Baby Blues

Baby Blues

Charlie Weasley x Reader 

Aww thank you! I’m so glad you like my writing! I hope you like enjoy this oneshot as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for the cute request! 

Romance Prompt #14: “Holy shit, I love you.”

Romance Prompt #23: “You look cute with a baby bump!” 

Genre: Fluff 

Content Warnings: None

Word Count: 3,191

Seguir leyendo

Pretty Picture

Pairing: Din Djarin x fem!reader

Summary: Din would do anything to keep any outside threat from touching his clan.

Warnings: Mostly fluff, mentions of expanding a clan, slightly steamy, helmetless!Din, Grogu being a menace frogs were devoured, blood, sniper, protective!Din, slightly unhinged!Din (only briefly).

A/N: Took me a lot longer than I intended, but here we are. @sofasoap This is for you❤️ Happy Star Wars Day✨

It’s a cute house.

Small and cosy. With a wide backyard you know your son is going to enjoy taking advantage. No neighbours for miles, and you’re sure your husband is going to thoroughly appreciate not having random people bother him at any given time of the day.

It’s a really cute house. A new beginning for your little family.

“Do you like it?” Din asks from behind you as you quietly walk through the door, taking in the interior.

He can’t see it yet but you’re already smiling. Beaming with joy. You don’t remember ever being this happy in your entire life. It is everything you could’ve ever dreamed of and so much more.

You were going to have to thank Karga later for this wonderful gift.

You feel your husband’s solid armour pressing at your beck, his arms wrapping around you with a gentle strength. “Riduur?”

The word jolts you out of your reverie. You lean into his embrace, restraining the urge to laugh in utter glee. You just have so much to say, so many thank you’s lining your tongue all at once.

Instead, your head shifts enough so you can press your lips on the side of his Beskar helm. “It’s perfect.”

“Are you sure?” You can hear the genuine worry in his voice. It was the need for him to have everything in place. “We can change a few things if you want.”

He’s always like this. Stoic on the outside, but secretly wracked with nerves if you wouldn’t like something. But anything he always gives you is always heartfelt and therefore, it is perfect just the way it is.

However, you tap your chin whilst pretending to contemplate. “Maybe the couch… or the curtains.”

As expected, he’s already backtracking. He releases his arms around you in an instant. “We can go right now–”

“Din, I’m kidding.” You turned around, giggling as you threw your arms around his neck. He was so easy to mess with sometimes. “This…”

The house. The child. The peace. Him. All of it. These are the things you didn’t think you would ever attain after Moff Gideon resurfaced. But after facing the impossible, after defeating him and his army, you can finally rest assured, knowing that nothing and no one can hurt you and your little family again.

“This is all I’ve ever dreamed of from the moment I fell in love with you.”

And you fell hard. You don’t think you can imagine your future with anyone else. The mere thought alone doesn’t sit right with you and you hope you never have to face the possibility of such a reality.

“You and me.” Your fingers trace the edge of his helm. “And a few little warriors running around our house as we grow old together.” His grasp tightens around you in agreement. “It’s all coming true now.”

“Part of it.” he says, glancing around. “We have the house, but…”

“But?” your brows raise in question.

“We only have one little warrior.” Heat floods your cheeks at his words.

This wasn’t something you and him have not spoken about before. Din has made it known that Mandalorians were raised with the ideals of family centred around them. And he has made it known that he wasn’t against the idea of expanding his clan. In fact, he was eager.

“What are you suggesting?” you asked slowly, smiling.

The heat of his gaze simmers lowly as he slowly backs you further into your new home. A slow progression of desire building between you and him that is only going to implode somewhere in the near future. 

“I think…” He unhurriedly pulls the helmet off and you can finally see the heat in his brown eyes. It drops to the floor when the curve of his nose brushes against yours and you can feel the warmth of his breath against yours. “The little womp rat needs a sibling.”

 “Or two.” You peck his lips. “Maybe three.”

A second later, his lips press against yours. It’s slow, heated, melting into your bones. You don’t hesitate to lace your fingers through his soft hair. He hums into your mouth as he clings to you, murmuring, “or four” into your mouth. 

