#“Stuck in a box locked I’ll free your heart with a knock Come you’re free a fellow failure like me”

[urlocalmagicalcat]

nothing will ever describe my life and how I view it as much as Will Stetson’s cover of Unknown Mother Goose

[samwilsonsbabymama]

A Little Taste

18+

Pairing: Gilly Lopez x Black Reader x Coco Cruz

Summary: You remind Gilly about your wish wish to have a threesome with Coco. GIlly indulges you and you get a little taste and then more.

Warning: smut, mmf threesome (but no dp), fingering, choking, vibrating panties, voyeurism, semi public stuff, Gilly Bear, and I think that is it.

Word Count: 3,300ish

A/N: thanks to Sunshine @my-rosegold-soul​​ for encouraging me to write this and for thirsting with me over these two and for reading this over and fixing what needed to be fixed and for being an overall great person 💖 ILYSM

A/N 2: Reader isn’t described much (if at all) so anyone can read this and if you ‘like’ it, please leave a comment/reply.

A/N 3: Don’t repost, translate, copy, my work please. Reblogs, comments, and likes are appreciated though 😘

You sat with your legs across Gilly’s lap as the TV played in the background. His hand rested high on your thigh as your conversation continued. The two of you had been catching up since Gilly had just returned from a week-long run.

“Do you remember when we first started dating?” you asked as your eyes focused on the tv screen.

“Gotta be more specific, querida,” Gilly responded with a chuckle. He began rubbing your thigh to encourage you to speak your mind. 

You smiled and looked at him, “When we were talking about our kinks and the things we wanted to try.” You hoped he remembered what you were referring to.

Gilly pursed his lips as if he were deep in thought, but you could see the corners of his lips twitch and you knew he knew what you were talking about.

You waited a few seconds before you huffed in annoyance and continued. “When I told you that I wanted to have a threesome with you and Coco!”

Gilly laughed as he faced you, “Yeah, I remember that. Is this your way of asking me if we can bring Coco in for some fun?” Gilly moved so that he was now on his knees between your legs.

Your eyes locked onto his as you silently nodded. 

Gilly tsk’d and cupped your cheek with his hand as he leaned forward to cage you in. “Use your words, baby girl,” his voice rumbled from above you.

You puckered your lips in hopes to bring him in for a kiss, and you pointed when he refused you.

“Not until you tell me what I want to hear,” he stated as his hands moved to the hem of your shirt.

You arched your back and raised your arms to help Gilly remove it. When you went to unhook your bra, Gilly gripped your elbows to stop your movements.

“Y/N,” the edge in his voice told you that he was not in the mood for games.

“I want,” you paused when Gilly’s lips quirked. “I want you and Coco to fuck me at the same time.”

“Good girl,” Gilly praised before his lips descended upon yours.

A few days had passed since you and Gilly talked about having a threesome with Coco and you thought he had forgotten so you pushed it to the back of your mind.

And now you were stuck in the week from Hell. Work had been hell, and with Gilly gone on yet another run, home had been hell as well. You were stressed, and no amount of alcohol helped. Hell, even masturbating provided no relief. You were frustrated. Done.

You were laying on your sofa, cuddled up with Gilly’s pillow when you heard the rumble of his bike coming down the street. You perked up, excited because you hadn’t been expecting him for a few more days but you weren’t going to complain.

You skipped to the door in your excitement to greet him, but you stopped in your tracks at the sight that greeted you.

You flung your arms around Gilly’s neck when he came through the door, but your eyes stayed on Coco. You felt your heart increase when he smiled at you, and you squeaked out a ‘Hi, Coco'. Seeing Coco brought your wanting to have a threesome back to the front of your mind. You silently wondered if Gilly had finally asked Coco. Only time would tell.

“Gilly invited me over for dinner, I hope that’s ok, Y/N,” Coco stated as he placed a few bags of food on the living room table.

“That’s perfectly fine, Coco, I love having you here.” You moved to help Gilly in the kitchen, but Coco pulled you into a conversation before you could leave. He asked about how your week had been going. You expressed how you were glad that it was Friday because you’d had the worst week ever and were glad that it was finally over.

As you were talking, Gilly came back in with plates and drinks in hand and the three of you began eating. Conversation flowed as the three of you ate and the weight of the week felt as if it had been lifted from your shoulders. As the night went on, and bellies filled, the conversation drifted and you began clearing the dirty dishes. Gilly grabbed your hand and told you to relax.

You leaned back in your seat and smiled as Gilly moved to sit next to you. You felt Coco shift next to you and when you turned to look at him, he was already looking at you. 

“I told Coco how you wanted both of us to fuck you,” Gilly said as you watched Coco position himself at the end of the couch. “But I don’t think we should jump right into that, Y/N. I think we should give you just a little taste of what you’re asking for to see if it’s what you really want.

You tilted your head, wondering what he meant until you looked back at Coco who smirked.

“I wanna take you for a ride,” Coco clarified as he pointed to his lips. You peered back at Gilly, silently asking for permission, and at his nod, you quickly removed your bottoms and moved to straddle Coco’s face.

“There’s only one rule,” Gilly’s voice halted you. “You can’t take your eyes off of me while he makes you cum.”

“Yes, Sir,” you stated clearly, ignoring Coco’s quirked eyebrow. 

Gilly sat back in his chair and watched as you straddled Coco’s face. Your hands flew to Coco’s hair when you felt his fist lick. The way he sucked on your clit had you throwing your head back, but Gilly’s voice brought you back to where you were supposed to be.

“Eyes,” Gilly said, and your eyes snapped back to his. You watched as he pulled himself free from his pants and began to stroke himself in time with your hips as you rode Coco’s face.

You felt Coco’s tongue massaging your walls. The vibrations from his moans rippled through you, causing you to almost lose your balance. As Coco ate you out, his grip on your thighs got tighter as if he were afraid you were going to run.

As your orgasm got closer, your bundle of nerves got more sensitive and you knew you wouldn’t be able to last much longer. With your eyes locked onto Gilly’s, you felt your orgasm wash over you, wave after wave, your mouth hung open in a silent scream. Your fingers pulled harshly at Coco’s locks, your thighs trembled as you pressed your pelvis down to gain more friction while you came on his tongue.

You felt as if you were floating from the intensity of your orgasm. You felt light, all your stress had finally melted from your body, you were satisfied. You moved to let Coco breathe, but his grip never loosened. You continued to wiggle in an attempt to get out of his grasp, but he held on and continued eating you out.

You were hunched over Coco with one hand in his hair and the other on the arm of the couch when you heard Gilly chuckle.

“You thought we were done?” Gilly asked. And it was that moment when you realized you were fucked.

A few weeks had passed since your rendezvous with Gilly and Coco and it took everything to keep it off your mind. 

You had spent the following day recuperating from the multiple orgasms that Coco pulled from you only to have Gilly edge you that same night.

It had been two weeks and one day since you took Coco’s face for a ride and two weeks since Gilly had ended the night with edging you. 

You were home alone, with strict orders to wait for Gilly’s phone call. You were on edge, in more ways than one, and your anticipation grew with every notification that wasn’t from him.

Finally, he called, just when you thought you were going to lose your mind.

“There’s a party tonight,” Gilly said over the phone. “I want you to be there.” 

You nodded your head even though he couldn’t see you. “I’ll be there,” you said as you hopped up to get ready. The two of you hung up, and you searched for something to wear, you hadn’t seen Coco since that night and you knew he would be there.

After selecting your outfit, you jumped in the shower to freshen up. Once you were ready, you grabbed your keys and headed out the door. 

You made it to the clubhouse in record time, and the party was already in full swing. Chucky was the first to greet you and he offered to walk you to the door, but Angel pulled you into a hug before Chucky could.

“Long time, no see, chica,” Angel greeted. “Where’ve you been?”

You laughed as you pulled away. “Work’s been crazy, and Gilly has been keeping me quite busy these last few weeks.”

Angel smirked as if he knew some sort of secret that you didn’t. “Here, have a drink,” he said as he offered you his beer.

“She’s not drinking tonight,” came a familiar voice from behind you.

Gilly pulled you into a side hug before placing a kiss on your temple and Angel smirked. He and Gilly had some sort of silent conversation between them before the two clasped hands and Angel went inside. Gilly pulled you over back by your car and kissed you. He pulled you into his body, and your hands roamed his back. You lifted your leg in an attempt to wrap them around his waist, but he pushed them back down and pulled back.

“I have something for you,” he said before pulling a small package from the pocket of his kutte and handing it to you.

You beamed up at him before you opened the box. You gave him a confused look when you pulled out the piece of lace, but he only smiled.

“You want me to wear these? Right now?” You asked, disbelief lacing your voice.

Gilly reached behind you and opened the back door of your car in response. You shot him a quick glance, but you hopped in and changed while he stood outside and waited for you.

Once done, you knocked on your window and he let you out and the two of you walked into the clubhouse.

Once inside, you tried to make your way towards the bar, but Gilly held on tight to your waist and kept you close. “Remember, neither one of us are drinking tonight. I want you fully aware of everything that’s going to happen.”

You nodded your head and maintained your spot right next to Gilly. A few minutes passed, and you were deep in conversation with Angel when you felt the first vibration. It caught you off guard, causing you to choke on air, but you covered it up with a cough. You continued your conversation with Angel, trying to ignore the steady vibrations, but every few seconds, they would increase. You looked over to Gilly to see if he had the remote, but his hands were free.

You scanned the room for the only other person that Gilly would give the remote to and you spotted him across the room. Coco sat facing you with a smirk on his face, and the moment your eyes locked with his, he increased the intensity causing you to jerk in your seat.

“You okay, Y/N?” Angel asked, his voice full of humor as you squirmed in your seat.

You nodded as you kept your eyes trained on Coco as he kept playing with the intensity.

Angel excused himself a few seconds later and Gilly pulled you closer to him so that his lips were right next to your ear.

“Coco and I talked,” he began as the vibrations died down a little, “and we think you’re ready to get what you asked for.”

You bit your lip at the implications, and Coco increased the intensity as he watched you and Gilly across the room. Your eyes stayed locked on him as Gilly continued to whisper in your ear.

“He came up with this little game, ya know. To have you wear these vibrating panties and have you cum in front of our brothers.” 

You closed your eyes as you felt your orgasm near, but as soon as you did, the vibrations stopped and your eyes snapped back open. You whined, causing Gilly to chuckle in your ear.

“See, our friend over there,” Gilly continued. “Didn’t get the chance to see you cum the last time, and I promised you’d be a good girl and keep your eyes on him while you came.”

Your chest heaved as you waited for Coco to flip the switch once again. You had almost calmed back down when you felt the vibrations begin once again.

“I didn’t tell him he was the last one to make you cum and that you’ve been begging for a release,” Gilly said as his hands began to rub your upper thigh.

You moaned, loudly, attracting the attention of a few partygoers who quickly averted their eyes when they saw how Gilly was all over you.

“Come on, baby girl, show Coco how pretty you are when you cum,” Gilly instructed as his hand slip between your thighs. His fingers covered your core and gave you just the right amount of pressure you needed to release.

Your lips fell open in a silent scream as you came with your eyes still locked on Coco. Your breathing grew heavy with each passing second as Gilly praised you for being such a good girl.

When you finally calmed down, Coco winked at you as he slid his phone into his pocket and grabbed another beer.

Gilly kissed you on the lips before he turned and started up a conversation with one of his brothers from another charter. Your body was buzzing and you needed to move.

“I’m going to dance,” you whispered to Gilly and quickly moved out of his grasp and onto the makeshift dance floor not too far from him.

You felt the music flow through your veins as you danced. You felt free… that could have been because of the amazing orgasm that you just had, but you weren’t going to dwell on it.

You were dancing with the girlfriends of the other Mayans when you felt a pair of hands on your hips. These hands weren’t the soft ones that you were used to, but they were still familiar. You spun to face Coco as you danced and your fingers quickly threaded into his hair. Your lips held a smirk as the two of you danced and you could see Gilly watching the two of you from the corner of your eye.

After a few songs, you pulled away from Coco with much difficulty and headed towards the bathroom. Once you were done, you began to make your way back to the two Mayans when your path was blocked by an inebriated Angel.

“So, you, Coco, and Gilly, huh?” He slurred from a few feet in front of you.

You answered with a shy smile, and he shook his head. “Y’all some damn freaks,” he laughed. “Ain’t no damn way I’m letting my girl cum in public for all of my brothers to see.”

“To each their own,” you shrugged, causing him to laugh again.

“You’re right,” he said as he made his way past you and towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna let you get back, just please don’t have sex in the middle of the room.” 

You rolled your eyes and made your way back to Gilly. Once you found him, your eyes scanned the room for Coco.

“He’s not here,” Gilly responded. “I asked him to head back to my place and wait for us.

Your excitement grew at his words. You were finally getting what you wanted. You pressed your lips to Gilly’s in a heated kiss and you would have lost yourself in him if it weren’t for the wolf whistles in the background. Without saying any ‘goodbyes’ you pulled Gilly out of the clubhouse and straight towards your car.

The drive to Gilly's place was silent, and no matter how much you tried to get Gilly to touch you, he wouldn’t. His hand stayed firmly planted on your thigh.

When you reached Gilly’s place, you spotted Coco perched on the front steps with a cigarette hanging between his lips.

“We can stop this anytime, Y/N, just say the word,” Gilly reassured you.

“I want this,” you replied.

Gilly nodded, and you both got out of the car. As soon as you were within arm's reach, Coco pulled your hand into his and Gilly unlocked his door and the three of you headed in.

The moment the door closed, the two Mayans were on you. Clothes were thrown haphazardly around the room, each one of you bumped into the wall or a piece of furniture, but none of you cared.

Once you made it to the bedroom, Gilly stepped back and Coco pushed you onto the bed and climbed on top of you. He begins kissing down your neck as his fingers make their way to your folds.

“Fuck, querida, you’re so wet already,” Coco says as his fingers glide through the wetness between your legs.

“Beg for it, Y/N,” the gruff voice startles Coco, but it’s one that you’re used to. Beg for him to fuck you with his fingers.”

Coco’s movements halt as he registers what Gilly is saying from the end of the bed. “Damn Gilly, I didn’t know you were like that,” Coco chuckled before returning his attention back to you.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about my Gilly Bear,” you smiled as you looked at Gilly. 

Gilly moved closer to you and ran his fingers along your cheek before you grasped his wrist and sucked his thumb into your mouth. Gilly allowed you to suck on his thumb for a few seconds before he removed it and placed his hand on your neck.

“I told you to beg Coco to fuck you with his fingers,” he repeated, his voice slightly harsher than before.

Your eyes flitted towards Coco, and you let out a soft ‘please’ before he slowly slid his fingers inside of you. You gripped Gilly's wrist as Coco fingered you, his long fingers quickly finding your spot deep within you. You clenched around him as he played with your clit.

“Fuck, you’re so wet, Y/N,” Coco praised. “So fucking tight, no wonder Gilly keeps you all to himself, fuck.”

Your hips began rocking as he continued his praises. Coco moved and latched his lips around one of your nipples and Gilly watched from above.

“I bet you’re wishing it was his dick inside of you instead of his fingers, aren’t you Y/N” Gilly teased before he leaned down to kiss you. Having Gilly kiss you as Coco’s fingers were deep inside of you, brought you careening towards your orgasm faster than ever before.

You felt your back arch off the bed as you came. You heard Gilly chuckle above you and you felt Coco continue to finger you through your orgasm.

You weren’t sure how long you were out for but when you came to, you were being spooned by Gilly and Coco. They were both still awake and still as naked as before.

“You good?” Gilly asked when he felt you begin to move.

“I’m good,” you assured him. “Ready for some more.”

If you ‘like’ it, please leave a comment/reply.

[rubysunnday]

Broken Hearted

Y/N Hargreeves had cut herself off from the world. 

She’d deleted all her social media apps off her phone, ignored the concerned messages and voice mails from her siblings and locked herself away in her apartment.

Heartbreak was never easy. Especially when you’d been cheated on. 

Y/N was suffering. The endless empty cups and bags of chocolate strewn around the house told as much. She had no energy to do anything other than watch crappy daytime tv and eat pot noodles.

And she was happy for it to remain that way until she felt a little better.

Unfortunately for Y/N, she had six very stubborn siblings - seven if you include Ben. 

The knock on her front door went ignored, Y/N turning the volume up on the t.v to drown out the sound. The person behind the door knocked again, slightly harder. Y/N turned up the t.v even more.

An even louder, slightly more frantic knock.

Y/N turned the t.v up even more.

They knocked again, so hard Y/N thought they were going to knock the door down. 

“Y/N Hargreeves, if you don’t open this door in the next five seconds I’m breaking it down!”

Y/N sighed at Diego’s yell and reluctantly turned the t.v back down, untangled herself from the numerous blankets she’d cocooned in and stomped over to the door.

She unlocked it but didn’t take it off the chain, opening it just wide enough to see out of. “What?”

Diego sighed, trying not to show the relief he had at seeking her in one piece. He’d even having countless horrible thoughts running through his mind ever since she’d ignored all his messages and phone calls. 

“What is going on with you?” Diego asked, raising an eyebrow as he took in her make-up free face, wet hair and tired eyes. 

“Nothing, alright?” Y/N said, moving to shut the door. Diego stuck his foot in the gap, stopping it. Y/N sighed, resting her head on the door. “Diego, just go... please.”

“I didn’t get soaking wet walking to your house for you to say no to pizza,” Diego said, leaning his head on the door to look at her. “I have beer too. I know you’re sad, so let me in.”

Y/N sighed, her eyes burning at the simple gesture. “Diego..”

“Y/N if you don’t let me in, I’ll let myself in,” Diego warned.

Y/N sighed again but unlocked the chain, swinging the door open as she plodded back to her nest of blankets on the sofa.

“Wow,” Diego said, letting out a whistle at the state of his sister’s apartment. 

“Don’t,” Y/N muttered, burying herself in her nest. “I don’t see the point in anything.”

Diego set the pizza and beer down on the table and sat down next to Y/N on the sofa, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around himself. “What happened?”

“They fucking cheated, that’s what,” Y/N muttered, blinking away her tears. “And I found out very twitter.”

Diego sighed. “I’m sorry, Y/N,” he said, putting a hand around her shoulders.

Y/N leant into her brother, resting her head on his shoulder. “I just... feel helpless. And it sucks.”

“I know,” Diego replied, kissing her head gently. “Feels like the weight of the world is trying to crush you.”

“I feel like I'm drowning,” Y/N said softly. “And no one can hear me screaming.”

“Oh, is that pizza and beer?”

“No,” Vanya said, following Klaus inside.

“Klaus, you are not allowed to get drunk,” Allison warned as they stepped into the apartment. She looked over at Y/N and sighed sadly. “Hey, sis.”

Y/N felt her face fall as the tears suddenly overcame her and Allison came running over, taking a very grateful Diego’s place as Y/N sobbed into Allison’s shoulder.

Vanya perched herself on the sofa behind Y/N and rubbed her sisters back as she cried, silently taking the beer Klaus offered her.

“Oh, I know,” Allison whispered, stroking her sisters hair. “What can we do?”

“I want alcohol,” Y/N mumbled, sniffing. “And to get tipsy.”

“Woo hoo!” Klaus exclaimed, walking over with several beers and flopping down next to Y/N. He handed her one and looked her in the eye. “Listen, if you need me to scare them, I will do.”

“I’ll stab him,” Diego added as he helped himself to pizza.

“I can rumour him to punch himself like I did Diego,” Allison said, smirking as Diego began to protest. 

“I mean, I can throw him through a window,” Luther said as he finally arrived, carrying the rest of the pizza. “I got stuck in the staircase,” he explained at his siblings questioning looks.

Y/N let out a snort of laughter. “Did you leave a dent?”

“No,” Luther said quietly, setting the pizza boxes on the table. “I may have broken a light.”

Y/N giggled quietly. “When I first moved in, Diego punched that light because he smacked his head on it.”

“It got in the way,” Diego replied, sitting down on a chair next to the t.v. “I remember you laughing so hard you fell down the stairs and broke your ankle.”

“I also remember you having to carry me to the e.r and having to stay with me all night because I was high on pain relief,” Y/N replied, grabbing a slice of pizza. 

“Neither one us comes off well in that story,” Diego muttered.

“So, are we killing them?” Klaus asked, looking at Y/N.

“No, god no,” Y/N replied, shaking her head. “I mean... I do have an overwhelming desire to burn shit.”

Klaus nodded, pulling out a lighter and flicking it on. “Good, where do we start?”

“I don’t know whether to be concerned or frightened at how ok you are with that,” Allison said, staring at Klaus in slight concern. 

Vanya shrugged from behind Y/N. “At least she isn’t going to stick them full of knives like I did.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Y/N warned, looking up at Vanya. “The idea has crossed my mind.”

“OK, so, three of my siblings are psychopaths, one is basically a giant ape, the other is a housewife. Am i the only normal one here?” Diego asked.

“Diego, hun, you got shanked by our Father, you’ve been stalking Lee Harvey Oswald and your girlfriend tried to kill you,” Y/N deadpanned. “If anything, you’re the most fucked up person here.”

“I think that goes to me,” Five said, suddenly jumping into the room.

“Jesus!” Y/N exclaimed, dropping her pizza in surprise. “You made me drop my pizza, Five,” she said, pouting.

Five sighed, handing her a fresh piece. “And if i said that I may have just gotten your ex arrested...”

“I’d hug you so hard your cold dead heart might actually warm up,” Y/N replied. “I don't care how you did it, just that you did it.”

Five smiled at her. “Improper use of a firearm. Don’t ask,” he added quickly.

Y/N stood up from her nest, the blankets falling down around her feet as she hugged Five tightly, ignoring his noise of protest. “Thank you,” she muttered.

Klaus sighed. “Aw, you're so cute.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Y/N warned, pointing a finger at Klaus.

Klaus pouted, sitting back down. “I thought we were getting tipsy?”

“We are,” Y/N said, snatching a beer of Klaus and putting her feet on his lap. “It’s just a matter of who goes first.”

“Luther,” Diego said, pointing at him.

“Why me?” Luther asked, frowning.

“Because you’re the most innocent member of the family,” Y/N replied, shrugging. 

“What about you?” Luther asked, pointing at her.

“Oh, honey,” Y/N said, smirking as she took a sip. “I’m the least innocent person here.”

As an argument ensued about who was the most innocent in the family, Diego and Klaus silently raised a beer to each other, happy that their mission to cheer their sister up had been a success.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Secrets ~ 2

Warnings: noncon sexual acts later in series

This is dark!Bucky and dark!Steve and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: A buried family secret comes to light thrusting you to the forefront of an old alliance.

Note: Last night I got some not so nice comments about me and I know it doesn’t really matter but considering I have to work on my bday tomorrow and everything is just mounting and mounting up, I don’t know how much writing I’ll be doing. It could be a lot or a little. But thankful to have those who care, you guys, cheering me on.

Thank you. Love you guys!

As always, if you can, please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

You went on like nothing had changed. It hadn’t. You weren’t leaving to marry some stranger. Some outdated prince in his crumbling castle. You studied the past, you didn’t want to live in it.

You went to class. Numb. Your anger slaked away as you jotted your notes and tried to ignore the tugging in your chest. Three classes, a coffee in between the second and the third, then you were due at the bookstore for the closing shift.

It was late enough in the year that the customers weren’t so many. You paced the aisles and asked students if they needed help. Few did as they perused the shelves and wandered, almost aimlessly so. Danica was on the till, though you took turns between sorting through the table of discount paperbacks left disordered by curious shoppers.

Only twenty minutes before close and you were near the back of the store, sweeping. Your path was blocked however as you turned in the far aisle. That man, Mr. Barnes, stood by the wall of rucksacks and hoodies, pretending to be interested. Given the fine cut of his suit and the polish of his shoes, you doubted he needed or wanted the campus-branded clothing.

You kept at your work. You got closer and continued to sweep, knocking his heels with the broom as you grumbled a grizzly ‘excuse me’. He chuckled and stepped aside, turning to watch you as you tried to ignore him.

“Your highness,” He said.

“Don’t call me that,” You huffed as you lifted the dustpan and it folded up against the stick. “What are you doing here?”

“My duty.” He said lightly. “I was sent by your fiance to keep an eye on you. To bring you back to him.” He glanced around and slid a magazine from the rack. “To free you of this boring mediocrity.” He flipped through the pages. “You don’t belong here, Duchess.”

He folded back the magazine and turned it to face you. He held it out and you scowled. He waved it impatiently and you sighed as you stepped closer to look. A man, tall, blonde, austere, leaned against an expensive sports car, a mansion behind him, akin to Versailles, as he gazed nonchalantly into the camera. The headline floated beside him; ‘A King for our Times’”

You recognized him. You’d seen him, as most people had; on the news, in tabloids, on questionable gossip blogs. You’d never paid much attention to him or those royals who existed beyond their means. You scoffed and shrugged.

“Am I supposed to be impressed?” Your lip curled.

“Your feelings don’t really matter,” He closed the magazine and put it back. “The contract stands.”

“You came all this way on the back of a paper signed by a dead king of a dead nation?” You shook your head. “Is your king that desperate?”

His jaw squared and he swallowed. “You think this makes you better than him? This… existence?”

“A life I earned,” You retorted. “I doubt he or you know very much about that.”

“And how much do you know of duty? Obligation? A purpose beyond your own selfish needs?”

“Selfish?” You rolled your eyes. “Sir. We’re closing. You need to leave.”

He tilted his head and grinned. His tongue poked out along his lip and he chuckled.

“Your highness,” He bowed his head. “Until tomorrow.”

He stepped closer and you turned to let him past.

“Don’t bother,” You said to his back as you watched him near the end of the aisle. “I’m not going. Tell him to find someone else.”

He stopped and pushed back his shoulders. He said nothing, just stood there a moment before he continued on. The electronic ding signaled his departure and you let out the breath that had stuck in your chest. 

You clutched the broom and dustpan in one hand and grabbed the magazine from beside you. You went to the counter where Danika was balancing the till.

“Hey,” You leaned the broom and pan against the counter. “I wanna buy this.”

“Just take it.” She shrugged. “With our discount, it might as well be free.”

