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odxrilove · 25 days ago

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☆ SEVENTEEN AND SOFT LAUNCHING

pairing: svt x f!reader

contents/warnings: scenarios, fluff? social media mentions (duh)

dori's notes: trying a new layout! >.<

back to masterlist!

꩜ .ᐟ THEY HAVE STUDIED THE OFFICIAL "URBAN DICTIONARY" MEANING...

— minghao .. he started the soft-launching trend

hao is like the epitome of a romantic caring partner, so there’s no doubt that he’s the one to initiate the soft launching. truly, he was so sure about your love that he was already teasing a romance after the second date, posting an aesthetic picture of two wine glasses, one brandishing red traces of lipstick. you’re pleasantly surprised at the sweet action and even a bit impressed when his launching stays romantic, pleasing to the eyes and keeps people on the edge all during. it’s no surprise that when the grand reveal of his partner finally comes, all reactions are heartwarming.

— joshua .. couldn’t let his gentleman-mask slip away

joshua is an all-rounder when it comes to romance and dating, and loving you– so it’s no wonder when he decides to pay for all your meals, treat you like a princess and take as many pictures of you as you want. people should have seen it coming, his stories going from skies to restaurant pics to borderline risqué and suggestive pictures of the woman in his life. in the end, the soft-launching is a success, just like your relationship with him.

— mingyu .. you think he would ever miss an opportunity to appear rich, cool and taken?

ever since he’s known about the existence of boyfriend pictures, he’s never let anyone else take his well-deserved golden trophy. but in reality, the boyfriend pictures used to give him a bitter aftertaste, since he wasn’t anyone’s boyfriend ! so now that he has you and he is a boyfriend, you can’t possibly think mingyu doesn’t take every opportunity possible to show off your growing love ? get ready to be all over his social media and his followers’ for you pages.

— seokmin .. he bought a white board on wheels to create the perfect soft-launch timeline

he’s a sweetheart through and through, and seokmin isn’t afraid to show he’s taken, even if it’s still early. he prepares everything thoroughly, wanting you to be happiest ever. he even created a timeline, which he followed very precisely, just so that nothing would go wrong ! people’s reactions to the soft-launching makes him all the more proud.

꩜ .ᐟ IS IT REALLY SOFT LAUNCHING WHEN HALF THE WORLD'S POPULATION KNOWS ALREADY...

— jun .. good opportunities, good initiative, just not enough talent

as much as jun wants to follow in minghao’s footsteps, following his advice might not be helpful enough. see, he puts effort into it, that’s for sure, but it seems like the social media world is just against him– as well as his friends. what do you mean his soft launching isn’t working, seungkwan? give the poor guy some slack, he’s trying.. that earns him a few points, at least. it’s alright if it turns out tacky or predictable, maybe you can teach him!

— seungcheol .. too giddy about you to be secretive

despite his intimidating appearance, this man is a total teddy bear, so him not being discreet enough about having someone in his life isn’t surprising. look, seungcheol tried his best, but it’s truly not his fault if a few of his friends already know about you or if the pictures he ends up posting aren’t secretive at all! in general, he doesn’t want to hide your relationship, too proud about you, so he’s not really into the "mysterious" aspects of the pictures, prefering to show you off the moment you become official.

— seungkwan .. you did it first, but he wasn’t happy with the outcome, so did it too

if nitpicking was a job, seungkwan would be the highest paid worker in the world– because tell me why this man brushes off your attempt at soft launching to then announce he’s going to do the same? when asked, he’ll say he can do better than you, but in reality, he has pictures of the two of you that he wants to show off. and apparently, so early on in the relationship, seungkwan is still a bit too shy to admit that fact, so instead he lies, overlooking the fact that everyone knows already, thanks to your own soft launching.

꩜ .ᐟ SOFT LAUNCHING? MORE LIKE HARD LAUNCHING...

— hoshi .. he’s just bad at it

listen, he’s cute and all but his cuteness can’t hide the fact he’s clueless about technology and is probably not the best person to do the soft launching. i mean, his attempt was definitely cute, but that was it, an attempt– you can’t really call a selfie of the both of you kissing an ideal soft launching pic, can you ? now, most of the time, he just reposts anything you tag him in, and you’re both happy.

— chan .. tries really hard but ends up accidentally messing it up

it’s pretty sad if you think about it actually, because he had it all planned out, all the pictures, the captions, even the songs that he would add! but then the worst happens.. an unedited soft-launching draft of you two is posted on his account, and he doesn’t realize until after everyone has already seen it. the comments pour in, and chan has to clench his teeth– no, user joshuahong95, chan didn’t mean to use "your" instead of "you’re" in his unfinished caption.

꩜ .ᐟ GUILTY! THEY LET YOU DO THE JOB..

— jeonghan .. is petty and insists you do it since he asked you out

truly, you should have seen it coming, knowing how much of a menace your boyfriend is. getting trapped into doing all the soft launching yourself was a dumb move on your part but a smart one on his. don’t take it too seriously though, it’s not that he doesn’t want to put in the effort, on the contrary, but he does really enjoy seeing you post and boast about him, all the while keeping it mysterious. in short, he indulges and basks in the attention as much as he can.

— wonwoo .. isn’t enough on social media to do it

even if wonwoo wanted to do it, he wouldn’t possibly be able to, since he isn’t active much on social media. If you had asked him to reveal your relationship to his close entourage, he probably would have just sent a captionless picture of you two in the groupchat, so you taking over the soft launching was better for everyone. when he does decide to help a bit, he’s lost in the timeline, posting dinner pics when you’re at the faceless ootd pics stage.

— vernon .. “soft launching is weird.. why do people even do it?” it’s cute vernon.

vernon’s stance on soft-launching is a problem in itself– he thinks it’s an unnecessary addition to society that it forces people to disclose private information under the pretext of a trend. you just think it’s cute. vernon thinks you’re cute so even if he finds it dumb, he lets you soft launch your relationship, because when you’re happy, you smile. and your smile makes you even cuter so he doesn’t mind sacrificing an opinion for the greater good, which, in his opinion, is you.

— woozi .. you don’t even mention it to him

woozi is without a doubt one of the more private members– he isn’t too keen on revealing too much about himself so plastering you all over his social media isn’t him. He knows you’re more active online and he doesn’t mind one bit but he wasn’t even aware you were soft launching him! he only finds out when hoshi teases him about it and he becomes confused; “what’s soft launching ?”. don’t worry, you have all the time in the world to explain what it means to him.

taglist: @0x1lovebot @fairybinie @odetoyeonjun @sensitively-taken @pockyandme @soobin-chois @lolalee24 @junityy @kaimal @laylasbunbunny @jaeyunverse @enhacolor @honglynights @starry-mins @bibinnieposts @yoonzin0 @raevyng @hoeforcheol @pearlygraysky @4xiaojun @viscade @kikohao @enluv @smilehui @starshuas @instabull @atrirose @dokyeomkyeom @todorokiskitten

please do not copy, repost or steal any of my work. all content belongs to @odxrilove

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wildlife4life · 9 months ago

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Fuck-It Friday Coda

Here is my 7x01 coda that I'm also counting for Fuck-It Friday! So thank you for the tags @theotherbuckley @wikiangela @jesuisici33 and @diazsdimples! Posted to ao3 here.

“How the talk with Chris go? He still seeing being a two timer?” Marisol asks with a sly smile.

Eddie blows out a harsh breath, “There wasn’t much of a talk on my end.”

She quirks an eyebrow, “Oh? You just letting him work it on his own?”

He shakes his head, “Oh god no. That would have just made an even bigger mess.” Eddie has to look away from his girlfriend as he admits, “Actually I asked Buck to talk to him. He has some um... experience with the whole ‘player’ thing.”

Marisol’s wine glass smacks loudly on the coffee table in the silence that follows, and Eddie barely holds back a wince. Still, he doesn’t look at her. He never does when speaking about Buck.

“You had your newly single best male friend, with a history of getting around, talk to your son about not doing the exact same thing?” Marisol sound appalled and it has Eddie whipping around to see her actual reaction. His girlfriend looked upset and disgusted? What is that about?

“Um, yea. Buck has the insight into all of that and he’s reformed and all that.” Eddie tries defending.

She scoffs, “Reformed? Didn’t he just break up with his last girlfriend because he got bored.”

Well, that was a very poor recount of events that had already been poorly told by Buck and Eddie felt the low simmer of burgeoning anger, “Buck did not get bored. He was trying to live, move on from his death, and all that woman was doing, was being a constant reminder of it.”

The anger rises at Marisol rolling her eyes, “Like I said, bored. But that’s not really the point here.”

He grinds his back molars, “What is the point then, in your opinion?”

She narrows her eyes at his tone, “The point is Christopher isn’t going to learn to respect women, be a courteous young man by talking to a man whose disastrous dating history is printed in a best-selling book by someone from said history. He’s Christopher’s fun friend, the guy he goes to when he doesn’t want to get in trouble and you’re feeding into it.”

Eddie slams his beer to the coffee table, making Marisol’s almost empty wine glass wobble from the force, and rises his feet, “After me, Buck is one of the most important people in Christopher’s life. You have not a single understanding of what they are to each other, what they have been through. What Buck has personally been through. He is not some womanizing asshole corrupting my son. He is Christopher’s best friend; my best friend, and the person I know I can turn to when I need help with Christopher. With anything.”

Marisol rises to her feet, “And you’re allowing him to continue take up the space I am trying to get into. I thought we we’re getting somewhere when you invited me to chaperon Chris’s date with you, when you opened up about your worries about him. But instead of letting me try to help you ran to a person you can’t bring up without looking away.”

He immediately proves her point and puts his gaze on the fireplace mantle, eyes roaming over every photo. There several of just him and his son, pre-LA to just last year before Christopher’s school dance. There are pictures of their family back in Texas and the entirety of the 118. Then there are photos with Buck. Christopher and Buck at the zoo. The trio of them at the mall fountain. Eddie’s graduation. Christopher’s 10th birthday. And second to last, Eddie and Buck, arms around each other’s shoulders at Hen and Karen’s vow renewal. At the end of all those photos sits the last family picture of Eddie, Christopher, and Shannon took at the beach.

Eddie thinks back on the picture Christopher turned down on his desk and the letter he almost didn’t read. He thinks about how his first instinct was to turn to Buck and not the girlfriend who witnessed Christopher’s player antics, someone who could give insight on how those girls felt. And then he realizes, Christopher wouldn’t have opened up about his mother to anyone, but Buck.

That space Marisol is trying to fit herself into, is too large, too broad, and perfectly Buck shaped. She would never fit.

With a sense of déjà vu, Eddie drops his gaze to floor and softly states, “I think you should go.”

💜🩷💜🩷

Wine glass rinsed out, beer bottle in the recycling, and a reusable tote bag just barely filled with Marisol’s few items left at his house sat near the door, Eddie relaxes back into his couch.

Marisol put up a lack-luster fight to leaving, but eventually she drowned the last of her wine and called an uber. “He’s not going stick around forever. He’s going to break both yours and Christopher’s hearts.” She warned, “And you’ll be just as alone as you were in the hardware store.”

Eddie held back a harsh retort and simply told her, “I haven’t been alone since I met him and I never will be if either one of us has a say about it.”

He opened the door, Marisol got into a little gray sedan, and she went back to the home Eddie helped destroy.

Picking up his phone from the coffee table, Eddie pulls up his contact favorites, smirking humorously at Marisol’s missing name, and presses the person at the very top. It rings twice, before, “Hey man, thought it was date night?”

“Asked her to go home.” Eddie replies.

Silence on the other end for a just a moment then, “Man, you really need to find a better way to break up with women.” Buck teases.

Eddie chuckles, “Well at least there was no mess to clean up this time.”

Buck hums in agreement before softly asking, “You doing okay?”

Not a single lie passed his lips when he answered, “More than. But you know what would help?”

“What?”

“Go-karts in the dessert.”

A laugh that makes Eddie feel warm all over, “It’s a date.”

Hope you all enjoyed! Tagging (no pressure): @daffi-990 @exhuastedpigeon @fortheloveofbuddie @rogerzsteven @disasterbuckdiaz @tizniz @lemonzestywrites @evanbegins @buck-coded @devirnis @glorious-spoon @thekristen999 @spotsandsocks @cal-daisies-and-briars @aroeddiediaz @hippolotamus @sunshinediaz @watchyourbuck @lover-of-mine @hoodie-buck @elvensorceress @gayedmundodiaz @giddyupbuck @jeeyuns @bekkachaos @buddierights @try-set-me-on-fire @rainbow-nerdss @thewolvesof1998 @eddiebabygirldiaz @spaceprincessem @eddiiediaz @honestlydarkprincess @doublecheekeddiaz @prosperdemeter2 @transboybuckley @nmcggg @monsterrae1 @loserdiaz @perfectlysunny02 @dangerpronebuddie @missmagooglie

#fuck it friday #tag game #coda fic #7x01 #my fic #911 abc #911 spoilers #911 fic #buddie #buddie fic #evan buckley #eddie diaz #shannon diaz #marisol #anti marisol #break up #buck is christopher’s other dad

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holylulusworld · 5 months ago

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Another bad date

Written for the lovely @bigtreefest's Summer Lovin’ 300 Follower Celebration. Congratulations again!

I chose the prompt/trope: friends to lovers + “here, you can share with me”

Square filled for @julybreakbingo: Square 4: “I want to be that….,” “You already are.”

Pairing: Jake Jensen x fem!Reader

Warnings: bad date, fluff, sweet Jake, idiots in love, friends to lovers, cuddling & snuggling, and they were roommates...

Strike one happens when he barks orders at the poor waiter who only tries to do his job without getting yelled at.

“I’ll take a steak, bloody,“ your date glares at the waiter who dared to fill your glass with water first. “And if I say bloody, I mean it.”

