#I couldn't figure out why I was short one and then I realized I forgot dagger oh god i abandoned my boy

[cheshirepins]

In a slightly different vein from the buttons, here's one of my newest favorite accomplishments! When I first opened this shop many years ago for a local con, one of the first keychain sets I ever made was a very rudimentary small amount of the Noah's Arc Circus members. Now, years later, the entire group is here, plus Ciel, Sebastian, and Will! Find the full collection here!!

Head over to cheshirepins.net to browse all my new stock, and use code JULYSALE2024 while you're there for 50% off of your order until the end of the month!

[a-b-riddle]

A Simple (Mis) Understanding Chapter Two: Numbness & Pain

Daisy

I always used to think it was an exaggeration of how pregnancy is a constant state of exhaustion. But it was a lot of work growing a tiny human. Add in the fact that I'm still working 40 + hours a week and, of course, something is always causing some sort of discomfort or pain.

Swollen feet, back pain, nausea; I can't even find any solace in sleep. The 32 week mark felt so close, yet still so far. Another eight or so weeks of this seems like a drop in the bucket compared to how far along I am, but still. That still another two months. So far away when you want to be done, but still too short compared to everything I still have yet to do.

Another two months to set up a crib and wash her new clothes. Another two months to figure out a name and make decisions that I always envisioned making with a partner. Another two months of struggling to do things like picking up shit off the floor or staying on my feet long enough to make a decent meal.

But right now, I wasn't worried about the two months ahead of me and all the things I still have to do. Right now, I was looking forward to a three day undisturbed weekend. The pain in my feet and sciatica was becoming so bad, I had taken Friday off to see a doctor and spend the rest of the weekend doing nothing, but sitting in my modest little house and watching mind rotting television. I might even indulge in some spicy reading. Heaven knows its been too long.

Or at least, it hasn't been since them. That day in the office, but... that really didn't count. I often wrestled with myself about it. That one time erased any feelings I had for any of them. But I felt a bit pathetic how it now tainted every good memory I had with them. Kyle bringing me something to snack on when he realized I hadn't gone to the mess hall. Price always having a cup of earl grey tea cooling for me first thing in the morning. Two packs of zero calorie sweetner and a bit of honey.

Sweet like you.

I couldn't stand the smell of it now. I blamed it on the hormones. A lot of things made me queasy, but something about the smell of the bergamot, made me sick in a completely different way. A feeling not of nausea, but of... fear. Like the same way a pentagram could summon demons, earl grey could summon mine. As if John Price was somehow there any time the scent lingered in the air.

But he wasn't. None of them were. Fuck. Why did my thoughts always go back to them at some point? No. This was going to be a relaxing weekend god dammit. Fuck them.

Almost angrily, I hit the garage key fob, shutting the door and engulfing me into darkness; a thin line of light leaking through the bottom of the garage door. When I had opened my door, I could at least see a path to my mudroom. I grabbed my purse, ready to go in, when I felt it.

Hundreds of needles. Stabbing and digging into my feet. Not just the soles, but the entire fucking foot the moment I bared any weight on them. I pulled off my flats and it was then I noticed how angry they looked. Red and swollen and all but screaming at me to sit my fat ass back down. I wiggled my toes, trying to get some blood flow. Fuck. Why didn't they hurt while I was driving?

I manage to get onto my feet, using the car door as support. Steading myself until I was ready to take the first step. By the time I had managed to all but crawl inside, ten minutes had passed since my initial arrival time. I got off at 5:00, but usually didn't log off until almost 6:00. Granted, I work from home, but I had run out of a few essentials. Essentials now that were in the boot of my car.

Fuck.

10 minutes won't hurt. Not like there is any thing frozen. Speaking of which, I forgot my ice cream... dammit. I really need to start keeping a list on the fridge. It's hard to remember when pregnancy brain (or stomach) takes over and I slam a container in a single sitting.

Grabbing a pillow from the couch, I went to the kitchen. Which considering the town house, or terraced housing I suppose now, was perfect for a single and expecting Omega it was cozy. Not like the base where going from the common area to the chow hall was about a three minute stroll.

I get down and lay on my back. Carefully maneuvering so my ass rests against the cabinets before I hook the back of my heels unto the counter top so I could rest my feet a bit. Not the most sanitary, but it wasn't like I had guests. It was just me. For now.

It took a few moments to adjust. My back ached against the hardwood, but I could already feel the relief from my feet and legs. It wasn't all that shocking that I was having a hard time with them. I had gained a considerable amount of weight during my pregnancy. When I had brought it up to the OBGYN about possibly cutting back on food, her suggestion was to simply not weigh myself at home. Now when I went in for a visit they made me turn around before taking my weight.

It was hard. I've always had a problem with how I looked and now adding pregnancy then taking away the option to diet and exercise didn't exactly help.

I pulled out my phone and was preparing to open my kindle app when I saw a tiny red bar in the top right corner of my phone. Of course. I get nice and settled and my phone is on 2 fucking percent. Whatever. I tell Alexa to set an a timer for fifteen minutes and take a little nap. Maybe meditate.

A knock on the door quickly brings any possibility of relaxation to a pause. Margaret next door was dropping off Winnie off early to go to her book club. Margaret was a widow and a recent empty nester. She had spent her life as a mother and a homemaker. When I got custody of Winnie two months ago, she had quickly stepped up in helping me with everything from child rearing to managing my pregnancy.

"Hello, Maggie!" I greeted from the floor. "Hello, Winnie Darling." Winnie had the same sand colored hair as me and bright green eyes. Her face was a shade of red and I could smell her from the entryway. Someone would need a bath today. Fantastic.

"Oh, Dear!" Maggie fussed, setting Winnie down on her feet before coming over to me. "Are you alright?" Winnie didn't bother stopping to hug me like she normally would before making a beeline toward the potty. She usually was a creature of habit, but nature calls I suppose.

"Feet are a bit swollen." I waved off. "Just resting them a bit."

"I don't have to go tonight." She set her bag down. A deep green corduroy shoulder bag that always had just what you needed in it. A wet wipe, hand sanitizer, a spare tissue and even a stain pen when a spill happened at the most inconvenient time. "I'll stay and-"

"Maggie." I said, trying my best to sound at firm, but it was hard with her. No one told Maggie 'no'. "It's alright. Just a bit of water retention. Nothing to fret over." And it wasn't. I could already feel the pain from earlier subside.

"Really, it's no bother." She argued, bending over to unstrap one of her shoes. "It's a bloody stupid book anyway. I just go for the gossip really."

"Maggie." I tried again. "Really."  "It's getting close to the due date and I don't want to burn out on me just yet." It was a lie. Even with her greying hair, a deepened laugh line, Maggie didn't burn out. She was one of the few Omegas I had met in my life and she could run circles around any of them, myself included.

The sound of flushing sounded from the bathroom followed by the faucet. She huffed before slipping her shoe back on. "If you insist."

"I do." I encouraged. As much as I loved having Maggie's help, I hated feeling like a burden. She had raised her children. It was time for her to do things for herself. "Besides, we'll see you tomorrow after my appointment tomorrow." The bathroom door clicked open, revealing my little Win with the front of her smock covered in water. Fantastic.

"Hi, Mommy." Winnie finally greeted. Her freshly washed hands dripping water droplets onto the hardwood. "What are you doing?"

"My feet hurt so I'm just letting them rest." I explained, looking up at her. Winnie was rambunctious as most four-year-olds without a sense of self preservation are, but when I explained to her how careful she had to be now that I had her sister in my belly, her nature had become more gentle.

It worried me as much as it warmed my heart. 

"Why don't you sit on the couch?" She asked. Her head tilting to the side, face etched as if she were trying to figure out my reasoning.

"Because it helps when you lift your feet up high in the sky, Winnie Pooh." Maggie explained before looking back at me. "Well if you're sure-"

"I am. Go." I urged. "We'll see you tomorrow. Lunch around noon?" Spending time with Maggie didn't make me feel like such a parasite when I knew she enjoyed the company. Her children had all moved away, only one staying in the UK. She wasn't so alone, but neither was I.

"Wouldn't miss it." She gave a soft smile. The laugh lines around her face deepening. "See you tomorrow, Dearies." She said, retreating back outside. The soft sound of the door clicking behind her.

Winnie had laid down beside me. Yep. Definitely going to need a bath tonight. "How was school today?" Winnie went to a pre-school that was luckily covered under my insurance. Perks of being an Omega. I'll take it where and when I can.

She talked about going to the playground and painting. All the usual bits. Who she played with and new things she learned. Then came the question. A question she had asked before in passing. A subject I changed with ease before. 'Have you brushed your teeth? How about another episode of Bluey? Put on your trainers (because we can't just say tennis shoes anymore) and we'll go for a walk to the park. I had skirted around the question with ease. 

"Why don't you have a mate if you have a baby?" Winnie was too young to get the answers to a lot of life's difficult questions. Why did Tiffany not like us? Why didn't she get to see her daddy anymore? Why did that man look at you weird on the train, mommy?  I wish she would just stay this little. That she never needed or want to know the harsh truths about me, us.

"I..." I wracked my brain for an answer and just came up short. I couldn't think of a way to sugarcoat it. We almost had a mate. Mates. We almost had a pack that would have walked you to school on the mornings my feet were too sore or I was already running late. They would have loved you. "It... it's complicated, Darling." Is what I chose instead. The other worrisome fact is that Winnie was too young to understand the concept about mates. I had never broached the subject which only means she probably heard it from some little shithead at school. 

Wonderful.

"I'll explain it when you're older." I promise, closing my eyes and letting her snuggle into the crook of my arm. "Do you wanna rest your eyes with me?"

"Like when I'm five?" She asks putting one of her hands underneath my shirt onto my belly. It had become a thing she had started since I told her about the baby.

"Maybe six." I said, looking down at her. She gave a yawn before closing her eyes.

"I think five is better."

"Okay, Win." I said. "When you're five we'll talk about it." It was a promise I hoped she would forget. But I didn't want to negotiate with a four-year-old about something future me could deal with. I wanted just 15 minutes of this. I order Alexa to set a timer to make sure we haven't dozed too far off. Winnie still needed to shower and eat. I still needed to get the groceries out of the car. But I could spare another 15 minutes.

[puckbunnyera]

Just Friends | Luke Hughes

• ──────────────♡────────────── •

pairing: luke hughes x reader genre: fluff word count: 2.3k warnings: none summary: maybe you were never really just friends

notes: it's been less than 24 hours since i posted my first fic and i've already received a few asks for a part 2 so here it is. i'll link the first part here. thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read it, like it, reblog it, etc. i'm always really nervous to post my own writing so any type of interaction with it feels good to see.

also, i know the timelines of the games played in both fics don't align with the actual events in real time but we are just going to ignore that for the sake of the plot.

• ──────────────♡────────────── •

I sigh as I stand in front of my bedroom mirror, doing one last fit check before Luke arrives. I'm nervous. I come to this realization as I smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles in my shirt. Why? I couldn't tell you. It's been almost two months since the night I met Luke, and we've talked and texted almost every day since. We've even hung out multiple times since then, but I always seem to get all nervous and jittery anytime he presents the offer. My thoughts start to consume me to the point that I'm almost tempted to text him and ask for a rain check, but before I can fall too deeply into them, my attention is stolen by the two girls lying on my bed behind me.

"I still can't believe you're dating The Luke Hughes." One of my friends says causing me to turn my back towards the mirror to look at her.

"We aren't dating." I scoff. "We're-"

"Right, you're 'just friends'." My other friend interrupts, rolling her eyes and using her fingers to make air quotes as she says the words.

"We are." I shrug, moving to sit in my vanity chair so I can put on my shoes.

"You don't have to believe us if you don't want to, but he totally has the hots for you."

"It's so obvious. Any time he has the chance to get away from his job, he's calling, texting, or coming to see you. Even if it's only for a short amount of time. Those aren't typical behaviors of a guy who wants to be 'just friends'."

They continue to go on and on as if they're trying to convince a jury that they're innocent of a crime. The sound of my phone dinging from beside me on the table finally brings their rambling to an end. I pick up to find a text from Luke.

From Luke🏒: i'm here

To Luke🏒: omw

"I would love to stay and continue this conversation," I smile sarcastically as I stand up, "But my friend is waiting for me downstairs." I make sure to add extra emphasis on the word friend.

They both giggle and bid their goodbyes as I walk out of the room. When I make it downstairs to the lobby of my apartment building, Luke, in all of his handsome glory, is waiting patiently by the door.

"Ready to go?" He questions once I'm standing in front of him. I nod in confirmation and he opens the door for us, placing a gentle hand on my back to lead me out.

"What's the plan for today?" I ask once we're settled into the car.

"I need to drop off a couple of things at the dry cleaners since my brother forgot to do it," He gestures to the items in his backseat. "But then I figured we could go to dinner, catch a movie, and then maybe grab some dessert before I take you home."

"Sounds good!" I reply with a smile, with which he returns one of his own before putting the car in drive and pulling away from my apartment building.

Things are going well today. Really well. We're having fun and Luke is being as sweet as always. However, that's the only problem. Despite the stance I took in the argument with my friends, I can't help but let their words get to me. The whole evening, I've been reading too deeply into every little thing he does. Every door he holds open for me, every chair he pulls out for me, every accidental brush of our hands when we walk side-by-side. I'm trying not to let it show, but when Luke's voice rattles my thoughts and pulls me back down to Earth, I know I'm failing.

"Are you okay?" He asks as we sit in the car, waiting for the red light to turn green. "You've been pretty quiet today."

"Really?" I ask, genuinely confused because I hadn't noticed that change in my behavior. When he responds with a solemn nod, guilt rises in my chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was. It has nothing to do with you." Yet it has everything to do with him.

"Did something happen?" He pushes further.

