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OMG i just taught of this in my head its alright if ya dont wanna write it but NANAMI AS A FATHER HEADCANON cuz like man will be dedicsted to making sure his child has a goos life (and not be like gojo)
my masterlist !
✭ pairings: platonic - dad!nanami x daughter!reader
✭ warning: nanami's probably out of character, pure fluff, fem!reader
✭ word count: 1.2k words
HII OH MY GOSH, thank you for the ask!! okay so this is my first ever hc request and I ABSOLUTELY ADORE the idea of this!! I hardly ever write 'x reader' content, but I really might just start doing it for the platonic reqs! I really do think Nanamin would be the best dad ever, but Gojo would definitely be a great parent too considering that he does believe that children should be allowed to be happy without having their childhood taken away! Anyway, I've yapped enough, here are the Dad!Nanami Headcanons! Enjoy!
𝐝𝐚𝐝!𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢 | 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬
Dad!Nanami who:
✧ Raised the baby left on his doorstep, crying and swaddled in cloth with her heartbreaking screams of hunger and lack of love filled his ears. ✧ Instantly checked on her condition, considering the baby’s cries, he couldn’t tell if perhaps she was injured. ✧ Once he figured out she was fine, he instantly rushed to the store with the baby in his arms, rushing through each aisle to hunt for baby food. ✧ Bought the food the moment he spotted it, adjusting her in his hold as he quickly paid for it, sitting on the ground outside to open the food and feed the starving child. ✧ Softens the moment he hears her cries stop, her big eyes staring up at him intently with her remaining tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. ✧ Smiles a little the moment he sees how quickly she devours the baby food, showing how hungry she really is. ✧ Thought maybe parenthood isn’t as bad as it seems.
✧ Feels pride bubble up in his chest the moment she begins to walk, her smile wide as she wobbles towards him, his arms wide open as he speaks to her with soft encouragement, “That’s it, step by step.” ✧ Scoops her up into a big hug the moment she’s a few inches away from her, her little giggles of amusement bringing her so much joy. ✧ Doesn’t mind doodling silly little things with her, scribbling down on a paper whatever she asks, as long as it’s after work hours, despite his urge to bend the rules for his little girl. ✧ Brings her to work as long as he’s not on a mission (because really, who in the right mind would put such a precious being in harm’s way?), just to make sure that she’s safe and sound. At least she’s with him, and he can keep an eye on her. ✧ Knows he can trust his baby girl with Gojo’s students when he needs to go on a mission, and never Gojo, even if Fushiguro did turn out the way he did under Gojo’s care. ✧ Would make the three teens promise not to let Gojo within a five-foot radius of his little daughter because he knows it would mean nothing but trouble (who knows what really goes on behind those blindfolded, blank eyes.) ✧ Is nothing but touched to see how the three students cared for his little girl so carefully, seeing her resting on Itadori’s chest as they sleep on the couch with the hushed noises of children’s cartoons in the background from the TV. ✧ Tucks her away before gently placing a warm blanket over the three students who he clearly cared for (he’s never explicitly said so, but they all know it). He’s nothing short of grateful for their help babysitting the precious little girl in his life, and he sees her as his own, not caring for the fact that she was just left on his doorstep. He can’t wait to see her grow.
✧ Tears up a little behind his glasses as he drops her off for her first day at preschool, his face stoic as ever as he wonders where all the time went as he watches her skip off to class, waving goodbye to him. ✧ Wishes that time would slow down just for a while so he could read her bedtime stories and notice the tiny things she does to try and make his day easier. Always his little helper, she was. ✧ Can’t wait to pick her up, packing up fifteen minutes earlier from work just to collect her on time, turning to Gojo with a glare as the white-haired man smirks, entertained to see his junior so caring and paternal. ✧ Arrives at her preschool just a minute early, waiting at the school’s gates as he hears the bell ring, the cheers of other kids rushing out like water from a broken dam. His eyes immediately rush to find her tiny figure, and he bends down, recognising the top of her head through the sea of children. ✧ Listens to every little thing she tells him, from what she saw in the class to the friends she made – even the tiny ants she saw at the playground during recess. ✧ Smiles the moment he sees the drawing she did in class of a poorly-drawn him and herself (he doesn’t mind it one bit), just proud to have been involved in her growth. ✧ Frames the drawing instantly, and though it’s a little big, it sits on his bedside table, right next to his wristwatch and glasses. ✧ Has no hesitation to put aside whatever housework the moment she asks for help with homework – math specifically. ✧ Is as patient as he can be, explaining the basics clearer for his precious daughter to understand, helping her with the first bit before letting her try it out on her own. He’s positively glowing with pride when he checks through her homework, finding it all done correctly. ✧ Ruffles her hair as she grins with a laugh as he gives her his rare words of encouragement, “Great work, kiddo.” ✧ Sees her with a gold star sticker her homework the next day as she runs to him after school, her maths worksheet waving in the air as she jumps into his arms. ✧ Is nothing but satisfied to see her beaming with pride at her efforts, and relieved to know that he’s doing a good job so far.
✧ Finds himself stuck, struggling to explain where her mother is as she peers curiously up at him, his daughter now up to his hip. ✧ She’s grown again, and her increased height followed her curiosity as she asked more questions, and noticed more things – well in this case, the lack thereof. ✧ He simply replied with a, “It’s always been you and I.” Relief fills him the moment he sees a nod in understanding, but the thought keeps him awake at night. Eventually, he’ll have to explain, it’s always the hardest thing to find out how to do it. ✧ Finds out why she asked as he spots a little worksheet on her desk, his brown eyes widening as he recognises it as a family tree. ✧ Two of the slots are filled, but the rest remain blank, and he feels nothing but pity, a sigh escaping him as he picks up the sheet of paper. ✧ Plans to tell his daughter everything that night, preparing her favourite dishes and desserts, but his nerves are getting to him, resulting in a tense silence as he sits at the dining table, waiting for her to finish her shower. ✧ Notices the moment passes as she sits down, digging into her meal as he clears his throat, finally finding it in him to speak. ✧ Watches every twitch of her eyelid as she blinks, waiting for some sort of reaction from her, hoping that she’d take it well. He’s not sure of what he’d do if it all went south. ✧ Is silent by the end of the explanation, waiting, gauging for her voice to say something, but all he can see are her big eyes staring at him. ✧ Is caught off guard when she says, “I don’t need any other family, because I have you, Dad. I don’t care if I’m adopted or not, you’ll always be my dad.” ✧ Feels his eyes water, his arms spreading open to pull her into a hug. It’s uncharacteristic of him, but for her, he wouldn’t care. She’s his daughter, his little girl, not bound by blood but by bond. ✧ Would want nothing more than to hold her in his arms, wishing to protect her from every little bit of harm because that’s what you do with things you adore, with the things you treasure – and she’s everything to him, his baby girl.
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gojo satoru and himiko nakamura have always been rivals, however, working on the same movie has put himiko at her limits.
my masterlist !
✭ pairings: gojo satoru x oc actor! au
✭ warning: gojo's probably out of character, the ending's rushed as hell. actor au.
✭ author’s note: got sick of this just sitting in my drafts tbh
✭ word count: 1.5k words
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
Himiko hated everything about him. She hated his brilliant blue eyes that glimmered like ocean waves, his charming grin that brought every woman to his knees, and most of all, she hated that he knew how to press every one of her buttons. Every. Single. Time.
At this point, it was well known that the two were rivals in the industry, and it was entertaining for all to see; both actors and fanbases.
And unfortunately, it was during their meeting for a chemistry read that Himiko found out that Gojo Satoru was, a little too eagerly in her opinion, playing the main character. She wouldn’t have minded that fact one bit if it weren’t for the luck she had, scoring her role in the film as his love interest. ‘Quite the dastardly bit of luck,’ she groaned to herself.
She felt her eye twitch as he waltzed into the studio with his cocky smirk as per usual, it was rare to ever see him without it. His circular dark blue sunglasses didn’t hide the mischievous shine in his eyes, and Geto Suguru walked in, his brown eyes grazing over every little detail of the studio. The two were known to never be apart, almost appearing in every film together, with a rare few exceptions.
However, the moment Gojo’s sky-blue eyes met her lilac ones, she knew from the way his smile grew that he wouldn’t be leaving her alone anytime soon.
“If it isn’t little Miss Nakamura!”
“Impale me now,” Himiko sighed, turning to her agent, Chizuru. “Must I work with this… moron?”
Chizuru scrolled through her phone, her thumb flicking the screen, tucking the silky stray strands behind her ear as Himiko’s lilac eyes stabbed into Gojo’s lanky figure, his best friend, another fellow actor with black hair and brown eyes lurking behind him. A click of Chizuru’s tongue was enough to tell Himiko everything.
“Unfortunately, yes…” Chizuru winced, “The movie’s set to be one of the biggest names this year, and if you back out now, it’s going to be a great loss for both your reputation and in terms of revenue. It’s a little late for that in my opinion.”
The shorter woman then leaned closer to Himiko, whispering in the fierce lady’s ear, her voice barely audible over the blasting of the air conditioning, “Besides, as your cousin, I just say go for it. Grit your teeth and bear it – in the end, you’re probably never gonna see his face again.”
Himiko dragged her manicured hand down her face, her black nails softly scratching against the side of her face in irritation, her lilac eyes rolled back at the pesky white-haired man in the room.
“Bargain for me,” Himiko sighed, crossing her arms as she made her way to the seats where the men all stood around, and she watched Gojo interact with the directors and producers with a ridiculous amount of energy that he could’ve been mistaken for a child in a candy shop, “I’d like a higher pay as compensation for dealing with his stupidity. I’ll add a small percentage to your pay as thanks for handling my nonsense.”
Chizuru sighed, fixing her bun the slightest, pocketing her phone, “You got it, Miss Nakamura. Just don’t try to tear his face off while I’m gone.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” The star huffs, hearing her younger cousin leave the room with the ‘click!’ of the studio’s door.
Seeing how much the man-child she despised with a burning sense of rivalry managed to light a fuse of anger in the producer, Utahime Iori; an already well-established actress often known to be patient, amused the lilac-eyed actress. At least she wasn’t the only one who felt a tingling sense of irritation at the sight of Gojo Satoru.
Himiko felt her irritation build as Gojo sauntered his way towards her, his friend watching from the corner of the studio, his arms crossed as he watched Gojo’s antics towards the irked actress.
“Nakamura! Have you watched my latest movie? It’s a box office hit, as per usual,” Gojo smirked, Himiko’s hands on her hips as she raised her eyebrows.
“No, I didn’t watch it. I don’t waste my time on cheap catchphrases and explosion effects, Gojo,” Himiko huffs, Gojo opens his mouth again to say something back, but the clearing of a throat pulls him out as he turns to the blonde man in the room.
Nanami Kento, the director of the whole film, rubbed his temples in annoyance, his baritone voice muttering silent curses at Gojo before beginning with a tone of a sigh.
“Please, Gojo,” Nanami sighed. “Let’s get started on the chemistry read between the both of you.”
Gojo shrugged with a smile, “No objections here!”
Reluctantly, Himiko sat herself at the table, joining the younger director and the thorn in her side. Despite Nanami being younger, she admired him quite a bit, and it was enough to keep her around for the movie – with the exception of the paycheck, of course.
Himiko eyed Gojo’s partner-in-crime, Geto Suguru, as he sat on the couch behind them, her thumb pointing back at Suguru with her voice low towards Nanami, “What’s he doing here?”
“Moral support, ever heard of it, Nakamura?” Gojo smiled over at Himiko with a teasing smile, leaning closer to whisper in her ear. “Don’t worry about him, he’s harmless.”
Himiko grimaces, gently pushing Gojo with two of her fingers, Geto snickering from behind them in amusement. He could clearly see why his best friend liked to irritate her, and she made it all the more fun by not lashing out like Utahime does. Her annoyance with Gojo’s antics was like a pressure cooker, building up until it exploded.
“Now, we’ll be recording this whole session,” Nanami spoke, dismissing Gojo’s antics, “We’ll let you know when we start rolling the cameras. I assume you both have memorised your lines?”
“Of course, who do you think we are, amateurs?” Gojo chuckled, not missing the way Nanami rolled his eyes.
“Then we’ll start in three… two… action.”
Himiko takes a deep breath before turning to Gojo, running her hand through her hair, getting into character, her expression morphing the moment her eyes meet Gojo’s.
He can almost feel his heart wrench with the hurt in her eyes, and he sees exactly why she’s made it as far as she has as a rising actress. The crack in her voice really sells it all for him.
“So what now?” She whispers, her eyes filled with betrayal and ruin, “You’re just gonna take off and leave me alone again?”
Tears began to appear in her eyes, and Gojo felt his heart lurch seeing her pretty lilac eyes all glossy and shiny, tears falling from her eyes that glimmered like amethysts. His hands reached up to touch her cheeks, his expression softening into a matching one of heartbreak.
“Baby, that’s… that’s not it at all,” He shakes his head, his voice soft. “I promise, I promise I’ll come back. I could never leave you, not even if I tried.”
“Then stay.”
Gojo couldn’t tell if it was the way she leaned into his palm when she said it, or if it was her watery amethyst eyes, but it made a knot grow in his stomach. He tucks her ebony hair behind her ear, cupping her cheeks as his thumb swipes over her waterline.
“I’ll stay,” He whispered, “Just for tonight. Just for tonight, I’m yours.”
“I don’t want it to be just for tonight,” Her hand clasped his, tearing it away from her face as she entwined her fingers with his, “I want to be by your side as long as you’ll have me, whether it’s for months or years.”
Himiko’s heart fluttered like a bird in her chest having Gojo’s blue eyes staring so intently at her, so gently, as though just the slightest touch of his fingers would break her.
She couldn’t deny that he was attractive, it was a worldwide fact at this point – however, Himiko refused to boost Gojo’s ego further, even if she couldn’t help the pink blush that grew on her cheeks as Gojo’s face neared hers.
“Then I guess we’re stuck together for a long time,” He cupped her cheeks again, leaning down to gently press his forehead on hers. Himiko’s breathing hitched as he softly placed his lips on hers.
She felt her eyes slowly close and her lips glide over his soft ones, their kiss soft and gentle, and she felt herself get lost in his touch, letting herself lean into his touch as he still cupped her face.
“And, that’s a wrap,” Nanami called out, the two actors pulling away, Himiko’s cheeks dusted with a warm shade of pink as her frown returned, clearing her throat into her fist. She could feel Satoru’s eyes on the back of her neck as she turned back to Nanami, smiling at him as she put on her façade of confidence.
Utahime’s was one of disgust, but really, when was she ever not disgusted at Gojo?
“That concludes today’s session, so you’re both free to go. Thank you,” The blonde-haired man curtly nodded his head. He didn’t say much, only turning to Utahime as the two began to talk in hushed whispers, Geto lingering around as Himiko dashed out, Gojo following hot on her trail.
Neither began to question why they returned on set a few weeks later, holding hands, and a scarf around Himiko’s neck despite the warm weather.
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki @sad-darksoul @yunymphs @cindol @rrairey @yurislotusgarden @kesshavx
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seeing his ex at an after party, but hey, who's to say he doesn't believe in second chances?
my masterlist | vogue collab masterlist !
✭ pairings: sukuna ryomen x oc actor! au
✭ warning: angst. sukuna trying to win his ex back. established gojo x oc. actor au.
✭ author’s note: first time writing for kuna!! gotta say, it was fun writing angst :)
✭ word count: 1k words
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
“Oh fuck.”
Sukuna’s eyes widened, muttering in shock. His confident smirk dropped the moment Gojo Satoru walked into the room, seeing the cocky smile on the white-haired man’s face, his sky-blue eyes hidden beneath his rectangular dark blue glasses. However, the sight of Gojo didn’t catch him off guard. The sight of the black-haired woman with striking lilac eyes left him speechless.
Himiko Nakamura. The memory of her just sends a shiver down his spine, and he can feel her fierce gaze through the crowd. No matter where she went, an overpowering presence followed, even in a celebratory award-afterparty such as this. She made her name as an actress at an early age – and it was one of the things that drew him in.
Sukuna couldn’t help but plaster his pompous smirk back on his face, but the little twitch in his was evident when he spotted Gojo’s arm around her shoulder. He hated that Gojo could hold her so freely, so casually. He hated every second of it, he hated the way he smiled at her, he hated the way she gave him the smallest of smiles back. He hated the way she didn’t shove him off when he neared her, and most of all – he hated that it wasn’t him holding her in that way.
His red eyes followed Gojo with a burning stare, watching the way the white-haired man had his arm slung so casually around Himiko. He waited patiently, taking another sip of his wine as he swirled it around in the glass.
A minute or two passes before Himiko finally pulls herself away from Gojo’s arms, and Sukuna smiles to himself with a soft ‘Finally!’ as he exhales. He sees her walk further away from the popular white-haired actor and towards the row of tables filled with drinks and snacks, and his feet take him closer to her.
He takes a step closer to her, one foot in front of the other and he feels his heart pumping harder in his chest. He adjusted his scarlet suit jacket, smoothing his pink hair down with his other hand, and he couldn’t help but admire the way the dark violet dress she wore complimented her figure, the shimmer of the fabric and glitter with every little move she made.
Sukuna cleared his throat, his mind running wild with all the ways he could greet her, but none of them came up as he saw her bright lilac eyes stare into his crimson ones, and his heart stopped. She was just as beautiful as the day she left him, yet her cold gaze brought him back to reality.
“Sukuna,” Her voice called out, and the bitter way she said his name had him rolling his shoulders back.
Her tone was an ice dagger to his heart, her disdain for him evident just by how she held herself. She stood proud and tall – like the walls she had built for herself when she was with him.
“Himiko,” His smile grew, and he eyed her up and down. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
Her sneer deepens, eyes narrowing as she speaks in that icy tone of hers, “As if you’d miss me.”
Sukuna’s eyes soften the slightest, but it flickers back to his cocky demeanour. He sees it in her eyes from how she tilts her head – she knows. Neither of them said a word about it, the pink-haired man glancing at his wine glass with an amused smile.
“You’re sharp as ever, darling.”
“I’m not your darling,” She mumbles, “Not anymore. I think we both know that.”
He lets out a bittersweet smile, red eyes locking onto her lilac ones, “A man can dream, can’t he?”
“He certainly can, but it doesn’t mean that it’s reality.”
“But he can try until it is.”
She gives him a look, her hold on her glass tightening, “Sukuna, don’t.”
“I’m not saying anything specific,” He rolled his eyes, but his tone was uncharacteristically soft. “But… but what if I were to try again?”
Himiko’s back straightens, “I assumed so since you did hint at it, but you know why I left, Sukuna.”
“I do. But I can change, you know that Himiko.”
“Do I?” Her eyes narrowed. “Sukuna, I left you because you were so, so manipulative, you did anything to make me stay with you. I couldn’t take it, and you knew it, so forgive me if I don’t believe a single word you say.”
Sukuna opened his mouth to say something else, but a hand on his shoulder halted him, his red eyes met sky-blue ones, and the dreaded Gojo Satoru smiled over at Sukuna with a lighthearted grin.
“Hey Sukuna, long time no see!” His grin was too wide for Sukuna’s liking. “I see you you’ve met my sweetheart.”
This irks Sukuna to no end, a smile of disbelief growing on the tattooed man’s face, “You’re her sweetheart? Himiko, he’s going to ditch you for someone else by the end of the week.”
“Nonsense!” Gojo grins widely, pulling Himiko to his side. “Miko, has he been bothering you with his bad jokes?”
“...Yeah, definitely,” Himiko mutters, leaning into Satoru’s touch. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough partying for tonight.”
Sukuna could see it in her eyes, the way she avoided his gaze now. Her posture remained upright, but everything in her body language was enough to tell him she was giving him the cold shoulder. He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the way his stomach tied into knots.
“It was nice to see you around, Sukuna,” Gojo grins, but it holds a dangerous glint. “But hey, it was fantastic seeing you again.”
Sukuna rolled his eyes red eyes with a grumble, but he fell silent as Himiko eyed him as she passed, Gojo’s arm a bitter reminder that she’s not his – and he doesn’t have a chance at redemption; not like deserved one anyway.
As she passes, the speakers blare a song, almost as if fate was mocking him, heck he barely stood a chance the moment Gojo Satoru walked in with his arm around Himiko’s shoulders. Kali Uchis’ voice rings through the venue, the upbeat tempo a sickening reminder of his failures.
‘Why can’t you see you’re dead to me? Just leave it be, you’re dead to me.’
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki @sad-darksoul @yunymphs @saelestia @cheriiyaya @ladyth @cindol @thomae @yurislotusgarden
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after an interview, yuuji can't help the bubbling feeling in his chest.
my masterlist | vogue collab masterlist !
✭ pairings: itadori yuuji x oc actor! au
✭ warning: pining. fluff. actor au.
✭ author’s note: I ADORED WRITING THIS AU SO MUCH FOR THE COLLAB AHHH!!!
✭ word count: 2.9k words
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
Blinding lights and interviews. Those were the two words Itadori Yuuji thought of whenever he considered his life as an actor. He smiled, sitting on a couch with his three fellow cast members, Fushiguro Megumi, Shu Tsubame and Kugisaki Nobara as the former answered yet another interview question with ease.
Yuuji smiled at every question tossed in his co-star’s way, laughing along when Nobara responded with a silly or funny face at an intrusive question.
He couldn't resist his smile as he sat next to one of his closest friends, Tsubame, as she let out a bubbly laugh along with Nobara in response to a question he zoned out on.
“Itadori Yuuji, you have been picked for the role of the main lead for the popular manga-turned-anime ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’. What are your thoughts on the show so far?” The interviewer leaned closer in curiosity.
The pink-haired teen snapped out of his daze before he hummed in thought, answering with ease with a small laugh escaping his lips, “Well, we did just finish season one, and it was fun but the script really was something. Lots of tears on my part, but I can’t say more than that since I’m not exactly allowed to disclose what’s happened in the plot.”
Megumi nodded in agreement, the interviewer smiling as she pulled out the next question, a wide smile ever-present on her face.
“How do you think each of your characters contrasts with your real personalities?" She asked quickly, her mic in her hands. “And what would the difference be?”
The four teens looked at each other, deciding amongst themselves who would go first, Nobara taking the mic as she began to speak, Tsubame and Yuuji grinning at each other as they did a little rock-paper-scissors match to determine which among the two would go right after Megumi.
Seeing that Tsubame won – Yuuji secretly let her win, but he would never admit to that – the youngest of the four smiled widely as Megumi passed her the mic. Yuuji rested his chin in the palm of his hand, his elbow resting on the armrest of the couch as he watched her speak excitedly.
He zoned out halfway, more interested in her little mannerisms, like the little fidgets of her fingers when she stuttered a little, and in an instant, his hand reached out to hers, rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand to soothe her nerves.
Tsubame looked lost in thought for a minute before squeezing Yuuji’s hand a little, sending butterflies through his stomach, “I think for me, what I admired most about my character is how different we are, but we both have the same ideals where we would do anything for our family. It’s just that the way we process situations is different if that makes sense – and I admire the way she’s set on achieving her goals, in other words, her motivation.”
The interviewer nodded, making small noises of agreement as she listened, “That’s interesting, now I’ve got to ask, you’ve mentioned how different your character is from your entire personality, what exactly do you mean by that?”
“I wouldn’t say we’re super similar,” Tsubame laughs shyly. “But my character’s more closed off, definitely more guarded than me. Oh, and she’s super stoic but I feel like I’m… I’m more…”
“Bubbly?” Yuuji smiled, finishing her sentence as she nodded with a giggle.
“Yes! Exactly, I’m so much more bubbly than her so it was tough having to keep a straight face on set for long takes.”
“She couldn’t stop smiling, you know?” The pink-haired teen beside her grinned. “And she kept playing Taylor Swift’s ‘New Romantics’ on loop while dancing around on set.”
Tsubame giggles again, Megumi and Nobara smiling over at their young friend who they saw as a little sibling. Megumi laughed a little, “And we had non-stop karaoke sessions off-set, so that was fun.”
“Anyway Yuuji, what do you think was different between you and your character’s personality?” Tsubame hummed in question as the four teens grinned at the memories.
