#Electric Impact Wrench

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NO STRINGS ATTACHED…UNTIL NOW ★ NARUMI GEN

DAY TWO ➵ rivals in the field, lovers in the sheets—your arrangement with narumi was perfect until he accidentally admits that he’s in love with you. now you’re left questioning if you can go back to being just enemies.

cw ➵ enemies to lovers, friends with benefits, rough séx, unprotécted séx, dírty talking, a bit of a darker look into hoshina and narumi’s rivalry, angst, suicídal thoughts (implied), gróping, grínding, pda, thigh fuckíng, morning séx, lazy séx, nípple play, creámpie, multiple rounds

wc ➵ 16.4k

kinktober masterlist

"Get those filthy hands off me, Gen." The snarl ripped from your throat like shrapnel as you seized a fistful of hair to yank his head back with punishing force.

Narumi's eyes blazed like twin garnets in the dimness, lips peeling back in a feral rictus as he shamelessly ground the insistent brand of his cock against your jerking hips. "Or what?" He rasped out in blatant challenge. "You'll sick that joke of a brother on me again?"

A choked sound of outrage fought its way free as you tightened your grip and used the leverage to flip Narumi with bruising force. His spine impacted the battered mattress springs with enough power to rattle the entire rickety bedframe - but the low growl spilling from his parted lips spoke only of dark relish rather than pain or capitulation.

"Say his name again while you're inside me," you spat in a venomous purr, "and I'll rip your worthless cock right off, pretty boy."

With those scathing words still hanging like a viscous miasma, you sheathed yourself atop Narumi's punishing length in one slick, merciless glide. The answering grunts of vicious satisfaction mingling between you only stoked the raging bonfire of ire and mindless lust tangling itself into an inseparable conflagration.

Narumi's palms seared burning trails down the flexing slopes of your back, nails scoring lurid crimson crescents as he wrenched you forward to crash your mouths together in a searing, punishing clash of teeth and molten quests. You gasped against the savagery of his assault as he rolled you both over in a blur of tangled limbs and straining sinew, hips already pistoning with uncompromising savagery.

"Your brother," he growled out in that decadent, syrupy rasp that sparked shivering electricity along your oversensitized nerves. "He doesn't have a fucking clue about your real nature, does he?"

Another brutal grind punctuated the raw sentiment bleeding from between his panting lips, sheering heat and burgeoning rapture in its wake. You threw your head back with a garbled curse as Narumi's powerful thrusts bottomed out, ruthlessly dominating your body like a metronome's punishing cadence.

"He sees his sweet, innocent baby sister," Narumi continued in a guttural purr edged with satisfied menace. "Not the shameless slut who sneaks into seedy rooms like this one every chance she gets to get her greedy little cunt stuffed by the first cock willing to put her in her place.

This time, it was your hands that lashed out in searing reprisal, nails raking vicious crimson trails down the taut vee of Narumi's straining abdomen. He grunted raggedly, pale skin flushing with the first ruddy blooms of ecstasy and pain. But his inexorable pistoning rhythm never once faltered, rapidly bringing you both to that razored precipice.

"Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night, pretty boy," you rasped out between ragged gasps and helplessly obscene mewls. "Easier than admitting you fell for the act harder than anyone, isn't it?"

For one suspended heartbeat, Narumi's smoldering glare bored into your own in naked challenge and visceral acknowledgment of the bitter truth laced through your scathing retort. Then his searing mouth descended once more in a needful, branding crush that seemed to plunder the very air from your lungs through its savage intensity alone.

Reality itself seemed to bleed away in that moment until there was only the relentless heat and friction of your rutting bodies, the tangling thrusts of sinuous muscle and wanton desperation shedding propriety like diseased flesh. Nails scored wickedly, teeth nipped and worried with bruising possession as whatever lines between dominance and submission frayed into irrelevance entirely.

It didn't matter that you were nominally riding the sweat-slicked behemoth of Narumi's punishing body towards that inevitable peak, his biceps flexing obscenely as fingers dug into your hips hard enough to leave mottled blooms of ecstasy. You were equals here, burning stars locked in terminal gravitic spiral towards supernova obliteration.

When that blissful, unknitting singularity finally tore through you both on a tidal swell of mutual crescendos, it felt like scorching annihilation. You keened Narumi's name into the stifling darkness as exquisite aftershocks lacerated you to the marrow - dimly aware of his own hoarse vowel rapture answering your silent deific invocations in kind.

All at once, your bodies sagged with the abrupt bonelessness of guttered candles, limbs tangling in the sweaty wreckage of sheets in a gasping, disarrayed sprawl. You felt the thrumming bolts of searing satisfaction lance through each mingling plume of breath as Narumi gathered your debauched form against the bower of his heaving chest.

His lips feathered soft, disarrayed indulgences against your damp hair as you basked in the afterglow's molten splendor. Your eyes drifted closed in a moment of perfect serenity, the roaring fires momentarily banked rather than extinguished entirely.

Then Narumi rumbled out three words in a broken, naked rasp that made the world itself seem to tip wildly off its axis in an instant:

"I love you..."

Those three deceptively simple syllables hung in the air between your tangled, desiccated forms with the smothering weight of a death knell. For several disbelieving heartbeats, you could only lay there frozen in the boneless wreckage of afterglow, certain you'd misheard the hushed confession bleeding from Narumi's lips.

But then his arms instinctively tightened around you in an unspeakably tender embrace at stark odds with the intensity of your earlier joining. The truth of his unbidden vulnerability sank razor-taloned hooks into the vulnerable flesh of your psyche with lacerating inevitability.

You jackknifed upright with a breathless sound of visceral denial, sheets pooling around your midsection as you physically recoiled from the wounded honesty resonating behind Narumi's murmured vow. He gazed up at you with lidded, unflinching intensity, the heat in those ruby depths somehow transmuted to something far more treacherous than merely molten carnality.

"No..." The ragged rasp fell from your own lips like a plea for absolution as you shook your head numbly in futile refutation. "You can't...that wasn't part of our deal, Narumi! How could you—"

Before you could stumble further down that panicked spiral, Narumi surged upright to capture your face between those calloused palms you knew every callous and swordswell by intimate memory. His searing touch raised delicious friction, sending unwanted tremors ricocheting beneath your sensitized nerve-endings despite the encroaching dread rapidly walling off your heart.

"Because it's true!" He bit out in a growl laced with gruff desperation, eyes boring into yours with naked entreaty. "I don't know when exactly this...thing shifted into something more for me." One hand slid down to splay over the frantic thunder of your heartbeat as if in wordless emphasis. "But it did. And I can't just ignore or bury it any longer like we've been doing for years now."

The words lanced straight through your defenses like razored quarrels seeking your most vulnerable places. Your breath hitched as Narumi leaned closer still, foreheads brushing in that brand of casual intimacy that made you want to simultaneously keen and recoil in dismay.

"Think about it..." His warm exhale caressed your tingling cheek as he searched your widened gaze with unbearable intensity. "All this time, all these years of risking everything just to be together like this in the dead of night...it had to mean more than just lust and relieving stress, baby."

You shook your head again but the denial felt pallid and increasingly brittle upon your own tongue. Because truthfully...some deeper, more treacherous part of you knew Narumi's forbidden honesty only resonated so viciously because part of you understood it as immutable truth too.

Narumi pressed his advantage like a blade penetrating your weakening defenses with each gravelled word. "Tell me you haven't felt it too, okay? That undercurrent driving us back into each other's arms again no matter how much we swear it off as sin or too dangerous."

His breath mingled with yours in a tremulous exchange more intimate than any crude joining of flesh could ever be. You held his blistering stare helplessly, caught in the roiling tides of Narumi's naked ardor like a drowning woman too enthralled to accept salvation's easy deliverance.

"Tell me..." His voice dropped to an imploring rasp that liquified your bones despite the desperate stiffness radiating through your frame now. "Tell me you don't feel anything for me after all this time beyond a warm place to have your—"

"Stop!" The ragged bark tore itself free as you seized Narumi by his shoulders to put what little distance you could muster between your perilously attenuated spirits before the temptation to surrender utterly proved too grievously overpowering.

You were panting like you'd just been run through a brutal series of combat forms, chest heaving with exertion and visceral need that simmered through your blood with every stolen glimpse of Narumi's shattered vulnerability writ into the taut lines of his face.

But already the tides of defiance were surging to shore up those crumbling fortifications, years of ingrained self-preservation reflexes catalyzing to shore up these fractured boundaries however possible. Your chest cinched with a dull ache that felt suspiciously adjacent to mourning as you fought to regain control.

"That's enough, Gen," you managed in a hoarse rasp that wavered dangerously despite your best intentions. "You overstepped - badly. And now we're done, for good this time."

Somehow, you found the strength to haul yourself upright and away from the cradle of Narumi's limbs, ignoring the full body shudder that wracked your frame in protest. Already you could feel the treacherous heat of unshed emotion prickling behind your eyelids as it finally settled in that this...this unforgivable thing you'd let blossom between your souls for too long...would finally wither away if you could summon the resolve to sever it now.

Narumi made a noise of wordless anguish that very nearly shattered your determination. His hand shot out to sear a scorching trail of blissed friction along your inner thigh as you turned to gather your clothing in hasty, shamefaced silence.

"Please..." The ragged, wounded keen spilled from between his parted lips to lap at your fracturing composure mercilessly. "Baby, don't do this...don't shut me out and end it like this between us. Not when you have to feel what I do too!"

You paused mid-reach for your haphazardly discarded shirt, entire body quaking beneath the strain of fighting this sudden, savage undertow of vulnerability and latent yearning Narumi's forbidden truth had awoken with ruthless force. When you spoke again, your voice seemed almost unrecognizably thready and small.

"You broke the rules, Narumi," you stated with what felt like the last vestiges of rational detachment pooling about your feet like drained marrow. "And now I have no choice but to do what should have been done from the start - end this before it destroys us both entirely."

Narumi exploded upright with enough force to rattle the decrepit bedframe, tangled sheets clinging to his taut musculature like the last shreds of dignity. "Stop lying to yourself!" he raged with scorching intensity that made you flinch bodily. "I know what I saw in your eyes just now. You do feel it too, don't you? This thing, this hunger that claws beyond base lust or indulgence..."

He closed the distance between you in a series of measured, leonine strides that had your breath locking in your throat with each hypnotic step. You remained frozen as he towered over you in naked glory, the heated menace radiating off his frame in palpable waves despite his bereft state now.

"That's why this terrifies you so much." Narumi's baritone had transmuted to a graveled rasp of bitter epiphany and something darker...something like despair finally breaching his meticulously reinforced walls. "You're just as lost and hopeless to its pull as I am."

Your insides clenched at the naked accusation scorching through his unraveling ardor, sending fissures spiderwebbing through the foundations of your earlier ire. It took gargantuan effort to tear your gaze from his with an audible hiss of indrawn breath.

Already you were turning away from his radiant, crippling presence with the disorienting swiftness of one shaking off a mesmerizing trance too all-consuming to endure for even a single breath longer. The ragged threads of your composure had begun snagging and unraveling beyond all repair.

"This is goodbye, Gen." You bit the words out from between clenched teeth, every slashing syllable carving into your psyche like a ruthless quartering.

Despite the air of finality you struggled to imbue them with, they felt as hollowed and empty as a dying flame's plaintive flickers. You didn't dare look back to gauge Narumi's reaction, couldn't bear to see the recrimination and desolation you instinctively knew awaited you now in his blazing eyes.

So it was to grave, damning silence and the muffled susurrus of your own heartbeat pounding like frantic surrender signals that you gathered the rest of your clothing to your chest and fled. Every step seemed to thrum with the leaden weight of inevitability as you hurtled yourself through the tarnished byways and back out into the harsh, achingly impersonal brutality of the world beyond.

Only with the stark chill of nightfall searing against your sweat-sheened skin could you harbor any illusions of escape from the inferno you'd just ignited behind you - and even then, your control felt more hollow and gossamer with every ragged inhale clawing at your lungs.

Narumi didn't follow or call after you. The finality of your parting words and furious rebuke no doubt rendered any further denial or entreaty moot in his eyes by now. He would simply let you retreat into yourself like always, licking your wounds like a rabid beast torn between preserving its territory or succumbing to the butchery it so richly craved.

What you couldn't know or allow yourself to anticipate in that moment was the cataclysmic shift both your souls now quaked beneath. No matter which course you charted out of desperation and crippled self-preservation, some deeper fracture had split wide between the seams of whatever masquerade you'd both assumed could paper over this spreading bloom of woundedness for perpetuity.

And whether he chose to indulge its savage thorns or hack them out by the root entirely, Narumi would wear the scars of your collective undoing like a badge of honor from this point forward. He would nurse the festering hurt until it transmuted into something far uglier and caustic...or simply let it bleed him dry at last between these cracked foundations you were leaving behind.

Hours later, curled into himself atop the blood-spattered coverlet of your sins, Narumi's thoughts circled that yawning abyss like a moth courting the flame that would raze it to cinders.

He couldn't seem to dredge up appropriate shock or disdain that his feelings for you had blown wide that hairline fracture plaguing your self-imposed barriers for so long. Even as you'd turned your back and fled from his unyielding presence with fire in your heels, some part of him had simply accepted the unraveling as a morbid fait accompli.

No, the real question now...the one that loomed with steadily mounting disquiet in the emptiness of your shared abandonment, was where that left his own soul in the aftermath. What would become of Narumi Gen when even this salve of your shared sins and indulgences abandoned him to fend with truth's bitter aftertaste alone?

Perhaps, he pondered with steadily mounting dread, he was closer to the edge of some irrevocable plunge than even you realized in the wake of your ferocious denials. So close now, the insidious murmurs of that bleakest, lowest point sounded downright...inviting compared to carrying on beneath the weight of this searing hollowness you'd forced upon him.

Narumi's crimson eyes drifted to the sheath of his sidearm, discarded in the frenzy beside yesterday's clothing and innocence. His calloused fingertips traced the sturdy grip with mounting fascination, feeling the sibilant call of oblivion's dark promise whispering ever louder against his stricken conscience now.

Just one slender silver key to unlocking the ultimate salve against this acidic cancer you'd condemned his spirit to endure...a coward's exodus, but nevertheless a permanent exit ramp from the highway screaming straight towards his own spiritual annihilation.

Narumi contemplated that shadowed crossroads for several eternities crammed into the span of a few haggard breaths. His broad chest heaved with the exertion of psychic torment, twin plumes of heat gusting from between painfully parted lips in voiceless meditation.

When at last his fingers curled away from the comforting solidity of cold, uncarved steel, it wasn't in revulsion or self-recrimination for the paths his mind had begun spiraling perilously close towards. Rather, the look that slowly stole over Narumi's brutally handsome features was one of simmering, inwardly directed resolve - something far closer to dangerous epiphany than surrender.

He would bear this defiant hollowness you'd condemned his soul to until its embers kindled into something far more potent and corrosive than any romantic infatuation could have ever achieved. He would cultivate every scintilla of hurt and gaping yearning as raw fuel for the pyre of wrath and bitter loathing you'd so carelessly condemned him to endure now.

And in the end, when the time came to unleash those meticulously curated fires back upon your oblivious world...Narumi vowed he would revel in flaying that blissful naivety from your body and soul with merciless prejudice. That way, you would never hold the luxury of doubting whether this bond between you had run deeper or more profoundly toxic than even you suspected.

Let these wounds fester and scar first, he decided with finality as his jaw clenched painfully tight. He could wait as long as it took for this harrowing crucible to reshape him into something infinitely more dangerous. Then and only then would he make you rue the day you'd fled from his naked ardor in disgust, flinging his shredded soul back into the abyss without a second thought.

The strategy meeting seemed to drone on interminably as Captain Ashiro outlined the parameters for the upcoming reconnaissance mission. You struggled to keep your focus zeroed in on the Captain's briefing materials, acutely aware of Hoshina's weighted study from his position beside the combat projections.

Ever since the...incident with Narumi a few nights ago, your thoughts had been a tangled, unruly mess of bitter recriminations and unresolved anguish. Ignoring the throbbing hollowness steadily festering within your core was quickly becoming an exercise in masochism itself.

You felt Hoshina's piercing lavender stare like a physical brand every time your concentration strayed. Despite your best efforts, your brother's uncanny intuition seemed hyper-tuned to your inner turmoil recently. Which was why his scrutiny only compounded the guilt and emotional vertigo now plaguing your every waking moment.

A slight shift of movement in your peripheral vision made you risk a sidelong glance - only to find Hoshina's implacable stare locked onto your pensive features with undisguised concern writ into each ruggedly hewn line. You swallowed hard against the lump of twin shame and resentment clogging your throat as his vivid eyes narrowed infinitesimally in a silent demand for answers.

You were spared having to dredge up some placating deflection by Mina clearing her throat meaningfully at the podium's fore. All eyes instinctively snapped back towards their illustrious Captain as she clasped her hands in a decisive flourish.

"That covers our operational goals for the next phase," Mina announced in her usual no-nonsense cadence. "I expect each of you to review the specifics with your teams and have rotation assignments submitted by week's end. We'll proceed with all due diligence."

The soft murmurs of assent from your fellow platoon leaders swept over you like white noise, failing to fully register as you remained hunkered in your own private maelstrom. You were only jarred free of the numbness thrumming through your veins by Hoshina shifting position beside you in a silent request to depart.

The others filed out of the briefing room in clumps, heads already bent together in fervent strategy sessions over rotations and deployments. You were in the process of standing and gathering your satchel when Hoshina's rough baritone sliced through the shell of self-imposed isolation like a scalpel.

"Why are you a million miles away today?" It could have been an innocuous question if not for the unmistakable rasp of paternal concern interlaced beneath the offhanded delivery.

You paused mid-reach for your things with your back to Hoshina's looming presence - hoping against futile hope he hadn't caught the nearly imperceptible instinctive flinch wracking your shoulders at his observation.

Clearing your throat gruffly, you straightened and pivoted to face your brother's unwavering scrutiny head-on like the seasoned combat operative you'd been trained to be from birth.

"I'm not," you countered with the first placid lie available on your tongue. "We all have off days where the briefings just seem to drag, that's all..."

For someone who relied on speed and precision with the blade, Hoshina could move with surprising stealth when required. One moment, his imposing silhouette hovered at the periphery of your awareness. The next, you found yourself pinned beneath the lavender depths of his eerie stare, bodies barely a hands-span apart.

Up close, you caught the subtle fragrances of steel polish and clean sweat underlaid by Hoshina's own warm, earthy musk. The combination was startlingly personal and potent - another unwanted blow to your precarious self-composure as memories of your last encounter with Narumi seemed to unfurl before your mind's eye.

"Bullshit," Hoshina growled out, his usually affable features hardening into stern angles and deep creases as he appraised you unflinchingly. "You've been a mess all week, moving through your duties like some kinda wraith. So I'll ask again - what's going on with you, little sister?"

The question wasn't unkind, exactly. But it still struck you like the drawn blade's first kiss against trembling flesh, slicing defensiveness and anger in its wake even as dismay welled up. Your nostrils flared with the struggle of marshaling an adequate deflection against Hoshina's uncanny intuition.

How could you possibly explain the maelstrom consuming you from within when the very thought of confessing its toxic origins filled you with visceral dread and self-loathing? Either Narumi's unbidden vulnerability had irrevocably shattered everything between you...or else it had only catalyzed your own emotional awakening in turn - damning you to the very same treacherous depths and depravity you'd accused him of falling into.

Either realization was more lacerating and shameful than your obstinate pride could currently withstand. So you fell back on the easy defensive shield of deflection and sarcastic rebuke instead.

"Always worrying over me like some mother hen," you muttered with a dismissive shake of your head. "I'd chew you out for prying, but I know how impossible you make it to keep any secrets around here anyway."

Hoshina's brow furrowed thunderously at your veiled jibe, mouth working around a sharp retort before the muscle in his jaw pulsed visibly. He drew himself up to his full, intimidating height with exaggerated leisure - gaze never wavering from your own as if challenging you to sustain his interrogation.

The silence between you stretched out into brittle increments, heartbeats seeming to throb like ringing chimes against your skull as the staring contest persisted. At last, Hoshina expelled a resonant sigh edged with frustrated resignation.

"Fine, be that way if you insist," he grumbled out with clear displeasure coloring his typically easy-going tones. "But don't think this is the end of my prying just yet, little girl. You're wound up over something - that much is painfully clear. And until you finally spit it out, I'll be watching you like a damned hawk as always."

Despite his stern censure and the undercurrent of simmering reproach, you were unable to suppress the tiny swell of fondness burbling up from your core. Leave it to Hoshina to play the role of exasperated guardian when you were the one grappling with entirely self-inflicted spiritual devastation.

"Yeah, yeah," you grunted with only moderate heat behind the growled delivery. "Good old big brother, ever playing the worried patriarch over his helpless baby sister."