"No, just have a lot on my mind with work and all, but I'm okay. Promise." I give him a soft smile in hopes that it will give him enough reassurance to drop the conversation. Thankfully he does, but the look in his eyes shows clearly that he doesn't believe me. "So my friends were telling me that you have a home game coming up in a couple of days against your oldest brother's team. Are you excited?" I change the subject quickly.

"Yeah," He nods, a smile gracing his features. "My parents are gonna be in town to watch us face off against each other. All three Hughes brothers on the same ice. I'm hoping it will be as exciting as everyone and the media are making it seem." He chuckles. "I'm also just really excited to see Quinn. We haven't gotten to see each other much since I moved out to Jersey and the season started. I think it'll be nice to have us all back together again, even if it's just for a couple of days."

"I bet it will be."

"I'm glad you brought this up because I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Would you maybe want to come to the game?"

"Do you want me to come?" I'm praying the hopeful look in my eyes isn't obvious.

"Yeah," He nods. "I really do."

"Then I'll be there." I assure him. "The girls were talking about purchasing tickets anyways, so I'll tell them to make it three tickets instead of just the two."

"Don't worry about it. I got it covered."

"Luke, you don't have to do that." I shake my head, readying myself to argue.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to." The look he gives me makes me forget any rebuttal I had previously prepared. "Plus, I already got the tickets and the seating arrangements set up."

"And you just knew I was gonna say yes?" I reply, crossing my arms.

"No, but I was hoping you would."

"I guess some dreams really do come true." I joke.

"I guess so."

We continue to talk and joke around for the remainder of the drive. It goes by a little too quickly though, because before I know it, he's putting the car in park in front of my building. Being the gentleman that he is, he walks me all the way up to my apartment door. It's not until I have unlocked and opened the door that he finally says goodnight, placing a soft peck on my cheek before walking away. Once he has disappeared into the elevator and I'm sure he's gone, I close and lock the door.

As I'm getting ready for bed, I become aware of the slight ache in my cheeks from smiling so much. As soon as my head hits my pillow, the realization dawns on me. I am in love with Luke Hughes.

• ───────────────────────────── •

I'm still in shock at the fact that he really went all out with the tickets. My friends seem to be as well considering that they still haven't managed to pick their jaws up off the floor yet. Never in my life would I have ever expected to be seated in one of the arena's luxury suites. I feel a little bad the more I dwell on it. There are more deserving fans that could be sitting here, yet some girl who knew nothing about the sport two months ago had them handed to her at no cost.

"Hi, you must be Y/N." An unfamiliar woman's voice pulls me from my pity-party.

"Oh, hi." I greet her as I turn in her direction.

"I'm Luke's mom, Ellen." She smiles and pulls me into a quick but gentle embrace. "And this is my husband, Jim." She gestures to the man beside her.

"Nice to meet you, Y/N." He offers a hand for me to shake.

"You as well." I accept it before introducing them to my two friends, who are not-so-discreetly eavesdropping on the conversation.

We all find a seat and fall into casual conversation. Just getting to know each other and talking about this, that, and the other. Once the teams begin to make their way onto the ice, our attentions shift away from each other and onto the players.

Having admitted to my lack of knowledge of the sport before the game started, Jim and Ellen kindly explained the game to me so I would know what is going on. By the end of the first period, I'm clued in enough that I don't need it anymore and eventually, I become just as immersed in the game as the rest of them are.

It's in the second period that Luke scores a goal and we all stand up, cheering loudly with the crowd. The excitement is so high that I don't even shy away when Ellen happily pulls me into a tight hug before pulling away and continuing to cheer for her youngest son. Third period seems to go by in a flash and then the game is ending with a 6-5 win for the Devils, both Jack and Luke having contributed to the score with goals of their own.

Once the final buzzer goes off, my friends bid their farewells before heading out to go home. However, I hang back with Ellen and Jim upon the request of Luke. I follow the two down from the suite until we make it to where the locker rooms are located, waiting in the hall for the three brothers to emerge. We stand around conversing for about ten or so minutes before the men finally make their appearances.

They all embrace and greet each other as I stand back and watch with a smile. They really are a beautiful family. Once they all break away, Luke turns his attention towards me. He steps forward and reaches for me, pulling me into his arms.

"Congratulations." I speak softly as I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders, his wrapped around my waist.

"Thank you." I can hear the smile in his voice.

Time escapes me as I stand in his arms. I'm not even sure how long we've been holding onto each other. It's his brother's voice that finally has us separating.

"You must be the infamous Y/N." Quinn steps up, a smug grin on his face. "I've heard so much about you."

"I've heard a lot about you as well," I respond politely, despite the blush I'm sure I'm sporting due to his teasing tone. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Will you be joining us for dinner?" Ellen asks from where she stands, now next to Quinn.

"Oh, um," I look to Luke for an answer. He nods, a pleading look in his eyes. "Yes, I would love to." I finally reply.

With that being said, we all begin to exit the arena and head to the parking lot. We're almost to the vehicles when Luke gently grabs my hand and pulls me to a stop. Once his family is out of earshot, he begins to speak.

"This might seem random and sudden, but I've been thinking about it for a while." He starts, looking away nervously and lifting a hand to scratch the back of his neck. "And feel free to say no because I don't want you to feel like you have to say yes just because I'm asking. Or if you feel like you need time to think it over, feel free to take all of the time you need. Actually, maybe I-"

"Luke," I say his name softly, placing my hands on his reddening cheeks and forcing his gaze back to mine. His rambling comes to a halt. "Breathe."

"Sorry." He inhales deeply before releasing his breath. "I was wondering, would you be my girlfriend?"

It's my turn to take a deep breath. Out of all the things he could have said, I was not expecting this. I take a moment to gather my thoughts as a smile begins to pull at my lips.

"I would love to." I nod, my smile growing larger resulting in his own.

"Well," He takes a step closer to me. "Since you're my girlfriend now, does that mean I can kiss you?" His question flusters me but I try hard not to show it.

"Do you want to kiss me?"

"Really fucking badly."

"Then kiss me, Luke."

And so he does. His lips crash into mine in a soft but passionate kiss. As if he has waited a lifetime to do it. It's gentle yet desperate. As we finally part, he pecks my lips a few more times before pulling away completely. He opens his mouth to say something but is stopped by Jack shouting from where his family is waiting by the cars, surely having seen the whole display.

"If you two lovebirds are done sucking faces in the middle of the parking lot, I would like to leave now. I'm fucking starving." He teases.

We both turn our gazes in time to see Quinn smack the middle brother in the back of the head and both parents shaking their heads at their son's antics. Luke chuckles at the scene as he intertwines his hand with mine and begins to walk to the car. My heart flutters as I finally admit the obvious to myself. Maybe we weren't ever just friends. I mentally roll my eyes as I climb into the back seat, already picturing the two squealing girls in my head and the endless amounts of I told you so's that I'm sure to hear when I fill them in. However, when Luke slides into the car next to me and interlocks our hands once again, I can't bring myself to care. I think I like this little life.

[gotham-daydreams]

i had a really random idea that activated a neuron in my head and wanted to share here if that's ok— neglected!reader and friend!reader crossover. increased angst potentials, increased relationship struggles.

idk if it's just me, but the cold knowledge and sudden realization that your family was only ever interacting with you to use you as a means of getting close to their original target (who i will be assuming is a friend of yours)? you should be feeling glad that they're finally, *finally* interacting with you, but it just makes you feel more sick. they talk to you, but never want to talk about *you,* if that makes sense, always their target. half-hearted attempts to try and be more discreet, but you can tell they really just want to probe out info about your friend from you. perhaps this even cements your belief that "oh. they're never going to care for me the way i used to care for them."?? im sick i will explode and become atoms for this hypothetical reader's sake. leaving them, and the family realization that in their own selfish goals, they lost something more valuable. only makes sense for them to get it back.

but perhaps it can also be them originally them trying to again, use you as a bridge between said target, only to become more obsessed with you somewhere down the line of continuous interactions. idk lots of thoughts here i am happy big and mentally normal about these giant group of costumed losers !!

I am in love with this idea... especially because you can do it both ways (with the reader either being a part of the fam, or just a 'friend' of one of the Batfam members that they kinda forgot about until now)!

I'll go into Acquaintance! Reader later, so for now I'll focus more on this other neglected sib reader :]

Can you imagine how absolutely heartbreaking finding out that they're just talking with you to get something out of you, at first? Like, okay, maybe reader is suspicious at first, of course, because why the hell is the family starting to acknowledge their existence now? Was it something they did? Something that caught the family's attention? Etc., etc., but the point is that maybe with a little effort and too little time, they begin to have a little hope. They began to think that the family actually cares about them now.

Like yeah, sure, they kind of dismiss their questions when the reader tries to bring up the changes and why things couldn't be like this before, and have an odd habit of giving short answers and moving onto other topics concerning their friend when the reader, again, tries to press even a little bit more for answers or responses, but that's just how it is, right?

It's nothing personal... the reader knows that, and even if it hurts sometimes, it's nothing to worry about, right? Besides, they wanted this... didn't they? They wanted to be noticed, to finally have the family's attention, to have something and they're finally getting that! They should be happy, grateful even... and they are! But... is it so selfish to want more? To want the family and some of their siblings to even be a little interested in the things they do? Instead of just asking about their friend all the time?

Maybe the reader even gets a little jealous, envious, even, as this goes on but I can see them being content with little. Ultimately a little scared to ruin a good thing, and to ruin this for themselves... even if it definitely doesn't feel as good as they had hoped it would be oh so long ago.

... And then, they figure out the truth. Either from overhearing some members of the family talking about it, other friend of theirs points it out/puts that idea into their head, or they just... notice it. Hell, all three of those things could happen - with the reader knowing on some subconscious level that things aren't as they seem and that the family is definitely trying to get something out of them (a thought they had at first, that didn't fully go away), and another friend of theirs (that the fam isn't going crazy over) sort of points out that it looks like the batfam is just using them to get to whoever (and maybe the reader dismisses it at first, but that moment only further plants that idea into their head), and the reader keeps noticing all of these little things from that moment and onward... only for everything to come crumbling down once they finally overhear that conversation.

Once they hear some of the members discussing what they should ask the reader, how they should go about it, and hell - maybe for the irony of it all, maybe even joking about the reader finding out about their little 'ploy'. Even going so far as to laugh and say how the reader will never find out because they're too stupid, too desperate to even really entertain the idea to its fullest. How even if they do think so... well, they can just string poor little reader along and distinguish the idea before it even becomes a problem. How they could use that to just further rope the reader in, and make them feel guilty until they forget all about the very idea of the family just using them... further securing themselves to be one of - if not the only - closest people to the reader, and therefore, much closer to their fixation.

It's... more than just heartbreaking for the reader, but not quite world shattering either. It's some odd in between feeling that hurts all the same. They knew, sure, and they always had the suspicion- but it fucking hurts.

Somehow, knowing hurts more in that moment - just the reader knowing and having their suspicions confirmed hurts worse than anything they've ever felt. It doesn't quite feel like betrayal, or maybe it does - they aren't sure, but at the same time that description doesn't feel quite right. Though that's because they feel partially at fault. Like they did this to themselves, and they do feel guilty, but for only putting themself through this.

They should've known better. They should've listened to their gut. They should've never let this happen- they are at fault as much as the family is...

But can they fully blame themself? They got a glimpse of what it was like to be part of the family. A glimpse into the life they always wanted... could they really blame themself for taking that chance when they saw it? For trying to seize that opportunity even if it was never really there? Could they blame themselves for trying to look past all the signs, because they too wanted something out of it? Because they just wanted to be part of the family that badly, even if it was all a lie?

It hurts, and the reader leaves quietly. They don't burst into the room and confront everyone - no, they just walk away. Too consumed in their own grief and feelings to do much else besides that. I imagine that they don't even make it to their room, and hell, maybe one of the other Batfam members find them, but just looking at them makes the reader cry harder.

If they literally run away from the person, or not, is really up to interpretation at the moment, but either way they manage to find some alone time to themselves, and just... let it all out. The reader, in that moment, allows themself to grieve over the lose of a family they never had, and after all is said and done, I can imagine that they try to distance themselves- but are smart in how they do so.

The reader tries to get the family closer to their friend, while also limiting the amount of the the reader is actually around both the friend and the family. Basically just trying to put everyone in a position where they don't need a middleman - where the reader doesn't have to be involved anymore, and basically just... giving the reader an opportunity to truly distance themself from the family.

Sure, the reader might still try to hang out with the family's current fixation, but I can see them be willing to sacrifice time with that person just to further get away. It hurts to do it, and they don't want to, but they figure that, with enough time, once the family chills the fuck out, they'll hopefully be able to sort of go back to how things were. If not? Then... well, they'll just have to learn how to live with that, and they hope that their friend can forgive them.

Don't get me wrong, I could totally see the reader trying to find ways to get their friend out of the position, but the batfam is one tricky foe.. so they settle for what they can, but maybe they're still trying to do what they can. (Or maybe they think that this is the best course of action since... well, maybe they overheard some other talks afterwards? Who knows)

It could also be that, through the reader's attempt to leave, and them trying to eliminate themself from the equation entirely could be a huge turning point for the Batfam in terms of them turning yandere (aka, if they weren't yan before, they definitely are now. and those that are, are even worse than before). A real "you don't know what you had until it's gone" kinda deal, and it's gotta be hilarious to see the fam just scramble for something, and to kind of 'catch' the reader until they're truly gone... which, to add to the humor- the reader is probably already trying to move out of Gotham by that time LMAO

[notjoelmiller]

i cared

MDNI simon "ghost" riley x f!reader summary: three and a half years ago and an ocean away, he tore you apart. now he's turned up at your door. wordcount: 4.1k warnings: smut (fingering), drinking, AFAB reader, possible past dub-con (reader was in a bad mental state and simon knew), simon is a shitty guy in this, talk of hypothetical suicide, talk of past bad mental state (depression), mentioned PTSD, heartbreak on both sides, death mention (MW:III canon) a/n: hey remember when i said that my next fic would be joel and i posted a little insert. that was a lie! instead of working on that (12k word, currently) monster, i wrote something else. if you couldn't tell, i started this before the holidays and then forgot about it.

ao3

The house is much nicer than Simon anticipated. When he saw the New York City address, he had expected you to be crammed into a shitty 6th-floor walk-up. But no, not you. Instead, you have an honest-to-God three-story home with red brick delicately dusted with snow. You certainly couldn’t afford it on the 141 salary. He always suspected you came from means. This just confirms it. It just makes him wonder why the hell you decided to slum it in the services for so long.