Tsubame gently handed the mic to Yuuji as he hummed in thought at the interviewer’s question, “What differences were there between my role and I? I’d say that he’s a little more hyper than I am, so it’s like I have to boost my energy up just a little bit more to keep up with him. It’s always fun because just being with everyone is enough to excite me.”
His three other friends smiled up at him widely, the four of them glad that they had such a close bond, Nobara laughing as she pointed at Yuuji playfully.
“You’re such a softie, Itadori!” Nobara laughed, leaning over Megumi to lightly punch Yuuji’s arm.
Seeing this, the interviewer grinned, “It seems like you all are close, why don't you describe your off-screen relationships with each other, considering that you all are one friend group in both the show and real life?"
The four of them looked at each other before Yuuji began, “Megumi and I just sort of instantly clicked in a sense? Like he’s my best friend, and I’d trust him with my life. Nobara’s like a ridiculous, but sassy older sister, and Tsubame’s just a really, really sweet person overall.”
“Aw,” Tsubame smiles, squeezing Yuuji’s hand tighter in a comforting manner. “Yuuji’s super sweet too, he’s selling himself short, everybody knows him as the sunshine boy.”
“You both certainly have some chemistry,” The interviewer laughed, Tsubame and Yuuji laughing with pink cheeks as Nobara and Megumi smiled knowingly.
“But I think we can all agree that Tsubame’s like the little sibling we’d protect at all cost,” Nobara shrugs. “We all get along on set, and she pretty much pulls us all together with the copious amounts of energy she has.”
Tsubame smiled with a small shrug, releasing Yuuji’s hand as he chuckled at her reaction. The interviewer smiled at the sight, thanking the four teens, “That concludes today’s interview, but it was wonderful to have you all on set today! ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ will be streaming on all platforms soon…”
The voice of the interviewer faded away as the four teens waved, the cameras soon cutting, bright lights fading. Tsubame sighed softly in exhaustion, leaning against the couch as Megumi chuckled at her reaction.
“That was tough,” Tsubame laughed a little, Yuuji placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
“You did good,” He smiled, Nobara humming as she stood up, pulling her junior up with her.
“Yeah, what Itadori said, now c’mon, let’s get some bubble tea!” Nobara grinned widely, pulling Tsubame along, winking over at Yuuji as soon as Tsubame’s back was turned.
The two girls left the boys behind, Yuuji and Megumi following a fair bit away from the two girls ahead of them.
“So no luck?” Megumi began, snapping Yuuji out of his daze as the four stars walked down the hallways of the broadcast show’s building.
“What? Oh– yeah, no luck so far,” Yuuji shook his head. “How’d you know?”
“You still have that pining look on your face.”
“Oh…”
Yuuji felt his cheeks turn pink, his eyes focused on the floor before they found Tsubame’s figure again as she laughed alongside Nobara. His heart thumped in his chest, and he bit the inside of his cheek nervously with a sheepish smile.
“Am I really that obvious?” He whispered, Megumi giving a face at the boy he so adored.
“The interviewer did say you both have chemistry.”
Yuuji blushes hard with a little smile, “The fans are gonna go wild, huh?”
“Yup.”
“Fantastic…”
“Yuuji!” Tsubame grinned, walking over to her best friend with a little grin. “Whatcha doin’?”
Yuuji’s eyes widened as he felt Tsubame sidle up to him, smiling as she sat beside him on the little couch in their shared hotel room – a temporary fix until they completed their next interview.
“Tsu, hey,” Yuuji grinned softly, scooting over a little to let her sit next to him.
He let her lean closer to him, letting her peer over his shoulder as he scrolled through the instagram app on his phone.
He shrugged nonchalantly, “Just going through the comments on my newest post.”
Instantly, he felt her smaller frame lean more into him as he scrolled, his cheeks heating up the closer she neared him. The smell of her shampoo suddenly smelled strong as lavender, sandalwood and rose scents filled his senses. The pink-haired teen struggled to hold back the urge to just pull her into his arms and smother her face with little pecks.
“Wh– hey is that a picture of me?”
His body tensed the slightest as her big coffee-coloured eyes looked up at him, her eyebrow raised in amusement as she smiled cheekily, spotting her image among his little collage of slides.
He laughed softly, smiling at the picture he snapped of her. It was the three of his closest friends on the beach, but as Nobara and Megumi were far out in the background, the focus on the image was of Tsubame in her white sundress. A matching white sunhat sat on her head as a pink ribbon flowed in the wind, a wide smile on her face as she held the hat down to prevent it from flying away.
Just the sight of her wide smile made a smile of his own grow. There was something about how peaceful and comforted she was to smile so freely that just made his heart beat harder in his chest at the sight of her genuine joy.
“Yeah, of course?” He chuckled, pulling her into a hug. “Why wouldn’t I include my favourite picture of my favourite person here?”
She grinned, and it was enough to make his heart flutter like a wild bird in his chest, aching to break free of its cage of ribs, “D’aw, I’m your favourite person?”
“Obviously, you’re so cute and squishy and perfect to hug,” He laughs, squeezing her tighter as she squeaks a little at the sensation of his arms tightening around her waist, Yuuji gently pulling her onto his lap.
“Please, easy on the ribs, Yuu!” She giggled, “You always hug me so tight.”
He only laughs at her in response, nuzzling his nose into her neck and letting her pick up his phone as she scrolled through the comments. He didn’t care about what she did, as long as she enjoyed herself in his hold.
“Wow… the comments are really piling up,” She whistled softly in amazement, and Yuuji only hummed in acknowledgement, just savouring the moment he had to cuddle her before she pulled away, his feelings as unsaid and unrequited as before.
She continues to scroll through the evergrowing comments, eyes widening at the top comment as she gently brings the phone to his face buried in her neck.
“Yuu, you should read this,” She smiles a little. “People are talking about you, you know?”
Yuuji cracks one eye open, resting his chin on her shoulder as his hazel eyes scan over the little white text as he quickly reads the comment.
“You know, they’re not wrong, we would make an incredibly cute couple,” Yuuji grinned, and the proximity between them caused Tsubame to blush the slightest as she felt his whisper against her cheek.
She giggled softly again, “Yeah? You think so? I’m surprised you’d agree so easily.”
His eyes widened and he couldn’t help the way he felt his heart drop the slightest. Had he been reading the signs wrong? Was his affection truly to be unrequited?
“Why? What’s so surprising about it?” He asked softly, his face leaning closer to hers in genuine curiosity, but he didn’t miss the way her already pink cheeks turned red. It caused his heart to soar with pride and joy to know that he made her blush.
“W-Well, I mean,” She looks away for the briefest second, gently pushing her hair behind her ear, “We didn’t really… I-I mean, we’re not dating, and we’re best friends, Yuu.”
His heart officially dropped to his stomach, his smile disappearing as he whispered a soft, ‘ah’. He loosened his grip around her waist the slightest, but something bubbled up in his chest. The truth of his feelings towards her lingered on his mind, and he didn’t like the way he fidgeted, knowing that he wouldn’t be satisfied until he at least tried to tell her how he felt – it didn’t feel right otherwise.
Gently, he picked up one of her hands, his thumbs gently running over her knuckles as he focused his gaze on her smaller hand in his as he felt his cheeks warm, “Tsubame, there’s… there’s something I want to tell you.”
“What’s up?” Tsubame tilted her head, placing his phone aside as she gave him her full attention.
“Tsubame, this whole process with you, being your colleague, your co-star, your best friend… it’s all been an amazing experience,” He smiles fondly at the memories they’ve shared. “And the more I spend time around you, the more I see the real you, and the more I feel my heart beat faster when you smile, and the more I want to be the reason that little spark appears in your eyes when you look my way.”
His amber eyes met her widened oak ones, his emotion so strong, so present that she couldn’t help the way her breath hitched the slightest. He took her silence as a sign to go on, seeing that her eyes were solely trained on him and not on the way his phone vibrated beside her.
“I know it’s a stupid comment on an instagram post, but I can’t imagine being anywhere but by your side. And if you don’t feel the same, I’ll understand as long as we stay friends… so please, Tsubame, let me just say this that I… I love you.”
Those three words. Those three little words finally escaped his lips, his heart pounding in anticipation, but he could finally breathe, feeling a weight vanish from his chest. He watches every little reaction on the face of the girl he loves, from the way she now breathed softly to the way she looked at him so gently.
“You… you love me?” She whispers, and he nods without any hesitation, now holding both of her hands in his larger ones.
“From the moment I met you, from the moment you smiled at me with that little excited wave of yours. Cupid struck me with its arrow right then and there,” He smiles breathlessly. “Now I need to ask you, and don’t be afraid to speak your mind, please… do you feel the same?”
A heartbeat. Then two. Then–
“Yes.”
Yuuji couldn’t believe his ears, his eyes widening as he saw a smile grow on her soft-pink cheeks. He felt his own cheeks warm as he saw that little shine in her eyes that he adored, even if her dark brown bangs covered most of her left eye.
“Y-You… Did I hear you right?” He whispered softly, his heartbeat picking up. He smiled when he saw her nod, her own gentle smile growing as she blushed at the feeling of his hands holding hers.
“Yes,” She smiles, a giggle growing in her chest, “Yes, Yuuji. I love you, too.”
He smiles wider, pulling her close as he laughs softly, “You mean it? You really mean it?”
“Duh!” She grins, leaning closer to him as she squeezes his hands back, “I really thought I was being obvious ever since our first karaoke…”
“Not one bit. I didn’t have a clue,” He laughs, pulling his hand away to cup her cheek, his forehead resting on hers. “God, we’re blind.”
Tsubame laughs along, her warm cheeks mirroring his own, “The blindest.”
His thumb gently strokes her cheek as he looks at her with the softest glance and touch, as though if he held her any harsher, she would vanish in a cloud of dreams, and he would wake up all alone, without her in his arms.
He lowered his voice, his caramel eyes darting to her upturned lips, and his heart thumped at the thought he had in his head.
“...May I– Tsubame can I kiss you, please?”
Yuuji adored the way her cheeks exploded into a warm shade of red, her smile changing into one of bashfulness. Finally, she whispered back, giving him the pass he so desperately longed for.
“Yes.”
He leaned in just as she leaned up, her lips just softly pressing against his as he felt his chest explode with butterflies. Tsubame smiled widely, her heart beating faster as their lips locked, softly pressed against each other – pure and innocent, just like their moment.
When they finally pulled away, their faces were covered in a scarlet hue, shy smiles and little giggles escaping them as they enjoyed their moment. Tsubame smiled at him lopsidedly, resting her head on his shoulder as he grabbed his phone.
“Say cheese!”
The camera snapped, Tsubame giggling as Yuuji pecked her cheek, the flash flickering on and off as Yuuji grinned at her bubbly laugh. When he lowered his hand, he posted the image on his instagram story, adding a little caption.
“Thanks for the little encouragement!” He hummed, tagging the girl in his arms before posting it.
After a minute or two, a message from Nobara appeared, and it made Yuuji chuckle at it. It was as if he were hearing her tone through the text, as though she were right there to express her exasperation.
“Finally! It’s about damn time.”
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki @sad-darksoul @yunymphs @saelestia @cheriiyaya @ladyth
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yuuji's not a hair stylist, and tsubame's mistake was letting him try anyway.
masterlist
✭ pairings: itadori yuuji x oc ✭ warning: mentions of abuse, canon divergent, pre-shibuya arc ✭ author’s note: i actually had a lot of fun writing this, it's a nice break of fluff from the angst HEH– ✭ word count: 2.7k words
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
There’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep, everyone can attest to that. Tsubame couldn’t agree more if it weren’t for the nightmares that haunted her mind, ones of anger, ones of regret, but most recently, ones of her father, a man she trusted, one who should’ve cared for her since her mother’s passing.
His horrid sneer permeated her memory as he grabbed her hair pulling her around like a ragdoll, this one moment staining her memories of home. She would often wake up in tears after, sometimes not even realising that she was crying until she reached her hand up to find the trails of tears leaking down her face.
This led to her constant urge to cut off her hair, no matter how nicely she styled it. Just the feeling of her hands running through it made her shiver in discomfort. Up to this point, she held in her discomfort, tying it up in a simple ponytail to ignore the way she had to look over her shoulder constantly.
However, during a particular training session where her hair was lightly tugged on, it spiralled into a little fit of fight or flight, causing Tsubame to almost beat her classmate, Itadori Yuuji, into a pulp, which she felt extremely guilty about – she ended up buying him dinner for the next few days.
Tsubame sighed at her miserable reflection in the mirror, scissors in hand as she willed herself to cut her hair to a shorter length, fearing that she might hurt someone else if they weren’t the wiser. Heck, she still couldn’t explain to Yuuji why she reacted in such a fashion, the words dying in her mouth the moment she tried to explain.
Sweet as ever, he never pushed her, only smiling in acceptance as he lightheartedly brushed off her little outburst as an outcome of her trained instincts. It didn’t help with Tsubame’s guilt, however.
Just as Tsubame raised the scissors to make her first cut, her bathroom door burst open, interrupting the silence as she jumped, almost snipping off a big chunk of her hair. Relief washed over her nerves as she saw that all her hair was still very much intact.
“Itadori,” Tsubame huffed, placing the scissors on the sink’s countertop to rub her face anxiously. “How many times have I told you to knock before you enter my dorm…”
Yuuji nervously rubbed his neck, a sheepish smile on his face as his tone was filled with apology, “Sorry about that, it’s just that the others were– are you cutting your hair?”
His big brown eyes now looked at her in curiosity as he pointed at the scissors on her countertop. Tsubame followed her eyes to where he pointed, and she exhaled softly, nodding. Yuuji didn’t miss the way she looked fidgety, almost as if she wasn’t sure about her decision to cut her hair.
“Hey… are you alright?” Yuuji frowned softly, looking over to the scissors. “You don’t look confident about cutting your hair. Is this about last time? Tadashi, I really am sorry, I didn’t mean to tug on your hair–”
In an instant, Tsubame shook her head, reassuring him that it wasn’t his fault she was cutting off her hair, “No, no, Itadori, it wasn’t your fault. It’s just… my hair was getting in the way, you know?”
Yuuji frowns, not buying her lie, but he doesn’t push it. Tsubame knows he can see past her lie, and part of her hates how well he can read her. Sometimes, she forgets that just because he’s not as academically advanced as Megumi and her (as she often finds herself tutoring her pink-haired classmate, not that she minded), it didn’t mean that he doesn’t read people and their emotions well.
He sees the way her hands shake slightly, and he gently takes her palms into his, the sparks returning as she swiftly looks up at him, his kind eyes looking into her nervous ones. He doesn’t say anything about the pink blush on her cheeks, a soft smile growing on his face.
“Would you like me to help you?” He asks gently. “You’re uh, shaking quite a bit.”
Tsubame looked at the scissors once more before her attention darted to her hands which were engulfed by his larger, warm ones. She bit the inside of her cheek, exhaling softly before nodding.
“Okay,” she nods, finally meeting his gaze.
She never wears a smile, Yuuji notes. Tadashi is never seen with one, but everything is in her eyes, the way she carries herself. From the slightest hunch, he could tell she was either exhausted, or the stress from a mission was weighing her down. From the slight quirk of her eyebrow, she was thinking about the answer to a question Gojo-sensei asked, and from the little glimmer in her eye as she held a book in her hand he could tell she was excited, turning every page eagerly.
But right now, her eyes are soft, gentle almost. It’s quite the contrast from her sharp wit and tongue, and he feels his heart flutter softly as she looks so gently at him. Yuuji begins to smile, taking Tadashi’s hair in his hands.
“You’ve got pretty hair, are you sure you want to cut it?” He asks softly, and she nods, more confident in her choice this time.
“Yeah, I just… I want it short, I can’t really… maintain long hair anymore,” She huffs softly, looking at herself in the mirror as Yuuji stands behind her, her soft hair in his hands.
It’s silky, he thinks to himself, and it easily cards his fingers through her hair. Tsubame flinches but, his touch is gentle, and it reassures her that she’s in safe hands.
Finally, Yuuji raised the scissors, snipping away bits of her hair, bit by bit, and Tsubame kept her gaze on her hands, watching as bits of her dark locks fell onto the floor, bit by bit. It's a moment of silence between them, one of mutual trust.
Unfortunately, that trust is broken the moment Tsubame looks up at her reflection, seeing that her hair really is, rather awkwardly cut, with bits of hair sticking up and cut to uneven lengths. Horror fills her as she sees this change, but Yuuji doesn’t seem to notice her look of shock as she quickly pulls out her phone, texting Nobara and Megumi for help.
“Who you texting?” Yuuji asks in curiosity, Tsubame shrugging as she tries to cover up her previous expression with a small hum.
“Just Nobara and Megumi,” She hums softly. “I just uh, wanted a little outside opinion on the haircut.”
He grins, clueless as ever, “I’m sure they’re gonna love it! You look great with any hairstyle, to be honest.”
“...Yeah. Totally.”
Tsubame continued to eye her phone for a response, almost letting out a sigh of relief as Megumi quickly texted an ‘omw’. She plays with her fingers anxiously, dread filling her as she sees more and more bits of her hair falling onto the floor before finally Nobara and Megumi bust in, a laugh instantly escaping Nobara.
“Oh, my, god.”
“Shut up, Nobara,” Tsubame whispered to herself as Megumi eyed her haircut in amusement. He can see Yuuji smiling sheepishly as he holds a tuft of Tsubame’s hair in his hands, the said girl’s head lowered in humiliation.
“Oh come on, that’s hilarious!” Nobara grins, snapping a photo of Tsubame’s fuming face and badly cut hair.
Yuuji looks down at the haircut, brushing off some hair from his hands, “It’s not that bad, is it?”
“Oh, it’s so that bad, borderline horrifi– HEY!” Nobara hissed, clutching her forehead as Tsubame threw a tube of toothpaste right into her face.
“I’ll fix it,” Megumi sighs, walking over towards where Tsubame stood, gently pushing Yuuji aside as he takes the scissors, working his way through the mess.
Nobara mutters, rubbing her face, and eyeing Tsubame, “Sheesh, why’d you let Itadori help you? He clearly doesn’t look like he knows what he’s doing.”
Yuuji pouts a little at Nobara’s comment, and Tsubame can’t help but find it cute.
“Yeah, Tadashi, why didn’t you say anything?” Yuuji frowns, almost as if betrayed that she didn’t say anything.
Tsubame fiddled with her thumbs a little, calmed just the slightest from the way Megumi’s so gently cutting her hair – not that Yuuji wasn’t gentle, it’s just that he didn’t know what he was doing. Not one bit.
“Well, you were just really nice about it, and I felt bad if I told you it looked bad,” She mumbles, trying to brush it off with a shrug. “Besides, you were giving your best, and I admire that.”
Yuuji looked into her eyes, and with just one glance, he knew she was being honest. His stomach flipped a little in excitement, knowing that she was honest about her admiration towards him.
“Well, you could’ve just said it was bad,” Yuuji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I know,” Tadashi looked away guiltily. “I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t help the way his heartstrings were tugged at the sight.
He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her the most reassuring look he could muster, “It’s alright, Tadashi. I get what you mean, but next time, just be honest with me, okay?”
Her eyes soften the slightest as she looks up at him. Since she can’t nod, she mumbles a small, ‘okay’, but what takes him off guard is the small upturn at the corners of her mouth. Yuuji felt his cheeks warm, turning them into a shade of pink similar to his hair.
“You guys are so mushy and ick,” Nobara sighs, winking at Tsubame’s direction. “Just get together already.”
Yuuji glared over at Nobara, his entire face red with humiliation. Tadashi’s face was the same shade of red as his, but as she glared her head moved and Megumi clicked his tongue, inwardly relieved that he hadn’t cut her hair yet. He placed his hand on her head, gently guiding it back before resuming his actions.
“Itadori and I just became friends, leave us alone,” Tadashi huffed.
Yuuji agreed, his arms crossed against his chest in defiance, “Yeah, what she said!”
“And if I’m being honest, even though we just met, I trust you all,” Tsubame sighs. “So I might as well let you both in the secret, which Nobara has kept ever since we were kids.”
Yuuji raised his eyebrow in confusion, glancing over at Megumi who didn’t seem fazed in the slightest.
“Let me just… how do I phrase this,” Tsubame sucked her teeth in thought. “My name isn’t exactly Tadashi.”
“It either is or isn’t Tadashi,” Megumi quips, brushing the hair off of his hands, “Which is it?”
Tsubame sighs, fiddling with her fingers, “Fine, fine. It’s not Tadashi. Tadashi was a stupid name my parents picked when I was a kid because my grandparents wanted a grandson – my birth name’s Tsubame.”
Yuuji felt his jaw drop as he turned to Nobara who nodded in agreement.
“And you knew this the whole time?” Yuuji pouted in Nobara’s direction, the girl in question raising her hands in surrender.
“It’s a secret for a reason! I’m not that bad of a friend, sheesh,” Nobara puffed her cheeks in annoyance. “And Tsu-Tsu and I have been best friends since childhood, of course, she’d trust her secret with me!”
Tsubame mumbles a curse, a blush growing at the humiliating nickname, and Yuuji can’t deny how her flushed cheeks make him smile the slightest.
“Tsu-Tsu?” He grins, “Oh my god, can I call you that?”
“Absolutely not,” She glares, her cheeks flaring a darker shade of red.
“And done,” Megumi announced before Tsubame could lurch in Yuuji’s direction with her hands around his neck. “At least look at your hair before you murder Itadori.”
Tsubame sighed, placing her wire-frame glasses on the bridge of her nose before looking in the mirror, her eyes lighting up as she leaned closer, admiring her reflection, “...It looks great, thanks, Gumi.”
Megumi nodded in acknowledgement, but Yuuji brushed past the fact that they were on a nickname basis, more in awe of Tsubame’s new haircut.
Her long hair was snipped short into a pixie-cut kind of appearance, but the length of the hair varied, appearing to be longer at the front than the back with a little bit of her head shaved, resembling a medium fade undercut.
Perhaps it was the lighting in the bathroom or the overall renewed energy between them, but her eyes just seemed to sparkle more, and her presence just made his heart beat faster. Maybe it was the way her short hair framed her face better or the way he could see more of her true personality shine through as she admired her new haircut. It was definitely… unique, but she pulled it off.
“You look great, Tsubame,” Yuuji smiled, and his heart thumped harder when her coffee-coloured eyes met his. “I like this haircut on you.”
She rolled her eyes, and even if he was supposed to feel a little hurt by it, he couldn’t help but smile at her sarcastic tone, “You don’t get to like my haircut.”
“Oh, come on,” He whined playfully, pouting. “Don’t I get a little bit of credit? ‘Cuz if I didn’t mess up, you wouldn’t get to look this amazing?”
He can hear the annoyance in Tsubame’s voice, but the way her mouth quirks upwards and the way her eyes sparkle the slightest makes him think he’s hit the jackpot.
“Yeah,” She groans, admittance in her tone. “You did mess up my hair.”
“So, do I get to like it?” Yuuji grins, his heart beating faster, pride filling him at the sight of her smallest smile.
It was a step forward in the right direction, considering that this was the most direct form of happiness he’d received from her yet. He’s just that bit closer to breaking down her walls.
“Yeah. It means you get to like it,” She crosses her arms, smile vanishing, but the twinkle in her eye says otherwise as she flicks his forehead gently, walking out of the bathroom.
Yuuji grins, following after Tsubame as Megumi sighs, tossing out the last of her hair into the bin, Nobara snickers as she takes a quick photo of Yuuji and her childhood best friend.
“Does that mean we get to use nicknames?” Yuuji peers over her shoulder as she huffs.
“No.”
“But you call Fushiguro ‘Gumi!” He frowns with a mumble, and she scoffs the slightest.
“Because we got along better, and I owe him lunch now for fixing up your mess,” She pokes his shoulder and he playfully whines.
“Then at least let me make it up to you!”
Tsubame hummed in thought, giving Yuuji the smallest smile, and that was enough to make him smile again. Her smile, her rare smile that no one else saw other than their little group, was enough to make him feel as though it was all he needed.
