#I was originally going to do just three but I had to do em all
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i <3 creepy hallway
creepy hallway number one <3
alright time for more home life stuff . the bedroom scene came up as a way of trying to reintegrate the gold statue from earlier, since i just really love trying to find old elements and tie them in as plot relevant as time goes on . not usually planned, but it comes through during the editing stage, which is a fun game of deciding what scenes to keep, and which to get rid of . i wasn't so certain about this one, but i loved the idea of baby ford interacting with mabel, who's slightly older... i need to draw art of it, honestly . they're cute
it's really gratifying seeing people pick up on what i've been setting up as part of ford and the statue, the fact i was able to effectively communicate something going on means the world to me . the rest of the story is gonna dig into it more so i won't lay it all out here, but it really is so much fun . makes the whole writing process feel so communicative when people share thoughts and interpretations . especially when the scenes are meant to be read into !
we also get the closet yay . sure that's not gonna be important at all
writing the kids big blow up fight was a trip and a half . the original vision was a pretty shallow "we're stressed out and out grunkles should stop being mean to each other :(", just as a way to try and push forward the dynamics between ford and stan . that still exists, it's just a lot more focus being put onto the kids themselves . they're tertiary characters for sure, but i like thinking about their home life, and how that impacts them
one of the challenges is trying to have the fight feel fairly balanced between the two of them . shoutouts to my brother and wife for the full ass socratic seminar we had about threading that needle . how do you get a conversation where a young trans boy is trying to discuss his fears about his life and his body, and keeps getting shut down ? how do you balance that with a little girl who feels like it's her job to be the sweet, happy, emotionally intellegent adult in the room ? i'm happy with the end result but boy was it stressful
bill also wasn't gonna be here but i wanted more bill so . he got to come back . i really liked tying in nick with the spit to the little chats their having in the paradox dimension . love the lil hand pinch that was just a treat for meeeee, i get to be indulgent in my fics as much as i want . i also like the fact that ford is under some indescribable pain that entire time . they got a dynamic in this story that makes me laugh .
you know whats funny is i didn't even realize ship of theseus was a paradox writing a lot of the stuff about paradoxes . for some reason i just stumbled into that one . very funny . or, no wait -- i totally knew the entire time my brain is the size of three (3) whole apples
oh man and the entire lab scene i just loved writing . i love including bathroom breaks . i love dipper's poor hygiene . i love the fact the kids traded gold for soda, they're such perfect lil con men in training . and again the whole talk about star trek was so indulgent and fun
the brothers grew up queer in the 60's/70's and that's a major part of their arc . i hope to get across the ways they both hurt each other both as kids and adults . they still got so much to work on, and i just don't know if they've got the time
anyways creepy hallway bill time
favorite part:
âClark.â Ford stiffens, stops. Looks up. âWhat?â âThat, uh, captain guy. The one with the, he had the big, you knowââ Stan gestures over his chest, puffing his pecs out a bit more. âAlways had em out, shirt cut off or whatever. Got all hot and sweaty. Great hair.â â...Kirk?â Ford turns in his seat, slightly, to get a better look at his brother. Stan clicks his tongue, points his index finger in recollection. â Kirk .â He repeats, and the image of the guy blooms in Stanâs head. Ford had a magazine with him on the cover, about as disheveled and beat up as a guy could look, shirt torn open. That particular mag went âmissingâ into Stanâs stash, and he laughs at that old memory getting drudged up. âI, uh. Was a fan , back then.â
i just love how neither one of them can say what they're talking about out loud lol
Stan and Ford have a conversation, Mabel and Dipper get a bit absurd, and something gold is given meaning.
If you don't look, you won't see it fading.
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âLadies, Iâm begging you, rethink your life choices,â the game - OC CHARACTER ASSIGNMENTS!
Thank you to @adelaidedrubman for tagging me to take this test for some OCs and share five Choices⢠from the top 20! This was one of the most interesting things Iâve done writing-wise in a while.
Tagging: @henbased (do Brit you coward) @strafethesesinners @deputy-morgan-malone @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @florbelles @poetikat
Nora Kingston (Far Cry 5)
1. Inspector Kido, The Man in the High Castle
2. Ash, Alien
3. Mr. Saito, Inception
4. Ava, Ex Machina
5. Theresa Cullen, Westworld
Faith Escajeda (Far Cry 5)
1. Snow White, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
2. Ted Lasso, Ted Lasso
3. Charles Bingley, Pride and Prejudice
4. Phil Dunphy, Modern Family
5. Maid Marian, Robin Hood
Margaret Vaughn (Far Cry 5)
1. Will Hunting, Good Will Hunting
2. Cypher, The Matrix
3. Nick Dunne, Gone Girl
4. Rachel Garrison, Ozark
5. Ryan Howard, The Office
Kiswar Abdel Murad (Metal Gear Rising)
1. Russel âStringerâ Bell, The Wire
2. Dr. Wendy Carr, Mindhunter
3. Blondie, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
4. Melinda Warner, Law & Order: SVU
5. Cedric Daniels, The Wire
Yuko Nishikiyama (Yakuza)
1. Norman Bates, Psycho
2. Will Graham, Hannibal
3. Beast, Beauty and the Beast
4. Rust Cohle, True Detective
5. Leland Palmer, Twin Peaks
#this whole process was so cool from an authorial perspective#like how Margaret was associated almost exclusively with male characters and Faith with characters from kids media#and NORA god what a fucking line up#characters who are like. hyper structured and machinist? almost like a religion?#Kiswarâs being hyper-western cop shows and cop-like shows#Yukoâs being mostly psychological thrillers or characters who fit that niche#man I loved it#for real: you should do this one#I was originally going to do just three but I had to do em all#deputy nora kingston#faith escajeda#margaret vaughn#yuko nishikiyama#kiswar murad
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My favourite thing ever right now is making characters look stressed as HELL. Your honour I need to explore what different kinds of people look like at their most vulnerable!! Favourite examples are thus:
Charley is HEARTBROKEN
Inkling is FIGHTING
Red Crab is BETRAYED
P.I is TERRIFIED
Itâs so good. full images under the cut but slight blood/injury warning for Inkling (stabbed đ)
The characters themselves Iâm really proud of how theyâre showing their emotions (ESPECIALLY Inklingâs expression vs Red Crabâs body language)
I also wanna point out that theyâre all in scenarios practically designed FOR them. Doomed by the Narrative, these freaks are
#octonauts au character majority you know what that means#YES CHARLEY COUNTS HEâS LIVED THERE LONG ENOUGH#octonauts#hershelâs octonauts au#itzabell.u#professor inkling#blood#listen i havent posted this stuff on tumblr specifically in a while iâll update tags as necessary when i find em on previous posts#also i just wanna point out that while inkling and p.i were both in easily avoidable situations#p.iâs was arguably MORE avoidable because That Is Straight Up God#she saw ALL the warning signs that things were gonna backfire. jumped right into universe creation anyways#i love her for that sheâs an undeniably hilarious yet extremely tragic character#meanwhile inkling. all you had to do was like three things#ONE: COMPENSATE THE BETA CREWâS FAMILIES FOR THE LOSSES OF THEIR LOVED ONES#TWO: tell the current octonauts what happened BEFORE you ship off with them maybe????#THREE: for fucks sake comfort shellington about his uncle being an assassin maybe idk just be CLOSE to the poor guy#fun fact by the way. these were originally going to be ace attorney au objection poses#like. p.iâs design here IS her ace attorney design#then i drew got to her expression and then i drew charley and it was over#anyways focushkfkd snd POST IT
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I would like a fanfiction that combines the original premise of Oz with Dorothy being a young child (8-12 since it's her book ages and her movie age) and instead of 1900 it's like in the original book it's 1939 and Wicked. Dorothy is worried for aunty Em and Uncle Henri because not only is it the Great Depression and part of the farmhouse is here with her but she's worried because they're have been talks of a potential war (the movie came out in August 25th and the war started in September 1st) but she's worried that her Uncle Henri might be drafted and her aunt might go with them cause what if they think she's dead)
While walking down the Yellow Brick Road Scarecrow asks why Dorothy keeps saying they need to ration they're things? Asks why she's so worried about food? Why is she so insistent on not buying a new dress? You've already re sewn and cleaned those same clothes for the past month. Boq is made of metal and has no clothes, the lion is a lion and therefore does not need clothes, and I'm a scarecrow I can't take my clothes off.
Down the road he begins to realise that this child isn't as okay and innocent as she seems with all of her skipping and dancing with the way she looks out the corner of her eye behind her pigtails or re checks her basket Incase they dropped anything.
Imagine because of all the interruptions, being attacked, the road itself, and then the wizard being a fraud she takes longer to get home. Perhaps instead of two-three months in Oz she's there for two-three years. The shoes don't work and Dorothy believes she's just killed two women even though it wasn't her fault at the time(Elphaba is alive but she's still in hiding with Fiyero) and got kidnapped and locked in a basement and almost burnt alive. She thinks that now she's never going to make it home. But you have fresh food and clothes here do you really want to go back. She can't help but think to herself before snapping out of it reminding herself of Aunty Em and Uncle Henri.
Or if Dorothy does make it home her Aunt and Uncle somehow end up sending her back because not only has World War ii begun but now that America is a part of it and Kansas was essentially a training ground for USAAF bombers and fliers so when she's back in Oz she looks for Fiyero or Galinda and Explains what happened.
Fiyero didn't know a potential war was on the horizon in Dorothy's home world. If he had known would he have sent her back or would he have kept her in Oz even if it was against her will. He takes her to Elphaba and explains what happened and they managed to reach out to Glinda and help give her a proper education, she gets taller thanks to a proper diet, she's at least somewhat healthy thanks to available medicine and hygiene products in Oz. She's lived longer than she thought she would have in Kansas and a lot longer than she thought she would have here in Oz. A LOT longer.
Also potential Dorzma and realising that Oscar Diggs is a name of a guy that went missing a few decades ago that her parents and guardians talked about with their families because this guy with a hot air balloon disappeared in a storm and no trace of him can be found. Obvious propaganda against a coloured women and a selective group of people because I believe Aunty Em not Uncle Henri would've raised her that way. She still wants to meet the wizard in hopes of going home but she's still suspicious because of how she was raised in this au.
#Wicked#the wizard of oz#dorothy gale#galinda upland#wicked galinda#wicked glinda#glinda the good witch#glinda upland#elphaba thropp#wicked elphaba#wicked witch of the west#nessarose thropp#wicked nessarose#wicked witch of the east#fiyero tigelaar#scarecrow#Wicked Fiyero#gelphie#fiyeraba#boq woodsman#tin man#tin woodsman#the great depression#world war ii#world war 2#princess ozma#dorzma#au#fanfic
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tokyo revengers boys when their horny but their s/o is too busy to deal with their shit? (u can add bonten-)
aye aye, anon! 𫡠needy men are my favorite flavor 𤤠thank you so much for your patience, and requesting âĄâĄâĄ
pairing:Â tr x gn!reader
warnings: mature language, MDI. cursing, vague descriptions of sex, teasing, mild nipple-play, empty threats, crack!fic coded behavior, a tiny pinch of barely-there angst in mikeyâs with a hint of misogyny, and i think thatâs it :D feel free to lemme know if i missed anything!
notes: something about this request screamed sano to me, and maybe even throw sanzu in the mix for a little treat ( Ë ÂłË). also may have strayed a little from the original plot of the request, but the premise is fairly the same >:)) hope you enjoy !!
tagged: @fantasycantasy , @illegalspacecow
âGet outta there.â
Though your tone sounded stern, your demeanor remained placid as you continued typing on your laptop, making no move to actually stop the hands from creeping inside your sweater. You were well aware of their destination, and it was anything but harmless. SHINICHIRO was latched onto you the moment he arrived at your place, excited to spend his day off alone with you, and away from the prying eyes of his siblings for once. Rarely did the two of you get alone time due to your conflicting schedules, savoring the moments you did get without outward distractions in the way.
Things were going great for the most partâŚuntil your boss decided to dump busywork into your email, last minute.
ââŚtell âem to go fuck himself, so you can focus on fucking me,â Shinichiro grumbled into your shoulder, calloused hands feeling up your chest with slow, deliberate touches. You chortled, masking the small moan that nearly slipped out when he gently grazed your nipples.
âGood idea, Shin. But wait, oh shoot, fucking you wonât exactly pay my bills, now will it? So, knock it off.â
âWho says it wonât? Iâll pay your bills for the next month, hell, the next six months, if it means youâll let me just stick it in, baby, please..â
You hissed through your teeth at the small pinch he gave your sensitive nubs, dick damn-near throbbing against your lower back as he rutted against you. Shouldâve known sitting on his lap while you worked would backfire, poor thingâs so wound up, you felt a little bad. Itâd been nearly three weeks since you and Shinichiro had even a second to breathe the same air, let alone touch each other.
You werenât immune, craving a taste of him just as much, thereâs nothing you wanted more than to succumb to his persuasion. But, having been on bad terms with your tyrant boss one too many times, you couldnât afford to procrastinate.
âShini,â you spoke, breathless as he suckled on your neck, growing more bold with his touch, âa-as much as Iâd love for you to do that for me⌠you donât exactly have the funds to make such an offer.â
He huffed, nipping playfully at your pulse. âIâll get another job. Good? Good, problem solved, can you take your clothes off now?â
âTemptingâŚbut no. Appreciate the sentiment, though.â
Shinichiro whined in the crook of your neck. His hands slowed to a stop inside your sweater, slipping down to rest on your tummy instead. It sent a tiny shiver up your spine, but was ignored all the same as you attempted to resume typing, seeming to have put a damper on his resolve. Or, so you thought.
Not even a minute passed when you felt his fingers searching for something else to play with. Something that has been calling his name since he waltzed through your front door. âShinâŚâ
Your warning fell upon deaf ears. Shinichiro merely shrugged, feigning innocence while his hands breached the waistband of your sleep-shorts, stopping right at your pelvic bone. Leaning back in the chair, the ravenette spread his legs further apart, forcing yours to do the same, giving him even more access to your already accessible center. Despite his lanky stature, homie had gripâTry and close your legs all you want, youâll pull a muscle before pulling out of it. Your heart was borderline going Macarena, focus jumbled up to the point there were more typos than words in the report you tried completing.
You huffed, though your tone sounded less stern compared to the first time. âShinichiro. If you donât let me finish my workâŚIâll ban your dick from ever entering me or this house for a whole month.â
On any other given day, that empty threat wouldâve done the trick, hands flying off you so fast youâd think he got electrocuted. But, this wasnât any other given day. This was already a two-week long hiatus of his most favorite place to be, in between your legs, and the only thing keeping him from it was your lack of underwear beneath thin-cotten shorts. Threaten him if you must, but it wonât work.
You werenât fooling anyone.
Playing hard to get could take you so far, but he knew you were mere moments from crumbling to your desires you tried so hard to suppress, no shot youâd last another day, let alone a month. He was determined, and you were being stubbornâAn immovable object verses an unstoppable force. Eventually, someone had to give. And it wasnât about to be you.
It went on like that for another few minutes, him feeling you up and you batting him away. It only worsened the second he went further in your shorts, teasing your sex until you soaked through the fabric. You could feel his smug grin against your shoulder, no doubt thinking he was winning this battle. However, Shinichiro wasnât aware of your trump card, your Charizard, if you will.
Itâs a dirty trick. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
By slamming your fists atop of the table, startling him right out of your shorts, you turned to look him dead in the face, and said, âDonât make me call Mikey.â
The mechanic widely blinked. But, his shock was short lived as he fixed you a sarcastic look, bringing his slick-coated fingers up to the light and right into his mouth to be even more obnoxious. After pulling them out with a wet pop!, Shinichiro called your bluff.
âYou wouldnât.â
âAnd would. Emmaâs probably dying to catch up with me anyway, since I havenât been around as much lately. And we both know Mikey would come just to spite you.â
As you continued to hold his stare, not backing down or giving any indication that you were joking, the sardonicism began to melt off his demeanor, and soon realization took its place. Shortly after that, betrayal. How could you be so cruel? He was already competing with an inanimate object, heâll be damned if his siblings get added to the list. Taking a moment to weight his options, or lack there of, his face soon resembled a kicked puppy with his bottom lip stuck out and everything; you couldâve sworn his eyes started to water. âtâs not fairâŚbeen waiting all damn dayâŚâ
âI know, baby. But I need you to hang on for just a little longer fâme, okay? And once Iâm done, then Iâm all yours.â You cooed, placing a small peck on his nose as an olive branch. It seemed to do the trick, his frown softening as he pointed at his lips, puckering them. You snorted, but happily obliged, even placing a few more across his face until you got a smile. Shinichiro soaked up whatever he could as he leaned into you for more.
When it seemed he was satisfied, you turned back to continue workingâŚonly for the ravenette to try his luck one more time. âCan I get one here, too?â
You peered at him from over your shoulderâGive you one guess where he was pointing, wearing that all too pleased grin from before. You deadpanned.
ââŚIâm calling Mikey.â
âNoOOââ
â
âThatâs considered sexual harassment, Mr. Sano.â
If he could time travel, MIKEY would beat the breaks off his past-self for ever encouraging you to fill the role of secretary at his work. At first, it seemed like a fantastic ideaâStanding at his side, his pretty little assistant, wearing a tight uniform that left nothing to the imagination. Heâd bend you over his desk and fuck you anytime he pleased, youâd call him Sir, and walk around the office filled to the brim with his cum until time to go home, then heâd fill you up all over againâThe perfect work-life balance.
However, the gangster didnât account for one teensy thingâYou, actually taking the job seriously, and setting professional boundaries the moment you were hired on the staff. No matter if youâd be practically all over him in the car moments prior to clocking in, the second your kitten heels touched the marbled floors of the lobbyâŚhe wasnât your lover anymore. He was your boss.
And he hated it.
âSexual harassâYouâre my s/o, [______].â
âNot within these walls, Iâm not.â You continued reading one of the files left on your desk to review for tomorrowâs meeting, only for it soon to vanish right before your eyes. After a long blink, you held out an expectant hand to the stubborn blonde. âMay I have that back, please?â
âNo.â
âMr. Sano-â
âIf you address me formally one more time, Iâll take you right here in the middle of this hallway. Try me.â He hissed, holding the file out of reach.
You pursed your lips, fighting a grin. Seeing him get so worked up over not being able to get his dick wet was entertaining to say the least, but you were well aware he wasnât kidding. Clearing your throat, you attempted to tread lightly as your expression morphed back to neutral.
âAlright. Mikey,â his eye twitched, but you continued, âwould you be so kind as to let me finish reading the material for your meeting tomorrow? I would hate for anything to be amiss because I didnât do a thorough review.â
âTch. Whereâs Kakucho? I distinctly remember assigning this task for him. Not you.â
You raised a brow. âYou sent him on an impromptu errand to fill up the time he was spending âidling at my deskâ. You remember that?â
Mikey averted his gaze. ââŚDonât recall.â
ââcourse you donât,â you exhaled. âMikey, with all due respect-â
âNot that name either.â He commanded, slapping the file back on the desk before placing his hands upon it to lean forward, towering over you. You couldnât fight the grin this time, tilting your head up at him, amusement in your gaze.
âThatâs your name, is it not?â
Mikey glared. âYou know that isnât the one Iâd prefer you to use.â
With a shrug, you easily replied, âItâs what most of your employees call you. And last time I checked, that included me-â Mikey was quick to grab your chin, forcing you to look deep into his dark, deranged eyes. Manâs was definitely toeing line of his limit, and you were pushing it.
âAnd last time I checked, you arenât like most employees. Youâre my partner whoâs working on my last nerve, and should really consider dropping this whole âprofessionalismâ act before I remind them why they were hired in the first place. And no, it wasnât for your work ethic and attention to detail, or whatever bullshit Koko told you in the interview.â
Ouch.
Not to say you didnât figure there were ulterior motives behind getting approved for the job, especially under the circumstances that you were heavily under-qualified to work in their type of environment. But, you tried your damnedest to keep up, do your part, and not be a burden on the team. For him to call it nonsense and boldly confirm such suspicions outloud? You think he realized his mistake the second your face reverted back to its neutral state. Wiggling out of his grip, you leaned back in the chair with your arms tightly crossed to your chest.
âThat so? Well then, Michael, how âbout I remind you why a man shouldnât mix his business with his pleasure. Things could turn ugly for him, maybe even end up losing both a loyal employee and a lover all in one day. Wouldnât you agree?â
Out of all the names, that one made him cringe the most. A clear indicator of his grandiose fuck-up, one that if he didnât fix immediately, heâd soon suffer the consequences. And your wrath.
âWait, I didnât mean it like that. It came out wrong-â
âOh, Iâm sure it didnât. Youâre a man who speaks his mind, after all.â
Mikey, though subtly, panicked. This wasnât at all how he expected the conversation to go. But, itâs not his fault! It was his dick doing all the driving. With you working for Bonten, his long hours became yours, and by the time you both got home, sex became scarce due to your exhaustion. He was immune to the taxation of the job, while it was kicking your ass. And to top it off, he couldnât even cop a feel of his own s/o, in his own damn building, because of âpower imbalancesâ between a boss and secretary that was âsocially unacceptableâ, according to youâŚas you work for the biggest crime syndicate in all of Japan.
Flawed reasoning aside, it drove him insane.
But, no thanks to his lust-clouded brashness, if Mikey thought getting some action at work was difficult, his chances at home just got a whole lot worse. Heâd be lucky if you even slept in the same bed tonight.
â[_____],â he sighed, reaching over to grab your hand, though you moved it away at the last second. âYou do a fantastic job here, angel. Exceeded all my expectations, actually-â
âWell, based on the merits of why you hired me in the first place, that doesnât sound like much.â At that point, you went back to reviewing the file he threw back on the desk, seeming disinterested. But, Mikey knew better.
Heâd hurt your feelings. To be reduced to nothing but eye candy for him, when you were busting your ass off like everyone else, it stung. It was playful at first, but now the blonde had crossed a line. With determination, Mikey removed the file from your sight once more, rounding the desk before crouching down so he could level with you this time.
You allowed him to take your hands in his, still indifferent. Mikey spoke with a tenderness only reserved for you, one that never failed to melt any cold front you built to wane his efforts.
âI was being childish. I shouldnât have diminished your role like that, and I apologize for making you feel like your work isnât appreciated. Iâm glad to have you as my loyal employee. Even if a visit in my office from my lover from time to time wouldnât be too bad, eitherâŚâ
His words trailed off, along with his gaze as he reminisced. You chortled, shaking your head. Mikey looked back at you, ghost of a grin on his face. âIâll back off. Promise.â
You raised a brow, skeptical. âYou mean it?â
âMmhm. Under one condition.â
You groaned, âMikey-â
âManjiro.â
âOh, is that the condition?â He lightly pinched you for the snark, resting his head on your lap. But, before you could reprimand him for his inappropriate position, your words catch in your throat.
His stare was intense as they gazed up at you with hidden hunger, the tenderness still swimming in the inky pools, but not as present compared to moments ago. Mikey licked his lips, nuzzling against your plush thigh.
âWork less hours. Donât want you to run yourself ragged trynna keep up with the rest of us. Weâve been doing this line of work a lot longer than you have, baby. No need to overcompensate. Iâm already proud of you.â
Steadily did those words make your heart melt, until your were practically mush once theyâve set in. To hear his pride in you almost made you kick your feet, for that was all you really wanted at the end of the dayâAcknowledgment. Validation. Praise. And working less hours would definitely benefit in more ways than one, more so on your mental health. You wonât lie and say this new job hasnât been a challenge, all the talk about blood, death and drugs, one could only handle so much.
âThank you..Manjiro.â He lit up at the sound of his name spilling sweetly from your lips. âI greatly appreciate you saying that. But, whatâs the catch?â
He hummed, hands releasing yours to caress your calves all the way back up to your hips. Mikey didnât pull nor tug, more so just holding you in place as he continued to watch you like a hawk. Eventually he shook his head, tresses fluttering with him as they curtained the sides of his face.
