#A Top Secret Project for Mother’s Day

[xxxdreamscapexxx]

Sweet trouble

Pairing: Step!Mother Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader

Word count: 12.7k

Summary: Being left home alone is the perfect time to catch up on all your secret activities. What you don't expect is that your Step Mother has secrets of her own, or that you'll stumble on them accidentally. What will happen when she finds out you've been going through her things?

Warning: NSFW, 18+, lesbian relationship, Stepcest?, masturbation, edging, teasing, oral, fingering, finger sucking, Mommy!Kink, top!Wanda, Bottom!Reader

Masterlist with all my works.

When you woke up this morning, you never, in your wildest dreams imagined that one of your most secret, most shameful desires will come true. It was something you had only seen in fanfiction and maybe twisted porn, but never believed real people did, or that it could in fact, happen to you. Truthfully, if someone had told you such a thing will happen, you would have scoffed and called them crazy.

But you were getting ahead of yourself. Your morning started the way it often did during the summer. You got up and walked down the stairs, to find Wanda sipping her coffee and scrolling through her phone. As usual, she put it away as soon as she saw you and she greeted you warmly.

Wanda Maximoff was your stepmother. She had married your father a little over 4 years ago, but you had known her for almost 5 and despite having a rocky start with the woman, you actually had a great relationship with her. She was warm and sweet and she never treated you like a child, nor did she try to “replace” your actual mother, who did her best to stay in your life. In fact, Wanda treated you with respect and kindness and you soon saw her as a friend.

Well… That wasn’t entirely true. You started seeing her as a friend at first, but over the years that connection shifted. She talked to you about the things your parents never wanted to, she always listened without prejudice or judgement and gave amazing advice. She also cared about your interests and she supported all your hobbies and little projects and she even often helped you.

Wanda was there when you decided to make a replica of the “T.A.R.D.I.S” from “Doctor Who” and spent an entire weekend helping you build it, so it would end up perfect, she watched every scary movie you asked for, because you could never bring yourself to do it on your own, and even though you were both scared, she always pretended not to be. For your sake. And then, when you were too scared to sleep alone, she pretended to fall asleep on the couch and let you snuggle into her, even if her back hurt the next day. She encouraged your writing, she read every book you ranted about… She supported you when you came out. For all those things and so much more, you gave Wanda your love.

Unfortunately for you, those were also the reasons why at some point, you stopped seeing Wanda as a friend and started seeing her as the woman of your dreams. Yes, cheesy. But true. And that idea gnawed at you ever since you stopped trying to lie to yourself.

The truth is, you spent way more time with Wanda than your father ever did. He was good, a good man and a good father, but his work often had him travelling for long. When you were young, he often took the whole family with him. Had private tutors for you, made sure you were educated by the best and brightest and the love of learning connected you together. But as you grew older, that life drove your mother away. To make the matters worse, he realized you needed stability just around the same time he met Wanda and soon, you were left in the big house, surrounded by housekeeping and your new stepmother, while he was away for months at a time. But at least he let you attend high school, instead of hiring more tutors, so you wouldn’t feel so alone.

You often wondered why Wanda chose to be with him when you, his daughter, knew more about her, spent more time with her and, you were sure, loved her far more than he did. But you never dared to ask and she never spoke of that, preferring to focus on you instead and you reciprocated that interest. You watched her favourite sitcoms with her, spent afternoons making pottery with her, which resulted in way too many crooked ceramic mugs in your home that you never knew what to do with, but loved too much to throw away. You taught her calligraphy, after you showed her your first story and she declared that you have the “prettiest handwriting” and asked you to teach her. In turn, she gave you cooking lessons, because her food was by far, the best thing you had tasted, until it became a tradition that you made dinner together.

God, you shared so much of your life, so much of yourself with the woman, you gave so much of yourself to her, that it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise that you ended up falling for her. And her way with you didn’t help matters either. And yes, it wasn’t something outrageous. It was little things, like the way she’d hold you, pulling you closer into her side during movie nights, which by the way were almost every night. It was the way she sat with you on the couch in the study, reading her book while you did homework, mindlessly playing with your hair, it was her protective on the small of your back, when you felt surrounded by people, the way she always knew when you needed her to step in and save you from strangers, or the soft way she held your hand when you went somewhere together…

It was never one thing. It was a million little things and each one had you falling more and more deeply in love with her, until you couldn’t deny it anymore. You realized it during your junior year, when all your friends wouldn’t shut up about boys and their crushes and all you would think about was Wanda. What plans you had with her, what you’d watch with her, what meal you’ll be making together, where you’d go over the weekend… It was all Wanda. Even in your dreams. And to make matters worse, those dreams soon manifested into your waking hours, flooding your thoughts with nothing but her.

Now, the beginning of summer after senior year, when you had decided to take a gap year before college and focus on yourself, your writing, perhaps even travelling, you were fully aware that you wanted none of those things without her. You hadn’t booked a single destination, because you hadn’t yet the courage to ask if she’d join you. You had stopped showing her your stories, because they were all about her and despite your best efforts had turned highly suggestive and then straight up erotic, up to the point that they no longer soothed you, when you thought of Wanda, but rather left you even more turned on and needy.

The neediness, unfortunately for you, had been another new development. No matter how many cold showers you took, how many times you masturbated to thoughts of her, the ache between your legs never quite went away. Actually, every time you’d see her, every night when she cuddled you and played you a movie, every evening when you helped her make dinner, each hot afternoon spent at the pool with her, left you a horny mess.

Today, after you helped Wanda make breakfast, that the two of you shared, she asked you if you’d like to go out with her. She had some errands to do and she promised to make it fun, despite the tediousness, offering you lunch at your favourite restaurant, or perhaps a small shopping trip in the afternoon, but you declined, opting to stay home instead.

To be fair, you wanted to go with her, you wanted to spend every second you could with her, but being left home alone meant that you could perhaps catch up on your writing without her seeing you and asking to read your story, or finally take care of the ache between your legs that lately never went away, but you were never alone for… Maybe even do it, the way you so often longed for, but never could… God, you were a twisted girl. But you couldn’t help it. You just wanted her so much.

Wanda seemed a little bit surprised and frankly disappointed by your refusal, but she took a deep breath and she wished you a nice day, before she took her purse and her car keys, phone tucked in the back pocket of her tightly fitted jeans and she left, putting on her stylish sunglass, before opening the front door and disappearing from your view.

As soon as she was gone, you rushed to the study, reaching out behind a cluster of old, dusty books and taking out the Paperblanks hardcover journal dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe that she got you as a gift. It was beautiful and stylish and filled with all the stories you wrote about her.

As soon as the notebook fell open, you saw the last page you had written on and your fingers traced the last paragraph, reading through it. “You don’t hesitate when your fingers lace with my hair, your grip firm as you hold me in place and you study my face. My mouth open, my tongue sticking out as it awaits your dripping pussy...” Yes, you remember that and your legs instantly cross over each-other at the wave of arousal, but you keep it at bay.

For the next few hours all you do is write. Your fantasies running rampant and free and filling the pages. It was almost a trans-like state, your hand moving almost on its own while the images in your head played out in front of your eyes. It felt freeing to be able to “share” your thoughts somehow, even if no one ever saw them and you only reluctantly stopped, when your stomach growled for food and your hand was cramping.

You made your way to the kitchen, groaning, your writing session had left you wet and so needy, that despite your instincts and Wanda’s voice in your head, telling you to eat something heathy and filling, you pulled out a fruit yogurt with mango and maracuja and ate it, leaning on the counter, wanting to stretch your legs a little.

Finished with your “meal”, you headed upstairs, making your way to the bedrooms. Yours was at the end of the hall and you headed for it, but stopped mid-way, when you saw Wanda’s bedroom door was slightly ajar and you stopped right in front of it, debating with yourself. You knew you shouldn’t go in, that it was an invasion of her privacy, but your heart was so full of longing for her that you eventually reasoned, that you’ll only look around… Just get her scent in your nostrils and leave.

As soon as you walked in, your eyes started to search the unfamiliar space. It’s not that you’ve never been here, but the room was so alien to you, one you’d spent the least time in, that it almost didn’t feel right. You certainly never dared be so inquisitive, when Wanda was there with you.

Your eyes scanned every object, every photo, most of which were of you and Wanda and you allowed yourself to breathe in the aroma of everything Wanda. It smelled like clean sheets and her favourite vanilla and Himalayan magnolia air freshener, like her perfume and just something uniquely her. God, you’d roll around in it if you could.

Everything seemed so perfectly in order, her bed made and without a single crinkle in it, the room so pristine and clean. It was lovely, and your heart skipped a beat at the thought that you wished you could wake up here, next to her each morning.

Walking further into the room, your curiosity almost entirely satisfied now, you ran your fingers over the objects she had on display. Souvenirs from trips the two of you had went to, her certificate for completing a “beginners” course in Latin dances, that she only went to for you and that you had stopped attending, because you hated how every man in the studio drooled over her, the ceramic figurine of a cute bear that you made her one time, a bowl of sea shells that the two of you had collected last summer at the beach…

You were just about ready to leave, when the sight of a drawer, half-open and because of that seeming out of place, caught your attention. Everything was so perfectly in order in this room, that it looked so strange to see it left like this and you went to it thoughtlessly, pulling it open to inspect its content, only to gasp in surprise at what you found there.

It was full of toys. Sex toys, to be exact and you couldn’t help but stumble backwards a little at seeing just how many there were. Dildos in all colours, shapes and sizes and made from different materials were organized, each in its individual place. Handcuffs, soft Velcro cuffs and steal, regular ones easily distinguished. Ropes, blindfolds, some butt plugs, vibrators, lube, a couple of harnesses and even other things that you couldn’t name or guess the intended use of, could be seen laid out and you studied them with deep curiosity.

Did Wanda use all these? Did she lay here, in her big, soft bed and play with herself at night? What did she think about? Who did she picture in her fantasies, when she buried one of these toys inside herself? Did she do it slowly, or did she like it rough? How did it feel to be stretched out and full?

As your mind was flooded with questions, you mindlessly got closer, your hand reaching into the drawer and your fingertips grazing a rather large, realistic looking dildo. You’d never actually seen toys in real life, so the sensation was both strange and exhilarating. Sure, you were 19 now and could buy them if you wanted to, but the thought just never appealed to you.

You just couldn’t picture it. You’d never had anything other than two of your fingers inside yourself and it had already felt too much. You couldn’t even imagine what something so big would feel like or would do to you. Did Wanda enjoy the feeling of them? Did she ever wear her harness and bury one of these inside someone or did she like to be on the receiving end? You certainly liked to imagine yourself on the receiving end of one of her toys, especially after you learned of her past with women. She had shared those details when you came out to her, hoping to soothe you and help you feel like you’re not alone, but you never imagined that you’ll one day walk into your stepmother’s bedroom and find so many toys, or that you’ll find yourself wishing you could see her play with them… God, the one you reached for looked so big, so thick in your hand. That could never fit inside you.

Yet the thought of Wanda stepping into her harness and picking out a dildo from her collection, while you waited for her in the bed, spread out and so needy for her, had your legs squeezing together in search for relief. Would she tie you down? Would she be sweet and soft? Would she use her fingers and her mouth? What would it feel like to have your arms wrapped around her, to be able to kiss her, as she had her way with you?

Fuck, you needed relief. And you needed it now. And you knew you should just go to your room and do what you always did, but this time you couldn’t. You couldn’t just close your eyes and picture Wanda, when here, in her room, all your senses were surrounded by her.

You hesitated for a moment, considering the danger, but it was still early and all the staff had the next few weeks off, so you knew you’ll be all alone. You could just… Lie down. Not even under the covers, just on top of her sheets and maybe pull your panties to the side. They were all wet already. You’ll just pull your dress up and take care of that ache and then you’ll fix Wanda’s bed and leave.

You knew it was a bad idea, but in your brain, clouded by lust, you couldn’t help yourself and gave in. So you did exactly as you planned, the skirts of your dress bunched up around your waist, your panties pulled to the side, while your fingers circled your clit. You lay on your stomach, you face buried in Wanda’s pillow and inhaling her scent as your mind filled with images of her. It was wonderful. God, it was heavenly. But it wasn’t enough. Before you knew it, you had made yourself orgasm twice already, but the desperate feeling never went away. You needed more.

You slowly turned, laying on your back, your hand finding its way back to your clit, but it was only a measure to keep you calm while you thought. What could you do? And almost like fate, your face turned to the open drawer full of toys and an idea sparked inside you. You could… No, that was an extremely bad idea. It was wrong… But maybe, it could help?

Getting up, telling yourself you’ll only take a quick look, you made your way back to the drawer and looked inside. You had no idea how to choose, so you trusted your instincts, picking a fairly small, pink dildo that seemed to look cute and entirely forgetting what a terrible idea this was, you made your way back to Wanda’s bed with giddiness, lying on your back and looking the toy over for a moment, before reaching down.

You rubbed the toy’s head against your opening, getting it slick with your juices and teasing your clit a little, before you started to slowly push it inside. The stretch felt unfamiliar, the toy, despite being small, still being larger than your fingers and you took your time to let it sink in deeper, allowing your pussy some time to adjust to it.

In just a few minutes, you had it fully inside you, the base pressing against your opening and oh, it was perfect. It was exactly what you needed and you quickly reached down with your free hand, finding your clit and adding the extra stimulation. Thoughts of Wanda quickly made their way into your head and you started to imagine the older woman doing exactly what you did to yourself, her hands working you perfectly, while her velvety voice wrapped around you and made you lose yourself entirely.

Taking your time to let it unfold, your body buzzing with excitement and pleasure, your muscles tightening, you knew you were about to have one of the best orgasms of your life, when suddenly, you heard the front door open and shortly after shut itself.

Fuck!

Sitting up, you heard Wanda’s keys land in the bowl with yours and your nervous anxiety hit a new high, when she called out your name form the living room.

Fuck!

She’d start looking for you soon, if you didn’t act quickly! God, what do you do? You needed to get out of there!

Your eyes roamed around the room nervously, toy still buried inside you and you knew you couldn’t put it back like that, covered in your slick! She’ll see it eventually and then she’ll know what you did. In the rush of the moment, you did the only thing you thought would be smart. You put your panties back where they belonged, seeing the imprint of the dildo against them and you got out of her bed. You tried to smoothen it as much as you could, but you herd her voice call out your name again, this time from the kitchen and you knew she’ll come up the stairs next. In a rush, you just closed her drawer and practically ran out, leaving the door slightly ajar as it was and you hesitated if you should go to your room, but before you could make your way there, you heard Wanda’s steps as she ascended the stairs and you knew there will be no time.

Closing your eyes for a moment, wiping your sweaty palms on your dress and feeling the fullness as you tried to calm your nerves, you committed to the decision you knew you had to make and despite every instinct of yours, you rushed towards her, meeting her just as she was at the top of the stairs.

“Ah, Y/N, there you are! I was calling you.” She smiled as she saw you, reaching out to give you a hug.

“Yeah, I heard you, I was just coming to meet you.” You manage to say, forcing a smile.

“Are you all right, honey?” The older woman’s eyebrows furrowed. “You look a little flushed.” She said with concern, one of her hands reaching out to feel your forehead. “And you feel warm too.” She determined, her eyes scanning you.

“Yeah, I’m all good.” You tried to reassure her, still practically blocking the older woman’s path.

“You sure?” Wanda asked once more, concern evident in her eyes and you tried to calm your nerves.

“I promise.” You tried to say with conviction and hoping your knees wouldn’t buckle.

“Ok, honey, but if you feel unwell, you’ll tell me, right?”

“Of course.” You smiled warmly and, seeing that the woman seemed to be going to her room, the place where you had just been, you tried to dissuade her. “Hey, I was wondering, could we have pasta for dinner today? The one with the special sauce you make?”

“Sure, honey.” Wanda beamed, her hand stroking your cheek softly before she moved past you. “Let me go get changed and we’ll go make it together.” She suggested.

Not wanting to seem weird, you let the woman pass and after watching her enter her bedroom, you actually relaxed a little, thinking that you could use this time to go back to your own room and pull out the dildo still nestled inside you, when her voice forced you to stiffen once more.

“Hey, honey, why don’t you go and take out the vegetables from the fridge and start washing them? I’ll be right down.” Wanda called out, interrupting your train of thought and destroying any chance you had of going through with disposing of the cursed toy.

“Ok.” You called out, facing the stairs defeatedly.

In your guilt over what you did, you felt like you couldn’t risk saying “no” and going to your room instead, not wanting to rouse Wanda’s suspicion. So, a little wobbly on your legs and feeling even more aroused than when you first went in her bedroom, you walked down the stairs, doing exactly as she asked, planning how to excuse yourself later and pull the damned thing out of you.

Wanda walked into her bedroom and started to unbutton her shirt, asking you to start dinner as she went, but suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowing. It wasn’t that there was something particularly wrong, it’s just that something felt out of place and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Shrugging, she tossed her shirt on an empty chair and started to take off her jeans next, leaving herself in just her underwear and going to the closet to pick out more comfy clothes. She put on a pair of black sweats and took out a dark red top that she knew you loved and put it over her head, turning to leave, when her eyes narrowed again.

Her bed was all wrinkled and the covers were looking lumpy and it bothered her somehow. Did she leave it like this today? She leaned down and started to fix it, her hands smoothing the covers and tucking them in as she always did, when her palm ran over a damp spot. Now this really caught her attention and she inspected it more closely.

It looked like a small wet spot, more visible now that she knew to look for it and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Had you been here? But why would you be on her bed? That didn’t make sense, until a realization came over her, like pieces of a puzzle coming together. Your flushed face, the way you tried to block her path, how out of breath you seemed and this… The state of her bed… She suddenly straightened, rushing to her drawer.

As soon as she opened it, she knew what you had done. She knew her collection very well, knew exactly what she owned and where it was, so the absent pink dildo was like a glaring hole in the middle of her drawer. But why hadn’t you put it back? Had she gotten home and interrupted you? That seemed more and more likely and at the thought, she could only sigh.

Wanda was a lot of things, but stupid just wasn’t one of them. She realized you had a crush on her somewhere around the end of your junior year and at first the thought scared her. Sure, she had noticed you turning into a beautiful young woman, she wasn’t blind, and you had already shared with her that you were gay, but she never imagined you’d develop feelings towards her. Naturally, she thought it was simple curiosity. You were growing, it was normal. It would probably go away on its own. You were surrounded by girls your own age, with young bodies and unburdened by life, so she believed you’d soon move on.

But as time passed those lingering looks you gave her started to be accompanied by something else. A kind of longing in your eyes, a kind of shy almost hope that she couldn’t quite place. Until eventually she did. Wanda knew you better than anyone in the world, she knew what made you tick and as she watched your gaze follow her, while she sipped wine, your eyes fixed on her lips and your legs squeezing together, she realized that your relationship with her had changed. You saw her differently.

That thought scared Wanda more than she ever expected and she excused herself quickly, practically running to her bedroom and burying her face in her pillow and her first thoughts were for you. She felt terrible, imagining how scared you must be, how sad and disheartened to be infatuated with your father’s wife. She kept thinking about how alone you must feel, not being able to tell anyone. How heart wrenching it must be to spend every day with her and know she was with another.

In her eyes you were her girl and she held so much love for you that the knowledge that she caused such feelings inside you, that she caused you so much pain, was devastating to her. After realizing what really bothered you, she spent so many sleepless nights, thinking of you. And in her love, she thought the best thing for you would be to pull away from you.

Yes, she didn’t love your father anymore… If ever. He was hardly ever home, hardly ever spending any time with her, always promising to retire, but never doing so… The only reason she stayed all this time was always you. She married him because she wanted a family, never expecting that she’ll find that in you. And when she had… Well… That made her choice very easy. But you were such a young girl. An old soul, admittedly, but still so young. She couldn’t let you spend those sweet years pining over your stepmother. So pull away she did.

Little did she know how devasted you’d be, feeling her absence as a hole in your heart and crying so many nights, when you thought that she no longer wanted your presence. She watched your heartbreak from afar, hating herself for it, yet thinking it would be for the best, until one night, when she heard you speak to one of your friends on the phone.

Your broken voice almost made her cry then and there and she vowed to never do that to you again. So she made sure that things went back to normal, to the routine the two of you had, but she never quite stopped noticing how the love in you bloomed.

The summer vacation after your junior year she spent entirely with you, having a grand time going to the beach, sunbathing, while you read books and drank cocktails together. Yours virgin, of course. But she’d let you have a sip from hers every once in a while, to indulge your curiosity. She’d rather let you drink with her and make sure you’re safe.

Then came your 18th birthday and the party you hosted at the house, you and your friends having fun around the pool and she thought that with all these people around you, you’d lose interest, but you never did. After everyone was gone, all you wanted was to cuddle up to her on the couch and watch your favourite movie with her. You always preferred her to anyone else, chose to stay home and try new recipes, rather than go out and she thought that perhaps this thing you felt for her was serious.

And once that knowledge settled inside her, it no longer bothered her. And with acceptance came something else. Something she never thought she had in her. A kind of curiosity of her own.

Obviously, she was flattered to know you had such feelings for her. You were a young, sweet thing, your life was just starting and she… How could she take advantage of you?

Then again, you didn’t make it easy for her. The way young girls did, you flirted boldly, openly and in gestures of sudden bravery. You flaunted yourself to her whenever you got the chance. Wearing skimpy bathing suits and even asking her to fix the strings for you, asking her to go shopping with you and dragging her into lingerie stores, showing her different sets and asking her opinion, wearing short dresses and tight shorts whenever she was around, which happened to be all the time… Asking her to watch scary movies with you in your room, cuddling into her in nothing but your panties and a t-shirt and then asking her to stay when you were too scared to stay alone.

Ugh, you were a tease. She’d feel you wiggle unnecessarily, so you’d “settle” and you’d blush furiously anytime she so much as looked at you. She’d wake up with your back pressed against her front, your ass pressed up against her as you slept happily, and every time you’d pull one of those stunts, she’d feel you chip away at her resolve.

You were so soft, so sweet, such a delicate thing, your skin smooth and flawless under her fingertips. Whenever you’d ask her to stay with you, falling asleep on her shoulder, she couldn’t help but stroke the exposed skin of your bare arms, the length of your thighs, just to feel you. It was a small action, was it not? Done out of curiosity. And it soothed her to be able to get this small thing for herself, since she had promised herself not to take you entirely.

Your last year of high school passed like that, with you parading yourself and eventually Wanda broke. She told herself she’d never make a move on you. It was wrong, but she needed an outlet for her frustration. That’s how she first spent a night thinking of you while she touched herself. Not that thoughts of you hadn’t crossed her mind before, but she always pushed them away. But when she no longer could, that one action broke the dam.

The images of you flooded her mind constantly and she found herself seeking relief in the privacy of her bedroom, imagining she had you to play with. She thought of all the gloriously depraved things she could do to you, the things she could teach you and all the ways she could corrupt you. It would be so sweet.

It got worse as your feelings progressed and she’d often wake to the sounds of your moans in the middle of the night. The first time such a thing happened she rushed to your room, thinking maybe you’re in pain, only to see you sprawled on your bed, legs spread wide and your hand moving furiously in your panties. You thought you were being quiet, that you were being subtle, but honestly, she could sometimes make out the way you called her name as you made yourself cum.

Now, looking in her drawer of toys and realizing what you’d done, she tried to let it go, but she just couldn’t. You went behind her back, sneaked into her bedroom, snooped through her things, used her toys and masturbated on her bed. As much as she was impressed by your boldness and surprised to find that your desire for her went that far, she was furious. You didn’t even have the decency to hide it well! Why didn’t you just wash the toy and put it back? Did you still have it? Ugh, she was angry!

She knew you probably didn’t mean for it to go this far, but she just couldn’t help it. How was she meant to stay away from you, to keep her resolve and refrain from marching down and fucking you senseless, when you did such things? She had to teach you a lesson.

Her fingers clenching over the edge of the drawer, knuckles turning white, Wanda was ready to slam it shut and storm down the stairs, when her eyes landed on a pink remote control. It was for the dildo you had used and she was surprised you hadn’t taken that too, before she realized you probably had no idea it had a vibrating function. Or maybe you hadn’t gotten that far. Who knows? Either way, an idea sparked into her head and she decided to test a theory and if she was right, tonight she’ll teach you a lesson and pay you back for every time you’d teased her, every time you paraded yourself in front of her, every time you tempted her and made her crave you.

In the back of her head, she knew what this decision meant. She knew she wouldn’t be able to stop herself. If she went through with it, she’d go all the way. Closing her eyes and breathing in, she tried to think clearly, but she had reached the end of her restraint, the end of her self-control. She couldn’t pretend that she didn’t want this anymore. She had to have you.

Taking the small remote control, she put it in the pocket of her sweats and she walked down the stairs. She found you prepping the vegetables, just as she asked, your cheeks still flushed, but you tried to act as normal as possible. With a smile, Wanda did the same, starting to make the dough for the homemade pasta and starting up a light conversation with you.

“So, honey, what did you do today?” She asked sweetly.

“Oh you know, just normal things…” You trailed off as your legs squeezed together.

“Yeah? Did you finish the new book I told you about?”

“No, not yet. But almost. I’m so excited to see what happens.” You tried to feign interest, but Wanda knew you. You hadn’t read a page. “What about you, did you have a nice day?”

“Nice isn’t how I’d describe it. But I’m glad to be home.” She responded shortly. “You know, sweetie, why don’t you get the sauce started and leave it on the stove, I’ll watch it while I make the dough and you can sit down. You still look a little flushed.” She suggested and you sighed with relief at her offer, doing as she asked, finishing as quickly as possible and making your way to a chair in the kitchen, sitting down and watching her cook, the way you have so many times before.

Except, as soon as you sat, you realized it was a mistake. The dildo, still nicely nestled inside you, was pressed against the surface of the chair and pushed as deeply as it could go, causing you to let out a small whimper at the feeling of being so full and even with her back to you, Wanda knew that her suspicion was right.

“What was that, dear?” She turned to look at you for a moment, your legs squeezing together so tightly your muscles shook.

“N-nothing…” You stuttered out, a hand gripping the edge of the table.

My, you were so responsive. You must have been close, if you were this worked up. How delightful. Wanda was going to have so much fun with you.

Unaware of how closely you were being watched, or of the wicked plan your stepmother had formulated for you, you started to gently rock on the chair, the movement bringing brief relief to the aching between your legs. But Wanda wasn’t going to let you just fuck yourself right in front of her. If anyone was going to fuck you tonight, it was going to be her.

