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unlikelyjapan · 1 year ago

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s2e6 rewatch notes - part 2

OK, jumping back in from the point where Stevie says "Carm, this is a good thing."

Richie passing Tiff the Sprite (inside the bedroom that is totally just the walls of Donna's brain - the Carmela Soprano-esque mom tchotchke's mixed with predatory animal statues and black accents - maybe a bit too on the nose....) and saying "Carmy made this for you - he's a god damn pop machine, this guy. He's a weird little dude!"

Both Richie and Tiff mistake Carmy's kindness for weakness, just like everyone else from his past. It explains why Tiff would gravitate towards someone like Richie - she hates his brashness (see when she wanders into the kitchen scene after throwing up and he's just revving everyone up) but accepts it so long as it's countered with tenderness because that fits with her idea of masculinity and normalcy.

"We're trying to....um....you know, hook him up with Claire Bear -loosen him up a little bit."

Tiff - "With Claire? Why would you do that? She's so nice."

Nice people (shorthand for normal people) deserve archetypical masculine guys who can be romantic - not people who are neurodivergent and kind. Trauma doesn't factor into any of their considerations in setting people up, because they don't reckon with their own.

The subject changes to Richie and Tiff's relationship and future plans/housing - after just discussing how to "turn Carmy into a MAN man" we watch Richie quietly flounder because we know damn well The Beef won't afford the kind of life Tiff envisions for their new family. Tiff shares her dream about the all-green clothes for them/red for the baby (the baby breaking their mold/image) and they wonder aloud if they're going to be good parents and if Eva is going to like them.

It's true that they'll be better - they're present, they don't want to start from a bad place. But when we look at how they were razzing Carmy, it's indicative of the fact that they're not about to shed the baggage of their histories - they are playing roles that were established for them through their pasts, so they're doomed to failure after the glow of new family wares off and life gets in the way. It'll just look a little different, a little better.

Richie utters "I don't want to be at The Beef every day" to Cicero as Mikey is ranting about the Bill Murray story in the background. Richie was exhausted by the patterns in his life 5 whole years ago, and it wasn't just about providing for his family. It's so obvious that he fully regressed during the pandemic/things not working out in his new life the way he hoped. He also knew at that time that "I'm good with people, but I've never really had an outlet for that" and he never gets to prove what he intuits until "Forks" - by the grace of Carmy, no less.

*lights a candle for Natalie Berzatto* All of Natalie's abuse is so straight-forward and targeted. I'm glad they explored her character this season, but she's still too neatly-tied for the type of abuse she endured. Some of that is a celebration of her core female essence/strength, but I feel like some of the veneer still has to crack in future seasons - if they have her reeling from postpartum depression in S3 on top of her initial worries about Donna/motherhood, it's truly going to break my heart.

Taking a moment just to appreciate John Mulaney belittling the Faks, as it's the only scene where I found their presence enjoyable.

Carm grabbing the saltines and asking Mikey about them working together - Mikey saying The Beef is a nightmare is self-explanatory, but the fact that Carmy follows it up with "I don't want you talking to Claire if you don't give a fuck" and Mikey assuring him that he does, convinces Carmy that Mikey loves him through his meddling with Claire. Out of the two things Carmy has yearned for (at this stage in his life) since high school, Mikey only wants him to have one of those things - the one Mikey and co. decide will be good for him.

Mikey saying "I give, like, the biggest fuck" and Carmen looking pacified/accepting of that statement, means that his father brother is telling him that Claire is the most important thing for him to pursue in his life, and he's just asserting his love for his brother by trying to set him up with her. So much damn pressure....

Discussing The Bear drawing outside the pantry

"It's beautiful....",

"Yeah....we could do this"

"Yeah.....let it rip."

I'm pretty sure this is the last one-on-one conversation Mikey and Carmy ever had, matching the suicide note - this scene is a living goodbye, and John Berenthal plays it like he knows it. Expert-level shit, expert-level acting all around.

All hail Sarah Paulson's hot mess of a character (you can take the dysfunctional girl out of the midwest, but you can't take the midwest out of the dysfunctional girl), even if she was just around to narratively offer Carmy a flashing exit sign (knowing that he's talented and cognitively different from the rest of the lot) and dole out the story about how bears grieve.

I think one thing that Richie, the Fak's and other "related by friendship" hangers-on have in common is that they recognize that Mikey and Carmy's familial suffering has made them dynamic in ways that their own suffering has not. Both have their own unique gravitas that separates them from all the other men in their crummy suburban life - these other men are trying to absorb power by proxy.

"Can you just go and get Dad's gun out of my drawer and I think I'm just going to blow my fucking brains out and then you guys can make dinner because I don't think anyone would fucking miss me" - many thanks to @loudlightobservation for pointing out in the part one comments that Donna probably has untreated Borderline and Narcissistic PD. I initially thought this scene was over-the-top, but I burned an hour reading about how severe the reactions to perceived abandonment can be in these cases.

As per my comments about Natalie and her veneer, at least she can do things like ask Stevie "can you hug me?" and select men like Pete who will always be ready to do so. Unlike the boys, she learned how to identify needs and self-soothe early, probably because she was the most neglected of the three.

Didn't know where to put this: Cicero's relationship/flirtation with Donna when she's in the kitchen "do you know how fucking hot you are when you're slurring your words?", Lee's hatred of Cicero, and Lee trying to make inroads with Donna (again) through a work collaboration - the building in Wilmette likely being the property that Cicero mentioned having to offload. Carol (revealed to be Cicero's wife by name in s1e4) yelling at Lee as he enters for his first scene of the show. Again, I didn't know where to put these interconnected notes, but WHAT. THE. FUCK. HAPPENED. HERE.

Also, is Lee a former partner in The Beef (after he presumably replaced the Berzatto patriarch for a stay) and that's part of the resentment towards Mikey - along with sharing Donna for a time? Or is it something else? I've had a hard time piecing together these narratives beyond the obvious psychosexual connection to Donna.

Ugh, the all-hands crucifixion of St. Pete - I morphed from "who is this cuck?" in season 1 to wanting to storm onto the set and carry him out myself like a baby - not unlike how I felt the first time I saw Carmy slapping the donut out of Marcus' hands. Cringe but ultimately minor transgressions in a charged environment wind up being the greater sin than full-on emotional abuse with the Berzattos.

I'm finding there's less to dissect in the second half of the episode - everything is more overt. Cicero is generous. (re: shielding Richie). Natalie and Carmy are emotionally spent from their Donna-duty.

The whole final Donna/Carmy kitchen scene brings up a lot of existential questions I ask myself as a cook about food being a mechanism of control. I love to gather and cook for people - but I also know I'm an anxious person who needs to control the narrative, and sometimes I want people to be somewhat beholden to me through the care I extend to them through food and entertaining. In doing this, I sometimes feel pushy, and know there is always a level of avoidance in hosting/caring for people.

But with Donna, and through that conduit, Carmy - food IS control. Food IS enmeshment. Food IS the forcing function for unruly togetherness (through the restaurant and grand celebrations in the Italian tradition).

I hope that Carmy, through his collaboration with Syd, carves out a healthier narrative of what caring for people through cooking and service means. I don't think he hates cooking, as others have postulated - I think he hates the enmeshment, I think he hates himself for feeling he needs to control people through food. I think he hates feeling forced to do it, because he can't function that highly outside of it. The sooner he can extricate himself from his past, the sooner I think he'll love creating food and sharing it again.

The Lee and Mikey jousting bit is essential to the dinner unravelling, but while it's immaculately acted, it's not really interesting to me since it's such an overt conflict. Poking the bear, fighting to be the patriarchal figure of the house, blah blah blah. It makes for great visuals, but it doesn't reveal any new depth beyond "men=fucked."

And the "cousin, you're scaring the normals" comment - I see no evidence that anyone who would willingly wander into this abattoir fits that description. The best part of the scene is when Lee says "throw another fork at me and you're going to get fucking rocked" and then there's just the pregnant pause, immaculately shot, with the old clock ticking in the background.

Lee's "You're nothing. You're nothing. You're nothing" harkens back to "You're bad at this. You are bullshit. You should be dead" - all of the Berzatto men are capable of being ground to a pulp by other men they perceive to be authorities in some form or another, and I think we're only just beginning to see in this season how women factor into the equation (those in charge and those who are seemingly powerless) after a lifetime ruled by Donna.

Donna, who enters the scene, and everything defers to the power she holds over everyone with her tempestuous illness.

Ha, I missed the line in Stevie's grace where he says "We're healthy, I think? No ones si....no ones physically very sick."

"Natalie Rose Berzatto...." God. If I had turned off subtitles, JLC's delivery in this scene would make anyone hear "Do you know how much I fucking hate you" - because that's what she meant. And God bless Michelle.

It seems like, the moment Carmy looks at the car and the cannoli, it's finally cemented in his mind that Mikey and Donna are intrinsically the same person (but the selective trauma memories he maintains after Mikey's death wipe out the bad, hence his surprise about him using etc). Ending with Natalie's A+ horror film face and the lyrics "Could you ever know how much I care?" was absolutely the right editorial tone to end the episode.

I'm going to be honest....I thought I'd find a lot more in this hour than I actually did.

I'm really looking forward to Bolognese onwards, mostly because I really miss Syd now - the show without her energy (mostly because Natalie still has inadequate development, through no fault of her own) is just male trauma from a male perspective....

#the bear fx #the bear season 2 #the bear spoilers #the bear #carmy x sydney #carmen berzatto #syd x carmy #sydney adamu #richie jerimovich #claire the bear #mikey berzatto #donna berzatto #the bear s2 #carmy berzatto

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partially-controlled-chaos · 1 year ago

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Come Back to Me Pt 5

Pairing: Astarionxf!Tav

Rating: M

Warnings: Hurt/angst, comfort, trauma, fluff, trauma, soft jealous Astarion

Summary: After an attack in the Shadow Cursed Lands, Tavriel is exposed to the toxins of fear inducing mushroom spores, causing her already weakened mind to relive the traumatic horrors of her past. Astarion and Halsin are forced to work quickly to cure her mind of the spores before the effects remain with her permanently.

Also read on AO3! Check there for more frequent updates because I sometimes forget to also post them here.

I also recommend reading my previous fic for some backstory on my Tav! Not totally necessary, but if you’d like some backstory you can find it here!

Masterlist

Come Back to Me: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6

Astarion shook his head as his tadpole disconnected from Tavriel’s, allowing his thoughts to once again be his own. His temples throbbed and his back muscles slightly ached, almost mimicking the true agony Tavriel was still reeling from. He felt his stomach twist into knots as bile began to rise, feeling ill just from witnessing the sadistic nature of Tavriel’s master. She had never shared specific stories with him, only general discussions of her tortures and suffering, but she had never revealed just how cruel Oaklarth was to her. He knew of her scars, but to see exactly how she got them and hear the bone-chilling screams she’d let out in the process coupled with the idea of knowing her master would then use and abuse her body against her will over and over again? It was almost too much to stomach. It reminded him too much of his own past traumas under Cazador.

