#/ still debating actually writing their accent

[readwall-abbey]

The thing about phonetic accents is that as a general rule they're used to mock the accent, demonstrate how people who use it don't really know know how to talk "correctly." Absolutely to be avoided in most cases, because even if that's not what you mean you could accidentally offend.

In the case of Redwall, however, the phonetic accent is a demonstration of love for the mode of speech. There's no way to interpret the books that leaves you with the impression that the author had anything but the utmost respect for people who spoke the way moles do, and imported their mode of speech into his story because he wanted others to respect them too. There is, of course, Egburt the Scholar and his claim that it makes them sound uneducated; however this seems to be a joke, as he is quite alone in this opinion. Moles are widely regarded as some of the smartest animals in the world. Even the vermin cockney and the language of the ridiculous pygmy shrews from 'Martin the Warrior' are treated fondly; these groups have problems but the way they talk is not part of it (except, of course, for the swearing). There's none of the lingual jackassery like that explored in 'Pygmalion' here; the accents are flavor only.

Which leads me to my next point: every accent in the book is a real accent you might encounter in the British Isles. More importantly it is a work of preservation. I unfortunately do not have a source on this so take it with a grain of salt, but I've been told the speech of the pygmy shrew tribe (of all the accents the one most arguably a separate language) was a rapidly dwindling accent, one that has few speakers left. It might be lost entirely soon -- except it won't be, because it's been meticulously recorded in a book, and hundreds of thousands of people have learned to speak and understand it almost incidentally -- people who would never have picked up a book about at-risk dialects. (I do wish there was an appendix with information about these accents and their cultural and historical relevance so that people could know more about the accents they've learned from reading it. Also don't take this as fact at all; I heard it from someone who's attended one of Brian Jacques' bookstore talks but I don't have a documented source on it. If anyone else has information for or against this claim please add on!)

Would I recommend, based on this, that just anyone start using phonetic accents in their books? Mmmmm, probably not. As I said before it's easy to come off in a mocking tone even if that's not what you intend. That was most likely avoided in this specific case through a combination of a very earnest writing style, genuine love for all of the borrowed accents, and sheer accident. It's not a 100% never ever ever do it rule, but it's. Very tricky, and usually not worth the risk.

So I decided a little while ago to do a full series reread of Redwall. I’m still early in it, I just finished Redwall and started Mossflower, and you know what? Might as well express my thoughts as I go. Blacklist “redwall reread” if you don’t want to see this, there WILL be spoilers.

So! Thoughts, on reflection, about Redwall:

Something I forgot along the way is just how competent Matthias is right from the start. Granted he lives in a society that hasn’t seen war in several generations so it’s not like he has a lot of competition, but he still goes from Bumbling Novice Who Doesn’t Quite Fit In to a martial and tactical powerhouse alongside Constance, the one who closed negotiations by picking up an entire banquet table and throwing it.

And not only that, people listen to him! As soon as negotiations break down, Matthias jumps in with a plan and all his elders listen. I watched the animated series growing up, which was… not super great, quality wise, but enjoyable enough for a kid. And one of the changes the show made was playing up Matthias’s childishness and inexperience. In the adaptation, when everyone’s panicking about the legendary warlord marching on the abbey, Matthias jumps in with this rallying speech about how they’ll fight back, and the abbot scolds him for it. “No more talk of fighting,” when Cluny the Scourge is almost at their doorstep. In the original book?

“Do? I’ll tell you what we’ll do. We’ll be ready.” The Abbot could not help shaking his head in admiration. It seemed that young Matthias had hidden depths. “Why, thank you, Matthias,” he said. “I could not have put it better myself. That’s exactly what we will do. We’ll be ready!”

(Years later, a certain wizard in a certain film adaptation would ask a question calmly.)

This book has a beaver in it. And a horse. And the mention of a dog. And Portugal.

Speaking of which, one of the many things that I think sets this book apart from the rest is that it feels like Jacques is making an attempt to write a book that takes place in a smaller Mouse World that exists within a larger world. The abbey is mouse-sized, of course, but an entire army of rats rides in on a single horse-drawn hay cart. Matthias climbs hay bales in a barn and falls into a cat’s mouth. Again, Portugal exists.

Idk what my point is, it just goes to show that BJ really was gradually building this world as he wrote it. I didn’t obsess so much over canon continuity, I just came up with my own explanations for things.

Ah, phonetic accents. I have mixed feelings about phonetic accents these days. I know logically that it’s better to avoid them, but like. I read the moles’ dialogue and try to imagine what it would look like without every word misspelled to exaggerate the dialect, and I just. Couldn’t visualize it. Moles just aren’t moles if you aren’t rereading their lines two or three times to parse what they’re saying. (Excepting Egburt the Scholar, of course, but I won’t see him for several books.)

I think my lifelong obsession with ferrets can be traced back to Killconey. I just. I know he’s a villain but I just love this guy so much. He’s adorable, he’s got a solid head on his shoulders, and he never tries to screw over his comrades, murder his comrades, bully his comrades, or flat-out lie to Cluny to get ahead, like SOME people, Cheesethief. RIP Killconey you were a good henchman and Cluny shouldn’t have thrown you at Matthias to get chopped in half.

Sela named her son Chickenhound no wonder he didn’t mourn her. Of course, his idea of a better name was “Mousedeath” so it’s not like he had room to judge.

Portugal????

[stressed-and-queer]

Hey, so here's a little story inspired by a prompt made by @aeagle624 (i really hope you like this)! I've never really done anything like this before and it was a fun challenge.

Prompt: A drunk Merlin finds himself in Arthur’s room, Arthur takes care of him. Merlin is very affectionate when drunk

The room was quiet, the only sound being Arthurs quill dragging across the paperwork that lay in front of him. Every so often Arthur would look out his window and see the empty streets of Camelot, well mostly empty. Maybe one or two people scurried past the town square. It was way too late for anyone to be wandering about, hence why it was so quiet. Also why Arthur decided that now would be the perfect time to catch up on his paperwork. Without the chattering of the townspeople down below, or the utter distraction that Merlin was for a number of reasons, Arthur could finally concentrate. Could finally focus on the important documents that he had yet to review, or that speech he was supposed to write. 

“Unhand me,” came a drunken shout from outside his door. It came from a voice the king knew all too well. He could already feel the annoyance start to rise as he put his quill down, the ink staining his wooden desk. Well there goes the peace and quiet he had had. 

There's a knock at the door, it wasn't loud at all, but Arthur still heard it. If he were asleep like he was supposed to be, he doubted he would have woken up from it. And that seemed to be the point, it was so obviously cautiously soft. Arthur stayed quiet for a moment, debating on if he wanted to speak up or just continue on with his paperwork. There's a laugh from the other side of the door, Merlin's laugh. 

"Stop it will you or we'll skip Arthur's chambers and go straight to the cells to sober you up," came a growl. Arthur sighed to himself as he put his head in his hands. Then came another knock, this one a bit louder than before and cut off abruptly. 

"Come in," Arthur said reluctantly, looking up at the door. He wasn't about to let Merlin spend the night in the cells, although it would probably do him a bit of good.The door creaked open, the light from the hallway seeping into his chambers. And there, in the doorframe, was a guard holding a very drunk Merlin. To be honest it looked like the knight was the only thing keeping Merlin from meeting the floor, with the way the servant was swaying.

"Arthur, tell this man to let me go," Merlin slurred, his accent a bit thicker in his drunken state. Arthur sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"How much trouble did he get in," Arthur reluctantly asked. 

"None," Merlin chimed in. Arthur glared at him, regaining focus on the guard.

"He's actually telling the truth, sire, he hasn't gotten into trouble yet. But he was talking to one of the dog statues in front of the castle. I was going to take him to the cells to sober up but one of the guards said you'd have my head if I did that so I brought him here," the guard explained.

"He has his own chambers, you know," Arthur growled, glaring at the guard. The guard shifted uncomfortably, his grip on Merlin's arm tightening causing the man to let out a soft "ow". 

"Sorry sire, I'll bring him there now" The guard apologized, bowing his head.

"Wait," Arthur said reluctantly, raising his hand. 

"He's already here so why bother. Let him stay," Arthur said and the guard nodded. He let go of Merlin, who rubbed his arm where the guard had been holding him. As he stumbled into Arthur's chambers, the guard closing the door as soon as he could, Arthur sat back in his chair and took a better look at his manservant. His hair was a mess and his jacket was gone, leaving him in his blue tunic. He was wearing his red neckerchief at the moment, he had been wearing the blue one earlier in the day. Arthur chuckled at the thought of Merlin changing his neckerchief to go out to the tavern. The neckerchief was crooked, tilted a bit too far to the left. 

Arthur got up and went over to Merlin as he saw him sway. As comical as it would be to see Merlin fall flat on his face, Arthur just wanted to get back to his work. The quickest way to do that was to help Merlin to his bed and to keep him away from any important documents that could possibly be ruined. Merlin smiled at him as Arthur grabbed his arm and draped it over his neck, wrapping his own arm around Merlin's torso as he led him over to his bed. 

"What're you doing outta bed," Merlin asked as they stumbled, his hand gripping Arthurs side. He rested his head on Arthur’s shoulder, leaning into Arthur as they walked. 

"What're you doing so drunk," Arthur retorted, Merlin sitting down on his bed, nearly sinking in. 

"Gwaine, took me out to have some fun," Merlin smiled, resting his head on Arthur's pillows. Arthur rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath, because of course it had been Gwaine who had gotten him this drunk. He wasn't even surprised, the knight had an insatiable love for mead that Arthur just couldn't understand. 

"Just how much did you two have to drink," Arthur asked, part of him afraid of the answer he may get. Merlin frowned as his brows furrowed in thought. He started to count on his fingers before shaking his head and counting on his fingers again.

"I don't know, I lost count after like…5," Merlin says, his voice raised in question. Arthur takes a deep breath, making a mental note to talk to Gwaine about taking his servant out to drink. He watches as Merlin hiccups, nearly falling backwards as he does. Arthur shakes his head, turning around and walking towards his desk to finish his paperwork. Arthur picks up his quill,using his shirt to clean up the ink that had spilled from the quill when he had set it down. 

It doesn't take long before the sound of the quill scratching on paper fills the room. Arthur picking up where he had left off. There's the sounds of sheets rustling and Arthur only glances at his bed to see Merlin laying down. His head sinking into the pillows, one hand down by his side the other up near his head. His knee bent to the side and his head looking towards the window. The man doesn't look comfortable though, and the sounds of the sheets rustling once more as Merlin tosses his body in an attempt to get comfortable confirms that.

Arthur blocks out the noise easily enough, keeping his eyes focused on the paper in front of him. Currently he was working on a speech he was to give in about a week or so. The Kingdom of Camelot celebrating the new alliance they had made with a kingdom in the north. Usually this was Merlin's job but the servant hadn't the time to get around to it, so Arthur had to write the speech himself. He knew whatever he wrote would inevitably be rewritten by Merlin anyways, but just in case that didn't happen, he was prepared. 

He was halfway through the second page of the speech when he noticed the rustling had stopped. He glanced at the bed, expecting to find Merlin out cold by now. To his surprise, Merlin was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him intently. Arthur blinked, the two sitting in a moment of silence.

"What," Arthur asked, setting his pen down in the ink pot. Merlin blinked, waiting a moment before shrugging. Arthur nodded his head slowly, not knowing what he expected from the drunken servant. He attempts to go back to his work only to find that he can feel Merlin's eyes on him. Feel his servant watching him so closely. Being a king, he was used to having eyes on him, watching his every move. It shouldn't bother him but this….somehow this was different. It made him want to squirm in his seat for some reason. 

"Merlin, just lay down," Arthur says, and to his surprise, Merlin does just that. He falls backwards on the bed, his head hitting the pillow and his arms stretched out wide. And Arthur finds that with Merlin's eyes off of him, he can work again. 

"The dog called me a bitch you know," Merlin says with a frown. Arthur's eyes widen from this seemingly random outburst. Until he remembers that the guard told him he was seen arguing with the stone dog statues outside the castle. 

"Oh did it now," Arthur says, feigning interest in his voice. His eyes never leave the paper but he finds he's only half as focused on his work as he was before. The other half was curious as to what Merlin was going to respond with.

"Yeah. Called me other mean things too! I was about to show him," Merlin says with a huff. 

"Oh I bet you were," Arthur says, playing along. He's glad the guard got him when he did, he didn't want to see what a fight between a drunk Merlin and a stone dog would lead to. No matter how entertaining the idea seemed.

"Was about to punch him," Merlin continues. Arthur looks up from his papers, side eyeing Merlin in disbelief.

"You would punch a dog," he asks.

"It was being mean to me," Merlin says in a whine. There's a pout on his face as he sits up and crosses his arms.

"Uh huh," Arthur says slowly, reminding himself this is a stone dog they were talking about. He shakes his head, wondering just what he’s gotten himself into allowing a drunk Merlin to stay in his room. Arthur gives up on writing this speech, finally admitting to himself that he was going to get nowhere with Merlin around. He turns in his chair so he was facing Merlin, who was still laying down in his bed.

“C,mon Merlin, let’s get you comfortable,” Arthur says, standing up and walking over to his closet. Merlin, literally, rolls out of bed, Arthur turning around with a start as he hears a thump to see Merlin laying on the floor.

“Merlin,” Arthur says, the concern leaking from his voice. Merlin looks up at him with a lopsided smile and lets out a chuckle.

“I’m fine!” He says. Arthur helps him up, muttering under his breath as he wraps Merlin's arm around his neck to give him stability. Sober Merlin was clumsy enough, Arthur dreaded to see drunk Merlin try and walk on his own. Merlin leans his head on Arthurs shoulder, leaning into him as the two make their way to Arthurs closet.The king opens his closet, grabbing his white shirt off the rack and closing the door.

It’s now that Arthur realizes that Merlin is refusing to let go of Arthur. His hand grabbing at Arthurs side as if they were trying to do some weird side hug. His fingers gripping the shirt tight, Merlin making a whine in protest as Arthur tries to get him off.

“Merlin, you do realize you’re going to have to let go so I can dress you,” Arthur says.

“I don’t want to let go,” Merlin whines, burying his face in Arthur’s neck. The king finds the heat rising to his cheeks at this action. Merlin has never been this affectionate with him before, and Arthur finds he isn’t completely opposed to it. His heart skipping a beat as Merlin nuzzles his neck, he can feel Merlin's breath on his skin, making goosebumps pop up on his neck. His blush only deepening as he realizes certain feelings rising to the surface. He shakes his head, pushing those feelings down as he pries Merlins fingers off of him, successfully removing Merlins grip from him. Merlin pouts as he stumbles backwards, his arms crossed in protest.

Arthur reaches his hands to the back of Merlins neck so he can untie his neckerchief. Merlin's eyes widen, a soft blush filling his cheeks as he bites his lips. Arthur notices his eyes glancing downwards, lingering before his eyes reach Arthurs. He smiles, a giggle escaping him.

“What’s so funny,” Arthur asks, finally getting the knot undone. 

“I was just thinking about what it would be like to kiss you,” Merlin replies, wrapping his arms around Arthur and pulling him in for a hug. Arthur can feel Merlin rest his face in his chest and he finds himself frozen in his place. His hands gripping Merlin's neckerchief in his fingers, his face heating up as his mind races with what Merlin just said. 

“I bet your lips are soft,” Merlin continues.His hand moves upwards, his thumb grazing Arthurs lips. Arthur's eyes widen, a blush spreading on his cheeks from the intimate touch. Those feelings he had just pushed down threatening to come back up to the surface. 

“Merlin,” Arthur begins, not knowing what else to say. Merlin hums in response, looking up at Arthur with a smile. Arthur clears his throat, looking away from Merlin for a moment.

“Lift your arms, I'm going to change you into something more comfortable,” He says, peeling Merlin off of him. Merlin stumbles backwards, lifting his arms up as Arthur grabs the bottom of his tunic, lifting it up and over his head.He tosses it on the bed, sliding the white shirt over his head and helping his arms get into the sleeves. Arthur takes a step back, the shirt fits loosely on Merlin,the sleeves went just past his fingertips. But, Merlin looked comfortable and that’s all that mattered to Arthur right now. 

“There. I’ll go tell one of the guards to get a glass of water so your headache isn’t so bad in the morning,” Arthur says, going to his door, he's speaking to the guard when he feels arms snake around his torso from behind  and a head resting on his shoulder. The guard looks from him to Merlin.

“He’s drunk,” Arthur says as an explanation.

“I see,” the guard says, slowly nodding his head. Arthur closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

“If you tell anyone about this,” Arthur begins, a threat in his voice. 

“Your secret’s safe with me sire,” The guard says and Arthur can hear the slight amusement in his voice. 

“Just…go get me that water will you,” Arthur says with a groan.

“Of course, sire,” the guard says with a bow. Arthur closes the door, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Arthur, I wanna lay down,” Merlin says.

“Then go lay down,” Arthur replies.

“I don’t want to lay down without you,” Merlin whines. His grip on Arthur tightens as he hides his face in Arthur’s back. Arthur lets out a big sigh and looks down to the ground. 

“Merlin,” He says with a bit of force in his voice.

“Please,” is all Merlin says. It’s short and just barely a whisper but the word reaches Arthur’s ears and he knows he’s lost. 

“Alright,” He says softly. Merlin smiles as he lets out a soft “thank you” which causes Arthur to smile. He lets go of Arthur, making his way to the bed and laying down in it. Arthur follows him, feeling the familiar softness of his sheets as he lays down. He hasn’t noticed how tired he was until now, His eyes growing heavy as Merlin wraps his arms around Arthur, pulling him close. Arthur doesn’t even think about it, he wraps his arms around Merlin and rests his head on top of the others. He’ll blame that on being tired in the morning. What his mind will be focused on is the soft kiss he laid on the top of Merlin's head, how it felt to have him in his arms and how it made him smile. 

“Arthur,” Merlin mutters just as Arthur is about to fall asleep.

“Yes Merlin,” Arthur hums.

“I don’t know if it's the alcohol or not, but I think I may have feelings for you,” Merlin says and it’s as if the world stops. Arthur doesn’t know how to process those words that echo in his mind. He opens his mouth to speak but finds that no words come out. He lets go of Merlin and sits up, Merlin looks at him confused.

“Have I said something wrong,” He asks, leaning up on his arm. 

“No Merlin, it’s just,” Arthur begins before pausing. 

“We’ll discuss it in the morning,” Arthur decides.

“When you’re sober,” He adds. Before anything else can be spoken there’s a knock on the door. 

That must be the water Arthur thinks to himself as he gets out of bed. Merlin reaches for him as he gets up.

“Don’t worry Merlin, I’ll be right back,” Arthur says, going to the door and opening it up. Sure enough, there’s the guard with a glass of water in his hands. Arthur takes the glass of water and nods his head in thanks, closing the door. He turns around to see Merlin already sitting up in bed.

“Here, drink this,” Arthur says, handing the drink to Merlin. He keeps his hand on the glass, making sure Merlin doesn’t drop it, but also to make sure he doesn’t drink it too fast. 

“There, now your head won’t hurt as bad in the morning,” Arthur says when Merlin is finished. He sets the glass on the table next to his bed, glancing over at Merlin just in time to see him yawn. He climbs back in bed, Merlin already reaching for him. Soon, they’re back in eachothers arms without even a second thought from Arthur. Arthur can’t help but think about how much he likes this, laying down for bed with Merlin in his arms. It’s confusing really, the feeling it invokes has Arthur rethinking about every interaction with Merlin he’s ever had, including the time he tried to take his head off with a mace.This newfound feeling has him viewing those memories in a different light, trying to pinpoint exactly when the feeling first started. He looks down at Merlin who’s fallen asleep in his arms, his mouth parted and his breathing even. He takes a deep breath, wondering how one man can cause him so much confusion. Part of him even wonders if allowing Merlin to stay with him was a bad idea. If he had allowed the guard to take Merlin back to his chambers like he had suggested, none of this would be happening. There would have been no drunken love confession that made him question everything. 

But it did and there was.

And Arthur could deal with it in the morning. For right now, as he held Merlin in his arms just a bit tighter than before, he allowed himself to close his eyes and fall asleep.

[barksenji]

Kidkiller modern/real life (?) AU: College or something, idk.

Holy, this is my first time writing on Tumblr lol. This was originally in Spanish but I decided to translate it because it's cute. Anything that doesn't make sense is there for narrative purposes. Also, this is how college works in my country (Venezuela), I have absolutely no idea how it works in the US much less other countries. Lol. Anyways. Enjoy.

Sitting in the bleachers of the gym, the two guys watched as the ball skidded across the feet of the students playing football. The game, meant to be a simple friendly match, had devolved into what resembled a WWE brawl, complete with the loud thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

"I'm way better at sports than these losers," the redhead boasted, his thick Scottish accent sharp with arrogance.

"I know, Kid," replied the blonde, equally as Scottish, if not more.

"I'd have my team winning every damn game."

"I know, Kid."

"I'm gonna be the best football player in the world."

"...You're studying robotics engineering."

"That's beside the point, Killer."

"I know, Kid."

Both men had classes later in the day and lived quite far from the university, often finding themselves with long stretches of idle time between lectures. Their days sometimes began with a class at 7 AM, followed by hours of nothing until their next class at 4 PM. Rather than wander aimlessly around campus or venture out for errands, they found amusement in watching the medical students attempt to play sports, often failing miserably. Or more specifically, they enjoyed watching Law making a fool of himself.

The funniest part? It was an elective. He chose it himself.

"Hey! Trafalgar! Keep eating dirt like that, maybe it'll improve your grades!” Kid mocked.

“FUCK YOU!” Law shouted back, red-faced and indignant.

Kid threw his head back in laughter, oblivious to the enchanted eyes fixed on him. Killer watched Kid’s antics, a soft smile playing at his lips. He couldn't have asked for a better companion. Having Kid by his side made him feel incredibly fortunate.

“What are you staring at, bozo?” Kid asked, breaking Killer’s reverie.

“Nothin',” Killer replied, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness despite his attempt to sound nonchalant.

“Wish I could see behind that motorcycle helmet to know just how much you're judging me.”

“I'm not judging you! I'm just... contemplating.”

For a moment, silence hung between them.

“Uh-huh.” Kid arched an eyebrow, then laughed again.

Killer blushed beneath his helmet, trying to hide his embarrassment. They were bros, and such feelings were out of place.

“So, what's your next class?”

“Confectionery and ice cream,” Killer answered.

“Confectionery and ice cream?! Is that a real class?”

“Well, I am studying gastronomy.”

“Do you have a super hard exam on how to make a sandwich? Like 'Oh no! I failed my toast exam! I'm toasted!' Haha, get it? Toasted... because of toast."

"You're so hilarious, Kid,” Killer said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “But they actually teach you how to design amazing products using sugar, icing, chocolate, and other ingredients. You know, the kind of things I cook for you that you love? Like that Dundee cake you ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?"

"Ok, you should've led with that. Never stop making those, they’re delicious,” Kid said, practically drooling at the memory. “Nothing beats the pasta though."

"I agree, nothing beats the pasta..."

They both fell silent, lost in thoughts of food, debating whether their lunch money should be spent on actual lunch or saved for a taxi. No, they did not have a car. No, they didn't have money for one.

"So... what's your next class?" Killer asked, snapping them both out of their pasta-induced coma.

"Physical fundamentals of mechanics.”

"...Confectionery and ice cream does sound kinda funny next to that,” Killer admitted. “What do you even learn there?”

"Well, we study kinematics, point dynamics, work, power, mechanical energy, that kind of stuff." He was still baffled by the fact that Kid could comprehend all that.

"Yeah, I'm sticking to the ice cream," Killer laughed, but as soon as he noticed, he quickly covered his mouth over his helmet. "Ahem. Sorry about that. Uh—when did you say that class was?"

Kid frowned, noticing Killer's reaction to his own laugh. Killer had something called "PBA," or something along those lines; he didn't know—he wasn't that smart. What he did know was that it caused uncontrollable bursts of laughter in inappropriate situations. It had started after a brain injury from a mishap they got into together. Killer was self-conscious about it; he was already insecure before, but after the accident, he grew absolutely sick of it, even when it was genuine. Kid felt guilty; if he hadn't dragged him into that, he would feel okay. First, he lost his arm to stunt riding, giving Killer the biggest scare of his life, and now this—

"Uh...Kid?"

"Oh yeah, yeah," Kid snapped back to reality. "It’s at 3 PM."

"Kid."

"Yeah?"

"It's 2:56."

"Fuck, you're right!” Kid said, scrambling to gather his things. “Sorry, dude, don't want to leave you here all alone but—y'know."

"Yeah, no worries. I have to get to class soon anyway," Killer reassured him. "Plus, you'll need to study hard if you want to make that giant metal arm you showed me."

Kid paused, surprised that Killer remembered. A blush crept up his cheeks, followed by a wide grin. "Hell yeah, Kil! I will! I'll make you some sick cooking utensils too. Like—knives that spin like chainsaws."

"Why would I need knives that spin like chainsaws?"

"Because they'd look cool. And they'd be faster. Plus, there's the risk of adding a finger to the menu, which is metal."

Killer let out a soft giggle and a sigh. "God, I love you, Kid,” he muttered under his breath.

“HUH?!” Kid turned as he walked away, cocking his head.

“I said you'll miss your class, Kid!" Killer corrected himself, blushing furiously.

Kid raised an eyebrow. "...Love you too, bro, I guess," he responded with a smirk, then dashed off.

Fuck.

[little-moonbeam-666]

Christmas Shenanigans - Modern!Osferth

After several weeks of writing, it’s finally here! 15.4k words!!!!!! I may have went overboard with this!!!! Modern Osferth has made his appearance! Thank you so much to @dothrckis for giving me the many ideas that formed this masterpiece!!! Everyone, enjoy!

Warnings: SMUT, rough sex, fingering, dry humping, mutual masturbation, oral (both), almost getting caught, actually getting caught, talks of prostitution, THAT FUCKING CROSS (you’ll understand once you read it), Osferth is definitely out of character but I don’t care, Finan being a very protective older brother.

