#HOPEFULLY THIS IS SOMETHING LIKE WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR???? I TRIED!!!

[willowsnook]

off limits

joe burrow! x kelce sibling?????????

joe burrow x kelce!sister

Being Jason and Travis Kelce’s little sister meant that a life in the spotlight came naturally, and you took advantage of it. Let’s be real, who wouldn’t take the opportunity to be an influencer when it was served on a silver platter?

Once your brothers’ fames skyrocketed, you started getting hit up by brands for different sports-related shoots and loved it. Plus, after Kylie started her own podcast, she asked you to co-host with her. You were happy to help her bring more female audiences into sports, along with the aid of a hopefully future sister-in-law of yours. You also garnered a lot of male attention; the Kelce genes were certainly attractive, so much to your brothers’ irritation, you were constantly hit on on social media.

The most amusing guy that hit on you was Joe Burrow. You had met him a handful of times over the years but never really hung out; that didn’t stop him from constantly sliding up on your Instagram stories.

You look good. In Cincy soon? 🥵

You replied lazily every once in a while, but it made you laugh considering he would never say that stuff publicly because of your very overprotective brothers. You knew they both liked Joe a lot, but would they like him sliding into their little sister’s DMs? Probably not.

New Heights was filming a show in Cincinnati, and Not Gonna Lie was like the opener for it. You were excited, as this was the first live show you would be a part of and admittedly were a little curious to see a certain quarterback who was a guest. Time to see if his actions lived up to his words.

You landed in Cincinnati the day of the event, and it was a tad warmer than what Philly was currently like, so you were already enjoying the spring sunshine. You spent the day exploring the city before heading to the arena for a bunch of pre-show things before the evening. Kylie was wearing Jason’s jersey, so you decided to match the jersey vibe but wanted to stir the pot with Joe with your choice. You had gone to the University of Oklahoma for school and hung out with some of the players often during your time there, so it was easy to get someone to hook you up with an Orlando Brown Jr. jersey for the event. He was the other guest on the podcast tonight and one of Joe’s teammates.

The jersey hit mid-thigh, so you just opted for a pair of Nike pros underneath, paired with high boots.

“They are going to kill you,” Kylie said, amused after you came out of the changing room.

“You think so?” you asked innocently, giving her a twirl. She whistled loudly, making you laugh.

“Also, why the Orlando jersey?” she asked, and you shrugged.

“He went to OU,” you told her, and she smirked.

“So, nothing to do with someone else in your DMs?”

You flipped her off and headed into the hospitality area to grab something to drink. You already regretted telling her about how often Joe was DMing you.

As you entered the hospitality area, you immediately locked eyes with Joe Burrow himself. His gaze traveled from your face down to your jersey, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. You couldn't help but smirk as you watched his expression change from shock to amusement.

"Well, well, well," Joe drawled, sauntering over to you with a cocky grin. "I see you're repping the wrong player tonight."

You feigned innocence, batting your eyelashes. "Oh? I thought I was supporting the Bengals. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Joe chuckled, shaking his head. "You know exactly what you're doing, Kelce."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Burrow," you replied sweetly, grabbing a bottle of water from the refreshment table.

He leaned in close, his cologne washing over your senses, and you tried your best to remain unaffected, meeting his stare head-on.

“You trying to make me jealous isn’t going to work?” he said cockily, and you smirked.

“Oh yeah?” you asked. “How do you know I don’t actually respond to his DMs?”

The look of confidence dropped off his face, and you smirked wider, patting his shoulders as you moved past him and to your brothers. They both noticed as you came over and immediately gave identical disapproving looks.

“Absolutely not.” “Change.” they said at the same time. You rolled your eyes, looking to Kylie for help, who was shaking her head, amused by the situation.

“I think she looks great,” Orlando said, coming up, and you beamed. “Good to see you, y/n, love the jersey.”

“Thanks, O,” you said, hugging him in greeting.

“I think she should change too,” Joe said from behind you. “A little showy.”

“Are you calling my sister a slut?” Jason deadpanned, and you covered your mouth to hide your giggles as Joe paled.

“Nn-no,” he stuttered out. “She might get cold.”

That made you laugh out loud, and you felt bad for him, so you stepped up in his defense.

“He’s just mad I’m not wearing his jersey,” you told them, but that didn’t take the suspicious look off Jason’s face.

“Do you two even know each other that well?” he asked, and you smirked up at Joe, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.

“Yeah, Joey, why don’t you tell them how often we talk?” you teased, and he glared down at you before mumbling that he needed to make a call. Your brothers eyed you warily after he left, but you just shrugged.

The show went off without a hitch, and you found yourself enjoying every moment of it. The energy from the live audience was electric, and you felt a rush of excitement as you bantered with Kylie and people in the crowd, especially during the Q&A.

Throughout the show, you couldn't help but notice Joe's eyes constantly flicking towards you. Every time you caught his gaze, he'd quickly look away, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. It was endearing, really, how this confident quarterback seemed so flustered around you.

The last question you got was who your prediction was for the MVP this year. You shot a look towards Joe, who was watching you intently, before answering with a smirk.

“I’m gonna have to go with Lamar,” you said to the boos of the Cincinnati audience. “I know, I know, I just think it’s his year. Unless I’m missing someone…”

You mocked being confused, looking around until you met Joe’s eyes and shot him a wink.

“Thank you, Cincy!” Kylie called out, and the two of you headed off stage to watch your brothers from the backstage area. They were amazing as always, and once everything was wrapped up, the whole crew headed out to a nearby bar to celebrate.

As you waited to order a drink, you felt a presence behind you. You didn't need to turn around to know it was Joe.

"Lamar, huh?" he murmured, his breath tickling your ear.

You suppressed a shiver, keeping your eyes forward. "What can I say? I like a man who can run."

Joe chuckled, the sound low and warm. "I can run too, you know."

"Oh really?" you teased, finally turning to face him. "I thought you were more of a pocket passer."

His eyes sparkled with amusement. "I'm full of surprises, Kelce. Maybe you should give me a chance to show you."

You raised an eyebrow, a challenge in your voice. "Is that so? And how do you propose to do that?"

Joe leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Come home with me tonight.”

“Hmm,” you said, contemplating. “Might have to ask for my brother’s permission first.”

He rolled his eyes at your teasing, putting both arms against the bar, caging you in.

“Very funny.”

“I think so,” you countered, eyes sparkling with amusement. “What would going home with Joe Burrow even really entail?”

Bringing his lips to your ear, he whispered, “Well, first of all, I would take my time, cutting that filthy jersey off of you.”

Your breath hitched at his words, a shiver running down your spine. You tried to maintain your composure, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing how affected you were.

"That's a shame," you murmured, your voice slightly breathy. "I quite like this jersey."

Joe's eyes darkened as he pulled back slightly to look at you. "I'll buy you a new one. A better one."

You couldn't help but smirk. "Oh? And which jersey would that be?"

He leaned in again, his lips brushing against your ear as he spoke. "You know exactly which one, y/n."

The tension between you was palpable, the air thick with unspoken desire. You were about to respond when you heard a familiar voice calling your name.

"Y/n! There you are!" Travis's voice boomed across the bar.

Joe pulled back from you, but you grabbed his arm, pulling him down to tell him something quickly.

“20 more minutes and then we can leave.”

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

pt. 2 here

[somnus-lucis-caelum]

Something was… off. Somnus could tell. But he had no clue, what it was. Had he said something wrong…? Maybe he should not have brought up the consummating aspect. That was a strange practice after all. It sounded demeaning. And she had argued they were legitimate anyway… he would never force her to do anything of that kind. And neither would he push the idea of faking their supposed ‘duty’.

Though he decided to not bring it up again for now. It was… too strange. Hopefully she could forgive him.

He almost asked again when Aerith hurried through the corridors as if she could not bear to look at him anymore. Somehow that… made him uncertain again. An uncertainty he could not afford right now.

When they stood in front of her parents’ chambers, he wanted to grasp for her hand. A little urge that died down quickly, as suddenly Queen Ifalna stood right in front of them and Somnus straightened up.

Bowing a bit, he wished her a good morning. The same went out to Aerith’s father, who stood further back in the room. Yet not fully dressed, just in a simple shirt and pants, his arms crossed and his bleu eyes piercing Somnus as if he tried to impale him right here and now.

Oh.

Somnus lost his words for a moment. Eyes cast downward.

What was going on…?

“I…”

Enough. He needed to mind what laid ahead. That was all that counted. No current confusing emotions.

“Please forgive me for the intrusion, Your Majesty. But I have to voice my concern for the coming travel starting today. Princess Aerith was so kind to tell me how you got here… and I feel like that is not safe enough of a passage heading back. Jacob will surely send his men to attack us. A caravan is slow and unflexible. We have not enough men and to put all the royals together into one carriage would be just foolish. We have to divide everyone up. Better to even disguise you and Aerith specifically. Find stand ins. And have some of my most trusted warriors in the carriages, too.”

Somnus... nodded and stood up from the bed.

Aerith had suggested... and he just... she folded her hands across her lap, compartmentalising that cold-serious reaction. So that was a no. She hadn't even fully processed what had just happened and he already sprung another question on her, this time about her parents, and how he wouldn't be joining breakfast...

That time she looked at him like he possibly grew an extra head. She was quickly learning that serious matters weighing on his mind led to... cold, hard logic.

"You will have to mind my father's reaction." Aerith stated simply, and stood up from the bed no longer throwing him any glances as she approached one of the bowls of water. She felt rushed, like she didn't have the luxury to even get herself together.

So, she did the best she could. She wet her hands and tamed her hair, applying more and more layers of water, smoothing the frizz of her curls while also trying to coax them out of being limp and flat from being slept on.

Then, with damp, loose hair, she approached the mess of the previous evening. Beside the damp pristine fabric were the only shoes she had access to — sandals that had been wet, and hadn't been given enough time to completely dry as she toed them back on and quickly tied them in place.

It was almost surprising how easily someone as small as her could open up a heavy wooden door with purpose. If Somnus wished to have a discussion about their travel arrangements, then so be it! She didn't look polished whatsoever as she navigated the halls by memory. There were certainly a few faces visibly caught off guard by her quick stride.

None more-so than the confused and concerned look from her own mother when she came knocking on her parents door looking so... dishevelled. "May we come inside? We have to discuss a security concern about our travel home."

[starlightguh]

His Last Meal

Word count: 860

Summary: Staying with Sylus while on your period wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be when he breaks into your snack supply.

A/N: Hiiii, I know I haven’t posted in a while…My job requires a lot of writing so I tend to get burnt out/ writers block really easily. Hopefully quick oneshots like this help me out of it. Enjoy friends!

My period was grueling this time around. Even before I started actually bleeding, it felt like someone had sucked any and all life and energy out of my body. Now on day two, I was wearing maxi everything to hold my heavy flow and my body just felt like a giant walking bruise.

Thank god the association gives us hunters personal time off during our monthly’s. Before I even alerted Captain Jenna for my time off request, Sylus had notified me via text that he was ready for me to spend my red days with him.

<3 LoverBoy

Sweetie, what movies should I get for our time together?

Before you ask, I know you’re close to your period. You can’t hide from me 😎

I called him later that day to accuse him of obtaining this knowledge when he kindly reminded me of how I had added him to my period tracker. I was a bit annoyed at first, but now, after being in Sylus’ care, I really felt loved and cared for.

That is, until his inevitable betrayal.

He had me stay with him in his home in the N109 zone and all my cravings and aches were eased with nothing more but a lift of his finger. Today in particular, I was catching up on a book I had been reading in his study when Sylus came in, dressed to the nines, he must’ve come back from what I’m assuming is one of his fancy auctions.

“There’s my beloved, how are you feeling? Any cravings I need to quell?” His voice was in that soft yet gentled tone I know that was only reserved for me.

“You know, actually, now that you mention it,” I sit and ponder when I remember a pint of my favorite ice cream in the freezer downstairs, “I think I want something sweet right about now…”

His chuckle was light and airy, “Oh? How about some fresh pastries? Or perhaps you’re in the mood for some fresh fruits?” His ruby eyes then glisten with a hint of mischief as he smirks and places his hand on his chin, “Or maybe you’re after the desert in the freezer with the note labeled, ‘SYLUS DO NOT EAT.’”

I squint my eyes to glare at him, “You better choose your next words carefully…”

“Mmmm, we’ll you see kitten, I would offer to grab it for you, but I’m afraid the contents of your little treat are already in my stomach.”

Betrayal stabs me through my chest as I leap of the couch to lightly bang on his chest, “You bastard! How dare you! I hate you!”

His mocking laugh resounds in my ears as my emotions of anger overwhelm me, I was genuinely looking forward to my sweet treat and I specifically told him to stay away from my snacks. I felt a sting of tears in the corner of my eyes as I looked up at him with a genuine expression of hurt.

Sylus sighs seeing my expression and wipes the corner of my eyes, “Oh my sweet kitten,” he tries to kiss my lips and I dramatically turn my face away from him, “Now, now… I got you something better than some cheap ice cream.”

“It was my ice cream! I left a note so you wouldn’t eat it! And you still did!” I was not letting him go that easily.

“I ate it so you wouldn’t snack on it while I was away,” he suddenly used his evol to produce a fancy black gift bag into my hands.

I stepped back with an apprehensive look as I opened the bag to reveal the most beautiful boxed chocolate cake. I gasped as I opened it, “Sy! Is this from that high-end bakery?”

“Mhmm…It’s a chiffon chocolate cake. I believe a certain someone sent me a link to a video about how elusive this cake was supposed to be.” He spoke in an arrogant, ‘I told you so,’ tone as he puffed out his chest with pride.

“Isn’t this cake like stupid expensive? How did you get your hands on it?” I was still stunned with amazement as I walked over to the coffee table to sit down the pricey cake.

“Oh? you’re doubting my capabilities? Please, there is nothing on this planet or the cosmo’s beyond that I couldn’t get my hands on for you.”

I flush at his sincerity and walk up and wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.

“What do you say Sweetie?” he scolds me a bit with a teasing tone.

“Thank you… and sorry for hitting you… This is way better than ice cream,” I nestle my face in his chest to avoid his gloating attitude.

He pats my head and kisses the top of it as he whispers, “You’re welcome… Now, would you like to share a slice with me, or shall I get you another Post-it to tell me to keep my claws off?”

“I think I can spare just one slice for you,” I pull away and smirk at him.

“Just one?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

He chuckled, “Wouldn’t dream of it kitten.”

~fin~

[pedriache]

Lover, you should’ve come over 𖦹 Pedri González !

summary. maybe pedri was too immature when your relationship had started. he hadn’t treated it like a fragile thing that could break if mistreated. but now, almost a year after breaking up… he would give anything and everything just to roll over in the morning and place a kiss upon your shoulder. but first, he had to make things right.

wc. 790+

disclaimers. angst. hurt/w little comfort. hopefully ending/open ending.

notes. i love you jeff buckley.. sorry i didn’t do this justice i found this in the drafts and decided to get it over w and out of my drafts..

Pedri’s knee bounced rampantly. His heel connecting with the concrete sidewalk for a fraction of a second before lifting off. He was so nervous, sweat beads forming on his brow as he looked down the narrow path that he knew you’d appear in any moment.

The wind was chipping sway the false front of calmness he’d tried to put on, though it’d only lasted twenty minutes before his knee wasn’t just bouncing out of sheer coldness.

He’d called you the night prior, his voice shaky with nerves. You’d only let out a long, defeated sigh before agreeing to meet with him the following morning before work.

When your figure appeared around the corner of bushes, his posture straightened, eyes fixing on your every move. Your gaze drifted over him assentingly before easing yourself down onto the bench beside him.

You weren’t quite sure if you wanted to be here. In all honesty, you weren’t quite sure why you’d even bothered. Maybe it was his tone of voice, the one that always had you giving in and forgiving him. Maybe it was the lingering ache in your chest from his absence.

Or, maybe it was the simple fact that there was a chance you’d get closure.

“Hey.” He murmured, hands wound tightly together on his lap. His knee slowed its bouncing and his eyes finally met yours, soft and sorrowful.

Your lips pulled into a thin line, exhaling through your nose. Then, you relaxed onto the park bench, crossing one leg over the other. “I’m not gonna bother to pretend to be happy to see you, Pedri. Just tell me what you couldn’t over the phone.”

Pedri flinched at your words, but other than that he didn’t give way to the emotions rattling through his mind and soul.

“I know, I don’t expect you too.” He sighed slowly, “I’m sorry. I am sorry.” He held eye contact as he spoke, like he was trying to drill it into you.

“I messed up, I was immature, selfish, I didn’t realize what I was doing until you left.” The Canarian man ran a hand through his dark brown locks of hair, stopping only to drag down his face and fall back into his lap. “I loved you, even when I didn’t show it. I love you, even when you’d left. And I love you still, even when I know I ruined any chance of—“

Everything he’d said after that was muffled.

Loved, love, love.

That was all you’d heard. All you needed to hear to have the walls of anger and resentment crumble. You were weak. So, so, devastatingly weak.

Your hands, which had been stuffed into the pocket of your coat that shielded you from the bitter cold, slipped out. With a mind of their own, they found Pedris—which were still gripping each other.

He stopped talking, eyes snapping to yours. What he found wasn’t annoyance for his rambling, but something different. Something tender. Something fragile but sweet.

“Pedri..” You whisper, forehead crinkling as you took in everything he said. You didn’t know what to say, your mouth parting and closing yet nothing came out.

Pedri’s hands unfurled, moving to wrap around yours. The warmth of his touch relieving your cold fingers. “I don’t expect you to forgive me yet. I don’t want you to. I will earn it. I will do everything, anything, to get to that point. I want to prove to you that I love you, that you can trust me.”

Your eyes fell, closing as you took in a sharp breath. “We can start slow. I’ll call you when I am ready. Not now, maybe not even in a week. But, I will call. And I will come over, and we will figure something out.” But right now? Right now, you needed time to think. To decide if this was even a good idea to contemplate.

Your mother would need to warm up to the idea of her seeing Pedri again. Her father would be ecstatic, though guarded. Her siblings.. well, who knew with them.

And you? You couldn’t ignore the spark in your skin at the idea of waking up to him again, nor could you ignore the way your brain screamed with mistrust.

For now, though, you would take a week. Let yourself grow comfortable with the idea, and you would try. Because if anything, you loved the man more than anything in the world. Even though he hurt you, even though it had taken you months to get on your feet.

The quiet conviction in his eyes when he told you he would be better was more than enough convincing for you.

“I would wait a lifetime for you.” Pedri spoke, lifting your knuckles to his lips.

likes, comments, & reblog’s are all appreciated lmk if you’d like to be tagged in any future posts.

ᝰ.ᐟ tags @halfwayhearted @lechrts @spidybaby @sakashq @joaoflms @be11ingham @gadriezmannsgirl @unx100to @st4rgirl-ellie @cececarmona17 @piastri-fvx

[sweetbunpura]

Upendi - The Fierce, Lioness Princess

Chapter 1

“I can tell you’re upset.”

Currently, Yuu and her sister-in-law stood in the lobby of the hotel as they waited for the delegates to arrive. There was an ever present frown etched on Yuu’s face and her arms were crossed over her chest. Thema, Farena’s wife and the Queen of Sunset Savanna, glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Her golden hair was framed beautifully as it was braided back to keep most of it out of her face. Her brown eyes stared warmly at the young woman.

“What gave that away?”

“I felt it coming off of you in waves this morning.” Her tail flicked. “Farena told me of the revised deal King Draconia made last night and how Kifaji tried to reprimand you about it.”

“The bird needs to watch his fucking mouth. I’m not someone you can steam roll over.”

“That implies that you think he does the same to the rest of us.”

“Not you, but he does that to Farena.” Yuu looked at her. “Is he always in his ear like that?”

Thema sighed. “Sadly yes. He has to as the king’s main councilman.”

“He must be fun at parties.”

“You do not know the half of it.” Her brown eyes shifted towards the entrance. “They’re here.”

“You handle them, I got my own guys coming.”

“Who-”

“Ah, Queen Thema.” One of the delegates approached her. “And Princess Yuu, what a wonderful surprise to see you.”

“Mm-hmm.” Yuu looked off as Thema redirected the delegates attention towards her instead.

One of them, which Yuu has coined as the “Sleazy Owl”, looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“That is rarely a greeting, Princess, hopefully you would’ve understood that by now.”

Yuu harshly glared at him and opened her mouth just as another car pulled up. 

The door opened and Vil stepped out of it, still looking like the fairest Queen in all the land. 

“Potato.” He approached her, heels clicking against the floor as he did, and hugged her. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Yuu smiled as she heard the choked sounds of the delegates behind her. “Hey, Vil. How have you been?”

“Busy.” He took off his shades and moved a piece of his long hair behind his ear. “Movie deals left and right and commercial scripts to go over. I finally have some time to myself and I decided to attend Cloudcalling this year.”

“Well, I’m glad you manage some time aside for little ol me.” She teased.

Vil chuckled. “Please, Potato, after everything you’ve done, I’m more than glad to set some of my time aside for you.”

“S-She knows Schoenheit?” Someone choked out behind her.

“How have you and Leona been?” He placed a hand on his hip. “Surely he’s not causing you trouble, is he?”

“I tamed him years ago and he’s tamed now.” Her eyes glanced behind him. “And here’s special guest number two.”

Vil followed her line of sight as another car pulled up. The door opened and out stepped a familiar face hair down and out of braids.

“Jamil!”

Jamil shook his head and walked over to her as he hugged her in greeting. “Hello, Yuu. How have you been?”

“I’ve been good.” She moved back. “You’re looking good! I guess all that traveling has done wonders for you, right?”

He chuckled. “It has, yes.”

Another choked sound came from the delegates behind them. “She knows the Traveling Chef Viper?”

“W-who else does she know?”

Yuu, fighting down her smile, directed her attention back to Jamil. “I know you just got here and all.” She watched as the bellhops took Vil and Jamil’s bags to their room. “But I do have to tell you something.”

The pair of them made a face as they eyed her with confusion.

“Good news, it’s not for you, Vil. Bad news, it’s for you, Jamil.”

Jamil sighed and stared at her with half lidded charcoal gray eyes as he crossed his arms. “Is it who I think it is?”

“Yeah, but he was a very very VERY last minute edition.” Yuu bats her eyelashes. “And you didn’t respond to the messages afterwards.”

“Yuu-”

All heads moved towards the entrance of the hotel as another car, one more glamorous, pulled up. The door opened and Kalim stepped out, beaming his bright and sunny smile as he made his way over towards Yuu’s group.

“Yuu!” He hugged her. “It’s been so long!”

“It’s been a few years, Kalim.” Yuu chokes out as the man moves onto hugging Vil.

“Vil!”

“Hello, Kalim.”

Kalim paused as he turned to Jamil next, apprehension clear in his body and eyes. With a roll of his own, Jamil opened his arms and the man gladly wrapped him up in a hug.

“Hi, Jamil.”

“Hello, Kalim.”

Yuu watched them with a smile on her face before jerking her head towards the lobby elevators. “I’ll show you guys to your rooms, just give me a second.”

“Don’t keep us waiting, Potato.”

She waved them off as they walked away before turning to the shocked delegates and a surprised Thema with a smirk on her face.

“Y-You never told us that you were friends with Al-Asim!” One of the delegates yelled. “Do you know how many opportunities that could’ve opened up!?”

“Viper and Schoenheit as well! Just their name and presence alone would be astronomical for our kingdoms!” Another one chimed in.

“No.” Yuu crossed her arms. “I’m not using my friends' professions and positions as bargaining chips.”

“At least refer them to us in your stead!”

“I said-”

“You heard the princess.” Thema stepped in, glaring down all the delegates with fury in her eyes. “Continue badgering her about this again and consider your time in Sunset Savanna cut short. Do you understand?”

They nodded and Thema waved over a few guards. 

“Take them to their rooms, we’re done talking here.”

As they watched them depart, Thema sighed and turned to address Yuu.

“A warning would’ve been nice, you know.”

“Sorry, but thank you.”

She smiled and patted Yuu’s shoulder. “In all honesty, they were beginning to get on my nerves as well. They kept running their mouths and talking of ways to get Al-Asim to sign a few trade routes for their kingdoms.” She stuck out her tongue. “Frankly, it was making me sick.”

Yuu laughed. “Well, thanks nonetheless. I mean it, Thema. With how everything has been going, it feels like you’re the only one on me and Leona’s side.”

She gave a small smile. “All I can say for now is stay strong, Yuu. You and Leona have allies around, you just need to find them.” She straightened up. “Now, go off and have fun with your friends. Remember what we have tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah. Cloudcalling, I got it.” Yuu hugged her and went over to where the others were waiting. “Well, let’s go!”

“It’s nice to observe the games for once!” Kalim said as he settled into his seat next to Vil, Jamil, Malleus, Sebek, and Silver. “The Arena almost looks tiny from up here.”

“At least it’s nicer this time around.” Yuu sighed as she looked up towards the sky. “Not a rain cloud in sight.”

“I’m almost offended that I was not invited to participate.” Malleus smiles, fangs on display. 