You meant it as a gentle rib, but Hoshina seemed to pick up on the subtle deflating of your earlier antagonism. He leveled you with another considering look before nodding towards the exit in silent invitation to walk.

"Oh trust me," he drawled as you felt into companionable step beside one another. "The day I start fretting over you like some damsel will be the day I hang up this blade and join a knitting circle."

His lilting delivery was pure kansai accent, all light rasp and indolent charm. The familiarity of it made your earlier turbulence settle incrementally, replaced by a comforting sense that no matter how deep the chasms in your soul split open...your connection with this stalwart pillar of stability would endure.

"Oh, I'm sure your knitting game is absolutely fierce," you shot right back, appreciating the transient reprieve to simply banter and bicker like always. "Probably just as cutthroat and competitive as everything else you take on, you lunatic."

Hoshina's low, rumbling chuckle seemed to spread warmth through the corridor like a soothing balm against your raw edges. "Speaking of taking things on..."

You felt the atmosphere between you two shift ever so incrementally as your brother seemed to slide into a more affable seriousness, shoulders squaring reflexively with purpose. Against your will, your pulse kicked up a palpable notch in anticipation of where this was heading...

"Were you paying attention to the next long-range recon Ashiro laid out at all?" Hoshina's tone was studiedly casual, but the sudden weight of his stare pinned you like the first shards of something portentous looming. "Or were you too busy spacing out to gather the mission specs this time, princess?"

You determinedly avoided the jibe and widened sweep of Hoshina's regard, keeping your stare fixated firmly ahead on the corridor's stark gray expanse. Your mind whirled belatedly, struggling to dredge up the barest recollection of Mina's earlier outlines...and coming up utterly blank.

"Don't get smart, asshole," was all you could grit out through a clenched jaw, annoyance sparking anew now as your precarious grasp on mastery over the briefing details slipped through your fingers like smoke. "Just...refresh me, already."

Hoshina made a sound of sardonic amusement, clearly picking up on your rapidly fracturing composure despite your best efforts. After a heartbeat or two of torturous silence, he clucked his tongue with paternal indulgence.

"Alright, listen up then, slacker," he chided in that affectionately gruff tone that always felt like balm against your more unruly impulses. "You're one of the liaisons being sent to the city for extended surveillance over the next few weeks."

Your brows instinctively furrowed, but Hoshina pressed on before you could properly voice your confusion.

"Nothing fancy or action-packed," he assured you with the first threads of vague amusement tingeing his voice. "Just a support role for the advance team already on the ground there doing prep work. You and whoever Narumi designates as backup from the First will hole up, provide comms relays, monitor any unusual fluctuations - that kind of boring shit."

Despite his teasing delivery, something in Hoshina's final few syllables seemed to split open like a visceral wound straight through the heart of your recovery. Your vision whited out for one panicked heartbeat, chest constricting around the sudden influx of suffocating dread lancing upwards.

Because of course...of fucking course the specter of Narumi Gen would come roaring back into your atmosphere just when you'd mustered half a chance at regaining your equilibrium once more. The mere idea of being stuck in confined quarters with him again so soon after...everything...

"You're joking," you managed to croak out through suddenly numb vocal cords. "Please tell me you're fucking joking about deploying me anywhere with one of Narumi's mindless drones as a partner."

Something about your reaction must have telegraphed easily through your usual cloaking disciplines and stoic veneers. Because Hoshina visibly stilled beside you, brow creasing into deep groves as a flicker of something dangerously close to suspicion bled into his pensive regard.

"That reaction seems...extreme," he observed in a studied neutral cadence at odds with the mounting intensity seeping into the atmosphere around you now. "Even for your usual prickliness when it comes to that division."

You swallowed hard, mouth suddenly bone dry against a fresh swell of nauseous remorse poisoning your resolve. How could you possibly hope to explain the visceral revulsion and soul-deep yearning now entwining around the mere prospect of facing Narumi again so soon without tearing the lid off truths better left unplundered in shadow?

The silence stretched on excruciatingly between your joined frames as Hoshina continued to study you with that disconcerting hawkishness you now recognized signaled his analytical side rapidly spiraling into overdrive. At last, he sliced through the encroaching miasma with a rasp that seemed to split the very air itself.

"Never mind, screw tradition and protocol," he bit out in a graveled murmur that set every hair along your nape prickling. "I'm reassigning you a support partner from the Third. No need to entangle you further with anything in Narumi's shitshow unless you specifically want in on that minefield."

Blinding relief washed over you in a cascading rush, leaving you lightheaded and infinitely grateful for Hoshina's apparently casual dismissal of your vehement reaction. You managed a clipped nod and made to continue on your way - only for your brother's calloused fingers to ensnare your wrist in an uncompromising vise an instant later.

"But don't think this gets you out of the real conversation entirely, little girl," Hoshina rumbled with a sudden return of that paternal, chiding edge that somehow only amplified the threat simmering beneath his words.

"Soon as we're done with this mundane crap, you and I are going to sit down for a long overdue heart-to-heart about what's got you so twisted up lately. And this time..." He squeezed your trapped wrist with emphasis, forcing you to meet his canny lavender stare head-on. "This time, I expect the goddamn truth from you if I have to pry it loose myself. Are we clear?"

Your throat seemed to swell shut against the torrent of roiling, contrasting emotions searing paths beneath your shredded defenses. There was the molten gratitude for Hoshina's steadfast devotion and intuitive care in sparing you this present trauma. But it mingled with the visceral shame of knowing he wouldn't hesitate to rip those other, more grievous truths free from your lips if he ever got so much as an inkling of the sins festering there.

After all, what loyalty or camaraderie could possibly outweigh the sheer burning revulsion Hoshina would experience upon learning his precious baby sister had been reduced to depraved late-night trysts and reckless indulgences with a man he so thoroughly loathed above all others? No...better to take this hard-won reprieve now rather than face a reckoning neither of your souls were truly prepared to weather just yet.

"Crystal," was all you could rasp by way of hoarse promise.

The muscle in Hoshina's jaw ticked almost imperceptibly - the barest harbinger of roiling thoughts and calculations still churning tempestuously behind that implacable facade. Then his hand fell away from its searing brand of possession around your wrist as if rebuked.

"I'm counting on it," he murmured beneath his breath in a tone you couldn't quite decipher through the haze of your inner vertigo. "Now go get prepped and we'll talk assignment details after evening drills, princess."

With that mildly ominous proclamation hanging in his wake, Hoshina turned on his heel and strode away - leaving you swaying silently in the lonely, shadowed corridor with the lingering ghostfire of an impossible choice spreading steadily across the foundations of your fracturing self once more.

The hangar's sterile lighting seemed to bore into you like halogen needles as you paced the reinforced decking with restless strides. Your duffel bag thumped a muffled cadence against your thigh in time with each pivot, containing the bare essentials for this supposedly low-key reconnaissance deployment to the city.

Every nerve ending felt overamped and electrified in the wake of your conversation with Hoshina, anticipating the arrival of whatever fresh nightmare waited to be assigned as your partner for this op. You were grateful beyond words that your brother had intervened so adamantly against saddling you with one of Narumi's subordinates at least.

The mere notion of coming face-to-face with any of the First Division's personnel right now made your insides churn acid in reflexive revulsion. Especially after the sheer devastation you were still grappling with from your last encounter with their captain himself...

A harsh mechanical whine suddenly shattered the hangar's tense stillness like a gunshot. You whirled with heart pounding to find one of the armored transports rumbling through the gaping portal, exhaust fumes swirling in its wake like noxious spirits stirred from slumber.

You watched with mounting disquiet as the vehicle's rear hatch cycled open and a familiar silhouette emerged into the actinic lighting, features indistinct until your eyes focused—

Only for the bottom to drop out of your stomach as the world itself seemed to yaw sickeningly beneath your boots at the unmistakable sight of Narumi's tall, rangy figure strolling out with easy nonchalance. You felt the breath seize in your lungs, robbing you of the primal scream of denial currently scalding your throat.

No...not now. Not after everything that had passed so brutally between you in those shadowed hours of sinful surrender and naked vulnerability. How could fate be so unspeakably cruel as to strand you within Narumi's reach again like this?

You saw the exact instant his roving gaze landed upon you frozen there like a statue in the center of the hangar bay. Those sinfully beautiful features you'd so recently mapped in the throes of passion contorted into a ferocious scowl more befitting your final, searing exchange. The smirk curling his lips now felt like some hellish parody of the velvet hunger you'd once beheld helplessly on the other side of that chiseled facade.

"Well well..." Narumi purred in a roughened baritone that somehow managed to drip with erotic promise and vitriolic disdain all at once as he drew inexorably nearer. "Fancy meeting you here in this unexpected crossroads, princess."

You swallowed hard against the hot bilious surge of panic and incandescent want warring for control in the pit of your abdomen. Despite the barbed animosity that seemed to saturate the air itself between you two now, that traitorous ember of ardor refused to remain fully banked.

Instead, you found your eyelids sinking to sultry half-lids despite your best efforts at forcibly narrowing them into impassive slits. Your gaze drank in the insolent sway of Narumi's hips, the sinuous roll of hewn muscle shifting beneath his fitted uniform as he drew rapidly closer.

Already you found yourself reconstructing the shapes of slick skin and tangled limbs behind your fluttering lashes without permission. Filling in the lurid impressions of your earlier joining with agonizing fidelity to the source - from the grunts of exertion and guttural growls of demand to the obscene squelch of fevered coupling and mutual releases' final shuddering raptures. You felt your cheeks heat despite your best efforts, gooseflesh rising across hypersensitized flesh as—

"Tell me this is just some sick joke," you managed to rasp despite your constricted airway, interrupting your spiraling reveries with brute force. "You can't possibly be who they're assigning as my support for this deployment."

The words seemed to reverberate against the reinforced steel bulkheads with bitter futility. Deep down, you recognized that ominous dread of inevitability taking root like a gnarled tumor amidst your psyche's cracked foundations. Narumi only paused to fix you with a smug, loaded stare — eyes hooded to sinful slits that were simultaneously too intimate and horribly impersonal for the maelstrom currently whiplashing your insides.

"Well now, I'd hate to dash your hopes like that." His rich timbre seemed to make the very air between you two shimmer with residual ardor despite the cruel mockery seeping into each syllable. "But I've got the assignment briefs right here with your name on 'em if you need proof this little reunion is 100 percent official."

Narumi broke the tension then, bridging the final few feet separating you both with that same unhurried stalking gait of a panther circling its prey. You instinctively tried to backpedal only to find your boots pinned to the deckplates as if girded in frozen concrete, breath sawing against your ribcage with mounting hysteria at the proximity.

Up close like this, your senses swam with the visceral impressions of Narumi's scorching presence - the achingly familiar aftershave, the musk of his body heat, the metallic ozone odor of undischarged static crackling between your souls' frayed auras whenever you drew too close to—

"That's quite enough of your bullshit taunts, Captain Narumi."

The low, grinding bark of Hoshina's displeasure rent the eddying clouds of tension abruptly. For the first time since Narumi's unforgivable arrival, you remembered how to properly inhale as your brother's towering presence materialized like reinforced battlements in the breach.

Only when your vision stopped swimming did the complete tableau reassert itself clearly. Hoshina's slab-like forearm locked in place dead center to Narumi's sternum, effectively pinning him back from invading your personal orbit any further. Every muscle in his frame seemed coiled for violence, with only the barest threads of restraint keeping Hoshina from unleashing utter havoc upon the First Division Captain in this very moment.

"Don't let me catch you encroaching on my sister like this again if you know what's good for you, asshole," Hoshina rasped between gritted teeth, eyes blazing with flat refusal to be trifled with. If he harbored even a fraction of the malign history you shared with Narumi, there would be blood on the floor already.

Narumi simply appraised your brother with uncharacteristic mildness, features schooled into that vulpine mask of mockery once more.

"Don't go souring on my account now, bowlcut," he drawled with easy insolence that practically dripped from his aura like poison oil. "I'm only being a cordial host to my newly appointed charge here. Nothing wrong with some friendly greetings between colleagues being assigned together now, is there?"

You flinched at the insinuation like a physical slap, still reeling from Narumi's presence. But some tiny part of you couldn't help wondering if this ordeal was simply the latest volley in whatever sadistic mindfuck he'd apparently chosen to wage against your shredded composure now.

An ember of betrayal kindled anew as the suspicion took root - Narumi orchestrating this entire situation just so he could watch you writhe and suffer beneath his unveiled contempt some more. To torture you with that same excruciating intimacy and indifferent brutality that had made your last encounter feel like the end of all worlds.

The muscles in Hoshina's jaw ticked and flexed as he clearly wrestled with the rising need to simply bury his knuckles in Narumi's sneering facade. When he finally spoke, his voice emerged even more granite-shredded than before.

"Believe me, there's only one rock-stupid mistake being made right now, and it sure as fuck ain't coming from me." He punctuated the rebuke by glancing back at you with marked tenderness laced between the creases of his glare. "Y/N, I thought I had this sorted after our convo, but apparently HQ's got better ideas. That request to swap out from your detail got denied."

Your insides seemed to plummet down an infinite well of existential dread as the grim realization cemented itself. Bile scorched the back of your throat and you were only vaguely aware of your knees threatening to give way entirely. This wasn't some twisted power play from Narumi after all - this was apparently intended to be your own personalized version of hell written in the stars now.

Hoshina's expression softened imperceptibly as he seemed to pick up on the slightest inkling of your turmoil from across the distance. One broad palm extended towards you in an unspoken gesture of comfort, genuine empathy flickering across his proud features.

"I won't lie, sis...this whole deal stinks with his name all over it. And I gave it my best shot with the higher-ups," he admitted at last with a trace of rare softness tingeing the edges of that gruff baritone you knew so well. "But in the end the call went out - you're stuck hauling his flaking ass for this op no matter what."

Your lips moved soundlessly at first, unable to give voice to the cataclysms unfolding within your fractured spirit as the implications threatened to swallow you whole. What other ungodly trials awaited now in the wake of being forcibly intertwined with the man responsible for the first hairline cracks splintering across your foundations?

With tremendous effort, you mustered enough air to deliver the croaked question in a featherlight rasp.

"Why?" A single, wretched syllable that nevertheless contained entire cosmoses' worth of anguish. "Why would they...isn't it obvious—?"

"Because it doesn't matter what's obvious," Narumi's low, smoky rumble sliced through the charged air unexpectedly - shearing away the pity and vulnerability in Hoshina's stance as his spine instinctively straightened up. "None of your silly grudges or hangups matter when it comes to orders handed down, sweetheart."

The molten glare Hoshina cut towards the First Division's ringleader practically crackled with restrained ire. However, Narumi remained infuriatingly blasé - languidly stretching his arms above his head in an exaggerated display that made corded muscle shift in tantalizing motions across his broad chest and shoulders.

"So do us both a favor, hmm?" His customary vulpine grin hitched back across those beautiful features in an instant - disarmingly handsome despite the clear undercurrents of challenge simmering in his depthless vermillion stare. "Drop the jealous possessive fuming and quit trying to pull rank here. This is above your pay grade, Hoshina."

Some inscrutable signal seemed to pass between the two rival combatants in that stilled heartbeat, leaving you to hover on the edges of all comprehension. Only when your brother heaved a gusty breath and shoulders slumped could you even begin to tentatively release the death grip your fingers had unconsciously woven into your own disheveled tresses.

When Hoshina turned back towards you finally, his face seemed even more lined than usual with the fading remnants of residual ire smoothing away into rueful resignation. For just a fleeting instant, you caught a glimpse of the vulnerable protector he allowed himself to be for only you behind those walls.

"Orders are orders, I guess," he sighed out into the yawning tension vibrating between your conjoined frames. But then his eyes narrowed fractionally and seemed to gravelly harden like windswept basalt once more as his focus locked back onto Narumi's sprawled arrogance. "But let's get one thing cleared up before I leave you in this idiot's care, princess..."

The next few heartbeats felt like an eternity compressed into a singular cosmic crunch as your brother moved with leonine poise until he loomed directly over Narumi's taller frame with every hard-hewn ounce of promised violence radiating off his form. For the first time since his dazzling arrival, you thought you caught a soupçon of reservation entering Narumi's lazy regard as Hoshina leaned in — close enough for his next guttural rumble to pour directly into the other man's sneering facade.

"I couldn't care less about whatever mind games or mutinous shit festers inside your head," Hoshina growled with basso profundity that seemed to make the deck plates judder beneath your boots. "If anything...and I mean even so much as a stray hair gets bent on my sister's head while she's stuck beside you? Buddy?"

He leveled Narumi with a look nothing short of pure distilled midnight, eyes slitted to venomous amethyst slivers filled with lethal promise.

"I'll wipe you from existence so thoroughly, not even the memory of your worthless soul will remain behind to echo through oblivion. We clear, motherfucker?"

Before Narumi could formulate any snide rebuttal, Hoshina seemed to dismiss him from his all-consuming focus with a contemptuous snort of derision. Pivoting on his heel, your brother's stony mask seemed to slip the instant his gaze found yours again - softening into something infinitely more fond and long-suffering even after the blaze of protective outrage you'd just witnessed.

"Don't look so petrified, sis," he rumbled out in a husky rasp pitched just for your ears alone as he reeled you in for a tight farewell hug. You swayed limply against the solid architecture of his chest like a newborn, inhaling the comforting fragrances of steel and clean sweat that had always embodied Hoshina whenever he moved to shelter you from harm.

His lips ghosted a brush of affection across your brow as Hoshina squeezed harder for just an instant before pulling back to meet your turbulent stare one final time.

"You know me better than anyone...my bark's a hell of a lot worse than any bite I could ever work up against that sleaze," he murmured, the hint of a proud smirk quirking up at the corners of his mouth. "So just keep your chin up, focus on the mission, and don't let him psych you out is all. Got it?"

Without waiting for any acknowledgment, he stole one last indulgent look and reached up to ruffle your disheveled hair. Then his palm fell away one final time, gaze hardening into flint once more as Hoshina squared up and strode past where Narumi remained frozen in the tableau's epicenter.

You stood rooted to the hangar deck, chest heaving slightly as the echoes of your brother's footsteps faded into the distance. Despite Hoshina's parting reassurances, dread coiled like a leaden weight in the pit of your stomach. Now you were utterly alone with Narumi - the man who had utterly shattered your foundations with just a few muttered words only nights ago.

The tension stretched taut between your conjoined frames, broken only by the metallic rasp of Narumi's bootsteps as he slowly crossed the hangar towards you. You tracked his predatory strides with apprehensive eyes, unable to fully suppress the instinctive full-body shiver that traced your spine as he drew nearer.

Up close, Narumi's piercing scarlet gaze seemed to sear away every veneer you possessed, leaving you achingly exposed before his unyielding perusal. His lips, so recently branded into the hollows of your flushed skin during past frenzied trysts, curved into a slow, lascivious smirk that made liquid fire curl low in your belly.

"Well, isn't this an...intimately fortuitous turn of events?" Narumi's deep baritone rumbled with dark promise as he circled you in a slow, predatory orbit. "Just you and me, alone at last after that delightfully impassioned farewell from your doting big brother."

You swallowed thickly, nerves alight as Narumi invaded your personal space from behind - the searing brand of his muscular frame aligning against your back in one scorching line. His broad palms settled at the flare of your hips with blatant possession, callused fingertips already mapping the gentle inward curves with smoldering intent.

"G-Gen, don't—" you gasped out in weak protest, fully aware of the desperate quaver undercutting the futile words. But he simply hushed you with a rasping chuckle against the vulnerable hollow below your ear.

"Don't try to deny the raging bonfire between us now, princess," Narumi growled in a voice gone harsh with want. "Not after I felt every ounce of that sweet desperation pouring off you during our little reunion."

One large hand snaked upwards, calloused palm spanning the juncture of your ribs until his blunt fingertips encountered the lace edging of your brassiere. You bit back a strangled whimper as he shamelessly fondled the swell of your breast, hips already grinding against the inescapable ridge of his erection.

"Did you honestly think I'd pass up the first real chance to slake these hungers properly after your panicked retreat?" he hissed against the fevered hollow of your throat. "That I wouldn't seize the first opportunity to take what's mine again until you're nothing but a quivering, fucked-out wreck without the strength to run this time?"

Narumi's other hand slid lower in a blatant caress, fingers splaying possessively across your lower abdomen as he ground your hips back against him with bruising force. You could feel the solid brand of his cock straining against the inseam of his fatigues now, achingly insistent as it dragged against your backside.

"Well too fucking bad, little girl...because there's nowhere else for you to run now."

You gasped sharply as Narumi's mouth latched onto the vulnerable patch of skin behind your ear in a searing, open-mouthed assault. Sharp nips laced with rasping sweeps of his velvet tongue sent delirious sparks of pleasure-pain juddering through your nerves like a lightning strike.

