#I gave Mrs Smith a name

[jomiddlemarch]

The Pump Room was excruciating and the lovely golden Crescent a horror. There was no delight to be found in the gardens, no diversion over tea or cards, no lace or ribbon tempting. Anne��s reticule hung from her wrist and her eyes stared sightlessly at the great blue sky, the kestrels and sparrowhawks aloft. Dear Lady Russell was kind and her friend Sarah Follett was as amiable as when they had been at school together and it was all worthless. Anne had broken her heart herself, sending Frederick away, and nothing in Bath would soothe her. She’d never, never return.

Posted for Day 3 of Janeaury, prompt "Bath"

[foreverisntenough]

‘Act II’

Summary: Attraction is like a gravitational pull that is undefinable and unavoidable. Unbeknownst to you, Jude had been keeping an eye on you since he caught a glimpse on his best friend’s girlfriend’s Instagram but he’s been loving his single life. You always were independent and know how to swim on your own but maybe you have been just treading water. Could the tides change on a holiday in Greece when you finally meet? It might get a little rocky but maybe you could be his paradise.

Index

Warnings: This series is 18+ MDNI

Note: Thank you for reading! Please be sure to like, comment, or message me what you think of the series! ‘Act II’ is interconnected to the 'You’re Mine' and 'Ours' Series but can read it independently.

Chapter 1 - Round Two | ‘Act II’

word count - 10 k

“Erm... yeah, that’s a bit of me. Big follow.” You giggled, plucking the phone out of your friend Whitney’s hand admiring an abnormally pretty boy she was showing you on the screen. 

“Right?” She laughed with you spreading her two fingers on the screen to zoom in on the boy’s perfect physique. Whitney’s dad spent every day he could watching football. It was on in their house twenty four hours a day. He was an awesome dad to two girls you called your best friends but you always sensed that it pained him he couldn’t have had a son to give it a go in an international football league. He could care less about the American MLS teams but that’s a story for another time. Previously, you really hadn’t cared about your best friend’s fathers interest in the sport. Your own family was into footie, your brother, your dad, but again, you didn’t really buy in. That said, if someone asked you on the street who you supported, you’d have an answer, you knew the high level things going on in the world of football.  

“Like okkkay besties! I’m into this.” You cheekily cooed. Your disinterest suddenly became a big interest when Whitney showed you a photo of two boys that played for the England international team. One was cute... pretty, in fact. You’d say he gave off a sort of a more demure vibe in comparison. Whitney was hooked; her dad was an avid Liverpool supporter and by turn Whitney was. Apparently her dad pointed Trent Alexander-Arnold out to her during a regular season match earlier. The other boy in said photo, well, that was a bit of you. 

“They’re so pretty.” Whitney sighed, taking a longer look at Trent’s face. “Hello. Earth to Y/N.” She called for you after your eyes began to glaze over wishing your thumb hovering over his happy trail was able to actually feel the muscular abs you’d been actually drooling over beneath it. 

“Sorry but he’s so hot.” You laughed with a shake of the head trying to snap out of your lustful haze. Whitney hadn’t even said their names but frankly, you didn’t care. You just might support England in this tournament. Your brother and dad would kill you but you’d do it for a man that looked like this. You were French, that would arguably be seen as treason in your household but he was so good looking they’d have to understand. Your dad would tell you you were French the same way Whitney’s dad would tell her she was British. You both were not born in your respective native lands but your dads were from, you had dual citizenships but no accents. That said, you did speak the language. Your family had actually lived in Paris for a few years before you went to university and met Whitney.   

“I know I figured I’d share.” Whitney smiled at you with a bob of the head happy with her recent Instagram follow as she grabbed her phone back from you. 

“Thank you Mr. Smith. Who knew he had such good taste in men.” You teased taking her phone back once more to actually look at the instagram handle above the photo that had you in such a trance. ‘Jude Bellingham’ you read the name in your head in a silly British accent that probably wasn’t all that accurate. You didn’t know a thing about him. You hadn’t heard either of the boys even speak but he just gave off such British vibes and it made you laugh a little. 

“Man of many talents, l suppose.” Whitney snatched her phone back and went back to Trent’s Instagram, scrolling through photos she’d seen at least a hundred times by now but she wanted to see them one hundred more. 

Flash forward a couple years, a lot of drinks, a blossomed relationship for Whitney, and unfortunately a few more tears than you would’ve hoped later and you found yourself in a Greecian club on a holiday with the two English footballers and their friends. How? You wondered the same thing but Whitney seemed to have fate on her side. Although, she didn’t seem to want to share any because a night ago you could have used some when you fucked her now boyfriend, Trent’s brother, so it didn’t really come as welcomed news when you found out the lustful torch you carried for your instagram crush, Jude, was in front of you in real life now burning. It had been a long couple of hours navigating the waters of two men in a confined space. 

“I like this…” Jude cooed, slipping his fingers under the strap of your red dress.  “Would look better on my floor though.” He whispered a line you’d heard too many times in your ear despite the loud thump of the bass in the club. It should’ve put you off. It should’ve been an eye roll moment except it wasn’t. There was something about the way he spoke to you, the way he looked at you, the way he touched you. All night he had you in a trance. It made you feel attended to in the least cheesy and cliche way. You’d flirted earlier in the evening when you’d been introduced after dinner but you were proper close now and the game had begun. You were not an easy lay… well it depended on the day and how bad you wanted to have sex. Regardless, you liked the game with boys. It was fun. You knew you were attractive and you knew that came with many perks like lines of men interested in you and the only way to make it slightly more entertaining and fun and maybe sift out the trash, although some always managed to seep through, you’d test them. Play games, flirt mercilessly and then leave high and dry, you’d make them buy your drinks while you played with their hearts and their hands dragging them up and down your figure. 

“You can’t put a dress like this on the floor, Jude.” You quipped back, placing your hand over his and guiding it down your body and the sheer beaded fishnet fabric. It was a gorgeous Roberta Einer mini dress that you’d been itching to wear somewhere but the way the lights were reflecting off it now and your newly tanned skin barely hidden under it, you knew tonight was the perfect debut for it. 

“Alright, I’ll hang it up just for you.” He gently whispered into your ear. He wasn’t offering to do you some sort of grand favor but the way he said it made it sound like you were meant to be grateful and you didn’t like that he had made such a subtle move to take the upper hand. So you cut the line.

“Okay, thank you.” You brushed him off with a short smile as if he had handed you a coffee over a counter. 

“No problem. As long as it’s still coming off.” Jude was persistent though. He was sweet and smooth. His scent was encircling you and keeping you hostage. His woody musk built walls around you, caging you in. His big soft hands on your exposed skin acting as shackles. You were trapped.

“We shouldn’t.” You muttered haphazardly as he ducked his face to be in front of yours. He gently guided you to step back against a wall in a corridor of the club. You thought you’d get some air and free yourself from the thick tension being near Jude but he followed you. You two were like magnets. There was something there and you weren’t sure why it felt a little more dangerous than just lust. He placed his massive hand on your waist, squeezing you just a little before letting his hand drop down to your hip.

“But we could.” He cooed with the cheekiest smile you might have ever seen in your life and arguably the prettiest too. You couldn’t stop the giggle from escaping your lips. You hated that he had you like this. He moved closer and dragged his lips down your neck, kiss after kiss, running his tongue along your warm skin. It was like he was a live wire jump starting your whole system. The tension was palpable and you wanted more of it but not that easily, of course. You knew who Jude was. You were shown his instagram obviously by Whitney and if the millions of Instagram followers weren’t enough of an indicator it was his insistent presence in the media. A ad campaign, a dramatized story in the Daily Mail, a shirtless instagram post, you would’ve loved to say you did notice it all but you were very aware and embarrassingly you welcomed his ever presence on your phone when you were miles apart. Right now though you weren’t sure there was even a centimeter separating you. Despite knowing what you knew, you were not going to be complacent to the great Jude Bellingham. Tonight was meant to be a level playing field. 

“Your first night out?” You questioned him. Honestly, the only reason you were asking this is because Whitney had made a point before you’d even left for this holiday that you not ruin it all making a rash hook up night one… except you already had. You slept with her boyfriend’s brother which in both his and your defense was good sex. It was fun, rough, drunk, orgasmic and unattached just the way you liked it. He wasn’t exactly off the table though in your mind. He was cute, you had control of the situation and his room was next to yours at the villa you were staying in. Like you said, it was good sex. Although you weren’t going to say no if Jude pushed and you hoped he did but you weren’t exactly closing off other options either. You were on holiday. No one would get hurt, they were twenty some year old men in Greece, you couldn’t imagine commitment was on anyone’s minds. You didn’t kiss Jude in the corridor even though it was the only thought populating in your mind. Jude hated that your game of teasing drew him in more. He liked to be in charge. He liked to run the show and he knew he was losing ground when you moved past him to get back to the ropped off private area in the club with everyone else. Jude was slick as you made your way back and moved quickly in front of you to sit down first. He pulled you down to sit on his lap and you faked an eye roll as if Jude’s persistence was unwelcomed but it was anything but. As the night rolled on you got drunker and his touches got more courageous.  In the dim light of the nightclub, the bass thrummed like a heartbeat in the air, creating a pulsing rhythm that matched the intoxicating sway of the crowd. The atmosphere was thick with a heady mix of laughter, music, and the sweet scent of bottles and bottles of Don Julio 1942. You stayed settled on his lap, warmth enveloped you, igniting a spark that sent shivers down your spine. His strong hands rested gently on your hips, grounding you while the world around you blurred into a swirling tapestry of colors. With each sip of your drink, the world grew more vivid, the laughter more melodic, and the closeness between you more electric. Your heart raced, not just from the alcohol but from the magnetic pull of his gaze. 

“Just want to pull this right up and…” He leaned in closer, his breath a tantalizing whisper against your ear, sending tiny jolts of excitement through you. The rich timbre of his voice wrapped around you like velvet, drawing you deeper into this intoxicating moment, letting his hand on your thigh go higher and higher pulling the hem of your dress with it. His pinky finger able to ghost over your panty clad pussy. 

“Stop…” You giggled, meaning exactly the opposite, grabbing his hand to halt any further movement. This was a dangerous game. You were both on the verge of blacking out. As the night wore on, the music wrapped you both in its seductive embrace, and every glance he stole felt like a secret promise. You found yourself laughing freely, each sound mingling with the pulsating rhythm, feeling utterly alive under the spell of his charm. The lights danced across Jude’s features, enhancing the sharp lines of his jaw and the smirk that hinted at playful mischief. The more you drank, the more you adored him—the way he held you, the way he listened with rapt attention, as if you were the only person in the room. You could feel the warmth of connection building like the crescendo of a song, enveloping you in a cocoon of desire and vulnerability. The laughter faded into a soft hum, and in that moment, you knew you were falling—not just into drunken bliss but into something deeper, something intoxicatingly real. Time slipped away, lost in the rhythm of the night, and as you rested your head against his shoulder, a tender smile graced your lips. Similarly a boyish, lopsided grin plastered to his face.  A darkness flooded your mind. You. blacked. out.  You thought you had a pretty okay tolerance but maybe your stature didn’t exactly match the 6’2 man you were trying to keep up with shot for shot. 42 was starting to taste like water and you were pretty sure no one had an accent anymore. 

You had a blurry memory of his lips brushing against yours, gentle yet urgent, igniting a fire that danced within you. As the vibrant strobe lights cast fleeting shadows across his face, you felt a magnetic pull, drawing you closer into a world that existed solely for the two of you. Each brush of his lips sent shivers racing through your body, igniting every nerve ending in a delicious wave of ecstasy. The heat of his body pressed against you, a tantalizing reminder of the summer night outside, while his hands tangled in your hair and traced the curve of your back, urging you deeper into his embrace. The music swelled around you, a backdrop of heavy bass that mirrored the pounding of your heart, creating a bubble of exhilaration and desire. Time seemed to dissolve as the world outside faded, leaving only the taste of his kiss—sweet and intoxicating, mingling with the warm summer air that danced around you. Your bodies moved in sync, a rhythm as intoxicating as the melody that surrounded you. With each kiss, the world blurred into soft hues of color, a vivid painting of passion and spontaneity. The tender urgency of your connection deepened, exploring uncharted territories as hands explored, pulling each other closer, savoring the moment as if time itself stood still. It was a wild, breathless escape, filled with promises whispered between breaths, where the pulse of the music became the heartbeat of your desires, leaving you both breathless, alive, and utterly entwined.

The morning light peeked through the curtains, casting a soft, golden glow across the disheveled bed. You stirred, feeling the weight of a night filled with laughter and passion settle heavily on your limbs. A dull throb pulsed in your temples, each beat a reminder of the revelry that had unfolded the night before. As your eyes fluttered open, they fell upon the figure beside you… Jude. His chiseled silhouette half-hidden beneath rumpled sheets, radiating an effortless charm even in the quiet aftermath of the night. The scent of his skin lingered in the air, a rich, intoxicating mix of cologne and the faint hint of warmth from your shared adventures. As you attempted to piece together the fragments of last night, the tableau before you sent a rush of sensations coursing through you. There he was, tangled in the sheets, sunkissed skin glistening slightly in the morning light, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. You could have sworn he looked like a work of art, perfectly imperfect in a way that made your heart flutter unexpectedly.

“I have to get to my room.” You whispered to Jude with a pounding headache, not entirely sure what happened but you were sore and naked so you had a good idea. Your heart was racing praying to see some remnant or clue that protection was used. The world around you felt hazy, your thoughts muddled from too much tequila and laughter, yet the sight of him brought warmth and a flicker of exhilaration to your chest. You shifted slightly, the crisp sheets whispering against your skin, and he stirred, his eyes fluttering open to meet yours—a lazy, sultry gaze that ignited memories of stolen kisses and whispered secrets shared in low-lit corners of the nightclub.

“Good morning to you to." He laughed tiredly. "What’d you say?” His voice was low and smooth, like velvet draping over your senses, both teasing and inviting. A smile crept across his lips, illuminating his features and crinkling the corners of his eyes in a way that made your heart race. You couldn’t help but mirror his expression, feeling the pull of a connection that thrummed between you, more potent than the remnants of your hangover. 

“I said, I have to get to my room.” You smiled as you tentatively lifted your hand to brush a loose strand of hair from your face, the soft rustle of sheets surrounded you both, creating a cocoon of intimacy that felt deliciously intoxicating. There was an unspoken understanding in the air, an acknowledgment of last night's escapades, layered with the thrill of unexpected mornings. In that moment, the world outside faded away, leaving just the two of you wrapped in warmth and longing, a beautiful aftermath that felt fleeting yet infinitely precious.

“Why…” Jude groaned, letting his eyes close again. With every heartbeat, it became clear: the night had woven your lives together, if only for an ephemeral moment. And though uncertainty lingered like a sweet aftertaste, the promise of the unknown shimmered in the air. 

“Everyone can’t know I slept in here.” You whispered again with some urgency. Image was important to you. Sleep with whoever you want, absolutely. Let people know that? Absolutely not.  

“Whyyy…” Jude kept on his childish theatrics with another groan. He outstretched his arm and draped it around your waist as insurance you wouldn’t leave. This was not a rare indulgence for you but it would cling to you like the sheets twisted around your body currently were, all day if you didn’t get out of there. The lavish villa room was stunning and an opulent blend of modern luxury and understated, but it did little to distract from Jude. His hair messy in a way he’d hate yet it formed a careless halo on the pillow beneath him.

“I’ll see you later.” You giggled pulling down the sheet and slapping his ass trying to make light of you not  being able to remember anything and remind him you were waking up naked in case he didn’t either. You moved in a way that was calculated after that, you’d done this before. You have a good night, a great night in fact, great sex, although usually you prefer to remember a semblance of it… god damnit where is a condom wrapper… literally anything! But you’d done this before and you knew you had to move quickly as if your very presence in Jude’s room might unravel the meticulously crafted image you’d built. The mesh of your mini dress, now crumpled on the foot of the bed, tells the story of a night you could barely recall. You did recall Jude saying he’d hang the dress up but that went out the window and evidently so did your morality when it came to safe sex. It was a night you both dreaded and longed to remember.

“Ow fuck, Y/N.” Jude complained reaching lazily to pull the covers back up to cover himself. You laughed a little at his poor morning attitude but got distracted when you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. It reflected a woman who was both powerful and vulnerable, your usual poise slightly fractured. You couldn’t even attempt to restore any dignity to your appearance. This was simply the job for a real shower. 

“I’m sorry, did that hurt?” You mocked him a little, coming and kissing near Jude’s ear softly with a hum. 

“Yeah, fuck.” He complained, burying his face in a pillow. 

“Aw, I’ll remember that when I’m laying concealer over your bite marks before breakfast.” You teased running your hand over a bruise you could clearly make out on your collarbone. There was no use trying to restore your usual pristine facade. There’s no hiding the telltale signs: the smudged mascara around your eyes, the bruised lips, the scent of him lingering on your skin. “It was good though.” You sympathetically smiled at him. You felt bad. Why did you suddenly feel a tinge of guilt and softness towards him? No idea. You weren’t sure. You snapped your eyes off him to hopefully help break the emotions you were starting to feel. 

“Yeah? What you had wanted?”  Jude opened his eyes again and  smiled sleepily at you. You glanced back at his chiseled features softened in the haze of his tiredness. A part of you felt so drawn to him. So you took a seat on the side of the bed running your hands over his warm skin. 

“Erm… don’t know, I might need one more go just to make sure it was as good as I remember.”  You lied. Why did you lie? You weren’t sure. What had this boy done to you? You were having a hell of a hangover and you were starting to wonder if the tequila from last night somehow disregulated or fucked with the limbic system in your brain. 

“Mmmm C’mere.” Jude pulled you down into a kiss and you let him. It was warm, soft, slow, and sleepy and yet it had you trying not to moan into his mouth it was turning you on so much. 

“I have to go.” You sympathetically pulled away with an apologetic smile. 

“Yeah but you’ve got me hard now.” Jude flashed you a conniving grin hoping that his pretty face could convince you to stay. It almost worked. Unfortunately his face didn’t outweigh your fear of being caught out. Two men in three or so days wasn’t a fact you’d be broadcasting but you weren’t exactly complaining either. 

“That sounds like a you problem.” You gave him an annoyingly cheeky grin. Jude was upset that he still managed to find it cute despite him being painfully hard now. He sighed and grabbed your arm before you could get far. You looked at him innocently not sure what he needed because you weren’t going to stay. He kissed your knuckles and then rolled over in the bed. That was it. You weren’t sure what to make of it so you just smiled with a hum stepping away, leaving behind a world of temptation and chaos as you quietly gathered the remnants of your dignity and fragments of your outfit from last night. You grabbed Jude’s shirt of the floor and pulled it over you. You weren’t about to put back on your dress from last night. You were missing an earring as well but you’d find it later. It wasn’t a proud moment as you slipped out the door cautiously and tiptoed to your bedroom, heels in hand, your bare feet peeling off the marble floors of the villa, wincing at the noise with every step, terrified someone might see you. You went to the en suite of your room and took off his shirt. You looked at it and smiled until you caught yourself in the mirror smiling like an idiot at it. There was a slight smudge of your lipstick color on the collar. It smelt like him and you just wanted to put it back on and go to bed but instead you turned on the shower. In a state of delusion and a hangover haze you held the shirt in your hand and cheekily took a nude in the mirror sending it to Jude.  

‘To help with your problem. xx’

Jude threw his head back on his pillow with another groan as he opened the message. He sorted himself out after that thanks to your photos assistance and memories of last night before he went back to sleep. You smiled when you saw he responded after your shower… until you read it. 

‘You’re unreal, angel. Liked it better when I was cumming inside you though and not just to the thought of you. Maybe later? xx.’

“Oh my god!” You gasped out loud dropping your phone. It fell on your toe and you thought you were going to cry. It hurt so bad. You grabbed your phone and wrapped your towel around you a bit tighter and ran to your bed and fell face first. “I’m so stupid. I’m so stupid.” You repeated over and over again. You were haunted by the memory of last night you couldn’t remember, and the man down the hall, clinging to you like a whisper you couldn’t  quite shake, a reminder that even the most perfect facades have cracks.

“I need to talk to you immediately.” You hushly but harshly whispered to Whitney in the kitchen later that morning gripping her arm so tight she might have a bruise later. She was sitting on Trent’s lap who gave you a curious yet concerned face. You just smiled and yanked Whitney off him pulling her all the way down the hall to your room. “Look at me…” You snapped peeling your shirt off to reveal the remnants of your night with Jude. Her eyes went wide and a cheeky grin began to pull on her face. 

“Can you give me a little more context because I need to know if I should be applauding someone’s handiwork or if something happened because you look like someone attacked you.” Whitney kept her smile knowing it wasn’t the later. 

“Whit… I don’t even remember it and I think he does. I lied and said I did and then I was a fucking idiot and sent him a nude this morning because I apparently willingly opt for chaos and he jerked off to it and said he…” You picked your arms up to air quote. “‘Liked it better when he was cumming inside me’ so that’s fucking insane.” Whitney’s jaw dropped at your confessional. 

“Okay.. erm it’s fine. Sit down, sit down, sit down.” She beckoned you over and you sat next to her on your bed letting your body fall limp into her lap. “It’s fine. Honestly, we’ll sort it. A few questions for you. Erm… one, who are we talking about?” She asked you gently, running her hand over your head. That question alone made you feel dumb. To Whitney’s credit, it was a fair question. 

“Jude… I woke up with Jude this morning.” You whined covering your face with your hands embarrassed to admit it. 

“Y/N, its okay. Second question,  you wanted to right? Like you’re not upset because he… you know. Like this was consensual?” She sheepishly asked you. You softly smiled at her with a shake of the head. Whitney was always so mindful and gentle. She did this with everything. She needed to make sure everything was okay so she could properly help. She wanted to make sure you were okay and she was probably the only person in your life that when she asked that, you knew she meant it and honestly wanted to listen. She really was the sweetest and had good intentions but consent wasn’t an issue here. “Okay, as long as you’re fine in that regard. Well, you should ask Jude like if he actually did finish inside and we’ll go from there. I mean… we’ve handled this before.” She giggled a little recalling many of antics between the pair of you from university to date. “The nude is whatever. Don’t worry. He’s seen you naked. It's not exactly like you have a body anyone would be ashamed of either.  The photo won’t go anywhere and if you liked him or the sex, I mean it’s not a bad person to add to your body count.” She cheekily smiled at you. You couldn’t help but smile back. Her smile was infectious and it made you feel better just seeing it. “Jude is nicer than you’d think so just talk to him. You two can just have a pretty person conversation.” 