 “Y/N, where the hell are ya?!” your brother spoke into the phone, his Irish accent becoming thicker with his anger. You sighed, holding your phone between your ear and your shoulder as you pulled on your pants from the night before and quickly threw on your coat. Turning and glancing at the man on the bed one last time, you grabbed your purse and booked it, not wanting to be there when he woke up. “Y/N! Answer me, dammit!”

“Finan, I’m fine. I’m on my way home. I’ll be there in like twenty, ok?” you groaned, pulling your coat tighter around your body as you made your way out into the parking lot of the cheap motel and scurried towards your piece of shit car.

“Fine. But you better come straight home.” he ordered.

“Yes, mom.” you said sarcastically before hanging up on him.

You quickly got into your car before digging around in your purse and fishing out your keys. You turned the car on and cranked the heat, cursing the cold December weather before pulling out of the parking lot and making your way back to your brother's house. The ride wasn’t long enough, soon pulling into the driveway and debating whether or not you should even go inside. Finan was usually a gentle soul, but when it came to protecting you he could be rather intimidating.

You turned off the car and grabbed your purse, taking a deep breath before stepping out of your car and heading towards the house. Your hand froze over the doorknob before you forced yourself to go inside. The door hadn’t even clicked shut before Finan was hounding you.

“Care to tell me where the fuck you’ve been?! I was up all night worried about you but you turned your fuckin phone GPS off!” he yelled, following you as you made your way into the living room and plopping yourself down on the couch.

“Does it matter? I’m here now!” you said, giving him a big fake smile in an attempt to quell his anger. Unfortunately, that didn’t work.

“Yes it fuckin’ matters! What if you’d been hurt, huh? What then, Y/N?!” he practically screamed. You frowned, looking down at your hands in your lap. You hated making him worry about you.

“I’m sorry.” you mumbled, digging through your purse and pulling out the envelope from the night before and handing it to him. He reluctantly took it and looked at you suspiciously.

“What’s this?” he asked, looking at the envelope in his hands before locking his eyes on yours.

“There’s enough there to pay the electric bill and my half of the rent.” you said, giving him no further details. His face dropped before sitting next to you on the couch, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“I thought you stopped doin’ tha’, Y/N.” he murmured, sounding disappointed. His voice was so quiet you could barely hear him. You looked over at him but he wasn’t looking at you. He was staring at the envelope in his hands.

“We needed the money, Finan.” you whispered.

“We will find you a job, Y/N. A real job. I refuse to let you keep whoring yourself out to random men for a little bit of cash.” he said, still sounding disappointed but his words were firm. There was no room for argument. Then his tone perked up a little bit. “Plus, I need you here to help me with the heathens.”

“The heathens?” you questioned, giving him a confused look.

“Mhmm. You remember my old college buddies, right? Uhtred, Sihtric, and Osferth?”

Of course you remembered them. They were hard to forget. Especially since you’d had a teeny tiny crush on Osferth since the very moment you’d met him. Your brother had been a sophomore in college and Osferth had been a freshman. You were still in highschool at the time but Finan had come back home for the holidays and brought Osferth along with him. You practically locked yourself in your bedroom the whole two weeks they were home because you were too shy to face him. Afterwards, he’d been around quite often and you kind of became friends. You hadn’t seen him in a couple years but your heart still jumped into your throat at the mention of his name.

“Yeah, I remember.” you said quietly.

“They’re gonna come spend Christmas with us! So I need you here to help keep the damage to a minimum.They behave better when you’re around.”

You couldn’t help but smile, knowing he was right. His friends really did try to stay on their best behavior when you were around. 

“Fine. But you know I’m only going to encourage their bad behavior, right?” you laughed, nudging your brother with your elbow.

“I expect nothing less.” he said, a huge grin on his face.

A few weeks had passed and Finan had managed to find you a job working at the diner downtown as a waitress. He had also made you take your car to the shop to get it fixed, so for now he was driving you. You had only been there for about a week but you’d gotten the hang of things pretty quick thanks to Eadith, another one of Finan’s friends from college. The redhead had taken you under her wing and made sure you thrived while at work. 

Your shift was nearly over and it was almost time for closing up when the bell over the door chimed, alerting you to someone coming inside. You turned and grinned, seeing your brother. But not only him, he was followed by his merry band of heathens.

“There she is!” Uhtred exclaimed, holding his arms out for you. You practically ran to him, jumping into his arms and giggling as he lifted you off the ground. Uhtred had always been a constant presence in your life since Finan had met him. You considered him another brother, but it had been several months since you’d last seen him.

“Oh my god! It’s so good to see you! I missed you so much!” you exclaimed, hugging him tight before he set you back on your feet.

“I missed you too, Y/N. It’s only been three months but you’re acting like it’s been years.” he laughed.

“And what about me, little leprechaun? Didn’t you miss me at all?” Sihtric joked, sticking out his lower lip and making you laugh. It had been just over a year since you last saw him. You quickly let him engulf you in a bear hug before pulling back and looking at his face.

“I missed you too, but call me ‘leprechaun’ one more time and I’ll kick your ass.” you laughed. He held up his hands in surrender and agreed.

“Fine. No Irish jokes… but only because it’s Christmas!”

You smiled at him once more before letting your eyes drift to who stood right beside your brother. It had been at least two years, maybe three since you’d last seen him and he was still just as gorgeous as you remembered him to be. His blonde hair swept to the side, a silver chain with a cross hanging around his neck, bright blue eyes, perfect lips that you just wanted to…

“Y/N, are you still with us? You zoned out for a second.” Finan laughed, eyeing you suspiciously. You quickly nodded your head before he spoke again. “You remember Osferth, right?”

“Of course I do!” you said, smiling and turning to the man in question. “And of course I missed you too, Os! It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you!”

He opened his arms and pulled you into a hug, your arms immediately flinging themselves around his neck. You could feel your heart fluttering erratically in your chest as his arms squeezed tightly around your waist. You nuzzled your face against his sweater covered shoulder and breathed in deep, inhaling his scent and committing it to memory before you reluctantly let go.

“You’re right, it’s been way too long, Y/N. I need to come see you guys more often.” he said, his blue eyes locked on yours. You expected him to look away first, but he didn’t. He only smirked, causing you to quickly look back at your brother. You weren’t even sure if you heard it, but you could’ve sworn you’d heard him chuckle at how quickly you looked away.

“So, I’m almost done here. Just need to clock out and then we can go home.” you said quickly, needing to escape Osferth’s gaze so you could breathe properly.

“Sounds like a plan, sis.” Finan said, moving to sit down at a nearby booth, the guys all following him as you went to the back and clocked out. You gathered your purse and your coat, ready to finally go home and spend time with your boys. When you went to round the corner you could hear them talking… about you. So you stayed just out of sight to listen in on their conversation.

“So what’s Y/N up to nowadays? Any boyfriend to speak of?” you heard Sihtric ask. You rolled your eyes. Definitely no boyfriends recently.

“Nah, none that I’m aware of at least.” Finan said. “But don’t go gettin’ any ideas. Hands off my baby sister.”

“Let’s be honest here, Fin. Y/N would eat me alive if I ever tried to hook up with her. Plus, the way I see it, she’s only got eyes for our boy, Os!” Sihtric laughed, trying to keep his voice down so you wouldn’t hear.

“Me? What makes you say that, Sihtric?” Osferth chimed in. You could tell he was smiling just by his voice.

“I hate to admit it, but Sihtric’s right.” you heard Uhtred say. You scoffed, realizing they were all basically scheming against you. 

“Osferth, she was practically undressing you with her eyes! She wants you bad, man. Did you really not notice?” Sihtric exclaimed, laughing at the end. 

“Jesus Christ! Would you lot shut the fuck up before she hears ya’? She doesn’t like Os like that. If she did, she would have told me. She tells me everything for fucks sake! She’s not crushing on Osferth. End of fuckin’ story.” Finan said, clearly not wanting to talk about the prospect of his little sister crushing on one of his best friends. Oh, if he only knew the truth. You chose this moment to come around the corner as if you hadn't just been listening in on their conversation.

“Ok, I’m ready to go!” you said happily. You couldn’t help but notice the way Osferth smiled at you, his cheeks flushed as he let his eyes give you a once over when Finan wasn’t looking.

The ride back to the house wasn’t too terribly long but it felt like forever. You were crammed in the backseat of your brother's car, your thigh and side pressed tightly against Osferth. You could feel the heat of his body through your clothing, leaving a hot burning in your belly. Every once in a while you could feel his eyes on you and you’d just give him a quick smile before looking out the window again. Your heart was hammering in your chest and you were practically holding your breath the entire ride home.

You all but jumped out of the car as soon as your brother pulled into the driveway, hurriedly making your way into the house before the guys could even get out of the car. Once you were in the safety of your own room you felt like you could breathe again. You weren’t sure if it’s the fact that your crush on Osferth wasn’t as subtle as you thought it was or the fact that your entire side was pressed against said man the whole ride home. 

You decided taking a shower was your best bet at calming the burning heat that still hadn’t faded. The scorching hot water took your mind off of him long enough to actually shower and get clean. When you were done, you dressed in your dark red fuzzy pajama set, the one that Finan hated because he said it showed way too much skin.

The high waisted shorts left nothing to the imagination, covering about the same amount of your ass as a pair of cheeky panties. And the matching cropped tank top stopped at the middle of your ribcage and hugged your boobs perfectly. You could faintly see the outlines of your nipples through the fuzzy fabric.

You towel dried your hair and lotioned up your legs before making your way downstairs. By the way it sounded, it seemed that the boys had already broken into the beer that you and Finan had stocked up on over the past couple weeks.

They all turned to look at you as you made it to the bottom of the steps. You could tell Sihtric and Uhtred were trying to avert their eyes, lest they become Finan’s personal punching bags. Finan looked like a disappointed father, rolling his eyes and sighing while he rubbed his temples as he tried to ignore your choice of clothing. Then there was Osferth, who tried to avert his gaze but failed, his gaze lingering on your very exposed legs before roaming up your body, stopping briefly at your chest and his eyes going wide before reaching your face. You smirked and watched him turn crimson, quickly looking away and taking a long swig from his beer.

You just waved nonchalantly to the guys and made your way to the kitchen where you grabbed a glass and the bottle of whiskey, pouring a shot's worth of the amber liquid before grabbing the eggnog out of the fridge and filling your glass. You took a sip and grinned, feeling the warmth of the alcohol blooming in your belly.

When you went back to the living room where the guys all sat, you perched yourself on the couch next to Osferth, quickly making yourself comfortable against the arm rest and throwing your legs over his lap. You could feel his thighs tense up under you but he quickly relaxed and let his arms rest on top of your legs. You smiled to yourself, absolutely screaming on the inside at the feeling of his hands resting on your bare skin. The heat spread across your skin, and not just because of the crackling fire in the fireplace next to you.

“Y/N, we were just discussing the sleeping arrangements. Uhtred and Sihtric are gonna be in our main guest room that has the two full size beds. And Osferth can take the other guest room with the king that shares your bathroom. I figured that baby monk would be the most respectful when it comes to sharing a bathroom with ya’.” Finan said, explaining the sleeping arrangements to you.

“That’s perfectly fine with me.” you said, smiling at your brother before looking at Osferth and giggling. “That means we’re practically roommates while you’re here, Os!”

“Sounds good to me.” he grinned, gently squeezing your knee. You had to distract yourself from his touch and turned to look at your brother.

“So are we still getting the tree set up tomorrow?” you asked, raising your eyebrow.

“That’s the plan. So we can decorate tomorrow night if you want.” he said, taking a drink from the beer in his hand.

“Sounds like a plan, brother!” you said happily, grinning at him and taking a long gulp of your drink. “I can also make that spiced apple cider that you and Uhtred like so much.”

“Oh my god, Y/N, you’re a fucking angel!” Uhtred exclaimed, making you laugh. The last time you’d made your secret recipe apple cider, Uhtred drank almost all of it and didn’t manage to get out of bed the next day until dinner time.

“I know.” you said happily, flashing him a grin.

Neither you or Osferth moved for the rest of the evening, just enjoying everyone's company. One by one, the others made their way to their beds and bid you goodnight. You reluctantly got up, removing your legs from Osferth’s lap. You stood up and stretched, making a show of it and letting your arms stretch up above your head as you yawned. You could practically feel his eyes on you before you made your way to the steps.

“Are you going to bed or are you going to sit down here by yourself?” you laughed, heading towards the stairs and looking back at him over your shoulder.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” he said, finally getting up off the couch and making his way over to where you stood. He grabbed his bags that were at the foot of the stairs and followed you up. You knew he was staring at your ass, but that’s exactly what you wanted. You wanted him to stare at you, to let his thoughts be filled with you, to crave you the same way you craved him.

“Well this is you.” you said, stopping in front of his door. You smiled and pointed to your door right down the hall. “And I’m right there if you need anything.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind, sweetheart. Since we’re sharing a bathroom, mind if I take a shower?” he asked, smiling at you. You had to force yourself to keep a neutral expression, the thought of him being naked in your shower making your heart hammer wildly in your chest.

“Go for it, baby monk. I think I’m heading straight to bed.” you said. To enjoy the company of my vibrator.

“Well goodnight then, sweetheart. I’ll see you in the morning.” he said, flashing you a smile before opening his door and entering his room.

You quickly made your way to your door before yanking it open and closing it behind you. You looked towards the door to your bathroom that was currently closed and you could feel the heat rising in your chest. After a moment of silence you heard the shower turn on.

It was like a lightbulb went off in your head, realizing you had the perfect opportunity to get Osferth’s attention. You quickly crawled into bed, kicking the covers towards your feet. You leaned over and yanked open your side table drawer, reaching in and wrapping your fingers around the silicone rabbit vibrator you kept hidden in there. You smiled to yourself as you got yourself situated and kicked off your shorts. This was gonna be fun.

Osferth was quick about taking a shower. He tried his best to distract himself from thinking about you, but it just didn’t work. That view he had of your ass going up the stairs was permanently etched into his brain. Fuck. He figured he’d at least wait until he was comfortable in bed to relieve himself of his not so little problem. He’d just stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist when he heard it… heard you.

He listened closely, holding his breath and making sure to not make any noise as he stepped closer to the door that separated the bathroom from your bedroom. Listening carefully he could hear a faint buzzing, wet squelching, and a very quiet moan. He could feel his cock twitch at the sound and mentally cursed himself.

What was he doing? He couldn’t do this! Finan would kill him if he ever found out. Fuck, this was so wrong! He quickly made up his mind, deciding to behave himself and went to turn and go back to his room when your voice caught his attention.

“Mmm oh fuck! Osferth, yes!”

Your sweet, quiet whimpers of his name had his mind spinning, unable to fathom that you were in your bed masturbating while thinking about him. He knew he shouldn’t but his body moved of its own accord. His hand reached for the doorknob and very carefully turned it, pushing the door open only about two inches. His breath caught in his throat at the sight, you whimpering pitifully as you chased your own orgasm, writhing on the sheets, your skin glowing in the moonlight.

His eyes raked over your body, noticing how you’d pulled your top up to expose your breasts, your nipples hard from the cool air and your arousal. Your legs were spread wide, giving him the perfect view of you using the toy to fuck your cunt. The toy gleamed in the moonlight every time you pulled it out of your leaking cunt, only to shove it right back inside you, all the way to the hilt. 

He knew it was wrong but his hand wandered down to his now painfully hard cock, palming himself over the towel. Within seconds he knew that he needed more friction than what he was giving himself. He dropped the towel to the floor and let his fingers wrap around his length, slowly stroking himself as he watched you.

Your quiet moans were music to his ears, the sweetest melody he’d ever heard. He so desperately wanted to hear more but he couldn’t risk barging into your room and fucking up the whole situation, or worse, Finan finding out. So he stayed put where he was, watching you silently from the other side of the bathroom door while he pleasured himself.

He had no idea how long you’d been at it but he could tell you were getting close. Your whimpers and moans became higher in pitch and more frequent, so much so that you were having a hard time catching your breath. He watched in awe, stroking himself faster while he imagining just how tight your cunt would be around his cock.

Your hips lifted higher and higher off the bed with every thrust of the toy, desperately chasing your high that seemed like it was just out of reach. Your breathing was ragged and sweat covered your body, the room becoming almost unbearably hot. You were so close, the vibrations on your overly sensitive clit making you want to scream. You refrained, only because you didn’t want to wake your brother, Uhtred, or Sihtric. 

You were about to give up, thinking that he hadn’t heard you and he just went to bed and you would just try to get his attention tomorrow. Then you heard it. A slight shuffling on the other side of the bathroom door. Without stopping your play time, you turned your head towards the bathroom door that was now cracked open. Osferth stood behind the door, his cock in his hand as he watched you fuck yourself.

Osferth almost panicked when your pretty eyes met his. He was about to turn on his heel and run straight to his own bedroom and pray you didn’t actually see him, but that’s when you did it… You smirked at him. You fucking smirked at him when you caught him watching you. His eyes stayed locked on yours, the eye contact driving you over the edge.

“Osferth! Yes! Oh my god!!!” you moaned, keeping your eyes on his until your eyes were forced shut by the intensity of your release. Your legs shook violently as the vibrations extended your orgasm, your loud whimpers of his name reaching his ears.

Your high seemed to last what felt like forever, but you eventually came back to, letting your eyes slowly open again. You quickly removed the toy from your abused hole and turned it off, throwing it to the side to be cleaned later. Your breathing was still heavy as you tried to catch your breath and your mind tried to catch up with your body. 

A small click made you turn your head back to the bathroom door. Yours was still slightly cracked open so it must’ve been his. You got up on shaky legs and quietly moved to the bathroom and pulled open the door. His side was indeed shut. You smiled to yourself and was about to walk out when something caught your eye. A few wadded up tissues in the trash can that definitely hadn’t been there earlier. You had to slap your hand over your mouth to keep your giggles to a minimum. You couldn’t have been more proud of yourself than you were at that very moment.

The next morning you had managed to get yourself up before anybody else, feeling oddly refreshed with a bit of a bounce in your step. You’d decided to make the guys breakfast, pulling out everything you needed and getting to work. You had just flipped the bacon when a pair of arms snaked around your waist, pulling you flush against their naked chest and making you squeak in surprise.

“You’re playing a very dangerous game, little girl.”

Osferth.

“I’m not the one who was watching someone masturbate from a crack in the bathroom door.” you sighed, failing to keep the smile off your very flushed face.

“I think you wanted me to watch you, sweet girl. You fucking smiled when you saw me watching  you and then you came mere seconds later, like a bitch in heat.” he growled into your ear. His hands moved from your stomach to your practically bare thighs, his fingers lightly grazing your soft skin, dangerously close to where you so desperately needed him. You could feel your heart racing in your chest and your entire body felt like it was on fire. You never in a million years would have imagined Osferth would be so forward with you, but you weren’t complaining. You took a shaky breath before responding.

“And what if I did? Is that such a bad thing that you’re who I think about at night?”

Not only could you hear him chuckle, but you could feel the vibrations from his chest being pressed firmly against your back and his fingers digging slightly into your thighs. Before he could answer you, you slowly turned around in his arms, letting him cage you against the counter. His hands now rested on the counter on either side of you, leaning over you. Your hands were lightly placed on his shoulders and your eyes kept darting between his face and the silver cross that hung around his neck, the shiny metal contrasting with the pale skin of his chest.

“Y/N, your brother would kill me.” he stated, closing his eyes as he gently rested his forehead against yours. You only rested there for a few seconds before pulling away to look up at his face. He stared down at you, his lust for you evident in his eyes..

“So you do want this as much as I do?” you asked. He just nodded his head. “Then what’s the problem? We’re both consenting adults and can make our own decisions. Finan doesn’t own me, Os. He can’t stop me.”

“We just… we shouldn’t.” he said, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he tried to keep his composure.

“Can you just answer one thing for me, Os?” you asked, looking up at him through your lashes. He nodded. “Did you think about joining me at all last night? Even for a second?”

“Every goddamn second, princess.” he grumbled, leaning down slightly. His nose brushed against yours and your eyes threatened to flutter shut. His lips were only a breath away from your own.

Loud footsteps coming down the stairs forced you two to quickly jump apart and separate to opposite sides of the kitchen. You quickly resumed tending to breakfast, taking the bacon out of the pan. Meanwhile at the other end of the counter Osferth was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Finan quickly appeared in the kitchen, smiling when he saw you making breakfast.

“I knew I smelt bacon. You’re the best, baby sis.” he said happily, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and kissing your temple quickly before joining Osferth and getting some coffee.

You and Osferth stared at each other with wide eyes while your brother's back was turned, panic obvious in both of your expressions. This was gonna be a long fucking holiday.

You were unusually quiet during breakfast, your eyes only leaving your plate to glance at Osferth from across the table. Every time he caught you staring, he’d smile before taking a bite of his food. Thankfully the guys didn’t notice, and if they did they didn’t say anything.

After finishing breakfast and cleaning up, the rest of the morning was a blur. Everyone was getting dressed and going over plans for the day. 

“Ok, so after we get the tree set up we can put up lights on the house and then later we can all decorate the tree.”  Finan said, obviously excited.

“So…” you started. “You’re gonna be the one crawling up in the attic to get all this shit down, right?”

“Have I ever made you crawl up in the attic?” Finan said, rolling his eyes. You couldn’t help but laugh knowing he was gonna do all the hard labor.

“True, but I need one of the guys to go shopping with me. I need to get stuff to make the cider and I was gonna get stuff to make apple pie too.” you said, cutting your eyes at Osferth and catching him grinning at you.

“I’ll go with you. I’m sure these oafs can survive without me.” he joked.

“Fine, you can steal Os from us while you’re shopping. But only because you said you’re gonna make apple pie.” Finan laughed. You couldn’t help but smile, realizing your plan was working.

“Thanks, bro.” you said, walking over to your brother and kissing him on the cheek. Then you turned to Osferth who was seated on the couch. “Come on, Os. You’re mine until further notice.”

“I’m more than ok with that.” he said, standing up to go grab his coat. As he passed you he sent you a wink. You quickly told your brother and the other goodbye before you grabbed the keys to Finan’s car and headed out the door, Osferth right on your heels. You were just starting the car when he turned to look at you.

“You just couldn’t wait to be alone with me, could you, princess?” he chuckled, his bright eyes staring into yours.

“Oh shut up. You know you wanted to get me alone, too.” you smirked, beginning to drive down the road. 

The entire ride to the grocery store he was teasing you, letting his hand rest on your thigh and laughing when it made you press on the gas a little harder than you intended. And once you were actually in the store he was even worse. His hands grabbing at your hips as he moved past you, even going as far as to let his hand brush over your ass a few times. He only smirked at you while he watched your face turn red.

By the time you’d made it back to the house, Osferth had nearly driven you to the point of insanity. You were so riled up that you couldn’t even think straight. You were grateful for the sudden distraction when you walked into the house. Boxes were everywhere, the fake tree was assembled in the corner of the living room, Sihtric was on the floor and tangled up in a string of colored lights, and Uhtred and Finan were singing along loudly to Elvis’ Blue Christmas while they pulled out multiple boxes of ornaments.

“Os?” you questioned, not taking your eyes off the guys in the living room.

“Yes, angel?” he asked quietly, finally taking in the scene in front of him, his eyes going wide.

“I thought you said they could survive without you.” you giggled, finally making your presence known and making your way over to Sihtric to help untangle him from the lights.

“I thought they could!” he said, holding up his hands in defense.

“Hey, we didn’t burn the house down or anything! I think we did alright!” Uhtred laughed. You just smiled, finally managing to get Sihtric untangled from the lights.

“Well why don’t you guys continue… whatever this is,” you said, waving your hand sporadically around the living room, gesturing to the chaos they’ve created. “And I’ll go to the kitchen and get started on the pie and cider.”

You didn’t wait for a response as you took the groceries to the kitchen and got to work. You weren’t sure how much time had passed, but you had just bent over to put the pie in the oven when strong hands gripped your hips from behind. You froze, carefully closing the oven door and standing up.

“My brother’s in the other room, Os. Behave.” you said, attempting to move out of his grasp and failing.

“He’s too busy, love. They’re all too busy to even notice that I’m missing.” he said, gently turning you around in his arms. You couldn’t help but smile up at him when you saw the grin on his face as he held you close. “Plus, I brought something with me that you might enjoy. Thought maybe we could get some use out of it.”

“And what exactly did you bring, Os?” you questioned, raising an eyebrow at him. 

He stepped back for a moment, reaching into his pocket to grab something. Your heart sped up as you saw what was in his hand. Mistletoe.

“Osferth…” you whispered, feeling the nerves creeping up your neck. 

“You can always tell me no, princess.” he said, reassuring you that he wasn’t going to pressure you. You stayed silent, confirming his suspicions. “But I was robbed of the opportunity to kiss you this morning and I’d like to rectify that situation right now. And I know you won’t tell me no. You want this just as badly as I do.”

He said no more as he smirked at you before stepping closer to you and letting one arm slide around your waist, pulling your body against his. Slowly, he raised his arm to hold the mistletoe over both of your heads. You glanced up at the decoration before your eyes darted to his lips. Not a word was said as he leaned in slowly, his nose brushing yours. He paused for a few seconds, giving you a chance to back out should you truly not want this. But, of course, you stayed still and waited for him to make the first move.

He gently pressed his lips to yours, savoring the little whine you made at the contact. His other hand came down to grasp at your hip, dropping the mistletoe in the process, when you immediately kissed him back. Your lips moved in tandem with his, slowly, just enjoying the feel of each other. You placed your hands on his chest, one hand fisting the soft material between your fingers and the other fiddling with the silver cross that hung around his neck. You choked down a moan as his tongue darted out to flick against your lower lip. You opened your mouth to his advances, letting his tongue slide against yours sensually. As his mouth worked against yours, one hand slowly slid down to grab your ass while his other was splayed against the small of your back.

“Os…” you whimpered between kisses, feeling yourself begin to get wet.

“Hmm?” he hummed, moving his attention from your lips to your neck, peppering small kisses across your delicate skin.

“We need to stop.” you whined, unable to make your words sound convincing. He just chuckled, continuing to place kisses across your neck and jaw before moving to the other side.

“No we don’t. I told you already, they aren’t gonna come looking for me.” he mumbled against your skin.

