Amaranth

Sand clung to skin and the harsher rays of light that usually cascaded and burnt you had died away into a fading tangerine glow. You perched comfortably on the sand, taking note of the undulating waves- they were like you in the sense that while you could crash down hard on the opposition, you would shy away in a fragile manner when faced with gentle treatment.

You were scared of love, really.

Perhaps it was that you felt you weren’t worth such luxuries that you found it hard to make friends through your first few years of high school. Perhaps it was trying to push people away because you were afraid yet alarmingly aware of your mortality. Perhaps it was something else entirely, something you weren’t quite ready to come to terms with.

But here you were…

What you did know was that you weren’t alone in the violent struggle through high school to make friends while you had your walls up. Next to you was someone you never thought you’d share your favorite place with; in any terms you found this boy appalling with his behavior. So appalling, you saw yourself in the way he closed himself off and cut those close with tongue lashings. You knew this only through another friend who took issue with him as you went to another school in an entire other prefecture.

Words mauled their way out from your throat, breaking the silence between you and Tsukishima Kei.

“I won’t ask you why you tried to do what you did today. But I will ask if there’s anyone you can talk to in your life.”

You were still trembling from what had happened hours ago, but you knew he needed comfort first and foremost…

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

You walked past the blonde as he had stepped off a bridge, down a height into oncoming traffic, with the intent to end his own life.

But fortunately, you had snapped his wrist into your own and hauled him up- his thin and cold frame relied on yours as you prevented him from finally doing what he’d planned. You stumbled backward with your combined weight. Your eyes stung unbearably as you cried in delayed fear, hot tears warming your windburnt face like a soothing balm. Tsukishima was frozen, face against your chest, like he wasn’t sure if his suicide attempt had actually worked. His glasses fell and shattered in the traffic… but he was up here still?

Finally he looked at you with wide gold eyes and his expression melted into one of dismay- not anger as you had expected. His nose crinkled as his eyes watered and he shoved you,

“Why did you have to be in Sendai right now…?”

You didn’t have an answer for him, still caught up in the panic that he could have died moments ago. You held him against your form, shaking.

He took your silence in stride and slowly wound his thin arms around you.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

“No, there isn’t.”

You took him to this beach to talk about it, as you knew no one would be around.

“You know, I’ve tried to kill myself too,” you smiled sadly, eyes now focusing on the hues in the horizon. You saw the way his posture changed in your peripherals- some kind of visceral reaction.

“You never would’ve guessed, would you have, Tsukishima Kei?” You turned to look at him, wry expression plain in the way your eyes crinkled in pain. He clammed up when you looked at him, then ran a hand through his hair and dismissively looked to the sky.

“I don’t think you can guess someone is suicidal, really…” he muttered.

“Mm,” you hummed in response.

The ocean spoke for you both, reaching out to touch your outstretched legs. You nearly jumped at the cold sea water soaking your jeans.

“Oh, that sucks,” Tsukishima said hollowly at your state.

“Yeah, no shit… wet jeans SUCK,” you kick at the ocean as if to fight it or punish it for soaking you. You unconsciously glanced at Tsukishima.

He was fixated on the glittering sea, wheat blonde hair hosting an ethereal glow courtesy of the dying sunshine casting over him. His expression was stuck in a numb neutral one, but his lips quirked up in the corners subtly when he noticed your discomfort in your wet jeans.

… you’re not doing your job as this introvert’s government assigned himbo.

You let out a little huff, then stood up.

“It feels nice out.”

Tsukishima watched you with a curious expression.

You shrugged off your jacket and tossed it far, where the ocean wouldn’t dare touch it.

“Well, I’m going for a swim.”

“… huh?”

You approached the ocean, submerging yourself in the nearly ice cold water.

Tsukishima sputtered our your surname and scrambled forward in an attempt to stop you. You laughed when he entirely missed and landed on his hands and knees in the sand.

“Come on, the water’s fine!”

“I- n- ??????” He just seemed confused, then watched you approach again.

“If you won’t come in by yourself, then I’ll do it.”

You hauled all of the 6’3” Tsukishima up into your arms, ignoring his flailing and struggling. You started your trek into the ocean until the waves were lapping at your stomach, then you dipped the blonde in your arms straight into the water.

His first instinct, of course, was to punch you. You laughed at his weak jab to your chest, then stood him up in the water, pulling him close so he was still warm.

“TsuKei.”

He looked at you begrudgingly, face dyed pink from the way he exhausted himself fighting against you.

“Do you feel the ocean around you?” You glanced around both of you.

“… yeah.”

“Do you feel the warmth of the sunset?”