“Yeah, I’ll talk to him. Do you want to get your joke in now or will you give me the morning?” You laughed, running your hands over your face again. Your relationship with Whitney was like any good friendship it was filled with love and support, a lot of laughter and amazing memories, but humor was a pillar for you two. When things got hard if you didn’t laugh about it you’d cry. 

“Eh… When you least expect it. Today though.” She laughed. “To be fair, you looked really good last night. I didn’t think you’d be going to sleep alone.” Whitney cooed as you sat up. You picked up your phone and opened your messages with Jude and deleted them for your own sanity. You couldn’t have your mistakes just sitting there. “You’re supposed to say ‘yeah, Whit you looked good last night too, did you go home with anyone?” She teased bumping her shoulder against yours drawing you out of your moment of embarrassment rereading Jude’s message. 

“Yes, yes, Whitney. You’re gorgeous and Trent loves you. You guys probably fucked four times yesterday so forgive me if I didn’t add to Trent’s chorus of chants of how beautiful you are.” You teased her dropping your cheek to rest on her shoulder. Whitney deserved Trent’s high praise. She was stunning, you just were a little caught out over your mistakes. 

“It’ll be fine. I promise. Honest. Just talk to him, okay?” Whitney snapped back to a moment of seriousness and reassurance wrapping her arms around you tight. You don’t know what you’d do without her. She’d had this conversation with you more times than you cared to admit. 

“Hey… Can I talk to you?” You embarrassingly asked Jude, coming up sheepishly beside him. 

“Yeah, course but only if you help me with suncream.” He cheekily answered you, handing you the bottle.  His tanned muscular physique in front of you had you momentarily forget what you even were coming to ask him. You hated that it all made your heart falter but in all seriousness, you needed to find out what happened so you took the bottle from him and squeezed it into the palm of your hand. 

“Erm… so this is embarrassing, like I’m actually so embarrassed to say this but I don’t exactly remember the latter half of our night so can you just.. Ugh.. like… did you actually cum inside me?” You muttered out the words letting your face fall against his bicep. The sunscreen just waiting in your palms. You pressed your forehead against his arm muscle mortified unable to do anything else. You couldn’t look at him. Your words were quiet and mumbled. 

“You were that drunk, Y/N!?  That’s so bad. Fuck…” Jude was shocked. He pulled you off and held you by your shoulders in front of him looking directly into your eyes. “Okay, erm, first off I did.” He confirmed and your face dropped when he told you the fact you were hoping he was going to say wasn’t true. “Y/N… Y/N… hold on. I mean.” Jude started to laugh and your eyes widened in confusion and terror. “I mean, you don’t have to worry. I… or it was in your ass so you can’t get pregnant from that if that’s what your worried about, yeah?” Jude flashed you a devastatingly handsome and equally cheeky smile. 

“Oh… my god. Are you serious right now?” If you weren’t embarrassed before you certainly were now. You wanted to just disappear. 

“Yeah but I’m not really concerned about that. Are you serious you don’t remember? I feel awful that I was having fun last night with you now.” Jude admitted to you with no an unintentionally cute pout. His mind was racing panicking that he had somehow done something wrong but you didn’t think that at all. You were in your own head about how self-conscious you currently felt but also a little bit by how sweet he was. 

“You had fun last night?” You asked him more reserved than you would’ve wanted to. You wanted to be confident in front of this person who felt almost larger than life but you couldn’t help but feel a little smitten by him, a shyness washing over you you didn’t often feel. You tried to move last night's antics into the back of your mind. Both he and your ‘cool’ facades were crumbling. You both clearly cared.

“Y/N, you're fit. Of course, I had fun. It was amazing. I just feel horrible you don’t remember because visuals aside it was just a fun night in general. Honest, it was great. If you’re interested, I can give you a refresh?” Jude cooed, running his hands up and down the sides of your arms in a way that somehow managed to be both comforting and sensual. His cheeky smile returning. You did as he asked and helped him with the suncream and both of you were plagued with memories of last night. “Am I wrong for thinking we have to pack condoms for the boat?” Jude whispered to you as you applied the lotion on so that no one else could hear. You wanted to laugh but you bit your lip and rolled your eyes instead. 

“Yes, yes you are.” You spoke at a normal volume as you turned around to look directly at him. Funny he was asking to use condoms now considering you couldn't find any in the bedroom this morning.

“Oh, okay so you want to do round two, just do what we did last night, yeah?” Jude gave you a smug smile and slyly squeezed at your waist. Your jaw slacked at his cheek.  No, you definitely weren't planning on anymore anal sex on this trip. That was a drunk indiscretion you typically preferred to save for a serious boyfriend, if that.

"No! We’re just not fucking on the boat. Full stop.” You smiled at him really having a hard time trying not to laugh but you managed spinning on your heel away from him and jetting off to find Whitney and your sexiest bikini just to really rub it in his face you weren’t fucking him on this boat. Although a part of you kind of wanted to but you'd hold your ground.

For the rest of the day though, suncream became your secret way to touch each other all day. The sun was already climbing high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the shimmering waters of Greece. The yacht bobbed gently in the marina, waiting for its passengers to board. You stood on the deck, holding a bottle of sunscreen, watching the sunlight dance on the sea’s surface. You could feel the excitement of the day ahead—a day spent out on the open water with Jude, a day of freedom and escape. Jude emerged from below deck, a grin on his face, wearing a pair of dark Prada sunglasses and Bottega swim trunks. His skin was already kissed by the sun from the days you’d spent together here, but there was something about the way the light hit him now, that made your heart skip a beat. 

“Hey, you got that suncream?” Jude called out as he approached you. He took the bottle from your hand, your fingers brushing just slightly, sending a small jolt through you.

“Course” you replied with a playful smile. “Don’t want you getting any sun damage out here. You know, we wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty face of yours.” You teased. 

“I don’t know, I think it could be a good look for me. Adds a little rugged charm.” Jude chuckled, shaking his head. He squeezed some sunscreen into his hand, rubbing it over his chest and arms in quick, careless strokes. You raised an eyebrow.

 “I think you missed a few spots,” you teased, stepping closer to him. Your hand lightly grazed his back as you took the bottle from him. “Let me help.” Jude smirked, enjoying the attention. 

“Only if it means getting your hands on me,” he said, his voice dropping slightly, adding a teasing tone.

“Oh, stop,” you said with a laugh, trying to sound casual as your hands spread sunscreen across his back. Your fingers moved slowly, deliberately, feeling the muscles tense slightly under your touch. “You’re lucky I’m nice enough to do this for you.”

“Lucky doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Jude replied, closing his eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling of your hands on his skin. “I’ve got the best view and the best company. And now, a free suncream application. What more could a guy ask for?”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” You warned softly with a giggle, your hands moving to his shoulders, your touch more lingering now. “I still have to get my own back, you know.”

“I’d be more than happy to return the favor,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “In fact, I insist.” Jude turned his head slightly, peering over his shoulder at you. You felt a flutter in your chest but kept your expression playful. Jude took the suncream and poured some into his hands, stepping behind you. His hands were warm as they gently spread the lotion across your shoulders, his touch firm yet tender. You closed your eyes, feeling a shiver run down your spine despite the warmth of the sun. “Are you sure you trust me?” Jude murmured close to your ear, his breath hot against her skin.

“I don’t know,” you replied, your voice slightly breathless. “But I guess I’ll have to find out.” Jude’s hands moved down your back, his fingers grazing your skin in a way that made your knees feel weak. You could feel his breath on your neck, the closeness of him making your head spin.

“I’d never do anything to hurt you,” Jude whispered, his hands still working the sunscreen into your skin but moving slower, more deliberately. “You know that, right?”You nodded, your eyes still closed, leaning back slightly into his touch.

 “I know,” you said softly, your voice barely more than a whisper. Jude’s hands finally reached the small of your back, lingering there for a moment before he let out a deep breath and stepped away, breaking the spell. “Alright, I think you’re all set,” he said, trying to sound casual but unable to hide the warmth in his voice. You turned to face him, your cheeks slightly flushed but smiling. 

As the yacht continued to glide smoothly over the azure waters of the Mediterranean, everyone gathered around a large table for lunch. The sun was high, warming the deck, and the soft sound of waves provided a calming background melody. Plates of fresh seafood, salads, and cold drinks were spread out, and the air was filled with the scent of the sea. You were seated directly across from Jude, your little yellow Louis Vuitton bikini doing little to cover your sun-kissed skin. Every time you moved, the sunlight would catch on you, making you glow in a way that Jude found impossibly distracting. He tried to focus on his plate, spearing a piece of grilled octopus, but his eyes kept drifting back to you. You caught him looking more than once, your lips curving into a coy smile every time your eyes met.

“So, Jude,” you said suddenly, drawing his attention fully to you. You were leaning back in your chair, stretching in a way that made your body arch just slightly. “You enjoying yourself?” Your tone was light, but there was a playful glint in your eyes that didn’t go unnoticed. Jude swallowed hard, feeling the heat creep up the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, I’m having a great time,” he replied, trying to sound casual. But his voice betrayed him with a slight huskiness. “How about you?” Your smile widened at his question, your fingers toyed with the rim of your wine glass. 

“Oh, I’m having a wonderful time,” you said, your voice soft and teasing. “The company’s great… and the view’s not bad either.” Trent and Whitney exchanged a knowing glance but continued eating, choosing not to interrupt the obvious tension building between Jude and you. Whitney smirked, clearly amused by the situation though. Jude shifted in his seat, trying to keep his cool. 

“Glad you’re enjoying the view,” he said with a smirk, though his eyes betrayed the way his pulse quickened every time you moved. You lifted a piece of fruit to your lips, biting into it slowly. You licked a drop of juice from your lower lip, watching Jude intently.

“I could say the same to you,” you murmured, your voice low and flirtatious. Jude’s grip tightened around his fork. It was becoming harder to focus on anything but you but he was annoyed by your cheek. Annoyed that he felt like he was loosing this conversation. 

“Yeah, well,” he began, attempting to match your lighthearted tone, “it’s hard not to when you keep… putting on a show.” Jude quipped trying to regain ground. You feigned innocence, your eyes going wide. 

“A show?” You repeated, your tone laced with playful mockery. “I’m just eating my lunch, Jude. What show?” You asked. Whitney lightly elbowed Trent, a small laugh escaping her. 

“Maybe Jude’s just not used to being distracted during a meal,” she added, winking at you. You laughed softly, a mischievous glint in your eyes. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Jude. Am I distracting you?” You purred, leaning forward slightly so your bikini dipped a little lower, tits out.  Jude’s throat felt dry, and he took a sip of his drink to steady himself all he could think about was you in his bed last night and getting that stupid bikini off you now. 

“Just a little,” he muttered, his voice strained with the effort of maintaining his composure. “But I’m managing.” You raised an eyebrow, your smile teasing.

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to suffer,” you said, drawing out the last word. “Maybe I should… cover up?” You smirked. All the boys sans Trent at the table shifted in their seats. Not keen about your suggestion.  Jude quickly shook his head, a bit too fast, doing what they all wanted to. 

“Nah, nah, nah, you’re fine,” he blurted out, then cursed inwardly at how desperate he sounded. He cleared his throat and tried again, “I mean, it’s a boat. You’re supposed to be comfortable.” He rectified. Your laugh was soft and melodic as you leaned back, clearly pleased with yourself. 

“Good,” You said simply, your eyes twinkling with amusement. “Because I’m perfectly comfortable.” Jude could only nod, his eyes locked on hers. He felt a mixture of frustration and amusement at how effortlessly you could make him lose his cool. He knew you were doing it on purpose, and yet, he found he didn’t really mind. There was something thrilling about this game you played, a tension that made every glance, every word feel charged with electricity. As they continued eating, the conversation flowed around them, but Jude and you remained locked in your private dance of flirtation and teasing, each word, each look a step closer to something inevitable.

The villa was silent, the only sound being the soft hum of the waves outside. It was late, and everyone had already gone to bed after another lively night out at a Grecian club. The moonlight spilled into the hallway, casting gentle shadows on the whitewashed walls as you quietly padded towards Jude's room. Your heart raced, not just from the couple too many of drinks you had earlier, but from the anticipation of seeing Jude again. The whole day had been a tease-sly glances, lingering touches, and stolen moments of whispered words that had you on edge. You reached his door and paused, biting your lip, starting to second guess yourself. You could feel the fluttering in your stomach, a mixture of nerves and excitement. Gently, you turned the knob and slipped inside. The room was dimly lit by the moon, enough to make out Jude's form lying in bed, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. You tiptoed over to his bed, your bare feet barely making a sound on the cool floor. 

“Jude…” you whispered as you slipped under the covers, pressing your body against his. Jude stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open in the darkness. He turned his head to see you, a lazy smile tugging at his lips even in his half-awake state

“Y/N." He mumbled, his voice husky from sleep. "You alright?”  He smiled and you felt relief weigh over you. It was unsaid but Jude was welcome in your room and you were welcome in his. Although tonight you had gone your separate ways both trying to make it seem like you weren’t dying to sleep with the other. You were the first to cave. 

"I'm cold.”  You lied, shivering dramatically. You knew it was a poor excuse, especially considering the warm summer night, but you didn't care, you knew he wouldn’t care. All you wanted was to be close to him.

“Cold, huh?” Jude teased with a soft chuckle, his arm reaching out to pull you closer to him. His voice was still thick with sleep but laced with amusement. "You're always cold." You pouted, though the darkness hid your playful expression.

“I am," you insisted, snuggling closer, pressing your body into his. You could feel the heat of his skin and it sent a shiver down your spine-this one was real. Jude's arms wrapped around you, his touch gentle but firm. He pulled you even closer, your bodies now pressed tightly together under the covers. 

"Better?" he whispered, his lips brushing against your forehead.

"Much," you breathed, letting your hands rest on his chest. You could feel his heart beating steadily beneath your palm, and it made you feel safe, like this was exactly where you were supposed to be. For a few moments, you laid there in comfortable silence, the only sound the faint rustle of the sheets as you shifted slightly against each other. Your fingers traced light patterns on Jude's chest, your touch soft and exploratory. You could feel his muscles tense slightly under your touch, a silent acknowledgment of the effect you were having on him.

"Y/N," Jude murmured, his voice a little tighter now. "What are you doing?" He smirked at you. 

"Nothing," you whispered back, your fingers continuing their slow journey over his skin. "Just…feeling you." Jude let out a low breath, a mix between a sigh and a groan. 

"You're not making it easy to try to go back to sleep , you know.” Jude’s tone dropped. You’re breath began to increase.  

"Who said anything about going back to sleep?" You shot back playfully, your voice hushed but teasing. You tilted your head up to look at him, your eyes catching the moonlight just enough for him to see the mischievous glint in them. Jude chuckled again, but there was a strain in his voice now, a tension that was unmistakable.

"You're trouble," he muttered, his hand sliding down your back, resting just above your waist. "You know that?" His eyes lit up as they looked at you. You smiled, your lips brushing against his jawline as you leaned in closer. 

"Only for you," you whispered, your breath warm against his skin. Jude's grip on you tightened instinctively, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. He rolled slightly onto his back, pulling you with him so you were half-draped over his chest. Your faces were close, the heat between you palpable. His hand slipped under your shirt, fingertips grazing your spine, causing you to shiver again-but this time, not from the cold.

"Still cold?" Jude asked, his voice low, almost a growl. His eyes were dark with a mixture of desire and uncertainty. You didn't answer with words. Instead, you pressed your lips to his, a soft, tentative kiss that quickly deepened as Jude responded. His hand moved up your back, pulling you even closer, while the other hand found its way into your hair, tangling in it. Your kiss grew hungrier, more insistent, as if all the teasing and flirting throughout the day had led to this inevitable moment. Your fingers slid up Jude's chest to his neck, holding him close, not wanting to let go. You could feel the heat of his body beneath you, the way his muscles moved under your touch, and it made your head spin. He broke the kiss, breathing heavily as he looked up at you, his eyes searching yours. “I want you to remember this time.” His voice thick with emotion. You nodded, your hands moving to the back of his neck, pulling yourself down towards him. 

"I've never been more sure," you whispered, your voice barely audible but filled with certainty. Jude leaned foreward, capturing your lips again, and this time, there was no hesitation. The tension that had been building between you all day finally snapped, and you gave in to the desire that had been simmering just below the surface. His hands roamed over your body, memorizing every curve and line, while your hands explored his, feeling the strength and warmth of him against you. The world outside faded away, leaving just the two of you tangled together under the moonlight, loosing clothing items by the second, lost in each other, and in the heat of the moment. His tongue slipped past your lips, causing you to moan. Judes hand slowly drifted down towards your core. The sounds you were making in desperation were driving him crazy. The soft moans like music. You could feel your pussy aching and dripping begging for him to move faster. You wiggled your body closer into his. He gripped your thigh squeezing you as he moved closer. You were so fixated on his hands so painfully close to your pussy you hadn’t noticed one of his hand coming to grip your chin. He moved your head to look directly at him. His deep brown eyes stared back into yours. His thumb grazed over your lips as he smirked at you. He slid his finger over your plump lips a few times before pressing it into your mouth. You took it desperately, swirling your tongue around his thumb. 

“So impatient, angel. What? You want me to touch you?” He asked you with such smugness you wanted to tell him to shut up but you couldn't. The only thing on your mind was his massive hard dick beneath you. He began to kiss down your jawline to your neck and you whimpered. You didn’t get to feel this last time or at least you hadn’t remembered it but god you wish you did. You tilted your head back to give him more space. He let his lips graze your warm soft skin before you started to leave little bites and nips, marking you again. You bit your lip in an attempt to muffle your moans. Jude knew exactly what he was doing and he was playing you. He now had you distracted by his lips on your neck you failed to remember his other hand, wet with your spit sliding through your folds, quick to place his thumb onto your clit and tease your entrance with his finger. He pushed one finger inside of you. He hit your sweet spot out the gate. Jude smirked in a devilishly handsome way. You couldn’t help but clench around the singular digit. He began to speed up whilst pushing in another finger. A loud, squelching sound filled the room as he played with you. “Good girl.” Jude praised you as your eyes began to roll back and the pace of his fingers sped up.  His thumb keeping up its motions on your clit. Involuntarily, your hips grind on his hand as you quickly grow addicted to the feeling of him. Your back arched as he kept at it for ages until you were cumming all over his finger. You covered them in your slick as he brought you to your first high of the night.

“Jude. Please, I want more.” You begged him with a whimper as he slowly removed his fingers from your pussy. You were practically shaking and the only thing you wanted was more of him. He brought his slick covered fingers up to his mouth, sucking them clean with a groan. While he attempted to tease you, you had had enough. You made quick work and wrapped your hand around his massive length beginning to pump his cock in your hand as you let some of your spit drip onto it. Jude let his head drop back into the pillow behind him not anticipating your eagerness. You loved the way he reacted to you. You moved your other hand to take his balls into it, eliciting more groans from him. You wish you remembered the first time better because his cock looked so fucking good it had your mouth watering as it began to leak precum. The prevalent vein running along the underside had you swallowing to keep yourself from drooling. Jude grabbed your hips and moved you. He pinned you beneath him now, pushing your legs further apart, settling himself in between them. He took his cock in his hand and slapped the tip softly against your wet pussy. 

“I’ll give you more, baby. Is that what you want? You want me to fuck you?” Jude roughly asked you dragging his cock through your folds. You nodded desperately reaching for him and pulling him into you. You gripped his muscular arms, digging your nails into his skin as he lined himself up with your entrance. He slowly stretched you out as he pushed inside, your walls already clenching around him, squeezing his cock. “Tell me, Y/N. Tell me you want me.”

“Please. Please. I need you to fuck me. I want your cock so bad.” You whined. You couldn’t believe this man had you begging like that. You bite into his lip, causing him to laugh. When he leans back, your eyes are almost closed. You moan, arching your back, and he pushes completely into you. He begins to thrust his hips and the discomfort from his massive size slips into pure pleasure. He moves in a hypnotic rhythmic pace, loving the feeling of your tight pussy squeeze him in the dead of the night. 

“Fuck. This pussy’s so good, angel. Just for me, yeah?” Jude mumbled leaning down to press his lips to yours. You nodded and absentmindedly smiled at his words but were unable to get any words out as his thrusts began to get harder and faster. You moan and your eyes shut tight when he repeatedly hits your g spot. Jude’s cock is throbbing. He can barely focus. He was probably too drunk the first to really relish in how fucking good this felt.  The coil in your stomach was tightening with every stroke of his cock. Your orgasm was imminent but when he slipped his hand in between your bodies to play with your clit your whined digging your nails into him further. Your mouth dropped open as you could feel your slick drip down your thighs and all over him. “Good girl—just like that– fuck. Cum f’me.” Jude groaned, moving his hips with skill. His cock glistening with your arousal.  Your body is on fire, and neither of you does anything to dampen the flame, only adding gasoline to it. 

“Jude.. Jude.. wait.” You whined as another climax began to blended into the one you were struggling to come down from. 

“Cum f’me angel. Cum with me this time. Gimme one more. Be a good girl f’me.” Jude whispered into your ear nibbling on it and simultaneously you spasmed around his length once more clenching tightly around him. “Fuck!” He growled, nudging his face in the nape of your neck as his warmth began to fill you up. He pushes his cum deep into your pussy, fucking you through your orgasm. His thrusts began to slow and then still. Jude held himself up with one hand while his dominant one came to caress your cheek. He softly swiped some stray stands of hair out of your face, tucking them behind your ear. He kissed you softly with a hum. “That was the best reason I’ve ever been woken up in the middle of the night.” He smiled at you as he flopped over dramatically to your side. 

“Yeah?” You questioned him with a breathy giggle now exhausted. He pulled you tight into his side. 

“Hmm. You should’ve just stayed with me to begin with. This could’ve been round two.” He whispered pressing kisses to your temple. 

“You want round two?” You cheekily asked running your hands over his bare chest, his skin warm and slick with a sheen of sweat. He was impossibly sexy. 

“Yeah, gimme a bit more of you.” He cooed and dragged your body on top of his. You obliged happily and in the end didn’t get much sleep till the morning. And as that morning’s sun filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a soft, golden light across the room, the rest of the house was still asleep. The quiet hush of dawn wrapping everything in a gentle cocoon. The early light painted Jude’s features in a warm glow, making him look almost ethereal, like a dream made flesh. There was something intoxicating about seeing him like this—unguarded, vulnerable, bathed in the morning light. Jude stirred slightly, his arm tightened around you, pulling you closer as he murmured something soft and unintelligible in his sleep. You smiled against his skin, your fingers tracing light patterns across his back, a silent promise of affection and comfort. For a moment, you simply lay there, wrapped in the stillness of the morning, your breaths syncing in a quiet, intimate dance. The world outside the room felt distant, irrelevant, as if nothing else mattered but the feel of his body against your, the rise and fall of his chest beneath your cheek. As the minutes passed, Jude began to wake, his body slowly coming alive under your touch. He shifted, his hand finding its way into your hair as he pressed a sleepy kiss to the top of your head. You looked up at him, meeting his half-lidded gaze, and the sleepy smile he gave you was like the sun breaking through the clouds.