âNo catch. Work your hours, Iâll leave you beâŚBut once those hours are up, you better be sitting pretty on my desk with your reports in one hand and your underwear in the other, waiting for me to choose between my business and my pleasure. Deal?â
â
âPout all you want, Iâm not sitting on your face.â
When you informed your darling SANZU that your Saturdays were strictly for housework, he honestly thought you were jokingâWhat idiot in their twenties would spend the weekend doing that?
Evidently his idiot, thatâs who.
Imagine his surprise when he showed up, unannounced, ready to have you on every piece of furniture, only to be threatened with a feather duster the second he went to grab your ass. âPaws off. I already changed the sheets on my bed, cleaned the bathroom, the kitchen, and mopped the floors, so unless youâre here to help dust or wipe windows, keep it in your pants, Haruchiyo.â
Needless to say, he wasnât the happiest houseguest.
After the long work week heâs had, Sanzu was looking forward to locking the two of you in the back all weekend, going at it like rabbits with no other purpose but keep the neighbors upâPretty much until the room stank. But, thanks to this cleaning ritual of yours, that wasnât about to happen anytime soon. Especially not with the various scented candles you were burning to hide the potent smell of bleach and pine-sol. God, he was getting such a headache from overstimulationâŚand not the good kind.
âThis is such bullshit,â he groaned into the couch, where you banished him after he tried to bend you over the washing machine while you were loading another basket of dirty clothes. âWhyâd you even invite me over if we werenât gonna do anythingâŚâ
You paused from folding, side-eyeing him. âI didnât invite you.â
âYou said you were staying in all day. Thatâs practically code for: Iâm bored, come dick me down.â
Your laugh had snuck up on you, racking through your entire body to the point you had curled forward. The leap he took to draw such a conclusion nearly gave you whiplash as you attempted to regain composure. âMaybe for freaky-fucks like you, but the rest of us usually mean it as something mundane. Like, oh I dunno, doing chores.â
âOn a Saturday?? What âre ya, 80??â
You shrugged, placing another item onto its respective pile. âYou donât have to stay, yâknow. If you have something better to do, then by all means, donât let me keep you.â
Sanzu abruptly sat up from his position, the clothes you had laid on his back flopping onto the floor, instantly losing their folded shape. You shot him an annoyed glance, but figured some of the blame was yours for using his skittish-ass for a table. The pinkette wore a pitiful look, wide cerulean eyes piercing right through you as he gave a defiant punch to the couch cushion, âWas âposed to be doing you! And you are keeping me from doing that!â
With a huff, you set aside the pile you were currently working through to gather up the clothes that he so rudely let fall to the floor. âUnfortunate. Now lay back down, and be a good table. Since you wanted to be chair so fucking badly.â
âPiss off.â
He absolutely laid back down.
Š 2023-2024 anisespice ă all rights reserved. likes, comments & reblogs much appreciated!
#đallspice#đwasabi#burnout go BRRTâźď¸đŤ #tokyorev#tokyo rev#tokyo revengers#tokyo rev x reader#tr x reader#tokyo rev headcanons#tokyo rev imagine#tr smut#tokyorev smut#tokyo revengers smut#bonten#bonten smut#bonten x reader
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I've been thinking, about how you would make sea creature kazumaji... do you already have headcannons for that or is it something more new?
a lil mix of both đ¤ I originally drew eeljima for MerMay and was gonna leave it at that but I got really attached to the idea of kiryu and his dumb fish boyfriend so I rolled with it kdlsjfddsf. I got a few ideas tho đ
majima's an eel - nothing specific but I leaned to electric since the rpg games give him electricity as an element. also, knifefish (what a coincidentally convenient name đ) have spots that remind me of his snake's spots so that fit well with his overall theme plus they're related to eels so even better >:D saejima's also a fishdude, a grouper specifically because they're huge and chonky but also gentle uwu
kiryu's a silly lil fisherman guy, one of them commercial types that goes out on a boat to get big hauls. nishiki's there too being the saddest wettest little beast. other characters make up part of the crew in similar ways the canon families are set up. so like kazama and kashiwagi for example are captains of the crew
I have thought about if they were fish too if I wanted to do a branching AU of this and kiryu could maybe be a thresher shark - because they got that big slappy tail but also their huge beautiful eyesâ˘. OR a betta fish because I think the colors would really compliment his heat colors. nishiki can be a koi because of course
kiryu and nishiki live in a lil shack on the shore. nishiki hates it but kiryu likes the simplicity and being close to work. nishiki would move closer to the city but frankly all the haircare product he buys is so obscene that he can't afford a place on his own â
majima and saejima (+ yasuko) live in some nearby kelp forests/coral reefs. merfolk tend to stay away from humans and live further out in the ocean, deeper underwater but these three take advantage of all commercial fishing going on to get some easy food. but being so close to fishing trawlers, this leads to majima getting caught in a discarded net, being trapped and beached where kiryu finds him đ
merfolk can breath air and go on land but it is as awkward as you can imagine. when majima hangs out with kiryu, kiryu drags him up the beach to enough dry land where the tide isn't a problem. merfolk do have to be moisturized often so majima's either doused with a bucket of water or gets a big ass lathering of lotion. whether or not that'd actually be realistic doesn't matter to me I just think it'd be funny for nishiki to be very suspect of the comical amount of lotion kiryu suddenly starts buying
majima's fav thing to do with kiryu is have him fry up some fish since he's never had cooked food before and thinks it's the bee's knees. kiryu will often go into town to buy all sorts of things for majima to try or majima will catch some wack fish from who knows where for kiryu to fry up. they pick secluded beaches as not to be disturbed but kiryu is ready to fling majima into the ocean at a moment's notice just in case
majima has a second set of jaws normally not visible unless he's snacking on a fish. sometimes he pops em out for a smooch and kiryu is wary but willing to try anything đ¤ nishiki is often very worried about the numerous weird bite marks kiryu comes home with but kiryu chalks it up to clumsily falling face first into some coral. you can tell by now I'm very into the trope of person dating a cretur is very bad at keeping it a secret dsklgjk
majima tends to have electrical flare ups when he's feeling emotional so kiryu ends up getting zapped a lot. it's not enough to be dangerous but kiryu has since avoided touching light switches and makes nishiki use them first
rarely kiryu will take majima out on the town in a wheelbarrow covered in a blanket and everyone's like *squint* but eventually gets used to his funny lil friend who seems fascinated by literally everything
there's defo some tigerfish action at a later point once nishiki eventually decides to follow kiryu to one of his little secret beachside escapades to not only find out kiryu's being a weirdo as usual but now with a weirdo fishguy. on the other side, saejima is eventually convinced that there is not a bunch of people on the shore waiting with harpoons and nets and joins majima for one of kiryu's fish fries and finds out hey maybe humans ain't so bad if they can put up with majima for more than five minutes
#I had this side idea that there's also a boat that daigo's on and Mine is constantly trying to get transferred over there#but there is a comical number of obstacles in his way and he's bout ready to swim over there himself in the middle of a hurricane#everyday their boats part you just see Mine gripping the side of his ship with big melty eyes and daigo on the other ship doesn't notice#just random drama happening over there while kiryu and majima frolic in the background#merfolk!au#yakuza#ryu ga gotoku#kiryu kazuma#majima goro#saejima taiga#nishikiyama akira#kazumaji#my art
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I don't think i can explain to you the near-boundless giddy excitement I got form seeing EJ on that creeptober list of yours. (If it's not obvious, he might just be my favourite, snort) Looking forward to all of em tho ~!!
Heâs GREAT. I used to have so many head cannons about him since so little is actually known. This story is actually based off my hc about his origin. I hope you enjoy!
Creeptober: Day Three
Eyeless Jackâs Obsession
Yandere! Eyeless Jack x AFAB Reader
CW: horror themes, stalking, blood, pain, death (not of reader), hypnosis, breeding, etc
Eyeless Jack was once an ordinary spirit. He lived his afterlife the way most spirits do. Bored and alone. However, that all changed when you bought the mansion in which he resided.
You moved in without ever seeing the place in person, which you soon regretted. The entire place gave you a creepy vibe that made the pit of your stomach twist into knots. At all times it felt like something was watching you. Stalking you. Filling every room with its presence.
And he was. Jack was following you no matter where you went in the house. It was like you were a drug and he was an addict. Being around you made him feel almost alive again. And the more alive he felt, the more he could interact with the physical world.
Soon he was moving things. Taking things from you. You noticed but kept trying to brush it off. You hoped thought that you were going a little crazy. After all, you worked a remote job and lived in this big creepy house all by yourself. You were supposed to fix it up and sell it for your aunt, who hadnât lived here in decades, but it was hard. Even with the money she gave you, you struggled to make up the remainder.
Eventually though, you did, and construction started. You still lived in the loft like area that was once an attic while the crews worked downstairs. Unfortunately for the construction workers you hired, Eyeless Jack wasnât as enthused with the intrusion into your space as you were.
On the very first day, a ladder fell over, nearly killing one of the roofers. He was fine, but he refused to return as he said he was pushed. The next time a ladder fell, a few days later, someone did die.
You heard the screaming and the sound of a body hitting the concrete. It took you a few minutes to rush downstairs. Terror filling your body. Did someone really just die on your auntâs property? Holy fuck. How would you be able to keep living here? That poor man and his family.
While you were panicked, Jack was ecstatic. He hoped now you would send all these other people away so it could just be the two of you again. All he wanted was to be able to have you all to himself again. As he watched you panic, and the other workers calling the cops or trying to scrape their dead friendâs body off the concrete, he realized that he had blood on his hands.
For a few moments, he just stared at it. Vague memories of being alive and kicking blood from a cut on his finger drifted through his mind, but nothing solid. It was too long ago. Too hard to remember. Yet, his tongue darted out to flick across his palm.
The blood in his mouth solidified some of the memories, and made him feel almost alive. In a frenzy, he licked the blood from both of his hands, the coppery and metallic taste filling his mouth. His eyes glazed over and all he could think of was getting more blood. How much could he touch then? Could he touch you?
The next few days were a blur for you as you worked with the company and your home owners insurance to work out the logistics of the workerâs accident. Everyone saw that he just fell. The ladder was properly secured. No one was messing with it. He was acting responsibly. He wasnât impaired or intoxicated. It was a freak accident.
But you knew. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you knew. It was because of that disturbing presence in the house.
You decided that you wanted the renovations done as quickly as possible, so after getting some of your money back from the previous company, you hired another. And another. And another. Every time, someone died. It was horrifying. One man came to your house just to survey the land and came across a missing roofer. He looked like he had been ripped open with a manâs bear hands, and, to both your and the surveyerâs horror, all of his organs were missing.
That night you called your aunt and told her that you were done. In the morning, you were leaving. She didnât even try to protest after you told her everything that had happened. Jack, having over heard your conversation, was furious. He couldnât lose you.
Over the past few months, he had undergone a transformation. Every bit of human flesh he consumed made him more solidified. More tangible. More alive. However, his face has become mutated and disturbing. Where his eyes once were, were just empty chasms, dripping black blood. His skin turned to a disturbing shade of ashy gray. So, to prevent your terror as much as he could, he carved a mask out of a piece what used to be a blue shelf. Now there was no reason for you to rebuff his affection.
When he made his way up to your room, you were on your laptop. In seconds, he tossed it from your lap, and your phone was pushed off the bed. He was on his knees on the foot of the bed, leaning over you, caging you in with his arms.
A scream welled up in your throat as the black holes bore into your eyes, but a muttering voice soothed the fear away. Your brain turned fuzzy. It was like you couldnât think for yourself. He tilted his head, which you mimicked.
âA pretty puppet,â he purred, stroking the side of your face with one of his hands.
You couldnât think of anything. It was like his eyes had drawn every thought or ounce of individualism from your skull. When he told you to take off your clothes, you did. When he told you to lay down, you did. You couldnât see his mouth, and his voice seemed to come from everywhere, but you knew that it was him talking.
âMake sure your pussy is good and wet for me,â he instructed, and you obliged.
You began to finger yourself, using your other hand to play with your clit. The soft whimpers and moans that escaped your lips had him gritting his teeth behind his mask. He wanted to take you so badly, but he also wanted it to be perfect for you. His little morsel. He wanted to be apart of you. For you to be apart of him. Forever.
Once your juices began to drip onto your sheets, he finally cooed at you to stop. You did. Despite the frustration and throbbing of your pussy. He was still caging you in with his arms, his form nearly engulfing you. After a moment of watching you squirm, your neglected cunt clenching around nothing, he eased back. Unzipping his pants, and pulling down his boxers, his hard and throbbing cock was shown to you.
Once his hypnotic gaze was broken, your mind began to flood back to you, and the sight of something so massive made you try to scamper back on the bed. However, your loving Eyeless Jack realized that his hold had been broken and grabbed your face, forcing your gazes to lock. Once again, anything in your mind seemed to melt away.
âSpread your legs,â he instructed. And you did.
He slowly slid inside of you, watching your face intensely as it contorted in pain and pleasure. He stretched you out to the point that you felt like youâd burst. Your walls were still throbbing with need, forcing you to clench around him. Clearly to his immense pleasure.
âThere we go. Mine. So good for me,â he moaned as he finally sank his cock deep inside of you, his eyes flickering away from your face for just a moment to see how your stomach extended from his cock.
When his gaze returned to you, he saw tears in the corner of your eyes. âDonât worry. Youâll get used to me, wonât you?â he promised, cupping your cheek almost tenderly again. You nodded obediently.
He was only slow for a few thrusts before losing what little of his kind remained. It was clear he wanted to care about your pleasure, but the decades of death and isolation left him desperate for the comfort and warmth your pussy brought him. The tip of his cock slammed against your cervix repeatedly, making you wince. He muttered out apologies, but never stopped. Never slowed down.
His cock ripped you slightly, blood beading along your tender lips. He muttered out another apology about how heâd make it up to you, and all you could do was whisper out an âokayâ. It took hours for him to finish, and when he did, he slammed himself deeply inside of you, his cum pumping directly into your womb.
âThere we are. Now Iâll always be apart of you,â he smiled, pulling up his mask to press a kiss to your forehead before disappearing.
As your mind came back to you, you winced at the pain, but wondered with a twisted hunger if he would come back for you.
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#creeptober#creepypasta smut#creepy pasta smut#creepy pasta#creepypasta#eyeless Jack#eyeless jack smut#eyeless jack x reader#eyeless jack x you#monster x human#monster smut#monster fucker#monsterfucking cw#monster fucking#monsterfucker#monsterfucking nsft#tw monsterfucking#monster fudger#monster fuqqer#monster yandere#yandere#yande.re#hypnok1nk#pain k!nk#tw blood#tw murder#tw death#writers on tumblr#writing#author
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prank war | p.l
pairing. paul lahote x reader
type. requested <3
warnings. curse word?
word count. 1.4k
a/n. since i don't like writing summaries lmao, i think i will make it kind of official when writing requests that if you want to know what it will be about click the link to the request :) this was so fun to write this is def crack BAHA i hope you will enjoy mwah xx
"Y/n, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Absolutely positive."
"But what if-"
"Em," you gave your friend a severe look. Emily always tended to be too kind, but this you could not let her sensitive nature make your plan fail. "Might I remind you that we are cruelly losing this battle of pranks? Jared, Embry, and Quil have been launching us. This is our time to make a stand."
"I know but⌠I still feel a little bit bad about it."
"Do you remember when they put confetti absolutely everywhere in the house? We had to clean that mess for weeks. I think there is still some confetti on my body in places where there shouldn't be."
Emily was a neat freak, she did not tolerate any mess. You knew how she hated that particular prank and how it would be an easy way to rile her up. You smiled when you saw her gaze suddenly turn very dark and resolute. Bulls eyes. Without further questioning, she joined you.
Your plan for retaliation was quite simple, but you knew it would hit your enemies right where it hurt. After a few internet searches, you settled on baking the most horrible and foul muffins known to the human realm. The boys were huge eaters so first, you knew they could never resist the temptation of a hot basket of muffins. Second, they were all known for their sensitive stomachs. It was a classic yet very effective prank. You looked like mad scientists incorporating literally any ingredients possible into the mixture giving it a strange color.
"I don't think it can get worse than that," declared Emily as you looked at the finished product.
You examined the bowl on the counter, feeling like you were missing an essential element. "Wait! There's one more thing we can add."
You went over to the pantry and proudly held up the bottle of extra spicy sauce the boys were keeping for special occasions, aka when they wanted to burn from the inside out.
Emily applauded your genius and watched excitedly as you dropped some in the mixture, then some more, and just a tiny bit more until you had poured at least one table cup of hot sauce into the bowl. If the original mixture didn't make them sick, this would for sure.
"This is a work of art Em, we can be proud of ourselves."
You high-fived and rapidly cooked the muffins before the boys returned from their run.
Your opponents were werewolves, with incredible sense of smell. So you knew you had to be smart about it. Especially since they knew a prank might fall upon them at any given moment. You had planned everything to a T. When returning home, Quil, Jared, and Embry were usually the ones who came in first, which you counted on as you didn't want to prank the rest of the pack. Emily had smartly accounted for the boys' suspicion and made sure to bake two safe-to-eat muffins from the batch so you could fool the three guys into eating.
You made sure to use food coloring to give the muffins a rich brown color and sprinkled cinnamon along with a few other herbs on the muffins to make sure they would smell mouth-watering. You cleared away any hint of your actions and did it so well that when the boys arrived, no one could ever think something was going on.
You welcomed them joyfully with your best angelic smiles. As expected, it didn't take them long to notice the muffins, Quil even going as far as reaching out a hunger-crazed hand towards the bowl.
"Wait," suddenly cut Embry with a suspicious look in your direction. He slapped his brother's hand away. "What's the special occasion?"
Like professional actresses, you and Emily looked at each other. "Since when do we need special occasions to bake muffins?"
You rolled your eyes when Embry bent down to take a big whiff from the basket, but still lost a relieved breath when he didn't seem to smell anything out of the ordinary.
"Why aren't you two eating any?" skeptically asked Jared.
"Because we ate so much filling we might puke but if it reassures you I don't mind taking a bite."
You reached your hand out for Emily to pick the safe muffins from the basket and prayed she didn't mix them up. You leveled your stare at the boys and took a huge bite.
When the cinnamony and chocolate flavors hit your tongue you sighed with relief, putting your reaction on account of the amazing taste. "Delicious as always."
Your performance seemed to reassure them but they didn't grab any yet. Anxiousness rose in your body, you needed to get them to eat before the others came in.
They were still hesitating when Paul barged in, quickly kissed you on the cheek, and grabbed a muffin.
"Paul wait-" "Gonna take a shower," he muffled between chewing.
You stare at the doorway through which he disappeared, astonished. It happened so fast. You couldn't have warned him or else the other three would have known something was up. You turned to look at Emily with panic in your eyes. Her face was blank, her hands gripping the counter. Both of you were paralyzed, what should you do? Were you taking it too far by letting your boyfriend eat the nasty mixture just so you wouldn't raise suspicions?
You stayed paralyzed in the dilemma when finally Embry, Quil, and Jared each grabbed a muffin as you and Emily stared in silence.
They had eaten a good half of it when suddenly you heard Paul screaming and cursing in the bathroom. Everybody looked in the direction of the sound when he stumbled in already wet from the shower with a towel wrapped around his hips.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS IN THESE?"
Immediately, the three other boys looked at each other, then at you two. As if Paul's apparition had triggered the effect of the baked goods, sweat started dripping down their face, a disgusted rictus twisting their mouths.
They stared with horrified expressions. "What did you do?" asked Embry before he ran for the kitchen sink.
Even if you felt guilty Paul had been caught in the crossfire you couldn't help but feel a deep satisfaction as you stared at the three boys pushing each other and fumbling to get a sip of water. A sentiment clearly shared by your partner in crime when Emily said with an innocent smile. "What did we do? We baked you some yummy muffins of course. Isn't that right Y/n?"
"Why yes, we even added a few special ingredients to make sure you guys loved them." You added with a mischievous smile towards the three crying grown men still fighting for access to fresh water.
"That'll teach you right for putting confetti everywhere in MY house," finished Emily, leaning close to them.
They looked at her with what was sure to be fear in their eyes.
"I'm done I'm calling dibs on the bathroom sink," moaned Quil as he ran for the tiny room.
"I'm taking the hose outside!" cried out Jared.
Emily and you couldn't keep your cool from your devastating victory and started dancing around the kitchen, the grunts of pain in the house the most delicious melody to your ears. You were still laughing when you heard heavy steps enter the kitchen. Paul was standing in the doorway, still wet, still with a towel on but this time there was a half-drunk milk cartoon in his hands. A few droplets slid down his chest and the view might have even been appealing if the expression on his face wasn't so terrifying.
He took a step in your direction. "Baby I promise you weren't supposed to eat one of those. It was only for them. I'm so sorry!!"
"You could have warned me, tell me to stop,â he growled.
"But then they would have known. I'm so so sorry my love I promise I'll make you forgive me."
You kept walking back, hands up. Never a half-naked man had scared you this much.
"Oh, you will definitely pay for this." He dropped the milk on the table nearby. "And I think we will start by giving you a little swim in the cold sea."
"Paul it's freezing outside today!!" You protested with a panicked look towards the foggy forest.
"Should have thought about that before sweetheart.â
His lips curved in a diabolical smile as he leaped. You screeched and ran outside knowing damn well there was no way you could escape this.
#ilya writes#twilight#twilight wolfpack#twilight renaissance#paul lahote#paul lahote x reader#twilight wolfpack x reader#twilight fics#jacob black#quil ateara#embry call#jared twilight#emily young
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Ride âEm, Cowgirl! (Cowboy!Ace x Black!Fem!Reader 18+ One Shot)
Pairing: Ace D. Portgas x Black!Fem!Reader (Strangers to FWBs to Lovers)
Synopsis: As the author of some famous smutty romance novels, you decide to take a vacation in the countryside for a while to get over your breakup and work on your new book but you suffer from writerâs block. However, a meet-cute situation with a sexy farmhand who lives next door might be able to help you kill two birds with one stone.
Warnings: Smutty Smut; 18+; Author!Reader; Cowboy!Ace; Sexual Tension; Highkey Flirting; Tongue Kissing; Oral (Giving & Receiving); Clit Stimulation; Doggystyle; Nipple Piercings; Cowgirl/Riding; Ace Puts His Hat on Your Head While You Take His Big D*ck; Dom!Ace/sub!Reader; Reader Cums 2x; Creampie; Strangers to FWBs to Lovers; Aftercare
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!
Writerâs Note: Iâve had a MAJOR cowboy brain rot all summer & decided to write something as the season is ending. I love me some Ace đĽşđĽş him & his big, silly, sexy assâŚI miss him. He didnât d*e in my universe. ENJOY LOVELIES!! đđđŤśđžđŤśđž -Jazz
**********
While the countryside is beautiful, the absence of reception is not.
You sit in the driverâs seat of your rental, the AC cranked up high though youâre still sweating from anxiety and panic. Your pits are perspiring despite the cute little sundress you threw on to match your sunhat and sunglasses. You felt like a movie star boarding the train here, but now, all of that feeling of glamor is gone.
A thrush forest and fields of land surround you on the dirt road youâve been driving down for over fifteen minutes now since you got off the train that put you in the countryside. You had originally come out here to indulge in nature, thinking it would help clear your head for your new book and heal your heart over your recent breakup that caused your writerâs block.
Youâre a city girl, born and raised miles away from here. Despite your cute little one-bedroom-one-bathroom studio apartment, you get tired of being surrounded by skyrise buildings and smoggy streets when you write. You thought a change of scenery would do you some good, especially to distract you from the sight of the same couch and bed where your ex used to make love to you on.