“I’ll think about your offer, but you can start with helping Gumi out with the tidying process,” She quips, walking out of the room as Nobara follows.
“What?!” Megumi grumbles, Tsubame’s voice echoing through her empty dorm room.
“You’re amazing, ‘Gumi! I owe you lunch and dinner!”
Yuuji sighed with a smile, grabbing the broom from the corner of the bathroom, and sweeping her hair together with amusement in his eyes.
“Ridiculous,” Megumi mutters to himself, watching his friend hum to himself happily as he sweeps up the bits of hair, as though he was simply re-energised at the sight of a girl smiling her smallest smile at him.
“Yeah, but didn’t you see her small smile, Fushiguro?” Yuuji grinned. “I’m closer to knowing the real Tsubame.”
“You’ve still got a long way to go,” Megumi hums to himself, tossing the last bit of snipped hair away.
“I know, but I’m not gonna give up just yet,” Itadori grins. “I’m so close, don’t ya think?”
Megumi thinks to himself in silence for a minute, taking a glance at a small picture by Tsubame’s bedside before opening her dorm door, his clothes and hands now free of stray hair.
“You’ve still got a long way more but… if anyone can open her up to us, it’d be you, Itadori.”
And that was enough encouragement for Yuuji as he grinned, walking out of the dorm as Megumi watched him in amusement.
“That’s enough for me to keep trying!” He laughs lightly. “I’m gonna be her best friend, just you wait!”
“Yeah… I’m sure you will,” Megumi nods in agreement.
“Now, where were they meeting for lunch? I’m starved.”
gif by @planetafiyu
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki @sad-darksoul @yunymphs @saelestia @cheriiyaya @ladyth
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a tiny mishap is one way to start the day, but tsubame's not one to complain.
masterlist | previous !
–pairings: itadori yuuji x oc
– warning: mentions of abuse, canon divergent, pre-shibuya arc
– author’s note: this is the final part to the series, but that doesn't mean that there won't be anymore yuuji and tsubame oneshots teehee!
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
The sun shone through the window of my sliding door. My alarm rang out in my ears, and I groaned, rubbing my eyes, hearing the chime of Fuji Kaze’s ‘Kirari’ from my phone. A sigh escapes me and I sit up in my bed, cracking my neck to free myself from the stiffness of sleep.
“Morning, Okaa-san,” I mumble, glancing at the picture of my family on my bedside table. “Morning, Eiji. Morning…”
I stare at my father’s smiling face in the photograph, gritting my teeth before letting out a sigh. My mind flashes memories at me; a smile, a crying figure, a bottle flying in my direction.
Blood. Blood leaking down my cheek.
I rub my eyes, taking my glasses from my bedside table – it’s too early in the morning to hold grudges.
I look out the window, seeing the sun peaking just above the trees by the school. It must be close to seven. I stand up, making my bed before doing a little stretch, cracking my stiff joints. I exhale slowly, standing up upright once more, walking over to my uniform that’s hanging in the cupboard.
I prepare for my first day in class, pulling the baggy sleeves over my arms, and buttoning my uniform over my white dress shirt. I look in the mirror, sighing at my ragged appearance – and I look worse than usual.
“I’ll cut my hair next week,” I think, the voice in my head tired, pulling out a hair tie as I gather my messy hair into the neatest ponytail I can muster.
I pull my finger-less gloves over my forearms, smiling a little at the new addition. It hugged my arms and wasn’t so tight that it cut off circulation. I look at myself in the reflection, fixing the glasses on my face.
“Maybe I should get contacts too,” I wince, fed up with my glasses slipping down my face.
I make my way to my dorm door, tucking my phone into my pocket as I make my way outside. I take a deep breath, my hand on the door handle as I prepare to make the first move out – to give my classmates the next best impression of myself as a fellow first-year.
As I opened the bulky wooden door, a blur of pink crashed right into me, knocking me back. My back hit the floor as I felt someone land just above me, their hands on either side of my head as they hovered over me.
My eyes widen and I see the pink-haired boy from yesterday with dark brown eyes, the smile gone from his face as he stares down at mine, which was just inches away from his. Itadori Yuuji was silent, his cheeks pink, matching my heated face as I stared at him wide-eyed. My heart pounded against my chest, and breathing felt difficult.
He continued to stare down at me, and we were still for what felt like forever. Suddenly, he leaned closer, and my breathing hitched, my eyes widening as I felt my face become hot. I tried to back up, but my head was already against the floor.
“Your eyes have bits of lilac in them,” He said with intrigue in his eyes.
“W-What?” I gave him a look of confusion.
He noticed my blushing face, and it finally registered in his head how close we were as we lay on my room floor. I gave him a hard shove, regaining my train of thought, my expression turning into a glare.
“Pervert!” I hiss, shoving Itadori off of me, and his face flushed red with panic starting to grow in his eyes.
Nobara’s boisterous laughter was heard from my now-open dorm door, and I saw her point her finger in the direction of the boy beside me on the floor.
“HA! You truly are a pervert, Itadori!” Nobara jeered, Yuuji standing up as he glared at her with a blush.
“What?! You pushed me!”
“You have no proof of it!”
“H-Hey–”
“Can you both stop bickering for a minute,” Fushiguro sighed, walking up to the other two, his permanent scowl just that bit more prominent than yesterday.
I shook my head at their antics, but my eyes widened again as soon as a calloused hand was shoved in my face. I looked up, seeing Itadori’s awkward smile as he offered his hand out to me, trying to make up for his little stumble.
I side-glance his hand before taking it as he pulls me up, and the sparks are set off when my fingertips make contact with his palm. I feel myself blush when he places his free hand on my shoulders to steady me, and I swear, he notices the little jolt when we touch – I can see it from the way his eyes widen the slightest.
We stood there in silence and he didn’t say anything, only staring at me with a soft look in his eyes. I couldn’t take his gaze much longer, turning to Nobara as I cleared my throat, interrupting her and Fushiguro’s banter while my hand slipped out of his.
“Is uh… is there a reason why you all came to my dorm room?” I glance at them curiously.
“Yeah, Gojo-sensei just wanted us to check up on you. Class is starting in 15 minutes anyway, so we still have time,” Nobara huffs, her hands on her hips as she smirks down at Itadori. “However, I think someone was just more eager than the rest of us to see you again.”
Itadori’s face flushed red and he glared, pointing a finger at Nobara’s direction once more, “Not true! You shoved me!”
“Did not!” She retorts with arms crossed, now in defiance.
“Did too!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Let’s just get to class,” Fushiguro sighed, grabbing Itadori’s red hoodie as Nobara huffed, smirking triumphantly.
“Yeah, what Fushiguro said!” She grinned, grabbing my hand as the four of us walked to class. “I bet you can’t wait to join us in class, right Tadashi?”
I look at Nobara, recalling my mother’s words, mulling it over in my mind as my eyes trail to the two other boys. I see Fushiguro eyeing me suspiciously, and I feel my respect for him grow – one could never be too careful.
However, with Itadori… things were different. Maybe we could be close, just like what my mother wanted, and I can’t deny the small spark of warmth in my heart from just the thought of being a friend of his.
“...Yeah,” I glance over at Itadori when he’s too busy trying to get his hoodie out of Fushiguro’s grasp. “I can’t wait.”
Something about him drew me to him. Maybe it was his wide smile or his trusting nature. Or maybe it was how he was so willing to be friends with someone like me without a second thought. His intentions were pure – innocent, and filled with warmth and admiration for others. I couldn’t deny the way it gave me a sense of hope, a feeling that I hadn’t experienced in a while.
He was filled with it, I could feel it from the way he smiled so widely without a care in the world, and the way he looked at others was enough to tell me he had plenty to spare.
He, after all, was just like the sun, ever-bright and warm.
gif by @heycaz
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jujutsu kaisen
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avatar: the way of water
neteyam sully: ✿ by eywa's will ✿ arranged | part 2
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⇢ ˗ˏˋƧΛM [ 18, genderfluid, SEA ]
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ dreamer, infp, into many, many fandoms & simps for fictional characters (sue me)
likes ! ☼ anything with my favourite hyperfixations/kins, angst & fluff, doodles, one-shots, writing canon x oc, talking with my mutuals, talking about my hyperfixations and long convos! i love compliments and feedback on my works is always encouraged. feel free to reach out cuz id love to chat!
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my favourite shows and movies ! ☼ the owl house (toh), metal family, jujutsu kaisen (jjk), fionna and cake, dr. strange, guardians of the galaxy vol. 3, blue beetle, avatar, avatar: the way of water, encanto, the greatest showman, sherlock, httyd, howl's moving castle (or anything studio ghibli) !
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"i miss her, even if she's everywhere. mother, come home."
masterlist | previous , next !
–pairings: itadori yuuji x oc
– warning: mentions of death, mentions of abuse, hurt-comfort (?), canon divergent, pre-shibuya arc
– author’s note: i really disappeared for a long time, im so so sorry. and i promise this is becoming more yuuji-centric eventually–
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
“Okaa-san.”
Her eyes crinkled at the title. She stood there patiently, and I steeled myself to move closer towards her. The cold air didn’t bother me, the warmth from my mother was all that kept me grounded.
Her arms wrapped around me, but I couldn’t feel anything other than the slightest air brush against my skin. I felt her love and that was enough. When she pulled away, I saw recognition fall upon her kind eyes.
“I see you’ve settled in nicely in Jujutsu Tech,” She hummed, eyeing the dirty dishes in my sink.
“Ah, Nobara came over with some of her… friends.”
“I noticed,” She turns to me, a look of pity in her eyes. “Tsubame, is Nobara still your only friend?”
“No… Fumi and I are still in touch,” I mumbled.
“My girl, you need to open up, I know my passing had affected you but–”
“Okaa-san, I know what I’m doing,” I couldn’t help but cut my mother off.
I didn’t like how she knew exactly why I had such high walls around my heart. I didn’t like how she knew what I was feeling, but she knew that I was stubborn, and she knew me like the back of her cold, dead hands.
“I don’t need new friends, I don’t need to let my guard down because I can be stronger, I can protect those I’m close to!”
My mother watched me in silence, everything that needed to be said in her black eyes, a flicker of lilac glowing, as though she had hope for me, and I wished that it would die out just so that I didn’t the reality of disappointing her falling over me like cold water.
“Okaa-san, I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to become stronger and defend those I love.”
My fist clenched in my hands, and it was as if I looked at her, the tears would all come pouring out – as if just the sight of my dead mother would break down everything I built up.
Everything felt amplified when she placed her hand on my chin, lifting it so I could look into her dark eyes. In that moment, everything felt real. Like she was real. Her touch felt so warm, and in the back of my mind I knew my body was tricking me into thinking she was truly here, but I couldn’t help but sink into the feeling again.
“I know that life isn’t easy for you now, my dear,” She whispered, cupping my cheek, and I leaned into her touch, letting myself believe her lie. “But sometimes, you have to lower the walls you’ve built to let yourself heal. If you just sit around with a broken heart, no one can be there for you, no one can truly help you fix it.”
She wipes her hand over my tears, and it feels as though all will be right in the world.
“My dear Tsubame,” She mutters. “You’re too hard on yourself. It is time to put Tadashi to rest.”
Her hand sweeps my hair out of my eyes, “Your hair is getting long too, my dear.”
“Right,” I laugh a little a sniffle escaping me. “Yeah… I’m planning to cut my fringe soon. Or cut it all short…”
My mother sighs and I know what she’s about to say. There’s no point in avoiding the topic, after all, my father would always be a part of my life, whether I liked it or not.
“Tsubame, your father…”
“I know, I should forgive him,” I mutter, but that doesn’t stop the bitterness lacing my voice.
“No, that’s not what I wanted to say,” She strokes my cheek gently, her gentle eyes holding so much love. “What your father did to you was wrong. He should never have raised his hand to you…”
She brushes my fringe to the side, revealing the little bandage across my left eyebrow.
“He’s lost his way. And I understand why you left, my dear. But please, know that even though you’ve left that life, the path ahead of you is much more difficult. Being a jujutsu sorcerer has its risks, and some you will regret for the rest of your life. Are you sure you are willing to take those risks?”
My eyes meet hers and I feel myself nod in determination, “I am. I’m ready to do anything to overcome those risks. I’d do anything to make sure that what happened to you will never happen again.”
My mother’s eyes held a drop of sadness, the lilac specks in her eyes glowing. She gently kisses my forehead, and I let her hold me, missing her embrace that would protect me from my darkest moments.
“Then be strong, my girl,” She smiles, pulling away. “Maybe try to open up, okay? Just give it a shot. For me?”
I wince slightly before letting out a small sigh.
“...I can try…”
“Good,” She smiles, pulling me into a final hug. “Why not start with that Itadori boy? He seems very sweet–”
“Thanks, Okaa-san!” I can feel my cheeks heat up violently. “B-But I don’t need advice for who to make friends with–”
I heard my mother chuckle, pulling away from me as she began to laugh harder at my now-red cheeks.
“My dear, I see it all. I was there when you met. You like him, don’t you?”
I frown, and I struggle to get the blush down from my cheeks, “I know nothing of liking anyone. Or romance in general.”
“If you insist, my dear. But I mentioned nothing of romance. I simply meant that you liked him as a friend.”
I freeze, feeling my mother’s teasing smile, but the moment I look up, she was no longer standing before me. The lights no longer dimmed, but now the warm yellow of the lightbulbs. The air was no longer cold or still, but my cheeks still felt warm.
“...I don’t like him. At all,” I huff, narrowing my eyes where she used to stand.
It was all silent as the wind whistled, entering through the now-opened window – the sliding door that I hadn’t opened. The wind suddenly sounded like her laugh as she made me aware of my reactions, a maternal reaction of amusement in the wind.
gif by @heycaz
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki @sad-darksoul @yunymphs < comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
"after they leave, it's just the voices and i."
masterlist | previous , next !
–pairings: itadori yuuji x oc
– warning: mentions of death, fluff, canon divergent, pre-shibuya arc
– author’s note: more lore!! i swear ill be getting into the action soon but uh,,, this series might end up longer than expected
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
“Well, we should be off.”
My gaze snapped up to meet honey-brown eyes once more, those two little marks underneath Itadori’s eyes, as if they were another set of eyes, stared back at me. His pout was evident, expressions freely displayed in contrast to Fushiguro’s poker face. Yet even with his judgemental gaze, I plastered on a smile.
“Ah, is it that late already?” Nobara sighed, and I lightly shoved her shoulder.
“It’s late enough,” Fushiguro, grabbed Itadori’s sleeve. “We should leave you to unpack.”
“I almost forgot about that, but thanks for the reminder.”
I walked the two to the door, Nobara getting a headstart on cleaning up the mess – considering that she did make the most of it – while Itadori continued to pout at the lack of time spent together.
“Dang, I was hoping to get to know you better,” He huffed, before letting out a radiant smile once more. “I’m sure we’ll meet tomorrow though! When will you be free?”
I glance behind the door, seeing a big thumbs up from Nobara, and I turn back to Itadori, sucking in wince.
“I mean, I’m still pretty busy unpacking, so uh… no, I’m not free. Sorry.”
“Oh, uh, that’s alright. What about the day after– OW!”
A fist was lowered on Itadori’s head, and I couldn’t help but let out a genuine wince, seeing how hard he was hit on the head.
“Leave it at that, Yuuji,” Fushiguro sighed. “She’s busy, so leave her be.”
“Alright, alright, no need to get violent,” He huffed before turning to me, letting out a little hopeful smile. “Well uh, hope to see you around then?”
“Yeah,” The twinkle in his eye set off a little feeling of nausea in me. “Around. Sure.”
“Great! See you around!”
“You said that twice, idiot,” Fushiguro sighed, pulling Itadori away by the back of the collar of his shirt.
“Thanks for lunch, by the way!” I called out before turning to close my dorm door, but not without Itadori gleefully yelling back ‘You’re welcome!’
“Busy, huh?” Nobara chimed. “I was hoping you weren’t too busy for me.”
“You’re always welcome, Nobara,” I sigh, walking over to help her clean up.
“So you don’t like them?”
“It’s not that I don’t like Itadori and Fushiguro. I just didn’t come here to make friends. I came here to become stronger, to fight for myself and others.”
“Sheesh, straight to the point,” She shrugs. “Can’t blame you for that. But hey, here’s to hoping we’ll be in the same class. I need another gal in my class, not sure how much longer I can tolerate those guys.”
“Hah! You handle them perfectly fine, Nobara, don’t take yourself for granted,” I pat her on the back as I take the two small plastic bags of trash, chucking them into my bin.
“Hey, you handled them well too, although it was in a silent, deadly-stare kinda way,” She muttered the last bit, before sighing and walking towards my dorm door.
“Heading out?”
“Yeah, unless you want me to stay on and help,” She then pointed at my eyes. “Though I can tell your social battery is practically dead.”
I let a smile slip onto my features, and that’s enough for her to know. She lowers her hand, reaching for the door as I hear it click open.
“You know me too well, Nobara. I’ll see you around?”
“Just text or call me, dork,” She calls out, the door closing behind her.
A soft laugh escapes me, and I’m left alone in the silence again. I look over to my suitcase, before getting up to lock my door. Once that was done, I seat myself back by my barely unpacked suitcase.
I didn’t pack many clothes. It wasn’t like I needed anything more than my uniform and maybe a few casual outing clothes. I was here to learn, maybe hang with Nobara, but nothing more, nothing less.
As soon as my clothes were kept away in the cupboard, the photo in my bag caught my eye. It was enough to capture my full attention, and I closed my wardrobe shut, walking over to my case to take the paper image instead.
“Mama.”
Her eyes, shining like stars in the dark vast of space, were filled with such warmth, her arms wrapped around a much smaller version of me and my baby brother. My father stood behind her, a wide smile stretched across his cheeks.
We looked happy.
Never did I ever think I would see my father’s smile again. But it would always be there in my memories, in my pictures, reminding me of my wrongs – my mistakes; my actions.
My thumb rubs across the surface of the once-fond memory, swiping off the tears that landed on it. Couldn’t afford to lose more of what once was. I sit on my bed, feeling the mattress sink under me. The picture sits on my bedside table, but a feeling of longing and irritation nags me.
I suck my teeth in annoyance, and all that’s left is to face whatever’s eating at me.
I find myself standing in the middle of the room, taking one last look at us, smiling without care. I pull my phone from my pocket, scrolling through my notes before landing on a specific one. I’ve never cast this technique for a single reason, but I needed advice now more than ever.
Taking one last glance at the little text on my screen, I turned my phone off, returning all my focus to my newest technique.
“Beyond the grave and from the dead.”
It started with flickering lights. I closed my eyes. I couldn’t afford distractions, I couldn’t afford to mess up again.
“I beseech the knowledge within your head.”
The windows rattled and the rapid flickering of the lightbulbs worsened.
“I seek your guidance, oh passing spirit. Until my time has reached its limit.”
Silence. It surrounded me, everything deathly still. My eyes opened, and I was in darkness. A dim light glowed from the lights above, though I doubted that the lights were this purple before.
My back straightened, and I let out a sigh of relief, a weight lifting off my chest. I slipped a card out of my pocket, my thumb rubbing against the sigil of the Eight of Wands. I held it straight before me, upright, as I forced the next words out of my mouth.
“I now reveal Yamomoto Chizuru, wife of Shu Daichi, and former user of the Spiritual Technique.”
And there she stood, eyes warm as ever, despite the coldness they held in her dying moments. A smile rested on her lips, arms outstretched in welcome.
“Tsubame,” Her voice filled my ears, and my vision watered with newly unshed tears. “How good it is to finally speak to you.”
“Okaa-san.”
gif by @heycaz
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki < comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
tadashi joins jujutsu tech, and it's not without a warm welcome.
masterlist | previous , next !
–pairings: itadori yuuji x oc
– warning: mentions of panic attacks, fluff, canon divergent, pre-shibuya arc
– author’s note: man writing in first pov is really tough. i found myself cringing 90% of the time lmao
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
My breathing was ragged, vision blurry with saline escaping from my eyes, landing on the lenses of my glasses. I ripped the rimmed frames off my face and the back of my hand rushed to wipe the cascade of tears away. I winced at the rough feeling of strands of my hair getting in the way, causing friction against my skin that was softened from salty tears.
Anger, It was all I could feel in the moment.
A scream filled my ears, but I couldn’t feel it leave my throat. My legs burned from running, an ache spreading through my muscles, a fire blossoming in my chest. Pain had become a new friend of mine.
My thoughts began to slow down, the tears along with them, but the painful burn remained, spreading through my being. I couldn’t help the way my fists clenched the hairs of my head, the way my jaw was clamped shut.
I could keep the voices away for so long.
A minute passed– no, thirty, and I still had nowhere to go. My mind was clear by then, and I had nothing on me, other than my half-dead phone, and a couple thousand Yen. Enough for a meal and a room for the night.
I sighed, cursing at my bad fortune before looking around me to see nothing but fields of lush, green grass, the bridge I now sat upon, and the blue-to-orange sunset that once was the crystal blue sky. Below me, the bubbling of a stream; calm and steady, in contrast to my turmoil.
My phone was my first option, food and lodging are the least of my current problems. The trouble was finding the right person to call.
Right, there were only five contacts on my phone.
Perhaps I could give Fumi a ring? No, she’d be busy with her high school stuff. Doesn’t stop me from missing her, though.
Nobara maybe? She’s moved to Tokyo, too late for that now.
Don’t even get me started on Eiji, the poor kid’s schoolwork has been building up since he joined more clubs. Besides, he’d just run to Dad.
Oh right. Dad. Out of the question.
My finger hovered over the last contact, biting my lip harder than I should’ve as the pain returned tenfold.
Nobara it is.
I waited, my fingers finding distraction with the loose threads of my shirt as the dial tone kept me on my toes, my hopes raised only to be crushed with the next tone.
“Hallo?”
At last, my torture was over.
“Nobara, hey!” I could feel a natural smile growing on me.
“Tsu, is that you?”
“Who else would it be, hah. How’s Jujutsu Tech? Any fun?”
“Tsu-tsu, I’ve been here for three days, and I’ve already been sent on a mission,” She groans in exasperation, a chuckle escaping me.
“At least you’ve got something to do there. Are your classmates nice?”
“Well, one’s a potato face, but he’s nice, I guess. The other’s got this high-and-mighty attitude, he only gave his name, can you believe it?”
I wince playfully at her tone, imagining her annoyed expression.
“Yeesh, must be tough being the only girl there.”
“Honestly it’s such a struggle not having a girl friend here to do girl stuff with. Tsu, I wanna go shopping so bad in Shibuya but these lessons really wear me down!” She huffs, and I can see her crossed arms. “You really should’ve come with me. All your talent’s being wasted in that nothing town.”
A silence fell over me and the cogs were set in motion.
“You’re right. What does it take to get into Jujutsu Tech?”
“And right over here should be your dorm,” Miss Shouko, as she called herself during the introduction, pointed to the door in front of me before I pushed it open.
The breeze was all I could feel from the open sliding door opposite the entrance, a simple white bed resting against the wall as a desk sat across it. I pulled my suitcase in, taking in a deep breath as I admired the view of the green trees, the blue skies, everything.
“Light traveller?” She questioned, her long brown hair resting on her shoulders despite the sway of stray strands from the light wind.
“No, Shouko-sama,” I didn’t look back at her much, choosing to find a place to keep my suitcase. I could always unpack later.
“I didn’t have much to begin with.”
“I see. Well, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t make too much of a noise, and remember curfew is at 6 pm, 6:15 latest.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I nodded, walking her to the door. “Thank you again, for the help Shouko-sama.”
“It’s my job as a teacher here, but sure. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
I nodded again, a habit I might be developing after accepting the fact that I was back in school again.
“Oh and one last thing,” She turned around, peering at me in curiosity. “What did you answer when Principal Yaga asked you the question?”
Without a moment of hesitation, I answered once more, with just as much confidence as I had when I stood before Jujutsu Tech’s formidable principal.
“I want to be a sorcerer because I don’t want anyone to suffer at the hands of curses as I have, and I’m willing to do anything in my power to protect others from going through what I did. They don’t deserve it. They never did.”
