#I’m not even sure this a vent or just the truth

[revelboo]

I miss my husband Ratchet owo

Wasn’t sure which doc, so went with TFP

The Weakends Pt 8

TFP Ratchet x Reader

• Stretching slowly, it’s the feel of something heavy against your back shifting against you that brings you wide awake. Relaxing when you realize you’re sprawled inelegantly on Ratchet’s red and white chassis, his servos draped across your back. He’s still out as you lift your head enough to see his face and you rest your chin on him to watch him, unwilling to wake him. As exhausted as you were, he’d been nearly dead on his peds and he needs this. Always pushing himself, driven to take care of everyone else and neglecting himself.

• There’s a spot of warmth on him, something soft under his servos as he comes back online. Starting to sit up and catching you against him when you start to slide. “I think that’s the longest I’ve ever seen you recharge,” you say as he grimaces and wonders how long he’s been out. He hadn’t meant to rest so long, used to recharging in short intervals at his desk, sometimes drifting off while working on research. How long has it been since he’s had any significant rest in his actual berth? Usually his mind is too busy, keeping him wound up. But somehow having you there, feeling the beat of your heart kept him still. “You really need to take better care of yourself, doc.”

• You wait for the cranky grumbling, but he just touches a servo to the back of your head in a gentle bump as a rebuke and sits up completely, warm servos pinning you in place. “We need to check on Bumblebee,” he says, but he doesn’t move or shift his grip on you. Like he’s reluctant to start the day. Leaning against his warmth, you listen to the hum of his spark. Feel his servos flex against you before he vents tiredly and slides off his berth.

• “I don’t think I’ve been so mad at someone as I was at you,” you say as his peds hit the ground and he pauses to look down at you. Your little head is leaned against him, avoiding his optics. “Do you know how hard it is to see someone you care about just not give a damn about themself?” There it is, the root of your anger before. The truth. That it wasn’t his grouchy act that set you off, it was because of the way he pushed himself. Working himself to exhaustion again and again, because of course you’d noticed. Even knowing you, being around you, it’s so easy to forget how observant you are. Always looking to him.

• “I’m fine.” Liar. It’s pretty much what you expect from him, though, to play it off. Everyone else so much more important than his own health and happiness. You expect it, because you understand it all too well. It’s the same way you worry over those three kids, anxiety cranking you tight when they leave with the bots and you want to go with them to watch over them, because they’re just kids. And they’re so easy to overlook, a wrong step, a wrong move? You hate that they might be in danger. Wanting to take care of them and Ratchet, all of the bots. Because as dysfunctional as this is, it feels like a family and you want to protect that.

• “Yeah, so am I,” you mutter in a tone that clearly says that you aren’t. At all. He can feel those walls going back up, but admitting the truth? That he’s so tired of this war, of fighting? That he just wants something to break their way. A place to call home once and for all where he doesn’t have to watch friends die right in front of him. He can’t say those things. Not without cracking wide open, because that anxious worry is all that’s keeping him together. That and you.

Previous

[killuaisaprincess]

People who wanna harass you for fiction, having a different headcanon, and so on! They do not care if you’re grieving the loss of a pet, or if something else in your life has gone wrong. They don't have fucking souls, the end. So I will focus on doing what I love instead!

[rosemariiaa]

𝙃𝘼𝙇𝙁𝙒𝘼𝙔 𝙎𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙍𝙎

“I’m afraid to see what’s in my head , So I lock it up in my heart”

00 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚.

rosie’s note: long awaited pazzi series.. let’s hope I can be consistent with these chapters and not forget about after a few weeks.happy ready lovelies ⋆·˚ ༘ *

warnings: none!

`✦ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

I’ve never been great with people. Sure, I can hold a conversation, crack a joke, make some friends. But there’s always this weird distance—like I’m just performing, pretending to be someone I’m not. The truth is, I’m not as confident as people think I am. I hate being vulnerable. But she made it easier.

I still remember the first time she reached out to me. Her message popped up on my computer late one night, while I was scrolling through my Blogspot—my little corner of the internet where I could just… breathe. No one knew who I was on there. Just a girl venting about life, school, basketball, and the tangled mess that was my head.

She said she’d been reading my posts for a while and liked them. She said she didn’t have anyone else to talk to, and honestly, I didn’t either. So we started messaging. At first, it was just random stuff—homework, teachers, the usual teenage nonsense.

But soon enough, she started opening up more. Things I never expected to hear. About her family. Her stepdad. The kids at school who made her feel invisible. She told me how her mom remarried, and how everything felt off after that. I didn’t know why she was sharing all this with me, someone she’d never met, someone who was practically a stranger. But there was something about it. Something that made it feel right.

We got into the deeper stuff too—the insecurities, the self-doubt, the anger at things we couldn’t control. And yeah, I shared my own stuff too. It wasn’t the same, but it was close enough. My parents getting divorced. Moving from place to place. The pressure to be perfect all the time. I guess it’s easier when you don’t have to show your face. She wasn’t some random person to me anymore. She was… real.

She called me “her safe space.” And for some reason, I was okay with that. I think I needed her as much as she needed me, even if I couldn’t admit it back then. It was like she understood me in a way no one else did.

But the thing is, I never told her who I really was. She didn’t need to know I was Paige Bueckers, the basketball player everyone at school thought they knew. She didn’t need know I was just a girl trying to figure out where I fit in all of this.

It was just us. She and I. We could be ourselves without pretending. And that felt… like a goddamn relief.

But that was the thing—she was just an anonymous name on a screen. I didn’t know who she was either. Not really. I only knew what she shared, what she let me see.

Then came that night. The night I saw her name pop up in the chat, just like always. But this time, it wasn’t just her usual message. It was a question. “What if we could meet? Like, in real life?” Oh.

I froze. And my stomach did this weird flip.

I didn’t know how to answer. I didn’t even know if I wanted to. What if she was someone I knew? What if she was someone I was supposed to hate? What if… it was her?

————

tag list ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

@thaatdigitaldiary @patscorner @sierrale8ne @ohbueckers @juspeaks @mrsarnold @d3arapril @authentic-girl03 @absolutelydreadful

[shiny-jr]

from IGNIHYDE

- Warning: Yes, this is still a yandere thing. You have been warned. Gender-neutral reader.

- Characters: Idia Shroud, Ortho Shroud.

- Summary: (Continuation, after this “we just got a letter, wonder where it’s from”) You have barred them from entering the safety of Ramshackle Dorm, but they are determined to make their words reach you. Which is why the letters begin arriving at your doorstep.

- Note: This seems a little more low-key than Diasomnia, but the obsession is there if you squint. It’s just way more low-key than the previous group. For some reason I feel like I maybe wrote Ortho a little off? Not sure. Feel free to tell me your thoughts.

Diasomnia   |   Ignihyde   |   Pomefiore

The break ends quickly. Too quickly. Before you know it, you’re back in front of the mountain of unread letters that appears even more ominous than before now that you could guess what sort of dark contents they may hold. 

For your own peace of mind, you’ve decided to read only two and then take a pause right after. 

The first of which was just a simple long white envelope. That’s it. There was nothing that stood out about it, no special seal or stamp. It was just the generic type of encasing that made it look like it was some sort of bill instead of a letter containing what was bound to be a message that unsettled you in some way, shape, or form. 

When you removed the letter, you was surprised to see that it wasn’t handwritten, it had been typed and printed out. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who this was from. 

Player, 

I messed everything up.

I don’t even see a point to doing this, writing this for you. I mean, if I were you, I’d never want to see my no-good miserable face ever again. I’d go to every length just to avoid even speaking to me again, and to spite them I’d never even show myself around again. But–– Ortho was making a letter and brought my keyboard to my lap. He said it was worth a shot, and if anything, it could be used as an apology so... sorry.

Any sorry would sound half-assed, considering what happened. It’s not like it matters, since I’m sure you wouldn’t read this. I imagine you would figure out it’s from me, and proceed to tear it up, burn it, whatever. And honestly? Valid. At this point, I’m sort of using it as a vent. Usually, I’d be telling Ortho all this, but all these thoughts I’m having would only bum him out and he’s depressed enough as it is. 

You know what sucks besides all of this? The fact that I genuinely tried. I actually tried to be a help for once, and like it always ends, my attempt to help screwed it up even more. Maybe if I had kept my mouth shut and minded my own business while holing myself up in my room like I always do, things wouldn’t have turned out this bad. If I just did what I was good at, which is nothing, Ortho and I might’ve avoided the shitstorm. Everyone else is currently throwing pity parties and plotting these super over elaborate schemes to try and interact with you by luring you out of the Ramshackle place. 

Ortho’s been coming up with plans too with other guys from the dorms that are just so desperate for your attention. It’s sad to watch, pathetic too, but I don’t have the heart to tell him not to bother with it. And me, I know better. If I were in your position and I saw all these attempts, it would definitely make me extra bitter and just hate everyone even more. Oh, I just remembered something worth mentioning. You may not believe me, I mean, I wouldn’t believe a single word coming from me, but I wasn’t actually going to hurt Grim. You though? Before I knew who you were? Yeah. Don’t get it twisted though, I was just doing it to fix everything until the whole truth got leaked not too long after.

Call me stupid, I guess. When I first saw how others revered you like how a bunch of creepy basement-dwellers look at a pretty perfect idol on a shiny bright stage, it was a major red flag. I wanted nothing to do with you. But when you started worming yourself into my life and I started getting attached, well, that made me a creep too for liking you. Red flags be damned. What can I say? Your presence even through Yuu, made me feel like I mattered, which is something I don’t experience a lot. 

You’d never know it, but I took risks just to be in the same room as your avatar. 

Missing special events on games, losing the chance to catch a concert live on screen, even ditching group calls with teammates and friends... All of that was utterly worthless if I got at least a solid sixty seconds by you. 

Unlike everyone else, I know better than to just show up at your doorstep and beg for forgiveness like some misguided puppy. Malleus and co. have been making sure you’re not disturbed, guarding you like a pack of guard dogs or something, preventing anyone from embarrassing themselves and messing up any further. Ortho said I should at least try to call you, I think he just wants to hear your voice. But why bother? 

Don’t get it wrong, I’m not just letting everything go just like that. As much as I’d like to, and I know it’s probably the “healthy” and “good” thing to do, I don’t want to. I’m not good, you know that already. I’ll keep in the background this time, and try not to mess up again. Although no guarantees, because with my lousy luck, I know something will inevitably go wrong. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you. I wouldn’t want to make the mental image you have of me in your mind even worse, if its even remotely possible for it to somehow get worse. I just can’t let go. Even if you looked at me like trash, avoided me like the plague, or straight up tell me ‘I hate you’ to my face, I still won’t let go. 

And, well, all I can really think of right now besides you, is Ortho. Even if I can’t show my disgraced presence to you anymore, I still hope you’ll see Ortho. At least if Ortho could explain to you that he was acting on my plan, he might get lucky and be next to you again. Maybe. Hard maybe. 

But me? No, I don’t ever deserve to be anywhere near you anymore. For now, I’ll go back to how things were way back... when your vessel hadn’t yet had the misfortune of meeting me and I just watched your every move from monitors like some sort of loser schmuck. 

I think I’ll just imagine how things would be if I hadn’t doomed all my chances. If I had a chance... maybe I would’ve actually worked up the gall to sit next to you, or even look at you, or, hell, talk to you. At least, I’ll always remember when you used your avatar to look at me and it didn’t feel bad... like, almost like you didn’t see me as some lame nobody. That must’ve been my mind just playing tricks on me though, right? There’s no way that happened... 

Enough of this mushy stuff though. I’m sick of it. 

Just throw this in the fire without a second glance. 

Idia Shroud 

In order to get this over as quickly as possible, you decided to continue without taking a breather. The quicker you finished reading them, the better, that way, you wouldn’t even give your mind any time to fully process what you were reading before overwhelming your vision with more lines and lines of words until they became blurred together. 

You wouldn’t stop, because if you stopped, that would be allowing your mind the opportunity to spiral out of control. You needed a distraction. 

This wasn’t exactly the good type of distraction either, it was more like adding gasoline to the fire, but part of you had to know what they would say. No matter what feelings you held, the curiosity outweighed it. 

The second letter is identical to the first, a simple long white envelope with no particularly interesting details about it other than the fact that it had zero stains and no wrinkles on it. It was pristine and clean, not even a drop of ink on it. The insides of the envelope itself were blue, with small white lines on it, but upon closer inspection it became obvious that they weren’t just stripes, they were skull symbols so tiny that it was hardly noticeable. 

Of course, as you expected, the letter inside was not handwritten. It was folded so precisely into thirds, and unfolding it displayed the typed and printed words neatly stacked in indented paragraphs. 

Greetings, Player, 

First, I want to apologize sincerely. 

Secondly, I want to tell you how much I have missed you, and my brother has missed you as well! I don’t believe I can fully comprehend how you are felling at the current moment, and I cannot even accurately guess to what emotions you are experiencing. In my attempt to alleviate the situation, I’ve been running millions of simulations of possible alternative futures in order to take the best route where things might return to a semblance of normalcy. 

