Tumgik
#Dead End Adventure on the other hand was really great
zosanbrainrot · 4 months
Note
could you draw Chopper? please
Tumblr media
I have a lot of things that I'm procrastinating on so ofc I'm gonna draw for asks, that makes perfect sense
anyway, I saw film Gold recently and one of the things I liked was Chopper's outfit he had in the beginning!
384 notes · View notes
stubz · 1 month
Text
Storyteller
"Hello Max, I'm here to surprise Pollix with a early pick up."
"Oh how nice, although I don't know if he'll want to go right now."
"Why not? Is he in the middle of a game?"
"No, its story time."
The tighalax smirks. "You really think he won't want to come because of 'story time'?" he laughs.
"Just look and see." the human smiles.
The teacher leads the giant feline being through the child centre to a corner where a colorful and beautiful plush carpet lays on the floor. Not that you could see it as it was covered by sitting younglings. All entranced by the human standing before them telling them a story rather animatedly and loudly.
"Pollix, lets go." calls Dux, looking at his cub.
Not even a glance.
"Pollix."
An ear twitch but still no look.
"...Pollix!"
The whole class looks including Kim.
"Oh, Pollix, your dad is here."
"Papa, not yet! The story isn't done." whines the cub.
"...you want to finish the story?"
"Pollix wants to finish the story! Jax and Morgana are fighting the monster now!" cries Nova.
"...is it almost over?"
"Oh, um, almost but, Pollix I can tell you the rest tomorrow-"
"My Papa says its okay!" Pollix cries interrupting Kim
"...is it okay if I...?" trails a very embarrassed Kim.
The tighalax nods and actually goes to sit next his cub. The sight making Max snort as the 8 foot tall feline like being towers over the younglings. After he settles in and Pollix snuggles in on his Papa's lap he gives Kim the okay to continue.
"...story teacher!" whines the children, their teacher taking too long for their liking to continue the story.
"Oh...right...okay then." she mutters, face red from nerves and embarrassment. This was the first time a parent saw her tell a story.
"...the monster roared at our heroes, swinging his mighty axe down at them. Flung into the air our hero, Jax, is grabbed by the giant's fist and thrown into the monster's mouth." The cubs gasp as the human acts out the catching their hero. Her voice slowly getting louder again.
"NO!"
"What does Morgana do?!"
"Is he dead?!"
"Morgana, seeing that the villain ate her friend charges at him as soon as she lands. Her sword drawn and ready, her face angry, eyes full of tears, and with a mighty cry leaps at the giant." She begins to act out the story, going back to her story telling enthusiasm.
"The monster in turn swings his axe at her, with her in the air it will definitely hit her. The axe hits Morgana and she falls to the ground badly hurt...but not without killing the beast. At the last moment she gathers all her magic into her sword and throws it at the giant monster, piercing his evil heart!" cries Kim, thrusting her hand out as if she had just thrown the very sword.
"...and then..." whispers Nova.
"The monster fades away, revealing a hurt but alive Jax. Seeing Morgana he drags himself to her and they hug, happy to see each other again. Even if they're both not in one piece. The healers arrive and the two head home where they continue the rest of their adventure together, as they were always meant to be. The end."
The cubs cheer with most asking for another story.
"No, no more stories for today. Let's give Kim a break, okay, she's already told you 4 stories." Max ushers the kids towards the toys.
"That was a very good tale teacher Kim, I never knew Earth had such interesting history."
"Hmm? Oh that wasn't our history."
"A legend or folktale then?"
"No, just a made up story."
"Ah, could you tell me the name of it? I would like to read it to Pollix at home, it sounded very interesting."
"Oh uh, I actually just made it up." the human smiles.
"You made it up!? How long ago? Must have taken you ages." Praised Dux, tail flicking in excitement.
"Actually I just made it up now, I make the story up as I go."
"...you make it up as you go...y'know that offer to quit your job and join my pack still stands right? Our planet and culture greatly value Storytellers such as yourselves, you could even make a great living if you worked for me."
"Thanks but I don't think I could ever do that, I hate public speaking!" grins the human.
"...but you just-"
"Children are the exception."
124 notes · View notes
cheenapri · 4 months
Text
Transactional [Yandere Illumi Zoldyck x Reader]
Day four + five
Summary: Illumi takes you to meet his family as promised, it goes exactly how you'd expected to some degree. You're tired afterward and Illumi ends the date in the best way possible.
Word count: 13k ish
Notes: yandere, kidnapping, gender neutral reader, unhealthy relationships, unbalanced power dynamics, mentions of past abuse, the dinner is very uncomfy for the reader, Illumi slowly exhibits signs of horniness
A/N: There will be a bonus chapter but it takes place in the future rather than being a continuation of this! Thanks for the support! :3
Day one Day two + three
Taglist: @alien-00715-blog @rebirthbunbun
Tumblr media
Your wrist hurts. You think it’s broken if the unnatural lump didn’t give it away. You simply stare at it, cradling it with your other hand as you sit in the corner. It hurts like hell, but you’re somehow tolerating the pain.
“It’s not broken,” Illumi states, the dim light shadowing his face as he slowly slides off the bed and approaches you, “it’s simply dislocated.”
His eyes are half-lidded from what you could see of them, signaling his mild disappointment with you. You don’t respond, looking up at him as you continue to cradle your poor wrist. Illumi crouches down to your level, long hair draping perfectly over his shoulders. 
He’s beautiful, even in times like these.
He’s within arm’s reach, staring you dead in the eyes with that same disappointed expression. He only seemed to show emotion during times like these, wanting to make it clear to you just how stupid your actions were. 
He reaches a hand toward you, palm facing upward. “Give me your hand.” 
You’re reluctant, afraid he wasn’t done punishing you and was fixing to dislocate or even break more bones. Your heart was beating rapidly, your knees pushed against your chest with your injured wrist resting in between. Illumi only gestured his hand, he was becoming impatient.
“I won’t ask again.” his eyes are still boring into you.
You exhale sharply, tears stinging your eyes as you slowly present your injured wrist to him. He looks down at it, grabbing it roughly before quickly popping the bone back into place; the sudden sharp pain causing you to jolt and instinctively yank your arm. He doesn’t let go, grip tightening even further as he watches a tear fall down your face.
“Fix your face,” he orders. “you’re in no position to cry. This is your own fault.”
You quickly wipe your tears with your free hand, looking down at your knees as you try to prevent more from coming. Illumi then brings his other hand to firmly grab your wrist, rotating it to ensure everything was back in place. You wince in pain but manage to prevent yourself from pulling away again.
He finally lets go of your arm, slowly standing as you quickly pull your arm back into you. He’s staring down at you, his eyes melting holes into your soul. “I don’t understand why you can’t just behave.” he says, voice condescending, “You do know this means you won’t get food for a while, right?”
Fuck, you must’ve really upset him.
What you had done wasn’t even of great defiance, you had simply knocked his hand away when he was trying to wake you up for the third time. He was sitting too close to you on the edge of the bed and had visited at two in the morning according to the digital clock on the wall. You were tired, and disoriented, as he’d woken you to talk to you about his day. It wasn't uncommon for him to do this, unconsciously using you as an emotional outlet regardless of what you were doing. 
You should’ve just entertained him, he would’ve left eventually. You could tell his silent frustration was building every time you gave a hum or silence for an answer, his voice changing slightly with every other lazy response. You kept falling back asleep as he talked about his earlier activities, giving explicit details about his killings and quirky adventures in his flat, bored tone. He was annoying.
It all happened so fast, your wrist quickly being grabbed and dislocated as you tried to stop him from shaking the sleepiness out of you for the third time, the pain causing you to fall out of bed and scoot against the wall. 
That leaves you in your current predicament.
“Next time I’ll break it. You’re lucky I didn’t do that from the beginning.” he says, staring down at you. He doesn’t say another word as he goes to leave, your body relaxing once he’s out of the room, the titanium door clicking shut behind him.
Your wrist still hurts, and now you won’t be able to sleep at all tonight.
.
.
.
Opening your eyes, you exhale deeply as you’ve had yet another nightmare regarding Illumi. Your body is sore. You can’t move, at least you don’t want to, not with Illumi spooning you like this. You can feel his head resting against you, his grip around your waist still firm. You wish to get up though, to be free of his hold, and so you shift, pushing down on his arms to move them off you. He doesn’t budge; you can’t tell if he’s asleep or awake. You shift again, putting a lot more force into it this time. His hold briefly tightens as he suddenly rolls over, dragging you with him and slamming you back onto the bed with more aggression than he intended. 
He was definitely awake. 
You were in an even worse position now as he managed to smother you even more, his weight partially on top of you and his embrace even tighter. You’re still as you lay there, wondering what it was you did in life to deserve treatment such as this. 
“Illumi,” you call out to him. He remains silent. “Illumi,” you call again, reaching forward and allowing your hands to dangle off the edge of the bed. 
He finally responds, “Hm?” 
“Could you let go of me?” you ask. He falls silent yet again, not making any move to loosen his hold on you. “Please, Illumi.” you feign a softer voice.
A few seconds pass before Illumi reluctantly releases his grip, eyes watching as you quickly slide off the bed. He continues to lay sprawled out in the same position as if you were still underneath him, his black eyes tracking your every movement. You quickly make your way into the safety of the bathroom, relaxing once the door is shut and locked behind you. 
Taking your time with your morning routine, you take a minute to stare at yourself in the mirror. Your eyebrows are slightly furrowed and your lips form a small frown, even when you relax your face. Spending so much time around Illumi is starting to take its toll on you; you hope this stupid date ends before your face transforms into a permanently pissed expression. 
You take a second to rub your temples, massaging them to soothe your growing anxiety as your mind starts thinking about tonight’s dinner. It doesn’t work, you’ll just have to deal with it. 
You sigh before opening the door, fully expecting to see Illumi standing and staring on the other side. You don’t. Instead, he was over by the balcony door, the curtains covering it moved aside as he looked out. He doesn’t acknowledge you despite knowing you were watching him. Your eyes shift to his hip-length hair, taking this moment to admire how it always seemed to flow gracefully behind him.
You finally speak up after staring at him momentarily, “What’s the plan for today? Before we go back to Kukuroo Mountain?”
Illumi continues to stare out the glass door before he slowly turns to look back at you. His expression is neutral, but something feels off about him. He turns forward again. “There is an aquarium I wanted to visit… after breakfast, of course.”
Looking down at the oversized Persian rug sitting in the middle of the room, you bring your hand up to your chin. “So… who are your family members?” 
He replies, “They are assassins."
“I meant their names and personalities.” you reiterate, rolling your eyes. 
He finally turns around to face you. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with that.” 
Illumi knew you were still anxious about tonight’s events, trying to predict your fate by gathering what little information you could. He thought you were worrying over nothing. Without you asking, he walks over to the wardrobe, takes out multiple outfits, and lays them out on the bed. He then looks up at you expectantly, seemingly allowing you to choose your outfit again.
You look down at the options, then up at him, not knowing how to respond to his sudden susceptibility. Illumi wasn’t one to give you a choice, let alone give you a choice without you asking for it. You assumed his recent submission to your requests was simply to get you to shut up, thinking he’d return to his overcontrolling ways immediately after the storm passed; he didn’t, he’s only favoring you more.
You take an outfit that caught your eye and change in the bathroom, taking extra time to ensure you look perfect. The last thing you wanted was to sit in front of the Zoldycks looking a complete mess, though that should be the least of your worries. You move to sit on the lounge chair once you are finished. It doesn’t take Illumi long to get ready himself, your eyes lingering on him as he shuffles through a drawer, pulling out an orange pill bottle and shaking a singular tablet into his hand. 
He examines it for a moment, then grabs a water bottle sitting on the dresser before turning and offering you the items. “You should take this.”
You slowly grab the items, examining the little pill yourself before looking up at him. “What is it?” you ask.
“Diamox. It helps with altitude sickness.”
Confusion was spread across your face before you realized he was taking you to the actual Zoldyck mansion located on the mountain’s peak, making this much more personal and intimate than you ever wanted it to be. “Wait, we’re going all the way up the mountain?!” 
“Indeed. I would rather not have you passing out in front of everyone, so I’d advise that you take the pill.”
“What happened to just meeting on ground level?” you ask, clearly not wanting to be taken up the mountain.
“Some members of my family aren’t very fond of leaving the house. Just take the pill.”
You examine the pill further before reluctantly popping it in your mouth and taking a swig of the water. The pill is a bit hard to swallow but you manage to get it down. You had taken too long though, allowing it to dissolve a bit and leave an awful taste in your mouth. Illumi takes the water bottle from you, placing it on the TV stand before slowly grabbing your hand. It felt like your hand no longer belonged to you whenever he held it as if he had completely removed it from your body.
Illumi then walks you out of the suite. He didn’t seem to be in any rush, his pace was slower than it ever had been. He feels oddly warm compared to his usual coldness, his grip surprisingly gentle. Instead of taking you to the hotel’s restaurant as usual, he takes you to an outdoor dining area, sitting you down at a two-person table. The table was more of a small patio table than an actual dining table, resulting in him being closer than necessary; your legs would’ve touched if you weren’t seated sideways. 
You stare at the blockades surrounding the hotel, then at the trees gently swaying in the wind. You can’t see people in the distance from here as the trees and hedges block your view. The butlers that would be standing guard outside the hotel were out of view at Illumi’s request, leaving just the two of you in complete silence. 
“What’s the change for?” you finally ask after avoiding Illumi’s stare for some time, looking past him but not directly at him. 
He slowly blinked at you from what you could see in your peripheral vision, not responding audibly. You look away just as quickly, nervously scratching your head and turning your attention to anything other than him. 
He thought it’d be nice to eat outside, thinking it would clear your mind and dissuade you from saying anything he would make you regret, especially since he was much closer to you now. The last thing he needed was an incident right before you met his family — or any incident at all seeing how you’d become more docile since yesterday’s episode. It was probably the trauma. 
His eyes remained fixated on you, a slight change in his way of staring that managed to make you even more uncomfortable. It wasn’t a negative emotion he was hinting at thankfully, but you still couldn’t help but be slightly concerned as you couldn’t decipher it, only knowing that it felt a little more… intense.
“Aren’t you tired of staring at me?” you ask, still refusing to look at him. 
“No.” his answer came as quick and honest as you’d expected.
“It makes me nervous.”
“I know.” he admits but doesn’t make any attempt to avert his attention. 
It was his love language, when he wasn’t upset, the size of his pupils further indicating the intensity of his emotions. You quickly glance at him. His pupils were round rather than their usual oval shape, he was really admiring you. You look away yet again. 
A butler approaches, placing a singular plate of food and fork on the table before returning to his station. You look down at it, then up at Illumi. You noticed his hand position, him gripping both sides of his chair as if he planned to scoot even closer to you.
“Nope,” you objected before he could move, “we aren’t doing this today.” 
Illumi pauses, his pupils slowly returning to their oval shape. A small frown on his face as he slowly sunk back into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
He chose not to force it. Thank god. 
You quickly grab the fork and plate before he can change his mind. It was a small, basic feat but you felt victorious nonetheless. You take your time eating, allowing yourself to enjoy the flavor rather than quickly chew and swallow like you would if he were adamant about feeding you. He continues gazing at you, but you manage to ignore it.
Eventually, you finish, placing the small, empty plate on the table. Illumi stands, as do you, and you follow him around the side of the hotel. His pace suddenly slows before you reach the truck, however, then stops completely. “There is something I wish to give you before we set off.” he says dully.
You look at him curiously as he fishes in his pocket, pulling out a small, black box. When did he sneak that into his pocket? He turns to you, presenting the piece of jewelry inside. It was a ring — an engagement ring. 
Your eyes snap from the ring to him, to the ring again, then finally back at him. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for this?” you ask almost sarcastically, but secretly dreading having to wear it, especially in front of others.
“I would’ve given it to you sooner, but you tend to be quite unpredictable. For your safety, I thought it best to hold onto it until I could ensure you wouldn’t destroy it.” Illumi’s voice was soft despite his subtle threat.
You watch as he takes the ring out, putting the now empty box back into his pocket and holding his hand out to you. You’re reluctant, not really fond of sporting it despite knowing you didn’t have a choice. After giving him your nondominant hand, he gently slides the ring onto your finger, holding it for a little too long as he gazes in admiration at the little piece of jewelry while you stare in repugnance. 
“We’re now officially married.” Illumi says unenthusiastically, slowly releasing your hand. He wasn’t wearing a ring, though.
The way he continued to stand there and stare down at you made you feel as if he was preparing to try something. Your suspicions were confirmed when he slowly raised both of his hands as if moving to cup your face, his staring becoming intense yet again. You quickly turned away.
“You’re wasting time. I want to go to the aquarium.” you said, hoping to dissuade him from whatever it was he thought of trying. 
Illumi remained quiet, his hands paused midair. You’re just being shy, he can wait a bit longer. Thankfully, his hands began their descent down at his sides and he slowly shifted his gaze to the black truck up ahead. “The aquarium… right.”
He began walking once again, much to your relief, and you soon found yourself seated in the passenger side of the truck. Soft music played as he pulled onto the empty road, though it was quieter than usual. 
The aquarium was quite large, just as you’d hoped, the only living beings in there being the aquatic life, a few butlers, a few employees, and, of course, you and Illumi. You watch the dolphins as they swim in circles, occasionally leaping out of the pool and spouting water out of their blowholes. There was a glass wall next to their indoor enclosure, giving a clear view of the vast lake just outside the aquarium. You found it cruel, completely understanding what the dolphins must be feeling whenever they caught a glimpse of the freedom they should’ve had. 
Illumi doesn’t notice anything, though if he did, he’d argue that species of dolphin won’t survive in lakes, therefore justifying their imprisonment.
He’s silent as he follows you around, seemingly lost in thought as he doesn’t appear to be as engaged as you were; not that you were super engaged either, the pretty fish and marine life doing little to take your mind off of what’s to come. 
“We’ve been here longer than we should’ve. It’s time to go back to the hotel.” Illumi’s voice fills the room. 
You continue to look down at the gray tree frogs as they sit perched on a branch, their large, black eyes looking back at you. You eventually look up at Illumi, frowning in a pathetic attempt to change his mind about the whole dinner thing. He stares at you blankly, indifferent to your emotions, and begins walking back toward the aquarium’s entrance. You groan loudly, to which he ignores, and follow him. The ride back was silent, he didn’t play any music. 
As you arrive in the hotel’s parking lot, you take note of two limousines parked out front, Shiori standing next to one of them. Illumi does his performance, helping you out of the car, and guiding you over to Shiori. She bows in formality, but Illumi ignores her. He opts to help you inside the limo, but he doesn’t get in himself, only shutting the door behind you and leaving you alone and confused. 
“Hello, Master (Name).” Shiori greets after entering the limo a few moments later, the vehicle starting and beginning to make the long drive back to Kukuroo Mountain. 
“Uh, hi?” you’re still confused. 
Shiori dryly chuckles, “I suppose Master Illumi didn’t tell you that you would be riding with me?”
“No, he didn't.”
“Master Illumi does like to keep to himself. I was instructed to inform you of the details and proper etiquette regarding tonight’s event as well as answer any questions you may have. To start, how are you feeling now?” Shiori’s voice is soft yet monotone, her gloved hands resting neatly on her lap. 
‘Well, I’m scared and I don’t want to go.” you say, fiddling your thumbs together as you look out the window. 
“I understand your feelings, Master (Name), but I assure you have nothing to be afraid of.”
That’s easy for her to say. She has a place within the Zoldyck family, whereas you don’t. 
“I’m going to be an outsider sitting in a room full of notorious killers. I have everything to be afraid of.” you say. You didn’t know much about the Zoldyck family aside from the fact that they kill and hire only skilled butlers to serve them, as well as any small details Illumi and your assigned butler were willing to share.
Shiori chuckles again. “The Zoldycks are assassins rather than mere killers. Their job is to complete missions for clients, not harm innocent people. As you are Master Illumi’s partner and no threat to them in any way, they would have no reason to harm you.”
You cringe at being called Illumi’s partner, the sound of it making your stomach churn. “Don’t call me that.” you groan, shutting your eyes as you bury your face into your hand and lean against the door. 
“My apologies, Master (Name). Shall I begin my lesson on etiquette?”
You agree and tone her out as soon as she starts her lecture. She explains that you are to sit and be silent unless directly spoken to, only answering with short responses if that was the case. Shiori put great emphasis on the word “directly” as if hinting at something greater.
Shiori continues, gesturing her hands as she speaks, “You absolutely must remain composed throughout the dinner, even if someone is insulting you.”
This catches your attention. You turn to face her again. “What do you mean by that?”
Shiori stops her gesturing, moving her hands back down to her lap, a small frown on her face. “What I mean is that it is of the utmost importance that you don’t let anyone’s offensive behavior get to you.”
Oh, someone wasn’t pleased about your existence. Your anxiousness was justified and you began fiddling your thumbs once more. Shiori simply stares at you, her head slightly tilted as if trying to get a better angle of your face. 
“So like,” you start, causing Shiori to straighten herself, “who are they?”
Shiori answers swiftly, “The Zoldycks are a family of assassins. They are highly skilled at their jobs and are known for their efficiency as well as their lethality.”
God, you can’t stand how much in common she has with Illumi.
“I meant their names and all.” you reiterate.
“My apologies, Master (Name). The Zoldyck family members you will be meeting today include Master Kikyo, Master Illumi’s mother; Master Silva, Master Illumi’s father; Master Zeno, Master Illumi’s grandfather;  Master Milluki, Master Illumi’s younger brother; and Master Kalluto who is Master Illumi’s youngest brother.” she explains. Your head is spinning from the amount of times she’s said the word “master” but you managed to retain the information. “There is also Master Killua who is also Master Illumi’s younger brother, but he will not be present.”
Shiori intentionally leaves out further details regarding Killua’s inability to attend the dinner, not wanting to give you a bad impression of him simply not caring, though he doesn’t, but also not wanting to delve into his and Illumi’s unsteady relationship. It would be awkward to mention that one time he tried to murder his little sister, right?
“Oh.” You reply simply, turning your attention down to your shoes.
“Is there anything else you would like to know, Master (Name)?” Shiori inquires. 
You’re silent for a moment as you slowly glance out the window before looking back at her. “What are your thoughts on this shitshow?”
Her eyebrows raise slightly, but she doesn’t comment on your use of profanity. She answers, “My personal thoughts on the matter are irrelevant, my only job here is to provide the assistance and support you need to strive.”
You frown. “Do they know about all the horrible things Illumi has done to me so far?”
“They do know where you’re being kept and that your circumstances may not be entirely voluntary, but they don’t know all the intimate details. Some may have their suspicions but are choosing not to confront as you are a rather… sensitive matter.” she pauses for a moment before continuing, her face showing slight guilt. “Additionally, they may feel it is not their place to interfere with Master Illumi’s personal matters, especially one as unique as this.”
You don’t respond as you simply stare at her, causing her to sink back into her seat. “Shiori,” you finally say, “why did you choose to work as a butler for them?”
She’s nervous, though she tries her best not to show it. Her eyes shift downward towards the ring on your finger, then back up to your eyes. “I believed becoming a butler would provide me with the opportunity to learn and grow. Working for an individual like Master Illumi is challenging but also rewarding, his high expectations require me to constantly push myself in order to improve and excel at what I do.”
“What about taking care of his hostage is rewarding?”
She knew you’d ask that as you’ve asked something similar in the past. She thought it appropriate to give you a direct answer, though finally. ‘While the circumstances regarding your situation are not ideal, I asked to become your personal butler with the goal of providing you with a comfortable life at the estate. I knew he would be more likely to choose a butler like me after the… incident… that had occurred, so convincing him wasn’t difficult.” she looked down at her hands, a small frown on her face. “I understand your feelings towards the situation, Master (Name). I really do. It’s rewarding to see you smile though, even despite what’s happening. I only wish to see you happy.”
Shiori does genuinely care about you, though in her own way. A way much, much better than Illumi’s in your eyes. You wonder if the two of you would’ve been friends in an alternate universe. 
“Do you..” you pause for a moment, “do you know how or why Illumi came up with this date idea?”
Illumi had already answered this, but you felt as though there was a huge part of it he was leaving out. You couldn’t bring yourself to believe that he’d suddenly thought of treating you like an actual person, to some degree, after months of torment and controlling behavior. 
“I’m sorry, Master (Name), but I don’t think I’m allowed to disclose that type of information even if I did.” Shiori states, continuing to stare down at her hands.
She had her suspicions when a butler from another group began lingering around your residence far too often, though she never confronted the older lady, only humoring her questions to some degree and directing her to Illumi if she wanted more in-depth answers. She could feel Silva’s judgemental stare through her monocle as she did so. 
She didn’t know much about Silva, but she knew he wasn’t entirely devoid of compassion. He most likely sent in his own butler after realizing just how serious Illumi was when he failed to hear news of your inevitable death after the fifth month. He wanted to assess the situation and see if you really were Illumi’s so-called spouse. 
You weren’t, not willingly at least. He concluded that you were more of a plaything than a spouse; he thought Illumi was confused.
He got his scoop but did not confront his son about it. He did, however, help in other ways such as giving Illumi a lesson on how to court his partner and being very thorough on how said partner should be treated.