“No, I mean… fuck.” you trailed off, not knowing how to explain your current situation. He pulled back and looked down at you with concern.

“What’s wrong, love?” he whispered.

“We have to stop because… fuck, if we continue like this…”  you said, still struggling to tell him the truth.

“Tell me.” he encouraged, giving you a smile.

“God damn it, Osferth. I’m fucking horny, ok?!”  you whisper yelled. His eyes went wide in shock but his smile was bigger.

“Are you really?”

You just nodded your head, almost too embarrassed to look at him. You could feel his now half hard cock twitch against your stomach, causing another wave of arousal to flow through your body and thoroughly soak your panties.

“Os, please.”

He simply smirked at you and shifted a bit, slotting one of his legs between yours so his thigh was pressed directly against your hot center. You gasped at the contact and looked up at him, your arousal swirling in your eyes.

“Take what you need, princess.” he encouraged, his bright eyes staring down at you. You stared at him in shock, not believing what he was asking you to do.

“You can’t be serious.” you whispered, your eyes still wide.

“Oh, but I am, sweet girl. I want you to grind your needy little cunt on my thigh until you make yourself cum.” he said, his hands squeezing your hips and dragging you closer to him, which in turn forced your aching pussy to drag against his thigh. You slapped a hand over your mouth as you let out a squeak of surprise. 

You said nothing, letting your hands grip his shoulders and slowly looked at him. He raised his eyebrow at you, a silent question to ask if you were gonna start moving or if he would have to move you himself. You knew he’d let you go if that’s what you truly wanted, but in all honesty, you wanted this. You glanced at the doorway, hoping you two wouldn’t get caught. Taking a deep breath, you slowly rocked your hips and began to grind yourself against his leg.

“Such a good girl.” he whispered, leaning forward to kiss you again.

You kissed him back and rocked your hips harder. He smiled against your lips and let both of his hands slip down the back of your leggings, feeling your hot skin in his palms as he squeezed your ass and helped you grind against him. Your leggings did practically nothing to separate you from his leg. You could feel your clit begin to throb, the feeling of the rough denim of his jeans rubbing against your wet pussy proving to be the perfect amount of friction.

“Os… fuck, Osferth.” you whimpered, separating from his mouth to bury your face against his neck. You could feel your legs beginning to shake, the pressure becoming too much too quickly.

“Are you close already, sweet girl? You wanna cum?” he teased, pulling you harder against him to help you reach your climax faster.

You nodded your head against his shoulder and whined pitifully. You could feel yourself slipping further and further into submissiveness as you desperately chased your release. It was right there. You could feel it, but you couldn’t quite reach it.

“Os, I can’t cum like this.” You whined, continuing to hump his leg.

“What do you need, Y/N? Tell me what you need from me, love.” he said against your ear, his hot breath making you shiver.

“Your fingers… please.” you moaned, trying your best to keep your voice down.

He gently pulled away from you, searching your eyes for any sign of reluctance but he found none. All he saw was pure lust and yearning. You whined at the loss of contact, feeling your orgasm slipping further out of reach. He took his hands off your ass, letting one hand grip the counter behind you and letting the other trail to your front, teasingly sliding his fingers along the waistband of your leggings.

“You sure this is what you want, princess?” he asked, gently sliding his fingers beneath the fabric and teasing your heated skin.

“Please.” you begged, your eyes beginning to brim with tears at the complete frustration you felt. You needed release and you needed it now.

His hand moved down, his fingers immediately delving between your folds rub over your sensitive clit. The grin on his face could put the Cheshire cat to shame.

“You’re so fucking wet, baby. This all for me?” he teased, letting his long middle finger move down to circle your dripping entrance. You whined, your knees almost buckling at the feeling. He chuckled under his breath before pushing his finger inside, instantly curling to find that spongy spot inside you.

“Osferth, yes! Fuck! Yes… all for you. Need you so bad.”  you whined, grinding down against his hand. 

He quickly added a second finger and moved them faster, his palm now rubbing hard against your clit while he fingered you. You could feel your orgasm building back up much quicker than before. Osferth must have felt your walls beginning to pulse around his fingers because he chuckled.

“Oh, sweet girl, you really need to cum don’t you? Do it. Cum on my fingers, baby!” he encouraged, his eyes locked on yours. 

His words were enough to send you over the edge, the coil snapping and sending a blazing fire through your body as your orgasm consumed you. Osferth leaned forward to kiss you and his free hand shot from the counter to wrap around your waist, holding you against him as you shook in his arms. You moaned into his mouth as you tried to kiss him back but your orgasm was too strong. His lips barely muffled the sounds of your moaning and whining as your high began to fade. 

You finally stopped shaking and were trying to catch your breath when he gently pulled his fingers from your core and brought them up to his mouth, sucking them clean and groaning at the taste. You could feel a small, almost painful tug in your lower belly at the sight. His eyes practically rolled back as he swallowed down your taste.

“You taste amazing, babygirl.” he said, grinning ear to ear. You could feel your face grow hot at his words. 

You were about to open your mouth to say something but you heard footsteps, making both of you jump apart. You quickly turned to the ingredients on the counter to make the spiced apple cider. Osferth quickly picked up the forgotten mistletoe off the floor and leaned against the counter next to you, pretending that he was helping.

“Y/N, Sihtric’s tangled in the lights again… we need help.” Uhtred laughed as he appeared in the doorway. His eyes darted between you and Osferth, giving the two of you a suspicious look but didn’t say anything as he walked away. Osferth turned and gave you a quick smile before following Uhtred out of the room.

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, Osferth keeping his flirting to a minimum since your brother and Uhtred were practically attached to you at the hip. You would send him sweet smiles whenever they weren’t looking and he would send one back with a cheeky wink, making you blush.

You supervised while the guys climbed up onto the roof to hang the lights, basically holding your breath until each one of them was safely back on the ground. Decorating the tree was next. You all spent almost two hours making sure the tree was properly decorated while sipping on the spiced apple cider you had finally made. Osferth even found the perfect excuse to touch you, picking you up in his arms so you could put the star on the top of the tree. Thankfully the others didn’t notice the way the two of you were blushing when he put you back down.

Late evening came around much quicker than anyone wanted, but it was almost one in the morning when everyone finally retired to bed, drunk on the spiced cider you had made. You had actually gone up to your room about a half hour earlier than the rest, leaving you lying awake in bed, wondering if Osferth would come to you tonight. You were beginning to think he was just playing games with your emotions when your bathroom door creaked open. Os peeked his head around the door and you couldn’t help but smile.

“I thought you weren’t gonna come see me.” you admitted, cutting your eyes at him but trying not to laugh.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t at least come say goodnight to my girl?” he said, making your heart do backflips as he walked over to sit on the edge of your bed. You couldn’t keep your eyes from roaming his bare torso, lingering on how low his pants hung on his hips.

“Your girl?” you asked, a twinkle of hope shining through. You so desperately wanted him, even if Finan wouldn’t approve. Even in the dark you could see a faint blush covering his cheeks.

“Well yeah, I mean… after earlier I just assumed…” he stuttered, clearly nervous about the subject. It was honestly adorable seeing the normally confident man get all flustered over you.

“I’m glad you assumed, Os. I wanna be your girl… so much.” you whispered.

“Good, cause I’m not letting you go, angel.” he answered, leaning down to press his lips against yours. You attempted to wrap your arms around his neck but he quickly pulled away. 

“Os-” you started, but you weren’t able to get anything out before he cut you off.

“Not another word, love. I need to go do something really quick and I need your sexy ass to stay right here while I do it, ok?”

You just nodded in agreement, letting him peck your lips one more time before getting up and disappearing through the bathroom door. You could faintly hear his footsteps before hearing him leave his room and go downstairs. Your brows knit together in confusion, not knowing what he was up to. About ten minutes passed before you could hear him enter his room again and make his way through the bathroom to your bedroom.

“So do I get to know what you were just doing?” you asked, sitting up and revealing the silky pink chemise slip that you were wearing specifically for him. His eyes went wide for a moment and roamed greedily over your body before answering.

“Of course, love. But we need to be extra quiet, ok?”

You bit your lip and nodded excitedly, sitting up and following him out of the room. The two of you tiptoed down the stairs, being sure to stay quiet so you wouldn’t wake the others. At the bottom of the steps Osferth took your hand in his and gave it a squeeze before guiding you to the living room. 

Your jaw dropped at the sight before you. The fire in the fireplace had been stoked back to life and the decorated tree was lit to perfection. A nest of blankets and pillows laid directly in front of the tree, catching your eye. There were even two mugs of hot chocolate sitting on the coffee table. Everything looked so perfect you could almost cry. You turned to Osferth only to see him already smiling at you.

“Osferth, what is all this?” you asked. 

“I wanted our first time to be special. You deserve that… and so much more. I would’ve preferred a little more privacy but this will have to do for now.” he said almost sheepishly.

“Baby, this is perfect.” you said, leaning up to peck his lips before walking over the very cozy looking blanket nest he’d made by the tree. You immediately laid down in the middle of it and stretched enticingly, your arms up over your head as you arched your back.

“My love…” he said, staring at you in awe while he slowly made his way closer to you. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

“Come here.” you said, grinning and reaching an arm out towards him. 

He did as you asked and kneeled down on the blankets so he was hovering over you, that damned silver cross dangling in front of your face. You’d never admit it out loud, but that chain turned you on. Without saying another word you let your arms wind around his neck and pulled his face to yours. You kissed him without a second thought, wanting him more than you’ve ever wanted anything in your entire life. He pulled away only to look down at you with a nervous smile.

“Can I make love to you, sweetheart?”

You could feel yourself blushing as your heart did backflips and your pussy clenched around nothing, wanting him inside you.

“Please, Os. I need you.” you whined, reaching a hand down between your bodies to let your fingers rub over his hard cock that was straining against his pajama pants. He groaned and shut his eyes, enjoying the feeling of you finally touching him.

You had to hold back a moan at the feeling of him twitching under your fingers. He was big… bigger than you expected and you knew that the stretch of him filling you up would be to die for. You grinned up at him and squeezed your fingers around his length, causing him to throb and buck against your hand.

“Y/N, my love, don’t tease me.” he whispered, moving to sit back on his knees, just out of your grasp. 

You smirked and sat up, slowly pulling the silk chemise up and over your head, revealing to him that you weren’t wearing anything underneath. Laying back down you brought your hands up to your breasts, squeezing them and gently rolling your nipples between your fingers.

“Does this count as teasing, Os?” you asked, batting your eyes at him.

“You know it does, princess. Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” he said, pushing his flannel pajama pants down and shimmying out of them. You couldn’t help but glance down at his cock before staring up at him with lust in your eyes.

He moved to lean over you again, his lips capturing yours in a slow, passionate kiss. You moaned into his mouth, wrapping your arms around his neck and carding your fingers through his hair as you felt his tongue slide gently against yours. He sucked gently on your tongue before nibbling on your lower lip, making you whimper.

Slowly, he trailed his kisses from your mouth to your neck, eventually landing on your breasts. His tongue slowly traced around one hard nipple before engulfing it in the wet heat of his mouth and suckling gently. The feeling of his mouth sucking on the soft flesh made you moan loudly. His hand immediately came up to cover your mouth, reluctantly pulling his mouth away from you.

“You need to stay quiet, love. Don’t want Finan and the others comin’ down here and finding us, do we?” he asked, his hand still placed firmly over your mouth. 

You shook your head, wide eyes staring up into his. He slowly removed his hand from your mouth before diving back down to your chest, taking your neglected nipple into his mouth, giving it the same treatment as the previous one. You brought your own hand up to cover your mouth this time as he gently nibbled at the hard bud and rolled it between his teeth. 

Soft whines and pants left your mouth as he began moving his kisses south, the cold metal of his cross dragging across your stomach. He nipped and sucked several bruises onto your ribcage and hips before moving even lower and softly kissing the top of your mound. He glanced up at you, mischief shining in his eyes along with the bright Christmas lights. His hands gripped both of your knees before gently nudging them apart. You let your legs fall open and bit your lip upon feeling the cool air hit your wet center.

“Holy shit, baby.” he whispered, maneuvering himself to lie down on his stomach so his face was mere inches from your heat. His hands smoothed up to the juncture of your thighs, letting his thumbs graze over your damp folds before spreading you open. “My god, you have such a pretty pussy.”

“Os, please.” you whined, wiggling your hips in an attempt to get him closer to you. 

“You want me to lick your pretty little cunt, baby?” he teased, inching a bit closer.

“Uh huh.” you mumbled, nodding your head.

“Words, princess. Need to hear you say it.” he chastised.

“Osferth, oh my god, please! I need you to eat my pussy!” you whined, not caring how desperate you sounded.

He smirked before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to your clit before letting his tongue delve between your folds to lick a long stripe through your wetness. You shamelessly arched your back and let one hand reach down to grip his dirty blonde hair to guide him exactly where you wanted him. He let you move his head as you bucked your hips against his face, his tongue switching between circling your weeping hole and flicking your swollen bud. He pulled back only slightly to smile up at you.

“You taste like heaven, my love.”

“That’s a bold statement coming from someone who grew up as a preacher's son.” you joked. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Hmm, maybe. But you’re downright sinful, baby.”

“Then you must be the devil himself.” you moaned out as he teasingly licked through your folds again. He softly kissed your clit one last time before crawling back up your body until his face was level with yours.

He kissed you, gently caressing your tongue with his, allowing you to taste yourself. A moan escaped your throat as you kissed him back. You could feel his hard cock trapped between the two of you, leaking precum onto your skin. He gently rocked his hips against yours, his long shaft sliding wetly between your folds and nudging at your puffy clit. You groaned and pulled away, biting your lip and knitting your brows together at the pleasurable sensation.

“Y/N, I want you so bad.” he groaned, his eyes shutting tight as he continued to rut against you, covering his cock in your slick.

“I need to be fucked, Os. I need you to fuck me and make me yours.” you whined, your hands absentmindedly stroking and playing with his hair. 

“I’ll fuck you so good, angel. Gonna ruin you for any other man.” he growled, pulling his hips back and lining himself up with your entrance.

“Do it, baby. Fuck me… claim me.” you begged, spreading your legs wider and bucking your hips in an attempt to get him inside you.

“Just one more thing before I do, princess.” he said, one hand grabbing your chin to make you look into his eyes.

“What is it, Os?” you asked, eyes wide. You could see uncertainty flash across his face for a second before taking a deep breath.

“I love you, Y/N.” he whispered, letting his thumb stroke over your chin.

You sucked in a breath and felt your heart jump into your throat. Tears threatened to come to the surface but you held them off as you smiled up at him.

“I love you too.” you whispered back, unable to keep the grin off your face.

Not another word was said as he braced himself above you. His eyes were still locked on yours and you gave him a small nod. It was all the answer he needed. He slowly pushed himself forward, sinking into your heat until his hips were flush against yours. You both moaned entirely too loudly at the feeling. With every breath you took you could feel his tip pressing against your cervix, making your walls twitch around his length.

“Oh god, you feel so fucking good, baby.” he moaned, leaning down to nip and suck at your neck. You threw your head back against the pillow and let him mark you.

“Osferth, I need you to move. Please, baby.” you begged, letting your nails dig into his shoulders as you began to grind your hips gently against his. 

“Easy, princess. I wanna savor this.” he said, slowly pulling almost all the way out before carefully sliding back in. Your eyes rolled back and you moaned softly.

Slowly he picked up his pace until the soft sound of skin slapping bounced off the walls. His cross chain dangled in front of your face, the Christmas lights from the tree gleaming brightly off the silver. You were a moaning mess, your back arched impossibly high as you tried to get closer to Osferth. His soft grunts and groans in your ear were making you impossibly wet. You could hear every slick, wet sound as he continued to thrust into you. You could feel that familiar blooming of heat in your belly, but you weren’t ready for this to end. Before he could comprehend what was happening, you managed to flip him onto his back. 

“Don’t look so worried, Os. I just wanna play.” you giggled upon seeing his stunned face.

“What are you planning on doing to me, love?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow at you.

You didn’t answer, gently sliding yourself off of his cock and shifting backwards until you could lay on your stomach between his spread legs. You let your fingers wrap around his length and used your own slick to glide your hand up and down. He moaned quietly, refusing to take his eyes off of you while you worked him. His eyes fluttered as you squeezed with every upward stroke. While he was preoccupied with trying to keep his eyes open, you leaned forward and kitten licked the tip to taste the bead of precum that had been leaking from his slit.

“Holy shit!” he moaned, letting his head fall back against the pillows.

You chuckled lightly to yourself as you wrapped your lips around the head of his cock and suckled lightly, letting the tip of your tongue prod at his slit and practically purring when he oozed more precum. You leaned further down, taking more of him into your mouth and choking slightly as his tip hit the back of your throat. He quickly tried to pull you off of him, afraid that he’d hurt you, but you slapped his hands away and continued. You took a deep breath through your nose and relaxed your throat as best you could before slowly pushing forward until your throat finally relaxed enough to receive him without gagging.

“Baby, oh my fucking god, Y/N!” he moaned, his pupils dilated and his eyes blown wide with lust as he looked down at you swallowing his cock whole. “Nobody’s ever, fuck, oh god, no one has ever… fuck… taken me this deep before!”

You would have laughed at his already fucked out state if it wasn’t for his dick down your throat. Remaining relaxed, you slowly pulled back up, but only until just his tip was still in your throat. You locked eyes with him as you guided your mouth back down his length, your throat receiving him again. You continued this slow pace, enjoying watching him try to keep his composure. He was failing miserably.

On one particular push down his length, you purposefully swallowed around him, letting your throat constrict around his cock. The poor boy almost screamed. He was so loud you were honestly afraid he’d wake up Finan. You pinched his thigh in warning to keep quiet.

“I’m sorry, baby, but you’re throat is squeezing the fucking life out of me.” he groaned. His almost incoherent babbling was making your pussy wetter than you could even fathom. “Angel, my love, oh god, please! I need to be inside you, Y/N. Mmmm fuck… wanna make you cum on my cock while I cum deep inside that pretty pussy. Please, baby!”

You decided to take mercy on him and gently suctioned your lips around him as you pulled him from your throat. Your lips suckled at his tip for a moment, just to tease, finally leaving him with a soft pop. You didn’t even have the chance to catch your breath before Osferth had you pinned beneath him in your original position. He stared down at you and smiled.

“Osferth.” you whispered.

“Y/N.” he whispered back, his grin growing wider.

“I love you.”  you said, bringing your hands up to wrap around his neck.

“I love you too, princess. And I’m gonna do everything in my power to prove it to you.” he promised, finally lining himself up with your hole and pushing inside to the hilt. 

You realized you would never tire of this feeling. He filled you up perfectly, almost like he was made specifically for you. His cock stretched you out in the best way possible, leaving you in the most euphoric state between pain and pleasure. A loud moan left your lips when you felt his tip pressing against that tiny spongy spot inside you. He quickly put his hand over your mouth and you looked up at him with wide eyes.

“We need to stay quiet, princess. Do you think you can do that?” he asked. You quickly nodded your head even though you knew you would be a whining, moaning mess beneath him in no time. 

He reluctantly removed his hand from your mouth before pulling back and thrusting back in. He wasted no time in picking up his pace. You were more than wet enough to take him completely. You bit your lip and furrowed your brow in an attempt to keep quiet. The sight nearly drove Osferth insane. You looked so fucking innocent beneath him while he split you open with his cock. His eyes drifted from yours down to your chest, watching the way your breasts bounced as he pounded into you. He could feel your walls twitching around him, constricting him tighter and tighter. He knew it wouldn’t take much more to send you flying over the edge. He reached a hand down between your bodies to rub at your swollen clit. As soon as he touched you, you nearly choked on your own scream. 

“That’s it, baby. I know you’re close.” he purred, rubbing harsh circles on the little bud, abusing it to the best of his power. He was absolutely losing it, having you whining and moaning beneath him. “Cum for me, Y/N! Come on my cock, baby girl!”

His words mixed with his perfectly timed thrusts and his finger rubbing harsh circles on your clit had you moments from bliss.

“Mmm Osferth! I’m- oh fuck, I’m gonna cum, baby!” you whimpered, staring up at him with unshed tears in your eyes. The pleasure was just too much.

He set a brutal pace, slamming into you, his moans mixed with yours and reverberated throughout the room. You could feel the coil rapidly begin to wind tighter and tighter while flames licked up your back. Within seconds the molten inferno broke loose and in a last ditch effort to keep quiet you bit down onto his shoulder to muffle your scream.

“Oh, Y/N! Fuck!” he growled, making a few last hard thrusts before stilling, pinning his hips tightly against you as he hit his high. You moaned softly at the warm feeling blooming in your belly, his cum shooting deep inside you.

The two of you stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms as your breathing returned to normal. You couldn’t even hold your eyes open as you came down. You could hear him chuckling above you and forced your eyes open to see his blue ones locked on yours.

“Aw, is my baby girl all blissed out? Did I fuck you that good?” he cooed, grinning ear to ear. You simply nodded, barely having the strength to do that. He gently pulled his cock from your abused and swollen pussy, making you hiss.

“Os…”

“Shhh, baby, I know you’re sensitive. Just let me hold you and then I’ll carry you up to bed, ok?” he murmured, moving to lay down next to you and pull a blanket up over your bodies. 

He immediately gathered you in his arms and pulled you against his chest. You breathed in his scent and smiled. He smelled like sex and cinnamon… an oddly satisfying scent. He angled his head down and nudged his nose against yours affectionately, making you giggle before he pressed his lips against yours in a sweet kiss. You had no idea how long the two of you had laid there just kissing one another.

“Finan’s gonna fucking kill you, baby monk.” an amused voice said. You both turned and looked to the doorway where Sihtric leaned against the doorframe, a smirk on his lips.

“You think I don’t fuckin’ know that?” Osferth groaned, pulling you closer and nuzzling his face in your hair. Sihtric must have noticed the panicked look on your face because he just laughed.

“Y/N, sweetie, I’m not gonna tell him. Your secret’s safe with me.” he swore. “But next time you two might wanna keep it down…. You weren’t exactly quiet. And maybe don’t do it so out in the open where anyone can find you. You’re just lucky it’s me that came down to get a drink and not Finan or Uhtred. If it was either of them… well… Osferth wouldn’t be breathing right now.”

“Thank you, Sihtric. We really appreciate it.” you said, giving him a sleepy half smile.

“Anytime, Y/N. Now I’m gonna go back up to bed and pretend that I didn’t see any of this.” he said, turning and making his way back upstairs.

“Maybe we should go back upstairs, love.” Osferth suggested. You gave him a tired smile and nodded your head in agreement. You’d already pushed your luck tonight and didn’t need Finan or Uhtred killing your boyfriend. Boyfriend? You liked the sound of that.

Osferth carefully helped you up, guiding you to sit on the couch while he gathered the blankets to take to the laundry room. You made a mental note to do laundry as soon as you woke up so Finan wouldn’t question why all of the extra blankets needed to be washed. When he finally returned you stood up and moved to grab your chemise that was still on the floor but he beat you to it, holding it away from you.

“Nope. You’re staying naked, baby. I’m not done with you.” he smirked. With that, he grabbed his pants off the floor before scooping you up in his arms and carrying you back upstairs to your room and making sure to lock both of your doors.

The next couple weeks were torture for you and Osferth, only able to find comfort in each others arms after everyone had gone to bed. He found every excuse in the book to touch you whenever he could, passing it off as innocent gestures. Grabbing your hips to slide by you in the kitchen, his knee brushing against yours when you sat next to him on the couch, even wrapping his arm around your shoulders while you were all engaged in conversation. Sihtric would send you both knowing glances anytime he’d catch you staring at each other. You just hoped that Finan and Uhtred didn’t catch on.

Today’s excuse was that he was going to give Finan a break and pick you up from work. Finan, none the wiser to the relationship you had with Osferth, willingly handed over his keys and let Osferth take his car to go pick you up. He thanked God for a chance to finally be alone with you as he pulled out of the driveway. Nothing could have brought him down from how happy he was… except what he saw when he pulled into the parking lot.

A man much taller than you had you cornered against the brick wall of the building. He couldn’t see your face properly in the dark but he realized you hadn’t seen him pull up. He quickly parked the car and watched the scene unfold, not quite sure what was happening.

He swore he could feel his heart beginning to shatter in his chest as he watched the guy try to lean into you, only for you to pull away. Osferth felt like he was going to be sick but couldn’t look away. The thought of you cheating on him hurt him more than he ever thought it could. The two of you had only been a thing for a couple of weeks… hell, he wasn’t even sure if he was allowed to call you his girlfriend. You guys never really specified what you were.

The tightness in his chest forced tears to his eyes, the thought of losing you almost too much for him to handle. He quickly blinked them away and continued to watch you. He was about to just leave and tell Finan to come get you, but then you pushed the man away. Osferth could see your face, your mascara streaked down your face where you’d been crying. You went to walk away but the man grabbed your arm and yanked you back to him. You looked absolutely terrified.

Oh fuck no.

Before Osferth could even think about his actions he got out of the car, storming over to where the man held on to you. He could hear you screaming at the man to let you go. He came up behind the man and grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him away from you and slammed him face first into the brick wall next to you.

“Keep your disgusting fucking hands off my girlfriend!” he screamed at the man as he crumpled to the ground. You couldn’t help but watch, completely stunned at Osferth’s actions.

“Your girlfriend? This must be new because she was with me just about five weeks ago.” the man said, wiping blood from his nose. Os thought about it for a moment, realizing that was about three weeks before he arrived. 

“Well she’s with me now, so fuck off.” Osferth growled, staring down at the man. “I ought to break your goddamn hands for putting them on my woman. If I catch you near her again I’ll fuckin’ kill you.”

Your heart was still racing from the encounter and seeing Osferth so worked up. You didn’t know whether you should be scared or turned on. Because honestly, you were getting kind of wet from watching him defend you. And he called you his girlfriend. He thought of you as his girlfriend and that couldn’t have made you happier. 

“Come on, Y/N. Let’s get you home.” he said, coming up to you and wrapping an arm around your shoulders, guiding you across the parking lot to Finan’s car. He opened the door for you and closed it behind you, quickly going to the other side to get in.

“I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.” you whispered, looking down at your hands.

