Paracitica

... And the Beast (Yonji Vinsmoke x Reader) Part I

Synopsis: You thought your little crush on Prince Yonji was a well-kept secret. Yonji is mean enough to exploit your eagerness to please in the face of his unrelenting cruelty; the thought of actually developing a soft spot for you never even crossed his mind.

Word Count: 6.1k

Tags/Warnings: Naive!Servant!Reader, No Reader Pronouns, Canonically Mean Vinsmokes, But Reader is Kinda Into It, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Name-Calling, Hitting, Reader Fell First, Yonji Falls Harder

Part I Part II

Notes: Welcome to my current hyperfixation. I guarantee you one hell of a roller coaster. Brace yourselves.

Ichiji had never seen anything like it. 

He had gone into Yonji’s room to talk about something, and from the sight of his brother’s moving lips, it was evident that his question was definitely being answered— by a long monologue, no less. But Ichiji couldn’t hear a word, not when you were zipping around the room, thoughtfully, pathetically doting on his brother as if he were a god. 

None of this would have been out of the ordinary for Ichiji if your position had been that of royal attendant. A butler, a valet, or even one of the maids would have been more appropriate when it came to fussing over his brother so early in the morning, and even if it had been an entire swarm of regular servants, Ichiji wouldn’t have batted an eye. But now that he considered it, Ichiji hadn’t seen a single valet in Yonji’s entire wing. 

In fact, it appeared as though Yonji dismissed all his personal aids in exchange for the company of the royal library attendant. 

The library attendant.

Despite being so far from your typical work environment, you seemed less than bothered by the fact that you had assumed an entirely different job than what you were originally hired for. Rather, Ichiji thought you appeared fairly eager to place yourself at Yonji’s disposal. He could practically see glitter in your eyes, and while he wasn’t exactly surprised— in fact, he was a bit disgusted by the fact that a lowly book roach had the nerve to even think about looking at a member of the royal family in such a way— Ichiji couldn’t help but feel that he’d missed something. 

The library had to have been halfway across the castle, not to mention that Ichiji wasn’t even sure if the library snail was currently docked to either Yonji’s or his own fleet in the first place. 

Yonji’s curly eyebrows creased as he gestured toward himself, continuing to talk— Ichiji still didn’t know what about. Yonji flexed the bare muscles on his bulky arms proudly. 

You held up two nearly identical shirts on two hangers to Yonji’s left, one a bit higher than the other. 

The only real difference between the two was the buttons. The one in your right hand sported large, clear buttons, while the one you held slightly higher had smaller, opaque buttons. Yonji barely spared you a moment of his attention, his eyes flickering to the white shirt with the opaque buttons. His glance communicated enough, and you swiftly placed the rejected shirt back into his ornate, hand-carved wardrobe. 

The two of you had done this routine before. 

Yonji made the shallowest efforts as you swooped in behind him, carefully pulling the fabric over his arms until it draped lightly over his shoulders and chest. He placed his hands in the pockets of his slacks, completely ignoring you as you maneuvered in front of him to begin buttoning his shirt. Yonji spoke over your head as you tucked it into his waistband. 

“Hey!” Yonji’s aggravated growl snapped Ichiji from his trance. Yonji had you by the sleeve, just about tearing your uniform off your shoulder as his nose contorted in a deep snarl. “Where the hell did you put my raid suit?”

“It’s right here, Prince Yonji!” You held up the canister like a precious treasure, eyes glinting at the number marked prominently on the side. Ichiji couldn’t recall ever seeing someone so enthralled by servants' work.

Yonji scoffed, heaving you forward by the corner of your uniform before pushing you back with double the force. He roughly snatched the canister from your hands before he turned to make his way toward the doors. 

“C’mon,” Yonji knocked a hand against Ichiji’s shoulder. “Let’s take a look at that new tech you were tellin’ me about.” 

“Right.” Ichiji nodded, the slightest bit heated that he had been made to forget why he’d visited his brother in the first place. He stood from the plush couch in the middle of the room to follow Yonji. 

“Goodbye, Your Majesties! It has been an honor to serve you today.” Neither brother turned back as you bowed at the waist. The heavy doors closed behind the two, leaving you alone to tend to your chores.

Ichiji considered the closed entrance for a beat before joining Yonji, who strutted down the plush carpet of the hall with an elevated cockiness. Ichiji gave him a once over, studying him with acute curiosity before averting his attention to the view of the sea outside the passing windows. 

“Does the library attendant dress you every morning?” he asked. Yonji let out an obnoxious, bellowing laugh.

“Yeah! And the best part is I didn’t even have to ask!” Yonji cackled in his usual boyish rasp. He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning forward slightly to narrow his eyes mischievously at Ichiji. “What? You like my new personal attendant?” 

Yonji laughed again as the two stepped into a winding stairwell. The sound resounded upward, bouncing off the stone walls. He squared his shoulders back, a wide, self-satisfied smirk plastered to his lips. Ichiji hummed, trying to decide how invested he was. 

“Retaining a valet or two like Niji and me would be more logical. Perhaps a few chambermaids instead of some creepy roach,” Ichiji frowned. “Your taste in toys has always been… unique.”

“What can I say? I can never get sick of that stupid, wide-eyed face!” Yonji snickered behind closed teeth, tugging absentmindedly on the loose collar of his shirt. Neither he nor Ichiji spared a second glance at the soldiers who greeted them as they made their way across the courtyard. “I could kick it and still get an offer to shine my boots. A proper servant should consider it a privilege to serve.” 

Yonji continued to hiss, and Ichiji hummed again. He had grown tired of the subject, but Ichiji couldn’t help but consider that there was something about your dynamic that he couldn’t quite wrap his head around. 

“All this excitement over a little attention from a servant,” Ichiji muttered. 

Yonji’s self-assured smirk wavered as his pace slowed. He fell just short of Ichiji, who continued ahead. Yonji’s brows wrinkled in disgust, and his lips quickly contorted into a disdainful scowl. He huffed, turning his nose to the side, before widening his strikes to catch up with his older brother.

“I’m being treated the way royalty outta,” Yonji spat. He hardly noticed how the doors to their destination opened in their presence. “What does it matter if I get a laugh out of breaking this one, too?” 

Ichiji didn’t humor him with a response. The two brothers disappeared into the building, both finally tired from talking about you.

***

“Oh my god!” a cleaning woman gasped, quickly slapping a hand over her mouth as she gaped in horror at the sight just outside the window. A crowd of other house servants gathered around her, all careening to look down at the training grounds below. They muttered to themselves in panicked horror, causing more staff to drift from the hall and into the storage room to catch a glimpse of what was happening on the ground below. 

On one side of the yard stood all three Vinsmoke brothers, each donning their respective raid suits as they talked amongst each other. However, the Vinsmoke princes were the last thing the hoard of staff pressed up against the four medium-sized windows appeared concerned with. 

You stood directly in the middle of the opposite end of the training ground. Three large books were stacked on top of your head, and a basket of crisp, green apples was in your hands. You wabbled, teetering slightly as you tried to balance the books. Perhaps you could have if there were fewer of them or maybe if the princes hadn’t chosen an encyclopedia each. 

All the upstairs staff could do was watch as Yonji sauntered over to you and plucked an apple from your basket. He placed it on top of the stack of books, tongue poking out from his lips as he rotated the fruit on top of the book cover until the orientation was to his liking. 

“Don’t you dare move a muscle,” Yonji sniggered. As if he were studying a piece of art, he peered at you tauntingly with one eye closed through a box shape he made with his fingers. He chuckled again, pivoting to retreat to the other side of the training ground. Ichiji and Niji were already waiting for him, sinister smirks contorting their faces to reveal sharp incisors. 

“Oh my god, I can’t look! I can’t watch someone’s head get blown off!” one of the upstairs maids turned from the window to push through the hoard of gathered servants. Her spot was quickly filled in. 

“I wonder what brought on such a brutal punishment,” a laundryman remarked to a pantrygirl. The gathering of servants shifted around to accommodate the new bodies that gathered. “Does anyone know what happened?” 

Cosette had just appeared at the end of the hall as the group's muttering grew louder. Unlike many other servants who gathered around the windows, Cosette had actual work to do in the kitchen storage closet. Still, it hardly took a moment of her standing in the doorway to realize something was terribly wrong.

“What’s going on?” she asked a scullion, a wave of dread washing over her like a bucket of cold water.

“The princes have someone down there that they’re using for target practice,” he answered, gesturing to the top of his head. The scullion ushered her forward, allowing Cosette to slide in at the edge of the very last window. She squinted at the sight below before gasping in horror at the sight of it all.

The books, the apple on top, and the giant basket of more shiny green apples that you gripped in your hands. 

And on the other side of the yard, Yonji was winding up.

“Who is that?” Cosette gasped in mortification. Your form looked more than familiar, but Cosette couldn't see your face from the angle she was looking. In a moment of realization, her eyes widened. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Someone said it was the library attendant,” another servant answered, and Cosette ran into the same question that every other servant in the room considered upon hearing that information. 

What business did the princes have with the library attendant?

Tormenting the staff, especially over the slightest perceived infractions, wasn’t out of the realm of possibility when it came to the Vinsmokes. However, given that your post was strictly the library, and nowhere else, none of the gathered staff could fathom a scenario in which the custodian of the library would even have to make contact with any of the princes—let alone all three. None of them ever held any interest in books, after all.

