.
So then, maybe you’re in the wrong pound. Maybe you are more niche than you think.
That’s how I feel. I couldn’t sell a drowning fish water if I tried.
So what do we do?
I don’t know. I honestly talk to you to get out this loop but today we are so cloudy.
Well it isn’t a conversation. I’m more of a plot device to express feelings in the form of a conversation with a friend.
You know why you did that, right?
Yeah. You felt insecure that you’re talking like this.
Yeah.
It’s okay.
However you organize your thoughts js you.
… I’m lonely. What do I do?
I don’t know my boy. That’s a good question.
I feel like I’m not good enough.
But you are. Just, you’re always lonely.
I know. I really don’t feel like people like me honestly. I feel very tolerated.
Why?
Well I tolerate a lot and I love a lot more. I don’t get the difference in others though.
But what makes you feel like they don’t like you?
I don’t feel like I can be me. I feel like I have to hold on to my thoughts because I’m so different and I’m so insecure talking about myself. It feels like bragging and stuff.
Why are we so wrapped up in what others think about you?
I keep trying to make reasons and excuses but I don’t know. Honestly I just don’t know anything anymore. It’s so much that it gets too heavy for me to figure out. It makes me feel dumb that I don’t know and worse that I don’t know how to fix it. I get frustrated and sad. I get frustrated when I don’t know what to say or how to feel. I lock up and feel so excluded because I don’t get or feel a lot of things. I get frustrated spending too much time listening because I want to be apart of things and conversation. I genuinely feel so to-the-side that I just feel bad. I use others to Judge me because I want to do a better job and feel so involved in convos. I want social stimulation and I can’t seem to get it. I get conversation blue balls.
Geez that’s a lot.
I know. But I also don’t know what I’m saying anymore. Words feel weird and in a way I’m tired of them. I’m tired of talking. My chest tightens and I feel so… stressed. I get anxious. I feel anxious typing. What do I do?
Stop. Just, so something else.
Shall we call it?
Yeah. You’re not okay. You worked yourself up and I can tell your going to breakdown.
I’m sorry. i.. I’m just sorry. I just don’t know what to do. I’m falling apart. And I keep having flashes of that morning. I’m having an episode and…
Stop my dude. It’s okay. Just… hold on for me? For us? Ride it out a little more. This will not be what breaks you.
I know.. I’m just tired.
Then let’s sleep. Sleep for days.
0 notes
todoscript · 3 years
Text
you receive a love letter in your shoe locker from an anonymous admirer
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characters: bakugou katsuki, kaminari denki, kirishima eijirou, midoriya izuku, shinsou hitoshi, todoroki shouto
genre: fluff. very slight angst.
word count: 3.2k+ total, 400-700 per character
warnings: jealousy, possessiveness, feelings of doubt (mostly all fluff though)
author’s note: i’ve been on spring break so i found some time to write this! i absolutely love writing for these six (not like they’re my faves or anything pshhhhh—)
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BAKUGOU KATSUKI
he’s already fuming the moment you open your locker and hold out the pastel pink card, sealed by a shiny heart sticker with your name written in smooth calligraphy.
it doesn’t take much for him to realize some other dunce head is trying to make moves on his girl.
and he absolutely won’t stand for it.
he stomps over to you and snatches the letter right out of your hands as you’re reading it.
your complaints go ignored behind him while he inspects the writing with the most livid expression.
you know that ugly face he makes when it comes to his over-exaggerated anger? the one with his eyes all squinted and the corners sharpened upward?
that’s his face as he continues reading, growing more twisted at every mushy sentence this anonymous admirer had the gall to say to you.
at one point, he can’t stand to read it anymore so he crumbles the letter in his fist before igniting it into crisps.
you scold him for causing such a scene and letting his anger get the best of him, but bakugou is still annoyed about it regardless.
“tch, who the hell does this shithead think they are, trying to make moves on you when we’re already together?! i’m gonna kill them when i find out who it is!” he exclaims, hands instinctively sparking with heat that scares off the other students walking by.
you mentally facepalm at this. still, you go about reassuring him that you won’t be swayed and take his hand to walk to the dorms together.
“katsu, you know it’s going to take more than a love letter to make me leave you, right?”
“heh, damn right, it’s gonna take a hell of a lot more that’s for fucking sure,” he sneers, a confident smirk on his face as he knows everyone else never had a chance with you to begin with. they can keep sending those letters and he’d make sure to burn them before they could even reach your hand.
on the way back to the dorms, he makes a conscious effort at pda—arm wrapped around your waist while his eyes glare daggers at any extra that even so much as looks at you the wrong way—asserting his claim over you.
meanwhile, having bared witness to that whole scene, your secret admirer is trembling in the corner. they make note to never send you another letter again unless they want their life to flash before their eyes in a fiery explosion.
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KAMINARI DENKI
surprisingly enough, kaminari takes the whole situation more positively than most people expected.
in fact, he’s actually prideful about it.
just as he’s about to head over to your locker so you two could walk to class together, sero pokes his shoulder.
“hey, did you see all those written love confessions in y/n’s locker?” sero whispers behind his cupped hand near kaminari’s ear.
the blond scrunches his nose, confused. “no. what love confessions?”
“the letters that were stuffed in your girlfriend’s locker.”
again, kaminari is still puzzled at this. he realizes there’s only one way to understand what sero means.
when he glances in your direction he’s met with you fumbling around with a pile of letters balanced in your arms. his vision zeroes in on the envelopes, deciphering the fancy stationary and pretty embroidery.
oh. they’re love letters.
“other people are trying to make moves on your girl. what are you going to do about it, kaminari?” sero chimes in with an important question and honestly, kaminari can’t exactly make out a solution. or rather, he feels he doesn’t need to.
sure, he should be a little annoyed over the fact that others are disregarding your relationship.
yet could he really blame them for taking such a liking to you?
you’re pretty, smart, nice—the whole damn package.
he’d be more shocked if you didn’t have any secret admirers lurking around.
kaminari decides to leave his friend’s question relatively unanswered and continues his trek to your locker.
“hey, pretty girl! whatcha got there?”
taken off guard by his appearance, you nearly drop all the letters in your arms.
“denki, you scared me!” you exclaim. “these? they’re just some love letters some anonymous person placed in my locker. don’t worry though! i don’t plan on returning their feelings.”
smiling at how quickly you reassure him, he crosses his arms behind his head. “nah i’m not worried, babe. i don’t feel threatened or anything. it only makes sense that my girl is popular after all!”
you’re pleasantly surprised by how rationally he reacts to the scenario. though, knowing his character, he can’t just seem to leave it at that.
“yep, seems like we’re quite the popular couple!” he grabs your hand, wanting to show each other off as you make your way to class.
the bakusquad sees this as another opportunity to egg him on.
“and just how many love letters have you received since the beginning of the school year, kaminari?”
the blond freezes at the question. kaminari bites back words, but begrudgingly answers.
“...zero.”
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KIRISHIMA EIJIROU
“heya, babe!” kirishima enthusiastically calls to you, approaching your shoe locker. “ready to go back to the dorms?”
“yeah! in just a second though!” you reply.
as kirishima comes closer, he sees you occupied with some envelopes in your hand.
“what’re all those?” he asks, pointing at the refined stationary curiously.
“ah some letters gifted to me from an anonymous admirer. something about wanting to make their feelings finally known, but i’m not interested in them,” you say, clearing up everything before a misunderstanding could arise.
“oh, that’s cool.”
you quirk a brow at how relatively chill he is at this revelation. you were expecting a bigger reaction at this, but kirishima just simply smiles his genuine, care-free smile.
you don’t think much of it though. shoving the letters in your bag to dispose of later, you walk side-by-side with him to the dormitories.
little do you realize that kirishima actually mistakens this as pure, platonic admiration rather than infatuation.
to him, if they had really wanted to profess their love to you, they’d do it in person where you could see and hear them. not behind fancy penmanship and some pretty paper.
after all, that’s what a true man would do!
but as the days continue to roll by, he’s starting to have second thoughts.
“y/n, i’m telling you, with the amount of letters you keep receiving from them, you gotta find out who this person is!” he overhears mina lecturing you at your desk, going through another pile of notes that were left in your locker from that morning. lately, you’ve been greeted by an astounding number of these things each time you visited your locker.
“mina, there’s definitely no need for me to go out of my way to find this person.”
“aw, but look at all the sweet things they said about you!” mina recites a line from one of many letters. she muses about how the writer sentimentally compares your aura to that of a dandelion wisp in the wind—free and lighthearted yet fleeting and out of reach.
“how romantic!”
you roll your eyes, indifferent, but one side-glance at kirishima from your desk tells you that he’s beginning to interpret the situation differently.
the redhead has to admit that all those things that anonymous admirer said to you were… pretty sweet.
kirishima has always been a man of action—an passionate believer that actions spoke volumes compared to words alone. however, after hearing all of that, he’s wondering how he’s able to compete in that aspect.
he seeks you out during lunch and asks you something beneath a lonely corner of trees.
“y/n, do those kinds of things make you happy..?”
you tilt your head, curious about what he’s exactly referring to. one glimpse back at his demeanor in the classroom earlier with mina gives you an idea.
“do you mean all those letters i keep getting?”
kirishima nods slowly.
“well… i have to admit, it is nice to know that i’m ‘liked’ by other people,” you phrase delicately. “but all those pretty letters and sweet words don’t mean anything to me if they aren’t coming from you. besides, i always thought it’s better to let your actions speak for you, don’t you think?”
hearing your answer, kirishima’s face lights up immediately. before you can properly react, a pair of lips meet your cheek.
you rub the warm skin where his lips touched, flustered for a moment. kirishima grabs your hand, walking you two back to the lunchroom with a newfound surge of conviction in his steps.
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MIDORIYA IZUKU
“ooh, look midoriya, seems like someone else has a crush on your girl.”
as midoriya’s tidying up his red shoes and bringing out his slippers for class, his male classmates inform him of the pink envelope held in your hands.
midoriya looks over in your direction. he watches as you peel the letter out of the envelope and begin reading its contents.
he doesn’t miss the slight flustered look on your features, observing how you scan through the writing while tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, glancing over your shoulder as if your secret admirer was peering at you from behind.
“you better hold onto her tightly if you don’t want her stolen from you,” one of the boys warns, more so as a joke, but midoriya doesn’t take their banter lightly.
“knock it off, guys. just because someone else likes her doesn’t mean she’s going to leave me or anything,” he says this with as much confidence as he can muster, but his demeanor betrays him.
when he goes past your desk in the classroom later, he can’t seem to meet your eyes.
“good morning, izuku!” you greet him mirthfully. however, midoriya fails to return the greeting with the same enthusiasm.
“g-good morning, y/n…”
it’s hard for you not to notice that something is up by the way he heads straight to his desk afterward without another word.
throughout class, midoriya finds it a challenge to concentrate on anything but that letter you received that morning. his mind stumbles into the hole of bad possibilities—ones of you leaving him, those sweet words from your anonymous admirer making your heart flutter more than he ever has.
“—zuku… ‘zuku… izuku!”
he gets pulled out from his thoughts by your voice and turns to see the concerned look on your face.
“you okay? you haven’t touched your pork cutlet bowl this entire time.”
he stares down at his food, untouched since he sat down. “oh sorry, i guess something’s just been on my mind today.”
your brows knit together. “it’s about the letter i got today, isn’t it?”
midoriya stares at you, debating whether to deny your statement, but knows it’s pointless to try when it must have been obvious.
you take his silence as confirmation and grasp his hand that lays flat on the table.
“izuku, look at me,” you tell him and watch as his eyes slowly trail to you. “you know i wouldn’t leave you over some silly letter, right? no amount of words they can say to me could ever make me think differently about you.”
at this, a comforted smile spreads on midoriya’s face. he nods and squeezes your hand as a sign he took your words to heart before chowing down on his food, the uncertainty inside him disappearing.
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SHINSOU HITOSHI
“another one?” you inquire to yourself in disbelief, opening your shoe locker to discover a rose-colored envelope waiting for you atop your slippers.
“dang, y/n, that’s like the fourth one this week!” uraraka comments, peeking over your shoulder.
“ooh! i wanna see what they wrote for you this time!” mina approaches from behind. you allow her to grab the delicate letter from your fingertips.
she over-exaggeratedly clears her throat, unwrinkling the paper by pinching at the sides. “‘you are the one who brought me sunshine when i only saw rain.’”
“aw! how sweet!” uraraka clasps her hands above her heart, seeming almost moved.
though the girls are all smitten by the love poem, you bite your tongue, hoping to suppress the urge to gag in front of them.
your boyfriend shinsou is on equal wavelength as you, witnessing the scene unfolding so early in the morning. he’s grown tired of replaying this spectacle for the past four days now.
his eyes navigate to the note and envelope in mina’s hand. by the script and the use of the same stationary, shinsou can tell the love letters you’ve been receiving are all from the same person.
“damn dude, you got some serious competition.” overhearing the girls, kaminari jabs at shinsou’s sides teasingly. “so, you gonna do anything about that mysterious guy trying to go after your girl?”
the violet-haired boy shrugs. “why should i? it’s not like i feel threatened.”
kaminari whistles at his confidence.
shinsou says he doesn’t care about it, putting on a level-headed and indifferent facade. but that was honestly far from the truth.
in actuality, he’s a bit pissed.
what kind of person goes around sending anonymous love messages to someone who’s already in a relationship? what the hell do they hope to gain out of doing this?
shinsou more than trusts you won’t be swayed by them, no matter how many times those notes discourteously greet you every morning.
you never bring up the topic of the letters whenever you two are alone, not wanting shinsou to be bothered over it and create a hassle. all in all, he’s grateful for this, and also for the fact that you make a point of never taking any of those letters seriously and dump them into the trash bin whenever the chance arises.
however, he can tell by your body language that the whole situation bothers you and makes you uneasy.
so, during one incredibly early morning, he decides to do some scouting.
he plays off his odd punctuality by saying he left something in the classroom yesterday and wants to get there early to look for it.
lo and behold, he finds a male student hovering around the lockers—suspiciously darting his head back and forth to be on the lookout for any other students.
little does he realize he’s already been caught red-handed.
“hey you.” shinsou abruptly calls out to him and the boy nearly jumps. “what are you doing here?”
the boy panics at his question, fumbling with his answer while hiding something behind his back—what shinsou presumes to be another one of those cheesy letters.
“u-um, just want to get to class early!” he sputters.
“is there any special reason you’re standing in front of my girlfriend’s locker then? ’cause last i checked, the lockers for general education students were located on the opposite side.” shinsou emphasizes his words with a bite of malice, arms crossed.
“i just lost my way is all–” the student suddenly stops mid-speech, his words and actions forcibly coming to a halt. all thoughts are overturned in the presence of shinsou’s quirk.
“i’m going to make this quick and easy for you to understand. not only are you going to forget about this conversation, but you’re also going to stop handing my girlfriend those love letters.” shinsou bends down to the boy’s height, staring at the abyss in his expression.
“and i’d also appreciate it if you kept your eyes off what’s mine.”
it’s safe to say, your influx of letters had been effectively cut off after that day.
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TODOROKI SHOUTO
todoroki is no stranger to finding love letters from avid admirers and fans in his shoe locker before and after classes.
in fact, an unprecedented number of them had begun taking up all the space there after his impressive performance at the sports festival.
when he started dating you, however, he had made a clear declaration that he wouldn’t be accepting anymore of them.
but to be on the opposite end of having to watch you unlatch the door of your locker to have letters and notes practically tumbling out, todoroki wasn’t exactly sure what to make of this feeling that made his stomach twist into knots.
he notices the alarming amount of them and concludes they’re all from various students in different grades and departments.
“y/n, you’re getting pretty popular,” uraraka says, eyeing the stack of envelopes. “must be your dance performance from the culture festival! i remember you did get a lot of cheers in the crowd.”
“guess all those cheers came with a lot of fanboys, huh?” the invisible girl, hagakure, teases.
you jokingly nudge at them to stop with the teasing, but pause when your eyes cross todoroki’s. he’s giving you a look you can’t decipher—one that edges between troubled and apathetic yet you can’t tell which it is.
you send him a nod, silently acknowledging his presence as he waits for you to finish your business so you could head back to the dorms together.
watching you dispose of the various piles of letters has todoroki contemplating about what uraraka and hagakure commented on. about how popular you were getting and how your admirers have been bold enough to profess their reverence for you despite your relationship status.
todoroki’s not entirely sure what to make of this information. he doesn’t linger on it for long though when you finally approach him, your sneakers slipped on and your backpack securely hanging off your shoulders.
“ready to head home?”
a smile finds his lips at your appearance. he softly utters his response.
during the small distance to the dormitories, todoroki reaches for your hand and intertwines your fingers together. as seemingly minor the gesture is at this point of your relationship, it’s a detail you mentally take note of.
usually, when it came to publicly displaying physical forms of affection, you were the one to initiate it. you have to admit, seeing the assertive side of todoroki is like a small breath of fresh air.
as you continue your short journey home, a couple of male students walking by greet you enthusiastically. though you wave back to kindly acknowledge them, you feel the grip on your hand tighten, followed by a slight tug closer to todoroki’s side.
that alone is enough for you to realize something is definitely troubling him.
“sho, is there something wrong?” you ask, steps still walking in tandem with him.
todoroki’s voice doesn’t waver in the slightest as he replies, “no, why would you think that?”
“you’ve been awfully possessive all of a sudden,” you note, “is this because of those letters from earlier?”
“...maybe.”
you quirk a brow, amused. “is that a yes or a no?”
now todoroki is silent. your steps come to a halt. not parting your laced hands from his, you turn to look him in the eye.
“sho?”
“it’s just… when i realize that there are other people looking at you the same way i do, i get… uneasy.” his gaze drops to the ground as he confesses this, hand squeezing yours. the uncomfortable churning in his stomach settles a bit now that the words are out, but he finds it hard to ease the atmosphere.
this is where you picked up from where he left off. your hand goes to his cheek, gently cupping it so you can tilt his head up at you.
“oh shouto, you have to know that you’re the only one for me and i don’t plan on looking at anyone else but you,” you assure him. todoroki stares into your eyes, and in them, he can’t find any hesitance or flutter of doubt.
at this, he lifts your twined hands and grazes your knuckles ever so softly against his lips, wondering whatever troubled him so much to begin with.
7K notes · View notes
labomi · 3 years
Text
selfish | one (18+)
Summary: You're a former coworker of Kento Nanami back when he was just an office worker. You accidentally run into him at a bakery many years later which gives you a second chance at getting to know the man who had always caught your eye.
Pairing: Kento Nanami x f!Reader
Words: 11.1k+
Warnings: Explicit sexual content, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, oral sex, creampie, explicit language, attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, canon-typical violence, alcohol
Note: Read on ao3 here! I’ve been on tumblr on and off for about 10 years at this point (yikes), but I recently decided to start a new one as sort of a writing blog with a lot of anime gif reblogging on the side as well haha. Kind of nervous to post my first fic on tumblr for some reason, so I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading!
Index: [Part One] [Part Two]
“Nanami? Kento Nanami? Is that you?”
You couldn’t believe your eyes. It had been years! Was that really him?
---
The night you accidentally ran into Kento Nanami started off like any other night in your life. After an exhausting day of work, you decided to treat yourself to some sweets at a nearby bakery. The small chime on the door signaled your entrance with the lone employee warmly greeting you.
“Welcome!”
There was only one other customer in the small shop. A tall man stood at the cash register. 
Hmm.
There was something strangely familiar about the man’s demeanor. Curious, you drifted over to the display case next to the register to try and sneak a peek at his face. While admiring the delicious-looking pastries on the counter, you listened in on the conversation between him and the cashier.
“That will be 2000 yen,” the lady said.
“I’ll pay with card.”
You stiffened slightly, eyes widening in surprise. 
That voice!  
You recognized that voice!
The man shifted his face towards you as he reached to grab his wallet from his pocket. You were finally able to get a glimpse of his face. 
You gasped.
“It is you!” you exclaimed in surprise. “Nanami!”
He looked as prim and proper as ever. The man still wore a suit and tie with his hair neatly parted. The only major difference in his appearance was the sunglasses that now completely shielded his eyes.
“It’s good to see you again! How have you been?” you asked eagerly.
Nanami looked at you silently, trying to recall where he had seen your familiar face before.
Then he remembered.
A flood of memories from a different life overcame him. The man hesitantly said your name, like he couldn’t quite believe your unexpected appearance before him. You nodded enthusiastically while he absentmindedly handed his credit card to the cashier.
“Oh wow,” you breathed, feeling a little giddy. “I haven’t seen you since you quit all those years ago. What are you doing now?”
Nanami seemed to pause for a second, adjusting his sunglasses. “I work at a school.”
“Oh! As a teacher?” 
“No, just as staff.”
“That sounds nice. What school?”
“It’s a private religious school in the mountains. It’s not particularly well-known,” the man replied vaguely. 
“Oh, I see.”
A loud beep of a cell phone interrupted the conversation. Nanami reached into his other pocket and took out his phone. He frowned, looking at the device. “I apologize, but I have to go immediately.”
“Oh, uh, ok,” you said, feeling slightly disappointed. You barely had any time to catch up with your former coworker. Nanami grabbed the bag from the counter and swiftly exited the store. You watched him walk away with a sigh. What were the chances that you would bump into him again? You pouted, upset that the circumstances hadn’t exactly worked out in your favor.
“Oh no!” the cashier suddenly cried out. “He forgot his card!” She pointed at the blue credit card on the counter.
“Lemme see if I can catch him!” you responded, already running out of the bakery. You pushed open the door and ran in the direction you saw the man leave. “Nanami!” you shouted. Other pedestrians looked at you curiously, but you couldn’t see the tall man anywhere. You walked around a bit further out, continuing to call his name but to no avail. Sighing, you headed back to the bakery.
“No luck,” you said to the cashier. “He’s gone already. I have no idea how he disappeared so quickly.” Crossing your arms against your chest, you looked at the forgotten card in frustration. “What should we do now?” If only you had his number! 
“I guess I can keep it here in case he comes back,” the lady reasoned.
Hmm.  
An idea popped in your head. 
A selfish one.
“Wait! How about I take it and return it to him?” you asked. Then you realized that your request might come off as suspicious. “We used to work together, I promise I’m not trying to steal it or anything.”
The cashier smiled at you softly. “I trust you. You come in here quite a lot and that man did say your name, so I know you’re not lying.”
You sighed in relief.
Thank goodness.
After buying some pastries for yourself, you walked out of the bakery holding Nanami’s credit card in your hand. You carefully stored it in your bag before beginning the walk back to your apartment.
A private religious school in the mountains, huh?
It shouldn’t be too hard to find.
---
You groaned, fighting the urge to pull your hair in frustration. 
How hard was it to find this damn school?!
You were sitting at your desk in the dark. The only light in the bedroom came from your laptop screen which was full of search engine results for “tokyo private religious school”. You were on page 15. Not a promising sign.
Recalling your conversation with Nanami, you remembered the man said he worked at a religious school in the mountains. However, none of the private schools you had found so far were located in the mountains. You frowned. Had Nanami been lying?
You shook your head to yourself.
No. 
He’s not the type to lie. He did say it wasn’t well-known.
You scrolled further down and clicked on the next page. Quickly skimming the results, you finally found something that caught your eye. 
Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.
Huh. What a strange name for a school.  
You clicked on the link. It brought you to a strange forum that looked somewhat sketchy and unreliable, but someone had at least posted an address for the school. You grabbed your phone and immediately plugged the address into the map app.
You punched the air in triumph.
“Yes!” The dot was located in the mountains by some Tokyo suburbs. 
This has to be the place!
Luckily, tomorrow was Friday which meant you had no classes, and you weren’t scheduled for a shift at work. You were free to find the school and return the card to Nanami in person. 
“Ok!” you said to yourself, rubbing your hands together. “Now to find out how to get there.”
---
You looked at the dot of your current location on your phone and then back at the vast empty woods in front of you.
This can’t be it!
You groaned out loud in frustration, stamping your feet in a little tantrum. 
Why is it still so hard to find this damn school?!  
Looking at your phone again, you double-checked the map to see that you were in fact at the exact location of the address you inputted, but nothing was here. It was just trees!
You sighed in disappointment but refused to give up right away. Maybe your phone’s GPS was off because you were so high up in the mountains and the signal was bad. You decided to follow the road that led up the mountain with the hope that you might accidentally stumble across the school. If there was a road, it had to lead somewhere! But strangely enough, you hadn’t seen any cars, buildings, or pedestrians since entering the area. 