“You’re apologizing to me after that dick had his hands on you? Look at you, baby. That motherfucker could have seriously hurt you and you’re saying sorry? Don’t apologize to me, princess. I’m just sorry I wasn’t here sooner to prevent that from happening.” he said, reaching over and grabbing your hands in his. He sounded so genuine, so emotional. When you looked up you could see tears in his eyes.

“Os, why are you crying?” you asked. He chuckled, letting one hand come up to wipe away the unshed tears.

“It’s stupid…” he said, suddenly feeling nervous. 

“Tell me.” you encouraged, using the back of your sleeve to wipe away the mascara that had streaked down your cheeks.

“I thought… I thought I lost you.” he admitted, looking away. 

His words hit you like a ton of bricks. He thought you had cheated on him. 

“Oh, baby, no!” you cooed, reaching over and grabbing his face to make him look at you. “I would never!”

“I know you wouldn’t.” he said quietly. “But who was he?”

You could feel your heart jump into your throat and you released his face, sitting back in your seat. You weren’t sure you were ready for this conversation, but you guessed it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, you began to speak.

“He’s someone I used to sleep with.” you said quietly. You watched his brows scrunch together in confusion. He looked like he was thinking over your words for a moment before he spoke.

“Is he one of the guys from the motel?” he questioned. Your eyes went wide.

“How did you know about that?”

“Did you really think Finan dealt with that by himself? He had us all on a group chat. Me, Uhtred, and Sihtric. We all know, baby. And none of us judge you for it, I swear! But Finan… he was so fucking scared that you’d end up on an episode of Dateline or something. We all reassured him that you were a big girl and could take care of yourself, but he’s your big brother. He loves you so much and he was so scared that one of those men would take you from him. Hell, I was scared too. It was always a possibility that one of those nights you just wouldn’t come home. Every time Finan called me to vent about you not coming home until the early hours of the morning, my heart dropped. I always thought it would be the call saying that we had a funeral to go to.”

By the time he was finished talking, his tears flowed freely. He was genuinely scared to lose you. Your heart broke seeing him like this.

“I had no idea that you knew about all of that.” you said, trying to keep your own tears from falling. “I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere. That part of me is all in the past. I don’t do that anymore. But, yes, he was one of the guys. He assumed that because I spent one night with him for a little bit of cash it meant that I would be interested in more. He couldn’t have been more wrong.”

“I should fucking kill him.” he said, hands shaking in his lap as he watched the scumbag stumble his way to his car.

“Os, that wouldn’t solve anything. Just take me home.” you begged, not wanting him to get in trouble.

Without another word he turned the car on and sped out of the parking lot. You could tell he was pissed off and scared, still running off the adrenaline and anxiety. You were halfway back to your house when you spoke.

“Turn left up here.” you said quietly, but you knew he heard you.

“What? But Y/N, that’s a little side road that leads out of town.” he tried to explain as if you didn’t already know that.

“I’m well aware of that, Os. Just do it. Please.” you whispered.

He did as you asked, turning down the mostly abandoned side road, tall trees surrounding you on either side. He drove for another five minutes in silence before you spoke again.

“Pull over.”

He didn’t question you, pulling off to the side of the road and turning the car off. The two of you sat in silence, neither of you knowing what to say. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, seemingly too afraid to let go. You knew he was stuck in his head, still worried that he would somehow lose you. You were determined to show him exactly who you belonged to.

“Osferth,” you started, getting his attention. He glanced over at you, looking comparable to a wounded puppy. It broke your heart. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course, baby.” he said, a small grin finally appearing on  his lips. “I love you too.”

“I know you do. Which is why I wanted to come out here.” you said. He looked confused so you continued. “Can we move to the backseat?”

You could see the realization dawning on him, his eyes going wide before nodding his head.

“Yeah… yeah, we can move back there.” he stuttered out, making you giggle slightly.

You climbed in the back and he quickly followed you. Before you could say anything else, his lips were on yours, making out with you like a horny teenager. You moaned into his mouth, letting your fingers tangle in his hair as you quickly straddled his lap to get better leverage on him. You yanked his head back, exposing his neck and began trailing your kisses down his jaw to the pulse point on his neck. You nipped the sensitive flesh before sucking on it hard, making sure to leave a pretty bruise. 

The sound that left his lips made your heart flutter. In the two weeks that you’d been with him, you’d never heard him make this particular sound. It was light and airy and filled with need. It was honestly the prettiest sound you’d ever heard. He whimpered. 

You pulled away to look at his face, seeing him already staring at you like a deer in headlights. He must’ve surprised himself when he whimpered. He didn’t speak, but his hands gripped your hips hard, as if he thought you’d disappear if he let go. You held eye contact with him and slowly rocked your hips against his. His eyes shut tight and his head lolled back as he let out a near pornographic moan.

“Baby?” you said quietly, getting his attention. His eyes opened to look at you, still looking lost. You knew immediately what you needed to do. “Do I need to remind you that I only belong to you, my love?”

He nodded his head eagerly, eyes blown wide, not quite trusting his voice at the moment.

“Please, Y/N. Show me you’re mine.” he moaned, bucking his hips against yours.

“Tell me what you need, Os.” you whispered, grinding against him.

“Need you to ride me, baby.” he whined, the look in his eyes practically begging you to fuck him. You’d never seen him so desperate before. 

You smiled down at him before pulling off your coat and your work shirt, throwing them to the floor, exposing your breasts that were contained by your lacy bra. His hands immediately cupped your boobs in his hands, gently kneading and squeezing them. Your hands found the edge of his sweatshirt and t-shirt, quickly pulling them up over his head in one go. Moving off his lap, you quickly unbuttoned your jeans and shimmied them down your legs. Your panties came off only seconds later. His hands worked just as fast on his own pants and underwear, sliding them down and letting his hard cock slap up against his stomach.

“C’mere, baby.” he said, quickly pulling you to straddle his lap again. His hands wandered up your back to the clasp of your bra, expertly unsnapping it and tossing it aside. Meanwhile, your hand reached down between your bodies to slowly stroke his length.

“I need you inside me, Os.” you moaned, lifting your hips and positioning his tip at your entrance. His hands grabbed your hips and slowly pulled you down onto his cock. 

You moaned loudly and let your fingers dig into his shoulders as you let yourself fully settle on his length. You breathed heavily as your walls twitched, attempting to adjust to his size. His hands smoothed gently up and down your ribs as your breathing returned to a more normal pace.

“You’re mine, Y/N.” he growled, burying his face in your tits and mouthing over the soft flesh before finding a pert nipple to suck on.

“Yours, my love. Only yours.” you said, beginning to slowly grind your hips. The feeling of his hard shaft slipping wetly against your walls had your eyes rolling.

His fingers dug into your hips, helping you to slowly begin bouncing on his cock. His tongue swirled around your nipple, causing it to pebble under his skillful touch. Your whimpers and heavy breathing were loud and echoed throughout the car. You continued to ride him, ignoring the slight ache in your thighs when you started moving faster. He gave your nipple one last hard suck before letting it slip from his mouth. He threw his head back, moaning unashamedly.

“Y/N, oh fuck! Your pussy feels so fucking good. So tight… so god damned wet.” he groaned, holding your hips still and slamming into you from below.

“Mmm my pussy was made just for you. I belong to you, Os. Only you.” you moaned, your hands gripping onto the seat behind him for dear life. He slowed down his thrusts, pulling you to sit fully in his lap.

“Lay back, angel. Put one foot up here” he said, gesturing to the top of the backseat. Then he patted the top corner of the driver's seat. “And put the other one right here to keep you nice and spread open for me.”

You did as he said, moving off of him to lay back against the seat and spreading your legs, bracing them where he told you to. Before he could move to lay over you, you reached your hand between your legs and let your middle finger run up and down your slit a few times to gather your wetness before rubbing light circles over your clit. You could hear him groan at the sight. You moaned obscenely loud, mostly for show just to rile him up a little bit more. You could see his cock twitching as he watched you.

“C’mere, Os. Need you to fuck me.” you whined, making grabby hands at him until he leaned over you so you could wrap your arms around his neck.

“Gonna fuck you so good.” he said, lining himself up with your entrance. “You’re mine, princess. All mine.”

He quickly thrust all the way inside of you, causing you to squeal and buck your hips against his. You watched a smirk appear on his face as he pulled back and thrust back in, getting the same reaction from you. You struggled to keep your eyes open, but you managed. You didn’t want to miss a single moment.

“Osferth!” you moaned, letting your hands move to grab at your breasts as they bounced with his thrusts. His eyes were trained on your breasts as you played with them.

“Mmm that’s it, beautiful. Play with those pretty tits for me.” he groaned, fucking into you even harder than before. 

You did as he asked, letting your fingers pinch at your nipples while you tossed your head back in ecstasy. You could feel your wetness beginning to drip down your ass to stain the seat beneath you but you couldn’t have cared less at the moment. Your hips jolted and your eyes shot open at sudden overstimulation. Glancing down you saw that Osferth had reached his hand between your bodies to rub harsh circles over your bud.

“Os, oh my god, if you- fuck! If you keep that up I won’t last much longer!” you managed to squeak out. He only chuckled, rubbing at your clit a bit faster.

“I know, baby. I’m not done with you. When we’re done here I’m gonna take you home and we’re gonna take a nice, hot shower together where I’m gonna fuck you again. And after that, I’m taking you to bed and making love to you all fucking night. So it’s alright if you finish, Y/N. You can cum whenever you want to, princess, because it won’t be the last time you cum tonight.” he growled, his thrusts getting faster, as were the circles on your clit. You couldn’t contain the scream that left your lips as you felt the sudden heat in your lower belly, the coil threatening to snap at any moment. Your hands gripped his shoulders, attempting to ground yourself and failing miserably. You were already falling.

“I’m gonna- oh fuck! I’m cumming!” you moaned, digging your nails into his shoulders as he pounded into you at a breakneck speed.

“That’s it, baby! Make a mess on my cock!” he encouraged, his own thrusts becoming sloppy as he approached his high.

“Yes! Fuck yes! Osferth, oh my god!” you screamed, your eyes shutting tightly as the heat consumed your body. Your legs shook as they instinctually wrapped tightly around his waist while your orgasm consumed you.

“Oh god, my beautiful girl! So fuckin’ pretty when you cum for me! Holy shit! Fuck!” he moaned, pressing his hips tightly against yours, making sure not to waste a single drop of his seed.

Your highs slowly began to fade and you finally let your eyes flutter open only to see Osferth smiling down at you with a dopey grin on his face.

“What are you smiling at, my love?” you asked, reaching up to stroke your fingers over his cheek.

“My girlfriend.” he smirked. “My beautiful, gorgeous, perfect girlfriend.”

“Osferth, I love you so much.” you whispered, a smile gracing your features.

He gently pulled out of you, causing you to wince at the oversensitivity. He used his t-shirt to gently clean you up before pulling on his hoodie and pants and helping you redress. Both of you climbed back in the front seats, giggling every time the two of you made eye contact. 

The drive back to the house was short but the two of you managed to make yourselves look presentable before walking inside. Finan, Uhtred, and Sihtric all looked towards you as you both entered the living room.

“What took you two so long? I was expectin’ ya’ home like an hour ago.” Finan asked, raising an eyebrow at the both of you.

“It just took a bit longer to close up today and we got talking and lost track of time.” you hurriedly explained, giving your brother a smile.

“Glad to see you two getting along so well.” Sihtric smirked. Your eyes went wide and you had to force your jaw not to drop at the sheer audacity this man had. He only chuckled at your shocked expression.

“Whatcha mean, Sihtric? I think they’ve been gettin’ along jus’ fine.” Finan said, completely oblivious to Sihtric’s insinuation.

“Oh, nothing. They’ve just been spending a lot of time together. Not saying it’s a bad thing. I’m happy he seems to be keeping her occupied.” Sihtric answered. Meanwhile Uhtred’s gaze flickered between you, Osferth, and Sihtric as he tried to piece together what Sihtric was talking about.

“Look, I’m tired. I’m gonna go to bed. Goodnight, boys.” you said, quickly turning on your heel and hauling ass upstairs, leaving Osferth with the others. You could practically feel that your face was on fire as you made it to your room.

It was about forty five minutes later when Osferth finally peeked his head into your room from the bathroom. He said he made the excuse that he was gonna give you enough time to shower before heading up to bed which is why he took so long. But it wasn’t long after he appeared that you dragged him to the bathroom to ensure he kept his promise of taking you in the shower before taking you to bed. And he definitely came through with his promise.

The next morning you had been woken up by the feeling of soft kisses against your thighs and a wet tongue parting your folds. You gasped and lifted the blanket, only to see Osferth smirking up at you.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing, Os?! The guys will be up soon!” you rushed out, not wanting to get caught in Osferth’s bed, but his mouth just felt too damn good.

“What does it look like, angel? I’m having breakfast.” he said, giving you a cheeky smile before diving nose first back into your core and making you squeal.

“Osferth! Oh fuck!”

Out in the hallway your screams of pleasure were muffled, but they were clear enough that they had your brother absolutely seething with rage. It took both Uhtred and Sihtric to hold him back and keep him from busting into Osferth’s room.

“Give me one good fuckin’ reason I shouldn’t go in there and kill him!” Finan argued, staring down the two men who blocked his doorway so he couldn’t get out.

“Hear me out, brother, but Y/N loves him. And he loves her. We shouldn’t come between that.” Sihtric tried to reason with him but with no luck.

“My best friend is fucking my baby sister! Am I supposed to be ok with that?!” 

“No one is asking you to be ok with it, just to accept it. You don’t have to be happy about it. You can be angry.” Uhtred said, holding up his hands like he was facing a cornered animal that was ready to attack. Finan huffed in annoyance and paced back and forth, not liking the situation one bit.

“Did the two of you know about this?” he asked, pointing at the two men blocking his doorway.

“No, I didn’t know a thing until just now. I had my suspicions but I never knew for certain.” Uhtred said. Finan’s gaze flicked over to Sihtric, waiting for an answer.

“Don’t be mad.” he started. “Yes, I knew.”

“How long have you known?” Finan asked, rubbing his temples in an attempt to calm down.

“About two weeks. I caught them… uh… in the act. They were downstairs at like two or three in the morning lying beneath the Christmas tree. I promised Y/N I wouldn’t tell you. I just wanted to give them time to tell you themselves.”

“You’ve know for two fuckin’ weeks and didn’t tell me? God fuckin’ dammit!” he yelled, still pacing his bedroom.

“Look at it this way.” Uhtred started. “Y/N was on a rough path and all of us were worried about her. At least if she’s with Osferth we know she’s safe. He’ll protect her. We’d all rather it be him than some random dude she’s meeting up with at a shitty motel, right?”

Finan thought about it for a moment, realizing that Uhtred was right. If you were with Osferth, you’d be safe and protected and loved. And he wouldn’t have to worry about you so damn much. But if Osferth ever hurt you… god help his soul.

“Fine. Now let me go get some damn coffee.” he grumbled as the other two stepped out of his way. Thankfully your moans had quieted by the time he made his way past both of your rooms and downstairs.

It was maybe a half hour later when you and Osferth made your way down the stairs, only to be met with three pairs of eyes staring at you.

“Osferth, you fucking dog!” Uhtred laughed.

“What? What are you talking about?” Osferth asked, acting confused. 

“Don’t act coy. We know. Finan knows, brother. We had to talk him out of killing you earlier this morning. You two aren’t necessarily quiet.” Uhtred explained. You could feel your face grow hot before your eyes met Finan’s.

“Finan…” you started.

“Does he make you happy?” Finan asked, cutting you off. You couldn’t help but smile and move to Osferth's side, wrapping your arms around his waist and hugging him tight.

“I’ve never been happier.” you said, giving your brother a smile in hopes he wouldn’t kill your boyfriend.

“Osferth.” Finan said, finally addressing him.

“Finan.” he answered simply.

“Out of all the women in the world it just had to be my sister, didn’t it?” Finan chuckled, shaking his head in slight disbelief.

“Yeah, man, I guess it did.” Osferth said, pulling you close. “I love her, Finan.”

You could feel your heart swell at his words and at the sight of Finan finally calming down.

“I know ya’ do, baby monk. But if you ever hurt her-” Finan started, pointing an accusatory finger at Osferth.

“You’ll kill me?” he laughed. “I’ll come to you myself and beg for you to end my life if I ever hurt her.”

You could only grin, resting your face against Osferth’s shoulder as he joked with the guys. Everyone was happy and nobody was getting killed… at least not today. And to think that tomorrow was Christmas, well, you couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present.

Tags:  @sirenofavalon​ @aryacahill​ @letmeseeyoustripp3d @slytherincursebreaker​ @justxpaulina​ @linevondensternen​ @tessgiggles​ @stillinracooncity​ @nma-nekronauta​ @dothrckis​ @definitelycrazyowl​ @schniiipsel​ @buttercup--bee​ @bloodyvalentine93​ @thelittleswanao3

[riordanness]

delicate - [l.valdez]

1.6K wordcount

warnings: mentions of nightmares,, super old writing so proceed with cringe warning

requested: no

a/n: i wrote this in quarantine, early 2021. i lowkey predicted the future w this fic bc i was obsessed w the colour maroon at the time and made y/n wear a maroon coloured taylor swift shirt… never guessing that she would release a song called maroon?? so yeah, fun fact <3

I sat bolt upright in bed, my head pounding. It took me what seemed like forever to calm down, even thought it was likely to have only been a handful of moments. I forced myself to steady my breath, and realise I was safe. My hands were tightly clutched around my sheets, and that helped to ground my thoughts a little.

I looked around my familiar cabin and took a deep breath. My fairy lights shined softly on the walls, making me feel cozy and warm. I had specifically requested fairy lights. They'd always been so reassuring and calming to me, what for I had no clue. But Leo had been all to ready to equip me with fairy lights in my cabin, so I was glad I had asked him for them. They always helped with the nightmares.

I carefully slipped out from under the covers and put on my sneakers. I fumbled through my chest drawer and pulled out a black zip-up jacket I had stolen from Leo, and yanked that on too. I had black leggings and a maroon Taylor Swift T-shirt on, so I felt warm enough to go outside, where the freezing Greek air would surely be uncomfortable.

I needed to clear my head, and get some fresh air, and talk to someone. All that would happen on deck, where there was bound to be at least one crew member on duty. Besides, Leo never went to bed, it seemed. He would most certainly be up there, and I needed to see my best friend right now.

I tiptoed past the other demigods' cabin doors, trying not to wake anyone up. I had no wish to anger anybody who slept with a sword constantly by their side.

I crept upstairs and came out onto the deck, the moon covering the world with a ghostly layer of magical light. I loved the moon. If Artemis, the moon goddess, wasn't a maiden goddess and actually had demigod kids, I'd've given anything to be her daughter. She was definitely one of the best Greek goddesses.

As I'd suspected, Leo was still awake, even though it was probably at least three in the morning by now. He stood with his back to me, tinkering with something on the ships' control board. I stood there for a few seconds, biting my lip and staring at his figure in the dim light, debating whether to bother him or not. In the end, I decided to walk over.

"Hey," I said quietly over Leo's shoulder.

He flinched, looking up at me with startled dark eyes. "Jeez, carinó, don't scare a man like that!”

My eyes widened in sudden alarm. "I'm sorry!"

Leo managed to crack a smile for me. "No, it's fine. Hey."

He turned back to the controls. "I'm just turning off the sonar and switching to radar. We're going airborne soon. Percy's gone downstairs, and it's Jason's turn to watch."

I nodded. "Okay." I knew what he was doing. I didn't dare one but for that kind of information, it was useless to me and I usually forgot it in about four seconds. Leo did it because he knew I adored listening to his voice. His accent was so calming to me, just like fairy lights and Taylor Swift songs were.

I loved him so much for doing that for me. I was so lucky to have this boy in my life.

There was silence for a few minutes. That was the way it usually was with Leo and I. We were comfortable with whatever. If we wanted to talk, we did talk, about everything and anything. But if one of us felt like being quiet, that worked too. It was just nice to be with each other, together.

We didn't have to be talking to enjoy each other's company, and I loved that about him too.

"I had a nightmare..." I said at last, drawing out the words, as if me saying them slower would make it harder for Leo to understand them.

Leo's eyes immediately snapped to meet mine. "You did?" His voice flooded with concern. "Are you okay? Was it that same one, or different? Was it a vision, or —?"

I laughed lightly. "Calm down... I..." My smile dropped as I reflected on my nightmare. "It was..."

I shuddered. "Um, it was bad. I just... I just wanted to be around someone. I didn't want to be alone in my cabin."

Leo nodded. He reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. His touch sent a tingle up my spine. Leo didn't really do touching; I think he was wary around it with his fire powers, so it was nice, but a little strange, to hold his hand.

"Come on," Leo said. "I'm done here. Festus will guard until Jason gets his lazy butt out of bed. I want to show you something."

I managed a smile. "Okay, Repair Boy."

"Hey, don't call me that!"

"Why not?" I reasoned. "You call me carinó, and I don't even know what that means."

Leo's eyes glittered with mirth, as if he was sharing an inside joke with himself. "Well... fine then."

He led me by the hand downstairs. We passed a bleary-eyed Jason on the steps, who nodded mutely at us and kept going. Hopefully he wakes up enough to fight off any monsters who decides our ship looked tasty.

Leo led me past the cabin doors, careful to walk quietly. When he started down the second level of steps, I raised my eyebrows.

"I've never been down here," I whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. A nervous, but excited shiver ran down my back.

Leo pushed open the first door on the left. Inside, an intricate engine (at least I think it was an engine) took up most of the room. Pipes and cords ran absolutely everywhere, winding around and around each other.

Random work tools rolled along the floor every time the ship listed sideways, spanners and hammers and screws going everywhere. The engine hummed softly, filling the air with a pleasant kind of feeling. I instantly understood why Leo liked this place. I know he often spent a lot of time in here, and I could now see why. It was exactly his sort of room.

"Wow, Leo," I said. "You built all this? You're amazing."

Leo blushed. "Thanks, carinó."

I glanced at him with a smile, and he looked confused. "What?"

"Nothing," I said slowly. "I'm just really glad you're my best friend." I gave his hand a squeeze.

Leo looked away. "Uh, great, well..."

"You wanted to show me something?" I prompted.

"Oh yeah!" He pulled me along as he walked to a cabinet against one wall. He opened one of the drawers, dug through it, closes it, opened another one, and smiled triumphantly.

"Close your eyes, carinó," he told me.

I did so immediately. After all, I trusted Leo completely. Okay, maybe not with shaving foam or my wallet, but for anything else? Of course.

Leo suddenly laced his fingers through mine. "Open them," he said, his voice low and kinda gravelly.

I slowly opened my eyes. Leo held out his palm.

On it, a beautiful necklace lay. A beautiful, incredibly intricate flower was made out of see-through gold, hung on a thin gold chain.

I gasped softly. "Oh, Leo..." I didn't know what to say. "It's... it's beautiful. Oh, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"It's not the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Leo muttered. "I mean, uh, thanks. I made it for you."

I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. "It's amazing. You're amazing. Thank you."

Leo pulled away, laughing a little. "Okay, okay. Here. Want me to put it on for you?"

I nodded. He carefully stepped behind me and fastened the clasp around my neck. The necklace laid on my chest, and I gazed at it for a moment, before smiling up at Leo.

"Thank you so much, Leo," I said. "It's the best thing I've ever received in my life."

"Really?" Leo seemed surprised. "Well, let's see how many times I can break that record."

Before I knew what was happening, Leo stepped forward, cupped his hand around my cheek and gently pressed his mouth to mine. He only kissed me for a second, moved backwards, red as a beet, and opened his mouth, stammering, "Oh, I just... did that. I— I'm sorry —"

I smiled dryly. "Don't you dare be sorry." I stood on tiptoe and kissed him again, longer this time.

I felt like I was on fire. I wasn't, and neither was Leo (thankfully), but my entire body was hot all over. I don't know how long we would've stayed there, but someone decided enough was enough.

"Hey, Leo, are you — holy Hera!" Jason stumbled into the doorframe. "Uh..."

Leo and I broke apart. His face was a red as mine felt. "Oh! Hi Jason." Leo grinned. "What's up?"

Jason pursed his lips. "I... uh, I forgot. What the Hades are you two doing?"

"Making out," Leo replied.

"Leo!" I exclaimed. "I wouldn’t put it that way! That’s so… crude sounding.”

"Oh. Okay. We weren’t doing that then," Leo agreed. "What's wrong, J-man?"

Jason looked confused. "Um, well... we're nearly to Athens. None of us can work out your controls, Leo, so you need to come and uh, work your magic."

Leo nodded. "We'll be right there."

Jason disappeared up the hall. Leo and I glanced at each other.

"So?" Leo asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"So... what?" I asked back.

"Did I break my record?" He grinned cheekily. "Of the best things you've ever received?"

I blushed. "I guess so. Yeah. Yeah you did, Repair Boy."

"Good," Leo said, grabbing my hand again and pulling me towards the deck. "Now, let's go save the world, together."

[toshidokii-writes]

i'm melting in your hands, go on, make your demands

a price x oc smut that i just finished like two weeks ago, this is my first time ever writing smut so please be kind :')

also on ao3 18 + content!! minors do not interact! words: 9352 ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!

⋆｡‧˚ʚ☀️ɞ˚‧｡⋆

Six months. That’s how long Spencer’s torture had been going for.

Okay, that was too much, even for him. His “torture” was constant flirting and his torturer, Captain Price. A broad shouldered, gruff, strong bear of man that Spencer has wanted to climb like a tree since he first laid eyes on the older man maybe ten years ago. 

He’s always been too repressed and, frankly, nervous to ever make an actual move. Off handed flirty comments here and there, but he made those to everyone. Then, one day six months ago, Price had started making his own little comments. Flirtatious words spoken over comms where everyone could hear, said to Spencer specifically, words meant to fluster and shut the younger man up and they always succeeded.

But Price didn’t stop at reciprocating to shut Spencer up during missions. No, then it escalated without Spencer even initiating it first. Looks of interest in warm blue eyes, a piercing look Spencer knew was only for him. The young man doesn’t want to think about how that look makes him feel. 