Well, a new normal, now that you’re here! However... when each simulation yields a result, I can’t help but feel as if something is wrong. That’s when I realized there was a key component that was off. It was you, or rather, Yuu. We know of Yuu and their mannerisms and opinions, but that isn’t really you. Yuu is a vessel, and extension, that’s partially based off yourself. 

So none of us know the true you. At least, not yet! I’m hoping to change that. Just when I think I’m beginning to understand you, things like this happen. But, that’s what makes you so exciting! There’s always some unforeseen detail and amazing new aspect of yourself to learn about. Once I get a proper grasp on what you’re truly like, I can use that new knowledge to make you happy, just as you made me and my brother always smile!  But also, I want to use it to make it up to you. Honestly, I’m scared that you’ll hate me. In the simulations I ran that gave inaccurate results due to those missing components, nearly all the results had a bad ending... 

I don’t want that. I want to have a ‘normal’ way with you and Idia! A good normal! Like where we might all have movie nights in the Ignihyde dorm with freshly popped popcorn and candies as snacks, or study days when we read over notes and help each other out, maybe you might even be able to convince Idia to leave his room so we can all share lunch in the cafeteria like a group of friends would typically do! That’s what I want! I don’t think I could stand knowing I made you cry or was the cause of your pain. I never hurt you, right? At least not physically. 

Believe me, I had made attempts to meet you. But those in Diasomnia won’t allow it. I was tempted to charge up the technomantic beam installed within my form, but realizing it wasn’t necessary, I didn’t. Idia was right when he didn’t make an effort to even join me, and Malleus Draconia with his own have realized it too. You aren’t ready yet. Even if I’m more than prepared to see you, I can’t rush you. So, I left this letter in their hands, hoping it reached you. If not, there’s no worries. I’ve prepared a dozen more printed copies and if that fails, I’ve created a digital copy! 

Since I couldn’t tell you in person, I’ll tell you through paper... 

I’d like to invite you to formally meet me. I’m even prepared to surprise Idia with this! That’ll cheer him up for sure. You always made him happy, so us properly meeting you would be a dream come true for us both! 

If you’d like to do something upon meeting us, I’ve organized multiple activities for us to participate in. The other first years have reached out and expressed their own desires to make up for the mistakes they made. So, I met with them a few days ago to make plans you might enjoy! These plans are still in the preparation phase, so I can’t reveal them quite yet, but soon I will! 

Anyways, I just wanted to make you aware of this. And I want to say ‘I’m sorry’ even though it feels minuscule to what I’m only guessing must be the strong emotions you feel toward what occurred. But I wanted to let you know that I always want to be your friend, and I always will be, even if you don’t really like me anymore. Friends are supposed to be there for each other, right? So I’ll be there for you now. Remember, I’m a high-tech being, I can be of great use to you if you want! Even if you’d rather just use me as a tool, I would be happy. If you want someone obliterated to ashes or are just looking to answers as to what the weather might be, I would gladly help you with that and so much more! 

And it’s not only me that could be useful to you, my brother can too! Although he probably won’t say it, he depends on you a lot. You’re like a battery to him, you give him the energy he needs. If you’d let him, let us both, we’d be there for you in a zeptosecond! 

There’s one thing I know for certain. You’re the common variable needed for our happiness, no matter the scenario or result, you are a requirement. And I’m certain we can bring you happiness as well. Myself, my brother, and everyone that treasures you, can bring you joy if you allow it. All I want is to see you happy, and everyone else happy as well. So will you please at least consider seeing us again? Soon? Please? 

Hoping to see you soon. 

From your friend, 

Ortho Shroud  

[nenoname]

Journal 3’s references to Stan

(…does the Lost Pages count as J3 when some had to be in J2 and also may or may not be a truth lie turducken? idk. Ford’s TBoB letters sure as hell don’t count as J3 but I’m including them here anyway)

Lost Journal Pages

"STANLEY COULD HAVE MADE HER LAUGH"

“My stomach sank a bit when I realized… it was my birthday. This day has felt… odd, since S and I… parted ways.”

"I was adjusting my TV antennae for weather reports (looking for ideal conditions for F's first portal test) and spat out my coffee when I saw THIS! My brother hawking scams under the name "Panley Stines." I had half a mind to call that number, just to pretend to be the police and maybe scare S straight for once! There is something so galling about seeing your OWN FACE committing crimes on your own TV! When my Muse saw me break my stress ball, I decided it was finally time to vent about Stanley."

""How about that; you've got an inferior clone! Why didn't you just eat him in the womb? Think of how powerful you'd be!"

"You can't just eat your twin, Bill."

You'd be surprised what you can eat! I say sure, call him if you want him to start mooching off you again! ME, I went no contact with my home dimension and I don't regret it. All they did was hold me back and sabotage my talents! Can you imagine?"

"More than you know. But you do ever wonder if maybe... maybe things could have been different?""

"Our heat budget was so tight that Mom forced S and me to wear one sweater at the same time. (She called it the "Abominable Snow-Stan." Our cat lived in fear of it year-round.)"

“DAMN! This morning I found F rummaging through my old copy of Urban Legends of New Jersey, where I had forgotten I had hidden some old personal items! I’ve quickly re-hidden them here, away from prying eyes.”

"But then he crossed a line. Helplessly I watched Cipher in my own body limp up to a pay phone and dial... STANLEY'S phone number from the infomercial?! No. He wouldn't.

"Hey brother, it's Sixer. I'm going to take a swim in the frozen lake tomorrow, and I might not ever come back, so if you don't hear from me, I just want you to know that it's because I never loved you. BUH-BYEEEEE."

My heart was in my throat until I heard the dial tone... The pay phone was out of order. The message hadn't gotten through. Cipher turned back to address me.

"TSK, TSK, TSK. LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME MAKE YOU DO! TOMORROW'S TAPE IS GONNA BE MUCH WORSE.""

(Bro secret code) "miss you"

“The snow has begun to fall again and there’s very little time. There’s only one left I can turn to to protect my journals while I prepare for the journey…”

"S is an overgrown child with none of my rigorous mental training. Who knows what could happen if Cipher stepped inside Stanley's mind for even one minute...

What if Stanley somehow manages to destroy the portal just like he destroyed my perpetual motion machine? I suppose that machine did work in its own way... It kept me perpetually angry for thirty years."

(Bro secret code) "HAVE I BEEN TOO HARSH ALL ALONG?"

"What if he tries to rope me into his latest get-rich-quick scheme? His latest commercial was for "Stan Sauce: The Miracle Sauce that's too cool for the FDA!"

What if... he mocks me? What if he sees that I abandoned our family to become a recluse on the brink of madness? Could I risk admitting that I was... wrong?

PROS: I have no one else. Well, that settles it. It's time to come face-to-face with a face I haven't seen in 10 years. My own face. Which... is my brother's face. God, I miss sleep."

Ford’s Letters

"In the weeks since Weirdmageddon, I conducted numerous tests on Stanley's mind (his terrible jokes are still intact) and inspected the state for dimensional leakage (we also took turns kicking the statue, and Stanley took a few cracks with a crowbar). I burned every Cipher-shaped item I had ever collected, and even threw away all my one-dollar bills, just to be safe (Stanley, of course, found and pocketed them).

“I emerged from my lab after days of agonized contemplation to find- to my shock- that Mabel was reading the book, out loud, to Stanley, Dipper, Soos, and Wendy!”

“They didn’t see me as an irredeemable screwup. Stanley said, "So, your past is just a giant pile of mistakes? Congratulations- you really are a Pines!”“

"Bill may tell you that happiness requires conquering galaxies and living forever, but I've seen enough of the universe to tell you that he's wrong. I've found my happiness. And it looks like this:"

"If you're reading this... then I am dead. Kidding! Sorry, Stanley thought that would be funny. Ha-ha! We're currently out shopping for harpoons to prepare for our trip to the arctic."

"Stan, if you end breaking into my lab at some point later today- Bravo! Still as good a locksmith as in 8th grade. Beers are under the desk."

(It kinda strikes me that the BoB Lost Journal pages about Stan sound far more like post-portal Ford’s opinions on Stan instead, where he’s openly angry at both being pushed into the portal + at the portal being opened again + his murder suicide attempt being foiled + Stan disowning him + turning his house into a tourist trap + taking his identity vs pre-portal Ford being more… melodramatic(?) constantly being reminded of him but not wanting to linger too long? idk the vibes are different

Plus pre-portal Ford pretty consistently only calls Stan "S” or just refers to him as his brother (with the exception of him writing his name in a Caesar cipher). I think he only ever messes up the general naming scheme a single time when he wrote Fiddleford instead of F

…not to mention the perpetual motion machine comment says thirty instead of ten years)

Other sections: Pre-Portal, Post-Portal, Post-Weirdmageddon

[dixonsgirl93]

Right Person, Wrong Time

Negative Merle x Reader

(I wanna make it clear I love Merle Dixon. For anyone new to my account, I’ve written fluffy and smutty stuff for both brothers so go check them out!)

Positive Daryl x Reader

CW: Cheating, Angst, narcissistic tendencies

You meet and date Merle before ever meeting Daryl, though he spoke about him enough. When the fall of the world happened, you both went to find his brother Daryl. Upon meeting him, you’re struck by his handsome appearance, immediately feeling guilty for the thought.

The real trouble began when the two of you grew closer, having more in common than you first thought, even a mutual attraction showing in unpredictable ways, making your heart flutter guiltily.

The truth also came to light that Merle wasn’t a good boyfriend but Daryl was openly caring and even protective.

You couldn’t help yourself.

~~

Merle huffed at you and turned away.

“What?” You grumbled at his back.

He spun, his face contorted. “Why you gotta flaunt your ass at him? You’re mine, remember?”

“What?!” You couldn’t believe he was really saying that. “I didn’t flaunt my ass at him. I was just talking to him. You need to calm down.”

Merle’s face went red and he stormed right up to you. “Calm down? You’re the one being a little slut. Not happy with just me, huh?”

Despite the rage bubbling up inside you, he looked genuinely hurt at the idea and a part of you felt pity.

“It wasn’t like that at all, Merle. I wasn’t even flirting. We were just joking around.” Your voice softens, reasoning, calming.

“Looked that way to me.” His voice is lower too but still bitter.

You weren’t sure how to respond. “You want me to stop joking around with men? Avoid them altogether?”

He hesitated and you thought he was really considering that. You scoffed.

“Really?”

He shrugged as if it was actually a decent idea.

“You’re not serious?”

“Why you so desperate to talk to other men?” He retorted.

“I’m not! You can’t just- What about Rick? Or Daryl? Should I just ignore them? You don’t think they’d think something was up? That Rick wouldn’t say you were controlling me or something? You’d be kicked out, you want that?”

“Fuck Rick. And Daryl wouldn’t say shit. He’s a little virgin, what would he know?”

You throw your arms up in frustration. “You’re completely missing the point.”

“No, you are! You’re mine. I don’t want you getting too close with the guys, okay?” He wrapped his arms around your waist, a look of love in his eyes but you felt unease. “I need everyone to know you’re mine and only mine. I’ll make sure everyone knows.” He leans down to kiss your lips but it wasn’t sweet.

~~

Sitting in your cell, your argument with Merle playing on your mind, anxiety bubbling up inside you.

“Hey.”

You look up to find Daryl the one to break you from your thoughts.

“Hey.” You look back down at your hands.

“You okay?” He takes a step into your cell, careful not to invade your space. It’s such a small gesture of respect and you can’t help compare him to his brother who would just step inside, take up space, get in your space without a second thought.

You sigh heavily. “Been better.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

You look up at him. The idea of venting to him about his brother was almost comical.

“I…”

“You don’t have to.” He shrugged, leaning against the cell door.

His nonchalance broke something in you and tears welled up in your eyes. Daryl knelt in front of you in a second, hands reached out to look at your face.

“Hey. It’s okay.” His voice was soft, soothing. You looked into his green eyes that showed you only care and concern. Again, you made a comparison with his brother. Was Merle ever like this with you? You couldn’t answer. That realisation sent more tears to your eyes yet still you couldn’t bring yourself to admit Merle’s behaviour toward you.

He pulled you into a hug where you sobbed onto his shoulder. You found yourself almost clinging to Daryl.

He rubbed your back and made shushing noises until you were ready to pull away.

You sniffled and wiped your eyes, chuckling to hide your awkwardness.

“I’m sorry.” You whimper, not looking him in the eye.

“Don’t ever be sorry. I’m always here for you, okay? I know you don’t wanna talk about what’s botherin ya but I’ll be here when ya ready.” He stands up and takes one last look at you before leaving.

A moment later Merle is at your cell.

“What was that about?” He stops and notices you still dabbing at your eyes. “You been crying? Why? Was it Daryl? What’d he say?” He seemed annoyed.

