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Author Info: feel free to just call me "prince." a self-indulgent adult (25, he/they). I usually like/interact from princiere (my main blog) if I can't respond from this one
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(not a request, just want to chat out of curiosity)
So, how would your version of Tenna and null!Tenna reacts to learning they won the Tumblr Sexyman contest this year?
well... first off, they're both gonna need a lesson on social media in general when they're initially informed abt this contest, as well as the importance on what being a Tumblr Sexyman is. I think the best way to convey all of this to them is to show the vote count â now they understand.
Tenna would start crying (go figure) but it's in a good way, he swears. to think that he went from an unplugged and glorified box against the wall to this, with so many adoring fans in just over a year... it's the assurance he's been craving for a long time, and winning something like this means the world to him. lots of flowers are involved, of course, both in congratulations for him and because he cannot stop producing them from his nose due to the utter happiness he feels.
Null might struggle to settle on how he feels, in all honesty. he might try to act like a stupid contest like this is beneath him, that it only makes sense that he won, meanwhile in his head he's doing the math for just how many ppl voted for him and is getting the most insufferable ego boost out of it. he plays it off somewhat cocky, but...there's an intense floral scent coming from him that's getting worse over time... he just never expected this many ppl to rally in support of him â without that special channel of his to influence them, no less â esp considering his behavior at times. he doesn't let himself think abt it for too long, or else he worries he'll start getting all sentimental. gross.
âââ
a/n: I was gonna post abt this soon, but yea, congratulations to Tenna for winning the TSM contest this year! it's honestly made me pretty emotional for him â I love him so much and it's nice getting to see so much support for him. he deserves it.
Like Reader could be feeling insecure abt their old scars, maybe they used to SH and quit, and then Tenna spends however long admiring and reassuring his star that they are beautiful
I think since Null is a freak he'd probably lick the scars to be an ass but idk I might just be ovulating
Could I perchance add a preference for thigh scars? I almost never see them portrayed and it'd feel nice to be represented in a Tenna fanfic lol
All of You, I Adore
wc: ~2.2k (Tenna), ~2.7k (Null). Tenna/Reader, DN!Tenna/Reader (separate), second person POV, lightner!Reader. self-harm scars, insecurity, heavy comfort/light fluff, light banter/teasing (Null).
a/n: I got you o7 I also hope you don't mind me injecting my headcanon of Null having a history with SH too â I think it makes for smth sort of bittersweet to bond with him over.
!!! TW For Mention of Self-Harm !!!
Tenna
It's another late night in with your beloved showman. One of his favorite pastimes as the two of you wind down before going to bed is to situate himself between your legs so you can watch an old show or movie on his screen; sometimes you get distracted by the way he cutely kicks his feet in the air, but given your attention is still on him in a way, he never stops doing so.
It's a toss-up on if he decides to be touchy with you during these moments together. He always likes that physical confirmation that you're here with him, and you usually enable his clingy behavior, but sometimes he'll keep his hands busy by making sure he stays propped up so you can focus on the show. That doesn't stop his cord from gently wrapping around your ankle, however.
Tonight, it's clear that Tenna doesn't plan on keeping his hands to himself at all. Despite how his head â and therefore the show on his screen â are slightly tilted due to his position as he leans into your propped knee, neither of you comment on it so he can wrap an arm around your thigh, the other hand slipped under your other leg to intertwine his bare fingers with your own. It's sweet, warm, and comforting, especially as he runs his thumb over your skin or gives your hand a small squeeze.
Tenna slowly slides his hand over the front of your thigh without much thought behind his gesture, clearly just indulging himself in the feeling of you as the show plays. But, even with a pair of sweats in the way of his touch on your skin, you involuntarily squirm a little when his fingers run over the slightly numbed parts of your leg, thanks to the bumps of scar tissue. It's not a bad feeling, but it's definitely...unfamiliar.
He pauses at the slight movement, the program on his screen following suit and displaying a pause symbol at the bottom corner as it freezes mid-scene. Raising his head from where it's leaned against your leg, he questions, "Everything alright, sweetheart? Not getting too stiff or bored, are you?"
You hum an affirmative through pursed lips, alongside a somewhat tense nod. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to work, given how the paused show gives way to static, before Tenna's face manifests from his screen. He looks uncertain himself, lips parted as though he has another question and his upper frame raised.
Before he can try asking again, you let out a small breath, your shoulders sagging. "You were...touching my scars, so it just felt kinda...weird, I guess. I don't know."
Thankfully, you'd already spoken to him in greater lengths than you expected about your scars, and what exactly caused them, to his dismay. While Tenna was clearly conflicted upon learning this, he handled it much better than you could've ever anticipated, especially when you clarified that it'd been a long time since you last hurt yourself. After that initial talk, it...honestly hadn't been brought up in conversation since then, and frankly you were okay with that â as long as he was aware so he wouldn't freak out when he saw them, then that's all that mattered to you.
It's also just an uncomfortable experience altogether, addressing your scars. As far as you care to think about them, they're just proof of your issues, that they're physical evidence of what's wrong with you mentally. Even worse is that they're all done by your hand, so you have to live with the consequences for the rest of your life â at least they're relatively easy to hide, as long as it's not too warm. Still, you've become instinctively wary of letting anyone see them, and right now...isn't any better. Even if it's Tenna.
Upon processing your words, Tenna suddenly retracts his touch from where it'd been lingering on your thigh, almost like he'd been burned, and you're hit with another, different pang of guilt as he begins to fret, "Oh! Iâ I'm sorry, I didn't mean toâ"
"I know." You stop him. "I'm just...not used to them being touched."
Or being acknowledged at all, for that matter.
It takes a moment, but he thankfully settles down after your clarification. "...Touched, huh..." He muses aloud.
With his hand planted closer to the side of your leg now, Tenna visibly starts to think for a moment, one of his fingers tapping against your thigh in a sporadic pace. You can only hope he'll just drop it for now since you're supposed to be going to sleep soon, but knowing him... You decide to just hope that whatever he's planning doesn't involve getting up from bed, at least.
After what feels like only a short pause, Tenna's hand carefully slides back to where it originally was, his other hand gently squeezing yours in an attempt to comfort while he watches the way you stare at the hand on your thigh. His touch feels deliberate now, like he's actively searching for the raised scars embedded in your skin, through the sweats covering them. You don't stop him, but he pauses again when you avert your eyes back to his screen.
"...What are you doing?" You ask, meekly.
"Getting you used to the feeling, of course." Even as he tries to keep his usually boisterous volume under control at this time of night, Tenna speaks with a pep in his tone â perhaps to try and lighten the mood. He clearly forces a smile soon after. "If I'd known I was neglecting you like this, I would've done this from the start."
He runs a finger along one of your more severe scars, but he freezes completely when you gasp â it's a quiet yet sharp intake of air through your parted lips that startles even you, and it's enough to stop him entirely with a jolt of his shoulders. Whether he seems to sober up on his clinginess or not because of this, you're not sure, just that he hesitantly retracts his hand again as he inquires, "...Unless... You don't want me to...?"
Another pang of guilt, this time twisting your stomach uncomfortably and causing your heart to beat against your eardrums. "I-It's not that, it's just... I thought you, uh, were scared of them, or didn't...like them..."
It'd only be natural, given how unsightly anyone else that's seen them thinks they are, including yourself.