Six months of torture later, it was Valentine's Day. The one day a year that people are allowed to freely love; he could see that with Siren and Ghost, a bitter jealousy that created a sense of distaste in the back of his throat like old coffee. Spencer knows that it isn’t fair of him to be jealous, that Siren and Ghost both deserve to be happy with each other, that he doesn’t deserve to interfere. Knowing and understanding don’t stop the feelings.

So here he is on Valentine’s Day, sad and jealous and alone, pacing his room trying to decide if he should take Johnny’s offer of going on leave with him. A half empty suitcase sits on Spencer’s bed, most of his civvies and fancier clothes thrown around from his indecisiveness, the soldier himself dressed only in gym shorts and socks. 

A knock on the door of his quarters made his ears perk. Who was knocking at this hour? John Price’s voice almost startled him when he started. “Wasp, can we speak, perhaps in private?”

The sound of his captain’s voice both soothes and excites the younger man, the deep baritone of Price’s voice sending a thrill down Spencer’s spine. He debates pretending to not be in the room or asleep, but Price has already heard the young man’s pacing steps around the room stutter to a stop. He bites his bottom lip in thought before sighing and resigning himself to whatever happens. 

Spencer scours the floor of his messy room, throwing on a random t-shirt before his sock-covered feet pad over to answer the door. He opens it slowly, peeking out from behind it and blinking owlishly at the older man. Wasp smiles softly at Price, raising an eyebrow and hoping desperately to hide both his nerves and excitement.

“What’s happened?” He asked, the accent trilling off his tongue. His voice is soothing and sweet, like honey to Price's ears despite the raspy edge to it. “Is there something on?”

“No, no.” His boss’s words soothed him somewhat. “Nothing’s on, mate, no need to worry so much.” Price leaned against the doorframe, a whole four inches taller than the younger man and still taller even when he leaned over. 

It was hard not to be intimidated by him… but let's be honest, it kind of turned Spencer on. He found himself waiting for his words, blinking up at the man coquettishly.

"Take a walk with me." Price offered, it was simple, something personal and light. 

Heartbeat fluttering in his chest, Spencer’s soft smile widens slightly. "Sure. Where to?"

Price doesn’t respond with words, instead just grinning at the young corporal and motioning him to follow. Spencer huffs and rolls his eyes at the older man’s unnecessary secrecy and pushes his captain out of the doorway to change into something more appropriate.

He steps back out of his quarters, now dressed in pastel pink velvet pants, a heart stitched into one of the back pockets, white ankle boots on his feet. He wears a simple white t-shirt with pink heart shaped sunglasses resting on top of his head even though he knows the sun has already set. He looks around, finding Price leaning against a nearby wall, a lit cigar between his fingers. The captain looks up when Spencer steps out, smiling softly at the young corporal.

“You look great, handsome.” The compliment made Spencer blush. “Are you ready?” 

God, the corporal thought, he’s such a dilf. He, almost too eagerly, went to walk by his side as they started to leave base. Most of the soldiers still in uniform paid them little mind, they were used to Spencer’s outfits as he commonly left base with the rest of the Task Force for karaoke nights at the local bar that’s popular among off-duty officers. 

His thoughts went momentarily to Siren, would she be jealous if she saw him with Price? Confidence flooded his veins and left his core feeling guilty, but all of that disappeared when Price’s baritone invaded his ears when they were safely off of base and out of earshot. “I believe we’ve had a little…” His boss seemingly fought for his sentence. “Chemistry, I hope that’s the right word, lately.” Yes, lately… literally the last six months. Spencer keeps his slightly bitter and overly sarcastic words to himself, snorting at Price’s words. “Lately? Feels like it’s been much longer, sir.” The young man says, playful with his words, trying to keep the mood light as the two walk from the base. He briefly thinks about the fact that he has no idea where Price is taking him, then realizes he doesn’t particularly care. Spencer decides to stop thinking about it too hard, the young man too curious to refuse the captain’s offer. Price chuckles lowly, his voice comforting in Spencer’s ears, filling him with the same warmth that invades his brain whenever he gets praise from the older man.

Wasp grins cheekily up at his captain as the older man raises an eyebrow at the corporal’s snarky words. Price blows cigar smoke from one corner of his mouth, making sure to turn away so it doesn’t blow in the other man’s face. 

Spencer stares as the older man blows out the smoke, eyes locked on the way Price bites down on the end of the cigar. He chokes back a whine, face flushing red as he quickly snaps his head down to stare at his feet.

Price turns his head to look at his underling, the swift movement catching his attention. “You alright?” His voice sounds concerned but there’s a knowing spark in his eyes.

Spencer nods, still not quite meeting the captain’s eyes. “Just peachy, cap.” He sweetly says while batting his eyelashes in false innocence, sharp grin a contrast to his pretty eyes. “So, do I get to know where we’re goin’ yet or is that information still classified?”

His boss's chuckle was like music to Spencer's ears. "You hungry?" He asks, taking another puff of his cigar. 

Spencer briefly considers his options, before remembering that he’s not caring right now, that’s what he’s doing. “I could eat.” He responds, vague and non-committal, trying desperately to hide his wants and hopes for how this night will turn out. He pines for this man, his bloody fuckin’ captain, and that is a terrifying realization to have while being taken out for dinner by Price, just the two of them.

Ignoring his tone, John leads him, almost instinctively, to an old steakhouse. Putting out his cigar, the man opened the door for his underling, looking down at him with blue eyes that seemed to speak too many words for Spencer to understand. "I used to come here a lot when I was a lad." Saying this made him sound older than he actually was. 

What a fuckin' dilf, The thought, once again, entered Spencer's thoughts. He shakes his head as if to physically remove the thought before speaking. 

“You say that like you’re about to keel over or somethin’. Aren’t you only like thirty-seven?”

‘Eyes are the window to one’s soul,’ goes the famous quote, Spencer heard this as his boss turned his blue gaze to him once more. “I might.” He jokes, his small laugh making Spencer’s stomach flip. “After you, Mr. Marsh.” He says before Spencer steps through the door and he shut it behind them. Wasp raises an eyebrow at Price as he walks into the restaurant, standing awkwardly in the entranceway. He doesn’t really know what this is, doesn’t know what the captain wants from him. The young man’s breath hitches in his throat as Price takes his hand, pulling the corporal into the steakhouse proper. He stares at their joined hands as the older man pulls him along towards the hostess booth, brain practically rebooting.

John doesn’t let go of Spencer’s hand until the two of them are seated at a table, a fact that the raven haired man is very aware of, instantly missing the warmth of the other man’s hand. Spencer slides into the bench of the booth, placing his chin in his hand and looking out at the other tables.

Slowly, he notices something about almost every other patron in the restaurant, it’s all couples.

The realization hits him like a ton of bricks, his freckled face flushing red as he thinks about how the two of them look. Like a decorated military man and his young trophy husband. 

Christ.

Looking at the menu, Spencer observed Price from the corners of his vision. He got so invested in just watching the older man that when the waiter finally got there and asked what they wanted, Spencer had no idea.

Another one of Price’s signature knowing looks flashed in his blue eyes. “Two steaks and a pint of beer for each, please.” He smiles at the waiter, making Spencer feel a twinge of jealousy roll down his spine as he glares at the waiter without even realizing. 

Price, however, does realize and raises his eyebrows at him with a small grin on his face. It makes Wasp flush in embarrassment and look away, flustered not by his own jealousy but by the fact that he was caught for it. He turns away and places his head in his hand, pouting to himself about being silently called out. He hears the older man’s deep chuckle and chooses to ignore it, turning away to avoid the captain’s gaze. He huffs quietly, looking at the menu of specialty drinks that the restaurant offers. Spencer doesn’t drink much, but the young man knows he prefers the drinks that don’t actually taste like alcohol, preferring sweet or fruity flavors.

He stares at the picture of the frozen margarita longingly, desperate for the burn of the tequila and dull ache of the frozen slush. It sucks that he’s feeling like this, jealous and bitter about things he cannot change and taking it out on a poor waiter who simply got a smile from the older man. The fact that it hasn’t even angered Price is another thing, the older man seems to enjoy the jealousy that shows on Spencer’s face and he isn’t sure how to feel about that. 

Spencer orders the frozen margarita.

He sends the pint of beer back when the waiter brings it out, a sharp grin on his lips that makes a look of fear flash on the waiter’s face. The corporal stirs his frozen drink with his straw, sipping on it happily as Price stares at him, a disbelieving yet amused look on his face. 

"I'm sure you know why we're here?" Price asks, a look in his eye that tells he is not asking a hypothetical question. It makes the young man tilt his head, eyebrows scrunching up in confusion. He has an idea of why they’re here, but he doesn’t want to say what he thinks.

Instead, he simply shrugs, playing dumb to avoid embarrassing himself anymore than he already has tonight. “I’m not entirely sure, captain, would you care to enlighten me?” He says, innocent and sweet as he takes a bite of his mashed potatoes. “Or am I supposed to guess all evening?”

John chuckles lightly, looking at Spencer with a warmth that the young man isn’t quite sure he’s earned.

"Why don't I show you exactly what I mean?" That knowing tone, one that Spencer had heard all evening. However, this time it had a hunger; a not-so-hidden desire laced around the edges and tied up in a bow of pure desire. 

Spencer blinked owlishly at the older man, nodding slowly in agreement. He doesn’t have any words, simply full of want as he tries to go back to eating his food. Price grins sharply, throwing a few pounds on the table before standing and pulling Spencer out of the booth and towards the entrance.

He expects Price to walk them back to base, where most people were either asleep or on leave, where no one would see them. A private thing. Spencer expects to be hidden away, locked behind a closed door with the curtains drawn, with no intention of letting what was happening become a public affair. Instead, he’s dragged to a very nice hotel and that scares him. It scares him, maybe more than being hidden away ever would have.

Yet, he’s finding it hard to tell whether the heart beat pounding in his ears is from the fear, or if the fluttering in his chest is only catching up with the blush spreading up his neck and face. His face feels hot, and his breath is hitching, despite never being winded by walking this fast in the past. He follows Price without a second thought, content to let the older man lead. It’s second nature at this point, for John to lead and Spencer to follow so he doesn’t have any complaints as he’s pulled down the road. 

The warm inviting light beaming from glass windowed doors does little to quell the growing heat Spencer feels on his skin. A doorman, a pretty thing in his own right, holds the door for them. The Irishman can barely hear the uniformed man’s greeting to them both over his heart thumping in his ears as Spencer follows his apparent lover inside. Inside, the floor is a waxed marble the likes of which Spencer felt he was barely able to afford the sight of. And that was the least extravagant thing about the decor. Everyone inside, both behind the check in counter and sitting in the foyer ahead of them, was wearing clothes that must have cost what the Irishman made in half a year's time. The warmth only spread as he felt overly spoiled with such in over the top place. John, however, barely spared the extravagances a lingering glance. Instead, his attention remains almost solely on the younger man beside him. Spencer could feel the warmth of John’s hand on his back as he’s encouraged onward. Soon after, hot breath caressed the shell of his ear. “Sure you’re up for this, lovey? You’re lookin’ pretty red.” Are the teasing words that fall from the older man’s lips, making the corporal’s face heat even further as he nods mutely, flustered and inexperienced with this kind of thing, in more ways than one.

Price studies the young man’s expression for a moment, a teasing grin on his lips as he takes in the flushed face of his subordinate. “Alright then, as long as you’re sure.” He responds, an air of playfulness lacing his gruff voice as he grabs Spencer’s hand in his own and pulls the corporal to the elevator. It’s a silent ride up, Wasp busying himself with staring at anything other than the man beside him. He stares at his boots, picks his nails, messes with his hair while staring at his reflection in the metal of the elevator panel, anything to not make eye contact with his captain.

Price isn’t sure why Wasp is so nervous, so fidgety. The young man is normally pretty flighty, unless on the field, but this is different. This is nerves and Price doesn’t know what to make of it as the elevator chimes and the doors slide open. He takes Spencer’s hand once more, gently guiding his corporal like he has for years. The captain stops at a door near the end of the hall, haphazardly swiping the keycard given to him by hotel staff. 

Shutting the door behind him, John Price’s eyes were solely for Spencer’s. It’s a heady feeling, the older man’s eyes piercing through his soul as they barrel into the hotel room with needy fervor and Spencer isn’t stupid, he knows that he’s once again a rebound for a man that Siren has used and left behind. He can’t help but feel that that doesn’t really matter right now when Price’s warm hands are once again touching him, grasping at Spencer’s hips, heat seeping through his thin white t-shirt.

John’s rough, calloused hands slide up to rest on the young corporal’s ribs, squeezing lightly as he presses his lips to the man’s neck, beard scratching at his pale skin as the captain trails hot, open-mouthed kisses up his jaw towards Spencer’s lips. The scratchy texture of Price’s beard makes the young man whine, a short sound from the back of his throat. It makes the older man pause for just a moment before he moves back down to Spencer’s neck, wanting to hear the sound again. The captain nips sharply at the spot connecting his neck and shoulder, pulling a sharp gasp from lips that he bites down on to muffle the noise. 

Price huffs a breathy laugh against his neck, raising one of his hands towards the young man’s lips. The captain uses his thumb to pull Spencer’s bottom lip out from between his teeth before pressing an achingly soft kiss to them, kissing back down along the young man’s jaw. “I want to hear you, darlin’, no hiding.” Fuck, his voice. The sound of it makes Spencer whine softly, head tilting back and hitting the door behind him.

"That's a good boy." Voice so low that the corporal swore it seeped into every pore in his body like lotion. 

The words send a jolt of molten need down his spine, and Christ, he needs to get his issues in order. His breath hitches in his throat, Price’s hands sliding under his shirt and urging it over his head as the older man backs him up against the edge of the bed. Spencer blinks hazily before getting the idea, arms raising to help get it over his head. It’s tossed to the ground haphazardly and where it lands is a problem that he doesn’t exactly have the time or patience to deal with. 

Impatient and calloused hands roughly grab at the button of Spencer’s velvet pink pants, his boots already tossed off before they even made it to the bed. Price’s knee forces the young man’s legs apart, one hand resting on the inside on his thigh and the other on his hip, thumb rubbing on the fabric there. His pants are unbuttoned and unzipped quickly, boxers peeking through the slot. The captain pulls down Wasp’s pants, hissing through his teeth at the sight of the young man’s boxers, drenched with need. Spencer turns his head away, face flushed red with embarrassment as he lifts his hips to help get his pants the rest of the way off.

Noticing his subordinate’s sudden self-consciousness, John places a gentle and calloused hand on Spencer’s jaw, a reassuring touch. “So pretty for me, dove, so needy and desperate.” The captain rasps out, voice rough and lips pressed against the young man’s hip. Spencer glares down at the older man, making Price grin sharply and nip at the soft skin of the corporal’s hip. The hand on the young man’s jaw moves down to the inside of one of his plush thighs, the other hand teasingly squeezing at his hip. It’s a strange sensation, but not an unwelcome one. It makes a shiver run down his spine, thigh tensing under the older man’s touch.

He lifts a knee to hit the older man in the stomach, not hard just enough to feel it. John grunts, head snapping up to glare at the corporal. Spencer pouts down at the captain teasingly, batting his eyelashes innocently.

“Don’t tease, sir. I’ve never done this before and you’re being mean to me?” The young man says, though he’s clearly not very put out if the sharp grin on his lips is anything to go by. The words, though they’re said playfully, make the captain hesitate for a second, a small moment of clarity cutting through the lust filled haze that fogs Price’s mind. He looks up at Spencer with wide eyes, genuine concern for his subordinate written all over his face. 

That’s what the nerves had been about.

John licks his bottom lip, hesitance evident in his expression. “Are you sure you wanna do this with me?” The captain asks, worry and apprehension laced throughout his rough baritone voice. “First times are a big deal, kid.”

The young man’s nose scrunches up, a mix of disgust and annoyance on his face. “Don’t call me kid when you’re about to fuck me, old man.” He says, playful despite his feelings towards Price’s words, “And yeah, I’m sure, it’s not like anyone else is offering to fuck me anytime soon.”

Price huffs a laugh at Spencer’s words and his obliviousness to his own appeal. “You tell me if anything I do makes you uncomfortable. Got it?” The older man orders, tone an odd mix of care and commanding, ever the doting superior officer he’s always been to the young corporal pinned below him. Wasp nods automatically, used to silently letting the captain know that he understands. “Need to hear you say it out loud, ‘m not doing this without your consent, Spence.”

The young man huffs a sigh at that, seemingly put out at having to speak when he’s this flustered and needy. “Yes, captain, I’ll tell you if you injure me with your massive penis.” He snaps out, snarky and irritated in a way he’s never seriously been with Price before. It makes the older man eyebrows raise like a disapproving superior which Wasp seems to cow under for a moment before John softens out, pressing his lips against the young man’s neck once more in an effort to soothe the young man’s nerves. “It’s not just about not wanting to hurt you, love. If you don’t like something that I’m doing you need to tell me.” The captain murmurs, lips brushing against the soft skin of Spencer’s throat, nipping gently at his Adam's apple. 

The young man makes a face like he’s confused, as if he didn’t expect the soft treatment from the older man. It makes Price’s heart ache for Spencer and how he’s been treated before. The captain puts a hand on the corporal’s jaw, brushing his thumb gently against the skin there, comforting the young man as much as he can in the moment. 

“Do you actually want this, Spencer? We’re not doing this if you just think you have to.” John whispers against the corporal’s skin, soft and reassuring. It makes Spencer stutter to a stop, breath catching in his throat as he thinks. 

He does want this, doesn’t he? He’s wanted it for the last six months, but the moment he gets what he wants he chokes up and chickens out. It’s not like him, Wasp doesn’t hesitate so why is Spencer? It’s driving him fucking crazy that he’s nervous and it hits him that that’s what this is, nerves and that just drives him even crazier. He opens his mouth to say something, anything to make Price keep making him feel good but nothing comes out. He doesn’t know if he doesn’t know what to say or if his voice is failing him. For the first time in his life, Spencer Marsh has nothing to say for himself. 

“I-I don’t…I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” The young man chokes out when he finally gets his voice back, tears pooling in his eyes. It shocks Price, for all his being emotional the captain had never seen Spencer cry. The corporal doesn’t sob, it isn’t a loud cry of despair or anything like that. It’s a quiet thing, fat tears rolling down his pretty face as he sniffles softly. “I want this, I want you so much, but I…I’m scared and nervous and I don’t know why.”

John looks at him with a gentle look on his face, of sympathy or worry, shushing Spencer’s quiet sobs softly. He cups his subordinate’s face with calloused hands, brushing away tears with his thumb. “You said this is your first time, right? It’s ok to be nervous, love, it’s normal.” The older man murmurs between them, voice a low and comforting rumble.

Spencer shakes his head, looking around the expensive hotel room that Price has procured just for this, just for them. His eyes flit about the room, looking anywhere but meeting Price’s own. “No, not that, well I guess it’s a little bit of that, but you’re just…being so nice to me and I’m worried that I won’t be any good at this. That it’ll be bad and you’ll end up hating me or something, I don’t know…” He whispers, voice soft and nervous in a way it never usually is. Spencer’s voice is naturally gentle and sweet, but this is different. It lacks the confidence that the older man is used to hearing in it, it’s scared and insecure. 

John is suddenly reminded how young and inexperienced Spencer is compared to him.

The captain breathes out a quiet laugh, warm and rough hands a comforting weight as one cups the young man’s cheek, wiping away stray tears that roll down his face. The other hand goes back to wrapping around Spencer’s waist, a steady presence that helps to calm the corporal’s erratic mind. “I wouldn’t hate you over bad sex, sweetheart.” The older man chuckles, “And I’m bein’ nice to you, doin’ all of this for you because I want to. Not whatever silly reason your brain is tellin’ you.” 

Spencer bites his bottom lip with hesitation, turning his head away for a moment before turning back to face Price with a look of determination in his eyes. The young man takes a deep breath before slowly leaning in, pressing his soft lips to the captain’s own. Price takes it in stride, a warm feeling going through him at the contact. He pushes into the kiss, hands moving grasp at the corporal’s hips and pulling him into his lap. 

The young man takes the lead, laying one hand on the captain’s chest and one hand winding up to the back of Price’s head. Tugging gently on the spiked hair resting just above his neck, Spencer bites down on the skin of the older man’s neck just hard enough to leave a mark of his own on his captain’s skin. He rolls his hips down into John’s still clothed crotch, craving the friction and desperate for the feelings conversation to end. The corporal pants open mouthed against Price’s neck, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes dilated and full of want. 

“Christ, got your feelings out of the way quickly didn’t you, sweetheart?” John teases, eager to set their dynamic back to some kind of normalcy, voice strained with need as he takes in the pretty fuckin sight Spencer makes. He cups the younger man’s jaw, guiding his head away from the captain’s neck and slotting their lips together in a passionate kiss. His grip on the corporal’s jaw tightens slightly before moving his hand to the back of his neck, deepening the kiss. It’s uncoordinated, a bit sloppy. But it’s alright cause it’s Spencer. He can get away with being messy; if anything it’s a good look on him. And Price’s there to guide him. Helps him set a steady rhythm, figure out what he does and doesn’t like. Slow but firm kisses, lips pressed against each other leaving little room for negotiation or breath and while Spencer is inexperienced, his eagerness more than makes up for it.

Price’s calloused hands move down his subordinate’s body, one grasping at his hip and trailing up to his chest. The captain rolls the pad of his thumb over the young man’s hardened nipple eliciting a short huff of pleasure from his otherwise occupied lips. His other hand slides under Spencer’s ass, lifting him into his lap. It only lasts a second before John lifts Spencer up slightly, pulling his already unbuttoned pants further down his legs until he can pull them off fully, throwing them off to the side just like his shirt before resting him back down again. 

The captain takes in the young man’s nearly naked form, the scars across his chest and body, some from surgery others from his years of military service. Price’s hands rest on the corporal’s hips, breathing out a huff of desire at his plush thighs. A smirk crosses the older man’s lips, leaning up and pressing his lips to Spencer’s neck, hot breath fanning his skin. He grins at the dark patch on the young man’s boxers, lightly pressing the rough pad of his thumb against the corporal’s clothed clit, rubbing teasingly. His back arches slightly, a soft gasp of pleasure falling from his lips. Price chuckles lowly, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“Sensitive, aren’t we, love? Does it feel good, my fingers against your needy cunt?”  The captain asks, voice low and seductive as he lays Spencer on his back against the expensive sheets of the hotel bed. He hooks his thumb in the young man’s panties, looking up for approval. Spencer nods, his pretty face lightly flushed red with both desire and embarrassment. Price pulls down the corporal’s boxers agonizingly slow, revealing his glistening pussy, dripping with need. The older man presses a gentle kiss to his subordinate's soft stomach and Spencer assumes it’s meant to reassure him as the kisses move down his body. 

He’s proven wrong when the captain presses his lips to the young man’s aching clit, watching with a smirk as his hips buck up once uncontrollably, head pressing back against the pillow. Price nips at the skin of the corporal’s inner thigh, grinning when Spencer squeaks at the sharp feeling, pressing hot open-mouthed kisses to his creamy skin. The captain wraps his lips over the sensitive bundle of nerves, teasing his tongue over it.

Spencer lets out a surprised moan at the feeling, hips arching up and pressing his needy cunt further into the captain’s mouth. One of his hands shoots down to grip at the sheets, the other reaching to grab at John, not really looking where and hitting his shoulder. Price chuckles softly, looking up at the young man and taking in the pretty red flush on his face and chest before laying an arm over his hips. “I’ll get you what ya need, love, just be patient. So pretty for me, aren’t ya Marsh?” The words are nearly growled out, low and breathy against Spencer’s skin. It makes the corporal whine, a mix of embarrassment and need ringing through him at the words. The praise bounces around in his mind, preening at it like he didn’t receive enough attention as a child. He hits the older man in the shoulder softly before dropping his hand back down.

“I’ve been patient for six months, captain. Lucky I lasted that long, patience isn’t exactly my strong suit.” He’s well aware that the bite in his snarky words is undercut by the whining tone in his voice, higher pitched than normal and reedy as he complains.

 Price rolls his eyes at that, a small grin on his face. “You should have more patience, dove, you’re a sniper for God’s sake.” The captain tries for chastising disapproval, but it lands more around reluctantly amused, like he’s trying not to find the words funny. John watches as Spencer opens his mouth to retort, but doesn’t give him the chance, wrapping his lips around the young man’s clit. His callous roughened hands grasp at the underside of the corporal’s thighs and pull him closer. The young man makes a noise in the back of his throat, hips lifted off the sheets with the captain’s hands grabbing at the soft skin of his thighs, running his tongue over the young man’s slick folds. It’s an overwhelming feeling that Spencer doesn’t, can’t describe. He makes a choked sound as Price gently tries to ease one of his fingers into the corporal’s tight entrance, shuddering before desperately trying to relax around the intrusion. He must succeed as low murmurs of praise that he can’t even comprehend are mumbled against his skin.

It's unbelievable, the way it makes him feel, it’s unlike anything he’s ever felt before. Spencer lets out a surprised moan, hand shooting out to grasp at Price’s brown hair and pulling without thought. John groans lowly, the vibrations of it making the young man’s legs shake as he gasps at the pleasure of it, two of the captain’s thick fingers curling inside of the corporal’s cunt. A soft and breathless murmur of fuck falls from Spencer’s parted lips, he barely registered he had even said it before the thoughts were gone again. His back arches further into the older man’s touch, hips bucking as he desperately tries to chase the electric pleasure that shoots down his spine. His mewls and cries become breathier, high pitched and reedy as he rapidly approaches his release before the pleasure is cruelly ripped away from him. An anguished cry falls from his lips, a pout on his face before he fixes it. His eyes fly open and he looks down, leveling Price with an almost venomous glare. It makes the captain chuckle to himself, a near patronizing pat to the young man’s flank, a grin on his face. Maybe it's a little mean, an orgasm would have definitely helped with the stretch that’s coming, but the captain can’t help being possessive in a way. He wants to feel Spencer’s first orgasm around his cock — where he needs to have it. 

