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wishesunderthestars · 9 months

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The King's Advisor // Ch. 1

Pairings: King!Yoongi x Advisor!reader

Summary: The king's advisor is the most crucial position in the kingdom, the king trusts her judgment and always listens to her opinions and advice. They are a formidable pair but behind closed doors, the king and his advisor bicker and throw back-handed insults at each other more often than not. The feelings of dislike are very much mutual. She is a champion at testing the King’s patience because she knows she is too valuable to his rule to face repercussions. So it’s bickering and sarcasm dripping from their lips–

Until war breaks out.

Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort

Word Count: 5.6k+

Warnings: war, injuries

“Well, that was stupid,” you said, leaning back on the chair and crossing your legs.

Yoongi, who had just closed the wooden doors of the council room, turned to look at you with raised eyebrows. The meeting of the King’s Council had just ended and it was just the two of you left inside.

“I beg your pardon?”

You huffed. “That boy isn’t ready to be a captain, he isn’t ready to be a lieutenant even. He doesn’t have the barest idea of how to lead, he can barely fight himself. The fact that his father used to be captain doesn't mean anything.”

“His family is one of the most influential in the kingdom, I couldn’t deny him the position,” Yoongi said. “I don’t want any disputes with them and there would have been a lot if I didn't promote him to his father’s position.”

You leaned your elbows on the long table. “You could have given him a smaller team, told him you would promote him to a larger one when he was ready. Would you trust him to lead a hundred men into a battle? Or defend a city? Because I wouldn’t.”

Yoongi stood opposite you. His long blond hair was pulled up into a neat topknot with a gold and black headband securing it in place. “His family wouldn’t be happy with that. They would question whether I trust them and whether they have done enough for the kingdom.”

“I, for one, don’t trust them,” you said. “They have been salivating after the throne for years, looking for higher and higher ranks in the military and positions in your council. If anyone ever tries to overthrow you, it will be them.”

Yoongi put his hands on the table, bending forward. “Don’t you think I know that? That’s why they don’t have a seat on my council and why you are here instead of their eldest son.”

“If their eldest son were in my place, you would already be dead,” you said getting up.

“Watch your tongue.” Yoongi gritted his teeth, a fire burning in his eyes. The day had been hard on him, he had been in meetings since the morning and he had several hours of sword fighting practice as well. It was easier to rile him up when he was tired and you were the only one who wouldn’t pay for it.

You got up and sauntered up to him. “And if I don’t? You know as well as I do that he won’t be a good captain. He isn’t ready for it and he might never be ready for it. His team will be a liability.”

“I know what I’m doing. An incompetent captain is better than a family with connections like a spiderweb planting words against me.”

“If I heard word of that, I would cut off their webs with silver scissors. They aren’t the only ones with connections,” you said. “Things are tense on our northern borders, we shouldn’t be treating military positions lightly.”

Yoongi narrowed his eyes, up close you could see the reflection of the candles in them. “The-”

A knock on the door interrupted him and you both turned to look. The door opened without any announcements or permission from the King. Namjoon walked inside, his short brown hair combed back, splashes of ink on his white sleeves, and a few papers in his hands. Namjoon was the only person other than you who could barge into the council room like this and face no repercussions.

He took one look at the two of you and closed the door behind him.

“What are you arguing about this time?" he asked. You rolled your eyes and Yoongi scoffed. "Forget it, I don't need to know. We have to go over these papers so get comfortable."

Wordlessly, Yoongi sat down on the chair at the head of the table and the two of you took the ones next to him. Namjoon had missed the meeting because of these papers so they had to be important.

You and Namjoon were the King's most trusted members of the Council. The three of you would often gather late at night or early in the morning to discuss matters of the kingdom and make the difficult decisions.

Namjoon was the son of one of the best warriors the kingdom had ever seen and it had been a surprise when Namjoon hadn't followed in his father's footsteps, choosing books and ink over sword and armor. He had soon become known for his smarts and his eloquent speech—he was the one who went over the King's speeches, putting into words what Yoongi couldn't—and had been easily granted a place in the King's Council. His friendship with the King had a lot of people doubting the decision but soon he proved that he belonged there as much as anyone else. More really.

Unlike Namjoon, you and Yoongi hadn't been friends at any point in your life that you could remember. Maybe when you had been too young to read or write and you were hiding behind your mother's skirts, but not since then. Your father had been the late King's advisor and as his only child, you had been prepared to take his place since you could pick up a pen. He and your mother didn't have any other children and the fact that you were a girl didn't deter them, none of the past King's advisors had been female but your father was determined you would be the first one.

You had spent days and nights over books guided by your father and the best teachers in the kingdom, the same ones teaching the future king. You would see each other occasionally but didn't exchange more than a few words. During your teenage years, your fathers deemed it wise for the two of you to share a few of your lessons, you needed to build trust between you if you were to work together in the future. Instead of friendship, a rivalry brewed. You didn't remember how it started but you couldn't forget how it continued. Exchanging jabs about who was the best at which lessons and who did better at tests. Glaring and provoking each other.

When his father passed on and Yoongi ascended to the throne, it was his time to choose his personal advisor. You had been training for the position all of your life but you were still surprised when he asked you, bearing the gift of a gold bracelet engraved with flowers and embellished with precious stones. The King had to base his decisions on many factors but the most important was trust. Trust to work towards a bright future for the kingdom. Trust to support him through everything.

You didn't ask him why he chose you, you didn't voice any of your questions about trust. For years, you worked together and it was almost like nothing had changed from your teen days.

Half of the candles had gone out by the time you had gone over all of the papers. Your eyes hurt and a headache was brewing behind your temples. Your usual late nights ended earlier than this.

Namjoon gathered the papers with clumsy movements. Yoongi had to catch one before it flew away after Namjoon shoved it off the table.

"I think I may fall asleep if I stay any longer," Namjoon said when all the papers were safely in his arms. You could relate to that. "I would recommend going to sleep now. Have a good night."

You echoed his words and he left. The door closing was the only sound in the dimly lit council room.

You rubbed your eyes and looked at the King. His hair was coming undone and it glinted like threads of gold in the candlelight. His sharp eyes were softer, the way they got at night when his walls weren't as high as the castle's.

"I will be going then," you said, getting up and smoothing down your dress. There was no reason to do it, no one other than the guards would see you at this time. It was more out of force of habit than anything else.

"Wait for a moment," Yoongi said. You stopped before you could move to the door. "The Lee boy will be trained under Hoseok. He will be answering to him and if anything goes wrong I trust Hoseok to make it right. I wouldn't jeopardize the safety of the kingdom."

"It still doesn't sit right with me," you said. You knew that Yoongi had the best interests of the kingdom in mind but that didn't mean you always agreed. More often than not, you didn't. "But that's enough for tonight. It's late and frankly, I'm too exhausted to debate about the Lees. We can talk more about this tomorrow."

Yoongi opened his mouth and closed it again. "Don't forget a lamp. Unless you want to walk in the dark."

"Of course," you muttered, annoyed that Yoongi had to remind you. The torches in the hallways would have gone out a long time ago. "I would have remembered to take one."

"I don't doubt it," Yoongi said, smirking. Ignoring him, you picked up an oil lamp from the top of a large chest and tilted it close to one of the lit candles to share the flame. "Goodnight then."

"Goodnight, my king."

You saw his eyebrows twitch before leaving the room. He wasn't fond of his friends using his title to address him. You wouldn't exactly put yourself in that category but you didn't use his title when it was the two of you, you didn't use it in the council either. You would throw it out there occasionally just to see his reaction.

The guards were standing at attention on either side of the door, their hands on their long swords. They stared ahead as you walked down the empty corridor.

A few days later, you strolled into the private training grounds. It was a wide space surrounded by trees, right next to the gardens accessible only to the royal family. You were one of the few exceptions.

The continuous sound of metal clashing on metal rang in the otherwise silent place. The swords glinted and glimmered, reflecting the light of the midday sun. Yoongi and Hoseok were sparring, their movements so quick they were but a blur.

Yoongi's hair was pulled up in a tight knot and sweat was running down his face and his sculpted chest. His shirt was thrown aside, too much of a nuisance after what looked like several hours of practice. You had to swallow to ease the dryness in your throat.

You watched them—transfixed by their deadly dance—until the King's eyes locked with yours. Others would have cowered at the power in his gaze but you held it steadily like you had done all your life. One second of distraction and Hoseok's sword touched his pale neck, a whisper away from drawing blood.

"And I win," Hoseok said. He turned around, his eyes falling on you, and he smiled as if he understood a joke. "I see. I guess I owe this one to you."

You grinned and walked closer to them. "I'm not sure about that. I think you would have won either way."

"You should join us more often then," Hoseok said.

It was a view you both dreaded and craved to get used to. You didn't make a habit of visiting the training grounds, the King's private ones, or the much larger common ones. The art of battle wasn't one you had delved into. Your father had taught you the basics of protecting yourself but your interest had stopped there. And although watching shirtless men training, wielding swords and bows, and sweating was appealing in theory, you found that the reality wasn't as satisfying.

That's what you reminded yourself and the heat swirling in your stomach.

"How much longer will you be in our company?" you asked Hoseok.

The situation in the North wasn't getting better. Soldiers from the neighboring kingdom had been breaching the borders for months, engaging in small-scale conflicts with your forces stationed there. This was clear as day provocation but you didn't want to go into war.

Hoseok would go along with his team to survey the state of affairs and send a report back.

"The day after tomorrow," he said, sheathing his sword. "It isn't a short trip and it would be for the best to arrive as soon as it is possible." He looked at you and Yoongi, who had turned away. "I will be leaving then. Go easy on him. He's tired," he told you. Yoongi shook his head in disbelief. "I hope we have a chance to catch up before I leave."

"I can always find some time for you," you said.

Hoseok's smile widened before bidding you goodbye and walking away, leaving you and Yoongi alone.

Yoongi gulped down the contents of his leather waterskin, his Adam's apple bobbing, shiny with sweat. "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed?"

"That is not what I said." He put away his sword in its jeweled case and left it on a stone bench. "If you are here that means you were looking for me for something."

You didn't deny it, although it wasn't the complete truth either. There were plenty of matters pending to be discussed and there were about ten things you weren't seeing eye-to-eye and you had to reach an agreement on. Nothing new. But the reason you were there was none of those things.

You had gone on a walk to clear your head after a morning of socializing with some of the most important people in the kingdom and your feet had carried you to the royal gardens before you realized where you were going. Finding Yoongi and Hoseok wasn't your intention. But you weren't about to say that.

Yoongi crossed his arms and looked at you, awaiting an answer. Your eyes strayed to his bare arms and chest and you scolded yourself and pulled them back up in what you hoped was a subtle manner.

"Are you going to stay like this?" you asked.

Yoongi gazed down at himself and what could have been a smirk played at the edges of his lips. "Why? Is it bothering you? Have you not seen a man's body before?"

"Are you a child?" He knew very well the answer to that question. Hell, it wasn't the first time you were seeing him half-naked. That was one of the perks—or cons, depending on your viewpoint—of your job. "For a king, you forget about decency an awful lot."

"When have you cared about decency?"

He picked up his white shirt that had been carelessly thrown on the bench and wiped the sweat off his face and neck with it. You had to look away.

"Where have you been all day? You weren't in your office and you didn't attend tea."

"Were you disappointed?"

"On the contrary," you said sharply. "I was only wondering if you were alive."

He extended his arms to the sides. "As you can see I am very much alive. Sorry to disappoint. I was here."

"All morning?" you asked, not convinced.

The royal gardens weren't a place Yoongi visited often. You were more likely to find Namjoon here observing nature with a book in one hand. Yoongi hadn't displayed any fondness for the place other than the privacy it could offer but his rooms could offer the same privacy and he preferred them.

"I'm the King, can I not take a morning to myself?"

"It's because you're the King that you can't," you shot back. "Did you sign those papers I gave you?"

"I did."

"Did you read them or did you sign them blindly?"

"I read them." Yoongi walked to you until your faces were inches apart. "I read every single one of them. I don't do things halfway. Is that all?"

You raised your eyebrows. "Do you perhaps want more work? I can arrange for something. There is always more work to be done."

Yoongi scoffed and backed away. "You're impossible."

"Thank you, I try," you said. Your mood sobered as you remembered what had been swirling in your head for the past week. "A letter arrived ahead of the envoy from Harfush, they will be here in three days."

Yoongi's demeanor changed, his shoulders tensing. "We will be ready when they arrive. We have prepared for everything."

"Almost everything," you pointed out. "They are set on this. I know it. They have been pushing for months now and it has only been getting worse. This isn’t going to end with a talk with an envoy. They’re hoping to get land from us in exchange for stopping their attacks but that is only prolonging the inevitable.”

His eyes hardened. “If it comes to it then so be it. We are not giving them anything. We will fight and they will regret bringing the war to us.”

“I will hold you to that.”

The envoy arrived and you were proven right. They were after your northern lands, a large stretch of the kingdom. Yoongi told them in the most political way to go fuck themselves, which—to no one’s surprise—the delegation wasn’t pleased with. They left two days later with thinly-veiled threats of war.

Your kingdom hadn't seen war since the days Yoongi's great-grandfather was king. Peace was a fragile thing but Yoongi's father and grandfather had protected it like the most precious jewel in the realm despite the aggressions of their neighbors. But it had never got that bad. Petty thievery here and there, a few arrogant nobles that dreamed of war. The carefully balanced scales had tragically tipped during Yoongi's reign.

The turning had found you prepared. Your soldiers were many and had trained tirelessly with the cloud of war hanging above them. Your numbers were fewer than the enemy’s but you had something they didn't. Fire. Pyres burning in your souls, stronger than forest fires. That was the gift of the people of Tinigris, the nation of the Tiger.

And so it was only a matter of time.

“What are you still doing here?”

Yoongi was standing over the large map of the continent. On it, figures like chess pieces were carefully arranged, depicting the bigger picture of the stationed troops—your own and the enemy’s.

Yoongi looked up at you, the light casting deep shadows on his face. His hair was falling in his eyes and underneath, dark half-moons were inked in his porcelain skin. "What does it look like?"

"Like you are exhausting yourself going over matters we have already discussed to great lengths when you should be resting."

Yoongi's eyes flashed with something unreadable in the flame of the candles. "The drums of war are at our doorstep, minutes away from spreading like an infection in our land. It is not the time for resting."

"If you want to be dead on your feet tomorrow when we will actually discuss strategy and diplomacy then by all means, it is not the time for resting. If you want to be able to participate in the conversation, I would advise you to go to sleep now."

His hands twitched on the table. "I am not the only one awake, am I?"

The truth was that you had laid in your bed, closed your eyes but sleep refused to come to you. You had tried and failed. Your room was too dark and restricting and you were too restless. You had dressed in a simple black velvet dress with a low neckline, which some of the older nobles would consider scandalous, threw a silky shawl over your shoulders that did nothing to keep you warm, and wandered into the long shadowed hallways.

You couldn't tell him any of that so instead you said, "No, you are not the only one."

The majority of the little soldiers were placed along the borders. Hoseok had sent back a letter confirming what you already knew. There was a war brewing in the North and there was no stopping it. You couldn't run away from the storm, you could only walk into it prepared.

Yoongi's hair wasn't done up in its usual style but he must have carelessly pulled it up himself. Several strands were framing his face and he wasn't wearing his headband. In the quiet madness of the night, he seemed almost vulnerable.

"Why do you speak to me about sleep when you are as awake as I am?" he asked.

"Because at least one of us should sleep," you said. "It will be a long day tomorrow and days will only get longer from here."

His gaze went back to the pieces on the board. "I know that if I go to my chambers, I will find no more peace than you did." The shadows seemed to grow longer on his face. "We have avoided war for years. All of our attempts have been in vain. I'm sending my people into a bloodbath."

"If there was anything more we could do, you know very well we would have done it," you said. "Your people know you don't want this war. We can't stand here while they attack our lands. If we don't fight back, they will raid the villages close to the borders. It will only get worse. Kill, take slaves, do unspeakable things. Blood will be spilled either way. The North is thirsty for it. Better for our people to die defending their homes than be slaughtered with their families at night, unaware."

Yoongi's jaw clenched. In his eyes, you saw the fire and you saw the tiger. "I won't let them. I will fight for them until my last breath. If the North wants blood they will have it. It will overflow."

Yoongi glowed brighter than any flame in the room. Fierce and alluring in the way a sword is, tempting you to cut your finger on the blade to test how sharp it is.

"I won't offer empty words, to you I never have," you said. "It will be hard and we can't know how long it will last. There will be death and there will be wounds that won't heal. But we won't back down. We are the descendants of fighters, of warriors of great deeds. We prospered in peace and we will thrive in war. We will hold the borders, we will hold them back. And I believe we will emerge victorious."

Yoongi reached for something behind him and upon placing them on the table, you realized they were two glasses and a bottle of wine. He poured a generous amount into each and extended one to you.

"Let's drink to that," he said.

"To victories," you said and your glasses clinked.

Everything moved on faster from them, a river getting more and more narrow and running faster and faster. Strategies—political and military—, estimations, gathering the troops, reaching out to allies, making plans. You weren't a great warrior but you had studied battle strategies for years and you viewed battlefields as chess boards. You were great at chess.

Nobles, soldiers, townsfolk, and villagers alike were talking about the war in hushed whispers. Everyone knew it was approaching, a black galloping horse, neighing and squealing. Letters were being exchanged swiftly with the troops on the northern borders, keeping you informed about the moves of the enemy. When war was officially declared, you had to be ready.

Tensions rose in the palace as they did between the two kingdoms. You could barely sleep. When you closed your eyes, you saw images of a red sky, swinging swords, disembodied limbs, and unseeing eyes. You saw destroyed villages and burned houses. They haunted even your dreams. Most nights, you spent in the council room with Yoongi, both of you restless. Sometimes you discussed strategies, sometimes you were quiet in each other's company, other times you fought the way you often did. Upon returning to your rooms, you were able to steal a few hours of sleep.

Time was but an illusion to you. Days blended into each other yet you were intensely aware of each one passing. You drowned in meetings with the council, late nights with the King, and dealing with the noble families—an art you had once upon a time mastered but was slipping through your fingers.

Tensions were rising in the palace. Yoongi was on edge, running from meeting to meeting until he was bound to burn out. Your patience was running thin.

And the King, most of all, was testing it.

"You can't ride at the front in the battle," you said, repeating yourself for what felt like the thousandth time. You were in his office with Namjoon, debating his stupid ideas. "If you are killed, the war is over. Who will be left to lead the soldiers? You have no heir, no brothers or sisters, no one to continue the line."

"Who will lead them then?" Yoongi asked ferociously. "Who will they follow if not their king? Hoseok will be by my side. We will protect each other."

You gripped the glass of wine tighter. You wanted to get up and pace but you wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "This isn't training. This is a real war, protecting each other won't guarantee that either of you are safe. You will be the main target the moment you step into the battlefield. Do you expect the king of Harfush to charge first into battle? To fight at all?"

"I'm nothing like him!" Yoongi said sharply. "I will not hide behind my soldiers while they fight my kingdom's battles! I refuse to cower in the camp like a coward."

"I'm not asking you to," you said, trying to keep your voice from rising. "I'm asking you not to run first into the battle and become an easy target. Do you know how easy it will be for them to shoot you with arrows?"

"She is right, you know," Namjoon said. He was sitting on the other chair in front of Yoongi's large wooden desk, bent over a few papers. What he was writing, you had no idea. Yoongi narrowed his eyes in betrayal. "You want to lead the charge, I understand that, it's the honorable thing to do but they aren't honorable. If you are dead, our people won't know who to follow. There will be chaos and Harfush will take advantage of that."

Yoongi got to his feet, it sounded like an earthquake. "What would you have me do then? I will fight! You can't hold me back from fighting for my kingdom!"

Silent words passed between you and Namjoon. Neither of you liked the idea but it was true that you couldn't stop Yoongi from fighting. You would have to tie him up to keep him in the camp.

You sipped on the wine, an action that seemed to only agitate Yoongi further. "You will fight. But not in the front lines and you won't have only Hoseok with you but your personal guard as well. The ones who are willing to lose their lives to save yours."

"Is that it?" Yoongi asked, something animalistic in his expression. It was coming closer to the surface the past few weeks, clawing and snarling. "Are you making all the decisions for the war? Deciding what is best for MY people?"

Namjoon paused his writing. "We are not making any decisions for you. We only want you to see reason. We are here to advice and guide you, not force your hand."

You held back a huff. "Riding first into battle is suicide. And who will lead YOUR people then? When you are no longer here to do it."

"Why don't you lead them since you seem to believe you can do it so much better?" he snarled. His hand struck the desk with a loud thump, papers, candles and glasses clattering. Namjoon steadied the ink bottle before it could spill and paint the room blue. You held yourself back from flinching.

The world stood still for a moment like it was holding its breath. Yoongi's lips parted. Quickly he pulled back his hand and looked away.

"I'm sorry," he said, gritting his teeth. "I let my temper get the best of me."

Your heartbeat was rising but you kept your voice steady. "I have no desire to lead, only to advise you. I can do nothing more. It isn't only your life on the line. It's the kingdom. Your life is more important than honor or your desire to prove you are a good king."

His jaw clenched. "I will think about it." A dismissal of the conversation. Namjoon went back to his papers and you rested back on the chair, your fingers drumming the tune of war on the arms.

