#I’m genuinely surprised nothing bad happened to me while I was left unattended there

[detentiontrack]

wait your dad left you in a crack hiuse? more than once?

Yep! His drug dealer/best friend lived 20 minutes from our house and my mom got suspicious when he went over there so often, so he used to bring me with him so she thought we were having wholesome bonding time (which is what he told me we were going to do) but then he would leave me downstairs at his drug dealing best friend’s house while he went upstairs to do drugs and hang out with him. I would just chill and read or watch gravity falls on his phone. Occasionally there would be other clients there and even when they were incredibly high, they were always really nice to me (looking back on it I think they felt bad for me because I was so young) (I was like 8-10)

[ruewrites]

We’re Blooming Together Chapter 6: Sweet Dreams

AO3

Ships: Solomon/Asmo, Diavolo/Lucifer (implied)

Word Count: 4010

Warnings: Drinking Mention

Chapter 1-Chapter 2-Chapter 3-Chapter 4-Chapter 5-Chapter 6-Chapter 7-Chapter 8-Chapter 9-Chapter 10-Chapter 11-Chapter 12

Asmo was exhausted when his alarm went off. It wasn’t the normal morning grogginess. He probably would have been mildly tired no matter what this morning. Mammon hadn’t gotten them back from their stakeout until near one in the morning. Honestly he was surprised Lucifer hadn’t  been up in the living room and ready to reprimand them. They were all adults sure, but Lucifer never seemed to move past the idea that they were all still six years old.

Actually… Lucifer wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Asmo had just come down from his routine and into the dining room like he always did, but there was no Lucifer… Beel and Belphie were in their normal spots, but the coffee pot was left completely unattended. “Did Lucifer leave already?” he asked, turning towards the twins. The fact that Lucifer wasn’t there threw him off a bit. It just… wasn’t like him.

Beel shook his head, “Not that I’m aware of, we haven’t seen him.” Asmo nodded and turned back around to get his breakfast together and pour himself a little extra coffee. Normally he would wait until he got onto campus, but he was going to need a little extra boost today.

“Asmo?” Beel asked as he put his bagel in the toaster. “I’m sorry we read your letter. The more I thought about it… The more I realized how much we upset you. We really shouldn’t have done it.”

Oh sweet Beelzebub. Always his darling younger brother.

Asmo sighed and leaned against the counter. “Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now… But thank you Beel,” he said. At least one of his brothers still kind of respected both his privacy and his personal life. Of course it wasn’t okay that it happened, but how could he stay mad at Beel? Especially when he had the sweetest puppy dog face he’d ever seen. He was just so innocent.

He’d let Beel and Satan meet Secret first. It would be an excellent way to steal his nerves for when he had to introduce them to Lucifer. After all, Lucifer’s approval was the one that he really needed.

“Do they make you happy?”

Asmo stopped for a moment and stared at the wall in front of him. “Well of course, I love getting letters from them, but even then, even if they do, it doesn’t matter unless they get Lucifer’s stamp of approval,” he sighed, picking up his bagel from the toaster as it popped up.

Beel was silent for a while, turning to look at a snoring Belphie who was slumped against his shoulder. It was almost as if he was contemplating waking up his twin to confer with him before speaking again. Then he turned back to Asmo, “I don’t think Lucifer would have a problem.”

He had to stop himself from laughing. “Really? You don’t think so? Are we talking about the same Lucifer?” he asked, “The same Lucifer has a little talk with anyone that gets brought into this house? You know, the one where some people come out looking like they've met Death? The same Lucifer who compares everything to ‘a case he had one time’ to explain why it would end bad and why we should just forget about it?” Honestly Asmo could go on. Lucifer was strict and  overprotective. He’s always been. Should he have had to raise them? No. But they were all adults now, and he didn’t have to be so…. Lucifer all the time. Of course he adored his big brother, he always had, but sometimes even he thought he could be a little ridiculous (especially when it came to him wanting to have fun). He’d broken some of his rules before and come out completely fine. He’d snuck out of the house and nothing bad happened.

“Well, you said they make you happy, and Lucifer just wants what’s best,” Beel reasoned, “So… he shouldn’t have a problem. If you’re happy and safe, that’s all that matters.” He was always so optimistic, Asmo honestly wished he wasn’t worried about what Lucifer would say. He wanted to believe he'd be happy for him, but he could also see the worst in Asmo’s Secret… It made a knot form in the pit of his stomach.

“Maybe…” he sighed.  Honestly it would be so nice and easy to believe that Lucifer wouldn’t be difficult about it, but he wasn’t that delusional.

“It’s almost like you’ve never met Lucifer,” Belphie murmured, eyes opening only slightly.

“I mean, he could-”

“Do you really think so?”

There was a silence between the twins for a moment. Asmo felt like there was a conversation going on between them that he couldn’t hear. Sometimes it was creepy.  He wasn’t sure if he’d really ever understand it.

Finally Beel broke the silence, “Yeah, I do.”

Asmo wished he had that certainty…

******

He felt Solomon nudge him after Demonology. He wasn’t normally one to fall asleep in class. He hadn’t even realized that he had dozed off. Had the professor seen him? He hoped not. Honestly he hoped that (for once) no one noticed him. It was embarrassing him. “Are you alright?” he asked, “Usually you do your nails when you’re bored, not fall asleep.”

He looked genuinely concerned, and if made Asmo forget his worries for just a moment and smile.

Asmo stretched out over his desk before standing up, still trying to get his wits about himself. “My brothers ,” he yawned, “They were so sold on this stakeout thing… I didn’t get home till late last night. Or I guess early this morning if you want to get technical.” What he wouldn’t give for a nap. If only he had the confidence to curl up in one of the common rooms and stay there like Belphie did. He was actually close to giving in and just finding a spot where no one could see him. Why did he have to be so self conscious about everything he did?

“So you need coffee.”

Oh Solomon knew him so well. “Can it be a double shot today? Just to make sure I’m awake,” he asked, bumping into Solomon’s side as they exited the classroom. Other students bustled around them, some sprinting to other classes and others laughing and chatting with friends. It really could be any of them… Anyone one of his fellow classmates could be sending him the letters, anyone of them could be Secret, anyone of them could have captured his heart. Of course Asmo had his preferences, but the thought alone-

The chilly fall air snapped Asmo back to his senses and sent a shudder through him. How far were they into the semester again? Where had the semester gone? Would Secret continue to pursue him after this if he never found them?

Time was so fickle. One minute it was drudging by barely making an effort to move, and in the next instant a day passed by within a single second.

Asmo was never aware of time passing by when he was with Solomon. In a sense, every moment with him was magical.

“What’s up?” Solomon asked.

“Just… Just a lot on my mind is all… I just need my coffee.”