 “Come on, sweetheart,” Price mumbles, more to himself than to the young man as he lifts Spencer by the small of his back and practically tosses him towards the head of the bed. It makes the corporal let out a surprised laugh, backing up until he reaches the headboard. He isn’t discreet with his looks, biting his lip with desire as he watches the captain undress. Fingers fumbling with his belt until he can force his slacks open impatiently, pulling his hard cock out of his boxers instead of taking them off. It makes the young man feel a little better about how needy he’s been, knowing that the other man wants him just as much. Spencer tries to ignore how that makes him feel, being wanted this much by a man he’s wanted for years. 

Price climbs onto the bed, crawling towards the headboard where Spencer lays. The corporal nearly squeaks at the sight of the older man’s hard cock, the tip flushed and leaking as he places his hands on the young man’s waist. The captain notices the look on his face, bright red and nervous. John can’t sit here and say that it doesn’t make a smug feeling wash over him, syrupy and warm like honey.  

Christ, will that even fit? 

The thought cuts through Spencer’s honeyed mind like a knife, grounding and breaking the bliss floating around his thoughts. He hears John chuckle quietly like he’s trying to hide it from the young man. Fuck, did he say that out loud? “It’s ok, ” The captain starts, cupping Spencer’s jaw with a rough hand and leaning close, “I’ll make sure it fits, love.” He whispers into the young man’s ear, voice raspy and charged with a growl that sends shivers down the corporal’s spine. 

He looks up at Price with half-lidded eyes, buzzing with nerves and excitement. His back arches off the bed, pressing his tummy against the captain’s own as the man’s fingers spread Spencer’s slick folds. Another of those calloused fingers is pushed in, a slow and careful pace being set as the corporal tries to relax around the intrusion. He breathes shakily and purses his lips, scrunching up his face as he attempts to stave off the feeling of almost pain that those three fingers cause. He cries out with a mix of shock and pleasure as John curls his fingers, hitting that spongy spot inside the young man’s sopping cunt that makes him gasp and his walls clench tightly around the digits. He whines low and soft, the sound being pulled from him like he’s just an instrument being played to perfection. “If you don’t fuck me in the next minute, I’m going to kick you.” Spencer growls out, the needy way his hips roll and buck into the older man’s touch swiftly undercutting the tone of his threat. Price raises an eyebrow, looking up and meeting Spencer’s eyes with an amused smile at the sight of the other man’s pouting face, his threat completely useless now. The captain huffs a jokingly irritated breath, curling and twisting his fingers just enough to make Marsh buck and swear at him. 

“Don’t be a damn brat, you’re gonna let me prep you or we’re not doing this,” John says roughly, “Understood?” It’s an empty threat and if his mind wasn’t fuzzy with need Spencer probably would’ve realized it. As it stands, he whines and huffs, hands bunching up the sheets underneath him and moaning as the older man’s fingers pick up their pace anyway. His breathing is ragged and panting, walls clenching as he rolls his hips down desperately but is denied again. The young man groans in annoyance and throws his head back against the pillow, eyes and face scrunched up while Price chuckles at his dramatics. 

John presses an achingly gentle kiss to Spencer’s cheek before grabbing onto the meat of his thighs and spreading his legs open. The captain holds one of the young man’s thighs, his other hand wrapping around the base of his cock and gently guiding the head to press against the young man’s dripping entrance. “Gotta breathe through, lovey, it’s gonna sting a little.” The words are rasped against the skin of Spencer’s cheek, the corporal taking deep breaths to try and calm the nerves that threaten to override the pleasure he’s feeling. The tip of Price’s cock pushes inside without much issue, the young man feeling a little sting that makes him wince. It feels weird, good he thinks but also weird, thoughts swirling in his mind without reprieve as the captain pushes his cock about halfway in and then stops. He looks up at Spencer, eyes scanning the sniper’s face for any signs of pain or discomfort. Finding none, he thrusts as gently as he can, burying his cock fully into the young man’s cunt. 

Spencer cries out at that and looks dazedly up at the ceiling, looking through his captain for a moment. It doesn’t hurt, something he immediately conveys to Price, it’s just…so much. John gives the other man time to adjust, struggling not to fuck the young man’s brain out right away. The corporal breathes shallowly, trying to adjust quickly to the feeling of being completely filled to the brim. Price groans lowly and presses his forehead against Spencer’s shoulder, hips making aborted little motions that make the other man choke slightly. He looks up at his captain and gives him a nod, needing more despite the overwhelming sensation of the moment. 

Price starts slowly, not wanting to push too far and wind up hurting the corporal. It takes a bit before Spencer adjusts fully to the feeling, small whines that are a mix of pleasure and discomfort before he begins to rock his own hips up, eager for more of this new experience. He pants open mouthed as the captain continues to slowly thrust in and out, his thick cock stretching the sopping wet walls of the young man’s cunt. Tears prick up in the corners of Spencer’s eyes simply because of the intense sense of being hollowed from the inside out by his captain’s large shaft and he whimpers needily. “Faster! Fuck, I need more, please god!” The corporal whines dramatically, a pouty tone to his slightly raspy voice as he digs his heels into the small of John’s back. It makes the other man smirk and chuckle deeply “You can’t help being a little shit can you? Such a needy brat.” The words make Spencer pout more, hitting Price on the shoulder with the heel of his palm and narrowing his eyes into a dramatic glare that he doesn’t truly mean. John grins, not at all deterred by the false anger on the young man’s face and leans in closer, warm breath fanning on Spencer’s skin. “Tell me Marsh, were you this much of a brat for Siren? Or maybe you were this way for Soap? Or am I just special, getting this bratty little attitude all to myself?”

Spencer groans and arches his back, head pressed into the pillow beneath him as he glares up at the ceiling. “Maybe I’d tell you if you went faster.” He growls out, not at all threatening with how much he’s pouting at being denied what he wants. Price barks out at a laugh, pinching the corporal’s waist to make him squeak as payment for being such a little shit. He does start thrusting faster though, not immune to how cute Spencer looks when he pouts. John knows that the young man has him wrapped around his finger, but right now, in this moment, he doesn’t particularly care. Not when his cock is being squeezed so tightly by the young man’s gummy walls. The captain moves his hand from the young man’s thigh and uses both hands to grip Spencer’s hips and lift him slightly, then slamming him back down onto his cock. 

Spencer chokes on a squeal, back arching off the sheets. He babbles mindlessly for a second before the captain stops again, an embarrassed and flustered look on the corporal’s face. “N-fuck, not funny, prick.” He stumbles out, trying hard to sound angry but he just sounds like a desperate little slut. John presses a hand to the pudge of Spencer’s tummy with a smirk before leaning down and pressing a wet kiss to the young man’s jaw. “Ask nicely, bird, and maybe you’ll get what ya want.” It’s a challenge and Price knows from experience how easy it is to rile Marsh up with taunting words. This is different from running drills with him apparently, given how the words make Spencer pout and huff as though not getting his way is the worst thing in the world. John stops moving completely, looks down at the corporal and raises an eyebrow, smirking as the other man avoids eye contact. The captain waits, taking in the rise and fall of Spencer’s chest as he pants, watching the young man squirm as he wars with his need and his dignity. 

Spencer mumbles something out, so quiet Price can’t even begin to try and understand what’s being said. He snorts and motions for the other man to speak up, getting a pout before a huff. “Fuck me faster, captain, please. I need it, please.” Is what he gets, whined out in an overly high pitched voice that’s meant to annoy the older man. It doesn’t get the expected reaction, Price’s nails dig into the soft skin of Spencer’s hips. His own hips begin thrusting faster almost immediately and it makes the corporal choke out something that sounds like a mix of a laugh and a moan. 

“That’s what gets you? God, I should- fuck, should’ve used that voice months ago.” The young man snarks out, voice wavering even as he continues to be a brat. He opens his mouth to say something else, but it ends in a moan as Price thrusts deeper than he had been before. It leaves Spencer near breathless and it feels as though the older man’s cock in his throat, filling him completely and making the bratty words die on his tongue. John’s chuckle is strained, finding amusement in the corporal’s blissed out face, as his hips slam against Spencer’s own. The melody of slick sounds and skin hitting against skin fills the room along with Marsh’s mewls and Price’s low groans. 

Spencer’s gasping moans raise steadily in pitch, his hips raising and meeting the captain’s thrust, his nails digging into John’s shoulders. The pure bliss he feels drowns out everything else around him, everything else real or in his mind is silenced by the intense feeling of Price’s cock sliding against that perfect spot deep inside his cunt. It’s overwhelming, how much he’s feeling right now, he can feel the expensive sheets tight in his hands nearly tearing the fabric as he flounders for purchase. The young man is hazy with the pure need racking his brain, pussy clenching around the captain’s throbbing prick. 

The corporal whines and his legs kick out without thought, getting so close to his release and all of a sudden, it’s just shy of not enough. He complains blearily, words running together as his brain struggles to catch up. Spencer hears that low rumbling chuckle once more and then it feels as though he’s being electrocuted. He wails as his legs shake with the force of his orgasm, arms wrapping around Price’s shoulders and dragging his nails down, red marks quickly being etched into the older man’s skin. 

John groans as Marsh’s slick cunt tightens almost painfully around his shaft, listening to the garbled moans that fall from his subordinate’s lips with each brush of his fat cock against the young man’s spongy walls. His thumb continues to rub at Spencer’s clit sporadically, reveling in the way his pussy clenches each time from the oncoming overstimulation. 

The captain pants as he thrusts deeply, slower now that he can see the sensitivity setting in. It's a pretty thing to take in, watching the young man's back arch off of the sheets and nails digging into the skin of John's shoulders. His eyes are squeezed shut, eyebrows and nose scrunched up as he mewls with a mix of pleasure and discomfort. The older man lets out a breathy moan against the corporal's skin, biting down just to see as the skin bruises under the force and leaves a mark. He gets the reaction he wanted. The corporal’s eyes nearly roll back and his legs shake as his pussy clamps down, spasming as he cums for the second time. It’s somehow just as overwhelming as the first time and yet not at the same time, it just makes him choke out a sobbing moan, ripped from his throat before he can stop it.

Spencer gasps heavily, desperately pulling air into his lungs as Price pulls out suddenly, the shock of it making him squeal. Thick ropes of cum splatter onto the young man's stomach, warm and stickier than he'd thought it'd be. He lets out a small noise as his head hits the pillow behind him, panting softly and trying in vain to get his eyes to stay open. His eyelids flutter and his vision is hazy as he comes down from the monumental pleasure he’s just experienced, watching blearily as the captain stands and walks to the bathroom, running a hand through his hair and tucking his now softening cock back into his pants. He hears the water of the sink running, the sounds of John moving around the lush hotel room.

The young man gasps instinctively, quiet and slightly weak, when he feels the warm wetness of a face cloth against his stomach. The captain carefully and tenderly wipes Spencer down, pressing soft and gentle kisses to the plush skin of the corporal’s thighs as he cleans him up. He mumbles something to the older man, his words slurring together in a jumbled sentence that Price can’t even begin to understand. 

“Is that so, sweetheart? Never thought about that.” John teases, a deep rumble of a laugh escaping him when he feels Spencer kick him weakly on his side. The captain moves to clean the room, picking up the young man’s clothes, but stops short when he feels the other man tugging at the sleeve of his shirt. A pout plays on the corporal’s kiss bruised lips as he makes a half-assed attempt to pull Price onto the bed, his other hand skirting under the older man’s shirt to pull it over his head.

“I’m going to hit you if you don’t come cuddle with me.” Spencer says teasingly, a tired grin on his face as he tries to sit up, tugging Price’s shirt over his head. The captain huffs, trying to look annoyed but ending up somewhere between amused and fond. He lazily shucks his pants the rest of the way off and slides into the bed, wrapping his arms around the corporal’s waist. He listens to the young man’s breathing even out, quickly falling asleep. It makes John feel a little smug, to know that he knocked the stamina out of a man a decade younger than him.  

He watches Marsh’s face soften out as he snores softly, moving the young man’s arms to wrap loosely around his own shoulders. Price sighs to himself, an ache in his chest as he wishes there could be something more. He knows that Spencer wants more and he wonders if he does too, but knows that at least right now he can’t have that. The captain takes his phone and sets a silent alarm, laying his head on the soft and expensive pillow, running his fingers through the young man’s hair, looking down at the corporal laying on his chest.

Spencer wakes to sunlight streaming through the soft linen curtains, head pounding as he slowly sits up with a groan and rubs the sleep from his eyes. He blearily looks around, noticing his clothes neatly folded on a plush armchair, boots on the floor. He smells coffee and notices a large to-go cup from the corporal’s favorite local cafe. It sends a pang of hurt through him as he stands from the bed, finally fully noticing Price’s absence from the room. He walks over to the pile of folded clothes and picks up the neatly folded note that rests on top. The words are written in familiar rough handwriting, very obviously from his captain.

“Had fun last night, doll. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Spencer’s lips twitch down in a frown, anger and sadness swirling in his chest in a storm that threatens to consume him whole, threatens to drown him in a hurricane of pent up feelings and emotions for years. 

He sighs, taking deep breaths instead of destroying the hotel room so they send Price a fee like he so desperately wants to. 

That would be immature, he’s learned that from experience. The young man showers quickly, not wanting to spend too long looking at the marks left on his body by the man who left him the morning after taking his virginity. It’s not like anyone else has ever stayed with him for long either. He couldn’t fault Price for that, can’t fault him for leaving, but god does he want to.

He dresses in his clothes from the night before, hurriedly making his way back to base, head down in shame as he walks into the building. He power walks through the common room, trying to make his way to his dorm before anyone sees him. It doesn’t work out like that, why would it go his way for once in his goddamn life? Spencer hears a familiar voice call out to him, a teasing wolf whistle that makes tears well up in his eyes. He turns, trying to appear as though nothing is wrong, but the damn is already creaking and spilling over even as he puts on a brave face. 

“Wasp! Same clothes as yesterday, yeah?” It’s Johnny, a rough and rich voice with a heavy Scottish accent that almost always fills Spencer with warmth. The Scotsman has a teasing grin on his face, blue eyes sparking with amusement as he sits on the common room couch, apparently he hadn’t left yet. “Did’ya finally get lucky?”

The corporal watches as the sergeant fully takes in the look on his face, his own face falling and becoming tight with concern as he stands from the couch and walks towards Spencer. The young man chokes on a sob that he can’t hold in anymore, tears rolling down his cheeks freely even as he tries to stand as rigidly as possible to keep them from doing so. Johnny’s warm hands grab onto Marsh’s shoulders, pulling him towards a more private place, knowing how hard Spencer works to not let others see his emotions, to not be seen as weak. 

Spencer brushes off the other man’s concerns and gives dry, short responses that he knows are just going to frustrate Johnny. Bits and pieces of the real story fall out of his mouth in between. He watches the space between the Scotsman's eyebrows crease with concern, a pang of guilt lining the corporal’s thinking.

“Oh, I just got stood up, it’s nothing.” Johnny says not to bullshit him, he knows the corporal had been gone since last night. It makes Spencer both irritated and feel warm, that the sergeant had noticed his absence in the short period of time. It also makes him feel bad for putting off taking the other man’s offer of a place to stay on leave. He debates for a moment, biting his bottom lip in thought before wiping his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“It doesn’t matter, Johnny, I’ll be grand in a few.” Spencer sniffles out, watching as Soap debates asking more before dropping it, to the corporal’s gratitude. He throws his phone and keys down on his dresser, Price’s note falling out onto the floor. The corporal panics silently as he watches the sergeant pick it up, easily recognizing the handwriting and looking up at Spencer with an aching pity in his bright blue eyes. 

Spencer looks away, embarrassed and knowing that Johnny will easily piece together what happened. The young man snatches the note out of the other man’s hands and shreds it to pieces in his own. He huffs a heavy breath before running his hand through his hair, the festering anger surfacing before he stamps it down to never be seen again. He looks up at Soap who raises an eyebrow, an attempt at normalcy, but Spencer can see the concern and pity underneath. 

“Is that leave offer still on the table?” The young man mumbles out, tucking a piece of his messy hair out of his eyes. He watches Johnny slowly grin and chuckle before he pats Spencer on the head with a surprisingly gentle motion, his hand calloused and rough from his line of work. 

“Course it is, bonnie.” It’s a chipper and genuinely happy tone that Spencer doesn’t expect, a fluttering building in his chest as he looks up at the other man with a soft smile. He huffs out a small laugh, pushing Johnny out so he can pack. He closes the door with a grin on his face, giddy and excited and feeling like he’s wanted for him and not what he can do. 

It’s the first time he’s felt like that, he’s going to chase that feeling, desperate to know how much of it he is allowed. 

[autumnscribbles]

rooftop | b.s

summary: y/n and brad meet on a rooftop at a party where they want to break away from the crowd.

word count: 1.2k ish

a/n: hello!! first imagine in a LONG time! it felt super great to write again, i hope you guys like this one! i really enjoyed writing it. as always, my requests are open for anyone who wants to pop one in my inbox! love you!!

~

You sighed as you sat down in front of the bar again, asking for another drink. You were bored out of your mind at this party. Sure, there were people you knew, but no one you cared about enough to have a mindless conversation with. You were starting to get sick of the small talk about your new album release, boyfriend rumours, and how nice the weather has been. There was only so long you could plaster on your smile and pretend you were enjoying the conversation.

The bartender slid your drink towards you, and you nodded your head in thanks as you took a sip. You rested your elbows on the counter, glancing around for someone you would be happy to see. You weren’t met with any.

You started to ask yourself why you came to this party in the first place. Since you’ve started to gain popularity with your music, it felt like you were constantly going to parties and events. You didn’t remember anymore what your goal was when you came to these things. It was a nice event, though, you had to admit. The entire bar had been rented out, with great music, an open bar and lots of room to dance. Unfortunately, you weren’t really in the mood to dance this time around.

You looked over and noticed a staircase at the back of the room. You grabbed your drink from the counter, leaving money as you walked towards the staircase. After climbing up them you were met with a rooftop terrace. You smiled to yourself, grateful for the fresh air and the quiet. Well, as quiet as it could be with the music still blaring from inside.

You leaned against the balcony railing, looking out at the city skyline. It was beautiful, you had to admit. You took another sip of your drink, feeling more relaxed as you breathed in the warm spring air. You hadn’t even noticed that someone else had come up to the rooftop, too.

*

Brad leaned into Connor’s shoulder, telling him he wanted to get some fresh air. The party had gotten very lively, and the sweaty bodies around him were starting to feel a bit overwhelming. Connor smiled back, patting Brad’s shoulder before he walked off. He was planning on heading to the back door, before noticing a staircase. He vaguely remembered there being a rooftop area in this place, and he decided to go check it out.

He stepped up onto the rooftop, feeling relaxed as the cool breeze hit his face. He noticed someone else standing there, leaning against the railing and looking out at the city. He smiled to himself, it was always nice to see someone with the same feelings as him. He wondered if she was also overwhelmed and needed a break from the chaos of inside.

*

You heard vague footsteps behind you, jumping when you turned around and saw someone there. He was...well, beautiful. His dark brown curls rustled in the breeze, his shirt tucked into his pants. He flashed you a grin, one that you couldn’t help but return.

“Come here often?” he asked, his accent making you smile.

“Oh yeah, all the time,” you scoffed. “I just love coming to really loud places to do nothing but drink and have really two dimensional conversations with people I barely know.”

He chuckled softly. “Me too. It’s my favourite activity, actually.”

“I’m Y/N,” you said, sticking out your hand to shake his.

“Brad,” he smiled. “Nice to meet you. So you can have another formal introduction with someone you don’t care to talk to.”

“That’s debatable,” you smiled. You couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. Not only was he good looking, but charming. You suddenly found yourself wanting to know everything about him.

“So, who do you know here?” you asked. You kicked yourself for starting with such lame questions, as always.

“Oh, you know Reece Bibby from New Hope Club?” he asked, making you laugh.

“I do in fact, he invited me here too,” you chuckled.

“Oh yeah? Awesome. Yeah they supported us on tour a while back,” he nodded.

“I KNEW I recognized you!” you exclaimed. Reece had talked about The Vamps before, but you never really made an effort to know anything about them. Another musician, you knew it probably was not a good match. “Are your other bandmates here?”

“Yeah, they’re inside. Super drunk, obviously,” he chuckled. You could tell the way his eyes lit up when he spoke about them, and couldn’t help but smile at how wholesome it was.

“And how come you aren’t with them?” you interrogated, raising your eyebrows at him.

“Too loud, too sweaty,” he said, making you burst out laughing. “Didn’t feel like drinking too much, either.”

“I’m with you there,” you agreed, the music still audible over your conversation. “You don’t dance?”

He laughed loudly, making your heart warm. What was the hold this guy had on you? You giggled alongside him.

“I definitely dance,” he grinned. “You can be the judge of whether it’s good or not.”

“Let’s see it then,” you offered, motioning to the empty space on the rooftop between the tables.

“Oh yeah?” he teased, and you nodded.

He suddenly began dancing absolutely horrendously to the beat blasting from inside. You couldn’t stop laughing, wondering where in the world he pulled these moves out from.

“I can do better,” you shrugged.

“Let’s see it then,” he repeated your words, motioning the same way you had a minute prior.

You set your drink down before pulling out your absolute worst dance moves, purposely trying to be even worse than he was. The sound of his laugh alongside yours made you feel like there was no one else here. No party inside, just this rooftop.

“I must say,” he gasped through laughter. “That was probably the best thing I have ever seen.”

“Thank you very much,” you grinned, curtsying to him before picking your drink back up and sipping it. “I didn’t think I would be dancing stupidly on a roof with a boy I’ve just met instead of actually dancing inside where the actual party is.”

“Well this was much better, wasn’t it?” he asked, his cheeks turning slightly red.

“Hm I’m not sure,” you joked sarcastically. “I think your dance moves took years off my life.”

“Says you,” he laughed, throwing his head back.

You saw someone pop out from the doorway, Reece grinning as he looked at the two of you.

“Hey!” he grinned, walking over and hugging you both.

“Hey Reece,” you smiled. “I just came up for some air and was forced to watch this guy dance instead.”

“Don’t let her fool you,” Brad laughed. “She made me do it.”

“Oh yeah, Y/N can be quite convincing,” Reece grinned, giving you a silent look that said ‘you like him!’. You rolled your eyes in response.

“I’m seeing that,” Brad smirked, looking into your eyes.

“I just wanted to make sure you were good,” he smiled. “The boys were looking for you inside, Brad.”

“Tell them I’ll be back in a sec!” he told him. Reece winked at you as he left the rooftop and went back inside, leaving you and Brad alone again. You wished you could spend the rest of the night here with him, but people were looking for him. No one was looking for you, though.

“Do you want to come in with me? I think you’d love the boys,” he offered, giving you a smile you couldn’t resist.

“Oh, no, I don’t want to impose. I already know I’m a loser we don’t need to point it out more,” you laughed.

“No, really. I’d love to spend more time with you,” he said.

His voice was soft, and genuine. It had been a long time since someone had spoken to you that way. You believed him. Since you wanted to spend more time with him, too, you agreed. He stood up, reaching his hand out for you to take. You hesitated before grabbing it, letting him lead you back inside.

“Just please don’t bust those moves out in there,” you joked.

“Oh don’t worry, Y/N,” he grinned. “Those are reserved for your eyes only.”

You shook your head as you laughed, knowing you were done for. The boy on the roof had completely swooned you, stupid dance moves and all.

[wonhoscumrag]

Eren x Reader

Transfer Student Eren who transferred to your Uni from Germany for the semester but ended up staying and completing his entire degree in your uni,

Eren who started off as a business major and ended up in the same Children’s lit English class as you because it was an elective.

Eren who would constantly argue and bicker with you in class because you both had very different opinions on topics in class. 

The conversation had been going on for almost all of the class time now. You don't know what your professor was thinking by grouping you together with Jaeger. You damn near argued with each other in every other class. The professor put you in a group with Eren, Armin, and Sasha. He made the next class asynchronous to give you extra time to work. Armin figured that since the best place to work would be the class since nobody else was going to be there.

For the most part, everything was going well until Jaeger decided to open his stupid mouth. “I cannot believe that you think that Willy Wonka shouldn’t be held liable for what happened to those kids, you’re actually unbelievable Jaeger.” You spat out at him. "Ugh not again". You heard an exasperated voice behind you. It was Sasha groaning while placing her head down onto the desk. Eren raised his brow as he took small steps towards you. In all honesty, he didn’t really care that much about the topic of debate; he just really liked arguing with you. It did get him riled up and frustrated but it was entertaining. The principle wasn’t about being right, it was just about disagreeing with you. He took another step close to you and got right into your face. “He gave the kids clear instructions on what to do and they didn't follow them. They even signed it in writing and they still disobeyed. Why should he still have to take responsibility? Besides, it's not like anyone died. ” His thick accent made his words sound much more blunt than intended.

Before you could strike back Armin stepped in between the both of you. “Hey, come on guys, we still have to finish this assignment. We don’t even have to do Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, we can do a different story instead” He spoke softly and tried to separate the two of you hoping it would give you both time to cool your heads. “Business majors” you muttered under your breath as you both walked back to your seats. “Here goes Freud jr. trying to psychoanalyze me again” Eren spoke while rolling his eyes before he sat down. You gave him a hard glare and right before you were about to speak you glanced across the table and saw Armin's worried look. You sighed and tried to calm yourself down. Armin was right, we did have to work on the project. The due date wasn’t for a while but you were all swamped with work from other classes and this was the best time frame for the 4 of you to do the work and hopefully complete it early. You faced Armin and gave him a sweet smile “let's continue where we left off”. Armin breathed out a sigh of relief and opened his notebook.

A/N: Hope it was okay, this is my first time doing this and I'll probably add on to it whenever I get the time but I just wanted to put something out cause it was running through my mind. Also this was stemmed from a 2 minute conversation I had with my friend.

[musicismymoirail]

Since I've back on my Infamous kick, I decided to sit down and try to actually figure out Fel's look. I really wanted him to have full silver hair, but it wasn't working for me so black sides for a nice contrast? I like it a lot more, and it still fits his 'very much in love and inspired by moon thanks' vibes, lol.

I also feel a touch bad for him because boy is majorly dysphoric when people can see his freckles and natural hair color, but that's gonna be hard to hide while on a tour bus and in front of cameras constantly. I don't think anyone outside of the band has seen either, not even Orion.

