𓄀𐚁⊹₊ ⋆ Dirty Girl

A GRIEVING HEART (pt. 3), kamisator ayato/reader.

SYNOPSIS... so it would seem there's a bit of eternity left in us all OR KAMISATO AYATO could never begin to understand the change that is love.

⋆ warnings, kamisato ayato & fem-presenting!reader, gentle angst, hehe in-laws, THE CHILD (sora), introduction of reader's family, + comfort for once :) [making a part 4 bc i want a better happy ending tbh]

⋆ notes, thinking about how i was just sobbing my eyes out to 'nobody gets me' by sza for no reason

⋆ tags! @stellakito @iiyumii @neverlandlostchild @hotgirlshit5 @jureminha @yunniemai1 @iamnotobsessed @irisxiel @lumpywolf @mrs-heelshire @kunikuzushisbeloved @pineapplesneedrights @kiyoomiwo @hyunromi @simplyhumanlol @esthelily @chiisananingen @xxevil-pleasurexx @eclevx @jcrml @xiaosonlybeloved @lightoftheamethyst

"WHAT is the meaning of this?!" of the elders slams the paper in his hand down hard on the table, expression incredulous, as if you had asked to give up the entirety of the clan's assets (which you weren't). "this is... preposterous!"

you remain calm sipping your milk tea, not allowing your expression of indifference to waver once. if your mother had taught you anything about being a matriarch, it was that remaining calm out of spite left you on the higher end of the negotiation.

you meet the eyes of every elder in the room, most have begun to break out in protests but one, in particular, remains calm and amused. her violet irises are unmistakable behind her cloak disguise and her interest moves you to continue. "are you all finished?"

this causes a sudden silence to settle over the room, all the attention now brought back to you. "you all seem to have forgotten who the matriarch of this clan is," you begin, eyes narrowed at the highest sitting elder in particular. "perhaps the years i took to raise my daughter in another estate gave you all the opportunity to think that even for one second this clan was yours to do what you pleased?"

"who was it that forged the non-aggression agreement with the tenryou commission? hm? who saved the clan from an investigation by the kanjou commission because some elders seemed to confuse business expenses with fraud?" you take a deep breath, voice still calm. "who spent years suffering through a loveless marriage simply to redeem the image of our entire clan and remain in the favor of the almighty shogun?"

your eyes tear across the elders' expressions, taking in the varying complexions of nervousness and frustration. "if any of you think for even a moment to question my claim to the hayashi clan, then i extend you all the invitation to make your case..." your eyes settle on the head elder. "or keep your mouths shut."

slow clapping emerges from the back of the room, the cloaked figure coming to stand and making her way to the front of the room. there's satisfaction in her eyes when she meets yours. "ara ara, it would seem you have truly grown up, little heiress," she muses. upon recognition, everyone bows their head in greeting.

"t-the elders of the hayashi clan greet the raiden shogun, almighty ruler of the city of eternity." no one dares to raise their head early.

raiden ei waves her hand in dismissal, putting everyone around the room at ease from their greetings. you bow your head, greeting your old teacher. "ei-sensei."

"what is this about marriage troubles i hear?" she turns to examine the expressions of the rest of the elders. "i may not have personal experience in the matter, but i'm sure it's old law to 'do unto him what any man has done you wrong', no?"

nobody in the room offers their thoughts, none looking to speak up before their great ruler. "hm? you all were so enthusiastic earlier to argue authority, why do you all hold your tongues now?"

the first elder speaks up. "i-it's not that we were... questioning authority, your excellence, j-just that perhaps we shouldn't jump to the most extreme of measures... as divorce is..."

"extreme? unfavorable? unadvantageous?" raiden ei hums amusedly to herself, turning to face you, her violet irises sparkling with intelligence. "i would say agreeing to an arranged marriage simply to satiate the greed of clan elders is a little extreme, no?"

you smile at that. "i concur."

the shogun turns to face the rest of the elders in the room. "you all may be the elders of the clan but i don't believe it to be very wise to question the judgement of the hayashi heiress, after all, i'm sure you all enjoy your own personal luxuries which would not have been possible if not for the sacrifice of your beloved matriarch."

looking at the room full of elders, you supposed it didn't hurt to come back home after all these years.

