Karamatsu X Reader - Tumblr Posts

Pinefield-Matsu x Demon!Reader

(got lazy a bit in, forgive any errors I'll edit when my brain isn't mush.)

Deep in the library, a book of the dark arts lay dormant, untouched by many who passed it by.

Now, in the hands of a new holder, there was no telling why or how they found such a book as no system had it on file. Strange old, dusty book.

Far beyond the tree line, he flipped through the pages, skimming each page for what it had to offer. After what seemed like ages, his hand stopped at an interesting page. While the book and its contents were tattered and old, this one singular page looked preserved--torn through time itself.

Placing candles carefully around the circle of old bones, tossing salt and who knows what else into the small circle. Chanting in the incantation and then... ... Then...? Nothing happened. Checking the page, before looking at the circle. Once, somehow, a small fire was lit, to their surprise, it grew into a large fire pooling from the summoning circle, concealed safely inside.

Once the fire died down, a figure remained, glowing eyes staring back at them.

Osomatsu !!

Orson - Slacker !!

-After the summoning didn't work, he sighed to himself, lighting up a cigarette. Shaking off most of the fire from the match, he tossed it off to the side and it so happened to land inside the circle.

-He didn't expect it to work. Not at all. But, in a drunken state, who cared if it worked or not. Worst case scenario the forest would burn down... Right?

-WRONG. Because, once the fire died down, here you stood, your eyes staring back at him.

-Orson didn't really think it'd work to begin with, but it seemed his fate had other plans for him.

-Does freak out, but once he's more calm, he's asking all sorts of questions about you and what kind of devil you are, if you catch my drift.

-Orson isn't really the...ambitious type. Figuring out how to aid him was going to be difficult.

-So, after a long moment of silence, he offers you a beer.

-You both end up talking about you, about him, about whatever it was that seemed to pop up in your heads in the moment.

-In the end, you are stuck with him. But, maybe he isn't that bad.

Karamatsu !!

Karla - Geek

-Karla was forced into doing the ritual by some people who wanted to 'hang out' and 'become friends'. Karla was skeptical, but it'd would be so rude not to accept the offer! He just had to!

-This poor idiot. (Affectionately)

-Whether you were summoned or not, he was absolutely terrified. Though, when you didn't appear, he was almost a bit...disappointed.

-One of the tormentors shoved him forward, and nearly caught himself on fire, of course he didn't but the circle sure did!

-The others ran off leaving only Karla behind, stunned by the beauty of the growing fire--his eyes are glued to the figure standing amongst the smoke.

-Probably too scared to scream, and unsure if he should be impressed, he managed to will such a being to be in his presence or absolutely terrified of you.

-He's very cautious, and more wary than most on this list. Regardless, he's enamored by you and tries and fails to play it cool.

-At least he's cute!

-Regardless of your gender or appearance or anything like that, he thinks you're beautiful.

-He stays out in the woods with you for a while until he finally realizes he doesn't know how to send you back.

-Karla apologizes profusely.

Choromatsu ...

Charlie - Nerd

(i dont like him im sorry..)

-Charlie didn't think it was going to work in the slightest. In fact, he was doing it specifically to prove a point to one of his brothers that there was no such thing as witchcraft and that they were just being idiotic or something.

-So, when it didn't work, a smug grin splayed on his lips, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment deep down as he adjusted his glasses.

-Comically, his glasses accidentally lit the center on fire. He was stuck watching and panicking as the fire erupted before fading into grey smoke leaving a silhouette in its wake.

-On one hand, he's frozen in a state of fear and on the other hand, he's pissed that the summoning ritual actually worked.

-He thinks you're cute, regardless of gender/appearance. How could he be mad at you? Clearly it wasn't your or his fault!! Had to be something else to blame..

-Oh, right. It's the book's fault. It should've at least put a warning or something--anything to prevent scary demons being summoned. Just, not you though.

-At the end of the day, you can't go home, and neither can he. Charlie can't imagine what his brothers might say if they knew he actually did it..

Ichimatsu !!

Itchy - Goth

-Itchy found that book, and decided to crack it open to scare a prep that found their way wandering into the words.

-He was convinced this book was made by some witchcraft guru and that it wouldn't actually work. So, he wasn't let down when the initial ritual failed.

-Though, to drive the scare home, he tossed a small firecracker into the circle, and watched as the flames only got brighter before they died and only you remained.

-He is absolutely stunned. Staring, it takes him a moment to react. To which, he definitely loses his shit like most of everyone on this list.

-He didn't think to get this far or that it would even work. Itchy is unsure whether to apologize, panic, or bathe in the ego boost.

-Kinda just stands there and stares, unsure what to do or say. Itchy does eventually get more talkative, he just needs a minute.

-Well, at least he did manage to scare that prep in the end.

-Like Orson, he doesn't really have any ambition. It might be difficult to aid him more than most on this list, but who doesn't like a challenge.

-Trick question, but you have zero choice!

Jyushimatsu !!

Juicy - Freak

-How he got this book into his hands was unknown. He did show it off to Itchy looking for his opinion.

-Itchy didn't really think it was real, so Juicy thought it'd be fun to try out all sorts of cool things he saw.

-After maybe the third or fifth spell or something, trying and failing until his eyes caught onto the summoning page.

-Unlike his brothers, he wasn't discouraged, and kept tossing things in, changing things around before he eventually lights some book (hopefully not the spell book) on fire, and tossed it in when you finally appeared.

-He's ecstatic you finally made your arrival, and honestly is just happy it worked.

-Once you explain what you are and your lifelong purpose, it goes one ear and out the other. The first thing he asks after is how good your baseball pitch is.

-Well, at least he knows what he wants, unlike everyone else on this list.

Todomatsu !!

Todd - Messenger

-Poor Todd, similar to Karla was peer pressured or rather forced into doing the summoning ritual.

-When nothing happened, he was relived, though one of the tormentors wasn't happy with this and decided to try and light the book on fire.

-Surprise surprise, it didn't go well. Once the smallest hint of the match go close to the circle, flames erupted from the center. Eerier noises and screams before everything fell somewhat silent aside the scampering of the gaggle of guys who had left Todd behind.

-He is absolutely stunned. Unsure if it was the fact that it work or that you seemed to take him as your summoner. It was the other boys, really it was. But, apparently to you, that's not how it worked.

-You are now here to help him. A boost to his shiny ego.

-He wants revenge, not a moment too soon. A short-sighted way to see things as you are stuck with him.

-No, he doesn't want you to murder them. That would bring too much attention. What he wants is to destory their careers. Make sure they're outcasted and ruined beyond help! They might have to move towns..

-You'll help him right? Well, you kinda have to.

(Tbh I just wanted an excuse to show off these goobers more..)

Thinking about doing a poll so I can figure out what I wanna write. Obviously, Osomatsu content. I have no reason for it.

Anyways, here is where I'm asking please give me some au or little idea for some multi (separate) matsuno brothers x reader to put on the poll and make people fight so I don't have to choose.

As long as it applies to my rules, we're good. Sfw/Nsfw allowed anyways yeah, thank you person reading this.

Anyways, i love them sm.

Ideas or smth !!

(mainly hurt/comfort lmao)

- Injured!Reader

- Kidnapped!Reader

- Crying/Sad!Reader (comfot)

- Your (abusive/dickweed) ex wants you back (ex is not matsu!brothers !!)

- Jealous Hcs

- Dating Hcs

- Cuddle Hcs

Vote, comment or send an inbox request whatever you feel like doing.

Yokai!matsu kidnapping reader..? It ticks a few things at once. Oh! Oh! They're kidnapped cos they were found injured, but even after they've healed the yokai brothers (seperately) refuse to let them go.

Cough, cough. I love this, cough.

You're getting hcs too.

Ahem

Slight notice! I did some minor research for this, but even then I'm still unsure !! If anything is wrong please do tell me !!

(Uh so, really bad weather rn. Wifi going in and out and tornadoes lurking around, so, like that's rad ig !! Forgive me.)

Tw/Cw: Injuries, slight mention of blood, kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome if you squint, manipulation(?), desperation, spelling/grammar(?), probably a little or a lot ooc I'm terrible at telling !! Forgive me !!

Youkai!Matsu x Injured!Reader

( Yokai!Matsu but used Youkai for letter colors..:D )

Small reader context !!

For whatever reason you're in the mountains doing whatever your mortal self does up there. A sharp pain shoots through your leg causing you to slip. Your foot set off a bear/fox trap. A group of bandits or just overall bad people--who one would assume set the trap--find poor injured you.

You don't have much on hand. Maybe you have a weapon, maybe you don't. But, regardless of how hard you fight, there are just more of them the there are of you.

Osomatsu

Oni

-He doesn't hate humans, but he doesn't actively like them either. He's more neutral about it.

-Like, he wouldn't go out of his way to help/save them, that's way too much work for him. But, he also wouldn't go out of his way to kill someone unless they really pissed him off.

-Doesn't really understand humans, but somewhat understand and takes a small liking to bits of their culture and activities.

-Actually fairly in with the times, but doesn't really try enough to be in with the times, y'know?

-Obviously takes part in gambling with the humans regardless of the time period.

-He finds that you're injured and probably not going to make it out of the situation alive.

-While at first he's slightly indifferent about your situation, he recognizes you from the village below. He probably asked for money and you gave it to him, or maybe you work at one of the place he frequents, but for whatever reason, he may be persuaded to help.

-You're already unconscious and he can't help but feel pity for you. Pretty nasty leg injury. Maybe he should help.

-And, so, he does!

-After attending to your Injuries best he could, he decided to wait for you to come around. He'll admit, the patch up was sloppy, but it did the job, that's what matters.

-Eventually, you'd come around and find yourself face to face with the devil himself. Whether fearful or not, this would take some...adjusting.

-Compared to the known sterotype, he seems more lax and less...demonic.

-He finds you interesting. Somehow, that curiosity hadn't faded one moment since he's found you. Expect some questions personal, even perverted, or not.

-Dislikes when you get up or move around without his help. Though, more chill and just lightly scold you for straining yourself.

-Then, soon, one day you're all better. But, he doesn't want you to leave. How strange. He didn't think he'd be this...attached to someone like yourself. Not like that, bit it's weird to him.

-He had seen humans come and go--grow old and die. He's never been this comfortable with humans before he'd met you. He doesn't want you to leave. Will you ever see each other again after you part ways? Probably not, but he doesn't want to take that chance.

-So, you can't leave just yet.

Karamatsu

Shikigami

-Karamatsu loves humans/humanity the MOST out of this list. He often tries to be 'in' with the culture no matter the time period. He goes through many "phases" trying to be what the humans deem is cool in certain points of time.

-He loves to collect and tell stories that humans tell, though can sometimes stretch it a little for a more theatrical performance.

-He often tries to interact with people and walk amongst them. But, it usually never goes well.

-His brothers often tease, but he's restless in his search for a human Karamatsu boy or girl.

-When he found you in the snow plains, a red staining the snow around you, he didn't hesitate to check out the scene.

-A group of people trying to take advantage of a defenseless Karamatsu boy or girl !! Of course he felt the need to intervene and help the poor soul.

-He manages to scare off the bandits, but by the time he gets to you, you're already out. It pains him to see such a beauty in so much pain.

-Karamatsu, without so much as a second thought, takes you somewhere much safer. A nice small cabin deep in the woods. That's where he nurses injured you back to health.

-At first, you're probably shocked, but maybe around the first week mark, you'll probably get used to it. If not, don't worry! You'll have a long time to adjust!

-He's very curious about you and the humans you surround yourself with. His knowledge of the culture is a little outdated, not by much. Still, it's nothing compared to understanding the real thing.

-He doesn't like when you try to get up. You need to recover. You'll probably hurt yourself! Don't worry, he'll do it for you!

-Honestly, just wants you to be safe. By far, you're the first human that he's ever gotten this close with--both metaphorically and literally.

-He just wants to keep you safe. There are monsters lurking both human and spirit. Surely you know.

-Karamatsu had already taken a liking to you since he met you, but over the time of your recovery, he's grown too attached to let you leave.

-You'll stay, won't you?

Choromatsu

Tengu

-Also kind of neutral, more lenient towards pretty humans. It's so painfully obvious, his brothers tease him about it, though he's incredibly indenile.

-While claiming he doesn't have an obvious leniency towards pretty humans, it is obvious to literally anyone. Including the mortals down in the villages.

-Choromatsu won't go out of his way to harm anyone he considers "pretty or cute", though his idea of pretty and cute is complicated! Not always about looks, but mannerisms, actions, etc.

-He spots you before. And, he folds at first glance. It's not difficult to be encouraged to help you. You're practically a sparkly treasure to be collected and safe guarded.

-But, then he watches as you're injured self begins to get surrounded by the group that seemed to have caught you.

-Choromats had quickly intervened, chasing off the group (probably off a cliff), before returning back to you.

-Laying in the snow, you were out cold and didn't seem to respond at all, your pulse being the only thing noting you're still alive.

-Won't deny, he was absolutely panicking at first, figuring out how to clean your injures properly.

-Eventually, he does somewhat figure it out, and once you're stable he takes that time to breathe. And, well, admire your sleeping form. Not in a creepy way, but just studying you.I

-When you do come around, he's trying and failing with his words for a moment.

-Takes care of you, and while he does often nag you, he's more so worried about how your recovery is coming along.

-Tends to kinda hover, keeping a close eye on you, telling you to lay down and get rest and that he can do whatever it was you wanted to get up to do.

-Will refuse to let you get up and do anything for yourself. Why have you do it when you have him? A literal waste, really!

-Even if he sees your coming around and the healing process is moving quicker than he wants, he still refuses to let you do anything.

-Now comes the time when you're ready to leave the nest. Pun.

-He obviously begs you to stay, much without words. Choromatsu doesn't want you to go now that he's oh so attached! You can't go. You won't leave, will you?

-Please don't leave .

Ichimatsu

Kitsune

-Ichimatsu, opposed to Karamatsu, probobly hates humans/humanity the most on this list.

-Often times, he was the cause of some humans lost or missing on the mountain. Though, he wouldn't go out of his way for anything unless angered or maybe he just felt malicious that day.

-Humans find him captivating despite his dislike for them. Even so, he won't admit it, but they do fascinate him on some occasions.

-He spots the bandits first, then you after he gets rid of those loud bandits that woke him from his nap. He considers getting rid of you, too.

-But, you're asleep. And, it seemed your leg is caught pretty badly. It doesn't seem like you'll be able to move far with your leg like that. You'll probably be dead in a matter of hours. He doesn't have to do a thing.

-No, he doesn't feel bad for you. Not one bit. You're just an unlucky human caught by the foot like some poor rabbit.

-Ichimatsu does somehow end up carrying you off elsewhere--somewhere more comfortable. Don't be mistaken, he may be helping you, but no further than this.

-Once you're safe in the small cabin, he does the bare minimum with your injuries and once your stable, he leaves.

-You'll wake up alone, and it'll probably be like that for maybe a few hours before you're visited by a stranger.

-Ichimatsu takes care you you between visits, though he doesn't speak to you often. You're probably scared being so close to a monster like himself.

-But, you grow comfortable in his presence and attempt to talk to him. Something he finds real odd, but almost sweet. He still doesn't talk to you though, but he almost wants to.

-His visits grow more frequent, and he even began bringing you gifts. Like dead animals. But, it's the thought that counts!

-He ends up more attached than he would've liked to admit. And, unlike some people on the list, he's more blunt that you remain here with him.

-You'll be stuck with a monster trash like him, but at least here he can keep you warm and fed.

-You're staying put. There's no reason for you to leave anyways.

Jyushimatsu

Inugami

-Honestly, it doesn't matter to Jyushimatsu. He's fairly friendly to any and all who walk in his path. Many run, but it doesn't bother him much.

-Though, if he had to love one thing about them, he absolutely loves their sports and activities. Often goes with Karamatsu to go take part in "human activities".

-But as one can assume, they get comically outed.

-Is fairly kind opposed to some on this list. He won't go out of his way to harm humans regardless how he feels, though when it comes to helping it's a 50/50. Normally at least tries. But, if he doesn't like you, he'll probably just watch with a lead stare.

