Enemies To Lovers - Blog Posts

ASTV Master list

Hobart 'Hobie' Brown

Fics

Sure, Next time

Patching Hobie Brown up after a more dangerous encounter with a supervillain. (Hurt/Comfort) (gender neutral)

I'm not a role model. I was a runway model.

Hobie models your own designs (fluff) (gender neutral)

Accidents Happen.

Hobie's piercing gets stuck between your septum ring, leading to a sticky situation (fluff) (gender neutral)

Baby Fever

Hobie calls you over while babysitting Mayday (gender neutral) (fluff)(drabble)

Unresolved Feelings

Hobie has been nothing but nice to you, but you can't do the same in return (gender neutral) (ft. Gwen) (angst)

Head cannons

Touch Starved! Hobie

Things touch starved Hobie does to you (gender neutral) (slightly suggestive)

What the ASTV boys love about you

Ft. What Hobie loves about you (gender neutral)

Flirtatious! Hobie

Things flirtatious Hobie does to you that he can't get enough of (gender neutral) (fluff)

Miles Morales

Fics

Come home with me.

Asking Miles to come with you to your dimension ends in a little more than you expected (fluff) (gender neutral) (coming soon)

Unknowing and Unexpected

When Miles is taken to dimension 42 he doesn't expect to see an old friend.. or at least a version of one (series)(angst)(gender neutral)(cannon violence)

Headcannons

What the ASTV boys love about you

ft. What Miles Morales loves about you (fluff) (gender neutral)

Gwen Stacy

Fics

I missed you

Headcannons

Gwen struggles with keeping her s/o safe (request) (gender neutral) (angst)

Partner

You need a break and Gwen is determined for you to see that (request) (gender neutral) (comfort/hurt)

Interacting with Spider-Woman while dating Gwen

Ft. Playful banter with Spider-Woman (gender neutral) (fluff) (angst)

Miguel O'Hara

Fics

You Don't Deserve Me

Miguel fucked up. (angst) (gender neutral) (short)

Headcannons

What the ASTV boys love about you

Ft. What Miguel O'Hara loves about you (fluff) (gender neutral)

Possessive! Miguel

Things possessive Miguel enjoys doing to you (NSFW) (explicit) (gender neutral reader)

Peter B Parker

Fics

Temptation

Peter longs for you more than you think (drabble) (nsfw) (Fem reader) (explicit)

Headcannons

What the ASTV boys love about you

Ft. What Peter B Parker loves about you (fluff) (gender neutral)

E-42 Miles Morales

Fics

Cat and Mouse

E-42 Miles realizes he's fallen in deep with his enemy (angst) (fem reader) (coming soon)

Silence

Sometimes all Miles needs is a good hug and some silence (hurt/comfort) (grieving) (gender neutral)

AP Chem

Miles is still a teenager, and you can't help but admire him as he does his AP chemistry homework (fluff) (drabble) (fem)

Headcannons

Soft!42 Miles

Things soft Miles loves about you (gender neutral) (fluff)

Pavitr Prabhakar

Fics

Coming soon

Headcannons

What the ASTV boys love about you

Ft. What Pavitr Prabhakar loves about you (fluff) (gender neutral)

Dating Pavitr Prabhakar

He's a little awkward, but it's okay because you love him

Fanfic appreciation Friday! - Day 2:

Fake It Til You Make It by @hkandiu

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33535885/chapters/83325991

An absolutely adorable fake dating fangic with enemies to lovers and also Tsunade ,who is my favorite female character in Naruto, meddling

a silly teehee I made

(So like, I LOVE plushies, specifically Squishables, I want to make a collection of them and when I saw these two I immediately had to make this meme)

Well played, original anon

- Cheese-munching anon

Can you both just find a separate room for this.

Is this what they call third-wheeling.

Did you guys realize that friends to lovers is superior or you're simply not ready for this conversation ?

Sorry. It was all because of a (fight) conversation that I had with a friend of mine. She's an enemies to lovers stan

Toji SMAU - When love was always there

Chapter 21 - Say Something

18+ ONLY

Summary: You see him again on your first day of college. Fuck. Toji Zenin has been the bane of your existence since your first day of kindergarten. Over the 15 years you’ve had the “pleasure” of knowing him, he’s made it his personal mission to make your life a living hell. From chopping off your hair in kindergarten to pushing you into a pond on your first day of high school, Toji has done it all. You’d always thought he would choose a college far away from you, but as it has always been, fate came to kick your ass. Hard.

warnings: cursing, sexual language, mentions of bullying

an: i’m really sorry for the long wait my loves. i got my heart broken and i just wasn’t able to continue writing. but i’m better now! hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. keep in mind that this is my first time writing smut so it’s probably horrible lmao. SMOOCHES 💋💋💋

{chapter 20} ; {next}

taglist: @jinxiewritings @actuallyvalerie @clp-84 @stickystay @reneinii @magalimachete @mysteriaqueen @linny-bloggs @loveyislost @amybarnes21

࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

Toji didn’t chase people.

He never had, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to start now.

But three weeks had passed, and you were still avoiding him like the plague—ignoring his texts, pretending he didn’t exist at school, slipping away the second he got too close. It wasn’t just pissing him off. It was driving him insane.

He wasn’t the type to overthink things, but after weeks of silence, of replaying that night over and over again, he was starting to lose his patience.

So, when he found himself standing on your doorstep, fists shoved into his hoodie pockets, he barely hesitated before ringing the doorbell.

Your mom answered within seconds, raising an eyebrow when she saw him.

“Toji?”

“Hey.” He leaned against the doorframe, tilting his head slightly. “She home?”

“She’s out with her friends.”

Toji exhaled sharply, jaw tensing. He should’ve known. You were a damn escape artist at this point.

Your mom hummed, studying him. Then, with a knowing look, she stepped aside. “You can wait in her room if you want.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.

Walking up the stairs, he found your door slightly ajar and pushed it open, stepping inside for the first time.

It was exactly what he expected.

Your scent clung to the air—something warm and familiar, like vanilla and something softer, something that reminded him of you. Blankets were thrown haphazardly over your bed, little trinkets and books scattered across your desk. A framed picture of you and your friends sat by your nightstand, along with a small polaroid of you at your birthday party last year.

Toji ran his fingers over the polaroid before shoving it into his pocket, then sat on the edge of your bed, shoulders tense.

Now, he just had to wait.

You don’t expect to find anyone in your room when you get home, let alone Toji.

He’s sitting on your bed, one leg lazily propped up, scrolling through his phone like he has every right to be there. But when you step inside, his gaze snaps to yours, sharp and unreadable.

Your stomach twists.

You haven’t spoken to him in three weeks—not a single text, not even a glance at school. And now he’s here. Waiting.

“Toji—”

“Oh, look who finally decided to show up,” he cuts in, his tone dangerously casual. He tosses his phone onto your nightstand and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Was startin’ to think you died or somethin’.”

You force a shaky breath. “What are you doing here?”

His jaw ticks. “What am I doing here?” he repeats, voice low, like he can’t believe you just asked that. “Nah, what the hell have you been doing? Three weeks, and you couldn’t be bothered to text me back?”

Your mouth opens, but nothing comes out.

He scoffs. “Right. ‘Cause that’s all you do now, huh? Run away when shit gets real?”

“That’s not—”

“Bullshit,” he snaps, standing up abruptly. The sheer size of him, the intensity in his eyes, makes your pulse jump. “You didn’t even have the decency to say anything. Just dipped, like I meant nothing to you.”

His words hit harder than you expect. “That’s not true.”

“No?” He lets out a bitter laugh. “Then what? You wake up and suddenly decide I ain’t worth your time?”

“I was scared,” you admit, voice barely above a whisper.

Toji doesn’t react at first. He just stares, expression unreadable, before tilting his head. “Scared of what?”

You swallow hard. “I don’t remember anything after we left the party.”

His entire body goes rigid.

“I woke up, and I—” You wrap your arms around yourself. “I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t know if I did something I’d regret, if we did something that—”

Toji’s expression darkens. “You think I’d let something happen to you that you didn’t want?”

“No! That’s not what I—” You run a hand through your hair, exhaling sharply. “I just panicked, okay? I didn’t know how to face you after that. I thought maybe I’d ruined things between us, so I just—”

“Ghosted me?” he finishes flatly.

You wince. “I know it was shitty.”

“Shitty?” His eyes narrow. “Nah. Shitty is forgetting to text back once or twice. This?” He gestures between you two. “This was a fuckin’ choice.”

Your throat tightens. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Yeah? Well, congrats, blondie,” he says coldly. “You did.”

Silence stretches between you, thick and suffocating.

Toji shakes his head, pulling something from his pocket. When he grabs your wrist and presses it into your palm, you look down, recognizing your missing earrings.

Your heart clenches.

“There,” he mutters. “Now you got all your shit back. No reason to ever see me again.”

Panic flares inside you. “Toji, wait—”

“Nah.” He steps around you, heading for the door. “I’m done. You don’t want me around? Message received.”

He’s almost gone.

He’s actually leaving.

You don’t think. You just grab his wrist, yanking him back with every ounce of desperation in your body. “Please,” you whisper. “Don’t go.”

His body tenses under your grip, but he doesn’t turn.

Tears prick your eyes. “I’m sorry,” you breathe. “I am so, so sorry. I handled this horribly. I was selfish and scared, but I never wanted to hurt you.”

Toji’s silent, his shoulders stiff.

You clutch him tighter. “I missed you,” you say, voice breaking. “Every single day, I missed you. I just didn’t know how to fix it.”

His jaw clenches. “You don’t get to do that,” he mutters. “You don’t get to disappear and then act like I’m supposed to forgive you just ‘cause you feel bad now.”

You step closer, heart pounding. “Then tell me how to fix it.”

He finally turns, and the look in his eyes nearly knocks the air from your lungs.

Frustration. Hurt. Longing.

You reach for his hand. He doesn’t pull away.

“I swear,” you whisper, “I won’t run again.”

Toji watches you, expression unreadable. Then, with a rough sigh, he tugs you against him, wrapping his arms around you like he’s been waiting weeks to do it.

“You’re a real pain in the ass, y’know that?” he mutters into your hair.

You let out a wet laugh. “Yeah. I know.”

His grip tightens. “Don’t pull that shit again.”

“I won’t.”

He exhales, pulling back just enough to look at you. His gaze flickers to your lips.

“You gonna run if I kiss you?” he murmurs.

Your breath hitches. “No.”

That’s all he needs. His lips crash against yours, and it’s not soft—it’s desperate, frustrated, full of everything left unsaid. You clutch at his hoodie, pulling him closer, and he groans into your mouth, deepening the kiss.

His hands grip your waist, guiding you back until your legs hit the edge of the bed. He pushes you down with ease, his weight pressing against you, and heat floods your body.

Your fingers tangle in his dark hair as he kisses you harder, dragging his lips along your jaw, down to your throat. His breath is hot, his touch even hotter, and every inch of you feels like it’s burning.

“Toji—”

He silences you with another kiss, smirking against your lips.

“Bet you won’t forget this time,” he murmurs.

And then his hands start to wander.

You squeal against his lips as he roughly cups your plump ass cheeks and pulls you even closer.

He pulls away, heavily breathing and staring into your eyes for what feels like an eternity.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he mutters, his voice rough as he gently cradles your face and kisses you hard.

Your lips move against his, the world outside this moment fading into irrelevance. His hands find your waist, pulling you closer, bodies pressed together as if the space between you was unbearable. The heat of his breath, the way his fingers grip your waist—it’s dizzying.

Somewhere between the push and pull of your embrace, your steps falter. A gasp slips past your lips as you lose your balance, your fingers clutching at his shirt for stability. But he’s just as lost in you, and together, you tumble onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath your weight.

A breathless laugh bubbles from your throat, but it’s quickly swallowed by another kiss, his lips capturing yours again before you can say anything. The sheets crumple beneath you as he shifts, one hand braced beside your head, the other trailing down your arm. Everything about him is overwhelming—the way he tastes, the way he feels, the way he looks at you like he isn’t quite sure how to stop.

Your heart pounds, anticipation thick in the air. The moment stretched between you, heavy with the unspoken, waiting for whatever came next.

Toji starts pressing wet kisses on your jaw, slowly making his way down your neck, leaving you gasping and whimpering.

A cocky smirk finds his lips as he lets his hands wander under your shirt, gently caressing your soft skin.

A shiver runs down your spine as you gently push him away, your hands trembling slightly as you sit up. Your fingers curl around the hem of his shirt, and for a moment, you hesitate. The weight of his gaze burns into you, intense and unreadable, making your pulse race.

Swallowing hard, you finally tug his shirt up, your knuckles brushing against the firm planes of his stomach as you lift the fabric over his head. He helps you, yanking it off the rest of the way and tossing it carelessly to the floor. The sight of him—his toned chest rising and falling with each measured breath—leaves you momentarily breathless.

Toji watches you with dark amusement, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Damn, you gonna stare all night, or…?”

Heat rushes to your face, but you refuse to back down. Instead, you roll your eyes and place your hands on his bare shoulders, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your palms. “Shut up,” you mumble, trying to sound annoyed, but the way your voice wavers betrays you.

His smirk deepens as he leans in, his nose brushing against yours. “Make me.”

Before you can respond, his lips find yours again, more insistent this time, his hands skimming down your sides. His fingers ghost over the hem of your top, a silent question. You nod—just barely—and he takes that as permission, peeling it off you with agonizing slowness.

The air feels cooler against your exposed skin, but Toji is warm—burning, almost. His hands settle on your waist, pulling you closer until you’re practically straddling him. Your fingers explore the contours of his shoulders, his biceps, the hard lines of his chest.

His lips trail down the side of your neck, lingering just below your ear before he murmurs, “You good?”

You exhale shakily, nodding. “Yeah.”

His hands travel lower, tracing the waistband of your jeans before he effortlessly undoes the button. A nervous thrill shoots through you, anticipation tightening in your stomach as he tugs them down, his touch both careful and firm.

Your own hands fumble with the drawstring of his sweatpants, your heart hammering as you push them down his hips. He helps you, kicking them off until they join the mess of discarded clothes on the floor.

Now, only a thin layer of fabric separates you both, and the realization makes your breath hitch. The air between you shifts—charged, expectant.

Toji cups your face, tilting your chin up so your eyes meet his. “You ready?” His voice is softer now, the teasing edge gone.

You nod again, more certain this time. “Yeah,” you whisper.

His lips curve into something almost gentle before he pulls you back in, pressing you into the mattress as his hands begin to roam once more.

With an unusual gentleness he spreads your legs and slowly pulls your lacy panties off. His breath hitches in his throat and for the first time in his life Toji feels speechless.

It’s not like he’s a virgin and has never seen a naked woman before but you’re on another level. He finds himself staring at all of your naked glory only to be interrupted by you closing your legs.

“The fuck you doin’?” he asks, his voice gruff.

“You’re staring!” You whine in embarrassment causing him to grin in amusement.

“So? I’m enjoying the view. Now spread your legs f’me, blondie.“

You do as he says and smack his biceps when you notice him smirk again. Your mouth opens to form a response but all you can do is let out a soft gasp as you feel Toji’s warm tongue part your lips and slip inside your warm pussy.

He holds onto your trembling legs while he eats you out as if it were his last meal. You try to close them to get away from the foreign overstimulation but he merely fixes you with a sharp glare before continuing.

Breathless moans leave your flushed lips as Toji lets his wet tongue drag an agonizingly slow lick directly to your swollen clit. You arch your back, burying your fingers in his unruly hair as you come undone.

You think this is it and are about to sit up but Toji only grumbles in displeasure and laps up your juices with his tongue, making sure to revel in your taste. A soft whimper leaves your plump lips as he starts sucking on your aching clit and you can’t help but to pull on his hair. “Toji… s’too much,” You mumble bleary eyed.

“I’ll get’cha next time,” He replies with a smirk, which only widens when you tug on the hem of his boxers shyly. “Use your words, princess.”

You mumble something inaudible causing him to frown at you. He tilts your chin up, caressing your lower lip with his thumb before grabbing your hand and pressing it against his huge bulge.

“Use your words.”

“Please,” your voice sounds breathless but he just clicks his tongue sharply and shakes his head.

“Please what? You’re a big girl. Spit it out,” he quips, slowly guiding your hand into his boxers.

“Please fuck me,” you choke out, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the feeling of his hard cock in your hand.

“Finally.”

With that Toji quickly rips his boxers off, revealing himself in all his glory.

All of the embarrassment suddenly seems to disappear as you’re met with the entirety of his length.

“What. The. Fuck.”

“The fuck you mean?”

“It’s too big. I’m not even trying to stroke your ego but that… thing, is going to split me in half.”

“No it’s not,” he snorts and guides your hand back towards his length, encouraging you to wrap your hands around him again.

You do so with some hesitation but relax slightly as you slowly start moving your hands up and down. A low groan leaves Toji’s lips and you can’t help hut smirk at the sight of his features contorted with pure bliss.

„Fuck princess… You gotta chill or i‘m gonna cum,“ He groans as he pries your hands off of his hard cock.

You feel your face heat up and look up at him as he gently pushes you back onto your bed and gets settled between your legs.

“You ready?” he growls — not really asking. Then he slams in, slow but deep, dragging it out just to feel you take every inch. The stretch burns, your walls clenching around him, helpless to the way he fills you. You let out a broken moan, back arching, fingers digging into the sheets like they could ground you through it.

Instead of moving like you expect him to Toji just stays there, buried deep inside you, letting your pussy pulse around him.

“Fuck,” He mutters, hips flexing. “You’re so fucking tight.”

He doesn’t wait for a reply and starts moving.

He drags out of you slow, just enough to make you whimper, before slamming back in hard. Deeper. Your mouth falls open, but no sound comes out—just a breathless gasp.

“That the spot?” he murmurs against your neck, his voice thick with heat.

His hips roll again, slow and exact, hitting it perfectly. You nod, dazed, gripping whatever you can reach as your body arches up into him.

You nod, unable to speak and bite your lip to stifle your embarrassingly loud moans.

Toji looks at you in displeasure and leans in closer, softly panting into your ear.

“Cmon princess. Wanna hear those pretty sounds again,” He whispers as he picks up his pace.

You wrap your arms around his strong neck and bury your face into the crook of his neck, moaning as you feel him hit that spot.

“Fuck yeah,” He growls, his head moving downwards to press heated kiss all over your neck.

“Keep on making those pretty sounds for me baby,” He groans against your flushed and slightly sweaty skin.

You were losing your mind. You were getting closer to the edge with each thrust, each rub, and each low growl in your ear.

“Toji… Fuck! M’close..”

“Yeah? Me too- Fuck. Cmon princess… fuck..! Cum f’me.”

You break. Your body shakes beneath him as you clench around him so tightly that he lets out a broken moan. Your scream comes out of your throat, loud, broken, and genuine.

“Ohhh fuck,” he gasps and pulls out just in time to stroke himself twice, thick ropes of cum painting your stomach.

You find yourself lying together, breathless and tangled in the aftermath of everything. Your mind was still a whirlwind, but it was no longer filled with panic or fear. Instead, you were left with a strange sense of clarity.

You and Toji had crossed a line, and now you would have to deal with the consequences. But for now, all that mattered was that you had each other.

You quickly got dressed, the awkwardness now settling between the two of you. You tried to ignore the weight of the situation, but when you both walked down the stairs, you were hit with the reality of what had just happened.

Your mom sat at the kitchen table, her eyes wide and a knowing smile on her face.

“Good evening, you two,” she said with a raised eyebrow, clearly enjoying the discomfort on both of your faces. “I hope you’re both feeling alright.”

You stare at your mom in shock, your mouth wide open as you try to process the embarrassment of the situation. Your mother heard you have sex. Great.

“Toji, you’re welcome to spend the night. I just want you guys to be careful and use protection. Maybe try to keep it down. Your father and I would like to sleep once he gets home,” she says and winks at the both of you.

“Thanks, Mrs. [Y/L/N],” Toji says smoothly, his tone casual. “We’ll keep it down.”

Your mom just smirked, obviously finding this entire situation far too amusing. “Alright then. Just be mindful of the noise,” she added, her voice filled with an almost teasing lilt. “Wouldn’t want to hear anything I’m not supposed to, now, would we?”

Toji’s eyes flickered toward you, and you could see a faint smirk tug at the corners of his lips, but you didn’t want to look. You couldn’t look. You were mortified.

“Well,” your mom said, her tone light. “I’ll let you two get on with it. Good night.”

You and Toji stood there, frozen for a second. Then, with a shared awkward glance, you both slowly made your way to the fridge.

Toji SMAU - When love was always there

Chapter 17 - Sideline Tension

Summary: You see him again on your first day of college. Fuck. Toji Zenin has been the bane of your existence since your first day of kindergarten. Over the 15 years you’ve had the “pleasure” of knowing him, he’s made it his personal mission to make your life a living hell. From chopping off your hair in kindergarten to pushing you into a pond on your first day of high school, Toji has done it all. You’d always thought he would choose a college far away from you, but as it has always been, fate came to kick your ass. Hard.

warnings: cursing, sexual language, mentions of bullying

an: We’re getting there! SMOOCHES 💋💋💋

{chapter 16} ; {next}

taglist: @jinxiewritings @actuallyvalerie @clp-84 @stickystay @reneinii

࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

The sound of cleats against pavement, the distant echo of whistles, and the low hum of chatter filled the air as you walked toward the football field beside Toji. The late afternoon sun bathed everything in a golden hue, casting long shadows across the ground.

And now, here you were, strolling side by side, the atmosphere somewhere between comfortable and charged with unspoken tension.

Toji, dressed in his fitted football gear—black compression shirt snug against his torso, emphasizing every sculpted muscle, and his practice shorts hanging loose around his powerful thighs—looked ridiculously good. It pissed you off how effortlessly attractive he was.

“You sure you ain’t gon’ get bored out here?” His voice was lazy, teasing.

You scoffed. “I think I’ll manage.”

He glanced at you, smirking. “Doubt it. I don’t exactly see you as the ‘football fan’ type.”

“I’m not. But you invited me, so…” You trailed off, keeping your expression neutral.

Toji clicked his tongue. “Oh, so if I tell you to do somethin’, you just do it?”

You turned your head to glare at him. “No, dumbass. I just figured I’d come see what the hype is about. Since you act like you’re some football god.”

He chuckled, amused. “Tch. You act like I ain’t.”

“Wow. Humble much?”

He grinned, running a hand through his hair. “Why the fuck would I be humble? I’m good as hell at this shit.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you muttered, rolling your eyes.

As you reached the field, you noticed a few people glancing your way—mostly girls. Their eyes flickered between you and Toji, some whispering, others just straight-up staring. You pretended not to notice.

“Don’t get shy on me now,” Toji murmured, low enough that only you could hear.

You shot him a look. “Why would I be shy?”

He smirked. “You tell me.”

Before you could reply, one of his teammates called out to him from the field.

“Aye, Zen’in, quit flirting and get your ass over here!”

Toji clicked his tongue in annoyance but turned to you, walking backward as he smirked. “Sit tight, sweetheart. Try not to fall in love watchin’ me.”

You flipped him off as he jogged away, and he just laughed.

Now alone, you made your way up to the bleachers, settling in with a perfect view of the field.

And goddamn.

Watching Toji play was something else.

The raw athleticism, the power in his movements, the way his muscles flexed and tensed with every sharp pivot and sprint—he made everything look effortless. His control over his body, the precision in his throws, the speed with which he dodged and weaved past defenders, it was undeniable. Even someone like you, who barely gave a shit about football, could see why people hyped him up.

You weren’t the only one staring.

Toji!”

His ex.

She sauntered up to him in her cheer uniform, a full face of makeup despite having no reason to be dressed up at practice. She rested a hand on her hip, tilting her head.

“So, is Coach lettin’ you play again or what?”

Toji barely glanced at her. “Yeah.”

She pouted. “That’s all I get? Not even a hi?”

Toji sighed. “Hi. Bye.”

She huffed, stepping closer. “You been ignoring my texts.”

He shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Toji, c’mon,” she whined, reaching out to touch his arm. “You know I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

He took a step back. “Don’t touch me.”

She narrowed her eyes, and then—

Her gaze landed on you.

Her face twisted. “You brought a girl to your practice?”

Toji exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. “I swear to God—”

“You never let me come to your practices,” she cut him off, glaring. “But now you’re bringing some random bitch?”

At that, Toji turned fully toward her, his expression dark. “Man, fuck off.”

Then, without another glance, he walked off toward the locker room.

But his ex?

She was pissed.

And she was coming straight for you.

“You must feel real special, huh?” she sneered, stopping in front of you.

You raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

“You think you’re hot shit ‘cause Toji brought you here?” She crossed her arms. “Let me guess. You let him fuck, and now you think y’all together?”

Your jaw tightened. “First of all—fuck you. Second—what I do with Toji ain’t your business.”

She scoffed. “Oh, please. He’s mine.”

You laughed. “Clearly not.”

Her face reddened. “Listen here, you little sl—”

“Get the fuck outta her face.”

Toji’s voice cut through the tension like a knife.

His ex turned, startled.

Toji stood there, gaze cold, expression unreadable. “What the fuck you doin’?”

She hesitated, then quickly masked it with anger. “Why the fuck did you bring her here?”

“Why the fuck do you care?” he shot back, unimpressed. “Ain’t you got somebody else to bother?”

Her jaw clenched. “You—”

“Nobody gives a fuck.” He grabbed your wrist, pulling you away. “Let’s go.”

You let him pull you along, not even looking back.

Once you were both inside his car, the tension snapped.

You exhaled a laugh. “Bro, what the fuck was that?”

Toji leaned back in his seat, rubbing his jaw. “That bitch is insane.”

You grinned. “‘Toji, baby—why’d you bring her—’”

Toji groaned. “Yo, shut the fuck up.”

You laughed harder, and after a beat, he chuckled too.

The rest of the drive was smoother. You talked about the upcoming tournament, football, and the game schedule before arriving at his place.

