#(but yeah this is the first actually cold i think i've gotten in like a year or so orz)

[3verythingiknowaboutlove]

first fall of snow

how spencer guesses you're pregnant before you actually tell him

fluff word count: 1390 warnings & tags & stuff: pregnant reader, slight issues with mother mentioned?, non-graphic vomiting, mentions/allusions to winter holidays being celebrated, kinda spencer's pov but still 2nd pov, reader is scared spencer will leave her lol, anxious!reader in general, mentions of death?, probably medical inaccuracies ive never been pregnant author's note: hiiii i'm forcing myself to post this because if i don't then i'll never post and i'm being BRAVE. i hope it can be a little comforting maybe. i've realllyyyy been struggling with my take on spencer's characterization lately soo this was kinda like a bootcamp/exercise situation into his mind and less an expression of my writing skills, iykwim. let me know your thoughts if u have any! i love you & have a splendid day!!

Spencer is walking—speed walking—toward his car, away from the case he just finished, away from serial killers and guns and geographical profiling and death.

He places his feet carefully on the snow-covered sidewalk with each step, the cold air biting at his face. He barely notices it, absorbed in the path ahead, as the snow provides a satisfying crunch underfoot—a nice background to his perpetually racing mind.

He doesn’t like the winter. It’s always too harsh outdoors, and too stuffy indoors, and he’s trapped in a suffocating haze no matter where he goes. 

His phone starts to vibrate gently in his pocket, interrupting his racing thoughts for a split second. His pace falters as he pulls it free, a quick smile tugging at the corner of his lips when he sees it’s your name on the screen.

“Hi. How are you?” he asks after picking up, watching his breath come out in puffs of vapor in the cold air.

Winters, however, have gotten progressively better each year he spends with you.

“...I’m okay,” you say, though the crack in your voice reveals the all-consuming ache in your bones and mind.

“No. You’re overwhelmed,” he guesses in his matter-of-fact way, voice gentle. You huff out a soft laugh at his ability to read you, never getting old.

“Yeah, I guess. A little. The holiday season, you know. Are you on your way home?” you ask, voice softer now. You’re sitting on the couch of yours and Spencer’s cozy apartment, wrestling with a blanket to cover your lap, and bouncing your leg relentlessly.

“I’m walking to the car now. Hey, have you done the crossword today?” Spencer asks, words a familiar, tender remedy for your nerves. You told him a long time ago that hearing his voice makes you feel better, and there are times, like these, where he just knows it’s what you need. You rest our head on the arm of the couch, curling up.

“No, I didn’t have the time. Why?”

“There was an interesting question about causes of death in Shakespeare plays, but they completely messed up the part of speech. It read, ‘Popular ways to die by the hands of England’s national poet’. I thought it was ‘poisons’ at first, but it was actually ‘stabbed’, even though the correct answer grammatically should’ve been ‘stabs’ or ‘stabbings’,” he says, his car now in sight through the steady sprinkle of snow coming down. “Do you think I should send an email to let them know? I guess stabbing does make more sense, though, versus poison, because throughout his works, thirty characters out of his 74 that died were stabbed compared to only four that were poisoned. Three were stabbed and poisoned. Did you know that two were actually baked into pies, which is a-”

“Oh my god, the pie,” you groan, cutting him off mid-sentence, sitting up hastily, the blanket falling to the floor.

“Pie?”

“Yeah. My mom coerced me into making it to bring tomorrow.” You pad over to the kitchen and crouch down to peek through the hazy glass of the oven, inspecting it. “Oh,” you murmur. “It’s…not pretty.”

He sandwiches the phone in between his ear and shoulder, gently opening the door to his car to sit down as he listens to you. He turns the heat on, exhaling in an exhausted relief, hovering his hand over where the air comes out. 

“Can you tell me what it looks like? Maybe I can help,” he suggests, leaning back against the headrest and letting his eyes close for a second. You put the phone on speaker, setting it on the counter as you bend down to take it out. “Don’t burn yourself,” he adds, hearing what you’re doing.

“I’m not going to burn my-” you cut yourself off with a huff. “Whatever. It’s just really messy. There’s like… liquid overflowing where the lattice should be.”

He hums. “How long has it been cooking for?”

“45 minutes. My mom sent me this one ancient recipe that I had to use written on parchment paper from like 70 years ago, and it does not have a bake time listed, so I’m just eyeballing it.”

“Okay. You could either put it back in the oven in hopes that more of the liquid will evaporate, or you can leave it out to cool down and hopefully thicken,” he says.

“What do you think I should do?”

“I think you sound exhausted and need your sleep.” 

You sigh, staring at your mess of a pie, hopes that you’ll appease your mother this year slipping further and further away, soon to be completely buried by the snow.

“Hey. I’m sure it’ll taste really good. Besides, people still liked Shakespeare, and he wrote about much worse pies than you could ever make.” 

A smile pulls at your lips.

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll just leave it out to cool and head to bed. Will you stay on the phone a little longer?” you ask, padding over to your shared bedroom.

“Of course.”

He doesn’t start driving as you talk, not when nearly 2000 people die per year due to driving on icy roads, and two thirds of them were people who were reported to not be paying close enough attention.

And especially not when 54 hours ago on your last phone call, he noticed a drastic shift in your behavior, and was quickly able to tell that you were pregnant. 

He had too much waiting for him at home to be spinning out on black ice because he was talking to you and not watching the road.

He chooses instead to look outside at the falling snow, blanketing the city, his city, the very first for D.C. to have this winter out of the septillion snowflakes planet earth receives each year.

…

Spencer gets home a little later that night, holding another pint of cherries in his hands. Not for the pie—which he turns to see resting on the stove and winces slightly at—but for you. 

Cherries, with their 342 mg of potassium per cup, help replenish lost electrolytes and can soothe nausea.

He’s expecting it to start any day now.

He quietly steps into the bedroom, setting his bag by the door to be dealt with tomorrow. The soft glow of the lamp that was left on, presumably for him by your endlessly considerate heart, provides just enough light so he can get changed. He then finally clambers into bed next to you, one hand reaching out to lace in your hair, moving his fingers to gently scratch by the nape of your neck. He lifts the other to rest, like you're made of a delicate china, on your lower stomach, sighing in pure relief the second it makes contact.

You turn sleepily, humming when you’re met with the sight of him. “Spence,” you murmur, contented.

“Hi. I really didn’t mean to wake you up. I’m sorry,” he says, so quietly.

“I'm glad you did. I like it when you wake me.” You tuck yourself closer to him. “I love you.” His hand comes to trace gentle patterns all over your back and arm, and he gives you a little kiss, adoringly.

“Go back to sleep. I love you.”

You let your eyes shut once again, this time much easier now that he’s with you. You inhale his scent, which you swear could repair anything broken or lost in this world. You exhale, wondering if he’d still hold you the same way after learning that you’re carrying his child. 

It’s a scary thought, but you’re comforted by his warm touch, pushing you farther out into the deep sea of sleep.

Once your breaths get steady and your mouth parts slightly, he adds, in a whisper, “Both.”

…

The next morning, when you’re hunched over the toilet bowl, Spencer is there with you, rubbing your back and wiping your teary eyes. You look up to him after brushing your teeth, and no words are exchanged. He tugs you into his arms, silently quelling any of the countless anxieties swarming your mind, at least in this moment.

His hand comes up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. He lets it rest there, cupping your jaw.

“Let’s go shopping after breakfast today, okay? You need prenatal vitamins.” He presses a soft kiss to your forehead.

“And a new pie.”

[arokalypse]

i always thought romantic love was the plague and i was a plague doctor.

so here's an aro-colored plague doctor

me oversharing beneath the cut about how amatonormativity has screwed me up in ways I have never been screwed up before.

(rant beneath the cut is full of negativity, triggering, but perhaps relatable. idk. read at your own risk)

okay so let's have a mini story telling time about how romance plagued every aspect of my life until now.

My bestfriend in high school treated me of less value after she gets her boyfriend. This experience was what drove me into drawing plague doctors during valentines. These doodles were captioned with "Plague is in the air", because my friends in my circle told me to not hang out with her on that day because it's valentines day. So cool, I thought I should avoid them like they were the plague.

For the first half of college, I've been a wingman for way too many of my friends for my only female and best friend.

It has gotten to a point where the meaning of my companionship with my male friends had become solely for providing a connection to a girl they want to date.

In the long run, my bestfriend, who my 'friends' were pining for, actually has been pining for me. She asked if we could be a thing, I said yes because I thought that, romance isn't probably as disgusting as I think of it.

To protect tradition and to protect the feelings of the men she rejected (who I also wingmanned), we kept it hidden.

For the entire time, she emphasized how I was dense and oblivious about romance. For the entire time I was confused, disoriented, and even repulsed. I didn't know how to reciprocate and I certainly did not have THOSE feelings either at all.

Of course it didn't end well.

After that failed attempt at romance, I have been involved in three more encounters after that. Men suddenly started talking to me out of nowhere. Initially, I thought that they were just trying to make new friends. I didn't realize they were hitting on me but when I did, I cold-shouldered them out of my life.

The last one was the most traumatic. I have explicitly stated that he shouldn't attempt to romance me because I've admitted that I'm way too tired of dealing with it, but he was stubborn. He has also gone as far as sexualizing me against my will.

So yeah.

Amatonormativity made me lose faith in the meaning of my friendships.

It made me realize how friendship is easily overshadowed by romantic relationships.

It made me worry that my kindness is misread as a romantic gesture.

It made me constantly hate how friendship is only seen as a stepping stone for a romantic relationship.

And because amatonormativity has rendered all my significant connections meaningless, I'll spend every second of my life hating amatonormativity. I will always be repulsed at the concept that destroyed every goddamned friendship that I had. Nothing has ever made me feel THS sick. I will always think of it as the plague.

[nnight-dances]

PICTURE YOU

PAIRING: karina x fem!reader (reader has periods)

GENRE: fluff, smut (explicit, but not too much?)

TROPES: karina comes back home with a bob and you go crazy essentially. also yeah this is the same universe as CASUAL

LISTEN TO: picture you by chappell roan

NOTE: lol not me breaking the hiatus with this karina fic on a random friday... but come on you can't blame: just look at her!!! actually lost my mind when i saw the new hair reveal like???? have u considered my feelings??? also yea i guess i just associate my karina fics with chappell roan songs now sorry. also also i have been in a crisis once again trying to figure out if i'm bi or just a lesbian so perhaps that is where this fic came from maybe perhaps! anway, pls enjoy <3

in your defence, you were on your period. and you'd been burnt out after the past few weeks straight from hell at college. you'd lost sleep almost every single night and you didn't remember the last time you'd felt the rush of anxiety not be there in your veins. all that to say, you were in a specially fragile mental state when karina came home with a bob. 

at first you didn't even recognize her. you'd looked up from your phone where you'd been mindlessly scrolling to take your mind off the stress and then back down, thinking it was weird that a random chick had entered your room. you'd pinned it to be one of karina's friends but as soon as you said karina's name in your head, your neck snapped back up to look at her: "karina?" 

the girl burst into laughter at your shocked exclamation, the ends of her hair hitting her neck. "yes, it's me, jagiya. did you not recognize me?" she's still laughing but you feel something like a fainting spell coming on, with the way your vision blurs and your heartbeat threatens to explode. 

"jagiya?" karina's voice is speckled with doubt now, crossing your shared room to stand closer to your bedside where you lay. her cold fingertips greeted your bare shoulder, "do you not like it?" 

you can't speak for the longest time, just staring back at your girlfriend in utter shock. karina is starting to interpret your silent shock as horror when you finally break the stillness, hand on her jaw bringing her lips to your hungry ones. you devour her, lips overpowering hers as you slip your tongue into her mouth with the kind of force that has karina gasping. 

it is her hand at your chest that stops the kiss, her eyes wide with flustered amusement. "i'm guessing that means you like it?" 

"rina," your voice is a whisper, so drenched in longing that it surprises your own ears, "you're divine. i don't i can handle this." you feel weak all of a sudden, falling to your pillow with a huff, but eyes never leaving karina.

"i'm sorry i didn't think a haircut would get you this worked up," karina laughs, climbing up your bed, shuffling into the space between your legs. "but i'm not complaining. you've never kissed me like a starving woman before."

you groan, "don't tease me. i'm just– look, you're already like the hottest person on this campus and if that wasn't enough of a nightmare, you've gone and gotten yourself a bob. now i'm gonna have to fight off the bitches who didn't know you were gay!" 

"did you just say nightmare–"

"yes. i have to live knowing that i've outdone myself with my very first college girlfriend. i'll never reach these heights again."

karina runs a hand through your hair with a smile, "who says you won't always have me?"

you give her an incredulous look, "really? with this bob, it'll only be hours before there's a line of lesbians outside our door begging for your number."

"well, that's too bad," her hand's found its way up your shirt somehow, "i'm taken."

you hum an acknowledgement. then, you sit up to face her, cupping her face in your hands. slowly, you kiss her. longingly. fiercely. 

you pull away to rest your forehead against her, your hand busy exploring the new form of her hair. it's thrilling, the way you can access her neck so much easier. your fingertips rest at her strong shoulder and your lips trail their path, lingering at the valley between her jaw and her throat. you place a soft kiss there and then feeling the tremble of her nervous breath, you go in with more bite, leaving a mark. 

you feel karina's hand clutching at the material of your shirt, the squeezing a pleasant reminder of the way you were making her feel. "i might just be the luckiest girl to exist," you mumble, making your way down to her collarbones. karina's response is a guttural moan, her hand against your waist pushing you closer to her chest now. 

"mhm, there's one way to shoo your fangirls away," you chuckle, admiring the patchwork of blooming bruises on karina's neck. she's flushed, and even better, speechless. 

"you're killing me, y/n," karina whines, clawing at your shirt to take it off. you shake your head, stopping her movements. 

"no, you're the one that's killing me," you complain, lifting karina's tank top before she can protest. "let me at least show you how you make me feel." 

you really do devour karina that afternoon: her toned body spread over your sheets like a dream that you couldn't afford. but it was real. you know because you took your time with her, touching and feeling every inch of her warm body flush against yours: the little hairs on her skin dancing against your hot touch, and the veins running hot to greet your touch. 

you've just traversed the landscape of her abdomen when she sits up, eyes blown out with pleasure. "y/n, i think i'm gonna pass out if you keep at it." 

you look up from between her legs with a grin, "really? then you've just started to understand how i feel–" 

before you can continue your adminstrations, she tugs you up, lips beckoning yours. "let me eat you out," she pleads softly as she pulls away from the kiss. and you relish in the sound of her begging you to let her please you, the actual goddess in between your arms. 

"as much as i'd love that," you peck her nose, "'m on my period, babe."

"you know i don't care," she starts and then shivers when your hands find the hem of her panties. 

"don't worry 'bout me, rina," you assure her, "let me make you feel good today, 'kay?" she nods, coming apart so easily while you talk her through it, showering her with praises like there was no end to it. and you'd do it for the rest of your life. watching karina's skin pulse under your touch and the way her eyes were hooded by her short hair, in the end it was always worth it. 

[iqxatlantic]

" LOVE IS (NOT) EASY ! "

it's easier to say we're just friends, our generation made us that way.

mmm multi chara drabble(s)/hcs/imagines

ft. michael kaiser . itoshi rin . isagi yoichi . reo mikage . karasu tabito . pretty much v ooc! characters . desperate! reader + characters . fwb situation . suggestive . aged up! characters !! . fluff (?) . confessions . mentions of sex . these men r highkey losers . uni/college au! . gn! reader (slightly implied afab! reader) . unreliable narrator .

wc : 1.7k

it just happened... you replied to his story on instagram (or vice versa) and then bam! you two were talking. it's odd in this day and age. we all crave love like it’s a lifeline, yet when it finds us, we pull away as if it’s a trap.

isn't that funny.? these men... they're quite charming. you're even thankful that he replied. days go by, texting, texting n texting. don't you get tired?

those days became a month or two. you've gotten pretty close with him. remind me — how'd texting him daily become being in his bed?!

itoshi rin is someone and something. he may seem cold and blunt but, under that demeanor he's the sweetest guy you've ever talked to. took a little while to have him warm-up to you. it was worth it.

for a while you've been sleepin' with each other. this night in particular — the atmosphere was different. the usual pull of lust was tangled with something unfamiliar, something raw and real.

weird. it's never been like that before. i mean, you were just friends with benefits, right? "rin?" you'd softly call out. "yeah?" rin would reply.

"uhm. i think i have a confession." you sheepishly muttered, clutching his shirt towards your chest a little firmer. "oh. me too." he once again, replied.

"oh you go first-" "nah, you go first." "c'mon rin, just go first. mine's a little embarrassing..!" "mine is as well!" "yeah but you're-"

with that, rin took a sharp inhale. bracing himself for the worst, he let the following words slip out, "[name], i think — mmm. no. i know i've got feelings for you. i actually really like you. i dunno if we should continue this or not — not the healthiest." (RIN?? YOU'RE TALKING HEALTHY R WE FR.)

"rin!" a small laugh slipped out your mouth. guess you braced yourself for nothing. you were afraid, well not anymore. you replied, "i have feelings for you as well! maybe we should have something else as a relationship, just not this."

"[name], let me be yours."

reo mikage is a man who knows what he wants and gets what he wants. (lmfao daddy gets what daddy wants ahh energy) so why was it one night, after having an emotionally crazy night with you, he realized something? why'd he realize that he genuinely likes you? why?

"reo?" your sweet voice softly mumbling. he'd turn to you, replying in a disgustingly raspy voice in return. "yeah, [name]?" "nothing, got scared you left or something."

reo couldn't bear suppressing his feelings and emotions anymore. hell, he constantly did so! taking a fat breath in, he exhaled. preparing himself to confess.

thing is — reo found himself unable to speak up. shit. he was getting a little upset. why weren't things going the way he wants it to? finally pushing himself out to say what he's been dying since day 1.

"uhm, [name]. i jus' hope you know-" you cut him short. "what happened to mr. confident?" you smiled, playfully. he rolled his eyes at you sassily, "hush, let me finish." "waiting."

"okay. i hope you know i genuinely like you. you're gorgeous, sweet, passionate ... you're not boring at all. i actually have to try and get you. that's why you're so interesting. that's why i want you." (wow reo what a confession *claps hands*)

you looked at him, jaw DROPPED. never in your life did you expect to have THE mikage reo confess to you. i mean, sleeping with him was one but CONFESSIONS?!!?! good god, you were on cloud 9.

problem was, reo knew his parents would never approve. ah, whatever. worth a shot.

"give me a chance, [name]."

mmm, isagi yoichi. this man has PURE intentions. he never expected himself to be able to sleep with someone as lovely as you are. hell, he never expected himself to even be able to TALK with you!

truth be told — this silly little guy STRUGGLES... constantly trying to subtly impress you. he's failing, but you find it cute. he's shy, let him slide!! (i can see the pain in ur eyes...)

laying in his bed after the night, you turned to your side to face him. "yoi, you're so cute. y'know that right?" you're killing him with your words.

isagi's flushed. he's bright red. what a contrast between his dark blue eyes lmfao. caught in the moment, he let a few words slip out. ones that weren't in his current favour.

"[name], the only cute one is you — i- oh my god." he's fumbling. he's FUMBLING. (he aint we all love loser boys heh... what is this moischaracterization isa arent u trying to cook for eng wtf is going on) you were intrigued. you kept listening. you really freaking like this man too lmfao.

"gosh, fine. i'll just say it, i like — no. i love you, [name]! you're so pretty n admirable and gosh..." let the poor guy talk, why are you suddenly so bold? he's staring at your plush thighs. remembering how they were around his waist and and...

"[name], can i be your boyfriend?!"

michael kaiser, let's see. he's deathly terrified of love. i personally see him as the lyric of "typa friends to fuck but when they fall in love they're too afraid to stay." (holy coew this ones rlly ooc! bro)

hear me out, kaiser suffered a traumatic childhood. yes — thought basic/common, nonetheless traumatic. he's constantly being told over and over again that he was never supposed to be born — born unwanted.

hence why, he's afraid of love. he can't even love himself. he's afraid to turn out just like his father. he's afraid to turn out like his parents. he's afraid of returning to who he was before.

he doesn't know how to love. he wants to he swears! so were those "i love you's" when you to got intimate lies?

propping his head on his hand, he stared at you. admiring you and your beauty. "ugh...mihya? what are we?" you asked. "i know yeah, friends with benefits but... i feel like theres more to it than lust.."

at that moment, kaiser froze. his throat went dry. "ah, um." he coughed, trying to get his composure. "quite a question to ask, liebling." he thought about it. he's thought of this multiple times. answer them.

"uh- ahem. well..." kaiser couldn't get himself to speak. what a question to ask after having him in between your legs huh.? those deep azure eyes staring straight at you.

whilst the emperor pondered, kaiser's gaze trailed over you—slow and deliberate. oh, the moonlight kissed the thin sheen of sweat on your skin, making it glisten in such a way that had his thoughts straying far from innocent! (kaiser my guy calm down u j got freaky..)

his tongue clicked as he took in every slick curve, every rise and fall of your breath. he couldn't help but let a small whistle out. "mihya. snap out of it. answer me."

"listen. uhm." he mumbled. that's odd coming from such an arrogant and cocky man. what happened to that demeanor? "ugh, it's easier to say we're just friends, okay?" a frustrated sigh came out of the both of you.