Tavriel’s movements had once again slowed and she began to settle as she took slow, shallow breaths as the memory faded from her mind. She had grown weaker, her arms barely able to hold herself up, slightly trembling under her weight. Her head hung low, hair cascading over her shoulders as her breath came in slow gasps. Astarion watched helplessly as Tavriel simply sat there, her mind slipping further and further from reality. Anxiety had begun to settle in his chest and he had nearly jumped to his feet to drag the druid in the room before he finally heard the door click open. He wasn’t sure how long his mind had linked with Tavriel’s, but seeing that both Halsin and a cure for Tavriel had yet to come, he was afraid too much time had passed. Halsin appeared in the doorway, a cup of steaming, foul smelling tea resting in his hands. He closed the door behind him, looking to Astarion and then to the weary looking Tavriel who was barely supporting herself on the floor.

“That smells absolutely dreadful.” Astarion sneered as Halsin knelt beside him, carefully looking over Tavriel as he made sure not to spill the tea.

“I cannot promise it’ll be the most palatable drink, but it should cure her ailments. Considering we acted quickly enough, of course.” Halsin lightly lifted her chin with his fingers, only to have her weakly pull away. He gripped her chin a second time, a little more firmly than before, and put the steaming cup of tea to her lips.

“This will help you, my friend. No harm is meant.” He said as he slowly poured the warm liquid into her mouth and down her throat, letting her take small sips to ensure she consumed every drop. Tavriel was too weak to put up much of a fight. The memory she shared with Astarion via the tadpole was enough to weaken her more than ever. She slowly drank the steaming liquid, not particularly fond of the taste, but also not in the right state of mind to really make sense of what was happening. It took a bit of time, but eventually she had reached the bottom of the cup.

“How long will this take to set in?” Astarion asked as Tavriel downed the last of the tea from the cup.

“Not too long, but I cannot give you a certain time. This will make her sleep so her body can fight off the spores. She’ll wake when she is healed, but shouldn’t be more than a few hours. The infection is severe, but I do not think it’s beyond repair. She’ll be back to her usual self before long.” Halsin said as he removed the cup from her lips, watching her closely to make sure she consumed the liquid and didn’t expel it from her mouth. Much to his delight, she swallowed the antidote without fuss and allowed it to set in.

It didn’t take long for the tea to have an impact on Tavriel. Her already tired eyes had drooped, her lids slowly fluttering in an attempt to keep herself awake. The actions were pointless, however, and she soon closed her eyes completely and her head once again hung low to the ground. She gave one final, gentle moan before he body began to sway in exhaustion. Astarion gently grabbed her by the shoulders, helping to guide her down to the ground so she wouldn’t fall and injure herself. The vampire placed her gently along the floor on her side, happy to see that sleep had finally taken over his delirious love and she could finally heal. Both the vampire and the druid watched over her for some time, wanting to be sure there were no complications from the antidote Halsin had prepared. They watched as her breathing began to even out and she seemed to be in a peaceful slumber.

“Thank you.” Astarion said after some time of watching Tavriel rest.

“Of course,” Halsin said with a smile and a pat to Astarion’s shoulder, “I’m just sorry I couldn’t have prevented this. Will you keep watch over her? Or do you need me to step in?”

“Oh no, druid, I’m perfectly capable of keeping watch. Get some rest. I will call you if needed.” Astarion said as he settled on the floor, crossing his legs in the process.

“May Oak Father preserve you, my dear friend.” Halsin said quietly to the sleeping elf, placing a strong hand across his chest as he spoke. After a brief moment, Halsin left the room, giving one final glance to Tavriel before letting the door shut behind him.

After he was certain she was deep in her slumber, Astarion carefully removed the armor from Tavriel’s body in an attempt to make her more comfortable. He made quick and easy work of the leather straps that held her shoulder plates in place, letting them gently slide from her shoulders. He then moved to her sides, loosening the straps there to allow her chest place to be pulled off and tossed aside. He gently rotated her in his arms as he pulled the metal plates from her body, not wanting to disturb her too much, but she remained motionless, unaware of the elf attempting to ease her suffering. Once she was free from her bindings, Astarion scooped Tavriel into his arms, lifting her from the hard floor of their shared room and carried her to bed.

He placed her gently on top of the sheets, slowly letting her seemingly lifeless body sink into the soft mattress they shared, hoping this gesture would ease some of her discomfort. He lifted her head onto a pillow and softly brushed sweat soaked strands of copper hair from her face. She was drenched in dried sweat, no doubt a response from her frantic movements earlier in the evening. Her shirt was saturated as well, but that would be something to be dealt with later when she was once again conscious. After all, he had promised her a bath when she returned. Astarion pressed the back of his fingers to her forehead, checking for a fever as Halsin had, and was satisfied with the lack of heat radiating from her skin. He then moved down to check both cheeks, ensuring they were fever free as well, and softly ran his thumb over each of her cheekbones in the process. He was gentle with his touches, almost acting as if she was the most fragile of flowers that would disintegrate at the slightest touch.

“Is that better, my love?” He asked softly. He hadn’t expected a response, but he still noted the twinge of disappointment when he was answered with nothing but a still silence. His eyes were locked onto her as he sat on the bed beside the wood-elf, continually searching for signs of improvement in his beloved. He was being impatient, but wanted nothing more than to see her return to normal. More than once he found himself leaning over her body to press an ear to her chest, listening for a heartbeat. Her heart rate had slowed tremendously and her breathing had become so slow that he found himself frequently listening for the thumping in her chest to ensure she hadn’t slipped beyond the veil of life. It made him uneasy, seeing her look so lifeless, fearing that she might actually slip away from him.

Astarion climbed onto the bed himself, sitting on her opposite side and crossed his legs, more than ready to sit by her side until she was awake once again. He wrung is hands as he watched over her, anticipating her coming back, but also thankful that she looked as peaceful as she did. Even when they had first started traveling together, he had never known Tavriel to have a decent nights rest. He often found her strolling around the camp at night, eyes always scanning the perimeter as she walked off any nightmares she had relived. She was never truly at rest and admittedly seeing her so still and peaceful was a strange sight. Admittedly, he had grown fond of her late night walks. Given he was usually up late into the night as well, they’d made a habit of quipping back and forth each night and had ultimately grown closer because of it. But tonight was different. There would be no nightmares, no late night strolls, no patrolling to ensure her master hadn’t snuck up on her while she was distracted. Instead, Astarion would take on that role. He vowed to her that he would keep watch and protect her, making sure no harm would come while he was there.

Astarion couldn’t help but admire her features as she slept, his eyes slowly scanning her face as he committed every detail to memory. The corner of his lips twitched into a soft smile as he thought back on their travels in the sun, remembering just how much he found himself enjoying the way the sun would bathe her body. Her hair was a deep copper color and would glow under the warm touch of the sun and her complexion almost radiated a gentle heat. The freckles that littered her cheeks and nose would grow just slightly darker if they spent too long in the light while walking. Before they came to the Shadow Cursed Lands, Astarion had often found himself desiring to kiss Tavriel the way the sun would, with feather light kisses on every freckle he could find from her face to her arms and even the few she had on her stomach and legs.

As far as he was concerned, Tavriel was the sun. Even if he was doomed to forever dwell in the shadows after he rid himself of his brain worm, being with her would be just as satisfying. She was a beaming light of hope, despite her own darknesses, and was the one thing that could bring him true happiness. Alternatively, spending an eternity in the sun without her by his side would void of any joy and positivity. The strongest rays of sunshine would do nothing to break through the dark cloud of her absence.

“You have truly and utterly bewitched me, darling.” He said as he gently placed her bruised hand in his, “You don’t cast magic, but you’ve certainly cast some sort of spell on this dead heart of mine.” He was unsure if she could hear or understand him, but was hoping she would. Despite his feelings towards his companion, he found it difficult to express to her how much she truly meant. It was much easier, in his mind, to open up to her when she was asleep and didn’t have to worry about how she may respond. Not that Tavriel would ever say anything to absolutely crush his heart, but he wasn’t confident that she felt the same way towards him. Tavriel was an incredibly difficult book to read and Astarion couldn’t decipher her feelings towards him. And now, with the offer from the druid, he was even more unsure.

“You have been quite the unexpected surprise on this little adventure,” he continued, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I couldn’t have asked for a better companion. You have shown me kindness, even in the worst of times, and I cannot thank you enough for that. It’s a debt that cannot be repaid, although I will do my best; I can promise you that much.” His thumb stroked her hand as he spoke, relishing in the softness of her skin. Tavriel still remained motionless, her chest barely moving with breath. Astarion leaned forward slightly, placing a delicate kiss to the freckle on her wrist before he spoke again.

“I also swear to you that we will find that rat-bastard of a drow and make him suffer for everything he’s done to you. Even if it’s after we deal with these infectious little worms and our little band of misfits parts ways, I will make sure we find him. Let you deliver that final, killing blow and do everything in my power to let you live whatever life you want. The life of freedom that you deserve, my darling.” Tavriel had promised to help Astarion hunt down Cazador and now it was his turn to make the same promise to her. One promise he was more than willing to make. He delivered several soft issues along her knuckles and to the back of the hand he was holding, hoping that maybe just one soft kiss would be enough to stir her from her slumber. However, much to his dismay, Tavriel remained still.

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“Something is wrong,” Halsin said plainly as he gently lifted one of Tavriel’s eyelids with his thumb, observing the eye underneath, “She should be awake. Her eyes have cleared and there are no traces of the spores.”

Two days had passed and Tavriel still remained unconscious, much to the worry of both the vampire and the druid. Astarion never left the room, not wanting to miss the moment she potentially could open those pretty eyes of hers. Halsin on the other hand would flit back and forth, wanting to check on Tavriel but also not metaphorically step on Astarion’s toes. Because Tavriel had not explicitly stated that she wanted something more from Halsin, the druid wanted to be as respectful as possible to her relationship with Astarion, who had become increasingly protective over his lover the longer she was unconscious.

“Her eyes are no longer clouded by the spores,” Halsin continued as he observed her other eye, “but they’re clouded with something else. It’s as if her mind has left her body.” Astarion peered around Halsin, looking over the unconscious elf on the bed. The druid was right, something was not right with Tavriel. Her normally vibrant green eyes were dull, not quite fogged over, but as if her very soul was missing from them. The light in her eyes had simply disappeared and had been replaced with something cold. A chill caressed Astarion’s spine; the sight of Tavriel was too similar to corpse for his liking.

“What do we do?” Astarion asked after a few moments of silence, “Can you heal her?”

“I’m unsure if I’m being honest,” Halsin said as he stood, pressing his knuckles to her forehead to once again check for a fever, “this is most unusual. I’ve healed many who have been infected with the spores, but they have never reacted like this. They’ve usually stirred a few hours after drinking the antidote, at most overnight, but never days on end.” Satisfied in feeling no fever from Tavriel, Halsin removed his hand and stood quietly, lost in thought.

“Surely there are others you can converse with,” Astarion suggested, “to have a second opinion on if your methods of healing are actually working and where to go from here.” His words with said with the intent to wound the druid for failing to bring Tavriel back immediately, but was disappointed to find that they had simply rolled off Halsin’s back unnoticed.

