#I can’t explain the feeing I just felt

[meowmewmews]

𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 | 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

minors don’t interact!!!!! 18+ only mature content under tab

synopsis : sol was obsessed with you the moment he laid eyes on you. you were his soulmate. he’d make sure no one else would touch you. he is the only one who can satisfy you. don’t you know that?

warnings : yandere, masturbation, obsessive behavior, stalking, somnophilia, cnc, dubcon, predatory behavior, smut, long word count, drugging, grinding, penetration, very rough sex, whiny submissive Sol at one point, and dominant Sol at another point.

author’s note : if you just want to read smut skip to sections with the 🍋 icon

long word count (11.7k+ words) i mean this might as well be split into different chapters but i don’t want to do that, also i decided to change him referring to you as pumpkin to something else sorry. gave him a tongue piercing because it sounded fun >:3 also i hate tumblr formatting so read on ao3 if you want . (gloomy_kitty)

also not 100% lore accurate

thanksss to my friend who proofread this for me!!

Sol was obsessed with you and had been since you first arrived at the school. The moment his scarlet eyes landed on you something strange was awakened within him. It felt like love at first sight—no it was love at first sight. Did you remember your first encounter? No, it was so long ago you probably hadn’t. He did though, he remembered how he felt so vividly. His heart pounded in his chest, butterflies fluttered in his stomach, and his breath hitched making it difficult to breath the moment he had seen you. That cute library assistant that worked on campus. He remembered how he had walked up to you at the counter, asking for a book for class. How you went out of your way to help him find it, not complaining a single time.

“You absolutely need this book for your class right?” You asked him, sighing in defeat after nearly an hour of searching the library.

“Yes, but if you can’t find it don’t w-“ Sol began, a bit irritated that this was required for his passing grade. But he’d just ordered it online and prayed it arrived on time before finals.

“No. I know we have it. Don’t worry I’ll find it. Just give me another day. Here write down your info and I’ll give you a call once I do.” You said determinedly, sliding a sticky note and pen towards him. “O..okay.” He mumbled and wrote down his information. He fully expected you to not ever find the book or just forget to call him to let him know of your findings. But the very next morning he received a call from an unknown number. “Hello?” He answered.

“Hi this ______ from the school’s library. I found the book you were looking for. It’s reserved at the front desk. If I’m not here just let whoever is at the counter know your name.” You said, he could tell that you were quite happy.

Sol’s eyes widened in shock, you really found it. He responded back with a simple thanks and during a free period he went to the library. There he saw you shelving away books, a content expression on your face. Awkwardly he walked up to you clearing his throat, when he realized you had an earbud in. You jumped in surprise, dropping the book you were holding. Then, at the same time you and Sol reached down to grab the book. Your hand on top of his for a brief second before you pulled away. It felt like a bolt of electricity shot through him. “Whoops! Oh hey you’re the guy from yesterday!” You laughed quietly as he handed you back the book. With that you checked him out reminding him that late fees would occur if he didn’t bring it back on time. You explained how you stayed over an hour after your shift to find what he was needing, then it turned out it was in the completely wrong genre! A historical book tucked away with comics, how egregious!

When Sol asked why you did that you shrugged, simply saying, “I don't want anyone to fail their first semester because I was too lazy to find a book for them. It’s my job after all.” You flashed him a smile. As you handed it over your fingers brushed over him for another brief moment. That same electric feeling coursed through his body. It was that moment something had awakened inside Sol. He was obsessed now.

That memory played in his head for over a year, he had found out your first name. One day when sitting in the library “studying” he overheard you telling a blonde girl about how excited you were for your art class in the fall then you explained what period it would be. Since there was only one introduction to art class that fall semester for the period before lunch, he was going to enroll in art class regardless so might as well make sure he was in yours. Everything had been planned out. Sol didn’t leave any detail forgotten.

He got to class early, sitting in the back of the classroom. He placed his backpack on the chair next to him and anyone he tried to sit next to he glared at, causing them to scurry away. Now he just needed to wait for you to arrive, you’d have to take the only available seat open next to him in a full class.

Like he planned There were no more seats left in class, you had arrived a bit late, only barely beating the bell. He watched as your eyes darted around the classroom looking for somewhere to sit, then a relief look washed over your cute face when you spotted the open seat next to him. Quickly you made your way over pulling out the chair, “Is this taken?” You asked him, already beginning to slip off your backpack.

“N..no.” Sol replied avoiding your gaze, he was focused on his sketchbook, his pencil tapping against the book as he tried to control his breathing. “Oh thank god.” You sighed in relief, finally taking your seat. Rummaging through your backpack you pulled out all the essentials you’d need for art class. It worked. His plan went perfectly!

Sol found it difficult to concentrate on the professor’s words as he discussed basic art fundamentals, he just kept glancing over at you. Your perfume smelled so intoxicating, it drove him wild. The way you studiously jotted down notes was so adorable. Then class ended much to the man’s horror, he hadn’t written down a single thing but most importantly you gathered your things to leave without saying a word to him. He lingered in the classroom a bit, slowly shoving his sketchbook back into his backpack.

A couple days passed before he could see you again, and the whole time he found it difficult to think about anything else other than you. Sol was a bit angry at himself for not even speaking to you, that was his chance to reintroduce himself. He would talk to you next time, he promised himself.

The next class came and you were once again in the same predicament as last time. Arrived to class right before the bell went off and the only seat opened was next to the same guy as before. Not that you minded, he seemed nice enough. “Hey.” You greeted him quietly as you sat down before taking a seat. “Hi.” He returned your greeting quietly. He once again didn’t speak to you and that cycle went on for some time, before finally he had an excuse for the two of you to speak. He wasn’t sure why he kept shying away from you. Shit, he could barely even concentrate in class.

Then the next class came. “Everyone, please pair up with the person beside you, I want you and your partner to discuss today’s chapter.” The professor mumbled as he took a seat back down at his desk, immediately kicking his feet onto the desk and tapping away on his phone.

Turning around with a sigh you looked at your partner with a smile, “Hi. Thanks for always saving me a seat. I’m ______.” You introduced yourself, then gave the dark haired man an encouraging nod to speak. I know what your name is. He thought. Sol rubbed the back of his neck, nervously avoiding your eyes, his gaze fixated to the side. “Yeah it’s no problem. I’m..Sol.” He introduced himself back, hoping that maybe you remembered him.

“Nice to meet you, Sol.” You chimed in reply, holding your hand out. He looked at your hand, then back at you before he shook your hand back. “Yeah, same.” He said, a small smile making its way to his pierced lips. The moment your hands touched, he felt his heart do a leap, and without meaning to he held onto your hand for a bit longer than usual. Though upon realizing that, he quickly pulled his hand away. Either you didn’t mind or just didn’t notice it, as you immediately turned your attention back to the textbook. So you didn’t remember him, that was okay it’s not like he ever went out of his way to speak to you at the library.

“So, this chapter…” you began as you pushed the textbook to the center of the table so you both could share. Sol didn’t speak too much, he was more interested in what you had to say, he nodded attentively and hummed in acknowledgment when he agreed with something you said. The professor didn’t seem too interested in teaching class, so the reminder was spent just conversing. You giggled as Sol said something as you playfully slapped his arm, “What, no way? You did not!” You quietly exclaimed as Sol told you a story. He nodded, “Yeah I really did. It’s embarrassing but it’s the truth.” He laughed softly. Every single fucking thing was so adorable about you; your name, laugh, appearance, personality, every single thing was so adorable. Then just as Sol was about to open his mouth to speak again, the bell rang.

Jumping up in your seat, you pushed the chair back, quickly gathering your belongings. “I gotta go, Sol. But you’ll save me a seat again right? I really enjoyed talking to you.” You asked, looking at him with the cutest expression. “Yeah of course.” He reassured you. “Thanks, you’re the best!” You said and with that, you rushed out of the classroom.

As Sol finished gathering his own belongings, he noticed something sitting on your chair. Your jacket was left behind. He grabbed it and quickly walked out of the classroom to see if he could catch up to you, but of course you were nowhere to be seen. ‘I’ll hold onto it. Give it to her next class.’ He thought to himself.

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“Woah, that's a cute jacket! You seeing a cute girl?” Hyugo asked his friend. The pair sat at their usual spot on the rooftop eating their lunches. Sol rolled his eyes, “No. The girl who sits next to me in art left it, I’m going to give it to her next class. I just didn’t want it to get lost.” He explained as he continued to eat. He could bring it to you at the library where you worked part time but no, he just wanted to hold onto a bit longer. It was a cute jacket, he couldn’t lie - it was black with striped sleeves and an adorable black cat patch was ironed onto the front. It suited you perfectly.

“Aren’t you so sweet?” Hyugo teased, causing his friend’s face to heat up. Sol grumbled under his breath as he just ignored the comment and continued to eat, only causing the other to laugh. As the bell rang, signaling that their final class of the day would begin and marking the end of their lunch break, the pair stood up. Sol gathered the bento boxes, placing them in his backpack.

“Are you doing anything after class?” Hyugo asked before they parted ways. Sol wasn’t, but he needed to spend some time alone, there was an issue he needed to take care of. “Yeah.” He simply responded. “Aw okay, I’ll just go to the arcade by myself then.” He shrugged before walking off.

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It was dark already when Sol arrived back to his small studio apartment, the short winter days meant it would always be night when he got home. The dark haired man sat his bag on a chair, taking out the bentos to wash. He remembered your jacket was still in his hands, so carefully he placed it on the top of the couch. And so he did his usual evening routine; cleaning dishes, cooking dinner and lunch. The television was playing a show he really had no interest in watching, but it was good background noise.

But he just couldn’t stop thinking about you, eyes flicking to the jacket on the sofa as he prepared his and Hyugo’s lunches. Sol felt the crotch of his pants tighten uncomfortably against him, he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as his heart rate accelerated. But he remained focused just hurrying to finish dinner as soon as possible so he could shower and lay in bed. Tomorrow was early classes after all.

Finally after some time Sol had showered and flopped onto his bed, an exhausted sigh escaping his lips. He closed his eyes as he tried to focus on anything other than you. But his boxers were so incredibly tight, his erection wouldn’t go away no matter what he tried to do. It felt wrong to touch himself to you, so resisting the urge Sol finally fell asleep. Tonight at least he was able to resist the urge.

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The next day of classes came and nothing extraordinary happened. Sol couldn’t spot you anywhere, he supposed he would have to wait until tomorrow to see you and return the jacket. His evening routine was more or less the same, but as he laid in bed tonight, the urges were getting harder and harder to resist.

Sol tried to squeeze his eyes shut, trying to think of anything else other than the raging erection in his pants right now. His gaze kept flickering to your jacket, he was reminded of how amazing you smelled. He just wanted to smell the perfume again, there was no harm in that…right? Quickly getting out of bed, he snatched your jacket from the couch, immediately pressing it to his nose. Oh god, you smelled so fucking good. He was intoxicated by the scent, his eyes rolling back as he took in your smell, and without even realizing what was happening, his hands trailed down his torso until they slipped under the waistband of his boxers. His long slender fingers immediately wrapped themselves around his erection.

Sol began to pump his cock, a whimper leaving him as his thumb grazed over his tip. Precum was already pooling at the slit, his face still buried in your cute jacket. He could only imagine what it would feel like to have his face buried in your hair, neck…your pussy. He fantasized how amazing you would taste as his face was between your thighs, he’d make you feel so good. He had wanted you for so long now.

“_____…._______….” Sol whimpered your name, scarlet eyes fluttering shut as his pace quickened. At this point he was panting heavily, a complete mess and if your mere scent was doing this to him, he couldn’t imagine how he’d act during the actual act. His cock twitched in his hand and legs trembled; he collapsed onto his knees. He was now thrusting himself eagerly into the palm of his hands, precum lubricating his cock. Sol’s moans echoed throughout the apartment and he felt the warm sensation building up in his core, then with one final thrust he came loudly. “Oh fuck ______!” He cried out, his cum making an absolute mess of his boxers.

Riding out his orgasm he finally came to a stop and dropped the jacket onto the floor. His chest moving up and down as he tried to catch his breath, the whole of his body was a hue of red and warm to the touch. Dark hair sticking to his face from the beads of sweat that had formed. He made sure to toss your jacket onto the couch before he removed his hand from his boxers. A wave of embarrassment and guilt washed over him when he saw sticky cum coating his hand. I shouldn’t have done that. It felt so good though. He thought with a sigh as he stood to his feet. I should go wash up.

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Class was the next day, and that meant Sol could finally see you, he could return your jacket. He waited until after class, when you both were in the hallway. A part of him debated on not giving it back, he wanted it forever, to always have you with him, but he decided against it and it was worth it. The look on your face when he had handed you your jacket back was worth it. “Oh my gosh, Sol. I was so worried I had lost my favorite jacket forever. Thank you so much!” You exclaimed as you hugged him briefly, before you slipped it back on. “Yeah..of course. I tried looking for you yesterday to return it but I couldn’t find you anywhere.” He explained. A tinge of red evident on his pale features as he was reminded of what he did the night before with it. He violated your poor jacket, but of course he would never tell you that.

You shook your head, waving your hand dismissively, “Sorry about that! I was in such a rush to leave. My other job needed me to cover a shift.” You explained. You had another job besides the library?

But he didn’t mind; he was just glad he could keep your jacket safe from anyone else. Fumbling in the pocket of your pants you pulled out your cell phone, “We should exchange numbers! Just in case one of us needs to get into contact with each other.” You suggested, swiping your finger across to unlock the device. He watched as you typed away on the screen before handing it to him.

Sol’s heart was beating so quickly now, you were really asking for his number? He looked a bit uncomfortable, like he was rejecting your offer, because you began to pull away your phone looking at the floor embarrassedly. “S-sorry. I shouldn’t ha-“ you began but he cut you off, gently snatching the phone from your hand. And within seconds he typed in his number, he already noticed you made a contact name for him. Sol ☀️

But something else caught his attention as he felt the phone vibrate in his hand.

Crowe 🐦‍⬛ : You’re still coming over tonight, right?

Something inside of the dark haired man awakened when he saw that text. He froze in place, his blush that tinted his features now went away. Who the hell is Crowe? He thought bitterly. Your boyfriend or a coworker? He only snapped out of his thoughts when you retrieved your phone back, your thumbs danced across the screen then he felt his pocket vibrate.

“Did you get it?” You asked curiously, tilting your head so cutely to the side. “L-let me check.” Sol quickly said and pulled out his phone. His boring black phone background was illuminated with your text.

Unknown: hii! it’s ______ :D

Without a moment of hesitation he saved your contact. ______ 🌙

His contact was saved with a sun by his name so it only made sense that you were the moon. With that, you two said your goodbyes and Sol watched as you walked down the hall, he stood in his spot with a small smile on his lips.

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It was the weekend which meant Sol would do his weekly cleaning of his apartment. Loud music echoed throughout the apartment as he cleaned, humming softly to himself. Something caught his eye as he was vacuuming under the couch, a small piece of rectangular plastic glittered as it caught the light from the ceiling fan. Crouching, he picked it up and his eyes widened instantly when he realized what it was. Your ID had fallen out from the pocket of your jacket, he assumed. And all of your information was on it.

“______ ______..” Sol whispered your full name. He didn't know what it was before. Your address was there too, and it looked recent, judging from the picture and expiration date. The card shook ever so slightly in his fingers as he was practically salivating that he would now be able to find so many more things about you.

Halting his cleaning for the day, he shut off the music and instantly opened up his laptop to begin searching your name online. Hours had passed, day turned into night. Sol’s scarlet red irises were glazed over, his lips dry and mouth a bit parched. He hadn’t left his laptop screen in hours, too engrossed with finding out every single detail about you. Your social media wasn’t private, how foolish of you. And he scrolled through the dozens of pictures you had posted, finding out everyone you associated it with. The page refreshed and a new picture was posted. You are with a group of people at what looked like a bar, with the caption: Love my friends!! Tonight was so fun, let’s do it again!! :D

Sol remembered the text from this “Crowe” earlier and he began to examine the picture, trying to find out who this Crowe was. His eyes narrowed when he saw the man next to you in the picture. A long haired brunette with tan skin, he swore he had seen that face before. This Crowe was behind your frame, hands resting on either of your shoulders. To anyone else they would have assumed that you and the man were friends, nothing in the pose indicated anything romantic, but to Sol it was too much. He didn’t want to see another man behind you touching you like that. Standing up he slammed his laptop shut and decided he needed to go to bed before he got too consumed by his jealousy and anger.

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As days turned into weeks, then eventually into months, Sol and you grew closer. You were regularly texting and hanging out. He had found out that your lunches consisted of junk food, and that was even if you brought lunch to campus. So he decided to start prepping your lunches, and even dinners as soon as he found out you ate cup noodles nearly every night. God, you were cute albeit a bit useless, he didn’t mind cooking for you, it only made him feel wanted - and the look on your face every time you ate his meals just made him filled with so much joy.

You were so kind and introduced him to your friend group, Crowe was kind enough and he kept his hands off of you in Sol’s presence. But he knew that man looked familiar, and Crowe looked at him with suspicious eyes and a fake smile. Sol only remained cordial with your friends though, if they made you happy he’d pretend to be friendly with them. But the man never returned your ID, it was his now. You complained about having to buy a new one, but he made sure to slip some extra cash into your backpack one day when you weren’t looking. The text he received that night was so adorable. “Omg Sol I found some cash at the bottom of my backpack. I’m eating good tonight! >:3”

It was so worth it. But Sol had a dirty secret that he couldn’t tell a living soul. He was slipping sleeping medication into the dinners he made you, he made a copy of your apartment key, and he was letting himself into your home every night. It was all in an attempt to make sure you were safe!

“My neighborhood is so unsafe. I really need to find somewhere else to live. There’s been so many recent break ins and assaults, and I live at ground level.” He remembered you complaining.

“You can stay at my place, _______. It’s a decent neighborhood. Lots of old people, so it’s quiet.” He offered.

“Sol! No, I can't do that. You already do enough for me. I got new locks on everything and alarms.” You retorted with a pout. He knew you wouldn’t change your mind, you weren’t that type of girl. You were independent, but that was okay. Sol would still keep an eye on you. Knowing you kept a spare key hidden away, he found it and while you were at work he had a copy made, then placed the key back without you being none the wiser.

Tonight wasn’t any different, Sol waited until you were asleep and he slipped into your quiet, dark apartment. He could navigate your home in the dark. That's how familiar he was with the layout, but the dim street lights also did aid him. Your bedroom door was slightly ajar and he quickly made his way in.

The streetlights illuminated your room, he saw your sleeping form on the bed, one hand hanging off the side of the bed and your blankets messily thrown on top of your body. In fact, the blankets barely covered any of your body. You wore an oversized t-shirt and the cutest panties - the shirt was raised and exposed your bare torso. “Were you waiting for me dear?” He whispered as he knelt down at your bedside. Folding his hands on the edge of the bed, he rested his chin on top, his gaze was so loving - but there was something so dark about the way he looked at you. Raising a hand up, Sol’s slender fingers brushed aside the hair on your face. “So cute…” he breathed out.

You shifted, your eyes squeezing shut as a quiet groan left your lips. When you moved through, your shirt lifted just a bit more, revealing your breast partially. Sol felt his face grow warm and he tried to avert his gaze, but it was like you were practically begging for him, looking so cute and innocent. He choked back a moan as he felt his dick get hard, his fingers wrapped around the wrist of your limp hand and he placed his cheek into your warm palm. His eyes fluttered shut as he let out a content sigh, “You're asking me to do something, huh dear?” He mumbled. That had to be it or why else were you wearing such an outfit is that why you left your bedroom door opened? You were inviting him in, right?

Sol leaned down to press a kiss to your exposed neck, he nibbled softly at the skin. A quiet whimper escaping you as your brows furrowed. So cute. He thought, still nipping at the skin, leaving a faint red mark. His hand trailed down your neck until his fingers reached your breast, he gently massaged it for a brief moment. Another quiet whimper came from you. He let your hand that was cupping his cheek fall onto the bed for a moment, as his fingers fumbled with the belt of his pants and with a swift motion his dick was out. Already hard from anticipation, he positioned himself in your hands, he laced both your and his fingers together. He let out a moan feeling your fingers wrapped around his dick.

His whole body shuddered in pleasure at the feeling, and he buried his face between your breasts to quiet his moans as he began to rock his hips back and forth. His sensitive tip fucked your palm as he moaned out your name from between your breasts. Tears pooling at the corner of his closed eyes as pathetic needy whimpers left him.

“You’re mine. Mine..you’re mine ______. I love you so much.” He cried as he felt himself about to cum. Then, with another thrust he came hard into your and his laced hands. As he calmed his breathing down he slowly lifted his head up, you were still asleep, oblivious to the lewd act he just made you do. “You’re so beautiful, dear. You feel so perfect.” He whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips.

Standing up he pulled his pants back on, then walked to the bathroom to wash his sticky hands. Grabbing a rag he wet, he walked back to clean up the mess he left on your hands. “Crowe..the paper...” you mumbled in your sleep. Sol’s scarlet eyes widened in shock at the name, why were you talking about him when he was right here. His fists clenched and eyes narrowed, a dark cloud casting over his face. “You really ought to stop talking about him, dear. Crowe doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t understand you like I do.” He hissed through gritted teeth. You were just confused - that’s okay, Sol was patient. He leaned down to press a kiss against your lips once again before wishing you a good night. With that, he quietly slipped out of your apartment.

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The final day of class before winter break came the next day. You and Sol sat in art class together, sketching your final assignment. The classroom was quiet as everyone worked. You kept glancing at the dark haired man next you, a faint blush on your face as you remembered the brief dream you had of him last night. You dreamt that he was having sex with you, you heard his moans as he fucked you. Then, just before the dream actually got good, your mind decided that all of a sudden you were going to dream about you and Crowe finishing up your finals paper for English class that you had done earlier yesterday. God! Why did his stupid pretty face have to ruin the best dream you ever had!