I watched the way Miss Shouko hummed, a small smile growing on her lips as she chuckled to herself quietly, not in a mocking fashion, but in one of amusement.
“You’re gonna get along just fine with his other students.”
“Who’s the other students?” I questioned, and Miss Ieri’s hand landed on my shoulder.
“You’ll find out tomorrow. Go unpack and rest, your schedule will be passed to you in an hour or so.”
“Okay, thanks, Shouko-sama.”
“Anytime, kid.”
The click of the door’s lock was the sign that I was alone again, the chirping of birds filling my empty dorm room as I let out a soothed sigh. Nature was truly beautiful in such moments.
I then turn to my suitcase, kneeling to unpack it as I slide it back from under the bed — it’d be better to unpack now and rest than sleep and panic over my things tomorrow.
However, just as I unzipped my bag, a knocking at my room door pulled me away from my task at hand.
“It can’t be Shouko-sama,” I find myself muttering out loud as I near the wooden door. “She said the timetable would only be here in an hour…”
“Tadashi!!”
The door then burst open, revealing the familiar redhead I missed while in Tohuku. Nobara’s exuberant energy filled the small room, and I instantly forgot about unpacking, as my childhood friend pulled me into a hug.
“Ehhh, why didn’t you tell me where your room was? I had to run into Shouko-sama to find out where you were,” She pouted, pulling away with an accusatory finger.
I winked back playfully, Nobara giving me a hard shove on the shoulder.
“I was planning for it to be a surprise, but you found me anyway. Shokou-sama told me that I would get along with the rest of my classmates, but I don’t even know who my teacher is,” Nobara hums. “How did you find out who your teacher was?”
“Well, I arrived in Tokyo, and I was standing around at our meet-up place, and then Gojou-sensei appeared with Itadori and Fushiguro,” She placed her finger on her chin in thought. “But you’ll probably meet your teacher tomorrow during class. Did you get your uniform though?”
“Ah, yeah, it’s in my bag. Didn’t want to get it dirty on the way here.”
“Oh! Take it out, take it out! I wanna see how it looks on you!!” She squealed, rushing over to my bag to pull it out for me instead.
I let out a little sigh, but take my uniform, walking to my bathroom to put my outfit on.
“Give me a few, but I’m warning you, it’s nothing special.”
“Tsu-tsu, you make anything look special,” I hear Nobara call back out to me. “By the way, you don’t mind if I invite a few friends over right?”
“Eh? You’ve made friends already?”
“Oh don’t worry, you, Saori and Fumi will always be my childhood friends,” She chimes, and I sigh escapes me once more while I pull my long, dark blue shirt over my head.
I fiddle with the buttons as I hum, smoothing out the shirt before looking at my reflection, ignoring the mild discomfort I feel. My skirt’s on next, and as I’m smoothing out, I can’t help but hear the little whispers of the voices in my head.
It doesn’t look right.
A frown rests on my face as I run a hand through my hair, gathering it into a ponytail. A jolt of pain runs through me as I tug my hair tighter, and I feel my throat tighten in fear.
“Tsubame,” I hear Nobara calling from outside.
No, I’ll just leave my hair down.
“You’ve been in there for a while, I don’t remember the uniform being that difficult to wear.
“Ah, s-sorry about that,” I smile, pulling the bathroom door open, ignoring the way I let a little stutter slip out.
I can see Nobara notices from the way her eyebrow raises. She chooses to ignore it as she takes in my uniform, a wide, encouraging smile spreading across her face.
“You look so good, oh my gosh!” She grins, snapping a photo of me before running over to hug me tight.
“Nobara!” I hiss, and I feel my face warm in embarrassment. “Delete that now, I’m begging you!!”
“Never, that’s going in the blackmail folder,” She giggles and I give in with a huff. “Aw, don’t pout, it’s gonna give you wrinkles sooner.”
“Uh-huh… so did you invite your friends over?”
“I did!” She chirps. “But if you’re not comfortable with it…”
“It’s fine. I need more friends anyway.”
A knock at the door appears again, and Nobara ends up with a wider grin than before. I can feel something up her sleeve despite knowing her for the last eight years as I watch the way she practically skips towards my dorm’s door.
“You’re finally here!” She calls out with the door wide open, but I can’t see who stands at the entrance. “You guys took ages, geez.”
She huffs, letting two boys into my room. The two are taller than Nobara and are definitely taller than me as well.
The first of the two smiled apologetically as he held a plastic bag in his free hand, the other in the pocket of his dark teal hoodie. He had messy, salmon-pink hair with an undercut, warm brown eyes and two little marks underneath both of his eyes.
The second had spiky black hair and blue eyes. He had a frown and dark pants and tee, and trailed behind the first boy, hands shoved into his pockets.
“Sorry, Kugisaki-chan,” I hear a boy say. He sounds energetic. “We got lunch if you guys were hungry.”
“What food is so important that it got you delayed?”
“We got sushi,” The second guy quipped, and Nobara was instantly silent. I smiled at Nobara’s antics.
“Ugh, fine, you’re forgiven,” She grumbled.
Seeing that I was most likely forgotten, I cleared my throat slightly and watched the three turn their heads. I suddenly felt nervous under all their stares.
“Oh right,” Nobara grinned, walking over to my side to wrap an arm around my shoulders.
“This is Shu Tadashi,” She smiled in pride. “A childhood friend of mine from Tohoka.”
“Fushiguro Megumi,” The dark-haired boy with a gloomy face answered. He held his hand out for me to shake it and I took it.
“How long have you been a user?”
“As long as Nobara, but I think I’m finally ready to be one,” I answered straightforwardly, and he nodded his head before the other boy appeared before me.
“Itadori Yuuji!” He grinned widely. “I’m a new sorcerer too, so don’t you worry about falling behind. I’m way further back.”
I let out a small scoff as we shook hands. I ignored the way I felt a small jolt when our palms met, and how warm his hand was.
He felt like the sun. Radiant and bright.
Nobara eyed me when I pulled away, and she must’ve noticed how I lingered before retracting my hand. Her clap made me jump slightly, loud and sudden against the usually quiet atmosphere of the room.
“Now that introductions are over, let’s get started on lunch!”
gif by @heycaz
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kugisaki nobara never really liked the sight of bullying, so it's no surprise that she stepped in to save the new kid
masterlist | previous , next !
–pairings: itadori yuuji x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, pre-shibuya arc
– author’s note: gahhhh im so so sorry if nobara's really ooc, im still watching s1 of jjk and im absolutely open to anyone who's willing to correct me!
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
The wind rustled through the mid-autumn leaves, the air cool and biting despite the sun’s bright light shining down. A little girl with short, messy hair sat underneath the leaves, a dark blue puff jacket wrapped around her red tracksuit — a uniform of her school, which kept her little body warm under the shade of the trees.
“Tsubame!”
The six-year-old’s head perked up at her name, her wide brown eyes looking towards the glass sliding door that separated the backyard from her quaint home. Her mother, as elegant as ever, donned a smart blouse and dress pants, and walked towards her child, holding her hand out to her daughter’s smaller, outstretched one.
“Come, we should leave now or you’ll be late,” Chizuru hummed, guiding her daughter out of the house.
“And it’s your first day of school, we don’t want to have a bad impression.”
“But Okaasan,” Her daughter mumbled, looking away in embarrassment, clutching her mother’s hand tighter.
“Isn’t it weird that I don’t look like a girl?”
Chizuru glanced down at her child in worry, seeing the quiet child attempting to hide her face further into her puffy jacket.
“Bame,” Chizuru smiled, squatting down to her daughter’s height. "How you look doesn't matter, as long as you stay true to yourself, and my darling daughter, you're so much more than what you believe you are. Just remember, Otousan and I love you very, very much. You're gonna make so many friends and they'll adore you just as much as we do, okay?"
Chizuru watched the way her daughter's head lifted in the slightest, hazel eyes filled with hope before it darted down again, Tsubame settling for a small nod at her mother's words.
"Now, give me a smile!" Chizuru chided, her fingers darting to the little girl's sides, wriggling as she pulled giddy laughter out of her little one.
"There we go! Now you're all ready to go!"
Tsubame smiled widely at her mother, Chizuru standing up to her full height as they walked hand-in-hand to the direction of the school.
"Now, you remember how to introduce yourself, right? Why don't you give it a shot?"
"Ok! My name is Shu Tadashi, and I'm six years old!" She grinned before a frown of confusion rested on her chubby cheeks. "Okaasan, it feels weird having two names."
Chizuru chuckled, a light pat landing on Tsubame's head.
"Don't worry, Bame, it's only temporary."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
“Looks like the new kid has it rough, Kugisaki-chan.”
A red-headed girl followed her classmate’s line of sight, spotting a little boy with messy, dark hair, and eyes screwed shut. A group of boys surrounded him, fingers jabbed in his direction as they laughed and jeered.
“What’s going on there?” Kugisaki’s face morphed into a frown, as her classmate shrugged.
“Beats me, but boys will be boys.”
Kugisaki let out an unsatisfied hum as the school’s bell rang, signifying the end of their lunch break. She watched as the largest, the leader — she assumed, of the ring of boys, gave the new kid a hard shove before walking back to their class, her glare trained in the older boys’ direction.
She’s not even a friend anyway.
“Hey,” Kugisaki called out, despite her classmate’s various calls of warning; both not to approach the group and to return to class.
“Tsk, what do you want, little girl?” The largest boy sneered, crossing his arms as his friends behind him snickered at the eight-year-old before them, their faces screaming — “Such an arrogant girl! He’ll teach her her place!”
“What’s your deal with Tiny over there?” She pointed to the poor boy who rubbed his head, flinching at the sight of the leader’s stare as his feet took him to his class faster than any of them anticipated.
“Oh him? Nah, he’s just a weakling, and he’s a real sissy. He’s just an annoyance, yabbering about ghosts,” He shrugged before his smirk returned. “Why? You got a problem?”
The redhead girl stared him dead in the eye, searching his soul for any remorse, but there was nothing to be found other than a disgusting form of pride he held over having more power than a boy smaller than him.
“Nah, no problem,” She brushed her shoulder off, walking away as the boy rolled his eyes.
“Whatever.”
As per usual, these were the famous last words of a poorly judged boy, as when 3:15 came around, he resumed his hobby of picking on the new kid, who sat peacefully in his quiet classroom, a piece of paper taking shape in his hands.
“What do you have there, yowai?” He sneered, finding enjoyment in the way his hands instantly darted behind his back to protect whatever he was hiding.
“N-Nothing. It’s not important,” Tadashi muttered, hazel eyes darting away guiltily.
“It’s definitely important if he’s hiding it!” His lackey chided, surprising the young boy from behind, and catching him off guard.
Instantly, the paper in his hands collapsed on the floor, revealing a dainty little crane. Before Tadashi could reach for the folded piece of paper, his bully nabbed it, pinching it between his fingers with a scrutinising glare.
“This for me?” The boy grinned, watching Tadashi’s lack of reaction before crushing it in his large palm.
He watched with amusement, seeing the dread that grew in his victim’s eyes, a laugh bursting out of his accomplice who simply held the new kid back, preventing him from approaching his creation.
“Oh well, you were too slow. Too bad!” He jeered, leaning closer to the new boy. “But that’s what you get for acting smarter than all of us. You think you’re so great ‘cuz you entered halfway through the year? Boo, hoo, hoo—“
“Oi!”
Tadashi’s line of view instantly darted to the doorway, seeing the red-headed girl from lunch standing with her arms crossed, a sneer on her features aimed at the large boy.
“Back away from the new kid, loser.”
“You again?” He frowned, turning to face the girl. “And who you callin’ a loser? You always get in trouble with the teacher anyway with how many times you were caught wrestling.”
“That should make you even more scared of me then!” She huffed, rolling up the sleeves of her red tracksuit.
“What are you gonna do? Hit me? You’re a girl, you’re wea— ACK!”
A punch across his jaw cut him off as Kugisaki’s fist collided with his face, the boy’s lackey watching with horror as his friend stumbled back on impact, and Tadashi could only watch in awe of the girl before him.
“Y-You!” The boy glared. “You dare hit me?!”
“Quit whining, you pansy!” Kugisaki hissed back, parking herself in front of Tadashi as his bully’s friend walked up to the girl with a threatening glare, although the redhead child wasn’t affected by it in the slightest.
“You’re a freak!” He hissed, jabbing a finger in Kugasaki’s face, her eyelids lowered in boredom. ”Just wait til the teacher hears about this.”
“Akemi-sensei?” Kugisaki questioned before a smile grew on her lips. “That’s too bad, ‘cuz she believes everything I say. What can I say? Being a cute kid has its perks.”
The older boys froze in confusion, bare of a comeback to insult the girl. Instead, they reluctantly sauntered out of the room, but not without the older boy hissing a threat in Kugisaki’s direction before he left.
“You’ll pay for this.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep up your blabbering and maybe then you’ll finally run out of things to say,” She huffed, slamming the classroom door shut behind her, but not without sending an insulting expression in the older boys’ way.
The girl let out a scoff, turning around to check on the boy, but all she was met with was a look of awe and wonderment as the small boy quickly bowed in respect.
“Thank you for helping me, Miss! My name is Shu Tadashi and I’m six years old and forever in your debt!”
“Woah there! No need to call me Miss, geez. You make me sound so old,” Kugisaki sighed, waving her hand dismissively as the small boy stood straight once again, a disgruntled mumble escaping the slightly older student.
“And my name’s Kugisaki Nobara, not Miss. I’m eight, so I’m not that much older than you.”
“Kugisaki-chan, thank you for your help then!” Tadashi nodded, pulling out the crane he had pocketed, despite its slightly crushed appearance.
“Please! Take this crane as a form of thanks!”
“I don’t need your thanks, Tadashi,” She sighed. “Just make sure you better keep your mouth shut if anything happens.”
“I can keep secrets! I’m super good at it!”
“Really? Fine then! Prove yourself.”
A silence fell upon the two, Tadashi’s posture stiff before he started to fidget, a sigh escaping him.
“If I do, can you promise to keep this between us?”
Kugisaki eyed the boy up and down, letting out a sigh before nodding, finding that the boy had nothing against her at all.
“Fine,” She shrugged. “Spill the beans, then.”
“Okay, well, my name’s Tadashi, but I’m not a boy! I’m actually a girl and my name’s Tsubame, although my mother doesn’t want me to tell anyone ‘cuz it can cause trouble, though I’m not sure what, but you hafta promise me—“
“Geez! Okay, I’ll keep your secret! You ramble too much, sheesh,” The red-head girl huffed, but regret washed over her as she saw the younger girl shy away ever so slightly.
“But uh, Tsubame, huh?” She questioned, watching the younger girl nod, eyes regaining their eager shine.
“I’ll call you Tsu-tsu. Hey, shouldn’t you be going home soon?”
“Oh no, my mama is picking me up later at four, my papa’s still at work until five!” Tsubame shook her head, recalling her parent’s work schedules. “So I’m gonna be here waiting until then!”
“Nonsense, come over to my place,” Nobara nonchalantly tucked her hands into her pockets. “I can get my parents to call yours and you can hang out with me while waiting.”
“No way, really?” Tsubame’s smile grew, Nobara smiling slightly before she cleared her throat.
“Yeah, totally. But on the condition that you tell me whenever jerks pick on you, and you call me Nobara. No need for honorifics or whatever, you don’t need to be formal with me.”
“Does this make us friends then?”
Kugisaki went silent for a while as she pushed the classroom’s door open. She’d never really opened up to anyone other than Saori, and the idea of having a new friend who she’d have to constantly watch over did make her wince… but who else did Tsubame have?
With a nod, she held out a thumbs up.
“Yeah, we’re friends.”
“Awesome!” Tsubame beamed, pulling the straps of her backpack over her shoulders while following her new friend out of the classroom, the two chatting along the way.
“Oh, by the way, I have another friend you’d have to meet.”
“Another friend? Nobara you’re so cool!”
“I know I am. You don’t need to remind me.”
gif by @kakiriyo
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki < comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
much to yuuji's surprise, a new girl from kugisaki's childhood joined their little class of three. unfortunately for him, she's as silent as a ghost, and as hostile as one, too. thankfully, itadori yuuji isn't one to back down from a challenge.
masterlist | next !
–pairings: itadori yuuji x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, pre-shibuya arc
– author’s note: after watching jjk recently, you can count me obsessed.
disclaimer: i’m not of japanese descent and am unfamiliar with japanese honorifics, etc. feel free to correct me!
“What great news you bring us, Daichi!”
An elderly woman clapped her hands, her greying hair tightly tied in a neat, sleek bun. Her husband smiled alongside her, his hand on her back as the two sat at their dining table. Their grown son stood before them, his wife sitting across his mother as she gently held her swollen stomach.
Daichi’s wife beamed away, her eyes so full of love and hope that it was clear as day that the two were meant to be, nothing but warmth filling household at the joyous news.
Now, Daichi was nothing short of ordinary, he was a man of simple tastes, but based on his choice of outfit being a smart pin-striped suit and wire-frame glasses that rested on the high bridge of his nose, one would’ve thought otherwise. His short, dark brown hair was combed neatly as his warm brown eyes gazed deeply into his wife’s obsidian ones.
“How long more until you’re due? I can’t wait to have a little one running around the house again,” His mother hummed, a pleased smile on her wrinkled face.
“In two months Chizuru be due, Okaasan,” Daichi turned to his wife, a soft-loving look washing over his features as he rubbed her back, so gently, one must’ve thought she was made of glass.
Chizuru however, contrasted from her husband’s formal wear, choosing something more comfortable as she was accompanied by her growing stomach. A soft, and light blue loose sundress covered her form, her long jet-black hair tied into a loose ponytail for her comfort.
“Oh, it would be such a joy to have a little boy to chase around the garden again, wouldn’t it, Akhito?” Daichi’s mother chuckled over at her husband, the family patriarch humming in satisfaction.
“And he would grow big and strong under the guidance of his grandfather!” Akhito barked out a laugh, the elderly couple unaware of their son’s stiffening smile.
Daichi’s hand stiffened against his wife, and Chizuru, carefully placed her own, smaller hand to rest atop her husband’s. The two eyed one another before Daichi cleared his throat, adjusting the glasses to push them up slightly higher up his nose.
“Uh, yes, of course. A boy,” He smiled, his mother looking at him with a quizzical glance.
“You do know the baby’s gender, don’t you? It’s extremely important to pick the perfect name for a firstborn son, Daichi.”
“Your mother is right, son,” Akhito nodded, voice gruff in thought. “Fumi and I took a lot of care thinking of a name suitable of you and look at you now! One of the best businessmen in Tohoku.”
“Of course we know the baby’s gender, Otousan,” Chizuru smiled gently, rubbing her husband’s hand reassuringly.
“Our little one is quite the listener, it’s like he listens to Daichi when he tells him to not kick me so hard,” She joked, Daichi letting out a little humoured scoff. “So he and I were thinking of ‘Tadashi’, it would be fitting for a boy who’s devoted to his family, wouldn’t it?”
“Tadashi…” Akhito hummed, eyes shut in thought as his wife’s smile grew brighter.
“Why, it’s the perfect name for the little one!” Fumi beamed. “Oh I can’t wait for his arrival, I know he’d be a beautiful baby boy!”
And beautiful the baby was as it wailed in the doctor’s arms, Chizuru’s brow beaded with sweat, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. While their child was washed clean with the nurse’s gently care, Daichi smiled proudly at the small, red child before them.
“Congratulations,” the doctor grinned as the smiling nurse passed the crying child to its parents.
“You have a beautiful baby girl.”
gif by @kakiriyo
taglist: @mooncleaver @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @khany2026 @tinkerbelle05 @iheartamajiki < comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
in the heat of the moment, drea decides that a friendly little spar would be best for two “a-little-more-than-friends” friends.
masterlist | previous !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers, mild swearing, a longer chapter.
– author’s note: welcome to the final chapter of the series, hence why this chapter’s a fair bit longer than the rest! if you’ve enjoyed this series as much as i have in writing it, i appreciate and love you all so much !! disclaimer: i’m not of Hispanic or Aztec descent and used a translator for certain terms, so do correct me if im wrong!
translations: ni una palabra de esto para nadie, ¿entendido, perro? - not a word of this to anyone, got it, dog? adios, mi chispa - goodbye, my spark
“Drea, hey, uh, what’s up?” He grinned, fighting the red on his cheeks as he tried to casually lean on the wall with a little dog, the pet jumping eagerly while barking.
“Gah, nothing much,” She chuckled, kneeling to pick up the barking dog. “Was having a slight sparring session before bathing this guy. Sorry about Sparky, he gets excited around new people, don’t you, buddy?”
Giggling, Drea tickled the dog’s stomach, Sparky wagging his tail with little yips of joy. Jaime’s smile grew wider, pushing himself off the wall to walk closer to his neighbour.
“He’s so energetic. Is that why his name’s Sparky?” He hummed, placing his hand near the dog, allowing Sparky to warm up to him.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long until Sparky was licking Jaime’s hovering hand eagerly, Drea grinning at the man beside her. The dog soon stood on her arms with his back legs, his front legs on her shoulder as he wiggled, wanting to get closer to Jaime.
“He warmed up way faster to you than anyone else he’s met so far,” She smiled a wide smile, Jaime scoffing in disbelief.
“And how many people is that?”
“Including you, four,” She winked, laughter escaping Jaime as he picked up the dog from her shoulders, holding the little dog close.
He gently pet the dog’s back, his neighbour grinning widely before tilting her head in a direction, Jaime perking up in confusion and curiosity. He didn’t get much of an answer before Drea turned the corner, disappearing behind a wall.
Jaime soon followed after, spotting her figure disappear up the set of stairs.
“Hey, wait, where are you goin’?” He called out quickly, glancing at the dog in his arms.
He hummed uneasily, waiting at the bottom of the stairs as one second turned into a minute. Drea’s voice then chimed down at him, her head popping up from behind the stairwell’s bannister above.
“Well, what’re you waiting for?” She grinned, Jaime glancing up at the spiral staircase. “We don’t have all day, I wanna show you something.”
Nervously, he followed after, muttering curses to himself as Khaji-Da began to ring in his head after its long silence. A furious blush appeared on his face as he hissed at the alien in his mind, the dog in his arms wriggling in restlessness.
Quickly, he placed the pet on the ground, Sparky hopping up the stairs, occasionally glancing back at Jaime as if to check up on him and to make sure the man behind him was following.
As soon as they reached the top, Sparky began jumping at Drea’s feet, the girl lightly patting his head as she crossed her arms, smirking over at her neighbour.
“Well, you took long enough.”
“I don’t even know if I’m supposed to be here,” He huffed in return, Drea grabbing his hand with a grin, Jaime’s cheeks glowing warm once more.
“If we were under different circumstances, yeah you wouldn’t, but in this case, you’re welcome to this room specifically.”
With a shove of her hand, the door burst open and the lights flickered on. Jaime’s eyes widened at the sight, spotting all the weapons and materials hanging on one wall of the room. The floors were cushioned with mats, and windows were covered shut by the blinds to prevent anyone from looking in. A punching bag sat in the corner, clearly well-used with the slight scorch burns that were present.
Despite having seen Kord’s Blue Beetle lair, a small smile grew across Jaime’s cheeks, the charm of the overall room drawing him in as he walked to the weapon-filled wall.
“You’ve had a training room this whole time, and you never told me?” He glanced next to him, spotting Drea picking up an obsidian feather from the wall before them.
“Of course,” She grinned cheekily. “Feeling left out?”
“Yeah, pretty much," He chuckled, plucking the feather out of her hands. “All this time we could’ve been sparring, preparing ourselves against people like Phantom.”
“Let’s do it now then.”
His eyes widened, a smile growing on his face. Jaime shook his head a little, a chuckle escaping his lips. Drea only took the feather from his hand back into hers as she watched his laughter with a small smile of her own.
“Good one,” He grinned, placing his hands on his hips.
Slowly, his smile faded as he noticed Drea’s encouraging glance and his eyes widened. Swiftly, his hands darted to the back of his neck once more, rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet.
“Look, I have never sparred with anyone… properly before,” He muttered, looking away with a blush.
“You did just fine against Phantom,” She waved her hand brushing the issue aside. “Come on, it’ll be fun, I promise!”
