#/this man decided that a masquerade party was the best way to meet people

[eyehearthoshi]

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ key as romantic tropes!

pairing ⟢ kim kibum (key) x gn!reader

warnings ⟢ mention of injuries and use of the pet name “baby” towards the end. lowercase intended.

wc ⟢ 1.8k

author’s note ⟢ i obviously don’t know key personally, this is just me being silly goofy + delusional. so, he may be written ooc, sorry. !!this is very self indulgent!!

₊˚⊹ ☁ royal x commoner ☁ ₊˚⊹

if you don’t think that key gives off major royalty vibes, then i don’t know what to tell you tbh. i can just picture him in the fanciest regal outfits and i think he’d love to throw parties for his court. this is where you and him would first meet properly.

you were a royal gardener at key’s estate and you loved watching the parties through the windows because key is known for going all out on decor. one night you decide to sneak into a party, wearing your best outfit and donning a masquerade mask to match the occasion—thinking that no one would recognize you.

but key isn’t dumb, so he knows it’s you under the mask the moment he spots you amongst the crowd. he recognizes you, not because of your attire, but because he knows all the people he employs (you think this entj is not gonna supervise the running of his house? as if.)

he isn’t upset that you snuck in, in fact, he is quite amused at how you stare at all the facets of his ballroom with a smile on your face while moving along with the music that fills the room. you are incredibly shocked when you are asked to dance to one of the slower songs by a man in an ornate gold ensemble. it doesn’t take long for you to identify this man as your employer.

strangely enough, conversation flows quite naturally between you two as you spin around the ballroom for multiple songs. you both were lost in each other until a member of key’s court butted in to ask for a dance with him.

it was only after bowing to your partner and stepping off the dance floor that you noticed how late it had gotten. you still had work in the morning, so you decided to retire back to your room.

you tried your best to return to reality after a night spent dancing with key. surely he hadn’t known it was one of his gardeners under the mask, or else he would have never asked you to dance in the first place! that thought was sobering, but it didn’t stop you from picturing his deep eyes as you fell asleep that night.

the next morning was similar to most with you completing your tasks with the usual efficiency despite your thoughts lingering on the evening prior. you were tending to some rose bushes when you heard footsteps approaching. thinking it was your supervisor, you turned your head, only to be met with key standing above you.

it wasn’t rare for key to check in on the upkeep of his estate, but it was rare for him to approach you specifically. he usually communicated with the head gardener for updates on his gardens.

you bowed your head respectfully despite the nerves. did he know you snuck into his party? were you about to be fired?

“a late night of fun and yet you are still diligent in your work,” he smirked, “i’m impressed.”

your mouth gaped open, shocked at his forwardness before you sputtered out an apology. “i’m sorry, sir! i shouldn’t have attended last night. but i know my place and it won’t happen again!”

“that’s a shame,” he said with a playful frown tingeing his lips, “i was looking forward to more nights with my new dance partner.”

₊˚⊹ ☁ rivals to lovers ☁ ₊˚⊹

i’m picturing this in an office environment so good & great key energy. i think key would definitely have a rival at the workplace because he’s pretty sassy and ambitious which could create some tension…

both you and key are on the same hierarchical level in the office, but you often felt like he would look down on you in little ways. he’d always double-check your work before handing it to a supervisor and he never seemed to trust you enough to collaborate properly with you.

now, you’re a kind person and want to give key the benefit of the doubt. so, you decide to tell him, in private, that his behavior upsets you sometimes. you’re both mature adults, surely communication would be the best way to solve this issue.

“i’m only guaranteeing the success of our team,” he replies, “you can understand why it is important to make sure there aren’t any weak links.”

weak links? is he serious? that conversation did more harm than good for your relationship with key. after that, you worked even harder to make sure your assignments were immaculate so that the jerk in thick-rimmed glasses had nothing to complain about.

one day, your supervisor announced the opportunity of a promotion for one of your team members to fill a new leadership position. you knew that this was your time to truly show how impactful you were in your workplace. the issue was, key would also be gunning for that position alongside you.

late nights in the office became the norm as you worked towards your goal, spending hours on your computer until you got tired. key seemed to be in a similar boat as he typed rapidly a few desks down from you. you felt like you couldn’t call it a night until he did. problem is, he rarely went home before 10:00 p.m.

“do you ever sleep?” the words came out harsher than you had meant as you looked up from your screen to make eye contact with key.

you heard him breathe out a laugh as he turned back to his work, “i can’t sleep until everything is perfect.”

you furrowed your brows. his mentality seemed incredibly serious and honestly, quite depressing. perhaps it was none of your business, but your exhaustion-muddled brain diminished your usual filter, “i think you need to chill.”

key’s eyes shot back to yours in shock. you never really questioned his behavior after the first time you confronted him, so he wasn’t used to you being so assertive. he crossed his arms over his chest, “oh really? trying to get me to relax and forfeit the promotion? nice try.”

you shook your head, for once you weren’t thinking about the promotion, but rather the dark circles forming underneath his eyes. “no. i just think that you’re running yourself ragged and soon you’re going to crash.”

key’s accusatory stance immediately softened at your words, before he defensively turned back to his screen, “i think you should focus on yourself instead of worrying needlessly about me.”

you chuckled softly, “i don’t think my worrying is misplaced since the last thing you ‘ate’ was an iced americano at 5:00 pm,” stubbornly staring him down, you added, “just because you’ve been mean to me doesn’t mean that i want you to pass out.”

key sighed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses, “i don’t intend to be mean to you. i just…” he turned to look at you “you’re a brilliant person and i don’t want to see you waste your talent.”

smiling softly in the dim office, you stood up and reached a hand in key’s direction, “let’s go get a late dinner. i think we have a lot to talk about.”

₊˚⊹ ☁ overprotective x clumsy ☁ ₊˚⊹

okay so key is shinee’s mom we know this and i just feel it in my bones that he would be overprotective with his partner. this would be especially true if his partner was clumsy or accident-prone.

let’s just say that sometimes you weren’t the best with spatial awareness. you often bumped into walls and knocked against furniture. this became so normal to you that you honestly didn’t even notice the pain anymore.

that is, until you started dating key and he noticed all the times you bumped, slipped, or fell. not only did he notice, but he actively scolded you for your clumsiness.

“yah!” a shout came from behind you, causing you to turn around in shock. key quickly made his way across the room to where you were standing.

perplexed, you looked around for evidence of what you had done, “what?”

key slid a hand onto your shoulder that he had just watched slam against the wall moments before, rubbing it gently, “what do you mean ‘what’? you need to be more careful.”

you smiled at his words, knowing that he was concerned for you, “don’t worry, it doesn’t really bother me anymore!”

key scoffed at this. he disliked how little attention you paid to your injuries. even if they were minor, he didn’t like the idea that his baby was in pain. if it was up to him, he would be able to stay by your side and protect you from yourself.

certain injuries were more worrisome than others. for instance, a couple of days later while key was relaxing on the couch, he heard a loud crashing sound from the kitchen. alarm bells going off in his brain, he immediately stood and rushed to find you knelt on the kitchen tile, picking up shards of glass.

“what are you doing?!” his voice was more startling than he intended as he quickly knelt in front of you, gently taking the broken glass from your hands.

you took his annoyed tone to mean that he was upset about you accidentally dropping his glassware onto the floor, so you apologized, “i’m so sorry ki! i was going to fill it with water and…i can pay for a new one!”

key watched as you looked at him with watery eyes. he was shocked at your misjudgment, “you think i care about the cup?! i’m only upset that you tried to clean up glass with your bare hands, dummy!” he raised himself off the floor to grab the broom from the corner, “you’re gonna get yourself hurt and i can’t stand that.”

you swallowed and backed away from the chunks of glass on the floor, more emotions bubbling in your chest, “you can’t stand that i’m clumsy?”

“yes.” key looked at you sharply before changing his tone, “well, no. it’s not your fault. i just can’t stand watching you get hurt all the time,” he diligently swept the glass into the dustpan before putting it in the bin. he sighed, “i just feel like i should be able to prevent it.”

you couldn’t help but laugh, causing key to glare at you, “hey, i’m serious! you think this is funny?”

you reached for his hand, still smiling, “a little bit, but only because you can’t prevent me from accidentally hurting myself, baby.” you squeezed his hand, “it always makes me feel better when you care for me afterward though.”

key’s face softened at your words, “i’m glad. it makes me feel better to see that you’re alright.” he smiled softly, “so, will you allow me to check if you cut yourself on any of that glass?”

you rolled your eyes in good humor, flipping your hands over so he could see your palms. even if he was a bit excessive, you did love your overprotective boyfriend.

[kmomof4]

A Mistress to No One Part 2 Ch4

We are back, y’all! Part 2 begins with a bang and our favorite couple are reunited... sorta... Thank you all for coming along on this journey with me! I so hope you enjoy this new chapter and would love to hear what you think!

All the love and thanks to the ladies who helped in some way to bring this fic to fruition. @hollyethecurious​, for whom it was written, @jrob64​ and @zaharadessert​ for their betaing expertise as well as being sounding boards and plot buddies, and @motherkatereloyshipper​ for her manips of Leroy and Astrid, and Killian in the artwork. And another thank you to @jrob64​ for keeping her up WAY past her bed time as she helped me revamp the artwork... 

Summary: Bastard Emma Swan enjoys one night of pure magic and romance in the midst of a life of drudgery and abuse- attending a masquerade ball and meeting aristocrat Killian Jones. 

Two years later, the same man she met on the best night of her life reappears, saving her from a dire fate in the process. Now, she must keep herself from falling in love with a man she can never have. But when that proves impossible, is there any hope for a happy ending between two people from such vastly different worlds?

Rating: M (smut in a later ch)

Words: 5100 of approx 61,6k

Tags: Birthday Fic, Inspired by Benedict’s Story in Bridgerton, Smut, TW for this chapter only- attempted sexual assault

On ao3 from the beginning/ current ch

On Tumblr Prologue Ch1 Ch2 Ch3

New Tag List! Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

@jrob64​ @teamhook​ @winterbaby89​ @hollyethecurious​ @xarandomdreamx​ @undercaffinatednightmare​ @the-darkdragonfly​ @stahlop​ @superchocovian​ @pirateprincessofpizza​ @tiganasummertree​ @anmylica​ @cosette141​ @motherkatereloyshipper​ @zaharadessert​ @jonesfandomfanatic​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @jennjenn615​ @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​ @kymbersmith-90​ @booksteaandtoomuchtv​ @wistfulcynic​ @mie779​ @snowbellewells​ @lfh1226-linda​ @aprilqueen84​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @pirateherokillian​ @elfiola​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​ @justanother-unluckysoul​ @poptart-cat-78​ @myfearless-love​ @goforlaunchcee​ @searchingwardrobes​ @gingerpolyglot​ @gingerchangeling​ @djlbg​ @cocohook38​ @cs-rylie​ @thisonesatellite​ @donteattheappleshook​ @deckerstarblanche​ @veryverynotgoodwrites​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @fleurdepetite​

Under the cut unless Tumblr ate it.

Two Years Later

Alcohol and cigars. Card games and lots of women, both hired and not. It was just the kind of party Killian would have enjoyed more than a few years back, but it had little appeal for him now.

How he’d gotten roped into coming, he still couldn’t understand. It was a case of a friend of a friend inviting him to a party held by one Neal Gold, a distant acquaintance simply by virtue of their social standing. What he did know of the man didn’t impress Killian at all. He hadn’t seen his own friend for the last several hours and Killian decided he’d had enough.

Good manners demanded that he find his host and inform him of his departure, but he’d been searching for the man for almost ten minutes, and still hadn’t located him. Going back into the house from the back gardens of the country estate, Killian turned toward the parlor where a high stakes card game was in progress. One of the men was sweating profusely. Probably a single card away from losing his family’s ancestral home. Killian shook his head. He hated card games like these where the stakes were higher than the participants could afford.

A little further on, he could hear rhythmic grunts and moans coming from behind a closed door. Killian rolled his eyes. At least they’d had the presence of mind to shut the door before commencing with their activities.

If he didn’t find Neal Gold in the next five minutes, he was leaving, good manners be damned. He came across a couple of fairly sloshed party goers who informed him that their host, whom they barely remembered, was out front. As Killian left them to their revelry, he could hear them singing Neal Gold’s praises for his excellent hospitality. He crossed to the front door, thinking he could be gone in five minutes time. It put him in a much better mood.

~*~*~

It was high time Emma Swan found a new position of employment. It had been two years since she’d been kicked out of her own home. Two years since she’d been forced to be completely on her own. When she left Spencer House that June morning, she’d immediately pawned the shoe clips she’d taken from Cora’s closet. They’d brought her enough money to buy a ticket to Wiltshire, where she’d been lucky to find employment quickly as an upstairs maid to Robert and Milah Gold. An ordinary couple, they expected good work from their servants, but did not demand the impossible. After slaving for Cora for so many years, this job was a virtual vacation.

All that changed when their son, Neal, returned home from his European tour, about a year after she’d arrived. He’d immediately taken a shine to Emma and did everything in his power to coerce her into his bed. When his subtle hints and innuendos were rebuffed, he got more aggressive.

As long as Mrs. Gold was in residence, Emma felt safe enough. She didn’t think Neal would attack her with his mother in the house. But then Mr. and Mrs. Gold decided earlier in the week to visit relatives in Brighton, and Neal decided to throw a party for a couple dozen of his closest friends.

She should have left as soon as her employers did, but she couldn’t bring herself to simply leave without giving notice. She changed her mind when she spent the first few hours after they were gone, literally running away and hiding from Neal Gold. Once he was gone from the room where she’d hidden herself this time, Emma snuck out, packed her bag, informed the thankfully sympathetic housekeeper, and slipped out the side entrance of the house.

It was a two mile hike to the village, but the moon was full and the evening pleasant. She was in much better financial circumstances than she’d been in two years before, so she set out with determination and a bounce in her step. She came around the front of the house and stepped onto the front drive when she heard a raucous cry. She turned around and her jaw dropped in horror.

Neal Gold. Obviously drunk, looking even meaner than usual, and surrounded on either side by two others, who looked even more drunk than he was. Emma turned, gathered her skirts and the cloak she wore, and ran. She hoped he was drunk enough that he’d be unable to catch her, but he was several inches taller than her and carried no burden like she did. He must have taken her flight as a challenge, because she heard him whoop with delight from behind her and then begin pursuing her on the gravel of the drive.

Her heart was in her throat as she could hear him drawing closer and she cried out when his hand landed on her shoulder and dragged her against him. They were both out of breath from the pursuit but his arms around her were like iron as she struggled in his embrace.

“Let me go, Mr. Gold!” she demanded, trying desperately to keep the fear out of her voice.

“Oh, I don’t think I will, Emma,” he whispered in her ear, his nose running up and down her neck. His words were slurred, but they were dripping with lust and Emma knew she was about to be raped. “What do you think, boys? Peter? Felix? Should I let the lady go?”

“Oh, hell no,” the taller of the two said. Emma shut her eyes against their leering twin gazes. “Although, ‘lady’ might be a bit above her station,” he added.

“Too right,” Neal agreed. “This one is a maid, and as we all know, that breed is made to serve.” All three of them laughed and Emma felt herself pushed forward. She stumbled before she hit another solid wall of male flesh. “Have a look at the goods, my lads.”

Emma felt the bile rise in her throat as whoever held her fondled her with rough hands. She was pushed again, into the arms of the third, but before he could do more than snake his arm around her waist, she heard a loud voice from the direction of the house.

“Gold,” the voice called. Emma tried to contain her terror and despair. Dear God! Weren’t three enough?

“Jones,” Neal called. Emma’s eyes flew open. “Come join us!” Neal sounded much more sober now and quite delighted with himself.

Jones? Emma thought. She turned toward the house to see a tall, well built man coming toward them. The lights from the house kept his face in shadow, but somehow she knew exactly who it was.

“What have we here?” the man asked.

Dear God in heaven, she’d know that voice anywhere. The one that haunted her dreams. It was Killian Jones.

~*~*~

Killian emerged onto the front portico and took a deep breath. The night air was cool and free from the smoke he’d been forced to endure while inside. He opened his eyes and could see movement of several people further down the drive, but he was too far to see who it was. He moved down the front steps and ambled in their direction.

“Gold!” he called, hoping that if one of the persons was not Gold himself, they’d at least know where to find him.

“Jones,” a voice replied. “Come join us!”

Killian moved a bit faster, pleased to have found his host at last. As he came closer he could see that Gold and his companions were surrounding a young woman. She wasn’t dressed like one of the guests of the party, and so he assumed she must be a servant. He wasn’t yet close enough to discern whether she was enjoying the attentions of the men around her, but if she wasn’t, he had far too many younger sisters to ignore her plight.

“What have we here?” he asked as he could finally see the faces of all four persons. The young woman’s face was utterly terrified, and Killian’s fury rose. One of the men had his arm snaked around her waist, holding her tightly against him, her back to his front. He could see the man’s other hand groping and kneading the girl’s ass.

“Just a bit of sport,” Neal answered. “My parents were kind enough to hire this prime specimen as an upstairs maid.”

Killian took a deep breath, keeping a very tight lid on his rage. He didn’t doubt that he could make very short work of all three men, but it was always better to hold those passionate emotions close to the vest, keeping his adversaries blind to exactly how much danger they were in.

“She does not seem to be enjoying your attentions,” Killian murmured.

Neal scoffed. “She’s enjoying it just fine,” he said, grinning lecherously. “Fine enough for me, anyway.”

“But not for me,” Killian said, stepping closer to where the girl was still held tightly around the waist.

“You can have a turn with her,” the man holding her said, “just as soon as we’re done.”

Killian chuckled lightly. “No, you misunderstand.” He moved into the man’s space and looked him square in the eye, a hard edge to his voice that even someone as drunk as he was should be able to understand. “Release the girl.” He watched as the man’s countenance ran through lust, humor, confusion, and finally to understanding. “I don’t want to fight you. And believe me when I say, you do not want to fight me.” The man’s eyes skittered over to where Neal Gold still stood, sputtering in his anger.

“You can’t just come in here and take her away from us!”

Killian raised an eyebrow. “And why not? I don’t believe rape is legal in this country. And I’m quite confident in my assessment that that is what you intended to do. Am I right?”

“She’s my maid and she has to do what I say,” Neal insisted, sounding more like a petulant child than a man.

“She’s your parents’ maid, you jackass,” Killian replied. “So no, she doesn’t have to do what you say.” None of the men moved to release the girl, so Killian rolled his eyes before his right fist shot out, catching the empty handed young man square in the face. He fell to the ground, blood spurting from his broken nose as he howled into the night sky.