-When he found you in the snow, you were surrounded, and he had accidentally hit one of the people with a baseball. Completely by accident. But, kinda thinks maybe the accident wasn't that much of an accident.

-Ends up completely making a fool of the group when leading them away. But, he quickly returns to where you had been laying.

-Similar to Choromatsu, he panics at first and is so unsure about how to go about this situation. Obviously he doesn't want to make it worse, but he really doesn't want you to die.

-He carries you off to the small cabin to tend to your wounds. It's sloppy patch-job, but it's alright.

-Watches you while you sleep. Pokes you now and again. When you don't move for too long Jyushimatsu does tend to panic a little but settles when you finally take in that breath of air.

-When you do wake up, he's happy you're up and not dead. Sure, he may not feel too bad if you died, but only because he didn't have a close enough connection to care, but that wouldn't mean he wouldn't care.

-Jyushimatsu tries to stay the entire time your recovering. While he does hover a little, he's more considerate of your space.

-Does whatever he can to make you laugh. Whether it's acting out a skit, telling jokes or just being goofy.

-Doesn't care if it makes him look dumb. As long as he at least gets a smile out of you it doesn't matter.

-Gets way too attached way to quick. And, when you're all better, he gets a little (lying) clingy.

-Whines and may even howl like a kicked puppy. Might even do tricks if it gets you to stay.

-Don't leave yet!!

Todomatsu

Baku-Danuki

-Todomatsu doesn't hate them, but he doesn't care for them either, similar to Osomatsu. However, he's more in with their culture, more so than Karamatsu. Only because he thinks it's cute.

-Prefers some time period clothing to others and can tend to stand out, but language is definitely up to date.

-He views humans/humanity as beneath him, or simply to play into his enjoyment. He has no issues getting rid of anyone that doesn't gives him what he wants out of an interaction. Absolutely stone cold.

-He spots a few humans gathering around, and grows curious as to what grabbed their attention.

-Their wares seem to interest him. Then, there's you. After disposing of the others, he's left with unconscious you. What to do with you.

-Well, you could be useful. You'll pretty much be indebted to him for saving you. Or, at least you should be.

-So, he drags you away from the scene, tenderly caring to your wounds, putting on a sweet and kind persona.

-When you awaken, he greets you gently, coming forward as the one who saved your life after he found you on the brink of death in the snow.

-Skeptical or not, you come around and thank him however you would. Already gaining praise from you. Admittedly, the praise feels...nicer than it should. He brushes it off, what else can he get from you.

-He slyly asks you questions, gaining more information of your personal life over a week, maybe two.

-You get up to do something, and being the ever so kind savior, he takes you back to bed, doing the task for you instead. Not that he wants to. He's playing the long game with your little life.

-But, you thank him, telling him just how kind he is. Todomatsu can't help but grow addicted to that feeling. Being appreciated and validated.

-Slowly, but surely, he begins to grow a bit (a lot) attached. He didn't think it was possible. But, soon he doesn't see you as just a human, but as you.

-Once you get better, he does contemplate poisoning you to get you to stay. Not much to kill you, but enough so he could still take care of you.

-Todomatsu doesn't do it. But, he has heavily considered it.

-He will try his damndest to get you to remain in this little cabin with him.

-You can't go yet! You need him!

So funny that Osomatsu and Karamatsu are my favorites in general, but Todomatsu is my favorite to write for, and Jyushimatsu is my favorite to draw. What.

I still dislike Choromatsu. There is no reason for it.

Anyway if you're here, try Arizona RX Energy Herbal Tonic Tea. It's so damn good. That's all lmao !!

❀ | ③

╔═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╗

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.

╚═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╝

"What do you think, dear?" Your mother turned to you with a smile. "A horse ride with your future husband sounds quite relaxing, don't you think?"

"It would be quite relaxing, if my future husband actually knew how to ride horses instead of betting on them," you replied flatly, staring right into the man's dark eyes. He met your deadpan look with a smug grin, corners of his mouth curling upwards.

"Touché, my love!" You grit your teeth at the pet name. "Although, I am quite certain you will enjoy the riveting show of horse racing just as much, with my presence by your side!"

"I'm sure she will come to enjoy a few games!" your father agreed. "I myself cannot deny the joy of horse betting."

"Wonderful story, father," you rolled your eyes. Standing up from your seat, you bunched up your skirts as you began making a hasty exit. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to worry about," you turned back with a spiteful glare, "such as making sure my kingdom doesn't fall to ruins."

You never liked waiting for responses, and so you left with those final words hanging in the air. Your platter of food had barely been touched, but who could blame you? Your appetite was no longer with you after having to sit at a table with three people who you currently felt nothing but anger towards.

You didn't actually know what you were going to do after leaving the dining hall. If you were being honest, you didn't particularly feel like studying or reading -- you were sure that if you picked up a book, or any object for that matter, it would just end up being hurled at the wall.

Your stomach churned uncomfortably as you stalked down the large, empty hallways. Your footsteps echoed around you, too loud for your tastes. They rang in your ears like high-pitched white noise, never ending, ringing and ringing. It made your chest feel tight. Which you found odd; you were sure you hadn't worn a corset on this particular day.

Everything seemed to be doing a great job at ticking you off, so you took a sharp left instead of a right towards your quarters, heading for the garden. You paused in the glass doorway, eyes scanning over the tall bushes and bunches of flowers decorating the space. The large fountain could just about be seen in the distance, the moon above casting a glinting glow on its running water.

Taking careful steps down, you sighed heavily as your foot made contact with the gravelled pathway, the crunching stones muffling the sound of your heels greatly. You spotted a few guards patrolling the perimeter, each of them giving you a stiff bow before marching onward, their guns propped against their shoulders. You held your tongue this time as they passed.

It was dark, but not dark enough so that you couldn't see where you were going. A breeze swept by, but it's calming nature was lost on you. You slowed your quick pace down to a gentle walk, eyeing the delicately trimmed hedges that stood tall around you.

In most kingdoms, the hedges would be covered in roses, always deep crimson, and always blooming. You had always wondered if they were even real. You had touched their petals, but they didn't feel like silk; thy felt rough and fabricated. Empty, with no sense of care oozing from their centres. They were just as fake as the smiles others had sent your way, ever since you were young.

You raised a hand, stretching a single finger outward towards the flower. It's bleeding colours were darkened under the night sky. For a moment, you forgot that roses were red. This one looked black. Pure black, a darkened abyss, swirling and writhing, contorting into sneering faces. It swayed in the breeze, laughing and mocking you.

You returned your hand. Turning away, you headed towards the fountain, taking a seat on its marble ring. Your tiara was in your hands again. You could barely make out it's engraved designs. The cut gems had lost their flare. They were dull, now. They were nothing more than stones to you. Nothing special. Nothing unique. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Amidst the trickling of water from behind you, a pair of footsteps sounded from nearby. You straightened your posture, replacing the tiara above your locks, glancing over to your right. A horrible glare graced your features when you saw who it was.

"Please, wait! Don't leave yet!" Karamatsu spoke first, hastening his walk into a jog to reach you. He looked like a lost puppy, eyes wide and brows upturned as he begged you through his dark orbs to stay.

'Pathetic.'

"Well? What do you want?" you snapped, crossing your arms over your chest as you turned your nose up in spite. The man took a deep breath, whether in relief or to calm his anger, you didn't care.

"Princess, I... Would it be alright if I sat with you here?" He timidly asked, a small smile on his lips. It wasn't the same one as before. You raised a brow.

"That's what you came all the way out here for?" You sighed heavily, standing from your seat. "I don't have to time to waste on the likes of you." You began walking away, annoyance rolling off of you in waves.

"No-- Wait!" He grabbed a hold of your wrist, harshly halting your movements. "I just meant that--"

"Don't you get it?" you whipped around, boring your hardened gaze into his own eyes. He flinched at the look. "You are nothing but a burden to me. I want nothing to do with you, and there is nothing you can do to change my mind!" your voice raised with each word, and you caught yourself before it could get any worse.

Taking a deep breath, you yanked your wrist out of his hand.

"I'm giving you one more warning. Leave by morning, if you know what's good for you." You turned away once more.

"...Do you really hate me that much?"

His voice was soft and gentle. No trace of anger was there in his words. Not even sadness. It was an emotion you couldn't quite identify. You turned to look at him. The moon shone down over him, casting a ghostly glow over his face.

He was smiling. Now you knew what it was. It was understanding.

"...I see," he bowed low to you, the same way he did when he first met you. "I bid you a goodnight, Princess. Sleep well."

You had no words. Nothing left your lips, although they were parted. You stared at him for a moment, then you turned and finally walked away. Reaching the steps back up the castle, you paused, the itching urge to look back one more time biting at you, but you fought against it.

You didn't care. You didn't care. You didn't.

The castle was quiet now. Your footsteps didn't bother you this time. The emptiness didn't disturb you this time. Your stomach was no longer churning. All was still. Was it always this quiet?

Reaching your room, you didn't bother to change out of your dress just yet. Instead, you moved towards you tall window in the dark, moving away the thick curtains. You sank to the ground, your skirts flattening out around you like a withering flower. You stared upwards, towards the moon.

A plain white disc in the sky. Greying in some areas. A soft, dark shadow surrounding its edges. The stars couldn't sparkle as bright as the moon. No matter what. The stars that hung in the night sky could never, ever, shine as bright as the moon.

You sat there, nails digging into your upper arms as you lost yourself in thought. The moon rose higher and higher. So many thoughts, and at the same time, nothing at all.

❀ | ④

╔═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╗ 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 ╚═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╝

Delicate strokes to your hair woke you from your slumber. You grumbled, mind still disoriented. The hand sifting through your locks paused for a split second before continuing.

Blearily opening your eyes, you saw your mother, sat beside you on your bed, which you didn't remember getting into. She smiled down at you warmly, the crow's feet settled into the corners of her eyes adding a twinkle to her gaze.

"My daughter has finally awoken, I see," she chuckled. You squinted at her, not entirely hearing what she was saying, until you moved your upper body and rested your head on her lap. She laughed louder, allowing you to nestle comfortably against her.

"... time is it..?" You croaked, to tired to even bother forming a full sentence.

"Just past nine o'clock, dear. I'm surprised; usually you're up by eight." She raised a brow at you, but you ignored her, keeping your eyes closed. They felt sore and itchy, and most likely looked a soft shade of pink. You knew this.

"[Y/N], you need to wake up soon," there was a gentle nudge to your shoulder. "Your father has many things planned for you today."

You groaned loudly. That was the last thing you wanted. It was foolish to have it, but you had a small slither of hope left in you as you asked slowly:

"...Is he still here?"

A moment of silence, and then a sigh.

"You should have joined us for breakfast, dear. He truly is a nice fellow."

"No, he isn't." You sat up abruptly, turning away from her. A cold shiver ran through you as your arms became exposed. Glancing down, you saw you were wearing your night wear instead of your dress. It was then you realised your mind was on autopilot last night.

"[Y/N], please..."

"I'm not like you!" A stiff pause. "I can't see the good in people the way you do. So how do you expect me to see anything in him? A man who knows nothing of the world other than the fantasies he has been brought up with?"

You received no answer. Standing from your bed, you marched over to your dresser, pulling open the drawers. Something caught your eye, and you froze.

The vase you kept on your dresser was always empty. You came to dislike filling it with flowers, as the dying petals would always make a mess. It annoyed you to no end, how quickly flowers could wilt away. Too quickly.

But here, now, it was full. Fresh and vibrant hyacinths were placed in the vase, their petals bursting full of colour and life. They weren't leaning heavily to one side, like yours used to. They stood tall and proud, soaking up the sunlight just entering your room.

"Prince Karamatsu asked the maids to send these up to you." You flinched at the name.

"The only reason you cannot see the good in others is because you are always looking for the bad. If that's all you can see, then you will remain blind to the good." Your mother stood, leaving the room. Grasping the handle to your door, she looked back to you one more time, a smile still present. It looked all too familiar.

"He is not a bad person. Give him a chance."

The door shut behind her with a soft thud, leaving the room silent once more. You brought your gaze back to the flowers. They just had to be purple, didn't they?

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

"Horse riding?" you cringed. You eyed the horses with disdain, taking a step back as one of them shook their mane.

Your father came over to your side, hands on his hips as he smiled proudly at the selection of horses before him. Karamatsu was over by his own white-haired horse which had been brought over for him, busy patting its nuzzle with a fond smirk.

"But of course! The weather is perfect for it, don't you think?"

"No.." you grumbled under your breath, somewhat glad he hadn't heard you. Your father also went over to feed an apple to his horse, taking a brush and smoothing out its chestnut hair. You stood frigidly, unsure of what to do. You were desperate to walk back to the castle, but something was stopping you. And it was irritating you, how you couldn't figure out what it was.

Slowly, your eyes wandered around the stable, trailing over the golden hay scattered across the floor, to the resting horses, to the walls... then to him.

He didn't look any different from the first time you had met him. He looked so unbothered by the encounter he had with you last night, despite sending you those flowers. You found it unfair, how easy it was for him to hide his emotions like that.

Karamatsu felt something on him. He turned to you, his dark eyes connecting with your own and, for a split second, the world became still. There was no noise, no movement. Just the two of you, in a single frame. He nodded towards you, his smirk morphing into a smile.

"Princess—" You jolted, catching your surprised yelp before it could leave your throat. Your brow twitched as you turned on your heel, glowering at your butler.

"What?"

"M-My apologies!" Tanuki stammered, clearing his throat. "Your steed is ready for you, Princess," the older man bowed formally, guiding you out of the stable and onto the flat grassland. A black horse, a very strong looking one at that, stood idly before you, it's equally black eyes staring into nothing.

You grabbed a hold of Tanuki, pulling him to one side as you hissed into his ear.

"Tanuki, this is ridiculous!"

"I understand, but I am afraid there is nothing I can do, Princess..."

"Yes, there is! Take me to my study room!"

"Your father ordered me to keep you here for this activity, Princess," he sighed, eyeing you sympathetically. He gently coaxed your iron grip on his arm off of him, gesturing to the horse.

"You must brave through it."

He stepped away, just as your father and Karamatsu came out of the stables atop their horses, chatting away as they manoeuvred their beasts with ease. The twinge of jealousy you had felt before came back with full force, the burning fire of competition raging within you.

With new found resolution, you stepped up to the dark horse, stopping beside the saddle. You readied your hands against the leather, placing a foot in the small holster. Then, you paused. Then, you didn't move. Taking a deep breath, you willed yourself to push upwards and to sit on the damn horse, but your body wouldn't cooperate. The chatter from behind you had died down. Your brow twitched.

"My daughter, do you need some help?" You heard your father call, but you ignored him. You tried again with a huff, pushing up with all your might, barely lifting yourself off of the ground.

"Princess..."

"I don't need help!" You denied. You hated how your face burned in embarrassment. You felt like the court jester, making a complete fool of yourself. You knew this was a bad idea. How could your father have forgotten you didn't know how to ride a horse?

"Princess [Y/N]?"

"What?!"

You frustrated comments trailed off as a gloved hand was extended towards you. You followed it up, finding Karamatsu's kind face peering down at you.

"Perhaps it would be easier if you were to ride with me, instead?"

You were confused. What made him so different from everybody else? Why was he being so nice to you? You didn't need his pity, if that's what he was doing. You didn't need him to feel sorry for you. You didn't need him at all.

And yet, looking into his eyes, you saw no ill intent. Only a shimmer of hope. Hope for what? You couldn't understand. And you always understood everything.

You grit your teeth harshly.

With heavy reluctance, you grasped his outstretched palm, eyes widening by a fraction as he easily hauled you up to sit behind him, your skirts flowing off the side of his steed. Slowly, you placed your hands on his waist, not wanting to hold and be closer to him anymore than you already were.

"...Well, then," you father cleared his throat, stunned by what he had just witnessed, "Let's set off, shall we?" He tugged at his reigns, turning around and heading down the thin trail into the castle's forest. Karamatsu glanced back at you.

"Are you ready, Princess?"

