#IM ALMOST FREE TRYST | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

haiitanis · 6 years ago

Text

Eden | Im Changkyun

❧ summary: It’s been five years since angels and demons have revealed themselves to humanity. You know he’s not human. You know you’re risking your soul. But do you really care? | Demon!Changkyun

❧ word count: 2.8k

❧ rating / pairing: m (eventual smut, language, mature themes) / Changkyun x Reader

❧ playlist: ▶▶▶

“Aren’t you going to join me?” he asked, his deep voice husky enough to send shudders running down your spine.

“Absolutely,” you murmured back, voice just loud enough for him to hear across the bathroom as you let the silk robe wrapped around your figure drop to the floor.

The scent of jasmine with undertones of something you couldn’t place hung heavy on the air as you stepped out of the pool of silk at your feet, your eyes never leaving his as you walked slowly across the cool marble floor, each step bringing you closer to him. Changkyun had inhaled sharply when the robe had dropped from your shoulders but if he’d wanted to allow his gaze to wander across your bared skin, he withheld and kept his eyes focused on yours.

You ignored the slight tremor in your hands when you stepped in the tub, sinking your body into the warm water. It was the only sign of the nerves you felt roiling in the pit of your stomach, but the heat instantly soothed you, at least as much as you could be calmed when Changkyun was this close. He was still watching you as you sank deep enough into the water that it covered all of the skin you’d just revealed.

“Come here, kitten,” he whispered, one hand lifting to beckon you closer.

You hesitated for only a heartbeat before pushing yourself towards him, letting Changkyun draw you in. His damp hand found its way to your hair, tangling into the strands before his lips met yours. This kiss was different than any before, slow and sensual, unhurried, and it brought something that Changkyun had said to you before, when you were in his office, to the forefront of your mind:

“When I make you mine, it won’t be in a shitty club or in an office. It will be with you bathed in luxury, just as my angel deserves.”

The fingers of his free hand ghosted along your shoulder first, trailing down along your bicep before skipping down to your waist and along your side, before finally finding purchase on your submerged hip and bringing you closer until you were completely pressed against him. You gasped into his mouth at the sudden contact and Changkyun took advantage of the opening to slip his tongue past your lips, exploring you as though this was the first time he’d ever kissed you.

It was then that you knew you were really all in. It no longer mattered to you that the man who’s arms you’d found yourself in was a demon, that every moment you spent with him put your soul in more and more danger. So what if you went to Hell when you died? It’d be worth it if it meant you got to be with Changkyun because this just felt so right.

When Changkyun’s lips parted from yours and you looked into his eyes, you found an almost unreadable expression on his face. “I used to think I didn’t have a soul,” he whispered, his hand that had rested on your hip leaving the water to stroke gently across your cheekbone. “Then I met you.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before you were kissing him again. If you were honest with yourself, meeting Changkyun had felt like finding out you’d been living your life with your eyes closed up to that moment. You wrapped your arms around his neck, letting your damp fingers play with the hair at the base of his neck while Changkyun’s hands found your waist, pulling you closer like he was trying to mold your body to his.

When you moved to straddle him, Changkyun stopped you. “Stand up,” he murmured and you complied, watching as he did the same before stepping out of the tub and offering you his hand to help you. The moment your feet landed on solid ground, Changkyun’s arm wrapped around your waist and he guided you out of the bathroom, into his dimly lit bedroom.

The next time he spoke, his voice was raspy and it felt like someone had drenched the building heat in your core with gasoline. “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, his eyes never leaving yours. “I need you to tell me you want this.”

You took a step closer to him, close enough that you were chest to chest, before reaching out to cradle his face between your hands gently. “I want you,” you whispered.

That was all Changkyun needed to hear before his lips were on yours again and his hold on you tightened as he led you towards his bed in the middle of the room, not caring in the slightest that neither of you had dried off when you left the bath when he pressed you down to the mattress. When you wrapped one of your legs around him, Changkyun groaned against your mouth as his hand slipped across your skin before gripping your thigh and encouraging you to press him closer.

You could feel his hard length pressed against your core and despite the fact that he hadn’t touched you, you were still so worked up from your earlier tryst on the couch that you were downright desperate to finally feel him inside of you.

But it seemed that Changkyun had other ideas, his lips leaving yours to trail hot kisses across the skin of your throat that wasn’t covered by the choker you still wore and down your chest before he was making his way down your abdomen and pushing your thighs apart to settle himself between them.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this for,” he murmured as he kissed his way slowly from your knee up the inside of your thigh.

You couldn’t help but shudder when you felt his warm breath fan against your still damp skin, his lips moving closer and closer to your core. Changkyun was moving almost torturously slow, purposely to tease you, mouthing at your skin and keeping your thighs spread. You let a small whine slip from your lips, lifting your hips in an effort to squirm closer, to tempt him to finally reach his destination, and you felt more so than heard him chuckle softly at your neediness.

When his mouth finally reached your slit, you gasped. Changkyun wasted no more time, diving straight in with his lips finding your clit easily, one hand sliding up the inside of your thigh to tease a fingertip at your entrance. Your gasp turned to a moan when he slipped the digit inside of you, pumping it slowly as his tongue working over your sensitive bundle of nerves until you were practically coming undone with his ministrations.

“You’re fucking delectable, angel,” he murmured as your back arched in an effort to move closer to him, desperate to reach your orgasm. Changkyun withdrew his finger from you, moving it up to circle your clit as he watched your reaction, smirking when you let out a moan.

“Should I make you cum now? Or should I make you wait a little longer, make you cum around my cock instead?” he mused as he continued to circle your clit, bringing you so close to the edge you could feel yourself teetering on it, the knot that had built up in the pit of your stomach about to snap.

You couldn’t help but gasp at his words. “Changkyun, please,” you whimpered, not even sure what it was you were asking him for.