It reminds Simon that he shouldn’t be there. You weren't made for that life and left for a reason. Who is he to ruin your peace?

He’s not alone on the street. Well-to-do families of strangers pass by, all watching the masked man observe their neighbor’s home. He can still turn around and leave you to the life you so clearly want.

Something shifts in one of the windows, the curtain being tousled by something. A dog. You got a dog– a golden retriever with sharp eyes and, evidently, an even sharper bark. The canine goes berserk, barking and howling and growling at Simon through the window. It’s Simon’s cue to leave, to leave you be with your semi-rabid, semi-domestic canine.

But before he can move, the curtain shifts again– pulled this time –and you’re there. You squint for a moment, surely wondering what masked freak is standing in your walkway like he owns the damn place. He lets you scrutinize him. It’s now or never. Either you’ll tell him to fuck off once you realize who he is or you’ll call the police on him, though it’s not like they would do anything after he calls Kate.

Instead, you disappear behind the curtain, your loyal steed of a dog following hot on your heels. In a moment’s notice, the large front door, with a gilded knocker and door knob open. You beckon him in. He follows, eyes trailing up and down your body once you’re facing away from him. You’re dressed casually but smartly in a short denim skirt and cashmere sweater. Simon’s never seen you in that getup before, even when going out to the pub.

“Shoes off,” you order, motioning towards the neat shoe rack next to the door. They’re all women's shoes of the same size. Simon’s shoulders relax, and he slips off his boots. It was for the best, he figures. His old boots would have just dragged dirt into your space. He takes off his mask too, hanging it up with his jacket. It’s nothing you haven't seen before.

Simon follows you into the sitting room– at least, that’s what Simon guesses the room is. It’s too neat for your taste, or his memory of what your taste is exactly. The couch and single chair seem untouched, the air still, like Simon’s presence is cutting through some sacred stillness.

You point to a couch and Simon obeys, sitting with his hands on his knees. Your eyes lock with his without granting him any semblance of your thoughts. Simon keeps his gaze soft, neutral. You can scrutinize him all you need.

You sigh, straightening your posture. A smile pulls at your lips. Your smile lines crease deeper than he remembered. Or maybe they always creased that deep.

“Tea?”

***

“He’s quite protective,” you drop two sugar cubes into a cup of tea. The spoon in your hand lets out a delicate tink as it hits the porcelain cup. You hand Simon the teacup, it’s just how he likes it. “Always has his haunches raised, even when he’s not working.”

Ah. A service animal. He’s surprised to not have put that together sooner. Always loyal, the pooch plants himself at your feet, gaze burning into Simon. If looks could kill…

“Your home?” Simon asks. He lifts the teacup to his lips and sips. Simon places the teacup on its saucer impossibly slowly. Simon can’t believe you’d trust him with something so delicate.

“I inherited it.”

A smile creeps on Simon’s face. Teacups and generational wealth. He always knew you were posh. Or whatever Americans call posh.

“You’re on holiday?” You ask.

“‘Tis the season.”

You hum. Your house is the only one on the block without some sort of holiday decor. Simon wonders if it was a pointed decision.

“And you came here.” Why?

He can’t tell you the truth. The fact is that every day since you left– all one thousand two hundred ninety-eight of them since John uttered to his fuming lieutenant that you just weren’t fit to serve any more –he’s ached. One thousand two hundred ninety-eight days of no contact. Of his only proof that you ever existed being a photo and a tear-stained note with one sentence scribbled in ink: John has contact info– emergencies only.

“I wanted to wish you a happy holidays.”

You laugh dryly, though it sends a pang of pain through Simon. He hadn’t realized how much he missed that sound. “Usually people send a card for that.”

You observe Simon with precision, like you never left the force, though the way you scratch Yogi’s belly unconsciously betrays the hardened exterior. It’s a glimpse into the last three and a half years. Of the woman you’ve become– so foreign to Simon. Foreign to your past self. Or not. Maybe this is who you’ve been all along, just hidden behind fatigues. Maybe the woman Simon thought he knew was just a farce. Rich girl playing army for a few years.

Maybe you joined the force just to fuck around for a bit. After a few years, you’d have stories to tell your socialite friends back home. Except, you didn’t get what you wanted, didn’t you? Simon knows well and good that serving, the 141, and him, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, destroyed something in you. 

You tap the porcelain of your teacup. It makes a pleasant ding. “Did John tell you where to find me?”

“No. Well–” Simon tries to tell you the truth without throwing his comrade under the bus. The truth was, John had indulged in one too many drinks at the pub one night and hadn’t locked his quarters. An envelope addressed to you sat front in center on his desk. “Not intentionally.”

It’s a satisfying enough answer. Only a small twinge of annoyance crosses your face before you hum. “This isn’t a guilt thing, right Simon?” You ask, “I didn’t do what I did because of what happened.”

“What we did back then, on the field,” Simon traps you under his gaze. His stare is aggressive, but he hopes it conveys the intense feelings he’s struggling with. “I can’t just leave it. That’s why I came.”

Simon doesn’t dare speak. He doesn’t dare breathe while he watches you process his words. It’s a load of crap, he knows it, and he knows you know it. It’s just a matter of whether or not you want to kick him out.

You smize, teeth coming out to tug at your bottom lip. “Have you ever had New York pizza?”

***

You order two pies, hushing Simon when he insists it’s too much. You were right. Two isn’t enough. Simon scarfs down one pie without coming up for air. It’s delicious. It isn’t until he’s four slices deep that he realizes that you, smiling widely at him, haven’t yet picked up your first.

You’re a gracious host– a natural, really. You perch yourself on the kitchen island, legs crossed in a way that makes your skirt ride so sinfully up your thighs. Simon doesn’t look of course, he’s a gentleman. At least, he is for the first bottle of the ungodly expensive red wine you procure. It’s then that you perch your leg on the counter opposite your spot on the island, right next to Simon. Old habits die hard– especially when inebriated –and Simon places a hand on your leg, massaging the skin of your ankle.

You pay no mind to Simon’s ministrations, though, lost in the domestic bliss and mindless conversations you’ve probably been drowning yourself in for the last few years. You wave the glass of wine wildly about, like you wouldn’t give a damn if it spilled all over your expensive clothes. It seems so natural for you. Simon wonders what you were ever doing with the 141 when posh city living fits you like a second skin.

Simon inches his hand higher up your leg as you speak. He doesn’t get very far, but it’s enough so that he can trace patterns into the soft skin of your thigh. It’s too much, though, because your eyes lock onto his. But you’re not mad. You don’t tell him to stop. Rather, you examine him, and in your eyes Simon sees what looks like mirth.

“I missed this,” Simon says. He cringes at the words leaving his mouth. He’s succumbing to the domestic bliss you’ve created, looking at the past through rose-tinted glasses.

You reach for a third bottle of wine and a corkscrew, furrowing your brow in thought while twisting the screw. “I didn't want to abandon you,” you say. Simon, watching you pop the cork off with ease, almost forgets that you’re talking to him until you lock eyes. He watches you sniff the cork, pause, then sniff it again before topping off your glass. You take a heaping swig, like that Pinot Noir worth more than Simon’s monthly pay is unremarkable. “I left for a reason, you know.”

Oh, Simon certainly knows. The rumors had been inescapable in the first weeks of your absence. All around base every soldier had entertained the question of what happened to the American chick in the 141. Simon had only so many threatening looks to give privates before curiosity got the better of him. He abated the desire to ask John for so long, but there was only so much longing he could handle coupled with the cacophony of voices asking the same thing he desperately wanted to know.

John didn’t flounder when Simon finally came to him, demanding to know why you left.

She was discharged.

Why?

For… mental reasons.

Simon lost his shit in Price’s office that morning. He collapsed onto the couch with a gasp, a hand grasping and squeezing his heart. His breath left him, but Simon was too bloody stupid to understand what the hell was going on until Price was handing him a brown paper bag.

Breathe, son.

“Simon,” you breathe, your saccharine voice the most tantalizing sound Simon has ever heard. You lean forward, your finger tracing the scar parallel to the cut of his jaw. You were there for it, saw the knife slice through his mask and the skin underneath. You bandaged it in the helicopter after, making Simon promise to go to medical afterwards. He promised he would. That night he closed the wound with superglue. “Why did you really come?”

Because you disappeared. Because Price said you were on the brink of becoming a statistic. Because I fucked up. Because I said things I didn’t mean and I thought that it killed you.

“Johnny’s dead,” he lies. But it isn’t a lie. It’s true, sure, Johnny’s been reduced to ashes and scattered in the Scottish highlands. But that isn't why he came.

“I know.” You sniffle. Christ, Simon’s made you cry. Nausea washes over him. A voice in his head screams, fix it, idiot! But emotions were never Simon’s strong suit. Instead, Simon reaches for the bottle and tops off your glass of wine, probably a bit more than he should have, but it seems like you need it.

You mutter a thank you and down a bit more than half of the glass. You come up for air and hiccup. “John told me.”

“Price?” He asks, as though there was any other John. Anything to get you talking rather than crying.

You nod. “He dropped by around Thanksgiving. Asked if I wanted to be there when you all…” You wave your hand in the air, “You know.”

Something ugly festers in his chest. Maybe if he actually went to a therapist, Simon could recognize what it is.

“You said no?” He asks.

“I didn’t think I could.”

Simon nods, holding your gaze in a way that he hopes conveys his sense of understanding.

“How’d it happen?” You croak. Your eyes are glassy, a reminder of the ever-looming threat that you could fall apart again. Simon reminds himself that you wouldn’t be crying if he had just kept his distance.

“Bullet in the head.”

You tense, your head flying to Simon. Your eyes are frantic, searching for something in his face. “He…he…?”

Christ. 

“No, no,” Simon scrambles to get his next words out, “Makarov. It was-” His voice cracks. Unusual. “-was too fast to stop it. To save himself.”

You hum, slumping down like it’s comforting to you that Johnny had his life torn from his arms. Like it’s comforting that Johnny couldn’t go on his own terms, but on the terms of a Russian terrorist.

“You know,” you say like you know he knows, “Johnny’s the reason I got out.”

Simon shifts. Johnny never talked about your discharge, always responding to speculation like he was none the wiser. “He is?”

“Yeah,” you laugh. It’s deep and watery. “Things were…bad one night. He found me. Talked me through the night. Listened to me.” You throw your head back, eyes tracing imaginary patterns on the ceiling.

“He told Price?”

You nod.

“That was after we…”

You nod again. Simon feels sick.

“It had nothing to do with you, Simon.”

“I never thought it did.”

“Then why,” you ask, “did you bring it up?”

Simon shifts. “Thought it was relevant.”

You smile, though your eyes are still lined with tears. “Guilty conscience?”

“Of course not, love,” Simon laughs, hoping you buy it. It works, he thinks. You seem to deflate, slumping a bit. You take some time to think. Simon, panicking at the thought that your self-reflection could send him out the door, pulls out the one trick he has over you.

He lets your legs fall. They bang against the cabinets with a soft umph from your lips. Simon slides off of the counter and stalks your way. You watch him and put up no fight as he slots his wide body between your knees. You don't even complain as the parting of your legs forces your skirt to ride even higher.

Fingers card through Simon’s hair. He hums.

“Why did you do it?” You ask.

Simon tilts his head, and with the wine in his veins and your hand in his hair, the world spins. Your other hand slips under the hem of Simon’s shirt. Warm fingers graze the skin of his stomach and then side, before your hand settles on his back, palm splaying across scarred flesh.

“I–” Simon croaks, “–I felt something for you.”

You snort. Simon’s chest burns and he takes some deep breaths to calm himself. He imagines Price’s paper bag, inflating and crinkling over and over.

“You knew I would leave. That’s it, isn’t it?” You accuse with a gleam in your eyes. “I was in a bad place and was leaving so it didn’t matter if you hit it and quit it.” You laugh. “You got what you wanted without risking your position.”

“That’s not true.”

Your thighs bracket his legs, trapping him against you. Your words curl around your wine-stained tongue. “‘I don’t love you’. Isn’t that what you said Simon?”

“Love–”

You tense, thighs squeezing him like a vice. “Love,” you coo, the imitation of Simon’s long vowels curtles unnaturally on your tongue. “Love, love, love. You know Simon,” you wrap your hands around the back of his neck and lean into the crook of his neck. Your lips brush against his skin as you speak, “You say it, but you’ve never meant it.”

“I’m sorry,” Simon utters, his fingers slipping beneath the hem of your skirt.

“You’re not.”

He’s not. He doesn’t argue. He could– should, rather –but he can’t think straight with you this close to him. The scent of your perfume itches the deepest part of his brain. You never wore perfume when on duty, rather, always coated in the aroma of base-issued shampoo and sweat.

“I really cared for you, you know,” you whisper, your lips millimeters from his, them parting when his fingers rub you through the fabric of your underwear.

“I know,” Simon closes the distance, capturing your lips with his.

He pushes you back onto the counter, you let him, lets Simon cage your body like he has the right to. You groan into his mouth when he traps your bottom lip between his teeth and melt when his fingers slip past the hem of your panties, his fingers plunging through the wetness into your cunt.

It’s obscene— the noises you make as he thrusts his fingers into you. With his free hand, Simon pushes your skirt up over your hips so he can watch your cunt squeeze around him.