“Wouldn’t have been allowed.” She answered. “Sebek and Silver probably could’ve come, but back then the rivalry was strong.”

“Hmph!” Sebek said as he crossed his arms. “This hardly would’ve been a challenge for us.”

“Was it a challenge for Father?” Silver asked.

“Nah, he was having fun with the whole thing.” Yuu stated with a smile. “Kept going on about how nice it was to just be included.”

“I’m still angry that you included Kalim in the games back in NRC.” Jamil leans forward to glare at a lounging Leona. “I have yet to receive a proper explanation about that.”

“Eh.” Leona waved him off with his tail. “You’ll continue not receiving a proper answer either. Now hush, the final match is starting.”

All attention turned towards the arena where two people entered the ring, a wildebeest beastman and an African wild dog beastwoman with vitiligo. Yuu narrowed her eyes as she watched the beastwoman nearly hobble up to her opponent. 

“Leona-”

“Yeah, I see it. She didn’t get hurt last round, so where did that come from?”

The match started and the wildebeest moved towards the african wild dog. She stumbled back but managed to avoid having her beads snatched. Unfortunately, she had fallen onto her back in the process and the beastman made another grab for the beads. The beastwoman instead wrapped her legs around his arm and used the momentum to fling her and him backwards onto the floor. The impact knocked the wind out of both of them and the woman rolled away with some difficulty.

“Cute move.” The man grunted as a smirk appeared on his face, “But.” He held up the beads in his hand. “You lose.”

The announcer called the match as the woman sighed and got to her feet. She limped out of the arena and to her teammates. The beastwoman placed her face into one of their shoulders, Yuu could see her body trembling from her place on the stands. The announcer called for the next pair to come up and in stepped a Leopard beastwoman and short Serval beastwoman. The match began and the Leopard went on the offensive, trying to sweep the Serval’s feet out from under her.

The woman jumped over with a smirk and did a flip backwards before landing back on her feet. The Serval proceeded to dance around the woman, no doubt angering her.

“Hold still!”

“Nah, not after that shit you pulled earlier.” She straightened up and rolled her shoulders. “But if you want me to fight ya, then...” The Serval slid under the leopard and tripped her up, snatching the beads in the process as well.

“Oh, that was my move.” Yuu blinked. “Or at least a modified version of it.”

“Probably a homage.” Leona said as the announcer called the match.

The Leopard left the arena in a huff, but the Serval lingered and looked up towards where Yuu and Leona sat. She bowed and moved off the ring to allow her next teammate to enter.

“Definitely homage” The others voiced as Yuu gave a soft smile.

Finally, in stepped a mongoose beastman and a hyena beastwoman. The woman had a few scars on her body, but she stood firm as she stared at her opponent. They exchanged a few words that ended in them snarling at one another. Leona, Sebek and Malleus frowned as their ears picked up on what was said.

“Is it normal for contestants to cheat?” Malleus asked as he crossed his arms.

“Not to that degree.” Leona answered. “There are some underhanded tactics but they play them off in the ring. This sounds like it happened out of the arena.”

“Despicable.” Sebek said.

“Mind sharing with the rest of the class?” Yuu voiced with a stare towards her husband.

The match began, but Leona’s attention shifted towards her.

“From the sounds of it, the other team attacked them. Left whoever Nova is with a hurt ankle.”

Yuu’s eyes shifted over towards the African wild dog beastwoman as she leaned on the Serval for support.

“I thought all the tactics were cut out. That hasn’t happened since our cloudcalling back in NRC.” 

“This is your first year as princess and my wife, Herbivore.” Leona’s tail rested on her arm and Yuu relaxed her muscles that she didn’t know were clenched. “They’re clearly seeing this as an opportunity to become your lion guards.”

Yuu crossed her arms and glared down at the arena just as the hyena had her beads taken.

“The match is over! We have a winner!” The announcer called.

“Leona.”

“Yeah?”

“Handle the cheaters. They will never be my lion guards.” She looked at the beastwomen as they hugged the hyena. “I’ve already chosen.”

The event ended and the royal family stood up to meet the winners. Yuu walked the others back to their awaited cars and turned to leave to find the beastwoman team when she heard a yell sound nearby.

“What do you mean we’re disqualified!?”

She poked her head around the corner to see Leona with his arms crossed and tail swaying around in aggravation as he glared at the team.

“You heard me.” He growled. 

“Now, my prince, let us not be so rash.” Kifaji spoke. “This is the winning team, so they’ve earned the right to be lion guard.”

“My wife’s orders come first and for all. She doesn’t want cheaters protecting her.”

“Cheaters?” Farena blinked. “But we saw nothing in the arena.”

“I’m talking outside of it. I’m assuming one of you tried to break someone from the other team’s ankle. She limped her way into the arena and she was fine the match before.”

Kifaji tried vouching for them. “Perhaps, she had gotten hurt between now and then.” 

His ears twitched. “Yeah, by them. I heard the confession, along with the King of Briar Valley and his guard.”

The other team jolted as Leona narrowed his eyes. Farena blinked before standing up straight.

“You’re hereby disqualified and are barred from being in any Cloudcalling from here on.”

With some hesitation, the team turned and left, leaving the royal family standing there.

“Did you hand pick them too, Kifaji?” Leona asked. “Train them to pull that shit?”

“Of course not!” Kifaji defended himself. “Why would I do such a thing as that?”

Thema hummed. “As I recall, you’ve done this in the past.” He gawked and turned to her. “Yuu told me. You had another team come and play against Leona’s back in the day and the nearly broke Schoenhiet’s ankle. So this doesn’t sound too far off from what people trained under you will do.”

“...We’ll talk when we return home, Kifaji.” Farena said as he crossed his arms and left.

Thema and Leona followed after him and Kifaji trailed behind them after a few moments. Yuu nodded her head with a smile and left for the makeshift locker room.

“‘M sorry.” Yuu could hear voices as she opened the door. “If that jackass hadn’t aimed at me, we would’ve won.”

“Nova, don’t beat yourself up.” 

She silently watched the women as they sat on the benches. The african wild dog had her feet pulled up to her chest as the Serval comforted her.

“B-but if that didn’t happen then Jackie wouldn’t have had to work that much harder to win.”

“Gee, thanks.” The hyena beastwoman rolled her eyes. “We’ll just try against next year-”

“Oh, there’s no next year.” Yuu made herself known as the woman shot to their feet to stand at attention.

“P-Princess Yuu!” The woman said in unison.

“At ease.” She smiled. “I’ve just come to inform you of your new positions.”

“....positions?” 

“Yes, as of today or tomorrow, you’ll be my lion guards.”

“....HUH!?”

Yuu smiled as the woman started to ask multiple questions as they tried to come down off of their shock. She is paving new paths even if she has to forcibly make them.

Tagging: @91062854ka @kimdourden

[servndipityz]

what if.. what if first kissing Nam-gyu in one of the lasts rounds during Mingle (already having a crush on him for a lil while) because of the sheer adrenaline and then the reader js dies next round (or nearly, up to u) after promising to each other they’d finish this back in the lobby room?.. (IN MY HEAD THIS MAKES SENSE IDK)

a/n ── loveddd this request! hopefully i didn't write him too ooc.... anyway, i tried to make it kinda angsty but ofc i gave it a happy ending bc apparently i'm a 7 year old who can't handle sad endings. hope you like it!

warnings ── blood, general squid game themes

word count ── 1.8k

when you’d all been dragged to the colorful room, nam-gyu hadn’t thought it could ever look like this.

bloody, dark, and terrifying.

the children's song playing on repeat was starting to drill into his skull as the carousel spun round and round, the bodies on the floor piling up. you had been playing for three rounds—maybe four. he wasn’t sure anymore.

the effects of the pill thanos had given him were starting to wear off, and a slow dread curled in his stomach at the thought of playing yet another round.

next to him stood you, though he refused to look. every time he had during these games, the drugs only made him nauseous. the way you looked so scared, so afraid of what could happen, made him almost—almost—regret voting O.

so, he’d decided he wouldn’t look at you at all. whatever strange feeling you gave him from the very beginning couldn't be good. the way you watched him when he made a rude comment, like you were trying to understand instead of just hating him for it. the way his stomach tightened when you were around—which was often, since you’d joined his team. or the way it burned when thanos threw an arm over your shoulder in that ridiculous, flirty way.

it had to be the drugs. bad quality, probably. what kind of shitty drug would make him want to be near you all the time, though? that, he didn’t know. and he considered himself a drug connoisseur.

anyway, now wasn’t the time for stupid thoughts. the music had stopped. the carousel had come to a halt. the lights had gone out.

"two." the voice echoed through the loudspeakers.

immediately, everyone started screaming, and nam-gyu felt his hazed mind reel. in a frenzy, he turned to his side, searching for someone to pair up with—only to see you gripping thanos’ arm, saying something to him.

of course. you were going to pair with him, and nam-gyu was going to fucking die.

he jumped off the carousel, desperately scanning the chaos for someone, anyone, to pair with. but there was no one.

everyone was running, screaming, and he knew that if he didn’t find a partner fast, his chances of finding an empty room were less than slim.

he was going to fucking die. all because of a fuckass rapper and a bi—

"where are you going?" you shouted, cutting off his thoughts as you ran after him.

he spun around, wild-eyed, just as you reached him—your expression just as frantic. before he could react, you grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and yanked him forward, sprinting toward an empty room.

"what the fuck!" he shouted, nearly stumbling as you pulled him with more strength than he thought you had. but he had no choice—he had to run. the two of you barreled forward, straight for the door.

inches away.

then—shit.

two other players grabbed the handle.

without thinking, you shoved one of them, struggling to push him away from the door. nam-gyu kicked at the other’s hand with all his strength, feeling bones crack under his foot. he didn’t care.

the man’s pained scream was all the opening you needed. in a heartbeat, you both shoved the players aside, slipped into the room, and slammed the door shut.

with trembling hands, you locked it as fast as you could.

you pressed your back against the wall, your breathing erratic as the people outside still screamed for a room. nam-gyu ran his hands through his hair, trying to soothe himself more than anything.

both of your ragged breaths filled the room until you finally opened your eyes to look at him, having regained at least a bit of oxygen.

"what the fuck!" you finally screamed, stepping forward.

nam-gyu could swear he saw fire behind your eyes, and it almost scared him more than dying in this stupid game. he turned to face you, brows furrowed.

"were you trying to get us killed?" you shouted again. "why the fuck would you run off like that?"

"you fucking paired with thanos!" he screamed back, his fear masked as anger. he stepped forward too. how could you blame this on him?

"you're so stupid!" your voice cracked with frustration. "i was telling him to pair with min-su so i could pair with you and save our asses!"

he inhaled sharply, ready to throw another insult your way, but as you finished yelling, he froze.

you were making a fucking strategy.

of course you were. god, you were such a smartass. so annoying. so infuriating.

so damn perfect.

"are you not gonna say anything?" you yelled again, thrown off by the way he’d suddenly gone silent. his jaw tensed, his chest heaving, clearly thinking something—but he just stared at you, eyes tracing your features like he was trying to burn them into his memory.

you were livid now. "you fucking junkie," you snapped, closing the short distance between you. your finger jabbed into his chest, accusatory, unrelenting.

you'd been nothing but nice to him this whole time, and he'd been nothing but cruel to you. every damn day. you had every right to be fucking mad. of course you were. for whatever reason, you cared about him—you wanted to defend him, wanted him to survive this stupid game. and still, he’d almost gotten you both killed.

but as you shoved your finger against his chest, his breathing turned ragged, even more uneven than before. why was he looking at you like that?

to him, your touch only made everything worse. were you insulting him? maybe. he wasn’t so sure anymore—he’d tuned out everything but you, his brain fuzzy, his body tense.

he'd been so mean to you all this time. trying to push away those strage feelings he had every time he looked at you.

but at this point, did it really matter? maybe you’d both be dead in a couple of days. and then what? he’d regret not doing this for the rest of his life. or the rest of his death. or…

"shit," he muttered under his breath.

his hands shot up to cup your face, and before he could think twice, he crushed his lips against yours.

you let out a surprised yelp, heat rushing through your body the second his lips met yours. but you didn’t pull away. as soon as your brain caught up, you kissed him back, messy and desperate as you stumbled backward, your back hitting the wall with a soft thud.

your fingers tangled in his hair, your other hand running up and down the back of his neck. he groaned against your mouth, breaking the kiss just for a second before diving back in, his lips moving over yours like he’d been starving for this.

he pressed open-mouthed kisses wherever he could reach, and for a brief moment, he wondered if he’d already died. if this was heaven. his hand left your cheek, trailing down your side, his touch light but desperate, like he wanted you even closer than you already were.

then you let out a soft whimper, and the sound sent a shiver up his spine—right as he heard the quiet click of the door unlocking behind him.

you pulled back first, breathless, letting out a quiet, awkward laugh. his hands lingered on your waist, his eyes locked onto your lips like he was using every ounce of restraint not to kiss you again. because, fuck, he was.

"we need to get back out," you murmured, nodding toward the door. the next round would start soon.

he blinked, still dazed, nodding slightly like he was struggling to process your words.

"okay," he finally said, his gaze still fixed on you. "we'll finish this when the fucking game is over."

you nodded back, giving his hand a quick squeeze where it still rested on your waist. then, finally, you both stepped out of the room and made your way back to the carousel, forced to dodge the pools of blood staining the floor.

"what happened to you, ma' boy?" thanos called out to nam-gyu the second he spotted you two settling in, looking at his disheveld hair.

nam-gyu shot him a look, hastily running a hand through his hair in an attempt to smooth it out. he opened his mouth to answer—

but before he could, the carousel lurched into motion, the music flooding the room once again.

as the music stopped once again, your throat ran dry. it was the last round—finally—and the loudspeakers announced the number of players.

"seven."

nam-gyu froze, glancing at his group. thanos, min-su, you... no way were you seven. their breaths came ragged as they looked around, searching—until they spotted another group, just big enough to combine with theirs.

"run, c'mon!" thanos shouted, already sprinting toward them. the others followed, adrenaline surging through their veins. relief was just within reach—nam-gyu could almost taste it. it was almost over.

nam-gyu barely registered the rush of air, the burn in his legs. the door was right there. safety was right there.

then, something twisted in his gut. something wrong.

he turned. you weren’t with them.

"wait!" he choked out, but hands grabbed at his jacket, dragging him forward. then he saw you—on the ground, struggling to get up. blood, maybe, or something else had made you slip. but the distance between you two kept growing as nam-gyu was pulled toward the nearest room.

"we're already seven!" someone yelled, tightening their grip when they noticed him resisting. "we don't need anyone else!"

nam-gyu didn’t listen. he didn’t care. not about their number, not about the game. but before he could break free, they forced him inside. the door slammed shut behind him, locking. his fingers clenched around the handle, desperate, useless.

"what is wrong with you, man?" thanos shouted, shoving him away as he tried to look outside through the little window.

"we fucking left her there!" nam-gyu shouted back, his voice cracking, pushing him just as hard. but when he turned back to look outside, you were gone.

maybe you were okay. or maybe… maybe they'd already killed you.

the seconds until the door opened again dragged on like an eternity. nam-gyu was practically buzzing when he heard the lock click, stumbling out of the room and frantically looking around.

you weren't there. you weren't anywhere. his heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears, a loud white noise rippling through his head, making it impossible to think.

and then—there you were.

stepping out of a room on the opposite side. the ringing stopped. god, his heart almost stopped.

your red eyes flicked around, searching, until they landed on him.

it took him a second to move, like his brain was trying to send the signal but his legs weren’t listening. you both crossed the room fast, until you stood face to face. and then—just stopped.

his hands were shaking when he reached for you, his gaze catching on a tear still clinging to your cheek. for a moment, it looked like he might stay like that forever—silent, still, unsure if you were even real.

and then, he cupped your face. but this time, it was different. this time, it was gentle.

it felt strange coming from nam-gyu. but somehow, it felt right.

© servndipityz 2025 — all rights reserved. do not modify, repost, translate, or plagiarise my content without my permission.

[canirove]

Canary boy | Chapter 10

Author's note: You don't want to miss Friday's chapter 👀

Previous chapter | Next chapter (coming out on Friday)

Masterlist

Surprise! I'm alive, I survived the night! And here is how it went.

After saying goodnight to Pedri, it took me like five minutes to fall asleep. I was shattered after the day we had had, but I must confess I had never fallen asleep so fast while sharing a bed with someone and having them that close. I had done it with my sisters, Carla, Vic, some of my childhood friends… And I had never felt as comfortable as I did with him. Though at one point throughout the night something must have happened to make us change our position, because when Fer woke him up, we weren't spooning anymore.

Pedri was back to laying on his back like when he had first gotten in bed, and I had turned around and was hugging him with basically half my body on top of his, one of his arms wrapped around me while the hand of the other held mine. That was what Fer had seen when he had woken him up to move to the other bed.

“Pedri… Pedri, wake up” he whispered. “Pedri, I'm leaving, c'mon.”

“What?” he mumbled.

“You have to move to the other bed, I'm leaving. And if mum finds you like this…”

“I'll go in a minute” he said, hugging me a bit tighter.

“Pedri, I know you are very comfortable like that, but you need to move. Now” Fer said, trying to untangle us.

“What are you doing?” I protested.

“Inés, you need to let go of him.”

“Why?”

“Because if our mum walks in and finds you sleeping together on the same bed, she'll cut his dick and you won't be able to enjoy it anymore.”

“What the fuck, Fer?” Pedri said, sitting up so fast that he pushed me to the other side of the bed, making me almost hit the wall as I rolled. “Shit, Inés. Are you ok?” 

“Yeah, yeah. Don't worry” I said before curling up and dozing off again, barely understanding what Pedri and his brother were whispering about. Though I'm pretty sure it had to do with what Fer had said about me enjoying Pedri's… churro.

After that I don't know for how long I slept, probably a few more hours. But when I woke up, Pedri was gone. Though not really, because he was in the kitchen, a familiar smell welcoming me as I walked in.

“Are those… Did you make us churros for breakfast?”

“Good morning to you too, Inés” he chuckles. “And no, I didn't. It was my mum. She stopped earlier and brought us a bunch she had saved for us from the ones she always makes for the bar.”

“Oh, that's so nice of her. May I?” I say, nodding towards the plate that is sitting on the table.

“Of course” Pedri smiles. “Let's see who makes the best churros in the family.”

“So much pressure” I smile before giving one a bite, the most… inhuman and definitely unholy noise leaving my mouth.

“I think my mum wins” he laughs. 

“What?” 

“You didn't make that noise when you tried mine, Inés. Though hopefully, one day…” he says as he moves to stand behind me, his hands resting on my waist. “I'll do something that will make you repeat that noise. And louder” he whispers in my ear before leaving the kitchen and me about to burst into flames. 

Bloody hell, Pepi. 

Bloody. Hell.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Pedri, Inés. I hadn't seen you there” his dad says.

“Wonder why” he chuckles, looking around the bar. It is packed with people, both at the counter and sitting on the tables. 

“Do you want something to drink?” 

“Fer already got us a couple of beers, don't worry” he smiles.

“New round of bravas!” Pedri's mum says, from the kitchen's door. “Oh, hello there” she smiles at us. “How was the tour?”

“It was great l” I smile back.

The tour had consisted on Pedri taking me to some of his favourite places in the city, like the park where he and his friends used to play all the time as kids, the spot where they used to meet as teenagers, or his school. Yes, one of his favourite places is his school.

Turns out that our Pedri is a little nerd, and he loved going to school and not only because he got to hang out with his friends like was my case. He liked it because he loved learning. 

According to what he told me, he would ask his teachers to send him extra homework to do during school breaks to not get bored. He would sit on a table at the bar with all his notes, books and pens, and spend hours there while his parents worked. He even showed me a photo of him when he was like 10 doing exactly that, a Pokémon pen in one hand and a Cacaolat on the other, a chocolate mustache from his drink adorning his face while he smiled from ear to ear. It was the cutest thing ever.

“Mum, do you need help in the kitchen?” Pedri asks her.

“I actually do, yes” she sighs. “But you are on holidays and…”

“It's ok, don't worry” he chuckles. 

“And Inés?”

“I can also help.”

“No” Pedri and his mum say at the same time. “You are our guest, Inés” she says. “We can't have you working for us.”

“But I can't just stay here watching you all struggle to attend everyone while I could be doing something useful like… I don't know, cleaning the tables.”

“I will not have you cleaning tables, Inés. You are a football star!” Pedri's mum says.

“And you are too kind, because I'm nowhere close to being a star” I reply with a shy smile. 

“Yet” Pedri winks next to me. Oh, God. Why did he have to do that? I'm trying to convince his mother to let me help them, I can't get distracted!

“Mum, we are running out of tortilla. Oh, hey there” Fer smiles, looking at me and Pedri. “Nice to see you are in one piece, Pepi” he smirks.

“Mum, will you let me help you with that or not?” he says, ignoring his brother.

“Ok, fine” she sighs. “Do you know where your apron is?”

“You have your own apron?” I gasp. “What about them being for the weak?” I tease him.

“What?” his mum says with a confused look.

“Nothing, it's just a joke between us” Pedri quickly says. “And Fer, while I'm in the kitchen, don't let her help you. She is our guest, she isn't here to work.”

“Urgh” I groan.

“I'll keep an eye on her, don't worry” he says as Pedri leaves. 

“I just want to help cleaning some tables, Fer. It's nothing!”

“Like he said, you are our guest, Inés. We can't have you do that.”

“Urgh” I groan again. 

“But you could do something for me” he smirks.

“Something like what?”

“If I give you an address, can you go pick up Pedri's birthday present for me? I don't know if I'll have time today with closing here and then getting ready for my parents’ anniversary party.”

“May I ask what did you get him?”

“May I ask what did you get him?” he smirks again.

“You'll see it tomorrow.”

“Then so will you. You just have to go to the post office to get it.”

“What if I get lost?”

“I'll put the address on your phone, don't worry. And here, take the keys to our house. You have to hide the box in the closet we have behind the main door.”

“Why there?” I ask him, taking the keys and handing him my phone.

“Pedri never checks it. He's been scared of it since I locked him inside when he was three.”

“Fernando!” I gasp.

“We were playing hide and seek, ok?”

“You and your hide and seek games” I chuckle, remembering the anecdote about Pedri getting stuck under a bed.

“Ok, here you go” Fer says, giving me my phone back. “You are the best sister-in-law ever, Inés” he smiles, kissing my cheek before going back to work and leaving me opening and closing my mouth like a fish.

Best sister-in-law? What?

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Your drink, my lady.”

“Thank you” I smile, taking the beer Pedri is giving me before sitting down next to me. “Tonight has been perfect, hasn't it?”

“It has, yes. And all thanks to you.”

“Me?” I chuckle.

“Yes, you. I would not be here tonight celebrating my parents if you hadn't bought me that plane ticket, and my speech would have not been so good without your words.”

“My words?”

“What you told me about my parents when I told you about Nerea's. That they wished they had a family like mine and a relationship like theirs. That got me thinking, and it inspired me to say what I said.”

“Mum, dad. You know I've always looked up to you, that I've always said that when I grow up, I want to be like you. And now that I am growing up and considered an adult by some” Pedri said, making the guests laugh. “I've realized that, one day, I also want a relationship like yours. One where, after twenty-five years of being married, I still am completely in awe of the person I love, wondering how it is possible that they are real and that they have chosen to spend their life with me. One where I find myself dancing in the kitchen on a Sunday morning to no music, giggling and whispering cheesy things that will make my kids gag” he smiled. “I want to find someone I can love and be loved by the way you love each other. Because I've realized that your love and what you've built with it… our family… makes us the richest and luckiest people in the world. Not those who have a yacht or a mansion in Ibiza. No. We are the lucky ones, and I would not change us, this family, for anything. I love you.”

“To me, then” I smile, raising my beer.

“To you” Pedri smiles back, doing the same. After that we just sit in a comfortable silence, neither of us saying anything while we watch his parents dance through the big windows of the venue where they had thrown the party, laughing and smiling at each other like two teenagers in love. 

“Are you cold?”

“Uh?”

“You are shivering, Inés” Pedri says, taking off his jacket and putting it around my shoulders. 

“Oh, thank you” I smile, putting it on while trying to not look like a creep and get caught smelling it. Have I ever mentioned that he smells amazing? Like, more than once, I've been tempted to ask him about the perfume he wears to buy it for myself. Which would be kind of weird if I did, to be honest.

Also, can we talk about the fact that he has let me borrow his jacket like people do in movies? Because he is wearing a suit. A freaking suit. You should have seen my face when I saw him walking into the bathroom while I was doing my makeup to ask me if he should wear a tie or not. 

“So, what do you think?” he said. “Tie or no tie?”

“I… I…” I mumbled, looking at him from head to toe, holding onto the sink as if my life depended on it. Which probably did, because if I let go, I would probably faint and end up hitting my head against it and… “No.”

“No tie?”

“No tie. And leave the shirt like that.”

“Unbuttoned?” he said, looking down at it.

“Yes, unbuttoned” I repeated, the bit of skin that you could see being more sexy than if he was standing topless in front of me. Well, no. Maybe that's an exaggeration. But it was having the same effect on me.