“Please what, kitten?” he asked, lifting his head and looking at you, eyes dark with lust but never ceasing the motions of his finger against your core. “Tell me what you want.”

You could barely form words coherently. “Y- you, I want you,” you finally gasped out, punctuating your words with a moan when his lips reattached to your clit.

It only took a moment for him to push you over the edge, to make you cum so hard you saw stars. Changkyun paused, watching the way your thighs were shaking as he smoothed his palms over your skin before he was moving up your body, lining himself up with your entrance before slowly pushing into you.

You let out a gasp at the stretch, your back arching to press your chest against his. Changkyun buried his face in the crook of your neck, biting and sucking his way up your throat, leaving your skin decorated with deep violet bruises that showed you belonged to him. When Changkyun bottomed out inside of you he paused, allowing you a moment to adjust to his size before he was withdrawing from you only to snap his hips forward.

The sound of a moan slipping out of you at the feeling of him after wanting this for so long only seemed to spur Changkyun on. He continued to thrust into you, slow but deep until you were practically coming undone, lifting your hips to meet his every time with moans and curses falling shamelessly from your lips.

“That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble, kitten,” Changkyun murmured into your ear, nipping at the lobe to punctuate his words. It made you gasp, arching into him, and you could feel him smirking against your skin.

A particularly hard thrust nearly sent you over the edge again. “Fuck, ‘Kyun,” you moaned his name, your eyes dropping shut at the near-overwhelming waves of pleasure that were crashing over you, threatening to drag you under.

Hearing this only encouraged Changkyun, who shifted on the mattress to allow for a better angle, reaching down to grasp your thigh and spread you further for him. “I love it when you say my name,” he told you, the deep raspiness of his voice sending another lick of heat up your spine.

His next thrust practically made you forget everything but his name and this time when you gasped it out, you could feel the way Changkyun’s hips stuttered slightly, his steady pace interrupted slightly when he felt the way your walls clenched around his length. You tangled your fingers into his dark hair, tugging at the strands gently until you heard Changkyun’s low groan, then you were twisting underneath him, searching for his lips.

When your mouths collided, you couldn’t help but moan into the kiss, all but overcome by pleasure. “Changkyun,” you nearly whimpered his name, this time because he’d slowed to a stop, stilling while deep inside of you.

His lips left yours for a heartbeat as he hovered above you, the hand that had been tightly gripping your thigh moving to ever so gently caress your cheek, his fingertips trailing lightly over your cheekbones. Changkyun’s expression was unreadable as he stared at you, but you could see adoration written plainly in his gaze.

“You are perfect, angel,” he breathed out, so softly you almost didn’t hear him.

But for the second time that night, Changkyun gave you no chance to mull over his words before he was drawing your attention elsewhere. This time when he started to thrust into you, his pace had quickened enough to tell you that he was dead set on both of you reaching your end.

His hand had left your face, trailing down your body until he reached the apex of your thighs, slipping between you to search out your clit, rolling the sensitive nub between his fingers until you were crying out. This time when you came, his name tore from your throat in what was nearly a scream, and the clenching of your velvet walls around him was enough to push Changkyun over the edge as well.

He stilled inside of you as he came, his face buried in your shoulder to muffle the loud moan that accompanied his orgasm. You trailed your nails gently up and down his back as you both came down from your highs, and Changkyun didn’t roll off of you until his softening length slipped out of you.

“Don’t you dare move,” he whispered, pressing a sweet kiss to your forehead before making his way into the bathroom. When he returned it was with a damp washcloth in hand, which he used to clean up the mess he’d left between your thighs.

Once he was satisfied, Changkyun settled back onto the mattress beside you, reaching out to wrap his arms around your waist and tug you against his chest. “Stay here tonight,” he murmured to you, burying his nose in your hair as he spoke. “I don’t want to let you go yet.”

The request startled you a bit. Honestly, you figured he’d want you to head back to your own room, but you were more than happy to oblige his request. Changkyun let out a pleased sounding sigh when you made yourself comfortable in his embrace, and it wasn’t long before you heard his breathing even out, indicating that he’d fallen asleep.

But for some reason, sleep didn’t come to you so easily and now that the afterglow had faded, you were left alone with your whirling thoughts. Once again you’d all but forgotten that the man you were in bed with was actually a demon. It wasn’t so much that you were worried about the condition of your soul anymore; you’d thrown those concerns out the window when you realized you were falling in love with Changkyun.

The question weighing on you now was no longer what the cost of loving a demon would be for you. No, now it was if a demon could love you in return. It was wondering if everything you’d ever been told about demons––that they were soulless, evil creatures bent solely on the ruination of humanity––was false.

You were undoubtedly falling for him, but you questioned if he was even capable of the same. Sure, Changkyun didn’t seem like the average demon you’d heard of; he had no interest in taking souls, and all that you’d seen from him indicated a depth of kindness that you’d rarely seen before even in other humans. The loyalty of his followers––whether human or demon––was nearly unmatched, not something that was won through cruelty.

Truly, if someone had told you a year ago that you would be where you were, you would have laughed in their face. You’d always been downright terrified of demons, avoiding them at all cost as any sensible person would. In the years since they’d stepped out of the shadows, you’d never once run into one before you met Changkyun, and he’d been nothing like what you’d expected.

The man sleeping with his arms wrapped gently around your waist, snoring softly in your ear, was kind and gentle, albeit somewhat rough around the edges. This was the man you’d watched all but lose his sense when you’d dragged him with you to volunteer at a local animal shelter and he’d gotten to play with the new puppies.

In fact, that was the day you’d realized you were falling in love with him. The puppies had been found in an alley in the city, their mother nowhere in sight, and brought to the shelter a few days prior. To your surprise, Changkyun had been the one to ask the shelter staff if he could sit with them, his face lighting up when they’d allowed it.