His house was empty, his parents at work, his brother nowhere to be found.

“Make yourself at home,” Toji muttered, heading for the shower.

Toji’s room wasn’t what you expected.

You thought it’d be messy—chaotic, even—but it wasn’t. It was simple, kind of bare, but still very him. The walls were a muted shade of gray, a few framed football posters hanging up alongside an old, slightly torn banner of his favorite team. His desk had a couple of notebooks scattered on it, some loose pens, and a few protein bar wrappers shoved into the corner. A pair of weights sat abandoned near the door.

His bed was unmade, but not in a disgusting way—just a little disheveled, like he didn’t bother fixing it in the mornings. His pillows were slightly flattened, and his dark gray sheets were bunched up near the foot of the bed.

And then there was your scarf.

Neatly folded under his pillows, like it belonged there.

You stared at it for a long moment, your heart doing something weird in your chest.

The sound of the bathroom door opening snapped you out of your thoughts.

When you turned, you almost choked on your own spit.

Toji stood in the doorway, hair damp and messy, wearing nothing but a pair of low-hanging gray sweatpants. His abs—toned, glistening with residual water droplets—were on full display, and for a second, you could only stare.

His lips quirked. “Damn. I ain’t even say nothin’, and you already droolin’?”

Your brain took a second to reboot.

“Shut up,” you muttered, crossing your arms.

Toji chuckled, rubbing the towel over his hair. “Nah, you shut up.”

You rolled your eyes, turning back toward his bed. “So what are we watching?”

A brief argument ensued over Netflix choices, ending with Outer Banks playing on his small TV. You both got comfortable—him lying lazily against the pillows, you sitting with your legs crossed beside him. The occasional banter, the random commentary on the show—it felt normal, in a way you hadn’t expected.

And at some point, Toji knocked out.

You didn’t even realize he had fallen asleep until you felt his weight shift, his arm draping over your waist.

Your breath caught.

He was warm. Heavy. Relaxed.

His face, usually set in a cocky smirk or a lazy glare, looked softer like this. His long lashes rested against his cheekbones, lips slightly parted. He looked peaceful.

You let him sleep, settling deeper into the pillows as the episode continued playing in the background.

And when you eventually dozed off, it was to the feeling of his steady breathing against your skin.

When you woke up, it was still dark outside. The TV was still on, the glow of the screen casting flickering light across the room.

And Toji—Toji was still holding you.

Your heart did that stupid thing again, and you slowly shifted, trying to untangle yourself from him without waking him up.

It didn’t work.

He stirred, blinking groggily, his grip loosening as he groaned. “The fuck…” His voice was raspy with sleep.

You sat up, stretching. “You knocked out on me.”

Toji blinked a few more times, slowly realizing the position you’d been in. His jaw tightened slightly, and he cleared his throat, sitting up as well.

For the first time, he looked shy.

“You didn’t have to let me sleep on you,” he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair.

You smirked. “Didn’t have much of a choice, big guy. You latched onto me like a damn leech.”

He scowled. “Shut the fuck up.”

You laughed, nudging him with your elbow. “I should probably head home.”

Toji rubbed the back of his neck, still looking slightly embarrassed. “Yeah. Aight.”

The drive to your house was mostly quiet.

Not awkward—just quiet.

You both seemed lost in thought, the air between you still buzzing with whatever had just happened.

When he pulled up in front of your place, you turned to him with a small smile. “I had fun today.”

Toji snorted, his usual cockiness returning. “Yeah, yeah.”

You rolled your eyes. “Just say you had fun too.”

He smirked. “Aight. I had fun.”

You scoffed. “That was the most insincere shit I’ve ever heard.”

His grin widened. “Take it or leave it.”

You rolled your eyes again, reaching for the door handle. “Whatever. Good night, Toji.”

“Night.”

You stepped out of the car, giving him a small, shy wave before heading inside.

And Toji…

Toji watched you go, his fingers subconsciously tightening around the steering wheel.

Gojo SMAU - The Art of Falling Fake

Chapter 2 - The Art of Taking an L

Summary: The campus buzzes with life, but you feel like a shadow slipping through the cracks—unnoticed, unimportant. At home, it’s no better. Your parents dote on your step-sister, the star tennis player, while you’re the afterthought they barely acknowledge. She’s here too, her perfect reputation casting an even bigger shadow over your existence. College was supposed to be your escape, but living at home and walking the same halls as her makes it impossible. Then he shows up—Satoru Gojo, the rich, arrogant engineering major everyone seems to worship. His smug grin and effortless charm are the kind of things you can’t stand, but when a ridiculous twist of fate forces your lives together, you find yourself fake dating the most insufferable man you’ve ever met. It’s just a deal, temporary and harmless—or so you try to convince yourself.

an: This chapter plays before the events of Chapter 14 in Toji’s Story (Toji SMAU - When love was always there). Next Chapter will be Reader’s POV!! Thought I’d switch it up a little. Do we love it? SMOOCHES 💋💋💋

{chapter 1} ; {next}

taglist: @hanakotateyama @sleepykittyenergy @inthedarkshadows000 @codeseven @byakuya61085

࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

Gojo SMAU - The Art of Falling Fake

Chapter 1 - Invisible in the Spotlight

Summary: The campus buzzes with life, but you feel like a shadow slipping through the cracks—unnoticed, unimportant. At home, it’s no better. Your parents dote on your step-sister, the star tennis player, while you’re the afterthought they barely acknowledge. She’s here too, her perfect reputation casting an even bigger shadow over your existence. College was supposed to be your escape, but living at home and walking the same halls as her makes it impossible. Then he shows up—Satoru Gojo, the rich, arrogant engineering major everyone seems to worship. His smug grin and effortless charm are the kind of things you can’t stand, but when a ridiculous twist of fate forces your lives together, you find yourself fake dating the most insufferable man you’ve ever met. It’s just a deal, temporary and harmless—or so you try to convince yourself.

an: Welcome to chapter one guys! Feedback is appreciated as always hehe. Also, the taglists for all of my stories are still OPEN, so make sure to get tagged so you don’t miss out on any new chapters! SMOOCHES 💋💋💋

{introduction} ; {next}

taglist: @hanakotateyama @sleepykittyenergy

࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

Campus is chaos, as always. The sidewalks are packed with students rushing to their next class or chatting in tight little groups like they’ve known each other forever. It’s the first month of the semester, but it feels like everyone’s already found their place—everyone but you. You walk with your head down, weaving through the crowd as quietly and invisibly as possible. That’s been your strategy for years now. It works. Mostly.

You didn’t think living at home while attending college would feel so… stifling. At first, it seemed like the logical choice: save money, stay close to the familiar, and avoid the pressure of navigating both a new school and a new city. But now you’re not so sure. Sharing a roof with your parents and your step-sister, Mia, is starting to feel like you’re suffocating.

The comparisons never stop. Mia, the perfect daughter with her flawless tennis career and her endless achievements. She’s a campus celebrity in her own right—everyone knows her name, her face, her victories. And then there’s you. The one people glance at for a second before looking past you. The one who never quite measures up.

You pull your hoodie tighter around you as you pass a group of students standing by the fountain. One of them mentions Mia’s name, and you feel your stomach twist. Something about her latest tournament win, how she’s heading to the finals soon. It’s not surprising, but it still stings. She’s everywhere. Even here.

You shake the thoughts away and head toward the coffee shop near the engineering building. It’s your usual escape—a place to grab a moment of quiet before your next class. The line is long when you step in, but the familiar smell of coffee and the soft hum of indie music make it worth the wait. You tug your phone out of your pocket, scrolling mindlessly through messages you’re too tired to respond to.

That’s when it happens.

The force of someone slamming into you from behind nearly sends you tumbling forward. Your bag slips off your shoulder, and your coffee almost flies out of your hands.

“Whoa, careful there,” a smooth voice says, almost lazily, as though you were the one at fault.

You turn around, already annoyed, and find yourself face-to-face with him.

Satoru Gojo.

Of course, it’s him. Because who else would nearly knock you over and then smile at you like you owe him an apology? His snowy white hair practically glows under the fluorescent lights, and his blue eyes—hidden behind those ridiculous round sunglasses—glint with amusement. He’s tall, too tall, and he carries himself with the kind of confidence that only someone who’s never been told “no” can manage.

You’ve seen him around. Everyone has. Satoru Gojo is one of those people you can’t ignore even if you try. He’s an engineering major with top grades, an influential family name, and a reputation that precedes him. Girls throw themselves at him. Guys want to be him. He’s the king of campus—loud, obnoxious, and completely full of himself.

And now, unfortunately, he’s staring right at you.

“I think you dropped something,” he says, gesturing to your bag on the floor.

“No, really? Thanks for pointing that out,” you deadpan, bending down to pick it up.

When you straighten, his grin is still plastered on his face. It’s infuriatingly smug, like he’s thoroughly enjoying this interaction.

“You’re new,” he states, as if it’s a fact.

You glance around the room, hoping the line will move faster. “Why does it matter?”

“Because I know everyone here, and I definitely don’t know you,” he says, leaning casually against the counter like this is the most fascinating conversation he’s had all day.

“Congratulations. You’ve solved the mystery. I’m new.”

There’s a pause, and you can feel his eyes studying you, probably trying to figure out why you’re not falling all over yourself like the others do. “You don’t seem very impressed by me,” he finally says, and there’s a mock pout in his tone.

You can’t help but snort. “Why would I be?”

His grin widens, and for a split second, you see something flash in his eyes. Amusement? Curiosity? You don’t care enough to figure it out.

You step forward as the line moves, eager to order and leave before he decides to keep talking. But, of course, he follows.

“New girl, huh? So, what’s your name?”

“None of your business,” you reply, still not looking at him.

“Ouch,” he says, clutching his chest dramatically. “Cold and mysterious. I like it.”

You roll your eyes and finally make it to the counter, ordering the cheapest coffee on the menu. As you fumble with your wallet, you hear him behind you, ordering something unnecessarily complicated and way too expensive.

When you turn to leave, you catch his gaze one last time. His grin hasn’t wavered. “See you around, mystery girl,” he calls after you.

You don’t bother responding, walking out the door as quickly as you can.

But as you step back into the crowd, you can’t shake the feeling that he’s right.

Because as much as you want to stay invisible, something tells you Satoru Gojo isn’t about to let that happen.

Toji SMAU - When love was always there

Chapter 15 - Late Night Cinematics

Summary: You see him again on your first day of college. Fuck. Toji Zenin has been the bane of your existence since your first day of kindergarten. Over the 15 years you’ve had the “pleasure” of knowing him, he’s made it his personal mission to make your life a living hell. From chopping off your hair in kindergarten to pushing you into a pond on your first day of high school, Toji has done it all. You’d always thought he would choose a college far away from you, but as it has always been, fate came to kick your ass. Hard.

warnings: cursing, sexual language, mentions of bullying

an: i love them sm y‘all. SMOOCHES 💋💋💋

{chapter 14} ; {next}

taglist: @jinxiewritings @actuallyvalerie @clp-84 @stickystay

࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚 𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

The cinema lobby was buzzing with activity—people shuffling to buy tickets, the smell of buttery popcorn hanging thick in the air, and faint chatter blending with the hum of nearby arcade machines. You stood off to the side, arms crossed and foot tapping a rapid rhythm on the tiled floor, glancing at your phone every few seconds. Toji was late. Again. You tried not to scowl, but the irritation bubbled up the longer you waited.

Finally, the doors swung open, and there he was. Toji strolled in as if he had all the time in the world, hands in his hoodie pockets, a lazy smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His hood was up, and he carried himself with that same cocky air you always found infuriating. He didn’t look the least bit apologetic.

“You’re late,” you said the moment he was close enough to hear.

Toji raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “You say that like it’s a big deal. The movie hasn’t even started.”

You glared at him, your voice rising slightly. “I told you to meet me fifteen minutes ago. You could at least pretend to care.”

“Why?” he said with a shrug. “I’m here now, ain’t I?”

The casual dismissal made your jaw clench. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that one before.” He paused, digging into the pocket of his hoodie and pulling out a pack of gummy bears. He unwrapped it slowly, popping one into his mouth, his eyes never leaving yours. “You done nagging yet?”

Your mouth opened to retort, but before you could say a word, Toji plucked a gummy bear from the pack and shoved it into your mouth. The unexpected move left you speechless for a moment, the taste of artificial fruit bursting on your tongue as he grinned at your flustered reaction.

“You talk too much,” he said, clearly amused.

You smacked his hand away, chewing quickly to get the gummy bear out of the way. “You’re such a—”

“Yeah, yeah,” he interrupted, cutting you off with a wave of his hand. “C’mon, princess, we gonna watch this thing or not?”

Letting out a frustrated huff, you turned and stormed toward the theater entrance, ignoring the sound of his low chuckle behind you.

Inside, the theater was dimly lit, the previews already rolling. You found your seats and slid into the one closest to the aisle, leaving Toji to take the seat next to you. He slouched back immediately, his long legs stretching out, one arm casually draped over the back of your shared armrest.

You shot him a sidelong glance but chose not to comment. Instead, you focused on the screen, determined to enjoy the movie despite his irritating presence.

At first, Toji tried to pay attention, but it didn’t take long for his focus to drift. The movie was colorful, sure, but it didn’t hold a candle to the person sitting next to him. He found himself glancing at you more than the screen. The way your eyes lit up during the funny parts, the small gasps you let out during the suspenseful moments, and that little smile you’d get when something particularly heartfelt happened—it was all more interesting to him than anything happening in the film.

When the characters began to sing, he noticed your expression shift. Your face softened, your lips parting slightly, and there was a light in your eyes that made him stare. He wasn’t sure why, but something about the way you looked in that moment struck him.

You must have felt his gaze because you turned to him and smiled, leaning in slightly to whisper, “I love, love. This is so cute, right?”

Toji snorted, quickly looking away. “Corny as hell,” he muttered, but the faint blush creeping up his neck betrayed him.

You laughed softly, shaking your head. “You’re such a liar.”

The movie continued, and your hands occasionally brushed as you both reached for the popcorn. Neither of you said anything about it, but Toji’s hand lingered just a little longer each time, almost daring you to notice.

When the credits finally rolled, you stretched your arms over your head, letting out a content sigh. “That was so good!”

Toji shrugged, standing and shoving his hands into his pockets. “It was alright.”

You rolled your eyes. “Why did I even invite you?”

“Good question,” he said, smirking as he followed you toward the exit.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook yet,” you said, grabbing his sleeve and tugging him along. “You’re buying me a snack.”

He stopped walking, forcing you to turn and look at him. “Me? Buy you something? Nah, I don’t think so.”

You crossed your arms, giving him a pointed look. “I paid for the tickets, and you were late. It’s only fair.”

Toji sighed dramatically, as if you’d just asked him to move mountains. “Fine, but you better not make this a habit, princess.”

The diner you chose was a small, cozy place with bright red booths and a jukebox humming softly in the corner. You slid into a booth, pulling out your phone the moment your milkshake arrived. It was a towering glass of pink, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles, and you immediately started snapping pictures.

Toji leaned back in his seat, watching you with a raised eyebrow. “You really gonna post that?”

“Of course,” you said, angling your phone for the perfect shot. “It’s cute.”

“You’re such a dork,” he said, shaking his head.

You shot him a look, flipping him off with your free hand. “And you’re such a jerk.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, chuckling. “So, what? You just take pictures of food all day and call it a job?”

“There’s more to it than that,” you replied, putting your phone down. “I have to plan content, edit photos, engage with my followers—it’s a lot of work.”

“Sounds fake, but okay,” he teased, taking a sip of his chocolate milkshake.

You glared at him, but the small grin on his face made it hard to stay mad. The conversation flowed easily after that. You talked about his football games, your future plans, and somehow ended up debating which milkshake flavor was superior.

The drive back to your house was quieter, though not awkward. You fiddled with the hem of your shirt while Toji kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily on his lap.

When he pulled into your driveway, you turned to him with a small smile. “I had fun tonight.”

He smirked, leaning back slightly. “Don’t get used to it.”

You rolled your eyes, opening the door. “Goodnight, Toji.”

“Night,” he said, watching as you walked to your door.

As he pulled out of the driveway, his eyes caught something in the passenger seat. Your scarf. He picked it up, the soft fabric slipping through his fingers. It smelled like you—sweet and familiar.

When he parked in his own driveway, he still had the scarf in his hand. Instead of leaving it in the car, he brought it inside, tossing it onto his bed. Later that night, as he lay there in the dark, he found himself reaching for it. The faint scent of your perfume lingered, and for some reason, it made him smile.

He closed his eyes, replaying the night in his mind. The way you laughed, the way your eyes lit up during the movie, the way your hand brushed against his. For the first time in a long time, Toji fell asleep thinking about someone other than himself.

Why is it always “enemies to lovers” this and “enemies to lovers” that, why can’t they be both?

I need more enemies AND lovers.

Enough of the whole “I realized I don’t hate u but love you” I want “I despise you, you are everything I hate in this world and I want to kill u but I also have a deep love for u despite it all, I yearn to be close to you and I will kill anyone that tries to hurt u bc I’m the one who’s supposed to kill u”

It’s messy, it’s gay, it’s so emotional it’s palpable.

the real enemies to lovers plot was my arc in discovering how to love myself. it may have taken several years, but holy shit i think it worked

you read stuff on wattpad for shit and giggles where most of the fics there are reader-inserted ones written in 1st person pov where y/n is a barely legal white girl with blonde hair and blue “orbs” who’s so smol and fragile that she’s dependent entirely on this morally questionable guy who’s killing people for a living but for some reason happens to have a soft spot for her.

you read real actual literature on archive of our own where it’s two middle aged men, who are each other’s sworn enemies, with tragic past, trauma and strong homoerotic tension. and while they’ve made each other bleed, killed each other’s friends and loved ones out of jealousy / possessiveness, lied and betrayed and manipulated, the rawness, depth, complexity and slow burn will keep you up all night, haunt you during your day and possibly change your life forever. and also the sex isn’t just smut. the sex is poetry that puts Shakespeare to shame

This is a lover's to enemies to lovers story.

TW: Death, Child death, suicide, description of blood., Description of a burning building, and just overall sad

A soft breeze crossed the crisp air of the fall morning. “My love, your coffee is ready” A deep voice called from somewhere in the kitchen.

“I’m coming, just finishing up these papers.” Her light and airy voice carried through the small house. She smiled looking down at the ultrasound picture in her hand. She was so excited, a family had always been her dream and now it was coming true. Heavy footsteps came through the doorway, interrupting her train of thought.

“Here love, figured i’d just bring it to you,” He handed the coffee off to her, laying his head on her shoulder and began to admire the picture as well. “Couple weeks love, then we’ll be able to meet our baby boy,” He kissed her temple and patted her lower back before making his way back towards the living room.

“Oliver, are you going in for hero work today?” She glanced one last time at the picture then made her way to the living room, coffee in hand.

“Yes, I’ll be leaving at 4pm” he sipped his coffee eyes on the T.V, broadcasting his latest job at the train station. He truly loved his job, but the fact of the baby on the way troubled him slightly. “Anastasia, are you sure you’ll be able to handle the baby and everything while i’m at work,”

Anastasia rolled her eyes “There is no need to worry, the baby’s not even here yet, plus I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself,” She smiled seeing her husband on the couch, she cherished these moments. Ones where he was home safe and within her reach. Anastasia knew he loved saving people, since he was a child it’s been his dream but she was still fearful for his safety.

“You okay? You look a little lost in thought,” A hand waved in front of her face, scaring her. He chuckled softly, a whispered apology following. Both were startled however, by the sudden pain that shot through Anastasia’s stomach. Causing her to groan in pain and hunch slightly while Oliver stood ready to assist in any way.

“Ah, okay little guy,” she huffed rubbing her belly “You want to join the conversation?” She looked up smiling at Oliver,

“He’s just excited to meet his fantastic father” He gloated, showing a bright smile and puffing his chest. She couldn’t help the small chuckle as he stuck his signature hero pose.

“Yes, a true hero” with a soft kiss both relaxed into the sofa, smiling at the events that were yet to come.

The days flew by for the young, expecting couple, as the cool fall days turned into harsh cold winters the due date for the baby was only days away, Anastasia could feel it. After talking with Oliver they came to the conclusion that it would be best for her to stay in the hospital for the next couple of days. With Oliver being out for hero work, they feared no one would be present if Anastasia were to need help. “A hero’s hunch is always right” she sighed, rocking her baby boy in the delivery room. She had just asked the nurse to ring her mother-in-law, to see if she wanted to meet the baby. Anastasia looked at the boy, a replica of his father, “Not even a little?” She questioned herself. “My little Alex,” She kissed his head and admired his soft features. Alex, she loved that name, Defender of Mankind is what it meant, the definition of a hero.

“Mrs.Wilson, i’m sorry but she is unable to make it” The nurse gave her an apologetic smile before moving to adjust the new mothers pillow, “No mom should be alone in a delivery room, especially on New years,”

“Oh it’s okay, my husband had a massive gala he couldn’t miss” Anastasia knew her husband's job was important to him, especially attending events like these, kept his popularity up. “I’ll see him when I get home” her soft but sorrow filled smile caught the nurses attention.

“Does he even know that you went into labor?” The nurse fluffed the pillow and refilled the water cup that sat on the bedside table.

“Huh, oh no” she softly thanked the nurse for the water “He’s busy, I wouldn’t want to disturb him,” She took a large gulp of water before setting the cup down and returning her attention to her baby, lifting him up into the air slightly.

“It’s okay to cry,” The nurse took the baby from Anastasia's arms, putting him in the small crib next to the bed. “I’m here for you Mrs.Wilson,” She sat down on the bed, taking Anastasia into her comforting arms. “Let it all out love.”

“I’m sorry,” Anastasia accepted the hug and sobs flooded onto the shoulder of the nurse. “I *hick-up* I know I shouldn't be mad b-but..”

“No no honey, you have every right to be angry,” She rubbed soft circles onto the mothers back, “Don’t think like that.” She allowed the women to cry for a couple of minutes offering all the comfort she could, even releasing tears of her own. What man does this? She thought to herself “Shhh hush love, you need rest,” The nurse laid Anastasia’s head down onto the fluffy pillow and gently picked up “Baby Alex,” She smiled cooing at the baby then gently laying him down right next to his mother. “I’ll be back in a little to check up on you,” She kissed the young woman's head and left, allowing her the much needed rest.

Anastasia was overcome with sadness or was it anger she wasn’t quite sure. Holding her baby tightly thinking back to the event of earlier today. “Oliver, I think the baby’s coming,” She had called her husband several times, each time going to voicemail. She huffed sitting in the chair practicing her breaths. “Guess we’re on our own little one,” she rubbed her belly, resisting the urge to cry “We got this.” She gently patted Alex’s back , “Your father loves us, I promise,” She fought against the fatigue that was drawing her closer to sleep with every passing second. “He’s a fantastic hero, he will always protect us.” Sleep finally won, dragging her into a blissful rest.

“Mrs.Wilson, Mrs.Wilson '' the nurse gently shook Amastasia's shoulder successfully waking her, “Hun, we just have to do a quick check up and then you’ll be good to go,” She smiled at the woman.

“R-really? I can go home,” She sat up, careful of her son who was still sleeping next to her, “D-did Oliver ever show?” She was hoping to wake and find her husband there ready to carry them home. She looked around the room surprised to see a very large man sleeping in the corner. A spark of hope was lit that he had shown but upon further examination it was “Dad?”.

“Ah yes, Mr.Andrew came by after I called him, he was on your emergency list,” The nurse turned and grabbed the tray of food she had brought in. “I was amazed, he showed up in like 5 minutes” she smiled looking at the hunched man, “He was so worried, he truly does love you.” With that comment she set the tray across Anastasia lap and took her leave.

“Dad, Hey Dad,” She called but got no response, looking around she saw the pudding cup on her tray and decided to chuck it at him. He’ll catch it, she thought. Without even opening his eyes, he went to catch the cup but completely missed, resulting in it hitting him directly in the face. Anastasia couldn’t help the giggle that came flooding from her mouth. “D-dad,” she laughed. Like a contagious disease the laughter caught on, Alex let out a baby giggle and Mr.Andrew lost all composteur cackling at the sound, opening his eyes to his daughter's bright smile. “I appreciate it old man, I needed that”

“Of course Sparky,” He stood, the chair squeaking from the release of his weight. The large man stood straight, being mindful of the T.V that hung above his head, he leaned over to pick up the pudding cup before putting it in his pocket. “So, let me see my grandbaby,” He made soft grabby hands while walking towards the bed.

“Here you are, his name is Alex,” she felt slightly guilty that Oliver would not be the first person to hold his son, especially with the person he hated most being the one standing in the room with her. “He’s so small compared to you” She smiled, admiring the joy on her fathers face, “Happy to be a granddad?”

“You know, when I held you for the first time, you were even smaller,” He said with a smile, looking as if he would cry.

“That was a very long time ago,” Anastasia committed taking a bite out of her food

“Naw that was only a few years ago,” He rocked Alex gently before setting him in the small crib, he made silly faces at the child before turning his head to his daughter “Where is he?” His demeanor suddenly became dark and serious.

“Uh, he’s uh,” she could see the rage behind her father's eyes at her missing husband. Oliver I’m so sorry she felt bad. “He was at a gala, I did try calling him,” She flinched at the wave of anger that flooded from the man.

“BASTARD HOW DARE HE,” The large man raged, and the earth shook slightly from his outburst. He only stopped when he heard the waile of Alex. “Oh baby, shhh, it’s okay love, no need to cry,” he hushed “I will always be there to protect you and your mother,” He gently rocked the crib successfully calming the baby. “I’ll be taking you home today, and if I see Oliver, now I will be having a talk with him,” Fumes came from his nose, “face to fist.”He punched his palm to emphasize on his sentence.

“Dad seriously it’s not that bad,” she tried to reason, fearful for her husband's safety.