And since I did this for X.O., have some silly headcanons.

• Band is Goodbye Blue Monday. It fit him better than X.O. and I'm glad~ They're more.... indie with folky and minor punky vibes? I always imagine it's a bit like The Decemberists or meWithoutYou's It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright album?? Like, this song is super Fel! c:

• Fel claims he was a remarkably stupid child, and his main story to back this up is when he was super young, he was terrified of darkness. He thought the moon was too, since it disappeared a lot so he'd sing to it to try to make it feel less scared. Fel's origin story for his singing and song-writing is just his weird compassion and love of the moon.

• Kid went to college but dropped out pretty early into his sophomore due to his crumbling mental health and realizing how much of it was simply trying to please his folks. I imagine this Didn't Go Over Well with them (especially Mom) and it's partly Fel has no love left for them. He may be a bit of a Stepford Smiler, but even he has his limits, thanks! 💖😤💖

• He went to Harvard too, so Mom might've been doubly upset he dropped out. He had planned on eventually going to Law School, but the Band and Seven won out (and he is happier for that, despite ...everything.) That being said, I always feel like his undergrad was in comparative religious studies or something. It just feels very Fel??

• The band's big hit is based for the old fable, the Moon and Her Mother. It became a bit of anthem of shitty relationships (parents) and gaslighting. There's a healthy debate among fans if it's about Seven (and if so, if Seven's the moon or the mother), Fel himself, Fel's own parents, or if there's any true-to-life to it at all since it is based off a fable. Mainly, Fel just hated the fable and wanted to write something for the Moon …and more parental feelings slipped in then Fel realized at the time, lol. Moon's Momma is harsh and Fel didn't realize how harsh at the time. :')

• While he's good at putting on a face and playing up his flirtious and carefree personality, Fel himself is a painfully sweet and anxious soul. Growing up was a lonely experience. His family moved a lot, though always in the Boston and South Shore area, and Fel found himself more often than not bullied by his peers. Weird, stupid, freckles, shy, take your pick. Kids found a lot of flaws to constantly pick and make fun of.

• Fel does have an (obvious) crush on Orion. Orion is a very attractive and smart and dedicated and witty. And more importantly, Orion is safe. Orion tolerates him kindly, but it's nothing more than that. It helps his heart after Seven. I think when he realizes that attraction isn't as one-sided as he thinks, Fel will have an absolute freak out. "Why would you even like me?! Don't you have better taste?"

• Kid's self-image is pooooooooooor.

• Fel enjoys cooking too! There's only so many tv dinners and take-out you can eat, but Fel grew tired of them both about he was 13. He's an exceptionally good cook and baker, and loving cooking for his friends. He makes them all special meals or treats for their birthdays every year and I can't wait for him to cook for Orion for the first time. c:<!!

• Also, Fel definitely has a Thick Boston accent when he talks. He's not embarrassed by it though sometimes he hangs his head when he hits the Boston especially hard.

• Kid also digs Clefairy despite his gothy punk aesthetic, much like X.O. digs Gengar despite her opulent pink aesthetic, lol. ^^;;;

[quibbs126]

Brain rot has smacked me with Rose x Earl Grey fanchild,if you want to ofc :]

Finally done with this one, this guy is Rose Tea Cookie

He’s named after rose petal tea, since well, Rose is roses, and it’s a tea like Earl Grey. Pretty simple

Rose petal tea (disclaimer I kept getting different colors of rose petal tea on Google Images, so I don’t know how accurate this is)

So I actually started on Rose Tea months ago, but I got stuck on her dress, since it was flowing but she was sitting. A common problem for me. Here’s as far as I got (disregard the top sketch)

Then later on, when I was asking for help on fankids, I was writing down Rose Tea, and I was saying I had thought Rose Tea should be a girl, and I thought about it and was like “well…Rose Tea doesn’t HAVE to be a girl”. And after making the post I started getting brain blasts about Rose Tea as a boy, and here we are

And also because if that journey, I kind of now want to make him transmasc in his canon, like he really did start out a girl but transitioned into a man

I have to admit, I didn’t actually need the rough sketch, I just made it because I wanted his eyes to be closed, and I wanted something that showed them open. He originally had more lashes but I took some of them off because I thought it made him look too much like a girl

I was debating whether or not I should have his hair just be red. As you can see in the top sketch of the old Rose Tea, one option was this light pink. I think it works as a good mix of Rose and Earl Grey’s hair colors, but it didn’t fit Rose Tea’s color scheme so I just left it as an alternate. Maybe if I make another they can have the pink hair (though I doubt I will)

Also I’m just realizing Rose and old Rose Tea have thicker eyebrows that I forgot. Oops

Anyways, so initially, Rose Tea’s suit was just black with some red accents, but I thought it was too few colors, so after playing around I got what I have now. I kind of wish his outfit had more black but oh well

Yeah I think that’s about it. Let’s move on to his character

Okay truth be told I don’t really have much. I think he’s like some sort of butler type? He’s a fancy guy, but I don’t know what exactly he is

What I do know is he can brew a mean cup of tea. If he works at Earl Grey’s hotel then it’s his specialty

He’s a very polite and mild mannered seeming individual

But also, he knows how to use a sword. I don’t know why I gave him one, but I felt like it just fit him. It’s supposed to be thorny with vines and I quite like it but I wonder if I jumped the gun with a thorny sword. Ah well, Rose is like the only thorny Cookie as far as I remember

I don’t really have much else. I feel kind of bad that I have so little to say; I have his vibe in my head but I don’t have specifics to say

But yeah, I hope you still enjoy him

[scleracentipede]

I'm not a system, so I don't think I could nor should write Scarecrow with DID, but I would love to hear your headcanons. I really appreciate new view points to stuff like this, especially when it comes from someone with the condition. Please, if you don't mind educating--I'd love to hear what you have to say <3

thank you so much sending this ask - i love to talk about my system!Scarecrow headcanons and to talk about DID in general

I have a lot to say so I'm going to put it under the cut so people who just follow for art don't get a wall of text.

If anyone else in our systems wants to add their own headcanons, they'll probably add it in a reblog because, in a specfically ironic system way, we have too many thoughts on this!

DISCLAIMER: I'm just one pwDID, not a medical professional. I've been diagnosed for nearly decade years but not all systems have or want to be medically diagnosed nor does DID/other forms of systemhood manifest in the same ways for everyone. This is not a post to debate systems on or for discourse.

Firstly, does DC Comics write DID and other plurality well? No. Does DID make someone a murder? No (side eyes every DC property where they give Scarecrow or another rogue DID and an evil alter).

Scarecrow having DID would not make them evil nor should they be wrote with a evil alter. They would be a person with DID who happens to also be a bit of an evil asshole.

So headcanons:

I think Scarecrow would have not been diagnosed until after ending up in Arkham but had suspicions of it and had been working on system communication based on their own knowledge as a doctor

They experience quite bad dissocaitive amensia and other dissociation which they can find quite disabling and disorientating but as a quite quiet person tend to keep this distress to themself.

They technically have 2 co-hosts of the system who front just as frequently as each.

I think their system overall prefers to be referred to as Scarecrow as a collective name (our systems collective name is PJ or Phantoms)

Thier cohost are Jonathan (he/him), who identifies closest with thier body, and The Hessian (it/it), an introject of the Headless Horseman from Sleepy Hollow.

The Hessian was formed as a protector to cope with thier abuse growing up and tends to front when they are doing Scarecrow crimes/fighting Batman as it tends to be more confident and less nervous then Jonathan.

Hessian is alot more confident when talking to people it has a crush on then Jonathan who tends to just go non-verbal if flirted with.

Jonathan however is the one who actually makes fear toxin and is just as deadly but in a more manipulative social way (Hessian is not the most socially aware). Jonathan tended to front for their job and he is more of an ANP (apparently normal part) though still struggles with severe anxiousness.

They have a few other alters who front less often including a trauma holder little named Keeney (named after their mothers' surname, any pronouns) who only really fronts around certain other rogues and friends who they feel safe with (e.g., Harley, Jervis etc.) or when fear toxined.

I also want to say they are all definitely autistic and their singing of nursey rhymes is just a stimming and grounding technique that Hessian uses when feeling switchy.

I think as well they have one alter who identifies as a woman which caused Jonathan alot of identity crisises as when she is co-con with him.

I don't think she often tells people when she's fronting and most peole don't know her name (Raven).

She is a bit of asshole and their systems' main persecutor as in she tries to keep them safe but just pushes people away out of a fear of being hurt and repeats the abuse they recieved from their grandmother as child in an attempt to keep them 'safe' by trying to follow those unfair rules.

(Scriddler Time) Edward prides himself of learning to tell whose fronting based on subtle mannerisms (and slight changes in their accent getting stronger) and often calls them by the correct name before they've even realised whose fronting or said so themself. (They secretly appreciate his efforts it makes things so much easier).

Them and the Two Face bond over their systemhood but often make each other very switchy by accident.

I could talk about this forever but if you have any specific things you'd like to know about their system/each alters relationship with other rogues/etc. please send asks!

Thank you for asking and wanting to learn! (We've loved your writing/memes/scans for years so receiving this ask made our day thank you)

-Horror (He/They/It)

[needtomakebetterusernames]

Headcanon of FNAF: (I got bored and decided to write something)

• Henry Emily served in the Vietnam war as a combat engineer. After his tour of duty, he vowed to build something that would bring joy and not destruction and death. Hence why he got into robotics and animatronics to create a kids restaurant. It would be in college that he met his wife and his future partner turned eventual enemy, William Afton.

• Michael Afton doesn’t speak with an English/British accent. He was raised in Utah and while I understand that his father was British, Michael was raised in American society and education system as well as the fact his mother was an American too. He does tend to use a British accent to mess with people or directly speak with his father. After being scooped and leaving his message, Michael Afton never uses the British accent again. Elizabeth speaks in a British accent because of her idolization of her own father. Evan Afton took after his brother until his demise in the hospital.

• Elizabeth Afton is actually a psychopathic and a manipulative child. She takes after William more than ever due to favoritism by her father and possible preexisting mental conditions (still debating on it). Even before becoming Circus Baby, she had tendencies to manipulate and lie to get what she want or to pin the blame on her brothers.

• Evan Afton possess the Golden Fredbear plushie rather than Fredbear due to the fact he ended up dying with the plushie in his arms rather than in Fredbears jaw. Michael found out after witnessing the plushie moving around and even calling him a jerk in the middle of the night for killing him. Needless to say, Evan did forgive Michael after realizing that Mike truly regretted what happened and the fact he was trying to do his best to atone with what happened and investigate the deaths around Freddy’s.

• Michael Afton was sixteen or seventeen when he was scooped by his own sister and the animatronics that formed Ennard. This happened in 1987 before the events of FNAF 2. He was either twelve or thirteen when the bite of 83 happened. As a result, Michael Afton never got a chance to graduate from high school, go to college or have a future family due to being scooped and turned into a tall teenaged purple zombie. (This part could change later on the more I flesh out stuff).

• Mike and Charlie were best friends and Mike often considered that they could have been more than friends in the future. However that was ruined when Charlie was murdered by William. After being scooped and trying to investigate his own home once he got back control of his own body, he discovered that William was the one responsible for her death. Mike was beyond pissed and when he encountered William in Fazbear Frights, he made it clear by using a crowbar on Springtraps kneecaps.

• Springtrap’s weakness is its knees. William Afton had sensitive knees before being springlocked into Spring Bonnie and that transferred over due to mixture of flesh and metal blending together. He learned this the hard way when Mike found him at Fazbear Frights and took a crowbar to his dad’s kneecaps on the day he first committed arson. William had managed to drag himself out of the fire but not without more damage to the suit. Even when he became ScrapTrap, his knees are always a weakness.

• Jeremy Fitzgerald is a veteran of Urgent Fury, having served in the 82nd Airborne. He’s not the same age as Michael nor knows him (sorry JereMike fans). He is the bite Victim of 87 and later on the same Jeremy in the VR department of Help Wanted.

• Mike Schmidt is actually a real person along with a fake name Michael Afton used in 1993. Mike Schmidt was the brother of Clara Schmidt who is Michael’s mom. He actually is the only member alive connected to the Afton family along with Michael (despite being a zombie). He is the one who encounters Michael and learned what the hell happened to him when they actually tried to apply around the same time at Freddy’s in 1993. In exchange for letting Michael use his name and getting this job, Mike began investigating Fazbear Entertainment and other places more easily than Michael while Michael was investigating on the inside at night due to his undead nature. Mike continued to help Michael even after the events of the Pizzeria simulator when Micheal Afton finally passed away in the flames. Mike was the one to make sure Michael was buried properly and given a place to rest.

• Gregory is not a robot or the crying child reincarnated. Rather he is the reincarnation Michael Afton given another chance at life (without realizing it) as well as in a position to stop William Afton again along with his followers. Hence why he’s a gremlin and has prior experience with certain tasks or knows stuff others don’t know.

[onyxisnotuniqueenough]

About Karen Page

so. i know this weird little argument should've ended long ago. but i'm in the process of rewatching the defenders saga and i'm actually in the middle of s2 of Daredevil....AND YES I WANNA WRITE A WHOLE TUMBLR POST ABOUT KAREN OK

but first, i wanted to give a little extra info or context or whatever i'm supposed to call it

here are the links to the posts relevant here

0 (me)

1 (me)

2 (me)

3 (nyxxhecate)

4 (nyxxhecate)

5 (nyxxhecate)

also the comments count too. look at whatever nyxxhecate commented on these posts

I unblocked nyxxhecate since i first blocked them, out of honest curiosity. right before i'm writing this actually.

I just wanted to see if they've commented anything else since then or if they made posts on their own about their opinions on Daredevil. Three of the links above are their posts, and idk if tumblr notifies for that but I still don't want to @ them.

I'm not interested in debating with them or starting another argument, and couldn't care less of they see this or not. I am not writing to this person like i was in my other posts, nor am i answering to their comments or whatever points they brought up in their reblogs.

there is ONE thing they said that rang with me though :

"knock your fucking self off that pedestal you're trying to put yourself in. Imagine the level of delusion one must have to think they're intelligent because, *checks notes* they typed in word salad to defend why they like two atrocious TV characters LMAO. You're on Tumblr not the fucking Congress, get a grip IJBOL"

I'm gonna be honest here - I DO enjoy typing word salad. I enjoy writing. I enjoy writing essays. I enjoy trying to use exact words to say what i want to say.

English is my second language, technically, yes, but I have been speaking it for more then ten years, and i'm doing my best to improve because i'm hoping that i'll get to work in english some day. My accent isn't perfect but I'm confident in my spelling and writing and everything.

I've been raised in french, I've done primary, middle and high school in french, and my uni is also french-speaking. I write everything in french all of the time. But since i've taught myself to think in english first sometimes, and none of my irl friends or family like Daredevil or Breaking Bad or anything i like in general - I don't get many chances to argue irl.

So yes, I use Tumblr as an outlet to type as much as I want, even if that means talking to a wall, but at least i get to talk about (IN LENGTH) things i love - and open some kind of discussion (although i'm not blind, i know that rarely anyone replies or anything, but that will hopefully come in time)

---

Now that that's said - let's get to the actual main course :

Karen Page !

As I've said in the beginning i am in the middle of s2 of DD, just finished EP6 : Regrets Only to be precise. I've already got a few things to say.

but first : I'll only talk about her in S1 and S2 and Defenders - because believe it or not, as much as I love Daredevil I AM SORRY but I HAVE NOT YET WATCHED SEASON 3. i miraculously haven't been spoiled about much, all I know is that Matt wakes up in church after his "death", boxes there, there's some kind of detective that seems important and he fights with Fisk again in his black outfit. THAT'S ALL I KNOW AND LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY.

So.

what do i, Onyx LastName, think of Karen's character.

On my first watch, I didn't like her at all.

Not because she was a "hypocrite"or whatever everyone else is spewing but because I had this huge crush on Matt and was jealous of her.

I'll admit, that's all that my judgement was based on. I thought I didn't like her chemistry with Matt, the way that it made the Nelson-Murdock-Page trio awkward, and how it left Foggy on the sidelines. I like him. I related to him. He was suffering of Sidekick syndrome, with Matt getting powers, getting to be the hero, getting all the ladies, etc etc. I spent my whole life and I'm still actually spending it feeling like I have Sidekick Syndrome myself. If you also feel like you got that you'll know what I mean.

"So Foggy has a special place in your heart. Boohoo. what does that have to do with anything?" You've read this far and you're JUST NOW running out of patience??

Since that initial watch, and after watching countless videos, reading countless fanfics, and honestly my taste just having changed - my perspective of Matt shifted, and so has my opinion on Karen.

I don't think i'm blinded by my attration to Matt anymore, even if he still holds a special place in my heart.

But unfortunately, I still have some issues with Karen's character.

I don't think I've ever really talked about it on here, except maybe with a friend or two in dms, but it's true that I don't really like her. Or how was she was written. This post is not structured or outlined, it's a stream of consciousness...so let's hope i get the answer to that by the end of it.

Now i'm nowhere near agreeing with ANY of what nyxxhecate said, but knowing I wanted to have a definitive opinion of her and make a post about it maybe, I've been looking at her closely during my rewatch - and there are some things I've missed.

So, first, to correct my previous post,

Why is Karen attracted to Matt in the first place?

I made my post about the Foggy and Karen thing before rewatching and refreshing my memory of the ACTUAL EVENTS. I just wrote that in passing after seeing a reaction of that "date" at Mrs. Cardenas.

Here is an updated take :

I think Karen fell for Matt when she first lied to him about keeping the Union Allied file.

You just lived through an intense traumatic experience. You find yourself with a bloody knife in your hand next to the lifeless body of someone you knew and found really nice. Someone tries to hang you in your prison cell at night to make it look like you killed yourself, and no one believes you.

until Nelson and Murdock come in. You're not sure about their intentions at first but they seem kind and most importantly they believe you and are willing to defend you. They're giving you a chance. Not good samaritans but literal guardian angels.

While Foggy is hesitant at first, Matt "I believe you Miss Page"s you right off the bat. (everything's a verb if you squint hard enough)

Matt invites you to his place and assures he'll protect you.

Matt opens up about his blindness and is willing to be vulnerable in front of you.

Matt gives up his silk-sheeted bed to make sure you're comfortable.

All of that when you're vulnerable and Matt is tall and handsome and has this charming smile and ugh. How not to fall for him ? I mean you're wearing his shirt and the beautiful pink lighting in his living room is making everything all romantic. Also if you've noticed the billboard outside his window is for "Xining Airways", company that uses CHERRY BLOSSOM imagery in their advertisement. COME ON.

But then you get to talking about the case again - I mean the reason you're here in the first place - and he asks you an important question.

Did you keep the file?

You lie and say you didn't, feeling your heart beating faster. You're not even sure that sounded convincing at all. And you see the cogs turning in his head, and even if he let you off the hook, you know deep down he didn't really believe it. May seem like me extrapolating here but it IS obvious that he doesn't believe her. But as long as he's not pushing further, that doesn't change much for Karen anyway.

I think that his expression reads that he's seeing right through her.

He believed her when no one else would the first time - but seemingly for no reason.

Matt just KNEW you didn't do it. He saw right through you. You almost feel like he knows what you're thinking.

And again, that kind of connection that you're feeling, in an especially emotionally vulnerable state - plants the seed for love. EASILY.

Any of their awkward flirting before they started dating i am willing to close an eye on.

AFTER THAT? that's just cruel to Foggy and unprofessional and weird in general. Why the HELL are you holding hands in front of whatever DA or cop you just talked to to walk in Frank's hospital room?

Why are you kissing in front of Foggy???

I can understand the thing at Josie's but when you're in the middle of dealing with an extremely important case and Elektra's driver shows up out of nowhere and you're abandoning your partner in a situation that you created and ugh. ew. It's all so weird.

I don't like Karen and Matt dating any more than I did on the first watch but I don't see it through jealousy-tinted glasses and more for what it actually is. misplaced.

Season 2 is the least favorite Daredevil season of anyone I've ever met or talked to and I completely agree that the structure is strange, even if I get what they wanted to do with juxtaposing

Daredevil/Elektra/Hand stuff

and

Matt/Karen/Punisher stuff.

This juxtaposition, while I kinda get the vision, just isn't working. The Hand is the worst plot I have ever seen in my life, and that applies to Defenders too, so that's one reason, but the fact that they tried to mix everything together at once just felt weird pacing wise - and they lost characterization on Matt, Foggy and Elektra's part. All three and their relationships with each other were written weird.

...

Let's get back on track.

Season 2, Karen spends her time investigating and defending Frank.

And that is what she's most criticized for : "protecting and defending frank's actions" and "condemning Matt's lying when she's lying herself."

Frank Castle is a difficult subject.

He is the subject of many debates, wether in the fandom or in the actual show. Is he a hero? Are his murders justifiable? Are Matt and Frank two sides of the same coin? What message is he sending to the audience? How should he be interpreted by his audience? Is Frank redeemable? Is he a glorification or a fetishization of everything that's wrong with the USA? and so on so forth bla bla bla

What matters HERE is what KAREN thinks of him.

Karen is a very determined and ambitious journalist, to say the least. She'd do anything to get to the truth. These qualities that seem very noble at first are also her main flaws. By putting the story first, she throws caution the wind and that very recklessness of hers is what kills Ben Urich, and what compels her to defend Frank so adamantly.

But there's a facet of her personality that I haven't seen being delved into or explained anywhere - her sometimes misplaced but very much there Savior complex, or White Knight syndrome.

She empathized and honestly liked Mrs. Cardenas (a cute old little guatemalan christian lady, who had no one). She wanted to help her. She felt that she was treated unfairly, that all the tenants were treated unfairly, and that was what prompted her to want to take down Fisk. Fisk was using, manipulating and stealing blind people who were already unfortunate. Fisk is lying to the public and hiding his true criminal activities. Savior Complex is activated, now Karen has to find a way to bring him down, even if that means putting her nose where it doesn't belong and provoking the death of Ben Urich.

Now let's look at the situation in S2.

She empathizes with Frank Castle (a man who's entire family got killed and now has no one). He has some kind of moral code that seems noble to her. She feels that he's being treated unfairly, that no one is taking his dead family into account, or what he's already done as a soldier. Frank is unapologetically admitting and sticking by his actions and his code. He doesn't want to hurt anyone that doesn't deserve, in his eyes, to die. Reyes is not upholding her side of the wit-pro deal (She used Grotto as bait, someone Karen already empathized with). Reyes was purposefully trying to get Frank the death penalty for her own gain (she had her eye on the mayor's office) and is hiding a shady past. Savior Complex is activated, now Karen has to find a way to prove that Frank's not all bad and to expose Reyes, even if that means putting her nose where it doesn't belong and overstepping boundaries when she's not a lawyer, and frankly doesn't deserve to get Ben's desk or his job.

When you finally pin down her behavioral pattern and why she acts how she acts, it's easier to understand.

So yes, I understand Karen. (In my opinion at least.)

What makes her who she is is that savior complex of hers, that MORAL code of her own. How she sees herself and what she thinks is her PURPOSE is how she justifies her mistakes, or the risks she takes, to herself. As means to an end.

She doesn't seem to doubt herself or question herself enough to see that her behavior, even if her goal is noble, is not always right.

Her believing that she acts as a savior to others is precisely what makes her a little self-centered.

And, because Matt has this problem too sometimes, she is an interesting character to compare to him.

But now, see, as i've spend a lot of time writing this, my own cogs are turning. I think I've identified what my problem is with Karen.

It's how she's framed. by the writers. by the show.

We see Matt's guilt but don't see hers.

We see his internal turmoil but not hers.

We see him doubt himself all the time and seek for answers in his faith or in people but not her.

If we got to see Karen doubt herself more, show more of her guilt over her killing Wesley, her causing the death of Urich, that would make for a much more likeable and relateable character.

When she argues with Matt or something, what she says makes it seems "hypocritical" of her not to hold herself to the same moral standards than she does others.

But I don't think seeing the flaws in others means you don't see your own. Again, if we had seen Karen questioning and doubting herself, and feeling guilty for what she's done (and not just crying or having ONE nightmare about it. Her trauma should have been more explored in general. from the beginning.) then we'd see that she is self-aware and recognizes her own mistakes and her continuing to feed into her savior complex is her way of finding closure. or trying to save herself from being completely consumed by her own guilt.

So yes. I don't like Karen, not because I don't like her, but be..cause...I wish... we'd seen more of her? or at least framed her differently?

I didn't think I'd reach that conclusion. I thought I'd actually find a real reason not to like HER.

But that's maïeutique for you i guess. or to put it differently, rubber-ducking, right? Isn't that programming lingo?

Also maybe i'm not completely over how Matt and Karen third-wheeled Foggy. or how Matt doesn't really fit with any of his on-screen love interests and how I wish they hadn't dated. but that's a story for another day.

Thank you for reading this far, if you're still here! Tell me your thoughts and opinions on Karen or my own way of explaining it :)

[sea-owl]

I'm on an omegaverse kick right now so when I saw one for @bitetonysassfest I had to do it. I'm still relativley new to writing NSFW so that part probably isn't the best but thankfully it's only a small part.

-

NSFW(ish) 1/23:

Trope: omegaverse

Kink: Dirty talk (I'm still debating if this one actually fits in)

Dialouge: "That's a whole-ass meal."

-

To be fair, Bucky hasn't seen Tony in those tight-fitting slacks he likes to wear during important business negotiations until today. Their omega claims he has better luck when wearing them. (Steve thinks what really happens is those perverted businessmen and women get distracted by Tony's ass and Pepper likes when those distractions lead to better deals for Stark Industries.) Steve also knows the other alpha is only one who understands Steve's appreciation for Tony's delicious booty.

So when Bucky got his first look of said ass in those slacks you really couldn't blame Steve for his reaction. I mean honestly why was Bucky even drinking water when their omega looked like a snack.

"Steve that ass is no snack," Bucky said in the loudest whisper Steve has ever heard in his life. "It's a whole-ass meal!"

Steve smiled that perverted smile only his mates got to see. "I say we go feast then."

"Okay," Tony muttered to himself. His AI glasses on, going over important notes before the meeting. "If we can get the board to agree then that would open the gates for Stark In- what the fuck!"