"well, fuck." you replied, turning onto your back. "wait, [name]. i'm sorry." kaiser apologized. "i'm scared, okay? i'm terrified," he confessed. "i'm horrified if i hurt you if i-"

"shut it, michael." you demanded. "it'll hurt the both of us if you don't tell me the truth." you continued.

with a reluctant sigh, he agreed. opening his mouth as if the words were stuck, fighting their way out. his gaze softened, and for a moment, there was something vulnerable in his eyes — almost like he didn’t want to say it, but knew he had to.

"scheiße, i can't hide anything from you can i? fine. i like you. ich liebe dich sehr." he mumbled sheepishly. you cringed a little. "german? seriously? say it in english."

"needy as hell, sure. i love you a lot." kaiser slipped out, his pride slipping with the words LMFAOOO. kaiser didn't expect you to say anything — he didn't even expect you to accept his feelings.

"hey, mihya. i like you too. sorry. i love you a lot as well," you smiled softly at him. "i'm afraid of love too but-"

"[name], let's be afraid together. let's overcome this. together. can i be yours?"

ah, yes karasu tabito. my glorious king. don't let his horrible habit of looking down at people as mediocre get to you. trust me, he thinks you as everything BUT mediocre. kinda weird for him since, he only found one person intriguing.

he's confident with himself, or so he pretends to be. you see through that demeanor so quickly. snap of the fingers and you have him figured.

laying in his sheets, you took in his appearance. noting the mole under his left eye, how hair looks ungelled... it was so messy after you kept tugging and pulling on those soft, dark purple locks.

"hey, tabito.?" you cautiously opened your mouth. "y'know how you always think you're mediocre deep down.?"

he gulped, fixing his gaze onto you. "what makes ya think that?" he denied, laughing nervously. you stared at him like 'are we serious? i know what you are.'

the assassin sighed. the moment he was going to speak, he was cut off short. "you're not mediocre at all, by the way. i think you're genuinely a really cool guy and you should live up to your actual confidence."

"but one problem, what are we? we definitely are friends with benefits but..." you mumbled, remembering that one first love theory. you realized there's a good chance you'd never compare to marisa </3 (MARISA GIRL ILY)

"y'know i can tell what yer thinkin' of right? yer pretty easy to assess, [name]." he uttered. before you could grab a handful of his hair, you were stopped.

"truth be told, i'm madly in love with you, 'kay? i can't find myself to genuinely be with you other than sleepin' 'round with ya. i don't think i'm worthy."

"i'd love to be yours though, [name]."

— ©iqxatlantic / isaisliterallyhim, 2025

tags !! : @narcjsistx (get ur man reo..), @kxsagi (GET UR MAN EESAGI !!)

a/n: ya ik lots of mischaracterization and fawking ooc! writing let me OUTTTT. bro i literally dk how to write half of these characters bye. i locked in too hard on kaiser ts what happens bruh. also before u come at me I HAD TO WRITE ISAGI AS A LOSER OK. heh... guess who my fav is...! anyways um yea no we aint even surprised this work is not proofread isa 💔💔 anyways i love love is not easy super fire song i say as i go crazy bc i had this on loop hen i was talking to that atrocious creature of a man... anyways hope u enjoyed ! ill try posting more consistently! i comment as my psych and english assignments stare at me ready to spread my cheeks </3

[thedevilsoftruth]

Rules are meant to be broken.

B. Barnes x f! Reader

" Break the rules of this game. Touch, touch, touch yourself. "

Summary: After a few years of mutual pining, your relationship with Bucky can't seem to get to where you both want it to because of Tonys strict " no dating policy " until a prank is pulled on both of you by one of your fellow avengers at a beach vacation.

Tags: Mentions of alcohol, vulgar language, rom com, sexual references/humor, kind of cliche stuff, sex, smut, Bucky being a smart ass 90% of this fic and fighting everyone, mutual pining, also slightly Russian accent Bucky, Dom! Bucky, vaginal fingering, piv sex, lots and lots of kissing, edgeplay, mentions of the reader having an iud and cognitive symmastia. Not beta read!

Song Recommended: Compress/Repress by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

A/n: This fic was requested by the lovely @0-komori-0 and also turned out to be over 9k words!!! So much more than I had planned. ( I hope you really enjoy this, man I haven't written anything this long in a very long time 😭🙏 ) I've been really insecure about my writing lately, and i actually kind of hate this fic like a lot. But I'm praying to God that this isn't as bad as I think. Anyways, enjoy. 💜

[ My marvel request box is back open. Please see my pinned post for my request rules. ]

Mdni! I am not responsible for what you find on the internet.

Prologue

The fall of the rain had only gotten heavier as time went on. The streets were a flood land and droplets of rain were practically slamming against the cement. The rain perfectly matched the storm of irritation and stress raging inside you. The man who you had been trying to catch for months had slipped through your grasp once more.

As you sat down in the passengers seat of your partners car, you couldn't fight back the tears rolling down your cheeks. They were cold tears, much like the cold rain slipping down the windows all around you.

It was a very vulnerable moment for you. It was around that time of year again that marked the death date of your mother, and work just kept piling onto you.

This was something your partner had been very aware of. Over the years of fighting with you, he had developed quite a strong relationship with you. So, breaking down in front of him didn't feel weird for you. He understood your pain.

His hand slipped into yours, which was laying flat on your thigh. He opened your palm and slid his fingers between yours. You sat there for several minutes, your shoulders shuddering as you sobbed. Your soft, almost quite sobs blended into the pitter-patter of the rain against the window.

" I just.. " you tried to speak, but no words would come out. You squeezed his hand tighter, sitting back up and laying your head against the headrest.

" I know. " His thumb went over your knuckles. He knew you too well, like he was a part of your own mind. " But I'm right here. "

You looked over at him, your eyes watery, your cheeks red. His blue eyes landed on yours, and there was a comforting silence before his vibranium hand reached out to cup your face in his palm. Before you knew it, your eyes were shutting close and your lips were on his.

That night the both of you had learnt a little something about each other; and that was the fact that neither of you were going to let a set of rules restrict the feelings you had for each other.

~~

A few months later. Somewhere at a Kohl's in New York during March.

" I never knew you had Symmastia. " Natasha commented as you stood in front of her from inside the dressing room. She was outside of it, of course, merely just there to be your cheerleader as you tried on bathing suits for your upcoming vacation.

" Yeah, well, not many people notice it at first glance. " You responded, looking at yourself in the full length mirror in front of you. The color of the bathing suit seemed not to match your complexion very well, and you found that it didn't sit on you like you had hoped it would.

" Well as long as you're confident about it, that's all that matters. " Natasha said with her usual supporting smile. You smiled back, looking through the pile of bathing suits you had picked out. Maybe you'd try the blue one on next?

~ prologue end

~~

Vacation with the avengers certainly was an experience. It was only the first day of your vacation, and people were already getting kicked out of their rooms and trying to fight eachother. And fyi; It was Thor getting kicked out of his room by Tony and coming to yours and begging you to let him in.

You said no, of course. After all, you were in a room with literally only women; your best friend Natasha, Gamora, Nebula, and even Pepper...

Because she was also kicked out of her room with Tony.

It was a beach vacation, and most of the boys were already done getting ready. You were looking through your bag, still having not found the right bathing suit to wear even though you brought eight pairs.

Gamora was next to you on the bed, brushing her hair. Pepper was helping Natasha with her top, and Nebula went out to the pool with Scott. ( He was definitely going to get his balls kicked. )

" Hey, what do you guys think of this top? " You asked, holding up the neon blue triangle top you found in your bag. If only you could find the bottoms. The girls looked at the top and hummed in unison. Natasha tilted her head, thinking, though her thoughts would quickly be disrupted when a loud stomping sound was heard from down the hallway. There was a chorus of very loud yells that followed the quick stomping. Were they playing tag in the hallway?

" Peter, give me my arm back!! "

" Oh yeah? Give me my Redbone cassette back!!! "

It sounded like... Bucky and Quill?

You all exchanged very confused looks at eachother until the silence was broken up with Gamora's snicker.

Natasha ran to the door, stood on her toes and looked through the peephole.

" Oh my god, " she exclaimed. " Bucky's naked. "

You all immediately looked up from what you were doing. Gasps were heard, followed by the girls rushing to the door to try and see.

" Well, h-he's holding a towel to his waist. " Pepper added, taking over the peephole custody.

The boys continued fighting through the hall.

" Come on Pete, give the disabled man back his arm. " Rhodey's voice was heard. Pepper noticed him coming out of the room along with Tony, who was holding his phone up in the air, presumably recording the moment.

" IM NOT DISABLED! "

There was silence for a moment. The men all looked at Bucky, unspeaking.

" Wait. Am I disabled? "

Natasha and pepper laughed out loud. You were getting a small tinge of second hand embarrassment in the pit of your stomach.

" Your guy's boyfriend's are fighting eachother. One of them is a little stupid, it looks like. " Natasha laughs, walking back towards the bed you were standing at with Gamora. You blushed at the comment.

" He's not my boyfriend. And don't talk about him like that, Bucky is very smart. " You spoke, tying your hair in a ponytail with a scrunchie. Gamora sat back down on the bed, rummaging through her makeup bag. Natasha plopped down onto the bed beside her.

" Well, it depends on who she was talking about. They're men, they're both stupid. Especially Peter. " Gamora rolled her eyes at the thought, pulling out a beautiful red lipstick from her bag and a hand mirror. Natasha shifted herself on her side and touched your knee gently, grabbing your attention.

" You are aware that Bucky almost had an identity crisis just now realizing that he is disabled? " She asked. " It's been like 80 years that he's been without an arm, and he's seriously only now realizing that that makes him disabled. "

You laughed, biting your lip as you looked through your bag for your sunscreen and perfume.

" Don't be mean to him. " You said, your earrings jangling as you sprayed your perfume on. Natasha noticed the stupid grin on your face.

" Why? You in love with him? " She teased, shimmying her shoulders and grinning. The girls let out little " oos " In unison. You face palmed.

" No! It's not anything like that. " You protested, slamming your perfume back in your bag. Gamora rolled her guys and Pepper scoffed.

" Oh please. " She looked at you through her brows with her head tilted down. " We've seen the way you two look at eachother. "

She wasn't wrong. There was a thick sense of sexual tension between the both of you. Especially when you sparred or if you were training with the avengers: he'd always ask you to be on his team when you played games. If one of the girls weren't available, you'd ask him to be on yours. That was about the only time you two hung out. Except for little trips like this or when you went out to dinner.

You picked up your bathing suit and put on your sunglasses. Gamora was working on putting her makeup back up.

" You guys are a bunch of a-holes. " You joked, walking into the bathroom to go change. Natasha hummed, opening her phone to text someone.

" Don't come crying to me when you're sad about being single! "She shouted as you walked into the bathroom. You flipped her off before slamming the door shut.

The room was very quiet without you in there. The girls were all waiting for you to finish, and by that point, were all on their phones. Gamora opened up her messenger app after receiving a text from Peter.

P: Look what I got!

Image loading

Gamora snorted; it was a picture of Peter running down the hallway, smiling while he heald up Bucky's arm as Bucky chased after him in the background. Poor guy must have been fearing for his life holding onto that towel.

Pepper looked up from her own phone, her brows furrowing.

" Hey, do you guys think Bucky got his arm back? " She asked. Gamora shook her head, smiling.

" Nope. "

Oh, that was *so* being sent to the avengers group chat.

~~

It was a very hot day, and you were genuinely pissed that your trip was pushed from March all the way back to June. Doing this during spring would have been so much better. But honestly? It was still a really nice beach. A perfect day for a suntan, too.

While you sat down on an outdoor chaise lounge under a pink umbrella. The girls were off somewhere getting food and drinks. You were scrolling through your phone and opened your camera app, contemplating wether or not you'd take pictures to post on your Instagram or to just keep to yourself.

After Natasha had hyped you up to go out in a two piece after going bathing suit shopping with her, you were feeling pretty confident in yourself. Even with your symmastia in mind, you were still feeling good and you didn't think that anything could take that away from you. Plus your bathing suit was fucking hot! Who wouldn't love you in it?

Somewhere off on the beach, and not far away from you, stood a very embarrassed Bucky Barnes with Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Sam was still picking on him for the incident in the hallway, while Steve was simply enjoying himself and trying to figure out how to take a picture of the ocean with his phone.

" I'm just saying, it was a pretty stupid ass decision to take off your arm and leave it there. " Sam laughed, looking at his good friend through his sunglasses and shaking his head. Bucky threw his arms in the air.

" Come on! I had to check for malfunctions and clean it. " He protested. " And as i went back into the bathroom to look in my bag, he came in and took it! " He kicked his foot in the sand while looking down on it somberly. God he wished he brought an umbrella with him.

" Tck. I can already see the headline: Naked 107 year old man frantically runs down hallway of hotel after enraged missoulian steals his prosthetic arm " Sam laughed, crossing his arms and looking off into the beach. Bucky shook his head in defeat. They were never going to let go of that moment in the hallway. Ever.

Steve was still trying to take a picture of the ocean, but he kept accidentally turning his flash on and shaking his hand. Meanwhile, Sam was checking out the group chat that was exploding with texts.

" Hey, do you guys know how to-- " before Steve could finish, Sam cut him off.

" Oh my god. " He gasped, scrolling up to find Peters picture from the hallway sent by Gamora. Bucky had already seen the picture; he was actually quite upset about it. He remembered when Quill took the picture, too. He almost tackled the man to the floor.

Sam heald his phone out for Steve.

" Did you see this yet? "He asked, wheezing with laughter. Steve squinted his eyes, trying to get a good look at the picture Sam was trying to show him.

" What is it? I can't see. " He asked, moving his sunglasses up on his head. He gently took the phone from Sam's hand.

" Is that a chicken? " He asked, his head jerking back in confusion. He could barley see the image with the sunlight beaming down on them. Sam cackled even more. Bucky was clenching his fists, wanting nothing more than to punch the daylights out of Sam.

" No!! " Sam laughed. " Peter took a picture of Bucky chasing him in the hallway. " Sam was practically on the floor, almost crying from laughing so hard.

And then he actually fell in the sand.

" Oh. " Steve was starting to see it now. The picture was a lot less interesting than the picture he originally had in mind. Honestly, a chicken would have been a much better thing for Sam to show him. ...Or maybe a dog? Steve was really liking the dog pictures Kate posted on her Instagram as of late. He personally enjoyed Facebook more, but Instagram was his way of staying in touch with the younger avengers.

Steve handed him back his phone. Sam was still on the sand, trying to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Bucky was spaced out, staring at you from afar.

He noticed you notice him, and you smiled at him and waved. He just barley raised his hand and waved back. He had his face scrunched up and his teeth clenched as he squinted his eyes to look at you. It probably wasn't the most flattering thing ever. He looked at his friends for a moment, and when he looked back at you, you were occupied by Natasha bringing you a drink.

Sam stood up and placed his phone in his pocket. Steve was helping with getting the sand off of him, talking something about Kate's dog while doing so. Bucky was still staring at you, and Sam caught onto it quicker than he would have imagined.

" You gonna go talk to her? " Sam asked, adjusts the sunglasses on his face. He hummed, shrugging.

" Maybe I will just to get away from you assholes. " Was the last thing Bucky said to them before walking off. Steve stood up, giving one last brush of his hand to Sam's knee. He sighed and looked at Bucky as he walked away. Sam was stunned, but he want surprised. At all. This was kind behavior coming from Bucky.

" What's his problem? " He asked, putting his hands on his hips. Sam crossed his arms and looked in the same direction as Steve.

" I don't know, hormones? "

~~

" Make sure you ask for an extra shot of pineapple juice! "

You were bent over the blue lounge chair you were sat in, calling out to Natasha who was walking with Gamora to fix the order of your drink that came back wrong. Bucky didn't mean to stare as he was approaching you, but he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering.

As you sat back down and adjusted your position on the chair, you noticed him making his way toward you. You waved at him, grinning.

" Hey, handicap. Got your arm back, i see? " You joked, putting your hand over your eyes to shield your eyes from the sun as you tried to get a good look at him. As he got closer, he began to block the sun and you put your hand down.

" Nobody's going to let go of that, huh? " Bucky sighed, a smile creeping upon his face as he stood next to you. You laughed.

" Nope. Digital footprint must suck for you. " You wheezed, clapping your hands together. Sam made the same joke to him earlier.

" Yeah, that's real funny. " Bucky told you, shaking his head as he sat down in the lounge next to you. He sat off the edge with his feet on the ground, facing you.

Oh god! What was he even supposed to bring up with you? Better than that, why was he talking to you? he couldn't even believe he was socializing this much with people. Especially after what had happened in the hallway.

" Hey, don't worry about it. " You reassured him, putting your hand on his knee. He couldn't help but notice your freshly manicured fingers. They weren't too long, but not too short. They were an almond shape and were painted a beautiful deep blue with gold accents. It kind of reminded him of his vibranium arm.

" We can be real assholes, and If you don't want me to make jokes about it, I won't. " You told him, smiling before slowly taking your hand off him. You looked back off into the distance. Bucky gulped hard. You were always so nice to him, always wanting him to feel comfortable and safe. You were also always making sure he didn't feel forced to do anything he didn't want to. It made him feel nice.

" Thank you. " He responded with the best smile he could muster, looking down at his hands. You nodded and folded your hands on your stomach, your eyes wandering into a pack of seagulls flying above your head.

There was silence for a moment, but it wasn't an awkward silence. You were off looking into the distance, and Bucky was still staring at you. His eyes raked up your body, quite frankly admiring you. He had a major staring issues, and he found that it only got worse when he was around you, which reminded him; pursuing a relationship with you wouldn't be the easiest thing ever. You were teammates, and Tony Stark had very strick rules of no dating for teammates.

But that didn't stop him from kissing you in his car that one rather depressing night you shared together. And it certainly didn't stop his eyes from wandering up your body, which were now sitting comfortably onto your breasts.

And, maybe he had been looking for too long, but the longer he looked at you, the more he noticed that there was no separation between your breasts. It was interesting, and he was about to bring it up before the image of your chest was replaced with the image of your eyes on his.

" It's a nice view, isn't it? " You joked, moving down your sunglasses so he could actually see your eyes. He smiled, even though he knew he shouldn't have in that situation. He loved your sense of humor.

" It is. " He responded, taking his glasses off and tucking them into the pocket of his shirt. " Better than the ocean, surely. " The smile he had on his face was charming. It was seductive and handsome; a facial expression you rarely saw on him. You'd be lying if you said it didn't turn you on a bit.

What a bastard.

You pushed your sunglasses back up to the bridge of your nose, smirking. You noticed him still starring, this time with his brow quirked, like he was confused.

" You know, I don't wanna be rude or anything--" you cut him off, immediately aware of what he was going to ask you. But that was okay because you were used to the question and had been answering it for years.

" It's apart of this condition I have called Symmastia. " You begun, crossing your legs on the lounge. " Its cognitive for me. Basically what it is is breast tissue that kind of merged together down the middle of my chest when I was born. "

As you explained it to him, he listened intently, nodding his head along understandingly. He didn't know what it was about discovering this little thing about you that made you 10x more attractive to him, but it just did and he was there for it all the way. But before things could get any hotter, Nat and Gamora came walking back to your little spot with your drink.

" Hey!! " Nat called out for you. She handed you her drink and looked at Bucky, who's smile was now gone and replaced with his usual look of tedium.

" And hey, you. " She twinkled her fingers at him. He pursed his lips and looked the other way. His eyes fell on Gamora instead. She was frowning at him.

" You're in my spot. " She said, crossing her arms. Bucky gave her a fake, sarcastic smile.

" Oh, am I? " He spoke with mock-surprise. " Well I sure as hell don't see you using it. " He imitated her, crossing his arms over his chest. Before things could get worse, you grabbed him by his collar and pulled him off the seat. Gamora looked like she was just about to beat the shit out of him.

" That's fine, he can just sit over here with me. " You laughed nervously, waving your hand in the air. Gamora spitefully sat back down in the lounge, her eyes never leaving Bucky. Nat had absolutely no idea what to do with the amount of shock she was in.

" You keep talking like that and I'll rip off your other arm. " Gamora spat, her eyebrow twitching as she brought her drink yo to take a sip of it. You saw the cocky smirk on Bucky's face. Whatever he was going to say next, it wasn't good.

" I'd like to see you try. " He spoke slowly and lowly, leaning into her end tilting his head to the side, intimidatingly. Gamora almost threw her drink at him. If it hadn't coast her $24, it would have definitely been poured straight into his crotch with a bonus kick to the balls for good measure.

" Are you challenging me, Mr. Barnes? "

That was the point that got Natasha to finally chime in. She stood between the two arguing fools, holding her hands out.

" No! No he's not! Nobody's challenging anyone to anything, you hear me? " She spoke firmly, her head snapping back and forth between the both of them. Your hold on Bucky's shirt persisted Incase you needed to hold him back Incase he actually did do something. But you had faith in him. He wasn't that stupid to ruin his reputation two times in the same afternoon.

" You know what? Me and Gamora can just go somewhere else, and you two can go back to--starring into eachothers eyes seductively or whatever it was you were doing. " She explained, grabbing Gamora's arm and bringing her to her feet. Gamora and Bucky were still angrily starring at eachother.

" Okay, bye-- " you tried to say to Nat as she walked off with Gamora before the old dog next to you started barking again.

" And whatever we were doing is none of your damn busin--"

Your hand immediately flung over his mouth. It was probably the best reaction time you'd had in a while. Natasha shook her head disappointingly, and left with one final comment, " control your freaking dog. "

You were trying. But it was very hard with how spontaneous, sassy, rude, and intrusive Bucky could get. Of course he never meant it and it was always just there as a way of playing around, but there were times where he overstepped, and in that moment, he definitely overstepped.