After walking around for almost an hour, you decided to take a break. Sitting in the shade of some trees by the side of the road, you took your water bottle out of your bag for a quick sip. You admired the beautiful, quiet scenery in front of you.
Maybe this was a bad idea.
You were currently lost in the mountains of Tokyo looking for a school you weren’t quite sure actually existed. And it was all because you were selfish and wanted to see Nanami again. Your old coworker.
You hadn’t been particularly close to him at work, though he didn’t seem overly friendly with anyone in the office. Nanami was the stoic and serious type. He didn’t talk much with the team, but you could tell he worked hard. He was always one of the last people to leave the office for the night, if he did leave. On many occasions, you found him dozing at his desk in the morning when you arrived early to work before everyone else with the sneaking suspicion that he had spent the entire night in the office.
Unlike most of the other employees and especially your boss, Nanami seemed to still care about the clients instead of just the company’s profits, judging from the small snippets of conversations you overheard from him. You had always wanted to get to know him better, but he didn’t particularly have an approachable demeanor. At the time, you were just a young, newly graduated woman who was afraid of everything and everyone. So you often just kept to yourself.
You sighed, looking down at the ground. Taking Nanami’s credit card hostage was a pathetic way of trying to rekindle a relationship that never existed in the first place. You made up your mind. It was time to head back home and drop off the card at the bakery so he could pick it up himself. Today’s excursion was just a giant waste of time much to your disappointment.
“Excuse me, miss. What are you doing here?”
“Huh?” A man was hovering over you. You swore he hadn’t been there a second ago.
You screamed. “P-please don’t hurt me!” You put your arms out in front of you, shielding yourself from any potential harm. “I don’t have much money, but you can have it all!”
The man burst out laughing. You slowly lowered your arms, hoping that his laughter meant he wasn’t going to attack you.
“I’m not going to hurt you, and I especially don’t want your money.”
You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.” No longer afraid, you took a closer look at the stranger. He was tall. Very tall. Wearing a black outfit and a matching blindfold that spiked up his white hair.
What a strange appearance.
“Well, I won’t hurt you as long as you tell me what you’re doing here.” You gulped, hearing the silent threat in his words.
“Umm, umm, well, you see I-I got a bit lost and w-was just taking a rest,” you stuttered nervously, fiddling with your hands. “I heard there’s a private school around here and I’m trying to find it, because I know someone who works there. His name is Kento Nanami and we used to work together many many years ago and I just happened to run into him last night at a bakery but he left his credit card there and I wanted to give it back to him in person, so I thought it was a good idea to deliver it at his workplace but this school is so hard to find I have no idea where I’m going and-and I think I’m just going to leave now actually.” You realized you were rambling, so you forcibly shut your mouth to stop yourself from looking like a complete fool in front of the stranger.
The man hummed in thought for several seconds before suddenly grinning and chuckling to himself. His demeanor no longer felt threatening.
“Kento Nanami, huh,” the man said, still smiling happily.
“Oh, you know him?” You perked up, suddenly hopeful.
Maybe they work together!
“Leave it to me!” the stranger cheered, giving you a thumbs up. “I’ll escort you to the school and make sure you hand-deliver that credit card to Nanami!”
You felt relieved, tears almost prickling your eyes. “Oh thank you so much!”
---
“Satoru.”
“Mm.”
“Can’t you tell there’s a human who has been wandering near the barrier for quite a while now? It looks like they’re trying to find a way in,” Yaga commented.
“Well, they can’t. Isn’t that the whole point of the barrier?”
“I know that!” the principal grunted angrily. “But since you’re just lounging here around doing nothing, go check it out.”
“Fine.” Gojo got off the couch and headed outside, wondering how a human accidentally wandered this close to the school so far up the mountains.
---
It only took several minutes before you and the strange man found a path leading to the school. You blinked in surprise. You felt like you had walked by this part of the road earlier but had seen nothing.
Walking alongside the man quietly, you suddenly realized you had completely forgotten your manners. Quickly bowing to your escort, you introduced yourself and thanked him for taking the time to safely bring you to the school.
“It’s no problem. Any friend of Nanami is a friend of mine. Oh, and I’m Satoru Gojo by the way. I’m the first-year teacher here.”
He was a teacher? This man wearing a blindfold in broad daylight? You swallowed nervously. You wondered what kind of school Nanami was working for exactly.
Once you finally reached the main school grounds, all of your reservations immediately melted away. “Wow!” you breathed. The campus was absolutely gorgeous with beautiful statues, shrines, and gates. You couldn’t help but stop and admire your surroundings. “This school is beautiful.”
Gojo brought you to the teacher’s lounge and gestured for you to sit down. “So, tell me again how you know our dear Nanami?”
---
Nanami had just finished a mission when his phone chimed, signaling a text. He finished wiping his blade clean before grabbing the device. The message was from Gojo.
Gojo: Come back to Jujutsu Tech. Your girlfriend is here ;)
The sorcerer stared at the message. 
Nanami: I have no idea what you mean.
Gojo: ( ˘ ³˘)♥
He angrily shoved his phone back in his pocket and walked over to the car where Ijichi was waiting. He entered the back seat before closing the door behind him. “Hurry up. I need to find a certain white-haired idiot and destroy him.”
---
Nanami was walking towards the teacher’s lounge when he heard your bright laughter. He froze for a couple of seconds.
What were you doing here?
He picked up the pace, quickly entering the lounge to see you giggling on the couch next to Gojo. For some reason, it bothered him to see how close the idiot was to you and how happy you looked in his presence.
“Nanami! You’re here!” Gojo exclaimed, immediately noticing the other sorcerer’s presence. 
You turned your head quickly towards the doorway with a bright grin. “Oh, Nanami! Hi again!”
Nanami observed the scene, trying to figure out what was going on, but he was drawing a blank. 
First of all, you weren’t a sorcerer. How did you enter the school grounds? 
Second, did you know Gojo? The two of you seemed quite friendly on the couch together. 
Third, was Gojo implying that you were his girlfriend? That was absolutely ridiculous.
“What are you doing here?” Nanami asked you cautiously, adjusting his sunglasses. 
“Oh!” You dug around in your bag, pulling out your wallet. You removed a blue credit card. “You left this behind at the bakery yesterday. I tried to chase after you, but you disappeared so quickly. I had the day off today, so I thought I would try to find your workplace and give your card back to you.” You got off the couch, approaching Nanami and handing him the card.
Nanami took the card from you before placing it back in his own wallet. “You didn’t have to do this. How did you even find your way here?”
“I found her wandering nearby!” Gojo jumped in, grinning at the other sorcerer. “Imagine my surprise when she said the two of you used to work together back when you were just a salaryman. I just had to invite her back here. You never mentioned you used to work with such a lovely lady.”
You visibly blushed at Gojo’s words which just bothered Nanami even more. “Thank you for returning my card, but I think it’s about time y—”
“Nanami. Nanami. Namami,” Gojo said in a singsong voice. “You’re all work and no fun. It’s been years since the two of you have seen each other, and you’re already trying to get rid of her? Don’t you want to catch up a little bit?”
You played with your hair, a little nervous. “I mean if you’re busy Nanami, I can go. But I was hoping we could talk a little bit.” You looked up at him with bright eyes. “I want to hear how you’ve been doing.”
Nanami took one look at your hopeful face and immediately gave in. “Alright.” He gestured for you to sit back down as he walked over to one of the armchairs. The sorcerer pretended like he didn’t see your little jump of excitement as you hurried back to the couch with Gojo.
Once the three of you were all seated comfortably, you brought up what you had been previously discussing with Gojo. “I didn’t know you’re teaching at the same high school you went to as a student. That’s pretty cool!”
“He was one of the few students who graduated and decided to leave the community,” Gojo pointed out. “Most of us stay here and continue working for the school.” Nanami subtly glared at the white-haired sorcerer, wondering how much he had told you about the jujutsu world.
“Why did you decide to come back then?” you asked curiously.
“I changed my mind,” Nanami simply stated. “I realized I would find my career slightly more rewarding if I worked for the school than that company.”
You nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. I’m glad we eventually both left that job.” You slightly grimaced, just thinking about your past. It didn’t go unnoticed by Nanami.
“When did you leave?” he asked.
You hummed, recalling the past. “It was probably a couple of months after you left. I, uh, messed up something really badly and I got fired.”
Nanami raised his eyebrows in surprise. You didn’t seem like the type to make big mistakes. He remembered you as quite the careful and diligent worker. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if you were being deceitful.
“It’s ok though,” you continued. “I worked a couple of odd jobs afterward to keep up with the bills until I decided I wanted to become a nurse! So I’m actually back in school now and working part-time to help pay tuition.”
“A nurse, huh,” Gojo remarked. “What a noble career choice.”
“Ahh, I wouldn’t say I’m noble or anything. I just think I would find my life more fulfilling if I was actively helping people,” you explained. “Probably similar to how you felt when you switched careers, Nanami.”
He nodded at your words.
uThe three of you chatted amicably the rest of the day. Gojo and you mostly carried the conversation, but Nanami would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy listening to your voice. After he ran into you at the bakery last night, he couldn’t stop thinking about you. It was the first time he was confronted with his old life after deciding to become a sorcerer again. Part of Nanami wanted to never look back on that phase of his life again, but perhaps it wasn’t all bad. Sure, he hadn't particularly liked anyone from that office, but he didn’t mind you. You had always been quiet, polite, and hardworking. 
Nanami still remembered his last day at the office. You had organized a surprise farewell party just for him with a cake, balloons, and everything. After everyone had their fill of free food and left the conference room, you had shyly wished him luck in the future and said you would miss seeing him in the office. All those memories came rushing back after encountering you in that bakery.
The sun started to set when you finally noticed the time.
“Ah! I should probably go,” you announced, checking your phone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstay my welcome.”
“No, no,” Gojo assured. “You are very much welcome here. Like I said earlier, any friend of Nanami is a friend of mine and all my friends are welcome here!”
“How do you plan on getting home?” Nanami asked, mildly concerned.
“Don’t worry!” Gojo said. “I got it handled. Ijichi will drive her back.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine,” you tried to argue. “I can get back by myself. It’s not a problem.”
“What kind of gentlemen would we be if we didn’t ensure you got home safely? Ijichi is our finest chauffeur,” the blindfolded man insisted. “He will take care of you.”
You looked at Nanami who simply nodded at you, encouraging you to accept Gojo’s offer. Sighing, you crossed your arms over your chest with a pout. “Alright. Thank you.”
The two men waved goodbye as you left in Ijichi’s car to head back home.
“Was it really wise to have her on the school grounds?” Nanami asked.
Gojo hummed. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. Normal humans aren’t allowed here for a reason.”
The blindfolded sorcerer didn’t reply. Instead, he took out his phone and started tapping on the screen. Nanami’s phone chimed. It was a text from Gojo. Opening it, he saw it was a string of numbers.
A phone number.
“You should call her sometime,” Gojo said. “She likes you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. What kind of woman travels to the mountains on her day off to try and find a publically non-existent school to return a credit card to someone she doesn’t like?”
Nanami remained silent.
“Just because we’re adults and jujutsu sorcerers doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to have some normal fun. It’s alright to be selfish every once in a while.”
How badly Nanami wanted to believe Gojo’s words.
---
You heard the door open and close.
“Hello! How many I help y—Gojo?”
You blinked in surprise, not expecting to see the teacher at your workplace. While taking classes to become a nurse, you worked part-time at a small boba tea shop. You had just finished serving the flurry of college students who needed a midday pick-me-up when Gojo appeared. Several of the seated patrons whispered and pointed at him, wondering why he was wearing a blindfold and how he could see.
“Thought I would drop by and say hi,” he said with an easy grin.
You returned his smile. “Is Nanami with you too?” you asked, trying to sound casual.
“No, not today, unfortunately,” he replied. You tried to ignore the flash of disappointment you felt. “I’ll bring him next time.”
You perked up at Gojo’s promise, nodding eagerly. “Sounds good. So, would you like something to drink?” 
The man ordered a large brown sugar milk tea with extra sugar. You looked at him, mildly concerned. “You sure you want 120% sugar? It’s pretty sweet to begin with. Trust me.”
Gojo nodded. “Yup!”
“Alright,” you said with a shrug. You did try to warn him. 
You finished preparing Gojo’s drink and handed it to him along with a straw.
“Hey, do you mind if I borrow your phone for a second?” the teacher asked.
“Oh, sure,” you said, grabbing your phone from your back pocket.
Gojo took the device and opened the camera app. “Smile!” That was the only warning you got. He had taken a selfie of the two of you together. You weren’t even smiling in the photo, completely caught off guard. But Gojo was at least prepared, grinning happily and showing off his milk tea in one hand. You watched as the man repeatedly tapped on your phone screen.
“What are you doing?” you asked hesitantly.
“Here!” Gojo handed the phone back to you. Looking at the screen, you saw that he had sent the selfie of the two of you to a random number with a text that said “Having fun without you!”
“Um. Who did you send this to Gojo?”
“Nanami, of course!”
“Oh,” you said quietly, feeling butterflies in your stomach.
Nanami’s number!
You finally had it! 
Gojo chuckled to himself as he saw the way your eyes lit up.
“Oh, by the way,” you said, looking up from the phone. “It’s my birthday next weekend. I’m going out with a couple of friends on Saturday at 8pm at the bar around the corner, and I was wondering if you and Nanami would like to join? You should bring Ijichi too and anyone else from the school! Only if you want though. It’s ok if you don’t want to come or you’re worried about being awkward with my other friends even though they’re super cool and encouraged me to invite you guys and I promise I won’t be upset if you can’t make it because this is kind of last minute and I—”
“Sounds great!” Gojo interrupted your rambling. “I’ll be sure to pass along the information. We'll be there.”
“Really?” You grinned at the teacher. “Awesome! I guess I’ll see you then!”
Gojo waved at you goodbye as you tried to compose yourself before the next wave of customers arrived.
---
“Ahh!! You guys actually came!” you squealed as a group of individuals approached your table in the bar. You stumbled out of the large booth where your other friends were seated, already several shots in for the night. You clumsily hugged Gojo without thinking. Releasing him, you took in his new appearance.
“You look so different!” you commented. “But not in a bad way!” The man had traded in his signature blindfold for a pair of sunglasses that still hid his eye. His hair was lying down flat instead of its usual spiked-up look.
Behind Gojo, you saw Ijichi with a woman you didn’t recognize. 
“That’s Shoko Ieiri,” Gojo said, following your gaze. “She’s the doctor at our school.”
You happily greeted both of them, thanking them for coming. 
And finally, you saw the person you were looking forward to seeing the most. Nanami looked good as always. He was dressed a little more casually for the night without his signature jacket, tie, and sunglasses. Instead, he wore a crisp, blue button-up shirt with the top few buttons undone. You tried not to stare too much at his revealed skin.
As you approached Nanami, you reached out to hug him but you managed to stop yourself in time. You were worried about coming on too strong and opted for a small wave instead.
“Thanks for coming, Nanami! I’m so glad you came!”
Sitting at the table altogether, your other friends immediately fawned over Gojo. One of them grabbed you and whispered in your ear.
“What the hell? You didn’t tell me one of your friends was incredibly hot?”
You shrugged and ordered another round of shots for the whole table. Gojo ended up passing because he didn’t drink, so you took it upon yourself to finish it for him.
Nanami quietly nursed a beer as he observed the scene. He didn’t typically like crowded, loud bars like this, but he would make an exception for you. Gojo had also been extremely intent on making sure everyone from the school attended your little celebration. He managed to get Ijichi to come along only after getting Shoko to agree by bribing her with free alcohol.
Nanami was currently sitting across the booth from you, watching as you chatted with your friends. You were wearing a dark red dress that perfectly showed off your curves. The left strap of your dress was a little loose and it kept falling down the entire night despite you constantly readjusting it, not that Nanami had noticed. 
You looked so carefree and lively in this atmosphere. Every once in a while, you caught Nanami’s gaze and beamed at him happily.
At some point during the night, you left the table to go to the bathroom. It was only once you tried walking back to everyone that you realized how drunk you were. Stumbling a bit in your high heels, you leaned against the wall by the bathrooms for stability.
“Excuse me miss, are you alright?”
A man approached you, but you instantly waved him off. “Mmm, I’m good,” you replied. “Thanks though.” You were determined to make it back to your friends on your own, but as soon as you took a step away from the wall, you tripped. The man caught you before you could hit the ground. He had a tight grip on your waist.
 “You don’t seem good,” he chuckled softly. “How about I help you?” You could feel his hands starting to go lower, and you quickly latched onto them and tried to pry them off you.
“I said no,” you said firmly, but the man ignored you and pressed you against the wall. “Get off!” You struggled against him but to no avail.
Suddenly, the weight of the man was lifted and you felt like you could breathe again.
“Are you alright?” a smooth voice asked. 
You looked up to see Nanami in front of you. You nodded silently and admired his strong jawline and sharp eyes in the bar’s dark lighting. 
“Can you walk?”
You nodded again. Taking a step away from the wall, you immediately staggered again much to your embarrassment. Nanami grabbed your arm and lifted you up until you were half leaning on him for support. Inhibitions suddenly gone from all the alcohol in your system, you wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders and gave him a hug. The man tried to ignore the shiver that went up his spine when he felt your warm, soft body pressed up against him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was quite jealous that you had hugged Gojo when they first arrived. What was so special about that idiot anyway? Nanami slowly wrapped his arms around you, indulging himself for once and returning the hug.
“I’m so glad you came,” you mumbled against his chest. “I was so happy that I ran into you at the bakery that one night. But I was afraid I would never see you again.” You paused. “I really wanted to see you again.”
Nanami didn’t know how to respond to your words, so he gently rubbed your back instead. You leaned into his touch happily.
“Let’s get back to the others,” he said gently. You sighed and reluctantly removed yourself from the embrace. Nanami half-carried you back to the table and carefully deposited you next to your friends. To your disappointment, he didn’t sit down next to you and instead headed towards the front doors.
“Nanami? Where are you going?” Gojo asked, eyebrows raised.
“I’ll be back.”
When Nanami exited the bar, he was greeted by several couples who were taking a smoke break. He walked a bit further away, so he could be alone. The sorcerer leaned against a random building, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. 
Nanami felt quite ashamed of himself. Acting like a hormonal teenage boy just because he briefly held you while you were wearing that damn dress. He tried to ignore the way his cock was straining in his pants. Gritting his teeth, he willed his body to relax. Nanami refused to let you see him so worked like this. He especially couldn’t let Gojo see. He could only imagine the endless teasing he would endure from the blindfolded idiot.
Inside the bar, you watched sadly as Nanami left. You wondered if it was something you did to scare him away.
Gojo sat next to you and handed you a glass of water. “Drink,” he commanded.
You did as you were told, keeping an eye on the doors to see if Nanami had come back in yet. “Does Nanami not like me?” you asked Gojo quietly with a pout.
The man chuckled. “I assure you that’s not the case.”
You turned to look at him. “How do you know?”
Gojo lowered his sunglasses slightly, and you were able to get a glimpse of his gorgeous blue eyes for the first time. “Trust me. I have good eyes.”
---
Nanami ended the call with Ijichi. He leaned against the wall of the bathroom with a grimace. He was still applying pressure to the wound he had received from Mahito. The sorcerer scrolled through the contacts list on his phone. He found himself hovering over your name.
Yes, he did save your number from Gojo’s text. Why wouldn’t he? It would be frivolous to ignore that kind of contact information.
Nanami grabbed another wad of paper towel to replace the one that was already drenched in blood. He grunted in pain.
A nurse, huh.
He wondered what you would do if you saw him right now. If you fuss over him and take care of his injuries yourself. Nanami sighed. He wouldn’t mind that. Would you carefully unbutton his shirt to get a better look at the wound? He could almost imagine the way your fingers would ghost over his stomach.
With a groan, Nanami banged his head against the wall. He couldn’t believe he was fantasizing about you while profusely bleeding in a public restroom.
The sorcerer cleaned up his blood all over the sink and threw out the dirty wads of paper towels. He went outside to wait for Ijichi to bring him back to school for proper treatment.
---
“I’m going to take my break!” you announced to your coworkers as you exited the bubble tea shop. You decided to go outside for a quick breather because it was such a nice, sunny day. Avoiding the crowds, you headed over to the alleyways near the shop to scroll through Twitter in peace.
You were so engrossed by your phone that you didn’t notice the presence of someone next to you. It was only when you heard them clear their throat that you looked next to you to see a man wearing sunglasses and a hat.
“Oh, sorry. Am I in your way? I can move.”
In the blink of an eye, he held a knife to your neck. You felt the cool blade lightly press into your skin. You held your breath, afraid to react in any way.
“Don’t scream. Don’t move,” he hissed.
Your eyes widened in shock.
That voice.
You recognized that voice.
The man grabbed you by the back of the neck and pulled you in the opposite direction of the busy street where unaware pedestrians were still walking by. He pressed the knife against your side now, digging it into the thin t-shirt you had to wear for work.
“Walk.”
He led you to an abandoned building several minutes away. Once you were inside and the door closed shut, he roughly shoved you to the ground.
You landed in a heap, groaning in pain. Turning around, you finally faced your captor.
“It’s you, isn’t you,” you said evenly. “Boss.”
The man chuckled, removing the hat and sunglasses. It was your former boss from the company where you and Nanami had once worked together. You dug your nails in the palms of your hands. If he was here, you knew you were in trouble.
“You called the cops, didn’t you!” he yelled at you, pointing the knife at you menacingly.
Cops? What was he talking about?
“No, I didn’t,” you replied honestly.
“You BITCH! Don’t lie to me.” He waved the knife closer at you.
“I promise! I didn’t tell anyone!”
With a shout, the man grabbed your hair and held the knife to your neck again. You squeezed your eyes shut and couldn’t help but let a small whimper leave your lips.
The truth was you weren't just fired from your job. You were threatened. When numbers weren’t adding up, you realized that your boss was embezzling money and had been doing so for a long time. He found out that you knew the truth and protected himself by forcibly ousting you from the company. As a young professional, you knew better than to fight against a big shot financial executive. When he warned you to stay quiet or face his wrath, you were wise enough to shut your mouth, clean your desk, and leave the building immediately. True to your word, you had never mentioned your boss’s crimes to anyone. You thought you were safe to move on with the rest of your life but apparently, that was not the case.
The man spat at you before roughly kicking you away. He started pacing as you wiped his spit off your cheek with a disgusted groan.
“This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. I’m about to lose everything. EVERYTHING!”
As he muttered to himself, you tried to survey your surroundings and determine if there was a way you could safely escape. Before you could figure anything out, your old boss approached you again, knife still in hand. He seemed to have made up his mind about what he was going to do.
“You’re going to fix this. Yea. This is your fault. I’ll pin it all on you. You’ll go down for this, not me!”
As the man ranted and raved at you, something appeared in the shadows behind him. There was some movement. You blinked your eyes, wondering if it was just a trick of your imagination. But to your horror, a green creature grew larger and larger in the background. It had three heads, each with multiple eyes and giant drooling mouths with huge teeth. The monster raised its multiple arms, hovering over your boss with all eyes fixed on him like he was a piece of prey.
“Scared, aren’t you?” the man commented with a chuckle. He was misinterpreting the horrified look on your face. “This is what you get for messing with the wrong man.”
You shook your head slowly and lifted a shaky finger to point behind him.
He turned around, dropping the knife in shock.
The weapon clattered to the ground.
Your boss screamed. He immediately tried to run away, but one of the monster’s arms snatched him in a tight grip. The three heads fought with each other as if deciding which one of them would get to swallow the prize. You took that as a cue to start running.
The monster was blocking the way you entered, so you ran towards the only other door you saw, which led to a stairwell. You ran up a couple of floors before hiding in a small closet you found. It was cramped and dusty but you hoped it was enough to hide you from that creature.
Sitting on the ground, you took out your phone shakily and called the police.
“Hello, what is your emergency?”
“I’m trapped in an abandoned building, and there’s a monster here.” You realized it sounded ridiculous, but you didn’t know what else to say in the moment.
The dispatcher groaned. “This is the last time! You kids have to stop with the prank calls. This line is for emergencies only!”
They hung up on you.
You stared at your cell phone in disbelief.
Shit.
Instinctively, you scrolled through your contacts list until you found who you were looking for. You pressed the call button.
Please pick up. Please pick up.
It went to voicemail.
You cursed to yourself again.