“No, it is,” he leaned and gently kissed Anastasia's forehead, “I left your mother alone they day you were born and look what happened,” He gesture to her missing presseance “I refuse to let you be alone, especially on the greatest day of a parents life,” He smiled down at her, “Let's get the check up over with and go get some ice cream,” He called for the nurse and removed the tray from Anastasia’s lap.

“Dad, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Anastasia stood outside the car rocking Alex in her arms, “because it looks like you’re struggling” She commented on her father attempting to put a carseat in. “here, i’ll just go grab a nurse or something”

“GOT IT,” a cheer of success was shouted as Mr.Andrew stood from his hunched position. “Alright, get the snot in and let's get ice cream,” He watched as she loaded the baby in and then sat with him. “Here let me,” He took the seat belt from her hand and buckled her in.

“Thanks Dad,” she smiled at him as he closed the door and ran around to the other side to get in. “Alrighty, let’s go.”

“Honey, where are your keys?” Mr.Andrew stood at her front door, searching in the baby bag for them while trying not to spill the ice cream cone in his mouth.

“Check the small pocket on the left side,” She unbuckled the carseat, careful of the sleeping Alex still sitting in it.

“Found them, hold on I’ll unlock it then come get you,” He quickly unlocked the door, set the bag down on the small rod iron table by the door, swallowed the rest of his cone, and ran to assist her. “Allow me,” with ease he took the carrier in one hand and picked Anastasis up with the other. “Good?” she smiled and only nodded in response .

Once settled on the couch surrounded by every pillow found in the house and stuffed animal, Anastasia could finally truly relax. “Thank you Old man, really,” she smiled seeing her father sitting on the floor next to Alex’s baby bouncer.

“Of course hon, it’s always a pleasure when I get to see you,” He looked up from the baby to stare at his daughter “Especially since our interactions are so little,” He could see the tears forming in her eyes and immediately felt bad for making her cry. “H-hey I’m just teasing honestly,” He got off the ground quickly, making his way to the couch.

“N-no because you're right,” she stood to hug him, “I promised h-him I would stay away b-ut” She sobbed into his chest “That-ts not fair to you, you or me,” She loved her father deeply. He was the only parent in her life. He spoiled her but made sure she understood the values of a human life. After getting married to Oliver, interaction with her dad was practically a sin.

“No, no, Anastasia, we both know my work is not for the faint of heart,” He embraced her tightly, trying to keep all the disappoint of reality away “It was for the best, I just hate that he’s not the one who's here,” He began rocking back and forth, swaying to an imaginable tone. “I’m always here for you, no matter how long we’ve been apart.”

“I'M SO SORRY,” She wailed, every second of this, she hated. Why was her dad here, the one who was supposed to be killing people not saving them. Where was her hero of a husband at. She wanted to scream, yell but she took a breath, settling her heart “Ironic huh?” she whispered,

“What is dear,” he leaned lower to hear her.

“How you, a mass murder is here, taking care of his daughter and grandkid” she took a deep breath, “While my husband, a hero, is gone nowhere to be found.” tears were free to fall as she swayed with her father. Taking deep breaths to calm her enraged heart.

“I guess it is huh? But you know better than anyone that I’m a hero, a true one,” He pulled away slightly to look at her tear stained face. “I don’t kill for fun or pleasure, just like I trained you,”

“You kill those who threaten other lives,” She whispered, looking at the floor, “Humans are special creatures, each one is priceless,” slowly raising her head to meet her fathers stare

“Until they take another life,” He finished, “I get rid of those who believe it’s okay to kill someone, I myself am worthless now but it’s a small price to pay,” He gently petted her hair, soothing any flyaways. “But to keep you safe, every life is worth it,”

“I love you old man,” she smiled looking up at him,

“And I love you my little spark” he let a tear run down his cheek, cherishing this small moment as he knew the time was limited.

The front door slammed, startling the two relaxing in the living room and causing the baby to cry. “ANASTASIA,” a panicked voice called but got no response, “ANASTASIA PLEASE ARE YOU HOME?!” desperation is the only way to describe Olivers tone,

“Olive? I’m in the living room.” Anastasia called to her worried husband, getting up off the couch to meet him with a hug.

“Ohh my wife is missing,” Mr.Andrew mocked the man, even flaring his arms in a dramatic manner.

“I-is someone with you?” Oliver asked jogging into the living room. He froze when he saw the large man sitting on the sofa, with a baby in his arms. “R-roger? You,” He practically growled at the man, “Put. My. Son. Down,” he got into a fighting stance, preparing to force the man out of his house. He watched as Roger handed you the baby before cracking his neck.

“Oh, yes your son,” Roger stood to his full height, “Yes, yes the one who’s birth you missed,” with a quick step Oliver was pinned against the wall, Roger holding him by his throat, there was no strain as Roger continued his talk “Leaving my daughter alone, and having to call me a Villain,” He smirked as Oliver tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

“Dad, Put. Him. Down,” Anastasai said, never taking her eyes off of him. “Please, let's just talk this out,” Roger only nodded, lowering Oliver's body so he could stand on his own feet.

“Anastasia, we had an agreement,” Oliver felt betrayed in a way “you promised,the hell?” He stood frozen against the wall.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” Roger roared, the earthing shaking with his scream, he was about ready to kill the man right where he stood. He took a quick look at his grandson, who sat in his mothers arms and decided against it. “You have no right to make a claim like that,” Roger fumed. He stepped back allowing Oliver to relax his shoulders slightly.

“Oliver..” Anastasaia’s voice was dark and venomous, “I called him because you weren't there,” She looked directly at him, he shivered at her stare feeling as if she was looking at his soul itself. “You promised you’d be there but you weren’t,” she huffed gently, rocking Alex.

Oliver was quickly dropped to his knees, putting his head to the floor. He knew he messed up, missed something amazing. He could not fix this but he was determined to try, he loved his wife with his entire heart but his career also held a special place in him. “I can not express the regret and guilt I’m feeling,” He let tears run down his face, landing on the tan carpet beneath him. “Please, w-what can I do to fix this?” He looked up hoping for a reaction from his wife but he was met with the bottom of Roger’s shoe which sent him flying a second later. He hit the wall with a loud thud and the cracking concrete was heard. Oliver let out a cough that held a little blood in it.

“Could start with letting me beat the ever living..” Roger huffed not finishing his sentence due to the young ears present. He watched as Anastasia rushed to help him out of the wall,

“You can start by taking a week off and helping me with Alex,” She grabbed one of Oliver's arms helping him up, while still being mindful of Alex in her other arm.

“Yeah,” He wheezed, “Sounds like the least I could do,” He quickly wiped his mouth before realizing the little life she was holding was reaching out to him. “I-is this him?”

“Yes, this is Alex, our son,” Anastasaia smiled as her husband gently embraced his son, holding him close to his chest.

“T-thank you,” He hick-uped softly, looking at his wife and smiling before dragging her into a group hug. “You truly are amazing,” for the first time since the start of the gala he felt true bliss, basking in the light of his wife and his newborn. He took a glance up at Roger, he stood there with a smile but his eyes held a different emotion. One Oliver couldn’t pinpoint but he knew whatever it was, was aimed directly at him.

“I think I'll take my leave now,” Roger announced while walking towards the small family. He opened his arms for his daughter, who was quick to join him in a hug. “He won’t save you, you know that,” He whispered into her ear, making sure to keep his voice low so Oliver could not hear. “He will save the world before he saves you,” He kissed her forehead before bending lower to hear her response.

“I’ll bet you then,” She matched his tone. “If there is ever a day where he doesn't save us, I’ll come home back to you,” that peeked Roger interest, she had practically agreed to leave with him.

“You got yourself a deal, sunshine,” He smirked, pulling away and shaking her hand.

“Deal? What deal?” Oliver questioned staring at the two while burping Alex.

“Nothing, I was just leaving,” Roger bid his last goodbye and left out the door, making sure it closed and locked behind him.

“What deal Anastasia?” Oliver asked, wanting to know what exactly happened.

“Don’t worry, he’ll never win,” her smile faded slightly when she looked at his sad face “trust me my love, All is well” He only nodded and smiled at her.

“I truly am sorry, I never meant to hurt you like that,” He set his son in the bouncy chair and brought her into a deep embrace. “I promise, I will make it up to you somehow.”

“I’m just happy you’re home safe and sound,” She returned his tight embrace and dug her head into his shoulder. “Let’s sit for a minute, Alex has been dying to meet you,” She smiled as his face lit up like a flame.

“That sounds fantastic,” he gently dragged them to the floor near Alex. Oliver could only smile as he watched his son babble at his mother.

“OLIVER, PLEASE, I UH I,” Anastaisa huffed into the phone, “I’m running to the hospital, A-Alex stopped,” She felt like puking, the car had refused to start and there was no time to call for a taxi. Alex had awoken with a high fever well over 101℉, Anastasia had tried everything to lower but it refused to budge. “His Fe-fever is high and he’s breathing funny,” She continued pushing, making sure to avoid any large dips in the concrete to prevent the stroller from going off tracks. She refused to give into her body's fatigue, “I-I’m almost there, If you cou-could meet me there?” She’s been trying to get in touch with her husband for the last two miles. She’s trying to maintain her own breathing while making sure her nine month old was still breathing . Her movements completely halted when she heard wheezing from the front of the stroller, she quickly went to the front, seeing her son's face a shade of purple that sent her into panic mode. “A-Alex, hold on,” She looked around for anything, an idea that could help, “Screw it,” with a huff she unbuckled him from the seat and cradled him safely on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, but the stroller is too slow,” She whispered her apology before taking off in a sprint towards the hospital. Being careful of his head she ran as fast as she could, Guess training pays off she thought. Another couple miles and the hospital was finally in view, ringing was coming from her pocket but she ignored focusing solely on the task at hand. “Almost,” she encouraged herself to finish the trek. Finally, dogging cars through the parking lot and practically jumping all the steps that led to the door, “HELP PLEASE MY SON,” She called into the familiar waiting room.

“Mrs.Wilson?!” The nurse who had helped deliver Alex was sitting at the front desk.

“ P-Please, He’s,” dripping in sweat Anastasi tried to catch her breath, “h-he’s not breathing,” Quick to action the nurse called for him to be brought back, and an oxygen mask was put on him assisting him in breathing. “ Please, I,” she felt embarrassed, sitting here in her house wear, no make-up, and drenched in sweat.

“Mrs.Wilson, breath please, We will take care of him,” Her arms found Anastasi with ease and brought a familiar comfort. “I will take you back to a room, I promise he will be okay,” She then led her into an empty room a little down the hall, making her sit on the bed in there. “Let’s take a breath, please,” the nurse instructed Anastasi to breathe in then slowly release it. “You are a fantastic mum,” She rubbed her back gently, “I’m assuming you ran here on your own?” Anastasi only nodded, still trying to regulate her breaths.

“I- I was so scared,” Her confession in the form of a whisper, “He was w-wheezing and the car wouldn't start, so,” She looked up at the nurse.

“You ran several miles to get here, and in the nick of time too,” A doctor walked in interrupting the duo's conversation. He tapped his clipboard three times, “Truly amazing Mrs.Wilson, any later and this would be a serious issue,” The doctor smiled a calm and comforting smile.

“H-he’s okay? What happened?” Anastasia stood meeting the doctor half way,

“He’s doing much better, we got him on oxygen and gave him some medicine to help with the fever” He gently grabbed her hand as the nurse rubbed soft circles on her back. “As for the issue with his breathing, it seems that he is asthmatic,”

“Asthmatic?” Anastasia knew her mother-in-law was asthmatic but Oliver wasn’t, Must have skipped a generation her mind settled at the good news. She let out a soft sigh before looking at the doctor so he could continue.

“Yes, but it is very common for young children especially if it runs in the family,” He reassured her, “I recommend getting him in to see a specialist so they can prescribe him with an actually one but for the time being we, we will issue an emergency inhaler,” He let go of her hand and looked to the nurse, “Please get her a glass of water then take her back.” With a nod of confirmation, he left out the door and back into the halls.

“I- thank you, thank you so much,” Anastasia looked at the nurse, teary eyed but smiling non the less .

“Of course love, let's get you settled,” She smiled. Guiding her further into the hospital's halls.

“Hello, I’m here for Alex, Alex Wilson,” Heavy breath came from Oliver's lips. He had left right after work to join his wife, not even bothering to change out of his uniform.

“Oh Mr.Wilson, welcome,” The check-in lady smiled up at him, “You can find him in room 1313 on the 13th floor.” She handed him a visitor sticker and pointed him in the direction of the elevators.

“Thank you,” He stuck the sticker onto his hero uniform and followed the lady's directions to the elevators. After weaving between doctor, nurses, and other patients he arrived at his son’s room. “Anastasi, I-I’m here,” He pushed open the door calling for her, his words were halted when he saw her laying in bed sleeping, with Alex nuzzled on her chest. Her hand unconsciously patting his back.

“You’re late again,” A deep voice sounded from the window seal area. A man appeared, dressed in a suit and glasses covering his face.

“Who are you? And why are you here?” Oliver was cautious but in order to not draw attention kept his voice low.

“Names Kage, I’m Roger’s right. hand. man,” He smirked as a look of fear crossed Oliver's face, “He sent me here to check on her, one of his minions saw her running here and just wanted to be safe,”

“Does she know this?” Oliver nodded his head towards the bed where Anastasia slept peacefully.

“No, no and she won’t, because you’re not gonna dare tell your wife,” He made a fake pouty face, patting his fake eyelashes “That you let a villain protect her again, right?” His face broke into a dangerous smile. “Well now that you’re here I’ll be on my way,” He jumped up and stood on the window seal, “Can’t wait to tell boss it took you 5 hours to show up,” He chuckled before sliding open the window and jumping out.

“Damn it, stupid Roger,” Oliver huffed and glared at the window for a moment before heading towards the bed. “Anastasia, Anastais, My love,” He tapped her shoulder multiple times, “B-baby,” he huffed as the only response he received was a soft snore.

“I would let her rest, she’s been worrying for the last few hours,” The nurse announced her presence, scaring Oliver causing him to jump slightly. “I’m glad you actually showed up to this event,” the nurse scoffed at Oliver’s offended face before gathering some trash that was lying about the room. She stopped, trash bag in hand and held it out to Oliver, “ the woman who took care of your wife when she was pregnant, and the one who delivered your son,” she let him take the bag then walked out the door just as quickly as she had arrived.

“I- I had work,” He tried to argue but stopped seeing as she was long gone. Man the whole worlds against me He huffed before taking a seat in the chair closest to the window, I miss 2 measly events and suddenly I’m the bad guy He observed the room, taking in the small details, like how Anastasia favorite food sat on the counter or how there was a stuffed animal dressed in his super suit. How much have I missed? He sighed, dragging his hands across his face before running them down his neck. Is everything really that important? Or is Anastasia just dramatic. He removed his hands from his face and ran them up and down his knees a couple of times before grabbing his phone from his pocket. He scolded through his emails, reading some he had marked as important and deleting spams.

“Oliver? What,” Anastasia awoke slowly sitting up, cradling Alex to her chest to prevent him from falling, “What time is it?” She gently rubbed her eyes with her free hand, allowing them to adjust to the dim light of the hospital room.

“Hey love, it’s five-thirty,” He looked up from his phone and offered a forced smile. “How’s everything?” He set his phone down on the small table next to him, setting his full attention on her.

“Where uh Where were you?” She looked at him, completely ignoring his question, “I made sure to call when,” Her eyes sharpened as she registered the time, “I called you when you were doing paperwork,” She stood up, setting Alex down and securing him on the bed. “I called you hours ago,” She walked towards him like a predator who’s captured her prey, “Why are you so late?”

“Honey, you know I had work,” He rose and smiled at her “You’re overreacting and being unfair here,” He argued for his innocence.

“You know I would believe you, honestly I would,” She practically hissed out her sentence. “But, I called your Office, “ His eyes widened, questioning what in the world he would have been doing. “Your lovely secretary told me you were doing paper work all day?”

“Anastasia, they were important incident reports, I needed to get them done before I left,” He argued, matching her eyes with the same harsh glare, “You know how important my work is to me.”

“Yes, which is why I call WHEN YOU’RE DOING FREAKIN PAPERWORK,” She roared, scaring Oliver and causing him to stagger back slightly. “I mean, come on,” Anastasia was filled with rage, “there are other heroes you know? They can help out with the work too,” huffed into his face before backing away.

“I’m sorry,” He still stood there in shock at his normally calm wife's outburst. She looked just like her father, and the air was so deadly, He shifted uncomfortable looking at his wife, “I- I uh I’ll take a week off to help with,” He took a deep breath, “Help with Alex,”

“You can’t keep showing up after the fact,” She turned her back and made her way to the door

“Where are you going?” He was quick to follow, afraid she might walk out completely,

“Relax, I’m going to get the nurse hun, so we can go home and talk,” Anastasia turned to face her husband, making sure to grab his hand, “We will be okay” she kissed his cheek, then descended down the hall in search of a nurse.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” He couldn’t take his eyes off her figure, whispering the promise. Maybe I’m the one underreacting. He sighed, turning back into the somewhat empty room. “Okay little guy, Please stop ruining my marriage” He made his way over to the bed where his boy layed. He stared down at the small figure smiling as Alex slept, swaddled up in a blanket. “Oh my baby boy,” He gently ran his hand over his head, “I promise, I’ll make this right with your mom”

“WARNING WARNING FIRE DETECTED,” A blaring alarm sounded through the hospital, “WARNING WARNING,”

“COULD THIS DAY GET WORSE?” Oliver yelled out in annoyance over the blaring alarm before quickly moving to cover his son’s ears. “Shh Baby, Let’s get you to mama,” I’m sure she’ll be back any second

“OLIVER!” Anastasia came rushing into the room, a small pair of earphones in hand, “I grabbed these for him,” She quickly placed them on the baby’s head and took him from Oliver's hands. “I found a nurse but the alarm went off.”

“Stay here, I’m gonna go see what’s going on,” He rubbed her shoulder and went for the door,

“What no, babe we’ll just evacuate,” Anastasia also began for the door,

“Hon, I’m sure it’s just a false alarm,” He smiled at her before pointing to his head, “Hero's Instincts,”

“Okay, I trust you,” She held the baby closer and nodded.

“I’ll be back, once I do a perimeter check,” He kissed her head before running out the door and down the hall.

“He’s wrong you know?” Anastasia jumped at the sudden voice from behind her. It didn’t take long for her to recognize it.

“Kage, w-what?” She was puzzled by the appearance of her once babysitter. “Why are you here? Is dad here too?” She smiled, Maybe he came to visit me and Alex.

“Sorry sweet thing but your old mans not here today,” He brushed over her other question simply smiling at her. “We do need to leave relatively soon tho love, that fire is real,” He gently tugged at her arm, leading her towards the door.

“What, no no Oliver said it was a false alarm,” She stood her ground adjusting Alex slightly. “His hero instincts said so,” She gave him a small smile

“Yeah, well what does your gut say?” Kage asked, Rule #1 only trust your own gut He sighed thinking about the first rule he ever taught her.

“I-I’m not a hero so it doesn't matter,” She took a deep breath, Oliver would never lie to me. She removed herself from Kage’s grip and went to sit on the bed.

“Please Hun, we really need to go,” He walked towards her, trying to reason, Damn stubborn Andrews “Anastasia, Please,” He was willing to beg if it meant getting her out of here.

“Leave me Kage, If something really is wrong I can save myself,” Only sinking deeper into the sheets

“FINE,” He huffed, walking towards the window, “Save yourself then Doll,” He opened the curtains then the window before diving out Seems like Deja Vu.

“He was just being protective,” Anastaisa cooed at Alex slightly bouncing him, she waited patiently for any type of new but nothing came.

“Why are you trusting Oliver,” Another voice came from the room, this time it was softer, younger, and far more childlike. It had a honey like tone, “He’s lied to us so many times,” A small girl walked from within the shadows. Her face, hair, and eyes were oh so familiar to Anastasia. “Remember when he promised to take us to that Gala? Or A honeymoon after our wedding?” She continued, walking towards the bed. Her smile slowly faded with each step.“Or when our dream of a family finally came true? ” She glanced at Alex and the once sweet tone turned bitter, “WHERE WAS HE?” She screamed, causing Anastasia to jump.

“WHO ARE YOU?” With the scare she stood, ready to defend Alex.

“Who am I? Who are You, Dad raised us better,” The voice was now right in Anastasia's ear but yet no one was there, “Wake up please, before you get us killed,” like a quick breeze the voice was gone, faded into nothing.

“T-The hell,” She was shaking, tears were streaming down her cheeks yet she didn't remember them forming. Us? Dad? Killed? Who was the girl? She went to stand when a loud cracking noise was heard from above her. THE FIRE, I knew it. It was like she had snapped out of a daze, her rose colored glasses suddenly turned to gray. She was quick to move as the roof slowly began to crumble. It must have started at the top floor and made its way down. She quickly facinded the baby carrier on her back and set Alex inside it. “We have to get out of here,” She cursed herself for her ignorance. “Why wouldn’t I evacuate, I’m such an idiot,” She huffed making her way down the long hallway. As she passed each room, each one was empty, not even a nurse could be seen.

“IS EVERYONE OKAY?” Oliver called out to the group of people in front of him. He had small burn marks all along his clothes but his skin was still untouched. I think I cleared everyone out. He smiled at his good work.

“SIR WE ARE MISSING PEOPLE,” a women cried

“What, who? I checked every floor,” He argued

“My Husband, Please” she grabbed onto his arm, “He’s still please,” She cried

“Okay, Don’t worry I promise I’ll save him,” He ran back into the burning hospital, Covering his mouth to avoid inhaling the dark smoke, “HEY, IS ANYONE HERE,” he frantically searched for the man, moving tables and chairs to get a clear view.

“OVER HERE, PLEASE, I'M STUCK,” An old scratchy voice came from somewhere in the smoke filled room.” Oliver grabbed his phones from his pocket, quickly turning on the torch to illuminate the room.

“Hey, man I’m gonna get you outta here,” He made quick work in removing a chunk of the ceiling that had surely crushed the man's right leg. “Up you go old timer,” He gently heaved him up onto his back,

“WAIT,” the old man screamed, huffing from the smoke, “A woman a-and her baby are still in there,” He pointed inward a little. “She has this dark brown hair,” He tried to remember the women he had seen while rushing down the stairs.

“Anastasia,” Oliver whispered, staring down the hall. He went to set the man down but halted. What kind of hero risks someone's life for selfish desire? He breathed and tightened his hold on the man before running towards the exit.

“WAIT WHAT ABOUT HER?” clingy to Oliver the old man voiced his concern,

“I have to save you, I’m sorry” His tone was soft, sorrowful.

“Are you going back for her?” As they made it out of the hospital both took a breath of the much fresher air.

“I-I should, yes,” He went to move. But what kind of man lets his wife die? He was stunned, Surely she wouldn't die right,

“THERE SHE IS,” The old man cheered seeing the silhouette of the women running towards the exit. Oliver smiled in relief,

“Anastasia,” He could move, seeing his wife so close to safely allowed a weight to be lifted. He could feel his feet begin to move back towards the burning building . “ANASTA..,” the sound of cracking interrupted his call. Looking right above her figure he saw the only exit begin to crumble.

“OLIVER, HELP” she called voice ruff and smoke filled. He froze, all motion stood still as he watched the ruble fall, successfully trapping her into the building

“NO, ANASTASIA” falling to the ground, He felt faint, like he was going to puke. The people around screamed, begging for him to get up and help. But he was left immobile on the hard asphalt. His thoughts began to flood his mind, canceling out all noise around him. What if I went looking for her, what if I agreed and she had evacuated. He sat on the ground while watching the building burn. “No,no no PLEASE,” He howled pounding into the ground, creating a crack in the asphalt. “ANASTASIA,” He took a sharp inhale “ALEX” laying his head to the ground he sobbed, why, why.

“Mr.Wilson” the soft voice of the nurse called for him. It was a nice change compared to her tone earlier. “Mr.Wilson, please you’ve been out here for hours.”

“I’m sorry,” Hours? Oliver refused to move his head, I’ve wasted hours out here but I would’ve only taken a minute to save her. His soft whimpers sounded so faint, as if his vocal cords were all used up.

“Mr.Wilson, please” The nurse dropped to the ground next to him, gently taking his body into her. “Please love, breathe, I know,” His body shook in her hold, “I know baby, I know,” She gently began rocking back and forth, humming a lullaby. Her attempt to comfort him did little to help. She watched as the once noble hero sobbed his heart out on the floor.

“It’s all my fault,” he took a shaky breath, “If I only listened and actually showed up when it mattered,” He felt so broken, so incomplete. Would things have been different if I had actually shown up? He lifted his head, looking directly at the sky. Would she be here scolding me for the burns? He held his arm up above his head, staring at the burns that littered his hand. Must have been when I rescued the old man. His arm dropped back to his side, scraping against the asphalt on its way.

“Oliver Wilson,” the nurse’s voice was demanding, as if she was scolding a small child. “Sir, You need to get up, your wounds are severe.” She grabbed his unburned hand and made an attempt to bring him up with her. “Please sir, for Anastasia you need to survive,” She tried to reason.

“I want to join her,” Harshly pulled his arm away, he remained on the floor, eyes still aimed at the sky. “My son, my wife, what reason do I have to remain here?” He whispered, expecting to receive no answer.

“BECAUSE YOU ARE A HERO,” The nurse screamed, standing up over him. “YOU LOVED YOUR JOB SO MUCH THAT YOU PUT IT ABOVE HER!” harshly grabbing him and forcing his eyes onto her. “You played hero when you should have been playing husband,” She huffed, tears streaming down her soot ridden face. “So at the very least,” letting out a soft sob, “You can dedicate the rest of your life to being a hero.” releasing with a soft shove back, she wiped her tears refusing to look at Oliver. “Amend for the mistakes you made, by never making them again,” making her way towards the small medical area to retrieve some bandages for him.