Class couldn’t end any sooner and the Professor motioned for everyone to turn in their assignments. He reminded the students to check their emails during the winter break to see their grades. You quickly stood out of your seat, the chair nearly falling back as you fumbled with putting your things away. Sol noticed that something was off about you, you wouldn’t look at him at all. Surely you didn’t know what he did with you last night, right? He slung his backpack over his shoulder as he watched you as you zipped up your backpack. “Want to go to the arcade?” He asked you suddenly, “Hyugo and I are going since classes ended early today. Like right now.” He added.

Snapping your head up, you actually looked at him for the first time today. Your eyes meeting his, “O-oh…umm. I’d love to but I don’t have any…money.” You mumbled, voice trailing off at the end. “Campus library let go of all the part timers a few weeks ago, remember? And my other job cut my hours. So it’s tight right now.” You sighed sadly. “I wasn’t asking you to pay. I just asked if you wanted to come with us?” He said.

Sol noticed a strand of hair hanging in front of your face so reached a gentle hand up to brush it aside, tucking the strand behind your ear. “I’ll pay. You know I’ll always take care of you, ______.” He reminded you with a kind smile that made your heart flutter. It was something he always told you, you weren’t sure why he was so kind to you when you had nothing to offer him in return. You were a broke college student who couldn’t even cook your own meals. A faint blush dusted your cheeks as you shyly looked away, “O..okay. Then yes, I want to go.” You shyly said as you tugged at the sleeves of your favorite jacket.

“Alright, good. Here I’ll carry your bag. Hyugo should be waiting at the entrance.” Sol said, taking your bag from you with a swift motion. You tried to protest but he was already walking ahead so you were more focused on catching up to him.

The walk to the arcade didn’t take long, but you were shivering from the cold winter breeze. Sol noticed you shivering and he wrapped an arm around your shoulder, bringing you close to him. You looked up at him before looking away shyly. Once inside the arcade, the three of you played games for some time. You pointed at a claw machine, wanting to win the cute cat plushie, you tapped at the glass before looking back up at Sol with big pleading eyes. “Aw, it's so cute. Do we have enough coins to win it?” You asked excitedly. Sol patted his pockets and sighed, shaking his head. “No, but I can go get some more if you’d like?” He asked, he just wanted to see you happy.

Hyugo nodded, “Yeah let’s play some more games! Oh, let’s get some food too. I’m starving!” He exclaimed, nudging Sol’s side. Sol looked at you, waiting for your answer. “That sounds good to me. While you two do that, I’m going to head to the bathroom. I’ll meet you back here.” You said. The pair nodded and with that you went your separate ways.

You found the restroom. It was located in the back of the arcade and once done, you hummed quietly as you made your way back to the claw machine with the plushie you wanted. But you unbeknownst drew unwanted attention to yourself; you hadn’t even stepped a few feet back out of the bathroom when you were immediately cornered by a much taller and bigger man than yourself. He backed you in between two large pinball machines, leaving you trapped. “Hey sexy. You got a boyfriend?” He slurred, it was obvious he was drunk. He had both of his arms on either side of your head so you could barely move. “Not interested.” You spat as you tried pushing him away, but to no avail. That seemed to only anger him more as he lowered his face to be at eye level with you. “Come on, don’t be like that. I’ll treat you nicely.” He said, though this time his voice was much darker. The stench of alcohol lingered with every breath he took. You turned your face to the side, but that seemed to only anger him and this time he grabbed your jaw roughly in his hands, forcing you to look at him.

“Don’t turn away, sweetheart. Just come on let me sh—“ he began, but suddenly his hand was ripped away from your face and you closed your eyes, fully expecting to get hit. You heard shouting and skin hitting skin, you still kept your eyes shut, flinching with every sound. The noise of the arcade was too loud and you slid down the wall, covering your face with your hands as you buried your face against your knees.

“Don’t you fucking touch her! I’ll kill you!” You heard a familiar voice shout, it was then you uncovered your face and your eyes widened in shock as you saw Sol fighting with the man, both with bloody noses. Hyugo pulled Sol away while a random person held back the other man. The two men were still shouting curses at one another, though you were so overwhelmed you could barely understand what they were saying. You noticed Hyugo was having trouble holding back Sol, so you quickly scrambled to your feet and stepped in front of the dark haired man, pressing your hands against his chest. “Sol! *Enough!*” you pleaded, tears forming in your eyes. The drunk man had lost his balance at some point and fell to the floor, but he was still threatening you and Sol. The man called you every name in the book, and he was mocking you - but you didn’t care. You just wanted to get out of here. There was a terrifying look in Sol’s scarlet eyes and it turned your blood cold. “Sol *please,* let’s just go.” You pleaded with him once again.

As soon as Sol heard your voice waver, he stopped and his eyes widened in a mixture of horror and guilt as he realized that you were crying. He cupped your face in his hands, shaking his head, “No, no, no. Please don’t cry. I’m done. We can go.” He said in a panic, “He didn’t hurt you, right? He didn’t touch you?” He asked. You shook your head, “No. I’m okay.” You reassured him, just wanting to leave. Your lip quivered as you looked up at him and you simply nodded, taking his hand in yours as you dragged him out of the arcade. Though when Sol was certain you weren’t looking, he turned back to the man and spat at him before he followed you out.

Once outside you wiped your tears away with your jacket sleeve, smearing your makeup a bit in the process, but you didn’t care. You didn’t dare let go of Sol’s hand, afraid that if you did he would turn back and actually kill the man. Hyugo sighed, rubbing his temples, “We should leave before the cops get called.” He mumbled. Sol clicked his tongue in annoyance, “We didn’t do anything wrong. That low life touched ______. I just defended her.” He spat back. You tugged Sol’s hand, “I want to go home.” You sniffled. “I’ll walk her home. You go ahead, Hyugo.” He said. The blue haired man raised a brow, by the way he looked at his friend you sensed that maybe he didn’t want to leave him alone. “You’ll call right? As soon as you dropped ______ off at home?” He asked, his brows furrowing.

Sol had already wrapped his arm around your waist, your and his backpack slung over his shoulders. “Yeah, I will. See you later.” He said pulling you along to walk off in the other direction. Hyugo just nodded watching as you two walked off.

Sol didn’t let go of your waist for the whole walk home, he held you protectively, glaring at anyone who looked in your general direction. Once you arrived back at your apartment you fished around in your jacket pocket for your keys, eventually finding them and unlocking the door. “Do..do you want to come in?” You asked Sol shyly. You were really inviting him inside! He felt his heart skip a beat and he swallowed nervously, “Sure.” He smiled and stepped inside after you, setting down the bags onto a stool by the door.

You untied your sneakers and left them at the door before you looked up at the tall man. “Do you want tea? Coffee?” You asked him.

“What do you want? I can start the water.” He asked you back.

“Tea sounds good. Something relaxing.” You replied, motioning him to follow you into the kitchen. You poured water into the electric kettle on the countertop as you reached into the cabinets to grab two cups. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to change real quick.” You smiled before walking off towards your bedroom to change. Sol already knew where everything was located, so he grabbed two tea bags, setting them into the ceramic mugs as he waited for the water to boil. Then a thought ran through his mind as his hand absentmindedly rested on his front pocket. You didn’t get to eat the dinner he made you for tonight which meant you wouldn’t sleep well.

So before the water was done boiling he pulled out a small bag in his pocket, and broke apart the sleeping pill, letting it dissolve in the hot water. He just wanted to make sure that you’d be able to sleep tonight was all.

When you walked back out of your room, your tea was already made and Sol was sipping on his as he leaned against the wall. He looked at your outfit, did you wear something like that on purpose to tease him? You wore tight shorts, a tank top, your favorite jacket unzipped, and the cutest bunny shaped slippers. “Thank you so much, Sol.” You smiled at him as you held the mug in your hands and slowly sipped on it. He nodded, “Of course. Anything for you.” He said returning your smile. You chatted with him for a while it was obvious that you were just stalling, you didn’t want him to leave. You were still shaken up from earlier, from both how Sol reacted and to what may have happened if he wasn’t there to save you from that man.

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You sat on the couch, legs crossed as some random show played quietly in the background. Sol sat across from you, you both had long finished your tea. He could tell you were getting a bit more sluggish, “I’m sleepy, Sol.” You yawned. “You should go..it’s getting late. Hyugo is probably worried about you.” You mumbled, rubbing your eyes with your sleeve. Sol frowned, “It’s okay. I don’t mind. I want to make sure that you’re okay.” He replied back, he didn’t want to leave you alone.

“I’m okay. I just don’t want to be alone..” you sniffled. “I think someone has been breaking into my house.” You then said, flicking your gaze up to look at him with a worried expression. Sol froze, his breath hitched in his throat. “W..what? Why do you think that?” He asked, trying to remain calm. Folding your hands together in your lap, your eyes darted around before landing back on him, “Sometimes things are out of place.” Is all you said, “So please don’t leave me alone.” You then pleaded, suddenly leaning over towards him on all fours.

Sol’s eyes flickered to your face and to the gap between your shirt, he could see you weren’t wearing a bra and he shifted awkwardly in his spot on the couch as he tried to remaining eye contact with you. Placing a hand over his crotch, he let out a cough, a dark red blush making its way to his pale features. “Okay. I won’t. I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” He responded, a look of desperation in his eyes. You smiled, feeling butterflies in your stomach when he said those words. Then your mind wandered back to the dream you had last night, you sat back legs now folded underneath you.

“Can you come lay down with me in bed?” You asked him, looking away shyly. “I don’t think I’ll be able to stay up much longer. Plus it’s more comfortable than staying out here.” You added. Sol found it hard to even speak now, he nodded and bit his lip. You stood up and began to walk towards your bedroom, turning off the lights along the way. Before you rounded the corner you noticed that he was still sitting on the couch, “Are you coming? You don’t have—“ you began only to be cut off by him springing up, “I am.” He mumbled shyly as he followed you into your familiar bedroom.

Your bedsheets were messily strewn about on your bed, like always. Clothes tossed haphazardly throughout the room, he watched as you shrugged off your jacket, tossing it on the vanity chair and you kicked off your slippers. You crawled into bed, pulling the sheets over your cold body. “What do you usually wear to sleep, Sol?” You asked him curiously, waiting for him to come lay down as yet another yawn left you.

“My..boxers.” Sol replied shyly, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided your cute gaze. “You can sleep like that here. I don’t mind.” You mumbled motioning with your hand for him to come lay down. “A-are you sure?” He stammered, already unbuckling his belt, his hands shaking a bit in anticipation. “Mhm.” You hummed reassuringly, squeezing your legs together tightly. Sol wasted no time in taking off his clothes, it was a shame the room was so dimly lit so you couldn’t see him. He sat at the edge of the bed, still unsure of what he needed to do.

You tugged at his wrist, “Lay down with me. Under the blankets.” You encouraged him in a sleepy voice. He let you pull him down onto the bed, his heart was racing so fast he found it hard to breathe. As you both now laid under the covers he could feel your body heat, you were so close to him. Your bed wasn’t big by any means, so your bodies were practically touching. “I really like you, Sol.” You suddenly said, you weren’t sure why you blurted that out, maybe it was your drowsy drugged state that made you say something you didn’t mean to.

Sol’s eyes widened in shock as he turned his head to face you. He could make out your soft features from the dim city streetlights that peaked through the curtains. Your hand now was on his chest, you could feel how fast his heart was beating. “You take care of me. You’re so kind. I’ve never had anybody care for me like you do.” You mumbled, leaning over until your noses touched.

Sol raised a shaking hand to cup your face, his thumb caressing your cheek. “I’ll always take care of you, ______. I’ll be here. No matter what.” He whispered back. His words were so kind and gentle, yet there was darkness in which he spoke. You blushed and looked away, your eyes closing shut as you finally closed the distance between your lips. You were a bit unsure on how to kiss him, not wanting to mess with his lip rings too much, but as soon as your lips met something clicked inside the raven haired man.

He returned your kiss desperately, not wanting to stop. Were you really doing this? Was this seriously happening?! He thought. It was a shame you were half asleep, but it still didn’t stop you from your next move. You rolled onto of him, your legs straddling his waist as you cupped his face in your hands, kissing him with inexperience. It wasn’t like Sol minded though, he was also just as inexperienced. His hands were on your waist, fingernails digging into your soft skin as he let out a needy whimper when he felt you grinding against his dick.

“Do you like me, Sol?” You asked him, breaking away from the kiss for a few moments as you continued to grind against him. When he took too long to answer you paused and lifted yourself up about to get up. Feeling utterly rejected by him, humiliated. But his hands slammed you back down on top of him. A crazed look on his face, “Y-yes I do. I like you. You’re my soulmate, ______.” He desperately spoke, his eyes flickering trying to read your expression. All you heard was “yes”, as you began to fade in and out of consciousness, despite desperately trying to stay awake.

“G..good.” You mumbled against his lips, beginning to grind against him again as you cupped his face. Sol returned your kisses as he let out whiny moans of your name, begging you for more. He wanted to feel your pussy, god knows how long he had waited to fuck you. His hands let go of your hips and now tugged at the waistband of his boxers. He managed to slip them off and when he felt how wet your panties were a pathetic whimper left his lips. He pushed your panties aside and now he could really feel how wet your pussy was. His dick pushed between your folds, you shivered as you felt his tip slide over your clit. “S-sol.” You whimpered his name.

Oh god, just you saying his name so lewdly was almost enough to push him over the edge. “A-ah.” He cried out as he felt your pace quicken. He loved the way you were using him, like he was nothing more than a toy for you to hump to reach your orgasm. The head of his dick was so sensitive and he felt your clit rubbing against it. “I..I’m gonna cum.” He warned you. Sol’s fingers digging into the plush skin of your thighs as he bucked his hips upward. “I-I wanna fuck you…please. Feel your pussy…please.” He begged, biting your lip. But you ignored him continuing to grind against his hard dick as your moans became a bit louder, your thighs shaking. You could feel yourself about to cum, but Sol suddenly let out a yell. “A-ah ahh ______.” He cried as his hot cum shot out. He threw his head back, eyes squeezing shut as tears pooled in the corner of them, his back arched, and fingernails scratching your thighs enough to leave a mark and draw some blood. His body shook under yours.

You felt the warm sensation rising from your core, your clit becoming more sensitive by the seconds. Sol’s thick cum now providing more lubrication. His whimpering of your name and pleading was enough to push you over the edge and moments later you joined him in his orgasm. You cried out his name as you buried your face in the crook of his neck, holding onto him tightly as you rode out your orgasm. Honestly you weren’t sure if you were or not, your mind was so hazy. Then you suddenly came to a stop, your body shaking a bit as your eyes closed shut.

Sol caught his breath, his hands rubbed up and down your back and he realized you had fallen asleep. The medicine had taken its full effect. He wrapped his arms tightly around you pressing a kiss on top of your head a content smile on his lips. “You’re mine. Mine…you’ll never have to be alone again.” He mumbled against your hair. His scarlet eyes gazing at the ceiling as you were fast asleep against his chest. At some point he fell asleep still holding onto you, with his dick between your thighs.

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You had awoken the next morning a bit groggy, you realized you were in bed with someone and you stared down in horror as you realized that you had slept with Sol. You only remembered bits and pieces of the nights before, and your sticky panties confirmed that you two had been intimate in some way. You wiggled out of his strong arms as quietly as you could and rushed to the bathroom, grabbing your phone careful to not wake him up.

After you cleaned yourself up and changed, you sat on the ledge of the bathtub typing away rapidly on your phone.

Crowe I NEED YOU NOW!!!!

What’s up? You okay?

NOOO. I think I just messed up. I think I ruined a friendship.

Woah calm down, ______. Is this about him?

YES. Can we meet up at the cafe? Please. Right now.

Yes. I’ll be there in a few.

Thanks.

With that you clicked your phone shut and quickly got dressed into your clothes from yesterday, not wanting to disturb Sol’s sleep. You peeked into your room and still saw him resting. You left the house getting your wallet and keys and tossing them into your jacket.

Sol woke up not long after you had left the house and when he didn’t feel your presence he immediately shot up in bed, panic beginning to set in. Where were you?! He grabbed his phone getting ready to dial your number when he saw a text appear on the screen.

I’ll be back soon. :3

He calmed down a bit, laying the phone in his lap as he ran a hand through his messy hair. Why didn’t you tell him you had somewhere to go? Why would you leave alone in the morning after everything that had happened last night? It was then he felt a bit angry, wondering why you were sneaking around. Snatching his phone back up he called you but you kept ignoring his calls, finally though you answered.

“Hello.” Your voice came through on the other end, there was also another voice on the other end too. It was one he recognized. It was Crowe. He felt himself grow even more angry as jealousy filled him. Why the hell are you with him?!

“Who are you with?” Sol asked, his voice as sickly sweet.

“Shhhh be quiet. Yeah, hi Sol, I’m with a friend. Don’t worry, I’ll be back home soon.” He heard you shushing Crowe. His grip tightened on the phone, if he squeezed any harder he may have shattered the screen. “When will you be back? Where are you?” He asked, this time his tone wasn’t as sweet.

“Sol…please don’t worry about it. I promise I’ll be back home soon. I gotta go.” You reassured him before hanging up.

Sol was furious, he slammed the phone face down onto the night stand, the glass screen shattering. Why is he interfering? Why does she keep hanging out with him? Doesn’t he know ______’s mine?! So many jealous thoughts flowed through his head as he quickly got dressed. He freshened himself up before he left your apartment, storming on the busy streets. What you hadn’t known was that Sol had installed a tracker on your phone many nights ago. He was really trying to give you the chance to tell him where you were without having to resort to using the tracker, but you wouldn’t tell him. He had no other choice but to use it, and make sure you were okay. He had to make sure that filthy Crowe wasn’t touching you. And he needed to show the brunet who you belonged to.

It was a rainy day and he didn’t care if he got wet, he was determined to find out where you were. The tracker led him to a busy coffee shop where he saw you and Crowe sitting near the window. His scarlet eyes met bright blue ones, belonging to the last person he wanted to see. Sol’s eyes narrowed, and all the brunet did was return a sly smirk before mouthing something to you. You whipped your head around just as Sol stormed into the coffee shop, immediately making his way to the table you two sat at. He tried to maintain his composure, his chest rising with every deep breath he took as he glared at the man sitting across from you.

“Sol? H-How did you know I was here?” You asked him in shock. He ignored your question continuing to glare daggers at Crowe, who sipped on his coffee nonchalantly. “Hey there. Care to join us?” He asked with a polite smile, motioning with his hand to the available seat.

“No. ______, we’re going home. Now.” Sol demanded, now turning to look at you. He grabbed your wrist and you tried to jerk away, “Ow, Sol!” You cried out, which caused him to immediately drop your hand. “Are you okay?” He asked, his angry expression now etched into worry. You frowned, rubbing your wrist, “Y..yeah. I told you I’d be gone later. Please stop this.” You pleaded, looking at him with big eyes.

“You should be gentle with her, Sol.” Crowe scolded half heartedly. “______, you should go. Don’t keep him waiting. We can talk soon, I have to get to work anyways.” He smiled warmly at you.

“But I—“ you stammered, but the brunet cut you off with a wave. “Seriously, it’s fine. Just remember what we talked about, okay?” He winked, it was purposeful, he was trying to get under Sol’s skin and it was working.

Sol grabbed your wrist a bit more gently this time as you stood up, “We’re leaving. Bye.” He spat, glaring at the man as he dragged you out of the coffee shop. All the while Crowe watched with furrowed brows and a forced smile. He didn’t like Sol, he didn’t like him at all. But whatever made you happy, he’d tolerate.

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Sol was dragging you down the street as you squirmed under his tight grasp on your wrist. The whole time you demanded to know what had gotten into him! This wasn’t the Sol you knew. Ever since the arcade, you noticed a sudden shift in his personality, it was instantaneous. As you two arrived back at your apartment, he shoved you inside with a forceful hand, slamming and locking the door shut. “What the hell is wrong with you, Sol?!” You screamed at him as you tossed your phone, keys, and wallet onto the kitchen counter.

Sol’s eyes were narrowed still as he walked towards you, instinctively you stumbled backwards until you found yourself with your back pinned against the wall with nowhere to go. His tall frame towering above you. “What’s wrong with me? You’re the one sneaking around with that bastard.” He hissed as he slammed his palms on either side of your head, pinning you between his arms. “I’ve tolerated him long enough. Doesn’t he know you belong to me?! I’m the one that’s caring for you and protecting you. While he does nothing.” He snapped angrily.

You cowered beneath him, beginning to grow a bit scared, “Y-you’re scaring me, Sol.” You whimpered. He clicked his tongue in annoyance; he didn’t like you pretending to be innocent in all of this. Perhaps you and that bastard needed reminding of who you belonged to. Sol crashed his lips against yours roughly, you felt his tongue trace the bottom of your lip. But when you were tightening your lips together to deny him, he bit your lip causing your lips to part open in surprise and with that his pierced tongue forced its way into your mouth. One hand on your jaw forcing your head to tilt up. You tasted like coffee and sugar, he didn’t mind at all though. It suited you.

You cried against him. He was being so forceful it was terrifying. He pulled away panting heavily, a string of saliva connecting your and his lips. His hand was still firmly holding your chin. “I don’t think you realize, dear. That you’re mine. No one else can have you. Ever. I won’t allow it.” He muttered. He noticed that your eyes were watery and a sympathetic smile made its way to his pierced lips. “Aww..please don’t cry, baby. I don’t want to make you cry. I promise I’ll make you feel good. You just need to be reminded that you’re mine.” He said in a gentle voice as his thumb wiped away your tears.

“I’m scared.” You whimpered.

Sol leaned down to press a much more gentle kiss to your lips, “You won’t be for long. You’ll be feeling so good in a minute.” He purred and with that he picked you up holding you so gently in his arms bridal style as he continued to kiss your lips. Once inside the bedroom he tossed you onto the bed and hovered over you beginning to tug at the waistband of your pants. “N-no Sol.” You whined but your arousal said otherwise. The truth was you were so turned on by him. You had wanted him in this way for so long.

