#Eros Bar AU

[lostberet]

🕊 ˚✧ ₊˚ʚ LOOK MY WAY | kim seokjin (m)(r)

୨ৎ synopsis: He had noticed the lack of love in the moral world. Conflicted, he traveled to the moral world to figure out the problem in which he was only left with disappointment and no answers. Out of self-punishment, he goes by the name Seokjin and stays in the human world where he produces a perfume company in hopes of restoring love. However, he can't help but notice how his heart beats faster for an employee, and maybe, he can understand why there is a lack of love.

⋆.˚ genre: greek god x mortal au, non-idol au, modern history au, love at first sight, lovesick Seokjin, angst, sexual tension, semi-smut

⋆.˚ disclaimer. This story won't contain accurate greek mythology, Jin talks to Aprhodite (his mama in this story), lovesick jin, bow and arrow, Jin gets desperate and almost shoots the reader, kisses, angst, Jin experiences heart-break, sexual tension, semi-smut, unprotected sex (wrap it before u tap it), mini breeding kink if you squint, , english is not my first lenguage, if i missed anything let me know!

⋆.˚ a/note. I want to make a part two for this, but I am not sure, please let me know if you guys are interested! also, i was in a bit of a rush :c it's midterm season. I hope you all enjoy, like, comment and reblog! love yous!

|| masterlist || entry || part ii (maybe)?

Eros has seen the world grow. Bloom into the most curious society. What was once a life with no buildings that touched the sky, or with cement roads, Eros had grown to adapt.

The adaptation wasn't any of his concern, no, his worries and strengths lay in the relationship and love of the morals, which, throughout time has grown bitter. His concern didn't lie in the many lights the cities populated, or the noises the cars and bars created, but in the fact that no one believed in true love. 

Unsatisfied, Eros brought himself into the mortal realm, wanting to explore, to study, to understand and hopefully, redeem love. Yet, each time, he was left disappointed. There would be cases in which he was able to use his bow and arrow, creating a wonderful match. And there would be times where those relationships failed, why? He didn’t understand, was he failing as the god of love? Was cupid not important anymore? As self punishment, he decided to stay in the mortal realm in hopes of redeeming himself. 

He went by the name Seokjin, unable to use his given name. With his godly powers and influence, in the mortal realm, he lives a life of luxury, just like back in his immortal realm. His beauty was outstanding thanks to his mothers genes, the humans loved him. And during his time in the mortal realm, Madan flourished, a Perfume company. One in which he believed would bring love, humans loved the scent of perfume, right? 

And that’s where the gods had brought you. In front of a bridge building whose architecture resabled the building in ancient greece. The summer sun warmed your golden skin, the fresh wind blew your dark hair, as if nature was welcoming you into your home. Each step you took into the building caused your gut to yell, telling you, warning you, yet just like every warning, you brushed it away. 

You weren’t a model, you weren’t an influencer, heck, you weren’t a fashion icon. But the woman whose eyes landed on you sure were. It causes you to feel smaller, uglier. Could it have been their fair skin, their shiny hair or their style? You didn’t know, but you knew your appearance wasn’t welcomed. 

The moment you took the elevator to the 5th floor where your Marketing office would be at, your breath was knocked south out of you. You choked back a gasp, it smelled good. Too good. You felt a headache rising to your temples and dizziness. You wanted to take a deep breath, but it was impossible with the amount of goodness scent. 

“Are you alright?” the voice of the god spoke, you opened your eyes and tilted your head up. Glazing into some beautiful brown eyes, so beautiful, yet so sad, ‘Yes, just.. Headache.” You muttered, your eyes leaving him, “which floor?” You cleared your throat, “5.”

Jin never intended to lose control. No, he never wanted to. But he was losing his sanity, his will, and most importantly, himself. He never liked the idea of forced love, or love magic or anything that had to do with poisons. But his fingers would tingle at the idea that maybe, that was the solution. 

He stayed all day in his elegant office, high off the many scents; chocolate, vanilla, roses, cinnamon, anything that could bring the sense of desire. During his time on the mortal realm, he noticed the human’s like of smell, bringing an idea that if he produced the right scent, it could make one fall in love. It wasn’t exactly a love potion, no. Not at all, in fact, he wanted to resolve this without his bow and arrow, without his gift, because maybe it was time not to force love?

The meeting room was dark compared to the rest of the company building, it made you feel as if you were taking part in some evil plan when in fact you were meeting the CEO and discussing Marketing aspects with the team. Yet, your gut kept telling you that it wasn’t right. 

You turned your tablet on and started taking notes, drawing small doodles of the illustrations and predictions for the Spring edition collection, “No, I want something to last.” Your ears perked up as you turned your head to the chairman. Everyone in the room is doing the same. He rubbed his forehead with two of his fingers, “I don’t want to repeat fragrances, I want it to last.” 

The presenter licked their lips and uncomfortably shifted from where they stood, “Oh well.. I..” They stuttered, their eyes dancing around the many faces in the room, “We.. We can try oils instead of perfumes?” You muttered out, unsure. 

The chairman’s eyes landed on you, causing you to flinch. You pressed your lips into a thin line and cursed yourself as you noticed his expression change, “or maybe not..” you whispered. “What’s your name?” you lost your job. Is what would have happened if Jin didn’t appreciate your idea. 

“y/n, y/n l/n. I’m new in the Marketing team.” You introduced yourself. Jin only stared at you, letting out a breathy chuckle, “Welcome to the team, y/n. I would like to hear more about those oils.” You thanked the gods above for sending Jin as your boss.  

You didn't know if Jin made your life easier or harder. On one hand, he knows what he wants, he has a goal. On the other hand, he doesn't know what he wants, or, in other words, how to deliver that goal. You've been working carefully with Jin and the fragrance team to come up with a new scent. One that lasts like Jin wanted.

"No, I want the smell to attract, to.. I don't know.." Jin threw his hands up in defeat before dropping them back down, slapping the sides of his leg, "attract desire on people."

"So.. lust?" You question as you took notes on your tablet. Three months. Three freaking months is what took you to be Jin's right hand in this project. Three fucking months to be his assistant. Jin's neck snaped towards you and you were sure you heard it crack.

"I don't do lust," Jin hissed, "I do love, passion." He sighed. You nodded at his words, tapping your apple pen on your tablet, "But.. these notes.. they point to lust.."

"What.." Jin breathed, feeling too tired, too stressed. "How can anyone think about falling in love, when they're so tempted by lust?" you asked, taking a breath before continuing, "Love isn't something that can be forced or attracted by a simple trait. There's supposed to be chemistry.. affection? not desire.. or want, but longing." You explained.

Jin let out a breathy laugh. His hands resting on his hips as he turned around. His laughed turned into a sarcastic one, sending you into freeze mode. He looked desperate, mad even, “I can’t keep falling.” he uttered out, his head hanging low, “you’re not failing, sir..” Jin only laughed, shaking his head. “You’re only saying that because I am your boss.”

You shook your head, setting your coat and tablet down, “No, I mean it. You’re so talented and splendid, you have a gift, sir.” Jin almost snored at your comment. He had a gift alright, but even with his gift, he was a failure. Or maybe his gift had run out. “No, I have no gift.” 

You frowned, “I have no fucking gift. If I did, I wouldn’t be stuck here. I wouldn’t be working on perfumes that help people recognize love and desire, I wouldn’t be standing here, being explained what love is, when it's supposed to be my thing.. I would be back home.. I'm a joke.”

You pitied the man in front of you. He must have had a rough life, you believed. One in which he had to live up to accomplishments, to success. Just like you felt at times. You sighed, “If it’s alright..” you took a step closer to the man, his gaze lifting from the floor to your eyes, “can I give you a hug?” 

“A hug?” puzzled, Jin frowned. You nodded, getting closer and softly wrapping your arms around him. He tensed at your touch, he was never touched this way before, or touched at all, in fact. “It’s okay, Jin.” You whispered softly. Your voice comes to him in comfort, “Success takes time, no one is perfect.” But he’s supposed to. Jin softly gave into the embrace, wrapping his arms around your waist and leaning his head on your shoulder. 

Jin never intended to lose himself, but he was going insane. Among all scents and perfumes he's worked on, none of them matched with yours. Because as he hugged you, his arms tightening around your waist, nose digging into the crook of your neck, he felt his heart flutter. You didn’t only smell like coconut with a mixture of vanilla, you didn’t only smell like cinnamon and caramel, you didn’t only smell like fresh laundry and lavender, but you smelt of comfort and hope. 

Your embrace loosed the moment you felt Jin tremble on top of you. The smile you had on your face completely gone as you tried pulling away from him. His arms held you in place, pulling you back into the hug as he let out a sniff, his voice weak and heavy, “Let’s stay like this.. Just for a little.” And you accepted it. 

You found Jin to be a very interesting person. He had strange tastes, or just simply didn't care. If anything, he didn't have any boundaries. He acted like he ruled the world, and honestly, if you had that amount of money, you would too.

Jin had smoothly and noticeably made it a habit to take you to his home, his house to practice give him some therapy. Oddly, enough, it didn't feel like therapy sessions.

"Maybe, I ain't cut up for this.." Jin muttered, his fingers resting on his lip. It's been around two months since that intimate hug, and ever since then, Jin had gotten.. well, he clung onto you.

You hesitantly reached, placing your hand on his back before rubbing it softly. It'll become sort of like a habit for you to comfort him. You didn't mind. You wanted to help. He lifted his head, looking at you, "you're more capable than you think, Jin."

You smiled softly, causing Jin's heart to flatter once more. What did you have to cause his heart to beat like crazy? Taking a breath which got caught, he scanned your features, falling into a spell, "..y/n."

You couldn't understand the strange tension in Jin's eyes whenever you were too close to him, touching him even. Words of comfort always caused Jin to look at you with such intimacy. Something you never got to experience in other relationships. Jin brought his body closer, nose almost touching before you realized, waking up from an enchantment.

"I..uh.. sorry, I'll head out.." you stuttered out, making your way towards the door. Each step you took made Jin's heart pound louder in his ears. How was he to tell you that he liked you? He liked you perhaps a little too much.

Jin followed behind, his thought train speeding through his mind. Without hesitation, He extended his arm, recreating holding his bow and that's when he felt it. Love can't be forced.

His heart dropped as he shook his head, running to you, "I'm sorry, y/n.. please.." You said softly but loud enough for you to hear.

Jin held your wrist, stopping you from taking a step. You turned towards him, avoiding eye contact, “Y/n..” his voice came out as a faint whisper, as if he was trying to reach for you. Your eyes betrayed you, slowly lifting their gaze to meet Jin’s and you silently cursed whoever made the man in front of you. His eyes enchanted you, hypnotized you even. His soft plump lips tilted into a small smile, leaning his face closer to you and your eyes took a quick glance at his lips before lifting them up to meet his eyes. 

His fingers lightly held your chin, making sure to keep your head in place, not wanting you to leave his gaze, “Stay with me..” the words left his mouth, putting you into a spell in which you couldn’t escape, “please?”

You swallowed, but you nodded. Jin only let out a small breath as he grinded, his other hand coming to hold and wrap around your waist before he leaned closer. Both your nose brushed against each other, and of course you let out a faint whine. Jin’s thumb brushed your bottom lip, causing a small shiver to run down your spine at the warmth, “you’re so.. Enchanting..”

Your eyes looked down at his lips and as if answering your silent question he pressed his lips against yours. Both your lips chasing after each other in a deeper kiss. Your arms flew to wrap around his neck, locking him into the kiss in which he didn’t complain. His touches were ghostly against your skin, afraid to touch you as if you would melt away. Your touches were clingy and desperate, wanting him to touch and melt you away. 

That night you experienced so much emotion through physical contact, emotion in which you never imagined ever to experience in this lifetime. His hands were gentle as he held your wrist, his thumb brushing against your wrist as he thrust his hips against yours. His other holding the back of your neck as he stared at your face, taking in every expression as he rolled his hips into you. 

You would let out a whiney sob as you opened your eyes, a glass filled vision as tears built up from the pure pleasure Jin was giving you, your jaw widening as you let out a silent moan. Jin let out a soft grunt as he felt you tighten yourself around his cock, sending his eye to twitch out in pleasure as he leaned onto your neck. Brushing his lips against your pulse point before he kissed and sucked marks onto your skin. 

Your hands ran down his back, nails digging into his skin the moment you felt your sixth orgasm of the night build up, “Jin..” you cried out in which he responded with a soft hush, “I know, darling..”

It’d become odd. The relationship between you and Jin, ever since that night. It had seemed that both of you were nothing during the day, but the moment everyone left the office leaving both your souls, you’ve become different people. 

He would crack jokes, take you out for dinner, drop you at home. He would never ask for a kiss, nor a hickey, all he asked for was for your time. And it terrified you. It must have been 7 months since the night you slept together and Jin had not treated you any different, but your mind would shift towards the worst. 

Maybe you were horrible in bed, were you too loud? You felt something crawl up your leg, it felt like the legs of a spider. Perhaps you were too ugly? It didn’t take long for the overwhelming feeling of insecurity to crawl over your whole body. 

That night as you sat in the chair in the middle of the island in Jin’s kitchen, you fought the urge to ask him. His back faced towards you as he cooked up pasta. He always did this, at least every Friday. Take you to his home where he would cook for you, make you laugh, make you feel special and then sleep tangled in his arms. It scared you. 

“Was I bad?” you asked, setting the fork down as you’ve lost your appetite, Jin only looked up from his plate as he slurped a noodle, frowning. “I mean..” Jin then set his fork down, wanting to have his full attention on you, “when we slept together, was I bad?” 