Silence follows. Tenna's screen is completely blank now, save for his nose. Your breath stops halfway in your throat, and just as you're about to swallow it down and say something, anything to change the subject, both the hand at your thigh and the one holding yours pull away so he can sit himself up on his knees. Your blood runs cold with panic, only to freeze entirely when those same hands carefully grab at the waistband of your sweats. They don't tug them down at all yet, but the intention is still clear.
Tenna's mouth reforms in the shape of a somewhat nervous smile, accompanied with a pixelated sweat drop near the top of his screen. "Mind if I take these off?"
Dumbfounded, you simply blink at him. Then, words find you again in a stutter, "I meanâ Iâ I don't mind, butâ Are you sure?"
"Are you sure? Ahâ Maybe I should mention that I, uh, don't have any funny ideas in mind right now though. Promise." He adds with a bit of a chuckle. Then, he quietly clears his throat and adds, his tone more serious, "I'd like to see them. Your scars, that is."
Once again, you're left practically speechless. Technically, he's seen them before, but with his current focus on them...
You swallow, feeling your heart hammering in your chest, and just barely nod. "Okay."
With your consent now, Tenna gently tugs your sweats down, assisted by you lifting your hips to make the process easier. You settle back down once the waistband is at your knees, and Tenna visibly thinks for a moment again before pulling them completely off of you, carefully lifting your ankles to do so and setting them where they originally rested. You feel a slight chill run across your now bare skin, your creeping embarrassment accentuated by the fact that he's still situated between your legs. You're not completely exposed to him, thankfully, but being left in just a top and your underwear has you averting your gaze to the far corner of the bed regardless while he drops your sweats just next to the two of you.
Luckily, Tenna's mechanical fingers are warm as he repositions your leg, laying it down flat against the mattress so he can get a better view of the scars running down your thigh from where he sits. A minor cold sweat develops in your palms, along with an uncomfortable twist in your stomach; they're faint, but it's enough to make you slightly jolt the second his fingers so much as come close to your scars.
He's not even touching them yet. You try not to shrivel up from the embarrassment and shame consuming you whole at this point.
"Easy, sweetheart." He coos softly. "You... You know I think you're beautiful, right? Just the cutest little lightner I've ever seen, heh."
He doesn't seem to notice or mind how you're not watching, which gives you a temporary reprieve for now. It's...hard to look at your scars sometimes, so having them on full display like this, with the light of Tenna's screen cascading over them like a spotlight...
You swallow again, twitching once more and letting out a small breath when his touch carefully yet purposely runs over a scar; immediately you recognize that it's one of the bigger, more severe ones, but you try not to squirm away from him. You know he means well.
Your reprieve doesn't last for long, as you hear him ask a moment later, "...Look at me? Please?"
Hesitantly, you turn your gaze back to the showman, whose screen is now angled back up to you. He smiles, albeit somewhat somberly while he gingerly traces across some of the lighter scars. "...Whatever you're thinking about right now, or whatever you think of these, itâ It doesn't change what I feel about you, okay? You're still so, so sweet and beautiful to me, starlight."
"...They're my fault, though." The words slip out of you, quietly.
His smile falters slightly, but he persists. "The cause behind them still doesn't change a thing. I... I can only imagine what led you to do this, but I'mâ I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure you love yourself as much as I love you. That way you'll accept these, and never want to hurt yourself again."
It's a long shot, but you're not about to shoot down his hopes, so you simply nod without a word, thickly swallowing down the lump in your throat. That seems to placate him, enough for his smile to brighten some before he angles his head back down to your thigh. Given his gentle touch on it this whole time, you've admittedly relaxed a bit into the feeling, but having his gaze on the scars again causes you to involuntarily tense up. Tenna quietly hushes you, splaying his fingers over a cluster of scars.
For a short while, it's oddly quiet between the two of you. The longer he graces over your scars, the more you practically melt into his touch, despite the circumstances. He doesn't seem put off by them at all, almost mindlessly feeling them like he'd initially done to your leg prior to all of this. Even the cold sweat and churning in your stomach slowly dissipates over time, leaving you somewhat comforted but very tired; you'd probably have fallen asleep by now if you weren't quietly startled to coherency every now and then upon remembering the situation you're in, followed by Tenna's gentle hushing again to calm you down.
"...Feeling comfortable yet?" He eventually asks. When you hum an affirmative, he lets out a small, amused huff. "I'm glad. You deserve to feel like this, sweetheart â all the time. I'll always love you, scars and all."
Tenna's hand pauses, and just as you're about to ask if something's wrong, he shifts himself to lay down on his stomach like he'd done so earlier, sliding his hand closer to your hip to keep himself propped over your leg. You aren't able to get a word out before he leans in to press his screen against your scars, startling a quiet gasp out of you. "Tennaâ"
He giggles into your skin, the warmth and fuzzy static just barely tingling past the scar tissue. He cuts himself off to press a firm kiss to them, and lifts his head back up to you, a soft dust of pink across his screen. "Yes, darling?"
Overcome with adoration for your showman, you struggle to come up with something to say in response to his bold gesture. So, to compensate â or perhaps to return the favor â you reach to take the side of his frame in your hand, and lean down to kiss him properly. Tenna's more than willing to meet you halfway, sliding his hand back over your scars in the meantime.
For once, you welcome the feeling.
Null
It's not often Null wears something that allows the casings of his arms to be on display, given the jagged scratches and marks he'd inflicted on himself over the years. You're grateful that he's been getting better about it lately, confiding in you (albeit begrudgingly) when his anger flares up so he doesn't end up taking it out on himself, as well as letting his arms show more often when it's just the two of you.
At first, you could tell that he'd try to subtly gauge your response to them, but you usually treated his marks as if they were just another part of him, even casually touching them at times to wordlessly tell him that you don't mind them. He'd twitch at the contact, of course, but he'd eventually relax, despite his embarrassment.
You know he's aware of your scars too; you're almost certain it's why he settled into showing you his more often, and so soon after revealing them. However, it's usually more difficult for yours to be on display, thanks to the natural chill throughout the dark world, and you're honestly more than fine with that. Even if the two of you can share the wary feeling about showing the aftermath of your self-harm to others, you know that yours probably look more...unsightly, against your skin, as opposed to Null's scratches on his arm casings. Yours were deeper, leaving unsettling bumps of scar tissue that numbs your thigh to a degree â you can only imagine how strange they must look to others, especially darkners.
So, you don't mind that they're hidden away almost all the time. It's easier this way.
Though...it's almost impossible to suppress the shudder that runs down your spine when Null drags his hand down your leg. You're both lounging in his office following the downtime from his show, and as per usual, he's long stopped paying attention to his paperwork to indulge you in conversation, especially as you're seated sideways in his lap with your legs dangling over the side of his chair. He's also dressed down for once, his suitcoat draped over the back of his chair and his sleeves rolled up to show the scratches littered across his casings.
You pay no mind to it, so neither does he.
With you seated across his lap like this, Null keeps one arm around your backside to keep you stable, while the other begins to run absentmindedly up and down your legs. You've been lucky thus far to not have his gloved fingers run over a particular section of your bottoms that currently cover your scars, but that luck seems to unfortunately run out when his touch graces over what feels like a cluster of them, given how uncomfortably numb it felt compared to his touch just moments ago. You tense up, only for a second, but it's enough to make Null pause, his once fond expression completely blanking. The sudden tension in the air quickly kills the lighthearted chatter between the two of you.
"What was that?" He asks too calmly.
You're quick to shake your head. "It's nothing."
"No it wasn't. You froze up on me when I touched you here." His thumb moves just slightly, only reinforcing his point when you accidentally twitch a little. He frowns at this. "Did you get hurt onstage again?"