 Other than Judge, the other Vinsmokes assumed interests that they deemed more valuable than Germa’s extensive archive. Not to mention that all scientific notes and heavily referenced texts on technical information were kept in their own room near the central laboratory. On rare occasions when a member of the royal family wanted to seek knowledge that would enhance their combat abilities, they would have a servant deliver a text, no matter where it was stored.

The books you maintained comprised a vast collection of lesser-used texts. From general encyclopedias to old records and files to more niche topics, most of your domain was compiled during the days that Judge was strictly a man of science and included the extensive accumulation of the late queen. It was primarily due to record-keeping reasons— and perhaps sentimentality— that the Germa Kingdom kept a library attendant at all.

If your head were about to roll with those chances, the rest of the staff would have no hope.

“You better hold still!” Yonji warned. The motor in his gauntlet whirred to life. 

You stared straight ahead with your back erect and your muscles as halted as your untrained body could muster. Your teetering from before had subsided, and while you continued to shake slightly from effort, Yonji couldn’t help but consider that you didn’t look nearly terrified enough. And as you stared directly into his dark irises with your stupidly eager gaze, Yonji decided that he’d give you something to be afraid of for once. 

His winch whipped out of his forearm, the metal wire extending many times the length of his own body as he swung his weapon clockwise in a swiping motion. It barreled towards your head at lightning speed. The horrified screams from the gathered servants above were drowned out by the thundering boom that exploded as Yonji’s winch crashed into the castle wall to your far left.

And for just a moment, before the windows in front of the servants broke and the castle violently trembled, Yonji's winch swiped away the second book on your head. The green apple and the book it sat on fell neatly onto the text directly on your hair before you were blasted into the dirt. 

You tumbled across the training ground as the castle wall dented, the accouterments on your head leaving a trail to mark where you stood. The basket of apples had tumbled to the ground, causing the fruits to roll across the field. The three princes bellowed with laughter as Yonji recalled his weapon. 

“I told ya that you better hold still!” he sneered.

The dust cleared, revealing your overpowered body in the dirt. You lay motionless.

“I think your new toy’s broken!” Niji howled. 

Yonji’s brow creased in disapproval, taking in the sight of pages and apples strewn across the yard. He glanced around wildly, an undetectable hesitancy stalling him where he stood.

“Hey!” He stormed forward, jaw clenched as he kicked a few fruits across the lawn. “Hey! What the hell did I tell you? You better get your ass up!”

You propped yourself up weakly, barely mustering the strength. Yonji’s eyes bored into the back of your head as you tried to pick yourself up. His impatience trumped your efforts as he wasted no time in grabbing you and hauling you to your feet roughly. He shook you with barely restrained rage.

“You got the nerve to disobey me, huh?” Yonji jerked you violently, his grip around your bicep punishing. 

Your head snapped back, and only then did Yonji notice the water pooling in your eyes. The glossiness clouding your pretty irises was enough to redirect his rage into a wide, toothy grin. Self-satisfied, he let you drop to your knees.

“Prince Yonji!—” you cried out just as he turned to walk away. 

His earlier annoyance had just about melted instantly, and in its place came a righteous sense of power and control. Yonji had allowed you to fawn all over him for long enough now, and now that he had broken you, your novelty had worn off. He sighed to himself, letting his eyes close as you slowly stood somewhere behind him. It was time to find something new to play with.

—“That was awesome!” 

Yonji’s eyes snapped open, and without thinking, he pivoted on his heel to face you. The tears that he saw in your eyes were present, but the look on your face was nowhere near the expression of terror that he anticipated. Instead, you looked up at him with pure admiration and a dumb smile on your lips. The complete subversion of his expectations left him at nothing less than a loss as he couldn’t help but stare while you blabbered on about how amazing you thought he was. 

—“considering the width of the cable, the damage amounted to a force of equal magnitude to your highness’s strike—!” 

Yonji shook his head as if the physical motion would reset his thoughts. His hand came up to his forehead as he cringed into his glove. And with a motion of dismissal, Yonji turned away from you once again.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just pick all this stuff up…” You didn’t need to be told twice. You grabbed your basket, ready to chase all the apples around the training ground. 

Just as you were about to reach for your first one, Niji kicked it into a nearby shrub.

“On your hands and knees. You can collect these with your mouth,” Niji taunted. He toyed with another one under his shoe, and lining it up with the side of his boot, he kicked it up into the air and right into the side of your head. “Fetch, doggie.”

“You better pick ‘em up quickly and get those books back on your head, library roach,” Ichiji gruffed. His red light energy glinted, sparking threateningly around his form. “We’re not done with you yet.”

***

Yonji eventually sent you to the medical ward. Although he immensely enjoyed looking at the nasty scapes and bruises that marred your skin, he considered the dirt and blood unsightly. So, when the Vinsmoke family was to be having dinner, you were given strict instructions to make yourself presentable and bring an extra helping of dessert back to Yonji’s quarters.

By the time you arrived, the kitchen was just beginning to wind down, having already presented the royal family with their courses. Cosette nearly jumped when she spotted you just inside the kitchen’s entrance, sputtering out a few more directions to her staff before making a beeline to you. Despite your refreshed uniform, Cosette’s eyes were immediately drawn to the tech bandages that littered your body. 

“Oh my god, you’re alive! Are you okay?” She ran up to you, placing her hands on your cheeks to inspect your head. (Your face was miraculously devoid of damage.) Having seen most of what you had gone through today, her question was clearly rhetorical: “Are you hurt? What are you doing here?” 

You took Cosette’s hands in your own. With the library always being so far away from the main parts of the castle and Cosette’s promotion to head chef, the two of you hardly saw each other anymore. And after what she had witnessed just a few hours prior, she worried about what had happened during the time and distance you had been apart. 

“Prince Yonji sent me to bring back dessert,” you answered, returning your attention to Cosette’s widened eyes. “Do you happen to have any cake?”

Cosette couldn’t help but recoil, hands hovering hesitantly between you. A cleaning boy passed through the tight space where you and Cosette stood. She pulled you out of the way as dirty water from a dish splashed the floor. 

She opened her mouth to address the servant, but your question blocked out any focus she had on kitchen affairs. Cosette blinked a few times as if your words would make sense. Your name crawled from her lips in confusion and concern. 

“What happened to the library?” she opted to ask. The crease in her forehead deepened with distress. She ran a hand down her face to center herself, but a bulky chef carrying the compost bag began to shimmy past the two of you. You pulled her out of the way, and both of you pressed yourselves flat against the wall as the chef passed. Cosette grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. “Save that thought!” 

She determinedly nodded, pulling you through the kitchen and into the pantry. Cosette tugged the light on before closing the door behind the two of you. Your name left her mouth again in a frantic hiss.

“What is going on? Everyone was saying you were being punished for something. Everyone was watching because Madame Thénardier spied you from the third-story storage closet, and everyone thought you were about to die—!” She waved her hands frantically, pacing herself in a circle. —“And I told everyone to leave once I learned it was you—” Cosette curtly gestured in the air. —“But then Master Yonji hit the castle, and the glass was everywhere—!” You moved in front of her before she could hit her head on a bundle of carrots.

“Cosette,” you stressed, and she stopped for a moment. But only for a moment. You grasped her gently by the shoulders. “I am more than alright. I still work at the library.” You offered her a single, soft nod, but her shoulders remained tense under your grasp. “But Prince Yonji needs me sometimes, that’s all.” 

You glanced off sheepishly at a bag of potatoes. 

“He needs you…” Cosette glanced you up and down. You nodded adamantly. 

Cosette heaved a heavy sigh, drifting away from what you intended as a reassuring touch. She sat herself on a barrel of flour, both arms wrapped around the knees she pulled up to her chest. She puffed out her cheeks, not entirely eager to listen as her back slouched. 

“I don’t doubt that, but…” She nodded a few times in punctuation.

The door to the pantry opened. A cook with a pile of boxes quickly turned back around at the frantic wave of Cosette’s hand, letting the door shut again. She met your gaze, tilting her head to the side. 

“I don’t doubt that, but you almost got your head blown off today… I worry about you… I don’t know if you realize how scary today was.” Cosette trailed off, letting her feet fall back to the floor. She thought, zoning out on a random tile past your knees. “Getting so close to a person who doesn’t have a heart… it’s dangerous.”

The pantry went quiet. 

Noise continued outside. Pots clanged together. Water ran from faucets. The kitchen staff called out to each other; their voices muffled through the door. 

You took a deep breath before you spoke.

“Thank you,” you started. “For being so concerned about me. You’ve always been a great friend.”

Cosette didn’t answer you, and silence overtook the pantry once again, and the kitchen noise continued.

She wasn’t convinced about your safety in the slightest.

And with this talk about the Vinsmoke prince needing you, Cosette wasn’t even convinced that your own words convinced you. 

She remained quiet, at a loss for what to say or even think about the whole bizarre situation.

“I think he really likes me.” You smiled at your shoes.

Cosette most definitely didn’t know what to say to that.

Her shoulders deflated. She toyed with the end of her apron as she quietly considered you. You leaned against one of the shelves, admiring a basket of green peas with a quiet giddiness. 