This resulted in Illumi being softer towards you — or rather less likely to physically punish you. Shiori didn’t tell you any of this though, it was best if you remained unaware.
You stay silent for the rest of the car ride, feeling ill when the limo pulls through the gates and takes a specific manmade trail up the mountain. The bumpy ride only made you feel even more sick. Why didn’t they choose a better vehicle for this?
You refrain from looking out of the window, afraid leaning too much against the door to get a better look at the cliff would cause the limo to tip and you all to fall to your deaths. Shiori attempts to calm you as you’re now visibly shaking, but her monotone voice and nearly blank expression don’t help. You feel queasy, your heart feels heavy. You can’t tell if you’re sick due to anxiety or sick due to the high altitude. Probably both, though that Diamox should’ve kicked in by now. 
You let out a small whine as the limo slowly pulls up in front of the Zoldyck mansion, all of your negative emotions intensifying as reality sinks in. It’s cold. You hope it's due to the altitude and not from the lingering threat of death. The sea of dark lenticular clouds surrounding the mountain only makes it worse, you can’t see anything other than rock formations poking out from the clouds as well as occasional lightning.
It’s like you’re in a whole new dimension.  
“Master (Name),” Shiori calls out as she gently grabs your trembling hand, “I assure you that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. No harm will befall you.” she states once again with a gentle smile. 
You respond in the form of a tear rolling down your cheek, your eyes wide as you stare at her. You quickly wipe it away as your door is suddenly opened, the breeze only making you feel colder. 
You take several deep breaths, swallowing hard as you slowly turn to face Illumi. He’s holding his hand out as usual, but his eyes have a more dictatorial feel to them. You quickly take his hand, assuming his family is watching and judging despite not being present. He doesn’t say anything as he helps you out of the vehicle, his grip on your hand a bit tighter than usual and his stare burning holes into you. 
You know what he’s demanding without him even needing to say it. You close your eyes for a moment as you slowly breathe in, and then out. You’re visibly calmer now, as he wanted, and he slowly releases your hand.
Shiori and a few other butlers trail behind as you follow Illumi towards the mansion’s front entrance. You swallow hard yet again as butlers open the door, mentally preparing yourself to see bodies hanging from the ceiling and blood splattered all over the place. 
You don’t.
The interior was comfortingly warm and quite nice if you ignored the assortment of weapons and odd, hopefully animal, skulls on the wall. It’s unsettlingly devoid of people as you walk through the mansion, you would’ve expected at least a few house butlers roaming about. You hear hushed muttering and whispering as you approach the main dining room, your dread immediately flares once again as you follow Illumi inside.
They’re all staring at you. They’re all judging you. 
You hold your breath briefly to keep your facial expression mellow, but you feel like you’re being watched by a pride of bloodthirsty lions. Their eyes follow you and you alone, causing you to try to hide behind Illumi. You’re unsuccessful as he moves himself out of the way. You don’t look at them, you can’t bring yourself to. It takes all your willpower to keep yourself steady as your knees threaten to buckle under their watchful eyes.
“This is insane…” a boy, who you assume to be Millluki, whispers to his grandfather, eyes still looking at you. He probably didn’t mean to be so loud, but how could you not hear him in this unbearable silence?
Zeno ignores him, but Silva shoots him an icy glare in response, causing the boy to stiffen and correct his posture in his seat. Silva then turns his attention back to you, but your eyes have a magnetic relationship with the table as you approach it, sitting directly across from him after Illumi pulls the chair out for you. 
You keep your gaze lowered as Illumi sits to your left, an empty seat to your right. You can feel his father’s intense gaze on you, as you do everyone’s, and you fiddle your shaking hands underneath the table in a hopeless effort to soothe yourself. You can see who you thought to be Kikyo on Silva’s right, and Zeno on Silva’s left; both brothers on either end of the table. 
You wonder who this empty seat was for if Killua was the only one missing. 
“This is (Name).” Illumi finally states after allowing the silence to linger for an unnecessary amount of time. His demeanor is slightly off despite his nonchalance. 
You’re freezing all of a sudden, you can’t decipher if it’s because someone decided to turn the AC on max or because Illumi was radiating energy. Considering you can only feel it coming from your left side, you conclude it was Illumi.  Illumi doesn’t say anything further and you’re not daring enough to add to his introduction, not that you wanted to anyway. 
“So Illumi, this is your… partner?” Kikyo asks, her tone rather uncertain and her demeanor ungracious. She didn’t like you, that much evident in her body language and how she kept her lips pursed when she watched your timid form enter the dining room. Even without knowing you personally, Kikyo thought you were a bad influence; you do not belong here.
“Yeah.” Illumi confirms, once again not adding any details. 
“Are… they an assassin too?” Kikyo inquires further. You can see that she’s gripping the edge of the table, her long nails digging into the expensive marble. 
“No.” Illumi responds.
Kikyo grits her teeth before swiftly correcting herself, her expression returning to one of slight vexation. “A hunter of some sort?”
Illumi replies, “Nope.”
“A nen user?! Anything achievable?!” she was grasping for anything that would prove you had at the very minimum some kind of honor.
“No. They don’t do anything at all.”
You’re not the melancholic type, but sometimes you wish you weren’t born — times like now. Kikyo’s shocked, as is everyone else, though internally, and she covers her mouth with her hands. In her mind, Illumi had just confirmed her biggest worries: you were nothing but a burden and an obstacle in his career as an assassin. 
You rub your knees together. You feel awkward. You shouldn’t be here. The tension is suffocating, but you feel as though the negative energy is directed at Illumi now. 
“So… they’re useless?!” she brings her hands down, almost slamming them onto the table. No one reacts to her offensive comment. Normally, Kikyo would’ve had better etiquette when hosting for a guest important enough to be invited inside the Zoldyck mansion, but you didn’t deserve that. You were just some person.
Illumi especially does not react, only casually sipping his wine as his mother begins to berate you. You awkwardly shift in your seat as the insults fly, trying your best to keep your expression neutral like everyone else’s. 
“How DARE you bring someone so inadequate into this household?! Just what were you thinking, Illumi?!” she yells.
You really wish you’d kept your mouth shut the other day.
Not in the mood to hear Kikyo’s whining, Zeno speaks up, “There’s no need for that. I’m sure Illumi has his reasons, we mustn’t judge.” his voice was nonchalant, almost teasing as he spoke. 
Kikyo sneers, clearly not taking too kindly to Zeno’s comment. “You know as well as I do that there is no reason to have someone so useless in the family! We mustn’t encourage this!”
“Kikyo.” Silva’s deep voice booms throughout the room, causing you to sink into your seat. He had turned his head slightly to look at his wife, the action causing her to fall silent while gritting her teeth once again. He turns back to you and you courageously meet his gaze. He’s scaring the absolute shit out of you, but you can’t bring yourself to look away as you continue to cower before him. You’re a feeble little thing, aren’t you?
Silva won’t judge though, not externally at least. “Father’s right, we mustn’t judge Illumi.” he forces a softer expression as he holds his hands out in an almost welcoming gesture. “Welcome to the family, (Name).”
You were officially a Zoldyck now.
You merely nod your head in response, a repressed frown on your face. Silva then crosses his arms, attention turned toward Illumi. “I’m surprised they’ve survived for this long.” he closes his eyes and lets out a small chuckle. “They’re in one piece too. You must be really serious about this.”
“I suppose so.” Illumi, who had been silent the entire time his mother spoke negatively of you, nodded in agreement, ignoring his father’s implied incredulity in his ability to keep you safe. He couldn’t blame him, however, as you’ve had several encounters with him and still managed to live another day. You seemed to have a knack for getting out of certain death situations, causing Silva to realize just how strong of a hold you had on his son’s heart. 
“Woah,” Milluki chimes in, his fingers rubbing his chin in curiosity as his eyes rake over you a little too much, “I never would’ve expected anything like this from someone like you, Illu. What’s so special about them anyway?”
Illumi’s reply came swiftly, “I don’t know.” 
The tension is oppressive once again. When’s the food coming so you can eat and get out of here? 
Illumi’s words were immensely shocking. They believed that someone as distant as him would have some sort of grand reason for wanting to pair up with you. Instead, it sounded like it was a whim that occurred to him with no ulterior motive in mind. They didn’t understand him, you didn’t understand him, and he didn’t understand himself.
Illumi continues, “I saw something in them and I’ve been trying to figure out what it was. My efforts were in vain though, so I accepted the fact that I simply would never know.”
Your eyes drift downward again as they all look at you. It was like they were trying to solve the puzzle themselves based on your appearance alone. 
“You don’t know?” Kikyo, as expected, was the first to verbally react. “You don’t know?!” she repeats, her voice a bit louder. “What do you mean you don’t know?! Either you have a valid reason or you’re just wasting your time!” she huffs as she glares at you.
Her presence feels overwhelming, she must be releasing aura. It does not compare to the aura Illumi is releasing, though. 
“This… person… is nothing but a nuisance.” her tone is sharp as she continues speaking. 
Illumi nods. “They can be troublesome at times, I’ll agree with you there.”
You can’t tell whether you should be surprised or not at Illumi’s unwillingness to stick up for you. You prefer not to be as that would mean you’d have to recognize him as someone who’s supposed to fight for you. He’s not your savior in your eyes, and he never will be. 
“Troublesome…” Kikyo repeats, her voice laced with malice. She scowls deeply as she prepares to rant again, but the butlers distract her as they place tonight’s dinner on the table. Your internal prayers have finally been answered.
You feel slightly relaxed as everyone is now distracted by the lavish meal before them, but you’re still slightly shaking. You keep your hand bearing the ring under the table and use your other to pick up a fork — or try to as the fork seems to be glued to the table. You look at it confused, then briefly glance at Illumi. He returns the glance, but to a butler who quickly moves to replace your fifty-pound fork with a fork of normal weight. You were able to lift this one with ease and you slowly began to eat. 
You don’t turn to look at Kikyo as she scoffs. “See? Weak.” she slowly shakes her head.
Illumi doesn’t acknowledge her, but Zeno does. “Now now Kikyo, that's enough. Shouldn’t we try to be more welcoming to our new family member instead of criticizing their every move?” 
Kikyo huffs, her head turning away from you. She didn’t know what to say or think anymore. No one ever seemed to consider her perspective, no one seemed to understand how dire this was. She can’t even stand the sight of you right now, especially with you right next to her son. 
She takes a deep breath. “I just don’t think they’re good enough for Illumi. That’s all.” her voice feigns a sense of calmness. 
You didn’t take as much offense to her comments as you should considering you don’t want to be with Illumi either. You simply ignore her and continue eating.
“Illumi, how did you two meet?” Silva suddenly asks.
You nearly choke as you swallow. You keep your eyes glued to your plate, your teeth holding your tongue in place as you prepare yourself for Illumi’s answer. You know Illumi won’t lie about this, and you know things would only get more awkward when he proudly announces that he stalked and kidnapped you. 
Illumi slowly sips his wine, making direct eye contact with his father. He sets the glass down, taking his sweet time before he replies, “I saw them while I was out on a mission. I visited them frequently after that and our relationship grew from there.”
You were right, he did not lie. 
He had skewed the truth, making it seem as if you two had bumped into each other and hit it off rather than him stalking you and breaking into your house. However, Silva wasn’t dumb; he knew Illumi was misleading based on your subtle body language alone. You weren’t just afraid of them, you were afraid of Illumi as well.
“I see. That’s certainly interesting.” Silva feigned ignorance nonetheless. “I’m sure you make them very happy.”
“I try to.” Illumi states flatly. At least he was acknowledging you weren’t happy with him, but knowing him, he probably blames you for it rather than his own actions. 
You visibly cringe, but quickly correct yourself. Everyone already caught onto it though, so there was no point in trying to hide it. 
“Congratulations to the both of you.” Silva states, eyes glancing at you for the final time before the subject changes to an assassin-related topic.
You stay quiet as almost everyone ignores you, seeming like they have lost interest in the stranger in their home. That was fine by you as you were no longer in the spotlight. 
Illumi pulls your chair out as dinner concludes and you all head towards the living room. You can feel Milluki staring you down as you walk in front of him, but you refrain from complaining as you remind yourself that Illumi is not your savior. You enter the living room, noticing Shiori standing formally in the corner. Illumi looks at her, causing her to nod and walk over to you.
“Master (Name),” she says, “it is time for us to go. Please follow me.”
You’re confused as you thought you’d have to stay for much longer but follow Shiori nonetheless, assuming Illumi had decided to cut things short. You’re forever grateful as Shiori guides you out of the mansion, not even questioning the fact that Illumi was staying behind. No one says their goodbyes to you, not even Illumi, as they all silently watch you leave. 
Milluki chuckles once you’re out of earshot. “You get a pretty good idea as to why Ilu chose them once you see them from behind!”
He continues giggling to himself, but his smile instantly vanishes when a loud snapping sound rings throughout the room. His face twists into one of great affliction as he clutches his freshly broken arm. 
“What the hell, Illumi?! I was only joking!” he shouts, annoyed more than anything. 
Illumi simply stares at him, expression neutral but clearly threatening. Milluki steps back and grits his teeth, muttering insults under his breath as he turns to leave. The act of brutality takes no one aback, Kikyo disregards it as she makes her thoughts and feelings known to Illumi. 
“I’m disappointed in you, Illumi.” she states calmly, her hands tightly gripping her fan. Kalluto, who hadn’t spoken a single word throughout the entire ordeal, looks up at Illumi curiously. 
“I know.” Illumi simply replies.
Illumi’s nonchalance only serves to further provoke Kikyo. “Have you no honor for your family?!” she yells, glaring at Illumi. “Do you not care about how much you’re holding yourself back by wasting your time with that weak person?!”
“I’m not holding myself back, I’ll be fine.” Illumi casually crosses his arms.
Zeno soon parted after confirming there was nothing more to do, leaving only Silva, Kikyo, Illumi, and Kalluto in the living room. Kikyo was at a loss for words and she turned to Silva, expecting some kind of backup. Silva, however, continues to silently stare out of the window, watching the limo as it takes you away. 
You’re exhausted. You’ve never been exposed to Illumi’s aura for such a long period and you feel like you’re about to pass out. Huh, maybe that’s why Illumi decided to end things early. 
“I see that you look fatigued, Master (Name),” Shiori says as the limo begins the long drive back to the hotel, “I trust the dinner with the family went well.”
“Went well?!” you nearly shout despite your tired state, “I was insulted and stared at for the vast majority of it! Not to mention the overwhelming tension in the room, it was horrible!”
“While I understand the experience may have been unpleasant for you, it is important to note that no physical harm occurred to you. In that sense, the dinner went well.”
You let out a deep breath. “You’re just like Illumi sometimes, you know that?”
“I appreciate your observation.” Shiori responds, not sensing your mocking tone.
“That’s not a good thing.”
“It is understandable that you may not perceive our similar mindsets as a positive attribute.”
You merely groan and shut your eyes, resting your head against the door. Once you reach the hotel, Shiori escorts you inside. She ensures you’re set for the night before saying her farewells, leaving you alone in the suite. 
You would scream if you weren’t so tired right now. Instead, you change into your silk sleepwear and throw yourself into bed. It’s over with; you’re relieved. You turn on your side, hugging a pillow as you try to drift off to sleep. You hope this date ends soon.
Something was touching you. 
You’re a bit groggy as you stir, quickly realizing your movements were partially restricted. “Illumi?” you call out into the darkness.
“Did I wake you? Good.” he answers, voice uncomfortably close to your ear. You jump from the sudden closeness, causing him to tighten his grip briefly. After a moment, he audibly sighs; an uncommon sound from him. “You were rather brave during dinner tonight.” he spoke with his usual monotone voice, though it had a hint of exhaustion to it. 
“I didn’t do anything.” you say, shifting in his arms as you try to get comfortable once again.
“That’s the point. You didn’t pass out.”
“You were overwhelming me.” you complain as you think back to how ungodly cold and uncomfortable you were sitting next to him. The whole time leading up to the dinner, you thought his family was going to be the biggest threat to you. Illumi proved you wrong though, he was the biggest threat to you.
“You caught on quickly, I’m glad.” he pauses for a moment before continuing, “My mother scolded me when you left, saying you were weak and a waste of time. You shouldn’t worry about her, she won’t hurt you. None of them will.”
None of them except him.
You’re quiet as you think back to all of the things she’s said. You don’t feel any type of way about her comments, they were true after all. “Your mother is right, Illumi. You should listen to her.” you say, your gaslighting attempt made apparent.
“I know she is. It was my choice though, and I don’t regret it.”
He continues rambling about the discussion he had with both of his parents after your departure, but you don’t listen as you glance at the clock. It was two in the morning. Typical of him to wake you up at this hour to express his feelings, except this time he was allowing you to fall back asleep.
.
Day 5
.
Illumi was acting strange — stranger in a way you were used to at least. That much was apparent when you woke up to him standing next to the bed and staring at you, his hand gently caressing your cheek. This wouldn’t be the first time you’ve woken up to him doing this though this instance felt much, much different. 
“Wake up, (Name).” Illumi commands in a softer tone of voice. You’re groggy as he’s allowed you to wake up in your own time these last few days. He begins gently poking your cheek, the pokes becoming more firm the longer it took for you to rise. “Today will be exciting. Get up.”
You yawn as you begrudgingly sit up, moving around Illumi to get off the bed as he didn’t think it was necessary to step out of your way. As you’re completing your morning routine, you are harshly reminded of Illumi’s proof of ownership on your finger, the jewelry twinkling in the light as if signaling you to its presence. You consider ripping it off and flushing it down the toilet, but as much as you wish to, you know better. By the time you walked out of the bathroom, Illumi was sitting up in bed, sleepwear still on. 
You scratch your head in confusion. “Why did you wake me up if you’re just going to hop back into bed?” you ask in an almost annoyed tone.
Illumi turns his head slightly in your direction, expression eerily innocent. “Breakfast is on the way, that’s why. Come back to bed.” when you fail to make any move, Illumi’s head slowly turns even more, his stare silently commanding you to obey. 
You tilt your head a bit before reluctantly moving to slide back into bed. You pull the blankets onto you and turn away from Illumi. 
“Don’t fall asleep.” he directs. He shifts, supposedly turning to face you. Your assumptions are confirmed when he turns you over onto your back. “We can talk while we wait if you need something to keep you up. How was your sleep last night?” his tone was still flat and boring despite returning to its softer version, only making you want to fall asleep even more. 
You respond nonetheless, “It was restrictive.”
As expected, Illumi is not a very good cuddle buddy. It’s like he’s trying to prevent you from escaping rather than lovingly holding you. You can’t wait to return to the estate. Not because you want to be there, but because you would have your solidarity again and not have to deal with Illumi’s overbearing nature.
“Restrictive? How so?” Illumi asked. He had moved a bit too close to you.
“I’d like to be able to move around and position myself properly at night.”
“Hm. I see.” Illumi leans forward slightly, invading your space even more. “If you’re sore, that’s a good thing. It will make our trip to the spa all the more special.”
You don’t respond as you focus your attention on the blank TV ahead. A massage does sound nice right about now. You rub your shoulder, you definitely slept on it wrong thanks to Illumi.
“It’s only polite to ask about my night’s sleep, (Name).” Illumi continues.
Humoring him for the sake of getting him to shut up, you respond, “How did you sleep?” 
He replies quickly, “I didn’t sleep.”
You gesture your hands in confusion, shaking your head. “Why do you always do this?”
“Do what?” Illumi tilts his head slowly, eyes boring into you.
“Have me ask you a question you don’t have a response to.”
He slowly straightens himself, but his expression remains unreadable. “Because I want to talk.” 
You cover your face with your hands, irritated Illumi had woken you just to have this stupid little back and forth with you. You had rolled back onto your side and before Illumi could turn you over once more, a knock could be heard at the door. You let out a deep breath, relieved as your prayers have been answered. 
Your eyes trail Illumi as he answers the door and brings in a service trolley. You’re sitting up now as he unfolds a mini bed tray and places it over you. You dramatically sigh when he sets a singular plate of food on the tray before sliding onto his side of the bed, the only fork available being held in his hand. 
“Must you do this every morning?” you ask, leaning away from him as he is sitting far too close to you.
“I could’ve done this every morning, but I didn’t. You’re only making up for yesterday.” the softness in his voice was long gone though he wasn’t upset — not enough to show it at least.
You ponder why he was so insistent on feeding you despite already having a good idea as to the answer. He probably thought it was a romantic gesture, which it is, but only with an actual lover rather than an erotomanic, crazed assassin. You can’t stand the way he stares so intently at you, especially at your lips, when he feeds you. You’re quick to turn your head away after each bite, quickly chewing and nearly swallowing the bites whole in an attempt to speed up the process. Illumi, however, takes his time, the sections of food on the fork getting smaller and smaller the more you rush. 
You watch as Illumi moves at a deliberately slow speed as he scoops up the last piece of food. He then grabs your chin firmly as he feeds you the last bite, his hold preventing you from turning away. You shut your eyes, swallowing the piece whole as you just wanted to be done with this. He doesn’t let go right away, however, his touch lingers for moments longer before he finally releases you. 
“You should get ready.” he says as he sets the fork on the empty plate. “You can get your clothes out of the wardrobe.”
You’re quick to move, your uneasiness being relieved now that there is some space between the two of you. You don’t even think about how he’s allowed you into the wardrobe for the first and only time throughout the entire duration of this so-called “romantic” date. You take your time as you look at all the options, Illumi cleaning up and pushing the service trolley out into the hallway. 
You change in the bathroom after finding a combination you like, Illumi is dressed as well by the time you come out. Your hands are in your pockets as you approach him by the door, not wanting your bodily autonomy ripped away even more by giving him the idea to hold your hand. 
He makes no move thankfully, and quietly leads you out of the hotel and into the Mercedes truck. 
Music was playing; you don’t know whether that’s good or bad anymore as any mood Illumi was in deemed to be bad for you. He’s speeding too, he seemed to be eager to get to his destination. Your grip on your seatbelt relaxes as he pulls into the spa’s parking lot. You take a second to collect yourself after experiencing Illumi’s reckless driving, sighing as he helps you out of the truck and leads you into the building. 
You don’t notice Shiori standing formally in front of the reception desk immediately upon entering, your attention focused on the beautifully decorated interior. Though it wasn’t anything super fancy, the simplicity and interior design still managed to captivate you.
“Good morning, Master Illumi and Master (Name).” your attention snaps to her and she bows her head. You nod in acknowledgment but Illumi doesn’t respond, he rudely walks off as Shiori continues speaking, “Master (Name), it is my pleasure to be able to serve you today. Please follow me to the changing room.”
You do so without question, eyes still looking around as you take in the calm atmosphere. Peaceful ambient music plays throughout the spa, you can already feel yourself relaxing as you manage to forget about Illumi’s existence. Now sporting a fluffy white robe with matching slippers, you sit on a reclining chair.
Shiori, now gloveless, gently applies various creams and masks onto your face, even going so far as to put slices of cucumbers over your eyes. Her hands move skillfully as she then gives you both a manicure and a pedicure.
“It’s nice to see you so relaxed, Master (Name).” Shiori speaks softly as she finishes up. “I only hope for this trend to continue. Please follow me to the massage room.”
You rub your palms together as you follow her, relishing how soft your hands, feet, and face feel. Now it was time to get rid of this crick in your shoulder. The massage room was small, though it felt just right. A singular bed sat in the middle of the room, two chairs off to the side, and a small table with a beautiful succulent on it placed in the corner. Thin, white curtains covered the glass wall, but see-through enough to allow the right amount of light in.
You undo your robe and lay belly down on the bed, Shiori then places a white towel over your lower half. “The masseur will be with you shortly. Please enjoy yourself.” Shiori says, bowing her head before departing.
You shut your eyes as you hear the door click shut. Your mind wanders as the near fantasy-type music plays. You imagine yourself in a fairytale garden, a small smile creeping onto your face as you watch fairies flutter in the air. A sign of life returning to your eyes causing you to laugh as you skip around. A magical butterfly lands atop a flower bud, causing the bud to bloom and release the most pleasant of fragrances. You gently hold the freshly flowered plant, careful not to damage it in any way. 
You were truly at peace — or so you deluded yourself. 
The door clicks open, ruining your dreams of being in a magical, happy place and snapping you back to reality. You glance back, then return your attention forward as you are met with the person you didn’t want to see: Illumi. 
“Hello, (Name).” he greets. You really didn’t want to hear his voice right now.
“Are you getting a massage too?” you inquire, waiting for him to make his way over to the two seats pushed up against the wall. He doesn’t, he merely shuts the door and walks over to you.
“Giving.” he corrects. You try to sit up upon hearing this, but Illumi pushes you back down just as quickly. “Relax. I will be gentle.”
“Wait-” you try to protest, but his actions cut you off. 
His hands move skillfully, moving with a perfect combination of firmness and delicacy as he begins working on your shoulders, slowly massaging the pain away. You shiver under his touch, hands gripping the bed as he rolls over various knots. 
“You’re full of tension. It seems you’ve been holding it in for quite some time, haven’t you, (Name)? Let me help you release all of that.” he pinpoints the exact spot that needs the most attention and applies pressure, causing you to groan. “You’re very responsive. I wonder what other sounds I can get out of you.”
