#I hope your business will flourish and you will stay healthy - stay away from sharp objects pls

[ouroboros-hideout]

Happy Birthday, Hound Dog

OTP: Like Napalm 04/???

inspired by a sketch @blackrevell did some while ago of Aon sitting at a campfire at a lake. I thought it might be nice if she didn't need to go there alone.

[hisunshiine]

primal |kth|

♡ 𝘵𝘢𝘦𝘩𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘹 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 ♡ 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳!𝘵𝘢𝘦 𝘹 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺!𝘰𝘤 ♡ 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵, 𝘴𝘮𝘶𝘵 ♡ 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 @shades_of_blue

—

“I saw you and him! You let him feed you.. Let him touch you..” His eyes, typically your favorite shade of deep mahogany were now black.

“Tae, I swear, it was innocent. If I had refused, they would have known.. I think they suspect so—”

Tae’s large hand tightened on your throat slightly, and you gasped, arching slightly.

“Kneel.”

-6 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰-

You had just gotten hired by KimHit Entertainment, an up and coming company that had great talent of all kinds signed to them. They worked with multiple artists, rappers like RM and Agust D, singing dance duo J-Hope and Jimin (J2J), had content creators/artists like JayKay and Vante, and they were all managed by Kim Seokjin, one of the most famous vocalists in the world. He had decided to create a company to help others flourish once he felt like he had met all of his own goals.

While he still made music, he wanted to make sure to solidify himself as a top tier business man as well, like his father before him. He took over his dad’s small company and created a chaebol with his ability to spot talent and help it bloom. His brother had recently run the food services department for KimHit, but he had recently gotten married, so he was unable to do the tours for the next 2 quarters.

You had gone to culinary school with Seokjin’s older brother, which was how you found out about the company, and applied. Despite your love for music, your job however, had nothing to do with being “Talent”, unless you counted what you did in the kitchen.

“Carla, holy fuck, this is delicious!” Nayeon had just licked her finger clean from where she had dipped it into your batter for the dessert for the Talent. She went to double dip, and you swatted her hand away with the oven mitt you were holding.

“Yes, that’s why I was hired. But Gemini is coming down soon to eat, and they need to be fed before their performance tonight. A 2 hour set is no joke.” Nayeon nodded and backed away, hands up.

“Fine, fine.. I’m headed back to my station, but save me some please!” She smiled as she turned and headed to the door, her slim hips swaying as she disappeared through the swinging doors of the kitchen.

You finished plating the main dishes and began trekking them through the same swinging doors to set up for the meal. Each venue had a different style, but with tours, within the country, it was easier on you to maintain a routine. Traveling across the globe with bigger artists meant you had to go with them to each stadium or arena and cook with the kitchen they provided. Here in your home country, you could easily travel from home to work each day, prepare the meals, set up the spread, and relax. Others were hired to handle the clean up. You hustled back and forth, carrying out the now heavy metal serving dishes before the cast and crew arrived for their pre-show meal.

Panting slightly, you shook your head. How you were not losing weight at a faster rate was beyond you, but you liked that you maintained your curves despite the bustle of this job. Cooking protein rich and healthy fat filled foods helped you keep your more curvy figure. You were happy with your natural assets; you’d never had a problem filling out your outfits in all the right places, and direct or indirect compliments on your figure from the opposite sex had become the norm for you.

You watched the managers slowly file in, followed by the lighting crew, music techs, videographers and more, getting their food before running off to carry out various pre-show set up. They thanked you, happy with the upgraded meals they received ever since KimHit hired you.

“Hi.”

You jumped, not expecting the baritone voice to sound. Turning, you clutch your now racing heart as you take in a remarkable face—jawline that could slice the cake you had been placing, cheekbones that had to have been sculpted by Michaelangelo himself, and a toffee colored gaze that heated you to your core.

“You scared me!” you squeaked out, unable to maintain eye contact with him.

“Sorry,” his voice—as familiar as it was smooth—continued, “I just wanted to say that this smells… delicious.”

You shivered, sure that he was talking about more than the food. That he could smell the arousal mixed with fear as his predatory gaze continued to drink you in, tracing each curve slowly as if he could imagine what you would feel like if he stared long enough. Hard enough.

You attempted to breath slowly, knowing that predators enjoy the toying, and will chase when their prey panics and runs. You naturally responded to his movements, extending the chase when you whirled around and went back to what you were doing. You heard him take a sharp inhale, and inwardly smiled.

5, 4, 3, 2…

“Thanks,” you replied, barely giving him a glance as you straightened back up and made to walk past him. Pausing, you place your hand on his shoulder almost in a motherly way, though the way your voice had taken on a sultry tone suggested you were anything but.

“Let me know if there’s anything else you want to eat.”

As you walked into the kitchen, you heard him let out a low chuckle, and felt excitement bubble within you.

Kim Taehung, or Vante, was the famous photographer that KimHit managed, and would be helping out with catching still photo content for various artist’s within the company. Part of Seokjin’s philosophy was to have his talent work with each other, to build camaraderie across the different mediums as well as maintain wealth within the company.

It was well known within the entertainment world that Taehyung had an… eccentric taste. Once you started working at KimHit, you found out that it was not just within his art. He had been spotted by other coworkers frequenting Primal—a sex club for the elite to delve into their deepest desires. You and Nayeon had bonded over your love for Vante and his art, and she had shared this information.  

Another stylist had gone with him once, and shared quite eagerly with Nayeon and the other stylists that he was definitely a dominating type, that he enjoyed the pursuit of his partner, and was essentially, a predator.

You had done exactly the thing to drive him to begin the chase. You responded to him in a way that caught his attention, and then tried to quell your prey driven response and assert yourself as unaffected. If there was one thing that was going to make him pursue it was the dismissive way you treated his compliment paired with a very forward statement. He wanted to know more about you, wanted to push your limits, to conquer you.

Taehyung began his pursuit not long after that first encounter and you played along, as he aggressively flirted, took you out on dates, and then, like a chess match, called his checkmate. And you were his Queen.

The only problem was that you were under contract with KimHit to not become romantically involved with any of the Talent. Tae knew this, and was careful with his behaviors in public. He maintained his stoic disposition when in company of others, but once the cafe area was empty, he was dragging you away before you could lock up. Tae was all over you, mouth ravishing your body as his hands took possession of your body, laying claim to every curve, tracing the swell of your breasts, the roundness of your ass, squeezing your thighs tightly as he buried his cock deep within your walls.

-Earlier that day-

Gemini, the girl group who had been on tour previously was finished with their schedule, and you would be staying on for the next round of artists. This consisted of the prominent male artists, J2J opening for RM and Agust D, who had recently dropped a joint album. These sets of performances were different from your previous tour in that they would be holding performances at the same arena for the span of a month, allowing fans all over the country to have time to come see them before the month was up.

There was just one catch to the good news of being able to work for a month without traveling. Taehyung would be leaving for a month to work on his own art, paired with JayKay who would be the videographer for his project. Neither of you were happy about being separated, especially since he was friends with all of the men you would be cooking for, who knew nothing about the two of you dating.

He would never tell you that that was his reason, he had never said anything about his friends talking about you when they saw you in the KimHit office cafe working, when there were no Gemini schedules at the venues in town. Or, how they lusted over your body, your lovely features, your soft and gentle manner, over everything that was his . Every predator’s biggest fear is losing their territory.

It wasn’t that Tae didn’t have faith in you, it was that he understood how other predators were. You belonged to him in a different way now, he had already conquered you in a prey-like aspect. You were almost akin to pups, cubs, or other vulnerable babies of mammal species. You were his. Call you territory, call you a kitten or cub, you belonged to him. And anyone sniffing around what was his... well it didn’t sit well with him.

The night before he left, he marked you, trailing merlot colored bruises down your neck, across your collarbone, accompanying bite marks to your chest, scarlet handprints staining your skin on your backside, small fingerprint sized marks showing his lasting grip to your hips and thighs, if only he could be sure that he had left lasting marks to your heart.

He was in love with you, which scared him. He feared you leaving him while he was gone more than anything else. More than you not loving him back. He could deal with you not loving him as long as you didn’t leave .

While you slept in his arms that last night, after that particularly rigorous session, he held you, whispering his love into your hair in the dead of the night, silent prayers that you would still be his when he returned.

—

Taehyung enjoyed his time traveling around France for the month. With Jungkook as his companion and you being on the other end of the many FaceTime calls, it wasn’t so hard for Taehyung to get through the month. He felt his insecurities subside a little more  when he called you and you answered. He knew that you weren’t in danger of leaving him.

You on the other hand struggled with his absence. Your body craved his touch, and you spent evenings touching yourself in hopes that it would feel like him, but it never did. The new talent you were working with  didn’t make it any easier for you while missing Taehyung.