Sol ignored your pleas and within a couple minutes he had you stripped of your clothes. You laid on your back on the bed as you looked at his nearly naked body, he stood only in his boxers. And now with the sun peeking through the blinds basking the room in a bright light you saw just how big Sol was. His body was well toned, just perfect. You saw the erection in his pants and you swallowed nervously at just how big he was. You weren’t sure if he was even fully hard yet.

You didn’t get to stare at him for too long though as he got to his knees, kneeling in front of your legs. “I’m going to make you feel so good dear. You won’t ever think of anyone else but me.” He said it almost came out as a warning. His slender hands pushed your legs apart and the look of pure lust was on his face. You tried to cover yourself up with your hands but he wouldn’t let you. “So pretty.” He whispered. God, he dreamt for so long to be buried between your thighs eating you out.

You jumped when you felt Sol’s tongue licking your pussy, the muscle dragging slowly between the slit. You felt the cold metal piercing drag along sending a shiver up your spine. He let out a moan as he tasted you. God, you tasted better than he could have ever imagined. He pushed your legs further apart and spread open your pussy, you squirmed a bit at being so exposed. Your hands balled up the fabric of the bed sheet beneath you as you felt the ball of his piercing roll over your clit, causing you to let out a loud moan. You knew you messed up when you gave him that reaction, because he immediately began to suck at your sensitive clit, rolling his piercing over it every single time causing you to moan louder. His tongue moving from teasing your clit to probing your wet hole. He wanted to taste every bit of you, this was pure bliss for the raven haired man.

“So good.” Sol praised. It was hard to focus as he sucked the sensitive bud, your head spinning as your legs quivered. He wouldn’t let you close your legs, no matter how much you tried. His tongue worked so expertly, he knew exactly how to get you whimpering under him. “Sol!” You yelped when you felt his tongue enter you, causing your hips to buck and your back to arch. It was such a strange feeling but god it felt so good. He was trying to fuck you with his tongue. Your hands tangled in his dark loose hair as you tilted his head back up to focus on your clit. “I-I’m gonna..” you gasped, squeezing your eyes shut as the warm sensation began to build more and more. Your breathing became more frantic and with another roll of his pierced tongue against your clit, your legs closed, Sol’s face still between your thighs as you held him there cumming all over his face. You were practically screaming his name as he continued to suck on your overstimulated clit. You begged him to stop, so he did and instead decided to clean you up.

Sol’s tongue lapped up every last bit of your juices, you tasted so amazing. He was drunk off of your scent—taste. Everything about you drove him crazy. He could spend the rest of his life buried between your thighs, licking your pussy and letting you cum all over his face. He was yours to use. “N-no more. Please.” You begged, your body falling limp.

Sol gave you one last taste, his tongue swiping up the full length of your pussy before he sat up. He licked his wet lips, “See..I’m the only one who can make you feel this good, dear.” He said matter of factly. He stood up pulling down his boxers revealing his hard dick. When you looked at him you nearly choked on your own spit. How the hell were you supposed to take him? He hadn’t stretched you out with his fingers to prepare you. “I-I can’t take you without—“ you began. But Sol leaned forward kissing you, shutting you up. “It’s okay. I’ll be slow.” He mumbled against your lips.

His tall frame towered above you, it was so intimidating, the way he looked at you with half lidded eyes and a small smile on his face. His arms were on either side of you pinning you between him. You felt the tip of his dick poke at your entrance. Sol continued to gently kiss you as he pushed himself inside you, he let out quiet whimpers as slowly filled you up. His body shuddered at the sensation, your tight pussy was everything he had ever dreamed off. “Fuck…oh god you feel so good, ______.” He moaned as he sat up now. Placing his hands on your inner thighs, he spread your legs apart as far as he could without hurting you. He wanted to see how well you took him.

Inch by inch Sol sank into you, it was agonizing how slow he went but by the look on his face he was savoring every moment. He was panting quietly trying to control himself, he did want to hear his soulmate after all. You squirmed under his strong grasp as he filled you up beyond belief. You weren’t ready to take him, he was so big it hurt. “S-Sol.” You cried, tears pooling in the corner of your eyes as you felt the tip hit deep inside, causing you to flinch in pain.

“It’s okay. You’re doing so well, dear.” He praised you. And without warning Sol snapped his hips back and slammed back into you, causing you to yelp. He couldn’t resist himself as he began to roughly fuck you. His fingernails digging into the soft skin of your thighs and quiet moans left him. He stayed quiet because he wanted to hear your sweet sounds.

He watched the face you made as every single time he hit that sweet spot of your pussy. The way your lips parted as you moaned his name and the how your back arched as he fucked you. The way your breasts bounced up and down with each thrust. He noticed the creamy white ring forming on the base of his cock. You felt so perfect, it was as if..”We were made for each other, ______.” He whispered. Sol let go your thighs, confident that you’d keep your legs spread out. He now cupped your breasts, fingertips lightly teasing your perked nipples as he watched you shudder under his touch.

Sol frowned, “Something’s missing.” He said in between pants as he continued to relentlessly fuck you. His pace was not slowing down at all, you were exhausted already, your pussy ached from how hard he was slamming into you. You weren’t sure you’d even be able to walk in the morning. “W-what?” You asked confused by what he meant but he didn’t answer you, instead leaned down to bite your neck. You cried out in surprise. He actually bit you. He nipped and sucked at the sensitive skin on your neck, not caring if he hurt you. After all, everyone needed to know you were his.

Your hands tangled in his hair as you squeezed your eyes shut, tears now running down your face. Your legs wrapped around his waist as he slipped one hand between your thighs. You body twitched when you felt the pad of thumb rub your clit, all the while he never stopped fucking and marking you. He let out a low laugh when he felt your body twitch underneath him.

Sol could tell you were close to coming, by how your breathing became more erratic, how you held him closer. “Are you going to cum for me, dear?” He asked. You didn’t say anything, which annoyed the dark haired man. He sat up, ripping himself from your grasp and stopped rubbing circles against your sensitive clit. “You need to answer me.” He growled and just to emphasize the point, he pulled nearly all the way out before he snapped his hips forward. You cried loudly, biting your lip and nodding eagerly, “Y-yes. I wanna cum for you, Sol.” You whimpered, looking up at him with the cutest expression.

Sol smiled lovingly at you, satisfied with your answer, “You’re so cute when you beg, dear.” He spoke gently and with that he returned to stimulating your clit. Your mind was hazy as you felt your orgasm building up, you were only focused on one thing and that was coming. Your hands reached up to dig their fingernails in the skin of his bicep. “You’re so close. I can tell. Just cum for me. Please. I want to feel it so bad.” Sol begged in a whiny, desperate tone as he quickened his pace. And just like that you practically screamed his name, your body shaking as you came around his cock.

You orgasming and screaming his name was the most beautiful thing Sol had ever witnessed. He had dreamt of this moment for so long, it was better than he could ever imagine. He felt your pussy tighten around him and soon after he was coming too. Sol threw his head back as his dick twitched, coating your insides with thick cum. He was buried deep inside you, holding your thighs firmly so he could adequately fill you up. “You’re so beautiful. So pretty, full of my cum.” He mumbled, gazing down at you now.

Sol gently pushed your legs apart as he pulled out of you and watched in awe as his cum leaked out of your tight pussy. It was a heavenly sight. He sighed in satisfaction, flopping down onto the bed as he wrapped his arms around your tired body, pulling you onto his chest. You buried your face into the crook of his neck as you clung into him tightly. “No one will ever make you feel this good, dear. You were made for me. We’re soulmates.” Sol said barely above a whisper as he gazed at the white ceiling. “You’re mine. I won’t ever let anyone come between us. Ever. I love you so much, ______.” He said, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. His embrace tightening around you when he said that.

There was something threatening about the way Sol spoke. You were a bit scared, but you had no reason to be, right? He just loved you and you loved him. “I love you, Sol.” You sniffled. Sol just smiled at your words. He finally had you all to himself.

[yanderemommabean]

Hey Beans-

Hey beans, I have a bit of a hellish update. 

Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. My grandma made a huge fight happen while I was on call with a friend, and things just escalated between me and her so badly I had to leave. When I came back home, my family was also on my ass about it all, despite knowing how she lies and how she instigates. 

She threatened to hit me, she threatened to kill Sammy, she hurled insult after insult at me and this all started because I didn't get up in time to do something she asked (Which was locking the door. I waited three seconds too long and she went off). 

When I came back after trying to let things cool down I was berated and told I had no right to be so “selfish” in the house, so on and so on, and the fight got so intense I had to just physically walk away, leaving the home and going two miles up the road because I did not feel safe. 

They made me so sick I began to pee blood again, as well as my sugar spiking and causing me to have palpitations. My heart cannot take this stress anymore, and neither can my mental health. I wish I could explain how bad the situation was. I had tears down my face, gasping for air, chest heaving and in pain, I felt like I was on the verge of passing out. 

I got in contact with some good friends of mine, who say they can help get me out of not only that home, but the entire state i'm in. But I need money to do so, for travel and gas and so on. As much as they can house me, they need me to pull my weight. 

I hate having to ask for help, I hate that I'm even in this situation, to the point I'm so sick I might have to be seen in the ER or sent to ICU. 

I need to come up with 700 dollars, and I'm willing to do some commissions, but with how sick I am I may take a bit to get back with you. I plan to leave by early June, if not the beginning of July, as that's when my friends are able to drive down and get me. 

Donations are greatly appreciated, even if you can only afford a single dollar, it’ll be more help than you know. 

If you’re wanting a commission, please don't send money and then ask, for your sake and mine. I’m incredibly overwhelmed, and I’ll do my best to get with you and explain rates. 

And if you’re willing to donate anything, here’s my Ko-fi link. 

Again, I can’t thank you enough for if you donate or even spread this post around, even well wishes mean the world to me because I know you beans care and want to help however you can.

This post was incredibly hard to make, I’m still all over the place and trying to figure everything out, so I apologize if this sounds like rambling and nonsense. There is a silver lining however, as I actually have a way out this time, and I pray I can get out before things can get worse.

-Mommabean 

[leaderwonim]

𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐘 — fifteen: you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. lee heeseung x fem!reader, park sunghoon x fem!reader

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲. Y/N always knew that her high school was dominated by wealth and privilege. Upon having a one night stand with popular athlete Lee Heeseung, she uncovers that Heeseung's friend group controls not only social dynamics but also school policies and local affairs, revealing a hidden world of power and manipulation behind their so called perfectly polished exteriors

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You drape a warm blanket over Hanni, sighing as you watch her chest move up and down as she lets out slow breaths.

You had texted Heeseung earlier that you’d have to do a rain check on the dinner he had planned, made some lame excuse about how much homework you had in your international relations class.

“Is she okay?” Your younger brother Riki looks over at the sleeping girl, eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes, she’s just shaken up.” You bite on your lip nervously, not sure what to do. Did she really mean she never hated you in the first place?

“I thought you stopped that habit when you moved to Korea,” Riki says.

“What?”

“Biting your lip whenever you’re nervous.” He shrugs. “Mom says you did, but I guess it redeveloped.”

You’re not sure what to say to that. “I guess.”

“I’m going to go out.” He grabs his jacket, “with Danielle. We’re just going to go to the movies and then eat at Jack’s Gelato. Did you want me to bring you back some?”

“If they have hazelnut, then sure.” You look out at the window, tiny droplets of rain had started to turn into pours. “Bring an umbrella, will you? Mom would kill me if you were sick.”

He nods, grabbing a purple umbrella on the way out.

Now all you could do is sit and reflect back on your thoughts alone. Had you been wrong this whole time about Hanni? Was it Seojun and Sunghoon who were in the wrong?

Your thoughts are quickly interrupted when there’s a loud knock at the door. Hanni shuffles in her sleep, making you silently panic.

You rush over to the door, which reveals a wet haired Heeseung who looked like he practically ran a whole block to get to you.

“Heeseung? What the hell?” You say, shoving him quickly inside your house so he wouldn’t freeze to death outside.

“I’m sorry—I got your message and I felt something was wrong—I don’t know.”

He’s out of breath, but as his eyes land on Pham Hanni sleeping on your couch, he swore he falls back from the overwhelming dizziness.

“Jesus, you could’ve seriously injured yourself.” You say, pulling the much taller boy up to his feet.

“What is she doing here?”

“I saw her crying,” you explain. “In the corridor. Then she got overwhelmed and passed out on me. That’s why I told you I couldn’t make it.”

Heeseung clicks his tongue, not too sure what to make of the whole scenario.

The girl he was sure he’d always wanted was sleeping on the couch across from him. The girl who he knows he wants now was standing right in front of him, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

“Why didn’t you tell Sunghoon?”

“I don’t trust him.”

And it’s true. You don’t. No girlfriend would cry that much if they were in a good relationship with no worries about their finances. It was all too good to be true.

“Heeseung?”

The groggily voice of Hanni breaks you and Heeseung’s intense eye contact.

“Hanni.”

She gets up, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

“What’s going on?”

“Do you want to explain why Seojun is paying for your tuition?”

You slightly gasp at how straightforward your words are, taking a step back from Hanni and Heeseung.

“What?”

Heeseung looks at Hanni intensely. “Is that true? Seojun is paying for your fees, Hanni?”

Hanni stays still, then let’s out a laugh. It’s a small, hollow, laugh. Almost as if it was devoid of emotion.

“Well, isn’t it obvious? I was supposed to be one of the scholarship kids. The poor ones we would constantly make fun of.”

It’s like a sting to your entire body the way Hanni talks about the scholarship kids as if they were nothing. You and your friend group strived off the scholarships and were given opportunities many would die on hills wishing for. How could she even think that cruelly about people who were in the same position as her if Seojun had not come in and saved the day?

“We’re going to make an exposé,” you say, voice almost shaking. “About how Seojun’s dad is a fraud. You’re going to lose all the money you have and be kicked out of Decelis.”

Hanni bites the inside of her cheek. “So?”

“So?” Heeseung throws his hands up in the air. “God, Hanni, are you even listening to yourself?”

“Are you listening to yourselves?” Hanni gets up, pointing directly at both you and Heeseung. “You can try to aim for my heart, but in the end, I’ve already lost everything important to me. You think I care about Decelis now? You really think I would care?”

“You don’t have to be the bad guy,” you say. “You could help me. You could take Seojun’s father down and do what’s right.”

Hanni looks conflicted for a brief minute before she shakes her head.

“Look,” she says. “I appreciate you lending me a place to rest. But I just can’t.”

She gets up to leave, but not before turning around to face you two.

“Oh and Heeseung?”

He looks up at her.

“I would’ve loved being your girlfriend.”

Your throat feels like sandpaper and you try to reach for her but Heeseung pulls you back abruptly.

“Don’t.” He breathes out, “you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.”

[lazylattedgleam]

Request:

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Prelude to a New Tomorrow

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“You knew it already, didn’t you?”

(Current: Yes…? No…? Maybe so…?- 002)

(Previous: Mr. Ruby Eyes-001)

(Storymode control buttons)

(003: Sylus Archives(Article: I))

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The coming days have been…well…weird for you, you still did harbour thoughts of Zayne and MC together, crying often at times, but another new thing had occupied your mind as well…You just couldn’t get the man you saw at the auction, you couldn’t explain how but it definitely had piqued your interest, and you allowed it to infiltrate your mind…it was a pleasant distraction from your constant thoughts about Zayne and MC, after so long…

If only you remembered his name, if only your memory didn’t suck

________________________

…“Oi why’ve you been so distracted these days? Is it about Zayne again?” “Hmm? Oh no no I’m good…” “Well if you say so…but don’t shut me out again k? I missed this…” “Of course, would never make that dumb mistake all over again…” “Well that being said, customer at the Daisies section, is nagging she can’t find a single good one, handle it with me?” “To the rescue lets!”

…“When are you planning on taking your CBC and Haemoglobin tests again?” “I will I will…” “When?? Dude you’ve already neglected your health enough, and who knows how much you’ve bled when you were at your lowest…now that you’ve been doing a bit better…at least I hope…get them, you need to check…plus I know it’s hard but he’s a busy man, he might not be available when your appointment date gets fixed…”, all you could do I nod, “Yeah you’re right…I’ll go…”

________________________

…When you reached back home that day, your mind pondered about what Raya had said earlier, she was right, you have been planning on it for sometime too, but there was always that part that told you to stay away…It is Akso after all, and the last thing you want is seeing, them together, holding hands, talking and chatting, her giggling alongside him, going out to lunch or dinner, maybe even dessert…triggering your past memories… You thought it’d have been a better choice if they had a complete online, no-call appointment process, but they didn’t…you had to talk to Serene for that… ohohoho it was gonna be hella awkward, it’s been five months and neither have you gone there nor talked to any of them. You felt bad, too bad for doing that to Serene…especially Yvonne, you two clicked so well. As you change and freshen up, getting ready to prepare for dinner, you phone beside you, contemplating on whether to dial or not. “It’s for my health! I should just do it…cmon cmon cmon…”, you repeated to yourself…aaaand well good job you finally did. Dialling the number, you put it on speaker, while you made dinner. It wasn’t too late, around 08:45, like you usually return on Tuesdays. Hopefully they pick—

*click*

“Hello this is the reception desk of Akso Hospital, how may we help you?”

“….Yes Ma’am sure, let me check her schedule once…she has appointments all day…so could you come at around say…06:00 to 06:30 p.m.?”

“Okay sure, that works for me. Thank you…Where should I proceed with the payment?”

“….Yes Ma’am sure, let me check her schedule once…she has appointments all day…so could you come at around say…06:00 to 06:30 p.m.?”

“On that day itself. You’ve had your registrations done on your number, so all you need to do is speak to the front desk of the specific department, pay your consultation fees and wait till they call you. Standard procedures.”

“Thank you…” you want to ask but are too nervous…

“You’re welcome, is there anything else we can assist you with?”

“…How have you been?”

“…Alright, same old same old…you? We’ve been missing you, didn’t think you’d totally cut off ties…”

“I’m sorry, it just, you know…”

“Yeah I know…anyways I’d have to cut the call now, but see you on Sunday?”

“Yes yes thank you, on Sunday.”

“Oh dear I’m gonna get a looong lecture from Dr. Stryx…”

________________________

…you eat while your mind goes back to wandering about that man you saw at the auction…what intrigued you the most were his eyes and the power they held in them…his name…you still couldn’t recall… “Something with an S? Yea yes S…but S what?”

________________________

…Sunday evening arrives soon, time feels as if it’s passing by too fast, you dreaded today, neither did you want to go, nor get the check up…you sigh as you enter through the automatic doors of Akso, and inside…it was like any other usual day, patients, doctors and nurses here and there, stretchers, wheelchairs, the familiar smell of antiseptic, you’d grown used to at some point in your life, but now it all felt too foreign. You smile and greet Serene, as she does too, and walk to your designated place. Fingers crossed hoping you don’t run into you-know-who.

…Oof finally you were done with it, she told you to take care of yourself better and take every medicine and supplement on time, giving two new ones to start with and advised you to continue with your old ones as prescribed before. Writing about the tests to be done in your prescription. Now the question remains when should you do them and with whom…Maybe you’ll take the break on the first half on a Saturday and take Raya along…you hate needles…As you walk along the escalators to the ground floor guess who you run into!

Uh oh…

“(Name)…it’s been so long, how are you holding up?”

She really had the audacity to ask you that? After everything? She’s nice and you admire that about her, but often times she’s just too nice, and that annoys the heck out of you. Your eyes meet his for sometime as you soon move your gaze away…oh it was gonna bother you tonight…

You smile politely, “I’ve been alright thank you. If you’ll excuse me I’ll have to leave now—”

“Oh… ok alright….take care…”, as you leave without sparing them a second glance…

________________________

Why did you have to meet them? You were finally making progress little by little, but then this happens…Yes you understand you were at the hospital where he worked…but still why why why—

You thoughts wander haywire, ‘Where were they going, to get coffee? Or maybe early dinner? Maybe to a sweet shop or bakery…he looked so calm, his gaze was so soft with her…never was the same with me…no no no I’ve had enough…I can’t not now, not when I’ve been making gradual progress…should I call Raya, she’s not offf work yet…ugh…’, as you desperately try to shove away any past memories cluttering your mind. You walk ahead and straight, setting your destination to Destiny Cafe, somewhere in the mess in your brain…

You reach the shop, hoping that they won’t be coming here…as you enter, eyes scanning the place, they weren’t there…phew... Your eyes stop their search as they fall upon a similar pair of slanty-sharp red eyes, silvery white short hair, and a tall…too too tall of a figure sitting at the table by the windows, scrolling through his phone, even though his eyes stared down at his phone, you could see the familiar strong presence emanating from within them, that was how powerful their color was. Oh it was him…it was him it was him it was him…

You get the sudden urge and curiosity to walk upto him and talk maybe introduce yourself and a word or two? Why? Again you had no answer for yourself, it was something in those eyes that drew you in…You walk in, because of course you can’t hog the doorway forever, customers enter and exit at all times…walking up to the counter you place an order for your usual Boba-drink and find a place to sit, not at your usual, but just a table behind him so that he couldn’t see you…girl you’re seeming like a creepy stalker stop…Soon you come back with your drink, have it while still contemplating. ‘Should I go or should I not go?’

Finally as I push you with my words, an invisible urge strikes inside of you, making you stand at your seat and walk over to his table…fuck your palms and feet were sweating…

…

…

…

“Umm excuse me, hello…”, his eyes fleet up at you, a color of nonchalance painted all over his face. He doesn’t seem like the type to initiate a conversation, you thought, so you went ahead.

