#2.5k words about getting stung yo

[takes1]

I'm gonna start by saying that your fics are amazing! I love the way you write and I always get immersed in them. I would like to request an Osamu x reader fic, i was thinking about a childhood friends pining for a decade!au happening while working in his Onigiri shop, you might add Suna if you want,perhaps as a love triangle and misunderstandings as in Osamu thinking that the reader like Suna. As for the smut, I'll leave that to you 👀

thank you so much for supporting!! i love getting these requests and hearing from you! it really helps. not gonna lie, this one challenged me, but i think it turned out well! hope i got this right :) thanks again for the request love

warnings. lite!nsfw. minors DNI info. hq lite!nsfw / safe consent practices / mutual pining / some angst, some hurt, but pay-off / husband material!osamu / timeskip!osamu / childhood friends to lovers / miscommunication / r.i.p suna's unrequited feelings / misunderstandings / osamu gives great hugs / osamu is a wine snob / osamu is a little shy / 2.5k words 🤍haikyuu collection. more of my hq here more links. my ao3 / masterlist / request box is open so give me some ideas pls!

Your heart gave an all-too familiar squeeze at the sight of an old friend.

There he was, clad in a black cap, apron, and a well-fitting shirt. His face was one of slight concentration, his mouth in a straight line, jaw flexed. A strong arm lifted the black bag he carried high into the trash in the alley with ease.

"'Samu!" His nickname was like a sigh of reassurance on your tongue.

He turned, a stern face letting up as soon as he recognized you coming towards him. He quickly discarded his gloves in the trash and made forward to meet you. It ended in a hug in the middle of the sidewalk.

Business was so slow today, he really wasn't expecting any surprises- especially not any pleasant ones.

"(Y/n)." Was a mumble against your hair, charged relief on his breath. He was lifting you off of your feet and melting into you at the same time.

Your eyes stung a little when you tucked your face into his comforting shoulder. It'd been so long since graduation, but everything was coming back to you, all at once, against your will.

Maybe it was because you could still taste the onigiri you just finished, but those lunches he used to prepare for you kept cropping up. You weren't sure why it kept making you want to cry, though.

"I missed you!" You whispered, swallowing a sob.

He gave you a crushing squeeze in return. He certainly hadn't stopped working out since your high school days. There was a hesitation in letting each other go.

"God," His quick blinking made you feel better for getting emotional, "What are you doin' all the way out here?"

You sniffled and turned to Suna, briefly forgotten at the table, "I told you those fillings tasted familiar!"

There was an unmistakable shock in Osamu's eyes when you turned back to him, "We were just grabbing lunch. I had no idea 'Onigiri Miya' would actually mean you!"

He missed the natural beat to respond- instead of letting your declaration die, you kept up the attempt to rekindle things.

"Did you get a new number?" You asked, quieter, trying to catch his eye, so you leaned your head further between him and Suna.

He looked down at you with a much softer expression, "Hm?"

"I- texted you a couple months ago, I just assumed you got a- new number," You trailed.

It felt a bit forced and loser-esque to ask the reason why he hadn't texted you back. Two months was a while to get 'caught up' in something, after all.

If he didn't want to talk to you, he technically didn't owe you an explanation.

He blinked. It didn't cross his mind that you would've texted him-- his fingers fumbled for his phone in his pocket to show you a new iPhone.

"Yeah," He sighed, "Shit, I didn't think to tell anyone but 'Sumu..."

This time, he felt like the loser. He didn't have many people to text, nowadays. But he certainly didn't want you and Suna to know that.

Relief flashed across your face as you admitted in a light laugh, "Oh, thank god. I really thought you were ignoring me!"

"Let's all exchange numbers," You suggested.

You looked back to Suna and thought you saw some hostility in his eyes, "So we can all meet up sometime, when you're not working."

The process of getting each other's contacts was quiet and stilted. You thought better of making plans here and now, because there was an indescribable feeling that something was wrong.

Maybe the timing.

Osamu frowned at his phone after getting it back from Suna.

Maybe the place.

Suna gave a subtle sigh when Osamu put his number in.

Your text to Osamu that night garnered a response so quick that it made up for the months of uncertainty and pseudo-grieving. Your oldest friendship was not buried as deep in the ground as you had previously thought.

It ended in a suggestion you weren't expecting.

There was nowhere you both wanted to eat at, and no activities you could think of that would allow for the long conversations you both favored.

I could cook for us.

You knew better than to deny him the chance to cook, but it was clear to both of you that it felt a little too forward. A little too intimate for just two good friends.

That wasn't enough to keep you from agreeing immediately.

Certain that he didn't feel the same, you rationalized that you had nothing to worry about.

Dark red swirled slow, unending circles in your glass. You weren't one for red, but he brought out a vintage just for you tonight.

The perfectly plated dinner in front of you didn't last long. Osamu made it so easy to like foods you swore up and down you hated; you didn't question his choices despite your usual pickiness.

There were a number of times you had to pretend not to notice him watching you eat. He was pretty obvious, because he'd raise his spoon full of food, then let it hover mid-air, and turn his whole head to watch you chew. It was as if he was waiting for you to declare it was the worst thing you'd ever tasted.

He was still working on his -most likely cold- plate minutes after you cleaned yours off. It left you to catch up to him in glasses of wine. The bottle was nearing empty and you were still on your first.

"Do you have any roommates?" You asked, glancing around a spacious apartment.

It was so still. You'd surely die of loneliness, if you were him.

He shook his head. It made sense with his preference for solitude, but it still made you sit back and sip on your wine to keep from voicing your concern.

"It's quiet," Osamu wiped his mouth with his napkin and pushed his plate forward, "I know."

Was your discomfort that obvious?

His chuckling won out over your insistence that it wasn't that bad, and you eventually were resolved back to slouching in your chair again.

"You just need some- flowers," You motioned to the center of the table, not believing in your advice in the slightest, "Or... something like that."

"To be fair, I never sit at the table."

He poured the last of the wine into his glass. You stared down at yours. He still spoke and acted stone-cold sober. You had to wonder how much he drank, with this bleak living space.

"Not a fan of Merlot?"

This was getting a little embarrassing.

This time, you gave in, "Not feeling this one as much."

His brow raised. He had a layered expression, like he was torn between two sides of himself for a split-second.

He eased up and slid his elbows on the table, wine glass looking absurdly tiny in his hand.

You admired the gentle way he held the delicate glass, how he knew just how the weight was supposed to be distributed in the webs of his fingers.

"You drink wine much?" He had that completely immersed look on his face that was always so difficult to return.

He mistook your trouble to return his gaze as discomfort, and laughed, retracting his body from the table, "I-'m sorry--,"

"No-no it's okay-!" You put your hand on his arm and scooted your chair closer to affirm that you didn't mind his proximity -that you in fact welcomed it- and rambled, "I- don't, drink wine like that. So I- wouldn't really know what's good."

His gaze sent a shiver surging through your whole body. What an intense pair of eyes. He leaned forward on his elbows, thumb rubbing his freshly shaved cheek.

"It's an expensive hobby."

You were wracking up inappropriate questions by the second. First, the lack of love in his sad apartment, then his potential alcohol issues, now his salary.

The quiet clink of his glass on the table. A heavy, warm hand stilled yours on his arm, and he caught your troubled gaze.

"But it's just a hobby," He smiled.

The apartment filled with shared laughter. You were getting read like an open book, you couldn't help but cool your face down with the back of your hand.

"I-I promise, I'm not trying to judge," You sighed and grinned at what you noticed as his slightly tipsy giggling, "I just... care about you."

Osamu took a breath to say something, but something else flickered across across his face.

His hand was starting to slip from yours.

"So, you and Suna again?"