J-Hope, half of the dancing duo J2J,spent almost the entire month flirting with you, relentlessly. He was handsome, tall, lithe; his body, moved in ways you’d never seen before until he took the stage. You loved Taehyung and had no intentions of cheating on him.  However, you missed the up close and personal attention you’d become so accustomed to with Taehyung, and you enjoyed the attention from J-Hope—or Hobi, the name he asked you to call him.

He shamelessly flirted with you nonstop, to the point that you were fairly certain Tae would be highly upset if he were to witness it. But it appeared harmless to you since your heart and body were already taken by Taehyung, even if no one else knew it.

—

“Hey,” Hobi approached you while you were finishing up for the day, catching you right before you disappeared behind the swinging metal kitchen doors. “I had a question for you.”

“Sure, what’s up?” your hands were positioned on your hips as you turned, and you didn’t miss the way his gaze took its time traveling up before settling on your own.

“I wanted to have a small party tonight, to celebrate the end of the performances. I’ll text you the address, I would love for you to come.”

“Oh, I’ll have to see...” you replied, knowing that Taehyung and JayKay would be arriving back to town that evening.

“Please, Carla, I hope you can make it.” Hobi stepped closer, his hand reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “At the very least, can I pay you to make a cake for the celebration tonight?”

You found yourself nodding to that. That way you could still do something nice for a friend without upsetting Tae by spending his first night back home out with his friends and not with him.

“Of course, Hobi. Just text me the address. I’ll make you your favorite… my signature Devil’s Food Cake with Cream Cheese icing and strawberries.”

“You’re an actual angel, babe.” Hobi smiled his heart shaped smile, but the glint in his eye was as devilish as the cake you planned to make. “I can’t wait. The party is black and red attire… but please, come in all white.”

—

Texting Tae, you mentioned that you would be a little late to his place due to a last minute catering stop. You had started doing small catering services since you wouldn’t be traveling out of town this month, so it wasn’t unusual for you to tell Tae that you needed an hour or two in order to fulfill orders for your customers.  

Before leaving for the party, you double checked the white body con dress you had put on. It had a heart shaped neckline with baby doll straps, and you had tied your hair into a chignon, slicked back to show off your decolletage. A simple necklace with a small camera charm hung from the chain rested almost into your cleavage, the tiny diamond in the lens catching the light from the bulb in the hallway.

Liking the reflection you saw, you carted off your finished cake to your SUV and made your way to the location on your map.

Turning onto a main road, you had thought that the party Hobi was hosting was at his own place, but as you pulled into a parking lot you couldn’t help but notice the bright red sign. Primal . The very club that allowed people to explore their sexual desires on the second floor while the dance floor allowed people to party on the first. You had always wanted to come here after you found out about Taehyung coming here, but as the top floor was invite only…

Once you had started dating Tae in secret, you had forgotten about this place, not needing to seek out a place to explore your fantasies when they happened in his bedroom now. Unloading the SUV, you carried the boxed cake towards the entrance, where the bouncer at the front signalled for you to enter.

“Hoseok said to be on the lookout for the angel in white with a cake.”

You laughed to yourself, warmth crossed your cheeks at the description.

“Just head to the desk, tell them you’re headed to room 7, the password for your party is ‘hope in hell’.”

Following the instructions he gave you, the attendant at the desk led you to the door of room 7, which was tucked in the back corner of the second floor. She opened the door, which allowed you to walk into the room, lit with red lights. Music was playing throughout the speakers on the walls, and you heard the chatter of the party goers as you ascended into the depths of Primal.

“Carla!” Hobi’s voice called over the hum of the party and you turned to take in his outfit, all black to match his hair. He waved you in his direction, and upon reaching him, you handed the box off and he placed the cake on the table beside him.

“Wow, this looks amazing!” he said as he unboxed it, eyes turning back to you as he licked his lips. “Purely… delectable.”

You couldn’t help the way your body reacted. Taking in how you responded to his words, he smirked as he watched you look away. Looking around the room now, you were able to take in the scene. You truly were the only person that was in white. You could see people gyrating on each other, talking closely in small groups, drinking their fair share of alcohol, and disappearing into other rooms with each other, carnal looks in their eyes. Hobi grabbed a strawberry and held it to your mouth. You opened when it touched your bottom lip, but he teased you, trailing it along your full bottom lip before pushing it slowly into your mouth. You bite, taking in the sweetness of the fruit.

Setting down the tuft of green left over, he grabbed a napkin, clearing his fingers of the red residue before grabbing another strawberry, which he handed to you.

“Feed me.”  

Unable to say no to his demand, you oblige. You had drawn an audience since you walked through the door; heated gazes on you, watching your every move, you couldn’t have said no to the host, and he knew it. Holding the strawberry up to him, his lips wrapped delicately around the plump fruit, teeth seamlessly slicing through it as some of the red liquid dripped down his chin. Your gaze follows the trail of it and you bite your lip.

“Thank you again, angel.” Hobi pulls your glance back to his eyes, stepping closer towards you for a hug.

“Thank you for inviting me Hobi, I can’t stay long, but I appreciate it.”

As he gathers you into a hug, you feel his hands drift down along your curves, hands holding your ass in a way that prevented you from moving away from him. His length, hard, pressed between your thighs and you felt his lips ghost over your neck.

“Do you have enough time for me to show you a good time?” he asked, and as much as you would have said yes if you were single, you had Taehyung possibly already waiting for you at your place.

“Sorry, I can’t tonight.” You pout, trying your best to be vague. No one knew about you and Tae, and you had to keep it that way.

“Not tonight? So when can I get you all alone?” This time, his teeth nipped at your skin, and you involuntarily shivered in his arms, moving closer into his grip.

“Um..” you tried hard to formulate words, his dominating persona calling to the submissive in you.

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁.”

Taehyung’s low voice practically growled as his hand gripped your neck possessively. Hobi released you, his eyes a mischievous smile as he took in the way your head turned in response to Tae’s voice, body moving towards him as if it was second nature.

“She’s mine, Hobi-hyung.”

The song was low, changing from one to another, and you felt the eyes of the other guests on the three of you. From your peripheral you could see that RM, Suga, and Jimin were watching, amused, while JayKay was standing off to the side of Tae, snickering.

“Ahhhh,” Hobi said, mind putting together all of the information over the past few months. The way that Taehyung had always grown quiet when they talked about asking you out until he would forcefully say that you were unavailable, that you had told him you weren’t single. The way you had turned down all the advances Hobi had made. The way that Taehyung seemed to almost be enraged when the crew would talk about your sumptuous body. His eyes met Jin’s, who shrugged and pretended not to see anything, walking away with a girl who had on a black lingerie set.

Tugging your hand, Tae led you towards a door and pulled you inside. It was dim, quiet, empty of passerby and onlookers.

Taehyung turned to face you, backing you towards the door you had just walked through. His arm reached over you, swinging the door shut so you were pressed against it.

“I’m gone for a month, Carla... and this is how you behave when Daddy is away?” His eyes don’t meet yours, instead they follow the path his finger makes as it trails down your cheek, slow and deliberate.

“I was trying to keep up appearances… I was about to leave, I promise.”

“Didn’t much look like you were trying to leave. Looked like you were allowing him to touch what was mine.”

“Tae, I promise—” your voice was frantic, worried he would leave you, but he cut you off.

“I saw you and him! You let him feed you.. Let him touch you..” His eyes, typically your favorite shade of deep mahogany were now black.

“Tae, I swear, it was innocent. If I had refused, they would have known.. I think they suspect so—”

Tae’s large hand tightened on your throat slightly, and you gasped, arching slightly.

“Kneel.”

Falling to your knees, your eyes meet the floor as you watch his slip on black Gucci loafers circle around you. You can hear his fingers meddle with his belt.

“You,” he paused, attempting to tame his anger, “are mine.”

His hand gripped your chignon, pulling your head in whatever direction he wanted as he continued speaking. You kept your body loose so that he could control your movements. Angling your head to look up at him, he took his other hand and used his fingers to pinch your cheeks and open your mouth.

“This mouth… is mine.”

His cock, standing at full length, entered your mouth roughly and you slackened your jaw to allow his girth to fill your hole. He face-fucked you, hips snapping as he plunged his cock into your throat. You hollow your cheeks, running your warm tongue along the bottom and grazing his frenulum. The flared tip caught on your lips as he pulled out, and you suckled the head how he liked as he held your face still with only the tip engulfed in the warmth of your mouth.

“Fuck, like that angel.” Taehyung expressed his enjoyment with low grunts and caresses to your face as you did your best to please him and apologize for what he witnessed.

“Ah, this mouth is sinful… aren’t you my little angel?” he asked, removing himself from your lips with a lewd popping sound. His hands moved to your chignon and he pulled out the pin holding it together, allowing your hair to fall.