The campus cafe had a rather mellow atmosphere. People were chatting, working on projects, or just enjoying some alone time. Light filtered in from the large windows on the walls and espresso filled his senses. Plants also hung from hooks on the ceiling. All in all it was a nice place. He and Solomon were sitting in one of the booths, bloomed flowers hanging next to them and had dropped a few soft, bright petals onto their table. Asmo enjoyed picking them up and carefully playing with them between his fingers. They still felt crisp and smooth, not yet wilted or withered. They were pretty too. He should really get some more flowers for his room.  After a few sips of coffee, Asmo found himself able to form some more coherent thoughts. He still wanted a nap, but at least his head no longer felt like static.

“We were all crammed in Mammon’s car. Levi and Mammon didn’t even have a plan . We just sat there staring at nothing! I have no clue how Belphie was sleeping in the back. We were all crammed together! It was awful, just awful,” he huffed, setting his coffee down, “Like, I can kind of get it, but why can’t they just let me handle this in my own way? I’m an adult, they don’t need to be in my business.”

Solomon’s smile was telling. Of course he didn’t think the night was as horrible as Asmodeus was saying. “Sounds like a nice time out with your family if you ask me,” he said.

“You would think so. It’s a wonder we even got past Lucifer.”

Asmo swore it was all because the universe had lined up perfectly just to spite him.

But how could he be mad at Solomon? Solomon who had such a wonderful smile. The sunlight created a lustrous glow around him, and who’s eyes he could absolutely become lost in. Solomon who was so smart, and considerate, and cunning, and-

…..

Maybe taking a break from the dating scene had been a mistake. Sure his last relationship had been an absolute dumpster fire, and sure he had Secret’s letters… But this time alone was starting to awaken feelings inside him that he’d prefer to stay down. He’d only get hurt… He knew that Solomon didn’t think of him that way. Yet his thoughts always drifted to the what ifs. What if Solomon actually liked him? What if Solomon wanted to touch him like he did in his dreams? What if Solomon was Secret?

He really needed more self restraint. He needed his old crush to stop already.

“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about my letter,” Asmo chirped, then he let out a dreamy sigh, “It was absolutely divine . I didn’t think it was possible for one person to say so many wonderful things to me in a letter.”

No one had taken the time to write him one before…

“Oh? So you liked it?”

“Is that even a question?” he asked. Of course he loved it! It was so sweet, and wonderful. “It was so kind… You know people usually focus on my looks, and I mean they should . I am drop dead gorgeous after all.”

Solomon snorted at the dramatics, as Asmo struck a pose and flipped his hair back ever so slightly (and it landed perfectly ), but let him continue on about his letter.

“But, they also focus on other parts of me, you know, the nonphysical things…” he stopped for a moment. How did he express how it made him feel? “It’s… It’s just so- It really… so… so-”

Solomon’s smirk disappeared, and his eyebrows furrowed together. Asmo couldn’t understand why until he found himself sniffling and his vision becoming blurry. Dammit he wasn’t about to let his makeup smear. Solomon passed him a napkin and Asmo carefully dabbed at the underneath of his eyes.

“So-?”

“ So sweet .”

Was it simple wording? Yes. Did it come anywhere close to describing what he was feeling or Secret’s wonderful way with words? Absolutely not. But it was the only thing Asmo could think of. The only words his mind would allow him to use to explain Secret’s love.

And in no way was it enough.

Was there even a word to describe how he truly felt?

Asmo was embarrassed about how he was tearing up in public. It was just so… so wonderful. Secret was so wonderful. Just thinking about that last letter unearthed so many emotions within him. It was silly. He’d been in relationships before. He’d had nice things said to him before.

Why was this so different?

Well, he knew why, but he was afraid to admit it.

It was time to change the subject. He couldn’t spend the rest of his day with blotchy, red tinted eyes. “Maybe you could take some handwriting lessons from them when we find them when we find them,” he chuckled, still dabbing at his eyes, “You could finally make that chicken scratch you call notes into something legible.”

“I think my handwriting is legible.”

“So it’s legible to other people.”

“Are you saying you can’t read my notes?”

“Not unless I’m sitting next to you so you can read them to me,” Asmo snorted, and Solomon’s smile returned to his face. Although Asmo couldn’t get the odd weight out of his chest. It felt like someone took  a rock and dropped it inside of him, weighing him down despite his want to float above it all.

Solomon grabbed his things and started to move from his seat, “Well, maybe I can write a book to help you read it better. You could nap at the apartment while I work on it if you’d like.”

“Oh how gentlemanly of you,” Asmo laughed. That same bell like laugh that Secret adored, “Mmm, but a quiet place to have an uninterrupted nap is incredibly tempting.”

As Solomon helped him out of the booth, Asmo’s phone went off.

…

Odd.

“Hello?”

“No sign of suspicious activity. Over.”

“ Levi ?” His brothers rarely called him when he was still on campus. Furthermore, it was usually to either tell the twins something, to ask him to pick something up on his way home, or to inform him of last minute family plans. They were never weird like this.

“You didn’t say over. Over.”

“Levi what are you talking about? Where are you?”

“Omg Asmo just say over. Over.”

Asmo let out an annoyed sigh and rolled his eyes in Solomon’s direction. This was ridiculous. “ Fine. What do you want?”

Silence.

Levi’s pout was palpable through the speaker

Asmo groaned. “Over.”

This was dumb, but Levi now sounded pleased.

“We’re continuing our stakeout like we said we would. Mammon had me and the twins to scout out your campus today. I’m rotating out with him and Satan. Over.”

“You can’t be serious. At my school ?”

“You forgot to say over,” Solomon mused, leaning into Asmo’s phone. The warmth of his breath caressed Asmo’s skin. He suppressed the shudder that desperately wanted to run through him and shot Solomon a look. All Solomon did was laugh in response.

“Beel tells me that there’s no one by the snack bar,” Asmo heard,  Levi sigh, “And I think Belphie fell asleep on his phone. Unless this keysmashing is a new form of code. Over.”

“You really don’t need to do this…. Over.”

“Oh but we do! Just think about all of the implications this has! Remember that manga I was telling you about? It has the greatest ending once they find out who it is and I can only imagine-”

“ Perfect . Great . Listen, I’m sure you have some work to get back to and Solomon and I are busy and have plans so goodbye Levi! Love you! See you later! At home. Not on my campus .”

Click .

Asmo needed that nap.

*****

Solomon’s bed was comfortable. Not that Asmo’s wasn’t, but a bed in general had never felt more heavenly (and Asmo had been in a lot of them). It smelt like him, and it was oddly comforting. Like a candle that had just been snuffed out, or like a distant fire. It was wrapped all around him and lulled Asmo into a sense of security. Everything was safe and secure and alright. He was alright. He’d woken up to more of Luke’s treats and hot chocolate and a warm greeting from Simeon once he stepped out of Solomon’s room, and Solomon working on his latest project on the couch. The sun fell on him in the most perfect of ways. Asmo couldn’t help but stare. He wondered only for a moment if Simeon noticed him, but that thought didn’t last long before Solomon invited him to join him for a bit. He asked him about his nap, if he felt better now, if he’d like him to walk him home once more.

It felt wonderful.

It was perfect.

It was nothing short of peaceful.

This was what absolute bliss felt like, and it  kept relaying in his mind long after he got home.