You roll your eyes. First dates are never easy, but with a man like this, it’s an impossible task. “She takes the salad with salmon.” That’s strike two.

While your date talks about wine, and his bloody steak, you already try to find a way to end this awful date without causing a scene.

Why people still go on dates, especially with people they found online, is a mystery to you. This sucks.

“Did you listen?” You look at your date when he snarls your name. “Aw, you don’t have to be shy, sweetness. I already decided to take you home, babe. You’re the right amount of hot and cute, with a dash of cluelessness.”

“What?” You square your jaw.

“I’m going to make you feel things you never—” He watches you rise from your seat to throw your water in his face. You murmur an apology at the waiter and hand the friendly man a huge tip.

Without sparing your date another glance, you storm out of the restaurant, still shaking in anger.

That bastard dared to order food for you without asking what you like. He treated you like a child, before deciding moments after you met for the first time that he’s going to fuck you tonight.

“Like hell…”

“Y/N, sweetie,” Jake’s eyes light up when he finds you in front of his door, not the delivery boy. “I thought you were on a date.”

You huff and shake your head. How can you tell your best friend what the man you wanted to date did?

“What happened, and do I have to kill him?”

You throw yourself at Jake to hide your face in his chest. “That bad, sweetie?”

“He…was…,” you sniffle when he wraps his arms around you. “He was just awful. I believed he was nice, but he yelled at the waiter and ordered food for me.”

“He did what?” Jake hiccups. “What did he order?”

“Salad, Jakie! He ordered salad for me!” you sniff. “And then he declared that he’s going to take me home tonight.”

“He…” Jake stiffens against you. “I’ll kill him. Give me all you know about him, and I find him to stab him with a rusty fork.”

You giggle. “Can we have a sleepover, Jakie? I don’t want to be alone now.”

“Of course, sweetie,” Jake snickers. “You know, it’s not a sleepover because you are living with me.”

“Only because we are roommates doesn’t mean we can’t have sleepovers. I want to eat ice cream, and we can nag about dudes and how they are all assholes.”

“You know that I’m a dude too, right?”

You lift your head to shake it furiously. “No! You’re Jakie,” you grin. “My best friend and a cutie. You’re not some random dude.”

Jake sighs. If only you’d see that he’s head over heels in love with you. His best friend.

“I ordered food, and I think we got some ice cream left,” Jake softly says. “How about you get comfortable, and I wait for the delivery guy.”

"Jakie...why are guys all so...I don't know," you shrug. "Maybe it's me. I want to be that woman a man easily falls in love with and cherishes." You walk toward your room, sighing again.

Jake watches you leave, sighing too. "You already are. Sadly, you don't know how wonderful you are...”

“There are no crab cakes for me,” you pout and sniffle. After changing into sweatpants and an old shirt you stole from Jake you got comfortable on his lap to eat the food he ordered. “Why?”

“You wanted to go on a date. I only ordered food for one,” he laughs when you whine and pout even harder. “Here,” he fishes the last crab cake out of the container, “you can share with me.”

“You’re the best,” you giggle before taking a small bite. “You can have the rest. I don’t want to eat all of your food.”

“I’ll always share my food with you.”

“That’s why I like you the most,” you grin. “You’re smart, nice, always share your food with me and sexy.”

“Sexy?” He coughs, almost choking on the rest of his last crab cake. “You think I’m sexy.”

“Yeah,” you turn in his lap to put your hands on his shoulders. “Jakie, didn’t you know that guys with glasses, especially the smart ones, are hot?”

“No…” He shakes his head when you lean closer. Jake tries to tilt his hips to keep you from rubbing against his swelling length. “I didn’t.”

“Hmm…” you lean impossibly closer to peck his nose. “Jakie…”

“Yeah?” He breathes your name and glances at your lips.

“Do you want to kiss me?” You wrap your arms around his neck to make the first move. “Jakie?”

He eagerly presses his lips to yours, tongue delving into your mouth. Jake tries to put all his feelings for you into this one kiss. Maybe this is the only chance he has to prove to you that he's the man for you.

“Wow,” he stammers. “That was…”

“Yeah,” you smile. “I had hoped this wouldn’t be awkward or feel like I kiss my brother. Phew … I’m glad it was the best kiss I ever had.”

He grins. “So, uh—can I invite you for another sleepover?”

“You better have a spot in your bed for me. From now on, I call dips on it, and you…”

Tags in reblog.

#essie’s summer lovin’ 300 follower celebration #jake jensen #july break bingo #jake jensen x reader #jake jensen x you #jake jensen x y/n #x female reader #x reader #the losers fanfictions

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ohbo-ohno · 1 year ago

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Revisiting a distant memory but its ex lovers with Price. Maybe some yearning? And incorporating "for the old times sake"? Thanks and happy writing!

1k game here - no more please!

GOD this one is hard!! i lovelovelovelove second chance romances (it's my favorite romance trope lol) but i really have absolutely no idea if i'm any good at writing them :')

2k of price x reader ft. reader mourning her marriage at a friend's wedding and price trying to be a good future ex-ex-husband. (btw this is laswell's wedding so we're all pretending that she says "girlfriend" instead of "wife" in game to make this work) no smut!

It's difficult not to drown your glass of wine in one long swallow, the déjà vu an almost overwhelming feeling.

You know it's not fair to Kate, but God did she have to have her wedding in the same venue as yours? Everywhere you look you're reminded of the best day of your life, and the subsequent worst months.

You take a deep breath, and try to shove all thoughts of the past out of your head.

It isn't easy these days. Even though you were the one to ask for the divorce, you've never stopped loving - stopped wanting - John. You feel the loss of him everyday, just like you had the endless weeks and months he spent deployed.

It wasn't the time away that did you in - it was the secrecy of it all. You maintain that you could've made the relationship work had you at least known where he was, or even been afforded texting rights. But it's hard to pretend you're living a normal life when you haven't heard from your husband in six weeks and you have no idea whether he's even alive.

The day Kyle came to the door instead of John, you knew you couldn't stay married to him.

He was lucky - John had been injured and sent Kyle to bring you to the hospital since he was already back on base, but you'd seen the man and broken down into sobs before he'd even managed to get a word out. The poor soldier had tried his best to tell you that your husband was alive and would be fine, but you were inconsolable.

Once you'd realized what was going on you realized the truth of your situation. John's death would break you, and you'd never recover from it.

That moment where you'd thought he was gone... it was like a part of you had died, like grief had swallowed you whole and refused to let go.

You were scared when Gaz finally explained to you what was really going on. And all at once, all the pieces of your life started to click together.

When you served John with divorce papers you told him that you couldn't handle so much time apart anymore, that you wanted more stability in your life than he could give you. But the truth is you were scared, and a growing part of you thought that maybe if you distanced yourself before he got himself killed, the inevitable grief would be easier to swallow.

You think he saw through your bravado and straight to your fear. You've never known John Price to be anything but a fighter, but he hardly hesitated when you gave him the papers with shaking hands. He raised an eyebrow, said are you sure this what you want, love? and hugged you after he signed.

You'd cried more than he had, had sobbed into his chest and clung to him to hold you together. Looking back you're embarrassed of your reaction, but at the time it truly felt like you were cutting off half of your soul.

It still feels like that most days. Sometimes you lie awake at night, haunted by the idea that you've only caused yourself more grief, that you're going to feel hurt and terrible until something or someone kills John, and then you'll have to experience that grief you fear anyways.

But you've made your bed, and now you're laying in it, cold and lonely and missing your husband.

You take a deep breath and a small sip of your wine, try to center yourself. It's difficult not to dwell on your own mistakes - perceived or real - but you're determined not to cry at Kate's wedding. You are not going to be that divorced woman. You simply refuse.

Still, it's a close call. You close your eyes and drain the glass before your fingers stop shaking, and you hate that you've got nothing to do with your hands, nothing to distract yourself with. The deep breaths don't help, and the idea of getting a bit wine-drunk looks more and more appealing.

When you open your eyes again, John stands in front of you, holding a fresh glass out in offering.

He looks good, but you already knew that. It was difficult to look anywhere but him during the service, and he caught you enough times for it to become almost humiliating. You've been telling yourself all night that you could pass the flush in your cheeks off as the heat of an outdoor ceremony, but you know he noticed.

Still, he doesn't look smug about your obvious discomfort. Silver lingings, and all.

You take the offered glass after just a moment, deciding that it might be better to bite the bullet and invite John back into your space rather than keep trying to avoid him all night. It's not like your divorce is a secret - every person in this room saw you two attend countless events together, the tension between you two is probably painfully obvious.

John steps to your side as you take a small sip, heart skipping a beat at the taste of your favorite wine.

"Where did you get this?" It's not what they're serving, or you'd probably already be well on your way to wine drunk.

He smiles softly at you, dimples covered by his beard. "I can't give away all my tricks. Then what would you keep me around for?"

You laugh a little sadly at that, and his smile grows.

Honestly, you've missed John enough that you don't even really mind if he keeps your wine hostage for the rest of the night. You're willing to keep up the facade if he is.

You take another sip and stand a bit straighter, try to prepare yourself for another conversation with your ex-husband. None of them have been easy, but it gets less and less painful to see him every time. You know he goes out of his way to make this easier on you, never once showing any hint of animosity. Besides the lack of PDA, he's hardly changed his behavior from when you were actually married.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

He shoots you a look, one that says he remembers exactly how much you always hated small talk, but he indulges you. "It's a beautiful ceremony."

"It is."

He cocks an eyebrow. "But...?"

You sigh, gesturing with your glass as the wine loosens your tongue just enough for you to be a little too honest with your ex-husband. "It's all a little too familiar, isn't it? I mean, I haven't been back here since our... well, you know."

He snorts. "Yes, I do remember our wedding day."

You flush, elbowing him playfully. "Don't tease."

His smile is familiar, everything you've missed from him, when he looks down at you. "Can't help it, love." He lifts a hand, one big palm cupping your cheek and running a thumb over the apple of it. "You're just too pretty when you blush."

You can't help but close your eyes, leaning into his rough palm a bit. God, you miss him so much. Having him here, feeling his touch, and knowing that you'll go home tonight to an empty bed...

It's almost too much. The tears come entirely against your will.

"Oh, sweetheart," he coos, other hand cupping your cheek and thumbing away your tears. You blink up at him, free hand wrapping loosely around his wrist.

His eyes bore deeply into yours, and you see everything you feel reflected there. The memories, the pain, the yearning, the love that just refuses to dissipate.

"John," you whisper, voice shaky.

His head dips forward just enough to rest your foreheads together, breaths mingling. Despite the music still playing and the sound of conversations all around you, you can't help but feel like the world begins and ends with the man in front of you.

That's always what John has been for you - everything. Even now, months after your separation, you haven't figured out how to live in a world that isn't defined by John Price. You're not sure you really want to.

"Oh, love," he sighs, grip just firm enough to make you feel held. "When are you coming home?"

You bite your lip to hold back a sob, face crumpling. John coos a little, pressing forward just enough to kiss the tip of your nose and using his thumb to coax your lip from between your teeth.

"It's alright," he soothes, rubbing soft circles into the indention your teeth left in your lipstick. "We don't have to talk about it now, alright? You can take all the time you need. I'm a patient man."

You nod a little, taking in another deep breath. His patience was always something you'd admired, considering your own patience is horribly short. You can't stand to wait, and despite the many times he'd try to help you see the beauty in delay (both in and out of the bedroom), you'd only become frustrated.

Like now. Here John stands, poised and put together and nowhere near tears, and you're the exact opposite. It would be embarrassing if it wasn't one of the main reasons you fell for him in the first place - he's always balanced you out where you need it most.

You take another gulp of your wine, the glass half gone already. John chuckles a little as he stands up, hands shifting to rest on your upper arms and giving you a comforting squeeze. "Might have to get you another glass sooner than I expected."

You consider him for a moment, thoughts slow but a bit erratic, and then drain the rest of the glass in one go.

His eyes widen a bit as you nearly slam the glass onto a table, looking up at him with determination.

"No more wine - for now - but how about a dance?"

You wouldn't be asking if you hadn't had three glasses of wine already. But you have, and you're just inebriated enough to say screw it. As long as you don't wake up next to John tomorrow, nothing you do at the reception can really hurt your progress in getting over him too much.

But God when he smiles at you like that, soft and loving and just sweet, you want to forget completely about the divorce and go back to the life you'd had.

Stress and fear and separation pains regardless, you want John Price with every bone in your body. But you can't help that your mind convinces you otherwise, whispers all the reasons being with him can only lead to pain.

He shakes you out of your musings by offering a hand, stepping away just enough to make you reach for him.

"For old time's sake?" He asks when you take his hand, letting him pull you onto the dance floor with the other couples happily dancing together.

You nearly giggle at the poor excuse, knowing you can both see right through it. Still, you agree with him.

"For old time's sake."

You both know it's a lie, know that there's something more to a slow dance at a wedding, but you're not ready to say it yet. For now you'll hide behind the mask of nostalgia for better days.

Someday you'll be able to move forward. But that's a mission for post-wedding you to figure out, a plan for future-you to construct. Wedding-you, almost-wine-drunk-you is more than happy to let your ex-husband tug you close and trail his hands almost inappropriately low on your waist.

You tell yourself that you can worry about John's words, about his tone and his touchiness, in the morning.

For now, you bask in the presence of the love of your life, and try not to think about how much it will hurt when you leave him all over again at the end of the night.

#john price x reader #price x reader #john price #cod fanfic #call of duty fanfic #bo writes #1k celebration

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balkanradfem · 2 months ago

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click to read about me complaining about casual misogyny

So the male who lives in the house where I'm taking care of a woman with broken bones, started micromanaging me to affirm his control and authority over the household. it's extremely uncomfortable, as he's always looking at me and everything I do, just waiting for me to make a slight mistake, move a little too slowly, or not do something the way he thinks it should be done. Then he's immediately on it, telling me how I need to be doing it, sometimes when I'm already doing, or have done, what he's instructing me to do. It's often things he's never done himself, and has no idea how they should be done.