But now, after seeing nothing but trees, grass, and cows for the past five minutes since you got lost, youâre becoming sick of it. You havenât seen a single person or building since the train station!
âDammit,â you huff, begrudgingly tossing your phone into the passengerâs seat with your laptop case and suitcase. You hate getting lost! You mustâve taken a left instead of a right and then steered off the trail your GPS set for you.
You keep the AC and gas running as you get out of the car. The heat immediately slaps you in the face and the sun glares at you, causing you to slide your sunglasses on top of your head used to hold your braids back onto your eyes. You shield the hot rays with your hand and look down the road. Nothing. Not even a barn. Youâre completely stranded.
No people. No reception. You were never going to make it to that sweet, quaint little Airbnb you rented. You were scrolling on Booking.com youâve seen so many commercials for three weeks ago when you came across the little cabin with central air, a wine cellar, and a back patio overlooking a lake. It is only ten miles from town and near some hiking trails for running.
You booked it immediately and spoke to the owner, a sweet Southern widow who let you rent it for the entire week for a cut because of your books. âI love your work!â she gushed over the phone. âIâm so honored youâre choosinâ my little home to help you write a new book! Iâll stack more wine in the cellar just for you!â
You may never get to enjoy that wine, the lake, or some sunbathing on the patio. You lean against your carhood, hopeless and exhausted. Maybe this will be a good inspiration for your book: a city girl gets lost in the countryside and realizes that a change of scenery canât fix heartbreak. Then she dies of a broken heart (and starvation) in her rental and when someone finally finds her, sheâll be nothing but bones because the cows ate her.
There your whacked-out mind goes. You tilt your head to the sunny, blue sky, hoping God can see you and have mercy on your soul. âGod,â you groan. âPlease just send me someone.â
âHey, there!â a sudden cheery, male voice chirps from behind you. You shriek and jump, turning around to face the stranger. âShit!â you gasp, putting a hand on your jumping heart. âYou scared the hell outta me!â
When your heart finally settles down, you realize just how cute the stranger is. He is tall and fit judging by how tight his black V-neck is under his flannel. A cowboy hat hits low on his nest of black curls and an adorable smattering of freckles adorn his cheeks. His jeans are just as tight with a large belt buckle on the front of his leather belt and his cowboy boots are scuffed.
Itâs like he stepped out of a girlâs wettest Western dream, especially with the dog tags hanging from his thick neck and the leather bracelet on his wrist. He is hotter than the sun youâre standing in.
âApologies,â he says, stifling a chuckle with his hands up. âI promise I donât mean no farm. I just happened to see you just sittinâ here on the road and couldnât help but wonder if youâre stealinâ my job.â His brown eyes are filled with humor and playfulness.
âJob?â you parrot, confused. âWhat are youââ
Suddenly, the hot stranger places two fingers on each hand in his mouth and blows a loud, shrill whistle. Immediately, each of the cows grazing in the grass and wandering in the road gather together near him. âCâmon, yâall!â he shouts. âOver here by the pretty truck! Out of the pretty ladyâs way!â
You flush at his compliment but donât focus too much on it. Youâre too busy focusing on the cherry red pickup truck with the muddy wheels that you now see some yards behind your rental. How did you not hear him drive up?
The cows follow the cowboy and surround his truck, mooing and chewing. He leaves them there and comes running back to you, panting. âSorry âbout that. Them cows ainât too bright sometimes. One left the farm down the road and all of âem followed, so I got sent out to get âem.â
âOh,â you say. âWell, that takes care of one problem. Thanks.â
He raises one eyebrow, curious. âOne problem?â he ponders aloud. âAnything I can help you with, miss? Tell me if Iâm wrong but ya look kindaâŚâ He pauses, looking for the right word.
âLost?â you sigh. He sniggers, shaking his head. âDistressed.â You take a moment to think about this. You really shouldnât tell him since heâs a total stranger despite his cute freckles and eyes that remind you of a puppyâs. âWell, I am,â you sigh. âBut nothing I canât handle. Thank you again, Mr. uhâŚ.â
The cowboy smiles brightly at you and itâs like a punch in the face. He is quite handsome. âAce,â he replies. âAce D. Portgas. No, âMrâ, please. Just Ace.â
He puts out one of his big ringed hands for a shake. You slowly take it in your smaller one, noticing how calloused and rough his palm isâŚand how warm and strong it is. âAce then,â you say, quickly pulling away. âNice to meet you. Iâm Y/N L/N.â
Aceâs eyes fill with recognition immediately at the sound of your name. âThe writer?â he asks, raising an eyebrow. You immediately break out into a smile, happy with the recognition. âSo youâve heard of me.â
He nods, shoving a hand in the pocket of his jeans. âYeah, your stuff is pretty popular with the female population over here. Iâve seen some of your books in the townâs local bookstore before. Where ya from?â
â[City Name],â you reply, beaming from the newfound information You always love to hear about people loving and reading your work. Ace hums, nodding in understanding. âAh, so youâre a city girl,â he draws, his Southern accent making a big appearance here. It makes something in your stomach grow warm.
You place your hands on your hips, pursing your lips. âAre you about to give me that âthe country is better than the cityâ crap?â you playfully scoff.
Ace gapes at you, playing into your mock disagreement. âWhat?! No wayâŚ.except weâve got better people.â You laugh, giving him that one. âOh, that I agree with! Everyone here is so nice!â
Literally everyone. The train conductor, the workers at the train station, the nice man who held the door for youâŚmaybe even this sexy cowboy. It must be the clean air and environment without the buildings, hustle, and crowds of people. âSo whatâs a talented gal like you doinâ all the way down here?â He curiously asks. âYa got family here?â
Despite your situation, you find yourself enjoying conversing with Ace. Itâs easy, unlike with your ex. âIâm writing a new book at the Airbnb I rentedâŚwhich Iâm no closer to getting to âcause I canât follow directions.â
Aceâs smile fades. âReally? Whereâs it at? Maybe I can help ya get there.â Your blood pressure rises as your brain begins to go through every possible reason to not give this man the address to your weekend home. âUmâŚ.â
Realization flickers in Aceâs eyes and he nods in understanding. âI get it: stranger danger. If ya want, I can tell you the directions and let ya drive off. Promise.â He puts his right hand up as if heâs on the stand at a trial. âI only wanna help a celebrity out.â
His friendly smile and nature seem genuine despite that twist in your stomach telling you differently. However, you donât hear any warning signs blaring in your head and your gut isnât giving you that kick of intuition. Throwing caution to the wind, you tell him: âItâs on 21 North Oakwood Lane.â
You watch as Aceâs eyes widen in excitement like a kid on Christmas. âForreal?! Thatâs where my farm is at! I bet my neighbor is the one youâre rentinâ from! Mable Chestnut ring any bells?â
Your brain immediately reacts to the Airbnb ownerâs name. âYeah, thatâs her!â you exclaim. âYou live there too?â He nods, beaming brightly at you. âYes, maâam, and youâre a long way away from that, honey. You mustâve taken a wrong turn completely.â
You huff, feeling the stress return. Of course, you took a wrong turn. Unbeknownst to you, Ace feels bad for the pretty woman standing in front of him and instantly wants to make her feel better. So he clears his throat, gaining your attention. âIâll tell ya what: if you want, I can hop in my pickup truck and lead you to your place. I know these trails like the back of my hand.â
âIâm sure you do,â you reply, laughing slightly. âYouâre a cowboy, arenât you?â His lips twist in a lopsided smirk that makes your insides curl. âYes, maâam. That and a farmhand. I wrangle horses, cows, bulls, anythinâ you can think of. My job requires that I know the ins and outs of my town.â
You can tell heâs telling the truth, but the logical part of you is still wary. âI dunno,â you admit, awkwardly playing with the hem of our dress. âI mean, you seem sweet and legit, but I barely know you andââ
âOh, you found âem!â a voice rings out. You turn, seeing a blue truck with a wooden crate stopping next to Aceâs truck. An older couple with silver-white hair and matching boots come sliding out of the front, looking relieved to see their cows. The wife, in her flowery skirt, whistles at the cows. âMy precious babies! Get yâall asses on that damn truck!â
She begins berating them as the animals climb up the wooden ramp to the cart, piling in one after the other. Her husband, wearing jeans, flannel, and a cowboy hat, helps her by whistling to them. Once theyâre all in, he locks the crate and walks up to Ace with his wife, giving you a hello as they do. âOh, Ace, what would I do without you?â The wife sighs, taking the young cowboyâs hand in her wrinkled ones. âIâll have to bake you more of that apple pie to thank you.â
Ace smiles, tipping his hat at them. âItâs no problem, Mr. And Mrs. Phelps. Just doinâ my job.â Mr. Phelps pats him on the back, laughing. âWell, you prove to be fit for your job every time, young man.â
âIâll deliver the pie tomorrow,â Mrs. Phelps says with a wink. âYou still live at 20 Oakwood Lane?â Ace nods and thanks them before the old couple walk back to their truck, get in, and go driving off with their cows in the back.
He turns back to you, a smug smile on his face. With defeat, you give in to his proposal. âOkay, fine,â you sigh. âWeâll try it your way.â
He grins, bowing slightly in thanks, grateful for you putting your trust in him. But it ainât like youâve got a choice at this point. But if you had said no, maybe he wouldâve called the cops or something to help you. He seems like a genuine, sweet type of manâŚbut then again, you thought the same about your ex before he cheated. âI wonât letcha down, missy. Now letâs getcha to your luxury suite!â
He turns and races off to his truck. As he does, the back of his flannel floats up, giving you a peek of his backside. Your mouth waters at the sight of his plump, firm ass in those jeans. Maybe you will have a nice time here after all.
After getting in your car and following Aceâs truck down the road, he takes you in the right direction that your GPS states. You decided to turn it on just to make sure Ace wasnât taking you somewhere else. The drive is only eight minutes and finally, trees fall away to a beautiful clearing of brick homes and farms down a dirt road.
You finally come to your Airbnb and itâs just as cute in real life as it was in its photos. The white tiled roof and window outline combined with the buttery yellow color of the outside of the house reminds you of a frosted cake as you park your car in front of it. The house is located on ten acres of land that the owner owns and tends to, including a fruit orchard that you most definitely will enjoy tomorrow.
You go up to the azalea bushes planted at the white picket fence surrounding the cobbled stone walkway and steps. Bending down, you move one of the stonesâa gray one shaped like a heartâand take the house key from under it. Ms. Chestnut made sure to tell you where to find it before she left.
Clutching the key to your chest, you turn and find Ace lugging your bags out of the backseat of your car, including your laptop case. As he does, you watch as his arms flex enticingly so. He has taken off his flannel, probably too hot in the afternoon heat to wear even the lightest of long-sleeved tops.
âAaaand here we are,â he announces, bringing the luggage up to you. You go to take your suitcase, feeling bad for his work. âOh, you donât have toââ
âNonsense! Itâs barely heavy for me.â He gives you a wink before nodding at the locked door, looking just as excited as you.
You snort and unlock the door, giving way to a gorgeous living room with hardwood floors and a sunroom that meets an expensive-looking dining room filled with fine China dishes. On the left is an older-looking kitchen with a cartoon cat cuckoo clock and an adorable fruit-shaped cooking set and a washroom that leads outside to the back patio.
Ace whistles approvingly, looking around the house. âBeautiful place. I can see why ya rented here to write your new book. Whatâs it about, if I may ask?â He runs his boots on the âWelcomeâ rug at the door before coming in with your luggage. He hands you your laptop before placing your suitcase and bag down gently on the floor.
You donât know why you tell him, but something inside you tells you that itâs okay to do so: âHeartbreak.â
You watch as the cowboy pauses and then slowly turns to stare at you. You clear your throat to appear neutral and blasè like your past relationship and how it ended donât still sting. âI didnât just come here to write,â you explain. âI also came here to clear my head over my recent breakup. Working helps.â
Aceâs expression is unreadable. He stands with his hands in his pockets, his jaw working slightly. You now can see that heâs chewing gum. âLong term?â he asks. You nod, fighting back tears. âThree years.â
Three years of what you thought was the beginning of forever for you. You had met his parents; took trips with him; moved him into your apartment a year after you started dating. It was so nice when he came home to you after his shifts as a lawyer, the both of you snuggling with takeout and puffing on some weed to calm the nerves. You loved those nights with him.
But then those nights became ones of loneliness and suspicion when he wouldnât come home till the AM. You started fighting and growing more apart until one day, while he was showering, you answered his phone on a call meant for him. Clearly, because the girl on the other line was asking you if you were still on for her place that night thinking you were your manâŚwho apparently wasnât just your man.
After denying it, he admitted to sleeping with his coworker for two months. âYou were so busy with your books!â he had argued. âI needed you too, Y/N!â
Of course, that didnât fly with you. As a grown-ass man, he was more than capable of communicating with you and never did. So, after three years, you ended your relationship and he moved out within a week. Learning to live without him is more than hard, but youâre learning with every step.
Ace whistles as if winded by your answer. âIâm very sorry to hear that, but one thing I know is that you wonât get no clearinâ your head out in the city. No offense.â He gives you a joking smile that brightens the room. âNone taken,â you giggle. âThatâs why I came out here.â
He nods, crossing his arms over his chest. âThat was a good idea. You may never wanna go home though.â He stands there like a tall, sexy tree youâd like to climb. His personality and energy only make your attraction to him much worse.
You donât know if he feels the tension in the air too, but his smile fades and his eyes fill with a spark you think you just imagine. Finally, he clears his throat and plasters on a smile. âWell, Iâll leave ya to it then. If you ever need anythinâ, just gimme a knock across the way.â
You walk him to the door and he points down the road at a small ranch with a red barn where you hear distant neighing horses. âThat little ranch next to the red barn is me,â he explains. You could walk there with how close he is. Knowing that makes your stomach twirl.
All you can do is nod and he bids you farewell before walking down the steps in his boots. You watch him, eyeing his flexing back muscles, suntanned shoulders, and the dusting of freckles on his skin like star constellations. He is almost down the road when you give in to your urges.
âAce, wait!â you call. He stops, turning to face you. âDo you have a CashApp? Or I can pay you in cash.â
But the cowboy shakes his head, smiling at you. âKeep it,â he says. âJust lookinâ out for a pretty woman.â He tips his hat at you, that spark returning in his eyes. âEnjoy your stay, Y/N.â
Then he turns and walks off, taking that beautiful back and juicy ass with him. You decide right then that youâll definitely enjoy your stay here with that cowboy being just one knock away.
*********
âFuck, Y/N, you are soooo lucky!â Nami whines into your ear. âI wish I was laying out in the sun by the wate with my tits out too!â
âMy tits arenât out,â you snort. âIâm just in a bikini top.â You take a sip of your Moscato chilling in a glass of ice cubes and sliced oranges, sighing peacefully at the crisp, fruity taste.
Placing it back on the small table with your laptop, you look down at your phone screen where your beautiful, redheaded friendâs face is. It is the next day of your writerâs vacay and youâre spending it stretched out on the back patio in your bikini and sunglasses, lounging on a beach chair near the lake that sparkles and shimmers in the summer sun.
âThat still counts!â Nanami argues. âYouâll get a tan for days! Why couldnât you take me with you?â You scoff, rolling your eyes behind your ray bans. âGirl, arenât you on an anniversary trip up in the mountains with your woman? Your Airbnb is just as beautiful as mine, plus you got a great view!â
Nami, your best friend and soulmate, is out in the mountains with her long-term girlfriend and soon-to-be-fiance, Robin who is so beautiful that you swore you had a crush on her when you first met her.
Both, along with a couple of other friends youâve made over the years, surrounded you with love and support during your breakup. Zoro and Sanji, the married couple youâve been tight with since you moved into your complex, even told you theyâd beat your ex up if you asked them to. Of course, you said no, but you fantasize about it to make you laugh.
âYeah, but itâs raining here,â Nami sighs, laying back on a pillow. âWeâve been cooped up in the house all day, but we do have a dinner reservation at a five-star restaurant tonight thatâll make up for it. She knows how to make me happy.â She breaks out into a dreamy smile you know all too well about.
âYouâre so lucky,â you sigh, envious of your friendâs love. âYou guys have been together for a long time though. Five years! Thatâs crazy!â
Nami nods, still looking in love and happy. âAnd it takes a lot of work, but thereâs nowhere else Iâd rather be. Youâll find that again, too Y/NâŚwith the right person, of course. That scummy ex of yours was just a closed door.â
You peer out over the water, seeing a sliver of Aceâs farm through the thrush, green forest. From this angle, you can see the wagging tails of horses in their shed and hear the crowing of roosters. âI guess,â you sigh.
As if reading your mind, Nami discusses the man who has been on your mind since yesterday. âWell, how âbout you do some practice on that cute cowboy you told me about?â she suggestively purrs. âYou are there for a week. Why not use it to dust off thatââ
âDonât even finish that sentence,â you cut her off, putting up a hand. âIâm not having any kind of sex with a stranger, no matter how cute or sweet he is. Besides, I donât even know how old he is! He could be a fuckinâ teenager for all I know.â
Despite you making logical excuses for not going over to his house and hopping on that manâs dick right now, you still canât stop yourself from thinking about him. Yesteâârday afternoon, you went out into town to shop for some cute dresses and groceries for meals (including the wine), thinking this would help distract you from nasty thoughts of him.
But alas, when night fell and you finished your glass of wine and your much-needed blunt to end the evening, youââr dreams were all about him whispering dirty, sweet nothings to you in his Southern drawl while he bounced you on his cock. You were so pent up that you had to relieve yourself with the toy you packed and then take a cold showerâŚboth did NOTHING to tame you.
You want him bad. Youâve never felt such an attraction to someone before. Not since your ââex, anyway. Itâs exciting but also alarming. ââYour plan wasnât to use a man to get over your breakup or writerâs block. Speaking of which, you havenât written much of a first draft for your book yet. You most that youâve gotten is a plot outline and you feel even that is lackluster.
âWell, who is he?â Nami pushes. âYou didnât even tell me his name!â You once again roll your eyes and lower your voice as if the cowboy can hear you over the lake: âItâs Ace D. Portgas.â
Namiâs eyes widen and her jaw drops. âOmigod!â she squeals into your ears, making you jump. âY/N, I know him! You remember my friend Luffyâs adopted older brother? The one who owns his own farm?â
Your mind traces back to the moment any of this was revealed to you and you realize that it was a year ago during a trip to the zoo where Luffy gushed over the horses and said his brother trains them. âOh, my God, thatâs him?!â you gasp, laughing in disbelief. âThe wealthy one? What a small world!â
âNow you have a reason to talk to him, girl!â Nami encourages you. You go over to his place, ask him for a drink, and spend the rest of your trip in his bedâŚand then youâll take me on a cruise when he cuffs you.â She winks at you, but you know sheâs serious.
âThatâs not gonna happen,â you chuckle. âHeâs a nice guy, but I didnât come here to hook up with no cowboy. I came here to relax and write my book.â The redhead pulls a look, rolling her eyes. âAnd what better way to do all of that than get with a country boy? Besides, that would make for a great story.â She wiggles her eyebrows at you suggestively.
âWhatever,â you scoff as she giggles. âJust go and tell Robin I said hi. And if I do happen to build a relationship with the cowboy, sheâll be the one I take on a cruise.â Nami, with her dramatic ass, gapes at you. âTake that back!â
âLove you, byeeee!â You blow her a kiss before ending the FaceTime call and lowering it facedown on the table to avoid the sun burning the screen. You take another sip of your wine and then hunker back down to your book that youâre no closer to outlining.
So far in the plot, a woman named Suzi has received notice of a house she has inherited from her deceased grandmother whom she realizes has many secrets, including setting her up to marry Johnson, a wealthy owner of a wine garden that her grandma somehow knows.
But all those ideas go down the drain when you happen to look up and see the man who has been haunting your frequent dreams. And heâs shirtless. Though his back is to you, that doesnât mean Aceâs back doesnât make your stomach flutter like itâs filled with butterflies. He is busy tending to his horses, filling their drinking station with fresh water and cleaning out bails of old hay. His arm and back muscles flex in the sun that glints off of the sweat dripping off of his tanned skin. âOh, fuck,â you exhale.
Heâs a beautiful, beautiful man. You can almost taste the sweat off of his skin as you lick up his skin and neck. His back is tatted with a purple skull with a bone caught between his teeth. Your body reacts just as your mind does, arousal making you throb. âDammit,â you sigh, slamming your laptop closed. You definitely canât write in this condition. This man is making everything too damn hard for you!
Now you know another distraction wonât do anything for you. You need to just swallow your pride and fear of rejection, and just go over there!
To not make it seem like you just came straight out the house to see him, you go inside to strip off your bikini and change into some sneakers, running shorts, and a sports bra that holds up your girls. You take your phone and house key with you before cutting through the woods for a short time towards Aceâs place, lightly jogging as you do. The sun glints through the trees and sweat begins to gather on your forehead and under your boobs.
Finally, you cut thâârough the woods to the front of Aceâs house and nearly scream at the sudden sight of a caramel-colored horse galloping in front of you, nearly knocking you over. âSuzi!â Ace calls. âDammit, donât run in the street!â He whistles, causing the horse to stop before she gets any farther away and flips her tail.
You turn, finding the shirtless cowboy standing behind you. You nearly combust at the sight of his cut abs, the silver bars in his pink nipples, and the scattering of tattoos on his skin. One is of a skull engulfed in flames on his shoulder and the others are two names inked across his wrists.
âOh, hey!â he chirps, looking happy to see you despite your short-circuiting brain. âWhat a surprise. You decided to take a break to come see little olâ me?â
He puts his hands on his hips, drawing your eyes to his V-line. âI-I was just takinâ a jog,â you stammer. âAnd I just wanted to thank you again for helping me yesterday. Sorry I was so hesitant.â Ace looks happy nonetheless and you think you even see his eyes quickly trace over ââyour outfit. âDonât even apologize. You enjoyinâ yourself so far?â
He snaps at Suzi who comes tottering up to him, her hooves clicking. You nod, admiring the pretty steed. âYeah, youâve got a nice little home here. Went out shopping yesterday and did some writing today.â
The cowboy nods, petting Suziâs side. âUh-huh, I saw you soakinâ up those rays earlierâŚn-not that I was starinâ at you! I just happened to look over and see you.â His face grows adorably red at his jumbled words. It only makes him more endearing to you.
âI get it,â you giggle. âI came over to pay you for yesterday, but if you still arenât gonna take my money, maybe I can pay you back with lunch or a drink?â
The words just slip out, possibly because of how confident you feel over Aceâs blush and nervous blunder. You donât know what you expect, but definitely not what he says next:
âOh,â is all he replies with.
The silence that follows makes you want to die. âO-Or not if youâre busy,â you quickly add. âOr if you donât want to! I just wanted to repay you.â You bite your lip to shut yourself up, feeling as if you never shouldâve said anything. That damn Nami! Why did she have to encourage you to do this?