What he wouldn’t give to have this be his day to day life.

Especially after he found the next letter.

Perhaps it was over optimistic of him to believe that Solomon wrote it, but he had been with Solomon all day and he hadn’t noticed anyone else. The thought of Solomon made his heart flutter as he read over it. He felt so incredibly stupid giggling and wiping away stray tears as he read and reread the words over and over and over again. This was what Secret did to him… Or… Well...What Solomon did to him he supposed. He made him feel so wonderful, like he could float on air. No one had ever made him feel quite like this. Something was blooming within Asmo. He wasn’t sure what it was quite yet, but he loved it.

A Crush? Love? Adoration?

It didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was Asmo’s, and that he never wanted it to end, and he never wanted it to stop making him feel so wonderful.

If I could rewrite the past for you and give you the life you deserved

I would

If I had any say in how things went

I would make sure you had the most pleasant dreams when you slept at night

I would rip every star from the night sky and weave you a crown if I were able

I would go to the gates of Hell itself and back

And face off against the devil himself.

I would do it all for you

Because everything about you is wonderful in my eyes

I want to give you the best,

To take care of you,

And give you everything I have

Until there is nothing left to give.

Because you deserve every good thing this world has to give

I adore you.

I love you.

I want to be closer to you.

I’ll never leave you.

For as long as my heart beats

It belongs to you

And no one else.

You are my everything

My eternity.

An existence without you is not one at all.

You haunt my dreams and my thoughts

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You deserve so much in this life,

And in any other.

I will give you everything I have until there’s nothing left.

My Darling, Think of Me,

Your Secret

It made him melt, just like the pink, heart-shaped candies in his mouth. Maybe Solomon had improved his penmanship after all.

The words plagued his thoughts long after he put the letter down, towing with the idea of texting Solomon in reference to the letter. Should he send something playful? Something flirty? Of course he wanted to be creative. Solomon had put so much into his little gifts and letters. The living room TV played quietly in the living room as he sat on the couch. For once the room was quiet and absent of anyone else other than himself and Cerberus who was laying on the floor contently. Every now and again Asmo would read down to scratch his ears or pet his soft fur. It was an odd feeling, but after being harassed by his brothers, it was welcomed. What made it even sweeter was the mood going to Solomon’s had put him in.

However, the silence also brought his attention closer to the creaking door opening and closing, and Cerberus’ head perked up. Lucifer came in rubbing his temples and for a moment the two brothers made eye contact. Lucifer looked completely thrown off and his clothes from yesterday were slung over one arm. The clothes he was currently wearing were definitely not his. They were too big, too loose, too comfortable . It definitely was not a Lucifer look.  It was an odd sight, and it took Asmo a while to process. Then it hit Asmo and his jaw dropped. He’d always joked and pressed about it, but really?

“Asmodeus,” Lucifer warned, eyes boring into Asmo’s very soul.

“No, you didn’t .”

“Asmodeus, do not.”

“Did you really-?”

“ Asmodeus .”

“You spent the night!” the last bit came out as a squeal and Lucifer rubbed his temples.  

Asmo couldn’t believe it.Had he been right? Did his brother and Diavolo have a thing going on? He always thought it was obvious but-

“Someone drank a little too much when we went out and I couldn’t leave him,” Lucifer huffed, “So I made sure he was alright.”

“I drink a little too much sometimes and I’m able to come  home and be by myself alright. Hypothetically.”

The only reason Asmo added that ‘hypothetically’ was because of the look Lucifer shot him. Of course, his darling younger brother would absolutely never go out and get trashed only to wander back to his room (or to Solomon’s) and crash. He was always fine though, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Asmo could take care of himself.

“Come on, you can tell me! I love hearing all about romance, you know that,” Asmo begged. Was he being a hypocrite on multiple levels? Absolutely. Did he care? Nope.

Lucifer sighed and shook his head, “I like to keep my private life private Asmodeus. I do not speak on my relationship with Diavolo because I do not want to. That is that.”

“You could bring him over more…”

The two stared at each other once more. Both were withholding information that neither of them were willing to discuss.

“Don’t start spreading my personal matters to other people. I allow you privacy with your relationships, I only ask the same of you.”

Asmo huffed and fell back onto the couch. Yeah, Lucifer didn’t want to hear the juicy details of his relationships (which were always Asmo’s favorite part about hearing of other people’s relationships) only when things went wrong. Which… Asmo wasn’t completely mad at him for. He didn’t snoop around like some of his other brothers, and he had gotten Asmo out of a few rough patches with other partners. Sure, he could be a little overbearing at times and parental to a fault, but at the end of the day he cared. He didn’t want to see them hurt.

But Asmo could also take care of himself. Even if something bad happened. He could take care of himself.

After a moment, he nodded reluctantly and slumped down a bit, “Fine.” He watched Lucifer circle over to pat Cerberus’ head before heading off to his room, Cerberus in tow. “But can you tell me a little bit? Later. On your own terms?”

He still wanted to know… Lucifer always seemed happy with Diavolo….

Lucifer stopped and for the third time that night, a silence settled between them. Had Asmo gone too far? He was just about to slink away to his room and forget about his question when Lucifer turned his head to look at him. “Perhaps… We’ll see. Goodnight Asmodeus. Sweet dreams.”

And then he was gone.

Sweet dreams indeed .

That night, Asmo found himself surrounded by Solomon’s smokey aroma in his dreams. It was comforting and wonderful. He could help but think about how Diavolo and Lucifer had most likely been curled up together, and Solomon did the same to him in his dream. He held him closer than any partner had ever held him before. He allowed Solomon to take Secret’s place. To let those honey-laced words pour our in Solomon’s smooth, even voice. It was perfect. It was all beyond perfect. This was what Asmo wanted. Fuck his self restraint. He’d let his heart run wild. After all, it had to be Solomon. It just had to be . He couldn’t understand how it couldn’t be him. Besides, Solomon’s presence was welcomed, and a wonderful one to fill  his dreams.

[sae-bae-ran]

-Hello i want to request! RFA+Sae+V -Can you write about MC who has trust issues and haven't told them any kind of secret or family problem even tho they had been dating for a year.She just can't trust anyone and they realised they don't know anything other then ordinary things. *sorry for grammar mistakes >.

Hi! ^^ Thanks for the request! I hope you like what I wrote! You have a good day too, nonny!

Masterlist || Ko-fi

RFA + Saeran reacting to an MC who has trust issues

Hyun Ryu // Zen

It wouldn’t be a lie if he said this whole year you’ve been dating has been the happiest of his life. Not only did he find the perfect girl but it also seems like you are his lucky charm, judging by all the awesome roles he’s been getting ever since he met you.

Everything seems to be perfect…

Except one thing.

He barely knows anything about your family and past other than the most ordinary things, like your mom’s name for example.

It’s perfectly okay if you don’t want to get into too many details and he’d completely understand if you’re not on good terms with your family, but deep down he fears you don’t trust him enough to talk to him about it.