You turned to him. He felt your eyes on him, and his shoulders tensed and he lowered his head like a little kid who had just been caught sneaking into their moms candy jar in the middle of the night.

" What the hell was that?! " You yelled, bonking him on his head gently. He glanced at you then back at the sand.

" I'm sorry. " He muttered. " Got a bit irritated that our moment was short lived, I guess. "

He was nervously moving his feet around in the sand. It was kind of cute coming from him. Well--his honesty, that was. Your shoulders slumped.

" I can get behind that. " You smiled, putting your hand on his back, rubbing it soothingly. You'd be lying if you said you weren't thinking the same thing.

Then, suddenly, Bucky got a very bad idea.

He looked around the surrounding area. Sam and Steve were the closest to them, but they were several meters away and had their backs turned to the both of you. You quirked a brow, curious at what he was going to do.

Once he mentally declared that the area was clear, he turned back to you and leaned in to kiss you. You were a bit caught off guard, but this wasn't the first time that this had happened between you two, so you gave in.

As much as you wanted a full make out session with him right there in the sand, you knew that just a couple seconds of bliss was your safest option if you didn't want to get fired. He pulled back a bit, and you hesitated for a hot minute before pulling him by his collar back into the kiss.

Meanwhile,

" No! I told you that the American flag has to go on the top of the castle. " Steve argued, sticking the tiny little American flag cake topper a fan had given him earlier that morning back at the top of the sand castle he had built with Sam.

Sam, on the other hand, had his attention fully on the two people making out from afar, one of them being one of his closest friends. Steve was still carrying on his one-sided argument while he tried to maneuver the castle the way he wanted. Until he realized his friend wasn't listening to him.

" Are you even paying attention to me? " Steves voice was laced with desperation as he dramatically threw his arms in the air. Sam was still spaced out, staring at his teammates as they kissed harder.

" Shut up, you big baby. Look. " Sam said, flicking the back of his hand at Steve's chest, his eyes never leaving the very exotic scene in front of him. Steve looked off into the direction Sam was looking, and he immediately caught on.

" Oh shit. " Was all he said. He couldn't believe it. His best friend was finally finding love again after almost 80 years.

" Is that? " He weakly pointed at the couple. He was so dumbfounded that he was considering if Bucky was even Bucky in that moment. A huge smile crept upon Sam's face.

" Oh yeah. Our little solider's finally getting some after 80 years. " He cackled. " He's growing up so fast!! "

You had your hand on Bucky's chest as he leaned forward into you, almost pinning you down into the seat. It was somehow steamier than the moment in the car, most likely because you were surrounded by your coworkers and there was a possibility of your boss walking in. Your legs were so close to opening around his waist.

*Odin's beard! what in the nine realms where you doing?*

He gave you a few more pecks before he let go of you, pulling back to give you time to recover. Whatever happened to the thoughts of, " I'm not gonna make out with him? "

You were panting, your lips wet and puffy. He was smirking like an absolute buffoon, the biggest one in the world by your standards.

" Bucky... " You started. His grin only grew, if that was even possible at that point.

" Yes? "

" We are so getting in trouble. " You scoffed, sitting back upright in your seat. He chuckled and ran his hand down your thigh.

" I won't tell if you won't. " He drawled out, a tinge of the Russian accent he was trying so hard to lose shining through his words. It was a bit sexy, but you could barely relish it before you noticed Sam and Steve waving at you from their little sand castle. Bucky noticed the way you were looking over his shoulder to look at his friends, and immediately followed your gaze.

Those little pests...

Once he turned to look at them, they started jumping in the air and waving their arms around like crazy people.

" Yeeaaaah Buuucky!!! " Sam cheered him on. Bucky felt a vein in his forehead popping out.

You heald up your hand a bit and waved back slowly. You waved with a smile, and Bucky flipped them off with a frown.

" Oh, fuck off! "

~~

Later that night, some of the Avengers including you decided to go to a little club across the street of the hotel. Most of the Avengers were still at the club, but Gamora, Natasha and Bucky were already back at the hotel by the time you came back. The girls had said they didn't want to get absolutely wrecked because they wanted to see the aquarium in the morning, but Bucky just didn't enjoy the crowd that much. You were only a little bit tipsy, but that was because you didn't enjoy alcohol that much.

Tony and Pepper were behind you as you walked down the hallway. You were going to separate from them by the the you turned the next corner because their room was kind of far from yours.

It was kind of funny too; Tony got so shitfaced that he agreed to letting Pepper back into his room with her.

You finally reached the corner, and you were trying to find your key card in your purse as the couple walked by you. They were arguing about something again, like always. Pepper was just trying to get out of the rather possessive hold Tony had on her so she could properly say goodnight to you.

" Goodnight, hon! " She calls out to you, forcing a smile before Tony directs her attention back onto him. You looked up from your purse to glance at her for a moment, rummaging through your trash filled purse until you found your key card. And a... Condom?

Hm. That was weird. And ridiculously hilarious considering you had a IUD. It had a silver packaging with a red star in the front. You flipped it to the back, and it had a very tiny red inked text that read the words, " I hope you're ready for this winter soldier. "

You belly chuckled at the little joke. You wanted to place your bet that it was probably Sam who had put it in there. The bigger question was who had them made and how long had they been conspiring to do pull this on you?

You couldn't help yourself from laughing as you walked up to your room. You unlocked the door and stepped inside, setting down your purse by the door and slipping out of your shoes. Gamora and Natasha were chatting while laying on their beds, watching something on the TV.

" Hey, guys. " You called out to them. They looked your way and waved. The tv was set to a reality show channel, and the two of them were sitting there, talking crap about the awful couple on the screen. You made your way towards your bed and pulled out your suitcase, looking for a change of clothes. You rummaged through the bag for a hot minute before settling on a red tank top and black shorts.

" I'm gonna go change. " You told them, turning your heel and walking into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind you.

When you walked out of the bathroom after changing, you were met with a little surprise; Bucky Barnes. Standing right outside the bathroom door, near the front entrance. When he saw you, he glanced at you and mouthed the words, " help me. " You looked at the girls, at him, at the girls, and then back to him.

" Guys there's a super solider inside our room. " You commented, pointing at him.

" She let him in. " Gamora told you, motioning her head towards Natasha.

" He wants to talk to you! " Natasha shouted enthusiastically. Bucky was pinching the bridge of his nose as he heald his head down, sighing heavily.

Of course he wanted to talk to you, why else would he be there? To sell them girl scouts cookies?

You looked up at him and he turned to face you fully.

" What are you doing here? " You whispered. He rubbed his neck sheepishly. After your little moment on the beach, he couldn't stop thinking about you. You couldn't stop thinking of him either. Really, you were relived to see his face again.

" Open your hand. " He told you. His vibranium hand was clenched in a fist like he had something in it. You furrowed your brows, skeptical.

" Why? " He cut you off.

" Just do it. "

You took a deep breath before you heald your hand out in front of him. A smirk crept across his face, a smirk you didn't like at all, and he put his hand in yours. A little crunching sound of plastic was heard as he opened his palm, and your skin came in contact a small wrapper of some sorts. He took his hand off yours, and immediately you recognized what was in your hand.

It was the same condom you found in your bag earlier. He put his hand on your hip and leaned into your ear real close.

" You read what it said. " He whispered to you, his voice low and seductive. His fingers traced your hip bone lightly. " I hope you're ready for this winter solider. "

Bucky's arms slid away from you and he slowly stepped back. You were staring at him with your mouth open, shocked. You were completely speechless, and found it hard to move from your spot. He virtually had you up against the bathroom door, cornering you. He had this stupid grin on his face. Obviously he was doing this all in an attempt to get you annoyed and flustered.

" You are really bad at dirty talk. " You cringed, keeping your voice at a whisper level. Bucky shrugged, stepping closer to you. He was standing so close that you could smell his cologne. It was a very bold, earthy, and masculine kind of aroma. It was hard to ignore.

You looked over your shoulder, making sure that the others weren't paying attention to you two.

" I was just reading what the wrapper said. " He chuckled darkly, stepping closer, his arm sliding past your body and grabbing the door handle. He stared into your eyes for a moment before he turned the handle, making you stumble back as the door to the bathroom opened suddenly. You nearly tripped on your own feet, shuffling backward and further into the room. Bucky stepped forward and shut and locked the door behind him.

" You pulling my leg or something, suntan? " He asked you, speaking a little louder now and with his arms folded over his chest. You shook your head, your left foot dragging behind your right, gaining more distance between you and him.

" I think someone is pulling on the both of our legs. " You said, stilling in the middle of the big, spacious bathroom. Bucky's eyes never left yours. He was searching you, analyzing every move you made and every emotion etched in your face.

" I got the same thing stuffed into my purse. " You told him, toying with the hem of your shorts. " I think it's just one of the Avengers trying to get us closer by pulling a dumb prank on us. "

Bucky let his arms fall back down to his sides, sighing as he approached you. You were hesitant, considering moving away again until he was standing in front of you. He was deeply intimating even when he wasn't trying.

" Are we not already close? " He questioned, leaning into you a bit. You didn't need to even think about your answer to that question.

" We are. " You responded, realizing how badly you worded that last sentence. " I think we're both just looking for something a little more In our relationship. ''

Those last words sparked something inside Bucky. After all the constant games of cat and mouse, the persistent cravings the two of you had for eachother, and the hanging off the edge of your seats since the moment you shared in his car on that one rainy day--could this be the moment where you got everything figured out?

" Those damn assholes. " He muttered, reaching his arms out for you and pulling you against him. His flesh hand went to your cheek, and he bent down and stole your lips in a rather passionate kiss. It was slow and sensual, his lips pecking against yours repeatedly.

" They should really mind their own businesses anyway. " He spoke against your mouth in annoyance, his hand moved from your cheek to the back of your head, his fingers curling into your hair, tugging on it gently as he kissed you sweetly. It reminded you of the moment in his car. How sweet and light it was. How passionate it was.

Bucky's lips moved from your lips, to your cheek, to all the way down to your neck. You grabbed the front of his shirt, trying your hardest not to moan like a freak in the middle of your hotel rooms bathroom.

He griped your hips, and spun you around, pulling you as close as he could get you to his body. His metal hand dropped down to your inner thighs, caressing you lightly as he bent down to kiss your neck hungrily. He cupped your sex through your shorts, almost making you yelp before you covered your mouth. If he continued to go on, youd probably get louder.

" Bucky, " you gasped. " we need to take this somewhere else. "

~~

Whatever it was that you were expecting, it wasn't to be thrown over Bucky's shoulder as he carried you out of the bathroom. You were screaming, all right. Screaming and slamming your fists against his back.

" Put me down!! " You told him as he stood at the front door, unlocking it. Gamora and Natasha looked your way, watching as the man carried you out of the room.

" Help me! " Was the last thing you told them before you left for the rest of the night.

He continued to hold you up on his shoulders, even as he was unlocking the door. He did not listen to a single protest you made, and even went as far as to tell you to shut up as he walked to his room. Once you were inside, he set his key down on the kitchen table before he kicked open the bedroom door. He slammed the door behind him.

" Taking me to your chambers now, really? That's lovely, that's-- "

His hand came down on your ass as a harsh smack, and you yelped in surprise as he did so. Your skin tingled with a slight sting from the impact when he removed his hand from your skin. He threw you down on one of the two beds in the room, your body lightly bouncing off the mattress as you plopped down in it.

You barley had any time to think about what was happening; everything was happening so quickly and you couldn't piece together in your mind what in the world was going on.

" You said you wanted to take our little moment somewhere else? " He inquired, unbuttoning his black button down with quick fingers. You gulped hard, propping yourself up on your hands, your thighs clenching.

" Yes, but I was not expecting this. " You laughed. Bucky rose a brow.

" You're not complaining though, are you? " He asked, peeling the shirt off his body. He had a pair of dog tags around his neck, presumably his from his time serving in the war. Suddenly you found yourself at a loss of words as his muscular torso became visible to you. You couldn't help but stare, your eyes raking up and down his seemingly perfect body. He was certainly a lot bigger and heavier compared to when you had first met him. His body glowed in the moonlight, highlighting his abs and his strong arms. He noticed you staring, and it made him smile.

" You've gone speechless, avenger. " He puts his hands on his knees, bending down to your stare level. You gulped when you realized you had been staring.

" Cat got your tongue? " He wanders, hooking his finger under your chin, guiding your gaze towards his. " Or perhaps there's something you're wanting? "

His words made you sweat. You felt your mouth salivating heavily as you looked him in his eyes deeply. He smiled, coming his head to the side.

" Answer me. " He whispers, pulling you into a soft kiss. His strong, large hands go onto your closed thighs and bring them back open.

" Do you want me to touch you? "

His voice is low and softer than a feather, his flesh hand going between your legs, his fingers bushing against your clothed core. You gulped hard, your eyes fluttering shut.

" Yes. " You responded breathlessly, trying so hard not to overreact with your how your body responded to him. Bucky was satisfied with your answer.

" Good girl. " He kissed the side of your face before standing back up. He unbuckled his belt, but he wasn't about to take his pants off just yet. You bit your lip, your mind curious as he crawled over your body and pinned you down onto the bed.

This was something the both of you had been dragging out for many years. It was only a matter of time before it finally happened. The fact that it was happening then was hard for you to believe. After the hard flirting, the small unexplained kisses every here and then, the waiting, your dreams were now coming true.

Bucky rolled a black hair band off his wrist and used it to tie his long hair back in a ponytail, straddling your hips and sitting upright as he did so. A few loose strands fell down to the sides of his face, along with the right side of his curtain bags. You'd be lying if you said you didn't think it was hot.

" Are you sure you want this? " He asked, the look in his eyes stern. The both of you knew what you wanted, but he wanted you to feel safe and he needed to make sure you were on board with it.

" Yes. I am. " You responded, nodding. You were biting down on your finger, waiting for him, your mind flooded with ideas of what exactly he could do to you.

" Just tell me to stop if it begins to hurt, and I'll stop. " His tone was the same; rigid all through and serious. He sat between your legs and soothingly rubbed his hands on your thighs. There was a stark temperature difference from his vibranium hand and his flesh hand; one was cold and the other way warm. It made you shiver, goosebumps rising up your skin. His fingers slid up to your hips, and he hooked his fingers against the waistband of your shorts.

" Let's get you out of these. " He grinned, pulling the clothing down your legs and throwing it on the floor somewhere, leaving you in just your black laced panties. He hummed in approval, spreading your legs out wider with his strong hands, his mind calculating just exactly what he was going to do to you.

" Oh, if Tony finds out about this... " You whispered, a sudden feeling of anxiety filling your stomach. Bucky shook his head, stilling his hands on top of your thighs. He could tell you were getting nervous.

" Tony's not gonna find out anything. " He reassures you. He bends down to kiss you, his lips soft and warm against yours. You clamped your legs around his waist, inviting him further in. He pecked your lips slowly, his flesh hand running up your shirt, feeling your bare skin under his palm.

" Whatever happens in this room tonight stays between you and me. " He told you, kissing his way down your neck. You moaned quietly as his lips moved across the crook of your neck, nipping at it, making you more desperate by the second. His left hand was busy with your center, his fingers dragging up and down your clothed slit.

" You're so pretty, you know that? " Bucky praised you into your ear, making you blush deeply. He lifted his head from your shoulder and tugged on the hem of your tank top.

" Are you okay with me taking this off? " He asked. He knew about you and your condition and didn't want to make you feel obligated to take it off. But you were confident in your body, so you agreed.

" Go ahead. " You told him with a cocky smirk. He didn't know what it was, but your little grin there made him instantly 10x more attracted to you.

You lifted off your back a bit, and he slip your top up and over your head, tossing it somewhere off into the distance. The cold air in the room came into contact with your skin, and you shivered at it.

He couldn't take his eyes off you. Somehow you were so much hotter than he had imagined.

Bucky ran his hands up your sides, his eyes drinking in your body. Now it was his turn to be speechless.

" Fuck, " He chuckled, leaning down to kiss your collarbone. How could he have put this off for so long? He seriously could not believe you were real. " You're gorgeous. "

His mouth trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down to your cleavage, his flesh hand coming up to cup your breast, his thumb laying flat on your nipple, rubbing it lightly. You let out a little moan at the contact, watching as his mouth latched onto your other breast. The tip of his tongue circled across your areola before his lips closed around your hardening nipple. He sucked on it gently, his other hand massaging and grabbing as much of your skin that it could.

When he rose back up, you could see a little wet line from his saliva glistening on your skin. He stared at his work with pride, giving your breast one last squeeze.

" You should feel ashamed of yourself. " He whispered, looking at you with a twisted grin. You were starting to feel your legs quake.

" Showing off your sexy body like that on the beach. " He went on, sitting upright and slithering his belt out of his pants. " like some kind of cheap whore. " He shook his head, letting his belt fall to the floor with a soft metal clink. You gulped hard at the sudden shift in his demeanor.

" Is that how you want me to treat you? " He questioned, pulling down the zipper of his shorts. You were at a loss of words, once again. He bent over your body, his knee pressing against your center perfectly and making you whimper. He directed your gaze towards his.

" Where are those pretty little words of yours? " He purred, cocking his head to the side. Just a moment ago, it felt like you two were friends arguing with eachother over a dumb prank--now the tides had completely shifted.

" I-i.. " was the best you could muster. He grinned. He liked this side of you.

" Yeah? You admitting to it? " He teased, running his hand down your stomach. You nodded your head, the best answer you could provide given your shocked state.

Bucky let go of you, and sat back up. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and he flicked his head back, moving his hair out of his face. His hands rest on your hips, his fingers hooking your panties.

" Lift up for me, hon. " He told you, watching as you hesitantly lift your hips upwards. He brings your panties down and off your legs, throwing them off somewhere unknown, leaving you now completely bare in front of him.

" Oh wow, " he scoffed, running two thick fingers down your slit, collecting your slick on his skin. " Look at that. "

His eyes never leave yours, even as he slips those fingers into your plush, aching pussy. You mewl out loudly, the sound echoing through the room. You are wet and warm around his fingers, the feeling intoxicating him. You flutter your eyes shut, moaning softly and sweetly as his fingers slide in and out of you perfectly, prepping you for him.

As his fingers slip in and out of you flawlessly, preparing you for his already hardened cock, you flutter your eyes shut and murmur softly and sweetly. His fingers curl up into you, their tips flicking quickly across your flesh as they move, drawing out a little, quiet clicking sound from your center. You had to bite your hand from how loudly you were about to moan.

You felt your head spinning. You genuinely couldn't believe what was happening. It was like your fantasy come to life. You were fighting back so many moans threatening to break loose. Bucky noticed it quickly.

" Dont cover your mouth. " He told you, swatting your hand away from your mouth. Your eyebrows raised.

" But what if some-- "

" Oh, who the fuck cares? I want them to hear how good I'm making my girl feel. " He said breathlessly, his voice hoarse and his accent returning, this time coming out very heavily. Your pussy fluttered around his fingers at his words. He didn't even give you time to properly process his words before he was plunging his fingers back into you.

A loud, rather pornographic moan escaped your lips and your pussy clamped down on him tightly. He grinned.

" Already on that edge, suntan? " Bucky teased, his fingers curling right into your special spot. You moaned, your thighs squeezing his arm.

" Is it just like you imagined? " His blue eyes flicked up to meet yours, as he inquired. Your cheeks turning red, and you bit your lip. Did he read your mind?

" E-even better. " Your hips instinctively bucked against his hand as you rasped. Your mind was so hazy. He'd barley even touched you, and you were already about to cum. You couldn't stop the endless moans that's were escaping your puffy lips.

" O-oh Bucky.. " you gasped as his thumb drove up and down your clit. " D-dont stop."

His thumb brushed up and down your already, sensitive swollen, driving your mad with each stroke he gave you. His fingers were pumping in and out of you relentlessly.

But before you could go off that edge you so badly needing to get off of, he pulled his fingers from your dripping cunt. Your cunt immediately felt cold and empty without him. You began to stutter.

" Wh-what? " You blinked, confused. " Why'd you stop? "

Bucky cocked his head to the side and gave you a fake frown.

" Oh, I'm sorry. " He chuckled, rubbing your thigh with his metal arm. " I didn't realize you wanted it that bad. "

He brought his fingers to his lips, his tongue darting out to taste the sweet, lingering traces of you. His eyes fluttered closed, a deep groan escaping him as he savored the flavor. He wiped the rest of the remnants on his shorts, the movement casual, but there was something almost predatory in his gaze.

"Delicious," he murmured, voice low and full of satisfaction. You stared at him In confusion.

" Bucky... " Your head threw back against the pillow, annoyed. He could already sense your protests from a mile away.

" Shh, sweetie. Good things come to those who wait."

He stood from the bed, his muscles rippling as he moved, and gave your thighs a light, possessive pat with his large hands. The touch sent a warm shiver through you, a mix of nerves and anticipation. When he straightened up, he tightened the ponytail at the back of his head, flicking his hair back with a fluid motion. He was so confident, so effortlessly commanding.

"Just to make sure... you're still 100% okay with this?" His voice softened as he met your gaze, his hands resting on the waistband of his shorts. His expression was open, waiting for your answer, but there was an edge of something unreadable in his eyes.

You swallowed, your heart racing as you nodded. "Yes," you whispered, the words leaving your lips almost too softly. Your eyes traced over his body, sketching over his big arms and his muscular torso. This was man who could literally break you in half, and thinking that as your eyes raked over his body made you feel unbalanced and unsteady, even though you weren't standing.

You looked back up at him, your eyes meeting. Then, his shorts and boxers hit the floor in the hotel room with a soft thud. You gulp hard as the rest of his body is revealed to you for the very first time. Right there in the hotel room he was sharing with his best friends. Your eyes trail down his body, coming into contact with his hardened length--beaded with pre-cum.