He let out a hum of confirmation.

“These are moments of life you would never experience again in death, you wouldn’t ever see these wonderful moments again.”

He set his forehead against your shoulder.

“… I don’t care. I just wanted it to stop hurting, I wanted to care about things again.” He grumbled.

You splashed his side, “Would you like to try giving life another chance?” You stepped back so to look Tsukishima over, “You know, I’m not religious, but I very much believe in fate. I think someone or something sent me here today, someone brought me here to help you, to remind you that there is always more.”

His expression was twisted in pain, “… I don’t believe you.”

“Can you give me a shot? A chance to explain myself, I mean,” you grin, trying your hardest to convince him.

“… Alright.”

“Awesome. Thank you for letting me show you life is worth it, TsuKei,” you leant in and kissed his forehead.

His breath caught in his throat.

…

Then you knocked him fully into the water. He got up and sputtered.

“You asshole! I’m still in my uniform, this is hand wash only! It’s gonna be messed up!”

“I’ll pay for another one, Tsukishima Kei, you should live for now. Or else I’m gonna knock you in the water again.”

His eyes widened, then he smirked and grabbed your shin and tugged.

You slipped and fell into the water as well, feigning surprise with a high pitched squeal. A look of victory crossed his face, then he looked to the horizon in regret.

Suddenly you were both engulfed by the ocean, sent spiraling out to shore and struggling for breath under the oppressive ocean. Your body tumbled out into the dunes and you wheezed out a breath.

Fortunately, you were both only under for a moment, so there was no real risk of either of you drowning.

Unfortunately, though, Tsukishima was shoved on top of you by the ocean, as if mocking the situation. You stared up at him in surprise and he looked down at you with a mix of amusement and horror.

You should’ve probably been caught up on how you were both now completely soaked (not your plan), there was sand in your socks (definitely not the plan), and now you really didn’t have the upper hand in this situation. You had to balance things out somehow, so you just let the first thing that came to mind slip out…

“Take me to dinner first, holy shit.”

Tsukishima grimaced at your comment, “Ew.”

You laughed and pushed him up so you could at least try to get the sand out from your hair. He perched up on his knees. Tsukishima’s face was flushed as he wiped the sand off the elbows of his shirt.

“… hey TsuKei.”

He glanced up, a mix of annoyed and embarrassed, acknowledging you.

“Let me be your shelter in these hard times. Let’s exchange phone numbers.”

He sighed a bit, then looked over at your blazer, then back to you, “My phone was in my pocket. Unless you snatched it earlier.”

“You’re picking up on my tricks already?!” You asked, faux-surprised. You walked over to your jacket and offered his phone to him.

“… alright, (L/N), I’ll try to come to you if I need anything…”

You smiled and rested your arm around his shoulders, leading him back to the sidewalk before the beach, “Then I’ll walk you home.”

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

Seven years later you both stood out on the beach during the sunset, watching two kids run around like the entities of chaos they were.

“So, TsuKei, do you regret letting me show you life was worth it? Or are you grateful?” You leaned into your husband’s shoulder.

“Don’t make me say it… of course I’m grateful, you asshole…” he blushed and turned, hiding behind longer locks of that familiar wheat blonde hair.

“Ooh! So mean to me still and we’ve been married for how long?”

“Shut up…” his ears flushed pink. He was still so easy to embarrass. One of the little girls playing runs up to you and grabs your pant leg, and you look down.

“Dad! I found a shell!” She showed a seashell she was so proud of. The way she smiled was so similar to you, there was no doubt at the end of the day she was your daughter. Your gaze wandered over to Isaka, your other daughter, who was staring at the ocean as if it was personally insulting her.

“… thinking of something?” Kei asked you, watching Isaka as well.

“Just how I’m so happy that you wound up being mine… I think I won the lottery as far as partners go. You’re all I wanted, haha…” you look away nervously, hiding from the reality of such a serious confession.

“… did you ever think I wasn’t going to be yours?” He asked gently.

“… there were a few moments, yeah.”

“Really… I think I’ve always been yours, ever since I landed in your arms those years ago.”

Your hand held his tighter.

Secret Santa Gift- Yandere Sukuna Ryomen (College AU!) Headcanons/Snippets

-It started out so easy, so simple.

-You were always in the campus’s library, 11 am to 1:30 pm, studying and eating lunch by yourself. You were entertained by scrolling on your phone and occasionally a friend would join you… but most of the time you scrolled on your phone.

-It was a perfect opening for the cool upperclassmen Ryomen Sukuna to approach you and finally begin his process of cornering you into his cage.