“Hi! Umm I’m so sorry if I just came here out of nowhere, I usually don’t do so promise me, and I’m so so sorry if it’s creepy, I don’t mean any of that. I really just wanted to have a small conversation with you…I umm I don’t think you remember me—well of course you don’t, there were a lot too many people there…anyways what I’m trying to get at is I guess, umm I was at the Banquet Hall of Mr. Jameson’s last to last week, I saw you there…well actually what happened was that me and my friend, we were there for a delivery service, and he told us to enjoy the night…I don’t know why I just told you that…but yes so I uhh, we were about to leave and I didn’t want to leave before I could see the one of the famous things of an Auction event, the bidding so we stayed for sometime…And there was a call, starting price 1 Million and you immediately called 5 Million, that intrigued me really, I was like wow! And then I guess our eyes met for a while, but you don’t remember probably and I really wanted to get a chance to talk to you and now I’m here rambling, I’ve probably made you all uncomfortable, I’m sorry I’m so so sorry…”, dang girl you rambled on, in one flow—almost…

He let’s out a small, husky laugh, as he waves his hand, “Okay first of all breathe…and secondly, I’m flattered to hear that I intrigued you~ To answer to another question, yes I do remember you, you were the girls who got the flower bouquets, I had my eyes around…”

“Please sit, you entered the shop thinking how to approach me and talk to me and came all the way from your table after contemplating so hard upon how to do so, I’m thoroughly impressed.” He smirked slightly, as you sat, feeling embarrassed.

“I’m so sorry if I came out a little too strong, ohhh this is embarrassing…sooo I’m (Name), it’s a pleasure to meet you officially!”, you hold out your hand.

“Skye”, he shook it… ‘that’s it just Skye? But it doesn’t bring out the tone I heard at the auction…could he be lying about his name?’

You see him text on his phone, trying to study his expressions but all you could decipher was that he was texting, you couldn’t understand the emotion beneath…maybe he was good at hiding?

“Continue.”

“Huh?”

“You said you were intrigued, you might have question flooding your mind? Maybe one like if that’s my real name, or what you heard at the auction sounded different yet you can’t recall it…or maybe how to try and read my face as I text.”, he spoke while texting

‘Damn he’s good! Fuck I feel like a fool, uhh can I divert or dodge his accusations somehow? I don’t wanna look like a creep—’

“It’s okay to be curious, you’re not a creep.”

“Are you a mind reader or something Mr. Skye?”

“Who knows.”, as he stood up, before you could even think of anything else to ask him.

“Keep your question bank to yourself for now, and when we meet again pour them out. And try to recall harder, maybe you’ll find your answer…”, he exited through the doors…

________________________

“Woah…”

That night when you returned you paces around your room trying to recall what was that you heard at the auction…finally a pleasant distraction…

“Skylar? No…that’s like a bird’s name…ooo ooo maybe Sans! …nope nope nope…Steven? Not even close… it was like a ‘shhh’ sound…like a ‘shhhh-i…shy…’ shy? Ughhhhhh!”

You take the help of your trusty old friend, ‘the Internet’, typing ‘Rich business man names starting with the word S’…you read out most of them, some do fit, others simply ruin your mood…You search up until, 01:30 in the morning, that was when you started getting sleepy…but you didn’t want to give up just yet…your bed was a mess, food pieces here and there, pages from your notepad lying around, having scribbles on them everywhere, pen thrown across the bed in frustration, when google literally gave you a search list of eligible bachelors in your area who are businessmen…You get up to clean everything up, yawning to yourself…while you mind was still reeling over the names, seeing if their tones hit the right vibe…but none did…You soon closed your laptop, keeping it away in it’s proper place as you get to bed…

…‘Shy…Shy…Shy…shyl…it had an L for sure…shile…no no a Y…shy…’ “Shylock!”, you shout out as Raya looks over at you from the section where the Iris flowers were arranged at display, “Huh?” “Oh nothing just nothing…” “So you randomly yell out Shylock in the middle of the day and claim it’s nothing? You’re lucky it’s our break time, and no customers are here.” “Nothing nothing just something I remembered…” “About the Merchant of Venice?” “No leave it, do your job.”, as she goes back to neatly arranging them, while you go back to pondering while you eat…

“Oh btw! Oi Raya listen.” “Hmm?” “I have my CBC and Haemoglobin tests this Saturday…dude please accompany me…you know how much I fucking hate needles…” “Yeah sure I’ll be free I’ll go…”

That night a flicker of something strikes you while you were eating dinner. “Sylus! Yes! That was it! Sylus something surname, not important but yes! Now the question remains why did he hide his true name…”, you were almost done with dinner as you quickly finish up and in your bedroom you dash off to, opening your laptop to search… ‘Sylus business man’…

As you read the results gaining info about him, well the one publicly available, then there’s also some Govt. sites but you don’t open them… “He’s…one of the most feared and successful mafia leaders of the N109 Zone…head of Onichynus, richy rich rich…what’s that? Probably the name of his organisation…emmm emmm…wow…the Linkon City police are all after him, but nobody knows about his whereabouts…well I do now…makes sense why he has an alias…I’m freaking out too, I might seem calm, but I am…I talked to the guy, what if he’s planning to execute me…cuz I found out his identity…what if he’s watching me now—”, you look around your room…well duh even if he was you wouldn’t see a drone or something thing in plain sight just zooming around… “—what do I do now…do I tell the police? No no no I’ll get taken…should I tell Ray…she’ll freak out, best not to…he did say we’ll meet again, maybe he knows about my location…dammit why did I ever go upto him…!”

________________________

…Saturday arrives. “I think I might’ve gotten a good bone bruise in my right hand…” “I’m sorry…I’ll buy you coffee as compensation…” “That’s a sweet offer but I’ll have to decline, got a call from my mum, have to go now, my nephew’s coming over so gotta take him to the park…” “oh! Well goodbye then…tell them I said hi! Text me when you reach.” “Will do!”, as she walked in the other direction, while you head towards the coffee shop, dreading each step, as you felt a ominous ring to the idea of going there…what if he’s there and he takes you away…well maybe not in broad daylight but still. Suddenly your mind reels off to Zayne, since you’ve always relied on him and his presence whenever you felt uneasy or scared or anxious, it always calmed you down, although now that you think about it, it was all out of compulsion, always has been…So you have two options to yourself, go home and cry about Zayne, orrr go to the coffee shop and meet your probable doom…

“Latter sounds better, at least the chances are highly unlikely…I mean if he’s a mafia leader, he’s probably out to do something there, whatever it maybe…”

So you head in the direction of Destiny Cafe, plus you would like to blame your Destiny for putting you in such a mess…

You were just about to enter as you see a similar figure looming over you, eyes glued to his phone, entering at the same time… ‘Uh oh…this is it…’

You watch him take his seat, where he sat earlier and you quickly avert your gaze, hoping he’d not notice you…and walked over to your usual seat—

“I’m assuming you’ve figured out.”

“…if I say anything will I be hurt?”

“That depends on your next action, which will determine the result whether you will be or won’t. It is as simple as a causal-effect relationship.”

You don’t speak any more, you’re genuinely scared…

“Come on sit, maybe we can have a deal and arrangement to see which path you lead to.”

You go obeying, sitting across him.

“Now—”, his eyes still glued to the phone, “Place your offers and I’ll see what can be done.”

“B-But I don’t have enough money on me now, only a couple hundred bucks and—”

He suddenly breaks out laughing, in that similar deep, husky voice of his…

“That was fun.”, he looks up from his phone. “Look I don’t know how to make you convinced, but I’m not going to hurt you or anything, you’re not on my radar.”

“So you do have targets!”

“Seldom, but yes. Also a bit softer please, you’ll scare the whole cafe like this…or maybe even give them the wrong context.”

“You won’t harm me right…?”

“No.”

“What if I tell the police?”

“I’ll be gone before you ever get the chance.”

“Why do you dress like some sort of frat boy street biker guy aesthetic?”

“Maybe because I do have a bike.”

“Oh…”

“…I need a Boba”

“Yes I’ll get some drinks for us…”

After sometime he brings them to your table, your usual Boba flavour that you get, and an Americano-Large for himself…

“How did you know.”

“I told you I’m keenly observant. I’m not stalking you if that’s what you think.”

…..

…..

“What if you added something in my drink or poisoned them…”

“Well unless I had magical, invisible substances on me, or the barista was my subordinate, I couldn’t have done so…”

“So the barista is your subordinate?!”

He sighed, rubbing his temple, “At this point I’ll just let your imagination run wild…”

……

“I’m not gonna drink it still.”

“Be my guest.”

…..

His earlier tone seemed to be quite believable, but you still had your doubts, he’s a criminal, he can fake emotions and tones like it’s a piece of cake.

“Ok…”

“Look listen, the last day you had ordered and I heard it.”

“You remembered it becauseeee…”

“I knew today would come.”

“Now you’re being all creepy again…”

“Ok ok I sincerely apologise, do ask me whatever you want to ask me.”

…

“What business do you deal in?”

“Woah straight-forward. I’m in a successful fruit selling business, I’m a real good fruit vendor…”

…

��

…

You take a sip of your drink…

“And I’m supposed to believe that? I wouldn’t even have believed that if you told it last time…”

“Well sweetheart, I can’t go on spewing my real profession now can I, you searched it yourself, the police are after me.”

“…Ok”

As you both drink in silence…it was awkward for you, maybe not for him. He takes out his phone and texts. You can’t help but ask.

“…You’re telling your henchman the time and place to take me hostage aren’t you…”

“Very creative…but as a matter of fact, I’m texting my ‘Bestie’—”

Pffft Bestie? That sounded funny in his voice.

“Is that a codeword for—”,

He let’s out a hearty chuckle and sighs…finally showing you the phone and it’s contents as well…it was a chat opened, with many messages, here and there with the username of the other person saved as, “Kitten”, huh weird? It’s funny, also kinda cringe—

“Oh…”

“I’m sorry for suspecting you but I’m still suspecting you.”

“I’m fine with that.”

…So that was how your second meet went, he was a bad guy(?) but at least he had a sense of humour.

“Isn’t it only fair that you tell me your profession too, since I told you mine.”, he spoke as he stood up from his chair, smirking.

“You know mine, you did say it last day, me and my friend came to deliver the bouquets.”

“Mhm so you’re a delivery person?”

“…I don’t want to tell you but then again you already know…I’m a florist, I work at a flower shop at—no not telling you that no no. Besides you lied about your job.”

“Well you know the truth. See you.”, he left

….

It grew amusing and kind of concerning to you? As over the next few weeks, you’ve had both your third and fourth meetings as well.

Your third meeting was uncalled for too, meeting at the same place, ‘Destiny Cafe’, cuz of course, you have such great luck and Destiny. He entered while you were munching onto their star shaped rich buttery cookies, as they would just melt inside your mouth with every bite. It was such a delicate and sweet taste, making you want to gobble down more and more and more.

“Hello.”, he sat down.

Your mouth filled, you quickly, try to chew and gulp, while wiping it with a napkin.

“Easy easy there, no rush. I’m not leaving so soon”

As you finish it up and take a sip of your Boba, “Sorry, excuse me…how did you…you know what doesn’t matter. I’ll be nice to you.”

“What’s with the sudden change in attitude?”, he speaks while keeping that smirk on his face, you swore it never left…

“I just want to be.”

“Good day at work?”

“I gave a little girl a yellow rose and she hugged me.”

“Adorable.”

……

“You’re always texting, is it always your best friend?”

“Mhm.”

You drum against the table a bit, not knowing what else to ask or say…

“The Lavenders were really fresh by the way, thank you.”

“I never gave you—oh! So you were one of the special guests of Mr. Jameson?”, of course he was.

“Is he a part of your organisation?”

He chuckles, “He’s a stand-alone businessman, dealing in Protocores and Aether Cores. Know what they are?”

“Yeah.”

………

…..

.

“…Why did you pick the name Oni-dot dot dot?”

“What?”

“You know why did you pick that specific name for your organisation?”

“I have no answer to that.”

“Ok…

………

………

“How as your day?”

“Alright.”

“Am I bothering?”

“Nope.”

“I wanna show you to the flower shop.”, he looks up from his phone upon hearing that, those red eyes, casting a spell of determination within yourself…

“I’ll be honoured then.”, he said with a smile.

“Maybe on our fourth meet up?”

“Sure.”, you offered him the last two of your cookies.

“Cookies?”

“Why not.”

“Aren’t they so good!”

“Mhm. You have good taste.”

“I’ll have to leave now, get up early tomorrow, we’re having new shipments arrive. When can I meet you again?”

“Thursday.”

“Works for me, I leave early on Thursdays. Soooo here at Destiny Cafe?”

“Here at Destiny Cafe.”

“Bye!”, as you leave.

________________________

Failing to see the soft smile that you had casted upon his lips…now what might that indicate…

You were at work the next day, it was a Wednesday, it’ll be a long day and it’s going to be hectic, with the shipments coming in…yet you felt light, it was a strange sensation but it was definitely welcomed…

“Girlll!” “Yes?” “What are you daydreaming about? The things are here, cmon let’s go look to them.” “Oh yes.”

…“Is there something bothering you?” “Nope.”

________________________

Thursday came around very quickly and heck were you excited! You were really excited, you didn’t register why but you were…but you had to keep your guard up, he’s still a dangerous man (?)…as you walk towards the cafe, it was a pleasant evening…the streets bustling with people. “Hello!”, you greet him as he stood in front of the coffee shop. He looked up from his phone into your eyes, with a sly smile, “Someone’s excited.”

“You bet I am! I don’t know why though…the fact that you could still k*dnap me remains…”

“Mhm.”

“…”

“I won’t.”, he sighs.

“…Are we getting coffee first? Let’s take those biscuits on the go! We can eat while we walk.”

“After you.”

…The both of you walk along the streets of Linkon, which were brilliantly illuminated by the street lights. It was a new moon day, so the moon wasn’t visible in the sky. As you both chew and walk along…

“Sooooooo it’s down Hashcrew Lane, which we e reached as we speak…aaaand taaadaaah! This is where I work, I love this place…”

“Cosy…”

“Yeppp and thanks, although we are planning on renovating the shop.”

“Hmm.”

“…Why do I have a feeling you already knew..”

“The bouquets also came with your shop’s business card.”

“Ahh I should’ve figured it out. That one’s on me…why didn’t you tell me earlier though?”

“I wanted you to trust me…besides you are always too paranoid.”, he says with a slight chuckle, eating the last of the cookies.

You felt a smile creep up to your face as well…

On the way back, he nudges you slightly, “So you finally trust me now, don’t you?”

…….

“Yes? No? …Maybe so?”.

________________________

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

(All credits, TW, Index have been mentioned on the Storymode page.)

[volklana]

The Drugs Don't Work

They Just Make You Worse

Title Comes From This Song:

Request: I would love to request a Sihtric fic from you, a Modern!Sihtric if that would be okay? I imagine Sihtric would suffer from depression, because how could he not after going through his childhood and I was wondering if you could write him maybe going through an absolute downward spiral where his friends are like we can't keep seeing you like this and he has to get away from the city, maybe away from drink and drugs and he goes somewhere remote and that's where he finds reader and an actual purpose to life.

Warnings: This fic is heavy. Themes of depression, suicide and drug use. Please don't read if if this is something you don't feel like you can take right now, you can always catch me again on another fic xx

Sihtric was depressed.

Nothing mattered to him anymore. He was simply going through the motions of living but nothing made him happy anymore.

The grey skyscrapers and towering steeples of London were beginning to swallow him up and he found it too easy to slip unnoticed through life for days at a time.

It had felt like this when he’d first moved from Durham to London, before he had made friends, and in many ways Uhtred, Finan and Osferth had saved his life back then too, but as the Winter evenings drew in and it began to get dark around 4pm, that old familiar feeling of numbness began to seep in and no amount of pints after work or tinder dates could make him feel anything at all. 

All he knew was that he had to escape the city and he would explain it to his friends after he reached his destination. Wherever that destination was, he hadn’t quite worked out yet, but he emptied his bank account got onto his bike and before he really even knew it, he was on the M1, headed north away from London.

Something kept drawing him northwards and after hours of riding it began to make sense to him. 

His mother had been from the Lake District in the Northwest of England, and she had gone to University in Durham at 18.

That was sadly where she had met his sorry excuse for a father, while she was working part-time as a bartender to pay her fees, and where ultimately she met her demise.

Sihtric could barely remember her, she’d died when he was so small but he had faint memories of her singing him to sleep and brushing her fingers through his hair; the only true memories of kindness he had been ever shown as a child.

And so it was almost as if his soul had set his body into auto-pilot as he rode there aimlessly.

He had been on the road to self destruction for so long that he barely even registered the emotions anymore but last night had arguably been his lowest point.

Watching the tears fall from Uhtred’s eyes as he sat on the end of his bed as he openly cried.

“This can’t keep happening, Sihtric,” he had wept “The drugs. The drink. It has to stop. It’s breaking my fucking heart. Every time I leave I worry it’s the last time I’m going to see you alive. I’m terrified every day that I don’t hear from you, and every time I pick you up from a bar in this state.. It’s absolutely breaking me.” 

Even now in the daylight when he was sober it broke his heart. Uhtred was the strongest person he had ever known and to see him cry had shook something in his very soul.

“I love you. You are my soul brother and I can’t imagine a single day without you but this has to end. I refuse to lose you too.” 

He was right, Sihtric knew it in the moment, and he knew it now, something had to change, he had to change but he could not do it in London. He had to get away, away from the underbelly of the city that allowed him to forget all of his pain, all of his horrible memories and insecurities, and his past, even if just for a few hours at a time.

He was embarrassed for the way he had wept in his friend's arms as he promised he would change, but he had meant it. He would change. He had to, because the alternative was too scary to even think about right now. 

There was snow on the mountains and it was getting dark by the time he reached the Lakes. 

He swung an aching leg over his bike and clambered down, having shut the engine off.

His boots crunched in the frosty grass and his own breaths appeared before him, forming tiny clouds and it reminded him of when he was a kid, pulling skinny fingers to chapped lips and pretending he was smoking in the back alley of his apartment complex as he was avoiding going home, or running away from yet another beating at the hands of his father.

Even then, even when he was a tiny bag of bones in Sven’s oversized hand-me-downs, all he had wanted was to be a grown up, pretending to smoke cigarettes in a world where he was free from violence and fear and hunger.

In the late afternoon light, whatever little was left of it, the waters were still, almost like a mirror and he was afraid to venture too close to the edge for fear of what would be reflected back at him, or what might pull him down beneath the surface.

His fingers were already beginning to numb and his nose genuinely felt like it might fall off from the cold as he wrapped his flimsy leather jacket around his gaunt frame.

He was wholly unprepared to be here. He had brought no food, no change of clothes, no bag of toiletries, and he suddenly felt foolish as he realised how genuinely ill-equipped he was.

There had been no real plan or thought process behind any of this. Nobody even knew where he was and as he fumbled with his phone he realised there was barely even any cell reception.

He thought by coming here it might awaken something inside him but instead the feeling of insignificance just burrowed deeper into his bones, like the dampness that seeps deep into the concrete walls of old crumbling buildings.

Here, surrounded by the snowy mountains and still lakes he realised that this place did not care about him, did not care if he was underdressed to be out in the elements like this, and an eerie peace settled over him as he realised that maybe, just maybe this was where he needed to be, in a place that expected nothing of him. In a place where he could be still for the first time in his whole life, watching his breaths disappear out onto the horizon like smoke from a chimney pot rising up into the heavens. 

He fumbled in his other pocket for his packet of cigarettes, slightly crushed from the way he had hastily stuffed them in, hands shaking as he pulled his lighter to his lips and lit one.

And the sudden sob that escaped him  truly frightened him, he hadn’t even realised he was crying as he pulled from his cigarette, the only thing keeping him grounded in this moment.

His whole body shook, and not just from the cold as countless tears escaped him and he hunkered down into a squat as he let the sobs wrack free. He flicked the cigarette away and buried his face in his hands, and suddenly he was a small boy again, in a room with peeling wallpaper and crying for a mother he never got to know, blood drying on his lips from yet another beating. He was tired, more tired than he had realised and he wanted nothing more than to sleep. Sleep for a few days or for eternity he hadn’t quite made his mind up yet.

And he was so absorbed in his misery that he didn’t even register the sound of the approaching engine, or the headlights in the distance until a tiny voice pulled him from the depths.

“Are you- are you alright?”

He whipped up to his full height, and watched as you slowly backed up, worried eyes scanning his face in genuine concern and what did it matter if he told the truth because he was tired of lying, and he shook his head, vision blurred with tears as he released a shaky “No,” from his chapped lips.

You took a cautious step forward, assessing him with a furrowed brow, “You must be freezing. How long have you been out here, you’re dressed in nothing!”

He took in your appearance, wax jacket, hat, gloves and a huge knitted scarf that looked more like a blanket and truly began to appreciate just how underdressed he was.

“Were you-” you began motioning to the lake “Were you going to?”

“No! No,” Sihtric reassured, hands flying up instantly “I just pulled in, I rode the whole way up from London and I was tired. I just needed a breather.” 

“Dressed like that?” you exclaimed taking in his skinny jeaned, leather jacketed-clad frame.

He almost laughed at his own stupidity. Almost.

“Look,” you reasoned, pointing up the road to your parked Land Rover, “I’ve got heating and a flask of tea up there, would you want to sit inside for a moment, we could get you warmed up and figure out your next move from there?”

He wanted to say no, he wanted to not put you out in any way but his own body was betraying the true depth of the cold he was feeling as his teeth chattered and he could sense you were not going to really take no for an answer anyway. 

“Come on,” you urged, beckoning with your head, “You’ve got no meat on those bones, and if you die on my watch it’s going to really ruin my whole weekend.”

Humour, he quirked and he truly appreciated it in the moment as he clambered up the road to the waiting warmth of your car.

He took in the few items on the passenger seat, a tartan blanket, a book and true to your word a thermos flask, and you swiped them aside for him to climb in.

The blanket was placed over his lap and you cranked the heating up before you shoved the thermos into his hand, “Drink,” you commanded and he did, relishing in the way he felt the warm liquid pass down his frozen throat into his stomach.