You’re too caught up in the intensity of the massage to fully grasp what he had just said. If you could see Illumi’s face right about now, you would immediately know what was on his mind. His expression was still blank to the ignorant, but someone more knowledgeable about his behaviors would be able to detect the hint of libidinousness within his eyes. His eyes were rounder as they had been nearly all morning whenever they were focused on you. His touch gradually becomes more sensual as they move across your back, nearly threatening to venture into forbidden regions before he was able to catch and compose himself, remembering there was a time and a place. 
“Perhaps I should give you more massages like this from now on.” he speaks, his voice low and almost sultry.
You did enjoy the massage, you won’t lie, but you also don’t want Illumi to get comfortable with putting you in positions like this. Nevertheless, you choose not to respond, thinking in the future you would probably give in if the need were strong enough. You’re quick to turn opposite of him as you put your robe back on, your adrenaline nearly fading once you are covered. 
He says nothing further as he escorts you out of the room and into the small sauna. You sit in the corner, your eyes closed as you pretend Illumi isn’t sitting directly in front of you and staring. You cross your hands in front of you, the warmth of the steam eliminating any remaining soreness within your body.
Your time at the spa comes to an end as you’re now dressed and back in the car with Illumi. You stare out the window, noticing but not reacting to how Illumi constantly glanced at you as he drove. 
“We’re going to the museum.” he says, eyes now back on the road where they should be.
“Cool.” your tone is dull.
Illumi kept his mouth shut for the remainder of the drive though it seemed as if he wanted to say something more, that much evident in his slight frown. 
When you reach the museum, Illumi is quick to begin his unusually talkative behavior as he walks around the empty museum with you in tow. Your hands remain in your pockets, mind not really there as he gives one-sentence explanations on the museum’s various torture devices in his signature flat tone. You follow him like a kid following their parents who are out shopping, annoyed, and wanting to go home. It’s almost nostalgic in a way. 
Illumi notices your demeanor, as much as he tries to ignore it in hopes you’d drop it, and stops in his tracks, looking down at you. “Are you tired? We can take a break at the cafe if you’d like.”
You merely nod in response and he leads you to the cafe. You take your seat at a small table, not hesitating to eat when you are served a warm drink along with a snack. Illumi continues his staring habit, head resting in his hands as he observes you.
You’ve eaten your snack and are now focused on finishing your drink. You slowly sip the now lukewarm beverage, eyes focused on anything other than the man sitting across from you. 
“Feeling better now?” Illumi inquires.
You ignore his novel concern for you in favor of asking your own question, “When are we leaving?”
Illumi sits up. “Eager, are we? That’s good. The next activity would have to wait until later, though. We still have more time to spend here.”
“I meant when are we going back to Kukuroo Mountain?” you reiterate, setting your empty cup on the table.
You were, in fact, eager, but for a different reason than Illumi wanted. The day was moving too slowly for you, and Illumi’s presence was overwhelming even though he hasn’t released any aura since yesterday. You just wanted to be away from him and have time to relax and recharge. 
Though you hadn’t asked in a while, Illumi was fed up with your constant inquiries about returning to the mountain — also known as your way of rushing to end the date. Illumi was displeased, his eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re ungrateful. I’m trying to spoil you and all you’re concerned about is getting rid of me.”
“How so?” you ask, genuinely curious to see what kind of mental gymnastics Illumi went through to conclude that you were ungrateful.
“For starters, this entire date was designed to make you happy. I spent months planning and millions of yen buying all to ensure you’d enjoy it to the fullest. Even despite everything, despite considering your outlandish requests, you still remain unappreciative. What more do you want me to do?”
His response was exactly what you’d predicted. 
“Maybe let me go outside? Let me see my family again? Let me go entirely?” is what you would say if you were in a bolder, emotional state. Instead, you merely stare at him with an almost blank expression. 
Illumi’s voice grows cold. “You owe me something.”
“I’m sorry, Illumi.” you say flatly. You were always the one apologizing as Illumi is, of course,  never wrong about anything. 
Illumi calms himself, willing to forget your rude behavior in favor of ending the date on a good note. “Consider yourself fortunate, (Name), as I still wish for you to enjoy yourself. Who knows when you’ll be let out again, hm?” he pauses for a moment, allowing the silence to dramatize his previous words. He continues, “Let’s finish exploring the museum.”
And with that, Illumi rises out of his seat. You follow suit, both of you silent as you walk around the remainder of the museum. He didn’t bother with his one-sentence explanations anymore, not that you minded considering you weren’t listening to him anyway.
Eventually, the two of you leave, the car silent as Illumi drives. Despite the lack of music, Illumi wasn’t upset with you, but rather pensive. His attention continues to flicker over to you as he’d done earlier. For once, Illumi felt a ping of uneasiness. He was pleased with your compliance, sure, but he didn’t like your sudden unusual demeanor. You hadn’t asked a single question regarding the day’s activities like you had been doing in the past. 
After several minutes of silence, Illumi finally speaks, wanting to get you re-engaged. “The spa and the museum seemed to be to your taste, no?”
You rest your head against the door, still staring out the window. “Yeah.”
Illumi glances at you yet again, keeping his eyes off the road for even longer this time. “Good. As for our last activity, I have planned something unique.”
“Awesome.” your response was still short and dry. You didn’t fall for his attempt to prompt curiosity. 
Illumi frowns slightly as he listens to your incurious reply, his hold on the steering wheel temporarily tightening. “Your response lacks excitement and interest. It seems you couldn’t care less about what’s happening.”
“It’s not like you show enthusiasm either.” you say.
“I am very enthusiastic.” Illumi states unenthusiastically, his expression blank aside from his slight frown. “It’s overflowing.”
You merely hum in response which only furthers his discontent. Illumi, still insistent on keeping the mood light despite his annoyance, pushes his feelings aside. He remains quiet as he drives back to the hotel, his expression composed, though cold, and his eyes fixed on the road.
You thought he was being unusually emotional, he thought you were being dismissive. 
As Illumi helps you out of the truck for the final time, his grip on your hand remains firm. He leads you inside the hotel’s lobby, walking down a hall he’s never taken you before and into the grand ballroom. The ballroom was large, yet empty, with not a single person or piece of furniture in sight. The room felt liminal, the floor’s pattern the only thing giving it some personality. 
Illumi stands with you in the very middle of the room, attention focused on one of the far walls. “We are dancing.” he says, his voice slightly echoing in the room. 
You look around as if expecting a band or some sort of radio to magically appear. When it doesn’t, you turn to look back at Illumi. “In silence?”
Illumi slowly turns to face you, his demeanor off once again. His voice is low as he speaks, “No distractions, just us.”
His fingers intertwined with your own before pulling back, essentially pulling you into him. You’re caught off guard by the sudden contact despite mentally preparing yourself for it, especially with how slowly his other hand settles around your waist. Illumi then leans in, his head next to yours as he whispers into your ear, “Just follow my lead.”
The dance, if you could even call it that, goes exactly how you had expected — unpleasant — for you at least as Illumi was clearly enjoying himself. It felt like he was rubbing against you too much despite his gracefulness, performing moves that would optimize maximum contact with you. His actions became increasingly assertive as the dance went on, his grip on you tightened and the hand on your waist shifting lower and lower. 
His movements were surprisingly elegant, you never would’ve expected someone like Illumi to be this good at dancing. You tried to mirror him, the only music heard being your echoing footsteps and the ringing of complete silence. You’re unable to meet his strange and foreign gaze, the roundness of his pupils reminding you of some sort of alien. Maybe he was an alien, that would make a whole lot of sense. 
He’s almost melting into you like he was trying to merge both of your bodies, his touch gradually becoming more intimate and amorous. 
“Illumi.” you call out.
The hand on your waist returns to its original position, his grip slightly looser and a little space being allowed between the two of you. As his movements slow and the dance comes to an end, Illumi firmly holds you in place, almost hugging you. His head rests next to yours, his eyes closed as he savors this moment. 
He then pulls away, stepping back as he looks down at you with a near-amatory gaze. He says nothing, and neither do you, as his attention shifts towards the ballroom’s door before falling back on you. “It’s getting late.” his gentle hold on your shoulders slid down to your upper arm. “Let’s go to dinner.”
You slowly nod and walk with him as he makes his way to the hotel’s restaurant. You keep your gaze lowered as a butler serves your meal, Illumi lacking one of his own. His intense stare remains fixed upon you as you eat, his eyes never wavering from you, even when you make your nervousness clear. It was like he was trying to burn your image into his memory, every detail of your form being seared into his mind. 
He looked hungry which made the absence of food before him even more bizarre. 
“Aren’t you hungry? Why aren’t you eating?” you ask. You didn’t mean to express concern for him, just wanting to know why he was acting so strange.
Illumi shakes his head slightly. “I’m not hungry for food.”
His words left no room for misinterpretation yet you managed to be completely oblivious as to what Illumi was hinting at, your mind more focused on finishing your meal so you could escape his direct attention. 
“Enticing.” Illumi suddenly says in an almost whisper, more so speaking to himself than to you. “Tempting.”
You look up at him. “Huh?”
His words hang in the air, and his eyes widen slightly. He doesn’t respond further and his gaze manages to intensify. There are pieces of you that remain enigmatic to him and he craves to understand your intricacies. To understand you is to possess you, and he yearns to possess you completely.
He’s as still as a statue, his eyes as watchful as a camera. You can’t read his expression or decipher his mood, his lips pressed into a thin line as if unsure whether to hint at a smile or a frown. When was the last time he blinked? You can’t stand him. 
With your meal finally completed, the moment arrives for you to return to the suite. Illumi rises out of his seat gracefully, his hand extended as a silent invitation. You’re disinclined, but you take it nonetheless, eyes focused on the ground as he leads you out of the restaurant. Illumi’s expression returns to its usual calmness, though his quick pace and eager movements betray his facade. 
After entering the suite and locking the door behind him, Illumi hands you your pajamas, his hands moving in a way to ensure they touch yours. You don’t react, only locking yourself in the bathroom before you change clothes, tossing your dirty ones into the hamper. Your eyes trail to the ring on your finger yet again. You were vexed that the ring was so beautiful, so expensive, as its beauty was tainted by the story behind it. 
As you step out of the bathroom, you find Illumi changed and sitting up in bed. He’s, of course, staring at you, and the TV’s light softly illuminates the room. It was on a very low volume, however, rendering you unable to make out what was playing.
Your steps are slow and calculated as you make your way to your side of the bed, eyes glued to the TV as an excuse to ignore Illumi’s gaze. You made sure to leave a generous amount of space between the two of you but it didn’t matter as Illumi moved closer to you.
“You enjoyed yourself today. That’s good.” he said. It was more of a confirmation to reassure himself than a question in need of your input. He pauses for a minute, eyes focused on the near-silent TV. “We’ll be going back home tomorrow.”
Your heart flutters in excitement, but you keep yourself composed, eyes still focused on what the TV is showing you. “Is… this the only time you’ll do something like this?” you ask, a bit hesitant to ask your question as you didn’t want him to interpret it as you wanting to spend more time with him. 
Illumi contemplates your question, eyes still focused ahead of him. ”It would depend on your level of appreciation.” his answer was left intentionally vague as he didn’t want to commit to a single answer. 
“So you’ll do it again?” you glance at him. 
After a moment of deliberation, Illumi slowly turns to look at you, pupils now freakishly round. “I could be convinced.”
You look away from him, turning your attention to the TV for the final time. You then shift under the covers, turning onto your side and away from Illumi as you try to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Sitting up even more and scooting closer to you, Illumi removes the covers off of you and places a hand on your hip. “Don’t go to sleep just yet.” he calls out. “We still have some time to spend together.”
“I want to sleep.” you state, your eyes remaining closed as you try to ignore his touch. 
He ignores your declaration. “I want to talk,” he states quietly, voice carrying a hint of determination, “I have something I need to tell you.”
You feel his hand gently squeeze you, though you don’t react to it. “You’re free to talk.”
“Perfect.” his hold on your hip tightens as he flips you over onto your back, moving you in front of him and claiming his position between your legs. His face is perfectly shadowed yet perfectly illuminated as his eyes devour your figure beneath him. 
His hands move to hold your waist, the intensity in his eyes softening slightly as he speaks. “(Name).” he says, his tone displaying a sense of vulnerability and primal need. “I want you.”
You’re merely frozen in the submissive position he’s put you in, eyes wide in shock at his confession. You’ve stirred unfamiliar feelings within him, emotions new yet powerful enough to consume him.
He leans down closer to you, placing a hand right next to your head for support while the other remains on your waist. “You’ve been tormenting me all this time, teasing me yet averse to the idea of giving in to me.”
Your hands hesitate before moving and gently grabbing his wrists, your head turning to the side as a sign of shyness and embarrassment. His eyes soften in adoration, realizing his words' effects on you. 
“(Name).” he murmurs, savoring each syllable on his tongue as if it held the sweetness he strongly desired. “Give yourself to me.” his command lined with velvet, a gentle yet firm request for your willing submission.
“Illumi…” is all you say, unable to think of a coherent response after being put on the spot like this.
The hand on your waist moves to hold your jaw, tethering on the edge of gripping your throat, as he pulls you into a weirdly passionate kiss. He pulls you in closer as he deepens the kiss, his body further pressing into you, and his desires let loose, making themselves increasingly obvious to you. 
The weight of Illumi’s control oddly arousing as he made his dominance over you painfully clear, leaving no room for doubt or confusion. You tremble in shock from the kiss, causing him to quietly hum and fuel his desire.
He finally pulls away, eyes undoubtedly filled with lust as he looks down at the beauty before him. “Every part of you will bear the mark of my desire.” he whispers as he leans down toward your neck, hand now interlaced with your own as the other trails back down to hold your hip. “I’ll make it so that you never forget who you belong to.”
Shit.
Why didn’t you figure this out sooner?
394 notes · View notes
a-casual-kpopfan · 6 months
Text
Love Is... - Choi Yena
Tumblr media
Damn, who thought I would come back to writing?
My first fic of 2024, I may be a few months late, but I hope you enjoy!
-----
The sound of the jingle from the front door plays through the speaker, the warm air hits you as you pass through the doors. You take a sigh of relief as you were able to get out of the cold while it was snowing outside.
It’s February, winter is in full swing, snowfall has become the regular in this region. And worst of all, it’s become couples’ season. You weren’t known much as a bitter person, but with all the hearts and couple promotions just brings an ick to your own heart. You were not against people in relationships, you yourself are not searching for a partner to even be with, but just the promotion of love just brings an extra level of bitterness out of you.
Not feeling to cook tonight, your goal tonight was to enjoy a nice and cheap bowl of ramen.
After all, the only thing that can make you happy is food.
You browse around the different flavours and seasonings of the instant ramen selections but then you end up with you usual and most generic pack, a pack of spicy ramen, shortly after you walk over to the cold foods section to add as your sides. Today, you felt adventurous, no one is around to ruin your mood.
Your goal in the cold section is to find a set of your favourite soy marinaded eggs. And there before your eyes, only one pack of two eggs are left on the shelf. “They must be low on stock.” Speaking to yourself as your hands grab the pack before anyone else can take it, on the way to the counter you decided to grab a cool oolong tea as well.
Before paying, you noticed a short individual walk into the store, wearing shorts and an odd white sweater with pink accents. “A little odd to be wearing shorts in winter.” You spoke a little too loudly to be saying it to yourself, the person took their hood off and gave you a little glare, although your attention was not about her hearing you.
Long strands of pink hair flow out in the wind, she almost looks like someone written out of a manga, an anime character you used to watch on Saturday mornings. “A little rude to stare.” The woman scoffed then walked by you. A little shocked but not surprised with her attitude, it’s not anything new to you.
“YAH, WHERE’S THE MARINATED EGGS?”
The person in the white and pink sweater made her way back to the front of the store and you’re now staring eyes with a pink haired bull. “YOU!” Pointing her finger straight at you, stomping hard towards you. Her other hand balled up into a fist, you swear her eyes have been lit on fire from the inside of her skull.
You look over to the employee at the counter and they seem just as confused as you are.
“Those.” She points to the pack of the marinated eggs. “I’m taking those.” Great, just another thing to add to your already over the limit bitterness due to this season. “How about no?” You put your hand up in front of her finger pointing at the pack and push it away. “I will pay for your dinner if you just let me have those eggs.” You look her straight in the eye, she’s dead serious with that statement.
“Jinja?” “Mm.” “Jinja?” “Mm.” “Jinja?”
“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT?!” If this was an anime, you would picture this pink haired girl to light flames out of her head, ready to kill just for a pack of factory boiled eggs, marinated in a soy sauce mixture, who knows what other additives that could’ve been added to this.
All this for eggs.
“Nah, I think I’ll pass.” You said with a straight face, didn’t hesitate knowing you just destroyed the spirit of this young woman. She starts growling slightly her hands are in fists, looking like she’s shaking because she’s trying to prevent herself from punching you, but instead she started tearing up and squatted down, hugging her legs. “But… I really wanted those eggs…” She was whimpering, not something you saw coming.
“Shit.” You look over at the clerk again, all they could do is shrug, giving you a look that says, ‘it’s your mess, not mine.’ You scratched your head in frustration and gave in. “Look, I will split this pack with you if you stop crying.” The girl’s eyes point up to you, the waterworks are really going with this one. Not convinced of your off, she continued moping on the floor. You were left with no choice.
“Ugh and I’ll pay for your dinner.”
“Jinja?” “Yes.” “Jinga?” “Yes.” “Jinga?”
What is this girl doing to you?
You take a deep breath before nodding again.
A pack of instant ramen, a cold green tea and a couple onigiris later, you and this pink haired woman take a seat a table together, considering the circumstances, you found it appropriate to at least sit with this person.
“Thank you for the meal!” The woman clapped her hands together as in a praying motion before digging in the ramen that you ended up paying for.
“Choi Yena.” Confused from what she said, you question her.” I’m sorry, what was that?” Yena picks up the disposable chopsticks, breaking them apart before repeating herself. “Choi Yena, I figured you should know my name for buying me dinner.” Surprised but you told her your name before you did the same with your chopsticks.
Most of the night was silent other than the slurp here and there, the door opening for the occasional night owl popping for a snack. You had just met this Choi Yena about a half hour ago, having a midnight dinner with her, and had a fight with her for boiled eggs.
Not that weird, right?
~~~~~
A couple nights later, you find yourself in the same spot. Going through the doors of the same convenience store, grabbing another pack of instant ramen. Once again, you’re in the cold foods section looking for the same set of marinated eggs that you enjoy so much, but to your displeasure, there’s none on the shelf.
“Damn, must be still out from last time.” Disappointed, you turned to see a familiar pink haired woman. “Well, hello stranger.” Yena there, smiling at you. She’s holding a shopping basket with her arm, and you notice she too had a pack of noodles, the same green tea drink and what seems to be the last pack of eggs.
“Choi Yena…”
“Looks like you’re having dinner again here?” Yena sticks her arm out with the basket, bringing it closer to you. “Let me pay you back, put it in here.” Yena points with her lips, gesturing to the food and drink that’s in your hands, you smiled and just followed along. “Since you’re paying me back, I might as well grab this too.” You grab a salmon onigiri off the shelf and quickly drop it in Yena’s basket, but to Yena’s amusement she rolled her eyes in a playful manner.
“Yah, is that it or is there more?” You chuckle and you look through the rest of the shelves, carefully looking at all the food. “Hmm, what else is good here?” Yena goes and slaps your shoulder and starts walking up to the front counter. “Don’t take your time!” You followed suit, walking just behind Yena.
After paying for the items, you and Yena start getting the ramen ready to be cooked. “What brought you back here?” You ask Yena while she’s opening her soup packets, you do notice with her lips how she pouts a little hard, almost like she has a duck’s bill. “Yena?” She was so focused on her noodles that she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings.
“Oh, yeah, sorry… What did you ask?” Yena looks at you with such an innocent look, you found it cute. “What brought you back here again?” Yena smiles and snickers a little while she pours her soup packet into the plastic bowl. “Coming here late at night helps me not think about my ex-boyfriend, we recently broke up and it was a little messy.” You were left speechless, not expecting an answer like that.
“Oh, I’m sorry, we barely know each other.” Yena tries to cut the awkwardness with a laugh although it didn’t last long. “I normally come here to be alone, coming here late at night with no one around brings me a certain level of peace… Until someone squashed that idea.” You look at Yena with a deadpan while gives you a quirky smile. “Oops, sorry.”
Silence has come between you two as you’re focused on putting some toppings in your ramen before pouring in the hot water, the same with Yena.
“Sometimes, it’s nice to eat with a friend.” Yena quietly speaks up, but you didn’t reply only continued with a little smile.
“Sometimes, not being alone is nice.”
~~~~~
“What’s on the menu today, Yena?”
You and Yena have been meeting at the same convenience store for several days now, it’s started to become a normal routine. You get home late from work, its nearly midnight, then you tend to run into Yena at the store. “I haven’t had tteokbokki in awhile, why not that and…”
“This!” Yena pulls a pack of precooked pork belly, ready to eat out of the microwave. “Isn’t that going to be a heavy dinner?” You questioned the choice, going with a high carb meal with a side of fatty meats. Yena went from a big smile to now a death stare towards you, annoyed with your reply, Yena answers back. “Are you trying to say something about my weight?”
You regret questioning her.
Yena goes on to the microwavable foods section to find something to add to your dinner for the night. “Then how about this?” The pink puff pulls out a bag of fish cakes, perfect side for a bowl of tteokbokki. “Let me go get the drinks while you set up the meal?” You suggested with Yena nodded happily.
Yena pays for the food before making way to the self serve area to get everything cooked so you two can have dinner. You took your time strolling to the drinks area knowing that the food would take a little bit to cook fully even though it’s just precooked frozen foods.
“Hmm, what to have tonight?”
While browsing around, you had thought about getting your usual cold green tea, but you decided to be a little adventurous tonight. You pull a strawberry milk and a mango flavoured green tea; Yena can decide which one she wants when you bring it over to her. A little smile grew on your face when picking the drink out, excited to try it, you quickly walked to the counter to pay for the drink.
Once paid for, you hear the beeping of a microwave from the other side of the store, making you think that the food was already done. Quickly taking the bottles of the counter, you walked over swiftly to see Yena placing a tray down on a table. She was placing everything on the table so carefully, the food being placed in the centre of the table.
Yena meticulously places smaller disposable platters on either side of the table, with chopsticks next to them on top of napkins. You couldn’t help but smile and chuckle on the side, your slightly snickering startles Yena, not knowing that she’s being watched. “Yah! You could’ve given me a heart attack!” Yena clenches her jaw and pretends to go for a punch with her fist.
You continued smiling like an idiot, walking up to the table bringing the drinks to the pink haired menace. “Choose one.” Presenting both drinks, she looks at each bottle, back and forth, thoroughly thinking which one to drink. “I choose this one!” Yena points at the mango flavoured tea, you nodded and put the strawberry drink on one side, then opening the mango drink for Yena.
Both of you sat down on your respective sides of the table, Yena starts picking up the tteokbokki with her chopsticks. “So how was work today?” Throughout spending more time with Yena, you found out that Yena is a professional photographer and is renting a studio nearby, which is why she comes by this convenience so often.
“Aish, the models that my clients keep hiring are so thin, they look like they never eat.” Yena continues ranting about her day, you sat there watched her eat the tteokbokki with some aggression while you were eating slowly but getting your share of the food.
“What about you, how was your day?” Yena puts down her chopsticks, leaning her elbow on the table, holding her head up with her hand. She looks at you with such interest, wanting to know how your day went. Both eyes are on you and only you, her ears are open for listening to you and only you.
You couldn’t stop the muscles in your face from forming a smile, you were happy. You were happy that someone is there to ask you about your day, someone interested to find out how you are doing.
“Damn you, Choi Yena.”
~~~~~
“I can’t believe he would just walk out! These models are becoming so sensitive with constructive feedback!” Yena screamed over the phone, you’re currently driving your way back from work and Yena decided to give you a call as she has a late photoshoot. “What did you even tell him?” You were happy to hear Yena’s voice, you were beginning to think that you wouldn’t see her tonight because of the photoshoot.
“Ahhhh, I told him that he looks bored, that he needs to put some emotion in his posing!” Yena continued with her story as you’re driving back, you just drove and listened. You loved hearing the sounds of her voice, you were never too busy for Yena, and she was never too busy for you.
“Do you still have any more shoots to do tonight, Yena?” With the intentions of getting late night dinner again with the photographer, you change lanes to make way to the convenience store instead of home. “Yeah, I still have a few more shoots to do. I’m not sure what time I would even be done.” You can hear Yena sigh. Her frustration can be felt through the sound of her voice.
Yena continued ranting until her next model arrived. “Yah, I’ll call you later. My next victim is here.” The two of you said your goodbyes and hung up, though little does the photographer know that you’re going to be stopping by tonight to greet her with her favourite late-night dinner.
Shortly you make it to the store, quickly you gathered all the normal food both you and Yena would have. You make it to the clerk and wait for him to scan everything for you to pay, “You’re not with your girlfriend tonight?” Your heart skipped a beat, you were hesitant to pull your card out of your wallet. “Eh, you really think that’s my girlfriend?”
