#I’m killing myself but now I just need to get through security

[snowdice]

Big Bang Editing Story [Day 124]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story years ago, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag ‘proofread stories.’ I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53 Part 54 Part 55

I have been sick as a dog since I last worked on this story. I'm not even doing any work today lol. I just want to get this chapter finished. Will probably do a couple rounds and then cook myself dinner, so there may be a gap at some point. Mostly I'll just be, like, reading when not posting. Wish me luck.

“Good day for a picnic,” Helen commented as she handed over the basket Thomas had requested from her a few days before. He was taking Logan, Patton, and Virgil to the cliffs today and it was perfect weather for it. Spring was truly here, which meant that those of Thomas’s duties that had laid dormant over the harsh winter were about to start up again.

The world had been on pause for a bit considering no armies or agents from any kingdom could get through the snow the last few months, but the concerns of last fall were showing their heads once again.

Thomas had just gotten word a day ago that the queen of Lamir had routed out a second assassin hiding in her ranks over the winter. The assassin had been sent shortly after it was made clear that the queen wouldn’t bow down after the assassination of her mother. Luckily, the assassin sent for Queen Cecil had not managed to complete her mission during the winter months.

While there had been no similar attempt on Prijaznia soil, Thomas couldn’t help but feel it was only a matter of time now that the snow had melted. They were already working on increasing security in the coming weeks and, though it was doubtful an assassin had managed to hide in the castle all winter without revealing themselves, they’d be closely scrutinizing all of the newer staff members.

It would be a stressful time in the coming months, which is why, despite everything Thomas needed to do, he was still going to take his son and his son’s friends on a picnic today. Logan had already started taking on royal duties as of late, but he still hadn’t taken them all on quite yet. Considering this was last summer before Logan was of age, they should at least try to take advantage of it where they could. Patton was a year younger, but the sentiment held for him as well.

Then there was Virgil. Despite their best efforts, they still didn’t know enough about Virgil, but Thomas was fairly sure he’d never had a summer to enjoy until now.

“Thanks for prepping lunch for us,” Thomas said to Helen with a smile.

“No problem,” she said waving them off. “I put in some of Virgil’s favorites.”

“Great,” Thomas said. “Do you know where the kids are?”

“Patton said they were going to go pet the cats, so I’d guess they’re in the gardens.”

Thomas thanked her again and told her to have a good day before exiting the kitchen. There was a nearby door that led straight towards the part of the gardens Patton and Logan had always favored. He figured they’d either still be around there, or they would have wandered towards the stables by now knowing that they’d be taking horses to the cliffs. So, he decided to simply walk the normal path from the door to the stable, hoping to find them.

His prediction ended up being hilariously correct. They were indeed on the path Thomas had chosen. It was clear they (or at least Logan) were attempting to make it to the stable. However, as was typical, a portion of the party had been waylaid by whimsy.

Logan was standing further down the path, arms crossed and frowning as he watched his friends. Patton and Virgil were surrounded by cats. Patton was sitting down, holding two of them in his lap and watching Virgil’s legs being swarmed by the rest of them, maybe two dozen in total.

Virgil looked confused, but not unhappy about the presence of so many cats. He was leaning down to try to pet them all.

Logan met Thomas’s eyes as he approached and waved a frustrated hand at the two of them. Logan couldn’t help but smile.

“Virgil fed one of them,” Logan complained as though he wanted Thomas to somehow go into the past and prevent this crime.

Patton and Virgil looked over at Thomas, noticing him when Logan addressed him.

“You’re going to make Princess Marisol jealous,” Thomas said. Logan frowned at Thomas as he used the ‘Princess’ label for the cat.

“Princess Marisol decided not to come,” Virgil said with a shrug. He continued to pet one of the cats.

“She’s probably sleeping on my pillow,” Logan said, sounding grumpy.

Thomas just chuckled. Princess Marisol was technically Logan’s cat, at least that’s what the kids said, and she did spend much of her time in the royal rooms. However, she was very clearly actually Virgil’s cat. Virgil just spent a lot of time in the royal wing as well.

In fact, Thomas still didn’t know where Virgil was supposed to be sleeping. He and Mr. Deknis had gone so far as to tail him a couple of times, but he always ended up sleeping in Logan’s room those nights.

Knowing Virgil, he might just sleep in the walls. Though that still did not answer the question of where his parents or guardians were. They still had not figured it out. Thomas would assume he was an orphan who’d snuck onto castle grounds for safety, but Virgil had told Mr. Deknis during their first meeting that he was supposed to be in the castle, and it had not been a lie.

Then again, it had slowly become apparent that Virgil was good at dodging the multrum’s powers. It was starting to seem more likely that he’d somehow inserted a second meaning into his answer to Mr. Deknis that night than he somehow had some ghost guardian no one was able to locate working in the castle.

“She deserves the pillow more than you,” Virgil said, bringing Thomas’s thoughts back to the situation at hand. The look of audacity on Logan’s face made Thomas chuckle.

Thomas cut in before it could become a fight. “I could get Princess Marisol a pillow, so she doesn’t sleep on yours. Or we can get you a new pillow if you’d prefer, Logan.”

“It’s not about the pillow for her,” Logan argued. “It’s about her inflated sense of superiority.”

“She deserves it,” Virgil declared. Thomas could tell he was just trying to rile Logan up, and Thomas was sure Logan knew it too, but still his son reacted exactly in the way Virgil wanted him to.

“You have enabled and encouraged this behavior from the start!” Logan seethed.

“She’s a princess.”

“She is not a princess!”

Patton shook his head while squeezing the cats in his arms, completely used to this behavior. He ran a chin idly over one of the cat’s heads while watching the argument.

“We’re never going to make it to the picnic at this rate,” Thomas said to him, “and after your mother made all of this wonderful food.”

“You’re the dad,” Patton said. “Make them stop.”

And, of course, Patton did just mean that he was Logan’s dad with that statement. However, when he glanced back up at the silly argument still going on between his son and the cat covered boy, it did almost look like a fight between siblings.

Especially with the dark hair and stubborn but mischievous look in Virgil’s eyes, Thomas could almost imagine the boy being his own child.

He shook away the thoughts and glanced at the picnic basket in his hand.

“We do have a lot of food in this basket,” Thomas said, pitching his voice up so that Logan (and more importantly) Virgil would hear them clearly.

Virgil immediately turned to look at him, abandoning all interest in antagonizing Logan to look at the basket curiously.

Thomas was never sure if he should be amused or worried about how food motivated Virgil often was.

“What’s in the basket?” Virgil asked.

“I’m not sure,” Thomas said. “Patton’s mom made it. We’ll just have to see once we get to the picnic area.”

Virgil nodded in understanding and began to gently extract himself from the droves of cats. Logan rolled his eyes, but didn’t seem inclined to continue the argument he’d been dragged into. Virgil and Patton got to their feet, and they continued on their way towards the stables.

The horses Thomas had requested be prepared for their trip were already in saddles, though the stable hand who had been handling Mr. Apples seemed a bit dirtier and more exhausted than the rest.

The stable hand seemed as happy to hand Mr. Apples over to Virgil as Virgil was to have Mr. Apples handed over to him. Thomas received Bella with a smile and Logan and Patton got their own horses as well.

The cliffs were about half an hour's ride from the main castle. There was a mostly well-maintained path to them, though it was easy to get lost if one didn’t know the way. Mr. Apples knew the way perhaps better than Thomas himself and seemed annoyed by the fact that Thomas was trying to lead the way. Virgil and Thomas ended up side-by-side whenever the path allowed it to placate him.

Thomas still marveled at how willing Mr. Apples was to let Virgil ride him, especially when he tossed his head in Thomas’s direction, a horse’s equivalent of giving Thomas a stink-eye.

“Are you excited for the picnic?” Thomas asked the boy beside him.

Virgil glanced over at him and nodded.

“I am too,” Thomas said. “It’s always beautiful this time of year. I’m glad I could find the time to take you all there this year.”

“Are you very busy?” Virgil asked curiously.

“I am king,” Thomas reminded, “and now that the world isn’t snowed in anymore things will be busy.”

“With the war?” Virgil asked.

Thomas paused for a few seconds. “Yes,” he confirmed. “With the war, but you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Virgil asked.

“You’re just a kid,” Thomas said.

“I’m 14,” Virgil said.

Thomas glanced at him. “Exactly,” he said, “a kid, and luckily, you’re in a place that can afford you the luxury of being one.”

“What do you mean?”

“The war has been mainly fought on Mocnejsi soil in recent years. Our boarders have held strong against invasions. Unless something goes horribly wrong suddenly, it would take a long time for the main conflict to get here. The only real threat in the castle would be assassins sent after me personally.”

“Right,” Virgil said. There was an awkward pause in conversation before he spoke again. “You’re winning the war then?” he asked.

“Something could always happen,” Thomas said, “but for the most part, yes, we have quite the advantage right now.”

“Oh,” Virgil said.

Thomas shook his head as they were coming up to a narrowing of the path. “Anyway, today is a day to not think about war. Today we’re going to have a lovely picnic and do some bird watching.”

“Right,” Virgil agreed from behind Thomas as Bella took the lead (to Mr. Apples discontent.)

When the path widened again, Thomas did his best to direct the topic to lighter subjects and soon they made it to the cliffs.

Chapter 57 (Virgil)

Virgil had never been to a picnic. At least, that’s what Patton had informed him when Virgil had described his past experiences of eating outdoors. Logan had agreed even though he’d admitted that the definition of “picnic” was only eating a pre-packaged meal outdoors which Virgil had done plenty of times.

From what Virgil could tell, the main difference was just how much stuff one brought to a picnic.

In addition to the basket full of food (that Virgil still hadn’t gotten to look in yet), the king had brought a large soft quilt that he had Logan and Virgil spread out on the ground for them all to sit on.

Patton and Logan had also packed some things themselves to bring along. Logan had brought along a book to read, and Patton had brought along a board game (thankfully not checkers but something Virgil did not recognize). Virgil hadn’t brought anything (except for the fire knife he was definitely not supposed to have and was definitely not letting the king see) because he hadn’t known he was supposed to bring things. He wouldn’t have known what to bring anyway.

The blanket was soft and a much better alternative to sitting on the ground, especially because, while there was grass at the top of The Cliffs, there were also a good number of rocks.

The king set the picnic basket in the middle of the blanket once it was spread out and then lowered himself down to sit on one side. Patton quickly followed him, already fiddling with some of his board game pieces, though he wasn’t setting it up yet. Virgil highly doubted that Logan was going to be allowed to read his book unless Patton eventually got bored of the game.

However, they would, hopefully, be allowed to make use of the basket the king had brought along.

Virgil followed the king and Patton’s lead and got to his knees on the blanket across the picnic basket from the king. He peered at the basket curiously.

He didn’t quite know what picnic food was, but Patton had told them they’d be getting ‘picnic food’ and he was very curious about what that meant.

King Thomas smiled at him. “Let’s see what Patton’s mom packed us, huh?” He reached for the basket and flipped it open as Logan sat next to Virgil. “There is a lot more food than usual in here,” the king said, sounding amused. “Let’s see.”

He began to pull out packaged food and glanced in each package to identify it before setting it out.

“We have a few types of mini sandwiches,” he said, putting them down, “and some pasta salad.” He set down the bowl.

“We also have… er something else.” He showed it to Logan.

“They’re hot cauliflower bites,” Logan said instantly upon seeing them. Virgil perked up in excitement. That was one of his favorite foods.

“Ah,” King Thomas said, but shrugged and set it down. “We also have two desserts apparently: cookies and mini apple pies. That last one’s a bit extra for a picnic.”

“They’re very good,” Virgil said happily.

“And we also have.” King Thomas paused, looking confused. “Chicken alfredo?”

“Yes!” Virgil said.

“Why do we have chicken alfredo for a picnic?”

“It’s a Virgil picnic,” Logan groaned. “She packed us a Virgil picnic.”

“Hey, at least momma sent us something too,” Patton said.

“I think I’ll stick to sandwiches for today,” King Thomas said. He looked at Patton and Logan. “Do either of you want…?”

“No,” Logan said. Patton shook his head.

The king nodded and offered the entire covered bowl of chicken alfredo to Virgil. “Here, this one’s yours,” he said.

“Really?” Virgil asked tentatively. It wasn’t exactly strange for people here to offer him food, and he’d expected and anticipated getting to eat on this venture, but the king of the country offering him an entire bowl of his favorite food was something else.

“It’s not really my idea of a picnic food and you seem excited for it,” King Thomas said with a warm smile, still holding it out.

Virgil took it reverently. Despite the time it had taken to get to the cliffs, the bottom of the container was still warm. Virgil assumed it was one of the heating spells the kitchen sometimes used.

“Thanks,” Virgil said, setting it in his lap.

“Of course, Virgil,” the king said.

The bowl was enough for four people to have a little bit, but for one person it was a lot. Still, Virgil was offered a little of every other food in the picnic basket (and he ate a good number of the hot cauliflower bites).

“Where do you put all of that?” the king asked when Virgil finished polishing off the chicken alfredo bowl.

Everyone else seemed to have finished eating long before Virgil, though Patton still had a small plate of grapes, and he occasionally popped one in his mouth. King Thomas was currently setting up the board game they’d brought on the blanket between all of them.

Virgil shrugged in answer to his question. “It’s good,” he said, “and I don’t want to waste any of it.”

“You know we can just take the leftovers back to the castle and eat them later,” King Thomas said. “You don’t have to eat it all now.”

Virgil just shrugged again, watching as the king set out a group of 8 figures on the board.

“Here, which character do you want to be?” the king asked Virgil, gesturing at the group of figures. Virgil had not noticed the figures were different at first glance. They were all copper colored and about the size of his thumb, but they had slightly different shapes. He squinted at them each carefully, finding they all looked like people, but with different clothing. Some worse pants and some skirts, a few had hats, and one was even carrying a book.

After a few moments, he pointed at one that looked like it had vines wrapped around its arms and was wearing a floppy hat that almost covered its eyes.

“That’s the druid,” King Thomas told him with a grin. “Good choice, and luckily not one that anyone usually fights over.” He glanced at Logan who didn’t react to his father’s gaze. He just plucked the figure clutching the book off the board for himself.

Patton and the king picked pieces for themselves. Patton picked one with an apron that kind of reminded Virgil of his mom and the king picked one that was in a suit of armor before putting the other 4 figures away.

Unlike checkers, this game wasn’t just for two people, and so no one had to sit watching people play while bored out of their mind.

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They played a practice round so Virgil could figure out how the game worked, though honestly it wasn’t that complicated, so it wasn’t really necessary.

The theme of the game was all about stealing. They were supposed to steal special tokens from other players as well as characters in the game and the first person with 20 tokens won.

The other three players argued that stealing was not the point and not the main mechanism of the game, but considering Virgil was consistently winning the entire time, he would argue they were just playing it wrong. He managed to collect 20 tokens before anyone else. In second place at this time was Logan with 9 tokens.

Logan insisted on continuing to play the game to determine 2nd and 3rd place, so Virgil ended up watching them play for a bit. Virgil didn’t mind sitting and watching other people play this game, mostly because he still had the joy of victory running in his veins.

Thomas was definitely going to lose, he noted. He kept wasting his money feeding the nonplayer characters who lived on his lands. Virgil didn’t mention this faulty strategy to him in case Virgil ever played him again.

When Logan took too long thinking about his next move, Virgil took in their surroundings.

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He’d been a bit too distracted by the prospect of food and then trying to understand (and then win) the game to truly take in The Cliffs. They were settled a good distance away from the cliffside but Virgil could still see how quickly the edge dropped off. He couldn’t see the large river he was told was at its base from where he was sitting, but he did see a few of the promised wild birds (including doves) flying around. The king had promised they’d bird watch for a bit, and Virgil figured that would happen after the game was over.

A cool spring breeze brushed across Virgil’s face, and he put his hand in his hoodie pockets to warm them. Instead, his fingers hit something icy cold.

For a moment, he didn’t remember what it was. The crescent shape of it was familiar when he put his hand over it, but he had never felt it cold before.

It was the protection charm: the first charm Virgil had ever made with Logan so many months ago. It was meant to ward off small threats as well as warn you about larger threats by changing temperature…

It had always been warm.

“What?” Patton asked, having noticed Virgil suddenly tense. Virgil, despite how he drilled into his friend’s heads to stay alert had gone soft. He’d let himself be distracted by a full belly and warm blankets and fun games.

He didn’t answer Patton. He filtered the other boy’s worried face out as well as Logan’s face as he glanced at him and the king’s still focused on the game for now. He filtered out the picnic blanket and smell of food still lingering in the air and the vine covered figure set in the middle of the board on the winner’s space. He filtered out the sound of the breeze and the breath of his companions and the distant chirping of birds.

And he heard a whoosh.

Chapter 58 (Patton)

If Patton hadn’t already been looking, he probably wouldn’t have had any idea what happened.

Everything had been fine. Virgil had been sitting cross legged, idly watching the conclusion of the game they’d been playing when his posture had suddenly changed. Patton had looked over at him only to see an expression on his face he didn’t recognize, but it didn’t seem good.

“What?” Patton had asked, but the question didn’t seem to register to Virgil.

Logan had glanced up confused and also noticed Virgil’s face. He’d just opened his mouth to also ask what was going on when chaos descended.

Virgil was suddenly moving, crashing into King Thomas who hadn’t even looked up to see something was wrong at that point. Patton realized after the fact that Virgil had swiped up the board of the game they’d been playing as he jumped over it, the pieces previously stacked on it scattering all over the blanket. There were three thumps as some things hit the thick board, imbedding themselves into the surface.

When Virgil discarded the board in favor of the picnic basket, Patton saw there were small darts in it oozing a dark black liquid. The parts of the board they touched were dissolving, the grass under the new holes beginning to wilt rapidly.

Logan seemed to notice the oozing liquid the same moment Patton did and was quicker to realize what it was. He grabbed Patton’s arm and yanked him away from the board so hard he almost dislocated Patton’s shoulder, not that Patton was too worried about that. He scrambled away from it when he realized what it must be himself.

He could hear the sound of glassware smashing above them. Logan and Patton had rolled off the blanket in their quest to get away from the smoldering, melting board and apparently Virgil had pulled the picnic blanket fully over the king at some point.

Virgil himself was now gone from where he’d been the last time Patton had looked and it took him a moment to figure out where the boy had gone. The person who had been shooting poisoned darts at them had been drawn out of the wooded area they’d been hiding in by Virgil’s attacks.

They were cloaked in dark green from head to toe, explaining why they’d been difficult to spot when they were in the woods. Whoever they were, they were significantly larger than Virgil, possibly an actual adult or almost adult assassin, but they were also clearly a long distant fighter. They had not been expecting resistance let alone resistance in the form of a so quick he was almost a blur fellow assassin.

They had a bow strapped to their back, but they hadn’t had a chance to get it. Instead, they were trying to fight Virgil off with an arrow they’d managed to draw from their quiver. Virgil, meanwhile was lunging at them with a broken piece of plate in one hand and the picnic basket in the other.

Virgil dodged out of the way of the arrow striking towards his arm, though Patton didn’t think it was because he was afraid of getting scratched by an arrow, but because it may also be poisoned tipped.

Virgil was distracted by dodging for long enough that the older assassin managed to hit him in the face with the arm not holding the arrow.

He went down, but he took the older assassin with him, sweeping their legs out from under them. Patton hadn’t noticed (his mind working too slow for how fast they were moving) but they were on a slight incline. They went rolling in a tangle of arms and legs towards the edge of the cliff and skidded to a stop only a few feet away.

Virgil ended up on top, his piece of broken plate in his hands. He moved to slash it across the other assassin’s throat and managed to draw blood, but the assassin’s fist came out to shove at Virgil’s chest at just the right moment, causing the strike to veer off course and slice across the assassin’s cheek instead.

Virgil jerked to the side to avoid a second strike to the chest and went back for another slash. The other assassin rolled to the side as he did and the plate only managed to nick their ear. The point of the motion hadn’t been to dodge, however. They were lunging for the arrow they’d dropped a few feet away while they’d rolled. They grabbed it with their right hand and in the same motion stabbed back behind them towards Virgil.

Virgil rolled to avoid the hit, already slashing up with his plate as the assassin turned back towards him.

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He didn’t hit them this time but his swipe managed to stop them from stabbing him when they tried again. They shoved themselves back to avoid Virgil’s swing, putting a bit of distance between them. Both of them managed to make it to their feet during the momentary reprieve, but both also stayed crouched, eyeing each other.

They both lunged towards each other at the same time. The assassin went for a stab to Virgil’s neck with the arrow, but Virgil was already ducking down. This time, he wasn’t going for a kill shot. He grabbed the assassin’s wrist and at the same time drove his piece of plate into the assassin’s arm, slicing down from the elbow to wrist. The assassin spoke for the first time, cursing in a language Patton didn’t recognize as they were forced to drop their arrow.

Virgil took a moment to kick the arrow away from the assassin and it ended up falling off the cliff.

However, this pause gave the assassin enough time to regroup. Despite their arm bleeding profusely, they still decided to use it to backhand Virgil across the face viciously, leaving a long line of their own blood across his face.

Virgil lunged back forward, but the assassin was able to get a leg between them, kicking Virgil squarely in the chest and sending him flying back a few feet parallel to the cliff’s edge.

The assassin went to grab their bow and another arrow from the quiver still strapped to their shoulder.

Virgil, however, apparently went for another weapon too and he was much faster with a knife than any archer. A knife appeared in his hand, having been strapped to his ankle and was embedded into the assassin’s chest before they could even full remove an arrow from their quiver.

The assassin promptly burst into flames, fire catching their clothes (and from the smell of it their skin) ablaze. Panicked and dying, they stumbled two steps to the side. They stepped directly off the cliff.

There was a second of silence. They heard the sound of the body hitting the ground far below and then the flap of wings and screeching as birds below fled from the startling sound (and possible soon to be forest fire).

…

“Uh, Virgil?” King Thomas said. He had managed to get the blanket off his head at some point. When, Patton didn’t know, but seeing any of it was probably enough.

Oopsie.

Chapter 59 (Logan)

Logan and Patton had been useless during the fight, but that may have been for the best. Considering the skill differential when it came to fighting (and that differential had never been as clear as it was in this moment), that was probably for the best. They likely would have just gotten in the way.

The moment Logan’s father spoke, however, they both jumped into action.

They both knew their jobs in a situation like this. Patton pushed himself up to his feet ungracefully and all but sprinted over towards Virgil. Logan, on the other hand stood to face his father, putting himself very purposefully between the man who had no idea what was going on yet and the boy who was two seconds away from remembering what was going on.

“I can explain,” Logan said.

His father was still sitting on the ground. “You can explain,” he said slowly, “how Virgil just threw an assassin off a cliff.”

Logan thought pointing out that Virgil hadn’t thrown anyone off a cliff and instead had set them on fire with a magical knife causing them to walk off a cliff, would not be useful in this moment. He glanced back briefly towards where Virgil and Patton were standing and then turned back to his father. “Yes.”

“And what would that explanation be?”

Before even starting to speak, Logan found himself making large dramatic ‘explaining hand gestures’ that he’d thought he’d long since trained himself out of. When he was younger and in trouble, he always used to give himself away as guilty by being overly expressive with his hands (and arms).

“So,” Logan said. He was still not able to stop the hand motions. “Virgil was an assassin. He came here to kill you last fall, but he accidently went to the wrong room in the royal wing. Patton and I were having a slumber party and caught him in the act. Then we reformed him and now he doesn’t kill people anymore.” He paused and glanced back, remembering the body that had just toppled off the cliff. “Er, uh, he doesn’t kill people who haven’t shot poisoned darts at people recently anymore?”

“What?”

“Look,” Logan said. “You’re going to have to tell him you’re not going to execute him soon. Patton can only keep him from bolting for so long.”

[lesbiansanemi]

I failed at parking because somehow there was not a single free parking space at the entire airport so I drove around for an hour in a panic and ended up paying almost triple what I thought I would for parking so it’s a good thing I didn’t sleep and anxiety left three hours early 😭😭😭

[yumeboshi]

Mmmm, may I order myself a bloody pomegranate sundae? Looks quite delectable! ♥️

❝ THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER、 @yandere-romanticaa .ᐟ ⟡ HERE IS YOUR RECEIPT FROM CAFÉ YUME ⟡

𐙚BLOODY POMEGRANATE SUNDAE：disturbingly red but it smells good at least．．

𐙚 dish desc。．yandere hsr men’s reactions to getting caught in the middle of one of their messy crimes.