Despite the advice of turning the offer down Khaji-Da gave him, Jaime sighed, reluctantly giving in a hand scratching his cheek as he looked at Sparky guiltily, the dog whining, almost as if begging Jaime to give it a go.
“I guess this one time can’t hurt.”
“Great!” She chimed, eyes sparkling with excitement.
She tucked the feather in her ponytail, grabbing the nearest hand wraps on a nearby shelf Jaime had failed to notice. She began to wrap the cloth around her knuckles, tossing Jaime a roll as he shrugged, copying her actions.
“You’re doing it wrong,” She chirped, walking closer to her neighbour, Jaime frowning down at the messy wraps around his hands.
“Yeah, looks like it.”
The two shared a laugh as Drea gently took his hand in hers, peeling the cloth off before reworking it, winding it around his knuckles and wrists. Sparky sat in the corner, wagging his little tail, yet surprisingly silent.
“You gotta start with the wrist and work your way through the palm and then around the knuckles,” She hummed, yet his attention was focused on the way she had bit her lower lip in concentration, how soft her hands felt against his, and how gently she was holding him as if he were fragile.
“It’s a common misconception to start with the knuckles,” She spoke, but none of it really registered in his mind, his heart beat twice, hard, against his chest, and in his eyes, she looked like she was glowing, somehow.
“You got all that, Jaime?” A smile grew on her face once more and he felt his pulse go wild, a rapid nod was all he could give, and he was scared that if he spoke, he’d embarrass himself.
“Y-Yeah,” He choked out at last. “I-I can take it from here, thanks.”
“If you insist,” She pulled away and deep within his chest, a twang of longing rang.
He watched with ‘soft eyes’ as Khaji-Da called it, the alien’s voice trilling in his mind regarding his heightened serotonin levels. He watched her jog on the spot, preparing herself for a spar, and something within Jaime told him that she had sparred for much longer than he expected, perhaps it was Khaji’s form of a warning.
A bark snapped him out of his trance, Jaime glancing to lightly frown at the dog.
Securing the velcro around his now-bandaged hands, Jaime made his way to where Drea stood, fingers fidgeting with the cloth wrapped around his hands.
“Whenever you’re ready,” She nodded, letting Jaime prepare himself for their spar.
Nodding, Jaime took in a deep breath, taking his time to stretch as he built up his courage to actually fight the woman across him. Soon enough, he readied himself with a fighting stance, fists out and ready to either block or strike.
“Ready,” He nodded, Drea getting into a fighting stance of her own.
“Good, I’ll do my best to hold back,” She grinned as they began to circle one another.
Jaime’s muscles at the sight of Drea’s sharp eyes watching his every move. No longer did he see the warmth and kindness in her eyes, but it was so quickly replaced with a spark so bright and dangerous that he almost felt threatened.
Without another word, she darted forward, Jaime’s forearms darting upward to defend himself, but before he could do anything else, he saw black acid-like goo covering his arms, and when he opened his eyes again, the yellow tint of the suit’s visor was enough to tell him what happened.
He almost chuckled at the small pout on Drea’s face.
“That's cheating," She muttered, pulling herself away to give themselves distance.
"Believe me, I wouldn't if I could," He shrugged half-heartedly, returning to his stance.
This time, it was his time to strike, a fist darting to the right of Drea's head as she swiftly dodged it. Regaining her footing, Drea fixed her stance, grounding himself as her right fist swiftly landed on Jaime's ribs, the man wincing slightly at the impact.
Before he was given the chance to make his next move, Drea ducked down to a squatting position, resting her weight on one leg as the other swept under Jaime, causing him to lose his footing.
He let out a cry of shock, slamming onto the ground, but he couldn't get up, feeling a weight on his chest.
Glancing up, he saw Drea's fist, inches away from his face along with her other arm trapping him between her and the ground. Jaime felt his heart slam harder, faster, against his ribs, and it was like it jumped into his throat.
A smirk was plastered on her face, the suit diminishing into nothing as her flame vanished, a blush painting Jaime's whole face scarlet.
"Now it's fair."
He watched the way the spark of energy danced in her eyes, and he felt lost in the moment, relishing the way her skin felt against his, how in sync their breathing was, her warmth enveloping him.
His eyes darted to her wavy hair, spotting a tuft fall past her ear. Slowly, he raised his arm, fingers brushing past her cheek to tuck it back.
Her eyes widened, a similar shade of red that was visible on Jaime's was gradually growing on her cheeks.
Bit by bit, she relaxed at his touch, and without realising he slowly brought himself closer, the tension growing with every second.
“Can I kiss you?” He muttered, lidded eyes darting to her lips, wondering if how they felt matched with how soft they looked.
"You know my parents are home, right?" She mumbled, yet they were only centimetres away, and Jaime could feel her lips lightly brushing against his.
If only he moved just that bit closer…
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Was all that he said before losing himself to her touch. He gently placed his lips on hers, and he felt her breath hitch before melting against him, leaning deeper into the hand that cupped her cheek.
A small smile grew on his face, his free hand slithering around her waist, her arms slinking around his neck. Jaime wasn’t sure why, but everything about it just felt natural, it felt electric. Her touch felt like little shocks of static shocking his skin, but he paid no mind, only pulling her closer.
As she pulled away, the tips of his fingers still threaded with her strands of hair, she looked at him in a daze, and the weight of embarrassment landed on him as he realised that he was indeed nude beneath her.
“Oh– fuck, uh–” He muttered, his eyes widening as she glanced down at his bare chest, the realisation causing her to turn crimson, the colour taking over her face.
“Oh, shit, I’m so, so, sorry,” She muttered, slapping a hand over her eyes as Sparky ran over to the two, yapping excitedly, covering Jaime’s face with affectionate licks.
“I’ll, uh, I’ll get you something.”
With that, she sped out of the training room, the door slamming shut behind her as Jaime guiltily shuffled to lock the door, Sparky by his side.
“Ni una palabra de esto para nadie, ¿entendido, perro?” He wagged his pointer, Sparky responding with a series of excited barks.
“Shit,” He muttered, running a hand through his wavy locks, a dazed smile growing on his face. The memory of her lips against his sent him into a stupor once more, his back leaning against the wood of the door.
“Shit…”
A knock on the door snapped him out of his daze, Drea’s voice audible through the wood. In an instant, the door opened the slightest, Drea’s tanned hand popping through with a few clothes bunched up in her grasp.
“I couldn’t exactly find anything that might fit, but these are the best I’ve got.”
“Thanks,” He answered quickly, face as red as ever, snatching the clothes before making sure her hand had fully retreated before shutting the door once more.
He didn’t care what the clothes looked like, he pulled them over his body hastily, his hands brushing through his hair all over again.
As he placed his hand on the door’s handle, a sudden surge of embarrassment and nerve overtook him, and he truly felt shy to face his neighbour again.
“Come on, Jaime, you’ve faced worse,” He frowned, shaking his hands as he placed his left hand on the handle, applying pressure.
“You’ve got this, as Rudy said, show her the Reyes charm,” He mumbled, plastering a smile on his face that unfortunately looked quite awkward.
Drea jumped a little at the click of the lock, her hands fidgeting with the hems of her shirt despite crossing them. A shy flush grew on her cheeks as she spotted Clark’s old clothes draped on Jaime’s body.
She recalled how he hastily left them behind before speeding off to a last-minute mission call in his hero suit with her mother, and she packed them for old time’s sake (besides, he was simply too lazy to take them back, insisting that he had “many more clothes at home”). She rolled her eyes at the memory, recalling how much Clark acted more like an older brother towards her mother rather than a colleague.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t mind that another man would be wearing those clothes, especially since he looked painfully handsome in them, even if they did look a little baggy on his much slimmer form. She practically stopped breathing, the air caught in her throat as her cheeks flushed pink, eyes widened in awe.
“You look,” She cleared her throat, shoving her hands in the pockets of her denim shorts. “You look good– Great. You look great.”
“Ah, uhm, thanks,” He chuckled nervously, his own hands now shoved deep into his pockets.
A silence enveloped the two, Sparky peering up at them as he followed after Jaime, squeezing his way through the gap in the door. Clearing his throat, Jaime decided to break the tension with a question slipping past his lips.
“So uh, where’d you get the clothes from?”
“Oh, an uncle left them here a long time ago,” She shrugged, her next sentence hesitant, like a nervous whisper. “Are they comfortable for you?”
“Y-Yeah, they are, thanks,” He smiled, his hand darting out of his pocket.
“I uh, I’m so sorry about what happened earlier, I shouldn’t have done–“
“I liked it.”
Jaime glanced up, partially shocked at her reaction.
“I really, really, liked it,” She continued, but this time, her hands were out of her pockets, behind her back as she played with her nails nervously.
“And I think I… I think I really like you, too,” Her eyes darted away. “I can’t explain it, it’s just, when I’m with you, it feels–“
“Natural?” Jaime continued, eyes filled with hope. “Like everything doesn’t feel as difficult as it is, and we just click.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” She smiled, and he caught himself doing the same. “It’s just… all this is new to me, and I’m a bit of a mess but, would you like to go for dinner some time?”
Jaime’s eyes softened at her question, smile falling the slightest as he thought back to Jenny. Did he still love her? Had she waited for him, as he had her?
Noticing the drop in Jaime’s smile, Drea’s hands darted in front of her, shaking back and forth in a dismissive motion.
“It’s totally fine if you’re still into Jenny, I get that–“ She stumbled over her words, and worry filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry that I–“
Jaime’s hands clapped over Drea’s panicked ones, a gentle smile growing on his face as his heart warmed at how she worried about him, at how she put him first.
“No, dinner sounds great,” He shook his head, thumbs gently rubbing her hands. “Don’t worry about Jenny, I’m over her, and I definitely like someone new.”
His left hand hesitantly cupped her cheek, Drea’s face flushing, but she still leaned into his touch, like a moth to a flame,
“So dinner tomorrow?” She began as he nodded, pulling his hand back to hold hers.
“Dinner tomorrow. Pick you up at six?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Amazing,” He grinned, pulling himself away. “I’ve gotta run, but I’ll see you then?”
She nodded wordlessly, a love-filled smile being her only reply.
“I guess I’ll you then,” He leaned down, gently kissing the back of her hand. “Adios, mi chispa.”
And with that he left, leaving her in a flustered daze, her heart pounding as her mind was soon filled with thoughts and words, and Sparky remained at her feet, yapping away.
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05 @littlekidsteve @allthingsvicf @shzmluvrs @underwateredwrld @mcmisbehaving @neteyamrealgf @milagro2027
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zara tlatilpa goes mama bear mode, but jaime figures that it's for the best.
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author’s note: honestly, mama bear zara has my heart <3 disclaimer: i’m not of Hispanic or Aztec descent and used a translator for certain terms, so do correct me if im wrong!
translations: muy bien entonces, criatura terca - alright then, strange creature mijo, ¿a dónde vas? - darling, where are you going? èl se fue a verla de nuevo, ¡le gusta! - he's going to see her again, he likes her! No es nada, nana - it's nothing, nana ¡deberías llevarla a una cita y mostrarle el amuleto de Reyes! - you should take her on a date and show her the Reyes charm! ¿Lo entiendes? - do you understand? y recuerda, compórtate bien - and remember, behave yourself ¡sin travesuras! - no shenanigans! todavía soy demasiado joven para ser abuela - i'm too young to be a grandmother ese es un buen chico - that's a good kid
A thump rang throughout his chest as Jaime did a double take at the message, his face heating up.
“Hey, Khaji, just to make sure, I’m not seeing things, right?” He muttered, pushing the hair out of his squinted eyes, re-reading the message repeatedly.
“Jaime, your vision is excellent. Alejandra has invited you to her place since her pet wants to meet you.”
“Why do you call her Alejandra? I’m pretty sure she’d be okay with you using her nickname,” Jaime shrugged, pushing himself out of bed as he suddenly felt conscious of what he was wearing.
“If her name is Alejandra, I shall address her as so, I have no emotional attachment to her,” Khaji-Da responded plainly, Jaime rolling his eyes.
“Could you at least try? It’s so weird not hearing her being called by her nickname.”
“Not likely.”
“Muy bien entonces, criatura terca,” Jaime muttered under his breath, pocketing his phone as he pushed his room door open, now wearing a baggy set of jeans, his navy blue shirt beneath a light blue and white, short-sleeved flannel.
“Jaime,” Bianca Reyes beamed, looking up from the paper in her hands as she spotted her son emerge from his room, glad to see him going places instead of being cooped up in his little room, despite him only coming out for breakfast this morning.
Noticing her son dressed up to go out, her brow furrowed, placing her pen down for the shortest moment as Jaime hummed back at her, leaning his weight against the back of a nearby chair.
“Mijo, ¿a dónde vas? I thought you didn’t have anything planned?” She tilted her head to look up at her son, Jaime walking closer to her to place a little peck on the top of his mother’s head.
“I won’t be far, Mamá. I’m heading over to Drea’s, she’s invited me over.”
“Él se fue a verla de nuevo, ¡le gusta!” Nana called out from the living room’s couch, Jaime’s eyes rolling lightheartedly.
“No es nada, Nana,” Jaime sighed with a smile, used to the teasing. “She’s just a good friend, I guess.”
“She’s got a point, Cabrón,” Rudy smirked, the front door of the single-storey house thudding closed behind him.
“You have been hanging around her quite a bit. ¡Deberías llevarla a una cita y mostrarle el amuleto de Reyes!”
Hearing that caused Jaime to flush a bright red, Rudy letting out a boisterous laugh at his nephew’s reaction, walking over to the young man and landing a heavy back slap on Jaime, the young Mexican hero wincing slightly.
“Okay, okay,” Bianca sighed with a smile. “Let’s leave him be, go on your little hang out. Dinner’s at six-thirty, no negotiations. ¿Lo entiendes?”
“Sí, Mamá,” He sighed, letting his mother affectionately pat his cheek.
She smiled up at him softly, before her forefinger and thumb pinched Jaime’s cheek tugging gently as her son complained at the discomfort despite being twenty-two.
“Y recuerda, compórtate bien. ¡Sin travesuras! Todavía soy demasiado joven para ser abuela,” She lectured, Jaime’s hand wrapped around hers to try and pull her hand away, the rest of the Mexican family laughing at their antics.
With a final tug, Bianca released her son’s cheek, Jaime sighing as he put on his sneakers, and walked right out of the door with a warm smile, realising that he could never find it in himself to dislike their affectionate teasing.
Sauntering over to his neighbour’s house, he glanced behind him, feeling eyes trained on the back of his head. Turning the slightest, Jaime noticed the way the curtains of his kitchen’s windows shifted ever so slightly, and a chuckle escaped his lips, realising his family’s gaze wouldn’t leave him anytime soon.
Finally, his feet halted, realising that he stood in front of his neighbour’s lawn, and for some reason, he suddenly felt nervous. Shoving his hands back into his pockets, his fingers fiddled with the threads. A new nervous habit, he noted, taking in a final deep breath as he marched on to her front door.
Deep in his mind he could hear Rudy’s slight sigh of disappointment, muttering something along the lines of, “Ay, ay, ay…"
Now face-to-face with the mahogany door of the Tlatilpas, Jaime lifted his fist, knuckles hovering over the dark wood before leaning his head back, mustering up all of his courage to knock on the door.
The knocks echoed throughout the area, and for a brief moment, everything stilled. And then the door jolted open, revealing a woman who towered over him behind a patterned, iron grill gate.
Her short, dyed hair was parted at the right of her scalp, a tattoo visible on her upper right arm – it’s pattern almost resembling one of Drea’s golden arm cuffs of her hero costume.
The red spaghetti top she wore exposed her lean physique and a baggy pair of white shorts wrapped around her hips, but her muscles were still visible as she tilted her head, and Jaime just felt the slightest bit intimidated.
That was until she let out a large smile, hands rushing to unlock the extra form of protection before finally opening it successfully. She tugged at the gate - with an almost unnecessary amount of force, Jaime might add - before opening her arms wide.
“And you must be Jaime Reyes! Milagro’s brother, right?” She asked eagerly, her voice rich and warm. Jaime could suddenly tell which parent Drea got her constant stream of energy from.
“Sí, Mrs Tlatilpa,” He smiled nervously, eyes snapping open as she pulled him into a deep, bear hug.
“Ah, I have so much to thank you and your sister for! My little Spark doesn’t make friends easily, and it’s so good to hear that she trusts you both with her life! It’s so nice seeing her happy again.”
“O-Oh?” Jaime wheezed slightly with a wince before being released from her constrictive grip. “I, uh, I’m honoured, Ma’am.”
“Please, Tiá Zara would do just fine,” She beamed. “I’ll go call Drea, you go make yourself comfortable!”
She scooted slightly, letting Jaime through, and he could hear the thud of iron from behind him as she locked the gate again, but as he glanced around, Jaime looked in awe at the cosy little living room around him.
Pictures of the family of three were present on almost every wall, a few black and white pictures framed up alongside them, but not as meticulously kept, as dust gathered on the glass frame protecting the almost faded image.
The green of the potted plants stood out against the vermilion-painted walls, a comfy-looking beige couch resting against the wall as a plush and fuzzy persian carpet rested underneath the glass and teak-framed coffee-table, the television across it reflecting his image in the darkness. A pile of hard-cover books rested above it, for anyone who was interested to take a peak.
Walking around the room, Jaime took a little peak at everything, though his intuitive eye lingered longer on any image he assumed was Drea’s a little longer than expected. A smile was soon plastered on his face at the sight of an energetic little girl standing on a chair, her wide smile missing two-front teeth as a large cake was placed before her.
Her dark brown strands were barely tamed, giving the young girl a wild look, but the tiny crown that sat on her head and her upright posture made her almost seem regal at a glance.
Quickly, he pulled his phone out, snapping a shot of the image before his phone disappeared into the darkness of his pocket. Once in a while, a few embarrassing photos would be nice as ‘blackmail’.
“I see you found her fifth birthday picture,” Zara grinned, watching Jaime with crossed arms. “Yeah, that one was too cute not to hang up. She still insists I take it down, but we both know that it’s never going to happen.”
Zara then approached the younger male, seating herself on the coach as Jaime turned to look at more of the pictures. He brushed over the faded family photos, almost recognising one of the younger girls as Aunt Anika before moving onto the next one, deciding not to pry.
“Jaime, I’d like a word with you,” Zara began, her warm tone turning strict and reserved. “It’s regarding Drea.”
Instantly, he turned around, a furrow in his brow. He watched as the older woman stood up on her feet, walking closer to the male as her hands heavily landed on his shoulders.
“Now, I know that my daughter has trusted you with information that wasn’t your right to know, but she trusted it with you anyways. And she’s had a tough time finding the people to choose to be her friends, you’re lucky to be one of them,” She spoke, looking Jaime dead in the eye.
“However, though I may like you for keeping silent so far, if a word ever slips past your lips, and it ever puts her at risk? I can’t guarantee that you will be friends for much longer,” The look in her eyes turned almost sad, almost guilty for threatening her daughter’s friendships.
“You must understand, I do this because I love her, and I won’t stand idly aside if anything bad ever happens to her. Do you get me?”
He watched as she practically begged him with her eyes, his throat going dry as he nodded, knowing that if his own family’s safety was compromised, he’d do anything to make sure they’d be safe. And with the look Drea’s mother gave him, he felt the urge to protect Drea with the same amount of care too.
‘I do, Tiá, more than you know,” A determined look rested on his face as Zara let out a smile of relief, her hand patting his shoulders in a proud manner.
“Ese es un buen chico.”
And so she turned around, ready to continue with whatever she was doing before he had arrived, her fingers lightly brushing on the walls before she came to a halt, turning her head to face Jaime one last time before she took her leave.
“Oh, and one last piece of advice, from one hero to another, maybe find a better spot to transform behind the garbage skips. It’s more visible than you think.”
And so she left, Jaime’s jaw slacking before he shook his head, hand darting to scratch the scalp of his head in embarrassment at the advice. Part of him wanted to beg Zara not to tell anyone, to keep his secret to herself, but realising that there was no malice in her tone, just the pure willingness to help the boy, he relaxed.
But only the slightest.
However, a smile broke out on his face once more as he spotted a familiar friend come into view, rushing after a little brown blur of fur.
“Oh, hey, Jaime!”
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05 @littlekidsteve @allthingsvicf
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emotions and texting shenanigans, jaime wasn't ready for that emotional rollercoaster.
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author’s note: it felt so weird writing out casual texts and comments on insta, lol. disclaimer: i’m not of Hispanic or Aztec descent and used a translator for certain terms, so do correct me if im wrong!
translations: eres tan estúpido - you're so stupid
The day suddenly felt so slow. Lying on his bed, Jaime muttered in annoyance, his phone in his hand as the sunlight shone into his face through the thin material of his curtains. He lay flat on his back, the hand with the phone in hand resting on his stomach as his other arm supported his neck against his pillow.
Staring at the ceiling emptily, he glanced to his right and his eyes landed on his open laptop, the male huffing with a grumble as he rolled onto his side, back facing the computer.
Turning his phone on, Jaime’s fingers automatically clicked on the little Instagram icon, waiting for a brief second before images appeared on his feed. There he lay in silence, thumb scrolling mindlessly up and down, occasionally laughing silently at a meme post or two.
Then his eyes widened the slightest, spotting a fairly new username from his following that appeared on his notification bar, alerting him of their newest post.
alejan-drea✰ (@dreas.world) posted a new image! 2 mins ago…
Curious to see what she was up to, he clicked on the notification and the app took him to a new page, her latest post appearing within the second. Unconsciously, a soft smile rested on his features, his deep brown eyes meeting the light brown of hers in her image.
In her arms was the stray he’d seen the past few days, and recalling what Milli told him, his neighbour adopted the little dog, taking the utmost care of it and getting the pet the immunity jabs and medicines required for its safety.
Instead of her usual attire of jeans and her off-shoulder shirt, she wore a slightly baggy tee, tucked into black, ripped-denim shorts. Her usually messy dark waves still had the one to two stray braids, but were all together bunched up in a messy ponytail.
The morning’s light reflected off of her tan skin, giving her a soft look as her dog – Sparky, he faintly recalled from his sister – excitedly licked her cheek. Drea’s smile reflected the same glow of joy, even though she was being licked rather viciously.
Swiping left, Jaime spotted the caption as a video began to play, seeing the dog wiggle impatiently in her arms, tail wagging at a ferocious speed as the onslaught of licks hadn’t stopped once.
dreas.world out bathing the baby, got a saliva shower instead ://
Despite the ridiculous angle, and the 0.5x zoom of the photo taken, he considered this post one of her better ones, ultimately deciding himself that the setting suited her better, bringing out her best features. He double-tapped her post, a little red heart popping up before vanishing almost immediately.
His thumbs hovered over the comment section, and spotting Milagro’s comment, he rolled his eyes to himself.
mili_reyes_best gurl, go bathe. please. dreas.world @mili_reyes_best not until hes squeaky clean 🙃
Jaime scoffed, his thumbs hovering over the comment bar. Half-tempted to reply to the conversation, he decided against it, leaving the two to their shenanigans. However, he did end up posting his own comment, his finger quickly tapping the little paper plane icon.
officially._jaime literally the cutest being to exist 🤟
As soon as the text of his comment turned opaque, slight regret washed over him as he re-read his remark, a blush flushing over his cheeks as soon as he realised the two ways his comment could be taken, eyes widening in panic.
“Shit–” He hissed softly, rushing to tap the three dots that would allow him to delete his comment.
Before he could click it, the notification bar popped up again, this time, announcing his neighbour’s response to the comment.
dreas.world @officially._jaime you wont believe how happy sparky was after i told him that
Letting out a deep sigh, the smile slowly returned, and he clicked on the little bar again, instantly thinking of a reply.
officially._jaime @dreas.world bring him over sometime, we’ll absolutely spoil him 😈
With that, he clicked on Drea’s profile, eyeing the little ‘message’ button beneath her little mutual follow list.
“What the heck,” He muttered, finding himself with a private conversation set up between them, ignoring the fact that even though he already did have her number, he was simply too lazy to open up his messages.