“No, he was comforting me. Just…our argument earlier. I keep thinking about it.”

“Why you crying over it?” He sat down next to you. “I know what’ll make you feel better.”

You shrug his arm off your shoulder feeling gross. “I’m not in the mood.”

He sighs and dramatically slaps his arm on his leg. “You never are. You don’t want me anymore?”

“For god’s sake, Merle. Maybe I’m just too fucking upset to think about sex. Comfort me instead of thinking with your dick. Ugh.” You grumbled and stormed out of the cell. You had no idea where you were heading to, just away from Merle.

~~

A couple of weeks later, nothing had improved with Merle. In fact, it only became increasingly obvious that you didn’t want to be with him anymore. You argued more than anything and he was always twisting things to make himself the victim. It was tiring.

He had stormed off one afternoon, left the prison to ‘go on a run’, more like to find some liquor and drink himself stupid. A vicious thought struck you in the heated moment that maybe he’d be killed by walkers, ripped apart and left out there. You shook it away, the guilt heavy in your chest.

You were sitting on your bed in your cell reading a book, trying to take your mind off things when a shadow fell over the doorway. Your heart pumped rapidly, thinking Merle had come back to argue more but no, it was another, far more welcome, familiar face.

You smiled and sat up. “Hey.”

He smiled back. “I know you said you didn’t wanna talk about it, before.” He stopped, hesitating to open a door you’d kept firmly shut. “I know it’s Merle. He’s a dick, he’s never kept girlfriends long cause he…never treats ‘em right.”

Your heart hammered unexpectedly. You tried to find the right words but knew trying to defend Merle was useless. “Yeah. Promise you won’t say anything to him though.”

He frowned at you. “I’m not an idiot. I’m not even here to tell you what to do. Just want ya to know I know what he’s like and I’m here for you.” There was a silence but it looked like he wanted to say more.

You waited. He eventually made eye contact with you, sighing, he stepped closer and took a breath.

“But, if I’m honest, you should leave him. He’s not good for you.”

“I know.” You whispered. “But how?”

Daryl shrugged. “The others either left without a word, moved away, never answered his calls. Some yelled and hit him, keyed his motorbike and then left.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Why am I not surprised.”

That intrusive thought came to you again, that maybe he’d just die and you wouldn’t have to dump him.

“Fuck.” You leaned forward and put your head in your hands. “God, I hate this.”

“Come with me.” Daryl nodded away.

“Hm?”

“I wanna show you something.”

You follow him through the prison, up on the roof. It was just past noon, the sun was high in the sky, bright and hot. It hit you hard. You turned your face up to the sky, bathing in the heat. It felt amazing and for a moment you could almost ignore the walkers groaning down below, almost forget about Merle off somewhere. You could just exist, in this light, this warmth and be happy.

“I come up here at night sometimes when I can’t sleep. The walkers are quieter, I reckon. Probly cause they can’t see us as good. It’s peaceful.” Daryl confessed. You turned to look at him but his eyes and mind were off the distance, far away.

“He wasn’t always like this.” You said. “He was actually sweet and loving. A little rough around the edges still but he was mine, you know? Ever since this virus and the world crumbled, he changed. He got real protective to the point of questioning every little thing I did. Even joking with Axel a while back. Called me a slut.” Saying it out loud made you realise how stupid you’d been. Merle had changed. He wasn’t gonna be the man he was at the start. Everything had changed.

“He did what? For talking to Axel?” Daryl growled.

“I joked that I should ignore you and Rick too and he… I think he was actually thinking about it. Ridiculous. You and Rick!”

“He’s gone too far.”

You sigh and rest your head on Daryl’s shoulder. He shuffled closer and put his arm around you.

“You’ll always have me. He’s got no say in that.” His thumb grazed over the skin on your arm and a soft buzz of electricity went through you. You turned to look up at him.

“How are you both so different?” You ask rhetorically. He was even more handsome up close. A light stubble covered his chin and cheeks, his green eyes glittered softly at you and your heart raced deliciously. Suddenly, you had the urge to kiss him. He was so close, inches away. Your eyes flickered to his lips and he leaned in a little. You copied.

Within another inch and your lips were touching, gentle, soft, delicate and absolutely electric. Like a magnet you drew closer, deepening the kiss. His arm pulled you in tight.

You were craving each other in a way you’d never felt before. Sure, those first moments with Merle felt intense too, all those new feelings with someone new. It was exciting but this… With Daryl. Oh, it was something new entirely. Hot, fiery, electric, it buzzed through you intensely, leaving hardly any room for breath or thought except the feel his lips and tongue, the taste of him, his hands, big and warm holding you tightly, securely. You never wanted to leave his embrace…

A loud creak of metal broke you apart. The gate was opening, the sound of an engine rumbled in. Merle. He was back.

Your heart pounded wildly.

“Don’t say anything.” Daryl whispered, despite being too far away from him or anyone else to hear.

“But..” you started to argue as if you had fully intended to tell Merle about your kiss with his brother.

“Trust me. Please.”

You nod, already walking away. Daryl stays, watching you with wistful eyes.

This just complicated everything…

[jinkoh]

leave a mark

changmin x reader

part of my soulmate series

tags: soulmate au (sharing bruises), smut - mdni, enemies to ?, possessive!changmin, beginning seems angsty but it's rlly just smut lol, fingering & oral (r!receiving), piv sex, edging, (overstimulation), dacryphilia, sliiight choking, praise; warnings: alcohol consumption, no pronouns but reader has a vagina, petnames: babydoll, doll

wc: 3.3k

a/n: i thought all parts of this series would be really angsty but somehow this one accidentally became pure filth instead 🤡 enjoy 🤡 ((also i don't usually write things this explicit so pls bear with me))

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“I think I want to break up.”

“What?” You stared at your boyfriend in utter confusion, unable to grasp what he was saying. For all you knew it’d been going great.

“I just can’t do it anymore. I mean you can’t really expect me to be okay with that, right?” His gaze dropped to your neck and you self consciously covered it with your hand. “At first I thought I could get over it, but I can’t help feeling disgusted.”

“Disgusted?!” 

“It’s just—I know he didn’t technically leave those hickeys, but it still feels like he did and frankly, it leaves a gross after taste. It almost makes me feel dirty to touch you.”

You looked at him in exasperation. “It makes you feel dirty?” Sure, it wasn’t ideal to have someone else’s hickeys appear on your lover’s neck, but it wasn’t like anyone had actually touched you. It was just silly bruises, marks that your soulmate had gotten and that transferred onto your skin. It had nothing to do with you. Why couldn’t your boyfriend understand that?

“I’m sorry, y/n. I just can’t.” He shrugged. “But you still have your soulmate, right? It might just work out for you.”

And with that, he left you. You couldn’t even cry about it because all you felt was sizzling anger. You still had your soulmate? Seriously? How could he say that when your soulmate was clearly getting it on with other people? But of course, your boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, didn’t know the whole truth, maybe he would have acted differently then. Because you already knew who your soulmate was and there was no way things were going to work out between the two of you. Not when the reason you found out in the first place was a hickey left on his skin, not when he kept getting new ones even after you told him it bothered you. Hell, he probably even encouraged his partners to leave a mark just to get under your skin. Or on your skin, you supposed. No, it was never going to work out between you and Ji Changmin, because there was not even the slightest bit of affection you held for him, and if you could you would cut this connection fate had forced upon you.

But you couldn’t so you did the next best thing: Vent your anger.

Changmin didn’t seem very impressed though, when you confronted him after a shared lecture. He simply shrugged, before shoving his things into his bag.

“The trash carries itself out,” he said nonchalantly.

“As if you hadn’t played a major part in all of this. The trash didn’t carry itself out. You basically showed him to the door.”

“At least you’re admitting that he was trash,” Changmin smiled self satisfied and you hated that you got caught in his trap. He didn’t give you time to argue though before he continued, “I’m just saying if he actually loved you, he would have stayed, marks be damned. It’s not like you cheated on him, so what reason was there for him to leave? Unless of course, he was never serious in the first place.”

It was so unnecessarily mean of him to say. But what made it worse was that you couldn’t even tell if he had a point or not and you weren’t even sure how to feel about it if he did. Because at the end of the day, did you actually want your ex-boyfriend to be serious about you? Had you been serious about him? You didn’t know.

“You’re taking it too far,” you pressed out, at a loss of what else to say and unwilling to address the uncomfortable mix of emotions plaguing you. “Don’t you care about how I’m feeling at all?”

“It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just that you don’t seem all that heartbroken. But of course,” A small grin tugged on his lips and he opened his arms. “You’re always welcome to cry into my chest if you’re in need of comfort.”

“Fuck you, Changmin.” You turned to leave, unwilling to give him another second of your attention. He didn’t seem particularly rattled.

“You know I have others who do the job,” he yelled after you, his tone light and cheerful. Somehow he always seemed to be in the best possible mood whenever you confronted him about things like this. A small voice at the back of your mind whispered that perhaps, it would be better to just stop confronting him then. Surely this was only so fun to him because you never failed to give him a good reaction. You knew that so well, and yet you could never help yourself.

When you told your friend Hyunjae about the break up, he insisted he had just the right thing to cheer you up: a party on the weekend that one of his frat guy friends had invited him to. That usually wasn’t really your crowd and Hyunjae knew that well. But he also knew you needed distraction and a place to let off some steam so he wasn’t surprised when you agreed to tag along. It seemed to be working well, your mood drastically improving with the music and games and dancing, and admittedly also the alcohol. But then, while you were looking for Hyunjae in the living room to convince him to team up with you for beer pong, your gaze fell onto someone else: Changmin. He was standing at the other end of the room, leaning against the wall and very busy with some girl. She had her hands in his hair, clinging onto him almost desperately. Meanwhile his arms were loosely resting around her waist and something about it seemed so haughty, as if he was just indulging her and her desire, kissing her because she was available and not because it needed to be her. It made you feel gross.

You knew you needed to look away, or else he was bound to notice your staring, but you just couldn’t. The way he was entangled with her made your blood boil. How could he keep having his fun like this while you were left all alone just because of him? It was infuriating and even more infuriating was his expression when he looked up and met your gaze. For a second there was surprise there, breaking the kiss to look at you with wide eyes. But then he grinned, tilting his head as if to ask what you were looking at and even though you hated everything about it, it also filled you with a strange heat. You glared back at him, trying your best to hide the unwanted feeling in your guts, until his gaze flickered to your neck. He looked smug. You noticed then, that his hook-up had seamlessly moved on to his neck, probably sucking and nibbling on his skin. You instinctively slapped your hand over your neck to cover up before rushing out to find a bathroom, your head flushed with heat. When you reached the bathroom you slammed the door behind you. Without bothering to lock up, you stormed to the mirror to examine your neck—and find it empty and clean, free of any marks. It didn’t make sense. You were sure, he’d looked at your neck, and why would he if not because of a hickey?

“Disappointed?” a voice suddenly sounded from the doorway. 

You already knew it was Changmin, even before seeing him through the mirror’s reflection. You turned around to him with a glare. “You’re supposed to knock before coming in. The door was closed for a reason.”

“Right, sorry,” He chuckled, lightly knocking against the door frame. “Can I come in?”

“No!”

He stepped in anyway, pulling the door shut behind him. “Should have locked the door then if you really didn’t want me to come in,” he said with a grin and you heard the lock click as he turned it. You felt your breathing hitch with a weird sense of anticipation that you tried your best to ignore.

“I wouldn’t have to, if you had some basic manners.”

Changmin smiled as he slowly came closer. You instinctively backed away, but just a single step already had you bumping into the sink. He came to a halt right in front of you, only inches between the two of you. “Maybe you have to teach me some,” he suggested in a whisper that made a shiver run down your spine. 

“Well, first of all,” you started, but it was hard to focus with his intense gaze on you.

“First of all?”

“Knock before coming into the bathroom.”

“Noted,” his eyes wandered over your face as if he was just going to devour you whole and you wondered if he was listening to you at all. “What else?”

“Don’t—don’t let your hook ups leave hickeys anymore.”

“Mhm,” he hummed, a thoughtful frown on his face. “That poses a bit of a challenge. You see, I just love to see you all marked up.”

You knew you should be feeling angry at him for making you go through hell for his own entertainment. It was hypocritical and cruel how he had all the fun he had with who knows who, while simultaneously trying to make it impossible for you to be with someone. So, of course you should be feeling angry. And yet, strangely, his words made your skin flush with heat, the thought that he wanted to mark you more enticing than it should have been.

“Find another way then,” you breathed more than you really said it. 

He looked at you for a long second. “Should I?”

You didn’t reply, but the way you held his gaze without shying away gave him all the answer he needed. He leaned in, and you thought he would kiss you, but instead his lips grazed your neck, his ticklish breath leaving goosebumps in its wake. His mouth barely even ghosted over your skin before he suddenly bit down, making a gasp escape your lips. As if to soothe you, he pecked the spot right after, sweet gentle kisses against the barely bruised skin. Then he pulled away and admired his work for a moment.