Reaching into her pocket, she felt around for the buttons of the remote control and she turned it on and let it start at the lowest setting. Your reaction was instantaneous. You gasped, trying to do it quietly and softly, but she heard you none the less.

Feeling the dildo start to vibrate had you stiffen on the chair. God, did your slow grinding press the start button on the device? It was possible. Now you felt the gentle hum of the lowest setting and it drove you crazy. Perhaps with some concentration you could ignore feeling the toy inside you, but you couldn’t contain yourself like this. It was nestled at the deepest parts of you and vibrating against an especially sensitive spot and it had you shaking.

“Wanda, I think I’m going to lie down.” You suddenly said, swallowing hard and preparing yourself to stand.

“Oh, sweetheart!” She gasped when she turned to you. You looked a mess and it was absolutely breath-taking. She always wanted to see you like this. Now that she was so close, she wasn’t going to let you slip away so quickly. “What’s wrong? You seem even more flushed. And your forehead is so hot, baby, maybe you should lie down on the couch, so I can take care of you.” She suggested with concern. “I’ll bring you a cool cloth for your forehead and a glass of water.” She suggested, offering you her hand and guiding you to the couch.

“No, you don’t have to do that, I’ll just lie down upstairs for a bit.” You tried to protest, following her lead on instinct, despite your wish to escape to your room, but she was having none of it.

“But, sweetie, you can barely walk.” She argued, guiding you to the couch. “Look at that, you’re shaking. Lie down here for me, honey. I’ll take care of you.” She suggested, helping you lie down.

She went to grab you a glass of water, just as she promised and, on her way back, she watched you squirm and try to contain the sensations going through your body. When she made you drink at least some of the water, she left the glass on the table and she went to get you a cool cloth for your forehead, but not before sticking her hand in her pocket and increasing the speed of the vibrator.

A loud moan graced her ears just as she did it and she could hardly contain her smirk as she walked back to you.

“Now, honey, you stay here and rest and I’ll go check on dinner and I’ll be right back, ok?” She explained with a soft voice and she stroked your cheek affectionately, basking in the state you were in.

Your cheeks were burning with a mixture of arousal and shyness, your whole body squirming with need, even your hips bucking, when you thought Wanda wasn’t looking, loving the stimulation, yet needing so much more. Fuck, she could play with you like this for hours. If she had it her way, she’d strip you down first, of course, but there was plenty of time for that later. She’d watch you writhe and make you beg to be allowed to cum, push you to admit what you did and then tease you some more as punishment for it. And once you’ve surrendered, she’d make you cum over and over again, until you can’t take anymore. She’ll take your shaking little body upstairs and help you get cleaned up, so she can cuddle you to sleep. But she was getting ahead of herself.

She went to check on the pasta and the sauce you were making, stirring the pots and making sure that it wouldn’t get burned. She often looked at you at the corner of her eye, watching you writhe and, deciding to take pity on you, she clicked the off button on the remote control in her pocket, seeing you instantly settle in both relief and frustration. It was obvious you wanted more, that you needed that orgasm badly, but you didn’t want to get caught and Wanda smirked to herself. She’ll make you beg for an orgasm soon enough.

In the next minutes she let you rest, while she set up the table and finished dinner, not wanting to overwhelm you too much too early. She came over to you carefully, checking to see if you managed to put yourself together and you indeed looked much better. The frustration from the teasing and edging was obvious, but other than that you were holding up quite well and she smiled.

“Hey, honey, how are you feeling?” She asked softly. “Do you think you can come to the dinner table, so we can eat, or should I bring your food here?” She suggested, smiling.

“I’ll come to the table.” You agreed, removing the damp cloth from your forehead and taking her hands, so you could stand.

“Ok, baby, wash your hands and let’s eat.” She smiled softly at you.

Once you settled, poorly hiding a whimper when the dildo was once again pressed into your depths and against your most sensitive spots, you struggled to find topics for a conversation, but Wanda distracted you, telling you about her day and keeping your mind occupied while you ate. It was still hard to keep your urge to grind down on the toy sometimes, especially when Wanda would look at you with those pretty green eyes and swirl the wine in her glass, before sipping it. How could she be so sensual without even trying?

“Wanda, I think I’ll head upstairs. I feel tired.” You tried to excuse yourself after the meal was finished.

“Oh, really?” She said with disappointment in her voice. “You sure? I was thinking we could watch a movie together.” She suggests, pouting at you cutely and melting your heart.

“I don’t know…” You hesitated, wanting to stay, but feeling your walls contract around the dildo inside you and almost making your legs buckle.

“Maybe for a bit?” She offered with hope in her eyes. “You lie down and pick anything you want to watch and I’ll make us some popcorn. If you’re still not feeling well, I’ll help you upstairs.”

You tried to refuse her, you really did, but the truth was, that you could never say “no” to Wanda Maximoff. She was your greatest weakness and you knew you’d do anything she asks, no matter what, so you settled onto the couch, searching through the movie options and finding one that looked promising, while she brought over the big bowl of popcorn she made, sitting down next to you and pulling you into her side, just as she always did, kissing the top of your head affectionately.

You played the movie, trying to distract yourself and reminding yourself that all you had to do is get through the movie with her and then you’ll go to your room and have all the orgasms you wanted. It was just a couple of hours with Wanda.

But you’d barely gotten through the intro, when the vibrator came to life with a sudden buzz and you had to refrain from grinding against the couch at how good it felt. But that’s all the restraint you could show and you quickly realized Wanda was looking at you with concern.

“What’s the matter, sweetie? Is everything all right?”

You barely nodded, pretending to watch, when all you could do was do your best to stay still in Wanda’s hold. God, how did this thing turn on again? How do you stop it, before you have an orgasm, right there, sitting next to the woman you were desperately in love with? Worse! What if she hears the vibration? Could she hear it right now?

It was driving you crazy and holding back became increasingly difficult as time passed, your breathing going more erratic and just when you thought that it will happen, regardless if you wanted to or not, the vibrations suddenly stopped.

“Did you say something, honey?” Wanda turned to you once more, making you realize that you had whined pretty loudly.

“N-no.” You stutter out, shaking your head and she barely contains the smirk forming on her face, before it gives away just how much she’s enjoying this.

She gives you a break, letting you calm down, before she turns on the vibrator again, startling you and this time you look at her, trying to see if she actually noticed, but Wanda had her attention on the TV.

The damned thing was driving you crazy, but you couldn’t help a thought that crept into your mind. Why does it keep going on and off? Was it you? You were sitting pretty still… And then another, more shocking thought sparkled in your mind. Could Wanda? No, that was absurd. Even if she found out you took it, how would she know you still had it inside you? Would she do this on purpose?

As you turned to her, studying her expression, you couldn’t imagine Wanda doing such a thing. But you had to know for sure. So you waited for that moment when you got close, your body starting to lose some of its control and just as you were about to fall off the edge, the toy stopped, leaving you desperate and needy, extremely frustrated and utterly shocked. Did she just put her hand in her pocket? Did she have the remote there?

You had a million questions almost clouding your brain and you had no idea how to ask, no idea how to approach that subject, scared that if you were wrong, you’ll give yourself away, when Wanda suddenly turned to you.

“I see you finally figured it out.” She said in a low, raspy voice, smiling. She was almost predatory with the way she was looking at you, her soft green eyes now full of intensity. “Don’t you know that taking someone else’s things without permission is wrong?” She asked, raising a brow at you expectantly.

“I… Wanda… It’s not…” You tried to say something coherent, putting a little distance between your bodies, but you were in a state of shock and you couldn’t find the right words to explain.

“Not what it looks like?” She finished the sentence for you, scoffing. “I highly doubt that. Or are you going to deny that you snooped through my bedroom and took something that doesn’t belong to you?” She asked sternly, her eyes fixing you.

“I… ” You tried again, the words never coming out. “I didn’t mean to!” You tried, knowing it was a useless protest.

“Well, what did you mean to do, sweetness, hm? Come on, explain it for me.” She challenged again, raising a brow at you impatiently.

She gave you some time to collect whatever was left of your thoughts and she waited for you to say something coherent, but nothing actually came. There was no excuse, and you knew it well.

“Wanda… Please.” You said quietly, not even sure what you were asking of her, just knowing that you couldn’t stand the way she was looking at you, couldn’t stand how disappointed she was.

“Should I tell you what I think happened, hm?” She asked, her tone having that stern edge again. And before you could answer, she continued. “Or are you going to tell me yourself?” She asked again, holding up the remote control that was previously sitting in her pocket. “Do you need a little incentive?” She asked with a predatory grin, a slender finger hovering over the start button. “Maybe another edge or two would loosen your tongue?” She suggested, almost turning the device on.

“Oh my God, Wanda, please, no! Please! I can’t take anymore!” You begged pitifully and her heart melted a little, knowing you’ve probably never been edged. Even now you had your legs squeezed together, your eyes fixed on the remote she was holding.

To be fair, Wanda never intended to be cruel with you. She only wanted to be kind towards you, but you had pushed her buttons today and it had brought out a side of her she never wanted to show you. And you had never earned such treatment from her either, so she found it hard to contain her emotions, but she took a deep breath and tried to soften her features.

“Please, I’ll never do that again!” You pleaded.

“Oh, I know, sweetheart.” She said with surprising gentleness, stroking your cheek affectionately. “I’ll make sure of that. But you’ll have to tell me why you did it.” She explained.

“I can’t…” You tried to protest again, voice shaking. How could you explain that you’re in love with her?

“If you can do it, you should be able to talk about it.” Wanda coaxed.

“Please, let me just go upstairs and I’ll clean everything up and…”

“Oh, no, it’s too late for that now.” Wanda interrupted you, knowing where you were trying to go with that thought. “You don’t get to pretend that nothing happened.” She added with a thoughtful expression. “You see… I tried to pretend that I don’t see the way you act, or your little skimpy outfits, or the way you look at me. I tried to pretend that I don’t hear you calling my name at night, when you touch yourself… I tried to stay away and be a good stepmother, a good wife… And then you go and do something like this… Tell me, Y/N, what should I do with you now, hmm?”

Her words, the way she said them… The admission that she knew of your feelings sent you spiralling all over again and you didn’t even know where to begin. What were you meant to say? What did she intend to do? Was she going to tell your father? God, you hoped she wouldn’t. Not even because you were so afraid of him, but because you were so afraid of losing her. You never wanted to lose her.

“It would be so wrong of me to take you.” Wanda continues, talking more to herself now, her words taking a surprising turn. “So wrong… But you make it so hard for me to resist you.” She confessed. “You’ve been driving me crazy.” She said in a low voice, getting closer to where you stood, cupping your chin with her fingers, so she could make sure that you’ll look at her. “Do you know how hard it has been? Watching you offer yourself to me so shamelessly, listening to your moans at night, hearing you call my name and having to stay away from you…” Wanda’s gaze had darkened, making your pussy throb around the vibrator inside you and leaving you even more needy and helpless in her hold. God, you wanted her! “Do you know how many nights I almost didn’t? Do you know how many nights I had to cum to your filthy little sounds, imagining that it was me, making you feel that good?” She asked, searching your face.

You couldn’t believe the words that kept coming out of her mouth, couldn’t believe that she would ever want the same thing you did, that she would even give you the time of day… You wondered if she really meant it. Yet she kept speaking, her words making the ache between your legs almost unbearable and the need to grind against the vibrator nestled inside you harder and harder to resist. You were ready to combust. Fuck, you were ready to let her do absolutely anything and everything to you, just as long as she finally took you.

“Tell me something, honey…” Her words pulled you from your thoughts. “Do you want Mommy to make you feel good? Is that why you pulled this little stunt? Wanted to get my attention?” She asked, watching your eyes go wide at the mention of the title you used, the one you moaned out when you thought of her. “Oh, yes, I know what you like to call me.” She smirked. “It has a very nice ring to it, when you moan it out, touching yourself.”

You could only whine, too scared to admit how badly you needed her, how much you thought of her, how long you’ve waited for this moment, but Wanda didn’t rush. She held your gaze and she searched your eyes, filled with longing, as she let you think this through. If she was going to do this, she would do it right.

“Wanda… Please?” You uttered in almost despair, not knowing how to ask for what you wanted and not daring to hope that you would be lucky enough to get it.

“Please what, sweetheart? What do you want?” She asked softly, her thumb brushing your cheekbone as a way to soothe you. “You’ll have to use your words.” She coaxed, when she saw the way you took her hand, trying to guide it lower, to where you needed her most.

“Mommy…” You whined once more, trying to plead with her, hoping that it will affect her enough to finally make that final move.

Hearing your pleas, hearing that title pass your lips as you looked at her was easily pulling at her heart strings. It was also making her want to ruin you. She couldn’t deny that it did something to her and despite your poor behaviour today, she wanted to be good to you, wanted to care for you, to shower you with the love and affection you deserved, but she couldn’t make that move, not before you asked. She had no intention to be cruel to you, she just wanted to be sure, that you wanted to take that step with her.

“I know you’re feeling shy, dear, but this matters to me.” She said softly. “I need you to know what this means and I need to know that you want it. For that, you’ll have to use your words.” She clarified again, waiting for her words to sink in, but this time she didn’t have to wait long.

“You know I want this. For years I’ve wanted this, wanted you. And I never thought you’d ever see me, the way I see you, but Wanda, if you do… Please, don’t make me wait anymore. Please?”

As soon as she heard that, she leaned forward, capturing your chin with her fingers and looking deep in your eyes, letting the anticipation build between you, before she slowly connected your lips in a gentle kiss. It’s slow and soft, she moves tentatively, bringing her body closer, so she could let her tongue explore you as well, and she’s pleasantly surprised when your hands grip her top, pulling her on top of you.

Just this small contact had your heart fluttering with joy. You never thought this could be your reality. It felt so good to feel her weight against you. You had waited too long for this. You had spent so many endless nights thinking of just this. But Wanda was worth it. To be able to smell her, to taste her for yourself, you would do it all over again.

Her hands were just as gentle as they ran up and down your neck, or buried themselves in your hair and you couldn’t help but moan and whimper as you desperately tried to get more friction and more attention from her.

She was trying to take it slow, letting herself feel the culmination of her longing and just enjoy the way your lips felt, but it just wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel more of you, feel every part of you against her and explore every millimetre of your gorgeous body. This moment between you was long overdue and you both knew it.

Tentatively, she straddled one of your thighs, pressing her knee against your aching core, hoping to provide some much-needed relief to you both, but it only made you needier and more desperate for Wanda to finish what she started.

“Mommy, please.” You whispered softly, breaking the kiss to look up at her with longing and she instantly understood.

As much as you hoped to hold yourself together, as much as you wanted to prolong this moment, scared that if you opened your eyes, she’ll disappear, you couldn’t help the way your pussy throbbed. You had waited hours, teased and edged and filled to the brim with no relief and you couldn’t stand it a second longer. You needed to cum, or you were going to combust.

Wanda met your gaze, her head spinning from how lost she let herself get in your kisses, only to see you in a similar state. The love and adoration in your eyes, all that pent up longing and your pleas were irresistible. She had to indulge you. Then again, she also had to teach you a lesson and it felt right to use this toy. You had started all this by taking it after all.

With a devilish grin, Wanda reached into her pocket, feeling for the remote control and blindly pressing the start button. She felt the toy come to life with a sudden buzz, the vibrations dull against her knee, but from the way you gasped at the sensation, she could tell you were having a much more intense experience and she let it continue its work, while she took you in a deep kiss.

When it became too hard to keep up with her, your mind too distracted by the pleasure, she started to kiss her way down your body, kissing your neck and helping you grind against her, elated to hear the way you moaned and whimpered from every small touch. God, you were gorgeous.

“Look at you.” She admired you with a soft smile. “I’m about to make you fall apart, while fully dressed and without a single touch to your pussy.” She rasped, her hands massaging your breasts through the fabric of your dress and bra.

Her words made your cheeks burn and pulled another whine from you, yet you couldn’t deny how hot it was, or how badly you wanted it. In fact, they only made you grind against her more, trying to pull her in for another kiss, desperate to feel her against you.

She was right too. You were shaking beneath her, your movements turning more erratic, the closer to your edge you would get, and knowing that once you were there, you wouldn’t be able to stop it.

“Mommy, please I want to cum.’’ You pleaded softly. “Please, don’t stop it this time.”

“So pretty when you beg.” Wanda smirked. “You wanna cum, my darling?”

“Yes, want to cum so badly.”

“If you want to cum, you have to promise Mommy some things first.” Wanda explained, removing a strand of hair from your face. “First: You’ll never take Mommy’s toys again without permission.” She stated sternly. “Is that clear?”

“Yes, Mommy, I promise.” You nodded, body squirming under her intense gaze. God, you were close.

“Second: No more touching yourself. And no more cumming unless you have Mommy’s permission either.” She explained while she trailed soft kisses down your neck. “Understood?”

“Yes! Yes, I understand.” You almost screamed, your hips stuttering against her. “Fuck!”

“Good.’’ She smiled triumphantly. She could probably get you to agree to just about anything right now. “But most importantly, no one else is allowed to see you like this, to touch you like this, to feel you and fuck you and kiss you the way I can. You’re all mine, got it?” She almost growled in your ear, one of her hands tangling in your hair to make you look up at her.

“Yes! God, yes! I don’t want anyone else, Mommy, just you. Please! I just want to be yours. Please? Can I be yours? Can I please cum?” You spoke in a high-pitched tone, your desperation reaching new hights as you heard the possessiveness in her voice.

Wanda could tell you were seconds away from your orgasm and the smile that spread over her face when she reached into her pocket, stopping the vibrator, could only be described as evil. She found it amusing that you would think that she’d let you cum like this, with a toy you had taken from her, instead of getting to feel you for herself.

“Oh my God, no, no no…” You whined, tears prickling your eyes as the sting of denial hit you full force. It was horrible, being so close, yet unable to finish. If Wanda wasn’t right on top of you, you would have reached down, trying to finish it yourself. At the same time the pleasure that burned through you, unyielding and demanding was somehow sweet.

“How does that feel, my sweet girl?” Wanda asked with a calm, self-satisfied tone that had chills run down your spine. Something told you that she would love to do this to you again. “Frustrating, right?”

“Yes.” You whined, as your nails dug into her arms, as the orgasm you had built started to dull down and fade.

“That’s what it felt like, every time you teased me.” She explained with a growl. “That’s what it felt like, to find out you took something of mine without my permission.” She added, as she took down your panties, her eyes zeroing in on the pink vibrator nestled inside you. “I’ll do much worse, if you try something like that again.” She snarled, the threat clear in her voice.

“I wouldn’t Mommy, I promise.” You squirmed under her inquisitive eyes.

“Learned your lesson, huh, my darling?” She smirked, pulling out the dildo as well, discarding it on the floor carelessly, so she can admire your sweet pussy. You were so beautiful like this. Legs spread wide, slick folds on display and your desperate pussy twitching with need and excitement. You were perfect. “Then let me show you how good I can be to you.”

With a smile, she teased her fingers over your sensitive folds, playing with your clit and pulling small moans from you, before she eased her digits inside you. Your tight walls accepted her gladly, fluttering and pulsing around her happily and a string of moans filled her ears. She curled them experimentally, looking for your sweet spot and it didn’t take long to find it, your back arching off the couch in delight.

“Yeah, that’s your spot, isn’t it? Right there.” She emphasized her words, by pressing on it again.

“Yes, right there!” You sighed, back arching as the pleasure inside you started to grow again.

Wanda’s fingers were even better than the toy, stretching you deliciously, as they moved just the way you liked and you couldn’t believe that you had lived so long without getting to experience them.

Her hungry eyes were stuck on the view of her fingers moving in and out of you, your juices sticking to the palm of her hand, that she made sure to press against your clit at each stroke. It was obscene how much you reacted to her, how badly you needed her and you tried to pull her closer, so you’d hide in the crook of her neck, but she wouldn’t let you.

“No need to be embarrassed, darling. Mommy loves to see how good she makes you feel.” She husked, but gave in none the less, wanting to feel you close to her.

She peppered soft kisses on your cheeks and jaw, trailed them down your neck and against your ear as you moaned for her, clawing at her clothed back and it took everything in her not to stretch you out with a third finger. When your walls tightened around her, gripping her hard, she knew you were getting close again, your insatiable little pussy just begging her for more.

“Are you going to cum for me, baby?” She asked sweetly. “Are you going to make a mess all over my fingers?”

“God, yes!” You gasped, trying to pull her impossibly closer.

“Show me.” Wanda husked, claiming your lips in another kiss, nestling even closer to you, pulling your legs around her waist, so she could press against you snugly, almost folding you in half as her fingers worked your G-spot.

The position was surprisingly intimate, your body trapped under Wanda. It felt snug and safe, all your senses surrounded by her. You could smell her perfume, see the curtain of her soft, wavy hair falling around you, taste her as she kissed you, feel her deep inside you as you reached your edge with soft moans of pure pleasure.

When you finally fell over it, she helped you ride the waves of extasy, her fingers never stopping their movement. You were writhing under her, but she held you down effortlessly, until you gave her everything you had to offer and she pulled out of you with a contented grin.

“That’s my good girl.” She praised, lifting up her fingers to inspect them and slowly putting them in her mouth, so she could clean them up. “And so delicious too.” She added happily.

For a moment she contemplated letting you rest, but her own arousal was driving her crazy, the wetness in her panties a stark reminder of how badly she needed some relief. But it wasn’t just that. She hadn’t even properly undressed you yet, hadn’t had a chance to taste you from the source. She wanted to do so many things to you…

“Thank you.” You purred like a happy cat, stretching a little from underneath her.

“Such good manners.” Wanda mused. “Always such a good girl for me.” She smiled, noting the way you beamed proudly at her praise. “Think you can help Mommy undress you?” She asked, waiting for your happy nod of consent and your eager adjustment, so you can help her lift off your dress and discard it.

For a moment you felt a little insecure about yourself, despite the many times you had paraded yourself in front of Wanda, but she didn’t let you dwell on it for too long. She kissed you deeply, her lips never leaving yours, while her hands reached behind you and unclasped your bra, throwing it somewhere behind her, while her hands explored you. Your skin was so soft to her touch, your body responding to every little caress and begging for more.

You were gorgeous in this state and she wanted to show you just how much she truly loved you, wanted to show you how deep her feelings really went, wanted you to know that this meant everything to her. You meant everything to her.

“Can I see you too, please?” You asked shyly, while she massaged your breasts, eyes fixed on them hungrily.

“Of course, darling.” She smiled knowingly, probably realizing how shy you must feel, being the only one naked. “Do you want to do it, or should I?”

“May I?” You practically beamed at her, sitting up in anticipation.

“Of course, sweetness.” Wanda smiled softly, stopping her movements, so she could give you some space.

Undressing Wanda was almost a spiritual experience. Each item of clothing you were able to remove revealed more of her beauty to your adoring gaze and she felt the swell of pride when she watched you take in every curve with admiration. It felt so good to be admired so openly and she allowed you to take your time, to kiss and caress her, as you shed her clothing.

When you unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts, you almost drooled at the sight of them. Perky nipples stood at attention, begging to be worshipped and you barely had time to ask if she’d let you, before you did just that. Capturing each breast in your palms, you swirled your tongue over her nipples, sucking on them gently and smiling when you pulled soft sighs of pleasure from the older woman.

As you finally reached her underwear, lacy, red panties fully capturing your attention, you couldn’t help but gasp, when you found her just as wet as you were.

“Do you like seeing that, honey? Do you like knowing you make me this wet? Do you like knowing that every night I heard you call out to me, I got just as wet, touching myself to the thought of making you mine? Does it excite you, knowing that you caused all this?”

“Yes, Mommy! I always wanted you just like that. Always wanted to know how you would feel, what you would taste like, if I could have you in my mouth.” You confessed, remembering each time you fantasized that Wanda would find you with your hand between your legs and give you exactly what you wanted.

“Well, now that you have me, have a taste.” She nodded happily, helping you take off her panties and spreading her legs, to give you a good view of her soaked folds.

Instead of answering, you just kneeled, slipping off the couch effortlessly and finding your place between her legs. With the sight of her soaked panties and the delicious smell of her reaching your nostrils, you could already feel your mouth water. There was something so erotic about having her above you like this.

Wanda looked as regal as a queen as she let you take her in in all her glory. Darkened, green eyes never looked away from you, as she left everything on display. And by all the gods, she was magnificent. Everything about her was pure perfection and you were happy to stay right there, on your knees, forever, worshipping and admiring her, if it wasn’t for the hand, that soon tangled itself in your hair, pulling you closer to her.

She leaned in, kissing you fully and only pulled away, when you both needed to breathe.

“Don’t make me wait too long.” She said as she leaned back against the couch, the hand in your hair pulling you forward and closer to where she wanted you.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” You smiled, moving forward on your own and taking a small experimental lick.

Her reaction was instantaneous, her fingers tightening their grip and pulling you all the way, until your mouth was flush against her. She sighed with satisfaction, her legs spreading wider, to give you more room to explore her and by God, she tasted so good. You wanted to devour her whole.

“Yeah, that’s better!” She sighed, her hips canting up against your mouth, as your tongue swirled over her clit. “Just like that, baby.”

Her praise was almost hypnotic, sparking something inside you, an urge to be better than all her other lovers, to show her that you’re worth all this, that you would earn the privilege to be hers. To show her that you would learn what made her feel good, what made her moan out in pleasure, what had her screaming and bucking her hips into your mouth. You’d learn it all and you’ll give it to her, just so she would call you her good girl again.

“Fuck, yes!” She cursed under her breath. “So fucking good with your mouth.”

Her hand in your hair kept you firmly against her, nails scratching at your scalp as Wanda guided you through what she wanted. And she wasn’t shy about it either. The closer she got, the more she used you for her pleasure, her legs planted on your shoulders as she rode you even more.

“Fingers, honey. Put your fingers inside me.” She spoke breathlessly, almost suffocating you with how much she pushed you into her pussy, when she felt you enter her. “Yes, just like that!” She praised. “Such a good girl. Gonna make Mommy cum so hard.”

The prospect of making her cum had your excitement reach new levels and you doubled your efforts, swirling your tongue around her clit in circles that seemed to drive her crazy. You could feel her walls pulse around your fingers, squeezing you and pulling you in, as far as you could go and you knew she wouldn’t last much longer.

Wanda reached her edge with a high-pitched moan, her thighs squeezing around your head and the hand in your hair tightening its hold on you almost painfully, just as she started to fall apart. The orgasm that built in the pit of her stomach spread like a tidal wave, coursing through her entire body as she shook against you.