You were right about one thing. Din is really going to appreciate having no neighbours.

Karga thoroughly enjoyed the fresh pastries you baked with your brand-new oven. 

“Keep feeding me like this and I'm going to grow larger by the day.” He bites into another cupcake while you laugh.

“You eat almost as much as the kid.” Din adds next to you, making you laugh harder while Karga almost chokes.

It's true. The only person who loved your sweet pastries more than Karga and Din was your son. Grogu never wastes a second to ‘help’ you in the kitchen when you’re baking, when really he’s just waiting for the chance to lick the batter off the spoon when you’re not looking. He is currently sleeping through a sugar coma in his floating pod.

In the midst of fixing his pillow, you glance around the small cafe to see an abundance of people. Some faces you were familiar with, but most were new.

You smile when you think about how different Nevarro is, compared to a few years ago. This little town is thriving in the best way possible. You were going to like it here.

Din doesn’t think he’s going to like it here.

There’s too many new eyes, too many unfamiliar faces. Granted, crime rates had lowered significantly after the scum of the earth was cleared out from this town, a lot more people came to settle down here.

Of course, that’s not a bad thing. It really isn’t.

But why is it that every time a strange face looks at you a certain way, alarm bells ring in his head?

He doesn’t want to be paranoid. However, he has been a bounty hunter for years. And if those years have taught him something, it is to always trust his gut.

And his gut is telling him that one of the new residents of Nevarro does not have the best intentions. For that, Din hardly catches a wink the following nights.

There's always that nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he's being watched. Or worse… you're being watched.

It's midnight when he sits next to you on the bed and watches you sleep. His bare fingers gently graze your cheek, careful not to stir you awake. That's one of the things he regrets; you quickly become a light sleeper because of him. Never felt safe enough to fall into a deep sleep when you know that someone with malicious intent might be lurking nearby.

Din hopes your sleep pattern might change back to the way it was before. He wants you to rest now. To be as comfortable as possible.

Your steady breaths are gentle waves washing his guilt away.  It soothes him in a way. Your peace. The lack of fear or worry. It makes him feel like after all the hell you went through while you were travelling with him, he's finally done something right to make you feel safe.

This little home on the outskirts of town is all he wanted for the kid and for you. A place where his clan can finally settle down and take root without any risks.

But this precious dream of his is being threatened again.

If he could allow himself to give into the thought of taking off his armour and lying down next to you, he would. But the pestering sensation of being shadowed by outsiders won't go away.

He reluctantly draws his hand away from you and puts his gloves back on. He makes sure the windows are locked and goes to the other room to ensure that Grogu is safe as well. The baby is just as blissfully unaware of the dangers outside as you are.

Din is determined to keep it that way for tonight.

“Staring is rude, you know.” you mutter behind your book before taking a sip of your juice.

Din tenses. “I’m not staring.”

“Maybe not at me.” You hum, your eyes crinkling as you turn another page. “The man behind me seems to be unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of your ire.”

He hates that you’re so perceptive. Your eyes are still drawn to the ink on the page, but it feels like you can see right through his armour. Din knows that you can most days.

The man sitting in the booth behind you isn’t as subtle as he thinks he is. Another stranger in town, another new Resident of Nevarro. This one claims to be here to start a new business. Something about selling rare droid parts. Din claims bantha shit. Karga would’ve told him about it yesterday at lunch.

This particular individual’s presence doesn’t sit well with him. Din isn’t sure he likes the way he looks at you.

“Only because he’s either trying to see what exactly you’re reading or he’s spying on you.” Both options make him burn with barely contained rage.

He hates this. After all that he’s been through to make sure his little family is alive and happy, it all amounted to nothing because this one person is making him feel uncomfortable in the one place where he’s supposed to be safe.

“Should we go back home?” You close your book and reach into the floating pod next to you, gently adjusting Grogu’s clothes so you can get a better look at him. “I think the kid’s had enough sunshine for today.”

The kid fell asleep not long ago. A couple of hours of frolicking around wiped him out.

Din stands up and helps you gather your bag. The pod is sealed shut and when he is sure it’s secured, his hand never leaves the small of your back as you make your way out of the cafe.