“So pretty,” he said with a satisfied smile. When he tilted his head to look at you, you noticed the small red mark on his neck, a shadow of the bruise he’d just given you a second ago. For some reason it filled you with a sense of accomplishment that for once he was the one wearing your mark, even if he was the one who’d left it on you first. You absentmindedly lifted your hand and traced the spot with your fingertips.

“Isn’t it?” He asked.

At his words you snapped out of it, realizing how easily you’d surrendered yourself to him. You flinched away and averted your gaze. “Not particularly.”

“Hm,” he chuckled. “Liar.”

His hands found your hips to turn you around, making you look at your own reflection. He brushed your hair out of the way before his fingers traced the mark he left. You couldn’t quite explain, but somehow it looked different from the ones you had before. Maybe because this one was real, an actual bruise on your skin and not just the traces someone else had left.

“You like it too, don’t you?” 

He leaned in again and you watched through the mirror as his lips brushed over your skin again. Maybe you should have pushed him away, but instead you tilted your head to give him access, as he left another mark on you. You couldn’t take your eyes off the way he seemed to devour you whole, and the way he met your gaze through the mirror made shivers run down your spine.

“So pretty,” he whispered again. His hands were back on your hips, pulling you into him. “What do you say we take this elsewhere, hm?”

You swallowed thickly at the feeling of him against you, the implications making the air feel heavy. “Yeah. Okay,” you agreed, turning around in his arms to face him directly. “Let’s leave.”

His grin was so utterly self satisfied, like the cat who got the cream, but you couldn’t even feel pissed about it, not when his thumb grazing the skin beneath your shirt made you feel so impatient for more.

“Okay, let’s leave,” he repeated your words before leaning down to brush his lips against yours in a slow kiss that made you feel weak in the knees. Then he reached for your hand, pulling you with him.

Back at his place Changmin didn’t waste any time on small talk or offering drinks. Instead you found yourself falling onto his mattress, his shirt and most of your clothes discarded on the floor not even a minute after walking in. Changmin was hovering above you, a hungry gleam in his eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot,” he said, his hands roaming over your body. “Have you?”

“No,” you said, your voice breathy from the ticklish feeling of his fingers against your skin.

“Is that so?” He tilted his head. “Well, after I’m done, you’ll be unable to think of anything else.” 

You wanted to make a sassy comeback, tell him that you doubted he could change your opinion of him so drastically just because you were giving in this one time. But then his lips were back on your neck and his fingers were dipping into your embarrassingly wet panties and the only sound that came out of your mouth was a gasp. It was unfair how easily he rendered you speechless, your brain becoming muddled the second he touched you. 

“See?” Changmin grinned, as one of his fingers slowly pushed into you. “You already can’t think of anything else.”

 Your hands clung to his shoulders, when he started moving, quickly finding the right angle. You didn’t want to think about how many girls he must have been with before this to make moans fall from your lips this easily. “Shut up already,” you whimpered.

“Should I use my mouth for something else then?” He asked, pulling his hand out of your panties and licking the wet off his fingers. You felt your skin burn with need and desire, and you almost instinctively opened your legs a little more, making him chuckle.

“I’ll take that as a yes, hm?” He leaned down to kiss you, making you taste yourself on his tongue, before he pulled away again and letting his lips wander further down. His fingers hooked underneath your panties, pulling them down your legs and letting them fall to the floor. He didn’t leave you exposed for long though, his mouth taking their place instead. The moan you let out when his tongue flicked over your clit was straight up pornographic and you felt him grin against your skin. “So needy,” he hummed, the vibrations making you shiver, before his tongue went back to work. 

He had you whimpering and shivering beneath him embarrassingly fast, his tongue and lips and hands moving just the right way to make that familiar knot build up within you. Before you could come though, he pulled away, a dirty smirk on his face. “Not yet,” he said, his lips moving to your inner thigh instead and sucking hickeys into your skin until you’d calmed down just enough. He kept you on edge that way, building up your high time and time again without ever letting you have it.

“Why?” you whimpered when he robbed you of yet another orgasm, leaving you a desperate mess. You felt overstimulated and deprived at the same time and it made tears well up in your eyes.

“Don’t cry, babydoll,” Changmin whispered comfortingly, as if your misery wasn’t all his fault to begin with. He came back up, his thumb gently wiping away a tear that’d decided to spill out. 

 “I just wanna—why won’t you let me?”

“Because I need you to come around me, of course.” He rolled his hips against you, and you felt him through the fabric of his pants.

“Then hurry,” you whined. “Hurry up.”

“If you insist,” Changmin grinned, making quick work of his pants.

You let out a whimper when he lined himself up with you, overly sensitive and oh so impatient for him to finally push in.

“Hurry,” you complained again and it drew a chuckle out of him, his eyes twinkling mischievously when he finally granted your wish. He pushed in painfully slow, but with the way you’d been teased this whole time it was almost enough to tip you over the edge. By the time he bottomed out, you had tears brimming in your eyes again, more from being overstimulated than any pain or discomfort.

“Aw, crying again?” he cooed. “You’re doing so well though.” He slowly moved his hips back, pulling almost all the way out, just to slam back in in one quick motion that made you see stars. “See? Taking me so well, like you were made just for me.”

His hand came up to your neck, caressing the bruises he’d left on you. “I guess you were, though,” he whispered close to your ear, as he put just enough pressure on your throat to make it feel exciting. “All mine, meant to be all mine.”

He started thrusting into you then, picking up a brutal pace that took away any coherent thought you’d still had left. “All yours,” you babbled, barely even able to grasp the meaning of the words. “All yours.” 

It barely took any time for that familiar high to build up within again and you almost thought he would take it away from you again. But when you met his gaze, eyes glazed over and desperate, he gently cupped your cheek and wiped your tears with his thumb.

“You can come, doll, it’s okay.”

It didn’t take more than that for you to tip over, your nails digging into his shoulders as you let out a string of moans and curses. He helped you ride it out, only stalling when the overstimulation made you beg for him to stop.

“You did so well,” he whispered, his lips leaving kisses on your neck while you were trying to catch your breath. Once you’d calmed down a bit you thought he’d pull out but he showed no intention of doing so.

“Changmin?”

He looked at you through hooded eyes, slowly rolling his hips into you. “You can still go on, right?”

The next morning you stared at your own reflection in his bathroom mirror. You’d been meaning to take a shower and then secretly sneak out while he was still asleep, but now you were finding yourself in too much disbelief to do so. You’d thought the hickeys you’d gotten before were bad, but those were nothing against the marks and bruises that littered your body now. Your shoulders looked especially bad, deep red scratches and even bite marks adorning your skin. With a shake of your head you wrapped yourself in a towel and walked back into the bedroom.

“This is a joke, right?” you complained the second you opened the door. Changmin’s head popped up from somewhere in the blankets, gazing at you with sleepy eyes and ruffled hair. “Mhm?” he grumbled.

“I get it, you like leaving marks, but you didn’t have to overdo it like this,” you said, turning your shoulder for him to see. “Like, seriously? Biting?”

Changmin rubbed his eyes and yawned and you tried to ignore how cute he looked. 

“Shouldn’t you at least apologize?”

He tilted his head taking a closer look at your shoulder before a smile spread on his lips. “But doll,” he pulled down the blanket to show his own shoulder that looked even worse than yours, “these are from you.”

series masterlist | tbz masterlist

[snapscube]

if you were to open the snapcube public discord, what would some of the strict rules be? other than the expected "no bigotry, no bullying, etc"

Starting rule set would most likely be pretty similar to my twitch chat rules. So like, risqué discussion kept to an absolute minimum and NO VENTING OR SELF DEPRECATION (i’m sure this was predictable based on all the vent channel jokes in the sonic unleashed series).

almost certainly more than that but again i literally have just in the past couple days started actually considering this more seriously so i haven’t had time to figure everything out yet. truth be told i have considered an age restriction though, possibly even 18+, not because i intend to allow nsfw channels but because i simply do not have much interest in moderating an age range younger than that, if that makes sense.

[coffeebeanwriting]

Some Quick Dialogue Tips

1) Reveal character through dialogue. When a character is speaking, it can reveal a lot about them as a person. Is their word choice careful and kind, or do they speak unfiltered and sarcastically? Are they withholding information willingly? Do they have mannerisms when speaking? The way a character talks and how they say the words can reveal how they’re feeling.

2) Balance dialogue with action and narration. Your scenes should contain a mixture of dialogue, action, narration, etc. If you have long conversations of dialogue, make sure to add in some actions, descriptions, and inner thoughts... too much constant dialogue with nothing else in between can mess with the pacing of your story.

3) Assign a voice to each character. Everyone in your daily life has a different way of speaking. The timid people, the bubbly people, the confident people, the deceptive people. Don’t go overboard with it, but giving your characters a distinctive way of talking will make the conversation feel more real.

4) Keep it natural. When conversing, people don’t typically use intricate vocabulary (unless that’s part of your character’s personality) nor do they speak non-stop for five minutes. When people are mad, they can be very short with one another-- or rant and rave beyond control. Humans pause when thinking, can forget their line of thought, and even stagger over their words. When in doubt, just think about how you and your friends/family talk to one another. 

5) Read it out loud. If you have a hard time speaking a line of dialogue, chances are it might be too wordy or complicated. If it doesn’t sound organic when you speak it, it won’t sound natural on the page.

6) Use dialogue to push the plot forward. You’ll hear it time and time again-- everything in your story should progress the plot. Dialogue is a wonderful place to do that. Your characters can find out information/secrets that are vital to the plot through conversation. Character development can also happen when your protagonist opens up or vents. 

7) Your characters don’t always have to tell the truth. In real life, we don’t mean everything we say (whether this is deliberate or not). When a coworker asks you how you are, you probably default to “I’m fine” even if you’re not. Through action tags and narrative, you can create an organic conversation by having your character not always say the exact truth (but their actions say otherwise).

Ben and Cassie ducked their heads as bullets ripped through the air around them. A huge blast knocked them to the ground. “Shit! There’s is gunfire everywhere, you good Cassie?” “I’m good! The blast missed me.” Cassie held her side tightly and grimaced at her fellow medic. When he turned away, she tripped her way towards the wounded children who needed her help, each step causing blood to soak her hand.

By not saying the exact truth here, we learn through her actions that Cassie is caring and selfless.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting  

[ghostofskywalker]

I Love You, But I Love Your Cat More

Natasha Romanoff/Reader

Fictober 2023 Day 25 of 31

Words: 725

Summary: When you have a bad day, there's only one place you would even think about going.

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist

It only took two knocks for her to answer the door, and the minute she opened it, she could tell what you were there for. Today had been the worst day you’ve had in a while, and it truly felt like there was nothing in the entire world that had the capabilities of making you feel better, but there was one thing you wanted to try.

“Bad day?” Natasha asked as she opened the door, and you just nodded in response, sure that your face carried the weight of your exhaustion. “Come in, she’s on the couch.”

Natasha was your best friend in the entire world and you would do anything for her in a moment’s notice, but if she said anything or mentioned how close you were, you would jokingly tell her that your relationship was only as good as it was because of her cat. A beautifully striped gray and brown tabby with green eyes, Fig had the most beautiful purr and the unique ability to make you forget every worry you’ve ever had when she was within three feet of you.

You practically flopped down on the couch, heaving a sigh that must have clearly communicated your worries, because the next thing you knew, Fig was crawling over to you and settling in your lap. Instantly, you could feel some form of peace wash over your brain, and Natasha walked into the room to see you smiling.

She sat down next to you, and you laid your head on her shoulder. After years of friendship the two of you felt completely comfortable around each other, and this was not a new experience for either of you. Truth be told, if given the chance to progress your relationship you would probably take it in a heartbeat (you would never be able to deny the fact that she was incredibly attractive), but right now you were happy with the way that you snuggled on the couch while you gently ran your hands down Fig’s back, listening to the way she purred like some kind of fluffy comfort machine.

“You want to talk to me about your bad day?” she asked quietly, reaching to grab the pale blue blanket that rested on the top of the couch and place it over your laps.

You paused, thinking about her question as Fig got herself comfortable in the blanket, and you smiled at the way her little head popped out but her body stayed exactly where it was before. “Not really,” you said. “It’s just a lot of things that seemed to build up, you know?”

“Yeah, I do,” she said. “And you know that if you ever do decide you want to talk, I’m here for you.” Both of you have said that to each other before, and you never doubted her sincerity. But since the friendship you had built together centered more around physical comfort than long vent sessions (and the fact that you did not want to cry right now), you elected not to go into the finer details of your terrible day.

Pizza was ordered and movies were played, all from the comfort of the couch, and it was hours before you even moved from that spot. You watched as Fig played with a toy mouse on the ground, filled with a kind of sudden energy that you honestly envied a little bit, and you thanked Natasha profusely for everything she did for you.

