Loveperfectionchaos - ALL ABOARD !

it was a bad idea honestly. no scratch that, it was a TERRIBLE idea. the idea being of which is that you and the rin would go inside a haunted horror house at the local amusement park. (whose idea came from bachira, who claims that it’d be fun)

now here you were, scared out of your wits, trying to at least make it out alive out of this haunted horror house.

not that rin would admit it, but he was watching you in slight amusement whenever you’d bump into something and scream. to him, this attraction wasn’t even that scary to begin with. he too was forced to enter by his “friends” aka bachira and isagi who both claimed that they haven’t seen him crack a smile throughout the day they were in this amusement park. (which was bullshit as rin thinks)

“dear god.. what have i done to receive this punishment” you cry out, hands trembling as you and rin navigate through the creepy hallways. only to be greeted with another makeshift ghost at the end. of course, rin saw this coming and only huffs as a reaction. you on the other hand..

rin almost felt sorry for you at that point. he notices that your shoulders were trembling and your breath was shaky. were you crying?

“hey..” rin murmurs, standing next to you and thats when he heard your sniffles. ‘goddamn it’ rin thinks to himself. of course he’s the one who gets caught up in this type of situation. a situation that involves someone crying.

as much as rin sucks at comforting people, there’s only little to none he can do at the moment.

your hands were covering your eyes. this whole horror thing was already too much for your scared ass. you wanted this to be over with and beat the shit out of bachira who gave you the idea but you felt yourself stuck in the position you are now. until that is, you felt a tap on your shoulder. instantly you jumped and immediately latched onto the person next to you, which was rin

rin stands there stunned by the way you instinctively latched onto him, your arms wrapped around his torso and head buried in his chest to hide your face

“it’s me, c-calm down” rin stutters. he’s not used to this sort of intimate contact. he can feel his face burn. out of embarrassment? he does not know. all he knows is that he hopes you don’t note how fast and loud his heart was beating

“rin i can’t take it anymore!” you cry, burying your head deeper into his chest. rin panics on the inside. his head chanting ‘what the fuck do i do now’

the only logical way to get out of this was to simply, get moving with you literally sticking by his side. with a heavy sigh, he hesitantly wraps an arm around your shoulders and maneuver around the last corridors of the said horror house.

thankfully, that corridor you two were in was the last corridor before the exit so you guys made it out in no time. there outside waits isagi and bachira who were busy chitchatting amongst themselves about how you two were taking so long. to their surprise, they spot you in rin’s arms, coming out of the exit.

“we’re out, you can open your eyes now” rin says the moment you two step foot out of the attraction. almost immediately you opened your eyes. you don’t even notice the position you and rin were in. the only thing in your mind right now is to find bachira and to literally throttle him for his stupid idea.

“y/n-chan, rin-chan over here!” bachira waves, his face having a mischievous look to it. “i’m going to kill you!” you exclaimed, running after him.

isagi laughs at this while rin merely scoffs. “so did you two have fun?” isagi asks rin who was walking next to him. “what do you think?” rin says sarcastically, giving isagi a glare. only for the latter to give him a knowing look.

OKOKOK HEAR ME OUT,,,, childe x reader but it’s the little mermaid or cinderella

AHHH THIS IS SO CUTE⁉️YES I AM INDEED HEARING YOU OUT. ANON YOU'RE SO BIG BRAINED AND SMART THERES SO MANY WHOLESOME AND CUTE SCENES FOR THIS AU

(This might be short but don't worry I'll be making some follow up hc's of this because j have so many ideas for this)

In the little mermaid au childe probably meets you somewhere in liyue while he was collecting some starconches when he stumbles upon a stranger in a dishelved state— were you okay? Was his first thought as he ran towards the stranger.

What is this? Why was this happening? You ask yourself before tripping on your feet, wait... Feet?

“Hey! Are you alright?” Childe asks, kneeling down to inspect your terrible state.

After a long period of silence your stomach starts to grumble making the young male in front of you know that you were hungry, he helps you stand and it was then that he noticed that perhaps giving you a new pair of clothes first is in need before setting out to eat dinner.

“So you can't talk?” Childe looks at you as he sees you enjoying your food; although he was the one that ordered for you he was glad nonetheless to see you enjoy the meal.

You on the other hand— continue to enjoy your food how could you not when it was so delicious and tasted so good?

Childe sighs, perhaps finding more information about you may take a while.

smexxy time with smexxy divine

He slipped

you’re a fool.

the thought crosses your mind multiple times as you climb down your window.