．。𝜗𝜚 labels。general yandere themes, mentions of gore and violence, manipulation, filthy, light minors dni warning

．。𝜗𝜚 ingredients。aven, sunday

#AྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིVENTURINE ⇢ “so what if i’m crazy? the best people are”

。no literally 。this man has no shame at all. he’d give you the widest smirk in the world, staring at you straight in the eyes with those intimidating eyes of his while carelessly wiping off some blood from his expensive attire. 。“oops, you caught me.” 。it would be rather unsettling about how unfazed he is. when you call him a murderer and all sort of insults you can think of, he’d just laugh and tell you it’s all part of the ‘game’ you two were in. 。he’d love the horrified look on your face, though, so do be prepared for now intentional bloody corpses anywhere you go. 。aventurine himself knows what he’s doing is wrong. unlike a certain someone but he will submerge the voice of reason inside him if it means that it��s needed for his ‘end goal’ — which is securing you all to himself. he knows you’re breaking him apart, ruining his mind with your thoughts that gnaw on his morals like parasites, but at some point he had just decided to succumb to it. after all, he does not have anything left to yearn for if you’re gone. 。it is almost like he clings to you for his own sanity, ironically enough. you are the cause of him breaking down and yet you are also the one who lets him know why he’s still alive, so for him, killing someone is equal to reminding himself about what he’s living for. 。this gambler won’t know when to stop— he relishes in the thrill of it, he even likes getting caught by you. his sick mind thinks it’s hilarious.

“YOU DON’T have to stare at me that much,” aventurine chuckles.

how could you not, with the obvious residue of blood splattered all over him, he doesn’t even bother wiping it off. the dim candlelights flicker to illuminate your mortified face, because the seat that was occupied moments ago before you excused yourself to get something, was now empty. your dinner date with your friend was cancelled by force.

the man in front of you carelessly slides the scarlet chair out to sit in the formerly occupied place, the chair making an ugly creak as he does, crossing his legs- leaning back leisurely as he smiles at you through despicable eyes.

“i know my attire is ravishing tonight, but please, feel free to order anything else.” he gestures to the spread menu. you can’t even touch it with the substance that contaminated it, no, contaminated the whole table you were sitting in— the angelic white rose jar decoration is broken and red is bleeding into their fragile petals, the ravishing steak is inedible, broken utensils are scattered everywhere on the luxurious tiles of the restaurant, and it’s eerily quiet except for the soft romantic jazz that echoes creepily across the silence.

when you try to leave- to get away from this insane monster that is him, he stops you and pouts, telling you he’s waited for so long, surely they could have an impromptu date. you were his fiancé, it was natural for him to want to treat you to dinners alone- he’d say with a chuckle.

“dates out of the blue are always fun, don’t you think?” he would say with a smile as he eats the steak without caring much about the taste- he has his pretty princess all to him, that’s what matters more. that should be the only thing that matters.

#SྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིUNDAY ⇢ justifies himself

。this paranoid and obsessive man will have the most difficulty suppressing his desire to make a complete massacre 。he just can’t stand seeing someone even close to you. but as the head of the oak family, he’s also the most reputable person so he cannot risk that to succumb to his needs. 。he still will though, just not obviously. his murders are calculated and too well-woven to be suspicious of from the public eye, he knows how to pin crimes on someone else and it’s certainly not his first time doing this. 。when you raise eyebrows- he’d smile and laugh about how you’d think such lowly of him. he was your sweetheart, so you didn’t think much of it either. 。“please, love. now im quite offended.” 。he was definitely pondering over how you caught up though, so he’s going to put in extra effort to cover his tracks. 。but there’s times he loses his composure and doesn’t bother to cover up his crimes. he snaps, letting go of the thin string of sanity that held him together- and when you see that, he’d suddenly go all sweet, cooing to you that this was all for your own good. 。“they were hurting you, angel. hurting you. you’ll never be heartbroken again, not in my arms.” 。sunday is a master manipulator. human emotions are something he has dealt with tons of times. he will know what to say and what to do to pull on your cogs as if he’s performing clockwork. 。when even his reasoning and silver tongue doesn’t work on you- he would hate to do it, he doesn’t want to artificially make his darling, but for the greater good, he would, brainwash you. like mentioned, he’s a firm believer of the end justifies the means.

STANDING upon you is a fallen angel with his attire drenched with blood that isn’t his. you can tell with the way his pristine gloves are stained to oblivion.

you see his business smile crack slightly when he sees you standing in the doorway, horrified. “apologies,” sunday says with a smooth voice, but his eyes waver a little, but soon harden- as if there’s a completely rational reason why he has done whatever he did to your poor friend that was waiting for you in your room.

“what…?”

his cold eyes suddenly melt at your mortified look- he sighs with condescension, as if somehow you’re the one in the wrong. “it’s my sincere apologies i intruded your room without warning, but I must say, the situation was rather… suspicious, hm?” he slowly walks towards you- every step pronounced and clicking against the tiles as if death is knocking on your door.

“another man sitting in the bed we share? I don’t think that’s appropriate, don’t you think?” he’s close enough to push you onto the wall- blocking your escape route. “isn’t he the same person who forgot to send you presents on your birthday?”

sunday doesn’t actually care about the presents part- he was the one who discarded his gift before you could get it, anyway. he’s using it as an excuse to reprimand you.

“y-yes, but that’s not an excuse to—“

“ah ah, I don’t think there’s much of an excuse to make here. you’re dodging the point. tell me, am i not enough for you?” his sickly sweet voice isn’t paired with the sweetest gesture- in fact, you can feel his stained hands press your neck ever so slightly.

you have no other choice but to say you’re sorry- begging him that you really weren’t cheating on him; and it was just an unfortunate coincidence your friend was on the bed. every time you pleaded, he’d sigh and shake his head as if he’s giving in to your desperate begging to not leave you here alone, but inside, his heart pounds with delight seeing you break down and lose your reason.

“oh, you pathetic little dove. always needing someone to protect her from evil.” his hands caress your head, leaning into you to envelop you in a tight embrace he doesn’t plan to let go of. “you keep trying to fly away, yet you know nothing about the world around you.”

your pleas echo louder as his fingers touch your lips, stinging your nose with the metallic smell on them, and he pulls you in for a kiss that makes you choke, his tongue intruding your mouth that spills out drops of saliva from the lack of breath.

“—so I’ll make you a lovely cage, sweetheart.” he whispers against your lips, smiling through his devilishly handsome gaze before devouring them once more.

[theharddeck]

start the new year right (jake seresin x f!reader)

pairing: jake hangman seresin x fem!reader (no y/n)

synopsis: what could be worse than a delayed flight with lost luggage? driving back to san diego with your nemesis. and what could be worse than that? the car breaking down in the middle of the night, on new years eve. and of course, the motel couldn't have a 2BR room available...

word count: 8.2k

warnings: 18+ explicit content, minors DNI: explicit PiV sex, oral sex (f!receiving), bc of who i am as a person overstimulation, not the BEST communication/consent, but everything is consensual! it's just implied; normally i'm better about explicitly asking and confirming

A/N: happy new year, friends! what would my year be, if not ending with me sitting down with a stanley of chamomile and writing more than i've written the whole previous month? hope this new year is gentle to y'all.

Natasha: Hey girl! Just got an alert that your transfer flight was delayed? Are you good?

You: ‘good’ as in ‘safe’, ya

You: ‘good’ as in ‘en route’, not so much. They overbooked the flight and the next one they have available is Wednesday morning

Natasha: nooooooo

You: At least my luggage is on its way to SAN… I’m considering renting a car and just making the drive from Vegas myself

Natasha: I love you and I trust you

Natasha: but an overnight drive by yourself after an already-long day is not the move

You: ugh I know, but i don’t know what else to do

Natasha: …mkay i have a solution but it’s not the one you want

You: let’s have it

Natasha: jake’s flight also rerouted through LAS

You: absolutely not

Nat: you didn’t even hear the actual plan!!

You: if it involves me and hangman, the answer is no

Natasha: it’s just a five hour drive, you can be adults/play nice with each other for five hours

You: when has Hangman ever been an adult about anything

Natasha: fair point

Natasha: but he is also currently texting me saying he’s stranded

Natasha: you know one-way car rentals are stupid expensive

Natasha: and he likes to drive so maybe you could sleep on the way

You: stop being logical

Natasha: i do not want to get a call from the nevada state police when you fall asleep behind the wheel on New Years Eve in the middle of the Mojave

You: good, add a guilt trip to the mix

Natasha: is it working

Me: …

You: it’s working

Natasha: (Ryan Gosling!Ken gif: SUBLIME!) 

You: lol

You: ugh okay text me his number

Natasha: can’t believe that after 8 months stationed at the same base you don’t have his number

Natasha: mkay just sent

Natasha: you have to promise not to kill each other

// 

Three hours later, you were really glad you hadn’t made any promises to Nat that you couldn’t keep. 

Because not only had Jake insisted on renting a truck (“I need the legroom!”), and that you didn’t need to stop in Barstow for gas (“trust me, sugar, I’m an Eagle Scout–I know we can make it to east LA”), the gas-guzzling monstrosity had fizzled out somewhere between exits along the 15.

Now the hood was smoking, there was no way you were getting your security deposit back, and you were just as stranded as you’d been when you first texted Natasha from the airport. 

Only now you were in the middle of the desert, and your phone was almost dead.

Four hours later, you had walked three miles back to the last exit and were checking into a truly shady motel, straight up refusing to talk to Jake because somehow, incomprehensibly, the only room available was one with one (1) king bed. 

Four and a half hours later, you were dripping wet, trying not to shiver because the shower you took to warm yourself up had backfired, since the motel towels were basically handkerchiefs and your wet skin made the room seem extra cold. You hadn’t wanted to wear your airport clothes to bed, but since your luggage was already in San Diego, that left you with just a cropped tee and boyshorts. 

“You okay in there?”

You glared at your reflection in the foggy mirror, since Jake was on the other side of the door.

The audacity of him.

When you’d first met Jake “Hangman” Seresin, you’d been determined to endear yourself to him.

He was a couple years older than you, and pretty close to infamous after that stunt he pulled in eastern Europe a few years ago. He was ruthless and reckless and good enough to get away with both, and you’d hoped that if you befriended him, he could teach you a thing or two during your own time at Top Gun. 

And he was ridiculously beautiful, which maybe – maybe – had your admiration veering slightly into crush territory. But you’d locked that down, determined to view him platonically, and not let that get in the way of any instruction he could give. 

Of course, the first words out of his mouth had been “Honey, you gotta know there’s easier ways to get your MRS degree than to become a naval aviator.”

Your crush and respect had evaporated on the North Island breeze, and it’d been downhill from there.  

You had no idea why, but he had been openly antagonistic at any given moment since then — doubting your competence but disguising it as care for your safety, and tagging a misogynistic “sweetheart” at the end of every condescending sentence. You’d ignored him as much as you could, hoping he’d get that he wasn’t in Dallas anymore, and that shit didn’t fly with you, but that had only egged him on. 

But now you were exhausted, cold, stranded in the middle of the desert, and practically naked to boot, and he had the gall to act like he cared if you lived or died. 

“I’m fine, Hangman,” you said, swinging open the bathroom door and beelining for the bed, hoping you could get to it fast enough that Jake wouldn’t make a comment.

Or before your tits froze off, at least. 

You didn’t look over at him as you dove under the covers, trying your hardest not to think about the last time these sheets had been washed, much less bleached.

Of course, the comforter was tucked into the foot of the bed, and you wrestled with it for a few moments before giving up, and hauling the topsheet up over your body. It was paper thin, but it was a semblance of covering, and you lay stock-still, closing your eyes and hoping sleep would magically deliver you away from this situation. 

A moment later, the bathroom door opened and shut again. 

You could hear the sounds of Jake brushing his teeth with the toothbrush and toothpaste you had bought from the “concierge” in the lobby (a relic of a man who looked like he did Civil War reenactments for fun, and seemed highly amused by your outrage at the available accommodations). 

You would’ve passed the time on your phone, but the last of your battery had given up the ghost while you were in the shower. 

A minute or two passed, and the bathroom door opened and closed. From behind your closed eyelids, you could hear Jake shuffle over to the lightswitch, and then he stopped. 

You waited. 

He didn’t move. 

“What do you need, Seresin?” you asked, tersely. 

“Are you cold?” 

Your eyes popped open, wincing at the brightness of the lights, still overhead. A quick glance down at your body made your skin heat – your tee was skin tight, and the thin topsheet did little to cover you; you crossed your arms over your chest, hiding your pebbled nipples, continuing to stare at the ceiling and avoid eye contact with Jake. 

“You could turn off the lights,” you muttered. 

Technically, the cold wasn’t his fault. 

But it was his stubbornness that got you here, so that had to count for something. 

“I was just asking–” Jake started, and you interrupted him.

“It’s the desert in December,” you snapped, “yet, for some reason, this motel has the AC on; of course I’m cold.”

As if on cue, the machine in the windowsill rumbled to life. 

You closed your eyes. “Please, just turn off the light.”

The light switch flicked off, and if it were anyone else, you’d have appreciated the immediacy of the response.

But it was Jake, and he didn’t merit any kind of gratitude, so you didn’t say ‘thank you’.

Silence stretched. 

You heard a rustling, and a moment later, you felt something land on your upper body. You flinched, pulling the material away from you on instinct, and identifying it by touch as Jake’s sweatshirt. 

You opened your eyes, peering through the shadows of the room. The curtains were thin (you were sensing a theme here), letting in lights from outdoors, and you found Jake still standing by the door. He was digging through his backpack, clad in a white tank and boxer shorts, apparently also not wanting to wear airport clothes to sleep, but that didn’t explain why he had chucked his sweatshirt at you. 

“What is this?” you asked.

He looked up, shrugged slightly, and went back to rifling through his bag. “I run warm.”

You pursed your lips. “Jake, I–”

“I had a jacket on over it at the airport, okay? Promise, it’s not dirty.”

That hadn’t been what you were going to ask, but you paused all the same. 

You appreciated that he was reassuring you, and you did remember that he’d been in a jean jacket at the airport. You’d noticed it against your better judgment, thinking he looked like an A-List actor as he walked through the airport towards you, all broad shoulders and smiles, like you were friends. 

“Can I have a pillow?” His question interrupted your recollection, and you frowned in his direction. 

You were clearly on half of the bed, Jake could see which pillows were for him to use. Did he expect you not to have one?

You pointed to the pillow you  weren’t using, confused, and he laughed quietly. 

It wasn’t a sound you heard much from him.

Normally Jake laughed like he was proud of himself, reclining in the golden light of the world around him, blessing you all with his presence. This was a different sound, less pretentious, somehow warmer. 

“Yes, I can see it,” he said, his voice still amused. “But I need it over here, for the couch.”

You blinked.

The couch was maybe three feet long, an atrociously patterned aberration that you’d tossed your carryon onto, and not looked twice at. Jake didn’t explain anything further, but there were still only two pillows on the bed, and you couldn’t understand why he seemed to think you didn’t need more context for why he wanted to decorate the couch with one of them. 

“Why?” you asked. 

Again, that quiet chuckle. 

“Because, sweetheart,” he said, and you bristled on instinct, “that’s where I’m sleeping.”

You couldn’t have heard that right. 

“You’re not sleeping on the couch,” you said.

“You’re not sleeping on the couch,” Jake said, stubbornly. 

“That was never up for debate,” you snorted. “Jake, we’re adults. We can share the bed. You’re not going to fit on the couch.”

“I’m an Eagle Scout,” he grumbled. “I can sleep anywhere.”

“Yes, loyal, brave, clean, etc, I’m sure,” you said. “But I’m not sure how helpful you’re going to be tomorrow, when you can’t drive that monstrosity of a truck due to your back spasming from being rolled up on that couch all night.”

You watched through the shadows as Jake stubbornly tried to wedge himself sideways on the couch. Sure enough, his knees were practically bent up to his navel, and even through the darkness, you could see the furrow in his brow. 

“You could drive it,” he said, too obstinate to accept defeat.

“I will not,” you returned, “drive a vehicle that ostentatious.”  

“Says the pilot,” he grumbled.

“Naval aviator,” you shot back. “Jake, it’s an enormous bed. Get over yourself, get into it, and the sooner you settle, the sooner it’ll be morning, and we can leave.”

He deliberated, the mulish man. 

But eventually he pushed himself off the couch, clambering across the room. The bed dipped as he slid into it, and reached down for the comforter, still wedged into the bottom of the bed. You tried not to be annoyed when he yanked it free easily. It was probably just momentum, or that you’d loosened it up for him. While he was rearranging the comforter, you pulled the sweatshirt over your head, and tried to be calm about the situation. 

His sweatshirt was somehow still warm. 

It smelled amazing, like cedar and fancy cologne.

And also sweat, which you tried damn hard to ignore.

It was cozy, and you snuggled into it, and a moment later, Jake settled. Thankfully, the bed was big enough that you didn’t have to touch each other, but that didn’t mean you could ignore that he was there. 

In bed. 

With you. 

You snorted, thinking how much of a dream this would’ve been to you eight months ago, before you met Jake, and he dashed your crush to pieces. 

“What?” Jake grumbled, and maybe it was the proximity, or maybe exhaustion from the day was setting in, because his voice sounded almost gentle. 

“Nothing,” you shook your head. “G’night.”

“Night,” Jake said. 

You rolled onto your side, pulling your feet up under you, and folding your hands under your face, so you didn’t have to touch your skin to the pillow. Of course, that brought the sleeve of the sweatshirt to just under your face, and you were surrounded by the delicious smell of it again. 

It distracted you for a moment. 

Just a moment. 

Then you had to acknowledge that, even with the sweatshirt and the newly-added comforter, your wet hair was no match for the chill of the room. Your legs felt exposed and the sheets felt like they were damp and wet, and you tried your best to ignore it, but soon you were shivering. 

You tried to be still, you did. 

But when you heard the bed shift as Jake turned towards you, you winced into the darkness, unsurprised. 

“Sweetheart…” he started, and you shook your head, refusing to look back over at him. 

“I’ll be fine, I just need to fall asleep.”

Jake let that statement hang for a moment, just long enough for your shivering to start up again. He cleared his throat. 

“Um,” he said, and if you didn’t know better, you’d think he sounded nervous, “I meant what I said earlier. About running warm.”

This time, you did turn over, trying to read his expression in the shadowy darkness. He looked…open. Like he really was altruistically suggesting sharing body warmth, nothing malicious and none of his normal teasing. 

You were suspicious, but not enough so that you could ignore that it was a better idea than freezing yourself to sleep. 

“You sure?” you asked, and Jake grunted, which you figured was as good a response as any. Actually, it was pretty damn good, because if he sounded eager, you’d be creeped out, and if he was uncertain, you’d feel guilty. But being matter-of-fact about it gave you the courage to scoot across the bed. 

“How do we do this?” you asked, and Jake reached for you. It was an easy movement, natural, enough so that it surprised you when he hesitated before touching you. 

“Can I…?” he trailed off. 

“Sure,” you shrugged, hoping you sounded half as unaffected as he did. This was fine, this was normal. Just a guy who was SO obnoxious that it made you forget how hot he was, suddenly not being obnoxious, and basically punching you in the face with his hotness.   

His hand settled on the small of your back and damn it, he was warm. His touch was soft, gentle, almost nervous, and he pulled you closer to him. You realized you’d expected him to turn you over, press your back to his front so that you’d be spooned, but instead he just wrapped you in his arms. He reached around you to tuck the comforter between you and the mattress, insulating you with his warmth. 

Your head was in his chest, and with his arms bracketed around you, your breath heated up the space between his tank and your face. He’d even managed to slot his arm under your head, so your face still wasn’t on the pillow. 

Cuddling with someone new was usually awkward, a tangle of limbs and expectations, but with Jake, it wasn’t. It was…damn it. It was pretty close to perfect.

“Good?” he asked, and he sounded different, with your cheek on his bicep, and your nose practically pressed against his chest. It was like you could feel his voice, rumbling around you, somehow more comforting for the proximity. 

You nodded, not wanting to hear anything new on your voice if you tried to respond. 

Jake hummed. 

A moment later, you realized his thumb was moving. Nothing major, just a small movement between your shoulder blades, a reassuring stroke. It was a comforting motion, gentle, and it wasn’t long before his warmth and his touch lulled you into a sweet sleep. 

You startled awake to the sound of guns. 

Not guns, fireworks. 

Damn it, it was New Year’s Eve; how had you forgotten? 

Jake stirred too, a deep breath expanding his chest, and leading you to realize his head was resting on top of yours, his chin tucked on top of the crown on your head.

“Is that–” he mumbled and how dare he, honestly, how very dare he, because he sounded great. Fuck him, for that, frankly. 

The situation washed over you, half asleep and fully cognizant of how random it was. You didn’t mean to start, but soon you were laughing, your shoulders shaking. 

“You okay?” Jake asked, a thread of concern in his voice, and that didn’t help any. 

“Just the universe’s sense of humor,” you said. 

You didn’t know how, but you knew he was confused and you should’ve been worried about how you knew that, how you weren’t cold at all, how if you looked up, you’d know what a  sleep-mussed Jake Seresin looked like, but all you could think was that this was so, so stupid. 

You took a long breath, starting to explain. 

“I just can’t believe this is how I’m starting the next year of my life,” you laughed. “Like, I’m fine, right? I’m doing alright on a career path I love, I call San Diego home, I have great friends and I’m doing as good with my family as anyone could be. And where am I on New Year’s? Stranded in a motel off an exit that’s literally not even town, cold enough that a guy who hates me is cuddling me so I can be still enough for him to go to sleep, with a dead phone so none of my friends or family can wish me a happy new year, and I–”

“Wait,” Jake pulled back, and you frowned at the interruption, “why do you think I hate you?”

You stared at him. “Are you serious?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jake said, having the gall to look confused.   

“Jake,” you said, disbelieving. “You’re literally constantly a jackass to me. You’re constantly undermining me, doubting or heckling. You throw in a – frankly overwhelming – amount of southern charm and expect that to distract from the fact that you’re being outrageously patronizing and—”

Jake kissed you.

You weren’t expecting it, and it was so sudden that it thoroughly cut off your train of thought. All you could do was comprehend fleeting sensations and emotions. Jake’s lips were soft, the pressure of them light and teasing against yours. His arms tightened around you, like he was steadying both of you. In the same way you’d sensed his confusion, now you sensed his apprehension, and an unfamiliar determination. 

Just as quickly, he pulled back. 

“I don’t–” his voice was rough, and he cleared his throat. “Christ, I don’t hate you.”

You licked your lips, annoyed that they had the audacity to tingle in response to him.

You wanted to ask what the hell that was. 

You wanted to ask why he was looking at you like that. 

You wanted to ask what that expression meant but more than anything, you wanted him to kiss you again. 

Your arms were curled up between the two of you, and it took so little effort to curl your fingers in the front of his tank and pull him to you. His mouth was on yours a breath later, and his hand was on your jaw, angling your face so he could kiss you properly. 

Of course he was a good kisser. 

Fucking of course he was, he had to be, but it was one thing to know it in an agnostic kind of way, and another to feel his lips pressing into yours. You shivered when his tongue swept over your bottom lip and when you mirrored the motion, something in his chest rumbled, and Jake parted his lips for you. 

He tasted faintly of toothpaste, and he had some kind of chapstick on his lips that was sweet, and you couldn’t get enough of him. His arms were still around you and he was so warm, so broad, and you couldn’t help but press yourself against him. When your arms wound around his neck, Jake broke away from you. You could feel his chest rising and falling quickly, and his hands fell from your back to your waist, as if holding you in place. He turned his head slightly, kissing lazily at the corner of your mouth, down your cheek, to your jawline. 

“That’s not how I wanted to tell you,” he murmured against your skin, and this time when you shivered, you knew it wasn’t from the cold. 

“You still haven’t told me,” you managed, eyelashes fluttering at the teasing brush of his lips, while you tried to look at him.  

To your astonishment and delight, Hangman blushed. 

Sheepish wasn’t an expression you were used to on him, not unlike bashful, but you thought it suited him. He looked like he was gearing up to say something and, curious though you were, you didn’t want to get into that right now. It was late, you were still exhausted, and just a few moments ago, you’d thought he hated you. 

If his expression now was any indication, you and Jake had very different conceptions of flirting. 

“Look,” you said, before he could say whatever he was hyping himself up to say, “this is probably a lot more complicated than either of us were prepared for. So, it’s the New Year…we could start it how we want the year to go.”

Jake’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he smiled softly, a sweet expression on his face. He turned his head to kiss the palm of the hand you had looped around his neck. 

“Cuddling,” he said, at the same time you announced, 

“Orgasms.”

You would never forget the expression on his face. 

Sweetness morphed into amazement, and then quickly into hunger. 

“I can pivot,” he said quickly, and you lifted your chin. 

“You sure?” you teased, “Don’t want to strongarm you into–”

Your sentence ended with a squeal when Jake turned quickly, flopping onto his back, and pulling you on top of him. Your knee was between his thighs and you couldn’t hold back your grin as you looked down at him. Just like with this kiss, he was letting you lead, but being so clear about what he wanted. 

And who were you, to decline?

Kissing him from on top of him felt different, felt amazing. 

You could appreciate how sturdy he was, and when you relaxed slightly, you found yourself straddling his thigh. You’d been a part of plenty of dogfight football scrimmages, and Jake was never one for longer board shorts; you knew exactly how strong his thighs were. But it was one thing to see them on display, and quite another to feel them flexing between your legs. 

One of Jake’s hands was inching under his sweatshirt that you wore, warm fingers spreading across your stomach as you moved over him. 