You’d just laughed softly to yourself and went about completing your assigned duties and when you returned to Changkyun, you couldn’t help but lean against the wall and watch him play with the puppies. When he’d looked up and caught you watching, his face was radiating pure joy and you’d sworn at that moment, he looked more like an angel than anything else.

He gestured for you to come closer and taken the time to introduce you to each one of the puppies, cradling one in his arms as it twisted to try to lick his cheeks while he talked to them all in a higher pitched voice than normal. When the puppy finally succeeded, Changkyun had laughed the purest laugh that had ever blessed your ears.

As you’d left the shelter that night, Changkyun had reached across the center console of his car for your hand, taking it in his own and squeezing it gently before leaning over and brushing the gentlest kiss over your cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here,” he’d whispered to you, the soft blue glow of the stereo system illuminating his handsome face ever so slightly.

That was when you’d realized you were falling for him, in that exact moment. Of course, you’d never tell him. At least not until you knew for sure.

It was with these thoughts on your mind and in Changkyun’s warm embrace that you finally drifted off, succumbing to the depths of sleep. And for the first time since you’d met him, no dreams disturbed your rest.

136 notes · View notes

nulfaga · 6 years ago

Note

How would a date between Martin and Orpheus go down?

OK omg im so sorry this took so long dfjkhklfgdgdkf

the answer is (as usual) both very simple and very complicated in that i have to account for a bunch of aus here lol

however! the throughline is pretty much that theyre 2 boring old men and they dont so much go out on “dates” as its just “oh hey look we happen to be spending our free time together isnt this nice” :’) like its usually not planned

but that said: in the main/canon verse for them (which is just the oblivion main story), ive always had the headcanon that martin, as an avatar of akatosh, has a subtle but powerful influence over the passage of time. like he and orph will have a spare hour or two and just spend it talking and lounging in martins enormous bed and it’ll feel like theyve spent the whole day together...and every time orph will just be so baffled on how only two hours have passed and martin will just shoot him a Mysterious Smile (he has no idea how he does it either, but he knows he’s always had that kind of time-altering hidden talent)

jauffre literally just hates orph because there have been so many times where orph has just watched martin crumble under the pressure of dealing with the xarxes and preparing to take the throne and he just cant watch anymore so he’ll whisk martin away for like a midnight walk, nothing big, maybe they even just sneak up to one of the guard outposts on top of cloud ruler’s wall and enjoy the view. the worst one of these adventures was when he and martin rode on horseback to this beautiful lake and the moon was high and there were lotuses floating on the water but 1) they were near the skyrim border so the water was practically ice, 2) there were slaughterfish in it, and 3) a few weeks later jauffre sends orph to check out the mythic dawn and its literally the cave right next to the lake. he literally almost led martin septim into the arms of the mythic dawn for the sake of a romantic lakeside tryst. martin just thinks that’s the funniest shit ever and dies laughing but they swear between themselves to never, NEVER let jauffre find out.

in the “martin lives & becomes emperor au” i would like to think that it’s very much the same dynamic, like, they put martin on the throne and from that moment he just has to make endless difficult decisions (and fix his musty father’s mess lol) and then every now and then orph, whether he’s the captain of martin’s personal guard or his consort/co-ruler(?), will just burst into a meeting and go “SIRE there’s a pressing matter that demands your immediate attention” and martin, by now an expert at looking serious in the face of orphs bullshit, will frown and go “yes, of course, right away” but in his mind he’s just thinking like “god what has he got for me today” and sometimes they sneak off to an inn in shitty disguises, or they go back and visit the kvatch chantry. sometimes it’s just a DIY candlelit dinner orph has cobbled together in their quarters. martin 100% would not survive the emperor-ship(??) without orph doing doofy shit like this every once in a while, but the tradeoff is that they both give poor chancellor ocato grey hair. (more grey hair?)

and then in the “martin lives because dagon never Tried It” au they obv start that farm together and they have no real obligations to anyone but themselves, so theres not so much the “sneaking away from authority” aspect, but it’s more low-key, quiet things they do for each other. in many ways it’s the ideal form of the relationship bc like yeah, it’s cute and exciting being constantly surprised or ducking out from responsibilities to spend time together, but how much better is it when you just have all the time in the world together, and you don’t have to seize your relationship from the hands of others? it’s things like martin secretly growing orph that patch of cyclamens (like i was talking about in the farm ask), or them cooking for each other!! orph has a surprisingly colovian taste—if it’s not meat and potatoes it’s not worth it—but a huge weakness for small, artisanal pastries, which martin learns to make because he’s a bastard who’s just innately good at everything and he wants to flex, but also he makes a hobby out of decorating them and leaving little arrangements of them for orph to find. he can’t stand them himself tho. in fact martin has to be reminded to eat more often than not; it’s just in his nature to be too lost in thought or in a book to really remember, but it helps that they usually take all their meals together...

so yea...i think emperor-martin-au mart/orph come the closest to actually having proper “dates” but as u can see they make it work no matter the circumstances :’)

#thank u for the ask!!!!!!!!!!!#orpheus velvassius #Anonymous

4 notes · View notes

laviniadeconde · 6 years ago

Text

☆ ━ ━ OUT OF THE WAY ! can’t you see LAVINIA DE CONDE, the TUDOR COURT PAINTER of TURKEY coming this way ? I hear SHE is FLIRTATIOUS, but also SUPERFICIAL. SHE seems to remind everyone of FLOWERS SCATTERED OVER MOONLIT WATERS, A PEARL STILL IN ITS SHELL, .&. PAINT SMUDGES ON DELICATE HANDS. hopefully one day SHE will succeed in HER ambition to KEEP FAVOR AT COURT, but then again, the court is a dangerous place. one can only hope SHE will keep HER head… ( MERVE BOLUĞUR ) ━ ━ ☆ as written by DAISY ;; EST, SHE/HER, 22 .