Halfway through the second movie of the day and right after Fig had hopped up in your lap once more, you could feel your eyes closing. Natasha was right next to you, and you didn’t want to disturb the way she was settled against you, so you just closed your eyes and allowed yourself to drift off right then and there. For a beautifully blissful moment, you completely forgot about what had given you so much pain and stress earlier today, and you allowed yourself to bask in the comfort and serenity that being in this place (and with this company) brought.

You could have sworn you felt a soft kiss on your forehead as you slipped away from the waking world, but it also could have been a perfect dream. Whatever it was though, you didn’t really care, because you were right where you were supposed to be.

- the end -

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[revelboo]

may you PLEASE write more starscream x reader heheheheh.... ive been eating them up ever since i came across ur blog

I’m glad you like them! That last anon question made me think of something I’m going to have to deal with eventually, though. I mostly write paranormal romance and my intention was to use Tumblr like my note board in my office- that’s what these snippets are- scenes I want to get down so I remember them and can expand them into a coherent story later- I have an AO3 ready for when I start doing that, but because of what the story arc will eventually lead to, it’ll be 18+ I’ve been avoiding writing anything… er, let’s say “spicy” here since I really don’t know the demographic on Tumblr and I’m not interested in corrupting/ mentally scarring preteens or kids. Though, to be fair, I imagine putting a warning up over there is exactly as effective as adding one here.

Everything is Alright Pt 27

Starscream x Reader- trust

• How can you ease him with such a small thing? Just a touch, given freely. Because you might care. He needs to believe that, needs this to be real, not all just an act to save yourself and stay in his good graces. Needs someone who needs him. The truth, though? He doesn’t know and that doubt lingers in the back of his processor as he lays flat on his back, a servo tracing along your back as you sprawl on him alongside his canopy. He can feel every little shift of your small frame against his, your breathing and the beat of your heart. Those sensations now familiar as the pulse of his own spark.

• He’s calmer now, but quiet and that doesn’t sit well with you. It genuinely hurt him that you’d assumed the worst. And even if he hadn’t hurt anyone, you’re sure he still destroyed someone’s home. It’s a reminder that he doesn’t actually care about humans. For whatever reason, you’re the exception. The one left holding his leash while knowing you can’t actually hope to rein in his behavior. Can’t hope to control him. That servo traces the curve of your shoulder. Down the line of your spine. Every stroke seeming to calm that awful anger more. When he vents, the warm air washes over you, stirring your hair. And if you have his leash, he has yours. How can you ever try to really escape when you know he’ll go on a rampage? You’re not even sure that you want to anymore and when did that happen? With that realization comes the one that whispers that you can’t keep writing it off as Stockholm’s. You do care for him as stupid as it probably is.

• Rumbling softly when your head lifts, the slide of his servo pauses because you’re staring at him and he isn’t sure what to make of that look on your face. “What?” He growls, immediately wary. His wings try to shift even though his position restricts them when you carefully stand, a hand on his canopy for balance as you walk closer to his head and sit on his plating where his chassis and neck meet. Still staring at him and he has to tuck his chin to see you.

• That confusion edged with annoyance is almost cute as he frowns at you. Trying to figure out what you’re doing, just like you are. There’s so much you want to say. To ask in that moment, as fragile, new thoughts flutter through you. And it passes, because you can’t risk ruining what you have. It matters to you more than it should. So you just lay a palm on his face, lean down and press a soft kiss to his warm, metal chin. “Thank you for taking care of me,” you whisper instead of those dangerous, soft things you can’t let loose.

• Watching you retreat back to your original spot on his chassis and then lay down on your side with your back to his canopy, he doesn’t move. Not until your breathing eventually evens out and he’s sure you’re not awake. Then slowly so he doesn’t disturb you, he touches his chin, warmth spreading through him at that little display of affection for him. Venting, he lets his head fall back to stare at the ceiling as something stirs in his spark, kindling in the quiet and he lays a hand over your little frame to keep you safe.

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[starryevermore]

the house of snow (2) ✧ coriolanus snow

the house of snow ✧ a royal coryo au | pinterest board | ao3

pairing: king!coriolanus snow x fem!reader

series summary: the king of panem is in search of a bride. and, for reasons you can never understand, coriolanus snow has set his sights on you. it would never be a happy marriage, you’re sure of that. but none of that matters, because when snow decides he wants something, he will do everything in his power to ensure it is his.

chapter summary: though you want nothing less than to marry coriolanus snow, he seems intent on finding you a reason to comply. 

word count: 2,621

series warnings?: 18+ MINORS DNI, royal au, regency au, arranged marriage, rivals to lovers, obsessive!coryo, jealous!coryo, protective!coryo, eventual smut, eventual pregnancy, more tags to be added later

chapter warnings?: no use of y/n, manipulative!coryo, not proofread

Coriolanus Snow’s courtship with you was the talk of the ton. After he was seen promenading with you, it seemed like all anyone could talk about was your impending nuptials. It infuriated you to no end. He hadn’t even proposed and people were already treating you like you were his property! What would people do if you actually married him? When you married him. It was an inevitability at this point. He had been at your family home every day for the past week. No other man dared to speak to you, save for Sejanus. They all knew better than to attempt to take you from Snow. 

Your only solace was when you would go to the modiste with your mother. She was often distracted by the fabrics on display, trying to figure out what you might look best in. It gave you the time to talk to Tigris, albeit in hushed whispers. When Snow had been crowned king, you learned that Tigris had grown estranged from her cousin. She never said much about it publicly, but at least she would listen to you vent about the man ever since he decided he was going to torment you with marriage. 

“I do not understand why he’s doing this,” you said to Tigris as she helping you into a grown. “He has always despised me, I’m sure of it. I do not care what Lord Plinth says. We would be miserable together.”

Tigris hummed. “It would not serve you well to try to understand Coriolanus’s mind. Even when you think you understand him, he will have another motive entirely unknown to you.”

You chewed on your lip. You were grateful your mother was too distracted to notice. She always hated that habit of yours. That is not very ladylike! she would hiss and grab you by the arm, dragging you away from whatever social engagement you were participating in. Nor is acting like a crazed banshee, you would think. Heaven forbid you show any signs of nervousness. 

It did ease your nerves ever so slightly, though, to learn that Tigris was as confounded by Snow’s behavior as you were. While it would have been easier to believe Sejanus, to think that Snow secretly held a flame for you all these years, you had enough personal experience with the man to know that, that was the furthest from the truth. Hell, even Snow’s own words—that he wanted a wife that he could keep in line—did not feel entirely honest. He was up to something. You just weren’t sure what. 

“Will you be joining us for dinner at the palace on Friday?” you asked, trying to pull yourself from the spiral before you could fall too deep into it. 

Tigris looked up, her brows furrowed together. “Coriolanus has not told me about the dinner.”

Your shoulders fell. Oh, you had been hoping she would be there. It would have certainly been a solace for you, to have at least one person in the room who you could talk to and not want to scream. Though, you supposed Snow had done that on purpose. If he was intent on torturing you, this would certainly be the way to go. 

“What a shame.”

“What’s a shame?” your mother asked, her attention finally torn away from the fabrics. 

Tigris answered for you. “We were talking about the dinner with Coriolanus. I was saying that I would not be able to come.”

“Ah. Well, that is a shame. But not to worry, there will be plenty of time to talk once they are married.”

Tigris offered a tight-lipped smile. She spared a glance at you, as if to gauge your reaction to the mention of your impending nuptials. “Of course. I look forward to someone as kind as your daughter being part of the family.”

A satisfied smile curled across your mother’s face. She stood a little taller, shoulders held back, at the idea that one of Snow’s family members also approved the marriage. In her mind, it probably meant that the marriage was sure to happen. Little did she know that Tigris and Snow’s relationship had become strained over the years. If anything, Tigris’s approval might have meant that Snow would suddenly become uninterested in you.

At least, you would hope that. At this point, however, Snow had decided that you were to be bride. There would be little that could stand in his way. A scandal, perhaps, because he cared so much for his personal image. But a scandal could ruin you, and that would leave you right where you started—without a single chance for happiness. 

“Then I hope you would not mind making her wedding gown?” your mother asked. 

“I have already begun working on designs.”

Oh, you hated how your fate was already sealed. 

“The palace is quite beautiful, is it not?” your mother remarked as the butler led you and your parents to the dining room. 

You fought the urge to roll your eyes, though you could not stop yourself from saying, “You act as if you have never been here before.”

If you were at your own home, your mother might have snapped at you for your remark. But here, in the palace, the home of the King, where he could be lurking behind any corner, she held her tongue. “Yes, well, one sees the palace in a new light when learning that it could be their daughter’s future home.”

Your gaze swept over the palace. In truth, the building was exquisite. A testament to how talented the people of Panem are to create a place that housed only the best of the best. Well-crafted furniture, stunning paintings, marble statutes that almost looked like a person had been encased in the rock. But it was the home of Snow, and you hated anything to do with him.

“The decorations are rather tasteless.”

This time, your mother could not hold her tongue. She stopped in her tracks, snatching you by the arm. For a moment, you wondered if you had gone too far. If you had crossed a line. “You will lose the attitude at once—”

“I have to admit, I do agree with her.” 

Does Snow have trap doors all throughout Panem so that he can appear anywhere at a moment’s notice? 

Your mother dropped your arm. She cleared her throat, as if that might dispel the rage hanging in her voice. “Your Majesty—”

“I have not yet had time to update the decor to my tastes. Ruling a country, it turns out, takes up quite a bit of one’s time. Though, I hope that your daughter shall soon help me with making this palace more of a home.” He took a step close to your mother. His pale blue eyes were uncharacteristically dark. His voice dropped low as he continued, “But do not be mistaken. I will not stand for anyone speaking to her like that, even her own mother. Do you understand?”

Your mother could only bare to nod. 

Snow’s gaze slid over to you. His eyes softened. You never seen him look like that before. For a moment, you wondered if Sejanus was right about Snow harboring feelings for you. But then you remember how cold he just was to your mother. Even if she deserved it, a chill ran down your spine as you wondered how cruel he would be towards you. He held out his arm towards you. “Dinner will not be ready for a while. In the mean time, I could show you the library? I remember how you always had your nose in a book at the Academy.”

Between dealing with your mother’s embarrassment and rage or dealing with whatever torment Snow had in store for you, you would rather be with Snow. If only because you weren’t sure what your mother might do when the King’s eyes were not on her. She needed a moment to calm, and perhaps playing nice with Snow might aid in that. You slipped your hand around his bicep. “That would be lovely.”

Snow smiled—a rarity that was becoming more frequent. If he was playing the part of an interested man just so he could spend the rest of your life torturing you, he almost had you fooled. “Wonderful. The library is just down the hall here.”

He began to lead you down the hall, but he did not get far when he stopped. You were forced to stop as well, confused by his actions. What was he doing? Then he turned, his cold eyes focused on your mother. She stood just a few feet behind you and Snow. She cowered under Snow’s gaze. 

“Is everything alright, Your Majesty?” she asked. 

“I do not recall inviting you to the library.”

You looked between your mother and Snow. A battle of prides, it seemed. No sane Mama would allow her eligible daughter to be alone with a man. It would be a scandal if word ever got out. Of course, this was the palace and this was King. Nothing ever left the palace walls that Snow did not want out into the kingdom. Even if this was something that would ruin your reputation otherwise, Snow might not let that happen. Unless, of course, that was his plan all along. To ruin you for anyone else.

“That is hardly appropriate!” your mother protested. 

Snow took a breath. He looked down at you, then back to your mother. “Allow me to make myself clear. While we have not yet gone through all the formalities of a proposal, I fully intend to make your daughter my bride. I have only publicly moved at the pace I have so that no one would think ill of her, and in turn, me. Now, there is no one here that could harm her reputation. So, if I would like to go to the library alone with my future bride, I do not see how the mere wife of a Lord could stop me.”

Your mother looked to you, as if daring you to follow him. To do so would be an insult to her. But to deny Snow might be your demise. Granted, you did not know if he was capable of such things. But a man with this amount of power was capable of anything. When you looked to Snow, he was already looking down at you, as if trying to gauge whether you would start a fight or comply. You looked back to your mother. “It will only be a moment, Mama. Nothing untoward will happen.”

She sucked in a breath, seemingly ready to protest. Yet, when Snow turned his glare back to her, she fell silent. A nod was her only signal that she would not fight him further on the matter. 

With that, Snow began to lead you to the library; this time, alone. You expected the walk to be silent, though that might have only been because you had nothing to say to Snow. However, when you were out of your mother’s earshot, Snow said, “See? Isn’t this much easier when you don’t fight me?”

It would have been smarter for you to hold your tongue. But you were not the sort of woman Snow wanted you to be. “When confronted with two evils, it is easier to choose the lesser.”

Snow raised a brow. “You think I am lesser?”