God, he felt so good, so few layers between his skin and your core, and the pressure of his thigh between your legs was so good. You kissed him again, tongues tangling and teeth clashing, as you ground against his leg. 

When you moved, you felt the hem of his boxers slide against your leg, and sue a girl, you were curious. You shifted slightly, moving your thigh higher, and when you rocked your hips, your thigh brushed against his cock. 

“Fuck, sweetheart,” Jake gritted as you moved against him, and you thought maybe you didn’t mind the petname, when he sounded like that. 

You braced yourself on the pillow behind him and moved again. 

It shouldn’t be this hot. 

But it was, he was, and you felt pleasure spooling through you, just from his leg between yours, and his gentle touch against your skin. How he reacted to you, how he moved under you, it was so good, like a promise. 

“Not gonna lie,” Jake said, his voice still rough, “I really like you in my sweatshirt.”

Your mouth fell open when he pushed his hips up to meet you. 

You both stifled a gasp at the motion, the sensation with so few layers between the two of you. Jake’s hands crept higher under your sweatshirt, almost tentative, and you leaned into his touch, encouraging. His hands cupped your breasts, and your head dipped to the side in relief. He made a sound of satisfaction, just enjoying their weight in his hand, then his wrists moved so his thumbs could brush over your nipples. He rolled them, and you felt it in your core, your thighs clenching. 

“Love you in my sweatshirt,” Jake repeated, sounding dazed, “but I wanna to see you without it.”

You leaned back immediately, pulling the sweatshirt over your head. 

You missed the warmth of it immediately, but Jake’s gaze was worth it. His expression bordered on reverence, and he actually licked his lips, looking up at you. You wiggled on his thigh, heat pulsing, needing something from him, your skin prickling under his gaze. 

Jake frowned, the lust in his eyes overtaken by concern. “Too cold?”

You certainly weren’t toasty, but you couldn’t say you cared.

“I would’ve thought you’d have a solution to keep me warm,” you teased, and Jake seemed to accept the challenge. 

The hands that had been on your breasts dropped to the back of your thighs, and a moment later he had pushed you back. You were on your back, feet in the air, and Jake turned you gently on the bed so you were resting on the pillows again. You settled in, expecting him to lower himself between your thighs, and were surprised when instead he reached back for the comforter. 

Maybe you had misunderstood, he didn’t actually want…

He pulled the comforter over his head, over your shoulders, and you blinked disbelieving at a Jake-shaped figure under the blanket, moving to the base of the bed, between your legs. 

You were fairly confident, but that was a lot to ask from someone on a first date, and this wasn’t even that, and you ducked under the comforter as well. 

“Jake, you don’t have to–” you protested, realizing belatedly that there was nowhere near enough light to be able to make meaningful eye contact. 

“You said orgasms, right?” Jake said, his voice full of a familiar smugness. 

He settled at the base of the bed, crouching, and through the darkness, you could tell he was looking in your direction. His hands were intentional on your legs, letting you know where he was, giving you time to tell him if you weren’t okay with something. 

If he was offering, you were beyond okay with this. 

“Right,” you said weakly. 

His hands trailed up your thigh, his warm touch light, and his fingers closed over the band over your boyshorts. You nodded, a sound he heard because your head rubbed against the comforter.  

He kissed your thigh. 

It was a feather light touch, a brush of his mouth against the sensitive skin, but it was so gentle that it reassured you. He kissed your other thigh, then higher, and one of his hands felt up to your stomach, and he pushed, an unsubtle prompt. You lay back against the mattress, nerves and desire warring within you as Jake kissed higher.

You felt a brush of his tongue when he reached the edge of your underwear and your breath caught. 

“Plural?” Jake asked, and it took you a minute to understand his question.  

His fingers pulled at the edge of your boyshorts, peeling them slowly down, his mouth pressing gentle kisses as he revealed more of your body. He was exploring by touch what he couldn’t see, so slow and perfect it was overwhelming. 

“There’s two of us,” you managed, back to his question. “Hence plural.”

Jake laughed, a soft exhale against your skin. He’d bared you to him, and you shifted, like you were seeking his touch. 

“I know this is new for us, sweetheart,” he mumbled, a kiss to your hipbone, then the opposite, “but that’s not how this is going to work.”

You bit your lip, nervous again.

You were new to this with him, and some guys thought oral sex was some kind of prerequisite – check the box, half ass it for thirty seconds, guarantee she’ll let you hit it – but something told you Jake would be different. 

You were panting, anticipation making you breathless. 

You whispered his name and it was like he was waiting for permission, because he leaned into you. His first kiss against your pussy was gentle, just as sweet as those kisses he’d trailed up your thighs. It was so sweet it made you squirm, and Jake chuckled, a sound you felt as his breath ghosted over you. He pulled back long enough to draw an audible breath, then his tongue licked over the whole of your cunt, a long, torturous swipe that had you trembling.  

“Fuck, sweetheart,” he said, muffled, and your hips bucked. “You’re already wet for me.”

You reached under the comforter, your hands tangling in his hair and Jake hummed his approval before following your prompting back to your pussy. He lapped at you, learning you, and when he trailed up to circle your clit with it, you couldn’t stop the cry that escaped you. 

“That right, honey?” he asked, sounding smug, and he circled your clit with his tongue. You felt a hand slip from your hip to your entrance, rubbing over you as his tongue played with your clit. He kissed you, teased you, and when he pushed a thick finger into you while his lips closed over your clit, you moaned. 

“Feels so good, Jake,” you cried, and you felt him shudder at your voice. 

You heard it too, how wrecked you sounded, and it was his fault. Your hips were pushing up into him, chasing the suction of his mouth, the pull of his fingers. He was only a knuckle or so into you, but his finger was so wide, thicker than your own, and you moaned at the unfamiliar intrusion. 

It was Jake between your legs, Jake’s wicked smile, sharp tongue, capable hands, Jake who was working you with his fingers and mouth. He felt so good, and your body felt like it was humming to a frequency he set. 

You trembled as he sheathed a finger in you, you moaned when he sucked your clit, and when his teeth brushed over your clit, the pleasure coursing through you snapped. Your fingers in his hair tightened, and Jake groaned when you pressed your pussy harder against his face. He groaned like he wanted it, like he craved that reaction, and you came hard.  

He coaxed you through it, gentle and steady as he’d been so far, and as you came down, you pulled slightly at his hair. 

“Jake, that was–” you gasped, and you felt him laugh again. 

“Honey, what part of ‘plural’ is so hard for you to understand?” he asked.

And he pushed another finger into you. 

Your back bowed off the mattress; you were so sensitive and it made everything Jake did to you feel so much more. 

His mouth traveled down to where his fingers were pressing into you, and he curled them into you. You heard an obscene slurping sound, and your eyes rolled back as you realized he was pulling your release out of you, tasting it from his own fingers. 

���Like honey from a honeycomb,” Jake mumbled, his voice thick, and you whimpered at how he sounded. 

A moment later, his lips closed over your clit again, and your head thrashed against the pillow. 

“Jake, I just–” you panted, but he sucked again and you broke off on a moan. “I can’t, I just – fuck, give me a second– oh, that feels so good.”

Jake either didn’t hear you or he wasn’t listening. 

He was following your body, the way your hips were pushing up into him, the way your cunt was clenching down on his fingers, and it was like he was drunk on the taste of you. He suckled on your clit, his tongue laving over you, stoking you higher again. He felt so good, and you were sure you were telling him, but you were fast losing confidence in your ability to form words. 

You lost track of time, there was just pleasure, and the heat from Jake, and the way he was working your body. 

“You gonna come for me again?” Jake coaxed, pulling back to blow a long stream of cool air over your clit. You flinched, you writhed, you would do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn’t stop. “I think you can do it, honey, it was so pretty the first time. This pussy is so good, doing such a beautiful job coming for me, tasting delicious and I bet you can do it again…”

Your legs felt limp as he licked over you again, tasting where his fingers fed into you, pumping them and pulling pleasure out of you. His tongue flicked over your clit, a maddening pattern, and when his lips closed, he sucked hard. It was so strong, so unreal, and you shook as you came again. 

“Ah, there it is…That’s so good, sweetheart,” Jake soothed, and you weren’t sure if he was talking to you or your pussy, and you certainly didn’t know which was hotter. 

He continued to stroke inside of you, his thick fingers pulling you through your orgasm, keeping you grounded, keeping your pleasure coming. 

You weren’t cold anymore. 

In fact, you were burning up, and Jake didn’t seem like he wanted to stop. The moment he felt coherency return to your posture, he dove back in. You genuinely didn’t think you could stand another orgasm from his mouth, and you let go of his hair – he wasn’t listening to you anyways – and flipped back the comforter. 

God damn, he was so hot. 

He looked up from between your thighs, the lower half of his face smeared with your arousal, and he fucking licked his lips, before smiling up at you. His hair was in complete disarray, and you could tell his whole upper body was flushed from overheating, and he looked so smug, so proud, and he had every right to be. 

“C’mere,” you asked, and it was enough. 

Grinning, Jake crawled up the bed, caging you with his arms again. 

He hesitated, unsure what you were okay with, but you kissed him hungrily. You could taste yourself on his lips, on his tongue, and you felt a sort of possessive pride that it’d chased away the cloying sweetness of his chapstick. 

Right now, Jake tasted like yours, and you were obsessed. 

When he realized he could, Jake returned the kiss with enthusiasm, his tongue sweeping into your mouth. 

Your hands smoothed over his back, curling in the hem of his tank and pulling it over his shoulders. Jake wouldn’t separate from your lips to let you pull it over his head and you giggled as he kissed you through it, like an infinity scarf. You felt up his back, hands delighting in the contours of muscles that you’d only admired from a distance, before you caught yourself. 

He was so strong. 

Warm and toned and big, intoxicating to think of him over you. Finally, he ducked his head to chuck off the shirt, and the motion lowered his hips to yours. You both groaned at the brush of his cock between your thighs, and then Jake was kissing you with fresh urgency. You hadn’t seen him yet, though he’d had his face in your pussy, and you reached between the two of you. 

You felt him over his boxers, and Jake broke off the kiss at your touch, his head dropping to your shoulder. It was like he couldn’t contain himself, and his hips pushed into your touch. You explored the shape of him through the thin cotton, your own hips rocking into him on instinct. 

Fuck, he felt big. 

You felt a small bit of wetness near the fat head of him, and you moaned as your thumb rolled over the leaking precum, rubbing his sensitive head. 

“I have a – shit,” Jake broke off, his hips rutting into your touch, and your head fell back. “I have a condom in my wallet.”

“Of course you do,” you teased, and it would’ve been more effective if you didn’t sound so needy about it. 

You turned your head to press a kiss to his cheek, then scooted out of the bed. 

The room felt freezing outside of the bed, but it was refreshing, as you darted over to his backpack. You found his wallet, and the condom inside it, and when you got back to the bed, Jake had only moved to push himself up. He was kneeling in the middle of the bed, and he shifted as he pulled off his boxers. 

“Holy shit, Seresin,” you whispered, not even caring that your voice sounded reverent. 

His cock was beautiful, thick between his thighs, bouncing parallel to the bed. Jake gripped the base of it loosely, like he had to do something while he watched you watching him, and you crawled back to the bed, still staring, kneeling so your knees almost touched his. 

“Can I?” you asked, holding up the condom. “Please, sweetheart,” Jake said, his voice so gruff and gorgeous. You licked your lips and ripped the foil, but hesitated before you pulled it out. 

“I’m clean,” you told him, sitting back on your thighs. “Um, we should still use this, but I just wanted you to know.”

Jake caught your chin between  his thumb and forefinger, tilting your head up to him. He kissed you quickly, short and sweet, and there was something unexpected in his eyes when he pulled back. 

“Me too, sugar,” he said, his voice deep. “Thank you.”

You couldn't be sure what he was thanking you for, but you felt like you should be thanking him. For making sure you felt good, for thinking of a condom, for making you feel so cared for. So you tilted your head, reached between you to where he was loosely fisting himself, and replaced his hand with yours. 

You pulled your hand loosely over him, obsessed with the warm feel of him, how thick he was in your hand, how heavy. Jake’s hands hovered like he wasn’t sure where you put them, and they settled on your upper arms, like he needed you to keep his balance. 

It didn’t stop you from leaning down and guiding his tip towards your mouth. 

Jake groaned, a beautiful, strangled sound, and it was lost to you when you first tasted him. 

This wasn’t the proper angle for a proper blow job, and you wanted to feel him, but you were curious, and your tongue lapped at him. His skin was scalding hot, and a pearl of precum beaded at the end of his cock, like an invitation. You licked it into your mouth, moaning at the salty, rich taste of him. 

Jake’s hand fell to the back of your head, not pushing, but like he needed to steady himself. You licked over him, acquainting yourself with him, learning the veins and sensitive spots, knowing you’d want to come back to them later. Too soon, Jake’s hand tightened in your hair. 

You looked up at him, hoping he’d like the picture of you from this angle. His jaw clenched and his eyes fluttered shut, if that was any indication. 

“Need to be inside you,” he ground out, and opened his eyes. “That mouth is so sweet, honey, gonna make this be over too soon. I want to feel that pussy.”

God, you wanted that too. 

You pushed yourself back up, pulled the condom out, and rolled it over his thick length. His thighs were shaking, you noticed, and it filled you with something like tenderness. That he’d get you there twice, then let you play with him, then say “please”, like fucking you was a privilege. 

When your hand reached the base of his dick, condom secured, he surged forward to kiss you. You swayed on the bed, kneeling in the middle of it, his hands cupping your face, yours on his waist. Both pulling, both needing to be closer, and when Jake lowered you back down, you followed his prompting eagerly. 

He settled you back against the pillows, back how you’d been when he’d driven you to the stars with his tongue, but this time his handsome face was right over you. When he settled over you, you closed your eyes against the intensity of the moment. You were both fully naked, and it felt so heavenly to have so much of his skin pressed against yours. He was warm, strong, all around you, and you needed him in you too. 

You spread your legs, letting him rest deeper between your thighs, and whimpering when his hot cock brushed against your stomach, then down. 

“Don’t know how slow I can take this,” Jake said, like he expected you to have a problem with that. 

“I want to feel you,” you told him, honestly. “Please.”

Jake kissed you again, pulling back to press his forehead to yours as he guided his dick between your thighs. 

You’d had two orgasms. 

You’d had his fingers and his tongue loosen you, you were plenty lubricated, but when Jake’s cock pressed against your entrance, you realized it hadn’t been enough. 

“Holy shit, Jake,” you gasped, as his fat head pressed against your pussy, waiting for resistance to melt. 

“Relax, baby,” he whispered hoarsely, “you can do it…You’re doing so good, just a little bit of give, come on…”

You whimpered at the new endearment, but there was no way. You felt needy, cloying. You could fit him, you knew it, but it felt—there.

He eased in, just a breath, and you felt like sobbing. It was so good, so overwhelming, so fucking tight, and you needed the rest of him. 

“Jesus, honey, you’re so tight,” Jake said, he sounded choked, and you loved it. 

“More,” you whimpered. “Please, Jake, want to feel you…you’re so big, I need more, please, please.”

“Honey, you can’t say things like that–” Jake gritted, your words driving his hips forward. 

You could tell he was trying to go slow, but the feeling of him forcing his cock into you had your legs shaking. You wanted it, needed it, and if begging was the way to get it, begging you could do. 

“Want to feel your thick cock, Jake,” you whispered, and he shivered. He was bracing himself against the headboard, and you could feel his arms shaking as he fought to keep from driving into you. “You feel so good, need to feel you so deep…want to come on your cock, please, Jake…come on and fuck me.”

He groaned like he was in pain, as he pressed deeper into you. 

He was trying to go slow, trying to be gentle, but you wanted to be mindless, you wanted your whole being centered around the deep push of his cock. You wiggled your hips, and sighed as he sunk deeper.  

“Thank you,” you breathed, and his hips punched forward again. 

“Jesus, sweetheart,” he muttered, and you would’ve laughed, but you were too overwhelmed. 

This was what you wanted, this was what you knew he could give you. Your hands dropped from his shoulders to your breasts, squeezing and massaging your breasts as he sank into you. You turned your head to look up at him, and found him staring, slack jawed, down at you in awe. 

“You make me feel so good,” you coaxed him. “Please, Jake…fuck me.”

Jake growled, a sound that came from deep in his chest, and his hand fell between you to brush over your clit. 

You jolted at his touch, your hips opening impossibly wider, and a hotter, stronger arousal racing through you than the steady, heavy press of him. Your hips bucked up, and you tweaked your nipples, working yourself up onto his cock rather than pressing him into you. It took a couple more burning minutes, and you were both coated in sweat by the time he was seated in you. 

“Baby…” Jake breathed, his voice a dream and you had to resist the urge to purr. He was so warm, all around you, inside you, it felt like he was grounding you. 

Then he moved.

His first pump had your back arching, your knees jolting up, your eyes flying open. Fuck, how did he reach that part of you, how was there room, how were you–

Jake laughed, a deep, dark sound. 

“That's what you wanted, sweetheart?” he asked, and he moved again. You cried out, overwhelmed, perfect.

“This what you were begging for?” Jake grunted, between strokes, “This what you were asking so prettily for, and now you have me, and what’s that, baby, can’t find your words? What’s wrong?”

Nothing was wrong, not a damn thing, but you couldn’t summon the wherewithal to tell him. All you felt was pleasure, pounding and sweeping, full and as good as eternal. 

“This pussy is so fucking tight, sweetheart,” Jake swore, his head lowering to kiss down your neck. He sucked at the skin there savagely, needing a distraction, and you clenched around him, when his lips closed over your pulse point. “Pulling me in, so tight and warm. You look so good around my cock, honey, you wouldn’t believe… Like a dream, like a fucking wet dream, but you’re here, stretched around me, taking me so good…”

You moaned as he found a rhythm.

The headboard was banging against the wall with the strength of his thrusts, and he pounded into you. There was so much he hadn’t said, so much he couldn’t say, but he pushed it into your body, swore it to you. He soothed it over your clit with his thumb, he promised it with his thick, heavy cock inside of you, and you felt yourself falling into it. 

“Please, Jake,” you managed, begging again. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything other than take the harsh fucking he was giving you, and craving it, needing it. 

“What’d’ya need, honey,” Jake groaned. “You have me here, so fucking deep, never felt this good, this right—what do you need, baby, tell me, whatever you need.”

Had the room been dark? Surely it’d always been bright light, sparking, blinding. 

Pleasure was rolling over you, suffocating, live-giving and you shook your head, moaning with every thrust of Jake’s hips. The only words you could manage were his name, and please, and it seemed to spur Jake on further. His thumb pressed hard into your clit as his hips sped up, and you felt the wave inside you cresting. 

“You’re close, honey, I can feel it, can feel how hard this cunt wants to come. Are you gonna do it, baby? Milk this cock, make it even tighter around me, want to feel that, need to feel your pussy twitching around me, sugar, please come…”

Your orgasm shattered over you, blinding and perfect. Your throat felt hoarse from your moans, or your breathlessness, but everything heightened. You felt like you were breathing with Jake, felt every hitch and gasp and shudder as he coaxed you through it. You felt like you were suspended in space, like the only thing there was was Jake’s arms around you and his cock within you and you needed, you needed, him to come. 

“Come in me, baby,” you whispered, your voice watery. “Need to feel you, want to feel how you’d fuck me to fill me, please, Jake, it’ll feel so good.”

“Fuck,” Jake shouted hoarsely, his hips thrusting harshly into you. “Oh, sweetheart, you feel too good, you’re so tight around me… I need to come, need to feel– fuck –”

You could feel his thighs shaking, his back tensing, and you turned your head to kiss him as he came. He moaned into your mouth, his whole body jerking as he emptied into the condom. You felt how strong he came, felt how thoroughly it worked through him, and it filled you with pride and satisfaction as he collapsed over you. 

You knew he meant to push himself to your side, but you didn’t let him go. 

You were just as boneless. 

You both lay there, a sticky, sweaty, mess, panting. It was like a dream, a daydream crossed with a fantasy. You were warm, comforted, sated, and the room was still cheap, the motel was still sketchy, but you were suddenly quite alright with this start to the year.  

//

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[spngi]

My tears ricochet | mafia!carlos sainz jr x reader

Prologue | part 1

Part 2

summary: Mr. and Mrs. Sainz lived in a dream for many years, now everything is falling apart and they need to deal with their feelings

warnings: Grammar mistakes, mentions of violence, Carlos is an idiot, mentions of cheating

My blood boils; Carlos’s words repeat in an infinite loop in my head. My hands tremble with rage, and I press them on the table to try to contain the impulse to simply rip that smile off Carlos’s face.

“You wouldn’t do that “ my words come out slowly, trying to maintain the little patience I have left. “You can’t do this.”

“Or what? Are you going to threaten me now too, dear?” Carlos asks, his relaxed figure at the table and his tone full of irony.

I stand up from the table, and the chair scrapes loudly as it moves away. I look through the glass door at the inevitable: that woman in my house, lying on one of the loungers, wearing a bikini, as if she already belonged to this house.

I feel even more irritated, or perhaps sad. I feel invaded by all of this. I turn back to Carlos; I have the urge to throw all the objects in that room at him, to hurt him the same way he’s hurting me.

“She must be low enough to accept the role of mistress” I insult her in the end.

“She knows it won’t be for long” he replies.

“Well, I can agree with you… she won’t stay for long” I approach Carlos and lean in until I’m at eye level with him. “Pay attention to what I’m going to say, Carlos. I will always be your wife, I will be by your side whether you want it or not… this girl might be getting a bit of your attention now, but she will never be anything more than a fling because, at the end of the day, the only one who has the privilege of wearing this ring is still me.”

Carlos’s brown eyes watch me as I speak. He doesn’t bother to respond but seems irritated nonetheless.

“She will never be welcome in this house, Carlos… so spare her the humiliation and get her out of here as soon as possible!” I add, and before stepping away, I kiss the corner of his lips.

I don’t wait to see his reaction to the gesture; I quickly leave to distance myself from that situation before I lose control and throw that cheap model out of our house. I lock myself in one of the farthest rooms of the house and fight the strong urge to go back and throw the crystal candelabrum at Carlos’s head.

I sit on the floor at the foot of the guest bed, a pillow in hand to muffle my screams and the occasional sobs of crying. I couldn’t take it anymore; I couldn’t understand why Carlos was doing this to me.

Before the accident happened a few months ago, we were talking about starting a family, about filling this house with children. But after that day, everything changed.

I still have nightmares about how it all happened, how my car flipped several times on the road, the pain I felt, and the terror I experienced seeing all the armed men approaching me. Carlos managed to find me quickly enough so that no further harm was done; he stayed by my side throughout my recovery and tripled the security. But when I got better and asked him for revenge on those who escaped, he changed.

My fear had turned into anger, and I needed to know that those animals would never come back to hurt me, I needed to know that I had killed them with my own hands. But he never agreed with that; it led to many discussions and arguments. He never wanted to give in, even with his father’s words supporting me, Charles’s, Lando’s, and some other allied family heads. He promised he would do the job himself, that he would never leave any of them alive, but he didn’t understand that wasn’t what I needed. And when I went against his will, when I got what I wanted, everything began to fall apart.

The door opens in front of me, bringing me back to reality. I see Lando enter the room; it’s not the first time he has found me here. This room had become a hiding place for me, so I could hide during crises or just cry without being heard.

Lando walks into the room. I point to the dresser near him, and he smiles slightly. He opens the last drawer, already knowing where I hide my things. He pulls out a bottle of bourbon and a glass.

“I’m giving you a break today. Drink with me” I try to smile at him “and grab one of those cigars too, I need my complete pity party.”

“How are you?” he asks in the end, sitting next to me and spreading the items on the floor.

“Terrible” I pour the drinks. “Is she still out by the pool?”

“Yes. If it’s any consolation, Charles and I asked the staff not to take any orders from her.” Norris says, and the gesture makes me a bit happy to know that I can still count on him.

“Thank you, Lando, you’re a good friend. And Charles too, is he upset about what I did yesterday?”

“He understands, Y/N.” Lando offers me the lighter so I can light the cigar.

“You know what annoys me?” I ask him between puffs. “If the situation were reversed, the man who dared to step into this house would already be dead. Carlos wouldn’t think twice about doing it. And I could never live with myself knowing I did that, even though now I can think of a thousand ways to do it to her.”

“You’re a good person, Y/N. You know that, and Mr. Sainz knows it too… he’s just trying to challenge you or whatever his game is.”

“I don’t know if I still have the strength to play, Lando” I murmur to him, the alcohol in my mouth calming me.

“You know I’ll be here by your side, whether you want to continue or if you want to give up… you’re my friend, Y/N, I will always support you”

“Thank you, I hope I can repay all your support someday” I smile at him and pass the cigar to him.

“Does Mr. Sainz know you stole these from his collection?” Norris asks and takes a drag on the cigar.

“He can go fuck himself” I murmur and take a sip of the drink.

One more chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying it!