“don’t fall.” isagi calls out from below you, an amused grin on his face. you roll your eyes.

you shush him. “i won’t, dumbass.”

he clicks his tongue, pout quickly replacing his grin. he looks back up at your struggling form.

he squints, quickly licking his lips. a mischievous smile blooms on his face. “hurry up.”

“shut your mouth, isagi.” you snap, a small yelp leaves your mouth when your hand slips for a second.

you look down at him, brows raising when you see his outstretched arms. he blinks at you, quickly retracting his arms back to his sides.

“i won’t fall.” you reassure him. that’s still not enough to convince him (or you.)

“just,” he sighs, “be careful.”

it doesn’t take you that long to reach the ground (a lie, you spent about four minutes stuck in the same spot shaking like a leaf.)

you yawn. “where are we going?”

isagi glances at you, eyes darting away from yours as soon as he meets them. you’d swear you see a hint of red dusting his ears, but it’s too dark outside to tell.

“somewhere not too far from here.”

“are we walking there?” you rub your eyes.

his silence is enough of an answer.

you groan. “i’m going back to bed.”

isagi panics, grabbing your hand before you can turn back.

“it’s not far!”

you glare at him. he smiles sheepishly. (he hasn’t let go of your hand.)

“it better not be.” you click your tongue, “i didn’t just almost break my bones climbing down my window for a midnight stroll.”

he squeezes your hand. “i promise it’ll be worth it.”

“fine,” you offer a small smile, squeezing his hand back. “lead the way.”

he beams at you, quickly tugging you along with him.

“so,” he starts, “i found this place while i was jogging the other day.”

“oh?” you yawn.

“it’s got the nicest view ever,” he hums, “it’s my second favorite view.”

you rub your eyes, “what’s the first?”

you feel his grip on your hand loosen for a second before he regains his composure.

he turns to glance at you, “‘m not telling.”

he keeps walking, you squint at the back of his head. (you swear you could slightly make out a soft flush to his ears, but you’re not sure.)

“why not?”

“i’m entitled to my secrets.”

you raise a brow, “you can keep a secret?”

there’s a pause. “shut up.”

he speeds up his pace. you copy him.

“we’re almost there,” he stifles a yawn.

“we better be.” you tease, “i’m getting pretty tired of all this walking.”

he laughs, pointing at a small hill near you. “it’s right there.”

“you’re making me walk up a hill?” you playfully gasp, “you’re really killing me here, isagi.”

“yeah, yeah, whatever.”

(you end up reaching the top before he does.)

“so?” he gestures around you. “what do you think?”

“it’s alright, i guess.” you hum.

isagi playfully swats your arm. you laugh.

you look around, a soft smile blooming on your lips, “i bet the sunrise looks real pretty from here.”

“yeah,” he sounds breathless, “it does.”

you turn to look at him, eyes widening when you realize he’s staring at you. you stare back at him. (the way he’s looking at you makes you feel fuzzy. you hope he feels the same.)

“we should come here,” he breathes out, “you know, to make sure it’s pretty.”

“yeah,” you smile, “i’d like that.”

you’re not sure how long you both stand there staring at each other. (it feels like forever, yet it’s still not enough.)

“we should head back.” you whisper.

isagi blinks. “right.”

“my mom’s gonna kill us if she realizes i’m not home.” you say.

isagi’s eyes widen, seemingly having processed your words. “right!”

he takes your hand in his, quickly ushering you into a sprint as you head back to your place.

you’re surprised at how quickly you got back home. (your lungs feel like they’re about to collapse from how fast you ran, but you pay it no mind.)

“you good?”

you blearily blink at isagi. “huh?”

he laughs in amusement when he notices the state you’re in. “i asked if you were good.”

you take a couple of deep breaths. “‘m perfectly fine.”

he gives you a look. you wave him off.

“thanks,” you breathe out.

he looks at you in confusion, “why?”

you beam at him, “for taking me to see your second favorite view.”

he gives you a gentle smile. “you’re welcome.”

you smile at each other for a couple of seconds before panic settles into your bones at the thought of your parents finding both of you outside your window.

“now,” you shakily sigh, looking at isagi, “how do i get back up?”

In Reca's ideal film, you'd be nothing more than a toy forced to spin at the twirls of a clockwork key ; a spectacle suspended in motion, complete allegiance to his direction, again and again in the palm of his hand. In that perfect shot, you would not rebel, fist against the surface of the screen in a plea to be leg go, no, you'd be easy to control.

“Do not be absurd, my dear! Has a bug chipped away at the film in your head? You would not survive a day away from my camera.”

The friction of his glove as it clasps onto the sinews of your arms clashes against the ricocheting waves of his voice in your ears. Cut! Cut! Cut! You need not return his stare to hear the panic reverberating through his head, just as he needs not respect a fraction of your personal space.

