#I’d do the ceremony in private maybe and have an open party

[vines-of-ivy]

Bumped into some old uni friends today. They were visiting the city because someone had gotten married yesterday. Made me think if I had a wedding, who would I invite?

[fe-fictions]

Chrom x Robin Commission (Chrom is kidnapped and Robin is not having it!!!)

You weren’t necessarily trying to hide the fact that you and Chrom were romantically involved, but it’d be a lie to suggest you were being open and public about it.

No, you preferred to keep that to yourself, more than anything. You didn’t want it to change what people thought about you, even if that meant watching Chrom be flirted with by noblemen and women alike, waiting for their chance to catch his eye whenever you’d stop in town.

It was the one pitfall of courtship during war, aside from the obvious. The times in town, which were relatively peaceful, you found to be more stressful than a battlefield.

You had to stand by and watch Chrom be swooned over and watch them try over and over to steal him from you.

The only issue was that Chrom didn’t seem to rebuff them as often, nor as decisively, as you preferred. You knew he could be a bit oblivious, and that he wasn’t the most capable at expressing his boundaries until it was far too late (the Frederick propaganda posters came to mind immediately).

But you were starting to get more and more frustrated with it, the longer it went on. And now that you were nearing the end of the journey to fight with the bastard king of Plegia, you were finding the management of stress much more difficult than before.

So naturally when you stopped in a bordertown just north of the territory line, you thought it would be ideal to kick back, enjoy a pint with your favorite long-sword-wielding prince, and try to indulge in some relaxation before it was time to return to reality.

“Robin! They’ve got some excellent mead here- I brought you a mug.”

“Oh,” You smiled softly at your dear prince, glad to accept the offering. “I was going to get a pint in a moment, so thank you for being proactive. Did you manage to escape the bar unscathed?”

“Well, I received a few interesting looks, but I think the cloak ought to be enough cover.” Chrom explained; being so close to the edge of Plegia meant that there was a good chance there would be soldiers and informants scattered around the place.

Frederick was insistent that if Chrom were to join them for a night in town today, he’d be concealing the hair, and the mark. There was no need to risk him being in public more than they already were, already.

But even then, it was difficult to conceal his particularly handsome face. You were slightly biased in your belief that he was ridiculously handsome, but you weren’t going to hide the truth; you loved that man.

The only problem was that others seemed to be infatuated with him, too.

“Chrom, you didn’t let them see too much of you, right? We’re so close to Plegia, I’m worried that if the wrong person saw your hair…”

“Nothing to worry about. I promise,” He reassured you, setting the mug in front of you. “Now let’s talk about something more fun. Now that we have some time away from the army- I’d like to explore our future a little bit.”

“In a place like this?” You laughed, “Wouldn’t you rather we discuss that somewhere more romantic? Maybe out in the valley, under the stars…somewhere more ‘talk about the future’ like?”

“Nonsense! There’s no time like the present! Well, that, and I just can’t wait to talk about it. There’s so much to discuss!” He told you in earnest, covering your hand with his. “I’d love to talk about wedding plans, in particular. When we can get back home…what do you think- something big and elegant, or small and private?”

“Does…does someone in your position get to make a decision like that? I have a feeling we won’t be allowed to have a small wedding.” you mused, but Chrom insisted.

“We can have a small ceremony and a big party, if you want it. I’m happy with whatever you prefer. Both sound great to me!” He smiled, “So long as we finally get to show everybody how we feel.”

“That wouldn’t be bad. Maybe…when we get back, my mind will change, but…for now, I like the idea of an intimate ceremony. The Shepherds likely won’t be able to handle a small party, though. I can’t see Vaike and Basilio allowing a good party to go to waste.”

“That’s true,” Chrom chuckled, “Then, how about-”

“Excuse me, if I may…” a man suddenly loomed over your table, catching your attention. “I couldn’t help but notice how particularly attractive your friend is, here. I wondered what he might look like with the cowl pulled back?”

“I’m afraid he’s taken, sir.” You sighed, nodding your head towards your still-held hands. “If you don’t mind, we’d like to return to our conversation.”

“No, no, I don’t mind-” The man lifted his own hand, and suddenly the tavern grew quiet.  The only sound that perforated the building was that of the doors latching shut.

Chrom’s grip on your hand tightened. You were in danger.

“I won’t ask a second time- show me your face.”

“We’re under no obligation to do what you ask,” Chrom rose from his seat, keeping his head low. You stood beside him, quietly reaching for the knife at your hip. “We’re taking our leave. Stand asi-”

Chrom was silenced by a hand at his throat, the shocking stranger launching at your husband before you could even blink. 

The other hand ripped his cowl away, revealing a shock of blue hair.

“Chrom-!!” You weren’t able to get another word in before you were suddenly attacked by the people around you. The tavern erupted in violence, men and women alike throwing themselves at you and the prince. 

It didn’t take long to put the pieces together, as every enemy that came closer and closer to you were slashed away.

The entire tavern was filled with Plegians- they knew you were coming.

You didn’t know how- but they were waiting for you and Chrom. And you weren't going to get out of the fight unscathed.

“Chrom!!” You shouted for him, finding his cloak torn away in his scuffle. He as being piled on far worse than you were- he was the one they wanted.

He wasn’t able to get to the blade on his belt- he was being pulled down and restrained. 

“Chrom, hold on! I’m-” A fist smashed into your jaw, sending you stumbling to the floor. 

“ROBIN!!” Chrom’s voice was muffled in your ears, the sharp ringing disorienting you. The last thing you saw was Chrom’s hand reaching out for you, before something heavy struck your head.

There was pain, and then there was nothing.

-------------------------

It would be roughly twelve minutes before you’d come to, shaken awake by a frantic knight, a tearful princess and an entire horde of Shepherds that were crowded around you.

The tavern had been abandoned, ransacked and simsimply a huge mess.

Frederick would help you sit up, Lissa and Maribelle casting healing spells over you to try and return some of your lucidity.

“Robin…where’s Lord Chrom?” Frederick posed the question first, clearly unsure he wanted the answer. Your eyebrows drew together, fear replacing your confusion.

“What do you…why are you asking me that?”

“You were here together, before the attack. Miriel heard a commotion from the market across the street, but when she came over to investigate, the tavern doors were locked. What happened? Were you and Lord Chrom attacked?”

“Clearly she was, you oaf-” Maribelle snapped, “Did they attack him too? Did they-”

“They were Plegian.” You recalled first, staring up at them, “They were all Plegian. They locked the doors, and a man asked Chrom to take off his hood, and then he grabbed him. I couldn’t…they all came after us.” Your voice became increasingly more shakey with every when your recall came back.

“Lord Chrom was-!” Frederick grimace, rising to his feet, “The entire building is cleared,- he’s not here. We need to organize a search party immediately. We must operate under the suspicion that he has been kidnapped!”

“By Plegians,” Maribelle hissed, “Those monsters!! We were so careful when we came here.” How did they figure it out?’

“I don’t know,” You swallowed, “But there’s no point trying to figure that out now. We have to find Chrom!”

“We do, yes, but you won’t be doing anything.” Lissa jumped in, “You're Injured badly, Robin. They could’ve killed you! If we hadn’t come in when we did, Robin-”

“Thank you,” You cut her off quickly, recognizing the tears in her eyes. “But that’s not important…not right now- we need to focus on getting Chrom back!”

“We need to get you back to camp. Quickly-” Frederick’s jaw was clenched, but he was right. He and Maribelle helped you to your feet, your head still pounding. “Then we will regroup and locate milord.”

“But we don’t know what they want with him. We don’t know if they’re trying to kill him, or-”

“They’re Plegian, so they’re probably going to take him to Gangrel. I don’t know how they figured out where we’d be- but we can’t waste time.” 

“We’re not far from the capital- seven days’ time, maybe.” Maribelle said grimly, “If they wanted to take him, it wouldn’t be impossible.”

“Then we’ve done enough talking. We have to go.” 

You could ignore the pain, and the dizziness, and the fear. But the one thing you could not possibly hope to ignore was the anger.

They didn’t just take the prince of Ylisse. They didn’t take the Exalt’s brother, the Shepherd’s commander.

They took the man who was to be your husband. And they weren’t going to get him without a fight…one they would be losing.

-------------------------

It did not take long to deduce the source of information that led the Plegians to capture Chrom. There was a mole among the Shepherds.

A woman, an archer trained in Virion’s own squadron, who was weeded out quite quickly once Tharja pointed out the likelihood of it being an internal leak rather than pure luck.

One did not simply fill a tavern with capable enemy fighters.

Within two days, you would have the woman interrogated to the point of revealing everything she knew.

Where they were taking him. What they were doing to him- what they planned to present to Gangrel.

The beaten, bloody prince of Ylisse, to stand “trial” with his sister. 

And if all went according to their nefarious plan, it would surely spell the end of the Ylissean army, and lead to the fall of the whole country.

Chrom’s shield and Falchion would be strapped to your back, your Levin Sword and Arcfire tome secure on your waist. If the healers were coming with you, then he’d be able to fight his way out. Assuming he wasn’t injured to the point of needing bed rest.

You tried very hard to shove that worrisome thought down deep.

The Shepherds were rallied with a violent fervor, desperate to bring back the prince before they could get too far.

Miriel and Ricken were able to cast a tracking spell on the Falchion, following the directions you had forced out of the snake in your ranks.

He hadn’t gotten too far away. Mercifully, goddess be praised, the location that had been suggested was several kilometers south of the border town.

There was little doubt they’d be pushing as fast as they could to transport Chrom. With everyone gathered, you were haphazardly planning out how to rescue him, while also moving en route to catch up to them and get him back.

You were riding up front on the back of Frederick’s horse, Hebert, while said knight was galloping at full speed. Miriel and Maribelle were positioned on the backs of Cordelia’s and Sumia’s pegasus, driving as fast as they could into the desert.

“If we keep moving at this pace, we should be at their fort by sundown!!” You shouted over the whipping winds, the sand battering your face ignored as you explained the moving plot.

“Sundown isn’t soon enough- they’ll already be on the move by then!”

“It’d be foolish if they didn’t be on their way by then-” You agreed, stabbing the quill against the shifting map to pinpoint the location. “But they might also be expecting the fortress to be looked over, given the lapse of time! We’ll need to divide the Shepherds- enough to secure the fort! The rest of us will keep driving south!”

“How do we split up??” Cordelia asked, her eyes lasered forward in case she was able to spot Chrom.

“I want flying units, mages and archers with me- we’re gonna keep riding!! I want heavy units and thieves on the fort. Lissa and Frederick, I need you both while Ricken and Maribelle go to the fort as first aid. Are we clear?”

The shouts of your Shepherds made it quite clear that you were heard loud and clear.

There would be absolutely no hesitation from this moment forward.

The snap of Frederick’s reins echoed in your ears, the two of you were galloping for dear life, the pegasus riders swooping above with renewed vigor, now that the plan was put into action.

By the time the sky turned orange, the fortress was in view. You looked to your shifting team, nodding to Sully- your chosen commander for the fort rescue unit.

She growled, thrusting her spear in the air before charging away with them, a war cry rattling even your bones as they thrust themselves into their battle.

And now, it was down to your team.

“I pray they find him there- it would at least mean he’s back in our hands sooner.” Frederick said, digging his heels into the horse’s sides. You frowned, drawing your hood up against the sand beating your flushed skin.

“We can only hope. But if they don’t find him, I pray we’ll be able to find him in one piece”!

Within a half hour, Sumia dove back down, flying nearly side by side with Frederick’s beast. 

“We spotted a caravan moving at high speeds, twelve kilometers ahead!”

“How big?”

“It seemed to be only two carts- everyone else was armed. Four wyverns in the air, two pegasus!”

“That’s where he is.” You glowered, drawing your blade. Falchion weighed heavy on your back, realizing how close you were to finding him.

The push forward from that point was no longer a quiet urgency.

As soon as they were in range, the fight was on.

Virion’s arrows were flung into the sky, catching dragon wings and horse’s hips, forcing the flying units down with little mercy or hesitation.

The moment you heard the whinnies of frightened beasts, you knew you were close enough.

“Halt, in the name of the Exalt!!” You bellowed, drawing up your Arcfire and flinging a decisive blast into the path of your enemies.

The carts split apart, horses careening away in a panic. You were quick to direct Frederick to the left, thrusting Maribelle and Stahl towards the cart separated in the opposite direction.

That was when the chaos started.

Panne leapt onto the first Plegian she could reach, her beastly form devastating and quick to defeat her prey. You caught an arrow in your arm, but it was ripped away and countered with a blast of lightning. 

As soon as Frederick’s lance could reach, he was cutting away the wheels in a single angry stroke. The back spokes broke loose, and the cart slid back, crashing against the sand. 

“Secure the driver!!” You shouted to him, leaping from Hebert’s back and rushing the cart skidding into the ground. It was still being dragged, but the speed being greatly reduced made it much easier for you to jump on. 

Frederick rushed to the front, battling the driver to take control of the broken carriage.

You grabbed onto the wooden box, its door cracking and groaning as the walls threatened to come apart.

“CHROM!!” Your voice had yet to break from all the yelling, but you weren’t going to stop until he was safe. A knife was ripped from your belt, driving it into the splintering wood to force an opening.

You hoisted yourself up, peering into the hole and into the dark space.

There were crates, barrels of supplies, but in the very front of the cart, you could see it.

A silver glove, and a dash of blue hair on the floor of it.

“Oh-” You jerked to a sudden stop, Fredrick having halted the caravan. The other Shepherds pressed onward, bringing their battle to an end. But you had bigger things to worry about.

“Frederick!!” You called forth knight, who was sprinting from the seat now that the horses were stopped.

“Robin! Is he-”

“Help me break the door down-”

“Yes-!”

“He’s in there!!”

The lance was traded for his axe, which was breaking the wood down and splintering it away without a second thought.

When it was down enough, you pushed into the space, shoving away the boxes and barrels to force yourself into the space.

“Quickly, you must fetch Lissa!! Get her and Maribelle, I don’t think he’s conscious-” 

Frederick’s hesitation was only for a moment- seeing the slightest hint that his prince was in there was almost enough to send him barging in past his liege’s lover.

But he would be quicker than her to get the attention of the healers.

“Chrom!!” His name cracked on your tongue, racing over to him and kneeling into the wood and sand where he laid.

His hands were bound, his body curled inward as though in pain. You shook his shoulder, calling his name again and again. He would not reply.

But he was still breathing. You heaved a shaking exhale, searching your pouch for a vulnerary. There wasn’t much left inside, but enough to ensure he’d stay with you until Frederick came back with the others.

“Chrom, please- I’m here now. I’m here, so please wake up.” You whispered, pulling his heavy frame up so that his head rested in your lap. You tilted his chin up, uncorking the potion and pouring it gingerly.

His breathing stuttered before he swallowed, his eyebrows drawing together suddenly, contorting as he was slowly regaining consciousness.

“Breathe, Chrom, it’s all right…I-I promise, it’s all right now. The healers are going to be here soon. Lissa and Maribelle, and Frederick, and…”

Chrom’s eyes fluttered, his fingers clenching and unclenching against his palms. 

“Oh, um…hold on, I can get those…” Awkwardly you leaned forward, trying not to disturb him while you cut away the ropes on his hands.

The moment the fibers snapped away, you felt his fingers wrap around your wrist, clinging tightly.

“Chrom?”

“R…Robin..?” 

His voice was such a weary, hoarse and hopeful sound. You slipped your hand back so that you could squeeze his, feeling the tremble of his fingers against the gloves.

“I’m here, my love. I’m right here. We got you.” You whispered, the tears blurring your vision only moments from falling. At last, Chrom’s eyes opened. Glassy, but as blue and vibrant as ever. He was awake.

“You…y-you found me.” He gazed up at you, the almost shocked expression impossible to miss despite his exhaustion, and all the blood and bruises that otherwise hid the view.

“We all did darling, and they’re on the way.” You lifted your head, hearing the clanking of armor and the tense voices that were surely not far away. “Lissa and Maribelle will heal you up, and then we’ll get you back on your feet in no time.”

“Your arm…” He trailed off, brushing his hand against the torn fabric of your coat. You are standing right there, finding the gash on your skin.

“It’s fine. Nothing a bandage can’t fix.” You assured him, “Now stop worrying about your rescuer and focus on yourself, for once.”

He hummed, closing his eyes with a soft sigh. You ran your fingers through his hair, comforting your rescued love. You had no idea what on earth those monsters had done to him, but he was clearly exhausted and was treated harshly. As if you needed another reason to beat down the Plegians…

The silent reverie you found with him, relishing your reunion, did not last much longer. He was back in your arms, but shortly after holding onto him, you found yourselves overwhelmed by an army of anxious men and women.

The clerics took to the forefront, and you were at least allowed to stay in place while he was treated. Best not to move him too much until they knew it was safe to move him.

His breathing became less labored, and his sentences were more sturdy. He stared up at you clearly now, and sought out your hand deliberately despite the mess of people working around the two of you.

“We’re gonna be okay.” You promised, your fingers threading together.

You separated yourself only long enough to get him onto the other cart, which they had been able to preserve its wheels unlike yours and Frederick’s barbaric tactics.

Eventually you returned to camp, to the tearful reunion of the fort party. The place had been run through from top to bottom, but when no one was able to locate the prince it didn’t give them much comfort.

The extra supplies you were able to salvage from the place would come in handy, but that was on the back of your mind at that moment. After all, you had a prince who needed tending.

He would be sent straight to the healing tent, and you would be right behind him, taking up residence in a chair beside his cot while he recuperated.

It would be two days of sleeping before he came around from his healing, but of course the very first thing he did when he could sit up on his own was taking that he took you into his arms and squeezed you close, kissing you over and over until the tent was completely empty for fear of being exposed to the prince’s private affection.

He only managed to pull back to say a tearful thank you, reminding you just how deeply he loved and cherished you more than anything in the world. 

Which, of course, earned a response of a thousand more kisses and a tight squeeze, one which would have been impossible to separate you from.

Chrom was home, in your arms. An embrace he hoped he might never leave, again.

[darkmulti]

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE YOUR NEW BTS HEADCANONS

They’re literally so good I can’t get over them!

I’d like to request stepbrother tae with younger reader, where the reader is inexperienced and tae teaches her everything. With some yandere themes, age gap, virginity loss, praising, master/angel calling.

Thanks very much :)

-> thank you, bb😙

-> sorry for any mistakes

⚠️: Yandere!Taehyung, virgin!reader, stepbrother!Taehyung, age gap (reader is 18 and Taehyung is 28)

Your dad proposed to his two year long girlfriend

Your mom passed away when you were 6 and your dad has been raising you as a single father until he met his now fiancé when you were 16

You accepted the relationship because your father meant the world to you

After your mom’s death, he fell into a deep depression but kept going for you

He loved, protected and cared about you greatly

Your dad waited for you to turn 18 before proposing to his girlfriend

The reason why is because, he didn’t want you to feel left out or forgotten

He wanted you to enjoy the last 2 years of your childhood before you join the harsh, adult world

Your dad was the best dad you could ask for and all you wanted was to see him happy again

And you knew this marriage was the answer

You helped your future step mom with everything

From picking little decor for the tables, to the bridesmaids dresses, to the theme of the wedding — your step mother wanted your opinion on everything

You both finally got the chance to bond without your dad third wheeling

While you guys were out, doing some last minute shopping, your step mother confessed something

“Sweetheart, I’m so excited to marry your father but something in my heart feels incomplete.”

You scrunch your face and immediately ask her “what’s wrong?”

“My son…” she hesitated but continued, “… I want to invite him to our wedding but I’m not sure how he’d react to me re-marrying. After all, he’s daddy’s boy.”

“You have a son? How come dad’s never told me?” You said and frowned

“Well, I don’t like talking about it very much. My son is not the biggest fan of me, but in the end, he is still my child.”

“I don’t understand… why doesn’t he like you?”

“His dad made him believe that I cheated on him, even though it was the other way around. Taehyung left me behind without letting me explain what actually happened.”

“I’m so sorry about that. Maybe you can send him an invitation. If he comes, he comes, if he doesn’t then he’s missing out.”

She chuckled and started walking again

“I guess you’re right. Thank you for the reassurance.”

The wedding arrived faster than you imagined

Since the morning, you’ve been running back and forth, making sure everything’s perfect because you don’t want your dad nor your step mom to be stressed

The ceremony itself took place during the day time and in the evening, there was going to be a reception party

The ceremony went well, but your step mom seemed to be a little upset

You assumed it was because her son, “Taehyung” didn’t show up

You felt bad for her, but there was nothing you could do

The reception party was amazing

Your dad and step mom were enjoying every bit of it

The food was amazing, everyone was cheering & bringing up past memories

All was going well till someone walked in that caught your step moms attention and wiped the smile off her face

You followed her stare and saw a handsome man wearing a black suit standing in the door way

“Taehyung?”

Your step mom said, before getting up and running to him

She was about to pull him in for a hug but he rejected

“I see you got married again, mother. Does this guy know he’s wasting his time on a cheater?”

That was when you butted in and stepped in front of your step mom

“If you have nothing good to say, then leave. Your mother is trying to make amends with you and if you can’t cooperate, you might as well go home.”

“And who are you?”

“I’m her daughter.” You said, proudly

“Step daughter, Taehyung.” Your step mom chimed in, not wanting her son to get the wrong idea

Taehyung rolled his eyes and went towards the bar

“Please don’t let him spoil your night, ma. I’ll keep him out of trouble.”

You thought Taehyung was going to do something obnoxious but, no

He sat down at a table all the way in the corner and started talking to you

You were a charming girl and he absolutely loved it

Your eyes full of love and innocence

He asked you about your dating life and you replied that you weren’t interested

That’s when Taehyung knew, he had to stick around

6 months had gone by and Taehyung finally apologized to his mother

Your step mom was over joyed that her son was back

She felt like her life was getting back together

You still lived with your parents, but they didn’t mind since you were in university

Taehyung on the other hand lived in his own apartment near your university

He was actually a professor at your university

One day, your dad asked you if you could sleep over at Taehyung’s place for one night

You asked why and your dad said that this was the day he asked out your step mom so he wanted to do something special

You agreed and packed your bags

Taehyung picked you up and took you back to his place

He kept the conversation going by asking you about school, hobbies, ect

He even offered to give you a private tutoring session for free

The evening with him was going very well

He ordered pizza and there was a movie starting on the T.V

Halfway in the movie, there was a sex scene that made both of you a little needy

You started to move around more and Taehyung was quick to notice

He also had a solution to make you stop

He put his arm around your waist and pulled in closer to him

You were about to ask him what he was doing until you felt his thumb rub your clit in a circular motion

You accidentally let out a loud moan in satisfaction

Taehyung didn’t waste this opportunity and kissed you hard

He turned the T.V off and got on top of you, rubbing his raging bugle against your clit

You started rubbing against him too, wanting him to fill you up

He removed your shorts and started rubbing your clit faster

“Have you ever played with yourself like this before?”

“N- No.”

“Let master show you how to pleasure yourself, okay.”

He pulled you into his lap and made you spread your legs wide

He guided your hands on your clit

“Rub it, angel.. It whatever way it feels good.”

You started off slow but it wasn’t satisfying you so you increased your speed

You were about to cum but Taehyung slapped your hand away from your clit

“Rule number one, angel. You will not cum without master’s permission.”

“Okay.”

He slapped your clit, making you flinch in his lap

“Rule number two, you call me master. Understood?”

“Understood, master.”

“Good, angel. Master likes fast learners.”

Taehyung’s hand made it’s way back to your private area

He pushed in the tip of his pointer finger and you let out a squeal

“M-master! It hurts.”

“I know, angel. You’re so tight, that’s why…” he removed his finger from you and brought it up to your mouth, “angel, suck my finger.”

You happily opened your mouth and sucked on his pointer finger till it was wet with your saliva

“Perfect, angel.”

He slipped it back in, but this time it went in easier

“Master, don’t take it out. It feels good.” You whisper as you rocked your hips for some friction

He immediately removed it causing you to whine and squirm a little

“Rule number three. You don’t tell master what to do. Understood?”

“Yes, master. I’m sorry.” You said, softly

“Rule number four, you don’t whine. I don’t want any whining, angel. Or else, I won’t give you what you want.”

“I understand, master. It won’t happen again.”

You were so obedient, it was driving Taehyung crazy

You were so desperate for his touch and love

“Okay angel, lay down on your back and put your legs in the air.”

You did exactly what he said and spread your legs wide

He slid his fingers along your slit only to find out how wet you’d gotten just from all the teasing

He spread your wetness all over your hole for some lube then pushed in the tip

You were a little scared so you touched around for something to grab onto and Taehyung noticed

He intertwined both of his hands with yours before pushing deep inside you

You screamed a little because it was your first time

“M- Master. Slow.”

“It’s okay, angel. It’ll only hurt for a little bit.”

He pushed his whole length in you and kept his pace slow

“Master, it hurts!” You yelled, throwing your head back and releasing your tears

Taehyung quickened his pace so you could adjust to him faster

After a couple of fast thrust, you started moaning and rolling your eyes back in pleasure

You let go of his hands and held onto his back

“Master-mmmh!”

Taehyung placed his thumb on your clit and started rubbing it while fucking you faster

“M- Master! It feels so good.”

“I know. You’re taking me so well, angel.” He whispered into your ears, sending chills down your spine

Taehyung has been dreaming of this moment ever since he met you

All he wanted was to fuck you rough and raw

The idea of claiming you become more and more intense as time went by

You made him crazy

All the love and innocence in your eyes turned into lust for him

“Master, a- a little fa- faster, please. I’m close.”

Taehyung grabbed onto your hips and started fucking you as hard as he could

You were moaning so loudly, he knew you were close

“Tell me angel, what was rule number one again?”

“Don’t c- cum without master’s permission.”

Right after you finished your sentence, you hit your high and wanted to release

“Master! Please let me cum!” You yelled, clenching around him as hard as you could in order to stop yourself from coming

Taehyung groaned when you clenched around him

It was like paradise

“Master, please! I beg you! I can’t hold it!”

He pushed his whole length in one more time before saying, “release, angel.”

You covered his cock in a coat of cum while he filled you up

Both of you were panting heavily until Taehyung pulled out and carried you to his room

“You did such a good job, angel. Now let master take care of you.”

Just like that, you fell into his trap

[kaunis-sielu]

Schoolyard: 15

Canada.

It’s snowing when you land, those big pretty fat flakes that make it seem like you’re in a movie. Thor passes his phone to Sif who takes a picture of the two of you, one where you’re both smiling at the camera as the flakes fall around you. The second Thor looks like he’s kissing your cheek and you’re laughing because he’s actually blowing a raspberry to make you laugh.

It’s still weird to be curtsied to, but the ambassador does exactly that. You and Thor both nod back before Thor shakes the Ambassador’s hand.

“It’s such a pleasure to have you here Your Majesties.”

“Thank you for having us.” Thor says, “it’s been a while since there’s been a Royal visit from what I remember.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Almost a decade.”

“Too long my friend.” Thor says clapping a hand on the other man’s shoulder, “I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée.”

“We heard wife.”

“Well, technically yes but not nationally. It was a quick private ceremony for my father.”

“How is His Majesty doing?”

“Fairly well, wouldn’t you say Elskede?” Thor says bringing you back into the conversation.

“I would. We’re trying some different medications so I’m hopeful one will be beneficial.”

“You act as if you’re his doctor.” The Ambassador laughs and Thor’s hand tightens in yours.

“I’m not his doctor but I am a doctor.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.”

“We’d love to get some rest before dinner. Could you show us to our rooms?” Thor says coldly and you slide your thumb down the side of his hand.

“Of course.” The Ambassador says looking properly chastised. He leads your group to some rooms, you have to go into an elevator then down a hallway. The Ambassador opens the door to one of the bedrooms and bows as you and Thor enter.

“Thank you.” You say with a smile at the Ambassador then you’re left alone with Thor.

“So he was rude as hell. I feel like I should replace him for his attitude toward you.”

“Thor, it’s fine. I don’t mind that these men make a fool of themselves.” You soothe and he stares down at you before kissing you softly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yea.” You assure him, with a smile. “I like when people underestimate me. It’s easier to get information if they think I’m some brainless woman.”

“You need to stop spending time with Loki.” He says and you laugh.

“Maybe.” You agree before he presses a quick kiss to your lips.

“We should get ready for the state dinner.” He says and so you step away from him and start to get ready for the party. Sif helps you with your hair, Bryn sits and watches as you get ready and when Thor knocks on the door she goes to let him in.

“I have something for you.” He says opening a box and showing you a tiara.

“You couldn’t have brought that an hour ago?” Sif demands but you smile up at him.

“It’s beautiful thank you.” Sif takes it and gently helps work it into your hair.

When you’re ready you and Thor head to the Prime Minister’s home where the party is being held. You have a really good time, the people are kind and friendly which isn’t surprising for Canadians.

The four days you spend there are so much fun, the snow is just enough to be pretty and not the worst and you and Thor take some really cute photos together to post on the last day you’re there.

The States

It’s nice seeing Tyr again. He’s as friendly as he was last time and the room that you and Thor are in is beautiful. You convince Thor to go to your old apartment so you can start packing. Jane is there when you open the door and she doesn’t look pleased to see you.

“Jane.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m moving so I’m here to pack up.” You tell her as Sif, closes the door behind her. Jane scowls but you just move past her and into your bedroom. Thor follows you with several folded boxes, you work silently together packing your things. You glance up at Thor and see that he’s staring at some of the photos above your desk on the cork board you have hanging there.

“Thor?”

“I remember this day.” He says softly as he gently pulls the photo off of your cork board. You’re grinning broadly at the camera, his arm is over your shoulders and he’s smiling over at you. “This was the day you told us you were leaving.”

“Yea, it was a fun day until you all found out.”

“I loved you even then.” He admits softly and you cross the room to press a kiss to his cheek. “I thought we had so much time and then you were gone.”

“I don’t think I stopped crying for like three days. I missed you so terribly.” You tell him, and Thor rests his forehead against yours. “I’m so glad we found our way back to one another.” You whisper and he hums before kissing you.

“Your Majesties, sorry for the interruption.” Sif says from the doorway.

“What Sif?” Thor asks, not removing his gaze from yours.

“We only have three hours before the dinner. We should go.”

“I’ll send someone to finish packing.” Thor promises and you nod.

“Leave the furniture. Jane can have it, except for the rocking chair in the living room.

“Are you sure?” Thor asks and you nod, he weaves your fingers through his and you follow him out of your room. “Alright let’s go then.”

Jane isn’t in the room when you pass through, but Thor speaks to Volstagg quietly and he nods then you and Thor follow Sif and Brynn out of your old apartment. You wish you could salvage your friendship with Jane but it doesn’t seem likely.

When you get back to the embassy it’s a flurry of activity. The President, his wife, the Vice President and her wife as well as other Ambassadors will be coming to the Embassy instead of you going to Washington DC. You wouldn’t have minded but it is nice to be somewhere familiar.

Thor watches you finish getting ready, the weight of the tiara on your head is becoming less terrifying and more of a comfort, a reminder that you are Thor’s fiancée. That you’ve chosen him over everything else and that doesn’t scare you like you thought it would.

“You always look so beautiful Elskede.” He says as you swipe on some mascara to finish your look.

“You look handsome as hell.”

“Yea?” Thor asks with a small smirk and you nod, then stand to cross the room to where he’s waiting. You press a kiss to his lips, his hands grip your hips, dragging your body flush to his.

“Alright you two, it’s time to get out there.” Bryn says pushing the door open. Thor let’s out a soft groan causing you to laugh. You weave your fingers through his then head out together.

China

You and Thor had slept for a majority of the flight to China. You don’t even remember landing to refuel but Sif swears that you did. Twice.

You’ve been in touch with a former classmate of yours, Steve Rogers, who has been working for Doctors Without Boarders in rural China. You haven’t mentioned it to Thor or the team yet but you want to go help out.

“Elskede?” Thor asks as you dig through your bag.

“Hmm?” You hum in response.

“Why do you have scrubs?” Whoops.

“Don’t just say no.” You start and Thor looks suspiciously over at you. “One of my best friends from Med School, Steve, is working with Doctors Without Boarders out in Zhejiang. I want to go for a couple of days and help out.” Thor doesn’t look like he likes the idea but you’re not giving up so easily. “I’ll take both Sif and Bryn, I’ll be in touch the whole time. You can run a background check or whatever on Steve. Please Thor. I really really want to do this.”

“You’re willing to give up some of our sight seeing time to do this?”

“Yes. You don’t have to come if you’ve got other things to do.”

“Elskede, I’m not going to abandon you on our engagement trip.” He says and I laugh.

“I didn’t realize that’s what this was. I thought it was a coronation celebration.”

“Can’t it be both?”

“I don’t know,” you muse, “seems like a cheap way for you to get out of giving me an actual vacation.” You tease and he lets out a low growl before looping an arm around your waist and pulling you to him.

“You name the place My Love, and I’ll take you.” He promises before covering your mouth with his. You pull away from him,

“Does this mean that we’re going to go to Zhenjiang?”

“Yea, Elskede. I’ll work something out with the team. We can go tomorrow.”

“Thank you!” You tell him kissing him again before you grab your phone and text Steve.

The next morning you head out to Zhenjiang and when you get there Steve comes wandering out of the building with a wide smile on his face. You give him a tight hug and he swings you off your feet.

“Hey Bug.”

“That’s Her Majesty Bug to you.” You tease and Steve laughs that big belly laugh of his.