Historical Inspirations: Levina Teerlinc, Lavinia Fontana

Levina Teerlinc (1510s - 1576) was a Flemish painter and miniaturist who lived in the Renaissance. Widely regarded as one of the most important artists of the Tudor court, Levina served the English courts under the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

Lavinia Fontana (1552 - 1614) was an Italian painter who is regarded as the first female artist working in the same capacity as her male counterparts, outside of a royal court or religious convent. She was the first female artist to paint female nudes, and possibly the first female to use live nude female models.

AU History:

[ trigger warnings for mentions of sex, miscarriage/loss of baby, and parental death ;]

With such a strict upbringing, it is wholly surprising that Lavinia Efendi grew up with naught more but freedom in her heart, her words and thoughts wrapping themselves into poetry and song. The daughter of an Ottoman ambassador and a French countess, Lavinia discovered her talent for turning observation into art at a young age, her bouts of childlike fixation on the exquisite remedying itself in the examination and creation of art itself. As the daughter of world-travelers, the young girl often awoke to chambers filled with color and splendor, discovering different landscapes and new skylines with each city her father was tasked to visit, the nomadic lifestyle simultaneously an expansion of her boundaries and knowledge, and a contributing factor to her restlessness and inability to simply settle.

Her mother often lamented the fact that, of the two jobs women should hold (being pretty and sitting still), her daughter only ever managed to accomplish the former. Pretty was easy, but stillness, a forever-escaping ideal. There was no stillness when so many lovely things were around her, and her adolescence was one of self-made adventures, of finding a new escape in unexplored castle corners and mud-soaked peasant streets alike, as well as in their respective inhabitants. Her tendency to simply follow an interesting, beautiful thing stirred up disappointment in her parents, who believed the worst of their daughter and feared she had been stripped of her virtue before being presented for marriage opportunities within both the Ottoman and French courts.

The pursuit of various romances and trysts existed, of course, though they were not the sole reason for the excursions that persisted throughout her late adolescence. The girl, despite obvious beauty and the innate sensibilities that came along with a privileged background, found it easy to blend into her surroundings through her ease in presence alone. While her aptitude for chameleon-like charm went largely unnoticed by the royals and courtiers who almost always surrounded her, the locals were quick to consider her one of their own, teaching her peasant songs and drinking games without hesitation. It was never her plan to find a new lover in each new city, and neither a simple kiss nor the pleasure-pain of a song caused the ‘typical’ reactions of shame within her body or her mind, aligning herself explicitly with pursuits of freedom and beauty. In her mind, love was meant to be felt, to be experienced, and often -- as often as possible.

At eighteen, her father relocated the family back to France in order for Lavinia to pursue a proper education in art, his hope being that the stricter French lifestyle would iron out her proclivity towards the wild, and subdue any and all tendencies she had towards romances with anyone other than a suitor he approved of. For four years, she lived the way he requested of her, devoting her life to art and poetry -- a life of beauty, to be sure, but one restricted in its endeavors and unsubstantial in terms of fulfillment. For a girl who knew only how to live with freedom shadowing every step she took, the greatest restriction came upon her father’s death, a sudden iron tether to the reality that she would have to marry in order to secure her family’s wealth and their position within French society.

Her mother, before her untimely death, worked quickly to present her to the French court as her world-traveled, exotic beauty of a daughter, a talented conversationalist and even better artist, hiding entirely the girl’s history of indiscretions while living in the Ottoman territories. She attracted several suitors, though none quite held her attention the way that Antoine de Conde did, his charismatic way of speaking enchanting her entirely and inspiring a deeper passion than she’d ever held for any of the men or women before. At twenty-three, she was married to the ambassador, perfectly in love with him even while finding herself still attracted to beauty in all forms.

The first affairs started quietly after their first year of marriage. In her hopes to find new muses to spur on her creativity in the wake of both her parent’s death and the suddenness of married life, Lavinia sought men and women of great beauty to soothe the distress she did not know how to present to her husband. Unlike the trysts of her past, this time was not just for the experience or to test her own boundaries, but as a means of clinging onto something familiar when everything seemed shaken and ripped away from her -- or, perhaps, as a way to simply be anything but what she was: an orphaned woman married to a man she may have loved, but did not truly know. The hedonistic, freedom-seeking girl of her youth was not lost entirely, but simply buried under the earth of newly-married life and all the trappings of societal expectation and reputation.

As the years have passed on, however, Lavinia has found herself returning more to the innocently reckless free spirit she once was, though only time will tell if the King, the Tudor court, or even her husband will cast her from their good graces and into a world with no safety net, and no freedom to exist exactly as she pleases.

Additional:

When it comes to her indiscretions, there is a part of her that does feel (somewhat) guilty for her actions. She understands that her affairs are not acceptable to the society she now finds herself in, but refuses to accept their reasoning and adopt their refusal as her own. Her guilt mainly stems from the fact that she does love the man she married, and she knows that this marriage is likely not what he had hoped for. For Lavinia, Antoine is the first one to inspire in her what can only be love, a distinct blend of both passion and respect, and an endless fascination with his mind. Still, not only is it currently impossible for Lavinia to resist her innate tendencies towards hedonism, but the idea of limitation of one’s experiences is one she will always rebel against.

Prior to rumors of her indiscretions swirling about court, Lavinia was granted a position of ‘Court Painter’ to the Tudor Court, which she takes great pride in. Others may slander her or speak ill behind her back, but no one can speak negatively of the woman’s work, which has been thoroughly praised by the previous King and current King alike. Due to her success within the artistic realm, the King has also appointed her as art tutor to the young ladies of the royal family. She greatly enjoys this role, and finds she is at her most peaceful when she is around children.