“That pink haired photographer, yeah.” The clerk finished scanning everything, putting everything in a plastic bag for you. “You two are here together almost every night for the last three months. I always thought there was something between you two.” With that, you couldn’t stop your lips from stretching into a smile. The grin stretched from one ear to the other, you were uncontrollably happy.
With that, you paid and quickly drove over to the studio without Yena knowing you would be there tonight. You park your car in the respective spot, not too far away from the entrance but close enough so you won’t be too cold from the weather. You pull your phone out to call Yena before entering the studio.
“Choi Yena, are you still doing the shoot?” Clearly, you’re playing stupid as you slowly walk through the main building’s door. You can see flashes of light emerge from the hallway, faint sounds of music playing. “Yeah, I’m probably going to skip dinner tonight if I have to finish the rest of the shoot tonight.” Yena struggles to hold her phone up with her shoulder while she takes a photo.
“What if dinner is brought to you tonight?”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
You end the call, Yena is genuinely confused, disregarding that she’s in a middle of the shoot.
“Choi Yena!”
You yell the photographer’s name out getting her to turn around to see you holding up a pair of bags with food and drinks. “Yah! What are you doing here?” The pink photographer couldn’t stop herself from smiling, carefully placing the camera down on a nearby table she runs towards you with her arms opened, which ultimately ends with her hugging you.
“I didn’t want you to skip dinner, so I thought to bring it to you.”
After a few minutes, you got dinner set up with Yena but also had brought snacks for Yena’s photography crew and models.
“Thank you for the meal!” Yena was overjoyed, you were happy to see her like this. Looking around the room with everyone talking and enjoying their little break from this late shoot. You begin to eat with Yena, the tteokbokki you had bought today tasted a better than it usually did, you felt happier today than you had in the past, butterflies start take off in your stomach.
You were confused on what this feeling was, this feeling that’s being built up inside you. The way Yena eats, the way she smiles at you, the way she speaks to you.
You love it all.
Love?
You were listening to Yena ranting about how her day went up to this point, how you were the one good thing to happen tonight. You were mindlessly listening, eating, the only thought that’s going through your mind is how perfect would it be if Yena could just end the session now and go home with you.
Stuck in your daydream, a sudden sound snaps you back to reality.
The buzzing from Yena’s cell phone disturbs your dinner, it seemed important to Yena as she immediately puts her chopsticks down, asking for a minute so she can pick up the call. “Go ahead Yena.” Getting up, you watch the distance between the two of you grow, you hated this distance.
You wanted Yena to be next to you all the time, you wanted to be with Yena as much as possible.
“What is wrong with me?”
Patiently waiting for Yena to return, you could only think of what the two of you could be doing on your days off, what type of dates she would like to go on with you. Nothing goes through you mind but Yena.
“Should I confess?”
“You look like you’re in deep thought.” Yena giggles as she has appeared before you, flustered from her sudden appearance, you try to recollect yourself.
“What was the phone call about?” You try to get Yena’s attention off you for being so unaware that she had returned. “Oh, nothing… My ex-boyfriend tried to meet with me, I told him to screw off.” Something inside you had suddenly dropped, like as if your heart and other inner organs had been pulled out of you.
“The two of you still talk?” You had a sudden loss of appetite, you were now only poking at the food, not looking to consume anything at this point. “Sometimes, he still gets on my nerves quite often, he wants to get back together, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for us.” Yena takes her drink and aggressively chugs a large amount after speaking about her ex, you on the other hand sighed slightly in relief.
“I do enjoy the single life again, not having to be shackled to another person, I get to live with my freedom!” Yena jumps up on her feet and stretches her arms and legs, you couldn’t get a word out or say anything but just smile with Yena. “Anyways, I think I should get back to the shoot, I don’t want to stay here all night.”
You agreed with Yena, deciding to clean up after the two of you so you can let Yena go back to the studio floor. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” Yena waits for you to get back up to give you a hug before running off to the studio.
“Damn it.”
~~~~~
“I’ll see you at our usual spot?”
The text you got from Yena earlier that evening, it’s almost essential that the two of you meet every night at the convenience or even at her studio now. It’s been almost a year of this same routine, of seeing each other majority of the week. You miss her when she’s not around, all you can think about is Yena, how is doing? What is she doing?
You try to keep your distance in respect of her, but you try to walk on a line between just being friends with her or confessing your feelings to her.
“You fool, you should just come clean, otherwise you’ll just be hurt again.” You try to motivate yourself to finally confess to the photographer Choi Yena. The little pink haired woman who happens to walk into your life, over marinated eggs of all things.
“Hey!”
“You’re here!”
“I’m so excited to tell you what happened today!”
All you can hear is her voice in your head.
All you can think about is you and Yena being together.
Today must be the day you tell her.
You pull up to the parking lot of the convenience, but you don’t see Yena’s car anywhere, she probably hasn’t arrived yet. “Great, gives me time to think.” You took a deep breath and shut off your car and stepping out.
Slowly approaching the door, you can recognize a certain someone through the windows looking around for food. Instead of a vibrant pink that you were so used to, you instead see a velvety red colouring, standing out a lot more than the usual pink.
The moment you were about to push the door open and walk in, your heart shatters in pieces.
You see a man put his arm around Yena’s shoulder, while Yena dips herself into the man’s embrace. The two can be seen talking through the window, she’s smiling towards him while the man is happy to be there with her.
“Ex-Boyfriend, huh?”
You slowly backed away from the door, you weren’t ready to face this. You didn’t want to face her in this state. There were no tears, but you felt like the world had just come crashing down on you.
What a fool you were, to think that you can find someone to be with.
“Who am I to think that I would be able to have a chance with someone like her?”
Walking back slowly to your car, getting in, and starting it, to get away from this place as soon as possible.
*Bzzz, Bzzz*
“Choi Yena”
She was calling, looking for you, but why would she want to be finding you in the first place?
You pick up the phone regardless.
“Hey! Are you close by?”
“Hey Yena! I’m sorry but I have to stay late at work tonight, I have a last-minute project to get started on right away.”
It was your first time having lied to Yena, you didn’t want to, but you needed to.
“I’ll call you when I can see you again, okay?”
“Oh, okay… I’ll see you soon then.”
The call ends abruptly after that, you dropped your phone in the passenger seat, ready to drive off home… Or wherever you can get to.
Just anywhere but here.
“I’m sorry Yena.”
Some things were just not meant to be, you and Yena just happen to be one of those things.
Love is... Isn't for everyone.
160 notes · View notes
scrapsovereign · 25 days
Text
“I Have Standards”: A Choose Your Own Adventure Smut Fic
Description: NSFW. Astarion rejects you after defeating the Goblin Camp, so you seek out a certain wizard to make him realize what he's missing out on...
Pairings: Astarion x F!Tav, Gale x F!Tav, Astarion x Gale x F!Tav
Trigger warnings/tags: Very NSFW/18+, breeding, predator/prey, knife play, vampire sex, noncon/dubcon elements, Possessive Astarion, Manipulative Astarion
🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
(Choice: Let Astarion wreck you after hunting you as his prey)
(Go Back!)
After Astarion’s proposition of claiming you, you want him so badly you can barely see straight. You need to know he means what he says, that he’s willing to show you by taking what’s his. His hand has left your neck in anticipation of your answer, and with great reluctance, you take your hand off of him.
“I don’t believe you…yet. You’ve turned me down once, you’ll have to chase me if you want me,” you challenge him, looking him dead in his gorgeous, ruby eyes.
“Is that so? You want me to hunt you, to hold you down and prove it to you?” He clarifies, tilting his head in curiosity.
“If you can catch me, I’ll be yours- only yours. For long as you’ll have me, even if it’s only tonight,” you promise him, reaching up to brush your fingers against the flushed crest of his ears. You trace a fingertip up and around the pointy ends, admiring how beautiful he is as he bites his lip, your center aching as he moans softly for you. 
Astarion licks his lips, staring at your wet heat as if he can see right through your clothes. “Very well. I’ll allow you a moment before I give pursuit. Starting…now.”
You turn on the balls of your feet and launch yourself out of your tent, clearing the canvas threshold, making a beeline for the path that leads into the forest.
The only word you can think of that describes how you feel is exhilarating. Maybe it’s the alcohol talking, but you’ve never felt so free. Dashing through the woods at night is something your elders told you never to do, and you wonder if it was because they wanted to keep this secret all to themselves. You dodge roots and rocks alike, navigating the landscape with as much ease as if you were back home. 
The burn in your lungs and legs can’t keep up with the compulsion of your feet to keep moving forward. A lucky thing you’ve happened upon a clearing in the wood by a stream. It’s the perfect place for a lover’s tryst, and by the looks of it, someone’s already intended to use it as such. There’s a nest made with a large linen thatched rug, a basket full of food and beverage, with pillows and folded blankets. 
Seems like a thoughtful setup. You should probably keep moving on before whoever’s planning to use it shows up.
That is, if you didn’t feel the bite of cold steel pressed against your throat. 
“Does this seem familiar, darling?” Astarion murmurs into your ear, pressing his body against yours. You feel the intrusion of his rock-hard length concealed by his trousers pressing against the curve of your lower back, the puff of his cool breath against your neck. 
“Not really, I don’t think we’ve been here before,” you state, knowing full well he means the knife at your throat.
He laughs at your obtuse remark, his other hand working at the back of your garments. “You’re delightfully amusing, my sweet.”
The blade’s edge is close enough to slice your skin open like butter if you so much as breathe too deeply. You stay still for him while he makes work of the lacings at your skirt, following the fabric’s movement with your eyes to the ground below. Your inebriated state does you no favors, making you forget you have a razor-sharp dagger at your neck. You hiss with pain as it slices a shallow line across your skin, just enough to draw blood.
Astarion stashes his weapon with a flourish, whipping you around to face him. He is no longer the snarky, pompous, high Elven noble he pretends to be.
The shirtless man before you has embraced his full vampiric nature as a monster, a creature of the night. His typically sultry crimson gaze has an odd glow to it as he watches the blood ooze down over your clavicle, between your breasts. He drags his tongue in an unnecessarily lewd fashion over his front teeth with a smack, revealing canines that have grown to twice their normal size. You’ve never seen him so wild and unhinged outside of combat.
You should be terrified.
Except that you’re not. You like him like this- the tug low in your belly and the wetness that is ruining your undergarments being the most obvious signs. 
A thrill goes through you as Astarion advances on you, stalking you as he drives you backwards. Your foot catches on the corner of the blanket that is laid out and you lose your balance. You gaze upwards in awe at the predator who has caught you in his clutches. His arms hold you in a lover’s embrace before he lays you down gently on the spread out fabric.
Astarion takes his place on top of you to admire how good you look underneath him, illuminated in shades of blue and silver underneath the moonlight. His vampiric strength steals your breath as he grasps both sides of your stays, ripping them along with your chemise clean down the middle. You stare up at him, your heart hammering in the cage of your bared chest, stunned and aroused he's torn the clothing right off you. 
His mouth falls open, elongated fangs visible as he takes in your flushed, almost-naked body. You can’t help but meet his eyes, your thighs still quivering with anticipation, your breasts splayed to the side and jiggling with each shaky breath. 
“Gods, you’re beautiful,” he groans, utterly besotted, as he leans down to finally take possession of your lips with his. 
He’s not nice about it, nor would you want him to be. It’s sloppy, open-mouthed, and ravenous. You kiss each other like you’re both starving for the air that passes between your shared bodies. His fangs catch on the vermillion border of your lips, groaning sinfully as he sucks and laps up the crimson that dribbles down your chin, moving down to the horizontal laceration at your neck.
“Now darling, what did you say to describe what I could do if I caught you?” he wonders aloud, noisily slurping up the blood that drips down as he palms your breasts. “Ah, yes. That I could use your body for my pleasure? For the evening, or as long as I’ll have you?”
“Word for word,” you confirm, gasping when he rolls the bud of your nipple between his blood-stained fingers. 
He hums with a condescending smile, gathering the front of your panties in his fist.
“And what if I want more?” He questions you tersely, licking his lips. 
A passing cloud obscures the moon above you, shrouding your forms in darkness. His beauty, which shone like an ethereal beacon in the moonlight, undergoes a transformation into a terrifying, hungry creature of shadow. 
“I’ll give it to you,” you whisper with a trembling voice, “Name it and it’s yours.”
He rips the flimsy fabric of your undergarments off your body, eyeing the slick that got on his hands with fascination. He licks his palm to sample your essence, groaning like it’s the sweetest thing he’s ever tasted.
“Divine. Simply…divine,” he notes, laying atop you, hooking his leg underneath yours. “And naïve, you’ve agreed to my terms before I’ve stated them. What if I want your heart, as well as your body and your blood? Would you give your love only to me?”
Your heart pounds in your ears. You’d been a fool for him since the day he held you to the ground with a dagger to your neck, unrequited love at first sight. The more you learned about him, the harder you fell. Sure, you thought Gale was hot, and it made your botched seduction of the wizard easier. But Astarion?
“You’ve been the only one from the start. I made a mistake going to Gale to make you jealous,” you admit, your dry voice wobbling with the truth. 
Astarion chuckles darkly at your confession. “My foolish, sweet thing. A mistake you won’t repeat after I’ve had my wicked way with you.”
He frees himself from his pants, rubbing his erection against your folds to tease you and gather your copious arousal. “Nevertheless, I hope you’re ready for me… darling.”
You gasp as he thrusts inside you forcefully, meeting no resistance as his cock plunges all the way to the smooth cap of your cervix. Your back arches and you tip your head up to the stars as he enters you, delighted at how well he slots into your warm and wet channel.
“Sweet hells, you feel good Tav…you fit me like a glove,” he groans, shivering as he pulls back and thrusts into you again. “Like your cunt was made for me alone.”
He forces your arms above your head, pinning them down with a clenched fist after hearing you whimper at his words. “Do you like that, pet? Knowing the gods made you to ruin me?”
Cheesy lines like this make you laugh or roll your eyes normally, but right now you’re spellbound and cock-drunk and you love it. “Yes, Astarion,” you gasp, “I’m yours, only yours. Take me…please.”
Astarion growls at your surrender, snapping his hips roughly against your pelvis. You cry out loud with every wave of pleasure it brings, each thrust pushing against a nerve bundle deep in your channel that sends you up towards your peak. 
He knows you’re close by the way your walls tighten around him. “Coming undone for me so soon?” He mocks you, licking a stripe up your neck, over the cut from his blade as you moan and shudder underneath him. He adjusts the angle at which he pounds into you as he lifts your leg up over his shoulder, the new position stimulating the pink pearl of your erect, exposed clit.
“Ahh! Can’t help it…you feel so good…I’m gonna, Astarion-I’m gonna,” you pant as he brings you to the edge of bliss, only after a few minutes of having his cock inside of you. Your eyes flutter to the back of your head as a wave of pleasure overwhelms you and crests. 
Astarion knows. “Look at me, I want to see you when you unravel for me,” he commands in a harsh tone. Your eyes fly open and snap to his, unable to deny your magnetic pull to him. “Who do you belong to, Tav? Say it!”
“You, Astarion!” Your vision goes white with your climax, causing you to briefly lose sight of him as you keen. You feel as if a lightning bolt had hit you with the way your orgasm rips through your body, your hips convulsing as your muscles contract around him.
He’s not too far behind you. You can feel him harden and twitch, hear his ragged moans, see the change in his ruby eyes as pleasure takes over. Your womb aches to accept him, your sex fluttering with the aftershocks of your orgasm, encouraging him to go deeper.
“Fill me, I’m yours…use me, claim me, breed me.”
Right after you say “breed”, Astarion makes a noise you’re certain you’ve never heard before. It’s a groaning exhale that turns to a whimper as he pounds into you once, twice, then stilling as he thrusts home. You welcome the teeth that sink deep into your shoulder, the pain translating to pure pleasure. His cock pulses and twitches, buried as deep within your channel as your bodies will allow, painting your walls with ropes of his hot spend.
Astarion filling your pussy with his cum sends you over the edge again. “Astarion.. I’m gonna…I’m…oh Gods,” you shudder and sigh, your second orgasm not as intense as the first. He seems proud of himself that you’ve had another one so soon, still buried in the proof spasming and throbbing around him.
He brings you down from your shared high, winding down to a languid pace before he stops. You push up on your elbows, trying to catch your breath and kiss him all at once.
Astarion shoves you back down to the ground before your lips touch. “And where do you think you’re going? We’re far from done here.” 
You stare back at him while you process his words, your mind slowed by the wine you’ve consumed. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, darling. You’re the one who asked me to breed you, and I don’t intend to disappoint.”
The length that had gone soft inside of you inflates with your blood. “I’m going to stuff you full of my cum, make that sweet little cunt of yours milk my cock for every…” Astarion kisses you tenderly on the lips.
“Last,” he sinks his teeth into the buttery smooth flesh of your breast, sucking a bruise into your skin.
“Drop.” He flips you over, positioning you with your ass in the air, your face down on the ground. 
The new angle feels incredible. You’re not sure how he’s stayed inside you, and you don’t care. You wish that the evening could stretch on for eternity, your bodies joined as one. His cock jumps and you take that as your cue to move back and forth, drooling at how well it massages your walls. 
Astarion’s hands clutch at the flesh of your backside, guiding the motion of your hips. “Yes, that’s it, that’s a good girl,” he groans. 
You clench and flutter around him when praises you. He thrusts into you while you work his length, moaning for him with abandon when his scrotum slaps at your erect clit. 
“Mmm Tav,” he moans obscenely, his fingernails digging into your skin. “If only you knew how much…I wanted to take you just like this. Naughty little minx, walking past me in those tight leather britches of yours…Gods, how I wanted to rip them away… fuck you senseless.”
“Just like this?” You pant out, so overwhelming by your impending climax, you can barely speak. 
“Like this,” he explains with his hand by wrapping your long hair around it, pressing down on the small of your back. 
The change in angle is all your bodies need to let go. Your simultaneous orgasms draw out the addictive bliss of your coupling, unsure of where it starts or ends. Astarion’s cock jerks and pulses as he empties his seed into you again with a grunt, collapsing over the top of you to catch a breath he doesn’t need. 
“You’ll give me one more,” he pants, pressing a kiss to the nape of your sweaty neck. He pulls out of your spasming cunt and rests his entire body weight on your back. You whimper at the loss of him, your arms and legs quivering from the aftershocks, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
“I…I don’t know if I can,” you gasp out as you try to catch your breath. You’re shocked you had more than one orgasm during partnered sex. Then again, you’ve never been so thoroughly wrecked like this by anyone before. 
“Really, now? Make that two,” he clips, rolling you on to your back. You comply, half out of exhaustion and half out of your desire to embody the obedient plaything you promised to be for him.
Astarion eyes the pearly white liquid that seeps out of your abused hole, tsking in disapproval. He grabs a folded blanket in one hand and your ankles with another, shoving the blanket underneath your lower back as he lifts you up by your feet.
“That’s better. We don’t want to waste a single drop, now do we?” he drawls out his rhetorical question, gathering the cum that has spilled from you on his fingers and stuffing it back into you. Your hips buck upward with the intrusion, clenching around his digits as he pushes his seed back inside your entrance with a squelch.
Being fingered was never your favorite because your partners were too fast or too rough, but the way Astarion strokes your channel is just right. You moan wantonly for him as he fucks you with his elegant digits, brushing against a spot yours can never quite reach. You can’t believe it, but you feel your center winding tight again, clenching around him, feeling the cum spill from your core faster than he can plunge it back inside you. 
“That’s it, yes, cum for me darling,” he commands, fastening his mouth to your clit, hastening your climax with his teeth and tongue. It feels good, but you want to reach your peak stuffed with his cock, to feel his essence spill inside you.
“I want…I want you inside of me…want all of your cum in me…want you to get me pregnant,” you struggle to speak, your throat dry from all the noises of pleasure you’ve made for him.
You’re certain your request broke him when he stares back at you, his mouth agape. His fingers are stilled on the outside of your soaking wet pussy. You worry for a moment that you went too far until he throws your legs over his shoulders, his steel-hard cock spearing your entrance. 
“I’m going to spill inside you…every single day…until your body accepts the gift I’ve given it,” he snarls, an eerie fluorescent light shining in his eyes. You imagine him making good on his promise, endless nights together in the wilderness blended into a haze of shared ecstasy. 
Astarion forces your legs to meet your chest, drawing out a noise you didn’t know you could make. “Flood your cunt with my seed every night, until you swell with my claim on you…showing the world who you belong to,” he grits out, displaying sharp, vicious canines. 
You think about his possessive hands caressing a small bump on your belly, pressing an adoring kiss to where the life you both created would continue to grow in your womb.
It makes you fall apart with a shout, his name on your lips. 
“Please fill me! I want this…want you, I love you,” you beg him, the four letter word spilling from your lips by accident in your reverie. 
Astarion’s cock jerks inside you as he registers your confession, a chill rippling across his moonlit, shimmering, sweat-drenched skin. His entire body tenses and quivers, his hands clutching at the linen blanket below. 
“Bite me,” you whisper to him, your vocal cords dry and hoarse. “Take my blood, love...put a baby in me,” you plead as you roll your head to the side, an invitation to re-open the wound from last night’s feeding.
Astarion’s teeth latch on to your neck without hesitation. With the first pull of your blood, his hips stutter and spasm, cumming inside you with a muffled sob. You’re right behind him, the exquisite pleasure and pain rocketing you up to heights unknown. 
You must have blacked out, because the next thing you know you’re laying on your side with him still twitching inside of you, held so tightly in his arms you can barely breathe. You can feel the vibrations of his velvety soft baritone rumbling something to you, but you aren’t able to hear him over the ringing in your ears. 
Astarion buries his head on your shoulder, unable to finish his sentence. You press a kiss to the sweaty silver curls at his temples and his ears fall flat as he looks at you, his expression as vulnerable as you’ve ever seen him.
“Did you mean it, Tav? Did you mean it when you said you loved me?” 
Your stomach lurches up to your throat, your heart skips a beat. Out of all the crazy shit you’ve said to each other tonight, of course this would be the one he wanted to talk about. You close your eyes and take a deep breath, steeling yourself for another rejection.
“From the moment I laid eyes on you. I fought it, because I didn’t want to believe it, but I love yo-“ 
Astarion’s sensual lips steal your words, kissing you with a tenderness that makes your heart feel like it’s soaring from the relief you feel. 
“For the last two hundred years, I’ve never had a single thing to call my own. That is, until now,” he leans in to kiss you again and you pull away in panic.
“A lover? Or…a…uhm,” you stutter, flustered by the things you said to him in the heat of passion. He squeezes you with arms that glimmer in the moonlight, kissing the top of your scalp. 
“A family? No, well- maybe someday? I don’t know for certain, but not while Cazador’s alive,” he shudders. “Gods, can you imagine? At any rate, I didn’t expect you to bring out such a beast in me. I rather liked it, you know,” he murmurs into your hair, carding his fingers through your satin locks.
Astarion stills as if he’d remembered something, grasping your chin to look up at him. “Speaking of things I’m not ready for. I want you to be mine, and yet I cannot honestly say tonight was anything more than a bit of carnal fun,” he admits, his eyes flickering back and forth as he gazes into yours. “Is that alright, Tav? To allow only me to take what I want from your body? Can you live with the uncertainty that your feelings may never be returned?”
Your chest swells with the possibility of sharing his bed again, tears flooding your eyes. “We can take it day by day.”
“Good, just like I thought,” Astarion murmurs to you with a sinister edge to his sultry voice, alarming you. 
He chuckles and kisses your forehead, all of your worries washed away when he resumes his comforting touch. You sigh with contentment, drifting off to sleep against your lover’s chest, unwitting and unaware of the secret almost revealed to you.
104 notes · View notes
snow-in-space · 5 days
Text
Why Stan’s Winning Against Ford (Respectfully):
(This post is clearly all my opinion, so it’d be really cool to hear from Ford fans if you disagree or not!)
Originally I was just going to reblog @skipppppy ‘s poll about who the better twin is, but I got caught up making these joke bulletin boards:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
And now, some joke bullets:
I want to make it clear that I love both characters, but I also need to tell you that I have a favorite, and it’s Stan. I don’t know how to explain it exactly, except that one of these men will make a “my aim is getting better” joke at a very poignant and dramatic moment to one up a mentally + physically abusive demon that has been violating his bodily autonomy for weeks on end— the other will make a “her aim is getting better” joke at the completely wrong time because he thought it was really funny. Although the stakes are so much higher, Ford ‘wins’ his interaction in a sense, and Stan ‘fails,’ leading him to harass children out of loneliness until he gets the lake police called on him.
I don’t know why that speaks to me more, but it does.
- Ford is fascinating as a man both made and destroyed by his own ambition, and Stan punched a dinosaur in the face for his niece’s pet pig.
- Ford took the advice of a literal demon over the concerns and fears of his oldest friend— Stan habitually robs businesses and anyone who lets him into their home without thinking twice about it.
- Ford is a loser who likes DD&D despite having seen creatures beyond most people’s imagination first hand— Stan sells people “a rock that looks like a face” only because he knows they’re dumb enough to buy it.