“Beg your pardon Your Majesty.” Steve says with a teasing bow as his best friend Bucky comes out of the building.

“Bug!”

“Um, it’s Her Majesty Bug.” Steve interrupts holding a hand out in front of Bucky.

“Only to Steve.” You tell them giving Bucky a tight hug. Bucky laughs but Steve folds his arms and glares over at you.

“Rude.”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m a pretentious Royal snob now.” You tell them with an eye roll.

“We told Jane to fuck off. We’ve always been your friends first and whatever is going on with her doesn’t change that.” Steve assures you and you give his arm a squeeze before turning to Thor.

“This is my fiancé, Thor. Thor this is Steve and Bucky. These two helped me survive med school and our residency.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Thor says shaking each man’s hand, “glad you could keep Elskede alive for me.” You introduce the rest of the team then, both men shake hands with all of them, Bucky takes a second longer with Bryn than you think is necessary but it’s just ammo for you to tease him with later.

“So, what is the deal here?” Bucky asks gesturing between you and Thor.

“We’ll explain inside. I’m assuming you guys have an office or something.”

“Yea, is the whole crew sticking around?” Steve asks as he leads you all into the building.

“Yea, I’m so sorry.” You affirm and he just shrugs. You follow Steve into the building, down a hallway and to an office. He gestures for you to sit before rounding the desk and sitting on the other side. Once the door is closed you explain everything.

“Damn.” Bucky mutters and you laugh.

“Exactly. But this all stays in this room.”

“Of course.” Steve agrees and Bucky nods.

“So, let’s get to work?” You ask and Steve passes you a stack of folders.

“How’s your Mandarin?”

“Passable.”

“Mine is excellent.” Bryn says and you look over at her in surprise. “What? I’m good at languages.”

“So you can be a translator?” Bucky asks and she nods, “perfect. We’ll ask the rest of you to stay here.”

“Ready Bug?” Steve asks and you give him a wide smile.

“Hell yea.”

The rest of the day is spent in and out of hospital rooms. Thor somehow sneaks a couple of pictures that he posts on his Peprgram of you working diligently. You’d accuse Bryn of taking them but she’s in a few so you’re not sure how he got them.

After three days you’re exhausted but happy. It was so nice to be able to work in your field again but you forgot how incredibly exhausting it could be.

You flop down in the bed next to Thor at the Embassy and he chuckles softly.

“Tired Elskede?”

“In the best way. Thank you for making that possible.”

“It was fun to get to see you in your element.” He says putting the StarkPad he’s been working on onto the nightstand.

“I missed it. I don’t miss being this tired but working with the kids and stuff I miss.”

“When we get home why don’t we see if there’s something we can work out so you’re able to keep doing what you love?”

“That would be amazing.” You admit your eyelids are so heavy, you’re struggling to keep them open.

“Sleep now Elskede,” Thor whispers before pressing a soft kiss to your cheek.

The second week is all public appearances, you and Thor meet with several different delegates, have a few photo opportunities and go to a big dinner. It’s much different than being at home or in Canada, the language barrier is more noticeable. You’re grateful for Bryn who mutters what is being said into your ear when the politicians are ignoring you and only speaking to Thor.

At the end of the week you’re excited to get to go to Wakanda, to see Nakia and T’Challa again.

Tag list:

@abschaffer2 @dsakita @dramadreamer14 @thesassmisstress @eralen @bobbie3939 @andahugaroundtheneck @loving-life-my-way @thefridgeismybestie @killcomet @dumblani @im-just-another-monster @mywinterwolf @scuzmunkie @biskwitmamaw @geeksareunique @paintballkid711 @lumar014 @also-fangirlinsweden @connie326 @inkedaztec @valsworldofcreativity @gaitwae @blackwidownat2814 @innerpaperexpertcloud

[harrylovex]

MAN IN A SUIT

summary: you meet Chris at a wedding and he takes you back to his house...

warnings: fluff, smut, oral (female receiving), fingering, spitting, filthy dirty talk, alcohol usage

a/n: ummm this is my favourite thing i have written so far...i love wedding!chris ;) feedback is much appreciated and let me know if you have any requests! also please don’t hesitate to send me a private message if you guys ever need a friend to talk too. love you all lots!!!!!!

you were sat in a church, fourth row from the front, wedding leaflet perched in your lap. a smiling couple’s photo on the cover, welcoming you to their special day. you waited patiently for the ceremony to begin.

abby, one of your close work colleagues, was getting married today, and you were so happy for her. the church was beautiful, big paintings all around, softly decorated with flowers everywhere.

her husband to be was quite weathly, so they had gone all out with the wedding, guests had been arriving for the last half an hour and the benches were beginning to fill.

you sat quietly in your dress, looking around every once in a while. you didn’t have a plus one, you didn’t have anyone to bring. you were kind of shy when it came to talking to men, and so you had only ever had a few short term boyfriends in the 23 years that you had been on this earth.

as you sat daydreaming, the last few guests began to arrive.

suddenly, there was an ass in your face, someone squeezing past you, knocking your knees.

“oh! sorry!” you exclaimed, picking your feet up and letting the unknown person pass.

“no worries, it’s my fault for being late”, a deep voice said. you looked up at the man, the light shining around his face. he was gorgeous, you’d never seen anyone like him.

you smiled as he sat down next to you, his thigh rubbing against yours. oh my god, you thought to yourself, he was hot.

he was wearing a dark blue tux and looked incredibly handsome, his beard and smiling mouth making you swoon a little. you tried to hide the fact that you were blushing.

the man turned to you as he sat down, holding out his hand. “sorry i startled you a minute ago, i’m chris”.

his eyes sparkled, looking you up and down. you chuckled to yourself and shook his hand. his palm feeling big and warm against yours, goosebumps crawled over your skin, and you prayed to god that chris hadn’t noticed.

“i’m y/n”, you replied, smiling widely at him.

you both faced forward again as the music started up. abby’s husband was standing now at the altar, sweating a little. the huge doors opened at the entrance and abby slowly began to walk through, arm hooked into her dad’s as he walked her up the aisle.

you gasped a little, taking in how beautiful abby looked, her hair in curls down her back, a small tiara perched on her head. her dress was strapless and trailed down her back, reaching a few metres behind on the floor.

abby reached the altar and the priest began his usual routine. you sat back on the bench, distracted by the gorgeous man sat next to you, he was so close, and smelt so damn good.

he leaned towards you discreetly, keeping his eyes on the bride and groom.

“so...bride or groom’s side?” he whispered.

“bride’s, you answered. i work with abby, have done for the past few years.” his breath tickled your right cheek, smelling of spearmint toothpaste. “you?”

“also bride’s side, i’ve know abby since we were kids, i used to live next door to her.” chris returned to his earlier position, and you both sat in silence for the next twenty minutes. listening intently to the bride and groom seal the deal and say their vows. every now and then you would sneak a few side glances at him, seeing how the light shone on his face from the window. he sat with a small smirk on his face, his large hands perched on his thighs that were spread out, still touching yours.

just before the ceremony was about to finish, chris dropped his wedding leaflet on the floor in front of you. he bent forward to pick it up, grabbing your right thigh with his hand to keep himself balanced. you tensed at the gesture, feeling the adrenaline rush through your body. chris took his time sitting back up again, accidently banging his head on the bench in front of him in the process.

“shit”, he mumbled loudly, making you laugh.

“shh!” you both turned around, looking from where the noise came from. and old lady behind you scowled, holding her finger up to her lips. chris looked at you and raised his eyebrows, making you giggle again. you both turned back around, chris rubbing the back of his head with the hand that had just touched you.

you both sat in silence for the rest of the ceremony, finally getting up to gather with the bride and groom outside. just before you went to walk through the doors, you grabbed chris’ hand from in front of you, taking him by suprise. “can i stay with you outside?” you asked him. “i don’t really know anyone here apart from abby...and now you i guess...” chris stared at you, immediately making you look down at your shoes, regretting what you had said.

chris hooked his pointer finger under your chin, making you look up at him. “of course you can, love, follow me.” the way he called you love made butterflies explode in your stomach. he grabbed your hand again, pulling you through the crowd to the green garden out the front.

all of the guests were gathered around in small groups, champagne flutes in hand, chatting about the lovely ceremony that had just taken place and getting to know new people.

“can i get you a drink?” chris asked you, never letting go of your hand. “sure, champagne is fine.” you watched as he wandered off towards the drinks tent, taking in the sight of his body. wow, you never thought that you were going to meet someone so handsome and friendly today, funny how things can change.

chris walked back with two flutes in his hand, some black sunglasses perched on his nose, making him look even hotter than before.

“thank you” you said as he handed you your drink. he smiled at you, pulling you over to a group of people he knew, introducing you before striking up a conversation.

it was a few hours later, the evening creeping up on you. you had consumed quite a few glasses of champagne by now, the alcohol making you feel confident, but a little dizzy.

you had lost sight of chris about an hour ago, getting caught up in conversation with abby. chris had been wonderful, introducing you to everyone and now you had pretty much spoken to over half of the guests.

“y/n! come back to the house with me, i need help getting ready for the party tonight”, abby said, smiling. she still looked incredible in her dress, totally relaxed and happy. “i’d love to! let me just grab my bag.” you walked over to the cloak room area, searching for your small shoulder bag.

once you had found it, you sauntered back outside, eyes landing on chris a few metres away. he was caught up in conversation with abby’s dad.

his eyes met yours, his pupils a little dilated from the alcohol. he muttered something to abby’s dad, walking slowly over to you.

“hey. he said, grinning slightly. “hi”, you replied, laughing at him. “listen chris, i’m going back to abby’s to freshen up for the party later”. his expression dropped. “will I see you again later?” he asked, making your heart flutter.

“maybe...” you replied, smirking up at him. just before you turned away to leave, a wave of confidence came over you, and you leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, in a spur of the moment. “see you later” you whispered in his ear, your hand on the back of his neck.

you scurried off, leaving chris stood on the grass, cheeks tinted red, his mouth a little open.

you had been to abby’s, and now you were back at the venue, having a delicious dinner. sadly, chris was not on your table. but you made small talk with everyone, glancing at chris a few times as you sipped your way through a few gin and tonics. you were definetley taking advantage of the free bar.

you hadn’t spoken to chris since before you left for abby’s, and you were dying for him to approach you. he sat a few tables away, he had taken his blazer off, and sat in his trousers and white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a silver ring perched on his middle finger.

your eyes met a couple of times throughout dinner and dessert, chris’ eyes staring into yours as you smiled at him innocently.

finally, people started to abandon the tables, moving over to the bar or onto the dancefloor. chris didn’t miss the opportunity, coming over quickly and sitting to your right. he hooked his fingers onto the underside of you chair and pulled you towards him, until your thighs and elbows were touching. he smelt of aftershave and beer.

“so...did you have fun at abby’s?” he questioned.

“yes I did actually, what did you do while I was gone?”

he smiled. “i hung out here with the groom and a few of the other guys.”

you looked over to chris, his eyes glistening. his tongue flicked out onto his bottom lip for a second, and you wondered what it would feel like to kiss him, what his hands would feel like roaming your body. the alcohol was definitely starting to take over your thoughts.

chris stretched out, snaking his left arm around your shoulders and resting it there lighty. you stared at his hand, his fingertips softly grazing your collarbone.

the two of you sat like that for a while, talking as if you’d known eachother since forever.

after a while, you started to feel a bit flustered. “can we go outside for a bit, it’s getting hot in here.”

“of course.” chris stood up, holding his hand out. you gladly took it, stumbling a little as the alcohol rushed to your head.

“woah!” chris caught you by the waist, his arm extending back around your shoulders.

“maybe i shouldn’t have had that last gin and tonic.” you laughed together, reaching the doors. chris opened them, letting you go through first. you gave him a small smile.

it was much quieter out in the open, and you started to feel much better after a few breaths of fresh air.

you turned around, looking for Chris and saw that he had gone round a corner and was leaning back against a brick wall, staring at you whilst he took a sip from his bottle of beer.

your eyes met his and you blushed, looking down. he gestured with his fingers to go over to him, so you did.

you slouched against the wall next to him in silence. you stayed like that for a few minutes, before chris spoke up.

“you know, i never thought i was gonna meet someone like you here today, i’m so glad I didn’t bring some random chick as a plus one.”

you laughed a little, running your hands through your hair. “if i knew i was going to meet you here i would have told abby to get hitched years ago.”

it was chris’ turn to laugh now. he took a long swig of his beer, as if for confidence, and moved to stand in front of you, placing his free hand on the wall next to your head.

his eyes bore into yours, leaving you speechless.

“can i kiss you?” he asked, his tongue slipping out to lick at his bottom lip.

you didn’t know what to say, so you just nodded, your heart beating out of your chest.

chris smirked, leaning in until your lips met.

his lips were so soft and warm, fitting like puzzle pieces against yours. you kissed him back firmly, your hands on his chest.

his hands wandered to your waist, squeezing slightly. you gasped at the contact, chris taking this opportunity to sneak his tongue into your mouth.

he tasted of beer, his tongue exploring your mouth. you’d never felt anything like it, you couldn’t believe that the hottest guy you’d ever seen was actually kissing you up against a wall. chris moaned into your mouth and you thought you might faint just by the sound.

you laughed a little under your breath, and chris pulled back, breathing heavily.

“what are you laughing at?”

“um...your beard is tickling me.”

he laughed out loud, smirking before moving to kiss along your jaw.

it felt so good. he moved down to your neck, his fingers trailing down your thighs, hitching your dress up a little.

pressing kisses along your throat, you lifted up his shirt a little, running the tips of your fingers up and down his abs.

he bit at your neck, soothing the sting with his tongue, making you whimper against his ear. chris had never heard a more beautiful sound.

his hands found their way to your painties, cupping between your legs.

you breathed out harshly at the contact and pulled away.

“chris, as much as I want to, we can’t do this here.”

chris was also breathing heavily, his lips red and hair messy, he looked gorgeous.

“we’re leaving.” he said bluntly, grabbing your hand and pulling you back into the venue.

his eyes searched the room, looking for abby. his eyes landed on her standing by the bar, chatting to one of her old friends.

chris pulled you over to her.

“abby, me and y/n are leaving.”

abby looked chris up and down and saw you standing behind him, your hands entwined. she smirked, she knew you both too well and realised immediately what was going on.

abby laughed, her eyes sparkling. “have fun.” she said, “and Chris...look after y/n.”

you giggled, feeling chris’ hand tighten around yours.

“oh don’t worry, I will.” chris said. butterflies erupted in your stomach. you were in for the best night of your life.

abby waved you guys off and chris took you outside again, hailing a cab.

you climbed in after chris, excitement rushing through your veins.

chris mumbled his address before returning his attention to you, hands roaming under your dress.

you straddled him, forgetting about your seatbelt. his hands grabbed at your ass under your dress, earning a moan from you.

your hands were hanging loosely from his neck while you kissed him roughly.

chris bucked his hips up and you whimpered, not expecting it.

“fuck darling, i can’t wait to get you home.”

you smiled at the way chris called it home, running your hands through his beard.

the cab stopped as soon as it had started, the journey seeming short when your mind was focused on the literal greek god in front of you.

he pulled you off of him and you straightened your dress down over your thighs.

chucking a few notes to the driver, he grabbed your hand and pulled you out of the cab and up his driveway.

you could definitely get used to holding his hand like this.

woah, his house was huge. you gasped to yourself and tugged at chris’ hand.

he turn around and stopped, raising an eyebrow.

“your house is beautiful.” you said. chris laughed and grabbed you by the neck, pulling you towards his lips. you didn’t think you could ever get bored of kissing chris. everytime was like the first.

he kissed you harshly for a few minutes, making the butterflies in you stomach start to move down to your core.

you shivered, partly because you were cold and chris noticed, dragging you into his house. he didn’t stop until you were both in his bedroom, closing the door.

you stood awkwardly while chris took off his shoes, watching him from across the room.

he smirked and motioned for you to sit on the bed...you obeyed.

he lifted you up as if you weighed no more than a feather, putting you down so you were propped up against the headboard.

he pressed his lips against yours roughly, making you feel numb. he moaned into the kiss, stopping for a moment to pull your dress over your head and unclip your bra.

he leaned back to get a good look at you, taking his own shirt off. your eyes nearly bulged out of your head when you saw how chiselled he was. jesus.

he laughed at your reaction. “stop staring.” he said, moving to kiss by your collarbones.

the soft kisses he was leaving was making you open your legs unconsciously, your body sliding down the bed.

“eager are we?” chris asked with a smirk, running his fingers across the tops your thighs. “anything i do that makes you uncomfortable, you tell me immediately.”

you smiled at his kind words, your fingers tangling themselves in the hairs at the nape of his neck, his mouth moving down to suck at your hard nipples.

“fuck!” you cried out, your chest arching up.

he teased, sucking and licking at your nipples as if his life depended on it, moving from the left one to the right.

at the same time, he reached down and unbuckled his trousers, pulling them off quickly before discarding them in a corner of the room.

his attention back on you, he pulled you roughly by the ankles, making you lay flat on your back.

“are you gonna be a good girl for me?”

you nodded. lost for words.

“no, love, you’re gonna have to use your words if you want me to do something.”

“yes chris, please, i’ll be so good for you.”

he smiled at that, hooking his fingers in your panties and pulling them down and off of your ankles.

you breathed in and out, trying to catch your breath, but it was impossible with the way chris was looking at you right now.

you squeezed your thighs together, desperate for some friction.

chris tutted, pulling your legs open by your knees, his eyes never leaving yours.

goosebumps formed on your skin as chris picked your left leg up and slung it over his shoulder, kissing down your calf.

you stayed silent, watching him intently.

after what seemed like ages, he reached your core, blowing onto it lightly.

you whimpered, wiggling your hips.

“what did i say about being a good girl?” chris questioned, sending a light slap to your cunt.

you squealed, wiggling even more.

“fuck, my little puppy’s so wet for me.”

you moaned out at his choice of nickname, thanking god in your head that you had met chris.

chris began to taste you, his tongue sliding up your slit, creating a rhythm.

you squeezed your eyes shut, not having felt this much pleasure in your entire life.

“shit chris, it feels so good.” you could hardly speak, your words coming out in chokes.

“you taste delicious baby.” chris moved to your clit, applying more pressure with his tongue, grunting with every movement.

you reached your arms out, grabbing fistfuls of chris’ hair, pulling hard. you thought that you might be hurting him, but from the noises he was making, and how he was speeding up his movements on your clit, you realised that he loved it.

“so good for me...” he mumbled, never removing himself from you.

your pussy clenched around nothing, and you craved for chris’ fingers to be inside you.

not being able to form a sentence from the pleasure, you reached down and grabbed at his hand, pulling it towards your cunt. his fingers grazed your folds, before he pulled away.

“tell me what you want pretty girl...is it my fingers?”

“y-yes chris, please, please i need your fingers inside me.” you stuttered.

“aw, my little puppy wants my fingers stuffed into her cunt, is that it?”

you nodded, whining loudly. you looked down and saw Chris fumbling with his fingers.

he took his silver ring off of his middle finger, grabbing your hand and sliding it onto your own, looking up at you and smirking, his beard covered in your juices.

before you could process what had just happened, he spat sloppily onto your cunt.

you gripped the sheets, your pussy clenching hard. that was the hottest thing you had ever witnessed, you thought you might just come from that alone.

chris spread his spit through your folds, before sliding his middle and ring finger into your dripping hole.

you shut your eyes, clenching around his fingers, adjusting to the size.

“fuck baby, so tight for me, pulsing around my fingers.”

he started to thrust his fingers in and out fast, simultaneously licking at your clit. you moaned loudly, knowing that you weren’t going to last much longer.

chris wrapped his arms around your thighs, holding you still as you squirmed underneath him.

your legs started to violently shake. “chris, chris fuck, i’m gonna come!”

chris loved the way you said his name, speeding up the pace on his fingers and his tongue.

“come for me, come on my tongue like a good girl.”

your orgasm took over you, you felt as if your soul was leaving your body. you cried out, gripping chris’ hair, your legs shaking violently.

you squeezed your eyes shut all through your high, chris’ pace beginning to slow down once you became oversensitive.

your heart felt as if it was gonna burst out of your chest. you could feel your juices dripping down your thighs.

chris pressed soft kisses up your torso until he reached your face.

“my girl did so well for me. came so hard.”

you started to come back to your senses, turning your head to face chris.

he smiled at you cheekliy, his fingers sliding into his own mouth, licking at your juices.

your breathing sped up again. you moved your head over to kiss him, tasting yourself.

“that was amazing.” you smiled into the kiss, moving your hand up to chris’ hair. “i never thought i’d end up in your bed when i woke up this morning.”

chris chuckled, his eyes darkening again.

“oh darling, we haven’t even started yet.”

[house-of-galathynius]

Only You ~ Rowaelin

A Rowaelin fanfic, set if Aelin’s parents had lived and she had met Rowan under normal circumstances, if Erawan and Maeve weren’t threats. Hope you enjoy!

@jesstargaryenqueen @sailorsassley @sjmships @tomtenadia @endlessdaydream @aflickeringsoul @tillyrubes10 @fredweasleyhasadhd @rowaelin-cressworth @cookiemonsterwholovesbooks @rowaelinismyotp @rosegoldannie @maryberry @viajandosinalas @becarefuloflove @allthebooksunderthemoon @sheharahu @swankii-art-teacher @superspiritfestival

Chapter Thirteen ~ Burning 

Chapter Twelve ~ Chapter Fourteen 

“We need to make sure invitations are sent to all royal families across the continent. If we send them now we should receive answers in enough time.” 

Aelin had been sat at the table with her mother, Lysandra and Elide for over four hours. Her mother had requested she join her for tea in the morning room, Aelin had happily agreed, hoping that maybe they could talk over everything; but when she had entered the room she immediately wanted to leave again. Strewn over chairs, tables and any workable surface were swathes of fabrics, utensils, flowers and cakes— you name it and it was probably there. She had known this would be something that had to be done… but Gods above. She had been too slow to march out of the room again; her mother had spotted her too quickly and a smile had lit up her face as she gazed upon Aelin. She had ushered Aelin into a seat and declared that now was the perfect time to organise everything. Lysandra and Elide had joined an hour later, managing to escape the worst of her mothers excitement. 

“Perhaps we should send invitations to the Southern Continent too? They are never too bothered with the goings on here, but it would be polite.” Her mother was scrambling for the ink and paper, adding to the ever-growing list of people she wished to invite. 

“Mamma, is this really necessary?” Aelin picked at the lavender fabric that had been placed on her lap, waiting for her to inspect it and share her opinion. 

“I know you would rather go down to the priest in your fighting gear and be done with this all, but you are required to have a wedding fit for a queen, so we shall give you one.” Her mother lent over to Elide who was studying a selection of flowers. 

Aelin brushed the fabrics from her lap and stood, pouring another cup of herbal tea. “I’m just saying that we don’t need to invite everyone for both a mating ceremony and a wedding. Rowan and I would much rather have a mating ceremony just the two of us.” She assumed anyway. The two of them hadn’t discussed any of it in great detail. 

The three women looked up at her. 

“I just—“ she picked up then dropped a rose. “It’s all a bit much, no?”

“I think it’s exciting. We haven’t had a mating ceremony in years.” Elide was clasping a bunch of the flowers in her hands as she spoke. 

Lysandra said nothing and instead went to sit in one of the armchairs, her hands playing with the ends of her sleeves, being unusually silent.

Aelin tore her eyes from Lysandra and back to her mother and Elide. 

“I’m not sure Rowan is one for big displays of… well anything.” 

“I’m sure he’ll do whatever needs to be done, Aelin. Now sit, I want to see which colours are best.” 

Aelin was saved when someone cleared their throat at the door. She could’ve sighed in relief as she eyed Rowan. 

“Sorry to interrupt; but I was hoping to steal Aelin away.” 

Aelin took three steps when her mother stopped her. “We will be finishing this later. Don’t think you can get out of it.” 

She grinned at her mother and hastily exited the room, joining her hand with Rowan’s and heading into the crisp winter air. 

“Thank you for saving me. I was about to go crazy in there.” 

“Don’t thank me quite yet. I told your father and Orlon we were going to pick a place for the ceremony.” 

She groaned. “Why would you say that? I was hoping you were going to steal me away so we could hide in my rooms until dinner.” 

He nudged her side. “I needed an excuse to leave and I don’t think they would appreciate me telling them I was going to spend the rest of the day in your rooms with you.” 

Aelin blushed at that. 

“I also thought that we should get outside whilst we could. I was warned of the winters here, and if the storm last night is anything to go by...” 

She hummed in agreement. The two of them walking in comfortable silence. 

It wasn’t long before Aelin began to speak again. “I don’t see why we need two big celebrations.” She groaned. “A mating ceremony, to me, is meant to be private.” 

He squeezed her hand. “When I was younger—maybe two hundred years ago— mating ceremonies were one of the biggest celebrations. Whole towns would congregate, light huge bonfires, have feasts and dance until dawn, just to celebrate a couples mating.” They continued walking into the forest, “my mother used to tell me stories of her and my fathers. My mother came from a small village outside of Doranelle, when she mated with my father they had a party lasting four days.” 

“Four days?” 

He smiled. “The village was so small that it was rare for the people there to find a mate. Rarer than it is normally, at least.” 

They stopped to sit on a fallen tree overlooking part of the river.

“How did your mother and father meet?” 

“My father lived in Doranelle with the other Whitethorns, he was in charge of Doranelle’s army at the time. He had been sent on a mission to recruit more Fae soldiers. He found his way to my mothers village and knew right away that she was his mate.” 

Rowan’s face fell as he talked about his parents. She did not know where they were or what had happened to them, but seeing the anguish on his face made her heart break. 

“You don’t have to tell me.” 

He shook his head. “It’s fine. I just haven’t told the story in a long time.” Rowan shifted to face Aelin, her body twisting to face him as well. 

“My father stayed in the village, meeting my mothers family, managing to recruit a couple of Fae to join Doranelle’s army— training them whilst he was there. They were mated there and then moved to Doranelle shortly after.” 

“How long after mating did they have you?” 

“It was well over two hundred years. Full-blooded Fae find it difficult to have children. My parents tried for a long time. By the time they had me…” 

She kissed his hand. “I’m sorry.” 

“We got to be a family for fifty years.” His voice cracked. “My father faded first. My mother— she couldn’t cope with the pain of losing her mate, so she faded a year or so after.” 

Aelin felt a tear fall. Seeing him so vulnerable— it broke something inside of her. She didn’t know what to say, she hadn’t realised they had faded so soon. 

“It was a long time ago.” He wiped the tear that was rolling down her cheek. 

“I didn’t know you had such little time with them.” 

“I had enough. And the time we did have together was happy, so I cannot complain.” 

Rowan stood, extending his hand to her. She took it and they continued on their way. The forest had changed dramatically in such a short time, autumn had come and gone in a blink of an eye, the leaves now frozen and crunching beneath their feet. The trees bear as winter embraced the land. They zig-zagged through the forest path, turning down small tracks that had been forgotten for years, enjoying the peace that nature brought. 

The two of them walked in silence, Aelin thinking about Rowan’s family as they went. Rowan deep in his own thoughts. 

They followed a tall hedge that lined the side of the path, the branches thick. As they strode further along Aelin noticed an opening, big enough for someone to fit through. 

It was then that she remembered she had been here once before. She beckoned for Rowan to follow as she once again slipped through the gap. She had been here when she was fifteen. She had stumbled across the clearing by accident; she had been walking along the trail in the forest when she spotted an opening in the bushes. She had slipped through the gap and found herself in awe at the scene before her. 

The clearing had been small, but it had held such beauty that she could do nothing but take it in. Surrounding the clearing had been bushes displaying little white flowers, the floor made up of colourful wildflowers that swayed softly in the balmy summer breeze. To the right was a pool of shimmering water, stones lined the edges— like they had been carefully placed there by someone. The whole area had been bathed in streams of sunlight that filtered through the canopy of trees above; birds flittered from branch to branch, singing their melody as they did. Aelin had never seen anything like it. 

And even now, in the dead of winter; when the flowers were withered and the leafy canopy above gone, only the skeletons of the trees to be seen, she could still see that beauty. The winter sun still bathing the clearing in light, the water crystal clear and sparkling like a thousand little diamonds. 

“How did you find this?” Rowan asked. 

She shrugged. “I accidentally came across it a few summers ago. It became a sort of sanctuary then, somewhere to go when I wanted to be alone. I’d forgotten about it actually. I only remembered it when I saw the opening in the bush.”

She watched as he surveyed the space around them. 

“And you wanted to share it with me? Even though it had been somewhere secret?” He looked to her, eyes shining. 

“Of course.” She smiled. 

Rowan bent down to kiss her, her toes curling at the contact, her body warming. “Thank you.” 

She kissed him again in reply. 

They stood there for a moment longer, both enjoying the warmth of the winter sun on their faces. Aelin slipped her hand from his and walked towards the pool— which she had realised was magical after getting in and all her injuries had healed. She dipped her fingers in, dragging them in the water. 

She turned to Rowan. “Would you like to go in?”

“It has to be freezing in there Aelin. I might have ice as a power, but I’m not so keen on bathing in it.” 

She chuckled as she summoned her flame. “It’s a good thing your mate has fire powers so she can keep it warm.” 

“I like it when you say you’re my mate.” 

He came towards her, the bond tugging between them. 

“I’ll go in with you if you do something for me.” 

“Anything.” 

“Promise me you’ll stop trying to get me into your bed.” 

Aelin stepped out of his embrace and let out a laugh. “That’s your condition?” She laughed again. “I’ve done it once.” 

“You’ve done it more than that, Aelin.” He laughed along with her, stepping toward her and taking her in his arms. “I want to.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I really want to. But I want to wait. I want to be able to enjoy you, to take our time. I want to be somewhere where we don’t have to hide or be quiet.”

She couldn’t help the heat that spread through her. “If you keep talking like that Rowan, I will have no choice but to start something right here.” 

“Don’t even think about it. Otherwise I will change into my hawk and fly away.” 

Aelin pinched his side then swatted his head, laughing as she did. 

“So going for a swim is off the cards?” 

“Maybe when it’s not the middle of winter… and when you can control yourself.” He winked. 

She stepped back into his embrace, her arms going around his middle as she laid her head against his chest; listening to the steady beat of his heart. The two of them enjoying the warmth of each other, listening to the quiet singing of the birds. 

“I understand why my mother couldn’t stand to be here without my father.” He murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I try to imagine a world without you and it terrifies me. I try to think about what I would do, how I would begin to live without you here…” He pulled away to look at her. “I would walk through the burning heart of hell itself to find you.” 

She shuddered at his words, she wanted to reply— to say something— but all she could do was reach up on her toes and kiss him. Their lips melting together, their tongues finding each other and she moaned at his taste— better than anything she could ever imagine. The kiss full of love and of promises— of things to come. 

He would walk through the burning heart of hell itself, and she would do the same. Wherever he was, she would go, she would find him— in this world and the next. 

[slothgiirl]

the trash pile: alex turner x reader

The cybernetic augmentation juts out from her temple, leading down to her chin, the metal a dull grey. Nothing says belter more than slap job augmentations, Alex thinks as she smiles at him, reaching out with her hand to him.

He takes it.

She's pretty from what he can see from the dim yellow lights in the club. The augmentation somehow complementing her already well formed cheekbones. A mess of bleached blonde hair falling down her shoulders.

And she's already offered, dragging him out onto the floor shamelessly. He'd rather dance with a beautiful woman than stand around drinking and having to listen to all his friends talk about people, things, he's unfamiliar with.

They've moved on.

The floor flashes bright blue to the beat of the music. Too loud to carry a conversation. Too loud to think. Alex can finally stop overthinking, what he's done since he landed on Tranquility base six hours ago.

Her touch is solid and confident, hands on his shoulders as she laughs, one hundred percent in the moment. He doesn't think he's ever been like that. Her ease is as natural as Alexa's charm.

His gaze flickers back to the table they'd been sharing, but they've dispersed into the club. He can't see a trace of any of his friends. Matt had long since left, having a ceremony to wake up for. "Tomorrow," he'd grinned, promising a night of debauchery.

"Hey," Taylor calls into his ear, bringing his attention back to her, blue eyes like the sky back on earth. None of the gaudy recreations of sky broadcasted through the colonies. Mars was said to not even bother, letting it's people grow up with an orange sky.

She smiles, tilting her head, before leaning in.

And wow, Alex really has been alone for too long, as her lips on his send his heart beat into a frenzy. Blood rushing in his ears like a teenage boy all over again. It isn't real, but he thinks in that second he loves her.

Alex always has been a romantic.

They leave the club together. The corridors are still red for the night. The one thing he hadn't missed. Even Ceres had better artificial lighting mods.

"I've got to go to work," Taylor tells him bluntly, "but you should give me your number. I think we could have a lot of fun together." She looks at him with hopeful eyes, biting her lower lip. He wants to kiss her again.

But, he'll be gone the day after tomorrow. The entire base holds too many ghosts for him to feel entirely comfortable. It makes him keep looking over his shoulder, expecting Josh or Julian. Two people he's long since lost touch with.

"I'm actually not staying that long," he admits as she leads them through the corridors. Alex can still recognize the alcoves he and Matt would take smoke breaks in. Which turn would lead them back to the lifts. Another life.

"That's a shame."

He chuckles. Before his mind catches up with his tongue, "wait, did you say you're going to work now?"

"Yeah. Its so fucking boring," Taylor says, stopping besides the lifts. "Coms graveyard shift." She rolls her eyes.