“I should have brought a different dress, something with long sleeves. But I didn't expect it to get this chilly at night even if it is November” I say.

“You need to come more often to get used to it” he chuckles.

“I think I do, yes. I love it here” I smile, looking at him.

“And I love that you love it here” he smiles back. 

“Maybe we should stay forever.”

“What?” Pedri laughs.

“Yeah, like… Forget about uni and Barça. Let's just move here and open that restaurant I told you about. We can use the money I've saved and…”

“Inés, you sound like someone who has it all planned” he laughs again.

“What? No, no, no” I quickly say, thanking that it is dark enough for him to not see the colour of my face. Because I have it all planned and have dreamt about that life more than once. About us running our own business and being happy together in Tenerife. “It's just the beer. I think this will be the last one tonight, I've had enough.”

“Ok” he chuckles. “Though I like your idea, you know?”

“You… you do?”

“Yeah” he smiles, making me feel butterflies in my stomach. Or at least I hope they are butterflies and not the beer threatening to go up again. 

“Oh, there you are!” Fer says, startling us both. “The fireworks are about to start, c'mon.”

“Fireworks?” I ask.

“His idea, not mine” Pedri says, nodding towards his brother and standing up. “Shall we?” he says, offering me his hand.

“Let's go” I say as I take it, not letting go of it as we join the rest of the guests.

“Where did you two disappear to, uh?” his grandma says when she sees us. Meeting her had been… well. Interesting. Because she has no filter, she says whatever crosses her mind. For example, after we were introduced to each other, she said: “I knew you were Pedri's girl the moment you walked in. Fer could never pull out someone as pretty as you.” 

“We were sitting on that garden over there” Pedri says. “Inés needed some fresh air.”

“Is that what people call it these days? Needing some fresh air instead of needing a smooch?” she smirks. 

“We weren't… shit!” he says when the first firework goes off.

“Men. They get scared with anything” Pedri's grandma says, rolling her eyes.

“They do” I chuckle.

“I'm not scared of… fireworks” he says, doing a little jump after another one goes off.

“Of course you aren't” I tease him.

“I'm not, Inés” he says, closing the space between us. 

“Show me” I reply, moving even closer to him. Maybe the beer had actually gotten to my head. Or maybe it was the fact that everyone at the party thought we were dating and I didn't care if they saw us or not. Though that sounds like something I would think if I was a bit tipsy and… “Shit!” I say, jumping into his arms as two more fireworks go off, one after the other.

“Now who is the one who is scared?” Pedri says, arching an eyebrow.

“Oh, shush!” I say, hitting his chest and making him laugh before he moves to hug me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. 

We stay like that throughout the whole fireworks show Fer had organized, flinching from time to time when a big one explodes and laughing at how stupid we probably look.

“I know how to clap, I don't need your help” I laugh when he puts his hands on top of mine and we start clapping together once the fireworks have ended.

“Just making sure” he shrugs, still behind me. “Do you want to go back inside?”

“Actually… Do you think they would mind if we leave already? I'm not used to being up till this late” I say, moving on his arms to look at him, our faces way too close for my liking. But not because I don't like being this close to him. That is the best thing ever. But being this close to him means my brain starting to collapse, and the chances of saying something stupid are very high.

“It's just 1 a.m., Inés” he chuckles.

“2 a.m. in Barcelona. Too late for me, I'm a grandma.”

“A very beautiful one, tho” he says, putting a lock of hair behind my ear, sending goosebumps all over my body. 

“Yeah… ummm… Wait!” I suddenly say. “Wait, wait, wait, wait!”

“What happened?”

“It's 1 a.m.!”

“Yes, and?” he says with a confused look.

“Pedri, it's your birthday!” 

“It's… It is, yes” he smiles.

“Happy birthday, Pedri!” I say, kissing his cheek (and maybe the corner of his mouth too) and wrapping my arms around his neck. 

“Thank you, Inés” he says, hugging me tighter. “Thank you.”

[cloudluvrrr]

Angels.

a/n: hi

It’s been a while 💔i got butt fucked by finals but we dont talk about that, happy new year guys ^.^, im super thankful that i got back into writing (even if it bad) and im glad ppl like my dumb headcannons! I'd like to try to write more this year and hopefully get to 100 followers ^o^

tw: for religous topics, intimacy (implied) sunday being conflicted, bad writing 😜

sunday x g/n reader

-Televangelism - Ethel Cain

Sunday sat in the pews of the church, staring ahead at the podium where earlier he had given the daily prayer over the disciples in the church. He held his bible tightly, as he waited for Father Gopher to finish conversing with one of the ladies. His eyes wondering around the familiar church, the statues of Mother Mary and his savior Jesus Christ. The sight of the statues made his mouth dry, the overwhelming dread that he might mess up and sin and how the Father might find out.

Eventually Father Gopher did exit his office, taking Sunday to his ranch. Sunday hated the orphanage, which why he spend most of the day at the church. Helping set up for the day, help out during bible studies. Anything to get his mind off of where he was left by his parents. So he often wrote Robin letters, describing what he was doing. Learning piano, memorizing bible strictures. He’d try to send them weekly, including small newspaper clippings of his performances at the church and trinkets he’d find that reminded him of her.

Father Gopher was helping him become a pastor, not because he wanted to.. Or did he? He thought to himself as he wrote to Robin. He tried to write weekly to update her on his situation. He missed her, but he hated the orphanage they stayed at. His goal was to earn enough money for them to live together one day. When he was either a pastor or a pianist for them church choir. He forced himself into any activity, with no thought behind it.

His days were mostly mundane, practicing his piano and reading the Bible. Father had told him that when he was old enough, he'd take over the small church. Which soon became Sundays goal, now he followed behind father gopher consuming whatever knowledge he'd spoken.

Till one day there was a new family at church, Father had asked him to show you around. Where youth group was, where everyone would eat after the sermon.

He nervously explained the church and everyone who ran it. Stuttering over his words when he felt eyes staring at the back of his head.

“..what’s so interesting about my head?” He asked in an annoyed tone.

“Your wings, they’re pretty” you smiled at him, “I’ve always thought Halovians were pretty” you say shyly admiring his pale feathers.

His cheeks turned rosey as he looked everywhere, to avoid the embarrassment. “..thanks” he said quietly. He had a small blush on his face. The entire tour and when you left he went home to look at his wings closely, “are they really that pretty?” he asked himself looking at the pale blue feathers.

—

Sunday would see you every.. Sunday at church, little by little getting to know each other more and more.

He’d go out of his way to find you after the service, offering help for any thing. Any little excuse to be around you. Often catching him in town, helping those around the church or him sending a letter every week. He wanted to get closer to you, but one thing held him off. Your stance on religion. He could tell your heart wasn't fully devoted to the church, you were in a way like him. But instead of feeling the dread in your stomach, you were fine.

The father wanted him to have a god loving lover, not someone like you who only attended because they were told too. Yet he couldn’t keep himself away from you, Finding interest in anything you did out of the church.

You learned he loved sweets, but the Father would limit him, he loves music especially piano, it was a marvel watching him play so well. You also learned he was to take over the church once he was of age.

"Is it something you want?" you ask titling your head, at the idea as you swung beside him on the playground.

"Father wan-" before he could finish you interrupt. "No is it something you want Sunday"

For the first time in his life, he really questioned himself.

He never grew out of it, even as a teen. Father Gopher knew of you and Sunday, he didn’t like leaving either of you alone. He didn’t like the idea of letting Sunday fool around with someone he had feelings for. Even less someone who wasn't as close to god as he'd like them to be

So he'd sneak out at night just too see you, you two often met in some field or in front of the gas station.

He’d take you on walks, showing you his favorite places to visit. A small shack behind the barn, a secret diner far from town, a place where he’d gaze into the sky.

“The stars, they remind me of your eyes.” You said looking back him. “Do they?” He asked his gaze never leaving the sky, “they sparkle the same way, yours so when you see me”. At that comment he finally looked over, “it’s because you’re beautiful” he said simply getting up, and leaving.

-

There wasn’t really a line that defined what you two were, many thought you were lovers. But Sunday never really said ‘I love you’, he’d kiss you and give you estranged touches. But it was nothing like the other couples in the town. Was he ashamed of loving you? You never bothered to ask, it didn’t hurt.. much. Since you only saw him at night.

Night spent in abandoned cars, where you'd both talk about everything. He liked listening to other people lives, they were all so different to the one he was given.

Listening to the antics you were up too in school, things you did at home. It was all foreign to him. God how he ached to experience them with you.

"Have you ever been in love?" you asked leaning on his shoulder, your eyes following his. "With god-"

"thats not what I meant, like love with anyone? Romantically" you pushed sitting up to face him directly.

"...I don't know, what it feels like. Only what I've read from the books you let me read. It sounds wonderful" he said thoughtfully, with a small sigh. He didn't want to comment on the feeling he felt when he was around you.

-

Sunday was feeling especially restless, during church he kept stealing glances at you while playing his piano. Looking at the notes, and the lyrics made him ill. He couldn't face them, not with the thoughts he had or actions he took with you.

He'd rented out a room for the night in a shabby motel, it was cheap and inconspicuous. "Isn't your father-" "He's not my father!" he cut you off.. "..No I told him I'm visitin' robin" he added closing the curtains. "..When is she gonna finally come to town?"

"No idea." He said towering over you, his hand softly caressing your plump cheek. "You really wanna do this? Your not gonna regret waiting are you-" "No.. all teens do this no?" "In movies and shit.." you replied quietly as his lips press against yours.

"Sunday, he's watching" you say softly looking at his bag, that held all of his church belongings.

"..I'll repent later"

--

After that fateful encounter, he avoided you. He'd immediately go back to the flat where he lived, where he'd spend nights in bed repeating the words of his bible in his head. Tears staining the words, he didn't know what was right. His heart or the thing he'd devoted his life too. The church choir didn't resonate with his heart anymore, his heart felt heavy at the lyrics. Especially spotting you alone in the back, only made him feel worst.

The guilt gnawed at him so much, he just left the town.

He left the town, he didn't know what he wanted. To love you or to love the church. He couldn't tell you goodbye in person, so he wrote a letter. Leaving it in your mailbox, with a gift tied up neatly with a bow.

Dear, Angel

I really did love you, I never told you. I was scared, to think of what would've come from it. But I adored you, you helped me realized what I wanted. I owe you everything for that, I'm sorry for not facing you.

Just know that I regret nothing, I've moved somewhere quite aways from town. Perhaps I'll see you once more?

I don't know if you hate me or love me, perhaps I'll never know.

I wrote sheet music for you, its not church related. But its how my heart felt when I was around you.

I remember when you asked me if I ever had fallen in love, I lied. I was, I am in love with you.

-Your Sunday

-

You stared at the word angel, in his eye you were his angel. You read over the note with a blank face, his neat handwriting covering the page. The tears came when you saw the sheet music he'd written, it was all handmade. The carefully lined up staff alone the start, the notes perfectly lined up. What few new words it had, chosen to describe his love for you.

The piece being called angel.

-

This one took me a fat minute haven’t had any inspiration plus I’m back in school 😔 amphorus is out :3 I’ll add more characters to my roster too! For this I took a lot of inspo from preachers daughter and Ethel’s new album perverts which I personally rlly enjoyed ^^ lmk if you have any requests or want to see me write for more characters! ^3^ I think this year im gonna focus more on requests, and maybe more one shots.

[waterfire1848]

I'm back with my Masters of Universe brain rot so...

What sibling interactions and headcanons do you have for the twins, Adam and Adora?

Thanks for the ask!

Yay for MOTU brain rot!

Okay...hmm....

- Adam steals Adora’s jacket from time to time because he think he looks cool.

- Adora and Adam impersonated each other once (in robes and hoods) and it worked for one minute.

- Adora has ridden Battlecat into battle and Adam has ridden Swift Wind.

- Adam can’t handle Etherian food and Adora can’t handle Eternian food.

- Homosexuality is common on both Etheria and Eternia (a little more so on Eternia).

- When Adam and Adora met, everyone else stopped fighting because the two looked exactly alike. Adora and Adam didn’t notice it and continued to fight until Glimmer and Teela, respectively, pulled them apart and showed them.

- It took another week for them to realize they were related.

- Mermista joked that the Princesses should get the title of Masters of the Universe because they’ve actually been into space.

- (In more recent He Man shows they’ve been making jokes about the 80s pun names and jokes) The MOTU cast would lose their minds when they learned everyone’s name on Etheria.

- Both Adora and Adam can fall asleep anywhere.

- Adora didn’t want to meet Marlena and Randor for a while. She only joined Adam to meet them about a year after finding out he was her brother.

- (She Ra 2018) - Adora was suspicious of the Sorceress when she first met her.

- Adam and Adora have strength and endurance tests.

[saymio]

Dae-ho headcanons | (NSFW)

Pairing: Kang Dae-ho (player 388) x Fem!reader

Genre: headcanons, smut

Warning: uhh daehho is rlly needy, kinda sub dae ho, idk TBH he's too normal for warnings LOL,

A/N: not proof read. I tried my best:( I'm used to writing darker stories with elements of dub/noncon, manipulation, etc..so hopefully I did his good personality justice.

kang dae ho, the man couldn't keep his eyes away from you the second he caught a glance of you. his eyes following your every move inside the room that everyone had just woken up in.

kang dae ho, the man that blushes like he had just been caught doing the dirtiest thing on earth (staring at you). getting somehow redder when you giggle at his 'confidence' crumble like a failed sand castle.

kang dae ho, the man that cant believe his eyes when you stand up from yourself and your group against men that were clearly bigger than you. showing immense confidence even when you could easily be overpowered.

kang dae ho, the man that always finds his gazes linger a little longer than they should. watching you closely when you stretch, feeling himself get hard at the sight of your stomach peeking past the shirt and soft noise you make when you stretch.

kang dae ho, the man that invites you to his team after the second round. finding you all alone after your teammates left you to die to form their group and getting fatally shot during it.

kang dae ho, the man that offers his milk to you. telling you that its "no big deal" with a shrug. even if he goes a little more hungry than usual.

kang dae ho, the man that will look at you for approval of something he just did. giving himself an internal fist bump when you tell him he did great.

kang dae ho, the man that will slip his hands into his pants and get himself off while he watches your sleeping form. he just thinks you look too gorgeous while the lights of the x and o illuminate off your face and rest of your body.

kang dae ho, the man that feels so bad for imagining what your delicate body looks under your clothes .. but cant help it when you just look so hot

kang dae ho, the man that will sneak into your bed at the middle of the night and cuddle you... feeling himself get a hard on at the feeling of your soft skin under his arms

kang dae ho, the man that will slowly start rutting into you in the middle of the night. waking you up surprised but not upset.. his moans and whines filling your ears to the brim

kand dae ho, the man that will fondle your tits n make out with you like a feral dog. as if you were his first girlfriend since 8th grade.

kang dae ho, the man that will cover his whines and moans with his hands while your jerk him off under the thin covers. trying his best not to make too much noise and wake anyone up..but there was probably that heard him either way.

kang dae ho, the man that will lick his fingers after you came all over them like a starving animal. savoring every drop of it that he can pick up with his digits.

kang dae ho, the man that decided to join the shoot out with the other guards in hopes it could get you out of this mess. even if you begged him not to go.

kang dae ho, the man that felt nothing but relief and warmth when you hugged him and held him in your gentle arms when he had a panic attack and couldn't get himself to go back

kang dae ho, the man that want nothing more but to spend the rest of his life with you.

A/N: this was rlly rushed n lazily made, I'm sorry :( I was out all day so I didn't find time to finish/continue my long fic but I still wanted to make something T T I think I might just stick to writing for characters that would more likely do darker things, I felt this was too boring :// sorry...

TAGLIST: @pollys-doublelife @gongyoosgf

[a-b-riddle]

Part Six

Can't stop thinking about reader finally giving the boys a taste of their own medicine. And hurting my own feelings in the process of it all. I wanted to make this a baddie reader chapter, but its just a saddie reader chapter. I played Down Bad by T.S on repeat while writing this. Y'all need to thank @blueladys-world for being my ventor for this part.

None of them came the next day to pick up the box of everything you had collected. By everything, quite literally everything. Birthday cards and gifts. Keepsakes from your time together they had given you. Even going as far as returning lingerie they had given you. You didn't want any trace of them in your home anymore. You were gonna have to work hard in rebuilding it to be your safe space once again.

You were surprised that someone from the expo had DM'd you. Renée was an author who had tried to stop by to your stand, but got too caught up in the day. She was in London, working on her next series installment and wanted to pick your brain. Writer to writer.

The two of you agreed on a time. She had mentioned wanting to try this restaurant the last time she visited and you already knew you would be putting that meal on a credit card. It was a bit of splurge, but after the past week you deserved it. You could even wear that sexy black number that had been collecting dust in your closet.

By the time you were done getting ready and squeezing into your dress, you looked more ready for a date than dinner with a colleague.

A colleague. You had a colleague!!!

The knock on the door pulled you from your girlish glee. You didn't need to guess who it was. Your friends knew to text you before they came over and Renée had agreed just to meet you at the restaurant.

It was one of them.

You didn't even t bother looking through your peephole before you opened the door to find Johnny standing there with a floral arrangement of your favorite flowers.

Johnny began to speak, afraid you were going to shut him down immediately no less. But no words came out. His eyes traveled up and down your body, taking you in.

A vision.

You wanted to snap at him that your eyes weren't located on your hips. But damn if it didn’t feel empowering seeing Johnny’s gaze gloss over.

"Fuck me." He swore, gathering his bearings before realizing you were dressed. In a sexy black dress and heels and makeup and oh, fuck you were going out. "Where are you going?"

"First off, none of your business," you said holding a finger up. "And secondly, what are you doing here?"

"Listen," "Bon-"

"The box is right there." You said pointing to a large cardboard box on the floor. "That's everything."

"If you just let me make it-"

"Up to me?" You cut him off again. "I'm over it. Really."

"Just give me a chance."

"Either you haven't spoken to the other two to know I am well and truly done with this situationship, or you’re hoping some half-ass apology and flowers will let you get a last fuck in and the skedaddle. So hopefully if it was latter, hopefully the former answered that for ya.”

So if that's all you came here for, I've got to get going. My reservation is at seven and it's rude to keep a friend waiting."

"It's been a week and you're already going on a date?" He accused.

"Who said anything about a date?" You didn't outright say it wasn't. Where would be the fun in that? “It's just dinner with a colleague.” You didn’t want to lie. It wasn’t a date. But you didn’t need to say it was a woman. “Hardly a date.”

“Look at the sight of ye!" He said, taking the opportunity to take a quick look at how deliciously your ass filled that dress. “A fookin’ dinner with a colleague. Like one of us would show up to a briefing like that.” You opened your compact. Not needed in the age of cellphones but loving the feminine touch.

There was something so... seductive about using a compact mirror to apply your lipstick.

“Kyle does have the legs for this dress.” You said, applying that lipstick he loves. That same shade that looked beautiful on your lips. The same lipstick you would mark all over Johnny’s body. “Believe what you want. Not my problem anymore.”

You put your compact back in your purse along with the lipstick in case you needed to reapply it after dinner.

Johnny's eyes zeroed in on your lips before his eyes met yours. That's when you felt it again. That undeniably spark of chemistry that you had with him. With all of them. That feeling that sucked the very breath from your lungs and for a moment all you could see was the man in front of you.

"Bonnie," he said placing his hands on your neck. His thumbs stroking your cheeks softly. "Just one more chance." He begged, his voice breaking. "I'm a fucking git, but I won't let you go again. I won't leave." You knew that when it came to promises, Johnny had proven that even if he didn't mean to break them, he had forgotten he made them in the first place.

But in that moment you didn't care. Even after everything, Meredith was right. You had loved them. Everything else had ended so shitty. John had blamed you. Kyle had only shown up until it was too late. And Simon. The last time you would ever hear his voice was after he said such cruel things to you.

No.

If you were done with Johnny, you won't let the last time he fucked you being a quick, rough fuck doggystyle before leaving you naked and alone in your bed.

No. The last time with Johnny needed to be good. It might make it harder to finally leave, but you needed this. You needed to know that he could still make love to you and not just fuck you like an animal in heat.

"Johnny?" You asked. Your mouth dangerously close to his. "I don't want you to fuck me."

"I don't have to," he said, starting to take a step back to give you some space before your hands reached his. Holding him in place.

He can't let you go. You couldn't let him go. Not yet. Just one more. You needed just one more time to get him out of your system. The closure you needed.

"Make love to me." You begged, your eyes pleading. "I need to know that I wasn't just something you wanted to fuck." You don't move as his eyes search yours, looking for reassurance. When you nod, his mouth softly touches your own.

His hands travel along your body, but never fully leave you. Sliding your neck to your back. Pulling your body closer to his. A hand placed on your hip so tightly he's afraid you might disappear.

There's no rush, no haste in his touch. His mouth not eager to devour you.

He's slow. With his hands, his tongue. Even when he picks you up and walks to your bedroom with your legs around his waist.

He doesn't throw you on the bed.

Not this time.

He lays you down. His body laying on top of yours. His hand skimming along your bare thighs, but not daring to travel any higher.

But damn you needed him. You wanted love making, but if he didn't get inside you soon, you weren't sure you could let him go after this. You weren't sure you would be able to leave.

"Johnny," you whimpered, pulling away from his mouth. "Please." You took his hand, putting it between your thigh. Aching for any friction.

He obeyed without hesitation. If you told him to get on his bark, he would in that moment. Anything to make you happy. Anything to keep you.

"Got to get you out of this dress first." He resting on his knees before he began to slide the black satin from your thighs to your stomach. You maneuvered, helping him undress you leaving you in nothing.

"I thought you liked the dress." You couldn't help, but tease. Your hand finding its home on the back of his neck, pulling you to him once more.

In a tone lacking any note of humor and in all seriousness, he looked at you. Really looking at you. Taking in how your smile reached your beautiful eyes before he said, "I want you bare to me when I take you."

You felt your stomach flutter at his words before he began to take off his clothes.

He joined you again. His body relaxing when they got between your legs again. His mouth traveled from your exposed neck to your nipples. Sucking and flicking them with his tongue until your back arched. Pressing harder into his mouth.

Your hands tangled in his soft brown hair before you boldly guided him to your already dripping core. He slid down your body before his hands began to push your knees apart until you were fully expose to him.

With your knees bent, Johnny settled on his stomach, placing soft kisses on your soft inner thighs. God, did he love seeing you squirm. He smiled at your tortured expression before looking down at your sex. "There she is." He said before placing a kiss on your pussy.

It wasn't sloppy. He wasn't diving in and licking at your center like so many times before. He was kissing it just as tenderly as he kissed your mouth. Slowly building it deeper and deeper. Adding tongue. Breaking away to readjust his head.

The delicious ache between your thighs began to become to unbearable. "Need you inside me." You panted. "Johnny-"

"Shhh." He soothed. "Got to warm you up first , Bonnie." He said before slipping his finger inside of you. One was all it took before your head settled against the pillows again. When your body relaxed, he added another. He would need to add three to make sure you were good and ready.

His digits stroked that spongy spot inside of you that made your toes curl. "You're barely fitting around my fingers." Johnny was a good 6 inches in length, but the girth is what always did you in. It hurt to take anything past his head into your mouth. If you fucked him without any preparation, especially after a week of no sex, he would tear you into too.

His tongue caressed your clit, your eyes squeezing shut as you felt your first orgasm creeping up on you.

"Johnny." You moaned, your fingers running through his soft brown hair.

"Give it to me, beauty." He panted. "Come on my face. Squeeze my fingers, Lass." He begged before his mouth went back to you.

It was like lightning. Your body now sensitive after being forsaken for so long. Your vision blurred and before you could process it, Johnny was sitting on his haunches between your legs, stroking his cock.

You could only nod, dazed and barely keeping a grip onto the reality of what this was.

The end.

He leaned forward, his cock nestling against you. You knew this was going to be nothing compared to his fingers. "Tell me if I need to stop."

You smiled, mockingly. Reminding him, "Not our first time together, Johnny." just our last.

"You were wrapped tight around my fingers." He gave a half smile before kissing your forehead. The gesture like a knife twisting in your heart. "I just don't want to hurt you."

"I'm ready." You brought your legs around his waist again. Pulling him to you, your arms wrapping around his neck as your mouths meet.

He presses into you. The head of his cock sliding inside just one or two inches. You body contracting around him in a small spasm. He swallows your moan and lets you adjust. He pulls away before looking down where the two of you meet.

"I could die like this, Lass." He said, his breath coming out unsteady as he tries his best to control himself. So close to just burying himself inside of you to the fucking hilt. "Seeing you like this is this first thing I want to see when I make it to the other side." You let out a choked cry as he pushes deeper inside you. Another inch. And another. And another until you're taking all of him.

He slurs something that sound like "fuck", but you are in too much of a daze to care. You arch into him, trying to get closer.

His thrusts are slow and deep. His pubic bone brushing against your clit making you whine and squirm. Begging for more.

You're not sure how long he had fucked you like that.

You needed it to stop.

You couldn't handle it. The softness. His words.

I could die like this, Lass.