“Morning,” he whispered, his voice rough with sleep, and you couldn’t help but smile back, your heart swelling with a quiet joy that only these secret, stolen moments could bring.

“Morning,” you whispered back, your voice just as soft. You shifted slightly, pressing a kiss to his jaw, your lips brushing against the stubble that shadowed his skin. Jude sighed, contentment settling over him like a warm blanket as he pulled you even closer, your bodies fitting together perfectly. You stayed like that, entwined in the early morning light, the world outside forgotten as you indulged in the simple pleasure of being together, of holding each other close. In that quiet, tender moment, nothing else mattered. Last night was sex you would always remember and you were starting to realize it may be hard to forget it and even harder to forget Jude.

•

🪩🫶❤️‍🔥🍹🌞🍒 Thank you for reading! Please like, comment, or message what you think of the chapter 🍒🌞🍹❤️‍🔥🫶🪩

Next part  -  Chapter 2 - Wine & Tequila xx

[ilovetoxicfictionalmen]

MR. AND MRS. SMITH RIPPNER

KINKTOBER DAY 9 - MR AND MRS SMITH AU WITH JACKSON RIPPNER

Pairing.| Jackson Rippner x fem!reader

Summary.| You live a double life, but you’re willing to give it all up to devote yourself to your husband. With one final mission, you learn that your marriage is based on a lie.

Warnings.| Dubcon, noncon, manipulation, physical fighting, blood, blackmail, bondage, choking, breeding, head f!receiving, p in v.

Word count.| 7.6k

Notes.| This story KILLED ME. It was not intended to be this long and kinda angsty? Will probably make more sense if you've seen the movie. Idk kinda hate it but that's okay.

The warm sun caressed your skin through the open blinds. The birds were tweeting outside at how much of a beautiful morning it was. However, those peaceful sounds were drowned out, your ears too busy being filled with your husband’s lovely loud moans. With your naked bodies tangled in the sheets, the both of you blissfully cried out in unison, your body pinned underneath his as his hips snapped in and out. As you tug at his roots, you screamed out in ecstasy, your hips rocked against his as you rode out your orgasm. Your husband followed shortly after, finishing deep inside of you. Quickly your bodies stilled, his head buried into the crook of your neck as he inhaled your scent. 

“I don’t want you to leave…” you giggled, holding tightly onto your husband with your legs wrapped around his waist, his cock was gradually softening inside of you. 

Your husband groaned out softly, he kissed your skin ever so tenderly. How you wished you could stay in bed with him for eternity. Whilst massaging his scalp, he sluggishly raised his head as he puffed out. 

“I know baby, I don’t want to leave either” he agreed sweetly as he pressed his lips against your heated forehead. 

Your bodies were entwined together like snakes. It almost seemed too easy for you to be able to flip him onto his back. He huffed out as you straddled him, your drippy bare region rubbed against his member in a teasing manner. As he chuckled out, he felt himself twitch ever so slightly. He took your head into his hands. 

“How long will you be gone for again?” you asked softly. 

Both of you knew you knew the answer to that. Sometimes you just thought that if you repeated the same questions over again he’d change his answer to satisfy you. Considering how often you both traveled, the distance felt hard at times. When one of you was walking in the door, the other was heading out. 

“Five days at most” he whispered. 

He gave you a reassuring kiss. It wasn’t too explicit or plain. His touch was all you ever needed to relieve your dreadful thoughts. Five days wasn’t that long. You’re complaining as if you don’t already have a job to do in between his trip. But you would forever hate to see him leave. 

“I suppose I can handle that” you murmured as a grin grew on your lips. 

“When I get back, I’ll take you out to our favorite little restaurant” he hummed as he left a trail of kisses over your heated face, his hands caressed around your neck. 

“Yes, John” you sighed. 

John stilled, his blue eyes narrowed at you, while the grip on your cheeks tightened. You couldn’t help but to smirk mischiefly. 

“Hey” he warned softly. 

“What?” you laughed. 

“You know I don’t like being called that” John mumbled. 

“What? Your name?” you taunted in a joking manner. 

“Yes” he huffed. 

As soon as you used nicknames like honey, sugar, sweetie pie even… John insisted that you stick to it. He’s always claimed that John was such a common, plain, boring name. It was his belief that his parents named him that to spite him. It felt a bit dramatic, but you kept your mouth shut and kept him happy by calling him a variety of sweet names, however honey just always felt most fitting.

“You’re so theatrical” you snickered.

“It makes me feel like you’re mad at me” John almost talked under his breath.

Sometimes he acted like such a child, you rolled your eyes and rubbed the back of his neck in a reassuring manner. “Okay honey, is that better?” you slightly mocked. John hummed as he kissed you on the lips. 

“What are you going to get up to?” he asked, his face blank but eyes eager to know. 

“Oh I don’t know… House duties I suppose” you lied perfectly. John blinked coldly to you, but the expression quickly vanished as he smiled and planted another soft kiss on your lips. “I’ve been thinking…” you trailed, debating the topic on your hesitant mind.

John’s brows frowned in curiosity underneath his loose locks of chestnut hair as he shifted his hips into a more comfortable position. “About?” He inquired eagerly, head tilted like a cute dog. 

You sighed out, your fingertips ran over his bare chest, John exhaled in relaxation as his eyes studied yours. The silence was short yet impactful. 

“This house is so big” you pointed out, the implication rested on the tip of your tongue. 

“Do you want to downsize?” John tilted his head in confusion. 

The both of you loved this suburban home. There were plenty of spare bedrooms for guests, as if either of you had visitors lining up. Neither of you had much family, the only relationships you shared were the fake ones with your wealthy neighbors, always engaging in their social gatherings to keep up appearances. Thou shalt love their neighbor. 

But with every month that passed of you living here, the more your neighbors seemed to pressure you into having a baby. Most of them were on to their second or third. The ladies would always warn you that the honeymoon stage wouldn’t last forever, so you might as well create your love child before you both despise one another. 

“I was thinking of bringing another in” you said unsurely, unable to keep eye contact with him for once. 

“Like a dog?” John asked softly. But when he noticed your anxious expression, he sighed lowly.  “Oh…” he gulped lightly, eyes widened. 

“Yeah” you mumbled, you brushed his chestnut locks to the side. 

“But I thought we discussed this before we got married” John commented, a neutral, calm expression painted over as he gently rubbed your lower back.

“I know, I know… But I’ve been thinking about it for some reason” you answered as you smiled hopefully at him. 

“We can discuss that possibility better when I get back, yeah?” John reassured you. “But yeah maybe, the idea of filling our home with a baby just may be fulfilling. A baby Smith… Maybe you wouldn’t have to travel so much?” John cocked a brow, a gleeful look on his face. 

“Likewise to you” you snickered as you smacked his chest gently. 

“Wow, I plan one business trip after months of being locked up here and now you blame me” John joked, he pulled your face closer to his. 

“You were gone for weeks on end” you huffed. 

“Six weeks isn’t that long, is it?” Jackson snorted, a mischief grin locked on. 

You kissed him, his arms wrapped around your back as his hips pushed up to yours. The friction built up in you both, again. Sometimes you wondered if you’d reverted back into a teenager, you never seemed to have this high of a sex drive until you met him. John’s length was like a forbidden fruit that you were addicted to. 

“Come on, join me in the shower” he ordered kindly, his baby blue eyes sparkling. 

“I need to cook you breakfast” you objected with a cheeky grin. 

“I’ll eat at the terminal” John grinned back, his newly formed erection pressed against your bare skin. 

As you arrived at the drop off zone - because John always insisted you never wasted time and money to walk him to security- you kissed him passionately before he quickly exited the vehicle and grabbed his small suitcase from the backseat. 

“I love you” John smiled. 

“I love you too” you smiled back. 

John shut the door, took a step back and blew you a kiss as you drove away. Once he disappeared from your rear mirror, you changed the radio station and slipped off your ring. Likewise to your flash SUV vanishing, his gleeful smile formed into a sinister stern glare. 

Whenever you were away from John, your double life crashed on top of you. They always warned you, this job was a deadly commitment. No one could make it work with the white picket fence with a sniper underneath your bed. Before you met John, you loved being an assassin. It gave you a constant rush of adrenaline that no other drug could. But the moment you met him, you could feel the switch begin to flick over. 

It was almost a suffocating burden to be married to John Smith. Yet, his love felt like a drug. Don't get it wrong, John was a terrific husband. If you were having a gloomy day, he’d come home with your favorite ice cream and a new rental for you both to watch that night. Date nights were always over the top with him. Even though you both traveled frequently, you always managed to squeeze in a romantic getaway every now and again. Puerto Rico was the next spot on your list, but he didn’t know that. For John burns, not tans.  

The thought of retiring grew larger inside of you by the day. You could easily fake your job experience for a more conventional profession. You wanted to be honest with John, this profession just wasn’t it. Sure, the pay was great, benefits were out of this world. But it was always so time consuming and moral reckoning. Not to mention your life was always at risk. Every mission you took, the more you worried for John. What if something did happen to you, how would he cope? Even worse, what if something happened to him? You've hidden him from your workplace, but what if. 

John Smith was charismatic, confident and intelligent. There wasn’t a day that you’d catch him in a faded pair of sweatpants and an oversized shirt, he always dressed proper. He’d always be able to read the room, it was impressive with how easily he could mingle into the conversation, as if he was the one that started it. It felt like he knew you completely from day one. John Smith was mesmerizing, alluring and fulfilling. He was the fantasy you never knew you craved. 

You sighed as you arrived at your headquarters. The elevator ride up was dreadful as you could only think of him. The doors dinged open, you blinked back your swelling eyes as you waltzed through. Your second identity quickly painted across your expression as you approached your desk. As you plopped at your seat, you opened up your resignation file, your fingers nervously tapped on the wood as you considered everything. Your finger hovered over the print button. With a firm push, the printer roared to life. After neatly laying it on your desk, you opened up your mission report once more and scanned over your next and last target. 

‘Jackson Rippner’

- 

The missions were all the same, always to terminate bad, horrible men that polluted the world. You liked to tell yourself that you were more of a vigilante than a cold blooded killer, that your jobs were somewhat for the greater good. But who were you to think that you were any better. This was no justice system, nobody would learn. Maybe you were wrong about this whole baby idea, how could you raise a child knowing you’ve killed many others? Especially with a beautiful man like your husband. 

But this was the last one, you had to keep on telling yourself that. It would all work out, you’ve done your time as one of their soldiers. It was time to live a normal life.

Quickly, you slipped your handheld mirror from your purse and applied one final layer of gloss. As the elevator dinged open, your stiletto boots went silent on the carpet flooring. The rough security guard stood in front of the room entrance, his thick arms crossed over his broad chest. With him looking you up and down, you batted your lashes as he started to pat you down over your coat. He tried to untie the coat but you swatted his hands away, glaring harshly at him. The guard huffed at you and checked your handbag, the handcuffs dangled from his thick finger. All you could do was shrug at him. After three slow knocks, the guard let you in.  

The room was decorated in a seductive red. You strolled carelessly, your thighs crossed over one another as you pretended not to notice your target in the corner of the room. Jackson smirked at you in his hotel provided fluffy white robe, his blonde hair slicked back as he twirled his whiskey on rocks. He stalked over to you, his tongue rolled over his lips. As your eyes lingered over to the closed bathroom, you stepped towards it, but he stopped you by raising his hand.

“I just wanted to freshen up” you batted your lashes, tone soft. 

“No, no, you look perfect” he gave you a toothy grin. 

You resisted your impulsive huff. The handbag is dropped onto the cabinet as you slowly untie your coat, revealing your shiny, leather, exposing catsuit that made your tits look perfect. The knee high boots tease at the limitation of the skin of your thighs. You unclasped your claw clip, your luscious hair fell onto your shoulders. 

“Mr Rippner” you purred, your hands dipped into your bag for the cuffs.

His dark eyes ate you up completely, his mouth almost drooling at your beauty. As you approached him, you unrobed him, revealing his toned muscular tan body. With a seductive smirk, you pushed him to his knees and quickly and certainly tightly, cuffed his hands behind his back. You teased him by tugging at the roots of his blonde hair. 

“Are you a naughty boy, Jackson?” you whispered as you squatted in front of him. 

“Mhm-hmmm” he hummed, his eyes piercing into yours. 

“Do you know what happens to naughty boys?” you murmured, your lips inching from his. All he wanted to do was kiss you. 

“No” he whispered back. 

You stood up and slipped behind him, your hands ran up and down his broad back, your lips pressed to his ear. “They die” you whispered darkly. 

Before he could even react, your arms locked around his head and you effortlessly snapped his neck. To stop him from thumping to the ground, you held onto hair, carefully laying him on the soft carpet. You exhaled out and stood up, you picked your phone from your bag and sent the confirmation text to your boss. You then slipped your wedding ring back onto your finger, you hated having it off. 

“Damn baby, you’re such a sexy killer” the voice of your husband echoed behind you. 

Your body spun around towards the bathroom, you stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. This wasn’t possible, how was he here? You stumbled back and blinked hard, expecting this all to be a guilty figment of your imagination. He was wearing one of his ordinary suits as he smirked devilishly as per usual. 

“John” you gasped. 

“I really thought you were gonna kiss him for a second” your husband tutted, his eyes full of mischief as he approached you. 

You were frozen in place. Every thought in your mind bounced at a high speed, you couldn’t grasp onto anything. All you could do was murmur his name again as he closed the distance. 

“Baby, how many times do I have to tell you I hate it when you call me that?” John lectured teasingly. As he tried to wrap his arms around you lovingly, you shoved him back. 

“What is going on?” you hissed like a viper. Then, it all clicked, all of the pieces fell perfectly into place. Your eyes darted from the dead man on the floor back up to him. “You’re Jackson Rippner” you mumbled, your expression drained in shock and defeat. 

“...Yes…” Jackson answered, his eyes widened for a second as he tried to hide the grin off of his lips.

“Who’s that guy?” you questioned. 

Both of your eyes drifted to the carpet but returned back to one another. 

“My decoy, obviously” Jackson shrugged carelessly. 

“I-I don’t understand” you stammered, trying to keep your emotions on track. Jackson rubbed your arms to comfort you, stupidly you allowed it. “But- But I had your profile checked” you argued, shaking your head at this situation. This possibility wasn’t, well… it wasn’t possible. 

“I’m a great ghost baby” Jackson gloated. 

When you fell silent, pouting a lot harder than you realized, Jackson pouted back. He hugged you tightly, his lips pressed to your heated cheek. 

“John!” you gasped, you tried to push him off but he wouldn’t budge. 

“Baby, my name isn’t John!” Jackson chuckled, his lips continuing to kiss your skin. “It’s Jackson…” he whispered somewhat flirtatiously. 

Jackson was soft with his words, but a brute with his actions. He held you against his chest as you squirmed like a fish out of water. It was amusing for him, watching you get all overwhelmed over a little detail. 

“Baby… I have it all planned out, okay? I need you to trust me” Jackson spoke a lot more firmly this time. Your eyes pointed up to his. 

“John-”

“It’s Jackson!” he snapped, his words hissing in anger. You flinched and blinked hard, your lower lip began to wobble. The hold he had on you tightened shortly. He exhaled out and loosened his grip. “Anyways, you killed my decoy, they’ll think Jackson Rippner is dead. And I’ll happily stay in the shadows far away from your work so we can continue playing happy husband and wife” Jackson proposed, a gleeful expression locked on. 

The seriousness in his eyes was frightening. “Jackson, you’re scaring me” you gulped.

“I know, fuck- I know how much this can be for you” he sympathised in a highly condescending tone, his head tilted down to yours. “It certainly does change things…” he mumbled lightly. “But baby, you can’t judge me. We work in the same profession” he chuckled, hoping to bring light to this. 

“You’ve known all along, haven’t you?” you whispered, eyes turning all glossy.

“Of course I did” Jackson snorted. 

“Who are you?” you dared to ask. 

Jackson stared at you blankly, analyzing every single sign you were throwing at him. He breathed out and let go of you, he turned his heel and walked towards the mini bar. “Let me get you a drink first, okay? You’re currently in shock, you need to calm down a little bit first” he clicked his tongue. 

You watched his back as he pulled out two glasses. He opened the whiskey bottle and filled them, sneakily sprinkling the small plastic bag of powder into your glass. Returning to you, his expression was blank as he held out your glass. Reluctantly, you took it, you stared at the liquor. Jackson downed his glass, placed it down next to your handbag and cocked an eyebrow at you, his foot impatiently tapped on the carpet. For someone who was supposedly stalking you, he was stupid enough to think you were an idiot. Your face scrunched in anger, before Jackson could react, you splashed the drink on his face. 

“Baby!” Jackson spat the liquor off of his lips. 

You punched him in the nose, he stumbled back and snarled out. Reactively, he tried to swing at you but missed as you leaned your upper body back. You swiped his feet and he crashed onto the floor. Repeatedly, you kicked him in the stomach until he latched onto your calf and yanked your leg up into the air. You fell onto the carpet with him. 

The door swung open and you leaped into the bathroom as shots were fired in your direction. You pushed your body weight to the door and you could hear Jackson screaming at his guy. 

“Don’t fucking shoot her!” Jackson roared, a vein popped out of his forehead. “Give me the fucking gun and get out!” he commanded.

The silencer was on, meaning hotel security wouldn’t be paying you a visit anytime soon. You needed your damn handbag to get out of here. Running your hand through your hair, you tried to summon up your game plan. Adrenaline ran through your blood as you heard the door shut once more. 

“Baby… Come out and let’s talk” Jackson projected kindly as he approached the door. He emptied the gun and dropped it to the ground, ensuring that you’d hear it. “I don’t want to fight with you, okay? Come on, let’s be civil with one another before somebody gets hurt” Jackson attempted to convince you, that familiar persuading tone on his tongue. . 

He was right, somebody would certainly get hurt and you’d be damned if it was you. You cursed to yourself, stood up, brushed yourself down and opened the door. That non wipeable grin was on his lips as he stared you up and down. His devilish blue eyes locked onto your band. 

“Put it on already, huh?” Jackson murmured, his hand dared to reach out to you. 

You smacked his hand away, swiftly twisting his arm around, he grunted out as you kneed him in the stomach. He is charged into the wall by you, you repetitively throw blow after blow into him. Jackson tried to counter you, but failed miserably as you smacked his head into the plaster. 

“I’m going to slice you to pieces” you threatened, your rage uncontrollable. “You fucking cunt!” you screamed as you threw him into the side of the bed. 

As you stomped towards him, Jackson hurried to his feet and pulled out the blade from his jacket pocket. The tip is pointed directly at you as his fingers rubbed over his cut lip. 

“You fucking bitch” he snarled but had this crazed smirk on his lips. 

This wouldn’t be the first time you’ve fought at a disadvantage. So you courageously raised your fists at your husband. Jackson laughed smugly and called out for his guard. You scoffed, picked up Jackson’s empty glass and hurled it at the man as soon as he entered the room. The glass scattered over his skull and he tumbled to the ground. Jackson cursed loudly as you reached for your handbag and coat before you flew out of the room. 

You ran across the terrace as you swiftly slipped your coat on, Jackson was hot on your tail as easily unclasped one of the rings from the bag, a metal rope connected to it. You clicked the ring onto the lamp post, held onto the other handle of the bag and dived off the balcony. The rope protracted down the high rise building, the drop slowed down as you watched the sidewalk grow closer. As your boots clinked onto the cement and hand let go of the handle, you hailed the next taxi, not giving a damn who stared you down. As you sat in the back and the adrenaline drained from your blood, you broke down into tears as you ripped off your wedding ring. 

Jackson heaved as he planted his hands on the cement edge. A grin formed on his lips as he watched you gracefully fall. He couldn’t help but to be proud as you shrunk smaller and smaller. You go into the next taxi and disappear into the concrete jungle. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and held it to his ear.

“Yeah, commence through. Kill them all” Jackson sighed.  

-

The truth was, you were originally Jackson’s target. Your firm had information his desperately needed. The security on your system was too good for his team to hack, he needed access from the inside. As soon as Jackson saw your profile, he felt some kind of draw towards you. As he stalked you, this attraction quickly turned into an obsession. His patience thinned every week, he craved some taste of you. 

When you booked a last minute red eye flight, he jumped at the opportunity. He was surprised with how easily he caught your attention, you seemed to crave it just as badly as him. It would be your downfall without even knowing it. You could almost have him fooled, you didn’t seem like a killer, you had morals, ethics, care in the world. Everything he didn’t possess. You silently screamed for domestic life, but you just didn’t know it yet. Before the plane landed, Jackson realized that there was no possible way he’d be able to fire the gun once the job was over. 

When he took you on your first date, he expected to fuck you, not to make love. My, he knew how cheesy it sounded, but it was a sleepless night of passion and sensuality. Jackson had never felt more emotionally, physically and spiritually raw and intense. It was like he had an outer body experience that night. He could have sworn he felt the exact moment that he fell completely in love with you. You craved him too, felt the exact same thoughts he did. It was like you were both one that night. Now Jackson was never a romantic, but he knew he’d marry you when the sun rose in the morning.  

You quickly turned sloppy around him, you really thought he was as innocent as he looked. Jackson accessed your system so effortlessly. It really was a pie waiting to be taken. He partially felt bad betraying you, but it was better than eliminating you. As if to reward him for his hard, continuous efforts, you fucked him that night until he saw pure bliss. 

He covered his tracks perfectly, you were robbed blind. There were no leads, no suspicions, nothing. He saw it in your eyes the next time he saw you. Jackson’s heart fluttered, you were in the shitter and you wanted him to be your shoulder to cry on. Not that any physical tears were shredded that day. But Jackson comforted you, held you as you both talked sweet nothings to one another. You told him you loved him that night, he felt no shame in returning those blissful words. That night, you truly believed everything would be better. That Jackson was your silver lining. 

The porch lights were still on even though it was past midnight. As Jackson’s Mercedes pulled up the driveway, he took in the last moment of silence, peace. A devilish smirk grew on his lips as he casually got out of the car and almost skipped to the door. It was risky, you could have eliminated him at any moment, but Jackson knew you, a public execution was not your style. 