You sat in silence while he drank, not pushing conversation upon him, which he would be eternally grateful for, and as his shaking began to subside to a humble tremble he offered you his name.

“I’m Sihtric,” he volunteered and you returned your own name with a small but genuine smile and he nodded, taking another sip of tea. 

“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” he eventually joked and you huffed out a breathy laugh, he pointed to the supplies you had offered him so freely “You make a habit of rescuing skinny strays?”

“No,” you laughed but you turned slightly serious “I would be lying if I said that you were the first person I’ve come across out here who looked as if they had no intention of ever making it back home though.”

Sihtric could understand your concern, you had come across him, head in hands sobbing like a child with no provisions, looking like he hadn’t slept in days (He hadn’t)

“I promise you those were not my intentions,” he husked “But that does not make me any less appreciative that you did stop for me.”

“Why did you come all this way then?” you asked gently, he could see that you weren’t pressing- just trying to understand.

“I felt like..I felt like I couldn’t breathe in London.”

You nodded in understanding “The city can feel like it’s suffocating you. Swallowing you up and spitting back out your bones.”

Sihtric whipped his head to really look at you, “It felt exactly like that,” he confirmed.

“Where are you staying tonight?” you pressed and he shook his head with another laugh at his stupidity.

“I hadn’t really got that far ahead,” he shrugged, scratching at the back of his neck and you shook your head indignantly.  

“I know a place,” you sighed with a smile his way and before he could argue, you were kicking your door open and he followed suit.

“Grab your bike!” you instructed and he didn’t know why he just did what he was told..he just did.

You fumbled for a bit with the carrier hitch on the back of your jeep but eventually and much to his amusement, his bike was hitched on to the back and secured enough to your standards that you believed it would survive the journey and somehow that was enough for Sihtric.

“I’ve picked up a stray!” you announced to the barman, motioning to where Sihtric stood behind you like a lost child in a supermarket and the barman huffed out a hearty laugh, “You got a room?” you pried and in precisely ten minutes Sihtric was in a tiny room while you fumbled for blankets in the closet to make up his bed.

There were so many questions Sihtric wanted to ask you as you busied yourself around the room, making the bed, drawing the curtains and lighting the tiny hearth in the middle of the room, but he was too tired to even truly process the events of tonight.

“Get some rest,” you instructed lingering gently by the door, “You’ll be safe here and I will check in tomorrow.”

“How do I even begin to thank you?” Sihtric mumbled, eyes downcast to the floor.

“Harry is going to bring you up a plate of hot food soon, it’s going to be bigger than your entire head, you thank me by eating all of it and getting some decent, proper sleep,” you ordered “And when I come to see you tomorrow there had better been some colour in those cheeks.” 

He could tell that you weren’t the type that needed profuse thank yous, or soppy sentiments so he simply nodded, and that satisfied you enough that you departed with a knowing nod of your head and dipped out of the small, but cosy room.

And Sihtric did sleep that night. The whole way through, and felt more rested than he had in his entire life when he awoke the next morning.

In fact he slept in so late he missed breakfast entirely but that didn’t seem to bother Harry at all who still insisted on doing him some bacon and eggs, which he gratefully scoffed down.

It was utterly embarrassing how much the watched the door, every time the little bell overhead dinged, there was an anticipation from somewhere within that he couldn’t quite quell and when Harry returned to collect his plate he wanted to reassure Sihtric that you would return.

“She will be in,” he promised “She called this morning but you were still sleeping, but she will be back soon, she didn’t want to wake you, but she had a class booked in that should be finishing up soon.” 

“What does she teach?” he couldn’t help but enquire and Harry offered him a smile.

“She teaches little kids how to ride horses down in the riding school, when she’s not there she’s working here.”

Horses, Sihtric couldn’t help but smile at how removed from the city he truly was.

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” he couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

Finally, the little bell dinged above the door and he watched your figure appear and search the crowd for him before your face lit up with a smile when your eyes found him.

“You’re still here,” you beamed, almost like you expected him to be gone.

“And hopefully there’s colour in my cheeks,” he joked but his smile still didn’t reach the whole way up to his eyes.

“Still a bit peaky,” you swiped, shrugging off your coat and taking a seat in the chair across from him, “But we’re working on it.” 

“How do you feel this morning?” you tried, taking a sip from your tea and he nodded.

“I don’t know what I was thinking, coming all this way yesterday, no plans- no provisions. I guess I just needed to not think for a while,” he told you honestly and you nodded.

“You needed quietness,” you offered and he nodded quickly, “I want to take you somewhere today if you’re feeling up to it?”

When he nodded, you dipped out to your car before returning, arm overflowing as you beckoned him upstairs to his room again.

“These should fit,” you reassured passing him a pair of men’s walking boots, a fleece jacket that smelled of your perfume but he did not mind that and a woolen hat, gloves and a tartan scarf, he looked in the mirror and did not recognise himself and you tutted because he was absolutely swallowed up by the garments.

But he set off following you anyway.

By the time you reached the top of your trek, the pub was just a tint dot in the distance and Sihtric was truly out of breath.

His lungs were burning and his legs even more so.

But even more embarrassing than that, his body was fighting against the fog of not having used in a few days, his brain felt foggy and he was eternally glad that you did not talk much because he genuinely did not think he was capable of having a coherent conversation at the moment.

He couldn’t help but scratch at his skin, the phantom aches and trembles of withdrawal were horrible and he had never gone this long without using but he had promised Uhtred he would change, and so here he was following you up a steep, winding hill as his body screamed against the exercise but he followed your figure without question, he just hoped the view from the top would be worth it.

He hugged the fleece tighter around his body and relished in the brief hint of your perfume that filled his senses.

He wondered whose boots he was wearing.Your father’s, maybe a brother? But he didn’t want to seem like he was being ungrateful by asking, so instead he said nothing. 

When he finally caught up to you, you were standing in a viewing point, arms folded around yourself staring off across the horizon and he came to stand silently beside you.

You pointed out towards a distant lake and he followed your line with his eyes.

“That’s where I found you,” you told him “That’s how low you were yesterday and this is how far you’ve come today. Do you understand what I’m saying?” 

Sihtric looked at you with a furrowed brow so you turned around to face him “You have the choice Sihtric, you can stay low and only see the world from that point of view, or, you can put in the work and climb, even if your body fights against you ever step, don’t think I didn’t notice, and the world will open up to a new point of view. You’ve already taken huge steps today in the right direction, but only you have the power to take those steps.”

“I just followed you,” he said in protest “I didn’t-” he shook his head, his point dying on his lips.

You gestured to the steep path you had both just climbed “I didn’t take those steps for you. You did that, and I’m willing to gamble it’s because you believed wherever our destination was would be worth the climb. You have to believe that this journey you’re about to go through-that the views will be worth it in the end.” 

Sihtric, looked out across the distance to where last night he had hunkered down, face in his hands and wept at the hopelessness of it all, and today he stood miles above that spot with something he hadn’t felt in his chest in years, hope.

Hope that maybe his life could be different. Free of the suffering and pain, and downright weight of his past.

“I can’t do it in the city,” he finally admitted and you looked at him, cheeks rosy from the cold, but eyes weighed down with dark bags, and looking like a frightened child and you reached a reassuring hand to his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“So do it here. But do it. For your own sake, Sihtric, do it. Because the alternative is down there, it’s an icy lake willing to suck you in to its depths and next time you might not breach the surface again.” 

He nodded, fully taking on board everything you were saying and he thought of Uhtred and Finan back home, about how they could not lose another friend and he made his mind up in that instant, he was not going back to London until he had healed the wounds that threatened to drown him every day.

When he got back to his room that evening, he called Uhtred who picked up after barely two rings, his voice laced with worry and fear and Sihtric was spilling it all, about the lake, about you, about how he wanted to stay here until at least after Christmas and Uhtred was silent for the most part, while Sihtric rambled.

“You will come back to us?” he eventually asked, voice low, “We can’t- I can’t afford to lose you too.”

“I’ll be back for his anniversary,” Sihtric promised, “And hey, I promise you I’m not going anywhere.”

“You stay in touch,” Uhtred warned “Even if it’s just a text at night to let me know you’re going to bed, just stay in touch.”

He promised he would.

That night he made his way down to the bar and gave Harry nearly all the money he had withdrawn from his account and asked if it would be okay if he stayed until after Christmas, Harry tried to return some of the money and assured him he could stay for as long as he wanted but Sihtric refused to accept any if it back.

“As long as you’re here, breakfast and dinner will be provided for you, no arguments!” Harry was adamant and Sihtric accepted graciously, knowing there was no point in arguing. 

He watched you flit around the bar, carrying trays, pulling pints and that sense of humour he so loved, you used it as a weapon, disarming unruly regulars, charming passing tourists and he couldn’t believe that out of all the people who could have found him that night it had been you. 

He couldn’t help the little flutter in his chest every time you caught his eye in his little booth and smiled widely at him, your expression a mixture of confidence and mischievousness. 

You chose to spend your break with him and it warmed his heart, the way you flung yourself into his booth with your grilled sandwich and picked up the discarded book he had been reading. 

“You into Vikings?” you mumbled, mouth half filled with food and he couldn’t help but find you endearing. 

“My Father was a Dane and even more scandalously, he was a pagan,” Sihtric joked by way of explanation.

“Explains the name,” you swallowed thickly before diving in for another bite, you were eating like a woman who had been starved for weeks and he couldn’t explain why he loved that so much about you. Food had no real appeal to him, and perhaps it was why he was a bag of bones rattling about in oversized clothing but he remembered a time, before the depression, before he had lost him, when he had been muscled and healthy and he reckoned if he hung around with you for long enough, he would need to start hitting the gym again.

“Harry tells me you’re staying,” you mused and he couldn’t help the boyish smile that crept across his face.

“Would it be alright with you if I did? You’re kind of the only friend I’ve got around here.”

“S’fine with me,” you shrugged finishing the last bite of your food, “But how are you with horses?”

“Horses?” he quirked his head and you nodded like it was obvious.

“You start in the stables on Monday,” you smiled and he had a million questions he wanted to ask but you simply shrugged, “Horse therapy. My Friend Jenny runs therapy sessions with some of the retired horses, I’ve kinda put your name forward and in payment you’re going to be mucking out the stables.” 

“Therapy…with horses?” 

“You start that on Tuesday,” you grinned and he slinked back into his chair with a laugh.

“You are something else,” he sighed and you stuck your tongue out at him, as you swiped a gulp of his coke and he wrestled it out of your hands.

The two of you were settled on a great moss covered rock, huddling under the trees in reprieve from the sleety shower that had started out of nowhere.

Sihtric was pouring tea from your trusty Thermos flask and you rustled in your bag until you pulled a ziplock bag free and Sihtric’s eyes lit up at the frosted brownies inside.

“Don’t tell Harry,” you swiped plopping one into his waiting hand and he was about to question it when you sighed “Well he baked these this morning for paying customers and well neither of us are really one of those, but I figured you would need all your strength for starting work tomorrow.” 

“You really are a big softie behind all that gusto aren’t you,” Sihtric teased and you dug him in the ribs with your elbow, forcing him to slip slightly off the rock.

“Don’t make me beat you up and steal back that brownie,” you threatened and he laughed- really laughed for the first time since he got here and it caught you both by surprise. 

Your eyes softened, looking sideways at him and helped him back up to his spot beside you, “You should do that more often,” you told him- no hint of joking “It’s beautiful.” 

Back in his room that night he rifled through the gigantic bag of clothes you had given him, various pairs of work pants, jeans and flannel shirts as well as thermal underlayers, fleeces and finally his own wax jacket, a peak cap and some woolly hats and gloves.  

“It’s not really your style I’ll give you that, but it should do the trick in keeping you warm,” you assessed. 

“Will you be there in the morning?” Sihtric asked shyly and you plopped down beside him on the bed.

“Of course. I’ll introduce you to the horses, make sure you’re comfortable and then I have to go teach a class. But I’ll be there,” you reassured with a quick squeeze of his hand. 

True to your word you did show him the ropes that morning and to your surprise he was a natural, he worked hard and picked up on things incredibly quickly.

You heard him laugh a few times with the other stable hands and it made your heart swell in your chest ever so slightly.

“Not bad for a city boy,” you mocked as he finished his shift that evening and even though he knew that was all the praise you were likely to give him it made him feel immensely proud. 

“Come and I’ll introduce you to Thor, he’s going to be your therapy horse, you two should get along great with all that Viking stuff you've got going on!” you instructed and he followed you into the stables to where a great white horse lay waiting, his head pressed out over the stable door and he whinnied when he saw you.

“You can stroke him,” you reassured Sihtric who was hovering behind you while you ran your hands along his great neck and Sihtric seemed a bit timid.

“He can sense your emotions,” you told him over your shoulder, “Come closer and let him get to know you. I’ll be right here.” 

Sihtric was tentative and quiet as he ran his hands gently over Thor’s mane and back, the animal was watching him with steady eyes and showed no sign of bolting or nudging out of his touch so he moved his hands gently along the curve of its neck and finally chanced running his hands along the soft hair of Thor’s nose and face.

Sihtric almost freaked out when Thor shifted his head free from his touch and hooked his head over Sihtric’s shoulder nudging him once, twice and again ever closer until Sihtric realised he was nudging him closer to his body.

He let both hands come up either side of Thor’s fame and gave into the embrace the horse had created, it was like he wanted Sihtric to hug him and so he did, feeling the true weight of Thor’s head resting on his shoulder.

Tears raced to his eyes with the affection this animal was showing him and he openly cried into his mane, forgetting that you were standing merely meters behind, forgetting about everything else except the comfort this being was trying to give him in the moment. 

Weeks passed by in a haze of therapy, work and hiking. 

The weather got colder and the little village was beginning to prepare for Christmas and the looming date of an anniversary was playing heavy on Sihtric’s heart.

It was on his final trek with Thor before Christmas that he finally burst into tears for the friend he had lost, the one that had sent him tumbling into the fog of depression, that had led him to exactly where he was right now.

“It was my fault,” he cried into Thor’s mane as he embraced the gentle giant who had given him so much trust and acceptance.

“I should have been there to protect him, instead I was off getting high. I should never have let him walk home alone that night, and what’s worse is that Uhtred and Finan, they won’t admit that it’s my fault. That it’s all my fault.”

It was the first time he had ever spoken his guilt out loud, and Thor just continued to nuzzle into him, no judgement, just acceptance.

That night Sihtric was incredibly downcast and quieter than usual over dinner and you being your usual, amazing self could understand that he didn’t feel like talking. 

When he reached for your hand you simply allowed him, Thor had awoken something in Sihtric that he did not realise he was lacking his entire life, and that was that physical touch brought him comfort.

“I have to go back to London after Christmas,” he told you and you nodded, you always knew this day was coming.

“There’s an anniversary I need to make, my friend Osferth, he died, and I need to be there for his anniversary. I couldn’t face his funeral- I couldn’t face anything really and I promised- I promised my friends I would be there for this,” you nodded in understanding, rubbing soothing patterns on his knuckles with your thumb.

“It was my fault,” he told you, refusing to look into your eyes “We were supposed to leave together, but I went and met my fucking dealer instead, and he was stabbed on his way home, I was getting high while he lay there dying. That’s what I’ve been running from,” he sniffed and you hooked your finger under his chin and guided his head up.

“Sihtric look at me,” you commanded gently “You couldn’t have known that was going to happen. It wasn’t your fault.”

He pulled his hand from your grasp and stood up angrily “Nobody can admit it. Too afraid to stop me from shattering, no one has the decency to look me in the eyes and tell me that I am a shit person and that my friend is dead because of me.” 

He stormed out and you flinched when you heard his bike roar to life in the parking lot.

When he returned to the pub, you were gone and he was grateful for it, he was ashamed at his outburst earlier, but he hadn’t truly realised the weight of grief upon his shoulders until the trek today.

He had driven around in a blind rage earlier and he had no doubt in his mind that if he had been back in London he would have used, he would have thrown away weeks of growth, recovery and healing in an instant but he couldn’t bring himself to throw it all away when he thought about you sitting in that little booth waiting for him on your own.

He climbed the stairs to his room and fumbled with the door and his heart nearly fell out of his chest when his eyes landed on you, sat cross legged on his bed, hair down loose around your shoulders and looking up at him, lip bitten worriedly between your teeth. 

“Are you okay?” you tried gently and he shook his head violently.

“No,” he cried “No I’m really not, I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that, especially when all you have ever tried to do is help me,” he shrugged his leather jacket off and threw it on the bed and you stood.

“I want so desperately to feel okay again and when I’m with you, fuck it almost feels possible,” he admitted and subconsciously you had both moved closer together.

“Sihtric it is possible. You have been doing amazing these past few weeks,” you whispered, gently reaching for him and he melted into the touch completely.

“Only when I’m with you,” he cried, pushing forward to close the distance and press his lips to yours. He fully expected you to push him off, to yell at him and scold him for being an idiot but instead he found nothing but the warmth of your body pressed into him, as your hands flew up to run over his shoulders and around his neck, pulling him closer.

It wasn’t about lust or sex, it was about need, his need to be with you, to feel his world go silent because all that mattered to him was you, and you were soft and pliant in his arms, not the tough and mischievous girl he had grown to love but someone who also needed to be held and shown love of their own.

Afterwards, you lay tangled in the sheets, your fingers tracing lazy patterns along the skin on his back and neither of you spoke for the longest time, until Sihtric turned to lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling.

“I didn’t think it was possible to feel this way again,” he murmured and you hummed in agreement.

“Me either,” you confessed and he turned to look at you with a furrowed brow.

“The clothes I wear?” he trailed off and you nodded, knowing what he was trying to ask.

“They were my husband’s,” you confirmed with a small smile, and sat up in the bed, pulling the sheets with you too and wrapped them around your naked body, “His name was Matt and he died,” you confirmed and Sihtric couldn’t see your face but he could tell you were sad as he twirled a strand of your hair around his finger.

“We had been fighting for days,” you laughed wryly “I was angry because he was always so busy with work, he was a farm hand and there was always something..lambs or calves being born, sheep to shear or cows to milk, and I was so angry with him because there never seemed to be time for us- for me. That morning before he went to work we had a stupid fight and he had an accident on the farm, and he didn’t make it. Suddenly, everything we ever dreamed of, everything he worked so hard for- it was all gone in an instant, and all of my pushing and nagging it seemed so fucking pointless because I had had him, he gave me everything he could. All he was able to give, and I had him, and then I had nothing.”

Sihtric placed a gentle kiss to your naked shoulder and you hummed at the feeling.

“And you just let me wear his clothes?” Sihtric asked pained and you turned to look at him over your shoulder.

“It was like living with a ghost,” you told him, “His clothes still hung up about the house, waiting for him to come home and slip them on. There’s a reason I spend so much time here-” you gestured around the walls of the pub “Or driving around the hills at night- because I can’t face the emptiness of that house. Sometimes I sleep in the jeep, up in the hills under the stars,” you told him honestly “That’s where I was headed, the night I met you.”

Suddenly the night you met Sihtric made a lot more sense, the thermos flask, the blanket in the front seat.

“All this time I’ve thought I was helping you,” you confessed. “I guess I never really stopped to think about how much you’ve helped me. I threw myself into being busy since he left and I love the little life I’ve created for myself but I guess I couldn’t admit to myself just how lonely I had been until you quite literally showed up out of nowhere.”

Sihtric sat up in the bed now too, and you turned into him, head resting on his chest as he threw his arms around you.

“Can I tell you something crazy?” he whispered and you nodded against his skin.

“I think fate drew me here. I think maybe it was always my destiny to wind up here, to meet you.”

You looked up at him curiously through your lashes and he swallowed thickly, finally his voice came out low and pained.

“My mum was from here. She moved to Durham for University and she never made it back here. My Father saw to that,” he added bitterly.

You urged him to continue with a gentle nod and he did, “He was the type of man who should never have been allowed to have children. He didn’t love anyone, or anything. He drank heavily and he was always angry. At her, at me, at life. He used to shout so loud the walls would shake and he would punch holes in our walls and throw things across the room and I learned to make myself so small, so unreactive- I became so good at disappearing in plain sight I think I’ve never fully stopped doing it. Even now.”

Sihtric gulped because this was a part of his story he had never told anyone and once this genie came out of the lamp there was no way of forcing it back in.

“She killed herself to escape him,” Sihtric cried “And when she was gone, there was nobody left to protect me, it got so much worse. I think he always despised me, for being small and weak, for needing him, for being hers- and I think it fucking stunted me, like sometimes I’m still that little scared kid, waiting for him to kick my door in and batter me black and blue, except I’ve learned to disappear into a bottle of whiskey, or coke, or pills-and even though he’s dead I’m still running from him around every corner.”

He smiled, but it was fragile, “And I think I came here searching for her, the only tenderness I had ever known, but instead I found you. Does that make sense?” 

You nodded and took his hand into yours, it made so much sense.

“And I think he could have loved me..Osferth," It was his first time mentioning the name of his friend who had passed and you nodded for him to continue. "But I didn’t know how to trust, or love, or how to be loved and I never gave him the chance to get that close to me. I did what I always did, I disappeared, but I don’t want to do that with you,” he confessed.

“So don’t," you pleaded. "I see you. Really see you” you kissed his forehead “Even if it’s messy. Even though it hurts and neither of us know what the hell we’re doing, we’re here now and we owe it to Osferth, and to Matt to give happiness a try, for us and them.”

It drizzled the whole drive down to London and Sihtric squirmed in his seat the entire journey, you could tell how utterly uncomfortable he was but you were proud of him for not running away from this, no matter how uncomfortable he was.

“I’m not sure what to expect,” he admitted in a small voice “When I left here, things were so bad, I had pretty much ghosted Finan and Uhtred was worried to death for me. This might be heavy. Too heavy.”

“I’m here,” you reassured, squeezing his hand, “For whatever comes your way today, I’m here.”