“Let me speak with the harpers,” Halsin said eventually, “perhaps they know of something I may have missed. Stay with her, if you will, and let me know if she stirs in the meantime. Surely time is not on our side with this matter.” Astarion’s lip curled slightly at his words, but eventually gave a single nod in acknowledgement. Without another word, Halsin left the vampire in charge as he hurried to find a harper in the inn, hid pace quickening with each step. After the door to the room had closed, Astarion turned his attention back to Tavriel.

“Now, darling,” he said as he knelt next to her on the bed, “you made me a promise. And if I remember correctly, you keep your promises.” He gently stroked the spot between her eyebrows with his thumb, the other hand holding one of hers. “Don’t break this promise, my love, please. I can’t do this without you. Hells, you’re still here, but I’m already lost. If you leave, I’ll be lost in this darkness forever. Come back to me, Tavriel.” He planted a single kiss to her forehead before standing, turning to being pacing the room once again.

After a solid day of sitting next to her on the bed with no signs of life, Astarion had to keep himself moving to try to keep unwanted thoughts at bay. He strolled the length of the room slowly, his eyes staring into the dimly glowing embers of the fireplace. He kept one arm folded across his chest, using it to support the other as it nestled under his chin, occasionally running his thumb over his lower lip in thought. Although the pacing helped to a degree, wicked thoughts still managed to creep their way into Astarion’s mind, causing his stomach to knot in disgust.

“This is your fault, you know.” He said to himself as he made another turn in the room, “If you had just been stronger in convincing her not to go, she would be here with you now. But no, you were weak. Pathetic. You rolled over and showed your belly and now she’s as good as dead.” He shook the thoughts from his head, desperately trying to think of anything else in the meantime.

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Tavriel found herself on her hands and knees on a stone floor, the sharp stones digging into her flesh. She wasn’t sure about where she was, but she knew it was no place she wanted to be for too long. After a moment, she came to realize she was in a room, cold and damp, and it was unsettlingly dark. Even with elven dark vision, she couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her. The darkness was cold and piercing, quickly settling into her rapidly beating heart. Tavriel slowly made her way to her feet, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of another person or, more preferably, an escape.

She dared to take a few steps in front of her, her legs shaking from the pressure of the stones she had been kneeling on. The room was small, yet it seemed never ending. She couldn’t quite make out the wall on the opposite side. Each step she took only seemed to make the wall take a step back from her. After a few more steps she turned, hoping that by going into an opposite direction would lead her to an exit, or at the very least, some answers as to where she was. But no matter the direction she went, Tavriel was lost. She was greeted by nothing but darkness and the never ending loop of a room. She felt tears begin to well in her eyes as she continued pacing, the piercing coldness of the room and the dread of being alone was starting to set in. Gods, how she hated to be alone.

“Darling.” She heard a voice behind her. Quiet and inviting, almost inaudible. She turned, hoping to see a figure standing within her line of sight, but was instead greeted only with more darkness. Her eyebrows knitted together, now wondering if she’d actually heard something or if she had finally lost her mind. She took a few more steps in the direction of the voice, her hand outstretched to prevent her from bumping into any obstacles. Eventually, the tips of her fingers brushed against a piece of damp wood.

A simple, wooden door was nestled in a deep socket of the stone wall, well hidden in the depth of darkness that surrounded her. As she looked over the potential exit, she could see a very soft, faint glow of light peeking through the crack where the wood met the frame. Hesitantly, she approached the heavy door, placing her hands along the wood before pressing her ear to the gap in the frame. She listened closely, hoping to hear the voice once again. Tavriel held her breathing, seeing if it would allow her to hear the voice more clearly. After a few moments of deafening silence, she heard it again. That soft, gentle voice that had called to her previously. She recognized the voice, but couldn’t place a face. She’d heard it many times recently and it was always the same soothing voice each time it visited her. It called to her from the darkness and beckoned her to the light on the opposite side of the door. Her hands fumbled the surface of the door, searching from a handle or lever she could pull. When her fingers touched the seam and the light shining through, she felt a warmth she wasn’t accustomed to feeling. Whatever it was, was loving.

“Come back to me, Tavriel.” The voice called once again as she found her grip on a metal knob. She held it tightly, turning both directions as it spun in her hand. Tavriel pressed against the door, finding it had come give with her weight. The elf tossed her weight more heavily against the wooden door blocking her path, finding that it bent more and more with each shove. She continued, slamming more roughly into the door with each go, until it finally snapped under her movements. The door burst open and Tavriel fell to the ground on the other side with a grunt, fully bathing in the light and warmth that was cascading over her.

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Tavriel’s eyes opened slowly, her vision blurred and hazy as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She wasn’t quite sure where she was, other than a bed, but she did know that it did not belong to her master. She stayed silent and turned her head, unsure if she was in safe company or not, and watched as a figure in the room slowly paced back and forth, unaware of her presence. Tavriel blinked repeatedly, trying to remove the fog from her sight as she hoisted herself to a sitting position. Instinctually, she let out a loud groan as she moved, the pain that shot through her body was too much to bear to keep quiet. Everywhere from her head to her legs ached and burned and she had only just noticed the purple bruising that covered her hands. Her ribs felt as if they were breaking with her movements and the scars along her back burned with an intense heat.

Astarion’s head whipped her direction, surprise covering his face as Tavriel seemed to suddenly spring to life. She groaned again, teetering on the precipice of a scream as she placed her feet on the ground, seemingly ready to stand. Astarion quickly closed the gap between them, wanting to reach out to keep her from standing too soon, but froze mere inches from her when he saw the look Tavriel had etched across her face. In her still confused mind, Tavriel couldn’t tell who was approaching her, but assumed it was a threat. She leaned back as far as her aching body would allow her and placed a hand in front of her to stop the figure from coming closer. He watched as her outstretched hand trembled in fear, the familiar feeling of dread once again settling in his heart. His eyes then found hers as she scanned his face, desperately trying to understand who was with her. Tavriel’s breath was as shaky as her hand as she looked over the stranger, still unsure if she was with a friend or an enemy.

After a moment her mind started to clear and she took in the man’s features. Silver hair. Red eyes. Pale skin. Puncture wounds in the neck. She knew this face and knew it well. Both elves remained silent as Tavriel regained her posture, slowly coming back up to a sitting position. Her outstretched and trembling hand soon slowed and reached for the familiar face in front of her. She softly placed the hand on his cheek, wanting to feel him in her grasp to ensure he was real and not just another figment of her imagination. Astarion leaned into her touch, offering her a small smile as her thumb caressed his cheekbone.

“Astarion?” Tavriel asked softly, her voice hoarse from her cries.

“Welcome back, my dear.” He said as his smile slightly grew, relief beginning to wash over him as Tavriel placed her other hand on his opposite cheek. She cupped his face as her eyes continued to scan his features, still half expecting him to fade from her grasp and be plunged back in her masters dungeons.

“...Real?” She asked hesitantly as her grip on his cheeks tightened slightly.

“Oh yes, love. I’m very real.” Before Astarion could say more, Tavriel pulled him to her. One arm snaked around his back and the other hand found purchase in his hair, her fingers gripping his curls tightly to keep him close. It would have almost been painful had Astarion been gripping her with any less force. His hand slid up her back and rested at the base of her head while the other landed on the sheets behind her, keeping the vampire from toppling on top of her after her pull. They stayed still for a few moments, relishing in the embrace of their companion.

With his arm beginning to lose feeling from supporting them both, Astarion stood straight, bringing the other elf with him. Tavriel let out another strained groan as she stood, a wave of pain strong enough to make her vision temporarily blur and see white. She clutched to Astarion, her eyes clenching shut as she waiting for the last twinges of agony to subside. Instinctively, Astarion nudged Tavriel to release her grip and tugged at her shirt, ready to pull it out of the way to look over her wounds. In doing so, he felt her tense and he immediately stopped his movements.

“May I?” He asked cautiously as he lightly tugged at the hem of her shirt, signaling he wanted to remove the article to observe her injuries all while not wanting to frighten or unsettle her more than she already was. Although both elves were very comfortable in being scantily dressed or fully nude in each others presence, the act of actually undressing the other was still tender ground. It reminded both of them what it could easily turn into, even though neither were never in the right mindset for sex. They were happy to take things slow, although in this instance Astarion found it necessary to see just how badly Tavriel was hurt.

“Of course.” She said quietly, still fighting off the last aches from standing. Tavriel slowly raised her arms over her head, trying not to make her winces too noticeable. Astarion lifted her shirt, carefully tugging it over her sore arms and eventually over her head completely. The tips of his fingers ghosted over her wounds, slowly tracing the various bruises and scratches. Her numerous scars were inflamed, almost pulsing under his touch, and dried blood was stuck to some of her deeper scratches.

“You need healing, dear.” Astarion said as he looked over her exposed skin, grimacing at the deep bruises that were self inflicted in her delirium, “Let me go find the druid and see what he can do.”

“No,” Tavriel said with another groan, “I’m fine. There’s no need to waste the resources if I’m not bleeding out. We should save them for someone more important. I’ll heal up in a few days, trust me. I’ve looked, and felt, much worse.” Tavriel reached for her shirt, but Astarion had a firm grip on the ragged fabric, keeping it in his grasp.

“You will do no such thing!” Astarion shouted, a bit more desperate sounding than he had intended, “Darling, I can’t think of a single more important person that needs our bloody supplies more than you do at the moment. Let me help you.” Tavriel placed her hands over his own, shaking her head as she pried her shirt from his grasp, tears threatening to begin pooling on her eyelids.

“I don’t want to cause more trouble than I already have,” she said as she pulled her shirt back over her head, “I’ve made you worry enough as it is. You shouldn’t have to take care of me like this.” The wood-elf gestured to her head, two fingers tapping at her temple.

“But I want to,” he said more gently than before, “and so does every member of our little group. Believe me when I say that everyone wants to see you well. Some more than others, but nonetheless, all members are on board.”

Tavriel sighed heavily, allowing her eyes to close for a moment. She was exhausted and it was beginning to show. The two days she spent in her medicine induced rest didn’t allow her to sleep. Her body was still, but her mind raced; memories flashing, voices floating in and out, and trying to escape the confines of her own mind. Which, of course, had been combined with the sheer panic and terror caused by the mushroom spores, which only drained her energy more. Long nights of no sleep in the Shadow Cursed Lands and the ever present feeling of the mind flayer tadpole swimming behind her eye only added to the exhaustion.

Tavriel was running on empty, her own body threatening to betray her and collapse under the immense pressure she was facing. But even still, she hesitated in accepting help from her companions. She was their leader and the driving force behind finding a cure to the tadpoles that didn’t involve growing a set of tentacles. She couldn’t appear weak in front of them. It would make her look feeble-minded and could cause the others to think she didn’t know what she was doing. Tavriel had convinced herself that she had to be strong for the others. All of her companions had their own host of terrifying and world shattering issues themselves ranging from a magic powered orb threatening to detonate at any time to the looming threat of the goddess of darkness. Compared to them, Tavriel felt inferior. Her issues, as traumatic as they may be to her, seemed insignificant. And yet, here was Astarion, who was spending every waking moment of his undead life running from his former master, desperately trying to convince her that it would be okay to lean on him in her moment of need.