"if loss has taught me one thing," ei begins, coming to stand next to you at the balcony overlooking the sea. "it is that a grieving heart is the most unwelcoming of change."

the wind blows quietly as the sun begins to settle on the city, soft indigo and violet beginning to waltz into the skies. you suppose it's around the evening hour when sora will be returning home from her tutor lessons. "is grief something the raiden ei is familiar with?"

her smile is faint, but she hums lightly. "more than i wish to be." you remember hearing about her sister makoto, and how the loss brought her to retire to the plane of euthymia. "i may not be able to fight your battles, but i wish you eternal courage. she touches your arm lightly and small purple arcs of electro appear to gather where your skin meets hers.

your vision hums where it rests above the plane of your breasts, responsive to its giver. you bow, "the matriarch of the hayashi clan bids farewell to the almighty shogun."

and then you're watching as a pair of guards escort her from the estate, the evening breeze beginning to embrace you.

your mother used to lull you to sleep with stories of her younger days, the adventures, and the thrill. you remember how fixated you were on the tales of father courting her, all the gifts, dramatic proposals, and gloriously embarrassing serenades. the thought of your mother's many rejections has you chuckling to yourself as you watch the sky shift in rosy hues.

"oh, the things love will bring you to do..." she'd say wistfully, kissing you on your temple before bidding you goodnight.

and every night, your father would be waiting by the door, ready to welcome your mother into his arms as they waltzed to retire to their own bedroom for the night, nothing short of enamor in their eyes.

the wind tickles your eyes when you cry and you allow your posture to fold in on itself, your arms wrapped tightly around yourself.

and you weep.

because maybe you wished to be loved a little too.

part 1 ! | part 2 ! | part 4 ! (still in progress)

© tb3ih mmxxiii all rights reserved.

Howl’s Moving Castle - Fan art by Julia Tveritina

Guys my age - Dilf König x reader

König, quien está con reposo medico en un país extranjero, solo quiere silencio en una ciudad ruidosa entonces decide frecuentar una biblioteca cerca de su residencia. Pronombres femeninos. No tw por el momento

✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ* 01 ✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ✭˚･ﾟ✧･ﾟ*

Sabias que estaba mal, era incorrecto, inmoral.

Sin embargo ahí estabas arreglando tu cabello frente al espejo dentro del baño de tu trabajo, sabes que está mal pero aún así decides retocar tu maquillaje y rociar un poco de perfume en tu cuello. 

Era la tercera vez esa semana que aquel hombre entraba a la biblioteca y se quedaba cuatro horas haciendo nada, simplemente se sentaba en un sofá del fondo y cerraba sus ojos mientras recostaba su cabeza. Aquel hombre era hermoso, magnifico, majestuoso. 

Su altura alcanzaba fácilmente los dos metros, no solo era alto; aquel hombre era agraciado por donde fuera visto, una espalda ancha y unos brazos musculoso, probablemente no le resultaría difícil alzarte para luego...

No.

Sabes que estás actuando de una manera acosadora, sabías que reconocer cada característica de su rostro sin alguna vez haber hablado con el era raro, pero, pero también sabias que no podías evitarlo; aquel hombre era magnifico, un rostro masculino bien definido, nariz recta, su labio inferior era mas grueso que el superior y su labio superior tenía cicatriz que cruzaba hasta su mejilla, cabello rubio al ras y unos hipnotizantes ojos azules. 

Te hubieras inventado una conversación, probablemente hubieras chocado con él accidentalmente mientras regresabas libros a sus estantes y entonces habría surgido una conexión, preguntarle si tiene un genero favorito, gustos musicales; tantas maneras de iniciar una conversación si no fuera por ese anillo en su dedo anular. 

Un maldito circulo dorado arruinó tus planes.

Era obvio que semejante hombre iba a estar casado, ¿Cómo será ella?¿o él?¿serían felices? mierda, era algo con lo que no contabas. 