You had no other option than to come here. Jackson had annihilated your firm before you could bring yourself to contact them. All agents were now dead one way or another, your director included. This reckoning was all due to you. Jackson Rippner was the virus in the system. It felt like you were in the fallback scene of a spy film. This was now a suicide mission, all from your stupid blindness of love. Why did you always have to trust him? You should have listened to your instinct and kept someone on his tail whenever you were gone. 

“Honey! I’m home!” Jackson called out as he viciously slammed the door shut.

The interior was dead silent, he knew you were somewhere, hidden in the dark as you awaited the perfect moment to attack. Checking the hidden security cameras would be too easy for him. Jackson wanted a challenge. The masculinity inside of him demanded to show you your place, as a woman and a devoted wife. 

Jackson flicked on the dim lights, he slid the pistol out from his hostler as he cautiously stepped over the oakwood floor. His footsteps were light as a feather as he almost hovered over the ground. When he reached the turntable, he chucked on one of your favorite jazz records and turned up the volume through the amplifier. His chestnut hair shagged over his forehead, he could sense you, because the pungent perfume you always wore filled his smell. 

“Babygirl… Come out, let’s play!” Jackson grinned as he picked up a photo frame down the hallway.

He pressed his back against the plaster, the winder staircase on the opposite side of the wall. His face pointed towards the edge as held the photo of the two of you towards the stairs, the glass’ reflection painted the staircase on the glass as you came into sight. You aimed the shotgun in your hand as you squatted in the midpoint of the staircase, your barrel pointed right to the edge of the wall. The frame was shot to pieces as he hissed out. 

“Careful honey, I don’t want to shoot you” you spat, tone dripping with deception.

“Oh no, no more pet names, I only want to hear my proper name off of your lips!” Jackson laughed. 

Intuitively, Jackson dropped down as you shot straight through the wall. Another shot was fired for goodluck, the dust and darkness blinded your vision, the moonlight and dim lights wasn't enough. Jackson groaned out dramatically as he dropped his pistol, an inch from hands reach as he plummeted to the floor. You gasped as his head came into view, you lowered the shotgun as you slowly stepped down. 

His left eye peaked open as he saw you off guard. Swiftly, he picked up the pistol and fired in your direction. You grunted as you hurried back up the stairs, firing a few shots for good measure. But when Jackson’s magazine ran out, you jumped at the opportunity to attack. He strode down the hallway, his face content as blasts splattered through the walls just short of him. Turning the corner, Jackson reloaded and took the next right to do a complete circle around the floor.

But you bet him to it, your knees sliding on the floor as you fired in his direction. Unfortunately you missed your target. Grunting to yourself, you reloaded and spun into the open. The coast was clear, you stood silently, the barrel switching from every possible open exit. Your brows furrowed when you saw his pistol slide over towards you. 

“Come on now, guns are overrated baby! Take your anger out on me a bit more passionately” Jackson called out. 

Silently, you followed the sound of his voice. As you sharply turned the corner, the room was empty and you muttered soundlessly. 

“You think I’m an idiot!” you shouted back. 

“Kinda, given the fact that I’ve had you wrapped around my finger this whole time!” he bellowed. 

The urge to prove him wrong, to get your revenge the righteous way took over. You emptied the shotgun and threw it to the floor. You pulled the bullet off of your black midi dress.

“Come out then baby, give me your best shot!” you mocked. 

“Gladly” Jackson smirked as he turned the corner and leant against the hallway wall. 

Cracking your neck and rolling your shoulders back, you brought up your fists and strided towards him. With a wicked grin, Jackson slid off his jacket and carelessly raised his own fists. The first punch you threw had your full force. But Jackson ducked and jabbed into your knee. You winced and kicked into him with your free leg. Jackson wrapped his arms around your lower body and forced you to the floor. 

“How could I be so stupid” you whimpered softly as Jackson tried to pin you down. 

“Because you’re in love with me baby” he smirked, his ego so full you almost felt it drip onto you. 

Your hand slipped free, you punched him in the jaw. Jackson groaned out, his mind dazed momentarily, you shoved him off of you. With a shake of his chestnut hair, Jackson chased after you. Ending up in the kitchen, you picked up multiple objects and flung them in his direction. Jackson managed to dodge most. As your hand wrapped around the expensive fine china vase Jackson adored, his eyes widened. 

“Now! Don’t throw that!” he ordered as he shoved his finger at you. 

Scoffing towards him, you hurled it towards his head, he had no other option than to duck. The material shattered against the wall. Jackson’s head snapped back, his blue eyes wide as he stared at the red pieces scattered over the floor. Snapping his eyes back onto you, he gave you a smug look. 

“You really are a petty bitch, ain’t you baby?” Jackson scolded. 

“Don’t call me that” you huffed. 

“Baby” Jackson pouted.

A wave of anger crashed over you, you flew over the island in the middle of the kitchen and crashed into him. The both of you threw jab after jab, kick after kick. Your nails dug into his skin and Jackson hissed out harshly. You’re banged up into the fridge, the back of your head making first contact. 

“You lied to me” you mumbled as Jackson held you against the fridge. 

Jackson pointed a finger at you. “Shut it… You lied to me just as badly” he countered. 

The denial was planted deep in his mind. In his justification, you were both as bad as each other, you both lied and deceived one another. Despite him always knowing, the ignorance was bliss for as long as it had lasted. 

“You used me!” you yelled. 

Jackson rolled his eyes as you flipped his back onto the fridge. 

“I know, but does it make you feel any better if I say that I was supposed to kill you initially?” Jackson chuckled softly. 

You slapped him across the cheek and let go, your chest heavy as you tried to keep your overwhelming thoughts at bay. Jackson hated to see you cry, to see any negative emotion in you. You were his to protect, to look after, he hated how badly the truth was hurting you. You could handle the physicality, but not this, not those dark emotions that no one can train you to block out. Jackson reached out for your hand. 

“Don’t touch me like that” you warned. 

“Baby, let’s talk” Jackson urged as he tried to touch you again. 

It snapped inside of you, you opened one of the drawers and pulled out the first knife you could wrap your hand around. The blade is pressed against Jackson’s throat, his jaw clenched as he glared at you. The edge of the bench dug into his lower back, his hands clawed down beside him. 

“I’ll fucking kill you!” you threatened, your body trembling immensely. 

“Do it baby, rip my heart out” Jackson grinned. “It’s not like you’d make it out of the fucking door, they’re watching us…” Jackson snorted, his eyes flickered towards the window. As you looked out, you saw the red laser flicking through the darkness, right onto your forehead. “Til death do us part” he whispered into your ear. 

“I don’t care if I die” you whispered back, accepting your fate. 

“Sure, but I bet you would if your sister did, yeah? Oh but you had no siblings didn’t you? Yet my accomplice reports that she’s alive and well in Tampa, now isn’t she?” Jackson spoke casually. 

Your eyes snapped onto him, eye twitching. It was impossible for him to know that, you’d hidden it so perfectly. Impulsively, you attempted to drive the knife through his hand on the counter. But Jackson slipped out, the knife clanked against the marble, you hissed out, your grip loose. Easily, he stole the knife from you and pointed it at you. You were stumbling back as he followed you. 

“Do anything to me, and I assure you, she’ll be dead before you can reach her” Jackson spat. 

It angered you, you should be fighting him to the death. Trying to rip his skull in half. But all he needed was a little threat to keep you at bay. You found yourself climbing the stairs, ignoring him completely as he stalked you. 

“Where are you going baby?” Jackson mocked arrogantly. 

As you reached the second floor, Jackson flung your body to the wall, his hand slipped around your neck, a gentle warning squeeze followed. Your glossy eyes snapped onto him, a dirty glare painted your beautiful face. 

“Don’t act like this. You made vows to me, remember?” Jackson reminded you harshly. 

As if vows were meant to mean anything at this point. You could counter him with plenty of his own vows. It made you sick in the stomach with his attempts of manipulation. He was sick in the head with some foul disease.  

“I don’t know who you are, you disgust me” you insulted. 

“Well… Get over it” Jackson shrugged his shoulders. 

“You’re pathetic Jackson. What makes you possibly think I could forgive you, love you? You’re an insecure little boy who can’t take no for an answer” you cruely countered. 

Jackson’s expression was blank and dark. As if all humanity drained from his body, he flung you backwards. Before you could even process it, you felt your back hit the thick edges of the stairs. You tumbled down, hitting your head intensely multiple times as you rolled to the floor. A slow groan escaped your lips, you whined out as you tried to focus. But your mind was dazed, your body felt numb and your eyes blurred. Within a blink, Jackson appeared beside you, how long were you out for?

“You okay?” Jackson whispered as he kneeled down beside you. His tone was full of concern and care. You mumbled out gibberish and Jackson chuckled, gently he caressed your heated cheek. “Come on then, let’s get you to bed” Jackson breathed out. 

Easily, he threw your body over his shoulders and carefully headed up the stairs. Beelining straight to the bedroom, Jackson flicked on the lights and thoughtlessly dropped your limp body onto the bed. You bounced on the soft mattress, your eyes squinted as you tried to piece everything back together. Putting up a small helpless struggle, Jackson stripped you bare. He texted his men to stand down and closed the blinds. The sound of the wooden draw pulling out caught your attention, but you couldn’t decipher what Jackson was grabbing. 

“Up for some kinky shit baby?” Jackson smirked snugly as he held up the rope. 

“Fuck off” you groaned as you tried to crawl off the bed. 

But Jackson straddled your hips and roughly pulled your wrist to the bed frame. After tightly binding you to the bed, you squirmed like a dying fish out of water. Jackson leant down to your ear, his warm lips pressed to your lobe as he inhaled your scent.

“I don’t wanna hurt you anymore baby” Jackson made known. “Don’t make me do it anymore, it hurts me too” he said through a soft tone. 

“Then untie me” you grumbled. 

“No, no… I need you baby, so badly” Jackson moaned lightly as he pressed his clear hard onto your stomach.

Your eyes widened, how long had he been erect for? How was physical combat a major turn on for him? Surely he’d never take advantage of you in this sense. Jackson was always a gentleman, kind, and thoughtful. Never would he pressure you into something that you had to consider. But yet again, this was Jackson, you didn’t know Jackson, you only ever knew John. 

“Jackson, don’t do this to me” your lip wobbled, eyes heavy. 

The pounding headache didn’t help. Hopelessly, you tugged at your binds, Jackson smirked darkly at the sight. The soft touch he always gave you made your legs squirmed. He’d only be rough with you if you wanted it that way, you prayed he’d stick to that. 

“Shush, you’re gonna have to comply with me baby. I know everything about you, every single person you’ve ever even smiled at, I will have killed if you continue to piss me off. You've sacrificed enough for your job, so surely you can still sacrifice a little bit for me” he grinned. You opened your mouth to counter, but Jackson was quick to press his finger to your lips and hush you. “I know I’ve lied to you from the beginning, but you have to know that I’ve always loved you” Jackson spoke truthfully, rawly.

It felt like a rip to the heart, because you knew his words were honest. That look in his eyes was too hard to stare at. No, this doesn’t change anything. Jackson was a horrible person, you were not the same as him no matter how badly he tried to persuade you. 

“You took advantage of me” you huffed, blinking back your tears.

“I know, I’m sorry” Jackson exhaled, almost looking guilty at his actions. “Baby, we’re not normal people, you can’t possibly hold this against me. Now, you can go around and think that what I did was unforgivable. But can’t you just be happy that you are completely accepted by somebody? No one will ever love you the way I do. What we have is real, you’re mine and I’m yours, always” Jackson confessed. 

All you could do was laugh weakly. The insanity of this man was wild. The sweet look on his face dropped. 

“You’re fucking crazy” you insulted. 

“Don’t piss me off” Jackson said coldly. A stare off commenced, slowly a grin grew on Jackson’s lips. “You want a job with me? I can get you in easily” Jackson laughed softly.

“I was going to quit for you” you snarled. 

“Made it easier for you then” Jackson shrugged. 

His eyes lowered to your stomach. Instantly, you knew exactly what he was thinking. Your body tensed as his hand traveled closer to your bare skin. You flinched as his fingertips rolled over your hardened nipples firstly. 

“Now, let's talk about that baby” Jackson licked his lips, his hand pressed to your stomach. You were speechless, shocked that he could think of this still. “A baby Rippner, now doesn’t that just sound fitting?” Jackson sniggered with a smug mouth. 

Slowly, he stripped himself bare over you. All you could do was watch in a mixture of fear, intimidation and arousal. His body was always so perfect in your eyes. You hated how badly you subconsciously submitted to him. As your skull thrummed, you squeezed your eyes shut. All you wanted to do was stop thinking completely. 

Jackson whispered your name as he pressed his lips to your neck. It was soft, everything he was doing was so fucking perfect. The way his hands rubbed your trembling skin, how the top of his head rubbed against the side of your face. Those sweet whispers of his made you squirm, the pleasurable ache in your core tormented you. 

His hands squeezed your tits, as he gradually lowered himself to your cunt. Sometimes Jackson wished that he could die by suffocation from in between your legs. The smell of your musk was intoxicating. You whined, your mouth clamped shut. Everything was hurting you, breaking you, yet your body demanded to accept the pleasure all too easily. 

“Yeah, gonna put a fucking baby in you alright. All fucking mine, fuck you’re so perfect, I love you so fucking much baby” Jackson praised, his fingers rolled over your sensitive flesh as he admired you. 

This was too much to handle. You broke down in tears as your body trembled from a mixture of reactions. Quickly and carefully, Jackson climbed up your body, his lips pressed to the side of your mouth. 

“Hey, hey, you’re okay baby… I’ll look after you, always. You just gotta give me a shot, I’m still John… Still the man you married” he assured quietly as he tried to wipe your tears away. 

“Jackson- please” you sobbed. 

“Shush, I’m always going to take care of you. I made vows to you, I refuse to break my word” Jackson spoke more firmly this time.  

“Jackson” you whispered as he aligned his tip to your entrance.

“My name sounds so beautiful on your lips baby, keep on saying it” Jackson softly ordered. 

After whimpering his name one more time, he crashed his lips against yours. Your mouth fell open, you were too tired to fight him anymore. His eager member slipped deep into your welcoming walls. The pleasure was too relaxing for your state. You were losing consciousness. All you wanted to do was sleep, it was the quickest way you could get away from him, even though it was only temporarily. 

“No, no, stay with me. Keep your eyes open, you’re fine” Jackson commanded. 

When you didn’t listen to him, mumbling and whimpering to yourself, he slipped his hand around your throat and squeezed hard. You wheezed out, your bloodshot eyes flashed open as you searched for air, bound wrists fought against the rope. Jackson coached into your ear, his hips slowly pumping his cock in and out of you. He released his grip enough for you to ruggedly breathe, his lips attached onto every bruise and cut on your body to assure you that he meant no harm. You tried to hide it from him, but it was pointless. He knew your body inside out, it truly was his to own. 

“Jackson I’m… Gonna…” you gasped as you felt your walls pulsate. 

“That’s it, let all of that tension go, get rid of all of that bad energy” Jackson smirked as his free hand rubbed your sensitive bud. 

Shortly, you screamed out hoarsely, he let go of your neck to hear your sympathy. The clenches vibrated down his length. Right after, Jackson felt his dick ready to spurt out. His hands pulled your hips up as he buried himself completely inside of you, your body trembled immensely as he finished inside of you. Your body slumped, completely exhausted as you gasped for an easy breath. Right before you finally could escape him, you heard his dark voice echo through your mind. 

“Goodnight Mrs Rippner”

[thatscarletflycatcher]

The problem with discussions about Henry Crawford is that there are two different questions being asked at the same time: 1) Can Fanny reform Henry? and 2) Can Henry reform?

Austen answers negatively to the first one, but I'd argue she's very ambivalent in her answer to the second.

Austen is not in the habit of "punishing" her villains; none of them are struck by accidents of fortune or anything the like, but we commonly perceive the downgrade between what they could have had and what they end up having. Edward Ferrars is an infinitely preferrable husband to Robert Ferrars, but Lucy Steele never seems to become aware of that fact. Isabella tries to get Captain Tilney over James Morland. Mr. Elliot is not crying by the corners over the fact that he lost Anne Elliot. Even Willoughby's regret is not about Marianne's actual goodness, but his personal convenience. Austen's "villains" as a rule are morally stupid people.

When Aristotle says that no one can be good who is stupid, he doesn't have in mind things like being good at Math or being well read or quick-witted; he's thinking of a certain intuition, clear-sightedness about what is good, what contributes to human flourishing, and this seems to be a strong component of what Austen calls sense. Sense is almost convertible (if not completely) with prudence, and prudence is a rather intuitive virtue, as it regulates the when, the how, the how much, etc of the other moral virtues. (and there goes my first thesis topic that I never did!).

In that way it is interesting that only 4 characters are said to possess sense in Mansfield Park: Edmund, Fanny, Henry, and Tom (and Tom doesn't even fully count, because his is expressed negatively: instead of having sense, he doesn't lack it). Here are the Henry instances:

"He did not want them to die of love; but with sense and temper which ought to have made him judge and feel better, he allowed himself great latitude on such points." "Henry Crawford had too much sense not to feel the worth of good principles in a wife, though he was too little accustomed to serious reflection to know them by their proper name; but when he talked of her having such a steadiness and regularity of conduct, such a high notion of honour, and such an observance of decorum as might warrant any man in the fullest dependence on her faith and integrity, he expressed what was inspired by the knowledge of her being well principled and religious." "That punishment, the public punishment of disgrace, should in a just measure attend his share of the offence is, we know, not one of the barriers which society gives to virtue. In this world the penalty is less equal than could be wished; but without presuming to look forward to a juster appointment hereafter, we may fairly consider a man of sense, like Henry Crawford, to be providing for himself no small portion of vexation and regret: vexation that must rise sometimes to self-reproach, and regret to wretchedness, in having so requited hospitality, so injured family peace, so forfeited his best, most estimable, and endeared acquaintance, and so lost the woman whom he had rationally as well as passionately loved."

(I'm not counting the one time Edmund calls him a man of sense, and the one time Sir Thomas does the same, for obvious contextual reasons).

It's not only interesting that he is the only rake to be called a man of sense by the narrator (Mrs. Smith calling Mr. Elliot a man of sense in Persuasion is clearly not meant to be taken straight), but that it is always specifically tied to moral perceptiveness; he was morally perceptive enough to know he shouldn't have played the way he did, and he chose to ignore it. He perceives Fanny's moral worth, and it is the core reason why he wants to marry her.* He also perceives William's moral worth as something both good and desirable:

"To Henry Crawford they gave a different feeling. He longed to have been at sea, and seen and done and suffered as much. His heart was warmed, his fancy fired, and he felt the highest respect for a lad who, before he was twenty, had gone through such bodily hardships and given such proofs of mind. The glory of heroism, of usefulness, of exertion, of endurance, made his own habits of selfish indulgence appear in shameful contrast; and he wished he had been a William Price, distinguishing himself and working his way to fortune and consequence with so much self-respect and happy ardour, instead of what he was!"

Both here and at the end of the novel, Henry's moral perceptiveness leads to remorse for his own moral wrongdoings. Compare this to Willoughby's regret over Marianne:

"Willoughby could not hear of her marriage without a pang; and his punishment was soon afterwards complete in the voluntary forgiveness of Mrs. Smith, who, by stating his marriage with a woman of character, as the source of her clemency, gave him reason for believing that had he behaved with honour towards Marianne, he might at once have been happy and rich. That his repentance of misconduct, which thus brought its own punishment, was sincere, need not be doubted;—nor that he long thought of Colonel Brandon with envy, and of Marianne with regret. But that he was for ever inconsolable, that he fled from society, or contracted an habitual gloom of temper, or died of a broken heart, must not be depended on—for he did neither. He lived to exert, and frequently to enjoy himself. His wife was not always out of humour, nor his home always uncomfortable; and in his breed of horses and dogs, and in sporting of every kind, he found no inconsiderable degree of domestic felicity."

This sense/moral perceptiveness of Henry Crawford, and his experiencing remorse for his own wrongdoings sets him apart from the other Austen rakes. He's also not a drinker or a gambler; he does take at least minimal care of Everingham ("Everingham could not do without him in the beginning of September. He went for a fortnight") and did some modifications to it as soon as he got it. The same way Darcy's character is revealed as we see Pemberley, so the inflexion point of Henry's redemption attempt is his trying to become a better master of his estate:

For her approbation, the particular reason of his going into Norfolk at all, at this unusual time of year, was given. It had been real business, relative to the renewal of a lease in which the welfare of a large and—he believed—industrious family was at stake. He had suspected his agent of some underhand dealing; of meaning to bias him against the deserving; and he had determined to go himself, and thoroughly investigate the merits of the case. He had gone, had done even more good than he had foreseen, had been useful to more than his first plan had comprehended, and was now able to congratulate himself upon it, and to feel that in performing a duty, he had secured agreeable recollections for his own mind. He had introduced himself to some tenants whom he had never seen before; he had begun making acquaintance with cottages whose very existence, though on his own estate, had been hitherto unknown to him. This was aimed, and well aimed, at Fanny. It was pleasing to hear him speak so properly; here he had been acting as he ought to do. To be the friend of the poor and the oppressed! Nothing could be more grateful to her; and she was on the point of giving him an approving look, when it was all frightened off by his adding a something too pointed of his hoping soon to have an assistant, a friend, a guide in every plan of utility or charity for Everingham: a somebody that would make Everingham and all about it a dearer object than it had ever been yet. She turned away, and wished he would not say such things. She was willing to allow he might have more good qualities than she had been wont to suppose. She began to feel the possibility of his turning out well at last; but he was and must ever be completely unsuited to her, and ought not to think of her.

I have half an idea of going into Norfolk again soon. I am not satisfied about Maddison. I am sure he still means to impose on me if possible, and get a cousin of his own into a certain mill, which I design for somebody else. I must come to an understanding with him. I must make him know that I will not be tricked on the south side of Everingham, any more than on the north: that I will be master of my own property. I was not explicit enough with him before. The mischief such a man does on an estate, both as to the credit of his employer and the welfare of the poor, is inconceivable. I have a great mind to go back into Norfolk directly, and put everything at once on such a footing as cannot be afterwards swerved from. Maddison is a clever fellow; I do not wish to displace him, provided he does not try to displace me; but it would be simple to be duped by a man who has no right of creditor to dupe me, and worse than simple to let him give me a hard-hearted, griping fellow for a tenant, instead of an honest man, to whom I have given half a promise already. Would it not be worse than simple? Shall I go? Do you advise it?” “I advise! You know very well what is right.” “Yes. When you give me your opinion, I always know what is right. Your judgment is my rule of right.” “Oh, no! do not say so. We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.