I had to put a stop to this when he started mansplaining to me how I need to be eating my pasta. I interrupted him in the middle of his rant and said 'Hey, I have an idea', he looked at me, affronted. 'How about I eat my food the way I want to?' He looked down angrily, and said 'Fine, but you're torturing yourself'.

A few seconds later, he also tried to force his wife to eat differently, and she snapped 'Like ___ said, let me eat my food the way I want to!'

And this was too much for the poor male, who has completely lost control over the household in that moment. 'You can't say anything to you two! Nobody can talk to you people!' he exclaimed in pain and rage, and then proceeded to give us the silent treatment. I chatted with him conversationally 'We're talking to you right now, but you don't like it, do you? It hurts your little feelings if we're not doing things your way, so sad for you'. Which only made him more mad, and in retaliation, he gave us the silent treatment. He didn't want to confirm if he wanted some wine with his meal or not. His wife asked him repeatedly, and already told me to bring it. He pretended not to see/hear us, and then I said 'See, you can't tell him anything', at which he suddenly snapped back into communication, and confirmed he did indeed, want wine.

He's been holding back his comments a bit more since then.

However, he's not the only problem! There's a frequent guest in the house, who comes there specifically to drink alcohol. I'm the help in the household, so I'm told every time, to bring him a glass. If I don't manage to escape the room quickly enough, I get nasty comments. One time I was sitting and politely ignoring him, when he prompted me to drink with him. I ignored him, and looked away, but he persisted and kept pestering me. I looked to the woman for help, but she didn't realize I was getting harassed, so I just waved my head and hoped to be left alone.

In the past, I would say 'I don't drink', but this did not help me at all, as the male would go 'aw come on, it wont hurt you, why not, don't be a killjoy, have some, just for me', and it would become even worse situation; I learned it best not to give them any feedback so they don't have anything to attack.

Another day, I was made to serve him a glass, and I was immediately on my way out of the room, but not quick enough! He laughed and said 'When I own a bar, you're gonna be my best waitress', and I'm not engaging, I'm leaving the room, but he doesn't quit. 'Isn't that right? Am I not telling the truth?' he keeps pressing, until I mutter 'I don't like that' and leave.

Then I went to complain to the woman I was caring for, about his harassment, and how much I hate it. She told me in confidence that he was often degrading and arrogant to her as well, but told me not to be mad about it, as he just 'is that way'. I told her that I'm not getting mad, I just don't ever want to be in his presence, and I want nothing to do with males who act this way, I don't want to be subjected to it no matter what. I told her to give me a sign when he heads into the room, so I can hide behind the doors. She did.

Next day, she informed me that she had a chat with him, and told him to never speak to me again, other than saying 'hi', and apparently he apologized for his comments, saying 'he didn't know it would upset me'. We'll see if it works out!

I feel like I am gathering a bit of solidarity with the woman; with me around, she doesn't have to rely on the males for anything. I've proven to be able to do anything they can, without ever harassing her or making her feel bad. So it makes sense to team with me and tell them off, something she hasn't done before, probably because she was without support. The household is finally being taken over by women.

#casual misogyny #getting harassed #brief life outside of separatism #it sucks but i am fighting #feminism #radical feminism #temporary being a live-in nurse #and caring for a woman who broke 3 bones

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storiesofsvu · 2 years ago

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Touch of Your Hand

Emily Prentiss x Alex Blake x reader warnings: language, smut, teasing, dirty talk, sexting, sending nudes, phone sex, masturbation, mommy kink, daddy kink, fingering, oral. Covers the "dirty talk/sexting" square for bingo! And yes... there are more of this collection coming. Technically a follow up to THIS piece, but can be read as a standalone.

Emily was so hellbent on getting out of work clothes and into bed she didn’t even hear the beep of the hotel lock as she tossed her pants in the direction of her go bag, letting out a happy groan when she finally took off her bra.

“Oh god!” Alex’s voice broke through the silence of the room, “I’m so sorry.” She shielded her eyes right before turning around and Emily let out a bark of a laugh.

“Would you relax.” She chuckled, picking up a tank top, “or did you forget we were naked in my bed less than twenty four hours ago?”

Alex’s cheeks tinged pink, a tingle running through her body at the memories that began to float through her brain. “I guess you’re right.” She laughed softly, turning back around to find Emily now in the tank top, the hem of it barely meeting the waistband of her panties as she dropped down onto her bed.

“I’m gonna call y/n quick.” She gestured with her phone as she leant back against the headboard and Alex stilled in her movement.

“Oh, I can… take a walk?”

“Not that kind of phone call Blake.” Emily laughed, “I’m just saying goodnight, it’ll be super quick.”

“Alright.” Alex chuckled, folding her blazer over the back of a chair before she quickly changed into pyjamas and ducked around the corner into the bathroom to brush her teeth and give Emily a bit of privacy for the phone call.

The phone rang against Emily’s ear only twice before you picked up, “Hi baby.”

“Hey. Just calling to check in, say goodnight.”

“But it’s early.” You practically whined back and she chuckled.

“It’s almost midnight in DC.” Emily replied while checking her watch.

“Yeah, I meant for you. Besides, I’m off tomorrow. I was kinda hoping for playtime.”

“Princess…” she warned, practically hearing your pouting through the phone, “didn’t you get enough last night?”

“I wanna hear you daddy.”

“I’m not alone angel...” She chuckled, her eyes following Alex as the other woman crossed through the room to the other bed.

“Fine.” You huffed, “guess I’ll just have to use my imagination.”

“You better behave…”

“I’ll try.” You giggled and Emily rolled her eyes, “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now get some rest.”

“I’ll think about it.” You giggled again and Emily let out a huff.

“Goodnight.”

“Night daddy.” You purred into the phone before hanging up and Emily was left to sigh, dropping the phone back onto the bedspread as Alex let out a small chuckle.

“Sounds like someone’s toeing the line?”

“You think she wouldn’t be so needy after being used like that.”

“Poor girl probably gets lonely when you’re gone.” Alex said with a shrug, “was awfully nice of you to leave your credit card.” Emily laughed at that,

“According to the email I got she’s already racked up quite the tab.”

“Hmm.” She casually picked up her book from the bedside table, fingers sliding through the pages until she found her spot, “must be nice. Wonder if she got anything pretty.”

Emily glanced up from her phone, a brow raised at the other woman whose eyes were directed toward the book in her lap, but the small smirk on her lips told another story.

The low warm glow of light in the bedroom was what you preferred for taking risqué photos, and after your shopping spree and a few glasses of wine, you’d decided that was going to be your plan for the night. Hearing Emily’s voice simply spurred you on even more, wishing that she would’ve stayed on the phone longer, maybe asked what you were wearing like she normally would on longer trips out of state. When she didn’t, you simply huffed, changing into the second set of lingerie to snap a handful of photos to torment her with later down the road. You’d just changed into the third, padding across the bedroom when your phone buzzed on the bed. You glanced towards it with a curious expression on your face, as Emily had stated, it was getting late, there weren’t very many options for who would be texting you at this hour. Scooping it up you swiped open the message, it was a group chat, Emily’s name and a number you didn’t have saved but the same area code, the only message so far from Emily.

‘How was your little shopping trip?’

‘I thought you weren’t alone?’

The next message came in from the unsaved number.

‘Relax darling, mommy just wanted to see if you got anything pretty in green.’

Ah. Alex.

A sly smile on your face as you glanced down at your body, of course you’d just changed into the green set, it was as if these women had some kind of psychic powers. You quickly saved Alex’s contact in your phone, the device buzzing in your hand as you did so.

Emily:

‘Convenient we happen to be sharing a room this week, isn’t it?’

Alex:

‘I’ll say.’

‘Now sweet girl, would you like to show off?’

‘Yes.’ You quickly typed back, ‘just one second.’

Scrambling back onto the bed you positioned yourself to show off the full set of lingerie, practically pouting toward the camera as you took a handful of shots before switching positions and repeating the process another couple of times. Scanning through them you picked your favourite, double checking you were sending it to the right recipients before hitting send.

Emily:

‘Naughty girl, you were already doing this before I called, weren’t you?’

‘Sorry daddy. Just wanted to look pretty for you’

Alex:

‘I do think she looks rather gorgeous.’

Emily:

‘She does. As long as she asks before touching…’

‘May I?’

Emily:

‘Go ahead princess. Just remember the rule. You’re only allowed to come around one of our cocks.’

Alex:

‘And you better show us what you’re doing sweet girl. Go on, play with those pretty tits.’

You pulled the cup of the bra down, revealing your exposed chest to the camera, hands cupping at the flesh, pinching at your nipple as you threw your head back, taking a few more pictures before sending one off. Taking the bra fully off you tossed it to the side, falling back onto the bed and angled yourself into another couple of positions before sharing those pictures as well.

Emily:

‘Well you were right, green certainly does look good.’

Alex:

‘Bet you wish we were there to suck on your gorgeous tits, don’t you? Imagine the feeling of both of our mouths on you at once, would drive you wild, wouldn’t it?’

Christ.

You let out a whine, hands continuing to grope at yourself, pinching your nipples harder than before, wishing there was some way to replicate the feeling of what Alex was suggesting.

‘I do mommy, I really, really do.’

Emily:

‘Patience princess. We’ll have our way with you when we get back, don’t you worry.’

Alex:

‘Don’t think I’ll be able to keep my hands off you darling girl. My mouth may be busy with your tit, sucking it into my lips, biting you hard enough to leave a nice mark so you’ll think of me every time you see it until it fades. But my fingers? They want to feel you, they’ll start to explore your skin, tickling down your body until they’re sneaking under those gorgeous green panties you’ve got on. I’ll rub at your clit softly, watching the way your mouth falls open, a breathy moan leaving you as I press just a little harder. It's no surprise you’re wet already sweet girl, I know how badly you want us, I’m sure you’ve started begging by now, that pretty pussy aching to be touched, for the feeling of my fingers slipping into you while Emily holds your legs spread nice and wide. Thankfully she can keep you pinned down while my hands bring you to your peak over and over until you’re begging me to stop. Go on darling, touch that dripping cunt, I know you want to.’

Alex could feel the other woman’s eyes on her from across the hotel room, glancing up to her, “what?”

“How the fuck are you sending shit like that with a fucking straight face?”

“Figured we were just here to torture the girl, right?” She shrugged.

“I guess.” Emily huffed out a laugh, “I just didn’t expect you of all people to be that good of a sexter.” Alex laughed, turning toward her with a teasing grin.

“I just have a way with words, what can I say?”

“As a linguist, I’m not that surprised, but.. I— er .. Jesus!” She laughed again and Alex cocked a brow in her direction, her head tilting in realization as she watched the pink beginning to creep up the back of the other woman’s neck.

“Is this turning you on Agent Prentiss?”

Emily had never been more happy to hear her phone buzz, letting out a groan at the sight of your hand slipping beneath the waistband of your panties. A moment later it buzzed again, a video clip of your hand moving beneath the fabric and a breathy whine coming from your lips, “please…” Naturally, Alex was much more composed, able to pick up her phone to type out a reply before Emily had even processed your begging fully.

Alex:

‘Oh sweet girl, tell us what you want. But don’t you dare stop playing with yourself, I want to be able to hear how soaked your pussy is, want to be able to see the mess you make all over those pitiful excuse for panties.’

‘Daddy didn’t get to come last night. Need to hear her.’

Alex glanced up from her phone to catch Emily eyeing her up and she laughed, a dark gleam taking over her eyes before she typed out another message.

‘Well if both of you are alright with it I’m sure I could help out with that.’

Emily:

‘Princess, you still okay with our sharing rule?’

‘Absolutely. Yes. Please.’

You couldn’t hear it, but both of the women let out a laugh at your eagerness, exchanging a glance, Alex waiting for a nod from the other woman before she stood from her bed, crossing the tiny space in between them and standing over her.

“Give me your phone?”

Emily immediately handed it over, watching as Alex flicked through a couple of screens.

Your phone began to buzz against the bedspread and you let out a frustrated whine at the interruption, your body already prickling with heat, pussy fluttering around nothing.

“Hello?” You hadn’t even bothered to check who it was, at this time was either Emily or work. One would be entertaining; one would be hell.

“Put it on speaker and leave it beside your ear.” Alex’s voice, smooth as silk, came through the speaker and you quickly did as she asked.

“Yes mommy.”

“Good girl.”

“Don’t you forget princess.” Emily’s voice broke through the speaker and you could tell she was already wound up, “you don’t dare come.”

“Yes daddy. I’ll be good. I promise. Swear.”

“For someone who’s not allowed to come you’re certainly eager.” Alex taunted before turning back to the other woman, “as for you… I do think you’re a little overdressed. What do you say sweet girl, should Emily get naked? That way I can see her gorgeous tits?”

“Y-yes. Please!”

Alex nudged Emily back on the bed, crawling between her spread legs as her fingers toyed with the hem of her tank top. There was a murmur of words between them that you couldn’t fully hear, your hand continuing to lazily play with yourself before Alex tugged off the fabric, letting it fall to the bed beside them.

“So fucking pretty.” She murmured, “bet you wish you could have your mouth on them, don’t you darling?”

“Always.” You replied with a whimper.

Alex chuckled softly, her hand wrapping around Emily’s jaw, tilting it to the side so she could have full access to her neck, her lips hitting the base of her jaw and trailing their way across the porcelain skin. Emily couldn’t help but let out a quiet moan at the feeling and the sound made you clench down around nothing. Alex’s lips formed a smirk, testing the waters with a light nip at her pulse point and Emily gasped, her hand shooting up to grab at Alex’s arm before the two fell backwards into the pillows.