"I don't blame ya," he admits. Alexa had worked the coms. She'd always complained about having to go thirty seven floors below, bundled up in jackets. Since it was less populated, the government enacted more energy saving features.

"Maybe we'll see each other again in the drift," she grins suggestively, right as she steps into the lift.

Alex watches the doors closed, before he turns around, deciding to go find an open store. He could go for some more coffee while he's here. Maybe even stock up on it. It shouldn't be hard. The Base wasn't a residential area. Tourists were coming and going as well as SFN members.

There was the launchpad.

He lets himself wander. Too buzzed to be as tired despite the early call time he has in the morning. It would be just his luck to miss Matt's big promotion because he'd overslept after having traveled a month to be here.

It's not hard to find an open bodega. The open sign flashing green in the dim of the night.

Maybe he should've gotten the night vision implants after all. Miles never shut up about it. How easy it was to make his way about different colonies even during night cycles. And you could only tell if you were looking for the little silver ring around the iris.

Alex slips inside, making a bee line for the food. It's been hours since he last ate. At this point a cup of noodles and instant coffee sound like a dream. He gets the little powdered donuts as well. Then goes for the liquid milk creamer.

Who knows when he'll next have that option. No one had yet to figure out how to increase cows milk production in space. And powdered never tasted the same.

He looks at the fruit. Incredibly overpriced since it's a bodega. But apples and oranges. . .Alex could still remember the taste of fresh squeezed orange juice his mother would make. She'd cut them all open, let him squeeze the juice out before sucking on the pulp.

Alex grabs the smallest oranges.

There's no reason not to splurge. He has the money for it. And work is never hard to come by with his skill set. There's a large market for the skills SFN ensigns have, but most of those ensigns just stay with the navy.

He turns to go pay for his small haul, but the sight of a woman staring out of a faux porthole stops him in his tracks.

Her profile could not hide how beautiful she was, her gaze caught by the live feed of the earth on the other side of the moon. Romantic dark eyes gazing into the side of the bodega, her questionable egg salad sandwich forgotten in her hand. The bump in her prominent nose only served to make her profile more striking.

"That's not actually the earth," Alex starts gently, catching her attention. "Ya know." She turns to him, trying to hide the fact that she'd jumped, startled by his presence. And doing a damn good job at brushing off the surprise.

He was right. She's beautiful. Well formed full lips. Her dark hair tucked a braid, looking better in trousers and patched up hoodie than most people could dressed to the nines. Her shoes stick out from the casual ensemble, patent red leather with a split toe. There's the hint of dark circles under her eyes, probably from a missed nights sleep.

And a scattering of light scars like stars by her left cheekbone.

"I know," she responds, "I just never thought I'd ever be this close to the earth."

"You could take a trip to the other side and see the real thing," he muses, unable to hide the longing in his voice. Alex knew in his bones he'd never step foot on earth again. Never walk the streets in Sheffield or London again. But he couldn't help but wish for a miracle.

She shakes her head, the warmth in her eyes receding as she closes herself off. "Can't. Have to meet with a friend and then go back."

"Must be a good friend if you've come all this way."

She shrugs noncommittally, "He's more of an acquaintance of a friend. I've never actually met the man. But things being as they are," she explains, "it's best done in person."

Alex is now intrigued, a red flag raised in the back of his mind that still flies away information happening in the corner of his eye just in case. It makes him a damn good private investigator. "Mysterious."

"Forgive me for not spilling all my secrets to a stranger," she notes, arching a brow.

He can't help but chuckle. "Ya got me there love. Let's try something else."

"Like what," she asks, the corners of his lips turning up.

"How are you finding our moon?" The moon might not think it was the earth's, and the government sure wasn't, but the moon still spun around the earth the way it had for millions of years.

"Disappointing," she admits, frowning, "Ceres is livelier. And would it kill them to use brighter lighting?"

"Austerity measures," Alex shrugs. It had been the answer for as long as he'd been alive.

"From what," she asks, tilting her head, a smirk forming on her lips, "there's no war or reason for shortages."

"Just repeating the party line," he admits.

"Well," she raises her sandwich like a sad little white flag, "I've got to get going. It was nice meeting you."

"Can I get your number?"

Surprising him, she shakes her head, "No. I doubt we'll ever meet again. I don't plan to stay on the moon for long."

"Lucky for you," he counters, following her to the sales woman, built like a rugby player, "I'm not from the moon. So there's hope yet for our paths to cross."

She snorts, digging around her pockets for money, slowly building up a pile of change to pay with. "Let me guess," she says knowingly, as her eyes look him over, taking in his hair now curling past his ears, the navy blue sweater and white shirt combo that had felt smart earlier but had wrinkled in the course of the night. "you're from earth."

Alex answers bashfully, "born there." He always felt like apologizing for having been born on Earth. For having spent his childhood breathing in air without a care. For not knowing how precious an atmosphere was.

"Well I don't plan to go to earth," she trails off, waving her receipt away.

"Neither do I." He hands the lady a bill too large for what he's bought and follows her out the door, not bothering for his change. "But I take it there's no way I can convince you to give me a number?"

"None."

"How about a name," he offers. Alex had not seen one person that he'd bothered to chase in years. And here she was, indulging him as though he was a stray puppy she had fed once and now followed her around in hopes of more scraps.

"Yours first," she snipes back, not missing a beat.

"Alex." He doesn't ever bring up his last name. Too much weight. A famous family. And an infamous past. Being just Alex was a luxury.

"Tisiphone."

A name fitting for someone born in the jovian system. Maybe even Dione. But Dione, while a newer colony, wasn't bloody awful for someone to want to leave. It had to be-"Titian," he guesses. The wild west of space. SFN cadets hated getting assigned there. Johanna had said the worst part was the perpetual twilight.

Too many crevices to hide in.

"Yes," she responds, "and hopefully never again."

"If we ever meet again," the romantic in him already imagining them crossing paths in a Callisto settlement, planting trees for the rest of their lives and learning to work wood, "can I take you out for a cuppa?"

Tisiphone laughs, smiling tight lipped, "If it happens then I'll say yes earth boy."

** ** ch 2

The ceremony drags on.

They all sit, gathered around the Kennedy Hab, the first large permanent building on the dark side of the moon. The benches are as uncomfortable as ever, as Alex gazes down at a sea of navy uniforms all with various ranks on their right shoulders. He's seated right next to Alexa. The boys down there somewhere with Matt.

It's an SFN event so Alex's paranoia is right for once. The second glances the captains and commanders threw his way were knowing. They recognized him.

It sets his teeth on edge.

Alexa pats his knee, comfortable around him despite their shared history. Johanna besides him with her fiancé. They both keep glancing at each other, infinite in their whispering. He wants that.

"I'll throw hands at anyone who says anything," Alexa reassured him. Looking especially nice in a long red dress. She's not single. But it clearly isn't serious enough if she didn't bring him along to celebrate her friends.

"That would make it worse," Alex responds, keeping his gaze forward, careful to keep his face neutral. It usually wasn't a problem. That being his default expression. But this was bringing up events from his past he's long since buried.

"Derek was supposed to be here," Alexa says to try to distract him, "you would've liked him. Life of the party. Miles and him had a one night stand and now we're all friends."

"Well that's not saying much considering Miles will sleep with anything."

She laughs, "True. But even Nick gets jazzed to hang out with him and you know how hard it is to get close to Nick."

"He's just careful about who his friends are," Alex acknowledges. Unlike Nick, Alex was just terribly bad at opening up.

Nick was just picky. "That says something good about little old me." Alexa twirls her hands over her head. Sticking her nose in the air. "Not such a mess after all."

"You've never been a mess," he tells her, watching as they begin to call up all the newly minted commanders. Matt shouldn't take long. H being closer to the front of the alphabet.

"Yeah but I've never been particularly good at anything but charming my way into things," she shrugs shamelessly. Alexa wasn't the type to lose sleep over her insecurities.

The Admiral present at the ceremony, Marcus Kapoor, speaks clearly over the microphone, "Commander Matthew Helders."

Alexa and Johanna both stand up, yelling, "congrats!" Alex claps as loud as he can for a beat longer than the rest of the room as Matt shakes hands with the Admiral.

Alex remembers his own ceremony seven years ago now. It had been a smaller affair. His entire career accelerated by his talent.

He swallows back the bitter lump that forms in his throat. There's no reason to cry over spilled milk, his father had often told him back on earth.

Try telling that to anyone who doesn't live on earth: most milk is powdered in space.

He finally lets his eyes search through the crowd, trying to spy the man who'd once been his great mentor and friend. But if Julian is present, Alex doesn't see him among the uniforms. He's sure that he'd know Julian anywhere. His hair perpetually sticking out wildly like he'd just woken from a nap, streaks of color running through.

It was a welcome sight from the mandated navy and neutral colors the SFN preferred. Everything was done to keep the SFN neutral, trying to avoid any conflicts between the colonies. And especially between Mars and Earth.

Unable to wait, Alex asks Alexa, "did Julian come?" Julian and Matt had never been as close as Alex had been to the older man, one of the rare people to turn down a promotion. But Alex thinks Julian still would've come and cheered Matt on.

Drinking at bars until morning talking about life and chatting about their mutual obsession with vintage terran music cemented friendship like nothing else.

She frowns, lines forming between her brows. "Captain Casablancas?"

"Yeah," Alex nods, a nervousness creeping into the lining of his stomach. Julian had also been the only person present during the incident that had chosen not to testify. If he had, Alex had agonized long hours over that large IF, he'd probably have been given a far harsher sentence.

And it looked like the man had finally accepted the rank of Captain.

Alexa places her hand on his arm, doe eyes settling on his, before gently attempting to break the news, which given what she was saying, was impossible to break gently. "You haven't heard?"

"No."

"Julian's dead Alex," Alexa explains, her hand anchoring him to reality, even as his world lurches, "some accident with a faulty seal."

Fuck.

What the bloody hell!

Alex clenches his jaw. Julian deserved more than dying in a preventable accident. He was, and remained the only person to have jumped tracks at the SFN, going from maintenance to exploration.

"I'm sorry," she tries, patting his arm with her hand. "I know you two were close. This is sort of the worst way to hear the news isn't it?"

"How long ago," Alex asks in lieu of responding to her. Julian. Alex could hardly call him a friend anymore.

By the time he'd worked up the courage to message the man, Julian hadn't bothered responding at all. A cold message that Alex could understand.

He hadn't tried to contact him again.

"Three weeks."

Alex nods, fixing his gaze on the stage. The names being spoken, called up on stage, meaningless now that Matt had gone.

He'd been traveling to the Base.

No one had bothered to tell him.

They make their way down to Matt, navigating the crowd who are also here to celebrate their relatives and friends. Alexa led the way, cutting through the crowd like a knife through butter.

Jo and her fiancé hold hands. His eyes never leave her form as she leads on.

Alex frowns.

He'd thought. . .he'd thought, when Matt had first met him upon arrival at the base's landing pad, that he could slide back into his old life. Pick up where he'd left off. Maybe get a job here permanently.

Alex hadn't realized how lonely he'd been until he'd sat around and watched all his friends eat and drink. Easily communicating with each other they way only tightly knit groups of friends could. Finishing each other's sentences.

They had once been like that with Alex. But years in between meetings left him out of the loop. It didn't help that he had chosen to self isolate. Choosing to take jobs that left him without a permanent home, spending his free time tucked into various hotel rooms.

"Alexander Turner," a voice calls out.

He turns, faced with a black woman in a sleek khaki green suit, a moon police officer uniform. Her hair is as sleek as the press of her suit. Dark curls dusted with grey hairs.

"Yes," he asks, halting with great hesitation. The last time he'd dealt with the moon police, they were ensuring he was under house arrest during his trial. For his safety they'd told him over and over.

"I'm Major Gabriela Moss," she tells him, sticking her hand out with great formality. "If you'd please come with me," she continues, as he shakes her hand. "There's a job I'd like to discuss with you."

Swallowing any nervousness he has, he nods. How bad could it be? Probably some white collar crime that the police don't want to deal with. Alex could stock up on lots of coffee with the money. "Lead the way."

She takes him to the precinct, located next to the base. Tranquility Base fell under SFN jurisdiction. But the residential areas ringing the building were left to the MP 505 precinct.

Her office is just like every other police office. Bright disorienting lights. Cream walls, with no decor. A desk bolted down to the floor, in case the artificial gravity malfunctions. And a photo of her wife and kids tilted just out of his view.

"What's the job?" Alex wonders if some idiot tried to rob the casino that was right within the base’s building. Trying to steal from SFN was asking for it.

"A man was found murdered in residential bloc 571 this morning," she explains, lighting up her monitor. A photo of an older man with a walrus mustache came up on the screen.

"Isn't homicide your department," Alex asks, twisting his ring around his finger.

"Usually," Major Moss admits, back straight, hands on the desk. "But this man had a false identification bracelet. According to our records he was born on the Moon. But when my officers requested his file from the Bloc listed, nothing appeared."

"You think he was hiding?" Only criminals bothered to falsify ID bands. But why the moon? He could see why a fugitive from the law or a crime boss would come to the moon, but to stay here this long?

Even earth was easier to get lost in, among billions.

"Yes," she surmises, "and for quite a few months. How he's gone undetected this long is a mystery."

"So you'd like to save your skin and sweep this all under the cover." Alex can see a coverup as it happens. The MPs would be humiliated at having let a fugitive run wild for this long.

But, he probably wasn't a criminal if he spent this long without so much as a word. Probably fleeing loan sharks back on some asteroid. Maybe from Titan.

The murder must have landed yesterday. Within the week at most.

"Will you take the job on," Major Moss asks, "there's more information I have if you agree to take on the case."

Alex sighs. He's intrigued. But taking on this case would mean spending more time on the moon which is both a good and bad thing. He hasn't had a proper chat with any of the lads since he last saw Matt on Vesta nearly two years ago now.

But he isn't exactly at ease this close to SFN. At least in the belt, there's lots of stations with little to no navy presence. Callisto's base was generally isolated from the rest of the population due to the way in which the colony on Callisto had developed.

A man's dead.

And from what he can tell, Major Moss would be more than happy for the case to go cold and never have to explain to her superiors how a man went undetected for so long.

But why bother?

Alex can't understand why the man needed to falsify his identity only to sit around. Unless he wasn't a criminal but innocently caught up with the wrong crowd.

It happened easily enough.

"Why me," Alex asked, still considering how suspicious it looked that the MP were giving away a case just because of the implications the man's murder had. The IDB read Sidney Trojan which made Alex laugh a little inside. Whoever had made the ID had a certain sense of humor. "I'm sure you've read my record by now."

Major Moss nods, leaning back in her metal chair, "Mutiny and treason are certainly high charges. But Mr. Turner, If I am being frank, I am more concerned right now with keeping the peace in my precinct. The last thing I want is any belter extremist to start making baseless accusations about how someone who is more than likely one of their own was treated."

"I'm not a belter." Alex had spent enough time among belters to know, no matter how much time he spent on Vesta or Pallas, he'd never be one of them. Being born and raised there was what made you a belter for the rest of your life. Johanna never bothered to hide the augments along her spine, jutting out like filled out ports. Held her chin up proudly despite the harassment she got, and proceeded to destroy them all in combat training.

"But you have spent time among them," the woman argues, revealing how little she knows and understands about belters. Major Moss had probably never left the moon. Never spent time amongst people in the belt, in the places the SFN never went. "My men are mostly from here or earth. You're my best option."

He resists the urge to roll his eyes. It didn't seem like a trap to lock him up after all these years. Just a very ignorant MP major trying to do her job. "Alright," Alex nods. "Show me the surveillance tapes."

The older woman smiles, but no warmth reaches her eyes, a picture of cold professionalism, as she ignites the screen. The tapes start playing almost immediately. The night vision casting everything into grayscale in the corridors. The older residential buildings hadn't anticipated the amount of people that would live on the moon, the walkways connected the blocs only fitting three people at a time, a nightmare in an emergency. They were colorless concrete slabs, the metal having long gone dull.

Time stamped to 05:46 am.

A single figure appears, walking into bloc 571, looking like any person would after a long shift. In jeans and a loose hoodie, holding a very sad convenience store sandwich. A profile he wouldn't soon forget, complete with split toe boots.

Tisiphone.

Alex tries to justify her appearance. The death hadn't happened until 7 am. She must've been meeting her friend in one of the habs in the bloc. But he'd never been one to discount a coincidence.

It seemed that they would be having a chat sooner than anticipated under less than favorable circumstances. He just had to track her down.

His eyes watch the screen as the time ticks by, creeping closer to the time of death.

She claimed to be here to visit a friend which could very easily have been a lie to cover up meeting her potential victim. Tisiphone hadn't been here for very long, no one would willingly choose to eat convenience store sandwiches if they'd spent time here to get other food. Alex wasn't discounting the possibility of her commitment to looking inconspicuous at 5 in the morning, but then, if Sidney Trojan had feared for his life there would've been a struggle.

Someone would have heard in those older habs.

The time stamp reads 6:24am.

Tisiphone leaves the bloc, taking the passageway leading back to Tranquility. Mr Trojan would still be alive. Did she have an accomplice? Or is Alex making the wrong connection.

The time stamp reads 7:46 am. Mr Trojan would've been dead by now.

7 am was hardly the time for a murder to be committed. People going to work. So many witnesses. They must have been desperate. But the tapes proved useless to narrow down any suspects. Too many people, a perfect crowd to hide in. So there was that advantage. As well as, "I need all the records of the passenger manifests arriving for the last three days on the dark side of the moon and today's departures."

"Alright," she replies, holding out her hand.

Alex hands over his com. Letting her synch it up to her system and sending the files over.

"Good luck Mr. Turner."

This time, Alex does roll his eyes as he leaves her office.

Tisiphone had claimed to be from Titan, so that's the first thing he checks. Three days sound about right. He also highlights any belter arrivals. But apart from one family two days before, no one has come from the belt.

He finds the name he's looking for. Tisiphone Velazques, arriving from Hygiea the same night he had. Born on Titian twenty two years ago according to her IDB. It said a lot about how pathetic Alex was that he was currently finding a potential date on a suspect list.

She might still be innocent. But she was the only lead.

If she's a criminal, she'll be staying off grid, not wanting to leave her IDB just anywhere. But, being through, Alex checks Tranquility Hotel anyways, sending a message.

Want to surprise my girlfriend T. Velazques. It's our anniversary and I got back from a trip into Tethys four sols early. Has she checked in yet?

People were really stupid and easily fooled. Alex had learned that in the last few years.

Then he checks his messages. Twenty seven texts from his friends. Two missed calls from Matt. Shit. He'd forgotten all about Matt.

** *** ch 3

Matt clasps an arm over his shoulders, "I'm sorry I didn't say anything about Julian. I thought you knew and didn't want to talk about it."

Alex considers coming clean, but decides letting Matt think this is about Julian is easier. "No one tells me anything anymore."

The taller man sighs, "you must think I'm a wanker for not even telling you. Julian always asked me how you were doing you know."

Alex shakes his head. "I tried-It doesn't matter anymore. I just think it's bloody awful to have died so young in an accident of all things."

"The idiot engineers better have been court martialed," Matt comments, as they follow behind their friends to a bar in the casino. They've all been casting looks towards Alex when they think he's not looking, like he's a bomb about to go off.

Things can never go back to the way they were.

They get a few pitchers of beer. Singing Matts praises at every sip, taking the piss about how he's going to be the worst commander ever. Alexa's boyfriend, looking tall, dark and handsome, slips into the conversation with ease while Alex, drinks and checks his phone for a response.

"Alexa's boy toy," Johanna mutters under her breath to Alex. "Does the books for one of the gambling halls."

Alex nods. But finds he doesn't care. All that earlier anxiety about his leftover feelings for Alexa, his first love, gone when he realizes there's no sting as she turns to kiss her boyfriend.

He looks down at his com, refusing a refill of beer when he realizes the hotel's written him back. With a digital key and their congratulations. There goes the supposed privacy and protections hotels were supposed to offer their clients.

But this meant he was now leaning to Tisiphone being innocent. But he could tell she was connected to Mr. Trojan somehow. A gut feeling that t9ld him he was barking up the right tree. She might be able to tell him who would want the old man dead and why.

Alex excuses himself from the celebration, pointedly ignoring Nick's suspicious gaze as he leaves.

He stops and picks up a bottle of wine and a quart of strawberries, each the size of his smallest nail with a hint of red at the tip, just in case anyone in the hotel decides to verify any of his information. He can play the part.

Alex presses the elevator up to floor 10, brings up the key on his com, when the machine asks for verification.

The doors slide shut and Alex tries to formulate a plan.

He can't frighten his only suspect-link to the crime. A man was murdered and if he doesn't solve it, justice will never be served. It's his good conscience that's going to get him in trouble all over again.

The hallway is empty.

A tacky red coat of paint that's made worse by the orange lighting. The crimson hue edging towards black. Hardly a happy atmosphere.

Alex runs his hand over the rail, a vestige from the days before antigravity, as he makes his way to room 1004.

Unlike the lobby, the floor is still metal plates welded together. Shiny compared to the rest of the place.

The casino had seen better days.

And more occupied days.

Hesitating outside the door, he places an ear near the seal, hoping that Tisiphone isn't there. It would give her the advantage if she turns out to be the murder.

Better for her to be out. Gives him a chance to look around.

He takes a deep breath and unlocks the door with the key. It slides open smoothly, revealing mustard walls and a plush navy carpet flecked with gold. There's a small bed on one side of the wall, a black backpack laying carelessly on it.

The small cabinet looks untouched, but Alex still goes through every drawer, making sure he misses nothing, peaking into the bathroom and combing the medicine cupboard.

There's a needle and dental floss. A complimentary bottle of toothbrush tabs laying in its side.

Needle and floss.

For an injury, Alex surmises. Perhaps a fresh one that Mr Trojan had managed to inflict while defending himself? It wasn't the easiest way to treat an injury, but it was the way to go if you didn't want to draw any attention.

He slips back into the small main room, and begins to go through the backpack. It looks standard issue, the fabric a vegetable leather nylon mixture that wouldn't be out of place in an SFN pack. But he doesn't recognize it from any planetary police force.

Inside there's a plasma gun with two full charges. Shrapnel in a jar. An extra shirt along with a lined jacket, also black. And a small copper data box.

He checks the jackets pockets, finding two extra IDBs. Both blank.

It's all very incriminating.

And he didn't think to bring a gun along himself.

Alex removes the charge from the plasma gun, using the pillowcase to ensure he doesn't wipe away any fingerprints, tossing both of the charges into the bottom drawer of the cabinet. And leaves the gun on top of the blanket.

Then he takes a seat and waits.

No one would leave a gun with no plans to come back and get it. Plasma guns were hard to come by. Especially for civilians on the right side of the law.

It was just his luck that the first woman he feels any connection with, ends up tied up in criminal activity.

The whoosh of a door sliding open jolts him out of his thoughts.

Alex sits up straight, deciding he looks less confrontational if he's sitting down. Besides, years of training haven't left. His body still remembers combat maneuvers. He still wakes up at 0600 and goes through basic training like clockwork.

Even when he goes back to sleep right after.

A red boot steps inside.

Tisiphone holds a brand new pair of ear pods, still in their case. The moment she spots him sitting casually in her bed, her almond eyes narrowing in suspicion. Her grip tightens on the case, before she schools her features carefully blank.

In better lighting, the scars marring her cheekbones are more prominent. Flecks of silver against honeyed skin.

"'ello again," Alex says, giving a small wave, strands of his hair falling into his eyes with the movement.

She frowns, crossing her arms defensively in front of her. "Why are you here? Who even let you in?"

"I asked nicely," he explains, "terrible hotel service if you ask me. But as for why I'm here, you wouldn't happen to know who Sidney Trojan is?"

Tisphones lips form a tight line, her stance edging dangerously close to someone expecting a fight. Weight distributed well between her legs. "He's dead isn't he. Someone killed him."

" 'fraid so," Alex nods.

"Who do you work for?" Her eyes scrutinize him, as if waiting for him to strike.

Alex raises both his hands up in the air. "No one. The MP of the precinct where Mr. Trojan lived asked me to take the case on."

She doesn't move. "Earth then? Or some secret division of the SFN?"

It was a popular belief that the SFN held a secret military division. Especially among belters and martians.

"You don't seem surprised to hear he's been murdered," Alex observes, not missing a thing, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Lots of people wanted him dead."

Tisiphone must have decided he wasn't a threat. She takes a step closer, waking into the bathroom and grabbing the meager supplies, tossing them into her bag, unbothered by Alex's presence right next to her. He's incredibly aware of the small distance between them as her hands make quick work of packing, ignoring the wine and fruit he'd brought: the small distance between her hands and his thigh.

But he doubts that there's a chance in hell she'll go out with him after today. She has the same determined look on her face Johanna had right as she'd punched him day 1 of hand to hand combat. A woman who doesn't take anyone's shit.

Alex snorts, "mind telling me who wanted him dead?"

"SFN. Earth. Mars. The Children of Prometheus. Park Vader's cronies back on Titan. Maybe even Park himself. Take your pick."

"Why," Alex can't help but ask, standing up as she slings her bag over her shoulder. If he lets her walk out now, he'll likely never set eyes on her again. And she has become his only connection to this man's murder.

He can't just let her go.

"He knew too much," Tisiphone shrugs.

"I can't just let you disappear," Alex tells her, sliding between her and the door. It was a dangerous position to be in. He keeps his hands up, trying to reassure her.

"Whoever killed Ivan is going to be after me too," she states, weighing her options.

"Let me help you."

She laughs humorlessly, "I'm long past help. I’ll only drag you down. And you seem like a nice enough man despite everything."

"Despite being born on earth," Alex guesses. War hadn't touched the system in a hundred years, yet there was a lot of bitterness from the colonies over earth. Over the imagined bountiful resources. The air, breathable unlike in so many other places.

He'd lived in enough places in the system to know that it was hard living in every corner of the solarium federation.

"Good bye Alex." Her dark eyes hold his gaze, waiting for Alex to step aside. He isn't sure how long her patience will last.

"If you leave the moon now," Alex threatens, "I'll have no choice but to find you suspect under the circumstances."

Tisiphone glares at him, "are you an officer? Am I under arrest?"

"No."

"Then you have no jurisdiction," she counters.

"But I was able to find you. I'm the only person who could've made that connection." Her shoes had given her away. Too distinctive for anyone trying to hide out, Alex notes. "Everyone else would've written you off. You played the part of a tired commuter perfectly. Your face isn't visible enough for facial recognition. And the timing is wrong."

"So you have to know I didn't kill him," Tisiphone observes.

"I do." Alex nods. "And I also know that you came here for a reason. I'm willing to bet it's why Ivan is dead now. Help me catch his killer and get some people off your back."

“Why do you care so much about him? He’s just another nameless belter to you people.”

He shakes his head, “because a man’s dead. He deserves justice.”

"How do I know I can trust you," Tisiphone asks, her knuckles relaxing their grip on her bag.

"I could've arrived here with the MP," Alex states, "but I'm here all on my own. Because I believe you're innocent."

She sighs. "Alright. I'll stay. But only for another twenty four hours. That's all I can give you."

He can work with that.

"Okay now let's get out of here. If I can waltz right in so can whoever killed Trojan."

"Ivan," Tisiphone corrects. "His name was Ivan Schlossberg."

"And is Tisiphone your real name," Alex asks.

She doesn't meet his eyes.

** ** ch 4

His hotel room is on the top floor. A half circle window looks out into the expanse. The grey panorama, flattened by robots, is broken up by the tops of other bloc, jutting out of the landscape like hills. The sun is the only recognizable feature in the sky. All the other stars and planets are too distant to be visible.

But Alex has the map of the system imprinted into the backs of his eyes. He could tell where earth and mars fall, navigating by stars like explorers of old, even with the slight changes that arise depending on where you were in the system.

Tisiphone looks out into space, eyes full of stars, as Alex interrogates her.

"Why would the UN or Mars be after Ivan?"

"I already told you," she responds evenly, her gaze still fixed on outer space, a melancholic quality that held none of the wonder people usually had when staring into the stars, "he knew too much."

"About what," Alex presses. Earlier she had named all the major players in politics. That which all SFN members despised because it made doing their job a nightmare of red tape.

Tisiphone looks over at him, turning her whole head towards him. "He was involved with the children of prometheus. Selling information. And Park doesn't like when his people decide to leave him."

It didn't take a genius to know what kind of information would be of value to the children of prometheus. "And your mutual friend."

She swallows thickly before answering. "Told me to find Ivan. That he could help me. I don't know anything more than that. Ivan was going to leave the moon with me and explain this later."

Alex doesn't believe that for a second. Tisiphone wouldn't have left so easily that morning if Ivan hadn't given her something. But he also knows when to let things go. "And why would they also be after you?" The usual targets for the children of prometheus were high ranking UN members or members of the Martian Presidium: the operating companies on the belt that treated their workers as expendable.

Tisiphone was none of those.

She takes a seat on Alex's current bed, her knuckles white as she grips the covers, studying the much more pleasant purple carpet. Not as matted or stained as the one in her room.

Her now shoeless feet revealing mismatched socks.

"I saw something I shouldn't have seen." She bites her lip as her eyes water. Alex forces himself not to look away, wanting to give her privacy. "Someone killed my friend and covered it up. And now they want to kill me."

He takes a step towards her, kneeling down in front of her seated figure, "I'm going to help you."

"You can't help me." Tisiphone shakes her head, looking straight at him, "you can only buy me time."

She flips through the stations as Alex combs through the flight records once more. He's isn't looking for random thugs. If this is a high profiled cover up the way she is alleging, then he needs to find a slicker cover.

He checks for any terrans that've landed here in the last few days. Any native mooners with no permanent address on record: the types of people that would easily fly under the recons. The least likely to be scrutinized.

Alex finds three profiles that fit the description. Two had arrived together under the IDBs Gemma and Nick Ryan. Siblings on vacation from earth.

They were passingly related, the same brown coloring. But Alex's searching gaze found no similar features. The bone structure was all wrong. Gemma's strong, squared. While Nick had a delicateness to his features that was absent in Gemma's.

They had the look of UN division operatives. A learned blankness that helped them slip from memory.

The third was on a flight from Ceres. An older asian man: Hugh Shen. There was no way he was born on the moon and had no records of living here. Alex knew most people born on the moon didn't chance leaving.

Opening for new immigrants were few and far between.

Then there was an oily quality that reminded him of many UN cogs that surrounded his mother like gnats.

In order to be sure that they are division members, Alex'll have to go to the scene of the crime. He knows the UN’s playbook. The methods that division uses. Growing up around his mother, he couldn't not have learned something.

Though Penelope Turner was an idealist, she was willing to do what was necessary to get the job done. It's why she was such an effective politician.

He coms Major Moss, letting her know he'll need access to Ivan's hab.

"Stay here," he tells Tisiphone. "Help yourself to anything I've got."

"Anything," she asks archly, "because I could run a bath. Never had one of those."

"Then by all means," he shrugs. The water bill was bound to burn a hole in his pocket, but going through life without knowing the laziness that baths inspired was no life at all.

She rolls her eyes, shamelessly combing through Alex's meager possessions As meager as hers really. Though he didn't have the excuse of being in hiding.

Alex takes the plasma charges with him.

Major Moss, along with another woman of medium build and asian descent, meets him at the entrance to bloc 571, the white paint having long since peeled off the metal walls. The orange lights flickered, needing replacement, as he walks beside her into bloc 571. He can hear the pressure seals around the door, as it slides open, letting them inside.

While the oldest blocs on this side of the moon, their shortcomings in cramped corridors were nothing compared to the space of the older habs.

Unlike Tranquility base, and the rest of the blocs on the moon, the lights inside bloc 571 were LED and white, the costliest to maintain. A knot of tension eased up in Alex's shoulders. His mind, despite the years in space, always unconsciously yearned for earth's natural light.

"This is officer Cong Xi," Major Moss says blandly, "she'll be taking you through all our available evidence. We're receiving pressure to wrap things up as quickly as possible. There are lots of people who want to move into a hub as spacious as this."

Alex snorts. That's what they cared about.

Cong nods, smiling warmly at him as she drinks coffee from her hot pink tumbler. "Nice to meet you Alex Turner."

Which meant she'd been briefed and knew all about him. There was probably a non-SFN version of his file on her com as they spoke.

Alex had never gotten the chance to read his file after the trail. His dishonorable discharge had left him without any credentials to ask for his file without heavy redaction if he got any response at all. He'd have asked his parents if he hadn't been a coward and taken the first ship to Vesta, hell bent on drinking himself to death.

"Likewise," he responds, realizing he's waited a beat too long to respond.

With that said, the Major turns on her heel, and leaves.

"Shall we," Cong asks him, waiting for him to follow. How did such a pleasant person end up working for the MP? Had to be an idealist. Or hadn't been working for long.

He nods.

Alex takes in the bloc.

The floors dull from nearly four centuries of feet walking over it. Not a scrap of white paint left. But the walls are covered with green plexiglass, an attempt to make up for the lack of actual greenery that hadn't been planned for in old models. Even Pallas had some weeds growing among the tangle of wires.

Each door is painted a different color, giving the neighborhood character. Ivan's hab is red, with a pattern of florals overlaid.

Officer Cong hands him shoe covers and a pair of gloves, "standard procedure," she tells him with a tinge of apologies interwoven in her voice, before she unlocks the door, letting them both inside.