The days grew smaller and the nights longer. Your blood was either freezing or burning. The songs in the court were lifeless, a front no one was believing anymore. Fewer people were good enough pretenders to sing and dance. Wine tasted dull on your tongue. Underneath everything, you were scheming.

War. It had turned from a whisper into a chant. It was the cold breath on your neck in the middle of the night, chilling you to the bone. But you were ready for it. As ready as someone could be for the cruelty humanity had created.

It didn't start with fire or a war cry. It started with a letter. A declaration of war sealed with the royal seal of Harfush.

The night before the King's departure, you and Yoongi met in the council room.

"You are not coming to the front," Yoongi said, thunder flashing in his face. "You are to stay here and rule in my stead. There is no place for you on the battlefield."

You stood your ground, you were used to Yoongi's dangerous looks that would have made anyone else cower. The candles burned around the council room like pyres in the night.

"I am no ruler," you said. "I am the King's advisor and I should be where the king is. Be it the Castle or the battlefield. I will go where you go."

Yoongi clenched his fists. "You are not coming to the front and that's the end. I need you here to take care of the kingdom while I'm gone."

"Namjoon is more than capable of taking care of the kingdom, the council listens to him more than they listen to me." Many in the council believed you were too young and too inexperienced to be the King's advisor. No one would say it in front of Yoongi but amongst themselves they whispered that he had chosen wrong. "You need me there," you continued. "I have studied battles all my life, I am one of the best war strategies you have. It would be foolish not to take advantage of that."

"I have studied battles all my life too and I will have my generals with me. Your place is here in the castle and that is where you will stay."

Anger licked your insides with tongues of fire. "Are you ordering me?" When he stayed silent, you went on. "Do you seriously believe they need me more here than on the front where our fate will be decided? You have always been the better fighter, I was never good at that, but when it comes to strategy, I was better and you know it. Let me be there for you, let me do what I'm meant to do. What is a King's Advisor without a king?"

"Don't." The power was gone from his voice, his head bent. "Stay here. The kingdom needs you."

"The kingdom needs to win and they need you. And I shall be by your side,” you said, not leaving him any chance to contradict you. “I won’t go into the battle, obviously. I will stay at the camp which will be protected and if they reach the camp, that means the war is over. It wouldn’t make a difference if I were there or in the castle. I would be doomed either way.”

“If we lose,” he said through gritted teeth as if it pained him to think about it. “You can escape the castle, go to another country, take Namjoon with you and start anew.”

You were fuming. “Would you run away if you had the chance? Would you escape if you were in my place? Take the coward’s way out?” He looked away. “I am not going anywhere.” Concealed in a pocket of your dress, you pulled out a blade as long as your hand and threw it on the table. “I would rather slit my neck with this blade than run away. I either do this here or at the camp. You choose.”

Yoongi stared at the blade. He was as tense as a tightrope. Watching him was like watching a forest fire. Until something crumbled or it could have been the tremble of the flames surrounding you. He drew back, pulling his eyes away.

“Don’t do it,” he muttered at last. “Stay here.”

“I can’t.”

“Do as you please then.”

Please comment and reblog it motivates me to keep writing

#bts #bts x reader #yoongi x reader #bts fic #bts fanfic #King!Yoongi #bts series #bts scenarios #bts au #bts yoongi #king yoongi #royalty au #namjoon #hoseok

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plush-rabbit · 2 years

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Dating Enji to Get Back at Touya

Request: Idk if youre down to write thing kind of thing but the idea is; Touya is a shitty immature boyfriend whos never treated reader right even though theyve been dating for a long while. They finally break up after a big fight inwhich reader is just done with his bullshit. They sont talk for a while until he sees reader with his father of all people. Reader is with Enji and he treats her RIGHT☆ he spoils her and treats her like the women she is. Touya is not happy♡ thats it, just reader dating Touyas dad for revenge but actually is really happy w him

A/N: I’m gonna try a different format here so let me know how you think of it, kind of like a fic, but not a full one

Touya isn’t the best partner to have. He’s never cheated on you, but he’s so dismal of your feelings. He can be mean- ignoring you, walking out on you when you’re crying, staying for a quick fuck and leaving immediately and if he doesn’t leave immediately, he falls asleep and wakes up early to raid your fridge and leave without a note.

There’s a certain charm to the relationship. Despite him being mean and the fights where he’d raise his voice and tell you nasty things in order to hurt you, to see you cry- he could also be sweet. He’d call you pretty, and kiss your cheek. He could fuck you nice and soft, and kiss you with so much passion you could have mistaked it for some deeper feeling. He wasn’t the type to say sorry, but he would bring you gifts- expensive ones that he’d know you’d like.

But the fighting is too much. It’s mean and cruel, and both of you brought out the worst in each other. And one day, you had enough. You broke it off and deleted his contact and even though you couldn't bring yourself to delete the text messages, you did.

Maybe you should have gone with his brother, Natsuo, who you know would be a sweetheart and would treat you better than anyone could. Or maybe his sister, Fuyumi. She was always cute and had such a sweet voice. But, for better or for worse, his father was there, going through a divorce and desperate for something or someone to just relieve himself on, you and him both took advantage of one another after a few drinks and a confirmation that both of you were single.

Due to his failed marriage, Enji uses you as a rebound. It works out, really, since all you’re using him for is just to get back at his son. A “fuck you” and the pride- or something far more ugly and hurt- getting to tell him that you fucked his dad in his childhood home. And Enji gets to not be so alone anymore, gets to relieve his stress and use you in all sorts of harsh ways without a complaint. He gets to fuck somebody else while going through a mid-life crisis.

That’s all the relationship that it is, a ”fuck you” and a rebound.

But then he visits one night after a long day of work, and like father, like son, he wants to use you, forget about his day. Maybe he should have called you, checked to see if you were awake, because even if light peeks out from under the door, you could be asleep. He takes out your key, and tries not to think about the implication of having a key to your home, and opens the door. Enji has memorized the walk to your room already, could walk the exact number of steps and turn without pumping into the corner of the wall if he were blinded.

He can already feel his cock harden at the thought of getting to scoop you into his arms and have you ride him, to feel you clench and kiss his neck. His mouth salivates at the thought of kissing you. There are whimpers coming inside and his perverted mind, he knows he came at the right time- all it will be for the night is rushed kisses and a wet hole aching for him.

And then he opens the door, and you’re under the blanket, crying and taking shuddering breaths. You’re crying and you take notice of him. You can’t stop the tears, and you can’t mask the heaviness in your voice when you speak.

“Enji,” you sniffle and he stands at the doorway. “Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t-” you rub at your eyes and tears drip down the curve of your face- “I didn’t know you were coming.”

He thinks about when Rei would cry and how he’d snarl and yell. How his youngest would stand between them, and he thinks about all he would do is yell even more. Late in the night, he would apologize, and in the morning, he would fuck her, muttering against her skin about how he loved her.

His lips are dry and he can’t tell you that he just came here for sex.

“I- uh. I’m sorry.” You’re apologizing- for either the awkward situation or for crying. “I’m a mess right now.” You scratch at the space where your shoulder and neck meet and you leave lines behind. “You can leave if you want.” He can leave, because if you had told his son, Touya would have left in a heartbeat and you would cry about it, but you wouldn’t hold it against him. He would come back the next day and wouldn’t ask how you feel. Tears shine in your eyes, and you’re alone in your room, crying. “It’s fine,” your voice breaks and your lips tremble.

He thinks to himself that he doesn’t want to see another significant other cry because of him.

Quickly, he takes steps towards you, and he crouches by the bed. “What’s wrong?” His hand cups the side of your face, a tear catching on his thumb. “Did something happen?”

You start with a few heavy breaths, and your eyes shine and he can see himself in your eyes, kneeled on the floor, trying to comfort you. All you can do is cry, muttering about how work was awful and you can’t stand it anymore. You cry and he has such an urge to hold you, to run his calloused hands down your back and make it all better.

He isn’t sure when it happened, but he’s on your bed, stripped down to a white tank and his briefs, and you on his chest, with hands entangled in one another and his other hand running up and down his back. You fall asleep beside him, and he stares at you for a long time. His arm is asleep under you, and he makes no attempt to pull away from you.

In the morning, you wake up and make breakfast for him. He sits with you for it, and sits on the couch next to you, his arm spread against the back of the sofa watching the morning news.

“I’m sorry for last night,” you say without looking away from the television. “I- uh- if you have time, I can make it up to you.” Your hand is on the inner of his thigh, and you look up at him, parting your lips and grabbing his hand that rests behind you, feebly guiding it to the back of your head.

“Sorry, but I have to go to work.” He kisses the top of your head and stands up. “I’ll come by tonight.”

If it was Touya, you would have been sure that was a lie, bet your life on it and bet your favorite blanket too. But Enji does come by tonight, and he comes with flowers and takeout and he sits with you, and he kisses you goodnight before sleeping beside you. And in the morning, he’s still there, sleeping beside you with his face buried into your chest.

“You really didn't have to do all this,” you tell him, the petal of a tulip tickling the tip of your nose.

“Do you like them?” He feels like a child, standing awkwardly, hoping you’d say yes and waiting for your answer is the most nerve wracking thing he’s done all day. You nod and tell him you love them, keeping them close to you and unable to keep your hands off of the petals. And he swells with pride knowing you like what he got you.

Dating Enji is odd. He’s been married, but not once has he ever called you Rei. Never treated

He’s large and imposing. And he’s kind and soft. He likes having you close to him, always a hand on you when you’re within arm’s reach. All the little things are celebrated, and wants you with him.

you as her or compared you both. He kisses you good morning and kisses you goodnight. He makes you cry and apologizes. He holds you tight and tries to fix himself. You wonder what happened to Toiya to make him be so cruel, but you wonder who Enji was before you, why his ex-wife wanted to divoarce him. Why some of his children don’t call. He must have been mean before. You wait for the other shoe to drop, wait for him to yell at you and call you mean names until you cry. You wait for him to do something, but he never does.

He kisses you sweetly and makes room in his closet for you. He peels you mandarins and cracks open your pistachios. He holds your bags and carries you inside when you fall asleep on the drive home. He treats you so well, and it makes you want him.

Touya was so sure that you would come back to him. Whether it was for a quick fuck or actually wanting to get back together, he wasn’t sure, but he knew- or believed- that you would come crawling back.

And days turn to weeks and weeks to months, and he’s with someone else, hoping that you’d call him in the middle of the night, asking him to come over.

There’s something that he needs from his father, and when he walks into the smaller house than the one he grew up with- the family home being left to his mother- he can hear your laugh. He thinks to himself that he must be so stuck on you, that you must be the exact same way. It’s early in the morning, and he’s still a bit tired, a headache about to form in the back of his skull, and he thinks that it’s his imagination, until he walks into the kitchen, and sees you leaned against the counter, and his father with his hand on your hip.

Neither of you take notice of him until he clears his throat and you both tense, turning to look at him.

His father looks a bit ashamed, but you don’t. You wave at him and return to cleaning up the table where two sets of dinnerware rests, a plate once full of food, now just scraps. Touya’s stomach drops and he realizes what all this is. His father fucking his ex, and living with them in some faux happy daydream.

The worst part of whatever weird situation that he had the unfortunate luck of walking into, is that you actually look happy.

You wear a necklace, one far better than the one he could ever have given you, and his father is speaking to him, wrds all garbled up and nothing more than nonsense as he stares at you, ready for a punchline, ready for you to be mean and attempt to make him jealous by kissing his father in front of him. All you do is kiss his cheek.

“I’m gonna go throw the trash, ‘kay Enji?” Your fingertips tap at his jaw to turn him towards you, giving him a kiss and walking away.

You’re on a first name basis with his dad, and his father’s gaze follows you, watching you walk away with a smile he doesn’t think he’s ever seen him make.

“I know it must be odd-” Enji starts, and it goes unlistened to, only glimpses and phrases, actually making sense. “-it just happened-” , “They’re really nice-”, “I hope you don’t mind.”

The last sentence is such a slap to his face that he gets up and walks out, slamming the front door hard enough that picture frames rattle.

When he goes outside, he finds you there, the bag of trash beside you, and your phone held in your hand. You ask if he’s leaving already, and you wish him for a safe drive. You don’t even give him a spare glance.

He’s furious and he hates himself and you and his dad. He hates how happy you looked. How domesticated the both of you were- are. He hates how you moved on from him. That you meant it when you said you were done with his bullshit. He thought he would have had another chance. But he knows himself- he would have ruined it too, and even though the relationship was awful, he still went to you when you called him. He still bought you gifts and he still has your house keys.

“Do you live with him now?” His voice is emotionless, and there’s a hint of disgust in there to ask whatever void is growing in him.

You shrug. “Yeah. Got my own toothbrush here and everything.” You smile. “My place was starting to get cramped anyways.”

Inside, Enji calls for you, and quickly, you stand, wishing Touya a good day, and he stands outside with a bag of trash and a key with no home to return to.

#bnha #bnha headcanons #bnha enji #enji todoroki #endeavor x you #endeavor x reader #enji todoroki x reader #touya x you #touya todoroki #touya todoroki x you #touya todoroki x reader #i hoep you like this #this got me simping for endeavor #i think i wanna write for fatgum again #anyways im super tired #hope you like it!!#love you bye!!

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allfryam · 6 months

Text

kingly duties

Charles was a young but handsome prince. He was very active and in shape, and he loved to exercise. He had short curly hair and long, muscular legs. His blue eyes complimented his perfect smile, and he knew it. He often bragged to other boys his age about how he was more attractive than them. when he turned 20, his father, the king, became very ill and eventually passed away. Charles, being the oldest son, stepped up to take his father’s throne. With this, came lots of responsibilities. He needed to oversee the entire kingdom, ensure the castle was safe, and many other important matters. With all of these newfound duties, he didn’t have time to exercise. He mainly sat in his enormous throne and worked in his personal office. The only good thing about being king was the feasts. Each night, the castle would hold a grand feast with loads of luxurious foods, desserts, and beer. Charles would indulge and enjoy himself with mountains of delicious food, and wash it down with a keg of beer. At least he knew he wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry. One day, Charles decided the extravagant dinners weren’t enough for him, so he requested a bountiful breakfast be delivered to his room each morning. Charles would wake up, ring a bell, and within a minute, three chefs would be in his room to take his breakfast order. He would usually get some pancakes, some sausage, lots of eggs, French toast, bacon, waffles, pastries, and hashbrowns. He would douse it all in syrup, scarf it down like he would never eat again, and wash it all down with a gallon of orange juice. one day, his perfectly fitted clothes became a little tight. His servants were struggling to button his pants, and it took them much longer to button his shirt. He shrugged it off and demanded he get new clothes. After only a few days of having his new breakfast feasts, he started growing hungrier by lunchtime. He decided that each day for lunch, he would choose a lucky citizen from the village to eat lunch with him. The first person he picked was a young man named Shane. Shane was about 19 or 20, with a great body. It almost made the king jealous. Shane took his visit as an opportunity. Charles didn’t have any brothers to become king when he died, and Shane happened to be next in line. Shane had noticed the extravagant feasts Charles was eating, and he noticed how his clothes were growing ever tighter around his midsection. Shane was going to make the king eat so much that he would be declared unfit to be king because he was too fat. When Shane arrived at the dining hall, King Charles was already there waiting on the food. Shane sat next to him and they catted for a while until the food arrived. The chefs brought out platter after platter of luxurious fattening foods. The kings mouth started salivating. He dug in and didn’t bother to use silverware. He used his bare hands to shove mouthful after mouthful down his sexy throat. Shane nibbled at some steak and ate a few veggies. Charles took his plate and finished it off. The amount of food was starting to diminish and Shane could tell Charles was getting full. Charles stopped to take a breath and let out a massive burp. He rubbed his bloated belly and moaned in pain. “I could help you finish the rest” Shane offered. Charles reluctantly agreed and Shane put handfuls of food into Charles mouth. “Almost there sir. Keep eating.” Shane said. Shane didn’t notice Charles dick getting hard as he continued to feed him. When the food was finally gone, Charles was escorted back to his room where he laid naked on his bed, jacking himself off to the thought of Shane feeding him.

#fat #fat belly #fatty #gaining fat #chubby #fat gut #fatty piggy #gaining #gaining weight #getting bigger #King weight gain #big boy #gay belly #muscle belly

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p-antomime · 2 years

Text

summery popsicles.

𖦹 minors don’t interact. ┊ wc: 2,3K.

𖦹 content: mean dom!megumi, switch!itadori, unprotected sex, breeding!kink, threesome, handjob, hints of cucking, mention of cum play, jealousy.

𖦹 pairings: fushiguro megumi x megumi's gf!fem!reader x itadori yūji.

ᥫ᭡. this is for the Summer Lovin Collab, which is being hosted by the most gorgeous & lovely baby of mine @gojodearest ! leli, thank you so much for letting me join it <3

It was supposed to be just a normal afternoon, and at first it really was for everybody, but now that night had fallen and it was still hellishly hot even though the water in the pool at the Fushiguro house helped you to cool down, it didn't seem like such a normal afternoon, especially for Itadori.

Itadori who tried not to stare too much at you and your barely swimsuit-covered body all day and also tried not to let the boner, covered by the shorts, in the middle of his legs be so evident. But it was difficult with you completely oblivious to how your simple actions, like hugging him from behind with your tits pressed against his spotted back or climbing over the edge of the pool with your ass moving up and down with droplets of water running down your skin, deeply affected his sanity and how Megumi was making him move so much that day to get new popsicles and new juices from the kitchen that were bought by Toji before he left with Tsumiki early that same day.

The house was only for the three of you all day and maybe even a good part of the night, considering that by now the clock was striking 6 pm, the sun was giving way to the moon and there was no sign of Megumi's father being back home. And neither you nor Itadori could worry about that: you were still dying of heat, the swimsuit clinging to your skin without letting you know whether it was the fault of sweat or the pool water, while, on the other hand, your pink-haired, reasonably muscular-bodied friend had to worry about his dick that was starting to hurt from the length of time he had been trying to ignore it.

“Are you okay, Yuuji?” you asked still at the edge of the pool with your arms resting on the tiles as Megumi pulled his sun chair closer to you and sat down with a new popsicle in hand.

“I think the sun was bad for him today,” Megumi spoke up locking his lips around the popsicle and sucking it without any trace of haste and staring at Itadori so hard that he had the impression that he knew what was wrong with him, “Wanna go take a shower and go home, Itadori?”

If he had to get out of the pool, you would definitely see the boner he gave so hard to hide.

An embarrassed smile appeared on his lips, “N-No, it’s still early, isn't it? I already told my roommate that I was going to stay ‘till almost dawn at your house, Megumi.”

As soon as the house owner's son nodded, Itadori thought he had gotten rid of the biggest problem of all. Until he saw you leaning hands on the iron bases at the sides of the pool and by the straining motion from bottom to top of your hands and elbows, he knew you were about to get out of the water, with your whole swimsuit sticking to your body like a second skin and the droplets dripping down your ass, your pussy, the middle of your thighs... Damn! The middle of your thighs! His mouth even salivated just imagining himself being able to shove his mouth between them, against your pussy that he knew was tight because of Megumi's having already confided in him about it when they were both drunk on a typical “Boys' Night” – Toji's son might not remember it, but the pink-haired boy did.

Itadori felt his heart beat even faster, his fingers pressed against the edge of the pool until their tips were close to white, his teeth bit down on his lower lip so hard that he might be a few moments away from drawing blood, his dick became even more painful, and the intense pumping caused by the pulsing of his veins indicated that maybe, just maybe, there was very little left before he climaxed without permission and without any kind of touch from you.

“Hey, angel,” Megumi called out to you before you could get out of the pool completely and you, unaware of Itadori’s clear stare at your wet ass, looked up at him, “Can you go back ‘n help Itadori? He looks like he's having such a hard time.”

When attention turned to Yuuji, he looked away to the clear water knowing that the drops of liquid falling down his forehead were more sweat than coming from the pool.

“He... is?” you frowned; he just looked normal.

“Mhm, he is, if he gets out of the pool, it makes it easier for you to understand, princess,” Megumi replied, getting up from the sun chair and still sucking on the popsicle, “Mind showing her, Itadori?”

“Megumi–,” Itadori was about to start talking, but you had already got into the pool again and were waiting for him to lift himself out using the strength of his own arms as he, Toji and your boyfriend always used to do on summer days.

“Fuck!”, Yuuji thought doing exactly what was expected from you and sitting on the edge of the pool with an obvious bulge between his legs and Megumi called out to you with his fingers before speaking, “There we go, I’ve been wondering for how long you'd try not to eyefuck my girl for another summer, bro, you're so bad at hiding it.”

An amused chuckle escaped him, and you again headed out of the pool without looking at Itadori’s face, but knowing that he was so embarrassed that his cheeks rivaled the watermelon juice Toji had made for you before leaving with Tsumiki.

It was a pity he couldn't know about the little summer plan agreed upon between you and Megumi, who knew better than anyone how Itadori had the biggest crush on you since last summer, which was when he had the pleasure of meeting you on a Fushiguro beach trip. At first it was uncomfortable to see him making advances to you without even noticing, but as time went by, the youngest of the Fushiguro family's sons began to wonder if he should cut his friend some slack, after all: it wouldn't hurt to let Yuuji have his way with you just once, right? Then everything would go back to normal; after the summer, everything would go back to normal.

“Can you help him, love?” Megumi asked you as soon as you stopped in front of Itadori who was still sitting, but this time with his back to the pool, and you readily agreed before kneeling exactly in front of his spread legs.