He tilted his head, unsure of how to answer your question. You felt nervous under his gaze, “No, not at all?” He questioned, unsure where you were getting at, “Then why haven’t we done it?” Your voice came out as a whisper, Jin then swallowed as he blinked, “Because I didn’t think you'd want it.” 

The kitchen fell silent. Jin continued, “I want you.” he paused, straightening his back as he chased your eyes to lock with them, “all the fucking time.” It was your turn to be left speechless, “I want to take you everywhere every time, but I know it’s not right, not without your permission.” The table fell silent again, and as both of you ate once more, you debated with yourself. 

After washing the dishes, Jin brought you to the living room in which he turned the TV, “I find it so fascinating how humans can come up with these things. So creative.” You let out a chuckle as you sat on the couch, you back sinking into the comfort of the pillows. Selecting a streaming app, Jin also leaned back, laying next to you as an arm rested above your shoulders. “I’m serious, you guys are interesting.” 

You only leaned onto his shoulder as he selected the Movie he mentioned a moment ago while washing the dishes, “Percy Jackson is.. Hm..” Jin hummed, thinking back to his life as a god. Your eyes looked up at his pouting face, “I think it’s cute.” 

You hummed as you reached over for the blanket, covering your body. “Cute?” Jin frowned as looked down at you, “I meant as in, the gods having kids. I don’t know anything about all that Greek God bullshit, but them having kids seems like a cool concept.” You explained yourself as your eyes settled at the screen before you. 

Jin’s thoughts shut off, staring at the wall next to the TV trying to progress what you mentioned. His eyes squinted a bit, imagining a world in which he potentially had a child, is that even possible?

“If you were a god, let’s say,” you asked, snapping Jin out of his thoughts, “and you had a child, would you let them go through all that just to accept them?” You asked, your brows frowned as you looked at the screen. Jin took a deep breath, “No.”

“Me neither. You have children out of love, not to keep the bloodline going.” You muttered, cuddling the blanket closer to you, "If i were to be a mom one day, I would never let my child think they had to live up to my expectations to receive my love."

Jin blinked. love. what really did it mean, what came with it. He rubbed his fingertips together, feeling the softness of his own skin before he sat up, looking at you. "Can we sleep together?"

You rubbed your eyes, already feeling tired, "what?" Jin leaned down towards you, "Can I kiss you?" Your eyes widened a bit, but nothertheless, you nodded.

You regretted it instantly. Your wrists were pinned behind your lower back and your face lay on the couch as Jin pounded you from behind. Small grunts and moans filled the living room, some being washed away by the sound of the TV. You twitched under him, feeling the tight knot in your stomach, "fuck Jin.."

You gasped out, kicking your feet a bit. Jin only tilted his head back, feeling his cock twitch as he slipped in and out of you, furiously slamming into you from behind, "you're so good to me, y/n.." he moaned.

His hand gripped the fat on your hip, bringing you back to him as he fucked into you, "so pretty.." he muttered, his head coming back to look at the way your cunt took his dick. "gonna fill you up so good, so full.." his head was thrown back, and soft moans left his mouth. His breath hitched when a load of his milky white cum shot out, causing you to gasp out as you soon felt your own orgasm clasp.

Jin kept thrusting, slow and gentle, making sure to keep his load in you. He knew that what he wanted was very slim, but the thought lingered, "I promise to take you everywhere.. I'mma make you feel loved and satisfied."

Jin kept his word and he did take you whenever he could. Whether that was bending you over his office table or having you ride him in his car in the company's parking lot. It worried you how much time and stigma the man had. He was out of this world.

"I don't just have sex, y/n." He laughed. Settling into his bed, your body already too tired as you closed your eyes, "I make love." He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his body. You wanted to protest, to argue with him. we're not in love, is what you wanted to tell him. But maybe it was a conversation of another day.

You were terrified. Nothing could have prepared you for what you were about to experience. You rubbed your temple as you walked into Jin's office floor, throat dry. You were confused, drowned in complex emotions.

It was about 8 pm, and everyone on the floor had gone home, or so you thought. Opening the door to Jin's office, the smell of what was once so pleasant to your nose caused you to cringe in disgust. This was no pleasant scent, but it was a familiar one.

The smell of sex reeked your nose as you quickly covered it, your eyes frowned as you noticed Jin in the middle of the office. His hair was a mess, clothes sticking to his body by sweat. You only scanned the room, no one was there. But nothing hid the fact of what had happened in that office.

"I'm sorry." You whispered, closing the door. You stared at your feet for a second trying to progress what had happened. Door handle still in hand, you tighened your grip before making your mind up. And the moment you let go, the door opened with Jin trying to reach for you.

"Y/n, it's not what you think." He started, following after you, "I don't care, Jin." you spat, "I mean it, y/n. I.." He huffed out, wanting to hold you from taking another step from him, "I love you." That's where you felt your heart drop.

“No, Jin, you’re confusing love and lust, please!” You pant out, your hands trembling as you hold your coat close to you. You felt tears build up in the corner of your eyes. You were hurt, tired, and scared. You reached the elevator, pressing the button. “You don’t love me, Jin.”

The elevator was going to take a while, you knew that. You took a deep breath in, trying to calm your trembling voice, not wanting to show how much of an effect he had on you, “You need me, yes, but you don’t need me.” Jin licked his lips, noticing how dry they’ve become. He was puzzled, confused. He, Eros, the god of love doesn’t know what love is? 

“That is.. No.. That..” he breathed, the elevator dinged, opening its doors as it gave you an escape. Jin closed his eyes as he shook his head. His heartbeat was close to his lungs, his body felt on edge, and he felt panic. “Y/n.” He held onto the elevator door, his grip tight as his knees felt weak, “I need you.. So much..”

His eyes cried out in desperation as he scanned for any sign of understanding, of longing. You stared at him, you felt your nose become stuffy, ready to cry. His cheeks had turned flustered and his eyes had watered, he looked like a mess, a gorgeous one, “There isn’t one day that my heart doesn’t ache for you. There isn’t one second where I want to be near you, please y/n..” 

He wanted to kneel in front of you, begging for you. Years and years of being worshiped, he never thought of a day in which he would worship anyone. But you arrived and changed everything, “words cannot describe how I crave for you, y/n.”

A single tear escaped your eyes, slowly rolling down your cheek as you stared at Jin, and before you knew it, you couldn’t hold the rest of them back. You let out a silent sob as you pushed Jin’s hand off the elevator door, pressing the closing button, “I’ll send in my resignation and you better accept it.”

The moment the doors closed, Jin felt his whole world collapse. Maybe he did too, maybe he too fell to the ground and sobbed, letting out painful cries as he held his chest. His hand clenched his heart as he let his tears flee. His lungs hurt from the lack of oxygen, too mournful to let any of it in. The lack of oxygen didn’t hurt as much as his heart cried for you. 

The next couple of weeks felt like a visit to the underworld where Hades lived. So cold, so dark, so lonely. And out of respect, he stayed away from you. And out of love, he accepted your resignation. Yet the moment he signed the paper, he felt like you had taken a piece of his heart with you, while he was only left with the brief memory of you, not worthy of any piece of you. 

His days had turned gloomy, his attitude had become pissy, and his heart still throbbed with pain. He had taken a break from the company. What was once his mission to restore love had been thrown out the window. Now he understood why morals were too scared to fall in love. 

SeokJin looked up at the bright night sky, his eyes staring at the sea of stars, but none looked as beautiful as you. No, he wasn’t ashamed to mention it, you could be just as beautiful as his mother. Were she to meet you, she would for sure assume you were one of her children. His throat spat a sob, his eyes sore from crying. Was this what it felt to love someone? The back of his hand covered his mouth, not wanting to make another sound as another tear rolled down his face. Why did loving someone hurt so much? 

Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t cut out to be the god of love. He didn’t know anything about love. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he let out a dry sob, “Mom, what am I doing?” he asked basically no one, “What am I made for if it’s not love?” and deep down his heart broke just a little more. 

A/N. love is like a fart, if it's forced, it's probably shit.

[safarigirlsp]

Wicked Fairytales

My fun little series in which I give my own twisted twist on some classics.

Bah Humbug

Flip Zimmerman x Reader

Kylo Ren x Reader

Charlie Barber x Reader

Clyde Logan x Reader

Henry McHenry x Reader

Jacques Le Gris x Reader

Commander Mills x Reader

Word Count: 35.4k

Warnings: NSFW. Extra Smut. Language. Angst. Romance. Graphic Violence. Murder. Main Character Death. Light Violence Against Reader. Old Timey Sexism. Bastardization of Classic Literature.

AO3 Link

Based on A Christmas Carol

A Comedy of Eros

Jacques Le Gris x Reader

Word Count: 13.5k

Warnings: NSFW. Humor. Romance. Soulmates. Violence. Non-Con Elements. Physical Aggression Toward Reader. Possessive and Jealous Behavior. Dominant Men. Bitchy Women. Conniving Wizards. Drugging - Kids today might call it Sex Pollen. Confusion. Duplicity. Bestiality. Orgies. Cuckolding. Exhibitionism. Misogyny. Old Timey Sexism. Toxic Men. Jacques/Pierre Canon as Developed by Silky and Myself aka Shithead Behavior. Bastardization of Shakesperean Tropes. Misuse of Shakespearean Quotes, try to count them all. Fear Not, No Attempts at Ye Olde English Contained Herein. ☠️Rey☠️

Don’t let the warnings scare you! This is Romance and Comedy.  

AO3 Link

Based on A Midsummer Night's Dream

Outrun the Devil

Lawyer Kylo Ren x Reader

Word Count: 14.9k

Warnings: NSFW. Smut. Blood. Gore. Murder. Beheadings. Supernatural Themes. Romance.

AO3 Link

Based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Love & War

Regency Kylo Ren x Reader

Word Count: 15.5k

Warnings: NSFW. Language. Smut. Non-Graphic Mentions of Violence and Death. Old Timey Sexism. Fluff. Romance. Humor. Stilted Language.

AO3 Link

Admiral Ren in Love

Top notes of Pride & Prejudice with undertones of Cinderella.

The Beast

Vampire Kylo Ren x Reader

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: None! Shocking! Some light horror and sexy themes.

AO3 Link

Notes of Beauty and the Beast, Dracula, and The Raven in my best Poe-ish attempt.

Music of the Night

Victorian Kylo Ren x Reader

Word Count: 14.4k

Warnings: NSFW. Smut. Graphic Violence. Fires. Guns. Murder. Old Timey Sexism. Romance. Dark Phantom of the Opera Vibes. Victorian Kylo.

AO3 Link

Based on The Phantom of the Opera

Here There Be Monsters

Pirate Captain Jacques Le Gris x Reader

Word Count: 51.4k

Warnings: NSFW. Smut. Action. Adventure. Romance. Light Violence. Swords. Guns. Orgies. Bar Fights. Pirate Shenanigans. Old Timey Sexism. 

AO3 Link

This is the result of my love for Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes, it's a classic.

Maneater

Commander Mills x Lawyer Reader

Word Count: 37.5k

Warnings: NSFW. Smut. Violence. Blood. Gore. Graphic Dinosaur Violence. Enemies to Lovers. Idiots in Love. Sexism in Survival Situations. Hot Toxic Masculinity. Character Crossovers. The Commander Mills Jurassic Park AU that had to happen.

AO3 Link

Mixing two of my favorites together for a fun AU - Commander Mills and Jurassic Park! Yes, it's a classic.

Ghost Town

Gunfighter Flip Zimmerman x Reader

Word Count: 14k

AO3 Link

Warnings: NSFW. Smut. Alcohol. Graphic Violence. Gun Violence. Lots of Violence. Horror Themes. Possession Themes. Supernatural Themes. Shameless References to The Shining. This is a Darker take on Flip than I usually write, but it’s Halloween!

Inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins.

Everything A Big Bad Wolf Could Want

Word Count: 5.2k

Warnings: NSFW. Smut. Fluff. Language. Chasing kink. Primal Play. If there’s such a thing as Lumberjack kink, it’s in here. Extreme bastardization of fairy tale dialogue.

AO3 Link

If I were Little Red Riding Hood...

Cinderella

Kylo Ren x Reader

HCs Only

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: NSFW. Language. Light Smut. Fluff. Happy Murder Thoughts. Humor.

Cinderella Themes.

[a-hermit-pining]

Feels Like Sun ☀️

Pairing: Nanami x Reader

Genre: Romance college AU

Summary: So that night, in the quite library you and Nanami constructed the most perfect presentation with just your names on it. Revenge that was served in the 8 am tomorrow.

AN: Hit too close to home. Low-key proud of this. Unedited I'm impulsive sure me!

College of Business was a wild place to be. Hungover frat boys, stressed accountants, quirky marketing majors. All the trade came settled into that one building.

Maybe it wasn't that special to others but to you...to you it was special. It was where you met him. Nanami Kento.

It was a stupid group project with half of the team burnt out before the break. So were you but as try hard, you could not give up just yet. Somehow your meeting with him had been inevitable.

You had seen him before, around the campus, walking to classes. Emotionally constipated guy, the one who stood out because he was the only one walking without headphones or talking to someone. He just existed.

"So...we're doing this...just the two of us," you stare at the guy next to you. His eyes already focused on his laptop screen.

"Yes." He replied curtly. " I am not giving those morons any credit." His words made you grin. A petty bastard. You liked him very much.

So that night, in the quite library you and Kento constructed the most perfect presentation with just your names on it. Revenge that was served in the 8 am lecture next day.

So, it wasn't a shocker when your obnoxious ass started waving to him at every spotting. Walking with him to classes. Even joined him for the extra credit studies.