Lavinia fervently longs to have children and raise a family. In the past, she has had trouble carrying the baby to term, but has kept her fertility issues private -- not even her husband knows that she has gotten pregnant, let alone suffered a miscarriage. While she will likely always crave freedom, she cannot deny that there is something entirely appealing at the prospect of starting a family and raising little ones to embrace themselves fully, and carry themselves with dignity and grace.

Essentials:

Name: Lavinia de Conde (nee Efendi)

Position: Tudor Court Painter

Nationality: Turkish, French (through marriage)

DOB: May 21, 1508

Birthday: May 21, 1508

FC: Merve Bolugur

᛫ art heaux ᛫ honestly, a hot mess. wants to be loved but doesn’t subscribe to societal conventions of love, which in turn limits the way she can receive love. ᛫ fights in the form of pouts and whines, never knows how to express her anger or frustration ᛫ gives the impression of an airhead, though her original thought often hides behind poetry to mask her more intellectual, ever-examining nature ᛫ falls in love every day with someone new (im paraphrasing Hozier here) ᛫ does actually feel guilty about how her indiscretions have negatively impacted her husband! ᛫ “limitations? i don’t know her.” -- lavinia de conde, probably + imaginative, artistic, charming, free-spirited, mischievous - selfish, superficial, childish, air-headed, reckless

#tudors.intro #[ veni. vidi. amavi; -- ABOUT. ]#ooc: this is a HOT MESS and i apologize for that #just wanted to get it out so i can start some threads for my girl !

3 notes · View notes

wrestlewriting · 7 years ago

Text

Be Here Now, Pt. 1 [Adam Cole]

Title: Be Here Now, Part One of ? This is the sequel to Insolence. To read Insolence (which is recommended) here you go: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve Characters: Adam Cole/Brenna(OC) Genre: Fluff. Angst. Romance. Length: 4,300 Warnings: Listen. We’ve all been around for a bit now. If I’m not cursing in a story, have I really written it? Summary/Inspo: Time to catch up with the babes! The winds of change are coming.

Be here now, no other place to be All the doubts that linger, just set them free And let good things happen And let the future come into each moment Like a rising sun Mason Jennings - Be Here Now

So I tagged those that asked to be, that are on my tag list, and that liked the first story. If you want to added or removed please let me know! :)

@running-ropes @chasingeverybreakingwave @thegenericluchadora @wrestlingnoob @alexahood21 @castielscamander @cosmicswimming @spine-buster @heelturn-timesten @crookedmoonsaultpunk @morgunsilver @wrasslin-rollins @imnobodiesbitch @morgancorbin @reigningambrollins @ryrybebe @bbmbabe @allhailthe-demonking @rebelfleur22 @alynevelludo2 @im-indestructible @heelstarla @sixdegreesofsamson @vixxyvampire @ihtscuddlesbeeetchx3 @valeonmars @pjanina13 @spot-of-bother @bolieve-that @theelitevillian @sleeplessandcynical @nopeitsnat @wweismyguiltypleasure @superkixbaybay @thedeboniardevistation @bulletbaybay @msgem @karleedaniels27 @heeltothequeen

Backstage at Ring of Honor felt... different. It seemed that everyone was somehow aware of what tonight would bring.

Tonight was the third night of the annual ‘War of the Worlds’ event, which combined NJPW with ROH and there was never a dull moment to be had. But the vibe in the locker room felt more… electric, than usual. Something in the air spoke of change and progression and loss.

Brenna knew exactly why.

Adam had grown in ROH. He had started years ago in the company, had made a name for himself in the company, held titles in the company.

And now he was going to walk away from it all.

It was just a little over two months in this exact building where Adam and Brenna had decided to give their relationship a genuine go. And it was just a week less than that since their Las Vegas tryst. Things were going well, all considered. Surprisingly, they had found it easier than anticipated to meet up in each other’s cities when not on shows. Though of course locker rooms still provided their most common rendezvous spot.

After tonight, that would change. There were two more days, one more TV taping, that Adam was to be a part of ROH. This was his last ROH PPV. This was the last big one officially.

This was Adam’s last night in The Bullet Club.

“Hey, kid.” Brenna looked up from where she’d been zoned out looking at her phone, finding Christopher Daniels sitting down in the chair beside her.

“Hey,” she replied, pretending to click off her phone, even though it hadn’t even been on. Brenna uncrossed and then again crossed her legs, adjusting herself in the beige and black sleeveless color block dress.

“Hiding out?” he questioned.

“No, just waiting to be called upon to do my part tonight.”

“Yeah? Then why are you all the way back here?” Brenna looked around the area, noticing a few people at the distant end of the hallway moving about. She hadn’t really realized she’d placed herself in a less busy area of the arena, away from the locker rooms. When she’d left the downstairs level of locker rooms, she had just wandered a bit, until she found a place to sit down that was quiet.

“Wasn’t on purpose,” she insisted. “I’m just staying out of the way.”

“So…should I start sending birthday cards to Pennsylvania?”

“Not a chance,” Brenna stated with a roll of her eyes to which he laughed. “We’re just gonna keep doing what we do, and see where it all takes us.”

“Brenna Marlow, just going with the flow? You have changed,” Christopher teased. Immediately she punched him in the arm, scrunching up her face towards him. He sold the hit, rubbing his arm and laughing, which she tried not to smile at.

“With the year I’ve had, it was bound to happen,” she pointed out, and the joking nature faded away with her words. “Guess I had to learn the hard way I can’t always have control, and you can’t always plan for everything.”

“Yeah, but you can still plan enough,” he replied. “Don’t change too much on me, alright?”

“No promises,” Brenna smirked. With his own look towards her, he stood back up to leave. He reached out towards her hair, and she anticipated what he was going to do, throwing her arm up to block him and push him away. She did not want her side fishtail braid messed up. “Go be old somewhere else!”