All while he is overly aware of your stalker’s eyes boring a hole in the back of his head.

He’s not surprised when Axe Wolves tells him that the man is a spy for what was left of Moff Gideon’s forces. Apparently the man claims to be starting a fresh page by settling on Nevarro. At least that’s what he told the entire town. If Din’s instincts didn’t scream imposter every time he looked at this man, he almost might believe him.

Almost.

The Mandalorians that had stayed behind on Nevarro mobilized immediately when Din voiced his concerns. They fully supported him, as they were also worried about their safety if they didn’t stay on guard.

Din should warn Bo-Katan. He doesn’t like the idea of more Imperials on Mandalore. One army of them was one army too many. The Empire had done everything it possibly could to destroy that planet and everything to do with it.

“From what we’ve gathered, he’s been scoping Gideon’s abandoned lab.” says Koska. “Amongst other places.”

Abandoned. But not forgotten. Karga hadn’t gotten around to clearing out that base and utilising the land for expanding more of the town. If the late Moff’s spies are still sniffing around, obviously, there must be something worth looking for there.

“Other places?” Din looks at him.

His lungs already constrict when he thinks about you and Grogu. You’re both at home, probably relaxing your worries away. He can already imagine you; laying down with a book in hand while watching over a sleeping baby with a serene expression. If there was someone watching you–

“We think he’s been spying on your home too.” Din’s jaw clenched tightly. “Given that it’s located in a remote area, I’d say he’s planning for an ambush.”

He didn’t need to hear another word. He was already on his way back to the house.

For all of the men he’s killed, this one brought out a certain maddening rage within him that he didn’t bother to temper once Koska was done getting information out of him.

The same man from the cafe had been terrified when he was caught. It didn’t take much for him to start talking. Gideon’s most loyal soldiers, those that survived anyway, needed resources. He was only sent there to see if the abandoned lab on Nevarro still had anything worth salvaging. And he was also told of a Mandalorian who lived outside the perimeter of the town. That he has a wife and child.

“I wasn’t gonna do anything, I swear!” he panted harshly after coughing up blood. Din had enjoyed torturing him. “I was just told to spy on them!”

The man’s hands were cuffed behind his back as he knelt against the rocky ground. His hair was dusty and skin was stained with blood from being kicked and beaten half to death. He was found not too far away from the house outside the town, laying against a rock with one eye closed. The other looked through the scope of a rifle.

The target? You. Enjoying a cup of chocolate milk on the porch as you watch Grogu hunt for frogs.

“Really?” Koska’s sarcastic barb. She dropped a bag with his belongings and held up one pouch. It clinked when she shook it. “Sounds like you got paid a lot more than to just spy.”

“I’m guessing that’s only half of it.” Axe scoffs, shaking his head. “He was going to collect the other half to get the job done.”

He would know that. Any experienced mercenary would.

If Din had been a second late, he would’ve returned home to find the scene of a crime. He would've lost you or the kid or worse. This world would've come crashing down.

Axe faces him, raising an eyebrow. “What do you think we should do with him, Din?”

What should he do? What he was already planning to do. He already knows what he's going to do to anyone who threatens the life that he's built here. To anyone who threatens you and Grogu.

“I think…” Din draws his vibroblade. The prisoner's eyes widened significantly, and it fills him with a sick satisfaction.“We should make an example out of him.”

Finally, for once, he gets to dole out justice. Rid the galaxy of one less vile monster. Make your world a little safer.

“If the others want to try something stupid, then they should know that there are consequences.”

Axe and Koska regard him carefully before both of them break into slow smirks. All three Mandalorians look at the prisoner.

A man, scared and helpless. Almost hard to believe that he was ready to stain his hands with the blood of a mother and her child. A family that had nothing to do with him. Innocent blood. Scum like him are lower than dirt.

He is not going to live past today.

And he knows it.

“No…” He shakes his head in denial, trying to crawl back away from them. “No, please–”

“Riduur?” Your sweet voice is all he could hear when he holds you in the dark. “Everything okay?”