Tony looked down to see his two mates on either side of him, both of them had one cheek in their mouths. Whatever was not in their mouths their hands held.

"You heathens!" Tony exclaimed. Grabbing the first thing he could reach, Steve's mission reports, he began to wack them both. "I have a meeting!"

"Oh, come on Doll, you can be a few minutes late," Bucky said, breaking out the Brooklyn accent.

Steve nodded, his eyes never going up above Tony's belt. "Yeah, why don't we have breakfast first. You'll need it to keep up your strength."

Tony felt slick start to leak and damn super soliders and their damn Brooklyn accents they know Tony is weak for! Pepper will kill all three of them if he's late again. Wacking them wasn't doing anything as they both still reached for him, so he'll have to distract them. Fine then let's see how they like it. Snatching both of their wrists, Steve's left and Bucky's right, Tony shoved their fingers in as far as they would go and bit.

"Ow!"

"Tony!"

They pulled but Tony bit harder, making sure he's gonna leave a mark even with their stupid healing factor.

Once satisfied Tony raced out the door, jacket in hand.

-

What did you two do to him?! He smells like pheromones!

Pepper sent that text along with a picture of Tony's ass, which now sported two wet spots from where Steve and Bucky bit.

Bucky moaned looking at the picture. "Stevie it's not fair! How come those old lechers get to ogle our omega while we get wacked with your stupidly detailed mission reports!"

Steve ignored him while he stared down at the hand Tony bit. Half a bite mark was displayed. Half of Tony's mark was on him. Steve glanced down at Bucky's right hand, where the other half was. An idea half forming in his head.

"Friday can you enlarge this picture on the ceiling?" Steve asked the AI.

"Yes Captian Rodgers," the AI responded.

Bucky looked confused as Steve laid him back and then himself. "Steve not that I don't appreciate the view but what are we doing?"

"Tony bit both of us."

Bucky only raised an eyebrow. "Yeah cause he's our feral gremlin disguised as an omega."

"His mouth is imprinted on both of us from that bite," Steve continued, laying the the bite marked hand on Bucky's crotch. Taking Bucky's hand Steve laid on his own. "His mouth can take both of us."

Steve squeezed and Bucky moaned at the thought. Double filling Tony has been a fantasy for both alphas knowing Tony would be a drooling mess, but neither could ever get the courage to ask him about it.

"He start by kissing the tips."

Bucky began to picture it. Tony, the tease that he is, would give them both butterfly kisses before licking them like a popsicle.

"Slowly he'll take us in his mouth, but we won't fit all the way. Not with both of us."

Despite being a size queen even Tony wouldn't be able to fit both his mates huge dicks fully in his mouth. That's okay though, his talented hands can take over where his mouth can't.

"Bobbing his head up and down, maybe he'll graze us with his teeth."

Bucky moaned. He always did like friction a light touch of teeth gave.

"Sucking and squeezing. He doesn't notice our knots. Should we knot his sassy little mouth."

"Yes, fuck!" Bucky cursed as he felt his release. His hand was covered with Steve's cum.

Steve chuckled from his side of the bed. His own hand perfectly clean.

That's when Bucky noticed how sticky he was.

"What the fuck Steve!" Bucky cursed.

At some point Steve had taken off his pants but denied Bucky to do the same. Now it was like Bucky was a teenager again.

Steve laughed at Bucky's threats, checking his phone for the notification that just came through.

Actually, whatever you did today do it again on the 15th. We have a meeting with those stubborn fools from the Departments of Energy and Human Services that day.

For today's payment I got Tony to change into his red lace thong under his pants. He will be there soon.

"Bucky we're getting dinner and dessert when Tony gets home."

[aigoos]

Date Me | Oneshot Fluffy College AU Obikin | Rating: T | Words: 3,700~

Summary: Anakin was determined to get his professor to date him by putting "Me" in the date line of his exams.

This plot bunny idea was all due to Magnusbae's post about a college AU Obikin that would not leave me alone. Many thanks to Ineffableobikin for betaing and making it a lot better!  This is the first fanfic I have written since 2015.  I hope you will enjoy it!

*****

Why the kriff do I need to take history if I am a mechanical engineering major?

This was the thought going through Anakin's head as he sat in the back of the lecture hall, a bored and disgruntled expression gracing his handsome face. He glanced over at Padme next to him. Normally she'd sit in the front, but she was sitting in the back with him out of loyalty. She was poised and ready with her opened laptop and notebook with her favourite pen. Her posture was straight and perfect; Anakin was the opposite, as he slouched in his seat, with the laptop on the desk still closed. His notebook was at least opened, and he'd dug out one of those cheap pens that barely write.

"The least you could do is smile, Ani. Your expression could scare off a ghost at this point."

"Come on, Padme, you know I don't care for history!"

"And literature, and biology, and--"

"Hush," Anakin said, finally grinning. "I proudly admit that I don't care for subjects outside my major."

Padme giggled. "Yes, we all know you'd rather fiddle around with droids and other machines, but at least Professor Kenobi is excellent from what I hear. One of the best here at Coruscant University."

"Hmm. You say that about every professor, though. And may I just say that Professor Mace Windu from the last term was not excellent."

"Well, if you hadn't been tardy all the time--"

"Not my fault his class was at ass o'clock!"

"But you also did argue with him in our discussions. Rather aggressively," Padme continued, rolling her eyes in fondness. "I know he encouraged participation and healthy debates, but you didn't have to antagonise him about everything."

Anakin scowled. Before he could respond, the door near the front opened and in walked Professor Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin's breath immediately hitched. He quickly sat up, and his mouth opened slightly as he took in their professor.

Kriffing hell. He's hot, he's hot, he's super hot!

Professor Kenobi was tall -- not as tall as him -- but tall enough. He wore a white button-up shirt under a soft-looking grey cardigan with a pair of chinos and loafers. His copper-coloured hair was styled with a side part, and his beard was neatly trimmed. Anakin would never consider such a boring style for himself, but on Professor Kenobi, it was absolutely perfect.

"Hey," Padme hissed softly and elbowed his side. "Close your mouth. You'll catch flies."

Anakin quickly closed his mouth, and he listened to his professor introduce himself. Later, had Padme asked, he would not have remembered a single thing that was said. What he did remember was that heavenly voice with the amazing Coruscanti accent. That voice soothed his soul, and all he could think was just how it would sound and feel if Professor Kenobi was whispering such pretty phrases right into his ear.

He watched Professor Kenobi's demeanour -- so posh but also warm and inviting. The way he patiently explained the topic and answered the students' questions warmed him. His intelligence shone through, and Anakin actually found himself wondering what would happen if he were to have a healthy debate with him. Would it be intellectually stimulating, or would it be a frustrating bantha poodoo of a yelling match like with that evil Windu? Anakin hoped for the first option. Professor Kenobi was already a million times better than Windu.

Anakin never believed in love at first sight -- but he believed in it now. He was stupidly smitten with his history professor.

*****

"Ani, you want my history class notes?"

Anakin nodded with a sheepish grin. "Please? I'll make it up to you, and I swear, I'll pay more attention in the next class."

"Did Skyguy fall asleep in class again?" Ashoka asked, reaching over to steal a roll off of Anakin's plate.

"Snips! Get your own food!"

Padme ignored their usual shenanigans and slowly ate her food before answering Ahsoka. "He's head over heels with our history professor."

Ahsoka's eyes went wide. "Huh -- Professor Kenobi?" Then she grinned slowly. "Well, he is quite easy on the eyes, if you like them more . . . distinguished?"

"Old, Ashoka. You can say it," Rex interjected.

"He's not that old!" Anakin said with a groan. "Maybe he's about ten years . . . older than us?"

"Old or not, Ani, just know that I will not be giving you my notes all the time. I'm not your secretary!" Padme handed over her notes, all colour-coded and organised.

"Yes, ma'am!" Anakin took the notes and vowed to ace the course so he could get Professor Kenobi's -- no, Obi-Wan's attention.

*****

Starting from the next class, Anakin chose to sit at the front. Not only did that please Padme, but it allowed him to be closer to Obi-Wan. He purposely chose the seat that was directly across from Obi-Wan's desk, and it allowed him to pretend they were sitting together like on a date. The closer proximity excited him, and he looked forward to every class just for that.

Several things about Obi-Wan caught his eyes, such as the way he would run his hand through his beard when in deep thought, the way his beautiful grey-blue eyes sparkled as he told the class about a topic he loved, the way he carried himself with confidence and ease that just oozed sexiness.

Every class, Anakin just fell more and more in love with him.

History, on the other hand, still bored the kark out of him. He adored listening to Obi-Wan's melodious voice, but all the facts, dates, and other tedious information went over his head. Still, he tried to pay attention, and he worked his arse off with their assignments.

History, though, was the least of his worries. Amongst his friends, they may jokingly call him The Hero With No Fear, but Anakin was scared and clueless on how to get Obi-Wan's attention and to start "wooing" him as Rex called it. Anakin had never dated anyone. He'd been happy enough with a romance-free lifestyle as he tinkered with his droids and focused on other geeky hobbies. Obviously, that was no longer the case, but he had no idea how to take the first step.

He asked Padme for advice, and she said, "Why don't you actually try to get into history and ask him some questions after class to start up a discussion?"

Anakin pulled a face. "I'm already struggling to retain just what he covers in class. I'm reaching my limits with this subject!"

"You could just ask him out to coffee?"

". . . That just sounds like it will come out of nowhere."

Padme sighed. "Well, you'll figure something out. You've got that mechanical mind. Use it to find a solution."

The ideas he got from Ahsoka and Rex were ones he'd only consider if Tatooine froze over and all the sand on that dust ball was turned into real diamonds. The less said about those suggestions, the better.

It was during their first history exam that Anakin had a moment of genius. He stared at the top where it said "Date:________". And instead of writing the actual date, he wrote "Me".

This is perfect! It's not over the top like some of those insane ideas Snips and Rex suggested, and this doesn't involve me having to think of history topics to engage him in a long discussion -- this will do!

With an excited grin, Anakin finished the exam and looked forward to their next class.

*****

During lunch with his friends, Padme brought up his happiness from earlier. "Was it my imagination, or were you actually grinning like a loon during our history exam?"

"Oh! Skyguy finally loves history and not just the professor?" Ahsoka exclaimed with a knowing grin. She elbowed Rex in his side and continued, "Think he's actually using our ideas on how to woo him?"

"Like hell, 'Soka!" Anakin managed to blush and look slightly squeamish. "I'd rather bathe in sand than consider some of those ideas."

"Were our ideas that bad?" Rex asked with a deadpan expression. "I thought our ideas would work. If anything, they'd certainly make a lasting impression."

"Nah, he's just a prude," Ahsoka stated firmly. "When it comes to dating and flirting and all those romantic things, he's more of an old man from ancient times, doing the whole courtship thing with flowers and candle-lit dinners."

Padme laughed. "There's nothing wrong with that, actually, but really, Ani, what did you do?"

Anakin glared at Ahsoka before answering, "I just put "Me" in the date line." And he saw all three pairs of eyes stare at him in various levels of surprise.

It was Padme who finally broke the silence. "Next class will certainly be interesting."

Ahsoka and Rex nodded together and said, "Keep us posted!"

*****

"Mr Skywalker, please see me after class," was what Obi-Wan said to him while putting his exam in front of him. Anakin didn't even look at the paper; his attention was completely on Obi-Wan's face. It was fleeting, but Anakin caught the slight frown and the confused look in Obi-wan's eyes.

Anakin's insides churned unpleasantly, but he shoved those feelings of dread aside. He had to pay attention. He was also curious as to what he'd received on his exam, so he looked at his score and grinned. A ninety-two was not bad at all considering that his last history exam score had been a dismal fifty-five.

But worries began to bubble to the surface again as he wondered what Obi-Wan would do after class. Would he yell? Would he be disgusted? Would he tell Anakin to get out of his class? Anakin chewed on his lip as his brain spiralled all over the place.

Padme's soft touch on his hand drew him out of the whirlwind, and he saw her worried expression. Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile and mouthed, "I'm fine," and showed her his exam score. She blinked and then beamed while giving him a thumbs up. Anakin glanced at her exam and saw the one hundred, and he was not surprised at all. He also gave her a thumbs up.

They both returned their minds to their history class when Cody, Obi-Wan's teaching assistant, started the slideshow for today's lecture. Anakin forced himself to pay attention, knowing he would face the music shortly.

*****

Everyone left the lecture hall, and Anakin found himself alone with Obi-Wan. Anakin remained in his seat, and Obi-Wan stood and leaned against his desk across from Anakin. They both stared at each other, one with dread and stars in his eyes, and the other with confusion and curiosity.

Anakin broke the silence. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Obi-Wan waved his hand at the exam paper still on Anakin's desk. "You wrote something . . . unexpected . . . on your exam."

"What -- the 'me' in the date line?" Anakin asked, suddenly feeling brash. "It was real."

Kriff me. Could I sound any more idiotic than just now?!

Anakin forced himself not to cringe, forced himself to look as relaxed as possible. He also told himself to not look stupidly eager. He didn't need to look pathetically needy.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat, but he didn't say anything for a long while. So long that Anakin started fidgeting and he was about to say something when Obi-Wan finally asked, "Why?"

"Why?" Anakin echoed back in confusion. "Why what?"

"Why did you put 'Me'?"

Anakin blinked. "Because I want you to?"

"To . . . ?"

" . . . Date me?" Anakin stood up from his chair. "I want you to date me, prof -- Obi-Wan. I like you."

A frown appeared on Obi-Wan's handsome face. Obi-Wan crossed his arms before replying, "No need to prolong this farce, Mr Skywalker."

"Sorry . . . ?"

"You don't need to continue this joke," Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin looked at him with a stunned expression. "This is not a joke."

" . . . This is also not exactly appropriate since you are currently my student."

"I can wait until this term is over. I'd be happy to wait!" Anakin tried hard to keep the desperation out of his voice, but he was sure he didn't succeed.

"That's enough, Mr Skywalker. You may leave now."

*****

"He thought this was all a joke. Kriffing hell!" Anakin dropped his head on his arms and groaned loudly. "Why would he think it's a joke? I even confessed to him!"

"Hate to say it, but maybe you should have borrowed some of our ideas?" Rex said while he patted Anakin's back.

"Hell no!" Anakin exclaimed. "Don't even go there! I had no idea you and Ahsoka combined would come up with such super traumatising ideas!"

"Your loss, Skyguy," Ahsoka said, shrugging. "Don't tell me you're giving up already?"

Anakin lifted his head up and stared at his friends determinedly. "No, I will not give up."

"That's the spirit, Ani. What will you do next?" Padme asked.

"Let me think."

*****

Anakin's next idea was to write "Me" on the date line again on their next exam.

Cody wasn't there -- he was in another office grading some other things for Obi-Wan -- so Anakin dropped off his exam directly with Obi-Wan. He lingered as he watched Obi-Wan take his exam. He heard Obi-Wan's breath catch, and he met Obi-Wan's eyes, which were full of confusion. He leaned down slightly and whispered, "Not a joke."

To his immense disappointment, Obi-Wan didn't ask him to stay after their next class. That didn't deter him. If anything, it strengthened his resolve. Anakin did the same thing on the next exam, and he again leaned down as he turned it in, a bit closer this time, and said quietly, "Still not a joke."

Obi-Wan's eyes this time didn't look confused. Instead, Obi-Wan cocked his head to the side and gave him a slight smile and said, "Thank you, Mr Skywalker."

Like the last time, Obi-Wan didn't keep him behind after class. But Anakin felt like it was going somewhere.

"I think I'm winning him over," he told Padme.

"What makes you think that?"

"Last time he actually smiled and thanked me!"

" . . . But that wasn't really a smile. I saw it. It was very slight."

"Well, he couldn't beam at me like a loon," Anakin said matter-of-factly. "He's not the showy type."

Padme nodded. "That is true."

"I'm telling you -- I think I'll win him over." Anakin entered the cafeteria and looked for Rex and Ahsoka. "I'm trying to be patient. You know that's not my strong suit."

"Do I ever. I'm amazed by your patience, actually. Who are you? Did you get swapped out with a shapeshifter?"

Anakin rolled his eyes. "So dramatic! Why are we friends again?" Padme giggled at that statement, and they changed their focus to lunch.

*****

On the next exam, Anakin changed things up slightly. On the date line, he wrote, "Me please".

Anakin figured some politeness may help win him over. After all, it never hurts to say "please".

When Anakin handed in his exam, Obi-Wan's gaze immediately strayed to the top, and he raised an eyebrow at the slight change. Obi-Wan looked up into Anakin's eyes. Smirking a bit to hide his nervousness, Anakin leaned down even closer and whispered, "Still not joking. Please know that I am serious."

Obi-Wan inhaled deeply, and Anakin could see a slight flush on Obi-Wan's cheek.

Score! Looks like I'm slowly but surely making progress! With that thought, it took every ounce of Anakin's control to not pounce on him like a loth cat. Anakin could only hope that with a few weeks left in the term, he would convince Obi-Wan to go on a date. He was not going to give up when he could sense victory was so near.

*****

"Mr Skywalker, please stay behind."

Anakin's heart beat sped up when he heard the request. He looked up at Obi-Wan in surprise. There hadn't been an exam the previous week. He remained in his seat while everyone else left. As he watched, Obi-Wan rummaged through his desk and pulled out a book.

"This is for you. I ran into Professor Windu, and he mentioned to me that you're a mechanical engineering major."

Anakin's eyes bugged out. "How did Windu know that?!"

"Professor Windu, Mr Skywalker."

"Sorry," Anakin said, not really sorry. "I mean Professor Windu."

"Anyway," Obi-Wan continued and handed the book to Anakin. "This is a book I figured may be your cup of tea. It focuses on how mechanical engineering affected and changed history at multiple points."

"Oh!" Anakin breathed out softly. "I . . . this sounds like it is definitely up my alley. Thank you for thinking of me." He accepted the book gently, and he briefly flipped through it with an awed expression.

Anakin looked up to see Obi-Wan giving him a gentle smile. "You're welcome, Anakin."

Anakin. Obi-Wan calling him by his first name was a much better gift than the book. With a huge smile, Anakin said, "See you next time."

*****

"He gave me a book. And, and! He called me 'Anakin'. Sith's hell, I think I am winning him over!"

His three best friends all looked at him with varying levels of disbelief.

"I still cannot believe your method is working," Ahsoka said before stuffing herself with another stolen roll from Anakin's plate.

"It's a shame he didn't need to use our ideas," Rex complained with a grin.

"I hope this doesn't mean I'll have both of them mooning over each other in history class. Thank goodness the term is coming to an end soon!" Padme said over a huge stack of books.

"And I call you three my best friends? Geez, thanks," Anakin said sarcastically. "Remind me to keep you all in the dark from now on."

Ashoka laughed loudly, nearly spitting out her food. "Nah, we know you -- you'll be over the moon and will overshare everything with us. Can't wait for the sexy bits!"

*****

On the final exam day, Anakin was nervous. Not about the actual exam, which hadn't been difficult for him. He had studied the material, so he was confident he'd get a good grade. No, what he was nervous about was what he had put on the date line. He had written, "Me please, coffee later?"

He had a good feeling about Obi-Wan accepting, but a part of him still felt nervous. What if Obi-Wan had changed his mind? What if Obi-Wan was just being nice? What if Anakin had read all the signs incorrectly and now he was just making a fool of himself?

Anakin was really trying hard not to work himself into a tizzy. He had to calm down and hope for the best. Taking a deep breath, he took his exam up to Obi-Wan. This time he didn't linger, but instead he made a quick exit. All his insecurities were piling up inside of him, and he needed to escape somewhere to calm himself.

The only place he could think of that would calm him down were the flight simulator rooms. He headed to that section of the campus, and he was relieved to find them empty. Just before he could enter one of the rooms, he heard someone calling for him.

"Ah, young Anakin! It has been a while!"

Anakin looked and saw that it was Professor Plo Koon, who was a kind of mentor to him. The two of them had bonded over a love of flying and similar inclinations with mechanical engineering. He forced a smile and said, "Hello, Professor. Good to see you."

"Is everything okay? You don't seem like your usual self." Anakin allowed Plo to lead them into one of the rooms. They took a seat, and Plo continued, "What's the matter, Anakin?"

"I'm not sure if I can talk about it, sir," Anakin said gloomily.

"Is it a matter of the heart?" Anakin winced at the question, and Plo gave him a gentle smile. "Ah, I was right. I will not press, but let me tell you one thing that a wise man once told me. 'Do or do not; there is no try'."

Anakin stared at him and then chuckled. "I see Dean Yoda has rubbed off on you."

"You cannot deny that it is a wise advice."

Anakin laughed some more. He already felt a bit more relaxed. Plo had a calming presence that never failed to soothe him. "Thanks, sir. I feel better."

"Excellent, my friend. Now, how about a few rounds in the simulator? Best two out of three?"

*****

Two days later, Anakin found himself outside of Obi-Wan's office. He fidgeted for a few minutes as he stared at the closed door. He knew Obi-Wan was in there because he could hear soft jazz music coming through the door. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in!"

Come on, Skywalker. You can do this. Grow some kriffing balls!

Anakin breathed deeply once more and he opened the door.

"Hello, Obi-Wan."

"Hello there, Anakin."

Anakin saw Obi-Wan at his desk, stacks of paper all around him. Anakin glanced at the stacks before asking, "Isn't Cody supposed to help you with all this?"

"He came down with the flu," Obi-Wan explained and gestured at the stacks. "Thankfully, despite what you see here, I am almost done."

Anakin came around to the side of the desk. Before he could lose his nerve, he quickly blurted out, "Could we grab some coffee later tonight?"

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a soft smile. "Still not a joke?"

"Never. Not a joke, Obi-Wan. I wanted to do this sooner, but thought it would be better to wait until the term was over. I also finally finished that book you gave me, and I would love to talk about it with you since I found some of the items in there fascinating. Plus, I want to get to know you more, know you outside of school, so please--"

"Anakin."

Anakin knew he'd been rambling and was glad that Obi-Wan cut him off. He looked deep into Obi-Wan's eyes. He saw mirth and . . . fondness? Hope began to grow in him. "Yes?"

"Dear one, yes, we can go have coffee tonight. As a matter of fact, I wanted to take you to Dex's Diner -- it's my favourite place to eat, if you haven't been."

"Y-yes!" Anakin stammered out. "What time and where?"

"Seven in front of the university's main gate? I can drive us to Dex's."

Slowly, a huge smile appeared on Anakin's face. "Great! I can't wait!"

Obi-Wan reached out to hold Anakin's hand and he squeezed gently, and that sent a jolt of electricity up Anakin's arm. Anakin squeezed back as Obi-Wan said, "Then it's a date."

~ Fin ~

A03 URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50978791

[qwainte]

Here is an unfinished sketch of a Bully/Canis Canem Edit OC of mine. I'm not planning on completing this particular image, but I still wanted to post something because I said a while back that I'd share something about my OCs but I never did, so here is Brandi Torres!

My first fanfic that I posted on ao3 (you can find the link on my blog) actually includes her and another one of my OCs. I thought it was a fun way to introduce them while also writing a self-indulgent rarepair story, lol.

Some basic info. It might change in the future:

Full Name: Brandi Isabela Torres Romão Birth date: August 17th Age: 15 Height: 165 cm School: Bullworth Academy Year: 10th Clique: Preppies Hair color: Black Eyes: Light brown

Below is her bio that I created a few months ago, back when I said I would post a work about my OCs on ao3. I didn't really know how to write their biographies in a way that would be interesting to read and I wanted to push myself to post my art online, so I scrapped that idea. Again, this info may change:

Brandi was born in New York and was the last child of four. Growing up in the hustle and bustle of NYC, Brandi was exposed to the glamorous world of showbiz. Her father, a movie producer and director, and her mother, an acclaimed opera singer, provided Brandi with a comfortable upbringing. Growing up, Brandi would spend her summer holidays at her family's vacation home in the Hamptons, where she first met Bryce Montrose and was immediately smitten with him. As the years passed, Brandi's feelings for Bryce grew to the point of possessiveness, although Bryce remains unaware of this and continues to regard Brandi like a little sister. Brandi is equally blind to Bryce's non-romantic feelings for her, believing that one day they will become a couple. When she was eleven years old, Brandi's family moved to New England and enrolled her into Bullworth Academy at the suggestion of the Montroses. She instantly became fast friends with Pinky and Gord and developed close relationships with Bif and Fiona (OC) [I plan on posting her soon, I just need to clean up her sketch]. It was during her time at Bullworth that Brandi began to compete for Bryce's attention, although it was often given to Chad instead. Through it all, Brandi remains one of Bryce's closest companions. Brandi is a well-known figure around school due to her parents' influence in the entertainment industry. She's taken her love of the spotlight and channeled it into her involvement with the Drama Club. She offers a certain level of flair to school productions, but her overconfidence in her singing talent often falls short of expectations. She loves to show off her wealth and flaunt her parents' fame at every opportunity. Brandi takes great pleasure in throwing lavish parties and often invites less wealthy students as guests. Brandi is social and amiable on the surface but can easily display a nastier side to those whom she sees as obstacles. She is good at persuasion and manipulation and will do whatever it takes to get what or who she wants.

See? It's boring! Anyway, onto trivia i.e. info I'm too lazy to try and fit into her bio:

She and her father are the only ones in her family born in the US. Her mother and siblings were born in Portugal

Speaks with a Trans-Atlantic accent [Oh, to be a starlet in old Hollywood!]

Knows Bryce is broke and covers for him

Derby usually entrusts her to plan parties at Harrington House

She and Gary bump heads a lot as he doesn't care for her flattery at all. She also got him kicked off the debate team

Favorite color is white

Good at Geometry

Brandi is actually a composite of herself and another one of my OCs; Isabella was an OC I've had for a while who shared a lot of similarities with Brandi so I combined them together. Brandi's second personal name is an homage to Isabella

Thanks for sticking around this long to check her out. This is literally the first time I have posted my art on the internet, and honestly? I'm terrified, lmao. I always hated my art and rn I'm experimenting with a new art style so I'm unsure about everything. Hopefully future me doesn't decide to delete this post.