It’s been four years since the incident, and nothing has changed. The rain fell, running down the Olivers office window. I miss them everyday, but I can’t stop not now. He looked down at the newspaper that sat on his desk. Right on the front page he stood with a bright smile. Four years since my biggest mistake, my biggest regret. A strike of lightning illuminated the sky, so ingrained in his thoughts, he missed the shadow that appeared with it. As fast as the lighting had appeared the figure was gone with it. “DAMN HERO WORK” ripping the paper from the desk, holding it near his face. “DAMN ME!” Tearing the news to shreds, he allowed the paper to fall to the floor making a large mess. “Damn me” He whispered, collapsing to his knees, leaning his head against the desk.

“Poor, Poor pitiful you” A deep voice called from behind him. He took a glance behind him but before he could react, was met with a large hammer that sent him flying through the glass window, shattering it on the way. The world started to fade into black as he fell from the top of the building. The wind rushed through his ears and hair causing even more insanity in his mind. The only thing he saw was a silhouette of two people, one with a hammer resting on their shoulder and the other with their white teeth twisted into a smile.

“Oliver? Oliver, are you okay honey?” A caramel-like voice called out to him. It was smooth and rich, almost like he could hear the sugar in it. “Oliver, Hun you have Work” His form was now being shaken, rather aggressively. “OLIVER” The voice screamed.

“Hu-huh what!!” His eyes shot open, searching the room for a second. He was met with these gray greenish eyes. Focusing his attention on the owner of the eyes, staring deeply into them. “A-anastasia?” He slowly sat up, his eyes refusing to leave hers.

“Yes love? Are you feeling okay?” She put her hand to his forehead, feeling his temperature. “You are a little sweaty,” Anastasia removed her hand wiping it on the blue apron she was wearing. “I'll get you a cooling cloth,” Making her way towards the door.

“NO WAIT!” He sat up getting out of bed, rushing to hug her. “P-please, let’s just lay down,” he stood there for a second before walking backwards towards the bed. Making sure to never remove his arms from around her. He sat them both on the bed, keeping her close. “I’ve missed you,” He huffed, digging his face into her neck. A bad dream, it was all a bad dream. The fire, the death all just a nightmare.

“Aww love, You were only in France for a week,” She placed her hands in his hair, soothing the bed head he had.

“Oh,” France? He rested there for another second before moving to look at her. “Where is Alex? Is he okay?” Eager to see his son again, he glanced behind her looking at the door. Strange, that's new. His eyes focused on the familiar picture that showed their first vacation together, hung right across the hall. I thought our wedding picture hung there? She must have put it up recently, Man I’ve really missed a lot. He focused his attention back on Anastasia, who had a look of pure confusion.

“Alex? Who’s Alex?” With a light tilt of her head, she questioned the mysterious person her husband talked about. “Is he a friend of Yours?” She smiled, interested to meet a friend of Oliver.

“No,No love,” He chuckled softly. “Our child, remember? Alex?”

“C-child?” A bright smile overtook her face, “You want kids?” she blushed and giggled. “Well I think that’s a wonderful idea but maybe wait a little longer” She placed her forehead to his, kissing his nose. “Speaking of, where are we going for our honeymoon?”

“H-honeymoon?” Oliver pulled away, “W-what? Where's Alex?”

“Honey Alex doesn't exist, at least not yet” She continued to rub his head. “Are you okay, seriously love our wedding was last week, kids seem a little ambitious”

“Last week, no no baby you must’ve hit your head, Our 7 year anniversary is coming up,” feeling around the bed, he looked for his phone. “Have you seen my..?” Before he could finish Anastasia was holding up his phone. “Ah thank you,” He quickly unlocked it by pulling up the calendar. “See it’s December 18,” pointing to the phone. December 18? Looking back at the phone, just to double check. No, no way, It was November 11 last I checked. Running a hand through his hair letting out a shuddered sigh. What the Hell is going on?

“Maybe you need rest, love,” She got up and assessed him by laying him back down on the bed. “I’ll grab you some medicine,”

“Y-yeah, that sounds amazing,” He nodded, smiling up at her, “thank you,” shifting to get into a more comfortable position, he allowed his body to rest but his mind stayed alert. Where am I, Think Oliver. He stared blankly out the window in the room, How did I get here,

“I’ll be there in a second love,” Anastasai called from the kitchen.

“Alright,” Just this morning, I was knocked out a window and a few years ago my wife Anastasia died along with my son Alex. He looked down at his hands, they shook slightly. But- uh now she stands right in front of me, with no knowledge of our son. Looking up to the sound of footsteps, W-was I kidnapped,

“Here’s the medicine,” Along with her was a tray of his favorite food and a cup of..

“Coffee?” He looked cautious at it. “I uh don’t drink coffee anymore,” staring at the cup which was a deep brown almost black color, “You- You know that Anastasia,” Hesitantly he looked up at her with a forced smile.

“Oh sorry,” Anastasia smiled, it seemed bitter as if he had angered her. “I thought you would remember how I made your hot chocolate, you know with 100% cocoa,” looking down at him, letting out a hiss-like sound.

“O-oh, no… I love this,” He smiled softly, still staring at the cup. It’s been so long since I've had this.

“Oh well, that’s strike one,” Anastasia whispered.

“Wha…” Oliver was met with a wicked smile and a cackle.

“That’s okay, lets just RESTART,” With a yell, a hammer was brought down onto Oliver’s head, knocking him out cold once again.

“Oliver? Oliver? Love, please.”

There's that voice again. Oliver slowly opened his eyes, this time being met with a white ceiling. “W-where am I?” He looked around catching the same gray eyes, ones he could stare into for hours.

“Oh love, are you okay that was quite the fall,” Anastasia ran her hands over his head gently.

“Indeed Mr.Wilson, seems like you have a concussion,” A man in a white coat walked into the room, in his hand he held a simple clipboard but his glasses looked so familiar. “Lucky, You should be out before the gala tonight,” He smiled softly looking at the couple.

“Yeahh, you’ll be able to attend tonight,” Anastasia gently grabbed Oliver's arm in excitement. “Aren’t you excited?”

“G-gala, I-uh-I thought it was our honeymoon?” Oliver continued to look around the room. No, I know she was just talking about our non-existent honeymoon. He focused on the calendar that hung in the corner of the room. April 12… What’s going on?

“Love, our honeymoon was over 2 years ago, remember?” She chuckled softly “We didn’t even go on one,” stopping her hand in his hair, “You might’ve hit your head harder than we thought.” Her grip tightened slightly.

“Y-yeah, maybe,” He moved his hand up to his hair, gently removing her hand. This, this isn’t my Anastasia. He smiled at her, encasing her hand in his. I can feel it.

“Well, we can do one final check up and you should be out of here,” Making his way closer to Oliver, clipboard still in hand. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a set of gloves.

“Oh thank you Doctor,” Anastasia eagerly pounced in her seat. “See honey, that fall wasn’t so bad,”

“W-what exactly happened?” Oliver was still confused on how exactly he got into this situation.

“Oliver, you’re scaring me,” looking up at the doctor, “You, you fell out the window of your office building,”

Window, window? “DAMN IT” as quickly as he could he stood up from the bed. “STAY AWAY FROM ME!” He slowly began backing up towards the room's door.

“Oliver, what is your problem?” Anastasia also stood, confused by his sudden behavior. “D-doctor Kage? What's going on?”

“I don’t know, b-but we gotta get him under control,” Kage pushed Anastasia behind him, protecting her from any movements that Oliver could possibly make.

Kage, Kage? He racked his brain, trying to find where he had heard that name before. “Roger's right hand man,” Oliver whispered, looking at Kage to see any type of reaction. The way Kage’s eyes widened slightly was all the confirmation he needed. “It is you,” Oliver started, eyes wide. “A-anastasi? What are you doing,”

“That’s strike two,” She pushed Kage behind her, facing her husband head on. Her damsel in distress act faded completely. “I’m sorry Olive, but you keep screwing up,” Huffing, she launched herself at him. Aiming to punch him but was quickly blocked by Kage.

“Anastasia, the Plan” He reminded her, gently pushing her back. She turned with a huff, collecting herself. With her back turned, he only saw her hands doing little motions.

“Right, Right.. Of course.” After another deep breath, she turned back around. “My apologies dear, but we need to restart,” One more time, that’s all we can afford.

“W-what does that mean,” Oliver stood ready, “No more of that stupid hammer.” He argued, taking a server of his area, keeping an eye on both Anastasia and Kage.

“Awww but that’s the best part,” She pouted, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. He hesitated, looking at her face, one she would make anytime she wanted something.

“No.. No more hammer,” Oliver huffed, making his tone stern.

“Fine by me Hero,” The deep gruff voice was all he heard before his jaw was crushed in and he was sent flying into the wall. At impact the wall shattered, crumbling under the sheer force of his body. Oliver stuck in the wall for a moment before falling down to the ground, he wheezed coughing blood. He held himself on his hands and knees, desperately trying to catch his breath. “Oh, still have some fight?” The same voice called before he sent Oliver’s head through the floorboard.

“D-dad, careful with him,” Anastasia kneeled down over Oliver's body, using both hands to lift his head. “Yep he’s unconscious,” She ran her finger to his neck, checking his pulse, “But not dead.”

“Why? He’s just some fake hero scum,” Roger kicked the man’s unconscious foot. “Let his son die and almost lost his wife.” The room's air suddenly turned heavy as Roger realized he had said that out loud.

“Do NOT mention Alex,” Anastasia hissed, aiming the end of her hammer at his head, “ever” Roger put his hands up, sweat running down his neck while he slowly backed away from her.

“I’m sorry,” She lowered her weapon slowly, staring into his eyes.

“Apology Accepted” Her smiling face returned before she skipped towards the door, “Kage, Dad, get Oliver and set up for scene three,” She giggled leaving the two grown men in a cold sweat. Oliver, you got one last chance, please don’t screw up.

“OLIVER, OLIVER I NEED ASSISTANCE!” Sitting up with a start Oliver looked around. He was back in his master room, sitting in the bed. “OLIVER!” He quickly removed the blankets and ran out into the living room. There sat on the ground was Anastasia, cradling a small bundle of pink blanket. “Sorry love, but Beatris is fussing,” She pointed towards the kitchen, “and Alex is out, so could you please grab me her bottle,” He stood there, dumbfounded.

“Uh-” He knew something was wrong, he’d felt like he was in a fever dream. No, No I won’t be fooled again. He smacked himself a couple times, trying to straighten his mind. Is this real or, or just another act? He began to breathe heavily, Do do I fight or. He was having a panic attack, his mind could not decide whether he should fight the woman he loved, or simply continue to live this fantasy. He crumpled to the ground, hyperventilating causing him to see stars. “A-anastasia, Please,” He sobbed, gripping the ground so hard his finger began to bleed. “Please, n-no more game’s, tell me what happened,” smacking his head into the ground repetitively, “WHY *smack* WHY *smack* WHY!” his head was bleeding at this point, it slowly dripped onto the flood. “WHERE DID IT GO WRONG!” He screamed, aiming to slam his head again but he was stopped by two soft hands. Anastasia was now in front of him defending his head from the brutality of the floor. Oliver’s breath hitched, he quickly looked up to meet her eyes. There she sat in all her glory, tears in her eyes as she watched her husband's merciless attack on himself. “You are my Anastasia, I know that now,” allowing his head to rest in her hands. He inhaled deeply, settling his mind for an instant. He had made up his mind.

“I’m sorry, I wanted to make you suffer,” She let out a soft sob, “Suffer like I had to, all these voices kept talking to me.” Anastasia stared at her husband's blood ridden face. “Y-you didn’t save us, a-and” watching as one of his hands came to wipe her tears. “I- I couldn't save him,” Collapsed into his chest. “I WATCHED YOU LEAVE US” she sobbed gripping his shirt. “I HATED YOU BUT YET I STILL LOVED YOU” Anastasia shook with both anger and heartbreak.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I hate myself too,” Oliver held her close. “N-not a second goes by that I don’t regret my whole existence,” He quickly buried his face into her hair. “I-im sorry you had to suffer alone, I’m sorry I was never there,” Oliver let out a soft sigh, “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you and I’m sorry I couldn’t save him,” He was heartbroken but yet sitting here with her in his arms made it a little more bearable. He didn’t care if she hated him, wanted him dead, he just wanted her here in his hold. “Hit me, kill me, keep me in this time loop, whatever you want, just please, don’t leave me.”

“No, no more games, I uh I think my play time is up,” Her breath had begun to steady and her sobs had ceased. She gently smiled into his chest, I’m home, home at last. Pulling away from him she gently grabbed his face and brought him into a soft loving kiss. “I love you my Oliver,” She giggled at his small blush. Brushing away any left over tears, before meeting her eyes to his.

“And I love you my beautiful Anastasia” He sighed a content smile taking over his face. Ever since that fire, Oliver only regretted one thing more than not saving Anastasia, and that was allowing her to suffer alone for so long.

“Mama, Is dinner ready?” A child's voice called as the front door shut. His small footsteps were heard running through the house. “Oh dad, you’re home.” Alex ran to join his family in the small huddle on the ground. His small arms could barely wrap around his father so Oliver moved to wrap him in their hug.

“Hi baby, I’m home, Home for good” Oliver kissed his son's head and cradled him close to his chest. Anastasia smiled, enjoying this small moment, knowing many more where to come. Maybe this fantasy life won’t be so bad.

“So she went through with it?” Kage asked, watching as his boss kneeled by the two bodies that laid on the ground. Kage had never seen his boss cry, the big man seemed unbreakable but yet Every man has his, He watched as Roger gently picked up his daughter's limp body, tilting his head and saying a soft prey for the girl he once raised.

“Grab him, we should give them a proper burial,'' gesturing towards Oliver's body, which sat with a peaceful smile on his lips. Roger made his way out of the house still holding his head high even while tears ran down his face, landing on Anastasias’s beneath him. “May you have all you’ve dreamed of” He whispered, lifting her body to lay a gentle kiss to her head. “My beautiful baby girl.”

Mutual Destruction

lokwey mustve been going through something

When Ace had held out his hand to her, she'd almost laughed at his absurd request, but despite that, she found herself running through back alleys towards his ship.

~ ♡ ~

Isuka rarely ever cried; it was something that held true throughout her childhood. She had vivid memories of her mother praising her for not crying when the other kids teased her or when they pushed her. Instead, she always stood back up and walked back to her home, ignoring the shouts. Her mum would be in the kitchen preparing dinner. She'd hug her, and her mum would turn around and bend down to wrap her arms around her, and despite feeling like she wanted to, Isuka never cried, and she never fought back.

She had told her mum, after one of those incidents, that she was going to become strong so that their pushes didn't hurt anymore, and when she was old enough, she was going to sail away and make lots of money so they could move to a bigger house, with a big garden for any plants her mum wanted. That should have been what happened. 

She began spending the afternoons after school in the mountains, training to become stronger, or was trying to. She was there that fateful day too. She had accidentally stayed too long in the mountains, and it had become dark as she ran back towards her village, hoping her mum wouldn't be too mad or that her dad wouldn't ground her. What she should've returned to was a peaceful village, with the sound of light chatter as the families settled down for dinner. Instead, she returned to an inferno.

She was out of breath as she stood at the edge of the village, the houses were burning, and there were screams and cries filling her senses. She couldn't let herself be overwhelmed. She thought of her parents and began to run. This time she couldn't stop the tears from falling, overcome with a sense of dread.

She pushed past the fatigue in her legs, running out of necessity. Her lungs burned as the smoke seemed to thicken. She lived on the other edge of town; it would take too long to run around the edge, so she sprinted through the roads she once knew, now unrecognisable. The fire had touched everything. Everywhere she looked, homes were burning up in flames.

When she reached her home, or what was left of it, she could no longer hold herself up. Something had taken out the middle of the house, leaving the rest to collapse in on itself. It looked like something massive had been thrown at the row of houses since all of them were similarly damaged. The fire in this section of the village was dying down, there were still flames, but it wasn't the inferno the other sections of the village were.

On her knees, she crawled closer to the rubble, barely feeling the rough ground scratch at her skin. She couldn't see anything under the debris, but her tears were clouding her vision, and she didn't want to give up hope. She cried for her parents as she tried to claw at the rubble, picking up smaller pieces of wood or stone. Her hands brushed against something soft, and she frantically tried to pull it out; she fell back when the object finally came loose. It was a toy bunny that her mum had found earlier that day, she had asked Isuka whether she still wanted it, and Isuka had said no, that she was too old for toys like that. She looked at it now. The purple colour of its fur had faded, and one of its ears had burnt off in the fire, but she hugged it close, thankful to have something familiar.

She wiped some of her tears and placed the bunny to the side, and tried to go back to searching. The material was still hot, and she had to pull her hands back often. Just as she was able to stop the tears from flowing down her face, a piece of wood collapsed and fell on her hand. Crying even harder now, she pulled it out and cradled it close. 

She sat there for a while, trying to ignore the pain, but it burned the more she tried to focus on something else. She hadn't given up hope, but everything was starting to catch up to her; her legs hurt to move, the scratches on her knees were bleeding, and her hand was burnt. She couldn't do anything but cry. She felt useless.

'Lieutenant Commander!' She looked up, picking the stuffed bunny up again; there were people nearby.

'Lieutenant Commander Draw, sir, we need to leave, we have the pirates in custody. We've rescued everyone we can, the village is going to collapse!'

'I can hear crying,' the small group of people rounded the corner, and Isuka could see that they were Marines. Marines had once landed on the island, and although they'd stayed on their ships, the kids had all snuck around trying to get a glimpse of them. She recognised their uniform, white and blue, the man in the middle had a large coat on, but she couldn't see the back.

'You were right sir, there is a child,' Isuka was standing up now, trying to stifle her sobs. 

'My parents,' she tried to say, pointing at the rubble; the soldiers looked at her with pity.

The man walked up to her and bent down to his knees to level with her before wrapping his arms around her. 'You can let it all out,' he whispered before picking her up. One hand clung to his shirt, and the other kept a hold of her bunny as she cried. 

'She's injured sir,' one of the men pointed out.

'The poor child, it's moments like this that show how much suffering pirates have caused; she's lost her village and parents,' the men seemed to agree with the statement, 'let's treat her on the ship along with the others, hopefully, she can find a new home.'

Isuka stayed silent until they reached the ship; the man put her down and let another crew member led her to the medics. A kind woman patched her up, cleaning her wounds and dressing them, she tried to ask questions, but Isuka continued to stay quiet, and the woman didn't prod further.

'There's a family willing to take you,' the man had returned, 'I'll take you there, they're setting up camp.'

'Can I stay?' she mumbled; she clutched her toy a bit harder.

'What?' he struggled to hear her murmuring.

'I'm really strong, I promise, I train everyday!' she shouted a bit louder, 'so please, let me fight as well, that's what you do right? You fight pirates,' she fiddled with the ear of the toy, 'so let me fight them as well.'

The medic put a hand on her shoulder, 'sweetheart calm down, it's okay, I know what you feel like, but sweetie, you're just too young.' Isuka didn't listen; she kept her eyes locked on the Lieutenant's, hoping she looked strong enough; the medic tried to usher her back into the chair.

'Wait,' he said to the medic and bent down again, 'are you sure?'

'I want to fight,' Isuka said back; she'd never been so sure of anything in her life. She was done taking things lying down. She wanted to fight, for her parents, for her village. 

'Well then, I think it's settled; she'll join us,' he grinned at her, and Isuka sighed, relieved; the medic, on the other hand, seemed apprehensive.

Looking back at that now, she realised that she was too young, no child should have to go through what she went through, but no child should be joining the Marines either. She wondered if she was just another part of his extremist views, no one would question the man who'd gone back just to save a child he'd faintly heard crying. To him, her village was just in the way of his path to power, and he'd gotten what he wanted. He was promoted as the 'hero' he was seen as. 

~ ♡ ~

After the incident, she'd vowed to herself that she would never cry again, that she'd get stronger and fight back, and that she'd destroy all pirates. So, for the next seven years, that's what she did, first as a chore girl on Draw's ship, training in her spare time with the crew. It was actually the medic who introduced her to the rapier as a weapon; she said there was an elegance the weapon held that suited her. 

She was then left at a base; the seas were not for her, not yet. The officer of the base let her work there as a chore girl, allowing her to train in her spare time. She moved up the ranks fast, becoming one of the youngest ensigns. She was soon on a ship of her own, with a crew of her own, on the Grand Line. That's where she met Ace.

In a word, Ace was unpredictable. He was a wild card that was making the higher-ups nervous, being one the fastest-growing rookies at the young age of seventeen. So who else would be better suited to bring him down than the equally young Isuka? Having been on the Grand Line for a year now, Isuka had an impressive record, that was until she met Fire Fist Ace.

~ ♡ ~

If anyone had told her that when she'd first met Ace, she'd end up joining him; she would've stabbed them. Yet here she was, breaking the promises she'd made and on the deck of the Spadille as it sped away from the archipelago and made its way to the New World.

She'd promised she'd never cry again, but the weight of the years had crushed her all at once. The truth she believed, her one motivation in those difficult years of training was false. A blatant lie. So she let herself cry, feeling the tears stream down her face as she tried not to be too loud. She had also promised to always fight back, but her legs didn't let her move. The ache she felt that day made its way back to her muscles, the fear and betrayal she'd felt in the moment was something she had hoped never to feel again, but once again, she found herself on the floor. This time, she had nothing to clutch onto for hope.

So when Ace offered her a hand and made the most absurd request, she found herself accepting it. She let him drag her through the alleys, shouting directions at Deuce. 

She found herself feeling thankful for the pair of them, they'd fought hard, and despite being on opposing sides, they'd offered her a hand instead of leaving her. So without thinking it through, when Ace had told her to jump, she'd followed. 

Landing on the decking of Spadille felt different this time; she'd been on the ship plenty of times before. She could even make out all the marks she'd left trying to fight Ace. Ace still held onto her hand, she suddenly felt eyes on her. Of course, she thought, to them, she was still the enemy. 

Before she could say anything, Deuce was leading her away, 'you have a crew to lead Ace, and Isuka needs rest,' Ace nodded, giving Isuka's hand a comforting squeeze before turning to address the rest of the Spades.

'I'm sure you all have questions, but first we need to get out of here, so full speed ahead!'

~ ♡ ~

Isuka found herself in the captain's quarters; Deuce had said it was the most private. No one would bother her, except for Kotatsu, who came and went when he pleased.

She looked around the cabin; it was bigger than hers and much more personal. The only thing she had from her childhood was the bunny, which she'd probably never see again, and the scar on her hand. Ace had photos and all sorts of knick-knacks from his travels strewn across the room. She saw one of him as a young child with two other kids. She recognised Luffy from Ace's stories, and she smiled, remembering the way his face lit up talking about his kid brother. There was another child that Isuka couldn't quite place, she didn't recognise him from any of his stories, even he had stories he kept private.

She saw pictures of the Spades in various different places; she could recollect having fought Ace in most of the places. Looking around, she felt like she was intruding. The Spades were a tight-knit family, one she felt she didn't belong in. She envied Ace as a leader; he had a relationship with his crew she could never have; her crew didn't joke around with her. They simply respected the hierarchy. Maybe she had made a mistake following Ace. She'd never feel like she belonged.

She found herself wanting to crawl up into a ball, so she sat down in the corner of his room and pulled her knees closer. She didn't know how long she'd stayed in the position, unmoving, her head resting on her knees.

'Isuka?' It was Ace, he was standing at the door, 'you there?'

She wiped her face with the back of her hand and looked up, 'yeah?' She winced at how hoarse and tired her voice sounded.

He stepped into the room to inspect where her voice came from, 'what are you doing over there? Was the bed not comfortable?' He chuckled at the little ball she'd curled up into.

'No, I, no it's just nice in the corner,' he offered a hand, and she took it, stumbling as she got up. Her legs ached a little from being in the same position for way too long. 

He sat back down on his bed, patting the spot next to him so she could join him, 'so how do you like it?'

'About that,' she began, fiddling with her fingers. It would seem that Ace had noticed her hesitancy, and instead of allowing her to stand around awkwardly, he pulled her down next to him.

'You don't have to say anything; it's not easy getting used to different environments,' he looked over at her, she had her head turned down. 'Tonight you can sleep here, I'll be taking the night watch, so don't feel like you're intruding.'

'But I do, Ace, I really don't think I belong here,' she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes; he'd been so kind, and she wasn't used to it.

'Why do you think that, this crew's full of people who aren't strictly pirates, they can be whoever they want to be.'

'I don't want to be selfish Ace, I couldn't do that to you,' she could feel the tears pricking the back of her eyes.

'You and your selfless heart,' he tilted her chin up to get a better look at her face, 'be selfish Isuka, let me be selfish for you.' He pulled his hand back, a little startled when she began to cry.

In between sobs, she spoke, 'you've always been like this. Aren't you worried?'

'About what?' 

'I'm scared I'll destroy you Ace,' what good would come of her joining the crew? She could think of a million things that could go wrong, and she wished none of that on him, 'I don't want to hurt you.'

'You're worried you'll hurt me?' he asked almost incredulously, running a hand through his hair, 'Isuka I'm so scared I'll hurt you.' She looked up, confused, 'leave it to me to fall for a girl who'd been hurt by flames and pirates, and who am I, a pirate who can turn into flames.' He chuckled at how cruel fate had been.

She tried her best to wipe her tears yet again and took a hold of one of his hands, 'I'm strong Ace, you could never hurt me, I know you won't.'

'I know but I can still worry,' he smiled at her trust in him, 'if you want to leave I'm not stopping you, I would never force anything on crew members. You can just tell the Marines you were taken hostage, I'm sure they'll take you back.'

'But then they'll think worse of you, for crimes you've never committed,' her eyes were full of worry.

'They think enough of me already, you don't have to worry about that,' he brought his other hand to her face, brushing away a strand of hair.