“Okay,” she said with her eyes still closed, “okay.” Astarion felt another wave of relief wash over him at her agreement for just basic healing.

“Now then,” Astarion sighed as he tucked a few stray strands of hair from Tavriel’s face, “you wait here while I go fetch the druid. Once he’s done we can get you that bath I promised and see if I can do something with that dreadful burlap of yours.” Tavriel snorted at his teasing, her eyes snapping open as she remember their conversation from before her journey.

“You’re still on about that?” Tavriel cocked her head slightly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“But of course!” He said with a flourish, “The current state of your hair truly is a crime, love, and I would be a willing accomplice if I didn’t offer my services.” Behind her eyes he could see she was still worn down, but was elated to find that she had easily accepted his gentle teasing.

“I thought you enjoyed the occasional crime?” Her head still tilted to the side as her smile widened. She grabbed onto his arms, firmly holding on to the vampire. Her legs were weak from exhaustion, threatening to collapse under her weight if she didn’t cling to something.

“I have standards, my dear.” He said with a wink. “And, if memory serves me correctly, you did offer me a reward for my hard work. And you do know how fond I am over a piece of treasure.” Astarion offered her a coy smile as he placed his hands on her waist and gently pulled her to him, trying to avoid agitating any wounds on her body while keeping her on her feet.

“Indeed I do.” She said softly. The elf pressed her forehead to his, mirroring their final embrace before she left for the shadows, sighing contently at the contact. They stood there for some time, simply enjoying the others touch.

“Meet me in the baths when you’re ready, my love.” Astarion placed a soft kiss to her temple, his hands lingering on her waist before pulling away and slipping out of the room. Tavriel made her way back to the bed, seating herself on the edge with a grunt of pain. She sat there with her eyes closed, trying to center her thoughts as she waited for Halsin. She found a flurry of butterflies making their way to her stomach as she remembered the conversation she’d had with Halsin before making contact with those dreaded mushrooms. In a way she was thankful for Astarion pushing for Halsin to come heal her. They needed to talk and it simply couldn’t wait.

Tag List:

@meganwritesfanfics

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #tav #astarion #astarion x female tav #astarion x tav #spawn astarion #fanfic #astarion fanfic #astarion fanfiction #named tav #halsin

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strongbrew-hamstery · 2 years ago

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There is something oh so adorable about the beep squeaks that 2wk old baby hamsters make when playing with their siblings. The #ColourKids are no exception (I can hear them now!) and I give you a wrestle between Red #Butler and #Shy Violet, interrupted by a curious but uninterested #Canary Yellow. Syrian hamster adults are strictly solitary, which makes the short time they can cohabitate with momma and siblings oh so precious. They learn a lot from their siblings and mother, and just like all baby animals do, they play! It can be difficult for us humans when we know that Syrian hamsters are solitary as adults, but they don't just come out of the womb ready to be independent. When Syrian hamster pups are born they are totally reliant on their mother for care. They are hairless, and their eyes and ears are not functional. At a week old they begin to eat some solids but still heavily nurse. By two weeks, their eyes are open and they are waddling around but still reliant on momma and siblings for food and warmth. At three weeks, momma hammy begins to wean her pups but that doesn't mean they're ready to pack their cheeks and move out. It isn't until a Syrian hamster pup is four weeks old that they can be separated from their mother. Even still, it is vitally important that they cohabitate with their same sex siblings until minimum five weeks, but six weeks is much better (unless they fall out). At six weeks old, hamster pups are ready to go to their new homes. Hamsters learn various behaviours from their mother and siblings. Nesting, burrowing, stuffing their cheeks, grooming and all sorts of other things they develop by watching momma. Their play wrestles with their siblings help teach them proper bite inhibition too. Plus, it's just fun! While it's tempting to tell someone to split their Syrians, first ask how old they are. They might be pups and your advice - while well intentioned - could actually seriously injure or kill these pups. Please do remember though adult Syrian hamsters are *strictly* solitary. Cohabitation of adult Syrians is stressful and unfair to them, and can lead to injury or death. #informative https://instagr.am/reel/CrJrNllgNkc/

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thelegionsden · 28 days ago

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"A Little Snowskull Fight 2: Electric Boogaloo."

"You did it again? You did it... again!?" Frank yelled at the top of his lungs, still nursing his ego after his near total victory. "What the fuck Susie?!"

"Fuck you Frank, I don't get to have any fun anymore. Christmas is over and soon we're gonna have to go back to the same old fuckin' dull bullshit we always do. Let me have a little fuckin' fun, ok? Since when did you get a stick up your ass?"

That comment stung Frank a little more than it should've. "For fucks sake..." Julie walked over and tried to interject on behalf of her boyfriend.

"Suze, do you remember why we're trying to do this?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"We're trying to show up Ghostface but... come on. The guy couldn't give a shit about us, why are giving a shit about him? Let's have fun while the Entity is feeling like it." Joey walked up behind her, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah man, you been lettin' Johnson get to you. I'm all for bustin' some heads man, you know that.

Frank paced back and forth, gently shaking his knife up and down in his hand. Julie noticed this and walked over to her boyfriend, gently taking his hands.

"Babe, why don't you take a break for a while? I'll take over for a while, I've been itching to get back out there." Frank paused and let his lover rub his neck. For a moment, he felt the fire that made the Legion what it was cool for a moment. Only for it to reignite when he was suddenly pelted in the face with a snowball.

"The fuck!?" He turned and saw Susie holding a clump of snow in her hand, her stance unusually firm and forward. "Susie? The fuck was that for?"

"You heard her. It's time for you take a break, so you get to have some fuckin' fun!" She grabbed another clump of snow and threw it at Frank, pelting him in the chest. Frank gasped in shock and growled indignantly.

"Susie, I'm not in the fuckin-" He was cut off when a snowball hit him from the side. He turned and saw Joey standing there defiantly, a few snowballs in his arms.

"Best do as she says, Frank. Lookin' like you need to take a load off."

"Oh motherfucker... I'll fuckin' show you, come here!" Frank whipped out his knife and chased after Joey. "You brought this on yourself Joey, just sayin'." Julie said, watching from afar. He ran fast and quick through the endless trees, the cold wind brushing past his exposed head. Frank was close behind, already in the throes of Feral Frenzy. He dashed over fallen trees and the remnants of pallets to catch Joey, his mind flashing red with anger. Eventually, Frank caught Joey near the edge of a lake. Just as he was about to lunge at him, he felt another snowball pelt him in the back of the head. He turned and saw Susie with another snowball primed and ready.

"Told you Frankie, it's time to have some fun." Susie tossed another snowball at Frank, who merely dodged out of the way. Joey returned fire with another snowball, hitting him in the back. Each time Frank turned, he was pelted by the other Legion member. Fed up, he lunged at Susie before slipping on a patch of ice. He skidded to a halt against a tree, burying himself in a mini-avalanche of snow.

"Now that's what I call a wipeout." Joey chuckled at his joke while Susie joined him. "You said it. Lookin' a little frosty there, Frank." Frank groaned, his head reeling from the loss of the Frenzy. He got to his knees, dropped his knife in the snow, then curled up and started weeping quietly. Susie and Joey looked to each other concerned. Had they gone too far in trying to help their boss lighten up? Joey crept over to Frank, kneeling down to him

"Boss... Frank, you alright?" Joey was met with a mound of snow to his face. Frank then nailed him in the crotch before kicking him off. "How's that for havin' fun, huh?!" Frank let out a victorious laugh before being pelted by Susie. "Fine, ya want me to have fun? Let's have some fun!"

The sound of snowballs and laughing filled the air. For a moment, in the Entity's blasted realm, the Legion were given time to be what they were before they were taken. Just some young delinquents having a little fun.

#the legion dbd #based on yet another legion match I had #short story #it's weird it happened twice.

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henke-penke · 2 months ago

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Me: [Get's motivated to finish the animatic after an art block and revisits what I had]

Me: Hmmmm... [Still reeling from all the feels from the Arcane Season 2 finale] ... I can definitely make the epilogue more angsty >:]

Yeah, fun fact! I had originally decided to have an epilogue in a more ambiguous/open ending for the animatic. But, since Arcane left me with so much angst, Imma just channel it into a completely different fandom. I almost feel bad doing it. Almost. Also, while I'm at it, might as well redraw some of the work I'd done.

To give you a hint as to how I'm picturing the atmosphere for the epilogue, I had to ask me self one question: Since the song in chappy 14 is based on Something Entirely New from Steven Universe, what is a song that's the furthest/opposite of a comfy love song? And, while it's not from that one, the artist made a short film that coincidentally shared a name with a character from Steven Universe. Do with that hint what you will. ;)

If it wasn't obvious, I have so much love for this fic, rereading it after a long day at school and rambling about each new chapter to my friend. I can only wish ao3 let me give more kudos since this fic deserves it. Thank you so much for creating it, and I can't wait to see what's next! <3

Until then!

-✒️🌙

ooooo I am so intrigued and hyped as to what you've got in store. Love the thought process behind the atmosphere because yeah, that's basically how it is in the fic lmao

I've said it before and I'll say it a thousand times more; that means so much to me. Every kind word is a massive motivation boost, not only for the fanfic but for me as a writer. It's been my dream since I was a little kid, and I thank you so much for proving I can do it <3<3<3

Also, this may be a Total Drama fanfic blog but I need to (incoherently) talk about Arcane season 2 real quick because oh my fucking god

I am both a husk of my former self and a being of higher power after watching that, I was bawling my eyes out from episode one.

LOVE the character writing of this show. LOVE how everyone is making bad decisions. LOVE how there's not a single person who has done nothing wrong (except for you Isha you were perfect and I miss you please come back)

A huge thank you to whoever decided to make Jayce more rugged he looked so naked before and now he's just *chef's kiss* peak gender

Sevika and Jinx were so fucking funny together peak aunt and fuckass niece dynamic I love it <3

And I swear I'm normal but then Mel appears on screen and I go so fucking stupid I am down catastrophically for this fictional woman. Like the scene where she saved Caitlyn, and walks out from the building with her hood and her eyes glowing I LOST IT !!! MY WIFE !!! SHE IS SO COOL !!!

CAITVI !!! Obviously they've been in love since season on but I never thought it'd be shown so explicitly (the jail cell scene made me fall out of my chair) but I am beyond happy we did AND that they got a happy ending. Or as happy as they can be in Arcane lmao. Massive win for the lesbians.

I am so unwell about Ekko and Jinx and I legitimately do not have the words for it just auirenfauierbgal WHAT DO YOU MEAN EKKO SAVED THE WORLD AND GOT NOTHING IN RETURN ???? WHAT DO YOU MEAN JINX IS DEAD ???? HUH ??? Oh and do not get me fucking STARTED on Ma Meilleure Ennemie.