You looked over your shoulder to your mother. Though she was far away, you could still see the way rage overtook her and felt pity for the butler who was attempting to placate her with a tray of tea and cakes. “I do not know what to expect of you,” you admitted. 

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nor do I know what to expect of you.”

Turning your gaze back to him, you said, “You should expect one thing of me, Your Majesty. I will not be the meek bride you want me to be. I will never fall in line for the sake of falling in line. I do not wish to marry you. I only will because you have removed every other choice I have.”

Snow stopped in front of a large pair of oak doors. He stared at them for a while, perhaps considering whether he should distract you with the arrival at the library or respond to what you have said. Finally, he asked, “Is it true you wished to marry Sejanus?”

How could he have known that, you wondered. The only people you had ever voiced that to were your parents, and only in an attempt to persuade them to let you consider anyone but Snow as a potential match. The question itched at you, and so you had to ask. 

“It does not matter where I heard it from. What matters is your answer.”

You frowned, trying to sort through your options. You weren’t sure how much Snow was a jealous man or vengeful one. You would hate to see Sejanus harmed because you had said the wrong thing. You took a breath. “I always wanted to marry for love, but my parents made clear that that was not an option. It is no secret that I do not wish to marry you despite my parents urging. I had once expressed that, if they wanted to marry me off to a man of higher social standing, that I would comply with a match with Lord Plinth. I did not, and I do not, love him. But he is an easy man to love. If I was forced to marry anyone, I would protest the least with him.”

“He cannot give you what I can.”

“Perhaps. But I value my happiness over all else. How could I ever be happy with a man that so openly stated he only wanted a wife that would provide him a child and be otherwise complacent? We are too different. We always have been.”

Instead of acknowledging you said anything, Snow reached out with his free hand and opened the door to the library. He pushed it open, leading you into the expansive room. Though you wanted him to respond to you, you found yourself dropping your hand from his arm, turning slowly to take in the rows and rows and rows of shelves. The entire room took over two floors, books as far as the eye could see. You could spend every day there and still not have read any books. 

You stepped toward one of the shelves, pulling a book at random, thumbing through it. “I have never seen this many books before. Mama always hated that I was well-read,” you confessed. You weren’t sure why you were saying it. Something about Snow just made you want to confess things today, it seemed. “She would have preferred it if I filled my time with hobbies that would have made me more desirable to my future husband. Needlework, piano…She always said that men do not want women who have ideas. I always told her that that was a relic of the past, that the times have changed. She would say that all men are the same, even if they pretend otherwise.”

A hand reached out, pushing the book down. You looked up at Snow. He looked…odd. You couldn’t begin to describe how he looked. Something caught between pained and…admiration? No, that couldn’t be. Snow cared for you as little as you cared for him. He was only doing this for his public image. Nothing more, nothing less. 

And yet, when he said, “The library is all yours if you will be a good wife for me,” for a moment, you considered agreeing. 

[monayen]

I love your stories! Perfect for feeding my bedtime delusions ♥️

Can I request something for ratman 3? Him & reader waiting out a threat in a too small hiding spot so they’re pressed against each other. The danger and close proximity make 3 noticeably excited…

Cramped | Ratman 3

➷ Paring - Ratman 3 x GN!Reader [Randal's Friends / Ranfren]

➷ CWs - dry humping, biting, very light description of violence, WHIMPERING

a/n - first ratman with a fic, isn't he special :-] ? sad state of affairs as i recently broke my phone (which i always write on) so i am now confined to my laptop. ignore any mistakes or formatting issues, i kept getting distracted trying to make a ranfren twitter. (i needed a phone number to do it D-:)

“Quiet, okay?” you whisper to the trembling ratman beside you, his forehead damp with fear as you guide him through narrow passageways.

Cramped spaces were second nature to you. Crawling between walls, squeezing through vents—it was how you’d survived since your formation. Open spaces were death traps, especially for vermin trying to get by in the confusing Ivory house.

Ratman 3 nods, his beady eyes darting nervously behind his round glasses as you move together, your bodies pushing through the tight crawl space.

“We need to bring something back this time,” you whisper, voice low and urgent. “I’m so sick of eating drywall.”

Behind you, his shaky voice follows. “I-I think it’s… fine, actually.” He mumbles, barely convincing even himself. You both know the truth. The shared bags of chips, warm beer, and crumbs of crackers disappear far too quickly in the nest. Rationing isn’t exactly an option for a group who can’t count.

Disputes over who should venture out into the Ivory’s pantry have become routine—bickering and rounds of makeshift card games determining the unlucky rat. This time, you and 3 drew the short straws. Though, you’re pretty sure Michael Jr. cheated.

The path weaves through chewn holes in the drywall and vents and pipes you two squeeze through. It'd be borderline claustrophobic for any other person, and it's even worse with how the blonde ratman clings behind you like a meat shield.

You glance back at your companion, his eyes wide and darting, every sound seeming to send a shiver through his scrawny frame. He's following behind, almost pushing against you in the narrow space.

“Keep it together,” you mutter, more to yourself than him. Ratman 3 gulps and shakes his head, “Let's just go back. I think I have a granola bar stashed away somewhere–”

You’re about to reply when heavy footsteps echo from the other side of the wall, cutting off whatever quip was on your tongue.

Ratman 3 freezes, chest heaving, his body trembling as he grabs your arm. You shoot him a warning look, silently pleading for silence. The footsteps are joined by multiple voices.

It’s the brothers that live here. The older one seems to be scolding the younger one, though you can't seem to piece together the context behind his words. You listen carefully as a deeper, gruffer voice says something short. Though it's enough that you both instantly recognize easily who it is, making your blood run cold. 

3 immediately panics, his flight instincts kicking in as he silently urges you two to leave. Your heart beats in your ears, but still you motion for him to stay put. 

The walls feel like they’re closing in, the tight space you're accustomed to suddenly pressing down with suffocating intensity. Claustrophobia creeps in, tightening your chest as the weight of the situation sinks deeper—you’re trapped. Any noise, any creaking movement, and you're sure they’ll hear.

Ratman 3 shifts nervously, pressing his body tightly against your figure as he tries to make himself as small as possible in the cramped space. 

“The catman will leave soon,” you whisper as softly as possible in an attempt to soothe him. But even in the dark between the walls, you can see the sweat beading on his forehead, his chest rising and falling in rapid, panicked breaths.

You feel him shift again behind you, and you almost turn back to whisper for him to quit moving before you two get killed. That's when you notice a poking on your behind, and how shaky 3’s breathing really is against your neck.

“Are you fucking hard right now?” You say too softly, still concerned about being caught to let your baffled thoughts run out your mouth. 

Your words hang in the air as Ratman 3 freezes behind you, his body trembling even more than before. 

"I-I'm sorry!" he whispers, his voice cracking with panic. "I can't help it! It's just... being this close to you, in this tight space... It's..." He trails off, and you can almost sense the mix of embarrassment and excitement radiating off him.

Ratman 3's body tenses as he tries to suppress his arousal, but it's becoming more and more difficult for him to stay still. The confined space, the adrenaline rush from the potential danger, and the proximity all makes your heart beat faster and his dick harder. Both of you need to urgently relax, or you’ll be torn out the walls and have your guts spilled all over the floor.

Ratman 3's breath hitches as he grips your hips, his panting becoming more frantic. You can feel the contagious feverish sensation of his arousal pressing onto you, the friction of his pants rubbing against your own sending sparks of pleasure through your body.

"Ah," he gasps, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't... I need..." His words trail off into a low moan as he holds up, the tight space tenfolding every sensation.

Pure heat radiates from his body, his breathing growing even more labored as he struggles to maintain any sort of composure. The poking sensation touching your ass is becoming more and more insistent, and you can sense the desperation for any type of relief on his flushed face.

Your own desire is growing, your body responding to the closeness and the danger of the situation. You lean forward, bracing yourself against the wall as you feel Ratman 3's hands sliding under your shirt, his fingers resting the curve of your waist and hips.

"We can't," you breathe, "They'll hear us."

But Ratman 3 seems beyond reason, his body mindlessly continuing to shift. He leans closer, his breath hot on your ear as he whispers, “Please,” his voice a desperate plea. “I’ll be good.”

His small movements grow more frantic, his pelvis grinding slightly for any sense of relief. The tight space amplifies every sensation, his arousal pressing insistently against you. His breath comes in ragged gasps, and you can hear the neediness in his voice as he whispers, "I can't stop, please don't stop me."

“Shh,” you whisper, your voice trembling with tension. You're acutely aware of the muffled sounds from beyond the drywall, and how even the slightest noise could expose you both. Despite the risk, you brace the wall, offering him more leverage, your heart racing as excitement pools in your empty stomach.

He takes up the welcoming position immediately, biting back a groan as his hips begin to roll off of yours. The rub of fabric makes 3 shudder, his head tipping back and almost hitting the wall behind him. His hand slides down to cup your ass, squeezing roughly as he pulls your hips against him. The pressure of his erection is too much to ignore, and you can feel your own arousal dampening between your legs.

You gasp softly as Ratman 3 speeds up against you, the friction getting rougher and rougher as pleasure waves through your body. He moves excitedly, taking in the softness of you cramped in front of him. He bucks his hips shamelessly, desperate and unrhythmic.

“Fuck," you exhale, your voice trembling slightly. You glance back just enough to catch the fog on his glasses, his beady eyes pinched as he nibbles on his lip to bite back too loud of moans. The smallest of whimpers still escape his mouth, his body tensing over and over again as he holds onto you. You press your cheek against the cool wall, trying to muffle the sounds of your own excitement as Ratman 3 continues to rut against you.

Ratman 3's breathing grows heavier, his movements becoming impossibly more erratic as he quickly chases his orgasm. You can feel the warmth of his body pressing against your back, his chest heaving with each ragged breath.

"I'm gonna... I'm gonna come," he whimpers, his hips thrusting urgently against yours. You're about to shush him, but a touch on your chest surprises you. His clammy hand moves from your hip to under your shirt, groping and squeezing frantically. He leans forward, giving a final rut of his hips against your ass before his teeth sink into your shoulder to suppress any loud moan that was going to spill out of him.

You almost gasp too loudly, but you catch yourself and clench your jaw to choke back the sound. Ratman 3 lets out a strangled whimper against your shoulder, his body tensing as he buries his face into your skin. He quickly comes into his pants, fully pressed onto your ass as his cock twitches and pulses, riding out his orgasm. You purse slightly, feeling the warmth of his release soaking through and staining your clothes.

Ratman 3 slumps against you, his body shaking with the aftershocks of his climax. You can feel his heart racing, matching the pounding of your own as you both struggle to catch your breath.

The silence that follows is deafening, broken only by the sound of your ragged breathing and the smallest creak of the walls around you. You hold your breath, coming back to the reality of how dangerous of a spot you are right now. 

You listen for any sign of the family, anxiety tugging at your gut as you wait for any sign that both your presences have been discovered. But the voices have moved on, their footsteps fading into the distance as they go down the hall.

You let out a shaky sigh of relief, turning around to face Ratman 3 with the little space you have. Ratman 3 lifts his head, his eyes meeting yours in the darkness. There's a mix of embarrassment and satisfaction in his gaze, and you can't help but smirk at the sight.

He shifts slightly, wincing at the sticky mess in his pants. His eyes dart down to the stain on the fabric, and his face flushes an even deeper shade of crimson.

“I, um... I guess I made a bit of a mess,” he mumbles, avoiding your gaze in embarrassment. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your clothes.”

You shrug, trying to downplay the rush of adrenaline in your chest. “Don’t worry; at least we weren’t caught.”

Ratman 3 nods, quickly wiping his brow and smoothing down his rumpled shirt. He takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself, then stammers, “S-So… you wanna… uh, share that granola bar?”

[st-eve-barnes]

You know that I'm no good (chapter 6)

(Modern Aegon x fem Reader, Modern Sihtric x fem Reader)

Summary: You want Sihtric. Aegon wants Skade. There's only one small problem: Sihtric and Skade are dating each other.

This chapter: things get messy with Aegon and Sihtric, alcohol isn't always a good idea, sometimes Helaena is a bad adviser and drunken confessions don't really count, do they?

Warning for the entire series: 18+ for explicit language and smut. Angst/comfort/fluff. Fake dating and so much mutual pining. Mentions of depression/drinking/self harm.

This is an Aegon x Reader fic with a bit of Sihtric x Reader on the side. I've wanted to write a modern AU that combines The Last Kingdom and House of the dragon for a while now so here it is!

Word count: +2900

Masterlist

***

All my fics are also on AO3

***

You didn’t find Aegon again that night. You weren’t sure whether he was avoiding you or just letting you enjoy your time with Sihtric but both options bothered you. And the fact that it bothered you so much bothered you even more.

You shouldn’t even care, Aegon wasn’t your boyfriend and it wasn’t like you were in love with him so why should you care?

You weren’t in love with him. Absolutely not. You couldn’t be, it was Aegon for god’s sake. It was just a stupid crush, nothing more. It would pass, soon. Hopefully.