"Well when you ask me like that, it makes me want to say yes regardless of if I did or not." You try to joke, even laughing a little despite the now chilly atmosphere.
Null immediately gripes, his upper frame furrowing further down to his usual scowl, "Knock it off. You know you're supposed to report to me when the show's too much for you, so either quit hiding it or I'll check you myself."
Knowing better than to keep pushing him, you let out a sigh. "Really, Tenna, it's nothing. I didn't get hurt again like you suspect."
"Then why did you tense up? Twice now, no less."
You purse your lips for a moment, darting your eyes down to your lap where Null's hand still rests. It's easier to ignore the strange feeling on your leg when his hand isn't moving, at least. "...Well... You were touching where my scars are, and it just felt...weird, I guess."
"...Weird how?"
As you think about what to say, you can't help the brief amusement that hits you, enough to make you quietly huff. "I'm gonna sound like a hypocrite if I tell you."
There's a noticeable pause between the two of you â Null hasn't said anything and you're still working on how to word your answer. He seems to interpret your silence differently, however, given how he uses the arm around your backside to tug you impossibly closer to himself, while the other hand slowly â almost cautiously â begins to move along your leg like before. As you look back up to him, you notice how his scowl has relaxed, thankfully, though his expression is almost blank again. He looks serious enough that whatever excuse you were planning to give him dies on your tongue.
"Tell me anyway."
Your eyes flit across his screen, somewhat taken aback by his insistence on the matter. Though, you suppose by now, you should've expected he'd be painfully stubborn. Averting your eyes back down to your lap, you carefully admit, "...I'm not used to showing them, or you touching them. It's not like I really get a chance to, anyway, and I've been okay with that. So... It just feels weird addressing them, still. Especially because all the scar tissue makes touching them feel..."
Your words trail off, unsure of how to explain the sensation to him, or lack thereof. It's hard to ignore the uncomfortable twisting that develops in your stomach, and you almost feel as though you're shrinking under the light of Null's screen. He's scarily quiet, and you're not sure how much of a good thing it is that he hasn't said anything in response yet.
After what feels like far too long in this suffocating silence, you're startled out of your spiraling thoughts when Null's hands suddenly move and lift you off of his lap, scooting his desk chair back enough to set you on your feet between himself and the desk. Your words trip over themselves â though you aren't even sure what you're trying to say in the first place â but you're quickly stunned into silence when his hands deftly grab to try and undo your outfit to rid of your bottoms.
You swiftly grab at his hands as you're suddenly able to exclaim, "Wait, Tenna, what are youâ?!"
"Show me your scars." He says far too simply for your liking, his hands pausing underneath yours. He angles his screen to face you properly, prominently showing how his frown returns. "I'm not letting this get any more one-sided than it's apparently already gotten. Either show me yours, or I stop showing mine."
Your breath catches in your throat. Even if Null had been willing to show his own scars more often around you, the thought of him going back to hiding them after everything just makes the twisting in your stomach worsen. It's cruel, what he's threatening to do, but it's easy for you to recognize that he's doing so with good intentions. Sort of.
Still...
"...I'm gonna get cold if I do."
"Don't act as if I won't be right here."
...
Luckily, Null seems willing to give you the time to mentally prepare yourself. After slowly taking in a deep breath, you loosen your hold on his hands. "...Okay. Go ahead."
With that, he makes quick work of your outfit, tugging down your bottoms and leaving you with only your underwear to keep you somewhat decent from the waist down. You're not sure what's embarrassing you more: having him see you like this, or the fact that he's seeing you like this in his office, where you're at risk of someone trying to come in. Though, knowing Null, you at least trust that he'll make sure that doesn't happen. The anxiety of that possibility still lingers regardless.
After draping your bottoms over one of the arms of his chair, Null then takes hold of you once more. "Sit up here," He mutters more to himself than you as he lifts you up, sitting you down on his desk with your legs dangling over the edge. You remain quiet in the meantime, pursing your lips while he scoots his chair closer to you and effectively trapping you where you sit.
Just as you start feeling a chill down your spine, faint goosebumps rising on your exposed skin, Null begins to run his gloved hands from your knees down to your hips. The feeling elicits a small shudder out of you, but at least he's attempting to keep you warm like he said he would â just having him close is already helping due to how warm he runs. He lifts his head to lock his screen with your gaze after a moment. "Good?"
You only nod.
"Don't get quiet on me now, doll. You know I'm not doing this to try and make you feel like shit."
"...I know."
There's a small pause, before Null tilts his head back down to focus on your scars. Your hands involuntarily clutch at the edge of the desk, and it's easy to notice how he noticed, given how he lifts the arm against your other leg to rest itself on you, with his hand still keeping hold of your waist. You give him a confused look as he bites the finger of the glove on his other hand to slip it off, and he casually mentions whilst pocketing the glove, "I'm giving your hands something to do so you don't try and break my desk with your grip. You're welcome to try and count my scars if you need a distraction that badly."
...You can't help breaking into a quiet fit of snickers, the discomfort in your chest giving way to something warmer and far less heavy. Even if it sounds as though he's taking a light dig at you, it's also clear that he's attempting to make this less uncomfortable for you.
While you do take him up on his offer after calming down, you only settle for tracing a finger over some of his scratch marks, like you'd done countless times by now. In the meantime, Null uses his now exposed hand to run his thumb over the edge of some of your more faint scars. He seems more interested in just looking at them instead of touching them for now, and while the experience is still unfamiliar enough to make you squirm a little, you try not to pull away or cover them, to hide them away from him again.
You know it wouldn't end well if you did.
From here, it's hard to tell what Null's thinking; he's been quiet for some time, tracing over your scars every now and then, as well as nudging and digging his fingers into your scarred flesh enough to watch the way they warp and stretch against your skin. It's weirdly numb at times, and you nervously laugh at the sensation. "What are you doing?" You ask him, genuinely.
He doesn't answer right away, eventually muttering, "...They're fascinating, in a way."
"Yea?"
Another pause, before he starts to speak at a more normal volume, "It's far from the first time I've seen scars on humans, but it's always struck me just how much your bodies can naturally heal themselves. The best I could do for my...injuries was to sand down the jagged parts sticking out so they wouldn't tear my clothes."
You hum a little, thoughtfully, as your eyes follow your finger while it trails down one of his worse marks, traveling nearly all the way down his forearm in a disheveled line. "...Mine took a while to heal. I hated the scabbing phases when I'd relapse."
"I can imagine."
For a while, neither of you speak again. You're able to slowly ease into the feeling while Null runs his mechanical fingers over your scars, again and again as he watches them. At the same time, you gently feel across the casing of his arm, taking in the somewhat rough textures of his marks and where he's had to try and clean them up.
Eventually, Null slides his hand away from your scars, resting his arm at your side now. You're tempted to question him, however your thoughts come to a screeching halt when his facial features dematerialize as he leans his head down, resting his upper frame against your thigh. All the pressure against your scars makes you squirm, prompting him to adjust his position a little until he figures you're comfortable. His bent antennae nudge into your side in an attempt to prevent poking into your stomach.
The gloved hand that'd been at your waist this whole time suddenly reaches to snatch your hand, right as you're in the middle of tracing another scar. Your breath catches, and your eyes dart between Null's head and hand. Even as his grip relaxes so he can wrap his fingers over your palm, you're still unsure if he's suddenly upset about something or not.