Sabes que está mal, sin embargo ya es muy tarde para arrepentirse cuando llegas hasta su lado, intentas tocar su hombro y antes de poder reaccionar ya estás contra el piso con el encima tuyo. Todo da vueltas y entonces sientes su pierna en tu espalda para evitar que te muevas, su respiración es acelerada y su agarre es fuerte.

Todo se siente tenso y pasan unos pequeños segundos hasta que finalmente aquel hombre habla, pero no está hablando tu idioma y tu no puedes tener mas confusión. Su voz es ronca y grave, esto causa estragos en tu estomago y si el escenario fuera diferente probablemente te estarías derritiendo ante aquel acento. 

Cierto.

Aquel hombre seguía sobre ti y tu solo podías pensar en su voz, probablemente era la falta de aire que llegaba a tu cuerpo debido a la posición en la que te tenía o también podía ser esa atracción hacia él. Como fuera, debías actuar rápido antes de que aquel hombre te dejara inconsciente.

-¿podría por favor dejarme ir?- soltaste un suspiro de alivio cuando por fin te soltó, sin previo aviso te levantó y te dejó de pie, todo el esfuerzo puesto a tu cabello quedó arruinado, tu labial barato completamente esparcido en tu rostro. Aquel hombre había causado un desastre en ti y ni siquiera de una manera sexual. Sus ojos mostraban arrepentimiento, casi pudiste compararlo con un cachorro al que acaban de regañar; aquello era imposible pues no existía un cachorro tan grande como aquel hombre. Sacudiste tu ropa sacando el polvo inexistente mientras aparentabas tranquilidad, por supuesto, que un atractivo hombre te tacleara era completamente normal, algo de todas las semanas. 

Pudiste notar nerviosismo en su postura, tras unos eternos segundos de silencio, aclaró su garganta y habló: 

-Yo… de verdad lo lamento, fui tomado por sorpresa y aunque eso no tiene justificación de verdad me disculpo 

Su voz era todo lo contrario a cuando hablaba la lengua que escuchaste anteriormente, esta vez era suave y arrastraba algunas silabas haciéndolas sonar cargadas, probablemente alemán. -No tengo excusa, yo-

-Está bien- Lo interrumpiste - También tengo culpa, no debí acercarme de esa manera a ti. 

Ambos se miraron sin saber que decir a continuación, tenías el presentimiento de que podrían estar ahí parados disculpándose todo lo que quedaba de tarde. Antes de poder reaccionar volviste a hablar: 

-Lo lamento

-Lo siento

Ahí, ambos al mismo tiempo ofreciendo disculpas te diste cuenta que te llevaba una gran diferencia de altura; estabas frente a el y no llegabas a su hombro. 

-De verdad no hay necesidad de pedir disculpas, ya es algo del pasado- probablemente te iba a doler la espalda por el resto de la semana pero no podías desaprovechar la oportunidad de hablar con tu crush- De todos modos solo venía a decir que estamos por cerrar.

Era verdad, nadie había presenciado el incidente porque ya no había nadie en la biblioteca aparte de él y tu. Querías cerrar pronto, subir a tu casa y tomar un buen baño de burbujas. 

Ambos se sonrieron, aquella sonrisa rara e incomoda, dejaste el paso libre y entonces el iba delante y tu detrás hasta la salida. De verdad era un hombre grande, un paso de el eran dos tuyos y rápidamente te dejó atrás, mientras se disculpaba en voz baja, a su paso dejaba una fragancia masculina; un olor agradable que impregnó tus fosas nasales. Frente a la puerta de la biblioteca quedaron frente a frente y repetiste por ultima vez.

-De verdad ya no debes disculparte…..

-König, mi nombre es König.

Dios, König  estaba nervioso y extremadamente asustado, nunca pensó que ella se acercaría de esa manera hacia él, sabia que el entrenamiento no era una excusa; ella era una civil y la biblioteca no era el campo de batalla. 

Estas en casa, todo es seguro. 