“I think…” she pursed her lips, following your line of sight to the basket. “I think that perhaps his Highness likes the idea of you liking the idea of him liking you.” Cosette squinted her eyes, facing a random direction, as she lowered her hand in a slicing motion on her opposite palm. 

“You think he knows?” Your eyes widened at the prospect. You bolted up from where you were leaning, slamming the top of your head against the shelf above. “Ow!” You covered the sore spot with your hand. And as you were rubbing away the acute pain, you missed the softness that spread over Cosette’s gentle features. 

She quietly rose from her barrel and took your arm in hers. 

“Come now,” she sighed, opening the pantry door. “Let’s get that cake the prince was asking for. I wouldn’t want to make you late.”

***

You beat Yonji to his quarters, although it was probably for the best that you didn’t arrive after him.

You shut the doors quietly behind you with your shoe, taking in the eerie stillness of his room. It always felt odd being there without Yonji, and anticipating his presence left you with a nervous, looming feeling—like you weren’t supposed to be there. And, at least according to your job description, you weren’t. 

Most of the room was just how you left it. Yonji’s king bed sat opposite the door, with the headboard positioned in the middle of the wall. The microfiber sheets were neatly made just as you left them, and the pillows remained perfectly fluffed. 

All surfaces were clear and freshly dusted except for the circular table in the corner of the room near the door. Two large sake cups sat empty; condensation from earlier had already stained the wooden finish. You spotted the sake bottle on the floor.

You stepped down into the lowered lounge area to collect it and the cups. The two curved, leather couches were usually riddled with personal items, tools, and technical parts—which you were never to touch—but a space next to the table had been conveniently cleared off. 

You could only assume that the princes had been in Yonji’s room while you were in the medical ward. You wondered if you would be punished for your absence later.

The holo-screen glowed in the corner, and a large, detailed map of Germa’s next assignment was displayed and annotated with green and blue markers. 

You stared at the depiction of the sparsely populated city, placing the bottle with the cups on the table. In your other hand, you held the covered plate with Yonji’s cake. The green marker, a more neon color than the matte blue marker, depicted a series of vectors of the same size in various sections of the city, each ending with an “X” symbol. Meanwhile, the blue markings were dotted lines and small, boxed-in buildings. The trail ended at the coast.

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” 

Your heart nearly leaped out of your chest, and with it, the cake almost toppled over as you turned to face Yonji. You had expected him to tease you, but he stood silently with his hands in his pockets. His expression was not one you usually saw. Yonji gazed at the holo-map, face grave.

“I can’t say I’m a fan,” Yonji grumbled. His eyes flickered to yours, locking you into an intense stare with a frown. “But you know, now that you’ve seen this—” He pointed a finger at the map, tilting his head to the side.  —“I’m gonna have to kill you.” His face contorted into a wolfish grin.

“Oh, I see.” You glanced back at the annotations, unfazed by how Yonji’s nose scrunched up in amusement. He prowled around the upper level, approaching the two steps down into the lowered corner lounge.

“Mission information is confidential.” Yonji placed his hands in his pockets. He stood directly behind you, the minor elevation allowing him to more than dwarf your form as he quietly blocked your only exit. “For the eyes of Germa 66 only.” 

“The arrows,” the words slipped out of your mouth. “They’re the radius of your winch.” You had most definitely meant it as a question, but the observation came out with more certainly than you anticipated.  

You turned your head for confirmation. Yonji’s chin jutted slightly back in acute surprise, his curly brows knitting together as he sneered. You stared at him silently, waiting for an answer, but Yonji only continued to look at you disapprovingly.

“The arrows are the radius of Your Highness’s weapon,” you corrected (as if that was the issue). 

Yonji’s scowl deepened as he snatched the bottle of sake from the wooden table. Unexpectedly, there was still some left. He flicked off the cap, shook his head a few times, and took a swig.

“Yeah? So?” Yonji circled the upper level, eyeing you closely as you stepped closer to the map. 

There were several levels to the city upon closer inspection. The entire diagram rotated upon your approach, revealing a multi-layered, three-dimensional diagram. The markings followed, remaining proportional despite the new angles. 

“Is this Speleothem?” you wondered aloud. Yonji took another swig of his bottle somewhere behind you.

“Yeah,” he said, sounding distant. You hadn’t noticed. “You been?”

“I’ve only read about it in books.” You reached out to touch the hologram.

The motion sent it into a tizzy, the diagram spinning erratically, causing you to step back. But once the image settled, it revealed an entire blueprint of the island with the green and blue markings still trapped inside.

Speleothem was a nation comprised of a single, large mountain. Uninhabitable on the outside, the people who lived on the island dedicated generations to carving out the dense rock, leaving a vast network of tunnels on the inside and an extremely rocky coast in the surrounding waters. But most critically, at least to Germa, were its five small entrances. 

Two canals passed through the island's base, intercrossing in the middle to split the system into quarters. Just above the water’s intersection, a vertical tunnel had been dug straight through the peak of the mountain to let in natural sunlight. 

You could see the problem. None accommodated the circumference of Yonji’s winch, and the tunnel system was far too narrow to support his typical brute-force attacks without collapsing a massive sector of the island. You wondered why he was concerned with being careful in the first place, too lost in your thoughts to remember where you were.

Yonji swiped the cake platter from your hands. You stiffened as you were rudely snapped from your daze. Yonji laughed at you that time. He turned on his heel, flicking the top off of the container. It clattered to the floor where the sake bottle— now empty— sat once again. 

“The hell are you still doing here?” he chewed. Yonji pushed past you, shoulder-checking you on his way back up the two stairs into the center of the bedroom. The fork that Cosette included already had a second bite of cake on it. 

“I thought you needed to kill me.”

“Not worth my effort,” he announced, mouth still full as he waved a now clean fork behind his head at you. “And I don’t want your corpse making a mess of my room when I have shit to do in the morning.”

Yonji plopped down on a different pair of couches in the middle of the room. The two ornate fixtures boasted intricate designs and velvet seating, both flanking an equally intricate coffee table in the middle, on which Yonji kicked his feet up. The set appeared to be a part of the same collection as his wardrobe, and the craftsmanship was a stark difference from the technologically sleek appearance of the furniture in the lower corner lounge. 

The back of his head faced you as he took an oversized bite of his extra dessert.

You were sure his ignorance of you was your cue to leave. 

You picked the serving lid up off the floor and held it upside down. As quietly as possible, you placed the empty sake bottle and the two cups into it. Yonji didn’t spare you even a glance as you quietly made for the door, unamused by you at the current moment. 

With the apparent raid on Speleothem the next day, he was either very tired or in an extremely good mood. Whatever the case, you knew better than to mess with it. You pressed down the push button at the top of the knob, holding it there as you hesitated.

You should really leave.

You should really leave and take the dishes straight to the kitchen before turning in for the night. 

Ruining Yonji’s fortunate mood and continuing to talk out of term? What a surefire way to get yourself—

“Speleothem uses a water system. That’s how they’re able to keep the tunnels together and carve out more.” Your voice cut through the air. The scraping of Yonji’s fork against his plate died in an instant. You cringed, letting your eyes squeeze closed as you braced yourself. No strike ever came. 

You slowly turned around, hugging your makeshift basket close to your chest. Yonji had an elbow over the back of the couch. His face was nothing less than unreadable as he studied you.

“They have ventilation tunnels that the water gets pumped through, and if those were to be disrupted, I’m sure you—someone—could cause massive structural damage without collapsing the system on something important below.” The words tumbled out of your lips faster than you could stop them, if not for the sheer purpose of filling the uncomfortable silence in the room. 

You could feel his stare boring into you, but you didn’t dare meet his gaze. Out of all the Vinsmoke princes, Yonji wasn’t the strictest when it came to meeting his eye, but it didn’t feel like the appropriate moment to test his generosity. 

He spoke your name, and it sent a shiver through your core. All your better instincts were as on edge as the hairs on your arms, afraid of the powerful man sitting before you. But in a match-up of pure will and power, the fluttering in your chest swiftly outweighed your senses. 

“Yes, Prince Yonji?” You bowed your head. He liked being reminded of his royal status.

There was another beat of silence. 

“Get out.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” 

***

Speleothem was an eyesore. Just a large rock in the ocean surrounded by smaller rocks, Yonji couldn’t say he was particularly pleased about his assignment on an island so dull and fragile. Reiju had, after all, been the one initially assigned to the assassination, but since she had been called for another assignment, Yonji was the one to take her place. 

The entire mission had been too covert for his liking. Unlike his sister, Yonji didn’t have much in his arsenal to cover a large area without compromising the structural integrity of the entire Goddam island. Unfortunately for him, Speleothem needed to be (mostly) intact. 

Yonji couldn’t help but grumble to himself as he fought off another security grunt with a strong uppercut. The sturdy exoskeleton clattered to the side, his compilation of fallen enemies beginning to make a pile around him. A series of high-pitched scraping noises and clicking sounded from just down the tunnel. Yonji ran the back of his gloved hand over his forehead. He despised that he was already working up a sweat, but they just kept coming. 

He ventured down into the main sector to meet the battalion coming his way. Due to the narrow passageways, the footsoldiers practically charged at him in a single file line. Yonji made short work of each one, critically denting their outer armor with each swing of his enhanced fists, but no matter how many times he swung or how many guards fell, more seemed to replace their fallen comrades at a rapid pace. 