Bucky set a knee down on the bed, crawling up your body, the bed shifting under his weight. Your breath caught in your throat as he hovered over you. He was so much bigger than you, practically taking up all your space as he sat above you.

With gentle hands, Bucky lifts the base of your plump thighs and spreads you open in front of him. You were already so wet and needy for him. He picked up one of your legs, his lips pressing against your ankle and traveling down to your calf.

" I can't believe we're actually doing this. " You breathed, your body tense with anticipation. With a slow push of his hips, Bucky's cock slow nudged inside you. Soft groans released from your mouths as he pushed further inside you. He set your leg down, but kept his hand on your knee to keep your legs open.

" Ngh. Me too. " He grunts. As his cock sinks into you, he can feel your pussy stretching to accommodate his size, welcoming him into your warm. The feeling makes you feel vulnerable but oh, so good. A couple more loose strands of dark brown hair fall down into Bucky's face as he leans back a bit, rolling his hips against yours not too slowly but also not exactly fast. His thrusts into you were slow, steady and measured methodically.

" Fuck, you feel so good, gorgeous. " He spoke gruffly through a breathless chuckle. His cock slid in and out of you smoothly, like how a knife would spread butter onto a slice of bread. There was a lump stuck in your throat, and you found yourself moaning softly with your mouth open.

Your fingers slipped across his broad shoulders, your nails digging into his skin as he faintly increased his pace. With each thrust he gives you comes out a loud, wet squelching sound from your cunt as it tries to clamp down on him and keep him inside you. You're breathless.

Your bottom lip sinks between your teeth and your thighs clench around his wide waist. Sparks of pleasure ran through you as Bucky's hands run down your legs and his hips start to hit against yours harder.

It was a feeling that you had been yearning to feel for ages. Each time his cockhead would brush up against your velvety walls, you would get butterflies in your pussy. It just felt so good. Your eyes flutter shut and you claw at his shoulder.

" Bucky.. " you whine, your back arching off the bed. He gets faster, his cock pushing deep into you, gliding in and out of you. He bends down to kiss your neck, forcing your legs open wider. Soft lips brush against your sensitive neck, and your fingers on his shoulders move to his back. Your legs wrap around his waist, pulling him deeper into you. The both of you moan and you pull your hair out of your neck to give him more access to your skin. A sudden, primal, dirty instinct struck Bucky's mind.

He searched your neck for your pulse point, and when he found it, he bit down on it and sucked on it harshly. You hissed, your nails that were digging into his skin now streaking down his back, leaving little white scratch marks in their wake. His back arches at your touch, but that only made him suck onto your neck harder. A loud yelp escaped your lips as he did so, a sharp but pleasureable sting striking your body. He was leaving little hickeys on your skin.

" What are you doing? " Almost choking on a moan, you managed to speak the question but rather wobbly. He grinned, rising up from your body and sitting back on his knees.

" Oh, you know... " His metal hand reached between your legs, his cold middle finger snaking down your warm clit. Your arms slipped off his back, and your body shook at the contact.

" Letting everyone know we're rule breakers. "

~~

It was 6:38 in the morning. Bucky had pulled you from your room once again, this time accompanied by Sam and Steve. You were getting breakfast from the hotels dinning area, like the four of you had been plotting to do for as long as you had been planning the trip. Sam and Steve were already seated at the table you four we're sharing, munching on their breakfast while you were getting coffee with Bucky.

" How are your legs holding up? " He asked you with a cocky smirk, glancing at you his spot where he was pouring in his creamer. He rarely drank coffee with creamer in it.

" Little but sore, but I'm okay. " You responded with the shrug of your shoulders as your stirred in sugar. The dinning area was completely empty except for the four of you and the chefs who were walking around the area and setting tables. Bucky smiled and bent down to peck you on your lips.

As you both walked back to your table, you heald eachothers hand before sitting down next to each other in front of Sam and Steve. They were both laughing and whispering things to eachother. When they noticed you sitting down, Sam started cackling.

" So I see you two used the little gift I sent you both. " Sam laughed manically. You nearly almost choked on your coffee. Bucky's mouth flew open.

" So it was you!? "

[mythicmanuscripts]

What do we think about the boys with a Stark Spouse who brings a lot of blankets and furs from home to add to the bed? Especially with Aemond slowly growing closer they first seek out their blankets for comfort meanwhile Aegon and Jayce are just face planting into them after a hard day.

Love your writing btw!

This idea is so fucking cute I adore this.

I've kept this answer SFW but we can absolutely continue this concept into NSFW themes so if anyone would like to read that or has their own thoughts on it, let me know!

-------------------------------------

AEGON:

So my immediate thought here was that you'd bring one of your blankets to your new shared quarters with Aegon. Even though you weren't actually staying there with him every night yet, you just wanted one of your comfort blankets there. Aegon immediately zeros in on it when he first enters the room and that's when your realise that he might have a thing for soft textures.

As you get closer, you have a servant put one of the blankets on the bed in his private quarters for him. When he spots it he literally just stands in his room crying for a little while until he composes himself enough to go looking for you and thank you.

Once you get closer, Aegon absolutely loves stealing all the blankets and nuzzling against them. You keep on adding more blankets thinking he can't possibly steal all of them and you keep on being proved wrong. Of course he can steal all of them.

And when Aegon discovers the absolutely incredible sensory experience of cuddling you naked with one of the blankets wrapped around you both? Well good luck because he's just found his sleeping position for the rest of his life.

JACE:

I don't know why, but I like the idea that Jace gets very cold very easily? Especially before falling asleep. And he's also very particular about fabrics and how they feel against his skin.

You learn both of these things before you marry him during the countless hours you spend chatting and getting to know one another, and so at some point during that time you gift Jace one of your favourite blankets. At first he tries to say he couldnt possibly accept this from you but then you promise him that he can put pack on your joint bed after the wedding and well... he blushes so hard he has to hide behind the blanket.

So anyway, yeah he loves them too. I also think he'd put blankets all around your chambers? There's always a blanket on your favourite reading chair or at your dressing table, just in case.

Also, because Jace is a gentleman at heart, he always ensures you're nice and warm before bed. Even if you've just wrecked him, he'll still double check you arent cold and that there isnt any part of you the blanket isnt covering. He takes is very personally if you get cold, absolutely not he must ensure you are always comfy.

AEMOND:

Aemond wouldnt even know about your blankets at first because he most certainly wouldnt even consider entering your private quarters for the longest time. Even when you get married, he's still very strict about only ever going to your shared quarters and having a servant summon you there.

As you get closer though, I think maybe he'd find himself outside your room? He didnt mean to, but he was so frustrated, (Sidenote: I think one of the first things Aemond realises when he meets you is that you just... get him? You never ever make him feel frustrated, you always understand him, he never has to explain himself to you or worry about you being confused when he tells you things). So one day when he really was considering just pushing Aegon off a balcony, he finds himself outside your quarters, like his subconscious knew he would only be able to relax in your presence.

You're surprised to see him, but you let him in of course. You pull him onto your bed, letting him cuddle up to you and discuss what's gotten him so worked up. Once he's sitting on the bed, he kinda just strokes the blankets in awe? He's never felt something so soft before, and when you notice his reaction you immensely grab another blanket and wrap it around him. He pulls it tighter over his shoulders and leans against you.

After that, Aemond comes over to your quarters every single night before bed. He'd lay in bed with you and discuss his day, hearing your advice and listening to you telling him about your day. Even when things get sexual, he still comes to your private quarters first and then goes with you to your shared chambers. You try to say he must just summon you to the shared chambers because then it would be much easier but he refuses.

The way I picture it is that Aemond's actual quarters and your assigned shared quarters would be near Aegon and Alicent's quarters? All the most important people are close together and very well guarded. Before your marriage to Aemond you stayed in one of the guest rooms that were on the other side of the keep. Aemond absolutely loves this, loves that he can come to you and be comfortable and he feels so much safer because his family is physically further away.

(One last sidenote: maybe you track down a floor or tower that hasn't been used for years in the keep and you get the servants to help you make it into a living space for you and Aemond? It's far far away from everyone else and the only people with keys are you and him)

[venus-vault]

Friend of the Family

Mr.Reed × Fem!Reader(Mid-20s) [18+]

Synopsis: Part 1 - (y/n)'s boring family Christmas vacation to Colorado doesn't exactly go as anticipated...

⚠️TW: Boring Family Dynamic, Age Gap, Alcohol Consumption (all parties of age), Oral Sex (Male & Female Recipients), Raw P in V Penetration, Breif Mutual Masturbation, General Smut. ❄️

"So do I even *actually* know this guy?" I interrogate, unsure why we're staying there instead of some mountainside Airbnb. "Of course! (y/n), you've met Mr. Reed plenty of times, you were just, y'know...smaller." Dad explains, cheery. "Okay... but when you said 'Colorado Christmas Vacation' I thought we'd be like... snowboarding, or hanging out in a cute mountain town, or at least renting a cool cabin in Telluride... not like... the middle of nowhere part of Boulder with some guy I haven't seen since I was a kid..."

He sighs, defeated by my expectations yet again. "Listen. He's my best friend, a few years back he lost his wife, and its true, I haven't gotten around to seeing him in person since you were four, Bug."

He drones on,

"He's a really nice guy, and super cool. He loves that Lana Del Rey girl you're always talking about, and he's got a really nice collection of records and books, its like a mini Barnes & Noble in there! You might find you have more in common than you think!" He offers.

And I decline : "With a 64-year-old retired engineer from England? Yeah thanks, I'll pass. I'm just gonna stay out of the way, keep my headphones on, and let you two reconnect."

I pull out my phone, pop in my earpods, and open Tumblr, pretending to care at all about the latest posts on the Spencer Reid tag. Out of the corner of my eye I can tell I've hurt his feelings, but fathers never say the right thing, and he can withstand a little sting every once in a while. It's what he deserves for not telling me where we were staying til halfway through the plane ride.

Our plane finally touches down, we funnel through Boulder Municipal into a cab and I won't be the first one to speak. I take one earpod out just in case, which Dad takes as an invitation. "Just got a text from Mr. Reed, and I hope you're hungry Bug, because there. will. be. pie." He beams as though this is some great revelation, elaborating "He's got this wild recipe with earl grey in the crust and lemon zest in the filling, it's award-winning. Seriously! He enters it in the local contest every other year and it's only lost once!"

Despite how riveting my father finds Mr. Reed and his Great British baking exploits, I do not, and apparently it shows as his smile tamps down to a simper. "Sweetie, I'm really trying here. I can't convince you it's gonna be the best Christmas ever, hey, we'll probably both have altitude sickness the entire time, but let's just make an attempt, okay? Nothing has to be perfect." He's an idiot but he's right and I agree. "Okay, yeah. I'll be nice." I sigh "That pie does sound pretty good, I guess..."

The cab rolls through the city of Boulder as Lana lilts gently in my earpods about 'haaa-aa-ow toooo disappear~' and maybe this trip won't be so bad after all.

We're finally dropped at the gate to Mr. Reed's house and -you're fucking kidding me- his driveway, long and winding, is gravel. I wince inwardly at the realization that I'll have to lug two wheeled suitcases up that path and flash Dad a fake 'I'm so glad We're doing this' smile before yanking them out of the trunk and making my way up to the stoop. This pie better be incredible.

Once Dad and I are situated on the stoop, out of breath and travel-weary, I assault Mr. Reed's doorbell. It's cold and I need a shower.

ding. .... nothing. ding-ding. nope. dingdingdingdingdingdingdingding-

The door opens, finally, and a sweet-looking older man in a well composed cardigan-button down combo and jeans steps out to greet us, smiling bright as his eyes fall on Dad.

"Jonathan!!"

"Reed!!"

Laughter ensues as I observe their embrace, holding back a heavy eyeroll. Somehow I am already third-wheeling.

"Oh my god, Mr. Reed, you remember (y/n)? She's just finished a semester at Oxford!" Dad smirks, gesturing to me and I give a shy wave as Mr. Reed's eyes scan over me, widening in surprise.

"(y/n)? As in, little (y/n), (y/n) who was- ?" He holds his hand flat, bringing it down by his knee as he looks between me and dad in disbelief.

"The very same, can you believe it?"

I purse my mouth into a smile, just completely overwhelmed by how awkward this interaction is.

"Well look at you! You've certainly grown up, haven't you?"

"I suppose so!" my best fake laugh.

Mr. Reed's eyes trace my form again and he pulls me into a quick side hug. He's warm and smells like lemon zest, vanilla extract.

"Let's get you two in then, supposed to be a blizzard tonight."

He grabs one of my suitcases and we follow him as he shuffles back inside.

His house is simple and a little cramped, but I do smell pie. 'Bless This Mess' reads a framed piece of embroidery on the wall, and if there is a God, I hope he does.

We toss our bags into our respective guest rooms at the top of the stairs and I finally get to take my shower before making a way back downstairs to the dining room.

We sit through a meal -shepherd's pie, what is it with this guy and pie?- and my dad and Mr. Reed discuss people they both know who died or lived or have moved or haven't moved and I am in hell until-

"Little after dinner drink then?"

My eyes snap up from my plate to meet his, a small smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. His eyes crinkle at the ends when he smiles, warm and comforting and it occurs to me for the first time that Mr. Reed is...handsome... If he were 20 years younger he'd definitely be my type, in fact...

"Alright! So that's one, me makes two, Jonathan, little shiraz with your pie?"

"Well how could I say no to such a generous offer?" Dad beams.

We move back into the living room and sip and I pick at the pie. It is good and after a glass and a half of shiraz Mr. Reed looks just as appetizing, but I decide I'm not going to eye-fuck this old man in front of my father, or at least not in an obvious way.

So I sit, tepid, on my phone and pretend not to be bothered by the lack of service while I half listen to their conversation, looking up strategically to ogle Mr. Reed every now and then. His eyes find mine and I watch him nibble at his lip and does he know?

"So then (y/n), Oxford, hm?"

"Uhm, yeah, I'm in their creative writing MFA program right now... its... interesting."

"Interesting boring or interesting incredible?" He crosses one leg over the other and leans in, attentive.

"Uh, I mean it's going well, people in my classes are a little...er.. pretentious..?" I giggle, nervous.

"Exactly as I remember it, then!" He laughs loudly, and dad joins in, snickering along. His laughter is infectious and this wine is making me blush and I smile.

"You're an alum?"

"What, the accent didn't give it away?" A chuckle, "Yeah, yeah, I was lucky enough to take about an eon of courses in engineering sciences there, immigrate in the 90s, build this place, blah blah blah, but enough on me, it seems we may just be in the midst of the next great American novelist, eh Jonathan?" A wink.

"I don't know about that," I tear my eyes away from him, focusing in on the details of a floorboard.

"Oh (y/n) don't be modest, Reed you'd love her stuff, she's got some of the most well-metered prose, and-"

"Dad." I warn, eyes wide with embarrassment.

"Oop, sorry bug," He cringes "Didn't mean to dad-out on ya."

"I'd love to read some of your writing sometime, granted you'd be comfortable enough to share." Mr. Reed interjects.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe. Sometime..."

"Can I top you up?"

"Sure." He fills my glass just to the midpoint and does the same for himself.

"Jonathan?" He smirks playfully at dad.

"Ah, I dunno, I should probably be getting some shut-eye actually."

"Aw come on,"

"No, no, these days if im up past 10 with a drink in hand I'll be totally useless the next 24 hours." He stands, patting my shoulder. "Night, y'all. Don't have too much fun without me!" And there go the finger guns so now it's my turn to cringe.

He finally leaves the room and I'm alone with Mr. Reed. There's a heavy silence in the air and I take a small sip of my drink.

"So, (y/n), big on Lana Del Rey I hear?" He smirks.

"One of my favorites." I breathe, forcing a smile.

"Norman Fucking Rockwell or Blue Banisters?"

"NFR."

His eyebrows raise "it's okay to be wrong."

"But I'm not."

"Lust for Life or Born To Die; Paradise Edition?"

"... you ask hard questions, Mr. Reed."

"And you... answer them."

"And if I give you another 'wrong' answer?"

"Why would it matter? Are you trying to impress me?"

"...Paradise." I squint at him.

"Mm, see? We agree on something."

I'm powerless to the smile that forms on my face.

"Yeah?"

He lets out a low laugh. "Yeah,"

"What drew you to her, originally I mean?" He looks me over.

"Well, like a lot of young women I do have the obligatory depression diagnosis and Tumblr account combo, and things spiraled out from there I guess..."

"Ah, and here I thought it was just your ill-suited attraction to old men!" He lets out a warm chuckle at his own joke and I must've misheard him.

"What?" I shift a bit in my place on the couch, called out.

He scoffs. "Come on, (y/n). Let's not play this game. You've been eyeing me up since dinner, sitting there and sipping your drink and sucking berries off your fork in the most salacious way, letting your gaze linger, innocent and doe-eyed yet so apathetic to it all," he rolls his eyes like he might be as well, "when in reality, it seems, correct me if I go wrong, but you've been looking at me all night like you want me to touch you. Is that accurate or am I projecting a fantasy?"

The tip of his tongue trails his lip, my gaze following its path and I'm warm. His eyes search mine, that was supposed to be a question.

"Uhm... no that... that sounds...accurate..." I admit almost silently, eyes boring into the floor as I sheepishly take another sip of my wine.

"Hm. I see. And in front of your father too...tsk, naughty girl. Lucky for you the man's terrible at reading body language or subtext of any variant,"

Mr. Reed rises from his chair across the coffee table and plants himself on the edge of the sofa next to me. "I, however, do not have that problem." I look up at him and his eyes are two blue marbles behind those wireframed glasses, his cheshire smirk enough to melt me, it's overwhelming.

My face grows hot and my body tight as he delicately removes the wineglass from my hand, sets it down on the coffee table, and leans down to kiss me.

He's tender and gentle and his lips are soft, his tongue stained with blueberry filling as it finds mine, and he strokes my cheek. I place a shaky hand on his knee and one of his covers it as he presses his forehead to mine, breaking the spell. "Are you certain this is something you want, (y/n)? I wouldn't want to impose-" I cut him off with another, more assertive kiss because I need this.

The holidays are stressful and I'm horny and he's here. Fuck it.

As we continue making out, Mr. Reed scoots onto the couch beside me and I find his zipper. His dick jumps to meet my hand through the fabric as one of his hands slips under my sweater and he moans at the softness of my breast.

I pull away to unzip his pants and stroke him a couple times before moving to kneel between his legs. I look up to him, reverent, then back down to his cock, throbbing in hand. Giving him a few steady strokes, I lean forward, parting my lips.

"Can I?" I blink.

He nods eagerly, transfixed.

I take as much of him into my mouth as I can and swallow as his tip hits the back of my throat.

I hear him suck in a breath and his hands find my hair as I start to bob my head over the length of him, holding his balls with one hand and methodically stroking his base with the other. His breath catches, ragged and I feel him spasm in my mouth. I need him. I finally come up for air with a gasp and wipe a tendril of spit off my lower lip as I look up at him. "Mr. Reed, I want to fuck you," I breathe.

"Well all you had to do was ask," he sighs and I pull myself up off the floor, undoing my jeans and tugging them off my legs as quickly as I can before tearing off my sweater and within seconds I'm standing before him in just my panties and bralette. His eyes trail over me. His teeth sink into his lower lip as a hand wraps around his dick and I place a knee on either side of his legs, straddling him. Fair is fair and my fingers slip under the hem of my panties so I can work myself for him as he takes me in.

"How do you want me?"

"Turn around."

I follow his blunt instruction and as I do his fingers hook into either side of my panties, pulling the dampened fabric down my legs.

"Now, you're going to squat down for me... slowly."

I do as I'm told and he guides my hips, lining himself up with my center. Mr. Reed rests his hands on the tops of my thighs, pushing me further down into his lap and I gasp as I feel him begin to penetrate me. I knew it was big, I mean, he could barely fit in my mouth, but christ. I swivel my hips in an attempt to adjust to him, and hear him draw in a breath.

"(y/n), I want you to bounce for me, and you. will. not. make. a sound. understood?"

"Y-yes Mr. Reed."

I start to raise and lower myself slowly on him and gasp sharply as I feel myself tense. He holds me steady by my biceps and guides me up and down.

"Good, that's- ohh that is good, just keep going... mm, mhm, just. like. that. you. Are. Brilliant..." he murmurs, squeezing my ass and I bite back a moan

"Shhhh-shh..."

"Ssorry Mr. Reed," I manage quietly.

He continues to guide my movements, faster now, and I watch his head tip against the back of the couch. His cock twitches inside me and gasp sharply.

"(y/n), stand for me?" And I do.

He turns me around by my hips and I blink down at Mr. Reed and he's panting, glasses perched on top of his head, looking me over hungrily.

"Lay back on the couch here, pet."

He sets a pillow down for me to rest my head on and I do as he says, watching him part my legs, settling between them as he presses gentle kisses up my inner thighs, staring intently into my eyes as he does.

He hovers over my core and I gasp at the warmth of his breath. I watch Mr. Reed's eyes close for a moment as he inhales the scent of my sex and smirks to himself.

"Does your pussy taste like Pepsi Cola then, (y/n)?" He lets out a low chuckle at his own corny little quip, bringing his mouth closer "Shall we find out?"

He pins my thighs open and slowly licks a wide stripe up my vulva from entrance to clit. I can't hold back the whimper that slips from me at the heat of his tongue, and it's even harder to silence msyelf when he dips two fingers into me, curling the pads of his fingertips just slightly as he steadily works me, his tongue moving in a synced rythym against my clit.