You nodded and took it, bending it under your arm.

“Anything else besides cleaning?” You asked.

“Nah,” She counted out the last of the pennies. “Go on. I’ll close up.”

👑

You sat on your bed, the glow of your small lamp the only light. After an hour of tossing and turning, you surrender to wakefulness. You stared at the magazine, the glossy cover reflected the light beside you. You sank back into your pillows and picked at the pages until you found the one. You opened the magazine and stared at the man; the king; the strange. Fiance?

He was handsome, sure, but even in a picture, he seemed haughty. There was an arrogance to his shoulder, the way he leaned on the white hood, how he appeared to look down his nose at the lens even while standing on the same level. You flipped the page and began to read. 

A short blurb introduced him as the King of Astrania, once the playboy prince, but, as the article claimed, matured by the throne. You recalled the gossip of those days, yourself barely a teen then. One night, he had a socialite on his arm, the next an actress, next a singer, a model…

‘You’ve done so much. Anything still on the list?’ The interviewer lobbed another softball question.

‘Lots.’ The king answered. ‘I think my mother would be relieved to hear me say I think it’s past time I found a wife. A queen.’

‘You’re going to break a lot of hearts, your majesty.’

‘I’ve had my fun. Maybe too much. If I’m to serve my people, I’ll need someone at my side.’

You lowered the magazine and frowned at the ceiling. You pushed the pages off your chest and rolled over to turn off the lamp. You pulled the pillow over your head and squeezed your eyes shut. The thought of being bound to man so opposite yourself made you want to scream but you were too tired for that.

👑

You still didn’t know what to say to your mother. Your whole life was a lie. Not a lie you hated which was worse because the truth threatened to undo it all. When you went to the kitchen to get your coffee, she was there, waiting, a mug ready for you. You didn’t say more than thanks as you took and returned to your room.

You readied yourself for another day. Thursday. The last two days felt like weeks.  You packed up your bag and left through the front door, avoiding your mother who watched you from the kitchen. What were you supposed to tell her? It’s okay you lied to me, it’s okay you don’t want to fight, it’s okay to barter me away before I was even born? None of it was okay.

You reached the end of the walk and a man in a black suit stepped into your path. You stopped short and tried to pass him. Another man, in the same suit, black jacket, black tie, black everything, blocked you again. You turned the other way and found yourself box in by Mr. Barnes. He crossed his arms as he smiled at you.

“You’re off early.” He said.

“I have class.” You sneered and once more tried to make your way around the men. They moved with you, forming a wall. “Get out of my way.”

“The king wants me back before the end of the week. I can’t return empty-handed.”

“I don’t care what your king wants. I have class, work--”

“The jet is charted for three,” He checked his watch. “We have lots of time to pack.”

“You’re not--” You sputtered. “No.”

You looked back at your house. Your mouth stood in the door as she watched. She looked sad, broken. You grimaced at her.

“I told you I’m not going,” You tried to shove past Barnes and the other men grabbed your arms, your bag flopping to the ground. “Hey, let me go.”

“Your highness, my king did permit us reasonable force in our duty,” Barnes said evenly. “And to this point, I have restrained from it.”

“Hey,” Your mother swept through the door and stormed towards the men. “Don’t! Let her go! You’ll hurt her.”

“There is a seat for you on the jet too, Princess,” Barnes offered. “It’s only fitting the mother of the bride should attend the wedding.”

“Get off!” You kicked out and Barnes moved out of the way. “Off!”

“Astrania favours tradition.” He continued. “And it is not unheard for brides to be brought in chains. I’d rather not be so medieval.”

“I don’t wanna go! No!” You continued to struggle. Your mother grabbed at one of the men and was swiftly shaken off. “Stop!”

“Get her inside. The princess, too.” Barnes order.

One man hooked his arms through yours and held them behind you as the other seized your mother. You were turned and forced back down the walk, growling and grunting as you were pushed up the porch steps. Your mother whimpered as she was held by the back of her neck and angled through the front door ahead of you.

Inside, the door clattered and the thicker one was closed and locked. Barnes led the way into the living room and pointed to the couch.

“Princess,” He ordered and your mother was pushed onto the sofa. “Bring the duchess here.”

He beckoned to the hallway and strode ahead of you. Your shoulders ached as you tried and tried to wrench yourself away. Barnes looked in doors until he found your room. You were taken inside as he peered around.

“Cuff her,” He said. “Put her on the bed.”

He turned you and pushed you down onto the mattress. He released your arms as he pinned your down with his knee in your back and you reached back blindly to claw at him. He caught your wrists and held them together, securing them with a pair of thick cuffs before he got off of you. You rolled over and kicked out. Barnes caught your ankle and squeezed until you groaned in pain.

“The king would prefer a bride without a broken foot,” He warned. “But he will accommodate it, should he need to.”

He threw your leg down gruffly and nodded to the man. The other left and you sat up awkwardly, your arms trapped behind you. You stood and Barnes quickly pushed you back down.

“I’ve been nice. Patient.” He said. “But I don’t have time for this.” He pointed his finger in your place. “Perhaps your mother didn’t tell you how these things work or maybe you just didn’t listen. This isn’t a proposal, Duchess. Not a choice.”

You snapped at his finger and he drew away quickly. He smirked and scoffed and shoved you back roughly.

“Keep it up and I’ll have you strapped down.” He snarled. 

You slowly sat up, glaring at him, but didn’t go further. “Fuck you.” You spat.

His eyes rounded then he snickered again. 

“Oh, there’s a lot to work on, Duchess. That mouth, first of all,” He turned and pulled open the sliding door of your closet. “Ugh, and…” He touched a wool sweater. “And these, most of all.”

The man in black reappeared with a suitcase, the other faded leather dug up from the linen closet. He slapped it down on the bed beside you and flipped it open. He went to stand in the door, blocking it with his wide frame.

“Duchess, future queens, do not wear…” He held up a jacket. “Tweed.”

You growled, fighting the urge to kick him. You couldn’t reach and the cuffs kept you off-balance.

“We’ll take enough for the time being but… we’ll have to bring in some stylists,” He dropped an armful of clothes into the suitcase. “For…” He looked you up and down. “Everything.”

“You can’t do this,” You snarled.

“I can. I am.” He insisted as he tucked in the corners of the clothing. “That’s what you don’t seem to understand. I can do whatever I want. I have an order from the king and I have diplomatic authority. Now, I have been nice so far, I will even allow your mother to accompany you.”

“No,” You hissed. “No, leave her here.”

“Leave her?” He asked.

“It’ll be easier.” You lowered your chin. “For both of us.”

He was quiet. He nodded and stepped away. He went to the attached bathroom and returned with your pouch of essentials. 

“We can make up for whatever we forget,” He dropped it atop the open suitcase. “Anything in particular I’ve missed, duchess?”

“Beyond human decency?” You challenged.

He laughed once more and closed the suitcase. 

“It’s a long flight,” He said. “And it’ll be longer with those.” He tugged on the cuffs. “Hopefully it gives you time to think.”

He zipped up the bag and handed it to the man in black. Then he grabbed you and lifted you onto your feet. He guided you from the room with his hand on your wrists. Your mother sat, the other man staring her down, and looked over as you entered.

“Please, don’t take her. Please.” She begged as she tried to stand only to be nudged back by her watcher. “You can’t--”

“Princess, you know you can’t stop us.” Barnes said. “And your daughter has made up her mind. You will stay.” He bent to look her in the eyes. “You get your wish. Stay in your exile, pretending, playing at normalcy.”

“I’ll go,” She pleaded. “Let me go.” She leaned over and looked around him at you. “Don’t leave me here. I’ll come with you. I’ll-- I’ll-- you’re my daughter--”

“And you lied to me.” You sniffed. “You did this. Why would I want you to come?”

“I’m your mother.” She uttered.

“You’re the Princess of Ecklun. It was written there on that paper.” You sneered. “In your hand. I have to live with what you’ve done but it doesn’t mean I have to live with you.”

You turned your head up and held back the sudden wave of sadness which swelled in you. Everything you knew was just a lie. Your own mother. Your only family. She’d sold you like cattle. If she had warned you, maybe you could have stayed hidden. If she had warned you, maybe you wouldn’t be so unprepared. If she had warned you…

“Well,” You looked at Barnes. “Are we going?”

He stepped away from your mother and took your arm. “No goodbyes?”

“She signed her farewell a long time ago,” You said and turned away from her. “She’s had years to prepare for this. Years she stole from me.”

[anotherhellchild]

📂 i love your headcanons!

Aaahhhh thank you so much!! 

Alright so, in honour of ur username…. Imma spout a Dadzawa + Bakuson + cat headcanon 

(Quick shout out to @arschemy first tho! This was originally her idea and she really helped me <3)

The sun’s going down and Katsuki is on his way back to the dorms from his run. 

It’s cold out, not cold enough for a jacket but definitely cold enough for a long sleeved shirt. The sky is getting darker and Katsuki’s heavy breaths become visible after every short exhale. The boy’s maybe got another three or four kilometers left before he’s back at UA’s gates, he’ll probably be there in about ten minutes.

A small, dark gray dot appears on the light gray concrete about two meters away from Katsuki’s feet. Then another falls a little away from there. Soon, more specs materialize and before Katsuki knows it, rain starts pouring down all around him. The street is empty. His hair dampens and falls down his forehead, wet locks of blond hair cover the top of his eyes. Raindrops slide down his neck and partially soaked socks make every step uncomfortable. 

He should probably pick up the pace.

There’s a loud shriek. Or more accurately, there’s a loud shriek-like sound. 

The noise comes from the alleyway to Katsuki’s right and the teen halts his movement right away. 

Taking a couple steps back, Katsuki peeks past the corner of the wall. He’s just in time to see a cardboard box flip over and fall to the ground. After a moment of nothing, the thing knocks itself about three centimeters to the left.

Katsuki’s pretty sure unanimous objects aren’t supposed to be able to do that.

He should probably investigate this. 

Making sure to keep his footsteps light, Katsuki carefully steps closer to the box. He needs to be cautious, you never know who or what could pop out from under a box in a sketchy alleyway. 

mrrreowwww!

Oh. It’s just a fucking cat.

Great. 

Somewhere, deep in the teen’s heart, Katsuki’s honestly a little relieved. Everywhere else though, Katsuki feels really stupid. 

Not everything is out to get you, you fucking idiot.

Maybe he’s starting to turn a little paranoid.

The side of the box lifts up slightly, just enough for a little black paw to stick out from underneath. 

Katsuki stares.

A black nose nudges it’s way underneath the box too, it fits perfectly in the gap created by the small paw. Whiskers and pointy teeth poke out from under cardboard.

Soundlessly, Katsuki crouches down.

The cat's head nudges and squirms it’s way out from underneath the box, once the small, drenched face completely finds its way out of its cardboard prison, it freezes.

Katsuki doesn’t move.

Big, red eyes stare into his.

Neither of them blink.

Rain still falls around them. Fat drops of water crash to the ground and two creatures get soaked in a stare off.

The cat gives first, it carefully tilts its head before cautiously continuing the process of getting out from under the box. It’s eyes stay locked on Katsuki.

Katsuki blinks then, the movement is slow and he doesn’t dare move any other muscle.

The cat blinks back. The thing’s found its way out from the box and it takes a cautious step towards the blond. Its black, spikey fur is a little tangled and really wet. Its ears are back and flat against its head. The thing looks underfed, cold and ready to pounce.

Katsuki offers his hand.

The distance between the two is closed slowly. After a couple sniffles, the cat comes even closer, maybe it senses Katsuki’s warmth. Maybe it craves that warmth.

Fuck.

Katsuki didn’t think he’d be relating to a fucking alleycat when he left for his run an hour ago, yet here he is. 

The boy carefully gives the shivering creature a pat on its head. The thing immediately demands for more.

No.

Fuck. 

He can’t get attached to the fucking cat. He’s not even a cat person for fucks sake.

mew

A little black paw comes up to tap Katusuki’s hand after it paused in its movement. Big red eyes seem to glow in the dark.

Tch.

When the hell did he become so weak?

---

Katsuki prays to any deity that nobody hears him enter the dorms. He really really really does not need anybody talking to him right now.

The cat squirms around in Katsuki’s shirt. The thing’s still shivering a little bit, but it’s already much better than twenty minutes ago. It serves as a nice lil’ heater on Katsuki’s chest too.

After looking around to make sure the coast is clear, Katsuki makes a bee-line for the stairs. By some miracle, he actually manages to make it to his room undetected.

Once he’s got the cat inside, Katsuki does his best to help the little guy out.

First, he takes the thing to the showers. Luckily for them, it’s too early in the evening for anybody else to be around in the bathroom so they get all the space they need to clean/ warm up. 

It doesn’t take long for Katsuki to discover the hardest part of the whole ‘cleaning process’. Even though the damn thing is already soaking wet, it absolutely refuses to touch the warm, clean water Katsuki prepared for it. Lets just say that giving the cat a much needed bath has earned the boy quite a couple scratches. 

The cat’s an annoying lil’ beast.

After both of them are all cleaned up though, it’s easy for Katsuki to brush the tangles out of the cat’s fur. The animal doesn’t put up any fuss and it actually seems to lean into the touch.

Katsuki finds some dinner for the both of them after all that is said and done. The cat desperately needs some food and water and although there isn’t any cat food in the dorms, they both make due with some random things Katsuki finds in the kitchen.

It’s too late to go out to a pet store right now, that’s just going to have to be done tomorrow.

The rest of the night, Katsuki and the cat just chill together. Katsuki honestly never knew watching a cat chase a laser could be so entertaining.

This kind of sucks, he thinks a couple hours after he found this monstrosity of a creature stuck under a fucking cardboard box in some random alleyway. 

He looks down to where the bundle of black fur is curled up on his chest, the damn thing is purring and maybe maybe it's definitely already earned a special spot in Katsuki's heart.

I can’t keep you.

Katsuki knows he can’t. It would be unfair to the cat and it would be too selfish of him.

It’s not like he wants it this way, but he knows- he knows the cat deserves better.

So, there’re really only two options:

1) Take the cat to a shelter. It’d probably find a good home to live in. There’s no guarantee that would be the case though.

Or

2) … Aizawa’s birthday is coming up. Katsuki hasn’t thought about what he wants to give his sensei yet but, everyone knows the man has a soft spot for strays. 

Yeah, Katsuki’s already made up his mind.

---

It’s been a suspiciously normal birthday so far. Shota’s a little over 15 hours into the day and somehow, with his hell class, nothing drastic has happened yet. It’s almost unsettling, not that Shota’s complaining of course. He just… isn’t used to this relative normalness. 

Whatever, he’s decided to just enjoy it. Perhaps the gods have finally decided to grant him a small break and the least Shota could do is accept that.

Anyway, Shota’s almost done giving his feedback speech to the kids and once it’s over, he’ll finally be free to take a much deserved nap. 

“All in all, you guys did a good job today. Each of you know what you need to improve on individually so make sure you do. Dismissed.” 

The class tiredly falters to the changing rooms at his words, except one stays where he is. The sight makes Shota sigh.

This is gonna be trouble, he thinks. The particular kid who's decided to stay behind is kind of notorious for- well he’s notorious for a bunch of things, but Shota will just use the word ‘danger’ for now.

Bakugou walks towards him as soon as the rest of the class is gone.

“Hey teach, I uhh gotchu somethin’.” The absolute hell child kind of awkwardly scratches the back of his head with those words. It’s obvious he’s having trouble with this, nevertheless Shota is incredibly proud of how far he’s come with his people skills. “Happy birthday I guess.”

Bakugou hands him a small, poorly wrapped package.

Honestly, Shota’s pretty surprised by the gesture. He… wasn’t expecting this. The class has already congratulated him with cake and gifts this morning, it was cheesy and sappy and sweet and it was done. The moment has already been had and it’s also already passed. Now Bakugou, of all people, is showing an extra form of affection towards him with whatever is wrapped in that paper.

Has the kid been hit with a quirk or something?

Unwrapping the package, Shota discovers... a collar. 

Oh god.

It’s red with black seams on the outside and black with red seams on the inside. 

Shota’s getting a very foreboding feeling about this, he’s also quite confused.

The man looks up to find Bakugou smirking.

“You can flip it around so either the black or red side shows.” The boy says.

“Bakugou, wha-?” 

“I chose this colour cause it matches with his eyes.”

The kid crosses his arms over his chest. Somehow, the smirk on his face grows, an unnamed feeling in Shota’s chest grows with it. 

“Also, I haven’t gotten a name tag yet cause I figured you’d want to name him yourself. Personally, I kinda liked ‘Dynamite’, but it’s obviously up to you though.” 

Shota gulps. Pieces are falling together and he’s not sure he likes the picture they show. 

What exactly did his devil spawn student do?

There’s no way- did he? Did he do what Shota thinks he’s done?

“Alright alright, look.” The kid says, hands up in a defensive stance. “Calm down sensei, jeez. Stop looking at me like you’re having a heart attack. I’ll explain, Okay?”

Shota takes a deep breath. He will show now sign of hope or excitement on his face.

“I was out on a run last week and I found a stray cat. I brought it back to the dorms cause it looked like shit and I- I just didn’t wanna leave it there.” Bakugou frowns at that, his gaze tears away from Shota’s and focuses on the ground instead. “Whatever. It’s really sweet and it deserves a good home. I knew you really liked cats and with your birthday coming up and all I just kinda figured you might want him? If you don’t then that’s fine of course, I just- hmph. It’s a good cat, okay?” The words are spoken clearly, Shota knows they’re used to hide insecurities though. Katsuki’s on the defensive.

There’s a lot to unpack. The main thing Shota notes is that Katsuki’s clearly gotten attached to this cat of his. 

To be honest, Shota’s already made up his mind about this. 

“So, you’re telling me you’ve been hiding a cat in your dorm room for a week now? You’re aware that’s against the rules right?” He keeps his voice calm and monotone.

The kid huffs. “Yeah, I have. And I do. I wanted to wait till your birthday to give him to you though, it’d kinda spoil the surprise if I told you.”

“True.” Shota stands up, thank god his capture weapon is there to hide his smile. 

Katsuki looks up to him and there’s a bit of a pause. He stares at Bakugou and Bakugou stares right back.

 “Well, am I going to be allowed to meet Dynamite or what?” Shota says, one brow quirked up in challenge.

Bakugou releases a breath, shoulders relaxing. “Yeah, you better take good care of him though, sensei. You won’t be forgiven if you don’t.” There’s a smirk on the boy’s lips, but his eyes are dead serious.

A fucking shovel talk.

Heh, leave it to his hell child to give such a casual yet intimidating shovel talk about a cat. 

Pretty impressive.

He’ll be a fine hero, Shota thinks.

---

So, Dynamite is a fucking angel. Shota loves him and it’s no wonder Bakugou got so attached to him, the cat literally follows the boy around everywhere and Bakugou is definitely its favorite person.

It’s kind of nice, seeing the kid relax and let loose whenever he comes over to the teachers dorm for the creature. It happens quite often and Shota even brings the thing over to the dorms sometimes, just so Bakugou can hang out with it for a while.

What? It’s good to see the kid’s shoulders slump down whenever Dynamite sits on his lap. Bakugou absentmindedly strokes soft, black fur and the actions automatically makes his guard drop, albeit slightly. 

Honestly, at this point Dynamite isn’t even his cat anymore. It’s his and Bakugou’s cat.

Shota doesn’t mind.

[clarkslibrary]

𝕀𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕆𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖

Pairing: steve rogers x OFC (Juniper Loughty), mild OMC (Judah) x OFC (Juniper)

Word Count: 2,849

Warnings: ANGST, alcohol, breakups, swearing, jealous steve, unrequited love, heavy nicknames,nat and bucky being right for 10 mins straight, angst crashing nat’s bday

Author’s Note: Hi lovelies! This is first fic (vv nervous) and i was inspired by @honeysucklesteve ‘s 4K writing challenge💕 let me know if any warnings need to be added and feel free to leave feedback! [collage was made by me and fic was inspired by In and Out of Love ; by Oh Wonder] ALSO I TRIED PUTTING A READ MORE TAB AND DUMBLR WONT ACCEPT IT

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“That’s the last one, June Bug.” Nat wrapped her in a hug.

“Thanks, Nat.”

“You sure you’ll be alright?” She asks and scans Jupiter's features for doubt.

“Yeah, eventually. I’ve done it before,” Juniper says with a sigh. “Just never thought it would be like this.”

“Me either, kiddo.”

The first night was the worst and all she could do was cry. Memories carved at her until all that was left was a quivering girl.

Juniper tries to remember where it all went wrong. Where did it all break? Surrounded by her belongings, she felt truly homeless. It was as if her home had been ripped from her hands.

The sun pulls her from the floor. It’s bright beams shining through the brownstone’s windows. It gave her the courage to stand up and slowly unpack. She thought that sifting through her things beforehand was hard but now the absence hit harder.

His coffee mug.

She always hated that blue, chipped mug; his first gift from Natasha, when he came out of the ice. The ceramic was all scuffed and it had permanent coffee rings on the inside. Now, she would give anything to hold it in her hands. Feel the warmth of his black coffee, two sugars.

Slowly, her books filled the shelves and her clothes spilled into the closet. The cozy bedding she had once loved, looked wrong.

“I can’t do this.” Juniper’s face falls into her hands.

Her breakdown is cut short by a curt knock. The air in her lungs locks up. What if it's him? Did he change his mind?

She quickly smoothed her hair, shaking it out, and wiped away the tears.

“Coming!” Her voice sounded clear despite the war of screams it faced hours earlier.

Her hands shook, reaching for the knob but she blew out a breath and swung open the door.

“Hey, I’m from next door and saw you moving in. Just wanted to introduce myself.”

Juniper shoved the disappointment away and took in the man before her. His dark hair was curly, falling across his forehead leading to bright blue eyes speckled with brown.

“Hi, I’m Juniper.” She stuck out her hand and he took it with a soft grip.

“Judah,” he smiles and she forces a tight one back. “You okay?”

She flinches at the question and scolds herself for it.

“Yeah, just stressed from unpacking and the move.” Juniper takes back her hand and waves it nonchalantly.

“You sure? I can always help if you want.”

“Help?” She asks, confusion lacing her tone.

“Help you unpack? Looks like you had a lot of boxes but I don’t wanna be too forward.” He holds his hands up in innocence.

Juniper pulled her lip between her teeth looking back at the boxes still piled in her foyer then back to Judah. He looked muscular enough. His worn shirt did little to hide the contours of his shoulders and arms.

“Uh, I think I could use some help actually.”

She stepped back opening the door enough so he could slip in.

“Don’t mind the mess,” she mumbled, slipping past him to sweep tissues from last night into her arms.

“Don’t worry about it.” He flashes her a smile and she weakly nods. “You have a nice unit. The setup is a little different than mine but mostly the same.”

She didn’t want small talk. She wanted to be busy.

“Do you wanna start over here?” She asks and he turns to meet her stare.

“Uh, yeah sure.”

“These two need to go upstairs, the second door on the right.”

“Gotcha.” he flashes her a wink before squatting and lifting the boxes like they were nothing.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜

Judah seemed to pick up on the fact she didn’t wanna talk. Juniper directed and he did it; occasionally cracking jokes about her taste in tourist knickknacks.

“Hey, I’m gonna order some pizza. That's good with you?” She asks him when the sun starts to sink.

“Sounds delicious,” he quips, making himself comfortable on the velvet couch.

“Comfy?” She teases and he sighs leaning back even further, spreading his legs taking up half the couch.

He was huge standing and even bigger sprawled out like a baby.

“The comfiest.”

After calling in the pizza she flopped next to him occupying the other half of the couch.

“So, what made you move?”

The question makes her raise up and look at him. He still has his eyes closed and is stretched out.

“It’s complicated,” she blurts and he cracks open one eye at her.

“I’m listening,” he says softly.

“I got broken up with.” The words sound foreign and they sting even worse. “Uh, we had been together a year ago yesterday. Well, it would have been a year.”

“Their loss.”

The words make her snort in disbelief.

“So untrue but thanks for the pity.”

Judah sits up and stretches before pivoting his body towards her.

“Look, you are a catch. I wouldn’t have spent a whole day helping a stranger unpack unless I felt they deserved it.”

“You admit that you did this to get in my pants?” She jokes and he shrugs.

“Wasn’t a part of the plans but I do enjoy some spontaneity.” The drop in voice made a chill run across her skin.

“Oh.”

A rough laugh leaves his chest and his hand catches hers.

“Listen, whoever this person was, obviously didn’t see your worth. Sometimes things don’t work out and it's for the best.” He pauses for a beat. “Besides, how would I have ever met you, Berry.”

“Berry?” She asks with a quirked brow.

“Like Juniper berry.”

“That’s a new one,” she says with a smile. “I like it.”

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6 Months Later

“Jude, c'mon share,” Juniper whined, reaching for the pizza slice.

She was currently climbing over the behemoth of a man trying to get a bite.

“You already had your bite,” he protested twisting away from her on the couch.

A determined look settled on her face.

“Oh no, not that look.” Judah stretched trying to wiggle away but she was already on top of him.

Luckily they were at his house because her couch would have never handled this roughhousing. Her knees landed on either side of his waist and she pressed his chest down with one hand, reaching with the other.

“Berry, this is my slice!”

“Not for much longer,” she says with a grin. She grabs the slice and takes a bite. “Mmmm,” she moans and Judah stills under her.

“That good?”

“Mmhmm,” she hums around the bite and then offers him one.

“You go ahead, Berry.” He smiles and his hands land on her hips.

“Jude, you’re the best.” She juts out her lip giving him the sweetest pout.

He could feel the warmth of her skin on his forearms, her thighs exposed by her sleep shorts and her well-worn shirt slipped down the smooth column of her neck onto her shoulder.

No matter what time of day she looked breathtaking. Dark ebony hair, crystal clear eyes that looked like starlight. He wanted to tell her these things but when they met she was still so broken.

“I was gonna ask you a favor actually,” she mutters, putting the slice back over into the empty box.

“Whatcha need?” He thumbs rubbed smooth circles on her thighs and she steadied herself with her hands on his chest.

“There is this party coming up. My friend Natasha’s birthday and I really wanna go but not alone.”