"In all timelines, in all possibilities, only you can show me this." BYE Y'ALL IMMA END UP ON THE NEWS-

#I am a very normal person who likes things a very normal amount

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donkeyzball · 2 months ago

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遇見你的那天

Chanced upon an insta reel introducing this drama! Opened the comments and saw 9/10 comments saying how sweet this drama is, how good the main leads look when they are together! Decided to give it a try! Researched that it was a happy ending and it is a short drama series - 14 episodes in total! Each episode is only 30 minutes long including the opening song and the closing scene! Perfect to slot each episode into the lunch breaks when I wfh / 1 or 2 episodes each night!

Little did I know these 14 episodes of 30 minutes each 會這麼痛苦! 🤡 Please find my 吐槽的點 below:

They dub their actors' voices in the drama! 我超不喜歡 drama that has their actors' voices dubbed over because it feels damnnnn fake! If it was done well I still can close one eye but this drama the dubbing damn bad, the voice is too clear and too perfect! 超不自然!!!

Oh before I continue to 吐槽, I need to write down the plot first! So the male and female lead were classmates, they happened to sit beside each other! The guy likes the girl from the start, the girl semi-likes the guy too! But they went their separate ways without developing their fondness for each other and when they become adults, they reunite in their work field! The guy is a high-flying director, the girl is a person working in 企劃! The female lead's mum kept pressuring her to go 相親, the male lead needed a female partner to bring to his family gathering so they went into a contractual relationship. They moved in together, hung out as a couple, behaved like a couple but from time to time they will remind each other that they can break the contract anytime if they find someone they love! First of all - this 劇情就他媽該吐槽!!! It's damn cliche but if it's done well, it will be damn sweet! But they had to make it sooooo back and forth and ta ta pei!!

The drama is only 14 episodes long, so what will usually take a kdrama 2 episodes, a cdrama 10 episodes, they will have the back and forth done in HALF an episode! For e.g. there will be a guy who likes the female lead, the male lead jealous, then angry at her. Then female lead confused, thought the male lead don't like her, but she likes him! So in order to not lose face, she also pretend to not like the male lead! Then, somehow an incident will make them 解開心結 and explain that it is all just a misunderstanding and then they go back to being lovey dovey - ALL THIS WITHOUT MENTIONING 我喜歡你/我愛你 throughout the whole saga! AND THIS IS ALL DONE WITHIN 15 minutes. Watching one episode machiam sit roller coaster, you have all the emotions within a short 30 minutes!

You will ask "then what's the next 15 minutes about?" ARE YOU READY? The remaining 15 minutes is.....to develop the SECOND MALE AND FEMALE LEAD story!!! GAN!!!! The 2nd male and female lead story also 超 cliche - the female and male lead always bicker! They hate each other, but cause of work, the 2nd female lead (who is an author) needed to work with the 2nd male lead who is a publisher. The 2nd female lead purposely picked the 2nd male lead to work with to 欺負他, but through the working process she realised the 2nd male lead 的好. 真的。。。。無言！！！

I contemplated to ditch the drama multiple times, but there's only 14 episode of 30 minutes each, 不可能看不完!! So i persevered and finished it!! The worst thing of all about this drama is that - i cant even fast foward the episodes cause the plot is already fast forwarded(?)!!!! If i fast forward anymore i wont even be able to understand the plot lOl!

So the drama ended with the 2nd male and female lead ending up together (in episode 7). The male and female lead ended up together on the 2nd last episode, how they ended up together is cause they broke their contractual r/s due to a misunderstanding. But then they go back to their lives and realised they 真的喜歡對方, so the guy went to find the girl, tell her he likes her since school days! The girl also then confessed saying he all along like the guy, but cause during the contractual r/s, his 青梅竹馬 came to find him, she thought he like her, she is afraid if she 動真感情 she will get hurt!

This drama really packed all the cliche/typical/狗血劇情 of a romance drama, squeeze it in 14 episodes, make everything happen at 3x speed. Moral of the story - don't believe everything you see online!! Jinjja I had to write this down cause I cannot believe a drama like this exist. 我對不起你們 - 我的大腦和我的眼睛, I am sorry I put you guys through this, I know how hard it was to sit through these 14 episodes, watching something that is meant to be simple and straightforward, but because of how ridiculous it was, it becomes incomprehensible！

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oneshot-wxnderland · 4 years ago

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Lab Partners With Benefits Pt. 3 | Percy Jackson

Summary: Another week, another lab and Y/n and Percy are feeling a different kind of tension this time.

Category: fluff

Part 1 | Part 2

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Percy had been kicking himself all week. He had forgotten to ask you for your number before you left his place and now you probably thought he was just some asshole looking for a one-time hookup. And he didn’t want that. And he hoped you didn’t want that either. But he wasn’t really sure what he wanted.

It’d been a hot minute since Percy was in any kind of relationship and he wasn’t sure if he was even the relationship kind. Even if he did want to be, his life just didn’t lend itself to dating mortals. There was always some monster popping up that he’d have to fight, or quest he’d have to go on, or emergency at camp he’d have to run off to, and Percy was a shit liar. It’s what messed up the last time he’d tried to date somebody. He was constantly blowing off dates and rain-checking everything because the gods are needy attention seekers.

He’d seen superhero movies before and related a lot to when they had similar issues. Percy’s not saying he’s Spiderman or anything, but he does live in New York and save it from constant peril – so yeah, he’s Spiderman.

This time, however, he was really considering trying again. Trying with you. And Percy had a plan.

Sliding into his seat when there were only a few other people in the room yet, Percy felt pumped up. He woke up early, showered, had a FaceTime with the boys to discuss the game plan, and got to class ahead of you so that he was ready to give you his number the first chance he got before he lost his nerve. That was part of Jason’s advice: offer his number to you instead of asking for yours. He claimed it would make Percy come off more vulnerable and less pushy. Leo mostly just spouted different cheesy lines that Percy would never use. Frank didn’t say much but Hazel piped in every now and then when she took the phone from him.

“So, you’re lab partners,” Hazel started. “Do you talk outside of your lab?”

“No, that’s why I need her number.”

“But you said you did homework together at your place right? So how’d that go? Did she seem interested?”

Percy paused.

“Yeah, it went... fine.”

Hazel was blissfully unaware of the blush that was creeping up his neck but Jason didn’t miss it. Or the way he suddenly needed to roll up his sleeves and fiddle with them.

“Did you just do the homework?” Jason asked suspiciously.

“We uh... kissed...”

“Niiiiiicee, Percy!” Leo hollered. “That’s my boy!”

Frank retook the phone from Hazel and hastily gave an excuse to go before leaving the call and cutting off Hazel’s confused protests.

“I don’t know what to tell you, man,” Jason shook his head. “This is way beyond my level now. Piper and Annabeth are nearby I’ll go get them-.”

“No!” Percy cut him off. That’s the last thing he wanted. The girl’s won’t know or care what to do so they’d ask Piper’s siblings and then the entirety of camp would know. “It doesn’t really change anything. I’m going to give her my number and then the ball’s in her court and I don’t have to worry about it.”

“But your balls were in her court, weren’t they Percy.”

“Leo I am going to kill you when I get back to camp and that is a threat.”

Leo left the call.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, just don’t do your game-time face because it’ll scare her off,” Jason tried to get the conversation back on track.

“What face? I don’t have a scary face?” Percy added another item to the list of things to not do when he saw her.

“Yes you do. It’s when you’re charging into battle but this isn’t battle is it Percy?”

“You’re lucky,” Percy lamented while he grabbed his backpack. “You just woke up and were already with Piper. All the hard work done for you.”

“You got this man, just be yourself.”

Percy decided to throw that particular bit of garbage advice away.

Now he was sitting in his seat, got there early, and he was even wearing his nice t-shirt, so what could go wrong.

As soon as you walked in the door all of his carefully curated bravado deflated inside of him. You walked towards your shared table and he had to expel childish nerves he hadn’t felt in years. He’s in college now, for Hades’ sake. He was a man.

“Hey,” you greeted as you sat down.

“Hi.” That was stupid. Men don’t say ‘hi’. He should’ve said ‘hey’ back.

“You’re here early,” you commented and Percy just nodded like an idiot.

The plan was to giver you his number as soon as he saw you, but he couldn’t just blurt that out of nowhere.

“How’ve you been?”

There. Establishing a conversation and definitely not stalling.

“I’ve been good.” The small amused smile on your face calmed him down a little. He’s got this.

Class started before he could slip his number in casually but Percy wasn’t deterred. He wasn’t going to let geology get in his way.

While you were reading the data you had to chart on the graph, you noticed Percy’s usual fidgeting get even worse. Glancing at him from the corner of your eye, you saw him concentrating intensely on the paper and trying to contain his frustration. You recognized the signs since one of your friends has dyslexia, but you knew he wouldn’t ask for help.

“So we have to plot the points on the graph and then draw the elevation lines, right?” You asked casually, looking over to him for confirmation. He nodded his head, but still continued to squint at the numbers which all were very small print and close to each other.

Muttering the numbers as if to yourself but loud enough for him to hear, you got to work.

Percy sat back and smiled a little, knowing what you were doing. He looked over at you, from your furrowed brow to your crossed legs bouncing with your tapping foot. With a contented sigh, he recalled what it felt like to be in between those legs. Having them wrapped around his hips while you moaned his name.

His eyes trailed up your body, memories that were attached to each part flooding through him like a highlight reel of his deepest fantasies. Then he got to your bare arms and the goosebumps on the skin shook him out of it.

“Cold?” he asked, interrupting you trying to help him which he really should have been listening to.

“Yeah, a little.”

“Here.” Percy shrugged off his hoodie and held it out to you before pausing (and slightly panicking.)

Hold up, is this weird? Am I being weird right now? Should giving her my hoodie come before or after we exchange numbers? I guess doing it before could be a good test of whether she would be interested in exchanging numbers. But this is couple stuff. Her wearing my hoodie. That usually comes after numbers. But she’s cold now and I can’t seem like an asshole withholding warmth unless she accepts or declines my number.

Luckily, you didn’t seem to notice his panic as you took the hoodie from him without hesitation and put it on. “Thanks.”

He calmed down as he watched you roll up the sleeves so that your hands were free to work and he felt a different kind of warmth spread through him. He liked the way you looked in his hoodie.

You caught him watching you and it threw you off. This wasn’t the heated gaze that had made you melt before, this was... softer. But the moment was ruined when you glanced down and saw that he hadn’t drawn a single point yet.

“Hey,” you tapped your pencil on his paper. “Focus.”

“Sorry.”

You worked well together for a while. The rhythm of plotting points distracted Percy from his nerves. That is until he felt your hand on his forearm.

“What’s this?” You asked, finger tracing the SPQR of his tattoo and making him shiver.

“Oh, it’s a band.”

“What band?”

“The Super Popular... Cool Rockers.”

“They spell Cool with a Q?”

“That’s what makes it cool.”

“Ah.”

Percy went back to the worksheet, congratulating himself on his quick thinking when he saw you pull out your phone.