You laughed at what you thought was a joke. He didn't return it; instead, he let go and took another big sip from his almost empty glass.

"Oh-," You realized he was mistaken, "We're not together."

"Mm!" He swallowed and laughed, "Oh- that's good."

His focus faltered with a small cough, "I mean, not good, but-,"

"That's not something I want to go back to," You saved his embarrassing admission gracefully and looked away, only thinking about that short-lived relationship in high school.

Suna was just a distraction. A temporary filler for your unbearable emptiness. You never stopped loving Osamu, even when you had everyone else fooled. In the end, Suna just made you miss your friend more, since it sparked an unspoken drift in the process. It wasn't one of your brightest moments.

The look on his face was asking for more information. A 'So... why?' was on the tip of his tongue. You saved him the breath.

"He reached out. I was free, and I wanted to make sure we were alright after things ended like that."

Osamu nodded slowly, swirling half a sip of wine in his glass with careful consideration.

"You talk about it like you never liked him," He sighed against the rim, then shot it back in a way that made you realize why he was drinking so much.

He didn't have the courage to talk to you like this without it.

Your thumb, still resting on his forearm, rubbed thoughtfully. If he was being this candid through his actions, you didn't mind coming clean about a few things.

"I didn't," You admitted in a breathy half-laugh, "It wasn't real to me."

You shut your eyes tight and seethed, "I know that sounds so cruel--,"

"Yeah," He chuckled.

"Okay- I meant it like..." Your thumb was tapping on his raised skin, "I needed a distraction. You know I was struggling. He really was sweet. I know I should've treated him better."

It was clear that there was no hero to the story. You were all flawed, to some degree. Osamu's hand returned to yours. This time, he squeezed.

"You know I don't judge you for that."

All things considered, that break-up was still fresh. It was only briefly before your graduation date.

"Hey-," He reached up to turn your head towards him. It was a bit much and left you both warm and fidgety, "You know that I know that you're a good person."

His hand fell to your forearm.

It was fleeting, but you felt an energy between you. It was different. It filled that space in your heart you'd long since carved out for him.

Fleeting must be reiterated, because it was gone in an instant as he cleared his throat and stood, collecting the dishes in one trip with skill you could only attribute to the nature of his work.

You chugged the rest of your wine with a shudder so it wouldn't go to waste and skittered after his swift movement towards the kitchen.

If there was any place in the house that didn't feel lifeless, it was the kitchen. Spacious and clean, sure, but every tool and appliance here was cared for and used often.

It distracted you to slow down.

There was a level of respect you felt was necessary for a space so important to Osamu.

He began washing the dishes.

"Please let me do something," You begged from behind him.

All you got was a stoic head shake.

You leaned on the countertop behind him, staring at his back in that clean, black shirt. Would you ever get over him?

His words and actions from tonight turned over in your head. That hug you shared yesterday afternoon made your hands slip from the counter.

It may have been the wine that inspired your resolve to actually follow through, but your motivation did have years of pent-up desire behind it.

His body stiffened at the feeling of your arms around his waist, the side of your face pressed against his warm back. He smelled like a woody, musky cologne.

"Thank you," You muttered, mostly for his kind words, but its roots extended much farther than just recent events.

The sound of the water shutting off encouraged you to loosen your grip. The doubt started settling in as he dried his hands with a hanging towel, wordless.

His hands just barely grazed yours as you retracted, heart racing at the fact that you couldn't take that back.

He turned around to face you. Your eyes were busy avoiding his, so you were taken by surprise when he leaned down to pick you up from the waist.

It was just as easy and comfortable as the first time-- his shoulders spacious enough to bury yourself in, his hold so secure you didn't have to spare any strength holding on. He could support you all day.

A breathy groan, like he was a settling house, brushed your ear and sent tingles down your spine.

He set you down, but guided your arms to stay around his neck. You looked back and forth between his eyes, no longer unsure about his feelings.

"I missed you so much."

He was a clumsy kisser, but you didn't mind.

His hands were skilled and sure. It was more than enough to make up for his hungrier, rather than soft kisses.

One kept you steady by the back of your head, the other taking up your entire shoulder to guide you backwards against the kitchen island.

He rendered you breathless quickly- you pulled away for just a moment and he took it as a good sign to lift you up onto the countertop.

No part of you questioned this intense show of affection-- it felt like a fitting release of years-long tension and unspoken feelings.

They still remained unspoken, for the most part, but it could wait.

His hips pushed hard against your own, eliciting a soft, fluttery sound against his mouth.

He ate it up, wanting another so bad that one hand grabbed at the bend in your hip and thigh to keep you against him.

Your tummy twisted in a mixture of delightful pleasure and desire, everything below your waist all giddy and jittery as his fingers squeezed your hips with a need you never knew he was harboring.

Thighs trembling with nerves, his steady grasp pushing down helped to calm and stall you. You caught your breath with your forehead pressed against his. You unhooked your legs.

"W-hat?" You swallowed, praying to God this wasn't some mistake.

His wine-flushed face answered your question with no response.

"We shouldn't...I'm not--," He bit his cheek at his own restraint, brow tight with regret at his own actions from earlier.

You nodded, a little buzzed yourself, and laughed at his concern, "I'm okay with just kissing."

my masterlist.

requests are open!

[sevensity]

RFA + V + Saeran reacting to an MC who just got stung by a wasp or bee? I recently got stung by a wasp and now my hand is all swollen ^^;;

Oh no! I consider myself lucky because I have yet to bee stung (hahahahah get it) and I hope I never will that shit looks painful T.T Did you clean the wound properly? Apparently honey really helps to soothe stings, but don’t use it if you’re allergic! I hope you get better soon ~

YOOᔕᑌᑎG:

Happened to my bro when he was like 8, we were in my Gradmother’s garden and wanted to catch butterflies, so my bro saw a bumblebee and he was like “it’s fuzzy, colorful, and flies…therefore it’s a butterfly” bless his soul

Summer had arrived, and with it came a clear, breezy day, that weather where the sun warms you up but the wind cools you down at just the right moment

It was a perfect time to go butterfly catching

So collected your net, sunscreen, food, and one (1) Yoosung before precipitating yourself towards a nearby park

Tbh he didn’t really want to participate because he’s scared of hurting the butterflies oh my god hold me back this boy is so precious

But he was fine cheering you on from the sidelines, after all your happiness is his happiness

It wasn’t long before you spotted a Monarch butterfly perched atop a nearby flower bush, and in one fell swoop, you catch it in your net

Yoosung is like woah that’s my girl look at her what a pro

But you hadn’t thought that there might be other small critters lying among the flowers

So as you reached over to close the net, you felt a sharp pain in the meaty part of your palm

Yoosung appeared right beside you before you could even start to cry, pulling an emergency med kid out of his backpack as he took your hand in his and begins to treat your wound

“It’s okay, don’t cry,” he said, kissing your brow.  Although Yoosung was a bit nervous since the love of his life was in pain, his words were so soft and soothing that as they washed over you, the pain gradually faded and you were left with nothing but the warmth of his hand over yours

For the next few days, Yoosung constantly checked up on you, and told you to limit the use of your hand

He applied ointment to prevent any swelling and discomfort, and basically just took such good care of you the wound vanished in a few days

You lowkey wanted to become an animal just so that you could visit Doctor Yoosung and have him treat you

ᘔEᑎ:

It was quite simple really, you were crouched in front of a flower bed, smelling their sweet fragrance, while Zen sat beside you, thinking about how much you looked like a flower fairy

But then a bee sorta plopped onto your thigh, and in your surprise, you tried to brush it off, but the bee ended up stinging you before it fell onto the ground

Your yelp of pain brought Zen back from his reverie, and he cradled you against his chest, asking you why you were suddenly crying

Babe I think something stung me and it really hurts

He went from 1 to 100 real quick, his eyes blazing in fury as he tried to find The Villainous One Who Injured My Princess™

He’s all like @ bee: (ง'̀-‘́)ง come at me u ‘lil bitch

Zen the bee is already quite dead

He whisked you away towards the nearest first aid station, and held onto you the entire time you were getting the sting cleaned up and covered

Insisted that he carry you home, because he seemed to be under the impression that if you walked, your leg might fall off

Once you got home, he placed you on the couch and ordered you to stay put for the rest of the day

But he knelt before you and…

Being the romantic bastard (I use this word in a nice way here don’t hate me) he is, Zen lifted your leg up to his lips and kissed the bandage

“From now on, I will not lose to anything.  No human, nor bug, nor any other formidable foe will ever hurt you again, be they large or small.”