Leave your comments and opinions ❤️

[harrysbelovedd]

carnival date [rafe cameron]

pairing - rafe cameron x reader

summary - you get sick of rafe playing hard to get, so you decide to hit him where it hurts.

warnings - swearing, angst/fluff

Lights shone brightly below us, a large teddy bear sitting between us. As the ferris wheel begins to approach the boardwalk ground, I look over at JJ. I smile lovingly–hoping my acting is believable. 

“Is he looking?” I whisper through clenched teeth. 

JJ’s eyes peer down, spotting a furious Rafe standing on the ground, smoke practically fuming out of his ears. His strong arms cross over his broad chest, veins in his hands protruding out of anger as he clenches his fists.

“Oh he’s looking, and I think–correct me if I’m wrong–he is going to kill me and throw my body off the pier once we got off this fuckin’ thing.” He widens his eyes, nodding his head toward the man I’m really here for.

“Possibly,” I shrug, “Don’t worry I’ll put in a good word, you should lock your doors though.” I warn, playfully. Except just to be safe, JJ probably should triple check his locks tonight. Rafe’s jealousy is unexplainable. But that’s what he gets for thinking he can play hard to get with me.

Rafe and I have been playing this game for months, he shows his interest in me on a drunken night, then the next morning acts like I don’t exist. He knows that I know how he feels, and I’m sure he knows how I feel. Today, I grew sick and tired of him acting like a child. So, I decided to use the one sure-fire way I could get him to fess up.

Jealousy.

I don’t hang out with the pogues much, but JJ Maybank happened to owe me a favor. A couple weeks ago he snuck into Midsummers trying to find some free booze. So, when security caught him, I covered for him and told him he owed me. So, here we are. Pretending to be on a date to make Rafe jealous.

Soon enough, the ferris wheel came to a stop. JJ stood up, grabbing my hand and the teddy bear as we hopped off the ride. Rafe now stands with Topper and Kelce, pretending to be part of their conversation. But really, his eyes are purely on JJ and I. 

“Kiss me, JJ.”

His eyes widen, “Woah I-”

“Please, it’ll set him off and he’ll come over here, trust me.” I beg.

He rolls his eyes, “Alright but we’re even after this.”

He leans in, his calloused palm holding my cheek, pulling me closer. My eyes flick down to his lips and before we even have the chance to actually kiss–

“Yo, Maybank!” 

My lips curl into a smirk at his voice. Just like clockwork.

We both turn to see the brooding man walking toward us. His gaze is lethal, every other person on the boardwalk making way for Rafe Cameron. His jaw clenches, his fists balling by his sides. 

When he reaches us, he chuckles menacingly, “This is cute. I don’t give you attention so you go for the fuckin’ pogue?”

I scoff, “No, JJ just has the emotional maturity of an adult who’s able to actually understand his feelings and act on them.”

I hear JJ chuckle next to me, probably never expecting to hear the words “emotional maturity” and “JJ” in the same sentence. 

“He’s gonna treat you like shit, y’know that right? He’ll use you for what he needs then he’ll toss you aside,” He argues, turning toward JJ. “And when that happens you better watch your fuckin’ back JJ. You hurt her, I’ll kill you.” He seethes. 

I push JJ back, hopefully sending him the signal to leave before Rafe does something stupid. “And you’d do any better?” I scoff, “I see the girls you bring to Tannyhill and never fucking speak to again. I stopped wasting my time the second I realized you’d do the same to me.”

His anger stops at my words, he steps closer to me. “Do you really believe that? They weren’t you! I’ve been so terrified of hurting you I’ve been trying to protect you from myself. They were nothing.”

“Why didn’t you just say that?” I whisper, my fingers tugging at the hem of my top.

“Because–” He hesitates, “I’m stupid. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. And I’m just stupid.”

“You are stupid,” I chuckle. 

He smiles, his head dipping down to meet my line of sight. His fingers push my hair behind my ear, “So can I kiss you now? Your date ditched.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t a real date,” I smirk.

“Oh you’re just as jealous and fucked up as me, huh baby?”

I grin as he pulls my face toward him in his palm, smashing his lips against mine.

[wandanatrules]

High school sweet hearts

Pairing: high school nat x fem reader 

summary: your parents are gone for the weekend, so your girlfriend comes over to celebrate your anniversary 

warnings: smut, strap use (r receiving), cum eating, brief ass eating, heavy make out, insecurity, hickeys, cunnilingus, 

You and Natasha have been together for a year now and you couldn't be happier. She was your first girlfriend and the one who made you realize you liked girls. 

You and nat are kind of a "power couple" at your school. Nat had always been a popular person especially among the ladies and you were ecstatic when she asked you to be her girlfriend last year. 

You loved every single part of your relationship with nat, especially what goes on behind closed doors. When you two first had sex with each other you were nervous, because it was your first time. Nat was more experienced, but it was okay because she ran you through everything and made you feel comfortable and secure. Ever since that first night, you broke out of your shell and aren't shy anymore when it comes to sex. You and nat have it as often as you can and since your anniversary is coming up this weekend, just in time for your parents and siblings to go out of town, you want to give Nat the night of her life. 

The truth is you have always been kind of insecure when it comes to your relationship with nat, because of all the girls that want her and try to break you guys apart. You're scared that nat will leave you for someone prettier or better in bed than you, so you try your hardest to make sure all her needs are met. You know you shouldn't be worried, because every time you bring it up to nat she reassures you that she only wants you and all the other girls mean nothing to her. Plus she always whispers in your ear and says, "and baby you're the one I think about when I touch myself, you're the only one I get to fuck dumb and you have the prettiest and tastiest pussy I have ever had. Those girls have nothing on you."

   Friday night came and your family had left you alone in the house. It was 5 pm and you were getting ready for nat to come and pick you up at 7 to take you on your anniversary date. The first thing you had to do was take a shower. After you showered you put on the white lacy lingerie set you had bought, well nat bought it you just picked it out for this occasion. You still had time to kill so you wanted to tease nat and send her a picture of what is to come tonight. You took a mirror picture of you in the lingerie and purposely showed off your breasts and ass.

You- (insert image attached) thought you might want to see the set you bought me, you know to make sure you got your money's worth. 😏💋

natty💋🥵🤎- that was the best money I have ever spent baby, you look so sexy like that and I can't wait to see you 😍🥵. How about you send me another one? 😏

You- sorry natty, but the rest you can see later

natty💋🥵🤎- I'm on my way, we can start our night earlier I just need to see you now

   You weren't ready yet so you put your phone down and decided on a black, body con dress that was tight fitting and short so you could tease your girlfriend. You sprayed yourself in her favorite perfume of yours, you know its the one that makes her go feral so you sprayed extra just for good measure. 

You grabbed your purse and went downstairs to the kitchen. You poured yourself a glass of pineapple juice and sat on the couch scrolling through your phone while you await her arrival. 

Not even five minutes later she rang the doorbell. You walked over and opened it and saw Natasha with a bouquet of flowers. She smiled at you and pulled you by the waist into a kiss. She was wearing a long sleeve black turtle neck shirt tucked into a black and white pair of gingham pants. Her ginger hair was in waves and she was wearing a silver chain and a necklace with your initials on it. Even though you were wearing heels she still towers over you, in a way that is so hot it makes you melt. She had her silver rings on her huge veiny hands and groped your ass while she was hugging you. "I missed you baby." She said in your ear as she started kissing up your neck.

   "Natty, I missed you too", you said as you kissed her one more time and walked away to put the flowers in water. When you came back you found Natasha sitting on the couch scrolling through her phone and she smiled when she looked up at you. She pulled you into her lap and started passionately kissing you everywhere making you moan and whine while bucking your hips for friction. "Nat" you breathed out, "we should get going, we're gonna be late for dinner." You said while trying to get up but she tightened her grip on you.

   "baby please, I want you to be my dinner." She pleaded as she continued kissing you while her hands were traveling south. You worked up all the self control in your body, because if you didn't get up now you would end up having sex on the couch and missing your reservation and spoiling your perfect night.

   You got up much to her dismay and pulled her by the hand out to the car. She broke away from you and went to open the door of the passenger seat for you before closing it and walking over to her side and getting in. She started the car and made her way to the restaurant. You always thought nat looked so good when she drives. She had one hand on the wheel and the other on your thigh moving up slowly getting dangerously close to your core.

   That was all you really remembered of your anniversary date with your wonderful girlfriend. Of course the dinner was great and the movie she took you to after was even better, but the part you were most excited for didn't happen until she took you home. 

You told her to pack an overnight bag, because you wanted her to stay with you while your parents were gone. When you guys entered the house you made your way up to your room. She wanted to shower, so you waited on the bed for her. You decided to take your dress off and lie on the bed in the lingerie, because you were eager for her to have you.

 It felt like an eternity, but when she finally left the bathroom she gasped when she saw you on the bed. She was wearing just an oversized shirt and her panties and she could feel them getting wet. She walked to the bed hovered over you and started kissing you everywhere. She got to your lips and started kissing you rough and passionately. Her tongue explored your mouth and pulled whines and moans from you. You kept bucking your hips up seeking friction, so she put her thigh in between your legs to try and ease the ache. She started kissing down your neck leaving dark purple bruises. "I want everyone to see you're mine, so when all those girls come up and tease you you can show them these," she growled in your ear. She removed your bra and sucked your left nipple into her hot mouth. Once she littered your breast with marks she moved to the next one and did the same.

   "Natty, your mouth is so good." You moaned at the feeling as you gripped your hands in her hair. She kissed down your stomach and kissed the wet spot on your panty-clad core. She looked at you asking for permission to take your panties off and you eagerly nodded. She slipped the panties off and licked a stripe through your folds. She sped up the pace and you bucked your hips up to match the pace while moaning and whining and panting. "Oh nat please, I need to come." You said as you gripped her hair even harder as she growled and let out a moan.

   "Don't worry, detka. You can cum when your ready." Nat said before going at an animalistic pace and nipping and sucking at your clit. You came not even a second later and covered nat's face in your arousal. She licked her lips and smirked up at your, before making her way up your body,face to face. Once your breathing got back to normal, you licked your cum off of her cheeks and moaned at the taste of yourself. She pulled you into a kiss and you whined when she took your bottom lip and sucked it into her mouth. "You are the most gorgeous girl in the world, baby. I love you so much." She said to you with a peck on the lips before getting up and stripping her shirt and panties off leaving you both completely naked.

   "I love you more, natty." You said while watching her open your bedside table and grab the strap she left there for times like this. She put the smaller end inside herself with a moan and secured the harness around her waist. She got back on the bed and straddled you while looking at you with lust blown eyes.

   "That's not possible, but get it wet and ready for you detka." She commanded before you spit in your hand and raked it up and down the strap, jerking it off. You repeated doing that until the strap was dripping with your saliva. "How do you want my cock?" She asked while kissing and groping your breasts.

   "I want you to pound into me from behind." You said looking up at her with doe eyes and biting your lip.

   "Your so fucking sexy, baby. Get on your hands and knees!" She growled out while flipping you on your stomach harshly. You assumed the correct position and natasha gripped your ass cheeks before rubbing the tip of the strap through you folds. "You ready?" She asked while reaching up and groping your tits. You nodded your head furiously, "Words baby" she demanded.

   "yess natty please fuck me" you got out with a gasp when you felt her roughly fill you up and grope you from behind. She started of slow until she got a good rhythm and started pounding into you at a fast pace. She gripped your thighs pulling you into her, while she was basically humping you. You were already sensitive from your previous orgasm, so you were close to cumming. "Nat, please I'm so close" and with that she started going at an animalistic pace, fucking into you so hard your whole body was bouncing, your tits were hitting your face, and the bed was banging into the wall. "I'm cumming!" You said as you squirted everywhere leaving the sheets a mess. Nat came too just a few seconds later. After you both came down from your highs nat pushed you down to lay on your stomach and began licking all the arousal and cum from your vagina and ass.

   "Wouldn't want it to go to waste, baby" she looked up and licked her lips as you were panting and moaning like you were in heat. She got up and threw the strap in the shower to be washed later. "Come on baby time for you to clean up, your gonna be sore and sticky."  She said while picking you up and bringing you to the bathroom.

   "Shower with me please, natty." You said with a pout while not letting go of her.

   "Baby, you know how much I want to, but I have to wash the sheets and get new ones, because of your little 'talent'" she said before kissing the pout off your lips and placing you down on the counter. 'But I promise when you get out we can cuddle and kiss in the fresh warm sheets while watching whatever movie you want." She kissed you one more time and walked towards the door. Before she left she said, "Don't forget to wash the strap." As she closed the door and walked out of the bathroom.

[salty-croissants]

Crossing blades ( Bullfrog x g/n reader )

Big thanks to @angrylez for this other very cool concept ! 

I ended up making a whole story out of it since I liked the idea a lot :D

By the way , just wanted to mention that Imma need to close my writing requests for a bit , at least until I get all the other ones done : you can still send anything unrelated to requests in my asks , I’ll put a little something in my bio to let you know when I’m open to do more headcanons and stories for the boys again 👍

Anyway , hope this turned out okay !  Sorry if it’s a bit out of character ;I

Details : use of g/n reader ;

reader is very skilled with knives ;  

enemies to lovers ( kinda ) ; 

presence of slightly suggestive themes and occasional swearing

“Now , listen carefully because I won’t repeat myself : 

this is y/n , your target . 

They have been working as an elite assassin for Eden for a very , very long time , which would make them a very useful source of information for us .

Your task tonight ? Capture them and bring them back here … 

Alive . 

You can deal with their eventual security as you see fit .

Now go .” 

The Warden’s words resonated in Bullfrog’s mind as he ran through the tall corridors of your underground cove … 

Dolph and his teammates were currently busy taking care of the rest of the guards outside , which meant he was going to have to face you on his own . 

He could tell that it wouldn’t be an easy task , judging by your flawless record of murders over the years , so he was going to be as careful as possible handling this situation - 

“Quoi … ?”

He suddenly turned around , barely able to see a silhouette quickly passing by him to then suddenly disappear like it had never been there …

It seemed like he already found them .

Bullfrog took a deep breath , looking around him and readying himself for any surprises from Eden’s elite assassin .

< Bonne soirée , y/n . 

I am very sorry for the intrusion , but if you just allow me to expla - > 

He was barely fast enough to avoid the knife you threw in his direction , leaving a cut on his cheek : it looked like it wasn’t going to be that easy to convince you to follow him back to the Warden’s headquarters …

< Your intentions already seem pretty clear to me … sir . > 

Bullfrog sensed a movement behind him , and saw you appear from the shadows , calmly walking towards him .

He could see it in your eyes … you weren’t someone to underestimate . 

< I’ve heard your friends up there … want my advice ? You should all be more careful not to make this much noise when sneaking up on someone to kill them . >

Bullfrog let out a little chuckle in response , his eyes never leaving yours as he took a step forward . 

 < I assure you , we are not here to cause you any harm . > 

< Really ? That becomes pretty hard to believe when a bunch of armed strangers appear at your place out of nowhere . > 

< Well … c'est vrai , but if you just come with us it will be way easier . > 

His expression changed … he stared at you earnestly , carefully taking another step in your direction . 

< Eden is not what you think it is y/n … they have been using you and your abilities all while taking countless innocent lives .

If you were to become a liability , they would not hesitate to get rid of you . > 

You remained silent for a moment , barely even listening to the noises of the furious battle still continuing downstairs before shaking your hand , grabbing more of your knives …

< I … literally got no reason to trust you . 

I don’t know who you are or what your deal is , but I can tell you that I have a job to do , a job that Eden gave me when I had nothing left , a job that gives me purpose and a reason to live …

That’s what’s real to me . 

I can’t throw all of this away … I’ve worked too hard to get here . > 

Bullfrog sighed , readying his blades for the approaching fight … 

< Then … je suis désolé pour ça , y/n . > 

*hours of fighting later …*

< Sheesh - these guys were tough ! > 

< I swear , if another one of these fuckers shows up out of nowhere I’ll - > 

< Let’s just get this over with . >

< Yeah , hopefully Bullfrog managed to deal with that y/n … things have been really quiet down there . Maybe he needs help ? > 

< Only one way to find out . > 

Dolph lead the way , followed by Jade and Pey’j : they were all beat up and tired , but still ready to take action if it would’ve proved necessary . 

… but when they eventually found their teammate , it definitely seemed like his fight against you had been … 

very intense : 

Bullfrog was standing on top of you , the two of you panting , full of bruises and cuts on your clothes …

< *ahem* … are we … interrupting anything ? ~ > 

You both gasped , turning around to find the three staring at you , slowly realizing in what a compromising position you currently were in .

< This - this is NOT what it looks like !! > 

< Absolutely not !! > 

< We were just  - uh — > 

< You know , if you wanted to spend time alone with them you should’ve just said so ~ > 

Jade’s remarks only served to make the two of you even more flustered , and Bullfrog quickly stepped away from you , hiding his face in his hoodie … 

Not like you were doing much better .

< Enough . > 

Dolph walked forward , grabbing your arm and pulling you back up on your feet .

< You’ll be coming with us now .

Try anything and it won’t end well for you . > 

You sighed in response , aware that you were exhausted and also out of knives …

You were in no position to even think about trying anything .

When eventually you found yourself on the Ghosts car , traveling back to their base , you and Bullfrog would occasionally glance at each other to then immediately look away , still very flustered about what happened back in your cove …

You would’ve never said such a thing out loud , but it was very rare for someone to last long when fighting with you , so one way or another he had earned your respect .

Something even more difficult to admit was the fact that you … 

… didn’t quite find it entirely unpleasant when Bullfrog fell on top of you during your confrontation .

That was crazy , considering the fact that he was an enemy with intentions that you didn’t even fully figure out just yet , but you just couldn’t lie to yourself convincingly enough to cover up those … odd feelings . 

You stared outside the window at the neon lights of the city , watching the clouds in the sky slowly getting illuminated by the approaching sunrise : 

you had been in stickier situations before , so being held captive wasn’t exactly your main concern … 

Instead you thought about the things Bullfrog told you about Eden , deep down wondering if he was really just tricking you or if maybe , just maybe … there was some truth to his words .

Well , all you could do now was wait and see . 

[itsgameofthronesimagines]

Could I request a Cersei x f reader where the reader is Cersei’s secret lover but Jaime (Love him but needed a villain) found out and made up lies about reader so Cersei herself throws the reader to jail. When she’s finally freed after the allegations were proved wrong, reader is now cold hearted, avoiding Cersei who tries to talk to her. Go heavy on the angst. You can decide if it’s happy ending (at least as happy of an ending as you can get with Cersei) or not. Thank you! You don’t have to write it if you don’t want to

(Gif not mine but can I just say that I hate myself for loving how beautiful she is?)

Title: Lioness Roar

Fandom: Game of Thrones

Pairing: Cersei Lannister x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4,719

Summary: Cersei’s brothers could do whatever they wanted with little to no consequences all because of their gender. Now as the Queen, Cersei believes she can do more.

Warnings: vulgar language, daddy issues (guess who), homophobia, angst, mentioned wlw smut, and I will admit it does kind of read like yandere.

Author’s Note: God I love writing about Lannisters. They’re so complex (and I know I’ve said that before so sorry if you’re sick of hearing it but I’m not sorry for saying it) and I think this might be the first time I’m writing a Cersei x reader so this was exciting!