“Yes,” you panted, short of breath, “I’m your angel.”

He nodded with a low hum, and brought you to stand. His mouth was harsh, rough as he kissed and bit your now swollen lips with his own. His grasp on your body was tight; you expected to see small fingertip bruises from his grip in the morning.

Pulling away, the trail of saliva from your mouth to his strained thin before snapping, and Tae was more turned on than ever watching the way you leaned forward chasing the kiss.

“You aren’t acting like my angel... You’re dressed like her, but you haven’t been behaving like her.”

As he moves through the room, you finally take in your surroundings. The room is mostly bare, no bed, but there is a small love seat on the wall to the left and a door in the wall straight ahead that had a sex swing attached to it. Your stomach flipped in excitement. Taehyung gave you a series of looks and, without words, you obeyed his commands. He had you naked and strapped into the swing in a matter of minutes, shedding his flowing black silk shirt.

“That’s better… the white dress made you look too pure for what I’m about to do to you.”

Running his cock along your folds, your slick coated the tip and he pushed himself into you without much prep. This was a part of your punishment, you knew, and the feeling of him so full inside of you had your body adjusting to him with more of your juices produced with every thrust he made. Your legs were propped up in the sex swing, held by straps that wrapped around your thighs, and you slid up along the door with the force of Taehyung’s hips.

“You’re mine, Carla. All mine.”

“Yes... Fuck, yes Tae, I’m yours.”

His teeth marked your neck, his large hands gripping your thighs and you could feel the throbbing of his dick as he continuously buried it inside of you. You moaned out, unable to stay quiet after a month of being deprived of him. His scent filled the surrounding area and enveloped you, and you couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t enough, you wanted more of him.

“Please Tae.. I need… I— I need m-more...”

He thrusts into you deeply, slapping your ass as he pushes against your cervix and you cry out, nails digging into his back. You’re sure that you’ve left small crescent moons along his shoulder blades. He circles his hips while remaining deep inside of you, and he growls in your ear.

“You feel so good, God, I missed you.”

“-m-missed you… too...”

“It’s so tight, baby. I’m gonna… fuck, I’m gonna fill you so good baby.”

“Please,” you beg, and he drops his hand down to press against your clit.

You felt it building fast, the pull in your abdomen and as your hips bucked to gain more friction against his hardened member, you squeezed around him, feeling every curve and vein along the shaft and he bit hard onto your shoulder, his hot cum filling you up.

Crying out, you’re so close, but Tae pulls out of you, eyes meeting yours. And you know he’s not going to allow you release at this moment. Punishment for your earlier behavior.

You almost whine at him, exhausted because all you want is to fall apart before you fall asleep wrapped in his arms. You make to say something to him, going against your submissive state to tell him that you want more, you want to finish, before his voice whispers a command.

“Clench.”

You follow his directive, using your walls to force his cum out of you and you smile sleepily as you hear his slight intake of breath as you feel him drip down your thigh. The pads of his fingers are gentle as he scooped it back up and tucked his release back inside of you, two fingers eliciting a quiet, slick sound as they enter your abused core.

“You can cum later tonight baby, after I get you home...”

You nod, glad that he was going to allow you an orgasm at some point tonight. He leans forward to kiss you, his tongue tangling lazily with yours as he releases you from the sex swing.

“.. If you earn it.”

RUNNER UP COVER THAT DIDN’T WIN BUT I LOVE IT TOO SO HERE IT IS

[authorized-trash]

To Tie a Knot: Chapter 6: What Do You Mean The Hotel Room Only Has One Bed?

Ao3

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five

Content Warnings:

Self deprecation, elusion to character death, a character assumes another character is dead, tell me if i need to add more

Chapter Summary:

God, Damian is so GAY

Word Count:

2,700+

Note:

What is that saying? Calm before the storm? Because that would be an accurate description of this chapter.

-

-

Rain began to pitter-patter on the windowsill. The crystal drops dripped down the glass, seemingly racing as they ran into each other, marking patterns as they went.

A flash of lightning followed by thunder rocked the coffee shop, lighting up the inside with a bright white light. The customers continued chatting, unbothered. One lonely college student looked out the window with longing, watching the outside world grow damp.

A draft from a cracked-open door caused a few of the hanging plants to sway, and one couple got up and moved to a different table due to the rain beginning to get in and making wet spots on their jackets.

A booth in the far back corner held a man dressed semi-formally, his hands hidden inside yellow gloves. His light hazel eyes would normally be hidden behind the brim of his hat, but as of now they were wide, staring in shock at another man who had approached the table with his friend.

The barista washed the front counter, looking outside to see no one approaching the small, family owned coffee shop. They walked to the back, near the kitchen. It was, again, a very small establishment, so they were the only one working. It was growing kind of late now and business was slowing.

The barista took out their phone, and dialed their brother, thinking now would be an alright chance to check in.

The phone rang for a few seconds, and just as they were going to hang up and try again later, their brother picked up.

“Hey Elliot,” their brother greeted, and the barista, Elliot, smiled.

“Wassup Virge, just thought I’d check in and say hi, it’s been a few days.”

“So it has. I’m doing fine, as usual. Some weird… uh… stuff as happened, but other than that I’m as dandy as a dandelion.”

Elliot laughed, shaking their head, “Uh huh, and when have you ever said anything like ‘dandy as a dandelion’? Seriously Virgil, what’s up? What happened?”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

“I have another soulmate.”

Elliot gave a long and low whistle, “Another? How does that even work?”

“Who knows, a new string just appeared the other day, we sent Logan to go and find them, haven’t heard any news yet.”

“That’s rough buddy,” Elliot said. Virgil laughed loudly.

“Yeah well, we’re expecting a call from Logan soon.”

“So wait, a whole ‘nother string just appeared out of nowhere, twenty years into your life?”

“Uh huh. We’re all in this state of shock, I guess.”

“I would be. Well, it seems like you got your hands full, then. I’ll get off here and leave you and your boyfriends to it. Oh! Wait, by the way, have you done it yet?”

“It?”

“Yeah, you know, the thing. With the rings.”

“Uh, no, not yet. We just got a new soulmate, it’s safe to say I’m holding off for awhile,” Virgil gave an awkward laugh on the other side of the line.

“Ha, yeah that would make sense. So wh-” Elliot was cut off by a ding from the register, and quickly said into the phone, “Oh hold on Virge, I got a customer. I lied, stay there, I’m not hanging up yet.”

Their brother laughed nervously, but said okay and stayed on the line.

Elliot took the person’s order. It was a sweet looking little old lady. She nodded as she took her drink, before slowly making her way back to a seat.

Elliot raised the phone back up to their ear, but paused before saying anything.

“Hey, Virgil?” They asked, bewildered.

“What? You getting robbed or something?”

“Uhm no, Logan is here.”

“Wait really? What is he doing? Wait no, don't answer that I sound like a stalker.”

Elliot laughed, “He’s talking to another customer. Huh, I don’t see the sunglasses guy from earlier, it’s just them.”

“Another customer? Logan doesn’t talk to people, what does this person look like?” Virgil was sounding a little frantic. There was what sounded like a scuffle over the line, and suddenly there was another voice.

“You have found my beloved!” Shouted Roman into the phone, peaking the microphone and causing Elliot to take the phone away from their ear a bit.

“Yeah it’s definitely Logan. The other person- uh, I assume they’re male but I’m not taking any chances, looks pretty put together. Hat, gloves, oh! And they have a scar on the left side of their face.”

“And what does Logan look like?” Said a third voice, and Elliot knew this was Patton.

“Like Logan.”

“No you piece of shit, what is he doing?” Virgil snapped, and Elliot smirked at pissing their brother off.

“He looks… pretty smitten, actually.”

“It’s them! He found them!” There was a loud thump.

“Roman! Jesus, you didn’t need to eject yourself from the couch!” Patton exclaimed, and Elliot assumed he had jumped down to help his soulmate.

“Should I go talk to them?” Elliot asked, a little confused about what he should do at this point.

“Just finish your shift and let them talk, we’ll meet them soon enough it sounds like,” Virgil’s voice caught, and Elliot got the impression that he was excited.

“Alright, should I leave you guys to freak out in peace? I got more customers coming in and don’t feel like being fired for being on my phone too long.”

“Yeah alright, fine, bye,” Virgil hung up abruptly, and Elliot shook their head fondly, expecting no less of his sibling.

They looked up at Logan who was still chatting with what seemed to be their new soulmate, and smiled.

He was happy for them.

-

Damian was sure he had stars in his eyes as he stared into the other man’s blue eyes. He was gorgeous. He was tall, lean, and had a smattering of freckles across pale skin. His hair was a dusty blonde, and sharp, square glasses sat on his nose. As cliche as it was, Damian found himself lost in his eyes, a pretty crystalline blue behind thick lashes.