Neal moved toward him then, his fist poised to strike. Killian caught it in his hand and twisted hard to the right until he heard the bone crack, bringing Neal to his knees. Killian released the man’s fist and readied his own punch, knocking Neal out cold. Killian turned to where the third man still held the girl against him. As soon as he caught Killian’s gaze, he released her, his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

“Get out of my sight,” Killian growled. The man needed no other urging. He turned and fled, leaving Neal and the other man still on the ground.

Killian turned to the young woman. “Are you alright?”

She was still too terrified to speak, and so nodded instead.

“Do you need to pack anything?” He noticed then a small bag laying on the ground. “Is this yours?” he asked, picking it up and handing it to her. She nodded, still looking like a rabbit caught in a snare.

He held his elbow out to her and waited until she looped her own through it. “Come with me,” he said, patting her hand in comfort. “I assume you were leaving the Gold household when they caught you?” he asked, looking down at her. She nodded again.

Killian inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. She was still in a bit of shock after her ordeal and Killian thanked God he had come along when he did. “Where were you going? Do you know?” When she only shook her head in answer, he stopped them in the middle of the drive.

“I planned to journey to My Cottage, which is about an hour away to spend the night before returning to London tomorrow. I can take you with me, if you’d like. I’m sure I could find employment for you in my mother’s household in London.” He couldn’t see her eyes very well under the full moon, but he could see them widen slightly in surprise at his offer. “I assure you, you’ll be properly chaperoned while at My Cottage. The caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Miner, will not allow anything untoward to happen.” He paused for a moment to see if she would respond verbally. When she didn’t, he spoke again, injecting as much calm and sincerity into his words as possible. “You have nothing to fear from me.”

She looked up and into his eyes, and he had the strangest feeling that he knew her somehow.

Her voice was no more than a whisper and if he hadn’t been standing so close to her, he would have missed her words.

“I know.”

~*~*~

Ten minutes later, Emma sat next to Killian Jones in his phaeton on their way to his cottage. She was still having trouble coming to terms with this sudden chain of events, and an apparent reversal in her fortunes.

When Neal caught her, she’d never felt such terror in her life. At the very least, she knew he planned to use her to fulfill his base desires, and then pass her around to his companions as if she was nothing more than a hired whore. Her stomach still churned with anxiety over the fate from which Killian had saved her.

And then there was Killian himself. The moment she recognized his voice, she couldn’t contain her shock and dismay. When she’d met him two years prior, he didn’t seem the type to attend these kinds of gatherings, filled with debauchery and depravity. But then, she’d only spent a couple of hours with him. And just because she felt a connection with him- a soul deep connection she’d never felt with anyone before- didn’t mean that she knew what kind of man he truly was. But he had saved her. That was irrefutable fact.

“Thank you.”

He turned his head to her, startled. “For what?”

She turned and stared at him. Did he truly not know? Emma prided herself on being able to tell when someone was lying to her, and as she searched his face, she saw no artifice, no cunning or craftiness there to contradict the plain meaning of his words.

“You saved me,” she explained. “I don’t think I adequately expressed my sincere appreciation for that. Three against one, most men wouldn’t have intervened.”

“I have four younger sisters,” he told her. “There’s no way under heaven I would have left you to your plight.”

“Still,” she looked down at her hands clasping the small bag that held everything she owned. “It meant everything to me.” She turned and looked at him again. “Thank you.”

He held her eyes a moment before speaking. “You’re welcome, Miss…?”

“Swan,” she informed him. “Miss Emma Swan.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Emma Swan,” he said, a smile on his lips. “I am Mr. Killian Jones.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Killian Jones.” She returned his smile with one of her own and tried very hard to tamp down her racing heart. She never thought she’d see him again, and sitting here next to him now, on her way to his cottage, and presumably to London on the morrow to be employed in his mother’s household, all the dreams she’d had of him came flooding back.

There hadn’t been a single day in the last two years she hadn’t thought of him. It was the only thing that brought any joy to her drab and dreary existence. Her dreams ran from the impossible to the purely fantastical. Meeting him at a ball thrown by her loving and devoted parents, followed by a true and genteel courtship. Or, Killian Jones finding her somehow, recognizing her as the lady he taught to dance at his mother’s masquerade ball, and saving her from a life of servitude. Of course, the dream ending the same way they all did- him sinking to one knee before her, declaring his everlasting love and devotion, and asking for her hand in marriage. Followed, of course, by several children. All born within the sanctity of marriage. It was a lovely thought.

But this reality was far different. Yes, he had saved her from a fate worse than death, but he didn’t recognize her. At all. And when she thought about it, she realized there was no real reason for him to recognize her.

Two years ago, a mask had covered half her face and she was dressed like a princess. There was a world of difference between that night and this. She looked down at her clothing- a simple cream, woolen dress covered with a dark blue cloak that tied at the neck. People saw what they expected to see, and there was no trace of the fairytale princess from two years ago in the appearance of a humble housemaid this night.

“You have a very refined accent for a housemaid,” he said suddenly.

She wasn’t terribly surprised at his statement, as she’d heard it often over the years. As such, she had a stock answer already prepared.

“My mother was a housekeeper and the family she worked for was very kind and generous, allowing me to take lessons with their daughters.”

Killian’s eyebrow raised slightly and he nodded in understanding. “I assume you’re not speaking of the Gold’s,” he said.

Emma shook her head. “No.”

“What made you leave?”

Emma tried to contain her surprise. No one had ever cared enough to seek more information about her upbringing. It took her a moment to come up with something that made sense.

“My mother passed on and I didn’t get along with the new housekeeper,” she finally settled on.

“I see.”

They both fell silent for a time, the only sounds the whistling of the wind and the clip clop of the horses’ hooves on the road. Emma looked up, noticing the full moon was now obscured by clouds.

“Was that a raindrop?” she asked as she ran her hand across the top of her head where something had just landed.

Killian looked toward the sky. “It didn’t look like rain when we left, but I do believe you’re right.”

“How far are we from this cottage of yours?”

“Still about thirty minutes, I believe.”

Although she didn’t relish getting caught out of doors in a storm, Emma smiled.

“I don’t mind a little rain,” she said, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. “There are far worse things than getting wet.” They both knew exactly what she spoke of.

It was only moments later that the skies opened, drenching them both in just a few minutes.

“I’ll get there as fast as I can,” Killian shouted over the wind and rain.

“Don’t worry about me,” Emma shouted back. Killian looked over at her and saw the way she clutched her arms and hunched in on herself, trying to present as small a target for the furious weather as possible.

“Let me give you my coat,” he shouted again, trying to get an arm out while still controlling the horses with the other.

Emma laughed. “That will only make me wetter,” she observed, “with it as soaked as it is.”

Killian shrugged in acquiescence and flicked the reins for the horses to pick up the pace. But the road was becoming muddy now and he sighed in annoyance.

This was just what he needed. He’d had a bloody awful head cold all last week that he’d just recovered from- he probably could’ve used it as an excuse to avoid Gold’s party, if he’d thought of it. But then, he wouldn’t have been there to save Emma, so he couldn’t truly regret it- and now driving through a blinding, freezing rainstorm was likely to set him flat on his back again.

Although, if he was forced to stay at My Cottage for more than just a single night, his mother wouldn’t be able to force him to attend every single party in town. Granted, she only wanted to see him happily settled down like Liam and Belle, but he knew the difference between his two beloved siblings and himself was that they had both married the right people- people they truly loved and were happy with. Killian, on the other hand, hadn’t met the right person yet.

Well… then again... His mind wandered back a couple of years to his mother’s masquerade ball. He had met someone that night. Someone who set his heart racing and made him believe that perhaps there was someone out there for him. As he led her in her very first waltz out there on the terrace, he felt a connection with her that he’d never known in all his born days. A desire, so much more than simple lust, a desire to know her, protect her, love her.

But her disappearance made that longing all but impossible to fulfill. It was as if she'd fallen off the face of the earth. Descending from heaven for that one night, making him think about his future for the first time in his life, filling him with hope, only to be snatched away and taken back to where she belonged.

When calling on the Spencer household looking for her proved fruitless, he’d had to simply look for her at every ball and social event of the season. And every season since. It had simply become part of who he was. He was Killian Jones. He had seven brothers and sisters, he was quite skilled with a sword and a drawing charcoal, and he always kept his eyes open for the one woman who had touched his soul.

He knew she was out there somewhere, and while he also knew it was high time he married, he couldn’t quite muster up the enthusiasm to do so. What if he were to marry and the very next day, he found her? It’d be enough to break his heart.

No, it wouldn’t. It’d be enough to shatter his soul.

Killian breathed a sigh of relief as the village near My Cottage came into sight. That meant they were only a very few minutes away and he flicked the reins again to get the horses to move just a bit faster. He couldn’t wait to get inside and into a warm bath.

He glanced at his companion, who shivered under the weather’s onslaught. She hadn’t offered a single word of complaint and he tried to think of any female of his acquaintance who would have held up to the elements with such fortitude and grace. He couldn’t think of a single one. Even Belle, who was as good of a sport as any, would have been howling about the cold by now.

“We’re almost there,” he shouted, moments before he was seized with a fit of coughing. The deep kind that rattled down in the bottom of one’s lungs. They felt like they were on fire and his throat felt as if a razor had been taken to it.

“Are you alright?” she shouted. He turned to look at her. Her face was filled with concern, but he couldn’t respond before another coughing fit took him.

Once he got control of himself, he tried to wave aside her concern. “I’m fine.” He flicked the reins again, trying to make up for the lack of direction when he’d been coughing.

“You don’t sound fine.”

“Had a head cold last week,” he tried to explain before another round of deep coughs racked him. Damn, his lungs were sore. “Must have moved down.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “That does not sound like your head.” Another round of coughs took him and Emma reached for the reins. “Let me drive.”

He jerked his head toward her and the reins away from her. “I can drive!” he exclaimed, a bit indignant. His words were negated, however, when yet another deep seated cough overtook him. Emma reached for the reins again as he got himself under control. She flicked them and the horses picked up the pace.

“And how,” he said before being interrupted with another cough, “do you know how to drive a phaeton?”

“The same family I took lessons with,” she informed him.

“The lady of the house must have really liked you,” he observed.

Emma couldn’t quite hide her smirk as she remembered how Cora always vociferously objected when her father insisted that Emma receive the same lessons her girls did. All three of them had learned to drive a team the year before the earl died.

It was nice to find she could still do something from her previous life. There were some things you just didn’t forget how to do, she supposed. She’d worn fine clothes then, had good food to eat, and had interesting lessons. She sighed. It hadn’t been all bad.

“What’s wrong?” Killian shouted over the wind.

“Nothing,” she shouted back.

“You sighed.”

She turned incredulous eyes on him. “You could hear me over the wind?”

“I’ve been paying close attention.” He coughed deeply again. “I’m sick enough without you landing us in a ditch. Turn right right here.”

She took the turn without bothering to reply to his other statement.

“What’s the name of this cottage of yours?”

“My Cottage.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I might have known.”

Killian smirked. The effect was rather pitiful with as sick as he obviously was. “I’m not kidding.”

“Oh, I believe you,” she assured him. And sure enough, just a minute or two later, they arrived at the gate of an elegant country house, a small unassuming sign upon it which read ‘My Cottage’.

“The previous owner named the house,” Killian explained as he directed her to the stables. “But I thought it fit me as well.”

She looked at the house, which was not nearly as large as where they’d come from, but was by no means a humble dwelling. “You call this a cottage?”

“No, the previous owner did,” he replied. “You should have seen his other house.”

A few minutes later, they were out of the rain and Killian was trying to unhitch the team. His fingers were trembling with the cold.

“Here, let me help,” Emma said, stepping up beside him.

“I can do it,” he insisted.

“Of course, you can,” she placated him, “but it will go faster with help.”

They worked side by side until Killian was wracked with coughs once again. Emma didn’t like the rattle she heard coming from his chest, even after the coughing itself subsided. She took his arm and led him to a bench along the wall.

“Please sit down,” she begged him. “I can finish this.” To her surprise, he didn’t object.

“I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely. “Not very gentlemanly of me.”

“I think you can be excused given what you did earlier,” she told him. She tried to give him a smile, but for some reason it wobbled and she found that she was suddenly near tears. She turned back to the team, hoping he didn’t catch it. Her fingers trembled with the cold and a sudden barking sob escaped her.

Only a moment later, he was by her side and she was in his arms. He held her tightly as she cried, whispering soothing words in her ear, his hand rubbing circles along her back.

She cried for everything. She cried for what could have been her fate earlier this evening, she cried for her fate since she came to Spencer Hall all those years ago, she cried for the memory of being in his arms at the masquerade, and she cried for being in his arms right now.

She cried because he was so kind to her. Even though she was nothing to him- nothing but a housemaid- he still felt the need to care for her, to protect her. She cried because she hadn’t let herself cry in years and she cried because she was so alone.

Her tears finally subsided. Killian pulled back and looked her directly in the face. “Better?” he asked.

“Yes,” she nodded, because she did actually feel better.

“Good,” he said, before another deep cough seized him.

“We really need to get you inside, out of the rain,” she said.

“Yes,” he agreed. “Race you to the door.” Emma’s eyes widened in surprise, stunned that he had the strength to make a joke like that. But he was off like a shot and she took off after him. By the time she joined him under the covered front porch, she was laughing with the exertion and the sheer ridiculousness of running through the rain to get out of the rain when they were already soaked to the skin. Killian banged on the door.

“Don’t you have a key?” Emma shouted.

Killian shook his head. “I wasn’t planning on stopping.”

“Do you think the caretakers will even hear you?”

“I bloody well hope so,” he muttered.

Emma looked at the darkened windows of the first floor. “It seems very dark,” she observed. “Are you sure they’re even here?”

“I don’t know where else they’d be.”

Emma was starting to think there was no one here to let them in. “I think you might need to start looking for an open window.”

“Not necessary,” he told her. “I know where the spare key is kept.”

“Ok, why the frown then?”

He coughed several times and then sighed. “Because it means I have to go back out into the bloody storm.”

Emma knew he must be nearly to the end of his patience. He’d cursed twice in the last few minutes, and he didn’t seem the type to curse in front of a lady. Even a housemaid.

“Stay here.” He dashed back out into the rain and it was only a few minutes later that she heard the doorknob rattle from the inside. The door swung open revealing a dripping wet Killian Jones holding a candle. “I don’t know where Mr. and Mrs. Miner are, but they are definitely not here.”

“We’re alone?” she asked.

“Completely,” he confirmed.

“I- I’d better find the servants quarters,” she stammered. He grabbed her arm.

“Oh, no you won’t,” he growled.

“I won’t?”

He shook his head. “You, my dear, aren’t going anywhere.”

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! Still deciding whether to keep with the twice a week posting schedule or go to weekly, but I will tell you, if I don’t post the next ch on Wednesday, I WILL post a sneak peek. Until then, y’all!

[mateoreyes]

Mateo Reyes, 2021 NYE Look

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

|| Main Masterlist || A/N: all reader inserts are female unless otherwise stated. These are as inclusive as possible and only description that may be included is if reader has hair (mostly used in rough smut scenes). Banners by the wonderful @firefly-graphics KEY: ⁂ = smut † = death ⨮ =angst ꕥ = fluff ⧻ = 500+ notes

ONE SHOTS MASTERLIST HERE

Family First ꕥ || Parallel Story ꕥ || Prequel Blurb ꕥ  ➴ You and Bucky decided from the start you would be safer if no one knew about you or your child. The Fire Within ⁂ ⧻ || Prequel: Fire and Ice ➴ Enemies to lovers, angry sex Ships In The Night ꕥ || Part Two ꕥ⁂ || Empath/Telepath!reader ➴ You meet a man in the dreamscape and try to help him through his nightmares, the problem with dreams is you forget them when you wake Love ‘em and leave 'em ⁂ || Part Two ⁂ || Part Three ⁂ ➴ You use Bucky for a good time, no strings attached.  Back To You ⁂ ꕥ ⧻ || Part Two ➴ You and Bucky decide to give marriage another try Take You Away ꕥ ⧻ || Part Two ⨮ ➴ Bucky saves you from an abusive boyfriend.

Make It Better ⁂ ⧻ ➴ Thruple with Bucky and Steve after you get hurt. The Mad Hatter and Captain Underpants ⁂ ⧻ ➴ Halloween special Morning Sex ⁂ ⧻ ➴ A morning wake up of the best kind. Claws Out ꕥ || Part Two ⁂ || Part Three ⁂ ➴ You find two people you can trust with your life. Birthday Wishes ꕥ ➴ Your boyfriends spoil you on your special day (2) + 1 ⨮ ➴ A year after breaking up, you cross paths with your ex’s: Stucky More Than A Service ꕥ || mechanic au ➴ Life gets tough when you find yourself attracted two men equally

Two Minds, One Body - Bucky/Winter Your husband owes money to the wrong people and you are the collateral. ➴ Part One ⁂ ⧻ ➴ Deleted Scene ➴ ➴ Part Two ⁂ ➴ ➴ ➴ Part Three ⁂ ➴ ➴ ➴ ➴ Part Four ⁂

Lioness When your husband, Bucky, is kidnapped there is only one person you can rely on to save him - yourself. ➴ The Prequel ⁂ † ➴ ➴ Part One ⁂ †

Sweet Homecomings ꕥ ➴ You sweeten your grumpy husband when he comes home from being called away.

High Life ꕥ ➴ You help Bucky relax with the help of some weed

Cold Shoulder Steve asks you to be Bucky’s fake girlfriend for an event. ➴ Part One ➴ ➴ Part Two ➴ ➴ ➴ Part Three

Hidden Faces Trilogy You sneak into the party and capture the eyes of one bad boy billionaire ➴ Masquerade ꕥ ➴➴ Facade ⨮ ➴➴➴ Charade

Insecurities ⨮ ꕥ ⁂ ➴ Bucky helps you to see what he sees - how beautiful you really are

Obsidian Nights ꕥ ➴ You manage to change Bucky’s man-whoring ways

Toxicity ⨮ ➴ An abusive boss tries to change his ways after seeing the effect on you.