“W-Wait, Y/N, you don't–don't need to, it, do it just because–”

“Relax~, Itadori,” Megumi yawned forcefully before kneeling across from his friend with the head level with his, “It's summer! No time to think, just time to relax and enjoy everything, ‘m I wrong?”

Yuuji denied, not initially paying attention to one of your hands snaking over his boner and squeezing it without much force, just enough to make him gasp and promptly try to force his hips against your palm.

“Good, you're goin’ to enjoy my girl as much as I tell you to, right?” Megumi pushed the popsicle away from near his own mouth to rest the tip of it still cold against his friend's lips who silently agreed again before gasping as he felt you resting your mouth against his neck to nibble and kiss his warm skin.

“Megumi, I can't—,” Yuuji gasped as he felt you pull his cock out of his shorts and press your thumb against his swollen tip, leaking pre-cum in droves, “She's your girl ‘n I'm—”

“My best friend? Yeah, I know,” Megumi retorted with a shrug before continuing, “But, if you feel her inside, feel a real pussy this summer, who knows, maybe you'll stop staring at her almost drooling,” as he gave a casual chuckle, Itadori felt almost like he was about to explode; both from the humiliation of having his own friend throw in his face how obvious his fantasies of fucking his girlfriend were, and from finally being able to feel your delicate fingers playing with his rockhard dick.

“He's so cute like this, 'Gumi,” you spoke with a little sideways smile and began to actually move your hand up and down around your boyfriend's friend's shaft, “I bet he's so close to cumming, he's throbbing so hard in my hand.”

Megumi's eyes went from your smiling face to his best friend's pink-tipped cock before he ran his tongue over lips and went back to sucking on his popsicle.

“I have a great idea,” he spoke and signaled with raised eyebrows for you to stop playing with Itadori, who moaned in frustration almost about to beg for his hand to come back, “Shall we make a bet?”, Megumi looked at Yuuji, “Let's see who can fuck her faster 'n harder so we can finish everything before my dad is home, what'chu think?”

Itadori gasped and licked his dry lips before looking at you and then more specifically and brazenly at your thighs with tiny droplets of pool water still running down your skin. Fuck, he just wanted to be able to rail you sometime in his life and it was almost unbelievable that Megumi decided to give this to him as a gift this summer.

“S-She can handle two at once?” Yuuji asked already finishing pushing his shorts down and standing up only to cum at the scene of his best friend possessively taking his own girlfriend to the nearest sun chair to bend her over it and whisper something close to her ear that he didn't know what it was but you were fully aware had been a little: “Don't tell him to pull out, 'kay? We'll deal with the problem later”.

“You'll be the first to find out, I guess,” Toji's son replied and pulled the hem of your swimsuit to the side, immediately letting Itadori see your small hole already leaking and completely ready to be stretched, “She's so small, isn't she? That's why she's the best pussy,” he spoke stroking your folds and rubbing your clit gently, until he saw you clinging to the sun chair and forcing your hips up; if he didn't know you so well, he would think you were showing yourself too much to Itadori.

Silently, Yuuji moved a little closer until he was in front of your body and pulled your hips down to place your entrance above his swollen tip. He always thought that when he could fuck you, he would have enough self-control to slide into your pussy calmly, to make you feel every vein and inch of skin on his cock, to make you feel yourself being opened little by little, but today? After a hot sunny summer day and having the blessing of his best friend, your boyfriend? He couldn't do that, his personal instinct pushed him into the abyss of pounding inside you, all at once, deep, with the tip of his cock kissing your soft cervix and his hands gripping your waist so tightly that there would be possible marks or bruises there the next day.

Yuuji's head fell back forcefully, his eyes rolling back and your pussy squeezing him hard from all sides — Megumi definitely didn't lie when he said how tight you are, Itadori's hand couldn't even rival that warm, wet, perfect hole of yours. The first thrust was weak, slow, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming, the second was faster, deeper, served as the beginning of the rhythm Itadori built as he fucked you like a beast, as if he had never had the opportunity to feel a pussy as good as yours before.

Your body moved back and forth in accordance with his and eyes couldn't look away from Megumi's that watched you intently while his hand kept holding the popsicle stick between his lips. His expression was so neutral that you didn't know if you could moan the name of his best friend without making him resent you later, but as soon as Itadori hit against your most sensitive and sweet spot your worries went away and the only thing coming out of your mouth besides gasps was the name of the guy who was fucking you so hard, so rough, just as your boyfriend had planned.

But before Yuuji even felt the tip of his cock get too sensitive and his balls were ready to spew his hot, sticky cum against your walls, the other boy pulled him back by the shoulder and took over in front of your pussy, now completely puffy and wet in a mixture of your juices and the pre-cum that wasn't his.

“Forgot about our bet? You had your first round, now it’s my time,” Megumi spoke already putting a hand on your waist and pulling you against his groin, “By the way, can you hold it for me?” his other hand shook the popsicle towards Itadori, whose hand reached up to take it by the wooden handle and your boyfriend denied with his head, “Nah, nah,” and then waved at his friend's face.

Oh, Yuuji understood this time. And then he opened his mouth slowly, soon after, feeling the taste of cold strawberry invade his tongue. But he was sure that your pussy tasted even better, even sweeter.

Megumi slid calmly into you, now holding you by the waist with both hands, and it wasn't long before he was pulling your body up until your ear was glued to his mouth.

“What's this, hm? Moaning another guy's name right in front of your boyfriend? You should be ashamed,” he whispered before giving a quick thrust and standing completely still afterwards, “I'm gonna fuck you so hard 'n cum so much and then make him slurp my cum out of your pussy, sounds good?”

Megumi didn't think he would get jealous that easily if he let Itadori fuck you, but right now that just meant that the bet was being taken seriously and the only person who was likely to win in all this was you, with two dicks ready to breed you at any moment. Isn't that what summer is all about?

— taglist. | jujutsu k. masterlist.

ㅤ🏷 tagging: @hirwishin @inu1gf @dukina @qudvxnkanx @slut4manjiro @kuroaka @sleepy3 @mizurimirai @semisgroupie @mrsvaleska @httphaitani @no-name-jack @sanoinc @strawberrysanzu @bontens-cum-slut @rxcked @rinsie @myarlert @medusalovessnakes @simpforerenn @tonaken @imsatansqueen @imkumichan @lordbugs @haitaniwhor3 @kumikocchi @jjendeku @ushijimasthiccthighs @winterv-black @crown5 @scholarlogy @hannas16 @misss-chrisss @bunnozi @jiminjamms @aerangi @momoewn @rosso-seta @alureasoley @todorokiskitten @festive @fxshigurosbae @6igital @flamefoxxrecs @aikonori @solarrexplosion @namyari @eungii @euryale16 .

#jujutsu kaisen smut #itadori yuuji smut #itadori x reader #megumi smut #megumi fushiguro smut #jjk smut #jjk x fem!reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x female reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #yuuji itadori #yuuji smut #yuuji x reader #megumi x y/n #🏖.SummerLovin #tw.breeding kink #tw.jealousy

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harwinsgirl · 2 years

Text

The White Sheep - Harwin Strong X Reader

You are the second born daughter of King Viserys, often referred to as the White Sheep, as you are too pure to be reminiscent of the black and red colors of your family. You fall in love with your personal guard, Harwin Strong. But when he rejects you, you seek to mend your broken heart in the streets of Kings Landing.

(This is the first fic I’m posting on tumblr! Apologies if the formatting is wacky because I’m on mobile! Hope you like it! Angst with a happy ending because I’m a sucker for it, also slight violence/creepy assholes are mentioned)

The evening had been a long one. A feast, followed by rounds of drinking and dancing, welcomed esteemed guests to Kings Landing. Many of them had hoped to grab either yours or your older sister Rhaenyra’s attention. After all, being one of the daughters of the ailing king who had no sons to offer his realm, it became apparent that one of you would rule the Seven Kingdoms one day, at least for a time. Men salivated at the thought of the wealth and prosperity that would be promised by your hand in marriage. All who tried to win your hearts failed miserably, each attempt fizzling out quicker than the one before it as the two of you grew weary of the men vying for your time. You gave up long before your sister and you tried not to note the look of disappointment on your father’s face when you asked for your personal guard, Ser Harwin, to escort you to your chambers. He certainly did not believe the lie you fed him about having caught a chill from the night air, but after several goblets of wine, the king could not have argued if he wanted to. At least not articulately.

Usually you and your knight would discuss the suitors (and all of their shortcomings) in much detail on the walk back into the castle. There would be laughter and giggles and you would fall into a similar stride before you bid each other goodnight. Sometimes he would even sneak in for a nightcap, enjoying a drink or two and spending time conversing with you until the early hours of the morning. However, this time was different.

This event felt more serious to you. There were men that spoke to you with a tone that was entirely too comfortable, as if they expected that you would accept a proposal if it were offered. They knew certain things that you liked, or didn’t. It was clear that someone was feeding them information in an attempt to make you feel more at ease in their presence. Your father wanted you married, and you couldn’t deny him much longer. But deep down you knew that you didn’t want to marry any of the lords on display tonight. The brazen ones, the old lords with aging hair or the young ones full of bravado and unchecked confidence, the ones who couldn’t hide their interest in the jewels you wore, and even the ones who seemed perfectly nice and proper.

You wanted to marry your knight.

Ser Harwin.

Your feelings for him were strong and they always had been. The day you two became introduced was seared into your memory. Curly brown hair that fell above his shoulders, deep cerulean eyes, a voice as gentle as honey but at the same time rough like the sand. You were transfixed. But if he were simply just handsome, your feelings might have been fleeting, chased away by thoughts of your respective duties. But Harwin was so much more than his looks. He was charming and he had a quick wit about him. Aside from your sister, you rarely had the pleasure of interacting with someone who wasn’t afraid of showing you their true personality, and Harwin was always his authentic self. He was courteous and kind but also lively, full of quips and quiet barbs that never failed to make you laugh. Your personal guard soon became your dearest friend and confidant, and your love only grew deeper from there.

You had been described as the white sheep of your family. Typically one would say black, but you were always described as pure and chaste, the traditional black and red colors of your family not matching your nature. Even your fury had a quietness to it. Having a fiery firstborn sister like Rhaenyra meant that you were hardly noticed or mentioned as an afterthought. Which hardly bothered you, as the freedom your sister so badly craved was almost second nature to you. Although still bound by duty and shackled by royalty, you were afforded much more privacy, whether you chose to hide in the expanse of a library or the greens of the gardens. There was a comfort in aloneness, but there were times where it was too much to bear, where it started to creep into the territory of being forgotten. But Harwin chased away any feelings of loneliness simply by being in the room with you. He made you feel seen, appreciated, even loved.

“We have arrived, princess.” Harwin said quietly, breaking you from your thoughts. Something was off about him too. He hadn’t said a word the whole way back to your room. You didn’t know if you should take comfort in that or not.

“So we have.” You felt a sudden rush of adrenaline course through you, like a flash of fire in your belly. He had to know how you felt. And if not now, then when? Time to talk of these matters was beginning to dwindle, and you knew it. “Would you join me for a moment, Ser Harwin?”

He hesitated. There was a playfulness between you two that he had to come to expect. If things were still truly lighthearted in nature, you wouldn’t have had to ask. You would’ve grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside already. The first time you had done so he was rightfully alarmed, squabbling about the indecency of it all, but it became such a regular occurrence that he began to just shake his head and take his place in one of the tufted arm chairs that adorned your room.

“The hour has grown late. You should retire soon, princess.” He said gently.

“Please ser,” your voice was heavy and thick with emotion, “I must talk with you.”

Harwin sighed and made a motion for you to enter first. He closed the door behind the two of you and stood in front of it.

The fire inside you started to die, washed away with waves of dread. You didn’t know how to broach the subject, and so you stood there awkwardly, wringing your hands until you mustered the courage to speak. “My father wishes for me to marry.”

Harwin nodded in agreement. “Every man wishes to see his daughter contented with marriage. You knew this day would come. Your father has more at stake compared to others in this same situation. Of course he’s going to try and introduce you to suitors, princess.”

“I do not wish to marry them. I do not love them.”

“My lady-“

“I love you, Ser Harwin.”

Harwin’s expression was unreadable. He had never looked so serious, at least in your presence. You watched him swallow and clear his throat, shifting uncomfortably against the door. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before flashing you a small smile. “You flatter me, princess.”

It wasn’t the reaction you were hoping for, but you were undeterred. “I do not intend flatter you ser. I only speak the truth. I love you, Harwin Strong. I want to be your wife.” You approached him and took one of his gloved hands, placing it against your cheek as you looked up at him. He let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes again as he stroked your cheek softly. You leaned into his touch and took another step closer, only to be met with him pulling his hand back to place it gingerly on your shoulder, holding you in place.

“My princess, I’m afraid you may be confusing love with infatuation.” Harwin spoke barley above a whisper. His expression was pained, which did nothing to ease the sensation of your heart breaking. “You are so young. There are men who are more suited to be your partner than me. You’ll come to understand this.”

“Very well ser. I thank you for your time and honesty,” you said politely, a fake smile plastered over your face. Of course he didn’t love you. Why hadn’t you seen it before? You were too young, too inexperienced for a man like him. He thought nothing more of you than a silly girl with a crush. Worse, he probably only thought of you as a job, a chore, a burden. All of those memories of his company that once brought you great happiness were tainted with the thought of him counting down the minutes until he could leave. You would not waste his time any longer, you decided.

“The hour has grown late, as you said. I shall bid you goodnight.” You turned and faced the fireplace, hot tears streaming down your face. You bit down on your lip to swallow a sharp cry that threatened to spill forth. Despite your best efforts, Harwin knew immediately how upset you were. He took a step closer to you and began to speak again.

“Princess-“

“Goodnight, Ser Harwin.” You said coldly, not turning to look at him.

You heard the sound of Harwin’s armor clinking softly as he bowed. The creak of the door signaled his exit. Only then did you collapse onto the floor and let out a sob that wracked your whole body. Tears continued to spill until no more could come forth. Your eyes felt heavy, and soon sleep overcame you.

You refused to be seen by your handmaidens the next morning. You also refused breakfast. The only good thing about this affliction of the heart was that it gave credence to your “chill of the night” excuse that you gave your father the evening before.

You did not leave your room the entire day.

When the day had waned and night was beginning to fall, someone knocked on the door and inquired about dinner. Your stomach rumbled at the thought but your appetite immediately soured at the thought of Harwin being outside the door. You declined dinner as well.

Your sister insisted on a maester being sent in to examine you but you managed to charm your way out of that as well. You just wanted to be alone.

You walked over to your window at one point and took in a view of the kingdom as it lit up the dark.

Harwin had practically implied that you were too inexperienced to be his woman. That you were a spoiled, privileged princess that did not know anything of the real world.

That was going to change, tonight.

You sent word for one of your handmaidens to see you at once. You gnawed at your fingernails as the moments passed until finally you heard a small timid knock at your door. You practically pulled her inside by her arm, closing the door quickly in case your knight was waiting outside.

“My lady, we have been worried about you today.” The handmaiden spoke softly. “Are you ill? Can I send for anything for you?”

“I just need your clothes.” You said quickly, trying to ease the confused look on her face with a dismissive wave. “I promise I will take good care of them. I will give you one of my jeweled necklaces as a thank you. This means a lot to me.”

Excited by the promise of your jewelry, the young girl nodded furiously and started to disrobe. You gave her one of your nightdresses to change into and told her to wait several moments before returning to her quarters. After she left, you took great care into tucking your hair into the white cap that she had left you. It amazed you that once you had hidden your signature Targaryen locks and changed your dress that you went from Princess of Dragonstone to handmaiden, all except for the hint of lilac in your eyes.

Your sister had taught you how to escape from the Red Keep before, and even though it had been years, you weaved through the damp tunnels expertly. Once you were outside the main gates, you paused. This was the farthest you had ever gotten before. Rhaenyra was much more adventurous than you, and after she failed to persuade you to join her, she would take off anyway. You admired her fearlessness as you watched her disappear down the road until she was out of sight. You would always wait for her to return, curled up in a cloak as the night air nipped at you. She never chided you for not coming. If anything, when she would come back she would reward you with some little trinket, joking that you were the better of the two and you deserved something for it.

Your sister would have an entire evening of freedom and exhilaration, and you would choose the comfort of the steps of your home, every time.

Not this time.

You hurriedly rushed down the same road your sister took all those years ago, your fears and doubts biting at your insides until you reached the outskirts of Kings Landing. The darkness of night ebbed away with torches and lanterns that were lit in the city streets. You were amazed at how many people were up at the late hour. Men and women drinking, laughing, crowding the roads as they made their way towards taverns and street shows. Vendors offering cooked meats and shoddy jewelry. Drunkards spitting and coughing up their wine, couples intertwined and dancing as bards filled the night air with love songs. It was all too much, too fast, but you were determined to drink it up. Hesitant, you were light on your feet as you took in all of the sights as fast as you could, maneuvering through different alleys as you continued your journey. The farther away you were from home, the better you began to feel. A caged princess, finally experiencing life. Gone were the thoughts of a dutiful, handsome knight who wanted nothing to do with you, banished by the adrenaline of new sights and sounds. You rounded a corner and found yourself in an alleyway that seemed far less lit than the others you came from.

“A handmaiden? A bit surprising to see one of you out and about, aren’t you supposed to stay inside the Red Keep at all times?” You froze, turning to find the owner of the low, ominous voice. A man, who couldn’t be that much older than you, was leaning against a back wall, most of his form still shrouded in darkness.

“Excuse me sir?” You said, internally wincing at how meek you sounded.

“You’re a servant. You’re supposed to stay put, in case you need to serve.” He pushed himself off of the wall and made his way over to you. The first thing you noticed about him was his smell, his breath reeked of ale. Still, the way he approached you was similar to a wolf stalking it’s prey, and you began to feel fear pooling in the pit of your stomach. You hadn’t thought to bring a weapon.

“I’ve seen a few of you out before during the day, fetching things for your ladies. But what could you be doing out in the city during an hour so late? You must’ve snuck out, haven’t you?” He snaked one hand around your waist, drumming his fingers against the velvet skirt of your gown.

“Leave me alone, ser. I have places to be.” You said firmly.

“Insolent. I pity you though, such a pretty little thing without anyone to protect her. I’ll make sure you get home safe, in exchange for your company for the rest of the night.” He smirked, tightening his grip on you. Frantically, you turned your head to look for any passerby to scream for. Immediately sensing your distress, his hand gripped your neck tightly in attempt to silence you before you could try.

“Brat. I’ll remind you what it means to serve.” He snarled.

A quick flash of silver appeared before your eyes before you heard the soft squelch of flesh. Scarlet blood splattered against the white cream fabric of your corset. The man’s hand had been sliced clean off with a sword. He let out the loudest howl you had ever heard as he collapsed back onto the dirt. Quickly, you turned to face the man who attacked him and your blood ran cold. Harwin Strong was wiping his sword clean with a cloth, glaring down at the sniveling man with the burning hatred of a thousand suns. You had never seen this blind fury from him before. You stood rooted to the spot, partly in fear from what would happen next.

“I would say unhand the lady, but I took the liberty of doing that for you.” Harwin spat at him, taking your arm forcefully. “You are lucky no more will come from this, rapist. If the lady wasn’t present, you would have a lot more to lose.”

Harwin’s grip on you was painful but you were too scared to do anything more than follow him as he weaved his way through the crowds, signaling his approach with a grunt to warn others to move out of his way. You earned a couple of a looks from different folk, some of them murmuring about what trouble you must be in for a white cloak to have apprehended you. You tried your best to hide under your bonnet and keep your eyes focused on the road ahead of you. Your night of freedom had nearly cost you your virtue and you were in a significant amount of trouble, should Harwin choose to rat you out to your father.

The sounds of the city began to dwindle as the two of you started to get closer to the castle walls. Harwin had yet to acknowledge you, save the vice grip he continued to have on your arm. Timidly, you began to test the waters. You tapped on his shoulder and waited for him to turn around, to no avail.

You cleared your throat. “Harwin?”

“We are not speaking.” Was his reply.

“What?”

“I said no speaking. I am so angry with you that I do not trust my words.” He said plainly, almost indifferently. Anger started to bubble inside you.

Why the hell was he angry with you? He made it abundantly clear that he did not return your affections. You had spent the entire day pouring over your time together, and each memory led to the realization that you were the instigator. You asked him to be your guard. You asked for his company. You pulled him into your chambers for more time with him, and he used to object to it before giving in to your whims. You were blind to it before, but it was evident that you had essentially held the man hostage in your life. And you wanted no more of it.

“Angry with me? Why? What I do in my own time is no business of yours-“

“Except that it is!” He roared. I am your knight, your sworn protector, and you left the safety of the Keep! How the hell is that not my business?”

Your eyes widened.

You had forgotten to send your letter.

“I am so sorry ser,” you said timidly. Your eyes were cast down, so you didn’t notice the way he flinched at your formality and the softness of your voice. “It slipped my mind this day, I genuinely was not feeling well. I had written a letter to my father, asking for you to be absolved of this role.”

Stunned, Harwin could only watch as your wrought your hands together with nervousness. “Please do not be angry. I did not write anything that would implicate that you did not perform your duties well. In fact, I asked if you could be promoted to the Commander of the City Watch. You would be an excellent commander, even now I can see how well you can handle the brutishness of the city. It would mean a higher wage and nicer quarters as well.” You stopped and looked at him in the eyes. “I only want good things for you, Ser Harwin. Many thanks for taking such good care of me these years. Gods know that you are due for a promotion after all this time in a position you never asked for, nor wanted. I should’ve vouched for you a lot sooner, and spared you from my company.”