They sat there quietly; Ace had removed his hand, suddenly aware of what he was doing. Isuka quietly contemplated what had been said, 'so it'll be mutual destruction?'

Ace burst out laughing; she was taken aback by it, 'yeah, you could put it like that.' He considered it for a second, 'mutual destruction.' He pulled back and stuck out his hand, 'so you'll stay?'

She wiped away all her tears and took a deep breath in before taking his hand, 'for as long as you'll have me.'

~ ♡ ~

Closer

my longest and fluffiest fic so far <3

It hadn't been long since he last saw Isuka; it was just last week they had fought at a summer island, the heat deadly in more than one way. This time they had stopped at what was supposed to be a rainy island, but there had only been clear skies and a cool breeze so far. Which was good because something told him he was going to be running a lot and very soon.

'Fire fist!'

'Oh Isuka,' he waved in her direction, 'fancy seeing you here,' the comment earned him glares from some of his crew; Isuka wasn't there for pleasantries, which was obvious by the fact she was sprinting towards Ace. 

'We'll meet you back here Cap!' Skull shouted after him as he began to run away from her. Ace simply nodded before focusing on trying to get away from the very hotheaded marine currently chasing him.

He managed to run past the small village he had seen before they encountered Isuka and into the surrounding forest. He reached a small clearing before stopping and turning around to face her. Here they could fight with no distractions, no obstacles, just the two of them.

'Fire Fist!' as he'd predicted, she was still right behind him. Her stamina was no joke; by now, Deuce would have collapsed. She was breathing hard, and his eyes dropped to her legs; those shorts were made to kill him.

'Hey, let's get this over with, no hard feelings,' he grinned at her annoyance, 'right?'

'Sure, the faster this is over the faster I can get you in handcuffs,' she drew her rapier, ready to attack.

Ace stepped back into a defensive stance, 'ooh, slow down there, Ensign; I didn't figure you were such a freak.'

The annoyed look on her face briefly turned into a flustered one before she quickly masked it by lunging forward to attack him, 'you will regret that Fire Fist!'

And so their usual tango began, Isuka pressing forward with her attacks and Ace dodging and countering with one of his own. They were unusually matched, Isuka's attacks would be deadly to someone without Logia powers, and no average person would be able to dodge Ace's attacks so easily. So all their fights ended the same way, with Ace managing to get away. Isuka knew she was strong, she wouldn't Ensign otherwise, but it was infuriating that she wasn't strong enough to be a proper opponent for Ace; he seemed to fight her for the sake of it. Even if his flirty comments always said otherwise.

~ ♡ ~

She had no idea how long it had been since they'd begun fighting, her arms were burning from attacking, and she could've sworn she felt rain at some point. They had moved from where they started the fight, leaving evidence of their encounter on the surrounding trees. She said a small apology in her head for all the burn marks and slashes; the trees did not deserve that.

Over the time she'd spent fighting Ace, she'd slowly begun paying less attention to her surroundings when she was with him; he kept the fight between them and only them. Which was probably why neither of them realised they were heading for a cliff. Isuka had taken a step back to avoid one of Ace's attacks when the ground below her gave out. Usually, she could've easily avoided this, but a combination of fatigue and a  very slippery floor meant she was going to fall.

But before she could react or even shout, Ace grabbed her hand, yanking her towards him. They fell back together on sturdier ground. Ace had reacted fast, way faster than she could've, and a small part of her wondered why he bothered saving her, but that didn't matter right now. She took a deep breath in; she could've died; she could've fallen and died a painful death. She scrunched his shirt in her hands, trying to calm herself down, and he let her, quietly stroking her back as she tried not to cry. They stayed like that for a while before Ace spoke up.

'Hey, you good?' Isuka looked up at him. He had propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her with concern. She sat up in his lap, glancing away, head in her hands, suddenly aware of the position they'd ended up in. He began to sit up, 'hey? You sure you're okay?'

'I'm perfectly fine, Fire Fist,' she mumbled from behind her hands, attempting to wiggle away from him, but an arm kept her pressed against him. She knew his body was toned, but she really did not need to be up against it or have an arm gripping her waist.

'No, let me see you first. You could've gotten hurt,' she shook her head. If her face were as red as it felt hot, it would be plain embarrassing, and she wasn't in the mood for his teasing. The blush wasn't going to be disappearing anytime soon, not with the way she could feel his muscles shift when he moved.

'Fire Fist, I am perfectly fine,' she repeated, determined not to let him see her face, 'I would appreciate it if you let me go.'

'Hey, come on,' he was struggling to grab her arms and keep her close, 'if I let you go, you're just going to run away. Do you even know where we are?'

'Huh?' the question confused her enough to lower her hands, 'I'm not directionally challenged Fire Fist.'

'Finally,' he grabbed her hands with one of his, pulling them away from her face, 'see, it wasn't that hard.' He scrutinised her face, there were a few scratches, as usual, but nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. 

'See, I'm perfectly fine,' finally satisfied with what he'd seen, he loosened his grip on her waist to allow her to climb off him.

'You're really red though, you sure you aren't sick?'

If it was possible, her cheeks burnt a bit brighter or at least that is what it felt like, 'no, perfectly fine.'

'You've been saying that a lot,' he chuckled, dusting himself off as he got up. 'Let's call it a draw, I don't feel like fighting anymore,' he looked over at Isuka, who simply nodded in return.

She was relieved; her heart rate hadn't gone back to normal just yet after that near-death experience or the very sudden exposure to his body, 'yeah, we should head back.'

'Well, miss not-directionally-challenged, where are we headed?' He smirked at her, ''cause I sure as hell don't know.'

'Well, if I remember correctly, the woods are to the north of the village I was planning on staying in tonight with the rest of my crew,' she pulled out a necklace with a small compass as a pendant. 'So, I'm heading this way. Are you joining me Fire Fist? Do you even know where the rest of your crew are?'

'Not exactly, they're probably where I left them, but I'll stick with you for now,' he threw an arm around her, earning a small squeak of annoyance, 'wouldn't want to get hopelessly lost now, would I?'

She shook off his arm before bending to pick up her rapier, 'suit yourself.'

~ ♡ ~

They spent some time walking in silence. Usually, Ace would've tried to make conversation, but she seemed shaken up and frustrated. He wouldn't be able to make it back by himself; well, not quickly, he'd make it back eventually, but his stomach would not be pleased with him. Just as things were looking up, the rain Isuka had hoped wouldn't bother them began pouring. She cursed as she picked up the pace, finding a tree large enough to give them both shelter.

'I was hoping the rain wouldn't be a problem,' she tugged at her shirt, which had been soaked through her jacket; it was sticking to her uncomfortably.

'This is a rainy island,' he offered, trying not to look further down than her collar bones, which were quite defined, 'eyes up Ace, this is no time to be staring at her body', he reprimanded himself. He knew she was well-built; well, how could he not? Her uniform wasn't the most covering, and with the way she constantly pounced on him, it was hard not to notice.

'I guess,' she sighed, 'this is going to make it a lot harder to return back to the village.'

'We should probably find someplace to stay for the night, it's getting darker,' he had an arm on the tree, leaning over her to try and cover her from the rain.

'Yeah that would be best,' she stopped tugging at her shirt, 'I think there was an inn to the north of the village, we should stumble upon it soon enough.'

'Yeah, or we might be stuck out here all night,' he knocked off his hat and ran a hand through his hair which was falling over his eyes, 'not that I'd mind sleeping next to you.' 

Isuka choked on nothing in particular, 'now why would I sleep next to you?'

'Body heat,' he grinned like he had cleared it all up.

Isuka shook her head; she didn't have the energy to even bother coming up with a witty response. 'In your dreams Fire Fist, let's just try finding that inn.' After rechecking her compass, she set off towards what was hopefully the inn. 

'Why wouldn't I dream of you,' and Isuka tripped in shock. When she turned to face him, a scandalised expression on her face, he simply smiled that flirty smile at her. Now she was really mad; there was no reason for him to tease her as he did.

And so their usual bickering began, a flirty comment from Ace and a shocked response from Isuka. He loved teasing her; her reactions always made it worth it, the way her ears became red, and her expression turned from flustered to angry. He loved riling her up, especially if it meant she tried storming off. She was way too nice to actually leave him, so she'd stop a couple of metres away and tell him to hurry up. To which he'd laugh and jog to catch up with her.

'I'm starting to think we are hopelessly lost Fire Fist,' Isuka complained. They'd been walking for what felt like hours, and yet there was no inn in sight.

'Don't give up too soon,' he decided against placing a hand on her back, 'we'll stumble across it soon enough.'

'I sure hope so,' she shivered, the cold wind worsening the conditions. Isuka wasn't unfamiliar with horrible situations; as a marine, she'd come across many of them, and her training made sure she knew how to survive. However, for some reason, she wanted to throw a tantrum; she shouldn't be lost right now; she should be tucked in bed, pissed off at Fire Fist for escaping.

Ace watched as she shivered, desperately wanting to wrap his arms around her; the cold didn't mean much to him, and the rain barely affected him, but he kept that distance between them. He may be comfortable stepping over lines; that's what he did, break the rules, but Isuka wasn't that type of person; she stayed within the boxes, to a certain degree.

'Let's keep moving,' he gently nudged her shoulder; he lit a small fire in his palm, visibility had reduced, and it was no use trying to walk around the dark, 'sooner we get there the sooner you can dry off.'

'Yeah, I guess,' she started walking again, her arms wrapped around herself, rubbing her arms in an effort to warm up.

It had been about 30 minutes of walking before Ace spotted the inn. They had stopped by another tree, Isuka, wanting to double-check if they were headed in the right direction. Ace smiled fondly at her deeply focused expression, but as he looked up, he spotted a roof, which could only mean one thing: they had made it.

'Hey, we made it!' Ace pointed in the direction of the building.

'We did?' Isuka turned around so fast she nearly fell, arms coming around her to steady her, 'we did!' 

She threw her arms around him, on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. Her body was cold against his, 'wow, you're so warm,' she chuckled as she pulled back from the hug, not quite realising what she'd done.

Ace grinned nervously at her. She still had her arms on his shoulders and was making it very hard not to look at her and her very soaked shirt, 'why don't we head inside,' he gently turned her around and pushed her towards the building before she could notice the rising blush on his face.

~ ♡ ~

They headed to the inn; it looked empty, and there were no lights on, which was not a good sign. As they knocked on the door, no one answered. Instead, the door swung open eerily. 

'That doesn't look good,' Ace stated, leaning on the doorway as Isuka stepped in.

'No, it does not,' she sighed, 'but at least it's shelter, let's see what we can find.'

'Sounds good,' they split up, Isuka taking the downstairs and Ace the upstairs. There weren't many rooms in the inn. It seemed pretty small; Ace walked from room to room, a small fire in his palm. It didn't look abandoned, just empty for the night, the beds were made, and nothing seemed out of place. They could easily stay for the night; if there was running water and food, they had nothing to worry about. 

As he made his way back down to share the good news, he heard laughter, laughter that probably should not exist, considering the fact that it was just him and Isuka in this place.

'Hey, Isuka?' He called tentatively from the stairs. He carefully stepped down, unsure what he'd find, 'hey is everything good?' He could fight a person, but ghosts were a very different story; his fire would just go through them.

He turned a corner only to bump into Isuka and let out an embarrassing scream, Isuka, who had been just as startled, jumped back, clutching her chest.

'Fire Fist? Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again,' she glared at him, her heart racing, 'I was just coming to get you.'

Just as he managed to calm down, a lady walked into view, a very pale lady, an almost ghost-like lady.

'It's a ghost!' he shoved Isuka behind him, holding an arm out, 'stay away from us!'

'No Fire Fist,' she stepped out, pushing his arm down, 'this is Miss Lisa. She owns the inn.'

Ace looked at her confused, then at the ghost-like woman, and back to Isuka, 'she's the owner?'

The said Miss Lisa stepped closer and into the light of Ace's fire, no longer looking like an apparition. She wasn't very old, maybe early thirties, about his height; she had a kind face now that he could see her features.

'Yes, and, luckily for you, I came back to get some wood,' she smiled warmly, 'you kids must be freezing.'

'Why is no one here?'

'As I was telling your little girlfriend here,' Isuka was violently shaking her head, no, and Ace rubbed the back of his neck. Still, she paid no notice to them, 'when the rain gets too heavy the roads become flooded, meaning you end up stranded; we were running low on supplies here, so we moved everyone into town this afternoon.'

'How did you get here then? Isn't a long walk from the town?'

'The both of you are really quite similar, your girlfriend asked the same questions.'

Isuka interrupted before she could carry on, 'Miss Lisa, like I said we're not together in any sense of the word.'

'People don't often get lost in the woods with people they don't know,' she asked, a bit confused.

'Well we know each other,' she began, 'but we're not exactly close,' the owner still looked lost, 'occupational complications,' she added. In the light, it was probably difficult to make out the insignia of the Marines on Isuka's jacket and the colours of his very telling hat.

'I see,' she seemed unconvinced, 'as I was saying, I live nearby with my husband, and I came back to get some more wood. And as I asked your friend over here, would the both of you like to stay at our house? Just for the night.'

'That's why I was coming to get you, this seems like our best option,' Isuka turned towards him.

Ace took in her appearance. Isuka seemed way more exhausted and cold than him. It might do her good to have help, 'if you want to.'

'Perfect, we'll come with you Miss Lisa, thank you.'

'It's no problem at all, you can help me get more wood too,' Isuka smiled gratefully before following the lady to the back entrance. The wood was stacked by the door, Isuka made a move to grab some, but Ace stopped her. He grabbed a big chunk of them, telling her to relax.

~ ♡ ~

As they made their way down the small road to the house, Isuka made small chat with the lady, who was telling her about the area, about how the inhabitants were quite used to the rain and that no one accesses the inn without going through the town first, if they had they would have known it was closed.

'Well, we're here,' she inserted her key and pushed the door open, 'you can place the wood in that corner,' she gestured to a corner with wood already stacked. The three of them removed their shoes, and Lisa placed slippers in front of them, which they happily slipped their feet into.

'Follow me. We only have one other room apart from mine and my husbands,' she led them upstairs and to a sizeable guest room, 'I hope that's okay with the both of you.' Ace nodded, and so did Isuka. There was an en suite and a large bed. She turned to Isuka, 'if you hop in the bath, I can wash and dry your clothes. I'll try and find you something warmer for the night too.'

'Oh, thank you, that would be nice,' she followed her into the bathroom. Lisa turned the water on, she grabbed a bottle from the self and added it, creating bubbles. It had been ages since Isuka had had a luxury such as this. Isuka took off her jacket, shirt and shorts and folded them neatly but left her gloves on; she took off her sunglasses and placed them on the cabinet.

'Allow me to take your undergarments as well, I'll make sure they're dry before giving them back,' she adjusted the temperature of the water. Isuka blushed, 'sweetheart if you want I can wait outside and you can simply slide them into the rest of your clothes and hand them over, but I can't let you wear wet clothing. Now come here and check the temperature.'

Isuka nodded before taking off one of her gloves to test the water, 'that seems fine, thank you Miss Lisa, if it's possible could I have a small plaster.' her hand traced the one currently on her cheek.

'Now you can just call me Lisa, of course I can. I'll wait outside the door,' she stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. Ace was sitting on the chair in the corner. He was fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 'Would you like anything washed or dried?'

'Nope, I'm basically dry,' the upside to having devil fruit powers.

'Yes quite convenient powers you have there, but you'd benefit from taking a shower, there's one in our room.'

Before he could answer, Isuka cracked the door open slightly to place her clothes on the floor, folded neatly with her gloves placed on top, 'Mi-, Lisa, if it's okay, could you bring back my gloves with the clothing?'

'Of course darling,' she bent down to pick up the clothes, 'now you,' she pointed at Ace, 'come on, I'm sure you got plenty dirty in the woods.' She wasn't wrong. His legs were quite muddy, and so were his shorts. He doubted Isuka would let him sleep like that. He got up to follow her.

Isuka sighed happily; the water was so lovely. Lisa had suggested she add lavender-scented salts to the bath, which released a relaxing smell. She dipped her head below the water, letting the warmth engulf her. She lay in the tub until Lisa returned. She opened the door and placed some clothes and a towel on the cabinet.

'You can drain the water and quickly rinse off the soap before getting out. I've placed everything I could find here,' Isuka nodded, and she left the room.

Isuka did as she was told, almost reluctant to leave the tub, but her skin was turning prune-like. She dried herself with the towel, which was warm and soft; she was being spoilt. She slipped her undergarments back on, now warm and dry, and put on the clothes she was given: a pair of black shorts that were slightly longer than the ones she usually wore and a faded yellow jumper long enough to reach below the shorts. It slipped off one of her shoulders no matter how many times she adjusted it. She replaced the plaster on her cheek and put her gloves back on. She stepped out of the bathroom, holding her sunglasses in one hand and drying her hair with the other.

Lisa was waiting outside, 'oh sweetheart, it's too big for you.'

'It's perfectly fine, M-, Lisa,' but she was a bit distracted by Ace standing behind her; he'd been wrangled into a different pair of shorts and an orange jumper. His hair was messy like Lisa had aggressively dried it. He looked surprisingly good when they weren't fighting, huggable and warm.

'I'll make a start on dinner, make yourselves comfortable,' she smiled before closing the door behind her.

'Never thought I'd see the day when you'd look so small Ensign,' he teased, the massive jumper making her look more petite. Not that she usually seemed small, her massive personality and strength normally made up for it.

'Oh and you love the jumper you're in right now,' she playfully poked his chest.

'She wouldn't take 'I'm made of fire' as an excuse,' he frowned halfheartedly, 'she did give me some wood to start a fire, you know, if you're cold.'

'That would be nice,' the fireplace was a reasonable distance away from the bed, which she sat on. She didn't have to go too close to it.

Ace placed some wood in the fireplace and eventually got a fire going. He leaned back to appreciate his handiwork. He turned to see Isuka, whose expression had become nervous, 'hey you good?'

Isuka had thought she would be okay with the fire, but it was making her uncomfortable, the scar on her hand itching as she watched it burn. She was shaken out of her thoughts by Ace, 'oh, I'm fine,' she smiled, but it was unconvincing.

'It doesn't look that way, is it because of the fire?' her slight flinch gave it away. 'If it helps I can always control it, see,' he held out his hand and absorbed some of the fire. It died down a little, reducing the intensity of the flames.

'Thank you Fire Fist, but really, I'm okay,' her smile was slightly pained, and she was rubbing the back of her hand.

Ace remained unconvinced but decided to let it go. He got up and walked over to the chair before sitting down. 'I can sleep on the floor tonight, you can take the bed.'

'Huh,' she locked eyes with him, 'oh no I can't let you do that, I can take the floor, I'll ask Lisa for some extra bedding.'

'Nah, you deserve the bed,' he chuckled, 'plus I'm used to sleeping on the floor, so don't worry about me.'

She hesitated before speaking again, 'how about we share?' Isuka suggested, unsure what she was saying, 'I mean, the bed's quite big and we're both tired, and it's not like I mind. I mean it's okay, if you're okay with it of course, I'm not saying you have to sleep with me, wait I don't mean it like that,' she buried her face in her hands again.

Ace got up; her rambling was adorable, 'hey,' he moved her hands from her face, 'we can share if you want to.'

'I do,' she replied, before adding, 'I mean I don't mind if we do, don't take it the wrong way.'

'Whatever you say, birdie,' he sat down and lay back.

'Birdie?' 

'Yeah, your name is a bird name, right?'

'And?'

'It's a nickname, like how you always call me Fire Fist,. It's getting kinda boring calling you Ensign.'

'What's wrong with my name?'

'Nothing, it's cute,' Isuka turned bright red, but thankfully Ace had his eyes closed. Was this man clueless? One does not call his enemy cute. Well, technically, he had said her name was cute, but still, it simply wasn't done. Before she could say anything to retaliate, she heard a snore. He had fallen asleep, she carefully got off the bed, not wanting to disturb him. She knew Lisa hadn't wanted her to help, but she wanted to contribute to dinner in some way; after all, she was letting them stay there for free.

~ ♡ ~

It was less than an hour later, and Isuka was shaking Ace awake. He was a heavy sleeper, and it took all of Iuska's shaking power to wake him up.

'Hm,' his sleepy expression made her giggle, 'is something wrong?'

'No, dinner's ready,' she tugged at his arm, 'let's eat.' Ace put out the fire before following her out the door and down the stairs.

Lisa had prepared what she had bought earlier, but it was not enough for all the inn's guests. It was, however, enough for four people or six, considering Ace could probably eat enough to feed a small army. They met her husband; he, too, seemed like a good-natured person. He was taller than Lisa and was in no way bad looking; he introduced himself as Walker.

'So, my wife tells me you're a pirate,' he laughed heartily.

'She would be correct,' he bowed, 'Portgas D. Ace, it's nice to meet you.'

'Oh ho ho,' he patted Ace on the back, 'you seem like a good man.' Ace rubbed the back of his neck, a little bashful because of the praise.

'I'm Ensign 'Nailing' Isuka of the marines,' she held out her hand to shake his, but he pulled her into a hug instead. She patted his back awkwardly as she stood there, not used to displays of affection.

'A marine and a pirate, what an odd pair you've found, darling,' he called out to his wife.

'Aren't they? I was sure they were dating. You know kids these days always breaking the rules,' she laughed with her husband, but Isuka could only chuckle nervously. 

'They aren't?'

'They were pretty insistent that they weren't,' his wife shrugged.

'Shame, they look adorable together,' it was Ace's turn to chuckle nervously as a blush crept up his neck; Isuka was less lucky, her whole face felt hot.

'We really aren't. I'm just the officer that chases after him. We've taken a short break because of the weather.' 

'A break, eh,' he gave them a knowing smile. There was, however, nothing to know, 'well I won't keep us longer, let's eat.'

Dinner was a peaceful affair, well as peaceful as it could be around Ace; they all told stories and laughed until all the food had been cleared. 

When Lisa made a move to clear the dishes, Isuka stopped her, 'you've done a lot for us. Let us clean up,' she nudged Ace, who then nodded along with what she was saying.

'Oh I couldn't let you, you're guests.'

'Please, I feel bad that you've done enough for us already,' she must've been convincing because Lisa eventually gave up and let them clean up.

'We'll be upstairs, if there are any problems let us know,' she wrapped an arm around her husband before disappearing up the stairs.

Isuka and Ace began clearing up, and washing the dishes came first. She tied her hair back in a small ponytail, which Ace had flicked and burst out laughing like a child. She also rolled up her sleeves and replaced her usual leather gloves with rubber ones she found under the sink.  

'You're pretty good at that,' Ace pointed out. He had been assigned to dry the dishes just in case he broke some washing them. He'd been told off by his crew before and didn't want an earful from Isuka too.

'Fire Fist, this is a very basic life skill, plus I was chore girl at a marine base pretty young.'

'Oh, you grew up in the marines?'

'Sort of,' she didn't give anything else, so Ace didn't press her.

'Makes sense; you're pretty young for an Ensign, right?' He figured they were about the same age.

'I guess you don't usually get promoted to a ranked officer without earning it. It's easier when being a marine is all you know.'

'Would you ever give it up?'

'Huh?' Isuka nearly dropped the plate she was holding.

'Forget I asked,' he shook his hands in front of him, embarrassed he'd even considered the thought. Fighting by her side was just a dream.

Isuka stayed silent in contemplation. She'd never considered leaving the marines, and she'd given so much to them. They were her home, in a way, and she wouldn't abandon them.

'What about you? Would you ever consider stopping being a pirate?'

'Nope, wouldn't be anything else. I've got something to achieve.'

'Well, you have my answer as well. We're all doing what we do because we want to,' she turned to face him, but he was already looking at her. 

'Yeah,' he was smiling, and Isuka had to admit he was gorgeous when he beamed like that, carefree and happy. 'You've got a little something there,' he pointed at his own cheek, and Isuka tried wiping the soap off her face, failing miserably because her gloves were all soapy. He laughed at her before leaning down to wipe the suds from her face. 

'Thanks…' her voice became smaller as Ace didn't remove his hand; instead, he stepped closer, thumb resting on the corner of her mouth. Her voice cracked, 'Fire Fist I-'

He was pressing a small kiss on her lips, pulling away before she could even register it. She stood there starstruck, but Ace was stepping away faster, 'I'm so sorry, I don't know why I did that,' he groaned into his hands. He ran his hands through his hair before looking at her again, but she stayed glued to the spot, unsure of what happened.

'Can we please forget that ever happened?' He looked at her, almost ashamed that he'd let himself act on his thoughts. Her lips looked soft and so inviting, and before he knew it, he was leaning down to kiss them.

She finally found her voice again, 'I don't think that's possible, Fire Fist,' she took off the gloves, abandoning the dishes. She turned to face him, leaning against the cabinet, trying to maintain an unbothered expression when in reality, she was screaming internally. At least he had the decency to look mildly terrified.

'I really don't know what came over me. I really am sorry,' he sounded sincere, and she found herself sighing in defeat. She couldn't stay mad at him, at least not when they weren't fighting and especially not when he looked like a sad puppy.

She walked over to him, 'don't look at me like that! And it's fine I guess I didn't really stop you either.'

'Really? You liked it?' He teased, apparently feeling much more confident.

And there he went, hearing only what he wanted to hear, 'huh? I never said that,' she felt the blush staining her cheeks again. She stumbled back as he leant towards her again, cursing his ability to suddenly flip the situation. She felt her back hit the cabinet, cursing the small kitchen too. He leant in, a hand cupping her cheek, and she shut her eyes, waiting, but he pressed a kiss on her forehead. So she opened her eyes; he had pulled back, rubbing small lines on her cheek. She felt disappointed; wait, disappointed? Since when was she disappointed when a pirate didn't kiss her? She should be relieved, but some part of her enjoyed the kiss, enjoyed the warmth he bought her when he was around. 