Unexpected Salvation ⨮ ꕥ ⁂ ➴ You escape an abusive fiancé with the help of his rival- Bucky Barnes

Homecoming ⁂ ꕥ ⨮ || ceo!Bucky ➴ Bucky is so busy with work he doesn’t see the toll it’s taking on you until it’s almost too late. Neighbourhood Watch ⁂ || Neighbour!Bucky ➴ Bucky overhears the cries of you pleasuring yourself and can't help checking up on his neighbour Lifesaver ꕥ || Bodyguard!Bucky ➴ Bucky is more than just your bodyguard he is your lifesaver in every sense of the word No Boundaries ꕥ || Best-friend!Bucky ➴ Bucky has no boundaries in your friendship Truth Hurts ⨮ || best-friend!Bucky ➴ Steve is not the man you thought he was and Bucky helps you to realise that. Ignescent ⁂ || demon!Bucky ➴ When Bucky entered your room you never expected to be attracted to the monster of the night. The Heart Song || greek gods/soulmate AU You are fated to a man that you hate. ➴ Part One ⨮ ꕥ ➴ ➴ Part Two ⨮ ꕥ Lost Boy ⨮ ꕥ ⁂ ⧻ || bodyguard!Bucky ➴ When Bucky returns after years away, you find your feeling are the only thing that didn’t change. Wake Up ꕥ || Dad!Bucky ➴ Bucky waking you up sweetly after being away from home The Cost of Kindness || Part Two || King!Bucky ➴ An innocent interaction leads you to a marriage you didn’t ask for. Body Heat || best friend! Bucky ➴ A holiday with your best friend Bucky leads to some sweet confessions Good Girl/Bad Girl ⁂ || rockstar!Bucky ➴ PWP - picking up a fem!groupie Mr Fix-It ꕥ || P.E teacher!Bucky ➴ Bucky goes out of his way to fix the broken things in your classroom

RETRIBUTION MC MASTERLIST || biker!Bucky

Breaking and Entering - complete ➴ You break into Bucky's house and steal more than just his dog tags

From Heartbreak To Happiness - complete ➴ Moving on from Steve seemed impossible until you meet Bucky

The Contingency Plan - complete ➴ A woc!reader in 1930's New York has to navigate life with a white man

The Surrogate - complete ➴ You are the surrogate for Natasha's baby but that doesn't mean you can't find love for yourself. Canon timeline and deaths.

Favourite Things - complete ➴ Dreamscape to reality, something calls you to Bucky and you just have to answer

Hands That Heal - complete ➴ You find someone strong enough to carry your baggage, and open jars.

Killing Time - incomplete ➴ AU - Bodyguard!Bucky, forbidden love, falling for the bosses daughter (you).

Letters After Dark - incomplete ➴ An archive of letters sent between you and Bucky when he enlists in the army.

Run These Streets || streetracer!Bucky - ongoing ➴ When tragedy nearly strikes Bucky, you can’t hold back you feelings any longer. He was always more than a friend.

{ Drabble #1 || Bucky Barnes } { Double Drabble #1 || Bucky Barnes } { Quindrabble #1 || Bucky Barnes } { Quindrabble #2 || Bucky Barnes } { Quindrabble #3 || Bucky Barnes }

[johnkrrasinski]

baby, just say yes

full masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Word count: 3,324

Warning: fluff!! pure feelings, inaccurate depiction of middle-age relationships (?)

Summary: inspired by taylor swift’s “love story” and a bit of bridgerton. james barnes was the son of your father’s rival. what happens when two star-crossed lovers fell in love? will their love conquer their families’ bad blood?

a/n: in honour of taylor releasing re-recorded version of love story, i wanted to write something inspired by it because i’m a sucker for fairytales (HA!) i wanted to post this on valentine’s day but it turned out to be longer than i planned. also, bridgerton might have influenced some of my writing. so enjoy! reblogs and comments are always appreciated. :)

The party was in full swing as the music enlivened the masquerade revellers in ball gowns and fancy suits. You stepped into the party in your best dress with your hair half pinned up in braids. You wore your fulgent jewellery proudly, not caring what anyone thought of your confidence. As the daughter of an aristocratic family, you never once had to worry about fortune or popularity. Your father was a powerful man and everyone knew and worshipped the ground you walked on. But really, you were smart enough to know that these people were merely a bunch of bootlickers. They wished to get close to you for your wealth and repute.

The ball that was held by your father bored you. You never really liked any of his associates. You were a naturally an introvert, you preferred to be alone in your room and read books or be with your dog. However, keeping up a good appearance, well your father’s appearance, was necessary to maintain the family’s name. So you had no choice but to get up, get ready and show your face.

You greeted one of your cousins, Bella, who had come all the way from France. She looked dazzling as always. She hoped to meet a rich husband in one of these balls, but none of them had been captivated by her enough to get down on one knee. Somehow, they always turned their heads to you even when you never displayed any interest in marrying any time soon.

People were chatting, laughing and drinking left and right, some were on the hunt for a match. A few men had come up to you and asked for a dance, you always came up with a reason to dodge them. So you ran to the nearest table to get a glass of champagne. A bit of alcohol could soothe your nerves.

And then, as if the world stopped moving and time froze. A man with short dark hair and navy blue velvet suit made an entrance to the ball. He folded his hands behind him and his walk displayed confidence and power. You couldn't see his entire face for he was wearing a mask but even with only half of his face was shown, you could already tell how handsome he was. The scruff on his lower face added to his sex appeal and there was a mysterious way about him.

He walked further into the ball until his eyes found yours, and it was like the butterflies in your stomach had been possessed. He boldly made his way towards you until you were standing face to face. You could make out his features more clearly now from this proximity. You couldn't help but instantly noticed his eyes; how translucent it was, not only in the colour but also the way it spoke to your soul wordlessly. And the blue in them made you think that God created him and inspired the ocean to seize the colour. And his smell was intoxicating. He had a masculine scent to him, filling up your thoughts with obscene scenarios. It piqued your curiosity about the man behind the mask.

You were a respected woman despite your age. Not only because of your family’s power but also because you carved out your image as this ‘untouchable, implausible’ lady to any man. It would take a true magnetic man to charm you and so far, you haven't crossed paths with one yet…. Until tonight.

He broke the silence first by greeting you, “hello there, milady. Quite a warm night, isn’t it?” Oh, how his voice was making you feel things you’d never felt before. Is this what love at first sight felt like?

“Yes, milord. It truly is.” You replied in a calm manner despite the hurricane inside you.

The orchestras began playing a lively tune, inviting men and women to pair up and dance. He held out his hand for you, “may I have this dance, milady?”

He led you to the centre of the ballroom. He stood in line with other men facing their partners. They bowed their heads and so did you with other women. They held out their hands for their partners to take and began putting their hands on their partners’ shoulders and waists.

You held your breath as he laid his hand on your skin, closing the distance between the two of you. He began to take the lead as your feet were moving in sync, trying not to step on him. You had taken dancing classes before but you almost never danced in the ballroom, so you were a little nervous about forgetting the lessons you had learned in front of this beautiful man.

“I never caught your name, milady.”

“I never caught yours either.” You snarked.

“I asked you first, milady,” the smirk on his face showed his amusement.

You chuckled, “My name’s y/n.”

“Such a lovely name for a lovely lady.”

“Oh, please. Cut the coquetry, milord. Plenty of men have told me that before.”

“Oh, have they?”

The choreography made you switch partners and you danced with this stranger. He looked delighted to have a chance with you but you merely smiled politely at him, until they switched back to your previous partners.

“Did that man tell you the same thing?”

“No, but I could tell from his expression that if we had danced a little longer, he would’ve found a synonymous flattery for me.”

“Are you used to having men throw themselves at your feet?”

“Yes, milord. I eat it for breakfast.”

You danced with him a little bit more until he spoke a hushed tone, “this party bores me. Would you like to meet me in the garden once this dance is over?”

“That would be splendid.”

The dance was finished and you bowed to each other and he kissed your gloved hand. “I’ll see you in the garden in 10 minutes.” He walked past by you, brushing your shoulder with his. You turned your head in his direction, deciding whether you should hold onto your words or not. But without much thinking, you took a glass of champagne and then snuck out, avoiding your parents’ scrutiny.

You found him standing there with his hands behind his back in the middle of the garden where flowers surrounded him, making the sight seem romantic. “Are you expecting someone, milord?”

“Not anymore,” he smiled. “I’ve persuaded you into a clandestine meeting, seems like I am winning the game.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, milord. I sneak out to the garden every day. Which reminds me, I didn’t quite catch your name back there.”

“My name’s James, milady. But, you may call me Bucky.”

Your furrowed your brows in a questioning look, “Bucky?”

“Yes. My mother bestowed me that nickname and the people that are closest to me call me Bucky.”

“Hm, is this another of your flattery that I get to call you ‘Bucky’?

“Yes, milady. I don’t take a lot of women to the gardens as well, so you could say you’re pretty special.”

“Let’s see how tonight goes and I will know.”

You and James talked some more. He told you stories about his family and you told him about yours. He also opened up about how his mother died. Though he looked dejected while telling stories about her, most of the times he was charming, with and clever, making you feel at ease in his company. You had met plenty of men but none of them had made you feel as comfortable as James did. He made you laugh several times with his jokes and you exchanged thoughts about social issues such as marriage, love, children with him. You always thought you’d never marry or perhaps you’d marry in your thirties or forties but it seems as if your heart is tossing away those ideas.

You were really enjoying your time with him that there was a moment where it was just the crickets and your soft breaths. You laid your head on his shoulder as his warmth engulfed you. You nearly fell asleep until the voice of your father disrupted your moment. “Y/N!” The sounds of footsteps were approaching and then your father’s incensed face came to view. “Y/N! What do you think you are doing?!”

“Father, calm down, I was merely promenading with James.”

“Milord, forgive me. I asked for your daughter to meet me in this garden. Please, don’t rebuke her.”

“You shut your mouth, young man. I know who you are and I would never let you lay a hand on my daughter, ever again. You should be ashamed o yourself.”

“Father, what are you so furious about?”

“Don’t you know who he is, y/n?!”

“No, who is he?” You looked at James then back to your father. James looked shocked at the intrusion.

“He is the son of that bastard, George Barnes. I had told you many stories about the lies and betrayals they did years ago. I would never forget them.” Your father enunciated those words as he stared into James’ eyes.

“Is that true?”

James looked doubtful, “yes.”

You felt dizzy. The first man that had truly captured your heart was the son of your families’ number one rival. It was as if the world didn’t like the idea of you finding love.

“Y/N, I swear, on my mother’s grave that I didn’t know. I didn’t know you were-”

“You stay away from my daughter! Do you hear me? If I ever see you anywhere near her, I will kill you with my own hands.” You father grabbed your hand then dragged you back to your carriage where your mother had been waiting for you both.

You tried to free yourself out of your father’s grip but it was to no avail. You looked back at James who was still standing there one last time before the carriage took you away. You cried all the way home.

-

It’s been three days since the debacle in the garden. You didn’t regret one thing about your feelings, but you blamed the universe for the circumstances. Out of all the people in the world, why must the man that you’d been waiting for was the one you couldn’t be with?

You missed James. You missed the warmth of being in his arms, the gentleness in his eyes and the way his voice soothed you. You wanted to see him more than anything but since that night, you begged your parents to let you see James, you fought tooth and nail to make your father change his mind, but all you got was being locked in your room after you threatened them to run away from home. They even went as far as hiring a guard to stand in front of your bedroom all day.

You sat by your window, looking up at the moon in your nightgown, wondering if James was thinking of you too until your reverie was disrupted by a knocking sound on your window. You instantly looked down to see what was the cause and the sight before you blew away the dark clouds above your head. James Barnes was standing below, with pebbles in his hand.

He smiled when you saw your face and you opened your windows, “James! What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you, of course. Are you able to come down?”

“I’ll try, but be quite okay? Don’t let anyone see you.”

You opened the lock of your door as quietly as possible. It was nearing 2 AM and the guard was snoring in his seat. You minded your steps like a ninja, not wanting to cause any noise. You held your breath when he stirred in his sleep but he thankfully he didn’t wake up. So you sprinted downstairs under the darkness of your mansion.

You quietly unlocked the door of the main entrance and immediately ran to the backyard, where James was waiting for you.

“James!” You shrieked. The joy in his face was palpable, so did yours. You ran to him, lifting your nightgown so you wouldn’t stumble and jumped on him and he caught you.

“I’ve missed you, princess,” James whispered breathily while hiding his face in your shoulder.

“I’ve missed you too. How did you know where I live?”

“I got connections. I’ve spent the last three days endlessly thinking of you.”

“I haven’t thought of anything else other than you too, James.”

He smiled then kissed you deeply, pouring all his longing in the last three days for you.

James took you to the outskirts of the town and you walked hand in hand, wandering around in the night. You talked about the history of your families and how your father wouldn’t let you go out alone knowing that you would try to see him and he told his father about you and what went down in the garden. You sighed, knowing that there was no chance for you and James to be together but then a fleeting thought came.

“Let’s run away,” you recklessly uttered.

“What?” James heard every word you said, he was just taken aback by what it meant.

“Let’s just… Get out of here. We can leave at midnight, I’ll pack up my things and we can be together.”

“Y/N, we can’t.”

“Why?” You were exasperated. “Don’t you wanna be with me, James?”

“I do, however, I can’t do that to you, my love. It’s too dangerous. Your father is a powerful man, I can’t imagine what he would do to us both if he found out.”

“We can, we just have to be careful! C’mon James, I’ve felt so alone my whole life until I met you. I don’t wanna be alone anymore.”

“You won’t, darling. I promise you. I’ve got plans, okay? You just need to trust me.”

“Okay, I trust you.”

-

It had been a week since you last saw James and you were losing faith every day. You had no clue of what James was planning to do. You trusted him but you wished he had been more clear of his intentions. Now, all you could do was wait for him in silence, unable to do anything, like a kite in the wind.

“You haven’t touched your food, dear. Is everything alright?” Your mother asked from across the dining table.

“Yes, mother. I am simply not famished.”

“Eat some of your food, will you? I’d hate to see you ill.”

You wished you could sneak behind your father to vent to your mother about your feelings for James, however, you knew that your mother was loyal to your father and there was no secret between them. You used to hope that one day if you’d ever find a husband, you would have the same foundation in your marriage as your parents had, now you would be delighted if they announced their divorce so you could be free from your father.

The majordomo interrupted your dinner by informing that you had a couple of guests. By the look on your father’s face, you could tell that he wasn’t expecting any tonight, but he got up to welcome whoever was waiting outside anyway.

You heard your father’s booming voice from the dining table and you and your mother exchanged glances. You instantly followed him to see what was going on.

“You dare to show your face here after I’ve warned you of staying away from my family!”

And you stopped in your tracks when you saw James standing next to an older man facing your father. “James…”

“Y/N…” Without a second thought, you ran to him, wanting to hold and kiss him more than anything. For a second there, you forgot everyone was watching. But your father caught you and your guard held you back.

“Let go of me!”

“Now I want you out of my land and never to return or there will be a huge consequence.”

“I am here to make peace. My son told me about your daughter and I wasn’t keen on the idea of uniting our families but I am willing to try for him. Let’s end this bad blood between us, Robert. We shall not let our children suffer simply because of our pride.”

“I’d rather die than to let my your bastard of a son touch my daughter.” Your father gritted through his teeth. “Now leave or you will be removed forcibly.” Your father turned around but before he could close the door on them, James stopped him.

“I’m in love with your daughter, Sir Y/L/N.” That stopped your father in his tracks. “I have met many women yet, I have never felt this way for anyone,” James gazed into your eyes.

“In the last two weeks I have known her, I have learned that you raised a bright, courageous, loving, beautiful woman,” he paused, as if he was trying to show you the sincerity behind his confession. You didn’t realize tears have welled up in your eyes.

“From the very moment I saw her in that ball, I knew I’d live in regret if I didn’t catch her name before I leave. Your daughter stood out like a diamond in the dirt and it was an honour to held her hand while dancing. It was an honour knowing her. And it would be an honour to have her by my side until the end of my life,” He paused. “I know I am undeserving of your daughter but I will never let her doubt that she is loved and she deserves everything good I could offer.”

A single tear cascaded down your cheek. “So, Y/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?” He moved closer toward you, and your father was left speechless by James’ words. James got down on his knee and presented a velvet box with a gleaming diamond ring inside it.

“Yes. Yes, yes, yes, thousand times yes.” James put the ring on your finger and you jumped on him and he caught you. For a minute there you forgot that there was still an unresolved animosity between your families, though your mother had a huge smile on her face and she nearly teared up at the sight of her daughter being so in love. George Barnes was smiling ear to ear as well, looking so proud of his son.

He thought that with his son’s reputation of being a rake, he would never settle. But he finally found his match and though he didn’t take it so pleasantly at first, James talked it out to him and George learned to be happy and accept it. George recalled the moment he fell in love with Winnifred, she didn’t come from an aristocratic family. She was merely a singer and his family didn’t approve but he opposed them and married her anyway until they had James. George also hoped that their marriage could end the bad blood between him and your father.

James set you back on the floor and you looked at your father. “Father? I love him and I may never fall in love again. Please, let me be with him. If you love me, you won’t stand in the way.” Your father was baffled, but the resentment in his eyes had softened. “Do you really want to spend the rest of your life waiting for me to find someone to marry and keeping enemies? I’m marrying him whether you approve or not. But I wouldn’t want you to be absent from my wedding.”

Your father sighed, “are you happy?”

“More than I have ever been.”

“Then I suppose, I shall put my pride aside for the one person I love the most in the world.”

“Thank you, father.” You hugged him and he kissed the top of your head.

You grew up being cynical toward fairytales, but for once in your life, you believe that you have found your fairytale ending.

[sleepnotfoundyet]

Royal-AU Knight-Dream & King-George

Hiraeth  by Anonymous

hiraeth (ˈhɪəraɪθ) a nostalgic longing for a place which can never be revisited, a homesickness for a home that never was. the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past. -- “The crown,” George reaffirms, “It suits you.”

“...George?” Dream swallows past the lump in his throat, words dying on his tongue.

“Yes,” George grins, “Your highness?” -- knight!dream and king!george -- Regret, retaliation, and the realisation of what you've done.

Reflections by  darlingsdream

In which Dream is assigned as Prince George's new personal guard and finds that it is surprisingly easy to fall for the royal with the spunky attitude but incredibly hard to keep his secrets from him.

“You’ve been out there, right?” George motions beside him toward the mountains. “Beyond the kingdom gates?”

“A handful of times,” he answers truthfully— well, truthfully enough.

“You think it’s scary out there?” He motions towards the edge of the balcony extravagantly as Dream processes the question.

There were a few ways Dream could answer that, he decides. Those walls were the only thing that has kept him safe from what was out beyond them, something he was eternally grateful for. Venturing outside of those walls was a death trap for him for a multitude of reasons, reasons that George certainly did not need to know. Ever.