He was perfect block of muscle with highest concentration of etiquette in his every single pore. Better than any finance bro ever.

It was only a matter of time before you dragged your new 'friend' to the bars. And the man was a beast with cheap college beer. Beer pong? He's in. Filthy grinding on dance floor? You're there trying to stop an orgy. Beating off creep? Yeah, you dragged him out of the bars.

So, the next morning waking next to him wasn't unexpected. You just did not expect the stoic guy with passion of eros to switch to a blushing mess. Albeit a hungover blushing mess.

That is how Nanami became your boyfriend. The most unlikely pairing according to your salty girlfriends.

But beyond the noisy college life and never ending god forsaken group projects, he was so gentle. As if a world with just two of you existed in the small studio apartment that you rented together.

Cuddling during movie nights, self manicures every Fridays, meal prepping on weekends after a hungover morning was what life became next to him.

As if smiling became easier. Hugging him felt natural. Your life molded itself around him.

You both got internships together. Spent summers making coffee runs together and then making out in the Manager's office in secret.

You were in bliss. People around you kept their eyes to your fingers. Looking for the confirmation that the world sought for your love for each other. And maybe, you, yourself wanted it. He was the one. You knew it.

Your graduation picture with him hold you both smiling at each other. He smiled with you. He was happy.

Until it struck him. The work beyond college dragged your boyfriend. As if the monotony of the world tugged him to the past you knew very little of.

It became easier to overlook each other. To bottle your frustration, when you could see him struggle. You had to help him, you reasoned with yourself. You could make him happy right?

You tried so hard. You became your old self. Smiled brighter for him. Partied, held him, you tried too damn hard to fight the cold dread seeping in your heart.

But you knew you could not keep him. He was leaving and you no matter how much you wished, could not hold on to him.

With a heart of stone, you kissed him goodbye. Became an amicable ex who understood him. Maybe you were a fool all along. All those people who had once warned you of your differences now seem to be mocking your failure to save your love.

He was gone and so was your heart.

You dated others. Tried to offer your heart but you did not possess it any longer. Nanami Kento took it with him.

Your steps paused. Your keys dropped as you rushed to him. Bloodied and battered. Burnt on his side, he was back on your doorstep.

"Kento!" You pull him to your lap dialing the emergency to the best of your abilities with your trembling fingers.

And just like that he was back. Broken and scarred but next to you. You did not ask of what he endured. You just held him close now that he was back. Your heart was back and beating with him.

[evenhisfacewasanalias]

Fragments of Eros (Part 5)

Lady Jane Grey/Guildford Dudley

Rating: Adult

The last of the embers turned to ash, and something brushed her hand. She let out a small cry at the brief touch, the anticipation of claws or teeth that followed. But none did.

Only the feel of a warm circlet of gold slipped around her ring finger by human hands. The sound of a man’s voice, gentle, and not a beast’s.

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

A Cupid and Psyche/(Beauty and the Beast) AU, inspired by and encouraged by schokoleibniz.

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Chapter 5: The Athenaeum

By the time she reached the castle’s inner yard, Jane realized there was nowhere for her to run. The doors were all barred to her, the walls far too high. She was without her shoes and still dressed in her bedclothes. She thought only to hide, and hoped that the creature she left in her room wouldn’t come for her. 

With every possible shelter taken by their new guests, Jane found herself again climbing the apple tree she had found before, hiding herself among the darkened leaves there. 

It didn’t take long for Jane to notice she was not alone atop the branch. A speckled hawk sat at her side, only barely visible under the new moon. Jane nearly smiled at so easily recognizing the strange form of her old friend, but her feelings were conflicted. 

“You knew,” Jane accused.

And then it was Susannah, the woman, at her side.

“Aye, but it’s not as bad as all that. He only looks frightening,” her friend assured.

“There was blood,” Jane began.

“There’s always blood, even if he were to only eat apples all day and takes no meat.”

“Where does it come from, then?”

Jane’s mind pondered over yet another mystery.

“We were hoping you might figure that out - but that’s telling too much. He’s supposed to be the one to ask you.”

“Ask me what?” 

Susannah merely tapped the side of her nose. “I think it’s time you talk to him.”

“Why on earth would I do that?” Jane frowned. She wasn’t about to go back there. 

“Because he’s your husband,” Susannah laughed. “You just spent the past two days searching the whole bloody castle for him.”

“But I didn’t know then,” she started.

“You did know though, Jane. You knew all along he was one of us.” 

Jane felt her friend’s disappointment in her words. Jane had professed to all of England that the beasts were not to be feared but to be seen as equals. And now here she was running away at her first encounter with one that hadn’t been so charming in appearance. It was easy not to fear a bird or a rabbit, and even the wolves and bears among them seemed so docile as to be mistaken for housepets. Her husband had a far more fearsome visage. 

But he had not hurt her. Perhaps it was only her surprise - and his own - that had made him seem so fearsome in the candlelight? If she returned, he might appear more as he truly was.

She nodded at the wisdom of friend’s words, and made her descent from the branches. Susannah was right, she and Guildford needed to talk. He might even finally give her the answers she sought, if he was not too angry at her for tricking him.

“Do you think he’ll forgive me?” She asked her old friend, still so gracefully perched on the branch above, though in human form.

“He had better,” she grinned. “I warned him that eventually your curiosity would get the best of you both.”

And with that she was a hawk once more, flying back to her own lover who awaited her.

Lady Jane gathered back her courage as she ascended the familiar staircase back to her room. She convinced herself that Guildford’s beast could not be so horrible as she remembered it - it had merely been the dark night and the surprise of his metamorphosis that had caused it to take on such a menacing aspect. Lost in such thoughts she found herself back at her own door before she had quite fully prepared herself. 

She knocked tentatively.

“Jane?” Came the familiar voice of her husband. “You must shut your eyes before you come in.”

“No,” she refused. “I wish to see you as you truly are.”

“I am many things, but the beast is not my true self. You may see it if you wish to but you must not get too close.”

“Susannah told me I was in no danger.” What was the truth?

“And you won’t be - if you can temper your natural curiosity, as difficult as that might be for you.” 

His teasing tone relaxed her greatly. This was the man she felt she had known.

He repeated his warning, however. “Stay out from underfoot, and remember that its teeth can be sharp.”

Jane puzzled at Guildford referring to the beast as something other than himself - so unlike their other friends - but cast her agreement through the door all the same.

“Then, if you are certain.” He invited her in.

She entered the room slowly, remembering his words, though she anticipated finding his beastly form far less frightening at this second meeting.

It was not to be so. The light of the reawakened fire had in no way diminished the horrifying aspect of his transformation. The beast was still nearly at the height of the ceiling, and it was a wonder he had not crushed their bed under the weight of his hooves - the wooden chair that once sat in the corner had not itself escaped such a fate. Though he held steady as possible, the beast still moved in such a way it was clear he would never be fully reigned in. The eyes were just as fiery as she recalled, and the teeth as sharp and bloodstained, its breath smelling of ash and death. The coal dark body and rough mane of the beast in no way invited her to reach out to it, so it was no hard task indeed to obey her lover’s warning. It was clear this was no ordinary beast - something unnatural such as not even Archer’s gigantic bear shape had been. 

Jane nearly trembled at the sight, but held herself still in its presence. She had asked to see this, and she wouldn’t back down now - even though it still frightened her in some deeper part of herself that she could not control. She wished she still had his voice here with her, to answer her doubts and set her at ease, even with his jesting. She could imagine no better anodyne to this moment than his mockery.

Guildford had told her that if she were to look at him, that he would disappear - she realized now he meant that the man she knew would go away. He had apparently been telling the truth in this. Though now she wondered if the opposite was true.

She shut her eyes. There was a strange noise, the slight feeling of air rushing past her bared limbs. The warmth from the fire blew out towards her and the horrible scent of death disappeared. And then she heard his voice.

“Was I really so frightening? You do not need to hold your eyes shut quite so firmly.” He teased, but she could hear the undercurrent of truth to his question. 

“I wished to speak with you again, and it is difficult to keep one’s eyes closed in a conversation.”

The low rumbling of his chuckle ghosted over her ears, he was standing far nearer to her now. “Then you now understand my reasoning for blindfolding you.” 

“I understand you thought it necessary.” It is as close as Jane will come to conceding his point. “Will you now tell me what you are?”

“First I must show you something. It will be easier if I blindfold you once more.”

If Jane found it surprising that she could trust him again so easily after all he had hidden from her, she ascribed it to merely her own desire for answers. And so she allowed him to tie the cloth back over her eyes, and let her eyelids relax beneath the protective darkness of it. 

He took her hand within his own - strong, human, familiar - and gently led her down the staircase. She recognized their pathway at first but lost track as he continued to guide her deeper within the castle, to where she had rarely explored herself. It felt as though they were in some kind of narrow passageway, the walls closed in on either side and above her. Only their soft footfalls made any sound within the space, echoing forward and behind them but with none of the familiar sounds of the castle’s other residents. This must have been how he avoided being seen by her in the daylight. 

Eventually, they emerged into a larger space, though this too was equally devoid of other inhabitants. He let go of her hand, asking her to stay. She could hear the soft flicker and hiss of a candle being lit - first one, and then another, and then many more, until she could almost glimpse their soft glow through her blindfold.

And then she heard his voice echoing from somewhere behind her, “you may look now.”

She pulled the blindfold from her eyes to take in the room before her. More than a room, she realized - they had somehow entered into the castle’s chapel. Though small in appearance from the outside, inside, the stone walls and high windows lent it a more impressive air. Starlight dimly glowed through the stained glass arch at the front of the chapel - an ancient portrait of the Virgin with the Child cradled to her heart, both of them haloed with gold and light. All else was lit by the many flickering candles placed around the small sanctuary, most of them atop the large altar at its center. There sat a large collection of books, in fact there were an unnumbered many littered across windowsills and pews. As if someone had tried to turn this small chapel into something of a library. She clasped the first volume she sighted.

“Quam ut rememdium bestia,” she took up another, “Das Biest Beenden, Euripides, Diodorus Siculus - these are all books on beasts, and ancient myths.”

She looked back without quite meaning to, though her lover had hidden himself well enough behind the stone columns at her back. 

His voice echoed from the shadows of the narthex, his tone less certain. “To answer your earlier question, I don’t know what I am. I had hoped to find the answers in these books, though I have not yet found any such satisfactory account.”

Jane turned back to marvel at the collection. “How did you even find all of these? Many of them are said to have been lost.”

“My man Rupert travels the world to collect them for me, any time I get word of a new volume. He has always been loyal to a fault.”

“Most of these are in ancient Greek or Latin - though this one is in the Sicilian dialect, and this in Aramaic - can you read Aramaic as well?”

“I know some little Church Latin, and Rabbit knows some German, but we are none of us able to translate the preponderance of these. I had heard that you were the most learned woman in the kingdom, a polyglot of sorts.”

“SÌ - though I’ll confess I know the Florentine Tuscan better than the Sicilian.” 

She was already trying her hand at the Diodorus Siculus in front of her.

“Dante or Petrarch?” He guessed at the source of her knowledge.

“Boccaccio,” she argued. Though in Latin, his De Mulieribus Claris on the great women of Italian history had been as a bible to her.

“Jane, will you close your eyes again?” Came his voice from behind her.

Reluctant though she was to set down the ancient manuscript, she acceded, turning towards the columns to show him that she had done as he asked.

She felt both her hands taken into his. He was now directly before her. The temptation to open her eyes nearly overwhelmed her, even though now she knew precisely what she would see.

His voice was filled with solemnity. “Will you help me then? To discover the source of my curse and its cure?”

“Your curse?” It was the first she had heard the word, but as she said it she started to understand. 

The other beasts could take what shape they willed, could walk in the light as man or beast. None were so terrifying as her husband. But also, none could protect them half so well.

“You wish to cure yourself?” She altered her question. 

“You wish to be wed to a monster?”

“I had no wish to be married at all,” she reminded him. “But you are the source of safety for all these people.”

“And at what cost?” His voice grew bitter.

“Yes, I understand something of that cost,” Jane’s hands tightened in his. “But you have succeeded where I failed to protect them.” 

He pulled away.

“And for how long? How long will they stay safe with me? How long will you? I cannot stay trapped in this castle any more than you can. I have no control over this.”

Jane could understand this feeling, more than perhaps anyone else she knew. She had endangered everyone she loved in challenging the laws and tradition of her Kingdom. The nobility had turned on her swiftly, even as she held the support of the people, and they were all of them stripped of their former station. Still, she is not certain she would have acted differently, even knowing how it would all end. Her family had survived, whatever the personal cost to her own freedom.

Guildford sensed her hesitation, though he did not seem to understand its true source. “If you were to find a cure, we could both leave here. I promised you I would set you free when it was safe to do so - this is the only way I can honor that.”

Janed frowned at this. Apparently his earlier promise had been more conditional than she had hoped, and now he expected her to do the impossible. In all of her studies she had never read of such a condition, far less any possible cure.

“What do Archer and the others say of this?” Surely if anyone knew of a cure, it would be his fellow beasts.

“Archer insists there is no curse, that I must accept what I am to gain mastery of it. But it is curse enough to remember what the beast is capable of - controlling it would only compound my guilt.”

Jane’s breath halted at his words.

He continued. “Surely you don’t think a mere glance at me was enough to scare away the Kingsland guard - even though it clearly set you running.” 

“It merely took me by surprise,” Jane insisted, not wanting him to think her still afraid of him. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”

But Jane had heard their screams, and she had seen the blood on his teeth - no matter that Susannah had assured her it was no more than false conjuring. If this was indeed a curse, there must still be some source. How many stories were there of those driven to such an illusion by their guilt?