So she took matters into her own hands, cupping his face with both her hands and dragging his face down to her height, 'wait-' but she was kissing him. She felt him tense, then place his arms around her waist and pull her closer to him, and then melt against her. She felt him smile against her lips, and she knew he was thinking something dumb. She let her hands fall to his chest. The sharp intake of breath made her happy; she still had some power over him. 

She pulled back after what felt like the longest minute of her life, 'you really shouldn't tease a girl like that Fire Fist.'

He was gaping at her, 'I wasn't trying to tease you, but if it made you do that, maybe I should tease you more often.' He was hugging her now, gently squeezing her. Usually, Isuka would've pushed the person away, but it was relaxing being in his arms. It was something she could get used to.

'We should really get back to cleaning,' he shook his head and buried it in her hair, lips ghosting her neck. 'Come on Fire Fist we really have to, I kind of insisted.'

He stood up, a resolute look on his face, and suddenly, she regretted trusting him at all, 'call me Ace, and maybe I will.'

'What?'

'You heard me, call me Ace, you never call me by name, it's always Fire Fist.'

'I don't think so. Fire Fist,' she stuck her tongue out.

He laughed exasperatedly, 'come one Birdie, it's not like I'm asking for much.'

Instead, she gently pushed him back to put the gloves back on; she had almost forgotten about the burn on her hand, surprised Ace hadn’t brought it up. He watched as she continued to wash the dishes, 'do you plan on helping,' she paused, 'Ace?'

'What?' He hugged her from the back; she knew he heard the first time.

'I said do you plan on helping, Fire Fist Ace?' 

He hugged her tighter, 'I could get used to hearing that everyday.'

'Don't get too used to it, and pick up that cloth and dry some dishes.'

'Yes ma'am,' he saluted her before going back to his spot.

The rest of the cleanup was a lot more peaceful; they worked fast, putting away the leftovers and tidying up the room. When it was over, Ace put out the fire in the room and followed Isuka up the stairs. She said something about asking for toothbrushes, but when he entered the bathroom, they had been placed in a cup already. He laughed at Isuka's little speech about the importance of brushing and ended up cleaning a bit of toothpaste off her face, not without stealing a kiss. 

'What side do you sleep on?' He asked, pulling the duvet off the bed.

'Why do you have a side you prefer?'

'Not really, I was just wondering if you do,' he smiled as she threw herself on the bed.

'I don't, I could honestly sleep anywhere.'

'That's something we have in common,' he got in next to her, pulling the covers over the both of them.

'I don't doubt that,' she settled closer to him, closing her eyes, 'I've seen you fall asleep mid-battle before.'

He let her lay her head on his chest, her leg thrown on top of his, a hand clutching his shirt. She was adorable, he thought to himself as he watched her chest rising and falling evenly. She must've been exhausted to have fallen asleep almost immediately. He pressed a small kiss to her forehead and shut his eyes.

~ ♡ ~

The Spades weren't worried about their captain, they rarely were, but Kotatsu was a whole different story. The loyal lynx was pacing back and forth worriedly as his master had not returned all night. The others had assured him that Ace was probably staying somewhere for the night since the rain was heavy. He may be reckless, but he is not an idiot. Furthermore, he was with Isuka, who was level-headed and reasonable.

As soon as Deuce had woken up, Kotatsu had been bothering him, concerned for Ace. Deuce and Skull had barely had breakfast when the lynx was dragging them out.

'Calm down boy,' Deuce rubbed his head, 'Ace isn't that easy to get rid of.'

'Master Ace is strong, he'll be fine boy.'

They spent the morning walking inn to inn to see whether a cowboy hat-wearing pirate had stayed the night. They bumped into Isuka's crew at one of the inns, but they seemed too worried about the disappearance of their Ensign to notice Deuce, Skull and Kotatsu. Which just solidified the theory that the both of them were together and, therefore, most likely safe.

Just as they planned to give up and wait it out on the ship, a woman approached them, 'by any chance are the names of the people you are looking for Ace and Isuka?'

'Yes, Ace is our captain, he must've stayed with Isuka.'

'The both of them are currently at my house, they were stuck outside in the rain so I let them stay the night,' she pointed in the direction of her house. 'I hope you haven't been too worried about them.'

'Oh no, they're both strong, we had no worries.'

'Well, they seemed exhausted, so they are probably still asleep. I slipped out to buy some groceries. If you'd follow me, I could take you there.'

They accepted her offer and followed her back to the house. She gave them slippers and led them into the living room, 'they're upstairs. I can see if they are awake.'

Kotatsu had heard they were upstairs and immediately pounced up the stairs, following his nose to find his master, 'no need, Kotatsu will probably wake up Ace,' Deuce thanked her and followed the lynx up the stairs.

Kotatsu had correctly identified the room Ace was in, but what was throwing him off was the proximity of Isuka's smell, not that he didn't like the marine. It was just odd that they were that close together.

'What's wrong boy?' Deuce asked, pushing the door open for him. He, like Kotatsu and Skull, stood in shock for a second as they entered the room, the image of Isuka and Ace cuddling forever in their minds.

Deuce was the first to burst out laughing, nearly keeling over in laughter, 'oh my god, he's never going to live this down.'

Skull gently shook Ace awake. He woke up, his voice groggy, 'what time is it?'

'Almost ten Master Ace,' Skull replied helpfully.

Ace's sleepiness disappeared almost instantly; he was very aware of the situation. Sometime in the night, he'd kicked off the duvet and wrapped his arms around Isuka under the warmth of her jumper; her slender waist fit perfectly in the crook of his arm. This was definitely not a position he wanted to get caught in; his favourite marine asleep on his shoulder. He could almost feel the teasing energy radiating off Deuce and Kotatsu, who were ready to ridicule him for the rest of his life.

'Fire Fist is something wrong?' Isuka muttered, still half asleep; she could barely register the characters in the room. However, when she did, she sprung away from Ace and dived under the covers hoping it would hide her shame. Deuce was cackling out loud now, not just in his head. Kotatsu was also wheezing; at least, that's what it looked like.

'We'll let you get ready,' Skull said sympathetically, pushing the other two out of the room.

Ace sat up, rubbing his face, 'they're gone now.'

'Doesn't make it any less humiliating,' Isuka complained as she sat up.

'I don't think we can hide this, not from my crew at least.'

'Yeah, mine on the other hand never have to know,' the both of them got up. Lisa had left their clothes on the table, so they got changed and went downstairs, ready to face the obvious questions. Ace squeezed her hand reassuringly before leading her into the room.

They ate breakfast, joined by Deuce and Skull with a bowl of milk for Kotatsu. Surprisingly Deuce kept quiet about the situation, most likely for Isuka's sake.

When they got ready to leave, they thanked Lisa and Walker again; the couple simply waved them off, wishing them the best on their journeys. Lisa winked at Isuka and told her that Ace was quite the catch and to not let him go.   They walked together to the edge of the town, where Isuka stopped them, 'well, we should probably separate here. I should really get back to my crew.'

Ace nodded, saddened to see her go, but he understood she had responsibilities to return to. She stunned him by placing a kiss on his cheek before running away. The move earned more teasing from his crew mates. Which was made worse when they returned to the ship and Deuce announced to the whole crew what they'd seen. It was never ending; every time he did something, it was suddenly related to Isuka. He couldn't sleep - it was cause he missed sleeping next to her - they weren't wrong, but they didn't have to put it like that. In the end, he did miss her and her soft lips and the way she muttered in her sleep.

There was more to their relationship now, and Ace knew things couldn't go back to the way they were, but that was a risk he was willing to take. By her side, he felt like anything was possible. First, he had to get her closer to him, which could throw up problems considering she was a dedicated marine, but it didn't worry him. She would always be his, and he hers.

~ ♡ ~

A Fight Without You

the height of my esuka obsession T-T

Yet another island Isuka hadn't been at; it was getting worrisome. Isuka, without fail, had been there at every single island since they had first met, always there, determined to bring him in. Ace loved the attention; Deuce speculated that it was because she was a gorgeous young woman who could take him down if she wanted to. However, this was the second island they'd been to, and Isuka hadn't been there. Ace felt uneasy leaving the previous island without seeing her, but she was a marine who had other things to do apart from chasing him, or so he tried to convince himself. He was finding it harder to believe now that she hadn't turned up this time.

Ace sighed, 'you don't think something bad happened to her do you?'

'To who? Isuka? No way I've never seen anyone like her,' Deuce chuckled, 'she fights like she's got devil fruit powers.'

'That woman is fearless,' Ace seemed to accept it for a while but looked back at the horizon, 'but nothing could've happened to her, right?'

'Ace, cap, no offence but you're awfully worried about a woman who has done nothing but try to catch you. Maybe it's a good thing she isn't here, one less thing to worry about if she's finally lost our trail.'

'She hasn't only tried to catch me, she's,' Deuce raised an eyebrow, 'I just think it's weird okay, she's just always there.'

'You know she has other duties right? She's an ensign, that's pretty important, she's probably got meetings to attend, boring marine stuff.'

'Yeah I guess,' Ace didn't seem at all satisfied with the answer but didn't try to argue back.

'Boss!' Skull shouted from the sand, 'bad news, the locals just said that we can't leave tonight!'

'Why's that?'

'Apparently there's a bad current that appears from time to time. It's wiped out massive fleets before, we shouldn't risk it.'

'I guess we're spending another night here,' he seemed to consider his options before jumping down to the sand, 'Deuce let's walk, I'm bored.'

~ ♡ ~

Deuce often got dragged into things because Ace was bored or hungry. Since he'd left Sixis with Ace, life had not been dull, maybe even a little too interesting. Thankfully this time, Ace didn't get into much trouble, although his usual narcoleptic attack did frighten a few villagers. 

Or so he thought. Things had been going well until Ace caught sight of a marine, just an ordinary officer slipping past the crowds and into a back street.

He immediately broke into a run, 'Ace!'

The officer was fast, keeping to the back streets as he made it to the other side of the island, where he met with another officer. Ace recognised them; they worked under Isuka on her ship.

'Did you find any others?'

'No there's only one doctor on this island.'

'That's not good, hopefully the antidote works, we've contacted headquarters, but no one will be able to reach here for a while.'

'The Ensign is strong, she'll pull through.' At the mention of Isuka, Deuce felt Ace tense. He was never subtle when it came to her.

'Hopefully.'

Deuce felt Ace move, grabbing one of the marines before he could stop him, 'what did you say?'

'Fire Fist!' The other one spluttered, 'what are you doing here?'

He tightened his grip on the man, 'answer the question, what happened to Isuka?' Deuce sighed. Ace had an especially short fuse when things were about her. After all, he'd beaten up a guy who'd made some unsavoury passes at her when she confronted them at a bar. Ace was not someone you wanted to anger.

'We don't need to tell you anything, pirate.'

Ace looked like he would punch the guy but was stopped by a loud rustling sound getting closer to them from more than one side. He dropped the guy before preparing for a possible ambush. The marine gasped for air before crawling over to his colleague.

'Boss!' One of the voices shouted. Skull had come looking for them.

The other person, unfortunately, was a marine who, at the sight of Ace, drew her gun. 'Fire Fist Ace, the ensign is in no state to fight you. Leave.'

'Take me to her.'

'Boss, that's-' Skull began; that was too much to ask of them to lead a notorious pirate to their leader, who was in no state to fight.

'I want to see her.'

The marine sighed; she looked over at his two colleagues; they weren't enough to deter the pirate, 'can you help her?'

'Deuce is a doctor, he can take a look at her, if she needs something and we have it, you can have it.'

'How do we trust you, pirate? Getting rid of the Ensign Isuka would be advantageous to you,' the marine he had grabbed spat out.

'I wouldn't hurt her, not intentionally.'

She nodded to the dismay of her colleagues, in a way she understood that their relationship was quite complicated, 'follow me.'

The five of them trailed behind her as she led them to a small cove. The ship was tucked in. The sails containing Isuka's epithet were taken in; the usually busy ship had an uneasy quietness.

'Many of us are scattered around the island, looking for supplies, some have remained for security.'

As they stepped up onto the boat, Ace's appearance caused a couple of marines to turn to him in alarm, guns raised. The marine leading them waved them down, 'he's trying to help!'

They didn't seem all that convinced but turned back around, keeping up their posts.

Deuce seemed slightly impressed at the ship's sheer size, 'how'd she get hurt?'

'We we're called as support along with another ship, they needed some help bringing in some other pirates,' she opened a door leading them downstairs, 'with the ensign it would be easy work, she may struggle to bring you in, but she's very strong.'

'I don't doubt it,' despite having the powers of a logia-type devil fruit, he still dodged her attacks out of reflex.

'We replied to the call, they were nearby and Isuka would never say no to helping someone, and everything did go to plan apart from one thing.'

She opened another door; this time, it was the door to the infirmary. The ship's doctor and the village doctor were sitting by her bedside, monitoring her condition and discussing other medical things.

The marine nodded at them, signalling them to step outside, and they complied. Ace stood by the door for a while before deciding to sit by her; she looked awful. Deuce checked the wound on her arm, the blue bruise-like colour spreading from the injury and up her arm.

'One of the pirates had hidden and held Isuka with a knife to her throat, he didn't realise she was the ensign. So she did what she did best, fight, she brought him down, but he managed to nick her arm. Things were okay for a day or two, but she suddenly collapsed two days ago, so we stopped at the nearest island.'

Deuce checked her temperature, gently checking the neckline of her uniform to see how far the colour had spread. 'I think the antidote is working, the poison hasn't spread far enough to be of extreme danger to her life, but things can still go wrong. Tonight will be very important, it may determine whether she'll be able to use her arm or not.'

'Yes, that's what the other doctors have said, it was lucky we carried many types of antidote,' the marine sighed, 'Isuka made sure of that.' 

With that, she left the room, nodding at Deuce. Ace, on the other hand, had barely registered what had happened, his thoughts consumed by the girl before him. 

Isuka was usually full of life, her strong voice yelling at him from her ship. That was not who he saw now; the girl lying on the infirmary bed was soulless. Her skin was pale, and her breathing laboured; she was not the picture of health she'd always been. Ace leant forward, inspecting her poisoned arm, it may be on her non-dominant arm, but she fought with both. She used her athletic abilities to leap over things, usually using her arm for stability. He knew her fighting style was aggressive and powerful; he was scared that if she lost her arm, she'd give up on being a marine or, at the very least, stop chasing him. Either way, he wouldn't see her again; he would have no reason to tease her and watch her turn red when he threw a flirty comment her way. Losing her and her presence would leave an ugly mark on his heart. 

As she began coughing, she rolled onto her side, bringing her knees closer to her chest. Deuce poured her a glass of water before handing it to Ace, who waited for her to calm down. As the violent coughing fit came to an end, she opened her eyes slowly, her good arm coming up to wipe the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. She made a grabbing motion in the direction of the side table.

'Here,' Ace gently moved the cup to her hand, allowing her to grab it, she tried getting up, but without being able to put any pressure on her other arm, she struggled. Ace got up from the chair to help her; when she sat up, she took a long drink from the glass, and Ace settled back into his chair.

'Fire fist, what are you doing here?' Her voice was groggy and weak; her vision had finally cleared up, and she'd finally noticed who he was. He thought she'd be more shocked, but perhaps she was too tired for that.

'Couldn't leave without seeing my favourite ensign, now could I?' He chuckled when Isuka made what he could only guess was a flustered expression. Deuce looked at Skull; there was an unspoken agreement between the both of them that they should leave them alone. He tapped Ace's shoulder reassuringly before exiting the infirmary.

'You know, Isuka. I missed you at our previous island; it isn't the same without you shouting at me,' she smiled at that, lying back down, 'it's not the same when I'm not fighting you.'

'I've got other battles to fight, Fire Fist; I can't chase you all the time,' she whispered as she dragged the sheets back over her.

'I wish you could, wouldn't it be fun seeing each other everyday?'

'I think we have very different ideas of fun.'

'You wouldn't have to get hurt fighting some other prick,' she stayed silent for a while, unable to bring herself to look him in the eyes, 'you worried me when I walked in here I thought I was going to lose you.'

She lifted her arm, hesitating before placing her hand on his cheek, 'it's part of the job, you know that.'

At first, it took him by surprise; they weren't close like that. At most, there were accidental brushes of skin that left her flustered. He placed his hand on hers; she felt comfortable with him, and for now, that was enough. For once, she wasn't wearing her leather gloves; her hand was warm as he stroked it gently, 'I know,' but he couldn't help hating the thought. He moved her hand to his mouth, placing a small kiss on the palm of her hand before releasing it.

She smiled at him, grabbing hold of his hand again, 'I know it isn't much, but I'm here now. You know that I'm safe,' she gently squeezed his hand before closing her eyes. She didn't know who he had lost in the past to react like that, but she understood loss and the pain it brought.

~ ♡ ~

He had completely lost track of time, sitting there holding her hand, stroking the back of it, tracing the lines on her palm. It was completely dark when Deuce returned to the room carrying two plates of food and a bowl of soup for Isuka.

'Skull went back to the rest of the crew to explain,' he placed the soup down first before handing Ace his plate, 'I'm guessing you don't want to leave.'

'I don't know. I don't want to leave her like this.'

'Don't worry about it, the crew will understand.'

Ace gently shook Isuka awake, so she could try to eat something. He helped her sit up again, handing her the bowl of soup before picking up his plate and starting to eat. Deuce had begun to explain their adventures at their previous island, what had happened when she wasn't there. She laughed when he explained how Ace had fallen into the lake trying to chase Kotatsu, who had been chasing a butterfly. At some point during the conversation, Ace had finished his plate and noticed Isuka had been struggling to eat. He took the bowl from her and began feeding her as she listened to Deuce's rambling. At first, she'd been a little embarrassed, but soon she came to enjoy it a little, the power she had over him always amused Deuce. He knew of Ace's tendencies when caring for people, but feeding them was not one of them. Isuka, however, was an exception; they shared something special, even if they didn't quite notice it yet.

After dinner, Isuka had laid back down, drowsiness taking over; Ace remained by her side as Deuce got some pillows and blankets. Ace was still in the same spot when he returned, watching over her. Deuce set up the little sofa in the room for him to sleep on, leaving the other bed in the infirmary to Ace if he wanted to sleep.

'Deuce, take the bed, I don't need it.'

'You should try to get some sleep too.'

'If need be I can sleep on the sofa, you can take the bed.'

Deuce didn't bother arguing back; Ace was stubborn when it came to certain things, so there was no point trying to get his way.

The night was cold; Ace watched as Isuka shivered under her blanket. He got up and grabbed the blanket Deuce left on the table to cover her with. Taking the pillow, he placed it on the bed; he leant forward to rest his head. He must have eventually nodded off because sunlight was filtering through the blinds on the window when he woke up. Sometime in her sleep, Isuka must have found his head as he could feel her soothingly running her hand through his hair. It felt weird; the last time someone had done that was probably 6 or 7 years ago. When he'd fall asleep around Makino, she'd take care of him, gently patting his back or running her hand through his hair. It was comforting; if his mother was alive, he imagined she would do the same.

It was a while longer before either of the others stirred; Isuka was up first, woken up again by a coughing fit. Ace did the same thing as before, handing her a glass of water and helping her sit up. Being a light sleeper, Deuce had also woken up; he checked up on Isuka first. Her temperature had decreased slightly, and the marks on her arm had begun to fade - which was very promising. He left to share the information with the rest of her crew.

'Thank you, Fire Fist, I think your presence really helped.'

'I didn't do much,' he smiled, slightly shy at the compliment.

'I know, but still, you make me stronger.'

Ace didn't know what to say; Isuka kept him on his toes, kept him guessing what her next move would be. She'd made her way into his life, and in a way, she pushed him to be stronger too. Before he could try to formulate a reply, Deuce returned.

'We should probably get back to the ship, the currents are getting better and we can leave soon,' Ace made an expression. Before he could ask, Deuce replied, 'I imagine Isuka will be leaving soon too, she's getting better and it would be beneficial to be heading to a more accessible island.'

'He's right, if things go well we'll probably be leaving by the end of the day,' she smiled reassuringly at Ace, 'back on your trail of course.'

'Wouldn't expect anything different.'

~ ♡ ~

*Proceeds to make a mocktail with all of these + a splash of mango for angst ig*

come get ya juice

I’m trying. Do you know how hard it is to find a good rival these days?

enemies-to-psychosexually obsessed with each other. more of that

Ok, yall asked for this…

Ok so basically in this au, the first book starts off with Luna and the secret alliance thingie (which actually has a purpose instead of just being filler and the idea of silkwings being against the alliance and is instead actually against them and they do shit abt it) ((but anyway-)) in this au she’s like, one of the big leaders and the book has her basically just doing rebel shit against the hivewings, raising tensions between the silkwings and hivewings and simultaneously bringing justice in some way, and eventually proving a bother enough for queen wasp to take over the hivewings and start, yah know, stopping, jailing and killing the found rebels and actually try and catch them and stuff, and shutting down meeting places and shit, bringing more tension.

So Luna, (who is instead blues slightly older half sis) basically doesn’t even have a chance to metamorphosis in this book, and is instead captured by the the hivewings in one of the raids. They jail her and blue, who was found as an accomplice, and are put in the cells with the fire silks (which they hadn’t known abt yet) bc high security ofc and bc blues father is a fire silk and he is suspected to be one too(Luna doesn’t have flame silk). After they learn abt fire silks and what the hivewings had been doing to them, they plan an escape.

So the escape goes to shit, theyre re-captured and Luna gets killed/executed for planning the escape and thats how book 1 ends

Book two starts off with cricket and she isn’t actually the “I shouldn’t be good but I am for plot reasons and love interest” and is actually pretty nieve and a little self centered, she hasn’t met blue or Luna at all so she’s still unbiased/more biased towards hivewings. Or that is until she meets sundew, one of the very few leaf wings still around, who had also happened to be assigned to follow cricket for gathering information for the leafwing rebellion (separate to the silkwings rebellion). Cricket finds out she’s being stalked and confronts sundew (who isn’t just a super “Im good at all things survival and thats all I need”) who messed up and gave herself away, and they pretty much hit it off.

Cricket gets a lot more educated abt the real silkwing/hivewing/leafwing situation through sundew, and cricket spys on the tribes to gather information for the leafwings.

They eventually are able to get in contact with the silkwing alliance, hoping for both alliances to join together, and find out about how one of their leaders (Luna) had been recently captured by the hivewings and before they can even decide to do anything they need their leader back. So cricket and sundew take off for the prisons in hope of finding Luna.

But when they get there they find Luna dead and a small group of tortured and enslaved silkwings in a highly secure prison with no way out and are horrified to find that hivewings are even worse that what they seemed to be. (End book 2)

Book 3 starts off with blue, and we get a recap on what happened after lunas death.

So basically they execute Luna, re-capture blue and the escapees and lock them up tighter than ever before. Blue ends up worse bc the hivewings think he is the main accomplice and they put him in a seperate cell, and like almost torture him?? Not really but, he has a far worse punishment than the rest.

So basically they torture him, and theyre like “this kids useless if he’s not a fire silk, so let’s just get him to metamorphosis early, see if he’s a flame silk, if he is we put him with the rest and if he ain’t then we can kill em off!” So they like, inject him with like special hormones that make him start to metamorphosis early and they find out he is a flame silk.

So he metamorphosises and we get a small time skip to close to the time when cricket and sundew get there and and in the middle of his little force induced goop coma, he gets interrupted by the guards splitting open his cocoon, mid metamorphosis may I remind you, so hes like only partially developed, and is forced into the rest of the silkwings cages. So basically hes like only slightly metamorphosised and is like a little deformed-ish, his wings are crumpled and unusable and the only thing he has is his flamesilk left, so he like can’t even fly now, which is like a silkwings only goal in life, so like hes left phisically mentally and spiritually broken, his sister dead, enslaved, his only defense (his silk) ripped away for resources, chained down, unable to move two feet and his wings, his last chance at true freedom, ripped away from him, not even able to metamorphosis on his own bodily accord, and now unable to ever fly again, with no second chance… well, you can see why he started to hate hivewings.

Not hate, despise. He fucking hated hivewings.

In the short time of him finally able to see through all their Bull shit he realizes that hivewings won’t change and have never been good to them, and he just fucking hates all of them.

So when cricket and sundew arrive, and he sees another hivewing, the only reason the doesn’t fucking maul her when they free him is bc sundews there. And well, it’s not like he can escape without them with the deformed wings and all. So he goes with them, dispite the hivewings presence and ends up traveling with them and the other flame silks back to the leafwing village.

They get to the village and shit, they do their thing, and blue finds himself more and more comfortable in the hivewings presence, dispite himself, and is more and more enraptured by her surprisingly calm and loving demeanor. Dont get him wrong he still fucking hates hivewings, but cricket has matured so much, she’s careing and loving and sympathetic, he can’t help but feel more and more whole around her. Not because she completes him, but because she helps him see that he is already whole dispite his wounds and scars,(his wings).

He doesn’t understand why he can’t hate her, and throughout the rest of the book they kinda pull toward each other more + more, and eventually at the end of the book they have their hugging-crying-i-love-you scene and they do their couple thing for the last two books.

Blue still hates what the hivewings did to him and his sister and tribe, but is now able to understand that they can change, and aren’t all just evil.

I don’t really have anything else for the last 2 books, or at least not yet, so yall have free reign for ideas and shit, and feel free to let me know if u guys want more!!

So yeee I love them actually so much

I’ll prob do more with this au and shit, so possibly stay tuned for that, other than that, If u you have any ideas for this au, or like it alr, feel free to do what u want with it! So art, reblog ideas, comment ideas or whatevs, fuckin love that shit, would be so fun.