He slides his thumb up to your clit and you gasp. “Simon,” you moan. He nearly stops. It’s been years since he’s heard you say his name, let alone moan it. Fuck, Simon can’t help but grind his cock against the island counter, groaning.

It doesn’t take much to work you into an orgasm. Before he knows it, your moans become softer, higher pitched, and you’re coming apart, clenching hard on Simon’s fingers.

He works you through your orgasm, whispering praise into your ears. Simon gives you no time before pouncing, fisting his hands in your hair and devouring you. You wiggle underneath his weight, uttering something, but the words are lost into Simon’s mouth. He pulls away, his eyes meeting your expectant ones.

“What?”

“Upstairs,” you say, chest heaving. “My room is upstairs.”

***

Simon wakes before dawn. He’s lying on top of you, your strong breath rocking him up and down. Your limbs are impossibly tangled. He’s reminded of an identical morning, years ago, of what he did then, and what that choice led him to. But that was years ago. You were different then, broken. How was he supposed to know that his choice would make you shatter?

He untangles himself slowly. It feels like the process takes hours, though the sun fails to make an appearance by the time he slips out of bed. The clock reads four in the morning. That explains it. It also explains the way the room around him is spinning slightly. He’s still drunk– or at least buzzed –from the night before.

His pants are an easy find, discarded by the door. His shirt though… Simon spins around the room, eyes glazing over the space. He tries not to take anything in too deeply, too personal for this morning.

He spots his shirt on your vanity. Simon yanks it off, but something hard and heavy comes with it. It nearly drops to the floor, but Simon catches it before it can hit and wake you up.

It’s a perfume bottle, heavy and half-filled. Simon can’t suppress the urge of his half-drunk brain to sniff it. The scent— the scent of you —explodes in his synapses. He tosses a glance over his shoulder, ensuring you’re still asleep, before pocketing the bottle.

The dog follows Simon as he walks through the house. Luckily, as he slips on his shoes, the dog disappears into the rest of the house.

Simon lingers with a hand wrapped around the door knob. It warms under his touch.

“Are we doing this again?”

He flinches at the sound of your voice, “I ‘ave to.” Simon stays facing the door, though he doesn’t make a move to turn around. He knows how he must look to you, too cowardly to face you. He’s reminded of the last time he spent the night with you. He got out scot-free. What would have happened if you found him then? Simon can’t say for certain whether or not he would have left then, if you called out for him in the same delicate voice.

“Stay.”

“What?”

“In New York,” you say, voice dry with sleep. “With me. Get out of the SAS, the 141, all that bullshit.”

“‘S not that easy.”

“It is. I left. You can leave. Or you can stay and end up like Johnny–”

“What do you know about Johnny,’ Simon growls, turning on his heels. He straightens his spine, puffing his chest up like you’re a threat. Your dog buys it, growling and worming himself between you and Simon. You don't take the bait though. You honest to God laugh in Simon’s face.

“I know enough.” You step closer to Simon. The pooch gets the memo, clearing the way for you. Simon almost does the same, he wants to. Some instinctual part of his brain needs to cave to you. “You mean something, Simon,” you flick your eyebrows up, letting them drop immediately. It feels like a challenge, like you were asking Simon the silent question. Do you matter? 

“You’re more than a soldier– more than a body on a field, waiting to drop.” There are tears in your eyes. You don't let them fall. Simon hopes you’ve finally realized that he isn’t worth your heartbreak. He’s never been, but at least your realization would stop his cruel cycle of him chewing you up and spitting you right back out.

“Come to New York, Simon, please. There– there’s a butcher shop up the block, they’re always looking for help. You said you used to do that stuff, right?”

Fucking hell. He had said it to you, years ago after a mission. Simon went drink for drink with Johnny and Gaz and got positively wasted. It was the night he first set his sight on you, when your tenderness sunk its claws into his heart and refused to let go. You didn’t know then what it would lead to. Simon did. Every love Simon had wilted in his claws. Why would you be different?

“Come here,” you plead, “Take the job with them. I can help you find an apartment or you can live with me but–” You grab Simon’s shoulders, tugging. It isn’t strong enough to turn him around, but he does. Your cheeks are wet and eyes glassy as you stare up at him. “Simon, it’s too late for us, but don’t let it be too late for you.”

Simon lifts his hand to your cheek, fingers grazing the plump skin. It slides to the back of your head and tugs– yanks you into his embrace as he crashes your lips against his own. The morning makes you soft though, as Simon nips your lips with his teeth, you melt, softening and slowing your movements.

It’s you that pulls away first, staring at Simon. You let him swipe his finger across your cheek, caressing you.

“Please,” you beg, kissing the palm of his hand.

Simon lets his hand fall from you. It sits achingly cold at his side.

It would be cowardly to leave you without a goodbye after forcing himself back into your life, even if it was for one night. Simon considers himself to be many things, but never a coward. Yet, standing in front of you, staring into your expectant eyes, words don’t come easy.

You step towards him. Simon steps back. The door knob presses into his back. His heart is pounding, the blood in his eyes deafening him. Your scent wafts his way, your perfume. The one whose bottle he knocked over, nearly let slip through his fingers and shatter. The one which you never got to wear in the 141. The one weighing down his back pocket.

“I shouldn’t have come,” Simon says.

He doesn’t look back. Not when you gasp his name. Not when he opens the door. Not when he walks down the snowy street.

Price and Gaz will ask about his holiday. They’re kind like that. In the cab to the airport, passing the bottle of perfume between his hands, Simon considers his answer. Single word answers are his forté, but won’t suffice with the prying curiosities of his captain and sergeant.

The answer comes to him when he sniffs the perfume once more.

In the coming week, when Gaz claps him on the back, he will ask, “How was the holiday, Ghost?”

Simon will answer, “I had a meal with an old friend.”

[thef1diary]

Neighbour’s Shower | D. Ricciardo

Summary: You are Daniel Ricciardo's neighbour, and one hot summer day where you desperately need to take a shower, it doesn't work.

Warnings: 18+, penetrative (p in v), unprotected sex, fingering, oral (m and f receiving), slight breast play

word count: 3.8k

Note: did I post this on wattpad and ao3? Yes. Am I going to post it here too? Also yes.

It had been a few months since you moved to Monaco due to your dream job. You had adjusted to the Monaco lifestyle pretty quickly, and you had never been happier. Due to your new job which paid a lot more than your previous job, you were financially stable. You lived in a one bedroom apartment which is a lot bigger than it seems, but the bigger perk was your neighbour.

You actually met your neighbour when you were on your way to work, but forgot your car keys so you had to go back up the elevator. When you entered the elevator, there was a voice coming from outside asking you to hold it open and seemed to be in a hurry. You, being the polite person, held the door open but you didn't know how much your life would change after that. When the man went to press the button to his floor, he realized that you had already pressed it and quickly figured out that you were floor buddies. That instantly sparked a conversation between you two.

"I'm Daniel" he introduced himself, his accent made it clear that he wasn't monégasque. You introduced yourself too, and he repeated your name to remember yet his accent made it sound better.

Your conversation was cut short when you reached your floor but when you both got out of the elevator and started walking the same way, you realized you lived closer than you thought. "I swear I'm not following you" he joked which made you chuckle. "What makes you think that I'm not following you?" You remarked to which he let out a loud laugh. That instantly made you smile and forget that you were running late to work. It also happened to make him forget that he was rushing as well.

Surprisingly, you lived right across from each other, your two apartments were the only ones in that corner of the hall. The others were quite further. "Let me guess, you chose this apartment because of the balcony?" Daniel asked and you nodded. "Yeah, if I'm living in Monaco, I might as well make the most out of the view"

"Touché"

"I'll see you around Daniel" you spoke before entering your apartment, and you heard a "see ya" from the man.

From that day on, you two met every morning. You had early morning shifts since you preferred to be at home in the evening. One day, when the conversation of jobs came up, you found out that he was a Formula 1 driver. You didn't really follow the sport, but your father did which is how you knew about it but clearly not enough since you couldn't recognize a driver in front of you. Then you understood why he also woke up quite early, to train. You looked forward to the days you would see him and walk to the elevator with him. The conversations with Daniel really made your day. Turns out that you weren't the only one.

On the day you weren't feeling too well, you didn't go to work, but a few minutes after the time you would normally leave, you heard a knock on your door. You opened the door to see Daniel Ricciardo with a worried look on his face, a look you didn't see often. "Are you okay?" He sounded concerned. You didn't open the door fully since you didn't want to pass on the flu. "Just a bit sick. Why?"

"I thought you were a bit late so I thought I'd wait but I realized you're never late and now I'm here" he explained, noticing how weird that sounded since you didn't even have each other's phone numbers yet.

You didn't want to make the moment awkward so you joked "awh, you're worried about me? Missed me too much?" You had to turn away to sneeze but when you looked back at him he nodded. "Yeah, I actually like talking to you in the morning, it kinda makes my day" he admitted. You didn't know how to respond to that.

You noted the time "you're gonna be late for your training, don't make your trainer wait too long or he might make you do extra cardio"

"But you're sick" he stated like that was supposed to change anything. "I took the day off. I'll be fine"

You were still standing with only your head peeking out the door and he noticed that yet didn't say anything. "do me a favour?" He asked, and you raised your eyebrow, asking him to continue.

"Leave your door unlocked but go back to what you were doing. I'll be back in a bit" he didn't wait for your reply and headed back to his own apartment. You stood there for a few moments, trying to understand what he wanted you to do but then you did what he asked. You left the apartment door unlocked and went to your bedroom, making yourself comfortable under the covers. You two knew each other for a few weeks and based on Daniel's aura, you knew you could trust him.

You waited for a bit. Listening to the silence, waiting for the door to open. You heard it open and close after twenty minutes, then you heard footsteps and his voice. "I really hope you're not sleeping"

Your apartment had the same layout as his so he could easily figure out where which room was. He knocked on your bedroom door and once he heard you say "come in", he opened it. There he was, holding a tray in his hands. His smile was back and you definitely preferred that smile than the expression you were first met with when you opened the door.

"What's that?" You asked about the tray in his hands since you couldn't see what was on it. "Just some things to help you feel better" He had brought some homemade soup, cough drops, painkillers, and juice.

That day he stayed with you for a few hours, ensuring that you were feeling better. You usually don't like any company when you're sick, watching some shows and rest do the job but spending time with him was definitely something you didn't know you needed that day.

Now, a few weeks later, it was summertime and it was excessively hot. This week wasn't a good week unfortunately. Your car had broken down so you were forced to either take a cab or walk to work. Though you knew if you asked Daniel to drop you, he would've in an instant but he wasn't in Monaco since he had to leave for a race. You were convinced that your week was going bad because he wasn't there to cheer you up. You didn't see his smile when you first leave your apartment nor could you spend time hanging out at each other's place for a movie night.

After that day he took care of you, you exchanged numbers and became better friends. Although you texted each other a lot, it didn't feel the same. Before he left Monaco, he had given you an extra key to his apartment because he told you that some people were meant to come over for furniture deliveries. You texted him once it was over and sent him a few photos of you "living" in his apartment. You pretended to cook in his kitchen and sleep in his bedroom in those pictures but he didn't mind. He actually responded with "How come you don't do that when I'm over?"

Daniel didn't tell you when he'd be back. You had quite a long day at work and you couldn't even find a cab to go home, so you decided to walk since it was only ten minutes. Those ten minutes felt so much longer than it was. By the time you made it to the elevator, you were completely soaked with sweat. You went straight to your home and took off your clothes, making a beeline for your shower.

You turned it on to a cooler setting and held your arm under the water to feel the temperature but it was still so warm. You turned it all the way cold, but the temperature didn't change. It was way too hot for you to take a warmer shower, especially since you wanted to cool down. Unfortunately, you had already took off your clothes. You didn't want to wear those sweaty clothes again but you didn't want to ruin a clean pair of clothes either. You wrapped a towel around you and you texted your neighbour, wanting to ask him if you could use his shower but you saw an unread text message from him. He sent a message mentioning that he reached.

You groaned, it would make it so much more awkward now that he was home. You wanted to ask him if you could use his shower especially since he wasn't home. But now that he was, he would see you in a towel. A part of you didn't want to go but the other part was eager to knock on his door. These past few days, or if we're being honest, since the moment you met him, you were attracted to him. There was no doubt that he's handsome but the unholy thoughts you had about him made you feel guilty of being his friend.

There might've been times where you pleased yourself with him in mind, thinking about what he would do to you. You imagined that Daniel was really good with his tongue because of the amount of times you saw it dart out to lick his lips. You knew he'd be good with his fingers because they were quite long, knowing that he'd hit the right spots. You wondered if he was vocal, perhaps dominant and challenging you to stay quiet which he thrusted into you.

You snapped out of your daze, realizing that you were still hot but now in a different way. You were still sitting in your towel, but the desperation of washing off the sweat was overriding your rational thoughts. That's why you were standing outside Daniel's apartment door, knocking. It took him a while to open the door and you realized why. His hair was drenched and had only a towel wrapped around his waist. He called your name "what's wrong?" He asked as he pulled you in his home by your hand, not wanting anyone else to see you due to your attire.

"My shower's cold setting isn't working and it's too hot to take a warm shower" you stated, keeping your composure as you only looked at him in the eye. He urged you to continue "so I figured I'd ask you if I could use your shower?" You're self control was tested as you watched his eyes break eye contact with you and gaze down your body.

"It's quite hot today isn't it?" He asked, his gazed focused on the part of your cleavage that wasn't covered by your towel. "Yeah it is. So can I?" You asked again and he looked up at your face.

"Normally, I wouldn't mind" Daniel started as he stepped a bit closer to you, making you lean against the door. "But?" You asked.

"But, as you can see-" he paused and gestured to himself which made you finally look at him properly. His skin was glistening, some soap suds still on his shoulders. You realized your mistake. "-I wasn't done taking a shower" he completed.