“Yeah,” Dream settles with, turning to take one last glance of the mountains beyond the gates. “Absolutely terrifying.” --- Inspired by Reflections by The Neighborhood

Kisses and Promises by  itsricecakes

Clay would do absolutely anything for George, no matter how much the King was upset by it.

Try by  Not4typicalwriter

"No, your majesty," Dream finally continued after a moment of silence. "No one will ever be good enough for you. No one will ever be perfect for you. But whoever that person is, they had better damn well try."

--

The day in which King George has a line of suitors come and try to win him over.

The palace staff tries to help their king filter out the bad people,

But no one is a harsher judge that the king's own knight, Dream.

Emeralds for Trade by  prelovedsinner

"You never left your fucking land until a fragile prince with a pretty face walked into the picture," he snarled, charging forward.

---

"We're not so different, you and I," the king began, lifting the bone mask from his face and glaring down with piercing green eyes that marked his enemy's last breaths.

He tossed it to the ground, before pressing his foot down on the trembling man's chest. Ignoring the pleading and clawing, he raised his sword above his head, body taut, using all his strength when he snapped back down like a rubber band.

"I've got a bit of an ego myself."

--- (After meeting at a ball, Dream has taken a liking to Prince George and the way he blushes so pretty. But Dream's a bit of a cocky bastard and George doesn't like that.)

ace of hearts by  meridies

On his eighteenth birthday, as crown prince of his kingdom, Dream is expected to attend three nights of a masquerade party, by the end of which he must choose his suitor. Little does he know that his best friend George is also attending the ball, but under a mask of his own.

21 days by  Not4typicalwriter

"Well everything is technically yours, Georgie," Dream stated. "Everything your eyes can see will someday be yours." Dream stood up dramatically. "This tree! This river! This- this rabbit!" George giggled at his friend's antics. "You are one year closer to the day this kingdom will be at your fingertips."

"And the first rule I will make is that you always have to be at the palace to celebrate my birthday with me," George said.

"Promise?" Dream tilted his head mischievously.

~

"Wake up, wake up, wake up," George chanted.

--

Dream had disappeared for a week, unbeknownst to even his Prince, only to come stumbling home, half-dead and injured, being carried by a stranger exactly 21 days before Prince George's 21st birthday.

Those 21 days leading up to the birthday were eventful, to say the least,

And George hated more than anything that he couldn't talk to his knight about it

[gellavonhamster]

in the bleak midwinter*: an asoue/atwq peaky blinders au concept

...also known as the idea that’s been living in my brain for what must be a couple of years now; I have reconciled myself with the fact that I will never write this fic because I simply do not have enough patience to think it out and write it down in the way that would give it justice, so here’s a plot bunny or something.

This is basically the Sugar Bowl Generation of VFD (still young, before kids and all) meets All The Wrong Questions (some of the events + some of the kid characters of ATWQ as adults) meets season one of Peaky Blinders, but I guess it could be read and understood without the knowledge of the latter simply as an organized crime AU.

It’s the beginning of the interwar period, and VFD is a gang. Which, yes, would require a certain amount of OOC of the characters, though I imagine their intimidation tactics would still avoid too much bloodshed. They deal with bookmaking, contraband, and sometimes art forgery because even this version of VFD has to have something sophisticated about it. There’s a number of places, such as bars and clubs, that pay them for protection, and there’s also a number of places they own, such as the Hotel Denouement with the Denouement brothers in charge and the nightclub ran by Ramona Browning**, alias the Duchess (her father was some kind of aristocracy, see, too aristocratic to ever truly acknowledge her). They use their influence to become the informal rulers of their part of the City. They claim to strive for power to make the City a better place, and these are not just words - they do donate money to schools and libraries, for example - but it’s not like they don’t enjoy being in power, and their rule is still based on crime, those who threaten it being eliminated swiftly. 

The Snickets are the Shelby family of this AU, of course. Lemony is Tommy - the mastermind, already a legend of sorts despite being the youngest, plagued by the horrors of war - but still hoping for the best, strange as it seems, because he’s still Lemony. Jacques is Arthur, the fighter suffering from PTSD. Kit is Ada, but she’s also Aunt Polly - she’s the one who ran the business while the boys were in the army. 

Now, season one introduced Grace Burgess as an undercover police informant spying on the Peaky Blinders.

Enter Ellington Feint.

Ellington’s father, the only family she has left, has been kidnapped by a gang called the Inhumane Society, and she’d do anything and everything to save him. So she agrees to infiltrate VFD, their rival gang, to find out the whereabouts of a shipment of weapons that was meant for the Society but was accidentally stolen by VFD. Apart from machine guns and shells, the shipment includes some “statue of a sea beast”, and no one cares to provide more explanations to Ellington about it, but apparently it is the most important part of that cargo. So Ellington takes on the position of a barmaid in The Black Cat Bar, one of the places that pay VFD for protection and the one frequented by its key members, and starts listening and watching.

Ellington needs to get close to the Snickets, because if anyone knows where the weapons are, it’s them. Steward Mitchum, the corrupt cop on the Society’s payroll whom she is to meet from time to time at the Natural History Museum (which she used to attend with her father) to pass on the information, suggests she should seduce one of the Snicket brothers. The problem is, Ellington has a chance to learn very soon that Jacques doesn’t know much about the stolen cargo, and Lemony is too taken with his girlfriend, the music hall singer Beatrice Baudelaire, to even look at any other woman. There’s no getting between them, even though it seems Beatrice also has something going on with VFD’s bookkeeper Bertrand Markson, and Lemony seems aware of it. 

So Ellington decides to approach Kit instead. Kit, who seems so lonely - Ellington doesn’t know the details, but there was some serious falling-out between her and her ex-boyfriend, who has since left the City (and won’t appear in this story. Olaf is the problem for the hypothetical season two of this imaginary show). Ellington doesn’t plan on anything other than a very close friendship - yet, the closer they become, the more she understands that she is attracted to Kit.

(There certainly is a variant of the “I warn you, I’ll break your heart” - “Already broken” scene in which Ellington sings to Kit)

Anyway. Things progress, and they fall in love. Well, Kit seems to have fallen in love, and Ellington keeps trying to persuade herself that she hasn’t, because Kit has to remain nothing but a task for her.

The location of the stolen weapons, however, still remains a mystery, even though Ellington once hears Kit and Lemony discuss it. Whatever the statue is, Lemony seems to believe it has great powers, and Kit seems to believe it’s nothing but folklore. Lemony tells her of the stories of a mysterious sea animal (or spirit, or whatever it may be) he heard from other soldiers during the war, about what Widdershins heard during his time in the navy. Kit tells him that everyone is a believer in a foxhole, and that she loves W like her own kin but he’s a bragging idiot. There was nothing on the sea other than enemy ships.

Elllington’s mission is complicated by Lemony clearly not trusting her. He tells her it’s because his sister has been hurt before, but she suspects it’s more than that. He even admits that he had his people make enquiries in Paltryville, the town she claims to have come from, and found out that no Ellington Feint ever lived there. When he suggests her secrecy is due to a child born out of marriage, she is eager to confirm that. (Cue him asking her if she’s read Les Misérables - yeah, even this version of VFD would be literature nerds, how can it be otherwise - because this whole situation reminds him of Fantine, and her lying that she hasn’t and thinking that she’s more of a Javert at the barricade, really).

Then there’s a masquerade party at the Duchess’s club, and Kit takes Ellington there as her date. (Which is okay, because if there’s any place in the City where a woman dancing with another woman or a man dancing with another man would not be looked at askance, it’s the Duchess’s club. If I was actually writing a fic, there would definitely be a scene in which Ellington observes Beatrice asking Bertrand to dance with her and Bertrand trying to decline by telling her that, since he didn’t have time to procure a mask, he shouldn’t be on the dancefloor at all, and then Lemony approaches him with a spare mask in hand and encourages him to dance with Beatrice and puts the mask on Bertrand himself and it somehow looks so intimate as if he’s undressing him and Ellington’s like “Oh, so it’s like that with them. This is probably of no use to me but still, good to know”). 

When Kit disappears at some point, Ellington follows her quietly and eavesdrops on her conversation with one of the Denouements. He tells her that his brother is all right and sends his regards. Later at the party, however, Ellington sees two Denouements. Why would one of them send the other’s regards to Kit if they’re all in the same room? A couple of drinks with the already tipsy Olivia (officially a fortune-teller, but who knows what purposes VFD really uses her salon for?), and Ellington learns that there used to be three Denouements, actually. But the third brother, Dewey, had a conflict with one of rival gangs which nearly resulted in a war, had not Lemony agreed to dispose of Dewey. To stop that gang from going against VFD, he killed Dewey with his own hands.

Except he didn’t, Ellington thinks. Lemony must have staged Dewey’s execution, and now he’s out there very much alive. Perhaps this knowledge will come in handy.

Meanwhile, the Inhumane Society, who have other beef with VFD apart from the stolen weapons, are getting impatient. There’s a gun-fight which results in Ike Anwhistle dying and his grieving widow, Josephine, telling Lemony it is all his fault and leaving the city. (I know I said this is based on s1 only, but they’re the John and Esme Shelby of this story). And Bertrand is severely wounded. VFD needs another bookkeeper while he’s recovering, and Kit, who knows from The Black Cat’s owner Dashiell Qwerty that Ellington has also been keeping the books of the bar lately and doing it well, offers this position to her. This gives Ellington an opportunity to learn more about the asserts and resources of VFD - and a chance to discover some interesting notes scribbled next to the name of Dewey Denouement. Dewey Denouement, who is only officially dead, but still has a grave at the cemetery.

Ellington tells Stew she has an idea where the weapons and/or the statue might be hidden.

When she meets some of the members of the Inhumane Society to take them to the tomb, she is surprised to see Hangfire himself among them. She’s only seen him in passing before, this mysterious man with his face covered in bandages. They say he’s been horribly disfigured during the war. They also say he came back mad. When they’ve done some digging and unearthed, instead of a coffin, several crates of guns - and opened one of them to find a small statue of what seems like a very scary seahorse - Mitchum and Flammarion are suddenly shot down, and Lemony Snicket steps from behind a gravestone. 

He’s been following them.

Of course he didn’t believe that all Miss Feint is hiding is an illegitimate child, Lemony tells them as he’s holding Hangfire at gunpoint. He’s been doing research. In fact, the man whose grave they’ve unearthed is presently in a unique position allowing him to make research away from the City. He’s found out that Ellington Feint is the daughter of a renowned naturalist Armstrong Feint, who’s recently gone missing. And then they managed to discover something more. 

This is when Hangfire grabs a gun and points it at Lemony, and Lemony aims at Ellington instead, which for some reason stops Hangfire from shooting. 

This is also when it turns out that Lemony has also been followed, and Kit Snicket steps from behind another gravestone, pointing a gun at her brother. He keeps aiming at Ellington, wearily telling Kit she isn’t really going to shoot him. 

Kit tells him that unless he drops the gun, he’ll find out.

(When Ellington tries to speak to Kit, she just tells her to shut up. And it hurts, because Kit has stopped being just a mission a long time ago. And now she knows that Ellington’s been lying to her from the start. And she may not want Ellington to die, but she would also hardly ever forgive her. And that would be fair).

And then Hangfire tries to shoot Kit, and Ellington screams, and Kit manages to spring back, and Lemony fires at the man who tried to kill his sister, and suddenly Hangfire is bleeding out on the ground and calling out to Ellington in her father’s voice. 

That is what they’ve also found out about Hangfire, Lemony tells her as she’s kneeling beside the body, unable to bring herself to uncover his face. He sounds genuinely surprised; he thought she knew.

Kit makes him let Ellington go and tells her she doesn’t want to see her ever again. And Ellington leaves. She takes a train to some seaside town she’s never heard of before and leaves. Her job is ended. Her father is dead. Her love affair that never should have happened is in the past. She still doesn’t know why her father lied to her when he could have just asked and she would’ve done anything, why he kept up this double life, what was the significance of the statue and what it might become in the hands of someone like Lemony Snicket. She is too tired and sick of it all to try to find out.

She manages to build a life in Stain’d-by-the-Sea. She works in a coffee shop and sings there in the evenings. She never sings the song she sang to Kit again. She marries a man she doesn’t have any truly strong feelings for.

Then, a year or so later, there’s a phone call, and the voice of the woman she loved and betrayed tells her she still can’t stop thinking of her.

*This phrase used by the Peaky Blinders upon the death of one of them is replaced by “The world is quiet here”. Obviously.

**My Last Duchess, referenced in ASOUE in connection with R, is written by Robert Browning.

[prettytoxicrevolver]

Ball | Colson Baker

Requested? Nah 

Warnings? None? It’s super long and idk if it’s good 

Summary: After quarantine and covid seems to be lifted, the hollywood scene wants to celebrate through a masquerade ball. Being a somewhat famous pop singer you attend with your best friend and meet Machine Gun Kelly where the night certainly becomes interesting 

Word Count: 2,651

(y/h/c) = your hair color 

(y/e/c) = your eye color 

Part 2 is here 

“Who the fuck throws a ball nowadays?” Colson asks, fixing the sleeves of his suit for the millionth time and turning to his friend. 

“I don’t know man,” Pete says shrugging his shoulders before moving to the mirror Colson was standing in front of to check over his suit one more time. 

The two best friends were invited to a ball in Hollywood and by the advice of their managers, decided to go. They both thought it was ridiculous, rich people dressed up in suits and dresses for no fucking reason other than they were bored was dumb to the pair. But they had to make an appearance because according to their teams “everyone would be there” and it’s important to make an image. 

It hopefully wasn’t going to totally suck, they at least could hang out with each other all night. The only thing they knew is that it was going to be a few speeches, some food, and lots of dancing. Hopefully, they could leave early. 

Even though you would never admit it, you’ve always wanted to go to a ball. You had grown up watching Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled where all these princesses had beautiful gowns and romantic first dances that you always dreamed of having. You thought you would never experience that but tonight you just might have the chance. 

"I can't believe we're going to a masquerade ball!" your childhood best friend Ava cheers excitedly. 

Ever since you became somewhat of a pop star, you never wanted to attend the parties your manager asked you to. Your anxiety always ruined them and you left early. But quarantine was officially over, you had Ava, a stunning dress, and a mask to hide your identity. It was perfect. 

“It’s really fucking cheesy but I’m still excited,” she tells you, and you nod. 

The idea of a masquerade ball was super cheesy right now. After spending over half a year quarantined, and wearing masks everywhere for safety, wearing a decorative mask to cover your face for the ball was super cliche in a way. However, you were just happy to get out of the house, going to your first ball, and seeing some of your industry friends after months. 

“Okay, last checks,” Ava announces turning towards you. 

You look over each other, checking that your dresses were all set, heels strapped, purses had everything inside, and you were ready to go. You link arms and head downstairs where your limo would take you to the ballroom. During the drive, you and Ava talk about who would be at the extravagant event, who you might meet for the first time, and what other things they would have at the ball. 

No matter how big you had gotten, you were still starstruck whenever you met some of your favorite celebrities. Ava loved seeing your reaction, which contained you not knowing how to speak, shaking and holding onto your face as you repeated the same words over and over as the other person sometimes either did the exact same thing or looked at you like you were crazy. 

What could you say? This wasn’t your lifestyle. You grew up in a small town and loved it there. That was more your speed some days and other days you couldn’t think of leaving LA. It was a balance. 

When the limo stops, the two of you carefully step out and are instantly bombarded by paparazzi trying to figure out who you are underneath the mask. You link arms once more and security helps push through the crowd to get you to the red carpet. 

Your publicist tells you to go first, take some photos, pose, and then have Ava join you. When you’re finally finished, you head into the ballroom. 

Colson and Pete really didn’t feel like dealing with the paparazzi when they got to the event. So, they pushed through the crowd, headed to the red carpet, and before they could shove their way through, Colson’s manager stops him. 

“Just a few pictures,” he says and Colson rolls his eyes internally but nods instead. 

As the two friends wait, Colson’s eyes wander around to the other celebrities surrounding him. Underneath everyone’s “masks” he was having a hard time trying to figure out who was who. While he and Pete decided to attend the ball, they opted out of wearing masks, practically ignoring the theme altogether. 

Finally, his manager lets him go and Colson takes a few pictures, before joining Pete for pictures, and then they’re finally allowed into the ballroom. It’s practically packed to the brim with people and the two friends look at each other before giving the signature best friend look. The one that says “fuck, I really don’t wanna do this” but here they were. 

They head straight to their table, stopping occasionally to greet friends and other stars they knew. When Pete sits down, he takes a quick look around before pulling out a blunt and offering it to Colson. The older man immediately takes it, thanking his best friend before lighting it up and passing it back to Pete after taking a hit. 

You had felt calm up until you reached the top of the stairs above the ballroom. There were hundreds of people dressed in black and white. Not only did crowds make you nervous, but you were dressed wrong. 

Clad in a fiery red dress with a slit up the thigh and black heels to match, you were the only one not in black or white at the ball. Ava looks at you curiously as you pause at the top of the steps. Her gaze follows yours and something like realization flashes in her eyes. 

"Babe, you look hot," she reassures you and you turn towards her. "Besides if anyone says anything I’ll tell them to fuck off." 

With a giggle and a nod, you two link arms for one final time and head down the steps. 

"Who the fuck is that?" Pete's voice pulls Colson out of his zoned out state to look at his best friend. He nudges Colson and points out two girls coming down the steps. 

Colson does a double take as he watches them encapture the room with every step. His eyes are drawn to the girl in the red gown, quite literally standing out among a sea of black and white. Her (y/h/c) hair falls down her shoulders and moves effortlessly as she looks across the hundreds of party goers, and it's like he’s drawn to her in some way. 

He can’t see her face underneath the mask but he’s certain of two things. Those are the most gorgeous (y/e/c) eyes he had ever seen even from across the room. And he thought she was fucking stunning, mask or no mask on. He’s breathless watching every step she takes and at this point he doesn’t care if he’s staring. 

He can't tell if she meant to or not, but her dress code defiance had caught every eye including his. And he had to know who she was. 

"Who do you think it is?" Pete asks, breaking Colson out of his stupor once more. 

"No clue. But I wanna find out." 

You were starting to believe that everyone in Hollywood truly did like to hear their own voice. You had been listening to speeches for what felt like hours and you were certain you'd have to fake an illness to get out. Thankfully as you're rehearsing a speech to get out of there, the music starts and so does the real fun. 

"Let's go dance before I die of boredom," Ava says dramatically before grabbing your hand and pulling you onto the makeshift dance floor. 