"...You know how I feel about you, _____." He says assuredly, his voice quiet and rough against your skin. "This is simply another part of you, just as my marks are a part of me. If...you can accept what I've done to myself, then stop thinking that I can't do the same for you. Got it?"
Once again, you're left too stunned to say anything. It's rare for Null to say anything affectionate â without getting embarrassed or cringing, that is â so finally, finally getting some kind of verbal confirmation that he accepts this part of you is...
"I said, got it?"
You blink, and huff out a quiet fit of laughter upon realizing he's expecting an answer. "Ahâ Right, got it. And, thank you."
"...Don't mention it."
For a second, you wonder if he plans to lay on your lap like this for a while; you can't say you mind, as the warmth of his screen against your thigh helps ward off any chills significantly more than his previous position. Unfortunately, he moves just moments later, but only to press more of his screen into yourâ
You jump with a yelp at the sudden feeling of teeth softly poking into your skin â clearly not enough to leave marks, yet even through the scar tissue, you can recognize the sensation. Your free hand quickly pushes at Null's head, your face growing warm at the sound of his chuckling as you gripe, "Tenna! We were having a moment!"
"Yea, well, moment's done. I need to get back to work soon." He mentions as he lifts his head. With his screen visible to you again, you're able to notice the light smirk in his rematerialized mouth, as well as a dusting of colored bars across the display. He then adds, "And for the record, I'm banning you from wearing pants at our home. I'm gonna make you work on showing these more often."
You shoot him a glare. "No you're not."
"Try me."
Letting out a sharp sigh, you groan, "Tenna..."
That gets a snicker out of him. "If I have to do this exposure therapy crap, then so do you, doll."
"...You owe me, then. It's your job to keep me warm, because this dark world gets so cold."
"Already planning on it."
It's tough to keep your irritated facade going any longer, melting into soft giggles when Null leans in to kiss you. You feel his bare hand reestablish its touch against your scars, but with his lips on yours and his other hand slipping its fingers between yours, you're more focused on the warmth across your entire body thanks to him than that strange feeling on your thigh.
You know â and trust â that he'll get you used to it now.
hiya!! chronic pain guy from before here to wish you a more pain-free tmrw!! hope things heal up well <3
thank you! đ«¶
I've gone from needing a brace on both wrists to just one, so that's progress. writing is still kind of a pain in the ass bc of that, but I'll take a couple new paragraphs to the current req wip as a win đ
Aww man, I hope your wrist heals well :( take as much time as you need to rest and get better
thank you đ«¶
it's not too bad currently, the fact that I can type at all (albeit kinda awkwardly...) is good, considering I couldn't just a few days ago. I just wanted to give a warning on the off-chance my progress on requests slow down to the point of being noticeable. I appreciate the well wishes regardless <3
just a heads-up, the next few (if not the rest of these) requests might be posted a bit slower for the time being. my body's deciding to fall apart right as I get the motivation and ideas back, now that the ch5 hype has calmed down for me, and it's not exactly fun trying to write with a hand/wrist brace <//3
MANNNNN ive been really hoping for some null comfort stuff with explicit material (i mean!!!!!!! write what u want obviously and junk) just since like. being aspec can make stuff like this very VERY different, and a lot of us gotta be a lot more careful with. and its mostly just conceptual anyways. but its just really nice to get that affirmation and stuff, yk?? like this isnt all that matters to these fellas, and theyre their own fully fledged beings with their own limits too! its really nice to see that looked at in fanworks. t'was really touching with your latest null work, so uh!!!!!! thanks!!!!!!!!!!
whatever ya feel like writin, we'll be there >>:3
thank you! đ«¶
it's very therapeutic, in a way, to write scenes like that as an aspec person myself, so I'm glad you liked it. while sometimes it's fun to just go crazy go stupid with smut scenes, I also like to explore the less addressed instances that can happen, like absolutely fumbling the mood and sharing a laugh with your partner over it, or in this case, having to use the safeword and stop everything. like you said, these guys can have limits too, and it's personally interesting to see what I could make those limits for my takes on them be, exactly â esp in the case of TV men who believe their entire purpose is to entertain and keep your eyes on them. they've probably unintentionally pushed their own boundaries a lot w/o even realizing it...
I just want to say thank you so much for all of your fics during this chp 3 & 4 era, and I hope you keep writing after this chapter (even if your Tenna enthusiasm gets replaced for another fella) enjoy Deltarune!!! <3
and thank you for enjoying them! 𫶠it's been a hell of an experience getting to share my work with you guys, hehe
honestly I highly doubt the Tenna fixation will truly ever go away, he's become such an important character to me and he's been my biggest muse for writing, ever. I know some ppl had an issue when I wanted to start writing for Caine too, but the thing is that I'm a chronic multifandom enjoyer, so it's not like I was replacing Tenna or anything. those two goobers occupy the same space in my mind and I adore them both dearly.
Tenna is here to stay, even if my general Deltarune fixation were to wane.
GUH I LOVED YOUR LATEST FIC SO MUCH IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE EVEN IMAGINED RAGHH
Tytyty I love your writing you're an amazing person and just ughhh... I loved it so much I can't even put it into words... You're awesome and ty for writing that... Sighs dreamily... I'll probably be reading that 154 more times in the next few days
~ đ«
hehe, thank you! 𫶠I'm glad you liked it!
I mentioned it in the author's note but I just found myself suddenly very interested in the idea of Null using the safeword too, hence why the req got two parts. it's of my belief that he gets in his own head sometimes and blames himself for a lot of things â some of which are justified, considering they are his fault â and that instance was when it all caught up to him.
as I said in the tags, pt 2 kinda became a character study, so it was very fun to write :]
I hope everyone enjoys chapter 5 tomorrow! and for the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won't be responding to anything regarding chapter 5 for some time (even if it's in regards to Tenna) to give everyone a chance to see it for themselves.
You know, maybe something like your Safe fic but with null would be nice, something that's both spicy and at least kinda comforting yk?
I'm trying to think of something specific but my creative juices aren't there rn...
Idk I guess I'll have to be vague sigh... I would've liked to come up with something a little more specific to help you out a little, but brain isn't working... I wish you luck with all of the requests though :)
~ đ«
Talk To Me
wc: ~1.9k (Pt. 1), ~2k (Pt. 2). DN!Tenna/Reader, second person POV. explicit, but quickly turns into comfort/fluff. safeword use, implications of bad headspaces and potential sub drop (Pt. 1) and dom drop (Pt. 2).
ac: I was originally gonna leave it with the first fic, but we're getting another two-part fic â I got very invested in a scenario about Null having to use the safeword himself, instead of just Reader doing so. prepare yourself for extremely soft and vulnerable Null this time around.
If You Continue, You Consent To 18+ Content. You Have Been Warned.
To say that Null can be rough with you during sex is an understatement. A lot of the time, when he's like this, you frankly enjoy the rougher treatment, being manhandled to his liking, pinned in a harsh and embarrassingly vulnerable position, and fucked to the point of delirium â something about his deliberate act of making sure he stays in control during these rougher sessions just really gets you going.
Tonight, though... It's hard to say.
You're not really sure what triggers it. Null has you situated on your knees in your shared bed, with one of his hands ensnared around your wrists to keep them behind your back, leaving the side of your face pressed into the mattress. He leans down and over you completely, his screen glowing just above your head while he ruts into your core with precise and harsh thrusts. He openly chuckles as each smack of his hips against your ass pushes out a pathetic whine from your parted lips, the sheets beneath stained with your drool.
"C'mon, _____, I know you can be louder than that." Null goads intentionally. "Lemme hear you. Make some real noise."