He arrived home in the middle of the night after a successful hunt with Axe and Koska. He found you in Grogu’s room, making sure that his window was closed so that the midnight chill doesn’t bother him.

The fury of his violence still burns hot in his veins. It still occurs to him that you could’ve died today. That your life would’ve been cut short. He still wants to go back to that corpse, the one strung high on a pole for intruders to see and do even more damage than what was already done.

He wants Gideon’s remaining allies to see what he’s capable of. How far he’ll go to protect his clan. And how much farther he’ll go to avenge it if it ever comes to that. Din prays it’ll never have to come to that.

“It will be soon.” His embrace tightens.

He has no intention of ever being the cause of your distress. And he'll be damned if he lets anyone try to hurt you or his son ever again.

Your fingers graze the side of his helm. He's almost startled by your gentle tone, “Is this blood?”

“It’s not mine.” He did not realize how hollow he felt until he heard his own voice.

This entire ordeal drained him. Worrying over you. Finding the intruder and making sure he took his last breath. All of this rage, this despair flooding his chest, it’s taking more of a toll on him than he thought.

It doesn’t, however, mean he’s ever going to stop being on the lookout for any more threats. Karga is going to have to monitor any more incoming settlers and visitors to prevent this from happening again.

You’re quiet for a moment before you make a rhetorical inquiry, “Do I even want to know?”

Din removes his gloves behind your back and picks you up. You make no qualms as you allow him, legs wrapping around his waist and hands clinging to his neck as he carries you.

“I’ll tell you later.” 

If you have any worries about the blood staining his armour, you give no confessions. You, instead, lay your head against his shoulder. He feels your ease, your lack of judgement or resistance. You know that whatever it is he had to do, it was for the clan’s safety.

He holds you closer that night in bed. The violent fury slowly disintegrates with each kiss and each caress. Every second of the night, you fill the hollow space in his heart. You whisper to him, thanking him for protecting you and the child. For taking care of both of you.

His heart is content knowing that you would rather ride the stormy seas with him than sail in smooth waters with anyone else. All his life, he never would’ve imagined he’d come this far. He had always pictured dying on a battlefield with either a blaster or a blade in his hand.

But this? This is far better.

It’s the prettiest picture you’ve granted him. And he’ll cherish it for the rest of his life and beyond that.

Support my Ko-fi Star Wars Masterlist

Spider-Society Zoom Calls

katsuki being a girl dad is canon to me. there is no other truth except for this. he loves that little girl like she’s his life line — talks about her every chance he gets and has a picture of her missing her two front teeth on his desk at the agency. when she comes in on daddy-daughter work days, he lets her brag about how she has her big girl teeth now :(

he carries her round on one hip with her little red riot themed back pack in his other hand n his car keys between his teeth. sometimes if he’s wearing sunglasses to hide from paparazzi she’ll take them off to toy with them while his hands are through.

sniffs. katsuki spends extra time learning how to style and take care of her hair type — every weekend before pre school he lets her pick out the bows and hair clips and beads she wants to put in her hair.

he makes sure she knows her pleases and thank yous — he might have been a troubled kid but no daughter of katsuki bakugou is going to be impolite to people she’s never met. unless, of course, they’re stinky boys who pick on her in the sandbox. then she’s allowed to call them all sorts of names that bakugou has passed down onto her.

and bakugou, who still makes the time to tuck his little princess in at night, kiss her forehead and pull the blankets up to her nose whilst reading her favourite book for the nth time that week — even if he’s exhausted from patrol.

because bakugou is a girl dad through and through, and he loves his daughter more than he loves being in the world.

꒰ end. — all rights reserved © tteokdoroki 2023. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

❝ *･🎥 ·̩͙ TRUTH OR DRINK ❞ | ex high school sweethearts edition

[ tags : suggestive, maybe an exes to lovers trope, they used to be academic rivals to lovers!!! reader attends uni from out of the country (unspecified), unedited pls go easy on me ]

[ truth or drink m.list ]

you : i'm y/n.

kuroo : wait, are we starting?