Remy cleared his throat, giving Damian a pointed look.

Damian gave a bright smile, fighting the urge to run, and stood up. He stretched out his hand to shake the other man’s.

“Hello, my name is Damian J. Lyer, and yours is?” He asked coolly with a flourish of his hand. The other man took it, nodding as he greeted him back.

“Logan Barry, pleased to meet you. Really pleased, in fact.”

Damian gestured for Logan to sit across from him, just as Remy took a few steps back.

“You know what? I’m going to go sit in the car and talk to my own babe, you lovebirds have fun,” Remy said as he turned and left, taking his too-sweet coffee with him.

Damian gulped as he watched him go, turning back to face Logan.

“Well, Logan, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? A few moments ago all I knew was your fatestring was the loveliest shade of indigo,” Damian said as he gave a wink, clasping his hands together on the table.

Logan’s face heated up, “Yes of course. I attend college at a town close to here, where I live with my- er- our three other soulmates.”

“Uh huh, and what are their names? Surely they’re just as pretty to the ear as ‘Logan’,” Damian decided he wasn’t going to think too hard about Logan referring to his soulmates as his as well, he wasn’t quite ready to face that truth yet.

“Oh, they are. Patton, Roman, and Virgil, all male,” Logan responded, ignoring the fact that he seemed to turn another shade of darker red at the compliments.

Damian nodded, his little gay heart pounding. All male, awesome. That was- wow, his brain was short circuiting. He had always hoped his soulmate would be male, and it looked like he hit the jackpot.

That awful gnawing feeling of guilt began to chew at his stomach again. 

Look at him, talking with a replacement soulmate. His original soulmate was probably looking down on him, angry. Perhaps sad. Disappointed. Disgus-

“Are you alright?” Logan asked, moving to place a hand on top of Damian’s. Damian’s face immediately flushed a deep crimson, and they both paused to stay at their hands for a second, before both of them took them off the table and placed them in their laps.

“Of course, what gave you the idea that I wasn’t?” Damian asked, giving another dashing smile to hide his growing pain.

“You were looking off into nothing, I grew worried, and therefore asked if there was an issue.”

“Nope,” Damian responded, perhaps a bit too fast and high, “Why don’t you tell me more about your soulmates?”

Logan frowned, “Ours,” he corrected, before continuing all the same, “And alright. Patton is a baker, very soft and sweet. Roman is an actor, loud, dramatic, and infuriating. He is very fun to argue with. In a healthy way, of course.”

“Of course,” Damian repeated, nodding. He completely understood the whole ‘fun to argue with in a healthy way’ kind of thing, he and Remy did it all the time.

“Finally, there is Virgil. He’s quiet, keeps to himself a lot of the time. Roman describes him as “ridiculously emo.””

Fuck, a theatre kid, a nerd, a kind baker, and an emo? Oh ho ho, Damian’s head was spinning, they were checking all of his standards boxes, shit.

“They sound exquisite,” Damian responded, smiling softly. Logan nodded.

“They really are. They are excited to meet you, you know.”

“Really?” Damian said, eyes brightening a bit, “I thought you- you know what? Nevermind.”

“No, don’t cut yourself off, you thought what?” Logan sat forward in his seat, suddenly appearing worried.

Damian slumped, “Well, I thought you wouldn’t like me… intruding, on your relationship.”

Logan looked at Damian. Really looked. He observed his posture, the way his hands seemed to tremble ever so slightly, and the way he was avoiding eye contact. He looked at him, and saw past the facade of a man who was confident in himself.

He saw how small Damian looked just then, curling in on himself. A swell of emotion (ugh) welled up in his chest, and right then and there he swore to himself that he would protect this man for the rest of his life.

“No, Damian. I must admit we were all taken by surprise when the string appeared a few days ago, however, it never even crossed our minds that you were an intruder. We aren’t looking at it like you’re intruding, but being added,” Logan assured him, his voice soft. Damian looked at him with glassy eyes and sniffed, giving an attempt at a smile.

“You’re cute when you’re not so serious,” Damian responded. Logan sat back in his seat and straightened his tie.

“I am not cute, and I am always serious, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Damian laughed, eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Uh huh, sure Specs,” he said, snickering behind his hand. He wiped his eyes with a gloved hand, clearing away the tears that were both from near crying and laughter. 

“Thanks, by the way, I needed to hear that,” he added under his breath. The affirmation helped clear his thoughts a little, but the gnawing guilt was still there and still present, if a little lessened. If only Logan could say something that would make him feel less awful about replacing his last soulmate.

Logan inclined his head in response.

“Well, Damian, it is getting late. I must ask if you would like to come with me to meet with our soulmates.”

Damian felt a swell of anticipation, “Why not?” He replied.

A loud crack of thunder shook the little coffee shop.

Logan blinked, a bit startled. He fixed his glasses.

“It seems that it will be storming most of the night. I did book a room at a hotel nearby to stay in, if you would like to accompany me there.”

Damian nodded perhaps a bit too quickly. He stood up from the booth, heading towards the door.

“Yeah, let me just go tell Remy I’ll be going with you tonight.”

He went outside, wincing as the cold rain hit him. He half jogged out to Remy’s car, sliding into the passenger seat. Remy looked up from his phone.

“How’d it go? You seem to be in a hurry, babes.”

“I’m leaving with him.”

“You’re what?!”

“I’m leaving. With him.” Damian repeated, breathless as he leaned his head against the passenger seat.

“Isn’t it a little early to like… ya know, ‘do the do’? You met him twenty minutes ago babes. Like, no judgement, but I thought you were-”

Remy shut up as Damian smacked him in the back of the head.

“No you bird brain. I’m going with him to meet the others.”

“Oh. Oh shit! Fucking get some DJ, I’m proud of you. Now get out of my car and go meet the loves of your life.”

Damian nodded and left the car, ignoring how that comment made him feel like dirt as he closed the car door.

The ride to the hotel was not even fifteen minutes. The silence was right on that line of comfortable and awkward. Logan had asked if Damian listened to music in the car, and Damian shook his head no.

“Sometimes, but normally only when I’m going to be in a car for longer than thirteen minutes.”

Logan chuckled, “Well, I can’t be in a car for three minutes with Roman before he has some Disney song playing as loud as possible, belting out the lyrics.”

“I take it he’s good at singing?”

“Oh, he’s the best,” Logan said, passionately, “He could outshine most broadway stars in my opinion.”

Damian nodded, falling silent. 

That was the last thing said before they pulled into the parking lot of the hotel building.

Logan signed it at the front desk, and Damian just followed him. They took the stairs to their room, Damian didn’t have anything to carry and Logan simply had a backpack with him.

It wasn’t until they had made it to their room that Logan seemed to remember one small, minor detail.

“There’s only one bed.”

Damian barked out a laugh, “You’re kidding, right?” He had read his fair share of fanfiction in his life, he knew where this was going.

“Why would I kid? I wasn’t expecting to meet you so soon, and didn’t think ahead to get a room with an extra bed,” Logan said, running a hand through his hair.

“Listen, it’s fine, I’ll sleep in a chair.”

“Absolutely not!”

“Oh? Would you rather me sleep in the bathtub, then?” Damian said. Logan looked at him as he sat his bag onto the single bed in the room.

“Preposterous. You will simply have to sleep in the bed with me. If you are alright with that, of course,” Logan said, fixing his glasses that had slid down his nose.

“You offered,” Damian shrugged, ignoring the way his gay brain was absolutely screaming at him to shut up and just sleep on the floor.

“That I did,” Logan said with a small smile.

The two of them both went about their business. Logan brushed his teeth and took a shower while Damian went down to the lobby to purchase his own essentials he would need to stay the night. Or nights, if all went well tomorrow.

By the time they were both done, Logan was sitting at the end of the bed. Damian didn’t have anything to sleep in and Logan hadn’t brought any kind of extra pajamas so he had just unbuttoned a few buttons on his top and stripped to his boxers.

Logan averted his eyes when Damian entered the room, desperately trying to pretend like he didn’t know his face was firetruck red.

They had to admit, crawling into the bed was honestly really fucking awkward, but both were so exhausted neither commented. 

There was only one bed, but it was large enough that if they faced away from each other, they could pretend the other wasn’t there.

Of course, like all good sharing-the-singular-bed stories go, they ended up tangled together when they woke up.

-

-

Taglist in the reblog

[thesurielships]

New Girl meets The Court of Dreams (a Feysand fanfic)

Hello, this is my first fanfic, and it’s still rough around the edges, so proceed with care. Yesterday, I suddenly had this idea of Feyre moving in with Rhys, Cassian and Azriel in a New Girl type of setting, and she would have to go get her clothes from Tamlin’s place. The story hasn’t reached that far yet, but I might go on with it if inspiration hits. Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the feysand fluff.