“The scary one?”

Juniper laughs and shakes her head yes.

“Yeah, the scary one. Anyway, would you wanna be my date?” She rushes the last couple of words thinking her heart might explode.

“Your date?” Judah asks and she cringes.

“Never mind, I knew I shouldn't have asked because now things are-“ her words are cut off by him pulling her into a tight hug

“I’ll take that as a yes?” She murmurs pressed against his chest.

“Hell yeah,” he grins, pressing a kiss to her hair.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜

Steve wasn’t expecting to see her and damn did she look good. The way his heart flitted to his stomach and made him want to hurl; it surprised him. Junie was glowing. Her hair was just the way he liked it, up in the front exposing her jawline and plump lips. It cascades down her back as silk catching gleams of light.

She hadn’t even seen him yet and he could make out the faint scrunch of her nose when she hugged Sam, laughing.

He missed her.

The rough sting of reality pierced him when an arm snakes around her waist pulling her close.

He didn’t recognize the guy and frankly could care less who he was. All he wanted to do right now was rip his hands off of his Junie. Juniper smiled up at him and leaned into his touch.

Steve didn’t even know the glass in his hand had shattered until her eyes snapped to meet his. The flash of realization and the immediate hard gaze cut him worse than any broken glass.

“C’mon let’s get some air punk.”

Bucky slings his arm around Steve’s shoulder steering him towards the balcony. Steve’s shaking the scotch from his hand and wiping it on his jeans when the door slides shut.

“Dammit.” He grits out and Bucky watches as he slams his palms against the railing. “Do you know who he is?”

“Steve,” Bucky starts but Steve cuts him off.

“Who is he?”

“I don’t think that’s for the best.”

“Awh, c’mon cut the bullshit.”

“He is her date.”

The confirmation makes him drop his head looking at the busy street below.

“His name’s Judah. She introduced me earlier while you were between eye-fucking her and murdering him.”

Steve scoffs and Bucky lets out a dry laugh.

“You asked me for the truth pal.”

“Is she,” he pauses, “happy?”

“Seems to be.”

Steve hums to himself and feels the ache settle in his chest. She was happy without him. It had been 6 months and he still couldn’t be bothered to take her body wash out of his shower. He’d hate to admit when he got really bad and the missions stopped, he sat with water pouring, and the cap popped open. Now and then he’d feel like she was there. That he would open his eyes and see her like out of a movie.

“Why are you getting so upset about this? You broke up with her.” Bucky’s words are harsh but true.

“I did it for her safety.”

“Bullshit, if that were the truth she would still live in the compound surrounded by people to keep her safe.”

He stews in the silence and Bucky grips his shoulder.

“To be as old as you are, you sure can be an idiot.”

A humorless laugh leaves Steve and he drops his head, wondering what it would be like if he was less of an idiot.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜

Juniper sipped her drink as Nat slid into the barstool next to her.

“Hey,” She says grinning at her.

“Hi, birthday girl!” Junie abandons her drink pulling Nat into a tight hug. “Feels like it’s been forever since I have seen you.”

“Probably, because you have a hunk keeping you company.”

Juniper’s face flushed and Nat nudged her with a grin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” She says taking a sip of her drink.

“Seriously, though I’m happy for you.”

Nat watches as Juniper nods muttering a thank you.

“Now, what’s on your mind June Bug?”

“Nothing,” She says, shooting her friend a quick smile.

Natasha quirks a brow at her and watches as Juniper’s eyes flit to the balcony where Steve had left with Bucky.

“He has been a mess too.”

Juniper’s heart stutters not expecting to hear those words.

“I don’t know why he is such an idiot but he does still love,” Nat starts but she is cut off.

“I can’t hear this right now.” Juniper downs her drink and slides it back to the bartender. “Sorry, I need a minute.”

The party is booming; her eyes scan the crowd for Judah but he is nowhere to be found. Taking deep measured breaths her legs carry her down the hall to the elevators.

“Stop freaking out,” She mutters to herself.

“Are you okay?”

The familiar voice makes her jump and squeezes her eyes shut. If only she could will him away.

“Go away.”

“Are you okay? I am not leaving you here like this, Junie.” Steve’s voice was even and calm.

“That’s absolutely rich coming from you,” She grits out pressing the elevator button. “Why are you here? Huh? Come to laugh at what a mess I am.”

“What?” Steve asks his brow furrowing with confusion. “Is that what you think of me?”

“Just forget it,” Juniper says as the elevator door opens with a ding. “Have a good night, Rogers.”

“Wait, just a second.”

She escapes into the elevator but his boot wedges into the closing doors. Up close she can see the creases of his worry and the storm brewing in the blue of his eyes. His hair messy; disheveled by his raking fingers she guesses.

“Talk to me.” His gaze burns into her.

Even with the frown on her face, she was gorgeous. The lighting of the party didn’t do her justice. Here he saw the peach dusting her cheeks and the shine of her ruby lips.

“Why should I?” Her eyebrows pinch together and he doesn’t respond. “You broke up with me, Steve.”

“I only wanted to keep you safe,” He says letting the doors close and essentially forcing them in proximity. “That has always been my priority.”

“Safe? Did you forget I had worked alongside you for three years? I am capable of guarding my own safety.” She reaches for the buttons but his hand catches her wrist.

“When things get bad, all I can think about is you. All I want is to see you, talk to you,” He says softly. “Sometimes, I still can hear you. Singing that awful song in the shower.” A sad smile flits across his lips. “I dream about you. Dream that I’ll wake up and you’ll be there.”

“Steve,” She protests and he pulls her closer.

“I think about kissing you.” His touch feels like an old habit she could never shake. “Think about laying you down and kissing every inch of you. God, you’re gorgeous. You know that, right?”

Juniper can see his tongue pressing against his bottom lip and the drag of it across his teeth. Her stomach buzzes. Months ago she would have pulled him into herself like so many times before; but now, her skin crawls.

Why was he doing this now?

“Steve.” She pulls her wrist from his grasp. “I have someone now. He wants me.”

Steve recoils at her words and clenches his fist.

“It’s time for you to move on.” She can see the anger and confusion lacing his features. “It’s not easy, trust me. It’s painful and feels like the worst kind of betrayal.”

“I love you.”

His words make her freeze, curdling the contents of her stomach and making her tongue heavy with unspoken words.

“Steve,” She whispers and she cradles his cheek for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

Juniper presses the open door button and escapes him taking a gracious gasp of air.

˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜˜”*°•.˜”*°• 🖤 •°*”˜.•°*”˜

Judah finds her coming back into the party.

“Hey, I’ve been looking for you,” He says and frowns when he sees the tears clouding her eyes. “Berry, what’s wrong?”

“I just, I,” She gasps trying to catch her breath.

“Shh, it’s alright. I’m here.” Judah pulls her into him, wrapping his arms around her small form. “Let’s get you home.”

Juniper wanted so desperately to feel better at those words but her home wasn’t a place.

It is a person.

Just some tags, pls don’t feel pressure to read 🖤

@speechlessxx @mypoisonedvine @buckycuddlebuddy @nsfwsebbie @worksby-d @redgillan @whitestarbucky @cloudystevie

[cherrybracelets]

Heat Waves

weed dealer!mgg x reader 

masterlist | requests

word count: 5.5k | warnings: 18+ content! drugs and alcohol mentions and usage. no smut but partying!

summary: your brother has a new roommate, and fuck, you might be in love with him? 

song inspo : heat waves - glass animals 

an: this gif is how i imagine him in this fic like w glasses but way less nerdy ahahha ok well whatever idk if im gonna continue this or just leave it as is lmk what yall think ok byeee

You stumbled up the steps of the subway, the heavy cardboard box you were holding slipping out of your hands as you made your way above ground. You tried to adjust your grip on it and almost fell backwards, shaking your head in frustration. The box was filled with all the random shit your brother had left at your place over the past few months as he was trying to find a place to live, sleeping on different couches of random friends. It was almost all useless stuff, which made the fact that you had to hand deliver it all to him even more frustrating.

You walked tirelessly down the street, gripping harshly on to the box. You pushed your way through people, not caring at all that you probably looked insane as you yelled for people to move so you could just get there and fucking put this box down. You finally came upon the building, sighing with relief as you set the box on the steps and rang the buzzer.

“I’m here,” you groaned into the speaker, wiping your forehead with the back of your hand.

“Hello!” A cheery voice responded over the intercom. A voice that was definitely not your brothers. “Who exactly is here?”

“Oh, sorry- I might have the wrong apartment. Is this 4B?”

“Yeah! You must be Danny’s sister. Come on up.” The door buzzed loudly as it unlocked, and you grabbed onto the handle quickly, lugging in the box behind you. You were extremely grateful when you saw the elevator, quietly thanking the universe that you didn’t have to walk up four flights of stairs with this thousand pound box.

You took the elevator up to the fourth floor, your body exhausted as you leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. You closed your eyes, hoping that maybe a five second nap could give you your energy back. But unfortunately, the elevator stopped and opened its doors, urging you to once again pick up the box and be on your way. You dropped your head to the floor and sighed, using the last of your energy to pick up the box and walk down the long hallway to apartment 4B.

Thankfully the apartment wasn’t too far from the elevator, and you only had a short walk until you came upon the door of his new place. You noticed a welcome mat on the floor that read ‘Bachelor Pad’, and you rolled your eyes at the pure douchiness of the thing. God, your brother was a prick. But, nevertheless, you loved him, he was family. Despite being one of the most annoying people you’d ever met.

You knocked slowly on the door, excited to throw the box into someone else’s arms and run home. It was your day off from work, and all you wanted was to throw on some sweats, eat frozen mac and cheese and watch Jeopardy until you fell asleep on the couch. The perfect day.

The door swung open, and the man who was definitely not your brother stood on the other side, a large smile plastered across his picture perfect face. His messy curls hung across his face, and he pushed them away before reaching out to you to grab the box.

“Let me get that for you,” he said quietly, literally lifting the weight off your shoulders as he grabbed it effortlessly. The muscles in his arms protruded as he set the box down on an old dining table they had set up in the kitchen, a cluster of mismatched chairs along with it.

“Thanks,” you said back, your eyes still trailing over his body, watching him closely. “Is, uh, is my brother here?” You stuttered to get your words out, your eyes still locked on the model-like man in front of you.

“No, he just ran out actually. Went to pick up a couch or something.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. He told me he would be here!” You shook your head in annoyance, crossing your arms over your chest, which pushed out your cleavage slightly. You caught the man glancing at your breasts, and felt your heart start beating a bit faster. He wasn’t even trying to the fact that he was staring at you. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. He really was supposed to be here to get this.”

“It’s not a problem at all. He told me you’d be stopping by. I’m Matt, by the way. I’m sure he’s told you about me.” He stuck out his hand, and you reached back and grabbed it. His hands were soft, but the tips of his fingers stained black, the familiar site of a smoker. The air hung the smell of stale pot smoke, so it was pretty easy to put together that he was a heavy weed guy. 

“I’m (Y/N). And, uh, no, actually. He hasn’t told me, like anything about you. Just that he knows you from work and you’re a ‘pretty decent guy’,” you laughed, letting go of his hand but desperately wanting to hold on to it forever. You didn’t really understand why, but something about his touch was so comforting, it made you feel like coming home after a long day.

“Uh, I was just about to smoke a bowl actually, if you’d like to join. Your brother told me you smoke,” Matt said, motioning to the coffee table covered in various paraphernalia.

“I don’t make a habit of smoking with strangers,” you responded sharply, realizing immediately how bitchy you must’ve sounded and wishing you could take it back. You scrunched your face a bit, cringing as you replayed the sentence over and over in your head.

“But I’m not a stranger! I’m Matt! Besides, this is fantastic stuff- I just got it from my guy the other day, knocks your socks off,” he giggled, his eyes wide as he wanted to desperately for you to say yes.

“Well, I guess I really can’t say no to free weed,” you shrugged, following him over to the old couch they had set up in their under furnished living room. It was exactly how you pictured your brothers apartment to look- disappointing and not at all coordinated.

“Sorry about the place, we’re trying to make it look nice but we’re not exactly interior decorators.” He shook his head as he looked around the room, before picking up his freshly packed bowl and lighting it.

“Yeah, it looks pretty frat-housey in here. I would expect more from you, but not from my brother,” you giggled, taking the glass pipe from Matt’s hands and enjoying it yourself.

“Why me?”

“Well... I don’t know...” you stuttered, shaking your head and trying to pull together a sentence. “You just seem to have... more style, I guess. Seem more put together.”

“I appreciate that. I do try extremely hard to not look like a douche.” He smiled kindly at you, his eyes shining with the reflection of the lighter as the two of you continued to share the bowl.

You made small talk for a bit, feeling the calm of the marijuana taking over your body. The old couch suddenly became much more comfortable as you sunk back into it, staring at the patterns on the ceiling. Matt was talking quietly behind you, trying to tell some story about him and your brother; but you were only half listening, losing yourself in your own thoughts of him. Thinking about the softness of his lips as he inhaled and exhaled, watching his hands flex tireless to work the lighter, noticing how his body seemed to relax more and more with each hit.

He tilted his head towards you, flicking the lighter with his thumb and escaping in the flame. He had lost himself in it, a comfortable silence coming down over the room. You watched the flame, too, trying to see whatever beauty he saw in it- but you weren’t feeling anything, and getting pretty antsy. You turned away from him, staring into the kitchen and hoping to see something edible from this distance. You weren’t sure what kind of food two men like this would bring into their home, but you were sure it was nothing good. Your stomach grumbled at the thought of something to eat, and you fell back into the couch with a groan.

“You okay?” Matt whispered, turning his face towards you and staring at your eyes.

“Mhmm,” you responded, not having the energy to respond at the moment.

“You are extremely beautiful,” he mumbled, his eyes exploring your face, finding themselves locked on your lips no matter how hard he tried to look away.

“What?” You snickered, replaying the words in your head, feeling your heart pounding out of your chest.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be weird. It’s just shocking to me how beautiful you are. Like a piece of art; I can’t take my eyes away.”

“You’re joking.” You rolled your eyes at him and pushed his arm playfully, trying to hide the obvious delight in your face.

“Why do you think I’m joking?”

“I just don’t hear that very often.”

“Well, that’s disappointing.” He frowned, looking down at his hands and playing with his over bitten nails.

“Sorry, I mean, I appreciate it of course. Fuck, sorry, I get so awkward when I’m high. Not very good at holding conversations.”

“Well, now that we’re friends I’ll make sure to remind you how beautiful you are as often as I can.” Matt placed his hand on yours lightly, at first only as a friendly touch, but feeling a comfort in the embrace. His thumb moved slowly, the small movement between your flesh overwhelming you with desire. Your eyes were locked on his, an intoxicating silence overcoming the room. You opened your mouth to speak, not sure exactly what to say, but the sound of the door unlocking breaking you from your daze. You pulled your hand away from his quickly and jumped off the couch, watching as the door opened and your brother walked in.

“Heyo!” Danny, your brother yelled, greeting the two of you with a large smile. “I see you’ve met my sister!”

“Yes, uh, yeah. We were just chatting,” Matt said defensively, trying to avoid eye contact with you.

“I was just waiting for you to get back. That’s all.” You responded, nodding your head quickly.

“How sweet! Just in time to help me get the new couch up!”

“Absolutely not. I brought your box, that's all the free labor you are getting out of me.” You laughed awkwardly, looking back at Matt, who was still avoiding you.

“Alright, whatever, but don’t ever ask me for anything ever again.” Danny rolled his eyes, throwing his phone down on the counter and grabbing a beer out of the fridge.

“Well, I should get going. I’ll see you tomorrow night for my party?” You asked, heading towards the door.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot. Is it cool if I bring Matt?” 

You looked at Matt, who finally looked back at you, and you nodded slowly.

“Of course. I’ll see you guys then.” You smiled at the two of them, gave a small wave and left, closing the door loudly behind you. Fuck. What the fuck was that? Was he flirting with you? Or was he just high? You closed your eyes and leaned your head against the wall, trying to compose yourself before heading home.

***************

There was nothing that stressed you out more than when your roommate threw her chaotic ‘get togethers’ every other Friday at your place. It was always an exhausting mess, and now you had to think about Matt coming along as well. You hadn’t stopped thinking about your weird intimate moment together, and the thought of seeing him again made your stomach do backflips.

There was something about him that made you feel so comfortable, so at home. But he’s friends with your brother... he has to be a scumbag. Right? And what kind of guy just walks around telling random girls they’re beautiful. He was definitely just trying to sleep with you. Which of course you wanted to sleep with him too, obviously. But he was the kind of guy that you could find yourself falling for, and getting hurt, badly. He was the kind of guy that would break your heart. You could tell. And you could not let him in, no matter how much you wanted to.

Tonight has to be all about ignoring him. You cannot let him be alone with you, because the moment he’s alone with you and starts calling you beautiful again with his pretty face and intoxicating voice and touching your hand... you were playing a dangerous game. You closed your eyes and let out a deep sigh, trying to push the thoughts of him out of your head when you were interrupted.

“What are you doing? I told you to get the cups set out like 20 minutes ago!” Your roommate rolled her eyes, pushing you to the side and laying out the cups herself.

“Sorry, Callie. Just a bit distracted today.”

“I can tell. What’s going on with you? You were weird all night last night.”

“Just tired I guess. Don’t worry about it. I’ll go set the drinks out.” You walked away quickly, hoping she would be too focused on her party planning to ask any more questions. Whenever you told her about a new guy, she was stupidly optimistic. And you really didn’t need her telling you to go for it when your brain was giving you the exact opposite advice. She just shrugged, turned around and went back to mindlessly setting up. You felt relief wash over you as she looked away, and you could once again get lost in your own thoughts and anxieties.

You mindlessly laid cups and other dumb decorations out, Matt’s face continuously crossing your mind. You found yourself smiling every time you played his words over in your head. His voice like silk as it wrapped around your body, warmth flowing through you as his lips whispered ‘You are extremely beautiful’ over and over again. You felt your heart racing, and you took a deep breath as you were brought back into reality by the vibration of your phone in your pocket.

You grabbed it, only to see you had multiple missed calls from your brother. ‘Fuck’, you thought. He knew, he somehow knew about your little flirt session with Matt. You shook your head in distress, preparing for the oncoming conversation as you reluctantly pressed the answer button and brought the phone to your ear. 

“Hello?” You muttered, squeezing your eyes shut to bear the impending rage from your brother.

“Jesus, I've called you like 18 times? What’s your deal?” He laughed, his voice full of his normal light and cheery tone. You took a sigh of relief after you realized he didn’t know a thing.

“Sorry, uh, helping Callie set everything up. Must’ve put my phone down and forgot it somewhere.”

“Well I need to know what liquor and illegal substances you’d like me to bring tonight- I’ve only got like an hour!” He said urgently.

“Uh, honestly whatever you want. We’ve got a few bottles here but nothing you’d like, probably.”

“You sound distracted, you all good?” You could head the concern in his voice, and you rolled your eyes aggressively.

“Everyone keeps asking me that today and it’s pretty annoying. I’m just trying to set up a party I don’t really want to be involved in and everyone keeps bothering me!”

“Jesus, grumpy pants. Looks like someone needs a nap... or a blunt.” Danny laughed quietly, and you bit your tongue to stop yourself from yelling at him again.

“Sorry. On edge today. Don’t want to talk about it.”

“No worries. I’ll see you later, okay? Try and cheer up a bit by then, I’d like to make a good impression on Matt.” Danny hung up quickly after that, and the word ‘Matt” kept ringing in your head over and over like a church bell. You put your phone down on the table and looked up at Callie, who was adjusting your work on the cups table.

“I need a drink,” you groaned.

“A little pregame shot, I love it!” She squealed, prancing over to the bottles and pouring shots for the two of you. You downed yours quickly, letting the liquor burn through your insides. You were hoping, after enough of it, it would burn through any thoughts you had of him. 

After another shot, the next hour before the guests arrived flew by. Callie put on some music and you danced your worries away, deciding which outfit to wear by rampaging through your closet. You kept fighting the urge to look as sexy as possible, one half of you wanting Matt’s jaw to drop as soon as he saw you, and the other half wanting him to ignore you all night. You couldn’t resist the temptation, though, and chose an extremely well fitting and low cut dress that accentuated all of your best features perfectly.

“God, you are literally the perfect specimen,” Callie giggled as you walked out of your room to show off. “Who the fuck are you trying to impress?”

“No one!” You responded, raising your eyes at her. “Can’t I just look good for myself?”

“Not that good. That is for someone. I know you.” You were saved by the ringing of your doorbell, and you smiled, relieved.

“Whatever you say. Go welcome your guests,” you motioned to the door. Callie just rolled her eyes and walked gleefully over to the entryway to welcome your first partygoers.

A few more groups of people rolled in, and you paid no attention as you were too busy making yourself another strong drink. You poured sloppily into the cup, giggling as splashes of soda and vodka spilled down the sides of your cup.

“You better watch out there, pretty girl. Making quite a mess.”

You turned around quickly, Matt’s voice making you jump in surprise.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled brightly, his perfect face begging to be touched, adored, kissed. You looked at every part of him, every beautiful part of him, stuttering to get words out.

“No... you’re... it’s okay. Sorry.” You put the bottle back down on the table and picked up your cup, taking a large swig, and nearly gagging on the taste of the strong liquor.

“Can I get in there and make a drink?” His eyes travelled up and down your body, his lips slightly pursing at the sight of you. You felt your heart pounding through your chest and he eyed you. His eyes finally locked on yours, his gaze paralyzing, your body refusing to move.

“Of course. We have lots of options. Anything you want,” you managed to squeak out, still unable to draw yourself away from his gaze. His eyes didn’t leave yours, and he smiled slightly, reaching his hand out to grab a bottle. For a split second you thought he was reaching out to touch you, and when you thought about the feeling of his skin on yours, you felt yourself melt. Desire and craving washed over your body in a wave that you couldn’t push away even if you tried.

“Thank you. I’ll see you around, (Y/N).” He finally looked away, and began walking back towards the small group of people who had gathered in your living room, including Callie and your brother. You felt relief as you were able to breath again, your body relaxing as he got farther and farther away. You waited a few moments before following him to join the rest of your friends.

“Ah, there you are, my sister!” Danny yelled, wrapping you in his arms so abruptly that you almost spilled your drink everywhere.

“Hey bud!” You hugged him back, grateful to have someone here to take your mind off of Matt.

“We were just about to play a fun little ice breaker game, since Matt is new to the group and all,” Danny motioned to Matt, who smiled and waved awkwardly as everyone stared at him.

“An ice breaker, really? What is this, college orientation?” You joked, taking another swig of your intensely strong drink.

“Shut up. Don’t be such an ass.” Danny rolled his eyes and pointed to an empty seat, and you realized it wasn’t worth fighting him. He loved to play stupid little games like this, that everyone else dreaded. But you have to admit, everyone always ended up having fun at the end of the day.

“What’s the game, Danny boy?” Callie cooed, getting comfy on the couch between a few of your other friends. She always had the biggest crush on him, although you forbid her from ever getting near him. It wasn’t her, you loved her and would love it even more if she was your sister. But he was such a dick, you knew he would break her heart, and you would not stand for that.

“Easy, everyone shares one surprising fact about themselves.”

“Oh god, I don’t think I have any,” someone moaned, and Danny just laughed.

“No worries, plenty of time to think. I can start. Uh.... I slept with my professors wife in college as revenge for him giving me a C- on my final.” Danny smiled proudly and took a long swig of beer. The group around you just groaned in disgust and laughed, but you knew the story. That wasn’t the entirety of it at all, in fact, Danny had fallen desperately in love with this woman and she crushed his heart by choosing her husband over him. But he would never tell all of that, because that doesn’t sound cool. Apparently you weren’t the only one who knew the truth, though, because Matt instinctively turned to you and looked at you in a way that read, ‘This guy is so full of shit.’ Apparently Matt and your brother were closer than you though, if he told him his biggest secret. 

“Hmm, Matt, I think you should be next. Only fair since you’re the new guy.” Danny turned to Matt with an excited face, like a little kid on christmas.

“Oh man, alright. Well, I guess one thing that people have a hard time believing about me is that I am a bit of a hopeless romantic. I believe in soul mates, love at first sight. All of that bullshit. I’m a sucker for it.” Matt looked right at you as the words spilled out of his mouth, not even trying to hide the obviousness of what he was trying to say. You tried your best to look away from him, but you couldn’t pretend his words weren’t entrapping you.

“That’s super corny, bro,” Danny laughed, pushing Matt slightly. He just shrugged, and took a sip of vodka straight from the bottle. Danny bothered a few more people about their secrets, and you listened intently to stories about shoplifting and coke addictions, trying to avoid his obvious gaze. You knew he was staring at you, his eyes burning holes in your body as the liquor started to flow through him. He wanted you, he craved you, in a way he had never experienced before.

Love at first sight had always been a myth to you; something in books and movies. Fiction. Until you heard the words slip from his mouth. Love at first sight, soul mates. It was all impossible. But why couldn’t you stop thinking of him. Why did his state send shivers through your body? Why did it feel like you had been waiting for him your entire life, even though you just met?

“(Y/N)! It’s your turn!” You heard Danny yell, bringing you out of your thoughts once again.

“Uh... what’s going on again?” You murmured, the alcohol overcoming your brain as you tried to remember the dumb activity you were being forced to participate in.

“Alright, you might need to slow down on the drinks girl.” Callie laughed, pointing at the cup in your hand.

“I’m fine. Just lost my train of thought!”

“Tell us a surprising fact about yourself,” Matt chimed in, a flirtatious smile plastered across his face.

“Uh, right. Well... I have a really huge record collection. It’s kind of my hobby.” You shrugged, nodding your head slowly as the group around you seemed let down by the less than flashy secret.

“You’re kidding! I collect vinyls too. I have like a thousand,” Mattresponded, his eyes lighting up at the realization that he finally had a way to talk to you.

“You should show him your collection, (Y/N), it’s ridiculously impressive,” Callie said, nodding in excitement. Your heart stopped at her words, hoping that Matt would say ‘Another time!’ and you would forget about the entire interaction. But you knew he would take up any offer to be alone with you; and a part of you was hoping he would.