Despite your tenuous mental efforts to remain aloof, detached, your body instinctively arched in wanton supplication - hips rolling in shallow, desperate grinds that only succeeded in wedging the rigid length of Narumi's arousal deeper into the cleft of your ass. The guttural groan torn from his lips vibrated against your tingling skin as his questing hands roamed with increasing fervor.

A fresh bloom of molten arousal blossomed between your thighs, body quickly overriding whatever feeble resolve you tried to cling to. Because the truth was, Narumi's blistering proximity and impassioned possession felt like a solar eclipse - at once achingly familiar yet simultaneously capable of rendering you quivering and humbled beneath his uncompromising dominance.

His sinuous form seemed to engulf yours, broad shoulders bracketing you in from behind as one large palm slid brazenly up your inner thigh. Calloused fingertips mapped the lush seam of your sex through the thin barrier of your uniform with incendiary exploration. You trembled helplessly between Narumi and the wall of solid muscle at your back, nerves screaming with delirious overstimulation.

"Do I feel familiar?" His gravelly growl rasped through your gasping pants as he slowly turned you around to face him. "Does having me pressed up against you like this remind your sweet pussy exactly who it belongs to? Who's responsible for splitting you apart so exquisitely over and over until you pass out from ecstasy?"

As if to punctuate the viscerally crude statement, Narumi rolled his hips in a deep, unhurried grind - ensuring every pulsing inch of his cock dragged across your sensitized pussy with visceral friction. A piteous mewl spilled past your lips as your head fell forward against his shoulder, nerves shorting out from the relentless sensory onslaught.

Narumi's calloused palm cradled the back of your skull, fingertips tangling into your disheveled tresses as he held you immobile against the scorching brand of his mouth. You whimpered helplessly into the relentless velvet glide of his tongue plundering past your swollen lips without resistance.

Every nerve ending felt electrified by his blazing proximity and the unbridled possession behind each rasping sweep of Narumi's insistent caresses. He devoured you with the same unhurried intensity and fervor he always brought to testing the limits of your endurance between the sheets. As if determined to strip away every veneer of composure until only molten quivering desperation remained.

You fisted your hands against the flexing slabs of his shoulders, nails scoring shallow crescents without even realizing it. Narumi growled his dark approval into the shuddering give of your arched form, hips rolling in a slow grind that allowed you to feel every rigid inch of his arousal branding deliciously against your lower abdomen.

Just when you thought your vision might splinter completely beneath the overwhelming swell of sensation, Narumi tore his mouth away with a filthy gasp. You swayed like a reed in his grip, chest heaving in shallow desperation as your lust-hazed eyes fluttered open, silently begging for reprieve or further rapture - you weren't sure which anymore.

Narumi held your dazed stare for several endlessly suspended breaths, eyes glittering like polished garnets in the dimness. His tongue swept out in one indolent pass across his lower lip, gleaming with the shared evidence of your mutual desperation. Only then did his grip loosen fractionally, allowing you to wobble back far enough to feel the cool brush of air against your fevered skin.

"That should satisfy this craving for now," he husked in a tone made rough from the frantic crush of your joining just seconds before. "But you'd better pray the rest of this op passes quickly...because who knows how long I'll be able to resist indulging in a more thorough sampling of my favorite meal."

Despite the blatant challenge and dark promise simmering behind the words, Narumi seemed to drink in your flushed, debauched state with relish for another smoldering instant. One large palm settled against the slick between your parted thighs, fingers stroking idle patterns amidst the damp lace as you fought back a whine.

"You're already melting, aren't you?" he rumbled, palm grinding insistently until you arched like a drawn bow. "Body betraying that feisty little spirit like always when I so much as lay a finger on you."

Then, just as swiftly, Narumi stepped back - leaving you reeling in his wake like a rudderless vessel amidst scalding tides of arousal and aching, unquenched hungers. You watched with something like dismay as he calmly straightened his rumpled uniform, not a single strand of those mercury locks displaced from their artful disarray.

Narumi didn't spare you another glance as he crossed towards the waiting transport, footfalls heavy with the weight of finality. Only when his hand gripped the door latch did he finally twist just enough to pin you with one heated, inscrutable look from beneath thick lashes.

"Playtime's over for now, princess," he growled, gaze sweeping your dishevelment with naked hunger. "So get that pretty head on straight before the real action commences soon enough."

With that darkly ominous promise still shivering through your electrified nerves, Narumi swung himself up into the driver's cabin - leaving you to gather your mental and physical disarray alone amidst the shadow of his rapacious yearnings once more.

A sliver of time seemed to fold in on itself after those fraught events in the hangar bay. Between steeling your focus for the assigned surveillance operations around the city and ruthlessly denying any further backslides into intimate dalliances with Narumi, the hours soon blended into days that flowed like smoke between your fingers.

Yet for all your efforts at vigilance and restraint, you couldn't quite stifle the lingering aftershocks rippling outward from that last explosive encounter together. Narumi made sure of it at every turn by stoking the smoldering embers of desire to fever pitch once again.

Heated gazes that practically scorched wherever they roved across your body...the indolent sprawl of his powerful frame in a casual pose that somehow radiated naked predation...lurid mutterings and thinly veiled innuendos bleeding suggestive promise with every innocuous exchange shared between you...

By the time the final stand-down codes arrived from HQ signaling the op's completion, weeks of accumulated tension and unsated cravings had sapped the very air from your lungs in trembling exhalations of want. You felt like a trip-wire, every cell and synapse coiled on a hair-trigger for relief or unleashed conflagration at Narumi's slightest provocation.

So when you followed his lead back to a nondescript motel on the city’s outskirts with hushed instructions not to break position until the dust settled, the situation felt precariously balanced on a razor's edge. The second Narumi let the room's door fall shut behind you both, the atmosphere shifted palpably.

"Well well..." His smoky drawl drifted like sin itself into the dimness as you watched his tall rangy form stalk deeper into the ambiance. "Isn't this a familiar feeling?"

You inhaled shakily, doing your best to tamp down on the visceral reactions singing beneath your nerve endings as Narumi's vivid stare roamed the space with undisguised possession. One eyebrow arched as he crossed to deposit his duffel on the pathetic queen-sized mattress with a muted thump.

"You've got to admit," Narumi purred, turning to favor you with that hooded crimson smolder you knew far too intimately by now. "This setup does drum up plenty of tantalizing memories of our past...indiscretions, hmm?"

Something about that sinful purr in his low timbre detonated like wildfire across your heightened senses. You fought down the accompanying shiver, unable to help tracking the casual sprawl of his musculature and sinuous lines as Narumi seemed to make a production of settling more comfortably amidst the rumpled bedding.

"I can already picture you," he husked with audible relish, letting the insinuation bleed heavy suggestion into every following syllable. "Trembling and slick beneath me across these very sheets while I split you open around my cock over and over until you're throatier from whimpering out my name than any uptight pleasantries."

Something uncurled low in your abdomen in a hot, liquid rush of anticipation at the crudely blatant imagery. You swallowed hard against the sudden resurgent need thrumming through every inch of your frame. Meanwhile, Narumi's own stare seemed to bore into you with the same relentless intensity as a physical caress - practically undressing your defenses one maddening layer at a time.

"So tell me, little girl..." That same incendiary rumble you knew like your own pulse's cadence slurred through the heated quiet as his tongue flicked out to graze his lower lip in a subconscious tell of hunger. "How much longer do you think you'll be able to resist submerging yourself in those sweet lost memories before surrendering to the refuge of my arms tonight?"

His final purr seemed to vibrate against your very marrow as the haunting question hovered in the swiftly thickening ambiance between your tangled forms. You could only stand there enraptured and mute beneath the smolder of Narumi's ravenous regard, hypersensitive to each scorching inhale and exhale that passed between you like a shared prayer awaiting its eventual shattering answer.

The heated tension thickened in the space between you and Narumi, seeming to solidify into a tangible force pressing against your skin. His smoldering gaze tracked every minute shift and reaction as you struggled to regain your composure beneath his ravenous perusal.

Before you could formulate a response, Narumi moved with leonine grace - one moment lounging indolently on the rumpled bedding, the next prowling straight towards you in a series of powerful, purposeful strides. You held yourself rigid despite the stuttering of your pulse, determined not to openly surrender so easily to his blistering proximity.

But the instant Narumi's powerful frame closed the gap, every instinct within you liquified beneath the intoxicating reality of his presence engulfing your senses once more. The crisp, musky fragrance of his cologne and body heat...the sinuous flexing of taut muscle visible beneath his shirt...the low, smoldering burn crackling in those depthless eyes as they bored into yours with naked ardor.

"Still playing coy after all this time?" His graveled whisper slithered across your nerve endings like a physical caress as one broad palm settled against the small of your back. Narumi used the leverage to reel you flush against the solid wall of his chest in one unhurried tug, eliminating every fractional inch of distance between you. "You should know better by now how useless those sweet little feints are against me, princess."

His free hand cradled the nape of your neck then, simultaneously possessive and tender in a way that made your breath stall. Narumi's gaze held yours with searing intensity as he deliberately leaned in closer, pursing those full lips you knew far too intimately by now.

You braced for the searing brand of his mouth crashing against yours in typical savagery. But instead, Narumi's approach remained almost torturously slow - his thumb tenderly stroking the sensitive hollow beneath your ear as he allowed the suspense to stretch out like molten taffy between you.

Just as your eyelids began to flutter shut against the sweet agonizing tension, you saw the softening around the hard lines of Narumi's mouth shift into something more...affectionate. More vulnerably open in a way you recognized from your last ill-fated tryst together. The same unguarded ardor that had burst free from deep within him before cracking open the first chasms of anguish in your very foundations...

In that suspended heartbeat as Narumi's lips finally brushed against yours in gossamer lightness, every nerve ending throughout your hypersensitized frame went haywire in visceral remembrance. A strangled squeak of dismay slipped free as your hands instinctively fisted against his chest, trying to shove Narumi's solid mass backwards.

His breath puffed out in a rasping groan of mingled frustration and hurt, but Narumi instantly obeyed - retreating half a step to break the fragile contact and watch you through those hooded eyes shimmering with bitter yearning.

"Baby, what—" he started in a low rasp thick with fresh turmoil.

But you cut him off with a shake of your head, still struggling to rein in the tremors wracking your frame.

"No, dammit!" You snarled through gritted teeth, glaring up at the man who seemed to possess every carnal key to setting your soul ablaze. "I can't...not with everything still so raw between us, Gen. Not after what you said and how it all ended last time!"

His nostrils flared at your vehement denial, jaw cording with renewed defiance. "Well maybe it's time we finished that conversation properly then," he shot back in a growl that resonated all the way down to your bones. "Instead of you sprinting away from the truth like a kicked dog."

Fury spiked through your blood at his biting insinuation that you were once again fleeing from the painful realities between you both. Without thinking, you lashed out with another shove against his chest that barely managed to make Narumi rock back on his heels.

"The truth?" You hissed out through clenched teeth, feeling your throat grow tight as more virulent anguish clawed upwards from deep within. "You mean the truth that we're both just sick, twisted fucks who can't seem to stop slaking our depraved needs off each other in nasty hotel rooms?"

Narumi bared his teeth in a truly feral snarl then, clearly riled by your low blows and unwillingness to meet him halfway yet again. His broad chest heaved with the effort of visibly restraining himself as one hand bunched into a white-knuckled fist at his side.

"Or maybe you're just scared shitless of that TRUTH, aren't you, princess?" He spat out with sulfurous contempt. "That there's something more here than physical, and it terrifies you to your very marrow now!"

You laughed in his face then - a truly bitter, raucous bark of sound that felt utterly devoid of actual mirth. "You're even dumber than I thought if you believe a single word of that bullshit!" You shot back mercilessly. "Did you really think there was anything genuine between us beyond a warm place to stick your cock?!"

The stricken look that flickered across Narumi's hawkish features made a swell of dark, vicious triumph roar up within your fracturing spirit. Distantly, you recognized the self-destructive spiral rapidly gaining momentum, but felt powerless to stop eviscerating one of the few remaining tethers still anchoring you to something resembling sanity.

"Newsflash, asshole - we've had our fun, but it ended the second you spilled that pathetic little lovesick confession," you raged, stabbing your finger into Narumi's sternum for vicious emphasis. "My brother would sooner cut your fucking heart out than allow anything real to happen with us! He barely tolerates your worthless presence as it is—"

Abruptly, Narumi seized your wrist in a crushing vise-grip so powerfully contained, you felt the fragile bones shifting against each other. His face twisted into a mask of naked ire and anguish so intense, his entire frame seemed to vibrate with the upheaval of it all.

"Don't you DARE bring Hoshina into this, you sadistic bitch!" He roared so viciously, flecks of spittle struck your inflamed cheeks. "That sanctimonious prick has NOTHING to do with what festers between us beyond the cancer you keep letting him be!"

With a herculean effort, you tore your captured wrist free of Narumi's punishing grip - or perhaps he was the one to let go utterly. Either way, you instantly reeled back several paces, clutching your potentially fractured bones close to your sternum as you glared at each other across the sudden, cavernous distance.

"Just get out," you heard yourself rasp in a tone utterly devoid of any heat or even anger - just an endless howling chasm of resignation. "Get the hell out of my sight before I say something neither of us can walk back from, Gen."

His proud shoulders heaved with the effort of wrestling his churning aura of violence back beneath rigid control. For several fraught heartbeats, you honestly couldn't tell which path his roiling fury might take next - the towering bonfire of provoked retaliation or simply heeding your exhausted dismissal entirely.

But then Narumi's frame seemed to slump infinitesimally, as if an even deeper hollowness managed to sap the fight from his very marrow just as swiftly as it ignited. He favored you with one last haunted, sunken glare filled with virulent hurt and utter desolation swirling in unspoken reproach.

"You're halfway there already, sweetheart." The vicious mutter cracked through the ambient silence with bitter finality. "And you're not the only one who’s operating under any delusion about how hopeless this shit between us truly is now..."

Without another word, Narumi turned and stormed towards the door as if the very sight of you suddenly kindled unbearable agony. You flinched as the rickety portal rattled on its cheap hinges in his wake, every iota of heat and fury draining from your limbs in the awful stillness he left behind.

Only then did you finally allow yourself to hit your knees on the shabby carpeting, breath escaping in ragged gulps as the first molten trickles of remorse began carving searing trails down your cheeks. You hunched inwards, allowing the truth of Narumi's parting accusation to swallow you whole amidst the frigid desolation now echoing throughout your fractured spirit.

No matter which path the two of you ultimately charted forward, one harrowing certainty had been cemented beyond all refutation now:

You'd both irrevocably passed the rubicon of your own oblivion, adrift together yet hopelessly alone...

The return trip to headquarters after the disastrous events in the city passed in an infinite purgatory of stifling silence. You huddled against the far window of the armored transport, arms wrapped tightly around your midsection as if holding your fracturing composure together by sheer force of will.

Narumi, for his part, maintained a stoic vigil behind the wheel - eyes locked forward with an expression of chiseled impassivity that may as well have been seared from granite. Not a single word passed between you, the echoing gulf of recrimination and crippling hurt too raw and visceral to even acknowledge.

Upon arriving, he didn't spare you so much as a backwards glance before striding off towards the First Division's personnel carrier. You could only watch his rigid, coiled figure disappearing into the distance, unwilling or unable to call out and stall that finality from severing whatever tattered remnants still bound your souls together.

The following hours lurched past in a numbed, watery blur - consisting only of rote check-ins and filing mission reports in an automatic stupor. Your tongue felt heavy and useless in the cradle of your mouth, incapable of imparting even the vaguest impressions of what transpired beyond the standard institutional debriefings.

You felt like a ghost enacting pantomimed routines while your inner essence remained severed somewhere between those motel room walls and Narumi's parting sneers. The enormity of the rift you'd both just detonated gaped with widening devastation, every mile stretching you further from reconnection.

At last, you found yourself folding beneath the crushing isolation inside your private quarters. Too drained and hollowed out to even consider stripping down before collapsing atop the rumpled sheets.

You stared sightlessly at the shadows lengthening across the walls, breaths coming in shallow inhales and exhales as your mind spiraled with helpless cyclonic intensity. Guilt, despair, and something like panic alternated in lancing through your system in scalding pulses - all grounded around Narumi's haunted expression in those final moments before he'd stormed from your shared purgatory.

You didn't register the quiet intrusion of your quarter's door unsealing at first. Only when a familiar silhouette crested into view did your surroundings seem to bleed back into crisp clarity like a tarnished film sliding into focus.

"Hey sis..." Hoshina's gruff murmur preceded his weary form by a few paces as he hovered inside the threshold. "Wanna tell me why you're looking like a kicked puppy over there?"

Something about his easy brotherly cadence made the roiling chaos in your marrow threaten to spill over unexpectedly. You clenched your jaw hard enough for tendons to cord up in your neck, stubbornly refusing to grant any quarter to the molten anguish scorching up from your darkest hollows in response.

Hoshina seemed to sense your silent stasis lingering, features hardening incrementally as he watched you through narrowed eyes. His presence took up more space in an instant as he sauntered further inside, draping his lanky frame across the solitary desk chair opposite your curled position.

"Y'know, when I told you to spill the beans on what's got you all twisted up in knots, I didn't think it would take a direct order to make it happen," he grumbled with halfhearted humor lilting behind the gruff delivery. You avoided his searching look, feeling your molars grind together painfully in your jaw's taut clenching.

For several pregnant heartbeats, the silence stretched torturous until snapping taut between you two. Then Hoshina expelled a sigh heavy with fond exasperation and leaned forward, resting his elbows on knees in earnest now.

"Dammit, little girl, talk to me," he practically growled, words soft but laced with an undercurrent of protective frustration. "I can't read your mind no matter how hard I try here - and whatever poison's eating you up from inside out is only gonna get worse if you stay trapped in that stubbornness again."

Despite the raw anguish roiling within, some core ember of affection stirred at the familiar tone and genuine concern radiating from your brother's frame. Hoshina always had been so uncannily attuned to the darkest whispers skulking around the periphery of your psyche - no matter how masterfully you affected deception or stoicism with others.

A sharp inhalation hitched your ribcage as your stare drifted upwards to finally meet Hoshina's weighted perusal at last. The tendons in your throat worked convulsively, battling against the tide of soured vulnerability welling upwards in response to his paternal prompting. When you finally spoke, the desolate rasp hardly felt like your own.

"It's...nothing new," you managed woodenly. "Just some old ghosts stirred up from that hellhole op—"

"Save the deflections, sis," Hoshina cut you off with a grunt, shaking his head slowly. "I saw the state you came rolling back in - and this shit's clearly chewed you up in ways I don't recognize. So cut the bullshit front for once, yeah?"

As you gaped back at him wordlessly, a complicated expression flickered over your brother's weathered features. Like he was contemplating opening some Pandora's box better left sealed before ultimately plunging ahead regardless.

"Does this have anything to do with why you reacted so venomously to being partnered with Narumi again after all this time?" Hoshina pressed in a delicate murmur that landed like a wrecking ball through your core. "I could tell he left you rattled in the worst way then, little sister...so if he pulled any shit and tried laying a single unwanted finger on—"

"No!" The sharp bark sheared through your locked airway before you could even think better of it. "Dammit, Soshiro - just...just drop it, alright? Some things are better off never seeing daylight, trust me."

For an endless heartbeat, he scrutinized you through narrowed eyes brimming with roiling protectiveness and frustrated resignation alike. Clearly wrestling with the precipice of whether to press the issue further or acquiesce to your obstinate refusal this time.

Much to your mingling relief and torment, Hoshina seemed to deflate further into the chair then with a rueful grunt.

"Okay, sis, you win this round," he muttered as he braced his palms against his knees to lever upright once more. "Just...don't go checking out on me entirely, yeah? I already got enough gray hair worrying over you as is without those ghosts of yours dragging you under for real."

There was no heat behind the gruff delivery, only that steadfast current of brotherly devotion that somehow managed to simultaneously salve and aggravate the harrowing rifts cleaving through your soul in equal measure. More words seemed to hover on Hoshina's tongue, but he ultimately swallowed them down with a ponderous nod and turned to depart in resigned quiet once more.

You watched him retreat from the corner of your eye with something like mourning resonating from deep within. Because for all the gratitude welling up at your brother's sensitivity, you also felt bitterly bereft of the possibility Hoshina could ever fully witness - let alone comprehend - the cavernous psychic wounds now festering inside you.

It was only after his footsteps faded back into the hallway's ambiance that you allowed the first hitching inhale to shudder free. Hot, molten emotion rapidly gathered behind your fluttering lids as the isolation swallowed you whole once more. The only remaining tether still anchoring your fracturing spirit to any kind of corporeal reality remained the brutal, ghostly afterimage of Narumi's shattered ardor...

Only for that eerily lifeless mirage to be explosively scattered mere moments later by Narumi's physical presence materializing through the unsealed entrance as easily as stepping through gossamer veils.