You opened your mouth to speak but he interrupted you. "I wouldn't mind if you joined me" he suggested. You saw his eyes darken and that damn tongue you dreamed about darted out to lick his lips. Your eyes widened in surprise since you never thought he'd suggest something you only thought about. Your reaction made Daniel think he made a mistake by crossing the boundaries. He was stepping away and about to apologize but you reached out and pulled him in by his neck. As soon as your lips touched, he instantly held your waist, pulling the rest of your body against his.

Your towels were the only cloth blocking you from skin to skin contact but you roamed your hands down his bare chest and back. You nails made lines down his back and he moaned into your mouth, telling you that he liked it. Once you were out of breath and pulled away, he started kissing down your neck, his lips dangerously close to your breasts.

His hands roamed on your legs, inching up the back of your thighs. Daniel's hands went under your towel and gripped your ass making you let out a groan. He brought his face closer to yours but kept his eyes on your towel "let's get rid of this" he easily unwrapped the towel from around you, letting it drop to the floor. He took a look at your bare body, closed his eyes and groaned while biting his bottom lip. "Oh, you're so perfect" he complimented you.

You didn't want to be the only one completely naked so you toyed with the hem of his towel at his waist to hint at what you want. You decided to tease him a bit and not take it off yet, despite how much you wanted to. Your hand wandered down, tracing his abs and v line. Then, you delicately placed your hand around his cock through the towel, feeling how hard it was. You slowly moved your hand up and down, the friction from the towel making him groan. You loved how vocal he was despite how little you were touching him.

While your hand was on his cock, his hands were cupping your breasts. To tease you back, he circled around your nipple, watching it harden but not touching it. Then his thumb and first finger pinched your nipple, slightly tugging it to see your reaction. You felt euphoric, no one had actually paid attention to your breasts before as much as he did, and god you loved it.

You two still had to shower but before you could say anything, Daniel had seemed to read you mind because he picked you up. You wrapped your legs around his waist, feeling his dick rub against the one place you really want it. You were so lost in the pleasure that you didn't realize you were already in the bathroom, nor did you realize you were moving your hips to create more friction.

"So impatient huh?" He teased. Daniel placed you on the countertop beside the sink and leaned in to kiss you again. You watched him turn on the shower and then faced you before taking off his towel. You looked at him, your gaze going lower and lower until you saw what you wanted to see. His cock was hard, precum leaking out but what also caught your eye were his tattoos on his thigh. You saw parts of it before when he wore shorts belonging to his merch but you never saw where it started. It was higher up on his thigh and you almost drooled at the sight.

He walked in the shower which was big enough for two people and looked at you before gesturing you to join him. You instantly got off the countertop and made your way towards him, kissing him passionately underneath the shower head. His kisses were so addicting, and you would happily get drunk on them. Roaming your hand further down, you reached his cock but this time there wasn't a towel to stop you from properly feeling him. You ran your hand up and down his length, sliding your thumb across the tip.

You pecked his lips once more before going down on your knees. You looked up at him and he adored the sight of you on your knees. Placing your hands on the back of his thighs, you placed a kiss on the top of his tattoo, tracing the rest of it with your tongue. It was quite close to his dick but not close enough, he wanted your mouth on him.

"Baby please" he whispered, feeling vulnerable and you were enjoying every moment of it. You placed a kiss on his tip, sucking slightly then releasing it and blowing on it. "Keep teasing me and you'll pay for it" he warned. As much as you wanted to test his limits, you were so, so desperate to taste him. You licked his cock from the base up and swirled your tongue around his tip then finally taking him in your mouth. You tried to take as much as you could without choking and massaged the rest with your hand.

You felt his hand grip your hair slightly tugging on it which made you release a moan around his cock. "Fucking hell, you look so pretty on your knees for me" he commented. While sucking on his cock, you looked up at him and immediately made eye contact with him.

You went on for a few more moments but felt Daniel tugging on your hair and pulled you up by holding the back of your neck. He wasn't agressive, in fact it was just the right amount of force to make you need him more. He wiped the drool off your face with his thumb "your mouth is fucking perfect but I need to taste you"

You saw the man go down on his knees and it was such a hot sight to see. He took your right leg and placed it on his shoulder. It brought your core extremely close to his mouth and he immediately flattened his tongue to lick your folds. Collecting the wetness, he moaned at your taste making you cry out due to the pleasure from both his tongue and the vibrations. You tugged on his wet curls on his head, pushing him even closer to you. He used the tip of his tongue to tease your clit, then went down to slip inside you. He followed that movement a few more times before teasing his fingers around your entrance. "Daniel please"

He moved his mouth away from you, you were almost whining at the loss "please what?" He asked as he slid a finger in then back out. "Use your words darling"

"I need you. Your tongue, your cock. Just fuck me please" You managed to speak up and he was pleased with the answer because he attached his mouth to your core again but going brutally fast. He slid in two fingers with ease, and quickly added another. He wanted to make you cum around his fingers and mouth. And that's exactly what you did. You didn't even have time to give him a warning but your moans that were getting louder was his sign that you were close. You closed your eyes and placed a hand on the shower wall and another on his shoulder to brace yourself.

He stood up, still holding on to you and kissed you deeply, making you taste yourself. "Mhm taste that? That's all you baby. You taste amazing and if it were up to me, I'd make you cum on my tongue until you can't anymore" he whispered dirty words in your ear and you really wanted him to do what he says. But right now, you wanted his cock more than anything.

You rolled your eyes in pleasure at that thought "I need you, so bad" you muttered against his lips and he was more than glad to fulfill your needs.

He picked you up and you instantly wrapped your legs around his waist. Holding you up against the wall, he pushed his cock inside you and you would've been embarrassed at how easily it slid in but you were overcome with pleasure. Daniel watched as your pussy was soaking and every time he thrusted, the wet sounds were heard over the sound of the shower. You arched your back closer to him and he took your nipple in his mouth. Slightly grazing his teeth across your sensitive peaks, it made your head fall against the wall in pleasure.

Already orgasmed once, you quickly reached that point again and since you teased him, he told you that he wasn't going to last long either. He sucked the skin on your breasts, making purple marks that would last a while, reminding you of this exact moment. When he pulled away, you kissed alongside his neck but was afraid to make any marks until he spoke. "Don't be shy. I know you want to" that urged you to paint his tanned skin with purple marks.

Daniel trailed a hand down, putting pleasurable pressure on your clit which was the breaking point for you. You orgasmed on his cock, and feeling your pussy pulsing, he reached his peak as well.

He still held you up, looking at you with a smile on his face and you were sure that your smile was just as big. "That was-" "fucking amazing" you cut him off and he nodded, agreeing with you.

He slid out of you, placing you on the ground and you realized that your knees were weak. He poured the shampoo in his hands and started massaging your head. Following his ministrations, you took some shampoo in your hands and softly scrubbed through his curls. Washing it away, you repeated the process with conditioner then shower gel. You were using his products, which made you smell like him.

He took the shower gel in his hands, and emulsified it before placing his hands on your body. Starting off with your shoulders, then your back. Your back was against him as he brought his hands over your breasts, paying special attention to them once again. Then he did your legs but made sure to rinse his hands before getting to the apex of your thighs. You were incredibly sensitive there so you shivered at his touch. "You still want more?" You asked him, facing the man.

"Now that I got a taste of you, I need more" he replied. "You did make me a promise" you mentioned, referring to the words he said earlier about making you cum multiple times on his tongue. "I did and I will fulfill it" he winked before getting out of the shower and drying himself off while you rinsed your body. He was holding another towel for you and dried you off as well. During that, he had another question "has anyone given you a nipple orgasm?" Daniel asked which made you blush feverishly. You shook your head "no, I don't think that's possible"

Daniel's eyes sparkled, and you knew what he was thinking. "There's always a first for everything" he wrapped the towel around you and cupped your breasts over the towel "they definitely deserve the attention" he rested his head in the crook of your neck and you look at your reflections in the mirror.

[momonnie]

❤︎ 𝑯-𝑯𝒆𝒚! 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈!

ft. Neuvillette

Synopsis : You're talking about your passion with sparkles in your eyes, but he doesn't really seem to listen to you, probably too distracted as you look way too attractive today...

Warnings : Suggestive; cum mentioned once but nothing implied; making out; he's needy & touchy; only his sight, taste and touch seem to work today :p

After successfully escaping Neuvillette's warm embrace --not without struggling like crazy-- you leave your shared cozy bed, heading towards the kitchen.

The birthday of your friend was only within a day, which was why you were currently baking some sweets for her party first thing in the morning. In fact, she requested this special quest specifically from you for you are the greatest baker she knows. Mixing the sweet ingredients in a bowl, you stop the time to get the muffins out of the oven and place them on the counter. Turning again to mix the crêpe batter, you realize you forgot to add the nearly most important ingredient, sugar. However, before you can turn around, what feels like a rock hard wall comes into contact with your back, soon followed by two strong arms wrapping themselves around your smaller figure along with a burning kiss on your neck. Neuvillette inhales your perfume with a deep hum, causing some vibrations against the sensitive soft skin of your neck that made you tilt your head against his. "Well good morning to you too, love." His massive aura never failed at making you feel vulnerable and oh so tiny compared to his huge body that engulfed your own. With his head resting on your shoulder, including his lips still against your skin where he believes they belong, he only hummed as an answer. "Oh, are you still tired? Why didn't you sleep more?" When you caressed his cheek, your fingers brushed against his eyes, and felt that they were closed. "'Couldn't get any more sleep after you've left." He groaned with his morning voice. Letting out a chuckle that made Neuvillette open his tired eyes, he inhaled more of your sweet and natural fragrance he much adored and tightened his arms around your waist, adding even more kisses on your neck. "N-Neuvillette, I need to go check the rest of the muffins in the oven..." You began, "I can't move."

Even though he absolutely didn't wish to let go of his sweet lover at all, he obliged after giving your neck a last open-mouthed kiss. "But darling, why are you baking that quantity of sweets? We're only two here." He inquired as he leans against the counter, taking notice of the muffins fresh out of the oven placed beside him. "Oh it's not for us, it's for Navia's birthday. She asked me to bake her some pastries." He only hummed as an answer again, watching you travel all around the kitchen in your shorts and a sweatshirt you put on over your tank top when you got out of bed, baking with a smile never leaving your face. He eyed you up and down with a mix of love and desire, never looking away of your never ending moving figure. "Do you like that?" He suddenly asked. "Like what?" You replied, still focused on your baking. "Baking, do you like it?" He clarified.

Hearing his question, you turn around and find yourself in front of his tall body in the blink of an eye. As if it was something automatic, he naturally placed his calloused hand in the small of your back and pulled you close to him, only to place his big hands on your waist, stroking it with his coarse thumbs. "I absolutely love it! From the start to the end! From checking if you have all the ingredients, mixing them together, cooking it, decorated it and eat or offer it! I love it all about baking!" As he "listened" to you, it was impossible to miss the sparkles shining oh so brightly in your eyes, the way your charming lips he adores to kiss and coat with his thick hot cum moved as you spoke your passion and shared all the things you loved about it.

Glancing at the muffins beside him, you leaned forward to grab one, brushing lightly your chest against his shirtless and broad one, which resulted in growing his desire for you even more. "Here, taste this one!" You beamed as you offered him one of your sweets, not even knowing he didn't listen to a thing you blabbered about, for he wanted to taste only one thing. And it wasn't the muffin. His hand reached to your wrist, completely wrapping around it and bringing the sugary aliment you're holding to his mouth, finally taking a bite from it with a smirk. Your cheeks flushed for he was still looking into your eyes, while you looked away. "I carefully followed everything the recipe said, and that's also something I really enjoy about baki--" He cut you with a kiss. Neuvillette couldn't take it anymore, he did try his best to resist and listen to you but it just was beyond what he could do. Seeing you intimidated and affected by his actions looking this cute, no, oh boy he couldn't even imagine controlling himself. He replaced his hands on your waist with a single muscular arm, pulling you without delicacy even more close to him, lifting your head with a hand under your chin, fingers on both of your cheeks. He started walking forward slowly while kissing you like a starved man, each kiss more passionate than the previous, making you step back until you reached the counter on the other side where kept you between it and his robust body. "How about you taste it too, love?" Said the Iudex with his deep voice, "But I was talki-", before placing the hand that was on your chin behind your neck, gripping some of your hair to tilt your head backwards and kissing, no, devouring your mouth again. His other hand slid under your sweatshirt and tank top, caressing your skin with the feeling of his calloused hand you fell in love with.

Even though the fact that he didn't listen to a thing you said was quite upsetting, his hot and deep kisses made you forget it all, your mind was soon foggy and the more he kissed you, the more you got dizzy. Your arms slid behind his muscular back by themselves and felt his firm back muscles and large shoulders, sometimes your fingers getting entangled in his long and loose silver hair. Neuvillette finally detached his lips from yours, a string of saliva still connecting them. "It's delicious, truly." He complimented, giving you another kiss.

"Neuvillette! You didn't listen to me at all! Don't think I'll forgive you just like that!" You contested as you catched your breath, face all flushed and swollen red lips, trying to push Neuvillette away. It was no use though, he didn't budge at all. Except, you didn't expect him to lift you princess style and head upstairs to your room. "You'll tell me later, promise. But now, your muffins aren't the only thing I want to taste, dearest." Instead, he threw you back on the bed, a yelp escaping your throat. "But I didn't even finish baking..." You contested again, your voice however lowering and wrapping your arms around his neck, as his lips approached yours, eyelids slowly closing with his bulky figure towering over yours.

With those fervorous kisses of his, you finally abandoned yourself to him to enjoy a passionate morning~

<3

[nixie-writes]

I had asked this before

Human alastor with a s/o who comes from a greedy rich family in New Orleans in the 1920s, but they also fall in love with him.. and when they find out about his killings, they help him hide the bodies. (?)