I mean as sweet as that sounds, just imagine Zen hovering around you with an aerosol can in his hand whenever you go outside, constantly spraying bug repellent everywhere so it just sorta hangs around you like a cloud

Are you trying to poison me Zen do you really wanna pull some Romeo and Juliet shit Zen are you really that dramatic Zen

ᒍᗩEᕼEE:

At first, the both of you thought that adding tables outside the cafe for customers to use was a good idea

But neither of you thought of the horrible things leftover sweets attracted

One day, while you were clearing up a table littered with half-eaten cake on a side not who dares not finish their cake why would you even consider such a thing???, you picked up a plate an immediately dropped it after feeling something stabbing your finger

The plate shattered against the ground, and you felt your heart beating in your index finger

Jaehee never heard you cuss so loud

She rushed outside to see what all the commotion was about, and saw you clutching your hand, face red and eyes watering

Now Jaehee is smart, with just a single look, she can tell exactly what’s wrong

Baehee ushered you inside, telling you not to worry about the plate, not to worry about your finger, not to worry about anything because she is there and will take care of you

She apologized to the customers, saying that she had something important to take care of, and wouldn’t be available for a few minutes

In a flash, she had everything laid out and ready to use, carefully pulling out the wasp’s stinger, wrapping a hand towel around your finger before giving you ice

You felt bad for disrupting both of your work, but she again told you to stop fretting

She made you stay behind for half an hour, until the ice was almost completely gone, before allowing you to come back again

Though she insisted that you only use one had , and limit yourself to the smaller tasks

When you both went home that day, Jaehee settled you on her couch and declared that she was going to feed you herself

But Jaehee I have two hands you know

She wouldn’t hear any of it though

“Fine, then how about you use your other hand to feed me in turn?”

It turned into a fluff fest and ended with both of you giggling hard, chocolate pudding smeared across both of your faces, cheeks flushed, that day’s incident long forgotten 

Mmh and then Jaehee offered to “clean up” the pudding on your face, and so another sort of fest begun

ᒍᑌᗰIᑎ:

I’m like 700% sure that he’s already safe-proofed his entire penthouse

There are no bugs, no critters to be seen anywhere, even out in the garden, the only insects you see are the harmless ones

I guess with money, anything really is possible

EXCEPT, bees

Jumin was aware how important bees were for the environments as well as his garden, so he allowed the existence of bees to continue in his otherwise no-bug haven

But this led him to the fake belief that bees were completly harmless creatures

I mean for the most part they are but accidents still occur

And an accident was exactly what happened when you wandered too close to a bee hive

Luckily, you managed to escape with only one sting (actually I heard that even if you aren’t allergic at first, if you’re stung multiple times you can develop an allergy and die???) but it still caused enough pain to make you tear up

Jumin Mental Equation: You+Crying+Swollen Arm= MC has a fatal illness

Rushed you to the hospital despite your complains

Jumin I need tweezers and an ice pack, not an X-Ray and an IV

Did feel a bit embarrassed when the doctor told  him it’s just a bee sting

He had his arm around you the entire day after that, except when you fell asleep in the afternoon

When you woke up, Jumin was nowhere to be seen

The guards said he was in the garden

As you approached that place, you heard his voice talking to someone

You peaked around the corner and

Ju MIN??!

This dude was wearing a beekeeper outfit, in a cutesy kitten pattern to boot

But what shocked you the most was that he was trying to have a discussion with the bee hive

Or maybe, telling the bees off for hurting you was more accurate

Which did nothing but aggravate said bees, who were now swarming around him in a rather angry manner

Jumin you’re an absolute dork but that’s part of the reason why I adore you so much

ᐯ:

Really though, unless he’s there with you when it happens, the blind man will not notice your injuries, even if you happened to get your head chopped off

That’s really sad actually

When you were out in the garden tending he flowers and got stung by a wasp, it hurt, but you were adamant about not letting V find out

Imagine how he would feel if you got hurt but he wasn’t there beside you?

So you were biting your lip, fighting back tears as you rushed to treat yourself, when V came in

“Sweetheart? What are you doing?” he asked after hearing you rummaging around in the cabinets for tweezers.

“Ah, um, nothing!”

He reached out for you, and instinctively you did the same

V’s fingers brushed against your swelling forearm, and felt you flinch away

He froze

“”Did you…did you injure yourself?”

“It’s…it’s nothing major, just a wasp sting.”

“Oh my God, MC I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry I didn’t realize before, I’m so sorry I didn’t notice your pain.”

The poor boy looked like he was about to cry, and clutched at his fkn gorgeous hair in distress

See this is exactly what I mean the poor man blames himself too much

You assured him that it was all okay, that you knew how to take care of your own wounds, and that if he wanted to make you feel better, he could stay near you

But after that incident, V suddenly decided to get the surgery

“What happens if something like this happens again,” he said, “I want to be able to prevent you from getting hurt again.”

ᔕᗩEYOᑌᑎG:

This happened to my friend in the same situation (except it was in a towel fort me and my friends had made),  we all found it so hilarious that even though she was crying from the pain, she still laughed along with us. What a touching story excuse me while I wipe away my tears

You managed to convince him to go to a public pool with you

Now this place had a really big grassy area with lots of shade, so you decide to sit down

But unluckily for you, you only wore your bathing suit and had your towel wrapped around your shoulders

And even more unluckily for you, there was a bumblebee bumbling around in your choice area to sit

Naturally, the little fuzzy fella was squashed to death, but not before his stinger was neatly lodged in your butt cheek

SEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCKING OWWWW!!!!!!

The Defender of Justice Magically Appears!! He just kind of blinked at you while you were feeling up your butt tho

“Do you need some help with that, miss?”

Immediately became concerned when he saw you crying though, and pulled you into a tight embrace

“Honey what’s wrong?”

“S-Seven…I think I sat on a bumblebee.”

You felt him tense up

Then you felt him start to quiver

Bastard you better not be doing what I think you’re doing

Sure enough, Seven was trying to suppress his laughter, but when you pouted at him, he just couldn’t hold it in anymore

“Ahahaha! You sat on a bumblebee! I wonder what the view was like from down there…what did it see in it’s last moments? I bet it was a glorious sight to behold.”

You cheeky bastard pun 117% intended

Rest assured though, he gave you the best first aid care, especially given the location of your wound

After all was said done, Seven sighed wistfully and said, “But in all honesty, letting a bumblebee go somewhere so private…are you sure you weren’t having an affair?” also reference 249% intended

“No?”

“Good,” he says, leaning closer to your ear. “You better not bee.”

That night y’all watched The Bee Movie and he frequently whispered “That could be us but you playin’.”

What exactly he was insinuating, you did not know.

ᔕᗩEᖇᗩᑎ:

You went out to his favorite ice cream stall on a sweltering summer day

He went back for seconds while you waited at a nearby bench

Your hair fell over your shoulder as you leaned forward towards your half-eaten cone, so you lifted a hand to brush the locks back and –

OUCH!