“Nanami,” you whispered quietly, voice quivering. “I don’t know when you’ll listen to this, but you have to believe me. I’m in an abandoned building near my job, and I swear there’s a monster here. I-I think it might have killed our old boss. I don’t know what to do, I tri—”
There was a loud bang. You quickly hung up and pressed the phone into your chest while you covered your mouth and nose with your other hand to quiet your harsh breathing. The sounds got closer and closer until it sounded like it was right outside the closet door. Your heart was beating so loudly you were worried the monster would hear it. But luckily, the noises started to become fainter. Eventually, you heard nothing even after a long time of terrified waiting.
Once you were reasonably convinced the coast was clear, you quietly opened the closet door and peeked out. The hallway was empty. Maybe this was your chance to finally escape the building.
You carefully climbed to your feet and tiptoed your way back to the stairwell. 
Your phone loudly chimed. The noise echoed throughout the empty building. It was a text message from your coworker asking where you went. You had forgotten to turn your phone on silent.
Almost instantaneously, the monster started roaring from the floor beneath you. You barely caught a glimpse of it before running up the stairs again until you reached the top floor. Exiting the stairway, you ran through the hallways until you reached a dead end.
Back pressed up against the wall, you watched in horror as the monster let out a sharp laugh as it approached you. There was blood dripping out of the mouths of all three heads. You didn’t want to think about where it came from. With no other options left, you weakly held your arms up in front of your face and squeezed your eyes shut with a whimper.
Suddenly, there was an angry shout and a loud splat.
You felt some sort of liquid splash all over you. Lowering your arms, an unexpected sight greeted you. It was the body of the monster all chopped up into pieces. You realized you were covered in its blood.
Behind the monster’s corpse stood Nanami. He had a covered blade in his hand that was also stained with the creature’s purple blood.
“N-Nanami?” you whispered hoarsely.
You couldn’t believe your eyes. Did he take down that monster? With a sword?
Nanami wiped the blood off his weapon, putting it away in its holster. He approached you as you shuddered violently, still in shock.
“Are you hurt?” he asked gently.
You shook your head no, wrapping your arms around yourself.
He kneeled down in front of you, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the droplets of blood from your face.
“What was that thing?” you whispered.
Nanami sighed, twisting the handkerchief in his hands once your face was relatively clean.
“A curse.”
You gave him a confused look.
“It’s a long explanation.”
“Yo!”
You flinched as Gojo suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the hallway. You instinctively grabbed onto Nanami’s arm in fear. He glared at the blindfolded sorcerer in anger for startling you.
“Oh, you’re already done here? I thought I’d check up on you two to make sure everything’s okay.”
First, your boss had threatened you with a knife. Then, a giant monster, no, curse appeared and attacked both of you. Nanami killed said curse. And now Gojo had appeared out of thin air. Your brain was officially broken. You just wanted to go to sleep. Surely this had to be a dream. You would wake up and everything would be normal again.
“We should probably bring her to Shoko just to make sure she’s fine and clean her up,” Gojo said, observing how your eyes were starting to glaze over.
Nanami nodded in agreement. He lightly touched your shoulder, but you hardly reacted. He said your name quietly. Blinking slowly, you finally turned to acknowledge him. “I’m tired,” you mumbled.
“I know,” Nanami said gently. He picked you up in his arms. “You can go to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.” With a sigh of relief, you closed your eyes and surrendered to the darkness.
You woke up in a small room, tucked under the covers in a warm bed. Nanami was silently sitting in a chair next to you. You let out a deep breath and turned towards the man. The rustling of the covers alerted him that you were finally awake.
“Why was the boss with you?” Nanami asked suddenly.
So it wasn't a dream.
“Oh. He was trying to threaten me,” you explained. “I didn’t lose my job because I made a mistake. I found out he was embezzling money. He said the cops were starting to question him, so he accused me of reporting him.”
Nanami clenched his fists in anger. That bastard.
“Is he alive?” you asked.
“No.”
“I figured.”
You quietly observed Nanami. He had taken off his sunglasses and blazer. You admired his wide shoulders and the way his tie was slightly loosened. 
“Nanami. What do you actually do?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to tell you.”
You gripped the covers. “Why not?”
“Because,” Nanami sighed. “It’s a dangerous profession. You don’t need to be dragged into this world for no good reason.”
“What do you mean?” You didn’t understand what he was saying. “I do have a reason. It’s you.”
The man didn’t respond.
You sat up in bed suddenly. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask Gojo.” You started to climb out of bed, but Nanami stopped you.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll tell you. Sit back down.” He let out of a deep breath, rubbing his face.
You silently listened as Nanami discussed the existence of curses, the theories behind cursed energy, and the role of jujutsu sorcerers. He explained how the school’s true purpose was to train the next generation of sorcerers and act as the main headquarters for all jujutsu-related activities. 
You only asked one question. “Why was I able to see that curse?”
“Regular humans can see them in life or death situations.”
“I see.”
Nanami was surprised at your reaction to learning about cursed spirits thus far. He expected you to ask more questions, to be more doubtful, to laugh and call him an idiot, or to scream and accuse him of being crazy. But you did none of those things. You just listened quietly and accepted everything he said as true. 
In your heart, you knew there was no reason to doubt Nanami. You were trying to wrap your brain around the existence of curses you couldn’t see, but you didn’t consider that the sorcerer was lying to you for a single second. He wasn’t that kind of person.
Nanami abruptly stood up. “Ijichi will drive you back home.” He started to walk away from you, but you quickly grabbed his wrist.
“Wait, don’t go,” you pleaded, eyes wide. “I haven’t thanked you for saving me yet. Thank you, Nanami.” You didn't want him to leave you. Not yet. You didn't want to be alone.
The sorcerer refused to look at you. “I think it’s best if you kept your distance from Gojo, me, and this school.”
“What?” you breathed. “What are you saying? I-I won’t tell anyone about curses or that you’re a sorcerer if that’s what you’re worried about. I promise.”
“That’s not it. I already told you. This world is dangerous. You should stay away.” He paused. “Stay away from me.”
You flinched, releasing Nanami’s wrist. The sorcerer walked out of the room without another word. You didn’t call out after him.
As Nanami walked away, he knew he made the right decision. There was no reason for you to get involved with the jujutsu world. He wanted you to live a normal life, not one plagued by constant death and despair. He was doing this for you. For your future and your safety.
“It’s alright to be selfish every once in a while.”
Gojo’s words echoed in his mind.
No. This wasn’t about him. It was about you. It wasn’t right for him to drag you into his world. He should be happy. Happy that you would eventually move on and live a long, successful life.
But why did he feel so sad instead?
---
Numerous opened textbooks and notebooks were scattered around you on your bed. You had an upcoming exam at the end of next week and were in the midst of cramming a semester’s worth of information in your head.
There was a knock on the door.
You frowned, carefully getting off the bed and walking over to the door. You weren’t expecting any visitors or a delivery today. Looking through the peephole, you gasped. You clutched your hands against your chest, trying to calm your frantically beating heart.
What was he doing here?
You hadn’t talked to or seen Nanami since your last conversation with him at Jujutsu Tech. And that hadn't ended well. You respected his request to stay away from him and Gojo, making no attempts to contact either of the two sorcerers. Instead, you had thrown yourself into your schoolwork and picked up some extra shifts at the boba shop. The less free time you had to think about your emotions, the better.
But now the man who still weighed heavily on your heart was at your doorstep. You wondered whether or not to pretend you weren’t home, but you couldn’t bring yourself to turn him away. He had clearly come here for a good reason and you wanted to know why, especially because he was the one that told you to keep your distance from him.
You unlocked the door and opened it slightly.
“Nanami.”
He said your name quietly.
The two of you looked at each other in complete silence. You waited for him to say something, but the man just continued to stand there without a word.
“Umm, well, I have an exam I need to study for, so if you have nothing to say I’m just going to g—”
Nanami suddenly pushed the door open wider, shoving you into your apartment. You stood there in shock as the door slammed shut behind the sorcerer. His unusually aggressive behavior had you baffled.
“What’s wrong with you?” you asked sharply. The man told you to leave him alone but then showed up at your apartment and invited himself inside without a word. You couldn’t help but feel a little irritated. “What are you do— mmph!”
Nanami had pushed you against the wall and kissed you.
You froze in surprise for a second before immediately kissing him back fervently.
One of his hands had settled on your waist while the other was pressed against the wall by your head. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pressed him closer to you, unable to get enough of this man. Nanami eventually left your lips, causing you to groan in frustration before he attacked your neck with wet kisses. You panted heavily, brain suddenly fuzzy as you tried to process that this was actually happening.
“W-what happened to staying away?” you breathed as Nanami sucked on a particularly sensitive spot that left you weak.
“I changed my mind,” he muttered against your skin before continuing to attack your neck.
After Itadori had saved him from Mahito’s domain, Nanami realized he had been given a second chance. He didn’t want to live a life without regret, especially as a sorcerer. So he decided to heed Gojo’s advice for once. 
He wanted to be a little selfish. 
He wanted you.
Nanami pressed his forehead against yours as he rubbed his hands up and down your soft curves. You breathed heavily, trying to catch your breath as you got lost in his dark gaze. 
“Bedroom,” you whispered. Nanami nodded and quickly released you, so you could guide him to your room. 
As soon as you entered the bedroom, you inwardly cursed. In the heat of the moment, you had completely forgotten what you had been doing before Nanami arrived. “Uh, sorry, let me clean up real quick.”
What a way to kill the mood!
Nanami didn’t seem to mind. He looked fairly amused as you swiftly closed all the books on your bed and haphazardly tossed them on the ground. Once the bed was finally cleared, you turned around to face Nanami, but he was already one step ahead of you. He gently pushed you on the bed, so you landed on your back as he hovered over you. Your breath caught in your throat as you admired the man in front of you. He was absolutely perfect. 
Nanami played with the hem of your shirt. Taking the hint, you sat up a little and swiftly removed your shirt and bra, throwing them in the corner of your room. Nanami let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as you took in your body. You fought the urge to cover yourself, feeling slightly embarrassed at how intensely the man was looking at you.
“You’re beautiful,” he breathed as you flushed in response. He reached out with both his hands to start kneading your breasts. You moaned as he began playing with your nipples that were already hard from excitement. Nanami removed his hand from your left breast and replaced it with his mouth. You squirmed underneath him in pleasure as he lapped and sucked on your nipple. Once he was satisfied with his work, the sorcerer switched to your other breast to give it the same treatment. With every flick of his tongue, you could feel electricity run through your body. You only craved his touch more and more.
Nanami started kissing down the valley of your breasts to your stomach. He eventually reached the hem of your shorts. “May I?” he asked.
You nodded, unable to trust your voice at the moment.
As he started tugging down your shorts, you lifted your hips to assist him. The garment was carelessly tossed to the ground. Immediately, Nanami could see how soaked your underwear was with your own arousal. His dick twitched in his pants. The sight of you so wet and eager from his touch alone only heightened his lust for you.
You practically sighed in relief when Nanami removed your underwear, fully exposing yourself to him. The heat from your core was overwhelming. You needed him to touch you and relieve some of that pressure before you lost your mind. A single finger stroked your folds, already slick with arousal. You gasped while Nanami groaned, enjoying how wet you already were for him.
“I’ve barely touched you and you’re like this already,” Nanami teased. You panted, trying to grind yourself on his hand for more friction, more pressure, more anything. He chuckled seeing how desperate you were for his touch. The sorcerer finally reached your swollen nub and rubbed it leisurely. You immediately cried out, arching your hips into man’s touch.
“Fuck,” you cursed as pleasure surged throughout your veins. Your eyes were squeezed tight as Nanami continued to play with your clit. You were so distracted by his fingers that you barely registered the hot breath near your entrance. It was only when a wet tongue began to prod into you that you realized what was happening.
With a gasp, your eyes flew upon to see Nanami’s head comfortably settled between your legs as he licked at your cunt without restraint. The sight of him eating you out only stoked the raging fire inside you. You buried one of your hands in Nanami’s hair as he worked diligently to get you off. The way he lapped at your fluids and sucked at your entrance had you moaning and quivering uncontrollably. 
“You taste so good,” he groaned against your folds as you barely registered his words.
A familiar pressure was building in your body. As it got stronger and stronger, you couldn’t stop your legs from thrashing about. With a growl, Nanami locked his arms around your legs to keep them as still. It only took a gentle suck to your swollen clit for the tension in your body to finally snap. Mouth opened wide in a silent scream, you writhed around on the bed as you finally reached your peak. 
Your mind was completely emptied while white-hot pleasure overtook your entire body. You swore you could see stars behind your eyes. As you rode out the last waves of your orgasm, Nanami eagerly slurped up your release, refusing to let a single drop go to waste.
Once you came down from your high, you released Nanami’s hair and laid back on the bed with a sigh. He removed himself from between your legs. Your fluids still covered his face, and his normally styled hair was a complete mess from your grip. Just the sight of him was enough to cause another spark of desire to flare between your legs. This man was going to be the death of you.
“Holy fuck, Nanami,” you breathed.
“Kento,” he replied, wiping his mouth clean on his sleeve. “Call me Kento.”
You flushed. Saying his first name felt incredibly intimate. 
“Kento.” 
He grunted with approval and then began to unbutton his shirt. You licked your lips as his broad shoulders and wide chest were finally revealed to you. He was incredibly well-built with defined muscles and abs, but a number of scars littered his body. Some looked quite fresh while others were old and almost completely faded.
This was the body of a jujutsu sorcerer.
You now understood why Nanami warned you that the jujutsu world was unsafe. You couldn’t imagine the suffering behind all those wounds. Perhaps one day he would be willing to share his pain with you, so you could understand his world.
You wanted to rub your hands up and down Nanami’s bare chest, but he moved out of your reach to start fiddling with his belt. Eyes lowering, you swallowed nervously as you stared at the large bulge that greeted you. Nanami slid down his pants and underwear in one go, erect cock finally released from its confines and bobbing in the air slightly.
The sight of him was both mouthwatering and intimidating. You admired the bulging veins and the bits of pre-cum that were already leaking out from the tip. He wasn’t excessively long, but he was incredibly thick. You nervously wondered if you would be able to handle his impressive girth.
You wanted to touch and taste him, but Nanami wasn’t interested. He gently pushed away your eager hands and instead spread open your legs once again. At the moment, he was more concerned about prepping you than chasing after his own pleasure.
He pressed one finger into your entrance, groaning as your walls greedily sucked him inside. You gasped, clenching around him. With how easily you were able to take one finger, Nanami slipped a second into you. It didn’t hurt, but you could feel your cunt stretching around them as they thrust in and out of you. Nanami’s fingers were so thick and long that you already felt so full.
“You’re so tight,” Nanami hissed as you got lost in pleasure once again. He pushed those two fingers in and out of you, occasionally scissoring them to loosen you up. You could hear how wet you were as he continued prepping you to take his cock. Nanami moved his fingers at just the right angle to hit a spot that had you instantly moaning and clenching around him. But he suddenly removed himself from you which had you whining at the sudden loss of contact, feeling empty. However, you stopped complaining as you watched Nanami stroke his dick, spreading your fluids and his pre-cum all over himself.
“Are you on birth control or do I need a con—”
“I’m on birth control,” you cut him off impatiently. “Hurry up. I want you inside me.”
Nanami didn’t keep you waiting much longer. He lined himself at your entrance and slowly began to push in. It wasn’t painful, but you still gasped as your walls stretched to accommodate his girth. The sorcerer immediately cursed when his tip entered you. You were so hot and tight around his cock that it took all his self-restraint not to immediately ram his full length into you. With slow, shallow strokes, you were able to accommodate more and more until his entire cock was buried inside you.
You felt so incredibly full. Your hand gripped the blanket on your bed to anchor yourself as you tried to get used to the sensation of being stuffed with Nanami’s dick. He tried to remain still above you, waiting for your signal. Eventually, you met his gaze and gave a little nod. He sweetly kissed you on the lips before he started to move.
Nanami started at a slow pace afraid to hurt you at first, but he eventually settled into a rhythm that had you moaning his name over and over again. You were so wet that he slid in and out of you effortlessly, rubbing against your walls in a way that had you seeing stars again. You had wrapped your legs against his waist, allowing him to enter you even deeper. 
You were almost babbling nonsense at this point, unaware of exactly what you were saying as your mind was just consumed by pleasure. “Fuck. Kento. You’re so big,” you whined. “Faster. Harder. D-don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
Nanami adjusted the angle of his thrusts until he finally found the spot that had you gasping and clenching down on him again. He groaned, making sure to continue hitting the same exact spot with strong, fast thrusts at just the right tempo. “You’re so perfect. Looking at you, taking my cock so well,” he growled.
The pressure was building again. Everything was so overwhelming. The lewd, wet noises of your bodies moving together. The way Nanami growled praises of you in your ear. The muscles on his back rippling with exertion underneath your wandering hands. You just needed that one final push.
One of your hands sneaked down to rub your clit, but Nanami pushed it away and pressed his thumb against your swollen nub instead. Just a couple of strokes had you reaching your peak again. You clenched down so hard around Nanami that his hips stuttered, groaning loudly in your ear. You were completely consumed by wave after wave of pleasure. You couldn’t think. You couldn’t hear. You couldn’t see. All you could register was the pure bliss that racked your entire body, leaving you gasping and shuddering.
Nanami continued to fuck you through your orgasm, ramming his cock into you over and over again. His thrusts had become more frantic and uneven, chasing his own climax after you started to come down from yours.
“Where should I cum?” he groaned with gritted teeth.
You wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to you.
“Cum inside me,” you panted against his ear.
He groaned. You were perfect. Absolutely perfect.
With a couple of more thrusts, Nanami completely buried himself inside you when he flooded your cunt with his cum. He remained inside for several more moments to catch his breath before finally removing himself from you. You slightly winced as his cock brushed past your sensitive walls. Nanami couldn’t help but admire the way his cum slowly dribbled out of you.
He laid down next to you as you both began to calm down. No words were needed between the two of you. The silence was comfortable as you cuddled against his chest. Nanami rubbed your back absentmindedly as you hummed in delight.
Eventually, the two of you got out of bed and cleaned up. The textbooks and notebooks haphazardly thrown on your floor were ignored for the rest of the day. You thought you deserved a break anyways. The two of you ate dinner together, cuddled on the couch while watching a movie, and went at it again for another round before settling down to go to sleep.
You were passed out next to Nanami, completely worn out from the day’s activities and normal sleep deprivation you had as a student. Your heavy breathing was the only sound in the tiny apartment. It strangely calmed Nanami just listening to you. He turned towards you and stroked your hair affectionately. 
A part of Nanami still worried if he had made the right choice with you. He was still concerned about your safety and well-being. Would he only bring you more grief if you constantly agonized over his dangerous missions as a jujutsu sorcerer? 
He let out a quiet sigh. He knew he would have regretted it if he continued to push you away. And if he was going to be a sorcerer, he wanted to be a sorcerer with no regrets. 
Nanami only hoped that he would never cause you any pain and anguish because of his profession. It was rare for sorcerers and non-sorcerers to find happiness as a couple. But perhaps the two of you would be an exception.
He prayed the two of you would be an exception.
---
“Welcome! How may I help y—oh!” You blinked in surprise as three individuals walked into the small boba shop.
Gojo waved at you with an easy grin. Nanami stood next to him as handsome and stoic as ever, but there was a new face behind them. He looked like a high schooler.
The blindfolded teacher wrapped his arms around the boy’s shoulder and pointed at him. “Meet Yuji Itadori! One of our first-year students!”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you,” you said introducing yourself.
The boy tilted his head, looking at you curiously. “How do you know Gojo-sensei and Nanamin?”
Nanamin?
You chuckled at the cute nickname. 
“I told you to stop calling me that, Itadori,” Nanami replied, clearly bothered.
“Well, I’m…” you hesitated. You didn’t know what to say. A friend? An ex-coworker? A normal person who couldn't see curses but knew about their existence?
“She’s Nanami’s girlfriend!” Gojo exclaimed to your horror. You immediately flushed and looked to Nanami for him to clarify, but he didn’t react. He glared at the blindfolded sorcerer as per usual but didn’t refute the statement. Your eyes widened in realization. 
“Uh, y-yeah,” you stammered. “I guess I am.”
“Nanamin has a girlfriend!?” Itadori gasped. He had even more respect for his mentor now.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Nanami growled much to your amusement.
You took their orders and began to prepare the drinks. Nanami and Idatori were talking in the corner while Gojo hung out at the counter near you. You had just finished sealing the drinks when the teacher explained something to you.
“Oh, by the way, Yuji is supposed to be dead so be sure to not mention his existence to anyone else.”
You almost dropped the drink you were holding. “Um, okay.” You thought it was better not to ask questions.
Gojo thanked you as he took his drink from your hand and grabbed a straw for himself. “Yo! Nanami! Yuji! Grab your drinks and let’s head out!”
Itadori followed Gojo out the door once he had his milk tea, but Nanami stayed behind.
“I meant it.”
“Huh?” you asked, cleaning the counter with a rag.
“I want you to be my girlfriend.”
You blinked, processing his words. A bright smile grew on your face. “Well, according to Gojo, I’m already your girlfriend.”
Nanami let out a rare chuckle and flashed you a small smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Goodbye!” You waved as he left the shop.
Your coworker came out of the back room, looking at you suspiciously. “Why are you so smiley?” She looked around the empty shop. “There’s no one here.”
“Oh, no reason," you replied with a hum.
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kudouusagi · 3 years
Text
Timeline theory
I know I’ve been confused about the timeline of when this show takes place so I’m using background clues to help decipher when things happen! It’s really just a rough idea of when the episodes take place. If you can think of any other details, feel free to chime in with more!
We know they start after the school year has started, because Reki is already a second year in high school, and since the school year starts in April the beginning has to be in April or after.
I found a few things that show the series starts in April.
The most obvious one, Miya’s calendar in Reki’s intro says April.
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Another thing is that they are wearing their winter uniforms. Winter uniforms are worn in April and May, before the switch to summer uniforms on June 1st. The black jackets are called gakuran. (Okinawa actually switches to summer uniforms a month earlier than the rest of Japan... but it seems like the anime ignored that from how long they wear them after this. So more proof it takes place in April? They wear them so long lol)
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As a side note: The uniform Langa wears in the first ep is his uniform from Canada!
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Another Okinawa specific thing they seemed to miss that make it more confusing is that there are cherry blossoms blooming when Langa first starts school, but cherry blossoms bloom very early in Okinawa. They bloom around February there. So for them to be blooming in April seems weird. But that would be a normal time for other parts of Japan.
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And so I think episodes 1-5 all take place in April and May. Through a lot of the training montages Reki has a lot of different colored hoodies that are meant to show the changing of the days.
Episode 6 is a little harder for me to determine when it’s supposed to take place. It is obviously supposed to be summer and they had been wearing their winter uniforms up until that point. Since I already decided they ignored when Okinawa changes to summer uniforms, I’m going to guess it takes place at the beginning of June, right after summer uniform change, because the date on the calendar for when they go is the 8th of some month.
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The beaches in Okinawa open at the end of March and close in the middle of October but since it’s the rainy season until May, most people don’t start going till the end of May. Also the paantu festival usually takes place in real life in October, but based on everything else they probably just placed it whenever they wanted to in the Anime timeline...
Episode 7 starts with them in their summer uniforms! No more gakuran tops, they have short sleeves now!
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There is a shot of a calendar at the beginning of this episode that is set to July and August so this is probably July.
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We can hear the cicada chirping in the background, and they start to come out at the end of June and beginning of July. Also, when watching a video of Langa, Reki comments that it has been a few months since he started teaching Langa to skate.
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So, Episodes 6-10 must take place between June and September because once we get to episode 11 they’re back in winter uniforms. It’s October already!?
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I assume this must mean that episode 12 has to take place in October too since Shadow is still injured enough to have still been in the hospital. It can’t have been that long since he was injured and he was injured in an episode where they were still wearing the summer uniforms.
I know I’ve seen a few people say that the party at the end is Langa’s birthday but it’s just a party to celebrate Langa winning the tournament. I know they mentioned this in one of the magazines but I’ll have to track it down again >.<
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totebagchiqbarista · 3 years
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can we have a chat noir x reader x ladybug where chat and lady are constantly trying to out due in battles each other for the reader’s attention, even in school with adrian and marionette
a loving feeling
Pairing: Adrien/Chat Noir, Marinette/Ladybug x GenderNeutral!Reader
Here's the first request I got! I literally love this idea so much oh my god. I hope you like it :)
“Adrien, dude, go talk to them. Now’s your chance!“ said Nino, reassuringly patting his best friend on the back. Adrien’s palms sweat just because of the thought of talking to them. It had been so long since he felt anything other than platonic love for somebody and was losing his mind. Adrien knew he wasn’t the only one who saw Y/N as potentially someone who was to be more than a friend. How could he be? 