Your lip quivered as you told him you wanted to be on top. You needed a moment. A chance to create a bit of space before he shattered your world yet again.

He pulled out. His absence already making you ache for him again before he settled beside you.

You squatted above his cock. Your feet flat against the mattress as you grabbed his hardness and slipping it inside of you. The sound you let out was pornographic. A high pitched, soft moan slipping from your lips as he buried himself inside of you again.

You placed you hands on his chest. Using the leverage to ride him. Your arms serving as barrier for you to get your bearings.

You used his body just as he had used yours. Throwing your head back, you moved faster and faster. Readjusting so your hands went from his chest to his stomach, giving him a better view of your connecting bodies.

His hand slips between the two of you, thumb pressing against your clit, and you tighten even more around. A needy whimper coming out of your throat. The sound mixing in with the sounds of his labored breathing and slapping skin as he begins to fuck up into you.

Even though he had been doing all the work for the last several minutes, you felt the tension start to creep into your calf.

"Fuck fuck fuck." You screech, barely able to hold yourself up any longer. "Ow." You hissed as the cramp took hold.

"Leg cramp?" He asked, not even faltering in his thrusts. You pathetically nod before he takes it upon himself to flip you on your back again.

"I'm going to do this every chance I can." He promises, pressing a searing kiss onto your exposed neck. "Any chance you'll give me." You can't take it. His words, his mouth, his fucking cock. It's too much. "I'm going to show you how much I want you. How much I want to fucking worship ye. Do anything to make you feel good. Not going to leave you again like that, Bonnie."

You reach for him again, pull him into a searing kiss just to shut him up. You need him to shut up. You couldn't take his false promises. You wouldn't survive it. Couldn't.

"Shit." His thrusts quicken, his thumb returning to your swollen bud. Flicking it in a way he had crafted into an art. He buries his face into your neck and you know he's getting close.

You weren't too far behind.

He didn't want to come, not yet, but this was fully out of his control. It was pathetic. A week without sex and you had him nearly coming in the first ten minutes.

But that's what you want. To see him lost in the idea that you would stay.

"Johnny." You groan out. "Please. Cum inside me."

He draws fast, beautiful circles around your clit that immediately push you over the edge. You shut your eyes tight, squeezing him like a vice as you come in strong waves, continuing to push inside you.

in out in out in out.

Deliciously clenching around him tighter and tighter until he can't take it anymore.

"Fuck," he says again, and you see it in his face, and you see it in his face, the second it's all over for him. You want to sear the image in your head. Keep it there forever. Knowing you'll never see it again. The way those enchanting blue eyes squint nearly shut before closing in complete ecstacy.

His mouth would open. A moan caught in his throat that he isn't ready to let go.

His hand closes around your hip, holding you to him while he presses as far as he can go, and it's only then do you feel his cock twitch in quick, jerky movements. He moans out your name before taking your mouth into a searing kiss.

"I fucking love you." He says. "So fucking much."

He was still under the blanket when you returned from the bathroom. You picked up your clothes up from the floor. Looking at the clock realizing you had less than five minutes to get out the door before you would be late for dinner.

"What are you doing?" he asked. You couldn't look at him. Hearing the panic in his voice almost made you stop. Tell him it really was just dinner with a colleague. A woman. That you would be back. Beg him to wait until you came home.

"I can't cancel on the dinner." You said slipping your feet into your heels. "This was a mistake."

You weren't sure why you said it. You weren't sure if you were trying to convince him or yourself. If you wanted to hurt him or make him think you regretted it when you would truthfully do it again. You would do it again and again. You would never stop.

Like Johnny, you could have died in that moment, but for a completely different. Where he would be content, you would be saved from the pain. The pain currently coursing throughout your very soul.

"Lock the door behind you." You say as you practically sprint out the bedroom. Only slowing in your stride to snatch your purse off the kitchen counter before running out. The door slamming behind you.

The restaurant was nicer than you expected. The wine alone was the price of an entree. You didn't seem to be phased at all and were relieved when Renée insisted on picking up the bill.

Your dinner had been delicious and the conversation even better. Renée wrote fantasy romance and wanted to pick your brain about a Why Choose. You had nearly spent out the over priced wine you weren't even really enjoying. Oh the irony.

"It's like all the rage now, but it's hard to make more than one appealing as the love interest. You should have seen the Goodreads comments on my last book. So many people bitched about my FMC not ending up with a character who was quite literally her adopted brother."

"So," you took a breath trying to find the words. "I'm going to be honest. I only read your latest book and I loved Luka. But I can't compare him to other MMCs you've written about so I don't know if they are similar or different. But what I can say is that I'm seeing like this trend of MMCs where they are all this dark-haired, brooding or mysterious character who dislikes mostly everyone and is only soft for either a select few or only the FMC."

"I think if you are going to write a Why Choose you need to think of guys you wouldn't mind falling in love with." You couldn't help, but think of what drew you to your boys. "One could be the leader. Someone who isn't afraid to have his neck on the line. To make sure everyone else is taken care of and being strong enough to handle the stress of that. He would be big on words of affirmation. Lifting the FMC up. For me, it would be someone that I know will take care of business. He's confident in his decision. That confidence would extend to me." You clear your throat. "If I was the FMC, that is."

"Okay." She nodded, pulling out a pen and notepad. "You don't mind if I-"

"I don't write about polygamy." Crossed that bridge. Currently trying to burn it. "So feel free."

"Another could be the one who it's so easy to fall in love with their charm. The one who falls to his knees. Wanting to worship every inch of her. The one who makes her laugh. That one to make her forget about the sadness that creeps into her bones. The one to hold her whenever he could. He's about quality time and physical touch."

"So different love languages." She said, her pen quickly scribbling.

"Yeah." You said, leaning forward. "Then there is the gift giver." Your mind went to Gaz. Most of the gifts and trinkets in the box sitting by your door had came from him. He had gotten you new earbuds when yours broke. When you were being harassed at your gym, he had bought you and him a membership at a different one. "The one who would give her the world if she asked for it. If you're going with a high fantasy then maybe the one to take note of something at a market that the FMC had been eyeing and he bought it for her. Just someone who takes notice like that."

"So acts of service would fall with all of them then you think?"

No. Simon had been the one who probably spent the least amount of money on you. He didn't praise you like John. He didn't even try to attach himself at your hip like Johnny.

But if you needed something fixed, he would come fix it himself. He'd be damned letting a strange man into your apartment. And alone? Fucking forget about it. The one who hated any sort of cardio activity outside of fucking you, but didn't hesitate in attempting to keep up with you when you wanted to go on a run and get some fresh air. If you needed something done, he didn't pay someone else to do it. He did it. If you wanted to do something, he made it happen. He made you safe.

You couldn't bring yourself to say explain it. Your eyes begin to itch. Warning you to think of something else.

So instead you just told her yeah. That they would all commit acts of service. And even in your hypothetical explanation of characters that haven't even been written yet, Simon was still the ghost among them.

"Lucky fucking girl." Renée said setting down her pen.

"Yeah." You said, downing the rest of your wine.

You walked home. The cool crisp wind feeling like it was whipping your exposed skin. It was soothing as the ghost of Johnny's touch still seemed to burn you.

You had hoped that you would get some closure, but you just felt hollow. You came twice and still manage to leave unsatisfied. Johnny wasn't malicious... he was Johnny. He wasn't like the others. Simon would never apologize and John and Kyle wouldn't try to keep reaching out after you told them know once.

Johnny couldn't stand you being mad at him. He never could. He would beg and beg for your forgiveness. You didn't regret fucking him one last time. He needed to know that you were well and truly done. There was no going back from this.

"Hey, Love!" You were pulled from your thoughts at the sound of a voice coming from a source you couldn't see. You perked up, quickly scanning the dimly lit street before your eyes settled on a cluster of shadows just across the street. "Yeah." The slurring voice said again. "Talking to you gorgeous!"

You resumed your trek home. Now picking up your pace. "Don't be like that! Where ya off to?" The voice followed you. You kept your gaze straight. You were three minutes away. Three minutes and you would be at your building.

Three minutes.

Three minutes.

"What's the rush?" Another voice joined the cacophony. "Just want to have a chat."

You turned. They were maybe twenty feet away. You kept your eyes glued to them as your started to make a run for it.

You had made it about ten feet before your body collided with someone. Firm hands gripped your upper arms, steading you as you threatened to fall back.

You sucked in a breath of air, ready to scream when you looked up. It was too dark to make out the man's facial features. He was tall. His head eclipsing the street lamp just behind him. You shook beneath his hands. The voices behind you now silent.

"Keep walking." You didn't need to see his face. You knew that deep timber voice anywhere. He released you from his grip before letting you pass him.

"Just wanted to have a chat." You heard one of them try to reason. "No harm done."

"No harm done yet." Was the last thing you heard Simon say before you broke out into a full fledged run.

[slytherinboysvip]

Imagine best friend Mattheo being absolutely obsessed with his innocent little Hufflepuff bsf but she just can’t tell. Everyone else knows, and it is quite obvious, but she just can’t think someone like him would want someone like her. But when she jokingly says she’s gonna get Cedric to take her virginity he decides it’s time he came clean.

Possibly with some soft smut if you are comfortable with it of course

bsf mattheo riddle x hufflepuff reader

hopefully this matches your request <3 i’ll most likely make a part 2 for this because.. you’ll see ;) 3.5k words

you lived a rather simple uncomplicated life, attending hogwarts as a hufflepuff with no interest in anyone’s drama. though you kept to yourself most times you tried to be nice to all your peers maintaining your classic hufflepuff demeanor, despite this there was one thing that was different about you.

you see, you didn’t see or understand why people don’t like other houses just because of “house rivalry” especially the students who weren’t even participating in any sports or point winning. and with this over your years though you had few friends you had one best friend who at first seemed rather impossible to be friends with.. mattheo riddle.

when you two met you were a fourth year and him a fifth, coincidentally you were going on to a few friends about your annoyance with people automatically assuming the worst of slytherin even though you yourself weren’t in their house or nearly like one. mattheo overheard this heated- adorable voice coming from behind him and he walked towards you carefully.

he sat down in front of you beside your friend as she gawked faces towards you at his presence. “you don’t think we’re too mean, huh?” he questioned small laugh leaving his lips. “i just think that some people are misunderstood and just because some wizards turned out bad doesn’t mean all of them in your house are” you looked at him answering his question with ease

he smirked in amusement and leaned a little closer to you “hm, hufflepuff eh? what year are you puff?” he sat back examining you and you didn’t fail to notice that nickname he slipped in “fourth year but i have an early birthday which is annoying because i could technically be out sooner” you sighed ignoring his staring.

“well, seeing as it’s ravenclaw against gryffindor do you wanna watch the quidditch game with me i know the best view” he stood up and held his hand out for you, you look towards your friends and they’re both nodding their heads for you to go so you did.

from that point on you and mattheo had been best friends, sadly he was in his seventh year and now you in your sixth nothing much had changed in your life. living vicariously through mattheo and his stories about slytherin parties and how you should go to one with him before it’s too late, he’d tell you about his sexual adventures and your jaw would drop everytime.

you yourself also confided in him though with much less interesting things, telling him how you feel unlikeable by guys sometimes because they never try to get or talk to you, or how you feel lonely because you’ve never had a a boyfriend before. hed always help soothe the thoughts away, telling you that it’s only your brain making those things up , “listen y/n, anyone who doesn’t love you is fucking insane”.

𓆙

talking to your friend zarah who’d been there since day one you always told her what you told matt, for the most part. “i just don’t get why nobody is interested in me zar, like am i genuinely that ugly” you plopped onto your bed sighing dramatically. “you’re not ugly and if you think no guys want you you’re blind i know one in particular that really, really wants you” she giggled.

you looked at her with a confused expression “i must be missing something because i have no idea who you’re talking about” you awaited her response and she just rolled her eyes and sighed “girl your practically boyfriend of a best friend you do everything with” she gave you a duh look and you just laughed. you genuinely couldn’t believe she’d even think he’d like you especially with all the girls he’d been with, “you’re hilarious, we both know he doesn’t want me he wants all the girls he tells me about” you started to compose yourself but zarah’s expression didn’t change.

“you literally must be blind y/n do you need glasses? or should i say puff? let’s talk about how that man hasn’t stopped calling you that pet name since you’ve met.. he’s in love” she rolled her eyes raising her hands in the air. “i still don’t think he wants me so there’s no convincing me” you shrugged her off and she groaned getting up and leaving your shared dorm.

𓆙

“puff you gotta come to this party, slytherin won agains gryffindor i just know this is gonna be the party you want to go to pleaseee” mattheo put his hands on your shoulders shaking you “fiinee” you attempted to answer between shakes before he let you go “if i would’ve known it was that easy i would’ve done that years ago” he rolled his eyes.

“anyways it’s tonight at like 8 so i’ll just get you from your dorm at like 7 do you think they’ll let me in? actually what’s the password?” he didn’t give you time to finish any of your sentences before you just gave him the password “butterscotch” you whispered, in response mattheo laughed “fucking butterscotch merlin that’s hilarious” you looked up at him and rolled your eyes walking away.

“i’ll see you at 7 puff” he yelled across the hall and you just gave a thumbs up and continued walking. you honestly were quite nervous seeing as you’ve never necessarily been to a party before, you’ve made small appearances at hufflepuff parties but you’ve heard they don’t even compare to slytherin.

making your way into your dorm you spot zarah and you pull her up from the common room couch “i finally said yes to a party need help now” you quickly mumbled and she quickened her pace “when does it start girl i need the info right this second come on you’re talking too long for me” she rushed and you blurted it all out “8pm he’s getting me at 7 he has the password he will be at the dorm” closing the door behind you two you both stopped to catch your breath

“sooo is it a dateee” she shimmied her arm on you winking “i already told you he doesn’t like me!!” you replied to her relentlessness. “ugh whatever we need to get you ready girl it’s already six” she pushed you onto your shared vanity chair and pulled out all of your makeup and a few things of hers, “creative control?” she asked smirking at you “mm fine but not too much” you agreed “we’ll see” she giggled.

after around 30 minutes she finished your makeup and she showed you the finished product, looking at yourself in the mirror you thought how you never would’ve put on red lipstick yet you feel really good in it. she gave you a small smokey eye and a small winged liner and you felt you looked more aggressive then you were, but you kinda loved it.

“it’s so much but so pretty” you admired yourself and the makeup she put on you slowly getting used to the feeling of fake eyelashes on your eyes. “i’m so glad you love it, but we need to find an outfit like three hours ago” she joked and rushed to your closets “i actually have the perfect dress in mind if you’re feeling the want to rep slytherin green” she raised her eyebrows up at you in a suggestive matter “sure why not” you shrugged

she handed you a velvet body con forest green dress that you were sure was going to be extremely short and you mean in every place. she held it up onto you “this will be perfect. get it on come on” she rushed you into the bathroom and you began putting it on “this is sooo tight” you called out as you struggled “oh i forgot it was a corset back wait i need to help you can i come in” she yelled through the door

“yeah come on i need this thing one me already” you struggled more as she walked in and immediately began to help you loosening the strings of the dress and pulling it down onto you “there we go now suck in like your life depends on it” she said half jokingly and began retightening the corset back. with every pull it felt like your chest was spilling out more and more and your ribs were shrinking “okay merlin that’s enough before i can’t breathe” you huffed and she stopped tying it off in a bow

“stop you look so hot y/n i bet matt will be drooling” she teased and you just rolled your eyes “what do we do with my hair” you looked at her with horror as you only had ten minutes before he should arrive. you quickly began curling your hair not really caring if it was messy just giving it some body and just as you were spraying perfume on there was a knock on your door.

zarah looked at you and whispered “answer it go go now” she pointed to the door like she was afraid to touch it herself and you walked over opening it to see mattheo in an all black button down with the top few buttons undone and black dress looking pants yet somehow he didn’t look overdressed. he didn’t say anything for a minute he was just staring at you looking up and down in awe “holy fuck y/n who did your makeup you look woah” he put his finger on your chin moving your head around examining your makeup

“zarah isn’t it pretty” you smiled and he removed his hand and replied “yeah you are, now let’s go” he grabbed your hand and you looked behind you waving bye to zarah “he’s so in love with you” she whispered before the door slammed closed.

𓆙

once you got the the party you noticed there were already many slytherins already pregaming and mattheo brought you two to them, “let’s get some alcohol in you little puff” he winked and poured you a shot of who knows what, you smelled the foul drink and it made your nose burn “come on do ittt” he cheered on and you held your nose throwing the shot back gagging at the taste. “how do people enjoy that” you made a face at him “like this” he replied taking two shots himself, “now catch up” he winked pouring you yet another

“if i didn’t know any better id say you’re trying to get me drunk matt” you laughed and he looked at you amused “obviously that’s what im trying to do it’s a party” he put the shot glass to your lips and you parted them taking the burning substance down your throat, “eugh that didn’t get any better the second time” you shook your head in disgust. “hm, let me make you an actual drink” he grabbed a clear liquor and a red juice mixing them together adding more alcohol than your past two shots and handed it to you

“matt this smells foul” you looked up at him, “just try it trust me the slytherins have the masking drink down” he winked and you reluctantly took a sip, and to your surprise all you tasted was juice. after taking another few sips you quick began drinking it and mattheo pulled the cup from your lips “slow down there this shits dangerous you’ll get so drunk you won’t be able to walk straight” he chuckled. “it’s not my fault they made it taste like juice” you shrugged still sipping.

“hey mattheo have your little hufflepuff take some shots with us” enzo threw his arm around your shoulders and mattheo pushed them off almost immediately “no she doesn’t need any shots” he spoke “you didn’t even ask me” you protested, granted you didn’t necessarily want to take any shots you just didn’t like being talked for. “oo are you sure you’re not slytherin you got an attitude” enzo laughed handing you a shot and you looked at mattheo who rolled his eyes as you took the shot.

throwing the shot back the burning sensation took over your throat and you could feel it rushing down your throat. you coughed a bit and chugged your drink for comfort “puff you’re going to get shitfaced slow down” matt fully took your cup this time and you were already feeling it. giggling looking up at him “okay now who was going to tell me party’s are fun” you continued giggling.

the music started playing and the slytherin common room was now getting more and more packed. you saw fifth year students and up in here, even a few ravenclaw and hufflepuffs your recognized. to your surprise in the corner of the party you spotted cedric diggory talking to a group of girls holding a drink.

pansy noticed your head being stuck in a certain direction and followed your eyes “oh em gee, someone’s got their eyes on a certain hufflepuff” she winked shoving her shoulder at your “shhhhh he’s just nice to look at” you giggled at her and she giggled along “you two would be soo cute” she added dragging you back to the drinks

“let’s take some shots!” she exclaimed handing you two , you took them smiling and shot them back with her, a woo leaving her mouth. “here chaser, chaser!” she shouted handing you another drink this time what looked like a lot of the punch, downing it all she laughed “girl we’re gonna be gone”. looking around you were seeing doubles of everything but didn’t want the night to already end.

“so, are you a virgin?” pansy shouted over the music making your already alcohol flushed face even redder “pansy!! you can’t just ask that!!” you shouted back flustered at the intrusive question, “i’m only curious girl” she giggled and gave you begging eyes “come onnnn” she shook you till you gave in “fine yes i am but don’t tell anyone!” you replied back as lowly as you could over the music

“who would you lose it to?” she giggled “i lost mine to blaise hehe sshhhh” she winked, considering she just told you her secret you felt obligated and just looked around “i mean i guess cedric” you giggled as she pointed at him after your response. before she could say anything else you felt a pair of hands wrap around your waist and drag you off. trying to kick your way out was useless and they brought you to an empty dorm.

through all of this you couldn’t tell who it was kicking and screaming for them to let you go till you heard mattheos voice “puff calm down it’s just me” he sighed putting you down on what you now assumed was his bed “why did you bring me in here that was so scary” you huffed trying to gain your composure. “diggory?” he scoffed not answering your question.

you looked at him confused as to what he was on about “what do you mean? what about cedric” you cocked your head to the side in confusion “you lost your virginity to him??” he questioned stepping closer to you looking rather.. pissed. you just laughed in response “me? lose my virginity to cedric?.. you’re funny” yeah you fantasized about it but it certainly wouldn’t happen.

“what were you talking to pansy about then??” he looked at you unconvinced, “she asked if i lost it and i said no, but id let him take it.-“ you shrugged “besides you know i tell you everything matt i’ve never even had a boyfriend let alone a guy be interested in my virginity” you sighed laying back onto the bed now feeling upset.

you heard mattheo sigh and you picked your head up to look at him, his eyes stared back at you in silence before breaking it “believe me there’s a lot of guys who want to get in your pants” he rubbed his fists and you gave him a confused expression yet again “what are you on about matt?” you were getting sober just from all of this extra mystery.

he walked over to the bed sitting beside you, “listen when we met you were just.. blooming completely and i would be lying if i didn’t say i first went up to you because of your looks.. well overtime you know we became friends and i noticed other guys staring in ways they shouldn’t have been so i had to teach them a lesson.” he looked at you and yo didn’t know how to respond to something like that.

“what exactly are you saying matt?” you didnt understand what he was poking at, did matt mean to say he basically likes you? were you reading too much into this? “look y/n, no one else in this school fucking deserves you. hell i don’t deserve you but i know i can treat you how you need. don’t ask me what took so long to confess to you y/n, but do you feel even remotely the same?” he let it all out quick and fast, and your mouth dropped.

“you want.. me?” you looked at him in disbelief and he just smiled “that’s what that whole speech was about, yeah” he chuckled nervously awaiting your reply “why?” you sighed still slightly unconvinced “have you fucking seen yourself puff? you’re so undeniably gorgeous, i don’t know how i hold myself back from you everyday” he leaned in closer to you making this all seem more real. without thinking you allowed yourself to lean into him, faces and lips meeting for the most magical first kiss you could’ve ever imagined.

“you’re so fucking beautiful y/n” he grabbed your face pulling you closer to him till you straddled over his lap sitting down continuing the now makeout. “this is so much better than.. imagined” you huffed through the kisses. you could already feel mattheos member growing beneath you and you never thought you’d be the one experiencing this from your best friend.

you’d be lying if you didn’t admit to a fantasy or two about him in the past but this was already one thousand times better than ever imagined. mattheos lips kissed their way down your neck leaving small marks tiny moans leaving your mouth, “i need to hear more of that, y/n, let me eat you out.. please i need a taste” he continued his kisses along your neck bringing them back to your lips “i’ve never- mm yes” you replied as his fingers began making circles over your underwear.

“you sound so good fuck” he groaned pulling you off of him and getting off the bed, “you’re sure of this?” he questioned one last time and you just nodded impatiently awaiting his next move. next thing you knew he was yanking you to the edge of his bed and slowly removing your pants and underwear looking up at you from below. “holy fuck puff.. you’re fucking soaking” he breathed out over your pussy sending tingles down your spine.

without warning his mouth met your untouched area and you felt things never imaginable. his tongue made its way around your bulging clit, flicking it up and down and making his way to your entrance sucking and licking “you taste so good holy fuck” he huffed going right back in not even looking up at you, “can i put two fingers” he spoke from your pussy and you couldn’t even properly answer “mm y-yes” you replied between your moans.

you felt his slender fingers teasing your entrance and he slowly began inching one in and out teasingly, “mattheo-“ you huffed and he chuckled shoving both fingers in, loud moan escaping your mouth and this new feeling. he did a few different moments trying to figure out what makes you moan the most, soon his tongue was sucking expertly on your clit as his fingers twisters and curled inside of you.

“matt i want to.. try” you moaned at this pleasure wanting nothing more than to feel him inside of you now. “mm but you’re not ready yet puff” he continued devouring your pussy simply divulging in it as if he’d never eaten anything before. his pace on everything quickened and you were already near your own orgasm, “if you don’t s-stop i’m gonna cum” you moaned loudly trying to control yourself.

“let go for me sweetheart” he sucked harder on your clit, the nickname and action forcing your orgasm to flood over you harder than you’ve ever been able to make yourself experience. your body was shaking and you couldn’t hold your reactions back, mattheo slowly licked your gushing area clean before standing up “mm now i think you’ll be ready soon” he smirked leaning down over you, grabbing your chin and giving you a kiss.

[inbabylontheywept]

the fine and subtle art of arguing with old men

it was a good week for testing which meant it was a slow week for me. most of my job is fixing the machine when it goes down. if it doesn't go down, i don't have much to do. 

fortunately neither did marc. in a site full of ornery old bastards, he's the oldest and the orneriest, so it goes without saying that i enjoy spending time with him. he reminds me of my grandpa. hell, he reminds me of a lot of people. i've befriended enough grumpy old men that i've got a sort of momentum to it now - you know how it is, when you meet someone that reminds you of someone else you really like. you get to start that friendship off half built, because you already have an idea of how to like that guy, and some of that old warmth can be brought to the new friendship. a little ember to start the stove up with.