The two of you sing along to the lyrics, dancing around and overall making general fools out of yourselves. It was the best you had felt in a long time, finally able to enjoy a night out with minimal anxiety and your best friend next to you. Nothing seemed to be better than this moment and you were grateful. 

You danced and danced until your feet begged for a break and you're dying for some water. You tell Ava where you're headed and she doesn't hesitate to accompany you to the drinks station. 

"Bro, I need to find that girl," Colson says grabbing Pete the minute the speeches are over and the music is blaring. 

"What girl?" 

"The one in the red dress walking down the stairs earlier. I don't know man, I just feel like I need to meet her, talk to her." 

Colson hadn’t thought of anything else but the girl ever since he laid eyes on her. He was practically bouncing up and down in his seat from nerves throughout all the speeches. He knew if he didn’t find her soon he might never and that wasn’t an option.

"You're fucking crazy dude. You don't even know her," Pete says brushing his friend off. 

"Come on man just help me find her." 

"Fine. But only cause I wanna find her friend." 

The two best friends set off into the crowded room and search all over for the two girls. They start off wandering the outside, wondering if they ditched the dance floor for something more interesting. As they search, Colson wonders why this girl has such an effect on him but can't get a hold on why as he looks. 

And then he sees it. A flash of red passes by and he sees the girl headed straight for the drinks table and her friend right beside her. They look out of breath, and Colson realizes they really must have been dancing all night and Pete and Colson are a bit dumb for not checking there first. He’s stuck watching her for a second when he breaks out of his trance and heads back over to his best friend.

"Bro," Colson says pointing and the younger of the two turns to see the two girls finally grabbing their drinks. The two best friends give each other a look before starting to head over to the two girls. 

"Dude this drink hits," you tell Ava and she nods as she takes another sip. You take a deep breath as you survey the room and all of the people going hard on the dance floor. 

As your eyes sweep the room, you're suddenly choking on your drink as two people make their way over to you. You set down your drink quickly and turn to Ava who’s watching people on the dance floor, completely oblivious as to who’s coming your way. 

"Ava!" you squeal and she gives you a confused look. You smack her arm and try to point subtly and when she sees them she’s freaking out too. 

“Oh my god that’s-” she begins but neither of you can freak out too much considering the two men were practically a foot from you. 

"Ladies," Pete says upon walking up to the two of you. You both stand there for a second, starstruck when you remember he doesn't know who you are under the mask and take it to your advantage. 

"Hi," you say smiling widely. You watch as Pete's eyes can barely leave your best friends figure and you're practically screaming in excitement for her. “This is Ava,” you introduce and Pete’s face breaks into a wide smile.

"May I have this dance?" he asks, gesturing his hand to Ava and you have to nudge her to react. 

"Of course," she says, back to her smooth exterior. Her hand slides easily into his and as they walk away, she turns back for just a second to mouth a quick 'oh my god' and you giggle. 

"Uhm," you hear from next to you and you almost pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming. 

"Hi," Colson says and you've decided this is the best day of your life. 

Growing up, you listened to a million different types of music and even more different types of artists. Around high school, the harder part of your life, you found Machine Gun Kelly's music. The lyrics hit different like no other artist and you found yourself relating to each word and each song and connecting on such a different level. You looked up to him probably more than anyone else in the industry. 

And here he was. Standing in front of you. It was practically a miracle you weren’t freaking out. 

"Hi," you finally get out and he smiles sheepishly. That damn perfect smile that he claims he doesn't like. 

It also didn't hurt that you had a massive crush on him too. He was in an all black suit, the button down popped open at the top and you can’t help your eyes from running over the exposed tattoos. His hair falls over his piercing blue eyes and the minute they meet yours you’re breathless.

"You look beautiful," he says and you're definite that you could die happy right here right now. 

"Thank you," you respond blushing furiously under your mask and looking down at your shiny black heels. 

You try to think of something, anything to say, how much you loved his music, how excited you were for the nex album, literally anything but you were drawing a blank. You wondered for a moment if he had any idea of who you were underneath the mask and if he didn’t, why was he interested in you if he had no idea who you were? 

Colson was certain he might pass out just standing near you. You were even prettier up close and while he still had no clue who you were he didn’t care. Even the small silence between you two was enchanting and he couldn’t help but enjoy every second spent in your presence. 

"Do you wanna dance?" Colson finally asks when the song changes to a slower one and you’re practically two seconds from passing out on the spot. 

"You don't even know me," you tell him and he shrugs still extending his hand making your heart race even faster. 

"I think that makes it a bit more fun right?" 

You're at a loss for words as you nod and take his hand in yours. Your hands slot together perfectly as he leads you towards the dance floor and you're breathless the minute his left-hand lands on your waist and your opposite hands intertwine. His eyes are locked on your as he starts to move the two of you and you’re somehow hyper aware of his every touch on your body.

You spin throughout the ballroom, his gaze never leaving yours, or your body, and you never want it to end. It's a simple waltz, but the dips and spins leave you practically gasping as you can't even wrap your head around the fact that you just met Machine Gun Kelly and now you're dancing with him. 

Colson was euphoric when his hand met hers and he knew she was something special. He had never felt so calm and energetic around someone in his entire life. Gliding around the ballroom felt like something straight out of a movie and while Colson never believed in love at first sight before he was starting to now. 

The music comes to a close and Colson pulls you close. You want to say something, anything, even just tell him your name but you're so entranced by him and his movements you're rendered silent. 

His hands move slowly from your body to your cheeks and his fingers dance dangerously close to the edge of your mask. 

"May I?" he asks and you nod unable to speak. His left-hand drops back down to your waist as his right-hand pulls the mask off and you're officially exposed underneath his striking blue eyes. 

"Ms. (y/l/n)," he whispers. "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

[crescentmoons-and-stardust]

The Broken Hearts Hotel

Chapter One: Star-Crossed

I’ve had many names over the years. I don’t even remember my original name so I’ll use the most popular one. The one everyone recognizes. 

Juliet is my name and fair Verona is where I’m from (in this version, at least). My age is disputable but I remember I was young. Too young for what I experienced. It blows my mind that some can even consider my tale a romance when I think about it. My life was cushy, I’ll admit. My family was rich and influential. I didn’t want for anything growing up. Looking back I realize I had the perfect life but hindsight is twenty twenty. 

Maybe that’s why I did what I did though. I was a spoiled, bored teenager. I needed excitement in my life.

Rosalina was considered the beauty of the family. She was a few years older than me and was totally stuck up. Always surrounded by a group of friends, my older cousin had no time for little ole me. Actually, no one really had time for me. My other cousin Tybalt had an older brother protectiveness of me but other than that he left me alone. My dearest (and truthfully, only) friend was my nurse. For the record, her name was Bianca. That’s usually left out.

Bianca was my friend and surrogate mother since my own couldn’t bother herself with parenting. Bianca was old fashioned. We’d spend our time doing needlepoint and reading the bible. Like I said, I was a bored teenager.

So when I was finally allowed to attend one of our grand masquerade parties, I was thrilled. Bianca sewed me a gorgeous dress, though the neckline was a little too modest for my taste. I spent hours at the market trying to find the perfect mask. I finally decided on a dainty red and gold mask lined with pearls. I was going all out for my first masquerade. 

I could barely sleep the night beforehand. I was so excited. I had my hair done and was dressed hours before the party started. I’m not going to lie, when I looked in the mirror, I was blown away by how I looked. I finally looked like a woman, and a beautiful one at that.

The party was both amazing and overwhelming. There were so many people that I had to greet and so many men to dance with. But one man in particular caught my eye.

So I should probably back up here and talk about the rivalry that has plagued my story for centuries. Montagues and Capults have hated each other since God knows when. It goes back years, maybe even decades. What was the issue? No one knows. Isn’t it ironic? Isn’t it poetic? 

Let’s be real, it’s stupid. And I’m sure the original reason for the hatred between my family and his was stupid as well. The rivalry was well known throughout the town. I can only assume everyone else rolled their eyes when it was brought up.

Anyway, back to the party. Romeo caught my eye from across the room. Was it love at first sight? I thought so but what did I know? I’d never been in love before. But there he was looking as handsome as a prince. And he was staring at me in much the same way. I blushed and broke eye contact first. Suddenly I was filled with panic and I slipped out into the garden. He followed me a moment after. 

“My lady,” He bowed to me. Actually bowed. How could I resist that? “My name is Romeo.”

“Nice to meet you Romeo,” I murmured. I was going for demure but it came out as a squeak. He took my hand and kissed it in greeting. I could have melted into a puddle on the floor. Embarrassing, I know, but this was the first man to interact with me outside of family. I didn’t know at the time that he had originally been there for Rosalina. Or that he fell in love with a different girl each week, I just knew that there was a handsome man before me. Me. Boring, good mannered, Juliet.

Well it wasn’t long before we were in the garden kissing until my lips went numb. Unfortunately my absence was noted and Tybalt came searching for me. Not only did he ruin my first kiss but he made such a scene that Romeo was soon kicked out of the party. 

I was sent to my room at once where I wallowed in despair. Would I ever see my beloved Romeo again? Well I didn’t have to wait for very long for my answer. Romeo scaled the wall and invited himself into my room and not long after, my bed.

It was wonderful and scary and thrilling all at once. The things he whispered in my ear, the lengths he promised to go for me. It’s no wonder I thought myself in love with him. And for that night, everything was perfect. 

It all fell apart pretty quickly though. Romeo got a little too hot headed in the streets and killed my cousin. You think that would end any romantic feelings on my part but I was young and stupid. Tybalt started it anyway! He killed Romeo’s best friend first. Romeo was just a loyal friend. It was sweet, really.

That’s what I told myself. Not my proudest moment, I’ll admit. And then Romeo had to go into hiding. You see, they didn’t know it had been Romeo who killed Tybalt. The fight happened late at night and the only other witness, Mercruito, was already dead. So he left his body and fled to my bedroom to stash the murder weapon. He needed to leave town but he promised he’d come back. And I promised to wait. And I did. For months. He took an apprenticeship a few villages over while he waited for someone else to take the blame for Tybalt’s death. So I wrote him love letters that I never sent. I kept my window unlocked every night. I waited and prayed and yearned. And then I met Paris.

Paris was not nearly as handsome as Romeo but he was still an attractive man. While Romeo was flirtatious and suave, Paris was charming and gentle. He was a sweet man and if I hadn’t met Romeo, I think I would have been ecstatic when my mother announced our engagement. 

We would have been happy together. I realize that now, but then all I thought of was my Romeo. I had a sweet spot for Paris and that only caused guilt when I remembered that I had already promised myself to another. Romeo was my true love. How could I ever think I’d be happy with another?

The timing of Romeo’s return couldn’t have been more perfect, almost as if he planned it like that. He had heard about the engagement. He raged and he sobbed as he asked if I was going to abandon him so easily. He’d die for me, he said. Would I be willing to do the same?

I would. And I did. With a special tonic I would fake my death and then Romeo would come get me from my family’s crypt. He’d whisk me away and we would start a new life together. I believed him and I think he believed himself as well. But it’s like I said earlier, Romeo was quick to fall in love. 

So when the tonic was finally ready I drank it quickly before I could change my mind. My thoughts slowed and my vision blurred. I became sluggish and panicked as the tonic slowed my heart rate. I tried to make it to my bed but I think I may have lost consciousness before I could. I heard shouts as my world went black.

When I woke, my body ached. I was lying on a stone slab in a thin dress that did not keep out the cold. As my thoughts returned to me, I looked around and there was my Romeo waiting for me. I gave a weak smile that he did not return. Instead, he could not meet my eye and was fidgeting nervously.

“I think we’ve made a mistake,” He said at last. My thoughts were still confused so I did not respond. 

“It was a fantasy to think we should run away together,” He continued.

“What are you saying?” I asked but I already knew. He was not going to start a new life with me. 

“Perhaps you should marry Paris instead.” And then I knew. He had met someone else. He did not love me, he never did. This was all a game to him and it had finally gone too far.

“I gave up everything for you!” I cried. He shrugged and told me I wasn’t actually dead. I could return home to my family’s rejoice and it would be like nothing had changed. But things had changed. My heart was broken as the man who’d asked me to die for him had already moved on.

And suddenly I was angry. A burning white hatred bloomed inside me. I wanted him to suffer the way I had while he had been gone. How hopeless and sad I’d been. The happiness I’d felt when he returned was now being ripped away from me. I’d done all he had asked. I’d waited and was going to give up my entire life for him.

It was stupid to remind him of Tybalt. That I could tell everyone what he had done. I had the murder weapon after all, still rusted with my cousin’s blood. Romeo’s face paled as he tried to calm me. The more he tried, the angrier I became until we were both yelling.

I didn’t even see the knife he had until I felt it thrust up inside of me. He looked as shocked as I felt as we both realized what he had done. But then just as quickly, the shock vanished from his face as determined resolve replaced it. He stabbed me over and over again until my white dress was no longer white and the blood was pooling onto the floor. He laid me down gently, as gently as he had done when he shared my bed. He whispered sweet nothings in my ear that I tried not to hear. His tears that dripped down onto me only made me angrier and with my last strength I tried to push him away.

Blackness. Then light. Then the Broken Hearts Hotel. 

My story, as twisted and retold as it has now become, is the greatest romantic tragedy of all time. And I couldn’t be any more furious about it.

[hitoshisbabygirl]

Lambient Nights ~ K. Bakugou

Author's Notes ♡: Hey guys, it’s me, ya girl and I’m back with another collab this week! I really loved this masquerade idea and I hope I tackled it in a modern way. It’s kinda all over the place but the smut was immaculate (ha sorta ).･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.! This is nice and heated, I liked making Bakugou his common aggressive self with a bit of tenderness so ʕ⊙ᴥ⊙ʔ. I hope I did a decent job with this wonderful idea , I tried to make a modern masquerade but I feel like I failed 😅 anyway I hope you enjoy reading this and much as I did writing it ~ bunny ❥

Warnings : NSFW!!! (◎_◎;)

Semi public sex, female oral, Big Dick Baku , Dom! Bakugou, name calling , Bakugou cursing as usual

Word count : About 2.2 k!

Paring(s) : Katsuki Bakugou x F! Reader

Enjoy ♡

———————————————————————

Number 2 Hero GorundZero!

Youre invited to the annual Midnights Masquerade

Meet around the back at the Twili Castle

Have your masks and outfits ready

Make sure you bring a friend or that special one tonight ~

Madam Midnight

Bakugou lets out a deep sigh, setting the dark paper down on the counter as he let out a growl, sparking up his kitchen counter. “Damnit!” He yelled as he glared at the mocking note. With a huff, he picked up his phone, calling up some of his friends. “Shitty hair, did you get one of these things too?” Bakugou yelled as his red haired and laughing counterpart answered his question “Well hello to you too Bakubro! I did, I'm planning on inviting Mina , she said she always wanted to go to one of those Masquerade Balls, She'll probably leave me for the girls anyway! Why don't you bring that one girl.. What was her name, Er Cassy? Carie? Camie? Yeah Camie! Why dont bring her?” Kirishima rambled. “ Hell NO, she's been dating some guy from their old highschool, that big wind brute. They've been dating, and me and her were a fling a while ago , why they hell would you even say that?” Bakugou huffed as Kirishima laughed once again, stopping his yelling blonde friend. “How about [ ]?” Kirishima said as the blonde on the other side fell silent, making the red haired friend call out to him again, a grunt falling from his lips as Kirishima questioned him again. “Sooo…[ ] ? what about her?”Bakugou responded with an uncommonly quiet tone “She probably would, but not with me..” Kirishima stopped and tried to figure out why his usually confident friend was so self conscious “Why do you say that? She'd probably love to go with you!’ With a deeper sigh Bakugou continued , “Yeah She’d love to go to that shitty thing , but it's stupid.” Kirishima couldn't help but laugh at his friend's conflicted feelings. “Bakugou, ask her and tell me what she say and we'll see you guys tonight okay?” Kirishima sia dand before his explosive friend could argue anything with him he hung up, prepared to deal with the aftermath of his best friend.

[ ] hearing her phone ring from her bedroom , running from her bathroom up the stairs to the room,she saw the iconic “angry pomeranian” lighting up her screen. With a laugh she picked up the phone. “Well hello Katsuki, how are you today?” A grunt on the other line made her laugh harder as the blonde finally spoke. “What are you doing later?” He gruffed out as [. ] stopped, biting her lip as she thought about the context of his question. “Hmmmm nothing, I’m probably gonna cook later and just hang out with Mina. Why? Aww Katsuki are you finally going to admit you like me?” With a crash coming from the other line she heard Bakugou yell. “OW. HEY DUMBASS I DONT LIKE YOU WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE” with a howling laugh she calmed down and waited for the reason the angry blonde called her in the first place. “Sigh..well since you’re not doing shit, coming with me to this shitty masquerade party” [. ] squealed out as she hopped off her bed as he told her the details and who’s masquerade it was. “YOU of all people got an invite to Midnights’ Masquerade? Count me in! I’ll be your date!” With a sigh Bakugou agreed to pick her up at 8:00. As they hung up [. ] couldn’t help help the giddy feeling pooling up in her stomach as she got dressed quickly, heading to the store for her outfit for the night.

Promptly at 8:00 , Bakugou pulled up to her house, sighing as he looked at himself. All black everything, he hated the suit jacket Kirishima kept trying to give him so he decided to go with a vest and opt in a black button up instead of the white one the shop had. Looking down as he scrolled through his phone he heard a door shut as heels clicked down the driveway of the rather pretty house he was in front of. Looking up from his phone he saw one of the prettiest sights he’d even seen. Sure he’s seen his fair share of women of all types and ways of life but something clicked seeing [. ] come from her door. A long black low cutting dress framed her body as long curls fell down her back. She ran to his car and got in, dramatically falling against the seat. “Who knee dressing up took work” she said as she looked at the usually angry blonde beside her, that unusually head a unreadable face. “What?” [. ] said as Bakugou snapped out of his trance, grumbling as he stepped on the gas, headed to the mysterious mansion on the invite.

“Look at you mamas!” Mina called out to [. ] as she hugged her, the two laughing together as they took in their appearances. “Look at YOU, even with the mask on your adorable Mina! Where are the other girls at?” [. ] laughed as the pink girl took her hand. “The others are inside. We can let the brutes talk to eachother.” She said as she gestures to Kirishima and Bakugou, walking into the mansion. “This place is huge..it’s nice though” Kirishima started as he looked to Bakugou who was paying him no attention, watching the duo of girls walk into the main doors, vermilion eyes staring at the girl he came with. “ Yknow if you want you could catch up to her?” Kirishima suggested as the blonde let out a gruff. “Shut up. Let’s get this shitty night over with.” Bakugou said as Kirishima laughed, running to join his bestfriend. Throughout the night Bakugou joined his friends, the group of them talking about work, and watching their significant others wander and dance around the hall. While the others drained on about their life , Bakugou couldn’t help his rage boiling over as he watched [. ] roll her hips onto Mina , the two laughing and enjoying the night.