“So pretty all laid out for me.” Alex murmured, her hand ghosting up Emily’s stomach before cupping her tit, groping at the flesh and Emily let out another moan, one that made your entire body tingle before she directed her words to the phone. “You’re such a lucky girl darling, having all this be yours? I bet you just can’t keep your hands off daddy, can you?”

“Fuck—” Emily mustered, back arching off the bed as Alex continued to toy with her nipple while her mouth wrapped around the other side, “she really can’t. Oh god… that feels so good.”

“Daddy…” You whined through the phone, earning a chuckle from Alex as she popped off Emily’s nipple.

“You said you wanted to hear her, didn’t you sweet girl?”

“Yes..”

“Well then how about you tell me what I should do?” Her fingers pinched at Emily’s nipple again, earning another gasp, “should I just play with these gorgeous tits or should I do something else, hmm? Should I get rid of her panties? Ah… how about…” Her fingers toyed with the hem of her underwear, “I get my hands on her gorgeous pussy I’ll tell you exactly what I’m doing to her and you… you do exactly that to yourself? Be like I’m fucking you too. Would you like that?”

“Yes!”

The reply was instant and in pure unison from both Emily and you, pulling a dark chuckle from Alex who leant down to bite into the curve of Emily’s tit once more before she sat up between her legs.

“Are you still wearing your panties?” She asked.

“Mmhmm.” You replied with a whine.

“Time to take them off.” She instructed, her fingers slipping into the waistband of Emily’s underwear, tugging them down her legs and tossing them aside. “And I want picture proof.”

There was a scuffling noise on the other side of the phone and they could both hear your strained breathing as you shifted around before Emily’s phone buzzed, a picture of your legs spread wide for both of them to see.

“Good girl princess.” Emily breathed out, her head dropping back to the bed as Alex’s hands ran up her thighs, spreading her legs open.

“Such pretty pussies, both of you.” Alex murmured and Emily let out a gasp when her hand glided up her cunt, fingers twisting around to fully spread her open. “Now darling, I want you to start to fuck yourself, nice and slow, one finger for now, understand?”

“Yes mommy.”

You settled into the pillows of your bed, your hand sliding down your body, brushing over your clit before you slid one finger into your drenched cunt, letting out a soft moan as you did so.

“Good girl.” Alex praised through the phone, shooting a wicked grin down to Emily who was nearly shivering in anticipation already. A finger sunk into Emily’s heat with ease, wrapped in warm wetness immediately and Emily groaned. Alex’s finger pumped a few times, a small chuckle leaving her lips, “you hear how wet she is darling? I think we should give her more.”

“Yes!” You cried out, knowing you weren’t going to get anywhere without Emily getting off. You quickly added a finger, thrusting them deep into your cunt in a desperate search for your g-spot. You whimpered as the heel of your hand brushed against your clit, hips rocking up off the bed to meet your hand. You needed more, craved more, your hands were almost never enough.

Emily let out a gasp when Alex slipped a second digit into her, curling them perfectly within two thrusts,

“Fuck! Oh god, right there.”

“Play with your tits sweetheart.” Alex directed the command toward the phone as she leant over Emily, sucking a nipple back between her lips while her fingers continued to fuck the other woman. Emily’s breath picked up, her body vibrating under the other woman. Heat was coursing through her, pussy fluttering around Alex’s fingers while her hand tangled into Alex’s hair, holding her to her, encouraging more.

“More.. please.” You whined, one hand pinching at your chest while the other continued to thrust into you.

Alex immediately bit into Emily’s tit, adding a third finger into her cunt, moving her hand faster, resulting in a loud moan from Emily, nothing but soaked sounds leaving her pussy.

“Get the toy.” She gasped out, “oh fuck Alex…” her hand clutched at the bedspread, feeling Alex’s lips form a smirk against her skin, “the pink one that you like so much.” Her words were scattered, split up by laboured breaths, her body thriving against the bed. The two women could hear you scrambling, the sound of a drawer opening before the whir of the clit vibrator started.

“Pretend mommy’s mouth is on you sweet girl.” Alex murmured, her mouth kissing down Emily’s body while her fingers continued their torture and Emily pulsed around her, hips rocking up.

“Oh god!” You gasped as the toy hit your swollen nub, “daddy…need.. need to hear you…”

“Shit!” Emily couldn’t help the outburst when Alex’s lips wrapped around her clit, sucking it into her mouth for her tongue to trace patterns on. “Oh god you’re good at that…”

Alex simply chuckled into her, her fingers curling quicker, pressing into the spongey spot inside her drenched walls while her mouth continued to torment her. Emily tasted divine and Alex almost wished she had more time to devour her, though she knew that there was a high chance something like this would happen again. Her tongue lapped out lower, smearing the other women’s juices across her cunt, truly getting a taste of her and Emily let out a whine at the stilling of her fingers.

“Patience.” She murmured into her pussy, “just want to make you feel good.”

“S— so good…” She moaned back, her hand clutching at the back of Alex’s head. Pleasure was shooting through her, building lower and lower in her gut as fire prickled right under her skin. She knew she was close and she knew Alex could tell. Alex moaned into her, the vibrations making Em’s thighs shake before she licked upwards, her fingers plunging back into her and Emily cried out, “please! Pl- don’t… don’t stop…”

“Daddy…”

Your whine came through the phone right by Emily’s ear and the sounds of you moaning were just the perfect amount to spur her on. Your little whines and whimpers that you made when you were so fucking needy and desperate to come, the ones usually swallowed by her lips, fingers or cock. The little sounds you made when you needed more, wanted it harder, faster, or to be stuffed so full you’d feel it for a week.

Your fingers moved faster, pumping harder with each thrust and you clicked up the speed on the vibrator held to your clit. Your body was trembling, coated in a sheen of sweat as you climbed higher and higher to your peak, pussy clenching down around your curling fingers. Through the phone you could hear Emily getting louder as she got closer, her vocabulary became more diminished, only broken swears and gasping moans escaping her lips as Alex fucked her with skill. Your eyes scrunched shut as you imagined her, picturing just how gorgeous she would look all spread out and needy for Alex, chest heaving as she attempts to catch her breath. You could scarcely make out Alex’s voice, knowing her mouth was likely rather occupied, urging Emily on, praising her gently, pulling more and more from the other woman with each pump of her fingers.

“I know you’re close.” She purred, “come for me…”

You let out a moan at Alex’s words, the sopping sounds echoing through the phone that you knew were coming from Emily’s pussy and your juices were suddenly dripping down your wrist as your body trembled.

Alex’s mouth latched back around Emily’s clit, sucking hard right as her fingers crooked into the spongey spot inside her and Emily shuddered, her hand shooting to her mouth to muffle her cries as her orgasm washed over her. Her hips jolted up off the bed, pleasure soared through her entire body, tingling down to the tips of her fingers. Alex softly kissed her throbbing clit, pulling a whine from the other woman before her fingers began to slow their pace, fucking Emily through her orgasm. When she was sure her cunt had stopped pulsing around her fingers she slipped them out, sitting up on her knees to suck them clean.

“Holy shit…” Emily muttered and Alex chuckled.

“Feeling better?”

“So fucking much.” She laughed, panting through her words, melting deeper into the bed at the feeling of Alex softly rubbing at her legs, pulling her back down to earth. Emily rolled her head toward the phone, “princess?”

“Yes daddy?” Came the quiet whine and she realized you’d turned the toy off, nothing but the sound of your breathing coming through the speaker.

“You alright?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. You did so good for us, you hear me?”

“Such a sweet girl.” Alex purred, “such pretty pictures.”

“I want you to go get a glass of water,” Emily started, slowly still catching her breath, “use that lavender sleep spray you like so much, you need to rest up, okay?”

“Mmhmm.” They could hear your slight groan as you moved from the bed, the sounds of you padding through the house before the sound of you crawling back into bed, stifling a yawn as you did so.

“You tired darling?”

“Yeah.” You yawned once again.

“Shouldn’t stay up so late then.” Alex chided.

“Worth it.” You replied with a small laugh, “thank you for taking care of daddy.”

“Of course sweetheart.”

“Now you get some sleep.” Emily instructed.

“G’night.” You mumbled, yawning once more, causing the other women to chuckle again before there was a click and you were burrowing into the pillows, asleep almost instantly.

“You alright?” Alex asked, her hand still stroking up and down Emily’s leg.

“This is the most relaxed I’ve been on a case in my life.” She laughed, thanking Alex when she shifted on the bed, tossing her the discarded tank top and panties before moving back to the other bed.

“You know she broke a rule, right?”

“Hmm?” She glanced up as she tugged the tank back on and Alex nodded toward the phone.

“You may have been a little…. distracted.” Alex smirked, “but she definitely came… and without even thinking about asking. Looks like you’ve got some punishments to dole out when you get home.”

“You’re the one who caught her, it’s only fair if you get to join in too.”

“Anything you’ve got in mind?” Alex asked, her eyes darkening already.

A sly grin overtook Emily’s lips as a dark chuckle broke free from the other woman, “Oh I’m sure I can think of a few…”

_____________________

@mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @melindawarnersgf @itisdoctortoyousir @emilyprentiss4life @somethingimaginative17 @temilyrights @alexxavicry @daddy-heather-dunbar @aliensaurusrex @rustyzebra @ilovemycrayons @mandy-asimp @thegrantwater @leftoverenvy @kades95 @dextur @m00nkn1ghts @supercriminalbean @daffodil-heart @msvenablesbitch @its-soph-xx @going-gray @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @hopelesslyfallenninlove @peanutbutterprincess @kdaghay @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @awolfcsworld @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @s1ut4nat @midnight-sapphic @scorpsik @prentiss-theorem @unsubologyy @strongsassysexysloane @svushots @overtrred28 @happenstnces @sapphicprentiss @heidss @geekyandgay98 @pagetboobstarcomments @onmykneesformarvel @inlovewithemilyprentiss @aws-l @alexusonfire

#k2023bdaybingo #criminal minds #emily prentiss #alex blake #emily prentiss x reader #alex blake x emily prentiss #alex blake x reader #alex blake x reader x emily prentiss #its 🥪 time

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spoilmesweetieforficssake · 2 years ago

Text

Another little foray into the Larissa x Reader world. This is a little fluffy oneshot that fits in the same universe as my previous series of oneshots.

Take A Break

You sigh on hearing the frantic knock at your door. You were comfortably curled up with on the couch in your quarters, blazing fire in front, the warmth of Larissa behind you and a glass of wine in hand. Offering an apologetic smile, you slip out of the loose embrace the taller woman had you in and head towards the door, Larissa merely offering an understanding smile of her own as she took your wine glass from you.

Opening the door, you come face to face with Enid. Seeing her in a panic, you immediately glanced behind her, expecting Wednesday. It seemed, however, that the young werewolf was alone.

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen Principal Weems? Only, she’s not in her office.”

At almost eleven o’clock on a Friday night you would rather hope not. Not when you had been trying to give her ever more reasons to step away from her desk. You made sure to keep the door wedged, blocking the rest of your room from view, hoping to diffuse the situation quickly and return to the warm embrace of a certain Principal. “Well, it’s late, Enid. She’s probably in her rooms, thinking of heading to bed. As you should be.”

“She’s not, I checked,” came the quickfire response from the young student.

“She’s maybe already asleep?” You paused, seeing Enid fidget and shift from foot to foot, and not in her usual excited manner. “Are you okay, Enid?”

“I’m fine,” she was quick to reply. “Just a little flustered, I guess?”

“About?” you prompted gently. You were aware that she faced pressure from her parents with regards to her not having ‘wolfed out’ yet and hoped this wasn’t the cause of her current panic.

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to her feet, which still shifted nervously. “Exams are just around the corner and there’s just so much I haven’t even started revising and I just feel like I’m so behind and-”

You reached out, placing a hand on the young woman’s arm and halting her mid flow. “Enid? Enid! You need to take a moment and breathe.” You gripped her arm a little more firmly. “Come here. Come on,” you said, guiding her into your rooms. As much as you wanted your evening with Larissa to go uninterrupted you weren’t about to turn the poor girl away when she was on the brink of a panic attack.

Closing the door behind you both you expected to find Larissa on the couch, but instead were met with the sight of a familiar feline perched on the armrest. With a smile at Larissa, you gently guided Enid to take a seat. “You need to breathe, Enid. Just take a moment and take some nice deep breaths for me, okay?”

She nodded, but you could see she was still struggling. You watched as Larissa, in her cat form, approached the struggling student, nudging her gently with her head. The unexpected contact seemed to break through to the young woman, who gingerly reached out a hand to stroke soft fur, a small smile finally finding her face.

“You’re a bright girl and a good student, and exams are a way off yet,” you say softly. “You have time.”

“But I’m so behind!” she said, tearing her eyes away from Larissa to look at you.

You shake your head. “No, you’re not. You handed in your last assignment to me a week early. Some of your classmates still haven’t handed it in.”

She frowned. “But it was due on Tuesday.”

“Exactly,” you smirk. “You have time, Enid. I've seen your notes in class and they’re excellent. If you keep up half as well in your other classes you’re ahead of most.”

A blush spread across the blonde’s cheeks at the praise.

“I tell you what,” you start. “How about Monday after classes you stop by my room and you can bring your revision things and we can make up a study schedule? Maybe seeing it all out on paper will help you see you have more than enough time? And if you’re still worried, we can go and see Principal Weems together?”

You smile as Larissa slinks across the couch, coming to rub against your leg in agreement.

Enid also watched the progress of the feline form. “You have such a cute cat!”

“Oh she’s not mine,” you’re quick to disagree. “But I do like that she keeps coming back to visit me. So, what do you think about my plan?”