Una frase que debía repetir todo el día, cada segundo en su mente pues esta a veces lo traicionaba. Estaba perturbado, tanto ruido en sus misiones hicieron que el ruido de ciudad fuera insoportable, tan detestable que debió buscar un lugar silencioso y nada mejor que una biblioteca. Nunca esperó que esta estuviera dirigida por alguien tan bella.

Era claro que eras mas joven que él, probablemente todavía en tus veinte y él ya se sentía un ser prehistórico cerca tuyo. Tenia miedo de inhalar muy fuerte y llevarse tu juventud, sabia que no iba a la biblioteca solo por el silencio, si había sido la razón inicial pero cuando te vio inevitablemente pasaba casi todos los días ahí, solo para sentir tu presencia. 

Esa atracción hacia ti no le gustaba para nada, pues sabia que su esposa probablemente lo odiaría.

Who is she? PT 3

You can't take it anymore.

ft. Satoru, Suguru, Choso, Nanami, Sukuna, Toji

CW: Angst, men being men, arguments. 🙄

A/N: Hi besties! Hope you enjoy part 3, more to come! Also I'm sorry if someone had already requested to be tagged when I posted this. Unfortunately I won't be taking any more additions to the taglist as it takes a lot of my time to go searching around for people. I'll be keeping the ones already tagged of course! If you had requested before and I skipped you just shoot me a message and I'll add you.

PT. 2

Tag list:

@v1x3n @haruchiyoreen @riameriash @kitises @collectionofdolls @redmushr0om @satorushousewife @linaaeatsfamilies @soobsdior @sa4vvyyt @heh123321 @iluv-ace @erishishigami @pimento-mori @aphroditesworld15 @lov3vivian @entr4p3 @exquisitenesss @linaaeatsfamilies @ilovegetosuguru @trsh-kitty @yunho-leeknow @peachesvault @herefor-tojis-tits @piggaloaf @boyimjustaloserforyourlove @hoshies1 @maybe-a-bi-witch @dreamingoftomorroww @sleepyoriana @moncher-ire @kuroosluthoe @serendididy @garejuremuzum @tojisrealwifey @prettysleppy325 @d1gital-data @luvsymai @yourname-exee @satorusprites @agustdeeyaa @pandabiene5115 @justbelljust @miscellaneous-misty @sweetlyvibe @namjooningera @sh0ot1ngst4r @hvnnibvni @dazaisfavgf @your-favorite-god @jkrafe @ietss @justonemoresworld @kisswoshita @rawwrrgal @castiel2dope @chckn-pi @rax-writes @astragat @chckn-pi @haloyesme @aneternallyexhaustedpigeon @sataurnv3 @jasminelee324

Hello! Apologies. I was unsure how to contact you! But for your transgender reader headcanons, what does the reader identify as? Male? Female?

male pls, sorry 4 no specify andd, can you do it angst to fluff? srry, it's my first time doing this 😫😫

Daddy Dearest

Smau: in which the jjk men are your father but they're not very good ones Warnings: angsty, not proofread Featuring: Gojo, Geto, Choso, Toji, Nanami, Sukuna

STRESS RELIEF | KAZUHA

IN WHICH: you're a picture perfect student who does nothing but study. he's a slacker who never misses a smoke sesh, but this time, you're invited.

contents- usage of marijuana

(not proofread)

the white haired boy always came late to class with nothing but a joint tucked inbetween his ear, or, some days if he's feeling extra studious, he'd replace it with a pencil. his bandaged hands were always empty, and fiddled with his red lighter under his desk in order to keep himself entertained as lecture continued.

so it was a great shock to you when after various amounts of awkward eye contact, he finally spoke to you, making an unexpected request.

"will you help me study?"

you were a straight A student, always the first one to finish tests, constantly studying in lab, and you never missed a day of class. maybe you were too good of a student and it caused you to lack friends, as your attention was always in the dimly lit screen of your laptop, hurrying to finish up an essay way before it's due date.

however, after some convincing, well more like, constant pestering from kazuha, you finally agreed.

you'd help him study at his place tonight.

that's what you agreed to anyway.

but what you didn't agree to was the high amount of awkward tension that arose between the two of you as he sat close to you, almost hovering over you as he "read" from your textbook.