The number of troops in front of him didn’t appear to dwindle. By the third round of reinforcements, the dark smirk Yonji typically had during battle had disappeared. He huffed to himself quietly, occasional grunts of effort being the only noise to break the steady rhythm of communication clicks and insect-like scraping. 

When another battalion of guards began to make their way down the tunnel from the opposite end, Yonji was officially annoyed. Even using a fraction of his skills, Yonji could have made short work of the entire section of the island, and he knew it. And if the mission took place at any other location, he could have. Instead, he’d have to play glorified punching bag until Niji gave the signal. 

In the midst of the chaos, Yonji’s eyes flickered up to the tunnel’s ceiling. He had been able to hear the sound of rushing water since the moment he entered.

One of the footsoldiers tackled Yonji from behind, digging his sharp mandibles into Yonji’s shoulder. Yonji moved on instinct, punching up into the ceiling and letting the flood of water wash out the tunnel.

But despite a real lack of excitement, the assignment went off without a hitch. By the end of the morning, Niji and Yonji had safely retreated and were ready to report back to Germa’s central sector, leaving Speleothem flooded and leaderless.

“Smart thinking with the ventilation system! I couldn’t’ve strategized a better distraction!” Niji let out a deep chuckle and smacked Yonji hard in the center of his back. “How the hell did you think that one up?”

Yonji trudged forward, ringing some water out of his orange scarf. While he could fly over the flooding in every other tunnel, Yonji’s raid suit was still wet from the first ventilation duct he broke. 

“Read about it in a book,” Yonji grumbled as he trudged forward. The bite he endured earlier had caused minor damage, breaking the skin just enough for the wound to be irritated by his damp clothes. 

Niji stood behind him, fists on his hips as he let out another hearty laugh.

“You know how to read?”

Yonji hardly heard him, trudging in the direction of his quarters to change into more comfortable clothes.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: He will get better. The soft spot I have for the Germa 66 boys has been absolutely crippling. Alternate names for this fic included "Easy," "Glutton for Punishment," and, of course, "Beauty and the Beast."

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

marriage of inconvenience, portgas d ace

one shot

summary: you, a well known marine, are apparently married to an infamous pirate, small warning: contains drinking/alcohol mentions

reblogs and interactions are appreciated!

wc: 1531

You couldn’t believe your eyes.

Commodore Y/N of the Marines and ‘Fire Fist’ Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates Spotted Together in Arctic Chapel! Unity between prominent figures in the Marine and Pirate worlds?

You crumpled the newspaper in your hands, tossing it into the trash can beside your desk. You pinched the bridge of your nose. A headache began to form due to the mess of the article and all you wanted was to forget about it.

A knock interrupted your thoughts and you let out an exasperated sigh. “Come in.”

“Good morning, Commodore Y/N,” an officer stepped into your office, back straight and hand in a salute.

On his free hand was a paper— the newspaper. Resting your head on your hand, you gestured towards the newspaper, the front page article practically taunting you. “What is it?”

“It’s just that… this article. Everyone saw it, and we were wondering…” The officer held the newspaper in both hands and you had the urge to gouge out your eyes seeing the article again. “Is this true?”

“As a Marine, do you really think it’s important to be wasting your time on an article clearly facetious?” He shook his head, though he was clearly nervous as you rested your hands on your desk and sat straight. “And more than that— why would I, a Commodore of the Marines, even be near a pirate such as ‘Fire Fist’ Ace, and especially in a well known wedding chapel?” Without even realizing, you were standing, your hands slamming your desk and shaking the papers on it.

The officer was practically shaking now. He bowed as low as possible before speaking, “With all due respect! I, and the rest of the ship, were just concerned as we were recently on Monkey Island…where Arctic Chapel is…and ‘Fire Fist’ Ace was spotted there…” His voice trailed out when he saw how your anger seemed to grow.

You placed your hands on your temples, closing your eyes. “Whatever. The article is a lie, now get out.”

He was surprised with your sudden change of tone, “Commodore, I—”

“Get out! And close the door.”

Without another word, the officer followed your orders. Even though the day just started, you wanted to be alone for the rest of it.

Of course your wishes would not be granted as your Transponder Snail began to ring.

And the next three hours were spent clarifying to everybody you knew—coworkers and friends and family and even higher-ups—that no, you were not married to ‘Fire Fist’ Ace and you were definitely not changing your name to Portgas Y/N.

The calls eventually died down, and you were able to rest. Though it was only for a few minutes as your Snail began to ring once again. You rolled your eyes, but picked it up nonetheless.

“For the last time, I am not married to ‘Fire Fist’ Ace!”

“Is that what you’ve been telling everyone? I thought you’d be more proud of being married to me.” You glared at your snail as it let out an obnoxious laugh.

“‘Fire Fist’ Ace. What is with that fabricated article?!”

“C’mon, we’re married, drop the title and just call me ‘Ace.’ You don’t see me calling you ‘Commodore Y/N.’”

“Answer the question!”

“I’ve no idea either. I woke up and saw the article, same as you. Though…”

“Though what?!” You didn’t realize you were yelling until there was a knock at your door from an officer asking if you were okay. You dismissed the officer, telling him there was no issue.

“Don’t you remember, last week? I don’t blame you for forgetting a bit since we were both drunk, but we did get married.”

“We did not! I—” You stopped, suddenly remembering the events of last week.

—

Your ship docked on Monkey Island, and you could finally indulge yourself in a rare, well-needed break. With the sun setting and the officers you lead staying onboard the ship, you decided the first thing you’d do was head to a bar.

“One Negroni, please!” You smiled at the bartender, ready to drink to your heart’s content.

A man’s voice came behind you, “Make it two.” You heard the man move the stool beside you to take a seat. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Commodore Y/N.”

“It seems my reputation precedes me—” you turned to your side, shocked to see ‘Fire Fist’ Ace grinning in front of you. He was a well known pirate, though this wasn’t the first time you had the displeasure of seeing him. “What are you doing here, ‘Fire Fist?’”

His grin didn’t seem to falter when he saw you receive your drink and take a small sip from it. “You’re not gonna chase me around or even try to arrest me?”

“I’m off duty, I have no reason to do more than what is needed right now.”

“Really? Not even a sense of justice?”

“Not when I’m off the clock.”

“Fair enough,” Ace paused, taking a huge swig of his own drink. “Y’know, you’re always chasing me around, I see you more than some of my own crewmates. And yet, I barely know anything about you.” He raised his drink, waiting for you to do the same. “Tell me about yourself.”

As soon as you finished your drink, you were asking for another. “Even if I’m off the clock, I won’t fraternize with a pirate like you.”

You really need to control your drinking habits.

“You mean to tell me your grandfather is Garp the Fist, Hero of the Marines, yet you and your brothers dreamt of becoming pirates?” You hiccuped, downing another shot you couldn’t even be bothered to count anymore.

“What’s wrong with that? Being a pirate is way cooler than being a marine!”

“It’s ironic ‘s all—and being a marine is wayyy cooler!”

“Nuh uh.”

“Uh huh!”

“Nuh uh!”

“Uh huh!”

“Whatever.” Ace attempted to pour more into his cup, emptying the contents of the bottle. “Ah, Y/NNN, let’s go now. ‘M bored here.”

“Wait! One more!” You held your cup in the air. Ace mirrored your actions until your cups collided together. The both of you pulled your cups away and drank the last bits of alcohol.

You tossed a bit of berri onto the counter, waving the bartender goodbye as you pulled Ace out of the bar. The city was full of lights, enough to blind the both of you in your drunken stupor.

“Did I ever tell you,” Ace slurred. “How pretty you look whenever you chase me?”

“You tell me all the time. Did I ever tell youuu how you would totally be my type if you weren’t a pirate? I always thought you would look soo good in a marine uniform.” You giggled.

“I would never be anything but a pirate!”

Your eyes caught sight of a building whose lights seemed to shine brighter than any other place. You tugged Ace’s arm and pointed to it. “Let’s go there.”

He squinted his eyes, looking in the direction you were pointing at. “Arctic…Chapel…You wanna get married?”

You didn’t bother to understand his question as your face began to feel warm. “Ace you can’t ask me like that!” You pulled him towards the building’s direction, “Let’s goo!”

Ace didn’t protest, even more excited than you.

——

As you recalled the events, you groaned. “Oh my god. We were drunk and went into that stupid chapel. We walked into that stupid chapel and now everyone thinks we’re married!” You started laughing in a way that almost scared Ace.

“But…we did get married.”

“No we didn’t.”

“We did. Hang on a second.” There were sounds of shuffling from Ace’s line on the snail. You heard the sound of a Cameko snail clicking. “Do you have a Proko snail with you?”

“I do…”

“Great, turn it on.”

You did as he said and turned your Proko snail on. As soon as it was on, it projected a marriage certificate. A marriage certificate with both yours and Ace’s names on it. Your eyes widened at the sight. There were official documents of you and Ace being married.

“Let’s get divorced.”

“Wha– why? I don’t wanna get divorced!”

“We were drunk, and I can’t be married to a pirate! I could lose my job over this!” You were screaming into the snail at this point.

“You could be a pirate and join the Whitebeard crew!”

“No way! I like being a marine. Why don’t you join the marines and you could work under my command!”

“C’mon, bein’ a pirate is way better than bein’ a marine!”