You hadn’t even fully stepped into the pub when Sihtric was pulled into a giant bear hug, his two friends clasping him, ruffling his hair and pulling him between them to take turns fussing over him and you watched him with a strange warmth in your chest, one of them suddenly seemed to remember you were standing there and hastily wiped at his tears and pulled you in for a hug.

“Thank you for bringing him back to us,” he was crying and he clasped you extra tight when he hugged you.

“Finan, she can’t breathe,” Sihtric was scolding, through his own tears and the Irishman released his bruising hold on you.

The other man who you deduced was Uhtred stepped forward and clasped you by the forearms, tears in his great blue eyes “Thank you for everything you’ve done, for bringing him back to life, for being there for him when we couldn’t.”

The four of you settled into a booth and you listened to stories of Osferth, and flicked through the photo album that Finan had brought, you couldn’t help but feel the heartbreak of his loss through the three men sitting around the table and it made you feel slightly guilty for not keeping in better contact with Matt’s friends who must have also missed their own friend like this too.

“I’m so sorry,” Sihtric suddenly cried and his two friends were out of their seats and huddling around him “For the way I handled it all, for the way i treated you both I’m so fucking sorry. He should still be here and I will blame myself for the rest of my life that he isn’t.” 

The three of them were crying and talking all at once and you decided to give them a moment of privacy and dipped outside to the smoking area.

Sihtric’s box of cigarettes were on the table and you had stolen them, and now as you pressed your shaking hand to your lips and lit one, the weight of what Sihtric had gone through in his life settled deep in your chest and you wished more than anything that you could take all of his pain away.

You smoked one in full and were lighting another when the door opened, noise from inside spilling out and Uhtred joined you outside.

For a moment neither of you spoke while he lit his own cigarette.

“Y/n, what you have done for Sihtric, I can never tell you what it means. I really thought we were going to lose him too, and I couldn’t bear the thought of burying another brother.”

“He did it all himself,” you replied “He was the one who did the work, I was just there.” 

“Look, he will never tell you this so I will. You saved him, you gave him something to hope for again and it brought him back from the edge, and I have no idea how to even begin to thank you for that.”

“Uhtred,” you cried. “If he wants to stay with me, if he wants to be with me, would you resent me for keeping him?”

Uhtred shook his head with a soft, almost weary smile before he reached out to you, “No,” he promised, “If he wants to stay with you, hold onto him with both hands and don’t you ever let him go, but, if he wants to come back to us, will you let him?”

“Whatever he chooses to do I will not get in the way, I only want what’s best for Sihtric, whatever that may be.”

For most of the drive back the next morning you sat in silence, the weight of last night had been heavy on you both and Sihtric was quieter than normal, not quite as closed off as he had been when he first arrived but you could almost hear the gears turning in his mind and you knew better than to push.

Soon the motorway and grays of the city were giving way to hills and greenery again and you let out a deep breath you didn’t even realise you were holding in, as you turned off the motorway and onto winding country roads.

“Y/n,” he tested, eyes glued out the front windshield watching the familiar hills and lakes come into focus and you hummed, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear stick.

“If I wanted to stay here, if I wanted to stay with you, would that be too much?” 

He didn’t even really give you a chance to respond before he spat out “I’m in love with you, have been from the second day I knew you, and I’m tired of running. Tired of searching around every corner for threats that don’t exist anymore, so I’m going to be brave for the first time in my life and tell you that I want you, and if you don’t feel the same- I will be alright but I don’t want another second to go by without letting you know how I feel.”

Your hands gripped the steering wheel and your breath hitched in your chest, you pulled the car over onto the side of the road and you tried to formulate words.

“I’m sorry if I put you on the spot-” Sihtric cut himself off when he turned to face you because you were crying, and in all the time he had known you, he had never seen you openly cry, he had done it countless times but you had always been a pillar of strength and now with tears streaming down your cheeks he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

“This whole time,” you cried, “This whole drive I thought you were preparing to say goodbye. I thought after last night, after seeing your friends that you would want to go back home, I was preparing myself for goodbye. I didn’t prepare…for this. And I didn’t know much I didn’t want to to hear goodbye until right this moment, and how much I needed to hear you say you love me.”

Sihtric reached across the car for your hand, his wide childlike eyes searching your face for some answer to his questions.

“So you feel it too?” he pressed, voice hopeful but so unsure.

“I have been in love with you for quite some time now,” you confessed and he smiled hopefully “I was afraid if I said it out loud it would push you before you were ready and I was afraid you would cut and run.”

Sihtric was out of his seatbelt and pushing his door open like lightning and was by your side in an instant, reefing your door open and pulling you to him before you could even register what was happening.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised “I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”

You let him kiss you until you couldn’t breathe anymore and when you finally broke apart your sudden laughter pulled him out of his haze and he looked at you like you had gone insane.

“Turn around,” you laughed and then his own gorgeous laugh joined yours, the damn lake you had found him at that first night was the backdrop of both of your confessions.

“It’s like a shit hallmark movie,” you were laughing and Sihtric shook his head. 

Humour even in the most serious of times, it was one of the first things he had fallen in love with about you and he looked forward to the certainty that you would be making him laugh for the rest of his life, even in his darkest of times. 

Tagging:

@canyonmoon-2 @sihtricfedaraaahvicius @whitedarkmoonflower @thenameswinter99 @foxyanon

@acdassenza @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @gemini-mama

@troyottonick @alexagirlie

a-beaverhausen nebulamorada izzydlb knight-of-flowerss

justcuriousandbored @leftoverp1zza @cheesesandwichsanto

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

bloody nose

this was inspired by a hc by @golden-scathed-clouds

read on ao3

 Darry didn’t even know what to do when he got the call. He’d gotten used to getting calls from the police station, usually Dally or Two-Bit asking him to come pick them up. He always did, giving them a stern talking to on the way home. 

So when the officer on the phone stated his name, the first thing Darry said was, “Who is it this time?”

“I have Ponyboy Curtis with me.”

Darry froze, sure that he heard wrong, “Ponyboy?”

Papers rustled as the officer double checked his paperwork, “Yes, that’s right. He listed you as his guardian. We picked him up this afternoon.”

“Why?” Darry asked urgently. Across the room, he saw Soda and Steve watching him in concern.

“He and another young man got into an altercation. Mr. Curtis, your brother pulled a blade on him.” Darry’s mind raced. That didn’t sound anything like his little brother. He avoided fighting ever since Dally and Johnny. 

“Is he being charged with anything?” That was the most important thing. Formal charges would mean an investigation, it would mean CPS getting involved and more trials and hearings. It could mean his brothers getting taken away from him. Darry’s hands shook as he waited for an answer.

“That is still being decided.” The officer sighed, “Look, Ponyboy is a first timer, his sheet is clean. We’re not going to hold him overnight, though we have cause to do so. You can come pick him up.”

“I’m on my way.” Darry hung up the phone and turned to Soda and Steve who had come closer. He dragged a hand down his face. “Pony was arrested, I gotta go pick him up.”

“You sure they got the right kid?” Steve asked, arms crossed. 

“Apparently.” Darry moved past them and shoved his feet in his boots. Soda opened his mouth, but Darry cut him off, “No, you can’t come. They probably haven’t given him something to eat so could you whip something up.”

It worked just like Darry knew it would. Given a clear directive and purpose, Soda looked determined. He nodded. “Just don’t be too hard on him.”

Darry shook his head, “This is serious shit. I’ll deal with it how I see fit.” Without saying anything more, he left the house, letting the screen door slam behind him. 

The entire drive to the station, his hands gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. Ponyboy never used his head. And now that might get him and Soda taken away. Not to mention court fees if it came to that. Darry slammed his hand onto the steering wheel in frustration. 

What the fuck was Pony thinking? 

By the time Darry pulled into a parking space, he was fuming. He’d been getting better about his anger, really he had. But god, this threw it all out the window. Darry was afraid, so fucking afraid. And the only way he knew how to deal with it was anger.

He stormed into the police station, gave his name, and was promptly escorted to an officer’s desk. Ponyboy sat in the chair beside it, scuffing his Converse on the linoleum. His head was bowed and his hair fell into his face. His leg jogged underneath him, hands twisted together. 

The officer rose and shook Darry’s hand. Darry didn’t want to lose his temper, not in the middle of the police station so he kept his eyes locked on the office as he explained the next steps. They wouldn’t know whether charges were going to be pressed until the next day at the earliest. Ponyboy was instructed to stay inside and not leave town. 

That was easy enough, Darry thought, he wouldn’t let Pony leave the house until he was eighteen at the earliest.

“You’ll be hearing from me soon,” the officer said, handing Darry a business card. With a sharp nod towards his brother, Darry started walking out of the station. 

He felt Pony trailing behind but didn’t look at him, not until they were back in the truck and the doors shut them off from the rest of the world. He didn’t start the car, just looked over at his brother, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Pony flinched ever so slightly and for a moment, Darry’s heart clenched. Pony still didn’t meet his eyes. 

“Did you even think about what this could mean for you? For Soda? They would have every right to take you away from me now and I-” Darry slammed his hand on the steering wheel. “You could have thrown away your entire future with that shit you pulled.”

Pony still didn’t say anything. He stayed hidden behind the curtain of ungreased hair.

“Goddamnit it, Pony, look at me when I’m talking to you,” Darry snapped. Ponyboy did and Darry thought his heart was going to break in two. 

Pony’s eyes were full of tears, some fell and carved rivers down his sharp cheekbones. A bruise was already blossoming near his left eye. Dried blood circled his nostrils and his lip was split. And his lip was trembling as he cried silently. 

While Darry was stunned in silence, Pony used his sleeve to wipe away tears and snot, taking some dried blood with it. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t use my head.”

And, golly, if that didn’t just break his heart. 

Darry dragged a hand down his face, “What happened, kid?”

Ponyboy drew his knees to his chest, leaning back in the car seat. His jeans had more scuffs and holes than Darry remembered. “I was playing basketball with Curly and these guys came up. They started saying shit about-” Pony’s breath got stuck in his throat, the way it always did before mentioning, “Johnny and Dally. They kept saying that they deserved to die and everything is better without them. And-And they’re nothing more than greasy hoods.”

Ponyboy ended with a sob, his hand covering his mouth. 

Darry had never been more thankful for his truck, allowing him to move over and pull his brother into a hug with no obstacles. Pony turned against him, sobbing into his shoulder.

Darry held Pony as tight as he could. He hadn’t seen Pony cry this hard since the funerals. He sobbed almost every night up until the bodies were in the ground. Then it stopped all of a sudden. Darry knew better than to think that it meant he was over it. Pony turned in on himself, getting snappier and angrier. His grads slipped. He all but stopped eating.

Darry knew it was leading up to a breaking point. He never thought it would be this. The last thing he would ever imagine is his baby brother getting into a fight and pulling a knife on someone. This was the same kid that read poetry for fun and had dreams bigger than all of Tulsa. 

“I’m sorry,” Pony sobbed. “I-I didn’t think about you or Soda. I was just so angry.”

“I know.” Darry rested his chin on Pony’s head. “Hell, I probably would have done the same if I heard anyone say shit like that. I’m sorry I got so upset.”

He felt Pony shake his head. “I messed up, Dar. I messed up really bad.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Darry promised. He didn’t know if it was a promise he could fulfill but it didn’t matter. His brother needed to know that he had it under control. He didn’t, but Darry had a lot of practice like pretending that he did.

Pony pulled back and looked up at Darry, “It’s going to be okay?”

“Yeah, buddy.” Darry smoothed his hair back. “It’s going to be okay if I have anything to say about it.” With a final kiss to Pony’s forehead, Darry moved back to the driver’s seat. “Soda’s making food, I’m sure they didn’t feed you.” Pony shook his head. “Then we’ll get some ice on your cheek.”

Pony sniffed and wiped at his tears again, “Okay.” Then he looked over at Darry again, “I really am sorry.”

“I know,” Darry gave him a soft smile and squeezed the back of his neck. Pony seemed to relax a little at that. 

It was amazing to so clearly see the calming effect he had on the kid. After everything, the trust between him and Pony took time to repair. It wasn’t easy. There were more arguments and tears and cold shoulders. And now, it was so easy for Ponyboy to trust that Darry had his back, that he would do is best to make sure things were okay.

“I’m proud of you,” Darry added as they pulled out of the parking lot. When Pony looked over at him in surprise, Darry laughed. “I saw that kid’s mugshot, you kicked his ass.”

Pony tried to hide a smile, “Yeah, I did.”

“Good, now I don’t have to.”

Ponyboy laughed and Darry couldn’t help but join him. 

[kneelingshadowsalome]

I promised, promised myself that I wouldn’t read the Roman König x Fee fic until it was completed because I knew i would get absolutely drawn in, wrapped up in your exquisite prose, then get addicted and suffer from withdrawals. Unneeded to say I broke said promise and welp here I am 🤡

Thing that surprised me was how quickly he endeared himself to me? A cock swinging village massacring brute that I was FULLY prepared to hate had me sighing by then end of chapter 3 with the “you care about my head?” ✋😩 YES I worry for your stupid head you adorable monster.

It’s uncanny how similarly Fee and I felt as the plot progressed. I know this is a self insert and though I made an OC for fee, you were able to capture the feeling of hate to curiousity to distrust to budding emotions on the readers side so beautifully and in only three chapters?? What sorcery is this?? I could go on and on about how I’m just… in awe of your writing skills.

It’s the small things too. The effort he went through to understand Fee, learning her language like he desperately wants to be a part of her. It’s just his delight in the simple things like having a woman and buying her pretty things. I AM GOING TO GNAW OFF MY ARM THIS IS SO GOOD!! I don’t know if you’ve watched HBOs Rome, but they remind me of Pullo and Eirene so much! Like you can’t tell me König doesn’t fit that goofy brawdy soldier who’s only hobbies are drinking and fucking and fighting to a T!

Then it got me thinking…. If König is Pullo then Simon is Vorenus. He has that straight laced, no bs aura about him. Now I’m imagining them both in this universe and please excuse me while I melt in a puddle 🫠

This is perhaps the best piece of fiction I’ve read in a while. I can’t wait for part 4, I have no doubt it will be wonderful as usual. Please accept my maladaptive daydream interpretation of Fee (first she was supposed to be a wood nymph, then the earth goddess then a fairy queen?? I’m not sure anymore. There was so much great imagery couldn’t settle on one. Your honor, we lost the plot.)

Oh my goodness OH MY GOODNESS ❤️❤️❤️

You shower me with praise and I’m over here like aaahh... for me? 🥺❤️

And yes I’ve watched Rome like four times at least! Every time I watch it just gets better, the producers and crew really outdid themselves with all the details in that series. I consider it one of the best TV shows ever made and excuse me but you opened a Pandora’s box here, I'm just so pleased you brought this up...

It took so much time for Pullo to grow on me, I was so frustrated with his character but when he killed Eirene’s man because he was so in love with her and was just like: “Oh there's something in the way of our love? Oh well. *there*, solved.” Gosh I was IN LOVE. I’m sorry, I’m a horrible person, but I fell in love with Pullo right that second. And yeah König is kinda like Pullo in that sense! Eirene wails at the corpse of her ex-lover and Pullo is just like “Um, yeah nasty business but… why are you crying? Oh, oh yeah, oops. But hey, we could be together? Oh, you don’t want me? Damn. How come?” I wanted to shake and kiss him for being so dumb and adorable.

And Ghost is Vorenus YES, you get it 100 %! And the tragic love story of Vorenus & Niobe, oh god, took me about a month to get over it. And Vorenus being under the protection of Mars first and then literally becoming Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld… The mythology nerd in me is swooning over here. The only thing about Vorenus that's slightly König coded to me was when Pullo had to explain to him what a clitoris is, and Vorenus is like “How do you know this about my wife?!?!” and almost kills him :D That’s so so Roman!König.

But AHHH let me squeal about your maladaptive daydream adaption next: she’s the most gorgeous Fee ever, so lovely and feminine and yet, strong and possessing that earthly power in her. I love the color of her dress too!! There’s a lot of earth & water elements linked to Fee so that color (green to turquoise?) is the most perfect combination of earth and sea, while König is more like fire & air, coming from the mountains and slow to anger but when the fire rises, no one is safe...

This was so lovely, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story 🩷💋

[n1ghtcrwler]

Revival, Part One

From the records of John Matteson Dated 1 August 2028

“You look like shit,” Fox said as I walked into the office.

“Good morning to you, too.”

“Have you been drinking again?”

I slumped onto the couch. “A little. It’s not what you think, I just…needed a little.”

“The fact that you need it is the problem. Now get off your ass and clean yourself up, you have a client waiting in your office.” I pointed at my office door and silently expressed my confusion. “She didn’t give me a name, but swore you’d recognize her, the poor thing. So I let her wait there.”

I grumbled and went to the bathroom, to adjust my tie and clean up my face. When I was satisfied it was as good as it was going to get for now, I went into my office. “Good morning,” I said, closing the door behind me. “What can I do fo–” I froze as she turned to face me.

“Hi, John,” Lori said.

Twenty-three years, this November. It was like a timer went off in my brain, counting from the last time I’d seen her; one I didn’t even know was running. We stared at each other for a moment that felt way too long, and then I caught my breath and hurriedly made my way to my desk.

“Matteson,” I managed to get out, before clearing my throat and trying again. “People call me Matteson.”

She looked concerned as she leaned forward. “No one did until her, John,” she whispered. “You’re not–”

“What can I do for you, Lori?”

There was a long pause, and then she sighed and leaned back into her chair. “Are you familiar with Mystics Anonymous?”

“I am. I know a guy, Benedict de Monte, works with them.”

“I’ve met him. He said you were doing well, didn’t mention the eye patch. What happened?”

“That’s…new. It also isn’t why you came.”

“We’ve run into a problem.” She started to explain her role with the group, how she had spent the last two decades helping people deal with supernatural trauma, how she went back to school and became a psychiatrist. Apparently, she had tried to help some people in this small town in Massachusetts, but came to realize that whatever was causing the trauma was still active. “We don’t have people that deal with this sort of thing. I needed outside help, and you were the most qualified person I could think of. And, you know, it’s been a while, I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“I don’t think I’m ready to have that conversation, but thank you. I can do Massachusetts. What do you know about this thing?”

“I’m under the impression it’s some kind of nature spirit, must be angry about something. I don’t know, John. I usually only deal with these situations after someone has been through it and needs help, and they tell me what they experienced, and sometimes the type of spirit that did it matters and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t really know how to identify spirits in the field. What are your fees?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“John, no, don’t do that.”

“I couldn’t–”

“Don’t. I’m here to hire you because of your skill set, not because I’m looking for pity.” She crossed her arms and stared me down until I threw my hands up and leaned back.

“Fine. I can head up tomorrow. Make sure Fox has the address to send your bill.”

“Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to check in with some people here, and I flew in. Would you be okay with waiting until Thursday, and giving me a ride up?”

“Sure. Alpha will be happy to see you.”

“You still have the same car?”

“Always.”

She laughed and stood. “Thank you, John. I’ll meet you here on Thursday.”

I walked her out, waited while she gave Fox her information, then watched the door for a little longer than I realized after it closed behind her.

“So who is that?” Fox asked.

“Lori Berman.”

“Yeah, I got that.” She held up the paper she’d just written Lori’s info on. “Who is she to you?”

“You can lose that, by the way. I’m not billing her.” I dropped onto the couch and loosened my tie as I leaned back.

“Why would you wanna do that? Matteson, what the hell is going on here? Who is that woman, really?”

“I can’t bill her. Not after…I owe her, is all. It’s complicated. Old news. Don’t worry about it.”

“Look, Matteson. It doesn’t have to be me, I get it, but you need to talk to someone. All these secrets aren’t healthy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, getting up and heading into my office. “I’ll be out of the office starting Thursday.” I heard Fox grumble something as I closed the door behind me. Probably best not to find out what.

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[asherlockstudy]

HEY FRIENDS

Literally one year ago I made a vague post and a few people asked me what I meant, but I felt a little drained at the time and never explained but as GME3 is fast approaching, I am re-emerging with the questionable decision to write my thoughts on GME2. 

Bear in mind that some of the points might be negative as I have explained my conflicted feelings about this show before however don't let that discourage you from reading it because there's more to it than the negative points, trust me. Also, the post is GIF heavy so I put the rest of it under the cut.

GME2 thoughts: 

Rhett and Link can’t tell the difference between an evening show and a soft Only Fans account. I didn’t mind anything in the show (except for that sex doll with the fucked up eyes that creep me out),  I just...don’t understand completely: who came up with this project, how genuinely RandL like it and how it relates to their occasional irritation against shippers. 

In other words, for people who proclaim they don’t understand why people ship them, acting out explicit fanfics is a bold decision to say the least.

Like, the whole concept of the show is for them to drink so their boundaries go down and then when somebody goes a bit off the rails, everyone is like “oh no” and facepalming. What’s up with that? Either embrace the concept of your show or don’t do it at all. I mean, nothing was truly much except for the fanfic enactment which was a bit much, if you ask me, perhaps mostly because I can’t tell how comfortable they are with it. Sometimes, especially Rhett just doesn’t look totally okay with it. So why do it? For the extra fee? Really? Wow. As an example, neither Rhett nor Link felt okay with sucking Chase’s toes and, guess what, Chase didn’t want it either. Who’s the mastermind behind all that... And has Chase gotten his raise yet?

Let’s go to Rhett. I might be wrong but I have noticed that for his size, Rhett is kinda a lightweight. One beer and his eyes are glassy, his cheeks round and red. In the last GME, he had refrained from drinking because he wanted to handle the situation in case Link lost it. This time, 7 shots and a few more drinks during the show weren’t enough to make him drunk, or as drunk as Link, or make him lose himself into the moment and have fun. Conclusion: Rhett is not very comfortable with this project. Rhett is afraid of Link being unhinged. Why is he afraid of an unhinged Link? What can Link say or do that Stevie wouldn’t be able to handle and he would have to step in? It’s plain throughout the show that Rhett is constantly concerned about what Link might say next. What on earth can a Southern ex-hardcore Evangelist married at 20 say that is giving Rhett nightmares?