You hadn’t noticed, but a sneaky wasp had flown into your hair, and you’d accidentally squished it a bit between your hair and collarbone

Real talk: when you get any sort of injury directly over bone, it fucking hurts

So when Saeran came back to see you crying, he was floored

Did I make her wait too long? Did someone hurt her? Did- wait what the hell is that?

He took one look at the swelling on your collarbone and decided that someone had tried to kill you

Ah Saeran, I’ve met a lot of people before who jump to the most unlikely conclusions possible but you reaaally take the cake

Though your tears weren’t something he wanted to see, so anxiously he patted your head and asked what happened

You explained to him, that you think you were stung by a wasp

Like Zen, Saeran looked around, trying to find someone to fight

Saeran who gives a damn about the wasp this sting hurts like a bitch

Tol bean wasn’t sure what to do though. There wasn’t no one to beat up, he he didn’t know how to take care of a wasp sting, and your crying was just making him want to cry

So Saeran, in a flurry, grabbed your hand and pulled you closer to him

“It’s okay,” he said, “I know someone who can help. Just hang in there, okay?”

Saeran pls stop talking like I’m mortally wounded

With that he took off at break-neck speed in the direction of who knows where, pulling you along in his wake but shit this guy can go

Yeah, you still felt the throbbing pain beneath your neck, but Saeran ran so fast your were practically flying through the air behind him

A few minutes later, you found yourself at Yoosung’s doorstep, Saeran spamming the doorbell until a disheveled looking ray of sunshine boy opened the door

Without much grace due to his sheer panic, Saeran shoved you in front of him and yelled, “Please, help me! I don’t know what to do!”

When things calmed down a bit and the circumstances explained, Yoosung showed Saeran how to clean a sting wound, how to properly remove a leftover stinger as well as remedies to soothe the affected area

Yoosung teaching Saeran new thing, and Saeran absorbing it all with shining eyes was a really effective painkiller

Lol it was almost worth getting stung just to witness this moment 

[kaylaxwrites]

Into You

Pairing: Jessica Jones x Reader Words: 2.5k Summary: After the police practically dismiss your concerns of stalker, you turn to Alias Investigations for help. Request:  Jessica Jones x f reader where reader hires her as a pi (for whatever reason) and the case takes awhile so reader develops feelings but doesn't want to act on them because it's in appropriate since Jessica is working for her. Then as soon as the case is over Jessica pulls out two glasses and some whisky and is like "I'm a pi obviously I noticed you're into me now let's drink together and see where this goes cuz I like you too" (anon) A/N: Sorry this took so long! It might not follow the request exactly (I forgot to make the case like take a while) but I hope you like it! 

Warnings: reader has a stalker, gets cornered by stalker and is also punched

Tears stung your eyes as you stepped out of the police station. You were convinced, you knew, you had a stalker. Someone had been following you for several weeks now, left crude “love letters” taped to your apartment door, and generally left you with an unsafe and uncomfortable feeling. You went to the police today for help—any help—and left feeling crushed and defeated. The officers inside didn’t take you seriously, brushed you off, dismissed your concerns and you were angry.

Afraid.

You started walking down the street back towards your apartment, brushing away stray tears. Being in the open—even in front of a police station—made you feel uneasy. You didn’t know what to do next and you were about to spiral into a panic attack. One step at a time, you tried to tell yourself, taking deep breaths as you walked. You would go home, and figure out what to do there. Right now you just needed to get home and calm down.

You looked to the sky as a means to keep your tears at bay when a sign in a fifth-floor window caught your eye and slowed you to a halt.

Alias Investigations.

A private investigator? Could they help you with your problem? Maybe they could help you get the evidence you needed for the police to take you seriously. Did you have the money for it, though? Fuck it, you thought. It would be cheaper than moving across town and changing your name. With a steading breath, you opened the door to the building and made your way inside.

You soon arrived at the fifth floor and anxiety knotted your stomach. This building looked sketchy—the suspiciously blood-like stains in the elevator was more than enough to give you that uneasy feeling—but you were already here. So might as well. Right?

You knocked hesitantly on the door, surprised when you heard what sounded like muttered curses from the other side. Did you come at a bad time? You almost left but then the door creaked open and you were met with the annoyed face of a pale, black-haired woman.

“Can I help you?” she asked curtly, opening the door only enough to show her shoulders and face, trying to appear as unwelcoming as possible.

“Uh…” The woman and her weird greeting left you somewhat speechless so you weakly pointed at the window where Alias Investigations was printed in bold letters. “Alias Investigations?” you said as if she wouldn’t know the name of her own business. You could kick yourself for your awkward stuttering.

“Shit. Hold on.” She closed the door in your face and you took a step back, startled. Through the opaque glass on the door, you could see the silhouette of the private eye quickly picking up the main room of her apartment, throwing trash and other stray items out of sight. You stopped yourself from smiling when the door was thrown back open and she welcomed you inside.

You sat tentatively in one of the chairs across from her desk as she sat heavily in the opposite seat, folding her arms on the top of her desk. She gestured for you to start talking and you did. “I think I have a stalker,” you started. But then you shook your head, restarting. “I know I have a stalker. I don’t know who he is, but I’ve caught glimpses of him a couple of times and he keeps leaving me these…letters on my door about once a week.” You dug into your bag and pulled out several of the letters you tried to bring as evidence, laying them on the table.

Jessica, you realized from her name tag on the desk, picked them up and scanned through them. “Have you been to the police?” she asked.

“I went there this morning. They practically dismissed me outright. I was walking home when I saw your sign.” You nodded towards the window behind her that advertised to the street.

She shuffled through the letters some more. “And do all of these…?”

Talk graphically about what your stalker would do once you were “together”?

“Yeah. The officer…” You cleared your throat, feeling tears stinging your eyes once again. “The officer said that I-I had probably led some guy on and that’s why he was leaving me love letters. He hasn’t threatened to kill me, so they aren’t—they aren’t going to help me.” Your voice was strained by the end of your sentence and you knew Jessica picked up on it.

“And you don’t know who it is?”

You shook your head. “Like I said, I’ve caught glimpses of him, but…”

“What does he look like?”

“Tall. Six foot, maybe? White. Not skinny, but not like super muscular either. He always has a hood or sunglasses on, so I’ve never really gotten a good look at his face. He hasn’t talked to me in person, either. Just leaves the letters.”

Jessica thought for a moment, looking over the letters once more. “I’ll help you,” she said eventually.

You nearly shot out of your seat. “Really? Oh my god, thank you. I don’t know what else I’d do.” You reached into your bag for your wallet. “How much will I owe you? I only have two hundred to give now, but I can find more to pay you later.”

“I’ll take a hundred for now. I’ll figure out the rest later.”

You pulled five twenties out of your wallet, half of your paycheck you cashed out earlier that day. You also gave her your phone number, address, and your schedule for the week. Jessica said she’d be in touch with you and you soon left afterwards, feeling lighter than you had in weeks now that the weight was beginning to lift off your shoulders.

You didn’t hear much from Jessica the next few days. She said she was going to watch you in your daily routine for a little while to see who she could find that was suspicious or she saw a lot in your vicinity. You never once saw her watching you, so you had to take her for her word—that either meant she was really good or you just gave a hundred bucks to someone who was going to ghost you. Thankfully, by the end of the week, you didn’t have to worry about being ghosted by a P.I.

Jessica found your stalker.

James Williams, she said his name was, but it didn’t ring a bell. You didn’t know him and you weren’t sure how he knew you. “You could’ve helped him at work or smiled at him on the street,” Jessica assured you. “These assholes will take any random act of kindness as a love declaration.”

“You could say that again,” you muttered. But you thanked her for her help and ended the phone call, agreeing to meet in about two hours after you got home from work. You pulled yourself from your hiding spot in the stock room of your workplace and finished up your shift.