(I do not consent my works to be reposted/copied)

~~~~~~~~~

Cersei always believed that if she were born with a cock, her world would be a lot different, but for the best.

As a child, she drew pictures of herself on the back of the dragon, and as she got older, her father kept promising to marry her to the prince, so then she began drawing Rhaegar Targaryen in those same pictures.

Before she grew into her female qualities, she was able to dress as her twin brother and attend sword fighting lessons without anyone able to tell the difference. 

While Jaime had no interest in listening to his father about the importance of their history, their finances, and the running of the keep, Cersei listened intently. She knew that if she were Tywin’s firstborn son and heir, he’d be proud of all of her accomplishments, and this was just one of many ways she tried to gain his approval. 

She did all these things to prove that she can do anything her brothers did possibly even do more than Tyrion but Lord Tywin always stamped down her ambitions other than the one that involved her getting married to the prince. No matter how hard she tried, Cersei could never get her father to actually see her aside from what she already was.

One look and Lord Tywin would’ve seen his daughter holding a sword better than Jaime ever could and reciting old text better than Tyrion could ever pronounce. If Tywin could only see past her gender, Cersei would truly be his golden child.

Alas, she was nothing but a bargaining chip; a pawn he liked to move around the board. When her marriage proposal to Rhaegar fell through and all the Targaryens were killed off, Cersei was married to Robert Baratheon and she became his Queen Consort. She gave him three children, despite the two of them being unhappy from the start. Even if her children didn’t look like the King, she didn’t care. She did her duty to the realm, to her husband, and to her father, securing the legacy Tywin always wanted for his family. Cersei did her part and now she felt inclined to her own right of freedom to do whatever she wanted.

That freedom came in the form of Lady Y/n.

As a wedding gift, Lord Tywin sent Cersei the daughter of one of his bannermen to act as her handmaid and confidant. Y/n was possibly the only truly kind gesture Cersei’s father ever made toward her, but the new Queen was bitter from the beginning. She did not confide in other women. Cersei felt as though she was above gossiping and hand-sewing, even when she was a little girl. With her father’s praise and boasting of her being the most beautiful woman in all the Seven Kingdoms, Cersei even believed she was above all the ladies of the country, including Y/n. 

Y/n was a quiet young woman. Dutiful towards her Queen and tending to her every need without question, the handmaid was smart to never speak openly to Cersei. She kept her thoughts tight-knit in her mind and only replied to the Queen if Cersei spoke directly at her. Even where Y/n was from, she heard certain rumors about Cersei and how the Lady Lannister’s best friend, Melara Hetherspoon, mysteriously fell into a well and only Cersei lived to tell the tale. Y/n’s mother was secretly concerned when Tywin Lannister sent her daughter away to tend to Cersei, knowing that the Lioness of Casterly Rock was always troubled and strangely devoid of any emotion other than anger.

Even Y/n believed this, and in fear, she never spoke a word to Cersei unless spoken to so as not to draw attention to herself. Tending to Cersei was like awaiting with anticipation for a barrel of wildfire to ignite. All it took was one tiny flame.

However, once Cersei’s children were born, it appeared as though that flame was tameable. Y/n often tended to her Queen’s children more so than the wet nurses. Many wondered if the wet nurses were just lazy, but one maid, in particular, had the bravery to whisper about the Queen being behind this, how Cersei ordered the wet nurses to do their duty to feed her children except Myrcella but to leave all other care to Lady Y/n and herself.

If this rumor was to be taken seriously, no one knew why Cersei would do such a thing unless she full-heartedly trusted her handmaid. But this was Cersei Lannister of all people, and no one, not even King Robert, was allowed to be near the princess and princes without Cersei’s presence.

And yet, Y/n could be found with all three children, alone, holding them to her chest when they cried or laughing as she chased them around in the gardens. If they weren’t with Cersei or their teachers, the royal children were likely to be found with Lady Y/n, who they lovingly nicknamed their aunt once they began to speak. Perhaps the children truly thought Y/n was part of their family and if so, Cersei had allowed it to appear that way.

The truth is Cersei grew to care for one other person besides her children and Jaime, but kept that close to her heart and locked it away, not even Y/n could reach it. At first, Cersei was disgusted with her thoughts and her feelings. There was a time in her inner turmoil when she would lash out at her handmaid even though Y/n did nothing wrong. Despite all this, Cersei blamed her for everything and was even tempted to send her away. But young Myrcella, barely able to write her own name, cried one night when Y/n was not there to tuck her into bed and told her mother how much she loved Y/n. Feeling defeated, Cersei never exiled Y/n and refused to look at the other woman for many months.

Cersei’s demons came to a head when she heard Jaime tell yet another story about Tyrion finding another whore to bed with... but instead of her usual disgust, another thought struck her. There was a time when Cersei could act like a boy all she wanted without anyone batting an eye. She could do whatever she wanted and even though she was now Queen, Cersei had yet to take full advantage of that. As long she remained married to the King and gave him children, her father could not tell her what to do and her husband cared very little about what she did as long as Cersei kept him out of it. Hearing Jaime’s story of Tyrion’s new woman, Cersei thought if her dear little brother could take any common whore to bed without scandal, why couldn’t she?

Lady Y/n was already her handmaid. It was already the perfect disguise. If Tyrion could do it and hide his lover as a servant girl, so could Cersei. If Robert could openly bring whatever woman he wanted into his bed, so could his wife.

Of course, Cersei could order Y/n to kiss her and bed her if she liked, but she was a clever woman and felt the excitement of playing the long game of convincing Y/n to love her. So as not to scare her, Cersei started off slowly, starting by subtly nodding her thanks to Y/n when she helped her dress and undress because yes, Cersei has never once thanked anyone before. When Y/n didn’t appear put off by this, Cersei slowly began to openly thank her, then slowly progressed to subtly touching her arm or moving Y/n’s hair off her shoulder. 

This slow progression is successful in many ways. Y/n doesn’t notice how much Cersei changed because Cersei had slowly done so without any red flags rising. Before Y/n could remember the story of Melara Hetherspoon, Cersei had her wrapped around her finger, practically brainwashing her handmaid into believing that she had always been a kind and loving queen towards her loyal subjects. Cersei’s patience paid off when Y/n began to openly talk to her about her hopes and dreams, even her opinions, without ever flinching of fear or repeal.

And, in a way, her patience also brought Cersei to love Y/n even more than just for lust. Listening to Y/n talk made Cersei wonder why she had suppressed the young woman from doing so in all the years she’s known her. Everything sounded exciting when Y/n spoke, her voice forcing Cersei to listen to every syllable. 

That is... until eligible suitors came searching for Y/n’s hand in marriage. When Y/n talked about her suitors, Cersei would immediately order her to speak of something else. She couldn’t bear to hear about the men trying to take her new interest away from her. She wouldn’t allow her brothers to steal a toy from her as children, why would this be any different?

It was the talk of the decade. Throughout King’s Landing, people whispered about how Lady Y/n must be cursed. Ever since her father announced opening a proposal for her, many of Y/n’s suitors have mysteriously disappeared or been found dead in their beds, sometimes even before they could meet her. Over time, several men have gone to King’s Landing in hopes of winning Y/n’s hand. None have returned to their homes and some houses were on the brink of extinction because of this curse.

It didn’t take long before men stopped asking for Y/n’s hand in marriage, and Cersei had never been happier to have her handmaid remain at her side.

By the time Jon Arryn mysteriously died, Y/n was more than just a confidant or friend. She became Cersei’s secret lover, and Cersei didn’t feel any shame or disgust the first time she kissed her. While making plans for the royal family to travel to Winterfell, Y/n shyly and breathlessly confessed her love for Cersei. Before she could escape the Queen’s chambers in her shame, Cersei roughly held Y/n’s face in her hands as she fervently kissed her. The victory going on in Cersei’s mind was all too sweet, hastily taking Y/n to her bed then and there, finally claiming her as no one but the Queen’s.

Cersei had begun to feel like a god with what she had taken as her own. With Y/n secretly under one arm and Jaime under the other, she began to believe and reminisce about the young girl she once was, a Lady Lannister who took no prisoners and always got whatever she wanted. As Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Cersei felt as though she held the world in her hands and was believed to be untouchable.

This god complex would continue to fester and grow as several events play out. While in Winterfell, Young Bran Stark mysteriously fell out of a window. When the royal family left the North, they brought Ned Stark and his two daughters with him as the new Hand of the King. When Cersei arrived back in King’s Landing, Y/n was waiting for her in her chambers with open arms and a hot bath. Cersei had never felt such power secured tightly in her fist before.

That is until it slipped ever so slightly out of her grasp and Cersei lashed out and nearly lost her mind. Under Lord Stark’s orders, his wife Catelyn took Tyrion as her prisoner and this prompted Jaime to attack the Hand of the King before escaping King’s Landing. Cersei could feel her power and influence slipping when, even as Ned Stark admitted to her accusations, Robert still refused to punish his old friend. 

Madness slipped through, for a split second, as Cersei snapped, “I took you for a king!”

“Hold your tongue.”

“He’s attacked one of my brothers and abducted the other. I should wear the armor, and you the gown.”

King Robert spun around and hit her before Cersei could say more. She proudly claimed she would wear this mark on her face like a badge of honor before swiftly leaving the room. She retreated to her chambers to lick her wounds and fester in her rage. When Y/n was summoned, she was horrified by the angry bruise on Cersei’s face and tended to it immediately. Unaware of what had happened, Y/n barely even blinked when Cersei ordered her to stay with her the whole night.

War began to brew after that and Cersei received word of Tywin and Jaime raising an army to bring back Tyrion. Sensing it was time to make her move, she had her cousin Lancel bring an armload of wine for Robert when he fled to the Kingswood to hunt. Of course, everyone knows that wine and hunting don’t mix, and when Robert returned to Cersei, his guts were spilling out of him. It wasn’t long before Joffrey was sitting on the Iron Throne after that, his mother sitting beside him.

Cersei had Ned Stark arrested and his daughters confined to the Red Keep. With her son as king, she now had all the power with no one to tell her otherwise. She still felt her self-control slip, however, when she heard of Jaime’s capture and then Tyrion returned to King’s Landing as Tywin’s Acting Hand of the King. When she heard the news of her twin brother, Cersei retreated back to her chambers and once again, kept Y/n in her bed all night long. Y/n was none the wiser, believing Cersei was only grieving her brother’s capture by taking her anger out on her lover. This anger got even worse when Myrcella was sent away to Dorne.

When Jaime returned, Cersei was still an angry woman and nothing was ever the same again. Cersei retreated from Jaime’s embrace whenever he reached out to her. At first, he thought it was because of his missing hand, but then Cersei gifted him a golden prosthetic as a replacement. When she didn’t appear disgusted by him, Jaime kept a watchful eye on his sister.

He suspected Cersei had another lover but failed to find any man entering his sister’s chambers, no matter the time of day. He did, however, always noticed Y/n freely walking around wherever she wanted. Even when Cersei was not around, Lady Y/n would enter her room and the guards standing outside wouldn’t even question her. Sometimes, Jaime even witnessed Y/n ordering the guards around as if she were speaking on the Queen’s behalf, and they listened to her. Jaime’s affronted thoughts came to a halt when one day, he noticed Y/n out in the gardens with Tommen, the young prince indulging the lady with a book he read out loud. Cersei was nowhere in sight.

Jaime was not the smartest Lannister, but he knew Cersei better than anyone, and he knew that his sister would not trust their her children with anyone unless she had complete faith in them.

He confronted his sister that night when he knew that Y/n was sent away after helping Cersei undress. With the Queen now alone, Jaime snuck in and didn’t hesitate to speak his mind, “You love her.”

Cersei froze, her back turned to him, refusing to say a word or even look back to face him. Jaime scoffs because that was enough of a confirmation for him. Cersei was never one to hold back her tongue; this would have been no exception if it wasn’t true. The emotions that began to build within Jaime were rage and disgust. He pushed a boy out of a window for Cersei. He kept their affair a secret for Cersei. He killed his cousin for Cersei. He even lost his hand when trying to get back to Cersei. How is it that he went through all that trouble the gods have cursed him with for Cersei, and she had already moved on and fallen in love with another? How could he live with this knowing that Cersei had pushed him aside for none other than a woman?

“As hateful as you are... you love her,” he seethed between his teeth, “All those years you made me believe you kept her around to keep all eyes away from us... when really you just wanted us both. You have always been a selfish woman.”

A wry smile curls over his lips, the brewing anger slowly turning malicious, “But I wonder how selfish? Or are you just too blind by love to see it?”

Cersei turned to face him, her expression sour and voice dripping with venom, “See what?”

“That she has fooled you,” Jaime lets the words spill out of his mouth like water, fluid and graceful, even he believed the deceit he spoke, “Lady Y/n’s father may be our father’s bannermen, but she is no ally to us. I intercepted a raven before my escape, one that was addressed to Robb Stark. It was sealed with your sigil but not your handwriting, so I knew it wasn’t yours. However, seldom few have access to your seal and your desk, so one could only wonder who had the means of contacting the King of the North bearing your mark?” 

Cersei stood still, eyes locked onto Jaime’s as her expression slowly twists and turns corrupt with barely restrained rage and madness in between the flicker of the candle flame. For a moment, a brief moment... Jaime thought that rage was directed at him.

~~~~~~~~~

Y/n was roughly woken by a few of the Queen’s personal guards, binding her and muffling her screams with a rag. Tediously, they bring her all the way down into the dungeon before throwing her into the deepest, darkest cell. With her bonds and gag loose, Y/n finally has a moment to yell and plead, her hands gripping onto the iron bars for dear life as she begged for someone to help her.

Her pleas stop, however, when from the shadow emerges Cersei, regal as always, dressed in her usual red and gold fabrics without the help of her usual handmaid, now trapped behind bars. The moment Y/n caught the light on Cersei’s face, she knew who to place blame for her arrest.

“Why are you doing this?! I deserve an explanation!”

“You’re a traitor,” Cersei hissed even with a sly smile on her beautiful face, “You betrayed my son, your king. And worse of all, you betrayed me. Did you truly think I wouldn’t find out about your secret little messages to the King in the North? Were you praying that Jaime would never return so that he wouldn’t be able to inform me of your treachery?”

Y/n was initially shocked by these accusations before turning to defend her honor, “Surely he’s mistaken! Your brother has been away from home for far too long. His mind might be sick from being Robb Stark’s prisoner all this time. Why would you believe Ser Jaime over me?”

The question dies in her throat, her face crumbling into fearful realization as Cersei continued to stand still, as quiet as a cat while smiling down at her mouse. Y/n’s voices drop down into a whisper as she tries to hold back her own emotions, “... Unless it’s true. The rumors have all been true. You and your brother...”

Y/n’s fear slowly reverts to anger as her thoughts spill openly from her lips, “I refused to believe the whispers. I was loyal to you from the very beginning. I stuck by your side through everything and yet-- How could you?” She finally snapped, voice rising once again as her grip tightens around her bars, “I sacrificed everything for you! I gave you all I had and it still wasn’t enough, wasn’t it? I loved you... with all my heart, but not even love can cure you from this madness.”

Cersei’s eyes bore into Y/n’s own, the two women standing in the silence of the dark, cold dungeon. The Queen doesn’t acknowledge her actions for not even she knew why she quickly decided to imprison her former lover. She herself felt disgusted. Cersei had been able to round up each of King Robert’s bastard children and slaughter them for the sake of Joffrey’s legitimacy, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to have Y/n executed even though the woman was accused of betraying Joffrey. Cersei once believed she would do anything for the sake of her children, and now she felt disgusted knowing that she couldn’t even kill a woman to uphold that silent promise.