- Ford guts aliens and monsters on crazy, wild adventures— Stan runs a humble, small town business where he glues dead animals together for a living.
- Ford is wanted across the multiverse for committing crimes to take down Bill (he writes Stan off as a selfish criminal most of his life, despite justifying all his own crimes). Stan is a wanted man because he has committed “llamacide.”
- Ford grew up a genius and prodigy, lived his dream, gained a close friend and a ‘muse’— then squandered it all on accident by being a little dummy dumb who ignored all the warnings because he wanted to be famous (and not just FAMOUS, but unsurpassably famous, which is why he wouldn’t settle for anything less than his research and the portal). He spends the next thirty years dedicating his life to destroying Bill, because it’s for the greater good (and revenge, and is another high stakes goal for him to chase). Stan grew up to be a criminal and con artist, lost everything and everyone, worked endlessly and thanklessly for thirty years to get his brother back— for nothing more than that— and he still ships pugs in barrels across the Mexican border just because.
- Ford is a nerd facing nerd-like cosmic horrors and consequences. Stan is a man who has suffered earthly horrors and endorses child labor, but also gets his hands dirty in unearthly horrors because of said children.
- Ford shocks his brother by being hella buff and capable and involved with the demon bringing about the apocalypse. Stan shocks his brother by stealing his house, name, and everything else, and then committing more crimes.
- Ford felt stifled by other people and only wanted sidekicks he could project himself onto (he’d sooner fight god than come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t discarded/betrayed by the people he cared about, but instead mistreated them. Luckily he’s fought god and now he has no other excuses). Stan’s support system threw him out as a teenager and he’d blamed himself ever since. He’s alone until Soos and the kids come into his life and doesn’t take them for granted.
- Ford was further isolated and taken advantage of by Bill, facing great personal damage as a result. Stan takes advantage of countless others, but can’t click with anyone enough to cause any personal damage.
- Ford’s whole story feels so polished, dark, mature and professional— very fitting for a horror novel or sci-fi protagonist. Stan’s story is largely told through crude jokes in a children’s comedy show, but is still so rough on a closer inspection that it doesn’t get lost in its oddities.
In summary, it’s up to preference, but there is an interesting distinction in experience:
Liking Ford = a thoughtful analysis of an interesting man that makes me say, “lol, why’d he do that?” when he does something cute or stupid.
Liking Stan = asking myself “lol, why’d he do that?” every minute or so, and realizing I wasn’t ready for the thoughtful analysis that would take over my brain, but not change the absurd mess of his actions whatsoever. He has the comedy AND tragedy on lock.
68 notes · View notes
calliesmemes · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001)
SENTENCE STARTERS PULLED FROM THE DIALOGUE FEATURED IN THE ANIMATED FILM ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE, with some quotations slightly modified for roleplay purposes.
CHANGE gendered words and in-universe phrases as needed.
SPECIFY muse for multimuses.
Tumblr media
   “   Uh, would you gentlemen please excuse me for a moment?   ”
   “   If I ever hear the word "Atlantis" again, I'll step in front of a bus!   ”
   “   You have a lot of potential.   ”
   “   Who... who are you? How did you get in here?   ”
   “   I'm acting on behalf of my employer, who has a most intriguing proposition for you.   ”
   “   Relax. He doesn’t bite … often.   ”
   “   Did you really know my grandfather?   ”
   “   We stayed close friends ‘till the end of his days.   ”
   “   He spoke of you often.   ”
   “   I've spent my whole life studying dead languages.   ”
   “   I will stake everything I own, everything that I believe in... that this is the genuine Shepherd's Journal.   ”
   “   I'll show them! I will make them believe.   ”
   “   For years your granddad bent my ear with stories about that old book.   ”
   “   Your grandpa was a great man. You probably don't realize how great.   ”
   “   Don't let her age fool you.   ”
   “   Our lives are remembered by the gifts we leave our children.   ”
   “   Atlantis is waiting. What do you say?   ”
   “   Boy, I’m so excited, l-l-l-I can't even hold it in.   ”
   “   Excuse me? I need to, uh, report in?   ”
   “   Blondie, I got a bone to pick with you.   ”
   “   If you're lookin' for the pony rides, they're back there.   ”
   “   You can’t put a price on the pursuit of knowledge.   ”
   “   This should be enriching for all of us.   ”
   “   Now tell me your story, my little friend.   ”
   “   This is an outrage! You must leave at once! Out, out, out, out, out!   ”
   “   Now, what have I told you about playing nice with the other kids?   ”
   “   Back to the pit from which you came!   ”
   “   OK, everybody. I want you to give Mr. Thatch your undivided attention.  ”
   “   Cartographer, linguist, plumber. Hard to believe he's still single.   ”
   “   Captain, you'd better come look at this, sir.   ”
   “   Do you want to do my job? Be my guest.   ”
   “   How much time do we have?   ”
   “   I don't think he's comin' back.   ”
   “   Move it, people! Sometime today would be nice!   ”
   “   I won't sugar-coat it, gentlemen. We have a crisis on our hands.   ”
   “   Looks like all our chances for survival rest with you, Mr. Thatch.   ”
   “   We’re all gonna die.   ”
   “   Looks like we have a little roadblock.   ”
   “   That thing is going to keep me up all night, I know it.   ”
   “   You know, we've been pretty tough on the kid. What do you say we cut him some slack?   ”
   “   Hey, Milo! Why don't you come sit with us?   ”
   “   Hey, Milo, don't you ever close that book?   ”
   “   I know, I know. Sometimes I get a little carried away.   ”
   “   You know, that's what this is all about, right? I mean – discovery, teamwork, adventure. Unless, maybe, you're just in it for the money.   ”
   “   Hey, how’d you learn how to do that?   ”
   “   I never got to meet your grandfather. What was he like?   ”
   “   He was like a father to me, really.   ”
   “   My parents died when I was a little kid, and he took me in.   ”
   “   That is so cute!   ”
   “   Uh, no... no offense.. but how does a teenager become the chief mechanic of a multimillion dollar expedition?   ”
   “   So, what... what happened to your sister?   ”
   “   I just like to blow things up.   ”
   “   All right, who's not dead? Sound off.   ”
   “   Maybe that's our ticket outta here.   ”
   “   I gotta hand it to you. You really came through.   ”
   “   They can smell fear just by looking at ya.   ”
   “   We are explorers from the surface world. We come in peace.   ”
   “   Come. You must speak with my father now.   ”
   “   Someone's having a good time.   ”
   “   Commander, there were not supposed to be people down here. This changes everything.   ”
   “   This changes nothing.   ”
   “   You presume much to think that you would be welcome here.   ”
   “   I know what you seek and you will not find it here.   ”
   “   Your journey has been in vain.   ”
   “   May I respectfully request that we stay one night, sir?   ”
   “   Your heart has softened, Kida.   ”
   “   A thousand years ago, you would have slain them on sight.   ”
   “   We were once a great people. Now we live in ruins.   ”
   “   The kings of our past would weep if they could see how far we have fallen.   ”
   “   Our way of life is dying.   ”
   “   When you take the throne, you will understand.   ”
   “   Well, the King and his daughter don't exactly see eye to eye.   ”
   “   Well, if he's hiding something, I want to know what it is.   ”
   “   Look, I have some questions for you, and I'm not leaving this city until they're answered!   ”
   “   Oh, there is so much to ask about your world.   ”
   “   You are a scholar, are you not?   ”
   “   I got a few questions for you, too. So let's do this, OK? You ask one, then I'll ask one, then you, then me, then...well, you get it.   ”
   “   how did you get here? Well, I mean, not you personally... but your... your culture. I mean, how did all of this end up down here?   ”
   “   Wh... what... what … are you telling me… that you remember what happened because you were there? No, that... that's impossible...   ”
   “   How was my accent?   ”
   “   You know, you deserve credit for even... even gettin' this far.   ”
   “   By the way, we were never properly introduced. My name's Milo.   ”
   “   Uh, hey, you got a nickname?   ”
   “   You know, my grandpa used to tell me stories about this place as far back as I can remember.   ”
   “   I just wish that he could be standing here with me.   ”
   “   We are not thriving. True, our people live. but our culture is dying.   ”
  “   I wish there was something I could do.   ”
   “   Why don't you lead the way, because I have no idea where we're going.   ”
   “   This is amazing! A complete history of Atlantis!   ”
   “   I am such an idiot.   ”
   “   This is just another treasure hunt for you.   ”
   “   I would've told you sooner, but it was strictly on a need-to-know basis.   ”
   “   Welcome to the club, son.   ”
   “   Mercenary? I prefer the term "adventure capitalist."   ”
   “   You don't know what you're tampering with, Rourke.   ”
   “   Academics. You never want to get your hands dirty.   ”
   “   I got to admit, I'm disappointed.   ”
   “   You're an idealist, just like your grandfather.   ”
   “   For once, do the smart thing.   ”
   “   I really hate it when negotiations go sour.   ”
   “   Well, as usual, diplomacy has failed us.   ”
   “   You've got to listen to me. You don't have the slightest idea what this power is capable of.   ”
   “   Let’s get this over with. I don’t like this place.  
   “   Doesn’t anything surprise you?   ”
   “   Talk to me, Thatch. What's happening?   ”
   “   So I guess this is how it ends, huh?   ”
   “   You've read Darwin. It's called natural selection. We're just helping it along.   ”
   “   Be serious. This is wrong, and you know it.   ”
   “    You pick now of all times to grow a conscience?   ”
   “   She has been chosen... like her mother before her.   ”
   “   I followed you in, and I'll follow you out.   ”
   “   it's been my experience that when you hit bottom, the only place left to go is up.   ”
   “   What do you think that you are doing?   ”
   “   We're going to save Atlantis, or we're going to die trying.   ”
   “   Well, I have to hand it to you. You're a bigger pain in the neck than I would have ever thought possible.   ”
   “   Tired? Aw, that's a darn shame, because I'm just getting warmed up.   ”
   “   There's a hero's welcome waiting for the man who discovered Atlantis.   ”
   “   I don't think the world needs another hero.   ”
   “   I'm going to miss that boy. At least he's in a better place now.   ”
Tumblr media
160 notes · View notes
tenderleavesbob · 2 months
Note
Hi!! Anon from before, I meant the fic where the chain see each other again but Wild is missing/not there yet :) sorry for the confusion
Aaaah. That makes more sense! This fic. Here you go!
When their adventure ended and Warriors returned to his life as Captain Link, he accepted that it was the end of their time together. He felt blessed as it was to have the opportunity to not only see Tune and Mask again but to fight alongside the new heroes. He didn't expect to receive such a blessing again.
He stepped out of the portal and into preparations for a new war.
The breaking of Ganon's bindings had left them fragile. Even with the Master Sword sealing him back in his prison, no one expected them to hold Ganon for long. They needed to prepare for the new battle.
Impa introduced him to their new weapons. Rather than fighting another war and sacrificing their people to Ganon's madness, they would create divine beasts to join their hero and Hylia's daughter into battle.
"It was a good idea," Warriors admitted, rubbing his chest. "We underestimated him, though. He didn't have the Triforce anymore, but he was still empowered by it." He grimaced. "He was also mad as hell."
Wind pressed against his side. It was still strange to see Wind as tall as him. Wind showed him what he had actually looked like when he died, and Warriors cried at how old and strong his boy looked. He was still crying as Wind scolded him for dying so young.
"It almost worked, but we relied too much on him being similar to how he was before," Warriors said.
Legend tsked at him and shook his head. "Amateur mistake."
"Leg!" Twilight hissed.
Warriors grinned at him. "He's right. It was." He tapped his chest. "This time, it did cost me my life. I won, but no one expected..." He waved his hand vaguely. "Whatever that was. It was nasty. Took all of my power to take it out."
"His Malice," Twilight said. He frowned. "Wild mentioned it."
Warriors shrugged. "It certainly kicked my ass."
Time leaned against him from his other side. Spirits shouldn't have weight, but Time did. A dead man shouldn't be warm, but he was. He was comforting and smelled like the forest around them. "If I'm right about the timeline, it'll be a long time before we see Wild. Your sacrifice will keep Ganon at bay for a long time."
Warriors hummed and didn't respond. They all knew enough about Wild's timeline to know how that would go. He just hadn't realized that he was the hero right before Wild. He had hoped that he would be able to change it, even if it messed up the timeline again. Better prepare them after they used the Divine Beasts.
Twilight kicked Warriors's shin. It didn't really hurt. Nothing did anymore. Warriors still yelped. "I see ya thinking. Knock it off."
Legend grinned. "Don't tell him to knock it off. He'll never be able to start up again!"
Everyone started laughing again. Time kept his hand pressed over Warriors's heart.
His death had been immediate. He had seen the death blow but hadn't felt a thing.
"So now what?" Warriors asked.
Hyrule plopped beside Legend with Four right behind them. Their chain wasn't complete yet. It wouldn't be for centuries. It was nice, though, for all of them to sit together like this, safe within the Great Deku Tree's forest. The forest spirits laughed and chattered around them, and Hyrule resembled them as he offered them the fruit he and Four had gathered. "Now we eat!" he chirped.
"And wait," Four added, passing some of the fruit to Wind and Warriors. "We did our time."
"Sorta," Twilight said drolly. Time snickered.
They didn't need to eat, but the fruits of this forest were good for more than mortal sustenance.
Sky watched all of them quietly, a content smile on his face. In death, he glowed even brighter than life. Under the shadow of the trees, he shone like their own sun. "We're together," he said simply. "We'll watch over Hyrule the best we can and support Wild when it's his turn. For now..." He accepted a golden apple from Hyrule. "We eat!"
"Do you think we could make beer from this?" Twilight mused.
"Or wine?" Warriors offered.
That started everyone off again, including cheers when Wind reported that he knew how to make moonshine. Warriors watched his brothers, far more content in death than he ever expected.
For now, no more battles.
For now, they could rest.
And eat.
54 notes · View notes
breadvidence · 2 months
Note
adaptation question: how good in bed is each version of javert? (inspired by the recent poll making the rounds)
As I mentioned on Discord: I intended to respond to the poll with an argument for Javert being good in bed & for the sake of comedy rather than sincere belief my plan was an emphatic yes (as much as I want to gnash my teeth over the need for nuance & could make an equally strong case for no & also want to write about how characters who canonically don't fuck have their own value both for aro-ace folks and as an escape from the way erotic-sexual-reproductive drive is treated as a central aspect of being human more generally). Er. So. Thank you for the opportunity to expand my silliness to multiple Javerts!
(As an aside, I will normally refer to a particular adaptation by the actor's name, but will not be doing that in the context of screwing, regardless of several of these actors being very dead.)
The Brick: Quel délice que cet étouffement! Brick Javert might die having lived a "life of privation, isolation, abnegation, chastity, with never a diversion", but what he lacks in experience with your standard use of the equipment, he makes up for in a fine understanding of the erotics of voyeurism, delayed satisfaction, and—of course—discipline. Further, you might catch some sass, but he'll hold still while you tie him up to make sure the ropework is just right when you're done, and after a lifetime of licking boots you can bet he's gonna work through that cramp in his jaw. 10/10, suggest any local DILFs needing a hobby fish him out of the river before he drowns and see whether that perfectionist need to put things in their place can be turned to more recreational ends than the horrific policing of society's unjust structure.
'25: As ever, '25 follows in the Brick's footsteps. It's clear from his self-satisfaction that this Javert is in the know on how closely fear and arousal come to each other. Despite being about as likely to have fucked in the conventional sense as his Brick counterpart, do we really think it matters? We could talk about how Javert's surveillance forces Valjean/Madeleine into an exhibitionistic display of Authority and Javert's desires related thereto, but I'll calm down some instead. 10/10 for accuracy to the original combined with that narrow chance he's got some experience under his belt.
'34: '34 predicts 2012. Less imposing, uncomfortable, he's probably not gonna strangle you, but—other possibilities open, with all that hyperfocus still on hand. Bonus! Great communication skills, will write you very plainly worded notes about what's up. 10/10 for negotiation skills.
'35: Wow, I sure did corner myself into imagining Laughton fucking. Admittedly, "regulations—good, bad, and indifferent—must be carried out to the letter" strikes me as one of the least sexy statements possible (both as an interpretation of Javert's character and in the erotic sense), but may I propose: that vibrating, dampness, and the established trait of Javert as a tease combine to—some kind of positive effect. Ragdoll physics have exciting potential. 9/10, one point removed for willingness to be indifferent.
'58: Is it bad? is it good? you don't remember. 10/10, what a fascinating and novel adventure of Men in Black style forgetfulness to have gone on.
'72: Does his partner feel like a specimen under the microscope? Maybe, but there's a certain magnetism at play. Any Javert's sexual prowess is most easily derived from his interactions with the Valjean he plays opposite, so '72's catastrophically bad depiction of M-sur-M rather curtails my assessment here, but this Javert's intensity and focus point towards intriguing possibilities. He is among the Javerts on this list who seem like they might have gone to bed with a person, an assessment I am making based purely on vibes. 10/10, close enough to canon Javert to hit the above-mentioned potential combined with an air of not being a virgin.
'78: The Javert on this list who has, without a doubt, absolutely fucked. The looks he gives Valjean alone qualify. Also the Javert who I will admit has a 0/10 bedability rating—if the partner in question is a woman. 10/10 in a homosexual context. The kind of man a dear friend of mine calls Little Lord Fauntleroys, this Javert approaches sex with a stiff dignity that might make the uninitiated worry about inhibitions and cold fish, but which actually indicates a deep store of freak-ass ideas and a willingness to, shall we say, experiment (if you can find anything he hasn't already tried).
'98: Built-in lube via hair grease. 10/10 for convenience.
2000: While I have not yet finished this adaptation, I can speak to the bedroom skills of this Javert through his time in M-sur-M. Methodical, attentive, tired but game to persist. 2000 Javert would admittedly rather be napping, but even when faced with an indifferent partner he maintains the pitch of bizarre intensity that is at the root of a Javert's erotic potential. 9/10, point docked for the regrettable impact of fatigue (maybe he should get his vitamin D levels checked?).
2007: He's got anime physics. 10/10
2012: Who'm I to argue against fandom? Crowevert fucks well. Is it despite being a virgin? Is it because he's a virgin? Virginity definitely plays a role of some kind, and Victor Hugo would approve. In stark contrast to other iterations of the character, Crowevert's need to submit himself to a greater authority is expressed as a soft-edged vulnerability rather than rabid intensity, and the resulting sweetness almost makes me blush. Let's draw the curtains and let them be. 10/10, all details can be found in 90% of the AO3 Javert/Jean Valjean tag.
2018: This Javert almost certainly fucked, and if we may draw on what's been communicated by the creator outside the show itself, it was unsatisfactory, the skill all on the part of the professional he paid for the service. Who'm I to argue with that? 1/10, one point added for the transformative work detailing his erotic potential.
63 notes · View notes
wlwinry · 4 months
Text
okay so about that d20 leverage au that won the poll. we're gonna do this in bullet points bc it just works better for my brain i suppose (see tangled au for examples)
postcanon
several years postcanon
we're talking early to mid twenties bad kids
funnily enough fig dropping out did a great job of setting up this whole thing bc the premise relies on the bad kids, while still loving each other and being a team, eventually splitting off to do their own thing. and their various "own things" spiral into crime, and they lose contact with each other, only to all be pulled into the same job later and end up being a team again. yay!
but first. context
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW. leverage is a tv series that ran from 2008-2012, following the heists of the leverage team: a group of criminals, each the best in their field (hitter, hacker, grifter, thief, mastermind) taking down corporations and ceos and giving the money to their victims. it's really fun and has the best found family portrayal ive seen in A While
back to the bad kids
fabian drops off the grid first in true dramatic fabian fashion. by faking his death to escape his mother's abuse for good. and then deciding to be better than his father--by doing a better job of stealing than him. he uses his dexterity to his advantage and becomes one of the most dangerous art thieves in spyre. he's the thief
gorgug takes on a few security jobs for the council of chosen when his parents' ownership of the tree is threatened, to ensure they'll have the money to keep their home. this spirals, however, and to keep both sets of parents safe he ends up taking a few jobs on the...more dangerous side. and once you're in, it's hard to get out. he's a retrieval specialist utilizing his specific barbaficer talents--he's the hitter and the maker
the court of stars goes back on their word regarding adaine's payments. with an understanding of arcanotech and her foresight, she takes to siphoning money from the people and organizations who don't need it to ensure that the mordred mortage stays paid, lydia's PT is covered, and that bee applebees's (who moved into the manor midway into senior year) college stays paid. she also takes a few jobs and challenges to pay her own bills. the oracle is, much like in batman, the hacker
being the former chosen one of helio and the lead cleric of a new pantheon gives you a lot of connections, and kristen has always been good at filling in gaps and better at negotiating than people realize. if she needs to cut a few backroom deals, dig up dirt on some prospective allies, she'll do it. the system's failed her and the others before. why shouldn't she work outside of it? kristen is the fixer.
fig's music career takes off--and then the dawn family decides to go after and disgrace sandra lynn after fig makes it clear that she's coming after them for hurting her mom. fig digs more and more into her disguise and con-artist talents to get them to back off, and by the time she takes them down...well, fig (no cig figs) might not be onstage anymore, but she's given some very impressive performances, and she's ready to take a more hands-on approach when it comes to getting what she wants. fig is the grifter
riz doesn't want to take the council of chosen job. he doesn't. his mom's biggest fear was always him following in pok's footsteps, and he doesn't want to work for them after how badly they've failed him and his friends (his lost, missing, or seemingly dead friends), but...they pay well now. really well. better than PI work, and he figures he'll work for them for a couple of years, save up enough to quit, and then maybe try some adventuring of his own. this goes on until he gets a mission: steal a particular set of new arcanotech spell components. his team has already been hired.
his team is the rest of the bad kids
it's one hell of an awkward reunion. everyone is happy to see each other but no one knows what to say, so they focus on the job and try not to think about how this might be the last time they work as a team. riz definitely doesn't let himself think about it.
until it's revealed that this was a ploy by the council to kill them all off. the company they stole for was in on it, because the council promised to put them ahead of the competitors that the team stole from.
unfortunately, they forgot that the bad kids are Very Hard To Kill, and very dangerous when pissed off
riz leads the team in a very elaborate heist to take down the company who was in on the plan and humiliate the council of chosen. it works. it's beautiful. they're a team. heartfelt conversations are had. they fall back into old dynamics with a side of new skills, new goals, new experiences. they missed each other. they love each other.
and then they win. and it's time to separate--except they don't. because they've fought plenty of bbegs in their time...but maybe it's time to take down the enemies that the law can't (won't) touch.
the six of them are the leverage team, and riz is the mastermind.
57 notes · View notes
berenwrites · 1 year
Text
For Love – Steddie Flashfic – PG
A/N: Had a totally different fic in mind when I opened my doc to work on it, and this happened, so I hope you like it. Don’t forget to check out all the other great fics at @steddiemicrofic too💖.
Written for prompt: CHARM | 548 words | rated: PG | cw: none
Steve’s current position seemed oddly familiar, although this time it was claws at his throat, not a broken bottle, and he was being held against a tree not a wooden wall. Eddie didn’t look that much different really. His teeth were sharper, his eyes were darker, and he seemed incredibly strong, but Steve could still see Eddie underneath.
“Long time no see, Sweetheart,” Eddie said, voice deep and resonant.
It had been two months-ish. They were almost ready with the plan to end Vecna for good. Steve had been patrolling to make sure nothing had come through the rifts, looking out for demodogs or demobats, not dead friends.
“You don’t look afraid enough, Stevie,” Eddie said, leaning in close, “anyone would think you like this.”
Contrary to some peoples’ opinions, Steve was not an idiot. On their last adventure, he had seen the way Eddie had snatched glances at him when he thought Steve wasn’t looking. He could also guess how Eddie would assume he would react to something like that. The taunt was designed to make him worry about more than his life.
“Let me go and find out,” he said as best he could with fingers wrapped around his throat.
“Gonna run, Big Boy?” Eddie asked, leaning in close. “You won’t get far.”
“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about,” he replied, staring into those dark eyes.
Eddie laughed, something between what Steve had heard before and a guttural hissing noise.
“All the more fun for me,” Eddie decided with a toothy grin, and the pressure on Steve’s neck lessened.
He could have run. Animal instincts looked at the predator in front of him and told him to, but he didn’t.
“Screw it,” he said, and as Eddie stepped away, he went with him.
Bringing up both hands, he took Eddie’s face between his palms and leaned in to kiss him. He held nothing back. None of the loss or need that had had months to percolate and grow after he had done some soul searching, realising what might have been. None of the passion he had used to charm so many girls, but never felt coming back. Because there was something else they had discovered since last time. Music brought people back because music touched something deep inside, and there were other ways to reach that too.
Maybe this was the way he would die, but Steve had to try. He put everything he was into the kiss, all his hopes, all his dreams, all his love. He might not have known Eddie properly for long, but he had listened to Dustin, to the other boys, to Wayne, who had refused to leave town, and he had learned.
Falling in love with an idea, a memory, was so clichéd, so very him. He hadn’t realised it, not completely, not until Eddie had come out of the darkness at him. Maybe the Upside Down had finally driven him mad as desperation filled him.