But as luck would have it, Ace agrees. âI was gonna say yes to lunch, but Iâm a little booked right now with the farm. Iâve got people tourinâ my place tomorrow, so I need to make sure it sparkles. Does dinner work better for ya?â
The horseâs tail flips as if to say, âSay yes, stupid!â and you nod, speechless. âDinner ââsounds great,â you reply, doing your best to not break out into a big, goofy smile. The caramel horse softly winnies and Ace snorts, patting the horseâs behind. âThis is Suzi,â he chuckles. âSheâs extremely dramatic. I got two other ones at the stable.â
You smile at the horse, admiring the way her blonde mane looks in the sun. âSheâs beautiful.â Unbeknownst to you, Ace admires you admiring the horse. âYou like horses?â You nod, gently patting Suziâs soft fur. âLove âem. I wanted to be a cowgirl every Halloween.â
âYou wanna see the others? I can give ya a tour of the farm, if ya want.â
âAlright, alright, weâre cominâ!â he calls. âAnd these are my Stallions, Sam and Sabo, named after one of my brothers. He lives all the way in London workinâ as an actor.â
âThatâs amazing.â âThey look like they need a brush, poor things.â
âItâs the heat. They shed a lot in the summer.â âWhy donât you let me?â you ask. âYou seem so tired. Donât worry, I pick up fast.â
âJust slowly brush their sides,â he explains, motioning his hands as an example. âIt relaxes them. And donât worry about scarinâ em; theyâre well-behaved and they love attention.â âHey, there, boy,â you coo. âIâm just gonna brush you.â
âNot bad for a city girl,â he whispers in your ear. âOh, so you got jokes now,â you scoff. âWell, your horses seem to like me more than their owner. I think that proves Iâd make a great cowgirl.â
âOh, yeah?â he asks. âYou ever ridden one before?â âUhâŚno,â you hesitantly answer. âNot since I was six at a petting zoo.â
Ace gives you a smile full of mirth and trust. âYou wanna try now?â
You have no idea what propels you to say yes, but suddenly find yourself standing beside Sabo in the open field while Ace straps a leather saddle on his back. He then turns to you and opens his arms. âIâll help ya up,â he says, flashing you a smile. âAnd if ya ever feel uncomfortable, I promise you weâll cut the ride short.â
âThere we go,â he huffs. âNow up I go.â With a grunt, he carefully hoists himself up on Saboâs back and straddles the seat behind you. You bite your lip at the throb you feel between your thighs at the feeling of his strong arms coming around you to hold onto the reins with you. His thighs and chest brush against your back, the scent of sweat and pine rolling off of him.
âNow, gently tug on the reins twice and click your tongue,â he instructs. Nervously, you do as he says, his presence a comfort for you. You wouldnât know what to do with this big-ass horse alone. Sabo slowly begins to walk in the field, taking a languid pace that is relaxing and not at all as scaryââ as you thought.
âSee?â Ace laughs. âNot bad, right? You can use the reins to steer him or go faster, just like a car. If ya want him to stop, just tug on the reins once. If ya wanna go a little faster, just snap the reins so heâll totter, like this.â
He helps you give them a slight snap and Sabo picks up the pace. You gasp as you feel his back jump with you and Ace on top, your body instantly tensing.
âHang on,â he chuckles. âItâll get a little bumpy.â You side-eye him, your heart about to explode out of your chest. âA little?â you scoff and that makes him laugh even harder.
His thumbs begin to stroke your knuckles, trying to calm you down. âYouâre so sense, sweetie,â he coos. âI promise youâre okay. Just enjoy the ride.â His voice is soft and reassuring, only arousing you more.
However, despite the images of him fucking you stupid in your mind, you fight against your visceral reaction to change and relax. âGood, good!â he praises. âYou really are a fast learner! Good boy, Sabo! Take us home!â
Sabo turns around and totters back to the farm, bouncing you on top. You giggle, feeling free with the sun and wind in your hair. When Sabo comes to a stop, Ace jumps off first.
He holds out his arms for you and you reach down, clinging yourself to him as he takes you off of the horse. Once your feet are on the ground, you sigh, relieved, but an underwhelming feeling descends upon you at ground level again. It was exciting being on Saboâs back above ground, but you think most of the thrilling, excited feeling you got was from Ace being so close to you.
âNicely done, city girl. I knew ya had it in ya to ride a horse.â âWell, it helps when Iâve got a great teacher, country boy,â you giggle, but it comes out way more seductive than you meant it to.
Thank goodness the splashing sounds of the horses slurping down their water stops you because who knows what wouldâve happened? âUhâŚdrink?â he sheepishly asks. âIâve got fresh lemonade in the fridge.â
But as soon as youâre in the house, Ace suddenly whirls you around to face him and grabs you before his lips finally mesh with yours. You make a small noise of surprise as he twirls you around, but it quickly melts into a soft moan as his soft, juicy lips press against yours. They are just as heavenly as you thought theyâd be. The kiss is tentative and careful at first, but the more you press into him, the more passionate and open Ace becomes.
His tongue slowly licks your bottom lip and you part your lips, granting him access. The taste of whiskey on his tongue and the wet, sucking sounds of your heavy makeout make your shorts feel tighter and your nipples hard under your bra. Aceâs hands caress your back while your arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer until youâre sharing the same air.
When he pulls away, he is softly panting and his eyes are ablaze. âSorry,â he pants. âI just couldnât resist. Iâve been wantinâ to do that since yesterday.â
You smile, leaning in to peck his lips again. You canât get enough of him now that youâve had him. âDonât apologize,â you whisper. âI have, too.â Oh, and have you!
Ace smiles, looking pleased to hear this. Youâre just as happy to know that heâs been sweating over you the way you have been for him since yesterday. âYouâre here for a week, right?â he huskily asks and you nod, too afraid to speak. You donât want to ruin this.
His big hands slide down lower and lower until they meet your ass. Finally. âThen if itâs alright with you, darlinâ, Iâd like to make your first time out in the country one youâll never forget. If this is just a summer fling to you then thatâs cool. I just wanna make you feel good and make ya forget all about that asshole ex of yours back home.â
The passionate promise burning in his eyes is too tempting to resist. You run your hands down his chest, feeling him up and letting him know just how much you want this. âIâd love that,â you purr. âNow kiss me again, cowboy.â
Ace doesnât need to be told twice. Immediately, his lips sweep yours up again as he grips you to him, his hands caressing your thighs. Youâre so deep in his kiss that you barely feel the wall suddenly pressing against your back. You moan as Ace presses himself into you, his hard body like another wall squeezing you between the one behind you. He takes your arms and pins them over your head, stealing the air from your lungs.
He chuckles, smiling against your desperate lips. His hands move unde your thighs and he scoops you up with ease, making you feel oh-so little. He laughs at your little gasp as you find yourself hovering off of the floor in his arms. âDonât worry, darlinâ,â he says. âYouâll enjoy this ride. Bedroom?â You nod, wrapping your limbs around him like a koala bear, and away he goes with you in tow, thunking around in his cowboy boots and hat.
You get a tiny tour of his place when he goes upstairs and finally makes it to his bedroom that is filled with sunlight pouring in through the window. âDonât close the blinds,â you purr as he kicks the door shut with his foot. âI wanna see you in the light.â
He smirks, loving your freakiness. âYes, maâam,â he murmurs, tasting your lips once more. âNow if itâs alright with you, Iâd like to get these clothes off ya.â
You giggle as he sets you down on the bed before joining you. âThe feelinâ is mutual, cowboy,â you sexily reply. âJust leave the hat and boots onâŚplease.â You feel your face grow hot as Ace laughs at your request, taking your chin in his hand. âYouâre a freaky one,â he purrs, biting his bottom lip. âI like that. Youâre a woman who knows what she wants.â
Of course, you are! Any girl alone with a sexy cowboy would know what they want and right now, you want this man naked and to fuck you dumb. As you share heated, sloppy kisses, you help Ace strip off your bra, kicks, socks, and shorts, leaving you in on your panties. He takes a moment to ogle your body as you stand between his thighs.
âFuck,â he huffs and you grow hot, realizing that this is the first time youâve heard him cuss. âYouâre a work of art, babydollâŚis it okay if I call you that?â If it ainât your hard nipples that give him a yes, itâs the kiss you give him. âYes,â you whisper. Yes to everything. Ace grabs you and begins to kiss up your body, gently sucking on your nipples and licking your neck.
âIâm all sweaty,â you whine, slightly self-conscious. The cowboy raises a brow at you as if to say, âAnd?â before scooping you up into his arms and tossing you onto the bed.
Now on your stomach, Ace takes advantage by bending your knees and hiking your ass up for him. âStop,â he chortles. âIâm from the South, darlinâ. A little sweat donât mean nothinâ to meâŚnow pipe down and let me enjoy you.â
Youâve never been with a man who loves eating pussy. Youâve never been with a man that eats pussy quite like Ace. But you shouldâve known when he finally got your panties down and finally saw your exposed, glistening pussy all for him. âGoddamn,â he exhaled before spreading your asscheeks and giving right into the depths of your cunt.
His first few licks are gentle and slow as he gets to know your body. He asks you what you like and what you dislike. What makes you tick. The fact that heâs so interested in what you want and like makes you even wetter. Once you tell him and he gets right to work, it doesnât take long for you to melt into the bed as his mouth works your pussy.
You grip the pillow now, your moans, whimpers, and whines falling onto Aceâs ears like a sweet symphony of music. âOhhh, fuck, Ace!â you sing into the pillow, pushing your ass back into his face. He welcomes you, his hands gripping and smacking each cheek in time with his magical tongue lashes against your clit.
âThatâs it, sing for me, darlinâ,â he coos into your pussy, his words slightly muffled. âYou sound so fuckinâ good.â He then pulls away from your pussy to slide his tongue up to your ass, much to your enjoyment. While he does this, he takes one finger and lightly glides it up and down your slit, sending shivers and sparks of pleasure throughout your body.
âYour ex ever do this for you?â he asks, pressing a kiss to your lowerback. âDid he ever take care of you like this?â He moves down to give an open-mouthed kiss to your pussy, emitting a loud moan from you. âOr this gorgeous girl?â he purrs against your clit. âTell me.â Gently, his finger begins to prope your hole, sinking into your folds.
You gasp, gripping the pillow. âN-No,â you stammer. Ace makes a noise of approval. âI knew it. This cunt of yers is just too damn wet for meâŚnot that Iâm complaininâ. You taste so, so good, little darlinâ!â His tongue slides down your asscrack to your clit again, sucking on it while he fingers you.
You are a writhing, squirming mess, grinding your hips back into him, riding that wave of pleasure. The more he licks, sucks, and strokes, the more that knot in your core tightens, threatening to snap and cause you to spill all over his tongue. But his ministrations also cause something else: need. A desperate, blinding, unbridled need for him inside of you. âStop, Ace!â you beg and he does, immediately. âI need you to fuck me. Please! I wanna cum around your ââcock!â
Ace pauses, taken aback by your request. But then you hear the joyous, thrilling sound of his belt buckle jingling and his zipper coming down. âSo naughty,â he chuckles. âHowâd you know I like naughty girls? You mustâve come outta my wettest dreams, babydoll.â You feel his cock slide against your slit, warm, hard, and thick.
You both moan as he taps it against your clit, his head nudging against the little bundle of nerves. âAnd per your request,â he says, laughter in his voice, âIâll keep the hat and boots on for ya. But I want ya to look at me while Iâm inside you, okay?â
Slowly, you turn your head and behold your eyes to the sexy man sporting his cowboy hat, boots, and nipple piercings behind you, his eyes burning with want. Your eyes trail down his abs and V-line to his thick cock and heavy balls that are begging to be tasted. But later. Right now, you need him in you. âYes, sir,â you purr. âNow please: fuck me.â
Wordlessly, Ace grasps your hip with one hand and fulfills your request by taking his cock and sinking himself inside of you. His head sinking between your soft, wet folds cause you both to gasp, the contact explosively pleasurable. Ace goes slow, filling you to the brim with every slow thrust of his hips. Itâs unbearable, almost agonizing how slow heâs moving.
Ace senses your change in demeanor and gently pulls out, leaving only his cockhead in you. âYou alright?â he whispers, worried. âYouâre shakinâ like a leaf. Do you want me to stop?â
The very thought of losing this feeling makes you desperate. You turn to him, your hair a sexed-out mess and your eyes lidded. âNo,â you exhale, giving him a smile. âYouâre just goinâ too slow.â
Instantly, all of the worry and uncertainty in Aceâs eyes disappear, replaced with only lust. A slow smirk stretches across his lips at your naughty request. âWell, why didnât ya say so, darlinâ?â
He pushes himself back in and grips your hips before pistoning into you, giving you the deep dick that youâve been craving for months. A loud whine leaves your lips as he fucks you like you belong to him, causing your body to shake even more and that arch in your back to wobble. âFuck me back,â he demands, his voice rough and raspy. âDonât make me do all the work here. Take what you want from me, baby, câmon.â
You push yourself up on your forearms and push back into him, tossing your ass back into his mind-blowing, bed-shaking, orgasmic thrusts that make you see stars behind your eyelids. Aceâs dick strokes every part of your insides while his hands grip your hip and one of your tits, molding the globe of flesh and teasing the tight nipple between his fingers. âO-Oh, my God!â you moan, your voice bouncing off of the walls. âYes, Ace, just like that! Fuck me just like that!â
âLike what?â Ace asks, a smile evident in his voice. âLikeâŚthis?â He rolls his hips in a way that glides against your G-spot, causing you to damn near scream in pleasure. You just about hit high notes that would put Mariah Careyâs career in the dirt as Ace loops a hand between your thighs to rub your clit. You keep grinding back into him, much to his enjoyment.
He loves watching you move, your body so enticing while you squeeze around him. âGod, darlinâ,â he groans. âI canât get enough of these hips. You ride me so well. Canât wait to see how you ride my cock.â
He leans down to whisper into your ear, still pounding your pussy like itâs his profession. âI bet youâd be so good at it. I bet youâd be my good little cowgirl, wouldnât cha? Bet youâd make me cum deep inside this pussy.â
His tongue slips against your earlobe as he begins to suck on it. You loop an arm around his neck to bring him close to you, his sweat-sticky body pressed against yours as he ruts into you from behind.
When your orgasm begins to peak, you canât stop it and you donât want to. This feels too good.
âF-Fuck, Ace!â you gasp. âIâm gonnaâŚgonna cum!â Ace hums in approval, moving harder and faster, frantically rubbing your clit with his thick fingers. âDo it,â he practically begs. âCum for me. Give me what I need.â
When you cum, you cum hard. It is so intense that it takes you a minute to make any noise as the rush of pleasure hits you, but once it does, you let out the loudest moan youâve ever heard yourself make as you gush all around Aceâs cock. He grunts as your pussy hugs him, squeezing him like a vice as you coat his shaft in your cum.
âThatta girl,â he coos, pressing a kiss to your cheek. You softly whimper in acknowledgment, gripping the sheets as you ride your orgasm wave.
Once your high fades, Ace quickly pulls out as if youâve burned him with your pussy, desperate to not cum yet. âShit,â he hisses. âLook at how messy you made me, baby. Youâve gotta clean it up now.â He sticks his cock, shining in your juices, in your face, a lust-filled expression on his face.
The orgasm has done something to you, turning you into an insatiable, needy little slut. Suddenly feral and in need of him, you swallow his cock and slurp up all of your cum, even taking his balls in your mouth when you can. But when youâre too busy gagging all over his dick, you massage them in one hand with the other plays with his pierced nipples. Ace is enjoying himself immensely. He canât believe his luck having such a beautiful woman in his bed, let alone a celebrity, sucking him off and teasing his overly-sensitive nipples.
âFuck, darlinâ,â he moans, tilting his head back at the feeling. âYou keep doinâ all of that and Iâll cum. I still need more of ya.â
You hum in agreement, slipping off of his cock with a soft pop that your wet lips make. You look up at him through hooded eyes, making him so hard that it becomes painful. âIf ya still want another round, I want you to ride me,â he huskily requests. âI wanna see this body bounce on top of me while I finally bust inside of you.â
You shiver, immediately soaked from the idea. Wordlessly, you stand on your knees and brace your hands on his chest before shoving him down onto the bed. He laughs, the sound making your heart melt, but itâs quickly replaced with a desperate moan as you climb on top of him, mounting him like heâs your own personal StallionâŚor dildo. He doesnât seem like heâd protest either.
But as you wrap a hand around his cock and bring it to meet your pussy, he stops you. âWait, wait,â he protests. You stop, confused, until he takes his hat off and places it on your head. âNow ya look the part,â he comments, making you giggle. âNow ride me like a good little cowgirl.â
He doesnât have to tell you twice. You come down to take his cock inside of you, drawing a moan out of both of you once your tight, wet walls squeeze around him. Bracing your feet on the bed as you straddle Ace, you place one hand on his chest and slowly begin bouncing, becoming used to how he feels in this position. He is so deep, touching every single part of you, stretching you out more than he did in doggy.
âO-Oh, my Go-o-od!â you gasp, each word punctuated by your bouncing. You tilt your head up to the ceiling as you roll your hips, grinding your clit against Aceâs pelvis. The pleasure makes you throw your head back and your eyes flutter closed, each delicious burst of pleasure taking you on a ride.
Ace is enjoying his ride as well, watching you bounce that perfect pussy and body on his cock. âThatâs it, babydoll,â he groans, gripping your hips. Y
ou ride him like heâs stolen, your gorgeous titties jiggling in his face. His hat perched on top of your pretty head is just as yummyâitâs the cherry on top for him. Watching you makes him want to make you yours; make it so no man, whether in the country or city, can ever have you again.
âHowâs it feel?â he asks, staring up at your pretty face. All you let out is a pathetic whimper that gives him the urge to burst inside of you. âI know it feels good, darlinâ, but I need your words. Tell me how that dick feels.â He begins to rub your clit with his thumb, causing you to let out a loud whine.
âS-soâŚso good!â you gasp, alternating between bouncing and rolling your hips, giving him more and more of that pussy every single time. âYou feel so good, Ace!â
Suddenly feral, the cowboy leans up and swoops you into his arms, pistoning his hips up into yours from below. âTell me Iâm the best youâve ever had,â he pants in your ear, his voice low and tantalizing. âTell me you love it.â
Youâll tell him whatever he wants to hear if it means heâll keep doing this to you. âYouâre the best, Ace!â you sob, gripping his shoulders. âYouâre the fucking best Iâve ever had! I love the way you fuck me!â
Thatâs all it takes for the cowboy to keep fucking you stupid as you grind into him from above. The both of you fuck each other like you need it, the bed shaking and your moans echoing throughout the room. You kiss sloppily and messily, your tongues swirling with one another as your pussy squelches and gushes around his cock.
When your second orgasm comes, all you can do is let out a sob, your nails skating down Aceâs back and skull tattoo. He gets his nut just after you, letting out a loud âOh, fuck!â along with a series of porn-worthy moans as he explodes inside of you. You gasp, feeling a gush of warmth flow into you as you cream all over his cock, your cum sliding down his balls that have completely emptied themselves inside of you.
The high is just as intense and as blissful as the first time, especially since Ace is joining you on this ride this time. You both share an exhausted, messy kiss before he exhaustedly falls back against the pillows, breathing heavily. You roll off him and fall beside him on the bed, his hat still on your head.
For a while, you both lie there in silence, panting heavily from the activity. The only sounds in the room are the birds chirping and the horses neighing outside, giving a very peaceful atmosphere after some good sex. Finally, Ace turns over to look at you. âSo how âbout that dinner date?â he asks.
You burst into laughter and he follows, the both of you in a fit of giggles that feels just as freeing as the sex. âI could use a steak,â you reply once you calm yourself. âMy treat.â Ace makes a face like heâs offended by the very idea. âMy treat,â he corrects you. âYou deserve it for that ride ya just gave me. You certainly knocked my boots.â
He wraps those big arms around you that you happily snuggle into, wrapping your own around him too. You feel so content and safe despite only knowing the man for two days. Maybe this is a sign. âMine too,â you sigh. âOh, and just so you know, Iâm familiar with one of the names tatted on your wrists: Luffy. I know him.â
You watch as realization dawns in Aceâs eyes at the mention of his brother. âOh, yeah?â he asks, excited. âYou know my kid brother?â You nod, giggling. âHeâs told me about you. Said your the brother thatâs a cowboy, but I just forgot.â
He lets out a loud, belly laugh that makes you laugh with him, adoring his childlike personality. âWow, what a small world!â he chuckles. âI guess in a way, maybe we were meant to meet each other.â
Though you wouldnât have admitted it first, you think the same thing. If this blooms into something more, it could work. You could take the train to see him and vice versaâŚif he is interested. It isnât just the sex you enjoy. You also enjoy talking to Ace. You love how he pushes you to try new things and is so in tune with your feelings. Most men arenât, so whoever raised him did it well.
You also think about how great of a plot this would be in a bookâŚand just like that, you have the sudden inspiration to write a new series filled with action, mystery, thrills, romance, and a lot of steamy sex with a cowboy who may or may not be inspired by the one youâre currently curled up with.
You look up at Ace, your muse, dreamboat, and possible summer-fling-to-not, with the same adoring, satisfied smile he gazes down at you with. âSo steak dinner it is then?â he murmurs into your neck.
You nod, snuggling into his shoulder. âAfter round two,â you purr. âAnd a snuggle and showerâŚ.in either order.â You beam up at him, a hunger for him rising in the pit of your stomach. You donât want to waste a minute of this week out in the countryside.
Evidently, neither does Ace judging by his hardening dick against your thigh. He takes your wrist and kisses it before rolling on top of you and grinding himself against your core.
âI can do all of that, little darlinâ,â he murmurs. âYou can even wear my boots this time.â
THE END.
#ace d portgas#ace x black reader#ace x reader#ace x you#my baby daddy fr#one piece smut#one piece x y/n#black fanfic writer#smutty smut#my works#black coded reader#black writers#cowboy!geto
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Hey so I know this isnât the most original idea but could you do a mutual pining Legolas x reader where reader braids his hair without knowing the significance?
For some reason I havenât been able to find any of em recently but it is my absolute favourite thing to read đđ
Softest Touch ~ Legolas x Reader
A/N: that's also my favorite prompt ngl :) Anything that has to do with brading makes my heart melt haha. Btw thank you so so much for requesting <33 I appreciate it a lot :) I really hope you like the story!!
⢠ËËË Warnings: fluff ŕżŕž ⢠ËËË Words: 933 ŕżŕž ⢠ËËË Request: Yes (thank you <33) ŕżŕž ⢠ËËË Meleth Nin ~ My Love ŕżŕž
Summary: After looking at the etheral elven prince, you have the urge to weave your fingers through his silken hair, leading to more than just simple hair braiding.
Sitting on a log in front of the fire, you thank Sam for the soup he just handed you. Taking a spoon full of one of the rare warm dinners you get on your journey, you look at all of the other companions gathered around. Boromir playing around with Pippin and Merry while Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas sat on the log opposite of yours. Your eyes stop at the elven prince for a little too long, fascinated by his beauty. The light of the fire giving him a golden glow making him look even further ethereal than he already was. You noticed your growing fondness for Legolas werenât just friendly feelings towards a companion as he once helped you out with your aim. Since then, it became almost a routine. After dinner, the both of you always decided to go a little further away from the company to practice your aim with the arrows (that you also carve together) and sometimes share a few stories of your past.
Finishing up your soup, you decide to join the other three on the log for a quick chat. Legolas notices you first and gives you a soft smile, before scooting over to make some room for you. Sitting down beside him you notice your close proximity and feel the familiar warmth spread to your cheeks. Looking at his side profile you see his beautiful white hair, which almost seems to glow due to the light source in front of you. The way his hair falls over his back makes it look like the softest of silk and you wish to run your fingers through it. âLegolas, I have been wondering if I could maybe braid your hair?â Gimli spits out his soup while Aragorn lets out a cough. Confused at their reaction about your request you look at them bewildered. Legolas cheeks were dusted in a soft pink as he clears his throat. âThat sounds lovely.â Gimli abruptly stands up and staggers away, followed by Aragorn, who politely excuses himself.
Grinning at him, you stand up from your seat at the log and take your place behind him. Weaving your hands once through his hair you realize how soft it really is. You open the braid by his ear carefully, not to hurt him before deciding on a small herringbone braid. Parting his hair into two sections, you softly start to intertwine the strands together, sometimes accidentally brushing your fingers against his pointy ear. At the soft touch he accidentally lets out a gasp. âAre you alright?â You ask him, worried that you might have hurt him. âYes, donât worry.â Finishing up the braid, you move back in front of him and take a look at his face. A smile graces his lips before he thanks you.