Part I, Part II, Part III

Rhysand had never thought he’d see the day Feyre Archeron rode with him in his car.

That’s right.

Feyre, as in Feyre Cursebreaker Archeron, as in the girl he’d been pining over for years, was now sitting in his car, looking out the window, her nervousness apparent in her restless hands and the bottom lip she’d been chewing on for the past half hour.

He had been utterly shocked when she had run up to him earlier, panting and breathless, and asked him for a ride. At first he thought she’d meant another kind of ride, one he was totally willing to give her ten times a day, seven days a week. He somehow managed not to make a complete fool of himself, and here they were.

He didn’t realize he was staring at her until he veered off his lane and a car honked angrily. Snap out of it, he thought. She can totally tell you like her.

But Feyre only had one thing on her mind, and it wasn’t the gorgeous guy sitting next to her. No, she was thinking of how she would get her clothes back from her now ex Tamlin’s house. She had fled the house the previous night after a particularly ugly fight with the controlling asshole, and had only texted him: “I left. Thank you for helping me when I needed you. Please don’t come looking for me. I am not coming back.”

Now she had no clothes, no home, and most importantly, no phone charger.

She slumped in her seat, sighing.

“Tonight is the winter solstice.” Rhys said, quietly.

Feyre smiled wryly. “Longest night of the year.”

“The stars shine their brightest tonight.”

She looked at him then, his profile flickering in the light of the passing streetlights. He glanced at her, and when his eyes met hers, her breath caught.

Your eyes shine brighter than the stars, she wanted to say. She blushed, and looked away.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “For the ride.”

He chuckled. “You’ve thanked me three times already.”

“Still-“

“But,” he interrupted, smirking. “If you still feel bad, you can always thank me in other ways, Feyre darling.”

She scowled. “In your dreams, prick.”

“You do seem to make quite a regular appearance in those.”

Feyre’s heart skipped a beat. Dangerous territory, she chided herself. It was soon, way too soon after Tamlin. It had only been a day, and yet she couldn’t stop herself from retorting: “As you seem to have difficulty not staring at me day and night, I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Am I supposed to deny,” he drawled, eyes sparkling, “that I find you attractive?”

“You’ve never said it.”

He sighed. “I’ve never had a chance to. Aren’t you dating that flower boy?”

She snorted at the ridiculous nickname. Steroid Tamlin was anything but a flower boy. “Not anymore.”

Rhys’s eyebrows rose. “Should I be sorry?”

Feyre slumped again in her seat, dejected. “Don’t. I’d rather be homeless than live with that controlling asshole.”

“Wait,” Rhys said, eyes wide, and she savored how the light reflected in them. “You’re homeless?”

“Temporarily, I hope. But yes, I suppose I am.”

“Then where am I taking you?”

“A cybercafé. Open 24/7. Should work for tonight.”

He made an abrupt U-turn, eliciting a cacophony of honks all around them. She yelped. “Where are you going?”

“As it happens, one of my roommates just moved out last week. We still haven’t found a suitable replacement.”

Feyre’s heart started beating loudly. “Oh no, Rhysand, I don’t want to abuse of your kindness…”

“This is not charity, Feyre darling. My roommates and I have a screening process to judge potential rommates. You’ll have to go through that first.”

She opened her mouth to argue but was stopped short by an explosion of light in the corner of her eye.

A shooting star.

“A wish for a wish?” Rhysand’s voice was soft, tentative.

“I’m fairly sure that’s not how wishes work, Rhysand. Doesn’t telling a wish ruin it?”

“Only you can decide what gets in the way of your dreams, Feyre darling.”

“Poetic, but no.”

“Fine,” he sighed, aggravated. “I’ll go first.” He paused long enough for her to see his eyes go soft and his smile grow wistful. She waited for what he would say with such trepidation that she was caught completely off guard by the absurdity of his wish.

“I wish you’d stop calling me Rhysand.”

She huffed out an incredulous laugh. “Isn’t that your name?”

“My friends call me Rhys.” He crinkled his nose. Adorable. No.

She tapped her chin. “I’ll consider it, if you stop calling me darling, you shameless flirt.”

He smirked. “No way, Feyre darling.”

If she was honest with herself, she rather liked the endearment, so she let him off easy, looking out the window to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

“You still owe me a wish.”

She looked back at him then, and drank in the sight of his profile shining ethereal in the starlight, his eyes a deep, sensuous violet that was rapidly turning into her favorite color.

“I want to paint you,” she finally said, barely more than a whisper, afraid to break the moment.

To her surprise, he did not smirk, and he did not preen. Instead, he graced her with the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, his eyes shining so bright she could’ve sworn they had stolen all the stars in the sky.

“Stars eternal,” she whispered, still entranced. Her heart was beating a tattoo in her chest, and she longed to run a hand along his sharp jawline, brush a finger against his lips…

“I love it when you look at me like that.”

She blinked, blushing furiously.

“Like… like what?” she stuttered.

“Like I’m the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen.”

She scowled, her cheeks ablaze. “You arrogant prick.”

He pulled over then, parking perfectly in the midst of the busy street.

She frowned. “Are we there already?” She looked at her surroundings. They were in the middle of the financial district of Manhattan, and all she could see in every direction were office buildings.

He shook his head, and motioned for her to stay still. He got out of the car, went over to her side, and opened her door with a flourish.

“After you, my lady.”

She shook her head, laughing. Rhysand was already hearing wedding bells. He knew she had just broken up with Flower Boy, and he probably shouldn’t rush her, but when she smiled at him like that, he just couldn’t help himself.

He bowed and offered her his arm, and she put her hand in the crook of his elbow, laughing at his goofiness. He guided her through throngs of people, to his favorite restaurant in town. It was a hole-in-the-wall kind of affaire, and he had stumbled upon it one drunken night with his inner circle, only to find the best food he had ever tasted. They even had it on speed dial back at their flat.

“Velaris,” Feyre whispered in wonder.

They went inside, and everybody seemed to know Rhysand. He was greeted by every single one of the staff, and the chef came personally to take their order. Feyre was taken aback. She wasn’t used to seeing the outgoing, friendly side of Rhys. He was mostly known as the college bad boy, and he was generally cold and closed off. Tonight, however, the smile never left his face. It was genuine and open and so warm it made her fuzzy inside. She blinked and suddenly realized that Rhys and the chef were both staring at her expectantly.

“Uh,” she fumbled, flipping rapidly through the menu, the options a blur in her eyes. “Surprise me?” she finished weakly.

The chef smiled. “It would be my pleasure.”

Rhysand was tapping a steady beat into the table, trying to hide how nervous he was. Feyre was here, with him, in Velaris, his favorite place in the world. He couldn’t help but marvel at how she fit in just right. She was already a favorite among the staff, he guessed from the three water pitchers, one bottle of wine and numerous plates of appetizers already on the table, if only because they thought she was his date. If only.

“Nice place,” Feyre said, breaking his train of thought just as it took a self-deprecating turn. “Really cozy.”

“Wine?” He asked.

“Sure.”

He poured them each a healthy dose of the amber liquid. She took her glass and clinked it against his. “To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys.”

He smiled, even as his heart broke a little. “To the stars who listen, and the dreams that are answered.”

Their dinner came then, and he watched, utterly fascinated, as she first took a tentative bite of her food, then moaned with delight. Her blue eyes lit up and she looked so blissful that he just knew he would never forget that moment.

Feyre had never had such food before-warm and rich and savory and spicy. She was so enraptured by this life changing experience that she did not notice as Rhys polished off his own plate and went ahead to the counter to pay the tab.

He came back to find her lying contentedly in her seat, a hand on her belly and a sated smile on her face. He wished he was the one to put that smile on her face, having satisfied different cravings.

“Am I going to have to carry you out of here, Feyre darling?”

She blinked drowsily, and her smile turned sheepish.

“I might settle for being rolled out of here. I don’t think you could carry me when I just ate my body weight in the most delicious food I’ve ever had.”

“Is that a challenge?” He ran a predatory stare along her body, leaving tingles in its wake.

She smirked. “Is it?”

Then immediately regretted it as he carried her so fast she almost puked all over his chest.

“Easy!” she yelped, clutching his shoulders.

“You’re looking a little green, Feyre darling.”

“And whose fault is that?”

He chuckled and made his way toward the door.

“Wait. What about the tab?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Rhys.”

“Consider it a welcome dinner to our flat.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I thought I still had to pass through the screening process.”

He clucked his tongue. “Are you always so stubborn, Feyre darling, or is it the palpable sexual tension between us that’s making you testy?”

She rolled her eyes, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle. So she resolved to put money in his back pocket later when he wasn’t looking, and instead snuggled deeper into his chest.