She could feel your free hand gripping her thigh, trying to keep her steady as you helped her ride it all out. When she did, body slumping on the couch with a happy sigh, she hurried to pull you up and into her embrace. Getting to cum with your mouth and fingers felt so much better than the empty nights she spent with her toys and she knew she wouldn’t be able to give you up, even for a second.

When she was able to recover, she got up, helping you to your feet with a gentle hand.

“Let me take you upstairs, sweetheart.” She suggested. “I believe you had an interest in my collection?”

Her words were full of innuendo and you practically leaped, following her up the stairs and only stopping in front of her bedroom.

“Wanda?” You looked up at her, a little insecure.

“Yes, darling.” She paused, at hearing her name pass your lips, instead of the title you chose to give her.

“Is this…” You tried to ask, but couldn’t find the right words, biting your lips in anticipation. “Does it mean…”

“You mean everything to me, Y/N.” She said reassuringly, clearly understanding what you wanted to ask.

She had spent her whole life looking for love like yours. For someone, who would worship her the way you did. And now that she had it, she couldn’t imagine ever letting you go. Couldn’t imagine ever sharing you with another soul, or letting anyone ever touch you the way she did. As soon as she kissed you, she knew that she will commit to you for good.

“Do you mean it?” You looked at her with hopeful eyes. “Because I…”

“So do I, my darling.” She smiled softly at you, knowing that neither one of you was ready to admit it just yet.

The two of you stood there, in front of her door, for a few moments longer, just smiling at each-other, letting your eyes say the things you couldn’t form into words, before you couldn’t stand the tension any longer.

“May I kiss you again?” You asked a little shyly, fighting the urge to hide into her again.

Wanda’s smile only widened. She opened her door, the soft light from within illuminating the perfectly pristine space, as she pulled you closer to her.

“Come inside, sweetheart and you can do so much more than just kiss.”

______________________________________________________

I just might have to make a part 2 to this fic, because there is just so much left unsaid here... But at least I get to share the beginning with you guys! Let me know what you think!

If you liked this story and you want more, please visit the Masterlist with all my works. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: Image not mine. I'd happily give credit to the owner if I knew who they were :)

[emptyjunior]

Can I say how much I love how Ouran High School handles the rich boy/poor girl in love trope. 

Like I absolutely believe it’s discussions about classism and elitism to this Day still hold up! 

I will admit there is so much weird stuff in ouran😭, but we see the Handsome ‘Unlimited Money’ Male Lead a LOT in anime and I feel ouran gets a lot of points of the characterisation SO right, that a lot of other shows just don’t! 

Ouran does the whole love story/harem/all the boys want brown hair girl that we project on, trope. Like they do that, but they show that at the foundation, the root of all of it, those rich boys are JEALOUS. They aren’t approaching Haruhi with the need to protect and own her, at their core the rich are envious of her! Even though they have everything, they want what she has! 

Like we see in the real world with how the rich cosplay as poor! And say "ohhhh I'm so broke please venmo me for lunch" and wear their ripped jeans and strained sweaters and take pictures at the met gala with a box of McDonalds fries in their hand. 

The classist comments made towards Haruhi ARE comedic relief, but the joke isn’t on characters like Haruhi, the joke is on THEM. 

They are the ones who can’t do anything! They are the ones who are stilted and emotionally closed off! They are the ones who can’t make an instant coffee or go to a mall without help! 

THAT is why Haruhi is the center of this harem, why she is the one they’re chasing. They are jealous of her insight and world experience from living independently, from living a REAL life. That is her enviable trait. Haruhi GETS people! And they don’t. Their wealth has isolated them and now there is a barrier between these characters and the rest of the world and they have no idea how to navigate it. 

And this is the foundation of 90% of the problems/conflict in the show! 

The holiday ep when Hikaru has feelings because Haruhi reconnects with Nice Guy Arai? Hikaru says he doesn’t like this guy for all these reasons and most of them are like ‘he’s just some nobody from nothing who only knows Haruhi cause they went to some stupid public school together’. Like okay? Haruhi has all of those ‘bad traits’ as well but you still seem to like her?  

Because it’s not about that, it’s never about that, it’s not even about the love rival/romance angle (at least not completely).  

Hikaru is scared and embarrassed! He already was when they got there, when these rich boys crashed Haruhi’s summer to find out she is an employee here and she is working with her own two hands. This is not a break for her! And then he’s so worried when Haruhi and Arai find each other because what they have is so untouchable to him. Same background, same class, they can meet each other’s needs! And know the other's needs! And this is a chasm that Hikaru has no idea how to cross so he starts lashing out. 

And that episode concludes with Hikaru being told about Haruhi’s fear of thunderstorms, finally actually listening and empathizing with what that means, and then going to her and giving her the stuff she needs to deal with that problem (blanket, headphones, support, protection etc.). 

He has to LEARN that none of those poor people inherently know all this secret knowledge! They just care and ask each other stuff! You can ask Haruhi what she's afraid of and then help her with that! It was always this simple! Just because you’re not the same class as her and knowing her isn’t as easy as it is with people the same as you, doesn’t mean you’ll never know! Learn! Listen! Keep trying! 

Ouran shows their rich characters being hurt by their wealth. Their elitists mindset does NOT benefit them and they’re only narratively rewarded when they break out of it, THAT’S why the arcs are so good. 

(And also while we’re here, I LOVE when they do eps that show Tamaki’s character is actually a parallel of Haruhi’s. Tamaki grew up as an illegitimate child, hidden away in France with his mother. He knows what it is to not be at the top of the food chain, and he learns the skills to keep living! Tamaki is a survivor in a world run by a man who was ashamed of him and did not want him. That can destroy a child, but Tamaki doesn’t let it. He learns how to work people and he learns that belief in yourself is the most powerful asset someone can have. And this is the life experience he imparts onto Kyoya and this SAVES Kyoya, who was barreling towards a black pit of despair and chasing his father’s shadow. The ‘poor’ characters of this show have power that the rich people desperately desire, and in the end they learn that it’s not something you take it’s something you build for yourself.) 

[really-fanny-longbottom]

The Things We Do For Love

Pairings: Helion x Reader (platonic); Inner Circle x Reader (platonic)

Summary: Secrets can never be kept for long. Eventually, the truth always comes out, and so do the consequences of it.

Warnings: Mentions of blood/pregnancy/birth/fight/death (nothing too descriptive); there's a flashback scene in the middle.

Words: 7.6k

You are a scholar from Day Court. But you are not just a simple scholar - you are the best.  

You were known for graduating at the top of your class and for your impeccable reputation of never failing a project and never leaving a question unanswered.

You have always been a very curious person, and the fact that you grew up in Day Court gave you the privilege of having access to the best libraries with the best books in Prythian.

That's why books were your life and the fact you liked to have an answer for everything, even though Helion called you a know-it-all from time to time, and even if that irritated you a little, it was true.

Whenever a question arose that you didn't know the answer to, you made it your personal mission to find one. 

Even if it meant having to read dozens, if not hundreds of books, but that part you never care about. Besides, the libraries were your favorite places, especially the one near the pegasus stables.

The only thing you liked more than books was pegasus. You thought they were the most magnificent creatures your eyes had ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Your favorite was Meallan, who was also Helion's favorite. It was with him that you learned to ride a pegasus, and he was your favorite partner to fly and enjoy the sky.

Besides being curious, you were also a very adventurous person, and it was your sense of adventure that got you into trouble. 

One day, you decided that it would be a great idea to combine the two things you love most in this world - books and pegasus.  

So you tried flying with Meallan while reading one of your romance books, only to get distracted when the scenery in the book started to heat up and lose your balance.

Your luck? Meallan wasn't flying very high when it happened.  

Your bad luck? A broken leg and a very big and angry lecture from Helion.

When he heard what you did, he banned you from flying with Meallan or any of the other pegasus again for months.

Which led you to focus on books again for a while, which helped a lot during your recovery.

Your reputation caught Rhysand's attention.

The High Lord of the Night Court was in the middle of researching the Cauldron. Rumors about Hybern being in search of it for a new war had reached his ears, and as all High Lords should, he began to prepare for war but the truth is that his library could not be compared with those at Day Court.

Even with the help of the priestesses, he was unable to find almost anything. That's where you entered the equation.

During a meeting between the Night Court and Day Court at Helion's Palace, Rhys mentioned your name.

Helion wasn't surprised. He knew very well what you were capable of, and at that moment, he couldn't hide the pride he felt for you. 

He knew what Rhysand was about to ask of him. He wanted you to join him and his Inner Circle in Velaris and help with the research, and if possible, bring some books from your Court on the subject for them to read as well.

Helion had no problem with you helping them, afterall Rhys was one of his longest friends. 

The only thing he didn't like was putting you in the enemy's attention. If Hybern found out, you'd have a target on your back.

Helion explained his worries to Rhys and his Inner Circle that were seated beside him.

He explained to them how you were not just another citizen of his Court. 

You were important and very close to him. He told them how your mother was one of his best friends for centuries, and when she died, he took you under his care.

The Night Court assured him that they would treat you like family and that they would not let anything bad happen to you.

Before Helion could respond, your voice filled the conference room, “I’ll do it.”

All the heads turned in your direction, Helion leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his face. "How many times do I have to tell you not to eavesdrop?"

With an innocent smile, you replied, "I wasn't eavesdropping. I was passing by, and I heard my name."

"Really? You were just passing by?" Helion didn't believe you for a second.

The Inner Circle watched the scene unfold in front of them with amusement in their faces.

"Hum hum" was your response.

Helion interlaced his hands and with an amused look - one that you knew very well and that meant he was about to corner you - "And where were you going, if I may ask?"

"I...Hum, I..." You paused to think. "Ah, I was going to the kitchen. Yes, that's where I was going." You finished with pride.

Helion chuckled. "The same kitchen that is on the other side of the palace, and you can't access it from this floor?"

Your smile fell, and you realized you had been caught. 

He was right, this floor was for political purposes only - Helion's office, the conference room they were in now, an armament room and the map room which was mainly used by Helion's General and his soldiers.

Everyone tried to contain their laughter at your expression and when you tried to come up with a quick response and couldn't, you decided to admit defeat "Okay, okay, I wasn't just passing by. What do you want me to say? You know I'm curious."

"Indeed, I do." He gave you a smile. Raising from his seat, he gestured for you to approach him, and when you did, he wrapped you in a side hug. "Y/N, meet the Inner Circle." 

You couldn't help but linger your gaze on the Shadowsinger. He was stupidly handsome, and no one should look that good. 

The laughter caught your attention, and when you looked at them, you noticed that everyone was smiling except Helion. 

Realizing what just happened, you said, "Shit. Did I just say that out loud?" A hand coming to cover your mouth that was starting to form into a nervous smile.

"Unfortunately." Helion replied with a roll of his eyes.

Another thing you were also, besides being curious and adventurous - is being honest. You are not, and you have never been afraid to say what you think and be direct about it. 

Helion has always really liked that trait of yours but not at the moment, especially when you're using it to flirt with the male in front of you.

"Okay, enough." He averted his gaze to Azriel. "Stop looking at her like that before I regret all of this." The Shadowsinger raised his hand in surrender with a smile.

Helion released a sigh before looking at you. "Are you sure about this? You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

You gave him an assured smile. "I'm sure. I can do this. Besides, it's what I was trained for, right?" That led you to another thought. "Oh, can you train me while I'm there?" You asked the General. 

Cassian was surprised by the question. No one ever asked him to train them before, and if they did, it wouldn't be a female. That made him happy, so he had no problem in saying, "Of course." 

"Awesome. I'm going to pack my things." You said with one last smile before exiting the room. 

"Alright. Rhys, I'm trusting you, all of you, with her. So... don't fuck this up, unless you would like to see me angry." Helion warned them with his High Lord voice.

Rhys giggled at his words but he knew the male meant every single one "We won't."

Helion turned his attention to Cassian. "Oh, and Cassian? Be careful when you eventually put a weapon on her hands. She's a little curious and clumsy even though she never lost or ruined a book, which is kinda a surprise, actually."

Cassian laughed, "It can't be that bad."

Helion also laughed before telling them one of your many stories "I once tried to teach her archery because she was interested and when I was teaching her how to shoot an arrow, she got distracted with a butterfly that was flying near her and the arrow that was supposed to go into the target, end up going into one of the gardener's legs. Who, by the way, was on the other side of the garden."

Cassian's smile dropped and he got a little pale.  Everyone else laughed but him.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Morrigan said with a "I already like her," followed by Amren.

"Careful, got it." Cassian said before starting to re-think about his life's choices. 

-

You were finishing packing when Helion entered your bedroom chambers.

"Everything okay?" He asked you.

"Yes. I already have everything I need." You turned to look at him and when you saw his look you told him "Don't worry. I'm going to be fine."

"I know." He approached you and held you by your shoulders "Remember, no one can know. It needs to remain a secret." 

"Yes, I know. I'm not going to tell them." You assured him.

"Good. Now, have fun but please be careful with the weapons during training with Cassian. We wouldn't want you to lose a finger."

"Or him." You added, making you and the male giggle.

"Also, don't forget our agreement." Helion reminded you.

You rolled your eyes but with a laugh escaping your lips, "I know."

"Four letters during the week." He said while smiling at your antics, "Deal?"

"Deal." You said with a firm smile.

-

Everything was going well. 

You had been at the Night Court for about three months now and the research about the Cauldron and Hybern had progressed a lot with your help. 

You loved Velaris and adjusted very well but instead of staying with the Inner Circle, you decided to rent a house near the Sidra so you could explore the City of Starlight at your own pace. 

And because you never lived alone before and decided to try it - 'a new adventure' that's what you wrote to Helion in the letter. He didn't like that.

You also did that, so you had a reason for the Shadowsinger to fly you to the House and then back to yours - but you didn't share that part with Helion.

The library at the House of Wind made you feel at home and helped with your homesickness. 

The priestesses adored you and found your presence comforting. The only thing they didn't like very much was when you disappeared for a few hours and they had to alert the Inner Circle.  

They found you on the last floor of the library drinking tea while talking to Bryaxis much to Cassian's dismay. You almost gave all of them a heart attack.

When they asked you about it you blamed your curiosity. You had heard some priestesses talking about the creature that lived in the library while searching for a book. 

You went to the edge of the stairs and when you looked down, you found nothing, and you needed to know what this creature was like so your feet started moving before you could stop them. 

You end up finding that Bryaxis was really good at telling stories and you thought he was friendly. Cassian didn't like that.

You were doing remarkable work. Rhys had complimented you multiple times for it.

You were respecting the agreement and sending four letters as agreed and Cassian still had all his fingers and toes but the same couldn't be said about the ear he almost lost when you got distracted during sword training. 

Two months without any incident - or almost.

But that changed the day a letter from the Night Court arrived.

- 

Helion never winnowed so fast as he did when he received the letter from Rhysand explaining about what happened to you.

Helion was quick to grab Rhys by the colar of his shirt that he didn't even had time to react "What the fuck happened?" He yelled.

Rhys didn't want to admit it but at that moment he was a little afraid of the male so he told him everything. How you didn't show up in the library this morning and Clotho noticed your absence, how no one had seen you since last night and after checking if you were with Bryaxis which you weren't, they decided to come to your house to check on you, but instead found the door open and when they check the inside...

The house was destroyed. Broken furniture, paintings lying on the floor, shattered objects, torn cushions and then, blood.

Not just yours but also whoever invaded.

Apparently, training with Cassian paid off because you put up a good fight to those males.

And then there were the scents.

The scent of Autumn soldiers, at least five different scents lingered in the air but they were starting to disappear so they suspected you had been taken at least two hours ago.

And when the explanation ended, he finally released his friend's shirt and took a step back.

Helion panicked. He knew what this meant right before he came to Velaris. But he chose not to believe it and just dismissed it. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

But now, with all the evidence in front of his eyes, he couldn't deny it. Not anymore.

He had found out the truth and came for you.

All the emotions started overwhelming Helion - anger, worry, fear, rage.

But he was going to find you, and he was going to bring you home - to him. Even if it meant he would have to destroy Autumn with his bare hands, like he did once, to some beasts, all those centuries ago.

"Don't worry, Helion, we're going to find your scholar." Rhysand promised him.

"She's not just my scholar!" The High Lord of Day shouted - he shouted so loud that the birds that were posing on the trees flew away as fast as their wings allowed. 

Feyre moved forward and placed her hand on Helion's arm, trying to comfort him as much as she could. "What do you mean by that?"

Helion met the High Lady's eyes, and all she found in them was pain and fear. 

His lips trembled, and after taking a few deep breaths, he told her the truth. "She's my daughter." 

The Inner Circle stilled at his words. This was unknown to them, Helion had never mentioned a child of his own.

"Y/N is my daughter, and she's the princess of the Day Court." The High Lord of Day told them. The fear in his voice was noticeable. 

Before any of them had the chance to say something, Helion raised his hand and signaled his second in command to approach him; the male had refused to let his High Lord come alone after reading that letter "Benjen."

Benjen approached him and stood to his full height, ready to receive his orders. "Yes, High Lord?

"I need you to send a letter to Eris, tell him what happened and that he needs to come to Velaris as soon as he can." Helion paused for a second, very well aware of the gazes the Inner Circle were sending his way, "and also tell him not to show the letter to anyone, as soon as he finishes reading it, he must burn it immediately."

"Of course, High Lord." Bejen replied and gave a small nod before leaving to carry out the order that his High Lord entrusted to him.

At the exit of one of his most trusted friends, Helion looked back to the Inner Circle, and he only had a second to breathe before the Shadowsinger spoke.

"Why are you sending a letter to Eris? What does he have to do with Y/N?" He asked him, with worry and confusion on his face. If Autumn had really captured you, he didn't want to waste another minute.

"Everything." Was Helion's only response.

Tired of his riddles, Rhys spoke, from one High Lord to another. "Helion, tell us what's going on. How is Y/N your daughter, and why did I never know about it? How is Eris connected to her? And why was she taken by Autumn soldiers?" 

Helion released a long breath and pitched the bridge of his nose. He approached the High Lord of Night, and with a stern look and a firm voice, he said, "If I tell you, Rhysand, you and your Inner Circle can't tell anyone." 

Rhys looked back, and with the firm nods of his family, he returned his look to Helion before extending his hand for him to shake it. "I promise."

Helion took his hand, and the bargain was made. A tattoo in the shape of the sun appeared on the back of their necks.

Helion gave him a nod before telling him, "Y/N mother didn't die, and she wasn't just a random lover." 

The Inner Circle approached at the sound of the new information the Spell Cleaver was about to share with them.

He continued, "Y/N is the result of an affair that I had eighty-two years ago." Helion paused, aware of what he was about to say. "She's mine and Elowyn's daughter."

The Inner Circle gasped out loud, shock spreading through their features. 

Oh, this was bad - this was very bad.

"You mean..?" Feyre wasn't able to finish her sentence before Helion interrupted her.

"Yes." He said, looking at the High Lady again, "The Lady of Autumn is her mother." Helion sighed, "We kept it a secret all these years so Beron wouldn't find out, but apparently, he has."

Helion took a step back and passed a hand through his long black hair. "That's how Y/N is connected to Eris. He's her brother."

Cassian spoke for the first time since all of this happened. "But how does he know?" 

Helion looked at the General. "Because Eris was the one who brought Y/N to me on the day she was born."

Eight-two Years Ago

The sun had left a long time ago.

The night had already come with her dark sky, her shiny stars, and her smooth breeze.

The entire Prythian was thankful for it.

Every citizen from every Court just wanted today's day to end.

No one understood or had an explanation for the events of today. 

It didn't make sense. Prythian was in the height of winter - two weeks from the Winter Solstice - to be more precise. 

Even though the Seasonal Courts didn't follow the natural course of Nature, they, too, were affected.

During the entire day, the sun shined like it had never shined before and released a heat that Prythian had never felt.

Not even the Summer Court or the Day Court have had a sun like this before. And these were the two Courts best known for their hot suns.

Even Winter Court, known for their constant cold, and their land always decorated with snow and ice felt uncomfortable with the sun.

Nothing happened differently during the course of today's day to explain this reaction from the sun.

There was no reason for it.

Except, there was, they just didn't know that.

- 

The letter came a few minutes after Helion had finished his dinner.

He, too, was contemplating about the sun's behavior earlier. 

He even made his way to one of his many libraries to see if this event had ever happened before but he found nothing.

It wasn't strange for the sun to shine like it did today. They've had their fair share of hot summers but for the sun to shine like that during the winter? That didn't make sense.

And with all the libraries and even more the books he owned, there had to be an answer somewhere.

The High Lord of Day was in the middle of reading a book when the letter appeared on top of it.

The letter had brown tones with leaf patterns and an intense scent of pine - Autumn.

This was the second strange thing that happened today. Why - of all the Courts - would Autumn be sending him a letter?  

It was then that he noticed that the letter did not come from Beron. The stamped seal did not belong to the High Lord.  

No, the seal was in the shape of a hound. The Heir's beloved creatures and his personal seal.

Eris Vanserra sent him a letter - a personal letter.

Without further hesitation, Helion opened the letter and read the content hidden within. If he was confused before, he is even more now. 

The letter contained three simple instructions: "Meet me at the border between Day and Dawn in twenty minutes. Come alone and don't let anyone see you. Burn the letter once you finish reading it."

Now, this was even stranger than the sun's behavior.

- 

Helion knew that he was most likely making a mistake. 

Meeting alone with Eris at the border could very well be a trap, but on second thought, what reason did the Heir have to ambush him?

The answer is none.  

He knows that Eris is not the cruel and arrogant male he appears to be, he knows that deep down Eris is good, honest and kind and that the rest is nothing more than a mask that he had to create because of Beron.

That's why Helion followed his instructions. He just hopes he doesn't regret it.

As agreed, Eris appears exactly twenty minutes after sending the letter.  

The High Lord of Day decided to arrive a little earlier as a precaution, just to make sure there were no hidden hounds ready to attack his legs, especially today that he was wearing a new robe.

Helion had no idea what this secret meeting was about. He came to think that perhaps the Heir was moments away from asking him for help to take down Beron, but he came to the conclusion that if that were the case, it wasn't him that Eris would ask for help, but the Night Court, so he scrapped that idea and was left with no other.

Therefore, he had no expectations for this meeting - if it could be called that. 

But the last thing he expected was to see Eris Vanserra with a newborn in his arms.

-

The day was already feeling long, but with the sun shining like this and the unbearable heat that came from it, it only made it seem even longer.

Elowyn, Lady of the Autumn Court, had now been in labor for three hours.

The eighth child of Beron Vanserra and Elowyn was about to come into the world, and like all the other births, Beron was far away from the room where his wife was.  

But Eris was there, just like he was at all the births of his younger brothers, holding his mother's hand like he always did.

Eris loved his mother more than anything, and one of the reasons he wanted to overthrow Beron so much was so she could be free and happy.

He also knew that Lucien was her favorite son, and although it hurt him, he would still do anything for her, but what was unknown to Eris was that he was her favorite son too.

Eris was surprised when his mother announced that she was pregnant again. After all, Lucien was born more than four hundred years ago. Another brother was something the young Heir wasn't expecting.

But he couldn't not be happy, besides he always liked taking care of his brothers when they were younger, and after everything that happened maybe a baby was exactly what they needed.

As his mother pushed again, Eris began to think about all the things he was going to teach the new member of the family - fishing, hunting, fighting because in this world that is also important, reading, writing, camping but most importantly how to control the powers.

That was something Eris didn't have. 

No one taught him how to control and use his fire, and that led the healers to treat a lot of burns because of it, and he wasn't going to let this baby go through what he did.

His mother's scream shook him away from those thoughts, and Eris refocused all his attention on her and made sure to hold her hand tighter, assuring his mother that he wasn't going anywhere. Not until his brother is born.

Two hours later - with screams, pain, and sweat - a baby's cries burst into the room, bringing tears of happiness to the eyes of Elowyn and Eris.

But it was at that moment that the Mother made her first turn of events.

"It's a girl, my Lady." The head healer that was helping with the labor announced "a very healthy baby girl." 

Eris froze, not knowing how to react before this new information.

In over a thousand years, the Vanserra lineage has never had female descendants. 

This couldn't be possible.

"A girl?" Elowyn asked, exhaustion in her voice.

"Yes, my Lady." One of the healers that assisted with the birth and now holding the baby confirmed while walking closer to the bed. "It looks like you've been blessed, my Lady." 

Eris's grip on his mother's hand loosened, and the male stood up from the side of the bed where he had spent the last five hours crouched. Now raised to his full height, Eris saw his baby sister, and his heart stopped. 

And that was when the Mother made her second turn of events.

The baby didn't look like Eris or his mother or anyone in his family. Her hair wasn't red, her eyes weren't russet or brown, and her skin wasn't pale. 

She wasn't a daughter of Autumn. Meaning she wasn't Beron's daughter.

Eris took the baby from the healer's arms before speaking to all of them. "Leave us." 

The head healer asked before making her exit, "Should we announce the birth to the High Lord, my Prince?"

"No." Eris was quick to respond. He looked at the baby in his arms again before meeting the gaze of the female. "I'll tell him myself when he gets back from the meeting. Thank you for your help."

"Of course, my Prince." The healer turned to face Elowyn and bowed one more time before leaving the room "My Lady."

Elowyn gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Lydia." 

Now alone in the room, Eris finally looked at his mother and took a seat on her left side of the bed, and passed the baby to her arms.

At the sight of her daughter, Elowyn cried.

She knew what this meant. Beron was going to kill her and her child.

Her love affair had ended after becoming pregnant with Lucien, but after seeing Helion at the High Lords meeting three years ago, all the feelings that she had buried deep down in her heart came to the surface.

And as always, she wasn't able to stay away from the male she's always loved - the love of her life, her mate, and now the father of two of her children.

Elowyn ran her fingers over the delicate cheek of her daughter - her only daughter - and with tears running down her face, she looked at her firstborn and said to him in a low voice "He's going to kill us, isn't he?" 

It was Eris's turn to have tears in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall.

Placing one of his fingers in front of his little sister, Eris saw the baby wrap her small hand around his finger, and he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat at the gesture. 

He had a gentle smile on his lips as he looked at the newborn now sleeping in his mother's arms. Her hand still wrapped around her big brother's finger.

"She's Helion's, isn't she?" Eris asked without taking his eyes from the baby.

Elowyn's mouth opened in surprise. She never mentioned Helion to anyone, not even to Lydia who wasn't just the Court's head healer but also her dearest friend. "Wha-"

"It's okay, mom. I have known for a while." Eris gave her a small smile, eyes still directed to his sister.

"Since when?"

"Since Lucien." Eris finally looked at his mother. 