As he watched Mina go for a different girl to hit on, he saw a mystery man walk up and put his hands where minas were, letting her continue her actions. With pops of explosions coming from his hand he stomped to the girl, snatching her away from the guy as he took her to a nearby room, shutting and locking the door behind them. “Uh is there something wrong here Katsuki?” [. ] said with a slight slur as the older and towering blonde stepped to her.

“What the hell was that!? You let that extra put his dirty hands all over you, you’re here with me no one can touch you but me” He growled out as [. ] scoffed, stepping right back to him. “Like you care now Katsuki , I was with Mina not some random” She said as she tried to get past him. Grabbing her arm , Bakugou turned her back to him as he put her onto the bed in front of them. “Oh no sweetheart, there was a nobody touching you, and it seems you want me to let everyone know how much I actually care about you.” He started as she looked at him confused. “I’ve liked you since last year you dumbass..and now here we are with me admitting this stupid shit with you under me” Bakugou said as [. ] blinked , a slow grin coming to her lips. Unknowing to him , the incident he witnessed was planned out by her devious friend herself. Mina let it be known that she , Kirishima and everyone knew the hidden feelings he had for her, and giving him a little show should spark him and his feelings to be admitted. And they were right.

“Oh Suki..I’m glad you’re finally admitting it. Now shut up and make me yours”

And with that fateful sentence, Bakugou pinned her arms to the bed, kissing her lips quickly as she let out a gasp , wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Deepening the kiss, Bakugou crawled over her, picking her legs up and wrapping them around his waist. Pulling away Bakugou smirked , pulling the dress up and off of her revealing the orange and black lingerie underneath. “Well damn baby, seems you wrapped my gift up already..you planned this shit didn’t you?” Bakugou snarled as [. ] bit her lip and giggled, opening her legs wider. “Why don’t you unwrap it” she said , revealing that the underwear had an opening through the crouch, revealing her glistening and puffy lips to the hot head. “Fuck…” Bakugou whispered as he pushed her legs up and opened. “Can I have a taste babygirl?” He said as his voice dropped octaves , causing a shiver to go down [. ]’s spine. Shaking her head for permission, Bakugou snapped his wrist, lighting the straps off of her underwear and pulling them off. “Hey!” She started as she was soon cut off from complaining when a warm mouth sucking at her clit. “F-fuck...Suki” she moaned out as Bakugou smirked, popping off her clit. “Shut up shitty woman , I’ll buy you as much shit as you want. Right now I wanna fuck you so the whole place know who you belong to..I want you fuck you silly yeah? So be quiet or I’ll make the after party even worse” And with that he continued, sucking her clit , soon putting a thick and warm finger inside, then another, rolling his tongue diligently again her nub as she whimpered and moaned out, pulling the blondes hair as she rocked her hips against his lips, Bakugou letting out a growl as she sped up his actions, doubling down on his actions as he felt [. ]’s hips jerk, her orgasam flooding her senses as she screamed out as it hit, her pussy gushing as her body fell down onto the bed. With a smirk Bakugou snapped up, pulling her clit up as he came from off of her. “Geez you made a mess slut...Ready for the main course?”

He laughed as he rubbed at his tent in his pants, a spot forming on his dress pants as he pulled his zipper and pants down, showing his throbbing and heavily length. “Well sheesh..I know you were packing but geez Suki...you’re gonna split me in half with something like that..” [. ] laughed nervously as Bakugous’ smirk widened “or I’ll give you a nice stretch. I promise, you’ll be nice and full..and I won’t hurt you okay?” He said as he leaned down to kiss her temple “only if you want it” he finished off with as [. ] smiled softly. “Of course I want it , I’m just surprised. At least your attitude matched what your packing” she laughed as he rolled his eyes, grabbing her hips and flipping her to her stomach as she gasped. “Don’t worry, I’ll treat you like the good little bitch you are” He said, pulling her closer as he smacked her clit with the head of his dick, grunting as he slid between her wet walls, moaning out as the girl underneath him whimpered, pushing her hips to meet his.

“Fuck yes..take this dick baby” Bakugou said as he started to push his hips against hers, spreading her ass as he watched him disappear between her legs, his pride growing as he heard her little noises and moans spurring him on to go faster and harder. As she threw her hips back to match his Bakugou reached down and rubbed her clit from behind, her walls closing tighter as she screamed out at the sudden simulation, her eyes rolling back as he smacked her ass and soon after reaching up to pull her hair back to him, her back against his chest as he continued to rub her clit, pumping into her as his other hand slid to her neck, keeping her against him.

“Take it pretty slut, let them know who’s doing this to you...you’re close, I can tell by how tight you keep getting..let it out baby..and I’ll make you feel even better once we get home” [. ]’s mouth dropped open as she moaned out, Bakugous name fumbling from her lips as he bit down on her neck , pushing her over the limit.

With a whine of Bakugous name she came, falling forward as she shook in oversimulation. As she clamped down on Bakugou it pushed himself over the edge as he came into her, grunting as she get even tighter “Fuck..you wanted me to come in you hun? Damn..to know my girl was such a little cumslut..I’ll have to remember that for later” He chuckled as he pulled out of her. “Let’s try to wrap this little party up..then I can give you the real show later..”

[into-the-daniverse]

Feel Something | 🍋 | Jacqui (ft. Miriam x Julian)

For Day 4 of @midsummer-masquerade​.

In which, while following a familiar face, Jacqui finds himself as the audience of a private show, that he ends up enjoying more than he thought he would

Prompts Used: Voyeurism, Degradation/Praise CW: Mention of trans-feminine genitalia Title: Feel Something by Adam Lambert

2k words

To be fair, Jacqui had tried to tell Rodrigo he was leaving early on in the night, but, well, Rodrigo never listened to him at the best of times, and at a party surrounded by Rodrigo’s favorite thing—sex—it was hardly surprising he didn’t even bat an eyelash as Jacqui left to explore on his own.

Just as unsurprising, the parts of the palace Rodrigo wasn’t in were a bit tamer, closer to Jacqui’s own tastes. While Rodrigo enjoyed things fast, loud, rough, sweaty, and did he say rough, Jacqui liked to take things slow, savor intimate moments more. He didn’t mind the fast, loud, and rough, but he wanted to switch it up more than Drigo did. And he wanted to find someone who felt the same way.

He was walking through a room that was set up like an exhibit at a museum—except the exhibitions were people suspended from the ceiling with bright ropes—when he saw a flash of red hair that stirred a very distant memory.

Before he could think, he was following the red through the crowd, and once they left the room, saw that it was a man with red hair, a man by the name of Julian Devorak. Jacqui had heard the stories about him regarding the former Count, and the plague, though he had never believed it himself. The Julian he had met over a decade ago wouldn’t have been capable of killing anyone.

He supposed time changed people, but Julian looked much the same, even if his hair was shorter than Jacqui remembered. (There was also the matter of his outfit, tight, dark leather similar to Jacqui’s own, straps crossing over his skin, which was worlds different from the loose flowing shirts he had worn during his time on El Corazon Sangrante. Not that Jacqui was complaining about it.)

Part of Jacqui wanted to call out to him, say something, but what? There was no telling Julian even remembered him, and part of the allure of the party was the anonymity if the amount of masks Jacqui passed meant anything. So, instead, he just followed Julian as he went down a few hallways, until he stopped in front of an unassuming corridor.

There was a sign out in front of the corridor, and Julian read it, nodded to himself, and disappeared down the hall. Jacqui caught up to where he had been and glanced at the sign.

Only one word was written on it in a golden script. Miriam.

Looking down the hallway, Jacqui sighed. There were two doors facing him. He had no idea which one Julian had gone through but decided to reach out and grab the one on the right.

He had to blink a few times to adjust to the dim light in the room, but he noticed he was alone, and in a salon of sorts, a few chairs and a chaise set up. They were all facing one wall of the room, and as he sat down on the chaise, Jacqui’s breath caught in his throat when he was suddenly looking into another room.

The other room was brighter, and in the middle of it sat a huge bed. But that wasn’t what caught Jacqui’s attention. No, his gaze immediately latched onto a person in the middle of the bed, wearing a pink satin slip and mask to match, hair in pink waves just above their shoulders.

“There she is,” Julian’s voice pulled Jacqui’s attention to the other side of the room, where he was walking towards the bed. “Miriam, you look absolutely breathtaking.”

Miriam stood, meeting Julian halfway. “Oh, thank you Doctor, what a surprise.” From under her mask, Jacqui could see her lips curl into a smirk. “I thought our appointment wasn’t for another hour.”

“I thought I’d, uh, stop by early.” Julian laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Uh, I didn’t actually need to make an appointment, did I? Am I interrupting anything?”

“Not at all.” Miriam shrugged, holding her arms out to gesture around the room. “As you can see, it’s just you and me, Julian. You, me, and—” Her gaze flickered to right where Jacqui was sitting. “Whoever has decided to watch.”

So, they couldn’t see him, but the room he was in was clearly meant to be there. Jacqui shifted in his seat, pants starting to feel uncomfortably tight. He wondered if he should leave, but before he could even lean forward, Julian spoke.

“What do you think they’ll see?”

Miriam hummed, reaching out to trail a finger up his neck, and held his chin in her hand. “Well, that depends. Are you going to be a good boy, or will you need to be punished?”

Even from where he sat Jacqui could see Julian’s throat bob. “S-Surely we could find a happy medium, hm?”

“Oh, right,” Miriam laughed. “I forgot you like a bit of roughing up.” She shoved him backwards, towards the bed, and Jacqui groaned with Julian as he looked up at Miriam, who was standing between his legs. “Why don’t we start with you on your knees, sweetheart?”

Julian fell to the ground so fast Jacqui was sure he would have bruises on his kneecaps in no time. He watched as Julian parted his lips for Miriam to fuck his mouth, gripping his hair to keep him in place. When she came down his throat, Jacqui swallowed in time with Julian, feeling his face heat up at the look on Julian’s face, eyes half-lidded and mouth still hanging open.

Then she pushed Julian back onto the bed and started working him open, slowly, almost tortuously slow, judging by the way he tried to rock back into her fingers. Every time he did, she would smack his ass and adjust her pace, faster, then slower, then slower, and it was clearly driving Julian crazy.

“Look at yourself,” she said, and pulled Julian by his hair. Jacqui felt his heart stop when Julian looked right at him but reminded himself they couldn’t see him.

“You are such a slut, honey,” Miriam continued, and Julian moaned as she continued to work her fingers inside him. “Are you going to come before I’ve even put my dick in you? Because that would be very ungrateful of you, you know.”

Julian’s head bobbed, but she pulled it back up. “I w-won’t.”

“I’m spending all this time, opening you up gently, trying to be nice, so you better not come as soon as I’m inside you, do you understand me?”

He nodded, though his arms shook as he held himself up. “I-I understand. I won’t come, I’ll be good.”

“Good boy.” Miriam let go of his hair, and pressed a kiss to his back, pulling her fingers out of him. Julian whined over the loss, but he wasn’t missing her long, as Jacqui watched her pull out a sheath and start fucking into Julian again.

Jacqui was enchanted. He wasn’t even touching himself and still, with every thrust, every lustful moan Miriam pulled from Julian’s throat, he felt his own arousal grow. He didn’t even know who he wanted to be more. He had wanted to be the person fucking Julian for a long time, and the way he was crumbling to pieces as he was fucked made Jacqui’s dick throb. But then, then there was Miriam, and the way she pressed Julian’s face to the bed, her fingers woven through his hair, murmuring dirty things in his ears, just loud enough for Jacqui to still hear behind the mirror.

No, as he thought more about how it would feel to have her hands on his hips, he did know who he wanted to be.

As much as it surprised him, he wasn’t normally one for receiving—Rodrigo being the exception, as he always was—but something about the setting, about Miriam, about the nature of the party in the first place made Jacqui consider it. Being in Julian’s place.

He didn’t realize that he had undone the strings on his leather pants until his cock was already in his hand, and he was stroking himself with each thrust, light moans escaping him as he kept his eyes on the scene in the other room, still transfixed.

“You’re close, honey, I can tell,” Miriam said, and Jacqui almost jumped, thinking for a brief second, she was talking to him. But Julian nodded in reply, panting as he looked back at her.

“Please, I want—”

“I know.” She thrust roughly into him, and he cried out. “You’ve been good, but just hold on a little longer, okay? I want to come with you.”

Jacqui didn’t hear Julian’s response, but he must have agreed, because Miriam kept fucking him, and he kept holding on, though he was biting his lip almost hard enough to draw blood. Not much later Miriam let out a groan, and tugged Julian’s hair.

“Come with me, that’s a good boy.”

They both came loudly, though Julian was much louder, his back arching into Miriam, against her chest. Jacqui kept stroking himself, feeling a little light-headed over the noises they were making as they both calmed down from their orgasms.

Once they had recovered, Miriam helped Julian clean up, kissing him gently, but Jacqui had stopped watching, squeezing his eyes shut as he worked himself to his own orgasm. He threw his head back, biting his lip to try and stifle his grunts as he reached his peak, replaying the sounds they had both made over and over again in his mind until he came into his hand.

Breathing heavy, he forced his head up to look into the room again—and it was empty.

“Oh!” The sound of another voice made Jacqui jump, and he looked towards the door to see Miriam, hand on her hip, looking at him. “So, there was someone back here watching.”

“I…” His whole body froze, hand still covered in cum, and he wished that the ground would just swallow him up. “I—"

She waved her hand, giving him a gentle smile, like she had given Julian. If he was standing, Jacqui was sure his knees would have gone weak. “You’re fine, honey, that’s what it’s for.” She took a step closer, and he stiffened on instinct. “But, you know,” she nodded towards the room on the other side of the mirrors. “You might have more fun over there, with me.”

“W-what?”

“Yeah.” She sat next to him, resting her hand on his thigh. He felt like his nerves were going to fry, and when he noticed she was looking at his hand, and then at his still half-hard dick, he thought he was just going to die of embarrassment.

“Aw,” she said, voice low. “Got a little messy in here by yourself, hm?” She took his hand, bringing it up to her mouth, and met his gaze through thick eyelashes. “Do you need help cleaning up?”

Biting back a whimper as she pressed her lips to the tips of his fingers, he took a deep, shaking breath. “Please.”

“What was that?”

“Please,” he repeated. “Help me.”

She smiled at him, and took his fingers into her mouth, licking all of his cum off. He couldn’t bite back the moan that escaped him as he felt her tongue around him, and his cock twitched as she swiped her tongue up his palm, sucking at his skin.

When his hand was clean, she sat back, licking her lips, holding his stare with warm brown eyes. “Do you want to go into the other room?”

He nodded, a weak “yes” escaping his lips.

She led him over and gently pushed him onto the bed. His heart was hammering in his chest, and it only sped up as she sat next to him, hand traveling down his stomach to stop just before his dick. Her touches were soft, but there was a strength there, something calm, reassuring, and he understood why it had taken so little for Julian before him to come, and why he had sought her out in the first place.

Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his chest, and he sighed, digging his fingers into the sheets. When she pulled back, she put her hands over his, stroking them gently.

“Just relax, sweetheart, tell me what you want.”

He took another deep breath and told her, and she listened.

[kmomof4]

Sneak Peek Time!!!

We are coming up on Part 3, and we’ll see a few new faces and a few familiar ones in the coming weeks!!! But now, it is time for a sneak peek!

Summary: Bastard Emma Swan enjoys one night of pure magic and romance in the midst of a life of drudgery and abuse- attending a masquerade ball and meeting aristocrat Killian Jones. Two years later, the same man she met on the best night of her life reappears, saving her from a dire fate in the process.

Now, she must keep herself from falling in love with a man she can never have. But when that proves impossible, is there any hope for a happy ending between two people from such vastly different worlds?

On ao3 From the beginning/ Current Ch

On Tumblr Current ch with links to the others

New Tag List! Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

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“Where were you this past week?” she asked, ignoring his question completely and smoothly changing the subject. He moved into the parlor and sat down on the sofa, propping his feet on the low table in front of him. He probably should have waited for Ruby to sit, but she was only his sister after all, and company manners didn’t necessarily apply to sisters. “Went to the Gold party. It was abominable.”

“Mother will have words with you if she catches you with your feet up,” Ruby commented. “And why was the party so dreadful?”

“The company. A more boring bunch of lazy louts, I’ve never met.”

“As long as you don’t mince words,” Ruby replied with a smirk and rolling her eyes.

Killian raised an eyebrow at her sarcasm. “You are hereby forbidden from marrying anyone who was in attendance.”

“An order I will likely have no trouble obeying.” Ruby drummed her fingers on the arms of the chair she sat in. Killian had to smile. She’d always been a ball of excess energy. “But,” she continued, “that doesn’t explain where you were all week.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you are exceedingly nosy?”

Ruby waved his comment away. “Oh, all the time. Where were you?”

“And persistent, as well.”

“It’s the only way to be. Where were you?”

“Have I mentioned I’m considering investing in a company that makes human sized muzzles?”

Ruby threw a pillow at him, making him laugh. “Where were you?!”

He tossed the pillow back in her direction. “As it happens, the answer is not the least bit interesting. I was at My Cottage recuperating from a nasty cough.”

“Weren’t you sick before the party?” she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. “I thought you’d already recovered. Did you have a relapse?”

Killian couldn’t decide whether to be impressed or annoyed at her knowledge. “How did you know that?”

“I know everything, I told you. So you had a relapse?”

He nodded. “After driving in the rain.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Not particularly smart, if you ask me.”

Killian looked around the empty room and raised his arms as if he were directing his question to anyone but Ruby. “Why am I sitting here allowing myself to be interrogated and insulted by my ninnyhammer of a younger sister?”

“Probably because I do it so well.”

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I’d love to know what you think! Full chapter will be up on Sunday!!!

[ourownsideimagines]

Hide My Wings Tonight: Not Another Gloomy Play (Chapter 5)

Surprise! Not dead! I suddenly got the oomph today to finish not one but TWO chapters. Chaoter Six will be posted later, but I figured after two years of waiting I would go ahead and put up Chapter 5 right now.

Read it here on AO3!