"it's really not that difficult to understand. maybe let's revise it once more." you suggested, as you slowly scooted away from him.

he slightly threw his head down and let out an amused smirk at your rejection. "god, you read shit like this 24/7 while sober? i commend you." kazuha said, leaning his arm against the table as he turned his body to face you.

"well in what state am i supposed to study in? because it's certainly not drunk nor high." you sighed as you erased his math work, handing him the paper in order to redo it. "you got number 5 & 8 wrong."

he ignored your attempt at changing the topic. "you're always so caught up with your study, do you ever let loose?"

you stayed silent for a bit. you really haven't ever "let loose", you've never had time for it. but to you, it was a little lame, so you decided to lie. "yeah."

"liar."

"i'm not lying."

kazuha let out a small chuckle at your persistence. "so, you wouldn't mind rolling up right now then?"

"rolling up? uh, like, a joint?" you questioned, slightly raising your brow in suspicion.

"yeah. a joint. believe it or not, it'll help us focus a bit more. maybe i'll finally get question 5 right."

you were a bit taken aback by how casually he suggested smoking. it's not like you had anything against it but it just wasn't...you.

so you had no idea how you ended up actually considering it. i mean, exams were approaching, so you've been doing nothing but slaving yourself in the library, and as much as you hated to admit it. you were stressed beyond belief, and somehow, kazuha noticed this as well.

--maybe that's why you both ended up taking long drags of the blunt he'd rolled. with you coughing almost every time you pulled.

kazuha was nothing but amused right now. he wasn't expecting you to actually agree, and it was almost weird to him to see you like this. "so, how are you feeling?" he asked, ashing the blunt on the table before he took another pull.

"i feel okay, i guess." you lied once again. you were definitely feeling the effects of the weed. your mind that was once only filled with anxiety and stress of the next due date of your assignments was now at peace, and you were definitely more aware of your surroundings.

and you couldn't help but notice just how attractive this slacker was.

the red streak on his bangs contrasted his platinum white hair that was tied into a messy half up half down updo, but enhanced his deep red eyes that looked down at the blunt placed inbetween his lips as he relit it.

he finally spoke again as he was able to relight the blunt, taking a long pull and blowing it almost directly in your face. "wanna feel even better?" his voice was low, as sultry as the corners of his mouth curved into a mischievous smirk.

"like, how?"

kazuha placed his free hand on your thigh, slowly running it further up to your inner thigh as he leaned himself close to you, his marijuana scented breath tickling your neck as he spoke.

"allow me to help you relieve some stress."

kazuha looked back at you, his usual softly hued red eyes now burnt with lust as he watched you, awaiting your response.

you were silent for a while, as the blunt burned slowly in his fingers, the smoke seemed to be the only thing that moved as everything else seemed perfectly still.

kazuha took another pull of the blunt that had significantly shortened in size. but this time, he didn't inhale it fully, he kept it in his mouth, moving the smoke side to side before he grabbed your chin, pulling your face only centimeters away from his.

he slightly opened his mouth, the smoke now more dense as it lingered within. you were slightly confused as you copied his movements, hesitantly opening yours as well.

kazuhas lips grazed against yours as he blew the smoke into your mouth, this caught you off guard, but you inhaled it nevertheless.

he didn't move his face away from yours as you inhaled the smoke. instead, his lips met yours, kissing you deeply. the taste of mint mixed with the marijuana that lingered on his tongue intoxicated you, causing you to return the kiss.

you slightly opened your mouth, allowing his soft tongue to enter, intertwining with yours as the kiss deepened and became more erotic. he pressed his body against yours further, pushing you down onto the couch.

kazuha was laying now on top of you, his hand still gripping your thigh as he slowly moved it up and down in a sensual manner. whilst his other hand still holding the blunt that was still lit.

your soft moan of pleasure and the way you interlocked your fingers into the back of his head, gripping a handful of his hair, pushing his lips deeper into yours seemed to be his turning point as he put out the blunt by pressing his against the table, refusing to break the kiss.

"you've ever been kissed like this?" his lips grazing against yours as he spoke.