Like most crime scenes, the place is covered with tape and plastic to preserve the integrity. But Alex can see the coziness that Ivan Schlossberg had built inside his hab. A glass top table with mismatched but colorful plastic chairs. Books covering a side table ranging from subjects like "Bloom: a guide to space plant maintenance," to "Catching Fire."

His desk is covered with bits of computer parts. Motherboards and processor chips. Different size screens, some with cracks.

This was the picture of a man who believed himself to be safe. He wasn't planning on running at the drop of a dime. So how had they found him?

Tisiphone had entered first.

Why not kill them both at once?

Or had they believed them both to be inside and cursed themselves when they realized the girl had gotten away?

As Alex looks about the room, noting no signs of struggle, Officer Cong studies him. Her gaze curious.

The mess of computer equipment makes Alex guess that Ivan tinkered with it to communicate with whatever group he was working with, likely using it to hack information from earth and mars. The rudimentary nature of his devices would have confused the much more advanced systems Earth relied on, massive data banks in the tundra chugging along. Ivan would've also had the flexibility of pulling the system apart and rebuilding it with different bits of code each time.

A waste of time, unless you were an old man with lots of time on your hands.

His collection of parts would've been written off as eccentricity.

"You can ask," Alex finally says, when he gets tired of the awkward silence.

"Are you really the mutineer?"

It was much better than being asked if he was that traitor. Particularly bitter belters had taken the liberty of making his days hell in the beginning, knowing he wasn't about to go get help from the SFN.

He nods, looking back at the door. Division wasn't above using chemical weapons. The seals on older habs built with the care of spaceships, no one outside this hab would've noticed. "The one and only," he finally says.

While there were lots of people who had problems with the SFN, it generally wasn't seen among rank and file members.

Cong hums, slurping her coffee.

Alex peels back the plastic over a particularly large pile of electronics, his eyes searching for something small, like a computer chip or drive that would be overlooked to the untrained eye. Toxic gases needn't be in large doses to pack a punch.

"I remember the trial on the net," she comments, "it was all my parents could talk about. My whole family really . . ."

A glint of copper catches his eye. Alex keeps his face neutral, letting Cong ramble on as he plays at looking at the body outline on the couch, as if he could magically find a guilty dust bunny, slipping the casing into his hand for later.

"-guess I was too young to care about that. Too caught up with boys and the latest hairstyles."

Alex nods, trying to pay attention. But with that casing, he's sure it was division. Certain mixtures created the same symptoms in the body as a heart attack. Given his age, it created the perfect cover.

But why come in and stab him after?

Who were they trying to frame-

They were after Tisiphone.

She had led them to Ivan, Alex's thoughts come together, each piece falling into place. They had watched her since she arrived. Which meant they knew she was headed to the moon, hence the two early dispatched division agents, purposely waiting for her to leave before killing Ivan, making sure she'd be the only suspect.

But their plan had gone to the pits.

They hadn't planned on Major Moss trying to burry the case. Or that Alex would be called on.

Instead of an easy frame job, it was a cold case waiting to happen. An MP officer would've just taken Tisiphone in. Assumed that the time of death was off due to some lab error and closed the case. But their plan had gone sideways.

"Find anything," Cong asks him suddenly, having given up trying to chat when it became obvious he wasn't listening. Though why he would make small talk about the event that had sliced his life into two distinct parts, he didn't have the foggiest idea.

Alex shakes his head, "thought the scene might hold a clue." He stands up straight, faking the appearance of disappointment channeling his mother's face when he'd come home with an F. "Whatever crime boss hired the hit must've hired a couple of top notch lads."

"Oh well them," Cong continues, holding up her com for him to read, "Major Moss needs us to come in. Apparently there's been a new development in the homicide."

Alex's chest tightens. God he hopes they haven't found Tisiphone dead. Or arrested her.

No. There's no way. He'd already be under arrest for harboring a criminal. No amount of goodwill would keep him out of prison this time.

Alex had to continue under the impression that she was fine. Because no one else had linked her to this case. No one had any reason to suspect her of anything at all. "Led the way then love."

Cong, like most girls (and some boys) since Alex had turned sixteen, blushes pink, before stepping around him and leading him back to the precinct--and to Major Moss's office.

The division agents who had landed on Tranquility base as siblings named Gemma and Nick, introduce themselves as, "Agents Barnes and Khan." They're already seated in front of Major Moss, only confirming Alex's conclusion.

The capsule in his pocket feels like a block of lead, weighing him down.

There's no way they know he knows.

Except they've been tailing Tisiphone since she landed. They might already know she's sitting in his room.

He needs to get off the moon. Alex had promised Tisiphone he'd keep her safe. And this case had just gotten much bigger than a homicide.

It was the type of cover up that required a neutral party to uncover. A High ranking SFN member that would do the right thing. Unfortunately Alex had learned the hard way that organizations were never as impartial and righteous as they claimed to be.

Bloody hell.

In between two impossible choices, giving Tisiphone up or calling his old mentor Vice Admiral Homme, he wasn't sure which was worse. Would Josh Homme even care?

Or was the UN's influence great enough to buy Homme's cooperation?

"I understand that Major Moss has made the mistake of handing a homicide to a private investigator," Agent Barnes says, smiling brightly as if she hadn't just flung shit at Major Moss, who to her credit, didn't even flinch.

"I'm the private investigator," Alex responds evenly.

"They've just finished informing me," Major Moss interrupts, smoothing down the lapels of her pants suit, "that they've identified the culprit."

Agent Barnes nods, then proceeds to do the very Earth thing of pulling out an actual paper file from a jacket and displaying it on the desk. "A career criminal from Titan named Tisiphone Velasquez. We believe her employer to be some drug lord that Mr Trojan was a long time customer of. When he got clean and moved to the moon, well. . ." Barnes trails off leaving a dramatic pause before clearing his throat, "Titian didn't forget his debts."

Ivan's hab was not the home of a drug user. Or a recovering drug user. He'd never been to Titan, to the city under the ocean, but he knew enough about drug lords to know that they had more to deal with than a customer with lots of debts on a colony as secure as the moon.

But Alex can see Major Moss eat up the story, her eyes gazing over as there's one less problem for her to deal with.

"Well Mr. Turner," Major Moss turns to him, "It looks like your services are no longer needed. I'll wire you the payment promptly. Meanwhile I'll circulate the perpetrators photo and have my officers be on the lookout."

"We will be taking custody of Miss Velasquez," Agent Barnes interrupts, "she has insider knowledge of a crime ring we have been monitoring for years."

"Of course," Major Moss responds, already typing out the paperwork.

He has to get off the base. He has to take Tisiphone far from here.

Alex turns to leave, reaching the door before he hears Agent Barnes mutter pointedly under her breath, "It's a wonder Ambassador Turner hasn't resigned out of shame. No clue how he can show his face in public."

Agent Khan coughs to hide a snigger.

A muscle in his jaw twitches. It's bait. And an obvious one at that. He has more than a few scars to prove how stupid responding to it would be, but they did just insult his mother.

"What did you just say," Alex asks through clenched teeth, not turning back to look at them, robbing them of the satisfaction. Mentally, he counts to ten.

He's not going to give them an excuse to place him under arrest.

Tisiphone is counting on him.

The fact that they're baiting him instead of just following him back to the hotel room is a good sign they don't know he's hiding Tisiphone. He tries to concentrate on the and not the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

Tisiphone.

Her petite figure sitting on his bed, scrutinizing everything with an arched brow. The look in her eyes as she'd stared with a refugee's longing for their ancestral home at the image of earth, the green returning to the land after hundreds of long reclamation projects initiated by the UN.

"Nothing to trouble yourself with Alexander Turner," Agent Barnes replies patronizingly, "There is no further use for your services here."

Alex clenches his jaw, and walks out the door.

He lights a cigarette as he makes his way through the dim corridors, the orange fading into scarlet, stopping only to pick up supplies he imagines needing as they travel to space together. Not all at the same store.

Alex will have to get everything out of her, if he's going to throw in his lot with her and hope they get to the bottom of the conspiracy before they're arrested and killed. Or just killed.

What could be bad enough that the UN felt it necessary to send division agents after a woman?

The problem is the IDB has been made.

He's going to have to hope she can get another one quickly. Tisiphone, whose name is more than likely not Tisiphone as all, wouldn't have survived this long is she was stupid.

Fuck.

He really should just turn her in. Or give her a heads up and be on his way. Alex could be on Pallas in four weeks, having the most questionable weed in the system, laced with the hell knows what. Take a case every now and then. Finally make his way out to Titan.

Logan had been his favorite western growing up. Right after The magnificent Seven. He'd made Matt have stand offs against him for days after seeing it, pretending he could manipulate metal. And Titan was the new wild west of space. And still people flocked out to carve their little piece of real estate.

Humanity is ever expanding.

Alex has to press the lift button twice, cursing and lighting another cigarette when the lift's lighting system dies as he ascends up, connecting with Tranquility's passageways.

More than once, he has to stop himself from glancing over his shoulder, sure he'll see an Agent following him. Hugh Shen had been absent from their little meeting. But that didn't mean he wasn't still skulking about.

Even the air changes from the corridors to the base. It's drastic compared to Ceres where the air quality is shit everywhere you go. The base has crisp clean air that didn't leave you all cotton mouthed for the wrong reasons.

From there it's easy enough to head to his room. Alex is already flicking through the net, looking for tickets to the belt. Or maybe they should go to Callisto. It was famous for being a no extradition zone: refusing to acknowledge any authority other than theirs and SFN's by extension. The relative safety was tempting, but he couldn't plan until Tisiphone told him everything she knew.

Alex wasn't stupid enough to think she wasn't holding something back. Her earlier explanation had been as vague as she could manage given the circumstances. He had no clue who her friend was. What she had seen other than a wrongful death.

There had to be a reason behind the coverup after all.

No government went around coverup murder for no reason. It just wasn't economical.

"You have to tell me everything you know," Alex tells Tisiphone in what he hopes is a commanding voice, as he tosses his bags on the bed, plopping down. His only shortcoming as a commander had been the complete and utter lack of confidence he had when giving orders. "Division has just shown up and thrown you under the bus."

Tisiphone's hair hangs down, damp as she listlessly scrolls through the catalogue of music offered by the hotel. She flinches at his words. "I should've left when I had the chance," she tells him harshly, uncurling from the settee and moving to grab her things. She jams her feet into her boots in one swift motion, clearly having been ready to make a run for it at a moment's notice.

"You're right," Alex tries, taking out the gas casing, ensuring the glint of metal catches her eyes. "It's a coverup."

"Obviously," Tisiphone scowls.

"I'm sure they've circulated your IDB by now," he continues, "they wanted to frame you for Ivan's death. I want to know what you saw so I can help you."

"Why so they can kill you as well," Tisiphone shakes her head, "No. . .no."

"What's so important that Division would risk breaking the treaty of Schiaparelli for," Alex asks, rubbing his temples. He wasn't a politician. The inner workings of government fell to the wayside of his thoughts.

There had been no major battles fought in a hundred years but relations between colonies were always fraught with tension over resources. Those skirmishes were usually fought in the Solarium Federations regulatory body, but Alex wasn't naive enough to discount the darker talk of division--their tendency to enhanced interrogation.

"Why do you want to help me so badly," Tisiphone counters, hands on her hip, glaring down at him as if he was the reason that Division had found her at all.

"Someone should," Alex shrugs, peering up at her. The line of her body fell naturally into a defensive stance, something that could only be so natural if she'd started training when she was very young. Tisiphone wasn't an innocent civilian, but she still didn't deserve to be disposed of. "And if I don't, they'll probably kill you and throw your body in some incinerator."

"Or they'll kill us both," Tisiphone replies archly.

"I'm offering you my help if you want it."

She peers down her nose at him, her lips pressed into a flat line, the slim line of her jaw fitting in perfectly with her feline features: a cat deciding if batting the toy was worth it. Turning on her heel, stepping into the bathroom, Tisiphone orders him to, "strip."

Smart girl.

It doesn't keep the burn from making its way up his neck as she turns the refresher, the low static drowning out any background noise as she takes a seat inside the fogged glass.

Alex kicks off his boots, gratefully that he'd actually kept up with his fitness all these years as he pulls his shirt off. There's still bruising in the crook of his elbow. He doubts she misses it as she stares up at him. It's a rush of relief when he notices the scarlet on her cheeks. This is embarrassing for both of them then, as he unbuttons his trousers, before taking a seat in front of her.

"Division blew up my crew." She starts with, staring at a spot behind him, her eyes welling up with tears. "They launched a missile and it tore their ship apart." She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, shaking her head, "I'm sorry I just. . .let me start over."

"It's okay."

"Shut up Alex and let me tell this in a way that makes sense." She swallows thickly. Taking a deep breathe during which she closes her eyes before continuing. "My name is Vera Albaicin. I'm an agent of the Guoanbu. Sixty eight sols ago my crew was handpicked to participate in an interplanetary task force with the UN. It was supposed to be an easy retrieval mission. We met up with the other crew. Everything was normal."

T-Vera closes her eyes, her hands closed tightly by her sides, trying to suppress the shiver that runs down her spine. Alex wants to offer comfort, but he isn't sure there is anything he can do to make things better in this situation.

"I took an EMU suit to-it was a strange ship. More like a capsule or probe. I had just made contact when my ship was hit." She shakes her head, a desperation in her eyes at the helplessness she must keep on feeling. Not having been able to do anything to save her crew. "Space. They died in seconds. The thing is. . .the only people who would've known about the mission were the UN and MPC. Earth and mars."

Alex nods, trying to probe her as gently as possible because there is still one unanswered question, "how did you know to find Ivan."

The UN and MPC must have decided that the knowledge was better off lost after having sent a retrieval team. Something they didn't want anyone to know about it. That fact that mars and earth had cooperated at all was throwing Alex off. Weapons would make sense if it was just mars or earth. But together?

Vera shakes her head slowly, her gaze meeting his, an intense anger to their depth he had not seen before. She was digging because she was fucking mad. This was a woman seeking justice. "I can't."

"Vera," Alex utters, unable to look away, trying her real name out on his tongue. "My name is Alexander Turner. I'm kind of famous for breaking the law," he finished with a self deprecating smile.

Usually, the last thing he wanted a potential date to know was his past.

Her eyes widen, her whole body freezing up as she takes in the new information, pursing her lips in an attempt to suppress a telling gasp. But instead of recoiling in disgust as he expects her to, Vera reaches for her neck, revealing a necklace obscured by her hoodie. It's a cheap metal thing that must be of sentimental value.

She doesn't stop there, thumbing the ring at the end of the chain before meeting his gaze once more. This time there's no hard glint to her cognac eyes, but a woman at last having caught on to a life preserver. "Julian-Captain Casablancas told me to find Ivan. Trust no one-trust no one but Alex Turner," Vera admits, unable to hold his gaze. "He must have known what was coming."

It's a ring he recognizes well, a twin to his own commander ring. The classic exploration insignia: the atom. Every detail identical for Julian and Alex had received their rank at the same ceremony, only Julian had been eight years older. Already the man Alex wanted to be: wanted to be with. The man had inspired camaraderie the way a good leader should, and clearly he had managed it in a martian girl as well if she had come all this way on his word alone.

"Can I," he motions, aware of the closing distance between them. Between him and Vera. Vera. He had to get his head around that one. Same woman, different name.

No. Not the same woman.

This woman was a martian secret intelligence agent. Not some naive little girl.

She nods, closing her fist around the ring before yanking the chain in a quick motion. It snaps off. The sound like the hull of a ship nearing the end of its lifetime, creaking. Then drops the ring into his outstretched palm.

Without Alex having to prompt this time, still caught up in seeing Julian's ring, still warm from Vera's body heat, in his hand. Julian hadn't responded to Alex's messages. He'd assumed it was because of Alex's past, but now he was left to wonder if Julian had wanted to protect him by keeping away from him. Keeping whatever he'd gotten caught up in that had killed him away from Alex. Vera adds, "I was confused why he'd told me that, given me his ring as I got into the EMU suit but. . .Ivan told me that he was just the messenger. He'd worked for so many sides not asking questions. Earth, Solarium, Mars. They were all the same to him. So he decided that the children of prometheus had a point and got in contact with them. Relaid information. Ivan-he was going to tell me more."

But he'd died.

Vera looks at him meaningfully, "but he did manage to give me the coordinates that he was given by his CoP contact. In case he ever needed a safe house or extraction."

"He never-," Alex begins to ask, not taking his eyes off the ring. In his hand was proof that Julian had been killed.

"He never met his contact," Vera confirms. "But they're on Callisto. Some hippie hub." She rolls her eyes and what a martian thing to do. Look down on every colony not hell bent on terraforming.

Alex turns his gaze on her once more, seeing her in a different light for the first time. Trying to spot what made her a martian. As if he could spot in vitro augmentation just by looking her over.

But all he saw was a petite woman with a hollowness under her eyes. Her full lips pressed into a grim line. Hair slowly drying into waves, catching the light like oil on water. Despite Alex's new information about Vera, he was no less drawn to her.

There was no sadistic edge that spoke of oprichnik operatives who the Martian People's council refused to acknowledge existed despite all the mounting evidence about their methods.

His gut was telling him that Vera was telling the truth.

"One thing though," Alex points out, taking off his own ring for the first time since he'd first received command rank, a command long since stripped from him, and sliding Julian's ring on his finger in its place as he stands up. His mind was made up. He was going to help Vera uncover this conspiracy. Clear Julian and Vera's name. And maybe, just maybe, reclaim some respect on his name.

"What?"

"You said earth and mars sent you," he says gently, having encountered enough martians to know how loyal to their colony they were otherwise known as having bought into the propaganda, "but Division killed your crew.. ."

"Yes," Vera nods, tapping her foot on the floor.

"Then wouldn't both earth and mars have sent the missile that killed your crew? Or wouldn't have mars already used this as an excuse to advance their agenda?"

"No," she supplies, refusing to even contemplate the idea that Mars would've been complicit in such an act. "The Guoanbu wouldn't have killed their own. We're-they're not like that."

“Vera," he sighs, "there's nastiness under every corner, no matter how nice everything is on top you know."

She shakes her head again, averting her gaze, There wasn't much to look at on the walls, but she was making due.

"Let's just find ya another IDB and get to Callisto-"

There's a knock at the door.

Alex and Vera trade wide eyed looks, having taken the plunge off the same cliff with nothing but a string of brand new fucking trust between them. A dead man's word to go on.

Fucking hell.

Matt and Nick flank each side of the room's door. Nick's stone face offsets the mixture of parental concern Matt's features contain, sighing at Alex's appearance, sticking his head out the door. Vera hiding next to the door, alert to every word.

He has to wonder how good her hearing is. Martian's always messed with embryos biology, designing the next generation to be fitter. Could she hear down the hall? What the people in the next room were saying?

Matt steps forward, "jesus fuck mate," he shakes his head. "Can't respond to a bloody com now Alex."

"I told you I got a job," he protests, trying to remember if that was true. His friends had fallen to the bottom of his priorities quickly. Alex had a habit of self absorption with whatever obsession came his way. It had made him a terrific ensign, practicing the same maneuver for hours until he could do it with his eyes closed.

"No," Nick corrects, not bothering to move the curls out of his face, watching him carefully, "you didn't."

Alex sighs, but doesn't budge. They mustn't see Vera. Soon her face will be plastered all over the net as a manhunt begins. Her IDB must already be flagged for travel.

He had to make his rightfully concerned friends go away and quickly.

"Al," Matt levels with him, "I asked you to be here because you might as well be my brother. I knew when I did that it would mean coming back to the moon. That it would bring up a load of shit for you."

"We're worried about you mate," Nick explains. "You're still here. You won't talk to any of us."

" 'm fine," Alex mumbles, unable to hold eye contact with either of his friends. He looks at his shoes as he realizes how unfair he's been to them both in the last two days.

This trip was supposed to be about Matt.

He shouldn't be here worried that Alex finally went off the rails.

"Alex," Matt utters, placing his hand on the door frame, leaning in close to Alex. "You know you can talk to me. I don't care what you did or why."

"Really," Alex tries, because as much as he'd like to have this long overdue discussion, finally get to explain why--no one had ever asked him why, they'd just condemned his actions as w r o n g--he has to get Vera off the moon. "I'm fine. Just been in me head."

"That's what I'm worried about," Matt responds, eyes locked onto his, as if Alex could disappear at any moment. "You've always been in your head too much Al. And it didn't matter when I knew you were looking after yourself. Had me and the lads with you but-Alex you looked like utter shit back in Vesta last time I saw you, hopped up on who knows what."

Alex swears internally. They really knew when to pick the worst moments. He was actually doing good. "I know. . .," he tries to find the words that don't require him to have an emotional breakdown in Tranquility Hotel, aware Vera's listening in, "it's been rough. Some days worse than others but Matthew," he whines, "I really am good."

"For how long though," Nick counters, crossing his arms against his chest. It was a good point but Alex really hadn't been in the dark lonely place in months. Maybe closer to a year now. Progress.

Something about waking up missing shoes and jammed into the seediest by corners of an asteroid had lit a fire under his arse about moving on.

He hadn't even hit the agents earlier. They would've deserved it but who gives a shit. Alex will always be a mutineer but at least his hands were clean. His conscience is a white pearl like a meditating bodhisattva.

"Can we just go inside and talk man," Matt pleads, his shoulder resting against the door, clearly seconds away from shoving his way in.

Guilt wells up in his mouth. Despite having every reason to say no, Alex wants to say yes, the word making its way to the tip of his tongue at Matt's insistence.

It was Matt and he was Alex and he couldn't just deny him like this after everything.

Terrans were only allowed one child.

The law didn't keep Matt from being his brother any less.

"I can't," Alex sighs. "I just-you've given me a lot to think about."

Matt rolls his eyes, hurt flashing through his features as he takes a step back, "bullshit."

"Just open up the damn door Alexander," Nick tries, clearly having had it with trying to do things the nice way, realizing Alex wasn't going to budge on his own. "We're ya friends."

"It's been six years Alex," Matt added. "I thought you'd want to talk by now."

Alex shakes his head, "it's not always a straight line."

"Let's have this conversation inside," Nick insists, "who knows when you'll be around next Al. And now Matt has a command. . ."

Matt shoves his way in.

Alex had forgotten how hot headed he could be. The foil to his cool and calm temperament: translating Alex's lit to others. Not that Alex had much trouble verbalizing, necessity being the mother invention. He no longer took hours to get a sentence out of his mouth.

"Matt!"

"Don't Matt me Al," Matt retorts spying Vera in seconds, who's already fallen into a defensive stance.

Matt brings a hand to his face, pinching his nose bridge, before heavily sighing, "You've got to be kidding me Al. You're hiding a murderer now."

"She's no-"

"I didn't kill anyone," she tries, folding into herself, trying to appear smaller and innocent than she actually is. Vera tries to play at being Tisiphone once more. "It's all a misunderstanding!"

"Then turn yourself in," Nick challenges, closing the door behind him.

"Al," Matt says, placing his hands on Alex's shoulders, "what the hell are you thinking mate! They're going to lock you up for this and not even-"

"Matt," he interrupts, "trust me. I'd love to have a nice long chat but things have gotten. . .complicated and-it's safer if ya don't know. Just. . .trust me."

Matt stares back at him, mouth drawn. An entire childhood together on earth, their toes digging into the soil, tracking mud all over the floors. Later a shared adolescence, their accents charming the girls and boys at school, Matt doing all the talking and never leaving a painfully shy Alex behind.

He nods. "You better come back because we're having this talk even if I have to go visit you in prison."

"There are things far worse than prison," Vera unhelpfully points out, tugging on her jacket over her hoodie, the collar lined with actual animal fur. Given the martian rationing system, it was an untold luxury for Vera to own a leather jacket with fur at all. "I'd even take death over enhanced interrogation."

She pretends to tremble with fear, "anything but gravity."

Alex snorts in spite of the dark subject matter. "Not helping."

Ignoring the other two men in the room, Vera hands Alex one of the spare IDB's he'd seen in her bag earlier. Had it really been only hours ago? "Here's your IDB now. Alexander Collins. Born on Pallas. Married to Morgana Collins," she points at herself, already dispatching the old IDB off her wrist and throwing it in her bag. "Came to the moon to get married. Off to Callisto to make a living," she explains calmly.

"Short and sweet," Alex notes, looking down at his own wrist, the IDB a second skin. He hadn't taken it off since he'd left earth. Many colonies like Callisto chose to implant the ID chip.

It was the key to getting on any ship. His passport and last link to earth. His last hope at ever stepping foot on the big blue planet again, however slim.

Visas for foreigners pretty much nonexistent.

Nick hands him a swiss army laser, "I implanted mine." It's news to Alex who hadn't even noticed, Nick having always been a bit chilly, wearing long sleeves year round. " 's nice actually."

Matt dramatically covers his eyes.

Alex slices through the metal, leaving a band of unblemished creamy skin.

It doesn't last long, as Vera easily replaces it.

"You should keep it," she tells him, patting his arm like a parent half heartedly consoling their child after a pet fish dies. "We are planning on fixing things."

"Yeah," Alex answers, running his fingers over the band. He already felt less confident without it.

[absynthe--minded]

It's been a hot minute since I read LaCE so maybe I just don't remember if there were details on this: Is there any information on the ceremony taking place before or after the marriage? Since the default way to achieve marriage is sex after would probably make more sense? Before would be kinda weird or is that just me? Do you have any headcanons concerning ceremonies?

LaCE itself describes the ceremony taking place prior to the marriage, and even though it’s not specified that the ceremony must come first I think it’s safe to say that it does, traditionally. Since the ceremony is completely unnecessary, I’d even go so far as to say that it celebrates something else than the marriage does - the one is public-facing and is just as much for the benefit of the families involved as the happy couple, and the other is private and solely for the benefit of the elves who are forging the bond.

As to headcanons -

I think that ceremonies can essentially look however you want. I think that all parties involved are aware that they’re having a celebration of the bond between two people through the lens of how that impacts and changes the lives of their families and friends, so it’s not really solemn unless someone who’s getting married wants it to be. There’s a lot of joy, and a lot of good-natured snarky commentary and heckling, and it’s just a good experience for everyone involved. The actual ceremony is pretty brief, because there’s not a lot of steps to it - just the rings, and the vows, which are pretty open-ended and are written by the people involved with very little formality. The real fun comes at the wedding feast. (It’s a proper feast, too. No appetizers and cocktails here.)

Also, if you married discreetly or secretly, you’re totally able to have a wedding ceremony after the fact to include your community in your joy. That’s the premise of the Russingon wedding fic I need to eventually write.

[kurowrites]

The Live-In Boyfriend - Chapter 1

Looking for live-in boyfriend, the title read.

It had only been put up the day before.

Well, well, Wei Ying thought to himself. Isn’t that exactly what I was looking for?

He clicked on the link and quickly read through the text of the advert.

Since you all enabled me yesterday - have a chapter of Wei Ying being supremely stupid. Link to AO3.

(Note that this fic is going to get mature later on. Also don’t try this at home pls.)

---

Wei Ying usually wasn’t the kind of person that eavesdropped on the conversations of people he didn’t know. Most of the time, it wasn’t worth the effort of spying, anyway.

(Too many boring people in this world.)

But something about the day he’d had so far, and the way the two girls seated next to him kept giggling and exclaiming in (pretended?) shock, made him listen in. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. He was just sitting there, sipping on his depression coffee, trying to decide what he was supposed to do next.

“A website?” the girl with a truly impressive set of pink lacquered nails exclaimed. “Isn’t that super sketchy?”

She emphasised ‘sketchy’ by tapping her long, sharp nails onto the tabletop.

“Noo, not at aaaall,” the other girl, dressed in a figure-hugging dress the colour of a ripe banana, replied. “You have to provide identification and they do a background check on you, to make sure you’re not a criminal or something. The sugar daddies too, of course.”

“Oh really?” Pink Nails asked, and immediately looked a lot more interested in the topic.

Well, Wei Ying had to agree with Pink Nail’s interest – he could use one of those sugar daddies himself. Someone willing to pay for his expenses, that would be nice. A lot better than being homeless, at any rate.

“Yeah, and you can even chat with them before meeting them,” Banana said, twirling her hair around her finger coquettishly. “It’s not like I’m going to go out with just any guy.”

“And that’s where you met him?”

“Yeah,” Banana said, leaning back a little, clearly satisfied to have the undivided attention of her companion. “You have lots of choices, and you can put in your preferences, too.”

She leaned forward again, and lowered her voice to a fake whisper that did nothing to make her voice less audible over the soft café music.

“I was really lucky with my current sugar daddy. He’s really generous because he has an established career and a lot of money. He likes kinky sex, but that’s fine, because he also kinda gets off on me sleeping with other guys, so it’s not like I can’t still go out and do whatever I want. I’m just providing him with company and a pretty thing to hang off his arm whenever he goes to a party or something.”

The two women laughed, and returned to the discussion of the advantages of this website.

Wei Ying’s attention was caught. He looked down at the sad little weekend bag next to his chair that contained nearly all of Wei Ying’s worldly possessions, discounting the boxes of books he had managed to stow away in Jiang Yanli’s attic. He’d had to sell all his furniture because he had no space where he could put it anymore. The landlord had kicked him out despite Wei Ying’s best attempts at negotiation (curse his entire bloodline), and now Wei Ying was, essentially, homeless. He had no idea how to weather the next few weeks. He had no stable address, and he needed to look for a new job. Things weren’t looking good for him.

So, he sipped on his possibly last coffee for a long time and pretended not to listen in to the conversation of the two women next to him. And when Banana finally mentioned the name of website she had been using, he felt compelled to casually unpack his own laptop, make use of the café’s free Wi-Fi, and enter the name of the website into his browser.

He was just curious, that was all.

His search returned with the result that this website was in fact the equivalent of a dating website, only for sugar babies and other forms of… special companionship. The company claimed to be classy and strict with their background checks, made assertions of quality and high customer satisfaction. And the registration as a potential sugar baby, companion, or whatever else they wanted to call it, was free.

Wei Ying paused for a moment, wondering if he really should do such a thing. All assertions from the provider aside, it was still a risky thing.

He took another look at the bag at his feet. It couldn’t get much worse than it already was, could it?

He clicked the ‘new account’ button and filled out the application without a second thought.

---

Looking for the right sugar-person wasn’t exactly a simple thing to do, Wei Ying realised about three pages in. He had decided early on that the gender of this potential sugar person didn’t actually matter, but that had the simultaneous advantage and disadvantage of increasing his possible matches considerably. He wasn’t sure how to make a choice in this wild new world that had suddenly opened himself up to him.

He was a bit nervous about the having sex part, too. He tried to imagine having sex with someone he didn’t really know and maybe didn’t find very attractive, but he drew a complete blank. It might be better to stay on the safe side and choose someone who didn’t have sex as a prerequisite. That might work out better for everyone involved.

God, with all these options and decisions, it was as complicated as looking for a job.

Well, technically, if he did it right, it might be a job. Well, not really, but he might get enough money to keep him afloat for a little bit. And with enough money, he might be able to both afford a decent apartment and find a well-paying new job.

He absent-mindedly scrolled past adverts looking for highly specific… qualifications that Wei Ying definitely didn’t have, and was considering giving up when he saw an advert for the same city he was living in.

Looking for live-in boyfriend, the title read.

It had only been put up the day before.

Well, well, Wei Ying thought to himself. Isn’t that exactly what I was looking for?

He clicked on the link and quickly read through the text of the advert.

Looking for live-in boyfriend

The ideal candidate must be clean, quiet, obedient, and sophisticated. Must be able to play his part convincingly around relatives, business associates, and friends. Good table manners and skilful socialising are required.

Physical relations are not required, but negotiable if so desired. Strictly no romantic entanglements. Affairs during the duration of the contract will lead to immediate termination.

I offer a large apartment with own private room. All ensuing costs (rent, food, clothing, allowance etc.) are covered.

The advert didn’t reveal much about the writer and his personality, so it was difficult to say anything about how well they’d fit together. But the man offered a room! Without the prerequisite of sex!

He clicked on the profile of this potential sugar daddy to find out more about him. The man, who went by L. Z., was the same age as Wei Ying, and had been working in his family’s company ever since he graduated university. Someone who had been born into wealth, probably.

He lived alone and was openly gay, so his family would expect him to bring a man to public events and family dinners. His hobbies included music, reading and tea ceremony. All in all, Wei Ying started to wonder if he was being catfished, because the age and occupation said successful young man, but the rest of it said boring middle-aged uncle with a receding hairline.

But what did Wei Ying care about boring when such a perfect opportunity presented itself to him? He didn’t want some kind of old, kinky dude. He simply wanted a place to stay, and if that stay came with an allowance and some social contact, it would be perfect for him. He had good table manners. And he did well at socialising. Most of the time.

He decided that ‘quiet’ and ‘obedient’ were relative things. He could be quiet! Sometimes! If he was reading interesting things!

He was going to contact this person, worries and fears be damned. What use was it to wait around? If this man was actually for real, he might get snatched up by someone else quickly.

He clicked on the 💌 button on the sidebar of the profile, and typed out a quick message.

Hi L. Z.!

My name is Wei Ying. I live in the same city as you and as coincidence would have it, I’m currently looking to be a live-in boyfriend! We’re the same age, too, so I think we would work very well as a couple!

I also like reading (if you have a library, I’d be all over that) and I think I can safely promise not to have any affairs while we’re dating. As for the rest, I think it would be best to judge for yourself. I’m free the next few days, so I have time for a personal meeting!