You were growing annoyed with Ace. Just as you were about to respond back, a knock interrupted your conversation with Ace. “C-commodore Y/N?”

“What is it? I’m busy.”

“You see, uh—”

Suddenly the door slammed open. Once you saw who opened the door, you ended your conversation with Ace and stood straight into a salute. “Vice Admiral Garp, sir.”

“No need to be so formal with me. We’re family now, aren’t we?” Garp walked into your office, dismissing the officer who led him there. “So, what’s this about your union with my grandson?

The Red String of Fate: Ch. 3

Pair: Donatello x Reader

Word Count: 3.9k

Rating: T?? (Characters depicted are adults)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Uuuh... I wish tumblr had a "mark as spoiler" option like discord, but depiction of physical assault.

Authors Notes: I'm sorry this took me so long to get out, but I hope you like it! ;w; The fourth chapter should be the final one (which I have not started yet, lol).

||Chapter 1|| ||Chapter 2|| ||Chapter 3|| ||Chapter 4||

—————————————————–

CHAPTER 3: GUIDING LIGHT

To say you were disappointed when the magical red string hadn’t reappeared on your ring finger when you awoke in the morning was putting it lightly… 

You had tried to convince yourself the night before that it wouldn’t have been a big deal if it hadn’t returned, but really, you were devastated. You canceled all the plans you had for the day and relinquished your responsibilities for the time being. Feeling numb to your mental and physical needs, it was easy to stay in bed for the majority of the day. You just couldn’t be bothered to do anything after taking such a substantial blow like that. 

Somehow, you had squandered a seemingly foolproof opportunity at finding your one true love. Although the myth did insinuate that you were ‘soulmates’; perhaps it meant you would get another chance in another lifetime but you couldn’t be certain. Even if that was the case, it didn’t make you feel any better about losing your shot in this timeline. 

It just wasn’t fair… There was no guide on how to approach this situation. No fairy godmother had presented herself and instructed you on what to do. You didn’t suddenly receive clairvoyant insight along with the mythical thread. How were you possibly supposed to know how to go about it? Yeah, now that you had time to reflect, the string did give you a small indicator of direction, but it had been the middle of the night and you lived in New York. Any sane person knew better to go out after dark, alone, in the crime ridden state. 

And it wasn’t like the string had GPS. You had no clue how far away your soulmate had been last night. They might’ve been somewhere you physically couldn’t have commuted to, hell, they could’ve been outside of New York for all you knew! It was rational to be cautious about going out and finding them right away… At least, that’s what you were telling yourself just to ease your mind. You did your best to fill your head with reasonable excuses to keep the demeaning thoughts out. 

It was difficult to not be hard on yourself, but there was nothing that could be done about it now… Nothing other than to let your sadness flow, which you had been successful with as your pillow was thoroughly wet with tears. Still, as much as you wanted to let the magical occurrence go, there was still the smallest spark of hope within you that it would show itself once more. If it were to give you one more chance to find your soulmate, you wouldn’t hesitate. It wouldn’t matter how far you’d have to travel or what obstacles you would have to overcome, you’d find them. —————————————————– It was a small relief not having to worry about hiding the red string of fate from his other two brothers when Donatello returned to the lair, but it didn’t outweigh the worry he had for it not reappearing. Normally, he’d run multiple tests when he was trying to validate the credibility of something, but he hadn’t wanted to alarm anyone by returning late to his home. He could trust his cool colored brother to not be overbearing about his predicament, but the other two warm colored brothers?…Raphael probably wouldn’t bother him too much about it, but Mikey would surely be insistent. 

He’d tell them soon enough, but after he had scouted you out on his own. Because even if you were his soulmate, there were many things to take into account, for both your sake and his families. The main factor being that you were more than likely human. It was easy for him to grow and maintain an interest in humans, especially when his father had appointed him and his brothers as protectors of the species. But most humans did not share the same interest for them. Sure, they eventually came across a handful of humans who liked and trusted them, but it was still a very small handful. After all–

They only had six fingers as opposed to the human ten. 

Having been accustomed to life at night, the daylit hours were generally spent sleeping, however Donatello knew the task would be pointless. There was no way he could shut off his mind and fall into the rem cycle of sleep when this kind of phenomenon had happened to him. He couldn’t stop thinking about when the red string had first appeared to him tonight. All the articles he had read about the urban legend. You…

Were you man or woman? Or did you prefer to not identify as such? What was your current occupation? He supposed you shared the same or similar interest considering that you were soulmates. He could also assume that you lived relatively close by the information he had learned and how the string tried to direct him to your location, but he wondered if you had always been a New Yorker? Perhaps you had been born and raised elsewhere and recently moved to the Big Apple. 

Were you thinking about him right now like he was thinking about you?... The idea stirred butterflies in his stomach and he felt silly. But also– happy. There was someone out there in the world for him. A seven-foot tall, genetically mutated box turtle who practiced ninjutsu and loved pizza. Being what he was, he never thought he’d have the chance at a relationship, and when his father had said he was destined, he figured it was only to serve the human race. Not to be loved.  —————————————————– You would think that with all the crying you had done you wouldn’t have any fluids left in your body to have to use the restroom, and yet your bladder had been nagging at you for the past thirty minutes to go. It was easy to ignore your appetite and thirst as you napped the day away, but you weren’t depressed enough to self-inflict a kidney infection. Begrudgingly, you got your ass out of bed and did your business. 

Not-so-surprisingly, getting up had motivated you to tend to other needs. After having stretched your back and limbs, you made way to your kitchen. Downing a full cup of water in a matter of seconds before finding something in your pantry to nibble on for a snack while you placed an order on a delivery app for food. Pizza had always been a great comfort to you every other time your problems came crashing down. Surely it would be able to lift your spirits in this scenario as well, at least a little bit.

You had instructed your delivery driver to leave your order at your front door, but when the application informed you that they were dropping off your food a message followed shortly after. 

[Can’t find your door. Can you meet me outside?] 8:58 PM

A low frustrated sigh hissed out of your nostrils. How hard was it to fucking read? You grumbled internally but walked off to the front of your residence. There you had realized you hadn’t flipped on the switch for the outside light after putting in your order and you winced at your passive-aggressive remark. At least you hadn’t said it out loud, so no real harm done. However, opening your door and finding the delivery driver standing right outside it made the corner of your lip twitch in annoyance. 

Couldn’t find the door, huh?

“Sorry about that.” They held out a pizza box for you to take. 

“No problem,” you lied and took the cardboard container into your hands only to feel a tug of resistance from the other end. Confused, you arched an eyebrow at the delivery driver, but their gaze didn’t meet yours. 

Their attention had been pulled below. “What’s that?” They pointed to your hand with a single digit.

You declined your head, following their direction until you found the source of their curiosity and your heart jumped in your chest. 

Red shimmered brightly in the reflection of your glossy eyes. You lifted your ring finger hand, bringing it closer to your body for inspection. You held your breath as you carefully wiggled the digit, testing the authenticity of the apparition as to not get your hopes up. Your chest seized anxiously when the crimson lace around your finger didn’t waver and seconds later you wheezed out a shaky breath. 

It had returned.

“Are you okay?” The delivery driver leaned into your view, snapping you out of your thoughts. 

Your other hand let go of the pizza box, and it slipped out of their hands, falling to the ground with a loud thud. They flinched in surprise and startled again when you slammed your front door shut behind you.

“Uh–” Was all they were able to get out before you thanked them for their service and pushed past them. 

Within a few steps, your bare feet met the cold hard cement of New York’s’ sidewalks but you barely noticed it. Your pounding heart overpowered all sensations at the moment. There had been a very small voice in your head telling you to turn back. Not to give up, but to be rational about the situation. You were going out into New York, barefooted, in your lounging clothes, you hadn’t locked your door, you didn’t have your phone, and it was nine o’clock at night!! But there was no way you were turning back now. 

It didn’t matter if your feet hurt, if you weren’t properly dressed for the occasion, if someone broke into your home and stole your stuff, or if there was little light to guide you in search. You were not going to miss your chance at meeting your soulmate again.

You felt your heart skip a beat when the tail end of your string changed in directions and your breath caught in your throat. Turning sharply on your feet, you began to pick up pace. The sounds of your steps growing louder and louder as your stride changed from walking briskly to full on running. You weaved between the few bystanders still out at this time at night. Each and every one of them breaking their necks to stare you down as you passed them by. You probably looked like a crazy person, running bare foot through the streets with your arm extended out in front of you, but so what? 

Crazier things had gone on in New York. 

It wasn’t long before your lungs began to burn and exhaustion forcibly slowed your pace, but you kept moving. As long as the crimson string existed and led the way, you had no plans of stopping. However, when the thread began to change in hue your stride slowed naturally due to intrigue. The color faded to an orangish-yellow and eventually shined a bright gold. The spectacle brought you to a full-on stop, to which you realized was very much needed by the hard breaths you were swallowing. 

Suddenly, your red string of fate was now golden. Not only that, but the string itself was shining brighter than it ever had before and the tether of the tail seemed to be getting… thinner. As if you were coming to the end of the stra– Taking a deep breath you lifted your head and looked around you. At some point of your search, you had ended up moving from the public streets of New York to a backstreet alleyway. From what you could see, there was no one around, but your string of fate was still pointing off in the distance. Sucking in another breath through your nose, you continued onward. —————————————————– While he was confined underneath New York during the daylit hours, Donatello spent his time putting a trajectory of possible coordinates of your location using the knowledge he already had. Frankly, it wasn’t much to go off of but with his intellect he was able to narrow down his search to three possible locations you resided at. As long as the string returned to his finger when he resurfaced, he would be able to pinpoint your exact location. 