Eris gave a long sigh before revealing his opinion to his mother "If you would like to know, I wish you had married him and not Beron," Eris grabbed her hand and give it a tight squeeze before continuing "You deserve to be happy and well treated, mom, and I know that Helion does that and so much more. I've never seen you as happy as on the days you returned from your meetings with him."

Elowyn gave him a genuine smile before murmuring a "Thank you."

Eris chuckled, now putting the two pieces together. "This is why the sun is acting like crazy today, isn't it? Because she's a child of Day.

The same had happened with Lucien but it wasn't as strong as today and Lucien was born in the summer which didn't raise any suspicions.

His mother nodded her head in affirmation before returning her eyes to her daughter, and she gave a small laugh. "She looks just like him."

And it was true. Everything about you screamed Helion - your eyes, your hair, your skin, and even your nose. There was no doubt in it.

Concerned invaded her face, and Elowyn found herself holding the baby tighter to her chest. 

She looked at her son again. "What are we going to do?" 

Eris met her gaze before looking at the peaceful baby again, and his head started to work to come up with a plan. 

Even if you weren't Beron's you were still his sister - his baby sister - and he wasn't going to let that horrible male harm you. 

After a few minutes and after thinking about all the possible ways, Eris understood there was only one option - one that he hated.

But that didn't matter. What mattered was to keep you safe and alive even if it meant to send you away.

The tears returned to his eyes. He had to swallow the lump in his throat because he knew he was about to break his mother's heart.

After breathing a couple of times to calm his heart, he gathered enough courage to tell her, "I have a plan." 

And just like that, the Mother made her third and final turn of events.

- 

The High Lord of Day couldn't believe what was in front of him.

Eris Vanserra with a newborn in his arms? Things had just gotten far more interesting or dangerous.

The Heir of Autumn was walking in his direction and looking at his surroundings while doing it.

When he finally stood in front of the High Lord, Eris asked him, "Are you alone?"

With an annoyed look, Helion raised his arm to gesture around them and couldn't help but reply "Do you see anyone else here, Prince?"

"As far as I'm concerned, you could have soldiers hiding behind the trees ready to attack me at your signal, High Lord." He answered with a sarcastic smile.

Helion reciprocated his smile while adding, "I could say the same about you." 

Eris shrugged his shoulders and concluded, "I suppose that's true." 

Helion winked at him before his eyes moved to the baby in his arms. Trying to act as normal as possible and not let his curiosity take the better of him, Helion asked "Who's this little one? And why did you bring a baby here?" 

Helion didn't have a good view of you, only of the top of your head since the rest was hidden by the blanket.

At the question, Eris held you tighter in his arms, he looked to the High Lord - who was still busy staring at you, probably trying to get a better look - he wanted to see his reaction when he revealed the truth to him.

"This is my sister. She was born a few hours ago." The Heir said and moved the blanket so Helion could finally see you.

When Eris removed the blanket and Helion finally had a good view of you, he found it strange because he found you familiar, as if he had already seen you before but that was impossible.  

At your sight, confusion settled on the Spell Cleaver's features, and he scoffed before telling him, "She's your sister?" He gave Eris an incredulous look and then continued. "I hate to be the one telling you this, Eris, but she doesn't look li-"

You opened your eyes at the sound of his voice, making the High Lord of Day freeze in his place.

Helion stopped. His heart did, too. Realization entered him as he put the pieces together. 

He raised his head to look at the male in front of him, who only gave a nod of affirmation as his response.

Helion had to blink his eyes several times to make sure that he wasn't dreaming - that this was real.

Now with the new revelation of the Heir of Autumn, his previous thoughts made sense.

You looked just like him. 

"It's not possible." Helion said, more to himself than to the red headed male.

"It is. She's the living proof of that." Eris told him.

"The sun?" Helion asked and received another nod from the red-headed male.

Helion couldn't tear his eyes from. You were looking at him with your golden eyes - his eyes.

He felt weak in his knees. Helion always wanted children, he knew that since the moment he met Elowyn but the world hasn't been kind to them. 

By the Cauldron, he didn't even know Elowyn was pregnant. The last time they had seen each other was a little over ten months ago, but sometimes that happened, it had happened before.

When Beron was around a lot, it was difficult for her to leave without lifting any suspicions, so they would wait until they could.

Sometimes it took weeks, other times mouths, but Helion was patient, he would rather wait than risk her safety at Beron's rage.

But the wait was worthed because when they were together it was like the rest of the world disappeared and it was just the two of them. It was perfect. 

*

The room was lit by the first rays of the morning sun and a gentle breeze came through the window.

The two lovers were together in bed. After a long night of passion and romance, the two were in each other's arms with nothing but a sheet protecting them from the breeze.

Elowyn laughed again at the tickling sensation. She hit Helion's arm that was holding her against his chest "Stop", but she couldn't stop laughing.

"Why would I do that when I can hear that magnificent sound?" Helion joined her laugh.

But Helion was right. Elowyn only laughed when she was with him, and that was one of the reasons why she loved him so much.

The Lady rested her head on the High Lord's chest and released a long sigh before giving voice to her thoughts. "I wish I woke up like this every morning." She adjusted her head on the male's chest so she could look at him. "With you."

Helion lowered his head to meet her beautiful brown eyes. "Me too." He said with a sad smile. 

"Do you ever think about that? About how our life would be if we were together?" She asked him.

"Of course I do," he placed a hand on her hair and began to caress it as he spoke "The first thing I would do, would be to marry you and after making you my wife, I would make you my High Lady."

A smile began to form on her lips. "What else?" 

He reciprocated the smile and continued, "Afterwards, we would have our honeymoon at the Summer Court because I know how much you would like to visit there. And then, I would show you every place of your new Court. The libraries, the pegasus, the entire Palace and my favorite places" He paused for a second, sadness starting to make its way to his features "I would make you feel like home, and I would make you feel loved, seen and heard every single day. I would give you anything you asked of me, Sunshine."

A tear fell from Elowyn's eyes, and her lip trembled a little. "That sounds perfect. It would be a dream come true." 

Helion wiped her tears and told her "Yes it would be..." he gave her a weak smile. He, too, felt the pain of what they could only imagine."Would you like to hear the best part?"

When she nodded her head, he proceeded "After a few years of being married, if we were blessed enough and if you wanted, of course," he paused, a tear rolled down Helion's cheek "Children."

Elowyn didn't know what to say.  

She had confessed to Helion a long time ago how she wished she had run away from her family and married him instead of her current husband. How she wished she had been strong enough to stand up to her father and how she wished all her sons were his. 

Because this last confession was what held her back in Autumn, she was not capable of abandoning her sons and leaving them at the mercy of Beron. 

She couldn't wait for the day when Eris killed him so she could finally be what she always wanted - Lady of the Day Court but in this case she would be High Lady as Helion had told her and she didn't doubt for a second of his words.

But unlike Helion, the first thing she would do wouldn't be to marry him but to accept the mating bond. That beautiful, golden, and magical mating bond.

She tugged on the bond and a second later Helion did the same, finding the words she was looking for she said to him "Of course I would have children with you, Helion, that's not even a question." She giggled. "Can you imagine? Little versions of you and me running around and causing trouble?"

Helion couldn't hold back the laughter that escaped at her words "They would be troublemakers, wouldn't they?" 

Elowyn laughed even more "Of course they would be." Her laughter quieted and a hint of love adorned her face "Maybe I would finally have my little girl, I always wanted a daughter."

"Me too," Helion confessed, "I would name her after my mother in honor of her."

"Your mother was a remarkable female. It would be an honor to name our little sunshine after her." She said and dropped an arm around his waist.

"It would be my greatest achievement.'' He finished with a kiss on her forehead. 

They spent the rest of the morning in bed talking about the future they wanted more than anything and expressed their love one more time until Elowyn had to leave.

What they didn't know at the moment was that it was the last time they would see each other for a really long time.

*

The memory surged through Helion's mind like a wave. 

He remembers that day so well after all that day was only ten months ago. What a coincidence that on the last day they were together they talked about their future and their children and now, right in front of him, was their daughter.

Their little sunshine.

With a trembling voice, Helion spoke after a long time in silence "Can I hold her?" 

"Of course." Eris was quick to respond and passed you to your fathers arms. 

And that's when it happened. A moment that neither Helion nor Eris would ever forget.

In the second that you were in Helion's arms, both of your skins started glowing as bright as the sun had just a few hours ago.

The Day Court glow. 

"Wow." Eris whispered, amazed at what was happening.

"Indeed. She really is mine." Without taking his eyes from you, Helion asked "What's her name?"

"Y/N."

And once again, the High Lord froze on his spot. He felt overwhelmed with all the emotions he was feeling at once - love, surprise, gratitude, shock and happiness.

Seeing the strange behavior of Helion, Eris spoke "What is it?"

Helion looked at the male with a smile "That's my mother's name. I told Elowyn once how if I ever had a daughter, I would want to name her after her." 

Eris smiled at the kindness of his mother but he wasn't surprised, she was always like that.

"Elowyn." The High Lord of Day whispered.

Locking his gaze with the red-headed male, concern all written in his features at the well-being of the female he had been in love for centuries. He was so focused on you that he didn't remember to ask this earlier, "Elowyn. How is she?"

Eris released a long sigh. "Physically? She's fine but exhausted from the birth. Emotionally?  She's a wreck, but I suppose that's normal considering her only daughter has to be sent away."

"What?"

"That's why I sent you that letter, Helion. I came to bring her to you." Eris said, a firm look on his face. "She can't stay in Autumn. No matter how much I want." He murmured the last part to himself, but if Helion noticed he didn't show. "And no one can know about her, about who her mother really is, we need to keep this from Beron."

He nodded his head, and he agreed with the young Heir. Of course, you couldn't stay there. He didn't even want to imagine what Beron would do if he found out about you.

At the thought of the horrible male, confusion settled on his face again. "Wait. What about Beron? Certainly, he's going to notice that his supposed child is missing."

"Don't worry about Beron. I took care of it." Eris tried to be as vague as possible.

"How?" 

"You don't want to know besides that's not important right now. She is." He gestured to you, your skin still glowing and now grabbing one of Helion's fingers.

Eris gave a long breath, and then directed his gaze to you just for a second before raising it again to the High Lord "Are you going to take her?"

Helion scoffed, "What kind of question it's that?"

Eris released a long breath of relief, and a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't doubt that the High Lord would refuse you, but he couldn't but be nervous at the same.

The Heir reached for the inside pocket of his coat and removed a letter, and Helion took his gaze from you to look at it.

"My mother wrote this for you. She told me to tell you to only read it once you're back home." He handed him the letter.

Helion's heart ached at the revelation of Elowyn calling his Court 'home'. He accepted the letter and thanked the red-headed male, and started making his way to leave.

But before he could, he stopped at the voice of the Heir calling for him. He turned around and faced him.

"I want to be part of her life." Eris confessed without hesitation. 

"What? We just agreed that no one can know about her, Eris. And that includes you. She can't know you as her brother." Helion explained.

"I know that." Seeing the confused look Helion gave him, it was his turn to explain."She doesn't have to know me as her brother. A friend will be enough." He paused for a second "Beron just nominated me as Autumn's emissary which means I will be the one going to your Court for meetings so I want to take that as an opportunity to get to know her and to see her grow. That's my only condition, I already lost Lucien, and I'm not going to lose her either.'

"Very well. As long as you share those moments with Elowyn. That's my only condition too." Helion replied. 

"Consider it done." Was the Heir's response.

Without further words, the two males parted away. One with a heart full and the other with an empty one. 

Present

Helion's heart was no longer full. How could it be, when you, the best thing that ever happened to him was missing?

He saw the Inner Circle's face at the big revelation he had just told them.

Rhys broke the silence "Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you."

Helion met his gaze. "I couldn't risk it. Y/N is my number one priority, and she'll always be, so I did everything I had to do in order to keep her safe. I have no regrets."

Feyre interlaced her fingers with Rhysand's and asked the High Lord, "Does she know?"

"Only that she's my daughter. She doesn't know about Elowyn or Eris or the rest of her brothers." Helion answered.

"She never mentioned anything," Mor replied.

"I told her not to. Y/N knows that she's my weakness and that if my enemies knew about her connection to me, they would use it as leverage. So I made sure no one outside of Day knew it, except Eris and Elowyn, not even her other brothers knew it." Helion explained.

"So how did Beron find out?" It was Azriel's turn to say.

"I don't-" Helion began, but before he could continue, the Autumn Heir winnowed to their side.

As soon as Eris' eyes met Helion's, he marched towards him.

The Heir was angry, and he didn't spare a glance at the Inner Circle. 

With a firm voice, Eris demanded, "Where is she? Where is my sister?!"

A/n: Thank you for reading!

Taglist: @emryb @fantasyandshit @azrielover @shadowsingercassia @brieflyclassymortal @lilah-asteria @lure-of-writing @pruvii @olive-main @mybestfriendmademe

the beautiful dividers belong to @cafekitsune

[loveandmurders]

Hey I love your writing I know your busy at the moment but do you think you could do something like Missing piece but with Sinclair Daughter!reader where reader got taken by csp or something and they come back with their adopted family.

Hello love! Thank you so much for this request <3 I had so much fun writing for this that I did a little series in which you are Bo's daughter and you got taken away by your mother and then by social care.

I really hope that you'll enjoy it! <3

THE SUN OF AMBROSE (Part I)

Warnings: ANGST and more ANGST, no proof reading, mute!reader, mentions of suicide, death and violence, quick mentions of domestic violence, difficult childhood, sadness, despair and anger

“Are you alright, hon? What are you thinking about?” your adoptive mother asked you.

You were sitting on the porch, looking into the distance. She sat next to you as you shrugged.

“Are you not cold?” she asked you again and you shook your head. She kissed the top of your head before getting up.

“Don’t stay here for too long, ok? You need to get some rest too” she hummed and you nodded. You waited for her to come back inside before laying down on the ground, looking at the sky. 

You were silent now, almost completely mute.

You hadn’t always been like that though. When you were a young child, you were chatting around all the time. You were babbling to Lester about the nicest insects you saw or about what art project you started with Vincent. You were also happily asking questions to your dad about absolutely anything because you were certain that Bo had to know everything. You were telling all your little secrets to Vincent because you trusted him with them and your feelings. You were laughing around with your mother as she was cracking jokes for you. You were happy, you were solar. You were “the sun of Ambrose” as your uncles and father would call you. 

The Sinclairs couldn’t imagine a day without you; your presence was making everything so much better. You were too young to realise what your family was doing with the tourists, but you knew it was bad because your parents didn't want you out of the house when people were coming in. And Vincent needed to authorise you into the basement before you could come down. Your father always told you he would explain everything to you when you were a big girl, and you accepted this answer because Bo never lied to you before. You were aware that everytime people were coming in, there were new sculptures in the House of Wax though. 

But you were happy and loved; and when you are a child, it really all that matters. You couldn’t wait to be a grown up so you could help your dad with his business, but other than that, everything was perfect for you.

Until it wasn’t anymore.

Things had changed so much. You didn’t live in Ambrose and you often wondered if the House of Wax was still doing good, if your family was still doing good. You wondered if they missed you like you missed them. A hole inside your chest was constantly making you feel sick, but you couldn't do anything about it. No one could do anything about it.

You missed the nickname of “the sun of Ambrose” quite a lot too. The little necklace around your neck, in the form of a sun, was there to give you some comfort.This jewel has been a gift from your parents when you were 7 years old. And you have never removed it since then. 

And you wouldn’t now because it was the only thing left from your previous life. You weren’t even called a Sinclair anymore. It was as if everything had been a dream and you woke up pretty roughly when you were 9.

You didn’t truly remember everything that happened. You just knew that everything was going alright, you were safe in your family’s arms, you were loved, you were happy. And the next morning, your mother was gently waking you up.

She told you she needed you to come with her, that she had planned a secret birthday gift for your father and you were part of it. Didn’t your father call you “the best thing life ever gifted him” after all?

However, you needed to stay quiet, so no one would notice you were both leaving the house, so early on this Sunday morning. You obeyed your mother, no matter how hard it was for you to stay fully quiet, but you didn’t want to ruin the surprise for Bo. You were softly giggling behind your hand, innocent of what was truly happening. You left the house with your mother. She settled you in her car and drove away. You were getting curious as you were going away from Ambrose. You used to leave Ambrose only to go to Lester’s place or to go look for road kills with your uncle, but you never went so far away. Your mother wasn’t answering your questions either. You started to get upset with her and you wanted to come back home. It wasn’t fun anymore. 

At some point, she stopped in front of a big building and asked you to stay there. You obeyed again because you used to trust the adults in your life, fidgeting with your fingers and the rime of your cute little dress. You saw your mother entering the building and you felt uneasy. You weren’t too sure what kind of gift it was, but you wanted to come home very quickly. You hoped your mother let at least know Vincent or Lester where you were. A little voice inside your head told you that they couldn’t know, otherwise you wouldn’t be there. But you left the house very easily, so they had to know, right? Or maybe Vincent and Bo were too exhausted from the hunt of the day before, and Lester wasn’t home, to notice you were gone with your mother.

You jumped when you heard a gunshot and screams coming from inside the building. You knew those sounds quite well, but it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like usual. You weren’t at home, you weren’t safe. You looked for your mother’s phone but you didn’t find it. You started to worry so you got out of the car and started to look around. You didn’t know what to do. Fear took possession of you when people you didn’t know ran to you. You were so terrified you didn’t fly away. You wouldn’t have been able to go far anyway, not under the burning sun, not with your cute little shoes and cute little dress. You silently prayed for your father to come get you soon.

You didn’t remember much of this moment, all happened in a quick blurr. You just remembered how terrifying it was that there were so many people checking on you and asking you questions. You told them you wanted your dad and your mom and you started to cry. No one listened to you and your dad never came to get you.

It was the last time you ever used your voice, after that, you grew mute. You cried even more when they took you away from the car and brought you inside the building. You were in an unfamiliar world, full of people who had no love for you. You were alone and powerless in the middle of adults who weren’t always nice to you. You were living your worst nightmare, without any hope to wake up anytime soon.

You spent days, weeks, months being asked questions about yourself, your family and where you came from. From those interrogations, you understood quite a few things:

No one knew anything about you, not even that you existed. You were like a ghost. Y/N Sinclair wasn’t registered anywhere. Actually, officially, there were no more Sinclair in the region. They disappeared like Ambrose disappeared from the maps. But why would the world need to know about you, when Ambrose was already your world?

Your mother went into the social care centre, told them she brought with her her child who was in danger, because your father was a killer. She told them the Sinclairs were abusive and violent people. Then she killed herself with a gun she stole from Bo. You didn’t know if it was true that the Sinclairs were abusive to her, because you never saw them hurting her. Maybe they hid this dark side of them from you because you were their heir. You didn’t believe your father was a killer though, how could he be when he loved you so much?

Your father always told you to keep Ambrose a secret, no matter what. He knew you would go to college or to university at some point - even if he wasn’t too happy with the idea - so he needed to make sure you wouldn’t say anything. It was the only promise you ever made to him, so when people started to ask you questions, you knew you had to stay silent or you would put your family in danger. And you didn’t want anything to happen to your father and uncles, otherwise how could they come get you and save you from this hell?

You had never cried so much in your life before, and now it was the only thing making people stop asking you questions. They did physical tests to make sure your mutism was psychological, which it was. They truly believed you were so shocked by what happened in your life, that you couldn’t talk anymore. However, the fact you already knew ASL - thanks to Vincent - made them wonder. The fact you refused to say anything about the Sinclairs too. You were a mystery no one seemed able to solve, a mystery that didn’t want to be solved actually.

You were relieved when you realised that even the police couldn’t find Ambrose, and hence your family. You didn’t understand when the police told you you had been sequestrated by your father. Yes, you used to be homeschooled, but you were happy. And no one ever hurt you before. And your father always told you that the rest of the world was a threat and dangerous for you. You believed him and now you could see how right he was.

You didn’t even cry for your mother’s death, because she betrayed you, your father and the family. And your father told you that family was everything and that you were everything to him. You were proud to be his daughter, his heir, his legacy. 

Now, you were nothing.

You didn’t know if the Sinclairs knew what happened. But after several months, you guessed they had no idea where you were or they would have already got you back home. You would never know how Bo reacted when he saw his daughter gone, how he broke everything in Ambrose out of pure pain, how Vincent grew even more merciless to tourists, how Lester never asked himself anymore if it was alright to kill people. Killers without their sun only grew even more destructive.

Bo never stopped bringing gifts for you in your bedroom; a bedroom he never touched since your departure. Everything was like you left it, because he was still hoping all of this was a nightmare. Or maybe he was dead and this was hell and his personal punishment. If only he was truly dead, he thought more than once.

At some point, people stopped asking you questions, but you stayed silent, as if something died inside of you, or at least stayed in Ambrose. Talking was betraying your family, and you couldn’t be a traitor like your mother.

Life has been happy and easy. Now things were different. 

You moved from place to place, from family to family. You were lucky enough to never be abused, but there was no joy and no laughter in your life anymore. Life was rough and children growing up around you, even rougher. The worst were the adults of course, because they thought they knew everything about you when they knew nothing. They thought you were a traumatised little girl, they thought you were a lost darling whose mother found social care before killing herself in front of everyone. They thought you were broken.

Two years later, you finally got adopted. 

Everyone said you were so lucky to get adopted away so quickly and that you should be grateful that a couple decided to take you with them. You weren’t sure you were happy about it or not. 

You couldn’t stop thinking about your real parents. 

You never stopped wondering why your mother did what she did. If she wanted to kill herself, she could have done it without bringing you down with her. She might have believed she was saving you from hell. But “hell” was your home, and the only place you wanted to be. Hell was soft to you.

You wondered if your father found a new wife and got a new baby. You knew how important it was for him and your uncle Vincent to have an “heir”. Now you were gone, so they needed to replace you. You couldn’t replace them.

What if they never looked for you and that was why you never saw them again? What if you weren’t that important to them? What if the police found them? What if they got killed because of some tourists?

Those questions were driving you crazy at night and there was nothing you could do about them.

Your adoptive family was good to you though. 

Not good like the Sinclairs used to be, of course, but they tried their best with you. They made sure you were doing good at school and that no one bullied you because of your past, or because you were mute. They learnt ASL for you. 

But they didn’t call you their sun and they didn’t talk about legacy. They didn’t praise you everyday, they didn’t have a limitless amount of patience with you, they didn’t allow you to be fully yourself.

They even forced you to stay calm. 

Sometimes, you could get angry, mad, or violent. Bo would have allowed you to get crazy so you would feel better. But in a normal world, you had to see a doctor and to take meds. But you didn’t want that, you didn’t want to believe you were simply so truly broken, you needed meds to be normal. You didn’t even want to be normal. And more than anything, you were tired of people talking about you in front of you without addressing you, you were tired of the other children whispering in your back, you were tired of people telling you what to do.

You were tired of being a prey when your father promised you you would be a huntress. You kept the anger for you and you let it burn you from the inside. You tried to play the role of the perfect and cute little angel so your parents would stop bringing you to the doctors and they would stop making sure you take your meds.

It worked. Of course, it worked, because you were a smart and dangerous girl. 

You were a Sinclair. And you would forever be one.

However, one day, the anger got too strong.

--

PART II

--

Taglist: @murder-hobo - @lacychick ; @magical-sass ; @limehaspassed ; @loveinglymessedup ; @bloodmoon-bites ; @iwantsleepplz ; @kawaistrawberry21

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[optimist-pine]

Granny

Summary: You and Daryl have a secret confusing love language of insults

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1,236

Era: Seasons 1-5(ish), The quarry - Alexandria

It had started shortly after your first encounter with Mr. Dixon. Simply a passing (slightly pointed) comment - nothing more - as some of you gathered around the fire that night.

Dale stands near the flames, removing a whistling pot from the heat. "Anybody want a cup of tea? Kettle's hot."

"Why dun'cha ask granny over there?" Daryl suggests, nodding towards you with a snigger. Merle's not around tonight, and so it seems he's found a way to create a bit of entertainment.

Your head snaps up when you realize you're the butt of the joke, hands stilling as you set down your work. A crochet hook or knitting needles find their way into your hands as often as that damn crossbow ends up in his; usually when it's too late in the evening to be doing anything else. "You know what? I would love a cup of tea. Thank you, Dale." You reply, taking the steaming mug that's passed to you with a smile that melts into a pointed glare the second Daryl's eyes meet yours.

The corner of his mouth twitches mischievously. "Somebody get out tha' fancy china an' the biscuits an' we'll have ourselves a real tea party." He's prodding the coals with a stick, and in the darkness, the slope of his shoulders brings to mind the image of a caveman. The thought amuses you.

You nod your head, contemplating. "Hmm... I'd be down for that. In fact, I have a feeling we might even be in the presence of a tea party expert." You say knowingly. Sophia and Carol sit cuddled up to your right, and the little girl looks curiously up at you, cradling a well-loved teddy bear. You turn to the child, lowering your voice. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about tea parties, would you?"

She curls into herself a little, shyly. But at her mother's gentle urging, she nods her head, a tiny smile appearing on her face.

You clap your hands together. "It's settled then! Tomorrow we shall have a tea party." The last part is aimed at Daryl - you feel proud of yourself, but the confused look on his face makes you question why. It's like you've taken his accusation as a challenge to prove just how grandmotherly you can be, and funnily enough, he's probably right. You're actually looking forward to hanging out with Sophia tomorrow; she's a pretty cool kid.

Carol tuts softly. "After school." She adds.

"After school." You agree, shooting Sophia a conspiratorial wink.

Every time Daryl spots you working with your yarn he can't resist the urge to tease you about it. Maybe it's because you take every jest in good humor, or maybe it's because you always have a quick, witty comeback. He's never quite figured it out, but somehow it's become a staple of your interactions. Even though so much has changed, he's oddly glad that this hasn't.

One night, in the dead of winter, as the wind howls through gaps in the window frames you get an ornery glint in your eye. Daryl's already found your behavior suspicious, whatever current yarn project you've been committed to hasn't made a single appearance the entire evening. And the way you keep glancing at him almost nervously is... unsettling.

When he looks up again you're walking towards him, hands tucked behind your back, trying so hard to look casual that it doesn't take long before all eyes are on you. You stop in front of him and promptly shove a box in his face. No, not just a box. It's a present, wrapped perfectly in polka-dotted gift wrap with a glittery bow to top it all off.

He stares back at you, wondering what punchline he's missed.

You roll your eyes. "It's a gift, Daryl."

"Why?" He asks. He'd trust you with his life any day, but right now - with that box - he absolutely does not.