Eddie’s skin was cold against his. Eddie’s body was frozen. Eddie tasted like ash.
But Steve could not let go, would not give in. If there was a chance, he had to take it for the sake of them both.
And finally, after seconds that felt like eons, Eddie’s arms pulled him close.
239 notes · View notes
yuri-is-online · 5 months
Note
I love the Fyuuture kid au. Could I ask for Ace!yutu, the idea of Yutu getting second hand embarrassment at Ace's flirting attempts makes me laugh so much, just yutu standing there watching ace self sabotage himself when it comes to Yuu wondering how Yuu and Ace managed to get together in the future. (Yutu has definitely judged his father a few times in silence)
Another thing that lives rent free in my head when thinking of Ace and Yutu is when Ace finds out that Yuu is basically dead in the future. That has to be a crushing discovering for him considering that he's (and Deuce) very protective of Yuu
(also the idea of Deuce's future co workers deciding that Yuu is a danger and basically cursed Yuu to die has to make him feel uneasy about weather he'd want to work for a company that basically sentenced Yuu to die once everything is resolved but that's a conversation for another day)
notes: they/them used for Yuu, for context on the fyuuture kid au can be found here and here.
Tumblr media
Slight bit of clarification, the Magical Marshall's appear to be a government organization, or perhaps a type of law enforcement that each government has?  The way Deuce spoke about it made me think they sound similar to a counter terrorism unit, but either way your point still stands.  While Deuce never gets the complete picture of what happened to Yuu, he still knows in his heart it was his office that hurt them, and it's extremely difficult for him to live with.  The office stands by it's decision to the bitter end, no matter what he says or how many monster attacks are reported.  And if he gets too annoying, well they already made you disappear.
And with that lovely thought let's talk about Ace!
Ace! Yutu is a fairly normal kid.  He doesn't really have friends, maybe a discord buddy or two who he plays games with, but no one he really trusts to talk with about his family situation.  And he does see it as a situation, Yuu might be doing their best to make things normal for the two of them but the entire situation just stinks.  Yutu knows there's something wrong with it but he can't put his finger on what…
Very smart.  He taught himself how to count cards and got in trouble at school more than once for running blackjack games where he took a bunch of money from his classmates.  Not his fault they suck at cards!  And sure he could just cheat like normal (he's just as good at cutting the deck as dear old dad) but it's much more fun to do something technically legal.  It makes people that much more mad, which he finds really funny.
He tries to not talk about his dad that much, though he might make a joke or two about fatherless behavior. Much like Cater! Yutu, he assumes that his dad is probably dead and while he's very curious, he's reluctant to poke at Yuu's memories for fear of causing them more pain.  When he does think about his dad he tends to romanticize things, Yuu's description of him makes their relationship sound really sweet.  Marrying his best friend sounds great to Yutu, his dad must have felt really lucky to have managed to obtain that.
Getting isekaid doesn't phase this Yutu at all.  He was already so convinced something was off back in your world, learning he was a mage and all about Yuu's adventures just confirms all of his assumptions. Getting placed into Heartslabyul and being told that was Ace's dorm thrills him, doubly so when he gives Crewel his first migraine and gets told he's just like him. That's not to say Yutu is completely happy about his situation; his father is dead (Yutu refuses to acknowledge the monster wearing his face as a person) and Yuu effectively died ages ago, the curse placed on them just drew it out for a cruel amount of time. Yutu's angry, and what's worse is that he doesn't really have one person he can fix the blame on. He wishes Yuu or Ace were alive so he could ask who they blame, who he needs to seek out to get them justice. When the others propose traveling back in time he leaps at it without a second thought.
Crewel does try to tell Yutu about his dad, but his descriptions sort of go over Yutu's head until he actually meets him. To be fair to Yutu, he's not completely off in his assumptions about how Ace felt about Yuu, it's obvious that Ace was smitten with his parent from the start but he doesn't fully understand the denial Crewel is talking about. The blot monster Ace became is very cocky, and excels at misdirection so why would he be shy about flirting with Yuu?
Well maybe shy isn't the right word for whatever he's looking at now. Ace is reluctant to leave Yuu's side, but he has so many excuses as to why that it hurts his soul, wouldn't it just be easier to say "because I'm worried about you?" Instead of insulting Yuu's ability to take care of themselves and joking about you needing him but only joking! It's not like he really wants you to! And don't get him STARTED on all the little excuses Ace finds to touch you. It makes him seriously reconsider his whole opinion on wanting to marry his best friend thing because god if this is level of pathetic what it takes he doesn't think he could cope.
He assumes (maybe correctly) that Yuu is the one who made a move on Ace and that's how they got together in his timeline, something that high-key offends Ace when he finds out and he encourages you to be honest with Ace if you ever open up about your frustrations with him. That doesn't mean he ever gives Ace a break though, Ace is already suspicious of Yutu's intentions towards Yuu but his constant dunking on him has earned him Deuce's respect, so now he's lost both of his friends! What the hell guys you're supposed to be on his side!
Ace's distrust of Yutu doesn't bother Trappola Jr at all. On the contrary he thinks it's a good thing, the more he interacts with the first year group the more he appreciates how solid of a head Ace has on his shoulders. It doesn't make up for him being cringe, but it does make Yutu think he could maybe trust his dad with the truth.
I don't think any of the boys take the reveal of what Yutu's future is like well, but Ace's is especially bad. He thinks about all of the close calls he has seen you have, how afraid he was when he got those messages from you over Winter break, the S.T.Y.X. attack, every overblot he has ever seen, and now his own child is telling him that you made it through all that and his bad attempts at flirting but didn't get a happy ending. He has the same set of emotions that Yutu does, anger and grief that he has no one to really blame for. Yutu is sad he doesn't have an answer but grateful he isn't alone anymore.
The reveal makes Ace's teasing actually insufferable, he's so fucking cocky now that he knows you liiiiiike him back. See that boy over there? Actually living proof that you're into him, kinda cringe actually! He bets you used to have a crush on him too (just turn it around on him if you're in public he will melt.)
They like to try and out play each other in cards, Ace can't card count but he is better at reading people and better at cutting the deck so they have a pretty even win loss ratio. Yutu isn't above whining to Yuu about how his dad is being mean if he's on a losing streak, something that makes Ace fold quicker than he'd like. Neither of them will ever admit it out loud but they have a silent competition for your affection, Ace thinks you should be cheering for him since he's your future husband and Yutu thinks that you should cheer for him because he is capable of being honest about his emotions. When Grim starts whining for attention they call a truce and fight him instead.
Speaking of Grim, he has a relatively good opinion of Yutu in general based off seeing him as Henchuman 2 but when he finds out Ace is his dad? Respect ended he always knew that Yutu kid was a loser... all those times he refused to get him tuna make so much more sense now!
Learning about the future makes Ace even more protective of Yuu, and he doesn't make it much of a secret either. There's something about learning that your partner is supposed to die that makes you care a lot less about what your classmates think. That protectiveness extends to Yutu, but Ace is a bit more subtle with that. He understands that he isn't the version of himself that the kid needs to hear from, that he might not be able to give Yutu the support he needs but he loves the kid so much it sort of scares him. He's really looking forward to getting to be with Yuu and Yutu in the future, and if that means he has to put a little extra work in then so be it.
134 notes · View notes
lisbeth-kk · 11 months
Text
Tumblr media
Sherlock fandom.
Can you forgive me?
John feels nauseous when Sherlock gets his will. They’re allowed to open the grave to prove the great detective’s theory. Sherlock wants John to come, though he really should’ve known better, according to John. It’s their second crime scene together since Sherlock came back from his faked death, and things are strained between them. Their co-habitation is tense and awkward, which makes John itchy and half-mad with anger and sorrow equally measured.
John’s told everyone that he went to visit Sherlock’s grave twice a month, but the truth is that he’s only been there once. He couldn’t bear to see the black gravestone with Sherlock’s name on it. It doesn’t help much that the grave that’s about to be opened, is only a few metres away from Sherlock’s fake grave. John hasn’t dared to look in the direction out of fear that he’ll do something terribly stupid, like falling apart in front of half of the Yard.
“Are you alright?” Sherlock murmurs beside him, having taken a break from pestering the men with the shovels.
“If you have to ask, the answer should be obvious,” John mutters under his breath.
His hands are balled into fists in his jacket pockets, his body stiff and alert. Sherlock draws a breath and is about to speak, when Lestrade calls him over. The grave is open.
“Empty, like you said,” Lestrade tells Sherlock. “How on earth did you know?”
Sherlock speaks rapidly, leading the yarders in the direction of the man who’s faked his death, and Lestrade takes his leave.
“Aren’t we going with them?” John asks hoarsely when Sherlock stands beside him again, gazing over at where his gravestone once was.
“No, they don’t need us anymore today. I’m taking you home, and then we’ll talk, and I’ll tell you why…”
Sherlock’s voice breaks and John looks shocked at him.
“Alright?” John asks and places a hand on Sherlock’s back.
Sherlock’s body shakes and John acts on instinct, forgetting all about his anger. He pulls Sherlock in for a tight embrace, relishing the sudden proximity of this madman.
“Can you forgive me, John?” Sherlock whispers with a trembling voice.
“I don’t know,” John says honestly. “But, by the state of you now, I guess it was much more to your absence than a crazy and exhilarating adventure. Tell me.”
John leads them to a secluded bench close to where John stood and begged a dead man not to be dead, two years ago. When John had told Sherlock about it, his reply had been – “I know. I heard you.”
His voice had been soft, even affectionate, but at the time, it’d just irked John. He wanted to scream and shake Sherlock and ask him why he hadn’t told John. Why he wasn’t allowed to come with him. Why he’d let him grieve like a widower. He hadn’t but it had taken all his willpower to act calm and just nod, pretending everything was business as usual. Which it wasn’t.
It should feel strange to hold Sherlock like this. Soothing him, stroking his back, whispering “shh”, and “I’ve got you”, and “I’m so glad you’re back”, and “I’ve missed you.” But the truth is, it feels utterly natural, a thing John’s longed to do for ages. Even before the Fall.
Sherlock’s head rests comfortably on John’s right shoulder, and his breathing eases, grows steadier. Time to confess.
When Sherlock’s finished telling John about the snipers, Moriarty’s unexpected suicide, his quest to hunt down and destroy the dead man’s network, ending it all by telling John about his last days away, in Serbia, captured and tortured; it’s John’s turn to break down. He weeps in Sherlock’s arms, hiding his face in the crook of Sherlock’s neck, letting Sherlock stroke his hair, rocking him, whispering “I had no other choice”, and “I would’ve taken you with me if I could”, and “you were always on my mind”, and “I missed you every second I was away from you.”
When they walk past the empty grave, John shudders. He turns around to locate Sherlock’s gravestone, but it’s no longer there. 
“Mycroft had it removed last week,” Sherlock says. That’s why I needed you to come along today, so that you could see it with your own eyes.”
John nods and turns to face Sherlock. He grips the lapels of Sherlock’s coat, pulls him closer, looking him square in the eyes.
“I forgive you,” John says softly and leans in to kiss Sherlock’s lips.
@flashfictionfridayofficial @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @calaisreno @phoenix27884 @a-victorian-girl @safedistancefrombeingsmart @peanitbear @topsyturvy-turtely @helloliriels @gregorovitchworld
158 notes · View notes
schleiereule-94 · 7 months
Text
Pool party
Pairing: Joel Miller x f!Reader, omc x f!Reader
Tumblr media
Author's note: PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS, this one is really dark! This is not for everyone, so please DO NOT ENGAGE if you are triggered by non-con content! This is fiction and reading or writing dark fics does not mean that I (or you) condone this type of behaviour. SA is a terrible crime and if you or someone you know has suffered this please make sure you get the help you need. That said, the ones who enjoy such content, I hope you like the story.
Warnings: DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT!
SMUT MINORS DNI, NON-CON, porn with enough plot, penetrative sex, unprotected p in v, manipulation, coercion, reader is chained (non-con), overstimulation, choking/breath play, degradation, cursing, rough sex, oral sex (m receiving), kinda weird Stockholm syndrome, very dark Joel, perv Joel, voyeurism, power imbalance (Joel has a gun), age gap (unspecified, but reader is an adult), Joel slaps you in the face once, Joel is playing sick games you should not be enjoying
Summary: You never really intended to seduce Jesse, you just wanted to have some fun playing around with him. After a night out you end up in your neighbours pool. When said neighbour, Mr. Miller, finds you there he decides to get Jesse what he craves so badly. In the end he really likes to watch and he can have you afterwards.
PS: Yes I will go to hell for this.
The cool water hugs your hips as you lean back onto the pool deck and look up to the moon. You smile. You are having a great time. Jesse surfaces next to you and shakes the water out of his curls. He looks at your profile, eyes trailing down to your breasts quickly, before he shily glances up at your face with puppy eyes. Your smile turned into a smirk. 
You had this guy completely under your spell, and it had been so easy! A wave and a wink from your garden when he drove past on his bike, a few glances of your cleavage, a short skirt riding up when bending over to water the plants and he melted like butter in the sun. You knew he’s had a crush on you since high school, so that probably helped. Back then you had never wanted anything from him, even though you had noticed his longing glances following you and your girlfriends down the school hallway some days. You were a good girl then and while he took up work you went to university and away from your hometown after you were both done with school. You hadn’t thought about him not even once, not until you came back here two weeks ago after finishing your studies. You had a few months to spend in your southern childhood village before you would move yet to another city for your new job, and while you loved the hot summer weather and spending some time with your parents, it was also a bit boring. You reconnected with some old girlfriends and went to the local bar the first week, but both were in relationships, one pregnant and the other with a one year old toddler, and they didn’t really have time for you. You missed the busy city much faster than you thought you would. Maybe also the anonymity it provided, so you could go on your little adventures… Honestly, it was very boring here and there was a clear lack of interesting men. So, when you saw Jesse riding by you just wanted to have some fun. 
Not that you planned to seduce him really, he was just so easy to fluster, and you had to admit it was an amusing game, keeping him waiting and dreaming about you. Did that make you a bad person? Hmm maybe a bit. But the temptation was just too great, who could blame you? You didn’t dislike Jesse. He really tried to be nice. He was very timid, had always been. Better with his hands than his words. Cute, but a bit boring. Just like your hometown. Apparently not much had changed in the few years you had been away. He was still a quiet, polite fellow, working as an electrician. Tall, slim figure. Cute brown curls. And longing puppy eyes. 
You had asked him for a coffee catch-up, where he appeared in his nicest shirt and with flowers, obviously wildly misinterpreting the situation. But you didn’t say anything. You didn’t promise him anything either. You had a nice if uneventful afternoon. He suggested lunch the next day, which you accepted as you had nothing better to do. He had hung at your lips the whole time and looked quite disappointed when you started chatting to and finally invited the couple at the next table to join you, who you realized were old friends from your basketball team. 
Out of pity, you asked if you could take him to the pub two days later, to make up for it. After a few drinks you felt like dancing, but he resisted, too shy to follow you on the small dancefloor, even though his eyes were clearly fascinated by your skin-tight outfit that you might have chosen just to drive him crazy. You moved towards him, put your hands on his knees to convince him to stand up. His gaze got caught in your cleavage, but he shook his head. “Let’s get out of here”. You shrugged, a bit unnerved, but followed him out. He’s walk was funny and you realized he was trying to hide a boner. Oh my, he must be so desperate you thought to yourself, hiding a laugh. 
You could have been honest and tell him not to put his hopes up, but you had too much fun riling him up. Mostly because it was just so easy. Stepping out of the pub you took his arm, pressing your boobs into his side and smiling up at him. “Where are we going now?” You had walked to the pub, no need for a car in this town. It was shortly after midnight, but the heat of the day still hung heavyly over the streets. You stepped out of your pumps to walk barefoot down the empty road, leaving the pub lights behind you. “We could go to mine” Jesse suggested hopefully. Nah, not happening you thought. But you didn’t want to go home just yet either. Looking down the road ahead you got an idea. “Hey, let’s do something crazy” You looked up into Jesse’s wary face. “What about we go swimming?” you suggested pointing at the house ahead, the one just before your own home on the street. 
Your neighbour, Joel Miller, had a big pool you always had been jealous of. He let you use it as a child when you were playing with his daughter, Sarah, a few years your minor. But Sarah had headed off to university as well by now. You had greeted her father just yesterday when he was passing by your garden with his truck. He had barley acknowledged you, only sparing you a short nod. 
You remember liking him, even developing a crush on him during your teenage years. He was good looking, strong arms, tanned and bulky from his work as a builder. You used to spy on him through a hole in the hedge when he was doing works on the house or in his garden. For years you had wanted to get into his pants, but didn’t know how to approach him. He never looked at you, never really saw you. So you had to make due with some photos you took secretly from your hideout in the hedge. In your favourite you captured Joel showing off his abs when wiping sweat from his forehead using the hem of his shirt. He always seemed mysterious to you, in a fucked up, dangerous way. Like fire that you tried to catch even though you knew it would burn you badly. You looked at the photos, touching yourself, imagining his big calloused fingers in you as you came with his name on your lips.
But by all your fascination for him, he was also old, grumpy and choleric. Sometimes you overheard him shouting at Sarah or some people on the phone. When he was angry, he was like a bear gone wild: loud, destructive, violent. He was terrifying and normally you would not risk provoking his rage for any reason. But today, after a few drinks and being bored out of your mind, you were ready to take the risk of facing him, just to make Jesse a bit more uncomfortable. Also, you figured, at this time the old man probably laid in bed already. All the lights were off in the house as far as you could see. 
Jesse looked undecided. “Have you asked Mr. Miller if it’s ok to use his pool?” “Of course not, silly. He doesn’t have to know. Look all the lights are out. Come on, it will be fun! Are you not hot?” Jesse looked at you as you fanned yourself some air into the face with your hands, and you could almost hear his thoughts. Getting you into the pool meant you would be taking some clothes off… “But what if he catches us? He doesn’t seem to be a very nice person.” He still looked a bit concerned. “Ah come on, he will not notice! We just need to be a little quiet. Don’t be a coward”. You had stopped at the hedge of Mr. Millers garden and glanced around the corner. No lights, no sign of Joel either. To get to the pool you would have to sneak around the house. You grinned at Jesse and started to walk along the shadow of the tall hedge surrounding the property. Jesse sighed but followed you, head crouched down. 
On the other side of the house the pool lay still under the pale moon light. Two sunchairs were set up on the wooden deck, and all was safely surrounded by the thick hedge. Nobody would see or hear you from the street. Perfect. You stepped onto the planks and held your toe into the water. Heavenly. You beckoned to Jesse and turned your back towards him holding your hair up. You heard him gulp before he started undoing the zipper of your dress with shaky hands, from your neck all the way down to your lower back. You rolled your eyes at his obvious nerves. Has he never seen a woman naked before? You wrung yourself out of the dress and let it fall onto the floor. You wore a matching set of almost transparent black lingerie. Gracefully you stepped onto the edge of the pool, sat down and slowly lowered yourself into the water. You sighed when the coolness touched your skin. You had been sweating so much in the pub, and this was just perfect. You turned around and let your hair sink into the water, creating a perfect crown around your face. Jesse was still standing on the deck looking at you with wide eyes, as if you were a ghost. “Come on in. It’s heavenly” you said, your voice hushed, while crossing the pool in two short strokes. 
And here you were now. Jesse hastily got rid of his shirt and pants, almost falling into the water, still trying to hide his erection. Poor guy must have had half his blood in his dick for most of the evening now. You chuckled and finally looked at him as he settled next to you. 
“When was the last time you fucked at girl?” you ask him in the sweetest voice you could muster. “Eh I.. excuse me, what?” Jesse’s head goes from almost pale to red in under 3 seconds. “When have you last had a good fuck? You know, sex? Getting laid?”, you enquire without mercy. Jesse looks like he wants to drown himself. “Why are you asking this?” “Dude, you’ve been sporting a huge hard on basically the whole night and I have not even touched as much as your shoulders” you laugh. He looks away from you. “S’not how you think.” “Is it not?” You cocked your brows up. He takes a deep breath, and his puppy eyes are back on when he faces you again. “I just, I think, you…” another deep breath. “You are really beautiful.” It’s quiet between you for a short 2 seconds. Then you can’t hold back any longer. You snort from loud laughter. “Be quiet” Jesse nervously glances over to the house. His face looks pained when you see him clearly again through your tears of laughter. You feel a slight jolt of guilt but ignore it quickly. You take his hand. “I’m sorry Jesse. But, you are just not my type.” you say in a calmer voice, trying to bite back the grin. “But then why go out with me?” He sounds hurt and takes his hand away from under yours. You shrug. “Just having some fun. S’that not allowed nowadays?” “You are cruel” he says bitterly, pushing himself off the side into the water. “I’m out of here.” “Oh come on Jesse, grow up.” You go after him and catch him just when he tries to climb out onto the deck. You wrap your arms around his hip to pull him back down into the water. He turns around and you cage him against the poolside. He tries to push you away, but you are stronger holding onto the edge of the deck. “I’m done with your games.” He whines. You brush your legs against him and smile into his face. You lean in towards his ear. “Come on, we both know that you cannot resist me”. He blankly stares into your face as you reach down under water to grab the bulge in his boxers. “See?” You squeeze him lightly and he starts panting. You lean in as if for a kiss, but when he closes his eyes you make an escape by heaving yourself up onto the deck. Two fresh towels are spread over the sunchairs, and you quickly grab one to wrap yourself up. Jesse calls your name. You turn around with a wicked smile. He looks wrecked, pleading. You shake your head no, not happening. Jesse looks like he is going to protest but the words die in his throat as he looks at something over your shoulders. 
You turn your head and the blood in your veins freezes: Mr Miller stands behind you dressed in a bathrobe, anger radiating from his stern face. A cigarette hangs in the corner of his mouth and in his right hand he holds a pistol pointed at your head.
“Hi Mr Miller” you squeak while the older man slowly advances towards you, eyeing you up and down. “It’s me, your David’s daughter” you try to smile at him and extend your hand, hoping he would put away the gun. “Mhh” he grunts, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and ignoring your peace offering. “I can see that. And who is that?” He gestures to the pool with his head. “Just a friend.” you respond. “And what exactly are you doing here in MY garden, in MY pool?” His voice is low, dangerous and piercing, his eyes ice cold. You try to control your breathing. “Nothing, sorry sir, we just came to cool down after dancing. I should have asked, so sorry” you mumble quickly. You do not like Joel’s gaze on you. Even though you are still covered in a towel, his towel, you feel his eyes burning holes in it. “We’ll leave instantly, so sorry to bother, I’ll bring a cake later tomorrow, ok?” You try to remedy the situation, while Jesse seems to have lost both his voice and ability to move. Joel looks at him. “Out of the water.” he orders. Jesse doesn’t move. You scream a silent come on man! at him with your eyes. But he just squirms. “I… I can’t…”
“What are you talking about boy, get your dirty ass out of my pool right fucking now”. Joel is getting louder, and Jesse understands he has no choice. He climbs onto the deck, not looking into either yours or Joel’s face. Immediately the source of his embarrassment becomes very clear: He still sports a hard-on. You smirk with your head down. God you might be a bitch, but this is just too funny. Joel looks at him. 
“So that’s why you are really here”, he muses. “Trying to get a quiet place to fuck.” Both of you shake your head fervently. “No Mr. …” Joel steps in front of you, looming. “So then why is your friend’s dick up n’ready if not to fuck you, hm?” He looks at your frowning face, then looks back to Jesse. He reads the truth from both your faces. “Oh I see. So you” he points his gun at you “don’t want to fuck him”, he concludes and steps to face Jesse. “But you want to fuck her. Pretty badly. Am I right?”. He places the pistol under Jesse's chin, tilting his face upward. “Answer me.”
“Yes sir” he whispers. 
“Yes what? Why are you here again?”
“I am here because I want to fuck her” Jesse looks like he is going to cry. Joel takes a step back from him. “That wasn’t so hard was it. So, then what happened? She left you in there with blue balls?” Jesse nods, looking at his toes with a red embarrassed face. He is so pathetic is all you can think. 
Joel’s attention returns to you. He points his gun at you once more and your pulse hitches, even though you are quite sure he would not use it, right? His face is unreadable, less angry now, but still dark and unfriendly. You fear you can’t charm yourself out of this situation. “Hands up” he barks at you. Stunned you take a second to register the command. Joel waves his pistol upwards impatiently. You raise your right hand while keeping your left clasped in the towel, maintaining a modest cover in front of you. “Both hands, up now”. You stare at Joel in disbelieve. What is his point? “Don’t have all night, put your hand up god dammit!” You let go of the towel to lift your hand over your head. It falls on the ground with a thud, leaving your body exposed to Joel’s view. Your underwear is still wet and your nipples harden immediately in the light breeze. You register a dangerous glint in Joel’s eyes as he watches you. Hungry you think. Shit, you are in deep shit here. Fear starts to creep up in your body and settles in your core. What is this lunatic going to do to me? 