Fortunately for him, the crimson thread returned before he even breached the ground level of New York. A small smile of content crossed his face seeing its reappearance. You were close, and that filled his chest with tingles of excitement. 

Following the tail end of the lace, he recorded his steps into the multitool on his right arm along the way. In the event that he was unable to meet with you personally; say, you were in the company of others, he wanted to make sure he knew the way back to you for when the time was right. A twinge of concern scratched his mind at the thought of you not being alone. He had risked his chance of not finding you by waiting all day before going out on his search. The possibility of not having a moment to himself with you annoyed him.

However, that worry deepened when he considered the opposing angle. What if you were out at this time by yourself? Even with his prowess and size, he generally did not go out on patrol alone. As much as he loved New York, the city just wasn’t safe after dark. Although, he assumed you had managed to be safe up until this point, that fact didn’t stop him from subconsciously picking up his pace. 

He did as he would any other outing on the surface and traveled by rooftop. It was the safest and stealthiest option for someone like him, even in the later hours of the night. Jumping down from one building to a shorter one, the top of his mask pushed upwards behind his glasses as he noticed a change to the string. The stark red of the magical lace had begun to dull into an orangish-yellow hue. 

Immediately, he stopped in his tracks to record the findings into his multitool and consider what had caused the change. There had been no mention of the string changing colors in all the information he had gathered on the phenomenon, and the two times it had shown itself to him before, it was red. Naturally, he wondered if the shift in color was a good or bad thing. From a scientific standpoint, yellow was often a representation of happiness, hope and spontaneity. Which was certainly the case at this point. 

Having to use the fire escape of the building he was currently on to cross to another, the string flared in vibrance as he descended the stairs. The sudden change in brightness caught him by surprise and he recoiled from the light, shielding his eyes with his other hand. Narrowing his eyes to help them adjust to new source of light, an epiphany came to him. He turned his body to look back at the building he was just on and then to the ground below him in silent thought before moving. 

He traveled downwards until he met the bottom of the stairs and then jumped off of them from there. The bottom of his boots making a loud thud when they planted firmly against the concrete ground of the alleyway. Slowly, he rose to standing straight, and his gaze immediately went to the string on his ring finger. 

Still, yellow. No… Gold actually.

It didn’t make any sense. The night before he had been on the surface it was red, and down in the sewers it was red as well. The sudden change in altitude shouldn’t have had any effect on its hue in theory. 

Turning over his hand for further inspection he noticed the thread seemed to be… thinning? Concern prodded at his mind at the idea of the string vanishing again, but the feeling quickly turned into confused curiosity when he realized only the tail end of the string was slimming out. The band around the base of his finger looked as if it was becoming denser and he swore he could feel a subtle hint of weight where it resided. 

Without thought, he raised his other hand and pinched his thumb and pointer together to touch the apparition, but his test was cut short by the sound of hard breaths and padded footsteps approaching. His eyes grew at the sounds, his glasses amplifying the surprised expression. It was then that he realized that all the current changes in the string wasn’t due to change in elevation. It was because he was getting close… To you. 

How could he be so stupid? Of course, that was it! But by the volume of your approach, there wasn’t time to reprimand himself on his ignorance. You were coming, and fast! 

The excitement he had initially felt going out tonight to find you turned into all out panic realizing that it was actually going to come to fruition within a few seconds. What was going to happen when you came down a dark alleyway and suddenly found a giant mutant beast standing within the middle of it? Surely, the only response you would have would be one of fear. Even if you two were soulmates, it would be a reasonable reaction. Hell, he’d be a little thrown off if you didn’t react that way upon first seeing him, but he didn’t want you to flee entirely. 

Your introduction needed to be taken slow. Carefully and with caution. So, he did what him and his family did best. Hid. 

Not having time to climb back up a building, and not wanting to make any noise with the ascension, he opted for a familiar practice and went underground. Fortunately, a manhole cover was nearby for him to escape into, however in hindsight, he realized it wasn’t the best option. The enclosed space quickly became a beacon of light due to the luminance of the now golden string but luckily, real word physics applied to magical construct and he was able to smother the light with the use of his other hand. 

He silenced his breath but his heart sounded off loudly in his ears as it pounded against his plated chest. The seconds waiting for you to arrive felt like hours, and when he finally heard you come into the alleyway his whole body went rigid. Afraid that the slightest moment would give away his location and you would find him. Which was ironic considering that, that was exactly what he wanted to do tonight except in reverse… This would’ve been much easier to deal with if he had been able to come to you, instead of you to him, but within the flood of panic he felt there was a drop of fondness.

You came out all this way in search of him.

Before he could enjoy the feeling, you were on top of him. Out of instinct, he drew in a silent breath and clamped his lips shut. He didn’t dare to peer through the small holes that had been drilled into the cast-ironed lid, and he desperately hoped you had no inkling to look down either. While it was endearing that you were looking for him, he figured you wouldn’t think it was so cute to find him holed up in a passageway to the city’s sewer systems. 

He tensed hearing your feet shuffle on the covering of the hole and he came to the conclusion that the damn string had led you to his exact location, but you were unable to make sense of it due to his lack of appearance. His suspicions were confirmed when you let out an exhausted huff of air, and he prayed that you would step away from the manhole quickly. He wasn’t religious; his existence kind of went against most laws of religion, but he needed some supernatural force to step in and persuade you to move on. 

Seconds of silence went by as he waited for you to do… anything. But it still caught him off guard when you spoke into the empty alleyway. 

“I’m sorry.” You breathed.

Donatello blinked in confusion not expecting at all to receive an apology. You had done nothing wrong, but as if you were reading his thoughts, you were quick to explain.

“I probably look crazy right now and… you’re probably scared. I get it. I’m kind of scared too, but–” He heard the tone of your voice waver as you spoke. “I’m more afraid of losing the chance to meet you more than anything. So, please. If you could… Just tell me that you’re here?” 

The grip on his ring-finger hand tightened as he considered your plea. You sounded so…lovely, and sweet. 

He hadn’t even seen your face, and yet he was falling head over heels at the sound of your voice. For a second he considered that you might actually be otherworldly the way your words had captivated him. As if you were a siren or something of the sort. Whatever mysticism you possessed nearly compelled him to speak, but his own body prevented him from doing so. A massive lump had formed within his throat, choking back any words from coming out as he parted his lips. 

And then he felt something. Something wet. 

He now realized it was his heart that had inched its way up his throat, because it plummeted into his gut when he heard the soft sound of cries emit from your being. Sniffles and hiccups followed the quiet sobs and his mouth gaped at the realization but he was still unable to speak. He hadn’t even known you for longer than ten minutes and he already made you cry. He was supposed to be your soulmate! Shame weighed on him, pulling his head and features downwards to his feet, but he quickly perked to attention when he heard you move off the iron lid. 

The universe had heard his prayer but now he prayed for you to stay. He had to make up for his cowardice! Just as he opened his mouth once more to try and speak again, a different voice came out. One that wasn’t yours…

“You know it’s dangerous to be out at a time like this?” 

Donatello’s chest tightened at the low spoken words knowing the exact implication this unknown voice was getting at with their tone. By the sound of your own, you were aware of it too.

“Yeah, I was just… Taking out some trash. Gonna be heading back inside now.” You lied, but the stranger didn’t even care to call you out on it.

“That’s a bright little thing on your finger. I’ve never seen gold glisten like that.”

Donatello’s blood ran cold at the observation. His gaze dropped to his hands and he uncovered his ring fingered one to take a peek at the magical apparition, only to instantly regret his hesitancy. 

“Stay back!!” You screamed, and he flinched. 

Throwing all caution to the wind, he grabbed the metal ladder to ascend the unground tunnel but he didn’t move quick enough. Something made of glass shattered and echoed in the alleyway, followed by a loud thud of something– someone– collapsing to the ground. 

Despite the bright gold color that lit the space around him; all he was able to see was red. —————————————————–

Tag: @eveandtheturtles

they are all just little creatures

I- I just read a one shot where the reader put brahms on timeout and I CAN'T FUCKING BREATH

AND HE ACTUALLY STAYS IN TIMEOUT

WHY ARE PEOPLE LIKE THIS, WHY DO I FIND THIS SO FUNNY

THIS FUCKING BITCH ALLOWS YOU TO PUT HIM IN TIMEOUT AND HE DOES THAT LEASH KID DEATH STARE UNTIL HE GETS TO TALK AND GET NEAR TO YOU AGAIN

He's like

I- AHHDKSJSGSVWGWGQ I JUST CAN'T OMFG. SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE MY PHONE AWAY

SWEETNESS ~ BUGGY

LA!buggy x straw hat!reader

Based off of this post bc it made me giggle

Nattie speaks: y’all this mf clown has no right to be so fine but LAWRD. I’d do anything just for one lick. This is short nd simple but cute🤭

ZORO DRAGGED HIS FEET across the wooden floors of the Going Merry, ignoring the muffled screeching of the clown head inside the dark sack as he set his eyes on thing. Nightfall was approaching, everyone on the ship wanted some rest, yet nobody was getting any with the constant whining of Buggy. The green haired man pushed open your door, making you jumped slightly as you looked towards him with a raised brow.