"...no."

he seemed to have liked this answer as you felt his cold fingers tease your skin when he slipped his hand under your shirt and under your bra, kissing you once more, biting and sucking your tongue every time it entered his mouth.

the tension between you two was only rising as the kiss became more intimate. your body which rose in temperature was fully pressed against his, and you could feel him harden against you.

kazuha bit your bottom lip as he pulled away from the kiss, his hand still caressing your thigh in a suggestive manner.

you took a deep breath as you looked at him, and the awkwardness that was once there was now replaced by high sexual tension that pervaded throughout the room.

"i'll take you up on that offer." you finally answered.

taking a bath(⁠๑⁠´⁠•⁠.̫⁠ ⁠•⁠ ⁠`⁠๑⁠)

The Gray Reunion

Vi x reader

Words: 1.5k

Warnings: Violence, mentions of illness, blood, slightly spicy kisses ;)

Summary: In the midst of the chaos, you struggle to help the people of the Lanes. The truth behind the disaster sparks a confrontation that will test your bonds

Note:English is not my first language, sorry

In the past few hours, your modest apartment had turned into chaos. At least a dozen people had knocked on your door seeking help, intoxicated by something you hadn’t seen in years.

They could barely fit into the small living room, which also served as your kitchen and bedroom, waiting for you to help them, coughing out toxic fumes. Everyone expected you, just as your father had done in the past, to help or offer a solution, but you were completely lost, fumbling with medical supplies that had been stored away for years.

"The gray," murmured an older woman who was holding her husband as he struggled to breathe.

"That’s impossible," you replied. "We haven’t had problems with that in years, the ventilation system..."

"Then there must be a leak," she interrupted, raising her voice before a violent cough cut her off. You watched as her hand was splattered with blood. She inhaled deeply before continuing, "I’ve been through this before, but we don’t have the years on us anymore. Your father treated it countless times. Doesn’t he have notes somewhere?"

You sighed in defeat. "I’ve lost most of Dad’s things over the years. All I have left is what you see." You placed the stethoscope on a child’s back to listen to his breathing. "There’s nothing I can do. We just have to wait for the lungs to clean themselves... and stay far from the leak."

A collective groan arose from the people packed into your small space. "And how are we supposed to do that? We live there! Where can we go?" Various complaints began to rise.

"I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t. We just have to wait until they repair the leak."

"They’re not going to fix it! It’s those damn enforcers! They’re killing us to get to Jinx!" Another wave of murmurs rippled through the room.

You tried to remain calm. Could that be true? Were the people above really capable of poisoning everyone just to catch Jinx? Those above had taken so much from you already that it seemed entirely plausible. But then an image came to mind—Violet. She was in Piltover now, and she would never let this happen, not to the place that had been her home for so many years and still was yours. Right?

You continued your work, trying to calm the rebellion brewing in your living room, tending to the most severe cases of nosebleeds and eye hemorrhages. But there wasn’t much more you could do. Around three in the morning, the last person finally left.

Exhausted, you collapsed onto your bed, utterly defeated. Chances were, all the patients you’d seen today would return tomorrow with new symptoms. It was impossible to recover from the gray while constantly exposed to it. You knew that if it was a crack, it would take years to fix. And if it was intentional, if they were hunting Jinx... that would also take time. There was no way they’d catch her.

A knock on the door kept you from falling completely asleep. You cursed under your breath—new patients. Your father’s voice echoed in your mind, reminding you how he wouldn’t rest until he’d helped the last person who needed him. You repeated the phrase to yourself before getting up to answer the door, only to be met with a great surprise.

Vi stood there, but the most shocking thing was her outfit. She was dressed as a full-fledged officer, an enforcer. You couldn’t suppress a gasp of utter disbelief. You had spent years of your life together; you knew her story as well as your own, and never would you have imagined the possibility of her wearing something like that—not even as a joke.

"I’m truly surprised," you murmured. She scoffed in irritation. You stepped aside to let her in, and she dropped her new, heavy gloves onto your floor. You bit your lip to keep from scolding her.