By the end of the hour, you were starting your walk to Jessica’s office. You were less than two blocks down the road when an arm wrapped around your shoulders and backed you against the wall of an alleyway. Your head smarted against the brick and you blinked rapidly as you took in the face in front of yours.

You didn’t recognize it, but it must be…

James.

“What—what do you want?” you stuttered, your brain suddenly short-circuiting.

“You called…you called a P.I.?” he asked. He almost sounded…heartbroken. “I—I had a plan. I had a plan for us and you ruined it!”

“I don’t want to be a part of your plan. I don’t even know you!”

“I had everything figured out. We were gonna—”

“Get off of me, fucking creep!”

You instantly regretted your words as a look of anger flashed through his eyes. Maybe calling the psychopath a creep wasn’t the best way to go. Before you could brace yourself, he swung his fist and you were met with a flash of pain in your nose, a trail of blood following not long after. The force of the blow had you spiraling towards the ground and your felt your ankle twist as you fought to remain upright. Gravity won in the end and your palms scraped across concrete as you fell. Before your thoughts could even register, James’ hands were at your shoulders, lifting you upright, and pressing you against brick once more.

“Do not…call me that,” he said between heavy breaths. You flinched when he reached a hand up to cup the side of your face, brushing away blood with his thumb. Your mind flashed through every self-defense post on social media, but you couldn’t think clearly to remember specific moves. You were halfway to hyperventilating when James was suddenly yanked aside and thrown down the alleyway.

“You okay?” a voice asked. You looked to your left. Jessica.

“I’ll be fine,” you managed.

Blood was pouring from your nose still and you tried to stem the flow with the sleeve of your shirt. Movement down the alley caught your eye and you glanced over. James was staggering to his feet and started towards you. Jessica huffed and rolled her eyes, meeting the man halfway. In the blink of an eye, she lifted him and threw him into a nearby dumpster, latching the lid closed so he couldn’t escape.

“That’ll hold him until the police get here,” she said, brushing her hands off.

“Police?” you asked.

“Yeah, that little stunt will get him time for assault. And you won’t have to worry about him anymore.” She took a few steps towards you. “Let me see,” she said, gesturing towards your face. As the bleeding was now mostly stopped, you lifted your head so she could see the damage. “It’s not broken,” she said after a moment, “but you’re gonna have one hell of a shiner in the morning.”

Great, you thought. But if it was the price to pay for getting rid of your stalker…

At that moment, a police cruiser pulled into the mouth of the alley.

You don’t remember much of the statement you gave to the police. The throbbing in your skull pretty much override it all. But thankfully, before long, the officers were taking James away in handcuffs and you were allowed to leave, the card of one of the officers pressed against your hand. Jessica stayed by your side through it all and you were thankful for her presence.

When you were allowed to leave and the officers had left, you tried to stand on your sprained ankle, but could barely make it a single step. The walk back to Jessica’s office was going to be one hell of a trip. Jessica took one pitying look at your pained step and bent as if she was going to pick you up. You quickly shuffled out of her reach. “What are you doing?” you asked.

“You can’t walk,” she answered simply.

“So what? You’re just going to try and carry me? Halfway across Hell’s Kitchen?”

“You got a better plan?”

You looked down at yourself. Your shirt was splattered with blood from your nose. Couldn’t exactly take an Uber looking like you did. “I guess not,” you sighed in defeat.

“So?”

“But you can’t carry me!” Jessica was tiny and you… “I’m too…”

“Heavy?” You gasped as your eyes widened in shock. Jessica was blunt, sure, but… “Shit, not like that. I didn’t—” She sighed. “Just… Look.” She knelt down in between two parked cars, placing a hand under each of the bumpers. With barely a grunt, she stood, lifting the ends of the cars on either side of her until the wheels were nearly waist high.

“Holy shit,” you breathed.

“Yeah.” She dropped the cars and they bounced to the ground. You were surprised the alarms didn’t go off or the wheels didn’t bust. “So are we good here?” You stuttered to find words. You wanted to just let her pick you up—she did just lift two cars, after all—but you were still worried. “So can we go or what?”

“I-I guess.” You moved awkwardly as Jessica lifted you into her arms. Your ankle throbbed as your weight was lifted off of it. You tried to situate yourself comfortably as Jessica carried you, but you didn’t know what to do with your arms. You settled on one across the back of her shoulders and the other curled into your chest, trying to minimize the points of contact with Jessica’s body.

But then you realized just how close Jessica’s face was to yours.

You took in her profile, watching how her hair bounced as she walked, how her pale skin practically changed colors under different streetlights. You realized then just how beautiful she was and maybe you were starting to have a thing for her. Great.

You blushed and turned away as her eyes turned to you. She huffed out a chuckle before returning her attention to the sidewalk.

Eventually, Jessica set you down on the couch in the living room of her office. She stepped over to the bookshelf in the corner of the room, a bookshelf that held more liquor than books, and poured two large drinks. She crossed back to you, offering you one of the glasses. You took it gratefully as Jessica fell on the couch next to you. You sipped your drink slowly, carefully—but by the time you were only a quarter done with yours, Jessica had already refilled her own, having brought the half-full bottle across the room with her.

The two of you sat there quietly, drinking, unwinding, for several minutes until you felt the need to break the silence. “Jessica, I—,” you began, but she cut in, finishing your sentence for you.

“You’re into me.”

Your face flushed and you turned your gaze quickly to the dark amber liquid in your glass. You weren’t even really sure what it was—whiskey? Bourbon? Was there a difference?—but you were tempted to reach over and chug the whole bottle if this was the conversation Jessica wanted to have. “I-I was just going to say thank you,” you stammered, “for everything.”

“You sure that’s all you wanted to say?” She turned her whole body to face you, tucking one of her legs underneath her. You refused to meet her gaze. “I’m a PI. A good one. And you’re an open book. You didn’t think I noticed?”

Your face burned hotter than ever and you wished the couch would swallow you whole—were you really that obvious about your feelings? Jessica reached behind her for the liquor bottle and refilled her drink once more as well as topped yours off. You took several burning gulps to try and distract yourself from the situation. You would give anything to be anywhere but here. You were into Jessica, but she wasn’t into you—the following conversation would be the most embarrassing of your life.

“I’m—I’m sorry. I should go.” You stood to try to gather your coat and your bag, wanting nothing more than to leave.

Jessica’s iron grip on your arm stopped you dead in your tracks. “For what it’s worth,” she said, almost scoffing, as if what she was about to say wasn’t worth anything at all, “I’m into you, too.”

divider by writeyourmindaway

[luckiecharms8991]

pretty puppy | pjm

◈  Rating: 18+

◈  Pairing: Sub!Park Jimin x Dom!Male Reader

◈  Genre: pwp smut

◈  Word count: 2.5k

◈  Warnings: SMUT, like just pure filth beware, puppy/sir dynamic/kink, dom/sub of course, Jimin gets called puppy like so many times, anal fingering, like copious amounts of drool (if you don’t like saliva, stay out), prostate milking, oral sex, blood choking (fuck yeah), unprotected anal sex, not enough lube used (please use lube folks, this is fiction), creampie, jimin passes out from the blood choke y’all, some praise kink stuff, kinda overstimulation, spanking (Jimin gets that ass smacked yo)

A/N: @sombreboy this is for you, you kinky dork. I can’t believe you actually convinced me to post this...

Banner by @sombreboy​ who this absolute filth is written for.

Keening whines spilled from plush lips as their owner waged war with the urge to push back into the pleasure or to pull away from the intensity of the rough finger rubbing insistently along his prostate. He struggled to keep his knees beneath him while more drool dripped around the gag placed in his mouth. Jimin pressed his face further into the tear-stained and drool-soaked pillow beneath him as he involuntarily moved back on the fingers still pressed into him. His left ass cheek stung under the slap of your hand at the disobedience and he sobbed once more into the pillow.