“I decline.” He said, firmly.

“I must insist,” you said, smiling sadly. “Again, I am sorry I did not realize sooner.”

“Realize what, may I ask, princess?” Harwin said with an exasperated sigh.

“That you detest me.” You said, cocking your head to the side with confusion. Then you righted yourself, as you had another epiphany. “I know why you are upset.”

“Wha-“

“You are slighted because I am a woman and I am deciding your future, is that not correct? If you do not need my letter-“

“No more talking.” Harwin said bristly. He took your arm and took you off the path towards the Red Keep, which you could see looming in the distance. He led you through a dense thicket, pushing at branches as he made his way to a small creek that bubbled past calmly. It seemed like he knew this area and had been here before. To your surprise, he placed both hands on your shoulder to keep you steady before dropping to his knees in front of you.

“First, my lady, please do not ever insinuate again that I would ever take offense at a woman acting in my interest. A woman brought me into this world. I have nothing but respect for your kind, and I would’ve hoped that you knew that of my character.”

Before you could speak, he took both of your hands in his and squeezed gently, a silent plea for you to let him finish. “I know that what I said last night has planted seeds of doubt in your mind. And for that, I am sorry. What I said was not a rejection, or a dismissal, despite what you may have felt. In good conscience, when I thought about the differences of our statuses, and what I could offer you, I deemed it was best to gently remove myself from your consideration. I could not imagine that being the heir to Harrenhal was enough to persuade your father into taking me as a son-in-law. I wanted to save both of us the anguish of being told we could not love each other.”

He looked down momentarily, only to meet with your eyes again, tears starting to form as he spoke with thick emotion. “But by the gods, was I wrong. I hate myself for implying that your love for me could be fleeting. The sounds of your crying pricked at my heart and I wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms. Knowing that I had done that to you, it still wounds me, even now.”

He sniffled and shook his head slightly, casting aside the tears that fell. You were still absolutely bewildered by this encounter. Harwin had shared many sides of himself that you were certain many were not as fortunate to see, but you had never seen him so emotional. You had surely never seen him cry.

He cleared his throat and continued again once he regained composure. “When I first came to the estate, I knew I wanted purpose, in whatever form that it came in. But in my short time in Kings Landing, I had already begun to detest it. The nobles were stuffy and the townsfolk deplorable, in a general sense. I was surrounded by so much filth. I found small pockets to escape in, such as this one, and I found beauty in them, but I was not tasked with defending a creek. But I knew I could do my job well enough, no matter the circumstances.”

“And then I met you. The tamest Targaryen. The quiet beauty. Very obviously overlooked, and I could tell in a sense that you enjoyed that. But the way your eyes met mine, that first day we met, it was like you were asking me to know you, and instantly it felt like I had. I don’t think you know this, but I asked to be your guard before you requested it.”

The look on your face confirmed that for him, and he continued. “I knew instantly I had found my purpose. To guard the rarest gem. To keep you safe, to love you in all the ways I could. Listening to you recite poetry and bringing you small plates when you grew hungry. Guiding you to your chambers after long nights. You were absolutely divine and I swore to defend you no matter what.”

“Do you think me a child, Ser Harwin?” You asked quietly. His words were as sweet as cherry wine, but you also worried that perhaps his love was not romantic, but more born from duty and respect. You were after all, the white sheep, and it would make sense for a man as honorable as Harwin to be drawn to you, only to become devoted to your protection.

Harwin smiled and brought one of your hands to kiss it. “Not in the slightest my lady. There’s a difference between being demure and innocent and being naive. You are no child, you are no fool. I only refused your offer because I thought you deserved better. Never because I doubted your conviction. In my attempt to be gentle, I made you feel so low about yourself. Again, I am sorry.”

“What do we do now?” You said softly, staring back into his deep blue eyes. “You do not want to join the city watch, but you do not want my hand-“

“My dearest love, I have rambled on for far too long, because the reason I am on my knees is to ask for your hand.” Harwin said plainly. You let out a small gasp as Harwin produced a small ring, embedded with a white gem in the center.

“Targaryen red never suited you my love, I hope a diamond will suffice.” He said with a grin.

“You are asking me to be your wife?” You said, a hint of incredulousness in your voice.

“Yes my dear lady. Exactly as you said. I am asking you. Your opinion matters most. I will deal with our fathers after the fact, but this is and should be your decision. It may take convincing but ultimately I do believe your father loves you enough to ensure your happiness. I just may need to bring you along to sing my praises.” Harwin held up the ring to you again. “Please, my greatest love. Honor me by allowing me to be your husband. Forgive me for being a fool and denying you. I swear to be yours and only yours for as long as I live.”

You nodded and extended your hand for him, allowing him to slide the ring onto your finger. When you let out a small, happy giggle, a huge grin washed over his face as he stood up and lifted you in his arms, spinning you around as he held you close. His lips were upon yours in an instant, flooding you with a feeling of warmth as he pressed kiss after kiss to your lips, leaving them red and tender.

“I have the most beautiful lady wife in the seven kingdoms!” He practically howled.

When he put you down, his smile faded into a tight line. “Who is also in a world of trouble, sneaking off into the city. That is the first and only time you pull a stunt like that. You will never cause me such grief again.”

“I am sorry, lord husband.” You said wrapping your arms around him and resting against his chest.

“You mustn’t look at me with those big beautiful eyes. I forget my anger when you look at me like that.” He said quietly, his fingers cradling your face.

“You’ve told me your weakness, Harwin. Now that is your mistake.” You said with a grin. He peered down at you and pressed his forehead to yours.

“I’m beginning to suspect you are not as pure as you present yourself, dear lady of mine.”

“I never was.”

#harwin breakbones #ser harwin strong #harwin strong fic #harwin strong #harwin strong x reader #hotd fic #harwin #harwinsgirl

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taevbears · 8 months

Text

Magic Shop - 10

As the only non-magical being in a shop full of mages and familiars, Seokjin is starting to feel left out.

⤑ pairing: OT7 x witch!reader, Seokjin focused ⤑ genre: magic au, romance, angst, hurt/comfort, found family, domestic/slice of life, action/adventure ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 11.1k ⤑ warnings: smut (penetrative), implied smut, verbal sexual harassment, mentions of attempted sexual assault, oppression of mages, implied shady business dealings, probable inaccuracies with 92 liners, mentions of violence ⤑ note: welcome back to pt. 2 of the series! it's finally fall, and it feels good to be writing for this story again, especially with spooky season around the corner. each member will have 2 chapters dedicated to them, making this part twice as long as pt. 1 lol. happy reading, and i'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter!

Chapters: Series ML | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12

Dear Mother and Father,

Seokjin pauses as he stares at the line he just wrote. It looks too formal, even with his own eyes.

I’m sure the news about Blackstone Castle has already reached our village by now. You both must be very worried about me. But I’m writing to let you know that your youngest son is alive and well.

More than well, he thinks, as he looks at the morning crowd before him.

The kitchen is busy like it usually is at this time. Hoseok is roasting coffee beans over a magical fire, extracting sweet and nutty aromas that fill the room. Yoongi is standing next to him, frying eggs and bacon into a pan. The sizzle and pop of smoky meat against oil makes Seokjin’s mouth salivate in hunger. Namjoon and Jungkook are checking inventory together, making a list of what things they need to pick up on their next trip to the market.

“What’s wrong, hyung? You’re making a face,” Jungkook points out.

The mage is frowning down at the list and rubs his neck like he’s stressed. But he shakes his head and tells Jungkook, “I’m just wondering if we need this much saffron? What are we even using it for?”

“Yes! I need it!” Hoseok answers, poking his head up to look Namjoon in the eye. “It’s for my potions! Don’t forget it!”

“It’s so expensive,” Namjoon blanches. Seokjin can’t help but notice that he looks a bit stressed again as he continues reading down the list.

“Taehyung, don’t you dare!” you shriek, grabbing everyone’s attention as you back away from the raven familiar. “Your hands are still wet!”

A deep, evil chuckle rumbles from his chest as he slowly advances toward you. He holds up his hands, water dripping from washing dishes over the sink. “Darling, I just want a hug.”

“No!” you yell, ducking away when he tries to grab you.

Neither Yoongi nor Hoseok is phased as the two of you run past them. They simply step aside, using magic to levitate utensils and ingredients upward so that you don’t knock them over.

You run straight to Jungkook, who’d do anything for you in a heartbeat. The toad familiar has you in his arms for a few seconds, seeing you plead for his help like a damsel in distress. That gets him to puff up his chest, bravely putting himself between you and Taehyung.

Little do you know, an enemy is nearby. Namjoon, who likes to tease you as well, tosses the list aside and grabs a hold of you. “I got her, Taehyung!”

“Traitor! I’ll make you pay!” you vow, even though his dimpled smile easily melts your heart. Seokjin blinks at the discarded list on the ground.

“Don’t fight,” Hoseok warns as he finishes making his coffee. He pours the dark liquid into several mugs. “It’s too early in the morning to be threatening each other.”

Yoongi looks over at you all, checking to see if you’re okay. Jungkook yells and jumps back when Taehyung tries to wipe his wet hands on the front of his shirt. Distracted, the toad hybrid doesn’t see the raven hybrid shift and fly over his head until he lands back on his feet as a human right in front of you. And, like the menace he is, wipes his hands on both you and Namjoon.

“Taehyung, why can’t you use a towel to wipe your hands?” you complain as he cackles in laughter. Seokjin stands up from the table and picks up the list for inventory.

“You know how when a cat brushes up against you, it’s like saying ‘you’re mine’?” he asks you, throwing a wink when you catch on. Followed by Hoseok’s loud teasing as Yoongi suddenly avoids eye contact with you and states that breakfast is ready.

A typical, noisy morning at the shop.

Becoming a warden has its challenges. You have to be up at the crack of dawn. The food they serve us tastes bland. Routine shifts are mundane and unchanging. They have daily reminders from the Devoted about how mages are cruel and evil, and how the wardens are heroes by keeping them locked away. Some of the wardens let that get in their heads, and they end up not being very nice people. Then, you go to bed by curfew and do the same thing all over again. It’s quite the thrilling life.

Seokjin scoffs.

In hindsight, his duties as a warden all sound like bullshit. The lies that the Devoted feed about mages and magic are far from the truth.

“That’s hardly fair.”

“Maybe you should’ve gone with a different color.”

“I bet he’ll look good no matter what color we pick.”

The three mages of the shop – you, Namjoon, and Hoseok – are baffled and scratching your heads. In an act of revenge for the chaos this morning, the three of you decided to team up and change Taehyung’s hair.

Into a vibrant blue.

The raven familiar smirks at his reflection on the mirror and looks at you three. “Don’t I look good like this, though?”

In seconds, the three of you huddle together for a new game plan. Hoseok is the first to point out, “I don’t think this is going to work, guys. He’s too handsome.”

Namjoon nods his head in agreement. “Yeah, he’s like Jin-hyung.”

“Me?” Seokjin asks, somehow finding himself included in the huddle.

“I could turn your hair baby pink and you’ll still be the most handsome person in the world,” you tell him, quite serious in light of the gravity of your situation. You don’t seem to notice the redness in Seokjin’s ears from your compliment.

The three of you – talented and skilled with magic – are deemed as threats, even if you’d never use your magic for evil. Hoseok is a potion master who brews concoctions in coffees and teas that add a bit of hope in each cup. Namjoon, who studies the history of the arcane arts and runes, uses that knowledge to write and collect interesting trinkets to decorate the shop. And you, the spell caster, who could incantate charms and hexes effortlessly, only use your abilities to protect the shop, help the people you care about, and occasionally turn one of their hairs into a color of the rainbow.

The Devoted has warned that mages like you bewitch mortals to do your will, host bloody sacrifices, shed the lives of innocents, and commit cardinal sins with demons in exchange for power.

These days, however, the three of you use magic to prank each other or one of the familiars.

“Guess you’ll have to come up with something else.” Taehyung shrugs, suddenly next to you in the circle, catching you all off guard.

I’ve managed to survive the mage rebellion with just a scratch. You raised a pro after all. An apprentice got a hold of a summoning book. He convinced others to form a mutiny, and it backfired badly. He became a monster, burdening all the pains and sorrows that he and the others have carried. That night was the scariest night of my life. I still have nightmares about it.

Seokjin stares at his reflection in the mirror. It’s been several months since the night you all fled from Blackstone Castle together, but the ugly scar on his torso is a fresh reminder of what had happened.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper every time you see it. “I should’ve gotten to you sooner.”

“You saved me just in time,” Seokjin assures you, trying not to shiver when he feels your fingers carefully trace the textured skin. It’s not as bad as before, but it’s still there. It’s still visible.

As the day comes to an end, you always check on each of them. The vibrant blue fades from Taehyung’s hair and you apologize. He says he’ll forgive you if you kiss him, and he’s reluctant to let you go when you do. All day, Yoongi seems avoidant, trying not to brush up against you, probably because of what Taehyung said that morning. But you assure him that you don’t mind, wrapping your arms around him yourself as he seems to ease into your touch. You check with the others too, though you’re always adamant to check on Seokjin.

And Seokjin knows why. Even if you never tell him.

You’re frowning, fixated on the scar. No amount of healing magic that you know could make it go away completely.

He glances at you and then back at the mirror. “I suppose this makes me a little less handsome, doesn’t it?”

“Of course not.”

Since the castle is no longer standing, I’ve moved into a nearby town. I spend my days happily now. No rules or duties to be obliged to. No pressure to conform to beliefs I don’t agree with. I’m only human. I’m lacking in a lot of ways that my housemates aren’t, but I found a family here, and it just keeps growing.

“Ow, ow, ow,” you cry mournfully, sticking out your aching tongue, and set a cup of hot tea on the coffee table. “I think I burned myself.”

Jimin turns to you with a sympathetic smile, but there’s a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. “Want me to kiss it better?”

He bursts into laughter when he receives his answer through a playful smack.

Your neighbor across the street comes more often these days, welcomed into the shop like another member of the coven. Except, when he’s around, the magic is hidden. No spellcasting, no shifting between forms, no sudden changes of hair colors.

To Jimin, you’re probably all just ordinary people who live together and work together in an inconspicuous, unassuming shop. And perhaps, the only strangest thing is your relationship with each of them.

Seokjin has to admit, even if he knows that relationships for mages differ from what is traditional by the Devoted, it takes time to get used to. He’s only gone as far as kissing you, but some of the others, including Jimin, have gone much further with you.

It’s not like he hasn’t thought about it. He just hasn’t found the right time to bring it up to you. Or the right place.

Seokjin eyes the way Jimin casually has his arm around the back of the couch behind you. He doesn’t seem put off when Hoseok comes to sit on your other side, holding his own cup of hot tea in his hands, practically making heart-eyes at you when you turn to talk to him. Or that any of the other residents are lingering in the parlor nearby, with Yoongi and Jungkook sitting on the small bench in front of the piano and playing a random melody, Taehyung taking a seat next to Jimin as he plays a board game with Namjoon, or Seokjin still trying to write a letter to his parents.

In fact, Jimin takes the whole polyamorous aspect of his relationship with you better than most people who’ve been raised by the Devoted teachings would.

Seokjin looks around the room and smiles softly to himself. With the eight of you all together, a full house just hanging out, it feels complete. He can tell that the other residents feel that way too with how at ease they are with Jimin around, despite him not knowing the truths about what you guys really are.

As the only other human in a room full of mages and familiars, Seokjin wonders if Jimin feels that sense of belonging too. And how he’ll react once he knows the truth.

There’s also this girl I met since I left home. She’s smart, brave, beautiful, and diligent. I think you guys would like her a lot. I feel like I fall in love with her more each day.

“What are you writing?”

Seokjin jumps and hunches over his paper, nearly spilling ink all over. Just as he’s started writing about you, you appear beside him. “A letter.”

“Oh? You have a secret lover I should be worried about?” you tease, placing your hand on your hip for emphasis.

“Well, you know,” he plays along. “Worldwide handsome, and all.”

“Of course. How could I forget?” Affectionately, you run your fingers through his bangs, exposing his forehead. His hair has been growing longer. At the castle, they routinely had to keep it short and clean. But now, after several months of no haircut, he may have to make use of the kitchen scissors and the bathroom mirror. “How did I get so lucky to have someone as handsome as you, Seokjin?”

“I’m the lucky one,” he replies, grinning at the shy smile you give him. “I’m actually trying to write to my parents. Let them know that I’m alive and doing well. With the way word spreads around, I’m sure they know about … you know.”

“Yeah,” you trail off with a small grimace. The fall of Blackstone Castle has also brought in many hunters into the nearby towns. It’s a constant worry for all of you that they might stumble into the shop one day, even if it’s located in the quieter side of town.

Seokjin tries to change the topic. “I’d love to introduce you to them. My family, I mean.”

“Would they like me?”

“Of course they will. They’ll probably ask when I’ll—” He cuts himself off.

“Ask you what?”

“They’ll probably ask when I’ll marry you.”

“Oh.”

Marriage is a sacred commitment to the Devoted. For mages, however, such a union simply doesn’t exist. They have their partners; they have their coven. But when magic is deemed evil, and those who wield it are treated as vermin, love in any form would be shunned and discouraged.

Seokjin sees the guilt flicker in your eyes. The way you nervously chew on your bottom lip, trying to carefully place your next words.

Truth is, Seokjin could walk out anytime he wanted. From you, from the shop. He’s not a warden anymore. He doesn’t have any ties or duties keeping him with you. He could find another partner, someone he could legally marry, and start a normal family. It’s safer if he would. But it’s foolish if he did.

“You know that stuff doesn’t matter to me, right?” he asks you seriously. “You're my partner. The others are our family. I wouldn’t change it any other way.”

“If you ever change your mind…”

“I won’t. I promise.” He’s so certain, he holds his pinky toward you. Perhaps it’s a bit silly and childish, but it gives you the assurance you need. “I love you. I’ll always choose you. Nothing will ever change that.”

You smile softly and wrap your pinky around his finger. You return the sentiment in whispered words as he brings your hand closer to his and kisses your knuckles.

She’s everything to me. I wish you could meet her one day and see it for yourself.

Mornings are Seokjin’s favorite time of the day.

Usually.

He’s not a big fan of a neighbor’s rooster and its insistent crowing at 3:00AM. On the dot. Every single morning. He’s even less of a fan when, only a couple hours later, just as dawn is beginning to break, Seokjin hears it again at 5:00AM. Screaming at the top of its lungs over a slither of sunlight in the sky. And by 7:00AM, when it cries out the third time, it takes every fiber in Seokjin’s being not to stomp over, grab the rooster, and toss it in the air out of spite.

He also dislikes having to actually leave the safe and warm sanctuary of his bed. Where he’s cozy and comfortable beneath his thick blanket, and the mattress and pillows feel like he’s on a cloud. Where his favorite, long pajamas feel soft against his skin. But with a long list of tasks ahead of him, he reluctantly and mournfully pushes away the covers, shivers as the cold morning air sucks away the warmth, and begins to dress up for the day.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be long until he hears the small creak of someone entering his bedroom. The breathy chuckles that escape his lips as he tries to hold back his giggles. Followed by the unmistakable whisper of, “Jin.”

“No, Hoseok, you can’t.”

And Hoseok would burst into loud laughter, hitting the lump that’s Seokjin beneath his covers, and ask, “Oh, hyung! How did you know it was me?”

Despite how he actually wakes up that day, mornings are relatively peaceful. Most of the residents are still asleep, and sometimes, he can hear Namjoon or Jungkook still snoring from their rooms. Candles automatically light up down the hallway of mixed doors, guiding him down the stairs and to the kitchen.

And that’s where you are, bright and early.

Or rather, these days, as Yoongi had quietly confided in him, because you haven’t been sleeping well. Nightmares, the black cat had explained.

“Hey, morning,” Seokjin greets you as you rummage around the kitchen, pulling out jars and pans as if it’ll inspire you to cook.

“Morning, Jin. What do you want for breakfast?” When you turn to him, he can see the tiredness in your face. Your eyes are a bit red, your posture more sluggish.

“I can do it,” he assures you, taking a pan from your hand before you drop it. You let him and instead, use your free hand to cover a big yawn. Even when you’re on the brink of passing out, Seokjin finds you cute. “Did you sleep last night?”

“Barely.”

“Because of that damn rooster?”

“Yeah,” you lie. Seokjin knows you don’t want to talk about the nightmares you’ve been having. Not even to Yoongi or Hoseok.

But Seokjin sees the way you look at him. The relief that crosses your face when you see him, the guilt that follows after when your eyes trail to where his scar is. There’s an apology in your tongue, but before it could escape your lips, he jokes, “Maybe we should have that rooster for breakfast.”

“I don’t think our neighbor would like that,” you point out with a small smile.

He returns your smile as he decides to make eggs and bread. But his smile fades when he notices that there’s less ingredients in stock than usual, even though Namjoon and Jungkook had just gone to the market yesterday. Did they not get enough?

“Our finances are low,” Namjoon reveals when Seokjin asks him about the lack of ingredients later that afternoon. As mages, it’s easier to get by, and the shop has always been more of a home than a business. But coin is still needed to buy fresh ingredients, to maintain amenities, and to keep the shop running.