The sensation is almost too much and I gasp as I feel myself spasm a couple times around his fingers. He hums into me and the vibration sends a shudder through my body. He tilts his head up, panting as he continues fingering me, and my hips arch up to meet his hand.

He removes his fingers, pressing them against the plush of my lower lip and into my mouth. I suck and lick impatiently, and before long his mouth is on mine again as I feel his cock slip back into me. I can't help the soft moan that escapes my lips as he begins to slowly rock his hips into mine.

"Mister Reed?" I breathe

"Mm?"

"It's... you're just...so big...." He smirks.

"Oh, I'm aware dear." He picks up his pace some "You're taking me so well, though..." he presses a kiss into the side of my neck and I gasp.

"Being so good for me..."

A loud creak interrupts us from overhead and Mr. Reed stops moving, eyes glued upwards as he clamps his hand over my mouth.

Heavy footsteps make the floorboards groan above us as he slowly starts to fuck me again and I take in a sharp breath through my nostrils, looking up at him, panicked.

"Shhh, shh-" another low creak.

Mr. Reed quickens his thrusts and I involuntarily whine against his hand which finds it's way to my neck instantly, holding firm.

"I said. Be quiet." He whispers sternly.

I bite my lip in an effort not to cry out, nodding and I begin to feel that familiar tension coiling inside as he bucks into me, my mind going totally blank at the way his hand feels wrapped around my throat.

The footsteps and floorboards finally stop, his grip on my neck releases some, and a warm haze overtakes my body as he continues to forcefully piston into me. I feel myself starting to tense up and struggle for breath as I unwind completely under him.

Seconds later, Mr. Reed lets out a low groan and I feel his orgasm pulse out acutely within me as I weather my own.

We lay there for a few minutes and as we come down together, the weight of our indiscretion settles in some.

I've just fucked my dad's best friend. Three days before Christmas. And I liked it. A lot.

"Needed.. that..." I huff.

"I could tell," he chortles.

Mr. Reed slips out of me, grabbing one of the discarded linen napkins from the coffee table to clean himself off with, before gently tucking it between my legs.

"Oh, and... it does, by the way."

Part 2❄️

[shadowmaat]

Drink Caf and Know Things (or not)

Rex sat in the tiny caf shop, nursing a caf long gone cold. His head was too full for the rowdiness of 79's, and alcohol wouldn't mix well with his emotions anyway, even if Skywalker had given them all vouchers. Fives was dead, and they only had this last night to mourn him before they shipped out again in the morning.

The bell above the door jingled and Rex looked up. A familiar face slouched in, nodded at him, and headed for the register. His hands tightened around his mug. Naturally Fox would find him here. The bastard had eyes everywhere.

At least Fox was in his civvies; a ratty, oversized hoodie advertising Mercy's Garage, a pair of equally ratty jeans, and boots he'd probably confiscated from a natborn officer.

Steaming caf in hand, Fox made his way over to Rex's table and sat.

"Captain," he said, sipping his drink and sighing in appreciation.

"Commander," Rex replied, wary.

"Thanks for submitting that report," Fox said. "I know it isn't easy when it's one of your own that turns."

"Yeah." Rex grimaced, then grimaced again as he took a sip of his own stone-cold caf. "First Cody's man, Slick, and now this." He took another sip.

"I'll forward you my own report once I've got everything analyzed."

And that was Fox to a T: meticulous attention to detail, bordering on obsessive, at times. It had only gotten worse on Coruscant, where bureaucracy was the lifeblood of the upper echelons of power.

"Appreciate it." Rex abandoned his mug and rubbed his temples. "I just wish I could understand why. He was a good soldier until this. A little annoying at times, but who isn't?"

Fox snorted. "That way lies madness, Cap. Everyone has a cracking point, and with the way this war is dragging on..." He shrugged.

Anger washed through him, along with the pulsing mantra of Why Fives? that had been a constant in his head since this shitshow had begun.

"And that thing about us having chips in our head." He let out a huff of frustration, and glanced up to see Fox watching him with sharp-eyed attention that immediately disappeared under a veneer of indifference.

"Anything to that?" Fox took another swig of coffee.

Rex frowned at him, not allowing himself to be distracted by the faint whiff of vanilla coming from Fox's mug.

"No," he said, watching the Commander closely. "I had Kix look through all his records. Plenty of scans showing plenty of brain trauma, a couple cases of parasites I don't want to think about, and one trooper who got a piece of shrapnel embedded in his skull, but nothing that looked like a chip."

There was a brief flash of disappointment, there and gone so fast Rex wondered if he imagined it. Fox nodded.

"Right. Well, if you hear any more, my inbox is always open." He stood, gulping down the rest of his vanilla latte and setting the mug on the table. "I'll let you get back to your brooding."

Rex scowled up at him. "I'm not brooding!"

He wasn't. There was a difference between brooding and thinking deeply on something important.

"Whatever you say, Captain Broody."

Rex threw a sugar packet at him as he headed for the door, but the bastard actually caught it.

"Oh, and Rex?" Fox turned back to look at him, all hint of amusement gone. "I am sorry. It's never easy having to put down one of our own."

Rex shrugged, the grief heavy in his chest. "He tried to kill the Chancellor. You had your orders."

"Yeah, I did." The bell jingled as Fox opened the door. "Doesn't mean it was right."

He was gone before Rex could think of a response.

Taking both mugs back to the counter, Rex puzzled over Fox's behavior. Was the Commander acting weird or was he just imagining things? Like Fives had been imagining things. Ugh.

He got a fresh caf, a vanilla latte this time, and headed back to his table to broo- to think. Was this the end of it, or just the beginning?

[edgeray]

Ray! 🍅 anon here, I said I wasn't going to request but there's one idea I've been really, REALLY itching at.

So you know how you reblogged "cold nights" by beiibeii? Yeah about that... I think I cooked an angst idea of this on a related tangent? (If you choose to write this, ofc)

How about Mother!Reader who is faced with the same scenario of Arle neglecting them to the point that she loses hope in their relationship? Think of the angst when the children constantly remind their Father of important dates but she's away or somehow missing most of them because of work. To the point reader just implies for them to stop trying and accepts the fact that they married Arlecchino but is now simply the Knave's wife? Like even the children can see them losing hope which is why they sometimes lowkey plead with their Father to actually pay more attention to Mother. Mother marrying Father means that Mother is strong but behind their strong facade you can see their sadness! You can feel their loneliness! And their sense of isolation and sorrowful acceptance of their new reality. And Arle does not pick up on the subtle signs until it's Too Late. Like. Reader in the coffin Late.

And as the Knave's wife Reader does need to undertake missions like in "I am Fine in Your Arms" but because reader has lost so much hope in living a wife outside of being the Knave's wife, reader does not make an effort to return alive. The angst of the burial, maybe the children blaming their Father etc. The really young ones aside, I don't think they would be actively angry with their Father, just very, VERY, disappointed. HotH would lose its warmth for a while before Lyney, Lynette and Freminet try their best to build it back (but of course, it never becomes as warm as it used to be)

Whether or not you choose to give this one a happy ending is up to you, but on my end the only happy ending that I cooked up for them is that Arle wakes up in the next Samsara with all these memories of losing Reader and prevents the relationship from going South in the first place. (Bonus points if Reader also has the memories and compares it to how they were treated by Arle previously, makes a comparison, and goes "How I wish this were my Arle" without knowing that it actually IS their Arle, just acknowledging she fucked up BIG time and is now making heavy amends for it. and Arle Knows because of that look that Reader gives her, sorrow and joy in a complex blend.)

...I think by now you can tell that I'm an angst writer too HAHSHHSHA Nobody leaves my fics without getting a knife and I promise it's just for the plot (like we always say).

I've still been keeping up with your writings (Beauty and The Beast actually fits, holy-) (Someone send Siren!Arle a whole farmhouse of ham for her consumption please) and yes I agree that you've been pumping out bangers after bangers. (I mean. Given that, you probably can afford to be a little indulgent? If writing this much quality about your muse doesn't give you the OK to put your hands all over them, abs and all, what does?)

As always, prioritise your sanity and schedule first, stay well rested and hydrated!

Lost Warmth

(Arlecchino x GN! Reader)

A/N -  Link to my momma's (@beiibeiii) piece right here. If I see you read this before reading the masterpiece I just linked, know that I am a very disappointed axolotl. 😔  Anyways, you might be able to tell just how long this has been sitting in my inbox… haha… my bad guys. T^T. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write more angst. :3 And thank you for the additional comments 🍅 anon. I do have quite a soft spot for siren! arle, seeing that she was my first request (and requested from my momma :3). Wanted this to be a little longer, but I do have to wake up earlier tomorrow, so this is what you get T^T. Hopefully it's still good. Content warnings / info - angst, character death (duh), reader is referred to as ‘Mother’ but is otherwise GN!, 1.4k words

Cold is a feeling you've long gotten used to. Cold is your husband's dismissal of your existence, with every interaction ending with her blunt words and back towards you, leaving you with a crumbling heart. Cold are the long nights as you anxiously wait for Arlecchino's appearance for a candlelit dinner you spent half the day preparing, only for her never to return until you fell to exhaustion on the couch, a flower bouquet that remains unreceived in your hands. Cold is the creeping loneliness in the late hours of the night, when you've finally grown tired of anticipating someone that will never come, and returned to bed alone. Cold is the way you shiver underneath the thickest of blankets, no one's body warmth to sink into, no one's softly whispered words into your ear to drift you to sleep. Cold is when instead of your husband, only dim stars, a bottle of liquor, and the tears that stream your face join you in bed.

When was the last time you had felt warmth? 

You recall when the Knave first started courting you, how gentlemanly she was for such a rumored cruel Harbinger. You were first just a caretaker of the House of the Hearth, this small orphanage which you quickly found to be home for you. You couldn't help but adore the endearing children, watching as you slowly became a staple in this family. Despite your best efforts of hiding it, Arlecchino noticed when you snuck in the occasional pastry or cake from the town's most lavious bakery for the children, out of your own paycheck as well. It was then, your husband admitted, when she first fell for you. It had taken her months of encouragement from her ‘pestering’ children before she asked you out, and it was impossible to not fall for her charm.

How could you not? Not when she held you like you were her world. Not when she viewed you higher than the Tsaritsa herself. Not when her touch was heavenly, her words silky and sweet. When she proposed to you, your heart leapt with levity, and you thought your life was perfect now. A warm house, fitted with warm parents, that was what you had had, you had never felt so content. 

Then came the long nights. Nights when she trudged home later than usual, where she fell asleep without a word but sunk into your arms still. Then she started forgetting, forgetting about the dates and birthdays, and anniversaries more and more. At first, you chalked it up to her demanding Harbinger duties, but as time grew and the excuses started to run out, the perfect life you knew was crumbling. 

You became aware of this two years after your marriage when you had been preparing dinner for the two of you once she arrived home, slow cooking a steak since the early hours of the morning. Just as you exited the kitchen, you heard some children surrounding your husband before she left for another Harbinger meeting, telling her that you had a surprise for her once she came home and how excited you were for her to enjoy a new recipe you created. Your heart swelled with hope and appreciation for your children, especially when Arlecchino promised she would return in time. 

You should have known better.

You ate your tear-ridden steak alone and went to bed, leaving the steak out for her for whenever she returned home. Just like how you fell asleep, you woke up without your husband's presence, and when you arrived at the kitchen, the meat and the note besides the plate were untouched. 

You tried to eat the cold steak for lunch as well. You threw it away at the first bite. That day, you gathered your children, pleading them not to ‘pester’ Father with more reminders, as she was very busy. All that you gained back from the children was pitied expressions, and the agony in your chest worsened. Your children could pity you, but your husband couldn't? Even with your husband's coldness, you still carried out your Mother role, if only for the children. You cannot deny that the children's antics helped you forget the ever-present void inside you, caused by Arlecchino. 

You never learned the reason for Arlecchino's behavior, why she had grown so cold towards you. Now, you suppose, you would never know.  

Red fills your hazy vision as you lay on the ground, your entire body aching and fatigued, desperate gasps for air while your heart pounds in your eardrums. Your side was sliced, and the crimson liquid quickly poured out of the wound while you tried to stop the bleeding, but to no avail. 

This is your end, you think to yourself as you weakly turn on your side, every nerve in your body protesting against the movement. Your bloodied hand comes into view, your engagement and wedding ring gleaming slightly underneath the blood. The rings bring your thoughts to Arlecchino–oh, how you imagine the common disappointment in her otherwise apathetic expression, disappointment at your mission's failure. Your eyes bubbled and blurred with tears, vivid memories of your wedding flashing through your mind. The wedding ring is beautiful, still polished with that bold scarlet, the same color of her eyes, the same eyes you could never stop drowning in.

Would she even know your absence? Would she ever acknowledge you, treat you properly like her partner even if you did return? You doubt it. Did you want to return a cold bed, to a husband that does not love you, to a house no longer warm? 

It's warm. 

Your body feels like fire courses through your veins as you feel inexplicably hot, yet it's a welcomed heat. It's the first time you've felt this, but it feels familiar, comforting, like a hearth, and you want nothing more than to surrender to it. It soothes your heartbeat and calms your breath, easing your body as if you were to sink into the most plush of beds, swallowed by the thickest of blankets. The warmth coils around you, wrapping you like a cozy embrace, evoking you to sleep. Your eyes flutter shutter, a faint smile plastered on your lips.

It feels just like Peruere's arms. 

— 

Arlecchino receives a letter addressed to her on the third day you've been sent on a mission. The contents make her drop the paper, and she rushes outside, without an additional word, leaving the House. 

The children do not see her until she returns late into the night, a body wrapped in cloth in her arms. Arlecchino raised her children to be smart, to be attentive, to be logical. Whose body it is, they realize with little difficulty. 

The children weep that night. Arlecchino does not. How can she, when her source of emotions is gone? 

The burial takes place soon afterwards. As your body is placed into the ground, Arlecchino can feel the weight of her children's stare on her back. The charged tension between her and the children is palpable without words. She cannot discern which of the two reactions cut deeper. The seething fury underneath the oppressive grief for the young ones, having to lose another parent, or the crushing dismay inhabited by the older ones, specifically the twins and Freminet. 

Their thoughts are clear, even when none of them speak out loud. 

How could you fail Mother?

The House of the Hearth no longer suits the orphanage's name, not with your missing presence. There is no warmth, no matter how much the trio tries to fuel a lost flame. Even with Arlecchin's pyro vision, it is futile.

Arlecchino stands before your gravestone, a bouquet of your favorite flowers in her hand, and she rests it beside the other bouquets by your grave. Six bouquets in total, for each day after your burial. 

“For all the flowers, I should have given you, my love,” she whispers as she addresses you, glancing up to the heavens. The last two words make her feel like a fraud, undeserving of calling you hers, when she had clearly never shown so. 

Arlecchino, the Knave, the Fatui Harbinger, does not plead, does not beg, does not kneel. However, her knees drop to her dirt, and she grovels. “Please… wait for me one more time, my dear. Once I meet you again, I promise I'll never leave you alone, I'll never let you out of my arms again.”

There is no reply. 

Arlecchino feels cold. 

[hypnzo]

hi can you make a fic with Nico that’s like the “shower of affection “just relax”” one you made with Percy please?

Your hands are cold ; but your hold is warm

Nico D'Angelo x Reader (implied male reader)

Warning !! English is not my first language and there might be some mischaracterization.

The past few weeks were nothing but hell to you. Everyone just seems to know how to push your buttons and with the upcoming mission after another, it just completely threw you over the edge of insanity.

Lying your back on the bed, all you could do was sigh as you tried to close your eyes in hopes to distract your senses away from the sickening headache that was starting to form.

You snuggled close against the blanket and pillows that your boyfriend, Nico D'Angelo, had gotten a while ago. Its fabrics were subtly wrinkly but it still provided the same comfort and warmth like before.

You were waiting for him in his cabin, though you felt like you could pass out anytime soon.

It was unlike you to visit and sleep in his cabin knowing the rules, but you weren't feeling like going back to your cabin. It felt like it was overcrowded and messy with all your siblings doing their own bunch of nonsense.

Closing your eyes didn't really seem to help you much. You missed your boyfriend but you also couldn't handle the growing headache that was consuming your every energy.

Suddenly, you heard the cabin door open and you immediately shot your eyes close to "sleep", hoping to fool whoever entered the cabin.

You were secretly praying internally that it wasn't Mr. D or anyone else that might've reported you or cursed you out of the cabin because of some shit rules...

“I've been looking everywhere for you.” you heard a voice that was neither of the people you were hoping to not enter the cabin, though it was really familiar.

“...” Silence erupted and you felt the person walk closer towards the bed like it was eyeing on you. Your eyes remained close but it was hard pretending that you were asleep when your headache was outting you!

Your brows furrowed after your headache throbbed another excruciating pain and the silence started to feel awkward especially when you felt eyes on you.

“I know you're not sleeping, dumbass.”

The nickname itself already made it familliar for you to guess who it was as your eyes shot open and you saw your boyfriend staring at you with a raised brow like he wanted to question something.

“Nico,” you blinked and sat up though you faltered a little bit as you tried to keep your headache in touch.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, though his tone was a bit unreadable.

“What, can I not stay in my boyfriend's cabin now?” you looked at him, feigning offense—no, actually, you were a bit offended.

“Can we not twist my words?” he feigned some sort of tone that you couldn't read into as he crossed his arms before he continued. “I was only asking since you weren't at our usual spot. What happened?”

“Oh that, yeah.. Uh, sorry Nico, I didn't mean to forget about our plans.” you sighed, feeling embarrassed and guilty.

He stayed silent, waiting for you to continue your story and you had no choice but to tell him. You knew he'd listen, but if you were being honest, it felt like your energy was sucked out of you.

“My day was just really annoying—not even my day, my whole week was practically horrible,” you started your rant as you rubbed your temples before continuing your complaint, “I guess I was too tired to realize about our plans and... I'm just really exhausted.”

“I swear it wasn't intentional. I understand if you think it wasn't a proper reason to just leave you hanging like that.”

“Huh?”

“Huh what?”

“Why would you think that?”

You looked at him, giving him nothing but only a sheepish smile in hand, murmuring those three words your mouth just seems to know—“...I don't know?”

After a few moments, he left the room and you weren't sure why. Honestly, inside your head, you couldn't really blame him. You thought to yourself about how stupid that response was.

Leaning back into the bed, you sighed, thinking your boyfriend just didn't care anymore or was probably even a little annoyed for suddenly ditching him.

You heard his footsteps again and you heard something click on the nightstand.

You turned around and saw the cup of water he just poured out along with some medications? You squinted a little and saw it was those kinds that were specifically for headaches.

“How'd you know I was having a headache?”

“Because whenever something like this happens, you always get a raging headache?” he raised a brow with his tone being a little sassy if your mind wasn't playing tricks on you for a moment.

“I'm so flattered.”

He didn't say anything but he gave you the medication, but you cut through before he could even give you the medication.

“Uh, I'd really appreciate it if you said something.”

Silence hardened through the air between the two of you, though it started to break its barrier when you saw him twitching a smile.

“Hey, I see that smile.”

“Just drink your medicine, idiot.” he smiled a little and that was more than enough for you.

Smiling, you took the medicine from his hand, drowning it down with the water he had placed on the nightstand.

“Nico?” you called out while you walked through the cabin. Technically you were supposed to be asleep, but for some reason you couldn't.

You couldn't find him anywhere, so you came to the conclusion that he just left the cabin, leaving you alone, so you had no other choice other than to lay on the bed, feeling bummed out.

You were already missing your boyfriend's presence, most especially as you hug the pillow he had given you earlier—its printed skull design along with the soft black fabric reminded you of him, a lot.

Maybe you were missing him a little too much.

You closed your eyes, trying to lull yourself to sleep when you suddenly felt him close—walking towards you, you guessed.

“Are you asleep?” he asked with a curious tone which made you wonder if he was raising his brow like he always does whenever he uses that specific tone.

“Yeah. The only way to wake me up is to give me a kiss.”

He tried his best not to cackle out a laugh, hoping to not even breathe out a tiny bit of breath that will catch him lacking. Clearing his throat, “Goodnight, then.”

“Hey, you're no fun!” you jolted awake, only to see him sitting beside you when you thought he left.

“Oh.”

He cupped your face, feeling your warmth mix with his cold hands, though you leaned against his palm either way.

“Nico–”

Wasting not much time, he leaned in, pressing a quick kiss on your lips which silenced you.

You couldn't help but lean in more, stealing a few more kisses from him than intended, though you both accepted each other's affection while you both held each other.

“What happened to your headache?”

“You melted it away.”

”Gods, you're corny.”

You pouted, but you immediately stole another kiss on his temple before he stopped you soon after your lips met his once more.

“Let's go,” he suddenly said, holding your hands gently in his.

“What? Is this another mission? Wow, you deceived me. But I guess a few kisses was worth it...”

“You're so dramatic... You know I wouldn't.”

“Who knows?”

You felt him glance at you from the side, feeling the erupting offense he felt from your words but he decided to let it through.

Your boyfriend could be a bit unpredictable at times, but you wouldn't have it any other way. Though, you were surprised when you saw the bath he prepared for you.

Well originally, it was only supposed to be for you since he knew how much it calmed your nerves whenever you were having a rough day.

Not until you told him to join you.

“What?”

“Join me.”

“...” silence began once more, staring at you in disbelief as you already started to undress, tossing your clothes gently somewhere.

“Do you really not want to?” you feigned a pout to hook him in. There wasn't really any reason why, but all you knew was that you wanted your boyfriend to be by your side, even if it's something as simple as this.