Blush still lightly straining her cheeks, the young woman ducked her head. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, that sounds like it would be really helpful.”

“Excellent,” you smile, pushing yourself to your feet, Enid following suit. “Now, in the meantime, I want you to go back to your room and relax. Do something fun. And absolutely no studying!”

“But!”

“But nothing!” you reply. “You have time, Enid, but your brain isn’t going to take anything else in if you’re all in a panic.” You place a hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. “You need to give yourself some time to relax too, to recharge?”

“I’ll try,” she offers shyly.

You smile, pleased to see she looks a little more like herself. “Ask Wednesday, I’m sure she’ll find some mischief to get into.” You ignore the yowl of disapproval from the cat still perched on your couch.

“Oh, one more thing,” you say, as you start to guide her towards the door. Quickly retreating to your small kitchen, you rifle through your tea caddies before finding the right one and picking out a few bags. “Ty these. It’s all herbal, just designed to help you calm down and sleep better,” you offer with a smile, tucking them into her pocket. “If they work I can make up more.”

Smiling broadly now, Enid lets you walk her to the door, but doesn’t leave without wrapping you in a fierce hug. “Thank you!”

“Anytime, Enid,” you smile, hugging her back. “Now I mean it, all fun, no studying this weekend. That’s what Monday is for.”

In the time it takes for you to say goodbye and close the door Larissa has transformed back into your preferred form; herself.

“Should I be concerned about what’s in that tea?” she asks, picking up her wine glass once more and handing you yours as you come back to her.

“A little bit of witchcraft 101,” you smile, curling up next to her on the couch again. “All herbal, like I said. Though I’m not sure how well it’ll work with her wolf metabolism. Anyway, who knows, even if it doesn’t have any physical effect maybe she’ll get some sort of placebo effect from it.”

An arm curls around your shoulders as you lean into her side and you feel her absentmindedly stroke the top of your arm as she stared off into the flames, a slight frown marking her features.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, Pussycat?” you ask.

“You said I wasn’t yours.”

It was your turn to frown.

“When Enid asked you,” she elaborated.

Turning to better face her on the couch, you can’t help but smile a little. “Technically, I didn’t claim ownership of what to Enid was a random cat. A cute cat, but a random cat nonetheless. But what I meant, was that you are your own woman, Larissa. Do I enjoy every minute we spend together? Yes. Do I think that I’m incredibly lucky you choose to spend your time with me? Goddess yes. But you’re not something that can be owned.”

She looks at you for a long moment, her eyes awash with emotions you couldn’t quite fathom. She reached to carefully take your wine glass, placing it along with her own on the table before taking your face in her hands and kissing you. It started slowly, tenderly before her tongue swept across your lower lip. You granted her access to your mouth without hesitation, a whimper leaving your throat as she proceeding to kiss you deeply, angling your head just so with the hands still cupping your cheeks. You were quite sure you’d never been kissed quite so thoroughly in your life.

“What if I wanted to give myself to you?” the words came in a whisper as she rested her forehead against your own.

If you head hadn’t already been spinning from her kiss, those words would most certainly have done it.

#larissa weems x reader #larissa weems

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kaiandels · 1 year ago

Text

Two Hearts pt.2: Ellie Williams X Reader

🐚

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿

warnings: crisis abt 🏳️‍🌈, a bit of angst (but Dina is there to make you feel better 🤎), religious tr4uma, mild swearing , y/n having a very long dialogue, and NO INTIMACY displayed yet. YET! okay?

PROOFREAD! (for the first time in forever~)

p.s: this is going to be a tad bit emotional. i mean, “denial” is obviously caused by a root of bottled-emotions right? and thank you for liking pt. 1 🥹 and i’m very sorry if Ellie isn’t really present in this part, this is supposed to be about the reader and the reader only. But she’ll appear in the next part I promise!

After the wonderful moment that you shared with Ellie, you found yourself trapped in a void that constantly held you down. You couldn’t tell anyone, there is some sort of chain that you felt around your throat that makes it so hard to speak. It’s almost as if you’re choking on the air that was supposed to keep you alive. And what makes it harder is that Ellie already left, your source of calmness. Not even because it’s getting late, it’s because her date messaged her that “she wants to give it another try”. But it’s no one’s fault really. If anything, you felt as if it was your fault because you couldn’t admit to yourself that Ellie was the one you really loved. But you shut down that feeling everytime, because you always thought that it was wrong.

Your shaky breaths led you to feel panic, you wanted to call Ellie. But you knew that you can’t because she genuinely wanted to fix the relationship between her and her date because according to her, it was going pretty well until she “Fucked Up” by mentioning you too much. You understood that. So well, even. But why did that feel like you just got punched on the chest? You shook your head and let your mind calm down even just for a second which led you to message your beloved friend, Dina. God knows that you need her right now.

You finally burst out in laughter. Talking with Dina always felt so bittersweet, she always made situations much more lightweight for you even just temporarily. And you will always forever be grateful for her. You always thought that Jesse was such a lucky man. They were a perfect pair. And secretly, Jesse and Dina were rooting for you and Ellie. They have always envisioned double dates with you and Ellie or even when in the future, when you both have families… they imagined the get-together’s on Christmas, Newyear’s, Halloween, or any holiday for that matter. And they were frustrated, and even upset just by the thought of knowing that you both were struggling to admit to yourselves that you both loved eachother in no other way that a man or woman could ever do.

“Sweetie?” you heard Dina’s soothing voice knocking on your door. Swiftly standing up as you opened the door jumping in to her arms sobbing. “Aw… poor baby. Okay, okay, okay.. let’s get over to the couch okay? Sit down and i’ll open some wine and a huggeee tub of icecream for us. Alright?” you nodded and smiled as you felt Dina’s soft fingers wipe your tears away. You both went to the living room as Dina assisted you to sit down. You told her it was fine, and there was really no reason for her to “baby” you like this. “Nuh-uh, today is about you. And besides, I get to hear about the stupid things Ellie said… or done.” You laughed as Dina brought 2 glasses of wine and the tub of icecream.

“So, what happened with Ellie?” Dina asked giving you a spare spoon while opening the tub of icecream, revealing your favorite flavor. “Dina, thank you so much. That’s my favorite!”. You said smiling at her as you scooped a spoon-full for yourself. “No problem. You know what they say, Icecream does help a lot with negative emotions.” You smirked in agreement and took a bite, moaning at the pleasant taste on your mouth. “So? what happened?” You sighed folding your lips in to a thin line and finally ranting your life away.

“It’s not what Ellie did. It’s what she made me feel. I’m so confused Dina, so fucking confused. I’m constantly trying to push my feelings away for women because I have no guts to face it and admit it to myself. I don’t want to do it anymore. Trust me, I really fucking don’t. But it’s just so hard. I’ve been raised in a household where everything from my childhood changed, I couldn’t buy toys that involved cars because they were too “boyish” or I couldn’t wear what I used to wear because I “looked like a man”. And the people… God, the fucking people. They always tell me that it’s wrong, that it’s against God’s words but proceeds to do much worse things. It’s like they’re only religious when they see something they hate. And the expectations thrown at me that I should be able to marry a man, have 3 children, and live in a white house with plants and flowers with wooden floors near a beach in California. I know it sounds perfect, I know it sounds ideal… But what if I don’t want to live that life with a man? Or live that life at all? What if I want to live that life with a woman? What if I don’t want to live in California near a beach? What if I want to live in a farm, peaceful enough but not far from civilization. What if I don’t want children? What if I don’t like them at all because they are annoying and loud and hinders me from actually living up to the life that I want. Not what they want. I fucking want! Like, seriously? 3 children? Do they think i’m made of metal or something? I know that this sounds ridiculous because I have Xavier, and my parents like him a lot. And I WAS happy with him. But he’s a cheater and a liar… And i’m more happy with-“

“Ellie. You’re more happy with Ellie.” Dina smiled bitterly as she moved her hands from her lap to your face, caressing your soft skin slowly. “Look, you don’t have to feel obligated to fulfill your parents frustrations. It is not your duty and will never be. You don’t have to listen to them especially if it’s not what you want for yourself.” Dina added, studying your face as you seemed so vulnerable. “I know, thank you.” You forced a smile, trying to contain any tears that were threatening to fall from your face. “How does she do it?” you asked. “Do what?” Dina asked tilting her head to the side. “Love women? Without giving a care about what people might say or throw at her?” Dina laughed softly hitting your arm. “Hey! what was that for?” You giggled, taken aback by Dina’s sudden happiness. “It’s just… It’s fuckin’ Ellie. Alright? She doesn’t give a flying fuck. Even back then? Nuh-uh Sis, you’re not getting a reaction from her. And besides, last time I checked, she doesn’t believe in God. But if you’re seriously asking, I don’t know either.” Dina shrugged and laughed at her own ramble.

You grabbed Dina’s hands and intertwined them with yours. “I’m having a really hard time, Dina.” Dina looked at her hands and looked back at you. “I know, Sweetie”. She paused for a moment to think then added to her sentence. “I personally think that you should talk to Ellie about this to clear your mind. She’s the gayest of our group, everything you’re going through right now? She has probably gone through already. But, about Xavier? Honestly he’s no good and i’m not trying to throw you shade but I think you’re just with him ‘cause it pleases your parents.” Dina said tightening her grip on your hand and rolling her eyes from the thought. “I mean, you’re not lying…” You said laughing as you caressed her hand softly.

“But seriously… You really should go talk to her. But if you don’t want to, that’s fine either. You’ll figure it out, Sweetie. Baby steps, alright?” Dina said flashing you her most beautiful smile that have always made you melt in all the right ways.

“I will talk to her.”

you didn’t

(yes the wallpaper is the reader and Ellie)

special tag: @gold-dustwomxn 🫶🏻

#ellie tlou #ellie williams #dina tlou #ellie x fem reader #ellie x reader #ellie x y/n #the last of us #dina woodward #female reader #lesbian #lgbt #wlw #tlou part 2 #tlou2 #tlou fanfiction #tlou fic #tlou x reader

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promptthebear · 1 year ago

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🐰 Edmund Pevensie #40 please

Edmund Pevensie x Reader

Prompt: I’m annoyed, to say it mildly.

CW: none I think??? Written in second person, reader is referred to as “you”. F!Reader, but any physical description is left ambiguous. This is just a little angsty with some possibly unrequited pining. If that’s your thing, enjoy!

The night of your engagement party had finally arrived, and Edmund could not have been more miserable, mostly because he wasn’t the one you were getting engaged to.

You’d met Edmund almost five years ago, when your family had taken up residence in one of the smaller castles on the mainland. Your father, a knight in service to Peter, had been promoted after saving the High King’s life from a band of travelling outlaws while on a hunting trip. The incident had cost your father an eye, but gained him a lordship and a comanding position within Peter’s army.

Since then, you and your family had attended all manner of feasts and other events at Cair Paravel, and from the moment he’d first set eyes on you, Edmund had known he loved you.

Unfortunately for Edmund, there were several other young men in the kingdom who felt the same way he did. You’d had no shortage of suitors since coming of age, the last of which now held you in his arms as the two of you danced across the shimmering ballroom. He was a hedgeknight, not unlike your own father had been, handsome in a simple sort of way and with such a placid nature, no man could speak ill of him. Which was part of the problem.

Being able to openly voice his displeasure about the man who’d stolen you away would have only helped lessen the sting on Edmund’s part. However, doing so would only have made him seem spiteful in front of his subjects, since the poor fellow had done nothing so awful as to warrant the Kings wrath. In truth, Emund had to admit there was nothing wrong with the man at all, save for the fact that you were marrying him and not Edmund.

In the end, hed put on a brave face, hugged you and kissed your cheeks at the private announcement and acted as though he was just as happy for you as the rest of his family. He’d been able to keep the facade going for several months after, always greeting you and your fiance with the same kingly smile. However, Edmund was only human and by the time the party came around, he was no longer able to hold the mask in place.

Rather than openly sulk and ruin your evening, Edmund instead chose to hide in the corner and lick his emotional wounds over a glass of wine...or six. He was working on glass seven when Lucy finally found him, and decided to greet her older brother by soundly cuffing him around the ear.

“Hey!” Edmund yelped, turning to glare at his sister while rubbing at the side of his head with his free hand “What the hell was that for?”

Lucy shrugged, took a sip from her own glass and fixed her gaze to where you and your soon to be husband were dancing. The two of you were off in your own little world, aware of nothing but each other and the music that carried you as you waltzed effortlessly across the room.

“She looks absolutely radiant” Lucy said, nodding in your general direction “Though of course, happiness will do that to a person.”

Edmund made a vague noise in response, already far too occupied in his brooding to give her a real answer. His dark eyes watched you from beneath a creased brow, the single member of the most captive audience you’d ever had.

What Lucy said was true, you were so beautiful tonight it took Edmund’s breath away each time he caught sight of your face. Your flushed cheeks and bright eyes were nothing short of perfection, and you were aglow with the kind of shine only new love could bring to a woman.

For a moment, he allowed himself an indulgenced and imagined he was the one holding you instead. That he was the one making you laugh, that you were smiling at him and whispering in his ear, that he was the one with a hand at your waist while the other brushed an errant curl from your eyes and leaned in to place a chaste kiss against your lips. His gut roiled with a sickening combination of envy and rage, and he took another sip of wine to try to quell it. His jaw hurt from clenching and the fingers on his sword hand were beginning to twitch. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take this, but he knew he wasn’t going to be able to last one more month until your wedding.

It was another sharp, quick blow to the ear that brought Edmund out of his stupor. With a yelp, he turned and whirled on Lucy, who was gazing innocently at the dance floor as if she hadn’t so much as moved a muscle.

“Lu! Gods, must you keep doing that?!”