Jane couldn’t find it in herself to condemn his actions however. Though she had been unwilling herself to demand the execution of her opponents, they had never held a sword to the throats of her friends. She imagined someone threatening one of her sisters, or Susannah, or even the man in front of her in such a manner. Jane knew already she would make the same choice to defend them, by whatever means she could.

“Then will you help me?” His hands took hold of hers once again.

“I will try,” she hesitated to promise.

“Please, that is all that I ask. It is the only way I will be able to set us both free.”

Still, she had her doubts.

“But Guildford, what if it doesn’t work?”

His lips pressed to hers, taking her by surprise.

“What was that for?”

“That’s the first time you’ve ever called me by my name.”

She blushed to hear the delight in his voice at so small a gesture.

“This is the first time I feel as though I actually know something of you. But Guildford,” another kiss, “I still have so many questions.”

“I expected you might,” he teased.

“To start - how does this work? Can no one look at you? Or is it just me?”

“No one.” His hands tightened around hers.

Jane breathed out a small sign of relief. At least she was not bound up in this curse as well.

“Can you look at yourself then?”

“No. If I were to see myself in a mirror I would transform just the same.” 

Jane realized there were no mirrors in her room, no reflective surfaces at all.

“So then you don’t know what you look like as a man?”

“Jane, I have not always been what I am now,” he chuckled.

And of course, she knew that. He had been a part of the Court once, and she recalled hearing of his name as his father’s son. But first one and then all three Dudleys had been exiled from the Court before her ascendancy to the throne.

“Wait, let me turn around - I don’t wish to be blindfolded again but it is difficult not to look at you.”

She turned from him, but he lingered near, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his face into her curls. This way, she could not so easily glance around to see him.

“Why didn’t you tell me at our first meeting?” This question is foremost in her thoughts.

“I had thought you might run at the sight of me, and, as it turns out, I was quite correct.” His words were harsh but his tone was teasing. He did not fault her for this, at least.

“I might not have, had I had some warning.”

“I did warn you not to be so curious.”

“You might as well ask a bird not to fly, you knew what might happen.”

He laughed. “I had hoped I might have a little longer to convince you to stay.”

Jane thought  back to their nights together - every time she had asked him any real questions about his nature, he had drawn her back into their marriage bed. Had it all been an attempt to convince her to stay with him?

“And that was how you thought you might win me over?”

“I believe the seduction was mutual.” A soft kiss was pressed to the side of her neck, and she shivered at the touch. Jane couldn’t deny that she had drawn him in just as readily. “But how does one win over a Queen? Surely you wouldn’t be impressed by jewels or fine dresses.”

“If I were, then Rabbit might better have won me over,” she teased. “I think I’d rather have books than any other gift you could buy.”

“I thought offering you any from my own collection might give away my secret too soon.”

“Then perhaps the way to win over a Queen is with honest conversation,” came her retort.

The low rumble of his laugh tickled her ear. “I gave you poetry.”

“I prefer non-fiction.”

Another laugh. “I presented you with a challenge, which I know you like best of all.”

This she could not argue, though she greatly desired to do so. Instead, she reached for the blindfold still atop the altar.

“I thought you didn’t wish to be blindfolded?” He asked, even as he helped her to tie it once more around her eyes.

“Can’t I change my mind?”

“Yes - I often expect you to do so.”

There were many ways she could interpret his words, though she hoped to persuade him that she would not go back on her promises to him at least. She would aid him, as he had asked her to, and would stay with him until she was assured of both their safety, and that of her friends - whether she cured him or not. She would not be afraid of him again. 

Jane could think of no better means of communicating this than to turn and take his lips with her own. Her fingers slid into the soft familiarity of his hair, and his lips opened easily to the tender press of her tongue. His arms stayed wrapped around her, hands flexing against her spine as she drew a pleased noise from her reavowed lover. 

She pressed him back toward the altar rail, and he went willingly at her tough. But in her blind state she could not accurately judge the direction of her aim, and Guildford instead stumbled over the raised dais. He fell back to seated just beside the altar itself, laughing as he went. He reached up to pull her down with him, until she was settled astride his lap, the stacks of books just over their heads. She pushed at his shirt, realizing that he must have dressed himself after she had caught her all too brief glimpse of his naked form, and she could imagine no greater shame. Her hands traced over the muscles of his chest and stomach, melding the tangible sensation with her memories of their appearance. She wished she could see him again, feeling greedy for the sight of her lover - and jealous that he could so easily see her. All of her but her eyes, at least - despite it all, their eyes had never once met. This thought suddenly overtook her.

“My eyes are hazel,” she breathed out, thinking to even this score between them. 

His lips met hers again with fervor, and she knew he had understood what she was trying to share. He pulled away but for a moment. “If you can cure me, perhaps I will one day see them for myself.”

“I will do my best to see that happen,” she promised, and Guildford’s lips surged towards her once more.

But Jane was now placed above him, and it was so easy to slide her hand along his jaw and into his hair, catching at the thick tufts of it tightly enough that she could take control of their kiss. She felt his groan of pleasure against their lips.

It was the work of only a few moments as they tugged off his trousers, and rucked up her chemise so that the heat of her was pressed against his waiting skin. Jane pushed him to lay back as she positioned herself above him, breathing out his name as she took him back inside herself. Her own name was on his lips as their bodies met, both trembling at the feel of what they had almost lost. 

When Jane attempted to shift her hips upward, Guildford’s hands pulled her back down again, and together they built a rhythm between them. Their sounds of passion echoed through the church but no one was around to hear them. 

She spared a thought for her cousin, the Queen Mary, and how she might view this as proof that Jane truly was a heathen. And perhaps she was, though there was nothing unholy about this union with her husband. Even if the bonds between them weren’t til death, he was hers to have for as long as she stayed here. And in this moment Jane saw no reason to leave.

[kingyo-konbini]

AMERICANO [PORTGAS D. ACE X READER]

[SUMMARY] you, chopper, and zoro offer to take the valentine's day shifts at the cafe, and you meet a man with a possible caffeine addiction. [PRONOUNS] gender neutral [GENRE] modern + coffee shop au [POV] second person [WORD COUNT] 1534 [CONTENT] first meetings | valentine's day | possibly slightly ooc Ace? [A/N] belongs to this one shot collection. kind of a valentine's day special I guess

You sipped casually on your drink, eyes fanning over the surprisingly bustling cafe before you.

Well, it shouldn’t have been a surprise, really. Valentine’s day was a prime opportunity for couples to go to cute little cafes and eat cute little desserts while drinking cute little drinks.

No, you weren’t bitter. Not at all.

Between you and the two coworkers you’d be working with that day, you were probably the one with the most complicated relationship regarding the holiday. Zoro hardly had a romantic bone in his body and could not care less about the quote-unquote “meaningless holiday,” and Chopper, while you knew he had the occasional crush, was just a kid and focused more on his studies and his job than any romantic aspirations.

You just didn’t want to be left alone to mope in your apartment while your roommate was off galivanting around town.

The sound of multiple cans hitting the counter drew your attention away from the couples, eyes landing on the man standing before you. He steadied the three cans of Red Bull and then turned to the bake case, eyes widening at the broad selection.

“Welcome to the Thousand Sunny, what can I get you today?” You put your drink away and tried not to focus on how handsome he was, even if there was something a little… greasy about him.

“Oh! Hi there.” The man straightened and shot you a cheeky grin, one hand going to scratch the back of his neck. He stared at you for a minute, like he’d been caught off guard or something, and you fought back the flush in your cheeks that came from being singled out in his attention. “Can I get one of those sandwich things with the egg on top, as many chocolate croissants as you’re willing to give me, three lemon bars, and four fruit tarts? Oh, and a medium extra-extra-hot americano with two extra shots in a large cup?”

Your fingers hovered over the screen, mouth open despite your best efforts to hide your surprise at the large order. You blinked, trying to process everything, when a knight in shining armor appeared.

“Ace?” Zoro’s voice came from behind you. You quickly glanced over, relieved that he’d come to your rescue and seemed to know this freckled, Hawaiian shirt-wearing guy. Wait, what did Zoro call him? “What are you doing here? Luffy doesn’t work today.”

“Ah, yeah, I know. I was craving something sweet so I thought I’d swing by during my lunch.” He smiled at Zoro, who moved to take your place in front of the monitor. You gladly let him. “It’s good to see you, man. Thanks for taking care of Luffy while he’s at work.”

Oh God, that’s Ace, one of Luffy’s older brothers.

“If you wanna thank someone, thank [Name]. That ero-cook’s been scheduling them with Luffy more than anyone else.” Zoro grunted, punching in Ace’s order. “Kitchen’s closed today, so no sandwich. Is this all going on your tab?”

“Yup, thanks. Gotta dine and dash today, Pops doesn’t want me slacking off just ‘cause it’s a holiday.” He turned to you then, a polite smile on his ridiculously handsome face. “You’re [Name], the new hire, yeah? Luffy’s told me all about you! Thanks for keeping an eye on him, even if he’s been around way longer than you. I know how troublesome he can get.”

You hesitated and then waved your hands in the air dismissively, shaking your head. “Oh no, really, there’s nothing to thank me for. Luffy’s a big help when it comes to the customers, which has let me familiarize myself with the drink recipes. Really, I should be thanking him.” You laughed airily, ignoring the curious look on Zoro’s face. “It’s uh, nice to finally put a face to the name! I’ve heard a bit about you, as well, though Luffy doesn’t really talk about his family all that much.”

An exaggerated pout pulled at his lips. “Aw, really? And here I thought he never shut up about me.” You almost panicked, but the teasing glint in his eyes told you he was only messing with you. “Well, [Name]-san, I can guess why Zoro’s working today, but why are you? Surely you have better things to do on Valentine’s day.”

Your eyes shot wide open, completely shocked at his forwardness. Was he… was he flirting with you?

Zoro cleared his throat and shoved a large cup in your hands, the order written on it. “Get started on the drink.”

“R- right.” You stuttered, ducking your head and avoiding Ace’s gaze. You scurried off to the espresso machine and began preparing the drink, Zoro and Ace chatting as the former pulled out the requested desserts. You felt your ears burn as you recalled the conversation that had just occurred; why on Earth would Ace of all people flirt with you? You must have been mistaken, there was no way that was even an option. He was probably like Sanji in that respect, always tossing out compliments without really thinking. Yeah, that had to be it.

“Oh, hi Ace!” Chopper’s voice hit your ears– he must have finished his lunch, which meant you’d be able to take your lunch and escape from the situation once you made this drink.

“Hey, Chopper! How’re your studies going? Luffy mentioned you had a big test the other week.”

The sound of the shot being pulled muffled the rest of their words, allowing you a brief moment to collect your thoughts. With the drink made you grasped the cup, your fingers burning slightly as the heat from the extra-extra-hot water seeped through the material, causing you to hurriedly slip on a sleeve. You popped the lid on and took a deep breath before mustering your best customer-service smile, sliding the completed drink across the bar and next to the plated pastries and cans of Red Bull.

Ace beamed at you, immediately stopping in the middle of his sentence. “Thanks!” He chirped, popping the lid off. You watched, eyes widening in horror as he opened one of the cans of Red Bull and poured the contents into the cup. He popped the lid back on and, without hesitating for even a moment, took several large sips of the piping hot monstrosity. Once again your jaw dropped, not sure how to process what you’d just seen. Who in their right mind mixes that much caffeine together? And who on Earth is able to drink something that hot without dying? 

He must be made of fire, or something.

Zoro laughed at your shocked expression, Chopper joining in and grabbing the empty can off the counter and tossing it into one of the trash cans.

Ace pulled his lips from the lid and sighed in content, flashing another beaming smile your way as he held the cup tight. “That’s perfect, thanks [Name]!”

“I- uh- it’s- it’s just espresso and water.” You stuttered, discreetly kicking the back of Zoro’s leg in an attempt to get him to stop laughing. It didn’t work.

“Well, it’s great.” Ace grinned. “Thanks again.”

You hummed and nodded, and then watched as he practically inhaled the entirety of the food he’d ordered. It seemed like everything he did was a surprise to your poor heart, and you weren’t sure how much more you’d be able to take.

You busied yourself with some cleaning and tidying up as Ace, Chopper, and Zoro continued their conversation, doing your best not to think about the man’s earlier words and insinuation. You hardly even noticed when he said his goodbyes and began making his way out of the cafe, barely getting out a polite farewell before the door swung shut.

You could hear Zoro and Chopper snickering behind you, and with a huff you shoved the rag you’d been using to clean into the older male’s hands. “I’m going on lunch.” You grumbled, untying your apron as you made your way to the back. 

Once situated in front of the microwave, lazily watching as your food reheated, you felt the phone in your back pocket buzz. With a quirked brow you pulled it out and then froze.

It was a text from an unknown number.

[Unknown Number: Hey, [Name]! It’s Ace, hope you don’t mind I got your number from Luffy. If you’re not busy with a date or whatever after work, would you like to get coffee or something? I try to make it a point to get to know all of my brother’s friends.]

Your heart stuttered in your chest, trying to figure out how best to proceed.

[You: Hi! No, I don’t have anything to do after work, though I’m not sure you need any more caffeine. We could do dinner, though?]

You hit send without allowing yourself the time to second-guess your words, adding his number to your contacts.

The reply came quickly.

[Ace: I’m always down for food! What were you thinking? There’s this really good barbeque place I know, if you like meat.]

You grinned and typed your response, easily falling into a comfortable text exchange even as the microwave interrupted you with its loud beeps.

Perhaps Valentine’s day wouldn’t suck this year.