Namjoon looks stressed. The human world and its standards are still new concepts to you and Hoseok, and Seokjin can tell that Namjoon doesn’t want either of you to worry. He’ll buy fewer eggs if he can get Hoseok his saffron. He’ll get cheaper quality meat, even if Jungkook complains that he can’t fork it. He’ll pick tangerines and strawberries himself if that’ll make Yoongi and Taehyung happy. He’ll pass up on a book or rune that he wants so he can get you something nice instead.

Seokjin glances over at you. You’re finally asleep, resting on the couch with Hoseok. One of his arms is protectively around your waist as he rubs soothing circles down your back and shoulders. Taehyung comes to put a blanket over you, and he’s careful not to wake you as he gently pats your head.

Clearly, you have a lot of things on your mind lately.

“Hyung will do it,” Seokjin assures him, even if he doesn’t really know how. He’s only human. But he’ll find a way.

Seokjin knows you’re home when Yoongi, who’s been napping all afternoon, suddenly springs to life and meows impatiently at the door. It’s as if he’s saved up all his energy just to be the first to greet you hello when you step in.

Followed by the pattering of feet as Taehyung exclaims, “You’re home!”

And by the time Seokjin gets to you, you’re sandwiched between the two youngest and carrying Yoongi in your arms.

“Guys, let her breathe,” Namjoon lightly scolds Taehyung and Jungkook. As if the others aren’t also coming to the door to welcome you home like a bunch of puppies.

Seokjin manages to slip by your side as you take off your shoes. “How’s my favorite mage? Did you have fun with Jimin?”

“I had a good time. It was busy at the town square,” you inform him, standing on your toes to kiss his cheek. His mouth twitches back a shy smile and a blush. “Jimin said a lot of guilds are open for new members at this time. So, there are a lot of recruiters trying to get people to sign up.”

“Ah, that’s what happened to me!” Jungkook pipes up, nostalgia of his former days as an adventurer flashing through his mind. “In my town, there’s a big bulletin board that people put fliers on when they need help. I used it to pick up odd jobs here and there, like taking care of a rat infestation or delivering a package to someone in another town. And one day, I saw a poster for a guild fair. I went, did some research by talking to people, and ended up joining one.”

“You could probably join one of the ones here, too,” Yoongi says after jumping out of your arms and shifting to his human form. His black hair is a bit messy from sleeping all afternoon.

“I want to so badly! But sometimes, missions could take days to complete, and I don’t know if I can hold this form for that long without changing.”

Jungkook sighs. For a recently-turned familiar, he’s making great progress controlling his transformations. But it wouldn’t do his party any good if he were to turn back into a toad mid-battle.

“Maybe once we turn you human again, you can,” Namjoon suggests, patting his head with sympathy, as if it’ll be easy. As if there isn’t a powerful, Wicked ex-girlfriend trying to hunt Jungkook down.

Jungkook pouts but nods his head. “The guilds are nice, and New Haven is the perfect town for them. It’s a good way to earn coins, make new friends, go on adventures, strengthen your skills, and get useful information.”

“Coins?” Seokjin repeats. He doesn’t hear a single word after.

“Yeah. If you’re good, a lot of guilds give you big bonuses after a mission.”

“Coins,” Seokjin echoes, suddenly turning away from you, lost in thought.

You stare after him, mildly concerned. “Jin?”

It is, perhaps, a mere coincidence that Seokjin finds himself at the town square the very next day.

Colorful tents are lined up around the plaza. Recruiters are shouting in the streets and handing out fliers to whoever passes by their booths. Some members are putting on a show, displaying trophies of their latest hunts, dueling against each other with shiny new swords and shiny new armor, and waving their flags around as they boldly claim their guild is the best. Even people from out of town are gathered to check out the festivities. Every brave, adventure-seeking soul is hoping to find their place in one of the many guilds here.

“Hey, you’re strong and handsome,” the fourth recruiter of the day stops him. “Want to join our guild?”

“What do you guys do? And do you make a lot of coins?” Seokjin asks, a bit curious.

“Oh, of course! We do lots of stuff! We explore caves and old ruins to look for hidden treasures, slay large beasts that trouble the local folks, visit ports to trade goods with foreign investors, hunt mages— Hey, where are you going?”

Seokjin immediately loses interest and walks away. He sighs, wondering if there’s even a guild out there that doesn’t list mages as monsters.

“Let’s just go one more round,” Seokjin mutters to himself. If he doesn’t find anything good, he can always think of something else.

He tries to stop by each one, listening to their criteria and what they’re looking for in a new member, and asking what they do and how much they make. But the moment they mention hunting down mages, he quickly moves to the next table. He almost wants to just ask that one question – whether or not they hunt mages – but he isn’t sure how to bring it up without warranting suspicions.

“Hey there, handsome. Are you interested in joining our guild?” a female recruiter asks. She’s thin and pretty, and when she smiles, her front teeth poke out a bit like a bunny. She has the kind of smile that reminds him of Jungkook. “We still have a few spots open if you are.”

Seokjin tries not to sound jaded as he smiles back at her. “What do you do?”

“The typical stuff most guilds do,” she begins to explain, but is suddenly interrupted by a commotion near the booth.

“Have you gone mad?!” a man shouts, seeming to be talking to another recruiter. “Mages will kill us if we let them! What is this nonsense about allowing the likes of them into the Freelancers?”

“Are mages not human as well?” a young, charismatic man replies, seeming to stand firm with his stance. “They have unique abilities that could take us further in our adventures than we could ever imagine. Think about it! If someone in our party is injured, we could rely on magic instead of using up precious medical supplies. They could clear obstacles in forests and tunnels to complete the mission faster. We could defeat savage beasts more easily and efficiently with their aid!”

“Lies! That goes against everything the Devoted teaches” a woman accuses as the crowd around them murmur.

“Who is that?” Seokjin asks as people continue to argue with the man. But he and a couple others flanking his side have a rebuttal for each statement. It only riles the crowd up even more.

“His name is Tariq,” the female recruiter answers with a laugh. “You must be out of town. He’s infamous around New Haven.”

“I can see that,” he replies as he watches the debate. He’s half-surprised no one has accused him of being a mage-sympathizer yet.

“Tariq can be intense, but he’s the greatest strategist and fighter in New Haven,” she explains as if she’s read his mind. “His values don’t always align with the Devoted, but even the town leaders can’t deny how much they rely on him to protect the town. He’s cultivated his own following within the guilds too. Lots of people support and admire him, no matter how crazy his ideas can be.”

Just then, another man breaks through the crowd and grabs a hold of Tariq’s arm. “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize on behalf of the Freelancers, but this debate is now over. Tariq will take some time to reflect on the concerns brought up today.”

“And that’s Adnan, his older brother,” she continues, nodding to the new guy that has pulled Tariq aside to scold him. “He’s the leader of the Freelancers, but the two of them couldn’t be any more different.”

“What are the Freelancers?” Seokjin asks, finally looking away from the two now that the crowd has begun to die down.

“That’s us,” she replies with a nervous laugh. “We’re a bit controversial, as you can see, but we firmly believe that anyone – even magic or not – will find a place in our guild.”

Seokjin nods his head and considers what she’s told him. He only has one question left. “Where do I sign up?”

In their glory days, the Freelancers were a powerful and ruthless mercenary group.

They were unlawful. A guild that got their start from handling odd jobs that couldn’t go through legal and official channels, and taking up difficult quests that other guilds didn’t find worth the effort to do themselves. Eventually, they became notorious for engaging in shady, cutthroat contracts such as back-door dealings and accepting secret fundings from nobility without honor or integrity.

With enough coin, there was no job that the Freelancers refused to take.

Recently, under the leadership of Adnan and Tariq’s great-grandfather, the Freelancers have more peaceful, quasi-honorable practices. His goal was to eradicate the guild’s notoriety and build a new legacy. In the eyes of the public, the Freelancers have now become the biggest and most reliable organization for quests and missions.

It’s a reputation that their father has upheld as well, accepting most people who were willing to join: men and women, nonbinary, wealthy nobles and poor peasants, skilled warriors with years of practice and those just looking to gain experience. However, as his reign comes to an end, the guild looks to his two sons for guidance.

Adnan, the oldest, plans to retain the current honorable methods that his family has instilled and follow the footsteps of their legacy. Accepting those willing to join their noble cause, offering new opportunities to their members to make extra coin, and taking righteous paths as instructed by the Devoted to thwart out evil from the town.

But Tariq, the younger and more charismatic brother, is ambitious and wants the guild to take on a more profitable, but shadier nature. It doesn’t matter to him if those who join are mages, demons, or monsters either, as long they’re on his side. Just as they did in their glory days before his great-grandfather.

Discourse between the two brothers and their sizable followings have been brewing within the guild. It’s a tension that’s been there long before Seokjin joins.

And it won’t be long until a clash of interest threatens the entirety of the Freelancers.

“Hyung, you joined a guild?” Jungkook exclaims, hopping after with excitement. “I’m so jealous! Which one is it?”

“They’re called the Freelancers,” Seokjin answers, showing the flier he received with the date and location of his first official meeting with them. “They’re the biggest guild in New Haven.”

Hoseok whistles. “That’s impressive! Congrats, Jin!”

“Hopefully this brings in more coins for us, too,” Seokjin adds as he looks at Namjoon. The recruiter told him they tend to get more quests than other guilds, especially with how famous the two brothers are. More quests mean more opportunity for coins.

Namjoon frowns a little. “Hyung, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” Seokjin assures him. “I want to be more useful to you guys and the shop. I think this is the best way I can do it.”

After all, Seokjin isn’t gifted with magic. He doesn’t have any affinity to the Veil or its mysterious realm. Seokjin is only human. But he’s a human who knows how to fight and take care of himself in battle.

“Wouldn’t that mean you won’t be home?” Yoongi asks him. A silence follows as the rest of you wait for his answer.

“Maybe from time to time. They’ll have me do local missions first before they send me off somewhere far,” Seokjin explains, sensing the uneasiness of that idea. “I’ll let you guys know when they do before I take the quest.”

“What about the shop?” Namjoon questions.

“I can do tasks for the guild in the morning, and help at the shop at night,” Seokjin decides, already putting that in consideration when he went to the fair. “That’s usually when the tavern is the busiest.”

“Wouldn’t you be tired?” Taehyung wonders out loud.

“I’ll do my best for both. Don’t worry.” Seokjin knows he’ll have a team to carry out missions with at the guild, and a family to rely on when he returns home. He turns to you, noting your silence. Gently, he takes your hand in his and presses, “Talk to me, sweetheart. What’s on your mind?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” you tell him, frowning as your gaze lingers down to his torso. To where his scar is. “What if something happens to you while you’re away? What if I can protect you?”

“I’ll be careful,” he assures you, pulling you into a hug. He understands your feelings. Truly, he does. But Seokjin has always been a dutiful and honorable man. And helping relieve some of the financial burdens from Namjoon is the least he could do. “Once my mission is over, you’ll be the first I run back to. Promise.”

Before he became a warden, Seokjin was a promising recruit. He’s self-disciplined, admirably hard-working, and spent extra time honing his skills to push himself a little further than his peers. While new recruits rested from their rigorous training, he’d be up a few hours earlier to practice with his word, to study how to disarm enemies, and to strengthen his mental fortitude.

It’s an attitude and passion that he’s carried as a new recruit to the Freelancers.

“Are you sure this is your first time joining a guild?” his mentor, Junghwan, asks him. He’s also fairly new to the guild, joining only six months prior to Seokjin. He’s been tasked to take him and the other new recruits on their first mission.

Bandits were blocking the main road into town and were scamming weary travelers of their coin.

Seokjin was able to coerce them off the road and to return the stolen coins. But when the bandits later came to ambush their group, his parrying skills in battle sent them away for good.

“It’s pretty fun,” Seokjin admits with a bashful smile. He feels good about his first small victory. And feels even better when the clerk at their guild pays him his reward.

Coins clatter on the counter as Seokjin dumps out his earnings for the week. “It’s not much now, but imagine how much more I can make if I take up more missions.”

“Wow, hyung…” Namjoon trails off, staring at the small pile. It’s enough to bring home the entire list of what everyone wanted, expensive saffron and all. “This would really help us out a lot.”

Seokjin smiles. “I think I could be really good at this.”

He hasn’t been in the guild for very long, but it’s everything he had hoped to have when he was a warden. That feeling of brotherhood among the members, from the throes of battle to the clinking mugs of cold ale. The small victories that lead to praise and coins. An outlet to constantly improve himself, make himself stronger, faster, and a better protector for you and the others.

“Joon, we’re out of eggs again,” you inform him, coming out of the kitchen to where they are. You’re about to ask if he can run to the market and get some more when you notice the shiny coins on the counter.

Seokjin smiles warmly at you. “I’ll buy you as many eggs as you want, beautiful.”

It isn’t long until Seokjin takes up more missions: investigate a caravan that was ambushed and report back with the news, explore a nearby cave and eradicate the giant spiders dwelling inside, find a specific blue flower that grows on the hillside of the woods and bring it to the requester. He climbs higher in ranks within the guild, already surpassing the initiates that joined when he had. Members of the Freelancers begin to take notice as well.

“What’s your name, son?” Adnan asks him at the guild’s mess hall, eyeing the young man before him.

“It’s Seokjin, sir.”

“Seokjin, huh.” He repeats his name and gives him an approving pat on the shoulder. “Keep up the good work, Seokjin.”

He feels his chest swell with pride. Receiving acknowledgement from the leader of the guild, especially one as big as the Freelancers, feels like a big deal.

“Hey, new guy, come sit with us!” a female member named Heeyeon calls out to him. Around them, other tables are discussing strategies, refueling on food and drinks, and sharing stories about their latest missions. Seokjin rarely stays at the guild’s base long enough to eat, usually running back to the shop as soon as a mission is complete. But he sees his mentor, Junghwan, sitting next to her, as well as the female recruiter that had signed him up. “I don’t know if you met everyone yet, but this is Byulyi, Sunwoo, Junghwan, and Jaehwan.”

Byulyi smiles when she recognizes him. “Hi Seokjin! Long time, no see. How do you like the Freelancers?”

“With the way he’s going, he’ll probably outrank his mentor in a month,” Sunwoo teases, elbowing Junghwan on the ribs. The two of them, Junghwan had mentioned, have come from the same hometown before they settled in New Haven.

“I’d believe that,” Jaehwan agrees, pointing out how he saw Adnan talking to him. He raises a glass to Seokjin with a bright smile. “I hope we can do missions together. It’s better when you’re with a team than by yourself.”

Seokjin returns the smile with a shy one of his own. “I think I’d like that.”

Jaehwan isn’t wrong. Turns out, picking up missions as a group is easier than doing them alone. There’s safety in numbers, and the variety of skills within the group work seamlessly on and off the field. Plus, it’s more fun with other people. A lot more fun.

Especially in a group as charming, good-looking, and funny as they are.

Team Kim Seokjin, as they have started to call themselves. Because after Seokjin joined their party, they’ve yet to fail a mission they’ve taken on.

By the time Seokjin arrives at the base in the morning, Byulyi already has a few quests lined up for them. She has a knack of finding ones that have a big payout, and once all members of their party arrive at the guild, they decide which ones they want to tackle for the day.

Sometimes, they’re easy tasks like reconnaissance, finding specific ingredients in the woods, or helping elderly townsfolk with hard labor. Other times, they’re more difficult like detaining a pick-pocketer from the marketplace, fighting off a dangerous wild cat from entering New Haven, or protecting goods from bandits while it’s being delivered to the next town.

Junghwan and Jaehwan instantly click with Seokjin. Between witty one-liners and endless puns, the three become fast friends. Seokjin can’t remember the last time he’s laughed so hard while on a job. Even Heeyeon, who is a little shy at first, warms up to him and shows her sillier side.

By the end of the day, it’s Sunwoo who turns in the mission reports to the pretty clerk he has a crush on. All of them work hard, deserving of the rewards they collect, and they divide the earnings of the day evenly between the six of them.

“Man, what a day.” Junghwan sighs, massaging his shoulder after another successful mission.

“I’m starving,” Byulyi states as she rubs her stomach. “Should we get something to eat before we head to the base?”

“That sounds good to me,” Jaehwan agrees, turning to face Seokjin. “Are you coming with us, Seokjin?”

“I can’t,” Seokjin replies with an apologetic smile. It’s getting late and you might need help at the shop. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“You always have somewhere to go,” Junghwan pouts, a bit disappointed that his new friend could never hang out after completing a mission. Most people in their guild like to celebrate their small victories by grabbing a drink and eating dinner together.

It isn’t like Seokjin doesn’t want to. He’s sure it’ll be fun, and he knows he’d have a great time with them.

But he has a promise to keep.

With a quick exchange of goodbyes and no hard feelings of missing out on another dinner with the group, Seokjin runs back to the shop. His legs are burning from being on his feet all day. He’s dirty and sweaty from the various tasks he’s been assigned for the day. But as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, coloring the sky in twilight, he nears the shop and sees you.

Occasionally, you’d be there to greet him in front of the shop. Sometimes, with a cup of tea and a book as one of the familiars sit on your lap or shoulder. Sometimes, you’re talking to Jimin as he waters the flowers sitting outside his shop. Or sometimes, like today, it’s just you.

The golden glow basks upon your skin as you sit on the porch steps, and all Seokjin can think about is how beautiful you look. No matter how difficult the mission is or how exhausted he feels, he remembers that he’s doing it for you.

When you notice him, a bright smile lights up on your face. “Jin! You’re back!”

And Seokjin feels himself falling in love with you all over again, laughing as he gathers you in his arms after a long day. “I’m home.”

Word about Team Seokjin and their success rate is spread around the Freelancers, and in no time, they become one of the most promising groups in the guild. Every mission they take on, they’ve completed and earned high praise from those they helped. Some clients even come back and specifically request them for another job.

Inevitably, this attracts the attention of Adnan and Tariq. Separately, the brothers have approached the group with special jobs.

Adnan’s requests seem to fall in line with the Devoted’s charity work. Manpower to help at fundraising events, collecting donations of supplies and coins around town, finding a missing child from the town’s orphanage. Things that would normally make him feel good, if it weren’t for the magical hearsay they spew out at every event.

It's the opposite of the “no questions asked” missions that Tariq gives them. Delivering inconspicuous scrolls to certain individuals, dropping off packages at the back of bars and alleyway businesses, bringing in traitors who’ve gone rogue for Tariq’s men to deal with. No one in Team Seokjin wants bad blood in their hands, but with the reputation that Tariq has, it’s certain that he’s bound to have many enemies as well.

If they’re lucky, they can leave for a mission before either brother gives them one. They become increasingly more difficult and take up more time in his day, but all of them prefer choosing their adventures than to be stuck doing one of the brother’s favors.

And as always, after his missions, Seokjin goes straight home.

He’s dead on his feet as he changes clothes and throws on an apron, cooking at the busy tavern for the rest of the night. Yoongi has been helping him a lot too, taking over the kitchen when Seokjin isn’t there, and making sure that he isn’t burning anything or falling asleep when he is. Namjoon tries to talk him out of helping at the shop, worried that he’s pushing himself too hard, but Seokjin refuses to listen. Even Taehyung tries to block his path to the tavern and send him to bed instead.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Seokjin says as soon as he gets to the door.

It’s another one of those days. A mission retrieving an old woman’s cat had Team Seokjin running around the entire town all day. After several close calls of getting his handsome face and long arms scratched, climbing up trees and rooftops, and losing sight of the little menace, the cat eventually went back on its own. The old lady gave them each an extra coin to show her appreciation.

There are a handful of customers in the shop: a small group of women that have been frequenting the parlor room to see the two youngest sing and play music, a couple guys that seem to be catching up and sharing drinks by the bar, and a few groups eating supper at the tables.

Jimin is there too, as he always is these days, clearly flirting with you while you’re trying to work. Your bashful smile at Jimin changes to one of delight when you finally see Seokjin. “You’re home! Welcome back!”

“Sorry, I got held up,” he explains when he gets to you, kissing your cheek.

“It’s okay. We got things covered,” you assure him, pulling up a chair in front of Jimin. “Just rest up. I’ll get you something to drink.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. He sinks into the chair with a sigh of relief. “Thank you. You’re an angel. I love you.”

Seokjin completely misses the surprised look you give him at his last words. Ones that nearly have you bumping into another table before you head to Hoseok’s bar. But Jimin catches it, looking between you and Seokjin with intrigue.

“How are things at the Freelancers?” Jimin starts, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his knuckles.

“They’re good. It keeps me busy,” Seokjin tells him, still leaning back on his chair and keeping his eyes closed. He could fall asleep like this if he wanted to. “It makes good coin, too. If I can save up enough, maybe I can take us on a trip to my hometown.”

“Your hometown?”

“Yeah, it’s a small fishing village.” He opens his eyes and stares up at the ceiling, thinking about the letter he tried to write to his parents. Seokjin left home to become a warden, since that was what was expected of him. Despite how terrified he was of mages at the time, he worked hard on his training, only to feel miserable and out of place within the brotherhood. His friends are now people he once thought were the enemies, and he’s fallen in love with a girl he swore would turn him into a toad one day. “I’ve always wanted to take her there. Show her the pier where all the boats dock and the sea lions sunbathe, take them all to the beach and see the ocean, go fishing, maybe introduce her to my parents.”

Sometimes, he misses the salty breeze, the sound of waves crashing against each other, the gentle rocking of the boat on water, and the thrill of getting something caught in his line and pulling the fishing rod to see what it is. Sometimes, he misses the taste of his mother’s home-cooking, spending time with his father, and getting in trouble with his older brother. Sometimes, he misses home.