“What are you doing?” he asked, totally nonchalant.

“Looking up the Super Popular Qool Rockers.”

Percy snatched your phone.

“Oh, you won’t find them.” He dodged your attempts to grab it. “They’re really underground.”

“You’ll be really underground if you don’t give me my phone back.” Percy hastily returned your phone, as if the threat scared him. You tried to glare at him, but found it too hard to suppress your smile once his broke out. “Thank you. Now will you tell me what it really means?”

“Maybe one day.” People started packing their things and leaving since class had flown by faster than Percy liked. Sensing his window of opportunity closing he decided to Hades with it. “Depends if you go on a date with me.”

You took your time standing up and gathering your things while pretending to mull it over in your head. Which Percy really did not appreciate.

“Maybe one day,” you answered him with a coquettish smile and took a few steps towards the door. “Well, aren’t you coming?”

Percy was too concentrated on restraining a fist pump to puzzle out your meaning.

“We didn’t get much work done today, so we better finish what we started at your place.” You winked at him and strided out the door.

With a mischievous grin, Percy was quick to follow.

#percy jackson #percy jackson smut #percy jackson x reader #percy jackson x you #percy jackson x y/n

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prettytoxicrevolver · 4 years ago

Text

More Than Friends | Jimmy Donaldson

Requested? Nope

Warnings? None?? Maybe??

Summary: You and Jimmy have been friends with benefits to try and get over other people. However, the unexpected happens when you fall for each other.

Word Count: 1,710

You wake up to the sound of your phone ringing, a groan escaping your lips as your eyes flutter open to grab it and lazily slide it open.

“Hello?” you answer groggily.

“(y/n)!” you hear Karl’s voice greet you cheerily and your heart stutters.

“Yes?” you ask still only half awake.

“You know you’re supposed to be shooting a video right now?”

“You know my car broke down and I have no way of getting to the shoot right?” you ask and Karl oh’s at your response.

“I can come to pick you up! We’ll make it a mini adventure!” he says and you nod even though he can’t see you.

“Yes please.”

You drag yourself out of bed, getting dressed in a semi-decent outfit, and wait for Karl to pull up. Your nerves had started to get to you, as you bounce your leg unknowingly, sitting atop your doorstep. You watch as Karl’s Tesla pulls up and you make your way over to it.

“Good morning!” he cheers when you get inside.

You had been half asleep the entire time waiting for him but being in his presence was an instant wake-up. Karl always had that effect on you, giving you more energy than you thought you could possibly have.

“Redbull?” he asks, handing you your favorite drink and you gasp.

“You truly are my favorite person.”

The rest of the drive feels quick, your nerves growing for another reason. You hated being late to shoots and had totally forgotten to text Jimmy that your car broke down last night. You prided yourself in being as professional as possible in any job you took even if you were working with some of your closest friends.

When you get to the shoot, Karl leads you to where the boys are shooting and you instantly hear Jimmy’s voice. You and Karl round the corner and watch quietly as he talks.

Your eyes trail over to Jimmy like they’re trained to find him in any room. His eyes meet yours, still speaking animatedly but keeping his stare even with you. You both break when he turns to look at someone else and you feel the same familiar fire spark through you.

When the bit ends, Jimmy’s eyes are back on you as he makes his way over to you. You falter under his gaze, the same one he always pierces you with. As he nears, you try not to let the same shallow breath paralyze you.

“(y/n),” he calls with a cool air about him.

“Sorry I'm late,” you say and he leans down until he’s next to your ear.

“We’ll talk later darling,” he says and your breath hitches.

Before you can respond, Karl bounces over with a bright smile and an explanation on your behalf that your car had broken down.

“Oh! Do you want me to drive you home?” he asks and Jimmy casts a glance at you.

“Nah I can take her man,” Jimmy says and you half want to roll your eyes at the two men but are also grateful for them helping you.

“Thanks, Jimmy,” you smile up at him but all he does is throw a wink at you when Karl turns away.

You and Jimmy Donaldson, infamously known as Mr Beast, had a complicated relationship. In short, he annoyed the fuck out of you. In long, he was your best friend of over 5 years now. You had met him just as he started Mr beast and you had always helped him as much as possible.

Now, you two had a slightly different friendship. Jimmy had been trying to get over his relationship with Maddy, his ex of 2 years. You were trying to get over Karl, a boy you knew was super close to getting a girlfriend and probably had no interest in you at all.

It happened by accident, you were hanging out, discussing your mutual frustration of trying to get over people you couldn’t seem to get over.

“This sucks,” you concluded.

Your arm was on the back of the couch, head propped into your hand. You gazed at your best friend as he nodded slowly. His hand lands on your knee, his thumb slowly rubbing back and forth against the exposed skin.

His touch sends shockwaves through you and you can’t help but shuffle forward at the contact. Your legs end up on top of his, his hand coming up to run down your arm. He takes his hand in yours, pulling you even closer.

In the silence your heads come together, foreheads touching and your heart pounds hard. His lips ghost over yours, electricity pulling the breath from your lungs and silencing any thought you may have had at the moment. When his lips finally connect to yours, a quiet squeak lets out at the contact, shocking you as fire spreads through you.

His hands trail down from your arms to your waist, moving you back until you fall back on the couch. Your arms circle his neck, pulling him in as close as possible. His legs slot perfectly with yours, a satisfied moan leaving your lips.

You woke up the next morning, forgetting the previous night's events. You tried to get up, and upon feeling a weight on your hips everything floods back to you at once. You turn to see Jimmy next to you, his shirtless chest, rising and falling slowly.

When he woke up, the two of you had decided that you didn’t want to ruin the friendship or the work relationship. However, you loved last night's events and wouldn’t be opposed to repeating them again. You had decided on friends with benefits and eventually worked out all the details.

That was a few months ago, and now you both were still in the same situation. You always went to each other when you needed a distraction, advice, anything. It always helped to have someone there for you.

The shoot goes by pretty fast, your mind somewhere else the entire time. You drifted in your thoughts about Karl, how he was perfect, how fast your heart was going when he gave you a smile, everything about him. Your mind wandered around the thoughts of Karl making you miss the look Jimmy had been giving you.

Jimmy couldn’t stop thinking about you. At first, he claimed that he was trying to get over Maddy. It was true, his heart ached at the mere thought of his recent ex-girlfriend but regardless the more time he spent with you, the more his heart ached for a different reason.

Every longing glance, every shared touch, every last word had him reeling for days. He tried to brush it off, claiming he was calm and collected and all you were to him was a friend with benefits. And yet, you were driving him crazy without even knowing it.

“Ready to go?” Jimmy asks and you turn to look at him.

“Anytime,” you say offering a smile.

You bid goodbye to Karl and head towards Jimmy’s car, the two of you in a comfortable silence all the way to your apartment. When you get to the complex, Jimmy parks and you both cast a glance at each other.

“Want to come in?” you ask.

Jimmy nods and the two of you head into your apartment. You head straight for your room, changing into something comfortable. As you do, you tell Jimmy to relax and watch as he takes a seat in the living room. You come back out, clad in a big t-shirt, and shorts that are hidden.

“Hey,” Jimmy calls and you smile lightly making your way over to him.

He pulls you close by your hand, and your legs slot together. His hand slips from yours and cups the back of your thigh, a mischievous smile gracing his lips.

“Hi,” you whisper, a strange sense of electricity flowing through you.

“Hi,” he reciprocates.

His other hand cups your other leg, effectively pulling you in until you’re straddling his lap. Your hands fall onto his shoulders, trailing up and down his chest and your eyes follow the movement. You avoid his eyes, knowing your heart might stop if you make eye contact.

“(y/n)?” he finally says and you look up.

Your eyes gaze into his stunning green ones, your heart stuttering at the look you share. Neither of you says a word, slowly moving closer until his lips are on yours and you’re numb from how fast your heart is going. The kiss is slow, with no urgency or need behind it, just passion and something else you can’t place.

Before you know it, Jimmy stands and you wrap your legs around his waist instinctively. You break the kiss for a moment as he starts to move, but your lips find each other quickly. You end up in your room, landing on the bed with a soft thud, and Jimmy crawls over you slowly.

Your nerves grow as he moves, this time is different than all the other times. Something in the air charged with tension, electricity, and you’re shaking with anticipation.

The issue with being friends with benefits with your best friend is you might end up falling in love with him. Which you seemed to be doing. You couldn’t help it, every night spent together, every day working together, every phone call, text message, everything was sent straight to your heart and your feelings for Karl were gone in no time and replaced with feelings for Jimmy.

“Jimmy?” you whisper and he stops, looking at you.

You try to get out the words, any form of expressing you wanted something different, and suddenly you’re dumbstruck and no words seem to be escaping.

“I like you,” Jimmy tells you.

“You-” you begin.

“I know I said I was getting over Maddy and I was and now I am but that was because of you and now I fell for you and-”

“Jimmy,” you state and he finally looks at you.

“I like you too.”

He smiles, that amazing and perfectly charming smile, and your heart stops. He leans down pressing a long kiss to your lips with no urgency, simple passion making you fall more for him.

#jimmy donaldson imagine #mr beast imagine #mr beast x reader #mr beast x y/n #jimmy donaldson x reader #jimmy donaldson x y/n #x reader #x y/n #imagine #youtuber imagine

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dollslayer · 4 years ago

Text

Sweeter Endings

Sugar Daddy!Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: Still reeling from the financial realities of losing your mother you turn to a lucrative website for help and get more than you could have bargained for.

W/C: 5,325

Warnings: Smut (no minors 18+ only), light D/S dynamics, brief mentions of alcohol consumption, unprotected sex, swearing

A/N: NO MINORS, I wrote this for @donutloverxo 's Sugary 4k Challenge (Congrats!!) I love sugar daddy AUs so I was really excited to write this!! If you like it then please like/reblog/comment I'm all ears! Also maybe check out my other stuff if you want! Cheers!

Main Masterlist

____

The saying ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ was truer than you’d ever imagined and you found out the hard way. Life had hit you hard last year. You had watched your mother succumb very quickly to cancer. A cold that just wouldn’t go away turned into a doctor’s visit turned into three months left to live. Having no one else in her life, the cost of her funeral and medical bills fell to you. The bills outweighing the inheritance you had no choice but to drop out of school.

One year later you were hanging on by threads to keep yourself off the streets without turning to a loan shark or selling yourself. Stocking shelves at a bougie grocery store in Soho by day and bartending in Tribeca by night had you working six days a week. What free time you had you were too exhausted to do anything with. Something had to give or you were going to collapse from the stress, you just didn’t know what.

A couple weeks ago you had been casually venting about how broke you were with a coworker when she jokingly suggested signing up for one of those Sugar Daddy sites. You laughed along with her but it sounded better than getting a third job. You had quietly asked one of your roommates to borrow their laptop saying you needed to look at job postings only half a lie, really and locked yourself in your room.

You were just gonna check out the website, maybe sign up and poke around, it didn’t mean you were committing to anything, just looking. You remembered first looking at the website once your shitty wifi loaded it, promising ‘beautiful and successful people making mutually beneficial connections’. You balked after reading that but you couldn’t look at any profiles without making one yourself so you had set to work.