“My thoughts are perfectly lucid, director. I no longer wish to act under your guidance.” you push him back with a finger to his chest and he allows you to, his arms falling to his sides before rising with all the melodrama of a seasoned lunatic.

“What a way to say you wish me dead!” with a sweep, he's beside your stead.

“Have you forgotten your dream, my brightest star?” a brush of his breath against your ear, a firm grasp onto your wrist as it unfolds your hand towards the phantom of your wish, “What happened to that light that brought you to me?”

His presence, annoyingly, is as engulfing as it was the first moment you had the misfortune of meeting his acquaintance. A dwindling candle in a shadowed room, its flicker is too miniscule in comparison to the tenebrous monstrosity extending its talons towards the candle's light.

Contempt is the sole benefactor that keeps it alight, burning for a moment longer. A fruitless effort — rebelling is nothing more than running closer and closer to the dead end.

“It got snuffed out.” you tilt your head towards his pointed stare, in time to bear witness to the contractions of emotions vacillating in his eyes — building up up up before bursting forth in a supernova of laughter. Your feet nearly tangle amongst themselves as you try to move away from the disturbing sight, attempt thwarted by his insistent hand.

Reca's crackles slighter to a burdened sigh, ruby eyes peek from between the crevices of the fingers of his free hand, “And, you allowed it.”

It should be incriminating for a sentence that calm to fizzle your nerves that quickly, “Non.. nonsense! It was you who clearly—”

Your heart jumps as the axis of your vision goes askance, red bleeds and paints the corners of your mind. “I did what?” the sting of his nails sinking into the flesh of your cheeks wakes you, “Come on, you can do it, love. Think. What did I do to you, clearly?”

“You... you made me into who I am today and, I can never even think of standing in front of the camera without your direction.” you heave.

“Brilliant! Just like this! If you continue performing this well, it won't be long before we can step up from these boring scenes and move onto shooting the truly heart-touching moments.” it is debatable whether your legs surrendered on their own or were forced to as the Memokeeper catches you, dragging along your limp form towards his vision.

“And when every scene has been shot, organized and edited to perfection, I'll keep it secure from everyone's grabby hands — for, this film is to be viewed by us alone.”

Hatred is the frailty of the weak, their last act of defiance before they embrace destruction. In Reca's hands, it is nothing more than a misdirection to achieve the most perfect shot, malleable to his whimsies.

No answer.

Prompt: In which you are accused of treason against the Fatui, and all Scaramouche could do was hold you in his arms as your consciousness slipped away.

Pairing: Scaramouche/gn!Reader

Categories: Unrequited Love, Angst, Death

Wordcount: 743

Shaky breaths left your lips as you dashed as far as your legs could carry you.

Just a few more steps.

Keep reading

Highschool au! Aventurine was walking around the school taking photos (you can choose the reason) when he accidentally caught reader smiling with their friends in his camera/phone's camera and his heart skipped a beat. He took the photo while smiling fondly

Basically developing feelings

“When I Picture You”

Summary: In a high school setting, Aventurine is tasked with capturing joyful moments for the yearbook. While taking photos, he unexpectedly catches your smile on camera, and, in that instant, his heart skips a beat.

Tags: High School AU, Photography, Fluff, Aventurine x Reader, Developing Crush, Slow Burn, Unexpected Feelings, Yearbook

A/N: Reading this request remind me of Picture You by Chappell Roan 😪and I had to... Also funny thing, I was planning to do a high school au with Aventurine and Sunday because of a fanart but you beat me to it, anon :')

It was a bright, late afternoon at Penacony High, and the air felt light with the buzz of chatter and laughter echoing through the hallways. Students gathered in small clusters, sharing stories, stressing over exams, and enjoying the last few minutes before the final bell. Aventurine—otherwise known as Kakavasha to a select few—found himself with his camera in hand, wandering the halls with a purpose. The school had trusted him with a photography project for the yearbook, capturing “moments of joy” across the campus, and he’d taken to the task with an enthusiasm that surprised even him.

Aventurine wasn’t usually the sentimental type. In fact, if anyone knew him well, they’d know he often kept to himself, his charismatic charm balanced by a hint of mystery and a clever smile. But something about seeing others in their natural, happy moments sparked a strange warmth he couldn't shake.

“Just a couple more shots...” he muttered to himself, adjusting the focus on his camera, framing a lively group of students laughing near the lockers.

But then his eye caught someone else—a familiar figure standing off to the side, their head thrown back in laughter. It was you, surrounded by your friends, your eyes sparkling in the golden afternoon light. Aventurine’s breath caught, a sense of wonder blooming unexpectedly as he lifted his camera, trying to steady his hands.