The days have passed and you notice that Gimli, as well as Aragorn, seem to have started to call you âYour Highnessâ as well as âYour Majestyâ. You didnât think much about it, until one night, during your watch. You looked up at the moon, while being perched onto one of the logs in front of the fire that has been put out since a few hours. The sound of footsteps nearing you made you look up at the source. âThe moon is beautiful, isnât it?â Legolas says, before taking a seat beside you. Smiling at him you nod softly. Looking at his side profile, you notice the braid you had done a few days ago, still in tact and untouched. âDo you want me to rebraid your hair for you?â He hums softly at your question, signalling you to redo it once more. Opening the braid, you start weaving through the strands again. âI have a question I would like to ask you.â You mutter from beside him, completely focusing on his hair. âDo you know why Gimli and Aragorn suddenly call me by royal endearments?â
The elven prince chuckles softly before turning towards you after the braid is finished. âWell let me braid your hair and I can explain their behaviour.â Turning around you let Legolas comb his fingers through your hair, before he decides to start braiding on a small section. âYou know, in my culture braiding is a very important and intimate gesture.â He starts, making you blush at his words. âNormally we only braid or let our hair be braided by someone we would like to court.â You gasp softly at the realization that dawns upon you. âI- Iâm sorry I didnât know.â You rasp out, turning around after Legolas is done with his braid. âDoes that mean you donât wish to court me?â He asks, tilting his head slightly. A bright blush creeps up your cheeks before you shake your head. âNo I- I mean yes I do.â You look down at your hands, beginning to play with your fingers.
âI do have feelings for you Legolas. If I would have known that braiding indicates my feelings, I would have just done a better job at braiding your hair.â His laugh makes you look up at him, before he puts his hand on your cheek. âYou now have enough chances to braid my hair Meleth Nin.â His thumb softly brushes against your cheek before he leans in. Meeting him halfway, your lips brush against each other in a soft kiss. Wrapping your hands around his neck you lean even closer towards him. The warmth of his body encasing you, making you feel like this is just a dream. Breaking apart you both smile softly at each other, basking in the moonlight above.
#legolas x reader#legolas x you#legolas x y/n#legolas greenleaf x reader#legolas greenleaf#legolas lotr#the lord of the rings#lotr legolas#lord of the rings#fluff#the lord of the rings fanfiction#lotr fanfic#lotr movies#legolas#lord of the rings fic#lotr#middle earth#lord of the rings legolas#hair braiding#x reader
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â âitâll be our little secret, professorâ
âď¸ - pairing: eris vanserra x reader
âď¸ - summary: you hook up with this delicious older man for one fun night to forget your scummy ex, what do you do when the same man turns out to be your new professor?
âď¸ - warnings: smut, oral (m.receiving), hint of degradation, taboo relationships, student x professor, both are obviously old enough, i just want him so bad GOD
âď¸ - amaraâs note: this is going to be a series where iâll post text threads with prof eris, headcanons, just different things. Iâm planning this series to be about 10 chapters, but I literally have no structure, I just write. also i hope you like this as much as I do. and if you see any mistakes, no you donât
In the corner of the club, everything felt a bit fuzzy. The air was thick with a mix of excitement and different scents. Dim lights created a soft atmosphere, and the distant sounds of the crowd and music blended together. It was like time slowed down, and you were in your own world, just soaking in the low-key vibe of the club corner.
The earlier shots hit you, and now you're in a blissful, relaxed state. All you could focus on were the hands exploring your body, lips locking with yours, and captivating scent surrounding you.
In the heat of the night, you ended up kissing a stranger without a second thought. The risk of being alone with someone unfamiliar did register â you just didn't care. Discovering your boyfriend's cheating after a difficult three-year relationship, marked by numerous breakups and makeups, left you feeling free from a toxic situation.
Now, free from those shackles, you embraced the chance to breathe and have some carefree fun. You had gone out with your friends, planning to originally get black out drunk but you suppose thereâs better ways to cope.
Coming up with the idea of harmless fun, you and Elain came up with new identities for everyone to play out. Providing a random name, you spun a fat lie of being an up-and-coming writer, in the middle of writing your latest novel. Falsely claiming to be older, you described a beautiful house situated on the outskirts of Prythian that you owned. It was all part of a lighthearted game, with no harm intended since you believed you'd never cross paths with the guy again. It was ridiculously easy to bag the man since he didnât tell you anything about himself, only nodding when you talked about yourself.
The attractive stranger had dark copper hair, captivating amber eyes, and stood several inches taller than you. His eyes glistened in mirth mixed with hunger. His muscular build caught your attention, and you found yourself grabbing onto his strong arms.
If his looks didn't captivate you, his mouth certainly did. His wicked tongue unleashed clever comebacks and tantalizing dirty talk that sent shivers down your spine.
The best part? He was older, more mature, more confident and much more good-looking â just so much more than your ex. Comparisons might be wrong, but if you had to choose, the man in front of you was a no-brainer.
Because he wasn't some guy; he was a man who acted like a man, who spoke like a man and touched you like a real fucking man.
The man had been touching and kissing you for what felt like an eternity. You greedily wanted more from him. You didn't want to regret not taking the chance, and almost as if he could sense it, he invited you back to his place.
You nodded, excusing yourself to let your friends know about leaving. Approaching them, you shared your decision to go with him, and Gwyn, Nesta, Em and Elain cheered you on. However, Feyre, always the protective friend, expressed her concern.
âGo get some, but I swear Iâll hunt him down if anything happens, got it? And have your location on.â
Her words, while somewhat playful, held a genuine undertone of worry.
You nodded and promised her youâd be safe before hurriedly made your way outside to the handsome man.
âStill want to come with me, sweet thing?â he asked curiously, making sure it was still something you wanted.
âMm, yeah, still wanna go. Unless you've changed your mind?â Stepping forward, you grabbed the man's tie, pulling it gently as you looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. A playful glint clouded your gaze as you cocked your head to the side, oozing confidence.
He smirked down at you with a wicked glint, clearly showing his mind was nowhere near changed. The man stepped forward, rubbing his clothed cock against your dress, making you feel his hard on through his pants
âDoes it feel like Iâve changed my mind?â
The chemistry you had was unmatched, he was so clever and witty and you wanted to know more about him as he led you to his car, a sleek, black one, indicating money.
Youâd blame your forwardness on the alcohol tomorrow when you remembered how you just blurted out the question.
âHey, you rich or something?â you giggled.
The man opened up the backseat door for you and through the side of his eye gave you an amused smirk.
âOr something.â he teased.
You rolled your eyes, grinning, as you hopped into the backseat, enjoying the warmth of his hands securing your seatbelt and closing the door.
But hold on, the backseat?
Weren't you supposed to sit upfront with him? Before you could ask, he opened the other backseat door and slid in beside you.
Maintaining eye contact, he grinned at your confusion and said, âAlden, please take us home.â A faint "yes sir" was heard, and the car started moving. Shocked, you realized he had a driver â clearly, he was quite wealthy.
You scanned the spacious car, realizing there was more than enough room for the fun activities on your mind. With a screen separating you from the driver, you unbuckled your seatbelt and moved closer, straddling his lap.
His hands instinctively found your hips, guiding your movements over him. Lips on your neck, he left dark marks as your hands ventured lower, reaching his cock, which elicited a groan from him. Your eyes widened as you felt the size of him. The man simply flashed you a subtle smile and raised his eyebrows.
You unbuckled his belt, maintaining eye contact as you carefully watched his face show pleasure as you put your hand down his pants and stroked him. You gave him a few lazy strokes, eventually shuffling off his lap and kneeling infront of him, ready to put your mouth to use.
Time became irrelevant and all that was heard were the sinful, obscene noises mixed with his hisses of pleasure as you sloppily bobbed your head up and down, swirling your tounge around the head, running your finger over the slit.
âFuck yeah, thatâs it. Could use this slutty little mouth forever.â he rasped, hips bucking as his hands went to your hair, slightly pulling on it as you let out a muffled whimper.
Pre cum and spit dripped down your chin, slowly making itâs way to your chest and floor as you pushed your head down further and further, feeling satisfied at his sounds of pleasure.
Once, twice, you grip on the shaft and slap the tip on your tongue before sucking on the sensitive head.
With a quick twitch of his cock, he cums, experiencing euphoria in his buzzed state. He gasps and moans pitifully as his lips twitch between his teeth and his hips buck into your mouth against his better judgement. You pump your hand at the base of his cock where you are unable to fit, swallowing as much of the hot, sticky ropes that coat your mouth as you can. As he pours into you, the walls of your pussy clench around nothing, so badly wishing your were sitting on the cock that was currently on your tongue.
His cum was everywhere - your hair, your face, your tits. He slumped against the seat and moved his eyes down back to you, catching you licking of the sticky residue of your fingers.
Before either of you have a chance to say something, the car slows down to a halt signaling that youâre probably at his place. He tucks himself into his pants and doesnât buckle them before he opens the door and grabs you, throwing you over his shoulder as you laugh. Your mind forgets about the fact that youâre covered in his cum and just blanks when you take a look at his so called house, a mansion or a fucking estate is more like it.
The lengthy driveway opened up to a stunning front yard adorned with red and orange-leaved trees, an unusual scene for the end of summer. A well-lit, ornate fountain with three tiers stood proudly infront of the house, enhancing the beauty of the surroundings. The massive Victorian mansion, with its beautiful windows and overgrown vines stunned you.
He set you down and held your hand as he led you into his room, and it overmet your expectations. Instead of a dark, edgy space, it was spacious with earthy tones and bathed in soft ambient lighting. The room exuded comfort, making you wish to stay longer. His bed, adorned with a large fluffy comforter and a million pillows, looked inviting.
Various trinkets and figurines adorned the room, but what captured your attention was a massive bookcase showcasing your favorite books. Intrigued, you dropped his hand and made your way over. Your eyes widened at seeing a book from your wishlist, yet to be released. Confused, you asked how he had it, and he explained that Sellyn Drake was an old family friend and had gifted it to him.
You decided to tease him about the book, saying, âYou know, I've heard great many things about this book. How about you tell me what it's about? I heard it had some... exciting scenes.â
His eyes met yours, and with a subtle smile, he stepped closer and closer, âHow about I show you instead?â The air seemed to thicken with a hint of tension, leaving you curious and captivated by the possibilities that lingered in his suggestion.
ââ
Your legs trembled as you hastily stood up, determined to make your exit. Having been fucked stupid all night, dawn was approaching, and the new semester was starting tomorrow, leaving you with a load of preparations. You located your dress, bag, and heels, putting the clothes on carefully. Quietly, you ordered a cab to avoid startling the man still asleep. Before leaving, your eyes lingered on his bookshelf. Tiptoeing closer, you took the book you'd eyed the night before and read the teaser on the back. Glancing between him and the book, grabbed it, and silently left his room and house.
ââ
Feyre, Elain, Nesta, Gwyn and Em, your friends and roomates, practically pulled you across campus to grab your schedule and check out the new students filling the cafeteria. The buzz of excited chatter and the aroma of coffee and sweet pastries filled the air as you scanned the room. After a few moments, you parted ways, each heading to your respective classrooms, the anticipation of a new semester buzzing in the atmosphere.
You wandered through the literature building, searching for classroom LE4, the place where Advanced Literature with Professor Beron awaited. Memories of your first year with him being an absolute ass lingered, so you hoped he'd calmed down over the summer, giving everyone a fucking break.
You finally entered the huge lecture hall and climbed the stairs, opting for a seat at the back, hoping to fly under the radar in case Professor Beron was in a bad mood.
A few rows down, you spotted your ex, Ilias, with a new girl on his lap. His sleazy smile and wandering hands were more icky than anything ever. Reflecting on why you ever went back to him so many times, you turned around, focused on bringing out your notebook and computer from your bag. As the doors opened, the click-clack of quality shoes echoed through the hall, accompanied by girly giggles and voices creating a murmur in the background.
A jolt of surprise froze you, and your heart seemed to pause for a moment as his voice unexpectedly filled the room. All your previous movement ceased, and a sudden hush fell over the surroundings, creating an atmosphere charged with unexpected tension. The shock of hearing someone you hoped thought to see again made time momentarily stand still.
âHello. I'm Professor Eris, and I'll be taking over this class. My father used to teach it but has passed away, so I'll be filling his shoes. I anticipate a productive year together. If you doubt your ability to keep up with the rapid pace of this advanced class, I suggest you leave now and spare yourself, as well as me, the trouble.â
Panicking, your eyes scanned the room for any possible escape route. There was just no fucking way you could be in this class when your professor had fucked you against his bookshelf, or when you had his dick shoved down your throat. Sinking in your seat, you desperately opened your computer, using it as a shield, praying he wouldn't notice you. The need to escape intensified, but the fear of drawing attention kept you frozen in your seat.
As dread crept in, he pulled out an attendance list. The sinking feeling deepened as he insisted everyone state why they chose the course. Hiding behind your computer, you debated revealing your presence or attempting to stay under the radar.
"Ilias Smith?"
"Emma Wilson?"
"Jess Lennox?"
"Amanda Gomez?"
Each one confidently declared "here" and delved into passionate remarks about Hemingway, Austen, Kerouac, all the authors that made them choose this course or whatever. Your hands started sweating as Professor Eris called your name. When you hesitated, he repeated it louder, his gaze scanning until it locked onto you.
Anticipating an intense reaction, all you saw was a slight narrowing of his eyes.
âWell? Are you here, Y/N L/N?â
You mumbled a faint "yeah," and when he asked why you were there, your words fumbled, âUh, I suppose because I like books. A huge fan. Yes.â
Your classmates chuckled at your less-than-impressive answers, and you sunk back into your chair, just observing for the rest of the lecture. A few rows ahead, a group of girls giggled, thinking they were discreet as they whispered about Professor Eris. Their discussions about their fantasies sparked a tiny irritation within you.
Like who the hell gossips about someone, so crudely in broad daylight and during a lecture, especially when it's about a professor? It wasn't jealousy, no, no definitely not.
You just found it⌠super unsettling.
ââ
After two suffocating hours, you hastily packed your bag, eager to escape. But just as you were about to disappear, your name echoed in the room.
âMiss L/N, do you mind staying behind? There seems to be a problem with your email,â Professor Eris announced, leaning against his desk with his massive arms crossed. He bid the remaining students goodbye and waited until they all left before locking the doors.
The moment those doors clicked shut, the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically. The tension became so thick you could practically cut it with a knife.
He turned back around and approached you, merely a few inches away, face a mix of amusement and curiosity.
âHello there, little liar. I certainly didnât expect to see you here.â
Your cheeks heated and nervousness filled you at the memory of the depraved moments you'd shared, causing your gaze to involuntarily drop to his chest and wander downward, reliving those sensations.
However any nervousness vanished as you remembered that he was the one who came to your university. If anyone shouldâve been surprised it shouldâve been you. A mischievous smile played on your lips as you toyed with the idea of making his year more challenging. Testing how good of a man he really was became a tempting game.
After all, a man like him wouldn't indulge a student, right?
This could turn into a fun little project to spice up an otherwise dull year.
Lifting your chin up, you looked him square in the eyes as your lips twitched in anticipation.
âI could say the same, Professor Eris. You definitely donât seem like the lecturer type.â
His eyes narrowed at you, jaw clenching as his intense gaze bore into yours. The intensity made you shift a little, almost causing you to lose some of your confidence.
âDo you think you're funny? I believe you understand the situation here. You lied and now you're here of all places. As my student. Well, this is an unexpected twist. One of us will have to quit and report this,â he stated, injecting a hint of playfulness into his serious tone.
Wait, quit? No, you really didn't want him to leave. This could turn into such a nice little distraction, and there was no way you were losing it now. The thought of him leaving added a layer of urgency to the situation, making you quickly reassess the potential consequences.
âCome on, professor. It doesn't have to be like this. I won't tell anyone. And who says we have to stay away from each other? I mean, what the dean doesn't know won't hurt him, right?â you suggested, a sly smile playing on your lips as you flirted with the idea of bending the rules.
Eris looked you up and down before throwing his head back and letting out a hearty laugh. Your brows furrowed as you twisted your lips, wondering if he was laughing at you. Was he not taking you seriously? Despite the uncertainty, the desire to keep playing this game with him intensified.
Eris seemed to notice your mood turning sour and promptly clamped his lips shut.
âI promise, sweet thing, I'm not laughing at you. Iâm just amazed at your boldness.â he assured you with a more serious tone, attempting to dispel any misunderstanding.
âPromise?â
He stepped forward, âCross my heart and hope to die.â
You both knew that under no circumstances should you be doing this. If anyone caught you, there would be hell to pay. Expulsion and blacklisting from any other Ivy League universities for you, and definitely prison or some sort of pesky law thingy for him.
Yet the mere thought of engaging in something so wrong and secretive made your stomach flip, a mix of thrill and anxiety churning within you.
Looking up through your lashes, you blushed, a deep crimson hue spreading across your cheeks as you once again grabbed his tie and pulled him closer.
âI promise I won't tell anyone, professor. It'll be our little secret,âyou whispered, the words laden with a taboo excitement that sent a shiver down your spine.
A wicked gleam flashed in Eris's eyes, and a subtle smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.
âWell then, miss L/N,âhe whispered, his voice low and conspiratorial. âLet's see just how well we can keep our little secret.â
#talkswithamara#acotar#acotar x reader#a court of thorns and roses#acotar imagine#eris#professor eris#i need eris so bad rn yâall iâm not joking#eris acosf#eris vanserra acotar#eris vanserra x reader#eris vanserra#eris acotar#eris x reader#professor eris vanserra#student x professor#professor x reader#tabooromance#nesta archeron#feyre cursebreaker#feyre archeron#elain archeron#emerie#gwyneth berdara#feyre archeron x reader#nesta x reader#elain x reader#azriel x reader#rhys x reader#cassian x reader
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Yearling - Ch. 36: Severed
Joel, Tommy and Ellie search for you. A continuation of Yearling ch. 1-35 found on Tumblr here.
I'm sorry I couldn't resist.
Pairing:Â Joel Miller x Female Reader
Warnings: Canon-typical violence and a step beyond. Torture. Mention of past sexual assault (not described). No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ OnlyÂ
Length:Â 8.2k
A/N: I want to state, real quick, that Bambi is NOT going to be sexually assaulted again. This is a highly triggering subject and, given the situation she's in, I understand if folks are bracing for it. That's not going to happen. The threat of it is there but it's not going to happen.
We are into the final arc of Yearling and we are going to see some TLOU 2 OVERLAP again. There isn't any this chapter but there will be in this arc and here's how: a character from that game will be mentioned as will the spoiler-y incident from a few chapters ago. What happens plot wise in this arc is completely separate from the game and entirely original content BUT there is that character overlap and more specific mentions of the incident and the motives behind it. This character returns NEXT CHAPTER. If you're trying to go in blind to season 2, it might be wise to step back. Feel free to send me a DM, I'm happy to answer any and all questions!
AO3Â |Â Chapter One | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Joel had rarely paid much mind to how long it took to get out of Jackson before.Â
âTommy,â Maria was stalking after her husband as he, Joel and Ellie headed for the stable. âBe reasonable, you canât just take offâŚâÂ
âSorry, babe, but I canât just sit here and let âem have a piece of her,â Tommy said as they went to the stable. There were the two horses Tommy and Joel had just returned on, the three that had carried the kids back, and some horses youâd been working with. Youâd been telling Joel about their progress, how one was nearing well broke and you wanted him to go with you to the shooting range with her soon to get her accustomed to the sound of gunfire.Â
âDo you have some kind of death wish you havenât bothered to tell me about?â Maria planted herself in front of her husband, her arms crossed, defiant. âYou have responsibilities here, Tommy! People who depend on you, people like me and our fucking son! You donât get to just take off at your brotherâs command anymore!âÂ
Joel stiffened at that. He and Maria had gotten to a good place in their relationship over the years, her moving past the thought that heâd been the driving force behind all her husbandâs misdeeds. Theyâd settled into a mutual respect and eventual affection since heâd come to Jackson, Maria seeming to appreciate what he did for the community and the way he loved her son and Joel admiring her leadership and the way she was a partner to his little brother. He thought they were past this.Â
Maybe he was wrong.Â
Tommy took his wifeâs shoulders in his hands, his thumbs rubbing little circles against her.Â
âIf it were you, heâd be going with me,â he said gently. âThatâs my baby sister out there, Maria. Canât live with myself if something happens to her and I didnât do everything I can to stop it. Iâm goinâ. You can either help and hope we get back soon or you can be pissed while Iâm gone but Iâm goinâ, you canât stop me.âÂ
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and went and stood beside Joel, looking over the horses.Â
âWhatâs better,â he asked. âTired mounts or ones that might spook?âÂ
Joel looked at his brother for a moment, thankful that he had him to rely on, and ground his teeth. He didnât know the answer.Â
âTheyâre on foot,â Ellie said, joining them. âTired is probably better, weâre still going to catch them. But I donât expect this to be quiet and if weâre on horses that spook, wellâŚâÂ
Joel gave her a stiff nod and went to get the horses ready to leave. He was moving as quickly as he could but it felt slow, everything felt so slow. It felt like he should be running, pushing himself to the brink so he could reach you sooner. Every second you were away from him hurt. It was worse than when youâd left Jackson to search for Savvy in the blizzard. That had been bad enough but at least then he could believe that you were in one piece, that you could take care of yourself.Â
That wasnât the case now. He knew you werenât safe. He knew you werenât OK. He knew heâd vowed to protect you, the night the two of you made promises to each other in his bed he had sworn to keep you safe and never let anything happen to you.Â
Heâd failed at that.Â
Heâd failed and now he was here, doing what he had to do to make sure he could reach you. It just didnât feel like enough. Nothing would, not until he held you again.Â
Tommy and Maria talked in low, harsh voices until they had things situated. Food, water, ammunition, medical kit.
âTommy,â Joel said, jerking his head toward the horses, voice sharper than heâd meant it to be. His brother jogged over to him, taking the reins of his horse from him.Â
âThe guys who brought the kids back are going to wait here until a few more crews come in,â Tommy said. âThen theyâre coming out after us. We can mark a path. With fresher horses, theyâll catch us quick.âÂ
Joel nodded stiffly and the three of them led their horses to the gate, Maria following with her arms crossed over her stomach. In another situation, Joel would have taken the time to talk with her and reassure her. He didnât have the luxury of time now.Â
He mounted up as the gates opened, Ellie and Tommy following suit, the three of them riding through the gate the moment there was room.Â
âJoel!â Maria called after a moment. He looked back at her. âBring my husband home.âÂ
He watched her for a moment, at the fear on her face and in her wide eyes, a mirror of what he was feeling now. But she was still letting him go. He wasnât sure he could do the same in her position.
âI will.â
 Ellie took the lead, pointing out the spot in the fence where kids left town. Joel ground his teeth and resisted the urge to yell yet again. What good would it do? What was done was done and this lesson was one he doubted Ellie would forget. She didnât need to be taught it again.