“This can’t possibly be too much for you, you little slut. You were fucking begging me to play with you earlier.” You punctuated your words with another brutal slap right over your previous one, just to hear those high-pitched sobs again. “Do you need me to stop, puppy?”

Jimin shuddered at the name but between the gag and the slaps all he could do was moan and whimper around the gag. You had stopped moving your fingers and fuck, he needed them to move. The idea of you stopping had him tossing his head back and forth. Fuck, he never wanted you to stop. He really wanted to be good for you and obedient, but he couldn’t help it! It felt too good.

“What was that, puppy? I couldn’t hear you.” Taking a bit of pity on him, you leaned up over him, admiring the absolutely gorgeous quivering muscles underneath you, and undid the gag before pulling it from his mouth. An absolute torrent of drool spilled from his mouth from where it had been pooling behind the gag. Fuck, that was hot. It pooled on the pillow beneath Jimin’s pretty, pretty face and you were quick to grab the back of his head and rub his face into it, smearing it all over. “You’re so messy, puppy. I said, do you need me to stop?”

“No, sir, please don’t stop… Please… Just don’t stop.” Begging, he tried to keep his body under control so that he could continue to be obedient. He wanted, no, he needed to come. And he wouldn’t get that if he couldn’t be a good puppy for you. He panted into the sheets as you slowly stroked through his hair, soft coos falling from your lips in a condescending tone at the utter mess underneath you.

“Okay, okay, I won’t stop. But…” You paused as you slipped your fingers out of Jimin’s tight hole, wet and slick with lube. Momentarily missing the feeling of his soft insides on your fingers, you slipped that hand under him to grab his dripping cock. So hard and wet, and all yours to play with. “I think you need a reminder of who exactly you belong to. Who does this cock belong to, puppy?”

“You,” Jimin inhaled sharply at the feeling of your rough palm on his cock.

“You, what?”

“You, sir!” Jimin cried out the proper response as you pressed your thumb into the slit of his cock at his disrespect. He was still reeling from not having come from the prostate milking and wasn’t ready for what was about to happen.

“And who do you belong to?” You tugged once at the sweet cock in your hand and felt it pulse and throb in response. Ah, he was such a good boy, so gorgeous with the way his body responded to you.

“You, sir,” Jimin whined once more as he yearned to come so hard in your grasp. He was so close but he just couldn’t reach the edge and he needed more. But he could only get more if obeyed and was a good boy. And at this point, he would do anything to get there.

“Then fucking act like it!” You growled into his ear while the hand in Jimin’s hair turned into a fist and yanked his head back to you. Roughly jerking at his cock, you held his head back in place so you could see his face as he began to fall apart beneath you again. Jimin’s plush lips fell open in helpless cries as all he could do was take the rough treatment you were giving his cock. You watched in fascination as drool dribbled past those plump lips as he cried out and Jimin simply could not keep his mouth shut. His face flushed even further than it was before and his eyes kept attempting to flutter shut as a steady stream of tears joined the drool dripping from his chin.

Jesus fuck, it was a moving sight. You felt your cock twitch at the sight and couldn’t help but want to see his face flush more as he gasped for air and relief from the overwhelming intensity.

          Pulling your hands from his hair and cock, you flipped him roughly onto his back and pushed his knees up. Jimin gasped in dismay at the sudden shock of having the pleasure stripped away. He didn’t have long to miss it though as you quickly filled his hole with two fingers and swallowed down around his cock, making sure to keep your eyes on Jimin’s face to see his reactions. Such fucking beautiful reactions. Your fingers stroked along his soft, warm walls as you wasted no time in torturing his cock with your hot mouth and tongue. You played your tongue along the vein on the underside of Jimin’s pretty little cock before pressing it insistently to slit and then sucking with force on the head as you slid down and pressed your fingers to his prostate again. With a small scream, Jimin began to shake and quiver where he lay on the bed from all the stimulation he had been receiving all night. It was becoming almost too hard to be still. He couldn’t even think of the words to beg for more or less, he was so far gone.

You let yourself drool down over his cock and pulled up to watch it drip down his cock before opening your mouth to let more dribble out over it. A drop of precome seeped out of his cock and made its way down the side with your saliva.

“Ah, fuck, puppy, you’re such a good puppy for me, aren’t you?” You groaned at the sight and Jimin let out a high-pitched keen at the praise and preened. He knew he was a good boy and loved to hear those words from his lips. “Do you think you’re ready for my cock, puppy? Hmmm?”

“Yes, sir, please, please, I want it… Sir, please,” Jimin was a moaning, crying mess under you as he begged to have you fill him to the brim. All he wanted was for you to fuck his brains out and have you fill him with your hot come.

“Alright then, puppy. I expect you to be a good puppy for my cock. Is that understood? If you aren’t, we stop right then and there, and neither of us is coming.” Jimin nodded frantically at the words. He was going to be the best puppy for you that he could possibly be. He was going to earn that orgasm.

“Yes, sir, I understand.”

“Good puppy,” You breathed out as you slipped your fingers from those velvety walls before gripping your own cock to press against that beautiful rim. No extra lube was needed from that hole being sloppy with lube and Jimin liked that edge of pain anyways. Your breath caught as the head of your cock slipped inside and you could see Jimin’s lips part on a gasp. You leaned down to his face to press a quick kiss to those wet lips as you pushed in the rest of the way. Licking your way into his mouth, you took a moment to let him adjust to you while you adjusted to just how tight and perfect he was. You laid claim to that soft mouth and twirled your tongue with his before licking at the roof of his mouth. Jimin moaned with abandon at the stretch of your cock that felt so good in his ass and you pulled back to look at him. “You’re so fucking tight for me, huh? Do you want me to fuck your ass wide open?”

Wasting no time and not waiting for a response, you started in with a punishing rhythm that left Jimin too overwhelmed to do anything but lay there and take it. His moans and whines continued to increase in volume upon every well-placed thrust that hit his prostate. Watching Jimin’s face contort under the pleasure was so good but you knew it could be better. You wanted more.

“Fuck, puppy, look at me,” You commanded as you slowed to a halt. Jimin whined in displeasure at you stopping before you roughly grabbed his face to make him look at you. “I need you to pay attention. Are you listening?”

Jimin quickly nodded, confused by the change in tone but not questioning it. He could tell you were about to do something but he couldn’t tell what. Especially with how far his mind was gone while being so utterly fucked out by you.

“Give me your hands then, puppy, be good for me.” You didn’t even wait for Jimin to lift said appendages before you had grabbed them with your own from where they had been gripping into the sheets below him to bring them up towards Jimin’s chest. You place one hand around Jimin’s throat and watched in amusement at the almost comical way his eyes widened as he realized what it was you were about to do. Carefully, you made sure to keep your hand in V-formation without putting pressure on his trachea. You wanted to torture him, but you didn’t want to accidentally do permanent damage. “I’m going to choke you, little puppy, and I need you to hold my wrist and not let go so I can tell when you are passing out. If it’s too much for you, squeeze as hard as you can or tap me three times. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Jimin gasped under the feeling your hand pressing into the carotid arteries at the sides of his neck. Fuck, this was going to be good. He could already imagine the blackspots in his vision and ringing in his ears as you fucked him into the mattress. Quickly, he wrapped his hands around your wrist on his neck and tried to show on his face that he was ready to be choked out.

“Good, puppy, you’re so good for me aren’t you?” You started up the same rhythm as before, making sure to hit the head of your cock along his prostate with every punishing thrust. Slowly, you started applying pressure to the sides of Jimin’s neck, knowing that these were going to leave beautiful marks later on. Fuck, the thought of Jimin with a necklace of your handprint.