I’m a little curious though – why are you looking for a live-in boyfriend? Not to judge you, since I’m obviously responding to your advert, but you seem like a man that’s very put together. You probably could choose anyone you wanted, so why an advert?

Best, Wei Ying

He didn’t really think that he would get an answer soon, and half expected his message to go ignored, but it took barely an hour until a notification pinged on his phone, indicating that he’d received a reply.

He eagerly clicked the ‘view message’ button.

Dear Wei Ying

Thank you for your message.

I agree with you. Someone from the same city and of the same age would be a good potential partner. If you do not mind, I would like to invite you to my apartment for a personal meeting. We can meet in a café if you are more comfortable meeting on neutral ground, but you should know where you would live before you make any decisions.

To answer your question: I am not interested in a romantic relationship, but my family has been concerned about my happiness ever since I came out as gay. They want to see me in a fulfilling relationship. I want to make them stop worrying. A contractual arrangement will take care of these issues. Once we terminate the relationship, it would also provide me with a good reason not to date for some time.

Best regards,

Lan Zhan

Wei Ying gaped a little. That was a… very decisive statement. This Lan Zhan certainly didn’t beat around the bush.

Oh god, was he really catfished? Human trafficking, perhaps? But then…

He had no time to lose, and getting a home and money as a package deal was very tempting. If Jiang Yanli ever got wind of this, she might strangle him with her own bare hands. But well. She never would get wind of it. Wei Ying would make sure of that.

He pulled out his laptop again, and typed out a second answer.

Hi Lan Zhan!

Nice to meet you again. 😊

Meeting you at the apartment is fine, just know that I’m going to inform a friend of my whereabouts and check in with them to make sure everything is fine.

Tell me your address and a time that works for you!

Best,

Wei Ying

He sent the message and within a few minutes, he had an address and a time – the next day, at 5.30 pm. Lan Zhan also assured him that he was perfectly fine with Wei Ying telling a friend where he was. So maybe not a catfish, after all?

Wei Ying immediately looked for the address online, and it was a nice, modern building in the centre of town. Not some kind of seedy warehouse or an abandoned house. If he ended up disappearing in that part of town, there would probably be witnesses.  

He sent a short confirmation to Lan Zhan, telling him that he would be there at the desired time. And then, he spent the rest of the evening panicking about what he had done.

He just barely remembered that he needed to contact Nie Huaisang and use him as security. Nie Huaisang was the only one he could think of right now that wouldn’t try to talk him out of this. Jiang Cheng would just straight up murder him.

He had committed now. There was no way back.

---

His internet search had already informed him that the apartment was in the better part of town, so Wei Ying had expected a rather classy apartment building. What he hadn’t expected was that said apartment building came with an actual concierge. He’d never had to go through a concierge to meet any of his friends so far. The entrance hall almost looked like a hotel.  

Good gracious, this might all be an elaborate prank.

On the other hand, if he disappeared, now he had another witness.

He walked up to the concierge’s desk and smiled at the man behind the desk winningly.

“Hi, my name is Wei Ying. I’m here to meet Lan Zhan.”

The man gave him a critical look, from his ponytail down to the thick black leather boots he always wore, and picked up the phone in front of him.

He entered a number and let it ring a few times.

“Good evening, Mr. Lan,” the concierge said when someone picked up on the other end of the line. “A Mr. Wei is here to see you. Yes, understood. I will send him up immediately.”

The concierge came out from behind his desk and directed Wei Ying to the elevator. He held the door open for Wei Ying and pushed the button for the right floor, then bid him goodbye.

“Thank you!” Wei Ying called through the closing elevator doors, but the concierge was already out of sight.

Oh well.

He was going to meet Lan Zhan. Right now.

He quickly pulled out his mobile phone and tapped out a message to Nie Huaisang.

[Wei Ying, 05:29 pm] I’m going up to the apartment now. IT COMES WITH A CONCIERGE. 😱

The door pinged and opened onto an empty hallway with elegantly tiled floor and a tasteful but abstract mural on the wall. Wei Ying stepped out of the elevator and looked around curiously. Which way was he supposed to go?

“Wei Ying?”

There, at the end of the hallway, a man stood in the frame of an opened door.

This must definitely be a catfish, Wei Ying decided then and there.

There was no way that a man this beautiful needed his help.

[kickingitwithkirk]

Deuxième Omega

Summary: Jensen is not dealing well with his unexpected divorce and before the ink is even dry, he is pushed into another union with a complete stranger.

Pairing: Alpha!Jensen Ackles x Omega!OFC

Word Count: 3363

Warnings: A/B/O, angst, angry Jensen, cursing, alcohol abuse, parental manipulation, arranged marriage, Alpha dominance over Omega, unintended injuries.

A/N: So, get this; a lot of my original writing ideas from my weird as hell dreams about Sam Winchester but for some reason Jensen is starring in this one. I’m gonna blame the bad PMS I’m having for all the angst in this.

A/N II: There is no intentional hate or malevolence intended towards any of the Ackles family. This is a purely fictional piece containing real and created persons/names/events set in the fictional A/B/O verse.

*Supernatural doesn’t end in season 15 and some dates/events have been altered to fit the story.

*no beta, all mistakes are mine *photos found online

Jensen was sitting slouched on the leather couch staring at the paperwork that had been dropped off by courier this morning, official notification of the dissolution of his marriage to Danneel when Jared entered his trailer. “It’s not gonna say anything different no matter how many times you look at it.”

“I know,” Jensen sighed heavily, “never thought I’d be in this position.”  He tossed the papers on the table and picked up his beer draining it in one go.

“You better not drink anymore, we’ve still got two more scenes to get through before we can leave tonight.”

Jensen rolled his head towards Jared leaning across the kitchenettes bar counter with a very concerned expression.

Jensen had always been a social drinker, he did love his beer, the slight softness over his toned stomach was the biggest indicator. But there had been constant uptick in his drinking during the mandatory two year waiting period for an Alpha/Beta divorce. So far, it hadn’t seriously interfered with work but there had been several instances of his obvious imbidding that Jared,  Alex, even Misha ended up pumping him full of coffee to get him through.

“Then let’s get them done so I can get really fucked up before that shit show happens tomorrow.”

“Jack, give this new marriage a chance. Your dad said she’s a good match right? You never know, maybe it’ll work out like Gen and me.” Jared’s marriage had been a private match and he was happy with the Omega that his family had chosen.

Jensen snorted, getting up and walking out of his trailer, “Yeah, you lucked out with her, not always the case. Look at me, I’m getting a second hand Omega.”

*** To say the atmosphere in the private arrivals area was strained was an understatement. The Ackles were seating several feet apart awaiting their son.

“Mommy…daddy, how’s it..go..going?” They both turned in unison to see their very drunk middle child staggering towards them followed closely by Jared and Clif.

“Jensen Ross Ackles, how could you show up in this condition!” Donna Ackles snapped as he gave her a cheeky smile before passing out. “Fuck!” Jared blurted out, catching him before he face planted onto the tiled floor.

“Jared Tristan Padalecki you’re to blame for this!”

“I’m the one who’s been there for him, not the one forcing him to do something he’s not ready for! This is on you, I’ve tried to get him to stop but he’s hurting like hell and you don’t care!”

“You can’t speak to me that way young man! I always knew you came from trash and this proves it.”

Jared let his inner Alpha surface, eyes glowing red in anger, “If you ever speak disparagingly about my family again…” Clif quickly stepped in between them giving Jared a look.

“I’ve had it with you inserting yourself in our family business! I’ll make sure you never have contact with Jensen outside of work ever again!”

“You go ahead and try, Jensen’s forty two years old and more than capable of making his own choices. The only reason he’s agreed to this is because you’ve duped him into believing this is the only way to uphold your family’s social standing in the Dallas Pack because all you care about is how you look to those fucking country club bitches!”

“Alan, could you please bring the car around so we can get away from this embarrassing situation.” The older Alpha gripped his mates arm giving her a firm look of disapproval and steered her towards the exit. They could still hear her grousing, “how dare he deliver Jensen in this state,” as they went out the door.

Jared hefted his friend over his broad shoulder and carried Jensen back out the private entrance as the SUV pulled up. Clif opened the back door and helped Jared place him in the vehicle, carefully laying him across the seat.

“How bad has it been for him?” Alan inquired after Clif shut the door so his mate couldn’t hear.

Jared pulled off his beanie, running both hands through his hair, not hiding his frustration before answering, “He’s been in a downward spiral, drinking continuously, got him to stick to beer. I found him looking at the divorce papers and as you see… ”

Alan sighed heavily. Jensen’s divorce came out of nowhere, everything on the surface appeared good between him and Danneel but in hindsight he realized there were telltale signs all along, the biggest was her reluctance to have children.

Anytime anyone inquired she waved it off, saying she wanted to wait till Supernatural had ended, it wouldn’t be fair to leave all the responsibility for rearing their pups predominantly on her, she wanted Jensen there, to be a hands-on father.

Alphas were involved to an extent in care and raising of pups, but it was unusual for one to be as hands on as the Betas or Omegas were.

Jensen was one of those exceptions. Whenever with his siblings, he was right in there helping, never turning down a chance to play with them, even princess tea parties with his only niece. When on vacation or at conventions with Jared and his mate, he always was willing to help with their pups.

“I want to formally apologize for what Donna said, she overstepped the lines of etiquette. This is no excuse but she doesn’t know how to handle this situation. Jensen’s always been her favorite and she personally picked Danneel as his mate, it’s been a slap to her ego.”

Jared smiled, “I accept your apology Alan. Jensen’s always said his mother has been a…handful.”

Alan laughed, “That’s the diplomatic way of putting it,” he signed again, “Donna’s family always spoiled her being the only Omega, somewhere along the way she’s forgetting that being part of Dallas society doesn’t give you the right to treat others badly.”

*** Late next morning

Jensen was sitting on the edge of his hotel bed contemplating how he got here.

He thought Danneel was the one. When they were introduced by his mother a few months before his twenty seventh birthday they instantly clicked and started dating that night.

Jensen proposed six months later, couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have found a love match. Danneel stated she wasn’t ready to give up her career yet, so they compromised and decided on a long engagement.

Supernatural started filming its fourth season when Kripke announced that the series would end with season five. Danneel also found out her current role was being written out of the series she was in about the same time so they set the date for May 2010.

Jared’s surprise wedding in February that year reaffirmed Jensen’s desire to settle down and start his family in a few months. They bought a home outside Austin like Jared and his new mate Genevieve. Things were going as planned, then the unexpected happened.

A couple months before they finished filming the CW announced Supernatural was being picked up for season six under new leadership.

Jensen returned to Vancouver not long after they were married. Danneel continued working, doing guest starring roles on other series and was cast in the occasional recurring role of Jo.

Every year when the show went on hiatus Jensen would bring up about starting their own family, he was feeling the biological pull more and more. Once again, she stated it wouldn’t be fair for them to have a family and him be a drop-in father, and moving to Vancouver full time, nope, he worked too many hours.

Danneel started dabbling in other interests outside of acting and in 2018 they opened The Family Business Brewery with her family. A few months later Jensen was served with the divorce announcement.

*** “Jensen, it’s time.” He looked up and Alan was saddened by the lost look in his son’s eyes. There was a resignation in those green eyes that never existed before. Saying nothing Jensen got up, slipped on his suit jacket and walked out of the room.

Alan mentally shook himself but that nagging feeling was back once again, something wasn’t right about this whole situation.

*** The Uber stopped at the back door of the small country church. The woman in the backseat thanked the driver and got out, pulling the garment bag with her. She walked to the door and rang the bell. It opened revealing the minister’s wife.

“You’re very late, the wedding is starting in fifteen minutes.” She said, hurrying up a staircase to the second floor and entered an empty room. “Where is your family? They should have arrived already to help you get ready.”

“There is no one coming,” the woman replied as she hung the garment bag over a closet door next to the mirror attached to it. The minister’s wife’s jaw dropped in surprise, “and it won’t take me long to get ready. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be down in a few minutes.”  

She unzipped the bag removing a veil and shoes having arrived already in her dress, chosen by the groom’s mother, and attached the veil to the headpiece holding back part of her simply styled hair. She looked at herself for a moment before pulling the front part of the veil over her face then joined the minister’s wife who was to escort her to the chapel. She placed the shoes she wouldn’t wear until after the ceremony on the small table outside the double doors and took her place in front of them.

Jensen was sitting in the first pew of the small country church wondering why this place was chosen for the wedding as Donna and Alan made their way to sit next to him. His siblings, Joshua and Mackenzie, were already seated in the one behind him with their mates as the rest of the Ackles clan that had been invited filled up the rest of the pews.

He looked over at the bride’s side. There was not a single person seated in any of those pews. He frowned, finding it strange, wondering where her family was when the intro music started.

The minister took his place and gestured for him to rise. Jensen couldn’t move, his body feeling like it was tied down with lead weights. “Jensen!” His mother hissed at him in a low tone.

Suddenly, he felt himself get up, urgently needing to get away from her as his inner Alpha became agitated, as if it sensed something was amiss.

Each secondary gender pairing had their own ceremonial traditions so he was required to remain facing forward when the music changed and the doors behind him opened.

As the guests stood Jensen focused his senses on her as she proceeded down the aisle. He couldn’t scent her, too many different scents mingling together to isolate hers. He listened to the whispering material of the dress as she slowly walked, finally stopping next to him. In his peripheral vision he could see her head bowed under the thick veil obscuring her face and hair, her hands were clasped together in front of her, devoid of a bouquet.

The minister started speaking, talking about the obligations each Alpha and Omega were required to follow as dictated by the book. Jensen inhaled sharply, realizing what was occurring.

This wasn’t the common ceremony but the ancient, traditional version that only the extreme believers still used today. There was absolutely no out for either party from once the proceedings started.

If he objected to the ceremony he would be shunned by his pack, his family would be forced to never acknowledge him again or suffer the same censure; if the marriage didn’t work and they separated, he was responsible for her care as she would be set aside from society and forced to live in isolation.

He looked over at his parents, Alan was pinching the bridge of his nose trying to quell his anger knowing that his mate had put Jensen in an impossible situation as Donna sat there with a fake, placid look.

His own mother had irrevocably bound him to this Omega for the rest of his life.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur, neither party was required to say anything, there was no exchange of rings or a kiss at the end. The minister finished the ceremony and turned to the altar signing the marriage certificate with a quill pen dipped in ink. Jensen signed next, his hand was shaking so violently in anger making his signature barely legible.

The Omega didn’t sign, only her name was required for legality and the minister filled it in. He poured a powder on it to set the ink, blew off the access, rolled it up and tied it with a piece of twine before handing it to Jensen offering his blessings for a fruitful marriage. It took every ounce of his acting ability to politely smile, shake his hand, thanking the minister for the proceedings.

He turned, marching out without acknowledging his bride and she obediently followed behind him, pausing to grab her shoes along the way and scurrying to the waiting limousine climbing in after him.

Jensen sat in the back on the farthest side pouring himself a drink from the bar as his new wife sat quietly near the still open door. A few minutes later Jensen was on his third glass of whiskey when his parents climbed in and the chauffeur shut the door. He started the limo and as they pulled out Alan pressed the button to close the privacy window between them.

The tension in the back was so palatable an icebreaker couldn’t have cut through it. “Donna how could you…” Alan was unable to say anymore, his disgust for what had happened thick in those few words. “I did nothing wrong,” she snapped back, “I only had Jensen’s best interests…”

“Like when you threatened to sabotage my friendship with Jared again? By the way, Clif’s the one who dropped the dime on what happened after I passed out last night, not Jared, so you don’t get to blame him for that too.” Jensen threw back the rest of his drink before continuing.

“Oh, don’t think I’ve ever been ignorant of your disdain for him ‘cause the clan he comes from isn’t good enough for those highfalutin bitches in your social circle. Or how you’ve persuaded me to do this only to find out you took it to the extreme, forcing me into an impossible situation, accept this marriage or lose everything. Congratulations mom, you are still the queen bitch, sorry, bee, your precious reputation is secure.”

They traveled the rest of the way in silence. The limousine pulled onto the grounds of the country club in front of its grand entrance. Jensen got out before the chauffeur finished putting the car in park leaving his new wife to scramble out behind him as Alan and Donna got out the other side.

Jensen finally took a good look at his bride. She was in a simple, modestly cut, long sleeved dress, the only adornments a row of buttons down the bodice, no jewelry and apparently a pair of shoes that didn’t fit as she was struggling to get them on.

She was still fussing with her left shoe when he spoke in a stern voice, “Since our wedding was in the traditional, we’ll continue with its edicts. You are not to remove that veil, acknowledge or speak to anyone. You will not leave my side for any reason. Where I go, you go, three steps behind me. Nod once if you understand.” She nodded once.

“Son, I think…”

“Dad, as the traditional also states, I’m well within my rights to make demands of my Omega without interference, am I not?”

Alan acquiesced, “Yes, you are.”

“So” Jensen rubbed his hands together, “let’s go celebrate this disaster, shall we.” Putting on a fake smile, he went into the venue to greet his family with his Omega obediently three steps behind him.

*** Several hours later

“This shit has got to stop cause I swear it’s the only time I’m doing this dad.” Josh grunts, annoyance thickening his voice as he helped guide his inebriated brother to his hotel room. “Come on.. have ‘nother drunk, ‘posed to be celebrating my disaster marriage to that…’mega..don’t even want her.”

“Jensen, shut the fuck up! I’m not gonna stand here and let you insult your mate.” Josh snapped at him.

Jensen ripped his arm loose, “ ‘en go, not stopping you…and she’s not my mate,” his free arm waves unsteadily as he points towards his new wife standing by the main door, “my real mate took my money, my home, my fucking heart!!!”

Josh turned his back on his brother, “Jensen, I can’t stand seeing you like this, you need to get it together.” He headed for the main door,  pausing to speak to his brother’s new wife, “I’m sorry he’s taken his anger out on you now. My brother is a good man, an honorable Alpha,” he stepped close to her and lowered his voice, “there is far more to this than what you’ve been told, please be patient with him.” He left slamming the door behind him.

“Fuck him,” Jensen muttered staggering into the bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed slumped over.

“Jensen, your brother is right, you have got to pull yourself together. Therefore, as the Alpha of our clan, you are banned from our family. When you are back to being yourself, the Alpha you once were, you may appeal for re-admittance.”

Alan then did something he hadn’t done since Jensen was a small child, he bent over and placed a kiss on his son’s head, “I love you and I want my son back.” Nodding to his new daughter in law he left.

It hurt him tremendously knowing he wouldn’t see his son for a long time but it was for his own good. Now his Omega was the only one who could help him mend. Hopefully Jensen would see this marriage wasn’t the biggest mistake he’s imagined it to be.

Jensen didn’t move until he heard someone shuffling their feet. He looked up squinting at his new wife still standing by the bedroom door. Sitting up straight he grunted at her and passed out, falling backwards on the mattress. She slowly walked over and hesitated a moment before reaching out touching his shoulder, shaking him.

Getting no response she sat down near him lifting her right foot, gingerly removing the ill fitting shoe with a gasp and then repeated with her left. The blisters on both her heels that had busted open earlier were raw and had bleed. She detached her veil and wadded it up, stuffing it in a shoe and bent over untying Jensen’s and removed them too.

Standing up she gripped both his jacket lapels and hefted him upright to lean against her as she worked it off letting him flop back down and unbuttons his shirt leaving him sleep the case of everything he drank off. She left a pain reliever and bottled water on the nightstand.

Quietly shutting the bath door she found the dress had too many small buttons down the back. She laughed mirthlessly at the irony she was stuck in the dress like this marriage. Pulling the skirt up over her knees she sat on the counter to soak and clean her sore feet in the basin.

Once the worst of the ache was gone she pulled the drain and climbed off to finish washing up the best she could. The mirror reflects back the emotional toll of the last few months in her eyes.

She went over to the bed only to find her husband had moved, sprawled out over its entire surface. Searching for extra bedding and not finding any she gave up going back into the main room and curled up on the couch hoping to find a comfortable position to get some sleep for a few hours so she could briefly forget what her life had become.

Part II

SPN: @donnaintx​​​

Dean/Jensen: @flamencodiva

[maknaesdancersrappers]

Devoted 2.

part 10

Overall warning/s: kinkier smut (eg. voyeurism, exhibitionism, etc.) character death, dark themes

Chapter warning/s: vulgar language, violence

Just how devoted is Jaehyun to you?

prev: part 9

wc: 6.3k

You, your mom, Jaehyun’s mom, Yebin, and Minkyung had arrived at the resort a little past noon and were immediately served lunch as the resort staff brought your bags to the room. After eating and resting for a bit, Jaehyun’s mom led everyone to where the wedding venue could be and visualized it for them.

The pathway to the recreational garden had butterfly bushes on each side that lead to a spacious circular area that could fit just enough for your target wedding entourage. There was a gorgeous fountain offset from the center of the area that had beautiful, healthy, large kois swimming about in the basin and a metal fence that had Chinese honeysuckles creeping through the bars that separated the area from the beach.

“What do you think, sweetheart?” Jaehyun’s mom turned to you, eyes sparking and hopeful. A resort staff brings over a tray of champagne for everyone and leaves after everyone has their own glass.

“It’s beautiful, definitely.” You looked up at the looming cherry blossom trees over the fountain, imagining what it would look like when spring comes with the petals filling each basin and flowing down with the water. “But I feel like there’s something missing.”

Minkyung took pictures for you on your phone to send to Jaehyun and for his mom to use as reference for planning. “What’s the color scheme again?”

“Pink and gray.” You answer, although a bit unsure if you wanted to push through with it. “Unless it’s too pink? With the cherry blossoms and all?”

“It depends on the shade of pink you want.” Jaehyun’s mom interjects, “I suggest something a bit deeper… like watermelon.”

“Wouldn’t that be red already?” Yebin curiously speaks up, already finished with her drink, hanging it haphazardly by the flute’s foot between her fingers.

“No, not literally watermelon red.” You explain, “It’s a darker shade of pink. Ah, I wish I had my paint swatches.”

She waves her other hand, “No, no, it’s okay. Just don’t make me wear anything short as a bridesmaid.”

“Isn’t the trend to use infinity dresses for bridesmaid gowns? That was my plan.” You walked over to her and linked your arm with hers. The sea breeze was cool despite the afternoon sun; it was a perfect day to lounge by the pool or wade in the shallow waters of the beach. You leaned your head on Yebin’s shoulder and sighed, “I don’t think I want to get married here. It’s a nice venue, maybe for a reception, but not the ceremony.”

“Then let’s go to my aunt’s place! I haven’t even been there, but knowing her, it’ll be gorgeous.” Yebin leans back on you, “She’s a landscaper.”

The private property was completely walled off with 2-story cement walls with vines creeping up from the ground. From the metal gates up to the parking space in front of the house were tall pine trees and the road leading up to the majestic water fountain surrounded by rose bushes was gray gravel. There was a woman that stood just where the gravel stopped and was replaced by ceramic tiles; she had salt and pepper pixie cut hair and wore high waist trousers with a simple tank top. Something about her screamed ‘boss bitch’ and you’re not doubting she’s related to Yebin.

“Eunyong!” Jaehyun’s mom greets once the car comes to a stop, throwing her hands up as the woman approaches her. They kiss their cheeks and hug each other, “Thank you for this.”

“Oh, honey, you know this is nothing. Who is she? Who’s the lucky girl marrying your son?”

Jaehyun’s mom holds her hand out to you and you bashfully greet her, “Hello. I’m [Y/N].”

“To be marrying Jung Jaehyun and having his mom plan the wedding?” She takes your hands and smiles fondly at you, “You’re a lucky girl. You must be so happy.”

“I still can’t believe it myself.” You admit, “Thank you, again, for lending your property.”

“Anything for the Jungs. Oh, Yebin! What a small world, you’re friends with [Y/N]?”

Yebin gives her aunt a kiss on the cheek, “We were roommates all our college life with Minkyung.” She gestures to her, who bows her head in greeting.

“My! I think I’ve seen you in a fashion show in Europe, my dear.”

Minkyung blushes, “Well, I am a model.”

After you introduce your mom and a few more pleasantries, Eunyeong gives you a tour of her property. She first led everyone to the 3-story mansion and explained that it had 15 ensuite bedrooms, 4 extra bedrooms, and the first floor was mostly an open living area with a luxurious kitchen and pantry to the right and an olympic sized pool, with half under the building and the other half exposed under the sun. She then walked through the marbled floors, guiding everyone to the garden. Like the resort, there were hedges that separated the grass from the sandy beach. Tall trees, among them were cherry blossoms, were lined along the walls and varieties of bushes and shrubs grew beneath them.

“This area is a blank canvas for you, [Y/N].” Eunyeong puts a hand on your shoulder, gesturing to the wide space of grass in front of them. “Tell me what the color scheme is and I’ll have the perfect flowers ordered so they’ll be ready by the wedding.”

“Pink and gray, but I’m still on the fence about it.”

“Don’t worry, dear, I’ll take care of it. I have a few ideas already.” Jaehyun’s mom assures you, opening the iPad she had and taking a picture of the landscape. “And if you’re still unsure, then it’s fine. We have months to go.”

A ringtone erupts from behind you and Minkyung exclaims, “Oh, [Y/N]! Jaehyun is calling!”

You had almost forgotten she had your phone, thanking her as she hands you the phone and you take a few steps away from them to answer the call. “Babe?”

“Hi, baby. Just thought I’d check up on you.”

“I’m alright. I was going to send you pictures so you can help me decide but,” You paused; staring at the open garden. Eunyong was right, it was like a blank canvas. You weren’t able to visualize it awhile ago, but now that you’re hearing Jaehyun’s voice, your mind just paints the picture in your head and it almost makes you tear up, “I think this is where I want to marry you.”

“Is it that beautiful?” There was that specific teasing tone in his voice that you would have rolled your eyes at, but instead you let yourself chuckle, eyes still fixated forward; taking notice of the waves past the green hedges.

“It’s perfect.”

After meeting with Eunyong and having a meal there, they return back to the resort where the mothers spent most of their day at the spa, while the quote-unquote younger generation lounged by the pool to get a tan. Yebin and Minkyung tried to plan a bachelorette party, but you turned them down, not wanting one at all. They all met up again for dinner, enjoying the 5-course meal by the window that opened up to the beach. Minkyung and Yebin fill the silence with stories from their work; Minkyung shares some runway mishaps and minor wardrobe malfunctions she’s had and Yebin tells them about the business ventures she’s been tackling. When it came to you, you expressed your concerns about starting your own company, adding the fact it stemmed from Jaehyun’s wishes for you to stay at home instead. You couldn’t help but catch the disappointed and worried look on his mother’s face before she covered it up by drinking her glass of wine.

When they all retreat into their suite, Jaehyun’s mom opted to head out to the balcony and sit out there. You hadn’t paid much attention to it, going to your room to get ready for bed, but when you’ve done your nightly routine and talked a bit with Jaehyun on the phone, you stared up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. You slipped out of your room, thinking Jaehyun’s mom must have gone to bed, until you were proven wrong as you see her still seated outside holding herself from the cold, night air. Grabbing a spare blanket from the cabinets, you walked over to her and put it over her shoulders.

“Mrs. Jung, you’ll get sick.” You quietly said, taking a seat on the adjacent chair.

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re marrying my son. You can call me mom or mother now.” She softly chuckles, “And I hadn’t realized that I’ve been out here for too long. I just remembered something, that’s all.”

“If you’d like, you could talk about it to me.” You offered, folding your hands over your lap, “I’ve learned the hard way that it’s not best to go to sleep with a heavy heart.”

“It’s nothing, dear, you don’t have to worry.” She looks over to the dark abyss of the night sea, unable to see the waves crashing into the shore despite hearing them clear as day. Every now and then an owl hoots somewhere in the trees. She looks back at you with a smile, eyes tired from the day’s activities, “How about you, dear? It seems like you can’t sleep either.”

You wanted to tell her everything; from what Jaehyun had done in college to the current issue at hand. This woman is going to be your in-law, yet she’d been acting like your second mother since you’ve met her. A part of you always feared she’d be wicked and mean towards you, but all those thoughts were thrown out the window once you got to know her more.

“I…” You started off, and her perfect brow just lifted up ever so slightly, “I know about Jaehyun’s disorder; the BPD.”

In an instant, there was shock in her eyes as if she had heard you wrong, but then it morphed into something similar to fear. “Oh. H-how did…?”

So you told her everything you could in the steadiest voice you can muster; from the incident in college, to the therapy sessions, to the threats against you, you told her everything and it amazes you that you were able to admit it without crying. You’re not going to lie; telling someone else felt relieving, especially since it’s someone who knows Jaehyun — literally raised him. You only stopped when you noticed her eyes tearing up and you internally panicked.

“You know about my son’s condition?” Her lips quivered, brows finally burrowed and a hand flies over her mouth to contain her sob.

“M-mother…” You stuttered, holding your hands out to her. “I— no matter what happens, I’m not going to tell anyone else about it, I promise—”

“Oh, sweetheart,” She quietly cries, “All these years, I’ve feared my son won’t be able to find someone to love and understand him. [Y/N], you’re godsent. You know what goes through his head… he’s shown you what he could do… yet you stayed? You still want to marry him?”

This makes you tear up, somewhat understanding the fear of a mother for their child. “I’ve thought about it for so long honestly, but no matter what excuses I come up with, I can’t imagine a future without him.”

She cries a little harder, hiding her face into her palms. You move to sit beside her, putting an arm around her and hugging her gently. After a while, you pull away and she looks at you with a smile. “Thank you for loving my son.”

“Thank you for giving birth to him.”

This makes both of you laugh as she pulls you into a hug, “[Y/N], sweetheart, if ever his BPD acts up, if  he ever scares you again, please come to me, okay?”

You replied with a promise, hugging back and feeling your eyes stinging at the sudden weight being lifted over your chest.

“Now,” She says, pulling away and holding onto your shoulders, “Tell me more about these threats. I can’t believe Jaehyun wouldn’t tell us about it.”

“He probably thinks he has it under control and I trust him. We don’t want any of you to worry.”

“That’s nonsense! We’re your parents, we’re always worried about you.” She scolds, “But knowing Jaehyun, he probably has done the most he can do. I’m sure this issue will be resolved soon… and I’m sorry for the things Jaehyun has done in the past. I wish I could say I would have done something to stop him, but his father—”

She stops mid-sentence, lashes fluttering as she realizes the words that were about to come out of her mouth. She inhales deeply, “You’re marrying into the family. You have the right to know. Most of the Jungs have BPD; it’s horrible that it’s genetic, but with proper therapy it would mean nothing.”

You licked your lips, already knowing this fact. “So… Jaehyun’s father…”

“His father and I were arranged to be married. It made sense because our parents were business partners so we didn’t have any qualms on it, his father was quite handsome — I’d have to admit that Jaehyun is practically the carbon copy of him now. But then eventually, I learned that his father had personally requested to have us arranged. When I confronted him about it, he chalked it up to him liking me but being shy around me. He first showed me his true colors when he demanded me to quit my work; I’m an event planner, I travel all around the country for my work if needed and he didn’t like that. He accused me of cheating and such, which were all false of course, but he just couldn’t believe it. He started getting angry, very vocal, never laid a hand on me though, but I still got scared. It was when we found out that I was pregnant with Jaehyun that he finally told me everything about him, how he was scared he’d inherit it. That was the first time I’ve seen him so vulnerable and raw. It was then I decided to obey him and quit my job.”

“I thought you left your job to take care of Jaehyun.”

“No,” She sighs, “I left my job because his father told me to.”

“I’m sorry, baby.”

You smiled, although your brows were furrowed. It was Monday morning and you were preparing lunch since Kyungwon was coming over to work things out for Yuta’s apartment. Jaehyun was supposed to arrive later that evening until you received a call from him and put him on speaker.

“Jaehyun, it’s fine. I understand. Work is work. Do what you have to do.” But you have to admit you’re a little disappointed his trip had to be extended for a few more days since he had to go to China to meet up with Sicheng.

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to. Just stay safe, okay?” You silently hissed when you accidentally touched the metal knob of the pot lid. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Tell Kyungwon I said hi.”

“Okay. Bye, baby.” You glanced over to your phone and waited for him to drop the call before checking the penne pasta you’ve been boiling. Kyungwon had originally told you to come to the office, but you insisted she came over instead and she had no qualms about it. You’ve already laid out your laptop and papers on half of the dining table so you two could get things done quickly.

She arrives a little past twelve since she came from the office and right off the bat, you could tell something was off with her. She was still her bubbly self, but something wasn’t right. You couldn’t question her about it because she commented about being hungry and it would be rude to keep your guest waiting for food.

“Oh my god! So you’ve chosen a wedding location already? Ah! [Y/N], I’m so excited for you!” She squeals, vibrating in her seat so hard that the pasta she’s stabbed through her fork has fallen back onto the plate. “And a spring wedding? Gosh! It’s going to be beautiful.”

“Enough about me, Kyung. How about you? What’s been going on back at the office? Are the old employees back?”

“Yes. Ugh! Somehow they got it into their heads that they’re so great because they got rehired by the company.” She scowls, rolling her eyes and shoving pasta into her mouth. “But aside from that, it's the same old, same old. Oh! Eunbi from finance is pregnant with her rebound.”

“Rebound? She broke up with her boyfriend?”

Kyungwon shakes her head with a smug look on her face, “No, honey, her boyfriend dumped her last month.”

“Oh my god, is the rebound going to take responsibility?”