You heard a sigh from him as he began to undress as well before he joined the bathtub with you.

“This was supposed to be for you, y'know.” he said, raising a brow, the water arising near both of your pecs

You only shrugged at his words before tugging him closer to you, wrapping your arms around him as you rested your head on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Nico,” you murmured against his shoulder as you pressed soft kisses on his neck.

You felt his arms wrap around you, his cold thumb soothingly running across your back as he pressed a kiss on your head, and you felt yourself calming down.

You began to slowly forget all the hells you've been through for the past few weeks, your headache softening under his hold.

Though he felt subtly colder than you were, there was still a loving warmth that enveloped you all over.

You tilted your head to properly adjust yourself to look at him. You smiled exhaustedly, his hold never faltering its gentle firmness around you.

Without much word, you pulled his face closer to yours as you leaned in a much slower kiss than before, taking your time to pour out your affection.

“I love you. Thank you.” you murmured against his lips, ending your words with another quick peck which made him smile.

“I love you, too. Do you feel any better?”

“So much better...” you sighed, leaning your weight on him, pressing your head near his chest, locking in your ears against his heartbeat.

Have a request? Feel free to send one in!

[apomaro-mellow]

Wrong Number 3

(2:21 am) I just realized something (2:21 am) Ur a cooking teacher (2:22 am) Who can't fry a egg (2:23 am) You're a fraud 🫵

[7:29 am] I can fry an egg just fine I just can't make the yolks runny. It's too hard to time it right. And why are you up thinking about eggs at 2 am?

(7:47 am) I was up thinking about you at 2 am

Steve felt his stomach flip as he sipped his coffee and set his belongings down in his classroom. Eddie didn't play games. He always said exactly what he was thinking. And it drew Steve wild.

(7:48 am) And about how your students might clown on you for not being able to scramble an egg

[7:49] Aww you're worried about me?

(7:49 am) Kids can be little monsters (7:50 am) Actually how old are the little monsters you teach?

[7:51] Youngest is 6 and oldest is 14. Speaking of, they'll be arriving soon so...

(7:52 am) Godspeed you academic warrior

Eddie didn't typically text so late on weeknights. Not since learning Steve was a teacher. It was just that he truly HAD been up and thinking of him. Steve drove him crazy and he thought he was doing a good job keeping a lid on it. 2 am texts were what happened when the lid got loose but Steve didn't seem put off by it.

At about half past three, Steve called him. Eddie was glad he made that leap with his first call. The sound of Steve's voice never failed to warm him through. Eddie was in the middle of collecting axes for sharpening at the end of his shift.

"What's cookin' good lookin'?", Eddie greeted as he picked up.

"Today was good. Had a really riveting conversation about meatloaf versus pate with the kids", Steve said.

"Meatloaf rocks and pate is just cold meatloaf for rich people. End of discussion."

"Well, we talked about it for like fifteen minutes. Had a real interesting tangent on forcemeats in general."

Eddie paused. "Excuse me?"

"You'd be surprised at what kids are into. This one I taught last year was really into rice-"

"I need you to backtrack just a bit. 'Forcemeat'?"

"Yeah it's-oh grow up", Steve chided while shaking his head. He had just gotten home and was taking off his work clothes for something more comfortable. He thought about what Eddie might think he'd look nice in. "Not even my 12 year olds are this childish."

There was something about the way Steve talked about his students. Like they were his actual children. The conversation continued for a few minutes more before Steve suddenly had to hang up. Eddie tried not to think much of it, but it wasn't the first time that it had happened.

Steve ended the call just as Robin came into the apartment. She narrowed her eyes at him, then looked to the phone in his hand. Steve hid it behind his back and winced at practically telling on himself.

"You're hiding something."

"No I'm not."

"And now you're lying to me."

"No I'm not!"

Robin pounced and wrestled him for the phone. It wasn't a real fight of course. Steve could've pinned her in seconds but a part of him was tired of keeping the secret. And obviously, she knew how to unlock his phone.

"Who's Eddie?", she asked, sitting on his back triumphantly.

"A guy."

"Thank you, I had no idea it could be a man's name. You've been texting him aaaaaaa llllllllllllot."

"Are you reading them!? Robin!"

"Where did you meet him?", Robin said as she got up, continuing to read through their conversations.

"I um, technically, haven't. Yet."

Robin gave him an odd look and Steve spilled everything to her. To her credit, Robin listened to the full story before throwing one of the couch pillows at him.

"Stephen Elliott Harrington! Did no one teach you stranger danger? You just kept texting him? And calling? And I saw the pictures you sent. You know he can find out where we live? What if I came home to your skinless corpse??!"

It went on for a while like that and when Robin was finished, she collapsed onto the couch. Steve sat across from her on the coffee table. He waited for her to silently process it all.

"You think he's cute?"

"What I've seen of him, yeah."

Robin sighed. "I can't believe you're turning into the guy who has a internet girlfriend."

Steve rolled his eyes but then balked when she started to read through his messages again.

"And I can't believe you haven't even started flirting yet."

"I've been flirting with him the whole time!" Maybe not the whole time but-

"You're giving him Diet Steve. Why are you holding back?"

Steve shrugged, looking sheepish now. Now Robin was rolling her eyes.

"Steve, we're getting you a date."

"But he's-"

"A virtual one. Jesus is he an axe murderer?", Robin said as she looked to one of the texts.

"No, he just works with them. Axes! Not murderers."

--------------------------------

Eddie was about to sit down to a movie when his phone buzzed.

[5:17 pm] Thinking about you.

Oh. Now that was some text to get.

(5:18 pm) Oh yeah? (5:18 pm) What about me?

Steve looked to Robin. They were sitting cross-legged next to each other on his bed.

"What do I say?"

"Be honest, duh."

"If I'm honest I'm gonna talk about his hands."

Robin shook her hands at him like she wanted to wring his neck. Steve got the idea and decided to put himself out there.

[5:21 pm] Your hands. I think about them a lot actually

Eddie had not given his own hands much thought. But knowing that Steve admired them, he gave them a second look. He thought about them gripping Steve's thighs.

(5:23) You're gonna make me blush (5:24) What would you do with my hands Stevie?

Steve panicked and looked to Robin. "Are we sexting? Is he getting me to sext?"

"That's the idea, dingus. I said I was getting you a date. Now tell him what you want him to do."

"I don't know I'd....I'd want to..." Steve trailed off, looking at his phone while the fingers of his other hand brushed against his lips.

Robin stole the phone from him again and started typing. "'First...I'd suck..on them'."

"Robin!"

"Is that not what you want?"

Steve shrugged and Robin continued. "You've got me on the clock for five more minutes before I go out. You dictate, I'll type."

Steve hated how much he liked the idea. Especially when he heard the ping of Eddie's reply. "What did he say?"

Robin cleared her throat. "'Yeah? You wanna suck on them? I bet you got a beautiful mouth.' Oh he's good."

"Yeah", Steve breathed out. "Really good." He thought about Eddie sticking his fingers in and pressing down on his tongue, his rings tasting metallic and so nice.

"'I wanna choke on them'", Robin said out loud as she typed. "Is it too soon to call him Daddy?"

"What?!" That snapped Steve out of it.

"Oh come on. Tattoos, the hair, his job. He wants to be called Daddy."

"Robin don't call him Daddy."

"Pops?"

Steve took his phone from her and looked to Eddie's reply.

(5:30 pm) I'd only choke you if you were being bad (5:30 pm) Are you gonna be bad baby?

[5:31 pm] Maybe. I can be good too. So good.

(5:32 pm) Lemme call you baby wanna hear you

Steve dialed without hesitation just as Robin was leaving. Her work was done.

"Don't get murdered while I'm out!", she shouted just as Eddie picked up.

"Hey pretty baby", Eddie said.

"Hey. You said you wanted to hear me?"

"Yeah. I wanna hear you say those things with your own voice."

"Like how I wanna choke on your fingers? Among other things?"

Steve could hear Eddie let out a breath on the other end. The power he felt right now was intoxicating.

"Bet you'd look so good on your knees."

Steve hummed while pressing his fingertips to his lips. If Eddie asked, he'd suck on them. Let the wet noises fill his ears, let Eddie know how good he could be.

"Darlin' you went quiet."

"I'm thinking", Steve said, laying down on his bed. "I wanna show you, Eddie."

Eddie swallowed. This man would be the death of him. He'd nearly jerked off to just a picture of his fully clothed lower half. If he saw more...if he saw everything-

"Eddie! We've got a Code Red!"

"Jesus! Knock!"

Steve sat up quick at the shouting coming from Eddie's end. It sounded like someone had barged in.

"Eddie?"

"Sorry. Sorry Steve. I gotta handle something. Um, call you back? Please?"

"Eddie, I want to video call you."

"V..video...?"

"Yes. I wanna see you. Please."

"Yes. Yes, a thousand times-hold your horses! Uh, tomorrow? It's Saturday, so you're free, right? Can we make it a date?"

"A date", Steve nodded. "I'll see you then. I'll be thinking of you."

"And I'll be counting the seconds. 1-one thousand, 2-one thousand, 3-one th-ouch! Okay! Damn!"

Eddie hung up and Steve still had the phone to his ear, smiling. He had a video call date. He had a date with Eddie!

Shit what should he wear?

Part 5

Tag Team (CLOSED)

@anne-bennett-cosplayer @estrellami-1 @newtstabber @omletlove @ifyoudonlysurrender @rehfan @morganski-19 @corvidcantina @dragonmama76 @just-ladyme @tinyplanet95 @goodolefashionedloverboi @idoquitelikebread @kittydeadbones @manda-panda-monium @rhapsodyinalto @paintsplatteredandimperfect @keylime-green @ihavekidneys @samsoble @honorarybrit81 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @aizawa-emma @deleataecount @thesuninyaface @fromapayphone @justmeinadaze @hbyrde36 @queenie-ofthe-void @resident-gay-bitch @bestwifehaver @dangdirtydemons @ellietheasexylibrarian @perseus-notjackson @pyrohonk @holysteddie @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @mrsjellymunson @geekymagicalpotato @notaqueenakhaleesi

[lightlycareless]

omgggg, that Toji x reader (*plus* Naoya) was incredibleee, ignore me if you want, I know you made Toji chosing to keep distance from reader and Megumi permanently BUT what if one day he ends up finally seeing Megumi, either personally or by pictures/videos 🥺 We know Megumi it's the spitted image of him, I mean, Gojo's face when he saw him for the first time said it all 😅 And also knowing his baby has the Ten Shadows technique (I cant stop thinking about how proud he was in the canon manga/anime 🥺 he always KNEW from the start Megumi was blessed/gifted, since his first breath, the fact Toji named him is not random) making the entire Zenin clan eat their shit

Heya anon!!

I'm so glad you liked it heheheheheheh a oneshot that I didn't intend to write but it just happened!! aren't we glad it did? lol

I didn't mean to ignore you, I was only focusing on other things first 😅 oof, I still have lots of request to go through, which I plan to do it slowly but surely...

Anyways, I might've not gone down that route, however... why not something angsty? I mean 😏I've had this in my mind so... yeah 😏😏😏😏😏😏😏

Warnings: mentions of infidelity. Pregnancy. Naoya is, unfortunately, a prick. this is the oneshot anon is talking about. 100% read that first hehe. this is an AU from that, so the second part doesn't count??? I guess. excuse the proofreading. also I haven't written toji that much so please excuse my oocness as well ahahahahha :')

Happy reading!

As much as the three hoped to ignore the bases of your pregnancy, behave as it didn’t rise from an adulterous act, a direct transgression to the principles of the Zen’in, and keep it a secret, it wouldn’t take long before the guilt in each other’s mind began to weight heavy on their mind, ultimately betraying them and revealing the truth to the light, excusing the angered elders to finally get rid of two birds with one stone.

“Where—Where does this accusation even come from?!” You gasp, blood turning cold at the implication—at the notion of the truth. “Do you know the gravity of such words?!”

“Better than you of the act, it seems.” Another accuses. “We were quite aware of the rumors surrounding your ill-fitting behavior, but we never believed it would actually extend to this point!”

“I—I won’t tolerate neither of you disrespecting me!” you cry. “Nor will Naoya for that matter!”

But calling for his aid would no longer prove sufficient, for Naoya, too deep in his own insecurities by that point, had come to the disheartening conclusion that this situation had gotten way out of hand for a simple diversion.

A supposed act of mercy.

He shouldn’t have let this happen in the first place, should’ve respected what you and your marriage represented, what meant to him, and discard his pity for Toji—the man has been alone most of his life, what difference would that make that now?

But he didn’t, he allowed you to go to Toji—no, he handed you over to him, thinking he was doing something right for his cousin, or perhaps something deep inside him was allured by the sick idea of you being with another man and now, he was suffering the consequences.

Consequences he did not like, not one bit—because it got too real for him: you were now pregnant, with Toji’s child, and not his.

And this only highlighted what he considered the pitfalls of this relationship, a strike against his ego and the supposed inability to beget children, a rumor that grew bigger and bigger by each passing day, spreading like wildfire to the point where even outsiders became aware of it.

Which, for a prideful man like Naoya, was only a nightmare.

He loved you, he really did—Naoya never envisioned spending the rest of his life with anyone else…

But he loved his pride more, and when his clan began to actively confront him about it, he couldn’t take it anymore.

And thus….

“…Naoya?”

“This marriage was broken before it even started.” Your husband would say, unexpected words that pierced straight to your heart. “My family advised me well in avoiding you, but I falsely believed I could achieve differently.”

“What—what are you even saying?” you breathe. “What do you mean by—by differently?”

And… where does everything you lived with him stand?

The time you spent with him, the sweet nothings he’d whisper into your ear, to love you both swore to one another, reminding each other that there was no one else that compares…

And that you were the only woman who has ever made him feel this way—loved— and would do everything in the world to make happy…

Was it… all … a lie?

All for… nothing?

Or were you the only one that actually believed the other’s words?

“I cannot look past these transgressions.” Naoya continues. “You’ve left me no choice.”

“But you—you made me do this!” you gasp. “I never—I never wanted to be with anyone else! All this time, my heart only belonged to you!  How could you—how could you abandon me after all we’ve gone through together?!”

Naoya doesn’t say anything else anymore, instead, he simply turns around, exiting the room to leave you in the hands of the vengeful elders who did not hesitate to do what they had long desired—banish you from the estate.

Swiftly yet cruelly, you wouldn’t be able to take anything with you, not even a change of clothes or even money (you didn’t even ask for much, just enough to survive the week) as you were forced to face a new life of your own—alone, pregnant.

Going back to your family was also out of the question; the shame that you’d bring upon their name was one the Zen’in didn’t not waste time to remind them of—at the end, there was only so much your father and siblings could do against the invasive ways of the elders, and perhaps, a part of them deep inside, were also disappointed that you’ve succumbed to such foul thing.

And so, you were tossed onto the street, with nothing more than the clothes you were wearing, whatever you had for savings throughout the years, managed to take it out before either clan could close your account—but most importantly, with a broken heart you believe will never heal, not after the grave wound your husband’s indifference inflicted on it.

The pain you couldn’t even mourn properly due to all the things you had to worry about now.

The first thing you did was search for a place to stay, though getting one was proving to be an almost impossible task.

Thankfully, you were allowed to keep one other thing, maybe it eluded their minds when all this was happening, but you’re not going to question why when it was going to help you pay for a roof.

Naoya’s ring, your wedding ring, was something many would consider expensive, the kind of flashiness expected from a prestigious family like the Zen’in.

You remember a time when any kind of ring would’ve been enough for you to marry him. You didn’t need anything extraordinary to commit your life and heart to him.

That’s nothing but a far cry from what you felt now.

It still hurt to pawn it, but it was the only way you could accommodate yourself and the unborn child inside you, in the only area you could afford with what you got, for even then many suspected that your ring… well, had dubious origins.

When was the last time you even had to worry about the costs of living? Food, clothes, water…?

Many years—it had to; ever since you got together with Naoya, he’s been the one that took care of you.

You just had to say the word and he’d disappear all of your worries—even from the simplest of wants, Naoya indulgingly obliged.

It was a happy life you eventually considered for your child—imagining how happy they’d grow to be without a single worry, solely focusing on what they’ll have to play that day, or how to escape their over doting parents.

A long-gone dream, tossed to the side as a nightmare quickly took its place.

…

Did Naoya ever mean the words I love you?

Or was he doing all this just to keep you there, complying, just in case someone better came along, just like his clan wished would happen?

There mere thought of his devotion being nothing but an act tightens your heart with sorrow once more, gifting you the tragic notion that perhaps, all this time, you never knew your husband…

Maybe ex-husband, by this point.

All that was left from those moments, the slightest semblance of that marriage was this baby, created from what you thought your unconditional devotion to him, turning out to be your very own downfall.

The only one that would know of these struggles would be your baby, the one to accompany you through the darkest point of your life, hopefully to a brigther dawn.

And yet… you’ve never felt so alone.

Time surprisingly, went quicker than you anticipated, though not as easy as you would’ve wanted.

Life in your new home was still very difficult to get used to, even when it’s been months since… that.

But with the job you managed to get (whatever place hired pregnant women—they’re supposed to be at home, some would say, you didn’t care.) and some extra jujutsu work you did on the side, you managed, enough to give you a, not exactly comfortable, but just enough lifestyle.

As long as you sacrificed all the things you once considered granted and turned them into luxuries: such as warm showers, take out, and the sweets you liked to indulge once in a while; your pregnancy has been horrible because of that, and that’s without considering the medical bills you’re struggling to pay as well.

But if that wasn’t enough, your noisy neighbors presented issues of their own as well.

You’re not going to deny that your presence there was like moths to a flame, starting from your somewhat suspicious acquisition—all cash—of the small house you were living in.

From there, your loneliness, alongside your pregnancy; single mothers were unheard of, or rather, highly criticized, thus, all eyes were on you, down to your smallest movement.

Yet, even then, as annoying as they were, you were ok as long as it meant you never get to see those that hurt you ever again.

However, what you want isn’t necessarily what’s going to happen, and that would be reminded of one fateful night with an unsuspecting knock, just after you were getting ready to go to bed.

It wouldn’t be the first time someone came to bother you, but it would be the first time someone did so at this hour, and with such insistence that far from worrying you, it made you angrily storm at the entrance, ready to demand who’d be so inconsiderate enough to visit you so late at night!

And you’d get your answer soon enough, in the most shocking, horrifying, if not sorrowful manner you could’ve possibly anticipated, prompting you to close the door as soon as you saw his face, or attempted to, his reflexes much faster than yours.

“Get—get away from me!” you shrieked, hands trembling as you did your best to hold the door shut against his overwhelming strength— but even your husband has admitted that in terms of power, he excels like no one else.

“Y/N—” he breathes, somewhat amused that you’d been able to hold him off as much as you could, though eventually he was able to break free from your grasp and enter your home, you step away from him soon after.

“What are you even doing here?!” you gasp. “No—that doesn’t matter! I don’t want to see you! I’m not going back!”

“I’m not here to take you back” He quickly responds, eyes falling down to your stomach, making his face soften at the subtle bump evident through your clothes—with this sight, he knows he can’t take you back.

“Then—then why are you here, Toji?”

Perhaps Toji needed to see through his own eyes, what the whispers went on about at the estate regarding your absence.

He wasn’t there when it happened, promised himself to be far away from you as soon as your pregnancy was announced to the estate.

Toji would’ve normally taken this opportunity to act on retribution against his family, rub it on their face that the future of the clan came from him, a low life.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do so when you cheerfully paraded around the halls, happy to finally be forming a family with your beloved husband, even though it wasn’t of his making.

For the first time in his life, he thought himself to be too cruel for having planned such atrocities against the only person that has never been rude with him, always welcoming him with a smile on your face, or at least whatever you permitted when not following Naoya around like a lost puppy.

And the baby… well, he won’t deny that he was glad that his child would have a vastly different life from his—with you as his mother, it couldn’t be any other way.

Or so he believed.

Even when promising to keep away, he still attempted to check in on you, especially now that you were pregnant, whenever he had to go to the estate that is. That day was no be no exception, begrudgingly coming back to see what else he could scam out of his family to ensure his living outside.

Toji’s slyly scanned the hallways for your figure, the briefest indication of such, either through your giggle, staff, or even his cousin’s annoying voice—there were moments where he imagined how delightful it must’ve been to have you by his side, instead of Naoya’s; to be receiver of your laughter instead of that man who clearly didn’t deserve you.

But even if it was with him, he still found comfort in the fact that you were around, there.

Not like now, gone from Naoya’s side.

In fact, you were nowhere to be seen! Not with your staff, not eating by the gardens, or even indulging in one of your husband’s idiocies.

Nothing.

And no one had seen you either.

Or more like didn’t want to say, that much became evident when he stomped his way towards a nearby staff member, demanding your whereabouts, only to be responded with a fret falsely feigning ignorance, or foolish diplomacy.

At the prospect of your disappearance, Toji felt his blood run cold, almost like the estate lost whatever little warmth it had, worsening each time he asked another servant, and he’d get the same answer.

The implications behind your absence were growing heavier in his mind, to the point it sunk his heart to his stomach…

And propelled him to the one person who would undoubtedly know where you were.

“Naoya—Where is Y/N?!” Toji commands the moment he sees the heir, the young man instinctively flinched at the sight of his angered cousin, almost as if he knew what was running through his mind and attempted to make a run for it, only to be stopped by the collar, dead on his tracks. “Do not run away, coward! Answer me!”

“She’s—she’s not here anymore.” Is what Naoya manages to squeak, but Toji doesn’t need to be reminded the obvious.

“Where. Is. She.” He hisses, the worst of his assumptions slowly becoming a reality. “What have you done to her?!”