“I’d love to see it,” Matt said slowly, his voice now a serious tone as he waited nervously for your response.

“Uh... of course. Does anyone else want to see?” You asked, in one final last ditch effort to protect yourself from being alone with him. But the room had already moved on from you, and no one even heard you ask the question. You looked up at Matt, his perfect smile once again showing itself.

“Guess it’s just you and I, pretty girl.” He whispered to you, his hand on your shoulder. He leaned in as he spoke to you, as if to keep the nickname a secret. You looked around in hopes that someone noticed, someone would put a stop to it. But everyone had already moved on, started new conversations, brought themselves deeper into a state of inebriation. No one saw either of you, and you could easily slip away into the night with him. 

You stood up slowly, and motioned for Matt to follow you into your room. He eagerly followed behind, not a single soul in the room even realizing you were leaving. You felt your heart pounding in anticipation and nervousness, not knowing how the next few minutes would play out. You took a few deep breaths to control yourself before opening the door to your room and letting Matt follow.

“Open or closed?” He asked, his hand gripped on the door handle as he awaited your response.

“Closed. I don’t like people seeing my personal space,” you said, moving over to the shelves that held your vinyls. Matt nodded and closed the door lightly, following you over to your collection. 

You walked to the corner of your small, cluttered bedroom. Sat in the corner was multiple shelving units, all packed high and bending under the weight of your numerous records. Next to the shelves was a small desk, which your record player sat beautifully on top of. Your room was overwhelming to a stranger's eye, but every single thing in there had a purpose, to you. It was your sanctuary. And it wasn’t a place you regularly invited strangers. You barely ever let Callie or Danny in there. But seeing him stand there, gazing in fascination at your records, felt very comfortable. You knew that he would respect your space, and not question it. It was a nice feeling to be able to share something so private with someone. 

“Wow... this is amazing (Y/N)... you have fantastic taste in music,” he whispered, running his hands up and down the records.

“Thank you. Some of them I don’t really listen to, they’ve just been collected from garage sales and thrift stores over the years.” You watched him in awe, every feature glowing in the low light of your room. He smiled at certain titles, pulling things out delicately to look at the covers. He was beautiful, perfect. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him.

“Do you wanna smoke a blunt?” He asked, turning to you in excitement as he pulled out a bag of weed from his pocket.

“Of course. Just crack the window,” you responded, your eyes still locked on him.

“Perfect! Let’s listen to something, too. Do you mind rolling so I can pick something out?” He asked, handing you the plastic bag. Your hand touched his as you grabbed it from him, and you felt time freeze as your skin made contact. He was warm, soft, angelic in his touch. You wanted more, you craved more. But you let go, pulling yourself away.

You watched him pull out various records and contemplate what to put on as you carefully rolled a blunt to smoke. His face was focused and concentrated, and the furrow in his brow made you smile. You couldn’t help but smile around him. He finally pulled out an album you immediately recognized as (Y/F/A).

“How did you know?” You asked, watching him as he delicately took the record out and placed it on your player.

“What?” He giggled, biting his lip as he looked up at you.

“That's my favorite album.”

“You’re joking. It’s mine, too.” He looked up at you, your eyes once again meeting. You didn’t need to speak to know what was going through his mind. The two of you were both thinking the same thing. He broke the stare first to start playing the music, his hands gently placing the needle on the record.

The music began quietly, but filled the room around you. You lit up the blunt and began to smoke, a wave of happiness coming over you as you took in your surroundings. A beautiful boy, your favorite music, some fantastic weed. It was paradise. It was pure bliss.

You smoked the blunt in silence, both of you taking in the beauty of the music, no need for words. You watched him, his movements, enthralled by his every move. The light from the blunt lit up his face in an almost angelic way, making your heart race every time he took a puff. The more high you got, the more you wanted to touch him, feel him, kiss him, love him. Love at first sight, it’s bull shit, right? But what if it isn’t? What if it’s sitting right in front of you?

“Dance with me.” Matt said, standing up quickly and reaching out his hand.

“I... what?” You asked, giggling slightly at the man who was standing in front of you.

“Dance with me. You know you want to.” He raises his eyebrows at you, hand still stuck out waiting for you. You rolled your eyes, a small laugh escaping your lips as you grabbed his hand and stood up. He wrapped his other arm around your waist and pulled you close to him. The smell of smoke and mint immediately overtook you, the warmth of his body wrapping you in comfort. Being in his arms, it was the most calming feeling in the world. It was the best feeling in the world.

In that moment, nothing else mattered to you except being with him. You would do anything to hold on to that moment. You reached your hand up to his face and touched it gently, the softened of his skin flowing on your fingertips. You brushed the few stray wisps of hair away from his face before bringing your lips up to his.

There are many different types of kisses in the world. You first kiss, which is awkward and usually terrible. A sad kiss, one where you know it will be your last kiss for a while. A lustful kiss, where you can’t keep your hands off of each other and want nothing more than to rip clothes off. But this kiss... this was a kiss you had never experienced before. It was a kiss that filled your entire body; flooded you with light and calmness, made every bad thing you’ve ever felt disappear into thin air as your lips pressed against his. It was a kiss that you knew was saved especially between two people who were meant to be. A kiss between soul mates.

As your lips worked effortlessly with his, everything else in the world disappeared except for you and him. You melted into each other, two paints seamlessly coming together to create a beautiful piece of art. You never wanted to let go of him. You never would, if it was up to you. But you needed a second, a second to catch your breath, a second to ground yourself back to reality.

You pulled away from him, your hands still locked in his hair and his on your waist. “We should go back out there. We don’t want to look suspicious,” you whispered, suddenly remembering the circumstances that led you in here in the first place.

“Of course, that’s for the best. But I promise you this is not the end of us.” Matt kissed your cheek and winked flirtatiously before heading back out to your living room. You sat quietly for a moment, your heart racing and your breathing unsteady. In that moment, you knew that was it. That was the last first kiss of your life.

[sasa-gay-yo]

Just Us (Chapter Four: Pretend)

← Chapter Three

Levi had accustomed himself to come at one on the Saturday he had off. He would walk in and order black tea, knowing I would give him the complete opposite. When the rush of people was over, he would take the cloth from my hands, commenting on how soap adds to dryness, and clean the table tops to his liking. I never understood why it took him one pass, but when I did it, he would complain over and over again. Secretly, he must want to clean. Maybe it’s his idea of normalcy. Being able to clean up inside the walls when it was hard to do the same on the outside. It gave him a sense of being in control that he didn’t have over there, so I let him clean while I swept. 

Then, we would close the windows, lock up shop, and he would take the entrance in the back of the café up to the apartment so no one would suspect anything. It felt weird having to sneak around doing no wrong, but Levi was the master of it and insisted. We would sit across from each other, tea in hand, and just talk about anything. The topics included the best water source in the walls, the gossip that plagued Trost, and how many kicks it takes to knock out all of someone’s teeth. While certain topics about the Scouts or the current expedition would come up, they were short and never really taken care of. He never asked for my time in the underground or the details about me gaining ownership of the café. It was a good game of pretend for the time being, but it got me thinking about what we were pretending to be. As we sat there, in my home, sipping tea, what was this “normal” that Levi was playing out? If he wasn’t Captain and I wasn’t civilian, then what characters were we? And at what point will this game morph into reality… if it for me hasn’t already. 

We’ve met three times more after we started the game. Twice after expeditions and once on a random day in the middle of a blizzard. The Scouts were preparing to go out for an expedition, but it was suspended for the day until the weather had cleared up. 

I never went to see Levi off. I’d listen to their shouts from the comfort of my café, but never went to see them leave the town square. I think that’s when the game we were playing would break. Seeing Levi and Captain Levi leaving and me as the civilian, hoping he’d return. I would only go meet them on their way back and we could pretend again once I saw his face and knew he was alive. It was dangerous, like I had said before. Deep down Levi had to know that too.

Now, we were in the last month of the year, and the Scouts were off on a shortened expedition so they could spend the end of the year festival with their families. I didn’t have any idea what Levi would do then. We never had the opportunity to meet for more than one night a month. Would that change?

“What the hell are you thinking about so hard? A new recipe?” I turned to Jonas who was sitting next to me. We were going over what extra I was going to order for the holidays. People desperately wanted fresh bread and pastries, and I had to include fruit in them as tradition states. I would be busy the week before the festival time, so I would have to close up for a few days and hope that my profit for the holidays would outweigh that of which I lost. It usually did and I had most of my savings because of the year-end. Last year, I had enough saved to even go out and enjoy the festivities they put on in Trost. 

“I’m doing math in my head, hold on. If it takes four berries per pastry and twelve a batch and I plan to make twelve batches that's...I wrote it down, that's like, round up, six-hundred. And you said you can guarantee there to be twenty plus in each box, so I’ll have to buy… thirty boxes! That’s so much money!” I whined on the table and Jonas wrote down the number on the form. At least I would get a friends and family discount. 

“I think people will want more than you have anyways. I mean, this is the time of year you usually have a line outside of the café.” He put a hand on my back and I sat up again. 

“It’s just I hate spending money every year on a business gamble. Especially when I have to get gifts for people too. With the increased prices, I’ll have to dig into reserves and I have yet to buy just regular working items in the capital. That's another five or six days off.” I put my head in my hands again. Too much to think about. 

“I could go to the capital with you this time. It would be easier since I know a lot of the merchants there.” I shook my head no.

“I don’t just get supplies at the capital. Sometimes I go to get my hair cut, other times I shop for a whole day for gifts. It’s really boring, and besides you have to deliver things. I know the volume of orders is also a lot during this time.” He nodded and looked dejected that I rejected his offer, which made me smirk. Don’t think I’ve forgotten what June said to me… and I’ve noticed it too. The hand bandages, bringing in extra stuff from Reeve’s, showing up right when Levi does and talking for an hour. He may not be that smart, but the common sense he has is astounding. 

“Well, if you don’t let me go to the capital with you, then you have to go to the year-end-” 

“The Scouts are back! Only two casualties!” I cut off Jonas from whatever he was going on about and walked out the café door with the other customers. The two casualties remark got them on their feet, excited, but any talk of casualties got my stomach turning. It would never be Levi, but there was always an off chance. 

This time, lots of people gathered around the streets, probably even some visitors to see their child return from the Scouts. It was always something that happened during this time of year. A long vacation meant that the families could finally be together and rejoice about another year alive. It made me think about the families that had those hopes devastated. This year-end would be different for them. 

The Scouts turned the corner with less than before, but not because of death. People had gotten off the convoy when they had seen their family. Some people would not get off and ride to either lodgings in Trost or the HQ. Levi was one of those people. If I had known about the way the Scouts do year-end, I would have invited him to come and stay in my apartment and not have to ride back and forth from outside Trost. Even if I did that, for threat of rumors, he probably wouldn’t have gotten off at the café. 

I saw him by Erwin, all near the end this time so that the others could leave the line undisturbed. We locked eyes and he nodded once before staring ahead again. I smiled and turned back around, entering the warmth of the café. Jonas followed looking back and forth between me and the Captain on his horse. If anyone had suspicions about Levi, it was him and the older women who seemed to always show up at one on Saturday. This time, I had no idea when he would show up to the café, as he was much more freer than usual. 

“Is Captain Levi going to buy some pastries for his Scout comrades?” It was probably jealousy that made him act so hostile. I wish he would just act normal in these situations.

“I hope so. That’s a lot of pastries to buy. I might even force him to for how many cups of my tea he drinks.” That wasn’t a lie. I would need to buy peppermint tea in the capital by how much we’ve both drank in the past 2 months. Who knew three nights could ruin my supply of tea? And I was worried about the Garrison.

“He pays for all of them, right?” I nodded and signed the order form. Jonas was just trying to find one crack in Levi’s personality. Something to make it easy to hate him more.

“Every third cup is free though. Maybe I’ll eliminate that policy just for him.” I wanted to get Jonas to laugh, but I guess when talking about Levi that was impossible. 

“Since this is such a large order, you have to put fifteen percent down. Company policy.” I reached into the bag that held some of my money and sadly dished it out. Why must this world run on a monetary system? 

“Well, I’m off. The bar down the road has a lot of wine to order. I’ll see you in a few days, yeah? You’re planning to go to the festival, right?” I nodded and stood up, walking him out. 

“Of course! I have to give you your gift, too. Don’t tell anyone, but I think you’re going to like what I planned.” He smiled and raised one hand in the air to wave goodbye as he walked through the crowd. In all honesty, I had no idea what I was going to buy him or anyone. I just went to the capital and hoped the items at the marketplace spoke to me. 

“Do you have something for me planned too?” I jumped and almost slammed the door on him. Levi was leaning against the outside wall, one leg up, like he always did. I just wasn’t expecting him to come today or this quickly. My heart started beating fast again. 

“I thought you’d be going to HQ.” I looked him up and down. He was in black slacks and white shirt, his regular, everyday outfit. That was a quick change. I tried to tell him that he still stuck out because we don’t dress like that, but he refused. Even his clothes had to have crisp, clean folds and edges that made them stand out.

“Erwin thought it would be nice to have the Scouts without families to board together in town for the festival. So we wouldn’t have to go back and forth.” Convenient. 

“That’s cute. Is it also because Mitras doesn’t want to send in any MPs, so they put you all in charge for the district you’re closest to?” He smirked for a second then dropped it. 

“How did you guess that?” I smiled and moved out of the way so he could walk into the café. 

“It happened last year too. I forgot you weren’t there yet. The old ladies aren’t here to oogle at you, so you’re going to have to deal with no female attention.” He followed me behind the counter where he leans against to watch me bake or make coffee when he’s too bored of the window. With the news of the Scouts and families reuniting, the café was now empty. Levi would allow himself to play the normal game again. 

“I think I’ll be fine.” He stood there, watching me make puff pastry for what felt like forever. Even if it was comfortable to have his eyes on me, sometimes when I knew he wanted to say something, it was annoying. 

“If you’re so interested in how to fold puff pastry, I can show you tonight.” 

“O-Oh… Um, I can’t stay tonight. We have an officer’s meeting to plan all of the expeditions for next year.” Oh. That’s a first. Why did it make me so sad that he said he couldn’t stay? I’m not used to it. We’ve only done it four times.

“I’ll be going to the capital tomorrow. I guess we’ll both have to wait a few days to finish our conversation on what color to repaint the walls of the Scout HQ.” He switched sides of the counter so he was leaning on the one I was working on. When he did this, it meant he wanted to know I understood something. Very Captain of him.

“Capital? By yourself? At this time of year?” I nodded and pushed aside a finished puff pastry sheet. 

“I always do. I have to get a lot of things for the festival. I also buy gifts, so if you want to have an amazing gift like Jonas, I have to go.” That made him blink and I’d never seen that look before. He seemed dumbfounded with the idea I was going to travel there myself. 

“You’re actually buying me a gift?” Oh, so it wasn't the trip. It was the fact someone was going to get him a gift. I’m sure he’s had someone give him gifts before; his fellow officers or friends or someone.

“Of course I am. I’d consider you important enough to get a gift for.” The reddening of his face didn’t go unnoticed. Another win for me. I’ve made it my mission to get him to show emotion on a daily basis so I wouldn’t have to guess what he was thinking. So far I’ve gotten one smile, three instances of blush, and one small laugh.

This is what I meant by pretending to be normal. If he wasn’t a Captain right now, and Captain Levi would never blush, then who was he? What person was he playing that would stand right next to me and blush? Who am I playing to have the right to elicit this type of reaction from him? Right now, I wasn’t playing. When I talk about paint and not about how curious I am about Levi’s time in the underground, that's pretending. How far does Levi take it?

“I guess I’ll have to buy you a gift at the capital too.” I stopped folding dough. My heart picked up speed again. 

“Huh?” 

“Well, you can’t go on your own to the capital. Someone who’s capable of defending you from the Underground pickpocketers has to go with. I know how they work too. Plus, I have to get gifts for people. It’s just convenient that you happen to be going tomorrow.” I raised an eyebrow and remembered how easily I had denied Jonas. Was it real me or pretend me that didn’t want to deny Levi of escorting me to the capital? It all seemed like a fairytale; being escorted by a handsome, capable male. Short, but capable. Who was I to deny myself of that?

“I’ll think about it. I might leave you if you show up though. You don’t even know what time I’m going,” He pointed to the door, one hand still in the pocket of his damn slacks.

“Assuming that the sign you put on the door is correct, you’re closing tomorrow at noon. If I come at noon, I’ll catch you just in time for you to deny me.” He seemed to be in a good mood today if he was making jokes like that. Levi’s conversation depended on how that last expedition went it seems. Once he came back and barely talked to me. At that point I prepped dough while he sat on my couch staring hard at the wall. The other time he came back, he was his normal self. Not talking much in the morning, but then talking about all the ways he’d remodel the Scout HQ if they had the money at night. No matter what mood, he wouldn’t talk to me about the expeditions. The line he wouldn’t cross, I’m assuming. 

The next day the café was extra busy as everyone wanted to get their orders in before I closed early. There were bulk orders for parties, the buying of heavy amounts of bread, and regular coffee sales. When noon came around, I was proud to say I was legitimately out of bread and only had a few pastries. I decided to take those along on the ferry ride. 

I went upstairs using the back way, going to grab my bag and the amounts of money I put aside. Last night, I made sure I calculated four or five times, allotting only a few extra amounts of change if I went over budget. During year-end, I had to be very strict with my spending if I didn’t want to go in the negative like Mr. Flynn had taught me. 

“Eva.” I stopped walking up the stairs and saw the person sitting on my steps. Was it bad that I felt disappointed that it wasn’t Levi? He said he was going to come at noon.

“Jonas. What can I do for you? I gotta run soon to buy a ticket to the ferry.” He smiled and held up two pieces of paper. Oh gods. 

“I bought them already. Like it or not, I’m coming with you.” That unsettled me, because I had subconsciously accepted Levi’s offer. Jonas might be a bit heartbroken if I say that. 

“Uh, Jonas, you should go return those tickets so you don’t waste your money. If you do it an hour before the ferry, they give you a full refund.” I tried to push past him to get to get into my house, but he held his hands up. This was getting frustrating. He wouldn’t even let me get into my own house. 

“You shouldn’t be going alone at this time, Eva. You remember what happened last year, you got robbed!” I rolled my eyes and tried to push past him again, but it didn’t work because I wasn’t a six foot tall man who lifts heavy boxes everyday. 

“They tried to take my money, but it was an empty bag, Jonas. I’m not stupid enough to be carrying things around like that. If anyone knows how pickpockets work, Jonas, I’m one of them. Please, can I get into my house.” He stepped up one more step and held his arms out wide like he was doing something heroic. I couldn’t tell him that I wasn’t going alone, so he’d just have to trust me on this one. 

“Do I have to kick you off these stairs?” Jonas froze and his eyes almost bugged out of his head. I had to lean over so I could see where the harsh voice came from. Curiously enough, he was standing there in my opened door. How the hell did he get into my apartment? Did I not lock it this morning? His voice was the harshest I’ve ever heard it.

“What are you doing here?” Jonas snapped his head back and almost hit mine. This was the first time Jonas had probably said a full sentence to Levi that wasn’t full of stutters. 

Levi’s eyes were scary too. Meeting them, I could see his unfaltering glare towards Jonas. Chills. It didn’t help that he was looking down at us the whole time. 

“I’m here to escort Miss. Flynn to the capital so she can fill out a personal order for the Scouts.” It was a good lie that even I wouldn’t have been able to think of. He even used my last name which made it sound more legitimate. The only thing that might have been against us were those damn black slacks. 

“Is that true?” Jonas whipped his head back around and again almost hit me. I gave him an annoyed look before scratching the back of my head. 

“Yes, it’s true. Now, if you’ll let me by, I need to get my bag.” He looked defeated when I walked by him and I honestly didn’t think it was this serious. Maybe he had something planned but now Levi had come by and ruined it. Money was wasted on those tickets.

Without a word, I walked into the door past Levi and he slammed it behind me. I didn’t think he’d do that and thought it a bit rude to Jonas, but we didn’t have time for apologies. I’d give him a free cookie when I got back. The ferry was going to leave in about an hour and it takes twenty minutes to walk, not even mentioning the lines. 

“Do you have money to buy a ticket to the ferry? I didn’t budget two people.” He put on a tan winter coat before shaking his head no. It was a nice coat with the wings of freedom on the back and a fur lining in the hood. It mimicked that of their capes, but these were definitely for winter. It looked nice and warm. 

“We’re taking horses.” I dropped my bag and turned quickly to him. 

“Huh?! I don’t even know how to ride a horse!” He let out a huff in laughter and slung his bag over his shoulder. I hated horses. 

“It’s not hard. Besides, your horse is tied to mine. All you have to do is sit.” Oh, yeah, sit on an animal running at top speed. Of course the soldier is making it sound so easy. I’m even in a skirt, how is that going to work?

“I’d rather buy you the extra ticket.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a horse.” He sounded… annoyed? Tough. I wasn’t going to tell him he was right though.  

“I’m just more comfortable going on the ferry. It’s what I always do.” I put on my coat and he opened the door slightly, probably checking to see if Jonas was still there. 

“Your boy seemed extra confident today. He even glared at me from less than 5 feet away. Usually he stands by your counter and does it. You should tell him I’m proud.” I rolled my eyes and headed out the door. My boy. What kind of… 

“Are we still trying to get on the ferry or have you snapped out of your delusion that it's better than horseback?” I shook my head and put my hands in my pockets. I couldn’t risk them getting any dryer in this weather. Hopefully, he had some spare gloves.

“You can take the horse. I’ll meet you in a few days.” He groaned but kept walking next to me. 

“If we take the horses we’ll get there early in the morning tomorrow. It would reduce it down to a three day trip instead of a six day one. You’d lose less money that way.” 

“I have enough money. Even more now that the Scouts want to order some pastries from me.” It was supposed to be a jab at him, but he didn’t falter at all. 

“Erwin said he wants something sweet. I’m assuming something with fruit too. I don’t know what these people like, so I’ll just order the most common thing I can.” I stopped walking and he went a few steps ahead of me before turning around. 

“You were… Y-you were serious about the order?” He nodded.

“At the meeting yesterday, I volunteered to get desserts for the officer’s year-end party they always have. You’re the best in Trost, aren’t you?”

Somehow that got me on his damn horse.

Chapter Five → 

Chapter Masterlist

[zhaozaipalooza]

Your Weekly Drabble! - Day 1 | Festival

The missing drabble for LuZhao mini-week where I brought to you Holi? — here it is! ✨

The court painter fiddled with the array of tools at his side - paled slightly, lips forming a curse - then quickly bit it down, stammering about getting a few supplies before he excused himself. Red curtains framing the prince’s portrait-to-be settled behind him.

Lu Ten sprang from his seat. He paced to drum out his annoyance through the silks lining the floor. When that didn’t work, he ducked out of the same opening. 

A massive, tiled chamber cleared of the average riches piled in a palace room, sunlight streaming from the corridor outside, gave him more breath than his lungs knew what to do with. When the day glowed, he couldn’t resist the same - not as a child, not as a princeling aware of his place in a turning world, fire in his heart and fingers. Dance with me, sing with me, run with me, said the sun… and Lu Ten followed.

The rays guided his eyes over ornate fixtures, twisting pillars and rosy walls, to a guard stationed beside the open door. His helmet was clutched in a free hand to keep it from slipping over his eyes. He caught Lu Ten smiling, and mustered a look of confidence. 

Peace that uncommonly smoothed Zhao’s face - in his presence, no one else’s - was knocked off when Lu Ten jabbed a fist into his side. “Yip!” His eyes bugged, rubbing at the sore spot.

“Loosen up! You’re only in charge of me and the, uh…” he cleared his throat, “snail sloth. And no thief is going to steal the wallpaper.”

“It’s only been half an hour.” He gripped the helmet. “Anything could happen. Do you know how much this sort of position pays? To serve inside palace walls? I’ll never go hungry again.” His lips turned firm. “I wouldn’t have managed to land it without your pull. I can’t go risking it now.”

Zhao grabbed in air when the headpiece slid neatly off his topknot. The prince tucked it in the crook of his arm. “You won’t go hungry again. Ever.” 

“I promise.” Their eyes met, something of more absence than they knew what to do with fleeing their lungs. 

Lu Ten blinked off the daze first, hauling him by the arm behind the curtains, where the painter had abandoned his things. He was first to press his lips to his and linger slowly, sweetly.

Zhao’s laughter was between a rumble and a sigh. “You thought you could get bored when I was right outside?”

“Pah... I have you around for more than that.” He strung a lock of Zhao’s hair around his knuckle, thumb skimming his cheek. Within an instant, Lu Ten tugged free, jumped onto the chair where he was meant to sit motionless for hours - looking so daring and heroic that it was comical. “We’re adventurers! The gods threw us together, watched us train together, conquer together. We’re meant to make history, not lounge around waiting for history to make out who we were from a painting.”

“Hm, now there’s a good point.” His disbelief mingled with awe in Lu Ten’s shadow - one he barely noticed. Zhao laughed more, the sound crinkling with a soft snort. How are you so full of life?

“We could cross the tundra, climb mountain ranges where airbender ruins still whisper to the living,” Lu Ten pantomimed an otherworldly sensation, with a swirling mock of airbending - Sozin’s descendants weren’t taught much in the way of regard. Neither was the nation; Zhao fought a grin. “Or! We could master our firebending under the greatest there ever were… the very first benders to learn from the dragons.”

“The Sun Warriors?” He leaned against the wall, hoping it wasn’t indecorous - some part of him would always feel like an ugly blot in the lap of luxury. Zhao’s memory tingled, “I read of them. Once. Sounded like a tall tale to me. If they existed, they’re far gone now.”

“I say they’re alive and well.” He hopped down. The legs of the chair jerked back. “Fire of every color thrives there. Blue, purple, green, all blazing hot. Colors that don’t have names! There’s a thousand stairs to reach the golden temple behind a sea of clouds, and once you-”

“Come on, green fire? Your head’s stuck in a sea of clouds. I say tundra.”