Hope u guys like this, Ik it’s a long one this time, but I hope it like it!! Love yall frum the bottom of my heart, see yall next timeeee <<<3333333

Enemies to lovers blicket au

Enemies to lovers blicket au

it's 12 am and i'm having a brainrot about...

childhood friends to "let's become pen pals" to "are you okay, why are we drifting away?" to "I don't know what's going on but this sudden lack of communication between us is scaring me" to "I think it's better off if we won't be friends anymore" to strangers to "I know it's been a while but I'm still unsure if we should talk to each other" to "okay, let's just keep the atmosphere between us be really cold and awkward, okay" to "I still want to talk to you though, could you please stop ignoring me?" to "so that's how it is, huh? after all those years- then, fine" to enemies to "things are getting out of hand but let's continues to antagonize each other anyways" to "I accidentally came across you while you were vulnerable and depressed and I'm not a total asshole so I tried helping you" to "accidental normal conversation about reminiscing our past that's just kept between us" to "I can't be mean to you anymore coz it would feel weird betraying that brief truce we had" to "fine, I'll make an effort to be nice to you know I guess?" to "actually now that we're not actively hating each other, I just realized how you're still the same old softie you once was (...at least to me)" to "mutual/other friends noticing the suggestive tensions obvious in their atmosphere" to "constant teasing" to "I think we're friends again but I'm not gonna that because I'm afraid you don't feel the same way" to "oh you also think we're friends? that's cool" to friends to "uncovering each other's reasons of drifting apart and filling the lack of communication that was empty before" to "unintentional confession" to lovers

born to

forced to

Potential Enemies to Lovers pairing

Lighthouse Keepers and Sirens

wanted to play the Last Line Game i've seen floating around, so had to take it into my own hands and tag myself lmao, bc i have no friends here (yet!)

currently writing chapter 4 of my 6th year Dron fic, Inspiral!!

(ask me literally anything abt it pls pls i will rant abt them forever)

i made a uquiz where i designate you “____ to lovers” pls validate me by reblogging & tagging with what u get

reader who can’t stand satoru but then he gets hit by a curse that turns him into a cat. you find him, to his dismay, and take him home, only for him to realize how different you are when he isn’t around to pester you.

at first, he causes a lot of trouble. breaking things in your house, tearing up the pillows. he just wants to be a human again, but nobody can understand him! but you still take care of him and coddle him no matter how much trouble he causes, so different from how people treat him normally, as if he were a nuisance (which he kind of was on purpose). and he finds himself falling for you without realizing it.

so he stops being a bad cat, steadily losing hope that he’ll ever be human again. and satoru would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t enjoy how you stroked him while you read a book or let him sleep beside you at night. maybe it wasn’t so bad? so he decided then if he was going to be just a cat, he was fine with being your cat.

the higher-ups had taken note of his absence, obviously, and he only knows cause you’ve mentioned it to him. you had this endearingweird quirk where you’d talk to him as if he were a real person.

throughout his stay in your home as a house pet, satoru finds out a lot about you. you’ve always kept to yourself, but you vent your frustrations out to him while he’s like this, and he offers his comfort the best he can. which you appreciate, rewarding him with kisses that he secretly enjoys.

once he turns human again, by some miracle, his first thought is to go and find you. and when he does, you give him the cold shoulder like you used to, and it surprises him. before he realizes that, ah, he wasn’t your pet anymore. he was gojo satoru.

satoru realizes his feelings for you in that moment. when he feels the ache in his chest from your dismissive behavior, it leads him to starting his most important mission yet—winning your heart once more.

but this time, it’ll be as a person, not a damn cat.

✎ᝰ. OCT 8TH ★ MONSTER FUCKING - katsuki bakugou .ᐟ

[CHAPTER EIGHT BEAUTY & THE BEAST] katsuki bakugou as the beast + monster fucking. once upon a time, a village girl thinks to herself — fuck it! being trapped inside a castle with a monstrous sexy bloody beast isn’t so bad… she might as well make it worth her while ( 10.3K ).

✧ chapter contents - minors, blank and ageless blogs do not interact ! nsfw, heavy smut, beauty & the beast!au, enemies to lovers, bath sex, soft sex, cum play, blood play, size kink, praise kink, body worship, pussy jobs, body modifications, tummy bulges, premature orgasms, marking, biting, belle + fem!reader, beast!katsuki bakugou.

✧ fairy godmother's note - hello, time for our second kinktober fic yippieee!! i think this is my second time doing bakugou and monster fucking...he's just perfect for it!! anyways, enjoy my loves! - m.list ⋆ kinktober m.list ⋆ taglist ☆

the beast wasn’t all that bad. 

at least, not compared to most people back home. 

in the village, beyond the forest’s edge and hidden by evergreen foliage — the townsfolk believe you to be as beautiful as the world around you. eyes as bright as the golden sun rising over a hilly horizon. skin as soft as the flesh of fresh fruits hanging low from the trees. a voice that compliments that of early morning birds — gentle, kind. you’re the perfect vision. a perfect person. except for your one fatal flaw. 

you have your wits about you. it makes you strange. 

the people of your village think you were peculiar for having the tip of your nose poked into the spine of of a book each and every day. it’s not your fault that you enjoy the scent of their pages or that you find every story so alluring that you could read it over once or twice (and sometimes thrice). the people back home were unnerved by your intelligence — staring at you sideways if you daydreamed for a little too long (wishing for a life outside of your tiny province, one  full of adventure) or sending you concerned stares if you stumbled over your steps while reading.

it didn’t help that your papa was a whimsical inventor — his intricate machines that coughed and spluttered a little too loudly and left him covered in soot were often the talk of the town, worsening the whispers. despite the cruel opinions of others, papa’s love for you never faltered, all the while promising you that his prized tools would get you out of town, away from the people who called you odd and strange —  they thought him just as crazy as you. like father like daughter, you suppose.

then there was shindou. the most sought after bachelor in all of town and quite possibly the worst part about your old life. your life before the beast. the man was handsome, that much was true — his eyes and hair an inky black that would draw anyone in like a misty night. features, chiselled and strength obvious. shindou was pretty, eye candy without an ounce of brains. conversation with him felt like watching paint dry, he spoke so highly of himself you often wondered how his head hadn’t imploded from getting so big. for some reason, he was hellbent on making you his wife. not because you were smart, or liked to read and explore, but because to him… you were a pretty prize to be treasured.

so, when you stumbled upon the beast’s castle that night and gave up your freedom in exchange for your father’s, you hadn’t realised how lucky you were to be away from yo shindou and his crew. the village too. still, that didn’t take away from the harsh reality of your new prison. an enchanted castle, enclosing you in with the mangy beast. 

in strange ways, as strange as your mind, you found in your heart to feel sympathy for the beast, or bakugou as you’d come to know him. for many years he’d been cursed with a form cruel to the human eye — shaggy blonde fur, wild and blood red eyes and horns that were comparable to the devils. his selfish nature and a spell from hundreds of years ago had not been kind to the creature. from the sounds of things ( stories from the seemingly…alive…furniture existing within the walls of his withering home ) bakugou had failed to show concern or care in his youth, by taking a rose from a haggard old woman in exchange for a night’s worth of shelter. in return, she cursed him with the looks of a beast until he could find true love. 

his staff ( the furniture ) had told you of his crumbling hope and damaged heart. it still didn't excuse his odd behaviour — where the princely beast told rather than asked, scratched and smashed rather than communicated. he was much angrier than the other inhuman inhabitants of the enchanted castle. though…sometimes you noticed a tenderness swirling between the brown flecks within katsuki’s vermillion eyes, rich with a longing for affection that filled you with warmth whenever you caught him staring at you reading in the library he’d set up just for you or when he’d take you outside to feed the birds in the snow together. 

other times, katsuki could be somewhat…charming. since arriving, you could tell that he was doing his best to become a gentleman who toned down his anger. he fiddled with cutlery too small for his claws during meals with you just to be polite — denying his blush with a petulant pout whenever he was caught. he tried not to stare too long or at the wrong places whenever you spoke and spent time together. he wasn’t like shindou, who drooled over you like you were a piece of meat fresh from a roast. 

for a long time, you all but wished to find someone who understood you — who’d nurture your mind and the wind beneath your wings rather than see you as a prized pet bird to be kept in a cage. and over time, you had naively began to believe that katsuki, the beast, might have been the only person in this whole world to see you exactly the way you wanted to be seen. the hope that you had met your match flickered like a small candle’s flame in your heart — it reflected as a small glint of light in katsuki’s once exhausted, pessimistic eyes. you thought, day by day, that you could be happy here. with the beast. in place of your village back home.

just when you thought katsuki was changing, that maybe you could be happy here with the beast — you’re thrown back into a reality you had tried so hard not to face. katsuki is a beast, a cruel monster keeping you a prisoner in his home. you are not a friend who has free roam over his castle or free will under his rein, you’re reminded that you’re his captive in exchange for your father’s remaining life. your wake up call comes in the form of an argument, the result of stumbling across the forbidden east wing and a rose petal that wilts so pretty in the centre of an abandoned room. 

“i thought i fuckin told you never to come in here!” you could see it in his frenzied eyes, how the trust you’d built up with the beast so quickly came tumbling down. you’d crossed a line and an unspoken rule and no matter how many times the word sorry poured from between your plush lips — bakugou the beast was far beyond the point of forgiveness. he couldn’t trust you, and you couldn’t trust him. “leave!” he’d bellowed, snarled like a warning sign. 

katsuki had lashed out at you in a way you’d never seen before. like a wild animal backed into a corner. he’d shown you fangs and growled at you in a noise you know for sure humans don’t make. “get the fuck out!” he roared until you were trembling, throwing whatever he could get his clawed hands on whilst  splintering wood and shattering porcelain. 

you’d done just that, dashing down flights of stairs in terror while throwing your cape on. 

the inhabitants, his little candleholder sero and tiny clock denki along with the others, had tried to stop you. begging you not to face the cold bitter night alone on your horse but your judgement was far too clouded by your emotions — the hurt and betrayed wounds inflicted by the beast who’s trust you thought you had earned. the snowstorm outside rages with your unstable state, how could he scream at you like that? how could he say those awful things? it’s not long before you’re lost the ice cold and the daunting wolves that assume you’re a prey item like a vulnerable deer instead of a young girl with bambi eyes. 

viscous, wild, teeth and tongue snap at your horse — threatening to wound you both and draw blood. the animal that you ride, in turn, throws you to the ground in favour of its own escape. 

you can’t even blame the poor creature, only fools risk their lives to be at the mercy of a beast.

yet, your beast, your bakugou moved without thinking to save you from a bitter end. you recognise his growls before you see him — and before you know it the limp bodies of wolves that attacked you go flying over your head. their own howls and growls turn to pathetic puppy whimpers as bakugou fights them off, tooth and nail. fighting with all his might to protect you from getting your throat torn out. even if he’d frightened you, screamed at you and broken your trust — he wasn’t about to lose you to a brutish winter and a pack of hungry wolves. the blonde creature fights until his burly body is done and his claws are tainted with the blood of his enemies — wearily looking for you, checking you for wounds in such a gentle way you’re surprised out of your skin. heart racing.

you’ve never seen katsuki look at you that way, as  though he was just as terrified of you dying as you were at the thought dying yourself. its not long before his adrenaline wears off and the wounds he’d gotten from his battle finally take their toll on him.

it gives you the chance to run. to escape. to be home with your father. 

but what would be waiting for you at the other end? a marriage to a man with half a brain and six children to fill the void. people who thought you mad and crazy? you’d made a promise to stay with him, for your father’s life. there was no other choice but to lug bakugou back to his castle using all of your might. to help him. to save him. not because you wanted to, but because you had to. 

at least that’s what you’d told yourself as a way of pretending not not to care for him.

piping hot water sloshes around in the pearlescent tub, fit only for royalty. it’s taken you some time to fill it up to full volume with the help of some of the castles staff… or inanimate objects. momo the sweet little tea pot had been working overtime to boil fresh batches until the water level was high enough for the beast. you’re sure that her stout had nearly given out, but for her master, she’d pushed on. her dedication, all of their dedication (the candleholder, the little clock, the pots and pans and foot rests and dusters) make you wonder what had truly become of this place, a crumbling castle so dark and gloomy that it was left for ruin.

was the beast really worth all of this trouble for all of them to stay by his side and endure his foul demeanour?  

then again, why were you also tending to the beast? it’s not as if you enjoyed his company, yet you stay, drawing this bath to help tend to his wounds. the wounds he had gotten as a result of protecting you. 

you spare him your gaze once the bellowing creature ( now unusually quiet ) enters the room; no longer tailed by his animated inanimate servants — nothing but a roll of steam and a wall of silence separating the two of you now. though it’s hard not to look at how well he’s built beneath patches of straw blonde fur. 

katsuki’s arms are burly and toned, his chest is well sculpted as if carved from the very same stone that makes up the beautiful interior of his castle, whilst the angle of the beast’s face is strong, handsome. you wonder what he may look like completely human, if his jaw would still be sharp enough to cut through marble and diamonds. if his eyes would be narrowed and fiery, swirling with the riches of ruby gems. it takes all your willpower to tear your secretive stare away from him while he undresses in front of you, as though you’re not even there, heat growing rapidly in the middle of your face like the epicentre of an earthquake.

water sloshes violently as his hulking frame sinks into the bath, tinging it an ink stain of rosey pink from where it warmly laps over his open wounds — the sound of water hitting the smooth stone floor lets you know that you can turn around to tend to him. you keep your gaze lowered and mindful as you work, wringing a soft linen cloth in a clearer pot of the liquid mixed with rubbing alcohol. “h-hey, don’t do that,” you scold gently, lips falling into an unimpressed frown as the beast moves to lick at his cuts and scratches. bakugou pauses and squints at you menacingly while you reach for the same soggy paw he’d been tending to. you’d laugh if he weren’t so wounded and you weren’t so scared — he looked like a kitten. “i need to clean them properly.” 

an ignorant scoff from the blonde tangles with the soapy steam in the air, only earns him a roll of your eyes and a frustrated glare — his head angling itself away from you because he doesn’t want to give in and admit that your call of action would be right. you find it childish that he would ignore you but take to dabbing the first bleeder that you find with your alcohol soaked cloth, ensuring that it’s completely clean. the stinging sensation at the opening of the wound causes katsuki to roar at you in pain, baring the sharp edge of his teeth as if to threaten you with them.

you jump back, knowing that one wrong move could have you torn up by vicious claws and teeth. “just hold still!” you snap, raising your hands out of the way. “stop being such a baby and let me help you!”

“that fucking hurts, watch it.” he spits hotly, nostrils flared in annoyance. 

beginning to shake from a mix of anger and fear, you throw the bloodied cloth in your hand to the edge of the tub. the beast doesn’t look at you and your own temper flares. your face scrunches furiously and a cool snarl lays on the tip of your tongue — your own way of trying to put out the flames before they end in a disastrous blow out. 

“if you’d just kept still it wouldn’t hurt so much!”

crimson roses bloom on the surface of the water and bakugou whirls around sharply, both of your chests rising and falling at the impending explosion threatening to blow smoke into the crowded bathroom. “well, if you hadn’t have run away ‘nd straight into a shitty wolf’s den, then this wouldn’t have fucking happened!” he growls back with the air of a petulant child. 

“well you hadn’t fucking frightened me, i wouldn’t have run away!” your petty mouth surprises bakugou, you almost seem too pretty to curse — from the moment you’d first arrived at the cursed castle; your beauty had been a breath of fresh hair, hope for a brighter future on the horizon but since being cursed, any charm the beast… the prince might have had wore away over the years. leaving a husk of the man he once was, you have him stumped and spluttering for words, causing his staff behind the closed door to laugh.

an argument, though childish and silly, brews between you both like a storm coming from over a hill. neither of you dare to back down, not caring if you leave deeper and more emotional wounds on one another. katsuki doesn’t know how people work and you’re exhausted, missing home — the pair of you a ticking time bomb of disaster waiting to happen. “well… well, y’shouldn’t have been goin’ through my shit in the west wing!” bakugou reacts before he thinks, wet talons grabbing onto the crisp front of your shirt as he leers down, a gnarly growl clawing its way out of his throat to match the nasty sneer on his snout and lips. “i warned ya, shit happens when you don’t listen.” 

at the end of your tether, you forcefully push the herculean tyrannical beast back into the tub — using a surprising amount of might to fully submerge him in the hot water once more. “well you should learn to stop being such a stubborn brat and control your temper!” you’re hardly thinking rationally at this point, sick and tired of letting him think he can bully you into silence and submission… just because he’s big and has claws and sharp teeth that could rip meat from a live carcass. 

you move to shove him again but bakugou acts just as quickly — using his existing grip on you to yank you further into his bath. in a struggle and with a surprised scream that overlays his frustrated growling, you collapse against his furry chest and settle into his lap as water sloshes forcefully about the place and soaks through your dress — weighing down its fabric and slowing your movements. after a few minutes of wet wrestling; katsuki either gives up because of the pain caused by his cuts or refuses to fight you anymore — fully aware of what his size in comparison could do to you.

he slumps deeper into the tub, brooding, and an unbearable tension mounts in the air around you. the position has brought you face to face, breath mingling in the pocket of space and time between you both — above him, staggered forward, with your arms either side of his head for stability, katsuki feels that you’re close enough for him to reach out and just brush a thumb over the swell of your plush lips… gently grasp at your chin and maybe give you a kiss. he doesn’t know when he started feeling this way towards you or why he lashes out at you in place of sharing his true emotions but the beast casts his ruby framed gaze to the side, avoiding entering the possibility of making you uncomfortable.

after a moment, any anger that either or you shared fizzles away like a sparkler doused in a bucket of icy water. shame replaces the fire in your veins and you quickly distract yourself from less than proper thoughts of the beast by get back to work on the bleeders in his arms. “n-now hold still…” you tell him, swallowing thickly which undermines the authority in your voice. “it’s going to sting… so please, let me help you.” your voice falls into a tender whisper as you resume dabbing at his injuries with the rag.

bakugou snarls barks roughly while you clean him  up but soon relaxes into the water, comforted by your soft vanilla scent and the warmth of your thighs around your waist to keep yourself steady. now that he’s no longer directing his anger at you, the atmosphere dissipates into something more affectionate, hearts beating in calm sync — you sitting on his lap looking so pretty while the lukewarm water carves out the shape of your body beneath wet clothes. 

“by the way, thank you for saving my life back there.” 

“you’re welcome,” eyes closing, bakugou lets out a shuddered breath, his voice thick with gravel and bidy fidgety beneath your own. despite the cooler water surrounding you both, the temperature in the room rises like a solar flair — especially when your proximity increases so that you can dab up to the gashes stretching across his handsome fully face. when your eyes meet again, admist the work, the blonde is overcome with the urge to kiss you. he surges forward and presses your foreheads together, a large marred and hand encasing the swell of you thigh to pin you to his lap. the movement is rough, disturbing the peaceful bath water but the kiss he gives you is careful and cautious — slightly chapped lips swooping upwards to catch yours in a cute chaste kiss. 

you jump at the sudden contact, your entire body tingling with release and an excitable heat flashes through you at the brief sensation. you taste the blood in his mouth and salt on his tongue but before you can fully enjoy the moment —  katsuki is gone as quickly as he came. leaning back into the tub with a flushed face. 

it’s like your body misses him when he’s gone; despite never having him like this before. “wait… wait,” desperate whispers pour from between your subtly glossed lips and your bath water soaked hands come up to cup the fluffy edges to his face. “kiss me. kiss me again, katsuki,” 

surprised by the lack of rejection; bakugou’s talons sink further into the doughiest part of your thighs torn between obliging your request and keeping you far, far away from him. no one has ever wanted something like that… like a kiss, from him of all people. a horrid, ugly and undeserving beast. and yet, you borderline beg above him, hardly distracting from the wet glint in your eyes. you want this. want him. “are you… are you sure?” he tries to ask you, preening into your dainty fingers as they comb back his wet fur. 

“i’m sure,” you hum against him, wanting. “please. it’s what i want.” 

for a moment; it doesn’t seem like katsuki s going to budge. you sense his hesitancy, some kind of mental block that makes him hold back even as he leans in haltingly and noses over your Cupid’s bow. it’s like he’s testing his own confidence and your patience wears thin — so you open your mouth to plead, to encourage him only for the blonde beast  to delve deep into the yearning hotness of your mouth. his lips move against yours with a feverish air, unleashing hundreds of years of pent up emotion and revealing just how touch starved he must have been all this time.

from what you can tell, the beast has been alone for a long rime — shunned for his looks and the cool ice cage around his heart. you’re not sure if you care about any of that, not right now, at least. for your body wins the war over your mind and heart, all worked up by the mash of teeth and tongue that from the basis of your kisses. he gives you what you asked for, long and thick tongue pressing into every unexplored crevice of your eager mouth — starting an itch in your lower belly that you know only bakugou would be able to reach. 

having the beast like this, hungry for passion, wandering claws and sharp edged teeth nipping at your lips makes you needier and needier. you sigh dreamily into the sloppy lip locks, losing all control and pushing your hips down against katsuki. rubbing your thighs together over his wide lap is no easy feat, but you try, dying to alleviate the ache brought on by toothy kisses and the possessive sounds he makes when you try to pull away for air. he grunts gluttorally when your clothed cunt accidentally brushes against his impressive bare girth — the only thing separating your sexes being the water logged gusset of your panties, linen and pure white in colour.

you can practically feel his cock twitch beneath your legs as you straddle the beast, peaking out through his golden fur and hardening by the minute. his size should be intimidating to you, just half hard and he’s practically the length of half your arm, even if you were to give it some thought … you’re far too distracted. mind far too hazy — katsuki tearing away from your kiss to stamp a frenzied pathway up your neck and marking it with his claim. the action proves to you that his bark indeed matches his bite when he wants it too, vicious red eyes mapping their way over the unmarked parts of your skin — licking and sucking bruises just beneath the surface that’ll be obvious to the staff in the morning. tender to the touch later on as well.

he doesn’t leave you in pain for too long, lapping over the inflamed areas with his heavy wet tong — a paw reaching out of the bath to settle on the back of your head so he can further relish in the way you weakly hang over him. “so soft….so delicate,” bakugou curiously seeks out more spots along the column of your throat to see which ones make you tick and sigh for him prettily, your warm, wet pussy reacting to his quiet raspy tone and clenching around the water in the tub. with shaky hands, you weave your digits into the roots of golden honey fur in an attempt to bring his mouth back to yours. dying to taste the beast yet again.

you want more. you want to go further. perhaps it’s the adrenaline from having almost lost your life earlier on in the night or maybe you just want to find some sick way to thank the creature that saved it. but all you know, is that you want the beast — right down to your very core. you whimper in frustration and your pulsating pussy rolls smoothly over the beast’s swelling erection floating in the bath water, it’s not enough to satisfy you when you’re burning for his tender touch this bad. “please,” you coo airly, head tilting where katsuki kisses the point at which your neck meets your jaw, tongue dragging over your pulse point. “please give me more of you.” 

it’s a big ask, you know. to ask katsuki to be vulnerable with you when you’ve just been at each other’s throats. but you’ve always wanted to know him, from the moment he decided to keep you here in his castle — you’ve wanted to know who he really is behind the fangs, claws and fur. what better time than to ask him now, when you’re grinding against him in a bathtub that barely fits him and dwarfs you by contrast. “why?” bakugou murmurs softly; his fur tacking to your wet skin.

“because… i know you want me too. i-i want to give myself to you.” you huff, shivering at the tenderness in his voice which differs to the black claws that rake up and down your inner thighs, sneaking past the hem of your damp skirts to the scalloped edge of your underwear. 

your hands still track their way through his sun kissed fur, lifting his head from your chest to have him look at you. his vermillion eyes drink in every inch of your darling face, puffy lips and doe eyes that glisten under the flickering candle light in the regal bathroom. fucking hell, you were right. he wanted you. ‘course he did. 

“if that’s what you wish…” bakugou’s chest rumbles as he speaks before capturing your lips in a chaste kiss, earning warm pools of your slick through your panties, right against his hard cock. he secures his hold on you and shifts to lift you both from the tub — presumably to continue this in his chambers as you grind and grab at him.

however, you tug harshly enough on his fur to make him falter — droplets of water splattering from his silky coat to the tub when he freezes in place (half out of the tub). “w-wait!” shaking your head, you push him back down into the water. “you’re still hurt a-and shouldn’t exert yourself. stay… let me say thank you and take care of the rest,” a beat of silence echoes throughout the room, katsuki unresponsive to your offer. self doubt invades the cave of your skull over your brain, perhaps stopping him had given him time to think this through and regret. perhaps he was caught up in the moment and the beast truly did not want you. you can’t tell, you haven’t been able to read him thus far. his fold demeanour being all that you know. “u-unless i misread this and have pushed past your limits. in which case i’m extremely sorry—“

steeling yourself and putting on a polite smile, you prepare for the worst — pushing yourself from bakugou’s lap in the face of silent rejection. yet, as you turn to leave, a clawed hand darts out to grip your waste and forcefully shakes water from the bathtub. the action keeps you cemented and spread over bakugou’s naked, wide lap and his expression morphs into that of kicked puppy, as though he regrets what he’s done to you already. or not responding to you sooner. 

hesitancy occupies the electrified air, dancing in a confusing concoction with the desire that once buzzed through it. 

“it’s not that i no longer want you or want this,” the blonde admits gruffly, keeping his eyes on the waves in the water and toying with a loose thread of your sodden skirts. “i haven’t been… kind to you since the start of your stay. i don’t even know if i fuckin’ deserve to have you like this,” in spite of holding back, katsuki’s lungs burn with brightly coloured lust and affection, in shades of fiery red and sunset orange. the steam taking residence in the tiled room trapping you both in the unmistakable heat of desire. “i want you. i do. but ‘m havin’ a hard time believing’ that you want the same. i don’t deserve it. i’m hideous.” 