“What—what needed to be done!” Naoya gasps. “I—I couldn’t allow it!”

Toji doesn’t remember much after Naoya told him that the clan decided she was better off on her own—only that the heir was on the floor, bloodied and whimpering while attempting to cover his face, either trying to control the throbbing of his skin, the blood from spilling anywhere else, or perhaps even shame.

No. It couldn’t be the last. To have done something like what he did required a shameless man to do so.

Nonetheless Toji didn’t bother to find out nor to be reprimanded, quick to assert what needed to be done and heading out the estate; he couldn’t even bother cursing those that had done nothing but the worst after the worst, each time a new low, for his mind solely pertained in finding you.

It took him a while to do so, as expected, but he knew it was only a matter of asking around for a woman that simply didn’t fit to do the job—and such, here he is now.

“I want—needed to see you.” Toji takes a step closer.

“Get—get away from me.”

“No, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“You were fine doing that before—what’s so different from now?” You spat.

“This is different, Y/N. You’re alone—and you need me.”

“I’m not alone—I don’t need you.” You gasp. “Get away from me or I’ll—I’ll call the police!.”

“If you don’t need me, then the baby does.”

It’s like he struck a nerve with his words, because soon after tears would begin to fall down your cheeks, revealing that the sight you attempted to portray, the strength you so fiercely put up against him, was nothing but a façade, a way to hide the fact that indeed, you needed help.

Exhausted from facing all these uncertainties on your own, afraid.

But not anymore, not when Toji was here, more than willing to step in, as seen in the way he swiftly holds you in his arms when he sees you almost faint from distress, attempting to comfort you as you continued to cry.

“Get— get away from me…!” you’d say again, still fighting against his hold. However, he doesn’t fight it, he simply allows you to vent, taking in all the pain and hatred your heart harbored from the moment you were kicked out of the estate. “Don’t touch me!”

“I’m not leaving” Toji insists, he feels you trying to squirm your way out from him, but his strength doesn’t allow it. “You can struggle all you want, but I’m not leaving you on your own—”

“What difference does it make to you? Your family abandoned me to my luck! And even forced my family to do the same!” you breathe, Toji’s eyes widen—he did not know that; his fury for the Zen’in grows, but this is not the time to deal with that. “They don’t care if I die on the street!”

“I know.” He murmurs, holding you tighter against him.

“And I—And I tried my best to—to move on, but I can’t! I can’t do it!” you sob. “I’m so alone, and scared, and—and ashamed! I don’t want to live like this anymore!! I don’t want to die!”

“…I know.”

“Why—why is this happening to me?! All I ever wanted was for—was for Naoya to love me. I never wanted anything else! I never wanted money, I never wanted to hurt anyone either! I just—I just wanted to live a happy life with him, to make him happy!

But then he—he tossed me away, at one thing he didn’t like, he acted like I didn’t even matter! He didn’t even put up a fight to defend me! he just—he just let them hurt me, like what we had was—a lie!

 Did he never—did he even love me?”

Speechless, all Toji could do is continue holding you as you kept on pouring out your feelings, hearing the heart wrenching sound of your sobs that just kept reflecting how wounded you were by Naoya’s betrayal, the transgressions of his family, and the disappointment of yours.

And all because of something you didn’t even suggest in the first place. It was him who made his way into Naoya’s mind, and eventually, it was Naoya who pushed you into it, regardless of what happened later.

He wanted to do it; you know?

He wanted to go back there and murder them for all they’d done against you.

But when he left that place one last time, he promised he would stop thinking about himself, and start doing what is right—what was needed.

If Naoya wasn’t to step up and be a man, then he would.

Toji would gladly throw away his own pride, his own anger and thirst for vengeance, just to see you safe and happy once more.

Things your husband, could simply not—but he… he’d do it in a heartbeat.

“I promise you.” Toji would reassure you once carefully placing you down to the bed after tiring yourself from crying, followed by a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

 “I swear, Y/N— I will not let my family do the same things they’ve done to me to our child. Even if it costs me my life, I will do everything in my power to keep the two of you safe.”

And unlike your husband, he means it.

Yes, a second part is coming :) just gotta put this one out first hehe.

Anyways, it's not exactly what you asked but I think it's going there??? I mean Toji STEPPED UP and was like OK imma take care of my baby mama. also, here Naoya .I. put it where it fits. ugh, can't say we're done with him...

agihajkgksa I'm excited for what's to come, I haven't written this level of angst in a while!! oof!!!

Thank you so much for your patience and for sending this ask :> I'm super happy you've like my oneshot so much!! I hope you'll be able to like this too!!

Take care, and see you soon! ❤️❤️

[seiwas]

HI MY BELOVED ANGEL!!! i am sending u mattsun + campfire as well as kisses n hugs <33

SAINTTT hello 🥺 thank you for sending a prompty!! 🥹 idt i've ever written mattsun fully before so this is something new!

help me get back into the writing groove! send me a character + any word and i'll write a short blurb about it!

contains: exes, stranded-y situation, feelings are complicated, some expletives

mattsun + campfire

"i told you we should've brought the spare—"

"yeah, let me go back in time for a sec and do just that."

"asshole."

lesson #1: nothing good ever happens when you're stuck in a car with your ex on the way to somewhere remote.

you blame iwaizumi for this one. who the fuck chooses to spend their birthday weekend in the fucking wilderness?

(okay, you don't actually think it's so bad. to be fair, he did plan this a year ago. and it did sound like a good idea. then. at the time. anywhere with the boys was always guaranteed fun―at least, until you and matsukawa broke up.)

"can you pass me the flashlight?" he points at the backpack behind you. when you hand it over, your fingers brush over his as he takes it away from you.

and you hate it, because―

lesson #2: you should never be alone with your ex when you still have feelings for them.

you'd agreed to take two cars to the camping spot: iwaizumi's with oikawa and hanamaki and matsukawa's with you. there was no way you'd fit in one, and hanamaki ultimately decided to ride with iwaizumi because, "you and mattsun have shit to sort out," he'd said.

with night setting and the two-hour headstart they managed to get ahead of you, the best thing you and matsukawa can do is to set up camp temporarily and wait for them to come back for you come sunrise.

you sigh.

leaves crack underneath your feet as you maneuver around your camping space. the light from matsukawa's flashlight tells you where he is, just a bit deeper in the forestry as he looks for wood to help set up the fire.

you unload the car in the meantime, bringing out some snacks and sleeping bags while waiting.

matsukawa eventually comes back with arms full of wood, and you help in whatever way you can, clearing the space and fetching more twigs when needed.

the entire car ride here had been quiet, so it's not surprising that this entire process has been equally as silent. until―

"did you already pull out your tent?" he asks, half of his body disappearing into the trunk of the car.

"huh?" you go closer, "i only brought out the sleeping bags."

then he sighs, ducking out from the trunk with a hand on his hip, "we only have one tent."

"what?"

"makki must have gotten yours with his when he decided to move cars."

his hand runs through his hair, a habit you know well. it lights up all sorts of weird feelings in your tummy

you don't know how to feel―

"i can sleep in the car."

―but you know that you definitely don't want him to do that. all things considered, you were friends first. and you've both been trying to be friends again since the breakup. you wouldn't want to cause him discomfort like that.

so, with a deep breath, you say, "it's okay, we can just share."

"are you sure?" he stares at you.

you nod.

after setting up the tent, you eat a few energy bars and clean up from the day's events. the campfire provides ample enough heat, but with how fast the flames are burning, you're doubtful it'll last the two of you the entire night.

it’s much later on, past midnight, that your doubts are proven right when you and matsukawa are cramped together in a tent made for one. it started to get cold a few minutes ago, and you've found yourself inching closer and closer to the warmth you’ve gotten used to laying against for the past two years.

he's only pretending to be asleep, you know that much, too. the rise and fall of his chest is hardly there; you can see it, how he's holding his breath being this close to you.

"issei," you whisper.

he opens his eyes, eyelids lifting lazily as he meets your stare. the vibration of his hum reverberates to you.

"it's cold."

for a moment, your stomach drops at the thought that he could ignore you; how it would make perfect sense for him to. you broke up with him after all, and he doesn't owe you anything, much less favors as intimate as this one.

but he closes the already dwindling gap between you, wrapping an arm around your waist as he pulls you closer. it's near, far too near for exes to be―noses touching and all.

"warmer?" his voice comes out hoarser through the whisper.

you nod, your head shifting up and down—which, truly, is where you ultimately fuck up. you feel it, a little chapped but still pliant against your lips.

in your carelessness, you accidentally brush your lips against his, the sensation alone surprising you enough to inch your head back as you mutter your apologies.

"sorry? really?" he asks, eyes half-lidded still as he chuckles.

his question settles into the small space you're in.

your vision trails from his eyes, down to the slope of his nose, until it lands on his lips again. a little split like you've always known, but still your favorite. still the only lips you want against yours.

when you lean in again, you know you're fucked, because―

lesson #3: the number one rule is that exes shouldn't kiss each other anymore.

[mullermilkshake]

Twelve days of fluffmas

On the first day of fluffmas, my true love gave to me...

Yakuza!Toji being all cute and fluffy.

Day two

Yakuza!Toji x Fem!reader Tags: Yakuza AU, established relationship, slight angst, mature flirting, fluff, Christmas, feel good.

"Toji!" your voice was muffled from the bathroom.

"Yeah?" Toji had been ready for what seemed like the entire day, bored in the living area of the apartment fiddling with his pager and pressing random buttons so they made a little tune.

You emerged from the bathroom in a sequin body con dress, red like Christmas and short like Toji's patience. "Hair like this? Or like this?"

"It doesn't matter, doll. You're beautiful either way, can we go now?"

Toji didn't want to even leave the apartment today, not with all the snow and more that had been forecasted. There was no way you were going to stay warm enough in that either.

He just didn't want to come across as a dick. "Are you gonna be warm enough in that? There's more snow on the way."

"This? It's not what I'm wearing. I was in two minds what I wanted to wear. I think I'll go for pants and a blouse, I won't be long."

When your back was turned, Toji flopped back on the sofa and rubbed his face, glaring at the Christmas tree you put up in the corner over by the glass.

He didn't like Christmas as it is, the stupid parties everybody seemed to have to throw and get everyone drunk and stupid enough to cheat on their partners or wake up in some strangers bed with a hangover.

Whatever happened to eating at a restaurant, getting full as a stuffed pig on a roast and waddling home to sleep it all off? This party you wanted to go to was the only reason he agreed, because it was for you.

A Christmas party Geto was throwing. You only wanted to go to see his wife and the other wives and girlfriends you didn't see too much of. To be honest, Toji was surprised that Gojo's girlfriend was putting up with that idiot.

In the spirit of Christmas I guess. The holiday was charitable after all.

Toji supposed that it wasn't going to be all that bad seeing as Higuruma was coming, not that he spoke to anyone associated with the Yakuza when he wasn't fulfilling contracts. Higuruma was the least annoying.

That's why Toji was getting bored waiting, "Hurry up, Doll. They'll all be drunk by the time we get there!"

"I know, I'm going as quickly as I can!"

Not long after you reappeared again, coat in hand with your little bag over your shoulder in pants and a blouse like you had described.

Despite the cold, he was a little disappointed you still weren't wearing that red dress even with his reservations about the cold.

He shot up and moved to grab his keys and coat. "Wear that red dress when we get home, yeah?"

"You liked it then? I picked it up yesterday actually, but someone didn't want me wearing it," he could tell your tone was cheekily sarcastic.

"Mhm," he opened the front door for you and let you lead to the entrance. "I didn't want you freezing your tits off. It's a burden I'd have to bare keeping them warm personally."

"Well, you do have big hands, maybe I just shouldn't wear a bra and you can keep them up all day?"

That was an excellent suggestion. "Only for you, doll."

You stepped out of the ground floor entrance and snuggled into your coat, the snow collecting against your hair already, the neon lights brightening up your eyes in just the right way.

Waving your arm with yen bills in your hands left you smiling back at him. "Maybe I will wear it when we get home, that depends if you're good later."

"I'm always good."

"Mm, I don't know, does Santa know that? He's the one that'll give you presents."

Your first Christmas with Toji in this new apartment. Just as beautiful as the first day he met you, and here you were being a smart ass.

"I'm perfect," he wasn't. "And I've been incredibly good." ...Maybe

By now, you'd completely forgotten about hailing a taxi and faced Toji fully. The snowflakes had gotten thicker, now settling on your eyelashes as your hands found his body under his open coat.

"Thank you for doing this tonight, I know it isn't your scene and I appreciate the things you do for me. Everything. You're more perfect than you give yourself credit for, and I wouldn't be where I am now without you... I'm happy."

Would you be happy whenever you found out that Toji was Yakuza? Probably not. He would tell you eventually of all the horrid things did yet for now it would stay nestled under that other dishonestly tree for the time being.

Because right now, "I'm happy too."

Toji wanted nothing to change. You were so good for him and far too perfect for him. He couldn't bare letting you go.

Not now, not ever.

That was his Christmas wish.

Tag list ->

@izukuisbaby

[foxaftershocks]

Hi!! I just wanna say first that I absolutely adore ur writing :) and I've literally never done this before, tbh, so I'm so sry if I've done anything wrong or smth. :)

But I wanted to suggest maybe a reader thats also an engineer and scientist for the Ghostbusters, who Lars always considered less able than him since reader was quite quiet, and would run their expermients in peace, never rly interacting with people. Until one day reader is talking to lucky or phoebe or smth, and goes off on a tangent when talking abt smth they're working on, and it's a very sudden realisation to him that reader is actually rly knowledgeable, that their intelligence is much greater than he anticipated.

Totally fine if u don't wanna write it, remember to take care of urself!! <3

I always take care of myself <3 you did nothing wrong, a totally perfect request. I hope you like it

You were sitting across the room from Lars, absorbed in your work, headphones on as your head nodded in time to the beat of whatever music you were listening to. He hadn’t heard you arrive that morning. Not an unusual situation. He never heard much from you ever.

You seemed to be so unaware of his gaze on you, watching as your hands moved, fingers typing, adjusting your equipment, writing something down in a notebook. That was something he’d noticed. You kept paper notes.

Insane. Absolutely nuts.

Your head tilted up and he realised he’d been caught watching. His nose wrinkled and he looked back to his own work. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t busy. He had enough to get on with.

There was no reason for you to be there. He kept trying to figure out what it was you did, what you contributed to the lab. You kept to yourself and no one else could tell him what it was you did. You preferred to work alone, and while he could empathise with that as someone who didn’t love working in a team, he did enjoy leading a team of researchers. You’d never agreed to joining him.

He had to assume it’s because you knew you weren’t up to the task.

When he next looked up, you were gone. The workstation was empty and there was nothing to indicate where you’d gone. He couldn’t imagine you were rushing off to tell someone of a great discovery.

You’d never had one before now.

It wasn’t that he felt contempt for you. Surely there was a reason you’d been hired. He just thought everyone should be on his level and you just weren’t. The proof was in the output.

Stretching, arms above his head, he figured it was time for another cup of tea, the one he’d made earlier having gotten cold as he lost himself in his work. Taking the mug, he sauntered towards the small kitchen set up in the back corner.

“So if I can just figure out where the spectrometer has gone then I think I’ll be back on track.”

He paused outside the door. That was your voice. At least, he was pretty sure it was. From the few times he’d heard it he thought it probably was.

There was something there in your voice, not something he’d heard from you before. It was close to excitement. Lingering out of sight, he continued to listen. He certainly wasn’t about to offer the information that he had the spectrometer you were looking for. It would be put to better work in his possession.

“You really think you’ll be able to figure it out?” That would be Lucky. He didn’t realise the two of you talked. Lucky was meant to be his intern, not yours. He didn’t know why it rankled him so much.

“Sure. I mean, Nadeem keeps letting me study him to figure out where the source of his magic is so… I can’t see why I wouldn’t,” you said, “oh but you remember when I hooked him up to the EEG machine?”

“Yeah. You got those weird readings, right?” Lucky prompted.

“Right and I spent hours staring at them trying to work it out. And then inspiration struck. So I thought maybe there was some kind of electrical field going on. Which would be crazy because usually we don’t think the two are linked. But fire conducts electricity and so can humans. So what if the magic is connected to ions? Seems simple, right? Only, the electrical charge usually comes from the gas around the flame rather than the flame itself. So does he actually manipulate the gas? Or, is it this pyrotron subatomic particle we haven’t found yet? I mean, in order to prove that one I have to find quarks in isolation and I think that would rock the science community more than proving the science behind pyrokinesis,” you said, almost all in one breath.

It was easily the most he’d ever heard you say before.

“Because in order to prove that I’d need to show that Nadeem is manipulating pyrotrons with psychic powers, probably through the electric signals in his brain, and making them hit isolated quarks, which don’t exist so… I’m back to looking at electricity in flames because clearly it’s to do with the electrical activity in his brain,” you said, with a sigh at the end.

Lars felt his breath catch. There was so much going on in your brain, so many thoughts, so many theories, and you were investigating something he hadn’t even considered looking at. Maybe that’s why you always worked alone. Your projects were on things no one considered researching. You looked at the world differently.

It was… refreshing.

He’d thought you’d ket silent because you knew you couldn’t keep up with the rest of the scientists. Instead, it looked as if you kept silent because your research was so different from everyone else’s. They were so focused on ghosts. You were trying to understand everything in its entirety.

He felt dumbstruck. Everything he thought he knew was wrong. It wasn’t usual for him and he felt on the backfoot. It was like you’d been lying to him but for that to be true you would have had to have talked to him. This was so much worse. This was him lying to himself.

You were so much smarter than he’d thought and it left him questioning so many things.

Walking through the door, he felt combative, like he wanted to start a fight. Your voice died as he did, eyes widening when you saw him. He offered a tight smile, pouring out the cold tea into the sink. He glanced over his shoulder, finding you turning away.

“I’ll see you later,” you mumbled to Lucky.

You slipped out of the room, not even offering him another look. He scrubbed at the mug, not wanting to bother making another cup, taking his frustration out on it.

“Rough day?” Lucky asked, sliding up to him.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he replied.

“No sweat,” she said, “but maybe don’t glare at people when you enter a room. It sure does clear it.”

He didn’t have a response to that, refusing to be shamed by a teenager. He left the mug on the rack to dry and walked out of the room, lips pursed, trying to work out how to feel about everything. He wasn’t used to feeling stupid and yet that’s where he was. He’d judged you because he never heard you talk. Because you kept to yourself. Because you didn’t feel the need to show off like the others around the lab did.

You were sitting in his sight again, the headphones back in place over your ear, pen tapping your notebook in time with your music. You didn’t even look up when he sat down, staring at you. If he allowed himself to admit it, you were lovely to look at. Even trapped in a world of your own, there was something there that he found pleasing. You were soft, like the worries of the world had never curved your shoulders, and your wide eyed gaze left him feeling like there was no pretence. You had never lied. He’d just been a fool.

He stood, hands already grasping the spectrometer he’d stashed in the storage behind his desk. trying to project confidence, he sauntered over with it. Placing it down in front of you, he waited a moment for you to notice. Your gaze dragged up to him and once again he was struck by how lovely your face was. You were slow to tug he headphones off, leaving them hanging around your neck.

“I heard you were looking for this,” he said.

You looked down at the machine in front of you then back up to him. There was a slight curve to your lips, an almost smile marred with a hint of confusion. Your eyelashes fluttered and you tilted your head down, looking back to the spectrometer.

“Thank you,” you said, voice sweet.

It was a sudden thought that he could probably listen to you talk for hours. Not that he’d ever be offered the chance.

“And uh, if you ever need help or want to talk through anything.” His hand came up, rubbing at the back of his neck. He hadn’t felt this awkward since his university days, “I’m just over there. I don’t know if you know. You seem to keep to yourself. So maybe you don’t want the interruption. But yeah, I’m just over there if you need anything.”

Christ, he was rambling. It wasn’t like you were the first pretty girl he’d ever talked to. He didn’t even have a crush on you. What was wrong with him today?

“I’m sure you’re too busy to help me,” you replied, voice quiet and far more put together than him, “you’re always working on something.”

“Oh,” he said, shoulders deflating. You were being polite but of course you didn’t want his help. Especially when you seemed to be a genius in your own right and more than capable of being brilliant without his input.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the offer. But you’re working on important things and I don’t want to bother you with my stuff. You’re probably working on some new weapon that will save someone’s life or something. My stuff is pretty silly in comparison.” Your head was bowed and he wished he could see the expression in your eyes.

“All science is important,” he said.

“No, I know but you know, my stuff isn’t saving the world like yours so, I don’t want to take time away from that,” you said, voice growing quieter the further along you went.

“I’m always happy to help,” he said, hoping it would be enough.

Your eyes darted up to him and he saw panic there. He took a step back, reeling from the look. He knew he wasn’t always the friendliest guy but this was a not the kind of reaction he ever expected from his words, especially when they were meant to be nice. He took another step back.

“Right, well, I’ll stop bothering you,” he said.

Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he wandered back to his own station, shoulders curved forward, trying to figure out what he’d done wrong. Other than ignore you, he couldn’t think of anything you would know about. It’s not as if his thoughts were broadcast over the tannoy system.

Only he hadn’t really been ignoring you, had he? He’d noticed you enough to form an opinion. He watched you. He’d grown used to your habits. He thought about you. Earlier that day he’d been watching you. There was no way he could pretend like you had been a non-entity in his life.

When he looked up at you again, your head dipped down as if you’re been looking at him just a moment ago. He found a flutter in his stomach, like a butterfly taking flight. The thought of you watching him was pleasing. Unless it was because you were wary of him and felt you had to keep an eye on him.