(i think that's one of the really undersold beauties of getting older. you stop viewing people as strangers and more like remixes of friends.)

anyway, i was sitting next to marc and we were talking about the future. i've got my eye on having kids sometime soon (year or two? hopefully?), and he's very happy for me. i've tried asking him for advice, but all he says is that he didn't do a great job with his own kids and they still turned out okay, so i should stress less and trust myself more. i hope he's right. he believes it, at least, and it's a hell of a thing to have the faith of an old man. his faith is hard won.

as for his plans, he's retiring at some point in the next six months, and is hoping to sell his home and buy something in florida. he's republican, so he views the state as paradise, and i'm not inclined to even try talking him out of it. it's his dream, you know? i know for a fact my paradise would be a lot of people's hell. life's funny like that.

still, we kept going on, and it was a good time, and then he reminisced about the last time he got close to quitting - back around 2020. our job required getting vaxxed, and he refused, and there was a big kerfuffle about it before the job actually backed down. i know there's not a lot of sympathy for the unvaxxed out here, but the man's 62. you get the shot when you're under 30 to protect the people around you, but when you're over 60, you're just getting it to protect yourself and it's hard to be mad at someone for kicking their own ass. 

still gave me pause though. i knew he wasn't going to take it well, but half the job of collecting curmudgeons is keeping them around, so i said 

hey. i'm sorry they bent your arm over it, but.

but. 

you should really get that shot. 

and he looked over at me, and i looked at him, and he actually spat. not on me, just the concrete, but it was enough to show that he was mad. then he walked away, as abrupt as anything.

i felt bad about it. i wasn't sure what i'd expected, when he was willing to lose his job over it before, but i'd been so invested in his dream of retirement - the idea of him sipping margaritias on a beach next to his wife, the wife he calls every day during lunch, the wife he says is the one thing in life he ever got right on the first try. the wife that almost divorced him back when he was in the airforce because he just wasn't home enough. 

(but he can be home now.) 

and then he mentioned the vax thing, and it was like seeing a pin hit a balloon. he works out every day and takes all sorts of crazy vitamins and is generally committed to getting the most out of his pension and his life. i didn't want this dumb weak point to be his achilles heel. 

---

i wasn't actually sure how long marc would be mad at me. i've seen him stay mad at some people for weeks. i wasn't sure if being friends would make that time go up or down. 

it went down. i'm glad it went down. 

he stopped being mad about two days later. we were doing front end maintenance one morning, and it was just that simple mechanical rhythm - hex key, replace the anode sheets, punch some off-gassing holes, oil it up, put it back in - that put things at ease. it always does. people working there are too busy to remember grudges, and it has this sort of mandatory practical communication that helps smooth things over. it was going great, and then out of the blue he said babs, you gotta be careful giving advice. those shots come with complications. what would you do if i got that shot, had a stroke, and died? 

and i don't know what answer he was expecting, but i just told him the truth, which is that i would be devastated. i'd feel like i killed him. i thought that was a pretty normal response, but he looked taken aback. he asked why i said it then, and i said i'd have felt the same if he died of covid. that's just life. sometimes, there's no way forward that doesn't risk some kind of regret. 

we finished the tube after that, in a silence that felt heavier than peace but lighter than anger. it felt like the ball was back in marc's court. like it would be rude to take that turn from him. 

we parted ways with a nod and didn't speak until the next day. 

---

i was doing spreadsheet work when he found me again. standard paper engineering - thinking of things we might need and ordering them in batches, months ahead of time. it always feels a little like plugging holes in a dam with my fingers. 

but he popped up, and we didn't even exchange pleasantries. he just said i'm gonna die one day, and you can't blame yourself for that. 

which is a hell of a thing to just tell someone right off the bat. 

so i said what 

and he said babs, i am in my 60s. something is gonna get me eventually, and whether it's covid or heart disease, or a stroke, there will be something you could have said or done before. and that's okay. it's not your job to make me live forever. 

and you know, he actually made a lot of sense. so i said 

okay. 

i'll keep your business yours. i just

you were talking about your retirement before this. and i want that for you very much. you've worked hard for 45 years, and you deserve a break. we're getting to sick season, and it would be the saddest fucking thing in the world if you got this close to winning the race then tripped in the last ten feet. 

and we sat there a few moments longer. i wasn't sure what to say, and i wasn't sure what he'd say, but eventually he just shrugged and said

yeah 

then he left. i figured that would be the end of it. 

---

i did front end maintenance yesterday, after being gone a week. it's one of my favorite things to do. i like working with my hands. i really like working with my hands. i'm glad i went to college, but in a different life, i think i could've made a better electrician than an electrical engineer. 

and at one step, when we were both hoisting the plate back onto the machine, his sleeve rode up, and i saw two bandaids on his arm. 

we finished the install, and i was ready to go back when marc actually stopped me. 

i got the shot, he said, almost embarrassed. like he'd been caught. and i knew he was gonna say something dumb about it, so i just cut him off by giving him a hug. 

i was relieved. hugging old men is kind of like picking up cats. if they like you a lot, they'll tolerate it, but that's about it. we sat there maybe three beats before his hands went up, and then he gave me one overly-hard thump on the back. in my experience, this is how old men tell you that they're done, so i let him go.

carla talked me into it, he said, almost defensive. his wife. his one good decision.

tell her i said thanks, i said back.

trump got the shot too, he said, less defensive, but oddly pleading. like he was consoling himself.

like he was nervous.

then it's gotta be safe, i said, and he looked up at me, strangely searching, strangely vulnerable. i don't know exactly what he was looking for, but i guess he found it because after a few moments his shoulders relaxed.

yeah, he said, one hand on the back of his head.

it's gotta be.

[nicksolemnlyswears]

THE BEAR AND THE BEE HIVE

summary: in which carmy falls for the sweet café owner that supplies him with endless americanos

pairing: carmen berzatto x fem!reader

word count: 14.4k

warning: it's a little bit of a slow burn. sorry. i'm a sucker for it and i feel like carmy is a slow burn kinda guy. 18 +, cursing, smut, p in v, oral (m. receiving), fingering, they use protection guys! i deserve a pat in the back. nothing too wild. oh, and very brief mention of suicide.

a/n: i started writing this way back in october and then it was nearly done and i abandoned it. well i finally got around to completing it tonight!

this is my first time ever writing for carmy and i tried my best writing this. i love carmy and the show but i didn’t expect it to be hard to write him as a character. i wanted to get him right so i took my time with it and didn’t rush it. hopefully you guys like my carmy. enjoy!

i think i've had this stored in my drafts for like 4 months and it's time for me to set it free.

The cigarettes were not enough anymore. No matter how many smoke breaks Carmy took, he still felt the edge on his shoulders. A fear laced with anxiety that overtook him.

After deciding that blowing through yet another wall in his restaurant was the way to go, Carmy took a break. He needed it before he used the sledgehammer to destroy the restaurant in its entirety, along with his dream.

He remembers a coffee shop only a block away from The Bear and thinks he could use a coffee right about now. Maybe the mixture of caffeine and nicotine will be able to relax his shoulders, if only for an hour.

As soon as he opens the door, the smell of ground coffee beans greets him. He looks around, taking in the cozy ambiance the decorative wood brings to the place and the splashes of warm yellow that lighten it up.

Then he sees you, and his focus shifts entirely. His eyes only see you.

"Hi, welcome to Bee Hive!" You chirp with a small smile.

Carmy freezes, forgetting why he's there in the first place. He slowly steps up to the register, where you patiently wait for him. It's just after the lunch rush, so you're in no hurry.

He finds he's acting like a teenager who has just seen a pretty girl. Only he's not a teenager, and you're more than a pretty girl.

"What can I get for you today?" You ask, not noticing the effect you've had on him. You take a sharpie out of your yellow apron, preparing to scribble down his order in a cup.

Carmy has perfected the empty on the outside but screaming on the inside face. Strangers don't tend to know he's almost always losing his shit.

"I-I don't…sorry," Carmy looks at you briefly before diverting his eyes. He apologizes in a flurry, looking for an excuse for his weird behavior, "Uh, it's my first time here. What do you recommend?"

"It's not a problem," you say softly as if to calm him, "I'm a simple girl. I love the latte, but if you're looking for something stronger, the americano is one of the favorites."

Carmy nods as you ramble about the drinks, where the coffee beans come from, and the different notes of each blend. He hangs onto every word that slips from your lips. The static in his brain clearing up for the first time in hours.

It ends too soon as you realize you're talking too much and probably overwhelmed him. You sheepishly smile at him and trail off, but he continues to stare, waiting for you to continue.

"I'll take the Americano," Carmy nods, giving you a tight-lipped smile. Although he had been hanging to every one of your words, he was too focused on the shape of your lips and the sweet tone of your voice.

"Good choice," you nod, grabbing a cup from the tray beside you, "What's your name?"

Carmy looks up, slightly alarmed, as if you've asked for his social security number. "What?" He thinks you'll be forward and ask for his number next, seemingly forgetting how coffee orders work.

"Your name? For the order?" You explain, trying to ease his worries. He's odd, but in an endearing way. You believe this is his first time here because you're confident you would've remembered him.

"Fuck, right, yeah," he nervously says, pinching the bridge of his nose, "My name's Carmen."

"Your Americano will be right out, Carmen," you tell him, capping your sharpie back up.

Carmy quickly pays and stands to the side to wait for his order. He forces himself to not look at you or in your direction as you take other customers' orders. He just knows he's made a fool of himself already. Not that it matters. Why would it matter? He's there for the coffee. Nothing else, no one else.

As he walks out of Bee Hive, he sips his coffee. His shoulders instantly drop, and his fear-induced anxiety starts to dissipate for the moment. He's unsure if the effect is because of the caffeine or the thoughts of your pretty smile.

Visiting your coffee shop becomes routine for Carmy. Whenever things at The Bear become crazy -or he starts to lose his fuckin' mind- he makes his way to Bee Hive with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

For twenty minutes, he's free of Richie's constant hounding, Sugar's struggles with the permits and scheduling, and Sydney's disappointment because the menu is still extremely underway.

Each time he's stopped by, you've been there to greet him, and each time, you've left a little heart by Carmen's name, which makes his heart race in a peculiar way. His hands would touch his chest to check if it was heartburn, but it didn't feel like that. It's not anxiety either cause he knows pretty well how that feels.

All he knows is he hasn't done anything to deserve such a gesture. He's convinced himself you draw little hearts for everyone because he's not special.

One Thursday afternoon, Carmy realizes he doesn't know your name. He looks for a name tag, but you're not wearing one on your yellow apron. He should know your name if you insist on making small talk despite his short answers.

He can't help it. He gets too in his head to answer like a normal person, so his answers come out choppy and dry.

"Alright, Carmen, your order will be right out," you say, handing his cup to one of the baristas. You always hold out and ask him what he wants to order. He has the right to change his mind anytime, but for now, he's stuck with the americano, which he drowns in sugar.

As curiosity eats at him, he gathers the courage to ask. "Thanks. Hey, uh, I've-I’ve never gotten your name…” Carmy says, cursing at himself for not formulating the question correctly. His hand comes up to grip his hair instinctually.

Your smile widens when he asks your name. The silly crush you've developed for your customer fluttering to life. It's just a crush over a stranger, nothing to write home about.

You tell him your name but follow it with "-call me Honey. Everyone knows me by that name. I'm sure if you ask my friends about me with my real name, you'll throw them for a loop."

You're rambling, hoping he doesn't think calling you by your nickname is weird. Then again, how can he judge when he has a sister people call 'Sugar' and he and his siblings also don the nickname 'Bear.'

"Honey." Carmy repeats your nickname, smiling as he finds it fitting. "In that case, call me Carmy."

"Nice to properly meet you, Carmy," you say, grinning.

Like all the days before, Carmy steps aside and waits for his coffee. He doesn't let himself continue the conversation or ask more about you even if it’s everything he wants to do.

It's rare for Carmy to be in a good mood, and whenever it happens, it doesn't tend to last. His goal of opening a restaurant in 12 weeks makes it impossible for him to relax and enjoy the ride. To prolong this unusual feeling, Carmy stops by Bee Hive on his way to The Bear.

"Have you made your boss angry, Honey?" He asks as he pulls out his wallet to pay. He ordered the americano as he always does.

"No…why do you ask?" You ask, tilting your head in confusion.

"Uh, 'cause you-you're always here. Do you not take days off? Not that I'm complaining. I-I like seeing you here." Carmy's words get quieter as he speaks, red creeping up his neck. So much for trying to make a joke.

You look around the room and tell him, "Imma let you in on a little secret."

Carmy follows your hand, waving him to get closer. The smell of cigarettes invades your senses as you get close to him. You'd never admit that the mix of his cigarettes and your coffee is addicting. As both lean over the counter, you whisper, "I'm the boss. I can't run away even if I wanted to."

"You own the coffee shop," Carmy pans in shock.

Carmy is more than surprised at your words. Especially now that he knows how expensive it is to open a business. You can't be a day over 25 and own a successful coffee place. There is hope, after all.

"I do," you nod, standing straight once more.

A couple of years ago, you had inherited a hefty amount of money from an estranged aunt. Fresh out of college and with no real plan, you thought it would be a good moment to follow your dream and open the cozy café.

"How do you do it?" Carmy asks, amazed at the girl smiling at him. "I don't know if you know, but, um, I-I'm opening the restaurant around the block. Used to be The Beef?" He finishes grimly as he points to his side of the block.

"Oh, yeah. The guys who worked there helped me move some equipment when I first opened two years ago," you reveal, "Tell you what, whenever you have a break, come around. I'll give you a free americano and tell you all about it. Neighbor to neighbor."

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Carmy agrees. "I'll take you up on that."

Weeks go by, and Carmy seemingly forgets about Bee Hive and your pending conversation. You try not to overthink about his absence or how you might've scared him away. He's probably just busy remodeling his restaurant. You know better than anyone how much time that takes.

Still, his presence has become part of your routine, and you can't help but look at the door each time the bell rings. You expect to see him walking up to the counter, the remnants of cigarette smoke coming out his nose as he breathes.

You're pretty close to your assumption because Carmy has been dealing with the fire suppression test. They didn't fail the test once but twice, and if they didn't pass it on the third try, their plan to open the restaurant in 12 weeks goes out the window. Fak has tried everything, and nothing works.

He'd sent Richie once on a coffee run, but the fuckin' idiot went to the nearest Starbucks. Carmy had been looking forward to tasting your coffee and seeing his name in the cup with the little heart because he's 100% sure he's the only Carmen you know. It's not a common name in these parts of town.

One very early morning, he's walking to work, and as he passes Bee Hive, he sees you inside, wiping tables down before you open at 6:30.

Impulsively, he knocks on the glass, not giving himself the time to overthink things. You turn to look at the window and see him standing outside, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his familiar plaid jacket to protect himself from the chilly March air.

"Hey stranger," you greet him, opening the door and inviting him in.

"Hi," he breathes out, staring at you, "you're here early," he tries to casually mention.

You roll your eyes dramatically and say, "It's a downside of the job. Did you know people want coffee at the crack of dawn?"

You try acting as nonchalant as possible. It's not like you missed seeing one of your favorite customers, his beautiful blue eyes, or the way he rocks a simple white t-shirt.

"I had no idea," Carmy smiles, bringing his tattooed hand up to his lips, "I, uh, usually drink mine at night." That much is true. On those sleepless nights when insomnia takes over him, the best remedy is coffee.

"Would you make an exception and join me for a morning coffee at the crack ass of dawn?" Anxiously, you play with the rings on your fingers. It feels like you're asking the guy on a date when it's just a friendly coffee.

"As long as you have some business advice to spare?" Carmy responds shakily. He briefly looks down the street to glimpse at his restaurant. It's too early for anyone to be there yet.

"Deal."

Throwing the towel over your shoulder, you make your way behind the counter. Carmy attempts to make small talk with you as you prepare both drinks.

This is the first time he's watching you in action since you tend to stick to the cash register when he's around. It's not a coincidence. After the first time he came to Bee Hive, you wanted to see more of him, so you stationed yourself at the register where you'd be sure to see him, and he'd see you.

"Here you go." You place his coffee mug on the table along with yours before disappearing momentarily and returning with an orange soufflé coffee cake. You're pulling all the stops for Carmy to leave a good impression.

Carmy thanks you and sips his coffee, "Wow, this is fire!" He expected to taste an americano, but what you prepared was entirely different. He can make out hints of hazelnut and caramel in the coffee.

"Thanks. I took the liberty of changing your order. You can always come back to the americano, though…" you shrug shyly, looking at him over the rim of your mug.

"I-I appreciate it. Thanks." Carmy throws you a nervous grin. He gestures with his tattooed hand to dig into the cake you brought out. He shouldn't be the only one eating.

You and Carmy share the cake as you talk about yourselves and the crazy businesses you own. Somehow, talking to you comes easy to him. He's still nervous and scared to fuck things up, but the warm coffee and your even warmer smile ease him into it.

"How do you do it? This place is always packed, and you seem like you run a tight ship," Carmy wonders, playing with the fork. The cake is long gone, although the notes of orange remain on his tongue. Would you taste the same?

"It wasn't without mistakes. I had to learn a lot from my fuck ups and listen to my team because although I'm the owner, they are the ones doing most of the work. Whenever there's a flaw, they are the first to know," you speak softly, afraid of ruining the calm ambiance you've set up, twirling the small amount of coffee left in your mug.

It's your favorite part of morning coffee. When you have just the smallest bit of coffee left, and you know you'll never drink it because it's cold, but it gives you an excuse to remain where you are.

"So, all I gotta do is listen?" It's funny you say that because Carmy listens, but his friend's voices get muddled somewhere along the way. As much as he tries to focus on them, they merge together and form a cacophony in his head.

"A lot of listening and a lot of experimentation. I've been open for two years, and it's only been in the last six months that I can confidently tell you we found our groove," you admit with a grimace.

Bee Hive is your baby, but bringing it to life was everything but easy. You messed up so many times, costing you so much money. You didn't know shit about owning a business or building one from the ground up. Doing research and putting your pride aside to ask for help got you through it.

"I've only been doing this for, like, less than a fuckin' year, and I already want to pull my hair out," Carmy admits with a pitiful laugh.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you it gets better soon," you say apologetically, reaching for his hand that rests on the table.

Carmy freezes, glancing at your hand on top of his. He hasn't got a clue what to fucking do with the display of affection. Was it a display of affection? He doesn't fucking know. "It's, uh, it's, uh, it's alright. As-as long as you give me coffee, I think I can make it through," Carmen furrows his eyebrows as he stutters through the sentence.

"I can't wait to see what the award-winning chef does," you say, bringing your hand back to your lap, none the wiser to Carmy's internal struggle.

He should've done something to keep your hand on his. Place his other hand on yours or fucking turn his hand around to grasp it. He liked feeling your warm skin on his. It hasn't been a minute since you pulled away, and he's craving it already. It's ridiculous. Is he really that touch-starved that he's seeking affection from a near stranger?

He coughs and darts his eyes between the wooden table top and you, "Fuck. You-you know about that?"

"I might've done some research after finding out you're opening the restaurant. I got curious. I'm sorry." Apologizing is your default thing to do. Messing things up is your area of expertise. You really didn't think he'd mind you mentioning it.

"No, no, no, uh, you don't have to apologize. You just caught me off guard," Carmy shakes his head, reassuring both of you.

"Okay, good," you lightly smile at him, averting your eyes when your gazes meet.

If there's a time for you to make a move, it's now. Taking a shaky breath, you speak up, "I was wondering if you'd ever like to-."

A loud knock on the glass door interrupts you. You and Carmy jump and look towards the source of the noise. It's one of your regular clients, waving at you to open up. Looking at your watch, you see it's 6:30 already.

"Shit. I'm-I'm sorry I took so much of your time," Carmy apologizes, picking up his mug and the plate to put away.

You grab his wrist to make him stop in his tracks, "Relax. I enjoyed talking to you. Maybe we can do it again soon?"

Carmy nods wide-eyed. He likes the idea just as much as you do. You take away the mug and plate with a soft 'okay.' He then follows you to the door as you unlock it and turn the sign to 'open.'

"I, um, gotta go work on the menu. I'll probably be back later for another coffee?" Carmen asks you as if he's asking for permission, which you find adorable.

"I'll be behind the register," you say, watching him walk away. He turns his head back for a moment, and you catch the smile gracing his lips as yours turns to mimic him.

"Oh, he's cute," your customer, an older lady, says, watching him go along with you. "It's about time you got a boyfriend."

"Mrs. O'Hara, here for your tea?" You ask her, ignoring the comment about your love life. That woman will set you up with anyone. She does love her tea, though, and expects you to provide it on time.

It's slow, but Carmen warms up to you. Instead of grabbing his coffee to go, he now drinks it at the café, coincidentally around the same time you take your break.

He's been hesitantly opening up. It's not like he's telling you about how fucked up his family is or how his brother committed suicide. More often, it's about the restaurant and his work as a chef, the struggles of getting every permit they need on a tight schedule since they are supposed to open in about four weeks now, or the occasional childhood memory. It's everything you need to know at this stage.

You love listening to Carmy talk, even if you have to coax it out of him sometimes. He's passionate about the restaurant despite all the stress that comes from it, and he adores the people he works with. He's shy but not in a dorky way because he's actually fascinating. Before meeting him, you never knew that collecting denim was a thing.

The smell of cigarettes that clings to him is also tightly laced with his character. When you step outside to get some sun and the scent of someone smoking hits you, your heart instantly speeds up, hoping it's him coming for his daily americano, or to come swoop you away into a sunset.

"-I fell on my ass in the middle of the street. I was freaking out, thinking I was gonna get run over by a car," you exclaim as you tell Carmy about the crazy Christmas you spent in New York last year.

"It's New York. You probably would have been run over," Carmy chuckles along with you. "There was this one time I was running late and-" His phone vibrating interrupts him.

"Sorry, it's just the fridge guy," he tells you with a furrow of his eyebrows. You notice he does that a lot when he's thinking deeply. Carmy silences it and looks back over to you.

"You should pick that up. A busted fridge is the last thing you need. Trust me. Been there, done that." You encourage him to take the call. The restaurant is more important than your story about how you bruised your coccyx in New York.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Carm! Call him back before you forget," you insist, grabbing his empty cup to trash it. You don't give him any other option, leaving him there to help your employees with a faulty machine.

He watches you closely, closer than ever before. He allows himself to watch how you frown at the machine and how your ringed fingers fumble with the knobs. His eyes keep trailing down involuntarily, and they take in how nicely your jeans hug your ass.

He goes into a spiral into these old pair of Levi jeans popular in the 90s and how they would fit nicely with the shape of your hips and legs. Carmy continues on the tangent, imagining himself peeling them off your body.

The phone vibrating in his hand snaps him out of it. Clearing his throat, he picks up the phone and walks outside. He waves at you through the window as he makes his way back to The Bear. Your frustration at the machine vanishes momentarily as you wave back, except the machine splatters, forcing you to redirect your attention. When you look outside again, he's gone.

Stakes are high at The Bear. There's less than four weeks until Friends and Family, and there is much to do. Marcus has returned from Copenhagen and is working on the desserts. Tina is doing her job as the new sous chef. Fak and Sweeps are helping out wherever they can. And Richie is being Richie, trying to be open but resisting change.

"I need coffee or a pop. Anything with caffeine," Sydney says, throwing her head back. She and Carmen have been working on the chaos menu for hours, and she keeps messing up. Carmy insists that it's okay that they'll adjust and get it right soon, but she's beginning to lose hope.

"Me too. I'd kill for an espresso," Natalie agrees, softly rubbing her hand over her growing bump.

"I thought you couldn't have caffeine cause of the baby," Richie mentions, remembering Tiff's time while pregnant.

"I don't need you to fuckin' tell me what I can or can't eat, Richie," Natalie yells, glaring at him. Although he's right, the doctor told her to limit her caffeine intake. Hard to do when she's up all night thinking about everything she needs to do for The Bear.

"Shit. I'm sorry for fucking caring," Richie screams back, lifting his hands up in defense.

"I can go to the coffee place down the block. Get everyone something," Carmy pipes up, looking forward to seeing you today.

Natalie is quick to shoot that idea down, "You can't. The fridge guy is coming in 20 minutes."

"Fuck, that's right," Carmy groans, digging his head in his hands. His fingers rake through his hair, messing up his curls. He wanted to see you and talk to you, even if it was for five short minutes.

"I'll go," Sydney sighs. She needs to leave the kitchen for more than five minutes, or she'll go crazy, "Just tell me what you guys want to order."

Natalie grumbles about getting decaf, Richie orders a plain black coffee, and Carmy asks for his americano. As Sydney leaves to ask Marcus, Carmy yells after her, "Please, go to Bee Hive. If you get Starbucks, I'm gonna fucking lose it."

Richie and Natalie exchange a look. Richie because he's confused, and Natalie because she knows something is happening with Carmy. He's never been picky over coffee. In fact, they have an old coffee machine in the office that now goes unused because he's always at that coffee shop.

"Sorry, I didn't get the fuckin' memo. Since when is Starbucks bad?" Richie frowns, looking to get a rise out of Carmy.

"I don't think it's about the coffee, cousin," Natalie responds, directing her gaze towards her brother, who is hunched over the counters, chopping vegetables.

"If it's not about the coffee, what is it about?" Richie questions, crossing his arms.