You startled with a strangled cry, instinctively recoiling backwards over the mattress as the imposing spectacle of his tall, broad-shouldered frame stalked towards the bed's foot. Those mercurial vermillion eyes seemed to blaze from the shadows cast across his hawkish features, boring into you with piercing relentlessness.

"You and I still have some unfinished business to settle," the familiar baritone growled with unmistakable finality before your stunned stupor could even hope to formulate a response. "And this time...you're going to sit there and listen whether you want to or not, princess."

Narumi fixed you with an intense, unyielding stare as he approached the bed. There was a simmering intensity just beneath the surface, like he was barely restraining roiling emotions.

"Sit down," he stated firmly, leaving no room for argument in his tone. "And don't say a damn word until I'm finished."

You felt rooted to the spot for a beat, taken aback by his commanding presence and the crackling tension in the air. But something in Narumi's expression made you realize there would be no placating him until he had his say.

Slowly, almost mechanically, you shifted back towards the center of the mattress and settled in a seated position, hands clenched nervously in your lap. Narumi held your gaze for another loaded moment before lowering himself fluidly to one knee before you.

He was so close now that you could make out every nuanced shift in his expression, every flicker of hurt, frustration, and yearning that played across his chiseled features. When he spoke again, his deep voice was tight with the effort of restraint.

"I don't know what twisted game you think you're playing at, but I'm done skating around the edges of this...this thing between us," Narumi ground out, gesturing vaguely between your bodies. "We've been circling each other for too damn long with half-truths and cowardly deflections."

He leaned in infinitesimally, eyes boring into yours with an intensity that made it difficult to breathe. "So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to get this all off my chest once and for all. And you're going to sit there and actually listen instead of lashing out or fleeing from the truth yet again."

You felt pinned by the weight of his stare, any thought of argument or dismissal withering in the crucible of Narumi's adamant resolve. All you could do was give a mute nod, bracing yourself for whatever cataclysmic confessions were about to spill forth.

Narumi watched you for a beat longer, seeming to weigh your willingness to acquiesce to his conditions. Then, with a slow exhalation, he began to speak. Low and measured at first, but quickly gaining in intensity like a raging river cresting a faltering levee.

"You wanna know the real reason I've been so dead-set on this path with you? Why I can't just take the easy way out and simply cut ties after that disaster in the city?" His gaze bored into yours as if willing you to see the depths of his truths. "It's because against all reason or sense...I'm still in love with you."

The words seemed to reverberate through the air like shockwaves, your breath catching sharply in your lungs. Narumi pressed on before you could react, the rasp of his voice growing hoarser.

"I've tried so damn hard to bury it, to tell myself it's just lust or codependency or some other twisted delusion," he grated out, expression etched into planes of harsh self-recrimination. "But I can't shake the fact that I fell hard for you years ago, and it never let up even after you shredded my heart."

The rawness in his tone made your chest ache with vicarious emotion. You wanted to look away, to shy from the intensity of the vulnerability he was exposing before you. But you found yourself transfixed, drinking in every nuance.

"And I know..." Narumi exhaled a shaky breath, jaw tensing. "I know that in your eyes, I'm just the bastard who soiled any chance at a normal life together. The one who brought you down into the shadows and depravity alongside me because I'm too selfish and monstrous to ever set you free."

His eyes pierced into yours again, as if willing you to contradict him. When you remained silent, he seemed to slump almost imperceptibly before rallying once more.

"But despite all that...despite the damage and the hatred and the shitshow between us...I can't let you go, Y/N," he rasped, voice dropping to an intense murmur. "I'm still hopelessly, ruinously in love with you. And I need you to make a choice once and for all - either tell me to walk away completely and forever this time..."

He leaned in until his forehead nearly brushed yours, gaze smoldering and imploring all at once. "Or take a chance on me, on us, despite all the baggage and darkness we'd face. Because I meant every word I said about how I feel, and if there's even a shred of light left for us, I need to know you feel the same way."

The weighted silence that fell seemed to engulf the entire room as Narumi's words hung between you. You could only gaze back at him, chest rising and falling shallowly as you struggled to process the magnitude of the choice he'd presented. Stay mired in the anguish or take a leap into something frighteningly unknown, no matter the consequences.

Narumi held your stare in the weighted silence that followed his impassioned confession, his expression unguarded and vulnerable in a way you'd never witnessed before. For once, the silver-tongued charmer had no more quips or bravado to hide behind - he was simply a man in love, laying his heart on the line and bracing himself for your judgment, no matter how devastating it might be.

The two of you seemed frozen in that fraught tableau as the seconds ticked by, the air itself growing heavy with unspoken words and turbulent emotions. You opened your mouth once or twice as if to speak, but the syllables withered on your tongue before you could give them voice.

Narumi's brow creased infinitesimally, and he wet his lips with a quick sweep of his tongue before leaning in fractionally closer. "Please..." he rasped, the desperate entreaty roughening his voice even further. "Baby, say something. Anything. I can't keep dangling here without knowing where we stand—"

But you cut off his plea by surging forward and capturing his lips in a scorching, needful kiss. A hoarse groan reverberated from Narumi's chest as his hands came up to brackets your flushed cheeks, holding you flush against him as if he might drown without your embrace. His mouth moved hot and hungry against yours, years of unspoken longing and anguish pouring into the contact.

Panting against his lips, you mumbled the words you'd been unable to speak aloud moments before. "I can't lose you...can't keep walking away, Narumi. I'm tired of fighting this, of trying to deny what you mean to me..."

One of your hands fisted in the disheveled hair at his nape as you sealed your lips over his again in a fevered, desperate glide. Narumi rumbled deep in his chest, the sound practically a growl of raw relief and need as he angled to deepen the kiss.

His tongue delved past your parted lips to explore the velvet heat of your mouth with fervent sweeps and teasing flicks that had desire lancing through you in dizzying waves. Instinctively, you shifted closer until you were practically seated in Narumi's lap, legs parting to allow him to settle against your core with maddening friction.

One of your hands dropped between your bodies to cup and stroke the obvious ridge of his arousal straining against the fatigues. You whimpered against Narumi's lips as his hips canted with a grinding roll, the thick length of his cock dragging deliciously against your clothed heat.

"Yes..." you panted, fingers scrabbling between you to locate the fastenings of his trousers. "Let me, Gen...need to feel you—"

But Narumi's larger hand captured your wrist, stilling your heated efforts with surprising gentleness. When you pulled back with a questioning whine, you found his gaze gleaming with unmistakable tenderness amidst the banked flames of lust.

"Not tonight, baby girl," he murmured, bringing your knuckles to his lips to brush a featherlight kiss over them. "I'm not going to ravish you like an animal this time around, ok? Tonight...I just want to hold you. Close."

There was a huskiness in his tone that spoke of more emotional undercurrents than mere passion, and it made something within your chest constrict almost painfully. You searched Narumi's ruggedly handsome features, seeing the truth of his words reflected there.

With a shuddering exhalation, you allowed the urgent, clawing desire to ebb - at least for the time being. Instead, you shifted until you were nestled against his chest, curling into the protective circle of his arms as Narumi settled back against the headboard and pillows. His broader frame enfolded you in a cocoon of masculine heat and strength, the cadence of his heartbeat grounding against your cheek.

No more words were exchanged as you simply held one another through the lingering uncertainty. For now, basking in the rediscovered solace of closeness and vulnerability would be enough to see you through until whatever dawn awaited you both. The hard choices and conversations could keep for another day.

Tonight was for healing, for connection, for shoring up the battered foundations for any chance at weathering whatever fresh tempests lie ahead together.

Pale morning light filtered through the thin curtains, gradually rousing you from a deep, contented sleep. As consciousness returned, you became extremely aware of Narumi's powerful form spooning you from behind - the solid planes of his chest pressing against your back with each steady breath, one muscular arm wrapped securely around your midsection.

For a few tranquil moments, you simply relished the reassuring heat and strength of his embrace enveloping you fully. Despite the turbulence of your relationship, being cocooned against Narumi's larger frame invoked a sense of safety and comfort you hadn't felt in far too long.

However, as you allowed yourself to sink deeper into his warmth, you quickly grew cognizant of the rigid length prodding insistently against the cleft of your ass with each miniscule shift and twitch of his form. Even deep in slumber, Narumi's body instinctively sought the cradle of your curves, his hips rolling in subtle unconscious undulations as evidence of his arousal quickly stiffened against you.

A tremulous whimper slipped unbidden from your lips as that tantalizing pressure dragged against the seat of your sleep shorts. Immediately, you felt Narumi's arm tighten fractionally around your waist, a low groan of visceral appreciation rumbling from his chest. The rough pads of his fingers drifted along the sensitive skin of your inner thighs, tracing idle patterns that made you shudder.

"Someone's feeling eager this morning," Narumi murmured, voice still raspy from sleep as he nuzzled the side of your neck. His teeth grazed your thundering pulse in a gentle graze, stoking fresh tingles of heat low in your belly.

You shifted in his arms, hips canting back to increase the delicious friction between your bodies. "Don't act so surprised," you breathed, trying for a sultry lilt despite the slight tremor. "We both know how...insatiable you tend to get after being apart for too long."

A strained groan punched from Narumi's lungs at your brazen words. His broad palm smoothed up the ridges of your abdomen until his fingertips brushed the underside of your breast. "Fuck, baby...you have no idea how long it's been," he rasped against the curve of your shoulder. "Weeks without getting to bury myself in this perfect body of yours, without listening to those beautiful sounds you make when I'm splitting you apart on my cock over and over..."

You gasped sharply at the lascivious imagery, squirming against the shocking insistent press of his arousal. Narumi took the opportunity to palm your breast, thumb brushing your peaked nipple through the thin camisole with just enough friction to make you whine urgently.

"Stay just like that for me," he growled in a deep rasp that reverberated straight to your core. "Stay nice and still while I take the edge off for us both..."

You shivered helplessly as Narumi dragged your thigh up over his hip to grant himself better access. His large hand delved beneath the waistband of your shorts, calloused fingertips tracing your sensitized folds with expert tenderness until you were panting and slick under his ministrations.

"God, you're soaked already," he hissed in a guttural rasp, his own breath coming in hot pants against your ear. "My poorgirl, needing this so badly...so fucking perfect..."

As he continued to stroke and tease, you couldn't help bucking back against the rigid line of his erection, mewling softly. That was apparently all the encouragement Narumi needed. In a deft motion, his free hand reached down to unfasten the front of his pants, drawing his cock free to glide between your thighs.

You arched into his touch, the heat and velvety smoothness of his shaft against your swollen, drenched flesh making you keen. With a strained groan, Narumi began to grind slowly, allowing his length to rub between your lips and over the throbbing bud of your clit with each leisurely thrust.

The heady friction was nearly enough to make your vision white out, the sensation heightened by the sheer intimacy of the position. Being held in his powerful embrace, enveloped by his musky masculine scent, made you feel utterly safe and protected. Yet the raw, animalistic power in every roll and snap of Narumi's hips spoke to an unshakable primal instinct, a feral craving that couldn't be denied or suppressed.

You writhed against him, moaning his name as he picked up the pace - rocking into you with firm, deep thrusts that left your pussy aching and clenching around nothing. The pressure was already building low in your abdomen, an insistent pulsating that seemed to draw every cell of your body inward towards a cataclysmic release.

"Gonna come, princess," Narumi panted raggedly against the crook of your neck, his grip tightening around your waist as the tempo of his movements became frenzied. "Squeeze your thighs tight, just like that, fuck—!"

A strangled groan wrenched from his chest as he slammed home, the swollen head of his cock nudging against the hood of your clit just so. The sudden intensity of the contact triggered a blinding, full-body climax.

You cried out, the sound mingling with the guttural noises spilling from Narumi's lips as he came in pulsing ropes. His cock twitched and jerked, painting your inner thighs and the apex of your mound in thick, milky strands. The added wetness only heightened the sensations wracking your body, making your clit throb and swell beneath the relentless glide of his length.

It was a few moments before the two of you managed to regain control of your breathing, bodies shuddering with aftershocks and the pleasant tingles of blissful relief. Once the haze receded enough, Narumi carefully extracted himself from the tangled nest of limbs and sheets, reaching down to tug your camisole off.

"Hold still," he murmured, eyes darkening as he took in the sight of his release marking your flushed skin. His large palm cupped and squeezed the generous curve of your ass before trailing upward, smearing his essence along your abdomen.

You bit your lip to suppress a moan as his fingertips stroked languidly between the soaked apex of your thighs, collecting more of his seed before tracing lazy circles around the peak of your breast. Narumi watched your face intently, taking in the way your nipples pebbled and tightened beneath the featherlight touch.

"Look at me," he ordered huskily, and your eyes fluttered open to meet his intense gaze.

In a slow, deliberate motion, Narumi dipped his head and flicked his tongue over the pert nipple, collecting the traces of his cum on the slick tip. A tremulous sigh of pleasure escaped your throat, and you couldn't help but reach up and tangle your fingers in his mussed hair.

Narumi's vermillion eyes flickered upwards as he continued to lick and suck, his expression darkening with unmistakable arousal. "So damn pretty when you're covered in my cum," he murmured in a low, rough timbre, sending a frisson of heat straight to your core.

When he was finished cleaning you up, his mouth migrated higher to capture yours in a deep, probing kiss. The taste of him was indescribable, and you couldn't help arching against the hard contours of his muscular frame.

Narumi growled against your lips, his own urgency mounting as he reached down to fumble the shorts off your hips, kicking his trousers to the foot of the bed. Your hands roamed over the hard planes of his shoulders and chest, fingers trailing through the wiry hair covering his abdomen until you finally found what you were searching for.

Your palm curled around his cock, already thick and hardening again as you began stroking the heated length. Narumi shuddered against you, hips pumping into your fist.

"Shit...you're gonna get me worked up again if you keep that up," he muttered, his voice hoarse and strained. Despite the protest, one of his hands joined yours, guiding your grip in firm, slow strokes that had his cock weeping and throbbing with renewed fervor.

"That's the idea," you replied, a teasing lilt coloring your words as you nipped the line of his jaw. "We're just getting started, after all."

Narumi gave a ragged laugh, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. "You really are insatiable, aren't you?" he remarked, voice dipping into a deeper rasp as you continued pumping his shaft. "I suppose I have been neglecting you for too long...and I'm a very attentive lover."

You arched an eyebrow in challenge. "Well then, how about putting your money where your mouth is, Gen?"

With a sinful smirk, he surged forward, pressing you back into the plush down pillows and silken sheets. You moaned his name, parting your thighs so he could settle between them and allow the tip of his cock to glide between the soaked folds.

His eyes bore into yours, glinting with an almost predatory gleam. "As you wish, baby," Narumi husked, and in one smooth, decisive motion, thrust into your heat.

The sensation was overwhelming - his cock was thicker and longer than any other lover you'd taken, the sheer fullness making you ache deliciously. You couldn't hold back a cry, nails raking his shoulders and back. Narumi groaned deeply, pausing a moment to allow you both a chance to adjust to the sudden stretch.

Once he was certain you were ready, he began to move, pumping his hips with slow, deliberate thrusts. Each measured stroke dragged over the sensitive bundle of nerves, sparking ripples of pleasure through your body. Your eyes fluttered closed, mouth falling open as soft moans spilled forth.

"No," Narumi growled, bracing a hand on either side of your head and forcing your eyes open once more. "Keep them open, baby girl. Look at me."

The intensity of his gaze nearly made your breath falter, and you couldn't resist bringing a hand up to cup his jaw, thumb tracing the chiseled cheekbone. Narumi leaned into the touch, expression softening slightly as he rolled his hips against yours.

"That's right," he murmured, his voice low and soothing, but still tinged with raw desire. "You know how much I love those pretty eyes looking up at me, watching me fuck you."

A whimper slipped past your lips as the tempo picked up, the rhythmic slide of his cock sending jolts of electricity through every nerve ending. You couldn't keep your gaze trained on his face, too overwhelmed by the myriad sensations wracking your body. But when Narumi's grip tightened fractionally, you forced your eyes open again.

He grinned, flashing the pearly gleam of his teeth. "Good girl."

Those two words alone were enough to send a flood of arousal pooling in the cradle of your pelvis, and you clenched tightly around him. Narumi's breath caught, his pupils blowing wide with unmistakable lust. "Shit, do that again," he rasped, dropping his head to nip and suck a bruise into the column of your neck.

You obliged him, squeezing around the hard girth as he increased the tempo. Narumi's lips traced a path downwards, the stubble on his jaw abrading the delicate skin of your throat and collarbone. When his teeth grazed the upper curve of your breast, your back arched sharply, a pleading whine tumbling from your lips.

"Gonna come," he muttered, the words half-muffled against your chest. "Touch yourself for me, Y/N. Want to see you fall apart with me..."

Eager to obey, you brought your hand down to circle and rub the swollen bud at the apex of your thighs. The added friction quickly brought you over the edge, your pussy clamping and fluttering around the thick intrusion as wave after wave of bliss washed through your body.

"Fuck, yes—!" Narumi snarled, hips snapping into you with short, rapid strokes before bottoming out and spilling his release with a broken groan.

You could feel his cock twitch and jerk within you, each pulse flooding your cunt with a fresh torrent of heat and seed. The sensation was almost too much, and you whimpered, squirming beneath him.

Narumi's hands slid up your thighs, holding them apart as he rocked into you slowly. His head dipped lower, and a shudder ripped through your body as his mouth captured your nipple. He suckled the sensitive bud with gentle, tender sweeps of his tongue, drawing out the final cresting waves of your climax until you were writhing and trembling beneath him.

For several moments, the two of you remained tangled together, basking in the warm afterglow. It was only when the sweat on your skin began to cool that Narumi carefully withdrew, his cock slipping free with a rush of viscous fluid. You shivered at the sensation, but his arms wrapped around you once more, pulling you against the solid wall of his chest.

"I'll never get tired of how beautiful you look with my cum leaking out of you," he mused, nuzzling your temple as his fingers trailed down to toy with the mess dribbling between your thighs.

You couldn't help a slight flush, but didn't resist as he gently teased your swollen, sensitive lips and clit. His touch was surprisingly reverent and careful, and despite the exhaustion creeping through your limbs, you found yourself responding to his ministrations.

"Gen..."

Narumi pressed a feather-light kiss against the corner of your mouth, the pad of his thumb rubbing languid circles over the hood of your clit. "Just relax, princess. Let me—"

"I love you, Gen."

The words were spoken so softly that for a moment, you weren't sure whether they'd been spoken aloud or only within the privacy of your mind. Narumi's eyes widened, the hand between your legs stilling as his lips parted in a wordless expression of surprise.

"I love you," you repeated, the confession falling from your lips with a sense of sweet relief. "I...should've said it so long ago. Shouldn't have let you leave without saying it, or—"

Narumi cut off your rambling by capturing your lips in a deep, impassioned kiss. His tongue swept along the seam, and you parted for him eagerly, allowing him to taste and claim you. When he finally drew back, there was a fire in his vermillion gaze that stole your breath.

"Don't ever think I didn't know, Y/N," he murmured, his tone rough and low. "I knew. God, did I know...but it was more important that you realized it for yourself."

You blinked back the stinging burn of unshed tears, reaching up to cup his cheek. Narumi turned his head, lips brushing over your palm in a tender caress. "I'm sorry for the way things played out," he admitted, eyes fluttering closed for a moment. "For leaving the way I did. But I meant what I said. I never stopped loving you."

The dam within you broke, and hot tears spilled down your cheeks. But they weren't the bitter, salty tracks of regret and sorrow. These were born of a cleansing purge, of relief and joy and hope.

Narumi brushed away the glistening drops with a calloused thumb, expression softening. "Let me get cleaned up, and then we can talk some more," he suggested, his own voice suspiciously thick with emotion.

With a nod, you released him. You allowed your gaze to trail after his retreating form, appreciating the way his muscled back tapered to a narrow waist and the subtle shift and flex of the powerful thighs.

A smile tugged at your lips. There would be time enough to sort through the mess and figure out how to move forward, now that the worst had passed. But for the time being, simply reveling in the simple act of being together again was enough.

[citruslullabies]

what about platonic swansea or anya hcs?

Of course darling!!

Swansea Mouthwashing

Platonic (completely!!)

Pre-crash Swansea:

Depending on your job, he is either going to ignore you or talk down to you at first

He's really just a tired old man, don't pay him any mind

But he'll eventually warm up to you in a fatherly manner

The occasional pat on the back or asking you to hold a flashlight for him

For the love of God. Hold. Still.

But if you're friends with Daisuke, which lets face it, you probably are

He probably warms up to you a little faster

Swansea is annoyed by Daisuke sometimes sure, but he's like family

And seeing you two goof around, it brings a small smile to his face

.. untillll he barks orders at you guys

Classic dad behavior

You and Daisuke were goofing around with tools and such, with Daisuke pretending to be a Pikachu with a faulty electrical wire he was supposed to be fixing. You snorted while leaning back and grabbing a wrench, pretending to be a Cubone and gently bop him on the head. Swansea watched from a distance, sighing from how early it was but smiling at how you two managed to make anything a game. Even if you both got side-tracked by it. He cleared his throat and returned to a neutral expression, putting a hand on his hip. "Both of you get back to work! You two and your stupid pokemon.." he'd grumble, watching you both scurry back to work. Both of you were his idiots.