“Stuck in a- you hate snow!” The prince’s huff spoke easily for him after all the time they’d spent together: dream a little! He gave Zhao one of his father’s looks and went to the pigments sitting in neat boxes in a larger hinged case, and grumbled again. This one stood for that sore loser…

“He hasn’t even mixed the powders into paints. I can tell where he sourced some of them - the white is crushed seashells, it looks like. Fragile, tiny shells… Four hours is starting to look like ten.”

“Green fire, purple fire, ooh,” Zhao was teasing, “What’s next, each of them stand for a pillar of society? Yellow for contracts, green for tea, pink for… hm, intercourse? I think we should start with that one when we get th-”

A creative itch had sprouted a full-out snarkfest; the prince suddenly twisted, flinging a fistful of ground powder in his guard’s direction. Outside of these walls they were lieutenant and ensign, soldiers homeward-bound if luck was on their side.

“Or maybe it stands for paying a little more respect.” Lu Ten smirked, hands at his hips. “Not that you’ve ever followed that pillar of society.”

Zhao shielded his face too late, swiped off the glimmering traces. Face ajar and upturned at his nerve.

Here, they were a lot younger, and they were home. As young as they should be.

“So that’s how it is.”

One half-hour stretched out for twenty more minutes, the seconds passing like snow in a blizzard. Fun thinned time, after all, dragging the sun higher into the sky, melting down their reservations. “You want to learn from the Sun Warriors? Well, I’m twice the warrior you are, and Agni knows my family has the divine blessing of the sun - so why not learn a lesson or two?”

“You’re on.”

Lu Ten ripped each box loose and scattered them outside the curtains; clouds of mushed petals, the deep green of palm leaves, a reddish rust like clay shingles, and pale alabaster shells - all drifting in the air like trails of smoke. The prince was splattered, his friend powdered head to foot like a circus novelty, and their laughter shook the gleaming (once spotless) hall.

“Get back here, get back here- oh no you d- ack!” Fingers smudged like they’d been rooting in the royal kitchen and licking off cream, sleeves rolled and rumpled, armor stripped so their feet could race lightly back and forth on the slippery floor.

“I’m over here, old man!”

Endless, Zhao thought, let this moment be endless. Bare skin freckled in a dizzying prism of sight and scent; he’d thrown something of tartness, plunged through the aroma of flowers to streak Lu Ten’s beaming face. He ceded him the point, returned with a swipe of orange made from dried seeds, dusting the top of his head like a showy plume. He puffed out a pale wisp. Lu Ten folded, cradling his colorful, aching gut.

They ended sprawled wide, one on top of the other, undistinguished from anything. Littering the crook of his collar, neck, cheek, and ear with kisses, the one pinned muffling a fit with the back of his palm.

“Hey,” Zhao rolled aside, the both of them heaving, trained on the hazy light pooled in the ceiling. “Don’t fire that painter.”

“Huh?” Soaking in the quiet, Lu Ten glanced over.

“He’s new to this. Wracked with nerves. Who knows if he’s trying to make ends meet? Give him a chance.” Like you did me.

The prince thought it over. “Of course. Snap judgements are more my uncle’s thing.”

“Oh gods, does he scare me.” They spent the little breath they’d scraped together snickering.

The Firelord’s firstborn accompanied the worrisome painter to pay his son a visit… No sooner had they entered the corridor did the spray of lavender on a flowerpot clue the artist to go lightheaded.

Iroh hurried to promise his compensation, divined the prince’s likely attitude to having to wash off and remain statuesque until dinner, and decided the best course of action.

The painter was redirected to capture the fiasco in a sketch, nearly abstract: both boys with their arms looped over shoulders, a smile held in their eyes as long as their warmth was close. The young man tutted under his breath as he improvised, following the stains and speckles on Lu Ten and Zhao with a deft fingertip. In the final touches, he seemed to have enjoyed himself, too.

“You should join us for dinner.” It was sundown. The prince held the piece of parchment gingerly, softening whenever his eye crossed it again.

Adventurers.

His father had extended the gesture, son nodding along. “No, no, I couldn’t.” Zhao held up his palms, still tinged with a sea of floral and earthen smells. “The pay as a royal guard is plenty, even for a temporary station… I can look after the rest myself. I know how.”

“It would be bad manners for us to let a guest leave without experiencing the most of their stay.” The general’s eyes twinkled. “And here is the best of the best! Meals so fulfilling they leave room for fifth helpings.”

“You are more than a royal guard here.” A warm, heavy palm took Zhao’s shoulder. “As close as you are to my son, I think of you as my own.”

All he knew, even decades after the best meal of his life, was that things would have gone a lot differently if he had refused.

- - -

What a dark path, the one that lay down the other fork in the road. Thankfully, in this life, Zhao had not strayed.

The city was rife with celebration, lanterns dazzling the canals as their reflections bobbed in the water. Brilliant red, jade, and silvery powders made from starch and ground herbs coasted the night air. 

A young girl in braids scampered down the pavement - chin purpled, hair smattered with blues and greens - and leaped into Zhao’s arms. He spun on a heel with her momentum, hearing a shriek of delight before her fists anchored themselves in his front. 

“This is the best! I never want to sleep again. And Ma bought me these!” She placed a warm cake before his face, expectant, and he nibbled off one end. Sweet bean paste.

Her smile revealed the gap between her teeth; snuggling to his chest again, she sighed in content. “It’s so pretty… How come this wasn’t around when you were a kid?”

“Well,” Zhao rocked her gently, an unconscious swaying that soothed her since she could crawl. “It’s actually for someone very special. He was alive when I was young. I knew him. Firelord Iroh wants the world to know him, too.”

Her eyes lit up. “I read about him in school. I tell my friends, ‘My daddy knew a prince!’ and they ask so many questions.” Zhao laughed softly, and she asked, “What was he like? Really like?”

He thought it over. “… Like this. Just like this.” Like what? Lights and colors flickered over the darkness, an endless sun, a glow that rose and went on forever. 

“Wonderful.”

[jizemderler]

What could never be {Kim Namjoon}

A/N: You’re the boys stylist and one major requirement for this job was being married to minimize the rumors about the boys. Now you were married when you got the job...

Part 2

“Jungkook don’t!” you warned him and reached out your arms as if you could catch him if he fell into the pool. “You don’t have any back up clothes.” you added and glared at him with your heart heating against your chest.

“Noona’s glaring at me.” he said to the camera man while backing up from the pool and you took a deep breath while shaking your head. You’re palms started sweating while you watched him so you rubbed them dry on your jeans. The ring on your ringfinger caught your attention and you turned it in between your fingers until someone called for your name.

You were flattening out Namjoons jacket while he watched you work. “Is this okay?” you asked while stepping back to look at him. “Move for me please.” you asked him and he lift his arms and turned his torso from left to right. “Your abs show a bit is that okay with you or should I change the length?” you asked him professionally and he thought about it for a second. “What song is it for?” you asked while looking at the list taped to the wall. “Oh, right. I would need to make a dress out of it if you don’t want your abs to show in that choreo.” you chuckled and he joined with his laugh.

“That’s it then?” he asked and you nodded. “If you’re comfy?” “Yeah.” he answered and you nodded again to dismiss him. “Call Taehyung in for me. He’s gonna complain about the weight of the jacket again but I can’t change that.” you said half jokingly and Namjoon chuckled while taking his shirt off.

“How’s your family doing?” he asked casually and your body tensed up. They knew that you were living alone with your husband. Well, your ex-husband. “Fine.” you answered quickly and didn’t look at him keeping your hands busy with the clothes. “Greet hyung from me.” he said and that made you look up because he would never greet your husband. “Sure.” you said after a fee seconds and he looked away. “I’ll get Tae.” he said after changing and left the room without saying anything else.

You finished work around 10pm and decided to grab a coffee before driving home. As soon as you sat down in your car you took off the golden ring and threw it into the box next to the drivers seat. You started the car and were about to drive off when suddenly someone knocked on the window. “What the..?” you said and saw Yoongi looking through the window mimicking you to roll down the window. “We’re going out to eat. Do you wanna tag along?” he asked and you thought about it for a second. You would feel alone at home so you agreed.

You were all sitting around a table enjoying some delicious korean barbeque when you noticed Namjoon looking at you. You catched his gaze and raised your eyebrows to ask him nonverbally what he wanted. He nodded towards your hand and just then you realized that you forgot your ring in the car. Your eyes widened and you pulled that hand under the table chuckling nervously. “My hands were swallen and I took it off.” you explained and he nodded.

***

It was about two weeks later and you had one on one sessions with the boys for the last fitting of their new outfits when it happened. You were standing in the hallway waiting for Namjoon to arrive. Jimin just had left and the studio was empty. You were writing something on your phone when you heared footsteps coming closer. “Hey!” you greeted him with a hug and he wrapped his arms around your waist. He was a giant of a man and you were kind of lost in his arms. “Hi.” he answered into your ear and a chill went down your spine.

“You ready to put the final versions of your outfits on?” you asked him enthusiastically as you stepped back and clapped your hands together. He nodded and you walked together into the fitting room. It was always fun working with Namjoon but today he seemed like he had something on his mind. He couldn’t hold still and it felt like he tried to escape your touch.

“Namjoon you need to hold still if you don’t want me to ram a needle into your chest.” you said while fixing the collar of his button up. You were finished with sewing the part and saw that you left the scissors on the table so you did what came first to your mind. You leaned in, your nose slightly brushing his neck and ripped of the excess garn with your teeth. “Got it.” you said holding the bit of garn up and smiled at him. You couldn’t really decipher the look in his eyes when you looked up so you were thrown off when he stepped closer and reached his hand out to pleace it on the crook of your neck to pull you in for a kiss. It was just a brief moment, just until you realized what was happening, his warm and soft lips against your. Before you could allow yourself to kiss him back you pushed at his chest and pulled away. “What..?” you whispered and covered your mouth with you hand. His eyes went down to your hand and stuck at your ringfinger. His own eyes went wide in shock and he reached his hand out but you stepped back.

“I think you should go.” you said while looking at the floor. “Noona- I...I’m sorry, I-...”

“Namjoon you need to leave.” you interrupted him and he let out a big sigh and started chewing his bottom lip. Seeing how cold you were he growled something, grabbed his jacket and left. As soon as you were alone you had to sit down and calm your nerves. “What just happened?” you said to yourself and traved your lips with the tip of your fingers. The feeling of his heavenly lips still lingering right there.

***

You didn’t talk to Namjoon for weeks after the accident. Whenever he tried to talk to you you brushed it off and kept working professionally. He was getting more fruatrated with every passing day and he snapped at last. When everybody else was out eating he pulled you into the very fitting room where it happened and locked the door.

“What’s this about?” you said and tried to walk past him but he blocked the exit. “We need to talk.” he said and you shook your head. “No we don’t”

“Yes we do. Listen.” he said and grabbed you by your shoulders. You wriggled yourself free and crossed your arms infront of your chest. “Look I’m not going to act like I don’t have any feelings for you because I do. But I shouldn’t have done that. I stepped over the line. You’re married and I don’t play that game. I’m really sorry. You were not wearing your ring constantly and he’s not picking you up from work and we haven’t seen him for almost a year now, so I got confused. I’m sorry these aren’t excuses. I shouldn’t have done anything.” he kept apologizing and the need to tell him grew inside of you with every passing minute. “I hope you won’t hate me. I will hold back and something like that won’t ever happen again. I hope you didn’t tell your husband. I don’t think he would appreciate you working somewhere where the guy has a crush on you. Let’s just atay friends and I’ll get over it. Just give me some time and don’t turn your back on me. That shit hurts even more. I don’t wanna loose you all together. I promise I won’t...”

“I got divorced.” you blurted out finally and his mouth fell open. “Wha-...”

“It’s been a little over a year. We got divorced but I’m still wearing the stupid ring of that bastard because I can’t loose this job. Not this too.” you said and looked away. “Please you can’t tell anyone. I’ll do anything you want I just need you to not tell anyone. Not even the b-..” You couldn’t finish your sentence because the next thing he did was cup your face with his large hands and kiss you. You were not able to kiss him back in the first seconds out of shok and tried to push him away but he was holding you in place until you gave in and kissed him beck. Your hands were resting on his chest and his wandered down to your hips. You parted when both of you were out of breath and he leaned his forehead against yours while smiling from ear to ear. You didn’t open your eyes and furrowed your brows coming back to reality. “We can’t do this.” you whispered and his smile faltered. “Why?” he said anxiously and you pushed him away gently. “Because I’ll get fired.” you said and he couldn’t answer to that. “I’ll talk to the managers...”

“No Namjoon. You don’t get it. I will get fired if we start something. It’s in the contract.” you said and stepped back. “I made a name for myself and work myself to the top here. If I loose my job because of a relationship with you, I will never find a nother job anywhere. No management will trust me anymore.”

“But we can try to...”

“Joon this is my dream. I worked so hard to get here. You’ll understand me better than anyone. I can’t loose this. I’m sorry.” you said and shook your head. This was really heartbreaking and you hated it. This could’ve been such a pure relationship, but it ended before it could start. He didn’t try to say anything but reached his hand out to take yours into his. He brushed his thumb gently over the back of your hand and amiled sadly.

“At least I won’t feel bad dreaming about you.” he said and your heart broke into a million pieces for a man who was never yours and could never be.

A/N: Part 2 anyone??? vdjdsn

[levisnackajack]

The Wrath of War

Chapter Fourteen

Training had become Eden’s life. 

She trained from the brink of dawn, up until Hange dragged her back into base for dinner. As the only member who had stayed behind from Levi’s Squad; she felt astonishingly stupid. 

When Eden wasn’t running laps or working on building her muscle strength; she cleaned anything she could find, and until her fingers grew raw. The windows were invisible, the floor was glistening, the banister free of even a grain of dust. There were a few Scout members who had also stayed behind at the headquarters; but Eden did not find the power to strike up a conversation besides a meek “hello” and a friendly “good night”. 

Her mind raced with thought of her last moments with the Captain. By the time she had woken up the following morning; Jean’s bed was cold and the atmosphere had altered into a grim, grey nightmare. Albeit sharing nothing more but a few hungry kisses; Eden felt both calm and guilt-ridden at the same time. Her mind was all over the place.

She avoided lingering anywhere close to Levi’s office, afraid it will bring back her dreadful memories to life. A stone-cold weight tangled around her heart, pulling at it uncomfortably as his dull eyes flickered in her mind.

Her muscles were constantly aching. Once the ache of her hard training began going away, Eden would grow exasperated and go train harder; whether that was going into the nearby forest and practice her ODM skills, or just finding any sort of exercise that would keep her mind at bay and her muscles in pain. 

But this one morning, she walked through the empty corridors; the other Scouts all laughing and sparring outside as Hange locked herself in her own office- memorizing all the information Eren had bestowed upon her with his new powers. 

Her dainty fingers curled through the thin fabric of her long skirt as her heart beat against her ribcage. She blinked twice before walking towards the Captain’s office, her hand coiling around the doorknob shakily. 

His office door was unlocked. But of course, no one would ever dare walk into Levi’s office without his permission. Why would he care enough to lock the door when it was a known fact that the person guilty of entering his personal space would suffer horrendous consequences? 

Eden’s eyes widened slightly when she saw the dim-lighted layout staring back at her. His office was in the exact same condition as when Eden had stormed out- a vortex of emotions reflecting in the mess around her.

She looked at the ripped map on the floor, the shards of china glittering across the floor from the cup she had thrown. Guilt washed through her as her lack of anger management scrutinized her.

Bringing all the cleaning products she could muster; Eden began tidying Captain Levi’s office quietly, her brows scrunching together when she bent over and picked up all the small pieces of the broken cup. 

The girl decided to look for glue and then spent a long hour sticking all the pieces together carefully. Once she was done, she twirled the cup in her fingers, picking up a black marker and scribbling a small “sorry :(” on the cracked surface, shaking her head as she gently placed the cup back onto its tiny saucer.

There was something incredibly peaceful that had washed through Eden during the time she spent cleaning Levi’s office. It was like all the wrath and outrage etched within her had slowly begun fading away every single time she had successfully cleaned one of his shelves; or when his desk became as spotless as it usually was. 

After spending a few hours locked behind her superior’s office door; she vaguely heard horse’s whinnies and people’s voices. Eden ran to the window, pressing her cheek against the cold glass as she tried to see the commotion. But, it must have been happening on the other side of the estate. 

She went to pick up the cleaning supplies when the sound of boots echoed behind the closed door. 

Eden froze. 

Without any rational thought, the agitated girl fell to her knees behind Levi’s grand desk; her head ducking as she waited for the footsteps to fade. 

But they never did. 

The front door slammed open as someone hastily walked in. The sound of their boots came to a halt. There was a short moment of hesitation before any noise broke through the silence. 

The door closed slowly. 

Eden held her breath until her lungs burned uncomfortably. The thought of Levi finding her behind his desk made her want to throw herself out of the window. 

She listened to rustling before a loud thud echoed through the room. The sleeve of his cream-colored jacket hung over the edge of the desk, brushing against Eden’s face. She pushed it away gently, heart stammering at the sight of dried up, unevaporated blood. 

Had he been injured? 

The rip of fabric and a low groan reverberated through the office. She peaked her head above the wood of the table. 

Levi stood with his back facing her, hair tousled; fidgeting with the grey fabric of his shirt that stuck uncomfortably to his skin. He clicked his tongue in irritation, huffing softly as he ripped the cloth covering the right side of his ribcage, where a large gash stood freshly opened against his pale skin. 

Eden rose to her feet, cheeks peppering with a faint blush.

Levi stiffened to the sound of movement; his head craning in her direction as he stared at her over his shoulder.

“Are you unaware of the term ‘knock before you enter’? That’s still a valid expression if you’ve decided to come through the window,” he said in a gruff voice, eyes narrowing as he watched her fidget behind his desk.

“I’m sorry, sir. I had no right barging into your office without your permission. I wanted to clean up before your arrival. I didn’t know you'd returned...” Eden offered in a low voice as she tried her very best to conceal the tremors in her speech. 

Levi ignored her and walked towards his desk, the ripped cloth pressed against the wound as it soaked with his blood. 

“You’re hurt,” Eden whispered, eyes widening at the blood. How could he walk around when it was clearly visible he was in no position to stroll around so carelessly? 

Levi scowled at her before glancing down at his concealed injury. He huffed under his breath. 

“Thanks for the heads up,” he snapped at her huskily, unfastening the ODM buckles wrapped across his torso. Eden could tell he was struggling to do so with one hand; but knew that he would never in a million years ask her for assistance. 

So she decided it was best if she did not ask. Instead, she stalked towards him and gently brushed his cold fingers away from the metal clasps; brows scrunching in concentration. Ignoring the jolt of electricity that rushed through her when she touched him; she loosened the leather straps. 

Levi stiffened and watched her wordlessly, mouth pursed tightly as his right hand pressed against the bleeding wound. Eden hurriedly finished and headed towards the connecting room after inquiring whether that was a bathroom- earning a tight nod from the Captain as he leaned against his desk awkwardly. 

After several moments, she emerged from the bathroom, bucket filled with warm water, a cloth and a bottle of transparent alcohol. Eden had also found a first-aid kit box filled with sterilized needles and thread and placed all of the items on the desk beside him. 

She didn't have the time to stare at him; the defined muscles peaking through the ripped fabric of his shirt and his sunken, tired face because agony seeped through her at the sight of the smooth, red liquid tainting his skin. She submerged the cloth in the warm water, squeezing the remnant liquid out before pressing it against his skin. 

The cloth grew red almost immediately as she continued cleaning the site. 

Eden met his hooded eyes before pressing her lips together in a tight line. “I can suture the wound for you, if you want. It’ll hurt, but I promise I’ll try my best to be as quick as I can.”  

Levi had not flinched once during the whole cleanup session. He had watched her intently, grey eyes leaving her face only when he wanted to check up her method of cleaning the wound. “Go for it, brat.” 

The girl nodded in affirmation, urging her nerves to calm down as she reached for the needle. At this point her hair was messed up, her fingers were stained with Levi’s blood and her mind was spinning.

Never would she have imagined being the person tend to Humanity’s Strongest Soldier’s battle injuries. 

Her heart spasmed rapidly as she closed the wound, Levi’s fingers snaked around the throat of the alcohol’s bottle. He took a long swig, eyes closing as the needle made intricate contact with his flesh. 

Eden shoved the hair out of her face with the back of her hand; completely disregarding the wetness that smudged against her cheek. 

When she was done, she bent closer to his skin, cutting the thread with her teeth as her fingers pressed against his lean chest. She pulled away, inspecting her good work. 

She would never let him in on the fact that she had never sutured a human wound before. She merely had a passion for sewing from a young age and assumed she’d be able to stitch him up efficiently. Lucky for Eden, she was successful. 

Taking the bottle out of his grasp, Eden sent him a gentle smile before tipping some of the alcohol over his stitches. She watched in amusement as Levi’s expression contorted into one filled with pure rage as he glared at her, jaw clenching tightly. 

“Enjoy my suffering while it lasts,” he spat out at her, earning a breathy chuckle from his subordinate. 

“It’s okay, I’m done now,” she replied gently as she patched a layer of soft, cotton gauze over the fresh stitches. 

She glanced at him, smiling lightly as her blood began pounding in her ears. “There. Now you can go back to sulking and drinking tea.” 

Levi stared at her intensely, his grey eyes fixating on a certain place of her face. Eden’s cheeks pinkened as she imagined what a mess she looked like; tangled hair, scrunched up clothes, wide eyes looking sweetly back at him. 

The girl tried her best to keep the emotions away from her face as Levi reached over to grasp her jaw. Keeping her face secured in his grip; he tilted his own head to the side as his thumb grazed over her cheek. It moved slowly inward until his fingertip brushed against her lip. 

Eden’s breathing hitched in her throat as she parted her lips lightly; mesmerized by his captivating eyes once more. It was as though she was in trance, unable to look away as the only thing she could focus on was his hand on her face. 

She leaned into his touch ever so slightly. 

A long pause settled between them. It was both comfortable and incredibly nerve-wrecking. Eden did not know how to feel in that moment. 

She dropped her head when Levi pulled his fingers away excruciatingly slowly. Eden let out a low sigh before pulling herself to her feet, eyes searching his as he too, pushed himself off the desk. 

“I’ll head out, I don’t want to bother you any further,” she mumbled, pushing her hair behind her ear as she twisted her body towards the door. 

“I need to meet with Hange, anyway,” Levi replied in a cool tone, his indifferent mask back in place. Eden felt as though she could catch that mask crack every once in a while. Even if it was for a split moment. 

He shrugged his cape back on; concealing the wound with the velvet, green fabric before opening the door for Eden thoughtfully. 

Eden turned her head immediately as her blush deepened, clearing her throat hastily and thanking him under her breath. 

They walked side by side as Eden made her way to greet the rest of the Squad whilst Levi headed to Squad Leader Hange. 

Her hazel eyes widened as the familiar face of a boy always eager to see her came into view. He stalked up the stairs, cocoa eyes never leaving her face. 

“Eden,” Jean greeted her softly, bending over and brushing his lips against her cheek. 

The girl glanced at Levi would marched off; the muscles in his jaw tightly clenched. She blinked slowly as she watched him leave her sight; trying her best to brush the feeling of disappointment threatening to conquer her soul. 

“Jean, are you okay?” She stepped back, checking his uniform for any signs of bleeding. He seemed fine. 

“I’m alright. It was a tough couple of days- everyone in our Squad is fine. Can’t say the same about some of the other teams, unfortunately. You look...different.” he replied, looking away as trauma flickered behind his eyes visibly. Eden rubbed his arm reassuringly. 

“Don’t think about it. It won’t do you any good. I’ve had nothing better to do but train, so thanks. Would you like to go for a walk?” 

Jean searched her eyes in wonder, lips curling upwards as he played with a strand of her hair. 

“Already trying to get me alone, Eden? At least wait till I shower.” 

Eden scrunched her nose in distaste, shaking her head as she shoved Jean gently. 

“I’m just curious about what happened? I’ve never been on a practically week-long expedition. Must have been horrific?” They walked together towards their usual training spot, Eden’s ears perked up as Jean began telling her all about the last few days. 

Eden listened intently to the sudden, unexpected titan attack that ambushed their campsite on the second night. She hugged her knees close to her chest as the words of his memories trickled through his lips like a fairytale. 

They had found a gap in the wall, practically concealed by a nearby forest, large enough for 12 meter and shorter titans to come through. Eren had spent an entire days trying to build up enough force to seal the breach with the broken remnants of the wall. 

Finally, Eden had built up enough courage to ask Jean what has happened to Captain Levi. 

“I’m not sure, to be honest. One our way back, a few abnormals intercepted us. Captain Levi told us to go; he wanted to handle them and have us reach safety, I guess. After some time, he just came back on ODM, bloodied up and moody. You know how he is; but I heard he had gone to rescue some of the fallen comrades from the other squad. I think that’s when he got injured.” 

Eden’s skin dotted with goosebumps as she chewed on her bottom lip. How easy it was to be wiped out by a titan. Gone in the blink of an eye. 

She felt like she was about to physically be sick. 

“I want to talk about us,” Jean pulled her reverie back to the present; picking a chamomile flower and handing it to her. She took it gracefully, smiling warmly at him, eyes creasing.

“What about us, Jeanie-boy?” 

He rolled his eyes at the nickname, readying himself to throw a snarky remark Eden’s way. But she was quicker, blocking his words before he could open his mouth.

“I really enjoyed the night we were together. I feel...safe with you. I can’t really explain it. But I feel like I don’t want to put a label on anything just because of the circumstances,” she replied meekly, resting her chin on her knee. 

Jean smirked widely at her, standing to his feet and pulling Eden up from under her shoulders. “Fine by me, darling. But, this doesn’t mean I’ll be going easy on you during training.” 

Eden’s own full lips curled into a mischievous grin, grabbing his chin before pressing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Thank the heavens, I was starting to think you’re going all soft on me.” 

They began walking back to the headquarters as the sky grew painted with every shade of orange, pink and red whilst Jean told her about Hange’s celebratory surprise scheduled later that night.

It was a campfire night. 

Hange had decided to treat her and Levi’s squad to a quiet night under the stars; in honor of Eren’s ability to seal the breach. They had plenty more information to uncover; but during the mission, it was established that there had been an extinguished campsite close to the breach. This led the superiors thinking that there must have been a few titan-shifting traitors amongst the ranks. And this could subsequently be tied to the female titan from a few weeks back.