"Just go already."

He chuckled softly in response, following behind the king. You wobbled in surprise at the sudden movement of the horse, gripping onto him just a tad bit tighter.

You peered around his broad shoulders, making sure that your father was out of earshot before you leaned up to his ear. You felt him shiver at the feeling of your warm breath hitting his skin. He tightened his hold on the reigns.

"Eh—?"

"Why purple? What do you have to be sorry for?"

❀ | ⑤

╔═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╗ 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 ╚═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╝

You had received no answer, much to your chagrin, and you were left to pout moodily for the majority of the ride. Your father rambled on and on about how well maintained the forest was. You were sure no one was listening.

The sudden fork in the faded trail was either a good or bad thing, there was no in-between. Pausing in your tracks, your father seemed to contemplate on something rather deeply before turning to you both with a large, suspicious smile. Your hands moved back to your lap quickly.

"It seems that we must part ways here," he caught your glare, and it was then that you knew he wasn't going to back down on this.

"No, we don't need to do that," you began hotly.

"Two horses, two paths. Each of them lead through the forest and back to the stables. It's only natural that we would separate here." He tugged at his steed's reigns, starting down the right pathway. "I'll take the shorter route back; the flat earth allows my horse to run along it faster."

You couldn't get another word in as he promptly sped away, a small dust cloud kicking up beneath the horse's hooves. You were left with the tree's aged silence, the twittering of birds and rustle of leaves keeping you grounded to the present.

"...I don't mean to add to your anger, Princess," Karamatsu started, guiding his horse to the other path, "but I was hoping that we could get some time alone like this."

"And why would you want that?" You huffed. Your brow twitched a fraction as you saw your hands had already planted themselves back onto his torso as the animal moved.

"So that I am able to answer your questions." He turned his head back to you with a smile, the sunlight filtering through the trees illuminating his upper face brightly. You were getting sick of the world painting him to be some kind of ethereal being. He was a good-for-nothing prince. Nothing more.

"Then answer them," you snarled without thinking twice about it. He nodded in agreement, turning back to focus on navigating his way through the earthy terrain, watching out for the large tree roots breaking through the dirt.

"What was the point of those flowers?"

A small silence came over Karamatsu as he furrowed his thick brows, ordering his frantic thoughts together. He wanted to answer the honest truth, but he also knew that your temper was akin to very fragile glass — touch too hard, even just a gentle brush, and the results could be shattering. Or, it wouldn't fall apart, and you wouldn't be frustrated. For a moment, his mind wandered to his younger brother. Your personalities were quite similar.

"Originally, there wasn't a point to the flowers," his words were slow and cautious, carefully putting them together as he finally came to a decision.

"I had heard in the early hours of the morning that you still hadn't awoken, and so I took a stroll around your palace garden. I've never seen such beautifully groomed blossoms before. Truly a spectacle, and I expected nothing less of this flourishing kingdom.

"It was then that I saw the hyacinths. In my kingdom, these flowers are already rare to find, and so upon seeing their vibrant colour, I couldn't help but be reminded of you."

You blinked owlishly at the back of his head.

"Rare beauty. That was my first impression of you when I first stepped out of my carriage. And, despite what you may think, our exchange under the moon's gaze did not change my perspective of you, Princess."

You were in disbelief. He must be more delusional than you thought.

"I had wanted to give you the flowers as a token to your beauty, until the one who handed me the flowers told me something interesting: the flower's meaning. I knew then that I had to give them to you, and hoped that you would understand."

...

"... You still haven't answered my question." Karamatsu stilled at your flat tone. Devoid of emotion. It was unsettling, hearing it from you. "Why are you sorry?"

"Ah, because.." he sighed heavily. "Because ever since I stepped foot here, I've caused you nothing but distress and despair. I have a feeling that you felt this way ever since our engagement was announced, too."

The forest ambiance had grown quieter. It was as if the birds had never been there at all. The sun still shone down from above, rays of sunlight lighting the way forward. The pathway curved behind the frame of a tall, wise oak tree. You were unable to see beyond it. Whatever lay ahead of you was a mystery.

"So, I apologise, Princess [Y/N]. For not being the man you had been waiting for."

"I still don't get it."

"..Come again?"

"I don't get why you're apologising. To me."

Your fingers tightened around the fabric of his shirt. Even through the clothing, you could feel that he was warm, radiating a subtle heat against your hands. You concentrate on that, hoping the tightness in your throat would go away.

"What's the point in you apologising when you haven't —" you bit your tongue, quickly rephrasing your wording, "—when you know, that nothing's going to change? Why waste your time trying to appease me?"

Rounding the large trunk, the trees ahead of you began forming a kind of leafy archway, leading to an opening out of the forest.

"I've always believed that people can change, no matter who they are," Karamatsu responded firmly. "Even though it may not seem like, the changes a person can go through can bring out such wondrous beauty. I wish to see it, if you will allow me to."

Light beamed down on the both of you as you broke through the forest finally, blinding you for a moment. Rubbing at your eyes, you slowly opened them up, sucking in a sharp breath at the sight around you.

Dazzling, bright Cala lilies flowed like a white sea with the wind, fields of them stretching for miles, as far as the eye could see. Amongst them were clusters of daisies, small and dainty petals that seemed to dance to an unheard tune.

You had never seen this field before. Never had you seen such an abundance of flowers blooming so elegantly like this. It was a sight that made your eyes widen in an almost child-like wonder. A part of you wished to jump off of your seat and run into the field, dancing along with the flowers.

"I've never seen these flowers before!" Karamatsu exclaimed excitedly. He had stopped his horse altogether, admiring the view with you. You tore your gaze away to look at him, his wide smile spreading from cheek to cheek, and his eyes sparkling in awe. He was practically glowing.

"What are they?" He turned to you.

"Cala lilies."

"I never knew lilies could take such a shape." He suddenly shifted in his seat, carefully swinging a leg over the side of the horse and jumping down onto the pathway. You watched as he strolled over to the flowers, a finger delicately stroking at its petals.

Your hands began to feel clammy. Sometimes, you cursed yourself for your expansive knowledge. An image of a textbook filtered into your mind, and you bit at your lip out of habit.

White Cala lilies. Daisies, too.

It was all just a coincidence. It had to be.

After all, you were too far gone to be given the chance to change.

✧ Karamatsu - Ravenous

𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢!𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘚𝘩𝘺!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

There were days when you asked yourself:

'Why don't I just quit?'

It seemed like the most logical thing to do. Being unappreciated by your coworkers and looked down upon by those higher-up was really starting to take its toll on you.

Had you done something wrong? Did you say something stupid? Had you made a mistake somewhere? Did it have something to do with how quiet you were?

The constant paranoia weighed down on you daily, getting to the point where you could barely trust yourself to do anything at work.

You didn't want to go in. You didn't want to deal with any of it. However, you had no choice. You needed the money desperately. Maybe if you had lived in a city where fear didn't rule over everyone, you could have had a better chance at living.

A city of new beginnings, the place of dreams where everyone hits the jackpot in achieving their goals. The same city you had thought would be the perfect place to start over; Akatsuka District.

Was run by the Yakuza.

You stood at the meeting table, hands clutching wads of documents waiting to be given to the most stuck up person in the room- Atsushi. From the moment you met him, you knew he was trouble. That proved to be true, as he constantly placed blame on you for any mishaps in the office, even going as far as go trip you up when you walked by. He was childish and idiotic. How he got such a respectable job was beyond you.

"Well, well, well," the man chuckled snidely. "You've finally finished the job. If you had done it any slower, I would have just done it myself."

"Why don't you just do it yourself in the first place?" You snapped, slapping the papers down on the desk. You had worked late hours into the night, sacrificing many hours of sleep just to get this done. You didn't have to. You didn't want to. But you did. And he still had the audacity to treat you like dirt under his shoe?

Atsushi glared up at you from his seat. "Watch your tongue. Don't you remember who you're talking to?" He slowly stood up from his seat, standing tall over you intimidatingly. You took a small step back, only for him to come closer to you and backing you into the wall, almost pushing his chest against yours.

He placed his hand beside your hand heavily, making you flinch. "Know your place, sweetcheeks. Or else someone's gonna have to teach you the hard way..."

You tensed as he placed a clammy hand onto your waist, feeling around the fabric of your work shirt before creeping his way towards your back. Your eyes widened and you pushed him away swiftly, watching as he staggered backwards in surprise.

Something inside you had snapped.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" You murmured, every word full of seething anger. Atsushi paused at your low, menacing tone.

"You think that just because you have a higher position than me means you can walk all over me?" You took a step forward.

"Is there something wrong with that twisted little brain of yours? Because clearly there is!" You took another step forward for each word, finally ending up right in front of him as he attempted to lean away from you as you yelled the last few words in his face.

Atsushi opened his mouth to respond some snarky remark when the door burst open.

"What exactly is going on in here?"

You both froze. You recognised that voice without even looking at who stood in the doorway, and you certainly didn't want to take a peek at what kind of angered expression he was wearing.

Matsuno Karamatsu. The second eldest son of the Matsuno family. The Yakuza family that ran almost the entire city. He was the one in charge of this office building, along with many others in the same area. How did you not know he was coming in today?

"N-N-Nothing, Mr Matsuno!" Atsushi quickly responded, breaking the tense silence. "J-Just a little... misunderstanding, is all-!"

"'Misunderstanding?'" You cut in. The hot glare you wore burned itself into Atsushi's skin, making him fidget.

"You put your filthy hands on me, knowing exactly what you were doing..." you took a step back before screaming: "And you have the AUDACITY to say it was A 'MISUNDERSTANDING?!'"

Your voice silenced the whole office, everyone peeking over the other's shoulders in shock at just who the ruckus was coming from. Karamatsu stood silently by the doorway, a brow raised. Although, he didn't say a word as you continued.

"I have had enough of you and your bullshit, Atsushi!" You jabbed a finger hard onto his chest. "You and the rest of those fuckers out there push me around and think I'm some kind of doormat! You put your entire workload onto me like I'm a servant to you, and YOU get all the credit while I waste so many hours of my life, working away for scummy bastards like you!"

You took a few deep breaths before grabbing at the badge pinned onto your front pocket.

"You know what? I quit." You threw the badge onto the table, not even glancing at it as it clattered across the wood. You instead turned to the Matsuno, staring him straight in the eyes. Something you had never been able to do before.

"The next time you come around to collect money from us, don't expect me to be paying you a single yen. You can kill me on the spot for all I care."

You stalked past him, staring straight ahead at the elevator waiting at the far end of the main office, smashing the buttons to head downwards whilst facing the wall, your back to the people behind you, still silent.

As soon as the doors slid close, the tears began to fall. You wiped at them aggressively, angry at yourself for being so weak. However, the tears wouldn't stop. The minute you stepped out of the building you made a run for it back to your apartment, head down in an attempt to hide your tears.

You were tired. You were angry. You were disgusted. Embarrassed. Extremely upset and distressed. Every negative emotion you could think of was swirling within you, creating an ugly concoction of feelings that overflowed and burst.

Reaching your apartment, you struggled to find the key through blurry eyes to open the door, eventually swinging it open and slamming it shut. You headed straight for your bedroom, allowing the sobs to wrack through you as you collapsed heavily onto your bed, shoving your face into the soft sheets.

You cried and bawled until your eyes grew heavy. The room fell dark, and suddenly, you were met with silence. Slumber washed over you and you gave in, hoping the headache and the pain would fade away too.

»»-----　♔　-----««

You woke with a start. A shiver ran through your body as you rose from your position on your bed, glancing around blearily.

It was dark in your room. You could barely make out the outline of your hands as you pushed yourself over to your bedside table, grabbing at the clock.

10:06 pm

You would have been heading home from work by now...

Shaking your head (only to regret that action immediately), you stood up with a groan. You couldn't allow yourself to continue thinking about that retched place after all that had happened.

You winced at the dryness of your face, rubbing a hand down your cheeks. Deciding it was best to have a shower now, you grabbed a fresh set of underwear and a nightdress that ran down to your knees, easily able to find what you needed in the dark. Although, you made sure to the turn a few lights on as you made your way to the bathroom.

A sigh escaped you as the warm trickles of water cascaded down your body, loosening the tension in your muscles. You massaged your fingers over your scalp as you applied a sweet citrus shampoo, then lathering soap onto your body, the gentle aroma of lavender filling the air around you.

After a while, you stepped out and began to dress back up. It was then you realised you had picked a set of blue and black laced panties and bra. You shrugged, thinking the colour matched your mood. Slipping the simple coloured nightdress over your head, you busied yourself with towel drying your hair as you wandered over to the kitchen, planning on making yourself a late dinner.

Until there was a knock at the door.

You halted in your tracks, staring at the dark wood. Who could be here so late?

The knocking came again, a little harder this time. You jumped, hastily making your way over. Reluctantly, you unlocked the door and opened it slightly, peeking through the gap with wide eyes.

"[Y/N]."

It was Karamatsu. Still in his dark suit and loose blue dress shirt, although he looked quite disheveled. His brown eyed bore into yours for a moment before he spoke again.

"I need to speak with you."

It was a demand that you could not bring yourself to refuse. After embarrassing yourself in front of him more than ever today, the least you could do was offer him an apology. That was most likely what he came here for, wasn't it?

You stepped aside, opening the door enough for him to step inside before closing it shut and locking it back up. You turned to face him, seeing him already staring down at you with an unreadable expression. You averted your gaze, lips trembling.

"I-I..." You gulped. "I'm so... So sorry for today, Matsuno-san. I didn't mean to... t-to yell like that, I just..."

The man took a step forward, and then another, backing you up against the door. You whimpered as he placed a hand beside your head. A sense of deja-vu washed over you, only this time, you were filled with a sense of anticipation rather than fear.

You squeezed your eyes shut, stuttering another apology.

"I-I'm so sorry..!"

"...I don't want your apologies."

His deep voice echoed through your ears. You flinched as your felt a finger run down your cheek, the cold metal of his ring burning against your hotter skin. You hesitantly opened your eyes to meet his half-lidded gaze.

"The one at fault was Atsushi. And rest assured, his presence has been... dealt with."

Your mind raced with every possibility of what exactly that meant, only to be stopped by his words once more.

"The only thing you did wrong was leave," he continued. He moved his head to rest beside yours, muttering into your ear. "You can't leave, sweet [Y/N]. I won't have an excuse to see you anymore if you do."

You gasped softly as he nipped at the sensitive flesh of your ear, chuckling as a shiver ran down your spine.

"W-Wait..!" You whined. "I don't.. I don't understand!"

"What is there not to understand, doll?" Karamatsu replied, pausing his ministrations as he rested his large hands over your thinly clothed hips. You took a few deep breaths, pushing away the burning desire in your mind to think clearly.

"I don't understand how you feel about me..." you whispered. "There are times where you push me away like everybody else, and treat me like I'm not there. But now... N-Now you're here, doing things like this... I don't understand it at all!"

Tears of confusion brimmed the edges of your eyes, with you desperately trying to keep them at bay. Karamatsu stayed silent before sighing, moving away from you to look into your eyes.

"I apologise, dearest. The reason I tried to keep you away is because I feared I would lose control over my desires for you," he smirked as you flushed deeper. "But here... Allow me to show you just how much desire I hold for you and you alone."

He placed a hand on the back of your head and pushed you forward, crashing your lips together with heated passion. You clutched onto the front of his suit as he pulled you closer, moving his lips sensually over your own.

You tried your best to keep up, but when he bit at your bottom lip, tugging on it harshly, your legs began to wobble dangerously. You allowed yourself to be lost in the dizzying heat, letting him take control and push his tongue into your mouth, exploring his newly claimed territory.

A moan slipped from the back of your throat when a hand tugged at your hair, pulling you away as he trailed open mouthed kisses down your jaw to your neck. He nipped at your flesh, carelessly leaving marks behind for later. He grinned as he reached your collarbone, feeling you shudder as he worried the more sensitive skin between his teeth.

Karamatsu moved his hands to the back of your thighs, lifting you up with ease into his arms. You instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist, whining as you were able to feel his hardened length push against your core. He began carrying you down the hallways of your apartment, eventually finding your bedroom and kicking the door open heavily, continuing to mark your neck and shoulders.