Or read it below the cut

Based on the one-shot request by @jinxthequeergirl

---

Aziraphale had not seen his sister filled with such joy in centuries as he did in the years following the beginning of her and Crowley’s arrangement. Not that he knew of said arrangement of course, but he didn’t question what his sister did as long as she was happy. He worried about her, that much was for sure, but after she’d blown off his question the first twenty times he’d stopped asking, and started to enjoy the smile she once again gave so freely.

And (name) enjoyed learning to dance. Her demonic partner was not the best at the task, but they were learning together by watching others, and interacting. No one would question their presence at parties and masquerades. And though (name) would never admit it, she enjoyed spending time with Crowley. There was something about him that drew her in. Perhaps that was just how demons were. Enticing to even the purest of minds. Or maybe just to her.

She didn’t like Crowley, Heaven’s no - how could she, he’s a demon - but his company was a nice change from her doting brother and the snobs up in Heaven.

And of course, with their first arrangement, came another one. One that would change the world forever

You see, arrangements can be a tricky thing. 

The one that (name) had with Crowley was simple enough - Crowley would help (name) learn any new dance she desired, as long as she was willing to help him with small things. She had been a bit reluctant to these terms at first, but found that there was some joy in her disobeying Heaven. It was like a huge fuck you to Gabriel behind his back.

Did his coat need mending? Simple enough - it might not look beautiful, but it was presentable. Did Crowley need a name? Most certainly, (name) could get that. Did he need help getting into somewhere he couldn’t get into otherwise? Not a problem, (name) was good at talking her way into places. Did he need Aziraphale distracted for a while while he did some misdeeds? (Name) could turn a blind eye and take her brother out to lunch. Whatever he asked for, (name) was willing to do it.

Aziraphale had caught onto them rather quickly, much to (name)’s dismay. He’d been upset. He didn’t know about the dancing, but he knew that she’d been sneaking off to see Crowley and to help him with his hellish intentions. It had taken hours for (name) to get him to calm down and listen.

And that was how the second arrangement began. This one was just a bit trickier to get away with. After all, hiding something from Aziraphale was one thing. But hiding something from heaven was another - they had eyes everywhere. Even if it didn’t seem like it, someone was bound to be watching. And if not now, then later.

Aziraphale had been against the idea for so many years, helping  Crowley, or God forbid, getting Crowley’s help. But with the way (name) and Crowley insisted it could do us some good, how was he to resist?

So that was how it had been, for many years. The angels helped the demon, and the demon helped the angels. Heaven hadn’t noticed, and as far as (name) knew Hell hadn’t either. That didn’t mean any less sneaking around - Aziraphale refused to meet with Crowley privately. It always had to be in a crowd, somewhere inconspicuous.

And the Globe Theater during the preview of Shakespeare's new play, Hamlet, was anything but.

Aziraphale had promised a crowd, but (name) could count no more than fifteen heads among the crowd - that included the Bard himself, and the woman carrying snacks, Juliet. As they waited for Crowley, Aziraphale purchased himself a bunch of grapes, miracaling a coin out of nowhere.

“If you were going to do that,” (Name) said as Juliet walked away. “You could have just miracled yourself some grapes.”

“Now where would be the fun in that.” Aziraphale said, smiling down at the fruit before popping one of them into his mouth. He glanced around quickly. “He’s late.”

“Really, I hadn’t noticed.” She teased. “Stop looking so nervous. You’re the one who wanted to meet with him here.”

“Yes, well, I assumed there would be a much bigger crowd.”

“There’s never a crowd for a show like this.” (Name) argued. “People are depressed enough as is, they don’t want to be going to a show that will just make them feel worse.”

“I don’t feel any worse.” Aziaraphale argued.

“Yeah, well, you’re also not like everybody else.” The two were silent for a moment. Then, almost as if she could sense him, (name) turned her head and watched as Crowley sauntered into the arena. He saw them, and took no time at coming to stand beside (name).

“I thought you said we’d be inconspicuous here. Blend in with the crowd.” (Name) wanted to smile at this. Aziraphale, on the other hand, huffed, and ate another grape before he spoke.

“That was the idea.” He grumbled, glancing over at the demon. Remembering his manners, he offered the fruits to him. Crowley, however, ignored them. 

“Ah, hang on.” The demon grimaced. “This isn’t one of Shakespeare’s gloomy ones, is it?” He scrunched up his nose. “No wonder nobody’s here.” (Name) smiled at this.

“Shh, it’s him.” Aziraphale grasped his sister's arm, catching her attention.

“Prithee, gentles, madam.” He said. “Might I request a small favor? Could you, in your role as the audience, give us more to work with?” (name) tried not to frown at this, but she had never been very good at controlling her mouth - both what came out of it, and what shapes it decided to make. Shakespeare didn’t seem much interested in her tho, his eyes focused more on Aziaphale who asked;

“You mean, like when the ghost of his father came on, and I shouted ‘He’s behind you!’?”

“Just so!” Shakespeare said. “That was jolly helpful. Made everyone on the stage feel appreciated. A bit more of that.” (name) wanted to argue. She wanted to say that it made no sense, but she didn’t have the chance. “Good Master Burbage, please! Speak the lines trippingly.” The actor on stage didn’t take the advice too well, and (name) was sure he was ready to explode on the bard at any moment.

“I am wasting my time up here.” He hissed.

“No, you’re very good!” Aziraphale insisted. “Isn’t that right, my dear sister?”

“I-” She bit her tongue. Aziraphale has a bad habit of putting her on the spot like this. That, plus a loose tongue, was never a good pairing. “Yes. I just love all the… talking.” She said.

“And what does your friend think?” The actor asked, clearly looking towards Crowley.

“He’s not our friend. We’ve never met before, we don’t know each other-”

“I think you should get on with the play.” Crowley interrupted Aziraphale, and (name) had to raise a hand to cover her mouth. If Aziraphale heard her laugh, he would surely lecture her later.

“Yes, Burbage. Please.” Shakespeare said. The actor continued.

“To be or not to be - that is the question-”

“To be!” Aziraphale exclaimed. “I mean, not to be! Come on, Hamlet. Buck up!” He turned to (name) with excitement, but it quickly died when he saw the bored look on not only her face, but on Crowley’s as well. Still, the actor gave him a grateful thumbs up and continued on. (name) had to keep from laughing when she noticed Shakespeare mouthing along to the soliloquy, looking very proud of himself.

“He’s very good, isn’t he?” Aziraphale gushed.

“Age does not wither nor custom stale his infinite variety.” Crowley dramatized. (name) watched as Shakespeare reached for his pocket, stating how he ‘liked that’ and wandered away while scratching it down on a scrap of paper.

They stood there a few moments longer, listening to the soliloquy.

“What do you want?” Aziraphale finally spoke, popping another grape into his mouth. (Name) took this opportunity to snag a few, cradling them in her hand as she trained her eyes on the man standing on stage.

“Why might you be insinuating that I might possibly want some?” He was behind them now, coming to stand on Aziraphale’s side.

“You’re up to no good.”

“And the two of you are up to good, I take it? Lots of good deeds?” (Name) spared him a glance. He wasn’t even trying to pretend that he was watching the play. Even behind his glasses she could see him glancing at her, then back to Aziraphale.

“Well there is no rest for the…” Aziraphale paused, causing (name) to snicker. The actor on stage threw her a look, which she chose to ignore. “Good.”

“We’re meant to be heading up to Edinburgh at the end of the week. Aziraphale has a couple of blessings to do and I have a minor miracle to perform.” (Name) popped a couple of the grapes into her mouth - they were the perfect mixture of sweet and sour, causing her to hum with joy.

“Oh? Is that right?” Crowley looked at her again and (Name) fought to keep a smile off her face. “Well, I’m meant to be heading to Edinburgh end of the week as well - tempting a clan leader to steal some caddle.”

“Doesn’t sound like hard work.” Aziraphale piped in, too focused on the play and his food to realize what was coming next.

“Well, that’s why I thought…” this caught Aziraphale’s attention, and he all but snapped his head in Crowley’s direction. “Well, it’s be a bit of a waste.” Crowley was starting to smile again. He knew exactly what he was doing. “All of us going all the way to Scotland.”

“You cannot possibly be insinuating,” Azirapahe was beginning to raise his voice, and (Name) hushed him before the actor could throw another tantrum. “What I infer you are implying.” He said in a hushed tone.

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before.” Crowley was turned to watch the play now, but (name) never looked away from him. “The arrangement-“

“Don’t say that.” Aziraphale demanded.

“Our respective head offices don’t actually care how things get done, they just want to know they can cross it off the list.

“Yes, but if hell found out they wouldn’t just be mad,” Aziraphale reminded him. “They would destroy you.” The joy of seeing the demon had finally worn off as (name) let Aziraphale’s words sink in.

They would destroy you.

“Nobody ever needs to know.” Crowley said, lifting a hand to show them a rusted coin. “I’ll toss you for Edinburgh.”

There was a pregnant pause. (Name) could feel the words forming on the tip of her tongue. We shouldn’t do this, she wanted to say. It’s way too dangerous. But she couldn’t. Because a life without seeing Crowley every now and again would be… well, she’s not sure it would be worth living.

“Fine,” Aziraphale sighed. “Heads.” Crowley smiled. Then, he held the coin out to her.

“Would you do us the honor?” He asked. As (name) took the coin, her fingers brushed gently against his own, and despite how well dressed he was and how warm it was, his fingers were cold. Aziraphale’s eyes were trained on the coin so he didn’t see when Crowley gave her a sly wink.

The other arrangement.

(Name) held onto a sigh as she flipped the coin, fingers snapping gently as she did. When the coin landed, she knew it would be tails, but she played her part and gave a small groan of annoyance.

“Well, brother of mine, it looks like we will be the ones going to Scotland.” She displayed the coin. “Guess I’m just a bit unlucky.” She lied.

Before either of them could speak, they heard the bard moaning from the other side of the pit.

“It���s been like this every performance Juliet, a complete dud. It would take a miracle to get anyone to come and see Hamlet.” (Name) didn’t miss the look Aziraphale gave Crowley. The same face he gave her when he wanted something sweet, or was begging her to help him get a new book.

Crowley scrunched up his nose, but let out a defeated sigh.

“Fine, I’ll do that one.” He said. “My treat.”

“Oh, really?” (Name) shuffled a bit, annoyed words threatening to spill from her lips. But Crowley spoke up quickly.

“I still prefer the funny ones.” He gave (name) one last glance before making his way toward the exit of the theater, probably on his way to start on his demonic miracle. It was at that moment that (name) realized she was still holding Crowley’s coin.

“Oh, bugger.” She muttered. “Could you hold on a moment, brother. I will return in just a moment.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Quite. Just need a breather, is all.” He didn’t seem to like that answer, but didn’t argue as (name) tore away from him and walked towards the theater exit. As she popped out onto the empty streets, she could feel eyes on her. To her left, Crowley was leaning up against a wall, waiting for her.

“Sneaky bastard.” She said, “You forgot something.” She said, holding out the coin to him. He stared at it for a moment, but didn’t hold out a hand to take it. So she pulled back, slipping the coin into a pocket she had secretly sewn into her dress. “Is everything okay, Crowley?”

“How are you?” (name) was taken aback by the question, but Crowley seemed genuine in his curiosity.

“I am… fine.”

“You seem happy.” He said. “Even if you weren’t enjoying the show, you just seem… happier.”

“Well,” (name) started. “I am. Times are changing. I haven’t had to visit upstairs in quite a while. And Aziaraphale is happy. So I am happy.”

“Good. That’s… good.” There was silence between them. “I still owe you from last time, too.” He said. (name) hummed in agreement - she hadn’t gotten her promised dance lesson for the last temptation she had assisted him with.

“I guess this next one will just have to be a bit longer, then, no?”

“It would seem.” Crowley was smiling. “Have fun in Edinburgh, Angel.”

“Have fun with Hamlet, Demon.” She shot back, trying not to laugh as he grimaced. Crowley pushed off the wall and began to saunter off, leaving (name) to return to her brother. When she reached into her pocket, she couldn’t help but laugh to herself.

The coin was gone.

[lillywillow]

Paper Faces on Parade

Summary: A royal masquerade is being held with the purpose of finding you a husband, however, your heart is already being held by one man

 Word Count: 1457

 Square Filled: Royal AU

 Pairings: Bucky x Female Reader

 Warnings: An assassination attempt

Written for @star-spangled-bingo

 From a young age, you were trained to take over the throne from your mother. You were taught everything from politics, to dancing, to sword fighting. Your mother wanted you to be fully prepared for anything a queen would be expected. When you came of age, she had been pushing you to find a husband, which was a royal requirement. Every potential suitor your mother set up ended the same way, a polite kiss on the hand and a broken promise to meet again. There was only one man you had in mind for your royal consort; your best friend and confidant; James Buchannan “Bucky” Barnes.

 Ever since you were children, the pair of you had been close. Bucky had trained to be in the knights and worked his way up from page to sergeant. He had taught you to wield a sword and ride a horse. Whenever you had dance lessons, you requested him as your partner. Every chance either of you had, you used it to be with each other. After he had lost his arm in the war, you spent every second you could by his side and went as far as to resource a mechanical one for him so he could resume his position.

 When your mother had announced that she was holding a royal ball with the sole purpose of you choosing a husband, there was no doubt in your mind who would be your choice by the end of the night.

The night of the ball had finally arrived, the night you had been partly dreading. It wasn’t that you hated these kinds of events per say, it was just that they were full of the same tedious characters you forced to mingle with. There were the clout chasers who were more interested in being seen with you than anything you actually had to say. Then there were the old blowhards who believed you should be seen, not heard and be grateful whatever man was chosen for you. In those cases you would oh so politely remind them that’s not the way your mother did it and you wouldn’t stand for it either.

 One of the things you did enjoy about these formal gatherings is seeing everyone in their finery. Fabrics shimmered and flashed and jewellery sparkled in the light. There was a certain magic about it, especially tonight with everyone wearing masks. Despite the fact their faces were hidden, it was easy to spot who was whom.

 Surrounded by a group of women was the inventor from the noble house of Stark. He was dressed in a metallic costume of gold and red, possibly one of his own creations.

 Then there was Countess Natasha Romanoff. Her dress was obsidian save for the silver stitching which was woven throughout the fabric like spider-webs. In her hand was a plain black mask on a stick which had the symbol of a red hourglass.

 You spotted one of the Asgardian princes in an emerald and gold costume with a feathered raven mask. He was speaking to Lady Wanda Maximoff. Her scarlet gown billowed around her like smoke, a lace butterfly mask daintily perched upon her face.

 You could see the Wakandan king in a traditionally carved African mask in the shape of a panther. He was wearing all black although there was something unusual about the fabric in the way it shimmered purple under the light.

 Throughout the night, you danced with many eligible bachelors. Some were sweet and genuine, others you found utterly droll but the one person you wanted to dance with eluded you.

 Eventually, you managed to sneak away to the veranda to steal a few minutes alone to yourself. You were enjoying the cool night air when you heard a voice behind you.

 “I thought I might find you here, princess.”

 Smiling, you turned around to face the person you had been longing to see all night. Bucky was clothed in all white with silver trimming, complete with a white wolf mask. You thought he looked rather dashing.

 “It was starting to get quite stuffy in there...”

 “Indeed,” he said, joining you and placing his hands on the veranda railing, his gloved fingers brushing against yours. “Have you danced with many tonight?”

 “Too many to count... none of them have reached my standards.”

 “You must have pretty high standards...”

 “That I do... in fact, I have already made my choice in who I want to make my consort.”

 “Is that so?”

 “It is... you may already know him. He’s tall, handsome, has beautiful blue eyes, he’s in the knights...”

 “I see... well I wish you and Steve a long and happy life together.” You playfully nudged him.

 “I think we both know who I’m referring to...”

 “I think I do too... but I’m afraid to let myself hope...” When Bucky heard you were supposed to be choosing the man you were going to marry, it broke his heart.

 “Then how about a dance?”

 “Shouldn’t I be the one to ask you?”

 “Do you want to dance with me or not?”

 “Yes, your highness,” his voice had a playful lilt to it. He offered his arm to you and escorted you to the ballroom floor as the music began.

 As you glided across the floor with Bucky, it felt like you were the only two people in the room amidst the swirling colours and glittering lights. There was no denying it. You were totally and hopelessly in love with each other. When the song ended, your lips moved closer to his but a voice interrupted you.

 “May I have this next dance, princess?” You turned to see a stranger fully clad in black with red tentacles embellished on the shirt and a mask in the form of a red skull. There was something about this man that sent chills down your spine, however, it was your duty to dance with every gentleman who asked. You knew almost everyone at this party but you couldn’t place him. He was clearly skilled at the waltz but his grip was tight and hurting you. Bucky watched his every move and stayed close by just in case.

 “I have been very anxious to meet you princess...”

 It all happened so fast. The stranger pulled a knife concealed in his belt and brought it down towards your heart. Bucky quickly ran over, managing to push you away and put himself between you and the assailant. The knife let out a sickening clink as it got stuck in the panels of Bucky’s arm. All you could do was stand there in shock, the palace guards rushing over to apprehend the attacker. The man tried to get away and in the scuffle, his mask clattered to the ground revealing his identity. It was Johan Schmitt, an enemy to the royal family and leader to a group of rebels. He screamed profanities and antiroyalist speech as he was dragged away to the dungeons to be dealt with later.

 “Are you alright, princess? Did he harm you at all?” a nearby servant asked. You shakily showed your bruised wrist and they ushered you to a doctor. You turned back to see Steve helping Bucky remove the knife from his shoulder.

 From that point on, the party was well and truly over.

...

 The following day, the palace was abuzz with gossip about the events that unfolded at the ball. There was only one thing on your mind. You went to your mother to let her know your decision.

 “Mother, I have made my choice... I want Sir James Buchannan Barnes as my consort.”

 “Are you sure you don’t have false feelings because he saved your life last night?”

 “No, Mother. I have been in love with Sir James since I was a teenager. He has proven himself worthy to be my partner time and time again, not just to me but to the kingdom. He is a knight of high status and by our laws; he is eligible for my hand. Nothing you can say or do will change my mind.”

 “This is your final answer?”

 “Yes, Mother.”

 “Then it is decided. I will make the appropriate arrangements. You may go.” You couldn’t stop smiling, having to stop yourself from running through the halls to go tell Bucky the good news.

 In the months that followed, you and Bucky were finally married. You finally got the man of your dreams and Bucky got the princess of his.