“Mean,” Christopher declared. She blew him a kiss, and with a chuckle, he finally turned and left. Brenna watched him walk away for a moment before looking back down at her phone to check the time. It was just under a half hour to bell time, and she figured it was a good time for her to head back to the production area. Adam was a part of the pre-show meet and greet, along with the Bucks and Briscoes, so she knew she wouldn’t be seeing them just yet. She hoped everyone was getting along.

The last she’d seen of Adam tonight had been almost two hours ago when they’d had some dinner together, along with the Bucks and Marty. The conversation had steered clear of the plan for tonight, and Brenna knew the boys had done that for her benefit. Everyone was walking on eggshells around her, she could tell. Tonight was a big change for her as much as it was for Adam, and it seemed that everyone was still handling her a bit with fragile gloves.

Coming upon the production area behind the curtain, she slid up to stand beside Kevin and Ian. Conversation flowed easily, going over match listings for the night, any last minute changes, and segment plans.

When a hand came to rest lightly against the small of her back, she startled just a bit, causing the person to laugh lowly, and Ian and Kevin to smirk.

“Easy, Bren,” Adam’s voice soothed her. “Just me.”

“I hate when you fucking do that,” she reminded him, turning to give him a short glare as he stood beside her.

“Half of why I do it,” he admitted.

“You done with the signing?”

“I am. Gonna go down to the locker room and get ready with the guys. Just wanted to see you first,” Adam explained. Brenna could feel her cheeks warm a bit, not so much at his words, but at them being said in front of her colleagues, so casually. It was still a bit unfamiliar for her to have their relationship for all to see. She’d obviously never dated a coworker before, and it was a learning experience.

“Sounds like a plan,” she stated. “Try not to suck tonight.”

“I will do my very best,” he confirmed with a stiff nod of his head before a wide grin took over his face. When he leaned down to kiss her, she couldn’t help her own smile from forming after he broke away from her. “See you later.” Her response was to kiss him again.

“Later,” Brenna echoed as she moved a bit away from him, allowing him to leave. When she looked back at Ian and Kevin, she found Cary was also standing with them. All three had matching grins on their faces. She rolled her eyes. “Oh, fuck off, all of you.”

“What! It’s just nice to see you happy,” Kevin defended the three of them, Ian nodding.

“Let’s just focus on work, please?” Cary, thankfully, took her lead and began to explain to her about the opening segment that would be introducing the G1 special that NJPW was going to have in California.

Soon enough, the PPV started. The dark matches went well, and from there the show officially began. Brenna felt like she lost track of time as she sat to the side, watching match after match. Ian announced the matches for the first half of the night, which allowed her to actually enjoy some of the show.

And then it was the second to last match.

It was truly show time. Adam had requested that she be the one to be the announcer for his match. He said he wanted her to be a part of his night officially.

Brenna had to swallow to get rid of the catch in her throat as she announced his entrance into the arena.

Watching him walk down the ramp and aisle, all swagger and confidence, dressed in his standard leather jacket and wet hair, resonated with her.

Brenna spared a short glance at Adam as he made his way towards the ring, understanding he was far more focused on his opponent for the night, and the after-match plan. After sliding through the ropes, Brenna set the mic down on the commentary table and picked up her cell phone. She missed the way Adam looked at her as she walked away, waiting until he was standing on the edge of the ring to go back up the ramp. Her eyes remained head of herself as she walked into the back behind the staging, Adam’s music playing around her.

She didn’t pause while passing any of the workers or any of the locker room that were mingling around watching the monitors.

She didn’t notice the quick look Jay Briscoe gave her. Or the longer sympathetic gaze she got from The Young Bucks.

It wasn’t until she reached the back parking lot did Brenna finally feel like she could breathe again.

There was probably about 20 minutes until she would need to head back in. She knew the match was allotted around 15 minutes of action, and then about 5 minutes for post-match chaos, give or take. Brenna planned to spend all the possible minutes she could far away from the ring. It was maybe dumb to outsiders but she knew it was the only way she’d make it through the rest of the show.

As much as she wanted to be the supportive girlfriend, she couldn’t reconcile watching her boyfriend for all intents and purposes move on from such a huge part of his career, of their lives. It was bittersweet in so many ways, and she would rather not have her emotions on display for everyone to see.

The fact that she was in a back parking lot of an arena, hiding away, wasn’t lost on her either. Somehow back parking lots at arenas had become a common setting for moments in her life and relationship with Adam.

Brenna passed the time on her phone, looking at reactions on Twitter to the show so far, scrolling through Instagram mindlessly. It seemed like the minutes went by slowly, as she did everything in her power to focus elsewhere than what was going on in the building behind her.

When the time had ticked down far enough, she headed back in. As she walked closer to the main floor, she could tell based on the sounds that the match was over. Soon enough she heard Kenny’s voice loud and clear, which confused her because she knew he wasn’t present. By the time she came to the production area, having slowed her walk, she looked at a monitor to see Adam laid out in the ring.

The monitor she was looking at cut away to a video package promoting the next match, and she was thankful for that.

A minute later, Adam was walking back through the curtain, to the applause of the production team. Cary and he embraced, and she watched as words were whispered between them. Adam shook hands with and accepted words from a few of the other workers before his eyes came to her. She couldn’t pinpoint the emotion he was showing, but it was a lot.

“I have to get out there,” she stated, indicating with her head she meant the ring. “Glad you survived.”

“Another one down,” Adam confirmed. With a smile, Brenna put a hard kiss to his mouth and then quickly left the area.

One more match to announce and the night would be done.

It went by fast, with Daniels retaining his championship. As he walked passed her to go back up the ramp, he did, in fact, ruffle her hair up a bit.

“Jackass!” she shouted after him, causing many of the fans around her to laugh. As the fans started to clear out of the building, Brenna left the floor along with the announce team and other workers. When she got into the back, she was immediately surrounded by the chaos of packing up. After making sure her mic pack was secured away, she went down to her own dressing area to change out of her dress and heels.