On their way home, she finally let sleep claim her. By the time they got to the flat, she was so far gone that she didn’t feel Rhys as he carried her up to his room and tucked her snuggly into his bed, and she didn’t hear the “sweet dreams, Feyre darling” he whispered as he brushed a kiss against her forehead. And sweet were her citrus scented dreams of star-kissed oceans.

-> Next chapter

[quagmireisadora]

Hi, once i heard a odd/hilarious convo between a couple which went something like this: "Boy: I don't know how to love you anymore. Girl: But you know how to fuck me." Can you write an onho or your choice of ship for this?? Thank you. I'm srsly happy that you have started to write again. :)))

Warning: aromantic characterA/N: I’m sorry it took so long for me to post this. I hope you’re still around, and I hope you like what I could make of this prompt ^^

The dome was new, brightly lit and shining with what natural illumination they could arrange in this part of the universe. The plantation domes of Ganymede were a blinding star in the constellation of human ambition. So much so, that when their success reached the ears of those who held power in their hands, it became another thing to fight over. Ships from Earth and Mars had arrived in hordes to see for themselves if the new source of food was real and easy to dominate. Just as she looked on, Minjung could make out the shapes of a dozen or so UN officials just outside the dome. 

She had never seen so many people on this station before. Then again, she had never left this station before. All her life had been spent working in the farms and gardens of Ganymede. She had applied her expertise in botany to help multiply the number of domes from one to a dozen within an unexpectedly short span of time. Under her leadership, the colony had been willing to take risks growing a large number of plants they were sure would fail to grow in the harsh artificial environment - and then those plants had flowered, produced healthy fruit. These plantations were her life, and she protected them like a mother would her child. Of course, this meant she had made no time for a family and at the age of thirty-one, was left all alone in the bargain. She knew what the other Belters called her, even if they never said it to her face. She knew the hideous label she was given in these parts.

As if he’d read her thoughts, Lee Jinki walked up to her from wherever he’d been lurking. “So the peace wasn’t meant to last, after all.”

“It shouldn’t bother you,” she said without giving him the respect of eye contact. “You’ve always wanted to lick the Inners’ boots.” 

“Minjunggie, please…” the other entreated. 

Some kind of argument had ensued between the visitors from UN and the Martians. Maybe they couldn’t reach an agreement on who gets to go in first. She decided to pay them no more attention, there was a lot of work to do.

“I’m busy, Jinki,” she started to walk away.

“Listen, I really…” he tried to keep up with her as she weaved through the rows and shelves of plants. “Hey, listen to me–” the frustration in his voice only made her want to move farther and farther away. She passed a few colleagues from her team and waved to them, rushing towards the lifts. “Yah, Choi Minjung!” she heard Jinki yell after her.

When she’d punched in the floor number, and the doors of the lift car begun sliding shut, she saw the man standing a few feet away. Arms rising to the back of his head in frustration, he mouthed a curse before disappearing from her sight. It was only when she was alone in the lift that she allowed her body to slump tiredly to a side. 

Jinki had always been perfect. His wide smile, his careful words, his handsome face… he had come into her life quietly; working his way up the ladder of grain farmers, slowly gaining enough trust and support to be named the new representative of Dome G. Unlike his predecessors, he was sympathetic to the needs of the community, and he always liked scientific input into produce improvement. Minjung had been impressed by his self-possessed demeanor. She liked the way he thought, liked the way he functioned. And so when plans for a new dome were discussed, she’d invited him on-board to help.

He’d worked hard to earn her trust. Then he’d charmed his way into her bed. And she allowed him to do it because Jinki had made her feel like she’d never felt before. He had held her face with his gaze, held her hips with his rough fingers, held her heart in his chest. She’d allowed him into her life, because under the broad shoulders and the sculpted chest and the muscled arms, he was gentle. Behind the sharp amber eyes and the truthful tongue, he was saccharine. And Minjung wanted him.

But like any other relationship in her life, it hadn’t lasted.

Jinki wanted to move to Mars, to help with their terra-forming efforts. He wanted to be part of that absolute and focused regime, bent on surpassing Earth no matter what the cost. He wanted to be a cog in a larger wheel, one that turned forwards instead of “spinning in the same place”, as he considered the Jupiter stations to be. Minjung had listened to his dreams. She’d smiled at them and encouraged him to chase them. But she’d declined the offer to join him, despite his attempts at convincing her, despite his begging and pleading.

Because Minjung wanted none of that.

She made her rounds of the control rooms and checked the outputs to each sector. They liked to maintain Earth gravity in the dome environments because it helped grow the larger plants and trees better. It also helped with medical care. She checked the seedlings in a large tank, she poked through the germination pans, she asked after the air filtration systems. One of the head technicians greeted her and gave her a quick report on the new dome.

“Everything’s running perfectly,” he summarized. “Even better than G, which is saying something.” It was. The support systems in dome G had been altered for growing wheat and barley. After the first failed crop, Jinki had brought what seeds he could salvage of the disaster to the botanists’ labs on the top level. It had revealed the atmospheric problems they hadn’t accounted for. And that’s when they’d decided to seal the agricultural dome from the rest, increasing the temperature and reducing the humidity to mimic a more temperate climate. A long trip to the shipyards on Callisto, and a very expensive systems upgrade later, they were able to grow healthy crops to feed the entire population of Ganymede and then some.

“Thank you for your hard work,” she replied to technical staff with a smile. Her next destination was the clinic, where she had to meet with the doctors about–

“You’ve now avoided me for a full 2 months,” Jinki informed her when she exited the control room. He stood calmly leaning against the opposite wall, hallway lights making deep shadows on his face.

“You’ve now earned the right to be tasered,” Minjung threatened before she walked away once more.

“This is so childish,” he muttered after her, disdainfully. She stopped and turned around to give him a look, but she had nothing more to say to him. He slowly made his way to her. “I just want to talk. And you won’t even give me that?”

She squared herself to face him. “OK,” she folded her arms. “Talk.”

He looked at her, wordlessly pleading. “Not here,” he touched her elbow, and instead of jerking away from the action, she felt the urge to lean into it. “Not like this. Let me… let me visit you tonight,” his tone was sweet, dripping with affection, a little dizzying: the way it sounded when he spoke while still moving inside her. “Let me come see you. I’ll even bring a gift.”

“I finish my rounds at 1700,” was all she offered.

——

“Do you remember the day we met for the first time?” he asked her. She didn’t say anything so he went on. “You were standing next to the fountains in sector 4. Dome F–do you remember?” he nudged again from the distance.

They sat across the cabin from each other, several feet apart. “Hmm,” she acknowledged from her own perch on the window sill.

“You told me about your family. About how you only remembered the days you went to bed hungry, and there was always some kind of sickness around you,” Jinki reminded her. “I told you about my mother. How she would starve so I could eat. Do you remember what you said when you heard that?”

Minjung didn’t answer for a few minutes, looking out at the large solar reflectors in the horizon. “I said I never wanted a single person to ever feel hungry again,” she replied with residual determination from the memory of that day. “I said I would spend my life making sure of it.”

“And you have,” he assured her. An admiring smile played on his lips. He got up and walked to her, closing the distance between them and crouching by her knees. “You are, by far, the most brilliant person I have ever met in my life,” he said it less as a compliment and more as a fact.

She watched him; watched the sincerity play on the corners of his smile, pulling it into an even wider smile. Months ago she would’ve melted into that look. Months ago she would’ve leaned their foreheads together until all she could see of the world was the glint in Jinki’s eyes. 

“I asked you this before, I know,” he continued. “But imagine what you could do for a place like Mars. Imagine! They would… they would flourish!” he let out a small chuckle. “Imagine how much you could achieve if you had their technology and their willpower behind you.”

“So all you wanted, all of those times,” Minjung started. “When you came here, when you spent all that time with me, when you got in bed with me and stayed till you ‘really couldn’t stay’,” she made quotes in the air like she was mocking him “All those times. You were recruiting me to the MCRN. I mean, you’re doing it now--!” she spoke to his denial.

“No. No,” he pulled away, smile fading as if to say here we go again. “I already told you, no. That’s not what I was doing. I already said that–that I really felt happy with you.”

“And that’s it?” she demanded.

He sighed stood up to move away from her again. “What do you want me to say?” he frowned, holding out his hands like he was trying to prove they were empty. He had nothing. “You want me to say I love you? Because that would be a lie. I can’t say that. I don’t think I can love you. Or any–”

“But you know how to fuck me,” she challenged, her voice rising with her anger. “Don’t you? You knew how to play with me, isn’t it? All those times you took me out on your ship,” she grated. “All those times you wanted your shitty fantasies of fucking in zero G. All of those times, you were just laughing at me. Weren’t you?” she nodded in question.

“How can you even say that?!” he asked incredulously.

“What else can I call it?!” she shot up from her seat.

He breathed, evenly at first, then deep. “Is that all I was to you?” There was hurt in his expression. “Just someone to fuck? Did we mean nothing more than that to you?” His tone was no higher than a whisper, flooded with echoes of past disappointments. “Is that all you got from me?”