Hello, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get to this!! I had a lot happen in a short amount of time and I got caught up in it but I'm back to writing for good now!

-mafias and gangs weren't uncommon in the roaring 20's. You see them everywhere - in clubs, bars and on soap boxes preaching their beliefs, almost like a religion to them.

-you came from one such family. A family of rich bastards who looked down on others from beneath their nose. From the moment you were born you never had to beg for anything, it was always yours.

-one thing you found yourself vying for was the attention of your boyfriend, Alastor. He was so busy with his radio shows he forgot to eat, so you'd bring him lunch. He always returned the favor with a peck on the cheek and an offer to play a song for you.

-lord knew you loved him but you wanted more than a spared glance when he was working. And why did he slip away at night when he thought you were asleep? You began sleuthing, using the riches you had at your disposal to learn as much as you could about the man as possible.

-it was maybe 2 in the morning one night, he was gone yet again and you couldn't sleep. The home you shared was too stuffy and hot, so you chose to take a stroll down a sidewalk, looking through your papers of evidence, trying to draw a clear conclusion as to why he acted so strangely.

-it was on your walk back home, tiredness finally settling in, that you heard a blood curdling shriek cut off by a gagging noise, then nothing. You stood still as a statue, as though you were sculpted by ice under the moonlight.

-you were too terrified to make a move for cover behind a hedge, you could only watch as a slim, tall figure dragged the limp body of an older man out into the moonlight, heaving as he did so. What took you by surprise wasn't the fact that the dead man was your boss, what grabbed your attention was the one dragging his body. It was Alastor.

-looking both ways to ensure no one could see you, you rushed up to Alastor, whispering his name in a hurried voice as you approached, praying he recognized you before you met the sharp end of his blade. Thankfully he realized who you were before he struck out in defense.

-"Alastor, what in god's name are you doing?! You could get caught!" you scolded him in a hushed voice. You weren't much bothered by the fact your dead boss was his doing, you were more concerned about him getting caught. Gripping the papers of evidence in your fists you realized it all made sense: the short interactions, slipping out at night, coming home in fresh clothes... He was a killer. And you'd be damned if anyone else found out.

-you took the shovel from Alastor's hand and pointed behind a hedge. "We've got to hide this body before it's found; are you going to help or stand there?" you asked him, pointing to a row of bushes. Snapping out of his stupor he nodded his head, hauling the bloody mass behind the bushes. You got to work digging the hole while Alastor made quick work of cleaning up the blood trail he'd left behind. When you were both done you kicked your boss' body into the hole. You never much liked him, and almost considered what Alastor had done to be a favor. You took one of Alastor's bloody napkins and wiped your hands.

-before you could turn to walk back to the home you shared Alastor grabbed you by the shoulders. "Dear, let me be honest; I've been doing this longer than I've known you, and if you risk me being caught I'm afraid I'll have to take you out of the picture. Can I trust you to keep this little secret between us?"

-maybe it was the sadism buried deep inside you, maybe you were a little gone yourself. You nodded your head solemnly, sticking out a pinkie finger. "We're partners, Alastor. You'd be more efficient if we worked together," you promised him. He hugged you gently, then took your bloodier hand. "Shall we go home and wash this off?" he inquired. You smiled up at him. "Yes, let's."

[very-lonely-ghost]

Lip Biter

Parring: Mizu x reader - established relationship

Warming: SFW, Fluff, Blood, Fighting, Lip biting, Swearing, slight hits to sexual themes,

About: you had a lip biting habit and not in the sexual way in the way where you would peel the skin of your lips and bite them will they bleed. Mizu being the good partner she is helps you with your habits.

word count: 0.8K

A/N: Hello again, this idea popped up in my head because I am a lip biter, so I wrote this and desisted to share it with you all. So, enjoy. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mizu and you had been together for a while, and over that time you learn little nicks that each of you have. One thing Mizu noticed about you was that you bite your lip a lot. Not in a seductive way but in a way, you would bite the skin of your lips off.

There had been sometimes where you bit and tear off skin from your lip to the point it bleeds. 

There was one time in particular when you did it though. 

~~~

It was a normal day, where you worked on something while Mizu sat with you relaxing from a day of traveling. You were biting your lip thinking hard on what you were working on. 

You kept scraping your teeth along your lips to the point where you tore up some skin. Though it didn’t stop you.  You kept doing it til you tasted blood in our mouth. 

You grumbled and Mizu looked over at you. She saw your sad eyes and looked to your lips to see the blood dripping from them. She smiles sadly, then shuffles over to you to help with it. 

“I’ sorry I didn’t mean to-” You started looking to the side

“It’s ok love, I know you don't mean to do it.” She said tilting your head to her. 

Something you had noticed over the time you had been with Mizu is that she is very soft and kind. You honestly couldn't tell at all why people called her a demon. 

You melted into her touch and looked at her with sadness. You were upset that you couldn’t stop your habit. 

“I try to, but I can’t stop it. No matter what I-” Mizu cut off your rambling with a soft kiss to your lips. It truly shut you up as you closed your eyes kissing her back. Mizu licked the blood from your lips and then retreated to her stop. 

“Again love, it's ok” She smiled at you. A light blush rushed across your face from Mizu’s act. 

~~~

Though it made her a bit upset that it would hurt you sometimes, she understood it was a habit that you had for a while. To be honest with herself she kind of adored your cracked lips and how you licked them a lot trying to stop yourself from biting them. 

She also couldn't help how cute it was when you bit too hard so your lip bled. She couldn’t help how cute you looked when you looked at her with those sad eyes as blood dyed your lips a bright red. 

Though she kinda adored how cute you looked when looking at her with a bleeding lip she trys to help you from hurting yourself. 

~~~

You were leaning against a beam as Ringo and Taigen bickered about who knows what. You had spaced out and started to bite your lip as you offended did.

Mizu walked in the room to see what the two of the men fighting were about. Though when her eyes saw you, she stopped and smiled to herself, till she noticed you spaced out and biting your lip. She smiled softly, forgetting about the two idiots and going to you instead. 

As you were spaced you didn't hear or take in Mizu’s presents. 

Mizu realized that and figured you were truly out of it. Now knowing what to do, she went to you and cupped your face to bring you in for a soft kiss. It was short but sweet and it brought you back. Well at least to you and Mizu’s little space. You forgot about the two men fighting only focusing on your wonderful partner. 

“You were spaced out and biting your lip again love.” She explained with a soft voice she only used with you. 

It warmed your heart and made the tips of your ears a slight red. 

Though the moment was ruined when….

“GET A ROOM” Yelled out Taigen look at you and Mizu. 

Mizued looked at him with a pissed off expression, as you hid your face in her chest. 

“Oh, don’t even act like you're so innocent either.” She spat with venom. “We don’t want to hear you, dipshit.” 

The two of them now got into an argument though Mizu’s arms raped around you. It made you feel safe and forget about the yelling. She held onto you tight, keeping you close as she yelled at Taigen. 

~~~

In the end she solved your lip biting and was patient and helpful with trying to break your habit. She never made you feel bad about your habit, she always made you feel like you are doing the best you can. You honestly couldn’t ask for anyone better. Neith could Mizu. You were made for each other and loved it very much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N Thank you please tell me if you have any ideas and Have a Nice day.

[sha-n-dowbannedlol]

Miguel O'Hara — Please Don't Say You Love Me

cw: i cant stop thinking about him, so i wrote a one shot. but i also have a love-hate relationship with him, so i made it angsty.

Miguel O'Hara.

There isn't anyone in the Spider Society who hasn't heard of him: The Big Boss. He's strict, overworked, reserved, and has a bit of a temper—not that anyone would ever say that to his face.

However, to the select few who were close to him, they knew something more about Miguel O'Hara that they could never tell anyone else.

Miguel O'Hara, Spider-Man of Earth-928B, is hopelessly in love with you.

And that alone is bad enough for Miguel. But would you like to know something even worse?

He knows you're in love with him too.

He was the first to fall, that much he knew, and he was okay with that. He simply admired you from afar, enduring the teasing glances and knowing smirks Jess and Ben would throw his way, and the unbearable teasing from Lyla and Peter B.

Slowly but surely, however, he started to notice the way your eyes would shine brightly every time you caught a glimpse of him. The way you started to have a pep in your step when you made your way to report to him. His enhanced hearing could even pick up the way your breath hitched in your throat or the way your heart skipped a beat.

Miguel then realized he had to put a stop to this......whatever might possibly develop.

From then on, he avoided you like a plague—which wasn't all that hard, but it led him to confine himself to his office more than he already did. Every communication he had with you remained professional, and he merely answered your inquiries with short quips, ending the conversation sooner than it had begun.

He was harsher with you than he was with others, overworked you. He did everything in his power to push you away from him, to make you lose interest in him, to hate him.

That didn't work, however. That much he figured out when he overheard your conversation with another Peter Parker, who pointed out his attitude towards you.

He forgot that you were a spider person; the epitome of hope, plenty stubborn, and more positive than he would have liked you to be.

"That just means he sees more potential in me and trusts in my abilities greatly, doesn't it?" You responded then, and even if Miguel couldn't see you, he could almost imagine the smile on your face.

Miguel walked away before he could even think of falling for you even more.

Both of you were never supposed to meet, never supposed to fall in love.

He reminded himself, his fists clenched, as he made his way down the halls of the Spider Society—the society that he had built himself to save the multiverse.

That's right. To save the multiverse, not to destroy it.

"But wouldn't you at least like to try?" The man was swift to put his hand up and wave Lyla away.

"No," Miguel's response was final, his brows scrunching together in annoyance, ignoring the ache in his chest.

Interweave enough universes, versions of himself fall in love with enough versions of yourself, and he might end up being the cause of the universal collapse instead of maintaining it.

His decision was final. His resolve was absolute.

Yet, he found his breath hitching in his throat when he saw you approach him, your determined gaze boring through his, your clenched fists at your sides, and he could hear your elevated heartbeat—one that he could clearly deduce was due to nervousness.

"Miguel," you called out, and he could hear the shakiness in your voice, "There's something I need to tell you."

Just like that, he already knew why you were here.

And he can't. He can't let you say those words. He already knew how you feel towards him, but if he hears it coming from you........ if he hears you say that you love him.............

He stops the thought, not even wanting to think about it.

"I'm sorry," he wasn't sorry at all, "I'm busy. Can this wait for another time?"

He turned his back toward you, pretending to focus on the number of screens before him. His eyes scanned through the information being displayed by the soft orange light, but his brain couldn't process any of it.

"It won't be long, Miguel." You pleaded, and he winced to himself. "I just wanted to tell you that I-"

"Por favor," Miguel rasped out exasperatedly, turning his head to the side as he gazed at you from the corner of his eye, "no digas que me quieres."

You didn't understand his words, that much he knew. Still, the tone of his voice must have been enough for you to back down, and he caught a glimpse of you smiling helplessly as you shook your head.

"Alright..." you spoke, "Maybe next time, then."

Miguel merely turned his head to focus back on his work, maintaining his facade until he could no longer hear your retreating footsteps. Only then did he allow his shoulders to slump over, burying his face in his hands as he repeatedly muttered 'esto es para lo mejor' to himself like a mantra.

If he repeated it over and over again, maybe it would lessen the pain in his heart.

If he repeated it over and over again, maybe one day he'll be strong enough to hear those words from you and not pull you into his arms and press his lips to yours.

If he repeated it over and over again, maybe one day he'll muster enough courage to reject your love.

If he repeated it over and over again, then maybe he would eventually fully believe that this truly was for the best.

[meazalykov]

redirection V

esmee brugts x reader

last chapter: redirection IV

next chapter: redirection VI

esmee and I arrived at the beach just as the sun hit its peak in the day. luckily the heat wasn’t this intense during the recovery training earlier, or else we would’ve been exhausted. the moist air was filled with the sound of gentle waves. a few children were laughing as they were playing volleyball a few feet away. 

my heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and nerves as i walked alongside esmee, after we grabbed our things from the trunk of my car. she looked stunning with her blue jean shorts and white linen button up. 

i wore an oversized white linen button up too, with matching linen pants. almost matching with my barcelona teammate– and crush. yes, i will finally admit that to myself.

"this place is beautiful– I came here with my mom and brother when they visited here a few weeks ago." esmee said, her eyes sparkling as she looked around. i looked at her with a faint smile as i see the shimmer in her eyes. it's clear that she misses her family just as much as I missed mine. 

"it is, and awe that sounds nice." I replied, trying to keep my voice steady as we stepped on the hot sand. luckily i am wearing my birkenstock sandals but the sand still hits the top of my feet.

we found a quiet spot not too far from the parking areas and set up our beach chairs. we laid down towels and unpacked a small cooler (thanks to esmee) filled with drinks and snacks. 

the beach wasn't too crowded, thankfully, giving us a sense of privacy. we haven’t been in barcelona for too long, but many femeni fans have recognized us outside of the stadium before. 

after setting up, we were able to lay down on our beach chairs. the sun hit the front of my body and i felt relaxed. 

esmee reclined on her chair, her black sunglasses perched on her nose. she appeared relaxed but I had a feeling that she was just as nervous as I was. 

i couldn't help but steal glances at her as she closed her eyes from the bright sun. the sunlight danced on her hair, which was unbraided since she took her braids out in her apartment.

i recline my chair and turned my head to the side, covering my eyes with my hands due to the sun. at first, i grabbed a cold water bottle from the cooler before  trying to subtly peek at esmee, who seemed to be dozing off.

suddenly, she giggled, startling me. "why are you staring at me?" she asked, a playful tone in her voice. she raised her sunglasses to her forehead as she could fully see me without the shade. 

my eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat, and my mind fumbled for an excuse. "i... i was just, um, making sure you were comfortable," I stammered, feeling my cheeks flush as I looked away towards the water.

she smiled, her eyes still closed. "you're sweet," she said softly, making my heart flutter even more.

after soaking up the sun for a while, i figured it was time for a swim. "do you want to go in the water?" i asked, standing up and removing my white linen button up and pants to reveal my red bikini. 

i felt a bit self-conscious but was unaware of esmee's gaze lingering on my body. she didn’t speak as her brown eyes checked me out.