He also will not understand any references at all you make

"pop off queen" "what the fuck did you just say to me??"

He's a goofy old man and we love him

He's also super defensive over you and Daisuke

You guys are like his kids

Post-crash Swansea:

He's more on edge

He tries to look out for you and Daisuke, but he's only one guy

When he comes across that cyropod.. he's hoping that you and Daisuke can both squeeze in.

And his sobriety goes down the drain

Some nights he'll cry to you when you're alone

He'll say that he wasted his life away and never did anything to impact the world

And no matter how much you comfort him, he sobs more and more.

He is losing it

And whenever he loses Daisuke, shit goes down the drain

And whenever Jimmy gets the gun.. to Swansea's horror, Jimmy ended up shooting you in the stomach

He couldn't even help you in time

He feels shitty in his final moments.

How he couldn't help Anya, how he couldn't help Daisuke, and how he couldn't help you

At least he doesn't have to worry about if you and Daisuke can fit in the pod together anymore

Thanks for requesting darling!

[bookwermthings]

My Official Torchwood Fanfic Rec List as of 9/3/2024

I had to delete twenty-three fanfics off the list to get it to work on Tumblr, so if you want to know what those were, feel free to ask!

The list will be formatted like this:

Fic Title | Author | My Remembered Rating Out Of 10 (on how much it impacted me)| Wordcount | my remembered general mood of the story

the link

and a summary.

They are ordered from happiest to most heart wrenching.

Special thanks to @myarmsaretoolong for the inspiration to make this :D

Cheers, and happy reading!

Torchwood Season 3: What could have been | SqutternutBosh | 9 | 171K | happy fluff https://archiveofourown.org/series/1735756 A reimagining of Season 3. what if it wasn't Children of Earth? What if Owen and Tosh lived?

The Lonely Cheryth| BookWerm |11 proud of this :)| 6.5K |fluffy!! https://archiveofourown.org/works/30708251 Steven's Uncle Jack is a mystery. one he's determined to solve

Not Good As In Not Evil, But Good As In Not Bad| orphan_account | 7 | 6.7K| fluff https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150389 Ianto Jones has realizations about his life through the life of his son.

Once Lost| saxgoddess25 | 7 | 25.5K |hopeful/happy https://archiveofourown.org/works/13465965/ it's been two years since Ianto died. Now he's back.

Falling Doesn't Feel So Bad When I Know You've Fallen This Way, Too | BookWerm | 8 | 4.5K | mostly fluff | https://archiveofourown.org/works/42053868 Ianto has always felt not quite right in his body. It only became more apparent as he got older. Ianto Jones is trans, and surprisingly, so is Jack Harkness.

Just this once (everybody lives) | Beleriandings | 11!!!! | 360K | happy hopeful flulff https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826248 An everybody lives AU with an ultimately hopeful tone, picking up at Exit Wounds and continuing through beyond into the far future.

Bits And Pieces| DinoDina | 7 | 6.2K | hopeful, hurt/comfort https://archiveofourown.org/works/32878222 Ianto is made of metal and wires underneath, built by Yvonne Hartman.

On Happiness | Anonymous | 9 | 90K | happy-ish https://archiveofourown.org/works/20500817 Ianto Jones used to be such a happy child. He wasn't any more. All Rhiannon wanted was for her brother to find that happiness again.

Push And Pull| sherlockpond | 7 | 34K | hopeful hurt/comfort https://archiveofourown.org/works/24358693 Post COE. Ianto's back, and he doesn't have his memory. People are disappearing.

Torchwood Series 5: The Reboot | logos00 | 9 | 20.4K |bittersweet fluff https://archiveofourown.org/series/235344 After Miracle Day, Gwen and Jack accidentally land themself in an alternate version of the past where everyone is alive.

Time Loves You | Anonymous | 8 | 44.2K |neutral happy ending https://archiveofourown.org/series/1324307 Post CoE. Ianto has no idea who he is. In fact, the only thing he knows? he is looking for someone.

A Different Life | gmariam | 10 | 141.8K | neutral https://archiveofourown.org/works/8247706 Ianto left Torchwood after Owen's death. but can he really stay away when the worlds about to end?

I Sing the Body Electric | Paycheckgurl | 7 | 19K | neutral https://archiveofourown.org/works/35019091 Ianto, Toshiko, and Owen wake up in a dark room. Their bodies seem to be strangely metallic. Which isn’t even the strangest development:they remember being dead.

A Point In Time | MemoryDragon | 7 | 8.5K | neutral a little sad https://archiveofourown.org/works/540393 Jack turns up late at night at Ianto's flat, asking strange questions, forgetting important things. Strangest thing is that Jack was never actually at Ianto's flat at all.

past Imperfect | gmariam | 9 | 23.6K | bittersweet https://archiveofourown.org/works/8716999 Jack time travels backward to fit in more time with Ianto.

a blip in time (we had forever) | someawkwardprose | 7 | 2.8K | bittersweet https://archiveofourown.org/works/26712370 Jack visits sometimes. it's how Ianto knows he's going to die.

To build a home (I held on as tightly as you held on to me) | flamingbluepanda | 7 | 12.5K | angst w/ happy ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916039 it's 2076. Jack and Ianto are still together. Ianto has dementia.

Only Temporary | badly_knitted | 7 | 1.4K | sad https://archiveofourown.org/works/20794613 Death is no less upsetting when it's temporary, especially when it's someone you love.

Lament | engagemythrusters | 7 | 3.2K | hurt/comfort https://archiveofourown.org/works/24203638 Jack died, because Jack died, and Ianto just had to learn to work through it.

A Moment (An Eternity) | Clare_Hope | 7 | 21.9K | hurt/comfort https://archiveofourown.org/works/30907163 Everyone survived Exit Wounds. That doesn't mean anyone is alright

Regarding Jack | celedan | 7 | 10.6K | angst w/ happy ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/22282087 After a night Jack can't remember, he's slowly losing who he is.

I'm All Ears (and I'm All Scars) | MrSandman | 7 | 5.1K | angst w/ happy ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/27609358 Post Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Jack and Ianto's first real date. They have a conversation about timelines.

A Vision Too Removed To Mention | pocky_slash | 8 | 14K | angst w/ hopeful ending https://pocky-slash.livejournal.com/1462797.html Ianto is in a time loop, and no one remembers who he is.

All My Uphill Clawing | pocky_slash | 7 | 3.1K | angst w/ happy ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/393640 After the time loop. Ianto is comforted by the team.

To Fight When You Feel Like Flying | innocent_until_proven_geeky | 7 | 2.7K | angst w/ hopeful ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/29508843 Ianto is depressed again, but he's not as alone as he was after Lisa

do not go gentle | someawkwardprose | 8 | 17.7K | angst w/ hopeful ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/28386996 the Big Finish audio Broken if Ianto hadn't gone to The Ferret

One Last Breath | Riennynn | 8 | 3.4K | angst w/ hopeful ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/1835368 There's something after Jack and Ianto. Fortunately (?), they've trapped themselves in an airtight locker with a limited amount of air

Breathing Freely | BookWerm | 7 | 2.1K | angst w/ happy ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/42905979 continuation of one last breath.

I just wanted you to watch me dissolve, slowly | MonsterMince | 8 | 15.4K | really sad https://archiveofourown.org/works/41765781/ If John had known the true cost he'd need to pay to cure Jack's immortality, he might not have paid it. (That's a lie)

The past in the future (And Put Away Childish Things remix) | pamymex3girl | 8 | 1.8K | really sad https://archiveofourown.org/works/1595603 Her father is smiling, except he's from the before, so he's not her father, not yet anyway.

I Cannot Sleep Warm | Beleriandings | 10 | 11.2K | fluff w/ sad ending https://archiveofourown.org/works/27181552 ""And I love you, too. Now… time to wake up."

left you with both of the rings | princessoftheworlds | 11!!! | 21K | absolutely devastating https://archiveofourown.org/works/34108996 Ianto's life is fine. Some might even say great. When cracks begin to appear in the surface of Ianto’s perfect world, he’s forced to confront what he knows is real.

[the-emmapult]

NKMC DropShip Electric Pony security system accessed

Credentials confirmed: Executive Officer RINSDÓTTIR, A

❗ Error: Camera 07 [Hangar Bay 01] out of alignment

Transcribing last video footage before relevant incident:

[BEGINNING AUDIO/VIDEO RECONSTRUCTION]

1 (one) individual; seated in cockpit of BattleMech 03. Identity confirmed: Warrant Officer CASTANHO, J Individual verbalizes [probability of attempt at singing: 62%] and manipulates a stringed instrument [unconfirmed model].

"What I wouldn't give for a good man at my side What I wouldn't give for a good man at my side You order the man and he goes out to die What I wouldn't give for a good man at my side" "What I wouldn't give for a good bottle at my side What I wouldn't give for a good bottle at my side You uncork the bottle and you open your mouth wide What I wouldn't give for a good bottle at my side" "What I wouldn't give for a good 'mech under my seat What I wouldn't give for a good 'mech under my seat You push the lever and the 'mech stamps its feet What I wouldn't give for a good 'mech under my seat"

"What I wouldn't give for a good man at my side What I wouldn't give for a good man at my side You order the man and he goes out to die What I wouldn't give for a good man at my side"

Individual ceases manipulating the stringed instrument [unconfirmed model] and looks up at camera. Individual appears agitated and winds back to throw a tool [wrench] at camera.

"Ah, hell, Ags. I told you I didn't want that camera in here!"

[audio transcription: metal on metal impact: 89%; buckling metal: 82%; malfunctioning servo: 76%]

[runariya]

Drive to Survive (JJK) • Chapter 6 “Addicts Deny”

pairing: F1driver!Jungkook x female race engineer!reader genre: colleagues2L, formula1!AU, racing!AU, drama, kind of fantasy/cyborg!AU fic rating: 18+, MDNI warnings: denial, denial, denial, unethical thoughts regarding race practice, lil meow makes an appearance, the FIA is sus, Jungkook is sorry, protective Jungkook because that's a warning for and of itself, MC is jealous, a little bit of fluff, but still she's in denial 🙄, a lot of embarrassment, MC is reckless, physical violence, threats, Jungkook has anger issues, slight PTS, a lil 'babe', MC can't face the truth, foul language, lmk if I forgot smth word count: ~ 7.400

🎵 Treasure - JIKJIN 🎵

a/n: okay, I've clearly lied regarding the writing break. Last night I've stayed awake with mini-me on me sleeping (even though we're both down with a high fever but whatever) and so I've spent the night writing away...so yeeeey! double unedited DtS- AND HR-Update 🎉

a/n 2: This work is purely fictional. All characters and events are entirely imaginary and do not reflect reality. Content errors related to the sport of Formula 1 are not excluded. Please do not use this story as your own. No translations are allowed without permission. Thank you for understanding! 💕

01 • 02 • 03 • 04 • 05 • series masterlist • 07

It's Monday after the race in São Paulo, and you find yourself back at the headquarters, preparing for the triple header ahead: three races in three consecutive weeks. The jet lag nags at the edges of your consciousness, but you push it aside, just as you try to maintain the facade that keeping Jungkook at a distance is easy. 

The wreckage of Jungkook's car has arrived this morning at the headquarters as well, and your immediate task is to retrieve the crash data. Specialised crash sensors in the car have recorded crucial information on impact forces, angles, and speeds, which you'll need to analyse to assess the severity of the crash. This data is essential for the mechanics, who must start working immediately to ensure Jungkook's car is ready in four days for the sprint race weekend in Japan. Toto has already informed you that he wants the data discussed in the debriefing in a few hours, adding to your stress level. 

As you sit at your desk, your thoughts drift back to the chaotic events of the race. Jungkook's crash and the subsequent confrontation with Mingyu replay in your mind. After the race, Jungkook underwent a thorough physical check, and thankfully, he emerged unscathed. Still, you worry about the potential impact on his performance, which you'll have a chance to evaluate during tomorrow's simulation session. You focus on extracting and compiling the crash data, immersing yourself in the technical details to drown out the lingering anxiety.

Once you finish the report, you print it, gather the papers, and make your way to the garage where the mechanics are already hard at work. The sleek, partially disassembled race cars glint under the bright lights, the smell of grease heavy in the air, and the walls are adorned with various tools and parts, neatly organised yet exuding a sense of controlled chaos. As you enter, you spot one of the lead mechanics, a man you think is named Yoongi, though everyone here calls him Lil Meow. He's hunched over Jungkook's damaged car, his hands deftly manoeuvring the wrench.

"Yoongi," you call out, approaching him with the crash data. "I have the data from Jungkook's crash. The debriefing starts in a bit, so I thought I’ll give it to you in person."

He looks up, nodding as he wipes his hands on a rag. "Thanks. Let's see what we've got."

As Yoongi begins to look over the data, an idea pops into your head. "Yoongi, hypothetically speaking, could a device be ingrained and hidden in a car that sends electromagnetic shockwaves to disturb electrical connections?"

Yoongi raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Hypothetically, it’s possible. It would be against regulations, though. Such a device could emit controlled electromagnetic pulses that interfere with the car's electronics. It'd be tricky to detect, but if someone knew what to look for, they might catch it."

You hum thoughtfully, processing this information. "Interesting. Thanks, Yoongi."

Leaving the garage, you mull over the idea. If Mingyu plays unfair, then perhaps you could too. The notion of using such a device to either disrupt his car or his body gnaws at your professional integrity, but the stakes are high, and the competitive edge is razor-thin. Returning to your office, you decide to keep the idea in your back pocket, a potential ace up your sleeve. The balance between ethical boundaries and the fierce desire to win is a delicate one, and you can only hope you navigate it wisely in the intense weeks to come.

In the cool, dimly lit conference room at the team headquarters, you stand beside Toto and the engineering team, surrounded by screens displaying telemetry data and race footage. The atmosphere is tense as you begin the debrief with a detailed analysis of Jungkook's crash with Mingyu. On the large central screen, you replay the critical moments leading up to the incident, dissecting every move and decision.

"From what we've reviewed," you start, gesturing towards the screen where the onboard footage plays in slow motion, "it appears Jungkook attempted an overtake on Mingyu into Turn 4. Mingyu defended aggressively, causing contact that sent Jungkook off track."

Toto nods, his expression grave. "We need to understand why Jungkook chose that moment. Was there a miscommunication on strategy? Please replay the radio communication."

You do as said, the communications during the incident echoing through the room, emphasising Jungkook's frustration with Mingyu's defensive manoeuvres. "There were clear frustrations expressed over the radio. Jungkook felt he had the pace and opportunity, but Mingyu closed the door aggressively."

Jungkook, seated among the team, clears his throat. "I believed I could make the move stick. I saw an opportunity and went for it. In hindsight, perhaps I should have waited for a better chance."

Toto interjects, "We need to ensure incidents like this don't repeat. You have to trust the team's strategy and communicate effectively."

You move to the next slide, focusing on the damage assessment. "Fortunately, the crash data indicates that the impact was primarily absorbed by the car body. The chassis integrity remains intact, which is crucial."

The chief engineer chimes in, "The initial assessment from the mechanics confirms that the car will be fully operational for the upcoming race weekend. We'll conduct thorough checks to ensure all systems are optimal."

Toto nods, turning towards Jungkook, he address him directly. "Jungkook, let's discuss your perspective on the incident and your decision-making process during that crucial moment."

Jungkook meets your gaze briefly. "I thought I had the pace to pass Mingyu. I misjudged his defence. I'll be more patient in the future."

You nod towards Toto, appreciating Jungkook’s honesty. "We'll work on refining those split-second decisions."

Transitioning to the broader strategy review, you outline the team's approach to the race. "Our strategy focused on tyre management and capitalising on the race pace. We opted for a two-stop strategy which, despite the incident, allowed us to compete for points until Jungkook's retirement."

Next the chief engineer addresses you, being the engineer responsible for Jungkook's car. "What feedback did Jungkook provide post-incident regarding car handling and performance?"

You respond, “Jungkook reported minor understeer pre-crash, but overall, the car's balance was manageable. Our focus now is ensuring all components are thoroughly checked and aligned."

Shifting focus, Toto then assesses the impact on team morale while looking around. "Given the incident, how are team dynamics holding up?"

Jungkook sighs, "It's frustrating, but we're a resilient team. We'll learn from this and come back stronger."

Turning to the positive, Joongki acknowledges George's stunning victory. "On a brighter note, George's performance was exceptional. Starting from P5 and mastering the changing track conditions to clinch victory showcases our team's capabilities."

The room lightens up with smiles and nods. George beams from his seat. "Thanks, everyone. It was a team effort all the way."

You hastily write down Toto’s next words. "But again back to the crash. To prevent similar incidents, we'll reinforce communication protocols and strategic decision-making. Clear rules of engagement between drivers and rivals will be crucial moving forward."

"Now, regarding the FIA's decision regarding the fight after the race," Toto proceeds, his tone turning almost cheerful. "Thanks to my and Christian Horner's intervention and negotiation with them, Jungkook and Mingyu won't face a ban from the next race. However, there will be a fine to be paid. This is a lesson for both drivers."

There are visible sighs of relief, with shoulders relaxing and expressions softening around the table. Engineers exchange nods of approval, while a few team members even allow themselves small, cautious smiles. Spontaneous clapping breaks out, followed by a few cheers, as the gravity of Toto's influence in this decision is silently acknowledged by the team.

Jungkook glances again to you, as if you see your reaction but averts his eyes to Toto. “Thanks, boss.”

Toto stands, offering final words of encouragement. "Let's channel today's lessons into preparation for the next race. We have a championship to contend for."

As the debrief wraps up, you hastily make your way back to your office, focused and no time for chatter. 

The rest of the day passes in a blink of an eye, the quiet hum of the building’s A/C underscoring the solitude of your surroundings. You’re once again the last one working, or so you think. As you step exhausted into the lobby, ready to call an Uber to take you back to your hotel, you come across Namjoon and Jungkook standing by the entrance. Namjoon offers a quick goodbye, leaving you and Jungkook enveloped in an awkward silence.

Jungkook breaks the stillness. "How are you getting home?"

You shrug, trying to keep your tone nonchalant. "I’m taking an Uber, like always."

He frowns, clearly displeased. "It’s too late for you to go alone. I don’t want you walking around at night by yourself."

You roll your eyes, the familiarity of arguing with Jungkook bubbling up. "Jungkook, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Thank you very much."

"No. And before you start, it’s not about patronising you," he insists, his voice dropping to a softer, more earnest tone. "It's about me genuinely fearing for your safety. I can't bear the thought of something happening to you."

You sigh, frustration and a hint of something warmer mingling in your chest. "I'll be fine, Jungkook. It's just a short ride. I’ve done it for weeks at this point.” 

He shakes his head, his eyes locking onto yours, the determination evident. "If something did happen to you, I'd never forgive myself. Your parents would say the same. It’s just not worth it.”

Reluctantly, you concede, the weight of his words settling over you. "Fine," you mutter, "but only because you're being so insistent."

You follow behind Jungkook as he leads the way to his car, the contrast between his towering frame and your smaller stature evident, even though you navigate in heels. Despite the footwear, you feel shielded by his presence, almost invisible to anyone who might approach. His athletic build is unmistakable—broad neck, shoulders, and arms hinting at strength, while his small waist is hidden under an oversized gym shirt. The scent lingering around him is enticing, a mix of sweat and something distinctly masculine, wrapping you in its comforting familiarity.

Reaching his car, Jungkook opens the passenger door, gestures for you to enter first, a small smile gracing his lips, his eyes warm and reassuring. You settle into the passenger seat as he takes his place beside you, the warmth of his presence contrasting with the cool leather of the car seats. The interior smells faintly of his cologne and detergent, bringing you an unexpected sense of comfort. As he starts the engine, you feel a surprising peace wash over you, his presence beside you calming your nerves. You try to swallow down all these feelings, focusing on the passing city lights outside the window.

"Do you have plans tonight?" you ask, breaking the silence, your curiosity getting the better of you.

Jungkook snorts, a bitter laugh escaping him. "With who?"

You raise an eyebrow and look at his profile. "Any of your flirts?"

He glances at you, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I thought you realised what was behind the flirting.”

“What’s there to realise?” Your tone is more snarky than you intended and you regret opening your mouth at all. But Jungkook seems not to mind it at all. 

"For years, flirting has been my self-defence mechanism. Those women who fall for it are usually gold diggers. I know to keep my distance from them…like Trish."

You nod, absorbing his honesty and the subtle repulsion after he said her name, but he isn’t finished.

"The ones who are disgusted by my flirting," he continues, "are the genuine ones. Those are the ones I can befriend. Or more," he adds in a whisper, his eyes flicking to you before quickly returning to the road.