“That sounds nice,” Jimin replies, snapping Seokjin out of his thoughts. He sits up, almost forgetting that the florist was sitting across from him.

Honestly, he doesn’t know Jimin that well. He’s good company, sure. You clearly love him, just as much as you love the others. Hoseok and Taehyung seem to believe that he’ll be a significant person to all of you. And Jimin seems like a decent guy. He treats you well, he’s friendly with the rest of them. Just like Seokjin, he’s just trying to find his place in the dynamic between you and the others in the shop.

Because Jimin, like him, is only human.

Perhaps that’s why Seokjin offers, “You want to come with us?”

Jimin raises an eyebrow. “Me?”

“Yeah, why not? It’ll be fun to go together,” Seokjin replies with a tiny shrug. He knows you’ll be happy to have Jimin come along too.

Jimin is a bit quiet. Then, softly, and perhaps still a bit perplexed, he asks, “You really want me to?”

Before Seokjin could answer, you finally return with a couple cold beers: one for him and one for Jimin. “Sorry for the wait. Hoseok and I were talking, and Yoongi needs my help in the back. I’ll catch up with you guys later, yeah?”

“Sure, love.” Jimin reaches over to squeeze your arm reassuringly. He promises to say goodbye to you before he heads back to his shop.

“Thanks, angel,” Seokjin says with a gentle smile. One that becomes fonder as you brush his hair back and place a quick kiss on his temple.

Though, the action doesn’t go unnoticed. One table over is a group of three men on their fourth round of ale that night. As you pass by, one of them shouts, “Hey, lady, where’s my kiss?”

Mocking laughter follows as the man puckers his lips when you turn to them, confused and taken aback. And in a brief moment, you have that same, terrified look.

Suddenly, Seokjin is back to that night. At Blackstone Castle. Heading to his quarters after another unsuccessful Harrowing, catching three of his fellow wardens cornering you in a dimly-lit hall. The tremble in your voice when they interrogate you with invasive questions, how they disable you from fighting back, tugging on the clothes they’ve ripped.

Without thinking, Seokjin stands up. His hand automatically grips the hilt of his sword. All he sees is red.

At the same time, Jimin is on his feet too. For a second, Seokjin thinks Jimin is trying to hold him back, but his eyes are glaring right at the men cat-calling you. He’s holding the edge of the table so hard, his knuckles are beginning to whiten.

Before either of them could make a move, Hoseok steps away from the bar and quietly urges you to go to the back. That he’ll handle things at the front. He gives a pointed glance at both Seokjin and Jimin, wordlessly telling them to sit back down before they make things worse.

“Shit,” Jimin curses softly, letting go of the table and sliding back down on his seat. He rubs his face, a bit distressed. “Not again.”

Seokjin follows and frowns. “Has this happened before?”

“Just once, as far as I’m aware of,” Jimin reveals with an annoyed sigh, still angry about what happened. “Some asshole tried to touch her while she was cleaning a table. Jungkook saw and punched him, but it got messy. Namjoon ended up throwing that guy out.”

His frown deepens. “They didn’t tell me about this.”

“You were on a quest. What could you have done?”

“I’m going to take the day off tomorrow,” Seokjin informs you. He watches from the doorway as you apply a night cream on your face.

“As much as I’d love that, you don’t need to do that for me, Jin,” you tell him. “I know the guild is important to you.”

“You’re more important.”

You turn to face him. “Jin.”

“I miss you.” He means it. The mornings when the two of you would wake up and make breakfast together has almost become a distant memory.

The way you look at him then has his heart yearning. “I miss you, too.”

And it isn’t long before he closes the distance between you two, lips on yours in a kiss he can’t recall who started, wanting to make up for the time he lost.

Heeyeon eyes the bite-sized bruises on his neck. “There’s a meeting today.”

“I’m aware,” Seokjin replies, pretending that he doesn’t notice what she’s looking at.

It isn’t going too well. Especially with the way Jaehwan and Sunwoo are wagging their eyebrows at him.

“All the guild members have to attend,” Heeyeon continues. She doesn’t look away.

“Yes, I know.” Seokjin’s ears begin to turn red from the attention.

He doesn’t know what’s worse. That the two of you got a little carried away with just kissing, or that nothing explicit happened between you two yet. Maybe you could tell that he was tired or nervous, or maybe he was still trying to be a gentleman when you didn’t want him to be. But as he lies on your bed with you in his arms, the almost hanging over his head of what could’ve occurred that night, he realizes that there’s something he needs to tell you before he isn’t able to resist you anymore.

Junghwan suddenly sits next to him with a shit-eating grin on his face. “So, Seokjin, my best friend. I see you enjoyed your day off yesterday.”

Jaehwan and Sunwoo snort in laughter. Even Byulyi tries to hide her smile before she tries to get them quiet down. Other people in the guild are beginning to look their way.

Seokjin couldn’t ask for better timing as Adnan stands before the entire guild. They received an important mission from the capital.

“Our target is located around here,” he informs, pointing at a spot on the map. “We will need as many volunteers for this daunting task. My brother, Tariq, and I will also be accompanying you on this mission.”

Hearing that it will take multiple days to travel, investigate, and complete the mission has Seokjin wanting to pass it up.

Then, he hears the reward amount.

A collection of gasps and excited chatter fills the room. It’s the biggest bounty any of them have seen for one mission.

Junghwan clasps Seokjin’s shoulder and shakes it with excitement. “Did you hear that? We have to go!”

“I can’t.”

Team Seokjin all look at him with surprise. “Why not?”

“It’s… complicated,” he henges, not really sure how to explain the situation.

After what Jimin told him, he doesn’t feel comfortable leaving you alone that long. He knows the others at the shop will take care of you, of course. And he knows that his earnings for this mission will be enough to take you all to his hometown like he had planned. But it’s still his job to protect you, even if he isn’t a warden anymore.

“Is your wife pregnant or something?” Sunwoo asks, then yelps in pain when Byulyi elbows him.

Seokjin runs his hand through his hair. He doesn’t catch what Sunwoo calls you as he answers, “It’s not that. I just… I have to talk to her about it.”

Jaehwan comments, “I’m sure you’ll find a way to convince your wife.”

Five pairs of eyes linger to the fading markings on his neck.

“I don’t think it’s up to me, Seokjin,” you tell him, hugging his arm as you sit on the front steps of the shop. Dusk colors the sky with pretty hues of orange and purple, but as the sun sinks beautifully beyond the horizon, you feel Seokjin’s eyes on you.

“I don’t have to go,” he reminds you quietly. He told you that plenty of people seemed interested in taking up the quest.

“But do you want to go?”

It’s obvious that Seokjin has found his place with the Freelancers. Despite how tired he is by the end of the day, he enjoys going on quests with his new friends, conquering daunting tasks, and reaping their rewards.

A starry-eyed Jungkook and a curious Taehyung eagerly listen when Seokjin recounts his adventures for the day. You catch him handing a lot of his earnings to Namjoon, telling him that it’s for the next trip to the market, for a night out when the shop is closed, to keep in their savings. You hear him tell Hoseok and Yoongi that he’ll buy them whatever they want too, whether it’s a new coat that Hoseok has been eyeing or some better-quality meat from the butcher Yoongi likes.

If his mission is successful, he might even take time off for a bit. Give himself a break to enjoy what he’s been missing and what he’s earned. It’d be foolish of him to refuse.

“I’ll be worried about you,” he continues with a woeful sigh. “You’ll be stuck with a bunch of 8/10s.”

“I think I’ll survive. What’s the worst that Jungkook can do?” you half-joke, but then you pause when you actually think about the possibilities. “Actually, never mind. I think we both should be very worried.”

He laughs and kisses the top of your head. “I’ll miss you.”

“Not as much as I’ll miss you.” These days, you feel like that’s all you do. You miss him. Seokjin hasn’t been around as much since he joined the guild.

“I’ll make it up when I come back.”

“Or,” you begin, suddenly sitting up and looking him in the eye, “you can make it up to me now.”

“Can I admit something?” Seokjin begins, pressing his back against the lilac-colored sofa in his room. Red burns his ears and heats his face as your clothes slip off your body and fall on the ground. He feels like his entire body is on fire as you tilt your head, stripped of everything but your panties, and wait for him to continue. “I, uh… I don’t… I told you I was in a monastery before I became a warden, right?”

“Yes. You got kicked out,” you respond, stepping out of your clothes.

“For telling bad jokes,” he henges, seeming torn between looking away and staring at your body. You’re so gorgeous, it’s making him insane. “Anyway, funny thing that the monastery teaches—”

“Jin.”

“—lust to humans is a cardinal sin, and only the Wicked indulges in such—”

“We can just kiss like last time. We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Seokjin peeks at your face, glances down at your chest, and then covers his entire face with his hands, muffling a groan. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but,” he takes your hand in his, “I know that for mages and even some humans, this isn’t a big deal. But it is to me. I just want you to understand that.”

“It’s fine, Jin. I understand. Let me just—” You start to pull away, but Seokjin keeps a firm hold on your hand, refusing to let it go.

“I don’t think you do, angel,” he says, tugging you closer to him again. “What I’m trying to say is that I love you. Truly. I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone but you.”

He sees his confession sink in on you. “Jin…”

“According to the Devoted, I’m damning my soul for you, you know. The least you could say is that you love me back.”

“I love you,” you giggle, and he isn’t sure who kisses who first, but suddenly, you’re on his lap. Your hands cup his jaw, tilting his head back as you lean down to kiss him, and his hand tentatively squeezes your breast. You sigh when you pull away from his lips and start to kiss his neck, revisiting some of the hickeys you left last time. “I like when you touch me.”

“Yeah?” He practically moans. He likes when you touch him too.

His clothes are off, and you seem just as fascinated with his body as he is with yours. You practically squeal and giggle when he suddenly picks you up with his strong arms and carries you to his bed. The whites of his bedding truly make you look like an angel as you lie on top of it.

Seokjin leans over you, kissing you deeply. When he pulls back, your eyes are still closed with content. Breathless, you murmur, “I like when you kiss me, too.”

He takes this as a cue to kiss you more. Touch you more. Your body is so soft and warm. His heart races with assurance that you’re enjoying this as much as he is. That you’re letting him know how to please you.

He takes you slowly, filling you entirely. He intends to take his time with you for the first time, but the way you whine and grasp his forearm has him desperate for more. The kisses become sloppier. His own grunts and moans against your skin, against your lips, only encourage you to help him chase that climax.

But a stubborn part of Seokjin wants to take care of you first.

A loud gasp is caught from your throat and your hips jerk slightly when you feel his thumb against your clit. Experimental touches as he continues to thrust into you. “Oh, fuck, Jin, I—”

He doesn’t need you to tell him that you liked that.

You come undone for him, and Seokjin is so in awe and so in love as the waves of pleasure leave you quivering and clenching around him. There’s a light sheen of sweat on your skin, but it makes you glow. He smiles a little as he gives you a moment to catch your breath before he hooks your leg around his waist again.

You meet his gaze, a bit surprised when you feel him still hard inside you. Seokjin chuckles and leans over to kiss you again.

He makes you cum two more times before he allows himself to finish.

It’s a little before 6:00AM when he hears it.

The loud crowing of the neighbor’s damn rooster.

A groan escapes Seokjin’s lips as he tries to sink further into the blanket, pulling the covers over his head. There’s a weight on him that’s preventing him from moving, and it isn’t until you’re both under the covers when he realizes it’s you.

Your brows are furrowed, waking up a little when you feel him stirring, but your eyes are still closed. Your lips are parted slightly as your breaths are still slow and even. And you’re cutely tucked against him, bare skin touching his and hair messy from sleep.

It’s probably the first time in a while that you’ve slept through the night.

And Seokjin suddenly has another reason to like the morning. Especially if it means waking up to you.

“You know,” Seokjin begins when you wake up, still in bed and under the covers with him. “According to all the Devoted sisters in the monastery, I should’ve been struck by lightning by now.”

“That so?” you ask, voice still full of sleep.

“Yep. Lightning first, then the end of civilization as we know it.”

“It could still happen,” you reply with a smirk.

“Are you insinuating that we test that?” he questions with a mischievous smile of his own. “Naughty girl.”

Your giggles are muffled with a kiss as Seokjin rolls on top of you.

“Ah, good you haven’t left yet!” Hoseok exclaims when you and Seokjin come down the stairs sometime later. In his hand is a beaded bracelet. “Taehyung and I wanted to give this to you. It’s another good luck charm. He worked really hard finding the prettiest beads so I can make this.”

Taehyung puffs out his chest with pride and nods his head.

Seokjin smiles as he puts it on. It reminds him of the one Hoseok gave him at Blackstone Castle when they were still weary of each other.

Things have changed a lot since then.

“Hyung, I’ve done some research on what beasts are in the areas you’re traveling to,” Namjoon says, carrying some notes in his hands. The dark circles beneath his eyes indicate that he’s been up all night putting it together for him. “I made a list of each of their weaknesses too in case you engage in battle with them.”

Jungkook’s eyes are a bit shiny as he hugs Seokjin. “I wish I could go with you, but since I can’t, you have to stay safe so you can tell me all about your quest.”

“What do you feel like eating, hyung? I’ll cook today,” Yoongi offers, already holding a pan and a cup of coffee in his hands.

Seokjin blinks, trying not to tear up.

Unlike the others in the shop, Seokjin is just human. He doesn’t have any special abilities or arcane knowledge that the mages and familiars have. Yet, he’s still very much loved by every person at the shop.

There’s a knock at the door, and Seokjin goes to open it, knowing that there’s only one person in town that comes by when the shop is closed.

Jimin smiles at him. “Everyone in town is talking about the mission the Freelancers are taking. Are you going with them? I thought to stop by and wish you luck if you are.”

“Yeah, I’ll be heading to the meeting spot soon,” Seokjin answers as he lets him in. Everyone is still at the breakfast table, and it’s loud and lively like it usually is. As Jimin looks on, there’s a hint of loneliness and yearning on his face. Like he’s still very much an outsider to you all. “Hey, could you do me a favor?”

“Hm? Oh, sure. What is it?”

From one mortal to another, he has a simple request. “Take care of my family, okay?”

Saying goodbye to you all is more difficult than he thought it would be. He knew it’d be hard. After escaping Blackstone Castle together, you and the others haven’t really been separated at all.

Team Seokjin are all gathered at the meeting spot. There are quite a few other teams that have volunteered as well. All of them are chatting and saying goodbye to loved ones, and the two brothers seem to be in the middle of an argument as they discuss their initial plans at their debrief.

Seokjin leans his back against the tree trunk, sitting down. He’s just waiting for the debrief to be over so that they can be given further instructions, but it seems to be taking a while.

He rummages through his pack, triple-checking that he has everything he needs while he’s still in town. He has the essentials: medical supplies, food rations, a canister for water, a hunting knife, clothes and toiletries. Hoseok snuck some of his potions and antidotes in his pack as well, disguising them as medicine. A small smile forms on his lips when he finds a small alpaca doll in his bag as well. He isn’t sure who put it in there, but he’s certain it’s been enchanted to watch over him.

Then, he finds the letter that he started writing to his parents. He never finished it, and never got to send it. He starts to miss you when he sees that the last thing he wrote was about how you’re everything to him.

With time on his hand, he decides to finish it.

Dear Mom and Dad,

When you last saw your son, he was sent to Blackstone Castle. He was a mortal among mages, suspicious of them and their magic. He believed the word of the Devoted and saw them as his enemies.

That man died when Blackstone Castle fell.

The man I am now is still your son, still very much alive and well as he is handsome. He is lacking and vulnerable in many ways, but he does his best to keep pushing forward. For himself, for his new-found family. He is still the son you raised so well, but a lot of things have changed since he left home.

I hope to tell you guys all about it in person soon.

Your son, Kim Seokjin

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!

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#magic shop series #seokjin x reader #seokjin x you #seokjin smut #bts smut #bts fantasy au #bts magic au #bts fanfic #bts x reader #bts witch au

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dekuscheripop · 10 months

Text

HOW TO STEAL A MAN part 1

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku, Toga Himiko/Uraraka Ochako, Kaminari Denki/Kirishima Eijirou

Additional Tags:

Comedy, Romantic, Comedy, Drama, Slapstick, Single Parent Bakugou Katsuki, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Stealing of body fluids, Out of Character, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Mpreg but with child, there is no cheating.

Single father Katsuki.

His son is 5 and a rascal that thinks he should have a lover because "Dada looks lonely."

His son ran off one day at the mall and after a panicked search the boy came back dragging someone in his tiny hands.

"Dada this one! This one, I found you a love love."

Katsuki sees shining emerald eyes and dusting of cocoa on cheeks

Katsuki sees Deku and wants to faint.

Deku was his first love, a love since kindergarten that never came to be. Especially since Deku migrated to America after they graduated college.

So back then Katsuki took whatever he could since he couldn't have Deku's love.

His sperm.

Katsuki had so secretly stolen sperm from Deku and brought it to a surrogate to have Deku's child.

Now here was Deku back after 5 years.

He was fucked for three good reasons, so so fucked because,

1 - his child looked so happy holding Deku's hand.

2 - Seeing Deku again after a long time made him realize he was still so in love with the damn nerd.

3 - Deku is already married.

He was standing behind the ice cream booth that had 201 flavors while in his hand was the god forsaken flavor of spicy chocolate mint cream that his son loves so much. The stuffed rabbit backpack that was too small and too tight over his shoulder looked so out of place along with the ice cream on him. There were the toilet papers on his other hand too.

To be fair Katsuki did not look his best today. It's supposed to be just a trip to the mall to buy toilet paper and some ice cream as per his son's request. Just an ordinary day, supposed to be an ordinary day.

So he wore his comfortable off white t-shirt that was already baconed on the collar and sleeves and his faded khaki cargo shorts, and the finale was the gift from Kirishima, red crocs shoes on his sock feet.

In short he looked like a disaster. At least his son looked cute in his black shirt under an orange overall.

Of all the days that he isn't in his suit and tie and leather shoes it had to be the day his son dragged his wet dream back into his life.

Deku. fucking Midoriya Izuku is hand in hand with his son. Fucking Midoriya Izuku at 5’11, in a tight black turtle neck long sleeve shirt and equally tight denim jeans. His wavy green hair in an undercut.

If Katsuki thought of him as a wet dream back in college then today it's a raging flood of a fantasy!

But his libido wasn't the main problem as of now. It's the fact that his son is with his biological dad! The one who Katsuki stole his sperm from!

Plus he looks like shit infront of his long time crush for fucks sake!

Katsuki is sweating buckets.

“Dada, I found you a love love!” His son, Kiyoshi, repeated, large red eyes shining and his freckled cheeks in a light blush on how happy he is.

“Love love? Well, aren't you cute for a kidnapper?”

Katsuki's knees buckled at the sweet yet deep voice, like smooth honey whiskey going down his throat and going right down his whole body. It's been so long since he heard that voice. Why the fuck is he salivating?

“You shouldn't be giving your dada any problems, little guy.” Deku kneels in front of Kiyoshi, patting his head with his big scarred hands.

Deku hasn't seen him yet.

Maybe if he grabs his son and runs like mad he can save himself.

“Let's go say sorry to your dad now.” Deku stood up and faced him and those emerald eyes grew wide.

It was too late.

“Kacchan?”

Deku saw him in all his ugly glory.

Fuck. Great tutuly dudally fuck.

“Deku.” The name slips out of his mouth easily.

“Hi. It's been so long.” Still holding Kiyohi's hand, Deku walks towards him, it was a picture scene. Green wavy hair with blonde wavy hair, green doe eyes with red doe eyes and the same flock of freckles on fair skin, hand and hand walking towards him.

It was overwhelming.

Deku was in front of him now, Katsuki felt giddy. He likes to deny the fact that he is thrilled that he was still taller than Deku by half a head.

“How have you been?” He asked, looking up at Katsuki with the happiest smile.

“I'm good.” He could only reply courtly, scared that he might blurt out something wrong. He hopes his expression was giving him away.

“Yeah I can see that.” Deku says, still not removing eye contact.

Katsuki winces at his comment. What part of him looked good damn it. If anyone looks good here it's Deku and damn does he look way too fine.

Their eyes are stuck on each other, drawn in as if they were the only ones in the world.

Time seemed to have stopped as he stared into those deep pools of liquid emerald eyes.

“Dada?”

The small voice cut them off whatever trance they had.

Deku looks down at the small hand tugging at him. Katsuki could have sworn there was a flicker in his eyes. On edge and muscles tense, Katsuki becomes nervous. Did Deku notice? Did he figure it out?

“So this is your son?” Deku asked, bending down and lifting up the small child into his arms. Katsuki felt his heart constrict painfully just looking at them. There was something growing inside, something heavy and bitter, guilt.

“Yeah! I’m Dada’s but with no Mama! So Dada is lonely, so mister needs to be with dada so he won't be lonely!” Kiyoshi lifts his hands up in declaration in a loud voice.

“Oi brat!” Katsuki reprimanded his son, his face was burning red from embarrassment.

He takes him from Deku’s arms and scolds him but the small child just huffed.

“But it's true. Dada is lonely.”

“Where did you learn to talk back?”

The two bickered back and forth like both were like small children.

There was a melodious sound of laughter coming just beside him. Deku was laughing hard, almost hunched over holding his stomach.