“Go! Now!“ Nino pushed him closer to the infatuating dream of his best friend. Disappearing in a split second he rebounded with his girlfriend. 
Adrien made a few steps. It has seemed the person of his dreams was way too far away from him. Fear grew with each step and his heart was now beating in his throat, unable to catch a breath. Yes! They are so close! He can see them, just a bit more. He is already there, just hanging by the tip of a finger... And suddenly he was in a broom closet. 
“Oh, Plagg I chickened out again“ Adrien cried, clenching his fists against the wall. The kwami flew around his head in an attempt to catch his gaze. 
“Honestly Adrien, you could only talk to them when you were Cat Noir. But when you’re...well you, you lose your mind!“ he spoke “You see, cheese doesn’t do that to a person“
“You’re a kwami“
“My point still stands.“
Adrien banged his hair against the wall. It’s true, he could always talk to them when he was dressed in black. “I'm going to talk to them, today!”
“You go to the same class, you talk to them every day “ Plagg rolled his eyes, getting tired of the same old story his owner has been playing over and over
The blonde boy shook his head trying to talk to Plagg on a serious note “You know what I mean”
Upon entering the class, Marinette stumbled over her thoughts. She had decided she will talk to them today. She had no idea how, but she had put her mind to it. She is doing this.
"Hi, Marinette," said Y/N when they saw the bluenette deep in her thought.
Marinette's eyes widened in surprise, her breath hitching in her throat. She had to process what is happening before she could open her mouth.
"O-oh, hi, Y/N. Are you how? I mean, how you are?" she felt embarrassed by the inability to speak as she tried to collect herself "How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. Do you want to sit next to me today? Nino and Alya sat together." they questioned, pointing to the couple in love, sat in the second row.
Marinette's face lit up in joy as she shook her head in approval "Yeah, I will". The two sat down in the first row, waiting for the class to start.
"So, Y/N, tell me, um do you- want to-" Blue-haired girl started as the duo collected their bags and headed towards the door. Y/N watched the girl carefully until she was interrupted by a loud cheer behind them.
They turned around, meeting eyes with a pair of green ones that lit under the blonde hair. "Hi, Adrien!" they waved in response.
Marinette's face reddened. It wasn't just because of the Adrien himself who too, made her blush a little. But it was because he could not have found the worse time to come by...
Her fingers twitched as she watched him smile sweetly and sly to the person she was just about to ask out. He had a kind, heart-warming smile on his face, and he was talking so softly to them. His fingers twirled in his blonde hair as he...
Marinette's face widened at the realization. The guy was stealing her date!
"Actually, we were talking you can come back by later" she interrupted blushing Adrien, taking Y/N's hand in hers and walking off. Without thinking, Adrien reached out, grabbing Y/N's hand. His fingers wrapped around their wrist. "Why can't I join you?" he blurted.
"Of course you can!" Y/N exclaimed
"No, you can't. Don't you have a fencing class to attend to?" Marinette fought back, crossing her hands on her chest.
"It got postponed"
"It never does"
"But today it has so I have an hour of free time"
Y/N watched as the two held a strong eye contact filled with rage and jealousy. Their bodies came closer and closer as they fought back and forth for their attention.
Suddenly, the door of the school burst open, shrieks fulfilling the building. A woman dressed in black entered, her ripped dress falling to the floor. Silver hair of hers flowed in the wind as she wrapped her fingers tighter around the machine in her hand. Two rat ears grew on the tip of her head and a tail that followed the theme.
She walked around, shooting every random passenger and turning them into...rats?
"We have to hide!" Y/N exclaimed as they took both of their hands, leading them into a classroom.
Marinette stuttered, ripping their hands apart even though that was the last thing she wanted to do. "I forgot my bag in the other classroom, I have to get that, it's important, you guys go hide now!"
Y/N nodded, running again, leaving Adrien to follow along. "Locker rooms! We can hide there" he said, grabbing them by the hand and running to the secure place in school.
"Chloe! Where are you Chloe!" the rat lady yelled, leading her way through the corridors of the Françoise Dupont High School. "Hide here," he said, showing them a safe place in one of the lockers.
"You too." They said pointing to the one across. Adrien only nodded in response and faking it once they were completely safe. The blonde's legs carried him to the bathroom by the speed of light.
Closing the door he took a moment to take a deep breath and rest his back against the wall. His kwami reappeared in front of his face, waiting for a word. Something. Anything.
"Don't you have a significant other to save, Adrien?"
Adrien got himself on his feet, away from the daydreams. Plagg was right, he did everything better when he was Chat Noir, so saving them should be as easy too. Maybe then he can finally talk to them without interruptions or his own fears.
The blonde nodded. "Plagg claws out!"
Although they knew they could be in danger, Y/N couldn't take being locked up in a locker anymore. She stepped out, only to be met by Adrian's open locker. The rat lady must have got to him.
"Stupid" they hummed to themselves as they looked around, figuring out what to do.
Suddenly, the door to the locker room opened and the infamous black cat costume appeared before them, taking their breath as always. "Well hello I guess we're stuck in danger together," he said flirty "Might as well make the most out of it" he bowed down before them.
"Poor kitty, and where's your lady?" They said, teasingly to the cat boy who so desperately tried to get under their skin.
"Said she will be right back."
And just on queue, the lady in red stormed into the room. Taking a look at Chat Noir once she sighed. "I'm sorry to do this, but it's important. Multimouse, I need you." She handed the already well-known miraculous box to them as they nodded in response.
It was safe to say Chat Noir was losing his mind. His eyes widened at the sudden information, as he stared at them in amazement. "You're Multimouse?!" he squeaked. Thinking back on the previous times Multimouse came to help and he did nothing but flirt with them. There was something that stood out about them and he never knew what. Now, it all made sense.
Then yet again, he wonders how whenever Multimous was around, Ladybug also got way more talkative and goofy and eager for their attention. He remembers all the fights over Multimouse he and the lady had led. It all came together now.
"Of course I am," they said, tying the necklace around their neck and meeting with Mullo, once again.
"I've missed you Y/N," Mullo said, happily flying around.
"I can say the same" they responded, ready to transform "Mullo, get squeaky!"
"Wow," both of the Paris' superheroes were smitten. Stealing a dirty look from each other for one last time they created a plan with Multimouse to defeat Ninkilia. As Ladybug said, she is completely sure the Akuma is in her hand machine.
"That's the plan, just follow my lead" she finished her speech
"As you wish my lady" Multimouse chimed in before Chat Noir could say anything. Ladybug's hot cheeks were prominent through her mask, and the cat looked nothing but jealous.
"R-right, let's go" the girl with spots exclaimed, her cheeks still burning red.
Jumping from the roof, Multimouse teased the villain. "A mouse? No!" Ninkilia yelled. "If you can live in the garbage now, why can't you do it in a form of a true rat itself" she cried as she shot around random people on the street.
"We have to get to her hand machine quickly," Chat Noir said fighting the lady in black. "And maybe then we can go somewhere just the two of us."
He winked at Multimouse who only laughed, and earned a look of pure hatred from Ladybug. Expecting a comment on his own behalf, Chat Noir was surprised by the lady's response. "You don't want to go with him trust me. I know the best ice cream in town."
Multimouse only laughed "Let's get rid of this rat lady first," they said "Multitude!"
"No, not the mice!" Ninkilia desperately tried shooting the little mice around her as they climbed up her legs. Ladybug's yoyo wrapped around her, pinning her to the ground.
"Chat Noir!" Ladybug exclaimed.
"Cataclysm"
The Akuma has been purified and the trio has once more, saved the day. "Pound it!"
"It has been a pleasure working with you" black cat smiled sheepishly, taking the mouse's hand and kissing it softly. "Will I have the pleasure of seeing you again soon?"
"We'll see," they said, signalizing Ladybug it's time to go.
Ladybug pulled them close, taking them by the waist and already feeling her heart beat faster. Multimouse, or precisely, Y/N placed their head in the crook of her neck and sent shivers down her spine. Soon, they were flying through the air, holding just by her yoyo.
"Thank you for choosing me," they said, as they scootched closer to her body, clinging in fear of falling down.
"How could I not?"
Marinette's heartbeat raced faster as they shared a soft smile. If it were up to her, she would like to fight alongside them all the time.
942 notes · View notes
miraculouscontent · 3 years
Note
I know that you said that it was an one shot, but I really love the idea of marinette stay in Paris with Luka and kagami and avoid all the NY drama! If you can, can you share more of it? Even if just a few little ideas it would be great! (I love your ideas!)
(the one-shot this anon is referring to)
Aw, thank you so much!
And sure, after some thought, I did really want to write a little more with them!
—————
While throwing away their now juice-less cups, Marinette made the realization of how different things seemed with Luka and Kagami. She had already experienced hanging out with both of them separately, but she'd never imagined having both of them with her at once. It wasn't as if she'd always dismissed or despised the idea, but the only time they'd interacted as a group had been with Adrien around, which had probably soured the whole thing and thus involuntarily caused her to never think about it.
With her friends, everything was typically high-energy. Juleka and Mylene weren't very involved in creating such an atmosphere, but Marinette herself, Rose, Alya, and kept things energized. It wasn't a bad thing in general, but it made Marinette wonder if maybe surrounding herself with people who only encouraged her excitable habits wasn't a good thing.
Meanwhile, Luka and Kagami were completely different, both from her and her friends. Neither were particularly loud - though both could be when they wanted to - and they weren't really the kind to tease or mess with her either. Luka wasn't quiet in the way Juleka was, just seeming to absorb the world around him, whereas Kagami only spoke when she felt that there was something of value to say. Marinette had worried briefly that she might've been too different from the both of them, or that she'd overwhelm them due to speaking up the most, but instead, there was a sense of balance. Luka smiled or chuckled reassuringly whenever she caught herself rambling, whereas Kagami would cut in with her own views that were often direct but nevertheless good in their intentions. Perhaps her personality rubbed off on them in a way she couldn't fully understand?
Still, it was nice.
As the three were deciding what to do next, Marinette's phone suddenly went off. Marinette looked at her purse and pulled out her phone, half-expecting a text from one of her classmates about her missing the bus, but it was actually a notification about where Andre the ice cream man was.
Kagami glanced over after noticing the look on Marinette's face. "You want to get ice cream?"
Marinette frowned, Kagami's voice reminding her of the day the two of them had gone for ice cream with Adrien. She still remembered talking to Andre, hoping beyond hope that maybe the man wouldn't make them pick between the three different flavors. His words still stung a little, not because of Adrien, but because of what the words meant.
"Too many flavors mixed together may throw off the delicate balance."
It implied that one of them would always be the third wheel if they were together, no matter what, and it was a hollow feeling that she'd only recently started to accept.
"Marinette?"
Feeling a comforting hand on her shoulder, she looked over and noted Luka offering her a concerned expression. It grounded her, serving as a reminders that things were different now and that Adrien wasn't there which, in a strange way, brought her an immense sense of comfort.
"I'm fine," she assured. Turning her attention back to her phone, she deleted the notification and then made sure that she wouldn't be getting another one. "Ice cream sounds good, if you want it too, but... I think I've got a better idea than Andre's."
Luka and Kagami exchanged curious glances.
—————
"Here's to Neapolitan ice cream!" Marinette declared dramatically, raising her spoon up with flair before shoving it and the ice cream on it right into her mouth.
Luka snorted in amusement while Kagami gave an acknowledging nod, probably remembering the exact phrase from Andre that Marinette had recalled earlier.
They'd picked up the carton of ice cream on the way to Marinette's place, with Marinette insisting on paying in order to spoil them, and while they seemed confused on the specifics of her insistence, they gave in soon enough. Marinette could understand why she'd be the expected person to be comforted, but giving to others made her happy on its own and she felt they deserved it. After all, Luka had tried his hardest to catch up to the bus and Kagami was still dealing with Adrien wanting to leave for New York despite her being in Paris.
They'd ultimately decided on splitting the entire carton between the three of them, with each of them getting a majority of the one of the flavors and then the rest of that flavor going to the other two. Marinette had gone with chocolate, Kagami had gone with vanilla, and Luka had gone with strawberry. It might've seemed like a weird choice to go with since they'd just had orange juice, but it hadn't been much and it wasn't exactly a "treat."
Marinette may have considered suggesting ice skating instead if her first thought of it wasn't her slipping and bringing Luka and Kagami down to the ice with her. Ice cream was the safer alternative to "cold fun."
"Luka," she called thoughtfully, taking another bite before asking, "you're not feeling sore or anything, are you?"
He met her gaze, smiling at the concern but waving his hand dismissively. "I'm alright, Marinette. I'm used to biking around for hours because of my job, so it wasn't a big deal."
Kagami halted, spoon halfway in her mouth while her brows rose noticeably. She finished the scoop, then turned to look at Luka. "You have a job?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I deliver pizza." He grinned, clearly amused by her reaction. "Are you surprised?"
Kagami's expression didn't shift, but Marinette had known her long enough to see that she was embarrassed. "Oh, no. It's... I don't have one."
"There's nothing wrong with that." Luka shrugged. "I just have the time to do it."
"Mm." Kagami looked back at her ice cream, poking at the surface with her spoon. "I suppose it would be too difficult with my fencing lessons."
Marinette giggled sheepishly, happy to join in on the conversation. "I probably wouldn't be able to either. There's all my fashion work with my website, and then there's the unexpected babysitting, the bakery, and I'm also the class representative." She hurriedly added an, "I know it doesn't sound like much, but I'm bad at planning," when she felt that it seemed like such little things. She was Ladybug and the new guardian too, of course, but she couldn't be blurting that out, so she could only hope that it didn't seem like she was whining over nothing.
She averted her gaze, scooping up a self-conscious bite of her ice cream and shoving it into her mouth. She was partway through savoring it when she realized that neither Luka nor Kagami had responded to her. Daring a look back, she saw them staring at her with varying gazes.
Kagami seemed stunned, commenting, "That is... well, much, actually," referring to what Marinette had just tried to brush off.
Was it? Marinette had never really thought about it. In fact, she distinctly remembered back in the day where people might've thought she was just scatterbrained and didn't really do anything. Back when she was hesitant to be class representative and claimed that she was busy, Alya had asked her with a hint of snark what she was busy with, like she expected her to have a free schedule.
Even beyond her role of Ladybug at the time, she still had random babysitting to do and still frequently worked on her fashion projects. Thinking back, it stung just a little.
As Marinette glanced at Luka, she at first felt that the amount of sympathy he was directing at her was excessive, but then she remembered how she had cried in front of him to the point where he'd dropped his bike and guitar in order to comfort her. She blushed, both in shame and from the memory of him holding her so closely.
"Ah—well—it's okay!" she said hurriedly, "Anyway, forget about me! This day is about... um, this ice cream, and ice cream doesn't have problems that you should worry about!"
She nearly gave herself brainfreeze from how quickly she scooped up and ate the next bite, but figured it'd be worth it if they dropped the subject.
It wasn't worth it.
"You should be more careful," Kagami commented critically, an edge to her voice that Marinette knew wasn't meant to be anger at her. "You're my friend, so don't overwork yourself."
Marinette grinned nervously, still trying to lighten the mood. "A-are you saying it'd be alright to overwork myself if I wasn't your friend?"
Kagami's gaze didn't waver, and Marinette slowly tried to sink into her seat.
Luka set his spoon down on the bowl, then chimed in, "I don't know anything about fashion, Marinette, but if you ever need any help with anything—"
Kagami clicked her own spoon against her bowl to interrupt him, as if she felt personally slighted that he'd gotten to say it first. "We're here for you."
Luka nodded to confirm.
"Oh." Marinette blushed deeper, touched by the gesture from both of them. She thought about trying to reassure them again, but their gazes were firm and showed no room for argument, so she settled for a soft, "Thanks."
They resumed eating their ice cream from there, the topic officially concluded. Though the atmosphere felt noticeably different, Marinette was surprised to realize that it wasn't exactly in a bad way. She feared that she'd ruined the mood, but instead felt like she was supported, with Kagami and Luka looking satisfied with their choice in offering help to her.
It was like she was Ladybug, and they were the partners standing at her side, each with their own form of support. It made her smile, allowing her to happily eat away at her ice cream without thinking about anything stressful.
The idea of going to New York was suddenly very unappetizing in comparison to having ice cream with Luka and Kagami.
—————
All things considered, Ladybug wasn't concerned about telling Chat Noir that her plans had changed and she wasn't going anywhere after all. She imagined that Chat would be overjoyed and wouldn't even ask questions about it, just happy to have her back. She found his affection eyeroll-worthy, but he was still her teammate, so she just steeled herself up for whatever ramble he was about to give her.
However, as she waited near the top of the Eiffel Tower, sitting on the guardrail and looking around for Chat Noir, she realized that she couldn't even see him. Checking the time on her yoyo, she confirmed that it was indeed time for their usual patrol, but Chat Noir was completely absent. Even though it was nighttime, which made the black cat's suit blend in with the sky, he still had the blond hair and light skin that should've made him noticeable.
Ladybug got up and paced around the area a few times, constantly peeking down at the city as she wondered if maybe she just wasn't looking in the right spot. When she still saw nothing, she concluded that Chat Noir must just be running late and she'd simply have to wait a little longer. Things happened, after all, she knew that better than anyone, so she began idling on her yoyo, searching for something to keep her occupied while she waited.
They were a team. While their identities had to remain a secret, Chat Noir had always hated it and prioritized openness in their relationship, so he would've told her if something had come up. He was also active in going on patrols, always seeming eager to join her for their runs across the rooftops, and given that he didn't even know that she'd still be in Paris, patrols were even more crucial.
He never showed up.
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wishuhadstayed · 3 years
Text
Plus One
Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x reader
Word count: 3000ish
Summary: it’s baby time y’all!
Warnings: pregnancy complications, angst
Author’s Note: to those who have been waiting, I AM SO SORRY. I hope this will be worth it! Part 8? to Begin Again. Please feel free to yell at me in the comments if you feel so inclined.
Previous Chapter
Masterlist
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Conversation flowed in the dining room and kitchen of the Hotchner residence as the BAU team and family impatiently anticipated the forthcoming announcement.
“It’s a boy, has to be,” Morgan mused.
“No way. Definitely a girl,” JJ contradicts.
“As much as it pains me to say, I think I have to go with Morgan on this one,” Emily admits.
“Garcia?” JJ inquires, “What do you think?”
“I have to agree with Chocolate Thunder on this one, love,”
“Are you all taking his side?” JJ asks with indignation. “I’ll bet you $50 that it’s a girl!”
“Oh you’re on, sweetheart,” Morgan complies with a winning smile.
“I don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy,” says Reid, “but I do know that I wouldn’t bet against JJ.”
“Thanks, Spence,” JJ replies, patting him on the shoulder. “Emily, Rossi? You wanna get in on the action?”
“Oh I am so staying out of this,” Prentiss responds. “Count me out.”
“I’m in with Morgan for $50,” Rossi states.
“Alright, but you’re all gonna be sorry,” JJ says with a smirk.
Overhearing the lively discussion, you enter the room.
“Children, what’s going on here?” You interject, “Don’t make me break up a fight.”
“Y/N! Just the lady I wanted to see!” Exclaims JJ. “May I?” She asks, gesturing towards your growing baby bump.
“Sure, go ahead,” you reply. “Do I even want to know?”
“We’re taking bets on the sex of the baby,” she replies placing a gentle hand on your belly. “And I am so totally going to win!”
“You can’t possibly know that, JJ,” Morgan interrupts.
“Call me crazy if you want,” says JJ, “but a mother knows.”
“I suppose you’ll all find out soon enough,” Aaron cuts in, placing a strong arm around your back and pressing his lips to yours for a quick, tender kiss. “Shall we?”
With that, everyone makes their way to the backyard, where a large golden balloon awaits.
Picking it up from the ground, Aaron asks, “Everybody ready?”
He didn’t really have to ask. The answer was unanimous.
“YES!”
“Jack, would you like to do the honors?” you inquire, holding out a safety pin for him.
“Can I?” he asks hopefully.
“Of course you can buddy. Just be careful, okay?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Dad and I will count you in, okay? On three.”
Together, you and Aaron slowly count, “One, two, THREE!”
A loud pop from the balloon momentarily startles the crowd and then..... a cloud of pink confetti floats to the ground.
“YES!” JJ shouts in her excitement. “PAY UP, LOSERS! We got a baby shower to plan!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several weeks later found you strolling through the back door of Rossi’s home into the yard where you’d married the man of your dreams not so very long ago.
This time it’s decorated for a slightly different occasion. Pale pink lanterns and streamers adorn everything in sight. A picnic table covered with a pink flowered cloth looks like it might collapse at any moment beneath the weight of a mountain of gifts wrapped in pastel paper. Heart shaped balloons are tied to the corners of another table on top of which is a giant bowl of pink punch, more food than you thought possible, and a breathtaking cake, decorated with tiny pink roses.
A tap on your shoulder brings you back to reality and you turn to see three beautiful, smiling faces. Women that you consider to be not only friends, but family at this point.
“Penny, Emily, JJ,” you say as your eyes begin to well up with tears, “This is too much! You shouldn’t have gone to this much trouble.”
“Oh this is the least we could have done for you, doll face,” Garcia interjects. “Nothing but the finest for my very best friend.”
“Don’t worry about it, my clean sweep at the gender reveal paid for most of this,” JJ jokes.
“You look absolutely radiant,” Emily adds, pulling you in for a hug.
“Where’s the boss man?” Penelope asks. “He’s coming isn’t he?”
“Oh yes” you reply. “He was helping Jack out of the car. He told me to come on in. He’s probably inside hanging out with boys for a minute.”
At that moment, you feel a pair of familiar arms encircling you, one across your chest and one just underneath your baby bump. A soft kiss on the cheek and he turns you around to face him. The tender look in his usually stern eyes melts you as he smiles and says,
“There’s my girls.”
“I love you, Aaron.”
“I love you too, darling.”
“Alright love birds, it’s time to get this show on the road!” exclaims Morgan, coming through the door with both Henry and Jack in tow.
“Thanks for keeping the kids entertained, Derek,” you whisper. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Mama. I’ve got it all under control,” he reassures with a wink.
“Should we be worried?” Aaron jokes under his breath.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Garcia offers, trailing off behind them.
Rossi and Reid bring up the tail end of the group, along with Jessica, Jack’s aunt, who had been previously supervising the kids.
“How are the parents-to-be feeling?” Rossi inquires.
“Overwhelmed, and so grateful,” you reply. “I know JJ said she covered most of it with her winnings, but I think we all know you pitched in too. And you’re a fantastic sport for letting the girls decorate your whole house pink.”
“Anything for some of my favorite people,” he replies patting you both on the shoulder.
“I’m so happy for you guys,” Reid chimes in. “This baby’s really lucky to have such loving parents.”
“Reid, stop. You’re gonna make me cry,” you squeak out, pulling a tissue from your purse.
Just then, Jessica wraps an arm around both of you.
“Jess, you know you didn’t have to come,” Aaron says.
“Nonsense!” comes her reply. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
As you go to sit so you can open presents, Morgan pulls out the chair for you, then pulls one out for Garcia as they settle in to watch the kids.
Maybe you were mistaken, but you could have sworn you saw a flirty look pass between them. A mischievous grin crosses your face. Perhaps you should do a bit of your own matchmaking.
“Jack!” you call. “Don’t you wanna help Mama open some of her presents?”
“Yeah! Can Henry help too?”
“What do you think JJ?” you ask.
“As long as it’s okay with you,” she agrees.
The kids ran up to help with their very important present duty. Jack retrieving smaller presents and helping rip the paper. Henry mostly just playing with the shiny bows. Thus leaving Morgan and Garcia free of responsibility.
When the last present had been opened, and the last game played, Aaron made his speech.
“Y/N and I just wanted to thank you all so much for being here today. We love each and every one of you like family, and we are truly grateful for all your love and support. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. Thank you again.”
As everyone was leaving, Penelope pulled you to the side.
“Did you call the kids over for help specifically to leave Derek and I alone together?”
“Penny, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” came your reply. “I’m just getting too big to be bending over to grab the presents and I thought it would be fun for the kids.”
“If you say so,” she says with a skeptical look.
As she walks away, Aaron whispers in your ear, “You are so wrong for that, you know?” with a playful shove of your shoulder.