"Well, why don'tcha just open it and find out?" You taunt, shaking the present just a smidge.

He takes the box, feeling awkward and clumsy as he tears away the paper. Having never opened a present before - at least nothing like this that is - feelings of stupidity and excitement and pressure blend within him.

He dumps the object into his palm. It's cool and smooth to the touch; a black mug with white writing that says "World's Crankiest Grandpa".

You're trying so hard to withhold from laughing that your face is turning pink.

"Think ya could get yer money back on this one?" He asks, spinning the cup around to critique it.

You slap his arm lightly. "Ah, Dixon, you're no fun."

"She might'a hit the nail on the head there." Rick chuckles.

You sit back down, finally pulling out your yarn like all is now right in the world. "Ah, I found it a couple days ago. Couldn't resist. S'pecially not after the dream I had where you were yellin' at the walkers to 'git offa yer damn lawn'..." You shudder. "Took me a bit to get that one outta my head."

That earns quite a few laughs from the rest of the group. Once again, you've managed to lift the mood of those around you. It seems to be a habit of yours.

He turns the mug over and over again, running his thumb across the letters. He knows it's only a gag gift, but he's not blind to the effort that went into it. And it's not an exaggeration to say that this silly mug is by far the most thoughtful gift he's ever received.

He hangs onto that mug, using it proudly every day. Of course, it garners the occasional question from the new folks, but he doesn't mind. Soon enough he's got a matching handmade hat, scarf, and gloves as proof of your continuing love for the grandmotherly hobby.

When the prison falls he misses those gifts severely.

But then, Alexandria. The day he comes across you there on the porch in a creaky rocking chair, with your cup of steaming tea and a ball of yarn, the once-familiar urge to say something a little stupid and a lot annoying takes over.

He stoops down and leans in. "Where's yer glasses at, old lady?"

You wave your hand to shoo him away. "Ah, git yer muddy boots off'a my porch ya ol' geezer." You nag, the smile you're trying to hide peeking out like a sun ray from behind storm clouds. He holds his hands up in mock surrender, clomping down the steps. But it's not like he's trying to hide his own smile or anything... Not at all.

When he returns home that evening, there, sitting on the end of his bed, is a small box. It's perfectly wrapped in paper that's covered in birds and trees, encircled with a pristinely hand-tied bow. He can't deny the flutter of excitement as he plops down to unwrap it. It's like Deja Vu, the coffee mug tumbling into his palm. This time it's white with black lettering that reads "I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's my ankle".

With a snort he falls back onto the bed, letting old memories wash away the burdens of the day. However he can, whatever it takes, he'll hold onto the hope that you'll both end up old and gray and worn someday - together.

[anundyingfidelity]

I'M A RUIN — Soldier Boy/Ben (Part VIII)

Series summary: After the events of the Seven Tower, you present Grace Mallory a new secret project you're working on already to develop a cure to Compound V. The only problem? You need Soldier Boy for that.

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x female reader.

Word count: 5.1k.

Warnings for series: set after S3 (spoilers), some OOC!Ben, some depressed!Ben, angst, hurt/comfort, eventual smut, slow-burn, language, PTSD, reader has Compound V (she's no Vought supe tho), Soldier Boy being an usual asshole, reader is a fucking liar.

Warnings on this chapter: irresponsable parent, one suicide thought, nudity, implied bisexual reader, misoginist thoughts, Homelander (!!!!), SMUT, hate/rough sex, unprotected sex, fingering, multiple orgasms, hair pulling, dirty talking, some degrading, slight choking, bitchy reader.

Notes: i might wrote more than intended here lmao but the smut is here finally you sinners, give this reader a trophy for the strongest bitch ever to resist soldier boy, well deserved!! hope you like it lol, and thanks for reading as always!!

this fic tags: @k-slla @syrma-sensei @mostlymarvelgirl @cheynovak @drasticemotions @soldirboy @deans-spinster-witch @girlsforpjm @artemys-ackles

☕ if you like my writing, support me with a ko-fi !

get yourself in the taglist!

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII

GEN MASTERLIST! — SERIES MASTERLIST!

Part VIII: Tamed

2009

"Baby, how was your audition today?" your mother asked once you entered the kitchen.

Your suit was long gone along with the great smile you put on before leaving early that day. But she was different. She was all honey and candy, putting on the happiest face ever. And you knew it wasn't because of you.

"I'm not doing that shit," you spit harshly. This was your way of delivering the news now.

Her eyes widened as she closed the distance between both. You looked down to your feet, not wanting to see her disgusting face. You felt her hands on your shoulders and your body tensed under her touch.

"Why?! This is your dream, honey! You have to do it!"

You quickly pulled away from her.

"No! Mom, you did this to me!" your voice came out loud and shouting. "I just wanted to be normal! But you always influenced me to do this and go after Vought, I don't fucking want that! Those supes are fucking assholes and everything around them is a damn lie!"

She was startled, you could tell that from the way her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she placed her hand on top of her heart, pretending to be hurted. It was the first time you talked back to her like that.

Since you were a child, you did everything she asked you to. You never complained, never stood up for yourself. You didn't have a choice, nor an opinion that mattered. Your mother picked everything for you. Your clothes, your behavior, your food, your studies, your dreams... Today, you decided it was over. She was over controlling your life.

Your mother scoffed, a sly smile on her lips as she tried to touch your arm softly. Giving a step back, you shook your head saying 'no'. She sighed.

"Honey, this isn't you. And Vought, this is your dream. The Seven are your dream. Now, why don't you go back and-"

"I said no."

You cut off her stupid words with a straight voice. Her smile dropped in a second and you saw her eyes darkening.

"Y/N, this is not what your father wanted for you. We didn't raise you like this," she hissed through her teeth. 

"Don't talk about dad. You don't care about him, you never did. Fuck, you don't care about me!" you raised your voice, fighting the tears in your eyes and the knot on your throat.

You were so sick of being weak. She raised you to be like it. Soft, fragile, compassionate, cute, playing the dumb rich girl with no brain and forcing you to not show your intelligence to others... It was all a façade. It was easier for her to manipulate you if you pretended to be stupid. Since her pregnancy, all you were for her was a cashback. Your father already had an heir, and what could be better if that heir was also part of The Seven, the most powerful supes of the planet. Of course, Vought shares would be higher than ever and your mother would be even more disgustingly rich. And you would be giving everything away for free. It wasn't fair for your selfish mother to suck your life away like this. But in the end, she didn't care.

"I'm not staying here. I'm leaving," you continued, crossing your arms on your chest. "I want my part of dad's inheritance, and I'm gonna be a fucking doctor and show off my brain after decades of hiding it, I've had enough of you stopping me."

"No, no, baby, you can't do this to me–"

"If you don't, I'll sue you and expose you, Vought and Homelander on a fucking trial."

She scoffed. You could see the tears forming on her eyes, but you weren't sure if they were because of you leaving or because you were threatening her money.

"You won't do that. They'll kill you."

"I don't care, I already tried to kill myself. They'd be doing me a favor."

At your confession, her jaw clenched and she tightened her fists.

"Fucking brat. Someday, when you regret running away from me, don't come back. You're just a disappointment for me, ever since you were a stupid child. Everything you are is useless and worthless, and I regret ever putting you in my womb."

Your brows furrowed when she spilled those harsh words, and you fought the urge of hitting her until she passed out.

"Don't think I ever told you, but yeah, you weren't a natural conceive. Yeah, we used his sperm and everything. The point is- I didn't want fucking kids, but your dad, ugh god, he did. And I gave you to him. All I get to say is, I was better without you. Probably if I should've waited just a little, my child wouldn't be a fucking ungrateful piece of shit standing right here," she gave you a grin. A sick one, as her fingers ran through your hair like she used to when you were a little girl.

You wanted to knock her off and run. But you just stood there, biting the inside of your cheek and tasting your own blood as she finally revealed herself to you, her daughter. It was clear you meant nothing to her. And you just wished your dad would be alive. He wouldn't force you into that stupid audition anyway.

"I pity you," she mocked. "But if that's what you wanna do, then leave. And don't you dare to come back."

A loud knock on his door woke him up from a deep slumber. Ben rubbed his eyes, groaning at the stupid sound of your voice calling him from the other side over and over. This was becoming a fucking routine he was starting to hate.

"Fucking shit," he mumbled, removing the blankets off his bare body when the door finally opened and you walked inside, stopping by his side of the bed.

"C'mon, Soldier Boy, get your ass up. You didn't wash the dishes last night."

Ben rolled on the bed and looked at the clock in the nightstand. He grunted. "It's fucking 6 A.M."

"Yes, and I have shit to do before I leave grocery shopping," you said, looking around his room. There were clothes everywhere you knew needed a good wash, an open bag with weed on top of the desk, joints and cigarettes, and a bunch of toilet paper littered on the floor you didn't want to know about. "One of them is watching you to make sure you clean the cave you live in."

Ben groaned, cursing under his breath, but stood up from the mattress with a wide grin. He noticed you always did your best to keep your eyes upon his face. Even if it wasn't the first time you had to see him like this, he enjoyed the way your body and face reacted to his naked form. So he got used to sleeping with no clothes on, knowing you'd always come to get him for breakfast. He could get used to it. Except for the part where he had to clean shit. That's why you were there. It was your fucking task to clean everything. Women's duties. But he had to endure the fucking times.

He got to complain to you every single day, every morning, and it was becoming already part of his routine too. But you somehow forced him to clean shit up and then he had to wait for his food, for his weed, lube and more clothes and shit you brought every time you were out. At some point, he thought he could be used to you feeding him up, but he still had a mission and it didn't matter how many times he had been sneaking into every room in your place, checking inside your office, how many times he had been searching through your bedroom on the drawers and smelling your lingerie, he still found nothing. He was pretty sure there was something else he wasn't really seeing yet. And Homelander on the TV along with those fuckers Victoria and Dakota Bob wasn't making his personal mission any easier, nor having no clue of where this kid Ryan was.

"Put some pants on," you said, interrupting his daydream.

"Whatever," Ben rolled his eyes and walked past you, taking a pair of pants from the carpeted floor.

"God, you're so fucking stoned," you mumbled watching as he dressed himself. "Get this mess cleaned after the dishes, I don't want to greet this shithole every morning."

"And what's in it for me, doll?" he asked, passing by your side and getting inside the bathroom.

He never bothered to shut the door closed while taking a piss, and this was, also, something you got used to seeing and hearing. When he finished, he came back with a smirk, stopping his tracks right in front of you.

"Nothing. There's nothing for you, stop acting like a dog begging for a bone."

"Yeah, well I'd like your pretty bones better.”

He gave you a wink and walked out the bedroom. God, he was so damn annoying. You followed him quickly and climbed down the stairs just to make sure he would start washing the dirty dishes from the last dinner you had.

“Make sure to scrub them correctly,” you said as you looked at how he turned on the sink.

Ben grunted in frustration, looking at you from the corner of his eye. It was always the fucking same with you, giving him directions he already knew the whole time.

“Fuck, woman, you’re so fucking annoying. I’m no damn pussy, I can do this without your ass here.”

The way he answered made you grin, getting closer to him until your arm was pressed against his own. “Yeah, I know you’re not stupid. I’m just making sure I’m taming you well.”

Ben’s eyes widened a little, clearly surprised by your boldness but not too much. Because the one who should be taming who, was him towards you. His macho self wouldn’t let a woman treat him like that. It didn’t matter he was hitting on you since the moment he met you in the facility, like doctor and patient. Ben was pretty sure that, besides his own personal payback, you would fall for him eventually. And once you do, because he was pretty sure it’d happen sooner or later, he would give you the best fuck ever. He turned his gaze to you as you looked at him with innocent eyes.

“I’d shut my mouth if I were you, sweetheart,” Ben warned in a low voice, taking in your figure standing so close to him that your warmth could be felt all along his body. “I don’t wanna screw you yet.”

“I take that as a challenge.”

The sun was almost setting down as you drove back home. It took you more than expected to complete the second shopping trip of the week and you were getting tired and spent. Sleep was becoming a privilege at this point. The past nights you had confined yourself to the lab down the bunker, and just now, you felt the cure was ready. Almost ready. The most important component was missing and you were still considering things you might regret later.

The low sound of the radio accompanied your thoughts as you traveled on the road, and the ways you’d like to tell Soldier Boy about all the mess you were getting into under Grace’s supervision, who had just called two fucking times in days. But part of you was afraid Ben wouldn’t understand the importance of a cure. He was a supe, and without his powers, he was fucking nothing. Just like Homelander. Even if he had made it clear that he hated his own son, you doubted to trust him and you felt the same hateful feeling towards you coming from him. At this point, you knew you were just putting up a stupid act.

And you started wondering if it should’ve been easier if you just let him between your legs and take what he wanted. He was a simple man; he saw a fuckable female, he wanted her. Surely you also knew when a man, woman, or anyone was attractive, but you just didn’t want that. You didn’t want him to feel like he won this battle. It was too fucking much, and you stopped sleeping around with strangers a couple of years back. The problem was, Ben wasn’t a stranger anymore, not to you.

Suddenly, a figure landed a few feet away from you on the highway. You hit the brake of your car as fast as your reflexes allowed you to, seeing red, blue and white. Once your car stopped completely, you met with the last person you’d ever wanted to see. Homelander smiled widely as you locked eyes with him through the windshield. He surrounded the car until he came by your side, standing outside your door. You turned on the flashing lights of the car and turned the engine off, it wasn't like you could escape anyway.

“Nice to see you around, doc,” he greeted.

“Why are you following me?”

“I told you before; I have eyes on you.”

You rolled your eyes, grabbing tightly the wheel between your hands. “I don't know what you want me to do.”

“Don’t be stupid. That cure won’t see the light, I’m making sure of that,” Homelander leaned on your open window and your head moved away slightly as he studied the insides of your car.  “You’re welcome by the way.”

“For what? For trying to kill me? For taking my father’s money for your stupid circus? For touching me?” you hissed.

He chuckled, straightening himself again. “For taking you out, silly.”

A long sigh escaped your lips. “So this is your plan in the end.”

“It always has been. I know every move you make, the stores you go each week, I even know where you’re living right now and how you work your ass off that stupid experiment of yours,” his words made you visibly tense and he noticed, like every little reaction coming from you. “How’s the old man doing by the way?” he asked, as if it was just another chat between friends.

“You make me sick.”

“Oh, no. I want you healthy,” Homelander placed a hand on your wrist. “Please eat well and rest enough. Don’t burn yourself out, honey, it's useless.”

You started shaking your head, confusion fogging your mind at the way he talked like he had something prepared for you. “You’re fucked, Homelander,” you whispered.

You were trying to convince yourself more than him, scared of what he would do to you, forcing you into this twisted mouse and cat game. He just smiled widely at your words, laughing under his breath.

“Once I have you under my mercy,” you continued, holding his gaze. “You’re gonna be fucking nothing. I promise you that.”

His hand wrapped around your neck and for a moment you thought he would kill you right there. “I can’t wait to see you try and fail miserably, I’ll enjoy that show. Might become my favorite.”

Homelander let go of his grip roughly, allowing you to breathe again.

“Fuck you,” you spat back.

He chuckled, straightening himself and walking away from your car, giving you a last glance. “Not yet, doctor. Not yet.”

Once back in the spot where he landed, he flew away and you were left alone on the road. No cars, nor people walking could be seen, but it was better that way. Forcing your hands to stop shaking, you turned the engine on again and started to drive back home. Taking your phone out, you made a call, waiting for the other line to answer. You had to act fast and track that motherfucker down, not caring if you were already regretting what you’d do next.

“So, what’s your story?”

His question surprised you more than you could tell. After dinner nights like this were becoming a really weird habit of him talking shit about this stupid century, how things were better back then and how people got dumber with time. But you never thought Soldier Boy would insist on your past, not since the first night you ate together at the same table. You finished your glass of whisky, not sure if answering his question or not.

You shrugged. “I’m not that interesting.”

Ben drank his own liquor down before asking again. “Let me rephrase that: why do you hate Vought so much?”

“Who says I hate them?”

He studied your face for a moment. The look in your eyes told nothing, but your heart rate and your breathing was always enough for him to know you were fucking lying about it. Ben had started to think of many other things you were hiding from him. But even with all that stupid mask covering you, he wanted to have you. Countless times he tried, he wasn’t going anywhere now. Nobody could resist him, you were just another game to play and he was kind of enjoying it.

“All of you. You scream inside that you want to fuck them up,” he answered. “Believe me, I want nothing more than that.”

“Didn’t you have your own payback some months ago?”

“Yes, but you already know that from my file. I’m asking about you now.”

His intense green eyes and the grit on his words caused you to think exactly what to say. You couldn’t hide it anymore, not everything at least.

“My mom. Vought experimented on her when she was pregnant, that’s why I have powers,” you said, dry and straight to the point.

“How?”

You breathed out, closing your eyes for a moment, not believing he would force you to remember the memories you had been fighting to erase.

“She was paid a huge amount of money. And she hoped her daughter would join Vought someday; she was so wrong about that,” you gave a bittersweet chuckle. “On my eighth birthday, I finally discovered my powers. There was this huge party and a lot of my parent’s rich friends and their kids, whom I didn’t know because I had no friends, were there. And then, I just remember I got overwhelmed by all these people and the attention. I always hated that. And then, my mother couldn’t find me when it was cake time. I was in my room but she couldn’t see me there. Turned out I was invisible… It was the first and the only time I could make my clothes and my shoes disappear with me.”

Ben listened attentively, much to your surprise, as he spoke once again, locking his eyes with yours. “So your powers come from your inner wish of disappearing from your mother’s sight.”

You hummed and nodded your head. “I think that’s a great way of putting it, but yes.”

“Well, I'll take it back. They fucked your life too, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, and they’re still after you anyway.”

He scoffed. “Those fucking cocksuckers. Also, where the fuck is Grace anyway? All the CIA bullshit?” he asked, quickly changing the topic abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he demanded an answer.

“No news from her apparently, nor any agents.”

“Bullshit, your last call with her was a couple of days ago and you said nothing.”

“Why are you so invested in her? You like her?” you mocked, noticing how his resemblance switched from calm to visibly annoyed. There was no fucking way you’d tell him where she was right now.

“Y’know what I’d like? A fucking reasonable answer from you, that’d be perfect,” he snarled, and you knew he was back being stubborn and childish asking the same fucking shit all the time.

“I don’t know, but when I do I’ll tell you,” you responded after remaining silent under his angry stare.

“You’ve been saying the same shit over and over—”

“Okay, so tell me what you want. You want Homelander. Good, and then what?”

He held your stare, you noticed he was trying to keep himself down. “The kid.”

“Ryan?”

“Yes, the fucking brat.”

His hard eyes were not lying and you argued back on it.

“You can’t do that, there has to be another way.”

“Fucking tell me where it is. ‘Cause I see nothing!” he shouted, his voice booming all over the room. “That fucking pussy and his fucking team, they all had him right there. And in a second, Butcher just backed up! I could’ve done it already and we wouldn’t be here, playing dollhouse.”

Spilling the truth was no option right now. He was stupidly pissed right now. But you knew it was cruel to hunt a kid down just because his father had put him into the spotlight thanks to his powers. Ben, on the other hand, was blinded by his hatred towards Homelander, and you knew he was a man of his word. He was more than able to kill Homelander and the boy for a deal, one that was broken because of a weak moment coming from Butcher. Even for your morally gray head, killing Ryan was not an option. At least not now. You hated Homelander, but you probably understood Butcher more than you’d like to admit. Soon, you would think about a plan; where to put the kid after injecting the anti V.

“Let me give you a lead when I can,” you said.

“Tell me why should I trust you.”

“It’s your choice, honestly. Probably you shouldn’t, but I may give you something sooner or later.”

Without waiting for his response, you took the empty dishes to the sink, and Ben followed you with his eyes, taking in the softness of your exposed skin through the short summer dress. He liked the way the fabric hugged your curves and how it fell over your legs, inviting him to have a taste. Ben noticed you putting on shorts and dresses more often the last few days, and he was thankful for the hot weather to be able to see you like this. The past nights, he had jerked off with you in mind, wondering when he’d be the man to put you in place. Perhaps he just needed to try again.

He got on his feet as you talked, but none of the things coming out of your mouth were important as he put his weight behind your body, his hands roaming over your arms before you got to start washing the dirty plates.

“Do you not get tired of trying?” you breathed out.

You felt his rough hands caressing your arms, before moving down your waist, pressing your ass against the bulge growing on his pants. He smiled to himself once he heard the loud gasp coming from your mouth.

“Just tell me you haven’t thought about it,” he whispered, placing his lips down your neck, nipping softly at your sensitive skin, as he massaged your flesh, going to the curve of your ass.

“And when you get this, what?” you asked, turning around to meet his dark eyes. He was practically devouring you with his stare. You’d be lying if you didn’t find him hot, looking at you like that, as if you were the last and only meal that could end his greedy hunger.

He smiled, and whispered cockily against your lips. “You can always ask me for a second round.”

Fuck it.

You captured his lips in an impatient kiss, nibbling at his bottom lip with urgency as you tasted the whisky from his mouth, your breaths mixing and panting as he lifted you up without further effort. Ben walked towards the countertop in the middle of your kitchen, placing you on the surface as he spread your legs. You welcomed him closer, feeling his hands traveling freely under the thin fabric of your dress, feeling the softness of your legs, your inner thighs, until he rubbed over your panties. You let out a moan against his mouth when his fingers found your folds and you held tightly against the corner of the countertop.

“You’re dripping, sweetheart,” he growled, breaking the kiss.

“It’s been a while, ohfuck!”

A shiver ran down your spine as he stretched your pussy with one thick finger, his lips trailed down your neck to your collarbone, sucking and nipping on your skin. Your walls fluttered as he pumped in and out, and your hips set a move on its own. He hissed against your skin as he worked you open and ready for his hard cock, growing excitedly in his pants. A second finger slipped in and you clenched.

Ben smirked and you felt the burning feeling of his beard as he kissed your shoulder. You wondered how he’d feel between your legs, bruising your inner thighs with his big hands and the burning of his facial hair. The frantic fucking from his fingers pushed you to the edge, moaning and panting for air as his thumb played with your clit. You gripped on his forearms, looking for something to hold on tight as you reached that sweet high.

“Fuck, you did so well,” he praised, pulling his fingers out of your pussy, leaving you empty. He brought his wet fingers to your lips and you complied, opening your mouth. You licked his fingers, locking your eyes with his. “Wonder what twirls your pretty mouth has for me,” Ben pushed his fingers further, making you gag for a bit. “I’ve been thinking of hundreds of ways of finally holding your tongue with my cock.”

His other hand wrapped your neck, as he forced you to suck his fingers harder, hitting your gag reflex over and over. He discovered he loved hearing your breathy sounds and the dirty look in your eyes while you sucked his digits. When he pulled out his fingers from your mouth, you took in a deep breath, but the grip on your neck grew tighter as he pressed his forehead against yours.

“You’ll have to go down on me first if you want my mouth,” you whispered against his lips.

Ben could hear your heart racing, and he was sure you got all dizzy and bothered just by his hand. “Oh, is that so?” he rasped.

You rolled your eyes, growing impatient. “Why don’t you shut up and fuck me hard?”

And there it was. They’d always beg for him in the end. He smiled down at you, loosening the grip around your throat. “With pleasure.”

His hands wasted no time in getting rid of your dress, discarding your panties and your bra ripping them in half. You moaned when his palms groped on your tits, playing with your nipples and squeezing them harshly. God, you were getting wet again just by the feeling of his mouth biting on your soft buds. Quickly, you reached for his pants, touching his hard cock over the fabric. Ben growled, feeling the softness of your palm stroking him gently. Good choice not wearing anything underneath. Your other hand tugged at his shirt until it was discarded over the floor, his pants following after.

He got you off the countertop so your feet were on the ground, and turned you swiftly, laying you down on your chest on the cold surface. He massaged the sides of your hips, running down his palms over your ass with a hiss.

“Now this is quite a view.”

You moaned as his fingers played with your entrance. “Fuck, Ben, just do it already.”

“Shit, doll, I love when you beg.”

He stroked his cock with your juices before aligning with your pussy, slowly sliding in your wet heat. He stretched you out inch by inch, and you became a whimpering mess. After a moment of staying still balls deep in your wet core, he snapped his hips against your ass, setting a brutal pace. Loud moans and screams escaped your throat. You couldn’t hold it back anymore. You knew your fingers stopped being enough each time you needed sweet release, and probably you would regret him fucking you later, but right now you didn’t care. His fingers inside your cunt, the way he would handle your body like a feather just for his disposition and to get off with, and now his cock filling you up was becoming too much. But you loved it.

Soldier Boy felt too good inside you, fucking your brains over and over. His hands bruising your hips, groping the flesh of your ass and breasts, as he pounded into you, everything was like heaven and you were sure you’d be spent once it was over. His dark, lusty eyes memorized every inch of your body and the way your pussy engulfed his dick with each thrust. The kitchen was filled with your whimpers and his animalistic growls, mixed with the sound of his skin hitting against your own. He hit on that sweet spot repeatedly, making your walls clench around his cock.

“Jesus, you’re coming pretty quickly today,” Ben teased under his breath, his fingers tangling in your hair pulling your back against his muscular chest. “Wait for me, doll,” he whispered in your ear, satisfied on how fucked out and desperate you were underneath.

“Do it fast, you asshole! Fuck!”

Your pussy fluttered and clenched on his cock as he hit your spot again. With a loud moan, you finally reached the climax you longed for so long, and took his deep, rough thrusts as he fucked you through bliss. His name escaped your throat countless times, coming down from your high. Ben growled, your orgasm and the spasms of your cunt triggered his own, and he finally released himself inside your tight pussy.

And how good it felt to finally have you there, begging and crying for his cock. It was so much better than his own imagination, and he took in great pleasure on fucking the brat out of you. He continued bucking his hips until his white seed started leaking down your thighs, and finally stopped. The only sound in the room being your tired breaths.

“Oh, shit,” you gasped, feeling his grip on your scalp softening.

He sucked on your neck one last time with a cocky grin on his lips. “I told you I’d be a great fuck, sweetheart.”

“I wish you could shut up for once,” you answered back, looking at him from your side, and feeling his cock softening inside you. “I might have my methods.”

He bucked his hips one more time. A whimper escaped past your lips as he pulled you back against his chest in a swift motion, his fingers traced your neckline. “So do I, doll.”

Next Part >>>

[nocasdatsgay]

Happiness is a Foreign Concept

Day 2: Legacy @erisweekofficial

Word Count: 1637 | Rating: T | Genre: Gen.