 Rhett confirming that Link does the fibonacci when he shaves his face lol Do they often talk about fibonacci shaving? Does he remember it from 20 years ago? How often does Link shave in the creative house? Questions, questions, questions...

Rhett fully knowing that Link had a story about hurting his dick. Link clarifying he meant one when he was alone. Rhett warning him “I am just looking out for you”. Thus, Rhett knowing Link hurt his dick when he was with somebody else and considered it a story that Link would regret revealing. So, is Rhett having nightmares because Link hurt his dick when he was with Christy and if so, why? No??? Notice Rhett getting lowkey tortured until Link finally wraps up his silly harmless story. He lost five years of life there. 

Link saying he wishes his Christy buttcheek tattoo faded away... because “this would symbolise the long time they have been together”. Okay... all right.

 Rhett confirmed as an ass man besides a vagina man. Like, just as he was saying he was always so fascinated by vaginas he almost gave them supernatural qualities, he now pretty much said the asshole is divine design! Link bumped Rhett’s shoulder at the mention of anal preference, pointing at him, once more giving Rhett a scare. (BTW the truth is Rhett is an #anything_goes man let’s be real XD)

Link non-verbally proclaimed them both “team ass” but not with Rhett’s consent. 

Link said at two points in the aftershow that Rhett made him uncomfortable but I can’t for the life of me understand what he was talking about and it seems Rhett did neither. There was probably something that flew over my head entirely...

That’s just funny but Link in the end saying “After fucking all these years, we’re still surprising your ass”. This is not even a Freudian slip, this is a Freudian syntax! Next level shit XD Meanwhile Rhett: 

#When ten drinks are not enough to save you from Link's syntax

And now let’s go to the sequence I was referring to in the previous (one year old) vague post:

The Bean daddy fic enactment was initially a thing of cuteness, indeed, but I have the suspicion there was more going on. Let’s see it step by step.

The cute thing started because Link somehow played the role of tentative Link shyly revealing his deeper feelings with exceptional skill. It was also cute when Rhett, while still impersonating fic!Rhett basically implored Link to not drop chocolate syrup on his clothes, hair and beard. He was having fun with it and he was being flirtatious and affectionate towards Link, though, again he was still supposedly imitating his fic version.

Link received passively Rhett’s flirty show, with moderate amusement. However, it is very important to note that he was nodding affirmatively throughout Rhett’s flirty request. He had a face saying “okay, I understand, I am not gonna drop the chocolate all over you”. That's important to keep in mind.

Notice how Rhett asks Link to take care how he'll pour the syrup in character while Link is amused but also nods affirmatively that he does not intent to screw Rhett's outfit.

As soon as Rhett trusts Link won’t screw him like that, he drops his head back and opens his mouth waiting for the chocolate syrup. Then Link tells him seriously to hold on, he immediately changes to a sexy imitation of Rhett’s open mouth, saying something like “I just want to acknowledge…” Rhett raises his head, “Yess???”, still in the flirty silly mood, probably believing Link is improvising within the fic’s context. But Link says: “Don’t assume the position just yet, because I would like to respond to that”. At this point, clearly Link doesn't follow the script. Rhett waits but he is still in the flirty amused mode. Link does this characteristic hand motion which means something very clear “All jokes aside, I want to talk about something serious now”. Rhett takes note of Link’s hand gesture but he still doesn’t drop his flirty persona. Link announces to Rhett: “This is a test.” Rhett is clearly too far gone enjoying the fic enactment. He nods without clearly understanding. “This is a test…”, he agrees, nodding, until finally his brain catches up. “………of whaaaaat?”, he asks half-fic like, half-suspicious.

Notice Link's serious gesture and Rhett becoming suspicious literally mid-sentence after Link says "this is a test".

Link starts to mouth something but immediately changes it and says slowly and cautiously: “Of my ability to be your true friend”. Rhett’s amusement is gone. He dismisses Link hastily, mumbling “I believe it” and assumes the position again. Link insists though, inching closer. “Because…”, he starts. Rhett immediately closes his mouth and turns to face Link alarmed. It seemed to me he felt vulnerable to wait there with an open mouth and Link so close.

Notice Rhett dismissing Link and how quickly he closes his mouth once Link gets closer.

Link continued slowly, trying to fill the lack of words with facial expressions translatable only to Rhett and not us. “Because… the most entertaining thing to do… would be…”. “No, no it actually wouldn’t be”, Rhett countered quickly and still somewhat softly but there was fear and panic in his eyes in that moment. My assumption is that he was still being soft in order to not rile up the mildly inebriated Link too much. Rhett continued: "It would be the opposite of what you're actually thinking".

Link tries to communicate with faces (including puckered lips) instead of fully formed sentences but Rhett understands. He's neither flirty nor amused anymore. He asserts what Link thought to do - the test, "the abilty of being his true friend", would have the exact opposite result from entertainement.

Link doesn't drop it just yet. He asks Rhett if he really knows what Link is thinking about. Rhett hums affirmatively. But Link says: "Cause I was thinking about being the hero by just putting it in your mouth and not getting it all over you. But now you are just telling me to get it all over you." Of course this is a lie. Rhett spent so much time making it clear he does not want syrup all over himself. Link nodded so many times, making it clear he understood and agreed. He made the gesture meaning "I am gonna talk about something different and more important". So, the test that he wanted to acknowledge that this whole skit was about was something different. But in the end he saw how negative Rhett was to the idea and quickly twisted his statements, now saying it was all about whether he would drop the chocolate on his...true friend or not, which makes no sense whatsoever as statements go and it is redundant, since it was established and agreed upon literally seconds before that he would not do it.. Rhett says something I can't catch, like "no, I know what you were thinking" or "no, you won't do what you're thinking" or something similar. Link then repeats in his twist of words that Rhett essentially urges him to drop the chocolate all over him and he has that rabid look he sometimes has near Rhett. Rhett then, again with his mouth open, says: "Okay, it's time. We've milked this moment enough". Rhett clearly tries to bring Link to his senses and avoid this moment lingering too much in people's memory.

Link is bummed at Rhett's refusal however not "wounded type" of bummed. I guess it was more like, tipsy Link threw an idea out there, Rhett reacted poorly to it and Link was done like "okay it's on you that this test won't happen" but then got on with everything without more drama.

What was that test?

Well, repeating Link's words:

I would just like to acknowledge... This is a test. Of my ability to be your true friend. The most entertaining thing to do... would be...

Does anyone know whether there was more in this fic? Perhaps something more in it that Link wanted to acknowledge but Rhett didn't want enacted?

Maybe what Link wanted to test as "potentially the most entertaining thng to do" was his initiative alone? And it would be proof of Link being Rhett's true... friend. And Rhett knew what Link had in mind but he was adamant that it would have the exact opposite effect on the audience than what Link expected.

Hmm. I leave you to your thoughts and your mental preparation for GME3.

[minastras]

prev • masterlist • next

→ 15 can we talk?

words: 1k

You were by your own admission prone to hysterics, exaggeration, fits of melodrama, et cetera. You and Chaewon had always said that together you’d make the perfect theatre kid: you had the dramatic flair and she had actual musical talent. And you may have overreacted with Marty.

It was embarrassing just how quickly you’d let Jay take over your heart. Every time you sat down in a new café, you’d glance over at the empty chair across from you and wish he was with you. He was sweet and funny and charismatic, but still awkward enough to be endearing. And he understood you.

The flat was far too quiet for your liking. Heeseung was at his girlfriend’s house, Chaewon was visiting family, and Sunghoon was working a closing shift at the café. You curled up on the sofa with yet another book you were slogging through, deep in one of those phases where your thesis felt more like a chore than a passion project. These phases came and went often, but this one seemed to be sticking around longer than usual.

That was until you heard a knock at the door.

You cautiously peered through the peephole only to see a face you hadn’t seen in a while and opened the door.

“Hi, Jay.”

He stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, unable to look you in the eye.

“Hi. Can we talk?” he finally asked.

You let him in and gestured for him to sit down on the sofa. The speech you’d been writing in your head for the last two weeks was stuck in your throat, refusing to show its face. You were nothing if not stubborn, after all.

“It was an accident,” Jay began haltingly, rubbing his palms on his jeans as he spoke. He was perched on the edge of the sofa, with his posture ramrod straight and his eyes dancing nervously around trying to read your expression. “I meant to tell you.”

“No, you didn’t. You were trying to stop me from figuring out the truth,” you countered, more confrontational than you had intended.

He ran his hands through his hair. “Yeah, you got me there. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I should’ve been honest from the start. I’ll pay for everything — towing fees, scrapping fees, anything.”

You thought for a bit, but truthfully you’d forgiven him a while ago. “Apology accepted,” you said, and he instantly relaxed. “And I didn’t pay anything, so don’t worry about it.”

“There’s something else,” he continued, before you could stand up and show him out.

“I know, Heeseung’s new karaoke machine. I’ll tell him to turn it down-”

“No, I got you something,” he interrupted, pulling something out of his pocket and dropping it into your open palm.

You stared down at your hand.

“I finally bought myself a car,” he explained. “That’s your set of keys. You can use him whenever you want. I’ll take care of all the insurance and maintenance costs, obviously. We can go dutch on gas, but I’m happy to cover that too.”

“Jay, I can’t accept this,” you shook your head, looking back up at him. The way he was watching you, though, all sweet wide eyes and earnestness, made you eat your words. You closed your fingers over the keys and smiled. “Thank you.”

He lit up and grabbed your wrist, pulling you to your feet. “Come on, let’s go see him!”

Jay rushed you both down to the carpark and straight to your old parking space. That explained the weird note in your letterbox asking to buy your parking space. You’d gone on a tirade about how insensitive it was to ask you that while you were still in mourning — weird even by your standards — and Chaewon had forced you to stop studying and take a nap.

It was a silver Hyundai i10, not a new or particularly expensive car by any means, but it was in decent condition. He told you to take it for a test drive around the carpark, so you climbed into the driver’s seat and he took the passenger’s.

“So,” he announced, clearing his throat and patting the dashboard, “meet Marty Jr.”

You laughed and started the engine. It roared to life within seconds.

“Woah, that was fast,” you muttered, more to yourself than to him.

This time, he laughed. “It’s not, you’ve just never driven a normal car.”

It was only once you’d started driving that the anxiety set in. Putting everything else aside, you were in a car with the boy you liked. He was sat right next to you, effortlessly handsome as always, and he’d just caught you staring at him. You turned back to the road, embarrassed.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” you started. He hummed in answer. “Why didn’t you leave your number? Running away doesn’t seem like something you’d do.”

He winced. “I wouldn’t normally do that, I swear. I just- I knew it was your car.”

“That’s arguably worse,” you laughed. Were you that horrible of a person that he’d be too scared to talk to you? Sometimes people told you you were intimidating, but you’d never put much stock in that until now.

“The thing is,” he began, but then he paused for so long you drove down the entire length of the carpark and back to your parking space before he continued. “I liked you- I still do. And I didn’t want you to hate me-”

You blinked.

“There has to be a better way I could’ve said that,” he mumbled. His face was now in his hands, hiding his expression, but you could see his ears turning bright red.

“I like you too, Jay,” you admitted.

“Oh, thank God,” he sighed, before you’d even finished fully saying his name. “Would you like to get dinner with me on Friday?”

Your heart was beating so fast you could hear it in your ears, and it only sped up when he smiled at you, awaiting your response.

“I’d love to.”

[beingdreeyore]

13 hour work Saturday yesterday. Not complaining too much though as all my college/registration/insurance fees are due. I have not been tired like that in forever though. It was the most mentally challenging day I’ve had. Just constant and each patient more complex than the last. I haven’t felt like that since first year.

I wonder if all the intense study means I know more now and I’m also more aware of what I don’t know…? A simple case of delirium had me weighing up differentials in my mind all day even though I diagnosed it confidently in 15mins. I like that I remain curious and open to the possibility of being wrong, but I could definitely live without the mental fatigue it brings. Two cases of first episode psychosis in a single shift had me doubting myself. One? Fine. Two? Unusual. So things took a little longer than normal. I had to be even more thorough to settle my doubt in my own ability.

I’m on the couch now with a to-do list that has more jobs on it than I can possibly do in a day. I looked up and it’s happened: winter has ended. The leaves on my big old tree outside my window are back. Trying to ignore the hardcore weight-related anxiety that the thought of summer is giving me…

It’s Sunday and I’m already exhausted from the week ahead. But I have an odd sense of satisfaction from that shift yesterday. I learned and I helped. I was useful. There’s a contentment I feel when I’m useful that I can’t really explain.

Anyway. It’s Sunday. I’m stopping to breathe. I’m accepting summer is coming. And in this moment I’m pretty content.

[newsallusa]

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Trust Built on Industry Knowledge and Local Experience

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To evaluate companies like this, I consider several key factors: the scope of their services, the reliability of their emergency response, the experience level of their technicians, and whether customers can expect upfront, no-surprise pricing. I also take community engagement and professional integrity seriously. Dynamic Tradies meets all of these criteria, and that’s why they stand out.

If you're trying to decide who to call for plumbing work in Nowra or Ulladulla, I’ll explain why Dynamic Tradies is worth your consideration. I’ll cover their core services, how they handle both routine and emergency needs, and how their company structure and ethics add value to your experience.

Skilled Plumbing for Every Kind of Property Maintenance

When you're dealing with a plumber Nowra Australia or plumber Ulladulla Australia issue, it’s rarely convenient. It might be a leaking tap, gas line concerns, or something more serious like a blocked sewer. Dynamic Tradies handles all of this and more—without making the process harder than it needs to be. Their team is structured to deliver prompt maintenance for common residential issues like pipe repairs, gas fittings, drainage concerns, and fixture installation.

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They repair and maintain existing units, and because they work with multiple technologies, you’re not being pushed toward a solution that benefits them more than it benefits you. That flexibility is important when choosing a plumber Ulladulla Australia or plumber Nowra Australia with real options instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

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Emergency plumbing needs a fast, focused response. A burst pipe, backed-up drain, or failing hot water system can’t wait. One of the things that makes Dynamic Tradies dependable is their 24/7 plumbing support. If something fails at night or over the weekend, they’ll respond without delay. Unlike many competitors, they don’t charge callout fees during standard hours, and their pricing is explained upfront—before work begins.

I’ve worked with clients who felt trapped by vague emergency pricing or delays. You don’t want to be waiting hours for someone to even answer the phone. That doesn’t happen here. If you value accountability and speed, this team is structured for it.

Transparent Pricing and Professional Accountability

One of the most common complaints in the plumbing industry is unclear billing. Hidden fees can make a basic service turn into an expensive problem. With Dynamic Tradies, everything is priced before the job starts. That means no assumptions, no vague estimates, and no pressure tactics.

On top of that, all their work is backed by a lifetime workmanship guarantee. That’s not something many operators offer, and it’s one of the reasons they’ve earned over 600 five-star reviews. Every technician is licensed and insured, and that kind of compliance should be a non-negotiable for you. It's one of the reasons I trust them over less established competitors.

A Reputation Built on Local Commitment and Service

Dynamic Tradies is a family-owned business with roots in the Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla regions. They’re not an out-of-town chain operating under a local name. They hire locally, train apprentices, and support nonprofits like Noah’s Inclusion Services. Their awards and recognitions aren’t just for show—they reflect long-term service and consistent quality.

From Ulladulla to Nowra and even Batemans Bay, they’ve become a go-to provider not because of marketing but because they show up on time, communicate clearly, and solve problems correctly the first time.

One Contact for Both Plumbing and Electrical Work

If you’re handling property upgrades or managing rental units, it helps to have a single provider who can do both plumbing and electrical work. Dynamic Tradies is set up to handle both, and they do it without delays or subcontracting issues. That streamlines communication and reduces scheduling problems, which saves you time and money.

Their electricians are trained and licensed under the same standards as their plumbers, and all services—whether for a switchboard or a water heater—follow the same upfront pricing model and customer-first approach.

Why You Should Prioritize Professionalism and Structure

Plumbing is one of those services where poor workmanship has long-term consequences. I’ve seen plenty of patchwork jobs that cause damage later. Choosing a plumber Nowra Australia or plumber Ulladulla Australia who has internal accountability, community backing, and licensed professionals can save you from avoidable stress.

Dynamic Tradies fits that standard. They’re serious about safety, timelines, and job cleanliness. Whether you’re facing an urgent issue or planning ahead, you’ll get reliable answers and functional results.

If professionalism, speed, and clear communication are what you’re looking for, there’s no need to settle for unknown operators. Dynamic Tradies is one of the few providers in the area that combines large-scale service capacity with small-business accountability. That combination is rare, and it’s why I recommend them for both standard and emergency plumbing needs.

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

I’ve been really busy at work lately but it’s felt really good overall. Sure I’m feeling a little pressure and I’m a bit stressed but that’s par for the course.

A random aside. There was a time when I did a Movie Line of the Week post on this here blog. It’s been seen from time to time but I thought I’d throw one in here this week.

When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: “Have ya paid your dues, Jack?” “Yessir, the check is in the mail.”

I love this film. It’s a great action comedy.

I hope you enjoy the links.

ESPN

Dick Butkus, arguably the fiercest Monster of the Midway, has died at age 80, the Chicago Bears announced Thursday.

This man was an animal on the football field. I for one loved that style of play. I know it’s not great but I can’t help it. When I played football I always wanted to make folks remember I hit them. Problem was, I was a beanpole and was the one getting hammered! 🤣

RIP Mr. Butkus. 🪦

Matt Mullenweg

This month, Automattic had the privilege of working with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society (BKC) to migrate their early 2000s blogging platform over to our Pressable infrastructure.

I’m really happy to see WordPress do this. There was a time when it seemed the Berkman content would just disappear.

Thank you Matt and WordPress! ❤️

Dr Katie Mack • BBC Science Focus

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured images of ancient galaxies that shouldn’t exist. A cosmologist explains what could be going on.

I love science. That about sums it up for me. We’ve now explored further than ever before and are finding new and interesting things to understand! 🔭

Sharon Adarlo • Futurism

Microsoft’s data centers in West Des Moines, Iowa guzzled massive amounts of water last year, the Associated Press reported earlier this month, to keep cool while training OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, the Microsoft-backed company’s most advanced publicly available large language model.

It’s time for someone to work on a new cooling system for these data centers or stop doing what they’re doing.

Just burn the world down in the name of shareholder value! 🔥

Joseph Foley • Creative Bloq

Bad news for anyone using Unreal Engine for VFX or animation. Epic Games has confirmed that it will begin charging industries outside gaming to use of the 3D graphics engine next year. Fees will be charged on a per-seat basis.

I wonder how Hollywood is going to react to this news?

Also, isn’t Unreal Engine amazing? 🎥

The Register

In a sane world, such massive, sustained incompetence coupled with warning signs a mole rat could see from Mars would have killed Twitter by now, with Musk’s rep as a hands-on CEO on a par with Uri Geller’s as a metalworker.

Yeah, a Space Karen appearance. I have so darned many pieces stashed in Pocket about the man I need to do another Musk Files post.

Can someone please convince the man to sell the twitter.com domain to them and fire up a Mastodon instance? 🐘

By Trisha Thadani,  Rachel Lerman,  Imogen Piper,  Faiz Siddiqui and  Irfan Uraizee • The Washington Post

Teslas guided by Autopilot have slammed on the brakes at high speeds without clear cause, accelerated or lurched from the road without warning and crashed into parked emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights, according to investigation and police reports obtained by The Post.

It’s time to remove “self-driving” and “assisted driving” technologies from cars until they’re proven to work.

Yeah, I’m a curmudgeon. 👴🏼

Jonathan Prynn • Evening Standard

First look inside Apple’s spectacular offices at Battersea Power Station

Now this is a cool looking office. It’s nice to see Apple renovate something instead of doing a new new build. More companies should do this. 👍🏼

John Yoon and Orlando Mayorquin • The New York Times

The authorities in Baltimore on Wednesday said they had not located any suspects or made any arrests after five people, including four students, were shot and injured on the Morgan State University campus on Tuesday night.

The fun epidemic in America continues. 😔

HILARY HOWARD and PATRICK McGEEHAN • The New York Times

The limit on the capacity of the city’s network of drains, pipes and water-treatment plants is the main reason New Yorkers across all five boroughs suffered through flooding. And this probably will not be the city’s last bout with heavy flooding as it plays catch-up with the pace of climate change, experts said.

Climate change is coming home to roost. I suppose it has been for a while now but it gets a lot of attention when a major American city gets hit.

I feel pretty gloomy about our future as a species. ⛈️

George Carden • The Argus

Shock as yew tree which ‘predates the Battle of Hastings’ felled

Two ancient trees felled in a weeks time. What is wrong with people?

Don’t they know we need more trees, not fewer? 🌳

[haydennorthrup]

🇯🇵 DAY EIGHT 🇯🇵

The start to day eight was easily the most interesting. I got up early around 5:45 so I could have the onsen all to myself right when it opened. The big bath was extremely modern and differed greatly from the one in Kii Katsura. The traditional experience of onsen didn’t feel right while sitting in a nice marbled tub. Although it was still very enjoyable, the experience was much different due to the modernity incorporated. I still had some free time after the bath so I once again strolled around to get some fresh air. Walking around on the desolate streets with no cars or people early in the morning with the sun just peaking over the buildings is phenomenal. I’m sure there’s a better way to describe how I felt but it’s hard to explain so I’ll just leave it at phenomenal. Next on the agenda was the Buddhist service. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the service, but it most definitely exceeded my expectations. The beautiful chanting and drumming, mixed with the smell of incense and the dark room was almost magical. During the service, people would get up 1 by 1 to bow and add incense to the bowl. I was a little hesitant and afraid to make a mistake while doing it, but the two Japanese women sitting next to me encouraged me to go up. In the end, I was glad that I participated in such a traditional experience like this one. The next traditional experience of the day was the Goma Fire Ritual. Similar to the service, chanting and drumming were incorporated, but only by one person. Everybody watched in awe as the chanting continued and the fire was set ablaze. Words cannot describe how excited I was to experience things like these after talking and learning about them throughout the last school semester.