And then, that’s where she stayed. She knew Adam would have post-show interviews, moments with the locker room to enjoy. It was important to her that he got time with “the boys”. She was going home with him, so she’d have her time then. But tonight was the end of an era for him, and she wanted him to take as much time as he wanted to enjoy it.

Brenna passed the time by taking off her show makeup, which was always thicker and tougher to get off. She packed up her bags, making sure nothing was forgotten. After dressing down into her sweatpants and a t-shirt, she sat down to play games on her phone.

“Hey! There you are.” Brenna lifted her eyes from her phone, taking in Adam’s appearance. He was back in jeans and a flannel, all traces of his wrestling persona gone

“Hey,” she replied, locking her phone, setting it beside herself on the empty folding chair. “You done for the night?”

“I am,” he confirmed, coming into the room, shutting the door behind himself, leaning back against it. “You alright?”

“Yep.” Adam’s eyebrows went up a bit at her quick response. “…tired.”

“Keep talkin’.” With each step he took further into the room, Brenna felt her emotions that she’d tried so hard to shove deep down, surfacing. As soon as Adam reached her, and moved her phone to sit in the other chair, she was entirely focused on keeping her breathing even. If she focused on that, she could control the rest of herself.

“Just…been a hell of a night,” she quietly stated.

“Did you watch?”

“No.” Brenna continued to look away, not wanting to see his face at her answer.

“…why not?”

“Didn’t want to.” She knew she was being aloof, and her reasons for hiding away in the back were probably somewhat childish, but she couldn’t help herself.

“We talked about this….”

They had. More than once, actually. More times than Brenna really remembered.

After the meeting in Florida a month ago, it had been discussed regularly between them. Sometimes in small anecdotes, sometimes at full-length. What would happen if Adam changed promotions, if he didn’t. How it could change his career, the pros and cons. The impact it would have on them, as a couple. If they could manage long-distance, or needed to be together more often than not.

Brenna could still remember the last conversation they’d had about it when she was at his place a couple weeks ago, sharing beers in the darkened living room at night.

“I talked to Kyle today.” Adam’s statement wasn’t necessarily out of the blue, but it was. They hadn’t been talking at the time about anything, instead watching the TV playing Conan O’Brien’s talk show.

“How’s he doing?”

“Says alright,” he replied. “He and Maddie sound like they’re gonna try to have a family soon.”

“Aw! Good on them,” Brenna stated, taking a sip from her bottle. “It’s gotta be nice with him home and all more than before.”

“Yea,” Adam agreed shortly. “He uh, he was telling me though that may be changing in a couple months though.”

“Oh?” Brenna quirked an eyebrow, looking over towards Adam. While she was curled into the arm of the couch, he was in the recliner a foot away beside her.

“Sounds like he’s thinking about going about some other avenues he hasn’t been down before.” Adam’s words were vague to the casual ear, but to Brenna, a tried and true wrestler, she knew exactly what he was saying.

“I’m not surprised,” she finally said, shrugging one shoulder. “Kyle’s kind of in the same boat as you. He’s done a fuck ton, and it’s only right he gets a chance to see what else is out there, see what kind of life he can make for himself. And especially if he and Maddie wanna have kids. That consistency will mean a lot.”

“…so what if I did the same?” Adam’s gaze moved to meet hers, his fingers trailing along his beer bottle.

“That’s your call,” Brenna replied. “I’ve said that for a while now. You need to do what you want. What you think will play out the best for you.”

“You do keep saying that,” he agreed. “But you…you matter too in this situation. And I want you to tell me, honestly, from your heart, what you want for us.”

“You’re crazy,” she deflected, both of them knowing she was doing just that.

“Bren….” With his gentle chastising, Brenna looked back towards the TV. She could feel his eyes still on her, however. “Baby, please, just…just tell me your…your ideal. What, uh, what you’d want to happen for us.”

“Whatever keeps us together regularly, at least our known version of regular,” Brenna answered, not looking towards him.

“If I have to move, will you work with me on that?”

She hoped he didn’t see the way her eyes closed tightly as she took in a sharp breath. It was a question she knew would come eventually, but she hadn’t anticipated it now.

“Adam….”

“No, I know that tone. No, Bren,” he declared. “Tell me, right now, up front, if I have to be gone more than I’m close, will you work with me on that?”

She didn’t know what to say. She knew he was referencing Florida without saying it, but it was all still so hypothetical.

Adam and she had come so, so far in a few months. Going from a confused hatred, to an understanding, to a supportive relationship. It was hard to say, at least for Brenna, what she wanted or expected. This was still very new, uncharted territory.

When Brenna had gotten in this relationship, it had been a risk for her. Letting go of her past, of her pain, it wasn’t easy. Trusting Adam, taking his history in stride, defending themselves against people she loved…. No one would call it an easy road. And just went she thought maybe things were smooth sailing, there had to be a hiccup in the plan. A big hiccup, at that.

That was life though, wasn’t it?

Adam was most certainly not renewing his ROH contract, while she was still expected to continue her ring duties and occasional wrestling. He had talks with others, possibilities, but nothing solid lined up. It was all hypothetical and day by day, and how could anyone plan with life like that?

“Can we just cross that bridge when we come to it?” she questioned, looking towards him from under her eyelashes. “God dude, we’ve barely settled into ourselves as it is.”

“People get married in less time than we’ve been together.”

“So you wanna get married?” Her eyes met his fully, as she lifted her eyebrows in challenge.

“OK, smart-ass, I get it,” Adam conceded, causing her to relax her face. “I just… we’ve worked too hard to get here, for me to fuck it up. I don’t want to fuck it up. We made a deal, no secrets, no hiding shit. I need you to be open with me on this.”