Click.

He’d snapped the picture before he even realized it, the sound loud in his ears. Aventurine felt his heart skip a beat, his lips quirking into a soft, almost unconscious smile. There you were, frozen in a moment of pure joy, your warmth and vibrancy practically radiating from the photograph.

“Why… does it feel like this?” he whispered, lowering the camera, a strange mix of embarrassment and excitement fluttering in his chest. He’d been the one assigned to capture these “Moments Of Joy” around campus, yet here he was, feeling it himself.

Watching you with that easygoing smile and the way your friends gravitated toward you, he felt a pang of curiosity he couldn’t ignore. He’d seen you around campus before, exchanged glances in class, maybe a few quick greetings in passing. But he’d never truly noticed you—until now.

As you turned, catching sight of him with the camera in hand, Aventurine straightened, feigning composure.

"Hey, are you taking pictures for the yearbook?" you asked, curiosity lighting up your expression.

He nodded, maintaining his usual confidence, though his heart pounded. “Yes, capturing ‘Moments Of Joy’ for the school to remember. Lucky I caught such a radiant one just now.”

You blinked, taken aback by his sudden compliment, and laughed softly. “Well, I guess I’ll have to smile my best from now on if I see you around.”

He smirked, feeling his confidence return, though he was well aware of the flush creeping up his neck. “I’ll keep my camera ready then.”

As you walked back to your friends, Aventurine found himself watching you go, a rare, genuine fondness spreading through him. For a man who usually planned every move, calculated every step, and saw the world as a game of risks and rewards, the thought of seeing you again without knowing exactly what would happen… felt like the start of something new. Something he might be willing to gamble on.

And from that day on, he found himself seeking out the warmth of your laughter, the brightness of your presence, as if each moment he captured with his camera might reveal the answer to the feeling stirring in his heart.

Let me know if you want a part 2 🤭 I honestly loved this

Can I please requests a scenario where Childe rebels against the Tsarista to protect the reader, so now he's cursed by being trapped in foul legacy form.

Unable to speak, barely able to recognize anything, and in constant bloodlust(or whatever else you might headcanon for a more beastial interpretation of Foul Legacy)

But thanks to the reader and Teucer, he's able to still stay himself

This is my first request, hope it's fine. Thank you!

anon i would like you to know that this buttered my toast and watered my crops i love EVERYTHING about this that being said i might've gotten a little off topic but i hope you still enjoy!!

~ * ~ For You, Everything

Foul Legacy Childe x Reader Gender Neutral (no pronouns mentioned) Angst Warnings: Fire, death, blood, allusions to throwing up and anxiety, injuries, hyperventilating, crying, mild gore (?)

~ * ~

There’s a new rumor in Liyue.

It’s whispered in the streets and alleys, in hushed, near-silent voices to avoid detection by the subjects in question. Spreading not like wildfire, but cold, unrelenting ice- a slow freeze over the news until every citizen of the Harbor had it in the back of their mind, sticking like frost on glass.

There’s a traitor in Snezhnaya.

A vague rumor, a foreign affair, something that should be brushed aside and forgotten by people living so far away. And yet, it seems every person in Liyue has only one subject for daily gossip: the supposed betrayal of one of the Tsaritsa’s most trusted warriors. The traitor was powerful, perhaps even a Harbinger, you heard when you turned in a report, and the Fatui were stiff and tense, even the calmest member becoming snappy and cold. Any snippet of news was snatched up and passed around with intense curiosity as the entirety of Liyue waited in anticipation for the event to develop further.

Or so you’ve heard. Gossip had never been particularly appealing to you, and it’s even less so now, when you’re swamped with work and responsibilities more than usual. Along with your usual reports and data to write, you had also been given the task of looking after the younger brother of your friend, the Harbinger Tartaglia, before he left for several weeks due to “work”. The young boy, named Teucer, was sweet and adventurous, and you had to constantly stop him from going out to have little journeys of his own, as well as play up the ruse that his older brother was a toymaker and not the Eleventh Harbinger.

You huff quietly as you sign another sheet of paper and set it aside. It’s a cloudy, gray, somber day, the air just on the brink of drizzling and covering your window in fine, misty drops. There’s a knock on your door as you scratch out another sentence, and you hum wordless permission to enter. Teucer cracks the door open and slips into your office, asking in the quiet, worried way of a child if any news had come from Snezhnaya. You shake your head no- Teucer was the only reason you even made an attempt to remain up-to-date with latest gossip- and let him climb onto your lap and plonk his head against your chest. He’s worried, he tells you. Worried about his family at home and his big brother, alone and wandering in the vast, intimidating world. You ruffle his hair, the exact same color as Childe’s, and set down your pen. Perhaps it was time for a break- maybe a walk around the docks to get some fresh air?