-He’d tease you initially, coming across as some playful flirt all to lower your defenses.

———

“Ah, there you are!” Ryomen greeted you, then leaned on the table your books and laptop were on, “How are you? Have you eaten yet?”

Personally he didn’t care all too much about these trivial matters- he knew you already ate. He watched you do so. He also knew your day was fine except for the weird lowerclassman in your first period who wouldn’t shut up about some anime you clearly weren’t into.

———

-He’s kept his distance as you were good at playing coy and being shy. That is, until one day, he caught a glance of your laptop as you drew.

-To be honest, he should be quite flattered you were drawing him like he was some kind of god. I mean, you didn’t know he was an ancient cursed demon disguising himself as a student here in the hopes of finding someone like you, so the fact that you made such a connection only impressed him further.

-You nearly aspirated your coffee when Sukuna rested his hands on your shoulders. You looked up at him with surprised doe eyes then quickly shut your computer, feeling panic rising in your chest. You’d been caught simping.

———

“That’s a beautiful picture, it should be printed out,” he cooed down with a hair of something… different to his tone. You feared the worst, that he was rejecting a silly little simp like you, and you began to panic and apologize.

“I-I’m so sorry! I wanted to ask you about possibly modeling for my digital art class this semester, but I didn’t have any of your contact information… if you want I can delete it, just-“

“Oh, no. I love it, trust me,” he played with a loose tendril of your hair and squeezed your face between the index finger and the thumb of his other hand, “I’d actually like a copy. I want to see what you got right versus just from seeing me like this every day.”

———

-You’d exchanged phone numbers that afternoon and began texting that night. You didn’t know what to expect when you sent him that art piece.

-What you didn’t expect was him asking if you’d like to see his body in person to see where you could fix it.

-To be honest, you weren’t the most thrilled at the concept of fixing the piece since it was already done and shaded but… like, who would say no to seeing the hot reliable upperclassman without clothes on???

-You certainly wouldn’t.

———

“Haha… whaaat are you doing, Ryomen?” You managed out nervously, body pressed against the men’s locker room lockers of the campus rec center, “This is a little weird.”

“You can’t be this dense. Come on now, did you seriously think I was going to let you go after you got to ogle me without clothes to make sure you were ‘correct’ with your art?”

The warmth in his voice practically evaporated, he was now mocking and cruel. Each time you tried to writhe away from under him he pressed harder, soon coming to realize you weren’t going to give in easily. He sighed and held the base of your neck against the lockers and rutted his hips violently into yours.

“I think you know exactly how you can pay me back, cumslut.”

Warming Up

It was a cruel trek from the bar you worked at back to your home in Liyue and unfortunately, your transportation options did not include the niceties of “weather permitting” options. In your hands was a neatly wrapped box of liquors your boss had given you for being such a charming worker despite being of so little words, especially while working a holiday shift. The bottles clanged in an obnoxious high-pitched clamor when you stepped up the cobblestone stairs to the street next to yours, causing your sound-sensitive self to flinch violently. Unfortunately this only caused the bottles to rattle more and you internally cursed yourself at becoming the source of such a loathsome ruckus. Your jaw unconsciously grits as you change your grasp of the box.

It was unfairly cold this year. You didn’t expect the temperature to drop so severely and you hated the involuntary shivers that rippled through your body at the windchill. It had to be significantly below freezing…

You encouraged yourself internally that things would be fine once you got home to your girlfriend. She always had this wonderful habit of greeting you with a generous and loving smile that warmed your heart. She was also the fortunate holder of a vision- a Pyro vision, specifically. Normally you would be scared to interact with someone who could probably burn your house down if they sneezed the wrong way, but Yanfei was different. She always executed the utmost care regarding her vision and knew the local law by heart. That second part was no surprise considering her career in law, but her personality wasn’t the stereotypical droll of a lawyer. She never seemed focused on the Mora of the job, but rather wanting to keep the area where you two lived a peaceful area. When she had told you about her ideals months prior, you felt your heart warm at the thought. She’s beautiful inside and out…

Yanfei also never minded your silence. While there were awkward moments, she never seemed to hold it against you or address them. Rather instead she picked up sign language to talk with you.

“You can speak with this, right? If not I can figure something else out,” the pinkette grinned at you, starting to sign a broken sentence. You, who’d known sign for a couple years at this point, tried to disguise your smile.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

You didn’t have the heart to inform her that instead of what she meant to sign, she signed “How was fuck?”

You smiled unconsciously remembering your girlfriend’s inquisitive face and how it warped once you wrote to her what she actually said. Her eyes widened significantly past her normally sleepy expression and her hands shot up in an apologetic gesture, as if she were afraid she offended you. You loved that woman so much.