It all feels so good. He's doing everything that the both of you know will make you clench around him just the way he likes, and yet...
...Something feels wrong. There's an uncomfortable twist in your stomach growing more and more prominent, to the point that it's becoming increasingly difficult to stay in the mood, even though you want this, you really do.
...At least...you're pretty sure you do. You were just as excited for this as he is not too long ago, but...
Null's movements suddenly stop, his cock buried to the hilt inside you, and he leans down more, the heat from his flushed screen radiating across your own fervent skin â it's almost dizzying. "Don't get all shy on me now, doll. We're only just getting started."
You clench your hands from behind your back, realizing how shaky and clammy they are, and the twisting in your stomach swiftly worsens, churning so violently that you feel as though your lungs have been compromised. It's so hard to breathe, especially in this position, and you vaguely feel as though you're going to be sick sooner or later.
Swallowing thickly, you manage to choke out, "C-Commercialâ"
Null doesn't immediately move much upon hearing you, aside from his grip around your wrists shifting ever so slightly. The glow of his screen dims somewhat, from what you can tell in your peripheral, and you faintly feel a light chill as he slowly lifts some of his body off of yours, the almost suffocating heat he emits leaving with him. He's still buried deep inside you, but he hasn't tried to to start moving again, at least. It's almost as if he's intentionally staying pressed into you, to prevent as such.
"...Okay. Just...bear with me for a second." His tone is scarily calm, compared to the near carnality it had just moments ago.
Slowly, carefully, Null releases your wrists from his hold, allowing you to settle your arms underneath yourself and weakly push to lift yourself up. It's a bit relieving to not have your face buried in the sheets anymore, but your struggle to breathe is only worse off now, as you're suddenly overcome with intense guilt that forms as a painful lump in your throat, eliciting burning tears in your eyes. Everything's so cold, all of a sudden.
The hand previously holding your wrists gently slides to the side of your waist as he withdraws himself from you, granting you another small relief. The chilly air that brushes over your sweaty skin evokes a harsh shudder from you, however, and combined with the tight feeling in your chest, you fail to suppress a sob from escaping. You hiccup, and your vision quickly blurs to the point that you squeeze your eyes shut.
"I-I'm sorrâ"
"Don't apologize." Null stops you, gently. His hand now only hovers at your waist as he asks, "Am I allowed to keep touching you?"
The chills over your entire body are unbearable at this point â you want his warmth now more than ever. You nod shakily, however he adds, "I want a verbal answer, _____. Just a yes or no will work."
"Y-Yes. Please."
"Okay. Here, just try to sit for now, you don't need to stay on your knees."
With careful assistance from Null, he helps you turn over and shift to sit down properly on the bed. You cringe slightly at the slickness between your legs, especially as it rapidly cools now that the heat of your shared intimacy is diminishing. You tremble as you pull your legs closer, your arms crossed over your stomach. You can't bring yourself to look away from your lap, keeping your head down and letting your tears drop down onto your legs.
Your already unstable breathing hitches when Null adjusts himself to sit down just in front of you, his legs crossed. He'd tugged a section of the sheets over his lap for the time being â they're already in need of washing, anyway â and leans over to do the same with you, draping some of it over your shoulders. It helps somewhat alleviate what feels like a bone-deep chill at this point, at least.
"How about now? Can I still touch you?"
You try to nod, but upon remembering what he said before, you take a second to swallow before muttering an affirmative. Null reaches to take one of your shaking hands in his, while the other slowly cups the side of your face, regardless of how much it's angled down and away from him.
"It's okay. I'm right here."
Sniffling, you try to apologize again, but he stops you once more. "You're okay, doll. I'm not mad at you for using the safeword. Actually, I appreciate that you used it."
"But Iâ I ruinedâ"
"You didn't ruin anything. I'm not mad at you for wanting to stop, so it's okay. We're okay."
Despite his attempt to comfort, the overwhelming guilt that stubbornly clings to your thoughts feels impossible to rid of. You hiccup again, choking on another sob. Null pulls both his hands back, and before you can beg for them back, desperately needing the assurance that he doesn't hate you for stopping, he's already wrapping them around you as best as he can from this position to tug you closer. Given he's more adjusted to your height for the time being, you're able to lean your head against his exposed chest, the gentle hums of his inner mechanisms now louder than ever from right here. You feel the static of his screen nuzzle against your head from above, and with his warmth surrounding you once more, your trembles slowly start to ease away, finally.
You can almost breathe normally, for the first time in...a while.
"You did everything right, _____. You used the safeword exactly as you're supposed to." He gently mutters through the faint compression and static in his voice.
"I justâ I-I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong, I justâ"
You hiccup again, softly, so Null quietly hushes you once more, one of his hands moving to press his palm to the back of your neck. Your breath hitches again in an audible gasp, causing him to freeze, yet when one of your hands shifts to rest against his leg, he thankfully refrains from pulling away when that's far from what you want right now. "Still, something was wrong and you let me know. That's all I ask for, darling." He assures.
The two of you sit like this in silence for a while, the only sounds cutting through being Null's mechanisms humming and the occasional sniffle from you. Your tears have slowed, thankfully, though you're not sure if it's because you've calmed down or because you've cried yourself out â your emotions are a complete mess right now. Slowly, you sense something long and thin curl around you from behind, and can only guess that it's his plug-in cord trying to assist with comforting you.
You don't even remember him untying it â did it release itself at some point after you used the safeword? Or were you so...caught up with your own problem that you truly just never noticed? You decide to hope it's the former.
"...Talk to me?" The lilt in Null's voice makes his words sound more like a suggestion than one of his usual demands. You hum briefly, prompting him to continue, "Tell me what you're feeling."
"...Guilty, I guess." Your voice comes out weakly. "I'm just... I know I shouldn't feel bad for stopping, but I don'tâ I don't know why I started feeling like something was wrong."
"Regardless, you still let me know, so just...understand that I appreciate it. I'm not interested in continuing if you're not willing to."
"...You're not upset with me?"
Null sighs a little, and your thoughts are fortunately clear enough now that you're able to recognize it's not a sigh of irritation or exhaustion. The hand at the back of your neck shifts just slightly, and you feel his thumb rub back and forth for a moment. "...Never with you."
His tone is so delicate that you almost feel lightheaded.
After a pause to compose yourself, you comment, "I get on your nerves a lot, though. Sometimes on purpose, but..."
"While that's true, now isn't one of those times. And it's good to hear you're starting to get a bit snarky again â you mean to tell me you irritate me on purpose sometimes?"
"...You like it." You smile, even though you're still sniffling.
"I love it. Just like I love you. Don't forget that."
Your amusement pauses, slightly taken aback by how easily he says that. A small lump quietly builds in your throat, but you swallow it down, feeling a blossoming of warmth inside you that makes your heart stutter. "...I love you too." You mutter into the casing of his chest.
"Good. Feel like cleaning up yet?"
You hum an affirmative, however right as you try to pull away and sit up, Null's already moving his hands again, with one to your backside and the other slipping under your legs. Suddenly, you're lifted from the mattress, forcing an embarrassing squeak out of you as you scramble to grab hold of his shoulders. "Wait, Tennaâ"
"Nope, no arguing on this, _____."
"I can walk just fine!" You're laughing anyway.