"sure," she replied after my head turned from looking out to the water to facing her. 

i smiled at her before pulling away and spotted the sunscreen poking out of one of our tote bags. “esmee!! I just realized that we forgot to put on sunscreen!” 

my hands reached for the can of sunscreen out of the bag. esmee watched me as i sprayed my body all around the front of myself with sunscreen. 

the dutch girl notices me struggling to spray sunscreen on my back. i didn’t ask for help, but esmee stands up and pulls off her shorts and button-up– revealing her navy blue swimsuit—  before she grabs the can away from my hands gently. 

“here i’ll help you.” she offers. i held my hair up from my back as she sprayed the back of my body. i couldn’t help but feel a nervous tingle in my stomach. 

esmee gave the can of sunscreen back to me and I returned the offer for her. 

after we were finished, we walked down to the water together– slowly due to the sinking sand below our feet.  the cool waves started lapping at our feet, i felt a growing sense of ease. 

“the water is cold!” i held my waist as we walked further into the water. esmee didn’t respond verbally, but she did nod her head in agreement. 

after a few minutes of our bodies getting used to the slightly cool water– we started to swim around enjoying the refreshing sea. the playful atmosphere that followed eased our shyness, and for a while, i forgot about my nerves.

at some point, esmee splashed me with the water, and in retaliation, I lunged onto her body, causing us both to fall into the water, laughing uncontrollably after we came up from the water.

“esmee what the heck!” i laughed, unaware that my legs wrapped around her waist. i don’t think she is aware that she is holding onto my legs as well. 

“i’m sorry I couldn’t help it!!” she laughs. my legs unwrap around her waist before we (silently) agreed to head out of the water. 

after tanning for a few hours– the evening came, and we decided to grab dinner at a nearby beachside café. we found a cozy spot with a view of the ocean that we just swam in. 

“you know– i’m starting to like it here.” I talked to esmee. we got onto the topic about moving to barcelona after transferring from our childhood clubs a month ago. 

“you hated it here?” esmee’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

“oh no! i never did– its just—- i’ve never been here before. it was hard getting used to this place– but the team is making it so much easier for me,” i responded. 

“ohh that makes sense. i got used to it here after a week or so, i grew up coming to barcelona with my uncle and brother–they’re barcelona fans– so i was already familiar with things here.” esmee spoke. i took a sip of my water as i looked at her with a faint smile. 

“that sounds fun. america isn’t really close to here, and my family always chose mexico, costa rica, or jamaica for their summer vacations– so i’ve never been to europe until now.” i frown. esmee’s eyes widened as i said the last part. 

“no way?! not even for international breaks?” esmee asked. 

“no, the only european team i played a friendly against was germany– and they came to miami to play us.” i shrugged my shoulders at the memory. 

even though i wasn’t called up to the world cup by vlatko for the world cup, he still gave me the opportunity to represent the uswnt multiple times. my first cap was against australia in november 2021, the same game I scored my first goal for my country. 

I have a thing for scoring in my debuts...

“well, during the champions league competition we will all show you around new places and you can even come to the netherlands at some point with me, i’ll be happy to show you around.” esmee smiled. 

“i’ll take you up on those offers, thank you es.” i joked around before thanking her.

as we finished our meal, i had to drive esmee home. the ride was quiet with her aux playing throughout. esmee was on her phone but i’ve managed to take a stolen glances towards her. 

“i had a really great time today," i said as i put the car ignition in park. esmee looked at my hands before looking at me with a smile. my voice was soft but sincere.

"me too, i needed some time away from the pitch and my apartment" she replied, smiling at me as we both giggled at her relatable comment.

“thats true, if you’re ever bored. please text me to hang out, i’ll probably be bored in my apartment too.” i smiled. 

“what about berry and maca?” esmee said. i placed my hands into my lap before turning my body to face hers in the passenger seat. 

“they’d love your company.” i smiled as i looked into her eyes. she looks away from me and smiles before looking out the window to her apartment for a few seconds. 

observing her actions– i wondered if she felt the same way as i did for her. 

remembering what (almost) happened in my apartment earlier– i suddenly had the courage to be bolder when she looks back at me. we didn’t say anything for a few seconds. all i heard and felt was my heart beating in my chest. 

without thinking, my body leaned over the car’s console and i kissed her on the cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin against my lips. 

her eyes widened in surprise, a smile spreading across her face as i pulled away. at first, she didn’t say anything, which scared me. 

she looked at me before i felt both of her hands grab my right. 

"we should do this again, y/n" she said, her voice just as soft.

"definitely," I nodded, my heart racing.

we shared a lingering look before she stepped out of the car. i got out of the car to help her get her things from my trunk. she insisted that i didn’t need to help her bring her things to her apartment– but i still did. she waved me goodbye as she drove away, but something inside of me wished we were at the stage where i didn’t have to leave. 

next chapter: redirection VI

<3

[stubz]

"So path it is?" asked Pollix looking up at the steep forest hill.

"That'll take so long though..." whined Zyz.

"Why don't we just climb it?" buzzed Xw.

"Because...not everyone can make it." hinted Pollix.

"Yeah, and we don't want to-"

"What do you guys mean? It's easy! Even Marl could make that and their tiny-"

"Xw!" "They're right there!" the two hissed frantically pointing to Anthony and Malaika who stand to the side looking at some plants.

"...aw I forgot about them. Do we have to bring them?"

"Teacher Kim said that we need to stay in a group."

"And we can't just leave them, they don't have any claws or extra limbs or anything to protect themselves with!"

"Or to climb with..." Xw muttered.

The younglings stood there silent for a moment trying to figure out how they could help their friends up the very steep hill...if you could call it that. It was almost vertical at some parts and even though Xw said it was easy it would still be a bit tricky for the younglings.

"...We could carry them?" Pollix offered.

"Malaika maybe but Anthony is too big! He's bigger than you."

"What if we tossed done some roots from the top? Like rope!"

"That could work-"

"Hey guys! Hurry up!" called Anthony, he and Malaika almost half way up the steep hill.

"...race ya!" hollers Xw before they scuttle up the hill.

"Hey!"

"No fair!"

All three of them easily passed their human friends. Xw's 4 legs making it easy to climb the near vertical parts. Zyz and Pollix run on all fours, their claws dig into the dirt allowing them to run easily.

Every now and then they would glance down to adjust their pace so as to not leave Anthony and Malaika behind. It was strange to see them climb the hill, they had no claws yet managed just fine by using roots as handles and rope, it was like seeing larger versions of Marl climb. Save for the lack of tail and fur.

"Looks like I win!" grins Pollix just a few feet away from the top.

"Not for long!" cackle Zyz and Xw grabbing a hold of his tail and clothes. The younglings wrestle and fight and all topple onto each other on the top of the hill. They chuff and chirp and snort whit wide smiles on their faces.

...chuff, chirp, snort...where's the laugh?

"Anthony help!"

"I'm trying! J-just stay there!"

"I'm slipping!!"

Peering over the edge they look and look until they see their friends down the hill, about 10 feet down 5 feet to the left...right at the most steepest part of the hill. It seems Malaika had took a different path and was now stuck clinging for dear life on a tiny root that was slowing being pulled out. Anthony was going as fast as he could to her to try and pull her to the safer parts but he too was soon stuck.

Quickly Xw scuttled down to Malaika and grabbed her, frantically pulling her up but alas they were too small to carry her higher.

Pollix and Zyz skidded down and slowly yet surely guided Anthony to the safer parts where he could safely grab on to some roots to climb.

With Anthony now safe they went to Malaika to try and help Xw carry her up or to the side.

.

"You good Xw?"

"Yeah...I hope Zyz comes back with Teacher Kim though." they huffed.

After many terrifying attempts of trying to bring Malaika to somewhere safer on the hill they realized three things. One, the area Malaika was standing was too steep for her to climb onto Pollix or Zyz's back. Two, both boys needed both hands when climbing there so they couldn't grab her hand and pull her higher up to safety. Three, Anthony still couldn't make it to the top and as the biggest couldn't be carried or pulled to the top. In short, both humans were stuck.

"I got Teacher Kim!" Zyz yelled scrambling up the hill.

"...where is she?"

"...still at the bottom of the hill..."

"Zyz! She'll probably need help like-"

"Coming through! Can't stop the momentum!" yells Kim running up the hill on all fours. She goes until she reaches Malaika, grabs her, sits down and slides down the hill.

"..." "..." "..." "...Miss Kim what about m-?!"

The teacher climbs back up, this time slower, taking time to find roots to grab and dig her fingers into the dirt for better grip when she could find none. Malaika clings onto her back, much like Marl would do with his mom.

When she reaches Anthony she first boosts Malaika up to the roots they can't reach and has Pollix help her up to the top. Anthony goes next with some help with from Zyz and Xw until finally she herself goes.

"So what did we learn today?"

"...don't go off the path." the children mumbled.

"Because...?"

"Not everyone can do what other's can do."

"Good. Now let's go, I look like I crawled through the wilderness for miles." she chuckled looking at the dirt caked hands and clothes.

"...so in a few years you'll be able to do that?" Xw asks Anthony.

"I guess."

"My daddy can do that too! He climbs mountains without rope!" Malaika proudly declares.

"...should have brought your dad here then."

[strrykais]

die with a smile

a hwang hyunjin short story

week four

it was intense, the air in the room was stiff. hyunjin felt a bead of sweat on the tip of his hairline. his heart was racing a millions miles a minute, he almost forgot that he was supposed to be breathing.

"BINGO I WIN" jisung yells out throwing his single card in the air. causing the group around him to groan.

"come on i was one away!" you groan throwing down the dabber leaning your head on his shoulder. hyunjin smiles down at you gently patting your hair. hes gotten closer to you and jisung, whenever you would go missing he would always find himself in the room of han jisung.

hyunjin grew to love his time with you, being in here for almost a month. he learned that yeah maybe he does have cancer but he could continue to dwell on that or live each moment till the fullest. he learned that from you if he was being honest. your laughter, your smile, the way your eyes shined when you painted or when you watched him draw.

both of you hung out at your secret hangout spot. which wasn't a secret when jisung walked in after following you both in here. hyunjin was in the middle of drawing you when you asked a question.

"have you ever been in love?" you softly ask. the question threw him for a loop.

"uh no, sometimes i feel like i don't even know what it feels like or if i can love someone enough." he says. if he was being honest he never had a true representation of love. his parents divorced when he was little and his mom wasn't exactly the motherly figure he would of hoped. "have you? you know been in love."

"yes, though i never got the chance to tell him." you say with a sad smile. looking away from you, hyunjin felt jealous, maybe he was jealous that you got to experience love. or maybe he was jealous that you loved someone. he didnt want to think to hard on it.

"oh why not?" he wondered if you would tell him. he started to realized he knew very little about you even though you know quite a lot about him. he just wanted to feel close to you.

"i never got the chance to say it and i didn't think it was a right time to express that to him." you sigh "are you almost done im getting tired."

"yeah, go rest. we can finish this another day." hyunjin gives you a smile while you slowly make your way out.

hyunjin noticed you were more tired recently. when he asked you about it you told him that the doctors put you on a new prescription, and it made you really exhausted. even if you are tired you tried to not let it affect the mood.

hyunjin tried his best to not worry about it but he couldn't help but walk past your room whenever you were napping. or sit in the chair by your bed till you woke up. he was starting to get worried that he couldn't go a day without seeing you. you just carried this aura around you that made him want to continue to hang around.

hyunjin was lost in thought when his doctor came up to him asking if he had time to talk.

hyunjin and his doctor sit back in the office where he sat a month ago.

"how have you been this week? feeling okay?" the doctor asks while looking through his file.

"yeah i no longer feel sick when taking that medicine." hyunjin says picking at the skin around his nails.

"thats great to hear, so i was talking to your nurses and they think as well as i, you are free to be discharged. we called in your guardian to come sign you out, he said he should be here in a hour or so." the doctor says with a smile but slowly frowns when he see the look on the boys face. "hyunjin you should be happy why do you look so upset?"

"no i- um im just in shock, is it okay if i head out to say bye." hyunjin says while standing up out of his chair.

"yeah go ahead, it was lovely taking care of you, if you feel off or anything dont be afraid to come see me. also we are gonna need you to come back in a week for a check up if that okay." hyunjin nods rushing out the door to make his way to you.

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tags : @hannamoon143 @jellyleggz @tajannah-price1 @skzfelixlove @kkamismom12 @mafiulaputaama

[xcerizex]

"I don't know what yearning is."

A doozy trip to the future confuses Cael more than it frightens him.

(young Cael, Cael x little painter, suggestive, super short, self-indulgent, 1k+ words.)

Cael has never quite liked dreaming. He has no control over it, and more often than not they leave him confused. Thankfully, here in the Infinite Empire, dreams are less than scarce.

Still, he can't always avoid them.

So when he opens his eyes to an unfamiliar room, he can't stop his chest twisting in slight annoyance. But when he soon realizes that he can move around with ease and at will, he calms down.

He tries to get out of this dream, searching for a quick way for his spirit to escape, but quickly finds out that he can't do that. Some other spirit seems to be tying his own to this dream. So instead of getting frustrated, Cael takes the opportunity to look around. At least this time, he has the freedom of movement, he is grateful for that at least.

Scanning the area, he takes the liberty to take in his surroundings. It's early in the morning, and the room is decorated with and abundance of trivial and unnecessary things, such as the wind-chime hanging on the ceiling, the vase of blue roses on a coffee table, and a biological being he has identified as a "cat".