Besides, she was already online on Insta, the little green dot by her name told him so.
Nerves built up in his stomach, and if he was being honest, his hands fiddled with the cover of his phone nervously. What would he even say? What was there to talk about at all? They’ve shared all their secrets, everything, to each other and that was that.
“But we’re friends,” His mind argued. “Think! Think of something friends would talk about!”
Without thinking twice, his hands moved on their own, and he found himself sending the message once more without even realising what he’d done.
so hows the weather today??
Silence filled his mind, his stare going blank as he let out a loud groan of annoyance, hands darting up to pull at the roots of his hair as the phone landed unceremoniously on his bed.
“¡Jaime, eres tan estúpido!” He hissed at himself, dragging his hands over his face. “No, no. Just… just leave it. Let’s just die of shame.”
Ignoring the hums of protest regarding his perfect health condition from Khaji-Da, Jaime sat upright, staring down disdainfully at the text he sent his friend. Who the hell started a conversation like that?
Just then, the little ‘ding’ of his phone went off, and his eyes widened, spotting a text in reply.
is bearable lol. arent we in the same neighbourhood lmao
With that, he was back on his phone in an instant, relief flooding over him as he revelled at the fact that he did not, in fact, present himself as socially awkward. At least not online.
i mean yea, but u never know 🤷♂️
He watched nervously as the three little dots appeared at the bottom of his screen, dancing up and down tauntingly, and what was a few seconds, felt like almost fifteen minutes.
bro just say u wanna come over lmao, sparky wants to meet u anyways
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05 @littlekidsteve @allthingsvicf
< comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
never in his life did jaime think that the first person he'd really open up to would be his neighbour, but hey, new friendships are formed.
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author’s note: i wont lie this chapter was one of the more fun ones to write and i was excited :> disclaimer: i’m not of Hispanic or Aztec descent and used a translator for certain terms, so do correct me if im wrong!
translations: dios mío - my god ni siquiera me hagas empezar - don't even get me started
Time always passed faster than you ever thought it would, seconds turning into minutes, and minutes turning into hours within the blink of an eye.
The warm and radiant sun had begun to set, lowering itself closer towards the ocean as all the land beneath it was filled with a golden glow.
Unaware of this change sat two young adults within an abandoned building, light filling in the lonesome domain, keeping the duo company regardless of the lack of electricity that passed through.
Only Jaime’s voice filled the air as the young woman across him listened intently, hanging onto every word, feeling a fraction of almost every emotion he went gone through, from the sheer panic of the scarab lurching onto his face to the excruciating pain of the scarab’s limbs digging into the bone of his spine, bonding with its host for life.
Pity and heartbreak filled her heart as the man across from her struggled to get through one of the toughest parts of his journey, and the most painful of it all.
The loss of a loved one wasn’t an easy part to handle. He wished for everything to bring him back.
Silently, she pieced the pieces together, her hand hesitantly, but gently reassuringly placed over his own, reminding him that he could keep to himself if he wasn’t ready to share.
And he truly wasn’t ready yet.
Swallowing down his grief, he continued his tale, opening himself up to her about how he learned to protect those he loved, how he learned to handle this kind of responsibility, and how he barely escaped death with a different — but the good kind of different — approach on this strange, but exciting, new chapter in his life.
It was all so tough, but he had others he could rely on; his familia, Rudy, Nana, his Mamá, even Milagro. And perhaps Jenny, although currently, he was having a little trouble communicating with the latest name on the list after her rejection.
But he faced it all, and even though he still grieved the loss of his father, he came out a stronger person, heck maybe an even more loving person, and nothing was stopping him from keeping the people he loved safe — his home — safe. After all, home is where the heart is.
So here he was, spilling his guts out to a woman he first called a stranger, a threat. But now, things changed, and she started to change into his neighbour, maybe even a friend.
“And after everything her aunt did, she still volunteered to make our neighbourhood better. She helped rebuild our house, gave Rudy a new ride, which he’s practically attached to but won’t admit out loud, and was there for us in our toughest times,” He bobbed his head up and down in thought, Drea humming as her cheek rested in her hands, elbow placed on the armrest while she crossed her legs.
A cheeky smile grew on her face, eyes turning playful at the sight of Jaime’s dazed eyes.
“Jenny, hm? Sounds like quite the keeper,” She chimed, tilting her head playfully.
“Dios mío, ni siquiera me hagas empezar,” He muttered with a dreamy smile growing on his face. “Everything about her, it’s just so… perfect! She’s extremely intelligent, kind and caring, and so, so beautiful. What else do I even have to say?”
Chuckling, Drea leaned back in her chair, suggestively raising an eyebrow.
“Ever tried telling her that? Maybe it will sweep her off her feet, who knows?”
And just like that, Jaime’s smile fell, eyes downcast as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, picking at loose threads from within. He let out a sad sigh, head leaning back as he stared at the vine-filled ceiling.
“Funny thing, it didn’t work. After everything, I thought maybe she felt the same way, but it was probably the adrenaline getting to me…”
“Jaime, I’m sorry,” Drea began, glancing at the Mexican across her in concern. “I didn’t mean to pry–“
“It’s fine, Drea, really,” He replied smoothly, tilting his head to face her. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while anyways, and it’s probably better to let it all out, y’know?”
Slowly, Drea’s look of concern faded, a calm one replacing as she felt mutual about his feelings. She leaned her head back, staring at the little orbs of light that complimented the green of the vines that clung to the cement.
“Yeah, I get that.”
The two shared a look, gentle smiles all around as Jaime let out another sigh, this time, or relief, his eyes glancing back at the ceiling. Slowly, he let the thoughts flood through, one by one pushing them aside as he realised that all of his thoughts were just… thoughts. It’s all they would ever be.
“You know, if you ever want to talk, I’m always free to help out,” Drea began gently, Jaime, suddenly feeling grateful to have a friend around.
“Thanks,” He replied, the fiddling in his pockets slowing. “I’ve got your back too, if you ever need help. So is my family.”
A soft and appreciative look appeared on the woman’s face as she hummed, “I know.”
A comfortable silence grew between them, the two friends basking in the calm, enjoying each other’s company. Until a low rumbling noise was heard, and Jaime’s eyes snapped open.
When did he last eat again?
As his stomach rumbled again, Jaime pulled his phone out in embarrassment, swiftly checking the time.
6:30 pm.
Huh… he didn’t recall time passing by so quickly.
“It’s about time we head back anyways,” The woman across him stood up, Jaime doing the same as he hurriedly shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“Yeah, it’s for the best,” He let out a breathy chuckle, hands in his pockets once more.
As he took his next step, Jaime hadn’t realised that his left foot was trapped beneath a loose vine, his weight shifting as he tried to lift his leg.
“Jaime, watch where you’re–“
His eyes widened at his sudden error, hands darting out of his pockets to help him regain his balance, but the ground seemed closer by the second, and he braced himself for impact.
But he never felt himself land on the solid concrete.
Instead, he felt a slight jerk that pulled him away from the ground as strong arms darted to catch his frame, a hand clasping the cloth of his hoodie, another around his waist as his arms flailed to his sides.
“–Going…”
Blinking up at her, Jaime felt his face flush at the proximity between them, light brown, almost amber, pools of concern staring at him as he felt himself getting lost within them.
Who knew that her eyes were so pretty? Did her hair always look this soft? Wow, under this light she looked so peaceful, so calm, and so beautiful—
“You alright?” She whispered, and the gentleness of her voice almost sent another wave of heat to his cheeks.
Being so lost in the moment, Jaime swore he was hallucinating the moment he felt a warm, soothing glow surround them. And he was certain his mind was messing with him the moment he thought he saw pink briefly dust her cheeks.
“Y-Yeah, yeah, I’m all good,” He muttered quickly, pulling his feet from beneath him as he regained his balance.
It was then that he realised their slight height difference, his heart pounding at the thought of being able to encompass her completely if they ever decided to hug. Or cuddle. Or kiss—
No! Jaime, you’re friends. You’re just hungry, and you’re thinking these thoughts because you’re lonely and you were rejected, that’s all. Don’t mess it up.
“The vines here are a little pesky now and then, but hey, a little pruning might be needed,” She giggled, and Jaime fought his thoughts once more, almost hissing out loud for them to shut up.
“Jaime, you’re staring, again. You need to answer Alejandra or she will think that you are weird.”
“Yeah,” Jaime blurted out, silently thanking Khaji for the reminder. “Uh, yeah we definitely gotta cut those. Anyway, shall we? I think I’ve left my Mamá for too long and any longer, she might file a missing person’s report. Again.”
“Again?” She narrowed her eyes with a sly grin. “That must’ve been fun.”
“Eh, not so fun when you’ve been considered missing after crashing through your childhood home and flying all over the city without a clue on how to control it,” He joked back, her elbow nudging his ribs as they shared a laugh.
Right as he saw her smile, he felt himself go soft as he saw how radiant she was when she was truly happy, and his stomach rumbled once more, breaking the moment between them.
“Alright, c’mon big guy, let’s get you home with some food,” She chuckled, snapping her fingers as the citlaltontli hovered back in her hands.
The little glowing beads lost their radiance, their surroundings fading into the shadows as Drea grabbed Jaime’s wrist gently, pulling the male towards the large double doors of the building.
“Using up this much energy for light has worked up my appetite too.”
He chuckled, eyes glued onto their conjoining point, swallowing the lump in his throat as he felt how soft her tan hands were.
“Yeah, food,” He chimed. “Wanna join us for dinner?”
“Only if you don’t almost expose me before your family.”
There was something about the playful glint in her eye that made him want to know her more, to know more about her childhood, her hopes, her dreams. Everything.
“Deal.”
Yeah, he was just hungry.
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05 @littlekidsteve @allthingsvicf
< comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
things go better than expected, and jaime has so much more to learn about drea than he realised
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author’s note: DREA LORE!! was extremely excited to write this chapter hhehe! disclaimer: i’m not of Hispanic or Aztec descent and used a translator for certain terms, so do correct me if im wrong!
“Ever heard of the galaxy, Cemanahuatlchan?”
Jaime frowned in confusion, briefly about to open his mouth to ask what Drea meant as Khaji-Da’s voice filled the silence of his thoughts.
“Cemanahuatlchan, also known as ‘Home Universe’ among Alejandra’s people. A neighbouring galaxy of the Milky Way. It consists of approximately the same number of Milky Way planets, eight hundred billion, and more.”
“Actually, I guess I do now?” Jaime smiled unsurely, Drea giggling softly in reply.
“Let me guess, the scarab told you about it, huh?” She queried, Jaime, nodding his head side to side, his smile growing wider guiltily.
“No matter, I’ll tell you more anyway.”
Lifting her left wrist, the half-human tapped on the thin material of one of the matching bracelets on her wrist, the other accessory’s counterpart on her right wrist. As soon as she lifted her finger, a hologram appeared, displaying a map of the galaxy the two young adults were discussing.
With her eyes locked on a singular speck, Drea pinched her fingers, the image enlarging to display a planet, its exterior pattern reminiscent of Jupiter’s. The slight difference was the three bright rings that surrounded it.
“That’s my Mama’s home planet. To her, it’s known as Chantlemauatl, Home Flame,” She hummed, Jaime, watching in awe.
With another quick tap to her bracelet, the hologram shifted into one of the natives of the planet, feathers adorning their headpieces, gold placed around their necks and arms, and vibrant paint swiped across their faces, more specifically, their eyes.
“But to those who are outsiders and know of its existence, it’s known as Tletlalia. Our culture, our language, it’s reminiscent of your ancient Aztec culture, I think. Even though our home planet birthed my people, the people of Chantlemauatl, the Comonqui, adapted to survive the conditions of our home.
“Our powers evolved as the climates of our planet began to change, and it would turn cooler by the year. It isn’t freezing, but it constantly rains, so to keep ourselves warm, our powers started to change to suit our needs, to benefit my people’s survival.
“Eventually, fire-related powers were one of the most useful powers we grew to have. More accurately, it’s the power of the majority of the population. Occasionally, there are a few variants to the main power, fire creation. Like mine, I have fire creation and fire manipulation. Somewhere in my ancestry, there was a variation, and it caused my mother and I to have both abilities.”
“Cool,” Jaime muttered, a small grin on his face. “What about that material you had? The one you used to fight with against Phantom?”
“Oh, it’s known as tecpatl. It’s a material that’s similar to your obsidian, except that it only hardens to that quality when in contact with flames, usually the flames of the Comonqui,” She grinned, pulling the said feather from her purse. “When not in contact, it’s just like feathers. The floating orbs, however, are called citlaltontli, small stars in English.”
“Are they made of a different material then?”
“Yeah, but they work just like tecpatl, only reacting to Comonqui flames,” She nodded eagerly. “My mother only brought a large pouch full of sand with her when she left home because it only takes a pinch of Tletlalia’s earth and a distinct type of flame to create any of these materials. I’m still learning the ropes to make it.
“In our culture, when a Comonqui is of age to be independent, they can either find their place in society or venture for new places to call home. My Mama, even though she was happy living on Tletlalia, she felt like she was missing something. So she left to find something new, and came to Earth.”
“And then, I’m assuming she met a guy, and then had you?” Jaime questioned while Drea tapped her bracelet a third time, the hologram disappearing.
“What? No, my Mama never had a lover on Earth before she met Amma,” She responded with a look of disbelief.
“Then how?”
“It’s a long, long story,” Drea sighed. “On our home planet, each person’s flame consists of a small trace of their DNA, it’s just a feature of our evolution. It makes it really convenient if there’s ever a crime committed because all it takes is a little DNA scan equivalent. But it’s also how reproduction works, especially with homosexual couples.
“Usually, for them, there’s a different and distinct kind of flame they both produce which fuses their DNA, but I’m not sure with the whole… er… process of it,” She flushed red, Jaime’s cheeks blooming into a similar shade of dark crimson.
“R-RIGHT, right,” He muttered, ignoring the way his voice cracked slightly. “Wait, isn’t your other mom human?”
“She is, therefore she can’t produce the flame. But my Mama did actually bargain with Bruce Wayne to help fuse their DNA and create me,” Drea casually leaned back in her chair.
“Hold up, your mothers know Bruce Wayne? As in, the Bruce Wayne?” He questioned with widened eyes, his disbelief growing into a smile.
“Yeah,” She shrugged. “They’re a mutual friend of Uncle Cl– I mean, Superman.”
“You know Superman too?!” His jaw dropped, and the female across from him laughed in amusement.
“I mean, it’s a small pool of humanoid extraterrestrials. Superman just had a little diplomatic convo with my mom, and they hit it off. He actually helped us find our home here,” She pulled her phone out, showing the young Mexican man a selfie of her, her mother and the man in the iconic blue, red and yellow suit.
Jaime’s chestnut eyes widened in excitement, and he took Drea’s phone from her hand gently as she giggled at his enthusiasm. As soon as his eyes were off the image, his eyes locked onto hers, a wide grin still plastered across his face.
“Any chance you could introduce us?” He grinned, Drea’s own smile growing from his good mood.
“Slim chance, but I could definitely give it a shot,” She winked, taking her phone back from him as Jaime’s cheeks warmed slightly, taken aback that she had it in her to wink at him so casually.
She didn’t mean it in that way. Right? Right…
Before he could let other thoughts plague his head, he let the one thought that preoccupied his mind the whole time finally escape his lips.
“Hey, Drea?” He asked softly, watching the way she turned to face his direction in response.
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
He watched the way she swallowed the lump in her throat, the way her hands darted to keep her phone in her purse, and the way one of her hands instantly rushed to rest at the back of her neck once it was done with handling her device.
Briefly, for just a short moment, Jaime saw a flash of fear and pain gloss over her light brown eyes, and he was struck with that sense of familiarity.
“Ah, uhm,” She began breathily, nervously fiddling with a few strands of hair, the other hand shoved into her jeans pocket. “Believe it or not, I uh… I don’t trust people easily, even if Milagro has become one of my best friends. It’s been… a long time since I’ve really told anyone who I am or where I’ve come from. And those didn’t… it didn’t go so well.”
She fiddled with her fingers, a soft yet sad smile growing at the memory of Bianca Reyes insisting on calling her ‘Tiá Bianca’, heartwarming in a bittersweet way.
“Your family though, you made me feel welcome. You all have no malicious intent, not a bad bone in any of you. You all made me want to trust you… And I mean, even though we had a rough start, you knew my secret, and I trust that you haven’t told anyone so… why not know each other a bit more before any more assumptions cause more problems?”
A teasing smile replaced her nervous grin, but the lingering emotions remained. Letting out a small, calming smile, Jaime nodded back, chuckling lightly at the joke.
“Yeah, yeah,” He huffed. “I’ve already apologised for it. How’d you know I had the scarab though?”
“I mean, it’s an alien species. And when you’re alien yourself, you get a rough idea of what’s out there. Just because we’re similar to the Aztecs doesn’t mean that we progress at the same speed as them,” She chuckled. “We do have technology there. And it’s pretty advanced, I gotta say.”
“Been there before?”
“Nah, but from the stories I heard from my mom? It sounds a little bit like paradise,” She sighed, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. “She knows about the scarab too, by the way. She just didn’t tell me.”
“You told your mom about the scarab and I?” He frowned, a pang of betrayal shooting through him.
Instantly, Drea’s eyes widened, her hands pulling away from her hair as she waved them, her head shaking from side to side.
“What? No! Never! We made a promise, and I intend to keep it!” She reassured him, Jaime slinking back into the chair. “I just found a few of her old diaries in the attic. I rummaged through after we met. Found a whole bunch of diagrams and entries of the scarab and assumed that she knows of its existence and the extent of its powers.”
“Oh… oh, that kinda makes sense,” Jaime nodded, placing his cheek to rest on his palm, elbow hitched onto the arm of the chair. “Anything info about it that’s related to your history?”
“Oh, loads, but… maybe for another day,” She muttered tiredly. “Maybe when I actually have pictures of them. Forgot to take them when I was in the attic. Was too dark anyways.”
She then turned to face Jaime, eyes glimmering with curiosity and wonder as a small smile returned to her face. The young man across from her almost thought her expression to be cute before brushing the thought aside as nonsense.
“What about you though?” She questioned. “How’d you become the Blue Beetle?”
“Ah… uhm, I guess it’s your turn to buckle up,” He let out an airy laugh, head falling against the back of the chair.
“And I mean really, listen well, ‘cause it was… a really rough ride.”
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05 @littlekidsteve @allthingsvicf
< comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
since im just finalising part 8 of new girl on the block, here’s a little snippet and doodles of jaime to keep you entertained! enjoy!
things go better than expected, and jaime has so much more to learn about drea than he realised
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author’s note: more filler chapter because well... i decided so :) disclaimer: i’m not of Hispanic descent and i have don’t know casual terms spoken, so do correct me if im wrong!
Despite the rough start to the morning, the atmosphere around the two was pleasant while they walked under the sunshine, the wind conveniently breezing through the neighbourhood as it kept them cool on their stroll.
Unfortunately, the silence between them was still present, Jaime still feeling a little on edge. He wondered as to why Drea still wanted to speak to him even after their rough start, and he wondered if she barely considered him friends.
As they walked under the shade of the trees that lined the walkway, he peaked to his left, finding Drea walking alongside him calmly, hands clutched around her purse strap.
“What’d you wanna talk about?” Jaime shrugged, Drea, turning left on the street as he followed behind her.
“I mean, I’d like to talk about it more when we get there, but it’s more just to, I dunno… get to know each other better. Especially since we both aren’t, uhm, completely human.”
Oh.
“Wouldn’t texting have been better than?” He questioned, watching as his neighbour walked off of the trail, curiosity piquing in him.
“I guess,” She turned around while walking, seeing him follow behind. “I mean, I just thought maybe it’d be better to talk face to face, avoid complications.”
With that, she turned left once more, disappearing around the corner. Quickly, the Mexican male hurried his footsteps to not lose sight of the woman, but once he turned the corner, he noticed that together they’d walked quite the distance from the neighbourhood he grew up in.
“What the…” He flinched at the sudden brightness of the sun, the view of an all-too-familiar abandoned office building not too far from him.
“Remember, Mijo,” His father’s warm voice flooded into his mind along with a long-lost memory, the elder warning Jaime’s six-year-old self.
He still felt the way his father gently gripped his upper arm along with the reason his six-year-old form ended up in the building.
He recalled the kids he saw as friends jeering him, calling him a coward for responding in hesitance to the dare they gave him.
He recalled the fear he felt as he tripped and fell somewhere deep within the building, his bleeding knee stinging with furious pain as he cried for help, the pain worsening with each step he took.
He recalled the panic that welled in his throat when he lost his way out, the darkness surrounding him as the sun sunk lower and lower into the horizon, the sealed windows preventing any good light from entering the building.
“It’s extremely dangerous in here. Don’t you ever go near there again, especially when Mama and I aren’t with you.”
Well, fate had a funny way of making fun of him.
“Take in a deep breath, Jaime,” Khaji-Da started. “Your heart rate is increasing by 0.2%.”
With a frown present on his tanned skin, Jaime jogged after his neighbour, Drea already far ahead of him as her hands were placed on the handles of the door’s entrance.
“Hey, uh, Drea,” He called out, staring down at the younger of the two as he held the door open, walking in after her, but stopping once he was two steps in.
“Why exactly are we here?”
Glancing back at him, Jaime continued to hold the front door behind him, letting the sun’s light from behind him into the building, that being their only source of light other than the streaks that crept in through the cracks between the boarded-up windows.
“To talk, don’t worry,” She smiled reassuringly, lifting her hand up to her face, a handful of beads resting on her palm before her face.
Jaime watched as she took a deep breath, puffing air onto the beads as they started to glow, a light growing within them.
Within minutes, the dim glow of the orb sparked into a flare so bright that the duo had to briefly shield their eyes, the beads floating higher and higher into the air, through the holes in the ceiling, revealing more of their surroundings.
“Woah,” Jaime muttered in awe, eyes widened as the once-dark structure was filled with so much light, he would’ve thought that electricity continued to flow within the establishment.
“What are those?” He asked with a curious smile. “That was pretty cool.”
“Only pretty cool?” She chuckled. “It’s one of my best tricks. Besides, don’t you have a scarab that told you everything about me?”
“You mean, you know about the scarab?”
“How else would you be ‘the Blue Beetle’?” She shrugged, the two standing face-to-face. “And how else would you deem me a threat?”
“Right…” Jaime winced. “I’m still really, really sorry about that–”
“No harm, no foul,” She chimed with a calm smile, hopping up the rickety stairs that lead up to the second floor.
Pulling out another bead from her bag, Jaime walked closer to her. And as soon as he was an arm’s length away, she flicked the little orb in his direction.
Quickly, his hands darted to catch the item, palms cupping around the tiny object as he carefully pried his appendages apart, almost as if scared that the orb would burst into light, blinding him.
“It won’t bite,” She joked. “They’re just little beads.”
“But what about–” He juts his thumb out in the direction behind him, Drea catching his drift while he slunk up the stairs behind her.
“Oh, they only react if I ignite my powers on them,” She held her hand out, the male behind her placing the bead back into her palm.
“What are they made of?”
“Just a little element from my Mama’s home planet,” She started, spotting a vine-covered chair.
Instantly, she plucked the plant off the seat, placing it on the ground before pulling another plant-encased chair.
“Speaking of which, I was hoping that maybe you’d want to know more about us. Well, more specifically, my alien mom and I… right?”
Jaime dug his thumb into his palm, seeing the woman across him finally clear the two seats of any dust and dirt, placing them across each other while gesturing for him to sit on one of the chairs as she, herself, sat down in the other.
“I mean, that’s the reason you were prying about me previously, isn’t it?”
Instantly, Jaime felt a small lump of guilt in his throat, recalling his reason and internally blaming Khaji for creating such a messy situation for them both.
“Yeah, totally,” He hummed, sitting in the seat across from his neighbour.
“Great! Then we can start talking,” She grinned. “You might want to take some notes down though, there’s a lot to cover.”
Oh boy.
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05 @littlekidsteve
< comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
two nights ago, jaime thought he and drea thought things out, so why did she want to talk more?
masterlist | previous , next !
–pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author’s note: i wont lie, im surprised this series has made it this far, so let's see how many more parts i can write lol. disclaimer: i’m not of Hispanic descent and i have don’t know casual terms spoken, so do correct me if im wrong!
translations: Me estás haciendo sentir al límite - you're making me feel on edge mi querida hermana - my dear sister pilliyeyan - my child
Hey, Jaime. You down to discuss some stuff?
The Mexican hero blinked tiredly, groggily waking from his sleep as he reached out to his vibrating phone, tired groans escaping his lips.
His eyes opened, barely, and squinted down at the small text on the bright glow of his screen, eyes scanning over the text that was now lingering on his lock screen.
“What the…” He muttered, glancing up at his alarm clock, the glaring red numbers alerting him that it was almost noon.
Quickly, he unlocked his phone, realising who the text was from. His sleepy conscience struggled to recall how they exchanged numbers, and that was when Khaji-Da’s voice popped up again, further waking up the male.
“You both exchanged contacts two nights ago. She hasn’t texted you prior.”
“Thanks, Khaji,” Jaime muttered, recalling her surprise as he hesitantly asked for her number, part of him telling himself that it was just in case a new attack appeared and he needed backup.
Deep down, however, maybe he just longed for someone to talk to, someone who understood the risks just as well as he did.
The cogs in his mind turned as he took note of the time the message was sent, the male pulling himself out of bed as he walked towards the bathroom to brush his teeth.
Sent at 7:30 a.m.
“Shit, uhm,” Jaime’s voice came out muffled, a toothbrush shoved into his mouth. “Khaji, if you were human, how would you respond to this text?”
“I would say, ‘I do not converse with threats. Farewell.’ And perhaps keep records of her status.”
Rushing out of the bathroom, Jaime rushed back to his bed, eyes still concentrated on his phone.
“Okay, I’ll make a note to never ask you for advice again.”
Pulling a random tee from his drawer, he tugged the plain cloth over his head, a random pair of sweatpants from the corner of his room’s floor being pulled onto his body next. With his fingers speeding over the keyboard, he waltzed out of his room, grabbing the nearest hoodie, which conveniently was sprawled on the couch.
be over in 5?
Quickly, he clicked the little send icon, and the message was delivered in less than a minute. Dropping his phone back into his pocket, he spotted his younger sister sitting at the dining table, a plate of golden-coloured rice in front of her.
She was dressed cosily – hair bundled up messily into a ponytail, glasses slightly askew, and in her loose clothes. As soon as he was within her view, her eyes narrowed, trained on him with a glare so sharp, Jaime was sure he would’ve been dead if it weren’t for the alien embedded in his back.
“Hermano, sleep well last night?” She questioned with a fierce bite in her voice.
“Yeah, I did, thanks, now please stop glaring at me. Me estás haciendo sentir al límite.”
The siblings continued their banter, the older of the two rolling his eyes while pulling the fridge door open. He peered within the cooler for anything edible, a satisfied hum leaving him as he spotted all the containers.
“You deserve it,” She scoffed. “You literally chased off Drea, from the dinner that you invited her to. You’d honestly think that you were raised better. I’m surprised Mama didn’t pull la chancla out on you.”
“And I apologised, and we talked it out,” Jaime responded in a mutter, feeling his phone vibrate. “Besides, it was two days ago. If she’s chill, you should be chill too.”
Once again, he grabbed the closest thing, that being an energy bar, and pulled his phone out once more, eyes glued on the device.
Sure. meet you outside.
“Anyways, mi querida hermana, I’ll see you in a bit. Got a bit of talking to do,” He ripped the snack’s package open, multitasking with shoving the bar into his mouth and tying the laces of his second-favourite pair of shoes.
“What? Where are you even gonna go?” She huffed, scooping another spoonful of rice into her mouth.
“Just to catch up, gonna talk. That’s all.”
“Very specific, Jaime. You better text Mama. I’m not cleaning up your messes all the time, you know?”
“Gotcha, see you later,” He winked, exiting his childhood home. “Don’t cause too much trouble while I’m gone.”
“Speak for yourself, sheesh.”
“Mama, please, I promise that I have this handled.”
Drea muttered, eyes cast onto the floor as her mother fussed around her, hands on her hips as she lifted her hand to place on her daughter’s cheek. Anika leaned against the doorframe of their kitchen, walking up to her wife and daughter.
“Are you sure you can trust this boy? Remember what happened last time in Metropolis–”
“Mama,” Drea placed her hand over Zara’s, pulling her mother’s palm away before holding it gently.
“I’m telling you, it’s gonna be okay.”
“I know, pilliyeyan,” Zara muttered, placing a kiss on the crown of Drea’s head. “I’m just worried about you.”
“But you know I can handle myself now, right? I’m not thirteen anymore, right Amma?”
Slowly, Drea pulled away, Anika placing her hands around Zara’s shoulder, despite the extraterrestrial woman being taller than her human wife and child. Their daughter slung her purse over her head, tucking her phone into it, but not before checking her neighbour’s message one last time.
Sure. meet you outside. Seen at 11:30 a.m.
“I’ll be back in a bit, okay? I’ll call you both if anything! Love you both, bye!”
And the thud of the front door closing shut was all that was left of their daughter, Zara chuckling in a bittersweet way as Anika placed a kiss on her tanned cheek.
“You’re right,” The extraterrestrial hummed. “She grew up too fast.”
Hearing the click of a lock, Jaime looked up from his phone, waiting just beyond the front gate of the Tlatilpas. He waved, a small smile growing on his features as the woman across him smiled kindly back at him.
“Hey, what’s up?” She began, Jaime’s hands stuffed back into the pockets of his grey sweats.
“I mean, I got out of bed less than ten minutes ago,” He shrugged with a teasing smile.
“Late night, huh?” She nodded. “Your eyebags say it all.”
“I mean, nothing new. Just more research and… stuff I guess.”
“You should rest later, when you have the time obviously,” Drea chimed, Jaime glancing at her in mild curiosity. “It’s important to rest up before job hunting. Gotta make sure you’re in your best shape.”
“Right,” Jaime nodded, his eyes taking in their surroundings. “Uh, where exactly are we going?”
“I dunno, I was following you.”
Jaime gave the woman a look of disbelief, his face naturally shifting into one that read “are-you-kidding-me”. But before he could let his tired mind suggest anywhere to go, Drea broke into a grin, a soft chuckle escaping her.
“You and Milagro really are so similar,” She shook her head. “Don’t worry, I got this. C’mon, I found this cool place the other day, and it’s quiet, so…”
“Great,” He sighed. “Cuz I’m too tired to think of any good place right now.”
“Don’t worry, Mr Reyes, I got you handled for today,” She winked.
And even though Jaime brushed it off as a little joke, he felt his cheeks warm, the urge to fight back his growing smile weakening by the second.
“Dopamine levels raised by twenty per cent, oxytocin levels raised by fifty per—.”
“THANK YOU, KHAJI.”
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05
< comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
honestly asking, create a new jaime x oc series based off of "new girl on the block" or just continue that oneshot series itself?
seeing that they aren't that different, a middle ground started to form.
masterlist | previous , next !
–pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author’s note: kay so idk if i actually posted the last chapter as a photo post and it'd be so embarrassing if i did, but here's this mess of a chapter :') . fun fact, i also made a bunch of little doodles of drea hehe!! disclaimer: i don't speak Spanish, Nahuatl or Tamil so please do correct me if i am wrong! read more under the cut! :)
“What the heck, Jaime?!”
Milagro’s voice rang through his head, guilt slowly seeping into his stomach, his conscience reminding him that this was definitely not how he should’ve treated guests, or friends of his sister, in this case.
But she was no ordinary guest.
“Drea?” Jaime knocked as soon as he was out of his family’s view.
Clutter was all he heard from within the locked room, a frown appearing on his face as the water from the tap turned off instantly. In the next minute, Drea’s voice responded, muffled through the door.
“Yeah, uh, give me a minute.”
And so he waited, his back resting against the hallway until the click of the lock pulled him out of the trance, the male standing up straighter unconsciously.
“Sorry, you can use it now,” His guest muttered, pulling the bathroom door shut behind her.
His eyes widened at the faint red patch on Drea’s face and the paint was off, but a shade of pink remained. Simply, he assumed that she must’ve scrubbed a little too hard to remove the pigment from her tan skin.
He felt strange with suddenly becoming so observant, but the shakiness in her voice was enough to give away how she was feeling. Her gaze was downcast, and her breathing slowed, her nails picking at the skin of her fingertips.
Before anything else was said, she began to walk away, and Jaime’s arm darted to her forearm, Drea’s eyes snapping up to meet his in fear and confusion. The remorse that rose in his stomach lurched into his throat, realising that he never wanted to be the cause of anyone’s fear… even for her.
“No, I just… I want to talk.”
He saw the hesitance in her eyes, and his hand dropped from her forearm instantly.
“Jaime, I’m not really in the mood–”
“I know that my behaviour towards you tonight has been extremely uncalled for, but I would really, really appreciate it if we could talk,” He interrupted, hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Then I’m out of your hair when we’re done.”
Contemplating, she pursed her lips, teeth biting her cheeks in thought. After what felt like forever, she sighed in exhaustion, nodding reluctantly.
“Okay, fine. But I prefer if we discuss it in private, I wouldn’t want to make your family uncomfortable with… whatever it is you want to talk about,” She huffed, her hand running through her ebony waves.
“If I get any sense that this conversation isn’t pleasant, and it’s just one more way for you to prove that I’m not welcome, I’m walking out.”
Quickly, Jaime nodded, hand darting to the back of his neck, scratching the nape nervously.
“Yep… It’s fair enough,” He muttered before flicking his head in an unspecific direction. “Come on, I got a place for us to talk.”
For the voice to cause him all of this trouble, Khaji-Da was awfully silent throughout the entire interaction, watching Jaime clean up the mess the voice in his head caused with all the little doubts it stirred up.
Despite it all, Jaime was secretly thankful that he didn’t have to deal with the mess he almost caused to his sister’s friendship while silencing the alien’s voice simultaneously, and if anything, now would be the worst time for Khaji to step in.
He glanced back, seeing his neighbour stare at the darkened horizon in awe, her gaze fixated on the neon lights that came from the heart of the city. The corners of her mouth were upturned in the slightest that Jaime almost had to squint to spot it.
“The view you have here, it’s… wow.”
“Yeah, it’s something alright.”
A smile of his own grew, recalling all the times he would run up here when life got a little too tough. His mind darted to his late father, his throat closing up at the fondest of memories he shared, from the biggest of hugs, that were filled with pride and love, to his final heart-to-heart in the garden.
Quickly, Jaime cleared his throat, cutting everything off before it could spill over, like a glass filled to the brim with emotion. He turned to face Drea, the girl humming before sitting herself by his side.
“Uh… What’s up?” He asked a nervous smile on his face only to be replied with an expression that screamed ‘are-you-serious’ plastered across the woman’s face.
“Okay, that was actually pretty obvious,” Jaime sighed, Drea, crossing her legs as she shrugged.
“Just get to the point, Jaime.”
“Right.”
Taking in a deep breath, Jaime quickly exhaled, hands clasped as the woman across him rested her chin in her hand, elbow jutting into her thigh.
“You’re not human, are you?”
Instantly, she perked up, head leaving her hands and the panic in her eyes briefly returned before vanishing. A smile filled with false disbelief spread across her face, eyes suddenly unable to stay in contact with his.
“What? That’s insane, who told you that?”
“I know you’re lying,” Jaime let out softly. “Drea, I studied pre-law. I know when people are lying.”
His brows furrowed deeper, annoyance running through him as the alien in his head started to appear, suggesting various methods of torture to get a confession out of his neighbour. A grumble of annoyance escaped him as the said woman started up her ramble once more.
“And what does that have to do with anything? I mean that’s the most random thing I’ve ever heard. Me? Not being human? That’s… that’s wild–”
“Drea, I know you’re not human, and that’s because you saved me today!” Jaime snapped, and the frustration that bubbled within him finally exploded.
Silence replaced the once-tense atmosphere, and Drea’s eyes slowly morphed from confusion to a dawning of realisation. As the fact that he had practically revealed himself slowly began to hit, Jaime’s eyes widened in panic, waving his hands before him.
“I-I mean, of course, you would’ve saved me, I was in the city today,” A nervous smile grew on his lips.
“No way. By the time I got there, the streets were practically clear and a wreck, and the only person I saved was–”
“Blue Beetle,” Jaime sighed, a sly smile growing on his own. “But on the upside, I got a confession out of you.”
“Excuse me? You just revealed yourself to be Blue Beetle in front of me too!”
Drea raised an eyebrow, arms crossed as Jaime froze up, hands rushing to slap the woman’s mouth shut. A hiss escaped him, eyes filled with worry. He glanced around left and right, glad to find that there was no one around.
“Don’t say it so loud– I admit it but just… quiet about it. Please?”
His eyes begged for mercy, hand still clasped over her mouth. Slowly she sighed, her own appendages wrapping around Jaime’s wrists. She pulled his hands away, passing a reassuring glance to the man.
“Jaime, it’s chill. I promise to not get you in trouble, but you gotta promise to do the same for me.”
Instantly, Drea lifted her finger up, her pinky hooking around Jaime’s. Initially frowning, Jaime soon interlocked pinkies and then nodded in agreement.
He glanced down at their joining point, the thumb of his hand brushing against the tiles of his roof. The stone tiles suddenly felt so cold against the warmth of her hands, and his hoodie just felt that little bit weaker against the cold of the night.
“A little cliché, but hey, whatever works for you,”
“Real classy, Jaime,” She huffed, pulling her hand away from his.
Instantly, he missed the warmth, the cold feeling much more severe than it did before they touched.
“You’re really warm,” He blurted, face flushing as soon as his mind processed what he’d said. “I mean, personality-wise. Definitely.”
“Spectacular rescue, Jaime,” He hissed in his mind, Khaji-Da’s silence feeling too loud for him to bear.
“Oh… okay, thanks, I guess,” She chuckled, her smile dropping briefly. “But I am warmer because one of my moms is a fire alien. You’re free to ask, just don’t blurt it out. Or I will hunt you down.”
He let out a laugh, a smile breaking out on his face, and it felt like his humour was contagious. Her smile slowly returned, joining him in their little duet of joy.
And there they sat for the next minute, wind ruffling their dark locks as they came to a mutual understanding, calm falling over their once-chaotic misunderstanding.
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes @asvterias @tinkerbelle05
< comment/dm me if you’d like to be on the taglist! >
to get a little more information out of the supposed threat, jaime had invited the said "threat" to stay for dinner, and well, things get messy.
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers, jaime being (slightly) ooc
– author's note: i won't lie, i'm surprised at how i somehow made jaime a little mean... disclaimer: i don't speak Spanish, Nahuatl or Tamil so please do correct me if i am wrong! read more under the cut! :)
translations: mamá dice que es la cena - mom says it's dinnner ¡Si no sales ahora, te patearé el trasero hasta llegar a Gotham! - if you don't get out now, i'll kick your ass all the way to gotham Ella tiene planes, ¿qué estás haciendo? - she has plans, what are you doing? ¿A dónde van todas? - where's everyone going?
His mind was filled with thoughts and worries, but his gaze was locked on the sun that sank behind the horizon, a sigh filling his lungs.
He was late for dinner. Again.
“Mama’s so gonna kill me,” He muttered under his breath, speeding home as quickly as he could.
“I have notified her beforehand. You will be fine.”
“It won’t stop her worrying, though.”
Wishing that he could’ve enjoyed the beauty of the sunset longer, he spotted his home, amongst the other buildings in their little community. Jaime then allowed the beetle-like alien on his back to scan for any people passing, he lowered himself closer to the ground, dashing towards his bedroom window.
His head darted left and right, and with a grunt, lifted his bedroom window open, hopping through quickly and pulling his room blinds shut.
The armour-clad suit then began to vanish, Jaime’s arms darting around his room to find whatever articles of clothes to cover his bare body.
“Jaime, hermano!”
Milagro’s voice cut through the silence of his room – other than the cluttering of items as he rummaged around – her knuckles knocking against his bedroom door.
“Mamá dice que es la cena!” Milagro huffed, turning to face the girl behind her. “Drea, I’m so so sorry about this, I do want to walk you home.”
“No, no it’s no biggie,” Drea smiled in understanding, placing her hand on Milagro’s shoulder. “I can walk home myself, we live right across each other anyways, remember?”
“My mama raised me better than that.”
Milagro’s smile turned into an apologetic one, her fist meeting with Jaime’s door again.
“Jaime Reyes, I swear!” She hissed. “¡Si no sales ahora, te patearé el trasero hasta llegar a Gotham!”
With that, the door snapped open, Jaime’s hair a mess with a sheen of sweat covering his tan skin. Milagro’s eyes widened slightly in realisation, a sigh escaping her lips.
“You stink, you better shower after dinner,” She muttered. “Come on, Drea, let’s go.”
“Go where?” Jaime frowned, leaning his weight on his doorway as he watched his sister and his neighbour walking out of the hallway.
“We’re going to the moon.”
“Very funny, Mili,” Jaime rolled his eyes. “Where are you going?”
“Where do you think, hermano? She’s heading home,” Milagro placed her hand on her hip in annoyance, Drea standing by her friend’s side as she placed a hand behind her neck.
“Yeah, but it was nice to catch up, Jaime,” She shrugged lightly. “Can’t wait to work together for job hunting.”
Jaime’s eyes widened, feeling his stomach jump into his throat, watching the only answer to all his questions almost walk right out of his front door.
He needed answers, and he needed them now.
“Wait!” Jaime called out and Drea turned around so quickly that he almost thought that she had planned for him to stop her.
“Why don’t you stay for dinner?”
Milargro frowned, a mixture of confusion and disbelief appearing on her face, as her brother, the man who never dared to be near her best friend, suddenly invited her over to stay for dinner.
“Hermano,” Milagro hissed in whispers. “Ella tiene planes, ¿qué estás haciendo?”
“You know, just to catch up and… stuff,” The male blurted his last word out, spitting out whatever came to his mind.
“I mean, my Amma is probably waiting for me,” Drea glanced behind her, Jaime’s mind running wild once more.
“Yeah, but wouldn’t you like to get to know Mili better? I mean, are you really best friends if you don’t know her favourite drink by heart?”
Jaime watched the woman closely, a smile almost growing on his lips the moment he saw her eyes widen in disbelief that he remembered such a small detail.
Gotcha.
“Lemme call my mom real quick,” She nodded, her smile turning flat.
Jaime nodded, returning her smile with an eager one, his sister staring at him with widened eyes, jaw slack in disbelief.
“Jaime, I have no idea what you’re on about, but you better tell me by the end of dinner,” She hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest.
“Don’t worry,” He chuckled, lightly tapping the top of his sister’s head. “Nothing bad’s gonna happen.”
“So how’s your mother doing, Drea?” Bianca chimed, her son eyeing the girl’s reaction.
To say dinner was normal would’ve been an overstatement. Conversation popped up here and there, but most of the time it would’ve been awkward silence with the newcomer sitting at the table. Yes, the new neighbours did have meals with them now and then, but most of the conversations would’ve consisted of the two mothers in the family bonding over their parenting experiences.
Jaime cleared his throat, and Drea, who sat beside him, perked up instantly, a smile flashing on her features.
There it was again, that smile. There was something about it that irked him, and Jaime couldn’t tell if it was because it appeared whenever she was called up, or if it was the fact that it wasn’t a genuine smile.
“Oh, she’s just fine,” She hummed. “Still a little exhausted. She spent a lot of time doing work before the move, so it’s all just built-up fatigue.”
“Yeah, driving can be tough when you’re new to a city,” Rudy, or César as he preferred to be called by the neighbour. “Happens to the best of us.”
“Ah, well, if she needs any help, we’re always here to help,” Bianca assured, her smile reaching her eyes. “And Rudy would gladly show her around, won’t you?”
“...I guess I could.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Mrs Reyes, and Señor César,” Came the response, and Jaime picked up that it was an almost automatic response.
“Oh, please, call me Tía Bianca! You’re practically family with how often you’ve come here!”
And for a split second, Jaime saw something other than the put-on happiness flash in Drea’s chestnut eyes. For a brief moment, he saw her eyes soften, turning into one of genuine happiness, of gratitude.
“Alright, Tía,” Drea’s mouth flickered into a soft smile. “Thanks again, for having me over, and for dinner.”
“No worries! Thank Jaime for the brilliant idea!”
In an instant, Jaime glanced over at the woman beside him, his deep brown eyes meeting hers. A smile grew on his features, and he winked up at her, amusement growing within him as he saw her cheeks flush for a moment, eyes widened in surprise.
A chuckle then escaped her, the Mexican boy turning away from his sister’s disgusted expression.
“Well, I’m just glad that I’m welcome,” She hummed.
Jaime nodded as he glanced back at her, his eyes catching on a little stroke of red, just resting on her cheekbone.
“You got a little something,” He pointed out, his index aimed at the spot on his cheek.
Panic flooded through her for a second, her eyes gave it all away. Instantly, her palm was raised to the spot on her cheek, a fake smile gracing her lips once more.
“Yeah, my Mama called me over earlier, she asked me to help Amma paint the walls,” She exclaimed breathily. “Red’s their favourite colour.”
“Really, now?” Jaime furrowed his brows, yet his smile remained. “Strange how paint would fall on your face unless you deliberately put it there.”
“Well, it happens sometimes, hermano,” Milagro muttered. “It’s called having excess paint, and then it drips onto your face when you paint vertically.”
“Then wouldn’t you have noticed it and wiped it off?”
The male frowned over, his gaze locked onto hers. Fear filled her eyes as she broke their eye contact, her glance soon falling onto his mother’s.
“Good point, uh… excuse me, I have to clean that up,” She muttered, standing up so quickly, that her chair almost fell backwards.
The Reyes family watched as the girl darted down the hallway, Milagro’s expression morphing back into one of horror and shock at her brother’s behaviour. Bianca frowned, confused about what had just happened as she watched Jaime get up from his seat, walking right after the girl.
“Scuse me,” He muttered.
“¿A dónde van todas?” Nana frowned, watching as two of the dinner’s participants dashed off, Rudy placing his hand on his mother’s shoulder, Jaime ignoring Milagro’s protest of annoyance.
“What the heck, Jaime?!”
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k @mymanjaimereyes
< comment/dm me if you'd like to be on the taglist! >
chaos has ensued in the city, and this villain has no intention of letting up. when all felt lost, a new hero showed up, much to jaime's surprise.
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers, tw: mentions of blood
– author's note: created an absolutely new character for this chapter, and i discovered that i have no idea how to write fight scenes well. disclaimer: i don't speak Spanish, Nahuatl or Tamil so please do correct me if i am wrong! read more under the cut! :)
“Mierda, this looks messy,” Jaime winced at the sight below him where a figure stood, her hands spread out as people screamed around her.
“Khaji, what’s the situation like so far?”
“It appears the woman has psychosomatic illusions,” Jaime’s brows furrowed. “Psychosomatic illusions; the user can cast illusions powerful enough to–”
“Cause physical effects and injuries, I know what that means, Khaji. I took pre-law, I know what quantum physics is.”
The hero flew downwards, to where the villain stood, her laughter cackling in a twisted way. Her hair was frizzled and messy, a messily dyed lab coat over her shoulders as goggles covered her crazed eyes. She slammed a mace onto the roof of a now-abandoned car.
Snapping her fingers, the mace disappeared, sparkles remaining in its place.
“Come on! You are all so pathetic, don’t you all wanna play?” She hollered, waving her hands as a hatchet materialised in her hands, aiming it towards a poor civilian who saw his life flash before his eyes.
“Hey, that’s not playing nice,” Blue Beetle quipped, the handle of the hatchet in his hands, blade inches away from the middle of the civilian’s forehead.
Quickly, the hero tilted his head back at the civilian, who instantly ran out of range, seeking safety. The Blue Beetle raised his arm, aiming the weapon back at the villain, but before he could throw the hatchet, it disappeared, vanishing into thin air.
“And who are you supposed to be?” She sneered, her eyes narrowing with a huff.
“The name’s Blue Beetle, but you look like… a mad scientist?”