“It looks like it. She’s a lot happier — and good for her! Her ex was rude whenever he got invited to any of our hangouts.”

You nod your head, picking up your glass of water, “So how about you? Have you gotten laid yet?”

She uncharacteristically falls silent, eyebrows shooting up to her forehead as she avoids your gaze momentarily until she snaps it back to meet your stare. In one breath, she says: “Okay, don’t be mad but I slept with Yuta.”

You pushed your chair back, trying to hold yourself back from spitting the water you had just drank. After forcefully swallowing, you breathed in deeply and looked back at Kyungwon, who now covered her blushing face with her hands. “Whoa.”

“You said it was okay!”

“I’m not scolding you!”

She threw herself back on the seat and whined, “I’ve kept this secret for so long since I can’t blab about it back in the office. Oh, [Y/N], he’s a fucking god.”

You pursed your lips, “I don’t think I need to know the details about my client’s sex life.”

“Okay, but he’s a fucking god.”

You laughed, shaking your head in disbelief. “It’s either that’s true or you’ve been out of the game for too long.”

“Please. None of my exes can compare to what that man did to me.” Her dreamy smile slowly falls, “But we made it strictly physical and he seems pretty closed off, too.”

“Wait, it wasn’t just a one night stand?”

She flicks her hair off her shoulder and clicks her tongue, “I guess he’s lonely, too.”

“But good for you, Kyungwon. At least you’re getting laid.”

“Why do you sound like you’re not getting laid? You’re getting married to a Greek god.”

“It’s not that.” You laughed, “Did it sound like that? It’s just because he’s overseas at the moment and I’m feeling lonely.”

Kyungwon snorts, side-eyeing you as she takes a drink from her glass. “Honey, don’t tell me you solely depend on Jaehyun to get off.”

“I—” You feel your face heat up. Come to think of it, you haven’t masturbated in a while. You’ve touched yourself, but those were in front of him and he’d never let you come undone with your fingers alone. “Well, no, I don’t. I can do it on my own, but it’s just not gratifying.”

“Is it bad that I’m curious what he’s like in bed?”

“Only if you try to find out.”

“God, no, of course not.” She recoils, “Just one of the many curiosities I have that I won’t act on. This thing with Yuta is a weekly thing, you know. Unless he calls me.”

You finish your meal, “You’re a booty call.”

“I’d do anything for that dick.”

“Hey, he’s our client, remember. Don’t get hypnotized by the dick.”

“Oh, [Y/N], if you only knew.” She lets out a dreamy sigh and you laugh, throwing your napkin at her.

“I don’t plan to. Get your head out of his pants, we have to work on his apartment.”

After putting away your dishes, you and Kyungwon began to work; making final checks for orders and deliveries, browsing for more design pieces, and the likes. It took longer than you two expected, extending up two hours than what you had originally planned. You finally decided to stop when you spy from the corner of your eye Kyungwon stifling a yawn, uploading all your work onto the shared drive between the three of you before stretching your arms upwards.

“Are you hungry?”

“Please tell me you have some good ol’ ramen in your pantry.”

You scoffed, “Of course, I do. I’ll go make some right now.”

You have the ramen cooked and ready for consumption in no time; each of you had a full bowl with a few side dishes you were able to put together while the water boiled. Instead of work, you and Kyungwon talked about your new house; told her about the materials you wanted, your plans for each room, the layout, and she even offered her own insight that you considered.

“4 bedrooms on the second floor?”

“Well, 3 bedrooms and the nursery. The fourth room will be turned to a walk-in closet for me and Jaehyun to share.”

“Oh my god, that would be a dream to design!”

You purse your lips, “Well, the two extra rooms are for our future kids. I’m sure they’ll want to renovate as they grow older. Would you like to work on their rooms when the time comes?”

She fakes a gasp, covering her mouth, “I would be honored! But gosh, when’s this happening? In 20 years?”

Both of you laugh as you finish your noodles. Kyungwon offered to do the dishes, but you refused, and fortunately, she received a call from a different client that forced her to leave. She thanked you for the day and you walked to the door, where both of you were surprised to see Hyunwoo about to ring the bell.

“Good evening, ma’am. These came in for you.” He smiles, holding out the flowers and teddy bear.

“Oh, thank you.” You glanced at Kyungwon, showing your confusion at the situation.

“I’m totally not jealous that your fiance sent you apology gifts for not coming home today.” She shrugs her shoulders, feeling the teddy bear’s ear between her fingertips. “But I’m oddly really happy for you. See you soon, [Y/N].”

You kiss her cheek and wave her goodbye, “See you, Kyungwon.”

After they leave, you heaved a sigh and inspected the gifts. Red roses, like always, and a pretty hefty teddy bear. You thought it was odd, but Jaehyun has his cheesy moments, excusing the teddy bear as a stand in for himself so you won’t get lonely until he gets home. You walk back to the dining table to put the gifts down and pick up your phone, dialling his number to thank him, but the call wouldn’t connect. He’s either on the plane already or he doesn’t have a signal. Instead, you put the flowers in a vase and placed it on the dining table as a centerpiece.

Before having a late dinner of some scrambled eggs and spam, you worked on both the interior of the mansion and looking for a wedding gown inspo. Sooyeon told you to prepare what you had in mind for a wedding gown and she’ll hook you up with any of the top wedding dress designers in the industry. You’re torn between empire and A-line dresses, liking both fits on your body but couldn’t decide which is better for the theme. You also didn’t know if you wanted lace or tulle, what type of neckline, the accents, etc. All the dresses looked so good and you already know not to bring it up to Jaehyun because he’ll make some bullshit excuse to buy all of them. Although you don’t mind having different dresses; like changing into something more simple for the reception. You were also concerned about what shoes to wear since it’s a garden wedding, you wouldn’t be able to wear heels that you would have preferred. 

You have a shower before heading to bed, taking your time in lathering your body with lavender-scented body wash to help you relax. After breezing through your nighttime routine, you walked out to the bed while tugging your hair loose from the haphazardly tied bun you put in. Seeing the empty bed reminded you of the teddy bear you had received earlier and you quickly went out of the room to grab it on the dining table to retrieve it. You weren’t really going to sleep with it, but you’d like to put it on the accent chair you had on the opposite side of the room.

Your phone rings just as you were about to put on some lotion and you smile to yourself seeing Jaehyun’s name. You put him on loudspeaker, “Hi, baby.”

“Hi, baby.” His voice drawls, “Sorry I couldn’t pick up earlier. I was on the plane and I couldn’t get to you when I landed because Sicheng and his friends took me to a bar.”

“Jaehyun, baby, are you drunk right now?”

“No, baby, just a little tipsy. Did you get my little gift? Toss the old flowers out.”

“You didn’t have to, but thanks.” You hummed, unscrewing the cap of your favorite body butter tin. “Where are you now?”

“Don’t worry, I’m already at my hotel room. I wanted to hear your voice before I go to sleep.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” He pauses on the other side of the line and you hear what sounded like him getting into bed, “Were you about to go to sleep, too?”

“Yeah, I’m just putting lotion on.”

A long, low moan echoes from your phone and you halt your movements. A tipsy, lonely Jaehyun could only mean one thing.

“Baby, can we video call?”

The next two days were uneventful; you visited the mansion to oversee the renovations being done and was pleased to see it going smoothly as it was exactly as you envisioned it. Other than that, you also spent a lot of time going through IKEA and other home decor stores, picking out possible pieces you’d purchase. It’s still a stressful thought to think you have an entire mansion to design AND you get to live in it. Whenever you had clients for projects like these, you always mused to yourself how you would like it if you were the one living in the said space but now that the time has come, you’re overwhelmed.

Just as you got home, you get a call from Jaehyun.

“Hi, baby.”

“Hey. I just got home.” You closed the door and locked it, while kicking your shoes off.

“Oh, good. Could you do me a favor? There’s an important file on my computer that I forgot to upload to the drive. Do you mind sending it to Sicheng using my email?”

“Sure, which file is it?”

As Jaehyun explains the file to you, you made your way to his office and flipped the light switch on. Plopping yourself down on his chair, you powered up his computer and waited for it to start. Meanwhile, you two updated each other of your days and plans for tomorrow.

“Okay, I found the file. What’s Sicheng’s email?” You typed in the address after Jaehyun dictates and clicked send. “Done! Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?”

Jaehyun chuckles, whispering into the phone, “You can be ready in bed when I come home on Friday.”

“Alright, sir.” You purred, leaning back on his chair. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. See you on Friday.”

After hanging up, you reach for the mouse to turn the computer off until your eyes gloss over the name ‘Jeong Yoonoh’ as one of the names listed in Jaehyun’s mailboxes. You remember seeing it a few weeks ago and it completely left your mind, but now you’re curious about it. Your bottom lip is caught between your teeth; it’s wrong to snoop around Jaehyun’s email like this, but you give into temptation anyway.

A relieved and incredulous sigh leaves you when you spot the prominent subject and sender, even letting out a little chuckle when you see the dates of the emails. This was Jaehyun’s burner email for porn sites back when he was in high school. You wanted to tease him about it so badly, but then you had to tell him that you were snooping around in his computer. Other emails looked like spam that came with signing up for the porn sites so you didn’t pay much attention since most of them involved viagra, online dating, and the likes. You were about to click out to hide evidence of your snooping around until you read the sender’s name: Detective Go Hyunmo of Gangnam P.I. Agency. You thought it was odd, but maybe it was spam like the rest, unless this email got caught accessing porn sites. It didn’t have a subject so you couldn’t really tell, but you still didn't open it and closed the computer after clicking out of the browser. As you switched the lights off and closed Jaehyun’s office door behind you, you can’t help but feel like you’ve heard Gangnam P.I. Agency before.

Jaehyun comes home today and you feel like a child waiting for their parents who’d been away for too long. He said he’ll be dropping some documents at the office and will be home after lunch. As he requested two days ago, you were going to be ready in bed for him when he returns and that means a tedious DIY spa session after you had breakfast. Once you were showered, exfoliated, and moisturized, you put on the new lingerie set you bought yesterday; a black sheer bra that had crocheted flowers and matching crotchless panties that had a string of pearls that ran right over your slit. It felt incredibly embarrassing when you tried it on, especially when the pearls move along your clit every time you moved.

“Honey, I’m home!” You hear outside the room just before the door closes. You booked out of the walk-in closet and ran, as quietly as you can, back into the bedroom, sparing a glance down the hallway to make sure Jaehyun doesn’t catch you. You ungracefully flung yourself to the bed, scrambling to find a position to present yourself to him, but you accidentally elbowed your phone off and it makes a loud thud on the floor.

“[Y/N]?”

Cussing under your breath, you stretch your arm out to grab your phone to put on the nightstand but then you hear a long whistle that makes you drop it again. You whipped your attention to Jaehyun, who now stood at the door frame with the first few buttons of his dress shirt already undone, and you smiled, “Welcome home?”

“Wow.” He drawls, dragging his eyes down your body, “When I said be ready for me, you really took it a step further. Is that new?”

“I got it yesterday.” You leaned back on your arms, folding your legs a little, “It’s a little more special than the others.”

“How so?” He takes slow steps towards you, tossing his blazer off.

Peeling your legs apart, you spread them out for him to see just what you were talking. You feel heat rising to your cheeks as Jaehyun’s eyes stared at your pearls and his tongue just darted out of his lips. An easy smile grows on his face, walking up to the bed and running a hand over your inner thigh.

“Damn, I didn’t know pearls looked good on you.” He runs a finger over the shiny beads, “But nothing can compare to my favorite pearl.”

Pushing the pearls aside, he presses your clit with his thumb and your hips instinctively buck upwards to meet his touch. He keeps his thumb on your clit while he runs two fingers between your pussy in a languid manner.

“You look so good, baby.” Jaehyun leans down to kiss the spot above your navel. “I hope you’re ready for me.”

“Always.” 

He pulls away to remove his belt and as he does so, his eyes flutter to the other side of the room and he cocks his head, “You bought a teddy bear? Were you that lonely when I was gone?”

“What?” You sit up, glancing at the stuffed toy, “You got me that. It came with the roses.”

Jaehyun looks back at you, face completely stoic, before stepping away to walk over to the item in question.

“Jaehyun?”

He picks the toy up and inspects it, turning it over a few times until he squints at the bear’s beady eyes. A low growl escapes him as he closes his fist around the toy’s head and rips it away from the body, the distinct sound of thread snapping and cloth ripping filling the silence of the room.

“Jaehyun, what the fuck?” You scoot over the edge of the bed, ready to stop him until he swiftly turns back to you. His expression sends shivers down your spine; you’ve seen that look before and you can’t believe you’re seeing it again.

“I never gave you this fucking bear, [Y/N].” He hurls the decapitated head to the side with so much force that the cotton filled toy makes a resounding thud against the wall. He forces his hand inside the bear’s head and takes out a small black cube. “There’s a fucking camera in it’s head. Who handed these to you?”

“H-Hyunwoo did… Wait, Jaehyun, can we—”

He slams the camera onto the floor, breaking it into pieces, before storming out the bedroom. You were frozen from flinching at his outburst that it took you awhile to collect yourself, scrambling off the bed to grab his discarded blazer and running out after him.

“Jae, wait!” You yelled, slipping his jacket on and clutching it close over your chest.

“Hyunwoo, did the flowers I had delivered here last Monday come with a teddy bear?” Jaehyun was on his phone, pacing by the couch. “It came separately? Which came first? The flowers? Fucking— go find out who delivered them and report back to me ASAP.”

He ends the call and angrily throws his cellphone to the floor, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.

“Baby…” You silently gulped, approaching him cautiously; you don’t know what to say, however, completely at a loss for words at the revelation. “What’s happening?”

Jaehyun still doesn’t look at you when he tears his hand away and puts them to his hips, glaring down at wilting begonias. In a split second, he grabs the pot and hurls it across the room; shards of clay, dirt, leaves, and petals exploding against the wall. You gasped, instinctively hugging yourself to block off any debris in case it reached you.

“Jaehyun, what the fuck?!”

“I didn’t give you that damn plant and I didn’t give you that fucking bear either!” He yelled, nose flaring and veins popping out of his neck. “I don’t know who the fuck this shithead is, but I’m going find and kill him.”

He starts walking to the front door with wide steps, fixing the belt he had previously undone.

“Jaehyun, wait!” Your chest clenches in panic, “Jaehyun!”

When he was a few more paces away from the door, you gave one last scream of his name; you’re sure your neighbors heard you and are a phone call away from the police if they also heard the things Jaehyun had thrown around. He looks back at you, still visibly infuriated at the situation, but his expression softens into concern when he sees your face.

You don’t know when you started crying, but you were suddenly aware of it when a few tears dropped onto your hand that still clutched onto his blazer. “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t the one who gave the begonias?”

“I—I didn’t want you to panic…” He licks his lips, fully turning his body to face you.

“A-and now… and now w-we just found out that I was being… being secretly recorded for—for d-days,” Your vision starts to blur as fresh tears spring from your eyes, “And you’re just going to leave — again?”

He looks absolutely crushed to see you like this, “Y-you’re right. I’m sorry — no, okay, I won’t leave, come here.”

He wraps his arms around you, squeezing you tight and repeatedly kissing the top of your head while you hide your face in his chest to sob.

“What do they want with me?”

“No, I don’t think they’re after you, baby.” Jaehyun whispers, still kissing your hair while running his hand down your back to console you. “I think they’re after me.”

This doesn’t make you feel any better. You cry a little harder, body shaking in his hold as you looped your arms around his waist. Jaehyun’s enemies are your enemies, if he truly had any. This should have been common knowledge to you already. It’s no secret how important you are to him and it only makes sense that they’ll pick on you to get to him. You’ve already handled the demon in his mind; you’ve learned to accept it. Dealing with someone — an actual human being — from Jaehyun’s world is wading through murky waters. You’re either the target or the bait, and it’s upsetting to think that whichever you’re treated as, someone’s going to get hurt. No, there’s this horrible gut feeling, a nagging voice in the back of your head, that just tells you that chances are…

Someone’s going to die.

a/n: it’s a little shorter again, but we’re getting closer and closer to the climax and aaaaaah the trailer drop!!!!! like always, please please please let me know what you guys think here 

next: part 11

~ buy me a peach? why?

[ceealaina]

Title: Who Do You Want Me to Be? Collaborator Name: ceealaina Card: TSB - 4008 IHB - 2007 Link: AO3 Square Filled: TSB A1 - Tony Stark/James Rhodes IHB G3 - Guilt Ship: IronHusbands Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Friends to Lovers, Pining, Pre-Iron Man 1 Summary: It's the early 90s and Rhodey's just returned stateside with a shiny new promotion. So of course Tony turns up like a one-man USO troupe to help him celebrate. And all of a sudden Rhodey's seeing Tony in a whole new light. Word Count: 7908

Rhodey sighed and rolled his neck, trying to stave off the headache he could feel building in his skull as he listened to the hold music. After he’d come back from Kuwait there had been medals, and ceremonies, and promotions, and now he was halfway through his extended leave. He’d been excited about having three straight weeks off when they’d first offered it to him, but his family had only been able to get time off for about a week, leaving him to entertain himself for the rest of the time. Some of his Air Force buddies were here too, and the hotel they’d been put up in was really nice, and he wasn’t… not having fun, exactly. But he’d been feeling antsy and unsettled and maybe a little lonely -- especially when all his friends had brought their girlfriends along to stay. 

The hold music clicked off then and a moment later there was a soft, feminine voice on the line. “Stark Industries, Tony Stark’s office. How may I direct your call?” 

Rhodey rolled his eyes a little -- not at her, just at the idea of his dumbass former roommate having a personal assistant. “I’m calling for Tony, please.” (Obviously, he resisted the urge to add. Why else would he be calling Tony Stark’s office.)

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid Mr. Stane has asked that all Mr. Stark’s calls be held today. May I take a message?” 

“Oh, uh…” Rhodey fought back a sigh. “It’s Captain Rhodes, calling for Tony please.” 

“Oh, of course!” she said, her tone changing. “I’ll put you right through. And if I may, congratulations on your promotion, Captain.” 

“Thanks,” Rhodey told her genuinely, grinning despite himself as he imagined Tony going around telling everybody in the office, down to his damn secretary. The hold music came back on but it was just a few seconds before it clicked off again. 

“Hey handsome,” Tony’s voice drawled down the line. “How’s your leave going? Partying it up? Knock anyone up yet??”

“Jesus,” Rhodey muttered, laughing a little as he flopped back on his bed and scrubbed a hand over his hair. “You never stop, do you?” 

“Don’t lie, you love it.” 

Maybe it was Rhodey’s imagination, or maybe he was projecting, but he thought Tony sounded tired. 

“Yeah, I do,” he agreed, unable to keep back a little sigh at the admission. 

“Hey, you alright?” Tony’s tone was teasing. “You’re sounding awfully maudlin for somehow who just got about a metric shit ton of commendations from the Air Force.”

Rhodey huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I’m good,” he promised, scratching at his chin; he’d skipped shaving the last few days. And then, because he’d had just enough beer with dinner to keep him honest, “It feels weird celebrating without you here, man.” 

“Hey, you know I’d be there if I could, right?” Tony sounded agonized, and Rhodey felt his stomach sour with guilt. Tony’s parents had barely died a year ago, and he had a ton on his plate. Rhodey should have been checking in on him more, not making him feel guilty for not dropping everything to fly across the country and keep Rhodey company. “I’m really sorry.” Tony gave a little laugh but it sounded forced and even more exhausted than before. “I’d much, much rather be there, believe me. This is… Well it’s just that there are these deadlines looming, and Obie’s been really pushing me to come up with the next great thing, and since my parents--,” He choked on the word, cleared his throat, tried again. “Since dad died the board’s been on my ass, and everyone’s got ideas about what I should be doing and saying and how I should be behaving. I just couldn’t get away.” 

“Hey, no, come on.” Rhodey shook his head, even though Tony couldn’t see him. The other man still sounded pained, like he was letting Rhodey down and it killed him, and Rhodey was gonna shut that idea down fast. “It’s totally fine, Tones, I promise. I miss you, but I can still survive without you, you twerp.” 

Tony snorted. “You sure about that?” 

“I’ll get by. And hey, when things settle down I’m sure I can get a couple days off. We’ll live it up like it’s 1985.” 

“So… Cheap beer and terrible videos?” 

“You know it baby.” 

“Yeah, alright.” Tony hummed. “I miss that,” he admitted quietly. “No stakes. And I miss you too, Honeybear.” 

“Obviously,” Rhodey told him. “I’m a goddamn gift, Stark.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony told him. And then his voice shifted, obviously talking to someone. “Yeah, I know. No, I didn’t forget Obie, I just had something come up. I’ll be right there, I promise… Just let me finish this call.” 

There was a long moment of silence, long enough that Rhodey wondered if Obie hadn’t let it go, if Tony had had to hang up on him. 

“Sorry,” Tony finally said, just as Rhodey was wondering if he should hang up too. He sounded completely deflated, all traces of good mood evaporated. “Board meeting. Guess I better go.” 

“Man, I thought CEO meant you’d have more freedom,” Rhodey teased, trying to make Tony a little brighter. But there was no trace of humour in Tony’s voice when he replied. 

“Yeah. Me too.” There was a shuffling of papers. “Shit, okay, I really better go. Obie’s gonna be pissed if he has to come back to get me again. Have, like, an entire bottle of champagne for me, yeah?” 

Rhodey smiled despite himself. “Sure, Tones,” he agreed. “Don’t work too hard.”

The line was dead before he finished the words. 

***

Despite everything, Rhodey woke up feeling better the next morning; talking to Tony always seemed to have that effect, even if he was a chaotic disaster child. He was still lonely -- especially after watching Mikey literally feeding his girlfriend waffles at brunch the next morning -- but it felt more tolerable after that. 

And then, just as a group of them were making plans to do something for the afternoon, he heard a low whistle from behind him. “Hey sailors,” an extremely familiar voice drawled. “Enjoying your leave?” 

Rhodey whipped around so fast it was a miracle he didn’t injure himself, watching as Tony sauntered into the room, wearing his sunglasses inside like a complete asshole. “I know you know it's the Air Force, you absolute jackass,” he told him, grinning wide. 

Tony just shrugged, his smile just as bright, and Rhodey got up to give him a huge hug -- no delicate ‘bro’ hugs for them. He could feel Tony sink into it the way he always did when he got a proper hug and Rhodey squeezed him a little tighter, letting go just before it got weird. 

“What are you doing here, man? I thought you were in LA.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Dude, I’ve got like a fleet of private jets. What’s the point of being CEO if I don’t get to fly them at my whim.” 

Rhodey just gave him a pointed look and Tony shrugged again.

“I don’t know, you sounded bummed on the phone, and I don’t trust the US of Army to be showing you boys a proper good time, so I snuck out.” 

“Again, it’s Air Force, and you know that.” Rhodey was still grinning. “It’s good to see you, Tones.” He cleared his throat then, realizing he’d been staring at Tony, and steered him towards his friends. “Come on, come meet everyone.” 

Tony, of course, immediately charmed everyone, making the rounds and introducing himself and laughing like they were all old friends before pulling up a chair at the table and stealing the rest of Rhodey’s waffles like he couldn’t afford his own. It felt nice, right, the way things were supposed to be. He was maybe a little worried about the sudden decision to just take off, but it wasn’t like Tony’s relationship to spontaneity was a new one. It was probably his version of sticking it to the man, or just his best friend being his normal over-the-top self when it came to showing his affection for their friendship. 

Or maybe, Rhodey reconsidered when he saw the activities Tony had booked for them, he was working out his 'I'm-as-good-as-Captain-America-right-Dad?' issues. 

“Jesus man,” he said, laughing as he read over a copy of itinerary that Tony’d had his secretary print out and fucking laminate for everyone. “You’ve got helicopter tours of the city on here. What are you, the one-man USO girl troupe?” 

Tony just looked over from where he’d been writing down the contact info for some exclusive wedding venue for Matt’s fiancée. “That’s for later, baby,” he purred with a ridiculous, lascivious wink that had Rhodey busting out laughing. The whole thing was insane and over-the-top and ninety million percent Tony, and everyone seemed onboard so Rhodey figured, why not?

And the day was a blast. Overdone it might have been, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a great time. Tony had won everyone over in about five seconds flat, and the more ridiculous his antics the more they seemed to like him -- not that Rhodey was surprised, since that described their entire relationship. And he loved having Tony there with him, hadn’t even realized just how much he’d missed having him by his side. 

Tony had, apparently, planned some big dinner and party for them all at the hotel, so after a packed day everyone had gone back to their rooms to rest and get ready. Rhodey had had just enough time to dump his wallet and keys and strip off his shirt before there was a knock on his door. He wasn’t even surprised when he opened it and found Tony on the other side, leaning coquettishly against the frame. Rhodey snorted but didn’t acknowledge his positioning further, just left the door open and turned back into the room. He could practically hear Tony pouting at his lack of response, but he followed him in anyway, flinging himself across Rhodey’s bed. 

“Hey handsome,” he purred, dragging his eyes up and down Rhodey’s bare chest. 

“You’re hopeless,” Rhodey told him, throwing his t-shirt at Tony’s face. 

“Wow,” Tony mumbled, words muffled from underneath the fabric. “Rude.” 

Rhodey laughed, grabbing a dress shirt from the closest. “Hey,” he said, sitting on the side of the bed and smacking Tony’s leg. “How’re you doing, man? Like really. Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you even doing here? You okay?” 

“Huh?” Tony pulled the shirt off his face, giving Rhodey a borderline-manic smile. “Fine, great, excellent.” He sat up fluttering his eyelashes at Rhodey. “Why do you ask?” 

Rhodey rolled his eyes at him. “Don’t do that, Tones. Come on.” 

Tony shrugged, suddenly fascinated by an invisible stray thread on his pants. “I don’t know,” he mumbled, like he was five. He looked back up at Rhodey, his eyes suddenly tired. “I’m running the company. It’s busy.”

“Busy,” Rhodey replied dryly. 

Tony rolled his eyes at him. “There’s… It’s a lot. And Obie’s, I don’t know… Different, I guess, when I’m the CEO, and… I don’t know. It’s weird not having you around, and you know me, I don’t think things through so I just figured, why not? And now I’m here.”

“Mmm,” Rhodey considered this a moment and then turned to Tony with a bright grin. “Are you saying I’m your happy place, Stark?” 

“You know it, Honeybear,” Tony retorted, and he was obviously going for dry and sarcastic, but there was something a little too sincere in his voice, a shy little smile unwillingly teasing across his lips. 

“Hey, it’s okay, baby,” Rhodey told him. “I’ll be your happy place. I make you feel all warm and safe and squishy inside, that’s totally fine with me, man. I’m very comfortable in my masculinity.” 

“You’re very stupid, is what you are,” Tony retorted, but that little smile had turned into a full-fledged grin, and the stress lines around his eyes were fading a little. 

Rhodey flicked Tony’s nipple, just for the strangled wheezing noise he made and the way he clapped his hand to his chest, staring at Rhodes like he had some kind of virtue to protect. “Takes one to know one,” Rhodey informed him childishly before sobering a little. “Seriously, Tones, don’t overdo it though, alright?”

Tony blinked back at him innocently. “Overdo it? Me?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know, that’s your middle name or whatever. I mean it, though. You need a break, take it. Not that I don’t appreciate it, but this is a lot. We’ll survive without a round of helicopter paintball or whatever you have planned next.” He rolled his eyes at the look on Tony's face. “No, that’s not a suggestion.” 

Tony pouted a little before he relented. “Rhodey, honey, I promise, this is a break for me. I’m having a blast.” 

“Yeah, alright.” Rhodey smacked his leg. “Come on then, Captain Overdo It. Somebody said something about a party downstairs. You wanna borrow my shower? Maybe a fresh shirt? You stink, dude.” 

“I don’t stink,” Tony scoffed. “I’ll have you know my cologne is imported, and very expensive.” He made a show of sniffling his own armpit and then wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, okay, maybe I’ll grab a quick shower,” he said before suddenly sitting upright so fast he nearly gave Rhodey whiplash. “Oh, no wait, I just remembered! I, uh… Left something in my room. I’ll shower there. Meet you downstairs?”  

He was gone before Rhodey could actually give him an answer, leaving him shaking his head as the door fell shut behind him. “Whatever, weirdo.” 

***

Rhodey occupied himself with his Air Force buddies, drinking and shooting the shit while he waited for whatever crazy surprise Tony had cooked up now. He was upstairs long enough that Rhodey was just considering going up to make sure he hadn’t gotten trapped in the shower curtain or something when Mikey’s jaw dropped, eyes going wide. “Oh my god,” he muttered as the room erupted into jeers and catcalls. 

Rhodey spun around and nearly fell off his stool as Tony sauntered into the room in a vintage Captain America USO girl costume, complete with halter top, red and white flared miniskirt, and a pair of ridiculous starry blue heels. “Oh my god,” Rhodey echoed, completely able to look away. 

Tony stopped a few feet away and cocked his hip, the heels and the angle making his ass even more gorgeous than usual. “Hey sailor,” he purred with a ridiculous, over-the-top wink, and Rhodey couldn’t even find it in himself to remind Tony once again that they were Air Force, not Navy. Tony just smirked at him. “Told you I was going to show you boys a good time.” He stilled then, waiting for some kind of a reaction, and there was the slightest bit of hesitation creeping into his smile. 

“Jesus Christ,” Rhodey finally managed, shaking his head and laughing, and Tony relaxed again. “You are an absolute idiot.” 

Tony shrugged. “That’s not what the shareholders say,” he answered, and without skipping a beat he closed the distance between them and plopped himself in Rhodey’s lap, sitting sideways and stealing Rhodey’s beer. 

“Yeah, sure, help yourself,” Rhodey grumbled, signalling the laughing waitress for another. He let his hand settle on Tony’s leg since there wasn’t much room anywhere else, especially now that Tony had gotten past his skinny twink phase. The fabric was a little stiff beneath his fingers, and he peered more closely at Tony’s costume. “Wait, is this an actual USO costume?” 

Tony shrugged, unphased as he stole Jake’s fries. “Dad had some weird shit in his Captain America collection. ‘S mine now.” He shot Rhodey a bright smile over his shoulder as he popped another fry in his mouth, winking at him in the process. 

“Jesus,” Rhodey muttered. He shifted his legs a little, the left one starting to go to sleep. “You’re fucking heavy, man. Is there something wrong with the chairs?” 

Tony just squirmed his ass a little harder on Rhodey’s thighs. “Well, you know. You’re the only one here without a girlfriend, so I figured I’d step in.” 

“Just helpin’ out, huh?” Rhodey asked dryly. 

“Exactly.” Tony agreed. “Just helping out.” 

Rhodey shrugged and resigned himself to spending the evening like this, shifting into a slightly more comfortable position and then pinching Tony’s side hard for good measure. He yelped, loudly, and Rhodey cracked up, nearly dumping Tony on the floor in the process. He looked up a second later in time to catch the end of a look shared between Mikey and Jake and frowned a little. “What?” 

“Nothing!” Mikey said quickly, Jake holding up his hands innocently. “Just, you know… This explains so much.” 

“Explains what?” Rhodey asked suspiciously. 

“Well, I mean… You’re very…” He trailed off, looking for the right word, and Jake snickered. 

“Uptight?” he offered. 

“And this explains that,” Mikey said.

Rhodey blinked back at them, not following, and Jake gestured toward Tony, distracted with talking to somebody else. 

“You left all your stupid at home.” 

Immediately Tony whipped around to face them. “You calling me stupid?” he asked, face lighting up. “Awesome.” 

“You are stupid,” Rhodey told him.

“Awww. Love you too, Honeybear.” 

The thing was, Rhodey was so used to Tony being Tony that he didn’t even give his behaviour a second thought. The constant flirting, the sexual innuendos, the way he strutted around in those ridiculous heels like he wore them every day, arching his back in ways that seemed strategically designed to draw Rhodey’s eyes to his ass… It was all the same Tony he’d known every day since he met him. And sure, as the night went on and the booze flowed his eyes drifted to Tony’s ass even without Tony’s doing everything he could to draw attention to it, but that was nothing new either. It was just… How they were. 

Tony was back in his lap again, his weight oddly comforting. Rhodey hadn’t even noticed his hand snaking around Tony’s waist until it was suddenly vibrating beneath him. 

“What the hell?” Rhodey yelped, voice way too high. He snatched his hand back like something had bit him and Tony nearly laughed himself sick. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, pulling out a monster of a cell phone. He wiggled the ringing device. “Top of the line,” he told him before he glanced down at the caller id and his face fell a little. Rhodey felt his heart clench sympathetically as Tony blew out a deep sigh. “It’s Obie,” he said. “I, uh… I should take this.” He gave Rhodey a smile, but even in his half drunk state, Rhodey could tell it was a little forced. “Back in a flash.” 

With Tony gone, Rhodey leaned back and let the voices and music and laughter and general sounds of the party wash over him as he sipped at his beer. He was vaguely aware of Jake wandering off too, and Mikey sliding over to the seat beside him, and he grinned when Mikey clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Having a good time?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Mikey agreed, gazing around at the light show and DJ that Tony had brought in from somewhere. “This is insane.” 

Rhodey shrugged, vaguely aware that he was grinning. “That’s Tony.” 

“Yeah…” Mikey glanced around and shifted a little closer. “Hey, Captain?” 

“Mmm?” 

“I’m not asking, and you’re not telling, but please god, kiss your boyfriend he explodes.” He grinned then, and while Rhodey was left blinking back at him, he gave him a wink and wandered off after Jake. 