“Oh…” Your breath catches, but you can't find the words to respond. His admission leaves you speechless, and you can feel your heart thudding in your chest. Jungkook takes a deep breath, the tension in the car thickening.

"No matter what happens on track," he says softly, "I’ll never disobey your orders again. I’m sorry. We’re a team, and I need you to know that I understand that now."

Before you can react, he reaches over and takes your hand, his thumb gently rubbing your knuckles. The simple touch sends a jolt through you, making you gulp while warmth spreads from your hand to your entire body. You feel a mixture of emotions—comfort, confusion, and a deep-seated denial of what this could mean. You tell yourself it’s just a friendly gesture, nothing more.

You don’t protest, your hand remaining in his as he continues driving. The silence between you shifts, becoming something more intimate and reassuring. You can feel his strength and sincerity through the connection of your hands, and despite your best efforts to deny it, a part of you feels a deep sense of belonging.

As the car glides through the streets, Jungkook’s touch remains steady, anchoring you to this moment. His presence, his warmth, and his words blend into a quiet promise of trust and solidarity. You tell yourself it’s just the circumstances, you being lonely, the late hour, the emotional weekend behind you—but in the back of your little heart, you know it’s more. And for now, you let yourself enjoy the fleeting peace that comes from simply being beside him, his hand in yours.

After Jungkook dropped you off at your hotel last night, you couldn't sleep all night. You kept overthinking the car ride, replaying every moment in your mind. Yet, you told yourself that the sleeplessness was due to your jet lag and not because of Jungkook. 

The race simulation room you're in this morning is a high-tech haven within your team's headquarters where you'll spend the next few hours. The walls are adorned with monitors displaying data streams and circuit maps of the Suzuka International Racing Course in Japan. The vibration of machinery and the occasional click of keyboards form the backdrop to your team's focused atmosphere.

Jungkook is seated in the futuristic simulator, which replicates the cockpit of his Formula 1 car. The simulator's three large screens wrap around him, providing a near-360-degree view of the track. He’s fully suited up, helmet on, and hands gripping the steering wheel with the intensity of an actual race. His focus is tangible, his eyes darting from the virtual track to the display on his steering wheel, which shows telemetry data in real-time.

You stand at the control station, a complex array of monitors and control panels before you. Each screen shows a different aspect of the car's performance: speed, gear selection, engine temperature, tyre wear, and countless other parameters that will inform the team's strategy for the upcoming race in Japan. Your headset is on, allowing seamless communication with Jungkook and the rest of the engineering team.

“Okay, Jungkook, we’re ready to start the first run,” you say, your voice steady and clear through the radio. “Let’s focus on getting a clean lap to gather baseline data.”

Jungkook nods, and you watch as he navigates the simulator's controls. The car roars to life on the screen, and he accelerates down the virtual pit lane and onto the track. You keep an eye on the various readouts, watching how the car behaves through the corners and straights of Suzuka's iconic layout.

As Jungkook takes on the first set of S-curves, you notice slight oversteer. “You’re doing great, Jungkook. Let’s try to manage the oversteer through the Esses. Adjust your throttle input a bit earlier.”

“Got it,” he replies, his voice calm yet focused.

Lap after lap, you gather critical data. Tyre temperatures rise and fall, fuel consumption rates adjust, and the balance of the car shifts as Jungkook fine-tunes his driving lines and braking points. Each piece of data feeds into the computer models that will help predict how the car will perform in the actual race.

“Alright, let’s try a few different setups now,” you suggest after a series of consistent laps. “We’ll start with adjusting the front wing angle to see if we can get more downforce.”

You signal to one of the engineers, who quickly inputs the new configuration into the simulator. Jungkook waits patiently, using the brief pause to take a sip of water.

“Okay, new setup is loaded. Let’s see how this feels,” you inform him.

Jungkook nods and restarts his run. Immediately, you notice the car’s behaviour changing through the corners. “How’s the balance now?” you ask.

“Feels better, more responsive at the front. But I’m getting a bit of oversteer in the hairpin,” Jungkook reports.

“Copy that. We’ll try adjusting the rear suspension next,” you respond, making notes on your tablet.

The session continues, each adjustment bringing you closer to the optimal setup. You guide Jungkook through various configurations, each one providing valuable insights. The simulator’s feedback is so realistic that it’s almost like being on the actual track.

“Let’s do a race simulation now,” you announce after a while. “We need to see how the car behaves over a longer stint.”

Jungkook prepares himself, taking a deep breath and settling into a rhythm. The laps roll by, each one providing a wealth of data. Tyre degradation, fuel usage, and lap times are all meticulously logged. You communicate with him constantly, advising on tyre management and fuel-saving techniques.

“Pace is looking good, Jungkook. Keep it steady,” you encourage as he maintains a consistent lap time.

The simulation runs smoothly, and after a predetermined number of laps, you call him back into the virtual pit lane. “Great job, Jungkook. That was a solid stint. We’ve got a lot of good data to work with.”

Jungkook exits the simulator, removing his helmet and wiping the sweat from his brow. A sight you appreciate even in a professional setting. He joins you at the control station, where the team is already analysing the data.

“Let’s review the telemetry,” you say, pulling up the graphs and charts on the central monitor. “We can see here that the tyre wear was pretty consistent, but we need to look into the slight drop in pace during the middle stint.”

Jungkook leans in, his scent hitting you square in the face as he examines the data with you. Flashbacks of yesterday running wild in your mind. “I felt a bit of a drop in grip around lap ten. Could be the tyre temps spiking.”

You nod, trying to snap back to the present while you highlight the corresponding data points. “Yes, the front-left tyre temperature was higher than expected. We might need to tweak the camber settings.”

The debrief continues, with Jungkook providing invaluable feedback on how the car felt at different points of the simulation. You discuss potential adjustments, comparing them with the data gathered to formulate the best strategy for the race weekend.

As the session wraps up, you give Jungkook a pat on the back. “Excellent work today. We’ve got a lot to go on for Japan.”

“Thanks, it felt good. Looking forward to the weekend,” Jungkook replies with a smile.

You watch as he heads out, already thinking about the next steps. The data from today’s session will be critical in fine-tuning the car for the unique demands of the Suzuka circuit. You and the team will spend the next two days poring over every detail, ensuring that Jungkook has the best possible car for the race.

The room gradually empties, the noise of activity dying down. You sit back for a moment, reflecting on the day’s progress and Jungkook’s magnetic pull. Even though he sometimes feels like the sun you can't stop orbiting, there's still work to be done. With Jungkook’s skill and the data you’ve gathered, you would feel confident about the upcoming race weekend, if there wasn’t Mingyu. 

As you power down the equipment and gather your notes, you can’t help but feel a sense of excitement. The race in Japan is just around the corner, and with every data point analysed, you’re one step closer to a successful race weekend.

Making your way up the floors to your office, you stop by the kitchenette to fetch a coffee after the sleepless night. The day ahead isn’t over yet, and you need a boost to keep going. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the small room as you pour yourself a cup. Just as you’re about to head to your office with your coffee in hand, Namjoon approaches with a smile.

"Hey, good morning," he greets you warmly.

"Good morning, Namjoon," you reply, returning his smile.

"Got a minute?" he asks, his tone friendly yet a bit hesitant.

"Sure, what’s up?" you respond, curious about what he wants to discuss.

He clears his throat and begins, "I wanted to clarify something about the first day we met. I’m sure you heard what Jungkook said as you were leaving."

Intrigued, you nod and encourage him to continue. "Go on."

"Well," Namjoon says, a bit awkwardly, "I wasn’t looking at your butt. I was actually looking at your posture. Your left shoulder seems to sag a little bit. Do you wear your purse on that side?"

A wave of embarrassment washes over you as you realise you had misinterpreted the situation. You thought he was checking you out. "Yes, you're right," you admit, feeling your cheeks heat up. "I do carry my purse on that side."

Namjoon nods, seemingly relieved. "Would you like to do a little workout for it? I’ve got an hour until I’m scheduled with Jungkook."

You ponder for a moment, but the idea of a break sounds perfect given your level of stress and tiredness. "Sure, why not," you agree.

Soon, you find yourself in your gym clothes, which you keep in your office for moments like this. You follow Namjoon to the team’s gym, a well-equipped space designed for quick yet effective workouts. Namjoon starts guiding you through a series of exercises meant to correct your posture and strengthen your shoulder.

As you move through the exercises, Namjoon breaks the silence. "By the way, you and Jungkook don’t have to worry about me. I’m gay and dating George."

You’re taken aback, not because of his disclosure but because it confirms he noticed your earlier embarrassment. "Oh, um, thank you for sharing that," you stammer, then quickly clarify, "But just to be clear, the relationship between Jungkook and me is purely professional."

Namjoon gives you a knowing look. "I don’t believe you," he says with a chuckle. "Jungkook talks about you all the time. You’re his favourite topic of conversation. He always brings up how you first met when you were teenagers and how you couldn’t stand him."

You feel a mix of emotions swirling inside you. Embarrassment, confusion, and a hint of something else you don’t want to place. "Really?" you ask, trying to keep your tone neutral.

"Yes, really," Namjoon continues. "He admires you in a way that’s more than professional. And I can see it in the way you look at him, too. It’s mutual."

You deny it again, "Namjoon, it’s not like that." But internally, you’re struggling with the truth of his words. Memories of late-night strategy sessions, the way Jungkook's eyes light up when he talks about racing, and the fluttering in your stomach every time you see him after a race flash through your mind.

Namjoon doesn’t press further. Instead, he focuses on guiding you through the next set of exercises, his demeanour still friendly but more subdued. "Just think about it," he says finally, offering a gentle smile.

You tease, “George, huh?”

Now it’s Namjoon’s turn to blush. “Yeah, it’s still fresh,” he admits, looking slightly embarrassed. “We’re at the stage of getting to know each other. Please keep it secret for now.”

You nod, a playful smile on your lips. “Your secret’s safe with me. But if you need any advice, you know where not to find me,” you say, masking your own embarrassment.

Namjoon laughs, shaking his head. “Thanks, but I think I’ll manage. Just don’t spread it around.”

“Of course not,” you reply, still smiling. “But if I see you sneaking off, I’ll know who you’re talking to.”

Namjoon chuckles again, the tension easing. 

You finish the workout feeling more relaxed physically but with your mind in turmoil. As you change back into your work clothes and head to your office, you replay Namjoon’s words over and over. You know there’s some truth to what he said, but admitting it, even to yourself, feels like opening a door you’re not ready to walk through.

The day moves on, filled with meetings and data analysis, but Namjoon's words linger in the back of your mind. Every interaction with Jungkook feels charged with a new awareness. You catch yourself watching him a little too closely, analysing every smile, every glance.

Later, as you work late into the evening, Jungkook stops by your office. "Hey, I wanted to go over some of the simulation data with you," he says, his voice as casual as ever.

"Sure, come in," you reply, your heart beating a little faster.

As you discuss the data, you find yourself distracted by the way he leans in, his focus on the screen, the small gestures that seem so familiar yet newly significant. You wonder if he feels it too, this strange tension that Namjoon has made you so aware of.

"I'm heading home in an hour. Will you be done by then? I can drive you home," Jungkook offers.

You look up at him, seeing the hope in his eyes, and can only hum in response.

"Great. I'll meet you at the lobby entrance," Jungkook says, standing up with a gentle smile that you reciprocate without thinking.

When Jungkook finally leaves, you sit back in your chair, staring at the door. You know you need to confront these feelings, but for now, you bury them deep, focusing on your work. The race in Japan is just days away, and you can’t afford distractions.

But as the hour ticks by and the office grows quiet, you can’t help but wonder what might happen if you allowed yourself to acknowledge the truth. Namjoon's words echo in your mind, and for the first time, you consider the possibility that your relationship with Jungkook could be something more than professional.

But for now, you pack up and push the thoughts aside as you head to the elevator, Jungkook already waiting for you with the same smile that leaves you breathless. 

Friday evening in Japan is eerily quiet at the paddock. The day's training session had gone well, the team managing to make final adjustments that promised a successful qualifying later that day. However, a strategic error in tyre management—a responsibility that fell squarely on your shoulders—left Jungkook in P3 during the qualifying session. The sense of disappointment still lingers as you step out into the darkness, determined to salvage the weekend by any means necessary.

The Red Bull garage looms ahead, bathed in dim, ambient light that casts long, eerie shadows. Each step you take echoes softly in the stillness of the night, your heartbeat a frantic drum in your chest. Fear and determination war within you, a volatile cocktail that drives you forward. The vast expanse of the garage stretches out before you, empty and silent, offering the perfect opportunity for your second solo mission. You move swiftly, your movements fluid and precise, slipping inside like a ghost. Your eyes dart around, frantic, scanning every nook and cranny for any sign of Mingyu or his team. The air is thick with tension, but as you search, you find the space blissfully clear of any presence. With a quiet sigh of relief, you head straight for Mingyu's gear, the objective of your desire. The silence around you feels both a blessing and a curse, heightening your senses and making every sound seem louder than it is. You remain on high alert, fully aware that discovery could mean serious consequences for both you and the team.

Carefully, you pull out your phone, the cool metal a reassuring weight in your trembling hand. You activate the camera, its bright light slicing through the darkness and casting sharp, eerie shadows that dance over the metallic knobs embedded in the fabric. Each click of the shutter feels like a small victory, highlighting the unusual and illicit modifications better than the pictures you’ve taken weeks before. The knobs glint under the stark light, their presence a silent testament to your growing suspicions. Encouraged by your discovery, you delve deeper into the search, your breath quickening as you rummage through more gear, adrenaline high in your veins. To your dismay and confirmation, you find similar knobs embedded in his right racing boot. The sight sends a chill down your spine, a cold reminder of the dangerous game you're playing. But the thrill of uncovering the truth fuels your resolve, and you focus intently on documenting the evidence, pushing fear to the back of your mind.

Just as you're about to snap another picture of the racing boot, a strong hand clamps down on your shoulder, wrenching you around with a force that knocks the breath out of you. Your heart leaps into your throat as you come face-to-face with Mingyu. His eyes blaze with anger and suspicion, his imposing frame casting a shadow over you and filling the garage with an oppressive presence. His tall and buff build swallows you whole and blocks out the dim light, making you feel small and vulnerable. 

"What’s a little bird like you doing here?" he snarls, his voice a dangerous, low rumble that sends a fresh wave of fear coursing through you. The menace in his tone is unmistakable, and you can feel your body tense up, every instinct screaming at you to run.

You open your mouth to respond, but no sound comes out. Your vocal cords feel paralysed by the sheer panic rising within you. As Mingyu steps closer, his towering frame becomes even more intimidating, forcing you to instinctively back away. Your hands tremble uncontrollably, making it hard to keep your phone steady, and a cold sweat breaks out on your forehead, trickling down your temples. "I... I was just..." you stammer, but the words catch in your throat, refusing to form coherent sentences. The weight of the situation presses down on you, making it hard to think or react rationally.

Mingyu's eyes narrow, his gaze piercing and unforgiving. He steps even closer, closing the gap between you with a menacing determination. You keep backing up, your steps frantic and unsteady, until you find yourself at the very edge of the garage. The cool night air brushes against your back, offering a stark contrast to the oppressive heat radiating from Mingyu's anger. "Tell me, what exactly are you doing here?" he demands, his voice a dangerous growl. Suddenly, his hand shoots out and grabs your neck, the pressure firm and unyielding. You gasp for breath, your hands instinctively flying up to grasp his wrist in a futile attempt to loosen his grip. The fear coursing through your body now is overwhelming, drowning out any semblance of bravery you thought you had.

Regret floods your mind like a tidal wave, threatening to drown you in its intensity. You curse yourself for embarking on this dangerous mission alone, for underestimating the risks and overestimating your ability to handle them. Thoughts of Jungkook, your team, and the potential consequences of your actions swirl in a chaotic storm within your head. What if you don't get out of this situation unharmed? The fear is almost paralysing, making it hard to focus on anything but the desperate hope that somehow, someone will come to your rescue. The reality of your vulnerability hits you hard, and you can't help but feel a deep sense of despair and helplessness.

Mingyu's grip tightens, the pressure on your neck intensifying as you see the rage boiling over in his eyes. "Answer me!" he growls, his voice a harsh, guttural sound that shakes you to your core. He shakes you slightly, his grip unrelenting. The world starts to blur at the edges, your vision narrowing as lightheadedness takes over. You feel your strength ebbing away when, suddenly, a voice cuts through the oppressive tension.

"Hey! What’s going on here?" Taehyung's voice slices through the air, sharp and authoritative. Mingyu's head snaps in Taehyung's direction, his expression a mix of surprise and annoyance. Relief floods through you, a lifeline amidst your mounting fear. Taehyung strides toward you with purpose, his eyes immediately locking onto Mingyu's hand around your neck, the protective fire in his gaze unmistakable.

Mingyu releases you abruptly, and you stumble back, gasping for air as you clutch your sore neck. "She was trespassing," Mingyu snaps, pointing a condemning finger at you. "Spying. That’s against regulations."

Taehyung steps between you and Mingyu, his stance solid and unyielding. "All I saw was a man assaulting a woman. You might want to reconsider your actions," he says, his tone icy and eyes never wavering from Mingyu's face. The tension crackles like electricity, a standoff between the two men that hangs in the air.

Mingyu's eyes flash with unrestrained anger, but he takes a reluctant step back. "This isn't over," he warns, jabbing a finger in your direction one last time before turning on his heel and vanishing into the shadows of the night.

Taehyung turns to you, his face softening with concern. "Are you okay?" he asks, his voice now gentle, a stark contrast to the sharpness it held moments before.

You nod slowly, still rubbing your neck where Mingyu's fingers had left their mark. "Yeah, I think so. Thanks to you," you manage to say, your voice a bit shaky from the adrenaline still coursing through your veins.

"We need to report this to the FIA," Taehyung insists firmly. "Mingyu physically assaulted you. This can't go unaddressed."

"I'm not sure," you reply hesitantly, the thought of further exposure daunting. But Taehyung’s unwavering resolve cuts through your doubt.

"It's the best course of action," he says, his tone brooking no argument. "And we won't say a word about what you were doing before Mingyu showed up."

You sigh, a mixture of resignation and acceptance washing over you. Knowing he's right, you agree. "Okay. We'll report it. But what were you doing here, anyway?"

A small, wry smile tugs at Taehyung's lips. "I had the same idea as you. But you beat me to it," he admits, a hint of admiration in his voice.

As you and Taehyung leave the paddock, the night air cool against your flushed skin, you glance at him, a new worry gnawing at you. "Promise me you won't tell Jungkook about this," you say quietly, your voice barely above a whisper.

Taehyung frowns and glances at your neck. "I’m afraid I won’t have to, it’s quite unmistakable." 

The two of you walk side by side, the night’s events casting a long shadow. Mingyu's warning echoes in your ears, a constant reminder of the stakes involved.

Back at the hotel, you part ways with Taehyung, thanking him again for his help. Alone in your room, you sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the pictures on your phone. The evidence you’ve gathered is significant, but it has come at a cost. You hope that tomorrow will bring clarity and that you'll find a way to move forward without further jeopardising yourself or the team.

Sleep doesn't come easily that night. The memory of Mingyu's hands around your neck haunts you, and the weight of your decisions presses heavily on your mind. But amidst the fear and uncertainty, you feel a flicker of determination. This fight isn't over, and you’re more committed than ever to seeing it through.

“___, could you please follow me?” Toto steps in front of you, blocking your view of a raging Jungkook, who is stomping his way toward you through the paddock on this Saturday morning before the sprint qualifying begins.

You glance up at Toto, his face passive and pale, and nod. “Yes, boss.”

Following him to the back room of the garage, you notice two representatives from the FIA and Taehyung sitting by the table, clearly waiting for Toto and you.

“What’s going…” Jungkook had clearly followed you but his presence and voice are cut off as Toto, unimpressed, closes the door in his face.

“Please take a seat,” one of the representatives says, thick with an Italian accent. Your nerves flare up, but Taehyung’s reassuring smile eases them a little.

“We heard that a driver had physically harassed and injured you. Is that true?” the same representative continues emotionless. 

You glance again at Taehyung, who nods, his warm smile still in place, giving you the reassurance you need. “Yes.”

“Could you name the driver who harassed you and what he did?” the other representative asks then. 

Last night flashes in your mind, the fear returning momentarily as you fiddle with your thumbs. “It was Park Mingyu. He choked me.”

Both representatives note your answer down, nodding before standing up.

“Thank you very much for your statement. If it’s not a bother, could we take a picture of your neck?”

You reach up, feeling the slight swelling on your neck. The bruises, shimmering in red, green, and blue at some spots, are a reminder of the aggression you faced. Each tender spot under your fingers feels as if Mingyu's grip is still there, the phantom pressure of his hand lingering around your throat. A shiver runs down your spine, and you gulp, realising the importance of this evidence. It must be documented meticulously to ensure there’s no doubt about what happened. The thought of the photographs being taken, capturing your vulnerability and the violence inflicted upon you, makes you uneasy, but you know it's necessary. “Sure,” you whisper, your voice barely audible. 