After making your profile you hadn’t gotten any hits in about a week so you shrugged it off. You couldn’t keep hogging your roommate’s computer anyways so you set off back to work. Your days at the store wore on into endless nights at the bar and you wondered what other options you really had when you had no degree and no experience in any relevant field.

___

6 o’clock on a Thursday night, the typical after work crowd begins to roll in. The bar you work in is upscale, classy. Definitely trying to lure in the businessmen that worked in the area and their wallets. It annoyed you to deal with the same type of customers you did at the store all over again but with the high end crowd came good tips so you couldn't complain too much.

It was busier than usual when a group of men in suits walked in together asking for a booth. You saw a lot of business meetings take place over whiskey sours in this place so you didn’t think much of it. You tried your best to keep tending to your regulars when a pair from the group came over.

One of the men had deep brown eyes and a sly grin that when split gave you the perfect view of the gap between his teeth. He was confident but he had a kind look to him. His friend had dirty blond hair and a beard that clung to his perfect jawline and you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t snuck a second look. You turned your back and continued filling orders to distract yourself when one of them cleared their throat behind you.

As you turned to face them you found it was the blond calling after you. His face held a hint of surprise but it was quickly replaced by a look of amusement as he smirked and one brow lifted, like he knew something you didn’t. He was like any other typical customer for you, professional and handsome, probably over-confident in himself. You returned his smirk and prepared your best charming banter. Time to earn those tips.

“Something to drink for you, gentleman?” You offered.

“We’d like a round of scotch for the table over there. You don’t mind bringing it over, do you sweetheart?” the brown-eyed man asked.

“Of course not” you answered. Pricks.

“Good girl” the blond said with a wink. Creep. A hot creep but still. Before you could ask he took his card out of his wallet and put it on the counter for the tab.

____

A round had come and passed, soon they’d asked for another but this time it was just the blond that approached you. You lifted your eyebrows in anticipation of an order.

“You here often?” he asked. Ugh, not even a good pick up line.

“Am I here at my job often?” You retorted with a playful smile.

The man’s shoulders shook as he chuckled. “Sorry you just uh, you look familiar that’s all. What’s your name?”

You supplied him with it and asked him if he wanted another round of scotch. He nodded.

“Smart girl, I’m Steve by the way.” He laid down his business card which you picked up with a look of challenging curiosity. Steve Rogers, CEO of Shield inc.

Oh. You didn’t recognize the name but you definitely knew the company. It felt like a quarter of their employees stopped in for a drink throughout the week and it was prominent enough of a company that you read about it weekly. Play it cool, these types want to feel like an every-man at the bar but still wanna feel important.

You raised your eyebrows again in recognition. “Nice to meet you, Steve, I’ll have your round right out.”

“Good Girl” he winked again at you. Okay so it’s hot, but he’s a total stranger and you don’t even know him. Stay on your game.

___

10 o’clock came around and things were thinning out slightly, regulars made their way out, awkward Tinder dates and rowdy young 20-somethings made their way in. The party of businessmen was still around but they were hopefully wrapping up after the 2 more rounds they’d had. Steve approached the bar once more and you preemptively picked up the bottle of scotch.

“Whoa, easy, girl! I’m here to pick up the tab” He said, taking out his wallet.

“What’s the name on the tab?” You decided to play dumb but based off the grin on his face he knew you were playing with him.

“Steve. Rogers.” He replied, his tone was stern but his eyes told you he was in on the joke.

You cashed him out and left him to sign his receipt so you could make more drinks. You saw him move in your peripheral and turned your head to see his face.

“Have a good night, sweetheart. I’ll be seein’ ya” he promised.

“Take care!” You smiled back.

A few minutes later you circled back to collect his receipt and found three $100 bills staring back at you. You blinked dumbly in disbelief, who the hell leaves a 200% tip? Looking around to see if Steve was still here he was nowhere to be found. You had no choice but to pocket the money.

____

Another week went by and left you wondering how much energy and concentration it would take for you to just evaporate, since that seemed easier than going to work today. Sadly still in solid form, you punched in at the store and stowed your things in your locker.

Your upscale customer base was a mostly pretentious and successful group of yuppies so even though you were grateful to not be on the streets you were constantly reminded of the professional success you couldn’t help but feel that you were missing out on. Stuck instead to listen to incessant whining ‘is this organic? I won’t eat it unless it’s organic’.

The upside of this job was that the time went by quickly because you always had so much to do. Plus with how monotonous the work was it was easy enough to zone out. So much so that you hadn’t heard someone calling your name and approaching you. A hand softly touching your shoulder snapped you into the present.

You looked up, startled to find a pair of blue eyes staring back into yours. You took a step back and processed who it was. “CEO guy?” Steve?

“‘CEO guy?’ I thought I recognized you, ‘barmaid’ or should I say… ‘stock girl?’” He joked using his fingers to make quotations.

Now that you thought about it, the store isn’t that far at all from the bar, it would make sense if he’s in the area. You smiled and tapped your nametag in response.

“I just came in on my lunch to grab a few groceries” looking down at his basket it held some protein powder, some eggs, and one lonely banana. “Clearly, I’m single. But you’d know that already, wouldn’t you?”

Your brows twinged together in confusion. What is that supposed to mean?

“Excuse me?”

He edged a little closer to you and lowered his voice “SeekingConnection.com?”

Your eyes widened in shock. The fucking Sugar Daddy site! I forgot about that! Surprise was quickly replaced with humiliation. You looked down and away as you felt your cheeks heat up.

“I don’t mean to embarrass you” Steve placated, “But I gotta say, I’m pretty hurt you never responded to me. I sent that message weeks ago and let’s just say I’m not used to rejection.” He kept his tone light, letting you know he wasn’t mad.

“I-I um, I’m sorry, I don’t have a computer and they don’t have an app, I was using my roommates’ computer and I guess I forgot about it…” You admitted.

Steve nodded in acknowledgement. Please say something to salvage this conversation. Please.

“Well,” Steve rummaged in his pocket for another business card. “You got a pen on you?”

You dug around in your apron and came up with one. Handing it to him you watched as he wrote on the back of the card. He held the card and the pen out to you.

“That’s my number, I’d ask for yours but I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, you already look like you wanna sink through the floor” Not helping, but I do. You took them from him and tucked them away in the pocket of your apron.

“You do have a phone right?” You only glared at him in response. “Well, if you check your profile, you would’ve seen I asked you out to lunch, offer still stands. Just text me when you’re free”

Should I even say yes? I mean, the winking the other night was weird but he’s good looking and at least somewhat considerate. I mean, it’s not like I had any other intention when I signed up for that site. What the hell. right?

“I… usually work mid shifts so I don’t know if lunch is doable, they only give me half an hour but, maybe we could do coffee? I’ve got tomorrow off from the bar I could meet you” you suggested.

If Steve felt pity for you he hid it well behind the wide smile he made when you offered coffee instead.

“There’s a place around the corner from here, just up a block, you know it? I’m off tomorrow at 6, why don’t you meet me there?”

“Sounds like a plan.” He winked at you again and started walking away. What the hell just happened?

____

You did end up borrowing your roommate’s computer once again when you got home to look up Steve’s DM. Sure enough, there he had been in all his internet glory. ‘Steve, 33, CEO. likes: art, conversation, whiskey. Digging around further on his profile you found that he owned several houses here and in Europe, he had a dog that was cuter than he was, and that he was ‘Seeking deeper connection’. All of these things piqued your interest.

‘Hey, Doll. Saw your profile and I had to ask, what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? Kidding, of course. But maybe you’d care to tell me your story over lunch? Your profile says we’re both in New York. - Steve’ Sent three weeks ago. Fuck.

You had texted him earlier to confirm, which is how you found yourself walking up the sidewalk towards the shop with a mind running rampant with nervous thoughts. What if he just wants to feel big about himself in comparison to me? What would I even really have to offer the relationship? A college dropout working two dead-end jobs with no social life. You needed to snap yourself out of it. You were just meeting for coffee doesn’t mean anything.

Pushing open the door you found Steve waving at you from a quiet corner. He was still in a suit, presumably coming from work himself. Even the buttons on his shirt looked expensive. You were wearing dirty jeans and a worn pair of work boots paired with a flannel. You couldn’t have looked more different if you tried.

“I waited for you to order,” He said. You smiled up at him, only now realizing how tall he was in comparison to you. He ushered you both towards the counter where you both placed your orders. You moved to take your wallet from your purse but he had already beat you there.

“Really? As if I’d let the lady pay, and on the first date no less?” He said playfully.

“Oh, so this is a date now, is it?” You kidded.

Steve shoved his hands in his pockets and gave you that boyish grin and a shrug. The pair of you made your way back to the table and waited for your drinks to be brought over.

“How was work?” You asked, “What exactly is it that your company does?”

“We offer security and surveillance software domestically as well as international. Stadiums, airports, other government buildings. Things of that nature. And work was fine, thank you for asking” Steve said with a genuine smile. “How was your day, doll?”

“Oh, my day was fine, more of the same but y’know,” You answered half-heartedly.

“You know, you never answered me, what’s a funny, pretty gal like you doing on a site like that?”

Embarrassment hit you again, this time maybe accompanied with a hint of shame. You were saved momentarily by your drinks being delivered. He seemed truly interested and since he was paying you supposed you owed him an answer.

“I was going to Columbia and I had a pretty good internship when my mom got diagnosed with cancer. She died three months later and since it was only always just the two of us I ended up footing the bill. I was on partial scholarship but between the hospital and the funeral I can’t really afford the rest of tuition on top of working for free so here I am” you explained, “Oh my god, I’m sorry I’m totally oversharing aren’t I? You probably don’t wanna hear about a bummer like this, sorry”

You tried to laugh to ease the tension you thought you’d created. Braving a look at Steve, he looked thoughtful and only a little bit like he pitied you. You could live with that.

“I’m really sorry about your mom, mine also got really sick before she died, I know it must’ve been hard. What were you in school for?”

___

You and Steve talked for hours, trading anecdotes of childhood and talking about each other’s interests. You had a similar sense in humour so you got on swimmingly. The evening seemed to be coming to a close as the night sky sent in through the window.

Being with Steve was probably the most relaxed you’d felt since before your mom was diagnosed. It became difficult to focus on anything but your financial situation and even though that’s what brought you here in the first place you had managed to forget all about it.

“So look, us getting together wasn’t exactly the most conventional on meet-cutes but to put it bluntly,” He said, “The CEO life makes it hard to meet real people and it gets kinda lonely, I mean, you saw my grocery basket” You both laughed at that. “You need money and I need company, I feel like we could help each other out. Whad’ya say? Think you could put up with me?”

You knew what this was but hearing it put so plainly was a little surprising. At least he was to the point.

“So if I said yes what does that mean, exactly?” you inquired.

“Well,” he started, “We take care of each other. Let me cover some of your bills at the very least, make it so you’d be comfortable quitting at least one of your jobs. And you’d keep me company, we go on dates, maybe you could come over, there’s the occasional work event or charity gala I’d need you on my arm for. Thoughts?”