This is even more hammered in by the narrator: "Had he done as he intended, and as he knew he ought, by going down to Everingham after his return from Portsmouth, he might have been deciding his own happy destiny."

All these elements seem to point towards his being redeemable; he almost managed it! If only he'd gone to Everingham instead of London, catastrophic failure would have been averted! And yet at the same time we are told this:

Henry Crawford, ruined by early independence and bad domestic example, indulged in the freaks of a cold-blooded vanity a little too long. Once it had, by an opening undesigned and unmerited, led him into the way of happiness. Could he have been satisfied with the conquest of one amiable woman’s affections, could he have found sufficient exultation in overcoming the reluctance, in working himself into the esteem and tenderness of Fanny Price, there would have been every probability of success and felicity for him. His affection had already done something. Her influence over him had already given him some influence over her. Would he have deserved more, there can be no doubt that more would have been obtained, especially when that marriage had taken place, which would have given him the assistance of her conscience in subduing her first inclination, and brought them very often together. Would he have persevered, and uprightly, Fanny must have been his reward, and a reward very voluntarily bestowed, within a reasonable period from Edmund’s marrying Mary.

Ruined by early independence and bad domestic example. Mansfield Park is in a way a rather pessimist novel: it is a novel about education, and once your education has "set", your character is fixed, and your fate determined. Much of Maria and Julia's disgrace was also directly caused by their upbringing in a household where all importance was given to superficial qualities, and very little effective affection was shared; one can compare the restrained calm of Mansfield as a reflection of Sir Thomas' own unwillingness to see reality and give himself some discomfort in making others comfortable, with the bustle of the Musgrove household, and connect the dots to what makes the relationship between sisters Maria and Julia so different from the one between Louisa and Henrietta in similar situations.

In the end, it's a bit of a Schröedinger's cat situation. Can Henry reform? Yes, says Austen, he has the qualities needed for moral improvement, but no, his upbringing ruined him, and his character is fixed.

While this idea is the strongest in MP, it is present one way or another in all Austen's novels. Characters reforming is usually more about one specific quality or moral tone not being fine tuned than proper metanoia. Darcy was taught to do right, and did right; what he needed was to add proper humility and kindness to his practice. There is an exception, though, the one thing Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austen agree upon: a close brush with death is the best recipe for moral cure in the otherwise incurable.

Maybe the key is to wish Henry a good pneumonia, or a strong horsefall-induced concussion.

_____________

*On a side note, it's interesting that before he proposes, he considers how attached Fanny is to Mansfield, as undeserving as he thinks the Bertrams to be of her affection, and even draws a plan that contemplates giving her pleasure that way too: "I will not take her from Northamptonshire. I shall let Everingham, and rent a place in this neighbourhood; perhaps Stanwix Lodge."

[stvrlightgirl]

✧˖°. So caught up in you ✧˖°.

part one

part two ←

summary: Running into your new daughter’s teacher in the school hallway was a real surprise, and you can't help but feel certain feelings towards him. It’s a good thing, that you two seem to feel the same way about your little meeting.

pairing: primary school teacher!remus lupin x single mom f!reader

warnings: Reader’s daughter has her own name (Molly), fluff

wc:1,2k

a/n: I don’t know if it’ll be a series, but seeing how my previous post blewed up, it gave me motivation to finish this small shot.

Reblogs and comments are always welcome!

Enjoy!

„There will be a new teacher in school, mommy and he’s going to replace Mrs. Smith!” Molly told you one day when you were picking her up from school. Her little tiny hand swayed in yours as you made your way through the crowded hallway.

You smiled, sensing excitement in her voice. She always loved to meet new people. It was something she inherited certainly not from you.

„Oh, yeah, I remember. are you excited, bug?” You squeezed her hand affectionately, pushing the exit door with your other hand. The gentle wind blew against your face as you fished out the car keys from your trench coat.

„Yeah!” She nodded eagerly „I will miss Mrs. Smith tho, she was my favourite” her voice suddenly saddened. You smiled down at her, feeling a tug at your heart. Molly's attachment to her teacher was something that you were well aware of. She was just great with kids, always happy to see them. It was sad that she retired so soon.

“I know,” you replied softly as you unlocked the car and helped Molly into the backseat. “You'll miss her, but it's okay to feel that way.” You buckled her seat and reached with your hand to gently caress her little cheekbone. “I think that the new teacher will be super cool too.” You gave her forehead little kiss, and she giggled when your lips touched her face.

You walked around to the driver's side, settling into your seat and starting the car. The heater kicked in, chasing away the chill of the cool autumn afternoon. You took off your leather gloves to rub your hands together, seeking some warmth.

“What do you hope your new teacher will be like?” You spoke again after a moment of silence.

Molly pondered this for a moment, her tiny brow furrowed in thought. “I hope he’s nice like Mrs. Smith.” She said finally. “And funny. And smart.” She started counting on her fingers.

You chuckled softly, pulling out of the parking spot and making your way down the street. “Yeah, these are some good traits.” you agreed.

Molly continued to chatter away in the backseat, her voice still full of excitement. "What do you think he will look like, mommy?" she asked, her head popping up from the backseat.

You couldn't help but smile. Clearly, she was getting excited about the new situation. "Well, I can't say for sure, honey. We'll have to wait and find out." You gave her another smile from the rear view.

And he turned out great. Even better than you thought he would. A week later, when you were waiting for her in the school hallway, you watched in anticipation as the classroom door opened, and Molly came running out with a huge grin plastered on her face. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she made her way to you. As she got closer, you could see that her little cheeks were flushed pink, and her breathing was a bit ragged with the exertion of her run. When she finally reached you, she wrapped her tiny arms around your legs in a tight hug.

"Mom! You won't believe how great Mr. Lupin is!” she exclaimed, looking up at you with big, shining eyes. Her little hand found yours, and squeezed, while jumping around.

The hallway became full within a seconds, creating a chaotic scene, filled with bustling parents and swarms of excited children hurrying towards the school entrance.

You turned around, still holding Molly's hand, when the sound of the door closing behind you caught your attention. As you glanced over, you saw someone who you assumed was Mr. Lupin standing there, locking up the classroom. His eyes suddenly met yours and your breath hitched. There was an intensity in his gaze that drew you in, making you feel a strange pull.

Before you could react further, Molly's voice shattered the moment. "Mom, that's him!" she exclaimed, her voice full of excitement. "That's Mr. Lupin!"

He looked down at Molly, a smile lighting up his face as he recognized her. "Ah, if it isn't our little chatterbox," he said, his voice warm and friendly, and as he took step closer, you could now see him better.

"You even got a sticker, did you show your mommy?" He pointed to her jean jacket, before his eyes slowly traveled up to you, meeting your gaze once again.

And you felt a strange, almost electric connection. It was as if a thousand tiny lightning bolts had passed through your body in that moment, leaving you feeling both startled and yet strangely drawn to him. He was a handsome man, you couldn’t deny it even if you wanted. His hair was slightly messy, falling in soft, brown locks across his forehead. Those intense chocolate eyes framed by thick eyelashes stared right into yours, and you couldn’t help but notice the sharp, yet boyish, cut of his jaw. Even his outfit, a simple blue sweater and jeans, seemed to look better on him than on anyone else.

The strange connection between you and him was snapped out of by Molly, who with all the enthusiasm a child can have, showed off a sticker that was proudly attached to her denim jacket. The words "Rock Star" were written on it, and she looked up at you with a huge smile on her face, clearly proud of her accomplishment.

The atmosphere felt charged, filled with a magnetic energy, but you managed to collect yourself, plastering a smile on your face as you responded to her.

"That is indeed very cool, sweetheart," you said, ruffling her hair affectionately. “I’m sorry.” You chuckled looking back at him. “She can be a lot on a daily basis. I can’t imagine a classroom full of little kids like her.”

He chuckled softly, his gaze never leaving yours. "It's alright. To be honest, she's an absolute angel compared to the others, but don’t tell them that.” He winked at you, a playful smile danced on his lips.

“That’s good to hear then.” You offered him a slight smile as you held Molly close, sensing that she was growing weary and more clingy. She always become like that when she was tired. A school bell saved you from the awkwardness between two of you, because when it ranged, Mr. Lupin gave you an apologetic smile, glancing up at the source of the noise.

As the hallway cleared out, leaving behind only two of you, he broke the silence with a gentle cough, his voice a soft whisper. "Duty calls," he said, a hint of regret in his tone. "I must prepare for my next class," he continued, his smile tinged with a hint of sheepishness. "And I'd hate to keep you any longer."

She clearly knew the bell was an excuse for him to get away from the slight tension that had hung in the air between you two, but you couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment that your conversation was being cut short.

You chuckled, nodding your head in agreement. "Yeah, I'd better get going as well," you said as you held onto Molly's shoulder, feeling her weight leaning into you due to her increasing tiredness. "I need to feed this gremlin before she falls asleep on me." You ruffled her blonde hair.

He smiled warmly, casting a glance down at Molly who was clinging to you. "Yeah, I can see," he said, his voice soft and pleasant. "It was nice to meet you. By the way, don't forget to attend the class meeting this week!”

“Oh yeah, absolutely.” You giggled nervously. “I’ll be there.”

He gave you a final nod, taking another step away. Then, with a small wave, he turned and walked away, his figure slowly disappearing from sight as he rounded the corner.

And you saw that before he disappeared from the view, how he casted one final glance over his shoulder, his gaze meeting yours. A subtle, gentle smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he took in the sight of you and Molly last time.

You let out a sigh, feeling the tension finally starting to melt away from your shoulders. It took you a few moments to calm down and regain your composure, but when you were back in the game mentally, you felt that warm blush still coloring your cheeks.

What a strange conversation.

“I told you, he’s awesome” Molly whispered, looking up at you, with her big, but tired eyes, while you still couldn’t move your legs from a slight shock.

Oh, you were so fucked.

part two ←

[artyandink]

h.a.h

• • • ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • • •

SUMMARY: DEAN’S NOT EXACTLY A CLOSED BOOK. ONE LOOK AT THE GUY AND YOU EITHER THINK THAT HE’S HERE FOR A GOOD TIME, NOT A LONG TIME OR HE’S BEEN THROUGH SHIT. YOU’RE THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO PEOPLE SEE AS INNOCENT OR A BROKEN PERSON TO BE PITIED. YOU HATED THAT. YOU HATED VAMPIRES TOO.

TW: BLOOD, GORE, DECAPITATION, VAMPIRES, TOUCH OF ANGST, FOUR YEARS LATER, DEAN BEING SLIGHTLY SEXIST

NOW PLAYING:

• SNOW ON THE BEACH BY TAYLOR SWIFT

• KILLER QUEEN BY MAD TSAI

• MR BRIGHTSIDE BY THE KILLERS

FULL ALBUM

• • • ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • • •

“HEY, PRETTY LADY.” Ugh, was this dude a creep? Not another one, you were sick of this crap. So you turned around, seeing a guy around your age standing there— all leather jacket, cocky smirks and sleazy lines.

He pulled it off too— he had the type of look going on you’d only expect to see if you were a horny teenage girl having a wet dream. Sandy blonde hair that either beautifully fell or stuck up straight in places, like it’d been flattened and ran through by his fingers too many times that his hair was no longer uniform. Green eyes that gave way to a brash and no doubt panty-dropping personality, complete with a cut jawline, freckles dusting his nose and cheeks and pouty lips that were curved into a smirk.

A 6’ 1” man clad in a pile of flannel, leather and jeans. Great.

“Hey, lumberjack.” Your dry retort made him laugh under his breath— the type of laugh that made you think that being in a dark alley with this stranger wasn’t the best idea. Y’know, last thing you want is to be in a fight with a serial killer.

His smirk only got wider, stepping forward with a touché point to you. “Good one. You here alone, sweetie?” Yeah, crap, of course he’s dangerous, nobody asks that question with a smirk on, that just invites danger.

“Yeah, I am.” You answered confidently, giving him a look that translated back off if he was insane or I’m fed up if he wasn’t. Eyebrow raised, lips pursed— yeah, that should do the trick.

”Ah. Well, you know what they say,” His eyes flicked up and down your body— not in a predatorial way, just in an I’m judging you severely way, “a little girl shouldn’t walk alone.”

Yeah, fuck no, you weren’t dealing with this sexist dude for much longer. “I’m fine, thanks.” But as you turned to walk, something appeared at the end of the alley.

Snarling, gaping wide mouth, flashing eyes, and long, pointed teeth with blood dripping from between its lips and dribbling all down the front of the shirt it had on, and it was licking its lips as if it’d been presented with a five star buffet. Shit, a vampire? Not today, c’mon.

“Ok, sweetheart, stay behind me.” The stranger said, barring you with his arm — as if that would do anything — while whipping out a machete as he advanced at the vampire, features not set hard.

You just leant against the wall with a smirk, chuckling under your breath at how he just seemed so confident. You opened the wallet you had in your hands, nicked from his pocket, seeing a bunch of names on faded fake IDs. FBI Agent Smith, Ted Nugent, CDC, Hector Aframian, all bullshit names. Alright, let’s see how this plays out. Can’t be too bad of a job, right?

Wrong.

Within five seconds, the lumberjack dude was thrown against a wall— guess the vampire was stronger after feeding. So as the machete dropped from his hand and he let out a groan, you rolled your eyes and took out your gun from your ankle holster to go help this damsel in distress.

Walking quickly towards the vampire while it hauled the guy up and into a chokehold, you got a target lock on its back and shot twice, bullet lodging in between the vampire’s shoulder blades and making it let out a wounded animal’s whine, while you kept a tight grip on the gun, pulled the vampire away from this dude — still don’t know his actual name — twisted and threw it clean over your shoulder, grabbing the machete and slicing its head off against the pavement.

“The fuck?” Your head whipped to Hector — Agent Smith — whoever he was, pinned against the wall looking like you were a ghost. “You’re a hunter?”

“Never seen one that’s a girl?” You retorted, handing him back his machete. “Bullets laced with Dead Man’s Blood. Basically does half the work for you.” Brushing off your hands, you watched as this dude got to his knees, checking the body.

He looked impressed. “Damn, guess y’re right.” He muttered, then got up, went to you and put his hand out. “Name’s Dean.” Ah, so his name was actually Dean. Not bad.

You gave your name, shaking his hand. “You sure? Cause I saw a lot of things in this here wallet.” You held it up with a grin, handing it back to him and making him laugh nervously.

“Y’sly dog.” He muttered, chuckling despite his pride as he pocketed his wallet. “Sorry about, y’know, assuming you’re defenceless.”

“You ain’t the first, you certainly ain’t the last.” Shoving your gun back in your holster, you gave him a brief smile as you began to back off. “I’ll see you around, princess.”

A scoff from him, raised eyebrows— but hey, he didn’t mind it that much. “Princess?”

“Yeah.” You shrugged, as if the fact that he was a princess was gospel. “Princess. What else?” And with that, you rounded the corner and left.

Dean was left dumbstruck. And awestruck. Maybe a little starstruck. It wasn’t everyday a girl just swooped in out of nowhere and saved his ass— he’d have to tell Sammy about this anyhow, but maybe not cause the little shit would tease him forever. But eh, he could only be a hardass at heart for so long. But one thing was sure, you were a firecracker.

“Damn,” He kind of wanted to see you again, “that’s one hell of a girl.”

• • • ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ • • •

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[ghoularaki]

baby's breath | 13

↠  summary: Merely by coincidence, Erwin, your father's former friend had crossed paths with you again after nearly a decade. He offered solace once finding out you were struggling with not just school, but your home life as well. His home he shared with another one of your father's friends, Levi, became a sanctuary. Though, the more you came over for study sessions, the more they wiggled themselves into your private life. And like baby's breath, they weeded themselves in so deep you couldn't uproot them.

↠ word count: 3,071

↠ pairing: levi ackerman x reader x erwin smith

↠ genre/warnings: angst, smut, modern au, DARK CONTENT, yandere, daddy kink, forced infantilism, pet play, age gap, bondage, emotional manipulation

“What is there to talk about, Officer?” Levi questioned, impudence thick on his tone.

“Levi,” Erwin scolded.

From looking at the outside in, the picture painted was Erwin irritated by Levi’s tone, but you knew better. And maybe the police officer did too from the side glance he gave you.

Hand cradling your elbow, you could only watch the scene unfold in front of you.

“I mean no harm Mr. Ackerman, just some precautionary questions.”

The officer didn’t move the door, his stance lax and friendly. Though his golden eyes glinted with advertency.

Levi scowled at his last name being uttered. His body tensed, not exactly scared but prepared for a fight.

Sniffing out the hostile air, Erwin cut in. “I’m sorry about him. We had a very long day and he just came back from a business trip.”

“I see,” Officer Yeager hummed, obviously not convinced.

Swallowing, Erwin put on his pleasant facade, “What is it you would like to ask?”

“Ms. L/n had a lot of peanuts in her stomach for someone who is allergic and has known since she was a child. Care to explain?”

“That was completely my fault. I made something with peanuts in it without the knowledge that she had been in fact allergic and she had no clue until it was too late.”

The officer smiled with a quirked eyebrow. “How unfortunate. And why was an epipen not administered?”

“She lost it.”

Acknowledging you, he turned all his focus on your recluse form, “Is this true?” He laid his suspicion on thick.

Glancing at Levi, you gulped, “Yes.”

Officer Yeager hummed, “That will be all. Let me walk you guys to the receptionist so you can go home.” His eyes never left you while he spoke.

Walking out the door, he waited for Erwin and Levi to leave first. You stared at him as you followed the two. He closed the door and strided the same pace as you.

You held your breath the whole time. You could tell the truth. You could tell him everything, that you were abducted and stashed away in their pretty, unsuspecting home. Though fear gripped you. The unpredictability terrified you.

You got exactly what you wanted, a chance to escape. Now that it’s right in front of you, you were paralyzed. The officer was your ticket out, but who knew what Levi or Erwin would do.

Reaching the nurse’s desk, Levi beckoned you over. “You have shit you need to sign.”

Your vision wobbled as you stumbled towards the counter. The pen shook in your grasp as you tried to read what laid in front of you.

All you had to say was simple. But the risk was too high now. Both men crowded you and you had no clue what Levi would do. He was an abnormally strong man and he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Was the chance to save yourself worth the risk of the lives now in your hands?

You tried to reassure yourself. Officer Yeager seemed suspicious of them so all you had to do was wait it out. Suspicion wasn’t enough and as the two men crowded you, you knew you were doomed from the start.

Signing the release forms, you didn’t even flinch when Erwin patted your head.

“Let’s get you home,” He spoke with such a soft voice. He must be so relieved.

Placing a hand on your upper back to guide you, his palm burned.

“Have a good day gentlemen, Ms. L/n,” Officer Yeager called out.

Tilting his head back, Erwin called, “You as well.”

Clutching your fingers together in boney knots, you stared straight ahead not processing the blinking halls. Erwin didn’t let go of you until you were all in the elevator. The metal doors screeched closed, leaving you completely vulnerable.

If it weren’t for the cameras, you knew Levi would have been on you in an instant.

“Just wait until we get back. Maybe it will get inside your thick fucking skull once I’m finished with you.”

You didn’t reply, only zoned off.

“Oi, brat, are you listening?” Levi barked.

“Leave it be for now, Levi,” Erwin sighed, fingers pinched the top of his nose to ward off the incoming headache.

The doors dinged open. Entering the lobby, natural beams poured in from the glass sliding doors, breaking up the overwhelming fluorescent lights. Crossing through the frame, you left the hospital unsuccessful. You could only feel anger towards yourself for your cowardness.

The two men hauled you through the parking lot, following the sidewalks until you were at a more secluded area.

“Are you fucking stupid?” Levi was the first to break the silence.

You were about to answer, but Erwin cut in first. “I didn’t-”

“You didn’t fucking know?”

Your lids rapidly blinked as you looked at Levi and then Erwin. What the hell?

“Yes, Levi, I didn’t know. I haven’t exactly had the time to go through her medical records and obviously she wasn’t going to say anything.”

Medical records? He didn’t have access to that unless he was talking about the records given to you when you graduated high school. You remember it being haphazardly stowed away in your apartment. You stopped walking. He didn’t.

The two didn’t notice you paused as they continued to argue. From here, you could see Erwin’s sleek, black car in the distance. Backing away, you were about to run back into the hospital and beg for help, but Levi caught you. Before you could even slip away, his cold hand gripped you so hard a bruise had already formed.

His nails pinched your skin. “Oh no you don’t.”

Dragging you to the car, he threw the door open and shoved you inside. Forcing you to the left seat behind Erwin, he climbed inside with you. Grabbing the seatbelt, he buckled you in and tightened it so hard it dug into your hips.

Levi matched your glower. “Don’t start more shit. I’m already in a bad mood.”

You crossed your arms and leaned away from him to stare out the window. Huffing, he left you be. The door slammed. Glancing at the rearview mirror, Erwin was already looking.

Going back to the window, you rested your forehead against the warm glass. Erwin backed out of the parking lot and took off, taking you away from society.

Hitting the road, you watched all the tall buildings surrounding you. Deep in the center of the city, you even passed your former university. Sadness engulfed you of the life you were never going to have again. Say you do escape, you could never continue as you did before. You would probably have to live like you were being hunted.

The buildings got smaller and further apart as you approached the rural areas. Green trees with spotting oranges whirled past you. Was it already getting colder out?

Remembering the road to get to their house, panic hit you all at once. You were no more than a couple minutes from the home. Despite trying to prepare yourself for what’s to come, you can’t. You can’t do it.

Unclipping your belt, you gently guided it so they couldn’t hear the fabric rubbing against metal. Gripping the handle, you subtly tugged on it, but it wouldn’t budge. You pulled again, but it didn’t give. Freaking out, you rapidly yanked on it, not caring they could obviously hear and see what you were doing.

“Hey!” Levi barked.

You ignored him as you used your full body to jerk at the handle, tears spilling over. The salty water hit your tongue as you openly sobbed. “Let me out! I can’t, please. Let me out, let me out. Let me out, please!”

Erwin sped up to get you home faster, not wanting to pull over and have someone see you like this. They couldn’t have any more witnesses. The police officer had them both on edge.

Unclipping his own belt, Levi leaned over the center console. Fingers wrapped around your nearest arm and wrenched you to the middle seat. Letting go of your arm, he palmed your head and slammed it against the console. You winced at throbbing pain in your forehead. Brain rattled in your skull from the force. He leaned his elbow into your upper back, immobilizing you. Your hands were free and you used one to push against his seat and the other to claw at his hand.

Your feet blindly kicked. You need to get out of this car and away from them.

Nose awkwardly squished against the console, you tilted your head to get air. Levi pressed further into your temple.