They rode for nearly two hours when they came upon a small clearing and Ellie jumped off her horse before it had even come to a stop.Â
âWe were here,â she said, looking around, almost panicky. âWe were here, I know we were, they had us behind that treeâŚâÂ
She ran over to it, walking around it until Joel couldnât see her anymore.Â
âEllie!â He called. He couldnât have her out of sight, not right now.Â
âI was right,â she called back, coming around the tree. âI took a chunk of bark off of it, this is where we were but theyâre gone, completely fucking gone, I donâtâŚâÂ
Joel was less surprised than Ellie.Â
âThey werenât about to sit and wait for us to find âem,â he said. âWe need to track âem. Weâll find them.âÂ
He, Tommy and Ellie circled the clearing on foot, looking for signs of a trail. It didnât take them long to find one. Unfortunately, they found more than one.Â
âThe fuckers split up,â Tommy kicked a plant in frustration. âAny way to tell which group had her?âÂ
âSmaller boot prints, maybe,â Joel said, looking closely at the ground.Â
âBut there were other women,â Ellie said. Joelâs head snapped toward her. âThey had a few women. I didnât talk to them but⌠She wouldnât be the only one.âÂ
âWe canât split up,â Tommy said. âItâs too goddamn risky, there are too fuckinâ many of âem, we have to stick togetherâŚâÂ
Joel nodded, trying to think. He tried to keep his shit together but he could feel it happening, the panic setting into his bones. He could hear the blood in his ears, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He was having a hard time taking a full breath, his head spun. He reached out, his hand finding a tree trunk, giving him something to root him to the ground.Â
âJoel?â Ellieâs hand appeared at his back. âHey, you canât die on us right now, we have to get her back, you canât do this now, you gotta keep it together, you hear me?âÂ
He nodded quickly, closing his eyes for a moment. His mind scrambled for something - anything - to hold him here, something to make him push past the fear and do what he had to do.Â
He thought of you.Â
He thought of the first time heâd felt your body against him, on the back of a horse in the snow-covered forest. The first time heâd held you because you wanted him to, how youâd sought comfort in him. The first time heâd kissed you, how your lips had fit softly against his, the quick little breaths youâd made, the way youâd felt so close to him. The first time heâd touched you as his wife, how your body was so familiar to him but was brand new, too, with this new context. You were his, he was yours and he needed to keep himself together long enough to get you home.Â
He took a deep, shaky breath.Â
âWe follow one trail,â he said. âWe either find her or we find the people at the end of it. If she ainât with âem, we get âem to tell us where she is.âÂ
âYou really think theyâre just going to, what, tell you whatever you want to know?â Ellie gaped at him. âTheyâre not going to just answer your fucking questions, Joel!â
âWasnât planninâ on askinâ nice,â Joel said, stalking back toward the horses. âWe follow the middle track. See where it leads.âÂ
Joel knew he should feel some kind of shame about what he was about to do. What he wanted to do, how he wanted to hurt them. Heâd never told Ellie the finer points of what he and Tommy used to do - still did, when the need arose. Heâd never told her what he did to find her when David had her and he was desperate. She knew he used to kill people, he thought she had some idea of just what that entailed but heâd protected her from the worst of it, the most shameful parts.Â
Now, he was hungry for it. If he were a dog, heâd be salivating for it, aching to get his jaws around the throat of the man who had taken you from him. He didnât want to just kill him, that wasnât enough. It hadnât been enough the year before when heâd sent him away from Jackson and it wasnât enough now when he was doing who knows what to you. He was going to enjoy pulling him apart, piece by fucking piece. He almost hoped that Cody wasnât with the men they were tracking, that heâd find you and have the chance to take every ounce of pain from them before finding Cody and taking it from him, too. He couldnât even regret the drive to do it or the fact that he knew he could do it and do it well. His only concern, after finding you, was exposing Ellie to that.Â
But they lived in a harsh world. Maybe it was good for her to know the harsher parts of it.Â
Joel led the way, slower going now that they were beyond where Ellie knew the group to be. They were carefully tracking a group of what looked like seven people - including two women - for hours. It was dusk when Tommy noticed the signs of people first, giving a low whistle that sounded something like a bird. Joel looked over his shoulder and Tommy nodded toward a patch of sky he could see through the trees. Joel looked up. There was smoke.Â
He dismounted and tied his horse off, Ellie and Tommy doing the same, before the three of them prowled, quiet and slow, toward the smoke. It wasnât long before they could smell it, hear the quiet laughs of men. Joel tightened his jaw and his grip on his gun. His heart raced.Â
The group they came upon largely had their guard down. Joel spotted someone through the trees, beyond the fire, looking like they were patrolling. Otherwise, they werenât paying any attention. Joel gestured to Tommy and Ellie, sending them behind larger trees, Joel going to one himself. He peered around the thick trunk to find them there, make sure these werenât just innocents passing through and seeing if he could catch a glimpse of you.Â
But they werenât innocents, a woman with her hands bound sitting beside one of the men at the fire, another one - also tied - with her back against a tree. There was no sign of you or Cody.Â
Tommy met Joelâs gaze, his face set and determined. Joel gave him a stiff nod before turning to Ellie, her own expression hardened with barely controlled rage. She didnât even look at Joel, too busy watching the men around the tree.Â
Joel took a deep breath and raised his gun, stepping around the tree and firing, catching the man with his back to them in his head. He fell forward with a thud.Â
There was a moment of stunned silence, the only sound birds fleeing the crack of the gun. Then, it was chaos, the men scrambling for weapons. One of the women screamed.Â
âNeed two alive!â Joel yelled to his brother and daughter, pressing closer and firing again, felling another man.Â
Tommy shot next, a third man going down. A bullet whizzed past Joelâs head, close enough that he felt the heat of it on his skin, the shot clipping his ear. He ignored the sharp pain of it, watching as the shot Ellie got off dropped a fourth man. The fact that theyâd caught the men when theyâd stopped for the night was to their advantage. They were clearly used to traveling in a larger group and running unchallenged, only watching for infected who often made themselves known with crackling breaths, the sound of crunching through the brush and sharp clicks. They werenât expecting a small group to come in, guns blazing. They were slow getting their weapons, rifles on the ground and out of reach, making picking them off like shooting fish in a barrel. Joel shot the man on watch as he came running toward the fire, his gun raised and aimed at Joel.Â
Tommy charged forward and grabbed a man who was just getting to his feet, his back toward the three of them. He was just raising his gun when Tommy swung the butt of his rifle at his head, catching the man in the temple and knocking him off balance. He took advantage of the moment and ripped the weapon out of the manâs hands, casting it aside before shoving him to the ground and putting his boot in his chest. Tommy leveled his rifle at his head, holding the man in place.Â
âGot one!â He yelled to Joel.Â
There were two men left standing now, one reaching for a gun. Ellie shot him in the shoulder before Joel got a chance to react, sending him sprawling on the ground. The other was smarter. He grabbed the nearest woman and pulled her in front of him as she screamed, pressing a gun to her head, his eyes darting between Joel and Ellie.Â
âKeep coming and I kill âer,â he panted.Â
âJoel,â Ellieâs eyes darted toward him. âWhat do we do?âÂ
âLet me go,â the man said, the woman in his grip trembling. âHim too, and I leave her alive.âÂ
Joel didnât have time for this. He moved quickly, raising his gun and firing, hitting the man in the middle of his forehead. The woman screamed again, covered in his blood and stumbling forward as his body went limp on of her.Â
âShit,â Ellie lowered her gun, looking at Joel. âI thought we needed two.âÂ
âThink we got two,â he stalked over to the man Ellie had hit in the shoulder. He was whimpering on the ground, clutching the hole that was gushing blood.Â
âPlease,â he said, eyes wide. Joel ignored him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and dragging him to the man Tommy still had at gun point. He dropped the man there with a pained groan and he looked to the women, the one who had been a hostage sitting up next to the body of the man whoâd had her.Â
âCâmere,â Joel said. They looked at each other quickly but stayed still. Joel, again, resisted the urge to yell. He didnât have time for this. âEllie, cut âem loose, tell âem how to get to Jackson if they want. Give âem whatever they need. See what they know.â
Joel turned his attention back to the man on the ground, going down on one knee beside him. He grabbed his hair in his fist, forcing his eyes to meet his own.Â
âYouâre gonna tell me what I wanna know,â Joel said. âAnd youâre gonna do it quick. Understand?âÂ
âWhy would we tell you a goddamn thing?â The man below Tommy asked, watching Joel. His words were quick, panicky. Joel looked back at him for a moment before he ripped the injured manâs hand away from his wound with one hand and thrust his thumb inside the bullet hole, pressing up into the tendon below his skin. The man thrashed and screamed, the shrill sound sharp and cutting. Joel left his thumb jammed inside him until the other man spoke again, his eyes wide. âFuck, OK! OK! What do you want to know, weâll tell you! Weâll tell you, please!âÂ
Joel pulled his thumb free of the manâs body and wiped the blood on a clean spot on his shirt, turning his full attention back to the man below him.Â
âShould get one thing straight now,â Joel said. His voice was flat. âI donât mind hurtinâ you. In fact, I like it. Like gettinâ justice for everything youâve done wrong in this life. I can promise youâve done a lot wrong and I can promise I can make you pay for every goddamn ounce of it in blood. I know how to make it last. But Iâm in a hurry and I want this over quick. Itâs in your best interest to give me what I want. Got it?âÂ
The man gave a shaky nod.Â
âYour boss has got my wife,â Joel said. âYou split up. I need to know where heâs takinâ her.âÂ
âHe gave us a meet up point,â he said, voice shaking. âWe were afraid of someone coming after her, he had us split up, heâs got her not us, I swearâŚâÂ
Joel ground his teeth.Â
âWhere.âÂ
âI donât know where heâs taking her,â he said quickly. âI know where weâre supposed to meet him tomorrow, thatâs all! I swear, I donât know where heâs going.âÂ
Joel thrust his thumb inside the gunshot wound again, plunging it deeper, pulling harder at the structure of him as he screamed and writhed.Â
âNo, stop!â The man below Tommy begged. âWe donât know, we donât know! We just know he was taking her to trade, thatâs all we know!âÂ
Joel froze before pulling his thumb from his body. He grabbed the manâs hair again, forcing him to look at him.Â
âTrade?â His heart was pounding. âTrade for what.âÂ
âTerritory,â the man panted. âPlease, thereâs a guy who wants âer, promised us territory if we got her for him, thatâs all I know. He was going to try and meet with him, see if they can cut a deal. If he couldnât find him or couldnât get what he wanted, heâs meeting us in the morning.âÂ
Joel looked to Tommy, his face hard. Tommy just gave him a nod. It seemed like the truth. Joel turned back to the man.Â
âYouâre gonna tell me where the rendezvous point is,â he said. âAnd youâre gonna keep it real quiet and then weâre gonna ask your friend the same question and heâd better say the same place as you. Got it?âÂ
Joel leaned in close, the rattle of the manâs pained breaths hot and wet on his ear.Â
âNorth, ten miles,â he said. âWhere the rivers meet.âÂ
Joel sat back from him and looked to the other man.Â
âNow you,â he said. âBetter say the same damn thing as your fuckinâ friend.âÂ
The manâs eyes darted toward Tommy, who pressed the gun closer.Â
âDonât look at me,â Tommy said. âI ainât savinâ ya. You wanted to live? Shouldnât have taken my brotherâs girl. Answer the question.âÂ
âNorth of here,â he said, looking back to Joel. âSaid theyâd be there in the morning, we were just stopping to rest for a bit, thatâs allâŚâÂ
âWhere north of here.âÂ
The manâs eyes darted to his friend before looking back at Joel.Â
âTen miles or so,â he said. âThereâs a spot where two rivers meetâŚâÂ
Joel nodded slowly and looked to Tommy before getting his knife out.Â
âNo,â the man below him shook his head. âNo, I told you what you wanted to know, I didnât lie, it was the truth I swear it was the truth!âÂ
âOh, I know it was,â Joel said, adjusting his grip on the knife. âBut you took my daughters, took my wife. Not about to just let you live.âÂ
He thrust the knife into the manâs stomach and he gasped, his eyes and mouth gaping wide in a silent scream. Joel angled the blade up, forcing it towards his lungs before twisting it and pulling it free with a harsh tear. He wiped the weapon on the manâs pants before getting to his feet, watching as he tried to hold himself together, not able to take a full breath. Heâd drown in his own blood before too long and Joel wanted to watch him do it. This man had taken everything from him. He was owed his suffering.Â
âJoel,â Tommy said, nodding down at the remaining man at the end of his gun, one who was clearly about to make a run for it. He knew he was done for, he was desperate. âWhat are we doinâ?âÂ
âShoot âim,â Joel said. âNot worth the risk.âÂ
Tommy obeyed, the man dead even had a chance to flinch. Joel went back to watching the the first man gasp and gargle, fighting to breathe and failing. He should feel something, he knew that. He should feel guilt or some kind of pity. He didnât. He barely even felt satisfaction. You were gone. He was hollow of everything beyond pain and fear and rage.Â
âJoel,â Ellieâs voice was quiet behind him. He turned to face her, her eyes wide as she looked between him and the dying man. Heâd almost forgotten she was there.Â
âGet the women out?â Joel asked, shifting instinctively to block her view of the man suffering at his feet. She peered around him, anyway.Â
âYeah,â she said. âThey didnât know anything. Gave them directions back to Jackson and some guns from these assholes. I donât know that theyâll end up there butâŚâÂ
She looked at the man again for a long moment before looking up at Joel.Â
âDid you get an answer?â She asked. âDo we know where Mom is?âÂ
His chest got tight, hearing Ellie call you that, knowing that he shared children with you and you were gone.Â
âWe know where Codyâs headed,â Joel said. âLetâs get what we can from here and head out.âÂ
The three of them took ammunition and weapons and food from the dead before mounting up, Joel taking the lead again.Â
It only took a few hours to reach the place the men indicated. The group had stopped here before, Joel could tell. There were signs of fire pits, places where fallen logs had been dragged over for places to sit, cleared brush.Â
âWhat do we do now?â Ellie asked.Â
âWe wait,â Joel said, not happy about his answer. How was he supposed to just sit here when you were out there, with them? But he didnât have another choice.Â
They got the horses settled and found places to watch and wait where they should see people coming and have the advantage. Joel settled in, Ellie sitting beside him while Tommy kept watch.Â
âWhereâd you learn how to do that?â She asked eventually, quietly into the dark.Â
âDo what,â he asked, even though he knew.Â
âHurt someone like that,â she said. âMake them give you information.âÂ
Joel was quiet for a moment, twisting his wedding band over and over on his finger.Â
âYou know some of what me ân Tommy did after the outbreak,â he said. âDid some of that, too.âÂ
She nodded slowly.
âYou never talk about it.â
Joel shrugged. The sound of crickets seemed loud, louder than they should be.Â
âNot exactly somethinâ Iâm proud of, baby girl.â
âBut itâs useful,â she said pointedly.Â
He sighed.Â
âIâve used it a few times since, when itâs important,â he said. âWhen itâs to protect you or her. Itâs not somethinâ thatâs good to know how to do.âÂ
âI want to know how to protect people, too,â she said, her voice dark. âI have shit to protect, too, Dad. I want to know how.âÂ
Joel sighed, looking over at her, the outline of her barely visible in the light of the moon as it filtered down through the trees.Â
He wanted to tell her that she didnât need to know this stuff. That he would always be there to look after her, to do these ugly things that needed doing. But he knew that wasnât true.Â
Heâd doomed her to this life, in a way. One where she wanted to know how to pull answers out of someone with pain, how to turn the love you carried for the most important people in the world into a deadly weapon. There was no other way to be in this reality, one with infected and raiders and the last gasp of human kind struggling to continue on. If heâd left the doctor alive, at least, maybe things would be different. Maybe heâd have succeeded without Ellie, maybe the world would have been better for her eventually.Â
But he would have come after her and there was no point in fixing the world if it had to continue on without her in it. Good, bad, indifferent, there was no point to any of it if the price was her life. Hers or yours or Savvyâs, the three of you were all that mattered. And he liked knowing he had skills he could fall back on if he needed them.Â
âWeâll take care of what needs doinâ now,â Joel said. âThen we can talk.âÂ
The three of them took turns keeping watch. Joel wasnât able to sleep. Instead, he thought of you. How heâd had to coax you into life in Jackson, how youâd come to find your place there, how youâd chosen to do all that with him at your side.Â
There was a lot in this life he knew he didnât deserve. Heâd never deserved Sarah, that was for damn sure. The world hadnât deserved her, either. Heâd squandered the gift that was her existence, let her down when sheâd needed him the most and heâd bourn that weight the rest of his life. He didnât deserve Ellie, either. He certainly didnât deserve you, something so strong but soft, vibrant but centering. You were meant for something more than him but youâd chosen him, anyway. He remembered when your fingers first brushed his, when he first heard you play guitar, when he first saw how you loved his daughter like she was your own. He wasnât sure how he was meant to keep going if he didnât get you back. What would be the point? Ellie was grown now. Savvy had survived all on her own for years and Ellie had taken her under her wing. They didnât need him. But he needed you.Â
Dawn was just beginning on the horizon when Joel heard it, the sound of people coming in from the north. He roused Ellie and Tommy and the three of them stood, lying in wait amongst the trees, rifles at the ready.Â
Joel wanted to come out guns blazing but then he saw Cody, riding on horseback with just two other men.Â
They werenât outnumbered. You werenât with them.Â
Joel readied to step out from the trees, rifle raised.Â
âJoel,â Tommy hissed.
âGo around the side,â he said, voice low. âKill the others. But heâs mine.âÂ
He moved from behind shelter then, weapon leveled at Codyâs chest.
âCody!â Joel called, watching as the menâs heads all whipped around to focus on him, scrambling for rifles. âYou have whatâs mine.âÂ
Cody lifted a hand to his henchmen and they lowered their weapons as he smirked at Joel.Â
âThink she was mine before she was yours,â he sneered. âSeems to me I just took back what got away.âÂ
âWhere is she,â Joel said, prowling closer, straining to keep his voice calm.Â
âBack where she belongs,â he said, fishing in his pocket for something. He found it, pulling it out, unwrapping it from a kerchief and throwing it onto the leaves at Joelâs feet. âBut you can have the part of her you laid claim to.âÂ
Joel looked down and his vision narrowed to a sharp, bloody point. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, the soreness of his legs and back and the pain at his ear that had been nagging at him suddenly gone. His hands shook as he dropped the rifle and lowered himself, slowly, to the ground. Lying there were two fingers. Your fingers. The wedding band that had been there since Joel had slipped it onto you was bloody, ragged flesh dangling from the ring heâd made you.Â
Something inside of Joel snapped then. It was a sharp, clean break, one that he could he could feel deep at the core of him. A severing of his humanity, a setting aside of the things that made him who he was. The love he held for his family, the care he had for the place he called home, the remaining parts of him that were gentle and good - those things were closed to him now. Joel Miller had been called monster many times in his life but he knew heâd never become one. Not truly. He knew it because this had always been there, lurking below the surface, brought forward when he needed it most but always controlled, always contained. It wasnât contained now. It couldnât be.Â
Joel left the gun on the ground, gently picking up your fingers - sticky and cool - and putting them delicately in his pocket before getting to his feet.
âThought about sending you back with her whole hand but,â Cody shrugged. âMitchum has use for it. Nothing she canât do down a few fingers, though.âÂ
Joel didnât even see Ellie and Tommy getting into position when he roared and lunged for Cody, ready to kill him with his bare hands.Â
***
The Day BeforeÂ
âMove.âÂ
You glared at Cody, your wrists chained in front of you.Â
âNot telling you again,â he said. âTheyâre still close enough, we could run âem down if you want to try me.âÂ
Your stomach got tight.Â
âFine,â you said. âLetâs go.âÂ
He split his men into three groups, hauling the man youâd killed to the brush and leaving his body behind. There were three women you hadnât seen yet, one going with one of the groups, two with another. You didnât get a chance to say anything to either of them, just sharing a look of desperation before you were led away.Â
âYouâre going to regret this,â you said as he shoved you forward.Â
âWhy, because youâre fucking guard dog is going to run me down?â He sneered. âThink weâll handle him just fine. Besides, by the time he finds us, youâll be long gone.âÂ
You followed his command, trudging through the forest and trying to find some way to leave a trail to follow. Joel would come for you. It would likely be hours yet before he was back from patrol, hopefully long after Ellie and Savvy made it back to town. You knew heâd come looking for you the moment he discovered you were gone, that heâd do anything to get to you. You just needed to make sure he could find you and that you were in one piece when he did.Â
âWhy are you doing this?â You asked once youâd been walking for hours, looking at Cody. âYou said you knew it was wrong, you helped me. Now youâre doinâ this? Takinâ me and other women?â
âLetâs just say I learned my lesson with you, Doll,â he said. âCould try to be a âgoodâ man all I wanted, try to do the ârightâ thing but it wouldnât get me anywhere. Not like thereâs much left here to live for, right? I should just take what I want while I can, no one is going to give it to me, even if I deserve it.âÂ
âDeserve it?â You stopped and turned to face him. âYou think you deserved something from me? You held me prisoner, you fucking raped me, youâŚâÂ
His backhand caught you off guard, sending you sprawling to the ground, unable to catch yourself with your bound hands. He stood astride over you, grabbing your face sharply and forcing you to look at him.Â
âDonât fucking call it that,â he hissed. âThatâs not what it was.âÂ
You spat in his face.Â
âFuck you.âÂ
He squared his jaw, like he was considering doing something more to you before he straightened, wiping your spit from his cheek.Â
âGet her up,â he said. âWeâll stop here for a bit, take a break. Make her take a piss, get her cleaned up a little. Maybe weâll have some fun before we hand her over.âÂ
You hoped the fear didnât show on your face, that the way your stomach dropped and heart stuttered wasnât obvious.Â
Itâs not like you didnât know, consciously, what this was all leading to, what you were going back to. Youâd been there for long enough before, you knew what it was and what this meant.Â
But you werenât sure you could survive it again. It had nearly killed you before. If you hadnât escaped when you had, you werenât sure how much longer you would have really lasted living that way and now you were going back to it. It would be worth it to protect your children but the fear of it was still there, the claws of it sharp and harsh inside you.Â
Cody smirked.Â
âMaybe Iâll show you just how nice I was before,â he said. âShow you what you took for-granted.âÂ
Two men pulled you roughly to your feet and shoved you into the trees, off the trail youâd been walking. Your chest got tight and your stomach turned and you found yourself flexing your fingers, clenching and unclenching your hands into fists as you tried to focus. Your vision threatened to narrow but you forced yourself to see beyond your own body, think beyond the fact that your lungs couldnât seem to fill and your head was getting light.Â
The men pushed you for a few minutes away from the rest, toward a stream. One stayed further back, watching the forest for signs of infected or someone who might come to take you.Â
âAlright,â the other said, nodding to you. âYou heard âim. Piss, get cleaned up.âÂ
âYou think Iâm gonna just do that with you watching?â You sneered, brows raised.Â
He stalked forward, drawing his gun and pressing it to your chin.Â
âYou really think I wonât blow your goddamn head off?â He asked, his breath reeking of rot and liquor.Â
âNo,â you smirked back. âYour boss has you by the balls. You canât do shit to me.âÂ
He stepped back and you saw the strike coming that time, dodging it enough that he caught your cheekbone more than your chin and you stayed standing.Â
âI can do that,â he snapped. âAnd Iâll do it again.âÂ
âGo ahead,â you said. âBecause youâre a little bitch. Iâve had good sex that hurt worse than that.âÂ
He bared his teeth and he went for you again.Â
But he was stupid and big and slow and you knew where he was going to be now. You dodged him, not fully thinking and with no real plan. He stumbled where youâd been standing and you stepped behind him, looping your arms around his neck and pulling back so the chain constricted on his throat.Â
He choked and gasped, dropping his gun on instinct as he clawed at your arms, trying rip himself free and trying to make a sound but you were pulling too hard, the other man too far to hear or see what was happening.Â
The weight of him thrashing against you sent you off balance and you fell, taking him down with you, his body heavy on top of yours. But you didnât give in, keeping the chain tight over his throat as he kicked and flailed. You held it there until he went limp and you released him, shoving his body off yourself and panting for breath as you did. You didnât have time to get the feeling back in your body or to ease the panic, though. It was sheer fucking luck the other man who was standing just out of sight hadnât heard something and you had to take care of this now.Â
You found the gun where the man youâd killed - thought youâd killed, at least, you werenât about to risk shooting him - had dropped it and took a guess at what direction to run in.Â
You didnât make it far.Â
âHey!â You heard the crush of leaves, someone moving for you. âFuck, sheâs running!âÂ
You turned and shot, the first bullet going wide as your hands shook but you were able to keep it together enough to get off another shot, this one hitting him square in the chest and he dropped like a stone.Â
You kept running.Â
You werenât sure how long you ran for when you heard them, the men closing in on you. You couldnât afford to look back and take the time to shoot, you had to keep moving, even as the sound pressed closer and your head was swimming. And then a hand closed on the collar of your shirt - Joelâs shirt - and ripped you back and down. You twisted on the ground, trying to aim the gun but it was kicked away from you.Â
âYouâre gonna regret that you little bitch,â the man panted over you. âWe couldâve made this easy on you. We ainât now.âÂ
He hauled you to your feet by your bound hands and forced you back to where the group had stopped, finding the two other men who had been sent after you on the way. Cody was standing where youâd stopped before, a small fire built on a patch of dirt in the middle of the trail.Â
âYou really think that was the smartest thing you could have done?â He asked, his voice almost eerily calm.Â
âDid you really think I was just gonna let you hand me over?â You replied. âThat Iâd just go quietly into being a prisoner?âÂ
âI guess thatâs why Mitchumâs so obsessed with you, isnât it?â He asked, prowling closer. You wanted to shrink away but you couldnât, not with the man at your back. âBecause you just keep that fight in you. You didnât give up like the others and heâs a man who likes a little fight.âÂ
He nodded toward the stump of a tree and the man at your back shoved you to it, forcing you to your knees beside it.Â
âThing is,â Cody said, pulling his knife free of its sheath at his belt. âYou donât need to be⌠intact for the shit he likes best about you.âÂ
Your eyes darted. You were surrounded, there was nowhere you could go and nothing you could reach.Â
âDonât be too worried about it,â he continued, kneeling on the other side of the stump. âThink heâd be pretty pissed if we took your whole hand, for example. But I donât think heâll miss a few fingers.âÂ
Your heart raced, the blood pounding in your ears.Â
âThat a risk you want to take?â You fought to keep your voice calm as you clutched your hands tightly to your body. âYou really want to go through all this trouble for nothing?âÂ
He shrugged.Â
âThink weâll be fine.âÂ
The man at your back took your wrist in his grasp and shoved your arms down to the jagged wood of the stump, your hands clenched in tight fists. Cody took your left one and pulled at your fingers, trying to pry it open as you grimaced and fought him on it. After a moment, he gave up.Â
âFine,â he said. âDonât want to cooperate?âÂ
He took the knife and slammed it through your forearm, on the side of it so it missed bone, making you scream as the blade went through the muscle and skin and into the wood on the other side. Your hand went limp on instinct and Cody spread your fingers with one hand, holding the other out. Another man handed him a knife and he lined it up with the base of your ring and pinky finger, smirking a little as he did.Â
âWould you look at that,â he traced your wedding band and you tried to look at your hand through the blur of pain and tears. âThe feral woman got hitched. You marry that animal of yours, that it?���Â
You considered begging. If you thought it had even a chance at working, youâd have done it. But it didnât.