[sugaryapplepie]

📸💗HunieCam AU Scribbles [NSFW]💗📸

A/N: So I created an LMK AU with the cast as actors and the Y/Ns would be either assistants to the cam girls/boys/toys or co-stars (or eventual co-stars) and I've been bullying @dynamicsimp @puppy-the-mask and @angellongtail soooo time to slap down some scribbles ;) Tags: HunieCam AU, camming, NSFW, yanderes, smutty stuff, Canon x OCs, selfship, Canon x Self-Insert, scribbles, consensual dub/non-con RP scenario

Characters/Pairings: Kiki x Macaque, Eli x Macaque, Seraphim x Macaque, Pinkie

Kiki! Kiki is a beautiful, vibrant assistant that Macaque couldn't help but slide up to when he saw just how beautiful astro looked in eros work uniform

Macaque is definitely the more slyly flirty, the more pick-you-up-at-the-bar type of guy who's gone by morning light leaving you yearning for him

But then he also began cutting eyes at the dashing Genderfluid assistant that couldn't meet his eyes, always blushing intently and looking away

That's not to MENTION Seraphim. She was a dame that could have a man walk into a door just from how she walked. She had beauty and she had class, and she had Macaque hooked like a fish on a line

All three of them became targets for his flirting, his teasing, and eventually his asking them to join him in a special shoot

This one was one of his favorite scenarios: hunting prey in the woods. The three were playing friends going on a road trip but their car broke down. They had to traverse the forest, trying to find help

And of course one by one Macaque would scoop them up and bring them to his log cabin in the woods

Three pretty pets kept with collars and leashes in the log cabin's basement. Three pretty little targets when they broke free and ran

It was fun chasing them down. First Macaque went for Kiki, the adoring assistant he could count on to massage his muscles after a hard day's work. While astro was running the pre-planned trail, it was easy for him to toss out a rock and make eros fall...but luckily his arms caught eros.

And so did his teeth digging into astro's neck, not enough to hurt but enough to mark. To remind eros who's boss. A few kisses and nuzzles to soothe astro before the eventual down & dirty in the dirt trail

Then on to Eli. Flustered, easily startled Eli. It had taken some confidence-building and trust-building to get Eli to agree to help out, but Macaque was patient and attentive. Instead of jumping them, Macaque carefully stalked Eli before grabbing him, yanking him close, and running his fingers through his hair, crooning to his little pet. Macaque reassured Eli that he wouldn't hurt her, she was safe and so, so beautiful. So lovely. How could he ever hurt her? Just a bite, one small bite to show the world that they were his...and then carefully carrying them back to the cabin. There would be no force, no bites, no scratching. Just gentle kisses, whispered praise, and wearing Eli out so she'd be too tired to run

Seraphim, now, was different. Macaque wanted to prove to her that he knew she was high-class, but that he wasn't a man to be cowed. She he stalked with great anticipation, heart pounding in his chest as he wondered what she'd feel like, how she'd try to turn the tables...and that she did when he eventually found her by the lake. Macaque let her think she was winning at first, but then grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down, biting her not just on her neck but shoulders as well. Just to humiliate her, he made sure she felt so good all of the forest knew who was the dom between the two

But Macaque was not cruel, he would gently bathe her off in the clean lake water and re-dress her before bringing her back to the cabin, feeding her a meal before snuggling her to sleep. His precious pets.

Their manager Pinkie makes sure the film quality and such is up to par before it hits the editing room, which is likely where they're going to closely evaluate Macaque to see if he's deserving of that raise or not. All with the most :| face imaginable.

[ps1snake]

man ray, rrose sélavy aka marcel duchamp, an angel, and a demon walk into a bar and um. yeah theres no punch line <3

@book-omens-week day 3: historical!

director's commentary and historical context under the cut. sorry lads this one is a little niche.

i'm not great with regular history, but regular art history? oh baby. The historical context: Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp are both artists from the early 1900s. Duchamp is best known for his readymades, which were objects already completed that he would make either small changes or no changes to. most famous of these is Fountain (1917), which Aziraphale references above. Fountain was a urinal that Duchamp purchased and signed as "R. Mutt" and submitted to an art show (it was rejected). He's also very well known for "L.H.O.O.Q.," another readymade. Aziraphale is holding a copy of it above. originally made in 1919, it's a cheap reproduction of the Mona Lisa that Duchamp added a mustache and goatee to, and then captioned LHOOQ. LHOOQ is another french pun - when the letters are spoken aloud, they sound like "Elle a chaud au cul" meaning "She has a hot ass" in english.

Man Ray was an artist and photographer - he was the photographer of Duchamp's woman alter-ego, Rrose Sélavy. the name Rrose Sélavy is a pun in french, sounding like "Eros, c'est la vie"—meaning "Love/Sex, that's life." They took several photos of her over the years, and Duchamp would sometimes make and publish art 'as' her.

Context for the drawing itself is that Duchamp and Ray are out to take pictures of Rrose, but also to meet with A&C. Maybe they'll do some group girlie photos, i dont know. that's not my business. Here, Duchamp is asking their opinion of LHOOQ, since he promised a copy to Crowley when he returned from a """business trip.""" Aziraphale finds his art grating - he says it's good art, but very juvinial. he also, secretly, thinks it's bad art because it is juvinial, but crowley gets on his ass when he says that, so he lies. Crowley loves it - both genuinely, and because of how much fighting it causes.

Ray and Crowley are dressed to the fashions of the time (crowley is a bit early, actually), Duchamp is dressed as he is when photographed as Rrose, and Aziraphale is running behind the times, dressed for the 1890s. reference images below:

Aziraphale's dress, second from the left:

Crowley's dress and hat, right:

Rrose Sélavy, as photographed by Man Ray:

Fountain:

one of the copies of LHOOQ:

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

(Re-do of last ask w/o... second paragraph. Sorry about sending that.) I do wonder how the Sweet Jazz Police Force would react to Prohibition going up. Given just how stupid it is (making alcohol illegal makes it near-impossible to regulate, throwing health, safety & legal drinking age (among other things) out the window), they'd probably be reluctant in enforcing it at best. (Watch Oversimplified's Prohibition video at 23: 06 for a short explanation on this.)

Well, they're...certainly not getting paid to not do their jobs, although that doesn't really say much. Laws on alcohol, especially towards the beginning of Prohibition, were full of weird holes and were nigh-impossible to enforce competently, so more than a few officers might see it rather pointless to take them that seriously. Plus, I doubt some of them would bat an eye at engaging in booze themselves, or taking a bribe or two from a certain apple farmer to keep their mouths shut about it.

The most interesting perspectives on Prohibition are probably from Percy, Meryl and Eros (again, haven't watched Anime Campaign aside from session 1, this is pretty much wholly fancanon).

Meryl would most likely support any curbing of the alcohol consumption in America (given the ridiculous mortality rate tied with it at the time), but she also seems the most likely to be straight-up outraged by the implementation of the prohibition, especially given her background in medicine. The upsurge in organised crime would've been enough for her stress and anxiety, nevermind the potential skyrocket in alcohol withdrawal cases, clinics becoming glorified bars overloaded with "patients", and the swift emergence of moonshining (which is highly dangerous). Expect her to still do her job to the best of her ability, but also expect a moderate-to-large amount of salt.

Percy is less critical of the law's implementation. Regardless of how it was handled, choosing to engage in criminal behaviour is still just that in her eyes: a choice. She's sympathetic of those struggling with alcoholism, but sees it her duty nonetheless to uphold the law to the best of her ability and to prioritise the safety of the people. As such, much of her ire would inevitably turn towards the organised crime taking advantage of such people and encouraging the reckless manufacture and consumption of alcohol. More info will probably be on her character post for the AU (whenever we get started on that)

Eros…probably goes to speakeasies lmao

Half-joking. Out of everyone in the precinct that actually obeys Prohibition (which is like. a dozen people at best) he's probably the most lax on alcohol. He's not quite as sympathetic as Percy, but he is definitely more affable towards the more minor offenders. Besides, the station really doesn't have space for every damn drinker and speakeasy-goer in the city, so he can try to turn a blind eye as long as things don't get too violent or high-profile.

[aki-draws-things]

Whumptober 2023~

Fandom: top gun

Characters: Ron slider Kerner, nick Goose Bradshaw, Pete maverick mitchell, tom iceman Kazansky

Prompts: solitary confinement, "make it stop"

Warning: Dark Nick Bradshaw, dark Pete Mitchell, possessive behavior, alpha/omega au, omega Ron, alpha nick, alpha Pete, alpha tom

Summary: [ITALIAN ONLY FOR NOW SORRY] quando Nick nota Ron al bar qualcosa scatta. Intende riprendersi l'omega che Iceman è riuscito a portargli via, ed è disposto a tutto per farlo.

Maverick inclinò la testa con un sorrisetto, arricciò il naso e si appoggiò alla spalla di Goose.

"Era quello lì? Seriamente?"

Nick borbottò qualcosa, non aveva ancora distolto lo sguardo da Slider. Erano passati anni, non sembrava cambiato molto, eccetto forse che non era un pilota alla fine. No, era solo un RIO. Non che avesse mai avuto la stoffa del pilota, a dire il vero. Era solo un ragazzetto troppo magro e fragile. O almeno lo era stato. Era cresciuto adesso.

Nick non riuscì a frenare il ghigno che gli si dipinse sul viso. Slider ancora doveva notarlo, era avvinghiato al suo alpha come se la sua stessa vita dipendesse da quello. Tom parlava con la barista, aveva alzato una mano e la passava tra i capelli corti dell'uomo alle sue spalle, affondò le dita nei riccioli che si erano salvati quando aveva tagliato i capelli. Poi gli passò un drink, non prima di averne provato un sorso. Oh, certo. Tom era sempre stato assurdamente protettivo.

"Un omega? Oh, goose, da te non me lo sarei mai aspettato. È così... inferiore."

Si leccò le labbra.

"Già. Ma era mio. E intendo riprendermelo."

"Da condividere?"

Goose guardò brevemente Maverick, poi scrollò le spalle.

"Solo perché sei tu, Pete. Potrei anche cedertelo per un po'."

"Inizia a piacermi. Come pensi di prenderlo?"

Nick fischiettò, vide come Slider si mosse, si spostò, sembrò drizzare le orecchie. Nick sorrise ancora, soddisfatto.

"Ero io il suo padrone, non Mr alpha perfettino. Sarà lui a venire da me."

Tom ringhiò e strinse la presa su Ron che chiuse gli occhi e affondò il naso contro il suo collo.

Goose conosceva quel suono, quel ringhio. "Mio", sembrava dire. Ah-- come se Slider potesse effettivamente essere suo quando Nick si era premurato che il marchio che portava sulla pelle gli ricordasse ogni volta a chi appartenesse in realtà. Avrebbe marchiato anche Mav, se solo avesse acconsentito. In realtà doveva ancora chiederglielo, e sapeva che l'alpha più giovane non avrebbe detto di no, ma voleva il suo permesso prima. Era pur sempre un alpha. Slider, d'altro canto, senza appartenere a nessuno era destinato a morire. Non si era fatto, all'epoca, troppi problemi a lasciare che Nick lo giostrasse e prendesse come voleva. Poi era subentrato Tom.

Tom, con quella sua aria da cavaliere senza macchia e senza paura. Tom, che credeva di poter arrivare e prendere quello che era suo. E quello stupido omega aveva lasciato fare. Non lo biasimava, su quello. Ron non voleva a altro che appartenere a qualcuno. Ma quel qualcuno era lui. Doveva essere lui. Aveva speso soldi per quella patetica--

"Mio. Mio. Mio." Ron si avvolse sulla sua schiena, sfregò il volto nell'incavo del suo collo.

Oh, Tom l'aveva notato. Bene. Era quello che goose voleva. Voleva che vedesse nel momento in cui quel piccolo, patetico omega tornava dal suo padrone come era giusto facesse.

E lo avrebbe punito, decise Nick. Lo avrebbe punito e avrebbe addirittura consentito a Mav di aiutarlo. Doveva imparare la lezione, cosa aveva pensato di fare? scappare in quel modo con il primo alpha che trovava? Volare?

Ah! Come se fosse davvero in grado di mantenere abbastanza controllo, e volare con un Alpha, anche peggio. Doveva aver fatto un bel lavoretto per aver avuto quell'occasione, un lavoretto coi fiocchi. Beh, Nick sapeva bene quanto bastava quanto Slider fosse abile con la bocca. Probabilmente non c'era voluto troppo a convincere il comandante. Gli aveva insegnato lui, dopotutto.