He lay you down on your sheets, breaking away from the kiss as he hovered over you. His gaze locked onto your shimmering orbs, swimming with arousal, just like his own. Your red, plump and swollen lips from all the heavy kissing and biting were parted lazily, your chest heaving underneath your dress.

Karamatsu quickly took hold of your clothing and lifted it off of you, leaving you exposed to him. Before you could cover yourself, he took hold of your wrists and pinned them above your head with one hand, using the other to trace over your bra.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were waiting for me, love," he hummed. You turned your head away, unable to speak. You were too nervous. Your hands were shaking as they clutched the fabric of your comforter beneath you. Your thighs were trembling, still clutched around his hips. Your breath was picking up the more he stared at you, burning into your skin.

His calloused fingers gently took hold of your chin, turning you to face him. He leaned close to you, his lips barely grazing over your own.

"Look at me..." he breathed. "Tell me stop, and I will do so."

You paused, biting your lip in deep thought, unknowingly arousing the Yakuza boss further.

You couldn't deny your feelings. You had fallen in love with this man months ago, the harboured emotions piling up the more you saw him. You had wanted him for so long. And now you were there, so close to him, a word away from having him all to yourself, the same way he wanted you, and possibly more.

The question was... could you do it with the little to no experience you had?

The throbbing heat filling your body was saying yes.

"..I really want to... with you," Your voice was as soft as his, "but I... I-I haven't... I've never..."

Karamatsu's strong arms wrapped around your waist, lifting you upwards and shifting you onto his lap. He kissed you chastely, running his hands up and down your back.

"That's even better for me. I can be the first and only one to ruin you wholly," he smirked, suddenly grounding your hips onto his. You moaned loudly, quickly covering your mouth to muffle the sounds. Once more, he took hold of your hands, tutting.

"I want to hear you. Be louder for me."

He continued to connect his hips with yours, pressing his throbbing cock into your wet panties, your moans echoing through his ears. He lay you back down, ignoring your whine from the lack of friction as he focused on your lower region. He ran a finger over the wet spot on your panties before hooking his fingers around the edge of the material, dragging it down your legs and off of your body. He held it up to his nose for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Your scent is truly intoxicating..." he sighed, licking at the damp spot a few times before dropping it onto the floor, instead hurriedly removing his suit and shirt, also tossing them away.

Your eyes widened at the sight of his bare torso, sculpted and defined muscles rippling with each movement. You reached a hand towards him, feeling down his skin, running over a few rough scars in a few places. Realising what you were doing, you jerked your hand away, only for it to be caught and brought down to the tent formed in his trousers.

"Keep at it, darling."  He guides your fingers to the button of his slacks, watching as you shakily began to undo it and pull down the clothing along with his boxers, revealing his stiff cock. You licked at your dry lips at the sight, taking a deep shuddering breath.

Karamatsu's hand pushed your head downwards, your lips resting on his tip, urging you to take him into your mouth. You did as you were demanded, parting your lips and taking as much of him as you could, feeling him hit the back of your throat not even halfway down.

You slowly bobbed your head up and down on his length, experimentally licking at the underside of his dick, swirling your tongue around his head before taking him in again. He groaned deeply above you, whispering your name over and over again, telling you how good you were being, how beautiful you were, how your pretty little mouth was doing so well.

He was pulsing and twitching in your mouth, getting close to his release. You peered up at him through thick lashes, precum leaking from the corner of your reddened lips, hair wonderfully messy and hands clutching to him like a lifeline, thighs rubbing together for some sort of friction.

The sight was almost enough for him to grab you and shove his cock down your throat, making you taste every bit of his cum. Instead, however, he removed you from him and pushed your back so that you lay flat on your bed once more. He practically ripped off your bra, as well as completely remove the last bit of his clothing before taking hold of your thighs, pushing them wide apart and bending them greatly.

"I want you to make sure this whole city knows who you belong to, sweetheart," he growled hungrily, pressing his thick tip against your soaked entrance. He began inserting himself inside of you, inch by inch until his balls rested against you. You felt so full, your walls clenching around him almost instantly. A deep groan rumbled from Karamatsu's throat at the feeling. He hadn't felt so weak to a woman in so long; holding himself back from coming this early was becoming painful for him.

Your nails dug into his shoulders as you moaned out his name.

"Karamatsu... please..."

At the sound, he captured your lips in a needy kiss as he began to pump in and out of you. His girth rubbed at your insides, each bump of his veins creating wonderful friction for you, sending jolts of pleasure throughout your body. With the delicious angle he had you at, he continued to reach further into you with every thrust, prodding your g-spot and making you moan lewdly into his mouth.

He ploughed into you roughly, picking up the pace as your walls suddenly spasmed around him without warning, climaxing around his length. The soft sounds of your juices coating his shaft filled the room as he continued to pound into you. He paused for a moment, grabbing you and flipping you over, pulling your waist flush against his.

His fingers dug into your skin as he impaled you onto his length over and over again, bringing you to cum once more, your essence spilling out of you and down your inner thighs. You called out for him, spurring him on. He pulled himself out to the tip before slamming back into you one final time, spilling into you and coating your walls with his thick seed.

You both came to a stop, catching your breaths from the vigorous love making. You felt yourself being lifted into his lap once more, your back against his broad chest. His hands came up to fondle with your breasts lightly, making you gasp softly. He began trailing kisses along your shoulders gently, moving up higher before planting a long kiss onto your lips.

"[Y/N]..." he muttered. His eyes were full of something enticingly dangerous, and you felt him buck his hips into you, his length still hard.

"It seems I am still hungry for you."

"...Have as much as you want."

You barely managed to finish your sentence before he clasped his fingers around your neck, resting the back of your head on his shoulder behind you.

You knew now that quitting was a terrible idea. Although, maybe it would be best for you to take a few days off after you had satisfied Karamatsu's ravenous hunger for you.

Karamatsu - Prepared?

𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭!𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Whenever you were at school, the hands on the clock seemed to purposely take forever to reach the final minutes of the day.

You tapped your finger impatiently against your cheek, staring blankly outside the window beside you. The droning voice of your teacher at the front of the class went through one ear and out the other, making the lesson just that little bit more boring.

You had other things to think about besides some useless math equations, anyway.

Looking up towards the clear, blue spring sky, your thoughts were drawn back to exactly that: blue. Or, more specifically, to the person you associated with the colour blue;

Karamatsu Matsuno.

One of the infamous sextuplets that attended your highschool. With his bowl cut brown hair, large round eyes and slightly red cheeks due to small blemishes, he was the definition of cute in your books.

You were lucky you were able to talk to him, too, seeing as you weren't exactly a social butterfly. He was in most of your classes, and as if it were fate, your teachers almost always paired the both of you up (although, that may have been to prevent him from sticking with his brothers, which would have led to no work being done).

So of course, the both of you were practically forced to communicate with each other. And on top of that, you were both walking home with each other nowadays, as you both were headed in the same direction. That, and the fact that he didn't really walk with his brothers anymore, which you actually found to be quite the shame.

They were so lively together, and their bond seemed so strong... What happened?

You sighed softly, eyeing the birds that flew swiftly over the school campus. You knew exactly what happened. People in your school were quick to judge them all for the things that the Matsuno's did together as brothers - as family - and to make themselves fit in, they slowly drifted apart. They don't even acknowledge each other anymore...

And now, Karamtsu seemed to be falling back into his shell of shyness. Without the support of his brothers, he didn't know what to do with himself. Slowly but surely, he became meek again, and struggled talking to others.

Including you.

Especially today, for some reason. It seemed as if he was trying to make an effort to speak, but every time you asked what was wrong, his cheeks flushed a deep red, and he stammered an excuse that you couldn't understand before running away. That had happened three times today. Did you do something wrong?

You did try asking Ichimatsu, as he seemed to be the easiest to talk to, but even he had no idea why his brother would act in such a way.

"Maybe he's just getting a little shy again. Who knows?" He had shrugged, giving you a smile before leaving to meet his friends.

At a loss, you could only watch Karamatsu's actions from the side, wondering continuously what was wrong with him. You wanted to help him, as a friend. Since that's probably all you'll ever stay to him, or you might be nothing to him now since he can't talk to you...

Your cheeks turned a light shade of pink as you thought this. Brows furrowed, you let a small pout cross your lips. You really liked Karamtsu. A lot. Over the past year or so since you got to know him, you realised a lot of things about him, and you found your eyes always wandering back to his figure subconsciously.

And you wanted to tell him how you felt so badly, but you were scared of it causing a rift in your friendship, as you were sure he didn't see you the same way. He was just shy, that's why he couldn't talk to you much. He probably only stayed with you because he had to for a project, or he might have felt bad for not walking with you on the way home. He was nice like that.

The bell suddenly rang, snapping you out of your thoughts. Quickly, you packed up your things and decided to head home straight away. It was the end of the week, and all you wanted was to stay as far away from school as possible until Monday.

Leaving the classroom, you went down the few flights of stairs to the main entrance, changing out of your school shoes to your comfortable pair of white and blue sneakers; a colour combo you chose without even realising because you were too busy thinking about Karamatsu whilst out shopping-

You groaned internally, begging yourself to stop acting like those girls in your class who just acted so love struck over every guy they've ever met. You were better than this! You're 18, for goodness sake, get a grip girl!

Despite thinking this, you took one small glance back over your shoulder to see if a familiar worried face was coming towards you as usual to accompany you home...

But nobody came.

Dejectedly, you dragged your feet away from the school gates. You knew it. He was just sick of you now. That's what he was going to tell you, wasn't he? But he was just too nice for his own good to get it out, so he left you instead.

Looking up, your eyes locked onto the countless Sakura trees lined against the empty sidewalk, hundreds of pink petals twirling in the air and dancing around you in the breeze. Ah, Sakura trees... A sad reminder of just how short beautiful things can last.

Just like your friendship with Karamatsu...

"[Y/N]!"

Wow. You were imagining his voice now? That's pathetic.

"[Y/N], wait!"

...Is that coming from behind you?

Turning on your heel, your eyes widened as a figure ran closer towards you, eyebrows creased in worry and panting heavily from having to catch up to you.

"Kara...matsu?" You mumbled confusedly, watching as he stopped in front of you, leaning his palms on his knees to catch his breath. It was silent for a few moments before the boy looked up at you slowly, cheeks flushed red again. Seriously, did he have a fever?

"I-I.. uhm..." he started quietly, straightening himself out. His mouth opened and closed a few times, hands making small gestures as he tried to speak, but nothing came out. Feeling slightly awkward, and worried for Karamatsu, you spoke first.

"Karamatsu," you began. He immediately froze up, eyes focused solely on you. You fidgeted slightly under his gaze, but took a small breath.

"Take a deep breath first. Then tell me what's wrong, okay?" Even though you knew what he wanted to say, you still gave him a small smile, encouraging him to speak.

Taking your advice, he sucked in a deep breath, loosening his joints so that they weren't as tense. Then, he raised a hand and rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a pile of notecards. You could only stare with a slightly raised brow, curious as to what he was doing.

"Uh, hey... so.. uhh.." he looked down at his notecards. "Did you, Uh- did... you fall out of heaven because, um-" due to the shakiness of his hands (and voice) he ended up dropping his cards all over the floor.

In a panic, he fell to the ground too, scrabbling to pick up the pieces of paper and sorting them back into their original order.

"Shit, fuck oh god fuck I'm so sorry you're- you're just s-so pretty I'm sorry-"

He continued rambling like that, his face looking like a cherry as he sweated profusely out of nerves, entire body shaking and words continuously pouring out of his mouth, making no sense to you.

However, your face was cherry red too as you processed what just happened.

He... he used a pick-up line on you? To confess? Is that what was going on?

...Your heart throbbed painfully, reminding you just how in love you were with this complete dork in front of you.

As Karamastu stood back up, still mumbling, only one thought was going through your head. And it slipped out.

"Kiss me, Karamtsu."

Time seemed to stop, and this was the only time you were grateful for that.

Blushing furiously, Karamatsu's brown orbs were blown wide, darting from your face to his cards, looking through them desperately.

"I um... don't have a card for... this," he replied, his voice higher than usual. You breathed out a giggle, stepping closer to him as you took advantage of this small piece of confidence you suddenly picked up.

"That's okay. I don't think we need it."

With that, you stood up on your tiptoes and pressed your lips against his. They were soft and slightly plump, fitting against yours like a missing puzzle piece.

Karamatsu froze up again, eyes squeezed shut as he dared not move, scared that he would ruin the moment if he did anything. Even so, he melted into you, pushing back against your lips in hopes that he was conveying his feelings like he wanted to.

Breaking away from each other, breathless, you spoke softly for only him to hear.

"I think you're really cute, too, Karamatsu."

The boy could only stare at you, face red, unable too tear his gaze away. He was floating up in the clouds right now, not entirely believing that this was real.

Smiling gently, you held out a hand towards Karamatsu.

"Shall we head home? Together?" You added. Glancing at your hand, a soft and sheepish smile worked it's way onto his face, cheeks flushing cutely. Slowly, he placed his larger hand into yours, squeezing gently.

"Y-Yeah... That sounds like a good idea."

Karamatsu - Cold!

Summer so far wasn't too hot in Akatsuka. Although, that may have been because you had your AC on for most of the day.

At some point, your beloved boyfriend Karamatsu had come to your apartment, requesting to 'spend the rest of his day by your side to cease your loneliness!'  As he put it. Knowing that deep down he just wanted to use some AC without fighting with his brothers over it, you allowed him in with a smile anyway.

He was too cute to say no too. He was your weakness.

During the afternoon, you wanted something cold to snack on. Rummaging through your freezer, you were glad to find a nicely sealed tub of ice-cream, just begging to be eaten. Grabbing a couple of bowls and spoons, you scooped up generous amounts before handing one to Karamatsu, who thanked you graciously.

Moments of comfortable silence passed, with only the few sounds of spoons clanking against bowls and the AC humming throughout the room.

You began to daydream, and those dreams went straight to Karamatsu sitting beside you on the couch. Your gaze landed on his relaxed figure, taking in his black tank top and blue shorts, his signature sunglasses resting on top of his head. His features were relaxed, and his lips slightly red from the cold delicacy.

Suddenly, you had an idea. You hadn't gotten any kisses from him yet today. Now was the perfect chance!

"Hey, Karamatsu?" You called his name gently, and he was facing you in an instant, his usual cat-like grin on his face.

"What is it, my flower? Whatever you need, I will go to the ends of the Earth to get it for you!" He posed dramatically, flipping his hair so that sparkles appeared around him (how he did that, you will never know).

Giggling at his cuteness, you replied:

"My mouth's cold."

Karamatsu looked at you with an unreadable expression for a moment, before a smirk settled across his lips.

"Want me to warm it up for you?" He spoke in a low tone, his voice filling your ears pleasantly. Your cheeks flushed as you stared into his eyes.

"Y-Yes-"

"Here!" Karamatsu leapt up out of his seat and twirled rapidly before getting down on one knee in front of you, holding out a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

You froze. This... This isn't what you had in mind. You weren't expecting this outcome at all. You felt like you were dying on the inside, having your hopes crushed.

Karamatsu peered at you with wide, cat eyes, cheeks tinted pink as his grin shrunk to a shy smile. He was getting nervous!

"This is what you meant, right?" Oh no his voice was getting higher you had to do something-!

"S-Sure, yup, definitely!" You quickly reassured him, taking the cup from his hand to set it aside and pulling him back onto the sofa. You nuzzled into his chest, wrapping your arms tightly around his waist.

"Thank you, Karamatsu! You're a life saver!"

You felt him breath out a sigh of relief.

"H-Heh! Of course, my Karamatsu girl! I will gladly be your knight in shining armour, coming to your rescue with whatever you desire if it means you live another day!"

As he rambled on, you couldn't help but smile up at him. It wasn't what you expected, but you'd take it if it was coming from him.

He was too cute to say no to. He was your weakness, after all.