There’s a scream outside.

Then another.

Then another.

Your eyes widen and you rush to the window, people running past shrieking in the streets. The clouds have thickened to deep, thundering gray, lightning flashing overhead, and you swear that you can feel electricity running down your bones. A few people, Vision users and Fatui members, race in the other direction, weapons glowing in their hands. Everyone is shouting, yelling, screaming- you cover Teucer’s ears, wincing at the mad din as frantic words and phrases string together into one sentence.

A monster!

A monster! A monster in the Harbor! In the one safe haven for humans in all of Liyue! With Rex Lapis dead and the Adepti detached from the Harbor’s issues, the city was sure to fall! Teucer looks up at you, his normally carefree attitude replaced by fear and shock as he tries not to shake. You give his shoulder a gentle squeeze, rushing both him and yourself downstairs, the choking, acrid scent of burning wood and bodies reaching your senses. The door is blocked by crackling wood, the fire matching the vivid purple of the lightning above, having struck houses near yours by chance, and you quickly turn and lead Teucer further away from the smoke. There’s a table there, your old desk that you shoved away in the storage room after you got a new one, and you usher Teucer under it before slotting as much as your body that can fit next to him. He clings to you, crying but desperately trying to keep quiet, and you wipe his tears, hushing and murmuring gently that everything will be okay, you’ll both get out of this, and he’ll be able to see his family and big brother again.

Secretly, you also hope to see Childe again, but you squash that hope with a harsh second-long scolding to yourself.

Fire burns bright outside, the storm sizzling against it as you hold Teucer close to you. The smoke thickens and he begins coughing, so you give him your jacket to breathe through in an attempt to filter the ash. You hear flashes of windows shattering and embers sparking as your home snaps and crackles into destruction, occasional screams of horror seeping into your brain and staining your memories deep red. And you hope and hope and hope that you both will survive, because there’s nothing left to do but hope and bitterly wish that Childe was here, with his Hydro Vision, to extinguish the flames. The smoke clouds your head, and you blink rapidly in an effort to stay awake despite the burning in your lungs.

A drop of water falls on your nose. Vaguely you feel Teucer shifting in your grip, then shaking your shoulder, and you slowly bring your head up and open your eyes, bones feeling stiff and brittle. The fire has died to glowing embers, beat back into submission by the heavy rain that now drips over your skin. You shakily stand, Teucer clasped in your arms, and nearly fall from how weak and dizzy you feel. The storm washes grit from your eyes, but you wish it hadn’t, as Liyue Harbor lays in ruins.

The houses and buildings, once standing strong and grand, are collapsed under the searing fire and weight of water. The sky is thick with plumes of ash and soot, vendors turned over and smashed and the canal water now a rough gray. The cobblestones of the streets are cracked and gritty, and covered in splatters of dark red blood that turns the rainwater pink, and you almost throw up before catching yourself and letting out dry heaves instead. Teucer tries looking up, but you gently push his head back onto your shoulder with a hush, gulping down your nausea and forcing yourself to take a step.

Step, step, step. It feels like a fever dream.

Step, step, step. You don’t feel alive right now.

Step, step, step.

What could’ve done this.

Your thoughts drift to your friends- your friends! Zhongli and Baizhu and Hu Tao! And the younger generation, Xingqiu and Xiangling and Chongyun and Xinyan! And everyone else in between that your fuzzy mind refuses to focus on- were they…?

Please, no… Don’t let them be dead…

There are claw marks in the blood splatters now- apparently they were telling the truth about there being a monster- and you shudder at the size of its talons. Your breath comes out in short puffs as you hold Teucer tight, not only to keep him in your arms, but also not to lose your grip on reality and return to that dark space where no one can find you.

There’s a growl behind you, and your blood freezes like ice. Your turn is slow, unable to bring your legs out of their leaden position as you force yourself to face the threat, if not for yourself, then for Teucer. An enormous beast, unlike one you’ve ever seen before, looms over you, and you stumble and fall backwards, feeling a sharp twinge of pain from your tailbone. Teucer yelps in surprise and asks if you’re alright, but you tell him that you’re fine, only you might need him to run as fast as his legs can carry him very, very soon. You spot blood on the monster’s claws, and scream at yourself to run, but your body refuses to do nothing but sit there and be useless. You squeeze your eyes shut, too exhausted to do anything more.

…When did you start crying?