“I am being open,” she argued. “I want you to do what you want. What you think will make you happy. Just…I want you to think it all through for you and do that. I’ll be here. We’ll figure this out, whatever it is. We’ve figured it out so far. I think we can keep that up.”

“Why can’t you just tell me what you want?”

“I am!” Brenna responded with force. “I want you to be happy. To choose what you want. The rest of it, us, whatever, we can work on it, figure it out. I haven’t put in this much work, this much struggle, to just walk away from you for now.”

Adam didn’t say anything at first, allowing Brenna to move her gaze from him, taking a long drink from her beer as she did so.

“I’m not trying to argue with you,” he finally spoke, his tone soft. “I just… your opinion means a lot to me. It always has.”

“And I appreciate that,” she said. Chewing at her lip, she decided to give him somewhat what he was asking for.

“Do I think going into WWE is a crap shoot? Most certainly. You either get to do good there or you don’t. There’s no middle ground. It happens or it doesn’t. And you can’t predict that. It seems you can’t have a lot of control in it either. But, if that’s what you wanna try, if that’s what you’re up for, then I won’t tell you not to.

“And if instead you want to take time away from it all, and do random indie shows, and just kind of have a calm life like Kyle’s been doing, I’m here for that too. It’s not like I’m leaving California anytime soon. Whether I fly from there to here to see your or somewhere else, it can be arranged.”

Adam just nodded slightly, and Brenna turned back towards the TV, effectively ending the conversation. Her beer was empty a moment later.

Adam had stopped pestering her after that, realizing she wasn’t going to change her stance on the matter. This was his life, his career, and he had to do what he wanted and felt was best. She couldn’t stop him or influence him overtly. She had to support him and his dreams. Because for all she knew, his career might outlast their relationship.

But either way, she did want the best for him, wanted him to be happy with his choices for his life. Of course, that didn’t mean she loved what he had decided on.

“Sweetheart….”

“Don’t, Adam,” she replied, finally turning for her eyes to meet his. “Let’s just go. I don’t want to be driving too late.” Standing up, she went to reach for her phone where he’d set it. Adam took the opportunity to grab her hand in his, pulling her between his legs.

“Sit,” he ordered, tugging on her hand to bring her closer. With a sigh, Brenna followed his direction, setting herself on his leg, perpendicular to him. He let go of her hand, sliding his arm around her back, his fingertips resting on the skin of her hip just beneath her shirt.

Brenna leaned her head onto his shoulder, her eyes closing when he turned to kiss her forehead. His lips lingered there for a moment, his breath warm as it ghosted on her skin. For some reason, it was this action that made the tears start to prick at her eyes.

“I’m being stupid,” she mumbled.

“You’re being my girlfriend, or at the very least a good friend,” Adam argued. Brenna couldn’t help but smile slightly at his words. She blinked a few times rapidly, attempting to keep her tears contained.

“It’s just… it’s stupid,” she repeated, lamented. “It’s not like I’m not seeing you ever again. Obviously.”

“But it’s going to be maybe less, or take a lot more effort to do that.”

“This is just… this is how we met, ya know? And everything that’s gone on with us, I dunno. I guess without this stupid fucking company it wouldn’t have happened.”

“We have a lot of memories here.”

“And like, I know how much this place means to you. And I’m so proud of you and all you’ve done and to just walk away…I don’t know. I just want everything to be so great for you no matter what.”

“Again, you’re a really great girlfriend.”

“Stop validating my crazy,” she demanded, making him chuckle softly.

“You’re not crazy,” Adam countered. “I agree with you on all of this. So I guess if you’re crazy, then so am I.”

“I mean, that would explain why you’re with a girl who straight up decked you once,” Brenna conceded, trying to keep her smile hidden.

“Nice, baby. Thank you for that reminder,” he stated plainly. Brenna couldn’t help the giggle that came next, lifting her head from his shoulder so she was able to look at him. He too was smiling, his eyes gliding across her face, taking her in. “I’m kind of looking forward to having free time to be with you.”

“Me too.”

“We are very much planning a vacation.”

“Oh, we are?”

“We are,” Adam confirmed.

“And where are we going?”

“That part is up for discussion,” he replied. “But I’m thinking somewhere quiet, just us, where we can just… be.”

“I will not die in a cabin in the woods for you,” Brenna said seriously.

“Stop watching so many horror movies.”

“I can’t! I love them!”

“And then you have nightmares, and all these paranoid thoughts, that I have to deal with,” Adam reminded her.

“Oh, you can handle it just fine.” He looked at her for a moment before kissing her lips softly. Brenna reciprocated the action, bringing her hand up to his face, holding him close to her. They broke apart a moment later, remaining close, each of their breaths mingling warmly with the others.

“Let’s go,” Adam whispered. “Wanna be home with you.”

“No complaints here,” Brenna agreed. She stood up from him, going to grab her bags. Adam immediately took her suitcase, which she had learned to not comment on. He wanted to be helpful to her, and she had to swallow her protests and just let him.

“Hey, you remember two months ago when we were here?” Adam asked casually as they made their way through the hallways.

“Mmhmm,” Brenna murmured, wrapping her arms around his free one, walking beside him.

“We haven’t done too bad since then, huh?” He glanced over and down at her, a playful gleam to his eyes.

“Me and you.”

“Me and you,” Adam concurred. With a bashful smile, Brenna looked forward again as they headed towards the door to leave. It was uncertain what was going to be happening in the next few weeks, but it was nice to have Adam with her to figure it out.

Everything looks different now. All this time my head was down. He came along and showed me how to let go. I can’t remember where I’m from, All I know is who I’ve become. That our love has just begun like….

#adam cole fan fiction #adam cole fanfic #adam cole imagine #adam cole fan fic #adam cole #wrestling fan fiction #wrestling fanfic #wrestling imagine #wrestling fan fic #roh fanfic #roh fan fic #roh imagine #roh fan fiction

83 notes · View notes