Nick fischiettò ancora prima di voltarsi e trascinare Mav via con sé. Rise quando l'eco basso del ringhiò giunse alle sue orecchie. Oh, non vedeva l'ora di farlo a pezzi. E lo avrebbe fatto davanti a quel perfetto alpha che pensava di poter avere tutto.

~~~

Ron conosceva quel profumo. Lo conosceva e faceva di tutto per ignorarlo.

Oh, forse entrare nella marina non era stata quella grande idea, alla fine. Tutti quegli alpha lì attorno, quegli occhi puntati su di lui. Non che dessero fastidio, non con Tom al suo fianco. Aveva passato così tanto tempo a comportarsi da alpha per compiacere suo padre, finché l'uomo, stanco di quel rifiuto, di quell'errore, di quel nato sbagliato che aveva infangato la sua linea, non lo aveva venduto. Come si conviene ad un buon omega, dopotutto.

Nick, il suo padrone, il suo Alpha, era... a Ron piaceva. Era gentile. Era caldo. Le sue mani erano morbide e delicate sulla sua pelle.

Nick era buono con lui, era Ron ad essere sbagliato, e Nick era costretto a punirlo, ma Ron avrebbe imparato, promise. Si sarebbe guadagnato il suo affetto. Il suo amore.

Ron lo aveva guardato con quegli occhi che Nick diceva sembravano di un cerbiatto, e aveva promesso di essere perfetto.

"Amore? Oh, sei proprio una dolcezza. Ma se avessi voluto amore avrei scelto qualcuno in grado di darmi dei figli."

Posso farlo. Posso darteli. Se me lo chiedi-- ma Ron non lo disse. Sarebbe stato il perfetto omega e Nick lo avrebbe amato, alla fine.

(Si domandò a quanto suo padre era stato disposto a lasciarlo andare. Si domandò quanto valesse. Sperava tanto, era-- non era il classico omega, non era piccolino e fragile e sottomesso. Sperava che il suo alpha--)

Il suo alpha, l'alpha che Ron amava, aveva amato, l'alpha che aveva marchiato la sua iniziale sul suo petto era lì, in quella stanza e Ron non era certo di poter, voler, resistere.

Tom non lo avrebbe lasciato andare. Ron non voleva andare, non dopo quello che era successo.

(Ma era stata colpa sua. Aveva provocato il suo Alpha e nick era stato costretto a punirlo. A legarlo in quella stanzetta senza finestre, con un collare troppo stretto al collo e l'uniforme di cui ron andava così fiero, a brandelli e macchiata di sangue. Lo aveva provocato lui, meritava di restare rinchiuso da solo finché nick non avesse deciso che era abbastanza.)

Ma il suo profumo era così dolce. Invitante.

(No. No, Ron era in controllo. Di sé stesso, della sua vita.)

"Ron? Stai bene?"

La voce di Tom era bassa. Un sussurro. Si era avvicinato, le labbra contro il suo orecchio, il respiro caldo su di lui. Vicino. Così vicino. Ron respirò a fondo, riempì i polmoni del suo profumo, cercò di scacciare quello di Nick.

Alpha. Alpha. Alpha.

Nick lo aveva comprato. Lo aveva marchiato. Apparteneva a lui.

A Ron sembrò di annegare. Gli parve di andare a fondo senza speranza alcuna di sopravvivere. Ogni parte di lui urlava e strepitava, lo spingeva verso il baratro.

Verso Nick.

Era un richiamo che non poteva frenare per quanto provasse. Per quanto volesse.

Avrebbe, aveva, chiesto a Tom di marchiarlo. Di renderlo suo. Solo suo.

"Qualunque cosa tu voglia, Tommy. La farò. Sarò chiunque mi chiedi di essere. Ma ti prego-- ti prego."

Aveva cercato di grattare via la cicatrice sul petto, di tagliarla. Tom lo aveva baciato, stringendo le mani che tenevano il coltello, gettandolo dall'altro lato della stanza. Finché la cicatrice era sul suo corpo, Ron non sarebbe mai stato libero.

"Fallo smettere... fallo smettere ti prego. Se dici che sono tuo, che sei il mio padrone allora la smetterà. Tom-- tommy ti prego--" gemette. Tom non lo disse mai.

Ron aveva le guance arrossate dal caldo e dal sole quando i suoi passi lo portarono davanti a Goose e Maverick. Conosceva l'alpha più giovane di fama, ma null'altro. Non sembrava un alpha. Così come lui non sembrava un omega, di solito.

"Hey dolcezza. Deciso di tornare a casa?"

No, voleva dire. Deciso di romperti la faccia a pugni e essere libero.

Ron annuì e li seguì.

[gasthausnostalgie]

Old Vienna

Anno 1998

Das Montevideo (auch: Monte)

war von der Mitte der 1970er Jahre bis 2001 eine Szene-Diskothek im St. Annahof im 1. Wiener Gemeindebezirk Innere Stadt, Annagasse 3.

Seit Mitte der 1970er Jahre bis Mitte 2001 war das Lokal Montevideo bzw. Monte ein beliebter Szenetreffpunkt in Wien und gehörte neben dem "Take Five" zu den nobelsten Diskotheken Wiens.

Geleitet und inspiriert wurde es von Johannes Czernin (heute Kardiologe in Kalifornien), Neffe von Niki Czernin, dem das Take Five daneben gehörte. Das Lokal erhielt seinen Namen vom ersten Türsteher Sergio, der aus der gleichnamigen Hauptstadt Uruguays stammte. Das Lokal war ganz gegen den damaligen Mainstream ohne grelle Discokugeln oder ähnlichem ausgestattet, eine Konstruktion aus schwarzgerahmten Quadraten über Bar und Tanzfläche sorgte für beeindruckende Lichteffekte.

Alle Wände waren schwarz. Die Musikrichtung wurde nicht durch Hitparaden-Mainstream geprägt, sondern es wurde seltener Soul, R&B und Latinrock gespielt.

Die Einlasskontrolle war extrem streng, jedes Wochenende blockierten Hoffende, aber Chancenlose die Annagasse.

Mitte der 80er Jahre erregte das U4 kulturell als neuer Lokaltyp international Aufsehen. Um sich bewusst gegen den Trend auch als dunkles "Underground"-Lokal zu positionieren, wurde das Lokal neu in Brauntönen um dekoriert. Mit geändertem Namen "Monte Nuovo" versuchten die Betreiber rund um Johannes von Nostitz-Rieneck die Jeunesse dorée der Stadt anzusprechen. Nach kurzer Zeit wurde das Lokal aber wieder auf "Montevideo" umbenannt.

Der Türsteher und Szenefotograf Conny de Beauclair begann seine Karriere in den 1980er Jahren in diesem Lokal.

Clubs wie das Monte, Motto oder U4 legten den Grundstein für die Karriere von DJ und Musiker Peter Rauhofer.

Nach einer Neugestaltung durch Harald Jahn am 17. April 1991 wurde das Monte von Oliver Riebenbauer neu eröffnet und bis 1996 betrieben.

Die Club-Disco Monte wurde häufig von internationalen Stars besucht. Ein regelmäßiger Gast war der Sänger Falco. Grace Jones war bei ihrem Besuch vom Lokal angenehm überrascht und half spontan einen Abend hinter der Bar aus.

Weitere bekannte Gäste waren etwa Prinzessin Lila Schwarzenberg, Herbert Grönemeyer, Claude Montana, Xavier Naidoo, Eros Ramazzotti, Bjørn Dunkerbeck, Billy Joel.

Im Jahr 2001 fand ein Pächterwechsel und eine Neuorientierung auf ein junges Publikum statt. Der Lokalumbau und das neue Konzept wurden aber nicht angenommen, und deshalb musste das Lokal nach einigen unglücklichen Versuchen schließen.

[ofviolentdeathmuses]

name: Ben Archer

what: Keres/Erote

age: appears between 20 and 37

birthday: December 19

occupation: Therapist

location: New York

faceclaim: James McAvoy

status: Selectively open to AU

relationship: Married to Aaron

parents: Kat and Eros

siblings: Abigail, Delilah, Jett, Caleb, Aella, Aaron, Asher, Dion, Odessa, Damien, Elise and Lyle, Todd, Asha, Rafe, Eireen, and Dominic

kids: None

Ben is a little on the hypersexual end, but he’s also very good to those he hooks up with. He’s sweet, even tempered, and loving, but he also has a habit of stealing his sisters’ clothes.

He was named after his mom’s best friend and is just as sweet as Benji and Kat, but he’s definitely got a good burst of his dad’s dna and can pull of the bitchiest of looks when he wants to.

When he’s not running around and partying and dressing in the absolute weirdest mixes of fashion, Ben is a licensed therapist and has helped with kids in the family and out at the bar especially, but he's also worked with schools that specialize in nonhumans and takes the occasional hospital call from Eli.

Other Info Threads Face Drabble

[feelsgood-anon]

Eros - Bar AU [Season 2] Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: THIS PIECE IS A MYSTIC MESSENGER AU.  IT IS HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE AMERICAN SITCOM CHEERS, A SHOW CENTERED AROUND A BOSTON BAR CALLED CHEERS AND IT’S REGULARS.  EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TRIED TO KEEP AS MUCH OF CANON PERSONALITIES WITH ALL THE MYSTIC MESSENGER CHARACTERS JUST REMEMBER THAT IT IS AN AU AND A FEW THINGS MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN IN GAME OR YOUR HEADCANONS. THIS HAS BEEN FUN TO PLAN AND I HOPE YOU FIND A BIT OF JOY READING IT!  

PG13+ FOR SWEARIN’ AND BOOZIN’.

[Season 1]

[Season 2] | Prologue | Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5p1 | Ch. 5p2 | Ch. 6 | Ch.7 | Ch. 8

It was twelve in the afternoon and the entire Eros staff was busy cleaning the entire bar. Zen had been barking out orders between dragging the ladder to clean out any of the vents, “Cannon, make sure the baseboards are completely free of dust! Red, check for anything resembling mold along the drying racks for the glasses. Sunny, check under every table for gum or any other gunk!” From his knelt position on the floor, Cannon grunted, “What do you think i’m doing here, boss? Giving the wall a quickie? Why are you freakin’ out so badly anyway. We shine this place up every Sunday and you sure as hell make sure we go over everything after close.” “I don’t care! Double check everything! The health inspector is coming today and if we get hit with any violations, Sugar is going to have my ass!” Zen exasperated, wiping the metal of an air vent not once, twice, but three times. It was true that he was obsessed with the place being clean but he always got jittery when it came to code violations. He’d rather be safe than sorry, even if they all had to work extra hours. “Zen, this place looks great and it always has. I think we can slow down a bit and just spot check.” Sunny squeaked from beneath a table. Of course she found nothing as she had done this same exact task the night before, “What are you so afraid of, anyway?” Zen screwed the cover back in place, letting out a sigh as he looked down at the woman, “I’m not afraid of anything. I just don’t want any issues. As soon as the inspector can leave, the more relaxed we can all be.” “I’m pretty relaxed right now, honestly. Whoever comes doesn’t scare me. We’ve always passed the health inspection!” Red chimed in as he obediently followed Zen’s orders. He knew better then to complain, since the other bartender always seemed on edge when things like this came up, “But it doesn’t hurt to double-check our work!” Zen nodded with a smile, glad that at least one of them would be on his side, “Exactly! If we do this now, we won’t have to worry about a thing! And also, I promised you guys lunch and dinner on top of being paid for these extra hours! Not a bad gig, eh?” “I’ll take sleeping in over that, boss.” Cannon hissed, but he too knew to just go along with whatever crazy ramblings Zen had. “Lets just finish up so I don’t have to keep crawling around. My legs are starting to hurt.”

The evening finally came around and patrons were about left and right, being oddly busy for a weekday. This worried Zen greatly, since it was even harder to keep things tidy with the flow of business. He constantly had to remind himself that the inspection didn’t really have anything to do with how messy the customers were, but how they handled the clean up. Jingle~ “Welcome to Eros!” Zen called out, flashing a bright smile to the older man that entered, “What can I serve you?” The gentleman waddled over to the bar, a disgruntled look on his face, “I’m Mr. Soo, here to do an inspection. Where is the owner of this bar?” Zen cleared his throat and straightened up, wiping his hands along a towel, “That would be me, sir. Zen at your service! Please take a look around, I’m sure you’ll find-” “Yes yes, I’ll find this place in tip-top shape. That’s what everyone says. Look kid, I’ve had a long day already so don’t try to kiss my ass. I’ll look around and don’t bother me!” Mr. Soo placed his things down on the bar top and wandered towards the back first. Red let out a low whistle once the man was out of sight, “He sure is friendly, huh?” Cannon snickered as he doodled along his order book, “Glad to see that someone else doesn’t put up with Zen’s bullcrap.” “Hey! I was just being friendly. I can’t help it if the guy had a rough day. He’ll warm up to me, they always do.” They all turned when they heard a boisterous laugh come from the back room. The only person there was the inspector, what could have caused him to erupt in such a fit? Zen looked around and turned paler than he already was when he noticed Sunny missing, “Oh no...please tell me she’s in my office.” “Last I knew, she was tidying up the pool tables.” Cannon replied. He seemed to have a homing missile for her location at all times which no one ever questioned, “You should have given her the day off, boss. You know how she manages to screw things up on accident.” “I can go check on them if you’d like,” Red offered, but before Zen could answer the two had emerged from the back. “What was that noise again? How do the pipes sound in the storage closet?” Mr. Soo egged Sunny on. “They go, EEEEEEEEEWWWWOOOOOAAAAPP! I swear! It’s only when its really windy outside, but it scares me. Do you think the roof will cave in?” Sunny responded with genuine curiosity. Although the inspector bursted into another fit of giggles, Zen was having trouble catching his breath. Why would she even think to point out anything out of place? Granted, the pipes had nothing to do with the health inspection but bringing attention to potential issues wasn’t necessarily a great idea. “Show me the bathrooms, Sunny! You really think there’s a ghost in there?” Mr. Soo, pulled her along. “Oh yes! I hear knocking on the windows and walls all the time when I’m in there! Maybe it’s a friendly ghost, though. You know, like the ones of TV. Sometimes I sit in there and talk to them. Just imagine how lonely they get. Maybe they just want friends!” Cannon facepalmed at her ridiculous comments. Who in the world would want to actively listen to her ramblings? Why in the world did he find it annoyingly cute? He sighed loudly and picked up the tray that had been set up for his table, “You two better control that girl or she’ll probably get this place a bad score.” “No no, I think...this will work.” Zen tapped along his chin as he fell into contemplation, “He’s laughing at her because he doesn’t know her all that well. We all shake our heads because we know how naive she can be. Maybe...we should let her run her course. If he gets in a better mood, he’ll be a bit more lenient!” Red chuckled as he filled a few glasses with beer for the patrons around the bar top, “You are putting a lot of trust in that girl. If you don’t recall, she’s single-handedly caused a few of your breakdowns.” “Yes but he seems to enjoy her company! Maybe he’s