“Please,” your voice is way too high and weak “please Mr Miller, let us go. We’ll not bother you again, I promise”. He doesn’t react. Just stands there, puffing his cigarette while looking at you as if you were a piece of red meat. “Can see why you want to fuck her” he finally concludes and pulls at his cigarette. “Pretty tits, nice hips. Am I right?” Jesse nods hesitantly. “You know what, I am not one to ruin your night”. Joel gestures to the sunchair. “Lay down”. You don’t move. Your head spins. Your eyes are darting from one corner of the garden to the other, searching for a way out, but to run away you have to get past Joel. And you are not so sure anymore if he would shoot you or not. I always knew this guy was fucked up.
Joel seizes your right wrist and violently pulls you to the sunchair. Pain shoots through your shins as you fall onto it. Joel pushes your shoulders down and your head slams onto the wooden chair frame. “Sit still”. He takes two cable ties out of the pocket on his robe. Why on earth does he have these on him? You stare at him without understanding anything until he slides one over your right hand and the armrest. Before you can react, he tightens it and the plastic cuts into your skin. “No”, you shout, “what are you doing?” “Keep quiet and sit still” His hand comes down onto your face, you hear the slapping sound and your cheek burns. It happens so fast that it succeeds at shutting you up. You stare up at him, frozen and speechless. You don’t dare fighting back as he chains your other hand to the chair as well. Nobody walks around with zip ties in his bathrobe just like this. He must have taken them from his house on purpose. He knew he was going to do this to you. You hear your blood rushing in your ears, everything seems fuzzy. Breath, just breath, you need to get your shit together! You try to calm your heartrate down. You unclench your hands and try to relax, breathing through your nose. “That’s right, be a good girl” Joel’s voice next to your ear sends shivers down your spine. You feel his breath on your cheek. Don’t look at him, just concentrate on yourself. You keep your eyes straight ahead, but you cannot block out Joel’s words as he is now talking to Jesse. 
“What’s your name”
“Jesse”
“Ok Jesse, here she is, all ready for you now. She can’t run away anymore.” 
Cold metal touches your arm and you jerk away, the ties holding you back and causing pain to shoot up your arms. Joel runs the barrel of his gun up to your shoulders, over your collarbone and under your chin. You open your eyes slowly. He stares at you with an insidious grin. 
“Come on, you can touch her now, she won’t bite anymore”. 
Jesse stands at your feet, eyes blown out by fear. Joel pulls the second sun chair over to himself, positioning it a meter away from you. He sits down, legs wide apart, still smiling and smoking his cigarette, gun lazily pointed at you from his knee.
You turn over to Jesse. He looks mortified. You shake his head at him. Don’t do it. But he is too afraid of Joel not to obey. He takes a few small steps towards your feet. You bring you knees up, trying to get as far away from him as possible.
“Come on boy, don’t be scared, she won’t do anything to you. She will be a good girl, right sweetie?” Joel sounds like he is enjoying this. Jesse breaths deeply in and out, as to prepare himself to do what he has to do. 
You lie there and feel helpless. Your mind has gone blank, there is nothing you can do about anything that is going to happen. As you watch Jesse approach, you start to tremble. His first touch on your knee feels like an electric shock. You look up to his face. It is pale and shows no emotion. Like a zombie. His fingers feel cold on your thigh and his gaze is transfixed on your body. He can’t even look me in the eyes. He pushes your legs to one side so he can sit down next to you on the chair. He looks over you, your hands, your arms, your belly, your chest. Until he finally arrives at your face. His eyes say Forgive me, and you almost pity him, but as he lays down next to you, you feel his hard-on poke into your hip. No, that cannot be true. He cannot be enjoying this. You turn your face to his with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” he whispers. “No, Jesse, you don’t have to do this.” you whisper back. “Jesse, please, get off me” you whimper, eyes watery and burning. His hand creeps up your body and over your chest. He stops and grabs your breast tightly. You hear his laboured breathing right at your ear and he starts grinding into your thigh. Your mind wants to fight, claw, bite and spit at him, but your body has given up. You are limp, unmoving, tears streaming down your face. 
Jesse rolls on top of you, his head still at your neck, kissing you behind the ear. Fucking coward, you scream at him in your mind. But no sound escapes your lips. He humps into your lower body, his hand still kneading your breast. You cannot stand to watch this one more second. You close your eyes, breathing through your mouth to not smell his aftershave. A sound from your left reminds you of Joel’s presence. He sat up in his chair, dark eyes fixed on the pair of you, holding the gun in one hand, while he palms himself with the other under his robe. Fucking pervert. He sees your horrified expression and grins. 
No, you are not giving him a show, not for longer than needed. Jesse cannot handle you. If you play along, he will come in under a minute. It will be over fast. 
This is the first coherent plan your brain can come up with and it immediately gives you a glimmer of hope. I don’t want this. But it’s Jesse, it could be worse. You turn your head to Jesse’s face. “Hey, please, if we are going to fuck, at least kiss me properly first.” Jesse’s body tenses up as you speak to him in such brute language. But he gives in and raises his face over yours, the hopeful puppy eyes shining through his zombie mask. You do your best to soften your features, even though you cannot manage a smile. “Ok.” You think Jesse is more talking to himself than you. Timidly he closes the distance and presses his lips onto yours. They taste like chlorine from the pool and beer from earlier in the pub. You fight a gag reflex and open your mouth for his tongue. He licks into you and you lift your hips up to press on his. Come on boy, stop holding back. He moans and starts panting into your open mouth. 
“Take your pants off” you encourage him. He immediately follows your orders, sitting up on his knees, fumbling with the zipper and finally kicking them off to the side together with his boxers. His white body almost glowed in the moonlight. His member rigid and ready as he leans over you. You want to crawl away, but you all you manage is a few centimetres before the ties hold you in place. He starts dragging your panties, but you stop him. “No, Jesse, just pull them aside. Come on, no time, I want you now” Fuck you Miller, you’re not going watch me naked. Jesse is way too far gone to hear your false tone. With two fingers he pushes aside the black lace. If he had a brain, he would realize I am dry as a desert. Shit, I hope it’s not going to hurt too much. You see Jesse holding his dick to line himself up. At least he is not very big. “Spit on it” you tell him, this time in a sharp and clear voice. Jesse’s head shoots up at your demand. “Please” you add. He spits in his hand and starts lubing himself up. Thank god. You try to relax and brace for his intrusion. You can take it, just imagine it is someone else. Someone you like. Someone hot. You close your eyes as Jesse collapses onto you and starts pushing in, with grunts that remind you of a fat pig. Someone hot, come on now. It was not that easy. Your ex comes to mind, but you never really enjoyed sex with him. Some one-night stands you had were gorgeous, but you couldn’t really remember how they looked. You felt Jesse sliding deeper into you. It burns, but it’s still tolerable. Come on, there has to be someone. 
You clench your eyes shut and your mind creates a picture. A picture of a man that was familiar, that you had fantasised about many times before. 
No, nonono, not now, not him. You gasp and open your eyes, but close them again fast as you see Jesse face distort as he feels you clench on his dick. The man appears again before your inner eye: Joel Miller, in every detail, as if if he was burnt into your eyelids. You see his stern face, his fuzzy salt-and-pepper hair and beard, now slightly more grey then the last time you imagined him like this. It makes him look more serious. His eyes are cold, but with this hungry look that terrified you so much earlier. His jaw clenched, chin slightly up, he stares at you, condescendingly. You see his broad shoulders and muscular builder arms with visible veins. You always wanted to touch those, grab onto them while he fucks you. Shit, why do you want him so much?
You turn your head sideways, away from Jesse’s moaning to look over to Joel. He has opened up his robe and is clearly stroking himself, getting off at you being claimed and overpowered by another man. His thick thighs are spread wide apart. A sudden jolt of arousal courses though you and you feel how your pussy is getting more damp, with every stroke of Joel’s big hand.  Joel grins, he can read your emotions like book. Immediately you turn away. No, I can’t let him have this. He is crazy, a fucking pervert! He is enjoying watching me getting raped! you scolded yourself. But his image had turned you on enough so Jesse fucking you felt a bit better. If he would just touch your clit you could almost enjoy yourself… But no, you wanted this to be over fast.
“Come on Jesse, give it to me, fuck me harder” you hiss between clenched teeth. As he starts pounding you tense all your muscles as much as you can. Jesse feels you tightening and with a stream of ‘Oh god’s he pushes into you two more times before you feel him coming inside you. The sensation of his cum spurting into you and his sweaty hands and body on you immediately takes you back into reality and makes you instantly nauseous. You wriggle under Jesse’s now limp body, trying to throw him off you. You feel like you can’t breath, a lump ties up your throat. Jesse props himself up and looks down at your teary face. And finally, his brain seems to register what he has done. You see panic wash over him and he stumbles to his feet and away from you. He quickly finds his boxers and puts them on while walking away backwards, still looking at you with bulging eyes. “I.. I am so, so.. so sorry” he stammers, until he finally turns around and runs away. You want to scream after him. Coward. Pervert. Rapist. But you are still chained, still trying to stop yourself from vomiting. Still not safe. So, you keep quiet. 
You hear Joel getting up and strutting over to you. As he steps over your body you look up at his looming figure. The first thing you register is that he left the gun on the other sunchair. You feel relief, at least he is not going to kill me. But the second thing you see lets you shudder again. He is holding his big, fully erect cock with both hands in front of you. The head is red, engorged and fat, looking almost like a mushroom. Pulsating veins run along the shaft and down to his big heavy balls. He slowly fucks his fists, spreading dripping precum over his whole length. “Tsss, look at the mess the little boy left” he mutters, bending down to have a better look at your face. “And he didn’t even make you cum. Boys nowadays don’t have any manners” His breath smells like cigarette. You stare at him with all the hate you can muster. He laughs. “Don’t look at me like that. You brought this onto yourself, playing games all night with this poor guy. You don’t have any manners either.” He cocks his head sideways. “But tell me, who did you think of when he fucked you? Hm?” 
Shitshitshishit, how does he know? Joel stands back up and laughs again. “I remember you staring through the hedge at me when I was doing garden work. You seemed to enjoy the view. Am I not right?” He glares down at you. You stare back defiantly. His expression hardens and he slaps his hard dick in your face. “Answer me!” You try to hold back, but the tears are rolling down your face again. You feel embarrassed and exposed. “Yes.” 
“Yes what?”
“Yes, sir, I was spying on you.”
“And why did you do that?”
“Because I thought you were hot” Your voice is almost inaudible.
Joel chuckles. “Well baby, today is your happy day where all your dreams come true. Because I am going to fuck some manners into you.”
It feels like your body did not know how to react to these words. You are horrified, scared, appalled. And at the same time, warm arousal stirs in your belly. It makes you cry even more, but Joel does not seem to like that. “Stop crying, I don’t want to look at a baby when I fuck your face.” He had opened up his bathrobe and you look at his toned chest, his belly rising with his breaths, the v lines you always found so sexy pointing down towards his big heavy member. You swallow hard, and once more try to stabilise your breathing. The tears slowly stop falling. 
Joel gropes your hair tilting your head back. “Open your mouth”. As soon as your lips part he shoves his dick down your throat. You try to swallow all of him, but as soon as he hits the back you start gagging. He pushes in even more and you can’t breath. You taste the salty and tangy aroma of the mix of his juices and sweat. When he yanks himself out of you, you wheeze and cough. “Fuck, girl you look like a proper whore with your mouth on my dick” He pushes his tip against your lips. “Now suck it”. He goes easier on you this time. But he is so big your lips hurt from stretching around him. And the worst is that his taste is not appalling to you, on the contrary, you want to lick his cock clean and him staring at you while you doing it is turning you on so much. You hate yourself when tingling starts to spread between your legs and you hate yourself even more when a whine escapes you when Joel circles one of your nipples with his fingertips. “Look at this little whore enjoying herself” he coos, freeing your breast from your bra and pinching your nipple hard. You groan from the sudden pain and his cock twitches in your mouth. Sick motherfucker. 
He retreats and picks up the towel on the floor. “Let’s make you pretty and clean for daddy to ruin you, shall we”. He sticks two thumbs under your panties to pull them down, but you kick his leg up to stop him. He dodges your knee and slams your leg back down onto the chair. He seizes both your ankles easily despite you resisting. He is way stronger than you. And that should really not turn you on so much. He forces your legs open and kneels down between them. “I said, let’s clean you up” he hisses between gritted teeth. He grabs your panties and rips them in two. Your pussy lays bare in front of him. Your folds glisten from your arousal and Jesse’s cum is gradually dripping out of you. “Such a mess” Joel repeats. He runs his thumb through your folds and it takes all your resolve to not squirm. Fuck, this should not feel good. All about this is wrong. Joel gazes up at your concentrated face and presses down on your clit, hard. “Fucckk” you hiss while jerking your hips up again Joel’s hand. He starts rubbing small circles and you want to scream. It feels so good. He gets faster and a hot coil forms in your belly. No, don’t come, don’t give him this. But you are helpless. The coil snaps and your body convulses as you inadvertently moan, from pleasure and embarrassment at once.
Joel watches as your pussy clenches down on nothing and a gush of cum flows out. He takes the towel, wraps it around his hand, pushes it into you with two fingers and starts to turn it around. The fabric is rough and raspy, and it feels like the outer layers of your walls are ground off. Your moan turns into a yelp. Joel keeps going until every drop of wetness that was in you is soaked up in the towel. He then yanks it out, lays it on you and rubs over your clit. You try to turn your body away, but his other hand is firm on your hip, you cannot move. Your insides feel as if you were internally skinned and the coarse material on your sensitive spot is too much. You cry out, but he doesn’t stop. He leans over you to reach your mouth and covers it with his hand to keep you quiet while his other hand rubs your clit through the towel. Your while body tenses up from the overstimulation and more tears fill your eyes as you try to scream against Joels hand. Your chest lifts from the chair, as he keeps dragging the fabric over your clit. Every nerve in your body firest and the world reduces to the painful red pleasure pulsating from the sweet spot between your legs.
The second orgasm hits you like a lightning. You bite into Joel’s palm, pain shoots through your wrist where the cable binders hold you against the sunchair as you pull on them. Violent spasms run in waves through your abdomen and you feel how a stream of juices shoots out of you and onto Joel’s towel covered palm on your mound. 
As you come down from your high your body goes limp, exhausted. Joel inspects the bite marks you left on his palm with intrigue, but his hands are covered thick skin from manual work and you did not draw a even one drop of blood. Then he lifts the ruined towel to his nose and inhales deeply while starting to fist his dick again. “Shit, baby, your squirting almost made me come on your tits.” When he looks back down on you his eyes had gone completely black. “I will fuck you now. And you will enjoy it, you hear me?” You nod and quickly add “Yes, sir”. He takes your wobbly legs and throws them on his shoulders, lifts your hips up and positions his hands to get a good grip. He lines himself up and pushes into you in one strong thrust. You hold onto the armrests you are tied to and your eyes roll into the back of your head as you are parted in two. He bottoms out with a groan, his balls slap onto your ass, and you try to remember how to breath.
“Fuck, baby, so tight” you hear Joel mutter as he retracts and slams back into you with full force. You wince, not able to muster any strength to hold yourself together anymore. You enter a trance-like state where you feel your body being rocked back and forth as if in slow motion, see how Joel’s head falls back, feel his fingers dig deep into the flesh of your hips. You see him fucking you from above, see the sweat running down his temples, and into his beard. You hear your bodies connect with wet slaps sounding like thunder as he enters you again and again. 
With a guttural grunt he pulls out and lets you fall back into the chair. Your consciousness returns into your body as he mounts you, pressing your legs down at your side to fold you in two like a jack knife. His face is now just millimetres from yours, you can feel his breath on your hot skin. “I know you want this” he breathes. You slowly shake your head, but he stops by digging three fingers painfully into your jaw. “You want me, and when I’m finished you go home, you go to bed and touch yourself thinking about me.” You nod very slowly. 
“Good girl. Now take my cock I want to come into your dirty pussy.” He grabs one of your breast and sucks hard on your nipple as he smashes himself back into you. The angle is so deep you can feel him in your gut. As he starts fucking into you, he hits the back of your cervix which makes you cry out loud. It both hurts and electrifies you. You pant, mouth agape, your pussy feels sore and wounded. Joel grunts, one of his hands wanders over your breast to your collarbone and closes around your throat. He holds you in place, slamming his cock into you directly hitting that perfect spot at the back of your cunt. You try to breath, but can only gasp. Your vision gradually goes dark as the lack of oxygen grows, your body arches up, all your muscles strung to breaking point. As another hard stroke hits your cervix, stars explode in front of your eyes and you clench down on Joel repeatedly, milking his dick. He groans forcefully and hot cum fills you once again, spilling over and dripping out, Joel’s cock pulsating rhythmically. He releases his chokehold on your neck and you desperately gasp for air while laying back down against the chair, muscle spasms running through your belly and legs. You close your eyes, feeling fuzzy in the head and exhausted like never before in your life. 
You don’t realize when Joel gets up and undoes the zip ties binding you onto the chair. Your arms fall down to the floor devoid of any strength. He covers you with the clean towel before walking off and enters his house.
You wake up a few hours later, cold and clammy, the garden and pool laying in complete darkness. You sit up and clutch the towel against your chest, fear running through every nerve in your body. But you see and hear nothing and nobody. Your heart rate normalises and very carefully you put your feet down one side of the sunchair onto the wooden deck. You look at your wrists. Deep red marks show where you had been chained just a few hours ago. You feel the panic again rising in your chest. I need to get out of here. Bent over and the towel pressed tightly to your chest you run towards the hedge. If you remember correctly there is a small hole where you can squeeze through to the back of your house. Yes, here it is. Half naked as you are the branches of the bushes leave scratches on your arms and back, but you don’t care. You hurriedly look for the extra key under the doormat of you back entrance and after some fumbling due to your shaky hands you manage to open the door. As quietly as possible you make your way upstairs to your room and close and latch the door behind you. Your mother doesn’t like you locking yourself into your room, but tonight you need the security. You fall onto your bed, pressing your face into your pillow, breathing the familiar scent and after many long deep breaths you slowly, very slowly, start feeling your body again. 
First you feel the cuts from the hedge, then your wrists start to hurt. And finally, you feel the wet stickiness between your legs. Your body starts to tremble as everything that happened, with Jesse and then Joel plays out again in your head. You cry, the pillow muting your sounds. You cry until you have no tears left in you. 
After the panic and dread had settled down you sit up and start cleaning your folds with your bedsheets. As you do that your view is drawn outside the window in front of you, to the pool in your neighbour’s garden. Joel stands there in his bathrobe, looking up at your room, your dress in your hand. You freeze and feel how your hand automatically starts massaging your clit. Joel’s voice echoes in your head “When I’m finished you go home, you go to bed and touch yourself thinking about me.” Lust pierces through you like fire. Fuck.
73 notes · View notes
dark-elf-writes · 4 months
Note
Imagine Izuku, hurting and sore, being welcomed by their big siblings. By Hizashi and their husband Shouta (mortal? Demigod?) who make a room just for Izuku. By Snipe who takes what small amount of skill with weapons Izuku has to hone and hone until that slight advantage becomes stronger. Hawks who broke out of a facility designed to keep him docile and burned it to the ground with a smile and a pyro on one arm who then took down thr former number two hero with a snarl.
Izuku whose mind is to fast. Who sees to much abd saw the way Inko looked past. Saw her ignore the truth for her own comfort. (Katsuki and Izuku are best friends like her and Mitsuki. Izuku is just clumsy. Shes a good mom. She never cheated. Izuku is just a normal child. There is nothing special) Izuku who reaches out and the others reach back.
Izuku can’t lie.
They never have been able to. The words burn on their tongue and ache coming out, but the truth is dangerous and often not what adults want to hear so they learn to talk around it. To weave half truths that don’t hurt but still are what people want to know. They learn to talk about villains rather than monsters (and really isn’t a monster just a villain at the end of the day?) they learn to speak about chance rather than foresight (a hundred percent chance is still a chance in a technical sense) they learn to show internet rather than speak about the burning need for knowledge that could consume them if they let it (they are interested, of course, but interest is such a light thing compared to the need that screams through them.)
They can’t lie, but they can always tell when someone is lying.
Their mom is the worst liar, they think. She lies to Izuku, telling them she loves them and wouldn’t anything for them; she lies to others, telling them that the bruises and burns are just because Izuku is clumsy and an adventurous child; she lies to herself, telling sweet little lies about how Katsuki is Izuku’s friend and he will make a great hero one day while Izuku… well Izuku will find something better suited she’s sure.
She’s a liar.
Izuku wishes they could just hate her. Wishes that each lie didn’t ache as badly as the first one. Wishes so many things that never come true even with all of the flashes of the future they see.
At least, not until one of their flashes leads them to their siblings, the older children of Apollo that recognize Izuku just as easily as Izuku recognizes them.
There’s no lie in any of their words when they tell Izuku they want them to be safe. That they are Izuku’s family. That they care. No lies when Hizashi tells them they see the monsters too. No lies when Keigo says their glimpses of the future are cool. No lies when Snipe promises that they can be just as strong of a fighter as they are a scholar with a bit of practice. Not even a lie when Shouta (Hizashi’s husband and apparently a son of Hermes, which wouldn’t have been Izuku’s first guess but they are burning to know about their gifts and if the rumors go a lock sensing and disabling ability is true) tells them that they can stay with him and Hizashi for as long as they want.
Sitting in the living room with their siblings bickering back and forth while Hizashi heals them (that rumbling is so soothing. Like a cat’s. Didn’t they read something about purring being able to heal? Was this connected to Voice or their father. Were they both from their father ? Were quirks just godly gifts watered down through the years were—) Izuku can see what the future holds. Dozens of little flashes playing out in seconds.
Laughing into a karaoke microphone while Hizashi pulls some ridiculous dance move. Keigo scooping them up for a flight because “every child of Apollo should get to race the sun!” Steady hands cruising their own as they pull back a bowstring, letting their fingers roll off so the arrow thuds dead center of the target. A laughing man they can’t quite see against the sun lighting him from behind with calloused hands so warm it’s like pure sunlight cupping their cheek.
A hero costume in green and black with a little yellow lyre stitched in where most wouldn’t see. A sun that matched three other costumes that had them all clever hidden.
Izuku sees it all, hears no lies, and reaches out.
43 notes · View notes
elvenisms · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
on my doorstep —; e.m.
pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader [5.6k]
summary: An unexpected gift exchange between you and Eddie leads to an eventful Valentine's Day. 18+ MDNI
cw: smut, fluff, no use of y/n, mutual pining, best friends to lovers, first i love yous (':, sub!eddie if you squint, oral (female receiving), fingering, unprotected p in v (as always, don't do this), lovesick idiots and emotional sex.
author's note: getting this up literally ten minutes before valentine's day ends! woohoo! got carried away (as i often do), hope u like it. <3
masterlist
February 10th, 1986
It was a somewhat chilly day in Hawkins, the wind whipping around dead leaves that hadn’t yet been raked, the trees prickly and barren. Forest Hills looked its best like this, you thought; you were never one for hot summer days, or freezing winter nights.
Inside your trailer, Nancy was pouring a cup of coffee, wearing a matching set of pajamas that was oh-so her. That alone made her look more put together than you or Robin, clad in baggy, mismatched sweats. 
“What time do you work, Robs?” You asked mid-yawn, blankets pooling around where you sat on the couch.
She frowned beside you, squeezed her eyes shut, and threw her head back dramatically. “Don’t remind me.”
“Can’t Steve cover for you?” Nancy rounded the corner with two steaming cups, handing them off to the two of you. “He kinda owes you. You covered for him for that date last week.”
“That is a great observation.” Robin pointed a finger at the girl, as if she’d forgotten. “I’ll call him.”
Knock, knock, knock. All three of your heads flew to the door, then back at each other, brows furrowed. 
“Expecting someone?” Nancy asked, and you shook your head in response.
Curious, you threw the blankets off of you, cradling your cup of coffee as you approached the door. Maybe the kids skipped school, had some adventure planned? Maybe Eddie was bored?
You unlocked it, then swung it open—no one was there.
You looked down, confused, and were met with a sea of red; a bouquet of roses, neatly organized inside a vase, sat on your porch. On top, a small note with your name written on it. 
Your jaw dropped slightly in shock. You’d almost forgotten that Valentine’s Day was fast approaching, and certainly didn’t anticipate getting any gifts. You’d been single for almost a year, and not exactly searching.
No reason, really. It just never felt right.
You picked up the bouquet, wide eyes scanning the park for any sign of who dropped it off, but you didn’t see a thing. 
When you turned around, Robin almost spat out her coffee. Nancy had a huge grin on her face. 
“Do you have a secret admirer?” She teased, but it was full of love.
“Not that I know of,” You sat the vase down on the table between the three of you. It really was beautiful. “But this definitely has my name on it.”
“Five bucks says I know who that’s from.” Robin raised her eyebrows, staring sheepishly over her mug. 
“I don’t think I’ll take that bet,” Nancy was still grinning her face off. “I think I know, too.”
You were even more confused now. You looked between them, expectant.
“ItsobviouslyEddie,” Robin spat out, then threw a hand against her mouth. Nancy rolled her eyes. 
“You could’ve given her, like, more than half a second to figure it ou—”
“What?” You interrupted, incredulous. “Why would… Eddie’s my best friend, you guys. It’s not—it’s not like that.”