Regardless, Levi’s Squad and some of Hange’s teammates sat around a large fire, the crisp nighttime air cooling their skin whilst the flames melted the cold away. 

Eden and Jean came a little later because they both went to their respective quarters and took showers. Sasha and Connie snickered upon their arrival, her three childhood friends smiled at Eden tenderly, Hange was too busy speaking to her second-in-command whilst Levi sat looking as bored as ever. 

Jean sat beside Eden on the bench surrounding the fire and Eden shifted uncomfortably. They had managed to sit down exactly opposite their Captain. So, wherever Eden looked, she would always be in his view. 

Her palms grew sweaty as the chilly breeze kicked in. She let out a low whistle, awkwardly turning towards Jean. 

“I’ll be back soon, I guess I should have brought my jacket...-”

“Here,” Jean shrugged his cream-colored Scout Regiment coat and threw it over her shoulders. Eden pursed her lips, thanking him under her breath as she looked down at her fingers in her lap. 

She didn’t know what to do. 

“Would you rather never eat potatoes or never eat meat?” Connie’s voice asked Sasha in a very serious tone. 

“That’s outrageous. I can just choose one and then just steal the other food when no one is looking,” Sasha replied in an equally solemn tone, crossing her arms across her chest. 

“I’d just choose meat and then beat the shit out of anyone who wouldn’t give me potatoes,” Eren responded in a cool tone, shrugging lazily when Mikasa shoved him with her elbow. 

“Ridiculous,” Levi muttered under his breath, slender fingers gripping his teacup in his own, peculiar way. He tilted his jaw the the side when Hange slapped her knee beside him, pulling him into a conversation.

The fire crackled and Eden grew hypnotized by the swirls of fire dancing before her. Over the flames, sharp, grey eyes glared at her. Eden stiffened, holding his stare levelly, raising a brow slightly. 

She jumped at the sudden motion of Jean’s arm settling around her shoulders. Looking up at him, Eden noticed the way his face was contorted into an irritated glower. Her arched brows bunched up together, her fingers flexing in exasperation. She cracked her knuckles, staring down at the tips of her boots, unable to brush the feeling of disappointment. 

Eden wanted to ask him how he was feeling. Whether he felt any pains in his wound. If he wanted her to redress and clean the injury tomorrow. She wanted to ask him whether she can accompany him on the next expedition; knowing damn well she would be of much more use fighting beside him rather than waiting for them to come home like a bored housewife. 

Most of all, she wanted to ask him why the hell she could feel his constant stares burning into her soul. Why his eyes were the only ones that made her feel like he could read her like an open book. 

She wanted to know when the hell her heart started hammering in her chest every time his face flickers through her mind or when she hears his detached voice that perfectly matched the deadpan expression he constantly carried around with him.

Eden wanted to know why he kept looking over and why that made her insides burn with an unfamiliar flame that threatened to burn her crucially. 

Big thank you to everyone supporting this story! Thank you for all the comments, reblogs, likes and follows! I appreciate every single one of you!! 

Tags: @idiot-juice-enthusiast

Link to the story in AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

[ciggylungz]

Butterflies and Bandaids pt.7- Anniversary

Butterflies and bandaids chapter.7 -

Anniversary

word count. 5.3k (lord)

warnings: smut (finally)

Y/n feels like she’s been on cloud nine the last new weeks, and she woke up with a surge of happiness yet again today because it marked her and Harry’s one month anniversary. She was ecstatic, she knew he had planned a special little evening for them since they were lucky enough that their anniversary landed on a Friday, and even more lucky Anne was going out of town this weekend so they had his house to themselves without the threat of toddlers or parents intruding on their night. Y/n was also extremely excited because she’s been having some rather intimate dreams about her boyfriend for the past few days, and she thought this night would be a good night to try and bring those dreams to reality.

Harry on the other hand, felt a bit nervous about his date he set up for them in honor of the day, he wanted everything to be perfect because she deserves the best. He refused to settle for any less for his angel. He felt confident enough about his schedule for the evening, he decided he’d take her to their favorite little diner, snag some booze Gemma had agreed to buy him and walk to the treehouse his dad had built him when he was little in the woodsy part of his backyard. Her and Harry still hung out in there from time to time, when some alone time was needed and he definitely liked that her siblings didn’t know about it and his mother never checked it since he told her it’s full of spiders (it isn’t, he always cleans it so Y/n doesn’t panic over bugs that may be looming inside the wooden structure, but he needed an excuse for his mum to never check up there) .

He brought up the battery powered Christmas lights and strung them along the trim on the ceiling and made sure to clean up any leaves and rouge spider webs from the corners, sweeping the throw rug that decorates the floor and tidying the small couch and few beanbags that sat in there. He wanted it to be perfect, romantic, cozy and exactly how his girl likes it to be. He even brought in her favorite blankets he has and a few extra pillows, stashing the bottle of vodka behind the sofa and putting the presents he got her on the cushion making sure it all looked good.

He knew it was silly to be so nervous, but he always wanted to make Y/n feel special. She’s the girl he loves, and he loves the way her eyes light up when he does something she finds endearing, the way she cuddles into him when he brings his laptop up there with an extra long extension cord so he can keep it charged from the outdoor plugs while they watch movies and random YouTube videos together. He certainly doesn’t mind the make out sessions she awards him with when he makes her really happy, and he never fails to melt when she giggles at his corny jokes while they lay together up in their tree house, in their own little world.

Harry had set everything up perfectly, even grabbing a door stopper and extra lock incase they decided to spend the night out there so he could feel 100% confident that no rouge tree dwelling burglar could get in and take away his princess. He knows it’s rather dramatic, but he doesn’t want any chance of anything bad happening to her.

He gave the space a good once over, making sure the rather spacious treehouse was up to his standards, making sure the little glass windows were sealed, and the curtains were drawn, the door was maintained enough to not be so squeaky and he had enough extension cords to keep the computer, and their phones charged. Once he decided it was perfect he made his way back down the ladder and went to get himself cleaned up and ready.

__

 Y/n was finishing taming her curls and putting on her makeup when a light knock sounded on her bedroom door, a smiling Harry peaking his head in after and giving the girl a coo.

“Hey love, you ready for our date?” he felt like he sounded a bit awkward and cliché the way he said it, like a badly scripted Disney teen movie, but his insecurities washed away when she gave him her biggest smile putting her mascara down and jumping to her feet to hug him. Her little body fit right inside his arms, his nose breathing in the scent of her freshly washed rose smelling curls and her floral perfume that he loved. He’d even made her spray his bed with some of it so he always smells her when he’s going to bed.

“Missed you H, know I saw you yesterday but I still missed you and thought about you all day.” She was beaming as she tipped her head up, chin resting on his sternum as she spoke to him, receiving a happy hum and few smacking kisses to her cherry flavored lips. “You ready doll? Got everything set up for us.”

When she nodded and broke free from his hold to grab her bag he couldn’t help the wide grin on his face, watching her have a little bounce in her step since she was excited grabbing his hand and leading him towards the front door, managing to dodge the babies and prying eyes of her older siblings as they made a mad dash out of the crowded home.

__

 “guess what?” Y/n proposed as she finished chewing her bite of melon she had ordered with her food, she always chose fruit salad as her side yet had a bad habit of snagging a few (most of) Harry’s typical side of fries.

“What’s that darlin’?” Harry had his chin resting on his palm as he played into Y/n’s playful tone, he swears he’s never felt more content then he does sitting in the dingy little family run diner with his girl then he’s ever felt in his life. “I got you a present!” she clapped her hands for a beat before squirming excitedly in her side of the booth, doing a little happy dance as he chuckled at her silly antics. “Yea? I got you one too babe, goin’ ta’ give it to you after dinner.” Y/n gasped lightly and shifted to sit on her knees, “Really?! I’m so excited!”

The older boy laughed before leaning forward to peck her a few times, “ ‘m excited too, can swap gifts. Hope you like yours. After 10 years of friendship I still sometimes draw a blank when figuring out what to get ya’, gotta work on being so picky love.” His tone was teasing and he gave a playful eyeroll which she stuck her tongue out at. “I’ll love it, because it’s from you and I love you.”

Harry swears his heart did a back flip in his chest, he’s heard her say it thousands of times yet every time it still makes him putty in the palm of her hand. He wasn’t ashamed to admit, he was deeply, helplessly in love with her.

The pair never let go of each other’s hands as they made the trek back to Harry’s home, him giving her a slight fond squeeze of her hand when she got giddy realizing he was leading her to their special hang out spot. She always adored that treehouse, they went from playing ‘house’ in it as little kids to now using it as their own little sanctuary where they got to be in their own little world together. Two young people in love, happily in their own little house where nothing could bother them. She think’s it might be her favorite place on earth.

“you go up first, love. Gonna come behind you incase ya’ lose your footing. Bit hard to see, forgot how dark it gets in the fall.” Harry stood at the bottom of the ladder while she quickly climbed up, turning to scoot her bum up over the ledge onto the little deck that wrapped around the structure. Getting herself steady before standing up and leaning against the railing that secured the deck, waiting for Harry to climb up so he could unlock it. “oh my god!” her voice was an octave higher showing her surprise and joy seeing the cozy set up he prepared for her. The lights twinkled as they hung from the ceiling, their writing and carvings illuminated by them showing the scribbles of ‘Y/n and Harry allowed ONLY!’ and little flowers and stick figures they carved into the wooden walls and floors as little kids when Harry got a pocket knife from his boy scouts troop.

“You like it?” Harry scratched the back of his neck bashfully as he took in the joy radiating off her, stumbling a bit as she threw herself into his arms, her legs wrapping around his legs as he managed to catch her and hold her up spinning in a circle giggling with her while kissing all over her pinched up cheeks. “I love it! Aw Hazzy I love you so much! You’re the sweetest boy in the whole wide world!” she planted exactly 6 kisses on his lips while he fumbled around closing and locking the door while keeping her held in his arms. “I love you more sweetness, I’m glad you like it. C’mon got presents waiting princess.”

Once Y/n had her feet firmly planted on the ground once more, she tossed herself onto the couch taking the box he had waiting for her into her lap, rummaging through her bag to grab the box she had for him.

“Open yours first H.” Y/n insisted as she thrust the pastel, wrapped box into his lap. She used her special wrapping paper, the nice expensive one with a darling design of clementine’s and cherries on it along with other assorted fruits. The paper was special, Harry even knew the back story about how her grandmother had given her the wrapping when she was young and how it was twenty whole dollars. She had adamantly told him she was saving it for a special occasion and he couldn’t help but coo knowing he was special enough for her most prized decorations. “c’mon! Open it Harry” if Y/n had one flaw, which he doesn’t even consider it a flaw because to him she’s perfect, it’s her impatience.

“alright alright, don’t get ya’ knickers in a twist love.” Harry made sure he was careful when unwrapping it, going along with the tape so he could save the paper later in his little memory box he has with all the special things and memories he has of her, she has one of him too and of course their siblings teased them for being cheesy when they first started collecting items when they were 8 and 10.

When he managed to perfectly strip the box of the paper, he felt butterflies invade his tummy, his own excitement building as he opened the gift. He was met with a soft velvet interior lining the jewelry box. Inside was a second box but littering around it were pictures of the two, the notes they’d passed to each other in class, a pack of bubblegum and a gift card to his favorite clothing store. Harry blew out a breath taking it in, his eyes crinkling in their corners from his wide grin. His dimples sunk deep into his cheeks, and his eyes almost teared up. “This is absolutely adorable..” he pried the second box out of the wooden jewelry box, taking in his girlfriends excited feet tapping on the floor and her giggles as he cracked open the second part of the gift, finding a gold locket in the shape of a heart. He held it up by it’s chain seeing the charm dangle and shimmer in the gentle lights, his heart becoming a puddle in his chest as he saw the date they got together engraved on the front of the heart and her name engraved on the back, opening it to see a tiny picture of the duo both blowing bubbles with their favorite pink bubble gum. As silly as it is, they hold their sweets close to their hearts because if she hadn’t been chewing it the day he met her, she wouldn’t have the nickname he gave her, they wouldn’t have a special treat they only share with each other, and they wouldn’t have a shrunken down picture of them at 10 and 12 years old, blowing bubbles right at the camera with an ‘I love you’ carved on the rim of it. Harry felt his eye’s get misty as he took it in. “I love it honey…this is the best gift I’ve ever gotten thank you bubble gum.” She blushed and batted her eyelashes a bit as she secured the jewelry around his neck, “I love you Harry”, his arms wrapped around her bringing her into his lap as he mumbled how much he loved her and appreciated the gift, kissing her a couple times before allowing her to sit in his lap so she can open her gift.

He watched her pink painted nails undo the ribbon, popping the top of the gift box off squealing excitedly at the pile of treasures he gave her. Her favorite sweater of his, one she wears all the time and never wants to give back, a little notebook with pressed flowers in it, little love notes to her written on the pages around the plants and a jewelry box similar to the one she gave him sitting on top. “Looks like we had the same idea H” she smiled as she held up the chain that had his name on it, while a bit narcissistic she loved that he was a bit possessive over her and how she got to wear her love’s name above her heart, “Great minds think alike huh?”.

The pair continued to gush over their gifts as he used his nimble fingers to fasten the jewelry onto her. her fingers toyed with the necklace as they talked, endless ‘I love you’s’ and ‘i’m never taking this off’ were said over the next few minutes while he prepared the laptop for their viewing.

  “This movie is awful but I can’t look away.” Y/n commented as she watched the horrible lifetime movie, the actors sounded like they were first graders being forced to read in front of their class. “She sounds like she’s in pain” Harry snorted taking a sip of his vodka fruit punch mixed drink he held securely in his palm, he didn’t plan to get drunk but it’s always nice to have a little buzz going.

“I don’t know why I love terrible movies so much, at this point I think I may just enjoy bullying actors.” Y/n smacked his chest lightly and grabbed his cup taking a sip before cringing a bit as she swallowed it, Harry laughing at her pained expression, “Bit strong for you eh? Maybe that’ll teach ya’ not to steal my drinks ma’am” Y/n flipped him off before taking another sip sticking her tongue out before handing it back. “Yea…I’ll stick to wine coolers and sugary booze.” “what did I tell ya’ about being picky?” this only got him an eyeroll before she turned towards him, laying herself down so her heads in his lap letting him toy with her hair while she watched the laptop screen. Both of them simply content with being in each others arms.

“Harry?” “yea love?” “wanna know a secret?” she had a playful little smirk decorating her pretty face and she looked up at him, both of them feeling a tad bit warm and fuzzy feeling a small buzz take over their bodies. “Ooo a secret? Do tell!” Y/n sat up and leaned against the back of the couch her cheek pressed to the leather. “You sure you wanna know? It’s a little naughty” This got the boys ears to perk up and his eyes to meet hers, “Naughty?” “very” Harry took a deep breath while searching her eyes, coming back with a look he’s seen before but never on her, her eyes looked almost sultry with her bottom lip caught slightly between her teeth, “Tell me” he swallowed hard watching her lean forward to whisper in his ear “I’ve been having naughty dreams about you” she leaned back with a playful smile on her face while he licked over his lips. He set his cup down before leaning back into the throw pillows, resting his arm along the back of the couch “Oh yea? Care to elaborate…set the scene for me baby” his eyes flicked from her feet to her eyes, lingering for a tick on the imprint of her perky breasts on her shirt. Y/n giggled quietly walking her fingers on his knee still too shy to make eye contact. “Not sure I should, told ya’ it’s naughty Harry” she blew a raspberry through her plump lips, leaning back over to whisper in his ear cupping her hand around the shell of his ear, even though they were the only people around “I dreamed about going down on you…and f-fucking you” she pulled away with red cheeks and his eyes widened, the butterflies returning to his stomach and his muscles tensing for a second.

“Yea? You dreamed about playing with me doll face?” he got a shy nod and giggle in return, but Harry wanted more than that. “No no, tell me. Say it out loud, tell me what you dreamed about princess” Y/n took a deep breath, letting him pet her cheek a bit “C’mon can tell me, won’t get upset tell me baby” he leaned forward to kiss her gently before pulling away, and Y/n felt a bit of confidence surge through her, “I was watching porn before I went to bed.. and playing with myself…and I had a dream about sucking your…-“ “say it princess, c’mon can say it” “dreamed about sucking your cock” she said the dirty word with a hint of nervousness, her shyness peaking through a bit. Harry couldn’t help the groan that fought it’s way through his throat hearing her say such dirty things. God he loved it. “Really? Played with your pussy before dreaming about putting my cock in that sweet mouth? Yea? What else, go on tell m’ pet.” Y/n chewed on her lip a bit, scooting a bit closer to her boyfriend. “I dreamed about you putting it in me…taking my virginity…and when I woke up I had to…touch myself in the shower”

A smirk tugged at his lips, her words getting his cock to plump up a bit behind it’s denim confines. His tongue darting out to wet his lips yet again, “Is that what you want love? You want me to fuck ya’?” she slowly nodded her head before popping her lips, “I do…but not yet. Tonight I wanted to try…sucking you off and..i wanted to know what it feels like for someone to lick down there.” she was adorable, her shy innocence fighting with her hormone, and it made Harry even more turned on. His fantasies he repressed for so long coming to life, to say he was willing was the largest understatement of the century.

His hands quickly darted out to pull her into his lap, getting a squeak from her out of surprise her giggles showering his ears as she got situated on his thighs. “Ya’ wanna give me a blowie and let me eat your pussy for our anniversary? Fuck doll, I’m down.” His deep chuckle vibrated her ribcage as he pressed her body into his, “I’ve never done it before…you got ta’ teach me how to do it Harry” “would be a pleasure, princess.”

 Soon the pair found themselves with their tongues in each other’s mouths, massaging them together as they tugged on each others clothes. Harry guided Y/n’s hips to grind down on his very prominent bulge, his thumbs pressed into her hip bones as he dragged her back and forth over the tent his groans getting swallowed by her mouth that’s locked on his, her breath hitching every time he nudges her clit on the seam of her jeans, tugging them a bit to define her cunt through the material making sure she’s getting as much friction as he is. “G-god fuck love, cmon I’m gonna cum in my pants if we keep humping like rabbits. Think you’re ready to try giving me head?” he held her chin with his fingers to make her look at him, getting a dreamy “uh huh” in response as she slowly drifted from his lap onto her knees on the floor. Letting Harry take his belt off, sitting back and letting him undo his button and zipper pushing his pants off his hips, letting them rest on his mid-thigh while she comes face to face with his lightly clothed manhood. “C’mon, take me out pet. Don’t gotta be scared, ‘m not gonna hurt ya’.” Harry was trying to keep himself from squirming in his seat while he watched Y/n slowly reach forward to pull the waistband of his boxers down, seeing her flinch slightly as his cock popped out hitting his belly button through his shirt as he sprang free.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of his cock, bare and bobbing with every beat of his heart from how hard he is. He was big, intimidatingly large. She looked at the vein running up the underside of his cock, his pubic hair and his swollen balls. She admired how his foreskin retracted behind the crown of his cock leaving his red leaking tip fully out to see. “Woah…i-it’s bigger than ones I’ve seen” Harry loved the praise, how could he not? His girlfriend gawking at his junk while telling him how big he is, he felt like he’d bust just hearing her talk. “Touch it…wrap your hand around me…ah fuck yea like that…squeeze a little bit there you go. Good fuckin’ girl lovie.”

Y/n smiled a bit at the praise, feeling herself get a little surer of herself as she stroked his cock like he instructed her to, feeling her chest swell with dirty pride as he continued to praise her. “Alright, lick the tip right there, tongue flat there you go” she did as she was told, giving the crown of his cock kitten licks before taking her own initiative and licking from the base of his shaft to the little slit in his tip loving how he moaned for her and tugged her hair a bit. “Don’t tease me baby, put the tip in your mouth and suck like a lollipop.”

Y/n pushed his tip between her lips, sucking on it like a sweet a she taught her feeling his thighs clench as she sucked harder moving to take a bit more into her warm mouth sucking till her cheeks hollowed around him, the flesh of her cheeks massaging his cock like velvet. Warm, wet, velvet.

“feels so fucking good darlin’, got no idea how good you’re doing…tuck your lips under ya’ teeth try not to bite down…just like that, doing so good such a fast learner baby. Good girl y/n, good girl.” His eyes struggled to stay open as she started inching deeper bobbing her head slightly. He felt her constrict a bit as his tip pushed her uvula back, he quickly pulled her head off giving her a chance to breathe,

“Don’t push too hard baby, don’t want ya’ to get sick on me. When you try to take me in your throat keep it open, like if you’re singing or yelling, open that pretty throat up. If ya’ spit up a bit on accident it’s alright. It’s your first-time sweetheart.” He gave her cheek a gentle petting before letting her sink down on him again, taking his advice and keeping her throat relaxed and open while his tip brushed the back of her warm, slick throat. He was a moaning mess as his eyes screwed shut, feeling her salivate so much at the stimulation of her throat it was dripping down his shaft and puddling on his balls.

He was in heaven. He knew he didn’t have much time left when he felt her small hand move to massage her spit on his swollen balls moving back a bit so his cocks not as deep letting her tongue massage the underside of his shaft while suckling his tip. “sh-shit, shit doll I’m gonna cum…fuck atta girl, where do you want it? Your mouth? Fuck baby s-stop sucking yo- oh- fuck!” Harry couldn’t control the bucking of his hips while his balls constricted, pulling towards his body while still in her grasp spilling his cum into her mouth and onto her lips some dribbling onto her chin as she pulled off him.

Harry was dazed for a minute, post orgasmic haze overtaking his mind as he experienced the wave of euphoria. When he finally opened his eyes he saw his girl still on her knees holding his cum in her mouth, looking at him with big doe eyes with some of his seed dripping off her face onto her shirt. He chuckled a bit seeing her, “Can swallow it if you want” she squinted her eyes a bit and he breathed out a bit “Don’t want to? Doesn’t taste nice? Salty innit? Can spit love, here” he held a empty red plastic cup under her chin watching as she spit his rather large load into it, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. “Sorry…but Harry it was really salty…like sea water” she cringed a bit and he laughed. “Yea, I’ll start eating more fruit and staying hydrated so my cum doesn’t taste as bad next time. Sorry baby.”

“it’s okay H…did I do a good job?” she rested her palms on his knees, eagerly awaiting his response a proud grin plastered on his face as he nodded. “Fuck yea, did amazing baby. Made me cum like a gallon, you’re a natural just gotta work on watching the teeth. You did great, you’re a good girl princess. So proud of you, made me feel amazing I promise.” Harry didn’t care about the lingering taste of him on her tongue as he kissed her, tongues battling for dominance ad he pulled her up and laid her down on the sofa. Her back came in contact with the cool leather, her warm body relaxing into the comforting coolness.

“Think it’s your turn angel, want me to eat your pussy love? God, I’m gonna be the first person to get a taste of your pretty peach. Gonna make ya’ feel good yea? If you don’t like something then tell me, got it?” Y/n nodded quickly, letting him rid her of her shirt lifting her back so she could undo the clasps. When her tits finally came into his view, Harry made a pathetic whimpering noise, she’s fucking gorgeous. His hands groped at the buds while his mouth and tongue worked on her neck. She was already a writhing moaning mess just from his simple touches alone. He knew she was hyper sensitive, she had mentioned she started her cycle soon so he assumed it was her ovulating time. he learned in health class that during ovulation women are more sensitive, and he honestly loved the fact she was so sensitive for the first time he eats her out. He wanted her to feel every single movement of his tongue against her.

He slowly made his way over the valley of her breasts, sucking on and toying with her pink, taunt nipples while using his knee to grind against her still clothed cunt. The friction was driving her up the wall, feeling close already. She knew she wouldn‘t last too long but she didn’t care, she felt amazing.

His fingers made quick work of her pants, tugging the tight jeans off her legs revealing her pale yellow, lace panties that were sticky with her arousal, slippery even through the fabric, so much so she was dripping down her thighs. “Christ pet…look at you, making a mess huh? Who got you this wet sweetheart?” “Y-you, god you Harry please touch me, please it’s aching now” her pleads had his eyes rolling back, hooking his thumbs into her waistband and dragging them off her body, shamelessly bringing the crotch of her underwear up to his face to inhale her scent and suck her juice off the lace.

His senses were on high alert while he did it, he swears he could feel every nerve in his body tingling, every taste bud on his tongue dancing with her sweet, heady slickness. Her panties were shoved into his back pocket, deciding he’d keep them for later when he tugs his cock when he can’t sleep, he wanted to smell her pussy while he thought of her.

Soon, his body was situated stomach down on the couch, face level with her dripping quivering heat, his fingers running over the trimmed pubic hair she chose to keep on her mound, his other hand tracing the shape of her sex, teasing her, watching her pussy quiver every time he ghosted over her split lips her hips shaking as he finally gave her what she wanted, he went nose deep between her pretty lips breathing her in as he lapped at her core. He had to pin her hips down, her sensitive womanhood being serviced by his tongue was making her body jolt and buck into the air, and he wouldn’t have that. No, he was going to keep his mouth attached to her peach as long as he could. He was like an addict taking a hit while he was between her legs, his drug of choice was definitely Y/n .

“H-harry oh shit! O-oh god I f-feel it my tummy, i-im go-gonna… Harry I’m gonna cum!” her voice wavered as she took in frantic breaths, one hand tugging his hair harshly the other toying with her nipples. Harry replied only with a grunt and a speeding of his tongue on her clit, using his thumb to pull her hood back so he had direct access to the bundle of nerves she had tucked between her legs, and soon enough she was convulsing, dribbling down his chin and gasping for air like a fish out of water. She was a quivering mess as he sucked her juices right from the source, not letting up till she had to push his head away, snapping her thighs shut from the over stimulation. Letting himself linger over her watching her face a she drowned in pleasure, pleasure he gave her.

His thumbs gently rubbed against the apples of her cheeks while he watched her try to even out her breathing, her lips trembling a little from how intense she’d just came. “My pretty girl, hi sweetness I see you there. C’mon come back to me, deep breaths you’re alright. Are these good tears bunny? Felt so good made your eyes water? Good, that’s okay, don’t worry it can happen. You did such a good job tonight sweetheart. Proud of ya’, look so beautiful could stare at you forever. Open your eyes princess, eyes on mine wanna see my girl, there you go..”