“No,” Rhodey said weakly, even though Mikey was far enough away that he never would have heard him even without the noise of the party. “He’s… I’m… We’re not…” 

But the thing was, why weren’t they? If he was really, truly honest with himself, in the way that only came with a bit of a buzz, there’d always been something there, an extra side to their friendship that they’d never quite touched on. The flirting, the grand gestures… They’d been dancing around each other for years, really, and apparently hadn’t even been that subtle about it. 

Abruptly, Rhodey shoved his chair back from the table he was sitting at, looking around the room for Tony. He had no idea what he was going to do or say to him, but now that it had been pointed out, he couldn’t stand another second of letting this hang over them without doing something about it. 

There was no sign of Tony in the bar, probably still on the phone, but Rhodey noticed a promising looking side door, half propped open. Slipping through found him in a concrete back hallway of the hotel where, more importantly, he could hear Tony’s voice bouncing off the walls. He followed the sound, and found him around a corner further down the hall. He was still on the phone with Obie, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and a pinched, tired look on his face that Rhodey didn’t like at all. He didn’t appear to have heard Rhodey, though through some trick of acoustics Rhodey could hear Obie’s voice filtering through the tinny speakers of the phone, demanding to know when Tony was going to be back from his distraction of a vacation. 

Rhodey wasn’t wasted by any means, but he was just drunk enough for it to seem like a good idea to step forward and take the phone out of Tony’s hand. Tony’s eyes snapped open, and Rhodey had the brief thought that they really were gorgeous, even when looking confused, before he held the phone up to his own ear. 

“Hey Obadiah?” he said down the line, not even stumbling over the name as he cut off whatever the other man was saying. “Fuck off.” 

Tony’s eyes went even wider as Rhodey punched the off button. “Rhodey… What?” His tongue flicked out against his lower lip, a nervous tic that he’d had for years, but Rhodey’s eyes focused on his lips with the motion.

Rather than speaking, he let his arm drop to his side and stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His other hand came up, curling around the back of Tony’s neck, and Tony inhaled sharply, lips parting. Rhodey couldn’t resist then, leaning in to kiss him. 

It was soft and sweet at first; he’d meant it to just be soft and sweet. But then Tony made a soft noise, his hands curling in Rhodey’s shirt, and without quite meaning to Rhodey deepened the kiss. The phone dropped to the floor with a loud clatter as he pushed Tony up against the wall, having just enough presence of mind to cradle his head so it didn’t smash into the concrete. His other hand dropped to Tony’s thigh and he moaned softly into his mouth at the brush of bare skin beneath the fabric of the short skirt, pressing his own thick thigh up between Tony’s legs. 

And then the press of Tony’s hands against his chest changed and he was shoving instead, enough force behind it that Rhodey staggered backwards. His balance was off and when he regained his footing Tony was staring at him, a slightly shaking hand clapped over his mouth. Rhodey couldn’t quite find the words to ask what was going on and Tony regained his composure, drawing in a deep breath before he lowered his hand again. 

“What the fuck are you doing, Rhodes?” he asked, and his voice was low and cold but there was hurt in his expression, not anger. 

“I mean…” Rhodey shrugged helplessly because he’d thought it was kind of obvious, but that didn’t seem to make Tony feel better, hiding his face as he stooped to pick up his phone. 

“I’m not your drunk, pity, gay experiment, Rhodey,” he said quietly, before turning and striding off down the long corridor. 

Rhodey sighed, and thumped his head against the wall.

His first instinct was to take off after Tony, to try and explain what he’d been thinking. But while he wasn’t drunk drunk, he clearly wasn’t sober enough to not be a total moron, and the truth was that he hadn’t been thinking, he’d just… Wanted. So instead of going after Tony, or going back to the party, he wandered through the confusing back halls until he found an exit, slipping outside into the night air. 

It was cold out, but it was refreshing after the sweltering heat of the party and Rhodey’s head felt clearer almost as soon as he was outside. Still, he wandered around for a while, trying to get his thoughts together before he ambushed Tony again. Suddenly kissing him after years of supposedly being straight probably hadn’t been the best way to handle this.

He was shivering in his shirtsleeves by the time he made it back into the lobby. The party still seemed to be going strong, but he ignored it in favour of the elevators, heading up to Tony’s room on the top floor -- penthouse, of course. He drew a deep breath before knocking, and there was a long moment of silence on the other side of the door, long enough that he was worried Tony was going to ignore him entirely, before his voice finally filtered through the thick wooden door. 

“It’s open.” 

Rhodey let himself in, locking the door behind him, and followed the faint sounds of splashing water to the bathroom. He found Tony stretched out in the bathtub, up to his neck in a thick layer of bubbles. He was focused intently on the faucet, although his eyes flicked briefly over to Rhodey at his appearance. Not wanting to corner him, Rhodey leaned against the bathroom door frame, hands in his pockets.

“Rich guy like you leaving your hotel room unlocked while you’re in the tub? Doesn’t seem like the safest idea.”

Tony just shrugged, still not meeting his eyes, and flicked at some bubbles. “Think I’m safe. They’re supposed to have pretty good security here. Although I guess they’re letting just anyone up here now,” he added, the words void of their usual snark. Rhodey sighed. 

“Hey, so, I’m an idiot.”

Tony snorted. 

“First of all, are you okay? Second of all, I think I’m missing something here. Third of all, why are you hanging out in this whirlpool. You have something approaching Olympic-sized at home, I know you do.” 

Tony finally looked over at him then. His hair was soft and curling from the steam and he shoved a stray strand impatiently out of his eye. “Well, you’re definitely missing something. But I guess I like this tub because it’s here.” 

“Right. That makes sense.” 

“... Where you are.” 

“Oh.” Rhodey felt his stomach swoop. “Oh.” 

“Yeah.” Tony let his eyes cut away again. “Guess we’re both idiots, huh?” 

Rhodey huffed out a laugh. Tony’s cheeks were flushed, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t just because of the heat of the water. “So all of this was…?” 

“For you? Yep,” Tony confirmed dryly. “You know how I am with self control.” 

“So why’d you run away when I kissed you, then?” 

Tony looked over at him with an arched eyebrow. “Because you were drunk.”

“Not that drunk.”

“And I didn’t want you to regret it when you sobered up,” Tony continued, ignoring Rhodey’s interruption. “And… And… Maybe I was panicking a little. Like sure, I guess I did all this to show you I liked you but then I started thinking what if you only like me because I did all this? I wanna bang you like a screen door in a hurricane, but I never expected you to know about it, you know?” 

Rhodey couldn’t help it, he started to laugh, and Tony groaned, burying his face in his wet hands, soap suds dripping down his arms. 

“You wanna bang me like a screen door in a hurricane, huh?” 

Tony groaned louder. “Shut up,” he grumbled, words muffled by his hands. 

Rhodey ignored him, moving across the room to sit on the side of the tub and pull Tony’s hands away from his face. “That all you wanna do?” he asked softly. 

Tony blinked up at him with those ridiculously wide, beautiful eyes before he shook his head. “No,” he admitted hoarsely. “I want to take you out to nice dinners, and galas, and watch movies like we used to but with cuddling and making out and… I want to be the one you come home to when you’re on leave, I want to be your home and… And…” He faltered, trailing off, and shrugged. “I want it all.”

Rhodey grinned down at him. “Definitely both idiots,” he agreed. “Because I want all of that, too. I just didn’t realize how much until now.” 

Tony’s breath caught and he shifted a little closer. “Yeah?” he asked, licking his lower lip. “You promise you’re not drunk?” 

Rhodey planted a hand over his chest. “I swear it.” 

“Good,” Tony breathed and then his wet hands were fisting in Rhodey’s dress shirt, yanking him in for a rough kiss. Rhodey yelped against his mouth as he nearly lost his balance, felt Tony’s lips curl into a smile against his before they found their rhythm, the kiss even better than the one in the hallway downstairs. 

 “Shit,” Rhodey breathed when they pulled back again, lips brushing against Tony’s with the motion. Tony laughed softly in return. 

“Shit,” he agreed. “Is this even real?” he added, sounding absolutely delighted by the fact. Rhodey immediately reached up to pinch him hard in the arm, and Tony cried out, swatting at him in return. “What the fuck, Rhodes?”

“You asked!” Rhodey said, grinning, and got a faceful of water splashed in his face for his trouble. He had to splash Tony back in turn and the two of them ended up splashing and smacking at each other until Rhodey did lose his balance, slipping into the tub with his legs still hooked over the side. Tony nearly drowned himself, he was laughing so hard, slipping under the water and sloshing it all up over the side and onto the bathroom floor. “Stop laughing,” Rhodey grumbled, although he was laughing too. He smacked Tony’s leg under the water as he bumped up against him. 

“Sorry,” Tony said, not sounding it at all. His eyes were sparkling as he pulled himself upright a little, leaning into Rhodey’s shoulder. “Guess we should get you out of those wet clothes, honey,” he added, barely getting the words out before he was snorting with laughter again, draping himself across Rhodey. 

“You’re hopeless,” Rhodey told him, snaking his arm around Tony’s waist. “Don’t know what I see in you.”

“Too late,” Tony told him. “You already said you like me. Can’t take it back now.” He stilled then, suddenly very interested in the button on Rhodey’s cuff. “Uhh, you do, right? Like me, I mean? I mean, I know you’re my best friend but… This isn’t just a sex thing for you, right?” 

“Tony…” Rhodey just shook his head. “You're hopeless,” he repeated, waiting for Tony to look up at him again. “It’s not just a sex thing,” he promised. “I like you, Tony. I really like you. Even more than as my best friend. I might actually be a little bit in love with you, I just haven’t had enough time to process it yet, but…” He trailed off, pretending to consider. “Yep, I’m definitely at least a little bit in love with you.” 

Tony’s eyes were shining, and he cleared his throat. “I’m maybe a little in love with you too, Honeybear.” 

Rhodey gazed at him a few minutes longer, his own throat feeling a little thick before he patted Tony’s leg again. “Well, if we’re all on the same page then I think that demands a celebration party.”

Tony’s nose wrinkled. “You want to go back downstairs?” 

“I was thinking more along the lines of room service? Pizza, champagne, movies on TV… I think I was promised cuddles and making out?”

Tony gave him a slow, sweet smile, leaning forward to kiss him again. “Yeah,” he said, grinning against Rhodey’s lips. “That sounds perfect.” 

It was a little longer before they managed to extricate themselves from the cooling water of the tub, and get dried off and dressed -- since naked cuddling seemed a little weird, when they hadn’t done anything more than kiss. Rhodey borrowed some sweats while Tony ordered the room service, which meant they ended up with the most expensive champagne the hotel had on offer. 

By the time Tony was pouring a second glass for them, Rhodey was feeling loose and bubbly, partly from the champagne but mostly just from how right everything felt. They hadn’t done anything, were just sitting side by side, watching Lethal Weapon like any number of nights at MIT, but it still felt like he’d found something he hadn't even known he was missing. So when Tony passed him the refilled glass, he set it on the nightstand instead, turning back to Tony and curling a hand around his neck, drawing him in for a slow kiss. 

“Oh.” Tony hummed happily against his lips, squirming closer as he kissed him back, and when they pulled apart again that flush was back on his cheeks, along with a pleased smile. “Hey.” 

Rhodey snorted, kissed him again. “Hey.” 

Stretched out and reclining against the pillows as they were, it wasn’t long before they shifted lower, until they were lying on their sides, facing each other. Their kissing picked up, less exploring and more intent, and Rhodey was hyper aware of everything about Tony, the way he was panting into his mouth, the soft, needy little whines that occasionally slipped past his lips, the way his ankle was rubbing between Rhodey’s own, a poor replica of what he really wanted. Tony’s ratty old t-shirt had rucked up and Rhodey’s free hand had settled on his hip, stroking over the warm skin until Tony was shivering against him. 

Tony pulled back suddenly, his hair even more fluffed up and falling into his eyes. Rhodey couldn’t resist brushing it out of his face and Tony’s nose wrinkled, like he thought he could hide how pleased he was by the action. 

“You’re such a sap,” he whispered, leaning in to suck at Rhodey’s lower lip. It was Rhodey’s turn to shiver, doubly so when Tony slid a hand up under his t-shirt and dragged short nails down his chest. Tony smirked and moved closer until they were pressed together head to toe. Rhodey could feel him hot and hard against his hip, and Tony moaned when the sensation had him twitching against Tony’s tip in turn. “Are we, um…” His voice was hoarse and he gave Rhodey a crooked grin. “Are we doing this?” 

“Are we doing this?” Rhodey repeated, laughing when Tony groaned and ducked his head against his neck. “Is that the famous Stark charm you’re always bragging about? Christ, how do you ever get laid?” 

“I hate you,” Tony grumbled, but Rhodey could feel him shaking with laughter against him. He took advantage of Tony being distracted to roll them, easily flipping Tony onto his back so he could straddle his waist and lean over him. Tony stopped laughing, staring up at him with wide, soft eyes, and swallowed hard. 

Rhodey grinned, grinding down against Tony a little and grinning at the near-gasp that slipped past his lips at the sensation. “So what do you want to do?”

Tony groaned and his hands slipped down, clutching and squeezing at Rhodey’s sides. “Christ, Rhodes,” he grumbled. “You’re gonna fucking melt my brain here. I want… I want…” Suddenly his mouth dropped open, expression changing into one of disbelief. “Oh, fuck me.” 

“I mean, that was what I was getting at,” Rhodey teased, laughing when Tony swatted at his shoulder blade. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, come on. What’s wrong? You’re in a hotel room with a gorgeous man between your thighs. What more could you want?” 

“Lube,” Tony muttered, sounding distraught, and Rhodey blinked. 

“What?” 

“I don’t have any lube,” Tony whined, his cheeks flushed again. Rhodey had never seen him blush this much in his life, and he was kind of enjoying it. This may have been an unfortunate turn, but he couldn’t help laughing anyway. 

“Are you sure you’re really Tony Stark? Aren’t you some kind of self-proclaimed sex god?”

Tony huffed and squirmed. “It’s not… I didn’t… I had some, but then I… I came here to see you, asshole. I wasn’t planning to hook up.”

“I’m sorry, didn’t I just see you in a vintage USO costume with the express intent of hooking up with me?” 

“I didn’t expect that to work!” Tony wailed, burying his face in his hands. “Please hand me a pillow. I need to smother myself.” 

“Hey, no, come on.” Since Tony was still hiding his face, Rhodey ducked down to kiss over his neck, tonguing at a tendon that had Tony moaning. “I’m sure we can figure out something to do instead.” 

“Yeah?” Tony asked, voice coming out breathy. His hand moved to scratch over the back of Rhodey’s head, and his hips rocked up against him. “You want me to put the skirt back on?” 

Rhodey laughed into his skin. “Maybe later,” he hummed, lifting his head again to give Tony a wink. “Besides, it was the heels that really did it for me. Your ass is incredible, man.” 

“Finally,” Tony huffed. “You know how many squats I’ve been doing, waiting for you to notice?” 

Rhodey rolled his eyes. “Of course you have,” he muttered, kissing him again. Tony melted against him -- so easy -- and Rhodey took advantage to wrangle his arm between their bodies, cupping Tony’s cock through his pants. He was hot and thick even under the fabric and Tony moaned at the touch, legs falling a little further open. 

“Christ,” he gasped. “Little warning.” 

“Aww. Where’s the fun in that?” Rhodey asked, squeezing and then stroking up his length with his thumb.

“Fuck,” Tony choked out. “You’re a goddamn menace.” He squirmed and wriggled underneath Rhodey, hauling on his t-shirt. “Come on, I wanna see you.” 

Rhodey grinned and sat back on Tony’s thighs, pulling his t-shirt off over his head. Tony made a soft, pleased, humming sound at the sight, eyes fixated somewhere around Rhodey pecs before dragging over to his biceps, and Rhodey preened at his obvious appreciation. He waited a moment before arching an eyebrow at Tony. “You gonna reciprocate there, hot shot?” he asked, flicking Tony’s nipple again. Tony made the same, hilarious sound, but this time it was followed by his eyelashes fluttering and a low moan, his hips arching up. 

“Every time,” he muttered, sounding breathless. His eyes were heavy lidded and he grinned up at Rhodey from under thick eyelashes. “Every time you do that it goes right to my cock, jackass.” 

Rhodey felt his cock twitch at the thought, at the idea of Tony, trying to hide how affected he was. He pulled Tony up off the mattress to kiss him again, wrestling with his shirt in the process. It took a few tries but he got it off, letting Tony fall back against the mattress again before following him down. Tony whined when their bare chests pressed together, wriggling around until he could get a leg on either side of Rhodey’s, grinding up against his hip. 

“Shit, Rhodey,” he gasped. “You’re killing me. I’m gonna lose it here.” 

“Yeah?” Rhodey ground down against him, doing his best to ignore the way his own cock was throbbing in his pants in favour of teasing Tony. “You that close already?” 

Tony shrugged, utterly shameless. “You’re hitting all my buttons here, Honeybear. And, you know… I’ve been thinking about this for awhile. Fantasies come true. You…” His eyes fluttered again when Rhodey rubbed over his nipple. “You know how it is.” 

“Mmm,” Rhodey hummed, groaning softly when Tony’s fingers scraped over a sensitive spot on his hip. “Yeah, I do.” 

He kissed Tony again and wriggled his hand further down between them, shifting and pressing at the waistband of Tony’s sweats until they were sliding down over his hips, his cock popping free. Rhodey rocked back on his elbows far enough to get a look at him. He’d never really thought about men like this before, but Tony was gorgeous. 

“What?” he asked, teasing him instead of saying it outloud. “No thong?” 

Tony was panting, but he still managed to give Rhodey a smirk. “Maybe next time. Let’s see how good you are first.” 

Rhodey narrowed his eyes and then he was curling his hand around Tony’s cock, turning whatever he’d been going to say next into a low whine. Tony rocked his hips up into Rhodey’s grip, and his hands moved to grip tightly at his biceps, hard enough that Rhodey was pretty sure he’d have little fingerprint bruises left behind. The thought turned him on more than he expected and he squeezed around Tony’s cock again, rocking down against him. There was precome beading at the tip and Rhodey dragged his thumb through it, using it to slick Tony up more and filing away the noise he made at the touch for future reference. 

“Christ,” he groaned, out of breath himself now as he buried his face in Tony’s shoulder, teasing his skin with his teeth. Tony groaned. “You’re so fucking hot.” 

“Could… Say the same to you,” Tony gasped, fingers squeezing harder at his arms. “Fucking come on, Rhodes.” 

Rhodey pried his spare hand away from where he’d been clutching Tony’s side, reaching down to shove lopsidedly at the waist of his own pants. Tony picked up on what Rhodey was doing, sliding his hands down over his ass until they’d gotten his sweats pushed down too. He pulled his hand away briefly, ignoring Tony’s petulant whine at the loss, and spit in his hand, curling his hand around both their cocks, pressing them tight together. Tony gave a full body shudder at the feeling, one hand gripping hard at Rhodey’s ass, the other scrabbling over the back of his neck. Rhodey could feel him twitch against him, the feeling almost setting him off, and he closed his fist a little tighter, jerking them off hard and fast. He’d thought it might be a little weird, being with a guy -- he’d never touched a dick that wasn’t his own before. But it wasn’t weird at all, it was just… Tony. They’d always done their best to help each other feel good. This was just taking that to another level. 

And it felt really good. 

Tony’s body was hot against his, wound tight as he arched into Rhodey’s grip. They’d given up kissing, panting against each other’s mouth as everything spiralled higher, and Tony was making occasional little high-pitched whines that made Rhodey want to lay him out, pin him down and take his time exploring his entire body, finding every little spot that made him make that sound again. 

Later, though. For all his teasing of Tony, he wasn’t going to last that much longer himself. He could feel his balls drawing up tight, Tony’s thighs tensing on either side of his hips. He moved his free hand back to Tony’s chest, more of a rough drag than the sensual slide he’d been going for, but Tony didn’t seem to mind when he pinched his nipple again, making him cry out. 

“Come on, baby,” Rhodey panted against his lips. “Wanna see you come.” 

Tony moaned loudly and then his back was arching, mouth falling open as he spilled over their cocks. One of his hands moved to close over Rhodey’s, squeezing tight around the two of them, and Rhodey nearly choked as he came too, the force of it taking him by surprise. 

It was a long moment before he felt like he could breathe again, before he became aware of Tony panting and cursing softly beneath him. Pushing himself up on shaking arms, Rhodey pulled back far enough to collapse on his back beside Tony, sprawled out and panting. He wasn’t even surprised when Tony immediately squirmed around to cuddle up against him, head pillowed under his shoulder. Grinning, Rhodey let his arm curl around Tony, running his fingers absently over his skin.

“Shit,” Tony muttered, turning his head to place an absent kiss on Rhodey’s pec. “That was fucking…” 

He trailed off, apparently out of words for the first time, and Rhodey snorted. “Technically, I haven’t fucked you yet.” 

Tony made a pained noise. “Do you think there’s a 24-hour pharmacy around here somewhere?” he asked, moving like he was going to sit up, though he settled right back in when Rhodey’s hand closed over his arm.

“Jesus, Tones. Give me a chance to catch my breath, huh?” 

“What, are you old?” Tony teased, though he seemed happy enough to just stay there, snuggling. They’d never turned the TV off, and whatever movie was on now was a comforting buzz in the background. 

“Yup,” Rhodey agreed. “So ancient. Anyway, I think I’ve got a better idea.” 

Tony shifted a little more, turning enough that he could see Rhodey’s face. “Yeah? What’s that?” 

Rhodey cleared his throat, feeling absurdly nervous despite everything they’d just done. “You’re going back to California tomorrow, right?” 

Tony sighed, long and tired. “Yeah,” he admitted. 

“Well, I’ve got another week’s vacation left…” 

He trailed off, leaving it hanging, but Tony knew exactly where he was going, pushing himself up on his elbow to grin down at him. “Yeah? Really? You wanna come with me?” 

“I mean, if you’ll have me…” 

“If I’ll have you, he says,” Tony was still beaming, even as he rolled his eyes, then put on his best affected ‘East Coast Wealthy’ accent. “Yes, Captain Rhodes, I would love to have you join me at the California home for the next week.” Then he waggled his eyebrows at him. “You’re on vacation? You can be my kept man.” 

“I’m regretting this already.”

Tony ignored that, flopping back down onto the pillow. “I’ll get you a silk robe, you can spend your days lounging around, making yourself pretty, sunbathing in the nude… Have dinner waiting for me when I get home from the office.”

He was giggling now, and Rhodey smacked him without looking, catching him somewhere around his stomach. “I ain’t cooking for you, man.” 

“That’s fine!” Tony assured him, rolling up onto his side to flutter his eyelashes. “We can order in. I am very rich. Just as long as you’re in your best heels and pearls.” He gave Rhodey a ridiculous, over-the-top wink. “Other clothing is optional.” 

He looked ridiculous, and so absolutely pleased with himself, and Rhodey couldn’t believe it had taken him this long to realize he was in love with the man. 

But he hadn’t gone this long without knowing that if he encouraged Tony he’d never stopped, so instead of telling him how in love with him he was, Rhodey shoved him onto his back again and kissed him until he stopped giggling. 

(In retrospect, that probably didn’t have quite the dissuading effect he was going for, but Rhodey couldn’t find it in him to mind all that much.)

@tonystarkbingo @ironhusbandsbingo

[atlafan]

My Everything - Part Five

A Take it Slow Sequel

What happens with Harry and Y/N after he proposes? How will the two navigate the engaged life while also continuing to juggle their jobs, friends, and families? Let’s find out.

Warnings: Little bit of angst, fluff, and smut (we got some butt stuff as well)

a/n: not proofread fam, I didn’t have the strength.

Masterpost

Harry was beyond excited to go to the Cape with you today, and just spend the day together as your little family. Buster was being a good boy in the back seat like always. There wasn’t much traffic like the two of you suspected. He looked really cute today, he was wearing a forest green sweater with a pair of loose jeans. His pearls out and proud.

The first location you’d be checking out was an inn with indoor and outdoor accommodations. It wasn’t right on the beach, but you could see it in the background, and that’s all that mattered to you.

“Here it is, love.” Harry says to you as he pulls into the parking area.

“It’s even prettier in person.” He hums in agreement.

You get Buster’s leash on and help him out of the car. You both head inside and tell the woman at the check in desk that you were there for a tour.

“Ah, the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Styles.” A man says, approaching the both of you. “Welcome to our inn.”

“Thank you.” Harry shakes his hand and so do you.

“And who’s this little guy?”

“This is Buster, our little fur baby.” You giggle. “We’re hoping to have him bring the rings down the aisle.”

“Very cute, we see that more and more these days.” He pats him on the head. “Shall we?”

You both nod and follow him out to the main ballroom.

“So we accommodate both buffet and a served dinner. We know a lot of people opt for buffet these days because it is less expensive, but know we have the room for both. We can also set up the ballroom pretty much anyway you’d like. Nice round tables and what not. Typically we have the dancefloor over there along with the DJ.” He points to one end of the room. “The bar usually goes there.” He points to another direction. “But other than you have complete creative freedom.”

“Couldja see yourself dancin’ out there, babe?”

“Oh for sure. Aw, Harry, our first dance.” You hug his arm quick and continue to follow the man.

Harry completely forgot that a couple hundred people would be watching the two of you dance…he knew how to dance, but he wanted to make it really special for you.

“There’s a door that leads out here to a nice patio.” He opens the door for the both of you. “Folks can take drinks out here, but there is a gate that doesn’t allow them past a certain point. We can set up tables and chairs out here as well. It’s a beautiful view of the water, don’t you think?”

“It’s lovely.” You say.

He leads you out back through the ballroom and to where the bathrooms were. Then through another set of double doors to the outdoor space where the ceremony would be.

“That gazeebo is breathtaking.” You say as you walk up to it. You look out back towards the inn. “Looks like there’s plenty of room for chairs, sweetie.”

“Mhm, this is a gem for sure.”

“There’s a path down that way to the beach as well. Many couple do their first looks down there, and family photos since it’s a bit more private.”

“Good to know.” Harry says. “Are we doin’ that? A first look?”

“They’re cute, but I’d really like the first time you see me in the dress to be when I walk down the aisle.”

“I feel the same way actually.”

“Can you show us what a room might look like? Maybe a bridal suite as well?”

“Of course! Right this way, I’ll show the bridal suite first, it’s just down the hall from the ballroom.”

The bridal suite had a ton of chairs and mirrors and a bathroom. It was ideal. He shows you wear the groom and his party typically get ready as well, and then shows you what the honeymoon suite looks like.

“Will you two be having separate rooms the night before?”

“I think that’s the plan.” You say as you walk in. “This is lovely.”

“Jacuzzi tub too.” Harry says, poking his head into the bathroom.

“We have dog accommodations as well. We can make sure there’s biscuits and a bowl for water in whatever rooms you stay in.”

Lastly, you follow the man to his office and take a seat.

“I know it was a lot to see, and I’m sure you’re considering some other places.”

“We are.” Harry says. “Can we see your packages and stuff like that?”

“Of course.” He gets a piece of paper from his desk and explains the different packages and prices. It was honestly really fair and surprisingly enough under $10K.

“I’m just curious, could we see like when your open dates are? That might sway our decision in the end as well.” You say. You knew Harry would have a lot to discuss over lunch before going to the next location.

“Sure, when were you two thinking?”

“Ideally, next fall…” Harry says. That sounded really soon to you, and way too much to handle in a year.

“But we’re flexible.”

The man takes out a calendar and shows you both.

“As you can see, we’re completely booked through next fall already. I think people wised up that that’s a bit cheaper too. However…” He flips to April 2022. “If you’re looking to still save a few bucks we have some open weekends as early as April. It’s not terribly hot, but not too cold either.”

“Could I take a picture of that?” You ask.

“Certainly.” You take your phone out and snap a picture of the calendar.

After a few more questions you thank the man for his time, and head to the small restaurant the inn had to test out the food a bit. They allowed Buster to sit at your feet.

“So…what’d you think overall?” Harry asks.

“I love it, honestly. I wonder how the other place will compare.”

“You didn’t seem too, uh, broken hearted that it wouldn’t be able to be next fall…”

“Harry.” You sigh. “I just don’t think it’s realistic with everything else going on this year. Hell, I’m going dress shopping with Erica next weekend, and the weekend after that I’m supposed to meat El and her other bridesmaids for our dresses. I’d rather have a bit more time so we’re not stressed, you know?”

“I get it…felt sick when I saw 2022 though, I’m not gonna lie.”

“I know.” You laugh. “It feels really weird to wait that long, but I have a feeling it’ll fly by.”

“I’ll be twenty-eight by the time we get married…”

“Mhm, and I’ll be turned twenty-seven.”

“You really wanna wait that long?”

“Well…” You lean a little closer. “I could use that time to get off birth control so we could go on our honeymoon and we could…you know…” Harry sits back in his chair to contemplate all of it.

“I suppose it would give us more time to keep saving for all the things we want…” He takes a sip of his water. “God, what torture, havin’ a fiancé as sexy as you and not bein’ able to come inside yeh. Damn shame.”

“Harry!” You shush him. “Please.” You shake your head. “There’s other places on my body you can do that.”

“We’ll need to be really careful so you don’t get pregnant beforehand like El and Lou.” He laughs.

“Mhm, very careful.”

“Okay, I suppose that’s a good compromise. I wonder what dates the other place will have open. They could have some sooner, you know?”

“We’ll just have to see what they say.”

Needless to say neither you nor Harry liked the second venue nearly as much, and it was way more expensive. The dates were also farther out. Your choice was easy enough to make, so you decide to just drive back to the first place and talk to the man.

“Back so soon?” He says, delighted.

“We love it here.” You say, sitting down in his office. “And we didn’t want to risk not getting a good date. We think April 2022 is perfect.” You give Harry’s hand a squeeze.

“We’d like the package with the buffet…” Harry says. “The silver.”

“Excellent choice.” Harry writes him a check for the deposit. “We’ll be contacting you shortly to do a food tasting. Please take some time to look over our menu options. Did you enjoy lunch?”

“We did! It was delicious.” You say.

“Wonderful. We’ll help you every step of the way best we can. I’ll be your direct contact so please don’t hesitate to reach out with any and all questions.”

“Thank you so much.” Harry says and shakes his hand.

You both squeal once you’re in the car.

“April 18th, 2022…can you believe it? We’ve set a date!” You say.

“I’m so excited, baby.” He kisses you. “Let’s get home, I need to get in there.” He gives your thigh a squeeze and you giggle.

“Sounds good to me.”

//

“Harry, if I don’t get up now I’ll be late to Erica’s bridal appointment.” You giggle.

Harry wouldn’t get off of you, he had you pinned to the bed.

“But it’s our anniversary.” He mumbles as he kisses your neck. You look up at him and smile. “This day last year I asked you to be my girlfriend.”

“I believe your exact words were, am I your boyfriend?”

“And you said, would you like to be.” He kisses you again. “So, you can’t leave until I’ve had my way with you.”

“Of, is that so?”

“Mhm.”

“Couldn’t you have your way with me when I get back?”

“You’re not gonna be home until like dinner time.” He pouts.

“Baby, please don’t make me feel guiltier than I already do…besides, I need you to go on Vista Print today and see what you want the save the dates to look like, remember?”

“Fine, but we’re havin’ a quickie in the shower.” He looks down at you. “If that’s what you want of course.”

“I do.” You kiss his nose. “Thanks for double checking.”

Harry managed to suck a huge hickey on the back of your shoulder. You were just happy it wasn’t you who would be getting in and out of dresses today.

“Oh! That’s been my favorite so far, honey.” Your mom says as Eric comes out in her fifth dress.

You had stayed relatively quiet. You didn’t really like any of the dresses she picked out, but then again Erica wasn’t you, and she had a different sense of style. You look over at Bridget who was more focused on the flute of champagne the store provided. You roll your eyes and look back at Erica who was looking at you.

“You haven’t said a thing…”

“Sorry, it’s just, I’m not the one who’s going to be wearing the dress, you are. Do you like it? Is it comfortable, can you walk and dance in it?”

“I think I love this one. I haven’t loved the others.”

“Then you should get this one.” Your mom says. “You have to love it, especially at these prices.”

“Good point, this is it, this is the one.” She squeals.

You all go out for lunch after.

“When do you think you’ll wanna go dress shopping Y/N?” Erica asks.

“No idea. I have some time yet. Probably after the holidays.”

“That’s a good idea, that way that holiday weight will be gone.” Your mom laughs.

“I don’t typically gain a lot over the winter…besides I could completely change my mind and go shopping in London when Harry and I go again for Christmas.” You shrug.

“You wouldn’t want us there?” Erica asks, frowning.

“It’s not that-“

“And who would you go with? Anne and Gemma?” Your mom asks.

“Maybe. I’m not saying I would buy anything out there, but if I happen to walk by a bridal shop and see something I like I’ll probably go in.”

“Must be nice to just go to London whenever.” Bridget says under her breath.

“Well, that’s what happens when you have a real job and make a life for yourself and don’t live in your mother’s basement.” You huff.

“Y/N.” Your mom says.

“No, I’m sorry. We dance around this all the time, and no one ever scolds her for the comments she makes. I’m so sorry that your three younger siblings managed to get their shit together and you couldn’t, Bridget, really I am. But I’m not going to sit here and let you shit on the things I get to experience. And I don’t get to go whenever I want, and neither does Harry. He’d go a lot more if he could.”