One evening right after dinner, you lie on the couch, legs tangled as he peppers your face with kisses, the TV long forgotten.

“Babe,” he’s hesitant at first but your curious eyes and the small smile on your lips give him enough courage to continue. “I understand if something happened and it made you lose your trust in people. It makes me angry, it really does, but I can’t fix that.”

Brows furrowed, you lower your head, unsure what to say. His fingers are gentle as he hooks them under your chin, lifting it up so you can look him in the eyes. “What I can do is show you that I’m different. You can trust me, princess, and I’m gonna prove it to you even if it’s the last thing I do.”

Yoosung

His curious nature made him ask all the question he could think of about you once he felt comfortable enough in your company. Which, in all honestly, wasn’t too long after you two started dating.

It didn’t bug him at first when you politely refused to answer his questions about your past. He figured you hadn’t opened up to him yet, so he gave you more time to do so.

Yet, after a year of dating nothing has changed. As much as he tries not to let it get the better of him, he can’t help but feel a bit hurt.

Lying awake in bed one night, he comes to the conclusion that keeping quiet about the problem would only mean he’s the same as the people who betrayed your trust in the past.

Gently tugging at your shirt, he wakes you up, eager to talk to you. Your slight annoyance doesn’t dissuade him and he makes you turn around to face him, your hands in his as he sits propped on one elbow.

“MC, have you watched Cinderella?” You look at him, eyes wide in surprise at his absolutely random question.

He sees this even in the dimly lit room, so he wastes no time in giving you an explanation. “One of the characters there said ‘Even miracles take a little time’ or something along those lines…”

Bright red creeps up his cheeks and he’s grateful you don’t seem to have noticed it. “What I’m trying to say is that I’ve been patient with you and I will keep that up. Trust is not something you gain overnight and I get that it’s even harder for you.”

You pull him towards you in a tight embrace, making his breath hitch in his throat. “Thanks, Yoosung. Let’s take it slow.”

Jaehee

When it comes to your relationship, Jaehee and you have always taken your time with getting to know each other, your quirks, and your habits.

That’s why it takes her quite a while to notice taking your time with opening up runs deep.

She doesn’t hesitate to raise the question once she realizes there’s a problem, but she’s very careful to approach the subject since she doesn’t want to hurt you or bring back bad memories.

“MC, I realize this might be a sensitive topic, but I’d like you to know I will always be here for you.” Her hand slowly glides on the leather couch until it reaches yours. Once it does, she lets the tips of her fingers intertwine with yours, a gesture so endearing it brings a small smile to your face.

“I can’t fix you and I can’t change the past, although I wish I could. We can seek professional help if you’re willing to commit to it. Whatever your choice is, I will stay by your side and support you.”

Tears gather in your eyes at her words. “No one has ever treated me so kindly, Jaehee.” You pull her into a gentle embrace that she returns immediately. “Let’s work on this together.”

Jumin

Falling for you was easy for Jumin. You made it easy, with your bright smile, kind heart, warmth, and your accepting and understanding nature.

So even though he’s head over heels for you even a year later, he can’t help but feel a bit confused, hurt, and even helpless.

It’s not hard for him to figure out someone hurt you deeply in the past, so much so that the consequences have taken roots in your heart, leaving you unable to fully trust your partner again.

The thought of you being hurt makes him angry, but even more so baffles him. Who would be so cruel to prey on an angel like you?

He watches you from his comfortable position on the couch, his head in your lap, your fingers running through his hair. Your eyes are as bright as ever, but there’s an underlying sadness in them that he wants to snatch away and throw it in a dungeon it won’t ever be able to escape.

Slowly, he reaches his hand towards your face, his fingers gentle as they caress your soft skin. You close your eyes, letting your body and mind get completely absorbed in his touch.

“I love you, MC. I can tell you have gone through some hardships in the past.“ You open your eyes, but refuse to meet his gaze. Memories of past abuse flood your mind and threaten to trap you in their darkness, but there’s persistent light, albeit faint, that stops them from doing so.

“I know you have been mistreated in the past and I understand why you find it hard to move on. I want to help you, my love. I will shower you with endless love and affection in the hopes that one day you will find it in your heart to truly trust me. Even if it takes years, I will not leave your side.”

707 // Luciel // Saeyoung

He knows. Oh, he knows.

The pain you went through. The mental abuse. The way you were treated like an object rather than a person. He knows. And he hates that this happened to you.

Your ex promised you the world, then went ahead and lied to you, cheated on you, and then came back to you with a fake smile and another series of promises that they never intended to fulfill.

It wouldn’t be a lie if Saeyoung said he wants to make that person pay for what they did to you. He wants to drag them through hell and then back again, just so they could feel the same pain you did.

Yet, he knows he can’t do that. He has another top priority now and that is proving to you he’s not the same as that sorry excuse of a human being.

Saeyoung regrets pushing you away in the early stages of your relationship. He had pure, but badly executed intentions. So now, despite occasionally doubting that he’s good enough for you, he’s dead set on showing you his love is genuine.

Your hand in his, you sit on the hood of one of his cars, admiring the otherworldly beauty of the countless stars in the night sky. You feel his grip on your hand tightening, so you turn around to look at him, a trail of tears on his cheek faintly glowing in the dim light.

“I love you. I’ll keep on loving you forever if you let me, MC. Even long after I’m gone from this world, I’ll still love you. I hope one day you can believe that. I’ll wait patiently, so take your time, okay?”

Ray // Unknown // Saeran

He’s had his fair share of his trust getting trampled on, so he’s just as cautious towards other people as you are. Sometimes even more so.

Yet, he’s not like that when he’s with you.

You managed to gain his trust fairly quickly, showing him a part of life that he always craved for. Not only are you his first and only love, but you’re also his best friend.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case for you, too.

Even after a year of dating, he knows practically nothing about your past.

The bright man he is, he quickly comes to a realization that infuriates him as much as it scares him. Someone hurt you and the wound they left behind hasn’t healed yet, rendering you unable to fully trust anyone.

Saeran respects your choice to keep things to yourself, but he’d be damned if he let your wound unattended. Besides, even though he doesn’t want to admit it, deep inside he knows that not taking any action would cause you two to fall apart in the long term.

Making breakfast with you is one of his favorite things. Sleep still evident on both yours and his face, you two pace around the kitchen, trying not to break the eggs before they get to the pan.

“MC…” He’s hesitant, but he knows he has to say this and he has to say it before it’s too late.

“Sometimes I’m scared… Scared that this all might be a dream that will disappear when I least expect it. And I can tell you’re scared as well, perhaps for different reasons…”

He takes one egg from the pan and carefully places it in the middle of the vegetables in your plate. “But I know we can get through this.” Pausing for a second, he looks up to meet your eyes. “Together.”

Jihyun Kim // V

Having gone through an unhealthy relationship before, he knows it’s hard to let people in again after your trust has been betrayed in the past.

That’s why he’s patient with you.

He’s okay with you taking your time with opening up about your childhood, your family, and the issues you have with your parents and siblings, but he’s not okay with you keeping secrets that concern your relationship.