[yikestripes]

Masquerade

Request: Can you write a Hotch x reader where the BAU team attends a ballroom party after helping a rich man from an unsub as thanks. Hotch meets the reader and they talk and dance all night. The reader is intrigued that Hotch is a profiler and at midnight she gives him her shoe and tells him to find her based only on that. Thanks!!!

here you go @lavenderblossom12 !!!! i hope you enjoy this !!! i actually had a ton of fun writing it and i usually have such a tough time writing for hotch. if it’s good maybe i’ll write a part 2 ;)

key:

(Y/H/C): your hair color

(Y/D/J): your dream job

(Y/E/C): your eye color

word count: 2.5k

“Hotchner,” Hotch answered with his usual monotone draw, narrowing his already narrow brow as he listened to whatever the caller was saying on the other end. “Well, I suppose that would be alright. Send me the location. Thanks.” He hung up and turned the phone over and over in his hands before looking to the ceiling.

“What is it, Hotch? Is everything okay?” JJ asked, concerned.

“The BAU team was invited to a masquerade party to celebrate our returning the Schaffer’s daughter,” He said, sounding unsure. He recognized the caller ID as soon as he saw the D.C area code, having spent extensive time with the family in pursuit of the most recent psychopath. They had gotten a location at the most crucial time, they had shown up right before the unsub slit the young woman’s throat. They apprehended him in a matter of minutes and were able to return the girl safely to her family. She had been the target in a war of spite between the unsub and her father, since he had personally fired him from his company 3 months later without any sort of rhyme or reason, beyond slow work ethic. He was furious and decided to get back at him by taking the most precious thing in his world; his 19 year old daughter.

“Well, that’s never happened before.” Reid said, looking confused. He hated parties, clubs, anything of the sort. The loud music made it hard for him to think and he had a tough time connecting with other people, his tangents tended to turn others off from him. Hotch remained unsure about agreeing so quickly, but decided not to press the issue. It was the right thing to do; it was, after all, partially in their honor. The team could deal with it for one night, not to mention they had been working especially hard and could use a single night to let loose and celebrate their work, especially since this case had been a win for the good guys.

It was set to take place that Saturday and although attendance was not required, it was recommended. This was to celebrate the return of a young girl and it was to thank them, so it was only right of them to go.

At least, that was the way Hotch was going to continue justifying it to himself, whether the team or anyone else understood or not. He was going to find a way to enjoy this party if it took everything in him, or even all the liquor at the open bar. Tonight was about relaxing. Every single person in his life never failed to remind him how uptight he could be, or how he could never relax. With all the things he’d seen since starting at the BAU, how could he?

He straightened his tie in the mirror of his small apartment and took a deep breath, before making his way to the ballroom where the party was being hosted. He had apparently been assigned to a table with the rest of the team, of which he was the first to arrive, and he eagerly awaited his fellow agents’ arrivals. Prentiss came shortly after Hotch, wearing a long red gown that accentuated her curves without trying to make a spectacle of herself, followed by Penelope, who was the complete opposite. Her dress was colorful and bright, just like her personality- and typical work attire. JJ wore a gown similar to Emily’s and Reid had gone with a classic all black suit. Derek was what he called “fashionably late”, sporting a suit that was similar to Reid’s, except navy blue as opposed to solid black.

It didn’t take a profiler to see what each agent’s outfit said about them; Reid didn’t want to be noticed, Morgan was impartial since he got attention no matter what he wore, and the girls’ dresses and makeup spoke more to their individual personalities. JJ was able to snag a babysitter for Henry and brought Will as a plus one, so she dressed more suited to being with someone. Classy and elegant, without attracting attention to herself. Emily was similar in the sense of class and elegance, but she didn’t bring anyone so attracting someone else was more of her goal with her dress and her overall demeanor. Hotch, on the other hand, didn’t have much of a motive for anything beyond looking nice and enjoying his time off from work and his typical worries, sporting a plain black suit with a classic red tie. Nevertheless, all the agents looked fantastic and it showed as they slowly eased deeper into the party.

Hotch excused himself from Reid as he went on about the periodic table, he wasn’t even sure how the prior conversation of the butterfly room on the second floor could possibly have any relation, but of course Reid found a way to bring something like that into a conversation. Hotch shook his head to himself as he approached, being only one of two who were at the bar, besides the bartender.

“I’ll take a Kettle One on the rocks, please.” Hotch took a long drag from the glass as soon as the bartender set it in front of him, earning him a small chuckle from the person beside him.

“Thirsty?” You asked, your eyes alight. The liquor went down his throat icy, forcing him to pause for a second before responding. He offered a small smile.

“Not quite.” He said quietly, looking down into the glass.

“Fair enough.” You took a sip from the wine in your hand as you looked across the room, throwing a lock of (Y/H/C) hair over your shoulder. Hotch took another sip himself before inching slightly closer to you.

“It’s a lovely venue.” Hotch said quietly.

“It really is. I came to a wedding that took place here about a month ago, for one of my best friends from college,” You paused to take another drag from your wine. “I gotta be honest though, I like what they did with the place now much better.” She set down the empty glass on the bar and the bartender filled you up without you saying a word. You took the glass in your hand once more, looking to Hotch.

“Is it safe to assume you’re one of the guests of honor this evening?” You asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Yeah, how did you know?” Hotch asked.

“Well, you’re sitting at a table that is slightly apart from the other tables, and the other guests at your table who I saw you sitting with before are all glued to one another, seeming as if they’re the only ones they know here.” You said.

“Wow. I guess we do sort of stand out.” Hotch replied, taking another sip of his own drink, feeling the effect slowly loosen him up. He downed the last few swigs and offered you his hand.

“Care to dance?” Hotch was never the dancing sort, except when he went out with his ex-wife and/or coworkers. Haley enjoyed dancing enough, as did Hotch, but they never found the time to do so. However, tonight was about relaxing, and ignoring everything in him that told him not to at least try and enjoy himself. He was going to enjoy this party, he was determined to.

A blush crept up to your cheeks as you accepted his hand, entering the dance floor from the side. Hotch placed his hands on your waist, and you rested yours on his chest as you slowly swayed around the floor.

“So, tell me about yourself.” You said, smiling up at him. You had to hand it to him, he was extremely attractive, and his elusive smiles were something that clearly had to be earned, and you seemed to be doing a pretty good job so far.

“Well, uh, there really isn’t much to tell.” He said, looking around for something to trigger a memory as to what he could use to impress you.

“Come on, a handsome guy like you? I’m sure you’ve got some sort of exciting life.” Now it was Hotch’s turn to blush; he wasn’t used to hearing things like that.

“Well, I’m an FBI agent for the Behavioral Analysis Unit, so I guess that’s pretty exciting.” He shrugged as your eyes widened, fascinated.

“That’s pretty incredible, I gotta be honest.” You said, closing your dropped jaw. He smiled again, somehow making him even more attractive.

“Thanks. It’s hard work, but it pays off. What do you do?” He asked, readjusting his hands a little higher on your waist. You couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed, but ignored it.

“I’m a (Y/D/J).” You grinned. Hotch brushed a stray strand of hair behind your ear, as blood rushed to your cheeks.

“Wow, that sounds exciting.” He whispered. The slower song had ended and led its way to a more upbeat song, and Hotch saw JJ dragging Will and Reid out onto the dance floor, followed by Morgan, Garcia, and Prentiss, who winked in Hotch’s direction.

You dropped your hands from his shoulders and grabbed his hand, leading him in the direction of your table where you had set down your wine glass previously. You took a long gulp, and turned your attention back to Hotch.

“What do you do for the FBI?” You asked, steadying yourself on a nearby chair.

“I’m a, uh, profiler. My team and I work together to create a profile of both a victim and/or the perpetrator, and use that to help solve the case.” He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“That’s fascinating.” You said, in awe. That sounded like the coolest job you’d ever heard, definitely something straight out of a movie.

“I’m going to grab another drink, did you need a refill?” Hotch asked, eyeing your emptying glass. You paused for a second to check yourself, and see if another could cause you to embarrass yourself. You decided that if you paced yourself, you would be fine.

“Sure, chardonnay.” You downed the rest of the contents and handed the glass to Hotch with a sweet smile. You watched as he made his way to the bar, confident. Another man approached him, and sent a small grin in your direction before turning his attention back to the man you’d spent almost half the evening with, but you didn’t even know his name. That was the funny thing about these sort of corporate parties; names were almost never necessary, you have the most incredible evening, but never ruin the memory with names and empty promises. You were interested in the fact that the man had never even mentioned anything about names, numbers, or anything of the sort. You almost always had to bring up the idea yourself, whether it was after one glass of wine or several. Most usually wanted to sleep with you, something that usually became apparent by this time of the night.

Not with this man, however. He was sweet and sure of himself, but not so sure that he thought he could sweet talk you back to his apartment. He genuinely seemed intrigued by you, and you by him.

“That’s a pretty girl you’ve been chatting up, Hotch.” Morgan appeared at Hotch’s side, ordering himself another beer.

“Isn’t she beautiful? She’s intelligent, too. And miraculously interested in our line of work,” Hotch replied with a small laugh, taking a sip from his glass.

“You think there’ll be a second date?” Morgan asked.

Hotch sorta shrugged and didn’t answer the question, just picked up your wine and his kettle and was off to find you. Luckily for him, you hadn’t wandered far, just to look at some of the paintings that were hanging up around the venue.

“Your wine, my lady.”

“Why thank you, kind sir.” You giggled as you took a short drag, sighing in content. “I hate to say it, but the evening is almost over..” You trailed off, looking toward the giant clock on the wall.

“Wow, I didn’t realize it had gotten that late.” It was nearing 12:15, and the party ended around 12:30.

“Yeah.” You took another sip of your wine as Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” filled the room. “This is one of my favorites, shall we?” He set his glass down on the table beside yours, took your hand, and led you onto the dance floor once again. This time, he allowed his hands to sit directly on your hips as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“You look beautiful, by the way.” He said with a shy smile.

“Thank you, so do you.” You giggled. This made his entire face break out into a grin as he lifted your arm, indicating for you to do a small spin. You dressed fanned out around you as Hotch brought you close again. You’d lost your footing amid the spin, not used to spinning in such high heels and after about 3 glasses of wine. You giggled a little bit more.

Hotch licked his lips as he took in the color of your eyes, (Y/E/C), sparkling and bright. He smiled a little and looked down at your lips, which were a lovely shade of pink, slightly parted. You could instantly tell what he was thinking, and closed the gap quickly. He stiffened in surprise, and then melted into it. You pulled away breathlessly, grinning from ear to ear.

The song ended faster than you would have liked, when you got a wild idea. It was something you’d always wanted to do, something you’d only ever seen in movies. There’s a first time for everything, right?

You pulled him down a little so you could whisper in his ear while leaning on him, taking off your left shoe.

“Come find me, Mr. FBI agent.” You whispered, pressing the shoe into his hand and walking away, purse in hand, in the direction of the exit.

Hotch’s eyes widened when he finally processed what had just happened, Morgan and Prentiss quickly approaching.

“What was that?” Prentiss asked, somewhat coherently.

“I… I have to find her.” Hotch said, staring at where you had sauntered right out of the ballroom, and beyond his reach.

[ibijau]

sangyao 31 👀

modern AU

Whatever else might be wrong with the Jin, they certainly knew how to throw a party. This little masquerade they had thrown together for young Jin Ling’s birthday was truly extraordinary. The food was both abundant and of the highest quality, the room was illuminated by magical flying lanterns, and the band hired to play for the dancers was one just on the verge of becoming famous enough that in only a few months, everyone present at the party would gloat about having heard them in person.

If he hadn’t been so preoccupied with other problems, Nie Huaisang would have been delighted to have secured an invitation to such an event. As it were though, the delicate canapés tasted like ash in his mouth, and the music was at best helping him spy on conversations -or hindering him by drowning some of them.

It didn’t help that the masks everyone wore muffled their voices. Of course the point of a masquerade was to wear masks, but many people were taking it too far, having covered their entire face into animal heads, after hearing that Jin Guangshan himself would be buying his mask from a trendy designer who had used that idea on his last runway. Huaisang supposed he couldn’t complain. He was after all doing the same, and using this be present as someone’s plus one. He doubted the Jins would have let him wander around so easily, if not for the rabbit head he was hiding under. They couldn’t have refused to let him in, not when he was there as Jiang Cheng’s date, but they would probably have tasked someone with following him.

Enjoying the freedom to walk among enemies, Huaisang observed carefully everyone wearing Jin colours, trying to recognise the one person he was looking for. He had never met the man in person, but he had found pictures and was sure he would recognise him if they ended up face to face. If he could just find him…

“My oh my, what an anxious bunny you are, hopping this way and that,” someone said nearby. “Do you need help with something?”

Huaisang had been about to open a small door from which he had seen waiters come and go for a while. After being ignored since he had arrived, he was so startled to be addressed that he jumped in surprise. He turned to see who was speaking to him, and discovered a man wearing a wolf mask, though of a lesser quality than that used by the Jin family and their more prominent guests. There was no doubt that the man was at least somewhat tied to the Jins, though, or he wouldn’t have dared to wear a peony on his breast.

“Bunnies are made for hopping,” Huaisang retorted boldly, his heart fluttering in his chest while he tried to recover from the surprise. “Please mister wolf, don’t attack this little rabbit, he’s just trying to make his way to the restroom, but this place is too easy to get lost in.”

“Guard dog, not wolf,” the other man sighed, pointing at his mask. “So don’t you worry, I have been well trained to leave bunnies alone. I must however tell you that this isn’t the direction of the restroom. But I can tell you where they are, or else…” he hesitated, and even through the mask, Huaisang felt the man look him over. “If this little rabbit is scared to get lost, I can be his guide for a moment?”

Huaisang hesitated. On one hand, he really didn’t want to be hindered by company. On the other hand, he could probably turn this to his advantage, if he tried.

“Aren’t you busy?” Huaisang asked, letting his voice shift to something a little whinier, flirty almost. “I don’t want to get you in trouble, mister guard dog. If you really are that. You look and sound more like a wolf to me.”

The other man only barely hesitated before glancing at the crowd around and leaning toward Huaisang.

“You’d better hope I am a dog and not a wolf. Don’t you know what wolves do to little rabbits?”

In spite of himself, Huaisang shivered, which the other man surely noticed. It wasn’t his fault though. Mister wolf’s voice was just very nice, and in spite of being roughly Huaisang’s size, the man had a presence to him that made him seem more than he was.

“Mister wolf, if you say this then I’ll be scared of following you anywhere!” Huaisang gasped with overacted fear. “After all, aren’t you threatening to eat me now?”

The man glanced behind again, then stepped closer, tilting his head to the side.

“Little bunny, who’s to say you won’t enjoy being eaten?”

Again Huaisang shivered, though this time he didn’t even try to stop himself. This too he could play to his advantage anyway.

“Mister wolf, why don’t you help me to the restroom instead of making such scary threats?” he whined, leaning forward to playfully tap on the wolf’s nose. “This poor little bunny is scared to go alone when there are such dangerous predators around that might harm it.”

Mister wolf chuckled, and nodded.

“Just give me a second to warn that I’ll be gone a moment, and then you’ll have all my attention for a bit, little bunny.”

Huaisang watched as the man went to find the head of the catering team, a middle aged woman wearing the same uninspired domino mask as all the waiters. Mister wolf told her a few words, then quickly returned to Huaisang’s side and started leading him through the crowded room.

“Are you actually working for the Jins?” Huaisang asked, dropping the flirting voice for a bit.

Mister wolf hesitated, but nodded.

“I am. I’m sorry if you thought you were chatting with someone important. I’m actually just an employee.”

There was surprising bitterness to his voice, which Huaisang decided not to remark on, though he might use it later, once the man was a little more relaxed.

“That’s no problem at all. I just don’t want to get you in trouble, mister wolf. You might have better things to do than take care of this little bunny.”

“Don’t worry, I’m just working for them, but not at such a low level that I can’t disappear for a little bit, as long as they know where to find me.”

“And do you often disappear with little bunnies during parties, mister wolf?” Huaisang asked in a low voice, pressing himself against the man’s side while pretending to avoid coming too close to another guest.

“Normally not,” the man admitted. “But since this little bunny seems so eager to meet his fate, who am I to deny it? Ah, this way,” he encouraged, taking the chance to put his hand on Huaisang’s back to guide him.

He did not remove it even when they reached a long, straight corridor, and there was no need for guidance anymore. Huaisang didn’t complain. Even if he hadn’t come here for fun, even if he didn’t know what the man looked like, it was rather nice to be flirted with. He hadn’t had time for it in a while, and he had quite missed it.

They reached the toilet quickly enough. Once there, Huaisang removed his mask, for the pleasure of breathing some fresh air… and also to show mister wolf what he’d been flirting with, in case he stopped being interested. He thought the man startled upon seeing his face, but of course he couldn’t exactly read his expression at the moment.

“Oh, you’re quite pretty,” mister wolf said. “But I don’t think you’re on the list of guests?”

“I’m someone’s last minute plus one,” Huaisang explained, dropping his mask on the side of the lavatory’s counter and bending over to splash some water on his face, angling his body so his ass would be slightly on display without quite being vulgar. “And what, are you saying you know who all the guests are, mister wolf? That doesn’t sound possible.”

“And yet it’s true,” mister wolf chuckled, fiddling with the ties of his own mask to remove it. “It’s part of my job.”

Huaisang had been watching him in the mirror, and almost stopped breathing upon discovering the handsome face of that man. He quickly splashed more cold water on his face, then turned around and leaned back against the counter in an inviting manner.

“So you’re someone a little important then, mister wolf?” he teased, running one hand in his hair to put it back in place after the mask and the water had messed it up. “Ah, I hope I’m not in trouble, since I’m apparently not supposed to be here. Are you going to punish me, mister wolf?”

The other man’s smile turned predatory, though his eyes were not without warmth as he stared a second at Huaisang’s face.

“I don’t know, little bunny, it depends on you,” he said in a low voice.

“Really? How so?” Huaisang asked, batting his eyes innocently, leaning more languorously against the lavatory in silent invitation.

Mister wolf took that invitation, crossing the distance between them and pressing himself against Huaisang. His arms found their way around Huaisang’s waist, who in return threw his own around mister wolf’s neck who smiled at him.

“Do you want to be punished, little bunny?” mister wolf growled.

Instead of answering, Huaisang laughed and pressed their lips together, quickly opening his mouth to let mister wolf devour him.

It hadn’t been his plan at all, but he was glad to have met this handsome wolf.

And now that he’d found him, Huaisang only needed to figure out how he would kill his brother’s murderer without getting caught.