As if sensing his gaze, the cat gives him one glance over, stretches itself, and falls down the couch with a loud "THUMP".

The cat yowls at him as if demanding comfort, but Cael ignores it.

He looks up at the ceiling, sensing that his spirit has been tied to whatever is up there. Climbing up the stairs, he makes his way to the upper floor to investigate his current situation. He doubts it's a dangerous one, but it can't hurt to know.

The upper floor is less spacious, and the owner's sense of personality seems to shine throughout the entire house even more. He deduces they must be the carefree and cheerful sort, but when he catches the whiff of wisterias, he figures that there must be more than one person living here.

He reaches the bedroom, sensing that the spirit is here, and he hesitates in front of the door before pushing it open.

...Or at least he tries too, it doesn't work and he falls through the solid instead.

'That's right, I almost forgot this was a dream.'

That was rather careless of him.

He catches himself right before he falls flat on his face, and adjusts himself awkwardly. Mistakes like that while as insignificant as they are, are a sign of impropriety and lack of discipline in the Empire. Had he been back at the base, he surely would have suffered more than a scolding from his supervisors.

But when he looks over at the other side of the room, Cael throat bobs as he can't help but swallow hard.

He recognizes the people sleeping on the bed.

Cael, a seemingly older version of him, has his arms wrapped around a young woman with dark purple hair. He watches as "he" tightens his hold over her, embracing her, and pulling her closer in his sleep almost as if his body couldn't bear to be apart from her even unconsciously. And the woman in turn holds him with as much longing as his older self does, nuzzling closer into the crook of his neck.

But what has him startled are the lack of clothes they wear.

Try as he might to keep a straight face, his ears start to flush a vibrant red, and Cael can practically hear the blood thrumming in his head, distracting him in earnest.

Still, at least he knows why he's here now. He braves a sneak peek at his older self, and again resists from running out of the room. The more he looks at them, the more uncomfortable he feels, and he'd like to get out as soon as possible.

Cael hears the unnaturally annoying biological specimen from downstairs cry like a banshee, which causes the couple to stir in their sleep.

"Hm..."

The girl mumbles incoherently, pressing closer to "him", and Cael feels his waist tingle with some strange feeling he would rather forget, the skin on his body warming at the same spot she touched on a person that wasn't him, even though it technically is. In contrast, the older him doesn't seem to mind at all, and pulls the blanket over them closer, as if to protect the warmth of their closeness, creating a cocoon of affection.

Still, the amount of indecency his older self has indulged in is absolutely blasphemous. Such a clear lack of indecency makes him want to yell out in frustration, in response to all the discipline the Empire has beaten down into his bones.

Cael wonders what sort of future is this, a future where the he can hold someone else with such care and adoration. Is this person free? Bewitched? The latter seems unlikely, knowing how well his mentality has developed a resistance against such attacks.

He almost feels jealous, envy stewing on the inside for a bird that has broken out of its cage.

Cael hears the cat scream again and the other him finally starts to wake, opening his eyes blearily. His loosened grip in turn only makes the girl clutch him harder, as she too starts to gain consciousness.

Whether they could see him or not in his dream form, he doesn't want to find out and finally makes up his mind to flee from the room. As the older him starts to regain his bearings slowly, Cael slowly feels his spirit being unbound, going back to the place where his corporeal form resides. Back to the Infinite Empire.

It contrast to the dream he just had, the room he wakes up to is cold and empty. Empty in a sense that there is not a trace of warmth to be found, not even on the bed he lays.

No surprises there, his body has always been cold to begin with. But maybe that's not the problem.

When Cael finally awakens fully, he is startled. Hands reaching upwards as if trying to grasp something intangible, but he doesn't know what exactly.

He feels an unfamiliar feeling stir in his chest, making him feel hollow, aching, and thinks it may be human desire.

Desire for what?

[romana-after-dark]

Finish the Job

Yandere!Jake Lockley x GN!reader

Join Dark!Romana's tag list

Dark!Romana's Masterlist

Summary: After months living in a room with only Jake, Steven and Marc as company, you can't say you aren't content most of the time. Sometimes, however you make a little trouble and Jake reminds you that he is the only one who can keep you safe.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Yandere!Jake. Reader is kidnapped. Implied/referenced rape (reader 'never said no' according to jake, but rather just gave in after an unclosed amount of time bc they were lonely/manipulated. The circumstances of this are v vague but remember, if you feel like you have to, its not consent.) Jake Lockley typical violence. Referenced past abuse.

A/N: I began writing this fem reader, as most of my fics are since I am fem, but I realized there was no reason this couldn't be gender neutral. So, that's what it is. If I missed changing anything that makes it seem like reader is fem presenting, lmk and I'll edit it but I looked through this several times.

*************************

You couldn’t say the bed was uncomfortable. You couldn’t say the room was bland or boring. You couldn’t say you had nothing to do. It was a great room, actually. If you were being honest, you loved it here…

The problem was you couldn’t leave. When the man had taken you, it took a while to figure out what was going on with him; it was Steven that explained it, the DID. Honestly, maybe the mental disorder should have scared you more, but you were well versed in different disorders so it wasn’t something that phased you, rather than just made it a challenge to navigate your situation. You were given book after book after book to read, to entertain you when outside of Marc Steven and Jake’s company; it didn't matter how many you went through, you just had them. If you were feeling brave, you made requests but honestly after the boredom of the first month while you were still fighting it, you took what you could get. You were even given a laptop, although it couldn’t possibly connect to the internet, but you were writing. They didn’t even make you show them what you wrote, but Steven would often sit on the bed while you read to him your poems or short stories. You were saving your novel for when it’s finished.

Some days were better than others. 

Some days you and Steven talked for hours.

Some days you and Marc marathonned Star Wars.

Some days Jake held you so warm and so tightly you forgot they kidnapped you.

Today was not one of those days.

You were angry, you were upset, you missed your friends and you missed the outside, you wanted fresh air and you didn’t want to spread your legs for a man that took you away from everything you knew and wanted. 

“Why are you giving me so much fucking attitude today?!” Jake shouts at you, pacing the floor of your room so aggressively he had your throw rug all twisted up.

You were sat up on your bed, shouting back. “You KIDNAPPED ME, you HURT ME you RAPE ME-”

“CALLATE!” He screamed, storming towards you so fast you flinch and scramble back to the wall. “You know I don’t like when you call it that!”

A sardonic laugh. “What? Rape?”

“I never forced you! I never held you down! I never got you too drunk or high to resist-”

“YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, WHAT OTHER OPTION DID I HAVE!”

His face is suddenly right up to yours, so close your nose brushed his briefly as he speaks in a dark, quiet voice. “I never heard you say no, mi vida”

He was right. You hadn’t. But they had worn you down, twisted your mind so much that eventually you just began… giving in.

He continued talking, his voice rumbling with the low octive “I only hurt you in the beginning, carino. Just until you began to listen. You needed it, didn’t you? Someone to take you away from everything, take care of you, feed you. Baby, we adore you, and it hurts us when you fight like this.”

Your eyes wheeled up with tears at his words. It’s true, you had become so dependent on them… you weren’t sure you could even shower alone anymore. You’d be lucky if you remembered how to toast bread. Sickeningly, a part of you liked it. You liked he cared for, pampered, adored, and fuck, worshiped. You had time to write, time to listen to music and podcasts. If you need to look up something for a book or research something from a podcast that interested you, you just asked, and the boys would monitor you. You didn’t really need anything except some goddamn freedom. What was that they said in The Handmaid’s Tale? There’s freedom too, and freedom from… They offered you freedom from, and made that clear.

“The world is dangerous, precioso. You know that as well as I do… perhaps better.” With a cocked eyebrow, Jake referenced your past trauma’s, forcing the tears to spill over. “You are too precious, too perfect to be put at risk again. Your family didn’t protect you, but I will.”

Still, you are ever-defiant, shaking your head. “N-no… you aren’t protecting me. You’re hurting me…” but even then, you couldn’t manage much conviction. You hadn’t so much as burned your tongue since Steven, Marc, and Jake took you, and he was right… the rest was just discipline. 

Jake frowned, but simple stood up. He went over to your desk, taking out a Glee notepad he’d found on ebay for you and a pen, tossing them in your direction.

“Write them down, all the names.”

You look at him confused. “W-what names?”

He stalked forward, once again close to you.

“Give me the full name of anyone who has ever hurt you or touched you without your consent.” His gaze was focused, intense. You knew he was on a mission when he looked at you like that.

“I don’t… I don’t know all their full names…”

“If you have workplace addresses, any identifying information that’s helpful. I promise you, I’ll take whatever you give me and I will find them. Every single person who has ever caused you pain.”

“What are you going to do?” You didn’t really need to ask, but you did anyway.

“You and I both know. Now write.”

The list was long, longer than any one person’s list should be. A few, you only remembered their first name so you wrote down what you knew… Jake had his ways. Still, you had some cheek in you, and when Jake looked at the paper, he frowned.

“What the fuck is this.” He smacked the paper with his hand. After the list of people who had violated or harmed you before you came here, were three names Jake recognized right away.

Jake Lockley

Steven Grant

Marc Spector

“You told me to write the names of anyone who hurt me or touched me without-” SMACK! Your head flung to the side from the backhand, and when your turned back to face him, his hand gripped your throat.

“You think this is funny, carino?” His face pressed against yours. “How do you think Marc would feel if he saw his name on that list?”

Your lip quivered at that… you didn’t want Marc to see. Marc was special to you, and Jake knew it; he often exploited your relationship with his alter for his own benefit.

“I’m sorry” You cried, apologetic.

His grip on you loosened, and he looked back at you with sympathetic eyes. Letting go, he tore the bottom three names off the paper and tucked the offenders into his pocket. “I know you are, amor. Now, you sit here pretty, and don’t worry about a damn thing for the rest of your life, si?”

It took about a month. He never left you for more than one day at a time, but he always made sure you had food and were provided for, even giving you access to the bathroom. You didn’t dare even look for an exit; they wouldn’t have left anything vulnerable, and you were on camera, you knew. It would just cause trouble.

It was after one of those such nights where you were alone that he came back to you, still somehow looking put together after being out all night. You knew he hadn’t slept. You awake to his footsteps, heavy boots on your polished hard wood floor. As you stir, a piece of paper is placed on your pillow.

Sitting up you rub your eyes. “Jake, what’s- ” But you are stopped in the middle of your sentence. Every single name is crossed out on the list you had given him. “Does… does what mean they are dead?”

He steps forward, slipping to stand between your knees and bedding over, placing his hands on your thighs. His face was intensely close to yours, dark eyes piercing yours. You lean forward, accepting him in, existing in his precise. Jake did this for you. You were safe here, none of these people could hurt you… but because they had, whether months ago or decades, it didn’t matter. They were dead because they had crossed you, because they had dared to touch what Jake Lockley laid claim to. Jake, Marc and Steven… they were where you belonged.

 “Jake Lockley finishes the job.”

**************

@my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @howaboutcastiel @the-fox-den @fandxmslxt69

[lenawritesfandom]

Silver Springs {Adam x f reader}

fandom: hazbin hotel shipping: adam x female reader warnings: swearing, suggestive scenes, cheating, minors dni summary: you're part of the band and adam breaks your heart word count: 596 a/n: this song and scenario has been stuck in my head forever now. i know this is short but i hope you enjoy nonetheless.

{You could be my silver spring Blue-green colors flashin' I would be your only dream Your shinin' autumn ocean crashin' Don't say that she's pretty And did you say that she loved you? Baby, I don't want to know} You were a back up singer in Adam's band. You've been told that you were only there because Adam wanted to fuck you and that was it. Which was why for the longest time you tried to ignore his advances but he was quite persuasive. The man was funny, he knew how to make you laugh, cry, and bring you out of your shell. At first you'd only spend time with him during band practice or the moments the band would just party and hang out. He eventually got you to agree to go out on a real date with him. Everything seemed to be going good and you finally started to become vulnerable with him.

{So I'll begin not to love you Turn around, see me runnin' I'll say I loved you years ago Tell myself you never loved me, no Don't say that she's pretty And did you say that she loved you? Baby, I don't want to know Oh no And can you tell me was it worth it? Baby, I don't want to know} You and Adam moved in with each other after 6 months of dating. You figured it could be fun, and a great way to grow your relationship stronger, right? Everything was perfect. His kisses against your lips or the crook of your neck. The way his hand slid down your body and the way he had a trick with his fingers and tongue that brought you to the sense of Euphoria as you cried out his name. {Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me I know I could have loved you But you would not let me Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you Give me just a chance You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you}

One day you go out with one of your friends. A fellow winner just as you. You told him you'd be out all day and you were going to. You and your friend spent all morning walking around shops. You saw a cool leather jacket you thought Adam would have enjoyed wearing during a concert but you realized you forgot your wallet at home. "I will be back, I'm just going to run home and grab my wallet." Your friend offered to pay for it and you just pay her back but you told her you'd rather use your own money. So, you left and would later wonder if you'd rather have just paid her back. Stay in ignorance bliss with Adam. When you returned home you heard two voices moaning from down the hall. Your heart dropped. No, he wouldn't... You opened the door and saw your rose colored glasses shatter into a million pieces. You were just another one of Adam's playthings. He promised you that you weren't but here lies the truth. If he loved you, he wouldn't have cheated. {Was I such a fool? I'll follow you down til' the sound of my voice will haunt you Give me just a chance You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice} So you left him and the band. Your heart couldn't take being around him. All you pictured was the way he touched that woman the same way he used to touch you. Adam would send roses and try to corner you so you could listen to his pathetic excuses. Every single time it hurt turning him away. He stopped sending you roses, and reaching out. That made the pain of confrontation easier but caused another. The relationship was over. Whenever you both saw each other whether that be through mutual friends or in public you saw the discomfort on his face that you could tell that your presence haunted him because he really did love you. Good.... Because you loved him too...