As you finally will yourself to glance up at his screen, you're comforted by the light pink across his display, as well as the cheeky smirk he gives you before leaning down to briefly nuzzle against your head. "That's too bad, you don't need to be walking around on your own right now when I can do this. Now c'mon,"
With that, Null shuffles off the bed with you in his arms, carrying you away to the bathroom. While you're still mildly wary in regards to tonight's turn of events, you're already feeling much better about it all, thanks to him, and judging by what's to come, he only plans to continue doing so until the heavy weight lingering in your chest is gone.
It's only expected that all the teasing Null's been pulling on you today would lead to this. For some reason, he's been acting insatiable, getting extra handsy with you even onstage, verbally poking at you with jokes that you can recognize as flirtatious in nature, while coming off as just playful to anyone else, and even leaning close to you to make sure you really understand his intentions with you, away from any eavesdropping.
"Just wait until we're home."
If there's one thing Null excels at, it's making good on his word, no matter what.
What you aren't expecting is just how cruelly he decides to treat you tonight. You don't think you'd been intentionally provoking him, and yet with the way his teasing continues to be so unrelenting, it almost feels as though you'd done something to drive him so crazy on purpose.
Null has you sprawled open for him on your shared bed, having already toyed with you to the point that you're involuntarily shaking under his touch, yet you haven't finished once. He purposely brings you to the edge, only to pause right as you're about to tip over â again and again, and you know it's to elicit the pathetic noises that come out of your throat against your will.
It's embarrassing for you, just the way he likes it.
He's agonizingly slow as he pushes his cock inside you, small and shallow bucks of his hips that do nothing but keep you trembling and losing your mind for him. You choke on your own breath as you plead once more, "T-Tenna, please, c'monâ"
"Now now, doll, I'm gonna need you to hold out for me." Gone is his usual display for the time being, with only a wicked grin stretched across his dark screen. Despite that, you can feel the heat emanating from it as he leans down to you, adding, "I want to see exactly how much you can take tonight. How much you can entertain me for a change, before it's all just tooâ muchâ"
Null emphasizes his point with a few harsh thrusts into your core, openly chuckling at the sound of your startled moans. You're panting at this rate, the suffocating heat of it all and the tight string in your lower stomach coiling further and further causing you to hiccup, your vision beginning to blur at the edges.
You grit your teeth. "Please," You gasp out, "Please, Tenna, I wannaâ wannaâ"
"Keep begging for me all pretty like that." As he tells you this, you feel his plug-in cord wrap itself around one of your ankles, forcibly tugging your leg out to spread you even further for him. "I could watch you beg me to let you cum for ages."
"Fuck, pleaseâ IâI can'tâ can't do this much longerâ"
"Yes you can."
Instinctively, you sniffle, and as you clench your eyes shut, you faintly feel a couple tears slip down the sides of your face. He's being so mean tonight, but coupled with the overwhelming spiral of pleasure he's practically keeping you trapped in, it's downright addicting, if not maddening.
You feel the hands on you clutch at your flesh briefly, before suddenly loosening. Your eyes fly open upon realizing you'd shut them, and as your teary and panicked gaze darts back to Null, about to apologize for looking away from him, you pause when you see his screen is completely dark now, his movements falling still.
...He's not overwhelming himself to the point of overheating his internal system, is he?
Just as you're about to question him as best as you can through your trembling breaths, you pick up the sound of faint static emitting from his speakers as he mutters, "...Commercial."
Hearing that word sobers you in an instant. Frankly, you're a bit confused what has him stopping so suddenly, after being so worked up just moments ago, but given he's using the safeword â for the first time, no less â you push aside your own feelings for now to focus on him. "O-Okay. That's okay, we can stop."
Null doesn't say any more, carefully withdrawing himself from you and releasing your legs to let you settle into a more comfortable position on the mattress. As you push yourself to sit up, mindlessly wiping away the tear tracks on your face, you notice how he's seated on his knees, his screen angled down to his hands as he holds them up, like he'd gotten something on them.
Carefully, you reach out, though you pause just as your fingers are about to touch his. "...Is this okay?"
He doesn't move at all. Not away from you, but not towards you either. "...Do what you want."
"This is about you right now, Tenna. Are you okay with me touching you?"
"...I..." The static in his voice grows louder, making his next words a bit of a strain to hear. "...I don't know..."
Slowly, you pull your hand back, and that's enough for his head to lift all of a sudden, seemingly taken aback by this. He just barely reaches out with one hand, before quickly retracting it. He stammers, "Wait, w-waitâ"
"I'm not going anywhere, don't worry. Don't push yourself if you don't wanna touch right now." You're quick to assure him. That gets him to relax, enough for his tense shoulders to drop. You continue, "But just...talk to me. Please. You seem upset about something."
There's a stretch of silence as Null seems to just...stare at you â it's hard to tell, given you're looking at the faint reflection of yourself in his blank screen. Eventually though, he lowers his head again, focusing once more on his hands. He still holds them out as if they'd been stained.
"...You started crying, and I just..." His words trail off. Just as you're about to say something, he starts again, "You started crying, and I... It got in my head, o-or something, that I was...hurting you. Or I'd gone too far with all this and upset you. Iâ I don'tâ..."
When he falls quiet, aside from the constant staticky compression emitting from his speakers, you decide to carefully assure him, "It's okay, Tenna. The tears weren't because you'd hurt or upset me. I was still enjoying everything, I promise."
For a moment, you're not sure if he's listening to you. As you're thinking of what else to say, your thoughts suddenly freeze when you notice the faint glow of liquid static beginning to build in the bottom corners between Null's screen and frame. He doesn't tremble, doesn't take in any shaky breaths, however he does angle his head even lower in a vain attempt to hide his oncoming tears.
"Hey, hey," Carefully, you scoot closer, still making sure not to touch him, "Tenna, itâ It's okay, I promise. I'm sorry my crying scared you, but I'm okay, see? You didn't do anything wrong. And I'm really glad you used the safeword, so...thank you. Really. I want you to enjoy what we're doing too, so I appreciate that you let me know you wanted to stop."
One tear drops, then two, and slowly, almost hesitantly, Null raises his head just enough for you to see his dark screen again, the bottom corners of his frame now stained with luminous tear tracks. You watch him carefully, unsure what all he's thinking, but you know for certain that you're not going anywhere until he's okay again.
It's startling to see someone like Null in such a state, but...in a way, it just shows how much he seems to trust you, given he hasn't deflected like he tends to do. And you're not about to risk losing that trust.
As the glow of his tear tracks begin to fade, Null slowly reaches to you again. You're about to offer your hand for him to take, if he'd like, however you're taken aback when he reaches up to cup the side of your face in his palm. He just barely twitches upon doing so, but when you don't pull away â even cautiously leaning into his touch â he seems to relax somewhat, enough to run his thumb just under your eye. The mechanisms of his gloveless hand is harsh, the small spaces between its casing rough and easily able to pinch you if he's not careful, but to you...
They're warm. Delicate, even, despite everything about them saying otherwise.
"...Talk to me?" You prompt, gently.
Null remains quiet for a moment, until eventually he mutters through the lingering static compressing his voice, "...I usually enjoy getting reactions like that out of you. I justâ... I suppose I've been...overthinking too much lately, and Iâ I don't..." Finally, finally he manages to take in a shaky breath of air â even if unnecessary for him â and releases it slowly. "...I don't want you to get sick of me. I don't mean to be so...mean to you, but I justâ I got...scared that I was pushing you too far. That I was finally being too much for you."
"You weren't. I promise." As if to test the waters, you raise your hand to press it over his. Null visibly tenses in response, but seems to relax seconds after. "I would tell you or call you out if you were going too far. I'm familiar with your behavior by now, so I know you've just been very...teasing today. I was having fun with it, though."