The area around you blurred a bit. It felt as if you hadn’t had enough to eat yet today. Only a bit longer until you’d make it home, you could do this. Think positively! It honestly wasn’t that bad out.

… how long had you been out in this weather? You vaguely realized your arms were locked around the box of booze in a vice you don’t think you could easily move. Fortunately your blood still ran hot in your legs and you kept walking.

Your hands grew paler during your walk and the edges of your knuckles burnt an uncanny red, like a sunburn. Your legs kept moving.

The breath began to burn going in and out of your windpipe. Your pulse hammered harder. Yet your legs kept moving.

Each crunch of your feet crushing snow beneath you spurred you on with the thought that you would make it home soon to your girlfriend, that she would greet you with that smile from her desk then wrap you up in her arms in a gentle hug and you’d spend the rest of your holiday with the woman you loved most…

A door was thrown open and you were abruptly pulled inside. You vaguely recognized the lights around you before the sound of the box in your hands crashing to the floor nearly stopped your heart. Your head became too warm and mushy to understand what was going on, and your vision blurred even more severely.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

Blearily, your eyes opened to the view of your living room ceiling. The first notable thing was how much your knuckles, nose and fingertips stung. It was like they were horribly scraped, though upon lifting your hand to examine, you found there were no such wounds. Rather instead they were just a chapped red and slightly flaky. Your gaze followed your hand and you became slowly aware that you were no longer wearing your shirt, instead being as naked as the day you were born. You glanced down at the rest of your body and the sight before you caused your heart to leap into your throat.

First, yes, you were naked past your top.

Second, Yanfei was curled on top of you, sleepy face mushed against your chest and ambiently providing warmth to thaw you out.

Thirdly, there was a blanket over the two of you, most likely to trap the heat Yanfei was producing for you.

Fourth, your beloved girlfriend was definitely not wearing clothes. You could spy the tops of her breasts and the bare smooth skin of her arms as they peeled out from under the blanket, but otherwise, the blanket hid both your modesty quite well.

When her head tilted absentmindedly in her sleep, you felt a sharp jab. You glanced at Yanfei again, noticing what you thought was a hair accessory or some weird form of jewelry was poking you mercilessly. It didn’t bend like jewelry and it was so hard…? The hell is that…?

You tentatively traced the oddly keratin-like appendage poking you. The smooth texture reminded you of when your family would hunt and clean Cervids- the way the antlers would feel in your hand as you cleaned them as a long-lasting reward from your kill.

As your thumb traced over the ivory once more, sleepy teal green eyes blinked awake. Upon seeing your conscious face, Yanfei smiled gratefully.

“Oh, thank everything… you’re okay.” She leaned her head into your touch, unconsciously warming you even more as she gazed lovingly into your eyes.

You didn’t speak, but signed “I wasn’t aware you had antlers.”

Your signing was slow and deliberate so as to be easy to interpret for a beginner. She grinned cheekily.

“I thought you knew. They don’t move around, they’re attached to my head.”

“You act like I have solid logical thinking.”

She laughs at your comment, then nuzzles her cheeks further into your chest.

“I was so worried when you came in looking the way you did. You were all frost nipped and out of it, so I did what any reasonable person would do and started treating you. You’re lucky I know that much.” Her closing comment sounded like it should’ve had bite, but her tone was simply caring and pleased at the warmth of your body against hers, not unlike a lazy cat who was spoiled by their owner.

“You’re naked underneath the blanket.”

“So I am,” she replied casually, as if it were normal for you two to be cuddling naked. It wasn’t, for clarification.

Your face heated up as her whole body now shifted against you, savoring the feeling. You definitely felt the peaks of her nipples against your chest, the smooth firmness of her belly, and the supple flesh of her thighs which were interspersed with occasional patches of hard yet smooth-surfaced scales. She watched you with an unwavering affection.

“[Name], I want to do things with you, but you should really rest. Your body temperature dipped quite a bit… So why don’t you let me take care of you while you recover?” She cooed and stroked the side of your cheek. She never sacrificed tenderness for her point with you, though- she knew to always say her piece but also express unsaid love if she couldn’t say it in that sentence alone.

Trusting your girlfriend completely, you nod your consent.

Her upper body dips below the covers and she traces a path down your sternum, then re-traces it with her whip-like tongue. She left a burning trail between the racks of you rib cage, causing a building ache to throb deep in your gut.

You lifted the blanket to watch Yanfei as she hovered above your sex, her emerald eyes glossing over each fold and crease. You shivered in muted pleasure when she ran a finger through the dampness that had just began to pool.