Y/n used all the strength she had left to look back at Harry, her eyes misty from the intensity and her body trembling under him, “You okay love? Just a bit overwhelmed huh?” she nodded, swallowing harshly trying to wet her dry throat after all the moaning and screaming she’d done. “F-felt go-good, liked it h-harry” she couldn’t help the stutter from her shaky jaw, but Harry didn’t mind. He stared down at his girl with so much love and adoration, she had never felt better.

“I’m glad honey, can do it for you any time you want, yea? Lets go inside, wanna get cleaned up? Can go to bed then, see you’re all sleepy now huh? Cmon, think we’ve celebrated this anniversary right. Can’t wait till next month.”

[hazelandglasz]

possible klaine prompt idea? 66 (.) media (.) tumblr (.) com/0a3ac83b2e36cba0c5b2f2a0bc056749/tumblr_o7xrab7RSz1tpg5guo1_1280 (.) png

On AO3

“Bro.”

“And then he, I don’t know, flaunted that guy around the apartment, like we were at the Westminster Dog Show or something, before taking him to the door and kissing him very, very loudly.”

“Bro.”

“And then he returned to the couch and took my bowl of popcorn from my lap and, and—”

“Blaine, bro. Breathe.”

Blaine does breathe, pausing in his retelling of his roommate's latest sexcapade to calm himself.

Next to him, Sam and Artie are exchanging looks Blaine doesn’t even try to translate anymore.

He sighs. “I’m not homophobic, you know that.”

“Mm-hm.”

“Sure!” Sam exclaims, clapping Blaine on the back. “You’re, like, the most woke guy I know!”

“Hey!”

“You’re very smart and very open-minded, Artie, but the Chlamydia episode taught us all that you need to work on your wokeness.”

“Touché.”

Sam returns his focus to Blaine, who is slowly rolling himself into a foetal position. “Blainey,” he says softly, “have you considered the possibility that, um, you… you may be the opposite of homophobic?”

“Uh?”

Sam glances at Artie who nods.

What the what?

“Have you ever wondered why you’re still single, even though girls are literally throwing themselves at you?”

“Do you really think right now is a good moment to rub my loneliness in my face?”

“‘S not what I’m doing, bro, you know I would never do something to make you sad.”

Artie clears his throat, holding up a glass of water for Blaine. “What we’re trying to tell you, Blaine, is that, maybe, just maybe, you should, um, think about what you really feel when you see Kurt kissing other guys.”

Blaine glares at him, and then shakes his head. “I don’t—I just… I don’t like to see him kissing those men, they…”

“Yes?”

“They… don’t deserve him.”

“Oh?”

“And why is that?”

Blaine lets himself sit back on his friends’ couch, dropping his head on the back of it, eyes to the ceiling. “Because Kurt—Kurt deserves to be treated with respect and care, not like a piece of meat.”

Artie makes a thoughtful noise before patting Blaine’s knee. “Do you want to be the one treating him with respect and care?” he asks softly.

Blaine sits back like someone poked him in the back. “What?! No! I—I’m not…” he starts protesting, but the words get stuck in his throat. Surprising tears come to his eyes. “I’m not…”

“Hey, hey, Blaine, it’s alright. Whatever you say,” Sam says, glaring at Artie. “Whatever you say, we’re here to support you, bro.”

Blaine lets out a small sob before standing, rushing to get his jacket and out of the apartment. “I—Thank you, guys, I… I need to go. I’ll call you later, ‘kay?”

“Blaine—”

The door closes behind him before Sam can finish his sentence.

Blaine doesn’t even remember going down the stairs or how he ended sitting in the dog park near Kurt and his apartment, but that’s where he is, around two hours later, lost in his thoughts about the possible truth ringing in Artie’s words, when a strong hand gently taps his shoulder.

“What are you doing here, roomie?”

And here he is.

Kurt is standing next to Blaine’s bench, a look of concern on his face only downplayed by his half-smile.

“I told you already, we are not getting a puppy in our apartment.”

Blaine lets out a wet laugh before shaking his head. “No, I know, I know. I needed… some space. To think.”

Kurt removes his hand. “Oh. Do you want me to—”

“No.” The word came out louder than Blaine intended. “No,” he repeats, calmer this time. “You don’t need to go.”

Kurt’s smile grows as he sits next to Blaine, crossing his legs and putting his hands around his knee. “Something on your mind?”

Blaine nods, unable to look at Kurt.

“Something I can help you with?”

Would it be easy to just blurt out the whole truth to Kurt?

That Blaine has possibly buried his feelings under a mask so solidly put on that he didn’t realize it was a mask anymore?

That his teenage fear of being beaten up for not conforming to the norm, added to his dad’s repeated affirmation of what a man should be and do, has pushed him into a corner he can’t seem to escape?

But more importantly, that seeing Kurt with all of his different flings, one-night stands, however he wishes to call them, has stirred something deep in Blaine’s whole being, has moved him beyond words, and that he assumed those impulses were born out of anger but they may be something entirely different?

No, Blaine thought. Not so easy.

“Blaine?”

Kurt’s voice disrupts the flow of questions and negative thoughts going around Blaine’s mind. “Are you—is everything alright?” Kurt moves one of his hands to Blaine’s knee, hesitating before lightly patting it. “Want to talk about it with a slice of cheesecake?”

Blaine can feel his eyes tearing up again, but he chuckles anyway. “You and your ‘cake is the cure for everything’ policy.”

Kurt smiles wider. “Never failed me before.”

“Lead the way, then. I’m buying.”

“Won’t fight you on this.”

---

Not a moment later, they’re sitting in a booth at Junior’s, a plate of cheesecake samples in front of them.

Blaine has to admit it, the smooth and sweet pastry does soothe some of his head (and heart) ache.

“Now, do you want to keep on manly brooding about whatever is eating you up or do you want to talk about it?” Kurt asks, before taking a bite of cheesecake, keeping the spoon in his mouth and humming in pleasure.

Blaine’s eyes go to his lips before he realizes it.

“I… don’t manly brood.”

“Right. And I don’t focus on my skincare routine when I am stressed.”

Blaine twists his mouth, shoving a spoonful of devil’s food cheesecake in his mouth to keep it shut.

“Does this,” Kurt continues, pointing his spoon at Blaine in general, “have anything to do with my date with Brett yesterday?”

“Huh? What? Why—why would it have anything to do with your date?”

Kurt stares intently at Blaine, chin resting on top of his hands, the spoon dandling from his fingers. 

“Do you hate homosexuals, Blaine?”

“What?! No! I’m not—no.”

Kurt’s eyes become steely. “Then why did you glare at Brett the whole time we were having fun yesterday before he left?”

“I—” quick, Blaine, think of something, “I couldn't hear my movie. And I’m not a big fan of PDA in general.”

“Ah.”

“I would have glared at Brett if he was a she, as well.”

“Ah?”

I would glare at anyone getting a chance to kiss you and touch you, really. 

The thought is as surprising as it is true, and Blaine tries to control how his eyes widen as he processes it, but not to avail.

“What?” Kurt’s hand finds his. “Blaine, you look like you just had an epiphany.”

“I, um, kinda did. I just need to, to, to think about what I’m going to do now.”

“O-kay.”

“Can I—I will talk to you about it, I promise, but can I do so later? Please?”

Kurt squeezes Blaine’s hand, his touch soft and strong at the same time. How did Blaine miss this in the first place? How Kurt is made of contradictions, that add up to this whole perfection?

Ha. The truth is, he didn’t miss it. Not at all.

He just didn’t want to admit it.

Silly, silly Blaine.

“Of course, Blaine. Now,” Kurt says, unaware of the tremendous shift that just happened in his roommate’s mind, “what do you say we pack the remains of these delicious cheesecakes and go home to watch some terrible reality shows?”

“As long as it’s not one of the Real Housewives,” Blaine says, a shy smile trying to make an appearance on his face, “count me in.”

“Heretic,” Kurt grumbles, knocking their shoulders together when they both come to stand side by side at the cashier. “You terrible heathen.”

“Sorry not sorry.”

Kurt snorts, locking their arms together as they walk back to their apartment. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” he says in the same tone he always jokes in with Blaine.

Why does it make him blush so suddenly now?

---

It’s time.

He’s going to do it.

Blaine gives himself a pep talk in the bathroom, two days after his “gaypiphany,” to just get out of here, turn off the TV, get Kurt’s attention and tell him…

Tell him what, exactly?

“Hey, Kurt, I know we’re good friends even though you thought I was being homophobic toward your boyfriends, but actually, I am gay, very gay for you specifically, and I wouldn’t mind you kissing men if those men were me. What do you say?”

Blaine facepalms. 

Yeah, like that is going to work well.

“Blaine, you alright in there?”

Shit.

“Sorry,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, “I was… washing my hands.”

“Very thoroughly,” Kurt comments, juggling with the remote. “Not a criticism, though. I’m glad I have found one of the few straight men my age who knows something about hygiene.”

Blaine winces and Kurt notices immediately.

“What did I say?”

Blaine sits down, slowly reaching for Kurt’s hand to squeeze it—it’s both to appease Kurt and give himself some strength.

“It’s nothing you said, Kurt,” he says softly, taking a deep breath. “It’s just… I realized something, lately, about—about myself, and also about… us.”

“Oh?” Kurt’s voice is slightly breathless.

Without realizing it, Blaine doesn’t let go of Kurt’s hand. “I have been silencing a part of me,” he starts slowly, “for a long time. To protect myself from getting hurt, I build an impenetrable box around that part and, by doing so, I seem to have locked myself away from a chance of happiness.”

“Blaine, I—”

“Kurt, please, I need—I need to let it out.”

“Of course, dear. Go on.”

“There was a moment, for me, last week, when I said to myself ‘This. This is me’, and it was largely because—because of you. Without me noticing, you moved me, Kurt, you broke the walls I had around my heart, and I… I would like the chance to spend more time with you.”

Kurt turns his hand so they can hold hands, palm to palm. “We already live together,” he murmurs, eyes on their joined hands. 

Blaine scoots closer to Kurt, using his free hand to tentatively cup his cheek.

(He files away the thought that this feels like his hand was made for this.)

“Would you let me kiss you, Kurt?”

Kurt’s eyes fly to Blaine, wide and carrying a myriad of emotions.

Surprise, fear, anticipation. And hope.

He nods, almost imperceptibly, and Blaine leans forward, pressing their lips together.

His eyes flutter shut, allowing him to lose himself in the sensation.

Blaine doesn’t have a lot of experience with kissing—he did have a couple of girlfriends in high school, but it never lasted—but this…

Even as delicate and gentle as it is, it carries more passion than Blaine has ever experienced. 

Kurt inhales sharply, before tilting his head and caressing Blaine’s cheek as he licks the bow of Blaine’s lower lip.

Blaine lets out a small sound, at the edge between a moan and a sob, and Kurt uses the opening to caress Blaine’s tongue with his own before pulling away.

“Oh, wow,” Blaine says breathlessly, resting his forehead against Kurt’s. “That, um. Wow. I’m definitely gay.”

Kurt starts laughing silently, pulling Blaine into a hug. “Yes, you ridiculous man. I’d say you’re definitely gay.”

“Would you—will you be my boyfriend?” Blaine asks, moving back to face Kurt.

Kurt’s hand slides from Blaine’s cheek to cup the back of his neck. “I thought we were,” he says in a breath, before pulling Blaine’s lips back to his while pushing Blaine on his back.

Turns out, Blaine really doesn’t mind Kurt kissing men if he is that man.

(And he has zero problem with PDA, as Sam and Artie quickly find out.)

[hopecountysfavhoe]

‘The Confession’

Happy New Year! This is for @oorah22 thank you for asking me to write this, sorry it took so long! I hope you all enjoy this!

John

It was time. Finally after weeks of chasing the Deputy around like a puppy, John could finally do what he was made for, he could fulfil his purpose. That Deputy and all their friends were sinners but today they would finally be set free. Today they would say Yes. Today they would feel their sins carved into them and feel as they are cut from their bodies and minds.

It was all coming together, now those headaches will be brought into their family, Joseph's family. So why did John stare in the mirror so emptily when he should have been enjoying the thought of Hope County's biggest sinners being brought to their knees?

He should be calm and cool and collected, but possibly even a little happy. Surely that wasn't a sin...Was it? No it couldn't be, but John still felt as though he should hide his true feelings from his men. Those men, the ones standing in front of his door, obedient as ever.

It pleased him to hear their conversations even if they were supposed to be standing in silence. They praised him and what he's done for the Deputy, as well as each other. They get excited when he's taken the Deputy and they were excited that day, the day of the Confession.

John adjusted the collar of his blue silk shirt and brushed his hair back once more, smoothing the pesky flyaways before he stepped out to his followers.

Mary May

It was a pretty peaceful morning for Mary May; the Deputy was this close to kicking John all the way to Missoula and it showed with the lessened Peggie activity. The people of Falls End were exhausted but happy that the Peggies seemed to be falling back, but Mary May wasn't relaxing yet. She'd seen John Seed, knows the way he works, and he isn't the type that admits defeat.

John Seed is a thorn in your side, and until you take him out he's always going to be there, digging deeper and deeper and getting more and more irritating.

But even if Mary May was holding her breath until the second John Seed was dead, it was nice to see the people getting a break. They weren't coming to the Spread Eagle to drink because they were scared or because they were depressed about their losses anymore, they came in because they were happy and they wanted a chance to laugh and talk with their friends.

Mary May was always fighting back the urge to tell them to keep their guard up, stay vigilant, because even if they didn't want to believe it, they weren't free. The Deputy was good at that. Even though they don't do much talking, they had a way of making sure you're careful.

Mary May was getting the bar ready to open again and heard the front door open. She reached for her gun and held the pistol behind her back so that it would be out of sight. When she looked out the back window, she saw the Deputy standing in the middle of the bar.

Mary May instantly relaxed and walked over to the Deputy. "Hey there, Deputy, what's up?"

The Deputy's body language was nervous, even a little scared as they glanced behind them out the windows of the bar. "I've heard word that John's getting agitated." The Deputy said and Mary May chuckled.

"Probably 'cause of you blowing up all of his silos, damn eyesores." Mary May walked behind the bar, shuffling the bottles around behind the counter.

"Just keep your head on a swivel ok? I've got the feeling John won't be showing us his good side." The Deputy was still nervous but Mary May gave them an understanding nod.

"I'll get the word out, thanks Deputy. Anything else I can help you with?" The Deputy seemed relieved at Mary May's answer but quickly dispelled it from their face.

"I've got to go, heard some chatter about Peggies moving to take back the auto shop. I'll stop by if I hear anything else." The Deputy turned and opened the door to the bar to leave, glancing back at Mary May again before letting the door swing shut again.

     Mary May spent the rest of the morning talking to people about families that were supposed to be getting boxes of food delivered to them. The cult had left several families scared and without their main providers, meaning they had turned to the people of Falls End for help. Of course they were happy to help, Pastor Jerome and Mary May just needed to get the people together to share their extra food.

     Mary May left the Spread Eagle to Casey while she went down to the church to talk to Pastor Jerome. "Hey Mary May?" Casey asked before she opened the door to leave.

"Yeah, Casey?" Mary May paused to hear what he had to say.

"Can you take the trash out to the dumpster around back before you go? I've some soup here that needs watchin'." Casey motioned to two big bags of trash next to the bar and Mary May nodded.

"Sure thing, I'll be back soon." Mary May grabbed the two bags of trash and walked them out of the Spread Eagle and around back. She tossed the bags into their large dumpster and reached back up to close the lid when something stung her neck.

She cursed and smacked it, thinking it was a bee, but then paused when she felt an odd texture under her fingers. She yanked whatever was stuck to her neck out and realized she'd seen one before. It was a bliss bullet.

Mary May's eyes grew wide when she realized that meant that Johns men must be nearby. Hoping to get help before the bliss pumped into her system, Mary May scrambled around to the front of the bar, screaming about getting inside.

The rest of the people in Falls End didn't have any idea what she was talking about. They all grabbed their guns but parts of them assumed that that was the day Mary May finally lost it, but then they saw her stumble.

"What do you mean, we're under attack?" One man demanded, stepping outside of his home with no gun in his hand. Then he felt a sting in his neck and he smacked it the same way Mary May did.

He started panicking when he saw the bliss bullet, not even knowing what it was but just knowing that it was bad. That got more people to start panicking, even bringing people out of the church.

Just as people were starting to move and get their guns ready for a fight, canisters got tossed in lines around people, making smoke leach into the air. Everyone started choking, gasping for a breaths-worth of air.

If Mary May wasn't feeling dizzy, confused, and close to passing out before then she certainly was now. She fell to her knees, crawling around trying to find a gun or a pocket of air to breath. Thankfully she found a shot gun on the ground and she reached for it, but just as she lifted her hand to grab it, a foot came down on her hand.

Mary May forced her head up to look at the owner of the foot crushing her hand into the dirt and was aghast to see who it was. John Seed was towering over her, a gas mask strapped to his face. But even with the mask on Mary May could see the pleasure all over his face.

"Hello again, Envy." John smiled that wide, empty smile at her and kept his boot firmly placed on her hand.

Pastor Jerome

Pastor Jerome expected Mary May any minute now to discuss the plan with the food deliveries so to pass time he sat with an injured Resistance member and read from the Bible.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

     He could tell that the verses were helping the Resistance member, a young man named Edward that had been coming to the church in Falls End since he was a child. He had multiple bruised ribs and a broken arm from a run in with the cult a few days prior.

     Pastor Jerome was about to read another verse when he heard a commotion outside the church. Another Resistance member ran inside the church, practically skidding to the stop in front of Jerome and Edward.

     "Pastor! Something's happened to Mary May!" She motioned outside and Pastor Jerome leapt up from his seat.

     He rushed out to the Resistance member's side and saw Mary May screaming about getting inside. The people of Falls End were panicking as Mary May stumbled to the ground. Movement at the edge of the buildings caught Pastor Jerome's eye and he could barely get a word out before he was hit in the back of the head with the butt of a gun.

     The force of the hit to the back of his head knocked Pastor Jerome to the ground, nearly making him tumble down the steps of the church. The Resistance member that had warned Pastor Jerome had been knocked out at the same time he had been hit, falling limp next to him.

     Pastor Jeromes vision swam as he watched smoke bombs get tossed into the heart of Falls End, bringing the people to their knees as John's men went around knocking guns out of the people's hands. A cult member grabbed Pastor Jerome's shoulder and pressed the barrel of their gun into his back.

     "Get up." They demanded gruffly and forced Pastor Jerome to his feet, despite the pounding in his head.

     The cultist shoved Pastor Jerome in the direction of the smoke as it was dissipating from the movements of the Peggies. John Seed stepped out of the smoke, peeling a gas mask off of his head dramatically.

     "Hello, Pastor." John smiled and handed his gas mask to a cultist standing behind him. Pastor Jerome locked his jaw and straightened up.

     "What are you doing, John?" He asked and John glanced back at the cultists corralling the people of Falls End and let out a short, menacing chuckle.

     "I'm acting out the will of the Father, Pastor. Are you ready to Atone?" John asked and stared Pastor Jerome down, his cold blue eyes already searching for a place to write his sins.

Nick Rye

     It was a quiet day at the Rye house. Kim and Carmina were at the house while Nick was at the hangar working on a plane for the Deputy. Even though he's offered to let them use Carmina (the plane) the Deputy still insisted on taking out a different plane so that he could have Carmina in case of an emergency.

    He made sure that the plane, affectionately named 'Shitbox' by the Deputy, was always in working condition so today he was working on the landing gear. For some reason one of the wheels was locking up which was very dangerous for landing and taxiing.

     Nick just finished taking the wheel off when he heard tires screeching to a halt out by the road. Assuming that it was the Deputy in trouble, Nick rushed out of the hangar. Then he saw a swarm of Peggies with guns aiming straight at him, surrounding the hangar before he could grab his gun.

     "Nick Rye! You've been Marked!" One of them shouted.

     "Fuck you!" Nick shouted back, creeping back towards the hangar, hoping to be able to reach for his gun.

     "You've been called by John to atone, now don't make any sudden moves! Wouldn't want anything to happen to that family of yours." A dangerous mix of cold fear and hot rage filled Nick's body.

     He didn't know if they were at the house, but it definitely wasn't out of John's comfort range to target them. Nick would be very pleased if he kicked and screamed about not going with them, but if they had Kim and Carmina...Nick just couldn't risk that.

Nick locked his jaw and considered his situation. If Kim had enough time before the Peggies got in then she hopefully was able to send the Deputy a message. He didn't like relying on the Deputy for help but he was hopeful that they would come.

"Fine, but if I go then my family stays." Nick said and the Peggies glanced at each other.

"John only requested your atonement, not Kim's so we'll agree." One of them said and Nick nodded.

Nick glanced back at the hangar and took a deep breath. He turned back around and did the thing he never wanted to do, the thing he always promised Kim he wouldn't do, he raised his hands above his head in surrender and walked out of his hangar into the light of day.

Grace

     Grace squared her shoulders and let out a long, calming breath. The stock of her gun pressed against her shoulder, right in its proper place as Grace lined up the barrel of her gun with a large white tailed deer munching on tall grass in a small clearing in the trees. 

    Grace had been hiking the Holland Valley mountains for an hour looking for a fair sized deer, something big enough for her to give some of the meat to the people of Hope County. And after tracking and making deer calls for an hour, she was finally close enough to get a good shot on one.

She made sure the barrel of her gun was stable and was a heartbeat away from pulling the trigger when her radio crackled to life. "Grace? You got a copy?" It was Kim.

Even with the volume turned down, the sound of the radio made the deer turn and sprint away from the clearing. Grace cursed under her breath and reached for her radio.

"I've got a copy." She grumbled and waited for the response.

"Peggies just stormed the place, said they're looking for Nick but they aren't using force and they keep saying stuff about an atonement? I just got a hold of the Deputy and they said they just got a distress call from Falls End." Kim sounded frantic and panicked as she talked quietly into the radio.

Grace cursed and stood up. "Kim, do not engage with the Peggies ok? Me and Jess will be there soon, we're on our way now." Grace said as she swung her gun onto her shoulder.

"Ok thank you, please be here soon! I don't know how long these Peggies will stay outside."

"We'll be there Kim, keep Carmina close and hang tight." Grace told Kim and started climbing down the mountain in the direction of her truck.

"Jess you have your radio on?" Grace called into her radio, hoping for a response.

"Yep, heard everything. I'm heading to Nick and Kim's house now. You need a pick up?" Jess said, and Grace was very happy to hear her voice.

"I'm close to my truck just head straight to Nick and Kim's house, I should be there in twenty minutes how far out are you?"

"Same time, gotta go I'll see you at the house." Jess said.

"Roger that." Grace said and hooked her radio back on her vest. She hurried down the mountain. Luckily, when she tracked the deer she had done a huge circle, almost winding up right next to her truck.

She found her truck and jumped into the drivers seat, quickly speeding down the road as fast as she could. Every minute that ticked by made Grace even more nervous. Grace spent a lot of time with Nick and Kim and Carmina and they were good people.

She had to get there in time, had to be there in time to make sure that they were all safe. She knew Nick, had known him for a long time and she knew that he would stand up to the Peggies but she didn't know what he'd do if Kim and Carmina were threatened.

     Grace skidded to a stop in Nick and Kim's driveway, leaping out of the truck the moment she threw it in park. There wasn't any sign of Peggies, except for the tire marks in the dirt road.

     Kim flew out of the house holding a shotgun in her hand, but relaxed when she saw it was Grace. "Oh thank God! They took Nick! I don't know where they're taking him but they took him!" Kim panicked and told Grace as Grace walked over to her.

     "Are you ok? Where's Carmina?" Grace asked and Kim motioned to the house.

     "She's inside, they didn't hurt me or her. Said that John only wanted Nick. That fucking Seed! I'll kill him myself if he lays a finger on my husband!" Kim gestured wildly with the gun and Grace raised her hands to try and calm her down.

     "Kim? Kim! I get it, I understand but you need to calm down, for Carmina ok? You can handle this, nothing can break Nick, he'll be ok. I'm sure the Deputy knows and is already going to rescue Nick, Jess is going to be here any minute and one of us is going to go after John ourselves, alright?" Grace gently grabbed Kim by her shoulders to steady her.

     Kim had tears in her eyes but she was obviously filled with rage. Grace's presence was helping her, although the sound of a truck made her tense up again.

     A blue pickup truck slid to a stop next to Grace's and Jess hopped out of the drivers seat, her bow already drawn for a fight. She lowered her bow when she saw Grace standing with Kim.

     "What happened?" She asked a jittery Kim as she approached her and Grace.

     "Fucking Peggies surrounded the house and wouldn't let me leave, they took Nick but I don't know where!" Kim shook her head as she got even more upset.

     Grace continued to try and help calm her down while talking to Jess about what to do. "We have to trail them, they're probably taking Nick up to John's bunker so at least we know the way." Jess nodded and Grace turned her head back around to look at Kim.

     "I'm sorry we didn't make it in time to stop them Kim, but we're gonna get him back ok?" Grace kept a firm hand on Kim's shoulder as Kim nodded.

     "Thank you, both of you, thank you." Kim tried to force a smile for them but couldn't hide her fear and anger that quaked it's way into her voice.

     "You go inside with Carmina, ok? Stay inside and wait here, we're going to get Nick back." Grace told her and Jess nodded behind her.

     Kim looked between the two friends and started crying. "Please...please find my husband." She said and embraced Grace tightly. Grace wrapped her arms around Kim, being careful not to squeeze to hard while also being comforting.

     Kim pulled away from the hug, brutally aware of the fact that she was a blubbering mess but it didn't faze Grace. Grace kept her hand on Kim's shoulder and handed her a tissue. "We'll find him." She promised and Kim wiped her eyes with the tissue Grace handed her.

     She nodded and turned around to go back in the house to check on Carmina.

     Grace turned around and looked at Jess. "Which direction did you come from?" She asked.