Of course, he wouldn’t make a problem of it, but rather tell you why it’s something that you two need to discuss.

“It’s okay to be scared, MC. I am, too.”

The smile on his face is comforting, soothing the pain your fresh wounds cause you. His words hit home, so you feel yourself willing to give this a try.

If he can confront his fears, so can you. If he’s able to find it in himself to trust you, then so can you. You’re not gonna let your fears control you and possibly ruin the most harmonious and healthy relationship you’ve ever had.

“I will not hurt you, MC. I’ve learned a lot and this time.. I want to do things right.“

[graceivers]

Review #41 - Egomaniac

Egomaniac Author: Vi Keeland Genre: Contemporary Romance, Lawyers, Single Parent, Workplace Romance Rating: ★★★★½ Recommendation: worth reading; might read again Summary: Emerie Rose unceremoniously meets Drew Jagger when she mistakenly thinks he’s breaking and entering into her office when in fact he is the owner of the place that she’s been scammed into renting. Despite their vastly different jobs, their constant banter and mutual attraction leads them both down a road together neither of them foresaw.

Female Lead: Emerie is a solid female lead. She’s patient and understanding, which is key to her character considering she’s a marriage counselor. She’s not stereotypically overly idealistic and optimistic given her career choice but in fact very realistic. And we see this through her sessions with her various clients. What more, you can practically feel how invested and passionate she is about her job—how she genuinely likes helping people where she can, how she loves seeing progress and success come from her work, how excited and happy she is at the opportunity to both teach and counsel. I mean, if we all could have enthusiasm for our jobs like she does, that would be amazing.

But not only that, Emerie also shows a good amount of independence and spunk. Keeland does a good job of showing off Emerie’s personality through things like her limited Krav Maga skills, her love for burgers, her movie themed dinners, and even going toe-to-toe with Drew when they’re bantering/arguing/flirting. She doesn’t shy away from him but rather is brave and confident enough to call him out and give it back just as good. I think Emerie is a very well-balanced and three-dimensional character, which is why I really liked her. Male Lead: Drew Jagger! Okay, so the first half of the book or so, Keeland wrote Drew kind of a stereotypical and obviously egotistical dudebro/player kind of guy. To be honest, that kind of guy as a male lead is not my favorite, but I could tolerate it and normally get through a book without any further incident or damage. Again, the first half of the book, Drew fits the bill for this image: a guy that enjoys the company of ladies for sex only, wealthy and attractive and egotistical, speaks whatever is on his mind without thinking about it beforehand because he doesn’t care and has no filter, etc. If that had carried on for the entire book, Drew wouldn’t have been my favorite dude, but again, I would’ve still gotten through it all the same.

But then we got mature, responsible, adult, father Drew Jagger! AND THIS MAN. This man was the guy we deserved. This was the guy I fell in love with and cared about. This man was the best and suddenly skyrocketed to one of my favorite male leads ever. You could tell how much Drew loved his son, Beck, given what he had to deal with, what he sacrificed, and how he still acted no matter what. And then when Keeland inserted that mature, responsible, adult Drew into his relationship with Emerie? God, that was everything. Seriously, nothing’s sexier than a true man—an adult who has his life and priorities together even when obstacles are thrown at him. Yes, even in the latter half, Drew still has dirty and unfiltered mouth, but it was dampened in favor of MATURE, RESPONSIBLE, ADULT DREW, and the appearance and permanence of the latter was a significant reason why I enjoyed this book so much. Plot & Writing: Egomaniac is one of those books where the summary doesn’t give you much or is slightly misleading in that it only tells you just the beginning and leaves the rest basically a surprise. Those books don’t always work out so well for me, but in this instance, I was super happy with the way everything turned out.

Though there was no literal separation, I thought the book really had two defining halves. The first half was all about the witty banter and budding attraction between Drew and Emerie. This section almost bordered on romantic comedy for me. It was pleasant and fun for the most part, but I wondered where Keeland was going to go with it and if and how the author would keep up that kind of tone. Drew and Emerie definitely had their meet-cute moment, and again, Drew acted like the wealthy, attractive, egomaniac by checking out Emerie and riling her up all the time. This first half did adequately set up a solid relationship between Drew and Emerie in regards to their work relationship (which I will get to later), a general friendship, and of course the sexual tension between them two. I liked this first half, but I loved the second half.

Like I mentioned before, the second half is basically all about adult Drew. He’s a single parent and fighting to keep shared custody, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but this is the Drew that sold the entire book for me. Once we establish a relationship between Drew and Emerie, the book becomes far less about the witty banter and whatever unfiltered thing that comes out of Drew’s mouth and instead it becomes about two adults trying to make a relationship work given their respective problems. Drew has to battle his trust issues and fight to keep seeing his son. Emerie has to figure out where she stands with Drew when she’s been hung up on some other guy for years. THEY ACT LIKE ADULTS. I can’t stress enough how much I loved that. Despite the fact that the tone of the latter half was slightly more serious than the beginning half, I applaud Keeland for moving the book in the direction that she led it. She could’ve stuck with the cutesy and ‘egomaniac’ thing, but she didn’t, and that was probably the best decision she made when writing this whole thing.

One thing, there was a minor loose end that kind of irked me. When Drew said he was moving to Atlanta because that was where his son was, Roman, his best friend, said to give him a little time because he was onto something. Roman repeated that when he visited Emerie. What was that something? It was never expanded upon, just dropped and ignored. Am I supposed to just take it as whatever Roman had planned didn’t pan out? Sure, maybe, fine. But then why wasn’t it explained or mentioned again? I know it sounds so insignificant, but I personally thought that was left unattended. I mean, I loved the way the book ended regardless, but still. What was the point of that if Keeland added it in? Why didn’t it have any resolution, even if it was a minor ‘nevermind, it didn’t pan out’ kind of deal?

Also, another minor note. I categorized this as a workplace romance. The line there is slightly blurry. Is Emerie an outright employee working under Drew? No, not exactly. They share office space, yes. While Drew’s real assistant is out, Emerie does some secretarial work for him kind of in exchange for that temporary office space. Does she get paid for that work like a real employee? No. But there was still somewhat of a work relationship between them two, even if it was significantly downplayed, and it was enough for me to subsequently categorize this as a workplace romance (of sorts). Secondary Characters & Plots: Roman was great. I thought he played a nice role as Drew’s best friend and eventually became rather close with Emerie too, even if only towards the end. Of course, Beck was such an adorable kiddo. And yeah, like it was touched upon in the book, no biology was necessary to know that Beck was Drew’s kid in every way that mattered.

Alexa was a piece of work. Seriously. Keeland was very clever in what we saw of her in that all her scenes were interactions with Drew except for that one time she met Emerie face to face. And by that time, I was already sold on Team Emerie, so Alexa’s presence and attitude there and then only further cemented how much I disliked her. We never did see any interaction between Alexa and Beck, which again, I found super interesting and smart because we couldn’t exactly judge if Alexa was a good or bad parent (though we were inclined to believe bad given that she tried to take Beck away from Drew) and we didn’t get to know anyone’s stance on her parenting skills, Beck included.