Cersei held her chin high, her voice was as cold as the day she first met Lady Y/n, “I love my brother. I will only ever love my brother. How could I ever love someone as lowly as a servant girl?”

~~~~~~~~~

It didn’t take long before Tywin noticed his daughter had a new handmaid and not one who was trusted enough to tend to Tommen when Cersei wasn’t around. Without questioning the Queen, Lord Tywin conducted an investigation and quickly discovered Y/n in the dungeons. After briefly talking to her and investigating Jaime’s accusations, Tywin was able to concur that Y/n was innocent of such treasonous actions and set her free. When Cersei heard of this, she was enraged and immediately went to her father with demands of executing her former confidant. When Tywin brought his evidence to her attention, Cersei refused to believe it, turning a blind eye and cursing her father’s name. Even in disbelief, Cersei couldn’t help but internally feel the ache and anger in her heart. Deep down, she knew Y/n had done nothing wrong, yet she listened to Jaime anyway. The last nail was wedged into her coffin when Tommen asked Cersei where his Aunt Y/n had gone. Only then could she truly admit she made a mistake.

But it was too late. With Y/n no longer being Cersei’s handmaid, the lady avoided the Queen like the plague. Y/n was no longer the woman everyone once knew to be kind and compassionate. She was cold and calculating to everyone, including Cersei, if the two women ever had a brief encounter in Joffrey’s court.

Y/n couldn’t even find it within herself to feel sympathy towards Cersei when Joffrey was murdered at his own wedding. Long after Tommen was crowned King, Y/n continued to avoid Cersei and never once shed a tear for the boy she once loved as her own. As long as one bore the face of Cersei or sported any sort of Lannister trait, Y/n avoided them at all costs and even felt disgusted if she had to share a room with them. A moment of opportunity arrived for her to be rid of this Hell when the High Sparrow became a big influence on King Tommen and his people. Cersei had the High Sparrow annointed as High Septon with the belief that he would work under her rule, and Y/n watched this unfold from a distance until finally, she made her own calculated move.

In time, Loras Tyrell, Queen Margaery, and even Cersei had been thrown into various cells of the Great Sept when none of them confessed to the sins they were accused of. Cersei had felt the cold breath of karma ghost down her neck the moment her cousin Lancel entered the room to stand beside the High Sparrow. Weeks dragged on and Cersei was miserable in her cell, hair matted and body covered in filth, tongue dry from her thirst. The cell door opened one miserable morning and Cersei curled in on herself instinctively, ready to refuse the water when offered in exchange for a confession... but the septa never said a word. Slowly, Cersei looked up from her arms and found Lady Y/n standing there instead of a septa, dressed in travelling clothes and holding a small pouch of water in hand, devoid of emotion as she looked down on the former Queen she served.

Cersei didn’t look pleased or impressed, turning her away to lean against the cold wall of her cell, “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? The one thing you have always strived for; craved for... You have always wanted to see me suffer.”

“I don’t know if there is anything I can say or do to convince you otherwise,” Y/n scoffed while setting down the pouch of water, “I gave my life to you, yet you still believe I betrayed you somehow in some shape or form. Even when I was proven innocent, you despised me. Why?”

Cersei blinked slowly while staring off into space, trying to swallow her spit to relieve her thirst, “You were just some lowly reminder of a time when I was unfaithful.”

“To who? King Robert? Everyone knows you despised him. That is no secret. Everyone knows that you would have done anything to hurt him. But to hurt Jaime... I think most can suspect that at this point, you would have done anything to keep him at your side. You can’t fool anyone, Your Grace. Not anymore.”

“I have fooled no one.”

“No one but me. You had me fooled the moment you kissed me,” Y/n’s voice broke, ever so slightly, cracking her mask, “You had me believe what we had was love. And yet you threw it all away the moment you decided to believe whatever you wanted to hear.”

“I didn’t want you to betray me.”

“And I never did. But you didn’t exactly care, did you? Instead of just asking me, you threw me in a cell and left me to rot. Because it was Ser Jaime’s word against mine.”

“Why are you really here?” Cersei rasped, watching her finger as she absently traced shapes into her cell wall.

Y/n composed herself, hardening her heart again and quickly blinking away the tears before they could be shed. She straightens up her vest as she confidentally spoke, “I came to say goodbye and to pray we never see each other again. What happens to you is no longer my concern. King Tommen has granted me leave from your service and is sending me home today. My only wish... my only wish is that we part with our truths laid out to one another... the way it always should have been.”

Cersei finally turns to look up at the woman standing over her, feigned smile spreading over her filthy face, “What truths, pray tell?”

“The truth is you were right, Queen Regent. I did betray you,” Y/n carefully watched as Cersei’s face twisted with several emotions before continuing, “I betrayed you to the High Sparrow. I confessed my sins to him and thus revealed yours. I told him everything, from our affair to yours and Ser Jaime’s. It wasn’t your cousin who turned you in. It was me.”

For years, Y/n has watched Cersei play the game with eager eyes and thin smiles and it wasn’t until recently did Y/n want to see the smug smile wiped from her former Queen’s pretty face. In her dreams, Y/n could imagine this and feel satisfaction bloom in her stomach, fulfilling her without food or water and lasting her till she is old in age. Now, finally succeeding in making Cersei lose at her own game, Y/n doesn’t feel that satisfaction she desired. All she could feel was guilt and shame.

Cersei’s face crumbled until it was laid bare for Y/n to read her as a childrens’ book, the Lady Lannister’s voice becoming accusatory, “So I was right. All you’ve ever wanted was to see my downfall.”

Y/n felt as though she had been slapped in the face, hating herself even as the words fell out, “No... never. Not when I loved you.”

Cersei looked back up when she heard Y/n kneeling down to her height, meeting her shining eyes as her former handmaid whispered as though she spoke a secret, “You might not see it as I do, but if I were to recall... you were the one who betrayed me first. I only returned the favor. Farewell... my lioness. I will pray for the next whore you decide to take to bed.”

The way Cersei’s face fell only made Y/n feel worse as she stood, turning to leave. The former handmaid wanted this woman to beg for her life as she once did in her own cold cell. She wanted Cersei to squeal and cry and feel her heart break as she once did, betrayed by the woman she loved. In a last ditched effort, Y/n kicked her pouch of water close to the cell door, far from Cersei if she even tried to reach it.

“No-- wait, Y/n, please-!”

Y/n hastily made her exit, slamming the cell door behind her to shut out Cersei’s pleas. As she walked down the hall, Y/n could feel a tear slip past her detection... as well as a smile of freedom.

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hi I’m back on my bs again. It’s been a busy couple of weeks and now that I’m caught up on House of the Dragon and no longer working nights, I feel fueled to write again. Please support and leave a request in the ask box!

[fanficshiddles]

Eternally Mine, Chapter 32

Loki was concerned as to why Toshi was at his place. He stepped aside to let her in, she did seem a little troubled. Though she wasn’t panicked, so he tried not to panic.

‘What’s wrong?’ He asked with a frown as he motioned to the living room, they headed through and Spencer looked confused.

‘Before I go into anything, Claire and Jessica are fine.’ Toshi said firstly.

Though Loki looked alarmed and Spencer shot up to his feet. ‘What? What happened?’ He asked.

‘I said, they’re fine.’ Toshi said again, calmly. ‘I was out in the city earlier, tracking down some hunters and keeping an eye. I came across one that was spying on them from a building near the venue. I attacked him and tried to get information out of him, but he wouldn’t tell me anything. Kept calling me all the names under the sun for betraying fellow hunters.’ Toshi scoffed.

Loki and Spencer sat down, eyes wide at the thought of their girls being hunted.

‘Do you know they were definitely the targets? What did you do to him?’ Loki asked.

‘I killed him, so don’t worry about him trying again. I think it’s a very high chance that it was Claire and Jessica he was after, considering they were directly in his line of sight and I didn’t recognise any other vampires in the queue.’ Toshi said as she sat down next to Bat on the other sofa.

‘Fuck. I need to get to Claire!’ Loki stood up abruptly and was about to leave, but Toshi quickly stopped him.

‘It’s ok. Chris is watching over them as a bat, they’re likely at the after party now. I called him once I killed the hunter, since I couldn’t exactly get into the venue to watch over them myself. I couldn’t put poor Severus through the torture of ABBA music, as he gets that enough as it is. Plus, I knew you two had been drinking.’

Loki hesitantly sat down again and ran a hand down his face. ‘Shit… Do you think the hunters were mainly after Jessica, or Claire, too?’

‘I’m not sure. That one that threatened you about partners has been niggling at me.’ Toshi said.

‘We don’t know for sure though, maybe they were just after Jessica mainly.’ Spencer suggested, trying to make Loki feel a bit better, though it didn’t really work.

‘We need to get the training started for Claire and Louise asap, huh?’ Loki asked Toshi.

She nodded. ‘Definitely. How about Monday, at my place?’

‘Why not Saturday?’ Loki asked.

‘Do you really think Chris will let Louise do it the day after her first bite?’ Toshi asked knowingly.

‘Ah, yeah. I forgot about that. Maybe Monday would be best. It is a bank holiday, I guess.’

‘That’s why I suggested it.’ Toshi smirked.

‘Do you want a drink?’ Loki offered.

‘As long as I’m not crashing your bloke’s night?’ Toshi asked.

‘Nah it’s all good.’ Loki chuckled. ‘We need to confirm with Chris anyway about Monday, guessing he will come back with them when they’re all danced out.’

‘I think so.’ Toshi nodded.

Loki disappeared to the kitchen to get Toshi a drink.

‘Do you really think the hunters are after Claire as well?’ Spencer asked quietly.

Toshi nodded. ‘After one of them commenting about going after the vampire’s partners to Loki at the ball, now this, I’m sure of it. I don’t think it’s a coincidence the hunter was there. How they knew that they’d be there though, that’s what I need to find out.’

‘It is worrying.’ Spencer nodded in agreement.

Loki returned with a drink for Toshi. They talked a bit more about the hunters and upping security again, keeping an eye on the city as much as they could.

It wasn’t that long after Toshi had arrived that they heard a commotion from outside the door. Lots of giggling, clumsy banging, and the door-handle rattling a bit.

‘That’s them back then…’ Spencer chuckled.

Loki went to open the door, smirking in amusement. Claire was looking through her handbag, but her face lit up when she saw Loki.

‘Vampyyyyy! I can’t find my keys.’ She yelled and fell forwards to him, he caught her in his arms.

‘You forgot to take your keys, that’s why. Besides, the door wasn’t even locked, love.’ He laughed.

They then heard the sound of wings fluttering, followed by an exasperated sigh. Jessica spun around, albeit a very delayed reaction and put her arms up as if she was about to do kung foo. Though when she saw it was just Chris, she relaxed.

‘Oh, it’s you.’

‘I need to burn my eyes out and my ears.’ He sighed.

‘Not enjoy the show, huh?’ Toshi asked from behind Loki with a smirk.

Chris narrowed his eyes at Toshi and mouthed ‘You’re so dead for this.’

‘Wait whaaaat? Chris was at the show?’ Claire asked, trying to catch up with the conversation.

Loki chuckled and pulled Claire inside. ‘Come on in all. We will explain.’

Loki fetched a big glass of water for Claire, then pulled her down next to him as he sat down. Jessica had already draped herself all over Spencer and plopped onto his lap.

Toshi and Chris sat down on the other sofa. Chris sank back with a groan. ‘Hopefully Severus turns you soon, so you can do your own bat spying next time.’ He muttered to Toshi.

‘I thought it would do you good to get some proper music culture.’ Toshi smirked.

Chris elbowed her in response.

‘What’s the goings on?’ Jessica asked as she looked between everyone.

‘A hunter was after you, stalked you to the club and was waiting for the show to finish.’ Chris started.

Claire sobered up rather quickly at that. She straightened up and looked at Loki, eyes wide.

‘He was after Jessica… I took him out before he had a chance to do anything.’ Toshi interjected quickly and gave Chris a side glare.

‘Chris then kept an eye on you both for safety.’ Loki said softly as he squeezed Claire’s side.

‘You were watching us?’ Jessica asked Chris.

Chris nodded. ‘You are both awful dancers, by the way. Never give up your day job.’ He teased.

Loki and Spencer chuckled, earning glares from their respective girls.

‘Ah you’re just jealous that you can’t dance like that to your kind of music.’ Claire scoffed, then nuzzled in closer to Loki, her head against his chest.

‘So, was it just the one hunter?’ Jessica asked.

‘Yeah, there was no sign of another.’ Toshi confirmed.

‘We’re going to need to be extra cautious just now.’ Spencer said, and Jessica nodded in agreement.

‘We’ve decided that you and Louise need to start training ASAP. Just to be on the safe side. So, the first session is going to be Monday, since it’s a holiday.’ Loki told Claire as he tilted his head to look at her and gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

Though he was met with silence, her face was against him so he couldn’t see if she was awake or not. With the way her breathing was deeper, he could tell she had passed out.

‘Geez, how much did you guys drink?’ Spencer asked, laughing.

‘Uh… I lost count after the fourth pitcher.’ Jessica hummed and tapped her lower lip.

‘I saw an unholy amount of shots crossing the bar, too.’ Chris commented.

Loki face-palmed. ‘I get the feeling Claire is going to be pulling a sicky tomorrow.’

Chris, Toshi, Spencer and Jessica didn’t stay for much longer, since Loki wanted to get Claire to bed. Spencer and Jessica flew home, even if Jessica’s flying ability was slightly off, she managed ok with Spencer guiding her.

Toshi started walking home and Chris walked with her for a bit.

‘You know you don’t need to walk me home, I’m quite capable of protecting myself.’ Toshi smirked at him.

‘Oh I know you are, but who says it’s you I’m protecting, hmm? Maybe I’m making sure you don’t go chasing after any innocent hunters.’ He smirked back at her.

Toshi rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. ‘Innocent hunters... Is there such a thing?’

Chris chuckled. ‘I don’t think so. Though I know you once thought there was no such thing as innocent vampires. There must be hunters out there that are only after the bad ones, surely?’

Toshi sighed. ‘There used to be. Now though, I think they’re all just after every and any vampire they can get... I don’t think Claire and Louise should find out that they’re potentially targets too.’

‘I guess not. I suppose it would just worry them unnecessarily.’ Chris nodded.

‘Do you want me to watch over the school this week, just in-case?’ Toshi asked as they reached the suburbs of the city.

‘If you have time and don’t mind, it might not be a bad idea.’ Chris nodded. ‘I’ve got a lot of paper work to do over the next couple of days, so knowing you’re watching over the place would help me focus.’

‘No problem.’ Toshi nodded. ‘You can head home now.’

‘You sure? You are only human, after all.’

‘You just asked me to watch over the school, do you think I won’t manage to get home safely?’ Toshi folded her arms over her chest and grinned at him.

Chris scowled at her and huffed. ‘See you tomorrow.’ He mumbled and turned on his heels to head away.

‘Thanks for escorting me, hound dog!’ Toshi called after him. He responded by giving her the middle finger over his shoulder.

Toshi continued her way home down the country roads, she didn’t fail to notice and hear that a bat was following her from in the sky above.

‘Definitely turning soft.’ She said to herself as she turned up her path, noticing the bat flew off once she was home.

'I'm hooooome!' Toshi called out as soon as she stepped inside.

'Hello, love.' Severus purred from behind her, he'd been waiting behind the door.

'Did you hear me coming?' Toshi giggled as he embraced her once she had her coat off.

'Yes. Who escorted you home? I heard wings.' He asked, tucking her under his chin.

'Chris did. I think he's getting softer in his old age.' Toshi teased.

'Good.' Severus chuckled.

'Good? I can take care of myself walking home.' She frowned and looked up at her soulmate.

'Oh I know you are more than capable, but it makes me feel better knowing others are looking out for you. Especially Chris, with him being an original.'

'I guess so. Well, if it makes you feel better, then that's fine with me.' She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, he dipped his head down and they kissed softly.

[quack-quack-snacks]

Star Crossed - Chapter 3

| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |

The Star Crossed Masterlist

My All Of Us Are Dead Masterlist

My Navigation and Masterlist

Warnings: Na-yeon, normal AOUAD things Word Count: 5,889

Let’s meet again.

Once Ms. Park had finished her speech over the speakerphones, Su-hyeok and you looked at each other and nodded, knowing what you had to do.

Su-hyeok slowly started to crawl toward the window, sliding across the floor to go under the protection of a different piece of furniture every so often and you followed when you could. You got about halfway across the room before a clay sculpture almost fell over. Su-hyeok was able to catch it in time but with it fell a single pencil and you cursed your luck at a time like this.

The two of you jumped up and ran toward the window as fast as you could. As Su-hyeok worked on unlatching and opening the window, you grabbed a few metal paint scrapers and used them to stab into the necks and skulls of the zombies rapidly approaching you. Just as you killed the 3 who were in the room, more came in through the open door after they heard the commotion and you turned around to get yourself out of the room before any of them could get to you. You slammed the window shut behind you and almost fell off as a few of the zombies started slamming themselves into the glass, fortunately only giving it a single crack. Luckily, Su-hyeok was able to grab you before you could fall off and secured you tightly between the wall and his chest.

Unable to look him in the eyes during the intense situation, you spoke and broke the tension, “I think we should try and head towards the science room, then maybe the others can let us in and we can reunite with everyone.”

He nodded before a small smirk appeared on his pretty face. “So… how are you liking everyone? You seemed to surprise them all when you ran straight towards the danger and nearly sacrificeed yourself for them.”

You slapped his arm lightly. “At least I’m not doing it as much as you are Mr. Hero Complex. You need to put yourself first sometimes, okay? It’s because you didn’t go up the stairs when I told you to that you’re here with me right now!” You rolled your eyes as you scolded him but he just looked at you with a soft gleam in his eyes and a small smile.

“Okay,” he whispered.

“Okay?” You repeated back, a bit confused on what he meant by that.

“Okay. I’ll put myself first sometimes,” he started before turning away from you and whispering, “Just for you.”

“What’d you say?”

He turned back to look at you and faked being confused and oblivious. “I didn’t say anything else.”

You only shrugged your shoulders and thought yourself to just be hearing the sounds of the zombies lurking in the classes you passed by as the two of you slowly inched yourself down the wall toward the room where Su-hyeok’s friends were supposed to be.

Getting closer, Su-hyeok tried to cross a gap in between two windows but it was too far and he almost slipped. You gasped as he did and used your closest hand to grab a hold of his blazer to pull him back.

“You idiot, don’t do stupid things!” You scolded and slapped his arm.

Suddenly, just as he was about to laugh and make a stupid comeback about how you were even clumsier than he was, the two of you saw Cheong-san get thrown out of the science classroom with a zombie on top of him before just barely catching himself onto a makeshift rope. Unfortunately, the zombie kept a hold onto his foot and he tried to kick it off.

“Cheong-san!” Su-hyeok sounded out in relief before noticing the zombie attached to his ankle like a ball and chain. “Look down! Down, down, down!”

“I think he knows, Su,” you rolled your eyes slightly and leaned your head back against the cool glass of the window behind you.

“I do know!” Cheong-san confirms.

“She’s got your foot, moron. Look!” Su-hyeok whisper yelled and leaned forward before you yanked him back again by the fabric of his blazer.

“I see that,” Cheong-san said again as he focused his energy on keeping his hands tightly gripping the rope he was holding.

“Kick her off or something, idiot!”

“I’m trying!” You stifled your laugh at their little banter at a time like this and lightly smacked Su-hyeok’s shoulder. He looked back at you for a second, smiling at your amused facial expression before looking back at the man hanging out the window. Cheong-san tried to climb further up the ladder but slid down a few inches with the added weight of the zombie.

“Hey. I’m coming down,” Su-hyeok suddenly said and you snapped your head toward him as he looks at the windows again with a determined face.

“No. Stay there,” Cheong-san demanded as he knew it was too high of a risk.

“Yeah, stay here. It’s too risky and you can barely reach,” you tell him before he starts to cross the windows again.

“No. I said, don’t do it!” Cheong-san yells at him.

“Oh, shit!” the boy groans out as his feet slip and you, once again, yank him back by the fabric of his blazer so he can regain his footing. As he finally gets settled, he leans his head back on the window like you did a minute ago and takes a deep breath.

“Hey, Bare-su, look up!” Only seconds after he says that, Su-hyeok tries to grab your hand and jump but messes up on part 1. He jumps and grabs ahold of the rope and climbs down so he can kick the zombie holding onto Cheong-san off. As the people in the broadcasting room hear the commotion, they all notice Su-hyeok there as well and cheer in excitement.

Su-hyeok is finally able to push off the zombie from Cheong-san but all he gets is a complaint from the boy. “Hey. Stop hugging me.”

Just as he was about to let out a cheeky response, a small and barely audible whimper interrupts his words. Looking over, he sees you hanging from the copper pipe that runs up the side of the building. Your feet were slipping and one hand was bloody while holding onto a ledge of the wall while the other one struggled for purchase on the pipe.

“(Y/n)!” He exclaimed before grabbing onto the rope and letting go of Cheong-san’s waist.

“Go down. Now!” He yelled at his friend who went without asking the questions he wanted to.

“(Y/n),” he spoke calmly, securing one of his hands around one of the holes of the rope so his other was free. “(Y/n), look at me.”

You tried, you really did, but the moment you looked away from your hands even for a seconds was terrifying and you felt yourself slipping. “No!” you whimpered out.

“I know you’re scared, but I need you to do something for me, okay?”

You gave him a slight nod without looking at him.

“I need you to jump to me.”

Your head snapped in his direction and you looked at him in pure shock at his suggestion before looking back when you felt yourself slipping again.

“(Y/n)!” He yelled and you looked back at him, your hands holding on even tighter so you could stay upright without looking at them. Su-hyeok gave an encouraging nod toward you. “Jump.”

You did it.

You jumped.

It was a scary moment when you landed in his arms and he struggled to get a grip on you but when you felt yourself using the stability of the rope you sighed in relief. Leaning your forehead against Su-hyeok’s chest while his open hand was wrapped tightly around your waist, you took a deep breath to calm down before he gently pushed your head away.

“You go down first,” he whispered but you slapped his arm lightly.

“What did I say about being more selfish?” He just smiled and pushed your shoulder down so you were forced to climb down. You groaned in annoyance but willingly climbed down.

Most of the group was hesitant to help you but Nam-ra rushed forward to grab your hand and help you climb in through the window. You gave her a smile of appreciation before you turned around to help Su-hyeok in.

“Close it before they get in!” Na-yeon screamed as you all were focused on helping Su-hyeok in. Cheong-san shot her a dirty look before rushing to grab Su-hyeok’s arm.

Just before you could rush forward to help him, On-jo had rushed to grab his hand and help him in.

You were a little surprised but decided to ignore it when she looked over at you. You just gave her a small smile but she looked away quickly.

Your smile dropped immediately.

“Would you just close it already!” Na-yeon screamed again.

“What's wrong with you? Su-hyeon was still out there! You want us to just shut him out?” Gyeong-su screamed at her.

“Is it a crime to want the window closed?” She excuses herself.

“No, but it’s a crime to be this fucking selfish,” you spoke under your breath. The people near you could hear you and snickered at your words but Na-yeon just looked at you, confused.

“What did you say? If you wanna say something, say it to my face, bitch!” She screamed at you but you just leaned back against the window with a smirk while you glared at her.

“How can you be so selfish?” Gyeong-su accused her and her attention went back to him.

She sighed before speaking again, “I can’t stand you, stupid welfie.”

You stood up from your half-seated position against the window and walked toward the two. Gyeong-su pushed Na-yeon into the chair behind her and both Cheong-san and you rushed to push him away from her.

“What did you just call me?” He pointed his finger toward her while you had a hand on his chest, pushing him back.

Na-yeon gasped and then stood back up before getting in his face. “You just hit me?”

“Yeah,” He admitted back with no shame or regret on his face or tone. “Call me that again.”

Ms. Park came running over after locking the window right as you pushed both Na-yeon and Gyeong-su into the chairs placed behind them. They both landed with an “oof” and glared at you. You sent them a cold gaze and they looked away.

“Hey, knock it off. What's going on over here, guys?” Ms. Park questioned while gently grabbing your arm and pulling you away.

“He just hit me and then she pushed me!”

“I only hit you because you called me a welfie!” Gyeong-san defended himself while you remained quiet despite how Ms. Park looked at you for answers.

“Is it not true?” She questioned and stood up, Gyeong-su soon followed, not wanting to be towered over by her.

“You can’t just say shit like that,” Cheong-san told her with a disappointed tone and his hand wrapped around the arm of Gyoeng-su.

“What’s a welfie?” Ms. Park ignorantly asked and looked around the room at everyone for an answer. Everyone stayed silent, not wanting to say the meaning of the rude word. “Tell me. What is it? What’s a welfie?”

“A person on welfare,” Su-hyeok quietly said from behind her.

“What?” She asked as she turned to face him. You went over to stand between Gyeong-su and Na-yeon, not trusting the two to not get in a fight. The both of them backed away from you when you did, backing away from each other in the process. Your lips formed a tight smile while you debated whether or not to celebrate at your win of getting them apart of to feel sad and alone because you are the reason they backed away from each other.

“It means a person on welfare. ‘Welfie’ for short,” Su-hyeok explained and Ms. Park took a moment to think about the word and how her students were using it.

“Na-yeon, that was wrong. Don’t ever say that again,” she scolded the girl who rolled her eyes when the teacher turned to Gyeong-su. “And Gyeong-su, when you hit people, you’re the one who ends up losing. Do you understand?”

“No. I don’t,” he said and crossed his arms.

“Look, you two want to fight? That’s fine. As soon as we survive this thing and get the fuck out of here, you two can fight as much as you want,” you told them as you sat on the table behind you. You shot them both a sharp glare. “But right fucking now, we have to focus on staying safe and figuring out what to do next. So shut the fuck up unless you have something useful to contribute.”

“Yes. Exactly as (Y/n) said,” she turned to you, “Although the use of foul language was not necessary,” you shrugged and she sighed before continuing to look back and forth between the two students beside you. “We don’t know what’s going on out there with those-”

“Are the zombies?” Su-hyeok cut her off and she just looked at him with a lost expression, not knowing what to tell him.

“What about the other teachers? Has anyone called the cops?” Ji-min stepped forward with desperation lacing her voice.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure someone already has,” she reassured her panicked students but her voice sounded unsure. “I just don’t have my phone on me right now.”

“We called them, but they’re not coming,” Cheong-san told her. “Neither the police nor first responders.”

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon. We just have to wait a little longer,” Ms. Park stayed optimistic as she saw the hope fading from her students’ eyes.

“Ms. Park,” On-jo spoke and got everyone’s attention. “Hyeon-ju’s hands were cold too. So were I-saks,” her voice shook slightly as she spoke of her friend. You’d realized a while ago that you were missing a member of the group and knew she was dead but you knew nobody had time for grieving right now. You all had to focus on staying alive. “What if all of this started with Hyeon-ju?” She questioned and your eyes widened at the news.

“She went to the hospital,” Hyo-ryung said with a gasp.

“What if it spread there as well?” Joon-yeong predicted with a bitter tone.

“It’s most likely it did. If this happened in just a short amount of time at a school then there’s no doubt the rest of the city is most likely the same,” you said as you looked at the ground with an emotionless face. Su-hyeok came over to sit next to you and let your fingers graze each other from your spot on the table.

“But wait, the internet still works right?” Joon-yeong questioned as he saw the computer in front of him and stood up excitedly.

After getting the computer to turn on as it took a minute from the school refusing to replace the old computers with newer faster ones, Joon-yeong logged into Facebook and started looking at the videos the people of Hyosan had posted.

It was terrifying. There were videos of people getting brutally torn apart and ripped into as they were eaten by cannibalistic monsters who now roamed the streets.

“Holy shit…” you whispered from your spot sitting on the table beside the monitor before a clanking on the window distracted your despairing thoughts. Slowly getting up, you walked over to the window with careful steps as it continued to hit against the glass.

“Let’s check messages first,” you heard from behind you before the window in front of you shattered from a strong hit by the makeshift ladder.

You gasped and jumped back but a few glass shards had flown towards you and cut lightly into your skin.

Everyone else gasped as well and Nam-ra who was closest to you ran up to you to check on you. The metal part of the rope continued to slam against the window, creating a larger hole in the glass.

“What was that?” Joo-yeong questioned, a little out of breath from the scare.

“Get over here. Come here!” Ms. Park yelled at you and Nam-ra to do, so you scurried over to where she was on the other side of the room.

“Did someone not make it in?” Wu-jin asked and got a reply of “no.”

Cheong-san slowly stepped toward the glass, ignoring Gyeong-su’s words of not getting too close.

“Do you see anything?” Gyeong-su asked as Cheong-san stood right in front of the broken window. After not getting an answer, he came to his own conclusion. “It’s just the wind.”

Wu-jin sighed, “That scared me.”

Suddenly, a zombie fell from above the rope and landed in Cheong-san’s face before he jumped back, landing on the ground.

“Look, it's coming in! Watch out, watch out!” Dae-su screamed as he just layed there on the ground and stared at the zombie. “Cheong-san, get back. Get back here!”

Cheong-san looked lost so you took the initiative. Running past him, you grabbed the mop that was hidden in the corner of the room behind some sort of cabinet and immediately started pushing the zombie back out of the window. The zombie grabbed ahold of the other end of the mop while you tried to shake it off.

Dae-su had dragged Cheong-san away from the scene behind you and he was standing up now, safe.

Surprising you, Gyeong-su ran forward and also grabbed ahold of the stick, helping you push the zombie back.

It grabbed ahold of the window and started pulling itself forward as the people behind you yelled about removing it.

“If you want to remove it, come and do it yourself, you bastards!” You yelled through gritted teeth as you focused on pushing this monster away from the people behind you.

Gyeong-su tried grabbing its hand and pulling it off before the beast grabbed ahold of his arm and started pulling it towards its mouth. In a panic, you used one of your legs to push Gyeong-su back and the beast was forced to let go of his hand, thankfully not biting him.

Although when the beast let go, both you and Gyeong-su were pushed back and you lost the mop.

Cheong-san picked the mop up and stabbed at the zombie. Unfortunately, it only ended in more glass breaking and the mop splitting in half. He started preparing himself to stab the zombie, knowing the - now broken and split - end of the mop was a perfect weapon to do so. It was clear for you to see, however, that he couldn’t do it.

Before you could stand up to help, Su-hyeok grabbed the mop from the boy and yanked it back, hitting Gyeong-su’s nose in the process before stabbing it into the cannibalistic-turned-student.

The zombie wouldn’t let up even when Su-hyeok stabbed it through its chest and Gyeong-su ran forward with the computer box from the table in his hands before throwing it at the zombie, successfully managing to make it fall down to the grass field below.

After a few beats of silence, you walked over to the table where a tissue box was placed and grabbed it before holding it out to Gyeong-su whose nose had started to bleed lightly from the impact of the mop. He looked at you confused and just as you were about to speak, Cheong-san beat you to it.

“Gyeong-su, you’re bleeding.”

“I am?” The boy brought his hand up to his nose in confusion before a look of realization crossed his features. “Right, it’s because Su-hyeok hit me with a fucking mop.” He then grabbed a few tissues out of the box you were still extending out to him and gave you a small smile.

“Stay back! Stay where you are!” Na-yeon exclaimed as she breathed shakily and you just rolled your eyes, something that Gyeong-su noticed and he gave a quiet laugh before focusing on the girl. “You were bitten, weren’t you, Gyeong-su?”

“I wasn’t. I wasn’t!” He defended himself.

“It’s true, he wasn’t,” you told everyone as well.

“Yes! (Y/n) was right next to me when it happened! Didn't you see Su-hyeok hit me?” You smiled slightly and looked down as he used your name to defend himself, it was the first time someone had used your name in a good light in a long time and it felt good.

Na-yeon took a couple steps backward and let out a shaky breath. Gyeong-su brought the tissue down from his nose and started walking towards Na-yeon.

“What’s your fucking problem with me?” He asked angrily.

“You were bitten!”

“No, he wasn’t! I saw him the entire time, he never got bit once!” you yelled at her and slammed the tissue box onto the table.

Na-yeon ignored you and turned to Ms. Park. “I-sak got a nosebleed just before she turned,” she turned to On-jo and you swear you could feel your blood boiling within your veins. “On-jo. You saw it, right? That’s the same thing that happened to I-sak!”

“You fucking selfish little bitch,” you cursed her in a low tone.

“Gyeong-su,” Ms. Park tried but was cut off as the boy tried to desperately clear his name.

“I-I am telling you! I swear I wasn’t bit!” He sighed as everyone stayed silent and you lifted the box of tissues again as his nose started dripping more. He sighed again and grabbed one, nodding towards you before bringing it up to his nose. “Shit.”

“Look!” Na-yeon wouldn’t give up and continued to find any reason to convince the others he was truly turning into a zombie. “Your hand. Explain that? What is it?”

“I got it from the computer! Didn’t you see that?” He tried to walk towards her again but stopped when the people near her all gasped and jumped back, scared of what he might become. He scoffed. “Don’t you trust me?” They stayed silent while avoiding his eyes. “I can’t believe this. I got this trying to save all of you.” He walked away from them to lean against the table where you were sitting atop it. Cheong-san walked around the table from where he was standing on the other side of it and walked up to Gyeong-su, grabbing his hand to look at the injury.

“It’s not a bite, it’s a scratch. Whoever wants to check, come look,” he said and most of the group came up to check besides a few of the girls and Ms. Park. A few of them let out comments as they find it to be true. It was only a scratch.

“Yeah, definitely. Just a scratch,” Su-hyeok confirmed while looking at Na-yeon with a look you knew to be judgmental and a bit disappointed.

“Ms. Park, look,” Cheong-san insisted and she walked up to him, grabbing his hand gently to look at it.

“Well, it really doesn’t look like a bite. Thank god. It’s a scratch,” she reconfirmed what everyone had been saying and you let out a little sigh of relief you didn’t know you were holding in and surprised yourself. “He’s okay.”

All the chaos and noise had been giving you a headache so you took your chance to exit the situation considering it seemed fine for the moment. You gave Gyeong-su’s shoulder a light squeeze and he returned the gesture with a small smile. Standing up, you walked into the recording room, glancing at Su-hyeok who was watching you go in.

Just before the door closed behind you, you could hear the start of another fight between the group members begin and you just thanked god that you had left when you did. Any more fighting and you were sure you’d have an aneurysm.

After a while of you spinning around in one of the spinny chairs of the recording room, you heard the door open.

“Oi.”

You stopped spinning and turned to see Gyeong-su standing at the doorway.

“They’re quarantining me for an hour since Na-yeon still thinks I’m a zombie, you should leave,” he explained but you just shrugged and continued spinning in the chair.

“I’m okay. I know you’re not one.”

You heard a scoff and stopped your spinning, slowly looking up and fearing he would be upset by your decision.

Instead, you saw a wide grin gracing his face. Letting your own smile take over, you reached over to pat the seat of the other chair that was positioned beside you. He walked over and the two of you started talking. It was nice, comfortable even. The more you talked, the more you were willing to open yourself up to gaining a friend.

A knock on the window of the door brought both of your attention to Cheong-san who stood on the other side. He started to do what you assume was whistling on the other side of the glass and you smiled when you heard Gyeong-su immediately start to sing the tune Cheong-san was aiming for. Your attention was brought away from the two and their funny exchange to Su-hyeok who had been leaning against the table on the other side of the glass of the big window. He gave you a smile when your eyes met and you gave him one back. He pointed back and forth between you and Gyeong-su with that same smile but a more questioning look on his face.

Your smile turned a bit giddy and you had to bite your cheek to keep it under control before you mouthed one word to him.

“Friend.”

Su-hyeok’s face lit up with a huge grin and he almost ran into the room to give you a giant hug. You’d finally made another friend and he couldn’t be happier.

Well he could, if it was under better circumstances.

But, at least if the world was ending, you would have made a friend through it.

You turned your head back to the two best friends just to see Gyeong-su waving Cheong-san away with his hand and a slightly annoyed expression on his face.

You gently nudge his ribs with your elbow. “What did he say?”

He shoved your arm away from him with a smile before replying, “He was telling me we’ve been in here for 30 minutes and I told him to fuck off.”

You laughed and nodded before deciding to resume your spinning when the door opened up again.

Ms. Park entered the room and walked up to the two of you. She placed her hand on Gyeong-su’s shoulder. “Why don’t you come out now Gyeong-su? We all know that you aren’t turning and you don’t need to stay here any longer.”

He turned around to look out the big window behind him when she spoke and saw everyone crowding around while looking at you and him. He just shook his head, “I’m staying the full hour. Just to be safe.”

Ms. Park stood back up from her crouching position and then turned to you. “How about you, (Y/n)? You don’t need to be in here anyways so you’re welcome to come out if you would like,” she recommended with a hopeful smile.

You shook your head lightly with a smile before speaking. “I’m okay, Ma’am,” you turned to Gyeong-su before you continued. “If you’ll still allow me, I’d be happy to just stay in here for the remaining 30 minutes.”

He looked a little shocked but his expression turned to one of gratitude and he nodded. You looked back at Ms. Park and noticed her smiling at the two of you.

“Okay, come out whenever the two of you are ready, then.”

The both of you nodded before she walked out. The two of you smiled at each other before going back to your own things - you spinning in the chair and him messing with the string and holed notebook he had.

Surprising you, Na-yeon walked in with one hand shoved in her pockets. The both of you looked back at her before turning to each other and rolling your eyes.

“Hey,” the both of you stayed silent. “I’m talking to you!” More silence. “You’re ignoring me?”

Gyeong-su scoffed before turning back to her. “What do you want?”

“Why didn’t you answer me?”

He scoffed. “Apologize and get out,” she said as he shooed her away.

“How’s your cut doing?” She asked and you abruptly stopped in your spinning to look at her. Something about her tone was disturbing.

“Why do you care?” Gyeong-su asked suspiciously.

“Show me,” she demanded and aggressively grabbed his arm to bring it closer so she could see. You looked over to the window to see everyone looking at the interaction with teasing smiles or rolling their eyes.

“I suspected you because the situation called for it,” she spoke and it brought your attention away from the window and back to the interaction itself. Now, she had a handkerchief in her hand and was dabbing it on the place where Gyeong-su’s cut was. You couldn't shake the feeling of something strange happening. Especially with the way she was acting - like she had something to hide. “And I was really mad earlier. I’m still mad at you.”

“I guess…” Gyeong-su started but didn’t really know how to continue the sentence so his words trailed off. She dropped his hand back in his lap right before walking towards you and grabbing your own arm, attempting to roll up your sleeves to where the wounds you had were but you slapped her hand away harshly and shot her a cold glare. She pretended not to be affected by it but you could see the fear that flashed in her eyes.

“Don’t touch me,” you told her and Gyeong-su looked over at you in surprise at how your voice went from so sweet and kind just a minute ago to now this.

Na-yeon cleared her throat before turning back to Gyeong-su and speaking again. “You know I’ve always looked down on you.”

The boy shook his head with a sigh. “It’s fine. It’s all in the past. Let’s just go,” he finished as he looked towards the door, suggesting that they all leave the room.

“I’m not apologizing,” she told him and although she didn’t physically do it you could hear the eyeroll in her voice. “You deserve to be looked down on. Our complex banned you welfies, but you forced your way in,” she spoke and your nails dug into the foam arm rest of the chair. “And how dare you push me?”

Gyeong-su looked over at you with an exasperated and astounded expression on his face before turning back around and standing up to be face-to-face with her. “Listen, you fuckin-“ he tried but she rudely cut him off with another insult.

“You thought I’d apologize?” Her head tilted slightly in a condescending way. “Everyone is taking your side. I was cornered because of a nobody like you,” she leaned in as she spoke her final words. “Stay the full hour. I hope you never come out again,” as she was walking away, you could faintly hear her whispering the words “Fucking welfie,” and that was the final line for you. Just as she had pushed the door open and walked through, cheering and clapping happening by your classmates, you marched towards her and pushed her forward before you felt hands grab you to prevent you from doing anything else.

“You fucking bitch! You think you can just fucking say that and get away with it?” You yelled at her but it was barely audible over the sounds of everyone around you screaming at you and questioning why you would do that.

Gyeong-su, who was behind you and the first one to hold you back, started to pull you away to the corner next to the windows along with a chair for you to sit in as you breathed heavily and stared at Na-yeon from across the room.

“What happened? (Y/n), why would you do that?” Ms. Park questioned as she crouched down in front of where you were sitting.

Without taking your eyes off of the bitch across the room, you responded. “That dog told Gyeong-su he deserved to be looked down on and then proceeded to call him a fucking welfie,” you spat out and nearly jumped out of your seat to rush back over to her and finish what she started when Su-hyeok, who had followed after you and Gyeong-su when he dragged you to the corner along with Cheong-san, grabbed your shoulder and firmly, but gently, sat you back down.

Ms. Park stood up and shook her head in astonishment before walking over to Na-yeon. You could hear Cheong-san checking on Gyeong-su but was focused on the conversation coming from across the room.

“Did you really say that?” Ms. Park asked as the rest of the group stood behind her in an odd way of intimidation. “You promised me you would apologize to him!”

“I did nothing wrong,” she insistently defended herself and despite Su-heyok’s hand on your shoulder you shot up out of your chair.

“Bullshit!” you screamed before Gyeong-su, Cheong-san, and Su-hyeok all rushed forward to sit you back down. You would have laughed at how comical it must have looked if you weren’t so pissed.

“(Y/n), calm down,” Ms. Park instructed and you reluctantly turned your head away from their conversation to focus on the one in front of you.

“Dude, forget about her,” Dae-su insisted and pat Gyeong-su’s shoulder as he groaned and angrily looked out the window.

“I just don’t understand why I have to take this shit!” He exclaimed and turned back to you all. Everyone’s attention got directed at Na-yeon as she started saying something about how it was Gyeong-su’s fault they had to leave their homeroom in the first place and how Coach Kang turned in there but you blocked it out as you started talking to him.

“So how are you actually feeling? What she said was bullshit, you don’t deserve to be looked down on. That’s just a shit excuse for her to be a bitch,” you told him with an eye roll and he laughed slightly before shooting you an adorable smile that you almost wanted to reach your hands out and pinch his cheeks at.

“Thank you, (Y/n). That means a lot,” he looked down at the ground and smiled when suddenly, with everyone else's attention still focused on Na-yeon, you saw Gyeong-su’s nose dripping with blood for the second time.

“Uh-h… G-Gyeong-su…” You whispered.

“Look! I guess I was right after all,” you heard Na-yeon boast proudly on the other end of the room but you couldn’t bring yourself to turn around and scold her when you saw your friend bleeding again. You noticed everyone had turned back to look at where he sat at her words.

“What?” The boy questioned, confused on why everyone was looking at him with the same expression: confusion, sadness, and fear.

Everyone except for one. Her.

“Gyeong-su…” You heard Cheong-san say from behind you but it was like you were hearing it from underwater. The only thing you could hear was the sound of your own heartbeat.

And the thoughts that Gyeong-su might not have one soon.