The past few days had been madness: Vi’s return, the search for Jinx, and your responsibilities trying to honor your father’s legacy had left you with barely a moment to breathe.

"Lots of patients?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Too many," you replied, collapsing onto the bed again. She still stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. "You can lie down if you want... Unless you’re scared of dirtying that pretty uniform." She let out a short laugh before lying down next to you.

"I’ve barely seen you since you came back... I don’t think I ever got to tell you how happy I am that you’re here... Despite everything."

"Yeah, I suppose the first hug you gave me said it all."

"I mean it, Vi," you said, turning to face her. "Everything got so hard, but now you’re here, and I feel like things will get better."

She smiled faintly. "Yeah, we just have to fix a few things, and everything will improve." She propped herself up to sit beside you. "You look really pretty," she added. "Those dark circles suit you."

You couldn’t help but laugh. For just a moment, all the bad things disappeared. It was just the two of you in your small apartment—no Jinx, no gray, no problems in the Lanes. Just you two. Without thinking, you leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. She froze for a moment.

"I thought you missed me," she teased.

"I did."

"That’s not a reunion kiss. This is." Without warning, she leaned over and kissed you deeply. You welcomed her eagerly—it was like a breath of fresh air, something rare where you’d grown up. The kisses grew more intense, and your hands wandered over her torso and back. Vi positioned herself on top of you, using her hand for support on your pillow. But she quickly pulled it back.

"What’s this?" she asked.

You looked to the side, confused, and saw a large bloodstain. You hadn’t even noticed it. You sighed. "I’m really sorry." You sat up slightly, but Vi didn’t move off you. You grabbed the pillow and threw it to the other side of the room. "It’s been such a complicated day with the ventilation cracks."

"Yeah, don’t worry. I’m not at my best, either."

"Doesn’t seem like it." You kissed her intensely again, and she adjusted immediately.

"When all this is over, we should go on a real date. Like dinner and all that cheesy stuff."

You laughed against her lips at her failed attempt at romance. "I just hope it’s soon."

"It will be," she declared confidently. "Once they catch Jinx, everything will get better, and life in the Lanes will change—just like Vander always wanted."

Vi’s hands slipped under your shirt as you shared another passionate kiss, but her words lingered in your mind.

"Wait, wait, no," you said, pushing her slightly so she moved off you.

"Oh, do you want to take control, doll?" she teased.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" She looked confused, so you pushed her again to sit beside you. "The gas? Was it you?"

Vi stayed silent, hesitant to answer.

"Is this some kind of joke? You’re poisoning us just to catch your sister?" you shouted, furious.

"Hey, hey, it’s not like that... I mean, yes, but not how you think."

"You bitch," you spat, jumping out of bed. "Do you even understand the damage you’ve caused?"

"Listen to me. We used the gray to clear the streets, to keep people safe," she tried to explain.

"Used? Who’s ‘we’? You and your new enforcer friends? Well, you didn’t protect anyone!" You exploded. "Do you have any idea how many people you hurt? At least fifty came here today!"

"She’s a murderer! She killed half the council, she—"

"She’s not a traitor," you cut her off sharply.

The room fell silent as you watched Vi clench her fists in anger. You’d struck a nerve.

"Did you really do this for her? Or did your new enforcer friend convince you?" you spat, unable to hide your disgust.

"Don’t call her that!" Vi’s hands grabbed the collar of your shirt, pushing you against the wall.

You stayed inches apart for what felt like ten seconds before she let go, though she didn’t step back. Her heavy breathing mixed with yours, and you could smell the perfume from her uniform—a scent impossible to find down here.

"Get out of my house," you whispered.

"You have to understand—"

"Get out!"

Vi sighed loudly, grabbed her heavy gloves from the floor, and walked to the door. You opened it for her, stepping aside. She crossed the threshold without meeting your gaze but stopped in the doorway.

"I hope your new friend is worth it." She didn’t turn around, just kept walking down the dark street, away from your home.

You couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

What had you expected? Nothing had stayed the same over the years.

You locked the door before collapsing into bed. Tomorrow would be another hard day in the Lanes.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal Brokeback Mountain (2005) dir. Ang Lee