Minjung looked at him in disbelief. “You’re joking.”

“No,” he shook his head. “No, tell me. Tell me how worthless it was to spend time with me. Tell me how I gave you nothing,” he hissed. “Tell me how the idea of us going away from this... fucking dead-end of a place would’ve been more nothing!” he gestured wildly. “Say it! That’s what you felt all those months, isn’t it?”

“I wanted a family with you!” she shouted, then ran her fingers through her hair.  

Jinki was dumbstruck. “A... a what?” he faltered.

She walked in a circle of frustration around the room before jumping close to him, pointing a finger at his chest. “I wanted to spend my life with you!” she spat. “I wanted us to have children! How did…” she held a palm to her forehead. “How did you never realize that?”

He walked backwards, until his calves met with a ledge where he sat down heavily, all the while staring at her.

With the distance reestablished between them, Minjung slumped a little where she stood. “You were the best,” she admitted tiredly. “Being with you, every second of it, was the absolute fucking best,” she felt the despondence of the last two months hug her frame tightly. “And all you ever talked about was Mars this, Earth that... you--” a stray tear dropped from her chin. “Did you ever stop to think what I want?”

“No...” Jinki whispered like he’d been told everything in this universe was a lie.

The admission put sound to something she already knew, and in that, doubled the effect it had on her. Minjung shook from the effort of trying to lock her sobs inside her lungs. “No,” she gasped. “You didn’t.”

“You were never...” the other shook his head, looking confused. “Minjunggie, I can’t--”

“You can’t love me?” she asked. “Is that what you’re going to say? That you can’t love anyone? Jinki, do you think that mattered to me?” she revealed. “I loved you anyway. Did you really think I couldn’t?”

“But, I can’t--”

“It didn’t matter. It never...”

He slowly rose to his feet and took a tentative step forward.  

[modernbookfae]

Illyrian Bat

This is a Vampire AU Nessian story that has been in my folder for so LONG. I kept re-writing the first chapter over and over again so this is the end result. Nesta is a recently turned vampire trying to live under the radar of other vampire courts. One day in the market she feels a pull directing her to one shop in particular. And she gets more than she bargained for.

P.S. This is going to be a short story with only a few chapters with smut mixed in. Also if you are not at ease with blood and that type of thing this is a VAMPIRE story so this is your warning!

Part 1 Here     Part 2     Part 3 Here     Part 4 Here

Early morning light brightened the market square. Nesta winced at the sun’s rays before wandering to the food stalls and purchasing ingredients that were on her shopping list. She made it a point to move quickly among the throng of people that were walking the busy pathways. She couldn’t afford to linger too long or else they might discover her whereabouts.

It had been months since the defeat of Hybern and society was finally starting to return at peace. Humans and vampires were forming a more stable balance compared to what it had been in the past century. The proverbial ‘wall’ had been taken down as humans and vampires began to work alongside each other. It seemed that all was well, but Nesta’s life had been forever shattered since the day Hybern kidnapped her.     

Nesta clenched her fists. The war had brought much loss. The humanity of her and her two younger sisters was taken leaving them to become creatures that thrived in the night and with blood. Feyre had adjusted extremely well as did Elain eventually. Both were powerful in their own skills as Feyre controlled shadows and starlight while Elain was a healer and grower of vegetation.     

Nesta on the other hand was a destroyer. Lightning bent to her will and she was able to negate powers of other vampires’ glamor and mind reading.  

When the war was over Feyre, as High Lady of the Night Court, ruled beside her mate Rhysand. Elain followed her own mate back to the Spring Court where she and Lucien were living happily and adjusting to their new peaceful life. Nesta had watched her two sisters flourish in their new vampire forms. It was a struggle each day for Nesta to accept that her previous life had been stolen and she was left to pick up the shattered remains. Each shard cutting deeper wounds as she tried to piece it all back together.

The only thing that remained constant in her life was that her thoughts kept drifting back to the insufferable Army Commander. The Night Court had the best winged soldiers and followed the orders of a vampire whose main purpose in life seemed to be agitating Nesta.

Cassian’s cocky smirk was ingrained in Nesta’s mind. His deep resounding laugh and glowing hazel eyes akin to flickering embers followed her each day in memory.

But it had been months since she had last seen or heard from Cassian. In fact Nesta had fled with the rise of the dawn not long after the war ended. She couldn’t stand by in a place where she had no belonging. Her sisters moved on to better places with people who would love and protect them far better than what their human lives were. Nesta’s only main concern in life was protecting Elain and now that her younger sister had Lucien it appeared that Nesta’s role was no longer needed. The only thing that had kept Nesta in the Night Court was the promise that she would make Hybern suffer for taking away everything that Nesta had ever known.

The heat of the sun distracted Nesta from her thoughts as she stuck close to the shadows. Vampires were able to walk during the day, but it was an extremely exhausting task that left them in a vulnerable state if they remained in the sunlight. Few vampires had been known to easily withstand the burning sun and they remained in the Summer Court where light basked their territory along beaches.

Better make it home fast. No sense of staying out in the open if someone may recognize me.

Nesta walked quickly hoping that no vampire or human would recognize the eldest sister of the Night Court’s High Lady. Nesta was not inclined to be dragged into another court as a pawn or leverage. She refused to be taken advantage of and or seen as a weakling. For months now she had survived on her own in this dull city. She made sure to only drink animal blood so the blood pantry for vampires would not turn her in. Nesta was unsure if Feyre or Elain had sent out a silent search party to find her, but it was better to be safe then take chances at being discovered.

Luckily food stores had plenty of raw meat that she could use. Animal blood was described as poor in taste compared to human blood. Most of the time blood was donated to vampires in return for a Court’s protection and use of power. But some vampires still resorted to the old ways of stalking prey and killing the human afterward.

It was repulsive. Nesta had only once drunk human blood when it was offered in a goblet during dinner at Rhysand’s House of Wind with the Inner Circle. It was only a few days after her transformation leaving her in a weakened state. Nesta had been incredibly thirsty and naïve to believe that the sweet smell was anything other than wine. After one heady gulp she had admitted that it was one of the most delicious drinks she had ever tasted. 

Then Cassian had smirked and told her that she was drinking fresh type B blood from a lovely female donor he personally enjoyed drinking from as well. Nesta immediately spat out the second mouthful she was about to consume. It was a messy situation as blood went across the table and flecks of it splattered on Cassian’s hand. With ease he raised his hand to his mouth keeping eyes on Nesta while licking the blood.

“Didn’t your mother tell you not to waste your food?” Cassian quirked a brow.

Nesta shoved away from the table with enough force to send her chair careening to the floor. “How dare you give me that- that-!” Nesta tried to voice her disgust as she wiped her mouth smearing the blood across hand and cheek. At that moment she looked feral with hatred filled eyes that shone silver.

“Perhaps her mother didn’t teach her table manners either,” Mor eyed Nesta with caution wondering if the Archeron would go on a rampage.

“Don’t talk about my mother,” Nesta snarled with sharp canines. Azriel moved closer to Mor while Cassian rose with placating hands.

“I’ll get you a new cup-” Cassian motioned his hands to bring a server closer to the table.

“No,” Nesta stepped away from the table. “I refuse to drink that again.”

“Then you’ll become sick,” Cassian set his hazel eyes on her. “Vampires can’t live without blood.”

“I don’t want it,” Nesta reiterated refusing to back down.

“It’s not a matter of want sweetheart.” Cassian whisked a new goblet from a platter. You need it if you ever plan on being strong enough to defeat Hybern.”

“And I said no.” Nesta’s hands crackled with small energy. Lightning rushed in her veins wanting to be released from the prison that was her emotional walls.

It took time and perhaps Elain’s pleading was part of it, but Nesta finally agreed to drink animal blood after days going without any sustenance. She though for sure Cassian was going to make her forcibly drink it if push came to shove considering by the end of the fourth day she could barely stand. She had become paler with each passing hour and looked more like a skeleton than a healthy vampire.

Nesta could still recall Cassian’s frown each day she refused the drinks he offered. He forbid her to train and they fought constantly until she gave in and accepted the animal blood. It was foul, but Nesta felt better with each gulp. And Cassian had stood watching in the doorway making sure she drank each drop before she tossed the cup at him telling him to go lurk somewhere else like the bat he was. He laughed and unfurled his large wings. “Maybe when you’re strong enough I’ll take you for a ride around Velaris.”

“In my nightmares perhaps,” Nesta sneered and turned away from him. She failed to notice Cassian’s relieved expression when he saw color rush to her cheeks. A sign that she was regaining strength and perhaps a tad of embarrassment at his teasing words.

A barking dog jolted Nesta back to the present.