Characters: Eris, LOA, Male OC (Rowen), Elain, Lucien, Elain/Lucien’s children

Warnings: Contemplating the future, feelings of melancholy, talk of marriage and children | Read on AO3 | Masterlist 2024

Summary: Eris is feeling the pressures to marry and have an heir.

A/N: I fully admit I projected onto Eris in this. This fic about the struggle of uncertainty and the pressure to fit into expectations. Emotions are complex, and while a lot of people find peace quickly in choices they make, sometimes others don’t.

Gen Tag: @hieragalbatorixdottir @mybestfriendmademe @ninthcircleofprythian dividers by @tsunami-of-tears

The invitation laid in front of him on his desk unopened. Eris knew what it was at first glance. Elain’s famous loopy handwriting was on top, addressing the letter to him. Yet he couldn’t stomach the thought of opening it. It was no doubt another invitation to meet his new niece, Elain and Lucien’s third youngling but first girl. He should be happy for them. Instead he got up and poured himself a drink.

His whole life, all nearly seven hundred years of it, he told himself he was fine without a spouse, or a mate, or younglings. A spouse was a liability during his father’s reign. A mate was a death sentence. Younglings were out of the question. And his mother- he loved her dearly. But now with father gone and her newfound happiness in Day Court, she would not stop asking him if he had found someone. Or if, by luck, there was a babe on the way.

“I’m only asking because your brothers are so happy. I want that for you.”

He walked over to the window and nursed the glass of fire whiskey in his hand, shoving down his feelings. He was High Lord. He didn’t have time for romance. He was too busy fixing the wrongs of his father. His duty was to the court. And yet… He stared out into the jewel-toned leaves in the trees, his mind wandering. If his life had been different, if his father was kinder, would he have a spouse and younglings by now?

Melancholy settled in him and he shoved it down. He didn’t have time for ‘what ifs’. They only slowed him down though it didn’t help his mood. Later when he was sword fighting with Rowen, his mood had not changed. And it was showing. Rowen nicked his side, tearing his shirt. Eris stumbled and Rowen grabbed him by his arm.

“Are you ill or something? You never let me get that close to you,” his eyes dropped to the tear in Eris’s shirt.

“I’m fine.” He pulled his arm back. “Just having a hard time focusing.”

“Finally get yourself a lady friend?” Rowen grinned, his deep brown eyes looking his friend over and wiggling his brows.

“No,” Eris glared and he could feel the heat rise up in his body.

“Sorry,” Rowen threw his hands up. “I just haven’t seen you. Governors been talking and-“

“What did they say?” Eris held back his power enough to not command him, but his rage was increasing.

Rowen studied his friend again, frowning. “You’ve been High Lord now for a few decades. Things have settled. They talked like you were looking for a Lady.”

“Well I’m not.” Eris gripped his sword tightly.

“A Lord then?” Rowen asked softly.

Eris let out a growl. Eris had male and female lovers- a secret only Rowen knew as he was his look out for half of them. And while the governors would simply have to deal with it if he chose a male as his partner- it wasn’t the point.

“I’m not looking for anyone. Next time you hear talk, you tell me who it is and I will deal with them accordingly.” Rowen nodded, still eyeing him cautiously. Eris ignored the twist in his gut and put himself into a stance. “Let’s go again.”

A week later his mother came to the Forest house under the guise of spending tea time together. He should have known she only came to pester him. The moment she sat down she began to babble about Elain and Lucien’s newest youngling.

“Azalea is starting to crawl. Oh Eris, she’s so precious. First girl in a millenia. She reminds me of you when you were little. Curious about everything.” She looked off to the window, a whimsy glaze to her eyes. “The boys adore her. You should really come and-“

“I do not have time, mother.” Eris said sternly.

She was silent for a moment. “Surely High Lord duties are not so strenuous now. Unless you have other reasons-“

“Enough!” His mother froze and guilt washed over him. He sighed. “Mother. Please do not start with me.”

She finally exhaled heavily. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy, mother.” Eris retorted, not looking at her.

“Are you?”

He truly didn’t know. Happiness was a foreign concept to someone who lived and breathed torment for centuries.

“I am.” A slight lie. “If this is about me not going to see Azalea, I will make plans this afternoon.”

He finally looked his mother in the eyes again. She knew he wasn’t being fully truthful, he could see it in the way she stared right through him.

“You should stay for dinner.” He added. “Piran is coming. Asher, Rowen, Claudia, and Celeste will also be there.”

His mother smiled. “I would enjoy that.”

Visiting the Day Court was always a tumultuous affair. Helion still gave him a weary look when he was present, despite having warmed up to him more over the decades. Thankfully it was his brother who greeted him, clad in his Day Court attire.

“I’ll never get used to seeing you in this.” Eris wrinkled his nose, looking his brother over. Day Court was always too simple for his tastes.

“Says the male buttoned up to his neck in this heat,” Lucien shot back. “Come meet the babe before I change my mind and send you home.”

On the way to their chambers, Lucien lamented that once Azalea was old enough, they would go back to the border of Spring and the Human Lands. Eris wrinkled his nose again but kept his mouth shut. He knew they stayed in Day so Elain could be close to her sisters and Lucien, to mother. He never understood their love of living so close to a land with no magic.

Eris’s expression softened once they entered the sitting area where Elain was holding up her new babe in her lap. She was already old enough to sit up without much help. Eris ignored the twinge of regret for waiting so long.

“Elain, beautiful as ever.” He walked up to her. “Motherhood has been much kinder to you than fatherhood has my brother.”

“Good to see you Eris,” Elain laughed and Eris could hear his brother grumbling behind him.

“You must be Azalea. Hello, sweet girl,” he crouched so he was eye level with the babe sitting in her mothers lap.

She was beautiful. Unlike her brothers, she inherited the Autumn red hair from Lucien. Her eyes were like her mother’s, wide and the color of a fawn. She was adorable in her little white floral dress. She grinned at him and when he smiled back, she waved her arms about.

“I think she likes you,” Elain said, watching her daughter.

“All babies love me. May I?” He stood and held out his hands questionably.

Elain didn’t hesitate to hand off Azalea. Eris ignored the ache in his heart as he took her, that momentary thought of how he didn’t have one of these to hold and cherish. He instead proceeded to coo at her and make her giggle. When the door opened, she squealed. He looked over to see two younglings rushing to him.

“Uncle Eris!” The two boys yelled in unison.

Eris braced himself and let them both run into him for a hug.

“Boys. My goodness you’ve gotten taller.”

The eldest, Andre, was at his waist before and now came up to his elbows. The middle boy, Apollo, was now up to his waist. He noted the boys' hair was lighter, more akin to the golden brown of their mothers than the darker locks they were born with originally.

“We want to show you the puzzles Aunt Nesta gave us.”

“I’ve got her,” Elain appeared behind him, taking the babe. She leaned in and whispered, “the boys have been looking forward to seeing you.”

He nodded. “Show me the way.”

With yells they dragged him out of the sitting room and into their rooms. Eris spent the rest of the afternoon putting together puzzles, play fighting, and Eris purposely letting Lucien win while fencing. Lucien finally took the boys to wash up and Eris was left to sit with Elain and Azalea in peace for a moment.

“She is beautiful, Elain.” He held Azalea in his lap, cooing at her and making her giggle. “She’s so happy.”

”She is a lot calmer than the boys were at that age. I fear once she starts crawling and walking, she will catch up to them.” Eris’s face must have faltered. “You seem troubled.”

Eris sighed heavily, gently adjusting the babe in his lap. “Mother is pestering me to marry and have younglings. Which is nothing new, but now the governors are talking. It’s just tiresome.”

Talking with Elain was always easy. He used to hate how loose his lips were around her but now it was a blessing. He didn’t have to mince words. She nodded.

“Is that what you want?”

”I don’t know.” He replied truthfully.

She hummed. “You can always take the boys if you get bored. I’m certain Azalea will also want to spend time with her uncle Eris when she’s older.”

“Thank you.”

The door opened and Apollo appeared around it. “Mama, papa said dinner is ready.”

“Tell him we are on our way.” Elain smiled and he disappeared back into the hall. She turned and took Azalea from Eris. “Happiness comes in all forms, Eris. Never feel like you have to fit into a mold.”

Eris laughed, a sour twinge in his tone. “My whole existence is nothing but fitting into a mold.”

“Then maybe,” She whispered as she stood. “You should break it and make your own.”

Eris gave her a soft smile. Maybe he should.

[ventismacchiato]

38 just playing the part — making it big !

scaramouche x g!n reader

ACT FOUR

⇢ ˗ˏˋ time skip of four years ࿐ྂ

˗ˏˋ headcanons ´ˎ˗

✰ you and scara graduated two years ago at the top of your university, as expected, and have been in the industry for two years since then; age 23

✰ you’ve been dating for almost five years, since your sophomore year in college, and it’s been just as sweet as the first day you kissed him

✰ the deal was that scaramouche needed to land a major role in his first year or else he’d be forced to go to business school by his mother. miss lisa hooked you both up with jean, a well known manager, and you both snuck into the industry easily

✰ it started off with you two playing side characters in different shows and wasn’t until you both landed a movie together as both MCs that everyone’s eyes landed on you

✰ fans fell in love with your chemistry on screen and good looks to match, shipping your characters and even you two off set

✰ you send him tiktok edits of himself all the time like he’s so hot you can’t help it and fans always expose him when they catch him liking edits of you as well

✰ jean had advised you to keep your relationship a secret in the beginning just as precaution. when you both got nominated for best upcoming actors was when you kissed on stage and broke the internet and soft launched it. you guys started working more shows and movies together because directors loved that your chemistry was genuine

✰ scara preferred to do horror related projects, he had a liking for all the gore and excitement. (ex: all of us are dead, sweet home, scream) but he got cast in a lot of romance after going public with your relationship since you both became the youngest it couple…he doesn’t mind since it’s with you but put the man in some horror pls!

✰ ei never attended any premieres or events until two years later when her company’s clothes were featured in a movie premiere and she and scara reconciled but its still a bit awkward

✰ she did meet you though and offered you a model contract, scara had to drag you away from her

✰ miss lisa attends every single premiere you guys have and you both always send her vip tickets, she’s so so proud of you two

✰ you guys did move in together but are rarely home since you always have to travel for work

✰ you guys are engaged!! 💍

✰ you both got your friends to help with the proposal and when they found out you guys planned it on the same day they let you guys both propose to eachother. he pulled out the ring first which caused you to laugh and pull out yours

✰ working as an actor means you both travel a lot, so there’s not much time to plan a wedding. you guys are waiting to land a role in a nice scenic country you both like where your friends can fly in to have a small wedding 🤞

˗ˏˋ headcanons ´ˎ˗

✰ xiaoaether were the first couple to get married, they tied knot the moment they were out of college. you were part of aether’s groom party and scara was a part of xiao’s

✰ aether used his degree for a year, traveling and doing cartography work and posted travel vlogs with his sister to keep his friends updated and for xiao while they were apart. an agency reached out and scouted him to be a model so he eventually quit his former job to become one

✰ xiao completed his comp sci degree but enjoys being a dancer more, used his minor to become a backup dancer for idols and eventually gets promoted to becoming a choreographer. started off as venti’s backup dancer

✰ xiao goes viral every other week as that one sexy backup dancer

✰ xiao makes more than enough being an idol choreographer so aether could be a house husband if he really wanted but he likes to work as a model since it lets him travel

✰ they have two cats, a black and white one cus pets are better than kids 🪦

˗ˏˋ headcanons ´ˎ˗

✰ heizou opened a detective agency out of graduation and became top detective in the country

✰ kazuha submitted a song he produced and wrote with venti with his application and now works at Windblume with him

✰ writes half his lyrics about his love for heizou like he’s that type of bf

✰ kazuha hasn’t proposed yet because of his and heizou’s insane work schedules and he’s trying to perfect the way he’s going to do it. it’s hard to plan a secret proposal when your boyfriend is a renowned detective !!

✰ it’s the reason every surprise party kazuha has tried to throw fails miserably, heizou always finds out…

✰ kazuha has a following cus he’s sexy and everyone goes crazy over how sweet he is to heizou. he isn’t an idol but people still go crazy for him.

✰ sometimes he does livestreams and heizou will pop up and kazuha will go full heart eyes

✰ ‘kazuha being down bad for ten minutes’ compilations

✰ heizou sends edits of kazuha that fans make to kazu every morning and comments the most unhinged things on all of them he just like me fr

˗ˏˋ headcanons ´ˎ˗

✰ as promised, childe takes over the family company as ceo. his father was a more strict ceo so the employees were happy to work for someone so cheerful

✰ childe and kaeya both wanted a grand wedding and that’s exactly what they did, hosting it a few months after xiaoae’s wedding

✰ kaeya beat childe to proposing though

✰ kaeya doesn’t have to work a day in his life if he honestly doesn’t want to due to how much childe makes and that’s exactly what he does

✰ childe sponsors half the movies you and scara act in because he can and loves to see scara happy and the director always has him in a shot, usually someone doing a handstand in the background but childe loves it

✰ childe went viral after being on the top ten hottest ceo lists and after people found out he was besties with scaramouche

✰ scara does shout him out in a speech during an award show, thanking him for pushing him out of his comfort zone and childe starts bawling; it becomes a meme

˗ˏˋ headcanons ´ˎ˗

✰ albedo came out as venti’s partner on accident after he was spotted in a livestream and venti forgot to turn the camera off before he kissed albedo

✰ the fans went crazy cus albedo is sexy and now they have someone else to thirst over too

✰ albedo goes on to become a biochemist like he planned but he also paints all of venti’s album art in his free time. secretly owns a fan account to post venti fanart

✰ albedo asexual cus that’s hot

✰ yes that’s him and venti in the header me n who

✰ venti is his muse and he’s venti’s muse

✰ venti gets scouted and becomes a popular soloist idol and has the busiest work schedule along with you and scara

✰ xiao choreographs most of his stages and is one of his frequent backup dancers, he drives xiao insane most of the time

✰ has the best music fr and goes viral every other day, drinks on lives and always had a new dating rumor going on before ppl found out about albedo; his pr team is in shambles

✰ does soundtracks for most of the movies and shows you and scara are in and everyone loves how you guys are actually friends aside from working with each other #goals

✰ also not married, mainly because venti is way too busy so they’re probably the last couple in the group to tie the knot

˗ˏˋ headcanons ´ˎ˗

✰ lumine gets scouted by the same company as aether because they both had the same major and did vlogs together

✰ tries to host get togethers for the gang at least once a month and they usually manage to succeed

✰ got married a week after xiaoae, they were best friends to lovers fr like everyone knew it would eventually happen and yes everyone had a bet

✰ hu tao becomes an autopsy technician like she studied for and opens a clinic

✰ we love a women in stem #steminist

✰ lumine has to live with the taxidermy hu tao insists on purchasing as decor for their home …

✰ the only couple that actually doesn’t have to do long distance as frequently because lumine refuses to travel so she can stay with hu tao

✰ wlw goals fr

just playing the part !

masterlist — prev | next

synopsis: you and scaramouche are both drama majors and have been at each other’s throats vying for the same lead roles since high school. but when you’re both cast as each other’s love interest in your second year you’re forced to be civil with your academic rival and see him in a new light. are his feelings for you true or is he just playing the part?

author’s notes: hope you guys liked it this is my brainrot for everyone in the future and i had a final today while i was sick it was HELL COLLEGE IS A SCAM

taglist—CLOSED: @monochromaticelliot @kaedear @stxrgxzxr @shirmxie @elakari @lacy-lady @linn-a-a @one-offmind @kithewanderingme @quepasoash @leathernourishingshoepolish @mangobee @lxry-chxn @dameofthorns @kunihaver @kythe1a @elysiasbae @hikaru-exe @tokkishouse @raiihoshii @cherrybeomgyu @kunikuzushiit @thenightsflower @lilneps @goodthingimsam @lovelyiez @euhla @beriiov @abvolat @kittycasie @b0bafl0wer @bubblyclouds @atlatcaheart @artssleepy @baelloraa @tartagli-yuh @satowaluverr @hangesextra @scaranaris-lil-niko @caffinatedcoma @wheneverthesunrise @hajimeseyo @itsyourgirlria @hyunrei @redactedhimbo @caliginous-skies @vinskyspuff @miissfortune @criminalinthemaking @scaramouches-girlfriend @scrmgf [1/3]

[le-92vi]

It's You and Me (Part 2)

Suguru Geto x Reader

Genres/Warnings: hs!suguru, biker!suguru, fem!reader, academic weapon!reader, mostly fluff and banter, v little angst.

Word Count: 3.3k

When your highschool crush moves across the street from you, there's not much option other than befriending him. Especially, when he's the one suggesting it.

Notes: It's me! I'm back, hello.

(Part 1)

----

You had to admit that being around Suguru was easy.

He just had this way of making people around him so comfortable, so heard. And him being a year senior to you came as an additional perk.

He'd help you with your projects and assignments whenever he had the time to spare. His well-polished reputation among teachers at school gave you a free pass to many things you couldn't get, even as the top student of your grade.

He'd introduced you and Maki to his other cool, senior friends, often sitting with you during lunch. Let you know about upcoming events and competitions, grabbing you all the extra credits for the perfect final grade.

Your high school life was passing by like a breeze.

And, if he insisted on helping you to make it easier, who were you to say no?

In turn, you'd treat him with your mom's delicious food all the time. It was a win-win situation for both of you.

Your families--especially your mothers--had grown closer too, they were practically always hanging together, save for the time they went to work. It was like your mom was back in her teenage years with her best friend. And oddly enough, you'd always be reminded of Maki when you saw them.

Everything had progressed into the present so, so naturally, it was almost scary. It had always been an object of your fascination how humans formed bonds with each other so easily and then lived to protect them forever.

"Wait," You placed your fork down in disbelief, "So, you went to school together?"

"We did!" Suguru's mom chuckled at your astonished face. She and Suguru were over for the afternoon, just a small lunch get-together, planned out by your lovely mom. "Sadly, I had to move away after for my final year. My parents wouldn't hear a no."

"That's crazy." You were unsure of how to process the piece of information you were presented. You turned to look at Suguru, who was nonchalantly still indulging in his food. "You knew?"

He looked up from his plate, cocking an eyebrow, "I just assumed they knew each other from somewhere, not that they were already friends. I would've never guessed that one!"

"Right? I mean, what are the chances of moving across your best friend from high school?" You mused.

"Well, It was hardly a coincidence," Your mom chimed in, amused by your antics. "We did keep in touch after she moved away, honey. How old do you think we are? We had emails."

"Yeah, and we had been planning to move back here, sooner or later." Mrs. Geto spoke. "Suguru's eventually leaving for college, so we thought a little change wouldn't hurt."

"And by little, she means 30 more minutes of commute to school every day," Suguru contorted his face playfully at his mother, earning a slap on the shoulder.

"We did ask for your opinion, mister!" She defended herself.

And, so the lunchtime chit-chat continued. But your mind stayed hung up on that one sentence.

Suguru is eventually leaving for college.

He won't forever be your next-door neighbor who helps you with homework and brings you to get takeout with his friends. He won't be at your house for these little luncheons soon enough. And, he won't be around to hang out with you forever, soon enough.

Of course, he would visit when he had time and you could talk on the phone, but you knew things wouldn't be the same once he left for college. He'd have a completely new life there. Would he even want you to be a part of it? Would he call? Would he have any time to think of you, or his friends?

Would you ever see him again, after he moves for college?

As his (secret) admirer, it was a painful realization, but more so as his friend.

A mere, off-handed comment hit you like an arrow, straight to the heart. You didn't even realize how much a single sentence could affect you, until Suguru shook you by the shoulder, jolting you awake from your daydream, "Where are you?" He looked at you with a slightly confused expression, wondering what you were so lost in thought about. "You said the other day you wanted help with your physics assignment?"

You were--evidently-- not used to dealing with a situation like this.

When you realized Suguru was your next-door neighbor, you were repulsed by the idea of it, the first thing. You liked him. Maybe it was even enough to call it a crush but, feelings are scary, man! Constantly seeing him around would only accelerate your feelings for him.

You didn't want that. You couldn't be distracted. You wouldn't let him distract you. And, certainly, you wouldn't become one for him, either.

"I think I told Maki I'd call her." you brushed off his question.

***

"Yes, but now I don't Iike him like that anymore…" you were plopped on your bed, on a call with your one and only.

Suguru had left earlier to meet up with his friends. You'd pass on the offer, saying you had homework to complete, which was partially true.

You turned around to lay on your stomach, head resting against your free hand, ranting like she was your therapist, "I just don't understand why I'm acting this way, Maki"

"Didn't you just say, you don't like him like that? I don't see the problem?" She spoke calmly. She always did.

Even if you cried to her about the most random stuff, she'd always listen to you and never judge you for it. Well maybe, she did judge you a little but that's just what friends are for. "Have you considered the possibility that you're still not completely over him and want him to be around longer?"

You hummed in response, repeating after her. "Umm, I'm not sure where you are trying to go with this, but it's not that."

"I think you're just confused. You used to like him, but now that you actually know him he's not your type, so you're just confused." She finished, emphasizing the last part.

"You sound experienced." You chuckled, trying to get a rise out of her.

And, just as if she could see right through you. She cleared her throat, "We are not doing this again," putting on her sternest voice.

***

"Did you miss the bus?" Suguru inquired as he straddled his bike across the street.

"Looks like it," Your hands shot up with dejection.

What could you do?

Both your parents were off to their offices right before you rushed off to school, yourself. "I swear I was out on time."

"I can't believe I get to witness a sight like this, Ms. Perfect missing her bus to school." Suguru snickered as he got off his bike to walk back inside his garage.

He's been hanging out with Maki too much.

You were already crossing over to his house when he emerged from the garage with a skating helmet. "That won't protect my head from a truck," you chuckle.

"Might protect the truck, who knows?" He shrugged. "Who knew there'd come a time that you'd need a ride? I would've been prepared."

He placed the helmet on your head and buckled it securely before revving up the bike's engine, "Hop on," He patted the seat.

With a sigh you climbed his bike, sitting behind him. Your hands gripped a part of the seat behind you to find some sort of balance.

This was as nerve-wracking as it was new to you. Sitting on a bike.

On Suguru Geto's bike!

"What are we waiting for?" You turned to get a look at his face, which was shielded with a helmet.

"You'll fall off if you sit like that," he commented, pushing his visor down.

"How else am I supposed to sit on a bike, then, Suguru?" You sounded annoyed, as you stole a glance at your wristwatch. You were already late. "I'd be really thankful if you get us to school on time."

"I know, so just hold onto me, or something." He turned around to look at you with his visors still blocking you from getting a look at his face. You couldn't make out from his tone if he was getting annoyed at you, or laughing.

"I'm entrusting you with my life. Is that not enough?"

"Oh my god! Just hold onto me. It's not that deep!"

"Alright!" your hands snaked around his waist, awkwardly unsure of how to be. Sure, you were friends but friends don't get a feel of each others' waists, do they? Do you rest your palm against his abdomen, or do you hold your hands in front of him?

Your mind wreaked as you fidgeted with your hands.

Suguru must've noticed.

He removed his hands from the bike and placed them on yours. He crossed your arms flat around his waist, so you were practically back-hugging him now.

You could feel each and every crevice of his abdomen, and it was messing with your brain. His hand rested on top of yours until he was sure you wouldn't take them off anymore.

You could smell his cologne and his shampoo from how close you were to him. You felt a small laugh vibrate through his body as he revved the engine one last time and finally made his way to school.

You were definitely late.

***

You were completely zoned out when the teacher called your name for the third time.

"I get that it's been a long day. I do, but--" She closed her textbook with a sigh, seeing the drowsy and listless bunch sitting in front of her. "Let's end the class here for today."

And, without missing a beat, the whole class was up and about their businesses for lunch. The teacher shook her head, half in disbelief and half in mirth.

You were packing your stuff to leave as well when the teacher tapped on your desk to get your attention, "Would it be possible for you to drop by the library and get these books for me?" She slid a piece of paper towards you.

Noticing how short the list was, you agreed, "Sure, Ms. Seige. I can drop them off by the end of the lunch break."

You folded the paper, tucked it in your pocket, and bid her goodbye.

You looked at your wristwatch and, noticed that you had a good twenty minutes before lunch began. You could still enjoy with your friends if you quickly dropped off the books in time and rushed to the lunch hall.

Not that fifty minutes for a lunch break was a short time, but you hadn't seen any of them all day, except Suguru, of course.

You greeted Shoko with a hug and handed her the piece of paper with the list of books your teacher wanted, along with a few snacks you had picked for her on your way. She had been a huge help to you for most of the year in finding all the books you were asked to gather by your teachers, being the student in charge of the library.

"Who is it this time?" She unfolded the list, flat on the table.

"Ms. Seige. Physics." You dropped your bag by her chair, as you watched her type away on her computer and scribble some things on the list.

"Oh! She's a good one." She turned in her seat and remarked, as she handed you the list.

"That's rare- you praising a teacher," You chuckled.

"She deserves it," She shrugged, turning back to her work. "Do me a favor and, drag Suguru on your way back. He should be somewhere in the back. Let's get lunch together. I'll text the others."

It was flabbergasting and borderline frustrating how Suguru was so effortlessly smart. "Does he ever attend any of his classes?"

"None that I know of."

"Must be nice…" You muttered to yourself, as you wandered off to find him and your books.

***

Suguru was cooped up in a small corner of the library, sitting-- rather leaning the upper half of his body against the bookshelf. From the looks of it, he must've been in that position for a while. Just looking at his stance made you question everything you knew about him.

How was he sitting-- laying, whatever he was doing-- in that position? What about the book captivated him so much, that he was torturing his back like that?

You quickly slipped your phone out and clicked a picture to show the others later. Placing the books on the nearest table, you slowly crept up behind him, mostly to give him a scare, but you were also very much intrigued by his novel's contents.

A little detour and you were practically breathing down his neck. But, the guy still hadn't a clue.

You were able to easily read into his book from where you were standing.

Touch me, tease me. Feel me up.

Two sentences were enough for you to understand what captured Suguru's undivided attention.

"So you were actually into friction, not fiction!" You mock-whispered in his ear, with every intention to give him a jump scare.

And boy, did it work!

Suguru's shoulder, which supported most of his body weight against the bookshelf, slid from the sudden shock. "What the-- OUch!" He was flat on the ground in a matter of seconds. Yet, that didn't stop him from concealing his book at the sight of you. "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

You tried your best to not break into a burst of laughter as you stood straighter, towering above him. "Nothing,"

"Why would you creep up on me like that?" He brushed off his clothes, still trying to tuck away his book. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights, all flustered and unmoving. A bright red tinge rose on his neck, face, and ears. He was so red he could qualify as a traffic light.