“Oh, you’re so observant!” Her expression morphed into one of enjoyment, the woman hopping down from the roof of a car, watching as the hero formed light blasters from his wrists.
Her eyes lit up in a warped sense of joy, a gasp of interest escaping her. Shaking her shoulders, she cracked her neck, eyes trained on the hero who had just entered the scene.
“I can tell, you’re gonna be so fun to play with!”
Without a second to spare, gauntlets formed around her wrists and the former scientist lunged in Blue Beetle’s direction. Swiftly, the light blasters disappeared, a shield forming around the hero’s figure instead. His forearms held up in self-defence out of instinct despite the glowing shield.
“Ohoho! You’re good!” She hissed, pressing harder against the armour. “I can’t wait to squash you!”
Blue Beetle grunted, pushing back against the villain, a yelp escaping her.
“No thanks, I’d like to be back for dinner in one piece,” He replied, the shield dissipating around him.
With a new sword forming in his hands, Blue Beetle aimed his sword in the woman’s direction, her gauntlets forming an ‘X’ shape and bringing the sword to a halt. The sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air before the woman replaced her gauntlets with a larger axe, moving out of the way just as the sword landed.
Moment after moment, blow after blow, the two figures were face-to-face once again before her weapon changed shape back into the gauntlets, her hands raised and colliding with the Beetle’s mask.
He let out a cry, punch after punch landing. He tried his best to fight back, but he could feel himself stumbling back. Memories flooded his mind as he was soon trapped in the corner, down on his rear and his forearms brought up to defend himself.
Jaime thanked whatever higher power that his armour was stronger than it looked, wincing at the injuries that would leave a bruise tomorrow.
“Say goodnight, Bug Boy!” The woman hissed, her arm raised higher than any of the previous punches before, zoning in directly onto his skull.
Jaime closed his eyes, waiting for the impact, waiting for the hard material to break open his armour, waiting to feel the metal crash into his skull.
But a shriek of pain filled the air, his eyes snapping open in alarm. He glanced upwards, finding the villain above him hissing in pain. A sharp, black blade glinted in the sunlight, lodged in the woman’s upper arm, the item set aflame.
Crimson blood trickled down the villain’s bicep, her gaze trained on her bleeding arm as anger filled her veins.
“Not on my watch!” Another voice cut in, both their heads snapping to the source.
A glare was settled on his saviour’s face, bushy ebony locks tied into a ponytail as a headpiece of gold and feathers were positioned into a fan-shape and tucked into her hair. Red face paint was splashed across her eyes, white paint lined in dots across her nose bridge.
Baggy pants that were cream white covered her legs until mid-knee, and a similar-coloured strip of cloth underneath the gold belt allowed anyone to see the contrast of the vibrant feathers beneath the gold of the belt against the cloth.
Donning red boots, the colour of her footwear complimented the gold arm cuffs that covered her upper arms, the gold of her outfit presenting itself in her circle-shaped necklace and belt sparkling in the sun. Her wrapped fists were clenched, and red flames enveloped her hands as she marched in their direction.
“Back off the guy, xinola,” She hissed, pulling a feather from her headpiece, and aiming it at the mad scientist above the beat-up hero.
As soon as the flame made contact with the feather, the material hardened up, turning shiny and sharp, just like obsidian.
“Another rival? My day just got made,” The woman hissed, pulling herself off of the Blue Beetle, gritting her teeth in partial anticipation.
“I thought this guy would be a pest, but you just might be on the same level of annoying as the one he’s on because now you’ve made me mad,” She grunts, pulling the shard out of her arm, yet the flame on her lab coat remained.
“What’s your name, peṇ?” The new woman narrowed her eyes, a smile gracing her lips. “I’d like to know the name of the first villain I’ve fought in this city.”
“Phantom,” She spat, her gauntlet-clad fists balling up. “The name’s Phantom. You must be a riot at parties.”
“How’d you know?” Phantom scoffed, eyes widening once she spotted a flame being slung her way.
“The dramatic entrance says wonders.”
“Well, Phantom,” The fire woman smiled, the fire in her hands growing larger. “I hope that you’re fire-proof.”
Before Phantom could make a comment, the flame that caught on her labcoat sparked into a blaze, grazing against her open wound and catching onto the open flesh.
She let out a howl of pain, her cheeks puffing up to blow out the flame, yet it persisted, the flame growing larger with the clench of the new hero’s fists. Phantom’s cries grew louder and louder, her uninjured arm now clutching the one that was set ablaze, her arm limp and rendered useless.
Phantom let out another hiss, eyeing the woman spitefully as the Blue Beetle’s eyes widened, pulling himself up from his behind.
The new woman glared, Phantom sneering as she formed an orb with her uninjured hand. Lifting it above her head, she slammed the item into the ground in front of her with a crash, smoke enveloping her figure.
The Blue Beetle’s saviour dashed towards the smoke, eyes wide in realisation. Yet, when the smoke cleared, she was gone without a trace, like a ghost.
“I really did not think that through… so much for that,” She muttered, turning to see the armour-clad hero behind her.
“You alright?”
Jaime’s brows furrowed under his helmet, confusion running through his mind. Khaji-Da’s voice resonated through his head, but nothing registered.
“Who are you?” He mumbled, a smile growing on the woman’s features once more.
“The name’s Solar Flare, but Flare works just fine,” She raised her hand out to the hero, and an image flashed through Jaime’s mind, his new neighbour standing before him with her own hand raised as well.
Drea?
Unsure or not on whether Khaji had placed the thought in his mind, or whether he was seeing things, he slowly raised his own arm up.
Hesitation filled his gut as he held back the urge to ask her questions, to interrogate her and find out the true reason for who she was, if she was even the same person as his new neighbour.
“Blue Beetle,” He slurred, their hands meeting. “I, uh, I had it, but thanks.”
“You sure had it alright,” She joked, her smile dropping temporarily. “Sorry, too soon?”
“No, no it’s fine. Where uh, where you from?”
“‘Scuse me?” She tilted her head with genuine confusion.
“You mentioned that it was your first time fighting a villain in this city earlier,” He mentioned, clearing his throat. “I mean, I just overheard from the fight with Phantom.”
“Oh yeah, I moved from Metropolis, but hey, that’s another story for another time.”
Her grin was so childish, so carefree and warm, Jaime almost envied her for her overall aura before realising that she did only appear towards the end of the battle. His head still reeled from the events earlier, brushing off Khaji-Da’s comments on improving his fighting form regardless of being the host of the scarab for the past few months.
Suddenly, a soft beeping rang out, Jaime perking up quickly in case the source of the noise was a threat. Quickly, Flare placed a hand on her ear, and the blue-clad hero realised that it was her earpiece emitting the noise.
Solar Flare then lowered her hand, smiling over at Jaime apologetically.
“I gotta go, but sorry about the whole fight intrusion thing, by the way,” She shrugged, running backwards. “I really do believe that you almost had it. Better luck next time! See ya around, Blue Beetle!”
With a jump, fire blazed out of her hands, and the new hero flew off, Jaime’s jaw slack with shock as he registered the slim possibility of the woman being his neighbour, the same neighbour that hung around his family constantly.
If his ego allowed it, he would’ve agreed with Khaji-Da that this woman truly could be a danger.
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver @hoshi4k
< comment/dm me if you'd like to be on the taglist! >
khaji-da mentioned something about the new girl 'drea' being dangerous, but what did she mean by 'dangerous'? and how dangerous could she be if she's best friends with his very own sister?
masterlist | previous , next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author's note: more of a filler chapter haha. disclaimer: i don't speak Spanish, so please do correct me if i am wrong! read more under the cut! :)
A couple of weeks had passed since the Tlatilpas had come over to the Reyes household. Unfortunately, Anika (or as she asked Jaime to call her “Aunt Anika”) was the only one over as her wife Zara had been too exhausted from the drive to Palmera City.
As nice as their family was from what he gathered, Jaime couldn’t help but let what Khaji-Da told him that day weigh his mind down. He sat on his bed, laptop open on the plush bed sheet as he gnawed the end of his pencil, brows furrowed in thought and confusion.
What did she mean by ‘she’s dangerous’? Did Khaji mean Drea specifically? Or her entire family?
“This ‘Drea’ you worry about, she’s the dangerous one.”
Jaime rolled his eyes. Of course, the blue bug alien bonded to him and responded to him when everything was peaceful and quiet in his home.
“Okay, you’ve said that already, but a little specifics would be nice,” He shrugged sarcastically at the little robotic voice in his head. “I mean, dangerous how? Does she have connections to harmful people? She’s got machinery that can endanger us? What–”
“I scanned her DNA while you were shaking hands,” Khaji-Da cut Jaime off, the male glaring incredulously at the voice.
“First off, we need to set some boundaries, Khaji. You can’t keep scanning all these people without my acknowledgement. It’s creepy and overall weird. Second, how would that make her dangerous? She’s human too.”
“Incorrect.”
“What? You’re saying I’m wrong about scanning people being inappropriate–”
“She’s not one hundred per cent human,” Khaji-Da answered once more, this time, her answer left Jaime on edge.
“She’s approximately fifty per cent alien.”
“Milagro! What’s up? How’s my favourite Reyes doin’?” Drea chuckled, her dark waves bouncing behind her in her high ponytail. The bracelets on her wrists ‘clinked’ together as she and the youngest Reyes high-fived, grins wide on their faces.
“¡Soy bien! You?”
The two shared a handshake, and despite their fast friendship, they got along well, like two peas in a pod.
“Meh, could be better,” She chuckled, rubbing her upper arm. “My Amma had a whole list of chores for me to do, so my arms are completely wiped out.”
“Ah man, I get you,” Milagro scoffed, nudging shoulders with her best friend. “Hey, you wanna come in? I’m sure we got something we could watch together.”
“Yeah, of course! Oh, by the way,” Milagro perked up, seeing Drea halt. “I almost forgot, Amma made some snacks a few days ago, so she asked me to bring some to you.”
It was then that Milagro realised that Drea was carrying a backpack and the Latina walked over to help hold the item up as Drea pulled out a little transparent container with a red twist-on lid.
“It’s more of a traditional snack from her home town? Country? One of those,” The older woman shrugged. “It’s called murukku, not sure if you’ve heard of it, but it’s one of my favourites. Vadai’s a close second.”
Milagro hummed at the spiral-looking snack, smiling kindly at her friend.
“Aw, look at you all soft for me! I’m gonna hide this in my room forever so that no one else in my family will ever take a bite,” She grinned before it fell. “Actually, better not. My mom is gonna kill me if she finds food in my room.”
“Oh, I know how that feels,” Drea chuckles, the two walking into the Reyes’ humble abode.
“Mom! Drea’s here!” Milagro called out, the woman smiling sweetly the moment Bianca entered her view.
“Hi, Mrs Reyes! Thanks for having me over,” She pulls her bag over one shoulder in slight nervousness, Bianca smiling widely at the girl.
“Oh, it’s no problem, Drea! It’s always wonderful to have a friend of Mili’s over!”
“Her mom made us snacks. No one touches it before I do, please,” Milagro huffed, placing the transparent container on the table as her mom eyed the snack curiously.
“Alright, mija, but there’s no controlling the rest of the family,” Bianca laughed, Milagro rolling her eyes with both love and annoyance as she led her friend towards her little room.
“Did you know I found a stray the other day? Surprisingly, both my moms let me keep him,” Drea whispered to Milagro, hoping to distract her.
“Oh seriously? What’d you name him?” Milagro looked over at Drea in slight surprise.
“Sparky von Cocoa the First, but Sparky’s just for short.”
“I need pictures of him. ASAP.”
“Hey Mils, you hungry?” Drea glanced over at Milagro, seeing her friend lying beside her, stomach flat on the bed as her eyes were still glued to the computer, invested in the series the Latina was introduced to named “Never Have I Ever”.
“Uh… I could get a drink, do you want one?” Milagro raised her eyebrows, glancing up at Drea, who shook her head.
“Nah it’s fine, I can get it. You’re too invested to miss anything,” Drea teased, pushing herself up from her cross-legged position. “And I’ve already watched all the episodes up to date, so I’m good.”
“Wow, you do not have a life.”
“I know I don’t,” Drea chuckled, opening her best friend’s room door, and walking out into the corridor.
As soon as she turned around, she noticed that she was face to face with the other Reyes descendent, Jaime’s eyes widened in surprise to see the neighbour’s daughter standing in his home.
“Jaime, hi,” She flashed him a quick smile, and Jaime cleared his throat.
“Hey, uhm, Drea!” He held an awkward smile of his own, eyes guarded. “What’re you doing here? Is Milagro alright?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. Was gonna get us drinks.”
“Cool.”
Then silence hung over their heads, neither adult looking at the other before Drea crossed her arms, lifting her left arm to point her thumb in the direction of the kitchen.
“So uh, does Milagro have a specific drink she likes here? Or should I drop by the convenience store to get it?” She asked with genuine curiosity that Jaime almost believed that she was completely human.
Unlike what Khaji warned him about.
“We got uh… something in the fridge that she’ll like.”
Jaime once again smiled, albeit he smiled flatly, heading out of the corridor, and into the dining area. Trailing him to get the drinks, Drea filled herself a cup of water, eyeing Jaime curiously as the male rushed around the area, as though he was looking for someone.
“How’s life?”
Jaime snapped up, humming before zoning back to her presence. He looked a little lost before he finally registered her question all while fidgeting slightly.
“It’s… life. Nothing much really. Job hunting, trying to keep things afloat,” He answered before heading towards the front door.
“Oh seriously? You’re looking for work too? That’s great,” Drea chimed, brushing off Jaime’s behaviour as nervousness. “Do you think it’d be fine if Milagro and I join you for the search?”
“I mean,” Jaime’s eyes darted to the door as he turned around to answer. “Mili and I were already working that out together but uh, yeah, you’re welcome to join.”
“Great, that’s… yeah, thanks,” Drea smiled gratefully back while Jaime nodded hurriedly.
A silence fell between them once more, Jaime tapping his wrist in urgency, yet he stayed in case there was more conversation she tried to start. Just to confirm, he spoke up, Drea keeping her glass away in the sink as she picked up another full glass of water for her friend in the room.
“Is there anything else you need to ask or…?”
“Ah, nope, I’m done,” Drea shook her head, her eyes widening in realisation of his situation. “Oh, shit, sorry for the hold up.”
Before she could say anything else, Jaime told her his response while walking out, the door slamming shut as she heard his voice ring out for the last time.
“You’re good, no worries!”
As soon as the front door was shut and he had walked out of view of anyone, Jaime sighed as his suit, unfortunately, burning his current clothes off, annoyance filling him.
He had to speak to Khaji about that, there was no way he could keep buying new clothes for each week.
“I thought you would never leave.”
Speak of the Devil.
“Look, she was nice,” Jaime muttered, the helmet forming over his head. “And she’s Milagro’s friend, I can’t be not nice for no reason.”
“She is an alien. There is a reason to not be nice to her,” Khaji-Da responded with a know-it-all tone, Jaime rolling his eyes.
“That’s rich coming from you. Just tell Mama that I’ll be late for dinner.”
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver
< comment/dm me if you'd like to be on the taglist! >
it's been almost a month since the whole "Victoria Kord Blue Beetle Fiasco", and Jaime has loads to sort out, especially since the new neighbour might not be what she says she is...
masterlist | next !
– pairings: jaime reyes x oc
– warning: fluff, canon divergent, blue beetle movie spoilers
– author's note: after watching the blue beetle movie, I've been so down bad for jaime reyes i had to make a one-shot series for him. disclaimer: i'm not of Hispanic descent and i have don't know casual terms spoken, so do correct me if im wrong!
The sun's heat beat down on the hot sand, heat waves radiating off the ground from the high temperature. A winding tarmac road lay between the plains, and a little vehicle sped down it, emptiness surrounding them.
“Mama, how much longer until we get to… Palmera City?” The woman drawled, picking up a pamphlet in her right hand, and pulling her wireless headphones down with the other.
“We're pretty much there, Drea,” A woman replied, hands on the steering while and eyes trained on the road. “We’re almost there.”
“Why can’t I just fly there myself? You and Amma can take the car. I’m twenty Ma, not five,” Drea huffed, neatening out her ruffled ebony waves. “You taught me how to fly when I was ten, anyways.”
“Kanna, you don’t even know where Palmera City is,” Another woman turned her head in the passenger’s seat to face her daughter in the back. “And you don’t know where the house is.”
“I do know where it is, El Paso Street, Palmera City.”
“Which house then? And you only knew Palmera City from the pamphlet,” The woman driving chuckled. “Besides, don’t you like spending time with your mamas?”
Drea said nothing in return, grumbling and pulling her headphones back over her ears, blasting her music at almost full volume.
“She grew up too fast,” The other passenger sighed, her hand on her forehead. “When did she become twenty? Remind me, please.”
“She turned twenty almost two days ago, aṉpu,” The driver grinned. “Did you forget that she almost set the house on fire when we told her about the move?”
“Please, don’t remind me, Zara,” Anika sighed at her wife’s entertainment. “I’m still drained from all of the mess I had to clean up after.”
“Nika, we’re moving, new people, new sights to see, and new opportunities for a good life for you and me. For our family,” Zara, the driver, smiled softly. One of her hands slipped off the driver’s wheel, encasing itself around Anika’s smaller hand.
“Besides, Drea needs a job, something that can keep her steady until she finds out what she wants to do,” She shrugged. “And Palmera City might have everything she needs.”
“‘Might have’ are the keywords.” Anika’s worried eyes met Zara’s calm ones. “If it doesn’t? Then what? She’ll just, what, fly alone to a new place?”
“Probably. But that’s okay, I was her age when I came here, and I needed something new. Something different. And then I met you, and I felt love for the first time,” She winked, her wife flushing.
“Oh stop it you, focus on driving!”
“Alright, alright. But you get my point, right?”
“Yeah… I do."
“Until that happens, if that ever happens, we’ll be just fine.”
“Hermano,” Milagro huffed, her hands forearm deep in water as she held a plate in her hands, holding it up to her brother, who was staring out the window in curiosity.
“Jaime,” She called out once more, her brother still unresponsive, the girl’s patience snapping. “Earth to Jaime Reyes!”
Jaime jumped slightly, taking the plate, gaze focused back on the window while muttering apologies to his younger sister.
“Sorry, sorry,” He wrapped the plate with the cloth in his hands hurriedly.
“What’s got you so distracted?” Milagro frowned, peering over his shoulder to see a moving truck parked outside their house. More accurately, in front of the empty house across the road from them.
“Oh, new neighbours,” She nodded, taking another soapy plate to rinse off from her mother.
“I wonder what they’ll be like,” Bianca Reyes hummed, handing Milagro another plate.
“It’s about time someone moved in that house,” Milagro chirped. “That house has been empty for as long as I can remember."
"That's not true," Jaime glanced at his sister. "Mrs. Diaz lived there for a while before her son moved out."
"Oh yeah… But that was still ages ago. So my statement still counts."
Jaime playfully rolled his eyes, a smile faint on his face. Glancing over, Milagro questioned her brother teasingly.
"Why are you staring there so much, anyways? Did you see Jenny?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
"What? No, no. We're just friends," He huffed.
"Sure you are."
"No, look. Khaji-Da scanned their moving stuff—"
"Woah! Boundaries, hermano!"
"Exactly! But she did it somehow and she warned me about them."
"What? Is she saying that they're villains? Like Jenny's crazy aunt?" The girl beside Jaime placed a hand on her hip. "C'mon, they're new neighbours, how bad can they be?"
"Pretty bad," Khaji-Da chimed in Jaime's head, her host glaring.
The rest of the day proceeded to be uneventful. After dishwashing and tidying up after lunch, Jaime hadn't done much other than trying to find work or helping his mother around the house.
Occasionally, Nana would come around for a drink while taking a break from her sewing, and Milagro soon joined Jaime in his room, the two job-hunting together. Uncle Rudy was… well, somewhere working on "an upgrade for the truck Jenny had gifted", according to him.
If he could, Jaime would have described the atmosphere as "chill and somewhat productive".
His mind drifted from the list of temporary jobs he could apply for on the site he sat on to the whole "Blue Beetle Fiasco" over a month ago. To the friend he hoped would be something more, until she, in the nicest way possible, tried to turn him down.
"Jaime, you're thinking about Jennifer again."
Instantly, he shook his head, trying to refocus his attention.
"Nope, nope. I'm completely focused. See? I can qualify for a…" He narrowed his eyes, reading the word his pointer was aimed at. "Chiropractor? What, no—"
"You need to move on, Jaime. The positive is that Jennifer is still your friend. You have more responsibilities."
"Yeah, and I'm doing it with Mili," Jaime then looked around him, wondering why his sister's questioning and prying hadn't begun.
"Milagro had left to get a drink, while you were busy 'looking for jobs'," Khaji-Da chimed in, rubbing in her point before her host could ask.
"Thank you, Khaji," Jaime huffed sarcastically. "How long has she been gone for?"
"Ten minutes."
"That long?"
"You were deep in thought."
"Got it," He grumbled, pushing himself off of his bed to find his job-hunting partner. "Mili!"
He called out his sister's name, hoping to find her peering around a corner in response, but was returned with nothing, not even a single quip.
"Mili?" Jaime frowned at the lack of noise in his home.
"Nana? Uncle Rudy?"
Seeing that no one was responding, Jaime narrowed his eyes, his mind darting to the worst-case scenario.
"Khaji, can you scan or locate where my family is?"
"Your mother—"
"Jaime! There you are!" Bianca cut Jaime off, her son relieved to see that she was alright.
"—is right here."
"Thank you for the… status, Khaji," He whispered before smiling, letting out a sigh. "Mama, where's everyone?"
"They're outside, greeting the new neighbours!" She furrowed her brows, a smile still gracing her lips. "I thought Mili told you? Oh, I'll talk to her about it later, come come! Let's meet the neighbours, yes?"
She grabbed Jaime's upper arm, rushing out to meet up with the rest of the family.
"Jaime, meet Mrs Tlatilpa, and her daughter, Alejandra!" Bianca smiled.
Jaime smiled over at who he assumed was Alejandra, as she did look quite a bit younger than the woman beside her.
Taking in her appearance, he noticed that she almost looked Hispanic, like him, though her skin was slightly darker. Her hair remained wavy and was a dark shade of brown, pretty much black if he hadn't noticed it against the sunlight. If he looked close enough, he noticed that she had a few strands of braids tied together here and there.
She tilted her head as her wireless headphones covered in vibrant stickers were plastered all over, covering the brand's logo, and it seemed like stars — he noticed a few hand-sewn ones on her baggy jeans — seemed to be her favourite pattern.
Triangle earrings glinted in the light as her dark brown eyes watched him in curiosity. If he looked close enough, he could almost see sparks of red—
"You're staring, Jaime."
He flinched from Khaji-Da's comment, holding his hand out to shake hands, the woman across from him doing the same.
"Reyes, my name's Jaime Reyes," He nodded, putting on his best smile.
"Alejandra Tlatilpa. But you can call me Drea," She nodded respectfully before switching her glance to his shoes. "Cool shoes."
"Ah, uhm thanks. Not my favourite pair, but they serve their purpose," He chuckled, almost sadly as he remembered the fate of his now-incinerated favoured shoes.
"She's dangerous," Khaji-Da pointed out, Jaime's brows furrowing.
"What? No way," Jaime muttered, Drea, blinking in confusion.
"I'm sorry?" She questioned for clarification.
"No, sorry, I uhm… just a habit of mine, I talk. To myself," He quickly responded, his smile turning awkward.
"Right," She pointed a finger, nodding once more. "Got it. Don't worry about it, we all have our habits."
"Look at the two of you getting along!" Mrs Tlatilpa grinned. "Kanna, why don't you go get Mama? I'm sure she'd love to meet new people."
"Yeah, sure," Drea chirped, smiling one last time at Jaime. "See you around."
"So, your wife?" Bianca questioned, her eyes curious.
"Ah yes, it's a long story," Anika laughed nervously.
"No, no worries! In fact, would your family like to join us for tea?"
gif by @rob-pattinson
taglist: @mooncleaver < comment/dm me if you'd like to be on the taglist! >