“If you’re going to have an attitude like this then maybe I just won’t be involved with any of your plans.” Bridget says.

“Good, music to my ears actually.” You sit back and cross your arms.

“That’s enough girls.” Your mom says. “Neither of you really mean that-“

“It’s my wedding, I can do things how I want. Erica wanted us all here to help her find a dress, that’s great. But that might not be how I want to do things.”

“It’s not always about you.” Erica says.

“Really? Then who is my wedding about?”  

“It’s about you, of course, but it’s also about the people that love you.”

“Well pardon me for not always feeling totally loved by own my family. You know if Harry had said he wanted to get married overseas I would’ve done it in a heartbeat, and then what you have done Bridget? Mum would’ve paid for all your accommodations, and you wouldn’t even offer to pay her back.” You look away from the three of them, and then to Erica. “I’m sorry, this is your day.”

“The dress shopping part was fun…I’m happy I finally have a dress. And you know what color I’d like the bridesmaid’s dresses to be, so you can shop with your friends how you like.” She smiles.

“So are we just going to pretend you two aren’t fighting right now?” Your mom says to you and Bridget.

“She started it…s’not my fault she’s bitter.”

“I’m not bitter, I like my life just fine, thanks.”

“Mhm.” You roll your eyes. “So, what’s next, what else do you need to get done?” You ask Erica.

“Well, honestly, not much. Venue and food is good to go. The DJ has been booked. All of the stressful stuff is done. Now we get to plan the fun stuff like the bridal shower and the bachelorette. But that stuff won’t be until months from now. Don’t you have another wedding you’re pretty involved in like a month before mine?”

“Yeah, our friends Louis and Eleanor.”

“Oh, they just had a baby over the summer right?” You mom asks.

“Mhm, Eliza May, she’s so stinking cute. Anyways, they’re getting married like exactly a month before you, and I’m in her wedding party. Harry is Louis’ best man.”

“Will Louis be his?” Erica asks.

“Yeah, but he hasn’t asked him yet. We’re going to ask Niall to officiate. We’re going to take him to dinner soon to surprise him.”

“I’m surprised Harry was okay pushing things off until next April since he was so eager to get engaged.” Your mom says.

“He really wanted it to be next fall, but with all of this stuff going on it would’ve been too much. I didn’t wanna take away from Erica. Plus, I still have so many classes to take. We compromised though…”

“On what exactly?” Bridget asks.

“Well…I told him I would get off the pill a little sooner so by the time we get married we could start trying for a baby sooner.”

“Isn’t that exactly how your friend Eleanor got pregnant?” Erica asks.

“Yeah, but they just weren’t being careful. And nothing’s happening just yet. It’ll probably be another year until I get off of it. He wants a baby so badly, so I think my promise of that perked him up.”

“I think it’s sweet he wants to have a kid with you, honey.” Your mom says. “It takes a real man to not be afraid of something like that.”

“Today is technically one of our anniversaries…he asked me to be his girlfriend a year ago today.”

“Why didn’t you say something?! No wonder you’re all pissy, you should be home with him.” Erica says.

“It’s okay, we’re going to hang out tonight.” She puts a hand on the back of your shoulder and you wince.

“Sorry, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just…pulled a muscle at the gym the other day.”

//

When you get home you’re hit with an intoxicating aroma: tofu curry. Buster greets you and you walk into the kitchen.

“Hey baby!” Harry says just stirring the mixture before letting it simmer.

“It smells so good in here.” You give him a kiss. “I made sure to eat light at lunch because I knew you were going to make something yummy.”

“And I made chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.”

“Aw, remember the first time I made those for you? And you had to show me how to eat them properly.” You giggle.

“How could I forget, that was like the first time we really made out.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “How are your sister and mum? Erica find a dress?”

“Mhm, and it suits her really well. I got into it a little with Bridget at lunch, but other than that it was good, pretty normal.”

“Why’d you get into it with her?”

“Sometimes I just can’t bite my tongue, you know me. She made a comment and I chose not to ignore it. It’s fine, it happens.” You shrug. “Like I said, pretty normal.”

“Well, I’m glad you don’t bite your tongue. She’s thirty-three and you’re way more mature from what I’ve gathered.” He kisses your forehead. “Go sit in the dining room, I got it all set up with candles and everything.”

“You’re too cute.”

You go out and sit down. He set it up really nicely. A few minutes later he comes out with two plates full of the delicious curry, and the naan bread you both like.

“Mm, oh my god, you’ve outdone yourself.” You say after taking a bite.

“Glad you like it, baby.” He smirks and then he starts laughing.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just remembered what we did the night we made things official.” He takes a bite of bread and grins at you.

“Which was what?”

“You let me down on you for the first time.” You nearly choke on your food. The memory came flooding back to you. “You begged me to let you move yourself against me.”

“Harry, please, we’re at the dinner table.”

“So? Not like there’s any kids around.” He looks over his shoulder at Buster. “I know he’s a smart dog, but I don’t think he fully knows what we’re sayin’.” He winks at you and you nudge him.

“Sometimes I think it’s really silly with how timid I was.”

“You had good reason. It just made things more exciting and creative. Like sometimes I’d nibble on you and other times I wouldn’t use my teeth at all. I feel like I really got to learn what your body reacted to the most.”

“I’m happy I could help you conduct your study.” You shake your head and continue eating.

You help clean up and then you both sit on the sofa with the strawberries. You giggle as you feed them to each other. Harry slowly drags one around your lips before letting you bite down on it. He pulls you in for a kiss, sucking on your bottom lip. Your hands tug at his hair and he groans against you.

“Bedroom.” He says against your lips and you nod.

You both race down the hall and into the bedroom. You get all your clothes off and you both get onto the bed. He kisses down your body and spreads your legs apart. His thumb works your clit while his tongue licks into you.

“Fuck, oh my god.” Your head rolls back. “Been thinking about this all day, you have no idea.” He moans against you as you tug on his hair. He loved when you talked like this. “You really know what do with it, Harry, shit.” He rubs you really fast, making you come all over his tongue. He licks his lips as he sits up. “Your turn.” You grin.

He lays down and you get between his legs. You don’t waste any time getting your mouth on his tip. You suck on it while your hand works the rest of him. You cradle his balls while you take more of him in your mouth. You groan when you taste more of his precome. It wasn’t so much that you liked the taste, it was more that you loved making him feel so good.

“Y/N.” He moans. “Want you to come sit on my face.” You pop off him.

“But I already had my turn.” You say confused.

“Didn’t realize it was a one and done situation.” He smirks. “Get your ass up here.”

“Let’s do it at the same time.”

You crawl up his body and turn around so you can still suck his cock. You gasp when you feel his tongue on you again. You were a bit more sensitive now. After he makes you come again he has you lay on your back. You think he’s going to get his dick in you, but he starts fingering you instead. He spreads your legs really far apart as he curls his fingers up inside you. He takes his fingers out and sucks his pinky into his mouth before continuing. He looks down at you and sees how wet you are, and how it’s dripped down to your other hole.

“What? You’re making me self-conscious, what are you looking at?” You prop yourself up on your elbows.

“What do you say, can I get this in there while I finger you? You’re awfully lubricated for it.” He holds up his pinky and wiggles it at you.

“Okay…”

“Really?”

“Yes, but only your pinky, and don’t just stick it in.”

“Would you let me rub around it first?”

“Sure.” You put your hand on his shoulder and he looks at you. “Happy anniversary.”

“Couldn’t have asked for a better present to be honest.”

“I get to do it to you after.” You pout. “Pleaseeee.”

“Already a step ahead of yeh, I showered already and everything.”

You smile and lay back down all the way. You feel his fingers lightly graze around your little hole and it doesn’t feel that bad. You had let him rub the tip of his dick against it enough times that this really wasn’t that much different. You feel him insert his middle and index fingers back into your core to further relax you. You gasp when you feel his pinky go inside your ass.

“Okay?” He looks at you.

“Mhm.”

“Could you…unclench so I can move it?” He chuckles.

“Sorry.”

Harry uses his other hand to rub slow circles on your clit and you’re able to relax a little more. You truly weren’t sure what the appeal of doing this to a girl was, but as he continued to do what he was doing, you felt stimulated in a way like never before.

“You’re so fucking wet, you like it, angel?”

“Feels good, yeah. Make me come, Harry.”

“Yeah, you want me to make you come again?”

“Please.”

His fingers pump faster, and you grip the sheets until you cry out. He was really giving you a good time tonight, but then again, it was an anniversary.

“Can I just fuck you for a bit before we get to all the other stuff?” He says.

“I need your dick so bad, please, put it in.”

He smirks and does as you say. You both moan once he’s all the way in. You hold him close to you and wrap your legs around his waist.

“I’m gonna come if you keep your legs like that.”

“Good, I want you to. You’ll get hard again, don’t worry.” You bite down on his shoulder and he loses it.

When he pulls out he sticks his fingers right in to collect the mixture and he hold them up to your mouth for you to suck on how you like. You lap around his fingers and suck them clean.

“Yup, that didn’t take long.” He looks down at himself and you both laugh.

“Go get the towel while I grab everything else sweetie.”

He nods and grabs his towel to lay on the bed. You grab the lube and the strap and place them both on the bed. Once you get him fully prepped and stretched, you get the strap on, and thrust into him.

“Holy shit.” He groans. “Hit it right away, angel.”

“I did? I must be getting better at this.” You smile and lean down to kiss him quick.

You stroke his cock while you rock in and out of him.

“You look so fucking good like this, Harry.”

“So do you.” He grits his teeth and you can tell he’s getting closer.

“Wanna make a mess, Harry? Wanna just come all over me?”

“Fuck, yeah I do.”

His come spurts out in ribbons all over your necks, chest, and stomach. You wait for him to catch his breath before pulling out. He props himself up on his elbows to look at you.

“You’re absolutely filthy.” He tuts his tongue a few times. “Gonna have to take a good, long bath to getcha all clean.”

“I guess so.” You smile.

Harry sits behind you in the tub as you lay your head on his shoulder.

“You’re so special to me, Y/N.” He coos. “My special girl.” He kisses your temple and you look up at him. “Love you more than anything.”

“I love you too, Harry.” You give his thigh a little squeeze. “I feel really lucky.”

You and Harry barely had a fight since you got engaged. It was like you were in this new honeymoon stage where you were always on each other’s side. Not that you were looking for a fight or anything, but the two of you had just been way more agreeable lately. Maybe it was your meds doing their job, or maybe it was the excitement of planning the wedding of your dreams with your soulmate. You loved the feeling of not being able to wait to see him, and you loved even more feeling so wanted the minute you stepped through the door. There wasn’t much more you could ask for.

[vesuvian-disaster]

‘That Time At The Masquerade’ or ‘Why Valerius’s Tag is Gorgeous’

Who wants to sample a lemon from me? It’s well, it’s the most complete smut I’ve written. It’s a HeronxValerius fic of the first time they have an encounter. Enjoy?

NSFW UNDER THE CUT!  

🍋🍋 LEMON! 🍋🍋

🔞 MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!! 🔞

I decide to take a meandering path out of the palace. The party has quieted to a few lingering guests. Groups settled into sitting areas drinking and chatting, or entirely passed out, and pairs thinking themselves secreted away in small alcoves. They probably enjoy the possibility of being caught...Which I admit has its appeal occasionally. They could also be too drunk to care. Always an option.

I turn down another corridor and find it’s bordering across from an outer wall. Large glass doors and windows open out to a long balcony that looks out onto the gardens below while the opposite wall is lined with doors. It’s nearly deserted save for one individual staring out a window, radiating frustration. I continue down the hall anyway, intending to leave them to themselves. They turn and I see that it’s the individual with the ornate ram mask I’d stolen a glass of wine from earlier. I can’t make out their facial expression, but they straighten up with a start then begin stalking towards me. The clack of their heeled shoes echoes down the empty hall.

They approach and growl out accusingly. “You!” 

It’s honestly both baffling and amusing in the moment. I can’t help but smile at them and spread my hands presentially. “Me?”

They grab one of my outstretched wrists and pull me forward. Caught off guard I stumble into their chest. Before I can regain my footing physically and mentally I feel their hand comb up into my hair and clench at the back of my skull. My head is pulled back and the taste of wine hits me as their lips roughly find mine.

Cicero grumbles and leaps from my shoulder. With my new companion’s fist clenched in my hair, and their wine soaked mouth on mine, I can’t look at him to apologize, so I send a thought to him, “Sorry, buddy. I’ll make it up to you.” The mink huffs and disappears down the hall.

I briefly consider that maybe distraction is better than introspection for now. While pushing back into the kiss, as much as the fist in my hair will allow, I place my hands on their hips and pull them in closer. 

They break the kiss and our masks knock together as they give no slack to their grip, “I demand an apology.”

I massage their hips with a smirk, “An apology, or a good time?”

Their lips curl into a frown as they release my hair, but they drag me down the hall. Muttering something about me being a delinquent, they open a door and pull me in behind them.

I look around the room, while they fumble with the lock on the door. It’s a corner suite, and very very well decorated. Very elegant. Earth tones and white trimmed in gold. I spot an open doorway that appears to lead into a washroom, perhaps a private bath. I must have found myself a palace attaché to spend the night with. That’s fine.

I turn back around to look at them. They're running their hand down the door frame and it briefly glows with runes I recognize. It’s very expensive to have a zone of silence spell built into a room, but hey. It is the palace after all.

I walk over and start fiddling with their clothes. There have to be a couple layers at least. Starting with a long coat made of taupe and gold damask silk. I remember seeing lacing down the front, so I loop my arms around them to find and loosen the ends.

“Eager, are you?” They sound amused, looking at me over their shoulder. Their arms are raised as if to accommodate me.

I duck under one arm to be in front of them. “You brought me in here. I didn’t think we were standing on ceremony,” The laces are loose enough that they could shrug out of their coat now, “But I can slow down if you want.”

They shrug their coat off, leaving it in a pool on the floor as they step out of it. Under their coat is a tailored shirt tucked into flowing pants, both white with elaborate gold trim. “No.”

While they’ve been considering their options, I’ve removed my jacket. Toggle buttons get in the way so easily in the moment. Then I kick off my shoes into the pile of my own things.

More comfortable, and with the go ahead to continue given, I reach up with one hand to pull them down into a kiss, and work on tugging the bottom hem of their shirt free from their waistband. They grab my shirt and pull the buttons free before tugging it down off my shoulders.

I let go of them to discard my shirt, then grab and pull them in by the waist, so I can get some control and start walking them back towards the bed. They seem far more interested in tracing a scar down my arm, though, and lose their balance. I quickly move to catch them and transfer them to a bridal carry easily. They flail briefly, before holding onto my shoulders.

“Easy there. I’ve got you.” I say, with a smile.

“Be more careful!” They try to admonish me, but I can see those wide eyes on the other side of the mask. Trying to save face, even though they’re startled.

 I play along, and nod my head, “You’re right. I should be more mindful, allow me to make it up to you.”

They pause and get a more sure grip on me, “You had best.”

I laugh and carry them to the bed, where I set them down, their legs hanging over the side. Much better, I don’t have to pull them to my level like this. Leaning forward, I start kissing along their jaw and down their neck. They smell herbaceous, with just barely lingering floral and citrus scents, and a smell of wine that I imagine simply permeates their being. There’s a long plait coiled around their shoulders. I sweep it back so it’s no longer in my way. As I nip at where neck and shoulder meet they groan, moving their head to one side to give me better access to their neck. I continue lavishing attention here as my hands wander under their open shirt. 

I encounter soft, warm, skin over a slim frame. Long legs wrap around my waist, pulling me in, and answer a question of equipment. A steadily hardening arousal is pressed to me through their pants. I drag my hands down their sides and down to their waistband to undo the fastening. 

I’ve worked my way back up their neck and I break from it to find their lips again, through a noise of protest. I finish with the fastenings of their trousers and underclothes. Wrapping an arm around them, I lift them and tug the clothing out from beneath them, before setting them back down.

I begin moving downward. From their mouth, to their chin, and down the front of their neck, planting kisses. Then further as they release me from their legs. I pull the clothing with me as I go past their erection, leaving it untouched, and slip it off over their shoes. I’m kneeling at this point and I begin dealing with the black gilded ankle boots. It takes a little more time than I’d like, the buttons keeping them in place slowing things down some more.

I look up at them to see them finally discarding their shirt. I take the time to undo my own pants before I work my way back up starting at their knee and kissing my way up their inner thighs. I get to their penis and it’s as smooth and hairless as the rest of them. Meticulously groomed. I begin to move from their thigh to their cock when they say something, through a shiver.

“W-wait!” I pause, wondering if they’d decided not to continue, and look up at them, mouth nearly to the base of their shaft. “I want to see your face while you do it.” 

I chuckle and give them permission. “Go on then.” Their hands were already on their way to the ties of my mask, and it takes them little time to remove it. It feels good to have it off, I hadn’t noticed how hot my face was getting under it. They look, but don’t say anything for a moment. I sit back on my heels and take their cock in my hand, running my thumb up it’s underside. “What about you? Take yours off for me?”

There’s a sharp intake of breath with the actions of my fingers. They hesitate just a second before reaching back and removing their mask. 

It’s not exactly a secret that I like partners who’re older than me, so anyone who knows me knows I’m absolutely delighted with the face now displayed to me. They’re a little older than me, with sharp features already flushed red, though trying very hard to maintain some semblance of dignity.

Just gorgeous.

I continue holding them and return to where I left off, maintaining eye contact as I my way up their shaft, until I’m at its head. I drag my tongue along the underside before I close my lips around the tip.

They start off really tight lipped, as if they didn’t just silence the room. I take it as a challenge at this point. It doesn’t take long to get into a rhythm that elicits some nice noise. 

At a point their hand comes forward to try to grab my head. In response I grab their wrist and pin it to their stomach with a hum in the negative, mouth still in place, unmoving. 

They nod quickly and I continue as I was, releasing their wrist and giving them a soft tap on their outer thigh. From there it’s so tempting to drag things out for more delightful sounds, but I don’t tease. Their muscles tighten and I’m ‘treated’ to a rather bitter taste that I probably should have expected. They’re clearly a drinker. 

I rise from my kneeling position only to be pulled into another rough kiss. Not angry, just a needy hunger radiating off them. They begin to move backwards further onto the bed, pulling me along so that I have to climb onto it after them. They push me gently to the side into the pillows, so that I’m mostly sitting, but reclined there. I watch them reach over me to some shelves behind the headboard, grabbing a bottle and uncorking it. 

They pause, looking at me a moment. “It’s been-” They pause, considering something.

“Take your time.” I say, sensing their hesitation.

They shake their head and pour what is clearly an oil-based lubricant into their hand. They apply it liberally to my erection, while muttering something I can’t quite catch. It’s surprisingly warm on my skin.

They straddle me, reaching back to help guide themself onto me. I grab their hips to help steady them. It seems they need to take it slow. Perhaps it’s been a while? If I’d known this was on the agenda I’d have done something to help them be ready, but I’m not sure that even they knew we were going to do this.

I kiss their collarbone and neck as they settle in and rest their head on my shoulder, “You’re alright, Gorgeous. Just let me know if you need to stop.” 

They scoff, then bite my neck with some force before starting to move - slowly at first, almost agonizingly so. “Don’t patronize me.”

I bite them back. Two can play at this game. “I’m trying to be considerate.”

They start picking up the pace, and through a self inflicted gasp, “I know what I’m doing.”

“So it appears.” I groan into their shoulder. I post my legs to try and gain a little bit of leverage and move my hands to lock behind their ass as they move upwards.

“What are you-?!” They’re silenced as their balance shifts forward and I flip up so they’re on their back. Thankfully there’s an ample pile of pillows that gives us a lot of space before the headboard.

I reposition myself so we can resume from here, “Getting a change of scenery. The bedding frames you better.” It looks like they’re about to retort, but I’m lucky and my first thrust finds a spot that makes it come out a moan instead.

I reach down to their shaft and attempt to match rhythm with my hips as I get closer. They reach their climax again just before I do. I rest my forehead in the crook of their neck as I cum, and I feel legs unwrap from my waist and gripping fingers release the flesh of my back.

I kiss them and pull out. Mumbling a few words, I magic the mess away. A small thing; many people with an education can manage that. It shouldn’t be a problem. I move to the side, off of them, and I notice their confusion about not having a mess to deal with on their abdomen. But nothing is said about it as we lay there, breathing hard.

They seem to recover first, sitting up and examining the blankets. I get a peculiar look from them as they reach for the folded down duvet to pull over us both. 

I shrug, “Old habits.” Better living through magic.

They’re of the opinion that I may as well stay until morning. I’m grateful as I settle in next to them and quickly fall asleep.

---

As sleep abandons me, I can feel that I’m not in my own bed, and it’s immediately evident I’m not alone either. My companion from last night is still here too fast asleep, his arm draped over me. I look at him with sober eyes. He’s slim and a little older than I am, with cheekbones you could kill a man with, and large lips that seem to be stuck in that frown of his. A long black to blonde ombre braid snakes out behind him on the pillow. I reach out and brush back a lock of hair as he stirs a little. Golden eyes open and regard me cooly.

I smile, “Good Morning, Gorgeous.” He scoffs and rolls his eyes, then grimaces. He must have a hangover. He wraps the blanket around himself as he turns over winding up with his back to me.

“I take it you don’t want to go with me to get some food then?” I laugh, I’m not the kind of person to just sneak off in the morning, but it seems like he wishes I were. He mumbles an affirmative and goes quiet.

Oh well, I offered.

With the blanket now denied me, I roll out of the bed onto my feet and stretch before looking around. We’d just tossed our things all over the place, it seems. I collect my bag and withdraw a wooden figurine to focus a spell. After a moment the scattered belongings begin to lift off the ground and are folded by an invisible force then set neatly aside. I leave it to finish cleaning and go into the adjacent washroom to freshen up, a change of clothes from my bag in hand.

When I return, he’s where I left him, but my Unseen Servant has done its job. I run a hand over both neatly stacked outfits and magic away the night’s grime, before putting my own outfit safely in my pack. When I get to my mask I pause and look at the golden ram mask. I take it and leave my own in its stead. A Masquerade ‘tradition’. I tie it to my belt before going to my companion one last time.

I place a hand on his head and cast a spell to rid him of that hangover. I smirk and give him a final kiss on the cheek, “I’m sorry about the wine, Gorgeous.” 

Then I head out the door.

[flowerspecial]

You Ask To Be At Their Wedding

Chan

Okay so it was their first fan meeting since Chan announced that he was dating someone. Let's be real, whoever dates Chan will be the most perfect match for him, and as supportive and living fans, we will welcome that person with open arms! Anyway, by the time you get to Chan you're a little bit nervous but you can also see that he is a little bit on edge. “Are you okay?” “I’ve just had a lot of nasty comments about my relationship, but yeah I’m fine.” “Well I think your relationship is amazing, and if you ever get married, feel free to invite me to the wedding!” “I might just take you up on that one!”

Minho

So my friend has met Minho a few times, and she told me that Minho does not deal the best with extra loving fans. That's just not his style. You'd actually see Minho and his partner out on a date one day, and you didn't want to interrupt their date too much so you'd just go up to them once and say you're a huge fan. But when you attempt to leave, Minho’s partner would compliment you on your outfit. “Oh my god thank you, that's so kind of you! I love what you're wearing too! By the way, if you guys ever get married please invite me to the wedding!” Minho’s partner would just laugh while Minho looks slightly terrified.

Changbin

Changbin would be quite taken back if a fan asked to be at his wedding. Don't get me wrong, Changbin would find it very endearing and he knows that you are coming from a place of love, but it can still be quite a strange request. “I just love your music so much and it would be amazing to share your wedding day!” “Well, erm, I won't say no. But I can't just invite a stranger to my wedding. Maybe you could try and be friends with my partner? At the end of the day they'll have the last say about who is invited.” Did Changbin just encourage you to make friends with his partner? You don't have to be told twice!

Hyunjin

Hyunjin is definitely the more the merrier type of person. He wants everyone in the world to see how amazing his relationship is, and that will definitely extend to his marriage. You'd actually be at one of his concerts. You made a sign asking whether you can come to his future wedding. During the talking bit, Hyunjin would notice it and read it out loud, interrupting the other boys. “Hell yeah you can come to my wedding! Hit me up in a couple of years and I’ll get you an invite!” Just know that now the whole arena is screaming and is definitely a little bit jealous of you.

Jisung

Jisung is a rather private person, and something tells me that he will keep his relationship private. And when I say private I mean none of us will even know he is seeing someone until it's revealed that he has a partner and three children. Jisung just doesn't want everyone and anyone getting involved in his dating life. Therefore, when you ask him if you can go to his wedding, it is completely hypothetical. You didn't even know that he was dating, you just told him that he deserves the world and you'd love to support him on his big day. But just know that Jisung would remember this, and you might get an invite in the mail…

Felix

Felix will be THAT husband who throws a huge ass party and pretty much invites the whole world. The actual ceremony will just be close friends and family because he wants that part to be private and intimate. But the after party? Bloody hell you are going to be dancing with people you have never even met before! Felix would actually do something like announce 5 minutes before the invites get released that he is letting all of his fans get a chance to go to the after party of his wedding, and the first 100 or so will get to go. You best be ready for when those tickets drop! You are not gonna want to miss this!

Seungmin

Seungmin would be another one who would prefer his wedding to be intimate between close family and friends, but he has no problem extending the invites out to fans for the after party. In fact that might work in his favour, because fans are gonna hype this boy up so much when he serenades you with an original song. He wouldn't go to the crazy lengths that Felix goes to, it would be more if you ask him then he will say yes. To be honest you'd just ask him on the off chance, thinking he'd say no but you'd be surprised. “I’ll check with my partner first, but I don't see why not! Write down your email so I can get back to you.”

I.N

Jeongin would be hella surprised that you asked him straight off the bat like that, “Excuse me?!” “I was just asking, that when you get married, can I come to the wedding? I know that it's your personal life so you don't have to say yes! But it would be amazing if you did! I’d promise not to tell anyone, and I won't take any photos unless you say I can!” “So why would you want to go if you don't have any memories of it?” “Because I want to support you anyway I can! Marriage is a big step, I want to show you that you have all of the strays’ support!” You might have just won him over with that.

[girlsgonemildblog]

So Much is Happening All the Time - The Bachelor, Season 25, Week 5 Recap

Image from abc.com

Buckle up. This one’s a doozy. We begin the morning of the cocktail party and rose ceremony, the day after Katie snitched to Matt. Victoria says to Kit that the new girls have nothing to complain about because she “hasn’t even begun the hazing process yet,” and Kit laughs nervously because she is genuinely afraid for her life. I have no idea what Victoria is talking about because “hazing” is definitely not part of the show. This is The Bachelor, not the fifth choice sorority at a state school.

Meanwhile, fellow mean girls MJ and Anna discuss the rumor about Brittany, and MJ tells Anna that she “did the right thing”. I have no idea in what context MJ could mean that. Did Anna do the right thing when she spread a lie about someone being a sex worker behind their back? Or when she then confronted the girl about the rumor in front of the whole group, ensuring that anyone who hadn’t heard it yet, did now? Or maybe when she continued to make fun of the girl even when she knew it was a lie? Or perhaps when she still didn’t apologize for all of her shitty behavior? While Anna and Victoria are the main villains so far, MJ is right behind them. She becomes more prominent later in the episode, so here’s her picture. Please pretend you’re not super jealous of how gorgeous her hair is.

Image from abc.com

The cocktail party begins with Matt addressing the bullying and the rumor spreading, and the producers blessed us with a zoom-in on Anna’s “oh shit” face.

Photo from Twitter

Matt then asks to speak to Brittany privately, and Victoria immediately turns on the group and asks who snitched. Anna realizes that this is obviously about her and repeatedly insists that starting the rumor was “one single comment” and “out of her character,” but I find that hard to believe as we saw her make the comment multiple times over several days.

During Matt and Brittany’s conversation, he does a great job of listening and comforting her. He says he wants to make this a safe space for the girls, and I genuinely believe him; I just don’t think that’s possible. This is The Bachelor, for God’s sake.

Matt then takes Anna aside and gives her a chance to explain, but ultimately sends her home before the rose ceremony even happens. If I were him, I would’ve walked up to her on the couch, in front of everyone, and sent her home right then and there. No excuses, no apologies. Just, “Bye bitch. You’re out.” She leaves (without ever apologizing to Brittany) and says she’s going to go cry in the shower. Honestly, relatable.

In an effort to save themselves, all of the girls who bullied (MJ, Victoria, Serena C.) start denying that any bullying went on, and all the girls who silently watched the bullying start apologizing and saying they had no idea any of this was going on. Do these girls not know that there are cameras, and we watched them sit there and do nothing?

Victoria does apologize to Catalina but laughs through it and insists that it was just playful and not malicious. She actually has the gall to say, “I don’t think you were treated fairly,” as if she wasn’t the one mistreating them. We all heard your hazing comment, Vicky!

Matt wants to check on the other new girls, and while speaking to Ryan, she names names, specifically Victoria’s. She tearfully tells Matt that because she is a dancer, Victoria called her a hoe. In my opinion, “hoe” is not that bad a word. Like the slut-shaming aspect is terrible, but I just don’t feel like “hoe” carries much weight. If someone called me a hoe, I’d be mildly angry. I definitely wouldn’t cry about it.

Victoria, wearing a visible bra as well as granny panties with her slit dress

goes to defend herself to Matt. Matt, like an idiot, tells Victoria that Katie is the one who snitched. He then brings up the “hoe” comment, which she claims was taken out of context. He asks her what the context was, and she has no answer.

After their conversation, she goes outside to complain to the producers, within earshot of the other girls, about how she is “literally the only girl who can be his wife,” she’s the only intelligent one, and the rest of them (specifically Katie) are idiots, and how she’s so nice and the rest of them are fake and toxic. Trashing them all where they can hear you is a wild move when trying to prove you’re not a bully. She starts listing what she thinks are positive traits about her and includes “spoiled” in the list multiple times. She also asks, “does he want a wife who is creating drama all the time, or does he want me?”

Photo from imgur.com 

The rose ceremony begins, and Matt gives the first roses to Ryan and Brittany, sending a clear message about the new girls vs. OG bullshit. The girls who get sent home are Lauren, Mari, Catalina, and (finally) Victoria. When it is her turn to say goodbye, she walks up to him and says she feels bad for him that he’s stuck with those girls instead of her for a wife. When he got home that night, Matt probably danced with joy.

The first date of the week is a one-on-one with Rachael, and he takes her shopping at a store in the resort. She gushes about him “getting” her all of these things. Before she goes all gold-digger, someone needs to tell her that he isn’t “getting” anything; the production company is definitely footing this bill. She returns to the house, arms piled over with shopping bags, and shows off everything she got, including Louboutins. Everyone is jealous. Everyone that is except socialite-Kit, who could not have looked less impressed. Girlie got her first Louboutins before she took her first step.

During their night-date, Rachael talks about having never been in love and says it’s because she struggles with confidence. Matt, who also doesn’t consider himself to have ever been in love, gives her the rose.

The next day brings a group date. After watching Rachael be gifted thousands of dollars worth of clothes, the rest of the girls get to spend their day shoveling animal shit on a farm. All of the girls complain about being not getting a one-on-one. I am so sick of people complaining about group dates every season. It’s part of the show that you signed up for. Shut the fuck up. Of course, maybe they had a point, proven by MJ trying to flirtily chase Matt with a broken egg, only to catch him full-on making out with Peiper. Yikes.

That night, Matt asks MJ what she thought about the bullying going on in the house. She tells him she was shocked even to learn that there was bullying going on. He responds by telling her that someone accused her of being a bully, and she gets real defensive real quick. She insists that she “leads by example,” which sounds like something a junior-high soccer coach said to her once. It also means absolutely nothing because you could also lead an angry mob to torch a house by being the first to light a match. When MJ rejoins the girls, she asks who said her name, and Jessenia, who looks 12 (as seen in the photo below), owns up to it. Thus begins the newest feud in the house.

Image from abc.com

Also during the group date, Abigail talks to Matt more about her hearing loss, and opens up about her father leaving after she got her hearing aid. Matt was also raised by a single mother, and relates to her in this way. Abigail gets the group date rose.

The final one-on-one date goes to Kit. When she gets a date card that implies they’ll be cooking on her date, she cries because she has spoken to Matt about how much cooking means to her. The date consists only of a night portion; Kit goes over to Matt’s house and they bake cookies together. Before she arrives, we see Matt cleaning his home so it’s nice for her, as well as checking his outfit because he knows she cares about fashion. Absolutely adorable.

When she arrives, he tells her that he believes in ordering dessert first, and I think I may be falling in love with Matt. She says how growing up with a famous and successful mom has put a lot of pressure on her, which is not something he, or most people, can relate to. They both talk about wanting to fast forward through the process and just be together outside of the show. They cuddle up on the couch and she gets the rose. Some people online think Kit seems braggy and pretentious, but I really like her. And I think you’d have to be an idiot to not realize that Matt really likes her as well.

The next morning as the women wait to get ready for the night, a date card arrives inviting MJ and Jessenia on a mini-two-on-one before the cocktail party. They ride over in complete silence, but when they arrive they break out in yelling. MJ insists she “preaches peace and harmony” or some bullshit, but the face she makes insists otherwise.

Photo from Twitter

The show leaves off on yet another cliff-hanger. My prediction is that Matt heard the yelling, sends MJ home on the spot and Jessenia home at a rose ceremony, if not that night then the next one.