All you wanted to do was pull out your phone and click another picture, but you decided to spare him the torment. One embarrassing picture in the group chat was enough to rid him of his sleep for a few months. Gojo and Shoko would never let him live this down.

"Oh, come on! Don't act like you wouldn't," You grinned, unable to hold back anymore. You held out your arm towards him, "Be grateful that it was me."

He grabbed your hand as he hoisted himself up. "Did you," he sighed, "read any of it?"

He looked like he was on the verge of tears. One wrong move, and you'd be the first reason Suguru ever let his emotions win.

Your face turned blank, almost mirroring his. But, you'd be lying if you said you weren't enjoying teasing him. He wouldn't be upset with you if you told him the truth, right?

That just wasn't like Suguru.

Right?

The corners of your lips curled up into a ghost of a smile, as you looked up at him through your lashes, "Touch me, tease me, feel me up?"

His hands immediately flew to his face, covering up any expression,

"Oh my god!" he whined.

You burst into laughter once again at his unexpected timid behavior. "Suguru," You seized his hands away from his face, "That's all I read. I promise."

His lips turned into a sheepish smile, finally looking at you, "This had to stay between us. Forever!" His hands swung side-to-side, and so did yours, holding onto his as he whined.

You drew your hands back, cringing at his coyness. You had never seen him act like that, and it was kind of creepy. You had to admit.

"Ugh," You mindlessly reacted. "Why are you acting like this?"

Before he could respond, Shoko yelled from her desk up front, "Guys, it's been FIFTEEN years! It doesn't take that long to find three books and a guy!"

You rushed to pick up your books at the sound of her voice, but Suguru caught you by your wrist, "I promise I'll bring you to school and back every day. They can't know," He pleaded.

You could tell how serious he was, just by one look at his face, "I won't." You reassured him. You felt slightly disappointed in yourself for teasing him. Just his expression sat like a heavy weight on your chest. You had no idea a little joke would affect him this much. "You don't have to bring me to school every day. It was meant to be a harmless joke, Suguru."

"I know," He stuck his tongue out at you, walking past you and picking up your books. "Let's go."

This bastard.

He was very much aware of the affect he had on you and used it to the best of his advantage. It took you a whole moment to realize that you had been fooled by his stupidly pretty face.

"Suguru!" You followed after him, but he was already dropping off your book with Shoko and running out of the library.

***

"On a school night? Your parents will ambush everyone," Shoko flicked Gojo's forehead, stopping him from stealing her fries.

"But, this would be our last one!" he theatrically caressed his forehead, turning around frantically to persuade everyone. "They're out of town for the weekend, anyways."

"Still, don't you think it's a little short notice?" You blankly stated. But, who were you kidding?

High school kids from your school would sell their souls to attend one Halloween party thrown by THE GOJO SATORU. There was no such thing as "short notice".

You looked at Maki for some sort of sign, and then towards Shoko.

Your eyes didn't dare look in Suguru's direction. You weren't upset with him. Of course not. Yet, you couldn't. He was never one to talk much, unlike Gojo. It was never easy to understand his true feelings.

"You'll come right?" Suguru nudged your shoulder lightly.

"I don't know," You whispered back.

"Please?" He said leaning ever-so-slightly into you. Looking at you the same way you did, in the library, and his head tilted.

Anything Gojo said after that faded into nothingness, as you looked at Suguru's face. Blood rushed through your whole body so furiously, that you could hear your heart beating in your ears. Your face grew uncontrollably hot. Subconsciously, your hands fanned your face and you leaned backward in your seat. That look on his face felt so foreign to you. It was almost like he was playing some sick joke at you.

His smirk grew into a boyish grin. He so knew he could convince you with just a smile. "Hmm?"

You cleared your throat, bringing your focus to your wristwatch. You needed an excuse. Anything. "I have to drop these off," You gathered Ms. Seige's books from the table, as you scrambled to leave.

"I'll go with you-" He began saying, but was cut off by one of his classmates. You were out of earshot but could still make out by the looks of it that she demanded all his attention.

Dissatisfaction greeted with you a warm hug at the sight of him talking to the girl. You hated feeling this way. Why should someone else get to control how you feel? As disappointed as you felt, you didn't let it get to your head. You didn't look back at the group for a second time.

Sure, he could have other friends or girlfriends.

It was none of your business.

Suguru was just a friend to you.

And that's all he'll ever be.

Tags: @mandysfanfics

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Your Happily Ever After

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Princess!Reader

Word Count: ~500

Warnings: fluff

Summary: You have this new life with Spencer, and it's the best choice you could have made for yourself.

Play Pretend Masterlist

Square Filled: thunder and lightning for @genpromptbingo (dreamwidth bingo)

Author’s Note: this is something short to show you just what these two have been up to after the last part. Just what their life looks like. enjoy!

x

Okay, last box, and then I can start unpacking. You wanted more decorations for your room so you went to get some without Spencer. You’re more than capable of going to the store and getting decorations despite his worries about you and this new life. You want to get this project done as fast as possible so you can begin your new life with Spencer.

You take out some decorative pillows and toss them onto the bed when you see one of the pictures you put on top of the dresser. Your parents are side by side wearing big beautiful smiles. It’s their wedding day and your mother wore the same kind of wedding dress as you had. They look so happy here. You hope to be just as happy as they are now that you’re with Spencer and not the man you were supposed to marry.

He belongs with that other Princess and you wish nothing but the best for them.

You lay out the things being put on the walls onto the bed so you and Spencer can hang them up later. Everything else either goes inside the closet or scattered about the bedroom. When you’re done, you walk onto the balcony and lean against the railing with a content sigh. People pass by down below as they go about their daily life which makes you think of your life with Spencer. There are no more secrets between you and Spencer. Every question he asked about you and your royalty life, you answered with complete honesty.

It’s time you found your happy ending.

Something flashes in your peripheral vision and you look up to see rain clouds and lightning in the distance. Rain. Your favorite kind of weather. Spencer hates it when you play in the rain because you almost always get sick but it’s worth the bliss you feel. Maybe this time, you’ll convince him to play with you.

Spencer walks into the bedroom and smiles when he sees you on the balcony. He walks over to you and wraps his arms around your waist to pull you closer.

“How’s my princess?” he grins.

“I was just waiting for you to come back.”

“Yeah, I had to make a few calls but I’m all yours now.”

He leans in and presses soft kisses to your neck. The kind of kisses that make the butterflies dance in your stomach.

“We need to hang the stuff on the wall.”

“It can wait. Come to bed with me.”

You turn in his arms and notice everything you put on the bed is now on the small lounge chair in the corner of the room. You wrap your arms around him and kiss him lovingly.

“Okay.”

Spencer sweeps you off your feet and you giggle all the way to the bed where he lays you down. The balcony doors stay open and allow the noise of the bustling city of Quantico to bring you comfort. That’s something your small country could never have done for you, and you’re better off for it.

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[lynmars79]

About Imelda Goldfinch

Looking back over episodes, transcripts, and the wiki as a friend experiences Midst for the first time, I keep coming back to Imelda.

She "mistook" Weepe for the Mayor of Stationary Hill when they bumped into one another (literally) in S1 E5 "Missions". She spends the rest of S1 pester-courting Weepe into the Trust, starts him at Zero, and then grants him enough Valor to become Upper Trust for the Cabaret betrayal. She makes sure he gets off Midst in the Consector's flagship.

In S2 she continues her Weepe project, showing him around the city, introducing him to people, accompanying him to Upper Trust meetings. And then the Arca, S2 E13 "Inside." Where she uses her zealousness to torment Weepe until he (outwardly) acquiesces to her.

She knew about his condition, and his medical treatment. In detail. Cameras aren't that advanced in this cosmos, and Weepe keeps that knowledge quite secret; Saskia knew after four years as Weepe's business partner, and being noted as perceptive. When and how did Imelda find out, enough to gauge a normal day's risk (if not enough to know what happens when Weepe gets excited/stressed)?

In S3 she is front and center at the naming of Weepe as Tripotentiary. She automatically becomes his Archauditor, a minimal show made of having to create the position and choice to fill it over brunch. She attends high end meetings like the dinner with Kozma, where Imelda makes interesting notes on her menu (per the appendices) about what Weepe does and doesn't like, among her other notes and reactions.

Then we get to S3 E9 "Baron."

And I have to wonder: Did Imelda "mistake" Weepe in S1 when they met? Was she there not just because of the Breach investigation and/or Moon sale, but for him? Does she know, or at least suspect, who Weepe was before his first Fold-induced transformation and the salvation from the Mothers?

Imelda is a character that fascinates me, and is a bit frightening when thinking about her. She gives some of the same vibes as HP's Dolores Umbridge, but with the caveat that Imelda seems to be a True Believer in the Trust--while also being extremely driven and ambitious. We saw in her Notary prep school yearbook that she had Caenum as a girl (with the note "most likely to Break Even"). When we meet her, middle-aged, she's wearing a wide sash of Valor and regularly rubs shoulders with the Upper Trust.

It took Fuze Peabody his entire working life to Break Even by retirement (and given Lark's past, they start working rather young in the Trust; no child labor laws in the Highest Light I suppose, for those in debt). Most Trustees never reach Zero; it's why so many Breach.

And so much of Imelda's recent Valorous momentum has been due to her maneuvering of Weepe. Of the things she has done with, for, and to him.

Did she gun for Jonas Spahr being removed as Prime Consector? Was it convenient, or targeted? Disdain for the Company or just a way to maneuver Weepe into power? And why? Did she see the incompetence at the top and think it could be better? One of her menu notes is re-starting Valor checks for Upper Trust and other important meetings. Did the Fleit scandal make her think change was needed? Does she think Weepe can get her what she wants when the rest of the Upper Trust cannot?

What does she know? Why is she doing all this? Personal power? Grandiose zealotry? Revenge? A little of everything? Is Imelda the real mastermind and arch villain?

I dunno, and that last may be a bit silly (??) but something is going on with this woman, and she stands somewhere near the heart of this tangled web.

"He's totally fucked" the Narrators say of Weepe when he bumps into Imelda that first time. That's certainly been true in many ways--and I don't think it impossible that it will continue to be, with Weepe maybe not expecting the damage this scarily cheerful little lady with Pollyanna curls can still do to him before the end.

For the good of the Trust.

[honeybeefae]

Eris Week 2023 Official Masterlist

Hey everyone! I am SO excited to participate in Eris Week and to get ahead of the game, I will post the names and summaries of the fics I'll be writing so that everyone can find them easily! (All things labeled with a * are smut!)

The things that are bolded and underlined in the picture above are the prompts I will be using that day and yes, some days there will be two fics because I couldn't just pick one! I hope you guys are as excited about this as I am <3

As always, thank you so much for reading, liking, reblogging, talking, and just anything that you all do to support my fics. This community is amazing and I love all of you.

(Also tagging @erisweek2023! I encourage all of you to participate in it!)

Sunday | Family

As you go into labor Eris is taken back to when his mother went into labor with Lucien, especially as the same problem seems to arise. When you reach out your hand for him to stay, will he take it or will he be just like his father?

(Eris x Reader fic) (POSTED)

Monday | High Lord

The day of Eris's coronation is finally here and as you go to position, you realize he is missing. After calming everyone's panic you go off in search of him and realize just how nervous your soon-to-be High Lord truly is.

(Eris x Reader fic) (POSTED)

Monday (pt. 2) | Heir*

A recent concoction has hit the fae market that is said to bring about your primal instincts in order to help fertility. When Eris first suggests it you laugh, thinking it is just another herb or supplement, until you both drink it and realize just how primal it reverts you to.

(Smut, Aphrodisiac, Knot, Primal Play, Alpha/Omega vibes)

(Eris x Reader fic) (POSTED)

Tuesday | Secrets*

Eris is visiting the Court of Nightmares to keep in touch with things now that he is officially High Lord of Autumn. As he mingles he is introduced to a lovely vixen who, despite Eris's resistance, takes no hints to his distaste. While Eris tries to search for a way out he catches the eye of a Shadowsinger who is none too pleased about the wandering hands touching what is his, even if in secret.

(Smut, Secret Relationship, Dom/Sub dynamic)

(Eris x Azriel) (POSTED)

Wednesday | Autumn Equinox

On the dawn of your mating ceremony to Eris, the same day as the Autumn Equinox, you are in a daze as you remember everything that has led you to this moment. And when you see Eris waiting for you at the end of the aisle, crown of leaves and thorns atop his head, you realize there is no one else for you.

(Eris x Reader fic)

Thursday | Dancing

It is the day you are meant to be introduced to court, to show yourself off to the countless suitors of the Autumn Court, but there is one problem. You cannot dance. Lucky for you, however, that a certain red-headed heir is willing to teach you despite his disdain for you. Or is it something else?

(Eris x Reader fic)

Friday | Arranged Marriage*

Against all odds of this arranged marriage between you and the future High Lord of Autumn, you had hoped that something could blossom between the two of you. You wanted that fairytale you had been sold on so when he refuses to meet your gaze, talk with you, and even go as far as flirting with other women in court, you are left with no other option but to engage your attention to other men. As it turns out, your husband can dish it but cannot take it when you enjoy the company of three mortal men.

(Smut, Arranged Marriage, Outdoor Sex, Jealousy)

(Eris x Reader Fic)

Friday (pt. 2) | Modern AU*

Despite being at the top of your class, popular, and having everything you ever wanted, there was a thorn in your side that you just couldn't get rid of named Eris Vanserra. You were academic rivals and although he seemed like a golden boy with his perfect hair and pressed clothes, you were about to see a whole different side as the two of you are paired up for a project that required meeting outside of school hours.

(Smut, Academic Rivals, Dom/Sub, College!AU, Spitting, Spanking, Daddy Kink)

(Eris x Reader fic)

Saturday | Free Day*

Eris had been uptight since you were children and finally, as you were now both adults, you decided to put your foot down and have him relax. And although your methods are unconventional, the two of you soon find yourselves basking in a room of hazy smoke and unspoken feelings that are about to come to light.

(Smut, Stoned Sex, Drugs, Intense, High Sex)

(Eris x Reader fic)

[citrus-soju]

I already talked about it in this post, but I want to share all of my thoughts properly.

The Metal Masked Assassin (I'll refer to him as MMA) was an incredibly unlucky person when you think about it. His mother passed away right after he was born. It's assumed she either died of blood loss due to birth complications, or she might have even been murdered, due to her baby being born with albinism.

We don't know anything about his father's whereabouts, if he's alive or dead, if he would take his children in if he knew. Either way, he's not in the picture. But unluckily, MMA was "left a brother".

Logically, we can put together that MMA's brother was older than him. We don't know for sure how many years the two siblings were apart, though. Judging by the picture of them as teens, their age difference doesn't appear to be too great. Of course, MMA might simply be tall, even as a teenager, and looking older than he really is.

There's also a possibility that, while both of them are depicted as teenagers in this picture, Agent 216 was actually already an adult while MMA was still young. It would make more sense for authorities to leave an infant in the care of a relative who's over at least 16 years old than leaving two young children completely on their own.

We can only speculate about their childhood years, honestly, since there is not much known at all. They could have been adopted by a distant relative, placed in a foster family, given up for adoption... But one thing is for sure, just from looking at these pictures - Even as teenagers, they were already prone to violence, and already hiding their faces.

Perhaps they got by thanks to armed robberies, perhaps they were already training to be assassins at this age. Personally, I'm voting for the first option, just because their clothes appear to be in a bad condition, holes and all, which is not the case in the image depicting them as adults. Their weapon of choice is also quite different; the bat and axe being more commonly used for self protection or work, and the machete/knife looking much more professional.

But now to the part I've been wanting to talk about.

Let's start with what we know about Agent 216. According to General Crozier, he is a "trained killer". That means, someone, or some kind of organization, must have taken him under their wing and taught him the art of being an assassin at some point. At least as a teenager. It's never specified where the two assassins got their education from. But however and wherever they spent their youth; Agent 216 was most likely the more skilled assassin, considering he's the one the General confides in and claims to be "perfect".

Ah yes, General Crozier. At least as an adult, Agent 216 must have some sort of connection to the US Military, or at least General Crozier directly, since it's him who personally hires him, and then informs MMA about his death later. No other tribunal members are present, nor are they aware that he was hired to kill, not just to spy.

What I find really interesting is that Agent 216 has a tattoo of the FalconBack Project logo on his left arm. Whatever that means. It makes me wonder if he and Crozier have some kind of connection outside of the deal, and if the assassination attempt on Dethklok was more of a personal favor to the General instead of a one time deal. Whatever connection they have was apparently meaningful enough for Agent 216 to get involved in a top secret project led by Salacia himself - but not his younger brother.

This raises a whole bunch of questions, but that's for another day and another post.

So where is MMA in all this? Where was he in all this?

While MMA is a violent person and seemingly has a passion for murder, what stood out to me is that he is never actually seen involved in any assassination related jobs that don't directly involve avenging his dead brother in a way - besides that one time where he's introduced. The people he fixates on besides Dethklok themselves are Klokateers and Charles Ofdensen, in particular. Perhaps that can simply be blamed on MMA's lack of screen time, but I would leave it up to Brendon Small to consider any small detail.

MMA appears to be as goal driven and determined as he is violent, with only a single goal in mind throughout the entire series - avenging Agent 216, regardless of what it may cost. He's willing to dispose of anyone who gets in his way, including his allies (Magnus).

What I'm thinking is... what if he wasn't even a blade for hire before the death of his brother? What if the only reason why Crozier was able to "hire" him was because of his promise for revenge? What if Agent 216 was the "actual" assassin among them, while MMA was more or less a sick and dependent child who simply got caught up in the situation?

This sounds farfetched but hear me out.

Regardless of how they grew up, regardless of what led up to this point; MMA's older brother was clearly very dear to him. So dear, in fact, that avenging him consumed every bit of space on his mind. While MMA willingly recruited people to assist him in his cause, for the most part, he used people who felt wronged by Dethklok for his own gain. Instead of viewing them as likeminded individuals, he saw them as underlings. Even Magnus, who did most of the "negotiating" during DSR, treated Toki's wounds and fed him, was just a puppet to MMA in the end. Once Magnus didn't cooperate with him anymore (claiming that the death of Ishnifus "wasn't part of his plan"), MMA didn't hesitate to show who's the REAL mastermind behind it all ("this was never your plan").

Throughout the series, we definitely saw that MMA has a tendency to use people for his benefit, and discard them once they're no longer useful to him, without any consideration for their feelings, or even their lives. We also learn that he's not much of a "talker" and much rather a "do-er". He leaves all the talking to Magnus, who dramatically goes off to Toki and Abigail about his reasoning, while MMA is in the background only thinking about revenge and his brother.

He seems to do very poorly with things not going his way. He doesn't listen to instructions from Crozier. He refuses to let Magnus berate him. Like a child, he no longer wants to play the game if it's not by his rules.

This is acquired behavior. Which means, somebody taught him that this is the way to go through live. Most likely - his older brother.

While he clearly holds a lot of admiration for Agent 216, it makes me wonder. The contrast between how much he looks up to his brother and how much he looks down on other human beings is stark. It's almost like he looks up to his brother like he's some kind of God leading him on his path, even displaying his body during the torture of Toki and Abigail. He MIGHT just be a crazy dude with a lust for blood who saw an excuse to kill and torture. He MIGHT just be very obsessed with the only person he has a real connection with.

Or perhaps, his brother isn't the good person he views him as.

I believe Agent 216 might have always made MMA feel inferior to him, knowingly or not. Being labeled the "perfect" assassin, the older brother who was kind enough to raise an abandoned baby, the one fending for them. Plus, with MMA having some visible physical deformities, he most likely was the "better looking" one, too.

Perhaps the reason why MMA isn't seen assassinating anyone for other reasons than revenge is that his brother simply took the spotlight. In the best case, Agent 216 merely wanted to protect MMA from this kind of lifestyle, both because he's his little brother who he cared for, as well as considering Albinism comes with a long list of potential health issues, depending on the exact diagnosis. Examples are vision problems, ranging from nystagmus (rapid uncontrollable eye movements) to legal blindness, sensitivity to (sun)light in both eyes and skin, a weaker immune system, a higher risk of infections, premature aging, etc.

Or perhaps all these things were a lot of excuses for Agent 216 to treat his little brother harshly and cast him into the shadows.

Tidbits that made me put this together in my mind would be, for example, the fact that MMA is covered in scars, while Agent 216 is not. Strange, considering that his targets are mostly seen tied up, hanging from hooks or otherwise immobilized. And somehow, all these scars look the same. They all look as if they were inflicted by... a machete perhaps.

In early concept art, MMA is shown with what appears to be burn marks. They almost look as if they were deliberately inflicted on him. The spotting doesn't exactly appear like he got caught in a fire, much rather that they came from separate instances.

And one more thing, which might just be an observation I made that you might disagree with. But as someone who worked with both abused and disabled children in the past... I recognize some of his patterns and behaviors.

Looking up to the one person caring for him without even a second thought. Enduring great pain for their sake. HAPPILY doing so. Not being great at dealing with instructions. Not handling it well when someone disagrees with him or even scolds him. Letting the "adult Magnus" do the talking for him in difficult situations. Struggling to relate to people, perhaps even due to low emotional intelligence, or simply not understanding that people have feelings. Not CARING if they have feelings, possibly. Using people for his benefit, then discarding them like dolls he's done playing with once they're not useful anymore.

All acquired behaviors somebody taught him in his life.

Considering his condition, harsh upbringing and visible deformities, it wouldn't surprise me if he was a younger age mentally. His behavior is almost childlike in ways. The way he phrases things, too. Revengencers, instead of Revengers. The fact that he has these scars, yet his brother didn't have a single one on him.

This might be a reach. A big reach. But what if Agent 216 had him completely wrapped around his finger. All like "I had to endure so much for your sake, so I have a right to take my anger out on you", and perhaps followed up by an "I do this because I love you and because that's the only way you learn". I can see him making MMA feel inferior, for his appearance, for needing food, medication, comfort. Guilty for "killing" their mother. For being a burden. How dare he want love. Isn't it enough that he puts his life on the line for him every day? What is love? Baby don't hurt me

To me, he's a lost, disabled person stuck in a trauma bond with his brother until the end.

[callmekenya]

Mal

Practicing spells and experimenting with new magic.

Exploring the Forbidden Forest at night.

Attending Auradon Prep’s Halloween events.

Painting murals around Auradon.

Sneaking out to the Isle of the Lost for old times’ sake.

Designing and customizing battle outfits together.

Stargazing from the top of Auradon Castle.

Sharing secrets and life stories.

Engaging in friendly sparring matches.

Planning pranks on unsuspecting students.

Baking enchanted treats in the kitchen.

Watching classic villain movies.

Attending royal balls and events together.

Discussing future plans for Auradon.

Going on scavenger hunts in hidden parts of the castle.

Helping Mal with her royal duties and responsibilities.

Drawing and sketching each other’s portraits.

Singing duets in private.

Practicing self-defense techniques.

Watching the sunrise after a long night of adventure.

Evie

Designing and sewing outfits in her fashion studio.

Attending fashion shows in Auradon.

Having spa days with homemade facials.

Decorating the dorm room together.

Taking long walks through Auradon’s gardens.

Hosting tea parties for close friends.

Practicing different hairstyles on each other.

Doing makeovers for friends at Auradon Prep.

Creating DIY beauty products.

Baking cupcakes and decorating them creatively.

Shopping for the latest fashion trends.

Watching fashion-related movies and shows.

Planning and throwing themed parties.

Visiting Evie’s 4 Hearts boutique on the Isle.

Helping Evie with her royal responsibilities.

Going on treasure hunts around Auradon.

Sharing stories about their mothers’ legacies.

Having deep conversations about their futures.

Volunteering for charity events in Auradon.

Taking photography trips to capture Auradon’s beauty.

Jay

Playing competitive sports, especially Tourney.

Sneaking out for midnight adventures.

Organizing and participating in Auradon’s obstacle courses.

Exploring the Isle of the Lost together.

Attending and cheering for Auradon Prep’s games.

Practicing martial arts and combat training.

Pulling off harmless pranks on Carlos and others.

Hiking in the mountains around Auradon.

Riding motorcycles and going on road trips.

Competing in various physical challenges.

Playing video games in the dorm.

Setting up campfires and telling stories.

Training with swords and other weapons.

Engaging in treasure hunts on the Isle.

Visiting Jay’s favorite places in Auradon.

Attending Auradon’s sports tournaments.

Working out and staying in shape together.

Helping Jay with his duties as the future Sultan.

Repairing and customizing vehicles.

Watching action movies and reenacting the scenes.

Carlos

Inventing and testing new gadgets.

Going on adventures with Dude.

Playing video games and having friendly competitions.

Attending tech fairs and conventions.

Setting up movie marathons with friends.

Building and racing go-karts.

Visiting the Isle and fixing up old tech.

Creating DIY projects together.

Playing with and training Dude in new tricks.

Watching classic villain movies.

Sneaking into restricted areas for exploration.

Attending Auradon’s science fairs.

Riding hoverboards around campus.

Working on robotics projects.

Attending Carlos’s Tourney matches.

Visiting the Auradon tech lab.

Discussing theories about their parents’ legacies.

Setting up treasure hunts with tech clues.

Taking part in Auradon’s talent shows.

Going on dates with Carlos and helping with advice.

Uma

Planning and leading missions on the Isle.

Sailing together on the Lost Revenge.

Cooking and preparing seafood dishes.

Exploring hidden parts of the Isle.

Practicing pirate combat skills.

Planning elaborate heists and treasure hunts.

Singing sea shanties together.

Having secret meetings in Uma’s cabin.

Helping Uma with her leadership duties.

Organizing raids against rival pirate crews.

Engaging in sword fights and combat training.

Discussing strategies to take down enemies.

Hosting pirate parties on the ship.

Decorating Uma’s quarters with stolen treasures.

Going on secret night swims around the Isle.

Plotting ways to challenge Auradon’s authority.

Helping Uma recruit new crew members.

Discussing their shared disdain for Mal.

Listening to the ocean’s waves together.

Exploring the sea caves near the Isle.

Harry

Practicing sword fights on the Lost Revenge.

Playing pranks on fellow pirates.

Sailing the high seas and discovering new territories.

Engaging in pirate-themed games and challenges.

Sharing stories of past adventures.

Creating new pirate songs and shanties.

Attending pirate feasts and parties.

Decorating Harry’s quarters with stolen goods.

Engaging in intense training sessions.

Helping Harry with his loyalty to Uma.