After leaving Koyasan, back to Osaka we headed. Spending another night in the same hotel before with the beautiful view was a dream come true. While some people stayed back, a group of about 10 of us went to Doutonbori. This location was what my destination exploration project was on, so I was excited to actually go there instead of just read about it on the internet. Doutonbori was by far the busiest destination we went to on the entire trip. Walking down the streets felt like I was back in a concert crowd. The bright LED lights everywhere lit up the main strip, as we tried to locate some good food. We ended up getting takoyaki and okonomiaki again, which I can’t complain about whatsoever. The view out the 5th story window was worth the $25 service fee we all had to pay at the end. The food and restaurants in Doutonbori are a great example of tradition and modernity. Big buildings with huge crabs and squid out front for their logo are the ones selling these traditional foods. It’s awesome to see traditional foods like takoyaki and okonomiaki created during the early 1900’s still being served to this day, especially in modern areas like Doutonbori. I’m sure they were served and prepared differently, but if it helps the tradition live on, I see no problem with it.

[therantingsage]

The poem. I called it Hole.

To speak

To explain

To share feelings

To share experiences

To tell others how you feel

To tell others how they make you feel

It is how the world turns

I speak

I explain

I share my feelings

I share my experiences

I tell others how I feel

I tell others how they make me feel

And they fail to hear

My words fall on deaf ears

Or worse, they fail to understand my meaning

My feelings were wasted

Or worse, speaking them aloud was

The words set free, but uncomprehended, they are unreturned

An emptiness left behind in my chest where they once sat

The effort wasted, I wish I hadn’t spoken at all

I ponder keeping it all in

Because if I did, the weight in my chest would be heavy

But at least there would be something there

It feels like all I do is talk to myself

I had grown used to being unheard, and took comfort in it

Of being the quiet listener

Now, I do have those who hear me

But that comes with the risk that they hear me wrong

That I may be forced to confront people who hear me wrong on purpose

I’d rather stay silent

Carve this hole in my chest myself rather than let others do it for me on accident, or not

I’m fragile

Too fragile

Too fragile for kindness or cruelty

Too fragile for

Too fragile for any opinion at all

Because cruel words pierce my heart

But kind ones set the weight of expectations on my shoulders

And yet I crave attention

The good kind so I can know I’m doing anything right

The bad kind so I can know that I have enough of an impact to attract dedicated ire

I write to unravel my brain one thread at a time

I write to unravel my heart one thread at a time

Eventually one of these threads will fix me

The one piece of me that makes me this way

I want to find it

Want to take it out

I don’t want to feel this way anymore

I don’t want people to be upset on my behalf

I’d rather die than lessen someone’s fun

Because nothing makes me feel worse when that happens to me

And yet

It makes the hole grow bigger when people laugh and smile without me

It’s selfish

I’m selfish

I don’t hate myself

But sometimes I wish I did

I want to watch things burn

If I felt no pain, I’d probably watch myself burn

But I don’t want to

But I do

But I won’t

But I wish I could

Please leave me by the wayside

Unless I ask for a hand to hold

Because I’m warm on my own

But if I ask for a blanket and am ignored

I’ll wish I hadn’t asked at all

The weight of my wasted words dragging me to the deep

One thread at a time

One thread at a time

One thread at a time

One thread

Fill this hole in my chest with my own

Words

Hopes

Pleas

Tears

Smiles

I wish I had more to give

And I wished less was asked of me

Do I have an excuse?

I don’t know

I wish I had more to say

I wish I had less to say

I wish I could stop burning

I wish I didn’t want to burn bridges

Because I do

I do

I want to put every piece of awkwardness behind

Buried in the ground

Watered with vinegar

Earth scorched and lifeless

Leave me be

I don’t think I’ve earned kindness

I don’t think I need to earn it

But life feels like a transaction sometimes

With a price in enthusiasm I can’t pay

I wish I could opt out

Just exist without fee

Just exist

Drift

Drifting here

Drifting away

Oh the irony

How I love boats

But hate everything about them but being on them

There’s so much to do

But nothing left to do

What am I going to do?

Nothing

Nothing?

Nothing.

I’m sorry

The weight of these words is wasted

This hole carved by the silence

Anyone wanna hear a depressing vent poem from like July of last year? Sometimes I look at it and find myself surprised by how well I wrote it. Feels like. Startling. The way I articulated my point. And art is for helping others do the same thing I think so I wouldn’t mind sharing if it helps other people put words to feelings of their own

[chervbs]

the barber predicament— s. harrington

pairings: steve harrington x fem!reader

word count: 3.6k

synopsis: when steve complains that he can’t find a new barber after his old one retired, eddie recommends you; an old friend of his that’s a stylist. and you seem to know the way right to steve’s heart-through his hair. based on this request.

warnings: reader and eddie are besties, brief mention of eddie and max’s shitty childhoods, probably incorrect depictions on what it’s like to be a hair stylist, FLUFF to the max and terrible writing

a/n: I really really don’t like how this came out but I loved to request so much that I forced myself to finish it. everything I know I about being a hair stylist is from getting my hair done so much and from tiktok, so I tried to keep the details I wasn’t sure of vague. I apologize if anything is wrong, please let me know if it is. also I completely guessed on how much hairciuts were in the 80's so sorry if thats wrong too. otherwise, like always, i’d love any feedback you guys give me

masterlist

“Steve, I sympathize with you, I really do, but if I have to listen to you complain that you can’t find a barber for another second, I will tell Keith that you’ve been letting pretty girls get away with their late return fees.”

Steve’s jaw fell open, staring dumbfounded at Robin. “W-well, excuse me,” He stuttered, offended. “For wanting to confide in my best friend about my troubles. Truly, Robin, I don’t know why I assumed you’d be supportive.”

The blonde rolled her eyes, shaking her head lightly at her friends dramatics. “I was supportive up until the fourth time you talked about it. What’s the big deal, anyways?” She asked. “There’s like 3 different barbers in town. Go to one of them.”

Steve stared at her incredulously, as if she’d just told him to shave his head. “Are you being serious? Do you know me at all?”

Robin sighed, pulling the bin of returned movies out from under the counter. “Yes, Steve, in fact I do. I know that your hair is weirdly important to you. But what do you expect me to do about the fact that you won’t trust any of the barbers in town?” She asked, organizing the movies by genre on the rolling cart next to her.

“You looking for a barber, Harrington?” The additional voice caused the two Family Video employees to jump, looking over to see Eddie leaning on the counter casually.

Recovering from the startle, Steve nodded skeptically. “Yeah, I am. Why, you have someone you know?”

Eddie nodded with a grin. “Indeed I do. This girl that graduated the first time I was supposed to. She was in Hellfire. Went to school for hair and everything. Even does mine on occasion for a discount.”

Steve’s eyes shot up to his hairline, head nodding slowly. “Right.” He said, drawing out the vowel. “Well, listen, Munson. I mean no offense when I say this, but I don’t know if I trust someone with my hair that leaves you looking like that.” He explained, gesturing to the other boys head.

Eddie looked at him blankly. “Offense taken.” He deadpanned. “You think I want my hair like this simply for convenience?”

Both Steve and Robin stayed silent, giving Eddie knowing looks instead. He sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine, that’s partially why. But, I also have to give credit to my ultimate role model, Kirk Hammett.” He grinned.

He received blank looks from his friends and the metal head threw his arms up in exasperation. “Really? Kirk Hammett? Lead guitarist of Metallica? Nothing? Why am I friends with you guys?”

Before either of them could respond with a witty remark, Max came skipping up to the counter with two movies in her hands, throwing them down onto the counter. “I’m ready.”

“2 movies?” Eddie glared at the redhead. “Really, Maxine?”

Eddie and Max had a very odd brother sister relationship that was built almost entirely on a consistent basis of bickering and shoving each other around. Still, they looked out for one another, and Eddie felt responsible for making sure the little bit of Max’s childhood that was left was positive. Which he did so in different ways, including bringing her to rent movies for their movie nights.

“Yes, 2. Because you still owe me for the last movie night you forgot about.” She spit back. Eddie gritted his teeth, sliding over the correct amount of money to Steve for the movies.

“As I was saying,” He sent the redhead one last glare. “Even though my hair is convenient for my lifestyle, I ask for it to look a certain way to resemble someone I look up to. She’s the only one who’s ever gotten it to how I want.” Eddie told Steve, snatching a pad of sticky notes and a pen from behind the register.

He scribbled down a series of numbers before sliding it back. “That’s the number for the salon she works at. Give her a call. If you want.”

-

You were on your lunch break when the call came in. On a Wednesday, there was no need to have many stylists in the salon at once. Most appointments and walk ins would happen in the afternoon and as a younger stylist you were more often than not told to come in during the day for walk ins. The other women in the salon were older, more experienced stylists that didn’t need the extra cash you normally got for the services.

The food on your fork was midway to your mouth when the phone rang and you let it fall back onto your plate with a sigh.

“Thanks for calling Hawkins #1 hair salon, how can I help you?” The slogan spewed from your lips like a broken record.

“Uh..hi.” You straightened at the deep voice that came from the phone. Of course, you had men in the salon, usually though just to wait for their wives or kids to get their hair cut. There was the occasional male client, but most went to the local barbers and wouldn’t be caught dead getting their hair done in your salon. As if getting a haircut from a woman made them more feminine.

“Hello!” You chirped. “How can I help you today?”

The man on the other line hesitated for a second. “I’d like to book a haircut? With, um…Y/N.”

You perked up at the sound of your own name, a bashful smile appearing on your lips. Someone had recommended you?

“That would be me.” You chuckled. “Can I ask who referred you?”

The nameless man gave you a polite laugh, the deep timbre of the sound sending a warmth to your cheeks. “Uh, yeah. Eddie? Eddie Munson? He said you guys were friends in high school. Said you were good at what you do.”

The kind words certainly did nothing to quell the heat in your skin, but you still beamed at the mention of your friend. “Yeah, Eddie, of course. I’ll have to give him a discount the next time he comes in.” You joked. In all seriousness, you already didn’t charge Eddie the normal amount that you did for haircuts, fully aware of his financial situation. “But, yeah, I can put you in for a haircut. What day were you hoping to come in?”

“Is tomorrow okay? It’s my only day off.”

You opened up the binder that kept track of all appointments, making sure there were openings for the next day. “Yeah, it says here I have an opening at 10am and another at 1. Either of those sound good?”

The line went silent for a second too long, and you have a feeling the man nodded before remembering he was on the phone. “1pm would be great, thanks.”

You grabbed a pen and crossed out the 1pm slot. “Awesome. What’s the name I can put down for you?”

“Steve. Steve Harrington.”

-

Steve was irrationally nervous for his haircut. Never mind the fact that he was risking, in his opinion, his best feature, but the thought of meeting you was annoyingly nerve wracking. The way your voice sounded over the phone was borderline angelic, and he could only imagine what kind of beauty you radiated in real life. Not to mention, you and him briefly walked the halls of Hawkins High at the same time, and he wondered if you were aware of his reputation back then. He couldn’t recall your presence, but then again, he had his head so far up his own ass that he didn’t recognize most people from high school.

He was so antsy that morning that he was ready to go by 11, leaving him to pace and try to find little things to keep himself busy. The second it hit 12:50, Steve was sprinting out the door, making it to the salon in a record 5 minutes.

The bell above the door rang as soon as he stepped in, alerting the few stylists and customers that were there of his presence. One of the stylists, an older, heavier set woman took a glance at him as she blow dried her client.

“Y/N!” She called towards the back of the salon. “Your 1 o’clock is here!”

A second later, a woman stepped out, who he could only assume was you. You emerged from a beaded curtain, a sight to behold. Steve felt his breath hitch and he tried to wipe the sweat from his hands on his jeans.

You weren’t doing much better. Of course you knew who Steve Harrington was. He’d been a year younger than you, but he’d quickly climbed the social ladder in school. Every party was a big deal when it was held at Steve’s house and if you were friends with him, you were automatically cool.

You hadn’t cared much about the social aspect of school, focusing only on passing your classes and playing DnD. It’s where you met Eddie, who had easily become your best friend. It had been upsetting when you found out he wouldn’t be walking the stage with you, but you’d been supportive of him ever since.

And like every girl, you’d had a crush on Steve Harrington. How could you not? He was a total dreamboat and you’d be crazy not to find him attractive. You’d always been able to push that desire to the back burner, considering your best friend was continuously labeled as The Freak and you certainly didn’t gain any popularity by being associated with him.

When Eddie told you that he’d befriended the former King of Hawkins High, you truly believed he was fucking with you. But he claimed that the man had changed; matured. He told you that Steve’s best friends were a senior girl who Eddie knew band from marching band and a freshman that was in Hellfire. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t curious about this new man Steve Harrington had apparently become.

Oh, and that crush you had? Definitely still there. That much was evident by the dryness of your mouth that occurred the moment you laid eyes on Steve.

He was even more handsome than you remembered. Long legs clad in light blue Levi’s, polo shirt fitted nicely to his toned chest and big brown eyes looking back at you with an expression you couldn’t read.

Steve wished he remembered you. He couldn’t help but wonder if things had been different, would he have noticed you? He wanted to kick himself for not having. You were probably the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, and he realized now that describing you as angelic didn’t do you justice. You were ethereal–otherworldly.

He could see why you and Eddie were friends. Your outfit was mainly made up of black articles with a few splashes of color here and there. Your makeup was dark, creating a contract between the black eyeliner and the color of your iris’s. You were stunning, to say the least.

“Hi!” You exclaimed breathlessly. The sound of your voice broke Steve from his jumble of thoughts, only making his brain fizzle further. Your voice was even sweeter in person. “Steve, right?” You asked, though you knew the answer.

Steve cleared his throat, nodding. “Yeah, that’s me. You’re Y/N?”

You grinned so brightly it nearly made Steve’s heart stop in his chest. “That would be me. You can come sit at my station.” You said, patting the chair you’d stopped at.

He obeyed silently, taking a seat in the chair. You had to crank the lever a few times, lowering the height of the chair to accommodate for his large stature. You tried not to focus on the intoxicating smell of his cologne and he tried not to focus on your hands taking through his hair.

“So, what were we thinking of doing to your hair?” You asked, leaning your arms on the back of the chair.

Steve made eye contact with you through the mirror and hoped you couldn’t tell how red his cheeks were, because he definitely could. “Um, I was hoping to keep most of the length. Shorter on the sides, longer in the front?” He was really just spitting out words, hoping they made sense. Honestly, he was finding it difficult to focus on your question when he felt your fingertips on his scalp.

“So..we’re thinking Swayze but longer?” Steve’s jaw fell slack, staring at you in awe as you put his thoughts into words with incredible ease. You really did know what you were doing.

“Yeah, exactly.” He responded quietly, a little stunned.

You sent him that brilliant smile once again. “Cool.” You stared thoughtfully at his reflection, head tilted to the side. “Can I-could I suggest something? And you can totally say no, but I personally think it would look really good.”

Steve thought that you could ask him to commit arson and he’d say yes. “‘Course. What is it?”

You pulled a couple of strands around his face, trying to visualize your idea. “How would you feel about getting a little bit of highlights?”

His eyebrow cocked in questioning. “Highlights? Don’t only chicks get those?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes a bit, and Steve’s stomach immediately dropped. He fucked up, he offended you, he–

“No, silly. There’s actually a lot of actors recently that have been getting them. It wouldn’t be any drastic, just a few streaks that would be a shade or two lighter than your natural color. I think it would compliment your skin tone, bring out your eyes.”

The boy found himself nodding before he really considered what you were telling him. “Yeah,” He blurted, realizing he had yet to give you a verbal response. “If you think so. I trust you.”

“Great.” You laughed. “I’ll get you mixed up.”

Steve didn’t know what that meant, but he did know that his haircut had now upgraded to a lengthier process, and he was just happy to have a reason to be around you longer.

As promised, you came back out a couple minutes later, using a brush that looked like a big fork and mixing up a gooey mixture in a bowl. You were quick to start slathering the light purple substance in his hair, carefully applying it to chunks that you had placed over a piece of foil. Each section was enclosed and folded into a little square.

“So what brings you to me? I know you said Eddie referred you, but guys aren’t usually very willing to go to a stylist rather than a barber.” You said.

Steve shrugged a little. “I had a barber before, but he retired and moved out of Hawkins. He’s the only one that’s ever gotten my hair exactly how I want it.” He blushed, reluctant to reveal the reason he’d agreed to be there. “My hair is kinda important to me, I didn’t wanna go to just any barber and risk them fucking it up. Eddie said you were great and I really just needed a haircut.” He explained.

You nodded understandingly, finishing up the last couple sections of his highlights. “I get that. Hair has always been really important to me too. Obviously.” You gestured around you. Steve laughed and you felt the sound bring a warmth to your chest. “It’s always been the easiest way besides my clothes to express myself. And it’s nice to have control over something as an adult when so much is out of your control.”

Your eyes met in the mirror once again, his big doe eyes staring deep into your soul with an understanding that only came from shared experiences. You didn’t know much about Steve’s home life, only what you’d heard during school. His parents were loaded but were often never home. As a teenager, that’s the best thing that could happen to you, but as an adult, you saw how that could get pretty lonely.

The time passed by far too quickly for either of your tastes. You and Steve hadn’t even noticed the time flying so quickly as you talked about anything and everything. It was crazy to think that this man, this sweet, charismatic, beautiful man, used to be a douchebag in high school.

Steve was in heaven as you washed his hair, not even bothering to hide his bliss as your fingers massaged the hair products into his scalp. He could die happy right now, he was sure of it. You held back a giggle as his eyes closed and a convent hum came from his throat. Not wanting to embarrass him, you refrained from commenting and continued your routine.

After a few cycles of shampooing and rinsing and conditioning and rinsing until Steve’s hair was clean and silky smooth, you shut the water off and gathered his hair in a little towel.

“Okay, all done. I’m just gonna blow dry your hair, style it a bit and you’ll be all set.” Steve couldn’t help the frown that appeared, not wanting your time together to end.

It seemed like you read his mind, commenting as you dragged a hairbrush through his brunette locks. “If you’re happy with how your hair came out, you can always come back for trims, o-or touch ups on your highlights.” You stuttered, smiling sheepishly and silently praying that he couldn’t tell how desperate you were to see him again.

“Yeah?” He asked. You nodded, biting your lip shyly as you refocused on his hair. You sat in a forced but comfortable silence as you blowdried his hair. Once it was all nice and fluffy, he watched as you poured a series of liquids into your palm, raking them through his hair. You messed with the strands for another few minutes, doing stuff he didn’t understand but somehow styling his hair exactly how he likes it.

He had to admit, you were definitely right about the highlights. They brought a brightness to his complexion that hadn’t been there before. He felt like he looked younger somehow, which was surprising, considering the kids he always hung around with made him feel like he was pushing 80 sometimes. He told you as such, reveling in the sweet sound of your laughter.

“Well, that’s my job. Just glad you trusted little ol’ me with your most prized possession.” The words came out teasingly. Steve grinned back at you through the mirror, shrugging slightly.

“Guess I owe Munson, huh?”

You agreed, guiding him back to the front to check him out. You typed something into the register at the counter. “Your total is gonna be $10.”

Steve’s eyebrows almost touched his forehead. “That’s it? For the haircut and the highlights?”

“Yeah, it’s with a discount. You are Eddie’s friend after all.” You were almost charging him just for the haircut, and Steve was not having it.

He frantically shook his head in protest. “No, no, Y/N. You don’t have to do that. I can pay you the full price, trust me.”

“Steve,” You chuckled, “It’s okay. I don’t give out many friends and family discounts, it’s not like I’m losing all that much money.”

He cocked an eyebrow at you challengingly. “Oh yeah? How much is the full price for highlights.”

You poked the inside of your cheek with your tongue, reluctantly mumbling out the price, which was much larger than what you were asking. “Absolutely not. Charge me the right amount.” Steve was not about to leave and let you basically have a free service. Not when you worked so hard.

“I’ll just tip you the rest if you don’t.” He smirked, eyes peering at you fondly when you sighed in exasperation.

“It’s seriously fine. I offered the extra service, you don’t have to pay for it.”

A lightbulb lit up in Steve’s head, eyes shining at the obvious opportunity. He’d be an idiot not to take it.

“Fine.” He sighed dramatically. “At least let me do something to pay you back for it. A service for a service, huh? What do you say?”

The corners of your mouth tilted up, betraying your efforts to keep a serious face. Steve was clearly not backing down. “Okay. What’d you have in mind?”

A pink rose to Steve’s freckled cheeks. “Let me take you on a date?”

Your breath hitched. You certainly felt the tension between the two of you ever since he walked in, but you really weren’t expecting anything to come from it.

Steve took your silence as a negative reaction. “Or-I could do anything else. Doesn’t have to be a date, really. I could buy you lunch one day or-“

“I’d love to.” His big brown eyes snapped up to meet your in surprise.

“Really?”

You nodded gleefully, unable to keep your grin from growing. You could feel your cheeks beginning to ache with how much you were smiling.

“Okay.” He whispered, ducking his head bashfully. Steve quickly pulled his wallet out, handing you the 10 dollar bill.

It took less than a minute for you to input his money in, ripping the receipt that printed it. Before you could hand it to him, you grabbed a pen and scribbled something on it.

“My house number. Give me a call?” You asked in a hopeful tone.

“Definitely.” Steve grinned and you repressed the urge to swoon. He sent you a cute little wave, leaving you in the salon smiling like an fool. As soon as he was out the door, your fellow stylists squealed, crowding around you and demanding details.

Steve faintly heard the high pitched noise, smirking to himself. Sliding into the drivers seat of his BMW, he sighed happily. “Yeah, I definitely owe Munson.”

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