[yeah.]

kuroo : oh, sorry, i'm kuroo.

you : and we're exes. from high school.

the video cuts to a text on a white background. the text says, 'exes from high school ask each other a set of random questions. they can either answer the question or take a shot.'

[how long did you guys date?]

kuroo : for like... two years?

you : yep. two years.

[do you guys still hang out together?]

you : yeah. we, like, share the same friend groups.

kuroo nods.

you : oh, but only when i'm in the country though.

kuroo : yeah, they just flew back here a few days ago. we've seen each other every day since then.

[when was the last time you hung out together?]

you : last night.

when your head turns to the camera, there are several raised eyebrows from the camera crew. realization dawns on you.

you : no. no-

kuroo : not- not like that.

you : yeah. wait, i mean- no. whatever, can we just take a shot?

the video cuts to both of you clinking your shot glasses together before downing the liquor down.

[who's going first?]

you : i will.

you clear your throat, eyes finally settling on the card in your hands. kuroo grins encouragingly.

you : do you still find me attractive?

kuroo : yes. of course.

you laugh while kuroo turns his head towards the camera. he raises his eyebrows suggestively with a grin on his face. you slap his arm.

[what about them is attractive?]

kuroo : everything. i mean, have you seen them? look at them.

you shrug your shoulders, trying to still seem nonchalant despite the warmth spreading up your neck.

you : you're not so bad yourself, i guess.

kuroo : you guess?

you : next question!

kuroo : what do you mean you guess???

you : you go.

kuroo shuffles forward and takes a card from the deck. kuroo smirks before reading the question.

kuroo : what was your favorite high school make out spot?

there's a few seconds that pass while you ponder your answer.

you : on second thought, i don't think we've ever really made out at school...

kuroo : yeah... i guess we spent most of high school competing with each other.

you : mhm.

kuroo : but i have to say my favorite would be the locker rooms.

your cheeks heat up, flashbacks of hushed voices and heated kisses flooding your head. you clear your throat and quickly regain your composure. noticing your behavior, kuroo smiles inwardly while he notes how easy it still is to read you. some things never change.

you : i remember when you first kissed me in the gym though.

kuroo chuckles.

[can you tell us more about that?]

you : we were fighting.

kuroo : no, we weren't. i wasn't doing anything, while you were going on and on about how i'm always ranked first in class and you're always second.

you roll your eyes before looking straight into the camera.

you : he never shuts up about it. he rubbed it in my face with every chance he got.

kuroo smiles. for a split second, he saw the younger, high school version of you as you complain. he missed you.

kuroo : so i kissed them.

you : i'm starting to think you being first place in class was only a scheme to date me.

kuroo : just accept it. i'm smarter than you are.

you : maybe. academically.

kuroo : sure, sure.

he waves a hand dismissively, resulting in you narrowing your eyes at him.

kuroo : you're always first in my heart though, sweetheart.

you : you are so irritating.

kuroo : you love me.

you curl your lip, feigning disgust. kuroo only laughs. there is a split second where a smile is shown on your face before the video cuts to the next scene.

you : who broke up with who, and how did it go down?

you are amused as you watch kuroo dramatically turn to the camera.

kuroo : they broke up with me. they told me they didn't love me anymore.

kuroo was going to face you again before he whips his head back towards the camera.

kuroo : and then!

you : there's an 'and then'?

kuroo : and then they fled the country.

you narrow your eyes.

you : you're making me sound like i'm an escape artist or some type of fugitive or something.

kuroo : you are.

you : wha-

kuroo : you're a criminal for stealing my h-

you kick him under the table. kuroo lets out an 'ow' and rubs his shin. there's more laughter from the crew.

kuroo : ooh, this one's interesting.

you : hurry up and read it then.

kuroo raises an eyebrow at you. you huff.

you : please.

you roll your eyes as kuroo grins, satisfied.

kuroo : kiss me like you did in high school.

kuroo notices when your lips form a straight line. you're nervous. kuroo moves his hand ever-so-slightly until it touches yours.

kuroo : should we drink instead?

you : no. no, it's fine, lets do it.

you start to lean over the table while kuroo's still in his seat.

kuroo : yeah. i mean, it'a not like it's been a while since we last kissed.