The pace becomes more punishing at the thought as his fleshy insides grip you so tight and warm on every thrust. Jimin’s eyes begin to roll back as you tighten your grip on his neck suddenly and he starts to gasp at the feeling of not getting enough oxygen, though he knows he definitely is. It’s just his brain not getting enough blood that’s telling him he isn’t. Either way, he fucking loves the feeling. “Fuck, you’re so tight. You’re taking my cock so well, like you’re fucking made for it. Are you? Are you made for my cock?”

You knew Jimin couldn’t answer while your hand was wrapped so tightly around his neck, but you didn’t need one. You knew he was. He was all yours and made to be fucked by you. A sporadic tightening around your hard cock let you know that Jimin was close just as much as the more rapid drips of precome falling from his cock. Good, you probably weren’t going to be able to last much longer either. Drool dripped from Jimin’s gaping mouth down the sides of his face as the tears started leaking again, faster than before. Fuck, it was too much for him.

“Are you gonna come, puppy? Are you gonna come all over my cock for me? Milk the come right out of me?” You could feel your release sneaking up on you as you switched to a deeper, harder rhythm that was quickly growing sloppy. A small part of you was sad that this was coming to an end but you were also eager to see Jimin fall apart as he came. The sight never did grow old.

The moment you could see Jimin was about to come, you released the pressure from his neck and thrusted shallowly a few times while you watched the frustration grow on his face at having been denied.

“Then come.” You commanded as you suddenly tightened the pressure on his neck, much faster than before and blackspots danced behind Jimin’s eyes at the feeling. He could feel the pressure in his skull building as you gave one, two, three punishing thrusts into Jimin’s prostate before Jimin came all over your cock. Come spurted from his cock up onto his chest in thick white ropes as his eyes rolled back completely and he clenched down hard around your cock. You watched as he spasmed in your hold for a few seconds and his mouth gaped open on a silent cry as he came on your cock before he went completely limp in your hold and his hands slipped from your wrist. The combination of the tightening around your cock and the visual of Jimin blacking out from the pleasure had you finally giving into the feeling and coming deep in his spasming hole. You made sure every single drop made it in before you came to a halt, pulling your hand from his throat.

You could feel your come starting to dribble out around you as you looked down on Jimin’s limp body beneath you, waiting for him to wake up. With a jerk, Jimin came to, still under the heady feeling of his orgasm and could feel you still deep inside him, along with your hot come. As Jimin’s eyelashes fluttered open, you leaned down to press a soft kiss to his lips and began to pull out, small sounds escaping you both from the oversensitivity. You smiled into Jimin’s lush mouth as some more of your come came out with it. “Was that good, puppy? Everything you wanted?”

“Yeah, ugh, so good,” Jimin smiled blindingly up at you. You smiled back and pressed a quick kiss to that cute nose before rolling off the bed onto shaky legs. A little wobbly, you grabbed a damp rag and wiped yourself clean before moving back to Jimin to clean him up. Starting with his face and chest, you pressed kisses as you went and enjoyed the small giggles he let out as you did. Making quick work of cleanup, you threw the rag back into the bathroom before moving back into bed with Jimin. He quickly rolled into your side as you laid down and just breathed each other in.

“How long before round two?” Jimin giggled as you rolled your eyes.

“Insatiable.” You pressed a kiss to his forehead without giving an answer.

[adampage]

Post Revolution | Adam Page

Pairing: Hangman Adam Page x Selena (Latina OFC) Word Count: 2.5K Warnings: alcohol mention, themes of depression, a bit of swearing, NO smut A/N: This is self-indulgent hurt/comfort. I just want him to know how much he’s loved ok.

****

It was particularly difficult to imagine the state Selena’s boyfriend was in after that emotionally turbulent tag championship defense. Watching from two rows back had been heartbreaking enough, the knots in her stomach were still tight even minutes after it was over. Selena made her way backstage then, not wanting to lose sight of him for more than a second.

He’d been vulnerable for weeks, and the alcohol wasn’t helping even if he thought it was.

She flashed her backstage pass to a security guard, who finally let her through to where the talent was gathered. The bucks were the first people Selena saw, and they didn’t do much in the way of easing her stomach. She hoped they wouldn’t see her, because she knew she was liable to say something regretful and beyond repair.

“Hey, Lenna!” Nick smiled at her as she made her way past them, grabbing her by the fingertips. “It’s good to see you, did you like the match?”

“Yeah, Nick. I loved it.”

Behind him, Matt’s ears perked up at the sound of her name and her voice, and he turned toward her with one small kid on his hip, ever the perfect, handsome father. He looked at her amiably enough, but there was something dark in his eyes that she couldn’t quite understand. It almost felt like a provocation.

And it was enough to flare her temper.

Nick's smile was big and bright, and it tore at her heart to even think of saying what was on her mind at him directly, so she looked plainly at his brother behind him. “But my favorite part was that y’all lost, and my boyfriend beat you.”

She flashed Matt a thousand-watt grin, lowered her head in regret to Nick, and excused herself.

Si yo fuera Adam, donde estaría? she asked no one. She knocked on the door of the make up room, the AEW make up artists slowly packing up their supplies with help from a backstage tech. “Stella,” she called.

“He passed by about two minutes ago,” Stella replied, popping up from underneath a black table cloth. Selena helped her up and dusted her off. “He was raving about ‘glitter dick’ and went down the hall to the showers. Lord knows what the fuck that meant.”

“Thank you, Stella,” Selena grinned, continuing her search for her lost cowboy. She felt like a sober Arthur Morgan looking for her Lenny. The quest was just as long, and yet it wasn’t any fun because the drunk one wasn’t her.

Her eyes scoured the doors of the hallway for one that would lead her to the showers. She found a paper sign, finally, with an arrow pointing down another hallway that read “men’s showers”. Her heart leapt once, pounding just a little bit faster at the thought of finding her man.

Why didn’t he come for me? She thought. Why did he isolate himself again?

He was like a sick dog. Keeping himself away from those he needed most just because he felt he was too much of a bother. But it was moments like this where he needed to be around the people who cared for him the most.

The wooden door to the showers sat slightly ajar, and steam escaped from it. Selena could hear the sharp and steady stream of a shower head in use. Not wanting to catch anyone else in the shower, she called out before entering, stunned at the echo of her voice that filled the room.

“Adam?” Her voice quivered. Already, she couldn’t help but feel a little afraid at how she might find him.

A moment’s pause. And then, softly but with feeling, the cowboy made himself known. “Yeah?”

“Can I come in?”

Another pause. He seemed to be debating something. “I—I’m not. Decent.”

“That’s okay, sweetheart. I don’t mind.” When he didn’t answer back: “Do you?”

“Maybe. A little.”

She ran her tongue across her lips. It was perhaps the only reaction she made that could have possibly told someone that his words ached at her heart. Her eyes remained steady on the ground, a hand resting on the door. Selena could feel him, there, inside. She only hoped he could feel her there, too. “Okay. I’ll be out here, waiting. Take your time.”

A quiet “okay” was the only response.

She waited outside for him, somewhat impatiently, but she didn’t want to push him. She stared at the ceiling. At the wall. At her feet. She gave closed-mouth smiles at the backstage techs that hurried past, trying to load some equipment back up into the trailers. Some of them looked sorry for her. Others glanced at her, confused, then shook their confusion away and continued their work. A few of them she recognized. They gave her tiny waves or quick hellos. Apart from them, the hallway was empty of AEW talent.

Except for one.

He sat on a production crate, head leaned back against the wall. She hadn’t noticed him at first, as he was known to be eerily quiet. This moment in particular, though, he managed a sigh that was loud enough for her to hear in the now silent hall.