"Shut the fuck up, Sugar," Carmy grumbles, looking at his sister with a glare. He already knows where she's going. She tried to bring it up a couple of days ago after she walked by the coffee shop and saw him being friendly with you.

Natalie smiles and responds, "Carmy has a crush on the barista."

"That's ridiculous. I don't have a crush on her." Carmy shakes his head, avoiding Richie and Natalie's eyes on him. They always do this. They gang up on him if he shows even the slightest interest in a girl. They think they can help, but all they do is embarrass him.

"Come on, Bear. Why else would you go almost every day to get coffee?" Natalie asks, giving him a look.

"Because it's good fuckin' coffee. Jesus, it's not that deep." Carmy grabs the veggies he chopped and drops them into a container to use later.

"It's okay to admit you like a pretty girl, cousin! I'm excited for you! Makes you human and not a lonely hermit," Richie jokes, pushing on Carmy's buttons. "When was the last time you got laid?"

"I swear to God, Richie. Shut the fuck up," Carmy points at him angrily.

"No, I should go with Sydney and see who this girl is!" Richie says, walking out of the half-built kitchen.

Carmy follows him instantly, "You're not going fuckin' anywhere, fuckin' jagoff." He's turning red from anger, seeing Richie with his mocking smile. Natalie follows behind them, amused at the situation. It reminds her of the banters they used to get in with Mickey.

"Admit that you like her," Richie shrugs, giving him a choice.

"No, I won't," Carmy refuses. "You always do this shit."

"Then, I'm going," Richie nods, stepping towards the door.

"Fuck! Shit, alright. I like her, okay? Don't fucking go anywhere," Carmy yells, rubbing a hand on his face out of frustration. It's like he's not allowed to keep anything good to himself.

"Was that so hard?" Richie grins, clapping a hand on Carmy's shoulder.

"Don't fuckin' touch me," Carmy grumbles, walking back to the kitchen. Natalie follows him with a smile, shaking her head at Richie.

Carmy sighs and squeezes his eyes shut. He has yet to admit that he likes you more than he should. He's been avoiding it, afraid of what it might lead to, or rather, what it might not.

He couldn't let Richie go see you. He has a big fuckin' mouth and will tell you Carmy has a crush on you whether it's true or not. Just like that, he feels the sour taste in his mouth, his heartburn making an appearance. Carmy should go look for his pepto before it gets worse.

Unaware of the argument back at The Bear, Sydney walks to Bee Hive. She's walked past many times but has yet to have the time to stop and try it out.

As she waits in line, she reads over the drinks menu. It's clear that it's been carefully curated. Starbucks has nothing on this menu. She can see why Carmy would prefer to come here instead.

When it's her turn to order, Sydney takes out her phone to recite everyone's drink order. She also points to a few pastries, thinking Marcus would like to try some of them and get inspiration. That and she knows Natalie will enjoy them as well.

You're sitting at a table close to the pickup counter. You often find yourself all over the store, ensuring everything goes smoothly. Sometimes, you stop to talk to your regulars and see how they're doing.

You notice Sydney struggling with all the cups she has to carry. It's proving difficult despite the to-go trays your barista put them in. Deciding to approach her, you ask, "Do you need help?"

"Oh, no. I'm fine, thanks," Sydney responds with a nervous smile. She's trying hard to grab everything, including the box with the pastries.

You continue watching her struggle because you know she needs help. You let her try and figure it out for one more minute before stepping in again when she almost drops two of the drinks, "Need some help now?"

"Yeah," Sydney sighs, "I guess I can leave one of the trays here, go to the restaurant, and come back for the rest," she speaks mostly to herself.

"Are you going far?"

"No, just the restaurant down the block," Sydney responds with a sigh, scratching her eyebrow as she tries to figure out the logistics of carrying the drinks. She could get a box to put everything in.

You perk up at her response. The only restaurant down the block is Carmen's. Could she work there? "Carmy's restaurant?"

"You know Carmy?" Sydney asks, tilting her head. Maybe Nat was right. Carmy spends his time here because of the woman in front of her.

"He comes here often. Anyway, I can go with you to help you out. It's not far, and I'd feel bad if your drinks got cold." You offer to help her out because you're a nice person. Not because you want a chance to see the curly-haired man you are developing feelings for.

"You really don't have to…"

"It's really not a problem," you press, grabbing one of the to-go trays and motioning for her to lead the way.

Sydney sighs in defeat and nods, "Thanks. I'm Sydney, by the way."

"I'm Honey," you smile, following her outside.

You chat all the way to the restaurant with Sydney. She reminds you of Carmy in some ways, so you can see why they are friends. Before arriving at the restaurant, Sydney apologizes in advance for any sort of mess there might be, including yelling.

As you near the building under renovation, your palms start to sweat. Maybe you shouldn't have come. You're showing up unannounced, and he's probably too busy to talk to you anyway. You can slip in and out without him noticing. That's the goal now.

You open the door for Sydney, letting her go through first, and quietly follow her into the restaurant. There's no time to escape, as all eyes are instantly on you.

Richie is arguing with Fak when he sees you walk in. He narrows his eyes as Carmy looks in your direction from the kitchen. With just one glance to Carmy's face, he knows who you're supposed to be.

"Guess I didn't have to go anywhere. She came to me," Richie whispers, rushing out the door.

"Shut the fuck up. Where are you going? Don't embarrass me!" Carmy whispers out to Richie unsuccessfully.

"Oh, you'll do that all by yourself," Richie throws over his shoulder.

"Honey, hey, what-what're you doing here?" Carmy speaks, not giving Richie a chance to open his big mouth. He stands between you and Richie, blocking him for the time being.

"Sydney needed help with the drinks," you answer nervously, averting your eyes.

"Oh, thanks for that. You didn't have to," Carmy approaches you and takes the drinks from your hands. His fingers brush with yours momentarily, causing you both to blush.

"I did, or else you probably wouldn't have anything to drink," you whisper to him.

Sydney, Fak, and Richie all watch the interaction amusedly. Richie has a big teasing grin on his face as he makes a plan in his head.

"Hi, I'm Richie! Carmy's cousin," he introduces himself, shoving Carmy to the side and shaking your hand enthusiastically. "I gotta say Carmen right here is obsessed with your coffee. He's banned us from getting Starbucks."

Carmy curses under his breath as Richie does precisely what he tells him not to. He has the urge to throw the coffee at him and run away.

"Is that right?" You ask, amused, looking over at Carmy with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Richie answers for him as Carmy tries to find the right words to say. "Cousin, why don't you give the nice lady a tour of the place?"

"It's not done yet. Could be dangerous," Carmy hopelessly says with a gulp.

"Nonsense! You'll take care of her!" Richie insists. He takes the coffee from Carmy's hands and pushes him in your direction. "Go give her a tour."

Richie, Sydney, and Fak all disappear to the office to stay out of the way and try to snoop simultaneously. Fak sends Carmy a not-so-discreet thumbs-up that makes you giggle.

He's internally screaming at his so-called friends but is glad to see you. It was all he wanted before Sydney left to get their drinks. It's strange having you here at The Bear, though. He's so used to seeing you in your own space back at Bee Hive.

Trying to make things better, you say, "Sorry you've been roped into this. You probably have better things to do. I can go-"

Carmy doesn't let you finish. "No, stay. I want to show you around."

"Let's see what you got then, Berzatto," you grin, following him to the kitchen.

Carmy takes his time showing you The Bear. He wants you to stay. He wants to spend time with you but doesn't really know how to say it. So he takes it slow, answers your questions about the restaurant, shows you the front and how everything will be laid out, and introduces you to the ones around, including the fridge guy working on the handle.

Sadly, you get a call from Bee Hive asking you to come back. Carmy walks you outside, dreading having to say goodbye.

"I'm really excited for The Bear to open. You have a great place and team," you tell Carmy.

"I really got lucky with them, huh?" He asks, playing with a dish towel.

"I gotta go. I'll see you later, Berzatto." You don't know where you got the guts to lean towards him and kiss his cheek.

Carmy stays still as his face heats up. You start walking away and throw him a smile over your shoulder. When you're a distance away, he touches the cheek you kissed. Back inside, Richie runs over to Sugar to tell her what he just witnessed.

It's late when Carmy leaves The Bear. As he walks to the train station, he has his hands stuffed in his jacket pocket. On his way, he sees a lone light turned on in your café. Crossing the street to check it out, he sees you're still there with glasses perched on your nose in front of the computer.

He tries the door, and to his luck, it's open. You look in his direction, startled, but relax once you see it's him.

"Nice glasses," Carmy teases, pulling out a chair to sit.

"Are you making fun of me?" You purse your lips, propping your chin on your palm.

"No, I…I think you look cute with them," Carmy admits. After a stern talk from Sugar and Richie, he's realized he should probably make a proper move on you because if what they say is true, you also have a crush on him.

"Thanks," you blush, the light from your screen making it obvious to Carmy, who can't stop the corners of his lips from turning up into a smile.

"Late night?"

"One of my baristas is moving out of state. I have to find someone new, preferably who has experience," you say with a sigh. Glancing at him, you add, "Are you perhaps interested in the position?"

"Poaching me from my own restaurant, nice. I'll let you know I'm an excellent worker," Carmy jokes, tapping his fingers on the table.

There's no doubt in your mind he's an excellent worker. He has to be if he's considered one of the best up-and-coming chefs. Or to work in one of the best restaurants in the world with three Michelin stars.

"I don't know. I'll need references," you speak as if not believing him.

Carmy smiles and softly chuckles, "Fair enough."

There's a moment of silence between the two of you that Carmy is quick to fill, "So, uh, have you had dinner yet by chance?" This is it.

You shake your head no and look at him with hopeful eyes.

"Wanna go grab pizza? I know a place," he asks, finding your gaze on him.

"Say no more," you say, closing your laptop and taking off your glasses. "I'm starving."

Carmy waits for you to lock Bee Hive and grab your things. Then, you both walk to the pizza place. To pass the time, you and Carmy talk about your days and anything that comes to mind. Nothing serious as you get to know each other.

Waiting in line to order the pizza, you tell him all about your nickname and how you were donned 'Honey' to everyone who knows you. In return, he tells you about his nickname 'Bear' and why his restaurant is named as such. For the first time, he dares mention Mickey.

"Best pizza in Chicago," Carmy says, taking a slice of the pie and placing it on your plate.

"I'll see about that," you murmur. You wait until he has a slice of his own and dig in simultaneously.

"It's good, but this is not the best pizza place in Chicago," you say after chewing the first bite, "I'm gonna get your chef license revoked."

"Are you? With what proof? Have you tried all the pizza places to know?"

"I don't have to because I've tried the best," you hum, taking another bite. The cheese stretches as you pull it away.

"Oh yeah? Which one?" Carmy questions you, taking a drink of his beer.

"Mine. The pizza I make is the best," you shrug modestly.

"Wait. You cook?" Carmy asks, giving you a look of surprise.

Cooking is a universal thing. Most people know how to cook up to a degree, yet only some are as confident in their skills as you are. You know you're definitely not up to Carmy's level, but if there is something you know how to do properly, it's pizza.

"Yeah! You're not the only good cook here, Berzatto," you sass back at him, dipping the pizza crust in the marinara sauce.

"Sorry for assuming," he raises his palms.

"You're forgiven," you chirp.

"When will I try this famous pizza of yours then?" Carmy wonders. An attempt to see if you'd like to see more of him.

"I promise I'll make it for you once you open The Bear. You're too stressed to fully enjoy it now," you respond. You were reaching out. Throwing hints that you want this to continue in the foreseeable future.

The conversation continues to flow with an empty pizza box in front of you. Customers come and go until it's only the two of you and a drunk customer picking up his pizza.

"Tell me about your tattoos. Were they an act of rebellion or something else?"

It's an excuse to touch his hands. You reach for them, turning them to see the black ink on his hands and fingers. You gently trace over them with the pads of your fingers. Over the hand that's stabbed, the letters S.O.U. on his knuckles and the forget-me-nots. The one you're dying to touch, though, is the one on his bicep; you'd give anything to feel the hard muscle underneath the rolled-up sleeves of his white t-shirt.

"Uh, my first tattoo is the 773. Got it when I left Chicago for the first time. After that, I sort of became addicted to them. I found they helped my anxiety when it was becoming too much. The pain distracted me and made me feel stronger than I actually was," he says, letting you touch him. He finds that he likes it. Your touch is soft and warm. Comforting.

"So what you're trying to say is you're a masochist," you say, bouncing your eyebrows at him. Your touch goes further up his arm to turn it and look at the fish tattoo on his forearm.

"I guess so," Carmy responds with a breathy laugh, "Do you have any tattoos?"

"Maybe…" You shrug as the pads of your fingers trail back down to his palm until you pull them back towards you. Carmy instantly misses the feeling, opting to cross his arms to retain the warmth you left behind.

"It's bad, isn't it?" He says knowingly. Your reaction told him everything he needed to know.

"The worst," you grimace, shaking your head at the memory of you getting it.

"So, rebellion or something else?"

"Rebellion. For all the wrong reasons," you groan, burying your face in your hands, "Growing up, everyone saw me as a good girl because that's what I was. Breaking the rules terrified me. So, as a teenager, I didn't want to be seen as a goody two shoes, so the summer before I went to college, I decided that getting a tattoo would make me a badass."

"Did it work?"

"God, no. I only got the outline done 'cause it hurt like a bitch. Then I went crying to my parents, fully having a meltdown, apologizing for disappointing them," You scrunch your nose as you say the following words, "They laughed in my face, called me a wimp, and told me to suck it up."

Carmy fully laughs at your story. Head thrown back, eyes closing, "What did you get?"

"That's a secret, Berzatto," you purse your lips, avoiding responding. You just know he'll make fun of you for it.

Everyone who has seen your tattoo has made fun of you for it, yourself included. It's so silly and not badass. Carmy will have to wait to see your tattoo, and you hope this continues so he can see it up close.

"Really? That bad?" Carmy stares wide-eyed.

"It's terrible," you nod, leaning on the table. "We should probably get going before the waitress throws a fit."

Carmy looks over his shoulder to see the waitress glaring at them. It's five minutes till close, and they've made no move to go. He turns back to you and nods towards the door. Carmy helps you with your jacket and leaves a tip on the jar for the waitress. At that, she happily calls after them with a 'Good night!'

"Do you live far?" Carmy asks, seeing how dark it is now that most places have closed. There are too many lamp posts that aren't working. He'd feel better if he could walk you home or you called an Uber. Preferably the former.

"Only a couple of blocks away. Why?"

"It's late. Let me walk you home," Carmy says decidedly, not giving you much of a choice.

"Thanks," you respond with a small smile.

The pace you set is slow. You don't want your time with Carmy to end just yet. He's such an interesting and sweet guy. He's a little awkward, but it adds to his charm, and you can see he's trying.

Somewhere along the way, his hand brushes against yours briefly. Then, it happens again, and you decide to bite the bullet. You grasp his hand in yours.

"Is this okay?" You ask when he falls silent.

Carmy doesn't have a lot of experience with girls. He can't even remember the last time he held a girl's hand. All he knows is he doesn't remember ever feeling this good. "Yes, uh, this is okay."

Carmy walks you up to your front door when you reach your house. You unlock the door but stay outside face-to-face with Carmy.

"Thanks for the pizza," you say, fiddling with your fingers. You were about to make one more move for the night. Because as long as Carmy allows you, you'll keep pushing for more.

"Sorry, it wasn't the best," he retorts, rubbing his jaw with his hand. You notice he does that a lot when nervous.

"Your company made up for it," you reassure him, "g'night Carmy." You kiss his cheek goodbye, watching as his cheeks blush.

"Night," he whispers.

As you turn to leave, Carmy stops you by grabbing your wrist, "Wait-uh, can I? Uh-shit. Fuck it." For a second, Carmy shuts out the excessive thoughts in his head and does what he's been dying to do for weeks.

Carmy cups your jaw and kisses you. It's soft and slow. He gives you enough leeway to pull away if it's something you don't want, but you reciprocate eagerly. You've been waiting for this all night.

As confidence surges through his body, Carmy throws an arm around your waist, pulling you closer. You wrap your arms around him, one of your hands resting on his neck, tangling on his curls. The tug of your fingers feels like heaven.

The kiss turns needy and desperate, your lips moving perfectly in sync. His tongue brushes over your lip; Carmy has been dying to test a theory. Are you as sweet as your name?

He's rewarded by a little noise in the back of your throat as he slips his tongue into your mouth. It's endearing, and he finds a way to make you do it again. With heads tilting to deepen the kiss, he concludes he was right. You're pure honey. Sweet and addicting.

When Carmy returns to his apartment, he gets the urge to create, to cook. He wants to bring your taste to life with his cooking. Something with honey.

"I was wondering if you'd want to come to the restaurant for Family and Friends."

You and Carmy are in your little office at Bee Hive. He stands between your legs as you sit on the desk. His lips are slightly red and swollen, and the hair at the nape of his neck is messier than usual.

"Hm, I could be persuaded," you pretend to think as you play with the golden chain around his neck, pulling him towards you.

"Yeah?" Carmy laughs, leaning to brush his lips against yours. When he feels you nod, he closes the small gap between the two of you.

His hands hold your hips, pulling you impossibly closer. He tastes like coffee, which is to be expected from the discarded cup beside you. It's funny how your relationship, if it could be called that, has moved all around Bee Hive from the register to the front and now to your office.

You're at a weird spot where you're not exactly friends because friends don't kiss, but you're not a couple either. It's a situationship for sure. You're content with what you have now, although you'd also love it if Carmy were to ask you to be more. You pin it on him being shy. He'll get around to it.

"What do you say?" Carmy questions as he kisses a trail from your cheek to your jaw.

"Consider me in," you giggle when he kisses a tickly spot.

Carmy brushes a strand of hair out of your face, remaining close to you. This is what he needs. After months of stress and anxiety of having to deal with The Beef, now The Bear, he needed you and your calming presence. Someone removed from the chaos, a safe haven.

He's quiet as his thoughts consume him, and you take the intimate position to fix his gold chain. Turning it so the clasp faces the back instead of the front. "I'm excited, Carmy," you say with a smile, brushing his cheek with your thumb.

"You can bring someone with you," Carmy offers nervously because he realizes he probably won't have the time to spend much time with you. "I-I don't think I'll be around much. I'm sorry. I'd understand if that makes you change your mind," Carmy drops his head as he braces himself for disappointment.

As the weeks pass, you learn more about Carmy and his insecurities. It doesn't deter you from wanting to be with him. Everyone has their issues. "Berzatto, stop. Look at me," you softly divert his attention, "I'd love to go and support you even if it's from the sidelines."

"You sure?" He asks once more.

If reassurance is what he needs, that's what you'll give. "Don't worry about me. This is your moment, Carmy. Enjoy it. I'll be around afterward."

"Thank you for understanding," Carmy responds, stealing one more kiss from you.

When he returns to The Bear, he helps Sydney prep the dishes they finally chose to serve. He notes how everything is laid out and anything they should fix before opening.

Richie struts into the kitchen with a suit on. Apparently, it's his thing now. Carmy figures staging at Chef Terry's restaurant had a good impact on him. All Carmy wanted was to show Richie he had what it takes. That he's not a fuck up.

"Glad to see things are going well with Honey," Richie thunders.

"What are you talking about?" Carmy says in a rush as he plates the lamb expertly.

"That thing on your neck," Richie says, motioning to his own neck. He has a smug look on his face.

"I don't have time for this, cousin," Carmy grumbles, wiping the plate where the sauce might've splattered.

Groaning, Richie grabs one of the new pans and holds it in front of Carmy. "I don't see anything," he frowns, looking at Richie for an explanation.

"Right here," Richie points towards the edge of his t-shirt around his neck.

Carmy pulls it back and finally spots what Richie has been referring to. There is a fading purple bruise on his skin, a hickey. You must've done it when he was back in your office. He'd been too busy touching you to notice.

Sydney, silently watching, pipes up, "No wonder he hasn't been as on edge lately." Carmy shoots her a glare, which causes her to shrug and laugh with a, "What? It's true."

"Ay, yo, Sugar, get in here!" Richie yells down the hall to the office.

"What is it?" Natalie barges in, afraid something went to shit.

Carmy ignores Richie as he babbles to Natalie what he found. His face is red, though, as Sydney nudges his side.

"That's enough about me. We have shit to do," Carmy shouts in his chef's voice.

Everyone in the kitchen, including Richie and Natalie, repeats, "Yes, chef!"

Walking out of the kitchen Richie, 'whispers' to Natalie, "I've always wondered if he likes to be called chef in bed."

"Fuck off, Richie," Natalie glares, but then it falls, and it's replaced with a teasing grin, "He definitely does."

"I heard that! Don't you two have better things to do?" Carmy screams at them.

"Yes, chef!"

Carmy keeps hearing Cicero's 'Uh-oh' throughout the whole day. He understands Cicero, he really does, but to call you a distraction?

His work with The Bear is only starting. They managed to make it to Friends and Family. Now, they have to keep up their best work to fill up the restaurant daily and have a waiting list. His work is far from done. He should listen to Cicero.

Cicero said it with the best of intentions. He doesn't want the Berzatto siblings to fail. He wants to believe they'll succeed and, most importantly, get him his money.

If there is something Cicero has learned throughout the years, it is that girls are distractions. They mean well, but oftentimes, they keep your eyes off the ball. Especially when it's a new relationship like Carmy's. Ultimately, it's up to Carmy to decide what he wants to do. Cicero has played his part by giving him his advice.

One last delivery is made to the restaurant an hour before opening. Richie is the one to receive it and place it in front of Carmy. "She's a keeper, Cousin," he says with a pointed look and a nod. He also wants the best for Carmy, and yet it doesn't align with Cicero.

You knew Carmy would be too stressed and all over the place to eat or drink, so you sent everyone at The Bear a drink and a pastry. One of the cups has Carmen's name with a little heart and 'good luck' written on it.

"Yeah, she is," Carmy sighs, turning the cup in his hands to look at the message. His thumb brushes over your handwriting longingly. Is listening to Cicero the wise thing to do? He's one of the most successful men he knows in his family.

When it's 10 minutes till open, Carmy changes into his uniform and looks in the mirror. His heart is racing, begging for Friends and Family not to be a complete failure. Walking out of the bathroom, Carmy is a man on a mission.

It starts relatively well, but like everything in Carmy's life, the kitchen starts welcoming in the chaos.

They are too slow getting the orders out, which causes Sydney to start doubting herself and asking Carmy to step in. He reassures her she's doing good. They just have to keep up the pace.

Then, one of the new chefs disappears mid-rush. Forcing Tina to work two stations and Marcus to step out of his to help Sydney. Carmy ignores some weird tension between them as he works on ensuring the dishes are good to go.

Next thing he knows, Sugar is rushing into the kitchen, yelling at him about forks. It's wasted time, as he can't do anything about it. A shrill reverberates inside his head as he looks at the ticking clock. It's enough to give him a headache.

With no one to take a dish to its table, Carmy takes it upon himself to do it. There's no time to re-fire or wait for someone. He places it on their table and pours the tea into their cups before retreating with an 'enjoy.'

He looks at his restaurant, and suddenly, the ringing in his head gets louder. Sitting in a booth is his old boss, staring back at him like he did back in New York. Like he was waiting for Carmy to fail.

His voice echoes in Carmy's head. Why are you so fuckin' slow. Hurry up. Go faster motherfucker. Talentless piece of shit.

Right before Carmy spirals, it all goes away. His focus shifts entirely as he sees you taking your seat for the night. The one he chose because he'd be able to see you from the kitchen. You have successfully blocked the mirage he'd conjured up.

You're there with your brother as Richie talks you up, thanking you for coming. As if sensing him, your eyes lock with Carmys. Shyly, you send him a wave, which he returns, thanking you in his head for getting there at the perfect time.

Carmy ducks back to the kitchen with newfound energy. Richie enters shortly after him.

"Chef, your girl is here."

"Thanks, Chef, um, do you have the notepad?" Carmy asks as he continues cleaning dishes and making sure each one is up to par.

"Here you go."

Taking the notepad from Richie, he begins scribbling. I love- No, too fuckin' soon. Thank you for- Nope, it's too stale.

I'm happy you're here, Honey. Wait for me after you're done? -Bear

"Here," Carmy hands it to him without even looking at Richie.

"Keep up the good work, Chefs," Richie yells out to the room before disappearing to the front of the house. The door swinging shut behind him.

"Yes, Chef!"

Something isn't working in the kitchen. They're too backed up, and no matter how hard they try, they're always a tad too slow. Through Sydney surrounding the wheel to Richie, Carmy steals glances out the kitchen window. You're smiling at whatever your brother says, your lips sipping the wine he chose. Carmy can get through this night because, in the end, you'll be waiting for him.

"There he is," you sing as you spot Carmy walking out of the kitchen. The chef's whites back in his locker as he sports his white t-shirt, jeans, and jacket.

Fak, who kept you company while Carmy finished up, speaks up next, "My brother, I'm gonna grab a sandwich and head home. Honey, it was a pleasure meeting you."

"You too, Neil!"

"Thanks for everything," Carmy tells him, giving him a hug and a pat like dudes do.