“Oh they’re perfect for each other and everyone knows it. Besides, she played matchmaker for us and look what happened,” you reply, rubbing your belly.
“Okay, okay!” he surrenders with a grin. “You’re right. You’re always right. You win.”
——————————————————————————
As the weeks crept by, your little family was not so patiently awaiting the arrival of its newest addition. Being pregnant and taking care of a 6 year old without your husband was extremely taxing, making the moments that you did have with him exceedingly special.
Moments like today. It was nothing exciting, just sitting on the couch, enjoying each other’s company, but sometimes that’s all you really need.
Seated across from each other, You can’t help but admire the sweet look on his face as he touches your belly.
“I still can’t believe we’re having a baby girl,” he mentions.
“Neither can I,” you agree. “She’s gonna be smart,” you state, resting your hand on top of Aaron’s. “A lawyer like her daddy.”
“She can be anything she wants,” he says, looking up with his smile revealing the stunning dimples that caught your eye on your very first date. “As long as she’s happy.”
“God I love you, Aaron.”
“I love you more, angel.”
But mom duty never stops.
“Oh!” you exclaim. “It’s almost time to pick up Jack from school and I haven’t even started dinner!”
“Don’t worry about it, babe,” Aaron says. “I’ll take care of everything, you just relax.”
“But I,”
“Ssshhhhh,” he interrupts. “No buts. I will pick up Jack, I will get dinner. You deserve a break.”
“Alright, if you insist.”
“I do.”
He leans in and gently brushes his lips against yours.
“I’ll be back soon.”
What felt like an eternity later, you hear the front door open and two distinct sets of footsteps.
“Mama!” Jack yelled, scrambling up into your lap for a hug. “I missed you!”
“I missed you too, buddy,” you reassure, pulling him close to your chest.
“What’s for dinner, honey?” you ask?
A playful smirk forms on Aaron’s face, raising your suspicions.
“You’ll see. In the meantime, Jack how would you like to watch a movie with me and mom?”
You all settle on the sofa, Jack in Aaron’s lap and your head on your husband’s left shoulder. Just as you were drifting off to sleep near the end of the movie, a knock at the door startles you awake.
“Dinner’s here!” Aaron announces. “Come on buddy,” he encourages Jack. “Help me out.”
As you reach the table where the food is being laid out, tears begin to spring to your eyes.
“I got you fries and chocolate shake. And a cheeseburger. No mayo, extra pickles.”
“Babe,” you squeak out, “you remembered.”
“Of course I remembered. It’s all you talked about while I was away on my last case.”
You laugh and pull him close.
“I knew I married you for a reason.”
——————————————————————————
Around your 36 week mark, Aaron called from his hotel room to check on you.
“How are you, love?”
“Still pregnant,” you gripe.
“I know you’re exhausted, mama. I’ll be home tomorrow. Just remember the go bag for the hospital is packed and sitting right by the front door, just in case.”
“Yes, Aaron. You remind me every day. Honestly I think it’s bit overboard, I’m fine.”
“I just worry about you being alone while I’m gone is all. It never hurts to be prepared. Anyway, I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Love you too honey. Good night and be safe tomorrow.”
——————————————————————————
When Aaron arrived home the next night, he was greeted by the sight of you dozing on the couch.
Easing himself down on the edge, he swipes a lock of hair from your face. He softly kisses your forehead and watches as your eyes flutter open.
“Aaron?” you murmur. “You’re home.”
“I’m home,” he whispers. “How are my girls?”
“Better now that you’re home. I’ve had some pretty intense back pain, but otherwise fine.”
“Well sleeping on the couch probably isn’t helping,” he states matter of factly.
“Oh thank you doctor,” you reply sarcastically, giving his arm a playful slap. “I would never have known.”
“You’re welcome,” he says with a shit eating grin. “Let’s get some sleep.”And with that, he sweeps you off the couch, heading for the master bedroom.
——————————————————————————
You woke the next morning still in pain, but not wanting to disturb Aaron. You struggle to sit up, finally managing after a few tries. You pull back the sheets and immediately get a sense of panic and dread at the sight of blood on the hem of your nightgown and the sheets beneath you. As the tears begin to stream, you instinctively call out for him.
Waking up at the sound of his name he asks, “what’s wrong, baby?”
But he realizes the problem before you even get a chance to respond.
Amazingly he seems not to panic at all. The tears and hysterics don’t faze him at all. He simply grabs you out of the bed, carries your directly to the car, and buckles you in.
“Stay right here,” he instructs. “I’m getting Jack and we’re going to the hospital right now.”
What seems like an eternity later, but in reality was only a few minutes, Aaron emerges from the house with Jack and the go bag.
He peels out of the driveway and drives to the nearest hospital with no regard for the speed limit.
When you arrived to the emergency entrance, you look at him with a panic stricken face.
“I’m scared, Aaron.”
“Don’t worry darling,” he says soothingly. “I’m going to get you some help.”
The next thing you know several people are helping you out of the car and loading you onto a stretcher. As they wheel you inside he follows closely behind with Jack asleep in his arms.
“What going on?” you plead.
“I don’t know, love but they’re going to help,” he reassures.
Just then you overhear a member of the medical staff informing Aaron that he’s not allowed any farther.
“What do you mean he can’t come with me?” You wail.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but bleeding is very serious. Both you and the baby could be in danger. We need to get you treatment now and we can’t have any family in the room.”
“It’s okay,” Aaron says in a very calm and sure tone. “They’re going to take good care of you. Everything will be fine.”
“FINE? Nothing about this is fine!” you shout. “I can’t do this without you, Aaron.”
“Yes you can,” he replies, holding your hand. “You’re the strongest woman I know. You have to. Do it for her.” He says, placing his hand on your belly.
“We have to go now,” one of the nurses insist.
“Be strong for me okay?” He pleads, gaining a short tearful nod from you in response.
“I love you,” he calls out as they wheel you swiftly down the hall. Just before the stretcher is out of sight he hears your response.
“I love you more.”
——————————————————————————
Collapsing into a chair in the waiting area, mind racing with worry, Aaron does the only thing he can think of at the moment.
The phone rings, and then,
“Aaron! I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon after a case,” Rossi says. “We don’t have plans today, do we?”
“No, Dave. It’s Y/N. We’re at the hospital.”
“Wow, I didn’t think she was due for a few more weeks.”
“She’s not,” Aaron explains, his voice beginning to break. “When we woke up, she was bleeding. From what I understand, it’s pretty serious. You’re the first person I thought to call.”
“Oh my God,” Rossi breathes. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Should I call the rest of the team?”
“Yeah, I think that would be best. I could really use some help with Jack. He’s still asleep for now, but,” Aaron pauses for a moment, choking back tears. “I don’t know what to tell him when he wakes up,” he finishes quietly.
“Just hold on, Aaron,” Rossi replies. “We’re coming.”
——————————————————————————
Within an hour, the whole BAU team was crowding the hospital waiting room. Hugs were exchanged and Aaron had handed a still sleeping Jack off to JJ.
Everyone waited in tense silence, not knowing quite what to say.
“I’m scared out my mind, Dave,” Aaron confines to him. “I can’t lose her. I’ve been through too much already. And Jack, God it would crush him if anything happened to her.”
“I think he’s waking up,” JJ whispers.
“Dad?” He asks in a daze as he wakes. “Miss JJ? Where are we?” He questions now aware of the unfamiliar surroundings.
Coming over to squat down in front of him, Aaron does his best to explain.
“Well buddy, this morning mom got sick, so we brought her to the hospital, and the doctors are taking good care of her.”
“Is she going to be okay?” he inquires. “And my baby sister?”
“I hope so, the doctors are working really hard to make mom better okay?”
“Daddy, we should say a prayer for Mama,” Jack responds. “And my baby sister too.”
“I think that’s a great idea, Jack,” Aaron responds, as he quickly turns away to wipe a tear.
The whole group gathered closely around Jack and Aaron. Everyone took turns saying prayer for the health and well being of Y/N and her unborn daughter.
Moments after the last amen was said; just when Aaron thought he would die if he waited a moment longer, a doctor came through the doors.
“Mr. Hotchner?”
Aaron stood, bracing himself for the news.
“Is it alright if I speak in front of the group?”
“Yes, they’re family. Please, just— do you have news about my wife?”
“Sir,” the doctor continues with a look of concern. “You all may want to sit down for this.”
——————————————————————————
Tag list: @ange-must-die @agenthotchner @moonstuffsteve @poetsacademia @hotchners-slut @arganfics @ladyreapermc @rousethemouse @less-intelligent-spencerreid @tgibstan @themanip @word-scribbless @quillvine @glizzieborden @miss-united-ace @samayoshito
360 notes · View notes
sup-hoes-its-me · 3 years
Text
Skinny Love (Kakashi x Reader)
A/N: hello again. I'm in love with Kakashi this mans makes me heart go wild I swear. Hope you like seeing him on ur dash lol. Shy reader who is too afraid to confess how she feels to Kakashi. This is only part one and is essentially just fluff. The second part will be all angst and sadness so beware.
Ps. It took me so long to get this one done. I was struggling to find the right words.
Word count: 4000
"Come on, sensei. You like him," Sakura laughed, poking her superior in the arm. The group of women stood outside the training grounds after a day of hanging out and working on their jutsu. On occasion Y/N enjoyed taking the girls out and spending time with them. It was a relief to be away from all that testosterone. If only for a short time.
She just shook her head, smothering down the embarrassment she felt creeping up her neck. Her stomach churned whenever she recognized her feelings for the man. It was just so intense. "I would never feel that way about a coworker, you know that, Sakura."
"But he's not just a coworker to you, is he? He's also your close friend," Ino hummed.
"Perhaps, but haven't I taught you that it's bad to let emotions get in the way of work?"
The blond rolled her eyes, turning to fully face one of her sensei, who she would argue was deeply in denial. "Seriously why does it even matter? Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei literally had a baby together. You should definitely tell Kakashi you like him."
Y/N tossed her head back against the wall, sighing. "Girls, I really don't like him. He's just my friend. He's nice to me and I appreciate that, but that doesn't mean I want to date him or anything." Her voice shook and clearly she had been caught.
She was always so bad at lying.
"Whatever you say, Y/N."
"It's just something I'd rather not dwell on, Sakura. I'm sorry for being so private about it, but it's a sensitive subject for me," the woman confessed, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.
"It's okay! You don't have to apologize. We get it! Feelings can definitely be complicated."
"I-I," she started, about to explain herself, but instead she rethought what she was about to say. There was no reason to actually reveal how she felt about the man. These times were tough, and there wasn't any room for making things even more messy with relationship drama. Y/N was more than happy just pretending they were friends and nothing more. As long as she had him just to talk to, she would be fine. As long as he always made it back alive, there was no reason to complain.
"You're right. Feelings are too complicated," she muttered, feeling herself practically deflate as she did so. Y/N was beginning to think she was just the one making everything complicated when it didn't have to be. Skipping around and lying about her feelings. Kakashi wouldn't ditch her if she just said something, she was sure of it.
Just as Sakura was about to reply, the voice of the man in question chimed in from down the path, "Y/N, we were looking for you."
"Yes, the third wheel to our tricycle of youth!"
Y/N felt a smile grow on her lips at the sounds of those voices, especially Gai's exclamation of youth. He was awfully weird, she thought, but that was what kept him so interesting. She turned to face the men walking in her direction. "Kakashi, Gai! What's up? The girls and I were just finishing our training."
"We're going out for drinks and thought you might like to join."
"Sounds great. It's been a long time since the three of us went out. For some reason we never have off at the same time anymore."
"Yeah, it's a shame. Missions have taken over our lives lately," Kakashi said tiredly. It was true. They really never had a second to rest. It was beginning to take its toll. Those were the consequences of war though. "How have you been?"
"Good, I, um..." she began, her eyes trailing up to Kakashi's. He watched back intently, patiently, and she felt something in her chest flutter up. He was always so handsome, she wondered how she could go so long without seeing his face. She just wanted to leap forward and give him a hug, wrap herself up in his warm arms for just a little while. That wasn't an option though, so she settled on some simple words. "I've missed you."
His eyes softened barely enough to be noticeable but she saw. Her heart continued to flutter up in her chest and she sighed, clutching her hands tighter behind her back. No doubt the girls standing just behind her were hyper-analyzing all their interactions, especially after revealing they held an interest in the pair's relationship.
He didn't have the chance to reply though, as Gai was the one to chime in. "Why thank you. I have to say, I've missed you as well, my kunoichi friend."
"Thanks, Gai." Even if the statement wasn't exactly pointed toward him, she was happy she had been missed.
"No problem! Now I hope you young ladies don't mind if we take L/N off your hands."
"No no. It's not a problem, Gai-sensei. I'm sure our moms want us home for dinner anyway. It's getting late after all."
"Yeah, we'll see you later, Y/N-sensei." The pink haired girl waved ss they started to make their way in the opposite direction toward town. Ino paused for a moment though.
"Don't forget what we talked about. You really shouldn't be so shy; it's gonna be okay," she said softly. Y/N sighed, nodding her head as if to say fine. In reality, she wouldn't do anything different. She wasn't feeling very open to changing herself or facing any of her fears. "See you around."
It was kinda sad that Y/N found comfort and support in a bunch of 15 year olds. She was an adult, couldn't she talk to other adults about her problems. These girls were just so accepting and she didn't feel awkward talking about immature things like crushes. Any other adult would just be too wrapped up in their own lives to care too much anyway.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing, Kakashi. We were just talking about random stuff. You know how curious they can be."
"You go out there and fight rogue shinobi every week. How could you be shy?" The green beast asked.
"It's really nothing. They're always assuming things about me. I'm reserved, but I wouldn't say I'm shy, per se…" She stopped to think for a quick second, tapping her foot on the ground. "Actually, I would say I'm just more conscious of the things I say and do than most other people. Not a bad thing at all."
Kakashi nodded. "It's good to keep a level head."
"Exactly. I'm Level headed. Thanks, Kakashi."
"Now let's head off to the bar! Sake for everyone!" Gai cheered, throwing his fist up in the air. She nodded, walking up beside the pair as they started off toward the restaurant of their choice, which she hoped was her favorite one with the tastiest fruit juice drinks. She was willing to put out good money to have one good, tispy night of drinks and snacking. It had already been weeks since she had a night off, one time wouldn't break the bank.
She stood to the right of them, just beside Kakashi. Every now and then she found herself drifting just a bit too close to him, her natural gait leaning toward the left. At one point, she found her hand skim dangerously close to his and she snatched it away to keep herself in check. Holding his hand perhaps was a dream of hers but she wasn't going to actually try anything.
It wasn't that she was afraid of Kakashi. Quite the opposite actually. She cared for him so deeply it sometimes made her stomach churn when she thought about it. He was her friend for ages, ever since she could really remember. He was one of the only people she could sit with and feel completely enveloped in a warm comfort, free of judgement and deceit. Gai as well, but Kakashi was different.
Maybe he could be a bit of pervert, and even sarcastic at times, but he was never rude. He had changed over the years from being a know-it-all, little jerk to someone everyone liked and admired, a kind and brave soul.
Unfortunately, it took bouts of death and loss to come about this change, but she wasn't going to ignore it. He was the best man she knew, and it only seemed natural she fell in love with him. He would probably never feel the same way. He had better things to worry about and other women to long for. He didn't have his entire life to wait around for a shy woman like herself. That was okay.
As long as he was alive and well, she would be happy.
Maybe one day she would gather the courage to grab his hand, to run her thumb over his knuckles and feel the callouses against her skin. Maybe one day she would have the courage to confess how she felt. Not now, but one day when she was comfortable.
"You okay?" He asked, pulling her out of her deepening thoughts. "You're walking really slow and uh, your hand…" The man motioned to where she was clutching her wrist against her chest.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just uh, my wrist is sore from training." She worked her hand in a circle, pretending to stretch it out. He rolled his visible eye, knowingly.
"Sure. Always skipping around the real issues."
"I'm really okay. I was just thinking hard about something."
"Anything to do with what you, Sakura, and Ino were talking about?" he suggested, raising a brow.
She groaned. He always knew what she was thinking. It was definitely one of his best and worst qualities depending on the situation. In this case, she felt awkward as she was so lost in thought about him. She felt like a fool. "Maybe it was. But that was girl time and now it's drinking time. Different topics of discussion."
"Well, mind telling me what's got you so caught up? It's gotta be important."
"It's personal."
"Ah, I see. Well, that's fine. When you want to talk about it, I'm always around."
There was silence for a moment, her thoughts running wild in her head. He was so kind, it wouldn't be bad to tell him how she felt. He would let her down easy, surely. And Gai would be there to cushion her embarrassment, no doubt. He would make things less awkward somehow. She was sure of it.
It was crazy. No way she would say anything. Definitely not.
"I'm interested in someone," Y/N found herself blurting out before she could stop herself. She just felt so much pressure building up in her chest and the only way she could relieve that feeling was to tell him something, anything about the predicament she was in. She wouldn't tell him exactly how she felt and about who, but she could vent.
Damn, all this and she didn't even have her first drink. That man really did something to her.
The men stopped in their path, their heads turning their attention solely to her. She felt her neck and cheeks begin to heat up and her palms start to sweat. Why would she say that? Dammit. She really was a fool.
"Really? Who?" Gai asked. "He'd be a fool to reject you, of course, beautiful flower of the leaf! You do not have to worry!"
"Gai...it's really not that simple. He is, um, out of my league, I guess you could say," she muttered nervously, rubbing her palms together to ease her anxiety. "He's just well, I don't know, the perfect guy ever."
She could feel Kakashi tense at her side, and her eyes scanned over him. He didn't look out of the ordinary but his energy had definitely changed. Strange.
"No one is out of your league, don't you dare say something like that! If he doesn't let you down easy, I will use my fists of justice to defend you! Tell me who this mystery man is."
"This is what Ino meant when she said you were being shy. You aren't going to tell him, are you?" Kakashi asked, and she noticed the bit of annoyance in his tone. She wondered if he was just upset she was talking about such silly things when they were ready to start drinking. She felt embarrassed. They were adults. Adults don't talk about this kind of thing. He doesn't want to hear about the guys she's interested in, or how she feels about them. Maybe Gai would be interested in it, but not a cool guy like Kakashi.
"Of course not. Like I said, he would just reject me anyway, there's no point," she told them. "And Gai, I can't just tell you who it is. You know you're a loud mouth; you'd go around telling everyone." She really didn't believe Gai would do that to her. He was far too conscious of others feelings for the most part. She just couldn't risk Kakashi knowing. She would keep it a secret from him.
"Oh come on! Just tell us! I'll help you out, be your wingman!"
"Maybe I'll tell you another time. When I'm more confident in myself."
"Well, what is it that has finally caught out dear friends heart in a web of love? Tell us!" Oh man. He really was nosy sometimes. He meant well, but occasionally he just didn't know when to stop. Kakashi kept his mouth shut because he understood she was getting uncomfortable, that or he was growing annoyed as she suspected.
Regardless, it was nice to get some of this off her chest, even if it was risky business.
"I don't really know. He's smart and considerate, and very brave. He's handsome as well, that's a plus," she smiled, listing off the things she liked about the man standing right in front of her. It felt so exhilarating, talking about her feeling so openly. It was terrifying and relieving at the same time. Y/N exhaled as she thought about him again, "He just makes me feel happy when I'm in my worst moments, that's all. I mean, what else could I ask for?"
"I see! He sounds like a good guy. Can't wait to meet him," he laughed until his eyes widened and he leaned in a bit closer to her face. He pointed his finger at his chest and questioned, "Unless of course, I already know him. It's not me, is it?
She found herself smiling just a little, her lips curving up at the absurdity of it all. "No definitely not. You don't have to worry about that."
"I'm wounded, but I understand. My youthfulness is just too strong for you."
As she thought of something to say, she began to question just why Kakashi hadn't said anything really at all. It was strange of him, letting the other man do all the talking when normally he asked her questions and at least tried to engage. Maybe he was feeling tired or bored with the conversation. She had to change the subject.
"So uh, let's get a move on before all the good booths are taken, yeah?"
"Actually, I'm getting tired. I think I'll just head home for the night, get ready for my mission in two days," the white haired jounin sighed. They both looked over to him, surprised, but Y/N knew why he needed to go. She had upset him somehow. So much for a fun night between the three of them.
"Kakashi, come on! Don't bail on us now!"
She took a step back and her eyes trailed up to his, which were narrowed, not angrily just as if he had been hurt or confused she couldn't tell which. "Oh, are you sure?" Her heart was sinking in her chest seeing him so conflicted.
"Yeah. Got a headache, too."
"Ah, okay. Well, I'll see you around sometime?"
"Yeah."
"Goodbye, rival. Hopefully you are feeling better tomorrow and we can have a real night of drinking indeed!"
And with that, he left to his apartment, leaving the other two behind. She felt her stomach begin to turn uncomfortably, sick from the thought of Kakashi just leaving them like that. He seemed so angry, she couldn't help but think it was all her fault. It wasn't in his nature to act that way.
They had already spent so much time apart already that it was tugging at her heart strings. She felt like they rarely saw each other anymore. For him to be angry at her and leave, that meant they would just see each other even less than before. It seemed like a nightmare come true. She really did miss him, like she had said. She missed the fun they would have together and the conversations they shared. She just missed him and there he went, gone off again without so much as a real goodbye.
The woman clutched at her stomach, feeling the tossing and turning overtake her sense with nausea.
Suddenly, before she could contain herself, tears began dripping down her cheeks, and she sucked in her breath. Hot tears warmed her cheeks, and frantically she wiped them away from her cheeks. Her arms wound around her waist and she hugged herself tightly inward, almost as if she would turn into a ball if she could.
"Y/N, what's wrong?! What happened?"
"It's Kakashi," she whispered, trying to keep herself from crying anymore but it only got worse.
"Kakashi? Because he left? It's okay, we can go drinking another night or-or you and I can just go alone. No problems," he tried to say but it wasn't going to work. She didn't want to go to dinner with Gai and she didn't want to wait until tomorrow, or whatever the next time they would all be together. She was being stupid and selfish, acting like a spoiled little baby with all this crying. She just couldn't stop herself.
"It's not that. There's something I haven't told anyone. I don't know what to do."
"It's gonna be fine whatever it is. Just calm down."
"No, I can't. It's so bad, Gai. I'm in love with him, it's him, and now he's mad at me and I don't know what I did wrong," she confessed, feeling all the words slipping out so easily. How is it that such strong emotions could just cause her to think so irrationally and just let something like this happen? A bout of confessing every feeling she had to her friend who may or may not go and relay all this information to Kakashi. It was stupid. She was just being stupid and reckless.
He nodded carefully, moving to take ahold of her shoulders to steady her. "It's gonna be okay. He's not mad at you, I promise. I know Kakashi and I'm sure he really was just feeling sick."
"Gai, I just...I don't want him to ever leave me, even over something stupid like this."
"Trust me, you don't have to worry about Kakashi leaving you. He would never do something like that. You are one of his closest friends. There's almost nothing you could do to make him do that, especially if you always have good intent at heart. Trust me, you really don't ever need to worry," Gai explained trying his best to reason with her. "You two do everything together. He never stops talking about you! He would never let you go."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am one hundred percent sure!"
"I-I need to go find him. I need to make sure he's not upset with me," she said as she pushed herself away from him. He waved to her as she started in the direction of Kakashi's apartment.
"Goodluck on your mission, Y/N, not that you'll need it."
______
Kakashi was just about to enter his apartment when she dashed up the stairs and turned the corner, going so fast she nearly slid into the wall. His eyes widened when he saw her, and he froze in his spot, not turning the key to the door just yet. Her face was flush and chest heaved. He could tell she rushed on her way.
"Y/N, did you run all the way here?"
She stood, catching her breath after just having run all the way across town to find him. Her heart raced as she looked up at him, and she clutched at the railing of the stairs for support. "I wanted to say sorry for whatever I said to make you angry with me. I didn't know I was being insensitive."
"I told you I was sick," he replied, but she knew better. And he knew she did. He wasn't dumb. They knew each other better than that and there was no pretending.
"I could tell that was a lie. I know you were angry and I felt terrible."
"Were you just crying?"
She exclaimed back, holding a hand over her heart to maybe try and ease the racing heartbeat, "Maybe. What about it?! I was hurt that I'd offended my friend, isn't that tear-worthy?" She took a few more deep breaths through her mouth, letting the air fill her up and calm her down. "Why were you so upset?"
"It's not important."