“He’s definitely your son Kacchan. He’s just like you.” Straightening himself up and wiping the tears from laughter from his eyes;

Deku pats Kiyoshi’s fluffy head. Kiyoshi preens at the attention.

The weird flicker in Deku's eyes was gone, he seems to be more happy after all that laughter.

“Mister mister I like you! I think Dada will like you too so you need to-mmph.” Katsuki stops his sons from talking,

muffling his mouth gently as he could but god damn it why is his child such a loud mouth?

"Ok." He says with a drawn out voice. "It was nice seeing yah but we gotta go. This guy needs to poop. So bye." Katsuki hurriedly turns around, not caring for Kiyoshi's muffled protest

and not even looking at Deku's eyes as he tries to speed walk away from his biggest problem.

"Kacchan wait!"

Katsuki does not. He walks faster.

It should be fine. Deku would probably go back to the US soon and they won't meet up every again.

It hurts to think about it but it would be a disaster if he stayed.

"I've transferred back here for work. So I hope I'll be seeing you often, Kacchan!"

Oh fuck. Great tutuly dudally fuck.

She just wanted to enjoy her fresh hot Takoyaki. Delicious Takoyaki. Just what she wanted and just what she craved. It was the last piece.

Picking it up with her chopsticks towards her awaiting mouth. A perfect treat.

Her door flew open with a bang.

"Ochako!"

"Ahhhhh!"

Bang went to the door and bang went over her nerves from too much coffee this morning. Up her Tokoyaki went to the ceiling and stayed there like a half disco ball of carbs and octopus meat.

The two people stare at the new decor impassively then stare at each other.

"You owe me."

"Whatever! I have a bigger problem!"

What could be more of a bigger problem than her food!

"You owe me an order of Takoyaki!"

"Alright alright! I'll buy you one later. Just listen to me!"

"No later. Now!" She was really pissed. That was her last ball with the biggest piece of octopus and the most sauce!

"Oh my god, fine. It's just at the corner anyway. Just listen, yah."

They walked out of her house. Ochaco was still angry and puffed her cheeks.

She really wanted that last price but instantly felt better at the prospect of a new batch.

"So what's this all about barging into my place?" He asked as they were about to make a turn at a corner.

There was a deep exhale and that's when Ochaco knew this wasn't just something trivial.

"He's back."

"Huh?"

"Deku's back!" Her best friend Bakugou Katsuki almost screamed.

Stopped, frozen and wide eyed.

"No."

"Yes."

"Oh my god. You are fucked! And I don't mean it in the oohh ahhhh kind!"

"Shut up!"

Ohhh but how could she shut up? Katsuki was having a life crisis while Ochako… Ochaco was having the time of her life!

"I told you this was gonna bite you back in the ass!"

She had long warned him way back after Katsuki suddenly barged into her home with an ice box and eyes crazy wide.

///"I stole his sperm!"///

Damn if that didn't traumatize her. Thank heavens she vehemently refused to be the surrogate mom for his craziness.

The surrogate was someone abroad that this crazy ass rich bastard paid millions on.

But don't get her wrong, she loves Kiyoshi with all her heart but damn if she hadn't been waiting for this moment to arrive.

"I told you so."

Oh how it felt good to finally say those words. She is having a blast.

"Shut up. I thought this was never going to happen!"

Ochaco beckoned Katsuki to start walking again. He still owes Takoyaki after a.

"Pfft. Now what are you going to do? He's married already isn't he?"

"That's what I heard. Ochako I-"

"Kacchan."

Kacchan?

Ochaco sees Katsuki turn deathly pale then to a light pink, pink, darker pink to a deep blush.

She looked straight ahead and just before the Takoyaki booth was a man so fine she wanted to sing a damn gravy tik tok song out loud.

Wait, did Katsuki just say Deku?

Her round eyes were about to bulge out of their sockets. This guy was Midoriya Izuku a.k.a. Deku.

No wonder he stole sperm from this guy! He's hot as fuck. Ochaco would too if she wasn't a full out lesbian.

"You're here for Takoyaki too? The booth is still here after all these years huh. Just like back in highschool we used to eat here often."

The Deku guy passed by Ochaco and went straight for Katsuki. It was like he didn't see him at all.

"Deku." Was all Katsuki said. Ochaco stared hard at the wobbly expression her best friend had. She wished she could take a photo but she left her phone at home. Damn.

"I didn't get to ask earlier but I was wondering if you would have dinner with me this Friday? Just to catch up on everything."

She saw how Katsuki's normal mean eyes were wide like saucers.

"You can bring Kiyoshi with you. He is so adorable."

How his brows shut up and how the normal loud and rude Katsuki was silent with his long term crush being so near. It was a disaster.

Ochaco was living for it. Her smile was so self satisfied.

"Can we Kacchan? For old times sake?"

Katsuki was about to faint. Deku grabbed his hands with his own.

"Please." And gave him the puppy dog eyes.

He was doomed.

He nodded.

He was so fucking doomed.

"Thank you Kacchan." Deku still hasn't let go of Katsuki's hand, instead he gave him a brightest purest smile.

Ochaco and Katsuki were blinded. Damn gravy so clean and delicious! Oh but this one does have a missus. Too bad.

Ochaco will just have to appreciate the disaster truck of her best friend as it is.

"Oh you have someone with you."

Deku finally notices her and all she could do was smile even though she was completely ignored just earlier.

"I'm Midoriya Izuku and you are?" Deku raised his hand to shake in introduction.

"Ah I am-"

"She's Uraraka Ochaco!"

Ochaco had pulled away and was now in front of Katsuki as he had grabbed her arms. Showing her off to Deku like some kind of livestock.

"She's Kiyoshi's mom! So she has to come with us to dinner with Kiyoshi!"

The Takoyaki vendor dropped a ball on the pavement. So did Ochako's jaw.

She was frozen but slowly her head turned behind Katsuki, her soon to be ex best friend

The guy just mouthed sorry at her.

"Oh. I see."

She turns back to the sound of Deku and froze up like a rock during winter.

His bright green eyes have turned dark all the while looking at her. What is that?!

Oh great tutuly dudally fuck.

She is going to kill Katsuki.

TBC.

#bakudeku #bkdk fic #bnha bkdk #ktdk #Deku #Kacchan #Izuku #Katsuki #How to Steal a Man bkdk

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imdowndownbutdefinetlynotout · 7 months

Text

"Britney Spears knows what it's like to feel trapped: First by poverty, then by fame, then by her family.

She has been subject to scrutiny and ridicule throughout her life. As a teenager, journalists repeatedly asked her questions about her breasts and her sex life. As an adult, she was imprisoned under a conservatorship that stripped her of some of the most basic human rights.

For 13 years, she could not see her two sons without approval. Her driving licence was confiscated. She could not choose her meals, and was forbidden from drinking tea or coffee. When she wanted to have a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) removed, her request was denied.

That court-imposed order, overseen by her father, was lifted two years ago, when a judge ruled Spears could make her own decisions again.

But her new memoir, The Woman In Me, reveals that was no happy ending...

Those events cast a shadow over Spears' life story. Along the way, every betrayal and public indignity feels like a step along the path to her eventual incarceration.

It began as soon as she exploded onto the pop charts in 1998. She was an overnight sensation, but the press refused to believe she had any agency. Her songs were written for her, they noted, while suggesting that her public image was created by creepy, salivating older men.

The more she was perceived as a product and a pawn of the music industry, the easier it became to erode her autonomy.

In one of the book's most chilling moments, Spears recalls her father telling her he's assumed legal control of her personal and professional affairs.

His words: "I am Britney Spears now."

The early chapters of the book stress how much people underestimated her.

Spears may not have written her music - but when she was given ...Baby One More Time, she stayed up all night to make sure her voice was "fried, and "gravelly", enhancing the song's yearning maturity.

And when it came to shooting the video, the 16-year-old rejected the original pitch - in which she'd have been "a futuristic astronaut " - and insisted on a high school setting with dancing in the corridors, just like Grease.

Both decisions were crucial to the song's success - but no-one was willing to accept a blonde teenager from a Louisiana trailer park could outsmart the collective brilliance of the music industry.

"No-one could seem to think of me as both sexy and capable," she writes. "If I was hot, I couldn't possibly be talented."

Although she exercised creative control behind the scenes, Spears' publicists infantilised her.

She was marketed as a chaste, God-fearing country girl - even though, she writes, she had been a regular smoker since the age of 14 and lost her virginity around the same time.

At first, however, she toed the PR line...

Eventually, however, Spears' innocent image set her up for a downfall.

In one of the book's most harrowing sequences, she talks about having a medical abortion during her relationship with Justin Timberlake. The pills she had been prescribed left her in agony but the couple were too scared to visit a hospital in case the news leaked. For hours, Spears was curled up, "sobbing and screaming" in pain on the bathroom floor.

"Still, they didn't take me to hospital," she says. Instead Timberlake, "thought music would help, so he got his guitar and lay there with me, strumming it."...

After their separation, she was vilified in the press, with Timberlake strongly hinting she had cheated on him (she says it was the other way round, with "one of the girls from All Saints").

Timberlake has yet to respond to his depiction in the book.

The couple's break-up only increased the appetite for gossip about Spears' personal life. The tabloids hounded her. She recalls a photographer from People magazine demanding she empty her handbag, so they could check whether she was carrying drugs or cigarettes.

Eventually, the pressure became too much. In 2007, reeling from the death of her aunt Sandra and suffering from post-partum depression, Spears marched into a hair salon, picked up some clippers and cut off her hair.

"Shaving my head was a way of saying to the world: [Expletive] you," she writes.

"I'd been the good girl for years. I'd smiled politely while TV show hosts leered at my breasts, while American parents said I was destroying their children by wearing a crop top. And I was tired of it."

We all know what happened next. Instead of being seen as an act of strength or rebellion, Spears' buzz-cut was used as evidence of instability.

Within a year, she had been placed under the conservatorship.

Spears is a straightforward writer. She doesn't embellish or decorate her prose. That matter-of-fact style amplifies the horror of those years.

She talks about being pinned down on hospital stretchers and forced to take medication against her will. At home, she isn't allowed to take a bath in private. Boyfriends are vetted and informed of her sexual history before they can go on a date.

At first, she tries to appease her parents and the doctors. "If I play along, surely they'll see how good I am and they will let me go," she says.

When she considers rebelling, access to her two young sons is used as a bargaining chip.

"My freedom in exchange for naps with my children... was a trade I was willing to make," she admits.

But even while she was supposedly incapable of looking after herself, Spears was sent out on tour, hired as a judge on X Factor and booked for a four-year Las Vegas residency.

The singer, who used to collect receipts in a glass bowl in order to keep track of her taxes, carefully documents the millions everyone else made from those engagements, while she was given a strict allowance of $2,000 (£1,635) per week.

Losing all sense of self, she almost gave up.

"The fire inside me burned out," she recalls. "The light went out of my eyes." ...

It's impossible to read The Woman In Me and not feel sad and outraged on Spears' behalf.

One tiny detail of her new life, in particular, emphasises how grey her world had become. "Now," she writes, "I get to eat chocolate again".

Spears' story is told with the same approachable warmth that made her a star. And, outside the defining events of the last 15 years, she spins a good yarn - whether describing her pregnancy cravings (food and sex, apparently); or reliving her terror at dancing with a snake at the 2001 MTV Awards.

Her family aside, there are no real villains or scandals to be uncovered. But nor are there any great revelations about Spears' music or inner life.

What we are left with, not for the first time, is a cautionary tale about fame and the corrupting influence of money. And, just maybe, a glimmer of hope for a woman whose adult life has been dictated by others.

"It's time for me not to be someone who other people want," she writes. "It's time to actually find myself."

#Britney spears #Britney #feminism #mental health #conservatorship #conservatorship abuse #justin timberlake #kevin federline #2000s #1990 #90s #the woman in me #bbc #free britney #women's rights

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bobbinalong · 5 months

Note

Bro I am SALIVATING over your SIKTC au

There shall be more eventually! Next year, probably, but there will be because I love it a lot, too. For now, have these thoughts on the SIKTC!Browns, copied right from Twitter. (Too many of them are about the baby, but that's just something everybody here will have to deal with.)

Arthur and Steph got their injuries/scars in the same incident when Steph was about seven. Bruce killed the monster responsible -- Steph and him have not been free of each other since.

Crystal and Arthur have been seperated for. A while. They're not officially divorced, though.

Dean is still Allie's father and he's not around here, either. ?robably not even in the same city.

Steph might be the closest thing to a vigilante this AU has because Gotham is still a hellhole. She's not a(n official) Monster Hunter, she can't even see monsters anymore, and Bruce is conviced she exists only to give him a headache. Cass kind of likes her. Tim has a crush on her (they've never met).

Arthur still sucks tremendously but maybe. Marginally less than in canon.

Crystal has been clean for ~4 years. She's of course still a nurse.

Steph's working part time jobs, looking after allie and avoiding getting murdered by things she can't see. She also volunteers at Leslie's clinic occasionally. Her plan is to eventually study to become a nurse like her mom. She doesn't sleep much.

Cass has met allie, more on accident that on purpose; Bruce hasn't. This will be held over his head endlessly.

All of Allie's clothes are at least size to big because they buy them for her to grow into (but she's growing like a weed so they're never too too big for too long).

I'm also thinking about giving Arthur his ponytail back but then he just looks so silly with his lil curls.

Also! Because I think I haven't like. "Announced it" on Tumblr yet, the polls made Dick and Bruce Black Masks (alongside Cass, who I decided on) and Duke a White Mask (along ... or well, after Jason, since the kid's dead and buried. Along with his We Are Robin buddies, though). Babs and Tim are Azure Masks. Damian is training under Bruce (or Dick, if I decide to kill of Bruce, we'll see) and he'll probably become a Black Mask, too. Alfred was the easiest after Babs, he's a Scarlet Mask.

Other DC characters I know exist in this universe: Dinah Lance (aka Black Canary, a Black Mask) and the Kents (not affiliated with the Order but Lois is always one step behind Bruce). I've been thinking about making Clark, like, ... the orphaned son of decimated House the Order lost track off or something. I don't know yet. The other Birds of Prey probably exist, too.

Also, just to have them in one place, the three things I've drawn for this AU so far.

#also does steph's story make sense #not entirely #but this is my au and i can make her as special as i want #dc #siktc #siktc au #stephanie brown #crystal brown #arthur brown #damian wayne #tim drake

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short-black-diamond · 10 months

Text

The greatest estate developer x female!witch!reader Chapter one, Chapter two:

Word count: 5.8 k

I did not proofread.

---

After you guys helped the sand and steel tribe with their resource and workout problem, the men and you gathered around. you didn't know why though, but you'd soon find out.

"We, the sand and steel tribe, feel a deep gratitude to you, Lloyd the human, and ____ the witch, oink.", Akush, Arosh's father, exclaimed.

And as good as he could act, Lloyd humbly replied: "You are too kind... I was merely fulfilling the terms of our contract."

"It was actually rather fun to make the ice.", you stated. you mostly enjoyed playing with Lloyd with the water as you two splashed each other and you guys even being able to make snow, which resulted in a snowball fight. Javier surprisingly joined in the fun. You thought you caught him having a little smile as well.

"We orcs are different from you humans, oink. We do not just take things for granted because of a contract, oink.

When we are grateful, we show it, oink. Therefore, I, Akush of the sand and steel tribe, will make a vow to you, Lloyd, oink.", the leader started and a 'FWOOSH' sound erupted.

You knew what that meant and you grinned like the perv you were.

"From this moment, I declare the family of Lloyd Frontera and the sand and steel tribe...", and he struck a body-builder pose, his underlings behind him along, "...blood brothers, oink!"

'God, this is so much better than any explicit book I've read so far!', you thought excitedly as you zeroed on every single muscle and handsome face you could muster in front of you.

However, you flinched when the 120 orcs behind you, Javier and Lloyd struck the same pose as the orcs in front of you. "Blood brothers!", they chanted.

and you couldn't help from giggling like an idiot as you were salivating when Arosh's father flexed his right arm to you guys, right in front of you, just six feet away. "The Fronteras are our friends! An enemy of the Fronteras is an enemy of our tribe! If anyone should cause you trouble, we will be at your side!"

While you were busy ogling at the hundreds of men with a heavy blush and imagining all the dirty things they could do to you, and Javier deadpanning at the many men but also noticing your face and deadpanning at you as well, Lloyd was busy staring ahead.

"Long live the sand and steel tribe!", he then yelled, while flexing his arm. When you took notice of him, you only stared at his less-toned arm. "...what?"

You just turned to the orcs again and started to smirk. He deadpanned at you as well. "Really?", but you didn't listen.

...

as you guys were arriving back to town, the townspeople were frightened. meanwhile, you were asking Arosh about his workout routine. you were just a little pervy shit, with the way you blinked at him with your big doe eyes in faux wonder, and also asked to see his muscles. You also took notice of his heavy gulp and sweet, pink blush when you caressed his biceps as you muttered something along the lines of his hard work paying off. But, it didn't look like the Orc was against your special attention to his body. If anything, he relished the way you touched and gazed at him.

and seeing you being so close to the leader's son...made Lloyd...jealous? He never felt that. He never had a girlfriend in his past life. But for all he knew is that he didn't like that feeling. And he liked even less how you touched the pushover Orc.

As for Javier, he watched you with an unreadable expression, as always actually. But also Javier Asrahan felt something uncomfortable inside him when he saw you with that Orc.

Now you guys were in one of the baron's chambers as you examined the many magical objects. Some of them were actually rather new to you. "Where did you get these from?"

"A dark sorcerer." "What? Did you guys fight him?"

"Kinda."

However, you felt the scene in front of you rather cute; Lloyd sitting around and looking through stuff reminded you of a child, rummaging through its many presents and toys.

He held a big orange circle, then a crystallised skull, and now, he held a grey book. Javier went closer to him and stealing glances of what stood in the book while you sat down and leaned closer to Lloyd. He blushed a little when your thighs touched his.

"Is there anything of monetary value?", the knight asked. Javier also felt a pang of pain here again when you put your hands on Lloyd's hand to stop changing the pages. Lloyd flinched and looked at you with big eyes, but yours were concentrated on the content. You must've caught something interesting. As you snatched the book from the young Frontera-to which Lloyd protested with a 'hmpf!'-, Lloyd answered: "I'm not sure...I'm looking first to see if there is anything we can use before seeling it..."

"Wow, this book teaches you how to let a corpse work for you!", you laughed, but Lloyd turned serious. "...Really?"

"...Yeah? can't you read what it says?", you asked, confused as to why Lloyd asked you that. He took a look at the page where you stopped him. Then he snatched the book back and and quickly took his jacket.

"____! Come with me! Javier! I need to head ot the mine! I'll leave you to tidy up the rest!"

And as if on reflex, you pulled him to your broom where he sat behind you and you two dashed ahead. "Leave the books here though and put everything else in my room!", you yelled before you two left the room.

Javier sighed as he looked at the mess.

...

"Tordes! Where's Tordes?!", Lloyd called as soon as he landed on safe grounds. You kept sitting on your broom and looked around. 'Whoah, here are many workers...!'

"Who's Tordes?", you asked while looking around. Also here, you took notice rather quickly of the building muscles of the men around here. You were growing a little dizzy by the lack of oxygen and more by the amount of sweat which 'sexily flows down their arms and necks! Aahhh~-', so you made a bubble with many holes which let air out. The air was much better now, and it also seemed like the workers had noticed as they thanked you. You smiled. And you blushed.

Pervy little piece of shit.

"You were looking for me, my lord?", a meek looking young lad asked, eyes lost from life, cheeks hollow and the big nose making him appear pathetic. (Nothing against big nosed ppl, like Doja Cat said, she'd like to sit on ppl w/ big noses. also love y'all <3)

He had green hair which was disshelved, and his pickaxe was resting on his back. However, a heavy blush settled on his cheeks when he saw you. You, who sat so gracefully on a broom, your thighs spilling from the sides which got cut off your dress and thigh highs making your thighs appear more thick. you little belly pudge was also to die for. Your deep cleavage with your rather larger than average chest made Tordes gulp. And your face was also the one's of an angel...!

"Ah, there you are! I have some good news!", Lloyd exclaimed as he felt the poor guy's strong stare at you. Lloyd'd wipe the sparkle of the young pervert's eyes away in an instant. You just waved with a small smile.

Tordes blushed more. 'Was Lloyd bringing me a woman? If yes, then-'

"You remember the terms of your contract? The bit about working for 520 years.", to which Tordes affirmed with a "ah...yes...".

"If you think about it...that was ridiculous, right? That clause was a bit of a joke. But now you don't have to worry anymore!", the baron's son smiled as he took out the book.

you frowned. 'what did he want to show Tordes? And what contract-'

"Here, there's a spell that can turn a corpse into a ghoul I can control!"

"Lloyd!? Why would you do that?!", you yelped. You were outraged. "Don't you have any pity on him?!"

But the Frontera son wasn't listening. "That means you can work the whole 520 years! Isn't that exciting?! Sounds fun, right?!"

while you were looking from one man to the other with a panicked expression, to Tordes, who just looked at Lloyd, and Lloyd, who then turned serious.

"Hey...am I the only one excited about this?

...Smile."

Tordes cried while mustering up a crooked smile.

"Lloyd, how dare you do that?! ...H-How about we make another deal?! You take off 480 years off the debt he has to work for you- which I will cover- and just let him work for forty years?! There, he could work for you until he gets old! Wouldn't that be better?! Please leave the poor Tordes be!"