Karamatsu - Lycoris Radiata

𝘠𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘪!𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Dim. Yet warm. You figured that's how a forest would be during the summer.

With that thought in mind, however, it didn't help you whatsoever with finding the path you were supposed to be walking along. Of course you would lose track of where you were meant to be walking; wandering minds and feet aren't exactly a good pair.

Glancing upward through the mess of tree branches and leaves, you could just about make out the glimmer of stars above you. Looks like you missed dinner. Again. Was it really so hard for you to go for a relaxing walk in the woodlands?

Sighing, you rubbed your upper thighs. Sore. The blood pumping through them felt weird against the fabric of your trousers, thumping uncomfortably against your fingers. Tingling. Just... weird.

Tree trunks stood by attentively, waiting patiently for your tired figure to curl up against its' bark. And you did just that, groaning as you stretched out your arms and legs. Your arms fell with a thud to your sides, fingers absentmindedly caressing the cool grass beneath you.

...Now what? Were you just going to sit there for the rest of the night? A ridiculous idea, surely. However, it was the only thing you could do. It's not like you knew if anyone was nearby to help you get home and, even then, you didn't think you could just trust anyone you would meet in the middle of the woods at night.

Another sigh. You're good at those, aren't you? You tried to take a look at your surroundings, only to see the dark figures of trees and bushes (at least, you hoped they were bushes). Dark blues and greens, hues of black, absences of colour.

A flash of red. A stark contrast to the deep colours around you. A beautiful flower, you saw. Its' crimson petals clustered together in the centre, with numerous similar coloured stems curling upwards, swaying and dancing with the wind.

"A Spider Lily, huh?" you muttered. You reached out and grazed the tips of your finger against it, a small smile tugging at your lips. "You shouldn't bloom here, all alone like this..."

Your mind briefly wandered back to a conversation you had had with a friend at some point throughout the week. Being the flower enthusiast she was, you always allowed yourself to become subject to her seemingly endless rants about flowers, plants, herbs - anything that she had knowledge about. You remembered what she had said about these richly coloured beauties.

'If you see someone that you may never meet again, these flowers will bloom along the path.'

It sounded like a beautiful but tragic piece of poetry. You began to wonder where the myth had even come from. When was it first spoken? Was it based on true events? Was it really such a bad thing, not meeting someone again?

You knew, from experience, that letting people leave your everyday life was actually beneficial for yourself. Although it took you a number of years to realise it, you found that the kinds of people you attracted were a lot worse than they appeared to be. Deep down, they were monsters. Horrible people, who have the audacity to call themselves human.

Of course it was painful, but only at first. Now, it didn't bother you much anymore. Your soul felt lighter, if anything, indicating that you were getting better, not worse.

Releasing the flower from your ghost of a grasp, you leaned your head back, closing your eyes. That was enough for today. It was time to rest for a while. Breathing in, and out, slowly, ever so slowly, a feeling of slumber crept its way into your body.

Relaxing your tense muscles, you released a long, heavy breath. Sleep.

"It's dangerous to sleep out here, my dove."

"WHA-!!"

An unholy shriek escaped from your throat suddenly, and you pushed your body away from the tree you were leaning against, crawling rapidly across the ground. Whipping your body around, your wide eyes landed on the lantern that outlined the shadowy figure, who stood just behind where you were previously sitting.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, angel!"

The deep, husky voice that whispered into your ear became slightly higher pitched and frantic. You saw the figure step forward, causing you to flinch.

"Ah, do not worry, princess. I won't harm you..."

"That's what they all say!" you blurted out. A short silence followed before you asked:

"Who.. Who are you?"

The figure stepped forward, raising its' lantern to reveal itself.

It was... a man. Yet he wasn't human. His skin was pale, eyes surrounded by red markings. On top of his brown hair was a pair of glowing blue horns, which seemed to flow like fire. his clothing seemed old fashioned, covering his slightly built figure in dark robes of satin and ribbons. The lantern that he held also emitted the same coloured light as his horns, flickering before you.

"You may call me Karamatsu, my dear," he bowed slightly, a cat-like grin crossing his features. "I am but a humble spirit who spotted a wandering soul, lost and alone in a forest that humans should be cautious with. Perhaps some guidance is in your best interest?"

"I, uhm... You're not.. human?" A deep chuckle sounded, sending a shiver up your spine. It was echoey. As if, even though he was standing right in front of you, he was still so far away.

"I'm afraid not, flower. I am an Aoandon. But do not be afraid, I am not here to hurt you. I would only be a guilty guy if I were to leave such a beautiful woman alone in the woods, where anything could happen."

He reached out a partially gloved hand to your figure, still on the ground.

"Please, allow my light to guide you home."

You were sure that if you could see the words he spoke, they would be surrounded by flowers and sparkles. You never knew a man - or anyone, for that matter - to speak in such an overzealous manner.

However, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It didn't make you feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite, actually. You guessed that's why you reached up and grasped his unnaturally cold hands, allowing him to pull you upwards in a swift motion. He grinned softly down at you, making you realise just how short you were compared to him.

"May I ask for your name, love? Or would you prefer the names I give you?" he winked. You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes, in fear that he would actually hurt you if you got on the wrong foot. So he was a gentleman and a flirt? What an odd combination.

"[Y/N]..." you decided to not answer his second question. It was probably for the best.

"[Y/N]. A wonderful name! As gorgeous as the stars above! I am certain that they aligned to create a bridge just for us to meet on this special night!" Karamatsu's hands were waving around in wild, extravagant gestures. He looked ridiculous. What a strange character.

"I- .. Sure.."

For most of the journey, you listened to this... spirit, ramble nonsense about the scenery around you, or about your features that he found endearing. There were times where he would deliberately lower his voice into something he thought was sultry and enticing, peering into your eyes with a smouldering stare. You didn't mind the dip in his voice at all, not a single bit. It was just the way that the poor man was clearly trying too hard to make you fall for him.

'He clearly has never been successful with any woman before... How cute!'

You couldn't help yourself. You had just met him, and you already wanted to know more about him. Was that weird? Probably. Maybe it was the touch-starved part of yourself that was talking, longing to be held in someone's arms after being neglected by so many for so long.

"Watch your step here, my dear." His voice snapped you out of your thoughts, peering up at him to see this a pale hand was held out to assist you. You gladly took hold of it, fingers grasping his colder ones. Even as he helped you over a few jagged rocks in your path, you weren't willing to let go just yet. Although his skin was cold, his touch felt inviting and comforting.

You didn't want to let go yet.

And it seemed that Karamatsu was overjoyed by this, his eye glistening with a kind of happiness that you had never seen a human hold before.

"A-Are you afraid, sweetheart? There is nothing to fear, not as long as I am here by your side! However, if you wish to hold me tightly, I will never object you!" The slight tremor of nervousness in his words sounded so endearing to you.

"Good, because I wasn't planning to let go just yet."

You had never seen a human wear such a broad and satisfied smile, either. It was contagious, causing you to smile timidly up at him in return.

Eventually, though, your midnight stroll had to come to an end for the both of you. Karamatsu had led you to the beginning of the trail where, just a little further ways down, was a bus stop for you to get home.

"We have arrived, my angel."

"Ah... right," you mumbled, slight disappointment seeping through your tone. Karamatsu chuckled, his cat-like grin widening slightly.

"What is this? Is my fair maiden unwilling to let me go?"

"Something like that..." you mumbled, keeping your face directed towards the ground as you released your hold from his arm. Karamatsu's cheeks bloomed pink, a shade darker under the moonlight.

"A-Ah! Well," luckily, he was able to snap out of his surprised stupor, "Do not be so sullen, my moonbeam!"

'Moonbeam?'

"I'm sure the stars will align once again to reunite us as we journey through our lives together, and one day... One day, maybe..."

His bold tone suddenly simmered down to a gentle murmur, almost lost to the breeze if you weren't standing so close to him. A gentle smile was on his face now, his eyes glazed over in reminiscence of something akin to a far away daydream.

"I hope, one day, our paths cross again, my love."

His cold fingers caressed your own, lifting them up to press a chaste kiss onto your knuckles. It may have been brief, but the cold touch burned itself into your skin, lasting as he slowly, reluctantly, pulled away.

"Have a safe journey home, angel!" He grinned, saluting quickly before turning away, holding his flickering lantern before him to lead his way back into the forest he called his home.

You had no words left in you. They had all been snatched away by his comforting words and soft touches. His kind eyes, his dazzling smile. His glowing aura that led you through the darkness around you.

Ah, but good things never last long for you. You had to leave before you missed the next bus. You had leave this lonely, broken soul behind. Just like how he had no choice but to leave yours.

Turning away, you caught a glimpse of red from the corner of your eyes.

A trail of red spider lilies. Standing tall and blooming where he once stood a moment ago.

'Please... Meet me here again. One day.'

Karamatsu - Dark Forests

𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵!𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Run.

Run.

The only command that your mind was telling your body was to run as fast as you can.

Don't look back.

Don't fall.

Don't stop.

It's still chasing you.

"Hey, don't you think you should give up already, babe?" The sleazy voice called teasingly, coming from all directions.

Your eyes darted around as you pushed forward, searching desperately for a way to escape the dark forest you had so stupidly stumbled into.

Sweat was dripping down your temple, collecting at the back of your neck. Your breath was hard, heavy and hot, puffing out of your mouth and into the cold air around you.

Your legs were shaking- you could feel it. They were ready to give way and moment. You couldn't let that happen.

Your hands were stretched out in front of you, crashing into any tree trunks that you couldn't see so that you could barely manoeuvre your body out of the way just so you could keep running.

Help. You needed help. You needed someone to help you. Help. Help. Somebody. Anybody. Save me. Please. Get him away from me. I can't keep running. I can't go anymore. Please. Please. Help me.

All the cries and screams caught in your parched throat as you suddenly collapsed to the ground, crashing violently onto the ridged forest ground, your head narrowly missing the hefty root of a nearby tree.

You desperately tried to push your body upwards, only for your arms to shake and shudder before you fell to the ground again. You groaned quietly in pain, feeling the beginnings of a dull throb start to form in your ankle.

Arms pushing against the dirt, you attempted to crawl across the ground instead, gritting your teeth as you tried something, anything, to get away.

The deep, daunting chuckle that echoed around you caused you to freeze. A deep, gut-wrenching feeling wormed its way into your stomach, making you feel sick. You didn't dare move. Too frightened to move an inch.

...All was silent. Too silent. There was no wind. No faint sound of a cricket nearby. No rustling of any bush or leaves. Just. Silent.

Red eyes ahead of you. Gleaming in the dark. Dangerously mesmerising. Blurry as your eyes pricked with tears. This was it. You were going to die here. With no one to care. No one to remember you. No one to find your body- if there would be any remains left of you.

Long, slender hands reached for the [h/c] locks on your head, black chipped nails grazing the scalp of your head—

"Leave the innocent alone, creature of hell!"

A bright light caused you to shut your eyes, burying your face into the crook of your arm.

An inhuman scream threatened to burst your eardrums, but it was all over just as quickly as it had begun.

"[Y/N]!"

The same voice called your name frantically. It was deep, yet soft. Melodious. Like satin sheets and gleaming pearls. Like the sky, lightly decorated with wispy white clouds.

Like the colour blue.

Like...

"K-Kara..matsu..?"

You could only whisper hoarsely as you could barely make out his taller figure kneel down beside you. His hands lifted your body off of the ground, cradling you securely against his chest. You could feel his warmth radiating off of him and see his worried face more clearly.

"Are you alright, my dear?" He asked quickly, already walking hurriedly back to the village.

The moonlight that broke through the mass of trees above you cast a heavenly glow around him. He looked beautiful. Like a dream.

"I was looking for you, but you haven't been home for hours. I'm glad I came to look for you. If I hadn't gotten here sooner, I don't know what I would've done..." his words wavered for a split second as he trailed off, thick brows furrowed.

You were so tired. Your body was slowly shutting down. Karamatsu's gentle voice was lulling you to sleep. You didn't know what he was saying anymore. You were just glad he was there with you. You reached up a shaky hand, fingers lightly brushing against his brown tresses, causing him to look down at you with a small smile.

He was glad you were there too. Alive. Still warm. Still breathing beside him. If he had lost you, there would be a whole other war with him and the devils of the underworld, who had already tormented him for far too long already.

"Thank you, Karamatsu..." you mumbled before drifting off, heading falling against his chest. The slightly quickened pace of his heartbeat (probably because of the adrenaline, you thought) guided you into a much needed slumber.

However, the quickened pace was because of you. The thought of him losing the one he loved most was enough to send him into a frenzy. He didn't want you to leave. He wasn't ready for you to leave him yet.

As he brought you back to his home for the night, tucking you carefully into his bed, brushing the stray leaves out of your hair and cleaning the cuts and grazed on your hands, his determination to get rid of those monsters only became stronger.

He would destroy every demon left in the world if it meant he could keep you safe.

Karamatsu - Learn

𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭!𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Karamatsu was sweating bullets as he fidgeted in his seat. He could feel a burning gaze directed to the back of his head, and he wanted the Earth to open up and swallow him whole, right there and then.

Fidgeting with the wrapper of his snack bar, lower lip caught between his teeth, he couldn't help but to continue glancing to his left, just able to see the tip of a black boot resting on a stair behind him.

Muddled words and sentences flew through his mind, all immediately being brushed away with a deep sigh. His blemished cheeks tinted pink, he wet his lip, prepared to speak.

"I ain't doing anything, y'know."

Tensing up, Karamatsu slowly, shakily, turned his head over his shoulder, brown strands flopping over his warm forehead. There you sat, narrowed eyes boring into his hunched figure.

"...huh?" Karamatsu squeaked, flinching as you sighed. Leaning forward, you rested an elbow on your bare leg, catching Karamatsu's attention as his gaze flickered to your hiked skirt, blushing furiously.

"I said," you drawled, "I ain't doing anything. I don't get why you're shakin' so much." You rolled your eyes, huffing as you stood up. Reaching into your cardigan pocket, you pulled out a pencil and placed it between your teeth, clamping down onto the wood.

You eyed the boy with a glare, annoyance bubbling up inside of you.

"Unless you want me to kick your ass, I suggest you stop lookin' at me like a wuss." With a final grimace, you stomped back down the staircase, making sure to throw one last glare towards him as you disappeared behind the school's walls.

Karamatsu sat in silence, a white-knuckled grip on the empty wrappers held in his sweaty palms. His reddened cheeks were puffed up with air as he hit hard in his lip.

'Sh-She was... so cool!!!'

His mind and insides were on fire, both from an absurd amount of happiness and the lack of air. He was so in love. So helplessly in love. Even though he had only spoken to you once.

»»-----　♔　-----««

"H-Hey! Give that back!" Karamatsu begged, reaching out to grab his bag that was held above his head. Taunting laughter was the only response he received, making him frown angrily.

"Toss it over here!" Someone else called, catching the grey bag as it was thrown through the air. Karamatsu ran back and forth between the teasing bodies, puffing as he attempted to jump up and grab his belongings before it landed in someone else's dirty hands.

His body collided into another, stumbling as pairs of arms waves wildly to regain balance.

"The hell you think you're doing?" An angered voice sounded from above him, not seeing who then pushed him harshly to the ground, the concrete rubbing against him roughly and scratching his skin.

"You're a freak, don't you get it? We're just teaching you your place."

Multiple shadows wafted overhead, leaning closer towards him to grab at his school uniform.

"Then I'll teach you yours, too."

In an instant, the hold on Karamatsu was released as they were knocked to the ground with a yelp. Karamatsu hesitantly raised his head off of the ground, peering from behind the few legs to see you, standing fiercely with a metal pipe resting on your shoulder.

"What's a girl like you gonna do? You're just as weak as him!" A boy cackled, only for it to be quickly replaced with a cry of pain as the sound of hollow metal rang through the courtyard.

Karamatsu watched with wide eyes and a slacked jaw as you continued to punch, kick and hit away at anyone standing in your way, never once backing down as fists collided with your cheeks and stomach.

Once you were sure the last figure had disappeared far down the street away from you, you turned to Karamatsu, who hadn't moved an inch, only allowing his eyes to follow yours as you knelt in front of him.