Carmy turns and grabs your hand to pull you close and kiss your cheek. "What did you think?"

"It was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted," you tell him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

There's a reason Carmy has had so many accolades despite his young age. He has a gift in the kitchen. The moment his food touched your taste buds, your life changed. He and Sydney outdid themselves, and the way everything flowed showed how much work they put into the restaurant.

"You're exaggerating," Carmy modestly says, his arms wrapping around your waist.

"I'm really not," you shake your head, pursing your lips. Carmy can't resist placing a small peck on your red-painted lips.

"What about your famous pizza?"

"No, it might be the best pizza in Chicago, but whatever I ate today topped it," you smile at him, scrunching your nose. "Consider your chef's license reinstated,"

"Thanks," Carmy laughs breathily, "Do you mind if we walk? I feel some of the rush still."

"Lead the way, Mr. Berzatto."

Carmy grabs your hand, leading you to the streets of Chicago. It's silent momentarily as the wind cools Carmy's heated face. He places his hand along with yours into his pocket.

"Did your brother like it?" He asks, breaking the ice.

"Oh yeah. I'm officially like the best sister ever," you respond, squeezing his hand.

You had accidentally forgotten that your brother had passed the Bar exam. So, you didn't have time to get him anything in celebration. You figured dinner at a lovely new restaurant would help while you got him a proper present.

"How did you feel throughout, though? It looked intense." You often found yourself looking through the small glass window into the kitchen. They were always on the move, looking for the next thing to do.

"It didn't just look like it. I'm used to it, though," Carmy admits with a sniff. Everyone's best and worst habits shone through for those couple of hours. It's an environment he's all too familiar with, in and out of the kitchen.

"That rough," you grimace.

"It's fine. We have a lot to work on, but it's a start, and it wasn't entirely terrible," Carmy says, thinking back on tonight. Before coming out to meet you, he wrote down a couple of things to go through with Sugar and Sydney.

"Good, 'cause I hope The Bear sticks around the block," you say, bumping your shoulder with his.

You invite Carmy into your house when you arrive. He takes up your offer, holding your hand to help you balance as you take your heels off. It reminds Carmy he forgot to mention how beautiful you looked today.

He follows you to the kitchen, watching your hips sway and your dress skirt swishing. Padding to the wine fridge, you pick out a bottle of red to celebrate.

Carmy indulges in looking at your legs as you stretch up to reach for the glasses of wine up in your cabinets. His blue eyes darken as your dress hikes up, exposing your pretty thighs.

His gaze darts back up at you when you turn around to place the glasses on the kitchen counter. You hand him the wine opener so he can do the honors because you suck at taking the cork out. It's why you mainly stick to cheaper wines with twist-off caps.

"Here is to The Bear and its amazing owner," you say, lifting your glass in front of you.

"Here's to not fuckin' it up entirely," Carmy follows, making you giggle. Your wine glasses clink, and you take a drink.

Placing the glass back down, Carmy pins you against the counter, his strong hands resting on the edge of it. You look at him through your lashes, a hand coming up to his chest to feel the steady thumping of his heart.

"You look beautiful. I like the dress," Carmy murmurs. It's better late than never.

The dress you wear is a pretty shade of light blue. Simple yet dressy. The neckline gives him a good view of your cleavage and has long sleeves to compensate for the shorter length. They currently cover the goosebumps lining your skin.

"Yeah? I picked it out thinking you might," you reveal, biting your lip. The shade reminded you of his eyes.

"You were right," he whispers, cupping your jaw. As pretty as the dress is, he's sure it'll look so much better on the floor.

Carmy closes his eyes as he leans down to kiss you. He's always struggled with words, so he hopes it's enough for you to catch what he's trying to say.

You smile into the kiss, blindly leaving your glass to the side to be able to touch him. Your palm presses against his chest and taut abdomen. He hides a nice amount of muscle under his t-shirts, a pleasant surprise.

Carmy easily lifts you up to sit down on the kitchen island. He steps between your legs, never breaking the heated kiss. The hands on your waist trail down to your thighs and under your dress. Carmy's tattooed hands squeeze your ass and thighs, earning him a moan from you.

This is the farthest you've ever gotten, and you're more than ready to have all of him. Carmy knows this, which leads to his thoughts getting out of control.

He has to make a decision now. Does he allow himself to be with you, or does he remain by himself like always? Richie's, Sugar's, Cicero's, and Sydney's voices all shout at him different things. Some are in favor, and others are in opposition. 'Uh oh.'

He can't lead you on and sleep with you if he will back out tomorrow. The voices become deafening in an instant, ripping him away from your embrace. His emotions bubbled over and spilled all over the place.

"Wait, stop, I just-" Carmy breathes heavily, taking a couple of steps back from you. Carmy's hand comes up to his forehead as he attempts to organize his thoughts.

"What's wrong?" You ask worriedly. Did you do something wrong?

Carmen's thoughts spill out his mouth without making much sense as he paces in your kitchen. "I can't stop thinking about it and owe it to my team..."

"Carm?" You slide off the kitchen counter, approaching him slowly.

"-keeps saying it's a distraction," he rambles mostly to himself. His heart is pounding painfully in his chest. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he was having a heart attack.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's a distraction?" Softly, you grab onto his arms, stopping him in his tracks, trying to find his lost gaze.

"You. Whatever this is," Carmy breathes, finally meeting your eyes, which he instantly regrets as your eyes turn sad.

The watering of your eyes is unintentional, as is the knot forming in your throat. "You think I'm distracting you?" You question barely above a whisper.

His response is instant, "Fuck, no, the opposite. W-When I'm with you or-or think about you, things get clearer, and it's-it's when I feel the most focused." Carmy holds your shoulders, comforting you because he never meant to hurt you. He can't stand the sad look in your eyes.

Slowly, you begin to piece together his rambling and conclude that other people have been telling him you're a distraction. You wonder if they don't want him to be happy. The Bear is the center of Carmy's life, and before that, it was the restaurant in New York. He deserves more than this crazy job.

"Then fuck what others tell you, Carmen. You deserve to have a life outside The Bear." Maybe you're selfish because you don't want to lose him, but you hope he believes your words.

"I-I don't. I don't deserve all your attention or your affection. I'm nothing special. I don't deserve you." Carmy says, shaking his head with furrowed brows.

Weeks ago, he had no source of enjoyment. He said it himself at the support group. Now, he has you, yet he can't bear the thought of you wanting to be with him. He feels like he's tricking you into a bad deal. That's what he is, though, isn't he? An overachieving fuck up with tons upon tons of baggage.

Carmen Berzatto is an anxious person with too many problems in his life. He has a fucked up family. His mother is a mentally unstable alcoholic. His brother was addicted to painkillers and decided that shooting himself on a bridge was better than living this life. That's without mentioning all the trauma he has from his job and the terrible people he's worked with.

What good does he have to offer you?

"Yes, you do," you reassure him, placing your hands on his cheeks. The cool metal of your rings soothes him somewhat, grounding him. "You deserve all that and more, Carmy. You're so sweet and kind and hard-working. You've been through shit. You deserve something good in life. Maybe it's me, or maybe it's not, but don't close yourself off."

You're begging at this point. Whatever this relationship is, it's just starting. He's not giving himself a chance. You like Carmy so damn much. He's funny without knowing it and thoughtful, too. There are so many qualities he doesn't realize he has.

His eyes watch you as tears line them. He's silently pleading for you to convince him. To get him out of his own head and forget the expectations others have on him.

"I'm not going to force you into anything, Carm. It's your call, but I've enjoyed our last couple of months together. I know we don't know each other completely, but I want to know everything about you. I have feelings for you, so whatever you decide, I'll support it."

Being honest is all you can do at this point. You pour your heart out and hope Carmy chooses you.

You and Carmy stand in the middle of your kitchen. Face to face, reaching out towards each other. It's clear as day that you want the same thing. It's only a matter of taking the right steps now.

"I can't let you go," Carmy responds, grabbing the hand on his cheek. His thumb brushes over the back of it.

"Then don't."

Carmy's decision is made. Without another thought, he smashes his lips against yours. He grabs the back of your neck, tilting your head to meet his heated kiss.

It's more intense now that the cards are on the table. Nothing to hold him back.

Tongues clash together as your bodies seek each other out. The temperature rises when Carmy lifts you up to wrap your legs around his hips. His hands are on the back of your thighs, holding tight onto you.

"Bedroom?" He asks, breaking the kiss, a trail of saliva between the two of you.

"Down the hallway," you breathe heavily, kissing down his neck.

Carmy makes it to the bedroom, opening the door with a bang. He spots your bed, placing you in the middle with him holding himself up on top of you.

He watches as your back meets the bed and your fair fans around you like a halo. The curvature of your breasts accentuated even more from the position.

Carmy hikes your leg further up his hips as he dips down to kiss a wet trail down to the neckline of your dress. He leaves open-mouthed kisses on the rounded flesh, nipping at the skin playfully when you arch your back to push more into him.

"Carmy," you breathe, cupping his jaw to pull him back to your lips. Grinding your hips, you manage to graze against his bulge.

"Shit," Carmy shakily curses, thrusting his hips to meet your touch once more.

Curiously, your hands wander across his body. Carmy's moans in your ear make your panties wetter than they already are.

You grasp the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and off. You're desperate to have him, your cunt aches for him. Your nails scratch down his firm stomach when he bites into your earlobe, softly calling your name.

"Unzip me," you pant, pushing him away and pulling your hair off to the side.

Carmy grabs the small zipper, pushing it down and exposing your pretty skin. As he slides the fabric off of you, he kisses your shoulders and back, taking note of the goosebumps on your skin.

His mind is in the present, and nothing can take it away from him. It's like a switch he managed to turn off in his brain. No more family drama, no more The Bear. It's just you...and him. Honey and Bear.

You stretch your neck to the side, giving Carmy more space to pepper kisses across the delicate skin. The dress pooling at your feet exposes your chest, and Carmy's hands come up from behind you. His fingers shyly brush up your stomach, tickling you, until they find your breasts.

He draws a moan from you as he squeezes them in his palms, pushing you back to meet his chest; turning your head to the side, you find his lips.

The kiss breaks when he slides one of his hands into your underwear, dipping his finger to feel your wetness. Your arm reaches back to dig your fist in his curls.

"You're soaked, Honey," he moans, finding your clit to tease it.

"Been waiting for so long, Carmy," you whine as your hips stutter along with the flicks of his wrist.

"I'm sorry. I'm here now," he purrs into your ear.

Carmy can hear the distinct 'shlick, shlick, shlick' of his fingers against your clit. It spurs him on as he slips a finger into you. He can't wait to have his cock inside of you, snug and warm.

"Oh my god, Carmen," you gasp when he prods another finger into your entrance. Hanging onto his arm across your chest, you roll your hips against his fingers.

"I got you," he says, digging his fingers deeper into you and curling them.

Your knees buckle as the tips of his fingers curl and hit your g spot repeatedly. If it weren't for him, you'd be on the floor. With your tummy tensing under the weight of the pleasure, you stutter out, "I'm gonna cum."

Carmy's hand is wet from your juices as he ups the ante. Just as your walls begin to squeeze around his fingers, he pulls them out to circle around your clit.

"Oh, f-fuck!" You squeal, throwing your head back onto his shoulder.

The way your clit softly twitches under the pads of his fingers fucks with Carmy. It makes his cock throb and leak into his jeans.

Untangling from his embrace, you place a breathless kiss on Carmy's lips. His slick digits dig into your hips as he prolongs it.

Blindly, you find the edge of his jeans and unbutton them. If Carmy notices, he doesn't say anything. You want to give him one more reason to stay with you.

He moans into your mouth when you grasp his length through his boxers. He's rock hard as he desperately ruts against your hand.

With your hold still on him, you push him to sit on the bed. Carmy looks up at you lustfully. You plant a single short kiss on his lips before kneeling on the floor between his legs. You leave love bites down his chest while looking up at him through your lashes.

Carmy brushes away any hair that falls on your face, his blue eyes focused solely on you. When you reach the waistband of his pants, you pull them down along with his underwear.

His length pops up from its confines, slapping against his tummy. Its tip is a pretty pink shade, with a thick length and a slight curve to it. You salivate instantly at the sight of it.

Carmy's nervous under you. It's been a long since he's been with someone else, and he's never been the most confident.

"Relax," you say teasingly, kissing around his lower tummy to calm him.

Finally, your hand wraps around his cock, lightly pumping it. Leaving sloppy kisses down his happy trail, you feel Carmy's stomach taut in anticipation.

It's been so fuckin' long.

With your eyes staring into his hungry ones, you kiss the pink head that glistens with pre, teasingly brushing it against your lips. Keeping eye contact, you lick his length from base to tip. You alternate between kissing and licking for a minute, enjoying watching Carmy squirm.

"Fuck, Honey," Carmy throws his head back at your torturous pace.

"Look at me," you sweetly say.

Taking mercy on him, you part your lips to take his length into your warm, wet mouth, bobbing your head to a steady rhythm. Prying one of Carmy's hands from the bedsheets, you place it in your hair, encouraging him to use you.

"Good girl," he moans, fisting your hair to force you to take more of his cock. You let your hands rest on his thighs, feeling the strong muscles underneath.

Carmen observes you with hooded eyes as you hollow your cheeks, sucking him expertly. He's obsessed with how your lips leave behind a tinge of red lipstick on his skin.

"Shit-Fuck me," he yells into the room when you swallow around him.

You want him to cum, but Carmy has other plans. He doesn't think he'll last long if you make him cum now, so after the stunt you pulled, he pulls you off his sensitive cock.

The sight in front of him is erotic as a string of saliva connects you to his cock. The tears lining your eyes and blushed nose add to that pretty picture.

"c'me 'ere," he says, helping you up and kissing you as he leads you back to the bed. He tugs off your wet panties, throwing them somewhere in the room.

You lay back on your pillows with Carmy slotted between your legs. It's torture having him so close and yet so far. Now that you've gotten a taste of his cock you need more.

Carmy touches the inside of your thighs, inching his way closer to your cunt. He instantly notices how fuckin' wet you are. You're dripping even more than before.

"Sucking me off, got you this wet, princess?" He asks, leaning his forehead against yours.

"Mhm, Carmy, wish you would've cum in my mouth," you admit, tilting your head up to brush your lips against his.

"You have such a dirty fuckin' mouth," he chuckles darkly.

Where did this side of you come from? You're usually so sweet and delicate. He should've known you would be a freak in bed. To think he almost let this all go.

"Carmen, please."

"Please, what?" Carmen teases, lining his cock against your opening, wetting his cock.

"Fuck me," you moan, kissing his jaw.

"'m gonna fuck you good, princess," he promises, with a shaky nod before he remembers, "Fuck! I-I don't have a condom with me."

"I should have some in my drawer," you mention breathlessly.

Carmy opens the condom in record time but is surprised when you take it from his hands and roll it down his shaft yourself. You just want an excuse to keep touching him.

With your leg hiked up, he aligns himself and slowly pushes in. You both gasp at the sensation. Carmy, for one, is trying to not bust a nut so soon because you're so tight and warm.

Meanwhile, you hold onto Carmy's back as he stretches you out. It's been so long, and your toys aren't nearly as thick as him. You breathily moan in his ear, which he takes as a good sign as he begins thrusting more forcefully and deeper.

Carmy hopes this isn't a dream, and if it is, he hopes he doesn't wake up anytime soon. He has one hand holding onto your thigh and the other holding himself up. His gold chain dangles above you as he picks his head up from its spot on your shoulder. You take the chance to tug on it, returning his attention to your lips.

"You feel so fuckin' good, princess," Carmy groans, squeezing your thigh.

"I love your cock, Carmy," you whine, feeling the drag of his cock on your walls. The pleasure is all-consuming, leaving a fuzzy feeling in your brain.

"You like when I fuck you like this?"

"Yes, yes, yes, keep going."

His hips snap hard against yours, hitting that spot each and every time. His pelvis hitting your clit. He squeezes your thigh, hips, and sides before his hand squeezes your tits, too, playing with your nipples.

Suddenly, he straightens up, pulling you down the bed to have you flushed against his pelvis. He's a sight for sore eyes that forces you to keep your eyes open.

His thrusts are more forceful like this, where he digs his fingers into the fat of your hips to pull you towards him with each snap. It makes your tits bounce, hypnotizing him.

Through your lustful gaze, he looks like a marble statue. His chest glimmers under the lowlights of your room as sweat clings to him, his chain jumping against the blushed skin of his chest, and his fucking hair falling over his pretty eyes. The set of his jaw could've been sculpted by Michaelangelo himself.

Your hands indulgently reach down to touch him in any way you can. You can only reach his stomach, where a nice pair of abs appear due to the effort.

"You like what you see?" Carmy teases. He's entirely lost on you because otherwise, he wouldn't be as cocky to say that.

"You're so handsome," you pitifully say. Your brain not computing as it should, but how can it when it's being fucked out of you?

Carmy doesn't know how to respond. It's not often he's called handsome or looked at as lustfully as you're looking at him. Thankfully, he doesn't need to say much as your eyes roll back and you squeeze your walls around him.

"Carmy, I'm so close," you pant, trying to find any part of him to hold. He offers you his hand, lacing your fingers together.

"Just a little longer, princess," Carmy groans as you clench around him. "Fuck, don't do that to me."

He glances down at the spot where you and him meet to see a ring of white on the base of his cock. He's enthralled with the way you stretch to accommodate him and the way your pink walls drag along his length when he pulls out. Fuckin' beautiful.

Putting all his knowledge to use, he thumbs your clit, making you jolt. He needs you to cum now, or he won't make it. His balls feel like they're about to burst.

"Carmy," you cry out, tightening the hold on his hand.

You teeter on the edge for only a second until you cum, waves of pleasure washing over you. Carmy curses from above you as your tightening walls choke his cock, making him cum too. He stutters his hips a couple more times, riding out his orgasm.

He leans back down again, catching your lips in a small kiss. His body slowly relaxes against yours as his head rests on your neck, breathing in the scent of sweat and perfume.

"That was good," you breathe heavily, rubbing your hands up and down your back. You're just starting to think clearly.

"Fuckin' amazing," he adds.

There's a beat of silence before you both burst out laughing.

A bubble encases you, and it can't be popped as long as you stay in your bedroom. Carmy doesn't want to leave; it's late already, and in a couple of hours, he has to get up and go to The Bear to repeat the process.

For once, he forgets about that and focuses solely on you. He has a couple of hours to spare. Sleep is overrated.

You face each other on the bed, talking in hushed whispers. Your fingers trace the '773' tattoo on his bicep like you've always wanted to do. It tickles Carmy, so he grabs your hand and kisses your palm.

"Now that I'm thinking about it. I didn't see your tattoo," he whispers to prevent disturbing the peace.

Your face warms at his words. You had forgotten about that. He's seen a lot of you in the past couple of hours. What's a bit more of skin?

"You missed my big bad tattoo?" you joke, poking his nose.

"Show me," he says with a lopsided smile.

You make it dramatic, rolling your eyes and giving him a big sigh. Sitting up on the bed, you peel the bed sheets from your body. Carmy props himself up on his elbow in anticipation.

Right there, on your left side and under the curve of your breast is a small outline of Winnie the Pooh's face. Carmy touches it, biting his lip to hold back a laugh. Unsurprisingly, it's precisely what he expected from you.

A few chuckles pass his lips as he pulls you back into his arms.

"Don't laugh. It made sense at the time," you whine, covering yourself back up.

Carmy pulls you to his chest, kissing your temple, "I'm sure it does. Pooh Bear loves his Honey," Just like he does.

"Exactly! Someone gets it!"

And he does because Carmy, aka The Bear, is quickly falling for his Honey.

A couple of days later, Carmy is back at your house helping you prepare the famous pizza you promised him. He lets you take the lead on everything, preferring to follow your instructions rather than let his mind run wild. It's not like you'll let him do most of the work anyway; it's your recipe, and you're protective over it.

"Can you chop up the veggies?" You ask him as you lay down the dough in a pan.

"Yes, Chef," he nods, kissing your cheek as he digs through your kitchen drawers for a knife.

"Oh, I like the sound of that," you muse, shaking your shoulders as you knead the dough to spread it.

"Don't let it get to your head, Hun," Carmy smiles, slicing the vegetables expertly.

Cooking with Carmy is surprisingly easier than you thought. He's not controlling over the kitchen or judgy. He lets you do your thing in peace, following your orders no matter how strange they might be. This is your kitchen, not his.

As you spread the sauce and cheese over one of the doughs, Carmy gets a call. He wipes his hands with a rag and picks it up. You only hear his side of the conversation.

"No, I'm off tonight. I'm with my girl. Call Sugar. She should be able to help you with that. Great. Thanks."

Carmy had promised himself that he would try to balance it all better. He has his team to help each other out. The Bear is a priority, but so are you because you help him keep whatever sanity he has left.

Carmy hangs up, and when he returns to you, he notices the grin on your lips as you put the toppings he chopped on the pizza.

"What's with the smile?" Carmy stands behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist as he props his head on your shoulder. Your hair tickles his nose, smelling the notes of coconut of your shampoo he digs his head farther into it.

"I'm your girl?" You ask, the smile still present on your face. He'd missed your initial reaction when you heard him call you 'my girl.' You almost dropped the container of pepperoni that was in your hands. It's a shock cause he never asked you to be his girl.

Carmy pauses and tenses up against you. "Uh, yes? Hold up. Turn around," he orders, as he places his hand on your hips to turn your body around.

"Yes, chef," you respond cheekily, your arms around his neck, careful not to touch his sweater with your messy hands.

"Aren't you my girl?" He frowns, rubbing a thumb over your hips.

"I could be, but I don't remember you asking," you pretend to think.

Carmy never directly asked you to be his girlfriend, and you never asked him to be your boyfriend. You might as well be a couple since you've been dating long enough. You decide to seize the opportunity now to get it out of him. Having a proper anniversary day would be nice because you hope this lasts.

"I see, my mistake," Carmy nods, catching your vibe, "Honey…"

"Yes, Carmy?" You blink innocently at him.

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He finally asks.

You could joke around but decided against it cause the moment is perfect, "I'd love to," you nod, giving him a small kiss.

When the pizza is cooked, you bring it over to the dining table. Serving Carmy a pretty slice. Excitedly, you wait for him to bite into it and taste it.

"What do you think?" You ask expectantly.

"You were right. Best pizza in Chicago," Carmy agrees with an unbelievable laugh. He's got a lot to learn from you. It's the truth, or maybe he's blinded by his feelings. Only time will tell where you and Carmy will end up.

The End?

thank you guys for pulling through and reading! i know it's a slow burn but i hope you liked it! i certainly enjoyed writing it even though it took me like 4 months.

if you liked it, i would appreciate you liking it, commenting or reblogging. if you have some feedback feel free to send it my way too. i wanna get better at this whole writing thing!

thank you! bye xx

[freezerbrldes]

no nut november - s.r.

PAIRING. Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

SUMMARY. Spencer is confident he can win a bet against Morgan… what he didn’t account for was having to share a room with you…

WARNINGS. smut, brief mention of male masturbation, unprotected sex, breeding kink if you squint

AUTHOR’S NOTE. It’s been awhile since I’ve actually written something and it’s also the first time I’ve ever written smut so hopefully this turned out okay. This is based on one of the bots I’ve made on character.ai/spicychat. I know it’s January but let’s pretend I posted this in November.

wc: 2.1k

credit to @cafekitsune for dividers

also on ao3

Spencer was beginning to regret agreeing to this bet. He thought it’d be easy, but after 3 and a half weeks, he felt so frustrated he could passed out from just the slightest touch.

Him and Morgan made a bet. Morgan was positive that Spencer wouldn’t be able to survive No Nut November. Spencer was not the competitive type, but he definitely wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to prove Morgan wrong.

Spencer is no stranger to getting himself off every so often. While he may be a genius with a high IQ, he is still a man with needs. He isn’t into hook up culture— he’s too much of a germaphobe for that. His right hand became his closest companion when alone after a stressful case.

The first week wasn’t bad at all. He began to think he might actually make it, but once the second and third week hit, that’s when thoughts about you were constantly on his mind…

Spencer has always found you attractive— like really attractive. So attractive that he often finds himself thinking about you while he pleasures himself late at night. He doesn’t want to think about you this way, but his mind always wanders to thoughts of you underneath him.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, you were sharing a hotel room with Spencer during the new case. He tries to distract himself with a book as you lay on your bed in an oversized tshirt and very short shorts.

You are reading over some case files, looking for any connections between the last two victims. Spencer could feel his pants get tighter at the mere thought of you just a few feet away from him.

You must’ve notice he has been particularly quiet today, because the sound of shuffling paper pulls his attention away from his book.

“Are you okay? you’ve been acting weird for the last week,” You ask, rolling over onto your side to look at him on the other bed.

“I-I’m fine, the cases have just been very, uh— draining — recently,” Spencer lies, shifting awkwardly on the bed to hide the evidence of his arousal.

“Right,” you chuckle, not buying his excuse. You walk over to his bed and sit across from him, the mattress dipping slightly under your weight. “C’mon Spence, what’s really bothering you?”