âFuck you,â you said instead.Â
âThink thisâll make for a nice keepsake of you, if he ever comes looking,â he said, pressing the knife in just enough that you could feel it, even through the pain of the blade still lodged in your arm. âWedding ring wonât mean much where youâre going, anyway.âÂ
He started cutting then, the automatic response your body had to pull away ripping and tearing against the knife holding you to the wood. You couldnât look away from it, even though what little there was in your stomach was threatening to come up and the pain had deafened all the sound around you. You werenât sure if you were screaming or not but you couldnât breathe and couldnât think as you watched part of your body be cut away.Â
Cody finished, wiping the knife on your shirt - Joelâs shirt - before passing it back to one of his men. He held your bloody, jagged fingers up, turning them slowly in front of his face. You could hear again, the ragged sound of your breath and the rustle of leaves on the trees, the breeze moving through as though you werenât being dismantled on the forest floor.Â
âThink your guard dog will even still want you now?â He asked, holding them in front of you. Your blood dropped from them onto the sleeve of the shirt. âNot sure heâll be interested in such⌠damaged goods.âÂ
You stared at the fingers in his grip in disbelief. It didnât seem real, the things youâd used to play guitar and grip the reins of your horse and hold your husbandâs hand were separate from you now. You remembered, for a moment, marrying Joel. The clarity of it was almost visceral, how heâd taken the ring that was now slick with your blood and slipped it onto the finger that was dangling before your eyes. It was a part of you then. It wasnât now.Â
Cody held his empty hand out and the man heâd given the knife to returned it.Â
âNo,â you shook your head, your voice wet and raspy. âPlease, IâŚâÂ
âNot taking anything else,â he said, his tone almost kind. âJust going to make sure you donât bleed out on us.âÂ
With that, he pressed the blade to the place heâd cut part of you away and you screamed, the metal scalding hot. You realized they must have put it in the fire, using the heat to cauterize the wound. Without warning, one of the men pulled the knife that was still in your arm free and the heated blade moved there, too. You could smell your skin burning, the man at your back holding you still as your body fought to escape the pain of it. They moved you around like a rag doll, cauterizing the other side of your arm, too, before stepping back from you.Â
âThere,â Cody stood, handing the knife off and taking a kerchief from his pocket, wrapping your bloody fingers in it before stashing them away. âNow you should know Iâm not fucking around. Get up. Weâve wasted enough time on this shit and Mitchum wonât wait on us forever.âÂ
The man behind you pulled you to your feet by your shoulders and you swayed on your feet for a moment, your head swimming before you doubled over, vomiting mostly bile before your legs gave out, the man catching you before you hit the ground.Â
âShit,â Codyâs voice sounded far away. âWeâll have to find a way to move herâŚâÂ
You passed out.Â
When you woke up, it was dark, a hand around your jaw.Â
âThere she is,â Cody said, releasing you and patting your cheek twice. âNeed you up and walking, canât trade you half dead. Move.âÂ
You tried to orient yourself, get some kind of understanding. You werenât where youâd been when youâd passed out. You were on some kind of makeshift litter, your left arm and hand throbbing dully. Your hand was bandaged. Cody grabbed a fistful of your shirt, pulling you upright and you all but collapsed against him, stumbling as you tried to find your footing. The second you did, you pulled away from him. You couldnât bear to touch him, even if that meant you ended up on the ground again.Â
âJust gotta make it about 100 yards,â he nodded toward a flickering glow in the distance. âThen youâre not my problem anymore.âÂ
He nudged you in that direction and you moved, almost mindlessly. You werenât strong enough to fight it. You were barely strong enough to walk. You cradled your injured arm to your body as best you could, watching as the glow of the fire drew closer.Â
âStop right there,â an unfamiliar voice said, a man coming through the trees with his rifle raised. But he lowered it as he drew closer, looking the group you were with up and down. âCody. Starting to wonder if you werenât going to make it.âÂ
âGot held up,â he said. âBut I got what heâs after, if he still wants to meet.âÂ
The guard just jerked his head toward the fire and led the way, you trailing along behind him with Cody and his men at your back.Â
The fire was in the middle of a large clearing, one with a cluster of about 20 men around it, the man you feared more than any other sitting at the back of it.Â
A wide smile came over his face when he saw you, the spread of it sinister and slow.Â
âWell well,â Mitchum said, getting to his feet and walking closer. He was still so much bigger than you, tall and broad and you knew just how well he could force you to do what he wanted. âThe prodigal son returns, with my favorite toy no less.âÂ
âTold you I could get her,â Cody said, pushing you toward him. âAnd I believe we had an agreement.âÂ
âSure, sure,â Mitchum waved him off before looking you up and down, just feet away from you now. Your head spun. âJackson is yours when we take it down, as is anyone who survives. Sâlong as you remember who gave it to you.âÂ
Mitchum reached out, grabbing your injured hand roughly and you cried out with it as he pulled your arm toward him.Â
âThe fuck is this?â He held it up. âThought I told you I wanted her intact, thereâs no deal if you fucking maimed her.âÂ
Cody shrugged.Â
âShe killed two of my men,â he said.
Mitchum dropped your hand and clenched his jaw before snatching his gun from its holster and shooting Codyâs man who was at your side, making you flinch away from the sound.Â
âYou think I give a fuck how many of your men make it?â He asked. âYou think their lives matter? Got fuckinâ news for you, theirs donât and neither does yours so you better do a damn good job of explaining why you brought her to me damaged.âÂ
âShe tried to take off,â Cody said, eyes darting down to the man who was dead on the ground. âHad to do something to keep her under control. Figured youâd want her at all, even if that meant damaged.âÂ
Mitchum holstered the gun with a huff and pulled you away from Cody, your skin crawling where he touched you.Â
âWell, sheâs back where she belongs now,â he passed you off to one of his men before turning back to Cody. âJacksonâs yours, when we take it.âÂ
âAnd I want horses,â Cody said. âFor my trouble.âÂ
Mitchum seemed to think for a moment before giving him a stiff nod.Â
âFine, three horses,â he said, waving them forward. âTake âem and go. Donât want to see you again for a while or else I might change my mind.âÂ
âPleasure doing business with you,â Cody smirked before looking to you. âTold you you should have given me what I deserved.âÂ
You didnât say anything. Instead you just stood there, in the hold of one of Mitchumâs henchmen, watching as the man whoâd stolen your freedom rode off into the night.Â
Next Chapter
Taglist: @ashleymsnodgrass@planet-marz1@kalea-bane @juneswonderlust @ilovepedro @h-annahayy @starstruckmusiciansartghost @beccerjune @mumma-moonchild @netonetoneto @mellymbee @purplelye @n7cje @flugazi @evyiione @randomhoex @aliengirl99 @orcasoul @reds-ramblings @pedropascalsbbg @fupoola @tinypotatothing @knopes-waffles @lilmizmoz @ayamenimthiriel @jenispunk @panda-pascal @sarap-77 @flugazi @your-slutty-gf @daniegraceg @partyofone3413 @cumberpegg @noisynightmarepoetry. @fifia-writes @grumpygrumperton @srmacaroni @txlady37 @bigboiseason123 @ashleyfilm @arizonadreamingg
A/N: I know it's a rough chapter but... feral!Joel?
We've only seen the beginning of him, he's about to go on a rampage like no other I can promise you that.
Also, I'm sorry for making this chapter quite so brutal. I really didn't want them to get off easy in this situation, I wanted to make sure we know that there are going to be some long term repercussions from all this - in this case, Bambi's missing fingers. They live in a brutal world and they're facing brutal things and I wanted this to be reflective of that.
Thanks for sticking with the story. I really do love you all!
#fanfic#joel miller x female reader#yearling#joel miller x you#joel miller x reader#joel miller x oc
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"Don't Let Go" (Michael Kinsella x F!Reader, Fic)
Time for Day Six of the Tuna-Tober prompt challenge! I chose the angst prompt, "Shh, I've got you now. I'm here." with Michael Kinsella! I originally planned to use all three prompts (the above plus 'love bites' and 'spread your legs for me') but this one just sorta worked beautifully focusing on the angst prompt alone, despite my plan. May come back and do a sequel with the other two prompts eventually. You can see the rest of the prompts I've chosen here if you'd like to know what's coming this month from me. Also, if you'd like notifications when I post a new story, drabble, or chapter, you can follow my sideblog @pastaxandria and set it for notifications! And off we go!
Ship: Michael Kinsella x F!Reader
Wordcount: 1.1k
Warnings for this chapter: angst, blood, injury care, mention of reader briefly held hostage, language, mention of domestic violence, some shouting and breaking things (Michael is very angry here, just not at you).
His hands shaking, Michael cleaned you up in the bathroom.
You werenât sure if that tremor was due to fear, or⌠or exhaustion, maybe. He probably hadnât gotten much sleep the past two nights while youâd been missing, held captive in an abandoned building by a group of men whoâd been looking to blackmail the Kinsella family. It hadnât worked out well for them based on the dead bodies youâd seen when Michael had grimly carried you out past his brothers, his hands stained heavily with blood and smelling of fresh gunpowder.Â
It was those handsâthe very same hands that had so recently dealt out death and destructionâthat now tended gently to your wounds. With barely a word save a soothing murmur whenever you winced, he washed away the crusted grime and dried blood from your body in the shower before settling you down on the side of the porcelain tub. Once you were comfortable, he set about cleaning out and bandaging the bloody cuts on your hands and face, the torn skin on your wrists left by the handcuffs, and the burns along your forearm from the cigarettes one man had decided to put out against your skin when youâd spat in his face.
With every injury Michael cared for, however, the more his hands shook, his breathing growing sharper, hissing out from between his clenched teeth.Â
No. This wasnât fear or exhaustion making his hands shake, you realized. This wasâŚÂ
He rose from where heâd been kneeling in front of you. He stared down at you for a moment with those dark eyes of his, taking all of you in for the first time since bringing you back homeâtaking in every last swollen bruise and vicious cut, every bandage and mark of pain left behind by those who had wanted to harm his family by using you against him.
âŚThis was rage.
He snatched up the first aid kit, turned, and hurled it with a furious scream. It shattered against the wall in the hall, its impact leaving a crumbling hole in the drywall. Gauze and ointment, bottles of pills and splinters of plastic scattered left and right.
âMichael,â you said weakly. âIâm ok now.â
It was as if he hadnât even heard you. âIâm goinâ ta find the rest of âem and kill 'em for this!â he snarled savagely, his accent even thicker in his fury. Gone was the gentle lilt, the familiar softness he always seemed to gain in his voice when he spoke to you or about you. Now he was every inch the dangerous Kinsella that so many feared, though not you. Never you. Even now you werenât afraid, despite the way he whirled and paced wildly in front of you, as if looking for the very same ones whoâd so recently hurt you. This was rage in your defense, and that made all the difference.Â
âMichaelââ
âThey think I canât find âem?â he spat. âThey really think I canât? Iâll hunt down every last fuckinâ oneâa them filthy little cunts fer puttinâ their hands on ya! By the time Iâm done witâ em, there wonât be enoughâa their fuckinâ bodies left for their mams to bloody bury!â
This time it was the drinking glass on the counter that paid the price. It flew out into the hall to shatter violently against the wall just beside the mark left by the first aid kit. Glittering shards of glass, some pieces still damp, joined the rest of the debris on the floor. Â
âMichael.â You heaved yourself upright on shaky legs, wobbly as a newborn fawn. And it hurt, it hurt to move, cuts tugging, body aching. You tried to blink the dampness away in your eyes, not now, come on. âItâs alrightââ âDonât tell me itâs alright when they hurt ya!â he roared. But the moment he swung back around to face you and saw you on your feet, he spat out a curse. He stormed across the bathroom before you could take more than a step. âDaft woman, sit your arse back down before ya fall over!â
One hand still braced against the wall, you lifted your other arm quickly towards him. He lurched to a stop before he could touch you, an expression of horror twisting across his face, all furrowed brow and parted lips. Only then did you realize what that must have looked like to himâyour arm held up to fend him off, trying to stop him from coming towards you, tears in your eyes as if you were⌠as if you were terrified of him and what he had been doing.Â
Gone in a breath was the rage, the fury, replaced by a gutted, heartbroken grief. If you hadnât known any better, youâd have said he was about to cry, too. âYa didnât think I was goinâ toâŚâ he whispered, swallowing hard and taking a cautious step back. âI⌠I swear, pet, I would neverââÂ
âGod, no, Mikey. I know you werenât going to hit me,â you croaked, trying to put your arm out again in a more welcoming way, and if your breath started to hitch, tears now beginning to roll down your cheeks despite your best efforts, well, surely you were entitled to that, because it had been a horrible few days and the longer you stood here, the more you began to shiver and hurt. It had only been a few minutes since youâd been in his arms, but your body clearly wasnât ready yet for even that much separation. Emotion welled up inside you like a dark wave, endless, bottomless. You were terrified youâd drown beneath it without him to help you keep your head above water. âI was trying to⌠could you come over here and⌠and hold me? I just needâŚâ
He caught you just as the first choked sob tore its way out of your throat, the strength of the sound so violent, so raw it almost frightened you. One of his arms quickly wound around your waist, pulling you in against the comforting, familiar warmth and strength of his chest. His other hand rose to gently cradle the back of your head, bringing your head down so you could bury it against his neck. He rumbled low, soothing notes into your ear, tender words of comfort as you desperately tried to breathe in the scent of whiskey and leather, gun oil and rain between your heaving breaths and broken sobs.
âThere ya go. Shh, Iâve got ya now, pet,â he whispered, laying his cheek against your hair. He shifted the two of you carefully across the floor until he could ease himself down on top of the toilet seat, pulling you slowly into his lap. You went without a fight, clinging to him, the fabric of his shirt held tight between your fists as if it were your lifeline. âIâve got ya now. Let it all out. Iâm here, darlinâ. Yer safe with me.âÂ
âDonât let go,â you choked out, âPlease.â âNever. I promise.â
#tuna-tober 2024#tuna tober#michael kinsella x reader#michael kinsella x f!reader#michael kinsella#kin#kin amc#kin bbc#fanfic#fic#reader#reader fic#x reader#f!reader#angst#tw: blood#tw: mention of dv#prompt fic#prompt challenge#i really liked this one#and i may expand it after tuna-tober is over#maybe a longer one where we see him come for you#and then also some of what happens here#i wouldn't mind working in the smut scene but it just needed more gentle buildup after this than i have time for atm#mikey is playing very well with me though i love him so much
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zaun (part three of attention)
i | ii | iii | iv | v
      rays of sunshine creep through the tiny cracks of your blinds, waking you up from your deep slumber. the moment you open your eyes, you let out a groan of annoyance. whatâs worse is it hurts when you swallow, you feel a slight throbbing in your head, and you feel sluggish. you think that you might be sick. just in time, your alarm clock screams. a slam of your hand shuts it up: shut up, im already up. you force yourself out of bed and opt for a quick showerâ grabbing your towel and necessities, you walk to your bathroom. thanks to your shampoo and soap, you manage to smell like lavender and vanilla; a scent youve always adored.
stripping your clothes, you step under the showerhead and turn it onâ letting the cold water hit your somehow hot body. im gonna run a fever, arent i. you grumble in irritation, but you focus on the water hitting you, pondering about your interaction with sevika. now that you think about it, its been a couple of days since her last visit. a single question runs into your mind: maybe i should go to zaun again, it is my day-off.Â
youve made up your mind, youâll explore the city.Â
laying out clothes on your bed, picking your choice of outfit; black cargo pants paired with black shirt, layered with a coat, and black bootsâ cant forget your trusty dagger. you check your watch and you figure youâd be there in a couple of minutes. with one final look at yourself in the mirror, you head out.
the bustling city fills all your senses, i probably wont get used to this. this time, you fully take in zaunâ kids playing on the streets, drunkards already drinking, elders talking to each other, everyone seems lively today you thought. putting your hands in your pockets, you turn into an alleyway. markus was right, curiosity will get you killed. while walking, you see a child crying in his grandmother's arms and of course, you being a nosy woman, listened to them.
âbut grandma,â he wails out, âi really love that radio. whyâd they have to destroy it?â
his grandma rubs his head comfortingly, âhush now, ill buy you a new one.â
      you know that look in her eyes, that guilt and regret swimming in her eyes: she wont be able to buy one. look, you werent always a piltie, but that story can be told another time. absentmindedly, your feet bring you to them. you were only snapped back to reality when you hear her ask.
âwhat do you want? we dont have anything anymore.â the elder hisses out.
you raise your arms, âim not here to take anything, im here to see if i can fix your radio.â
what?
âwhat?â
this is what i get for being nosy, âi know a few things about âem.â
      but the twinkle in the boyâs eyes, his sniffles quieting down, and hugging his grandma tighter? you had to do something.Â
âr-really?â heâs a timid little kid.
you slowly kneel beside them, âyeah, kid. ill try to fix it, cant promise you though.â
      you take a look around their houseâ its small and messy, considering theyre living in an alley, you cant judge. tools that you can use are tucked away in a box in the corner, thinking theyre good enough. seeing that youre eyeing them, the kid hurriedly brings you the box. thanking him, you carefully grab the radio; its old, and run-down, but it works. using a flathead, you disassemble it.
âits not broken, luckily.â you take a glance at the two, âthe screws are loose, so you just have to tighten them again.â
      you turn it on once you assemble it back to its original form, a small smile creeps into your face as you hear static before hearing voices.
the grandma brings out her waller, âhow much do i need to paââ
âdont mind,â you stand up to interrupt her, âits my day off.â
her face shows gratitude but her eyes show seriousness, âdont give kindness here easily, kid.â
      your eyebrows furrow, confused by her comment. you could only offer them a nod before making your way deeper into the alleyway, relieved you could fix the radio. before turning, you hear the kid yell a thank you which makes you chuckle. but your victory is cut short when you hear a fight going on. your instincts turning on, you put your back against the wall and take a peek behind it.
its sevika. and shes not looking good. her arm isnt working, sheâs outnumbered: she looks like sheâs about to pass out. debating whether you should help, you watch for a few seconds. one man was about to punch her but you quickly jumped in to block it. her eyes met yours almost immediately, however, you ignored her and put yourself between her and them.
âyou shouldnt be here, pretty little thing.â the middle guy snarled.Â
you only stare at them, âi really dont give a fuck. like, at all.â
      guess that pissed him off because he quickly charges at you but you trip him and stepped aside to give him to sevika, seeing the vulnerable man heading her way, she quickly uses her right hand to punch him in the face. on the other side, you were dealing with two guys. one rushes to throw a fist but you evade by ducking and giving the other man a punch in the liver: a body shot, he crumbles down to his kneesâ giving you the chance to deal with the other.Â
âlousy,â you comment, jabbing him and hitting his nose, âweak, unfocused, poor execution.â
      with every insult, you land hit after hit. he bares his yellow teeth at you while holding his bloody nose and mouth. you feel arms around your torsoâ throwing your lower body in the air and forcibly throwing yourself down, you make the clingy man stumble forwardâ hitting his buddy. your gaze goes back to sevika and you see her getting pinned to the wall. quickly grabbing your dagger, you make your way to them and slash the back of his knees, making him let go of her. sevika pants but lands a hit to his jawâ knocking him out cold.
you turn to look at the other two, only to see their back turned against you, already running away. cowards. hearing her groans and labored breathing, you turn around and help her upâ putting her arm around your shoulder and trying to support her weight.
âi didnt need your help,â sevika grunts out.
you sneer back, âsure, sure. you look like you were winning actually.â
      she tries to escape your hold but right now, you are much stronger than her. you scold her and force her to hold onto you.Â
âdont play with me right now, sevika. my head is already hurting,â you warn her.
sevika huffs out, âjust this once. i have a safe house somewhere around here, its not far.â
      scared that she was gonna bleed out, you briskly walk, but still gently handling her. after a few minutes, you reach an abandoned building. she leads this time. this place is a goddamn maze, the smell of wood and cigarette brings you back to reality, the door to her safe house opening.Â
you take in the sight, you snort at the messy place. she limps to sit on her couch, letting you close and lock the door. you rush to her to assess her injuries: bruises, cuts, and a wound that would probably need stitches.
âyou got a kit?â you ask but youre already rummaging through her things.
she snorts, âbathroom, lower cabinet.â
      making a beeline for it, you hurriedly walk to her bathroom. seeing the kit, you let out a breath of relief and grab yourself a few ointments and a wet cloth. you go back to her and she looks like sheâs really about to pass out. your voice wakes her up, making her stare at you.