into that kind of thing, you know? Old guys are weird. They can be into the whole, airhead routine. All she has to do is keep talking and bouncing around the way...she...does…” Zen trailed off, eyes widening as he realized, along with Red, what could potentially be happening. “Maybe he’s a creeper.” They both whispered in unison and without another word, they both scrambled out from behind the bar to run to the bathroom. “SUNNY!” When the door was slammed open, their eyes fell on the waitress who had stood up on the water heater while waving her arms around like wet noodles, “Ghost friends~! Meet Mr. Soo! He’s really nice and wants to be your friend too! Come out and say hello - oh hey guys! You want to talk to the ghosts too?” She smiled at the two at the door, Mr. Soo holding back his laughter at her display. “Sunny, get down from there! You’ll hurt yourself!” Zen snipped at her, walking to help her step down, “There aren’t any ghosts here, what are you talking about?” She held a finger to her lips, shushing him, “Don’t say things like that, you’ll hurt their feelings! Apologize!” “Apologize? What! Sunny, c’mon!” Zen whined, “You have tables to look after, you know.” Sunny pouted as she kicked her feet along the tile, “Alright. It was nice walking around with you, Mr. Soo! I have to go back to work though.” “It’s alright, child. You go on! My my, you’re so sweet, you remind me of my granddaughter. Let’s get this inspection finished up, shall we? I’m in a much better mood now thanks to her.” Zen let out a sigh of relief once the two had left the bathroom, shooting a gaze towards Red, “I told you she would come in handy.” “Be glad that he didn’t get handsy, though.” Red smirked, “I don’t know if Sugar could cover up a lawsuit for beating up someone like an inspector.” Zen waved him off, heading out back towards the bar. He perked when he saw that Duckie had entered, immediately going to fill him a mug of beer, “Hey you! Sorry I didn’t hear you come in. Doing alright tonight?” Duckie smiled as he saw Zen, waving wildly in his direction, “Hey! Yeah, it’s been fine! Finished up a term paper so I decided to stop in for a drink. Who’s the old guy poking around the bar?” “It’s the health inspector. It’s that time of year, you know.” Red answered as he joined Zen behind the bar, “Don’t worry about him. I think Sunny just won us a passing grade.” “Were you worried? This place is always spotless! The cleanest place on this side of town!” Duckie chirped, graciously taking the drink that Zen offered him, “I mean, you are always cleaning something or having things shifted around. I couldn’t even imagine what he would find wrong.” “You never know, Duckie,” Zen said as he started cleaning some dirty cups, “I hate to admit it, but even I’m human and can overlook things.” Cannon gasped as he put his arm around Duckie, “Did you hear that, Ducks? The almighty boss admits to being imperfect? Someone call the doctor! Better yet, the news station! This is truly ground-breaking!” “Shut up, Cannon.” Zen sneered, “As amazing as I am, I know I make mistakes. Such as the mistake of hiring you.” Cannon wiggled his fingers towards Zen, “Oooh, scary~ you sure showed me!” “Come on, guys! Play nice.” Sunny chided as she walked up, handing Red a drink order, “Everyone here is vital to the team and there were no mistakes made!” She nodded firmly and pat Cannon on the head, “Even you, between your harsh words and sour moods.” Cannon blushed softly, clearing his throat as he created distance between him and Sunny, “Uh, yeah. Thanks.” Zen narrowed his gaze on the waiter, watching him fumble around before heading to his tables. His jaw dropped as the light bulb illuminated in his head. Did Cannon have a crush on Sunny? Is this why he was always thrown into a bad mood when the girl would get anywhere near him? His thoughts cycled through the instances he could remember when the younger man would get irrationally angry at Sunny’s closeness, every time she would be garnering comfort or physical interaction with him. “Oh.” The bartender muttered to himself. He instantly felt terrible for the things he haphazardly did that may have made Cannon jealous. Zen never meant to, admittedly he was only trying to protect Sunny from Cannon’s temper. A wide smile spread across his lips as he started to hatch a plan. This could potentially improve relations between him and his employees, and give Cannon a bit of happiness in his otherwise stressful life. “Hey Zen! The inspector wants to speak with you in your office,” Red interrupted his thoughts, “Better go see what the principal has to say.” “Hmm? Oh, yeah. Watch the bar for a bit, I’ll be back.” Zen answered as he went to follow Mr. Soo back into the room. After some time, they came out in good spirits, The older man patting Zen’s back, “You’re alright, kid! Keep up the good work! I expect a good drink when I come back!” “Anything for you, Mr. Soo!” Zen bowed towards him before leading him to the door, “I appreciate you coming tonight, and I’ll make sure Sunny is your waitress when you do come in for that drink!” Other light banter was exchanged before the inspector left the bar, and Zen turned towards Red with a thumbs up, “Passed with flying colors! He thought the place was spotless! Good job everyone!” A rumble of cheers passed through the establishment, Sunny running up to Zen to give him a hug, “See! Nothing to worry about!” He stopped her before she could wrap her arms around him, patting her on the head, “Yeah, I wasn’t worried in the slightest! Hey, why don’t you go tell Cannon that he did a good job? He always says something snarky to me but I really want him to know that I appreciate his hard work.” She tilted her head and looked over at Cannon who was cleaning up a freshly abandoned table, “Okay! He really does work hard, I shouldn’t give him such a hard time.” Once she skipped over to him, Zen made his way back behind the bar and lowered his head towards Red, “Hey, has your brother ever had a crush on someone?” Red raised a brow, “Eh? I think so. He’s too stubborn to believe it if he does, but I know when he acts differently around certain people.” “And is there anyone you can think of right now that he treats differently?” Zen mused, watching the two waiters interact from a distance. Red blinked and followed Zen’s gaze, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “Say, you think so too?” Zen nodded, and they both stood there watching as Cannon blushed at Sunny’s compliments and affirmations. They looked at eachother, grinning wildly. “You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” Zen asked. “I think I am thinkin’ what you’re thinkin’. Between the two of us thinkin’, we could probably make things happen,” Red replied. “Hey, you two sure are thinking a lot. Want to share?” Duckie leaned forward towards them as he had caught their exchange, “I can keep a secret!” “You really can’t, Duckie.” Red chuckled, “Especially when you drink too much.” He reached for the empty beer glass in front of the blonde to refill it, “Just sit back and enjoy the show.” “Ugh, you two suck!” Duckie pouted, “One day I’ll have a big secret and I won’t tell any of you!” “Yes you will.” Zen and Red, once again, spoke in unison. Duckie grabbed the fresh mug and huffed, “Whatever, you’ll see.”

taggerino: @zenscrotch @illneverrecover @suzunesays @serensama @kookiedoe @forever-ender  ((If y’all don’t wanna be tagged anymore, let me know! I know it’s been F O R E V E R))

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Masterlist

** - Smut & ^ - Angst

Pieces with these emojis have content with these holidays/events: 🎄- Christmas, 🦃- Thanksgiving, 🎃 - Halloween, 🪩 - New Years, 🫶- touring/ LOT/concerts

All smut will have a "mature" community label from here on out to avoid any issues in the future. You will need to adjust your account settings to view those posts! (11/19/22)

Preacher’s Daughter ** , Part II ** 🎄- Y/N is the preacher’s daughter and Harry isn’t exactly an angel.

Be My Mistake ** ^, Part II ^ - Y/N is the other woman & Harry lets her take all the blame.

The MET ** - Harry wants Y/N to know just how much she means to him.

CEO Harry ^** - Harry hires Y/N and as it turns out, she's everything he's ever wanted.

Guardian Angel**^ - Y/N is Harry’s guardian angel.

Roomies^** - When Harry’s living arrangement falls through Y/N lets him live with her...she’s kinda growing tired of him. But the more they get to know each other the more she wants him to stay around.

Golden Trunks** - “So in response to what you whispered in my ear, I’ll be upfront. Sometimes, I fantasize about you too.” Inspired by Golden Trunks by Arctic Monkeys

The Calm Story - Harry’s colab with Calm elicits an unexpected reaction from his friend, Y/N.

A Keeper** - Y/N and Harry are seeing each other for the first time since the pandemic and he has a full-grown mustache.

Falling ^ - Harry falls in love with someone else and leaves  Y/N.

No Coincidence** - Y/N & Harry happen to vacation in Italy at the same time and it seems that one way or another, their paths were meant to cross.

Eros!Harry - A cute and fluffy oneshot about Eros (cupid) falling in love with a human girl.  BLURB** for Harryween 2020

Strawberry Fields Forever** - In which Harry’s had a BAD day and ends up where he feels the happiest, which is at his best friend’s house (Non-famous AU).

Sometime Around Midnight^ , Part II ^**- Harry & Y/N have been broken up and run into each other at a bar. Y/N seems to be over it, but truthfully, Harry is more in love with her now.

A Perfect Christmas 🎄- Harry and Y/N are coworkers and he can’t go home for the holidays. Y/N’s family believes she is dating someone, so she hesitantly invites Harry to spend the next few days with her family. + A Perfect Start** 🪩

Overheard** - Y/N & Harry are friends and there’s always been some tension.+ Happy Birthday** - Y/N wants to wish Harry a happy birthday

Come So Far^ - Y/N and Harry try to piece their lives together after he cheats on her.

Flash Warning**- Y/N sees a trend on TikTok and needs to try it on Harry.

Knowing Me, Knowing You^ - Where Y/N realizes that she needs to make a tough decision.

Don’t Forget ^** - Y/N is dealing with the stresses of life all while trying to navigate past her break up with Harry. However, after a drunken night out she finds herself in front of Harry’s home.

Twin Souls^ - (TW: some physical abuse) A period piece. Harry has just sailed back to England from America and Y/N has just returned from university, both just in time for the debutante season. Where this time around, they were expected to find their lifelong partner. Part 2^** (TW: some physical abuse) 

The Electric Ballroom** - Seeing Harry rapping with Stormzy does things to Y/N. 🫶

Someone Else^ - Y/N moves on and Harry isn’t taking it all that well.

Baby Fever** - The one where Harry has baby fever and he can’t wait to start a family with Y/N.

Starry-eyed ** - Harry & Y/N are friends with benefits and he’s been thinking about going down on her all day.

Boyfriends** - Harry & Y/N grew up together and he's always had to watch her fall in love with others and get hurt from the sidelines until he writes her a song that makes her come around.

The Nearness of You - A short fluffy pice that was an anon request inspired by the DWD trailer back in May.

Keep Driving , Part II^** + this blurb^ -  Harry & Y/N meet on the celebrity dating app Raya in the middle of the pandemic and start getting to know each other better.

Wasted Time^ - Harry has a girlfriend after telling Y/N he's not ready for a relationship.

Night XV - After 15 consecutive shows at MSG Harry's girlfriend tells him how proud of him she is. 🫶

Friends Share** , Part 2 ^** - Harry & Y/N have been practically perfect roommates for several years but the appearance of a hot new neighbor creates an unexpected shift in their relationship.

Just A Taste** - A Harryween one shot about an unlucky man and an unfortunate curse. 🎃

Halftime** - Y/N is very horny for her Harry, but Harry is really wrapped up in the Brazil vs. South Korea match. 🫶

My Superstar, fuss-pot - Harry get's a little cold after deciding to sing in the rain and Y/N is taking care of him and his medicine makes him drowsy and he just starts confessing too many lovey-dovey things. 🫶

The First Time** - A soft and sweet one where Y/N asks Harry to be her first (requested)

Birthday Kiss - Y/N and Harry are friends who finally get to see each other at one of his birthday shows and as much as they like each other, they're both terrified of making the first move. 🫶

No Kids** - After their second baby comes Harry & Y/N have been so busy that they've had a 6 month dry spell and Harry's looking to fix that. ASAP.

The Divine Feminine** - Amidst his sadness after his wife leaves the Underworld, Hades (Harry) encounters a human woman who brings him to his knees.

A Good Fit** - Harry is best friend's with Y/N's older brother and she comes over because her BF cheated on her he ends up helping her out in an unexpected way (or just an excuse to write smut).

Champion of the World **^ - Part 2 of this blurb. Or Harry is producing Y/N's album's band and they initially don't get along and what happens with them after he realizes he likes her.

LVRS Club** - Y/N is going through a rough patch in life and her friends drag her to a sex club to shock her out of her rut. Her night takes a very unexpected turn when Harry Styles approaches her.

Make It Better** - Harry is Y/N's professor and he really, really needs his best girl after the long and bad day he's had.

Wake n' Bake** - Y/N decides to give "wake n' bake" a try only to get all riled up. So she goes and finds her man to take care of it for her.

A Surprise^** - While Harry and Y/N are broken up she ends up dating a man who is not what she thought he was. His irrational behavior ends up bringing her and Harry back together. Things are going well until they receive a big surprise - Y/N is pregnant.

Magnetic** , Part 2^** - After Y/N and Harry hooked up after his Love On Tour show in Portugal, he has not been able to forget it. Even though he has a girlfriend now. No matter how they both try, they keep getting pulled back together.

Trying** , Part 2** - After a few years of marriage and a new free-use kink, Y/N is finally ready to start trying for a baby with Harry.

Ménage À Trois** - Y/N's work has led her to neglect her boyfriends, Harry and Rowan, for a bit and they decide to remind her what she's been missing out on.

The Divorce - After several years of marriage and two children Y/N’s worried that Harry’s not been himself. Then, Y/N sees something she clearly wasn’t supposed to.