“G-get off me. Let me go!” Blubbering, you continued your hysterics.

Opening the glove compartment with his unoccupied hand, he grabbed a bundle of napkins.

“Get off-!” He shoved the crumpled tissue into your open mouth, silencing you.

This only made you cry and flail more.

“You aren’t helping, Levi,” Erwin snapped.

“Well it got her to shut up, didn’t it?”

Grovel under tires only upped your distress. Whining and whimpering through the napkins, drool made it soggy in your mouth. The thin paper clung to your tongue. Weakly grasping at Levi’s fingers, you tried to rip the appendages back.

Shifting the stick into park, the mechanical clunking of the gears only caused you to tug more. Erwin unbuckled himself and exited the car, leaving you with Levi.

“Are you done flipping your shit?”

Exhausted, you let your body sag against the console. Nothing could be done now. Staring at his torso, you nodded the best you could and released your grip on his fingers.

Shifting his hold from your head to your nape, he forced you up. The scowl didn’t leave his face. No pity was given to you. Opening the glove compartment again, he grabbed two more napkins.

Holding one under your chin, he commanded, “Open.”

Letting your jaw relax, the wad fell from your lips. It landed on the brown tissue with a wet plop. A shiny string connected the paper together. Levi’s face twisted in disgust. Grabbing the other napkin, he started to wipe the drool and snot that dripped down your lower face. You sniffled as more tears silently dripped down.

His eyes bounced to yours, holding your bobbling gaze. His lips parted to speak, but Erwin swung open the car door on the left side. Levi released your nape allowing you to turn towards the large man.

“Come,” He grabbed your arm before you could even respond.

Plucking you out of the car, you stumbled on your feet. The other door slammed, Levi rounded the front of the car as Erwin forced you down the driveway. His fingers bit into your upper arm.

“Y-you’re hurting me,” You cried, prying at his bruising grip.

Erwin lugged you closer and bent down to get in your face. “You don’t get the luxury to complain after what you put me through.”

Pushing you up the small stairs of the front porch, he forced the door open and shoved you inside. Unable to catch yourself, you fell on your hands and knees. You gasped at the landing, palms definitely scraped.

Behind you, Levi soon followed Erwin inside. The multiple locks were clicked shut, entrapping you. As the two toed off their shoes, you tried to crawl away, but Erwin quickly scooped you up with an arm around your waist.

Carrying you out the mudroom with a clear destination in mind, he stopped in his tracks at the booming knocks coming  from the door. You still in his grasp, he turned to Levi about to emerge through the doorway.

“You get it, I’ll deal with her.”

Carry you to the living room so he can hear the conversation, he sat on the recliner and twisted you on his lap. You attempted to squirm, but Erwin squeezed so tight around your ribcage until all the air left you. Slapping his palm over your mouth, his hand encompassed your jaw.

Twisting the lock free, Levi opened the door with no regard.

“Yes?” He frowned at the old man stood on their porch.

The old man couldn’t be younger than 70. He seemed quite healthy for his age, but obvious wear and tear on his wrinkled skin. Put off by Levi’s standoffish attitude, he tried to smile to lessen the tension.

“I’m sorry to disturb you. Lately I have been seeing lights flicker on and off at night, and it's been making it difficult for my wife to sleep.”

Your heart dropped and you stilled in Erwin’s lap. Everything was going wrong today. Nothing had been going according to plan. You wanted to pull your hair out.

Confused, Levi tried to explain it away to get the old man off his fucking porch. “It must be me getting up at night. I have insomnia. I’ll try to be more conscious about it.”

The old man smiled, but tersely like he didn’t believe him. “That’s quite alright. Sorry, again.”

He walked off, but stopped and you could see his shadow through the curtains as if looking for something. His shadow slowly dissipated until he was completely gone.

Levi slammed the door causing you to jump. “Fucking old people,” He mutters as entered the living room.

“Is he gone?” Erwin questioned, his voice brushing against the top of your head.

“Should be.”

“Go get what you need, I will explain her punishment.”

This kick started your fight once more. You scratched at Erwin’s arms. Whatever they had in mind, you didn’t want to partake in at all. You refuse to be degraded like all the times they punished you before.

“Settle,” He demanded in your ear, clutching you tighter to his body.

Screaming against his palm, you opened your mouth to bite, but he removed his hand before you could.

“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!” You sobbed, punching at his arms.

Erwin grunted at your elbow jamming into his front. Gathering up your wrists with one hand, he held them down, immobilizing you. Your legs kicked and thrashed.

Levi entered to see the spectacle before him, “She seems to be taking it well.”

“Your sass—knock it off,” He growled at you before continuing, “isn’t appreciated.”

“Of course she isn’t taking it well, let me go!” You countered, hating how they talk like you weren’t in the room.

“Muzzle or restraints first?”

Focusing on Levi, in his grasp sat the mitten restraints, muzzle and shock collar. You rapidly shook your head, you didn’t want to be restrained again.

“Restraints.”

Coming to you, Levi kneeled before you and Erwin. Letting go of one hand, Erwin held the other as Levi started his work. Clutching your wrist, he shoved your hand deep into the mitten, your fingers tucked in. Fastening the belt, he went for your other hand. Erwin switched his hold so you couldn’t jerk away from Levi.

“Were you able to explain or was she throwing too big of a tantrum,” Levi asked Erwin, his attention purely on the bondage.

“I am not throwing a fucking tantrum,” You seethed.

Levi raised a brow and slowly rolled his eyes up to yours. “You’re not? Then explain why Erwin has to hold you down like a toddler. Or I don’t know, we had to go to the fucking hospital because things aren’t going your way.”

“You fucking kidnapped me! I just want to be treated like an adult and you freaks- ow!” You hissed.

Levi tugged the other belt so hard it pinched your skin. His pull forced you down closer to him.

“Enough,” Erwin said, he shifted you in his lap to face him. Your knees straddled his hips as you sat more in the middle of his thighs rather than on his crotch. Lifting your hair up, he allowed Levi more access to your neck. Levi stood up to get a better vantage point.

He continued, “Time and time again I try to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you keep disappointing me. Anytime we give any leeway, you only hurt yourself. Until you can learn, we are in control of everything.”

You opened your mouth to rebuttal they already are, but Erwin raised his hand to stop you.

“You are no longer going to eat by yourself, bathe by yourself, dress by yourself, go to the bathroom by yourself. Anything you do, you need permission. You can’t be trusted.”

From behind, Levi slipped the shock collar around your throat, fastened the loop and locked it. Letting your hair fall, Erwin’s hands rested on your hips.

“How can I get permission if you’re just going to gag me?”

“You’ll see.”

Your fingers curled in the leather mittens, “This isn’t fair. I’m not some animal, I have rights.”

Bringing the muzzle around, with his hand on the cage, Levi adjusted it on your lower face. “You’re lucky we are even allowing clothes. Being restrained is the least of your worries.”

Wrenching the belts tight enough, you were completely gagged. Hovering over you, Levi planted his hands on your shoulders, his thumbs dug into your collarbones.

Erwin leaned to give a kiss on the edge of the muzzle, his nose brushing against your cheekbone. His hands slipped up your t-shirt to caress the bare skin of your waist. “Even with Levi’s crude cuffs and gag, you’re so beautiful like this.”

Levi huffed from above you, “Sorry I can’t stand your stupid frilly, pink shit.”

“I wasn’t complaining, just making an observation.” Erwin gave one last kiss to your temple and pulled away. “I have work to do, keep her occupied.”

Lifting you off Erwin by your waist, he planted you next to him on the couch. Erwin got up and walked off, leaving you with Levi. Curling in on yourself as much as you could, you scooted away.

“Come back here,” Levi instantly put his arm around your shoulders and forced you back to him. “You better get used to being touched because you’re not even getting an inch away from us.”

You snarled, unable to do more than that.

“Bitch and moan all you want, you’re not getting out of this for a while. Next time don’t be so impulsive.”

You hate that he was right. Next time, as he said, you will be a few steps ahead. You’ll take this as a learning curve. You were getting out of here, alive. 

[todaysdocument]

Letter from S. Jonce to U.S. District Attorney Harlan F. Stone, Requesting that He Investigate the Activities of the Ku Klux Klan in Selma, Alabama

Record Group 60: General Records of the Department of JusticeSeries: Straight Numerical FilesFile Unit: 198589 Section 5 [1/3]

198589-

Selma, Ala Dec 5, 24

U,S DIST ATTY Stone

Washington D,C,

Dear Sir,

I wish to call your attention to the Klu ,Lk Klan which has been organised here here recently they are trying to run this section they are running negros awayand if one klan has greivance against them or any one they warn them to leave or they will take them out and giv them a flogginthey have about 1000 members here and there their hall is over W,R R city Ticket OfficeIn The Gillman BuildingThey meet there every Thursday night And they gets Difrent Persons up there before themAnd they handle them Very Ruff They had L,C. Farley ManagerUp There and gav

Gave him 2 Weeks to leaveAnd He LeftAS you well Know Farley Co Is a eastern Company They had Mr Merry W"lker s Son Up Before Them andHandled him very ruffalso Had a negro named Shannon W Who lived on Harry Smith Place to leave inA weekAnd Smith went to the ring leadersand resented about renning his ne negro tennants ,most of The state and Officials Belong to thi Klan ang one who does not belongto it has a poor showing And the onlyShowing a person is to appeal to the U,S atty , T

Go have the Us Grand jury to investigateThese thingsAs i Give ,you a few whoo came undermy personal knolledge the ring leaders of the klans herearrPhillip Shanks, Ed Keeble Dr Frank Jones DR Renyolds Dr Thomas Drummond G Gains Mack Strong, Dr ChristenberyRoscoe Hinson EM... E,M,McDaniels Charlie JonesThey are also fighting the Jews a And The Catholic and Putting on A boy cot against these people Any Clas or Band of menWho can Run This sectionRegard to the rights of the mases people makes this country un safe for people to live in and it takeshis rights of freedom awayAnd if it continues to go on no telling where it willgo as a few willrruleand people will have to doand vote as the klan ordersn.

Wish you would have this matterd investigated whe the next grand jury nmeets and see if this affair does not to s so far as to take the rights and libberty of american citzen,

S,yours Truly

S, Jonce,

[strawberryscribblesandwrites]

Empty offices and creeky desks

leon kennedy x bimbo reseptionist reader

Smut

Summary : your the new receptionist and you desperately want and need to get dicked down by leon (reader kinda manipulates things I think??) (The apocalypse didn't happen in this au?)

(MINORS DNI) Warnings: reader is a tease , dom leon , oral ( m receiving) , fingering rough/degradation , daddy/sir kink , nipple play?, spit 💀, p in v, public sex? Creampie slightly pussy slappingLet me know if any other warnings I missed and I'm sorry lmao

Not bata read

You remember your first day as receptionist. you were sat at the front desk applying your peach lip gloss in your compact when he walked up to your desk.tall , handsome and muscley you had to stop yourself from drooling but you could tell by the dark look in his eyes he thought you were hot in your short pencil skirt and Button up shirt not fully done up.

"Hi I'm y/n welcome how can I help you today, can i get your name to sign you into the system" you looked at him through your lashes as you spoke.

"Leon kennedy" he spoke his voice rough his eyes raked over your body eyes staying a little to long on your chest.

"Okay Mr Kennedy" you giggled softly as you bit your pen before writing down his name in your book of who had come in and at what time.

"All done" you giggled as he gave you a short nod as you handed him his files for the day.

You had one thought as he walked away you need to desperately get fucked by that man, you had a plan to get him, your gonna dress even more slutty and act even more dumb I mean that usually works.

You stood up from your desk applying more sparkling white eyeshadow to your lids grabbing some more files.

Heels clicked against the floor as you moved to find Leon's desk making sure to look lost and dumb.

Pulling down your skirt wiggling your hips as you did you walked up to leon leaning over to tap his shoulder making sure to bend over more than needed to give him a clear view if your cleavage

"Um excuse me Mr Kennedy" you say innocently despite your intentions

His dark grey eyes looked up to you and trailed down your face to your chest where they stayed.

"Do you know where officer Smith went" you softly battery your eyelashes

Leon gulped his eyes reluctantly moving back to your face as he pointed towards the opposite direction you came

"he went that way" his tone soft with a darker edge creeping in as his eyes glued to your plump lips

You quickly said thanks before walking away swaying your hips setting your plan to get railed by the hot blond officer.

So here you sat tight light pink shirt the buttons straining to keep shut the top buttons undone, a shot black pencil skirt that you had to keep pulling down to cover the top of your stocking working graveyard shift just because you knew he was working.

You took a sip from your iced coffee not doing work like you were supposed to

When you heard the entrance of the rcpd open and close but you were to bored to pay any attention to it until you heard a deep voice clearing their throat

You look up through your eyelashes "Oh hi leon!" You giggled as his eyes slowly raked over you his Adams apple bobbed

"Hey....aren't you supposed to be working" he teases his tone dripping with something dark like molasses

You batter you lashes giving him your best doe eyes "I'm way to pretty to work" you write his name down before standing walking over to your filing cabinet purposeful bending down low knowing your skirt would ride up showing him your black lace panties.

"Fuck" he breathed before clearing his throat feeling his pants tighten at the sight

You stand back up turning to him innocently like you didn't just show him your panties "you okay hon you look flushed" you smiled sweetly handing him his files to work on

He stutterd clearing his throat eyes blown wide with lust "I'm just peachy sweetheart" he roughly said walking towards his desk quickly

You smirked sitting at your desk sipping your coffee watching him walk away your plan is working.

You spent the next hour looking over to a frustrated looking leon trying to work you groan as you stand deciding not to pull your skirt down even as it was basically I micro skirt at this point not caring knowing only you and leon where in the main office

You walk over to him your heels clicking on the marble floor you sway your hips as you tie you hair into a messy pony tail.

"Hi leon!" You say bubbly placing yourself on his desk

"You seem fustrated" you giggled softly leaning forward towards him

"I wonder why" he darkly whisperd eyes dark looking at you like he wanted to eat you hole he rubbed his hand over his face his bicep bulging as he did

"You know exactly what your doing huh?" He groaned pushing your legs apart to scoot himself between your legs.

"What do you mean leon" you faked innocents causing the man to darkly chuckle his hands sliding up your legs causing your chest to quicken

"You know exactly what I mean don't you" he growled his thick ands moving further up your thighs moving closer and closer to you lace coverd clit.

You bit your lip shaking your head quickly

"Oh don't lie now baby don't act like you haven't been dressing like a whore for weeks" he growled his finger grazing over your clit softly.

You gasp closing your eyes

"You like that don't you" he laughed repeating his actions you nodded again causing him to grab your chin forcefully causing you to look at him "use your words baby tell daddy what you want" he spoke in a low growl.

he pushed your panties to the side running his finger from your entrance to your swolen nub, collecting your wetness.

"Fuck! Daddy I love it" you whimpered as he grinned slowly circling your clit causing you to arch into him.

"Look at you"he moaned plunging his ring finger and middle finger into your dripping hole causing you to gasp "daddy!"

"Sh sh baby you don't want anyone to hear you" he darkly smirked now standing as he moved and curled his fingers inside you roughly hitting a spot that made you grab his wrist quickly.

He moved his fingers in and out of your entrance quickly, you gripped his arm whining at the feeling of his thick fingers abusing your gummy walls hitting the same spot over and over putting you on edge as his thumb brushed your clit making you see stars.

You panted letting out a high pitched whine as he pulled his fingers out of you leaving you achingly empty

"Daddy please please" you say bordering on a sob

"Look how wet you are my little slut and I haven't even started" he groaned happily bringing his fingers up to his mouth sucking your slick from his fingers the sight was enough to make you cum .

He pulled his fingers out of his mouth with a pop. He grabbed you jawy roughly opening your mouth you happily complied opening your mouth as he smirked at you and spat in your mouth closing your jaw letting you savour the tastes of yourself and his spit

"Such a dirty girl" he growled bordering on a moan

He grabbed your hips pulling you off his desk causing the wood to groan he pulled you into him by the back of your neck foceing you to kiss him you both panted into the rough kiss before he pulled away whispering

"your gonna suck my dick okay?"

"Yes sir" you happily say pushing him to sit on his desk chair you sank you your knees, you quickly moved unzipping his pants as he's raised his hips letting you pull his boxsers and pants down his thighs.

His dick sprang free hitting his stomach you bit your lip as you looked at his dick it was a pretty shade of pink a thick vain running down the underside up to his tip.

"You okay baby" he asked softly smirking as you seemed mesmerised

You didn't reply instead you moves forward giving him an experimental lick from his base to tip causing him to pant and buck up into the air.

You smirked spitting onto his dick wrapping one of your hands round his base giving a gentle squeeze you leaned forward taking his tip into your mouth

"God fuck" he breathed his hand going to your hair.

You moved your hands slowly on his lengly using your toung to tease his tip pre cum coating your toung his hand in your hair foceing you to take more of him into your mouth, you began to bob your head quickly

"God your such a good little slut taking daddy's cock " he breathed as you sped up taking more and more of him into your mouth foceing down a gag breathing through your nose.

"I'm gonna come if you don't slow down" he whined his stomach muscles twitching as he pulled your hair moving you off his dick with a pop

"Fuck your so good" he said pulling you into a kiss as you both stood he moved your hips back to his creeky desk causing it Goan.

He lay you on his desk ripping open your tight pink shirt causing buttons to fling across the marble floor

He pulled your bra down revealing your boobs

He leaned forward taking your nipple into his mouth grazing it with his teeth

"Ahh aa d-daddy" you stutterd pulling his hair at the feeling of him smirking his lips wrapped round your nipple

He pulled back his chest heaving his eyes raked slowly over you your face flushed bare chest raceing and your legs shaking in anticipation dumb look on your face

"Look at you my dumb little baby"

He pulled your short skirt higher then pulled your black lace panties down your legs stuffing them in his pocket

He stepped back slightly admiring your dripping pussy before he gently slapped your clit causing you to squeel.

"Shhhhh" he darkly laughed leaning down spitting onto your pussy causing you to moan as he used his tip to spread his spit from your clit to your entrance.

"Daddy" you wine

"What do you want baby" he breathed his tip at your entrance

"Fuck me please" you say eyes watering

He smirked quickly bottoming out into you as you both moaned at the feeling.

"Your taking me so well ,so fucking tight" he babbled rocking his hips slowly you both enjoyed the feeling of his dick dragging against your walls deliciously slow

Your unable to speak only gasp and moan as he began to move faster leaning forward kissing and sucking at your tits your unable to think or speak barely able to breath all you know is him the feeling of him stuffing you.

His movements get rough his hands clawing at your hips with bruising strength.

"Fuck fuck look at you gon all dumb on daddy's cock" he laughed cut off by the feeling of your walls squeezing him.

He brought his thumb down slowly circling your clit causing your walls to spasm round him as you loudly moan your body curling up as he continued his fast rough pace as your overstimulated pussy dripped and squelchd as his balls slapped against your ass as his pace got faster and he whined "where do you want it" he said getting close.

"Im me please -daddy d-da-daddy please fill me" you shout not caring if anyone heard you

His balls tighten and his dick twitched as you shouted he moaned kissing your chest.

His cum flood you as he pulled his softening dick out of your twitching overworked cunt

His cum began to leak from your hole dripping down onto his desk he moaned softly sitting in his chair.

"We definitely have to do that again" he huffed admiring the way you leaked onto his desk and work unable to speak.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Day 23: coffee shop

Masterlist flufftober 🎀

This one is even longer than my favorite and although at first I didn't have an idea, I loved the final result. I hope you like it!

The movie on your phone was interrupted by the bell ringing, alerting you that some customers had just entered.

Your aunt had owned the modest cafe you were now in for most of her life and now that she was too tired to take care of it anymore and the money was already enough for a comfortable life, she decided it was time to sell it.

The transaction was still in process and you were there that day to cover for her while she went to a doctor's appointment, hoping that the day would be calm enough so that you could finish the movie series you were watching and, perhaps, make some progress in your schoolwork.

“Good morning, how can I help you?”

Your friendly smile seemed to please the couple of girls in front of you and they took a moment to decide what they wanted, until finally they told you what they wanted. You had worked as a barista for a while elsewhere and it wasn't difficult for you to prepare the lattes that they waited patiently for, while they carried on a conversation that you heard fragments of, but didn't understand.

A minute later, when you took another look at the line, you realized that there was a man behind them and you stopped for a moment to look at him carefully. He was older than you but you also noticed that he was very handsome and dressed like an executive, very different from the kind of people who frequented the establishment.

Once you were done you placed both drinks on the counter and the two girls, who had already held hands, thanked you and handed you a bill to pay.

“For a dollar more I can give you some cookies, we have chocolate and walnuts, would you like that? They will taste delicious with the latte you ordered” you offered kindly, showing them the product in the basket you had next to you “They are homemade and a sweet gift for a loved one.”

Your sales strategy seemed to convince them both and one of them gave you the missing dollar. You packed the things and before they left you wished them a good day, trying to be as polite as possible. When the couple left the place, the man walked to the front and you repeated the question at the beginning, a little nervous after noticing that he was even more handsome up close; he had slightly curly and messy hair, a discreet trace of facial hair around his pink lips, and beautiful honey-colored eyes that made you shiver.

“I wanted to ask you, is Mrs. Smith here?”

“No, she had to go to a doctor's appointment,” you responded, somewhat embarrassed. The idea of who he could be didn't even cross your mind, as you were too worried about recording as many details as possible about your attractive client “Who's looking for her?”

“My name is Spencer,” he replied. The name sounded captivating coming from his lips and there was something about his smile that made you feel nervous.

“I can call to tell her that you are here”

“No, if she's busy I'd rather come another time,” he murmured. The thought of what this man might want intrigued you and before he even turned around you rushed to say something, anything, to hold him back.

“Don't you want to drink coffee?” your words sounded small and rushed and you didn't even know why you had said them. That man would be, according to your calculations, about ten years older than you, but that didn't stop you from appreciating his beauty and wanting to be nice to him “You look like…” you began to say, feigning a thoughtful tone, “an espresso man. You know, something serious and strong”

Again, your attempt to attract customers seemed to be working, you knew by the small smile that formed on his lips.

“In fact it's quite the opposite,” he murmured, taking another step towards you that he had taken away “I'm a big lover of cappuccinos. The sweeter the better."

“Well, that's definitely a surprise,” you murmured, batting your eyelashes without even being aware of it “My aunt should be back soon and we have a cappuccino machine here. You can wait for her. If you want,” you added, hoping you didn’t sound too forward.

You saw him debate for a moment whether he should consider your offer or not and apparently something in your childish and kind eyes convinced him to accept, which you celebrated with a huge smile.

“Regular, vanilla, or mocha?”