âthis is gonna sting,â you prepare the stitch to start.
she dismisses your comment with a wave of her bloody hand, âthis is nothing.â
      only breaths and occasional groans from her fill the quiet room, giving your entire focus to finishing her stitch. snipping the thread, you move on to clean her wounds with the wet cloth you grabbed earlierâ dabbing and rubbing the blood away, sevika lets the calming action take over her. too tired and worn out to complain. roughly twenty minutes pass and you finally reach her face; taking a moment to stare at her, your eyes roam from her eyebrows, down to her nose, and travel down to stare at her lips.Â
âyou done starinâ at me?â though her eyes are still closed, you figure she mightve felt your gaze.
warm cloth meets her skin, âwasnt staring at you, i was starinâ at your wounds, asshat.â
      she suddenly grabs you by the waist to pull you to her, your hands landing on her chest to steady yourself.Â
âwhat are you doing.â red paints your ears.
she chuckles lowly, a sound that makes you want to rub your thighs together, âim only making it easier for you.â
âactually, this is harder for me,â you manage to blur out, âstupid.â
      you attempt to pull away but her hold only tightens around you. sevika finally opens her eyes to look at you and you realize: blood loss.Â
she looks intently at you, slowly leaning in and putting her nose into your throatâ inhaling your scent. you flush at this, the redness covering your entire face now. sevika drags her nose up to the side of your neck, finding your pulse; youre scared sheâs gonna feel how fast its pulsing. your hand grips her bicep, feeling the muscle and how solid her body is. your eyes shut as her nose travels up your jaw, her lips just grazing your skin.Â
âyou shouldnt have come back here,â she whispers out.
      you didnt know it was possible to be closer to her but she grounded you on her crotchâ making you straddle her. she pushed you down into her, emitting a throaty groan from her. you, on the other hand, are breathless, you cant think properly, your ears are ringing, and your hands are shaking. she kisses your jaw, resulting in you opening your eyes.
your hand thatâs holding the cloth squeezes between the two of you and positions itself on her forehead to push her away. her head lolls back as she finally sleeps. Ignoring the fire in your abdomen, one thought crosses your mind: fuck, that did things to you.Â
note: finally building tension
#sevika imagine#sevika arcane#arcane#wlw post#wlw#sevika x reader#sevika x female reader#sevika#fanfic#sevika fanfic#sevika x you#female reader#fem reader
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NEON LIGHTS
Pairing (Original Characters):Â Jameson Lucas (Aaron Pierre) x Imani St. Cirie (Megan thee Stallion) Story Synopsis:Â
R&B singer/songwriter, Jameson Lucas, is well known as a charming playboy. The latest in his line of âloved em and left emâ behavior? Imani St. Cirie, an emotive singer/songwriter herself. A common sense pulls them in opposite directions â friendships are tested, old flames resurface, and new opportunities threaten to tear them apart for good. In this industry, dreams can make or break you â but what happens when love becomes the gamble of a lifetime? Chapter I // Chapter II // Special Edition
Chapter Synopsis: Jameson finds himself in New York for work and gets distracted by an old friend. Warnings: toxic relationship, possessiveness, profanity, usage of the n-word (if youâre white and read it, you owe us $20), manipulation â if we missed anything, let us know! Word Count: 4.1k Divider Template: @cafekitsune Notes: The following characters are original creations. Their voice claims are Usher / Lucky Daye (Jameson) & Summer Walker / SZA (Imani). We have no affiliation to any of those artists.
There will be alternating POVs between our leads.
Chapter III: Fade Away
the chatter at her weekly brunch with friends was distracting. sloane lennox glared down at her phone as if it was the reason she was so pissed. jamani back on? what a terrible title for an article. what a horrible idea for jameson. imani st. cirie was everything that jameson didn't need. he was irresponsible, childishly demanding, and easily distracted. he was an artist with an artist's temperament. from what she knew of imani, the woman was the same. they just weren't a good couple. anyone could see that. she didn't get why jameson couldn't.
sloane! we're out of champagne!
"am i your mother? do you need permission? just order another bottle." sloane snapped, rolling her eyes as she continued to scroll.
she got to the images -- proof that jameson was sniffing around his ex. this was bullshit. sloane closed out of the site, scrolling her contact list and finding jameson's name. it rang in her ear, her agitation increasing the longer it went on. his smooth baritone was nowhere to be heard. the phone beeped, indicating she should leave a message so sloane simply hung up.
she stewed in her agitation, forcing herself not to call again. this was critical. jamie couldn't be pushed. if she told him to do something, he went the other way. this was going to take some finesse but sloane knew she was up to it. she had loved jameson since the first time she saw him. she knew him better than anybody
fifteen years old and shy, sloane hadn't made friends easily. only one gravitated towards her: genie adesanya. genie took sloane under her wing, welcoming her into her life with ease. it was because of genie that she'd met jameson. he had been seventeen and practically genie's stepbrother. handsome, and he knew it, jamie had charmed sloane. he'd been flirtatious but never inappropriate. eventually it settled into him cracking jokes and playing protector with she and genie. for two whole years, jamie had been hers. her friend, her protector, her crush. it all changed when he released his first album.
then he belonged to the world. jamie became james lucas. the crooning falsetto that she'd known intimately had finally been heard by the world. jamie's career took off then. sloane never had a chance to make him hers fully. her crush lay dormant, unfulfilled, while he dated his way through hollywood. models, actresses, singers. they came and went. sloane always remained. he eventually left them but he never left her.
sloane had finally gotten up the nerve to tell him how she felt in 2020 -- the same night he met imani st. cirie. she watched him walk into another woman's life but knew it wouldn't last. it never did. three years later, sloane had gotten nervous. jameson rarely lasted a year with a woman and there he was celebrating three with imani. it had practically driven her insane...but then they had broken up. she'd been so relieved that she didn't bother hiding her joy from anybody who'd listen. it caused the destruction of her friendship with genie -- but jameson remained.
he jumped into another relationship and just like clockwork -- it ended before a full year was up. sloane decided not to watch anymore. 2024 was her time with him. he had to see for himself that she was the one and only constant in his life. the only woman he could rely on.
the phone vibrated in her hand and sloane peered down at the screen with a smile. jamie was calling. now all she had to do was...shift his perspective.
it had been years since jameson was inside the moma. he spent many afternoons sitting in front of claude monet's lillies canvas when he was trying to establish a career on broadway. it felt good to return to his old stomping grounds -- this time from special invitation.
sloane had fussed and pouted until he promised to stop by and see her after his gq interview. he was jetlagged after flying to new york the day before and only planned to have a short visit before collapsing into the expansive bed in his suite.
it had been so long since he saw her face to face that he had been successfully guilted into making the time. texts and calls here and there filled the void in their friendship but it always felt better to see her in person. twelve years after they'd met, sloane was different. at twenty-seven, she'd grown up like they all had. she was an art dealer, smart as hell and sophisticated. glasses had been replaced by contact lenses. hasty ponytails had been swapped for expertly styled hair. converse sneakers turned into muaddi heels. but no matter what, she was still the girl who was trying to find her place.
he waited for her on the first floor, hands braced behind his back as he watched bustling crowds of people behind his sunglasses. several slowed to peer at him and jameson easily avoided eye contact. he didn't mind being a celebrity but he was too tired to be charming.
"jamie!" he heard called out and turned to see sloane heading his way. she wore a bright smile, expensive clothes, and heels that he was sure cost as much as her outfit. jameson quickly moved towards her, not letting her pull him into a hug. he turned her around with his hand to the small of her back and quickly walked her up the stairs. "what are you doing?" sloane laughed and he glanced over his shoulder to make sure they weren't followed.
"why'd you tell me meet you at the front door? hella people were down there. i don't feel like signing shit today." jameson fussed, not surprised that she laughed louder. sloane did what she wanted when she wanted.
"i'm sorry." she said softly, grasping his bicep as they moved to the second floor. there were still crowds there but they were much more interested in the art than they were in him. "i'm glad you came."Â sloane continued. "i missed you."
"i missed you too." jameson grumbled, walking along the floor with her. "we both live in cali though. why'd i have to fly to new york to see you if that was the case?"
sloane quirked a brow at him. "you tell me. last i heard, you were working on album, completely locked in, but then i find out you got time to get imani back?"
he scoffed, shaking his head but not denying the accusation. he had seen the same article and didn't give a damn about it. he didn't feel he needed to explain himself to sloane either. "you called me here to talk about my ex?"
"of course not." sloane told him. "i called you here to talk about me. my favorite subject." she let his arm go, framing her face with her own hands and jameson couldn't help but laugh. "i didn't know you'd be out here anyway until you mentioned the interview. i just wanted to see my friend. make sure he's okay. you know?"
"i'm fine." he told her, stopping in front of a painting and peering down at the brunette by his side. confiding in sloane wasn't strange. he told her and ej everything -- even shit he didn't tell genie anymore. "me and mani aren't back together. she's thinking about giving me another chance."
"i'm happy for you, jamie." she said softly. "but..." "but what?" "it didn't work the first time..." "because of me. i fucked up." "even so. love shouldn't be hard. you and imani? your love is hard." "but worth it. i love her." "i know you do. and you should. she's a wonderful girl. but what about you?" "what about me?" "you're an incredible man. exceptional. singular in every way. i think you deserve to be happy. you shouldn't have to make yourself small to make it work." "that's not what's happening with imani." "no?" sloane questioned. "what is she doing to make sure you guys have another chance? is she reassuring you? is she talking to you? it takes two to be in love."
jameson was quiet for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. no, imani didn't seem to be enthusiastic about their chances of trying again but could he blame her? "you don't understand, lo. i...i cheated. when we broke up? i cheated. it's my fault."
he watched as her eyes go wide with the information and she lapsed into silence. it didn't last long though. she stepped closer to him, wrapping her arm around his waist as they stood together. "that doesn't change the fact that you're a good man. so you made a mistake. anybody who knows you knows that you're good."
her constant belief in and support of him was invaluable. jameson wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged him briefly. "thank you for saying that. but anything she says or does to me, i deserve it. and i'm going to take it -- if it means we can start over."
sloane gave him a brief nod of her head and leaned her body against his. "i understand. i still don't think she's right for you. you need someone to believe in you. i think too much has happened between you and imani. i don't know if she's that woman for you anymore."
he hoped like hell sloane was wrong. imani was the only woman he'd genuinely loved. his selfishness had robbed him of love and he was feeling the consequences heavily. she walked ahead, pulling him with her and jameson went -- his mind on imani and if he was fooling himself by thinking they were going to get it right the second time around.
"c'mon. let me buy you lunch. i made reservations at gramercy tavern." sloane told him sweetly as she wrapped both arms around him, stilling his movement. "i didn't mean to upset you. i just want what's best for you."
jameson peered down at her to say no, to make his excuses. he was exhausted and wanted to sleep but one look at her pouting face -- and he couldn't do anything but laugh. "i know you do. let's go eat now. i'm tired." he said softly, pressing a kiss to her head and wrapping his arm around her shoulder before leading her down the grand staircase.
with a kiss to her head and a brief hug, jameson had left her outside the st. regis hotel. as she made her way upstairs, her phone pinged yet again in her purse and she ignored the sound until she crossed the threshold of her suite. once she was comfortable, she unlocked her phone and stretched across the couch.
[ e. ricardo ] : he's not here yet [ e. ricardo ] : if this is bullshit, i'm going to write my next column about you and you won't like the details i give [ e. ricardo ] : he's in place. my photographer is there. [ e. ricardo ] : snapped you two. how cute. [ e. ricardo ] : where are you going with him? [ e. ricardo ] : hello?? my photographer lost you two on 53rd st
sloane sighed, deleting all the texts from her phone. calling the paps wasn't out of the unusual for her but this one was a pushy bastard. she did it when she worked with particularly high profile clients and when she just wanted her name circling with people who could boost her career. but she had never called them about jamie. ernest had practically salivated at the idea of getting exclusive pictures of jameson doing anything. even if it was just a lunch date with a friend.
she pushed call on the contact, listening to it ring. when he answered, sloane didn't bother acting friendly. "are the pics good?"
ernest quickly reassured her they were. he even offered to send them to her but she quickly denied. the less proof they had of a connection to one another, the better. she told him she wanted them up online before the next morning and he obliged before they ended the call. the pictures weren't scandalous but she knew it'd shake imani. cheating boyfriend in another city with pretty friend? wrapping his arms around her? she knew it'd do something to the other woman.
was it a move that could backfire on her? yes. imani could decide to fight for jameson but sloane was okay with that. she had decided to fight for him -- why not have a worthy opponent? she knew jameson would be asleep soon. he probably wouldn't see them when they were posted. even if he had, she could always pretend to be just as dismayed as him. she'd even take to social media to help clear up any rumors.
the pretty, kind hearted friend of james lucas. the classy girl that people would make people say "well why isn't he with her?". that was going to be her new image. and she knew it'd change if those pictures looked as cozy as it felt being with him. suddenly, people would wonder about them. he would wonder about them. all she needed was for that switch to flip in his mind.
sloane rose from the couch and went to run herself a bath. she ignored the buzzing of her phone for the next few hours -- realizing the article had clearly come out. now she had to be careful if she was going to make this happen. jameson would never forgive her if he knew she was going to do her best to stop a reunion with imani.
the familiar ringtone echoed throughout the room and jameson smiled in his sleep. it was the song he'd written for imani. he played it as the ringtone anytime she called. it'd been so long since he heard it playing from his phone. imani didn't call him anymore. he called her. he texted her.
still -- he could hear it and it stirred him from sleep. jameson stretched across the bed, sitting up in the darkened bedroom. he fumbled across the bed, reaching for his phone. by the time he snatched it up, the ringing had stopped. he could see the time on his screensaver and blinked the sleep from his eyes. it was six in the morning...which meant it was around noon for her in italy. they had exchanged texts since she'd been gone. it had only been three days but he had missed her deeply.
seeing he had two missed calls from imani made him frown. he wanted to hear her voice. he unlocked his phone to call her back but then the text came through. he opened it -- thinking it was more of cute and humorous conversation they'd been having for the past few days.
[ mani ]: i donât know what type of bitch you take me for, but a stupid one, you know iâm not that. i told you no more bullshit so why iâm seeing pictures of you cuddled up with sloane at the fuckin moma? like i said iâm not a dumb bitch. you want to cuddle up with her, then be with her. iâm done.
jameson read the text twice, confusion making his brows furrow. "what the fuck?" he muttered to himself. it felt like somebody had put his ass in the blender and he was all mixed up. he immediately tried to call imani. no ringing. straight to voicemail. he'd been blocked by her enough to know the hallmarks of it. "fuck!" he cursed angrily, pulling the phone from his ear to send her a text that he knew she wouldn't see.
baby, i don't know what fuck you're talking about. ain't no bullshit with me and her. you know that. call me back.
he waited a few minutes but with no response, jameson climbed out of bed as he clicked his way through social media. it wasn't hard to find the 'just in' and tmz articles complete with computers. he and sloane talking. he and sloane laughing. he and sloane hugging. the kiss to her head. jameson groaned. actions he thought of as friendly definitely looked like something more. even he could admit that. reading the comments would do him no good but he saw that each had thousands.
even his instagram had an influx of activity. people commenting on pictures from months ago. even sloane had issued a statement of sorts where she asked people not to speculate about her personal life. this was bad. and he knew there was only one move he could make now.
he scrolled through his contact list and looked for genie's number. it rang -- a sign that she hadn't blocked him -- but she didn't answer. jameson left a terse message, telling her to call him back before he hung up and called ej.
sloane had played her part well. she'd been shocked and aghast. properly outraged on behalf of her famous friend. she scrolled through the comments with relish. for every one that called jameson cheating scum, there were two that said they looked cute together. for every comment that said imani deserved better, there were two asking what sloane's instagram was.
she had posted to her story, demanding an apology for the invasion of privacy and ensured that she named jameson as her 'close friend' -- nothing more, nothing less. that was enough to set speculation off once more. not the conversation wasn't just about "jamani" -- it was about imani, jameson, and sloane.
just as she was about to scroll more comments, a call came through on her phone. genie's name flashed across her screen and she froze before answering it. the two girls hadn't spoken in a year. sloane's opposition to imani had put her on the wrong side of genie. for some reason, genie had chosen imani over her and sloane never forgot it.
still, she answered the phone with a kind, curious tone -- interested in what her former friend could possibly have to say.
"are you sleeping with jameson?" genie asked abruptly and sloane laughed. no hello. no how are you? no fake bullshit. she got right to the shit and sloane knew she had to handle the other woman carefully.
"are you out of your mind?" "that's not an answer." "genie, you know jamie and i aren't like that." "no. but i know you want to be."
sloane frowned, annoyed at the fact that genie would so bluntly state the facts. she couldn't have genie running around telling anybody that. especially jameson. not before she could fully get imani out of the picture.
"that was a stupid crush, genie. and it's cruel of you to bring it up. jamie and i have a real friendship and you know that. or you would if you hadn't cut me off for imani." sloane disputed, pleased when genie didn't say anything for a minute.
"he loves imani, sloane." "but does she truly still love him?" "that's for them to figure out." "i don't think it's hard to decide if you love someone or not." "that is for them to figure out, sloane. you cannot get involved." "i'm not involved. he's my friend and i'm going to protect my friend. just like you're doing now." "it's not protecting him if people think you guys are fucking. if you care about jamie, help him."" that's exactly what i'm doing."
sloane hung up the phone, taking a deep breath as she tried to regain her composure. she wasn't wrong. jameson and imani were too ill matched to make it work. she was just helping him face that fact. the sooner he did, the better it would be for him.
"yerrrrrrr" ej answered the phone unseriously, already knowing why jameson was calling. he had seen the articles and the posts. he'd seen the comments and wondered -- was his best friend holding out on him? jameson and genie and sloane had a shared childhood that ej didn't quite get. but he didn't try very hard to understand. he didn't really care.
"mani blocked me. i need you to call her for me."
ej snorted, shaking his head. "nah." he heard his best friend sigh loudly, frustration covering every inch of the sound. "i don't want to get cursed out by proxy. it did look like something was up with you and sloane."
"it's not! at least call her then click me in on the call."
he could hear in jameson's tone that he meant it. there was nothing happening with sloane. that was good. sloane was a pretty girl but ej could tell that if jameson broke her heart, she'd never recover. she'd never be able to give him what he got from being with imani. what that was...only jameson knew. still...ej denied him. "that'll be a hell nah."
"ellington, i swear to god..." "nigga done forgot his manners and everything, that's crazy." "mani is about to walk away from me for good. and you not gone help me?" "calm your ass down. you said nothing happened so that's one point in your favor. just...gimme a minute. i'll call you back."" i'm serious, man. i gotta -- " "i know, bruh. just...trust me. give me ten minutes."
reluctantly, jameson agreed. it took ej five minutes to calm him down. he had to promise to call back within ten minutes. ej went down his contact list and landed on the only one without a name. she simply had glasses, needle and thread, and a purple heart emoji where her name should be. it was foolish but it summed up their relationship pretty well.
she answered within three rings and ej smiled as he stretched across his bed. "ms adesanya. how you doing?" ej heard her sigh and knew she was already annoyed with him. good.
"let me guess. jameson told you to call?" "how'd you guess?" "she doesn't want to talk to him." "i figured. i had to give it a shot tho. that's my boy." "tell your boy to stop cuddling with bitches in public." "oh, she's a bitch? i thought you and sloane were cool." "we were. then we weren't." "shame. i remember when yall were the three musketeers. you, her, and jameson." "was there anything else you needed, ellington?" "yes, imogen. i'd like you to convince imani to let jameson explain."" i'll take it under consideration. anything else?" "yeah. are you in la? let's grab a drink. we gotta figure out how to help our dumb ass friends." "i'm out of the country. we'll be back next week." "we? you in spain with imani?" "not spain. italy. we're in rome." "oooh. yeah yeah. i remember now. rome. hotel...the fancy place with the birds and the steps." "what? there are no stairs outside here." "yes, there are. they're on the east side of the hotel." "ellington, there are no stairs here." "baby, i googled the hotel. it's hotel danieli, ain't it?" "he told you wrong. we're at the st. regis rome." "ohhhhhh. oh shit. that was somebody else i was thinking of. well -- we should get a drink when you're back. our best friends stress us out. let's relax together." "um...okay. sure."
he could hear the confusion in her voice and ellington grinned, knowing that he had agitated her into telling him what hotel they were at. he'd always thought genie adesanya was gorgeous. everything was beautiful about her. her grace, her kindness. even the way she got her damn nails down. nothing but pure elegance. she stood on the fringes of his friendship with jameson. they never truly got to know one another. so he settled for being the annoying friend of a friend.
over the years, he'd periodically pop in, send her an annoying text, and then pop right back out. she probably didn't even know he liked her and ej wanted to keep it that way. friend groups mixing were messy -- clearly evidenced by the newest round of bullshit with imani and jameson. he was content to tease and provoke genie until she furrowed her pretty eyebrows. that would have to be enough.
once he got her off the phone, ej called jameson back -- two minutes before the ten minute deadline was up. he knew his friend was close to a crashout and figured the only way to stop it was for him to get active. a phone call wasn't going to get it.
"get your ass on a plane, fix it, and then get back before the weekend is over. we got shit to do."
#aaron pierre#megan thee stallion#aaron pierre fanfic#megan thee stallion fanfic#aaron pierre x black!oc#megan thee stallion x black!oc#black ocs#black!oc#fanfic#mature fanfic#celebrity fanfic#original characters#fic: neon lights#Spotify
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would you mind sharing your marc marquez likes you power ranking?
im still working it out in my minddddd⌠so. with the caveat that i am just saying words recreationally:
alex
HUGE gap
aleix has known him FOREVER. theyre complex but im throwin him here bc there arent many men on the grid marc would let ass-lift him to the moon
im gonna say. fabio. traded helmets. always friendly. also fabio LOVES HIM and marc will usually match someone's energyâŚ. have they hung out much this year? no. but we always have TOMORROW
enea⌠maybe⌠heâs ALSO known him about ten years by now and enea is like. the contrarian of the italians. friendly little guys having gay brunch together as ive discussed⌠again marc WILL meet your energy and i think enea is just kind of a dreamy lil sweetie sometimes and he can leave stuff on track pretty well. marc appreciates that i would wagerâŚ
about on par with enea if MAYBE slightly under him depending on who weâre talking about are the rest of the spanish/catalan riders... he helmet traded with jorge martin last year, he was teammates with joan... i think mileage varies depending on how long hes known em but we can go ahead and group them under distantly friendly but bonded by place of origin. pedro not really a marc fan but also a child so he maybe drops a few places but not too far.
luca. true neutral. would be friendlier but the vale of it all prevents them from wearing joint turtlenecks to some event in like. cunty solidarity
diggia? needs further investigation
pecco. do i think hes UNfriendly no. do i think they could easily GET unfriendly absolutely. they dont super jive to each other's jokes, pecco was mean to alex like three weeks ago, they genuinely would rather crash than let the other pass, and there's the specter of vale's little legacy coloring every interaction. that being said i think they are both VERY invested in not having the media recognize it as an actual personal rivalry and could play a game of cards in an airport waiting lounge if pressed. pecco i think in particular has this gentlemen's duel perspective, but marc simply doesnt want to get asked about it every weekend until he dies... pecco ALSO likes to get a lil bitchy in presscons and i think marc doesnt like that lol. have some couth. anybody remember BYE BYE HONDA ? not endearing
franky. marc and alex have had an INSANE relationship this year with franky including like. rushing to his aid in a medical emergency and numerous racing incidents where franky was low key being a maniac with BOTH of them. lots of that. franky had been around the longest of the academy kids so he has enough context to keep his cards relatively close to his chest but i get the sense hes a little WISER than some of these other punks so hes kind of an x-factor. ranking him below pecco purely bc i dont think marc in particular takes kindly to alex slander lol sorry 2 my frankyalex queens you are correct but MARC. is stupid thx
jack miller. called marc a whiny princess or something about his arm surgery that marc ranks among the most traumatic events of his life. im guessing marc did not enjoy that.
bez. no quarter for this clown.
#i will say i dont think hes a dude that holds on to grudges per say.#i think he decides if he likes you and doesnt care about what u say if he doesnt. and if he DOES like you then he cares a lot lol#so hes learned to uh. modulate who he cares for on the grid which also helps him compete#motogp#callie speaks#asks#not ironed out and missing a big chunk of the grid slash past riders (other aliends plus DOVI.) but
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