you :

kuroo : what? why are you looking at me like that?

kuroo is smirking slightly, which irks you.

you : you are so annoying.

kuroo : really?

you : tetsuro, just shut up and kiss me already.

kuroo finally leans over the table. when your lips finally meet, you get lost in the feeling of your lips melding with his. you turn your head to deepen the kiss, and kuroo follows suit instantly. you almost forget how there's still a camera recording your every move, and when you remember, you had to forcefully peel yourself away from him, leaving kuroo chasing after you before realization dawns on him too. it was long after you were settled in your seats before you start to speak up again.

you : right.

kuroo : ... nice.

you : nice.

you : it's my turn, right?

kuroo : mhm.

you pull a card from the deck, and groan instantly when you scan the words.

you : describe our last time having sex.

kuroo laughs. it's unclear whether it's out of amusement or nervousness.

kuroo : should be easy. you know, since it was just yesterday.

you : yeah.

you and kuroo share a look.

[would you like to elaborate?]

you chuckle nervously.

you : we're lying. obviously.

kuroo : we like to lie, yeah. that's... a thing we do.

you : our mothers would be ashamed.

kuroo : horrified.

you : yeah.

kuroo : yeah.

the scene cuts to both of you clinking your glasses and downing your shot together. two awkward smiles are worn after the glasses are empty.

kuroo : what's the biggest secret you've kept from me?

you : dang... i don't know, actually. do you have one?

kuroo shrugs.

kuroo : sure.

you : what is it?

kuroo : babe, this is your question.

you : oh. right.

you chuckle awkwardly, your gaze flitting up to the ceiling.

you : i lied when i said i fell out of love.

kuroo :

you : when we broke up.

when you finally manage to return kuroo's gaze, you are shocked to see the unbothered expression on his face.

kuroo : wow. really?

you : you don't sound surprised.

kuroo : y/n, i've known you since middle school.

you :

kuroo : you're not exactly the best liar. i knew you were trying to make leaving the country easier for both of us.

you : oh.

kuroo : yeah. oh.

you : whats your secret then?

a thin, slightly lopsided smile forms on kuroo's lips. your heart skips a beat.

kuroo : i still love you.

you've heard this the night before, but now that you're hearing him say it fully sober, you're sure your heart just leaped out of your chest and started running off elsewhere.

you : oh.

kuroo : oh?

you : what were you expecting me to reply with?

kuroo : i don't know, an 'i still love you too'?

kuroo's voice drops to a loud whisper.

kuroo : we could make this juicy for the viewers.

you laugh.

you : i already said i lied when i said i fell out of love with you.

kuroo grins. not the usual mischievous one, but one where he's baring his row of pearly whites in earnest joy.

kuroo : so you still love me.

you : not for long.

kuroo : you wound me.

you : good.

there is no more tension in the air when the video cuts to the next scene. your shoulders are visibly less tense and kuroo's hands are toying with one of your hands. you proceed to read out the card on your other hand.

you : did you always know that we wouldn't last?

kuroo : no. we're obviously made for each other.

the corners of kuroo's lips tug up into a grin. you sigh.

you : i guess nobody can put up with you as well as i do.

kuroo : you're my for lifer, babe.

you : you are going to be the death of me.

*･🎬 ·̩͙ special cut

after the director yells cut, the camera crew disperses almost immediately. you stand up from your seat, feeling the pressure of everyone's eyes on you fade away.

kuroo : well that was fun.

you nod. as he rises from his seat, kuroo lets his curiosity take over and takes the stack of cards from the table. he starts flipping through them, letting his eyes briefly scan each question.

kuroo : these questions were really- oh, y/n, answer this one.

you peek over his shoulder, reading the question yourself while kuroo reads it aloud.

kuroo : of all the lovers, where do you think i rank?

you : hm... probably last.

kuroo's jaw drops. you bite your lip to keep your laughter at bay.

kuroo : wow. woooooow.

you : tetsuro.

kuroo : and to think that we had something special.

you roll your eyes, watching as kuroo brings his palm to his chest, acting like you just shot him in the heart.

you : drama queen.

kuroo : drama queen? drama quee-

you kiss his cheek, which shuts him up in effect.

you : you're literally the first and only relationship i've ever had, dummy.

you leave kuroo in his place, whom you've managed to keep frozen in place. the camera catches you flashing a cheeky grin towards his direction before disappearing off camera completely. the last thing seen before the camera's turned off is kuroo chasing after you, despite still being in a stuttering mess.