"No, no. It's important to me!"
The man paused, thinking over his next words carefully. He very well knew the real reason he ran away from their conversation like a coward. He actually thought it was obvious. It wouldn't hurt for her to know. He sighed, "If you really want to know. It's because I was tired of hearing about your love life. It's not exactly an entertaining subject."
She knew it but admittedly she would be lying if she said she didn't feel her heart break a little at those words. He didn't care about her feelings enough to just sit there and listen to her talk for a couple minutes? Was she that annoying? So many thoughts ran through her head, and each one made her sad. "I just didn't want to go a whole night with Gai talking about it," he added. "It's nothing to do with you."
"I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have brought it up."
"It's fine," he brushed off her apology. "I'm the one who asked about it in the first place."
"Why- why wouldn't you want to hear me talk about other men? Why would that be a sore subject for you?" She asked, her curiosity spiking up through the roof. It was strange, the whole situation. He had never backed down from a personal chat before, only this time.
He felt like a deer caught in the headlights suddenly. How was he supposed to reply to that without blowing his cover. "I just don't like the whole romance thing."
But they both knew that was a lie. He read romance for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But if he wanted to keep his secrets, she would let him. There was no need to pry. She just hoped he would trust her enough in the future to explain what he meant. Secretly, she wished that it was because he was jealous. That he didn't want to hear about another man because he wanted to be that guy, her lover. It was a wild thought, a hopeless theory meant to be thrown out, but she could fantasize.
"Kakashi, we're still good? As friends and all? You'll go out with me and Gai another time then?"
He nodded, his lips quirking up into just a tiny smile. It was characteristic for her mind to go straight to the worst case scenario. He replied, "Of course. Like I said, it's not that bad. Don't worry about it."
"Okay. I'm glad. I really thought I messed up this time."
"I don't think there's anything you could do to make me hate you," he sighed, leaning his shoulder against his door frame. "The day I let you go is the day I die, Y/N."
She smiled, closing her eyes and finally taking a relaxed breath. It was done. He wasn't angry at all. He still cared for her and everything else she could hope for. As long as they could remain friends, it was all gonna be okay. She laughed, "That's what Gai said. Should have listened to him, huh?"
The both nodded and suddenly they were enveloped in a peaceful silence for a while. She stared down at her feet and he watched her quietly, admiring the way she could be so miserably shy yet so adorable at the same time.
"Do you wanna go catch dinner? Or uh, just drinks like we originally planned, if you want," he asked, running his hand through his hair. Her eyes brightened at the question, and he'd be stupid not to notice the new shine in them.
"Do you want to go find Gai first?"
"Actually, how about it just be you and me this time? We'll catch Gai tomorrow morning for breakfast instead."
"Two meals in two days...I'm not made of money."
"It's on me. Don't worry about it."
"Oh, jeez. So nice of you, Kakashi. Thank you! Where are we going?" she asked happily, walking up to him and rolling back in the balls of her feet.
"Wherever you want to go."
"I feel like I'm getting the special treatment. I'm so excited," she cheered, pulling him in the direction of the stairs by the edge of his sleeve.
He just smiled. It was all he could do. He had the most beautiful woman in the entire world in front of him ready to go on a not-exactly date. They were only friends, and she reaffirmed that today when she mentioned she was interested in someone else.
But for now he could pretend they were a thing. That they were dating and that she loved him and he could openly love her back. He would take her out to dinner and kick at her ankles under the table just to annoy her. And he would take a sip of her drink and pretend it was too sweet for him and watch as she struggled to drink a sip of his liquor.
And after he walks her home that night, he would hug her tight to his chest and he would think about kissing her, to pull down his mask for just a split second and press his lips to hers, but he would refrain. It just wasn't the right time. Maybe there would never be a right time either, and that was okay.
As long as they could have nights like these, as long as he would feel her in his arms, he was more than happy. He was in love.
Part Two is up.
205 notes · View notes
sockablock · 4 years
Text
(TW for panic attacks and discussions about trauma)
— — —
The thing is, Beau's friends are shit fighters.
To be clear—she's not saying that they're bad at fighting, gods know Veth's a force of nature with her crossbow and all of the spell-slingers can kill with a word—it's just that when it comes to fighting, actual fighting, that down-and-dirty fist-on-flesh shit, her friends suck. Most of 'em just run, or they’d sweet-talk a surrender, or go back to slinging spells.
Beau would never admit she misses the Soul, but at least those people knew how to block. At least Dairon would make her work for it, wouldn't tell her to please, gods, Beau, stop punching me, I give!
Fjord's better these days, but not good enough.
Which is why, on their third morning back in Nicodranas, when Beau opens the door to see Yasha looking restless, she knows exactly what's up.
"Should I get my staff?"
Yasha shrugs. She usually does.
"I'll grab it. Down in five."
Beau considers grabbing some toast too, but she remembers how antsy Yasha seemed and figures she should try to avoid puking in Marion’s yard.
Yasha is stretching when she gets there. The gate swings behind her with a gentle clunk, and she kicks her shoes off, curls her toes in the grass. The sun is barely broken above rooftops and towers, and the first chime of church bells ring out overhead.
Beau yawns a little, but it’s just for flavor. Mind games. She’s not actually sleepy.
“We do not have to—” 
She quickly waves her hand. “It’ll wake me up. You know, get the blood pumping.”
Yasha smiles a little at that. It’s always such a small one, but it’s getting to be familiar.
“I got up early. I couldn’t sleep. Er...sorry.”
Beau doubles her effort to be dismissive. “Don’t apologize to me, Yasha. C’mon. You think I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to?”
This seems to be a winning argument. Yasha nods, like she can’t imagine Beau doing anything she doesn’t want.
Maybe it’s the crisp ocean breeze, maybe it’s the way they circle each other in the yard. Maybe it’s the fresh brush of gauze on her fists.
Beau wants to win.
She dives in, pulls low, uses her quick movement to catch Yasha off-guard and get in as closely as she can. Yasha’s tall, broad, strong as an ox, and even holding back, she could wind Beau with a punch. She presses even closer, limiting Yasha’s motions, sweeps out a leg and cuts up when Yasha moves. The two of them duck and weave and push, neither allowing the other an inch, fists flying, blows being blocked and sweat beginning to pour down their backs. Beau lands a hit that leaves Yasha grunting, then stumbles when a wild haymaker knocks her back. It’s clear that Yasha was never taught any form, just scraped it all together by surviving on the moors and her chaotic movement, high endurance, and reckless confidence just make her deadlier.
Beau tries to close in again, but a lucky kick forces her a pace too far. Her knuckles are bruising in that numb, seething way, and so she darts to the side, grabs her staff, vaults up and then arcs her foot to Yasha’s face—
The dance starts again, this time hardwood hitting forearms and on anyone else, Beau might even feel guilty about it. But Yasha barely seems to register the thwack, her teeth bared in a sideways grin, her eyes hard and excited and alive. Beau’s probably wearing the same expression. She hears herself laughing, and knows that she is. Up-swing, down-swing, slide left, throw a punch, block one, dart back, duck and then—
Yasha’s fist catches her right in the gut, sends Beau lurching flat into the dirt. She chokes her own breath, coughs up dust, barely gets an elbow up with Yasha leaning over her, blotting out the sun, raising Beau’s staff for a finishing strike—
Halts.
It’s like watching a tower fall. Yasha staggers back. She drops the staff. She lifts her hands and stares at her palms and Beau hears a mangled breath. Her knees give. She collapses on herself.
Beau scrambles up, aching limbs forgotten.
“Yasha?” she says. “Yasha? Are you—is—what’s wrong?”
Yasha sucks in more air, but that just seems to make things worse. Her shoulders tremble and her lungs sound ragged.
“Aw, shit,” says Beau, “I mean—fuck—uh—”
She half-runs, half-crawls, ‘til she’s at Yasha’s side. She wants to put her hand on Yasha’s arm, thinks better of it, panics a little more. She wishes she were Jester. She wishes she were Cad. They’d know what to do, they’d be better at this than her, anyone, hell, Marius would be better at this than her—
But it’s her, and everyone’s still in the house, so she shakes her head and stamps the fear down. 
“Yasha, I...aw, fuck, I’m—I’m here, it’s okay, nothing’s wrong—” clearly something is wrong, idiot, “—I mean, um, you’re safe here, okay? It’ll be alright. I’m here, and I’ll stay if that’s what you want, okay? I won’t go anywhere, if you don’t want. Uh...can you shake your head if you want me to go? Is that...possible, can you—”
A frantic shake.
“Oh good, okay, thank fuck, then I’m here. I’m right here, Yash. I’m not going anywhere.” She tries to pitch her voice calm, takes deep, long breaths, and continues to murmur as reassuringly as she can until after...seconds? Minutes? Yasha’s trembling slows. 
There’s a pause. Yasha inhales and lets it go. It’s shaky, but apparently good enough because finally, eventually, she turns and looks back at Beau.
“I’m...okay. I am okay.”
Beau sinks back into the grass. Then she lies down. “Oh, cool. I’m, uh, glad.”
“I’m so—”
She holds up a hand. “Nope. C’mon.” She pats the ground beside her.
“Er...what?”
She pats it again, emphatic. “Lie down. C’mon. I think we’ve earned a break.”
She stares up at the sky while Yasha shifts around, and eventually there’s a gentle thud as she lies down. Seagulls cry in the distance and clouds drift slowly past their heads.
Beau swears, but mentally. A private thing.
“So, uh...do we...want to talk about it, or...?”
Yasha is quiet for a moment. That’s not surprising. Then:
“It...reminded me of when I killed you.”
“What? Oh—” 
“Almost killed you,” Yasha amended. “Both times.”
“Right,” says Beau. “That’s...right.”
She thinks about saying—almost. You only almost killed me, so really it’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about. And you kill people all the time anyway, right?
She blinks. “Wait, you kill people all the time, Yasha. Is it always that bad? Shit, does it always...does it always make you feel like this? Only...I don’t think I’ve ever seen you...break like that...”
She regrets the words immediately. Stupid, Beau, that’s a stupid thing to say. 
But Yasha answers the question earnestly. “It’s usually different,” she says to the sky. “It usually...doesn’t matter. Er...no, not that it doesn’t matter, it just...”
“Doesn’t matter,” Beau sighs. “No, I...sort of get it. Man, that might be fucked up. Of us.”
Yasha shrugs, which rustles the grass. “It’s how it has always been for me. That is just what life is like.”
“I’m sure Jester would disagree.”
“Jester is...nice. I am not. I...have hurt a lot of people. And not just people who were fighting me, or trying to hurt me, but people who were innocent, who did not need not to be hurt, people who care about me, and, and people who I...”
She trails off. Beau can’t see her face, but right now, selfishly, she is glad for it. She feels anger bubbling up in her stomach.
“You were being controlled,” she says fiercely. “You didn’t do it. Someone made you do it.”
“But...part of that...part of it was still me. Since...since you all freed me, I...I remember parts of it. I remember doing it. Those were my hands.” 
Beau can practically hear Yasha’s fist tighten. She definitely feels it when Yasha hits the ground.
“If I was better, or if I was stronger, if I had broken free faster, none of that would have happened, I could have stopped him sooner—”
This time, Beau doesn’t hold back. They’re lying down, so it’s incredibly awkward, but the first thing she can think of is to grab Yasha’s hand.
She sits up, and waves it over Yasha’s face.
“But you didn’t,” she says, then falters, then wants to smack herself. “Fuck, no, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is...” Then she stops. “No, you know what? Fuck it. You didn’t break out faster. And that’s because it was a miracle you managed it in the first place. Yasha, you were being controlled by a devil. You were being controlled by the Chained Oblivion. The fact that you were even a person the first time we met—and you were a person, you were funny, you charged me money to, to, well, you charged me five gold, remember that?”
Yasha blinks. Her wrist is slack in Beau’s grip.
“I...do, yes, I remember that.”
“Right. The fact that you were a person then meant that they couldn’t keep their claws in you. Because you were strong. You were better. Better than everything they tried to make you. You kept breaking free.”
Yasha does not try to squirm away, only stays there.
“But...I needed help every time that I did escape. I never managed it on my own. First it was...it was Kord, and then you all—”
“Of course!” Beau throws her other arm into the air. “Who the fuck could do it on their own?! All that means is that when you had a chance, the second you had a chance, you were outta there. In your heart, you knew what was right. You knew it, and held onto it, even when I’m sure it would’ve been so easy to stay there, to stay in that hell and just go through the motions and lose yourself in...in grief, and loss and...and all that. But you didn’t. And now look at you.”
She cracks a goofy smile, all desperation to make what she’s trying to say heard.
“You’re an angel, Yasha. Remember?”
Yasha slowly sits up too. Her hair cascades down her shoulders, black turning white, with little blades of grass.
Beau is made painfully aware of the fact that she’s still holding Yasha’s hand. She lets go. Then she swears again, and hopes that Yasha doesn’t think it’s because of anything s—
“I am, aren’t I?”
Her gaze shoots up and Yasha's wearing a goofy smile too. Small, a bit nervous, but real and warm.
It’s getting to be familiar.
Beau snorts. She snorts so loud that it might dislodge something in her chest. She hits Yasha gently on the arm.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t, uh, don’t let it go to your head.”
She can see Yasha nodding in the corner of her eye.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Then, after a brief battle over whether or not to bring it up, “I don’t...I don’t...for the record, I’m not mad about you stabbing me. Or whatever.”
Yasha looks stricken, and Beau regrets it instantly. “Shit, should I not have reminded you of—”
“No,” Yasha sighs, and her face softens. “No. I am...glad that you are not mad at me.”
“Should we, like...go to a cleric about this?” Beau asks. “Is this going to be something that happens in, like...fights? Because if it does, it might put you in danger. Also, it’s...it probably sucks for you. Right?”
Fjord would probably have something to say about the way she’s handling this conversation. He’s not here now.
“I...don’t know,” Yasha says eventually. “It hasn’t happened before. It was only...just now. And...just with you. It...hurting you reminded me of being controlled. It...brought me back to all the times that my mind was not my own.”
“I’m sorry,” Beau says, because she’s not sure what else to say.
“No,” says Yasha. Beau looks up, surprised by the weight in her words. “If I am not allowed to be sorry to you, you cannot be sorry to me.”
“Ah,” says Beau. She feels a grin pulling. “In that case...I’m not sorry.”
Yasha nods, like this is sacred, and Beau can’t help but snort again. 
“C’mon,” she says. “We can...work this shit out later. Or start to. With a cleric if you want, or not, if you don’t. But I just got my ass kicked, and I’m thirsty. What do you say to some drinks? I think there’s juice. Do you like juice?”
She stands up, and sticks out a hand. 
Yasha takes it.
“Okay. I like juice.”
— — — 
✨ Ko-Fi Link in Bio! ✨ | Requests are OPEN
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crispy-chan · 3 years
Text
burning sunflower | yang jeongin
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↠ pairing: yang jeongin x gn!reader
↠ genre & warnings: fluff, hanahaki au (vomiting flower petals), lil bit of angst, strangers to friends to lovers, school au, soccer player!jeongin
↠ summary: your only friend Seungmin introduces you to Jeongin, the star of the school's soccer club and one of the most popular guys in the school. you two become friends quickly but you start to catch feelings...
↠ word count: 6.8k
↠ a/n: sooo, this was written for the @newskynet Valentine's day special event. Not sure if it's too late but it's Sunday evening where I live... if I slipped up with the gn! reader, please let me know. feel free to roast me for my lame header, I just decided to put the lectures on how to use GIMP to good use lmao
the prompts I used were: 21 “For me?”,  6. “No one’s ever given me something like this before.”  16. “Will you be my valentine?”
my masterlist
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One.
You're not really sure when you started to like Jeongin. I mean, you two were friends, don't get me wrong but that was it. Friends.
That was all he would ever see you as, you thought bitterly. The label that many would love to have but you cursed yourself for it every day. You see, you were first introduced to the smiling boy by your good friend Seungmin who thought you should at least try to make friends other than him, claiming that he won't be with you forever.
***
“Oh come on Min, I thought we'd always be friends,” you whined as he dragged you to a small cafe after school where you would meet his friend.
“Stop acting so childish Y/N, you have to start talking to other people too, you know.”
“But whyyyy? I have you, right?” you giggled at his unamused expression, telling you that he had enough of your shit.
“Nope. You're going to make other friends and that's final. You wouldn't want to really turn into a hermit crab,” he said smugly.
Now it was your turn to look unimpressed. “You don't need to bring up my spirit animal, sheesh. What a low blow, even for someone like you, Min.”
“What was a low blow?” a boy around your age with a cheerful smile approached you giving you a questioning look. You just stood there nervously, staring at him for god knows how long until Seungmin finally broke the ice with a rather awkward cough and proceeded to introduce you guys.
“Y/N, this is Jeongin. Jeongin, this is Y/N,” he pointed at the two of you, swiftly introducing you to the other.
“Um,” you awkwardly extended your hand for a handshake, “hello, I'm Y/N, Seungmin's friend.”
He shook your hand with a firm grip before smiling from ear to ear, “I'm Jeongin, from the neighboring class.”
After you guys settled, you proceeded to order your drinks and snacks. The atmosphere was undeniably awkward, but Seungmin seemed adamant about reaching his goal.
“So look guys, I brought you both here because you both need more friends. You're both introverts who like to hide in their shells and I think you two have a lot in common, so I think this would be beneficial for both parties.”
“So you're basically trying to say that you don't want to hang out with us anymore?”
The innocence in his tone almost fooled you for a second, before you noticed the smug expression on his face and couldn't hold in the burst of laughter.
“Man, I like him already,” you sniggered after you caught your breath, patting a visibly annoyed Seungmin on the back.
“Who would have thought there is someone more savage than you in this school.”
The unimpressed deadpan he gave you made you fall into another fit of giggles, prompting Jeongin to chuckle too.
After the waitress came back with your beverages, you proceeded to distract yourself by making little paper balls and blowing them through your straw into the ceramic pot on the table. You got so distracted, that you spaced out and didn’t notice when Seungmin started waving his hand in front of your face.
“Y/N, Y/N! Are you even listening?”
You felt your cheeks heat up in embarrassment at being caught zoning out. No wonder you had no friends. Slowly lifting your head, you faced Seungmin, waiting for him to repeat what he just said.
“I asked if you wanted to come to watch him play on Saturday.”
“Watch who?” you asked confusedly.
“Jeongin, he's on our school's soccer team,” he deadpanned, annoyed at your lack of concentration.
“Umm, sure...I guess. I'm not much of a sports person but I have nothing to do on the weekend,” you mumbled, mentally checking for any possible plans or chores you could have. Well jokes on you, you had none.
Jeongin beamed at that, taking a sip from his beverage as he pulled out his phone. “I'm glad you can make it - Seungmin would come but he has an exam he has to prepare for,” he explained, “the match starts at five o'clock.”
“Wait, wait, what? There's an exam next week?” you screeched. You were almost positive that there weren't any but dread filled you at even the slightest possibility.
The boy let out a chuckle at your obvious panic, shaking his head. “No, the exam is in two weeks but you know how he is.”
You could feel a weight being lifted from your heart as you sighed in relief. “Thank god, I thought I missed something,” you giggled.
Jeongin smiled at the display. Maybe hanging out with you wouldn't be that bad, at least he'd have someone he knew watching the game other than Seungmin who wasn't exactly the most supportive when it came to sports, opting to rearrange his binder or do his homework instead of watching.
“Thanks, it means a lot to me. I'm always happy if there is someone cheering for me in the stands,” he winked, making your heart skip a beat.
Wait a minute.
Something wasn't right here.
After the two of you bid goodbye to Jeongin, you dragged Seungmin out of the cafe, the gears in your head spinning at maximum speed.
“Wait a second Seungmin, he's not that popular striker who scores most of our school's goals that all the girls swoon over, right? Please tell me I'm right,” you stammered, pulling on his sleeve.
“Relax Y/N, he's really nice-”
“So it's him?!”
“Yes,” he sighed, opening his mouth to say something, probably to convince you to not bail on his friend but you didn't even give him the chance.
“I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me? You made me agree to accompany one of the most popular guys in our school! His fangirls will kill me,” you hissed. Although you never remembered his name, it was practically basic knowledge that anyone on the soccer team was insanely popular with a cult-like following of crazed fans who went after anyone near them.
“Calm down, ok,” he held you by the shoulders, “ you will be ok, alright? He's a really nice guy who could also use some friends. All the other guys on the team are seniors so it's hard for him to find someone he can talk to face to face,” he tried to explain.
“And don't worry,” he added with a smile, “you don't have to do anything, just come and watch the match and cheer him on a bit, alright?”
“Alright,” you groaned.
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Two.
You should have never agreed to come to that soccer game. That ultimately became your downfall. If you had never agreed to this, maybe you wouldn't be like this today.
You sighed, rummaging through your closet and trying to figure out what the hell were you supposed to wear. I mean - what was it even. You had no clue what was going to happen, you only knew that he and his teammates would pick you up on their way to the match.
He texted you the day before that he and the boys would stop by your house at three-thirty to come and collect you. After ten minutes of just standing there, you finally decided on a casual outfit and ran to your door to put your sneakers on. As if on cue, you could hear a car honking right outside your door and your phone lit up with a new text message.
Jeongin [03:32]
We're here.
You slammed the door shut and made your way to the vehicle. You could see a boy you recognized but didn't remember his name, behind the wheel. Inside the van, there were a few other boys scattered around, including Jeongin who sat in the back alone.
“Hi Y/N, hop in,” he beamed, rolling down the window. You smiled back, opening the door and taking a seat next to him.
“So, are you excited?” the boy driving turned to look at you with a grin as he slowly backed the car, driving away from your house.
“Yeah, it's been a while since I watched our team play and from what I’ve heard, you guys are pretty good,” you smiled nervously under their gazes.
They all laughed at that, happy to hear they had a good reputation even amongst the students not involved in sports.
“I'm Chan, by the way, captain of our schools’ soccer club,” the boy behind the wheel stated. Oh, so that's why he seemed so familiar. Practically everyone knew him, and he knew everyone too. He'd often greet people who didn't think he knew they existed and was always extra kind which combined with his captain status led to his immense popularity.
“The grumpy one next to me is Minho,” he pointed to the currently sleeping figure in the passenger's seat.
“Hey! I’m not grumpy!”
Well. Looks like he wasn't asleep after all.
“I'm Jisung,” the cheerful boy in front of you chimed as he turned around and gave you a big smile.
“And I'm Hyunjin.”
“Um, well...I'm Y/N,” you winced at how awkward you sounded but luckily, they didn't seem to mind as they all giggled.
“We know,” came Minho's curt reply, “Jeongin wouldn't shut up about you.”
“Ouch,” Minho screeched as Jeonging threw his shoe at him.
The rest of the car ride went rather smoothly, other than the occasional bickering of the guys but you honestly didn't mind. It was kind of comforting to just let go of everything and laugh along. It surprised you how nice they were, you kind of imagined them as selfish pricks but that clearly wasn't the case.
At one point, Hyunjin and Jisung started arguing over which color uniform they should wear for the match. You watched with a hint of amusement, that was until they turned to you for help.
“But look, if we choose the red one, Chan will be able to live out his dream as Christiano Bangnaldo,” Jisung pleaded as Chan let out an embarrassed chuckle.
“Christiano Bangnaldo? Wow, I'm wheezing.”
“Exactly,” Hyunjin cut you guys off, “that's why we should choose the blue one, it goes better with my skin tone.”
“Oi, nobody cares about your damn skin tone, I want to see Christiano Bangnaldo,” Minho stated loudly, completely shutting up the younger two. Welp, seems like it was decided. What Minho wants, Minho gets.
After you finally arrived at the dimly lit school stadium, you made your way out of the car as Jeongin held the door open for you. Smiling, you thanked him for the kind gesture before finally looking around. And your socks were pretty much blown off.
Now you were wondering, why you never came here before. The field was slowly starting to fill with other students slash players but that didn't manage to hide the undeniable beauty of this place. The bleachers were surprisingly clean, unlike most high school stadiums. The dim lights cast a nice glow over the stadium, giving it a really homey feel. You looked around in awe, still surprised by the atmosphere of this place.
“Have you ever been here during the night?” a lean figure stood behind you, observing you and effectively cutting off your train of thought.
“Nope. This is the first time,” you breathed out.
“That's what I thought. It looks completely different when it's dark,” he chuckled, turning around to head to the locker rooms.
“So... I have to head back so we can all change. You can take a seat wherever you want, I'd recommend the first row,” he winked cheekily, accompanying the gesture with a throaty laugh.