There’s a soft pressing sensation on your cheek, and you open your eyes to find the monster carefully wiping away your tears with a claw, letting out gentle coos as if to soothe you.

And it’s a sweet sound, those coos and clicks and trills the creature makes, almost like it can take away your suffering and fill it instead with warmth and soft sensations.

Teucer also looks up at the beast, and it makes a rumbling sound of happiness as it reaches out to ruffle his hair. The young boy blinks, and a name slips from his mouth- “Ajax”, he says, a question and an answer.

Ajax… Childe’s birth name…

When Teucer calls him big brother you break, sobs coming out jerky and rough from pain and fear and horrid realization. Childe trills in concern and licks your cheek but you push him away, yelling out what about Zhongli? What about Beidou? And Baizhu? And Ningguang? And the rest of your beloved family in Liyue? But there’s not even a glint of recognition in Childe’s eye, only deep worry for you and your state of being, and behind it, a feral desire to kill and maim. You begin to shake again, and Childe silently curls around you and Teucer, lifting you in his arms and letting out reassuring purrs as he begins to walk away from the Harbor. His brother falls asleep quickly, the steady movement of Childe’s pace lulling him into dreams or nightmares. But you stay awake, hands balled into fists and holding handfuls of Childe’s fluff as your thoughts wander to small, innocent things to block out the singular day of today. There was a book series in Liyue about romance, and it carried an extremely popular quote which young couples liked to use to measure their compatibility. “What would you sacrifice for love?” And as if he’s reading your mind, Childe raises a hand to caress your cheek, staring down at you in crystalline blue, and for a brief, fleeting, final moment, there’s a flash of humanity in his eye.

For you, everything.

ur highschool bully gojo was chefs kiss 💋 what do u think about them going to the same college and taking the same classes?? and the reader sitting next/talking to some other guy and satoru gets jealous?? arwahhhshdhshshs so many possibilities, i hope u continue writing it!!

hi nonnie !! thank you so much :) this is ur official part 2 ! i was struggling to think up some possibilities but this helped a lot :oo | read part 1 here ! -> cw: swearing, jealousy, i let it get fic length oops

(former) highschoolbully!gojo on the brain again… like. when you end up seeing him again however many months later, and you can tell that he’s changed. it’s not like its immediately obvious to anyone who doesn’t really know him like you (used to); but he’s a little softer-spoken and his smiles seem nine times more genuine. it’s not a hundred percent; the kind that really lights up his face instead of just barely falling short of his stark blue eyes, but it's something.

of course, you have nothing to base it off of, because when you do inevitably see him again it's the very definition of meet ugly.

college is a new frontier, but its also a clean slate. its your first time going into something so new without your old bestfriend at your side, but some faint flickering thought reminds you that it might be better that way. but the universe is against you from the very first day, when youre gettin yourself some coffee from the same chain you did the morning of that fateful presentation so many moons ago. you're too busy thinking to yourself what kind of strange parting ritual it is to relive your trauma to notice the lanky, white-haired boy who hits his head on the chiming bell over the doorway. people are giggling around you n sighing dreamily but youre too deep in the music pumping through your headphones to notice and your eyes are glued to the class schedule on your phone, trying to ensure you dont get lost on the first day when—

you blink and your ass is flat on the dirty floor of the coffee shop, and the first thing you register is that your stomach is soaked and burning. you'd spilled your coffee. it takes you a moment to realize, but when you do you're pissed. so you quickly get to your feet, trying to reign in what little of your ego you have left to give the offender who bumped into you a piece of your mind as you look up, then..

how unlucky do you have to be?

just like that, satoru's slid himself back into your life, after ramming through its locked gates. you forget that he always forgets the point of keys, both when it comes to his apartment (which you still have the spare key of in case of emergencies), and the door to your heart. to rub salt in the wound, the only thing that's stained with your coffee order are his shoes, which look like they cost three weeks of your old job salary, but it's all over your shirt. of course it is. because why not? make it look like you tripped and fell into a patch of mud on your way to the lecture hall and tack on an unwelcome reunion with your ex-bestfriend.

to you, it's like the cloud of gloom from your highschool youth has resettled over your head like a swarm of gnats on a dreary, hot summer day. the stars always seem to skew and misalign themselves for you. but for satoru, the stars have handed him one of those huge swirly lollipops that you only ever see being paraded about by toddlers. he recovers almost instantly, trading the burn on his feet and the way it sours your expression like he's just squirted pure citric acid into your throat for a pleasant burn of his own on his cheeks. but it's whatever. girls seem to like it when he blushes, for some reason. he won't question it, if it works on the only one he cares about.