Lloyd gave you one of his devillish grins and you didn't fight the urge to slap him this time.

"STOP IT WITH THE GRIMACE!!! THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GONNA STAY SINGLE FOREVER!", you yelled after you gave him a bitch slap.

And that seemed to pull him back to his senses. Albeit a little only. But still. The thought behind it counted.

"...Fine, I'm not gonna turn you into a worker even after you're dead. You're lucky ____ was here to rescue you, even though she showed me this page-" "I didn't know that you'd come to such evil thoughts!-"

"So keep up the great work. You can do it.", he "encouraged", as he lead you away from Tordes with one of his hands on your back. You noticed that his large hand reached from one end of your waist to the other and you felt your cheeks warming up when his thumb carresed the back of your spine.

"Bye Tordes, and sorry for bothering you with that!", you called back as you waved. Tordes waved back with a happy smile and rosy cheeks now.

...

You tucked your broom away while following Lloyd who was looking for his parents. You still had to recover from the fact that the townspeople here didn't look at you weirdly. You were a witch, after all. Maybe it's because you didn't look like an Orc? No, Orcs were even prettier than you, if anything.

You were for sure happy when the mine-workers thanked you for making oxygen-bubbles which allowed them to breathe more air and also help them cool off.

"Pardon me...The Baron is in the reception room. He has some guests..."

"Huh? Which guests?"

"Um...Mr. Shiloh and Mr. Meatloaf."

Lloyd stayed solent for a moment before he turned around to go to the reception room while his face was about to form more unnatural-

But you slapped him again. This time more hard. "WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT!?!?!? The poor maid here is scared by the faces you pull off!"

Lloyd ignored the harsh sting of your slap and pulled you towards said room. Now in front of it, you made a spell which allowed you and Lloyd to listen to the conversation. Suddenly, Arosh appeared and asked you in a hushed whisper what you two were doing.

"Lloyd's dad's collegues seem to be not so nice to him.", you spoke easily, having already understood that Arosh wouldn't understand anything else you'd say when you asked about anything other than meat and workouts or muscles. So baby talk it was.

"Why are they not nice to him? Do I have to interfere?", he asked, but you gently pulled him down. "No, we'll wait a little longer.", and right after you ended your sentence did you hear the first words of the conversation.

"So, Baron, you already know...our policy is to receive the principal of the loan in a single repayment. However, just this once, we will make a special arrangement so you can repay 10% of the principal", Sir Meatloaf, Lloyd guessed, said.

Then, Sir Meatloaf spoke again. "That is, if you hand over the rights to the mine.", and that made you and Lloyd frown at each other.

Lloyd's father remained mute. This time, Mr. Shiloh raised his voice. "Why are you not answering us, Baron? It will reduce your interest payment. This would be good for you, would it not?"

And now, it seemed that Lloyd didn't want to hear anymore of their crap and knocked while you whooshed away your spell. After knocking on the door a few times, Lloyd spoke: "My lord, it's Llyod, may I enter?"

"Oh, yes, please come in!", the father answered.

As Lloyd and you came in, you unfortunately didn't miss the way the two grown men were ogling at your figure which made you a little self conscious and also uncomfortable, but luckily, Lloyd went in front of you to grab their attention. With a sugarsweet smile and a bittersweet voice, Lloyd asked them about their well-being.

but you were annoyed by how little they seemed to respect the baron's son. "If you think about threatening us again, you can buzz off. Here, we have an official invitation.", the fatso spoke who must've been undoubtedly Mr Meatloaf.

But the shown paper didn't seem to draw your partner's attention in the slightest. "Oh, of course you do. You are intellectuals after all, haha. I couldn't help but overhear the amaaaazing offer you were giving us. May I be so bold to suggest an offer of my own?"

'Why is Mr. Meatloaf answering all the questions? Shiloh over there seems to be mute...', you thought when you heard the brash voice of Meatloaf declining the offer halfheartedly, but got interrupted by Lloyd again.

"Going forward, we will repay our depths in smaller tranches. You will of course lower the interest accordingly."

"I said I did not want to hear it! How dare you!", to which the Frontera son only 'Hmm?'ed.

"so you two can spit out crappy offers but I can't? Well, that makes me angry.", and as if on cue, Arosh appeared.

"Who dares....", Arosh started, as he stepped in, and glaring at the two men in front of him with an ice cold glare -to which you blushed heavily-, "...to anger my Frontera brother, oink?"

Lloyd only smiled next to him innocently. You wanted to laugh at them, but you burst out laughing when you looked at the two men who were sitting in front of the Baron. They looked like they'd shit their pants any moment now.

Arosh didn't seem to be finished, as he repeated what his father said in his own words. "Anyone who causes trouble to the Fronteras...will be destroyed with the full force of the sand and steel tribe, oink."

Lloyd punched Arosh's left 'juicy, hot, big!' pectoral lightly and you bit your tongue not to whimper when it jiggled. 'Damn you Lloyd, that hand of yours should be my hand!'

"Come on, my friend. Who's angering who? No, no."

"No, oink. It sounded like they were shouting at Lloyd, oink."

"No, he just has a loud voice. Now, about my offer... what do you think? Should you refuse it...you might hurt my feelings.", he spoke calmly, but his face said otherwise.

"If you hurt Frontera's feelings, I'll tear you to pieces, oink.", Arosh growled and you whimpered quietly. It was a miracle how nobody seemed to pay attention to you, really.

Sadly, you had to refrain yourself to bitch-slap him across the room. 'wait, if I slap Lloyd, will Arosh slap me? That would be a cost I'd be willing to take...!'

But before anything else could happen, the two idiots signed a new contract and ran away.

Now, you were praising Arosh for standing up for Lloyd, and Arosh was blushing furiously while thanking you while averting his eyes and stuttering. After Lloyd deadpanned at you two, he faced his "dad".

"If I would have things my way, I would cancel the debt completely, but that would be a crime, so we will have to make do with these changes."

"Ah...y-yes. Thank you.", The Baron sweatdropped.

"the ondol construction business is gradually expanding, and the mining of soft coal is going smoothly. We'll be able to pay off the debths in no time."

With the rolled paper in hand, Lloyd went over to the baron and handed it over to him. The baron hesitantly took the paper. Your attention was brought to Lloyd, and Arosh pouted cutely at your loss of attention to him.

"As the one named on the contract, please keep it safe."

"Sure..."

You watched the baron with curiousity. 'The father seems to be pretty chill, but also clueless at times. Otherwise he looks like a good man.'

Lloyd had, as always, something else to say.

"However...we do have one big problem. If we don't solve this, it will be serious.", the Frontera son started before pointing his thumb back to Arosh. "These guys eat ten times more than normal humans. The cost of feeding them is huge, so if this continues we may gain more debt, heh heh..."

You frowned when you heard of this. 'Why isn't he asking me? I have the perfect spell for that!'

"I can help with that, Lloyd.", you interfered, and effectively stopping the poor father from having a nervous breakdown. "You can? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you never asked?"

"I-...oh wait I thought I asked you...huh, what kind of spell could you do?"

"Well, for one, I can duplicate an animal twenty times its size, but I need to brew a potion for that. Or I could play an instrument, which would make more animals. Hmmm....for other spells, I'll have to look in one of my books..."

"Really? Then that's good! Wonderful! Jeez, ____, what can't you do?"

"Raise people from the dead?...at least, not yet."

And you two broke out laughing. Arosh and Lloyd's father only looked at you with a bewildered expression.

...

Again, you had to follow Lloyd to the mine, because the workers couldn't drag an Orc away who was working more than a day.

"Where!? Where is it?!"

"It's that Orc over there! He's been working for 24 hours non-stop!", a nameless worker informed, pointing to another good-looking Orc.

"...____?", he asked -for you to do your magic- but you only stared at the Orc in shock. However, you felt a deep rush of blood going up your head that you became dizzy.

"Wow...what a .... hardworking man...", you mumbled as you gently took the Orc in the air. As the orc was fumbling around, obviously not used to flying in the air, you had a heavy blush.

"ARRGH! I DON'T WANT TO REST, OINK! I WANT TO WORK OUT, OINK! MY MUSCLES, OOOINK!", the Orc screamed as he flew behind you who had to bring him out to the open. You also renewed your spell on the oxygen bubbles.

'I...I won't be able to last any longer when I see more of those muscles and handsome faces...!', you thought as you walked with Lloyd towards Arosh.

He gave you a questioning look but you only smiled with your eyes closed. Good thing that you could still sense their individual core-manas. 'Don't open your eyes, ____! Don't you dare open your eyes!'

"Wages? You mean money, oink? We Orcs have no need for money, oink. Us Ocs only ask that our bellies are full, oink.", the leader's son of the sand and steel tribe answered to one of Lloyd's questions.

After you brought out the overworking Orc and casting him with a sleeping spell, you turned to Lloyd. "I didn't eat anything all day, is it okay if I grab a bite?" "Sure, no problem."

"Would you like something as well? I can only cook half as good as I can do magic, but I think I'll manage for an apple pie.", you asked after you and Lloyd went around a bit, taking a walk. And as always, the path lead to his father's house.

"I'd love to eat something sweet later. But I do have one question. How did you stop the lava Bangul shot when it was only mere inches away from you? Didn't you say that you didn't have any mana?"

You pondered for a moment. "You're right, I've never thought about that to be honest... maybe it's because witches have hundreds of more mana hearts than humans. I have my core-mana, spirit-mana, sould-mana, ghost-mana, mind-mana, and many more. But, It seems like I've only reached ten so far. The one that I unlocked when the lava shot me must've been my reflex-mana."

"Reflex-mana?"

"This mana allows the body to use magic, but only in a life-or-death situation. That's why I could stop the lava. If you don't understand what I mean then I can gladly explain it once you're done talking to your father."

He gave you a perplexed expression. "How did you know that I was going to my father?"

You smiled at him. "Because whenever there is trouble, you talk to him and Javier. It's actually nice having a father who listens to you, isn't it?", and Lloyd saw you for the first time with a sad smile.

"Please cherish each relationship with the people here. Especially the one's whom you feel closest with."

And you had a hardened expression again.

You two walked for a moment, and then Lloyd spoke again. "You know...you never actually told me anything about you. Where are you from? Is it far away? How are your parents? Did you have many friends from where you came from?"

You chuckled. "I'm from the west, Lloyd. I can't tell you how far away my hometown is, but I can tell you that it took me three years from there to here. Without magic, that is. The witches in my town were just...arrogant pricks, to be honest. My parents...wanted me to get married to an older man with much wealth and he was also a high-ranking sorcerer. I didn't have many friends back there, actually. I also had a cat, Seseg...but she died. And you know whose foult that was? The mother of the man I should have been betrothed to. Can you believe it? Killing an innocent creature?

And that's when I lost it. My parents then blamed me for Seseg's death, the townspeople looked down on me, the girls I thought were my friends turned against me as well, and I thought that I had no other choice but to leave.

However, it was the best decision I could make, even when I lost my core mana in the process."

"Because you met me, Javier and Arosh?"

"Mainly because I met you, Lloyd."

You gave him a look of gratitude, which made the young Frontera blush. And you didn't stop there.

"When I first met you, I thought you were just another one of those greedy bastard-humans, who only wanted money and would do anything, even dirty tricks, to achieve what you wanted.

But you're so so sooo much nicer than that. Even though it might look like you're robbing the people of their coins, you're worrying about their well-being as well, and you only trick the ones who really deserve it and you're a great listener, I noticed now.

It's...a nice exchange from what I've been through, actually. And thank you for not ordering me to pay up, ahahhhaahahahaha.

....But really, Llyod, ...thank you."

"J-jeez, no need to thank me!"

"Stop being so humble and accept my gratitude, Lloyd. Even just this once."

You gave him another look and he blushed a little more.

"F-fine...You're welcome, ____."

...

'So...let's look at these little treasures...', you thought as you examined the many objects you instructed Javier to place into your room. 'A little look at the artefacts and then an apple pie of gratitude for Lloyd! ...maybe Javier would like some too? I'll just bake two pies...!'

As you looked through the books, you were surprised by the amount of new knowledge you got. But there was also a book which resembled a diary. You were really confused when you looked at the chronical notes the person took. 'Why are there so many animal skulls? And in an abandoned place? What is this??'

And then, that familiar symbol. You shrieked.

'I HAVE TO TELL LLOYD!', cue to you quickly riding on your broom to tell the young Frontera. But you stopped. 'Maybe I can take care of this myself...? But I'm scared! Oh, what should I do? Maybe keep researching? I could just...look around? Yeah, a quick check on that place and then I'm done!'

But you changed the direction, back to your room. 'What if there's more?'

Now, you were feeling helpless. there were like, fifty other books, and the notes taken last were a few weeks ago. You had to look at all the books to make an announcement, otherwise: 'Lloyd would either make fun of me or scold me when I would say something that might not even be based on true events...I sure hope this is a lie...!'

And after you speed-read a few of the books which looked similar to the diary, but without the same contents, you called it an hour. 'After I bake those pies, my brain will be fresh!...still, I should at least tell Lloyd what I found out...but why can't he read that language? It's written in the basic language here! Or maybe they have some sort of...other way of writing it? I'll need to check for myself.'

It was a nice day, given that it was past noon and you were enjoying the gentle breezes.

"____? What brings you here?", the familiar voice of Lloyd's father asked. "Oh, Mr. Frontera, what a surprise! I was just about to look for some apple seeds."

"Apple seeds? For what?"

"So that I can grow my own trees. I wanted to bake an apple pie for Lloyd as gratitude for welcoming me with open arms and offering me to be of help for him. Back in my hometown, something such as gratitude didn't exist, so I'd like to try it out."

That made the older man laugh. "That's nice to hear. Do you have other stories of your hometown which you'd like to share? Also, why don't you join me and my wife for afternoon tea? We could bake the pies together as well and then drink it together!"

You were touched by his kind words. "I would love that, Mr. Frontera."

...

"Simply. Amazing.", Mr. Frontera's wife said as she watched you place the apple seeds to the ground, heard you casting a spell, and 'plop!' a tree grew!

"And can you do that with other fruits as well?!", she asked enthusiasticly (<-is this how it's spelled?) as you nodded. "give me the seed of the fruit you like and see how many trees are carrying your lovely fruits."

"Please let me adopt you."

"Wha-"

"Ahahahahahah! My love, please! Don't hit her with that question!"

After half an hour later, the pies were fresh and you left two for Lloyd and Javier. The pies themselved tasted utterly delicious.

But what you loved the most was the black tea they served. "This...is the best tea I've drank so far! Do you know how many times I had to redo my tea for it to lead to such a close taste to this perfection?!", you exclaimed outraged, but swooning at the nice taste.

The parents exchanged knowing looks. "Well, you can drink tea any time of day you want. Under one condition...", she spoke, giving you a serious look.

"Can't I just make some more herbs for the tea?"

"No."

"Oh, well-"

"We have a few questions about you and our son, Lloyd. Then we'll give you the herbs."

"Oh, then ask ahead!"

They exchanged another look and you grew a little suspicious. "The thing is...we'd like to know if you like him."

"Of course I do! He was one of the first humans who actually welcomed me with open arms-albeit threatening me with fees at first-but still!-"

"And what if we look at it from a romantic perspective?", the mother chimed in. She coquettishly smiled at you.

That made you halt. 'Romantic? Me? With Lloyd?', you blushed a little at the thought of being together with him, but you didn't even know him that well.

"With all my respect, I can only give you my greatest gratitude for your hospitality towards me and treating me accordingly nice.

However, I only know you and him for a few days. Although Lloyd is handsome and has a brain for estates and robbing the bad guys off their money, as well as fighting evil, I suppose, I cannot help but wonder more about him.

If I'd like to look at him in a romantic way, I would ask him about everything he likes, help him when needed, and give him my unconditional love. But as I said before, I don't know him enough to actually fall in love with him. for us to have a romantic relationshio, I'd like to know him more than just the basic information I got from him.

And to be completely honest with you, Mrs. and Mr. Frontera, I've ran away from home for that exact reason. I fled from my hometown because of an unhappy arranged marriage to an older man whom I couldn't imagine spending even a second with, let alone the rest of my life. And so, I've never experienced love.

So I'm sorry, but I can not tell you more than that."

"...you fled because of an arranged marriage?...oh my...", the woman spoke, looking at you with utmost pity.

"I am sorry that we, uh, pressed you to that topic, miss ____. I truly am. Please forgive us."

"It is alright. I can for sure say though that Lloyd is a great man and an even greater friend."

"You know, a few months ago, he was not like that. He drank and drank and drank. He was a tyran. He gambled away his life and we had our concerns with him. But then, after one night where he was completely drunk, and when he woke up, he was a complete other person!", the father spoke now in a hushed whisper.

"What? Really?"

"Yes! He- he did all those crazy things with this-these odol houses, and building a mine? And now you taught him to make ice and snow!", the mother continued, to which you laughed sheepishly.

"ahah, you saw us play with the snow, right?"

"At least Javier found it funny enough to join, even if you started making him your target with the snowballs and he had to flee from you guys."

You three laughed at that. "Yeah, it was really fun...we should do it again, sometime.", you spoke, and the couple could see the fondness in your eyes. This time, they exchanged a smile while you looked into your cup with a smile and a small blush.

"And now, he helped me with that contract, and you can make more animals. And Lloyd is somewhere out there in our small town, and wants to grow food in the old wasteland. I wonder how long it will take him to grow it."

'what a great father. Not questioning if he'll make it, but when. I wish my dad was like that...'

"With my help, it wouldn't take long, Mr. Frontera. Also, if you have any other concerns, I'm always going to do my best to aid you as well. We witches may be arrogant, but we hold our promises."

"You are anything but arrogant, miss ____!"

"Yes! You are by far the only woman who stayed close to Lloyd this far! And I mean it as a compliment, given the grimaces he seems to form now!"

"Ugh, everytime he does that, I just want to-to slap it out of his face. Doesn't he know that if he makes that grimace too long or too deep, his handsome face will be ruined?"

'"Handsome"?', the married couple thought as they listened to you ramble about Lloyd and what you didn't like about him, which wasn't much, actually.

"...and so, I made another deal with him to leave poor Tordes alone. But what about that wasteland you two talked about? Is it far away?"

"Not really, just a long walk, maybe two or three hours?"

"Yes, I think so too-"

"Hello, mother, father.", their 'son''s voice called as he entered after a short knock. You stood up. "Oh, hey ____!"

"Hey Lloyd, your parents told me about a wasteland you were about to turn into a food-garden? Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Lloyd didn't mean to eavesdrop when he was about to knock on the door, but when he heard your voice, he stopped before his knuckles could touch the wood.

You were complaining about his handsome face getting ruined by the grimace-

Wait.

'Did you just say "handsome"?!'

And that's how Lloyd came in with a blush. 'You really think I'm handsome?!', was all he could think of when he saw your pouty lips and your furrowed brows.

'Cute.'

"well, I wanted it to be a-a surprise! Yep! And, well, you just haaad to ask, didn't cha?"

"A surprise? For me? For what?"

"For helping me, of course!"

"I actually must help you and work for you to decrease the debt of my own and the 480 years of Tordes."

"Psshhhh, who'd think of that?! C'mon, take your broom and I'll lead you there and I'll show you-"

"Wait. There is something important I found out about the sorcerer. It'd be best if I told you now, but I also baked you and Javier some pie- where's he, anyways?", you interrupted and asked as you looked behind Lloyd. No Javier.

"Huh, I swore I've seen him- oh, there he is.", Lloyd said and you and his parents looked over to the knight who was standing by the pies you baked.

"Oh, Javier, there you are!", you called and made your way over there-but not wihtout pulling Lloyd by his hand towards the cloudy-haired man. He gulped.

'her hands are so small compared to mine...and...they're soft...!'

"There are two- where's the second one?"

"...I ate it."

"Did you bake us pies?", Lloyd asked. He knew where you where by the smell of fresh baked apples, but no pie.

"Yeah...", you answered, looking at Javier, who was mustering up his best innocent puppy dog eyes for you to not be mad at him.

"You bake extraordinary well, ____-", Javier praised, but got interrupted by an angry Lloyd.

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT, JAVIER!!! ONE PIE WAS MADE FOR ME!!!", Lloyd yelled and grabbed Javier, who was putting the last piece as slowly as possible into his mouth, and thus only angering his master further.

"I can bake more if-"

"YES PLEASE!!!", the two grown men yelled in unision at you.

You sighed. "Alrighty..."

Mr. Frontera exchanged concerned and pitying looks about you to his wife, who did the same.

'The info-dumping will have to wait. I'll also have to ask why Lloyd couldn't read the language...and when will I tell him about my personal secret?', you thought before you made new dough while Mrs. Frontera plucked new apples for you.

...

Hey hey hey~! How are my precious readers?! sorry for not bringing some requests, I just wanted to keep writing that story so bad, and now we're here!

also I hope you could read through the 5.8 k words ☠☠☠☠

Can you guess what ____'s personal secret is? And no, I didn't write it in the story, so there will be no spoiler about it.

Anyways, please write in the comments how you found it, reblog it, and leave a like pls!

Read you guys in the next post!

#tged spoilers #tged #javier asrahan #lloyd frontera #the greatest estate developer #tged x reader #tged x you #tged x female reader #i love you 🍰nom #i hope it was okay #send me more requests #javier asrahan x reader #javier x reader #lloyd frontera x reader #lloyd x reader #arosh x reader #sand and steel tribe #i love the greatest estate developer

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