You blushed at that, choosing to snuggle into your shirt, to hide your embarrassment. How could he be so cheesy so casually? He must have noticed your slight shiver as he slipped out of his varsity jacket.
Before you could even protest, he had already placed the jacket around your shoulders, patting your head. You opened your mouth to object but he cut you off, “it's ok Y/N, I’m not gonna need it anyways. And by the way...thank you for coming, I really appreciate it.”
You smiled, realizing that something that seemed so pointless, so small could mean so much to someone else. He seemed genuinely excited to have someone cheering for him, even if he had tens of fangirls doing just that. You huffed in the chilly wind, lifting your head up to gaze at him.
“No problem Jeongin, I'm happy I came.”
Something about how he smiled at you, stirred your insides, made your heart skip a beat. Your eyes trailed after him, lingering on his receding figure. You didn't look away until he stepped into the locker room, the door pretty much obstructing your gaze and snapping you out of this trance.
Looking around, you could sense that the stadium was slowly filling up. If you wanted to have a seat, you would have to be quick. You ran down to the first row seats but with a sigh realized that most of them were already taken. You were about to give up and run up to find a spot in the next row but a sharp tug on your sleeve stopped you.
Turning around, you spotted a boy, maybe a year or two older than you, looking at you with a curious face. You tried to pry out of his hold, tugging on your hand but he didn't let go. Right when you were about to scream, he finally spoke, “are you Jeongin's friend? We saved you a seat,” he motioned to the spot next to him.
“How the hell do you know that?” you asked, confusion evident.
“Well,” he chuckled, “the jacket…”
Oh. right. You were wearing Jeongin's varsity jacket. You almost forgot.
“So… are you and Jeongin-”
“No,” you cut him off before he could even finish the sentence, “I'm a friend of a friend who couldn't make it today so I came instead.”
“Oh, you see - I thought, Hyunjin said-” he suddenly stopped, not bothering to continue, instead opting to tug you down to sit next to him.
“Watch,” was all he said.
You sat there obediently, watching the game and occasionally cheering Jeongin on, whenever he passed the ball or attempted to score. He was really good, especially considering that he was the youngest on the team.
During the less intense parts of the game, you made small talk with the boy next to you. He introduced himself as Jinyoung. He was the captain of the lacrosse team and a good friend of Chan and Hyunjin. You found out that as a captain, he would attend almost all the other sports events that his friends partook in, claiming it to be common courtesy.
Both of you refocused your attention on the game. Your team seemed to be on the offensive again, Hyunjin passing the ball to Jisung, who maneuvered around one of the opposing team’s defenders before eventually passing to Minho.
Just when he was about to kick it, another leg appeared from the side, tripping him and making him fall flat on his face. He managed to at least stick out his hands so they would take the brunt of the fall but he struggled to get up on his feet.
Before the other boy could get away with the ball, the referee blew the whistle, signalizing a foul and stopping the game.
“What happened? Is he ok?” you asked, frantically scrambling up and leaning into the field from behind the barrier.
“Don't worry,” Jinyoung chuckled, “he'll be fine. They'll probably be getting a penalty kick. And I bet you a hundred bucks that Jeongin will be the one to take the shot.”
“Wait really? Is he that good?” you surprisedly inquired.
“Yeah, he's the best shot on the team.”
Now you were excited. You heard that he was good but never realized to what extent.
Jinyoung was right. You could see the coach huddled with the players in a circle, probably talking strategy or something before Chan patted Jeongin on the back. They all withdrew from the group circle leaving Jeongin to stand in front of the ball and the other team's goalkeeper to hunch down in preparation for the kick.
The referee blew the whistle, signalizing the resuming of the game. Jeongin took a few steps back before bursting into a run, kicking the ball into the upper left corner with utmost control.
You all stood up in anticipation, the kick seeming almost as if in slow motion, you could see the goalkeeper jump to his left, desperate to catch the ball before it landed in the net but his attempt was futile.
The kick he delivered was far too good to be caught, the expert technique and control visible to any onlooker. Paired with a huge roar of applause, you could all see the ball land in the goal with a thud.
Everyone erupted in cheers, including you and the atmosphere was great. You could see a few photographers who probably worked for the local sports columns, their cameras clicking like crazy, trying to capture the moment of glory of this young high schooler.
All of his teammates pulled Jeongin into a collective embrace, Chan slipping off his goalkeeper gloves before hoisting the boy on his shoulder.
In the heat of the moment, Jeongin looked through the spectators, trying to find the person that came to watch him. When he spotted you, cheering him on with a big grin, he couldn't help the fond smile from appearing. After he finally caught your gaze, he shot you a friendly wink, laughing at your flustered reaction.
“Wow, just friends you say,” Jinyoung teased, witnessing the whole exchange.
“Oh shut up! We met like a week ago.”
***
Fast forward to the end of the match. You guys won two to none, the second goal scored by Minho with the assistance of Jeongin and Hyunjin. Everyone was excited, the adrenalin and momentum of the game still hasn't passed. The smell of sweat and coke (coca-cola!) heavy in the air as you sat with the team on the benches and reminiscenced the game.
“Jeongin! That goal of yours was really great, you had so much control over the ball. All those hours of practice have paid off!”
Jeongin shyly hid his face, all the praise from his captain making him feel fuzzy from the inside.
“Yeah, everyone in the bleachers froze in anticipation when you kicked the ball,” you chimed in, feeling the need to join the praise bandwagon for the boy, “it was really cool.”
After that, Jeongin continued to receive pats on the back from fellow teammates, a few coaches, and random people that you didn't even know who came to congratulate him on his flawless playing today.
Overall, everyone had a great time. The stars were out and you all just wanted to soak up the atmosphere. So this is what having a social life during your teenage years meant? It made you wonder, how much were you missing out on. You wished time would just freeze, allowing you to live in this moment forever. You were gonna have to thank Seungmin for this later.
Jeongin, who was seated next to you must have noticed you zoning out. He placed his palm on your shoulder and asked, “are you ok Y/N? Do you want us to take you home?”
You blinked. Once. Twice. And only after the third time did you realize, that you still haven’t answered his question. You smiled before letting the reassuring words slip out of your mouth, “I'm fine. Great actually. Can't remember when was the last time I had so much fun.”
He sighed in relief, glad that you were having fun. From what he could tell (and from what Seungmin told him) you didn't have many friends nor did you hang out with people. The only person you considered a friend was Seungmin and he wasn't exactly a social butterfly himself, opting to study in most of his free time.
All of you ended up chatting until nine pm, completely forgetting about the time and simply enjoying yourselves. You checked your phone at nine-thirty, gasping in shock at the time.
“Everything ok?” Chan asked with concern.
“Um, yeah. Just didn’t realize it was so late. I should probably get going,” you muttered nervously, picking up all your belongings and shoving them into your bag.
“Oh right, it's quite late already. We'll give you a ride, right Chan?” Jeongin turned to his captain.
“Of course. Let's all get going. Chop chop. C'mon Hyunjin, you can tell them about your skincare routine next time,” he pulled the whining boy away from his third victim today.
You packed yourselves into the van, the seating arrangements only slightly different from on your way here. Hyunjin must have been still pissed at Chan for cutting his skincare speech short because he wouldn't shut up about it on the way to the parking lot. He kept going on and on about how moisturizing is important, even if you have oily skin. The captain dismissed his rant with a laugh and started the engine as the complaining boy sat down in the passenger seat.
At some point, Into the unknown came on shuffle and all the boys except Jeongin started singing. You burst out in laughter at their failed attempts at singing the high notes, seeing Jeongin hide his face in embarrassment.
“Guys! Come on, stop it,” he pleaded but the older boys only smirked in response and started singing even louder. By now, you were dying from laughing so hard, Jeongin having to pat your back aggressively so you won't choke on your own spit.
After they got bored of singing, you became their main talking point and they kept asking you borderline intrusive questions until Jeongin told them off, seeing how you turned slightly uneasy. Because of the typical Saturday evening traffic, you ended up falling asleep on the shoulder of a slightly pink Jeongin. He became super nervous once he realized you weren't awake and tried his best not to move and to hold you steady on every speed bump.
It took about fifteen more minutes for you guys to arrive in front of your place. Chan parked on the street and turned to say goodbye.
“Thanks for coming, Y/N. We're glad you came. Hope you had fun too,” he smiled, his dimples making an appearance.
“Jeongin especially,” Jisung whispered not-so-quietly and squeaked from the death glare Chan shot him.
You laughed softly, your cheeks bunching up as you waved them goodbye.
When you were laying in bed, your mind wandered off to today's events. As much as you didn't want to admit it, Seungmin was right. You really enjoyed yourself.
***
It was a sunny Monday morning when you were walking up the steps to your school entrance. You spent the rest of the weekend thinking about the Saturday game, not yet sure, how you felt about this newfound hobby. Maybe you should really spend more time with people. You also washed up Jeongin's varsity jacket that you forgot to return on Saturday evening.
You held the paper bag containing the washed piece of clothing in your right hand as you pushed the entrance door with your left. It felt all too easy, almost as if the door opened on its own. And you realized that no, you didn't grow stronger from that one arm toning workout you did yesterday as you saw a veiny hand press into the glass.
You turned to face that mystery person, only to sigh in relief as you were left face to face with Chan.
“Oh, hello,” you smiled, greeting him rather timidly. Because let's face it - you weren't exactly sure if they even considered you a friend. You were just some random girl that came to their soccer game.
Thankfully, he seemed to consider you a friend too as he gave you his dimpled smile, “hey Y/N, how was your weekend?”
“It was pretty good. I had lots of fun on Saturday and yesterday I just chilled,” you beamed.
“Same here,” he laughed, “we all pretty much passed out when we got home- oh shoot, the bell's off, I have to get to class. See you around.”
With a simple wave, he dashed out of your sight, turning around the corner to climb up the stairs to his classroom. You then remembered that you too had class and if you didn't wanna be late, you'd have to make a dash for it too.
***
It was during lunch break that you remembered that you had to return Jeongin his jacket. You nervously walked to his homeroom, anxious about what was going to happen. Will he think you're weird for coming to his class? Will he be embarrassed when you come up to him in front of all his friends? You sighed as you entered the classroom. It seemed like nobody noticed you at first, everyone was way too immersed with their own stuff. You could see that they all got along, the room booming with chatter and laughter.
Jeongin's table was near the window, a girl's chair turned to face him as they both engaged in a conversation. You awkwardly shuffled a few meters away, not wanting to interrupt. It was a truly wrecking moment, you even considered just turning around and disappearing without a trace but Jeongin noticed you and gave you a wide smile.
“Hey Y/N. What brings you here?”
You stood there for a few seconds before you finally remembered, what you came for. “Umm, hi. Just wanted to return this,” you handed him the bag, “I washed it and everything. Thanks for borrowing it.”
His eyes flashed in recognition after he peeked into the bag and he immediately returned the bag to your hand.
“It's fine,” he mumbled with slightly rosy cheeks (not that you noticed), “you can have it, I don't mind.”
You stared at him in shock, mouth slightly agape to which he awkwardly laughed. You were about to protest but the bell rang and Jeongin muttered that you should better get back to class.
You nodded in embarrassment, not even being able to look him in the eye as you hastily waved and ran out of the classroom.
You were mentally beating yourself up for that, you should have never come to his class, he must have been embarrassed that someone like you came to his class, everyone was probably used to him hanging around popular people like that girl he was talking to.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. You stuffed the paper bag with his jacket into your backpack, what were you even supposed to do with it - did he not hear that you washed it or something?
When you arrived home, you hung the jacket on one of the hooks near the door and headed to your room to get some homework done.
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Three
It was a few months later that you and Jeongin officially became friends. During that time, the both of you hung out a lot more, courtesy of Seungmin and the rest of the soccer team who thought the two of you made great friends. It started out simple at first: getting coffee together, working on homework, and cursing that physics assignment you both had no clue how to finish.
Times like these made you realize how much of a fun person Jeongin was. There was never a dull moment around him yet despite his easygoing and fun nature, you noticed he preferred to keep to himself, only hanging out with his closest circle of friends. A category which you seemed to now fall under too.
Despite all your anxiousness about whether you were even “worthy” (as some would say) of being his friend, Jeongin always told you that he didn't care if you weren't labeled as popular by the rest of the student body.
“Y/N, we've had this conversation many times already. I really couldn't care less that you aren't a popular cheerleader and don't have Gucci bags,” he smiled, pushing a stray strand of hair that fell in front of your face, behind your ear.
“I know, I know. Sorry Jeongin, I know you aren't like that. I just get really anxious when those kids bury me with their gazes when I dare look at you.”
“Look, if anyone is bothering you, please tell me ok? I'll talk to them. I don't want you to suffer from being my friend,” he smiled, waving the waitress over to order for you guys.
“Don't worry, Jeongin. I promise I will,” you smiled, turning back to your physics workbook. The homework was on magnetic motors or something like that and you had no clue how to do it.
“Umm, do you know the answer to question three?” you asked, chewing on your bottom lip.
“Nope. I fell asleep during that class,” he admitted with a chuckle.
“Oh come on. You can't do that. You should pay attention.”
“Like you paid any,” he pointed, taking a sip of his lemonade.
“Excuse me!” you gasped, “I did pay attention. I just didn't understand any of it. That's different.”
“Hmm. It sure is.”
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Four
You were leaning over the sink in your bathroom, blood and flower petals splattered all over as you tried your best to get it all out of your throat. The petals were bright yellow. Sunflower petals.
How ironic, you thought. Sunflowers represented adoration, longevity, and pure thoughts. Just like how you felt towards Jeongin. And how he'd never feel towards you.
You bit back a sob as you choked on even more of the soft petals. In a sense, you were quite lucky - had you been coughing up any other flower (especially roses), it would probably hurt way more. But that still didn't mean that it wasn't painful. Your breath heaved as you tried your best to take deep breaths, your constricted lungs filled with petals, not exactly helping.
You have been suffering from the hanahaki disease for a few weeks now. You always thought it was a myth from the internet, never once have you expected to run to the bathroom at three am to hurl petals into the sink. It started slowly at first. You'd only cough out some petals and drops of blood, but it got progressively worse.
You'd have days that you wouldn't be able to even get out of bed with the exhaustion you felt. All you wanted to do was sleep and forget about the cute boy with dimples. But no, you could never be angry at Jeongin. He was an absolute sweetheart who was nothing but kind to everybody. You couldn't exactly blame him for being around other people. That's right, you didn't know if they were dating but he seemed to hang around this girl called Lia a lot recently, the one he was talking to months prior. They seemed to be good friends too, apparently knowing each other for years now. You tried your best to suppress the jealousy that was rising in you, along with the petals.
You quickly turned back to the sink, just in time for it to catch the new batch of bloodied petals. Even thinking about her made your heart ache and you absolutely despised yourself for that. Lia was nothing but a sweet girl that always smiled at you in the hallway and occasionally made small talk with you.
***
A week later you were walking down the corridor, looking for the vending machine. It seems like they recently moved it from its original location, in front of the lab. You turned around the corner, your eyes bulging out of your skull at what you saw.
Jeongin and Lia were hunched near the lockers, whispering and giggling at something. He said something, making the girl shake her head in denial as he arched his brow. You couldn't watch anymore, quickly running back and abandoning your original plan of finding the vending machine and instead, running to the bathroom. You slammed the door shut, flinging yourself over the toilet as you vomited heaps of the yellow petals, this time mixed with some green leaves and stems. This was by far the worst case, you have never thrown up green before.
You wiped your dry lips, attempting to take deep breaths and calm your heart. It was horrible what seeing the two together did to you. You couldn't believe you lost control like that only a few meters away from him. What would happen if he saw you?
You had to suppress it. He could never find out.
***
It was a truly painful day. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day and you could see all the stores decorated with pinks and reds, hearts everywhere, and signs welcoming couples with tempting discounts.
Your stomach did flips as you walked the path to the school door. It hurt. It hurt so fucking much. You contemplated calling sick the next day and not going to school at all, but you had an important paper to hand in and the professor was especially grumpy and wanted it on his desk on that particular day.
You trudged up the steps with a frown, when you heard your name being called.
“Hey, Y/N,” Chan called after you, running up the stairs to catch up.
“Oh hey, Chan,” you mumbled, mustering up your best fake smile but he still managed to see through it.
“Is everything ok?” he asked, obviously concerned.
“Yeah, just a little tired,” you dismissed, leaving him and running towards your locker.
Good job Y/N, you groaned, now you can't even hang out with your other friends.
You spent the rest of the day avoiding the whole group, trying your best to overpower the need to throw up petals. You didn't want to repeat the previous incident in school. Jeongin must have by now noticed how distant you were. He probably thought you hated him by how you kept avoiding him for the past month.
He probably wanted to ask you to come to his game tomorrow which you sure as hell weren't planning to attend. On top of the fact that you could literally shower the whole stands with petals, it was also going to be Valentine's day and there was no telling if the boy was going to ask Lia out or something like that.
And your heart wouldn't be able to handle that.
You ran home after your last period. Your stomach growled at the lack of lunch but you figured it was better than running into one of them.
You stomped into the bathroom, not even taking off your shoes as you threw up into the bin. There was more blood today. There was no telling of what would happen tomorrow, the romantic atmosphere would probably only serve as a bitter reminder of your broken heart.
You wiped your lips, deciding that taking a shower would be in your best interest. After that, you sat by your desk and made some finishing touches to the essay due tomorrow.
Maybe you would just come to turn it in and then dip…
***
You woke up with a strangled cry, the dream you had still playing in your head. With a groan you slumped out of bed, ready to prepare for the day but to your horror, you realized that you overslept. You had approximately ten minutes before you had to leave.  You brushed your teeth, shoved some toast down your throat, and gathered your things. With a sense of urgency, you threw on jeans, a blouse, and some sneakers, not feeling like dressing up.
You had to leave immediately. Like now. You grabbed your backpack, quickly checking the essay was there, took your keys off the hook, and grabbed the first jacked you could find. It was dark blue (and very soft) meaning it would match almost anything you had on and since the weather was chilly, you wouldn't want to risk catching a cold.
Running out the door, you pulled it on and slung the backpack on your shoulder, running to the bus stop. Only then did you notice the engraved initials YJ on the sleeve and cursed yourself for bringing the wrong one. You would have taken it off right away if it wasn't for the blasting AC.
You stomped up the chairs, annoyance coursing through your veins. This day couldn't get any worse. Still thinking about leaving after handing in the assignment, you almost avoided going to your locker but remembered the jacket. You'd just drop it in and head to the professor's office.
You dug around for your keys until you finally found them in the bottom of your backpack. You slid it in the keyhole and opened the locker.
You were surprised by a giant teddy plushie and a box of chocolates. Your eyes widened in surprise before you heard a loud “surprise”.
Turning around, you were face to face with a grinning Jeongin. He stood over you with a large bouquet of beautiful sunflowers and the rest of the team, Lia, and Seungmin were all behind him cheering and throwing confetti.
To say that you were in shock would be a massive understatement. The look of utter confusion must have been plastered on your face as Jeongin smiled and handed you the bouquet.
“For me?”
He nodded slowly, examining your expression. You took the flowers from him, lowering your head to smell them.
“No one's ever given me something like this before,” you croaked, tears beginning to well in your eyes.
Jeongin nervously stood there before grabbing your hand and looking you in the eyes.
“Y/N, we've been friends for some time now but I wanted to ask you… Will you be my valentine?”
“Of course I will,” you whispered, almost jumping at him and swallowing him in a bone-crushing hug.
“I've liked you for some time now,” you admitted after a while, burying your head into his chest and enjoying the sudden way you seemed to breathe easier, not feeling the itchy petals in your throat anymore.
“Same here,” he laughed.
“Wait really? Since when?” you asked perplexed.
“Since I gave you my jacket,” he grinned, “I'm glad to see that you're making proper use of it.”
“Come on everybody, let's leave them alone,” Chan hollered, dragging everybody away to give you guys some privacy.
“I'm sorry if it seemed like I was avoiding you for the past week. I was planning with Lia on how to do, how to do all of this, you know,” he pointed at all the gifts he got you.
“Thank you,” you smiled again, “I really appreciate it Jeongin.”
“Do you want to come to the game today? I'd introduce you to all my other friends.”
“I'd love to.”
He seemed to be thinking about something, his nose scrunching up before he looked at you and placed his hands on your waist.
You peered at him through your lashes as he slowly leaned down, pressing his plush lips to yours and sealing them into a kiss. You closed your eyes, leaning down to get even closer to him as you gripped his shirt for support. The kiss was short but sweet and you were startled apart by a loud wolf whistle.
You turned around, cheeks burning in embarrassment at Jisung doing kissy faces and Hyunjin laughing in the background. You almost jumped away and Jeongin just chuckled.
“The game starts two hours after school. Do you want to go on like a proper date before that?”
“Sure,” you smiled, “I should probably get going, I have to submit this essay,” you waved the piece of paper that counted for nearly half of your final grade for the quarter.
“Don't forget the flowers,” he pointed to the bouquet.
“About that, maybe I should leave it in my locker. You know - to not start anything,”
“Y/N,” he said with a serious tone, “I don't care what the others think. They'll know by the evening anyways.”
You were startled at first, but then realized that he was right. No more caring about what others thought about you.
Now it was just you and Jeongin. You liked the sound of that.
“Okay,” you smiled, picking up the flowers, “I'll meet you at two in front of the lockers.”
With a smile, you walked in the direction of your classroom. After weeks of pain and sorrow, you finally felt like everything fell into place.
***
a/n: aaaaaaah. idk why all my oneshots so far are for jeongin but nvm. hope you liked it. it couldn't resist the idea of soccer player jeongin ;)
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eurydicees · 3 years
Note
For the prompts, any fandom, any ship: decadence. Just the word decadence, let's see what you can do, go wild
ahhhh thank you for this prompt!! this was so much fun to write. i hope you don't mind that i chose kyohru. i've never written them before but i've been aching to, i just didn't have a good idea. hope you enjoy :)
i promise to remember every sunrise with you
summary: an introspective night under the stars, and a moment together under the sunrise. takes place some point after tohru finds out that kyo will be locked up after high school.
pairings: kyo sohma/tohru honda
words: 1536
warnings: none
The thing he will miss the most, Kyo thinks, when he is caged, is the sky at night. He’ll miss the stars, and the way that they blink in and out with the wind, as if they are wind chimes pushed from side to side with each passing cloud. He’ll miss the lights of the planes as they fly by, the red and green blinking in the moonlight like something alien. He’ll miss the moon, the crescent and the gibbous and the full moon, all hanging in the sky like a face looking down and loving him.
He lies on the roof, now, staring up at the stars. It’s four am, and the sun is beginning to peek over the horizon, rosy fingers beginning to drift out and over, lighting the sky with her sunrise-red and gold. He wants the night to last a little longer, wants the darkness to stay and hide him for just a few more hours. He needs the loneliness, sometimes.
Other times, he wants nothing more than to be with people. He wants nothing more than to hold hands with someone— his mind speaks a name and he does not let it sit on his tongue for long— or hug them, or find the sweetness of being held in a way he has never felt before. Other times, he wants nothing more than to be in the light, reaching out to find someone there to reach back. Other times, he wants nothing more than to laugh with a friend, to let happiness fill him up until he’s spilling over with it.
He knows, though, that he does not deserve it. He was cursed long before he ever knew he hungered for such a thing as happiness, and bearing his curse means starving.
Kyo shifts slightly, moving his hands behind his head to rest on his palms, crossing his ankles. He feels steady up here in a way that he doesn’t feel in the stifling heat of the house. Though the day is humid, these ghost hours of the night are cool. He sighs, closing his eyes.
He thinks of the little hut with the cage that he will be put in after graduation— because he knows, deep down in a place that he cannot accept, that he will lose his bet with Akito. He knows, in a way that sits and settles bone deep and that he ignores so carefully, that he will never win against Yuki. His punches always land slightly off, he always commits to his dive a little too strongly, his stance always slips a little too early.
Kyo isn’t giving up. Not yet. He can keep training. He’ll win, he tells himself, and be accepted, and then he can sit and stare at the stars for as many nights as he wants. He can sit on a roof and make wishes on airplanes and track the moon’s waxing and waning and be free. He can drink in the wind and let himself drift away on it, letting it relax him. There will be no confined spaces to fear, no cages to prepare himself for, no people to get ready to miss.
He will be able to indulge this one thing. He will drink in the stars and he will hold them on his tongue and he will let them burn. He will let himself live.