I would have liked more friends for Emerie. All she really had on her side was Baldwin. To be honest, his character was a little confusing and yet predictable at the same time. I agreed with Drew; Baldwin kind of stringed Emerie along, so much that she moved to New York and lived next door to him only for him to parade around women in front of her! I got the feeling that Baldwin always considered Emerie as his fallback, his second and backup choice, and Emerie did not deserve that even if she never fully expressed her feelings for him. I actually would’ve liked if they stayed friends, but I’m pretty sure that didn’t happen… Favorite Part(s): MATURE, ADULT, FATHER DREW. Or really, just Drew being a dad to Beck. From giving Beck his kidney, always being there for his visitation times, to making sure Beck had a stable life, it was all amazing. The scene where Drew told Beck that he was his stepdad and he might be seeing more of his biological father? There was a need for delicacy and patience and love in that situation, and I loved the way Drew handled it as best he could by giving Beck the facts and yet asserting that he would always be Beck’s dad and he would always love him and be there for him. I seriously can’t get over that Drew; that’s a guy you want and keep. Final Thoughts: Egomaniac was a very pleasant surprise. Again, the summary doesn’t give you much about where Keeland takes the story. I was so surprised and happy with where the plot went and what I read. It had solid characters, a shifting but good story, and still enough spark and passion between the two leads for a good romance. I would definitely recommend Egomaniac as a worthwhile read.

[love-in-nature]

DWC: Modern girl in Thedas Emma/Solas petting a small dog?

I’m sorry this took so long!  It took me a while to decide what to do with it.  I hope you don’t mind too, I mixed it up a bit and played with the idea of Solas somehow ending up in our world ;).

For an @dadrunkwriting prompt fill :D

She’d known better.  This is what happened when you left puppies unattended.  Bad things.  Bad things happened.  

She’d gone inside for, maybe, two minutes.  Then she’d come out to a little puppy sized hole under her fence and no puppy in site.  She’d only just taken Athena in too.  Little scraggly looking thing that she was.  She’d almost died at the shelter, then been bounced from foster to foster due to some behaviour issues from abuse.  The moment Emma had seen her, she’d known.  Athena must have known too, because the puppy had settled right in with zero issues.

Until now.

Now, here Emma was, running around desperately and trying to track the little creature.  Which was not going to wonderfully.  In fact, she’d been out for almost an hour searching.  Soon she’d call the shelter, start setting out fliers, but first she’d check the park one more time.

As she entered the park she started towards the lake, knowing how labs felt about water.  Though the puppy hadn’t ever swam before to her knowledge, and she was still so tiny and frail.   Please, please, let her be—

“Please desist little one.”  

A male voice, smooth as molasses, was heard through the trees.  For a moment, she had a strong desire to see who it belonged to.  The voice appealing enough that she had the urge to side track before she realized how idiotic that was.  Attracted to a voice, pfft. Who cared what some strange man looked like, she was on a mission damn it.

A resigned sigh before the voice spoke again, “Do you not have a home?”

That caught her attention and immediately diverted her path towards the voice.  You didn’t say something like that to a child.  At least, most wouldn’t.  A dog however…

She turned the path to the lake just in time to see an extremely tall, lean man, kneeling down in front of her puppy.  Athena wagging her tail so hard that her butt moved.  The moment he was down, little paws went to his knees as the puppy reached frantic for his hands.

The man was… well, he was confusing.  On the one hand, he was stunning.  Long limbs, broad shoulders, graceful movements, that voice, a uniquely sculpted jaw, strong facial features, and beautiful, slightly bowed, lips.  

On the other hand, his clothing was extremely odd.  A long tunic that looked homespun with a belt holding it snug around his slender waist.  He wore deep green leggings that ended half way down his calf.  Then he wore some kind of wrapping that went down around his feet.  Bare feet.  Who the fuck went shoeless in a city park?  Was he mad?

Then there were the ears.  Pointed, elfy, but perhaps that explained the outfit?  Maybe, some kind of cosplay or comic con event was going on nearby.  Although, she hadn’t heard of any.  She usually kept track of such things, even if she didn’t attend much anymore.

He reached forward to scratch Athena behind the ears.  She promptly licked at his fingers then plopped down on her back, flailing her little legs and looking up at him with tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

Little minx.

The man chuckled, the sound a warm ripple over her skin.  He was—

A complete fucking stranger and what the hell was wrong with her?

He scratched Athena’s tummy and spoke again, “Very well.  You may accompany me for now.  You are small for your kind, but that hardly means anything.  Often the smallest buds bloom into the most beautiful of flowers.”  

The fuck was this dude?  Other than disgustingly adorable…

“I imagine you still come with many of the skills that your kind possess.  Have you felt anything odd, little one?  Would you be able to lead me to a tear?  I am unsure what it would feel like to you, but I imagine you could feel the spirits.”

Ooookkkk, and now he had officially crossed into whacka doodle territory.  Ignoring the fact that she had been quietly watching him for the past five minutes from behind a tree.

She took a deep breath and jogged out from behind the tree, feigning surprise when he looked up to her.

“Oh thank goodness, you found her!  Thank you so much.  I was so worried.”

As Emma neared them, he stood and she was struck by just how tall he actually was.  At least a full head taller than her, something that rarely happened.  

“This mabari is your companion?”

“I’m sorry this… uhm… she’s a lab not a,”  She paused looked at Athena who was currently licking her own butt, “Anyways, yeah she is mine.  Her name is Athena.  She managed to dig a hole under the fence and wiggle her way out.”

“A lab?”

“Yes, labrador retriever.”  

She shifted, as he continued to stare at her as though she’d spoken pig latin.  Somehow she felt guilty at the thought of just taking off with a quick thank you.  Athena was so tiny.  If not for him something truly bad could have happened to her, and he had been so sweet with her.

“Uhm, can I… buy you a coffee or,”  She swallowed before beaming at him, “I could drive you to your convention if it is far.”

He raised a brow, “My convention?”

“Yes…”  This was not going well, “Uhm whatever you are headed to, I can take you there.”

He hummed in the back of his throat.  His eyes were intent on her.  They were a beautiful steel grey that seemed to be attempting to pierce through her skin.  It did odd things to her tummy.

“I mean you don’t have to let me.  I just wanted to thank you for—”“I would like to try this… coffee, you spoke of.”

Her brows probably touched her forehead, “You’ve never had coffee?”

“No.”

“Then yes, definitely, coffee.  Uhm,”  She couldn’t take Athena but she didn’t exactly want this guy knowing where she lived either, “Would you mind waiting here while I take Athena home real quick?  It should only take me a couple minutes.  There are some benches over there by the lake.”

“Alright.”  He turned to look out at the lake, apparently dismissing her.

Not much of a talker was he?  So this was going to be… fun.  

She bent down to scoop Athena up in her arms.  Only then did she realize she hadn’t even introduced herself.  She shifted Athena to one arm and held out her hand, “I’m Emma by the way.”