Her eyes paused momentarily on an area that sold live animals. Most were pets such as puppies or kittens, but a small handful of reptiles waited in cages as well.

Nesta had never stopped in this section before, but today she felt a pull toward the creatures. She made her way past a few puppies when the stall owner approached.

“Oh hello miss! Here to purchase a household companion?”

“I’m just looking,” Nesta immediately replied. No sense in making small talk with a person she would never see again.

“There is a lovely cat that I am sure will offer you warmth at the foot of your bed. Or perhaps a dog to greet you when you arrive home?”

Nesta ignored the man and followed the tug that brought her to a smaller iron cage with a tattered blanket covering it. Her heart pounded in anticipation with the mystery of what waited under the cloth. The tug she had felt earlier was pulling harder.

What is this feeling? Why do I have such a compelling urge to…what am I supposed to do?

Her hand slowly reached out to pull back the blanket. The sight revealed almost made Nesta drop the fabric in shock. A black furry body lay still as death. Lazily its head turned toward Nesta. Little pointed ears flicked forward and bright golden eyes looked at her.

No. It’s watching me as if it can see through me. As if this creature knows what I’m thinking past my mental walls.

Its eyes seemed to appear brighter with each passing moment it stared at Nesta. Membranous wings shifted to reveal that this was no normal mammal and Nesta took a frightened step back.

It can’t be. What are the odds that one of those things would be here?

“Ah! I see you have a penchant for rare creatures,” the vendor had followed Nesta to the cage. ���Illyrian bats are not known for leaving the northern mountains, but I received this boy a couple weeks ago.”

“Why is it here?” Nesta kept her steel gaze on the bat half expecting it burst out of the cage and carry her off to one of the Courts. Although only one Court could completely control an Illyrian bat, but Nesta doubted that Rhysand and the others would let one of their precious bats be caged like this. Surely it wasn’t a trained Night Court bat, but that still left the question of how it ended this far south of the mountains.

“Well I actually purchased him from a traveller who couldn’t care for him anymore,” the vendor explained. “I had hoped to train the beastie, but he doesn’t take to well to being handled and ordered around.”

“Illyrian bats are one of the most difficult mammals to train,” Nesta sighed. Cassian had mentioned this during their combat training in the mountains. “Sorry to tell you, but you wasted money on an animal that would never accept you as its master.”

“That was what I was afraid of,” the man huffed. “Well I have to get money out of the beast somehow. He growls at any person that gets close to him and he’s snapped those fangs at me a couple times.”

Nesta almost shivered at the thought of those sharp canines. Instead she shrugged. This wasn’t her problem and she sure as hell couldn’t spend money on a bat that obviously wasn’t to keen on going to a new home. Still she felt something flutter inside her that prevented her from leaving him.

“Oi! Look at that!” A booming male voice said and Nesta was pushed to the side by two men who approached the bat’s cage.

The bat hissed menacingly as it watched the men move Nesta away. Luckily Nesta had more balance than her previous human form so she was able to right herself before tumbling into a birdcage.

“I don’t believe it! That’s a bat from the Illyrian mountains!” The smaller of the two rude men said.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Nesta said. Instincts pushing her to divert the men away from the bat. She was also half tempted to throw them outside in anger. “He’s not one to be tamed by humans.”

“Actually we were hoping to buy it for another reason,” the taller man said. He was the one who shoved Nesta and he bent down to better inspect the bat. With a feral snarl the bat lurched at the rusty steel bars. The wings flapped uselessly in the cramped space it was trapped in.

“The body looks a bit bigger than normal. Must have a lot of muscle on it,” the large man’s smile curled and showed yellowing teeth.   

“The wings look a bit smaller in comparison to the body mass,” the other man noted. The bat bared its sharp canines and hissed appearing offended by the comment.

Nesta knew from her time in the Night Court that wings of vampires and their Illyrian bats were extremely important. The thin skin was sensitive to the touch, but the size was also a symbol of other portions of anatomy. Male vampires always got into a spat if someone called their wings small. Apparently bruised egos were a weakness for insufferable males.

“How much for the bat?” The larger man asked the vendor. 

“Well it is a unique-” The vendor began is selling pitch.

“But it can’t be trained by anyone except a vampire from the Night Court,” the smaller man said. “Which makes it practically worthless.”

Nesta bristled at the comment. How dare this pathetic man insult that creature? Who was he to determine someone’s worth? 

“We’ll give you $40.”

“Absurd!” The vendor cried out. “I paid $450 for it. That bat is worth more than your offensive offer.”

“We don’t plan to keep it for long. Just until we can fire it up and cook it.”

“What did you say,” Nesta approached the men. Surely she heard them wrong. “You plan to eat him?” Sure she had consumed her fair share of meat, but eating an Illyrian bat was unheard of. And perhaps she felt more emotionally connected with the animal considering it came from the northern mountains where she learned to defend herself.

The taller man cocked his head as if he finally noticed Nesta standing nearby. “Of course we plan on eating it. I doubt anyone has tasted Illyrian bat meat before and I wouldn’t mind trying it. Meat is meat.”

“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Nesta scoffed. Sure she ate meat herself, but the idea of eating the bat had an unsettling weight in her stomach.

“Why don’t you mind your business little girl,” the smaller man said. “It’s not like you were planning to buy it. What would a little lamb like you do with an untamable bat?”

Nesta wouldn’t allow these men to take the bat. She would be damned if they walked out of here with that creature in their clutches.

“Actually,” Nesta said sweetly. “I’m in the market for an Illyrian bat so it’s my lucky day that this vendor happened to have one.” She didn’t know what she was going to do with the bat, but so long as it didn’t leave with these brutes then she would figure out the details later.

“Then how much are you willing to pay lamb?” The taller one stood to his full height and looked Nesta up and down as if she was something to be purchased. His leer didn’t deter the scathing glare she gave him in return. “I doubt you have much money on you.”

That was true. Nesta hadn’t thought she would be in this situation before she left her apartment and only had $100 after her previous purchases today. She would have to bluff her way through this and make a deal that would ensure the safety of the bat.

“I have enough,” Nesta said easily. “I’ll pay 80.”

“90.” The tall man said. His eyes set on her hers in a stare off that crackled with tension. Nesta made sure to reign in her magic of lightning. She couldn’t afford to let her power slip in the busy market lest she be discovered by any vampires lurking around.

“100,” Nesta kept straight faced hoping the men wouldn’t raise the stakes.

“130.” The tall man said and grinned when Nesta’s jaw ticked in frustration. “Of course if you can’t afford it with money I’m sure we can come to a compromise.” The man stepped closer to her and Nesta almost gagged at the horrid scent that wafted from his body.

“Compromise? I doubt I would be interested in anything you would offer.” Nesta said.

“Oh no. It would be what you offered lamb.” The man leered at her body making his intention clear. “I’m sure you could give me something in return for that scraggly flying rat in the cage. I think I would love to have a taste of you over the bat.”

A growl erupted viciously from inside the cage. Glowing eyes shot daggers of hatred toward the man that faced off against Nesta.

The man reached his hand to touch Nesta’s golden brown hair that was tied in a braid. She swiftly slapped his hand away. “If you touch me I assure you that the only thing you’ll be tasting is your balls when I rip them off and shove them down your throat.”

“A feisty little lamb,” the man and his friend laughed. “What’s it going to be then? Do you want the bat that badly to give me a taste of you instead?”

Nesta’s fists shook with restraint. She could kill these two men, but where would that leave her then? She would be on the run yet again. But she couldn’t leave the bat to its horrible fate either.

With a start Nesta realized the solution to her predicament rested on her wrist. Her mother’s bracelet was the only she item had left from her time as a human. She wore it the day Hybern’s forces kidnapped her and she had barely taken it off since. The bracelet had to be worth $500 with the precious gem inlaid into the shining metal. 

“I’ll give you this,” Nesta removed her bracelet. “It’s worth $500 with the ruby stone.”

The vendor approached Nesta and examined the jewelry for authenticity. “I imagine it is worth $700 now since rubies cost more since the Summer Court vampires have raised the taxes on their gems.”

“Then you will accept my bracelet as payment for the bat?” 

“Of course!” The vendor said. “That is if these men don’t have a counter offer.”

The tall man’s face turned beat red with anger. “That filthy animal isn’t worth our money,” he spat and shoved past the vendor who gripped the bracelet tightly. The smaller man followed his friend leaving the space quiet save for the animal noises that filled the atmosphere.

“I suppose that settles it,” Nesta said giving her bracelet one last parting glance before turning to the bat. The creature stood still as she neared the cage.

“Would you like some food for it?” The vendor asked. “I can give you my last two bags that I’ve been feeding it from.”

“Sure,” Nesta dismissed the man and bent down so she was on eye-level with the bat. Golden eyes looked up at her innocently and Nesta almost considered it cute. Almost.