“Yes,” came the reply, cheerful as always “Or at least until you stop moping about like you missed the last sweet in the box.”

“I am not!” Edmund said, moping.

“Yes, you are. Your best friend is getting married to a man who’s madly in love with her and will bring her years of joy. You should be celebrating with the rest of the kingdom, not standing here tripping over your own chin.”

“Lucy, I am not-”

From the corner of his eye, Edmund saw a few curious stares turn in his general direction, and it was then that he realized somehow that his voice had risen to an almost shout. Clearing his throat, he took another sip of wine and cast his eyes sheepishly at the floor.

“Lucy-” he said, softer but not any less irate than before “For the last time, I am happy for her. I just don’t feel much like dancing tonight, is all.”

“Because you’re upset.”

Edmund fought back the impulse to walk over to the nearest suit of arms, open the chestpiece and scream into it.

“I am not upset” he could barely get the words around his clenched teeth “I’m annoyed to say it mildly, but that has more to do with present company and not with my best friend’s upcoming marriage.”

“Then why did she tell me you two haven’t spoken since you found out about the engagement?”

The sound Edmund made was one Lucy had heard before, usually when he was sparring in the training yard and someone poked him in the gut with a sword hilt. It hadn’t been her intention to ambush him just now, rather she wanted to knock him off balance a bit and get him to a place where he could name what was bothering him so much instead of just stewing in it. Unfortunately, it seemed Ed would need a little bit more help with that than she had anticipated.

“Does she know you love her?”

Edmund shook his head, and took another healthy sip of wine to steel his nerves. He’d never said that aloud to anyone before, not even himself least of all Lucy. But as always, his sister was more aware of things than he gave her credit for.

“I never-”

He stopped and froze, still as a statue. Lucy considered cuffing him around the ear again, but held back when she realized the reason Edmund was seemingly paralyzed. The music had petered off, the orchestra were tuning their instruments to prepare for the next dance and you had left your bethrothed, and were walking right over to where Edmund was standing.

In mere seconds, you were right in front of them, beaming widely and flushed from dancing. From the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Edmund’s grip on his cup go white knuckled and a telltale flush start to rise along the side of his neck.

“Edmund!” you gushed, oblivious to your friend’s discomfort as you reached for his arm “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you to come and ask me to dance.”

“Ser Alaric?”

The mention of your fiance’s name did not seem to phase you. Instead, you reached for Edmund’s wine goblet, and gently extracted it from his grip.

“He’s taking a break right now, and besides, he’ll have the rest of his life to dance with me. I want you now. Please?”

Edmund’s eyes flicked nervously from where you had caught a handful of his shirt sleeve, the pleading look on your face, and his glass now in Lucy’s clutches. A lifetime seemed to pass, during which Edmund felt himself age a year for each one of his frantic heartbeats. It was only when he felt Lucy gently pushing at his back that he relented.

“Alright” he said, the flush now spread to his cheeks “But only for a song or two, I really shouldn’t be stealing you from your-”

“Fantastic! Thank you, I’ve been looking forward to this all night. Good to see you too, Lu!””

Lucy gave the two of you a brief wave, and hid her smirk behind the rim of her glass. This couldn’t have gone better than if she’d planned it herself. With one last, helpless look over his shoulder, Edmund allowed himself to be pulled towards the dance floor, your hand in his. Lucy could hear the orchestra playing the opening bars of what was sure to be a slow, intimate waltz. It seemed to be the sort where you could hold your partner extra close and talk in hushed voices.

The panicked look on Edmund’s face told her that he knew what was coming, and that he would give his entire claim to the kigndom to anyone who would save him from his current predicament. Painful as it might be, however, Lucy knew that confronting things was the only way her brother would get any kind of closure about this. For better or for worse, the two of you were going to sort this out, she would make absolute certain of that.

#easter askbox event #edmund pevensie x reader #edmund pevensie imagines #Edmund pevensie #Narnia fic

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nyamadermont · 6 months ago

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In the Heart

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Avatar: The Legend of Korra

665 words

Lin scattered the chopped chilis into her skillet and stirred the sliced pig-chicken gently. The ginger and garlic landed next, with a dash of lemon to brighten the dish. Tapping her chopsticks against the rim of the skillet, she set them aside and opened the bottle of wine. Her final touch was opening up the door to the balcony to let in the soft sea breeze.

“Hello, Lin? I hope I’m not too early.”

Lin smiled to herself. As if Asami would ever be anything but scrupulously on time.

“Come on inside. Dinner’s ready.”

Asami’s detour at the door to deposit her shoes did not delay her very much. Lin served a bowl and brought it over to the table. At one end of the table sat a new, small arrangement of poppies.

Lin straightened. “Those are beautiful. Where did they grow?”

The young woman’s smile was shy. “I bought them at the stall about a block over. I realized I hadn’t brought anything to say thank you for making dinner.”

Her smile relaxed when Lin bent over the table to admire the flowers more closely and take an appreciative sniff. “I think we’ve had this discussion, but these are too lovely to complain about. Have a seat.”

She turned back to the stove to prepare her own bowl and give Asami a moment to settle at the table.

Through the open door, the sun was just settling into the horizon for the night, so Lin turned a light on to avoid getting up later.

Lin had barely settled in her chair when she heard Asami take a shaky breath.

“I can’t believe it has been two years.”

Steeling herself against her own pain, Lin commented softly, “Did you get another letter from Korra? Do you want to talk about it?”

Asami blinked rapidly and grabbed her glass of wine. It sloshed a bit against her mouth, and she had to cough. Lin reached over to take the glass from her as she covered her mouth with her napkin and coughed again.

Her standard shoulder squeeze was all Lin could bring herself to impose on her guest. When Asami’s hand wrapped around the glass of water, Lin could swear she heard the glass crackle.

Lin settled back in her chair, and paid attention to her own bowl for a moment. While the sauce had a pleasant flavor, she was considering its texture when Asami finally spoke again.

“She sounds so alone,” Asami said with a distraught tone. “She tells me she feels better knowing that I’m making progress with the company and with rebuilding, but… but…”

Once again, Lin’s own pain grappled with her voice. Ruthlessly, she swallowed. “It is hard to feel helpless.”

Asami snapped her eyes up to meet Lin’s. Lin flexed her shoulders without letting her movements betray her own emotional state. “If she says she feels better knowing you are taking care of yourself, take her at her word. You are not lying to her about what you want. Trust her not to be lying to you.”

The little hitch in Asami’s breath felt far too familiar.

Lin took a drink of her own water. “Korra is in good hands with Katara and Kya. They will do everything that anyone can do who is not already named Korra.” She shifted the glass aside, and spread her hands to either side of her bowl.

“Trust me, if you can.” Asami gave a startled nod.

“Korra has you. You’ve made sure of that. She knows that you want to help her, and that is vital.”

She took in a deep breath.

“What is crucial now is for you to understand that you have done what you can. Korra has you, in the heart.”

The poor dear’s strangled whimper and tears were enough to cover Lin's secret.

Cradling Asami, Lin could admit to herself that, for now, her own tears were as close as she could get to the waterbender in her own heart.

#flash fiction friday #fff255 #in the heart #avatar the legend of korra #lok #tlok #lin beifong #asami sato #nyama's short fics

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chioneeirwen · 4 months ago

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The Search...

Chione had spent days trying to find a contract to hire. And still, no one bit the bait. Groaning, she threw the files of these missing men on her desk, littering the already disorganized mess she made.

“Ugh… I’m just about to look for these damned fools myself. How has NO ONE taken the bait for gil? It seems like no one cares about workers anymore. Especially if they’re not wealthy, with gold lining their pockets.” Chione spat in annoyance. She was clueless about what to do next. And, of course, since she earned the rank of Lieutenant at the Barracks, everyone was too afraid of her to even speak to her. Another sigh left her lips as she pushed away from her desk, her back hitting the cushioned seat behind her. Her arm bent, and her forefinger and middle finger rested at her temple to ease the pressure that was building behind her eyes from reading too much in such piss-poor lighting. Eventually, she stood and picked up the papers and put them back in a neat pile before placing them back into their folder and putting them in the safe that was embedded into the stone wall behind her desk. Clearing her desk completely, she sighed before approaching a small servant’s cart, taking a wine glass, flipping it over, and pouring crimson liquid into the container. She returned to her office chair, her mind clouded by those people who went missing.

“Twelve hear me… Please let these people be safe…” Chione whispered to the cold air, earning silence as her response. She relaxed, practically melting into the seat, taking a drink from the wine glass. Another sigh left her nostrils. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear a rap at her door before hearing the hinges squeak. Looking up, she sees she’s met with her maid, Teagan. “Oh, Teagan! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you knock. Please come in,” Chione invited with a pleasant smile. Teagan returned her smile and entered Chione’s chambers fully, the room feeling homey and clean.

“What can I do for you this evening, Teagan? It is rather late, and I figured you and the rest of the household would be asleep by now,” Chione said, straightening in her seat and trying to remain proper in front of her attendant.

“I’m sorry for the late intrusion, Milady,” Teagan began, bowing swiftly in greeting.

“No need to apologize! Is something amiss?” Teagan pulled a missive from her coat and handed it to Chione. “I think someone answered your bounty, milady…” Chione stood from her leather-cushioned armchair, and gently took the letter from Teagan’s grasp and used a small blade to open the parchment. Inside was indeed a response, but the name was unfamiliar to her. Chione looked back up at her maid, who was lightly playing with her fingers.

“Thank you for delivering this to me, Teag… Did someone give this to you, or was it dropped off?” She questioned as she placed the missive back on her desk. The maid shook her head, “I didn’t see anyone when I heard the knock on the door. I came down the stairs from my bed chambers, walked to the door, and saw this missive jammed in the door frame. It looked like whoever responded didn’t want to be seen or spoken to. I opened the front door and looked around but didn’t see anyone.”

Chione sat back in her chair and pondered, her fingers touching her palm, her thumb and forefinger resting against her chin. After sitting there silently, Teagan clears her throat and pulls the Lady out of thought. “A-Also, Milady, I wanted to congratulate you on your promotion to Lieutenant. You are more than deserving of this promotion and its power.” Teagan said with a simpered smile. Chione looks up at her and responds with a smile. “Thank you, Teagan. Your kindness is appreciated.” She finishes with a grin.

The tall elezen man stood in a dark alleyway of a noble home he’d known since he could walk on his own two feet. Their families history running long and deep that their parents pushed for the young woman and man to become quick friends and possibly mates. However, at a young age, Hex found himself annoyed of the young girl and was quick to push her to the ground and pull at her hair in passing.

Even in Sharlayan he continued to be her bully, but that one fateful Starlight Celebration and he was without a family to celebrate with, he found Chione standing amongst others before inserting himself. The years hadn’t been kind between them, but for that celebration she was his salvation. Since then, he’s held a certain soft spot when it came to her, but of course he wouldn’t admit it.

Now that he’d seen her missive, searching for her men, he found himself answering her call while standing silently in the shadows of the dark cold night. Silently cursing himself on his decision to answer, he was close to leaving when he saw her window light still on that he found himself scaling the walls and up the window where he’d find himself perched all those years before.

Hex listened to the conversation and waited for the maid to leave. When she did, he reached for the window to see if she left it unlocked like she did before, and to his surprise, it was open. Pushing it open slowly, he stepped through the window frame, his soft leather padding of his boot hitting the floorboards bringing in a slight chill to the otherwise warm room.

“Long time no see, kitten.” Hex spoke in a soft and low baritone.

“Sleep well, Teag… I’ll see you bright and early in the morning,” Chione said, a warm smile tugging her lips. Teagan bowed graciously. “Goodnight, Milady.”

Chione nodded, and Teagan left. Hearing the hinges creak to a close, Chione let out a sigh she didn’t know she was holding in. Soon, she felt a draft and a slight shiver ran up her spine. Standing from her seat, she pulled her linen robe around her torso and slid her slippers back onto her feet before walking towards her window when that all too familiar voice echoed into her ears again. Looking at her window, she saw the tall Elezen man lean against the wall beside the now-closed pane.

“Silas…” Chione gaped in surprise, feeling a little revealing in front of the man she hadn’t seen in almost a decade. The memories of her bully becoming her lover in an all too quick time, just for it all to wash away. And now the man she thought she’d never see again was standing in front of her with an all too familiar smirk, and the bass in his voice sent a chill up her spine. “What are you doing here?” Chione questioned as she pulled her garments closer to her body.

“It appears you got my missive.” Silas pushed himself from the window pane and walked towards her slowly. For someone who hated the cold he definitely wasn’t dressed for a cold winter night in Coerthas. Home to his father, Chione and himself, once upon a time.

“And it appears congratulations are in order, Lieutenant.” Silas said lowering himself to meet her gaze with a slight tilt to his head and a smirk on his lips. He wore nothing but a leather jacket, pants, and a thin pair of gloves. Silas pulled one glove from his hand, and if allowed he’d reach over to line his fingers against the lapels of her linen robe.

Silas kept his eyes on where his hand was placed before he slowly retracted and raised that same hand to brush his grey hair back. His red unusual eyes glistened in the soft light when he turned his gaze back down to her.

“Your bounty,” Silas started off by saying and giving a brief pause. “You’re losing men and no one is willing to search for them?” He asked going straight to business to distract himself from his wandering mind.

His mind kept going back to their brief romance. How stupidly infatuated with her but his own mistake causing them to argue and ultimately ending their romance. Again Silas removed his gaze to distract himself further, allowing her the time to give more information on the men she’d lost and about the bounty itself.

Chione’s eyes glared slightly at the male in front of her as he told her about the anonymous letter. Her breath hitched in her throat as he reached to touch her, but only pinching the folds of the collar on her robe, her nerves shot. Feeling the warmth from his fingers behind the only layer of clothing between them, she began to get butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Watching him as he pulled his hand away to brush the soft hair she once used to play with out of his face.