There are other things, too, that he will miss. He knows this in the same way that he knows he will be locked up: with certainty, and with a carefully executed ignorance. There are things that he knows he cannot let himself hope for.
“What are you doing up here?”
Kyo opens his eyes, turning towards the ladder at the side of the house. “Tohru?”
Tohru pokes her head above the edge of the roof, looking at him with wide eyes. “Can I… join you?”
“Sure,” he says, more earnest than he had meant to make it sound. He wants her to join him in this silence, he realizes. He wants her to find him in the secrecy of his thoughts. “What’re you doing up?”
She shrugs, crawling onto the roof. She’s hesitant with every step, as if she’s afraid that she’ll fall off. He sits up, reaching his hand out to steady her. She takes it with even more hesitance, but her grip is strong when he helps her sit down next to him.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” she says softly. “I don’t know why. But I thought I would come watch the sunrise. I didn’t know you would be awake.”
Kyo nods, turning away from her. From the roof, they can see the entire city, they can watch as the world wakes up below them. The sun hasn’t risen yet, not entirely, but the sky is turning a lighter blue than the nighttime had brought. The sun is spreading out over the horizon, spilling colors along the line of mountain and forest and city, rising up and painting the sky gold.
This, too, he will miss. This, too, will be something he aches for. Once he’s in that cage, he will never see the sunrise again. He’ll never sit with Tohru and watch the brilliance of the light.
“Why are you awake?” Tohru asks, glancing over at him.
He looks at her, and she turns away, cheeks flushed, as if she’s embarrassed to have been caught looking. He wonders why she does that— why she looks. Every time that she sees him, Kyo can’t help but feel like she’s seeing something more than his eyes, like she’s seeing straight into his thoughts rather than just letting her gaze wash over his face. It’s strange, though, because he doesn’t feel invaded so much as he feels cared for. Someone cares enough to truly see him, to try to understand him.
For so long, Kyo had thought that he was unknowable. But Tohru is trying to unravel all of his webs and nets and fears. Tohru is trying to know him, and Kyo aches to tell her every secret he has ever kept.
He won’t. He knows that would be the end of everything. One day, he’ll have the courage. Maybe right before he’s locked up, he thinks bitterly, so that she never has to look at him again.
“Couldn’t sleep either,” Kyo finally says, breaking himself out of his self-induced misery. “Bad dreams.”
“Do you want to talk about them?” Tohru asks. “Sometimes that helps.”
Kyo shrugs. He pulls one knee up to his chest, resting his elbow against it. Tohru, next to him, wraps both her arms around her legs, holding herself close.
“That’s okay,” Tohru says. “You don’t have to. I remember whenever Mom asked about my bad dreams, I never wanted to tell her, even if I knew it would help.”
“It’s just… weird to talk about,” Kyo confesses. He doesn’t look at her, just keeps his eyes on the horizon. “I just think too much, you know?”
Tohru nods, eyes unfocused. She’s drifting off into her head, he can tell. She’s going somewhere that he can’t follow.
Somehow, though, he finds that he doesn’t mind when she does that while he’s with her. He’s grateful for any amount of time with her, whether or not it’s spent in silence. If he’s going to be locked in a cage for the rest of his life, he wants as many sunrises with Tohru as he can count, no matter the amount of talking versus dreaming.
“It’s so beautiful,” Tohru murmurs, so soft that he almost doesn’t hear it.
She’s looking out at the horizon. The sun on her cheek glitters like drops of molten gold in her eyes, her entire face lit up by the sunrise. He studies the way she looks out at it, the soft frown of her lips that’s slowly turning into a gentle smile, so small that he wonders if he knows she’s smiling. The way that her hair falls in front of her face, the way that it curls at her forehead.
He reaches out and brushes her hair behind her ear. She turns to look at him, eyes still bright. “It is.”
He’s not talking about the sunrise, and he thinks that they both know it.
But neither says anything— he just turns away, looking out at the sky, indulging himself in this sunrise. In this moment with Tohru, this peace that he may never find again.
Tohru sighs, and she scoots closer, pressed to his side. She drops her head against his shoulder, and he tries not to tense up. He’s so unused to any kind of physical touch, but even as he thinks that, he can feel himself relaxing into the feeling. He can feel himself softening.
When he’s locked up, Kyo thinks, this is a memory that will keep him going. This is something that he will hold onto hungrily, when he’s starved of everything else. When Akito is the only person that he sees, when he can never find the stars again, he’ll think of this moment. He’ll think of Tohru.
For now, though, he’s just going to watch the sunrise with her, and count each star that fades.
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My loyalty can be bought - Chapter 7
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Author’s note: The journey is almost over. Maybe two more chapters. Sometimes I want to write thousands of words but that would probably bore you. Thanks to everyone who reads my stories. It means the world to me. 
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
„When was this picture taken?“ Bucky, Sam and Zemo, the golden trio, stand in Sharon Carter’s apartment looking at all her illegal paintings. But a certain framed picture got Bucky’s attention. On this picture was Sharon and you.  A cigarette was between your fingers and a bottle of Vodka was in the other hand. Your wedding ring wasn’t on your left ring-finger anymore. Instead you wore it as a necklace. You looked different. Your hair was darker than usual and you wore more make-up. If Bucky hadn’t memorize every feature of your body he wouldn’t have recognize you.
„Three years ago… I think… During that time (y/f/n) and I were pretty close but now not anymore. I think that’s a side effect when you are the vice-director of SHIELD. She doesn’t trust me anymore.“
Bucky didn’t know what shocked him most. You being vice-president of SHIELD or you not trusting Sharon anymore. After all, you and Sharon were really good friends. 
„She said my loyalty can be bought and that’s not a good character trait.“ Sharon continues talking as she pours herself a glas of whiskey.
Bucky jumps to his feet and pushes Sharon against the wall who drops the glas. „Bucky!“, Sam screams and stands right behind Bucky. „What the hell are you doing?“
„And did you sell your loyalty to the one who kidnapped (y/f/n)? Did you?“, Bucky shouts at her.
He knew it. Right from the beginning when they met Sharon after all those years. Something was off. She’s not innocent
Sharon doesn’t look at Bucky but instead at her mobile phone. Sam follows her gaze, unlocks the phone and finds a voice message of you just a day before the abduction: 
„Tell your little friends to stop following me. I don’t like being followed, Sharon. I know the identity of the power broker and I also know that SHIELD is infiltrated by HYDRA again. I’m neither blind nor naive. Why are you working with her, Sharon? I thought you hated Valentina. Why are you cooperating with her? I’m warning you. Leave them alone. Leave my family alone.“
The call ends. Your voice still hard and strong, echoing through Bucky’s mind. 
„Where the hell is she? If you want to live you better tell me.“
„She knew how this would end. (Y/f/n) played with fire and got burnt. You really think she’s still the same quirky and naive teenager who just lived for the love of a man. Wake up, Bucky. How do you think she got the job at SHIELD? You still trust her even thought she kept all the secrets.“ Sharon tries to free herself but Bucky’s grip is too strong. „Did she tell you that the first year of being a mother she wasn’t even with her child because of her depressions? She gave the kid to Tony and Pepper. Did you know that? Did she tell you how close she was with Clint Barton? Did she tell you about the huge argument she had with Steve and that they weren’t on speaking terms for 3 years? Did she tell you that she lived in Madripoor for months? And did she tell you that she was with Barton on their criminal missions? No, I bet not. She’s still acting like this weak woman around you but believe me. She’s not innocent.“ Sharon spats in Bucky’s face. 
„For the last time. Where is she?“ Not responding to Sharon's accusations.
„I’ll show you because she’s probably already dead. It was her or me and after all she was right about one thing: My loyalty can be bought.“ Sharon’s voice is filled with anger as she smiles at Bucky and Sam wickedly.
Sharon leads the way, a gun is pointed in her back. „If that’s a trap I’ll make sure you will regret the day you betrayed (y/f/n).“, Bucky whispers in her ear. 
After a while they walk into a dark building which is guarded with several soldiers with heavy guns. 
„They are with me. They wanna see the project.“
As they walk down the hall they see many doors with little windows. Bucky see other men and women in white hospital clothing laying on bed. 
„(Y/f/n) is our special guest. She’s in the last room.“
The last room has three more soldiers guarding the door. As they step aside and Bucky, Sharon, Sam and Zemo enter the room, Bucky’s heart drops. There you are. Unconscious and weak. Bucky pushes Sharon aside and walks directly to your bed. 
„Love?“, He caress your left cheek with his big hand. „Can you hear me? I need you to wake up. We have to get you out of here.“ He takes the syringe out of your arm and shakes you softly but you don’t respond. 
„I’ve brought them here as you wished.“, mumbles Sharon in her ear piece. 
The door opens again and soldiers run into the room to take their positions. „What a great day. Killing the winter soldier, the falcon and the vice-director of SHIELD. And this guy.“ A woman with black hair and big silver earrings walks into the room, looking from Bucky, to Sam, to you and to Zemo. „Good work, Carter. Well done.“, she pats Sharon on her shoulder. „You are Ms. De Fontaine. You were friends with Steve. How can you betray his legacy?“, Sam asks disgusted by her betrayal. „The world changes, Mr. Wilson. So does people and people’s goals.“ 
As Sharon and Valentina De Fontaine walk out of this room, Bucky and Sam, and even Zemo make themselves ready to fight. 
„Have fun, boys.“, Valentina chimes as the the door closed. 
15 soldiers versus 3 men. Bucky attacks first and then there was utter chaos. Punches, knife stabs and kicks. All you can hear are bones cracking, cries and thuds. Sam is pressed against the wall with no option to escape. „Any last words?“ , asks the soldier who points a gun at Sam. But before Sam could do anything the soldier collapses on the floor with a bullet in his left temple. Sam turns to his right. There is you. You lean against the wall with shaking legs. The gun is still in your hands as you whisper „Asshole“. While Sam and Zemo take the end of this fight as a small break to catch breath, Bucky rushes to you. He hugs you and kisses you dirty hair. „We need to get out of here.“ He grabs your hand as you all escape Madripoor. 
Later on the plane, Bucky looks at you intensively. „Why didn’t you tell me?“
You look at him confusion written on your face. „Tell you about what?“
„About everything. You and SHIELD; You and Steve and you and Barton. I didn’t know you were a couple.“ The last part hurts Bucky the most. He feels this green monster inside him roaring out of jealousy.
„Clint and I were never a couple. Maybe a couple of idiots and friends. But there was never more between us. Clint and I lost so much but we didn’t lose the love we had for those who we lost. At that time we were in so much pain and grieve. No, a romantic relationship was something both of us never wanted- not with each other or with anyone else.“, you reassure Bucky. He doesn’t show it but Bucky is relieved and happy. 
„There is still so much that I don’t know about you.“
„James, we broke up after you came back, remember? And people don’t really talk with their ex-partners.“
„Breaking up with you was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.“, whispers Bucky just for you to hear it. 
„It’s okay, James. I’m okay. We changed. We both did. You changed. I changed. Heck, our whole family and the whole universe changed. And love does the same too.“
„Mine didn’t.“, says Bucky. „My feelings for you never changed. I still love you.“
You smile at Bucky for a while, not reacting to his love confession immediately.
You lean your head against the cold window of the plane and close your eyes. You spoke so softly that Bucky almost missed it you say. „I’ll always love you.“
Chapter 8
Author’s note at the end: Sorry, for making Sharon kinda bad. I love the Sharon in the movies and I love the actress, so it’s definitely nothing personal. Did you notice how much my you-character changed? A few chapters ago in Bucharest she didn't notice that she and Bucky were being followed but now she's more aware of her surrounding. ;)
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petri808 · 3 years
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hiii i am absolutely obsessed with ur drabbles could u please do nalu #4 and #39 pls🥺
“Walk out that door and we’re through” + “Please come home, I miss you”
This was tough cause the questions could trigger a story similar to this one I also did for these prompt asks round. But I think I can make it different enough, albeit angst hell 😅 here we go! It’s a little rushed but longer then I expected for a ficlet lol
“Lucy,” Natsu knocked at the office door, “it’s time to go.”
“Where?” She answered without looking up.
“Levy’s birthday party.”
“Oh!” Lucy sat up in her desk chair and turned her body to face her husband. “Right! I forgot. Um, shucks, but I’m on a writing high right now and I can’t stop— tell her I’ll make it up to her, will ya?”
She always says that… Natsu sighed, “yeah, sure…”
Levy Redfox was Lucy’s childhood best friend and while the woman was also his friend, it just didn’t sit well with Natsu that she’d choose writing over the woman. But this had been an ongoing issue lately... Don’t get him wrong, he fully supported his wife’s career as an author, especially now that it’s really starting to take off. The issue was it had consumed her at the expense of everyone around her.
He knocked on their friends door, answered by Levy herself.
“Natsu!” Levy hugged the man excitedly, but when she noticed he was alone, frowned a tad. “Again, huh?”
“I’m sorry, Levy,” Natsu’s shoulders slumped. “Lucy’s in a,” he made quotation marks in the air, “‘writing high,’ and said she’ll make it up to you.”
“Well, I’m glad you came,” the woman smiled despite the sadness hiding behind her eyes.
All of their closest friends were in attendance and spent the evening talking, eating, and playing a few fun birthday games. It distracted him to some extent, but as the night wore down and the other guests had all left, Natsu, his best friend Gray Fullbuster, Levy, and her husband Gajeel sat around in the living room talking about the elephant in the room. Lucy.
“I’ve tried talking to her,” Levy said quietly, “but, I try not to make it sound too harsh.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what you need to do babe,” Gajeel chimed in. “Be blunt.”
“Yeah, I’m like you,” Natsu agreed with Levy. “It’s not easy to bring it up cause she’s oblivious about it.”
“But it’s hurting your marriage man!” Gray looked at Natsu. “And your friendship,” he switched to Levy. “I’m with Gajeel. If you aren’t honest with her, it’s not gonna get better.”
“Think I don’t know that?!” Natsu spat back. “Think I enjoy being the only one in that house in pain?! I don’t, but—” his voice cracked, “I’m worried I’ll push her away if I say something.”
“She’s already pushing you away dude. Do you still love her?”
“Of course, I do,” Natsu sighed. “I love her more than anything, but apparently it’s not enough… we haven’t even… you know, I can’t remember the last time.”
“Wow… Then you really gotta tell her. All of it,” Gray coaxed.
Levy who’d sat quietly through the back and forth, chimed in quietly. “Gray’s right. You should tell her, when you go home, just tell her how you’re feeling. And whatever happens, happens. We can just hope for the best.”
“You know you’ll be the first to hear from her if I do,” Natsu pointed out.
“I know. But… it’s time I come clean too.”
Natsu slumped back onto the couch and let out a depressed exhale. “And you,” he looked to Gray. “You know if it goes wrong I’ll be showing up at your door.”
“My couch has your name on it.”
“Gee, thanks.”
That had to be the longest drive home Natsu had ever taken, even though it was really just 10 minutes. He was a physical person by nature and never been very good at expressing his feelings in words. Words were his wife’s domain. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but his biggest fear was saying things wrong. With his hand on the doorknob, Natsu took one last breath and opened the door to her office. He knew before entering, Lucy was still working by the clacks of the keyboard and interrupting would immediately cause friction. But he couldn’t wait anymore.
“I’m home,” Natsu called out… with no response. He sighed and spoke more sternly. “Lucy. I’m home.”
“Oh, welcome home,” she finally responded. “How was the party?”
He knew it was an empty question, because she never even looked up or stopped typing and it meant she wasn’t really listening. “Lucy… we need to talk.”
“I’m kinda busy Natsu.”
“I know, but you’re always busy Lucy. That’s part of the problem.” The moment the last word came out, Natsu knew instantly he’d picked the wrong one. Crap.
Lucy stopped typing, turned off the screen and shut the laptop. “Problem?” She turned the chair around with her eyes narrowed in a focused glare. “What do you mean, problem?”
“Lucy,” he ran a hand down his face, “I don’t want to fight, but we need to talk— there’s a lot we need to talk about.”
“Like what?” She crossed her arms. “What is so important that you need to mess with my job?”
There it was.
“I’m not trying to do that,” he sighed. “You know how proud I am of your career. But, it feels as if you’re choosing your career over everything else in your life. Me, your friends, we’re all just being pushed aside—”
“Are you kidding me?!” Lucy shot out of her chair shaking in anger. “I am not doing any of that! I’m not pushing anyone away! Y-You’re the one who’s acting selfish trying to tell me I’m not giving you enough attention! And don’t you bring Levy into this! If this was bothering her she’d tell me!”
“It does bother her! But she’s afraid of getting,” he gestured with his hands up and down at Lucy, “this reaction! Is it selfish to want to spend some time with my own wife?!” Natsu growled. “We never spend time together anymore! You’re just always hunched over that damn computer!”
“I’m doing my job!” Lucy shrieked. “I have deadlines to meet! This story ain’t gonna write itself! Research ain’t gonna materialize on its own! It’s a lot of work!”
“Lucy,” Natsu pinched his brows together, trying hard to stop from snapping further as well as to control the tears building in his eyes. “I love you, more than anything in this world, but I don’t know what happened to the woman I’d married. The old Lucy wouldn’t abandon her loved ones like this.”
“You’re just mad because I’m successful now.”
“That’s bullshit! And you know it! No job is worth losing the people you care about, and if you can’t understand that, then, I don’t know what else to say!”
“Then I guess there isn’t anything more to say,” she spat back.
“I guess not.” Natsu answered softly, turned and left the room.
He’d already assumed confronting Lucy about her precious career would not end well, and he was right. Staying would only cause more trouble. So, he quietly packed a suitcase to go to Gray’s house, making sure to bring anything he’d need because he had no idea how long he’d stay there. He’d said his peace; it really was all in Lucy’s hands now.
Back in her office, Lucy dropped back down into her chair as the full weight of what just transpired hit her like a ton of bricks. She cradled her face in her hands as the anger that had fueled her response suddenly mixed with sadness. Tears flowed free. Did that really just happen?! She could hear Natsu moving around in the bedroom, the opening of drawers, the closet, the zipping sound of the suitcase, each and every step driving a knife deeper and deeper. How dare he tell her to stop writing! This was her dream! Her livelihood! Why couldn’t he just support her instead of acting like a child who wasn’t getting attention!
When she heard Natsu walking towards the front door area, Lucy raced out of the room to confront him one last time.
“Walk out that door and we’re through!” She screamed. “Do you hear me? We’re through!”
Natsu ignored her words knowing it was the anger talking… hoping it was just the emotions fueling her rage. “I’ll be at Gray’s,” he simply responded with a hint of sadness in his tone. “You should really think long and hard about this Lucy, because if not, you’ll lose a lot more than you realize.” And with that, he closed the front door behind him.
Lucy crumpled to the ground and wailed— raged, banging the floor with her fists as the sobbing overtook her. She truly could not understand what brought this on. Hadn’t she been a good wife?! Faithful! Hard working! What more did he want?! All she was doing was trying to make it in the cut-throat world of publishing. Does he not understand how hard it is to make it in that world?! She pulled her phone from her pocket and started to dial Levy’s phone number. But just as she got to the last two numbers, she stopped. It was already 1 am, and it would be rude to wake her friend up. Lucy sniffled and hung her head in shame before dragging herself back towards the bedroom. She’ll just call in the morning.
When Levy answered the phone, Lucy was slightly taken aback by the response. Not a hello, just a, ‘I wondered when you’d call.’ Evidently the woman was expecting it, but she was too tired to let it add to her problems. She hadn’t slept much after Natsu left— no surprise. She was still angry, but also confused, sad, and just mentally drained of life. Her friend agreed to come over in a bit, so Lucy dragged herself into the shower hoping it would make her feel better.
“Wow, you don’t look good,” Levy remarked at her friend.
“Hi to you too,” Lucy mumbled as she moved to the side to let her friend in. “Who would after a fight?”
Once settled on the couch, Levy went straight to the point before Lucy could even begin. “I already know what this is about. I know Natsu’s side, so start with yours.”
“Wow— okay, well—” Lucy pulled her legs up and tucked them underneath her body in a protective mode. “He tried to tell me to stop writing and I thought that was bullshit,” she said bluntly.
Levy’s brow raised. “Is that exactly what he said? To stop writing?”
“W-Well no, but that what he implied!”
“What did he say exactly?”
Lucy looked away, a scowl growing on her face and to hide the renewed moisture in her eyes. “He said I’m pushing everyone away.”
“And you don’t agree?”
“No! I’m not choosing my career over everyone! It’s ridiculous to even imply that I would!”
“Lu, do you still love your husband?”
“Of course, I love him!”
“Are you sure he knows you still love him?”
“I—” Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and sunk further into the couch mumbling. “I don’t see why he wouldn’t.”
“I can tell you, he doesn’t. Lu, you’ve pushed all of us away.”
“So, you’re taking his side?!”
“No. I’m giving you reality. You’ve been wrapped up in your fictional world so much that you’ve forgotten this one and the real people in it.”
“I—” Lucy turned away to hide the tears slowly starting to trickle down her face. “I never meant to…”
“I know…” Levy placed a hand on her friends leg. “Lu, we all know. He knows, but he’s hurting and it’s in your power to fix this.”
“But how?! I can’t just stop writing. I have deadlines and— you know, its a lot of work to put a story together.”
“You have to find a balance. Right?” Levy coaxed. “You have to take breaks. You have to relax sometimes. Natsu’s not asking you to stop, and he knows there will be times you really can’t stop. But it can’t be all the time, and right now it’s all the time.”
“I know…”
“Girl when was the last time you…” Levy wiggled her brows and grinned. “You know.”
Lucy blushed. “Too long.”
“Well?!” Levy laughed. “Are you finally getting our point?”
“Yeah,” Lucy sighed. “I got tunneled vision.”
Levy leaned in, adding pressured from the hand on Lucy’s leg and a softening in her voice. “And it put your marriage in jeopardy. But it’s not too late to fix it.”
The tears exploded from Lucy. “I told him… when he left, I-I told him don’t come back.” She buried her face in her hands as the sobbing took control. “I-I was screaming at him… so angry, I just lost it and—”
Levy pulled Lucy into a hug. “Shhh,” she held tight. “I’m sure he knew you didn’t mean it. Shh, it’s okay. Sometimes we say things we don’t mean when we’re mad. But you can still get him back, I’m certain of it.”
“H-how?!” Lucy sobbed into Levy’s shoulder. “He’s gotta be so mad at me!”
“Hun, Natsu’s more sad then mad. He needs to feel like you still love him.” Levy pulled away and cupped Lucy’s cheeks, staring, searching the woman’s eyes. “Can you tell him you love him?”
“I can tell him I love him,” Lucy sniffled.
“Then go tell him that!” She hugged her friend. “You’ll be okay Lu, you two are meant to last.”
“Thanks, Levy.”
“He’s at Gray’s right? Want me to drive you?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Levy smiled. “Now clean up a bit, I’ll wait in the car.”
The whole ride over to Gray’s house was the most nerve wracking experience in Lucy’s life. As she sat there huddled in Levy’s passenger seat, all the ways she could ever apologize tried to funnel through her head. She was a writer, and yet for the first time in a long time, all the words dried up or mashed together like a broken verse. Levy did her best to keep Lucy calm, reminding her that it’s all about being honest— just let your heart do the talking for once and not her head.
“You got this,” Levy patted Lucy’s shoulder before she exited the vehicle.
Lucy sure hoped she did. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Seconds ticked by and with each chime, all the weight and worry crept closer to sending her over. He was mad. Too mad. He probably won’t answer…
Finally someone did. “You came?” Natsu’s voice was soft and low, his eyes still bloodshot and worn.
“I came,” Lucy hung her head in shame. “I’m sorry— F-For everything, Natsu please come home, I miss you. I love you more than my job, and I’m gonna make it up to you.”
“You always say that Lucy…”
Ouch. Straight through her heart. The tears broke free again as her knees weakened, causing her to fall against him. Natsu caught her, and she clung to him, gripped to his shirt. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please come home! I love you! Natsu please come home! I can change! I promise I’ll change!”
That’s when she felt his hold truly tighten around her body and his head come to rest against her own. Lucy sobbed harder from the acceptance, pouring her heart in her words. “I love you… I love you so much, I’m so sorry….”
Natsu cradled her head and closed his eyes, voice soft with an upbeat to its tone. “Now there’s the woman I married.”
He held Lucy tightly until her sobbing slowed, eventually pulling away just enough to wipe the tear trails away. “Shall we go home now?”
Lucy nodded. “Please….”
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