Finally taking the chance, he went to make himself another cup of tea, if only to try and ease you again. Maybe his presence made you uncomfortable. He didn’t like the thought that he made you uncomfortable.

He decided perhaps to keep his distance for a while.

A few days and he stayed away. He didn’t try to engage you in conversation, allowing himself to watch you when he thought you wouldn’t notice. The more attention he paid, the more he realised exactly how wrong he’d been. You kept to yourself, but you were confident in what you were doing. Something had alighted in him, the flame fanned by your confidence. Someone so capable at science was a turn on. He hadn’t expected that. He should have. But he hadn’t.

And he should have expected to hear you in the kitchen again.

“I just find him really intimidating,” you said, just through the doorway.

“Why?” Lucky laughed.

“He’s so smart and I know you’re going to make fun of me for this, but he’s really handsome. I’ve never been good around smart pretty people,” you said.

He lent closer, wanting to hear more. He didn’t know who you were talking about and the thought someone else in the lab was receiving such compliments made him feel disgruntled.

“Just talk to him,” Lucky said, “he’s not that scary.”

“I can’t,” you whined, “I get all tongue tied around him and he offered to help me and I just… I totally put my foot in it.”

Who else had been offering you help? He would hunt them down and make it clear to stay away from you. Or, no, that would just make you more scared of him. He had to gentle dissuade them from helping you.

“Yeah, trust me, he’s done that plenty of times,” Lucky snorted, “seriously, just talk to him again. Two awkward nerds deserve each other.”

You gave a small chuckle and he could imagine the soft smile on you face, small, underfed, and yet still there.

“I didn’t think he even know I existed,” you eventually said.

“Look, Pinfield is awkward and not always nice. But it sounds like at the very least he’s never outright insulted you. That’s more than Dan over in R&D can say,” Lucky said.

Pinfield. He was Pinfield. You were talking about him.

“Yeah, well, you crush on guys who actually give you the time of day. I crush on the silent guy who’s science is brilliant but who couldn’t be bothered with so much as a hello,” you said.

That wasn’t true, was it? He’d offered you help. And then gone back to not talking to you at all. He’d gone about this all wrong.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t take my frustration out on you,” you said.

“No, you should take it out on him.”

This was met with silence before Lucky’s laughter burst out, loud and long and he could inly imagine the look on your face. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy… He was sure it would be… Well, he was very open to it if the chance arose.

He slipped away to mull over what he’d overheard. He intimidated you. Because you had a crush on him. And you thought he didn’t like you in any way, that he didn’t even notice you.

Yeah, he’d fucked that one up. No one but himself to blame.

He paid attention for when you returned to your work station, across the other side of the room, quiet and focused. And beautiful. How hadn’t he thought that before? Or rather, how hadn’t he noticed it?

He was so caught up in his own assumptions about you he hadn’t taken the time to notice. He cursed his past self for being so caught up in his own ego to notice what was sitting right under his nose.

Steeling himself, he rose and made his way over to you. He loitered across the bench from you. You were still listening to music and hadn’t seemed to notice him. Tapping his finger on your notebook, he tried to get your attention. You looked up, startled, eyes widening when you laid eyes on him.

“I was thinking of going out for lunch and was wondering if you wanted to join me,” he said, trying to sound confident but also approachable. He realised he was treating you like an animal prone to startling.

“Oh, uh, I actually brought lunch today,” you said.

“Maybe tomorrow?” he asked, “I’d love to hear more about your work.”

“Why?” You sounded so bewildered it was almost offensive.

“I don’t know much about what you’ve been working on. Is it so odd I might want to know about it?” he asked.

“You’ve never asked before. Have I done something wrong? Because if I have I’m really sorry and I’ll stop doing whatever it is,” tumbled from your lips and he was reminded that you found him intimidating, “I really am sorry. If you just let me know what it is I can stop doing it.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” he was quick to say before you could continue rambling an apology for something that hadn’t happened, “I’m just interested in what you’re working on.”

“Why?” You sounded defensive now.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was trying. He was really trying. And you just weren’t getting it. You were making it so difficult.

When he opened his eyes you were frozen, as if waiting to be told off. Taking a deep breath in, he offered you a smile, his best attempt as he tried to when he felt such roiling emotions.

“You’re an asset to our team and you’re working on things I’m not involved in. I’m curious. That’s all,” he said, desperate to put you at ease.

“Oh.” You voice was so quiet.

“If you don’t want my company I understand. I thought it would be nice to get to know one another a bit better. Whatever. I see I was wrong.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from you. He must have misheard. Clearly you and Lucky hadn’t been talking about him.

“Wait,” you said. He paused, looking back at you over his shoulder, “lunch would be nice.”

His shoulders relaxed and he let the corner of his lips curl up in a small smile. Your answering one stole his breath.

“Come on then,” he said.

You hopped off your stool and he realised you didn’t even come up to his shoulder. He could wrap you up in his arms and you would be completely engulfed in him. He found that thought tempting.

Walking beside him as you left the lab, you weren’t looking at him, gaze turned towards your feet. His hand closed around your arm, steering you in the right direction. You looked up at him, eyelashes fluttering. His head dipped towards you, not able to stop himself. There was something about you.

He spent the entire lunch watching you, basking in your presence. You were slow to open up, answering his questions about your work softly. But once he got you going, your eyes sparked and the words tumbled from your lips faster than he could have thought possible. Your passion was clear and it only drew him in further.

“I dunno. Maybe’s its stupid,” you said, tucking some hair behind your ear.

“I don’t think it sounds stupid at all,” he said and noticed the way that seemed to turn you bashful. Your chin dipped and you couldn’t look at him. He lent forward again, over the table, trying to catch your eye, “you sound like you know what you’re talking about.”

It was a quick flash of a smile, that same piece of hair falling forward again. You reached up to tuck it back again but his fingers were already there, doing it for you. You looked up, mouth falling open but you didn’t seem to be drawing back from him. His fingertips brushed over your jaw before he retracted his hand, pulling it back to his side of the table.

“Oh,” you said, almost a whisper, practically nothing but the movement of lips without sound.

“I’d like to do this again,” he said, assuming honesty was better than beating around the bush.

The look of surprise that passed over your face wasn’t what he’d been hoping for. But then you softened, that small smile reappearing.

“Really?” you asked.

“Sure. I find myself fascinated by you,” he said.

“Like I’m one of your experiments?”

He hadn’t expected that.

“No. Christ no,” he said, perhaps louder than intended, “fascinated like I like you.”

“Oh.”

“Can you say something other than that,” he demanded, then realised that wasn’t a good idea, “please?”

“Okay,” you said, giving him a shallow nod, “we can do this again.”

“We can?” He brightened, “we can.”

“But only because I like you too,” you said, not looking at him again.

So he had heard right. He felt a sense of satisfaction hearing the words from you. He would never admit it, but it wasn’t often someone liked him. Maybe that’s why he’d been doing so badly with you. Or not so badly since you were going to go out with him again.

He led you back to the lab, hand resting on the small of your back, the material of your jumper soft against his skin. You were half a step closer, leaning into his touch more.

It was a good sign.

Thank god he’s listened in to your conversation with Lucky otherwise he never would have been able to find you. And he thought you might be changing his life for the better. Your smile was already capable of brightening his day.

He was excited to see what was to come with you.

[tothosewholisten]

Forever Healed | TUA insert

Chapter: 09

<<previous chapter | next chapter>>

Masterlist

…

I went downstairs to see two of my estranged roommates, Allison and Luther with somber looks on their faces. I was about to speak up but stopped once I saw who they were looking at. It was Grace, who no longer moved or sang or comforted us.

She was dead, and I know robots aren’t alive but this felt like another death I'd have to witness.

“The two guys last night, the ones with the mask, did this to her,” Allison said to Luther. The two didn't look up to see me, both were in their heads at the death of their mother.

Grace was sitting in the painting room chair, the space we kids dubbed as her bedroom because she didn’t sleep or have one of her own. The only thing that was missing from her was her signature smile and her normal pale arm. Instead, her arm was sliced open by what looked like a knife and oozed out wires of all different colors.

I don’t remember the two gunmen carrying knives last night but who knows they could've gotten crafty. But It's sad to think If she was a real person, I would’ve been able to save her.

I made my presence known by stomping my shoe and moving closer to the pair. Allison's eyes slightly lit up once she saw me. “You’re okay!” She sighed happily.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I giggled with my arms open as she ran over to embrace me. Luther did not move from Grace's body though, his face was cold and distant. I didn't want to ask but I started to think, what happened last night?

“Oh god, have you seen Mom yet?” She whispered. “This has to do with Five somehow. I mean they were looking for him..”

I frowned. “I haven't seen him or Klaus in some time now and I'm starting to get nervous.”

Allison reassures me that they'll turn up but she turns back to Luther who has something to say. “I know I was arguing to turn Grace off, but it doesn't make seeing her like this any easier.”

“Poor Diego.” I blurt out. “This is gonna be so hard for him.” I couldn’t see eye to eye with him, like ever. But I did see him a bit differently after yesterday.

“Yeah, it's hard on all of us.” He says while walking out of Grace's room.

“Hey, wait,” I called out to Luther before he left. The giant man turns to look at me, uncertainly. “I know it was you last night, the one who saved me. I just want to say thank you for pulling that guy away from me.”

“You’ve saved me in my lifetime more times than I can count. I can tell something is off about you guys today and I don’t think I was awake to hear it but. I just wanted to say thanks.” I smile at him.

“But anyways you guys should talk. I'm going to go look for Klaus.” I shoot Allison one more goodbye before heading out.

“I'm glad you're okay, Y/n” I hear one of them mutter as I leave.

..

“Klaus?” I yell all around the mansion. By now I've checked all his normal spots. His room, my room, Ben’s room, the kitchen, Reginald’s bar, all the bathrooms and all the random nooks and crannies we'd hide in as children with Ben.

Ben.. to think I've been so preoccupied these past days to think about him. And I think about him all the time. He'd know where Klaus was instantly, he was just that type of person.

I go back upstairs to my room to change before heading outside. To check Klaus's frequent spots around town.

First, the alley where he'd buy drugs and all kinds of things. It was dingy and dark but I'd find him here a lot back when I was younger. I left the mansion but never left him. Even let him crash with me at my ex's house whenever he needed to, which my ex was never happy about. We found happiness in walking the streets and laughing with each other till sunrise.

But it wasn't always good, sometimes I'd catch him in a rough spot due to drugs and he'd push me away. I never stopped trying, I would never give up on him and he wouldn't if i was in his spot.

Next was my actual apartment. I hadn't been back in forever, maybe he got tired of the academy and came here? But my apartment was small and didn't have many places for him to hide, it was clear he wasn't there either.

The last place I could think of was a park we used to go to as kids. There'd be days when Reginald was less diligent about watching us, and after dark all of us kids would escape to come here. And have at least a few hours of solace before returning to hell.

I took a seat against a large tree that blocked the sunlight from shining in the park. He wasn't anywhere I'd known he would be. I thought he wouldn't leave town without telling me, but I'm not even sure. I let out small huffs of frustration as I buried my head in my hands.

Suddenly there were more tears on my head than there were in my eyes. I sniffle while looking up. The once-cloudy sky has turned into pouring rain and I'm outside without an umbrella.

..

14 YEARS AGO

“Are we ready to go?” Asked Klaus.

The three of us, Klaus, Ben and I decided we were leaving for the park. After a particularly hard day and mission, it was clear I needed out. Ben asked everyone if they wanted to go, but they all looked at each other then us and snickered.

They told us we should go just the two of us. We actually were about to leave, but Klaus was the only one stupid enough to join us. Just kidding.

The sky was clear this day but dark, meaning it was a clear indication that it was time. Diego and Allison told us they'd distract Reginald if he asked anything. We knew we couldn't go out the front door, instead we went out my window.

Klaus was the first one to jump down; he insisted that he was the bravest out of all of us. And Ben slowly followed after him.

That left me in the window, looking down at the very tall jump I'd have to land. I shook my head at the two. “Why couldn't we have left down Five's window? There are actual steps there!” I whisper yell.

Klaus chuckles. “We're already here, just jump!”

I know when jumping from a high distance without a cushion landing spot, it would help if you didn't look down. But my eyes were glued to the ground anyway. I would be fine if I jumped, any scars would go away but just the thought of it made me shake.

“Unless you're a chicken! That's okay, me and Benny will go without you.” He yells.

“Keep your voice down,” Ben says, elbowing him in the stomach. “Ow!” Klaus cries. Ben looks up at me. “But he's got the right idea! You'll be okay just jump.” He says stuffing his hands in his black jacket.

“Just go without me! I'll go to bed.” I reply, trying to smile at the pair.

“Y/n, listen to me. You'll be okay, jump and..” I didn't hear the last part of what he said.

“What??!” I yell.

“He said he's gonna catch you!” Klaus snickers. “Shut up Klaus,” Ben whispers back. “I will though, if I have to!”

I sigh not wanting to ruin their fun, I'm the one who wanted to go out anyway. “Okay, I'll jump.”

I take a small running start before leaping out of my large window. The wind in my hair felt great, it made me feel like I was almost flying. Until I looked down at the floor I was about to land on. I closed my eyes as I was about to scream and go head-first into the ground. But as I opened my eyes I saw that the cement never smacked me in the face. Instead, I land on someone else.

Ben tried his best but he is still a boy. He held his arms open but it ended with him knocking into the cement and me gripping onto his black hoodie for dear life. I quickly get off him and pull him to his feet as Klaus hollers in laughter at us.

Once he got up I could tell that Ben's head looked a little bruised as well as his hands. I placed my hands on his and watched as yellow wisps of light reached all of his bruises. "Thanks." He smiled and I nodded back. I stopped holding his hands when I heard Klaus almost falling back in laughter.

"You guys-" I cut him off before he embarrasses me by kicking him in the shins with all my might. "Not another word," I mutter.

He held onto his legs and whimpered in pain, now it was our turn to laugh at him on the way to the park. I did eventually heal him that day but seeing him embarrassed was too funny to see go away. We did this several more times, just the three of us. And honestly, it was probably more fun than the whole group.

..

PRESENT DAY

I laugh underneath the now suddenly wilting tree at the thought, but it slowly turns into sobs. I don't have Ben anymore but I've somewhat come to understand that, but now I lost Klaus too. And Vanya is gone, I'm truly all alone. I sit there for what I think is hours, thinking back. Until the constant pour turns into drizzling and I stand up to go back to the academy. Maybe take a bath.

I slowly made it to a crosswalk so lost in thought that I didn't even see that it said I can go. But I am brought back to reality by the sound of a honking car. Some dick in a van was honking his horn at me?

What I did to piss this guy off I do not know, this was above even a catcall. He was demanding I move. Deciding to ignore the shithead I start to cross the road, until he almost runs me over.

“There's a crosswalk sign, do you see that?” I yell at the van. But the ugly vehicle would not stop honking at me, after being soaked in the rain I'm starting to lose my sanity. So I walked over to the van, thinking I was going to lay into this man and give him all the rage I'd been feeling. And maybe kick his car a few times.

I look at the man's window to see it's not a man at all. It's a boy? I know this shithead. “Five? Why are you honking at me!” I scream at the pubescent boy.

“Get in.” He yells back.

..

The two of us sat in silence for a while. I watched this fake teenager drive around and honk at people who were being stupid like a full-grown adult.

“Why are you here?” I ask, feeling uncomfortable in my wet clothes. “I'm looking for someone, I saw you walking.” He mutters.

“Oh okay..” I pause.

“I was calling your name before I started honking at you. You should really look where you're going.”

“I was fine. Aren't you the one who tried to run me over?”

“...”

“I have a question. Where'd you steal this van?”

“I didn't steal it, I borrowed it from a man in an alley.” he insisted. “Very likely story Five,” I remark back.

“I'm going to give it back. whenever I'm done with it.

“Okay new question, how do you know how to drive?”

“I can do everything.”

I scoff. “Yeah okay.”

“Well, I have a question for you. Why are you walking alone without an umbrella?”

“Just for shits and giggles, I'm looking for Klaus, have you seen him?”

“Can't say that I have. Where do you want me to drop you off?” He says while taking a familiar path that will lead us back to the academy.

I turn to look at him with my eyebrows furrowed. “Can't I stay? Join you on your spy missions?” Five looks at me, clearly not keeping his eyes on the road. Almost in shock about me wanting to stay with him. To break the silence I force a cough. “I mean I don't know what else to do right now. I can leave If I'm cramping your style.”

“Okay” is all he says while turning in the opposite direction from the mansion. “Well, that means we are going to find someone.”

“Who?” I ask.

“You'll see,” Five tells me.

Five parked us in another familiar part of town, where Klaus, him and I were not even a day or two ago. “Oh no, Five we're gonna terrorize these people again?” I said while looking around.

“No, we're just going after the main man. I need more answers.” Five peers out the side window to look at a different busy street.

“You really think he's going to give you more information if you just barge into his office again?”

He turns back to me. “We're not going in, we're going to him.”

“Oh my god..”

Five explains that he plans to corner the man in his own car after he comes back from whatever hobby he does while out of the office. I try to tell him that this plan is going to go wrong but of course he doesn't listen. He reached into his glove compartment and grabbed a small pocket knife, and I'm sure he didn't just grab it to look cool.

“You told me you're going to ask for more information, Five,” I questioned while reaching for the knife.

He grabs the weapon back and holds it higher in the air. “Let's see where the night takes us.”

..

Five blinks him and I next to a tree, like the one I was at earlier. The tree faces a blue car that must've belonged to the guy whose name slipped my mind.

Not long after he walks toward us, with a tiny puppy in hand. He looked almost unrecognizable out of his lab coat, but not in a good way. His clothes reminded me of a jogging outfit they also matched his blue car.

He opens the car and places his puppy into the back seat then he starts to get into the car himself. Before he can sit down Five pulls me with him when he blinks into the car. Sitting me down in the backseat with the puppy who surprisingly is not barking at me yet.

Five blinks into the front seat, but the man doesn't even notice him. Only flinching back when Five lunges at him with his pocket knife.

“Oh, Jesus!” He cries out. Five doesn't even give him another moment to think before going straight into grilling. “One chance. That's all you got. One chance to tell me exactly what's going on in that lab.” He yells, putting the knife up to the man's throat.

So much for the peaceful approach. The man moves his eyes towards me for a split second and then back to the terrifying Five. “I… I manufacture prosthetic devices for fake patients. I bill the insurance companies and then sell them for cash on the black market.” He stutters.

“including eyeballs?” Five asked.

The man gulps. “Yeah, they're my biggest seller. I mean they sell like hotcakes. I--I've got a list, a waiting list, probably twenty buyers.”

“So the serial number, my uh, brother gave you..” He finishes my sentence. “Could've already been bought. Yes, off– off the books.” He says.

Five huffs like he's a chain smoker and starts to get more tense, letting the knife get centimeters away from the man's skin.

“I needed that list, Lance. Names and numbers, and I need it now!” Five screeches.

I take my eyes off them to turn to the dog that's nearing closer to me. At first, I tried to keep my distance but this puppy insisted on getting close. Which shouldn't be a big problem. It's a small dog, but something was off. I'm squeezing myself practically against the door to get away from this dog but he keeps getting closer. I close my eyes and I'm back to that day so many years ago.

I'm not there anymore, it's time for me to move on but I can't. My hands start to shake and my body runs cold. I couldn't help but think that this dog knew what I did to the other, way back when and wanted to take revenge.

While taking deep breaths I turned my head slowly to get a better look at the pup.. this dog wasn't going to hurt me, it didn't know what I did, and I was okay. So why do I feel like this?

“I don't have it. I mean, not on me. The only copy is in my safe at the lab.” Lance's words break my deep breaths and I try once again to focus on their conversation. This is for Five, as well as saving the world. Letting my depressing nature go is what I need to do now.

“Well, you start the car, then.” Five whispers. “Cause we're going on a field trip.” He slowly takes the knife off Lance's throat.

“O-Okay...” Lance tries to put himself back together at least enough to put his seatbelt on.

“Now.”

“Okay..”

..

Lance drives us back to the MeriTech headquarters which is also where Five’s van is. I'm the first to hop out of the car with Five and Lance a few steps behind me.

But I stopped in place once I saw dark smoke coming from the building. “Something’s wrong,” I told five. But he never stopped walking, and without a second thought, he rushed over to the fire. “Five wait!” I called out while chasing him down. Leaving Lance to his own devices.

The angry flames weren’t just in one room, it had spread throughout every single room in the building making it impossible to go inside. Five stopped at the entrance of the building when I caught up with him. We both stared at the building on fire.

“Get down!” I screamed over the sound of burning rooms as I tackled him to the ground. The flames rose from not just the building but towards us, causing an explosion of fire that could’ve killed him.

He wailed out at the sudden burst, but safely hit the ground. Me on the other hand, I was covered in marks. But thankfully my clothes were no longer wet, just slowly catching on fire. I dragged him out of the way more towards the street as I heard sirens in the distance.

“We need to move now,” I stress to Five but he doesn’t reply back. His eyes never break from the fire. “I know, I know but let’s go,” I say again hoping he would budge this time. But he didn't, so I grabbed him and pulled him back over to the van.

Once we get to the van without Lance, it is clear that whoever had lit the building on fire knew we were there. And I knew that because the front window was fogged with a message.

It read. “Your brother says hi.. brother? Which one.” I say out loud while thinking. Five finally started to move from his motionless state when I looked over at him. But he wouldn't be any help right now. The look on his face and the dullness in his eyes was a look I've seen on many people's faces before.

But then it hit me. “Klaus.”

…

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