"Why are you still on the fucking floor? You plannin' to stay here?" You scoffed, raising a brow. Snapping out of it, the boy scrambled to sit up before you, posture stiff as he desperately tried to maintain eye contact.

You watched with slight amusement as he opened and closed his mouth multiple times, small squeaks and broken letters leaving his throat.

"..You're still afraid." It was more a statement than a question. With a resigned sigh, you stood from your spot, dragging your metal pipe behind you.

"You're welcome." You turned on your heel, returning to your 'intimidating' posture as you began to leave the school grounds.

"No! Wait!" Karamatsu's voice echoed around the both of you, his hand outstretched to you as if he could catch you from where he sat. He quickly stood up and stood in front of your stilled figure, taking a deep breath.

"I-I'm not afraid of you!" He began, clutching his uniform to stop his fingers from trembling.

"I'm not afraid! It's the opposite, actually..." his brows turned upwards as he glanced away from your confused eyes. "I... I really admire you, [Y/N]."

"...huh?" You squeaked. How the tables have turned.

"I have for a while, now. You're just.. so cool! And confident! Strong, amazing, b-beautiful!" He exclaimed with a bright grin, which slowly faded into a small smile.

"You're everything I'm not. But you inspire. I want to be more like you. I want to... spend more time with you." His eyes suddenly widened as his entire body burnt crimson.

"I-I-I mean!! As in, t-to learn from you! To be cool and stuff! That must've come out really weird, I'm so sorry-" his arms waved around as he went from fidgeting his fingers to rubbing the back of his neck, babbling excuses and nonsense.

Your own face and body felt like it was on fire, too. Just as much as Karamatsu's. Your mind was running hundreds of thoughts at once, as well as a never ending screech of excitement.

You? Cool and amazing? And beautiful? Was this guy even talking to the right [Y/N]? You were far from it! Didn't he know it was just an act? Something you decided to put up as a front to give yourself the confidence boost that no one else wanted to give you?

Of course he wouldn't know, how would he know? He doesn't really know you. No one does.

'But he wants to know you. He's willing to know.'

"Fine."

All noise seemed to stop in that small moment. Karamatsu's brown orbs stuck to your body, seeing that you had turned away from him entirely. Your shoulders were extremely tense, posture no longer slouched but straight.

"You definitely need all the help you can get, anyway, seeing as you were pushed around so easily by those wimps."

You were already walking away from him, never once turning to look at him. You missed the elated look that immediately crossed Karamatsu's face, his flushed cheeks and trembling smile as his eyes shined like he was the happiest person alive.

Which he was.

"You mean it?! For real?!" He ran towards you, following like a lost puppy looking for genuine answers.

"Don't make me repeat myself," was all you replied, allowing him to follow you down your path home.

Finally stopping at a crossroads where the two of you would part, you turned to him.

"Did you mean it?" You asked, catching the boy by surprise.

"Um, mean what?"

"What you said. About wanting to spend time with me. Did you mean it?"

Karamatsu heard it then. A slight notion of vulnerability. A small tone of worry. A slight hint of fear.

You were like him, in a way. His heart sped up a little more.

"Of course I did. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

The warm smile he sent your way was the last thing you saw of him that day, as you hastily said your goodbyes and walked away home.

Maybe there was something you could learn from him, too.

Karamatsu - My Love For You

𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢!𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Your hums filled the room, echoing pleasantly throughout the large hallways. You ran your hairbrush through your softened locks once more before setting it down onto the dressing table.

As you began applying cream to your hands and face, you heard another voice join in with your song, deep and baritone, fitting perfectly into the melody. You smiled at the figure through the mirror, watching as it made its way closer to you before wrapping its arms around your waist, leaning down to rest its head on your shoulder.

"My love. You look as beautiful as ever."

"Even when I'm just getting ready to sleep, Karamatsu?" You giggled, reaching up to run your fingers through his hair. He hummed, nuzzling into the crook of your neck.

"Even then, you look as stunning as a rose, my [Y/N]."

Your cheeks tinted a light pink at his compliments, averting your eyes away from his smug smirk. Even after being married to him for so long, you would never get used to his constant shower of praises and words of caring love. You would have never known how a man neck deep in the business of the Yakuza had such a gentle soul, soft enough to love a simple girl such as yourself.

You felt his left hand lace itself with yours, bringing it to his lips to place a kiss on the top of your wedding ring. You returned the action before standing up, allowing him to bring you over to the bed you shared. He moved away the bedsheets, waiting for you to lay down comfortably before reaching over to tuck you in, turning the lights off shortly afterwards.

The room fell dark, a light glow of the moon shining through the large curtains behind you, lining Karamatsu's face with pale hues of blues and greys. You could faintly see his large brown eyes wander the features of your face, following the curve of your cheeks to the bow of your lips.

He couldn't help but lift a hand towards your face, cupping your cheek gently, running his thumb over your skin. You reached your own arms out to clutch the front of his night shirt, pulling yourself closer to him, legs tangling together beneath you.

He leaned down slightly to place a long, loving kiss on your lips, sighing with relief as he was finally able to love you wholly after being kept away from you for so long. You melted into his touch, clinging to him as you kissed him desperately, hoping every drop of emotion you felt for him was conveyed in your actions.

Slowly, you both parted, staying close to each other as you gazed deep into each other's eyes, searching your souls together.

"To be able to call you my wife..." Karamatsu whispered, "Makes me the luckiest man in the world, despite my hands being tainted by the life of a Yakuza. You are my angel in disguise. My beautiful [Y/N]..."

Your heart skipped in your chest, beating rapidly as it became full with pure joy.

"I should be saying that about you, Karamatsu," you rested your chin on his head, running your fingers through his locks once more. "You saved my life when I first met you. Even if you are a man of the mafia, you still have a heart of gold. That's why I fell in love with you. And now, we're here. Together."

You kissed the top of his head as he buried his face into your chest, a slight dampness forming on your clothing.

"I love you, Karamatsu."

"I love you more, [Y/N]."

Karamatsu - Special Treatment

Karamatsu hummed patiently, fingers tapping against the wood of the bench he sat on. His hidden gaze wandered around the park, searching for the one person that made his heart race.

Soon enough, he spotted you walking up to him, a wide smile on your face as you were being pulled along by your dog.

...Dog?

"Hey, Karamatsu! I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?" You greeted him as you attempted to slow yourself down, your leg gently bumping into the bench. You sat down with a sigh, only to groan as your dog jumped onto your lap.

"Riko, stop! You're so heavy..!" The dog only barked happily, its tail wagging as it continued to paw at your clothes. You noticed Karamatsu staring wide eyed beside you, not saying anything.

"Kara..? Are you okay?" You did your best to face him with the heavy weight on your lower body. "I hope it's alright that I brought her along, I couldn't find anyone to look after her while we're out," you explained.

Karamatsu snapped out of his surprised stupor, instantly moving to kneel down next to your dog, striking one his cool poses.

"Heh!" His sunglasses were now on his face. "It is no trouble at all, my dear! In fact, I had no knowledge of you having such a beautiful companion!" Riko turned to your boyfriend, barking louder at the praise as she nuzzled into him next, causing Karamatsu to laugh softly.

"I didn't tell you?" You tilted your head. "I'm sure I showed you pictures... I guess I forgot, sorry!"

"No worries, darling. At least I can meet her now- oof!" He was cut off by Riko jumping suddenly into his arms, licking his cheeks vigorously.

"Riko!" You gasped, only to chuckle as Karamatsu began giggling, his cheeks red from the attention of such a cute animal. He continued to give your dog rubs and scratches around its ears and back, switching to her belly as she rolled over for him.

You watched from the sidelines, head resting in your palm. It was cute. You even took a few pictures. But it had been fifteen minutes, and Karamatsu had barely given you any attention.

...You scoffed internally. You were getting jealous over your own dog. Had you really become this petty?

Abruptly, you stood up from your seat, standing over the two on the ground, hands on your hips. It took a moment for Karamatsu to notice you were there as he stared up at you with a child-like giddiness in his eyes.

"Aren't we going for a date?" You asked with a pout, averting your gaze as he raised a brow. He smirked, standing up and resting his hands gently on your hips, leaning in close to your ear.

"Maybe I should stay here just to see how jealous my love can get," he teased, chuckling at your flushed cheeks. Leaning away, he placed a chaste kiss on your lips.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. It seems that I have kept my princess waiting long enough." He held his arm out for you to take. "Shall we?"

You wrapped your arm around his bicep, blushing as he placed another gentle kiss on your cheek. Riko bounced around your legs, barking joyously as she finally was able to run around freely as you began making your way to your destination.

You secretly hoped that you would get more special treatment from Karamatsu's loving words and soft touches.

✧ Matsuno - School Grounds

𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵!𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘟 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

You let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing your temple with your fingers. It did nothing to stop the yelling coming from just outside the classroom window, however.

They were at it again. Those six idiots that you had scolded countless times had once again abandoned all your rules and were now causing a ruckus on school grounds. This was already the fourth time this week, and it was only Wednesday. Your hips were still aching from last time.

Readjusting your school tie and straightening your blazer, you took a deep breath before leaving the room and heading out past the school entrance, hands resting angrily on your hips.

"What the hell are you doing, you shitty delinquents?!" You hissed through clenched teeth. Six boys with the same face stopped mid-argument, whipping their heads to face you. Almost immediately, identical smirks crossed over their mouths as they eyed you up and down.

"Well, if it isn't [Y/N]. Did we disturb your precious studies?" Osomatsu drawled cheekily, taking slow steps towards you. You frowned up at him as he leaned over your smaller form.

"I barely even got to start before you started fighting again!" You glared hotly towards the others. "You're still on school grounds! Don't you at least have any decency to take your pointless arguments home? You're ruining the-!"

"-Ruining the schools reputation, yeah, yeah," Todomatsu stepped up next, a sly look in his large eyes as he peered down at his phone. "Y'know, you talk a lot for someone who can get just as loud as we can." He flashed a quick picture towards you, causing your eyes to widen and cheeks to flare.

You did your best to ignore the burning of your cheeks at his teasing comment, opening your mouth to speak before feeling a pair of arms wrap around your waist.

"Don't we still have a deal, Prez?" Ichimatsu muttered into your ear, chuckling darkly as he felt a shiver run through your body. "These bruises here are still fresh, you know. It's like you just want us to keep bending you over..." you grit your teeth as he swiped his tongue over the small hickeys littered across the back of your neck.

"S-Stop it..! The only reason I agreed is because you all promised you'd tone it down!" You whined with a pout. A pair of fingers tucked themselves under your chin, raising them to look into a pair of eyes peeking over dark sunglasses.

"My rose, we really did try to keep to our promise, but we simply can't get enough of you," Karamatsu winked, rubbing his thumb gently over your lower lip. Your legs wobbled at the attention; you really wished you weren't so easily swayed.

Your hands that had clutched tightly onto the fabric of your skirt were each taken into the hands of Choromatsu and Jyushimatsu, who both brought the palms of your hands up to their mouths, pressing chaste kisses down to your wrists.

"Don't tell me you're going to back out now, [Y/N]?" Choromatsu pushed.

"I want to you hear you scream more for us," Jyushimatsu mumbled against your skin, locking his dark eyes onto your own.

You bit the inside of your cheek, attempting to avert your gaze. But no matter where you looked, you could see their satisfied grins, knowing already that they had won you over.

»»-----　♔　-----««

You could feel their hands all over you, rubbing and squeezing your most sensitive parts. Your hips and neck were surely covered in bruises and red markings, but at this point, you couldn't feel anything other than an insane amount of pleasure.

Karamatsu was beneath you, lifting your body up and down over his length, hitting deeper inside of you with each thrust. He revelled in the faces you made, watching each bounce of your breasts as he fondled with one in his free hand.

"You look stunning from this view, darling," he purred, your moan of response spurring him on.

From behind, Osomatsu was filling you up just as much. You could feel his grin against your skin as he bit down on the back of your neck, his hands playing with your ass with no shame.

"See? You totally wanted this, didn't you? You enjoy this just as much as we do, right?" He continued whining sweet words of filth into your ear, knowing full well that you couldn't form any kind of coherent sentence to reply.

Your hands were guided back and forth over Choromatsu's and Todomatsu's cock, pumping mindlessly from the base to the tip. They each wore drooling smiles on their faces, playing with the strands of your hair every now and then as they showered you in praises.

"You're taking us so well, [Y/N]! You're used to us by now, aren't you?" Todomatsu cooed, panting heavily as he felt himself getting closer and closer.

"You're so good, [Y/N]...!" Choromatsu babbled, leaning over to plant kisses over your hot cheeks.

You continued to moan over and over, the sensation running through Ichimatsu's and Jyushimatsu's hardened lengths that they prodded into your mouth, muffling your screams. You could barely wrap your tongue around their shafts, but they seemed completely satisfied with the feeling of your warm cavern around them.

"So warm... So nice..!" Jyushimatsu huffed, his ever present smile only growing larger at your overstimulated body.

"You can take more, can't you, kitten? You're gonna take turns with all of us, like a good girl," Ichimatsu laughed, his wolffish smile shaking of his sharpened teeth.

You had lost count of the amount of times you had climaxed, unsure of whether the wetness between your thighs belonged only to you or to one of the boys in the room. However, your brain was scrambled.

The only thing you knew was that everything felt so good. You were close to passing out from exhaustion, feeling wet tears trickle down your cheeks and neck, but you didn't want it stop.

"You wanna know what I think, Prez?" Osomatsu panted, pinching at one of your perked nipples.

"I think that tomorrow, whether we do anything or not, you're gonna come crawling right back to us."

If you could speak, you would repeat the word yes, over and over and over again.

✧ Matsuno - 'Ragdoll'

𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯!𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘟 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

The Matsu's villain names (from eldest to youngest): Mr Simply Mr Shocking Mr Day Mr Deep Mr Mo Mr Floyd

TW: NON-CON ELEMENTS, MENTIONS OF DRUG USE. feel free to skip this chapter if it makes you uncomfortable.

It was a long and rough battle. You were covered in cuts and light bruises, dusted over with a layer of dirt and rubble. Your clothing was torn roughly, barely hanging onto your body.

You stood up slowly with shaking knees as you glared furiously up at the villains laughing down at you.

"Give up, doll," the pink haired man, Mr Simply, stepped forward, resting a hand confidently on his hip. "It would really be a shame if you forced us to kill you."

You straightened your back at his words, teeth gritting tightly into a snarl, desperately ignoring the stab of pain in your chest and the heaving breaths you took.

"No." You seethed, taking a step forward, wobbling dangerously. "I won't stop... until you're all defeated..."

Another laughed mockingly.

"You can say that all you want, girl, but you look like you're about to faint right here and now." The blonde Mr Floyd sneered, his earrings glinting in the sunlight.

"She's super weak!" Mr Mo boomed loudly, bouncing on the spot as if the previous battle hadn't exhausted him at all, his purple hair swaying with each move.

The grip you had on your wand tightened as you lifted it up towards them, face scrunching up as you concentrated on letting out a powerful attack to take them down. Only for the burst of magic to fizzle and pop like an old lightbulb, fading away in an instant. The laughter only grew louder, the deep pit in your stomach growing bigger.

"I must say," Mr Shocking began, sliding his dark sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose, "I find your determination quite endearing, Miss Sugar Sweet." He practically purred your heroine name, rolling each syllable off of his tongue in a deliberately deep baritone.

"I do agree. When she's all ruffled up like this... It suits her, don't you think?" Mr Day chuckled lowly, staring you down over the rim of his own swirled glasses. Your voice was hoarse by now, leaving you unable to speak a single word back to them.

Mr Simply took a few steps forward suddenly, stopping just a few feet away from your swaying form.

"Let's have some more fun, shall we?"

You shuddered as you watched his eyes rake your body up and down with a smirk, lingering on all the exposed skin on your chest and legs. You grimaced, wrapping your battered arms around yourself and taking a step away, only to crash into something solid behind you.