☆ tomorrow with you ☆

Synopsis: a mission gone right leaves you injured and full of thoughts. leading you to your hiding spot that only one person knows of. whos that person? well no other then Maki, your special person.

a/n: this was requested by @lovelymaki i hope your doing well and i hope this helps to make you feel better, even if its just a little. this ended up being a littler more angsty and reader driven then intended, bc i ended up putting a lot of my own pent up emotions into it hehe, but i wanted maki to be a pillar of sorts for reader.

included: maki (jjk)

!tw! injuries, reader thinks alot about their choices thus far

 There were days where you regretted becoming a jujutsu sorcerer. Sure the pay was good, but you weren’t quite sure if that made up for the bruises and cuts that littered your body. You were lucky you made it out with only a large, but shallow, gash on the side of your stomach, a few bruises and a cut on your cheeks. Everything should heal without trouble, but the gash will scar, Shoko told you. Her voice was muffled by the cigarette between her cherry-colored lips. You thanked her and left the infirmary and limped slowly back to your room. 

 You knew that you should be grateful. Grateful that you were able to see, to walk, to breathe. You were thankful, yes, no doubt. But that doesn't mean that you won’t get used to it. Not to the aching bones, dark patches on your soft skin, the scars or the pure exhaustion you faced after exerting too much curse energy. 

 It was part of your life as a jujutsu sorcerer, yet you didn’t know if it was worth it. 

 The halls were dark. Cold from the season’s transition. The autumn leaves, once blazing with the colors of fire, laid brown and shriveled to the ground. Trees barren of life. Only the slimmest view of the moon could be seen in the clear night. 

 A deep sigh left your lips. You didn’t want to go back to the room, knowing that it would only begin again the moment your head touches your pillows. You didn’t want to sleep yet. You didn’t think you could.

 You took a left, down the dark hall out the door into the silent night. Your feet dragged against the stone path, your shoes hanging loosely in your hands. You could feel the dampness of the ground on your bare feet. You didn’t mind. 

 Eventually you found yourself at the observatory, which served less as an observatory but more as a storage unit, or in your case, your secret hide out. It was far from the school’s main building. Secluded and isolated. You spent a lot of your time here. 

 It overlooked the large forest that kept Jujutsu Tech hidden. On clear days, you could see the twinkling lights of Tokyo below you. Today was one of those nights. It was barely visible, but it was enough for you. 

 Oftentimes you’d find yourself here all alone. Away from the rest of your classmates and teachers. It was nice for the most part. Nobody knew where you went. They’d asked, but you’d reply with a vague and simple answer ‘your moms house’. 

 Okay, maybe not a good or really acceptable answer (gojo loved it, but principle yaga? not so much) 

 Either way, no one bothered you. So you were able to get lost in your thoughts. Without a single interruption. 

 “You should be resting”

 Ah, you forgot. Of course, she would be able to track you down without trouble. She knew where you went and would occasionally join you. 

 She, being the one and only, Maki Zenin. 

 Slumping forwards, you leaned your head against the cold metal of the railing, “Good to see you too, sweetcheeks.”

 Her palm collided with the back of your head. Soft, yet firm enough for you to feel her worry. Her back collided with the railing, shaking it slightly. Facing away from the cliff, she huffed, “you shouldn’t be walking around in the cold with no shoes. You’ll get sick.”

 You stifled a laugh. Glancing at her, you admired the way the light of the moon highlighted her strong features. Strong nose and jawline, sharp brows and eyes. Yet, her cheeks were soft and smooth, lips even more so. Her normal distant gaze was grounded, almost soft when her eyes moved to meet yours. Something twinkled in her eyes, you weren’t sure if you imagined it. 