After the pictures are taken, the representatives thank you and exit the room. Almost immediately, Jungkook seizes the opportunity to peek into the room, his anxious eyes scanning for you. You realise he must have been waiting outside the entire time. The door closes softly behind them, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. Now, you're alone with Taehyung and Toto. The room feels smaller, more intimate, with just the three of you. Taehyung stands quietly beside you, his presence a comforting reassurance, while Toto's gaze remains steady and composed, though you can sense the undercurrent of worry in his eyes. The gravity of the situation hangs in the air, making the room feel even more charged with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Toto says, his tone distant as he speaks. “And I appreciate your assistance.” He adds, turning briefly to acknowledge Taehyung. “It’s unusual for a rival team to intervene like this.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Taehyung waves his hand around, still smiling at you as if knowing you need this more than ever. 

“Are you good to work?” Toto asks you.

“Yes, boss,” you reply, telling the truth.

"Good," Toto murmurs, his brow furrowing in contemplation. "Make sure to stick close to the team from now on, alright?"

"Yes, boss. I'll keep close," you reply, though Toto's shift in demeanour leaves you feeling unsettled.

"Good, good," Toto repeats, his voice trailing off slightly as he heads out the door. There's a visible tension in his movements, contrasting his usual composed self.

Jungkook strides purposefully into the room just as Toto makes his exit, his gaze flicking from you to your neck and then to Taehyung with a mixture of concern and anger etched on his features. His steps are quick, his posture tense as he points an accusatory finger at Taehyung. "What did you do to her?!" The words are sharp, laden with worry and protectiveness.

Taehyung responds with a laugh, raising his hands in a placating gesture while you move to stand in front of him, hoping to diffuse Jungkook's escalating emotions. "I saved Miss Dangerous here," Taehyung explains calmly, his tone light despite the seriousness of the situation. "Mingyu's the one who hurt her."

Jungkook's brow furrows as he processes the information, the tension in the room palpable as both you and Taehyung attempt to calm him down. You speak softly, explaining what happened and reassuring him that you're alright, urging him not to confront Mingyu in anger.

Later, as the sprint qualifying session is about to start, news spread through the paddock like wildfire. Teams and media alike learn of Mingyu's ban from the weekend's events, the result of his repeated violations of regulations, specifically for his assault on you. The atmosphere at the Suzuka Course is a mix of relief and lingering tension, with whispers of the incident circulating among team personnel and journalists alike, punctuated by murmurs of support and solidarity from your colleagues. 

Race day arrives on Sunday, and the paddock is clamouring with media for statements about Mingyu's ban and the incident involving you. Toto steps in, shielding you from the press frenzy, urging you to focus on the impending race while he handles the public relations. 

Watching his interview on the pit wall through a nearby screen, you feel grateful for a boss like him. He speaks confidently to the reporter, highlighting your skills as one of the most talented race engineers across all teams. Toto emphasises the importance of protecting women in a sport where they are still a rarity, citing the FIA's response as evidence of their commitment to a safe work environment.

Just as you start to settle into the seat, Jungkook startles you by placing his large hands on your shoulders. 

“I’m sorry.” He squeezes your shoulders lightly. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“It’s okay, I’m fine.” You smile at him, your voice quiet.

“You ready for the race?” Jungkook shifts to beside you, leaning against the pit wall with crossed arms. He’s already in his black gear, fitting his body perfectly. 

With a playful grin, you counter “It’s you who needs to be ready.”

“We’re are team. Aren’t we, babe?”

You blush at his playful persona but laugh along, realising how much you've missed his relaxed and humorous side. As the anticipation builds, you feel a sense of optimism washing over you, hoping that everything is finally starting to align positively.

The race unfolds spectacularly, the anticipation building with each lap as Jungkook skilfully navigates the track. As the final lap approaches, Jungkook's dominance is undeniable. You with the pit crew, glued to their monitors, erupt in unison  cheers as Jungkook crosses the finish line in first place. The shouts reverberate through the paddock, faces full of elation and pride for the team's achievement.

With George closely following in second place, the team's success is complete. The pit lane becomes a stage of jubilation as Jungkook's car rolls to a stop, surrounded by cheering mechanics and team members. They hoist him and George onto their shoulders, their exuberance contagious as they celebrate their victory. The air is filled with high-fives, hugs, and congratulatory shouts. 

Standing at the back of the crowd, you fix your gaze on Jungkook amidst the post-race celebrations. His figure stands out, exuding triumph and relief, yet there's a subtle hint of something unresolved in his expression. You observe him scanning the crowd, his eyes searching earnestly as if seeking something beyond the victory itself. Your heart races with conflicting emotions, wanting desperately to catch his attention without uttering a word.

Finally, his gaze meets yours, a brief moment that feels like an eternity. In that instance, his smile lights up like the sun itself, mirroring the warmth that spreads across your own face. The connection is fleeting yet profound, a shared acknowledgment that transcends words.

Suddenly, the realisation hits you like a thunderclap. Your expression falls rapidly, hands pausing mid-clap, the color draining from your face. 

Jungkook notices the shift in your demeanour, his brow furrowing in concern, but before he can react, you pivot abruptly, heart pounding as you retreat from the scene as fast as you can.

Your only destination being away from him. 

01 • 02 • 03 • 04 • 05 • series masterlist • 07

a/n 3: lmk what you think in any way you like! please send me a message, ask or comment if you would like to be tagged for upcoming chapters 💕 also - character asks and drabble requests are open

Like what you read? Check out my other work here!

taglist: @jksusawife

[tisayemate]

The escape: Backup plan

(Pt. II)

Janson (Maze Runner) x OC (Lauren)

Angst with a teeny tiny bit of romance

summary: Lauren’s narrow escape from Janson

AN: do I need to put trigger warnings on my stories? And if I do, what exactly must I state? Like depressing scene? Violence? Errr in this case, I’ll say trigger warning is: vulgarities used.

—————————————————————————————————————-

Inspired by:

Lauren didn’t stop running, her legs burning as she raced through the dimly lit corridors. Her chest heaved with each breath, but her mind stayed sharp, focused. The exit—just a few turns ahead—was her only goal. She could feel the weight of the real cure pressing against her side, the real cure tucked away in her jacket pocket. She only had one more decoy to save her.

She could still hear Janson’s footsteps echoing behind her, relentless and close. Too close.

Her heart pounded, but she wouldn’t let fear take over. She had a plan. She always had a plan.

She reached the last corner before the exit, her eyes locking onto the door at the end of the hallway. Freedom. Safety. But then—an alarm blared through the facility, loud and jarring, the shrill sound piercing through the air like a blade.

He triggered it.

Lauren’s stomach twisted. The door ahead was her only way out, but now the entire facility would be on high alert. Guards would be rushing in any moment, and Janson was right behind her.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing. She had no choice.

She sprinted for the door, pushing her legs harder, faster, ignoring the searing pain in her muscles. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, the exit taunting her from the distance.

But then—she heard it. The unmistakable sound of footsteps closing in fast. Janson was gaining on her, his fury propelling him forward like a predator closing in on its prey.

Lauren’s mind raced. She couldn’t let him catch her. Not now. Not when she was so close.

With one last burst of energy, she reached the door, slamming her hand against the keypad to trigger the exit. The heavy metal door creaked open, but before she could slip through—

A hand grabbed her bag, yanking her back with brutal force. She stumbled, the momentum pulling her into Janson’s iron grip, her back slamming against his chest. His arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly in place as she struggled to break free.

“Going somewhere?” Janson’s voice was low and deadly, his breath hot against her ear. His grip tightened around her, his other hand reaching for her jacket pocket, where he knew the real cure had to be.

Lauren’s heart raced, her body thrumming with adrenaline. She twisted in his grasp, trying to pull away, but Janson’s strength was unmatched. His hand slipped into her pocket, his fingers brushing against the vial—

“No!” Lauren’s voice was raw with desperation, and in a sudden move, she reached up and jammed her elbow into his ribs, hard.

Janson grunted, the impact loosening his grip just enough for her to wrench herself free. She spun away, her back now against the doorframe, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes locked with his, fiery and defiant.

Janson straightened, his gaze dark and predatory, his chest rising and falling with the same intensity as hers. “You think you can get away with this?” he snarled, his voice venomous.

Lauren’s pulse thundered in her ears, but she didn’t flinch. “I’m not giving you anything,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. “You don’t deserve it.”

Janson’s eyes flicked to her jacket pocket, where the real cure still lay hidden, and a slow, dangerous smile curled at the corners of his lips. “You really think you’re in control here?”

In one swift move, Janson lunged forward, slamming his hand against the doorframe beside her head, trapping her between him and the exit. The tension in the air was electric, charged with anger, fear, and something else—something darker.

Lauren’s heart pounded in her chest, but she met his gaze with unwavering determination. “I know what you are.”

For a moment, Janson didn’t move, his breath coming in sharp, measured bursts. His eyes burned into hers, filled with a mix of fury and something dangerously close to admiration. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, his presence overwhelming and suffocating.

“But you know nothing of what I’m capable of,” he whispered, his voice low, almost a growl.

Lauren swallowed hard, but she didn’t break eye contact. “I know enough.”

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and loaded. Janson’s jaw clenched, his hand twitching at his side, as though he was fighting the urge to grab her, to force her hand. Lauren’s heart raced, her pulse hammering in her throat. She had seconds—just seconds—to turn the situation to her advantage. Her mind scrambled, searching for an escape, a distraction, anything. Then, in a flash of desperation and instinct, she made her move.

She lunged forward, her hand gripping the front of his jacket as her lips crashed against his.

The kiss was fierce, a clash of heat and adrenaline. Janson stiffened, completely caught off guard, his breath faltering for the briefest moment. Lauren pressed closer, her lips moving against his in a wild, reckless attempt to confuse him, to throw him off balance.

For an instant, it worked. His grip on the doorframe loosened, his hand hovering in mid-air as if his body couldn’t decide what to do next. His breath hitched, and she felt the tension in his body shift, softening, hesitating.

But Lauren wasn’t waiting for a reaction. The kiss was not a moment of surrender—it was a weapon. She pulled back abruptly, their lips parting with a gasp, leaving him stunned. His eyes were dark, searching hers, his chest rising and falling with the same intensity as hers.

For the smallest second, there was something between them—something dangerous, magnetic, raw. But then Lauren’s mind snapped back to reality. She used his stunned moment to duck beneath his arm, slipping out of his reach.

She bolted through the door, her feet hitting the pavement, the cold air biting at her skin as she ran into the night. The real cure still burned in her pocket. She had seconds.

Behind her, Janson stood frozen for a heartbeat longer, his hand hovering at his lips where hers had been. But the confusion only lasted a moment. With a low growl of frustration, he was after her again, the fire in his eyes darker than before.

“You little bitch!”

She could hear him cursing under his breath, the sound of his footsteps thundering behind her, relentless and determined. The facility lights flashed above her, casting long, ominous shadows across the courtyard.

Lauren ran harder, her lungs burning, her legs trembling with exhaustion. She was so close—so close to escaping. But Janson was faster, stronger, and he wasn’t about to let her go without a fight.

Suddenly, she tripped over a rock, her coat getting caught by the thorns on a bush. He gained on her, taking the opportunity to yank her back with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of her. She stumbled, falling to the ground, the cold concrete scraping her hands and knees as she hit the ground hard.

Janson was on her in an instant, pinning her down with his weight, his face inches from hers. His eyes were wild, his breath ragged as he glared down at her, his fingers digging into her skin.

“Give me the goddamn vial,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Lauren’s chest heaved, her heart racing as she struggled beneath him. But she wasn’t done fighting. Not yet.

With one last burst of energy, she reached into her jacket, her fingers brushing against the cold glass of the real vial. In a split second, she pulled it out, holding it up between them like a shield.

Janson’s eyes flicked to the vial, his breath hitching in his throat. For a moment, he froze, his grip on her loosening just enough for her to slip free.

Lauren scrambled to her feet, backing away from him, the vial clutched tightly in her hand. “This is it, Janson,” she said, her voice steady but laced with warning. “The real cure.”

Janson’s gaze darkened, his eyes locked on the vial as he slowly rose to his feet. He took a step toward her, but Lauren held her ground.

“One more step,” she warned, her voice trembling, “and I’ll destroy it.”

For a moment, they stood there, the tension between them thick and palpable. The weight of everything that had happened—everything they’d both done—hung in the air like a storm about to break.

Then, slowly, Janson took another step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. “You won’t.”

Lauren’s heart raced, her fingers tightening around the vial. “I will.”

And for the first time, Janson hesitated.

Lauren saw it—the brief flicker of doubt in his eyes, the way his hand twitched at his side as though he wasn’t sure what to do next.

She had him.

But before she could make her next move, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the courtyard. Guards. They were closing in fast, and Lauren knew she was out of time.

Without another word, she turned and ran, disappearing into the shadows, the real cure still safely in her grasp.

Janson stood there, watching her go, his chest heaving with a mix of anger and something else—something he couldn’t quite place.

She’d won this round. But he wasn’t done with her yet.

Not by a long shot.

[codecan]

List of every robot/AI character I can think of:

(Mind you it’s what I could think of , ik there’s more!!!)

Hal-9000 (2001: a space odyssey, 2010 the year we make contact)

DATA (star trek)

Bagley (watchdogs:legion)

Wrench JR (watchdogs 2)

Edgar (electric dreams)

K1-B0 (Daganronpa 3)

The majority of the Detroit: become human cast (around 30?)

Kinito (Kinito pet)

The cast of DDLC

Mother Board (cyberchase)

The majority of the cast of Indigo Park

The majority of the cast of FNAF

GLaDOS (portal 1 and 2)

Wheatley (portal 2)

Giffany (Gravity falls)

Ponco (Ace attorney)

Basil (Ace attorney)

Terminator (terminator)

Caine (The amazing digital circus)

The cast of murder drones

AM (I have no mouth and i must scream)

The majority of the cast of I Robot

PAL (Mitchells vs the machines)

The robots (Mitchells vs the Machines)

The majority of Deltarune ch2

Mettaton (Undertale)

Kronos (singularity)

Billy (Zenless Zone Zero)

The Bangboo (Zenless zone Zero)

Boothill (Honkai Star rail)

Cyborg (teen titans)

Ultron (marvel)

Karen (spongebob)

Prototype (regretevator)

Scag (regretevator)

Reddy Razbear (regretevator)

Most of every FNAF Spin off and FANGAME

Tartar (splatoon)

The singularity (dead by daylight)

Aigis (persona 3)

Codsworth (Fallout 4)

Calculester (monster prom)

Chiaki (daganronpa 2)

Sophia (Persona 5 Strikers)

Katheryne (genshin impact)

Clockwork Meka (genshin impact)

The ruin enemies (genshin impact)

Coppelia and Coppelius (genshin impact)

Astro (astro’s playroom)

Bender (futurama)

R2-D2 (star wars)

The majority of the cast of Transformers

Marvin (hitchikers guide to the galaxy)

Gir (invader zim)

C-3PO (Star Wars)

The cast of Robots

Bishop (Alien)

BB-8 (star wars)

Robocop (robocop)

Baymax (big hero 6)

Siri (the Apple ai assistant)

Alexa (the google ai assistant)

Clonco (Ace attorney)

Metis (persona 3)

Labrys (persona 4 A)

YTTD AI (your turn to die)

[jpttools]

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[theoutcastrogue]

Lockpick guns

"Lockpick guns, also known as snap guns, became incredibly popular in the 1960s and 1970s to quickly open locks. This rise in popularity was mostly the result of them being usable with only a relatively low degree of training. Since the height of their use, they have mostly fallen out of favor as new advances in lock design have made them less reliable. 

Lockpick guns are available with either an electrical or mechanical mechanism used to generate the force needed to unlock the core. Regardless of how the force is generated, a needle is used to transfer the energy into the driver pins while the core is placed under tension with a tension wrench.

As the needle of the snap gun strikes the key pins, the driver pins can jump above the shear line allowing the core to rotate and open the lock. 

For lockpick guns to work effectively, the driver pins need to be able to move up past the shear line in a single smooth motion.  In older locks and cheaper models of modern locks, this is not a problem because of the lack of security pins.

In higher-end locks, binding of the driver pins becomes a much greater issue for snap guns due to the presence of security pins. These pins are cut with irregular shapes and serrations to encourage them to bind within the lock when manipulated without the correct key.

While these pins are easily manipulated with single pin picking, they make low-skilled attacks such as snap guns and raking considerably more difficult and in many cases impossible.

One of the biggest factors affecting snap guns is the shape of the keyway. As tighter keyways make it much harder for the needle to move within the lock, they will often limit the transfer of energy and prevent the shear line from being broken.

Physical space is also a concern that can limit the effectiveness of lockpick guns. As locks are often mounted awkwardly against walls, it is not always possible to access the lock because of the physical size of the tool. 

Another final limitation of snap guns comes as the result of the amount of energy generated during each impact. These tools put a significant amount of energy into driver pins compared to traditional methods, which ultimately increases the risk of the lock being damaged."

tinyurl.com/4kdp77pd

[rising-volteccers]

Today's episode fueled me to finish part one of this totally self indulgent 'what if' scene based on episode 14 of Horizons so... -drops this and scurries back to my den-

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Spinel

--

Friede had his suspicions since he had Cap scare off the Magneton that caused the electrical interference. They got back communications, the kids were safe despite the no contact and they had a goal to achieve: head to Galar and seek out Liko's grandmother for more information regarding the pendant.

It didn't immediately tipped him off when Dot ran the system update before the ship could take off. After the excitement from the past several days, the kids deserved to have a picnic to de-stress and enjoy themselves. Friede too allowed himself a chance to relax after (secretly) worrying about Liko and Roy's safety. He worried for Mollie too but he also knew that she can take care of herself in the event of an emergency.

Tension once again slipped into his frame once Dot informed them of the troubles faced by the system not updating. This left them land bound indefinitely, a fact that Friede wasn't too keen on. The only bright spot was their relatively close proximity to Levincia so supplies weren't an issue.

While Murdock and Liko went shopping, Friede wracked his brain for some kind of reasoning for this oddity. He wasn't a tech whiz like Dot by any means but this kind of issue just smelled weird. It reminded him of that Magneton from before but surely…

Noctowl's alert led him to check things out. Spotting more Magneton hovering close by, it struck Friede that this might not be natural. While following after one of them without informing the crew sounded like a bad idea, he had confidence at least to deal with whatever that may happen.

Magneton led him and Charizard further away from the ship, all the way to Levincia in fact. He briefly took note of how quiet the surroundings were compared to the busier city center; it reminded him of the warehouses where he fought Amethio a second time.

They entered an alleyway where Friede swiftly realized that he flew straight into an ambush. Hopping off of Charizard, he quickly saw that their enemies were the Magneton and a Beheeyem.

Beheeyem swiftly charged up a Dark Pulse that Charizard dodged. The Magneton too prepared an attack where Friede ordered for a Flamethrower to counter it–only for Charizard to be locked in place by Psychic. 

Friede looked around, quickly deducing that these two Pokemon were receiving orders remotely. 

“Awfully shy, aren’t you?” he muttered, gritting his teeth at the barrage of Zap Cannons hitting his defenseless Charizard. Friede threw an arm up to shield his face from the impact of said attacks seeing that Magneton seemingly had little disregard for his presence next to its target. 

Friede needed a way to turn the tables. He slipped a hand into his pocket, preparing to pull out the Tera Orb–

A soft gasp slipped out when he found himself immobilized too, limbs suddenly locking in place. Genuine fear trickled down his spine upon seeing the Beheeyem charging up what looked to be a Rock-type attack towards both trainer and Pokemon. 

Charizard, in a desperate bid to protect him, managed to wrench himself free from the Psychic just as Beheeyem fired off the Meteor Beam. Friede flew back from the force of the miniature explosion, rolling a few feet till he stopped. Groaning from pain, he scrambled to get on his hands and knees, ears slightly ringing. Distantly he felt something wet trailing down the side of his head but that didn’t matter right now.

Looking up, Friede saw his trusted companion lying unconscious.

“Charizard!” he cried out, trying to reach him but that blasted Psychic locked him in place once more. Friede can struggle all he wanted but the hold Beheeyem had on him meant that he was completely at his unknown assailant's mercy. He reacted far too late; had he managed to terastalize Charizard in time, his Dark Tera Type would have given him an advantage. His partner paid the price, having taken the brunt of the Meteor Beam that Beheeyem sent their way to protect him.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" he growled, still fighting to break free regardless of how futile the action was. 

His eyes darted from the Magneton that hovered to the Beheeyem still keeping him in place. It blinked out of existence–Teleport, his mind supplied. He didn't realize that the Magnemite line were capable of learning it–before returning, this time with someone he knew for certain was the person behind this ambush.