A hand came over your mouth, clasping a cloth tightly over your mouth and nose, barely budging as you began to struggle violently in the person's hold. You glanced upward through bleary eyes to see the turquoise locks of Mr Deep's hair cascading over your face as he grinned wildly, his eyes dark and full of a dangerous glint.

"We'll definitely be having our far share of fun tonight..." he murmured into your ear, however the words were barely registered as your body became limp, your eyes closing and your breathing steadying into slow, shallow breaths.

The six men stood around your sleeping form, each bearing the same toothy smiles as Mr Mo picked you up and swung you onto his shoulder, following his fellow villains away to their secretive base.

»»-----　♔　-----««

Heavy. You felt really heavy.

Groaning, you moved your head from side to side, struggling to open your eyes. Your limbs were numb weights for you, unable to move them apart from a few twitches of your fingers and toes.

Slowly, you began registering something warm pressed up against you. Soft murmurs echoed around you, gently waking you up from your slumber. A pleasant shiver ran up your spine as something else massaged you from somewhere lower down. You whined softly, hands beginning to grip at whatever was beside you.

"So innocent..." a voice purred into your ears, it's warm breath tickling the skin on your neck. Warm tingles were peppered against your other shoulder. It made your stomach coil up pleasantly. Something hummed against you from below, making you whimper again.

The tingling turned into a pleasurable pain as the thing bit down onto your skin.

"That's gonna leave a nice mark on you," you heard it chuckle, the vibration running through your body.

You could feel something slick between your legs now. You tried to rub your thighs together, but they were held apart by what felt like multiple hands.

Through your hazy mind you began to question:

'What's.... happening..?'

Slowly, your eyes fluttered open, blinking against a light coming from somewhere before adjusting.

"Ah, she's waking up!" Another voice, louder than the other two, spoke from somewhere around you.

Calloused fingers took hold of your chin, facing you towards the one you were holding on to. His red hair was slightly tousled, and his upper torso was bare, revealing his toned body. Your mind began to recognise who it was, but your body was too slow to pull away from his grasp.

He leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss on your lips, eyes half lidded.

"I'm sure you will be as glad as we are that you're finally awake, darling." He dove back in for another kiss, tilting his head before nipping  at your lips, slipping his tongue into your mouth. Pleasant sensations were continuously being felt all over your body, making you moan into the kiss.

"We can hear you a lot louder now, kitten," the other voice of Mr Deep came from the other side. You felt his hands roam around your chest before settling onto your bare breasts, fondling and squeezing at the mounds as he grazed his teeth across your shoulder and sensitive neck.

"Guess I can tell you how fucking good you taste, babe." You recognised that voice to be Mr Simply. You took the spare moment to catch your breath to look downwards, seeing the man's face between your parted legs, grinning cockily up at you. His lips had a light sheen to them, although you couldn't identify right away what it was.

Another face was beside him, pressing kisses and bites to the inside of your right thigh. His v-shaped grin made you heat up. It was then that you realised something poking at your entrance, parting your folds to run up and down your wet pussy.

"You're so tight... Looks like we get to be the first ones to ruin her." He suddenly pushed two of his fingers into you. You cried out a lewd moan, panting as he curled his fingers inside of you. A hand curled around your neck tightly, just loose enough for you to still breath. The lack of air made you dizzy, the sensations of Mr Day's fingers multiplying tenfold.

"Make that noise again, pretty kitty," Mr Deep growled, and you obeyed. Your tongue lolled out of your mouth as you panted harshly. Mr Shocking took a chance to take your tongue into his mouth, continuing his assault of long kisses.

Without warning, the knot in your stomach was released as you began to cum hard, your body spasming as your attempted to ride out your orgasm. Someone's warm tongue latched itself to your clit, suckling on the sensitive bundle of nerves rapidly. You cried out as the pleasure turned to pain from overstimulation, but they didn't stop until your came a second time, your juices spilling into their mouths as they lapped up every droplet.

You weren't given a second to rest as you were suddenly lifted off of the sheets beneath you and held against something firm. You were pushed down onto all fours, your arms and legs shaking dangerously. Hands settled onto your hips from behind, another hand tugging at your hair and lifting your face upwards.

"I know that pretty mouth of yours can do more than screaming," Mr Floyd grinned before pressing the tip of his cock against your mouth. Without thinking, you opened up and closed your lips over the head before slowly moving down to take as much as you could, your tongue running against the underside of his shaft.

"Such a good girl..." Mr Mo groaned from behind as he lined himself up against your dripping core, pushing into with a quick snap of his hips. Your walls tightened further around him as his tip was pushed right up against your g-spot. "You're taking me so well..!"

The heavy cloud over your mind refused to lift as you were lifted into the arms of these sweet villains, their hands caressing you and giving you sweet release as you begged for more, more, more.

A small bottle stood on a table nearby, the cap loose. It would go unnoticed by you for a very long time. And even then, you wouldn't care about what it was. Not when you could have everything you wanted when you were with them.

The six men grinned at your sleepy form, bite marks and slight bruises littering your neck, hips and thighs. You were truly as sweet as sugar. They weren't planing on giving up their ragdoll any time soon.

Ah! Lemons are fine? Jjdjsjdjdjdjd okie uhmm i dont know if you've done this im pretty new ^^ just looking for these cause im lonely af :'DD

Can i have one where reader is having their first time with karamatsu ^^ reader was prolonging this cause she's insecure that karamatsu might not like her body or smthn and karamatsu makes her feel special ^^

you can disregard these details if you want but uhhh i guess reader is in the receiving end and super vanilla and soft and uhh (god im so embarrassed this is my first time requesting one of these) and foreplay pls... IM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LONG JSJSJSJDKDJDJ but id be so happy if you did this

-sincerely, anon ^^

(im so embarrassed smsskksks)

ahh it's okay anon! this was request was really cute, i really enjoyed writing it! I hope you enjoy reading it too keke uwu thanks for requesting! <3

✧ Karamatsu - Warm

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Karamatsu was always so warm. He radiated a specific kind of comfort that you had never felt from anyone else. It made you feel safe and secure, loved and cherished, and your heart would always beat frantically in your chest when he pulled you closer to his.

Just as he was doing now.

You whimpered softly as his lips danced across your neck, brushing over your more sensitive skin and latching on to you. His right hand tangled itself into your hair, tilting your head back to allow him more access whilst his left arm wrapped itself around your waist. Your hips were pulled flush against his, the friction sending shivers up your spine.

He whispered your name against your skin, and the need to hold you tighter was becoming overwhelming. You couldn't hold back the soft moan that escaped your lips when he suddenly bit down onto your neck, lavishing you with heated kisses.

Karamatsu finally pulled away, staring down at his work. The little love bites he had scattered over your skin made his heart skip a beat, and you found yourself unable to look him in the eyes — not when they were so full of unbridled adoration and lust.

You felt his thumb brush over your burning cheek, gently coaxing you to open your eyes. When you did, slowly cracking them open bit by bit, you found him to be smiling warmly down at you, his own cheeks ablaze.

"Do you want to continue, my love?"

That voice. So beautiful, so delicate, just a few words were enough to make your knees tremble ever so slightly. You nodded slowly, allowing him to lead you over to the your bed waiting behind you. He lay you down with utmost care, straddling your hips as he hovered over your nervous form.

Your chewed at your lip as a hand wholly cupped your cheek. His thumb ran itself over your lower lip, slightly swollen from the heavy kisses he had mercilessly smothered you with.

"My darling..." he breathed, and you swore your heart was ready to explode. "If you would allow me to, I want to see more of you."

You cast your gaze to the side. You wanted to move forward with him, you wanted to become closer with him in every way you possibly could, but you felt as if he would just be... disappointed.

"Look at me, [Y/N]," he requested a second time, as if reading your thoughts. Once you met his eyes, you couldn't look away.

"You're so beautiful, [Y/N]. I truly can't get enough of you," he placed a chaste kiss over your lips, "Let me prove to you just how breathtaking you are."

Another kiss was laid onto you, and you were at his mercy. The sensual movement of his lips brought forth whines and muffled moans from the back of your throat, your body heating up to the point where you felt dizzy from the attention.

Karamatsu's hands shifted from your face to your waist, dipping under the hem of your shirt to caress your stomach. You stiffened slightly, mind focusing on the way he dragged his fingertips with a feather light touch over your skin, rising higher and higher until they had settled under the bump of your bra.

He leaned away, eyes seeking your approval as he tugged on your shirt, and you merely nodded with eyes squeezed shut as he lifted the material over your head. There was a moment of silence, and your worst fears rose to the top of your throat in sickening waves, until you heard him sigh.

"Just as I thought..." he mumbled heatedly, "You're sculptured like an angel."

The quick unclasping of your bra surprised you, as well as the hot mouth that suddenly enveloped your breast. You gasped, back arching into him further as he nipped and suckled on your sensitive nipple, the other breast being massaged in his larger, calloused hand.

"Kara..." was the only word that fell from your mouth, desperate and wanting as your hips instinctively bucked up against his own. He hissed around you, and he pushed back into you just as needy.

You could hear him continue to mumble against you, each kiss to your mound followed by words of praise. He was too much, but all you could think about was for him to keep going.

After he had thoroughly lavished your breasts, making sure to leave a bit of himself behind on your blank skin, he shuffled down further, burning a trail down your abdomen until he reached the hem of your pants. Slowly, you allowed your legs to spread wider for him as he carefully pulled down the clothing, marvelling at your quivering thighs.

The damp spot that was clearly seen on your panties was already driving Karamatsu wild, and he couldn't help but brush his finger over your clothed sex. He rubbed and teased you, drawing out those lovely moans and quiet begs for more until even he couldn't take it any longer — his mind was begging him to go in and have a taste.

He hooked his fingers over the edge of your panties, looking you in the eyes as he pulled it down over the crook of your knees and off each leg, dropping it over the side of the bed. You held your breath in anticipation as he lowered his head down, cool air fanning over your exposed pussy before it was covered in an indescribable heat.

You were so wet, you realised, and Karamatsu couldn't hold himself back any longer, thoroughly eating you out and licking broad stripes over your entrance before slipping his tongue inside. He held your thighs far apart, fingers digging into your skin as they shook violently. Your hands weaved themselves into his hair, tugging at his soft tresses.

The taste of you on his tongue aroused Karamatsu beyond belief, and he could feel his cock throb in his tight jeans as your walls tightened around his tongue.

"K-Karamatsu...!" You called through stuttering breaths, head tossing back onto the pillow beneath you. "Wait..! I'm gonna...!"

You could feel the coil in the pit of your stomach begin to tighten, but you feared you would finish too soon. Karamatsu paused, albeit reluctantly, and removed his tongue from you with a loud smack, his mouth and chin glistening with your juices.

You felt yourself relax a little, legs finally collapsing onto the bed as you peered up at your boyfriend, who was busy removing his signature hoodie to reveal his surprisingly firm chest. Your eyes followed his every movement as his hands hurriedly unbuckled the belt wrapped around his waist, pushing down his jeans and boxers.

The sight of his hardened cock, swollen and dripping with precum, stirred the fire in your belly, and you found yourself unable to tear your gaze away once more as he positioned himself between your legs. You bit your lip when his tip prodded against your entrance, your hands intertwining with his own.

He kissed you deeply as he pushed himself into you, inch by inch, stretching your walls. You cried out into the kiss as his length became fully sheathed inside of you. With your waists pressed against one other, he gave you a moment to adjust to his size, peppering kisses over your cheeks and murmuring deep words into your ears. Once you were ready, you wrapped your legs around him, keeping him close to you.

You shivered as he began to move, pulling out and then pushing back in, seemingly reaching deeper into you with every thrust. The twinge of pain you had initially felt melted into delicious and pleasant waves of pleasure that rolled over your body. You could feel every bump of his veins brush against your slippery walls, the lewd noise of your skin slapping together turning you on further.

The coil that had been building up inside you before had returned, tight and ready to burst as your body rocked back and forth. You slid your arms around Karamatsu's broad shoulders, burying your face into the crook of his neck as you moaned and called for more, for him to make you his.

He clutched onto you as your drenched cunnie suddenly constricted around him, holding his dick in a vice-like-grip as you came, drenching his length with your wetness. The tightness of your hot walls made his pace falter, quickly picking it back up as he chased his own orgasm, fucking you through your twitching spasms.

The overstimulation made your eyes water, but it all soon came to an end as he harshly bit into your shoulder, muffling his high pitched whines whilst his cum coated your walls, cascading into you in thick volumes.

He became still, panting heavily along with you, until he carefully pulled out his softening rod, collapsing onto the space beside you and pulling you close to his chest. You snuggled into him, finding yourself glad to hear his heartbeat thundering as loud and as fast as your own.

The soothing circles he rubbed into your back was enough to bring you to sleep, your smaller form safely cocooned in his embrace. All you could hear was his soft words as you drifted off, telling you how beautiful you were, and how he loved you so much, until everything faded into a peaceful white noise, your eyes falling shut as you slept with a small smile on your face.

❀ | ⑥

╔═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╗ 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 ╚═════ °• ♔ •° ═════╝

Setting down his teacup with a sigh, Karamatsu's gaze didn't wander from the perfect view of the gardens just behind the large windows.

It had been a few days since he had gone on that magical horse ride through the forest with you, and ever since you had arrived back at your palace, it seemed as if you had been avoiding him. Which he found to be most unfortunate, as he had found the conversation the both of you had then was heartfelt and honest, and he even thought that it had brought you two ever so slightly closer together.

Alas, he was wrong. The words you had exchanged with him had only weakened your bond and any chances at becoming closer, it seems. Now, whenever you spotted him around the palace halls, you would swiftly turn the other way and scurry off before he could get the chance to speak. He would be left in the dust of your footsteps, a hand outstretched towards your silhouette and a frown on his lips.

Karamatsu wasn't sure what to do.

His words were true; he wanted to get to know you, bit by bit. He wanted you to give him a chance, despite his reputation as a stupid and unwise prince. Despite all his flaws and imperfections, he wanted you to take his hand and walk alongside him, if not as lovers then at the very least as friends.

Clearly, however, you didn't have the same thoughts in mind.

He sighed again, much heavier this time, his sorrow almost visible in the air around him. Karamatsu had no idea what to do. He had never been in this situation before — he had never even lasted this long inside someone else's kingdom! He usually would have been kicked out, literally, as soon as he opened his mouth to speak. Although you didn't give him the kindest of welcomes, you had at least allowed him to stay. He thought that to be very kind of you.

Resting his palm against his cheek, he cast his sullen gaze to the sky. No matter what he did, his mind would always fall back to you. He would like to think it was love, but he wasn't that stupid of a prince to truly believe that.

"Prince Karamatsu?" He startled at the call of his name, sitting up straight and turning to look over his shoulder to find your mother, Queen Koume, walking steadily towards him with a kind smile. He stood up from his seat, bowing low as his signature smirk worked its way into his face.

"Queen Koume! It is truly a blessing to be in your presence."

"Likewise," she chuckled, tapping his shoulder and gesturing for him to rise, "But I think formalities can be dropped for a short while, don't you agree?"

"If that is what you wish," he flicked his sparkling cape around him, the material elegantly twirling around him before settling along his back.

"I hope you have been enjoying your stay in our kingdom," she started, moving to take a seat opposite from Karamatsu's.

"Of course! I expected nothing less from the Aoki Kingdom — full of beauty as far as the eye can see!"

Queen Koume chuckled again, silently liking the flowery words that always seemed to flow seamlessly out of the young prince's mouth. He had quite a talent for it.

"And my daughter has been treating you well?"

"Indeed! She truly is a kind and soft soul, to treat me as gently as the flowers that bloom in her wake—!"

"Then why is she not with you?"

Karamatsu stilled, eyes wide and smile stiff. He glanced over to the Queen, and upon seeing her raised brow and the suspicious squint in her eyes, he deflated, sitting himself back down and tracing a finger around the rim of his teacup.

"How long has she been avoiding you?"

"...Almost three days, now..."

She sighed, her eyes falling to her folded hands in her lap. A few moments of silence go by, and she interrupts it with her soft voice.