     "Whitetail Mountains, came down the same road you did I'm guessing." Jess said and motioned to the trucks.

     "Roger that...so they aren't heading in the direction of John's bunker, why would they take the long route?"

     "I don't know, but-"

    The radios on both of their persons suddenly came to life. "Guys, I just got word that Falls End is getting attacked by John, I need all available hands on deck, I don't know what he's planning." It was the Deputy.

     Grace and Jess shared a look and Grace answered the radio call. "Roger that Deputy, me and Jess are here with Kim, Nick's just been taken and we think that's John's men are probably taking him to Falls End. We'll be there." She said and waited for the answer.

     "Understood, I'm heading to Falls End now, five minutes out." The Deputy responded.

     "Roger that, me and Jess are moving out now." Grace finished and hooked her radio back on her vest again.

     She walked up the front steps of Nick and Kim's house and knocked on the door before she walked inside. Kim was standing in the living room while holding Carmina in her arms, gently bouncing her to help soothe her.

     Seeing Kim holding Carmina made Grace that much more determined to bring Nick back. If she could do this one thing for them, Grace knew it wouldn't be nearly enough to pay them back for all of their kindness to her over the years but she hoped it would at least keep this family together.

"There's trouble down at Falls End, me, Jess, and the Deputy are going there now, we're sure that's where they took Nick." Grace explained and Kim nodded, looking down at Carmina.

She looked away from her daughter and up at Grace, a worried look on her face. "Do your best, I've seen what that can do." She said and Grace nodded. She took one more look at Carmina and Kim and left the house, motioning to Jess to follow her as she climbed into her truck.

"What's the plan?" Jess asked as she got into the passenger side seat, slamming her door shut behind her.

"We're going to go to Falls End, and find the Peggie that tells us where John Seed is so we can put a bullet in his head." Grace said and backed out of Nick and Kim's driveway, turning in the direction of Falls End.

[saijspellhart]

Oh noes! They're snowed in! And it's SOOOOO cold, they even have to share a bed! 😱😱😱

“Avalanchemon!” was the last thing Ladybug heard before she—and subsequently half of Paris—was buried under a mountain of snow.

She expected the cascade of snow to hit harder, to feel more crushing, feel colder, and even braced herself for it. But… something hard and warm had barreled into her chest at the last second, painfully knocking the wind from her lungs and sending them tumbling through the door of a nearby house. A wall of snow followed them inside, spilling harmlessly over their legs, but woefully sealing their exit.

“I take it that akuma was a digimon fan…” grumbled a very familiar voice. “I bet the new reboot really pissed him off.”

Ladybug coughed out a mouthful of snow, and managed to chortle, “He’s certainly raising hail.”

Her partner’s sweet timbre returned a chuckle next to her ear and added, “You’d think all this snow would help him chill out.” It was enough to send shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with blanket of snow covering them both.

For a moment it felt like home, like old times and security. It wasn’t until she opened her eyes to blink up at him that the sleek black leather and warm chartreuse of her memory melted and she was left staring up at pale ivory and sinister magenta.

An awkward silence settled between them, like someone driving a wedge between hearts that had, for the briefest moment, locked fingers. His pupils narrowed into nothing more than slits, as realization seemed to dawn on him. That once soft expression hardening until it was just as cold as the snow around them.

Chat Blanc pushed himself off of her, dislodging some of the ice, and shook himself free from the rest of it. Her breath held when he crawled away from her, slinking low. The temptation to laugh scraped the back of her throat because those Floofy ears of his were stained pink on the tips, and his usually luxurious tail fur was caked with clumps of snow.

“We can’t get out,” he stated flatly.

“What?” Ladybug kicked free of the snow mound and turned towards him, brushing it off her suit.

Chat shoved at a window, but it wouldn’t budge against the wall of white outside. She watched him stalk across the room to the other side, and attempt the other windows, all yielding the same results.

“We should try a higher floor,” she suggested, “maybe something up there will open?”

Chat Blanc started for the stairwell before she even finished the sentence, all too eager to find some sort of escape. No doubt, dreading the thought of being confined so near the spotted heroine; the only person capable of taking away his akumas. Ladybug followed after him, her heart holding out hope that they weren’t trapped inside this building while a snow akuma plunged France into an early ice age.

“No!” Chat bellowed, his voice echoing down the stairwell. “No no no no!”

Ladybug arrived on the top floor only to witness Blanc acting like a caged animal; he scratched against blocked windows, pushing at panes that hardly budged. His claws gouged paint chips from the frames and splintered wood. In one room he ripped the widow from its frame, and began digging wildly into the snow. His hands shoveling desperately at the wall of packed ice until his breaths came out as ragged wheezing.

And still he never reached the top.

About five feet up his tunnel of desperation, the snow collapsed.

If she had not been there to dig him out he might’ve been stuck, might’ve frozen to death. That close shave seemed to finally bring the realization of their predicament down upon Chat Blanc.

We’re trapped in here, together.

Him and Ladybug, snowed in together, until one of the other heroes defeated the akuma and dug them out. It was Blanc’s worst nightmare made a reality, while on the other hand it was Noir’s dream come true.

Chat felt all sorts of conflicted.

Ladybug on the other hand was weighing her options. There were at least five other heroes, and Carapace was more than capable of bestowing a new miraculous if the situation called for it, being the new Guardian of the Miracle box. Statistically someone had to be able to fight this akuma.

She gave her lucky charm a shot, but only managed to conjure up a blanket. It seemed to be a sign that even their miraculous thought they should just wait this one out.

“This is your fault,” Chat snarled, curling his lip at her.

“Excuse me!?” Ladybug retaliated, planting a hand on her hip. “I didn’t cause that akuma!”

“You almost got yourself trapped under that avalanche. If I didn’t have to save you we wouldn’t even be stuck in here now!”

“You never had to save me! That was a decision you made all your own, Chat.”

He opened his mouth to object, but shut it again, pressing his lips in a tight line.

Their argument interrupted when her miraculous beeped its warning. 

To her absolute surprise, Chat Blanc offered her privacy while she slipped away to the seclusion of a closet to feed her Kwami and recharge her powers. He muttered something about having no interest in her miraculous, and that he wasn’t like other akumas. Despite his earlier unfounded accusations Marinette couldn’t help but feel a sting of fondness for his more gentlemanly side.

It was Noir. Chat Noir would never take her miraculous. Just like it was probably Noir that tackled her, to protect her from the avalanche. Before he’d turned white she’d trusted him implicitly. It seemed that trust was not misplaced, because even as an akuma he was trying to protect her.

“What did you see when you conjured the Lucky Charm?” asked Tikki between nibbles of a macaron.

“The uhhh… the magic highlighted… Chat.” Marientte played with one of her pigtails, and tried to will the blush out of her cheeks.

“Nothing else?” the kwami pressed, “What part of Chat was highlighted?”

“All p-parts of Chat,” she stuttered out, “and nothing else… just Chat. I didn’t tell him that though,” she quickly amended. “He thinks the Lucky Charm didn’t work.”

“Seems to me the Lucky Charm wants you to stay warm… together?” Tikki winked and took another mouthful of cookie.

“Oh god… I can’t be trapped in here with him!” Marinette hissed in protest. “He kissed me last week!”

“Well technically he kissed Marinette, and you’re trapped with him as Ladybug. Besides he’s been trying to pretend like it never happened anyway. Or at the very least that it didn’t mean anything. As long as you suit up before he smells you, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Tikki had a point. Luckily the Miraculous’s magic rendered Ladybug’s scent unrecognizable. Unique only to the hero when transformed, and masking all her civilian smells.

“And didn’t you say you liked that kiss?” added the Kwami with a sly smile. “Seems to me like this would be the perfect opportunity for it to happen again. Chat stills likes Ladybug after all~”

“Tikki no! Spots on!”

Ladybug found Chat Blanc sulking near his collapsed tunnel, flexing his claws like he was contemplating a cataclysm.

“Don’t you dare, you could bring this whole house down on us, or worse.”

Chat flicked an ear in her direction and snorted. But he retracted his hand anyway, folding it over his knees. The clumps of snow on his tail had melted off now, and when he whipped said tail indignantly it made a soggy slapping noise against the wood floor.

Ladybug found herself getting lost in thought, watching the way his suit molded over his shoulders like a second skin. She noted the contours of his shoulder blades, and the muscles in the back of his neck, the way they subtly flexed every time he shifted, made even more apparent by the sheen of water coating the suit material.

“I’ve sent a message to all the other heroes, letting them know of our predicament,” she informed him, peeling her eyes from his back and attempting to find some other place to stick her gaze. “So long as I can keep my transformation up, they’ll be able to track our location.”

He flicked his tail again as some sort of acknowledgement, and it made the sad wet-mop noise once more.

“Did you want to help me find some towels so we can dry off?” The suggestion was more for his benefit than hers, as her detransformation and retransformation had resulted in a new dry Ladybug suit.

“No.”

Despite the sketchy electricity that continued to hold for now, the temperature in the building continued to plunge. Chat was sopping wet, and if she watched close enough she could see him shiver. In spite of his declination, she had a feeling he was going to want those towels sooner or later.

He’s being stubborn because he doesn’t want to be trapped with me, she reminded herself. The one person who could potentially steal all his akumas away and purify him.

“Fine, I’ll get them myself.”

He didn’t so much as react when she stalked away.

She wasn’t sure whose house this was, but it was fortunate that no one was home. Her Miraculous cure would put things back to normal before anyone realized Ladybug and Chat Blanc had raided their home.

And curled up in their bed.

That was another conundrum. There were two bedrooms in this house, but only one had a bed. She supposed someone could take the couch—should it come to that—but that would be in the same room that the avalanche had chased them in. And the floor in there was looking to be a bit flooded at the moment.

The other bedroom had been an office of sorts, and Chat had collapsed his tunnel in there.

Really the only rooms that weren’t a mess were the kitchen, laundry room, and main bedroom.

She briefly contemplated making Chat sleep on the dryer like the cat he was.

Ladybug made quick work changing the sheets on the bed with fresh linens, collecting clean comforters, and raiding the towels. She was on her way back with a stack of towels when she peeked in on Chat.

The office-like room was vacant, he wasn’t where she’d left him. But rather she found him curled up on the bed in the bedroom. Drooping ears, curled back in contempt, with eyes closed, and soggy tail wrapped around his soggy leather clad body.

“Get off that bed!”

“No.” Chat nestled deeper into the nest of blankets he had made.

“You’re getting the bed all wet!”

“Guess it’s all mine then.” Like a spiteful man child, Chat Blanc proceeded to rub his hair all over the blankets.

*Crack*

Ladybug stalked to the end of the bed, and snapped the towel tight between her fists. It was enough to make the akuma still, eyes narrowing. She noted the way his tail arced just slightly and the fur bristled.

“If you don’t get out of that bed and dry off, I will do it for you.”

“Such big talk from the weaker Miraculous holder,” he sneered up at her. “But, you’re welcome to try, Bug.” The inflection he put in that nickname dripped with challenge.

Don’t play this game with me, Blanc.

Ladybug lunged for him, but Chat was prepared and met her in a grapple, sending the two tumbling back, rolling around atop the blankets. He made a snatch for the towel, and she twisted it from his reach, taking swipes to mop the moisture from his suit and hair.

Amidst the power struggle, she purposefully knocked her yo-yo loose, and let it fall from her hip to the mattress, the twine anchored to her left hand. Chat didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he wasn’t concerned with her yo-yo. This gave her the chance to kick it beneath him, before using her other foot to kick it once more, looping it around one of his legs.

For next five minutes they continued to wrestle, and it was clear Chat had the advantage. His superior strength never giving her an inch, all the while she began to fatigue, her own muscles trembling to match him and keep from getting pinned, or thrown off. It was her own flexibility that saved her, managing to slip his holds and wiggle out of his grasp, keeping her yo-yo moving with precise kicks, taps, and flicks. Even taking note that he was being incredibly careful with his claws.

She wasn’t oblivious. All it would have taken were those cruel fish hooks to dig in, and he would have had her. His hellish claws able to pierce her suit, and cause all kinds of damage to her otherwise impenetrable Ladybug exoskeleton. And yet, through their entire brawl, he kept those claws retracted, relying solely on his own strength and agility to keep her at bay.

This was play. Despite his insistence that Ladybug was his enemy and his continued frosty attitude towards her, right here and now, she recognized that he was having fun. Their entire physical engagement nothing more than a game to him.

And something about that realization sparked hope, and the cozy embers of warmth in her chest. Every restrained swipe and every half hearted hold, only stoking her endearment, and although she fought with everything she had, exhausting herself to keep up with him, it felt more cathartic than perilous.

One of her trembling arms gave out, and Ladybug collapsed to her side, losing a grapple with the white cat.

Chat twisted and pounced, pushing her into the bed, face first, finally managing to pin her to the mattress. Futilely Ladybug slammed her foot into the mattress, seemingly one last attempt squirm free, but Chat kept firm his hold, failing to notice that the impact of her foot bounced her yo-yo one last time, where it landed just inches from her hand.

His palm applied pressure on her shoulder, making her bones creak, and he leaned down to growl next to her ear.

“I win.”

Yeah, you go ahead and relish that victory, Kitty.

She responded by tugging on her yo-yo sharply, causing the weapon to retract its twine. The string suddenly drawing tight, as all the looping and weaving she’d done during their scuffle came to a head.

“Whaaaaaaahhh!” Chat made an inhuman screech as twine tightened around him and he came down, crashing into her back, writhing like an animal. The struggling causing her yo-yo to pull tighter.

She released a breathe of triumph and rolled over to face her prey.

“I win,” she jeered back, a devilish smirk etching her face. Snatching up the towel, Ladybug shoved it into his stricken face, mopping his wet hair while she relished his immobile state.

Chat had no words, just made angry huffing sounds through his nose.

Slowly and methodically, Ladybug ran the towel over him. Though most of the water had been rubbed off onto the bed, she wanted to relish this and take her time drying him off. One floofy ear, then the next. She paused when her hands brushed his earrings. Maybe he noticed her open admiration, the way she ran her thumb over the simple gold hoops.

When she snuck a glance at his face, his gaze was turned pointedly away, frowning so hard his fangs dug into his bottom lip.

This was a familiar scene. Outside the mask, Chat often treated Marinette with this sort of indifference. Never wanting to make eye contact even whilst he pushed his head into her lap, demanding to be petted.

The temptation to stroke his ears was too much, and Ladybug chanced it.

But Chat Blanc must’ve had a lock down on his vulnerable side, because the only noise she got out of him was an annoyed growl. A stark contrast to the ease of which he would purr under Marinette’s fingers.

You would have enjoyed this if I wasn’t in the mask.

She cast a look at the trussed up and quite helpless cat, and proceeded to run the towel over him. Starting with his shoulders and working her way down his chest, then over his stomach, stopping just above his belts.

Chat made another huff, testing the binding, before letting his muscles go lax again.

“Roll, over so I can get your back and tail.”

A feral hiss spilled from his throat, and Chat barred his fangs at her.

“Don’t be a pill. I wouldn’t have had to tie you up, had you simply let me dry you off to begin with.”

Too petulant to use his words, he opted to snap at her when she attempted to touch him again. Teeth narrowing missing her wrist. Rather than be intimidated, she sharply yanked on his shoulder, forcing him onto his belly.

And that’s when she discovered the source of his foul temper.

“Oh, shit.”

Somehow, amid all their wrestling and her careful weaving of the yo-yo twine, she’d managed to catch his tail in it all. But Instead of pinned securely against his leg, it was caught between several loops, and kinked at an odd angle; no doubt incredibly painful for him.

“I am so sorry.”

Ladybug reached to free his abused tail, but the moment she touched the fur he loosed a viscous snarl and fought the bindings. I was enough to make her withdrawal.

“Do you want me to help you or not?” she snapped, pressing her hands against her thighs and leveling him with a hard look.

“You did this to me,” he spat, still barring teeth.

“You didn’t leave me with much choice,” she countered, and the lights in the apartment flickered as if responding to her ire. “And I seem to recall you welcoming me to try. That’s a challenge if I ever heard one.”

Chat looked like he was about to respond when the lights flickered again, then went out completely, plunging the room into darkness.

Oh sweet mother of mercy… Not only was she trapped with Chat, but now she couldn’t see anything.

Not that Chat will be overly affected by it, she lamented to herself. Kitty night vision and all that noise.

The excessive snow had finally managed to knock out the power in their building, and no doubt the rest of the surrounding neighborhood. Which meant no heat, and no lights. And the absence of the latter was going to make untying Chat a real chore.

“So about that tail…” Ladybug reached a hand out to his side, and placed it on his ribs.

“You know,” he rasped, sounding much less combative than before, “staying tied up until the turtle and foxy dig us out doesn’t sound so bad.”

“—I think I can get it free.” Feeling confident she knew where to touch, she moved her hands farther down, reaching out for where she thought the start of his tail might be.

“I’d rather you noAaaaa—,” Chat broke off in a strangled noise.

“That's—” Ladybug stilled her hand, and had to will herself not to squeeze. “Oh. That’s uh, nice—I mean—did I hurt you?”

“This is harassment.”

She bit down on her lip to keep from snickering. Reminding herself to focus, she slid her hand over the one cheek until she found the top of his tail. “You can sue me later,” she replied, surprised at the amount of control she had over her voice.

“I will,” he groused, “I can file sexual assault. You’ll be receiving a strongly worded letter from my—aiiiiittt!” Chat suddenly bucked beneath her hands, and she felt all his muscles go tight, even the ones in his glutes. “You do NOT need to put your fingers there!”

“Would you calm down?” she rebuked. “I’m not trying to finger you, I needed to get my hand under your tail.”

“You need to get your hands OFF my tail.”

Ladybug heaved a sigh through her nose and ignored him, following the direction of the fur until she came across the first loop of twine. Taking a moment to feel it out, she attempted to pull his tail through it.

“Stop! P-please stop!”

Immediately her hands stilled.

“Did I hurt you?”

Chat let out a shuddering breath, “…yes.”

She sucked in her own breath, and tried to calm her nerves. “Ok. Let me find my yo-yo. It’ll probably be safer if I untangle all of you, than trying to manipulate your tail from the twine.

There was a moment of two of silence as she patted around the mattress for the mechanism of the yo-yo, her hands bumping into him on occasion.

When Chat Blanc finally did speak again it was to ask, “I take it this means you’re going to be feeling up the rest of me.”

Her hands located the yo-yo next to his chest, and followed the twine along his defined shoulder blades before it disappeared below his rib cage.

“Why, Chat,” she teased, “before you were akumatized you would have loved that.”

His response was a snort that she could have sworn sounded amused, before arching his body so she could reach below his chest. “Just, tell me how I need to move, my La—uh… Bug.”

~0000~

This part one of a two part uh…. drabble? Oneshot? This got a lot longer than I expected. There’s another part coming. 

Part of my Floofy-eared Chat Blanc AU. 

If you guys like what I do and want to help support me, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/z8z299sh

[prettyboybarzal]

Could you do 36 with Beauvillier? 💕

here you go lovely!! :)))

36: “Can you stay a little longer?”

Your nights always started and ended the same.

It always started at a friend’s apartment with cheap liquor and six-packs of beers littering the countertops. It always ended at Anthony Beauvillier’s apartment, him in just a pair of sweats and you in one of his t-shirts, both of you curled into each other.

Tonight would be no different, you knew that.

You found yourself perched on top of the counter, feet swinging freely as Cassie, the host of that evening’s pregame, flitted around the apartment to make everything perfect for the pregame.

“Cass, everyone’s going to be too drunk to care about what your apartment looks like,” you told her. She gave you one look that told you she didn’t care before she left the kitchen again. You laughed and leaned your back against the cabinets behind you. “Do you want me to do anything?”

“Just answer the door if anyone knocks.”

You hopped off the counter to grab your phone and check locations of the others in the group. Most were just minutes away, so you sat on the arm chair closest to the door until the knocks started. Your girlfriends showed up first, then Derick and Michael, and finally, fashionably late as always, Mat and Anthony appeared.

“YN!” Mat exclaimed as soon as you opened the door. He threw his arms over your shoulders and squeezed you. “Miss you!”

“Miss you, too,” you grunted into his chest. He released you when he saw Derick across the room and nearly knocked you down on his way over to his other friend. Anthony was standing behind him, crooked smirk on his perfect lips.

“I brought those Seltzers you like.”

That was the first thing he said before pulling you into him and placing a kiss on your hairline.

“Why?”

“Just because,” he murmured. He released you and held up the box to read the flavors. “Also because I want to try the Lemon one.”

“You buy me a gift, then mooch off said gift?”

“Hey!” he exclaimed, poking your stomach lightly. “I don’t have to give it to you. I’ll just keep it myself. Can’t believe you just called me a mooch!”

“I’m sorry!” you exclaimed. He rolled his eyes, pretending to be mad, and brushed past you to walk into the living room. “Beau!” You reached out and grabbed his wrist. He turned to face you, eyebrows raised in question. You pouted at him and murmured, “I didn’t mean it.”

His lips formed a small smile as his eyes gazed down at your pout. Then, he wrapped his free arm around your waist and tugged you closer. He pecked your lips chastely, released you from his arm, and walked away without another word.

You hated the way that your heart reacted at that kiss. There was no reason for it to have skipped a beat, or for your breathing to falter. Yet, it did because you were utterly fucked for Anthony.

After the pregame, you ended up at a club and it was one of three your group frequented. You cycled through the clubs, never hitting the same one in consecutive nights out. Thanks to the Islander boys, you found yourself in VIP more often than not. Although you spent most of your night on the dancefloor, you still appreciated the less crowded space to sit when you needed to.

As soon as you got there, the boys headed to the bar. When they arrived back at the booth, Anthony handed a drink over to you. It was so casual, so normal, that neither of you batted an eye. You didn’t even make eye contact when he handed it over because you were deep in conversation with Cassie. But, Cassie grinned at the moment and you did your best to ignore it.

You spent the rest of the night on the dance floor, like you always did. And, like he always did, Anthony spent most of the night by the booth watching you with a smirk on his face.

When he eventually did find his way out to the dance floor, he casually wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you against his front. He dropped his head and kissed your shoulder. You could feel the curve of his smile against your skin.

It wasn’t long before he wanted to leave, and you could tell by the way he was touching you. He was needy already, hand sweeping across your stomach to hold you close and then finally spinning you into his chest to kiss you.

“Mon ange, are you ready to go?” Anthony asked, lips dangerously close to your ear. This question was fairly new. Up until recently, he always asked ‘do you want to come home with me?’, but lately it had become clear that you would always say yes. So, he just asked if and when you were ready to leave.

“Ready whenever you are.”

“You should’ve said that earlier,” he murmured. He tugged you closer, one hand sliding down your back to the curve of your butt. “We would’ve been in bed hours ago.”

You leaned in and kissed him, then slipped out of his arm to say goodbye to everyone.

Anthony kept his hand on your thigh the entire way home and engaged in a polite conversation with the driver, but you could see how restless he was. His thumb rubbed circles on your thigh as he moved his hand higher and higher, until he was pushing it and you shoved his hand back down.

“Patience,” you growled. He smirked, pulling his hand away quickly to drop it in his own lap until you got to his apartment building.

It wasn’t until he had his apartment door locked that his hands found their way to you again, and soon enough you were tangled up in his bed sheets with him.

The night always ended like this with him half naked, you in his t-shirt, and him spooning you. And every night, as soon as his breathing slowed, you plucked his arm off you and slipped out of his bed, out of his room, and out of his apartment.

After staying until morning the first time you hooked up, you decided you could never do it again. It hurt too much saying goodbye in the morning because it was painfully awkward. You felt like nothing.

Leaving when he was asleep meant you took back some power.

Tonight was going to be no different.

You heard Anthony’s breathing slow down and slowly you picked his arm up to slide out from under it. You sat up, glancing back to make sure he wasn’t up, and then stood when the coast was clear to find clothes. You pulled your jeans, then your shoes, and balled your shirt up to shove it in your bag, successfully doing it all without waking him.

You walked over to the door and pulled it open, wincing at the light that flooded in from the hallway. Just as you were about to step out and shut the door, Anthony’s voice came from the bed, “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

The question shocked you, as you were sure he was asleep, and you found yourself stuck in place at the door and unable to speak. Anthony, noticing that you hadn’t responded, sat up to look at you.

“I didn’t know you were awake,” you finally spoke up. A laugh fell from his lips, but it didn’t sound sincere.

“Yeah, I know,” he grumbled. He ran his hand through his hair. “You always leave when I fall asleep. Why do you do that?”

“Because the morning after is always awkward.”

“It won’t be with me,” he said. “We’re best friends. It won’t be awkward.” After a beat of silence, he said, “I’ll even make you French toast for breakfast.”

“It’s smarter for me to go.”

Anthony groaned at your response and finally spoke up, “I want you to stay.”

“Why?”

“I like you,” he admitted. ��A lot, YN. And I’m so tired of beating around the bush about it. The first time you came home with me I was so overwhelmed because I couldn’t believe you slept with me. That’s why I was such a loser the next day. When you left that morning, I was like this girl is never going to come home with me again. To my surprise, you did and then it happened again and it hasn’t stopped since. But, you did stop staying the night and it fucking sucks waking up without you next to me.”

“I thought you didn’t want me to stay the night,” you stated. “That morning was so weird and I genuinely thought we weren’t going to be friends after. But, then, it became a casual hook up and you never said anything about me not staying over. I thought you were fine with it.”

“If I had been awake any of the other times you left me, I probably would’ve said something in my drunken state,” he said. “But, most nights you leave when I’m already dreaming and then I lose my nerve by the next time I see you and I can’t tell you how I really feel. Tonight your timing was all off and I still have a little buzz, so I’m telling you. I want you to stay. Do you want to?”

All you could give him was a nod and that was enough.

You took your shoes and your jeans off and tossed your bag on his dresser before laying back down where you had been minutes prior. Anthony’s arms wrapped around you, pulling your back against his chest again. He nuzzled his face in your neck and kissed the skin lightly.

“I like you too, by the way,” you said.

Anthony’s lips formed a smile against your skin before he pulled away to say, “I hope that means you’re not going to sneak out on me now.”

“No, not tonight.”