~~~

| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |

~~~

Taglist!

@multifandom-lover01

Lmk if you want to be added or removed!

[shunin-gumis]

As Master Joe Wishes - Track 10

Seasonal Team Event - L4mps

Thank you Myun for handling this chapter!

Location: Highway

X: !

Anonymous Member A: W-What the hell, the back window just cracked!!

Anonymous Member C: No, wait, some pink slime just hit the glass….!? More than just that, it’s slowly melting away the window!?

X: … Heeh, what an impressive shot. Almost inhuman, considering the distance.

Location: Mansion

Yodaka: Yeah, it was a direct hit. It seems you have some experience as a sniper.

Toi: Not at all. Netaro-san provided the guns, and it’s thanks to you helping out as the spotter. 

Yodaka: I’m in the same boat. It’s thanks to these “All-Seeing Horizon Binoculars.” I can see everything through them. Now, I’ll need those back. It’s time to fire the next shot. 

Toi: Thank you.

Toi: …

Toi: (Ah, back then, Ani-sama…)

~~~(Flashback)

Toi: Then, would you listen to me if I asked you to not protect Joe-sama?

Ryui: … Yeah.

Location: Mansion

Toi: (Haah, I love him the most in the whole wide world…)

Toi: (Even though he's eaten away by guilt, he still chooses me. I'll be "someone special" in Ani-sama's eyes, forever and ever.)

Yodaka: Toi, get ready. 

Toi: Okay! This’ll definitely be the killing shot!

Location:  Inside Car

Anonymous Member A: Eek!! This time the door started to melt…!

Anonymous Member A:  Don’t just sit there like an idiot, shoot back!

Anonymous Member C: But,  what the hell am I even supposed to aim at!! 

X: Ahh, so annoying–

Location: Highway

Nagi: We caught up…!

Ryui: Give that shitty little bear back…!

Joe: Ryui!! Nagi, too!

Anonymous Member B: Shoot shoot shoot shoot!!

Anonymous Member C: AHHHH, DIEEEEE!!

Nagi & Ryui: !

Anonymous Member A: W-What’s with that bike…

Anonymous Member C: It’s like a butterfly in flight, weaving through traffic left and right…!?

Anonymous Member B: It’s like Paulson from “Mission Possible”’s come to life!

Ryui: ….Tch. 

Ryui: Hachinoya, you’re fuckin’ crazy. Alright, keep it up—

Nagi: A-ah, s-sorry, we’re gonna die, we’re gonna die next, I’m sorry, let’s die, together.

Ryui: (Ah, he's a goner.)

Anonymous Member C: Ahhh! It’s jammed!

Anonymous Member C: They caught up!!

X: UGH, hold on, I’ll come and drive the damn car—?

Anonymous Member B: Not while this fucking thing is here! 

Joe & X: Ah.

Nagi & Ryui: !!

Ryui: (He threw Joe out the window—!) 

Nagi: (Hit the brakes…! No, if we do it now, we’re gonna crash—)

Joe: (Ryui—!)

Ryui: ……！

Location: Flashback

Toi: Then, would you listen to me if I asked you to not protect Joe-sama?

Netaro: Is Toi your owner, Ryui?

Ryui: — No. 

I wanna protect the things I wanna protect, of my own will.

I can’t be the kind of brother that’ll bring shame to Toi or myself. 

Location: Highway

Ryui: Joe!

Nagi: !?

Anonymous Member A: He jumped off the bike!?

Anonymous Member B: The teddy bear!?

Toi: Ani-sama!?

Yodaka: ……！

Nagi: Ryui!

Ryui: (Wait a minute… Even if I can keep Joe safe, I’m gonna get pretty fucked up… Am I stupid?)

Netaro: I’ve been waiting for this!

Ryui: (Yowa!?)

Nagi: … The bullet Netaro fired became all big and jelly-like…

Anonymous Member A: And swallowed up that guy with the eyepatch along with the bear...

X: Oh my. Shall we call it quits?

Anonymous Member B: Oi, point the gun over here next time!! Crank the speed—

Anonymous Member C: Hey, nobody’s in the driver’s seat!?

Netaro: Shall I hunt down the rest of you noi~sy survivors?♪

Anonymous Members ABC: *Shrieking*!!!

Nagi: He squashed the car with a giant pudding… 

Ryui & Joe: …

Netaro: Ryui, Joe, are you okay? You’re not hurt?

Ryui: You… bastard…. Jelly… everywhere…

Netaro: I made another booster engine like the one I cooked up for Gii’s bike, but with double the speed! I attached it to a pair of rollerskates and managed to catch up!

Nagi: I’m glad you don’t seem to be hurt. You caught our master pretty securely, too. There doesn’t seem to be any jelly stuck on her, either. I’m so glad

Ryui: I’m the one who got all sticky. 

Nagi: Joe-sama, I don’t have any jelly on me, should I carry you instead?

Ryui: What’ll it be?

Joe: … This is alright, being with Ryui suits me just fine.

Ryui: … That so. 

[crowfeatherquill]

To Aid and Be Aided, Pt. 2

Link to Pt. 1

--

That shocks Astarion fully back into his body -- possibly for the first time since they’d entered Szarr Palace.

“Go to-- excuse me?” Tathlyn shrinks away from Astarion’s sudden ire, but Astarion can’t find it within him to reign it back in. He’ll ask forgiveness later. For now, “Is that all you think this is? That you’re some…some disposable resource to be drained and discarded as soon as you’re no longer of use? To be-- consumed?”

Cazador’s voice echoes over his own as he says the word and it kills any trace of hunger that might have lingered, leaving only the cold nausea of dread in its wake.

“Well. Not discarded, I’d hope,” Tathlyn says and the rueful humor in his tone makes Astarion wish an eternity of violence on whoever did this to him, “I believe I’d be what the druids call a renewable resource. If properly cared for.”

Astarion rises part-way out of the water, flooding the stone and washing away most of the blood still lingering there. Tathlyn seems taken aback by this and Astarion uses the opportunity to take his face firmly in his hands and demand eye contact.

“Tathlyn. Darling. Heart of my heart, you are not a resource. Renewable or otherwise. No more than I am.” 

Tathlyn tries to flinch away from the implication and Astarion holds him fast. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to manage this if he doesn’t do it now.

“I love you. I adore you and I’m…I’m grateful. That you’d be willing to do that for me after everything else I’ve put you through today. But you are not my mother or my sire, and I am very much capable of feeding myself.”

Tathlyn simply stares at him, looking somewhat in awe. It breaks his heart a little to think that a statement which seems so obvious to him should come as any sort of a surprise to Tathlyn.

“Now,” he continues, pushing past the quiver of emotion in his voice, “You are going to get in this bath -- with or without me, your choice -- and you are going to let me fix…this.”

Tathlyn’s expression shifts from awe to bemused indulgence with a slight twitch of one eyebrow and one corner of his mouth.

“Am I, now?”

“Yes,” Astarion replies, more firmly than he feels he should be able to get away with, “You are. Because…you wanted to know what I really wanted. And I’m telling you it’s this.”

Tathlyn’s brow takes on an uncertain tilt, but he leans his face into Astarion’s hands and closes his eyes briefly.

“Alright.” He is just as soft when giving in as he is when he insists. Every time Astarion thinks he can’t possibly love this man any more, Tathlyn finds new ways to defy expectations.

The way he removes his clothes is unceremonious and to the point. And with each article he sheds, it becomes more obvious that he has not actually paused to do more than the bare minimum since they returned from the crypt. Bruises bloom across his torso, some of them bad enough to imply cracked ribs, and though the gash on his arm seems to be the only one actively bleeding, there are several more scrapes and cuts that need tending. His hair is streaked with red and only roughly secured out of his face. His face, which, now that Astarion is really looking, is beyond exhausted. He looks as though he’s managed to miss several nights of sleep in the last twenty-four hours alone.

The whole thing makes Astarion ache for him, and sets his resolve tenfold. If no one else out there is going to bother taking care of him after everything he’s done for all of them, Astarion damn sure will. It’s the least he can do.

Once he’s stripped down to the skin, Tathlyn sinks into the water with a wince and a sigh. He leaves a respectful distance between himself and Astarion, which Astarion quickly closes, taking Tathlyn’s injured arm in soft, unhurried hands and beginning the process of washing the wound clean -- thoroughly clean. Tathlyn, to his credit, does not flinch, despite the way it must hurt.

When he’s finished, he lays Tathlyn’s arm gently on the side of the bath, out of the water, to be bandaged later, and moves on. He tends one injury at a time, with a singular focus, as the water grows cloudy again around them.

“Darling…” he ventures, “Have- have you stopped at all since we got back?”

“Took my armor off,” Tathlyn almost-mumbles, his usual enunciation sapped along with his flagging energy, “But, uh. No. Not really. Had to…make sure Halsin and Karlach were alright. And you. ‘Specially you.”

Astarion frowns and brushes the cleaning cloth over a raw scrape on Tathlyn’s jaw that he’d initially mistaken for a patch of dried blood. Tathlyn seems content to lounge, eyes closed, mostly still apart from the occasional involuntary wince.

“And…no one bothered to help you, did they?”

It’s a purposefully leading question, and not particularly subtle at that, and it doesn’t take long for Tathlyn to catch on to precisely where it’s meant to lead. He takes a slow, measured breath and levers himself forward, more upright. His exhale is equally measured, if constricted in pain. Astarion’s hand goes to his chest as if to stop him -- put him back to reclining where at least he’d seemed comfortable -- but Tathlyn just takes him by the wrist and presses through until he’s leaning forward, the two of them nearly touching foreheads.

With his free hand, Tathlyn takes Astarion by the chin, running his thumb over Astarion’s lower lip.

“Before you start, you should know I didn’t ask them to,” he says, and though it’s apparent he knows it was foolish, he seems more intent on diverting Astarion’s indignation. “No need to go crusading for justice on my behalf. This,” he indicates his own battered body, “is no one’s fault but mine.”

Astarion can’t help a derisive click of his tongue against his teeth as he pulls his chin away from Tathlyn’s grip -- though the hand Tathlyn has trapped against his chest stays where it is.

“It should’ve been obvious,” he gripes, “You shouldn’t have to ask -- you’re injured.”

Tathlyn has the unmitigated gall to laugh. Astarion seethes at the way the sound makes him fall in love all over again. How dare he be so disarming while Astarion is trying to maintain a perfectly reasonable level of scorn.

“I am also a grown man,” Tathlyn points out, fondness softening the edge of every word, “You said something to that effect just a bit ago. Something like…you’re not my mother and I can look after myself?”

Astarion tries to glower at him, but Tathlyn only shifts the hand he’d pulled away from to the nape of his neck and brings their foreheads back together, toying with Astarion’s hair until he shuts his eyes and lets out a forced breath of resignation.

“I’ll be alright, love,” he insists, “And anyway. Tell me you’re not enjoying bossing me around. At least a little?”

“As if I would ever admit it. I’d never get another chance.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

Astarion elects to ignore the things that thought does to his insides, pulling away from Tathlyn’s grip instead to survey the state of the water.

“We’ll need to clear this again,” he says, aiming for a businesslike tone and getting mostly ill-concealed fluster. “There’s still your hair to deal with and I refuse to try washing it in this murk.”

Tathlyn raises a brow and releases his grip on Astarion’s wrist.

“If there’s something you’d like me to do, you’re going to need to be a little more direct than that.”

Astarion is not really capable of flushing anymore, but his expression betrays that if he could be, he would be.

“Of all the times for cheek, now? Really.”

Tathlyn attempts an innocent shrug and fumbles into a cringe of pain partway through. Astarion starts back toward him and realizes he doesn’t know precisely where he can touch that will help rather than make things worse. The thought leaves his hands hovering, nervy and unsettled, until Tathlyn bats at the air in what he supposes is meant to be a gesture of dismission.

“S’alright. I’m okay. Promise.” He seems to second guess the words as soon as they’re out of his mouth, and then, after a moment of re-assessment, “Nothing’s broken, at least. Pretty sure about that.”

“Then sit still, damn you. No more of this teasing, not if it’s going to hurt you.”

“Yes, nurse.”

Tathlyn’s expression should vex him, Astarion is quite sure, but somehow he can’t manage to stay upset with him for more than a moment. He turns his attention to getting the water clean -- a feat of magical engineering he might even be impressed by under less distressing circumstances -- and, perhaps a little reluctantly, pulls himself out of the bath to sit at the edge.

The air is cool against his skin -- not unpleasantly so, but enough that he can see why there are dressing gowns set aside in easy reach. Tathlyn is looking up at him with that curious furrow in his brow again.

“It’ll be easier with me up here,” he explains, “And behind you. If you don’t mind.”

Tathlyn hums, a sound on the crossroads of understanding and consent, and Astarion settles at his back, picking through the various soaps, oils, and perfumes as he goes. 

The first thing is to pluck at the leather tie Tathlyn uses to hold his hair back until he’s able to get it to fall loose. It always takes him a little by surprise just how long Tathlyn’s hair is -- he so often wears it tied back that Astarion forgets. It’s a sorry sight as it cascades into the water -- dull, sweat-mussed, and somewhat tangled -- but this, of all the things he’s done, feels like familiar territory.

He coaxes Tathlyn’s head back so he can wet his hair all the way to the scalp, and begins the laborious process of working out the knots, dirt, and blood. He watches as he works, as Tathlyn seems to drift in and out of focus, evidently soothed the point of lethargy under Astarion’s careful attention.

“You know,” he says, in a precious moment of lucidity, “The Matrons used to do this. With each other, mostly, although sometimes trusted servants got to help.”

Astarion’s hands go still in Tathlyn’s hair but he restrains the comments that come to mind the quickest. Instead, he simply prompts, “Go on…?”

“It always seemed…like the kind of thing you only ever did for someone important,” Tathlyn elaborates, though Astarion is still not entirely sure what to make of where he’s going with this, “It was a privilege. To get to bathe somebody else. To be bathed was an even bigger one. It’s…nice. I guess. To feel special like that. With you. Not a servant.”

Astarion laughs softly and bends down to kiss Tathlyn’s forehead at the hairline.

“You are special to me, my sweet. Even if it seems I have to remind you every now and again.”

Eventually, Tathlyn’s hair returns to its usual color, and Astarion helps him adjust his posture so he can recline against Astarion’s legs while Astarion takes the now-clean strands into a towel he’s spread over his lap. He doubts Tathlyn will be awake long enough to let it dry completely, so he does what he can while he has the opportunity -- gets as much of the water out as he can reasonably manage and works it into a loose braid to keep it out of Tathlyn’s face.

As he works, Tathlyn goes more and more slack against his legs, so that by the time Astarion has well and truly finished with his hair and goes to move, he finds he’s pinned by what must be most of Tathlyn’s weight. He sighs -- more affectionate than he can really manage to be exasperated -- and brushes his knuckles across Tathlyn’s cheek and jaw, hoping to rouse him as gently as he can.

“Alright, you,” he says, “I think if we stay in this damp any longer we’ll start growing mold.”

Tathlyn shifts, but instead of leaning forward like Astarion expects him to, he presses stubbornly back against Astarion’s legs, pinning him more firmly in place.

“You said stay still,” he says, in the most wheedling tone Astarion has ever heard him use, “So I got comfortable. Now you want me to move?”

“I don’t suppose it would entice you at all to know that you’ll likely be more comfortable in a bed?” Astarion pushes back against Tathlyn with his knees, trying in vain to apply enough pressure to shift him without hurting him. “You know -- like the ones we paid for upstairs? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but they’re quite nice.”

“Seems cold,” Tathlyn responds, “I’ll stay here if it’s all the same to you.”

Astarion lets out another forced breath -- this one a bit more irritated than the last -- and gives one last fruitless shove against Tathlyn’s back before giving up entirely.

“And how would you know whether it’s going to be cold? You’re hardly even awake.”

“You’re cold,” Tathlyn insists, “Since you got out.”

“I am for all intents and purposes a corpse, darling. We’re not exactly known for retaining heat. And besides, that’s what the dressing gowns are for -- now are you going to get up on your own or shall I arrange for you to be lifted? Because I should warn you -- I’m not going to be able to do it, and the only person I can think of who could and isn’t currently recovering from a nasty bout of ‘dead-a-few-hours-ago’ is Lae’zel. And something tells me you’d rather I didn’t call her in here.”

“Hmmm. You make a very compelling argument,” Tathlyn concedes. Mercifully, he shifts his weight forward, freeing Astarion’s legs from his devious trap. “Could maybe use a little help, but I’ll try my best not to drag you in.”

It’s an awkward process, what with Astarion not being particularly strong, but between the two of them, they manage to get Tathlyn standing more or less on his own while Astarion finds what he judges to be the most comfortable of the selection of robes. He returns loosely draped in one that’s lightweight and a deep midnight blue -- more for modesty than any real insulation -- and offers the thicker one to Tathlyn.

While Tathlyn goes through the somewhat-stiffened motions of wrapping himself in the robe, Astarion stoops to pick through the injury kit they’d abandoned by the side of the bath for bandages -- the one thing there is left to do, now that Tathlyn is clean and mostly dry.

He holds his hand out, expecting Tathlyn to extend his injured arm and let him finish tending the wound, but instead finds himself taken by the arm and pulled into a tight embrace. Tathlyn’s body radiates warmth and he rubs one hand over Astarion’s back as if he’s attempting to encourage circulation. Astarion has to fight not to melt and forget the bandages entirely.

“Darling,” he clears his throat, pointedly, “This is lovely but I can’t actually get at your arm while we’re like this.”

“Leave it. It’ll heal.”

“Mmm, no, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. I am decidedly unwilling to let you stain those perfectly good linens. Now give it here. It won’t take long.”

They part -- though Tathlyn stays as close as Astarion will let him -- just long enough for Astarion to bandage Tathlyn’s arm securely, before Tathlyn pulls him back in and brings his head to rest on Astarion’s shoulder. Astarion presses a gentle kiss into the crook of Tathlyn’s neck and tries not to inhale too deeply.

“Y’know…offer’s still open, if you’re hungry,” Tathlyn says, as though that isn’t the furthest thing from Astarion’s mind at the moment.

“I think it’s about time we got you off your feet, hm?” he prompts in lieu of an answer, “You’ve had a very long day. We can leave that for tomorrow.”

Astarion’s words are quiet, coaxing, and not particularly subtle, but they seem to be enough to put the matter to bed at least for the time being. Tathlyn nods mutely into Astarion’s shoulder.

Their quarters are quiet when they enter -- many of their companions having retired to bed, and those who haven’t having settled into whatever evening routines they’ve begun to establish during their stay. Astarion and Tathlyn fall into bed together, as has been their habit for some time now, and though Astarion still has far too much to think about to find rest yet, Tathlyn sags against him as soon as they’re off their feet.

“Poor thing,” he murmurs, the words mostly breath for Tathlyn’s ears alone, “Feeling any better, at least?”

“Mm,” Tathlyn adjusts his posture slightly more towards horizontal, and tugs Astarion with him, “Much, actually. Just…tired.”

“I’d expect nothing less, darling. You’ve been through so much.”

Tathlyn’s brow furrows and he shifts, slightly. Opens one eye.

“You too, though,” he says, tone taking on an edge of insistence, “You alright?”

Astarion pauses to think before he answers. Tathlyn’s weight rests comfortably against his side, still giving off vital, living warmth, and keeping him from drifting off beyond the confines of his own body again. The lingering phantom feeling of Cazador’s blood on his skin has faded entirely. Some pain remains on the periphery of his awareness, and the hunger still lurks, as it always does, but these things are not new, and not urgent. They can be addressed some other time.

“I am, I think,” he says, with as much finality as he can muster, “Or at the very least I’m on my way. Consider your duties fulfilled for the moment.”

Tathlyn yawns and settles deeper into his slump.

“Never stop taking care of you,” he mumbles, “But…that’s alright. For now.”

Astarion occupies himself running his fingers across Tathlyn’s back until he feels his lover’s breathing even out and deepen in rest. Tomorrow, all the crises of the oncoming apocalypse of the Absolute will surely crash back in on them, and Tathlyn will chase off after the next impossible errand -- and more than likely drag him along whether he cares what they’re doing or not. Odds are they’ll end the day just as battered and exhausted as they did today, if perhaps less distraught. But that’s to deal with after dawn. For now, none of it matters. They simply rest.

[xxktnexx]

Last Kill Do Us Part

Previews Chapter

CONTINUATION WITH PREVIEWS CHAPTER

CHAPTER 2

Warnings : Unprotected sex, Oral sex, Rough Sex, Cursing, Masturbation, etc.

Pairing : Chanyeol x F!Reader

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

Taking a bath as soon as I got home took longer than I expected. Usually I would just scrub away the evidence of my job, do some little stuff from this and that and then prepare myself to sleep.

But the adrenaline coursing through my veins was still as active as it can be.

I can’t seem to calm down.

Well, the pleasure Chanyeol granted me earlier had a big part of it.

Hence resulting me to be in my bathtub right now with a lukewarm water to relax and fingers inside my cunt and arousal in the air.

I didn’t really plan to masturbate. It was more of wanting to soak in a warm bath to relax my nerves but when I closed my eyes, I could see Chanyeol's face.

How his perfect build suits my taste. How his eyes darkened with lust. How he smirks in satisfaction. How he kissed me. And how he fingered me to oblivion.

My hand travels from my neck to my breast. Giving it a gentle squeeze, remembering how Chanyeol’s hand fit them well enough. I wasn’t a big-racked girl but I’m most definitely not flat chested. I was in the middle. Well-sized enough to trigger indecent thoughts to anyone.

I played with my hardening nipples, visualising how he usually does it. Pinching it hard enough before flicking it and mostly rolling it with my finger.

My other hand caresses my stomach sensually. Rubbing it slowly as it snaked down south into my core. I rub my clit and moan with delight.

Imagining that it was his fingers doing such actions to my private part. I didn’t hesitate to sink two fingers in, I was that turned on with the thoughts of him.

My fingers can never compare to his. Those big, long and callus fingers only suit him best. But imagination can work wonders. My vision of him was so vivid that it didn’t take long for me to cum.

I was panting when I came down from my high, yet I stayed in the tub for a couple more minutes. I thought that was enough but it seems like my body isn’t agreeing with me. Looks like my insomnia is kicking real bad right now. Maybe I should pop one pill then just one more orgasm and I can finally sleep.

No, fingers aren’t enough this time. I need a much thicker and longer thing. I thought and stepped out from the tub.

If I can, I'd wanted the real thing but I don't want to call Chanyeol. I don't want to feed his ego by sounding needy and desperate. No, over my dead body.