"I would like to apologise for my daughter. She has always found it difficult to bond with those from outside our kingdom."

"No, no, I understand her completely." Karamatsu shook his head, a small smile on his lips that didn't quite meet his eyes. "I am a prince from the kingdom of Akatsuka. We are known for our unwillingness to become kings and our poor knowledge on royal duties. I'm not surprised that she wouldn't want anything to do with me... It is something that I have become used to."

"But it is not something you deserve."

He paused, slowly raising his eyes to meet hers.

"Appearances are a struggle for royals to upkeep, because it is the only thing that others are willing to look at. When I look at you, Karamatsu, I don't look at the failure of a prince. I look at the heart you wear on your sleeve."

Karamatsu's cheeks tinged a light pink, her knowing smile making it hard to look away.

"When others look at my daughter, they see a cold and silent girl, with her head full of pride and her eyes full of malice. But when you look at her, tell me, what do you see?"

"...What do I see...?"

He saw a beautiful girl with a heart that was closed off to the world in fear of getting hurt. He saw a girl who spoke her mind without the fear of the opinions of others. He saw a girl with a strong and matured mind with a young, caring heart, a weakness that she didn't want to expose. Because if it ever was, her world would crumble around her.

Queen Koume stood up, walking around the small table to reach Karamatsu, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with wide eyes, akin to a child. Her fondness for him grew.

"Talk to her. She will try to run, but don't let her out of your reach."

With those words, she left him to his thoughts, disappearing around the corner. Karamatsu's mind was onto telling him one thing.

'I need to see her.'

He bolted from his seat, running down the hallways in an aimless attempt to find you. As he passed by the entrance to the gardens, he skidded to a halt, rushing over to one of the gardeners who was busy pruning a bush of purple and blue flowers.

"Excuse me!" He called, standing over them. "If you would be so kind, I need some assistance with a gift." He gestured to the flowers around him, his thick brows furrowed into a pleading frown. The gardener stared up at him in shock before relaxing into a grin.

"Of course! I have the perfect gift."

He clipped a hefty bunch of the flowers in front of him, grabbing a ribbon from his pocket and tying it around the stems into a neat bow.

"Hydrangeas. For anything that is sincerely heartfelt." He winked, handing them over to the prince.

"Wonderful! Thank you!" Karamatsu turned on his heel to run off, only to then back around with a sheepish grin. "Do you know where I can find the Princess?"

"She usually hides herself away in the library. But you didn't hear that from me!"

"Thank you!" He called again over his shoulder as he dashed off, coloured petals drifting around him as the wind carried them away. A woman peeked around one of the hedges, grinning down at the gardener.

"Playing Cupid, are we?" She chuckled.

"That's all on him," he shrugged. The both of them watched a blue blur run off into the distance, mentally sending him the best of luck before returning to their tasks.

Karamatsu ran as fast as his legs could carry him, barely making it down the right corridors until he came to a stumbling halt in front of a large set of double doors, the wood engraved with ivory stems curling around bookshelves. This was the place.

He took a moment to catch his breath, brushing his hair back into place with his hand and gathering the courage before opening the doors with a firm push, pausing as they revealed a vast library filled to the brim with books and rolled parchment.

He glanced around as he walked in, scanning every empty table and chair until he came across a set of stairs spiralling upwards, swallowing thickly as he ascended, one slow step at a time.

His heart was thundering in his chest as he reached the top, almost fit to burst as he finally saw your figure hunched over a pile of books that were opened up and spread along the floor, your studious gaze stuck the words on the pages of text until the sound of his footsteps made you look up in surprise.

Your eyes met his, wide and unsuspecting. Karamatsu's heart sped up, skipping a beat as he saw your skin becoming flushed in shock, his own cheeks matching the reddening tint that was spreading across your face.

Neither of you could speak, finding yourselves speechless. You always had something to say, but now, sitting there and peering up at the man you had been attempting to push away for days now, you found that your throat had run dry, and your lips slightly parted, searching for words that couldn't escape you.

You watched as he took careful steps forward, kneeling down in front of you on one knee to reach your eye level, his brown eyes never once leaving yours.

In his arms, he carried clusters of hydrangeas, swirling colours of blue and purple, and your heart jumped. It startled you; it was if it had leapt up your throat.

He held them out to you, a determined glint in his eyes.

"Princess [Y/N]."

His words were firm but gentle, enough to get you to stay, and enough to tell you that there was nothing stopping you from leaving. Even so, you found yourself unable to move.

"These flowers are for you. I hope these will suffice as a gift, in exchange for a chance to speak with you."

Chapter 2

'Another day wasted.'

It was the first thought to come to your mind when you had awoken the next day, the sun already high above the horizon and glaring through your windows.

You didn't feel well rested, despite having slept for hours on end. Your mind was tired, your heart still ached, you didn't feel as if you had the strength to open your eyes. You just lay there on your bed, unmoving and unbothered.

You would have stayed there all day, had it not been for your hunger. Clutching at your stomach in pain, you remembered how you had barely eaten anything the previous day, too busy wallowing in self pity to even think about eating.

With a groan, you slowly sat up on the edge of your mattress, blinking away the sudden head rush that came with the movement. The floorboards felt cold beneath your feet, sending shivers up your spine as you placed them flat on the wooden flooring. You rubbed at your eyes as you stood up, stumbling out of your bedroom to go and wash up.

It was unbearably hot in your living room, prompting you to open up the patio doors to allow some air inside, the humidity increasing as a new wave of warm air wafted into the room. The echoing sounds of cicadas that rested on tree trunks beyond your fencing filled the air, buzzing and buzzing until that white noise in your mind was finally cancelled out.

You chewed slowly on your food, maybe to waste more time so that the sun would go down and you could go back to sleep. But it was barely noon and the sun was still hovering high in the sky, scorning you with its intense rays as if to punish you for wishing it to leave. It was going to be a long summer's day, and you were already sick of it.

Sick.

You suddenly placed your half-eaten plate of food down with a clatter as you scrambled to your feet, slapping a hand desperately over your mouth as you felt it rise and boil in your throat, barely making it to the bathroom as your stomach spewed out bile into the sink.

It was happening again, you realised as you continued to gag, fumbling to turn the tap on to wash away the disgusting sight before you, prompting you to choke again. It was all going so well, and now it's happening again. Tears welled in your eyes as you squeezed them shut. Just make it stop. Please make it stop.

Your legs finally collapsed from beneath you and you tumbled to the tiled floor, hands still clutched to the edge of the basin as you crouched down, head low and breaths heavy. A cold sweat had broken out over your skin, leaving you shivering and abnormally feverish.

It wasn't fair, you thought miserably. Nothing had happened. Nothing had gone wrong. But apparently something did go wrong. Things always go wrong. You can never seem to be at peace, no matter what you try. The sudden waves of anxiety that hit you when you least expected it wasn't your fault. And yet it was entirely your fault. Nothing made sense. Nothing ever made sense. You were too stupid to understand. You could never understand.

'If only I didn't go outside yesterday.'

But it still would have happened. This would still have happened. You didn't know why, but it would have. Because that's just how it works. It's not supposed to work that way. But for you, it does. You didn't need to understand. You just needed to let it happen. Even if you didn't want it to. You have no power, no control. Just fall to your knees and cry, as you always do. That's how it always works.

You stood up shakily, hesitantly staring back at the face in the mirror. She looked better than you did. Smiling, happy, glad she was behind the glass and wasn't there with you.

You blinked, and the image changed. That was you. You, with the messy hair and the dark, tired eyes, the sickly skin and pinched cheeks, frail and weak, gaze sullen and dazed. Lost and confused. Sad and pitiful. That was who you were.

Unable to look any longer, you twisted the faucet back on, cupping handfuls of cold water and splashing it over your face multiple times, scrubbing harshly at your eyes and mouth, rinsing it out to get rid of the sickening taste of bile. You didn't dare look back into the mirror as you grabbed your towel, rubbing it over your face and tossing it aside before exiting the bathroom.

Breakfast didn't sound appetising anymore, and you regretfully threw the rest of the food away. You stood in the middle of your living room, glancing around from the couch to the TV, to the console next to it, to the small bookshelf stuffed with a few books you had decided to keep for whatever reason, your fingers furling and unfurling against your palms.

They finally landed on a slim, black, hard-cover book shoved lopsidedly into the bottom shelf, it's ringed binder hanging out over the edge of the dark wood.

You reached for it, gingerly pulling it out of the shelf with the tips of your fingers, holding it at arms length as if it were some kind of wild animal. The first few pages were frayed and withered, but the rest were crisp and clean, untouched and unused.

You stared and stared at the tough cover, running your gaze over the blank darkness, as if you were searching for something. But you knew everything you were searching for was inside the book. The courage to look was dwindling away as time tricked by.

You suddenly grasped the corner of the cover, flipping it open with force and coming to a halt at the sight of the first page. All you saw was coloured blotches, streaking across the otherwise empty paper in messy lines. The blues and greens merged together in a disgusting mesh of hues, the watery disarray of paint unable to form any real structure.

After staring at it for a long while, face stoic, you flipped over to the next page. The paper was stiff and wrinkled, less like paper and more like cardboard, crackling with the slightest amount of pressure applied to it.

It was just the same as the previous one, if not, worse. You couldn't look at it for longer than a couple of minutes before moving on, and that time hastily shortened down to a few seconds until you finally reached a blank page.

With a shaky breath, you grabbed a pencil from one of the pots on your shelf and silently seated yourself down at the low table behind you. You hovered the lead over the white canvas, carefully moving it along with your hand, the sound of the pencil scratching against the paper filling your ears.

Your arm made jerky movements, wrist flicking left and right as you attempted to make an outline of something you had seen before, with the lead eroding away ever so slowly with each stroke. You watched your hand wander to every corner of the paper, pausing with a flinch every now and then when it moved just a little too far off the intended path.

The clock ticked on and on, seconds to minutes to hours, with you sat at the low table in the bright light of the sun in your living room, scratch, scratch, scratching away, even as your pencil became blunt, forcing it to mark out the lines of a seemingly misshapen landscape, thin and delicate lines becoming thick and crooked veins.

It wasn't until the pencil began stabbing the paper with its splintered tip that you finally stopped, moving your hand off the page to look down at the horrible mess you had made. It was the same picture as the others, only much, much more awful, with less colour and less sense of mind.

That same stoic face stared down at the page. Your grip on your pencil was now limp, your hand dropping to the floor by your side and the tool now slipping from your fingers, rolling over the floor and out of your reach.

You can't do anything right, can you?

The sting of tears in your eyes was going to drive you mad. You stood back up, ignoring the needle-like numbness in your lower limbs as you staggered to your bedroom, the urge to get out of the deathly silent house growing stronger.

You changed out of your clothes into an oversized beige hoodie and shorts, thinking that it wouldn't draw attention to yourself, only to realise that it would draw attention because what kind of idiot would wear a hoodie in the middle of summer? So you tossed it aside and pulled on a white vest and a grey dress-shirt on top instead, thankful that the loose fitting clothing would at least cover your curves.

You slipped on the first pair of sneakers you saw and left the house, your keys, purse and phone stuffed into your back pockets. You stood in front of your door for a moment, unsure of where to go, then ultimately decided that it really didn't matter, and you turned left and started walking.

You kept your head low, hands awkwardly swaying by your sides, unsure of where to put them because you had no other pockets. The sun was lower in the sky now, gently stretching your shadow behind you as you walked further and further down the street, following it wherever it took you because who cares where you would end up?

As always, there was no one outside besides you. The gentle patter of your footsteps against the cobbled pathway was the only sound you could hear besides the familiar twitter of birds above you. It was moments like these when you began to miss the sounds of the city, with its constant bustling streets and roads filling that emptiness in the air and somewhat reassuring you that you weren't completely alone in this world.

But here, you were. You were entirely alone.

You always thought you would be okay with that, and yet you were now hating it more than anything. How pathetic.

Glancing upwards, you noticed with a blink that the houses in the village were now far behind you. You paused, turning to look over your shoulder to see the shrunken structures in the distance, and your surroundings were instead replaced with rolling green fields of tall grass, mutely swaying in the breeze. How long had it been since you had started walking?

Despite your confusion, you turned back around and continued onward. You shouldn't think about it too much. You didn't want to think at all anymore.

And so, you walked. You walked and walked and walked. You had no idea where the road was headed towards, you had no idea if you were even in the Akashika District at that point, but that was fine. The unknown was welcomed with open arms. Anything to keep your mind quiet.

Unfortunately for you, though, all good things must come to an end. That end came far too quickly when your legs and feet began to ache. Your body was becoming tired — most likely due to you not having any food in your system — and your shortness of breath under the brutal summer heat was making your head spin. You needed to stop soon, unless you wanted to faint.

With great reluctance, you steered yourself to the side of the road, kneeling down with your knees tucked into your chest and your forearms hanging over them. You pushed your hair away from your face, disliking the sweat accumulating on your temple. Whilst you caught your breath, you looked back again down the road you had walked up, and the town was now a lot smaller than it was before.

You would have to walk back there eventually, you reminded yourself, and you outwardly groaned. You didn't want to do that. But you guessed it was your own fault, anyway. You deserved this. It's the consequence of your actions, isn't it? You acted irrationally, and now you had to suffer further.

The sound of a car horn startled you from your thoughts. You whipped your head over to your right with wide eyes, watching as a white car rolled to a stop a few feet ahead of you, its tires crunching against the dirt. The engine died down into silence as you heard the clutch being pulled into place with a squeak, catching a brief glimpse of a shadowy silhouette through the windscreen as it shuffled to get out of the car.

You were frozen in place as you watched a man step out of the vehicle, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes as he regarded you with a curious look, raising a brow as he stepped closer. His rounded face looked so familiar, as well as those large, half-lidded eyes, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. He wore a white shirt complete with a deep blue tie, which hung loosely under his unbuttoned collar. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his black slacks, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbow, exposing his forearms.

"Are you okay there?" He asked, sauntering to a stop as he stood over you. You stared up at him, breath caught in your throat, unsure of what to say. No, you were not okay, but you couldn't just tell people that, could you? You had to be okay, you had to be normal.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." You attempted to smile, the strain of forcibly stretching your lips across your cheeks paining you greatly, and you would have kept it up if the man hadn't frowned at you. The smile that was more akin to a grimace slowly slipped off of your face, replaced by a nervous pinch to your lower lip instead.

"You don't look 'fine' to me," he stated bluntly, leaning down a little so that his head was mere inches away from your own. "What are you doing all the way out here on the ground?"

You inched yourself back slightly, wobbling under the uneven balance on your limbs. Excuses, you had to come up with excuses, but that was becoming an increasingly difficult task when the man interrogating you seemed to know that you were lying before you even spoke.

Just as you were about to lose your balance in your crouched position, he grabbed onto your upper arm to steady you. The warmth radiating from his palm seeped through your sleeve, your already boiling skin heating up further from the touch. You felt your cheeks heat up, too, the unfamiliar touch of this (admittedly attractive) man leaving you in a slight daze.

"I-I was just out for a walk, and I got tired, that's all," you quickly stammered, unable to look him in the eyes lest you burst into flames. His scrutinising look didn't falter, instead increasing as he squinted at you harshly.

"You look like you're gonna faint. I think you're a little more than tired, lady."

Your heart pounded painfully in your chest at his words. You were fine, totally fine, why couldn't he just accept that?

You gasped as you suddenly felt yourself being lifted off the ground, your arms pulled forward as he forced you to follow behind him. He was leading you to his car, his grip on you firm as if to say that you didn't have a choice.

"Where are you taking me?" You couldn't exactly trust a man you had just met so easily. He stopped in his tracks, turning to look back at you with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah, sorry! I'm gonna look weird if I just start dragging you over here, huh?" He released your arms to bow mockingly, peering up at you through one eye as the other closed in a wink.

"The name's Akashika Ozo. Taxi driver, at your service." He grinned widely, seemingly proud of himself for the little skit he had pulled. Ozo straightened back up, taking a hold of your forearm tenderly this time and gesturing towards his car. "I was just planning on giving you a lift to wherever it is you're going. If you want one, that is."