Going on treasure hunts around the Isle.

Spending time at the docks watching the ships.

Exploring secret passages on the ship.

Plotting ways to challenge Auradon’s rule.

Attending secret pirate meetings.

Sharing a flask of rum (non-alcoholic for the sake of Auradon Prep’s rules).

Practicing stealth and sneaking into Auradon.

Discussing their mutual distrust of Mal.

Helping Harry maintain his signature look.

Protecting each other from rival pirate crews.

Ben

Attending royal events and functions together.

Exploring the vast gardens of Auradon Castle.

Planning and hosting charitable events.

Discussing plans for the future of Auradon.

Going on diplomatic missions to other kingdoms.

Attending Auradon Prep’s football games.

Practicing speeches and royal duties.

Taking long horseback rides through the kingdom.

Engaging in political debates and discussions.

Helping Ben with his kingly responsibilities.

Going on secret getaways to relax.

Volunteering for community service projects.

Attending music and cultural festivals.

Hosting movie nights at the castle.

Preparing for royal balls and events.

Playing chess and other strategy games.

Exploring ancient ruins around Auradon.

Discussing ways to unite Auradon and the Isle.

Practicing ballroom dancing for formal events.

Going on boat rides around the kingdom.

Audrey

Attending and planning Auradon’s royal balls.

Practicing ballet and other forms of dance.

Hosting and attending tea parties with the royals.

Shopping for the latest fashion trends.

Designing and planning new ball gowns.

Going on spa days and pampering sessions.

Practicing etiquette and royal protocols.

Hosting sleepovers with the royals.

Singing duets and practicing for royal performances.

Going on royal tours around Auradon.

Visiting art galleries and museums.

Discussing the history of Auradon’s royalty.

Attending fashion shows and events.

Preparing for royal banquets and feasts.

Exploring the royal archives and library.

Hosting charity events and fundraisers.

Practicing archery and other royal sports.

Attending outdoor picnics in Auradon’s gardens.

Going on shopping sprees in the kingdom.

Watching classic Disney princess movies together.

[cadencejames87]

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female Stark Reader

Summary: You help Bucky with his nightmares.

Honestly, if you read this, I apologize. It's basically word vomit that could have been trimmed. I focused on areas that didn't need to be focused on and glossed over bits that could have been more in-depth; my brain is all over the place these days.

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: House fire, death of a parent, PTSD, talks of trauma, hostage, abuse, sad Bucky, sorry if i missed any

*not beta'd thus any and all mistakes are my own*

~Dividers within story by @firefly-graphics~

"You should have seen his face," Clint mimicked the dumbfounded expression that wavered heavily on Tony's ordinarily know-it-all smug mug when he wandered into Clint's safe house not too long ago. "And all this time he's been hiding you from all of us." Clint sets down a large bowl of popcorn and falls onto the couch with the rest of the team, minus Cap and his wingmen, currently on their way back from an extended mission.

Tony wasn't absent in your life, though he wasn't really present either. You were a surprise after a one-night stand with a pretty face changed his life.

Your mother was a nursing student, waiting tables at night. She enjoyed that most nights were quiet enough to sneak in studies. At least they were until an extremely intoxicated Tony Stark stumbled into her diner seeking shelter from the rain, cover from the paparazzi, and a burger with a side of fries to soak up the alcohol.

You could call it love at first sight since he stopped in every night after until she finally agreed to a date. Your mother knew he was a playboy, nothing near marriage material when they met, yet, a girl could dream. Maybe she might be the one to change his ways. She quickly learned how much the man needed to grow up, and those fantasies soon died, but not before she was pregnant with you.

Though your mother refused to jump into a relationship because of one hurdle, which Tony had been slightly relieved to hear, she accepted his need to be a part of your life. No way would she deny that from either of you. He had been nothing but wonderful to her from the moment they met. He was simply not the right fit at this time, and if they would never be anything more than co-parents, she could not have asked for a better partner in raising you.

Of course, Tony being the man he is, tried to pay for her schooling, debts, and even rent when she found her dream space, for a steal, in the heart of Soho. She would never know it was all his doing. He had bought the brand-new building originally advertised as potential office space, had the interior quickly remodelled, and slipped a flyer into one of her books. He even personally screened each and every one of her neighbours and kept the best unit open, denying all who applied until he saw her name on the list.

She rejected his help in her personal finances, though when it came to you, she planned to do everything 50/50. Naturally, he completely squashed that plan, whether it was pettiness or pride, the moment you took your first breath, he was there 100% for you. He covered medical and dental, paid for the finest education, and spoiled you with toys, clothes and whatever else he could think of, despite your mother's objections over lack of space. His presence in your life wasn't just money; he wanted to be there for every school play, graduation, and birthday, even if it meant sending Happy with a camcorder when he was otherwise engaged. He saved all the videos of every milestone, your art projects, and pictures as you grew up.

When it came to college, he set you up with your own downtown apartment in Vancouver, Canada, after receiving a scholarship to one of the top film schools. {Which you turned down so they could offer it to someone in need and kept that little secret between you and your father.} You graduated after a two-year program and chose to continue your education at Stanford. Tony happily helped you relocate. He was so proud of you for going after what you wanted and knocking it out of the park by getting into another top school. He paid the tuition in full and even bought you a car, despite telling him you could take transit if needed. I mean, you did live within walking distance of campus. Anyway, the years flew by, and you graduated with a major in astrophysics and made your way back home to NYC, where you picked up a job as a barista, refusing any more handouts while searching for a more permanent job that fit either of your studies without your father's influence. You wanted to prove you could make it on your own.

After the attack on New York, Tony started rethinking everything. He wanted to keep you safe, which meant protecting the world from more attacks. Maybe he would convince you to work in Stark Tower or a new building he could have built overnight. He also began re-evaluating his current relationship with your mother. Was there hope to rekindle what could have been? A near-death experience will do that to a man. He was finally ready to quit his partying ways and take things more seriously, and all of this over Shawarma with the team.

As he flew over Washington Square Park down Broadway, he could already see the dark clouds of smoke filling Soho. Sirens of fire rescue ring out as people run for safety, shouting about an explosion, bombs, and aliens. Stark makes it through the thick smoke and fights through the flames of your mother's building, searching desperately for her. He finds her in the bathtub, covered in a wet towel, choking on the smoke. Against Friday's advice, Tony removes his suit, places her inside, and sends her out the window.

He scrambles back through the apartment to find the entrance blocked by debris. He searches blindly for the window to the fire escape and breaks out, basically falling down the steps as he scrambles to his escape. As he drops the last couple of feet to the pavement below the fire escape ladder, he searches the street filled with emergency vehicles and first responders. He spots your mother on a gurney receiving oxygen, climbs to his feet and hurries over with a faint limp. The EMT nursing her burns gives him a grim look. “We have to transport her immediately. It doesn’t look good.”

“Well, what’s the holdup?” Tony helps load the gurney and climbs in, taking her hand in his. “Hey, sweetheart. We’re going to get you help, okay? You are so strong! Just hold on a little longer, for our daughter; for me. I love you.” He brushes her hair with his hand and kisses her forehead softly.

“Tony?” She pulls her oxygen mask down to speak. “Take care of our girl,” she breaks into a coughing fit, and the EMT jumps into action, pushing Tony aside to suction mucus and intubate. Tony watches on, eyes filling with tears, feeling helpless as the mother of his daughter, the woman he loves, fights to breathe. The EMT keeps an eye on all the monitors as he pumps air manually into her lungs. When the heart monitor flat lines, Tony feels his own heart stop. He can’t seem to breathe, there's a ringing in his ears. The EMT yells at Tony to take over so he can start compressions.

After your mother’s funeral, you distanced yourself. Tony figured it was probably for the best. How could he keep you safe if his enemies ever figured out who you were to him? The building you grew up in had only been a target as it was a property owned by Stark.

Unfortunately, some enemies were closer than he realized. They knew of you and your mother and why her death hit him so hard that even those closest to him struggled to keep him sober. You were grateful he had Pepper when you disappeared while he was still mourning. However, you didn’t know it until Cap carried your limp body from a room he had seen before, a replica of one he dragged his best friend from before losing him on a mission. He blamed himself for years after for roping Bucky back into the fight. Learning what really happened when they were reunited did nothing for the guilt.

Once Tony finished clearing the building and made it on the jet, you told him you did not want to go home or to the tower, expressing your fear those who took you would know that is where you would be. You needed space and time. Tony understood that, yet his need to keep you safe outweighed everything else. He settled you into a room at the new compound, freshly reconstructed from the old Stark Industries warehouses. You witnessed the evolving relationship between Tony and Pepper as Stark Tower was gradually moved into the new facility before the Avengers would call it home. You loved the impact Pepper had on your father, and seeing him in this new light, taking on more responsibilities, with a newfound passion for his work and the positive changes saving people had created in his demeanour.

It was possible his over joyous personality was in reaction to finally having you home after being gone for three years and presumed dead right after losing your mother. You hated to ruin it, yet you failed to feel comfortable enough to speak about what you went through to anyone, not a therapist, Happy, or your father, who used to be one of your best friends, other than your mother. Ultimately, you decided to distance yourself further from this new life he had built. Whether it was the fear of falling victim again to one of his enemies or just the space and time you needed; without Tony encroaching. He gave you what you needed and set you up in a cabin in the countryside of upstate New York. Naturally, the whole proximity was wired with motion sensors and hidden cameras and had a few suits as security measures stowed in the garage.

Tony still popped in occasionally to catch you up on Avenger gossip, including the falling out with Steve, who you kept in touch with over text. You understood both sides, though if you were to choose whose back you would have, it would be the man used as a weapon, held hostage and tortured for years.

They were unprepared to lose you again so soon when Thanos snapped away everything he fought mercilessly to defend. Though, Tony wouldn't know for sure if you had been victim to the snap for nearly a month after. So when he finally got you back, he promised to hold on tight. You had a new sister and finally sat down to thank Pepper for being there for your father and being just what he needed to keep going all these years.

You all stayed together in the cabin, though you migrated to the studio above the garage, where you often escaped to craft dreamcatchers; a craft you learned in your early childhood from your mother who had learned from her mother. Your studio sessions started with one for yourself when you struggled to sleep before the snap, and another for Tony, when he opened up about his anxiety after you returned. Then one for Morgan, when you caught her admiring one hung in a studio window. One your mother crafted, kept safe in your Chelsea apartment when the fire wiped away everything, pictures, baby clothes, art, report cards, your mother's memories of a life before you, and dreamcatchers she made every year of your life; even the ones you crafted alongside her. After a short conversation with Pepper over tea under the stars, in which she complimented the beauty of your dream catchers and what a shame it was that more people couldn't enjoy them, you made over two dozen more for a farmer’s market.

Tony popped into the studio for his daily chit-chat, wandering the room and appreciating the collection of dreamcatchers hanging all over. “Word on the street is the Capsicle is planning on jumping ship again after this mission.” You had been the one to convince him to stay when no one else could, not even his best friend. Though you had your suspicions, he never really tried, and you planned to ask him when you finally met him.

Now you are sitting in the Avengers compound, getting to know the team and waiting on the man of the hour. Except when he finally walks in with his team, your attention falls to the brunette on his flank. Something about him seemed so familiar, his face, those eyes, that walk. Had you seen it all somewhere before? I mean, you knew of the man from stories and history lessons. In more recent years, the news and Tony's personal ghost stories. Also, Steve had come to visit, the only Avenger who knew of your existence, and of course, he shared a few memories from both the past and present of Sergeant Barnes. He said Tony might be a little indifferent, less sympathetic than he should be, considering their history. He only wanted to give you a chance to hear how he saw him, and when the day came, you could form your own opinion.

As far as first impressions go, he has yet to say hi, and you are drooling over this God of a man. Nope, no, down girl! You take a moment to glance around the room, hoping no one noticed your internal freak out just then. When your eyes return to James, he freezes. He looks at his friend for help, but Steve obliviously continues on as Bucky searches for an escape. He swallows, eyes falling to the floor as he backs away, glancing up with sad eyes once more before turning back the way he came. What the hell was that? “Y/N, I’m sorry about the outfit. I wanted to come and say hi as soon as we touched down. This is Sam.”

Sam smiles flirtatiously, takes your hand, and bows to kiss it. “Down, birdman! That’s Stark’s daughter.” Banner warns.

Sam backs away, hands up in surrender as Tony stares him down. You smile politely and look back to the empty hall. “I was only saying, hi. Besides, I think Cap’s already called dibs with how much he gushes over her.”

“You realize I’m right here.” Stark questions Sam, who immediately mimes zipping his mouth closed and tossing away an invisible key.

“I’m sorry about him. He was raised in a different time.” You turn back to find Steve giving you a shy smile. “And what he said, I never—”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it, Steve.” Your eyes move to the hall again.

“Oh, and this is…” Steve finally realizes Bucky is no longer with them. “Well, if you saw him, that was Bucky. I promise he is the sweetest person you will ever meet. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“Not even his own face.” Steve shoots Sam a look. “You know what I'm talking about. That staring thing he does. Where it looks like he wants to kill you.” He turns to the others in the room as he searches for backup, quickly finding it as Nat shrugs and nods back. Steve gives them both a look of disapproval.

"Alright, that's enough. You're going to kill Grandpa.” Tony jokes as he pushes through the group to meet Scott and his tray of milkshakes. “The burgers?”

“Almost done, Mr. Stark. Thanks again for inviting me.” Scott sets the tray on the coffee table and rushes back to the kitchen, wiping his hands on his frilly apron.

"Was that Ant-Man?" You ask in confusion.

"Don't worry, he's getting paid." Tony looks over at Banner and shakes his head.

"Dad?!"

"The point is, he is enjoying himself, and he offered."

After the brief intros, Sam and Steve excused themselves to unload the jet, write their mission reports and freshen up before dinner. When they returned, Bucky was still nowhere to be seen. “Don’t take it personally. He gets in these grumpy old man moods after missions. You’ll meet him soon.” Nat settles in next to you before Steve has a chance.

“I’m not –”

“You were obviously keeping an eye out for Barnes. It's totally fine. You should know he and Sam are in your wing.” You turn quickly, brows furrowed. “It used to be Steve, Clint and myself and one empty room. Well, not empty. It was decorated and off limits, and now we know why.”

“Where did you go?”

“Clint’s not here as often as he used to be, so when Sam joined, he moved to one of the loft spaces on the upper floors. Then we found Barnes, and I gave up my space when he moved in, thought it would be an easier transition after everything.”

You stayed up as long as you could with everyone, but you were pretty tired after a long day of driving, and the anxiety of just being back in the city was exhausting. You slipped out of the room as everyone watched their second movie of the night after dinner and wandered the halls.

As you approached your room, a terrifying sound had you spinning fast and your most traumatic memories flooding back. Memories you had repressed. It was an all too familiar scream. One filled with anguish and fear. You stood frozen against the wall next to your room, staring wide-eyed at the door across from yours. The screams echoed in your memory as they faded in reality and turned into soft whimpers. You felt your trembling legs step forward before you could stop yourself. You took a deep breath and leaned gently against the door, listening.

You heard shuffling and then footsteps, pacing back and forth and suddenly growing louder as they came closer. You scrambled back and tried to flee into the safety of your room, but your back hit the wall again, and you stared up at Bucky as he stepped into the hallway. The much smaller than you remembered a second ago, hallway. “Sorry."

"I didn’t mean to scare you.” His eyes avoid yours as he escapes to the common area down the hall with his head hanging low. You hear the kitchen sink turn on and water filling a glass. Your heart rate finally returns to normal, as you let out the breath you had been holding. You scold yourself and turn to your room, dragging yourself to bed.

The following weeks went on with Bucky avoiding you while you continued to get to know the team. Your sleep schedule was thrown off completely, waking each night to Bucky's screams, mind racing with your own traumas while wanting so desperately to reach out and comfort him. You never did, of course, instead, you kept your distance and gave him his space. When you woke in the middle of the night, you turned to your dreamcatchers.

Meanwhile, for the ex-assassin, most nights were filled with cold showers and sitting alone in the dark with his thoughts, shivering; like he was punishing himself. Other nights, he would find himself in the training room, lifting weights and doing pull-ups until his muscles screamed. And some nights, Steve would keep him company and remind him there was no way he would have done any of the things Hydra made him do without being tortured and lied to. It wasn’t really what he wanted to hear or could even believe, no matter how many times anyone told him. Those nights usually ended with an early morning run.

He still remembers his years with Hydra vividly, the terrified cries and screams, titanium wrapped tightly around innocent throats, lifeless eyes, blood, so much blood, fire, gunshots, explosions. He was hyperventilating when you walked into the common area. Having a full-on panic attack as he stared at his hands, shaking, and mumbling, “It was still me. It was still me. It was still me.”

“Bucky?” You approach him slowly, unsure if you were being cautious for his sake or yours. You clear your throat, ”James?”

He freezes slightly, eyes watching from the corner, trained on your feet as you round the couch. He presses his back further into the sofa behind him, hands gripping the floor beneath him for purchase.

You pause at the corner, looking down at the broken man on the floor. “I am James Buchanan Barnes. Sergeant with the 107th, 32557038. I am James Buchanan Barnes.” You slowly kneel next to him. His rambling fades lower. “3255…” His eyes dart to you and back at the floor. “70…” You scoot a little closer. “38.” He wills himself to look at you. “I’m sorry,” his whisper comes out shaky, eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry.” You shake your head and pull him into a tight hug. He clutches onto your shirt and cries into your chest. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Shhh, it’s okay.” You rub his back.

“They made me take you.”

You brush your fingers through his hair. “I know.”

He pulls away to look you in the eyes. “I’m sorry.”

You wipe his tears. “I forgive you.” He breaks again, this time though, it is relief that fills his eyes before he buries it back into your shoulder and holds onto you for dear life. He cries himself to sleep, and you continue to hold on, leaning your cheek on the top of his head.

Sam and Steve enter the kitchen in need of water, Sam panting as he downs his glass. Steve smiles at his friend as he leisurely sips his own. Steve opens his mouth to poke fun at Sam’s endurance when a deep sleep-filled breath grabs their attention. “I got him, I’m sure you need a moment to catch your breath,” Sam says sarcastically and sets his glass in the sink before crossing to the living area.

Steve lets out a soft chuckle. “I could use a shower,” he shrugs.

“Steve.” Sam stares down at the two of you still wrapped in each other’s arms, though you are now snuggled into Bucky's chest as he leans into the corner of the sectional, protectively holding onto you. “Sorry, man,” Sam apologizes to Steve as he joins him.

"It's like our childhood all over again."

"Maybe there's a reasonable explanation for this."

"Either way, Tony's not going to like it," Steve says with a shake of his head.

"Not going to like what?" It comes out in a raspy whisper as you stretch and look back at the men over your shoulder. They stand in shock, unsure how to proceed. You look around, realizing where you are and then look at the man beneath you. "Oh, right." You quickly get up, "Let's just not tell Tony." You push past both men as you make a mad dash for your room, hiding your face as it burns with embarrassment.

Bucky startles awake with the slam of your door. He lets out an exasperated sigh as he climbs to his feet, “I’m not going for a run.”

“Neither are we.” They keep a close eye on him as he crosses to the kitchen.

“You know I could have killed you, standing over a guy as he sleeps, lucky I wasn't armed," he mumbles. "What’s wrong with you?” He grumbles as he grabs himself a protein bar from the cupboard.

“I have the same question for you. Your best friend pines over a girl for years, and we find you wrapped up in an embrace, sleeping with the woman of his dreams out in the open.” 

“Seriously?” Steve stares at Sam like he revealed his deepest secret.

“It’s not like she’s in the room, man.”

“We’re not sleeping together, and it wasn’t a romantic embrace or any other kind of embrace. We were... She--" He lets out a frustrated groan. "Never mind, you wouldn’t understand.” Bucky exits the room before they can say anything more.

Sam turns to Steve, still staring at him. “What?! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Maybe we read into it.” 

The following night Steve woke with Bucky, and instead of sitting with him in the living room, he suggested they hit the gym.

You turned to your dream catchers, the newest wrapped in black suede, weaved with black sinew and gold beads. It was time to add feathers, and you couldn’t decide if you should add navy blue and red or even gold to the bunch of black feathers you had already carefully selected.

“I can’t do this anymore. I need a shower.” Bucky turns to leave.

“Come on, Buck.”

“No, you want to talk, let's talk. Stop pretending this is anything more than that.” 

“Bucky, I’m just trying to help.”

"No, you're upset with what you saw yesterday and I know, I heard you and Sam talking, if Tony would have walked in, I wouldn't have woken up." He grabs a towel from the bench. “Maybe it would have been for the best. None of this changes anything.” He storms out and returns to his room, though just as he steps into the hallway, he is hit with a fond memory. One of hardly any he has of his time with Hydra, he leans into the memory, drawn closer to your soft, melodic humming.

You lay on your back in the tall grass, watching a meteor shower. “You know you’ll get in trouble if they find out.”

“Their torture is better than hearing you go on and on for weeks on end about a bunch of stardust,” he grumbles from his perch behind you on the back of a quad. Successfully masking the fact he enjoyed your company and the show in the sky.

“That’s not true,” you whisper, “you forget they have me observe and—” You sit up, hugging yourself. “I know you have nightmares.”

He snaps a branch he had been absentmindedly fiddling with. “We should head back.”

You quickly turn around on your knees, “No, please. I don’t want to go back, not yet.” You spot the discarded branch and pick it up. “I can make you something. It will help with your nightmares.” Your chin quivers as you fight to hold back your tears.

He checks over his shoulder, sighing heavily when he turns back and gives you a quick nod.

You take the lantern next to Bucky and comb the beach for materials, Bucky sticking close to your side. You find plenty of feathers scattered along the pebbles and grass. You kneel on the ground in your tattered skirt, wincing as the varying rocks and debris dig into your skin. “What are you doing?” You look up, studying the man above you for a moment, and then you return to the pebbles, “I need one last thing. Do you see these bits of colour? It’s sea glass. I love these pretty blue ones, my favourite colour.” You hold up a small piece of glass the same colour as his eyes.

He catches the blush tinting your cheeks before you can hide your face and kneels beside you on one knee. “How many do you need?”

“I need one red one, but it has to be at least this big.” You hold up your thumb and forefinger about the size of a dime. “It’s the most important piece.” Bucky sweeps a hand through the pebbles and helps you search. “You keep looking, I’ll get this started.” You tuck the feathers into your sleeve as you pick at a loose thread on your skirt. In spite of your careful movements, the thread breaks, and yet you continue to collect more. When you finally gathered what you needed, there was a wide slit into your skirt. You knot the ends together, blow out the candle in the lantern, and dip the material into the wax.

“Are you done?” Bucky feigns annoyance as he relights the lantern and moves it closer to himself, a safe distance from you.

You let out a quiet giggle. “Two questions, do you trust me? And can I borrow a couple of things?” You cautiously reach for the tact knife on his thigh. Bucky eyes your hand and readjusts his position, pushing his thigh into your palm as he rakes his fingers through the pebbles again, seeking a suitable piece of sea glass. “I don’t understand why you need all of these straps,” you take hold of one of the offending straps on his tact suit and bring up the knife. You look at him for consent. His jaw clenches as he gives you the same quick nod he did when he agreed to stay longer. Watching you from the corner of his eye as you gently cut through the leather strap and unfasten the other end. “I need one more.” He gives you better access and you repeat your actions as he returns to his search. When you finish with his knife, you place it back in the sheath and gather all your materials.

You wander back to your spot in the grass, humming a tune and get to work. Picking up the discarded branches, you braid them, form a circle, and tie the ends together with the waxed thread. You wrap the branches with the leather straps and begin to weave a web within the circle of wrapped branches with the waxed thread already attached. Bucky makes his way back to you, keeping quiet so as not to disturb you. “Did you find it?” He holds out a perfect piece of sea glass, larger than a dime, maybe even a nickel. Your smile fills him with warmth, and he struggles to hide the twitch of his lip. You'll never know he found plenty of red bits that he deemed unsuitable. Whatever piece he found needed to be perfect, like you in his eyes.

Clearing his throat, he stands and returns to his perch on the back of the quad, taking out his tact knife to pass the time. You wrap the sea glass into the final weaves, knotting the end in the web and securing the sea glass a little more until you run out of thread. You let out a huff as you hold out the dream catcher. “It’s not the greatest, but, it should do.”

Bucky takes the dream catcher, admiring the finished product. “What do I do with it?”

“Smuggle it back in and hang it by your bed.”

“They won’t let me keep it.”

“Hide it under your pillow?” You shrug.

 “What about here?” He opens his jacket and tucks the dreamcatcher close to his heart.

“Well, I guess the straps are good for something.” You smirk.

“You can come inside if you like.” You heard him, thought he would return to his room, but his footsteps slowed and altogether stopped between your rooms.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“You’re not.”

“Did you make all these?” You nod. “Gorgeous.” His fingers brush the feathers attached to one of the dream catchers. “Softer than mine.”

“You remember it?”

“It gave me hope,” he moved to your bed and sat down. “When I helped you escape, left you at that facility,” he swallows a lump in his throat. “They stripped me down to wipe me, found it in my gear. They took it and burned it in front of me.” His eyes filled with tears. “I used to look at it every night. Hid it under my pillow, like you said. Carried it with me everywhere.”

“Did it help?”

He nods. "It reminded me of you. A bright light in all that darkness.”

You turn back to your desk, pick up the dream catcher you were working on, and join Bucky on the end of your bed. ”I didn’t think you made it out of there with the other.” You hand him the new dream catcher, inspired by his new arm, the black and navy-blue feathers hung with gold sinew and red beads to tie in his new tact suit. “And you can actually hang this one without fear of anyone confiscating it.”

The tears fall freely as he accepts the gift. He tries to give you a smile, sniffles and wipes away the tears with the back of his hand. “Thank you.”

You pull him in for a hug. “I can make you a small one for your keys that you can carry everywhere.”

“I won’t need it, I’ve got you.”

“Do you now?”

“I’ve also got this.” He removes a small object from his pocket, the sea glass he found. He takes your hand and places it inside. “It’s not blue.”

“This one is more special. You found it.”

"For you."

You turn the glass over in your hand. "Did you know that penguins search for the perfect pebble to gift to their love?" You turn to kiss him softly, you meant to aim for his cheek, and he looked up last minute. When you pull away, he follows and deepens the kiss.

Steve lifts his hand to knock on your door, pausing when a soft moan escapes your lips. “James.” His heart breaks as he tears himself away from your door. I guess his best friend is willing to risk it all for you, and this moment is what solidifies his choice to go back in time.