“Thank you,” Chione responded quickly, hearing him congratulate her on her promotion. “But you’re the one who responded to my message? Why would you want to help me? I thought you had other things to worry about,” she said, trying to sound dismissive toward the man. She returned to her desk and grabbed her wine, which she took a rather large drink from—another sigh leaving her small frame.

“I haven’t seen or heard from you in over a decade, and THIS is how you choose to rekindle the friendship? A silly message response?” Chione said with a tinge of sadness as she turned back to look at Silas, her baby blues piercing his crimson eyes. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and returned to her desk chair, sitting down, her hands resting over her face. The blonde-haired woman was shocked. She couldn’t even describe her feelings as Silas stood in her bed chambers.

“What you can say, kitten is thank you, Silas for helping me.” He followed after her, his boots loose of any snow that had stuck to the soles, now leaving wet traces in his wake.

Silas stopped as she poured herself some wine and sighed as she returned to her desk chair. A sight to behold. He told himself. And once again he was cursing his mind for how quick it was to wander to their shared past.

Instead of arguing with her, at least for that moment he leaned down and tilted her chin up with his thumb and index finger. “Allow me to start over.” Silas whispered.

“Hello, Chione, it’s been a while, did you miss me, my kitten?” His voice lowered now that he was face to face with her.

Chione’s breath hitched in her throat. Hearing him tease her over her reaction to him showing up at her home in Coerthas, where the weather was harsh and extremely cold, the blonde-haired woman looked up slightly, seeing him approach her massive desk. Hearing his words, she put her head down again, still shocked about him showing up. Chione suddenly felt soft, yet cool skin touch her face before her head moved slightly to look up at the tall man. His words were like a song, sending palpitating beats through her heart. Her blue orbs watered slightly.

“Of course I missed you… You left me alone after I found you with a girl who absolutely despised me. You cheated on me, then degraded me to your friends while the same bitch was on your arm like a trophy… And here I am, feeling conflicted because you want to apologize.” She paused, the water in her eyes causing her vision to blur. “And you want to ‘start over?’ What am I supposed to think? How am I supposed to feel?” Chione whispered, pulling her face away from his digits. Standing up, she finished her glass and placed it on the dark oak desk—a heavy sigh leaving her body.

“How many times are you going to put me through the mental stress..?” Chione whispers, turning to look up at Silas. Hurt evident in her facial features.

“I would've killed for you to love me, but it was always me getting bullied instead. Or you yanking on my hair and shoving me… Whereas, I would and always did bend over backwards for you and put you on such a high pedestal…” Chione spoke softly, her emotions getting to her.

Silas was never overly confident when it came to Chione. As a child he’d argue that he couldn’t stand her because their families placed too much expectation on them to be friends and later mates if they chose to do so. He hated how much he loved the colour of her eyes, almost muttering under his breath that he could drown in them, of course never loud enough for her to hear, perhaps except the one time he said it out loud. While they welled up with water, he wanted to wipe them away but before he could, she had already turned her head away from him.

Chione always knew how to pull herself away from him, protecting not only herself but her heart too. And there was little reason why she should trust him when all he’d done was hurt her. Whether it was physical or even mentally. Silas was hardly the good man his family hoped he’d be. Her words were like different knives, stabbing into him. Each word true. He did wrap his arms around a girl, but the cheating, he took no part in. Truth be told, he teased the girl relentlessly in a bid to see who could get her more interested in him only to reject her later. Silas stooped low when she brought up Chione. The girl hated her for some unknown reason and likely took in the fact that he too used to feel the same.

A silly game he and his friends played but never wanted to when it came to Chione. But she wouldn’t believe him, not after this long. It’s been a decade since. While she got up to stand, his shoulder brushed against hers and he stayed leaning forward while reflecting on his past actions.

“You know I never wanted to hurt you.” His voice low and sorrowful. “Not in that way, but you wouldn’t understand.” Silas finally stood and turned to face her. His ungloved hand reaching out for her again but this time he stopped himself from touching her.

Silas’ hand fell to his side, his fingers lightly tapping against his leg like he used to do as a child whenever he was lost in thought. He couldn’t exactly tell her that he wanted to be everything he wasn’t, for her. To be worthy of her affections and partner. But just like before, he was stopping himself from telling her more than he had to.

“I didn’t come here to bring you duress, I saw your bounty and wanted to help. As a member of the Kane family, even… unofficially and even if I’d been disowned, I can still help.” Silas deflected. “Our families as far as I know still have some sort of relationship.”

When Silas left the first time and after hurting Chione, he argued with his father that sent waves of shock throughout the noble house as well as the rest of Ishgard. Not only did his father disown him, but Silas was no where to be seen. He’d heard that the house was in chaos, a promise of marriage and proposal rumours circulated but with Silas gone and Silas Sr’s lips tight. The rumours became baseless and the house carried on as usual, just without the sole heir.

“If you wish for me to leave, then I can go. Is me being here worth that to you?” Silas inquired, this time looking into her eyes. His fingers still tapping lightly at his leg.

Chione turned to face Silas again, her eyes still full of tears and her lip quivered slightly.

“No, I don’t want you to leave. But hearing you say you never wanted to hurt me and that I don’t understand? What do I not understand? What you did was awful… Tell me to my face that you didn’t cheat on me. That’s all everyone spoke about after we broke up.” Chione said, the hurt in her features evident. She approached Silas with vigor, her feet still silent against the floorboards, taking his hand to stop his tapping, knowing that was a habit he’d had since she had known him. Looking up at his features, she couldn’t help but think about their past together. How he used to push her around, pull her braid, and or made her feel inferior. Her blonde waves cloaked her shoulders as her long curtain-like bangs framed her face. Her baby blues burning holes into the right side of his face, pleading silently to look at her.

“I appreciate you wanting to help me… I’m sorry for not expressing my gratitude. I just—you weren’t the person I was expecting to answer my missive about my workers going missing. Baurendouin barely gave me anything to go off on besides them not showing up to work.” Chione said, a sigh leaving her as she rested her head against his shoulder. His smell was calming to her, his presence feeling like home to her, too.

“The bounty price is 400k in gil. Thank you for lending me your help. If you’d like, I can come with you, so you don’t freeze to death.” She said quietly, a slight giggle leaving her lips. “Cause we all know how much you hate the cold.”

“You didn’t answer me, is me being here worth that mental stress to you?” Silas asked feeling her warm hand take his. His hand moved instinctively and his fingers were soon wrapped around hers.

Silas gently lifted her arm and placed her hand against his cold cheek before softly kissing it and moving his lips down to her wrist. His free hand wrapped around her waist loosely while he gazed down at her. He couldn’t help but think of how much shorter she was than him. When they first started to hang out he’d rest his arm on the top of her head before wrapping it over her shoulders.

“I didn’t cheat on you Chione, my kitten. Not once. Not ever. It was a stupid game.” His brows furrowed as he closed his eyes. Muttering the same words of it only being a game. “I agreed to set her up with the boys. Make her trust me, make her… fall for me, before I blindsided her and my friends with our relationship.” Silas whispered kissing her wrist again with his cold lips.

Finally, Silas opened his eyes and he looked down at her again. Her tone was light but serious as she explained what Baurendouin said about the missing men. While holding her in that position he wondered who the men were and why they hadn’t come out to work. Even wondering if they had too much to drink and didn’t show up the next day because of a hangover. But a hangover wouldn’t last for days.

Silas chuckled lightly putting her hand just over his heart. “I don’t need the gil, use it for the families, they’ll need it more than I ever would. Besides my father left me a hefty sum to leave until I got my ass screwed on right. His words, not mine.” The comment about him hating the cold was true. He used to argue with his mother when he had to come home to see his father.

Sometimes he’d take it out on Chione if she was nearby. But during that one Starlight Celebration, she was his warmth and he stuck to her like glue. At least one part of him was touching her at all times. Silas shook his head, his top teeth biting softly at his bottom lip while a soft chuckle escaped him again. “Are you going to keep me warm at night? Sliding into my bedroll, huddling close to me by the fire?”

Listening to him talk, she couldn’t help but sigh when the part about the girl who hated her came up again. Realization hit her hard when Silas spoke about the messed-up game he started with his friends.

“If you didn’t cheat on me, then why did everyone tell me you did, Silas?” she questioned him, lightly gripping his shirt, still feeling the lingering touches of his lips against her skin. “Why did you do that to the girl? She didn't deserve that just because she didn’t like me.” Chione was blindsided when Silas said that. She paused as he continued to speak, telling her about his father, the man who used to watch them grow up together while spending days away from Sharlayan. Looking up at him, she sighed, a slight smirk tugging at her lips as he teased her again.

“I doubt you’ll deny me, anyway, Si-Si. You’d kill to have me that close to you again. Besides, it’s been a while since you last had a competition with me to see who was the better swordsman.” She teased him as she let go of his shirt to go sit by the fireplace. Sitting down on the soft white carpet, she stared into the flames as they danced their erotic dance for her.

“It’s killing me that all the memories of us came flooding back the minute I heard your voice again, but I need to focus on House Eirwen and the factories I manage. I need to focus on finding those poor workers who disappeared. I’ll need to talk with Baurendouin again and have him give me the emergency link pearls of the people who are missing… Can I rely on your blade again, Silas?” Chione asked as she lifted her head to look at him from across her bedroom.

“Chione,” Silas said her name in a more serious tone. “Didn’t my father send word that I’ve been disowned?” In truth, Silas wasn’t sure if that was public knowledge. His mother hardly said anything to him when it came to his father. And in return, he didn’t ask. Neither did he ask about the affairs of the house, nor its occupants. When she gripped his shirt lightly he glanced down at the way her fingers curled around the fabric for a moment before turning his attention back to her.

“The day after… after our fight, I was told to leave. As for that girl, she deserved far worse than what I was planning on doing with her. She’d of course done a lot worse things to you if I hadn’t intervened. Not only did I threaten her, I threatened her family too.” Silas sighed letting go of her hand to rub his face. He didn’t think he’d have to explain his past actions, yet here he was. Trying to justify and explain them to her.

Si-Si. Now that was a name he hadn’t heard in so long. There were at least a handful of people that he spoke to regularly who didn’t know him by the moniker, Hex. So when she said her old nickname for him, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling gently and following after her in front of the fireplace. Silas removed his leather jacket, exposing a form-fitted black turtleneck with a silver chain.

He sat down beside her, dropping his jacket at his side and softly extended his fingers out to the flame. Both of his arms are on each side of his knees. “I would,” Silas whispered. His tone, was low and soft as he spoke. “Kill… I mean. If that’s what it took for us to start over again, I’d do it.”

“By the twelve…” He whispered again, this time dropping his head between his knees. “This is why I’ve avoided you for over a decade, I knew just being near you, I’d melt.” Silas chuckled lightly and lifted his head. While Chione spoke, Silas turned to look over at her. The flames of the fire cast shadows on her face as she spoke. Her blue eyes filled with emotion as she spoke about her people, and how she had to focus on her house.

He knew what that meant. There was no room for him in her life, at least not at that moment. “This Baurendouin, would he have a file of the people missing? Address, family? That sort of thing.” Silas distracted himself from what she’d just said, but he nodded slowly. A low self-deprecating laugh escaped him soon after, “You may. I’ll help you, I already answered your missive, did I not?”

Chione smiled at him and reached for his slender hand. She scaled his frame with intent and interest.

“No, no one told us anything about you being disowned and disappearing. We haven’t heard anything from the Kane family since we called off our relationship. After that, I’ve just been focusing on business with my manufactory and discussing business for trading with my cousin, Vahalia Cress. I run Eirwen Steel and Stone now in my father's stead since he’s a Temple Knight under Lord Commander Aymeric.” Chione said, reaching to touch Silas’s hand softly.

“And now, knowing that you were disowned by your father,” she pauses, sighing and lowering her head in sadness. “It’s hard to even continue speaking with them.” Chione finishes, tightening her grip slightly on his hand and scooting her small frame over to him, leaning her head against his shoulder, a heavy breath escaping her nostrils, feeling exasperated from the events of her evening.

“Well, difficult for me anyway, to speak to your parents.”

“Where are you staying? I can have you stay here with me if you’d like, and we can go over a plan for tomorrow morning since I have to go to the factory and do my daily check-ups for my foremen.” She whispered as she stared at the flames, slightly embarrassed that she had opened her door to him. The blonde-haired woman couldn’t deny the feelings she had for him still. They were the complete opposite of each other but also felt equal—one.

“Then we’ll be able to speak with Baurendouin. If the daft man shows his face.” Chione scolds in jest.

Silas looked towards her with a surprised expression. From what his mother said, it’s been announced that he was removed from society and disowned. Or at least some variation of that. A wave of confusion went through him as he wondered what his father was thinking. His fingers drummed lightly against his knee as he was lost in thought but made sure to listen to her.

Vahalia, that name was familiar to him. She was part of the Cress family and a cousin to Chione. He’d only seen her a handful of times as their friends never collided with one another so he truthfully didn’t know much about her other than the few times he’d seen her. “It appears I’ve been away for too long if you’re the one running the Eirwen Steel and Stone now.” He laughed lightly shaking his head.

“You know how the old farts in this part of the world are.” Silas laughed. “You do something wrong and you’re quickly dismissed. Now if I were half the man they thought I’d be, then that would be a different story. But I am not.” He smiled looking into the dancing flames.

His body slowly began to warm up by the time Chione asked where he was spending the night. “Ahh, truthfully I was planning on leaving through the aetheryte and deal with the sickness afterwards before returning. I hardly have the supplies and clothing needed to weather the cold.”

Silas leaned his head towards her as she rested her head on his shoulder. “If that’s your way of asking me to stay kitten I will. Are you offering your bed to me, or are you going to make me stay in the guest quarters?” He reached over to take her chin, but this time more gently as he tilted her head up.