he holds his hand out, ready to help you out like the good samaritan he's become— and it's like a real burn to his heart this time when you ignore it and stand up on your own, refusing to look up and meet his pleading gaze. might as well have taken an iron stoker right out of the fire and jabbed him with it. but he's gojo satoru! he won't be defeated by this one mere, maybe very significant reunion. he's got stamina.

so he offers to buy you a new drink, feels his heart sink when you shake your head (can't even spare a little 'no' in his direction), and talks enough for the both of you when you leave the dingy little store make your way down to campus and the lecture building. you clearly don't want to see him, but he ignores that in exchange to notice the way you shiver every so often. the previously searing-hot coffee that stains your shirt turns cold fast, and moisture n wind don't mix well. he wishes he could offer you some of his own warm coffee, no doubt sickeningly sweet, but he has some sensitivity now, apparently. so, in a brash moment, he decides to take his blazer off and drape it over your shoulders instead.

when you cross the threshold between city and campus, you expect him to yank it off your back and be on his merry way. but he keeps walking next to you, so you walk a little faster, and you absolutely loathe the cheeky little grin that curves the corners of his lips up to show a glint of teeth when he effortlessly keeps up. you curse his long legs when you find yourself winded, but at least you can lose him when you get there.

or, that's what you think. once again, your constellations break themselves to rebuild anew for satoru. you're about to call him a stalker when he follows you all the way to your classroom with that smirk that's growing exponentially until— oh, no.

your phone that's been on the schedule up until now desperately scrolls to the roster— and there it is. he's in your class. needless to say, not another word goes between you as you stomp in and take a seat. luckily for you, you've already corresponded with your roommate's brother (who's annoyingly cute, satoru notices) and agreed to sit next to each other. satoru takes the seat right above you and never stops kicking his freakishly long legs against the wood the entire time.

so yeah, it's obvious he's not a saint; he still has that undoable ego and he's cocky as fuck (as you have the misfortune of finding out when he quickly bullies your professor), but there's a certain familiarity in that no matter how ugly it might appear to others. and if you asked (which he really, really hopes you will someday), he doesn't hang around douchebags who use kids' foreheads for ashtrays and treat girls like they're candy from a glittery pez dispenser. and at least he's switched harassment targets. even though he has an overwhelming sense of superiority over others and never has his lips together for more than five seconds, and even though he has this hellish habit of clicking his pen whenever he's not talking (or when someone else is), it seems like he's changed.

and over time, you gradually find yourself warming up to him. the spunkiness that used to get on your nerves ceaselessly becomes an object of endearment, and you don't really mind the way he never seems to stop moving anymore. it's a nice sort of distraction in the lifeless still of the lecture hall, albeit the pen clicking still drives you near insanity. you notice he always does it obnoxiously and quickly when you're talking to your roommate's brother, but you ignore it.

and for satoru? he hates that he can kinda sorta really tell that you're the only one who can read him like he's a damn book, cus you slowly start to soften up in the nostalgia of his presence like cold playdough between warm fingers that tell you he may have finally caught you again after letting you slip the first time. and he notices it. this time, he's determined not to let you be the one that got away again. but youre really giving him a shit time outta it with the way you constantly entertain the guy who always has his breath in your face.

yeah, he's got a cute face that's sunkissed by freckles. yeah, his hair looks like he models for shampoo companies. and fuck, he has a nice voice. but what of it? satoru's the one with the mesmerizing blue irises and the cloudy white hair your professor wishes he had instead of sad little wisps of old age. still, as chilly days turn into frigid weeks, he gets the perfect backseat angle of the growing relationship between the two of you. the boy's kinda dumb so you copy off of satoru’s work when you need to (he has to hide the 1-0 scoreboard between him and the guy on a sticky note from you when you take his notes), but said guy’s always buying you stuff and lending you erasers and laughing when you flick the shavings at the annoying girl who never stops whispering in the front of the room.

satoru tries to act unbothered, and he almost convinces everyone. including himself. but the angry, burning knot in his chest that's entirely different from coffee stains suggests something more. that should be him at your side. him, making balls of paper with rude scribbles and silly doodles to throw at the people he knows you don't like. him, surprising you with little gifts and the cheap trinkets he knows you adore so much instead of all the luxury things he could afford. there's no way this punk could possibly measure up to him, right? but at least you and satoru are well on your way to becoming friends again. not as close as you used to be, but it's something. substantial. and he's learned to be patient in the time you've been gone.