“Orange?” she said meekly.

His head turned slowly to look at her. It was hard to tell just what sort of emotions were on his face, as his eyes were hidden behind his shades.

“Are you all right?” Selena pressed. But he didn’t say anything. Next to his crossed legs was a piece of printed paper. He shuffled it away from him, and it fell on the floor, luckily at her feet.

It was a miniature sized poster of one of the blown-up ones she’d seen at the entrance of the arena. A graphic of Pac, hulking and menacing, and Orange himself, with the words “Pac vs Orange Cassidy in a singles match at AEW Revolution” underneath them.

Selena picked up the paper and smiled, glad of the chance to take her mind off the anxious cowboy in the showers. She figured Orange must want to talk about it, since he took the time to show her the poster, and sighed loudly enough for her to hear, specifically. So she took the bait. “Why, Orange, you aren’t...worried about this match, are you?”

It took Selena a few moments before she realized Orange was shrugging.

“Hm, you don’t seem too sure.” She took it a step further, “in fact, I’d say it’s like you think what Pac said about you is true.”

What little she could see of his eyebrows furrowed together, and she noticed him take another deep breath. Selena took a step closer to him, glancing back at the door to the showers. She probably still had a few more minutes till Adam appeared, so she inched a bit closer.

“No, that’s not it, is it?”

A small quirk of his left elbow told her maybe she was onto something.

“It’s the fans. You’re worried they aren’t going to like the match. That they’ll finally see you wrestle, and be disappointed.”

A tiny clench of his jaw told her she’d hit it right on the mark.

She found herself standing right in front of his perch, determined to get him out of his slump. Her hands held onto both corners of the crate, and she looked at him directly in the shades.

“Now you listen to me, Orange Cassidy. I’m going to tell you something that I wish I could tell my boyfriend every day of my life, because it’s the truth. And I think it’s true about you too, okay?”

He nodded. Not too quickly. Just slow enough.

“The fans adore you. They love every second of you out there, and you never fail to make them smile. The crowd goes absolutely buckwild for you, and there’s no reason for me to think that they wouldn’t ever have your back. You’re one of the best wrestlers on this show, one of the best wrestlers in the world, and don’t think for one minute that you aren’t.”

Selena could feel tears welling in her eyes, and she looked away from him, drawing a deep breath. She tried to focus her eyes on the floor, and it was then that she noticed a pair of cowboy boots at the edges of her vision.

(Unbeknownst to Selena, Orange Cassidy had also smiled at this exact moment, slipped off the crate, and proceeded  down the hall.)

Adam Page stood next to her in all six feet of his glory. His light blue jeans hung tight against his thighs, held firmly on his waist by a dark brown belt and its grand belt buckle. He was wearing one of those flowery western shirts of his that Selena loved so much, his hair still glistening wet.

“Adam,” she breathed. His name rushed out of her like a sigh of relief. He was close enough to touch, and she so desperately wanted to. She eyed him, noticing a gentleness in his gaze, and an openness of his body. She reached for his hands, kissing them tenderly, giving them a small squeeze.

“Babe,” he ran his tongue along his lips, stammering out the next few words: “I’m-I’m sorry I didn’t come to find you. I needed a-a-a drink.” He winced at the sound of his own voice.

Selena nodded, looking away from him. Once again, he’d decided alcohol was a better help to him than herself. Though it stung at her pride, she wanted him to know just how much she loved him. “I understand. Do you want to stay and watch the other matches?” It was a question meant to gauge how he felt still.

Adam’s eyes fluttered closed, pulling her in for a warm embrace. He took in a deep breath, faintly smelling the aroma of her soft perfume. He was reaching for anything that could keep him grounded, anything intoxicating enough to melt away the resentment and the pain he felt during the most adrenaline-filled match of his life. He felt like a bottle of soda so shaken up that if someone managed to pop his top off, he’d be ready to blow, covering everything in his wake. He didn’t want to be uncontrollable, he didn’t want to be full of ire. Something about his win, he  thought, didn’t feel right. It felt...tainted.

But how could he tell her? How could he tell her that despite everything he accomplished today, there was still a gaping void in his chest that ate at him from the inside?

He thought back to what he heard between Selena and Orange as he walked out of the shower room. “You’re one of the best wrestlers in the world, and don’t think for one minute that you aren��t.” Did she really think that? Or was that truly only a figment created by his lack of sobriety?

“What you said. To Orange,” he pulled away, his clear eyes meeting her dark ones. “Did y-you really mean that?”

She could feel the welling of tears at the corner of her eyes again. Now was the time. If ever she could quell his inner demons, even for a moment, this was it.

“Of course I did. I wish I could say those things to you every day, but I know you wouldn’t believe them. Your mind…” a tear fell down her face, tickling her skin. “You won’t let yourself believe it.”

Adam’s eyes glistened. “I wish you could see what I see. A wonderful man who’s come so far, who still has so much more to go.” Selena raised a soft hand to rest it against his cheek. “You are kind, and you are smart, and you are ever-evolving. There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not awestruck by how you’re improving. As a boyfriend, as a wrestler. As a man. As a human being.  You are so much better than all of them, Adam.”

He swallowed hard, her words tightening that void within him.

“But the one thing they have right? They ask each other for help. Now, maybe...maybe they were too caught up in their own shit to realise you were calling out for help. But I’m not. I’m here.” “I see you, darling man. Do you see me?” The tears were overwhelming her now, but she couldn’t look away from him. She wanted him to feel it, feel how much she meant her words.

It wasn’t long before she felt her cowboy’s lips on her forehead, on her cheeks kissing away the tears. When he reached her mouth, they meshed together so needily, so desperately. She could taste the salt of her tears on his lips, but she didn’t care. She needed him, and he needed her.

The words rolled out of him so softly, so clearly that Selena could hardly believe he was still drunk. “I see you, babe. I see you. And I love you so much, and I’m sorry that I ever thought I could do this without you.” His forehead pressed against hers, his nose nuzzling her ever so affectionately. The knot inside him was too much to bear, and he realised he needed to let it go. “I just feel so lost. I feel like. Like nothing I do is enough. Like no matter what, I won’t be happy. At the end of everything, I still feel like...like I’m nothing.”

The tears were already staining his cheeks before he realised he was sobbing into her shoulder. She wrapped an arm around the back of his neck, placing her fingers at the nape in hope that it would give him some comfort. He was so, so heavy. Heavy with a pain that she had known before. But this is what he needed. He needed to let it go. His entire body engulfed her, but she remained firm and unyielding, when he couldn’t be.

With every heaving of his chest, every shuddering breath, the weight of the void in his heart lifted. The suffering seeped out of his every pore, disappearing like a wisp of smoke. The shroud of anguish that consumed his mind vanished, leaving him feeling lighter than he ever had.

And for what it was worth, Selena could feel it.

Adam pulled back a bit, so he could look his girl in the eyes, and noticed the damp spot on her shoulder that he left behind. “Fuck, I-I’m so sorry.” Still drunk, maybe. She gave him a gentle smile.

“It’s okay, Adam.”

“N-no, it’s not, I-babe, I-” he protested, but she raised a finger to his lips.

“Everything’s okay,” she whispered, embracing him again and leaving a chaste kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Feel better?”

Adam ran his tongue along his mouth, letting his mind wonder about its own ease. “Yeah, actually.”

Selena pulled his arm over her own, locking the two of them together by the elbows with a proud grin on her face. “Good.” She leaned her head on the side of his arm, and motioned for them to get going. “Sometimes the best way to get rid of the burden of a heavy heart is to share it with someone else.”

He grinned at her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “How did I end with such a wise girlfriend?”

“I don’t know. But Orange you glad you did?”

***