“I give up, all yours now.” Zoro voiced practically dripped in annoyance, he tossed the sack across the room, making it land onto the soft cushion of your bed before slamming the door behind him.

You could hear groans coming from the sack, “Damn you, you fucking broccoli-haired ass!” You chuckled softly, putting down the comb you had in your hand and walking towards the scruffy bag. As you released the clown head he sighed in content, breathing in the fresh scent of berries that engulfed the room. “Ah, sweetness, so good to see you!”

“Nice to see you too, Buggy.” You giggled, “You doing alright there?” You asked, smiling a bit as the man got comfortable on your bed.

“Much better now that I have you in front of me.” He winked with a flirtatious smirk on his red painted lips. “I definitely thought he was going to put me with that weird chef guy again so he could chop me into piece and cook me or something.”

“Looks like you got lucky today.” You smirked back, grabbing him and placing him on the small vanity, going back to combing through your hair. Buggy was a simple man, with simple needs, especially since his whole body was gone. The angle his head was facing gave him more fuel into his dirty thoughts. His eyes directly faced your chest, eyes captured on the line of cleavage peeking from the low cut tank top you had on. He was hypnotized by you, for the first time since he was taken by Luffy and placed on the ship to sail away to Arlong island he’d gone completely silent.

You simply hummed, clueless of how the clown shifted slightly to get a closer view. You suddenly let out a huff, dropping the comb and looking over at the clown. “Y’know, I like having you around here, you totally make me feel special and even though the rest of the crew might really, really not like you, know I’m on your side.”

“Mhmm.” Buggy hummed in response, eyes hungrily watching you. “I appreciate that, sweetness.”

You smiled. “You hungry?” You stood up and took him in your arms, cradling him carefully like he was a baby. The blue hairs that peaked from under the striped bandana tickled your skin.

Buggy enjoyed being around you, especially since you were so generous and careful with him, the others simply tossed him into the sack or an empty barrel whenever he even spoke. But you, you fed him, you defended him, you took care of him and did the exact opposite of what everyone else did. “I’m hungry for one thing, that’s for sure, sweetness.” The clown replied, eyes still clued onto your tits as you entered the small kitchen.

“Hey, maybe we can brush through that tangled mess once we get a quick snack.” You replied giddily with a big smile, “Hey, and wanna know another thing—“ You heard a string of groans follow as soon as you stepped into the room with Buggy.

“I gave him to you specifically to get away from him.” Zoro groaned, making Sanji nod in agreement.

“I’ll be out soon, stop your whining.” You replied with a roll of your eyes, reaching for the basket of fruit and picking out two apples. You picked up a knife and cutting board, quickly going to work and chopping up a few apple slices. “So as I was saying, nobody has ever taken me seriously, which why I also like you, you don’t make fun of me which is what many others do.”

Zoro and Sanji glanced at eachother with questioning looks as you proceeded with your mini rant, both of them making eye contact with the clown head that smirked at them, a cheeky look in his eyes.

“But I mean, Luffy chose me to be a part of his crew so obviously I can be more, I’m not dumb, and I feel like more people need to take me seriously.”

“Hey.” The clown smirked as he watched your every move, finally speaking up about his slight obsessing with your chest. “Nice tits.”

“Thank you!” You happily replied with a smile, placing the slices on a clean plate and taking Buggy back to your room as everyone stared in shock. “Goodnight boys!”

“Yeah, goodnight fellas!” Buggy called out, and if only he’d had the rest of his body he’d most definitely be given them a middle finger.

“How is it that a clown can do better at getting that girl then me?” Sanji muttered in annoyance.

Forever will live, love, and laugh Buggy

yummy, I <3 men who are bbyg’s

This is so beautyfull💜

I wish you all the best

Since I wrote Leo I think now it's Donnie's turn, my favorite turtle (along with Raph in the bayverse and rise versions)

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Request: No

Warning: Just a little angst and bad English

Genre: She/her

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Pov: Donatello saw you from the cameras in the company of another boy and all his fears and insecurities came to the surface.

Version: Bayverse / 2014/2016

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Text words: 1271

Total words: 1433

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You haven't heard from your boyfriend for a week. That's right. You've been in a stable relationship for a year, or at least that was what you thought, with a mutant turtle named Donatello.

All this time your relationship had been booming until that fateful evening.

As often happens, you spent the whole afternoon with your boyfriend and his brothers and you were spending a day together like any other.

Michelangelo was completely immersed in his video games in the living room, Leonardo was immersed in his beloved meditation inside the Dojo, Raphael was busy with his usual workouts in the weight room and you and Donatello were in his room to keep him company while he was engaged in a of his new inventions.

Suddenly, however, your attention was captured by the ringtone of the phone. Your phone.

As soon as you read the name on the screen your eyes widened and you answered in the blink of an eye.

"Yes? Ready?"

"What?! Truly?!"

"I am coming!"

You closed your cell phone and turned to Donnie.

"Honey I have to go home"

"Did something serious happen?"

“No, no, nothing serious. Family reunion"

Donatello stood there looking at you without saying anything. He just greeted you with a kiss on the temple.

"Then I'm going, we'll talk later love" and you were out of his room.

You also greeted Mikey because he was in the hall, where you have to pass to go to the exit and then you walked along the leaf until you reach the manhole and exit.

In a hurry you ran home where you found your cousin N/c waiting for you.

You hadn't seen him for months as he had left to study abroad for a year in Italy.

You have mutually decided to go for a walk through the streets of New York at night.

In all of this, however, there was a problem, a problem you hadn't even noticed.

A specific mutant tortoise, much loved by you, was keeping an eye on you thanks to the countless surveillance cameras he hacked.

And if this could already be seen as a problem, the fact that the turtle had misunderstood the whole situation was added.

And while you were finishing that walk in peace, your boyfriend had begun to raise many doubts and insecurities.

After that evening you wrote to Donnie but got no reply. Tried and tried but still no response.

And so a week passed. A week in which anxiety and fear had taken over your body.

So you decided, that afternoon after school, to go to the turtles. You wanted to know the reason for this departure from the purple turtle.

You walked in and immediately locked eyes with Mikey, who was there looking at you as if he had just seen a ghost.

"What are you doing here?"

You stood looking at him confused

"What do you mean? Can't I be here?"

"Didn't find a new boyfriend?"

"Huh?"

“That human you went out with the last night we saw each other”

You stood there looking at him again until everything became clearer to you.

"Hate! That's why Donnie doesn't talk to me anymore! What a mess… it was all a big misunderstanding!”

"In what sense?"

“The guy I went out with that night was my cousin. He had returned after a year spent in Italy and so we went out for a walk to be together and to tell each other about the latest news, nothing more!”

"What? Serious dude?”

"Yes, I'm serious!"

“Then run to Donnie who has been locked in his room for a week for this story! Please get him out of there!"

You nodded and headed to Donnie's room.

You knocked but got no answer.

He didn't knock a second time. You took it and opened the door wide.

“WHY WHEN YOU HAVE DOUBTS DON'T YOU CONSULT WITH ME?!”

The boy immediately turned towards you, his eyes widening.

"Y-y/n..! What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Do you really dare to ask me what am I doing here?! You literally ignored me for a week! You ignored all my messages and all my calls!! I had started to think that something bad had happened to you and that I would never be able to see you again!!” your eyes become watery and it doesn’t remain unnoticed by the boy.

"I-I don't understand why you care so much..."

You shake your head in disbelief "what the heck are you talking about?! You're my boyfriend, the person I love most in the world! It seems normal and almost obvious that I care about you!"

"I have seen you..."

"I imagined"

"You were so happy with him... You were having a normal situation with a normal person... I'm not mad at you for falling in love with a human boy..."

"Donnie..."

"To tell the truth, I don't even blame you" her eyes start to water "Often on the internet I come across pictures of happy couples and I stay there thinking... thinking that you shouldn't be with someone like me but you should be with a human who can make you live a normal life..."

Stay there in silence trying to hold back the tears that threaten to come out.

"I just want the best for you Y/n... And when I saw you with that boy last week I felt terrible, but at the same time I was happy for you because you finally found someone who truly deserves you... I ... I won't force you to stay here, we can still be friends if you want... I'd really like that... And... I wish you all the best that life can give you..."

You stayed there for a few more seconds looking at him and then approached him.

"Donatello, maybe one thing isn't clear to you yet... I love you, with all of me, and if you had talked to me, instead of keeping everything inside like you always do, you'd find out that the boy I went out with for a walk last week was my cousin…”

The boy stood there dumbfounded.

"Exactly, my cousin... He spent a year in Italy studying and just last week he returned to the city without saying anything, to surprise everyone"

He remained silent at that statement.

"The only person I want to be with is you Donatello, and there will never be someone better than you" you grab his face with your hands and look him straight in the eyes "Open your little head and insert this very important information... I LOVE YOU, and I wouldn't leave you for any other boy in the world. And then... Where would I find another boy as handsome and intelligent as you??" you giggled teasing him.

"But I don't respect the stereotype of human beauty, I'm biologically a turtle with mutated DNA, by humans I'm considered a monster"

"You can't argue with my statements, you don't know and you can't see how you appear in my eyes" you smile at him "Donnie, if you still want to be my boyfriend then accept my love and when you have any doubts talk to me please" you give him a sweet kiss on the lips.