 Her lips split into a grin. Rose pink lips stretching to show her white teeth. She said something, you didn’t hear it. Too busy staring at her. Your heart is beating louder than her blunt voice.

 “Are you even listening to me?”

 “Huh?” You blinked. 

 Rolling her eyes, she gestured back to the direction of the school. “We should head back. It’s cold and it’s late.”

 “Oh.”

 You would be lying if you said that you wanted to go back, because you didn’t. You didn’t want to go back and repeat today. Go back and do the whole routine all over again. You didn’t know if it was worth it.

 A part of you wanted to burst out crying. Another wanted to fall to the ground and let the earth eat you whole. Let the bugs dig into your flesh and return you back to where you started. To close your eyes and imagine floating through space. Imagine the waves against your bare legs. Imagine the warm comforting glow of the cafe light and warm drink in your hands. Imagine Maki’s laugh and her charming grin. Imagine anything else but going back to your cold room, bare of anything but your uniform and shoes, sheets and Maki’s sweater she lent you long ago that you never returned. 

 But one look at her worried gaze made you stop your train of thoughts. You knew she would never let you go through with that. Her grip on you was too strong, whether she knew it or not. You couldn’t let Maki see you so low. You didn’t want her to think so lowly of you. 

 Your train of thought was interrupted by a warm hand cupping your own. You didn’t realize how cold you were until now. You especially didn’t realize that tears began to slide down your cheeks until she wiped them away. She didn’t say anything and you were far too embarrassed to look at her. 

 Slowly her arms wrapped around you and brought you incredibly close. Your head resting against her shoulder. Hands, rough from years of training and mistreatment, cradled you. Soft, but firm, as if you’d run away.

 Intimacy between you and Maki wasn’t uncommon. But intimacy initiated by her was. It was always you who intertwined your hands, or pecked her cheek, or loudly pronounced your undying loyalty and love to her. So this was different.

 Her arms, strong and firm, felt so good, so comforting around your waist. Her scent, clean and earthy, made your trembling stop. You felt safe, secure, more so than you’ve felt in a long time.

 “Y’know, I don’t want to go back yet, actually.” She murmured into your hair. “I’ll skip my morning job. Itadori does one and everytime he sees me, he wants to train. He has too much energy in the morning, if you ask me.”

 “You never skip your morning jog, Maki.” You sniffed. Her grip on you tightened when you began to move around to look at her. 

 Sighing softly, she murmured, “well, tomorrows a different day. I can afford to take a day off and relax, I'm not a robot, y’know.”

 Oh.

 You felt dumb, really dumb. So dumb you couldn’t help but laugh. Of course, if there was one person in this entire school, no entire world, who could see right through you, it would be Maki. Maki could see right through you, to her your body was like a window to your heart. To your desires, to your thoughts and fears. You felt so dumb for trying to hide anyting from her. 

 Maki had always been there for you and with you since your freshman year. She has seen every embarrassing, happy or devastating moment of your life since. And you’ve seen hers as well. You’ve been so caught up in your own mind that you forgot about her and the bond you shared.

 She must have been waiting for you to come to her. And you never did. 

 You didn’t deserve her. Not after this.

 “Lets go to the cafe you like, the one by the port. I heard they added a new seasonal drink.” She said, her fingers rubbing circles on your back. “You deserve a break too.”

 Your lips wobbled. You really need to stop pretending like Maki didn’t know how your mind works. Of course, she could already see your self-deprecating thoughts from a mile away. 

 She was Maki, your best friend. Really your best everything. If she was there with you, you were positive you could continue to walk forwards. She would be there to catch you if you faltered and you would do the same. 

 Fate had brought you together and you were going to fight your damn hardest to stay together.

 Burying deeper into the dip of her shoulder, you nodded. A smile creeping up onto your lips. “Yeah, I’d like that alot.”

 “Good.”

 You let yourself relax in her warm hold. Let yourself breathe a deep sigh as her lips made contact with your hairline. Let the flush on your cheeks warm and darken and heart boom in your chest the longer her lips lingered. 

 You weren’t sure if a life of jujutsu sorcery was for you, but you were positive that a life where you and Maki stayed together, was one worth fighting for.