It wasn’t like that; you just spent a lot of time together. Sometimes you watched movies, and fell asleep wrapped up in each other’s arms. Sometimes you’d go to his shows, watch him play guitar, and bite your lip so hard it bled. Sometimes you had… questionable dreams about him. 
Okay, maybe it was like that. But not for him.
The two girls were looking at you like you just failed a polygraph test. 
“Stop looking at me like that.” You grumbled, setting your coffee down on the table. “He doesn’t feel that way about me, okay? That’s not even his handwriting. It’s way too nice.”
Robin rose from the couch. “Whatever you say, chica,” She headed for the phone, eyeing you as she went. “I’m gonna call Steve.”
You looked to Nancy, who simply shrugged with a knowing smile, then back to the flowers. It wasn’t Eddie. It couldn’t be.
But what if it was?
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
February 11th, 1986
“I think I blew it.”
Eddie’s elbows rested on Steve’s kitchen counter, face buried in his hands. The house was empty, per usual, which Eddie always thought was insane—he wondered what it was like to have money for a place like this, let alone have it and never be in it.
“Oh please,” Steve had a mouth full of cereal, sitting a few feet away at the dining table. “What the hell are you talking about? You got her flowers. Girls love flowers.”
“She’s not just a girl.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it, man. She’s a goddess, she hung the moon, she changed your life.” He gestured with his hand, rattling off the painstakingly cheesy things Eddie had said before. “Whatever, she loves flowers. Stop stressing.”
To anyone else, Steve might’ve looked like an asshole for dealing with Eddie’s anguish so casually. In reality, he quite appreciated it. Someone had to keep him grounded.
“Do you think she knows it’s me?” Eddie’s face finally left his hands, looking at his friend with a concerned expression.
“Doesn’t matter if she knows it’s you.” Steve pointed his spoon at him. “She hopes it’s you.”
“And how do we know that?”
“You know nothing, clearly.” Steve got up, carrying his empty bowl to the sink. Eddie rolled his eyes theatrically. “I, however, see how she looks at you when you’re together.”
Eddie’s heart did a little flip inside his chest. He wanted to believe that, he really did—but he doubted the words. “How… how does she look at me, then?”
Steve shrugged. “Sometimes like she wants to kiss you,” He spun on his heel, landing right across from where Eddie sat. “Sometimes like she wants to eat you.”
He swallowed harshly.
In the year that Eddie had known you, he’d been gone on you. Like, the whole time. It only got worse as you became better friends.
You’d help him study, insistent that he finally graduated, but his mind went fuzzy at your bare thighs, your floral perfume, the heat of your skin hovering just beside his. When he knew you were coming to his shows, he’d get indescribably nervous, petrified of embarrassing himself, despite knowing you probably couldn’t care less.
He thanked God he’d never seen or heard about you with another guy; at the same time, it was a little unbelievable. Hence, Steve had finally convinced him to do something—anything—remotely indicative of his feelings. 
Flowers. A good way to test the waters, Eddie thought, without giving himself away. 
After another thirty minutes of crisis-control, Steve drove him home. The boy gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Don’t sweat it, Ed, seriously.”
He appreciated it, though it did nothing to quell his anxiety. With a nod and a weak smile, he opened the passenger-side door, making toward his trailer.
He glanced at your place as he passed it. Just two days ago, it would’ve been so easy to knock on your door, ask to hang out. It suddenly felt impossible—perhaps because he was no longer shoving his feelings for you to the wayside. He’d made a move. Maybe he’d ruined everything between the two of you.
Mind racing, he treaded up his steps, nearly crushing what laid in front of his door.
A box of chocolates.
His whole body froze, staring at them wide-eyed. Slowly, he bent down, noticing a note stuck between the ribbon. Eds.
Not Eddie, not Ed… Eds.
The nickname he’d heard fall from your sweet lips a thousand times, and hoped he’d hear a thousand more. His heart thumped wildly.
He snatched the box, free hand digging through his pocket for his key, desperate to get inside before he passed away on the spot. He rushed to the couch, studying the note with gentle hands.
All it said was his name. But right now, it felt worthy of a golden frame, a tourist attraction—as if it were the eighth wonder of the world.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
February 12th, 1986
Despite the fact that you still questioned whether or not the roses were from Eddie, today was the fourth day in a row you hadn’t heard from him. No calls, no drop in visits—it was highly unusual. 
It was also a very good sign that it was, in fact, him. 
You hadn’t been able to focus on anything, especially since you dropped the chocolates off at his door. If he wasn’t your so-called ‘secret admirer’, you would have to explain all of this somehow. Well, I thought it was you, because I kinda hoped it was you, and…
The thought made you shudder.
“Are you okay?” Max asked, shoving a pair of sunglasses on her head.
You snapped out of your trance, looking between her and El. “I—yeah, I’m good. Are you guys ready to go?”
The two girls had showed up on your doorstep this afternoon, all giggles and playful shoves, begging to be taken to Starcourt. They took advantage of the soft spot you had for them often.
Soon enough, your run-down car was pulling into the mall parking lot.
“Alright, two hours tops, okay? I’m on night shift tonight, I need enough time to go home and change clothes.” You put on your best parental voice, the three of you making your way toward the entrance. 
The girls nodded happily, just excited to have hitched a ride at all. “You sound like Steve.” El quipped, earning a laugh from the redhead.
It would be nice to do some window-shopping, you thought, to take your mind off of things, if that was at all possible. You just wanted an answer—you wanted to be certain it was him, stop the spiral into thinking you might lose your best friend over some candy. 
Something came over you just inside the mall, right as El and Max were about to split off.
“Max,” You blurted, and she looked at you questioningly. “Weird… Um, weird question. Have you seen Eddie lately? Like, in our neighborhood?”
“No, don’t think so.” She shook her head, then narrowed her eyes at you. “Why?”
“No reason.”
You really were a terrible liar. “Is he ignoring you?”
“No! I mean… yes, but—no, I don’t think so?” You bit your lip. Jesus Christ, way to keep it cool. 
A maniacal grin spread across Max’s face, gesturing for El, who was preoccupied by a display, to come over. “We’re hitting Orange Julius first, and you—” She jabbed a finger into your chest. “—are telling us everything.”
For fuck’s sake.
Within ten minutes, the three of you were sitting at a table, sucking down your frozen drinks. You quietly hoped the brain freeze would give you a stroke.
“Spill.” Max commanded, both girls clearly excited for some gossip.
Before saying a word, you sat down your cup, extending both pinkies. “First of all, this stays between us, alright?”
They each hooked a pinky with their own, and you nodded, satisfied. So much for keeping your mind off of it. 
“Two days ago, someone left flowers on my doorstep. And I… I hope it was Eddie, because I might’ve left chocolates on his doorstep yesterday.”
Both girls squealed, clutching each other in excitement. “But, like, I don’t know if it was him, guys.” You were quick to subdue it, putting a hand out in front of you.
“It totally was!” El chirped, and Max nodded, joining in. “You guys are, like, idiots in love.”
“We are not!” The blush on your cheeks told a much different story. “Okay, whatever. Four people have now told me it’s definitely him, so guess I have my answer.”
“You already knew the answer.” Max rolled her eyes, rising from her seat with El. “Now, go get him something nice, and we’ll meet you back here in an hour and a half.”
The two girls skipped away. You took a dramatic slurp of your Orange Julius. 
Fine, you decided, less stressing, more shopping. You couldn’t take back the chocolates, so there was no point in worrying about it—que sera, sera, or however that goes.
You roamed the mall for about forty-five minutes, making pit stops at your favorite places; you bumped into the girls at Afterthoughts, where they were taking a decision on friendship bracelets very seriously. You stopped into Spencer’s, a favorite of yours for band tees and silly knick knacks—you almost got something for Eddie there, but lava lamps and mugs didn’t seem meaningful enough.
Deciding you’d figure it out later, you began making your way back to the meeting point. A display, from out of the corner of your eye, stopped you in your tracks. 
You stared at it, eyes slightly glazed over. It felt insane that you were even considering it.
It felt even more insane when your feet developed a mind of your own, carrying you into the store, and back out with a small bag—which you promptly shoved in your purse. 
“Do my eyes deceive me? You guys are here early?” You teased, approaching Max and El at the table from earlier. They were each carrying a few bags.
“We work fast,” El smiled, scanning you. “Did you get something for Eddie?”
“No, but I will, don’t worry.” You lied, knowing if you didn’t, they’d pester you until you showed them. “Ready to head out?”
The three of you made your way back to the car. After dropping El off at Hop’s, you headed back to Forest Hills with Max. She rested her feet on the dash. 
The ride was quiet—probably due to the fact that your mind was anything but. The gift you’d picked up for Eddie was… ballsy, to say the least. You blamed your friends for these bouts of fleeting confidence, which ultimately ended in wanting to bang your head against a wall. 
You parked at your place. Max hopped out, bags in tow, and made off toward her trailer.
“Thanks again,” She shouted, then gave a little nod towards your front door. “Looks like you got another delivery.”
Your head whipped toward the doorstep, approaching it with an embarrassing amount of haste. There was another delivery. 
A copy of Flashdance. Your knees wavered.
Now you were certain it was Eddie; the first time you’d watched it together, you made him swear he wouldn’t tell anyone how much you loved it. Cheesy, romantic, dance films didn’t exactly fit your tough-girl image. 
As giddy and lightheaded as you felt right now, maybe they were starting to. 
Of course, there was a note attached. You grabbed it, eyes widening when it didn’t just say your name.
Will I be seeing you on the 14th?
No name, no signature. What a little shithead, you thought, cheeks sore from smiling so hard. You pressed both the tape and note into your chest, exhaling a shaky breath.
It was real now. Whatever part of you that still doubted Eddie’s feelings had vanished—and it left behind a mess of excitement, nerves, and anticipation.
You glanced down at your purse, having almost forgotten about what you bought. Your stomach flipped in anxiety.
One more gift.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
February 13th, 1986
Eddie missed you. Like, missed the hell out of you—which was embarrassing, considering it had been less than a week since you last hung out.
Despite being adamant he couldn’t give out anymore free rentals, Steve had scored him the copy of Flashdance. He was really just proud that Eddie hadn’t completely chickened out yet.  Quite frankly, so was Eddie.
Though, that note he’d left at your door got him pretty close to it.
What if you said no? Even worse, what if you said yes, somehow under the impression that this was some lighthearted, best friend thing? Eddie didn’t think you were that oblivious, but the worst case scenario was kind of his forté.
Dustin thumped him on the back of the head. “Stop thinking about it.”
“But I’m—”
“No, nope, zip.” The smaller boy closed his fingers in front of Eddie’s face. “You can think about it tomorrow, when she professes her undying love for you.”
Eddie glared at him. The audacity was outrageous. “What do you suggest I do, then?”
Dustin glanced around the trailer. He didn’t think he’d get this far.
“Um,” He scratched the back of his neck. “We can talk about Hellfire?”
Eddie groaned, leaning back into the couch. “Henderson, I love you, I really do—but for the first time in my life, I have more pressing things to think about than Dungeons and Dragons.”
Dustin didn’t take it personally. In fact, he understood. He’d been sent here by Steve to keep Eddie’s mind off of it, which was proving useless, so he caved.
“Alright, fine.” He sighed, taking a seat beside the long-haired boy. A loaded silence ensued.
Eventually, he looked at Eddie in earnest, the corners of his lips turning up. “You think she’s the one?”
Eddie studied him for a moment. He noted the sincerity in his expression. “Yeah.” He breathed, nodding softly. “I mean, shit, yeah, I really do.”
“I think she is too, man.” Dustin grinned, in the comforting way that was uniquely his. “I mean, your one, not my one.”
Eddie chuckled at that. He might’ve been the luckiest guy in Hawkins to have such great friends—even if some of them were fifteen years old. If he had you, too, he’d be some sort of walking miracle. 
“Let’s just hope—”
Knock, knock, knock. Eddie’s sentence stopped in its tracks. The two of them locked wide eyes, and Dustin broke out beaming like a schoolboy.
“Holy shit,” He giggled, watching as Eddie approached the front door slowly. “She has, like, superhuman instincts or something.”
“Shush.”
Eddie’s hand gripped the handle, overcome by a wave of anticipation. Just beyond the worn wood, he’d find the answer to his question—a question which meant so much more than its face value.
Will I be seeing you on the 14th? Am I crazy for thinking I might? Do you want me how I’ve always wanted you?
He pulled the door open, eyes already trained to the ground. There laid a small piece of paper, liable to be blown away at any moment—he picked it up, hand shaking, heartbeat in his ears.
My place, tomorrow, 8pm. Last gift is here.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
February 14th, 1986
It was 7:45pm. You sat on your couch, leg bouncing, the faint sound of crickets penetrating your walls.
It was silly, really, to be so nervous—it was Eddie. You knew Eddie like the back of your hand.
His favorite songs, the way he’d fidget with his rings when he was nervous, the little noises he made in his sleep. You could almost smell his signature cologne, musky and warm, like a campfire at midnight. 
There were things you didn’t know.
You didn’t know the way his lips felt against yours. You’d long wondered whether he was a gentle or fiery lover; as much as you knew him, you still couldn’t tell.
Eddie, who’d once tended to a wound on your knee with delicate hands, wincing in sympathy whenever you did. Eddie, who was a passionate performer, owning every square inch of the stage with confidence. 
A knock at the door took the wind out of you. 
You stood up abruptly, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles in your sweater, your skirt. You cursed yourself for not putting on some music, now acutely aware of the silence.
It was too late now. Fuck.
It was so much easier when it was flowers, movies, or flirty little notes on the other side of the door. You wondered if Eddie felt the same—terrified to knock and stay put, not scurry off and hide.
You clutched the doorknob, opening it slowly. Your eyes found each others’ in an instant.
He had on his leather jacket, typically reserved for shows, and a Judas Priest t-shirt. Like always, his knees showed through the holes in his jeans—a chain clipped to the belt loops. 
He was perfect. And even so, he looked nervous.
“Hey.” You said softly, like a deer in headlights.
He twisted one of his rings, eyes glued to yours. “Hi.”
It was so strange, you thought, how effortless it was before; a few innocent gifts had so drastically changed the air around you both. Some scrawled out notes brought a sea of unspoken feelings to the surface.
Instinctively, your arms reached out, pulling him into your home with a lingering hug. Despite being the root of your current anxiety, you craved his comfort.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” He breathed, like feeling you in his arms was a relief. Your face was buried in his shirt, taking in the scent. Like a campfire at midnight. 
After a long moment, you leaned back to look at him, his hand cradling the back of your head. You could feel his breath ghosting against your lips, chests rising and falling together.
“Can I kiss you?” Eddie whispered, heartbeat drumming against you. 
Your limbs were numb. “Please.”
So, he did.
Every insecurity you had became ridiculously insignificant. The lack of music, the wrinkles in your clothes, the smudge in your eyeliner—they were like specks of dust on the Mona Lisa, because Eddie was fucking kissing you, and it felt like clicking the last piece into a ten-thousand piece puzzle.
He held you as if you were made of glass, gentle enough to bring tears to your eyes.
You finally parted, breathless, foreheads resting together. “Eds,” You murmured, hands beginning to wander, skimming over his shoulders, his chest. “I… I want to…”
“Me too.” He replied with a shaky breath, not needing you to finish the thought. “Promise me you’re sure. I’ll… shit, I’ll never forgive myself if I fuck this up.”
You won’t. You can’t. You never could.
“I’m sure.” You croaked, hands finally finding themselves in his curls. “I’ve been sure, Eds, for a year, since the moment I met y—”
He pressed his lips to yours, a different sort of passion within it. It was feverish, needy, tongues and teeth bumping into each other messily; his hands traveled down to your thighs, lifting you, and you wrapped your legs around him.
You hardly felt yourself move before you were being laid down on the soft surface of your bed. Your fingers stripped him of his jacket, tossing it off to the side, then moved to the hem of his shirt, embarrassingly eager to feel his skin against yours. 
Eddie held himself up with a forearm beside your head, his other hand clutching at the sweater over your waist, finally finding the courage to lift it off of you. Underneath it, intricate black lace—a sheer one-piece that left nothing to the imagination. 
He stopped kissing you. Not on purpose, but out of pure astonishment, eyes trailing your torso. 
“Is this…”
“Your last gift?” Your chest was heaving now, Eddie’s eyes warming your skin, but you managed a shy smile. “Yeah, it is.”
He sat up, bringing both large hands to delicately span your ribcage. Jesus Christ, the way he was looking at you was the best kind of absurd—like you were expensive, unattainable.
You felt the cold metal of his rings through the thin fabric, and it made you keen inadvertently. His eyes immediately flicked up to your face.
“You’re gonna kill me.” He shook his head lightly, utterly awestruck. “Like, really, I might not make it out of here alive.”
You giggled, and the smile rubbed off on him. “I might not either,” You reached out, hands slipping beneath his shirt, traversing the bare skin underneath. He shivered at the feeling. “So, let’s die happy.”
That must’ve ignited something in him, because he squeezed his eyes shut at the sound of it, wasting no time in pulling his shirt over his head. You hardly had time to appreciate the sight before he was on you again.
He nipped at your jaw, your hands making quick work of the button on his jeans; at the same time, his fingers tucked themselves in the edge of your skirt, gliding it off of you.
You tangled your fingers in his curls, as if it was the only thing keeping you from floating away. Only a few thin layers were left separating you.
“So perfect,” Eddie’s hands came to your shoulders, oh-so softly hooking the straps of the lingerie, sliding them down your arms. His breath warmed your neck. “This is beautiful, but you…” 
Your mouth opened and closed again, too overwhelmed by the praise to speak. You felt him drag the fabric down, an agonizing pace, until you were entirely exposed.
“You are everything to me.” He whispered, and there was a vulnerability behind it that made your heart swell.
Your fingers slipped beneath the waistband of his boxers, and he gently clutched your wrist, stopping you. You made a small noise of protest. 
“Wait,” He murmured, pressing his lips to your neck, then your collarbone. His ringed fingers came up to cup one of your breasts, and your breath hitched when he kissed there, too. 
He continued downward, lips trailing your navel, pausing just above where you wanted him most. His dark eyes met yours, and Christ, he looked like an angel.
“Wanna take care of you.” He gripped your hips—not forcefully, but hard enough. “Can I?”
“Please.” You didn’t even know how he meant it. You didn’t care.
His hands found their way to the backs of your thighs, giving them a gentle push, putting your center on full display for him.
It had been so long since anyone had seen you like this, and now it was Eddie; as many times as you’d imagined this scenario, you never considered it could be a reality. You felt suddenly insecure.
His face couldn’t have told a more different story.
It was as if you’d bestowed God’s greatest gift upon him with your permission—you almost couldn’t be insecure. He was doe-eyed, slack jawed, a few stray curls hanging down in his face. Clearly the least of his concerns.
As you reached to brush them away, he leaned forward, softly swiping his tongue between your folds. It caught you off guard, back arching slightly. “Shit, Eds, yes.”
Your response was all he needed to continue, attaching his mouth to you again. You half expected it to be sloppy, fast, and eager; instead, he was methodical. His tongue circled your bud slowly, dipping down to your entrance every so often, wanting to taste everything you had to offer.
He was savoring every moment. And, fuck, you thought your soul might leave your body.
“G-God, shit,” You whined, no longer in control of what left your mouth. His hair was threaded in your knuckles, which you hadn’t even noticed until a particular swirl over your clit made you tug roughly on the strands—Eddie groaned against you, movements nearly faltering.
The vibrations were almost too much, let alone the fact that he liked his hair being pulled. You felt a finger tease your entrance, eliciting a gasp among your many moans, and it didn’t take long for him to sink it into you.
“Eddie,” It came out like a weak warning. The coldness of the ring on his knuckle met your most sensitive area, and you were gone. “Oh, fuck, Eddie, m’gonna—”
He curled it inside you and whimpered, sending your body alight.
You came as if you never had before. The combination of his mouth, his finger, the sounds he was making, his goddamn ring—it was euphoric, unlike anything you’d ever experienced, rendering you a babbling mess. 
He slowed down as you did, reading your body as if it were his favorite book. You thought he must’ve somehow read it a dozen times already. 
Appearing at your level again, Eddie caught his breath alongside you, his voice as soft as silk. “Was that… good?”
And for fuck’s sake, he was asking in earnest, like he really didn’t know whether he’d done well.
You huffed out an incredulous laugh, and it brought a smile to his face. Your hands came up to cradle his cheeks. “The best I’ve ever had, Eds.”
That did something to him—his eyelids fluttered shut, brow furrowing. It turned him on to hear he’d satisfied you. Which, in turn, made the ache between your legs apparent again. 
When you began to tug on the waistband of his boxers for a second time, he made no effort to stop you.
“Need you inside me,” It was more of a beg than a demand, barely audible, against his lips. 
Finally, every piece of clothing had been discarded. Feeling him rest against your core, heavy and throbbing, made you tremble. He was already on the brink of losing his composure. 
“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” He brushed the hair from your eyes, pressing a sweet kiss to the corner of your mouth. “Always. Gonna go slow, okay?”
Your heart turned inside your chest. Eddie knew it had been a while since you’d done this. You knew it has been awhile since he’d done this, too—and yet he pushed the nervousness aside, determined to be a rock for your comfort. 
You nodded, nosing against his cheek, feeling safer than you ever had before.
He lined himself up with you, pushing forward gently, tip breaching your wetness. It made your jaw fall open; the stretch was good, not painful, but you still needed the time to adjust.
He reacted similarly, his mouth open slightly, the muscles in his abdomen tensing. At the same time, his eyes scanned your face for any sign of discomfort.
When he was fully seated within you, you were already panting into each other's mouths. It felt like you were complete, not only physically, but emotionally—and you knew he felt it, too, though it remained unspoken. 
“Okay?” He whispered, dark orbs boring into your own.
Your body was covered in goosebumps. “Yes.”
He started to move, languidly pulling his hips back, pressing them into your own. You were desperate for each other, to feel each other; your passion didn’t choose to manifest in a rough, frenzied manner. Both of you needed to relish in every movement, every touch, every sound. 
It was overwhelmingly intimate.
His left hand found your own, lacing your fingers together, pressing it into the mattress beside your head. The other cupped your face, thumb resting on your bottom lip. 
You breathed out each other’s names, eyes locked. He was reaching the depths of you, brushing your sweet spot with every slow thrust, and it made a knot begin to form in your stomach. 
Your free hand found his hair, gripping it again, and he shuddered out a beautiful noise. “Baby,” He keened, and his hand left your face to hold your hip, pulling out farther, rolling in deeper.
“Me too.” You croaked. It was like you shared one mind, one body, no longer needing to say what it was you felt. You just knew. 
The air thickened around you, breaths becoming shorter, grips becoming tighter. A sheen of sweat covered both of your skin, fast approaching your climaxes.
“Eddie, I—” You were swept away, mind trying to force the words out, pleasure making it difficult. “I… I—”
“Tell me, baby.” He rasped, full of longing, like he hoped he already knew.
“—I love you,” It came out like a soft sob, every muscle in your body contracting.
He lost himself at that. A symphony of noises filled the small room, and you clung to him with everything you had, mind buzzing, body writhing instinctually. It was a feeling that deserved to be bottled, placed in a museum—complete and utter fulfillment, in every possible way. 
You weren’t sure how long the two of you laid there, heartbeats drumming against each other, trying to come back to earth. It could’ve been a minute, an hour.
Eventually, and probably for the best, your minds wandered back to you. Eddie gently backed away, just enough to pull out of you, and quickly enveloped you in his arms again. 
His chin rested on your shoulder, chest pressed to your back, both of you blissed out and fuzzy.
“By the way,” He spoke softly, arms tightening around your waist. “I love you, too. I should’ve said it earlier, but I was a little busy losing my absolute shit.”
You broke out into a laugh, the contradiction between his words and the current situation tickling you. He grinned widely into the skin of your neck. 
“Who wrote that note?” You turned towards him, mind running over the events of the last few days. “The first one, with my name. I didn’t believe Rob and Nance when they said it was you—the handwriting was too nice.”
His hand came up, stroking your hair lovingly. “Steve has girly handwriting. Usually I make fun of him for it, but it got me here, so maybe I’ll stop.”
You giggled at that, and jeez, you were sure the two of you looked like idiots in love right now—faces inches apart, delicate touches wherever you could reach, absolutely beaming. 
“For the record, I didn’t believe them either.” Eddie’s eyes explored your face. “Harrington, Henderson. I thought they were batshit, saying you were in love with me.”
You inched even closer to him. “Maybe we should start listening to our friends.”
“Let’s not be rash.” He joked, and you playfully pushed his chest. “But, yeah. They were right this time.”
There were a few moments of silence, the two of you taking each other in, biting back smiles. 
“I love you.” You said quickly, giddily. 
Eddie’s finger brushed your nose. “I love more.”
“See, that would be the case,” You began, faux seriousness painting your expression. “If I didn’t love you most.” 
He wagged a finger in your face, leaning in to pepper you with kisses, and continue waging a war that would never end. 
At the end of the day, three things were certain.
Firstly, you loved Eddie.
Secondly, Eddie loved you.
Thirdly, your friends were definitely going to regret encouraging you to tell each other those two things.
444 notes · View notes