As soon as you separate from the kiss he brings you back to him to hug you hiding his face between your neck and your shoulder "I love you so much, and you can't understand how you make me happy every day"

You stroke his head smiling leaving him a little kiss "I love you my love".

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By the time I had reached the end, the text began to no longer convince me but by now I had written and arranged everything and I really put a lot of effort into it.

I hope you still like it ♡

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If you want to read something specific feel free to ask me any request. ♡

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A big hug ♡

I've been feeling down lately and all I've been thinking about is getting a comforting hug from either of my husbands 🥺, sooooo I drew some slashers based on this meme 👀👀❤️

Michael is TRYING to not crush your head 🥰

you are playing with fire y/n 👀

Thomas gets all flustered when you hug him, he doesn't know what to do 💕💕 and he doesn't want to hurt you 🥺❤️

Bubba gets all excited when you hug him, he can't say no to a bear hug!! 🐻❤️

Jason doesn't understand what are you doing with your hands, but he's happy If you are happy 🥰🥰

ТУДА ЕГО

Haha my REALLY LONG bayverse turtle headcanons

Part Two: Their Anatomy

(NSFW EDITION)

FIRST I have extremely cute ones to make up for the fucking cringe I'm about to shove down your throats 😥

Nostrils pointed AT YOUR FACE. They feel bad about this once in a while but you can feel them breathing DIRECTLY into your eyes and you will have to make loving eye contact while pretending your eyes aren't shriveling up like raisins.

Holding his hand is extremely weird at first cuz of the three fingers. and he is EXTREMELY aware of that so be prepared to suck that shit up for him 😭 he will feel so bad. Also all the turtles get weirded out when you're seeing/touching their feet for the first time. He'll be like, "ew wtf don't look at me-". Will sometimes stare at your joined hands on the table; even if he's supposed to be paying attention to something else. He just kinda stares in wonder at the symbolic acceptance there; you're fingers wrapped around his.

Cuddle marks 🥺 your turtle will feel super bad when they see them on your face, back or tummy, but you wear them will pride. Case in point, the turtles are EXTREMELY TEXTURED MEN and are not exactly comfy cuddle material. Skin to skin WILL get you marked up if you lay on their arm or chest too long. He will HATE it unless you love it. Then he might come to like it.

He is so warm. You could curl up with him in the chilly lair for HOURS because it's literally perfect. And if you are prone to having cold hands and feet? Worry not. He finds them a LIFESAVER and might even ask you to place them somewhere he needs to cool off. Like the back of his neck or his face 😭

His kisses are extremely overwhelming and awkward if he isn't aware of it. His mouth is WAY bigger than yours, and so are his lips. To kiss his small human property he must do so GENTLY for it to be pleasant, unfortunately. Make-out sessions toe a thin line. But let's face it, everywhere else on your body is FREE GAME😘

Getting undressed in any way, shape or form will be the most stressful part for him the first few intimate times. He will be so unhappy to do it, might even try to avoid it entirely. So don't let him. Instead, help him through it. Undress him slowly and kiss anything new you see, encourage him to do the same to you.

They have stretch marks. You'll think their scars or turtle stripes at first. But they are super pretty light green marks behind their shoulder, under their arms, their sides and legs. You mostly find them in areas of skin. But you can spot them between his scales sometimes.

DIM THE LIGHTS. His stress levels will lower with them. You'll need light, yes. But give him shelter.

mask OFF. Respect what makes him comfortable, and if he really doesn't want it off, don't take it away. But three out of four turtles don't take their masks off easily, so you might have to plead to see their face. They look VERY DIFFERENT without their masks. He will feel the most vulnerable and ugly without it, so once it's off? SMOTHER that mother fucker in kisses 😭 he needs to know you don't think he's revolting.

Okay CRINGE TIME.

SEX WITH LITERAL TURTLE MEN

MINORS DNI (NSFW Turtle Anatomy)

Plasteron layout is different on every turtle. But they all have really cool navel scutes and ridges 🤤

Plasteron isn't sensitive, but rubbing the skin under his shell it's a good way to get him to gasp. Featherlight touches over his v-line will get his hips to twitch. Or running your tongue along the edge of his plasteron- particularly the collarbone or abdomen areas, where shell meets skin- duuude his shivers will be more than worth it. They are all touch-starved, so sensations like these will be new and instantly addicting.

They have tails. Small stubby triangular ones just at the end of their spines. Due to the mutation, it's kinda hard for your turtle to move it consciously. Kinda like moving your ears. Their tails are completely useless, easy to hide with clothes, overwhelmingly cute and they are very SENSITIVE.

The physically can't get pegged lmao. They don't have a back door. Just like turtles, their bodies do NOT separate urine and feces like humans do. Instead they have one cloaca. They don't have a G-spot like humans.

Inside his cloaca is where they hide their junk. It is located where a human woman's clitoris is. It's just under the last pair of their scutes; which frame the soft pinkish slit in an upward chevron pattern. No balls! Instead, he has internal ridged structures between his legs to protect the sensitive organs inside. A kick between a turtles legs would earn a curse and anger, but it wouldn't cripple him. The cloaca's entrance isn't sensitive unless aroused. Arousal often causes his cloaca to swell and lubricate in readiness to drop.

Erections are extremely uncomfortable. They have powerful muscles that can keep their fully erect penis mostly inside, but it hurts. Their discipline is incredible, and if they don't want out, it takes A LOT to get them out. Movement like walking is extremely undesirable with an erection, as it only stimulates his penis and stretches and stimulates reproductive muscles.

They drop their penis. They can drop it at any time. Dropping and pulling (retracting) an unaroused penis isn't a big deal. It's super small but still sensitive, so expect your turtle to slap your hand in the shower if you try to touch it. But dropping a fully aroused penis actually kinda hurts him upfront- because his dick is fucking HUGE and it has to push through his small cloaca slit.

His penis is scary AF. You have to try so hard to not let it show though because he knows. It's a gradient of light to dark purple, the tip being the darkest. Shaped nearly like a shovel 😂. The tip is super spongey though and doesn't get ridged...but everything else does. You will not, I repeat, will NOT be able to fit it in the first try. Like at all.

The tip is the most sensitive. Its pointed shape makes it easy to slide out of the cloaca. A fully aroused penis inside the sheath isn't always easy to hold completely in. Just the tip can still cause tent in his pants.

Once he's out, he's OUT until he's satisfied or unaroused. It's like, literally impossible to pull back a fully aroused god sized dick into a tiny sheath, a tiny sheath that feels MUCH BETTER with it out.

His orgasm is really long. Human male orgasms last between 10-30 seconds. But his? 1-2 minutes. It's less one orgasm and more ten to fifteen rapid fire smaller orgasms. He cums, a lot. Not just literally cumming a lot of fluid, because it's A LOT of fluid. But he will literally be in an orgasmic state three times longer than you will be.

Orgasmic cuddles are his embarrassment and his darkest need.

Leo and Donnie have a habit of pinning their lover down on the bed in a quick fit of urgency. Then just staying there; breathing through the pleasure as if it's something to endure. Then in an attempt to hide their desperation they'll shakily attend to aftercare, fighting through the surges 🥴 they'll need a partner to tell them that they're okay. It's okay, keep going babe, you're alright. C'mere keep moving. Move with it, c'mon. Don't stop till it's over. You're okay. You're doing so good baby, I know. I know, you feel so good, keep going- Donnie is the loudest and Leo shakes the most during orgasmic stimulation.

Raph stops, curls up and curses in a nearly high voice before pulling out suddenly, hiding his face while he thrusts desperately into his own hand. You'll have to hold his head close while he pushes through this as fast as he can. He hates this and is embarrassed by it. To get him back inside won't be hard though. Just a few whispers and pets to his face and his hips are back to work, albeit much more shakey and forceful. He'll be fighting his own strength the entire time, trying not to squeeze and break you in his pleasure.

Mikey is whiney and twitchy but he can hold a conversation. He just has no idea what you're saying. He'll be trying to get you water and asking if you're okay all while he's busy trying not to pull your hair and push you down as he takes his pleasure. He'll beg to stay inside for a bit longer though. Then when you twitch or move around him he does this thing with his hips as if he's soothing you both and omfg it looks so good on him. He's hard to resist.

ANYWAY If you stop moving, you're turtle will just need to hug you for a bit. Maybe hide his face somewhere, bite something while his body tightens through breathing exercises with his hips twitching hard into yours a few times. He can try to talk but it's strained, and if he reaches for something or changes positions he'll be shaking like a leaf.

But mannn if you continue stimulation, like if you ducked down to give him head while he's still cumming~ he's not gonna leave the bed on working legs. And your pillows would probably be torn in half. And you are either fixing his bitten lip after OR your neighbors would hate you forever. Cuz...the noise.

Cleanup is a fucking killer for everyone involved. The turtles won't want to stand up and your an absolute WRECK and all you two will want to do is sleep. But too bad. You gotta get up to pee and he has his...MESS to clean up.

Stamina is unheard of. Sorry girls. No multiple rounds with these guys. BUT good thing it takes for-fucking-EVER for him to orgasm.

Cuddles after tho are INCREDIBLE and will knock you both out in seconds.