It was Friday night and for the fifth time in ten minutes you stared at your phone. No messages and no missed calls.

You had the entire night to watch Netflix in peace, Stranger Things was staring back at you from the screen, all you had to do was click Next Episode. 

But you couldn’t care less. All you wanted was for Aegon to call or text you and mess up your plans.

You sighed and let yourself fall down onto the couch, annoyed with everything but mostly yourself.

“Fuck it,” you grabbed your phone and decided to text Helaena.

“What are you doing tonight?”

She answered in less than a minute,“Chilling at home, why? Wanna do something?”

“Yes, please, anything, I just need to get out of the house.”

“Wanna grab a drink at Alfies?” she suggested.

“Yes!”

“I’ll meet you there in an hour!”

Alfies was a small, quiet bar near the town’s square where you and Helaena spent a lot of nights out during your years at university. It had been a while since you were last here but walking into the place was like stepping back in time, it still looked exactly the same and you felt at ease right away. 

Helaena already found you a spot at a table near the bar and you quickly made your way over to her. Before you sat down you gave her a quick hug.

“Thank you,” you whispered,”I really needed this tonight, Hel, you have no idea.”

“No worries,” she smiled up at you,”You know I’m here for you if you need anything. And every excuse to go out is fine by me.”

You both ordered more drinks, the combination of the alcohol, the Friday night atmosphere in the bar and Helaena’s funny work stories had you feeling better in no time and soon you were laughing with her and forgetting all about her stupid brother.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Helaena said after a while, noticing you seemed a lot more relaxed than when you’d first sat down,”Want to tell me why you were feeling down?”

“Not really,” you tried to duck the question and took another sip from your drink.”Just work I guess,” you added.

“You love your work, quit lying.”

You sighed, both impressed and a little annoyed that she could always read you so well.

“Okay, fine, you want the truth?” 

You should have stopped yourself right there, but the beers had loosened up your tongue and there was this ever growing need to just vent and pour your heart out to your best friend.

“It’s Aegon,” you confessed with a heavy sigh,”I might…have developed a little crush on your brother.”

That was the understatement of the year.

Helaena didn’t react at first, she just took you in and then nodded her head calmly, almost too calmly which scared you a little.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” you asked.

“What can I say? You’re clearly not listening to anything I tell you about Aegon.”

“I’m sorry,” you hid your face into your hands,”I’m sorry, I’m being such a bad friend, I know, I just…can’t help it.”

“Yes, you can but you don’t want to,” Helaena pointed out.

You hated to admit she wasn’t entirely wrong.“Okay, fine, I don’t want to,” you admitted.

Helaena nodded and leaned back,”I won’t nag you about Aegon anymore if you promise to do one little thing for me. We’re friends so I can ask you, right?”

“What is it?” you asked hesitantly.

“We’re in a bar right now and looking around I can see quite a few good-looking, nice guys.”

“Hel,” you tried to stop her but she raised her hand to stop you.

“I want you to get drunk and go home with one of these guys, you get to pick, it just can’t be my brother.”

You shook your head.

“Unless it’s Aemond,” she added,”You can fuck Aemond if you want.”

You both turned to look at Aemond who was sitting in a corner booth, enjoying his drink while ignoring everyone else.

“I don’t want to fuck Aemond,” you quickly shut down that idea.

“Okay, anyone except my brothers then, I just…you need it, babe. Getting some will clear your head, like…a factory reset, turn you on and off so you can function properly again. Because the girl I’m seeing right now is not acting like my friend. My best friend would not be dumb enough to fall in love with Aegon of all people!”

Helaena never raised her voice, and she still didn't, but there was a hard determination to her tone right now you had never heard from her before.

Her words upset you but you couldn’t really blame her. Just last month you probably would have fully agreed with her.

“Can you do that for me?” she then asked, softer.

“I feel like you’re not the best influence right now,” you pointed out.

“Maybe so but neither are you.”

You nodded,”Okay…fine, but if I do this and it does nothing for me you have to stop bitching about Aegon.”

“I promise.” 

“Fine,” you caved,”Then I’ll do it, but only because you’re my best friend. And I need more alcohol first.”

Four more beers were enough to get you just tipsy enough to come out of your shell, and your seat, and mingle at the bar. You remembered guys often tried to pick you up here during your university years, it never resulted in anything though because you weren’t the type for one nigh stands back then. You still weren’t, but these past weeks you’d done a lot of things you hadn’t done before. What was one more, right?

The first guys you’d talked to bored you within minutes and you realized this was going to be harder than you initially thought, but you didn’t intend on giving up so soon. Maybe more alcohol would make them more fun. 

After two more beers you had finally found a guy who wasn’t too bad looking and actually pleasant to talk to. He’d lived in Winchester all his life and you both talked about your favorite spots in the city, the conversation flowed pretty easily and you ignored the fact that he was probably even more drunk than you were at this point. 

And the fact that you weren’t even sure you really wanted to do this, but if it would get Helaena off your back for a while then it might be worth it.

And she was right about one thing, it wouldn’t hurt to finally get some dick again. You had been unusually horny lately.

But just as you were about to ask the guy to get out of there another girl came up to him accusing him of cheating on her best friend. Needless to say that was the end of that conversation.

“Ugh, men suck,” you sighed to yourself and took another sip from your beer.

“I apologize, my lady.”

The familiar voice made you look up and you stared right into his beautiful eyes, one blue and one brown, and that sweet, flirty smile he seemed to reserve for you.

“Sihtric,” you sighed, relieved at seeing a familiar, not to mention gorgeous, face.

“Lady Y/N,” he moved closer to you and pointed towards your empty glass,”Can I buy you another one of those?”

“I think I’ve probably had enough,” you confessed, breaking eye contact for a moment”But thank you. That comment wasn’t meant for you, by the way.”

”Good to know,” he nodded,”So, um…Aegon not with you tonight?” 

You smiled bitterly,”No, Aegon is…I don’t know where Aegon is.”

“You guys break up?” he asked, a little too hopeful.

“No, I…actually I don’t know.”

He kept his eyes on you,”Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” you no longer tried to avoid looking at him but instead gave into his flirty stare and allowed yourself to drown into his  gaze. ”Actually, no,” you confessed,”I’m not.”

“Anything I can do?” he asked softly and then he leaned closer, placing his hand on your waist,”Do you need a lift home? Or someone to talk to? I'm a good listener."

You gave him a thankful smile."You're really sweet."

He blushed a little with your compliment and gently rubbed your back before meeting your eyes again,"Tell me what you need."

Your mouth opened to speak but the words remained stuck in your throat.

"Wanna get out of here?," he then asked,"Get some air?”

You nodded.

Sihtric kept his hand protectively on your lower back, allowing you to lean into him to stay steady on your feet, while he guided you out of the bar.

As soon as you reached the front door and were out into the fresh air you both let go of each other, but not for long.

It was the alcohol, combined with the lingering promise you had made to Helaena. And the fact that you’d been horny as hell for weeks now and that maybe she was right and you did just need to get dicked down. Preferably by a hot, sweet guy like Sihtric.

You grabbed his hand again and pulled him with you, trapping yourself between his body and the wall behind you, your eyes meeting his in a silent plea. He placed one hand on your waist and rested the other against the wall, right next to your face, as he leaned in.

“Want me to take your mind off him?” he whispered while gently nuzzling your cheek. You grabbed his shirt to pull him closer and nodded your head.

His lips met yours in a soft, needy kiss and you moaned into it right away. It was all the encouragement he needed, hand sliding down your hip while the other moved into your hair. He deepened the kiss while placing himself in between your legs, pressing into you and letting you feel his hardness. You rocked back against him, just as impatient, and you both moaned at the friction.

Sihtric’s mouth moved down to your neck, licking and sucking your skin and your eyes closed in a blissful sigh. His kisses were sloppy and needy and it made you throb in all the right places.

“Fuck,” you whined.

He smiled against your skin.“You want this, right?” he checked.

You nodded eagerly,”Yes, I want this.”

He pulled your leg up around his waist and started grinding against your center, letting you feel all of him this time and there was a lot of him.

“Sihtric,” you moaned quietly when he placed little love bites on your neck.

Your hips were moving along with his, his cock giving you that perfect friction and if he kept doing this any longer you were going to fall apart just from this. Your eyes closed and you bit your lip to keep yourself from moaning too loud. 

And then you made the mistake of opening them up again and looking over Sihtric’s shoulder.

Blond messy hair and gorgeous, very familiar, angry blue eyes were staring right back at you. With a surprised yelp you pushed Sihtric off of you.

“What the hell?” Sihtric’s shock was short-lived when he saw Aegon.”Oh shit…hey, I’m sorry, man, I didn’t mean to…I thought…she…”

Aegon wasn’t showing any emotion apart from the undeniable fire in his eyes, aimed right at Sihtric,”Can I please talk to my girlfriend?”

“Yeah, of course, I’m sorry,” Sihtric looked at you one last time, mouthing “sorry” again before he quickly fled the scene, leaving you alone with Aegon.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, calmly.

“Me?! What the hell do you think you’re doing??” you threw back, a lot less calm than him,”Are you stalking me or something?"

"I was just on my way home."

"Well, be on your way then! I was having a good time before you showed up.”

“Against the wall of the fucking bar? For the whole of Winchester to see?”

You looked around and only now noticed there were more people around than you had initially noticed and too many of them had their eyes on you. You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you. 

There is no way you would have done what you just did with Sihtric in a public place like this if you’d been sober.

“I didn’t…notice that,” you admitted quietly.

“No, I didn’t think so," Aegon answered, too smug for your liking," Whose stupid idea was this, huh, did he talk you into this?”

“Actually it was Helaena.”

Aegon’s eyes widened.”Why on earth would Hel tell you to fuck…”

“It doesn’t matter now,” you interrupted him, wanting desperately to get out of this conversation. You suddenly felt exposed in every way and you wrapped your arms around yourself and sighed deeply.

Aegon's irritation fell immediately upon seeing your obvious discomfort.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, shaking off his frustration,”It's just…you looked pretty drunk and I didn't know if he was...I just wanted to make sure you didn’t do something you’ll regret later.”

You scoffed.“For your information I’m not that drunk, but thank you, oh my knight in shining armor for saving me from the insanely hot guy before he could make me cum. How will I ever repay you?”

Aegon’s gaze turned hard again and he avoided your eyes. You tried to walk past him, showing him just how annoyed you were with him, but your legs were wobbly and your head was light. You were struggling to keep your balance and you bumped into him, hard.

Aegon’s hands came to rest on your hips, keeping you steady and then his eyes were on yours, his gaze unexpectedly soft.“Not that drunk, huh?” he teased with a little smirk.

You wished so hard you could stay mad at him but when he looked at you like that all your anger faded. You hated how much you couldn't even hate him.

Maybe Aegon was right, maybe you would have regretted sleeping with Sihtric once all the alcohol had left your body and you were able to think straight again. Maybe it would have been the worst mistake of your life. 

Or maybe it wouldn’t have been. Maybe it would have been amazing and exactly what you needed to push Aegon out of your mind. You would never know now.

But one thing was undoubtedly true: deep down in your heart you knew Sihtric wasn’t your first choice. Not anymore.

Your first choice was staring at you with genuine concern in his big, beautiful eyes and your heart was breaking with how much you felt for him.

“Aegs,” your voice was nothing but a pleading whisper, hands grabbing at his shirt.

His hands were still resting on your hips and he pulled you a little closer to him, his voice nothing but softness now,”Want me to take you home, sweetheart?”

You nodded.

The walk wasn’t far but without Aegon to lean on you weren’t sure you would have made it there in one piece. He helped you up the stairs to your apartment and onto your couch, where you sank down with a dramatic sigh and let your head fall back into the cushions.

“God, I am never drinking again,” you stated, making him laugh.

“That’ll pass.”

He let himself sink down next to you on the couch,”Can I get you anything? Food? Water? A bucket?”

You laughed but firmly shook your head.”I’m good...can you stay for a while though?”

You turned your head to look at him, meeting his soft eyes again and Aegon nodded.

“Sure,” he whispered,”As long as you want.”

“Thank you."

“You’re welcome. And I’m sorry if I ruined your night,” he spoke softly, looking into your eyes, your faces right next to each other now,”I shouldn’t have interfered.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” you reassured him,”The truth is…you were right, I was pretty drunk, still am, and I probably would have regretted that in the morning. So...it's fine, don't worry about it.”

Aegon smiled and then neither of you spoke for a while. The room felt too quiet and you bit your tongue, realizing you should swallow your next words and not make things more complicated. But the alcohol in your blood disagreed and thought this would be the perfect time for total honesty.

“Aegs...I didn’t really want to fuck Sihtric, you know,” you confessed,”I only did it because…”

You sighed deeply and Aegon leaned in to look into your eyes,“What is it, baby?”

“I only did it so I could forget about you,” you whispered, regretting the words as soon as they left your lips.