but he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn't tired of it. he’s endlessly plagued with thoughts of increasing intensity— first, it starts out with just you. only you. the way he likes it. the way he likes your face, and your pretty eyes and your gorgeous lips and your soft hair and your figure and the complimenting clothes you wear. but it takes a turn; thoughts turn into dreams that turn into fantasies and he's lying when he says he doesn't enjoy them when he accidentally lets it slip during a group study session— and it’s all fine— but then, that guy appears. the brat who seems to sit a centimeter closer to you with each coming day. not only does he haunt satoru in real life, he’s tormenting his dreams, too. tainting the image of beautiful you.

needless to say, satoru starts to wake up with his hands gripping his damp pillow like he's choking it, acutely aware of the sweat sliding down his neck and over his chest as he stares up at the ceiling, listening to the dorm's air conditioner run and thinking of what it'd be like for dreams (the ones where he replaces the boy) to become reality.

it's a buildup. and soon, he reaches the apex; it's like a rollercoaster, that stomach-twisting moment when you reach the top of the rail that points to the steep descent downward. but this time, he hopes it's a thrill he gets instead of the usual falling fright; the one he got when he realized he’d slipped between your fingers in highschool.

and satoru finally comes to a grinding halt at the top of the ride one breezy fall day when he decides he wants you back in his life after you smile brightly at him and wave goodbye for the day. he’s tired of you having one foot in and one foot out of his heart; he wants, needs more. he always has, he realizes.

so he’s thinking about you and how to approach the feelings he’s realized during those long lectures, and one morning he comes up with some semblance of a plan when he’s high on the sugar from the fruit tea you bought him that morning. and he hopes that, by the end of it, he'll leave your apartment with your hand in his currently empty one, chilled with the remnants of cold condensation from the bottle.

soon enough, satoru finds himself extinguishing his nerves and raising a tense fist to knock on the door with nothing but the clothes on his back and a flimsy plan to ask you out on a midterm study sesh and maybe even a date, but he stops when he realizes it’s slightly ajar. a brief thought of what look might be on your face when he surprises you crosses his mind, so he lets himself in quietly, because he knows every single floorboard that creaks like the back of his palm from his childhood. he’s hit with a wave of warmth and an achingly familiar scent that twists at his heart, and your apartment is cozy and safe and it screams you and he thinks he catches sight of his jacket slung across the back of the couch in your living room, but he’s not sure so he takes a step forward and—

he’s greeted with the sight of that stupid guy with the nice hair and the freckles, and it makes his heart drop. but even worse, he’s kissing you and his arms are winding around your waist but you’re kissing him back with a slight hesitation that’s blinded to satoru by his shock and the fingers he thought would end up in his own tonight card through the boy’s hair and your lips glisten with the strawberry-kiwi flavored gloss he watched the boy give you a few days back and his world is turning red and he feels like his throat is constricting and he can’t breathe—

and he doesn’t even realize you’ve parted lips and you’re calling his name through the newfound tightness of his chest and the painful ringing in his ears thats even louder than any silence of a lecture hall, or the void that should’ve been filled with your voice during the time you were apart. but now satoru realizes he’d take that any fucking chance to have that again because it’s so much better than what he’s stuck with now. having you, but not really having you, because you’re there but you’re someone else’s and you’re not his and he isn’t yours. the best thing he could ever hope for was for you to own an article of his clothing and a piece of his shattered heart, broken into a million fragments. some cruel voice in his buzzing head reminds him to change the scoreboard to 0-100.

and he could buy you cheap hot coffee or earn your smiles from scrunched up paper balls or even hear your laugh with crude jokes, but there’s no point when he realizes he can’t buy you with caffeine or earn you with hitting the back of people’s heads with his bio notes or have you and your laugh all to himself anymore.

it’s almost pathetic, the way satoru’s voice cracks and changes. the look of unadulterated concern on the face of the boy who stole your lips just adds fuel to the fire.

“gojo? what are you doing here— hey, are you okay? you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

he noticed you’d stopped calling him satoru a few weeks back. he should’ve seen it coming.

“huh? oh, yeah. i’m good. i think you’re the one hallucinating.”

he’d never told a bigger lie in his life.

satoru had left after excusing himself for intruding. how very unlike him to be so polite, you think.

so in the end, he leaves your apartment with something in his hand, after all. but it's not your own— just his blazer that you’d given back to him before he stepped out the door, taunting him with the faint scent of coffee and lingering perfume. his hope was foolish, so it seems. it’s too bad, he thinks. if it were him, he would’ve sandwiched you against your counter while he kissed. but it wasn’t. apparently, it was your turn for your stars to align at the price of his.

and so, gojo satoru, the boy force-turned man with a chipped ego and a completely broken heart, loses you again.

bonus bonus.. part 2….

cute

geo dad adopts everyone challenge