On his knees as he was, this stranger practically loomed over him once he closed the distance between them. Dressed in casual clothing and sporting glasses, nothing about him screamed hostile. He looked like any other civilian on the streets, harmless and glanced over within a sea of people. Friede knew now the reason why he was led to such a quiet part of Valencia's typically bustling city. Such a commotion had yet to garner any attention, meaning that he couldn't bet on a passerby to help him.

Friede too had no means of contacting the crew. He was well and truly alone, played like a fiddle to this mysterious person's tune.

"Who are you?" he repeated, golden eyes molten with anger, glaring at this green haired individual. 

The stranger merely smiled down at him, eyes gleaming in quiet mockery. He leaned down into Friede's space, gripping his chin to force himself to properly make eye contact. 

"I expected more from you. To think that this is all you amounted to." His tone, light and airy could not be mistaken for anything but derision. The grip tightened. "I can't help but feel a little disappointed, Friede."

Despite the sudden spike of fear from this stranger knowing his name, Friede's glare only intensified. "Don't know if I want to hear that from someone who played dirty."

“Playing dirty? Mm… you’re mistaken. It’s simply called playing smart,” the guy replied. “I should question the fact that you followed that Magneton all the way here, none the wiser of the obvious trap laid out. Or did you think that you could have handled anything thrown your way, thus opting not to tell your crew anything?”

Pleasant as the weather was, Friede felt chilled at the implications of his words. If he knew what he did, or chose not to do in this case, it meant that they were spied on all this while. How much did this guy know about himself and the rest of the crew? The kids? An ill feeling settled in his stomach at that thought. 

He swallowed heavily, fighting to keep his angered look. Friede could not give this guy any more of an advantage over him. Gripping tight on his anger didn’t take much. He positively loathed that this stranger potentially spied on the kids aboard the Brave Asagi. 

“What are you after?” he hissed out. 

That infuriating smile barely shifted. A soft hum, followed by a little head tilt. He was being toyed with, that Friede knew. 

“You tell me? What do you think?”

Friede’s instincts told him there could only be one reason for a hostile to suddenly engage the Rising Volt Tacklers like this. “You from Explorers? Like Amethio?”

“Hmm… I suppose with how often he failed, that wasn’t a hard leap to make. If he was going to be so blatant about it, he should at least succeed…” The stranger released his grip on his chin, taking a step back. “But that’s where I come in. To fix his silly failures and get you know what~”

Liko’s pendant, his mind supplied. Of course he was after it too. Was this guy working along or did he have his lackeys go after Liko? She should be out shopping with Murdock, a fact that he likely knew of. Murdock wasn’t the best battler with his Rockruff while Liko with her Sprigatito lacked battle experience against an opponent this well prepared.

“Don’t worry your silly little head. I’m working alone.” Friede hated how obvious his worry bled out, though wandered about the stranger’s disregard in providing information to him. 

“Good to know,” Friede replied, tone thick with sarcasm. If possible, his glare intensified. “You’re not going to get it easily. No one’s letting up without a fight.”

“Goodness, of course I know that. Why do you think I went after you first?” The stranger lightly crossed his arms, finger tapping in no particular rhythm. “You’re the ace of the Rising Volt Tacklers. The best and strongest battler on board. I’ve gathered all kinds of information on you specifically, Pro-fes-sor.”

If Friede had a dislike for that title before, he downright hated the way it rolled off this guy’s tongue in an infuriating sing song like manner.

“If you’re going to mock me, drop the title. I don’t like being formal especially with you.” Vile and vitriol dripped from Friede’s words. 

To add fuel to the fire, his enemy simply chuckled in response. “Hm, I suppose you do have some fight left in you. While you displayed disappointing results, perhaps there’s room to add new information still…”

Friede didn’t like the look in those eyes at all. They held nothing but clinical amusement, eyeing him as if he was an interesting subject to study. He didn’t need any more evidence to know that this guy was a genuinely dangerous threat. Friede can’t let his crew engage with him. 

“I ain’t talking so don’t even bother trying,” he growled, teeth slightly barred. 

“Oh, if I wanted to make you talk, I will make. You. Talk.” The guy briefly grasped his chin again, giving it a little shake before letting go. “But that would be too easy. There’s some use in you left.”

Before Friede could make any snarky remarks, the Beheeyem hovered closer at a single hand wave. Fingers suddenly yanked his hair, forcing his head up to face–

Three colored dots blinking erratically. 

Ice flooded his veins when he realized what was happening. 

“Stop it!”

His struggling began anew but the Psychic still kept him in place. He couldn’t even yank his head free from the guy’s tight grip. Still, Friede fought to break free because he knew what was going on. Beheeyem were known to–

“Don’t worry. You won’t remember anything about our little meeting.”

To…?

“Nothing’s going to change much. I still need data after all.”

What? Who was saying that? What… what was he thinking about again?

“Go on then. Prove to me that there’s still some worth left in you as bait…”

–

Friede opened his eyes. His neck and back immediately groaned in protest from the uncomfortable position he’d been in. Head pounding lightly, he sat up properly, blinking hard to clear away the remnants of sleep(?) from his eyes. Huh, he probably fell asleep at the captain’s chair again–

It took an embarrassingly long moment for Friede to realize that he was not sitting on a chair. In fact, he appeared to be slumped against a wall in some… alleyway? Huh? How did he wound up here?

Where was here exactly…?

[karizard-ao3]

Aaaaah. Coffee shop au but make it post EoE

Oooh, post-apocalyptic coffee shop! I don't read a lot of coffee shop aus, so please forgive me if I miss any tropes I'm supposed to hit upon.

So I'm thinking post-third impact, everything in the blast area must be a wasteland like the antarctic, even if an appreciable amount of people did decide to come back from goop (which, by the way, is the ocean meant to be all the consciousnesses now? Where did they go? Did they disappear to the quantum plane or whatever like Shinji did that one time?), there is no way they can survive that close to the wrecked ocean. Maybe not even in that hemisphere. Not without subsisting on canned foods and finding other ways to farm and stuff, because I'll bet the land is absolutely barren at this point. So if Asuka and Shinji were to stay there, they would have to be part of the resettlement efforts. Maybe other countries who were outside the damage zone are sending aid and stuff. I'm not sure how the city's infrastructure fared, especially with part of it being underground, but I'm going to go with they have electricity, but it's spotty, and you can't always trust the water, maybe?

Anyway, Asuka and Shinji need money and there are tourists and stuff that want to see the site of the third impact- wait. Can they both work at the coffee shop in a coffee shop au, or does one have to be the customer? Whatever. They both work there. Shinji is the barista and baker, Asuka is the waitress and acts as security, since I'm sure the government is a shadow of its former self.

Anyway, they build the coffee shop themselves from the wreckage of NERV HQ, where they holed up for a while during the early days, because I am indeed assuming NERV would have had supply stores in the case that they had to lock down for an unknown period of time.

Anyway, using what they filched from there and then the humanitarian aid crates and whatnot, they are able to set up a coffee shop. Asuka thinks Shinji's idea is absolute ass at first because who wants to go to a coffee shop when they're struggling to survive? But it turns out that a lot of people crave the normalcy, just like Shinji does. So he's happily bustling around, boiling contaminated water and finding ways to make treats out of the supplies they get. Not sure if people have money or if they trade other things, but they're getting by. Shinji becomes more confident in himself because everyone praises his culinary skills and Asuka doesn't have to compete with Shinji anymore because they have different jobs, which allows her to start to appreciate what a rare and precious blossom he is.

Maybe a customer can show up and throw a wrench in their love story until eventually Asuka takes them out. But who could this vile person be? Gendo wouldn't come back. He wants to be slime with Yui. Maybe Ritsuko? She's kind of mean-spirited and bitter. Maybe she wants to carry on the work with the Evas, as some kind of desperate bid to find meaning in life again? She's really fucking with Shinji's head, trying to force him into it. Maybe she decides the only way is to get the coffee shop shut down!!! So they have to save the coffee shop!

I don't know! I feel like there are a lot of possibilities!

[persimminwrites]

let's talk about luthen on that bridge.

i have been thinking about (obsessing about) that scene since i first watched it. it was so impactful, so gut-wrenching, and it has stayed with me, almost haunting me.

luthen is hands down one of the most compelling, complex characters in star wars. every moment he's on screen i spend enthralled and waiting for what he will do or say next, so i wanted to break down that elevator scene with lonni a little bit to better understand why it impacted me so much.

one of the first things i noticed was there was no background score during this scene. the previous scene ends with resounding, triumphant music - then we cut to coruscant. there is some background music at the very beginning of the scene, but its's distant and soft, and as soon as lonni gets in the elevator and closes the doors, the only thing we hear is the sound design of coruscant. the stuttering rumble and jerking motion of the elevator. the electric flicker of the lights. the sound of lonni pressing the elevator buttons. lonni's breathing.

this break in music score, or the absence of it, marks this scene as starkly different from the previous scene. and even if we as viewers aren't consciously aware of the lack of background music, we still notice it unconsciously and all of this builds along with the visuals of the scene - the dim lighting, the close shots making us feel stuck in that small space with lonni - to a frightening tension when we hear luthen's voice.

one of the first things luthen mentions is lonni's daughter. he may say it in a casual manner, but it is anything but casual. its a threat. a reminder that even though they haven't spoken directly in a year, luthen knows. he knows everything about lonni. he knows his life. he knows his weaknesses.

this is also mirrored beautifully in the scene because lonni (and us as the viewer) can't see luthen. we don't know where he is. we don't know the final destination of the elevator, only a floor number. but luthen knows exactly where lonni is.

"it's not fair. you knowing. watching me. do you ever think how it might feel from my side?"

we know how it feels. the filmmakers show us by using the elevator trip as a proxy. lonni is trapped in a small space. we see close camera shots giving us the feeling of the small space. lonni is talking to luthen via the earpiece, but he can't see where he is. we never cut to luthen during this scene until the doors open, so we never see him either. lonni is visibly nervous. there is no film score to cover lonni's stuttering breath as he speaks. we are trapped in that space with lonni until finally the door opens and we see luthen for the first time.

he cuts an intimidating figure. cast in shadow. alone. covered in black billowing clothing. where have we seen that before?

now, i'm not saying that the filmmakers are trying to say that luthen is as evil as the sith or darth vader. however, we have an established connection in this universe to dark billowing clothing and evil. and i think the filmmakers intentionally clothed this character in that clothing to give a similar impact. luthen is unsettling. there is a sense of foreboding that surrounds him. and to me, this is a visual indicator (that luthen later verifies verbally) that luthen believes he is condemned - beyond saving.

"a double life? every day a performance? the stress of that? we need heros, lonni, and here you are."

when i first heard this line, i thought luthen might say 'we need heros like us' or something along those lines. but he very firmly separates himself and lonni. he draws a line and does not include himself when he speaks of heroes.

"i am condemned to use the tools of my enemy to defeat them."

he does not align himself with his enemy. he does not say they are the same. but he has debased himself, lowered himself in the pursuit of justice against a terrible evil - forced to make terrible sacrifices and decisions for the goal of a better tomorrow.

"i've made my mind a sunless place."

"i share my dreams with ghosts."

"i'm damned for what I do."

each of these lines serves to show us that luthen believes he is beyond saving. i especially love the line 'i share my dreams with ghosts' for a number of reasons. it alludes to those who have died for the rebellion - luthen dreams for them because they are no longer able to dream themselves. it makes me think that luthen believes himself a ghost. and that he believes the people surrounding him, working with him in his spy network, are also ghosts - dead people walking. ive talked before about grief in andor and how i believe that many alliance spies are constantly grieving, even the people around them who are alive. but i believe this line from luthen takes it even further. i think instead of speaking to grief, it speaks to a grim acceptance of his reality and that as long as the empire rules, everyone is dead. only freedom can give them life.

when the conversation ends, luthen closes the elevator doors with the click of a button, and the doors close like a coffin (see this post) around lonni, burying him with his vow that he took long ago - a decisive hand motion that ends someone else's life. again, i think the filmmakers are making another parallel to the sith, who we often see aligned with or governing opressive empires, without actually condemning luthen and saying he is the same. it is a comparison that is meant to unsettle us and make us wary of him. he is ruthless and uncompromising.

but he is fighting for a sunrise he will never see. he is burning his decency in the hope that someday the heroes will triumph. he has sacrificed everything so that someday the people of this galaxy will have something.

as the scene ends, we cut to the next scene, and the score fills the background, again undercutting the stark lack of score in the previous scene.

this scene so beautifully illustrates an incredibly complex character. luthen is fighting on the side of the rebels, and in so much star wars media, the rebellion is shown as a bastion for good and for righteousness, fighting against oppressive evil. it is black and white. but luthen is not good. he is brutal and he is ruthless and as he states himself he has no decency. he is not a hero. this scene puts us in lonni's shoes. we feel how incredibly unsettling working under luthen is. we understand how dangerous he is and even though he fights for the rebellion - we cant help but feel a little afraid.

[milkstoner]

CONSIDER. Magical boy Silver and campy villain Malleus. Think of a situation that’s like, sailor moon meets princess tutu meets utena meets sleeping beauty.

I evoke princess tutu because tell me Silver is not literally Mytho.

Like. White-haired sword-wielding soft spoken princes (ok Silver isn’t confirmed but it’s canon in my heart) who appear to be apathetic. Heroes who sacrifice themselves for what they think is the greater good. They are the same image.

The setting would be a human city. Sort of modern times. Flip phone era. We communicate through emails. I want this to have a retro vibe, but not too much.

ANYWAY, Silver, sixteen, cursed to fall asleep at unexpected times. Lilia raises him. Silver is sweet and quiet, a bit of a dreamer, but doesn’t show it… he takes ballet classes… he has a charm despite how sleepy and lost he is and has quite a few friends, like Kalim💜💜💜 who is the PERFECT sidekick i mean come on.

Silver often naps in the woods behind his school… that’s where he finds the magical sword that gives him his cute little powers <3 he has an Arthur moment of course. His animal sidekicks are based off of the three fairies from the og sleeping beauty.

He uses his newfound power to defeat… GASP… the master of all evil, Malleus Draconia, a ruthless fae prince!!! Malleus is a campy, dramatic villain, think if Dio and Kars from Jojo’s had a beautiful, sultry lovechild. He serves Elvira with his big tits almost spilling out of his décolleté. Think James from Pokémon, with his shojo sparkles and roses. Every week it’s something new with him and he never learns his lesson; also, he shows up in a new sexy cunty outfit every week. Triggering thunderstorms and cutting off the electricity everywhere, threatening to flood the city before Silver intervenes; leaving poisoned roses in incongruous places, and when a passerby touches it, they are possessed by an evil spirit that Silver must defeat; attempting to drag mobs into an abyss with his will o’ the wisp; because we’re in a magical girl setting, a lot of it is just people being mind controlled. At the end of each arc, perhaps Silver can duel one of the six overblotters, à la Utena. It’s all very normal and expected of a shojo until it isn’t.

What Silver doesn’t know is the king of the abyss is madly in love with him, and each scheme is a plot to lure Silver into Malleus’ abode so he can seduce him. Every time they battle, of course, Malleus flirts with him, and when they get close, he takes some of his hair between his fingers. Get you a man who’s willing to bring chaos and destruction to a whole city because he wants to kiss you so bad. Malleus declares himself defeated on purpose so he won’t actually hurt Silver, who thinks he’s actually won…

Sebek is, too, a magical boy, albeit his role isn’t as important. He intervenes kind of like tuxedo mask; Silver falls asleep and Sebek shows up with his shield, blocking any hit Malleus directs at them. When Silver wakes up, Sebek scolds him and yells at him to hit Malleus with his sword. They defeat the evil prince together and they both eat dinner at Sebek’s house LOL

Don’t think I forgot about Lilia, who is revealed early on to be Malleus’ minion. He is a shapeshifting fae, meaning he can give himself round ears so he doesn’t raise suspicions. At night, he tells Malleus about Silver’s day and what he does at school dggjgdjyfdkywf

Lilia: he got an A on his science assignment.

Malleus: I see… what a smart boy. Very smart indeed… naturally, I wouldn’t want my meddling to have an impact on his grades.

The pre-final boss is Malleus finally losing it and appearing as a dragon kaiju, destroying buildings etc. Silver falls asleep in the middle of the battle and his dreams transport him to the classic dream-but-is-it-really-a-dream place where he finds Lilia who now has all of his fae attributes... cue a heart wrenching dialogue as Silver realizes his father betrayed him from the very start of his life.

Begins the arc where Silver wakes up to see the city has been partly destroyed and looks like runes covered in thorns and moss. How long has it been since he fell asleep? He doesn’t know. Most of the city’s inhabitants have fallen asleep. Even the fairy animal sidekicks are asleep. He must now find Malleus and end this once and for all.

As Silver explores the ruined city, sword in hand, he fights battles against like, sentient, beastly rose bushes (a nod to alice in wonderland and the pretty sentient flowers?), sentient gargoyles that fucking throw bricks at him LMFAOO… and other eldritch abominations. He gets a vision after each battle that tells him where to go. He finds a mysterious dark door in the woods behind his school and he falls into the abyss, where he finds Malleus on his throne.

Of course Malleus flirts while Silver is panicked and shaky and angry. He even pulls Silver into his arms and waltzes around his dark gloomy castle while Silver is fucking terrified. I hope Silver didn’t think he was the hero… because in Malleus’ eyes, he is the damsel in distress. He has Silver where he wants him, in his arms… he has no shame now, whispering the most sappy words of love into his ear, talking about marrying him oh my god. For once, Silver thinks he might actually be losing this one—he doesn’t even KNOW how to undo the curse. He realizes that every battle fought so far was just… Malleus using him like a pawn. The evil prince of the darkness is much too strong, way stronger than Silver thought… he can’t even resist Malleus’ lips on his oh my god. He falls asleep once again and Mal places Silver’s head on his lap, happy that he finally has his little prince all to himself.

I want to incorporate Silver’s true origins into this. I want the city Silver lives in to be directly on the land where the kingdom from sleeping beauty once was. I want Silver’s blood to be the only thing that survived from that once glorious kingdom… perhaps some of the pieces to the puzzle would show up in his dreams. Maybe on his way to Malleus during the pre-final boss arc, he would find #the ring… and maybe everything comes together as he sleeps on Malleus’ lap.

From there, I’m imagining three routes

1. Silver wakes up and, overcome with doom, having learned his father betrayed him, and that he’s powerless before the beast that is Malleus, he attempts to stab himself with his own sword. Panicked, Malleus uses his body to block the hit, because he doesn’t want Silver to die, of course (he’s dumb). They both end up getting stabbed and they die together as a skewer while the city outside continues to decay eternally.

2. Silver wakes up and is stuck in a beauty and the beast situation. He plots how he’ll defeat Malleus, this time using wits rather than force and magic, because those do not work on him. This doesn’t work; Silver slowly learns to fall in love. Malleus reveals himself to be very sweet, caring, and romantic, and Silver, fatigued dreamer that he is, falls for him. Silver also quickly learns that there is simply no way Malleus can be defeated. He has no weaknesses. So as he softens his heart, he comforts himself by reminding himself that at least, nobody is dead in the city, and that they will be spending eternity having the most pleasant of dreams. He’s being corrupted of course. He’s questioning his duty as a hero, why he did what he did, why he simply let fate guide him.

3. Silver wakes up and, in a fit of rage, finally brings himself to stab Malleus’ heart. The evil prince put his guard down because he thought he finally had Silver… big mistake. The abyss fades away and Malleus struggles to mutter an “I love you” before he dies. Silver is back in the forest with his normal clothes on. His sword is gone. It’s over. The city still retains some damage, but the thorns are gone and the people are waking up. Fin.

The aesthetic would be very art nouveau, methinks. Bright sun, curvaceous vines and thorns, roses and may lilies everywhere. It’s surreal. Bright colours inspired by the aesthetic of the og sleeping beauty. Silver’s magical boy costume is pink, but during his transformation sequence, it flashes both blue and pink. He has a frilly blouse with a corset. The tights are essential & evoke Phillip as well as Silver’s hobby (ballet). He also has high boots with like, a 2 inch heel. The frills on his blouse have roses embroidered… his corset has lace details. He has a golden tiara just like Aurora’s. So i guess from the waist up it’s giving Briar Rose’s peasant girl attire, and from the waist down it’s giving Phillip, but make it all very pink and frilly and magical girl-esque. The hilt of his sword has a lot of detail as well, very similar to Silver’s ring from book 7.

Sebek’s magical boy outfit is similar but a lot more inspired by Phillip. He’s sage green from head to toe. He has puffy sleeves and a cape. Let’s not forget the cunty corset… the details are the same, roses and intricate lace… his heels are one inch however. Let’s not get too crazy he’s tall enough. He has tights as well duh.

Okay that’s all i think lol I’ll add more stuff to this au if inspiration strikes.