“Regular, please,” he responded, walking to the nearest table so he could take a seat. All the furniture was shabby and rustic, with bright color combinations that had already worn out over the years “And you work here?”

“No, I'm just helping out today. There was an employee, but she had to resign for personal reasons and since my aunt is selling the cafe, we thought it would be more prudent for the new owner to hire whoever he wanted.”

“Huh, now there will be a new administration? Who is it about?" you weren't very used to sharing information with strangers, but you wanted to continue having this man's attention and if that was the way to do it, you would take the risk.

“My aunt said he is a Doctor Reid. I think she's known him for years because he comes here often for coffee and when he found out she wanted to retire... well, he offered” you could see him from above the counter and although you thought you saw a little smile, you thought you were just imagining it “Are you a frequent customer?”

“You could say so,” he responded and you swore there was a bit of mockery in his response.

You had already put the ingredients in the machine and now all you had to do was wait, praying inside that no other person would cross the door so you could have your little moment with that mysterious gentleman.

“I hope the new owner considers remodeling. There is a university near here and many young people could come if there were some more flashy things. You know, something that looks cute on Instagram”

“Instagram?” he asked, as if you were speaking to him in a strange language.

“The social network,” you answered obviously and he was quick to nod his head, as if he had just remembered what that was.

“Sorry, I'm just not very techie,” he apologized, with a sheepish smile. “But I think you're right, maybe this site could use a change. This way it would stop being full of old people like me and young people like you would enjoy coming.”

Was he describing himself as old? How old was he supposed to be? The question was drowned out on your lips because the machine announced that the drink was ready and you ran back to finish preparing it. You did your best to place a pretty design on the top of the liquid and then left the counter to hand the man the cup, accompanied by one of the cookies you had sold to the previous girls.

“It looks delicious,” he hummed, receiving the coffee from your hands and accidentally brushing your fingers. His hands looked calloused and big; the kind capable of holding you perfectly “Should I pay now or later?”

"Oh, don’t worry. It is courtesy of the house”

Again, you didn't even know why you were offering that to the man, and although he seemed surprised, he didn't protest at your show of kindness. You thought about how daring it would be to sit at the same table as him and in the end, you decided that the best thing was to return to your place behind the counter, now with no intention of watching your movie because if that were the case you would miss out on the good view that destiny had given you.

“If you need something else, you can tell me. We have some books on the shelf over there, if you feel like reading while you wait.”

Spencer thanked you and then you thought it would be best not to ask him any more questions or he would probably feel harassed. You saw him get up from his seat to listen to your suggestion and take a book, on the cover of which you managed to read Crime and Punishment. You wanted to tell him that you had read it for a college assignment, but instead you bit your tongue, reflecting that this information was something he clearly wasn't interested in. 

You stayed as composed as possible and he didn't seem to notice your gaze on him, or if he did, he didn't say anything of it. There were no customers the entire time he was drinking his coffee and when you thought about preparing something else for him, a clatter filled the air: it was your aunt, at the door, holding a shopping bag in one hand.

"Oh hello!" she greeted, both to you and to the man who was waiting patiently “Honey, why didn't you tell me that someone came looking for me?”

“I asked her not to, Mrs. Smith.” Spencer answered for you, getting up from his chair and leaving the book on the table, next to the empty cup “I didn't want to interrupt your activities.”

“Well, now I'm here. "Just let me leave these purchases and I'll be right back to discuss the contract, Doctor Reid.”

Contract? Doctor Reid? 

“I'll wait for you here” he smiled. Your aunt crossed the counter to enter the warehouse and you followed her like a lost puppy, trying to find an explanation for what you had just heard.

As soon as you were inside you stood next to the woman to get her attention, making sure to be out of the man's hearing range.

“Is that Doctor Reid?” you hissed.

“Yes, he didn't tell you?”

"No!" you squeaked, while she looked around for a folder with the documents she needed “I mean, he told me his name was Spencer, but he didn't tell me his last name. And since you said he was a doctor, I imagined a grumpy mister, not someone like him"

“But he is a mister, he is in his forties.”

"How many?" you screamed again, unwilling to believe what she was telling you “But he… he's so handsome! I thought he would be around thirty at most. How can he be forty?”

“Do you think he's handsome?” she asked and this time she did look at you. You had always had a good relationship with her, so her older woman's scowl judging you didn't offend you like it should.

“Of course,” suddenly your head seemed to remember an important detail and your entire face turned red, while your mouth opened in a soft oh “Damn, I even bought him a coffee! I just gave the future owner of this place a coffee, what is he going to think of me?”

“Youth, youth, you are becoming more and more indecent!” she murmured, half joking and half complaining. When she finally found her folder she grabbed it, ready to get out of it again, when you stopped her by her arm.

“Please don't go telling him that I think he's handsome,” you begged and she assured you that she wouldn't do it.

When you came out again, luckily, there were already some customers waiting and that gave you an excuse to escape from the amused look that the man you had been talking to had. The time you spent preparing people's drinks was enough for them to talk about the purchase and sale contract and for both of their signatures to finally be on the pages of paper.

“I know that this little corner is in good hands, I trust that you will take care of it”

“And of course I will, ma'am. While I was waiting for you, your niece kindly suggested a remodel and I think that will be the first thing I will do. I will keep the essence, but with a modern touch, right?” he smiled, giving you a kind look from his spot as if he were seeking your approval.

“I said it with the best of intentions,” you admitted sheepishly “If I'm honest, I didn't even know that you were the future owner, otherwise I think I would have treated you better.”

“Better than your friendly attitude, free coffee, and advice?” he asked and you almost thought he was returning your previous attempts at flirting, as if that amused him no end.

“What I want most is to see this place full of people again and I think a remodel would be perfect” your aunt smiled “Give me this week to take out my things and then the cafe will be all yours”

“Take as much time as you need, Amy. You will always be welcome here as if the place were yours,” he told her, with a sweetness inappropriate for a grown man, while he wrapped her in a hug. When he pulled away his eyes landed on you. “And you too, Miss Y/N. If you are interested in obtaining a permanent job, I would be happy to hire you. I’ll need someone young to help me give it that youthful touch.”

You wish you could say that his offer didn't flatter you, but that would be a vile lie. You looked at your aunt for a second and she already had a smile that bordered on disapproval of your victory, but she also hid some amusement at the situation.

“I need to talk about it with my parents and review my schedule at the university, but… I would love to, to tell the truth. Even if I am not a permanent employee I will continue to live here to shop”

And to see you, you wanted to say, but again you held back. 

“I'll look forward to your visits then,” he murmured, giving you a bright new smile.

From that moment on you knew that your aunt's old coffee shop would become the number one place for social gatherings, solitary visits to do homework and, with any luck, free afternoons to chat with the handsome and charming owner.

taglist: @navs-bhat @reidwritings @tricia-shifting14 @spencerslove @vivian-555 @r-3dlips @rhiannonhippiegirl @taygrls @simp4f1 @sdddoobydoobydoo @taintedstranger @missabsey

[knight-says-nanana]

An analysis on Ed’s comic childhood, how that impacted his OCD*, and how that translated to the Gotham TV show

Alternatively: GTV Ed’s Biography

*(and also how it very clearly gave him cptsd but they don’t explicitly Say that bc DC is full of cowards)

Normally I’d say comics don’t impact tv continuity, especially for a show like Gotham where so many things are changed, but the thing is? Cory Michael Smith specifically went out of his way to read the riddler comics when he accepted the role of Ed Nygma. He acted accordingly and did an amazing job trying to salvage the show’s poor writing. There are many tiny moments where he does things that reference Ed’s typical backstory despite the show, in all its 5 seasons, never bringing it up

Childhood wise there are typically two widely accepted routes

1 - his mom was around but neglectful and off her head with drugs n alcohol

2 - his mom left when he was a toddler due to not being able to handle his father anymore, which kinda kickstarted the abuse being focused onto Ed instead

I will be continuing this analysis with #2 because it is the most popular and explains his abandonment issues

Comic Based Childhood

So this guy basically grew up with Only his father. His father who is a dumbass, an alcoholic, blames Ed for his mother leaving, incredibly abusive physically, and couldn’t accept that 1) his kid is smarter than him or that 2) a kid so Weird cough traumatized and neurodivergent cough is anything but an idiot

A major sticking point was that he always thought Ed was lying, constantly, about everything. This will be important later.

And when Ed finally started going to school and getting A’s?? Yeah no Obviously he had to have been cheating so Mr Nashton just got More angry with him. Could Ed have dropped his grades on purpose to avoid this? Yeah. Did he? Absolutely not. Academic success was the one thing he could be proud of and the only thing that gave him any sort of praise or validation. He was clinging to it for dear life.

No matter the universe, this is a guy who craves attention.

There is difference between academic success and school life itself, because Ed is awkward n dorky n, especially at this point in time, anxious n quiet. So he didn’t have friends. In fact it’s usually written as either him having been bullied or being ignored entirely

The boy was not doing ok at all. So understandably he ran away as soon as possible and changed his name.

Now, this is the first point where Gotham’s canon ties into this in a Very interesting way

We know Ed’s official birth year from the ID card in the show. It’s canon. In season one he is 26. We know this. And it’s is insane for a few reasons!!

He is So Much Younger than his coworkers holy shit

Bullock is old enough to be his dad and he’s not nice, no wonder Ed doesn’t like him

He works in forensics. At 26. And he’s implied to have been working there a year or two before Jim joined the precinct.

Now, I had GENUINELY assumed that he was in his 30s like Jim. BECAUSE HE WORKS IN FORENSICS. But no he’s just actually a botched Spencer Reid because he’s 26 in season one.

A degree in forensic science takes 4 years.

If you want a masters it’s an extra 2 years.

Factoring in the time he would’ve needed to spend interning and working just to QUALIFY for a job at the GCPD???

If we assume he ran away n got into college at age 17 and got his bachelor's he’d be 21 by the time he graduated, 23 if he got his masters which of course he would, and then that leaves us only 3 or 1 year/s for internships and stuff before he joins the GCPD. What. What.

No wonder his apartment is so shitty!!! This is a man with hella student loans

But yeah! Hes only 26 and his 40 year old coworkers are bulling him for being weird. I’d hate my job too.

Bullock is 48 and I’m fully convinced he, like me, thinks Ed is at least 32 (Jim’s age) because. What.

So yeah that’s his general backstory, NOW the ways that plays into his mental state and how his actor managed to fit it into the show

So, you can reasonably assume he’s traumatized.

And!? There are so many subtle moments in the show where Cory acts his character accordingly for this. He flinches when people raise their voice, he’s visibly spooked when men in the GCPD get huffy (usually it’s Mr James Anger Issues Gordon). He’s skittish as a mouse. In the watermelon scene, when Gordon busts into the room, Ed immediately falls over himself to explain what he’s doing in there. The guy was terrified. Of James. Who’s never done a thing to him.

Beyond that? CPTSD -beyond the regular symptoms of flashbacks, triggers, and hyper awareness- also includes difficulty regulating emotions, feelings of shame/guilt, and trouble staying in relationships.

Ed Nygma is a damn textbook case. He has meltdowns, he falls into substances, he does ANYTHING but cope when he’s overwhelmed. He is constantly trying to prove he’s smart, there’s a gut deep shame when he doesn’t hold up to genius standards. And you’ve seen his relationships.

Basic info ab OCD: it’s an anxiety disorder and the two main things are obsessive compulsions and intrusive thoughts, both of which are present in Gotham but not handled nearly as well as they are in the comics

Compulsions first!

These tend to stem from subconscious thoughts and people won’t always know Why they have a compulsion but they’re generally a way of preventing a vague yet all consuming Bad Thing.

Now, with Ed one of his major sticking points in comics AND the show is he cannot tell blatant lies, especially not with yes/no answers.

This is part of why he compulsively leaves clues for absolutely everything and tries to be so vague when he is lying. He also jumps through hoops so that he won’t need to lie.

Lying = incredible all consuming dread and anxiety, so he just Doesn’t and uses his little hints and clues as a loophole. Very obviously from his father’s influence.

In the show this is shown multiple times but just for a few:

Lucious asking if Jim is at Ed’s house and when Ed tries to say no he seems almost forced to correct himself

The compulsive clue in “Tom’s” note, even when no one had asked him if he knew anything he still couldn’t keep it entirely to himself. The note is a loophole. Technically he told on himself. They just didn’t figure it out. (Well. Kristen kinda did but denying it aka lying sent him into an anxiety attack the moment she left. So.)

When Sofia Falcone was torturing him to find out where Oswald was, he told her. He just told her via a riddler he knew she didn’t understand! No need to lie!

In the car ride to the docks Oswald also calls him out directly by saying he’s so predictable because he’s driven by obsessive compulsion. This is the most the show acknowledges it.

Beyond his compulsions he’s got explicit intrusive thoughts regarding a few big things. (Should be noted that these tend to drive compulsions but not always.)

being viewed as stupid

Ergo his criminal history just being a big show to prove how smart he is. Again, his fathers influence.

being actually stupid

Not knowing things stresses him out So Bad and he takes it So Personally. He NEEDS to know everything. The world is a puzzle and he is Going to solve it.

Side note: That’s why I do LOVE that Gotham made him a forensics specialist!! He’s always had, to quote a DC podcast where he’s talking to Batgirl “-and you have that terrible all consuming pathology which comples you to find answers” “AnD i HaVe tHaT tErRiBlE aLL cOnsUmiNG PaThOLoGy wHiCh coMpELs mE tO FiNd AnSwErS- Yes.”

Biggest for last: being like his dad

This one is specifically fun because it was almost represented so well. ALMOST. His entire relationship with Kristen was downright molded by it, as shown in the file room anxiety attack. Yes that’s what I’m going to call it.

He is constantly fretting over being like Tom, even when he clearly isn’t because he is disgusted by Tom. No mysoginist is going to see someone with the same thoughts as gross. No guy who thinks women should be “put in their place” is going to have such a physical reaction to hearing that be said. No abusive pos is going to have that reaction at all. At least, not in the way that situation went down or in the way Ed’s afraid of being. We aren’t discussing emotional harm or Nygmobblepot today. But he frets anyway. And if we chose to interpret his riddler hallucination as a Really poor way of representing intrusive thoughts? Yeah. Yeah. His brain is making him panic about doing exactly what he hates so much.

*it should be noted that compulsions are often reinforced by intrusive thoughts. specific example: if he lies he will be saying something wrong, he can not be wrong, everyone is going to think he’s an idiot if he’s wrong. You can see how the two things connect. This applies to the majority of compilations in some way.

Now, a moment where I deviate from discussing what Did happened because I’ll forever mourn this particular writing fuck up:

His thing with Kristen could’ve been perfect. It could’ve been the best live action riddler origin to date. Because this is a guy with OCD who’s very traumatized and would have a strong personal reaction to finding out a friend is facing domestic abuse. That would make his relationships complicated too because of the thought loop it would create off the risk of “turning out to be the type of person he hates” or “what if I hurt her like I was hurt.” That would have been so compelling? AND? AND YKNOW WHAT? MY BIGGEST GRIPE? HIS FIRST PUSH INTO VIOLENT CRIME BEING STABBING AN ABUSER WOULD BE PERFECT. It would be on point. Exceptional foray into crime and murder. BUT THEY DIDNT PLAY IT LIKE THAT. No instead it’s highly tainted by “who gets the girl” and I just. N o. Ugh. They fumbled it!! They fumbled it So Hard. THEY MAKE HIM CREEPY AS FUCK TOWARDS KRISTEN. Like- physically blocking her into small spaces and imposing on her and talking over her when, if they HAD actually leaned into the OCD on purpose, he would probably be hyper aware of not doing.

[zombii-writess]

𝙾𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎

| M! Best Friend x Fem! Chubby! Reader |

here it is y'all, PROM NIGHT WOOOO. also, apologies for posting once or twice then disappearing for weeks/months, i've been desperately looking for a job and it seems like nobody is hiring and im close to tearing my hair out AND ANOTHER THING, i've made a ko-fi account in case you guys want to tip or anything, im not 100% sure on how to use it but i've seen other people take commissions there so i might do the same thing once i am more familiar. thoughts?? anyways enough rambling tags: cute, fluff, confession unedited

ᴍᴏɴᴅᴀʏ

Finn is nervous. He's sweating up a storm as he watches you from his desk across the classroom. I bet you're wondering: What the FUCK is wrong this time? Currently he's a senior and prom is right around the corner, and he has yet to ask you if you wanted to be his date. and also confess to you

He has until Friday to ask; he knows that you don't have a date considering you've been whining about having nobody to go with. Just wait a little longer pumpkin.

Currently, it was lunch and you both decided to eat inside of a classroom, thanks to your teacher. Finn stands from his chair and reaches inside his large bag he managed to bring without you questioning it. Inside held a box filled with your favorite treats and next to it was a large, decorated poster that held the question; Will you go to prom with me?

But... seeing you laughing with your friends, the eye contact with him that follows soon after makes him freeze, cheeks heating up. He blindly shoves the poster back into his bag before you notice. He'll try again tomorrow.

And so, the struggle begins.

ᴛᴜᴇꜱᴅᴀʏ

Biting his lip, Finn taps his foot anxiously as he waits for you at your usual spot; the large oak tree that sat comfortably in front of the school. 'This kind of reminds me of those shoujo animes that [Name] makes me watch,' He thought, watching couples walk by him blushing and cuddling each other. Finn flushes at the sight before shaking his head roughly.

'Don't be ridiculous, Finn, this is real life and I'm pretty sure the rumor of confessing your love for your crush guarantees a long life together underneath this tree will NOT come true because it's a rumor, a silly, little rumor losers made up to cover the fact that their crushes will never love them back-'

"Hey Finn!"

Finn lets out a small scream as he was ripped out of his thoughts. You both stared at each other, Finn's face red from the scream and you will a large smile growing on your face. Snorting, you double over in laughter, setting a hand on Finn's shoulder, the warmth practically burning into his shirt, to steady yourself.

Finn watches as you try and contain yourself, only to break into laughter once more at his unamused expression.

Staring at you, Finn takes a breath, removing his bag from his shoulders to retrieve the poster and sweets to give to you. His hand continues to grope around which gave you the chance to calm down and watch him with a curious expression.

He hand remained empty, no hard smooth surface of the box of your sweets nor the poster. Confused, and a little bit embarrassed, Finn nervously giggles when he peaks his head into the bag only to discover... nothing. He had forgotten that he had taken everything out back home in order to not ruin them from his big ass textbooks and left in a hurry. His dumbass left them in his room!

"Finn?" You poked him arm, curious to why he was so silent. "Is something wrong?"

Finn lets out a groan, pouting at his forgetfulness. "No, nothing's wrong, just... I left something important back home."

ᴡᴇᴅɴᴇꜱᴅᴀʏ

So, yesterday was a total failure. That's fine, he still has time. Clutching the box of sweets, he hid behind his back from you, he stops in front of you and makes his move.

"[Name], I want to ask-" "Hey [Name]! Can I have the notes from Mr. Smith's class?" A voice interrupts.

Turning to the other student, you point at your bag. "Yeah, it's in my binder!" Refocusing your attention on Finn, you smiled. "You were saying?"

Finn clears his throat. "I just wanted to ask-" "[Name]! [Name]! It's not here! Are you sure it's in the binder?" The students voice whines, frantically digging through your bag. "I really need this!"

"Uhm-" Finn anxiously watches as his grip on the box gets tighter and tighter. He's running out of time; he's going to lose his nerve and back out last minute.

"Then check my folders, it should be there." You hummed in confusion. "I haven't moved it since class ended."

"Still not here, [Name]!" They groaned before opening another folder and pulled out a small stack of paper. "Oh, found it!" They laughed, thanking you before walking off.

Sighing at their behavior, you AGAIN brought your attention towards Finn. "Sorry, you wanted to ask me something?"

Finn nervously swallows, going through the whole speech in his head in the span of .3 seconds and opens his mouth. "Will you go-" "Yo, [Name]! Let's get off campus and get lunch at that new place that opened up."

Deflating, Finn watches you interact with your friend who had their arm around your shoulders, his nerves getting the best of him. Slowly, he backs away from the pair, embarrassment swallowing him whole as his pathetic attempts of trying to ask you to prom consumed his thoughts.

Waving your friend off, you tirelessly rubbed your eyes, "I am so sorry for the interruptions, Finn, what were you-" You apologized, turning to him only to find him gone.

"Finn?"

ᴛʜᴜʀꜱᴅᴀʏ

Finn sat on the floor of his room, head in hands in distress of yesterday's event. He was so embarrassed he didn't even bother asking you to prom the next day and now that the embarrassment has passed, it was already 10 pm. He would go next door and ask you in your room, but Finn thought you deserved something romantic and memorable.

You've put up with him for years, everyone didn't give him the time of day to even ask what his favorite color was. But that summer when you arrived next door, made him see that there was more to life than games and darkness. It had you.

Picking up a piece of paper and a pencil, Finn begins to write down ideas on how to ask you to prom. Maybe he could ask his friends from band to play your favorite song, and people will watch and get jealous for putting on a big show for you. Yeah, that sounds good! Dropping the pencil, he reaches for his phone and spends the next few hours planning with his friends. Finns ends of staying awake the entire night.

ꜰʀɪᴅᴀʏ

Today's the day. The day to ask you to prom once and for all. He's hiding behind the bleachers that was located in the football field, it was after school hours and he's certain that there were no practices. His friends were standing in the field waiting for you and once they begin playing their instruments, that'll be Finn's cue to come out with his poster and ask his most desired question.

Soon he hears the first few notes of your favorite song. That's his cue! Taking a deep breath and exhaling to ease his nerves, he fiddles with the corner of the poster before revealing himself, eyes filled with love and hope. Coming from behind the bleachers with a big smile he approaches only for the smile to be wiped from his face once he sees chaos.

One of his friends was arguing with the football coach, apparently the football team decided to have practice last minute, you were standing between the two of them, trying your best to resolve the issue. And you want to know how this day can't get any worse?

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Though Finn made the preparations to make this promposol as smooth as it can, he didn't bother to check the weather. Everything had gone to shit. His friends, who wasn't arguing with the football coach, looked at Finn for help on what to do, his poster ripped from the rain soaking it, his nicely done hair that took him almost all morning was soaked, and everybody was pissed on what to do.

Pissed, everyone walked away, the ones who weren't even involved in the shouting match, awkwardly walked away. Only one stayed.

You.

Finn choked on his breath and reframed from bursting out in frustrated tears. His eyes burned, but alas, tears slipped by and down his cheeks, mixing in with the drops of rain. Clenching his fist, Finn harshly rubs his eyes. Worried, you took placed a hand on his back, rubbing it in small circles.