Aegon was staring at you, unable to speak or process your words for a moment. The room was suddenly spinning even though he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol and the way you were looking up at him through your lashes, your gaze so sincere and innocent, it was too much for him to handle. It took everything in him not to pull you into his lap and kiss you right there but he didn’t.

Instead he just took your hand and squeezed it softly.

“It’s okay,” you smiled weakly,”I know you don’t feel that way about me and it’s fine. It'll pass.”

“Look at me,” he pleaded.

You did as he asked, immediately drowning into those pools of blue.

“You know that’s not true, right?” he then whispered.

“’What? No, it’s...its fine,” you were slurring over your words now,”You don’t need to say anything, I just…wanted you to know…you would have been my first choice.”

He bit his lip and then swallowed hard, shaking his head,“You’re drunk, baby, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I do, I do know what I’m saying,” you insisted but your words came out all wrong again.

Aegon just shook his head with a smile and then his eyes were on yours again,“I’m the last person you want to fall in love with, sweetheart, trust me on that.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m no good,” he simply answered, looking away while giving you the saddest smile you’d ever seen on him, which of course only made you want him more.

”But you are,” you disagreed, keeping your eyes on him even as he tried so hard to avoid yours,”You are good, Aegon, I know you are, I can see it in you.”

“You don’t know me at all, love,” he whispered and moved away from you on the couch”You should just go to bed now, sleep it off. You'll feel better in the morning.”

“Will you stay?” you asked him.

He shook his head,”I really shouldn’t.”

“Please, I don’t want to be alone, you have to watch over me as I sleep, I could get a concussion.”

Aegon couldn’t help it, his lips curled up into an amused smile,”That’s only when you bump your head not when you’re drunk.”

“Oh,” you smiled and then ended up in a laughing fit, making Aegon shake his head.

“God, you’re so stupid,” he smiled fondly, no longer able to not look at you,"And so drunk."

“You’re stupid,” you teased him.

“Fine, I’ll stay with you,” he caved,”Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself in your sleep.”

You smiled satisfied,”You can sleep in my bed with me.”

“Absolutely not, I’m taking the couch.”

You pouted at him, giving him your best sad puppy eyes.

“Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Look at me like that, it…makes it really hard for me to say no to you.”

“That’s the point,” you grinned and you reached for him again but Aegon just grabbed your arms to stop you.

“Go to bed, please, I’ll stay here in case you need anything but I am not sleeping with you.”

You pouted again and pulled away from him,”Pfff, you’re no fun, I thought you were the fun Targaryen but you're worse than Aemond.”

Aegon just smiled and shook his head at your attempt at insulting him,"Go to bed."

"Fine," you turned your back on him,"But it's your loss."

Aegon just watched you go and waited until you were in your bedroom before he let himself fall down onto your couch with a quiet grunt.”Yeah, I know.”

[s7-evermore]

[The Boyfriend Contract] Ch. 1 - The Cost of Opportunity

This is The Boyfriend Contract series, Chapter One. Inspired by The Love Hypothesis and The Business Proposal. Azul Ashengrotto x fem! Yuu (reader) You can view this on ao3. Ch. 2

Opportunity Cost in economics is defined as the highest-valued alternative that is sacrificed when making a decision-- in this case, it's my dignity... and possibly my freedom.

In Yuu’s defense, it was his fault.

She was supposed to be aiming for his cheek, if only he hadn’t turned his head to look at her, she wouldn’t have accidentally kissed him on the lips after claiming to some obsessed guy that she was dating him.

But she had to make it look natural, so deepening the kiss was the only way to go.

Thank the Sevens that Azul was a good actor— after hearing her ridiculous claim and feeling their lips together, he couldn’t look like the fool in the situation, so he adjusted himself to her kiss. His tense shoulders lowered, making it look like he was somewhat relaxed and he leaned closer to her. The kiss felt awkward, uncomfortable, fucking painful— but some delusional and lonely ass part of her thought it felt somewhat nice. Had Azul always been this tall? Although she was shorter than almost everyone in NRC (Riddle and Epel included), she had to tiptoe even further and crane her neck just to deepen the kiss, and that was kind of hot—

Nope. No no no no NO. She shouldn’t be enjoying this, not when she’s literally kissing one of the biggest red flags in all of NRC.

When the pain in the ass was gone, she pulled away— giving him the chance to finally stare at her in disbelief.

“…Did you just…?”

Simply hearing his voice made her want to jump into a ditch and die right there, but since they were still surrounded by people, she had to pull him outside and into some secluded corner before—

“I’M SO SORRY!”

He flinched as she bowed deeply, apologizing with all her remaining energy. As much as she wanted to bury herself six feet under, this was reality, and reality states that she couldn’t do that.

Maybe not now.

She heard him clear his throat. Maybe he was disgusted? Repulsed? She doesn’t know what her current relationship status was with Azul, though she had called him a friend once, she wasn’t really sure if he saw her that way.

“Can I get an explanation?” His voice sounded the way it normally was. Serene, like ocean waves on a nice summer day. The kind you can relax to, and it was suave, somehow. Befitting of a handsome businessman like him.

Did she just say ‘handsome’? Did she just think ‘handsome’?

Well. In all honesty, it was the truth. She was sure that anyone could admit that. If she didn’t know him personally, she might have been attracted to him. Azul was no average face after all— and if he was, he would be the “super handsome” average type.

“I—“ She stood up properly as she covered her face. It was hot. Her face was hot. Or maybe her hands were just cold. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“Is...that so?” His words drawled on as he looked at her skeptically, or uncertainly, she actually didn’t know. Normally she could read people well, but her brain was too messed up to understand what his face was trying to do. “Perhaps you can explain to me what’s going on?”

Ah, so he was trying to discern why the fuck she just kissed him. Easy enough.

“Well, um…”

Okay, not easy enough.

She suddenly remembered that this was Azul Ashengrotto she was talking to. If she decided to vent to HIM of ALL PEOPLE about a guy who wouldn’t leave her the hell alone, he would have taken the kiss as leverage for him helping her, and in turn, make her feel indebted to him for allowing her to use him to get away from a suitor.

Everyone knows that there will always be a catch when someone becomes indebted to Azul.

“Look,” She sighed, “No offense but this is really none of your business.”

He stared at her for a moment before nodding, returning to his ‘serious businessman mode’ (that’s what she and her friends called it), “I understand.”

She sighed, one of relief this time. She wanted to just walk away and forget everything.

“I suppose I’ll just go back to school and file a complaint on sexual misconduct with academic peers.”

She nodded, “Yeah, okay I’ll— wait…what?!”

“I’ll be on my way.”

“WAIT!” She grabbed his hand to stop him from walking away. It was easy enough for him to shrug her off, but he didn’t. Instead, he actually stopped and turned back to look at her, as though to consider her desperation.

“Explain the kiss.”

She groaned, letting go of his hand in order to fiddle with her own. Even if she ran away from him now, he would investigate her matter later. No one kisses Azul Ashengrotto out of nowhere, after all. Unless you want to be in complete debt to him or…you know, in love with him. Highly unlikely. For her, at least.

“Kelvin Watson,” She told him.

He raised a brow, giving no indication of knowing the name.

“He’s a regular in the cafe I work at during the weekends.”

“It’s Friday today.”

“Yeah, I know, but I told the owner in advance that I would be able to work today since classes ended early and he needed more hands. Anyway, I came to work today and for some reason, Kelvin knew I was going to be there. He always seems to know whenever I’m there, and the owner says he only goes to the cafe during the weekends, aka during my shifts. Isn't that kinda weird??”

He nodded slowly as if to process every word she uttered.

“He was nice at first, really sweet and all that. But then he tried to court me, and I’m not really into that whole dating scene right now —school, Grim, trying to get back to my world and all that— so I rejected him. But the guy just wouldn’t get the memo and kept trying to ask me out whenever he had the chance.”

He just…stared at her.

“And…what does that have to do with me?”

“I— ugh—“ she covered her face, dragging her hands down in exasperation, “After my shift ended earlier he tried to ask me out AGAIN and I was so sick of his advances that I got desperate, and I—“

She hesitated for a bit, only to continue when Azul’s eyes narrowed.

“…I saw you come in and thought to pretend that you were my boyfriend or something to drive him away since you were a familiar face, so I… I didn’t really think?”

“Obviously,” He muttered under his breath.

“Hey! I was only supposed to kiss your cheek, okay? I didn’t know you were suddenly gonna turn your head!”

“And your instinct was to continue kissing me?”

“I just—! I was trying to make it look natural! It’s not like I wanted to kiss—“ She felt her cheeks heat up at the memory, and she tried desperately to shake it from her head. “Listen, I’m so, so, so sorry about that, okay?”

“Are you really?” He crossed his arms.

“Please don’t report me,” She pleaded as she looked up at him, “I really meant to just go for your cheek. I’m sorry if I made you really uncomfortable…” and please don’t drag me into a contract.

Now that she had the time to think about it a bit better (without the stress of having an obsessive boy trying to get her attention), she realized the abomination of her situation. She really had just grabbed a random guy from her school, claimed she was dating him, and kissed him on the lips (even though it wasn’t her intention).

Not to mention, this guy was literally on the list of top students not to mess with unless you wanted a death wish (or everything you cherished taken away from you). Notorious for his elaborate and sly schemes, his greediness for money, and his perfectly put-together demeanor that made him appear like an angel. It doesn’t help that he was blessed with such a handsome face—

Ugh. There she was again.

There was no excuse for what she had done. She had practically harassed him by kissing him without his consent, intentional or not, so he had every right to report her if he wanted. Knowing Azul though, he would do anything to make sure he gains the upper hand in the situation, even if it cost her her time.

(One thing, however, is that she knows that she would agree to it as long as it didn’t involve handing him Ramshackle Dorm. Because at that point she will actually beat the shit out of him if he pulls that shit again.)

“No, I’m sorry. You have every right to report me… intentional or not, I’m sure you felt uncomfortable. I just… I didn’t…” She just wanted to go back home and sleep, maybe forget about the whole thing. “Look, I’m going to leave now, okay? Thanks and… I’m so, so, so, so sorry.”

She turned on her heel and ran away, leaving the Octavinelle housewarden in his own thoughts.

She sprinted through the streets, passing by stalls, shops, passersby, and some students from Night Raven who were still in their uniforms. She ran past a middle-aged lady walking her dog, a classic red car zoomed past her, and suddenly the next bus stopped at the station where she arrived just in time.

She made sure to sit at the very back, ignoring every other passenger as she pulled out her headphones and proceeded to lose herself in her own thoughts and guilt.

What a shitty day.

Unbeknownst to her, Azul Ashengrotto was still standing right where she left him— thinking about her. Her eyes, her red cheeks, her predicament, her cute face, her soft, soft lips… And the things she told him when they were in the Atlantica Memorial Museum…

A/N - hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of The Boyfriend Contract. This is mainly a passion project of some sort. Updates will be pretty slow since I'm a busy student, please be understanding.

[bellaveux]

cheating Natasha?

take my opinion with a grain of salt because you’re the writer at the end of the day and I’m not sure if you were actually asking for one or just venting… but I can’t imagine there’s many situations where cheating can be forgiven.

when I read a fanfic that involves cheating, especially ones that are one-shots, the two characters being together or agreeing to work on things but the end of the story feels similar to they found out their partner cheated but forgave them for it same day. (even with a time skip)

@ginnsbaker is a writer who’s made a story that I consider an exception and to me that’s because (in the story the reader is no saint but for now we’ll focus on Wanda cheating) we can see all of Wanda’s regret, pain, and the work she puts into improving herself being fleshed out over a long period of time that it made forgiving her make sense.

also I think the reader letting go of the cheating partner and not being immediately paired with another person to focus on healing themselves is sooooo underrated😭

but yeah that’s my rant hope you have a great day!

i love @ginnsbaker’s series so much i cried so many times 😭 i think it’s an amazing story and take on cheating, forgiveness, regret and reflection

and i completely agree !! i don’t think there are many situations where cheating is forgivable. a lot of the time, cheating happens when one partner disregards their partner’s feelings entirely or repeatedly makes selfish choices—which in most cases, i think are truly unforgivable because it shows a deeper lack of respect and trust. and in situations like those, forgiving can feel like giving up self respect and/or ignoring red flags.

the fic i’m writing is leaning more towards something a lot more complicated. i think there’s a different quality to it when two partners both have things that they’re struggling with, something that they both struggle to communicate so that it’s more of a human failure than a blatant pattern of disregard—when both partners get to a point where they are finally ready/willing to work through their problems, address them and the pain, and to take accountability.

that being said, forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting. i think that’s a bit of a problem with a lot of cheating fanfics out there when a character is sooooo eager to forget and is blinded by their love for that person rather than seeing the hard truth. i don’t really enjoy those types of fics and i will try my best to make sure the one i’m writing isn’t similar !

so thank u for the rant !!!! it’s a really big help :)