Spencer feels his heart rate increase. He fidgets with the hem of his sweater vest, avoiding direct eye contact.

"I...I'm just tired, okay? These cases take a toll on me," he says, trying to maintain a calm tone despite the growing tension between you.

His gaze drifts to your legs, which were crossed and showcased more of that smooth skin he'd been fantasizing about. He quickly looks away, focusing on the stack of psychology journals on his nightstand instead.

"Look,” Spencer sighs, “I appreciate you checking in, but I promise I’m fine. The sooner we crack this case, the sooner we can head back to Quantico."

Despite his words, Spencer found himself leaning slightly towards you, drawn in by your presence.

He feels his resolve weakening as your warm presence drew closer. Your scent fills his nostrils— a tantalizing mix of vanilla and something uniquely you. It stirs feelings within him he hadn't acknowledged before.

"I know you're just trying to help, but please, let me handle this," he pleads, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't meet your eyes, fearing the intensity he knew would be there.

A bead of sweat trickles down the side of his face as he recalls the countless nights spent pleasuring himself, always picturing your body in his mind, but now you’re inches away from him.

“Spencer,” you say, pulling his attention away from his wandering mind. “You’re one of my best friends, I can tell there is something else bothering you other than this case. Please— let me help you.”

Spencer's chest tightens at the word "friend". Despite the strong attraction he harbors for you, he had never allowed himself to hope for anything more. You deserve someone better, someone who could give you the love and affection you craved.

Spencer brain scrambles to come up with another excuse, as he gazes into your empathetic eyes, he finally caved.

"Okay, fine, There is something I've been struggling with," he admits, his voice barely audible. He takes a deep breath before speaking again.

"I made this stupid bet with Morgan, I’m supposed to go the entire month of November without having sex or masturbating. At first, it was easy but now, being in the same room as you, I’m having a hard time controlling my thoughts.”

Spencer closes his eyes, bracing himself for your reaction. He opens them again when he didn’t hear you laughing and making fun of him.

Relief washes over him as he saw an understanding expression rather than disgust. He swallows hard, his mouth suddenly dry.

"You're not mad?" he ask, his voice laced with vulnerability. In that moment, Spencer felt like he could finally exhale, like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

“Of course not,” you reply, “why would I be mad?”

"Well, because even if I wasn't doing this bet, I still...I still think about you," he confesses, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.

"I know it's wrong, but I can't help how I feel. You're amazing. You’re smart, funny, beautiful..." Spencer’s words trailed off as he realizes where they were headed.

"I shouldn't say these things, but I can't keep pretending anymore." Spencer closes the space in between the two of you, his heart pounding in his chest.

After what felt like an eternity, His lips finally met yours in a passionate kiss.

Spencer felt a rush of emotions overwhelm him— excitement, nervousness, joy, and most of all, relief. This was what he had secretly longed for— dreamed about in the dark of night, and now it was finally happening.

His arms wrap around yours instinctively, pulling you closer as he deepens the kiss. His tongue dances with yours, exploring every inch of your mouth with a hunger he hadn't known he possessed.

When you finally broke apart for air, Spencer's breathing was ragged. He gazes into your eyes, seeing the same desire reflected back at him.

"You know, um, we should probably talk about this— about us," he adds, his voice barely above a whisper.

“How about we talk about it after?” you chuckle, your lips meeting his in another steamy kiss.

Spencer melts into the kiss, his body responding eagerly to your touch. He knew they needed to discuss the their growing feelings, but right now all he wanted was to lose himself in your touch.

Spencer's hands roams over your curves, mapping your body through your clothes. Breaking the kiss again, Spencer looked at you with a mix of adoration and longing.

"I want you,” he whispers, his voice husky with desire. "More than I've ever wanted anyone."

His lips trail from yours down your neck before reaching the hem of your tshirt, pulling it out of the way to plant kisses onto your collar bone. Spencer sucks on the sensitive skin before pulling the shirt over your head, carelessly tossing it onto the motel floor.

He kisses a path up your throat, pausing to nibble on your earlobe before pulling away just enough to admire the view. His gaze drank in the sight, the air thick with tension.

"You're stunning," he breathes, reaching out to trace the curve of your bare breast.

You moan softly as he gently caresses your body. Spencer dips his head to capture a nipple between his lips, sucking gently as his hand cups and kneads the other.

Spencer groans into your breast, the sound muffled by your soft flesh. He suckled harder, his thumb pinching and teasing the neglected nipple.

His other hand slides down your side before dipping lower to brush against the waistband of your shorts. He could feel heat emanating from your core, fueling his growing arousal.

He pushed the fabric of your panties aside to slip a finger along your slick folds as his mouth returned to your neck.

“You’re so wet already, is this all for me?” Spencer sighed, nibbling at your earlobe.

Before you could even respond, you moan loudly as he pushes a digit inside you, groaning at the tight clench of your walls.

"Fuck, you feel incredible," Spencer gasped, pumping his finger slowly in and out of you.

He adds a second finger, scissoring them gently to stretch you open, leaning back slightly to watch your face contort in pleasure.

Spencer watched intently as your body arches off the bed to meet his thrusting fingers. He curls them inside you, rubbing against that sweet spot that made your legs quiver.

He captures your mouth in a searing kiss, swallowing your moans as he picked up the pace, driving his fingers deeper.

His own arousal grew unbearable, it demands attention. With a growl, Spencer broke the kiss and hastily removed his clothes, throwing them in a pile with your discarded tshirt as you whimper at the loss of contact.

“I need to be inside you,” He pants as the last of his clothing is removed. He makes quick work of pulling your shorts and panties down your legs.

Spencer's hazel eyes are dark with lust as he positions himself between your thighs, the tip of his cock nudges against your entrance.

With a deep breath, he pushes forward, sinking inch by inch into your welcoming heat. A low groan rumbles in his chest at the feeling of your tight walls hugging his length.

Once fully sheathed, Spencer pauses, his forehead resting against yours as he savors the moment.

“God, you're perfect," he whispers, then begins to move, setting a slow, deliberate rhythm.

You moan loudly as he begins to pick up the pace, your nails leaving crescent moons on his shoulders.

“Please don’t stop, you feel so good inside me,” you beg.

Spencer's grip on your hips tightens as he pounds into you. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent as he loses himself in the feeling of you wrapped around him.

His fingers tug your hair lightly as he angles his thrusts to hit that spongy spot deep inside you over and over again.

"Shit, you feel so fucking amazing, so wet and tight," he pants, his voice strained with pleasure. “I'm going to cum so hard inside you."

One of your hands move from his shoulder down to where your bodies connect, rubbing hard circles over your throbbing clit.

Spencer's thrusts falter as he feels your fingers working on your sensitive nub. The sight pushes him even closer to the edge.

"Oh god, yes! You’re so fucking hot!" he cries out, his hips snapping against yours with renewed vigor.

He reaches down and replaces your hand with his own, rubbing harsh circles as he chases his high.

“Fuck yes, I'm gonna..." Spencer's words trail off into a guttural moan as his orgasm crashes over him, his cock pulsing and twitching inside you as he fills you up. The feeling pushes you over the edge with him.

Spencer collapses onto you, his weight pressing you into the mattress as he tries to catch his breath. His heart pounds wildly in his chest, still racing from the intensity of his orgasm.

After a moment, he lifts his head to look at you, his usually bright hazel eyes now heavy-lidded.

“That was...incredible," he murmurs, a soft smile playing on his lips, he places a gentle kiss on the tip of your nose.

He slowly pulls out of you and rolls onto his side, he reaches out to brush a strand of dampened hair from your forehead. You both lay in silence as your breathing returned to normal.

“Well,” you break the silence with a smug grin, “it would appear you have failed No Nut November,”

“Yeah, but it was worth it,” Spencer chuckles, his thumb rubbing circles onto your flushed cheek. “I’m starting to think you and Morgan set me up.”

“You really think I seduced you to help Morgan win a bet?” You laugh in disbelief.

“I mean, that would be a very Morgan thing for him to do,” Spencer says, his hand now caressing your arm, “That man always plays dirty.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I saw Morgan flirting with one of the motel staff, she left his room about two hours ago, so I’m sure you probably did beat him.”

“Of course he did, Morgan can’t go 5 minutes without sleeping with someone,” Spencer laughs as he pulls you into his arms.

You lay like that for a while before both of you drift off into a deep sleep, excited to see what the future holds for you two.

[buckysfaveplum]

her weakness

summary: you’re an enhanced individual with strong abilities and one moral code- you only fight with them when your opponent is also enhanced. during the fight with john walker, that code gets broken when bucky is hurt

pairing: bucky barnes x female reader

word count: 3.5k

warnings: violence, blood, fighting, it’s a fight seen so yea expect things relating to that

a/n: i rewatched tfatws and this fight always makes me so worried for my bbs so yea this was born. I typed it up helllllla quick so I'm sorry if its trash, I'm not too proud of this one idk.

masterlist | send requests

Your feet followed closely behind Bucky as you approached the warehouse. Your limbs were stiff and your skin clammy. Your hand stayed firmly in Bucky’s grasp as you approached John Walker. Sam had tracked him to a storage warehouse near the square you had just witnessed brutality in.

He murdered him, in cold blood, with Steve’s shield. You couldn’t get the screams of the public out of your head, the sound of the vibranium as it slashed into the flagsmasher’s body. You would’ve thrown up if Bucky hadn’t pushed you behind him. You had seen much worse, much more gruesome violence in your line of work. But something about this was sickening, rotting away in your stomach as you tried to grapple with the truth that the shield your friend once carried with honor and pride was just used by an unhinged soldier who found joy in the worst parts of the job.

Bucky stayed ahead of you, following Sam as they entered the building. Your hand trembled in his vibranium grasp. His thumb gently brushed across the veins and bones of your hand, trying to bring you comfort before the scene he knew was about to play out.

As you walked into the large space, you saw him. He was too composed and stoic for what had just taken place. His tall and slender figure loomed as he casually walked up to you all, barely acknowledging Sam as he tried to get him to listen.

“Walker,” Sam started. The soldier brushed Sam’s stern tone off, hopefully delaying what he knew was coming.

“You guys should see a medic, you don’t look so good,” He said, walking past you.

“Stop, Walker,” Sam took a few steps closer, trying again to get him to focus.

Your jaw tightened as you watched the man pace erratically in front of you. He was muttering quietly before responding as if trying to convince himself what he was saying had any truth.

“What?” He asked, coming closer. “You saw what happened. You know what I had to do.”

Your grip on Bucky tightened, sensing Walker’s anger began to boil over. You knew a fight was coming, it always was. 

“I killed him because I had to! He killed Lemar!” Walker shouted, his arms waving now and revealing how off the deep end he had gone. 

You knew the moment you saw him in that fight. He stole the serum and took it for himself. This behavior just confirmed it. But the serum only enhanced what was already bubbling under the surface. The same John you meet on the highway. The same John who waltzed into the police station as if he had the authority or right to control Bucky and call him an ‘asset’. It was always there. 

“He didn’t kill Lemar, John.”

Bucky’s smooth and deep voice cut through the tension in the room. You felt his grip on your hand squeeze for a moment, making sure you were okay. He could always sense your anxiety in the field. Your powers made keeping your calm difficult. You would never use them in battle unless your opponent was enhanced as well. You were a skilled fighter and agent, you didn’t need them. And it didn’t always seem ethical. But keeping them at bay, in check, could prove difficult- especially in heightened situations such as this.

Walker scoffed at Bucky’s words, dismissing the truth like it was nothing.

“Don’t go down that road. Believe me, it doesn’t end well,” Bucky said.

“I’m not like you!” Walker’s voice was full of disgust and resentment. From the moment you met him, you could sense his quiet disdain for your best friend. Looking down his nose at him like he was some scum left over from Steve's life, something he’d always have to deal with. Yet at the same time, resentment. Jealousy over his power, control, and abilities in his enhanced body. As if that’s what made him an excellent fighter. Or a good person.

Your spare hand moved between Bucky’s shoulder blades, giving him a subtle and quiet support as you prepared.

“Listen, it was the heat of the battle, okay?” Sam said, taking a step closer to Walker. That shield danced in your vision, taunting you as he paced back and forth. “If you explain what happened, they may consider your record.”

Walker’s distress spread across his face, his brows furrowing and eyes scrunching as he tussled with Sam’s words.

“We don’t want anyone else to get hurt,” Sam said.

The warehouse went silent as Walker stared at the ground before him. Bucky gave you a soft, tight-lipped smile before begrudgingly dropping your hand. He slowly took a step towards the man, joining Sam.

“John…” Bucky said, calmly. 

“You gotta give me the shield, man,” Sam said.

That did it. You could feel the room shift that second.

A disturbing serene aura washed over Walker at that moment. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to you all. His eyes were dark, lacking a certain warmth and compassion you had grown so used to seeing through that blue cowl. A certain warmth that left when he hung up the shield.

“Oh…. so that’s what this is,” Walker said. “You almost got me.”

You could see his grip on the shield tighten, the leather straps twisting between his fingers.

“You made a mistake,” Sam said.

You slowly took a step forward, your hands flexing as you prepared for what was to come. Walker finally turned his gaze to you. His eyes roamed you up and down. You could’ve sworn you saw Bucky’s jaw clench, that familiar muscle tightening in distress. Walker smirked at you before glancing at Bucky. He could read the protectiveness radiating off of your supersoldier.

“You don’t wanna do this,” Walker said to him.

Bucky didn’t meet his gaze. His fists balled at his side, practically shaking with anger. He never took pleasure in a fight, every punch or kick felt like a necessity rather than enjoyment. But he couldn’t deny how much he desired to rip that shield from his grimy hands.

“Yeah we do,” Bucky said.

Sam lurched forward first, Bucky soon following suit. Your feet moved quickly, moving behind Walker as your friends attacked from the front. The man moved with a speed you had yet to see from him, a brute force you could only get from the serum.

With a harsh kick, Walker sent Sam flying away, leaving you and Bucky alone. You tried to knock Walker down from the back as Bucky grappled with the shield. As you sent a harsh kick into the back of Walker’s knees, he spun quickly and sent a jab into Bucky’s gut sending him backward in pain and knocking him off balance. Before you could back him up, Walker slammed a harsh punch into Bucky’s jaw. Your heart raced and your hands shook as you watched him drop to the ground. You sprung into action, pulling the shield back in your hands and keeping Walker from smashing it into Bucky’s face. Sam leaped in, kicking the shield up and drawing attention to him.

You slammed a kick into Walker’s back, sending him stumbling forward as Sam slashed at him with his wings. Bucky leaped up, his arm aiming to come down on the faux Captain America’s back hard but was ultimately blocked by the shield. 

You were growing frustrated. Walker never packed this much of a punch. The serum raged through his veins, lacing each kick and swing of the shield with force and hate. As you and Sam continued to trade blocks at Walker, Bucky attempted to pull him down but was quickly met with the shield swinging into the side of his face. Your legs shook. The longer this dragged out the more difficult you find keeping your emotions in check. The longer you watched your favorite person in the world become decorated with blood and bruises, the more your ethical code began to look like a suggestion. Walker deserved a swift blast to the face and more. But you held off. 

Walker slammed the shield into Sam’s back, sending him down. As your two friends recovered briefly, it was just you and him. You surged forward at the man, dodging as he swung at you. Being smaller than the two Avengers alongside you made it much easier to evade Walker’s sloppy attacks. You sent a firm kick into his chest followed by an uppercut into his chin. As he spun and tumbled, Bucky was back on his feet and meeting Walker with punches. Bucky’s attacks quickly led the pair into a tight spot, backing Walker up into a heavy piece of machinery. The pair spun in circles over the shield, yanking the vibranium disc back and forth and trading beatings in between. Sam quickly followed you over, diving in for aid, but quickly was sent flying back by Walker’s attacks. His body slammed to the ground with a grunt.

While Bucky worked, you glanced at Sam. He pushed himself to his feet slowly, preparing to dive back into the fight. In your moment of distraction, the fear and care for your dear friend overriding your common sense to keep fighting, you heard Walker’s voice pull you back. Bucky was trapped between the shield and a machine. You rushed over to help but it was far too late.

“Why are you making me do this?!” Before you could register what Walker was saying, you watched as Bucky went flying. 

Walker’s forceful swing of the shield sent him hurtling across the warehouse. Your body froze as if someone had filled your veins with cement. The dramatic scene Walker had created came to an end with Bucky’s body smashing into an electrified pole and crashing to the ground. The might of his impact snapped the pole in the middle, sparks cascaded from the steel and flooded onto the floors; leading your eyes to Bucky. 

“Bucky!” You screamed.

His body lay limp and splayed out on the cold dirty floors. His face was smushed into the cement. His limbs didn’t dare to move. Except for his vibranium arm, which twitched and spasmed under his body; blue and white sparks burst out from the plates adding to the horror.

Your breaths were heavy and shaky, your hands trembled at your sides as the vibrating blue of your powers began to spark at your fingertips; mirroring the sight of your best friend’s arm. The room was spinning, at least that’s what made sense to you. Your balance was unstable, your knees threatening to buckle at any moment. You turned to spare a look at Sam, begging him for permission. But he was already back on his feet and rushing towards Walker. 

“Go!” He shouted.

You had never been faster. Your abilities never gave you the gift of flight but in that moment they very well could have. Your legs became weak and your steps messy as you neared Bucky. You crashed to your knees beside him, pain radiated up your thighs from the impact but you couldn’t care. It couldn’t be worse than the expanding tight pain in your chest as you struggled to breathe.

Your hands quivered as they hovered over his body. With him lying so still you could finally take in the damage Walker had done to his face. Blood was splattered all over, deep purple and blue hues bloomed across his cheekbones, and a nasty split had opened on his lip. Worst of all, his nose was broken.

The sparks continued to burst from the plates of his arm, his hand jerking and spasming with an unsettling sound of grinding metal. Quickly, you placed your hands firmly on the vibranium. A deep blue beamed from under your palms, cascading the metallic golds and blacks of his arm in your glow. The excess electricity from the crash moved in waves through the arm up into your hands. You focused as all the veins in your body became electrified, an aqua glow shone through your skin as the energy you. Your once y/e/c eyes were quickly overtaken, the cool energy overriding your iris’ and leaving an intense indigo shine. With a sharp gasp and breath, you let go. His arm had stopped moving, now lying as still and motionless as he did. 

“Bucky,” you said, giving his damaged body a soft shake. “Bucky, wake up.”

He didn’t move, his face slack and limps heavy as you struggled to turn him to his back and off of his arm. Your hands rushed to his face, cupping his cheeks and holding him close as if you could shield him from more of John Walker’s savagery. If someone had the power to take your abilities and trade them for the ability to heal, you’d offer them anything they wished just for the potential to spare Bucky from his pain even for a moment. 

“Buck… come on wake up,” the fresh blood from his injuries spilled into your fingertips, the crimson caked into your cuticles and threatened not to leave.

“Plum, please,” His body twitched; your lungs finally filled with air. 

His breaths were labored but there, his chest rattled as he sucked in much-needed air. Your fingers moved to his neck, their shuddering finally stilling as you felt his pulse return to a firm and strong pattern.

The sounds of Sam’s grunts and Walker’s cries swiftly pulled your attention back to your friend. He was up in the air, a long metal cord pulling on the shield and attempting to free it from Walker’s venomous grasp. To no avail, as soon Sam was flung back to the floor and across the room. The shield clattered to the ground, equally laid between the two men. The smug and determined look on Walker’s face enraged you, the blue glow returning to your eyes. Sam glanced over at you before rushing for the shield. He needed you.

You turned back to Bucky, still unresponsive to your touches and voice. He was breathing, his pulse steady. Taking in the broken state of his body, his face battered and bloodied, you couldn’t hold back your rage any longer.

It was as if something had possessed you. Gently, you laid Bucky back to the ground, pressing a trembling kiss to his forehead.

“I’ll be right back,” you said, your voice monotone yet determined. The expressions of concern, fear, and horror that had played upon your face just moments ago were now gone. You were cold and still, as you rose to your feet and walked over to the two men fighting behind you.

Before Walker could grab the shield, a harsh blast of blue energy sent him flying back in the opposite direction. The man was studded, confused by how he could have been knocked down. He looked up to see you rushing towards him. You were steady in your movement, not running but with each step winding up for the next blow. Your hands were baked in a fierce glow of aqua as you channeled more energy through your fingertips. 

Walker scrambled to his feet, preparing for the offense. Before he could even take a step he was back on the ground with another blast from you. A loud cry fell from your lips as you slammed him down with force from your power. As you ran up to Walker, he quickly sent a firm hit to your jaw. You stumbled back, regaining your vision to see him coming at you. You jumped up, knees to your chest and feet pressing on his as you blasted him once again. 

He was on the ground with you towering over him. His face was coated in shades of black and blue, mirroring the face you were trembling over just seconds ago. Good, he deserved that and more.

You blasted him again as he struggled to crawl away. You followed him, hot on his trail as energy overflowed from your hands. The shield was long forgotten by you, only driven by your need for revenge. Bucky couldn’t even answer you, couldn’t move. He needed to pay.

Walker’s body slammed back into machinery as you surged more energy at him. He was done, hands shaking above him as he prepared for your next blow.

“We’re better than this right? Captain America doesn’t do this,” Walker said through his split lip and shaking jaw.

You scoffed; if only he had thought that way an hour ago. You wouldn’t be here. Bucky would be okay.

“Good thing I’m not Captain America,” you said. Walker shielded his face as you wound up your aim. Energy radiated from your fist up your forearm as you pulled it back to deliver one last shot.

“Y/n, stop!” Sam shouted.

Your blast was halted by a firm hand on your upper arm. You recognized the stillness and coolness that held onto your body. Turning you saw Bucky behind you. He was shaking as he stood, breaths labored and heavy, but there he was. Sam ran up behind the two of you, shield in hand as he looked at you. But all you could focus on was Bucky.

Bucky stepped forward, shaking his head softly as he lowered your arm. 

“This isn’t you, you don’t do this,” he said. Your nostrils flared as you breathed heavily, struggling to reel your rage back in. You glanced back at Walker who lay on the ground, glaring at you smugly. Your eyes shone brighter, your fists clenching as the glow intensified. 

“Hey,” Bucky said, taking your face and turning you to look back at him. “You’re not him.”

The energy overtaking your body began to fade as you relaxed under his firm touch. The uncontrollable blue glow began to fade back into your body, leaving you panting as you tried to calm your emotions. Bucky stood before you, vibranium hand stroking your own.

“You’re okay,” you said.

“I’m okay. Hey, hey, I’m okay. It’s over,” he said, pulling you away from the scene you had created. He walked you slowly back towards Sam, you shook in his grasp. Walker struggled to stand as he watched the three of you leave. The shield taunted him as it hung off of Sam’s arm, finally back with its true owner. The Captain America.

“I’m sorry,” you said, looking at Sam. “I just….” you glanced at Bucky, once again seeing the battering of his beautiful face. Your throat swelled as you lost your words, choking on your fear.

“We got it back,” Sam said, giving your shoulder a firm squeeze before heading out of the building. His limp as he walked didn’t escape you.

Bucky gripped your hand tightly, pulling you with him as he walked. He didn’t make it far before his knees began to buckle, his body slipping as he fell. You were at his side in a heartbeat, arm hauling him back up beside you; refusing to let his body crash to the filthy ground again. 

“Hey, hold onto me,” you said. You wrapped his arm around your shoulder and his other gripped at your waist as you began to pull him from the warehouse, his feet limping and tripping as he struggled to walk. Walker’s body began to fade in the distance as you left.

“Why did you do that, doll?” Bucky asked as you walked, his voice slurred and low. Each wince and suck of breath stabbed at your side like a pecking bird, refusing to let your wound heal. 

“I don’t know, I’ve never done that. I….” you paused, stopping your feet as you gave him a moment to catch his breath. “When I saw you hit that pole, I lost it.”

“I’m okay, Y/n,” he said, yet his words seemed to hold no weight as he struggled to stay upright at your side.

“Your arm was sparking, Bucky. You weren’t moving. I-I thought that you…” You couldn’t finish, gripping him tighter as your voice shook. As if letting him go would give the world a chance to tear him from you once again. Your fingertips dug into his tact suit, determined to embed yourself in him.

“Hey, babydoll,” he said, hoisting himself up just enough to take your face in his hands. He swayed on his feet as he stood, intent on holding you close as he spoke. Your hands held him steady at his side.

“I’m here, I’ll always be here. But no matter what happens to me, I don’t want you to lose yourself,” he said, stroking your cheek. “I can’t have that.”

“I don’t wanna lose you,” you said.

“You won’t. I’m right here, I’m always coming back to you.”

You nodded softly as you rested your head on his chest. His hands moved to your hair as he held you close. Your hands wound around his center, keeping him safe in your arms. As long as you were around, no one would take him.

“You’re so good, you’re so special, Y/n. You need to be strong, even if I get hurt. You can’t drop your morals for me. They mean too much to you,” he said.

“I think you may be my weakness,” you said, your voice muffled in his chest. He tucked himself closer into you at your words, his head resting upon yours. His lips pressed a soft kiss to the side of your head.

“You’ve always been mine,” he said softly.

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