“that’s not true,” you tell him earnestly, cradling his furry wet face between your pruning fingers in an attempt to reassure him. even though he’s at his most vulnerable, your heart flutters against your ribcage at katsuki’s honesty — the beast finally opening up to you. if that doesn’t fan the flames of your desperation for him, then nothing else will. “you’re not to me, bakugou… and if it’s my words you don’t believe, then let me show you. let me help you understand.”

silence resumes as you let your words sink in, hoping that at least one of them has touched the beast’s heart as he has done with yours. 

and all it takes is one small nod from katsuki to know that you have — forcing your way into his mouth ( with his consent ) once more, tongue twisting with the pink of his own and uncovering the taste of bloody wolf against his teeth from earlier. the kiss is even more passionate than before, the both of you letting go of your inhibitions, swapping spit while your hands slip from the fur atop his head to run over the softer parts of his body. massaging and mapping out his strong pecs and beefy arms, appreciating every inch of the blonde beast so he never doubts your yearning for him again. 

the grinding resumes too, especially as katsuki’s affection-starved body grows used to your debauched touch and hungry kisses — head hitting the very end of the bathtub with a dull thud, sending water over its edge and to your right. you both move with more vigour, the blonde becoming more comfortable in matching your pace and thrusting upwards when you buck down. oxygen evacuates your brain, making room for the inexperienced creature below you every time the heavy, solid length of his cock drags slowly over your increasingly throbbing clit hidden behind panties drenched in both water and fresh waves of arousal. 

even with his sprouting confidence and belief that you crave him as much as he does you — the beast moves too slow for your liking, leaving it up to you to take matters into your own hands. quite literally scrambling into the depths of the water to shred off your panties keeping you away from smothering  bakugou’s monsterous cock with your silken slit. 

his length bobs upright in the water, slapping against his fluffy tummy while is bright red tip breaches the surface — shiny from evidence of his arousal. the pair of you share a hungry moan at the sight, a glossy white smearing over blonde fur, katsuki hard and heavy. he’s unlike any man you’ve ever seen, ribbed entirely along his shaft with balls that hang extremely low and full of seed. despite feeling his size against you before, your mouth falls open in slight shock at the sight, instantly watering — katsuki’s dick could be mistaken for a third leg, chubby and a mushroomed at the tip. you’ve never had a partner so big before.

a tapered whimper, so quiet that you almost miss it, bubbles on the seams of bakugou’s lips as he bites them with his pointed animalistic teeth. “keep starin’ at me like that ‘n i don’t know what i’ll do.” he warns huskily, throat bobbing beneath the sandy fur at his neck. “s’been a while… and i know it’s not like the humans you’re used to. it’s…big. so i understand if you don’t want to…”

“it’s perfect.” you purr lowly and cut him off, the sound rivalling that of the beast’s, leaning forward to spit on his sore red tip as it oozes precum and lewdly rubbing your palm over his cockhead and shaft to spread the lubricating mix all over him, letting it mingle in the water. “you’re perfect. i can’t wait to take you, make it fit. i want to be the one about to make you feel good after so long.” 

a strangled howl forms deep within his chest at your admission — his extremely large body palpitating wholly as you take the entire weight of his cock into your dwarfed hand, barely able to fit all of your fingers around him. you feel for the prominent vein in the underside of his shaft, pressing down on it while your remaining fingertips toy with the sensitive ridges and bumps that decorate him. 

when you look up at bakugou the beast with beautiful, big eyes he feels like he could die here. happily. in beast form and all. he could never be human again or break his curse and he’d be content to have you looking up at him like this, with his huge  cock in your tiny hand, be the last thing the blonde ever sees. “fuck,” he snarls tip bleeding hot arousal over your knuckles and into the tub, knees shifting apart to give you more room — sending water flying out of the bath. 

you inch forward again, breathing warmly against katsuki’s damp lips as he begins to weaken beneath you with every pump of his dick. “i can’t wait to see how you feel, i’m going to get myself ready for you. is that okay?” you check with him, even though his mane is tousled about with how fast he’s nodding. whispering faint pleads against your wet Cupid’s bow. 

“please… just hurry it up,” katsuki lets his temper flare briefly, almost as hot as the water that soaks his fur and your clothes. lukewarm at best. he rambles for the most part, brainlessly even. lackadaisically rutting  into the pathetic small circle your little fist barely makes around him — the force of his hips causing water to splash up against your dress. “‘m ready for it…” he adds begrudgingly. 

the sight of the beast’s submissiveness and desperation brings a smile to your cherry bitten lips, clit throbbing and cunt quivering around the water you sit in. “i’ve got you, don’t worry…” assuring him gently, your mouth hangs open and follows the sweet howl uttered from your partner’s lips — its volume just above the explicit, wettish sounds of your hand jerking off the entirety of his shaft. even though you don’t want to, you only slightly let up on the pace of your palm smoothly gliding in and out of the water ( around katsuki ) to pull him towards your bare pussy.

his hips canter and chase your heavenly grip, fat droplets of his precum flying about the place and into the tub from just how much the beast is leaking. bakugou feels his mind sink into a hazy fog when you lift your hips to hover over his girth, the fuzziness shrouding his brain showing on his muzzle and handsome face. bliss lines his vermillion framed eyes, those same eyes that flutter shut in anticipation. waiting for you to put your honeyed pussy on him and make him yours.

katsuki can’t contain the feverish pants that escape him when you guide his clawed paws to hold your hips and help lower you onto him. the closer your heated core gets to his seedy cock, the harder it becomes to breathe and the humid he exhales starts to mingle with your own. 

both of you hiss pitifully in unison at the first tap of the blonde’s monsterous cock against your sticky, needy mound. your aching clit instantly catches on the ridges of his dick deliciously, causing you to crumple against the beast’s marshy furry chest — gripping onto locks of gold around his neck to ground yourself, bring yourself back down from an immense and otherworldly jolt of pleasure that bounces from the tail end of your spine to the top of your skull. you feel as though your brain has been knocked about, bakugou languidly thrusting upwards to drag his length through sluice, puffy folds and grind against your clit — clearly seeking the heat of your pulsating sex. 

“s-so good, katsuki,” a sheen of sweat condescends against your skin, glazing you in a pearlescent shine while you throw your hips back and forth over the blonde’s fat dick. he’s in no better state than you, talons sinking into the peachy flesh to cope with the way you move feverishly above him. sweat beads at his hairline, murderous ruby eyes growing heavy and kisses and god, you think he looks so perfect like this. when his remorseless resolve comes crashing down and he takes everything that you have to offer. “think you’re so beautiful,” 

rose pink tinges hotly at his cheeks while he shakes his head — denying your praise. ropes of saliva forming connections between his sharp white teeth and his strawberry tongue while he tosses his head back at your praise, letting out a stream of enchanting moans. katsuki’s adam’s apple bobs between small whispers of ‘fuck’ and ‘please’ punctuated by the slap of water hitting the floor from your sinfully synced bodies. he doesn’t let up on buck of his hips to meet your sodden sex, your puffy folds spread perfectly either side of the meat or his shaft — allowing your arousal pearling pleasure bud to graze his cockhead rhythmically. causing both of you to quiver in ecstasy.

“‘m not,” the beast denies, drawing his hips far back until they meet the bottom of the tub before jutting forward — his entire length slipping through your soaked pussy lips until his breeders balls tap at your hole. “g-god… think you’re gonna make me cum…g-gonna make me…fuuuck!” he chants, eyes snapping open to capture your gaze.

the tail end of his words form a soft symphony of whines and animalistic chirps, like music to your ears. “i want you to cum, you’d be so pretty cumming against me, katsuki…” you continue to taunt him, following his movement by cheekily driving your fluttering entrance down against his bulbous cockhead — trembling at its thick diameter. you still have no idea how it’ll fit. “give it to me.”

you take his massive paw in your tiny hand, hooking his claw onto the bosom of your dress with trusting eyes. the sound of wet material ripping echoes about the bathroom, the blond having torn right through the damp front of what you wear. you slump forward next, pebbled nipples brushing pleasurably over katauki’s fluffy toned chest. his fur is slick and clings to the water droplets on your glistening skin — especially with your bodies submerged under the lukewarm water. 

“you… y’don’t know what you’re askin’ for,” bakugou slurs deeply, grinding the tip of his dick against the ring of muscle at your entrance as you glaze his painfully with sweet the honey nectar dripping from your cunt. he’s so close he can practically taste it, all he needs is one little push. so you take his hand, leading him into a mistified fog of love and lust — reaching up, you drag a tender finger over the dark black horns that spiral from between roots of sun kissed blonde hair and fur, revelling in the way katsuki’s breath hitches. “d-don’t… they’re fuckin’ sensitive…”

all you do is hum in response, practically pressing your chest to the beast’s face as you learn further up and teasingly drag the length of your tongue over one scaled black appendage, taking the second horn between your wet, pruney fingers to jerk it like you would his cock. “they feel good when i touch them?” there’s a certain husk to your voice that puts the man on edge beneath you, colourful language littering his tongue, spurts of precum clinging to the insides of your folds. “what if i…?”

your hot, warm mouth encapsulates the very tip of his horn and your cheeks hollow out so that you have the room to suck him down your throat — mindful of its jagged surface. you feel so full and in all the best ways, the thickness of his horn causing a swell in your throat. his bright red tip, feverishly leaking precum, just barely bullying its way past the tight ring of your entrance, tapping against your sticky pussy even under water. you’re drooling from every hole, every place that you could possibly be fucked in and it’s all for him — willingly sucking him down… its for him.

“fuckin’ hell… sweetness, please. when ya touch me like that ‘m gonna—“ that's what makes you swallow around the beast as his sensitive horn presses against your uvula, spit pouring out against it. 

even as his eyes disappear into his dark skull at the feeling , katsuki drools over you as though you’re a prime cut of meat — a claw drifting up from the fat at your waist to the now naked and pliant mounds of flesh at your chest. he squeezes your breasts tightly in his monstrous palm, each point of each claw digging into your skin until electric dopamine crackles quickly across your synapses — dizzying your brain and ability to function. his grip is so sinfully tight that it’s enough to draw blood, crimson rose petals inking their way between the valley of your breasts and blowing on the surface of the water filling in the tub.  

you don’t stop kissing and sucking on his horn — tasting the ash between each scale, like firewood. he doesn’t stop rutting against your sex, sloshing sounds fluttering through the air. it’s your moan around him that sets the beast off, choked and spluttered; the sweet symphony guiding bakugou through the rough terrains of his high like he’d done so for you outside. static erupts over his brain and numbs all four of his limbs while a white as bright as the evening’s snowfall flashes behind hazy red eyes. his blonde head of hair drops weightily to your damp shoulder; hips stumbling against your cunt, as thick ropes of his early release hit your clit underwater.

with a prideful your lips pull off of his horn, listening happily to his washy, uneven mewls. even though he hadn’t been ready to cum just yet, it was by no means a small orgasm. katsuki’s load is heavy, still coming in hot, viscous waves as you suddenly slip down on his throbbing shaft — using the mix of water and orgasm as lube to help you with his size. “t-takin’ me all at once… still cummin’,” bakugou gasps like a fish out of water, pupils blown wide as the black in his eye eclipses the red. “you gotta be careful… ‘m big, sweetness. don’t wanna hurt you.” 

katsuki bakugou, the beast, is perfect. you know that now, whether it’s because your brain is fucked up with sex crazed hormones or because you genuinely do care for him deep down. either way, you think that he’s perfect, and you want him every way. his cock stretching your tight heat has you delirious, you think the burn of his size might even kill you as it pulses in your lower belly.  

“w-what makes you think you might hurt me?” you drawl and your sopping walls accept every inch of him with ease, reminding him of how lucky he is to have you. to be able to fuck you. it’s almost as if you’re made specifically for the beast — wandering into his castle with intention. not just for your father. 

there’ll never be another beauty like you and he’ll never be able to let you go after this. 

you ooze viscous nectar against katsuki, blossoming for him like a flower made for the coldest of winters while he presses into you — deeper and deeper. until you’re pelvis to pelvis in the warm tub. “‘cause...you’re so small compared to me, sweetness,” he explains over the lump in his throat — a growl escaping from behind his larger, menacing set of teeth. “such a fuckin’ dainty…pretty… little thing. fuck… if we do this i ain’t sure i’ll be able to hold back.”

lowering your hips and clenching hard, you lock the blonde into your heat selfishly, even though your legs are about to give out and you feel faint from taking the entirety of him in one go. “but that shouldn’t stop you from having your way with me, beast.” you murmur. “i don’t want you to hold back. you’re perfect and i want you just the way you are,” taking his paw in your palm, you draw it back to the claw marks struck lovingly against your chest — letting him feel the strong beat of your heart between your breasts. “my heart is racing, bakugou,” you croon and nuzzle your nose against his cutely, earning a light purr from the man beneath you. “i think… i think you make me feel this way.” your heart has never fluttered for someone like this before, not for yo shindou or any other man back home. you feel so small and safe with katsuki, even if he seems scary on the outside — you know that he’s tender and always means well.

that’s all the permission katsuki needs, really. hearing you tell him that you want him, even if it’s in his most carnal and instinctive way, is the same as hearing the magic word to him. with revitalised motivation, the blonde beast plants his feet against the smooth base of the tub and thrusts all the way into you with one fluid motion — hips flush against your fleshy ass and bottoming out in your weeping pussy. each movement is easily guided by his previous release, forming a foamy white ring at your entrance. he wraps a hand around the back of your head, claws massaging your scalp to soothe the cloying cries caused by the new angle as he keeps you pinned to his body.

bakugou relishes in the warmth of your syrupy walls clenching tightly around his bricked up length but manages to find strength in pulling from your selfish slicked up hole to set a slow, calculated pace to the way he bucks into you — dragging his monstrous girth along your ribbed walls and pleasure points. the utter power behind his hips quickly have water splattering over the edge of the bathtub and tear through babyish yelps escaping from between your cherry-bitten lips. the beast takes control of your body like a king or a prince with a strict rein over land. ruling over every thought once rattling around in your mind.

your shaking hands take hold of sun-kissed tooth’s of his fur, ones that muffle your little laments and whines as katsuki fucks you down on his shaft — taking you to the high heavens and back. cloud nine just within your reach. oxygen eludes you, leaving your lungs vacant and struggling to keep up with everything the beast gives you — carving a pathway for his big seedy cock against your insides with every feverish buck of his hips into yours. “feels…feels s’good!” you shriek desperately, trying your best match his rhythm. “so deep, makin’ me feel so full!”

“already? haven’t even given you a proper load yet,” bakugou chuckles between condescending moans, drunk on the way it feels when he stretches you out around him the deeper he goes, poor pussy changing to accommodate his breath-taking size and whatever love he has to give you. as a result, the beast fills you until you’re practically a glass overflowing with love and pleasure. “could plug you full with dick ‘n cum, ‘n it still wouldn’t be enough for you. would it?” 

using a free hand, the blonde drags his claws grip down to your fleshy ass and spreads your cheeks apart, growling as the webs of slick tying them together break over his fingers — dampening them just as much as the water from the bath. his grip allows him to bully himself further into your molten core, moulding you perfectly up and down on his cock. “love how you feel around me, sweetness,” the praise smooths over your brain, wiping it of any feedback you have for the blonde and all you can do is gargle passionately in ecstasy. “don’t think i deserve to… fuck a pretty girl this tight…”

you squeeze around katsuki where your words fail you, juices dripping down his length into the bath nastily until it bathes his breeders balls as they clap against the curve of your ass repeatedly — heavy and full of a second load of cum just for you. even though he pushes and smears the first against pleasure spots dotted along your velvety walls. shaking your head, face hidden in water-logged fur, “y-you’re the only one who deserves to fuck me, katsuki, have this tight pussy— oh!” the tail end of your words come out as choked, lost to the echoey bathroom and splashing water as bakugou sinks his fangs into your bare shoulder.

he bites you, not only to mark you and taste the sheen of saltine sweat on your skin, but to pacify himself — help him cope with each flutter of your wet pussy and angelic simper. a delectable pain blossoms underneath the surface of your skin, and you weave your nimble fingers into bakugou’s fur to keep him in place, letting him bite you hard enough to draw blood. wounding you just as much as he had been wounded. 

ruining the bath with more than just sweat, juices and cum.

bakugou fucks you like he loves you, like he’s been waiting thousands of years to pour locked-away affections from his soul into yours. limbs slip and slide against the walls of the tub, filling the homing air and layering over the vulnerability lying in it. you’re sure you’d see this hidden truth in his vermillion eyes if you had the strength to look up from his chest too.

“keep talkin’ to me like that, swear i’ll ruin you ‘n this pussy for everyone. myself… the next man that has you,” bakugou growls as feral as the animal he’s been turned into. even with his body pressed hotly against yours, joined at your sticky sexes while you’re chest to chest ( sensitive nipples brushing each other’s), he still can’t see how much of you he owns. neediness and yearning spark between your compressed bodies as they dance together underwater, skin slapping on skin and water spilling everywhere. “she’ll never be able t’forget the way i make her fuckin’ feel…”

“oh god, please. please—“ you feel like you’re in the verge of tears, overwhelmed by everything that is the beast. that makes up katsuki bakugou. his size and thickness drive you insane, how he feels thrusting into your gummy walls and meeting the hilt sends you up a wall. not to mention the scent of his body, his fur, permeating your skin possessively and sinking into your pores. “don’t want anyone else after you, wanna have you inside of me forever. only you inside. just so pretty when you’re fucking me, katsuki…” you admit through earnest and shaky hiccups. 

despite rambling, your words feeling tacky on your tongue like someone’s stuffed your mouth with cotton, katsuki seems to finally get the hint. he makes you feel this way, he makes you see stars, he’s the one that you want — fully and undeniably. without a care in the world for how he looks. if that were the case, you wouldn’t be letting him rapidly rock his hips into you with lewd squelching sounds emanating from your ravaged pussy. you wouldn’t bounce up and down on his aching dick to chase him with a spasming, slippery hole when he just about pulled out of you, losing control of the movements of his hips — spreading the arousal beading on his cockhead against your insides.

“f-fuck… you’re gonna be the death of me…”  

the edge of the beast’s words develop a sharp shakiness to them, a sheen of sweat painted over your bodies from both the humidity in the bathroom and the exertion of your activities. you were living for the burn his fat girth created as it pushed its way past your puckered hole every time he jutted upwards or you weakly fucked down — bakugou knew you wanted more and he’d give it to you too. 

“y-you’re prettier. especially when i’m the one fuckin’ you,” bakugou whimpers seraphically, using his strong hand on your wet ass to lift and drop you in his milky white dick — not caring about the water that got everywhere, only focusing on matching you to his length jackhammering in and out of your pathetically creamy pussy. you spasm, keeping him a prisoner in your cunt while he spews copious amounts of precum inside of you and into the tub — coaxing a fresh wave of blistering hot essence out of you. 

all of a sudden, the beast uses his brute strength to  shift your positions with his cock still nestled within you and your back splashes against the remaining water in the tub — dampening your back and the crown of your hair. katsuki doesn’t let you sink too far back into the water, instead, holding you up by the far at waist, large paw curling around it entirely. “see that? my cock bulging in your tummy. s’all me, sweetness. will only ever be me. you’re mine, all fuckin’ mine for all of time.” he whispers above you lecherously, hazy vermillion gaze floating like driftwood down to your soft stomach. your eyes follow his, breath caught in your throat at the sight,  the shape of him outlined there as he pounds into your g-spot lovingly, dotting your eyes with constellations. “hold onto me, sweetness. gonna make us cum.” 

quickly, you wrap your ankles around the smallest part of the beast’s waist — cunt unlocking and locking around the curve of his dick at random with the new position. choking the precum out of him, opaque fat drops pearling at the slit every time katsuki’s hips lunge forward powerfully. “i love you,” tears begin to brew in your glassy eyes and gather in your lashes like dew drops on a leaf, streaming down the hot apples of your cheeks as you become overwhelmed with emotion. you’re not sure if you cry because of dopamine, lust and happy hormones jolting from your brain to the tips of your toes or because of the way katsuki slots his body against yours — drowns you in everything that is him. 

either way it doesn’t matter, because you don’t know what you’d do if the beast stopped loving you like this. making love to you with every push of his cockhead against sluice walls, every swipe of his tongue over your swollen lips and every scratch of his claws against your supple body. 

“i love you,” you repeat, the taste of your orgasm rushing over the horizon as you claw desperately for something, anything to ground you. you wriggle and write underneath him, sending more water out of the tub, stomach twisted in delightful knots and only manage to steady yourself by grasping bakugou’s thick black horns above you. “i want to be yours forever…b-because you’re perfect ‘n feel so good. ‘n no one will care for me like you do…”

“‘hmyfuckingods…shit!” bakugou swoops down to lick curse words into your impassioned, temperate mouth, weakened by your warm touch around his sensitive horns and your own words mewled out like a promise to the cursed monster of a prince. watching the beast, your beast, break above you hardly soothes your wrecked insides — honeyed juices drooling down your thighs, dripping into the tub in a viscous lava flow each time he pumps into you. parting between kisses and through your wet lashes, you witness the way sweat drips from his hairline and fur, the way his dark brows are furrowed in concentration ( focused on bringing you to the top of your peak ) and how his arms flex in order to drag your pulsating pussy up to meet his thick cock — skin smacking and breath mingling in the musky air. 

his golden fur glistens under warm candle light and if you looked close enough, you could spot the twinge of pink at katsuki’s cheeks from his exertion. he’s beautiful on top of you, fucking you, that you’d be happy drown here in this bathtub if it meant he was the last thing you ever got to see. “tell me how much you want me,” bakugou snarls against your swollen lips, spouting the covetously loaded words against your strawberry tongue before he slopping kisses you again — teeth clashing with yours, incisors nipping your bottom lip until it’s bloody while he maps out the taste of sex in your mouth. 

as if to coach an answer out of you,  his knuckle slips between your connected bodies to toy with your throbbing clit — being mindful of his claws, not wanting to cause you any pain when you’re so close to reaching your high. it’s hard for you to speak when his cock slips into you like magic and attacks your throat with a bounty of love bites in purply-blues. his intensity washes over you in waves, scorching you and soothing you all at once. over all the harsh moments once shared between you.

instinctively you squeeze at his horns and search for words, but bakugou answers for you — hardly peeling away from your, damp hot skin while he pulses to life inside of you. “cause i want you. want you so fuckin’ bad that it burns me. hurts me.” snarls and pushes his creamy cock as deep and as far as it can go, practically splitting you open, spreading your thighs wide ( as wide as the tub will allow ) to make room for his wide frame and hips between them. you can just tell how much he wants you, how it tears him apart pieces you back together, by the way he grinds against you — fluffy pelvis brushing against your puffy clit. with the hope to push you over the edge. “gods… you make me wanna lose it…” 

the beast picks up a pace and a thick strand of your mixed arousals swings between your bodies where the blonde beast plugs your spasming hole, the milky liquid finding purchase on your inner thighs and the veins that spiral down his shaft. the both of you start to lose it together, water slipping and sliding everywhere as bakugou moves to sit on his haunches, all-encompassing grip on your waist lifting you from the shallow depth of the tub to keep you on his cock — pussy squelching over his swollen and red shaft. 

in response, your back bows away from the bottom of the tub until you’re chest to chest once more and your lips part with “i want you, i want you, i want you! n-no one else!” you chant loudly, the words nearly lost over the sounds of the beast passionately slamming into you over and o er again. “k-katsuki! think i’m gonna… so close—! cumming—!” 

using two knuckles, bakugou pinches your clit between them and sends you hurtling over the edge of ecstasy. that’s all it takes, him purring to you as white flashes behind your glassy eyes. you squirt hard against him, into the tub, clear liquid spurting from your ravaged sex and covering the beast’s fur in a messy layer of your release. there’s so much of it, that it nearly forces his cock from your quivering hole — but he can’t bare to be away from you, to waste his own orgasm. for the damn in the beast’s lower belly breaks as well; an earth shattering high comes crashing down on him and forces his bulking furry frame to collapse over yours — hips stuttering and water rushing out of the bath.

katsuki tucks his burning face into your neck one final time. his nostrils flare and chest heaves as he cums with an frightening roar, arms encircling your head to keep you still and pinned beneath him while katsuki unapologetically ruts into your ruined heat; dragging his bulbous cockhead deliciously against your silken walls as his seed pours into you in a large, unapologetic amount. potent and thick white floods your womb, cloying against the ribbed parts of your pussy.  so much so, that you feel your tummy bulge even as some of it runs down your slit and between your ass cheeks — into the tub below.

neither of you move, completely weak and shaky in one another’s embrace — limbs heavy from water that clings to bakugou’s fur and your skin. if you could speak and your ears were no longer ringing from your world ending high, you’d tell the beast that you love him. that you care about him. that you never want to leave him.

if his state was any better than yours, you’re sure he’d do the same.

but for now, you grasp onto his wet back and rake your hands through the masses of wet golden fur to tug bakugou, the cursed beast, closer to you. never letting him go. pulling him in to press a lasting kiss into his damp, muzzle. hoping your subtle affections will make do instead.

the end.

꒰ end. — all rights reserved © tteokdoroki 2024. do not copy, repost, translate, feed into ai & recommend elsewhere.

You all say "Oh I love enemies to lovers" like which one?

Villian tries to play games but the hero cuts through it and makes them fall in love?

Villian is hurt and the hero heals them?

Hero is the first person to show them empathy and they fall slowly?

Hero is chaotic and hot-blooded and makes the villain's cold heart beat again?

The "I see good in you" trope?

Or do you mean 'rivals to lovers', where we have

"Don't touch me" one and the one who flirts despite the attitude?"

"Why can't we put our differences aside" and "I hate you"?

The 'stoic hunter' and the hunted who tries to make them laugh, with no sense of self-preservation?

Maybe where they ask "why do you hate me?" and the answer is "It's better than loving you"?

Or maybe you like one-sided pining?

The one who wants the hero but thinks they're too far gone to even try?

The hero who creates narratives of excuses that just aren't there to support their crush?

The soul-crushing of the hero watching the villain who once loved them consumed by apathy and hatred?

There are so many more, and you just say enemies to lovers?

Hear me out

Enemies to lovers but they only pretended to hate each other for social validation and the 'to' part takes way too long that they can't put up with the other's shite.