Null lets out another breath after a pause. The static in his voice is much more faded this time around, and you're able to hear the relief clearly in his tone. "...Good. Good."
"Thank you for telling me, by the way. I know you're not the best at talking about feelings and all thatâ"
"Hey,"
You giggle, but continue, "âbut I appreciate you letting me know what's wrong. I promise I'm okay, Tenna."
There's another stretch of silence where Null seems to watch you, even more so now that touch has been reestablished. Finally, he wills himself to bring his screen back to life, a quiet blink followed by his face slowly manifesting before you. You can't help but smile, even as he appears to act almost unsure and sheepish under your gaze. "There you are." You murmur fondly.
His lips purse slightly, angling his screen off to the side for just a moment before turning back to you. "...You're not upset with me?"
"Of course not. You wanted to stop, so we stopped."
Null slowly nods, clearly still struggling to come to terms with how tonight's panned out. In an effort to lighten the mood, now that he's perked up enough to turn his screen back on, you offer, "Why don't we clean up and get something to eat? Your choice for tonight's dinner."
That gets him to visibly contemplate, until he ultimately concedes, albeit hesitantly. "...Very well, then."
You eye him curiously.
Just as he tries to slip his hand from where it's pressed to your cheek, you tighten your hold on it, causing him to pause as his upper frame rises. You sit up, trying to lean up to him. "Is it alright if I kiss you?"
Null suddenly sucks in a small breath, taken aback. A staticky layer of pink appears across his display, and as his shoulders relax again, he seems to watch you for another moment, before leaning down and kissing you himself. It's your turn to gasp, though you quickly let out a muffled giggle against his mouth, earning you a smile pressed into yours.
He barely gets to pull away before you say, "I love you."
"...I love you too."
Your smile widens, only for you to burst into another fit of laughter upon seeing the pink on his screen brighten. He clears his throat as he sits up, yet he doesn't make another attempt at pulling his hand away from you, or even deflect from the fond smile he gives you.
As the two of you eventually shift to stand and make your way to the bathroom, his hand in yours, you make a mental note of making sure to further discuss about these thoughts of his, given how bad they seemed to have accumulated. But for now, you focus on what you plan to do to pamper him, as well as help him decide on tonight's dinner.
something simple..how about some very jealous Tenna ? He swears up and down he doesn't have an issue with that but we all know he absolutely does
Reassurance
wc: ~2.4k. Tenna/Reader, second person POV. established relationship, jealousy, banter, teasing, comfort, fluff.
a/n: it was fun trying to include some other characters for this, since I usually just try to keep the focus on Tenna for these ficlets. we'll also not be addressing the obvious lack of a certain character, tyvm ;;
It's more often than not that you find yourself in the green room between rounds for Tenna's show, given he needs time to get everything for the next round ready. Usually, you occupy yourself with the games he provides with the consoles in there, or you indulge in the minigames over in the A-Rank room if you feel as though you haven't gotten enough of one in particular lately. The showman always makes sure to find ways to prevent you from ever getting bored, even while offstage, and you're always thankful to him for that.
Tonight, however, you honestly just want to relax. Tenna's game boards and his physical challenges have proven to be plenty of stimulation for you already, so after the second round and you're escorted to the green room (with his usual kiss to your head before leaving), you actually idle at the vending machine for a moment, debating on what to do with your free time before the final round. The console games feel a bit too mentally taxing, especially after spending so long on tonight's game boards, and you already know you don't have the spare energy to play any extra minigames right now.
"Can't make up your mind tonight?"
Your eyes dart over to whoever just spoke to you, and you're greeted with the Pippins running the bar for the time being. You hum thoughtfully, stepping over to one of the bar stools. "Hm, something like that."
"He's always got a lot for you to do, doesn't he?" They obviously tease. "Have you ever tried kicking back and relaxing for once?"
You momentarily glance elsewhere as you think. "...Not since I started coming here, I suppose."
"No need to run yourself ragged just for him, y'know. That's what this bar is for, after all! Why don't you try out a drink or two?"
Honestly, you don't see why you shouldn't. Just as you glance up at the menu, however, they pipe up again, "Oh, and just a heads-up, anything you order will be deducted from your points."
That gets a chuckle out of you. "Well, I think I've accumulated plenty of those lately."
With that settled, you finally decide to take a seat at the nearest stool. It thankfully spins smoothly so you can adjust yourself to your liking, and once you're comfortable, you peek back at the menu and decide on your drink. The Pippins gets to work, trying to make light conversation in the meantime. "Y'know, a while back, before you got here, the bar was mostly just for show â no drinks or nothing! Everything came from the vending machines, since Mr. Tenna didn't want us touchin' the points."
"I'm guessing he's fine with it now, then?"
"Hah, barely. He put in some strict regulations, but at least the bar actually has a purpose now."
You snicker a little; yea, that sounds about right for him.
Just as they finish up your drink and set it on the counter before you, you hear a familiar voice behind you chime in, "Evening, _____!"
Upon glancing over your shoulder, you're met with the weather couple, Elnina and Lanino. By now, you're plenty familiar with them, so you tilt your head in a small greeting of your own. "Hey guys. Here for a drink too?"
"You know it!" Elnina smiles while she takes the seat next to you. "Can't get any rain without quenching my thirst!"
"Surely there's a better way to say that?" Lanino remarks, taking the stool on the other side of her in the meantime. Elnina turns her head to him, and you can only guess what kind of glare he just received, judging by the speed at which he shuts his mouth.
"Anyway!" She straightens up, turning back to you. "What brings you here tonight? We've never seen you try the bar before!"
"You're welcome." The Pippins across the counter suddenly interjects.
After casting a quick glance their way, you answer her, "Mm, just don't have as much energy as usual tonight, I suppose. I was trying to figure out what to do, since we still have one more round for Tenna's show, but I didn't wanna make myself tired in here, so... They called me over, basically. Told me to relax."
"Again, you're welcome."
You can't help chuckling a little at their remark.
For a while, you're able to make more light conversation between the bartender and couple, nursing your drink between your hands during the quiet moments and laughing when the couple inevitably starts bickering like usual. The Pippins across the counter refills your drink once it runs low, and you give them your thanks.
Just as you're starting to wonder how long it's been, or if the next round is going to start soon, you suddenly freeze at the sound of another, much more familiar voice behind the three of you. "All of you having fun?"
Something about his tone sends a shudder down your spine.
Still keeping your drink in your hands, you carefully spin your stool around to face Tenna, who seems to have adjusted his height to be able to fit in the green room. He stands with his arms crossed, a tight smile on his staticky screen, accompanied with a low furrow of his upper frame. His plug-in cord is untied and hangs out from behind his suitcoat, twitching almost irritably against the floor and even thumping with a small but sharp crack against the tiles every now and then, thanks to the metal ends.
Your attention turns over to the weather couple as they suddenly begin to stammer over each other, making up excuses that you can't really discern from one another. The Pippins behind the bar simply snickers, "C'mon, boss, we're just chatting. You don't want your contestants to sit back and relax for once?"
You glance back at Tenna, and while he tenses up even further in response to the obvious provocation, he seems to disregard their words, unfurling his arms to emphasize himself. "We only have one more round tonight, and I need them at their prime for this! They're more than welcome to relax, but the last thing they need is to sit here and hang out withâ Wh-Why are you even running the bar to begin with?! I relegated this to the Shadowguys!"
"They called out sick."