I wiped myself and dried my hair with a blower. I grabbed some clothes in the closet which were a loose white tee and undies. Some other times I liked sleeping completely naked but usually sleep with just these two. 

After putting on some serum and some other nightly routine, I grab a glass of water and my sleeping pills before going to bed. I also took my prized-possession vibrating dildo that I have been using for as long as I can remember.

I took a pill and flushed it down with water. I layed down on the bed and started to spread my legs open to pleasure myself. I took my pleasure stick, lubed the tip just enough to wet it and glide it gently over my clitoris.

At first I choose to watch porn to get in the mood but it just feels off. The way the actors and actresses do it looks so fake to me. I can read their movements all the time. How they exaggerate all the whining, the moaning and all shaking. I can even tell when she fakes a climax. Or how they already have to proceed to sex even if the guy wasn’t as aroused as he should be. The not so hard cock he’s sporting is just one of the bases that gives it away.

Anyway, it looks like I’m back to my usual back up plan again.

I exited the porn site I was scrolling on and went to the secured drive I have been using personally. I opened the folder with its security pin and was greeted by pictures and video that I would never let anyone see. Most pictures and videos were mine. Just pretty selfies or sceneries I wanted to keep.

There's one more folder inside and when I opened it, two files popped up.

It was one picture and a video of Chanyeol that he sent me before, and I would rather gulp down thousand blades, skin myself alive and maybe kill myself after than to let him know that I kept it.

Saving it was never the plan actually, it was just on impulse but I can’t seem to delete it. Don’t ask me why, I have no answer for that.

I clicked the picture first. It was a mirror shot of him in the gym. Topless and flaunting his well defined abs in all its glory. I unconsciously bit my lower lip. The sight of him made me wet almost immediately. 

I swipe to the side to watch the video now. At first it was all just a cam-shuffle with him settling on his bed. With all honesty I thought he was just sending a video to annoy me when I first saw it a year ago. But my eyes went wide when a different kind of teasing was sent my way.

The cam flips to the back cam and focuses on his already hard dick. It was so rock hard that it was standing on its own, veins almost visible and leaking precum.

He enclosed his hand around the base and started to pump slowly. I too gently run the dildo over my folds, coating it with my slick before slowly pushing it inside. Slowly matching the pace of Chanyeol’s pump on his rod.

“Hah, hah.” Chanyeol was panting in the video. His abdomen rises and falls to take as much air as he needed.

“Fuck y/n… You’re making me so hard.”

His husky voice is making me delirious. I pushed my sex toy inside me faster and harder now as Chanyeol increased his speed. Imagining that it was his thing wrecking me real good.

“Shit, I… can vividly… imagine you bouncing… on my cock.” He admitted between breaths.

And I can imagine his fat cock roughly entering me right now. I was breathing heavily

“I’m so close, baby. I’m cumming.” Voice straining from his effort.

I switch the vibrator on at the same time Chanyeol roughly jerks his dick. His hips failed to keep still and thrust itself on his hand.

While my pussy squeezed tighter on the sex toy as I pictured out that it was my gummy-hole that’s making him feel good.

With a couple more thrust, his hips stutter and strings of white shot out of his tip. 

“Oh my God y/n.” He was groaning and panting. Uttering my name like a mantra.

The mere idea that it was me he’s imagining, not to mention the sound he’s making and sight of his huge dick pushed me off the edge. I felt myself climaxing, “Holy fuck.” I gasp out. Back arching off the matress with legs trembling from satisfaction.

The item continued vibrating guiding me through my orgasm. And after a couple more seconds, I switch it off and slide the long and thick, well not as much as Yeol’s, plastic item out of my drench vagina. Slightly moaning cause of how sensitive I've become.

I can hear Chanyeol still panting in the video and I was too, our sounds synching like we really are together at the moment.

“Haaaaah. Hahaha.” He sighs and then laughs. “Hope you enjoyed that. Hmm nah, I know you enjoy that.” He stated in the video chuckling.

I rolled my eyes like he was really here.

To be completely honest, I wanted to avoid using his video as much as possible because I don’t want to create any kind of feeling that may bloom no matter how small and in what form it is.

But considering all we’ve been doing for years now, it’s too late. Connection was already there whether I like it or not.

It's just that I’m not sure what form it has become.

Hopefully, something that wouldn’t be a burden to me.

I exited the media and out of my safe drive. I turned my phone off before lazily grabbing the tissue on my nightstand without even standing up.

I wiped myself clean and the dildo before tossing the tissue in the bin and the dildo in the drawer. I'll just wash it tomorrow.

I put on my underwear and cover myself with the comforter. My eyes were turning heavy from sleepiness, it looks like my activity and the meds are finally kicking in.

Thank God. I can finally rest.

One last yawn and I was off to sleep before I could notice it.

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

“Hmm… Ah.”

Who's that?

My consciousness was stirring from the sound.

“Ah…” The moan came again and now accompanied by heavy panting.

“God, you look so tasty.”  

A deep low voice mumbled in admiration.

Someone is in my room!

I force myself out of slumber. Fighting the sleepiness that wanted my eyes to stay close.

The first thing I saw was my right leg arch up in the air with my underwear still dangling on it.

What the actu— “Ahh…”

The sudden pleasure between my legs interrupted my line of thought. I looked down only to see Chanyeol, mouth attached on my private part, making out with it slowly.

My hand, which was already holding his soft locks, grip tighter. Earning me a soft groan from him.

The sound and vibration sent a pleasant tingle to my spine making another moan escape my lips.

It was me. It was me moaning all along.

“You’re up.” He mumbled, lips still ghosting over my sensitive lower lips.

“What are… you doing… here?” I asked in between breaths as he continued making out with my private area. “When… did you… come?”

He didn’t answer back with words but with another set of sucking and licking.

“Oh My God.” My eyes rolled up when he flatten his tongue around my entrance and lap at it like a dog.

My pants turn rug, hand tightly pulling on his hair, thighs locking his head in place. I rock my hips forward, towards his open mouth. The slurping sound it’s making is telling me how much of a mess I have become. And it's all because of Chanyeol.

One, two more grinding and I was about to reach climax. But my moans turn to frustrated growls when he snatches that peak away from me.

Chanyeol opened up my thighs for him to back away, grinning at me like a devil.

“You fucking bas–!!” I couldnt even finnish the string of curses I was about to say when he shove his whole length inside me. Sheathing it to hilt.

And I came from just that one powerful penetration. 

“Ahhh, that went in easily.” Chanyeol said, chuckling. “And you came immediately too.” 

This fucking sadist.

“God, loosen a little baby, you’re gonna make me come.” He runs a soothing touch over my thighs trying to calm me down.

I respond and just ignored him, instead I let my body savour everything that orgasm brought.

My stretched out shaking legs.

My rolled up eyes to the back of my head.

My stretch out and clenching pussy.

My trembling body. His touches can do everything but calm me down.

Chanyeol leaned down, face to face with me.

“Didn’t I tell you, I’ll see you later?”

“You did. I just didn’t think you’d really do it.”

I said as I slowly came down from high.

“I never make promises I can’t fulfil, sweetheart. Besides,” Chanyeol pulled out of me before slowly easing in again.

“-- it’s been months since I had a taste of you.”

He hums in bliss and does the action again and again.

“Nhg~~” I moaned.

“Hmm. Months since I heard your moans. Months since I saw you looking like this.” Chanyeol dive for my lips, still maintaining a steady thrust.

I chuckled, “Don’t tell me, you’re the one who’s sexually frustrated? Didn’t you find yourself someone to fuck there?”

.

.

Chanyeol was silent for a couple of seconds just kissing my neck, leaving love bites.

“Would you believe me if I said, I didn’t bother looking?” He stopped moving and looked at me dead in the eyes.

“Doubt it. Sure you got laid plenty enough.” I grind my hips to feel any friction but Chanyeol pinned my hips still. Groaning in either pleasure or darkness from me being hardheaded.

I voiced my frustration.

“Just keep moving big boy.”

“You’re such a brat aren’t you?”

I squeeze down harder on his member, showing how dissatisfied I am that he pauses his actions. This gain me a hiss from the man

“No, I’m not. I just know what I want.” I said.

He leans down, giving my lips a peck and then ghosted over them asking, “And what does my lady want?”

“Dick me good. I want it hard. I want to feel you cum inside me.”

He laughed. “That… I can gladly provide.”

Chanyeol braced both of his hands on either side of my head for support and pulled out of me only to thrust a powerful one back in.

“God!” That took me by surprise but hell I love it.

He continued these penetrating thrusts making my whole body rock with him. If not for his forearms barricading my shoulder, I would have climbed up to the headboard cuz of how hard he’s doing me.

I snaked my arms around his neck and pulled him for a kiss which he let without hesitation. His kisses trail down to my chin, collar, down to the valley of my breast and finally to my perky nipples.

He wrapped one with his mouth while playing with the other.

After being satisfied with his work, he let out my nipple with a pop and went for the other once again. Leaving me raking and gripping his hair.

I can see my legs up in the air in this angle and the indecent sight of my swinging lingerie still wrapped on one of my legs was making me horny that I could probably admit.

Chanyeol’s speed changed once again.

He shoves a firm thrust inside and would continue pushing in with a grind. Making the head of his length kiss the entrance of my cervix.

It took my breath away.

Moans turning to screams. He had this on repeat for more than I could count and I swear I would cum if this goes on.

Thankfully, well not really, Chanyeol backed away from me and held both of my legs. He pushed my limbs up and apart. Spreading me wider, if that’s even possible.

He looked down where we connected and sighs in satisfaction.

“It's still a wonder, how such a small and tight hole takes me so well.” He said without looking up. Maybe he's talking to himself.

“Maybe because you're not as well endowed as you think.” I said.

Lies. We both know that would never be the case.

“Really?” His right brow arching up, taunting me to prove my claim. “Then I wonder what this is?”

Chanyeol started rocking his hips forward and backward.

Just about time.

His index finger tracing something on my lower abdomen. The throbbing of his cock showing how turned on he is than before.

I looked down to what had caught his attention and was greeted by the prominent bulge moving inside me. 

“Holy fuck!” My voice was breathy as I reflexively clenched down on him. The sight aroused me greatly.

He continued his quest for pleasure for more than a minute. Just punching thrust to where I wanted it badly.

Caressing my body sensually and leaving hot kisses while he’s at it.

“Come here baby.” He pulled me up and made me kneel facing him. His dick not slipping out even for a second. This one thing Chanyeol and I have in common. We like to play with different positions and explore each other’s kinks. 

The new angle had me shivering. Its penetration may not be as deep like before but the snugness it gives is marvellous. I can feel every throb his cock makes, every bump of its veins. Every small movement would not be missed.

Our height difference makes this position a little hard but we always learned to deal with it. Chanyeol took my arms and embraced it over his neck. His arms were snaked around my waist while he smooths a palm over my back. My breasts were pressed on his chest rather provocatively.

It was I who moved first. Rolling my hips in waves letting him slide in and out of me.

“Fuck…” Chanyeol’s breath fans on my face and I moaned in delight.

But my pace couldn't cope up with what we badly needed, so Chanyeol took over.

Using both of his hands, he grabbed a handful of flesh over my bottom and slammed me towards him.

“Ahhh! Ngh!” My back is arching and eyes closing from the delicious force.

The obscene clapping sound that our bodies were making was so loud that I’m sure my neighbours could hear it.

“Hah, hah, I’m coming Y/N.” He mutter between pants

“Don’t you dare leave me hanging. Make me come first, you idiot.” 

Well he never did that though. Ever.

“That goes without saying.” He said and pushed me down.

My back was on the mattress before I could comprehend what happened.

Chanyeol lifts my right leg over his shoulder while he straddles the other, my body tilting to the side. His hard shaft never leaves my pussy.

He always likes it that way.

He picked up where he left off and continued thrusting with full intent to make me climax first.

“Oh God Chanyeol! I’m cumming! I’m cumming!” I shriek

“Come baby. Come for me.” He said before biting pretty hard on my leg.

And that did it. My leg shook and toes curled from the orgasm as tears slipped out of my eyes. 

Chanyeol continued thrusting while hugging my extended leg that I feel like it’s going to snap in half if he won’t loosen up his embrace any sooner.

He slammed one last powerful thrust before coming to a stop as he let out a grunt.

Warm liquid filled my inside and I unconsciously sighed at how pleasant it felt.

Chanyeol let go of my leg and let it down.

He was breathing hard and so was I.

He didn’t pull out and just stayed in between my legs, head thrown back as he relished the feeling.

Me on the other hand drank the sight of him coming down from the high.

I rake my eyes from his stretch neck, broad shoulder, chest, well defined abs, down to his pelvis.

I bit on my lower lip, thinking how good his V line looks.

I looked back up to his face, trying not to get caught but was too late when I was met by his half lidded eyes and teasing smirk.

“It’s okay. You can keep going. I was enjoying the view too.” He said, raking his eyes over my body.

“Oh shut up. Just pull out already.” I said

Trying to push him away.

Chanyeol tilted his head sideways and looked at me in confusion.

“Pull out? Who told you we’re done?”

“What do you me–Ahh!” 

He started to move again.

“W-wait, wait. I just came. I'm still too sensitive.”

I was pushing his pelvis while trying to wriggle away from it. But he had me locked and I could not get away from him.

“And I’m still rock hard.”

That I could tell because even with how much load he let out inside me, I can still feel it as stiff as a rock.

I yelped when he suddenly flipped me on my stomach. Body flat and straight. My legs laid close as he straddles it. He then pushed his length inside, squeezing in without warning. His cum makes a perfect lubricant for it to ease in easily. 

“You fucker~.” I was a little annoyed but the breathy moan that’s escaping my mouth is betraying me.

Chanyeol leaned down on me.

His chest flat on my back and he kissed my shoulder up to the lobe of my ears.

“Didn’t I tell you, I was pent up? You owe me two months worth of sex and a whole load of cum.”

He said while panting.

Grinding his hips sensually. Reminding me how girthy and long his cock is.

“Last time I checked, it was not my responsibility to regulate your sperm count.” I rebutted pushing back to meet his thrust, his erection sinking deeper each movement. 

Chanyeol let out a loud groan and I thought I got him but was surprised to feel a hard slap on my buttcheek making me gasp.

How dare he spank me.

I felt him laugh as his body shook over me. “I couldn’t care less.” 

He gathered my arms on my back, restricting my movement. He then began rolling his hips on me. His other hand keeps me in place while the other is prying one of my ass cheek open. Showing my most private parts. It was humiliating but I chose to let him be. I could never overpower him anyway. He watched how his own erection appeared and disappeared inside my core. Mesmerised like it was some kind of medium for hypnotising. 

Chanyeol picked up his pace and slammed in. 

And after fucking me to oblivion, I came moaning as he came inside again.

My name leaving his lips wet, red, pouty lips.

I was panting hard. 

My legs are turning to jelly and I swear I can feel my eyes wanting to shut close.

I think my sleeping pill has got to do with it but Chanyeol being the greater reason.

I tried crawling away but was pulled back in. Tight grip encompasses my hips and a low growl from the man himself.

“We're not done yet, baby. We’re not stopping until we both drop.”

“You shithead!” I said but found myself opening my legs for him.

He came into my embrace with a mischievous grin and snickered after. He then dived down for another heated make out session. 

He was right though, I too couldn't care less anymore, but I’m not telling him that.

I’ll let him fuck me as many times as wants as that’s also what I want.

Let ourselves go crazy for each other; seek each other; go wild with each other.

Maybe pretend that we have something between us even just for tonight.

Because I know the next morning, when I wake up, he’ll be gone.

Just like how he always does

[onboardsorasora]

okokok @blacklaces and I have been chatting and hear me out!

WHAT IF? Mobwife Daniel, our beloved, never fell in love with Christian? And instead, after the wedding he’d been sneaking off to go see Lewis this whole time. Lewis is the love of his life and who he wanted to marry. 

Christian eventually catches on that Daniel is hiding something and ups his security– enter Max who is a fucking unit and Daniel’s new bodyguard. Daniel is incensed at Christian trying to curb his movements. He realizes fairly quickly that he can’t lose Max. Max has a crush but it's not useful to Daniel because it means Max doesn’t want to leave him alone.

Daniel calls Lewis in tears because he’s feeling trapped and alone. 

It's been over a month since Max was his new shadow, since his movements were confined to the house, his favourite shops and restaurants. His driver followed Max’s instructions only and the security in these places had increased. 

It’s been a month since he saw Lewis last. Since the argument with Christian that left him locked in one of the guest rooms temporarily. It wasn’t the hickey that had tipped him off, but Daniel’s new driver had blabbed. Allegedly, he’d spent too long at Nico’s place– ‘longer than necessary’. It had been enough for Christian check security cameras. 

The hickey had just been an icing on the cake when Christian had thought to get violent. Daniel had drawn his knife and the motion and pulled his husband’s eyes to his thigh. The bruising had been stark and unfamiliar. 

Christian left bruises on his neck, because he wanted to claim him. Wanted everyone to know that Daniel was his. Lewis left them on his thighs because Daniel knew he was already his.

Max had moved in two days after and Daniel hadn’t known peace since. 

Daniel locked himself in his bedroom and dug through his underwear drawer until he found it. The burner phone took a moment to turn on and load up and with shaking hands, Daniel dialed the only number in the call log.

“Yes?” the voice on the other line was wary. They didn’t communicate this way– Daniel never hid it but Christian also never searched his phones. This phone was for emergencies. Only five people had this number and Daniel’s would come up as unlisted.

“You need to get me out of here..” Daniel’s voice wobbled. “Lewis, please.” 

“Has he hurt you?” Lewis’ voice was tight and Daniel shook his head before remembering that Lewis couldn’t see him.

“No. They haven’t touched me. The new one– Max. He follows me everywhere.” Daniel took a shuddering breath before his jaw clenched. “And this morning I overheard him and Marta talking about calling my doctor. He is not getting me pregnant Lewis, I’ll fucking kill him myself.” His eyes blazed.

“Shh, shh. Calm down– it's ok Love. I’ll come get you. Do you think you can make it to Nico’s?” Lewis cooed over the line, Daniel took a moment to compose himself. He could go to Nico’s but he wouldn’t be alone, Max would would be there.

“Not without my jailer.” Daniel pouted, biting his cuticles.

“Don’t worry about the kid. Get to Nico’s he’ll be expecting you–Val will pick you up. I’ll deal with everything else.”

“I love you.” Daniel mumbled, grateful. He heard Lewis chuckle on the other end of the call and it sent a shiver down Daniel’s spine.

When they hung up, Daniel got dressed. He wore his favourite jewelry and armed himself with his knives and gun. Max was in hallway when he walked out.

“Are you ok Daniel?” Max looked at him concerned and Daniel fought back his glare. He’d gotten the puffiness down but his eyes still looked a little pink.

“I’m fine. I’m going to Nico’s.”

“Already? Viviene said your order wouldn’t be there until Friday.”

“Well, she called and said it's here now.” Daniel raised his brow and licked his lips, trying to remain calm and unsuspecting. He bit his tongue at Max’s blush.

“I will drive you.” 

— - —

Valtteri said nothing, but watched as Lewis made a few calls. It wasn’t until they were driving that he broke his silence. 

“Are you sure about this? It will start a war.” 

Lewis didn’t look phased. “Toto’s aware. I’m gonna do everything to make sure Daniel is safe.”

“He’s safe in his house, with his husband and bodyguard.” Valtteri pointed out, he would follow Lewis wherever– but he needed him to be sure.

“Fuck a war, Daniel is worth it.”

“Then let’s go.”

They grabbed Daniel before his car even left the compound. The left wing of Christian’s mansion going up in smoke provided the perfect cover. 

[sadakorosee]

When S/O dropped Donnie's mutagen canister Part 1

(Donnie x fem!reader + all brothers)

When S/O dropped Donnie's mutagen canister

Genre: Angst, unknown ending

Word count: 1,153 words

A/N: reader is over 20 years old & working. any job has its own stress level, so please don't compare office, retails and f&b. we all have stress.

~~~

"There's nothing you can do!"

"Donnie, I said I was sorry!"

Whenever you had a rough day at work, the only person or mutant turtle you'd go to, some of you would think it's Mikey since he was the original ball of sunshine. He'd just cheer you up and intentionally screw things up to make you feel less about yourself.

But the second mutant turtle you'd go to was your genius boyfriend, Donatello. He's not the type to cheer you up like Mikey does but he could distract you by letting you assist him in his projects. Recently, he found a batch of mutagen and regenerate it into cure heavy wounds. Because the turtles' body was all mutagen and muscles, he thinks he can recreate the mutagen to make it less dangerous; for eg. he'd make it risk free in case it spilled on his human girlfriend.

He kept the mutagen batch in a secured glass container everytime he's not using it to keep it safe, especially from Mikey, and resume back to his other project.

Donnie's hands were full and huge so he requested you to help him pour the mutagen into a beaker but you got clumsy and forgot to hold the mutagen canister's bottom and it slipped from your hands. You forgot how heavy the canisters were and gasped when it broke to the floor.

"y/n!" Donnie exclaimed, hands on his head. "That was our only mutagen canister!" He moved you aside anyway so your legs don't touch the chemical.

"I-I'm sorry. I forgot how heavy the canister was. Don, I'm so-"

"I am tired of everyone keep breaking my stuff here and there while I'm killing myself here. I never should have asked for your help." He walked past you and cleaned his floor. You were about to help pick up the glass canister pieces when he put his hand up, "Don't. You'll make it even worse. I don't want to have to treat your wounds either."

Your lips pursed to keep your hurt feelings contained and watched him quietly as he clean it so easily. If it were you, it'd take you 1 or 2 hours to make it look sparkly clean. He was right; you'd make it worse.

He excused you and you found yourself watching his back instead. Not bothering to argue, you turned away and about to leave the lair when Leo coincidentally walked by, a mug in his hand. He noticed your eyes were teary, his lips pulled away from the mug and put it down to go to you.

He didn't need to ask who made you cry and sighed. "Did he lash out on you?" you only looked down at his feet, tears about to pool out. "I can't speak for him but you two need time out for a while. I know your work is tough right now. Get some fresh air outside, sleep, and come back after you feel better. I'll talk to him."

You couldn't control it anymore and sobbed, Leo immediately pulled you to his chest. He looked at you like you were his sister and patted your head, which is bad cause it made you vulnerable and cried harder. The burden you went through at work you were supposed to tell it Donnie so he can comfort you but instead it was Leo who comforted you when you need it most.

Mikey escorted you back to your apartment and watched you walk inside your shoulders drooped in sadness. He stayed behind for another 10 minutes and when your lights are off, he went back to the lair. "Poor, y/n. I hate to see her like this."

When he reached the lair, Donnie happened to be at the kitchen making his coffee and only took a sip of it before he noticed Mikey walking in.

"Hey, Mike. Have you seen y/n?" It was like Donnie forgot what just happened few hours ago.

Mikey frowned. "Uh, I sent her home, dude. You upset her tonight so Leo sent me to escort her back."

Then it hit Donnie he was pissy at y/n earlier and his face winced at the memory of it. He looked down at his coffee mug and without warning swung it away from the counter. All because he didn't have his coffee before y/n came over.

"I have to go get her."

"Bro, don't." Mikey put his hand on Donnie's plastron. "y/n was really upset today. She-"

"Mikey don't stop me."

"Okay, back away you two." Raph stepped in between the two youngest easily. "Ay, Don. Leo sent her home because she was crying. Like, full on sobbing. Can't even stand on her two legs on her own."

"A-All because of what I did to her?" Donnie's chest tightened. He'd hate himself if you don't speak to him anymore.

"Hah, she's a strong gal not even you can make her cry like that," Raph slapped his brother's shell. "But she had a rough day and from the yelling I heard from my space, it was her last straw."

It was indeed your last straw - working in an office where it's understaffed and you did a 4 man job for 1 week straight. Your deadline was today and it wasn't even half done when your boss yelled at you, throwing the stacks of paper of your report to your face while your colleagues can only watch in silence. Some felt sorry for you and some loved how miserable you were. You weren't threatened to get fired despite all that and your HR advised you to get a 1 week leave due to you overtiming. Bless their heart.

You can take the yelling and your boss mansplaining you (honestly, watching him mouthing off just shows his superiority complex) but what you didn't expect was him going physical as to throw papers at you. Your boss was never the type to get physical but today was the day you realized you walked into a tiger's pit when you didn’t complete your report on time.

4 days into your 1 week leave, you felt refreshed from sleeping in and eating your meals on time after 7 months of torture. Your phone had been dead since your argument with Donnie not realizing he has been calling you. When there's no answer from you for 4 days, Donnie just panics.

That night your only friend-colleague invited you for movies together. The turtles were also on patrol and happened to see you walking to the cinema 10 minutes from your apartment. Donnie just observes your face and felt his chest tightened when he saw your fake smile you just flashed at your friend. For a year he's been dating you, you always flash a genuine and beautiful smile at his family but a fake smile?

He blamed himself.

What is it going to take for him to have you in his arms again?

~~~

part 2 coming soon :) thank u for reading!!!

TMNT Masterlist

Read Part 2 here