He glanced at her hand, then back to her face before he reached out.  He had long fingers, fingers that made her hand feel small as they wrapped around her.  Another new one for her.

“Solas.”

Well, that was unique and oddly… pretty.

She released his hand and started taking a few steps back, “Great.  Good to meet you, Solas.  I’ll be right back.”

In the end, it took her about 15 minutes to get Athena settled in her puppy proof room and get back to the park.  When she did, he was standing in the exact spot she had left him.  Odd man.  She’d clearly lost her marbles for taking this dude to coffee, but she couldn’t just… not thank him.

After initial greetings were passed, silence fell over them as they walked to get coffee.  Every once in awhile, she would steal glances at him out of the corner of her eyes.  Though his face remained carefully neutral, she saw his eyes taking in everything around them with intense interest.

As they entered the main part of town, and made their way to the coffee shop, the odd stares started.  She carefully ignored them and he seemed oblivious.  

He spoke for the first time since they’d started walking, “It is loud here.”

“Loud?  Really?  I didn’t think it was nearly as bad as most cities.  You must be from somewhere way out in the country.”

He paused, frowned as another car drove past, “I am from,” a pause, “far.”

“I’ve lived most of my life in little towns like this but never the country.  I spent a year in a city during college and hated it.  Everyone squished together, so many people.  Like sardines all the time.”

“More people than here?”  

She had to work to control her features as this whole thing seemed to only grow stranger by the  minute, “Yeah… a lot more.”  She paused, but in the end couldn’t resist asking, “Are you… amish or something by chance?”“Amish?”

She stopped in front of the coffee shop door, but before she could open it, he had reached around her to hold it open for her.  She glanced at him, feeling her cheeks heating for some idiotic reason.

She forced a laugh, “Well, if you don’t know what it is that pretty much answers that, doesn’t it?”  Then she gave a genuine giggle,  “It was a dumb question anyways.  An amish person wouldn’t be cosplaying as an elf.”

He raised a brow but said nothing as they neared the counter.

A cheery girl with bubble gum pink hair greeted them from the other side, “Welcome to the Whole Bean, what can we brew for you today?”

“I’ll have a vanilla latte with almond milk please, and he’ll have…”  She turned to look up at him, “Uhm what do you like?  I mean flavor wise, sweet things or—”

“I enjoy sweet things.”  

She saw his eyes landing on one of the pastries in the display and couldn’t help the grin that broke on her face.  “Could he get a caramel macchiato, extra caramel, and one of those little pastry cake things, the one with the strawberry on top.”

“Sure thing.”  The woman finished writing his drink on the cup, then tapped their order into the register, “That’ll be 10.85.”  

She dug into her purse and handed over her credit card.  Even though she tried not to be obvious about it, she saw his eyes sharpen on the action.  Could see the curiosity there with the slightest tilt of his head and how he leaned just a touch closer.  

Had he really never seen a credit card before?  Who was this guy?

They waited in silence for their drinks.  It could have felt awkward, but he was so intent on everything around him it made it so it felt… well normal wasn’t the word, but something.  When their coffee was done they took it, and Solas’ cake, to a little table next to the windows.

He continued to watch everything, mostly the people walking around outside.  She let him do this in silence for a while before she cleared her throat, “So… really thank you for finding Athena.  I’m kind of surprised she warmed to you.  Her past wasn’t the best so most people… she can be a bit… well she is scared around a lot of people.”

His eyes focused on her again, “That is unfortunate.  I am sorry that such a sweet creature was hurt.”

Emma shrugged, “Unfortunately, sometimes bad people do bad things.”

“Indeed.”  He took an experimental sip of his drink, seemed surprised for a moment, then took a full drink.

She smiled, “You like it.”

“Yes it is… quite good, actually.”

“I’m glad.”

They set in silence for a while longer.  When he finished eating his cake he shifted, tugged on his sleeves, before he spoke again, “I would pay you back for the food and drink, but I am unsure—”“Oh don’t worry about that, it’s the least I can do.”  His face softened and her heart did an odd little skip.  She cleared her throat, “Uhm, are you staying someplace in town?”

“No.”  His brows knit for a beat before he smoothed his features again, “I had not intended to be here at all, if I am honest.  I fear,”  He took a breath as he went through some internal debate, “things have become complicated.”

Her eyes widened, “You… Do you not have anywhere to stay?”He shook his head, “Do not trouble yourself.  My hope is I will not be here long.  I simply must find that which I seek and I will be able to leave.”

He even spoke like a fantasy character.  

She took a breath.  What she was about to do was completely insane.  He could be some crazy ax murderer masquerading as a humble hobo… elf.  

Yup, she’d totally lost her marbles.“You could,”  She looked down at the last bit of her latte, “You could stay with me if you wanted.  Just till you found it, whatever it is.  I have a guest room.”

“You do not fear that I will murder you in your sleep?”

Her eyes shot up to his face and she saw the teasing grin there.  It was the first real full smile he’d given her and it was—

She cleared her throat, “Yeah, well, technically you could have murdered me in the park and dumped me in the lake.  Besides, Athena trusts you so…”

“I would not impose, Emma.”

“It will be no trouble, really.  I couldn’t live with myself if I knew I let my dog’s knight in shining armor sleep out on the streets.”There was that chuckle again.

“Very well.  I appreciate your offer and I accept it.”

So it was that she somehow ended up with a hobo elf house guest.  Maybe she could ask him to show her how he got those ears so realistic looking.

[jaydcstories]

THE RETREAT Chapter 7

After dinner, Charles and his nephew retired to the Smoking Room, another extravagantly decorated area with rococo mouldings, decadent wall paintings and one gigantic chandelier shedding a dim light over the deeply padded, whiskey and tobacco stained sofas.  This was the place for some serious post-prandial networking and the opportunity for Charles to introduce Paul to some influential business colleagues. Needless to say Paul was already something of a sensation after the fun and games they’d had with his rented slave and he was quite the centre of attention.

But the Smoking Room was no place for a slave, so Andy had to stand outside in the hallway with his collar chained to the wall. It was a long wait. One or two guests stopped to amuse themselves by stroking his cock and playing with his nipples, but it soon fell quiet and he was left alone with his thoughts.

The heat of his arousal had cooled now and without anyone looking on he was able to touch himself, smooth his cock and massage his balls, which ached so much from all that rough handling. But there was no hardness there now, and no desire to bring it back. Just a dull memory of the unfulfilled orgasm that he’d held at bay for so long and that now lay quietly coiled up like a sleeping snake in the pit of his belly.

Apart from the murmur of voices coming from the Smoking Room, the house was silent. He’d watched some of the guests go upstairs, presumably to their private rooms, and one or two had gone through the little door under the stairs that led down to the cellar. He wondered if any boys were still down there and where the rest of them had ended up. He’d not seen any sign of them.