"Hey, it's going to be okay, Finn." You comforted.

Finn shakes his head, sniffling. "No, it's not. I-I wanted this to be perfect, but it seems like luck is not on my side."

"What was it you wanted to do?" You asked gently.

"I..." Finn bites his lip. "I wanted to ask you to be...m-my date for prom."

The air leaves your lungs, heart beating in your ears at the information. Opening your mouth to speak, Finn beats you to it.

"You've done so, so much for me, tha-that I wanted to make this memorable for you." Finn stutters, tears now freely streaming down his face. "You deserve so much more an-and everything has gone to shit!"

He takes a couple of breathes before continuing. "It's so hard to ask you upfront because you make me freeze, and then I get nervous and back out then kick myself for being so entranced by you!"

"Finn,"

"Every time you say my name, it takes all my will power to not kiss you, whenever you talk about your friends, I get jealous because I want you to talk about me like that - to LOOK at me like that."

"Finn!"

"God, I love you so much, i-it hurts, I'm sorry for saying this so suddenly, but I-"

"FINN!" He shuts up, eyes puffy as he stares at your trembling form. Reaching a hand to cup his cheek, you wipe his tears with a soft smile.

"I like you too, you silly goose, and I would love to be your date for prom."

Letting out a small whimper, Finn scoops you into a warm hug, face buried between the junction of your shoulder and neck, a weak attempt to stifle any sobs of happiness. The weight of asking you to prom and confessing had been lifted from his shoulders and Finn could finally relax.

"Thank you... [Name]." Finn sniffles.

Like my work? Buy me a ko-fi! (´・ω・`)

[cherrylimecider]

mrs. & mrs. kiramman

Taking place in the modern world, two wives live secret lives as spies; however, they both don't know of each other's occupation.

Until they are commissioned to take each other out by their own organization, their truths begin to unravel, and they unveil a bigger secret than themselves.

Inspired by the movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Please note it is inspired but does take a different course than the original.

Caitlyn Kiramman was always pretty enough to take out these hitman missions alone, be beautiful and suggestive, get them wrapped around your finger, then take them out silently, and disappear before anyone could notice. Yet, there she was, staring at a short reddish-pink-haired who was asking her to dance with her. This was the first time she had ever been distracted on a mission for all twenty-three years of her life.

The girl had gold glitter on her eyes, eyeliner smudged in a sexy way. Her lips were full and pink like her hair. Caitlyn noted that she had a muscular build, which could be of use to her. The girl was wearing a white tube-top, showing off her abs. She wore a leather jacket and skinny black jeans. To top her edgy look, she had piercings and was covered in tattoos.

Caitlyn met the strange girl's eyes, a bright ocean blue like the one outside. Caitlyn was staring, realizing the girl's mouth was moving, but as if she were lost in a trance, she couldn't make out what the girl was saying.

"What?" Caitlyn said in an indoor voice, not appropriate for the setting they were in.

The girl leaned in, but then nodded, raising her voice even louder. "Oh. I said, do you want to dance? You're hot, cupcake."

Cupcake?

Caitlyn was used to people hitting on her, let herself get used to using people for the good of the mission. It was always for the mission to Caitlyn, always.

Maybe it was the setting, the mood of the place that intrigued her to the girl. The lights of the nightclub reflected on the girl's face, flashing blue, then pink, then white, then blue again. A rhythm of lights matching her alluring aura as she danced around Caitlyn.

Could she allow herself to be swallowed whole by a strange, yet captivating girl? The ache of perfection has always been what drove her success, but she couldn't stop thinking at the moment, what if?

After all, what could be the harm in engaging? She could use the strange girl to her advantage since she needed a partner to get into the red suites above the club's main floor to get close to her target. Yes, for the good of the mission, this is not a selfish choice at all.

She let herself get lost with the girl, dancing for a moment with her, making sure to be as alluring and charming as possible.

"What's your name?" Caitlyn had asked her, leaning into her ear, brushing her lips against them.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's Vi."

Vi, Caitlyn had thought admiring the beauty to the name matching the beauty to the woman, what a familiar name.

"I'm Caitlyn. Cait for short." Caitlyn never gave away her real name, but to the girl who seemed so genuine and raw under the club lights, it felt natural in her orderly life.

"That's cute." Vi replies still practically yelling over the loud music.

For a moment, Caitlyn felt real. Like she wasn't on a mission to kill a man, but Caitlyn could be a just another girl in the club for just a minute. Only a minute. She can't afford to get distracted and destroy her mission that had millions of dollars on the line, but fuck did she want to.

All Caitlyn had to do was use Vi. Just use her, then leave, kill her if you must.

So, she did exactly that, not the first time.

It began slowly, Vi had pulled Caitlyn in and kissed her gently as if she were testing the waters. Caitlyn allowed her, then asked for permission with her tongue and when she entered, she could taste what she assumed was rum in Vi's mouth. Vi moved her hands lower, feeling around her waist and Caitlyn hated to admit it, but it felt good. Not in a way of using people for pleasure, but good to her as if Vi's hands were made for her curves.

They made out under the strobing lights in the club, bumping their bodies against each other to the music, their lips matching the rhythm of the songs, and if they listened hard enough, they could hear each other's whispered moans and heavy breaths. Caitlyn knew it was for the job, but her core was warm, and she wanted more of this stranger.

After a couple of minutes, Caitlyn hummed against Vi's lips, proposing that they go towards the red suites.

User her and leave. This is just for the mission, only the mission. Kiramman, Kiramman, Kiramman.

—

Caitlyn Kiramman.

Violet Kiramman.

Married as of two years ago in an October wedding in the Pacific Northwest as Violet had always dreamed of. And as of three years ago, they laid in that bed in Italy fucking and talking as if Caitlyn was a normal person, not a decorated officer under her late mother’s organization. She was more than that, and Violet had made her feel that way.

Caitlyn spent tens of thousands just for a couple more days with Violet, kissing her under the sun and swimming with her on the crystal blue beaches. They stayed together and Caitlyn kept everything under the rug. She lied, of course.

To Violet, she was Cait Kiramman, or cupcake. This version of her worked in her mother’s office, a law firm, not Piltover Org., a business for assassinations and spying. Cait was educated and went to Harvard, not the military college in Russia that ironed her out to be a cold soldier. Cait was a loving wife who returned home from work in New York and would make dinner every night before Violet returned home.

Cait wasn’t a highly trained assassin, no, she couldn’t even hold a knife right; she could barely go through making dinner without accidentally cutting herself.

Except her blood ran cold on a rainy Tuesday at work, as her hands held an envelope of her next target.

Violet Kiramman, 25, commissioned for association in the murder of Cassandra Kiramman.

Read more on ao3 or wattpad @teawice

[sstar-ggirl]

The Charming Man| Neil Lewis x gn!Reader

Mars rants about things: LITERALLY LOVE HIM SO MUCH and he’s literally The Smiths coded idc what you mfs gotta say. And his favorite Smiths song is ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’ because yeah i said so. But in this fic he shades Y/N so much for listening to The Smiths bc he’s a little asshole and I love him.

Warnings: Cursing, Neil being a hater but its playful banter bc him and Y/N are childhood friends, they are in an established relationship of course, eww holding hands, EWWWW KISSING, y/n threatens Neil once but its playful banter and they are joking, pet names both cute and cringey to annoy Neil, they dance in the end bc why not :D! Neil loves the smiths but doesn’t want to admit it.

Word count:798 words

An average boring day in Gumshoe Video and there you stood organizing the tapes and sorting out what needed to be specifically on display for inviting customers, and also because there was an upcoming event for specifically dark detective movies, and he wanted to be prepared beforehand. Your head bobbed along to the song playing in the speakers, slightly swaying your hips to the song. “What she asked of me at the end of the day, Caligula would have blushed.” You were singing along to the song and then low and behold your boyfriend Neil walks in from his office “ Y’know babe I don’t know why you listen to this boring crap; studies show that music will slowly rot your brain as time goes by.” You chuckle in response to this “Neil my love, Shut up. And what study even says that? And so be honest with me Neil, you like The Smiths, and may I add, I caught you nodding along to the song literally 3 days ago.” He looked so shocked and offended at that statement, it was like you told him his movies and store suck. “I do not?? You listen to them so much it gets irritating sometimes and it’s completely normal for a human being to nod along to the sound of music even if they hate it.”  You couldn’t contain yourself now. His face was red as an apple as you continued “Also this is why you love me! I’m not going to ruin your chances of the universe punishing you with eternity because you like a music group that started in England way back in the 80’s.” You jabbed him in the arm playfully. “And this is why I love you Neil, your stupid ass always seems to have a smart-ass opinion on everything I do because Mr. Neil Lewis has to be the king of the world and cinema!” And you both cracked up at the fact that you're actually right about that.

“Can I join you?” He was teasing you now and was walking towards you and placed a hand on the shelf you were organizing. You hand him a tape and continue. Then he says out of nowhere, playing with the tape in his hands instead of helping. "I love it when you’re this opinionated and you think there's nothing bad about you because you're always the leader of everything and you have to get the red crayon.” “Yeah, yeah whatever Neil, continue talking about kindergarten Neil and watch when I clock you again in your fucking nose. On the same spot too!” After that was said, he walked away to sit at the counter and his gaze stood on you. You were humming along to the song and then once you finished you dusted your hands off and walked towards Neil and held his hands swinging them side to side sort of dancing. “What are you even doing Y/N…” “Shh shut up and dance with me.” He tried to pull away, but you immediately wrapped your arms around his waist. “No, I don’t-” You cut him off with a kiss to his cheek “Come on please Neil for me, please cupcake” “No Y/N. I refuse.” “Please sweet cheeks.” You had to contain yourself from laughing as he cringed at the name you gave him “What is wrong with you Y/N?” “Come on princess, I’ll cook dinner tonight and we can watch any movie you want even the most unfathomable movies to exist.” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine because that offer sounds too irresistible.” You clapped and dragged him away from the counter for more space, wrapping your arms around his neck and resting your head on his chest, He rested his arms around your hips and laid his head on top of yours swaying both of you, Neil softly started humming the song ‘The Charming Man’ by The Smiths and your jaw dropped, “So you DO like The Smiths after all!” you looked up at him and he shushed you and put your head back to its previous position, “Shh sweetheart, I was joking with you the whole time, I like some of their songs.” Your eyes rolled at that, but you couldn’t help but blush and feel content with how you two were right now.

Moving your arms to his waist and hugging him tighter you sighed “I love you, Neil Lewis. I love you so much baby.” He moved his head and gave you a kiss and you melted into and eventually pulled away for air. “I love you too Y/N L/N, you're all I need to keep me alive.” And then the moment of passion and cuteness was ruined by a customer walking in. ‘Always at the wrong moments huh?'

[m-jelly]

can I request Erwin ad y/n reincarnation au. Like in Erwin's past life that takes place in Aot canon world he had a wife y/n and she was a captain in scouts too. Erwin in canon did die but y/n lived till the end ,single and with her daughter who was like the exact copy of Erwin . She found she was pregnant after his death and Erwin had written many letters for y/n with the thought that he might die one day and y/n can have something to comfort her. He had purposefully gotten y/n pregnant before that mission so that if he died y/n would have some reason to live ( it wasn't non consensual , Erwin and y/n were trying to have a child ) . So y/n lived for her daughter while serving for the scouts

Now in present timeline Erwin is a successful businessman and y/n is an attorney and owner of a law firm. Erwin meets y/n for some business purpose and when they see each other for the first time all the memories of their previous life just come back to them in a flash and they break down in each other's arms where y/n tells how hard it was to raise their daughter without him and how she was the only reason she lived. They both get married and have a twins , a girl and a boy who look just like Erwin

A family again

Erwin x fem!reader

Mentions of reincarnation, past lives, modern AU, fluff, romance, marriage, fluff, becoming parents, pregnancy.

Erwin sets up a business meeting where he arranges a meeting with your law firm. As soon as you meet, the memories flood back and the two of you restart the life you had dreamed of.

@ladycheesington @levisbrat25 @nyxiieluna @li-anne @galactict3a @youre-ackermine @thebobaprincess @2moth-anon2 @cypidity @nbinairyn @bts-spnlvr12 @mari-zs

Your feet were killing you in your heels, but you wanted to make a good impression with Mr Smith. It'd been a while since you wore heels, but they looked good so you wanted to try your best. You even more a nice dress as well. Normally, at the office, you had comfy things on your feet and body.

So, you sat on a chair outside the meeting room and winced at the pain in your feet. "Damn it."

"Heels bothering you?"

You kept your head down as your cheeks burned. You watched as someone with thick thighs knelt before you in a wonderful suit. "Y-Yes."

"May I?"

You presented your foot. "S-Sure."

He slipped your heel off and looked. "Mm, looks like they rubbed your foot."

You sighed and looked up at him. "The one time I wear them to impress."

He chuckled and looked up into your eyes. "You..." His beautiful blue eyes widened. He softly said your name. "Is it you?"

You felt a rush of emotions as memories stung and soothed you. Tears filled your eyes. "Erwin...I...I you..."

He smiled. "Me."

You cupped his face. "You're alive."

He closed his eyes and leaned into your touch. "I am."

You sniffed. "You have both arms."

He chuckled. "Indeed I do." He released a long sigh. "You are so beautiful."

Your cheeks burned at his praise. "You're handsome."

He held your thighs as his eyes filled with love. "I'm so sorry I died before we could have our life as a family."

You smiled sadly. "Well, you made up for it."

"My letters?"

You nodded and hummed. "And our daughter."

His eyes widened. "A daughter?" He smiled. "We had a daughter?"

"She was just like you." You laughed. "So ambitious and she helped out so much. She changed so many lives. You would have been proud of her."

He squeezed your thighs. "You're incredible."

"I'm not." You let the tears roll down your cheeks. "I was so weak without you. I wanted to...I struggled. However, our daughter was the only reason I kept going. I didn't want to leave her alone. I stayed strong for her, but I am ashamed of some of the thoughts I had." You sniffed. "What a terrible mother I was."

He hushed you. "I bet you were perfect. I just know our daughter loved you and felt your love as well."

You smiled sadly. "I gave her everything and I spoiled her too." You giggled with Erwin. "I couldn't help myself, she was so cute and beautiful."

"That's wonderful." He lowered his head. "I'm sorry I left you both. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live. I failed you and I felt that strongly when I died. You were all I thought about."

You wrapped your arms around Erwin's neck and held him. "That must have been awful."

He gripped you tightly. "I love you."

You clung to him. "I love you too."

He pulled back a bit. "I know this is a new life, but I don't want to waste any time. Let's start our life and family again."

You blushed. "Erwin?"

"Marry me."

You nodded with a bright smile. "Yes!"

Erwin smiled sweetly at his twins. Both of them were lying against his chest and sleeping away as they were soothed by his warmth and beating heart. Seeing two precious lives made from him and you made his heart flutter with joy.

The wedding came around fast and Erwin made sure he had you as soon as possible. The home you got was just out of the city surrounded by nature with plenty of rooms for children. It was your forever home and the two of you filled it with love.

You always thought you would have a daughter again, but instead, you got a surprise. Your twins were perfect. Evan and Daisy were the sweetest little angels who looked just like their father and full of curiosity. Erwin was truly incredible, full of life and love.

The two of you were always running around after each other giggling away. You didn't hold back on the love and romance like you did in your first life. You both wanted to give the other everything possible. You stole many moments together and went on plenty of romantic holidays. The two of you worked less as well.

You sat on the sofa next to your husband and smiled sweetly. "You three having fun?"

He chuckled. "Nap time."

You snuggled up to Erwin. "You're a wonderful father to them."

"I'm glad I can be here for them this time."

You played with Erwin's hair. "I've told you, Erwin. It hurt not having you, but you left behind the most precious thing for me. You were always with me because I had Daisy with me. She was the part of you that you left for me. She was all your love."

Erwin welled up and looked down at his babies. "Now we have her and Evan."

You caressed Erwin's cheek. "All my love."

He leaned over and kissed you. "Together forever, my love."

You hummed a laugh. "Yes."

He blushed a bit. "I was wondering."

You giggled. "I love you so much. Yes, I think more babies would be perfect, but let's wait for these two to grow up a little more, hmm?"

He smiled. "Sounds wonderful." He kissed you again. "I love you so much."

"Shall I help you put the babies to bed so we can do some loving?"

Erwin handed you Evan. "Please."

[sailboatdreamer]

Back to the Night We Met - Chapter 2

After an awkward first encounter, you try and get back in Angus' good graces.

I had made myself scarce for the next day, only really encountering the others when necessary at mealtimes or right before falling asleep in the cold, dark infirmary.

I hated it. I felt like my initial failings had only managed to continue into the next day, when i could barely make eye contact with the others. I’d learned their names at least. The sour-faced blonde was Teddy Koutnze, and while he didn’t really seem- to me at least- very physically intimidating, he had a way of irritating the rest of us, and when Mary snapped at him over dinner, nobody said a word. Then there was Jason Smith, a mild mannered wealthy son of some business guy, practising civil disobedience by not cutting his hair, and therefore missing out on winter vacation. The two youngest were Alex, a mormon kid who’s parents were away on missionary, and Ye-Joon, a korean kid who couldn’t fly to see his family. Then there was Angus, who i’d regretfully embarrassed myself in front of only the day before. It didn’t bother me so much to run into Teddy as much as it did running into Angus, who’s snarky and annoyed attitude made me feel incredibly nervous. My avoidance of them all (except really for the younger boys) did not go unnoticed.

I was passing time in the expansive library certainly better than the one i’d been used to, when I encountered Mr Hunham doing his rounds.

“Oh! There you are.” He’d said. I gave a shy sort of wave. I was halfway through my copy of Catcher in the Rye when he’d arrived.

“You know, if the young philistines back there (pointing towards the hall) are giving you any trouble, you don’t have to stand for it, i know how utterly undignified some of them may be.” This had made me laugh slightly, only because it couldn’t be further from the reality, and it was the second time i’d been approached with this concern.

“No, no honestly they’ve been…. accomodating” i recall the help i’d gotten from Angus yesterday with a slight wince.

“Sincerely? Well-colour me surprised. I didn’t think they had it in them.” He expressed with a surprised look. I’d of thought Mr Hunham would’ve been a much nastier person, considering the disparaging ways the boys talked about him late at night. He was actually quite kind, and respectful, i’d noticed how much care he paid to Mary especially.

“Yeah, Angus even helped me with my bag yesterday.” I could see his expression turn to a slight shock, followed by a grin.

“Really? i- wow.” He gave me a nod of acknowledgement before turning and leaving, undoubtedly to go back to monitoring the boys, now with the newfound idea that they may not be entirely without saving.

Unsurprisingly, it took a lot to move me from my place in the library’s old leather couch. I’d even found a soft blanket that i’d used to cover myself, somehow avoiding Hunham’s exercise sessions, though his voice echoed through the walls. ”Without exercise the body devours itself!” I’d heard him cheer. It wasn’t until later in the evening, still in the library, trying to finish my copy of Emma, when i’d encounter another student.

He’d waddled in, perhaps not seeing me at first, after all i was pretty quiet. I watched him over the nose of my book, huffing angrily, and slumping down at one of the couches across the library hall. Angus. I didn’t dare approach him, he looked pretty upset already, but just as i was thinking so, he saw me. A silent exchange, i can only imagine i’d looked as startled as he did.

I noticed the small wound on his cheek had been patched up with a small band-aid, and an associated rip in his sweater had been stitched over.

“Have you been in here all day?” His tone is more accusatory than i would’ve hoped. His anger from whatever he’d been putting up with was seeping through.

“I may have… i mean, i went to go see Mary in the morning.”

He just nods with a huff. “And Wall-eye isn’t on your ass?”

I shake my head “I saw him. I let him know you helped me with my bags yesterday, he.. looked surprised.”

He just rolls his eyes, i don’t push it further. I know they all hate Hunham, he’s tough on them, a fan of discipline and ancient philosophy makes for a particularly tough chaperone.

“What’re you reading?” I hear him mumble after a minute.

“Emma. Jane Austen?” I watch as he studies the cover of the book, still seeming a little shaken up. “Right yes… matchmaker.” I nod with a slight smile, he’d read it.

“So… i see you got patched up.” i say, pointing to his bandaid. “yeah… fuckin’ koutnze…”

“What happened?” I press the topic gently, in a way I wanted to know if it was something more serious or just general scuffling between boys.

“I.. had this picture- in my luggage” He sees my expression change to confusion as he mentions luggage, if he was staying over, why had he packed up luggage?

“I wasn’t, actually supposed to be here. My mom decided the only time of the year she gets to see me would be the perfect time for a honeymoon with my new stepdad.”

God, what a shit situation, i think to myself, though i only manage to get out ‘im so sorry…’

He brushes it off with a wave of the hand, “Its me and my parents when i was a kid. Koutnze took it, i know he did, but he refuses to give it back.” He grumbles.

I wonder to myself if i can get it back…. i should. It would mean the exchange between Angus & i would be fair, and hopefully it could help us move on from our awkward first impression.

“What a dick….” I say with a scowl, met by Angus’ own.

“I know right.” I see him pick up my copy of Catcher In the Rye and we read together for another hour until we were called to dinner, and back to the infirmary.

A fair few of the boys were using the showers, and the ones that weren’t were outside, looking for Alex’s lost red mitten. I take this fruitful opportunity to find that picture, hoping it would bring me into Angus’ good graces, and restore a little of his faith back into this holiday.

After a quick and careful scavenge through Teddy Koutnze’s luggage, i find a small compartment, something that had been cut out in the side of his suitcase. A secret pocket of sorts, and low and behold, i reach in, and out comes the picture. It was unmistakeably Angus, though ten years younger, his stark and angular features, and soft brown eyes confirmed it in my mind. I slip the picture into my pocket and leave his things as i’d found them.

I left to find Angus, and just as i’d expected, he was in the midst of comforting poor Alex in the courtyard outside, who’s mitten was found, but had a small tear near the thumb. I approach them both. “look, it’s okay, Mary’s probably got some thread, i’m sure she’d be happy to fix it.” He says in a soft tone, patting the young kid on the back.

“Hey, do you mind if we talk for a minute?” I say quietly, meeting his gaze. To this he reassures Alex, and gets up, following me a few paces over.

I take the small, polaroid-like picture out of my pocket and hand it to him, watching his expression light up.

“You actually- you found it! How… where?” I was glad to finally see Angus happy for the first time since i’d arrived. “Some secret pocket in his suitcase… fucker is sneaky”.

“Thank you… really thank you.” He says sincerely, tucking the pocket inside his winter jacket. I shrug it off but internally i’m beaming “Of course.”