God I can’t even imagine what it’s like to work only one job anymore. Maybe I could even save up and go back to school. He’s cute and he seems sensible, why not?

“Could we maybe take things slow? What you describe is something I’m down for but I don’t want to make myself completely dependent on you. But I’d love to be there for you, and I have to admit, the thought of only working one full time job is pretty crazy to me” You laughed.

Steve swallowed and placed one of his large, warm hands over yours.

“I can do things the old fashioned way, if that’s what you’d feel good with. I gotta say though, with looks like that it’s not gonna be easy” he jested.

You smiled shyly and looked away. You both stood to leave and he held the door open for you.

“I’ve already got your number from when you texted me earlier but I’ll talk to my assistant about my schedule and maybe I could take you out to dinner this weekend?”

“I um, I’d really like that. It’s a date” You stated.

“Oh, so you think this is a date now?” He jested.

You lightly punched him in the arm and he took the opportunity to pull you closer to him. You looked up to find his face inches from yours. You could smell his aftershave and his deep voice gave you goosebumps when he spoke next.

“I kinda want to kiss you goodnight, would that be okay?”

You could only nod as he shut his eyes and closed in. Your lips met in one perfect, chaste kiss. You sighed and leaned into his hand as it briefly cupped your face.

You broke apart and made promises to see each other soon. You felt like you could’ve floated home as you boarded the subway, caught up in the swarm of newly forming feelings.

_____

You sat in the break room when your phone buzzed to life, ‘Saturday at 7?’

You were about to type out a yes when you forgot you worked closing at the bar. Your thumbs moved quickly to tap out the reply ‘Working, sorry :/ the pitfalls of bartending. Sunday at 7?’

You were nervous telling him no and asking to change plans. You hated not being able to make things work but you only just met the man and the weekend tips were killer, it’s not like you could turn the shift down.

‘Ah yes, almost forgot. Sunday works too, I’ll text you the details. What’s your address? I’ll pick you up’

Oh, God. Steve can’t see my building! His cufflinks probably cost more than my rent!

‘I’ll just meet you there, don’t worry about it’

‘Not a chance, doll. Just tell me where and I’ll come get you’

You let out a worried sigh but knew you had to let it go. You sent him your address and went back to work.

____

Saturday was maybe the longest day in your entire week, in fact you loathed it. Mornings at the store followed by running immediately to the bar. Last call in New York was 4am so it’s a good thing you didn’t try to make brunch plans with Steve for Sunday. But ultimately both your shifts passed without major incident and now it was Sunday and you tried to ready yourself the best you could.

The place Steve mentioned was fancy, you knew that much from a quick search. Panicking instantly upon realizing you don’t really have any nice clothes you turned to your most fashionable roommate for help. She loaned you a cocktail dress that was revealing enough to draw interest without giving everything away. You just hoped Steve would like it.

‘Downstairs, doll. Silver BMW’ you exhaled. Hoo boy, here we go.

____

Steve handed his keys to the valet and rushed around to open your door for you. You held his hand and you clambered onto the sidewalk in your heels. His warm hand on the small of your back as he steered you towards the doors was a comforting weight.

Dinner has been lovely so far, he chose a place that wasn’t completely white-glove but was upscale enough to make you feel only a little underdressed.

You joked back and forth with him over the course of the meal, talked about your lives, and even found out you both have a guilty pleasure for cheesy rom-coms. It wasn’t until dessert and your third glass of wine came that you realized how much time had passed. You frowned slightly thinking of the early morning ahead of you followed by a long night at the bar.

“What’s wrong, doll?”

“Oh, nothing I just didn’t realize how late it was, I’ve got both jobs tomorrow it’ll just be a long day that’s all” you tried to wave it off but Steve frowned in response.

“Quit the bar” he stated.

“What?”

“Quit the bar. This is your card, I’ve already loaded $3000 on there. Put me in touch with your landlord and I’ll get you taken care of.” He slid the card across the table to you. Your name printed on the front. This got real very quickly.

“Steve, that’s.” You were in shock, a loss for words almost “that’s too much, I don’t know what to say.” You felt embarrassed taking the money. You knew that was the essence of your arrangement but actually taking his money had you feeling uneasy.

“Honey, this is what I’m here for. Let me take care of you. Give up your late nights. I wanna take you out on the weekends and you’ll need to be available for events. You can stay at the store if you want but quit the bar, you don’t need it.”

You took a deep sigh. He did say he wanted you to be comfortable quitting one of your jobs; it's just making the change that scares you. But something about Steve felt safe so you nodded and looked up to him.

“I’ll put in my two weeks”

“Good girl” he patted your knee and you involuntarily clenched your thighs. He smirked at that but let it go.

____

A few months had come and gone since that night and your time with Steve had been great. Only working the one job gave you so much more free time. You'd spent a good chunk of it just trying to form a normal sleep schedule but all the time you spent with Steve made it difficult. Not that you minded especially since your allowance was monthly but he’d showered you with gifts here and there.

They started off small, perfume, chocolates and flowers, or a simple pair of white gold hoops that reminded him of you. They gradually became pricier and more elaborate. You’d felt guilty accepting it all at first but he was insistent you deserve the best. He had even mentioned you moving out maybe finding a better place but you reminded him you needed to go slow.

He’d also been nothing short of a gentleman. Out in public at least, you’d learned the hard way that he was an absolute animal in bed. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep your hands off of him.

Something you had appreciated about Steve is that he never made you feel bad or less than for being broke. Never held his money over your head like leverage. You’d felt equal to him in all aspects, understanding you had just as much say as he did.

Still, there was a small nagging voice in the back of your head that reminded you Steve is not your boyfriend. This isn't a relationship and he's looking to get something out of just like you are. But if you were being honest you were catching feelings, it was hard not to when the man was giving you the fantasy. You decided to push that voice aside whenever it came up and let yourself be swept away. Maybe that would bite you in the ass but for now you were happy.

____

You were buzzed into Steve’s building and on the elevator ride up to his penthouse your phone buzzed. ‘I have to make a quick call- I’ve got a present waiting for you in the living room.’ You couldn’t help but feel giddy.

The doors opened and Steve was nowhere in sight but as you entered the living room a bag from Chanel and the Apple Store sat on the table. Oh god, what this time? I swear this man is too much.

You opened the smaller bag from Chanel first and found a beautiful black and white evening bag. It was sleek and simple, very much to your tastes. You were nervous to open the Apple bag, Steve always went overboard. Shakily removing the paper you pulled out the slim case in disbelief. A MacBook Air and a pair of AirPod Pros. The man well and truly spoiled you.

“You said you didn’t have a computer.” His voice came from behind you and startled you.

“Steve, this is too much. You’re too much.” You swung your arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Nothin’s too much for you, doll.” He kissed the top of your head.

“Think you could take a couple days off of work? I just got off the phone and confirmed plans for my house in Nice.”

A trip? France?? Oh my god. How is this my life? You felt so overwhelmed that you grabbed Steve by the collar and brought his face down to meet you in a kiss. His tongue swiped your lips and you granted him entrance. Moaning into his mouth your hands traveled up into his hair, pulling softly and coaxing a groan out of him.

He guided you to sit on the couch and brought you down into his lap. You ground down onto him and felt his hard-on through his slacks. Your hand moved slowly to undo the buttons of his shirt as he kissed down your jaw towards your neck. You sighed softly when he found your sweet spot and started sucking.

He helped you take off his shirt while you got started on his belt and undid his pants. He lifted himself off the couch slightly to move them down to his knees, taking his briefs with them. His cock stood proud and an angry red, leaking at the tip.

“I wanna ride you, I can’t wait.” You pouted as you writhed against him in need.

Steve tutted at you “that’s no way to get what you want. Ask me nicely, baby. Beg to ride my cock,”

You ground down even harder and whined. “Please, sir, please let me ride your cock. I need to feel you, I can’t wait any longer please.”

“Good Girl” Steve's hands flipped up your skirt and found your panties, ripping them to shreds. They were La Perla and had cost a pretty penny but he didn’t care.

He lined himself up and brought you down harshly gripping your hips. You moaned loudly in surprise and satisfaction and wasted no time moving back and forth. Steve made you feel so close and connected to him whenever he fucked you but he still made you feel sordid and dirty. You couldn’t get enough of the feeling, you’d gladly chase it.

His eyes were hooded as watched you chase your own pleasure and giving him some in return. His hands kneaded your ass and smacked it just to get a gasp out of you. He grabbed the back of your head and brought you in for a searing kiss that was all teeth and tongue. He’d nip at you and lick the pain away.

His hips met yours, finding your rhythm and speeding you both up when he gripped your hips.

“Can’t wait to have me, you had to fuck me on the couch huh?” Steve panted, “my dirty girl. So fuckin’ gorgeous.”

You put your forehead against his and went harder, pushing your clit to grind against the muscles of his abs.

“Only yours, sir.” Your orgasm was building. Steve was a pretty relaxed dom but you still needed permission.

“Sir, please let me cum I can’t wait any longer” you tried your best to slow your movements a bit.

“I think you can hold it baby, I wanna enjoy you a little longer”.

You could only whine in response and tried to slow your pace but his grip on your hips and his own movements pushed you further and further towards the edge. You tried to squirm out of his grasp but his hands only tightened. It felt like forever until Steve finally gave you permission.

“Go on baby, cum for me you earned it. Fuck your self on my cock and cum all over me”

Your movements were frantic, desperate to chase your orgasm when finally the perfect angle of his cock inside you and your clit against him set you free. You cried out above him and dug your nails in deep.

Steve held you firmly in place and started slamming into you from below, finally letting himself think about cumming. All you could do was hold on for mercy. Moments later he brought you down onto him one final slam as he came inside of you with a cry.

The only sound in the room was both of you trying to catch your breath. You sighed again and collapsed against him, nuzzling your face into his neck. He kissed the side of your face and let you make yourself at home while he caressed your back.

____

One shower and two more orgasms later you were both clean and made your way to the kitchen. Steve was gathering the ingredients for dinner when you hugged him from behind. Your head resting against his back. Steve twisted around and hugged you in full. You both stayed like that for a moment until you looked up at him.

You were so content. Moments like this where you were just domestic were some of the best between you. It wasn’t about money or material, it was just the two of you making dinner and enjoying each other, no barriers.

“Are you really going to take me to France?” Your voice came out muffled against his chest.

“Of course, doll. After dinner I want you to use your new laptop to buy some outfits for the trip. I left my card in your new purse.”

You lifted onto your tiptoes and kissed his nose.

“You really do think of everything, don’t you?”

“What can I say? I’m a planner” he retorted.

You didn’t know it yet but Steve was going to ask you to become official while you were there. He wasn’t worried in the slightest. In fact he’d never been so sure about something in his life.

#sugary4kchallenge #steve rogers x reader #sugar daddy!Steve rogers x reader #sugar daddy!steve rogers #sugar daddy au #marvel au #marvel fic #marvel x reader #fluff #smut

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