"They can't do that! They can't have all called out sick, let alone call out at all!"
Raising one of his hands to the side of his head, Tenna groans as the others begin to snicker. "Look, the final round is about to start, so I need all of you in your places, NOW!"
Something about his choice of words makes Lanino pipe up. "Butâ We're not even in the script forâ"
"You are now! So chop chop, get to it, you two!" He claps his hands together, clasping them tightly.
It's the couple's turn to groan, but they don't give any remark and hop off their stools to head to the stage to prepare for the final round. Upon checking over your shoulder again, you realize that the Pippins had fled at some point after Tenna was done getting on their case; at least they can't intentionally make the situation any worse now.
"And _____?"
You feel your body involuntarily tense. As you turn your head back to Tenna, you pause once more at the realization that...he shrunk again. He's a bit closer to your height now, if you had to guess, and the corner of his tight smile twitches. The thumping of his cord ceases, having wrapped itself around his ankle.
After what seems like hesitation on his part, he finally speaks up, his voice more quiet and...uncertain now. "...You were...having fun with them, weren't you...?"
Despite how you feel a bit verbally cornered right now, you answer honestly, "I was. I just wanted to relax a bit between rounds this time, so I could save my energy for your show."
"Save yourâ" Tenna straightens up, stepping closer. The furrow of his frame is gone, shooting upwards now. "Sweetheart, if you're low on energy, you should've told me! I-I can get you something to eat real quick! I got yogurt tubes that'll brighten you up again in no time!"
"No, no, it's okay." You giggle lightly, raising one of your hands to press to his chest now that he's so close to you. He seems to perk up at the physical touch, given how his lips purse into a wobbly line, and his once staticky screen dusts with a light pink.
Now that he seems a bit more relaxed â or less upset, at least â you decide to question, "So, what was all that about?"
"...What was what about?"
You tilt your head, breaking into a light smirk when he seems to fluster a little under your gaze. You clarify, "You don't usually get all snappy like that unless something upset you. Those two weren't even supposed to be on the show tonight until you decided that just a minute ago. So, talk to me. Did something happen?"
"...Well..." Tenna angles his screen away, pointedly looking down at the section of tiling just next to your stool. After a second, he lifts his head back up, yet still turned away enough to not look at your directly. "You were just...being awfully friendly with them, is all. Can't have them dragging you into their little schemes right under my nose!"
"Schemes, huh? About what, exactly?"
"Wellâ Th-That's what I'd like to know!"
You giggle lightly at his accusations, if you could even call them that. He stammers a bit incoherently in response to your amusement, ultimately shutting his mouth once you've caught your breath.
Leaning closer to him â promptly causing him to face you directly once more â you quietly say, "Relax. I wouldn't go behind your back like that. But if you wanted my attention on you, that's all you had to say."
"Huhâ?"
"We're gonna be late at this rate, but you're not rushing me like the others. Your first question to me was if I was having fun with them, Tenna. You're not subtle about being jealous, but that's okaâ"
"WHâ I AM NOT JEALOUS!"
"Then why aren't we going onstage yet? You were in such a hurry a moment ago to get everyone else going, but not me."
"Th-That'sâ!"
By now, his screen is flushed with colored bars, and he pouts slightly when you giggle again. After he seems to realize you're teasing him, he takes a moment to compose himself, yet he still juts out his bottom lip. "...I wasn't jealous."
"Sure."
"Iâ Why do you sound like you don't believe me?"
"Because I don't."
That sends him into another stammering episode. It's hard not to take pity on him, even if just a little. As you giggle again, you lean back in your stool, taking Tenna out of his audible spiraling now that there's some distance between the two of you again.
"I wouldn't be upset with you if you were jealous, y'know."
That seems to get his attention. "...You wouldn't?"
You hum with a shake of your head. "I think it's cute. Well, maybe the part about you basically punishing your staff about it isn't very cuteâ"
Tenna winces a little at that.
"âbut seeing you get all worked up like that was...silly, in a good way. You really want my attention on you, don't you? Enough to get all pouty?"
The colored bars across his screen that had been slowly fading suddenly brighten again, and he quietly clears his throat, shifting one of his hands to toy with the knot of his tie while the other slides behind his back. He smiles shakily. "Wellâ I-I am the host after all, itâ It only makes sense that your attention stays on me! That, andâ Well..."
Tenna shrinks again, just a little, and the corner of his mouth twitches. "...I am more entertaining than them, right?"
...Something in the way he questions this sobers you relatively quickly from the teasing you've been putting him through. With a much more certain smile of your own, you answer easily, "Of course you are, Tenna."
That seems to be the assurance he needs, given how his visibly forced smile becomes much more relaxed to match yours, as well as regaining some height to his stature. "Good! Good. Right. Of course I am! Just, ah, wanted to make sure, haha!"
You can't help chuckling a little; his lack of subtlety will never not be amusing to you.
After clearing his throat once more, Tenna relaxes his posture some, enough so he still carries the peppy charm he'll need for the stage. "Well! With that settled, are you ready to get the show started, _____?"
"Almost."
Tenna lets out an inquisitive hum as you turn to set your drink on the counter; you're not sure what else to do with it since the bartender is nowhere to be seen now. Once you're turned back to him, you beckon him closer, to which he complies with right away, despite his clear confusion. You're careful with grabbing his lapel, so as not to wrinkle it right before he's on camera, and Tenna briefly gasps right before you lean up enough to give him a small kiss.
You pull back to see the renewed flush of colored bars on his screen, and giggle almost breathlessly. "Just remember that I don't do that with anyone else, okay? You're cute when you're jealous, but don't forget that you're special to me."
Tenna's little act of breathing that he instinctively follows at all times wavers just slightly, catching in his throat, and his plug-in cord swishes across the floor loudly enough to make you burst into another fit of giggles. As he pulls himself together again, he gently nods his head. "Ahâ Y-Yes, heard you loud and clear, sweetheart. But, uh, how about one more, just to make sure?"
You laugh harder, but comply with his wish anyway. The show is definitely going to start late by now, but you don't think Tenna seems to mind much.
hiiiii sorry if this is like weird to ask but i saw you mention in a previous post (https://www.tumblr.com/princelywritings/800133910533160961/revelation?source=share <- that one) that it was inspired by a certain audio ... and i was wondering if you have the link to said audio ? :3 ?
unfortunately not, sorry <//3 the person that originally made the audio deleted everything a while back, and out of respect I don't have the audios anymore either
Playlist guy again, some I might be responsible for half of those views lol
but since theyre back and I could check the songs... "I'm Your Man" -Leonard Cohen feels so Null. There's this one line ("And If you want a doctor, I'll examine every inch of you") that reminded me of your medplay fic too that really set it for me lol
Hope you're doing good and the curses aren't cursing
I'm flattered lol
anyway, I can definitely see the vibe (link), esp since I like to imagine Null's studio is generally more...relaxed(?) and jazzy, I suppose, compared to Tenna's.
Am I schizophrenic or did the playlists disappear from your pinned
Maybe the real playlists were the friends we made along the way...
lol, no it's not just you, promise
I did take them away â I won't go into the details of why, aside from mental illness doing its thing the other week or so. plus it kinda startled me seeing the view count on some of them, even tho they were unlisted...
while I'm here, I'd like to say thank you for 400 followers now everyone! that is...a lot of people that like what I do here.
I hope to continue making works you guys enjoy, whether it be for the TVs, the sentient dentures, or any future possible additions â I'm a chronic multifandom enjoyer after all, lol