As the time dragged on and he fought against the hunger that was nagging at his guts (the scraps he’d been fed at Paul’s table had only made him more desperate for some proper food) he began to realise he was standing there completely unattended. What was stopping him trying to make a run for it? After all his collar was only a light one and couldn't be that difficult to work loose. It was a tight squeeze but he could just get his fingers underneath the leather and he could feel some kind of catch or pin at the back. If he fiddled with it long enough, or maybe gave the chain a hard tug... He imagined creeping down the hall and finding an escape route out of this crazy house through some unlocked window or side door. He’d have to be quick and make straight for the trees—then he realised he had no idea what was out there or where he could possibly run to—and the absurdity of it all brought him crashing back down to earth.

It wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t so lost and abandoned. There was no one to care for him here. No one he could turn to for comfort or reassurance. There had always been someone before, an older slave, a friendly Master—or Carl.  But here he was nothing but an object of amusement for anyone who wanted to hurt or humiliate him.

He closed his eyes, leant against the wall and tried not to think of anything at all.

Meanwhile, in the Smoking Room, Paul was finding his feet. The atmosphere was heavy with booze and smoke and the endless conversations about money and business seemed to drone on forever, but his uncle’s friends had taken a genuine interest in him, and they showered him with advice about careers and investment opportunities. He soon had enough contacts for a whole year’s worth of job interviews and his future was looking a lot more positive.

“They treat me as one of their own,” he thought. “Which of course I am. I’m no different to them. I could have everything they’ve got. All it takes is a steady mind, a little common sense. It’s like Uncle is always telling me. You’ve only got to believe in yourself.”

Reaching inside his jacket, he felt the hard edge of the leather strap and thought about the boy outside. There was proof, if he needed any, of who he was. His uncle’s gift had done its work. Nothing could have surpassed the satisfaction he’d felt when he’d made that slave boy's hide tremble and burn. He felt sorry for the boy of course, but a slave is a slave and it would be far crueller to treat him as anything else. Anyway the boy wouldn't expect to be treated any other way. A slave needs a Master and Paul was proud to accept the burden of that responsibility. It was a measure of his birthright as a “son of the Reich”. In fact he was beginning to think it was his duty to make as much use of the slave as possible, otherwise there would be little purpose in keeping the boy alive at all.

He waited for an opportunity to slip quietly out of the room to reconnect with his prize and found the boy leaning against the wall with his eyes shut, as still as a statue.

Paul watched him for a while. There was something very appealing about that stillness—his lean body, all the weight on one foot, hands nestled behind his back, balls neatly bunched against his thighs, his head drooping slightly to one side.

“I wonder what’s on his mind. Perhaps  he’s pining for home. But slave’s don’t have homes, do they? They belong wherever their Masters want them. Perhaps he’s dreaming of some other life. He can’t have been a slave for very long. He’s too unsure of himself. Perhaps that’s why he looks so sad. A little scared and naive—but with the body of an athlete. I wonder how much he’d cost to buy outright.”

“Time to take him upstairs, I think.”  

Paul’s thoughts were interrupted by Charles, who had followed him out into the hallway.

The interruption also woke up Andy. His mind had been drifting so much that when he opened his eyes he couldn’t remember where he was for a second or two or how he’d got there. And when Paul released him and led him over to the staircase, his legs and back were so stiff that he wondered how long he’d been left standing there. He was more tired than ever now—and hungry—and confused.

Paul really wanted to be left alone with the boy, but his uncle insisted on accompanying them upstairs. Their rooms were adjacent with a connecting door, so it was difficult not to involve him, and anyway Paul knew his uncle was only trying to make sure that everything was alright.

In fact, Paul was feeling so horny now that he made the boy climb the stairs ahead of him so that he could enjoy the sight and touch of those smooth symmetrical buttocks. The boy’s physique was every bit as satisfying from this angle—broad muscular shoulders, tapering waist, meaty shanks and strong thighs. By the time they reached his room, there was only one thing left on Paul’s mind—and for that to happen he needed his uncle not to be there.

The room was spacious and much like any other hotel bedroom, with all the usual amenities, except that the bed, though nominally a single divan, was more than usually wide, and there were one or two extra items of furniture whose purpose was not immediately obvious. Also, one half of the room was dominated by a full length mirror, facing which were two wooden pillars about three feet apart, with metal hooks and hinges attached at various intervals. This whole area had its own lighting system controlled from a small panel by the bed.

Charles drew Paul’s attention to a chest of drawers which contained, courtesy of the establishment, an assortment of leather bonds, straps, ropes and chains as well as a few mysterious objects that puzzled and intrigued Paul.

Before taking his leave, Charles searched amongst these items for a set of straps which he fitted to Andy’s wrists and ankles.

“If you’re thinking of fucking him, which I’m sure you are, try hooking him up by the wrists between the pillars, I usually find that works pretty well.”

Grateful though he was for his uncle’s advice, Paul was getting a little impatient.  He wished the man would just go and leave him alone with the boy.

“I’ll be fine thanks,” he said, gently guiding Charles over to the door that connected their adjoining rooms. “I’ll see you later.”

“Oh, and  there's one other thing.”

Charles pushed past Paul and headed back to the chest of drawers.

“Here we are...”

He held up a black leather gag which had attached to it a solid rubber dildo moulded in the shape of a large erect penis.

“House rules,” he said. “Mustn't let the boy disturb the other guests. It’s surprising how one can get carried away. Howling and screaming is alright outside in the cages, but here in the house it’s rather frowned upon. So boy, come here and kneel down.”

Andy, who had been quietly trying to take all this in, didn’t think things could get much worse. For a while he had dared to fantasise about being left alone with Master Paul, who despite all the rough handling and humiliation, had at least shown a little sensitivity and warmth. Perhaps, if he behaved himself and gave himself up completely to Paul, then, he thought, his sexual inexperience wouldn’t be a disappointment. Paul would show him what to do and teach him how a good slave should give satisfaction. But the sight of the wooden pillars and the mirror and the ankle and wrist straps and Charles’s sly insinuations, had turned that fantasy into a nightmare. They were simply going to torture him and rape him—although technically he knew that a slave couldn’t be raped because he had no choice and is only there to be used anyway.

This was much worse than being paraded around the dining hall. He was caged in, isolated, at the mercy of two unpredictable tormentors.

Sheepishly he crept over to Charles and knelt down. The heavy black dildo looked far too big to go into his mouth and it took several slaps to get him to open up wide enough. But in it went, pushing down on his tongue and reaching back as far as his throat with its sick rubbery taste. He gagged and almost choked and tried, stupidly, to shake it free and got another slap. The harness was pressed hard against his lips, forcing his teeth to clamp down on the base of the dildo. The strap was pulled tight and buckled behind has head and that was it. They pulled him on to his feet and attached his wrists to the pillars. He stared at his reflection in the mirror and felt so much pity for himself that he began to cry—and to the satisfaction of both Masters, the gag proved very successful in stifling his sobs.

“I shall now leave you in peace while I take a shower and change into something a little more comfortable,” said Charles at last. “I’ll pop back in an hour or so and see how you’re getting on.”

THE RETREAT by John Dee Cooper

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