“Your reactions are so cute,” she puffed out a hot breath, only causing your body to writhe further and a needy whimper left your lips. Your face grew redder at the sound you’d made and, as if synchronized, Yanfei flushed more as well. She’d never heard your needy sounds, but now that she’d heard you for the first time there was no way she could go back.

Her adept and thin fingers skimmed your outer labia and dipped in to savor the soft flesh of your clit. She stroked slow deliberate circles and watched you with a confident yet sweet smile.

You keened and your hips stuttered at the suffocating arousal she was weaving into your consciousness. She pulled her fingers from your over-sensitive nub and instead pressed further down, sinking a finger in your expecting cunt. The movement was slick and with little resistance. Yanfei cooed into your heat.

“So good for me, you’re nice and ready…” with those last words, she tilted her head down so her mouth engulfed your sex. Her serpent-like tongue twisted along your clit and her finger moved in balanced and quick pumping motions in and out of you, building up a quick tempo.

Her orchestrated movements controlled your body like a puppet, bringing your whimpers to a wail-like crescendo and building you up to your high. Amidst your whining, you became vaguely aware of how her eyes glowed hungrily beneath you, thriving off of the sounds and movement of your body as if it were her lifeblood.

She crooked her fingers up and began to abuse a ridged spot within you that had you seeing stars. You gripped onto her hair and one of her antlers unconsciously. Your body drew taut with an orgasm at the half-moan she let out. Your breath had been robbed from your lungs blatantly and you laid there, gasping for air as your body shivered in the after-effects.

Yanfei crawled out from under the covers fully, giving you a borderline sly smirk.

“Let’s get you some food and maybe if you’re up for it, you can do me next?” She wiped her mouth against the back of her and, eyes glowing with anticipation.

Snow Fell

“I’ll drink to that!” A merry sailor said cheerily, wrapping an arm around his meek mate’s shoulder and lifting his mug high in the air. Before his more experienced comrades could comment on his joviality and hush him, though, he threw the creamy, festive beverage in his cup to the back of his throat.

“That was my drink, asshat,” you mumbled disdainfully at your crewmate. He seemed to not hear you, so you turned your attention to the scenery outside.

It was beautiful for the holidays, really. Glittering snow stacked on top of cobblestone paths, dyed orange from street lanterns- it looked just like some scene out of a landscape painting. You weren’t often free on the holidays- to be honest, you can’t remember when you last had a break on a day when most things were closed. You often ran errands for the captain of The Crux, Beidou. This wasn’t out of laziness or anything, but she was rather a busy woman who could be out slaying wicked beasts with her massive weaponry and electro vision and you wanted to help her any way you could. This came out in little favors here and there- one day you caught her when she was passingly mentioning how hungry she was under her breath while you were docked at Liyue and you had brought her some spicy dish from the Wanmin restaurant. You remembered the way her face lit up subtly upon seeing the food. The memory soon turned into your motivation.

You craved approval from Beidou, her fruity voice cascading smoothly to your waiting ears. You longed to feel her pat your back in approval or notice you more than the rest of your crew. You started to find yourself jealous of whoever she snuck off to see in the middle of the night for “business meetings.”

But to be honest, it was entirely your fault you felt this way. Your longing was starting to change you, to reflect in your morals of treating everyone equally- your bias was plain as day anymore. I mean, who else would you be memorizing dates and dishes and outfits and occasions for?

The drink thief from earlier eyed you conspicuously, gaining attention from his meek partner, making a note to drag along the curve of your waist before landing on your face.

“Y/n, are you thinkin’ about the captain?” He asked bluntly.

“D-don’t say that!” The partner hissed, then looked up at you with a nervous gaze, “Sorry, y/n. He’s had too much.”

“Naw, I haven’t!” He hissed, “‘m just worried. They look miserable without Captain Beidou bein’ here.”

“Shut your mouth,” you said impulsively, not thinking about the position it put you in to deny it so quickly and vehemently.

You faced the window again begrudgingly, trying to hide the expression of guilt and bitterness that displayed fairly plainly on your face.

The worst part was that he was entirely correct. You wanted the security of seeing Captain Beidou next to you for tonight, not possibly enjoying festivities with someone else. A wave of shame washed over you when you thought of how selfish you were acting with someone as great as the Captain herself. You were just a measly crewmate, you had no right to try and think of her like that.

The fight you had with yourself internally only grew louder and louder.

Snow fell.

Ok but fr those of you out there who see this send me/tag me in your favorite Destiel fics. I do not care if they’re cursed. I wanna experience this.