One Week - Harry & Y/N  are exes who haven’t seen each other or spoken in years. Now, they both happen to go on a weeklong holiday for Nick’s birthday.

Fine Line - Harry and Y/N are best friends who are in love with each other. When they discover each other’s feelings will it be too late? 🦃🎄 🪩

Wolves - Harry is a werewolf and Y/N seems to be an inconvenience he can’t get rid of.

Threat of Joy - Harry has a big crush on the hair & makeup girl from the Don’t Worry Darling set. The only problem is that she has a boyfriend.

Roxy's Record Store - Harry and Y/N don’t get along despite their tight knit friend group. Amidst the fights and make-ups some lines get blurred and they just need to figure out what they want and where they stand. 🦃🎄🪩

Unavailable** , Part II^ , Part III** - Y/N has a very specific preference for unavailable/inappropriate people and Harry is her therapist who is supposed to help her work through this.

The Assistant - Y/N gets hired as Harry’s assistant and as much as they don’t want to be some romance novel trope, it’s kind of hard to not fall for each other when they just get along so well. 🦃🎄

With Discretion - Y/N discovers that her husband of 7 years, Caleb is cheating on her. One night out with her friends leads to an affair of her own but with Caleb's boss, Mr. Styles, and they promise to never do it again...but some promises are just meant to be broken.

A Twist of Fate - Harry and Y/N are exes who unexpectedly run into each other. And while they have both moved on, being with each other unearths the feelings they had buried for each other when they had to end their relationship. So they make a promise to do something about the next time they run into each other if they're both single.

A Chance - Y/N and Harry are coworkers with a less than friendly relationship, especially after a misunderstanding occurs at the office. However, a fateful run in at a bar exposes Y/N to a side of him that makes her realize that she's had him all wrong since the start. But will she give him a chance to keep surprising her?

Meet Me in the Hallway (complete)- Lucy and Harry are soulmates, but something seems to always be in the way. However, they’re both willing to wait for each other and they’re both willing to make it better.

Compromised (complete)- Harry is involved in a branch of the European mafia called the B.F. Clan. Y/N is an American spy who has been trying to dismantle them for years. Her objective now, get close to Harry and burn it all through him.

Young American (complete) - Y/N get’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime, an apprenticeship at English Graffiti, world renowned tattoo artist, Eddie Chan’s first American shop. However, an unnerving rivalry brews between her and one of Eddie’s old apprentices and best artists, Harry Styles. 🎃

(Ongoing) Wonderful World - Harry is a psychiatrist who starts to see a young girl named Celeste. As time goes on he starts to find himself developing feelings for Celeste's mother, Diana. Despite his many accomplishments, once they come into his life he realizes that his life is a bit empty. But there is no way he can pursue the woman he wants, it's unethical and it could put his entire career in jeopardy.

Blurbs from requests/asks - Categorized by topic.

Picture Prompt Blurbs

Challenge no.1

Challenge no.2

Fic Rec Masterlist

Please let me know if there are any incorrect or dead links! Thank you so much for reading! All interactions are appreciated 😊❤️

[cuckoo-on-a-string]

Hello, Mr. Monster: Teaser

Morpheus x reader / Morpheus x oc

Oneiromancer!reader

The Eros and Psyche/Soulmate AU no one asked for. Enjoy this snippet from the first chapter while I work on the last couple chapters of Younger Gods. The first chapter should be out by the end of the week.

The next adventure awaits. It's full of dreams and nightmares, fae and foul intent, lovers and fools.

Teaser

Through the door. Down the stairs. Trotting, quick and quiet on her nameless mission into the bowels of the Demon King’s estate. She could imagine Johanna’s voice cutting across space and time, picking apart her plan, shitting on her magnetic attraction to the cursed and unfortunate corners of the world. No back-up. A vague idea of an exit strategy. No clue what she was walking into.

What could possibly go wrong?

The goosebumps on her arms forecasted doom, but she couldn’t ignore the sparking current running through her chest. The farther she went, the clearer the sensation became.

Despite the electric lights, shadows clung like dust, growing deeper and wider as she reached the bottom of the stairs. The basement sucked the life out of the LED bulbs, refusing to share its secrets with an outsider. Hush, it whispered, hide it, bury it, keep it from the daylight.

Each step charged the static creeping over her skin. Her heart threatened to fall out of rhythm with the little shocks as it swelled around her like the sea. Something she could taste. Something she could drown in.

She didn’t have to look into the room to know the guards slept. She felt it. They’d had their tea and enjoyed it very much, so now their resting minds hummed in the space like a pair of bees. If that wasn’t proof enough, a snore echoed between the bare walls, carrying up the stairwell.

At the end of her descent, she found an iron gate. Whatever the Burgesses had ferreted away, they feared it. But she’d have time to find her own fears in just a moment. First things first. An important life lesson, even in darkest dungeons.

Especially in darkest dungeons, actually.

She didn’t look through the bars, keeping her focus on the lock. Bolted from the inside, a simple keyhole begged for a pick or a spell to let her pass. It wasn’t her area of expertise, but the mechanism had soaked up decade up on decade of magic, and it was nearing the tipping point between magical artefact and mundane tool. Magic stained everything in the basement, to the point she wondered if she might see her own footprints lingering, like marks on a sandy beach down the stairs.

Johanna had taught her a few tricks to handle locks over the years, and this one begged for something more than traditional keys. She slipped her fingers between the bars, resting her finger over the keyhole as she listened for what it wanted. It asked for something. It was tired of standing guard for so, so long, and it just wanted a reason, an excuse even, to let go. It wanted a fucking rest.

Poor old thing.

She found a word, matched it to her intent, and whispered.

“Deditionem.”

The lock turned with a creaking groan, and the gate sighed open on rusty hinges.

Sparks rippled like fire through her chest, and she shoved her hands deep in her pockets to stop herself from rubbing the ache.

She was not alone.

Her eyes swung along with the gate, drawn to the bright center of the dungeon, where a prisoner sat in a glass cage, like a hollow moon in the void of the underground.

Human eyes might’ve mistaken the hostage for a man, and damn if he didn’t look like one. A beautiful one. But she saw something more.

Even in the smothering dark of the cellar, his shadows glowed sharp. Threats whispered through the angles of his stiff posture, and the stars in his eyes glittered red.

He sat like a king, straight and cold, holding himself apart from the petty creatures who’d snared him with dignity and poise of inexhaustible grace.

He’d already noticed her. Unblinking eyes fixed on her face, unimpressed, but attentive. Not friendly in the least.

She held the staring contest for a full minute before she snapped, lashes fluttering as she floundered for something to say, not quite ready to look away.

“Hi.”

Inspirational. Truly.

[sail-not-drift]

Stucky Fic Recs

I’m waiting for my hair dye to develop and have also lost my mind to these two, so here, have some recs. All are amazing. The ones that make me FERAL are bolded, the ones that made my soul ascend have stars.

Dedicated to @neversleepingever and @mygutsforgarters, you heathens.

Dishonor On Your Cow - Shrunkyclunks (but not really, sort of) where Steve and Bucky have a hate at first sight meeting during the Battle of Manhattan and Bucky eventually joins the Avengers for feelings and hilarity.

****He's All That - College AU where frat boy Bucky takes a bet to turn disaster Steve Rogers into the class president but catches feelings instead. 

dance with a ghost - Shrunkyclunks where Bucky moves into an apartment and finds himself haunted by the ghost of Captain America.

Introduction to Fake Dating Your Best Friend 101 - Professors AU, Steve and Bucky are a pair of professors who have to fake date for academic purposes and are real dumb along the way.

Five times Steve kissed Bucky - Pre-serum “fight me” Steve Rogers to post TWS.

To Believe in Tomorrow - Shrunkyclunks AU; Bucky's mornings at the community garden get a little more interesting when the new guy shows up.

Blush Pink - Dirty talking, dom!Bucky PWP.

if all my mistakes (led me to you) - No powers AU, Steve has to scramble to find a plus one for Peggy’s big day after being spontaneously dumped. Bucky is his slutty neighbor.

**Unusual Weather - Tony gives Bucky Asgardian drugs to chill him out while Tony fixes his arm. Steve is there to hold Bucky down. Then Bucky starts dirty talking.

a long way from the playground - Fake dating, no powers AU, Bucky needs to pretend he has a date to Becca’s wedding and blurts out his best friend’s name.

Something Borrowed - In-universe Sam POV AU where Sam, Steve, and Bucky go to Sam’s sister’s wedding.

Bucky Barnes: Sunscreen Assassin - In-universe AU; Steve refuses to wear sunscreen, Bucky takes that as a challenge.

winter wheat, sunflower peat - Powered AU where instead of re-meeting in TWS, Steve meets Bucky as a hitchhiker. ANGST AND FEELS.

**The Daily Rogers - College AU, exchange student Bucky meets Steve “fight me” Rogers, who classmates run a nasty blog about.

No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Pine - Secret Agent adversaries-to-lovers AU where the Winter Soldier keeps tying Captain America to walls and sticking around to chat.

Drive It Like You Stole It: A Bodyswap - Steve and Bucky get bodyswapped then go on a magical road trip with Peter Parker; extreme antics and harmless emotional torture for Peter ensue.

Your Lack Of An Answer Is Kind Of An Answer: Four Questions Natasha Asked Steve Rogers, And One Time Bucky Barnes Answered - Beautiful and painful Natasha POV, so many Steve feelings, SO MANY.

Achilles Come Down - You jump, I jump, pre-serum and after.

eros and psyche - Post-TWS, Steve and the Winter Soldier start an affair where the Soldier never lets Steve see his face.

Sparked Up Like a Book of Matches - Beautiful Steve-centric, post-TWS. Sometimes Tony gives him super alcohol in a sippy cup. Sometimes he sees Bucky out of the corner of his eye and wonders if it's real or if he's starting to lose his mind.

Itinerant - Nomad Steve goes wandering the world without the rest of the team to try and find himself while Bucky recovers in Wakanda.

Sweet Relieving - Pre-serum PWP, Steve cross-dresses, Bucky talks DIRTY.

4 Minute Window - Post-TWS, Bucky “kidnaps” Steve and they build a life together.

time on my hands (could be time spent with you) - Nomad Steve runs missions while Bucky recovers in Wakanda and everyone thinks they’re married.

My Working Week and My Sunday Rest - Steve's life after he throws down the shield and hides with Bucky in Wakanda.

Cat Nap - AU where Winter Soldier Bucky and Steve didn’t know each other; Bucky deprograms himself and Steve accidentally steals his cat.

The Size of Perfection - WWII, Steve is shy about how big the serum made his dick. But then there is extreme bittersweet beauty.

Ain't No Grave - Post-TWS (with a pre-TWS prologue) where Bucky accidentally adopts two homeless kids and tries to recover before finding Steve again.

So, You've Adopted a Fruit - Retired Steve and Bucky; Bucky rescues a stray kitten.

Bucky Barnes: on top of the Polls - Steve gets extremely unbalanced during American elections and Bucky both hates and lusts for it.

Together Forever and Ever - PWP, Bucky’s birthday.

Meet-Cute AU's - A gazillion different AUs, heaven on earth.

Lessons in Normality - Shrunkyclunks AU where Steve doesn’t know his normal boyfriend Bucky is a secret agent gathering information on him, Shield, and Hydra.

Pedantic Affectations - Shrunkyclunks AU, Steve is a vigilante badly undercover as a teacher, Bucky is the detective trying to bring him in. Steve in his brilliance decides to throw Bucky off his scent by dating him.

*That Ass (Property of James Barnes) - Bucky is loudly obsessed with Steve’s ass.

Strange Visitor (From Another Time) - Lois and Clark-esque Shrunkyclunks AU; Bucky is a reporter pissed at the new kid in the newsroom who ends up being Captain America.

Snapshots - Post TWS: Steve is trying to find Bucky. Instead, he finds the sexy Navy "propaganda" Bucky somehow never mentioned he modeled for before the war. Painful and profound.

The Roommate - Shrunkyclunks AU, Steve decides not to live in Avengers Tower and instead gets an apartment and finds a one-armed veteran for a roommate.

Side bitch out of your league - Shrunkyclunks AU, Steve misdials Bucky while on a mission. Then misdials him again. Then dials him on purpose.

(760): I literally cut myself out of my pants. Waste. Of. Money. - No powers AU, Bucky texts a random number on Sam’s phone for outfit advice.

Slide To Answer - No powers wrong number AU; Steve misdials Bucky for dating advice, then keeps doing it.

a line that goes all the way. - Recovery in Wakanda pining.

**********they're gonna send us to prison for jerks - Post-TWS, Steve and Sam are undercover and move in next door to a math teacher who looks just like Bucky, but Steve can’t be sure... MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FIC.

***Siege - Post-TWS AU where Bucky sticks around after pulling Steve from the Potomac and there are some painful and beautiful plot twists and some goddamn PROSE.

a blade with no handle - AU, the Winter Soldier joins the Avengers; identity porn.

Let's Fall in Love - Tony sends Steve and Bucky to a ridiculous fake speakeasy bar, feelings happen.

***Circling Back - Steve looks for Bucky, Bucky finds Steve, Steve tries desperately to put Bucky back together. Bucky tries desperately to let him. ULTIMATE POST-TWS RECOVERY FIC. Avenger family feels.

#TweetMeDaddy - Shrunkyclunks AU; Bucky works for Shield and tweets something that gets flagged as a death threat. It isn’t.

Good Boy - PWP, dom!Steve petplay; Bucky is still adjusting to life with the Avengers, and Steve is willing to do whatever it takes to make him feel comfortable.