Silas stalling as he wondered if kissing her would be too much, but he leaned forward leaving just barely enough room between them. Her breath tasted like the wine she’d just drank and he wondered what the rest of her tasted, especially after all this time. “Slap or hit me if I’m being too forward.” His tone low and soft.

Chione’s face flushed in embarrassment, but she nodded in agreement about the older Elezen in charge, feeling his fingers delicately take her chin. Their eyes met. The tension between the two was undeniable, and it felt like they started where they left off, minus Silas tormenting her.

“I–I think it might be too early for that, Silas…” she stuttered; feeling like the cliche school girl all over again. Her heart was about to burst. If it beat any harder and louder the man before her was bound to hear it himself.

“But I won’t strike you for it, that’s just silly.” Chione finished as she tried to clear her throat and pull away, but found herself still staring. His red orbs captivated her. Her toes becoming a little too warm as they sat by the fire in her room. Enjoying his presence was something she was always catching herself liking. The blonde woman snickered to herself as his question finally hit her.

“I’d only offer my couch in my room to you for right now. You have to earn my affections before you jump into my bed, sir.” she jested as she nudged him slightly, finally able to pull her eyes from his. Sighing, the blonde-haired woman stretched her arms above her head, the sleeves of her robe riding up her biceps, showing slight muscle in her slender frame, and yawned. Fixing her lounge pants and tank top, she shivered slightly.

“I can’t believe you pulled the same shit you did when we were kids. Climbing the wall like an Opo-Opo. What is up with that?” Chione laughed as she watched him, sensing the wheels in his head turning.

Silas groaned slightly and used his now free hand to cup the side of his face. “You are… something.” He muttered wanting to torment her further. So he did, he gently pushed her down into the plush carpet and wiggled himself in between her legs while his arm rested beside her head.

“Will you strike me now?” Silas asked lightly trailing his finger on her exposed thigh. He leaned down and gently left a wake of kisses on her collarbone, neck and jaw before pulling away. Waves of desire nearly took over when he remembered that this wasn’t what he wanted either. This time he wanted to do something right and so he pulled himself off her and just knelt there, still in between her legs.

“Perhaps an inn would be safest.” Silas chuckled lifting her back up to sit. “I can always climb back down like an Opo-Opo.” He laughed again, this time with her while she got up to get herself ready for bed. “Or… the sofa can work too.” A soft groan left him while he laid on top of the carpet, his eyes fixated on the ceiling above.

“So tomorrow, we’ll head over to the factory then?” Silas inquired, wanting to follow up on what she said before.

Chione gasped lightly as the tall male worked his way in between her legs, his question ringing in her ears as he peppered her chest, neck, and jaw with soft wet kisses. Her mind was so fuzzy from his touch before he stopped and pulled away. Champagne-colored hair plummed behind her head as she opened her eyes, unbeknownst to her that she had closed them the second he closed the gap between their bodies. Her feelings being pulled in every direction. Looking up at him, her blue orbs searching his crimson ones for any inkling of his actions. Chione knew better than to make a man kiss and tell, knowing that wasn’t how most men operated.

“No, I will not hit you, you masochist,” Chione laughed as she took his hands to help her sit back up straight. “But yes, if things did go from there, an inn would be our best bet until I bought my own land.”

Standing on her feet as Silas rolled onto his back, to stare at the ceiling, Chione walked to her bathroom as he jested with her about being called a small lemur. She stepped into her bathroom and wet her toothbrush as the silvery-haired Elezen asked her a question regarding their day tomorrow.

“Yes, I need to check on my Foremen and how things are running while short-staffed. Baurendouin better be there tomorrow, or I’ll blow a fuse.” She called, toothpaste slathered everywhere as she cleaned her teeth. With a hefty spit, she spat the remaining toothpaste into the washbasin as she rinsed the bristles of the toothbrush under the cool water before leaning down and gathering some of the liquid in her mouth to swish around and remove any loose gunk she might’ve missed. Reaching for her brush, she began to gently brush her hair as she walked to the threshold of her bathroom door, watching the man lay on her carpet, the steady rise and fall of his chest calming her. Thoughts ravaged her mind about what her parents might think, seeing Silas come back into the picture. Coming home. Chione’s father adored Silas and always viewed him as the “son he never had.” A soft simple smile tugged at the corners of her nude lips, the light tugging of knots not phasing her. As she finished she looked back at Silas, her eyebrow raised slightly. A low chuckle left her and she walked to her bed that sat in the corner of her spacious room. Pulling the blankets back; she readied herself for bed. Pulling a pillow and a heavy blanket off her bed, she placed them on the couch.

“Here you go, if you need clothes I can call for Belmont?” Chione said as she sat down on her bed.

While Chione got herself ready for bed, Silas’ mind reeled on the fact he had nearly had his way with her. Both of his hands lifted as he pressed both palms against his face, trying to think of anything disgusting to stop his lower half from rising any higher. When the splashes of water came from the bathroom, he peeked through his fingers and watched as the curls from her head draped over her shoulders. Again, he was thinking of how soft her skin felt against his lips and he quickly covered his eyes again.

Old, wrinkley, nuns… old, wrinkley nuns… nuns… Chione in a nun dress… Chione in a sexy… nun dress. No! Twelves above strike me now. Old wrinkley nuns! Old wrinkley stinky nuns! Silas chanted in his mind until he heard the water stop.

Everything she’s said was lost to him and his mind as he propped himself up on his elbows. For once he felt relieved that she couldn’t see the flush on his cheeks. “I don’t need any, unless you’d feel more comfortable I’m clothed from head to toe after, well…” Silas chuckled sitting himself up to hide what was going on in his pants.

He unbuttoned his shirt and removed it from his shoulders exposing his upper frame. There were multiple scars from his life out in the open world. Stories he’d likely have to tell her sometime if she ever asked about them. While she brought over the pillow and blanket, he at least calmed down enough that he could stand and unbutton his pants but stopped before looking at her.

“Think I can wear just my underclothes for bed, kitten? Or would you be more comfortable if I wore pants?” He asked, wondering what she'd be most comfortable with.

Chione watched him as he began to remove his articles of clothing. Exposing his torso to her, she saw the multitude of scars on his skin. Knowing better than to reopen old wounds, she’d badger him about those stories in the future, knowing full well it would take a miracle now for him to disappear from her life.

“No, I don’t mind if you sleep in your underwear,” She spoke softly, her heart skipping a beat at her old nickname. Kitten. It made her feel cherished in a way. Loved. But Chione had different priorities now than a school crush… Or did she? She tried to deny any and all feelings for that boy since he bullied her throughout their lives together. But that Starlight Celebration that they shared together all those years ago still clouded her mind every time she caught herself staring off into the aether. Chione shielded her eyes to give him privacy and he finished removing his clothes and lied down on the couch. The soft fleece quilt covering him. Remembering she still had her articles of clothing on she stood and turned her back to him, giving herself the little privacy she could. The sheer midnight blue robe gently slid off her back, hanging it on the hook by her bed. She wore shorts that were black and a lighter Dragoon-ish blue-colored tanktop. With nimble fingers, she pulled her champagne-colored hair into a messy bun atop her head before sliding into the sheets of her bed, covering her petite body.

“Goodnight, Si-Si… I’ll see you in the morning,” Chione whispered as the two drifted off to sleep.

@vahalia-cress @hex-xiv

#The Ishgardian Noble #Stories

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wren-l-winter · 8 months ago

Note

Hear me out hear me out hear me out

A upperclass gentlewoman thief and the head of the city guard

Our thief plays the guise of a sweet and innocent heiress by day while stealing from the rich and giving to the poor (and a little to herself) during the night. Our stoic serious guardswoman has taken it to herself to look after the heiress while investigating the heists that have been occurring all across the city's most high status districts. While on the outside it seems like the guard is looking after the heiress because she thinks she'll be the next target, it's actually because she has already figured out she's the mystery thief she's looking for although she isn't allowed to make an arrest until she finds concrete evidence

And our heiress in turn has found out the guard is onto her keeping her close to make sure she never finds the proof she needs, and because she just can't resist a pretty face. After all for a thrill seeker what's better than having wine and getting maybe a little too close with the one person who's threatening your whole operation. Who knows, maybe our charming trickster thief can convince her darling knight playing detective to hang up her shield and retire early and comfortably, with the funds she's... Come across over time

...God I'm so gay

Day 2 of writing a sapphic short story every day! I went a little off script but hope you all enjoy :)

She went by many names. Thief. Liar. Criminal. Pickpocket. Betrayer. But tonight, as she crossed the threshold of the ballroom, she shed those names like a snake shedding skin. Tonight, she was something else. Something sweet and intoxicating. Tonight, she was the Heiress to the Bloodrose fortune.

The fabric of her dress, dipped in dyes forged from the midnight sky, clung to her lithe form, accentuating her curves while allowing her to move as she pleased. Intricate silver embroidery traced delicate patterns along the hemline, reminiscent of moonlit constellations scattered across the inky heavens. Each stitch seemed to shimmer and dance beneath the light of the chandeliers. This dress was her favorite. Not because of the silken material or the plunging neckline, but because of the dozens of hidden pockets hidden in the folds. They were perfect for holding anything the heiress could get her slender fingers on.

But her night of graceful pilfering came to an end as a figure clad in armor emerged from the crowd to meet her.

“Captain,” she said by way of greeting, “lovely seeing you here.”

The Captain of the Guard, clad in her polished uniform of silver and a cape of crimson, stepped into a practiced bow. “I could say the same,” she replied easily, her voice tinted with an accent the heiress had only heard amongst the commoners.

The heiress hummed, her painted lips pulling into a lopsided grin. “What can I do for you, Captain? Or are all the ladies attending honored with a greeting from our esteemed protector?”

The captain straightened, her features pleasant but unamused. “Only you, heiress.”

She liked the sound of that. “And why is that?” A passing servant holding a tray of goblets passed. The sloshing red liquid was irresistible to her. She took the cup and savored her first sip of many.

“To protect you. There have been rumors of a thief targeting the nobility. From what I’ve gathered, they’ve set their eyes on you. For the night, you are under my protection,” the captain said.

She’d heard the nuisance of a guard had caught onto her but she hadn’t imagined she’d be so bold as to approach her during the ball. The heiress took a deep drink from her glass before smiling up at the woman meant to accompany her for the night. “The Goddess has showered me with her blessings then,” she said. “Do you dance?” “Do I dance?”

The heiress grinned at the way the captain’s shoulders rose like a feline’s haunches. “Mhmm. Surely they taught you how to dance as a part of your training.”

The captain blushed. “I’m afraid not.” “Then I’ll teach you.” Oh, tonight would be fruitful after all.

She took the captain’s hand, leading her through the crowd of serpents eager to gain her favor. She slipped past them. Dodging outstretched arms and offered hands with a practiced grace and poise. She didn’t care to listen to their marriage proposals tonight.

“Now,” the heiress turned toward the captain at the edge of the dance floor, “put your hand on my waist.” The warmth of her touch bled through the soft fabric of her dress, drawing up the faintest of blooms across her cheek. She put her hand on the captain’s shoulder before taking her hand. “Follow my lead when the song begins. We’ll start with small steps.” The orchestra began, filling the room with the sound of rich cellos and the rhythmic beat of drums. They began their dance a bit awkwardly as the heiress directed her dance partner where to step. To the captain’s credit, she only stepped on her toes twice before easing into the dance.

“And now, you know how to dance,” the heiress laughed.

The captain kept her gaze averted, perhaps scanning the crowd for threats or simply trying to keep them from crashing into another dancing couple. “It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be,” she admitted.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure you’d be able to move so gracefully in all that metal,” the heiress mused as her hand gave a pointed squeeze to her shoulder. “Ha, you’d be surprised how gracefully I can move in uniform.” Long lashes danced across her cheeks. “Is that so? Perhaps later you could show me just how gracefully you can move.” The heiress had heard of the captain and the ladies that held her affection, but the heiress never thought she’d be one of the courted women.

The guard blanched, her face looking as though it had been burned by long hours beneath the sun. “Oh, I didn’t-that’s not what I-forgive me-” The heiress laughed, a sound more genuine than she’d meant. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she cooed and closed the space between them. “You are enchanting, Captain. The finest guard I’ve ever had the pleasure of dancing with.” She relished the way the woman squirmed beneath the weight of her words.

The song changed, the tempo leaving no room for the heiress’s teasing. Fate had spared her prey from her toying.

The two danced until their legs could hardly take another step and the heiress yearned to be rid of her heeled shoes. Tired and a touch out of breath, she found it far too easy to coax the captain away from the ballroom to the cool air of the gardens. Surrounded by flowering quince and honeysuckle, they walked the pristine paths beneath the gaze of the moon.

“About what you said earlier,” the heiress said, looking over to the guarded features of the captain, “I would love to take you up on the offer.” “It wasn’t an offer,” she replied stiffly.

A soft laugh left the noblewoman. “Wasn’t it?” She took a daring step in front of the guard, stopping her from continuing. “The way you held me, looked at me, I’d say you’d be as happy as I would be to give it a try. I wouldn’t tell anyone.” She lifted her hands, running them over the silver armor just above her chest. “It could be our secret.”

“No.” Gloved hands grabbed her forearms, removing her hands from her. “I know what you are, heiress,” she hissed.

“And what am I,” she leered.

The captain snarled down at her. Any trace of infatuation lingering from their dance had vanished. “You’re the thief. I can’t prove it yet, but I will. It’s my duty.”

“Duty,” the heiress scoffed. “Your duty is to your people, not these glittering fools prancing about like those beneath them aren’t starving.”

“I do what I must to keep our city protected from criminals like you.” “From what I’ve heard, the only crime the thief has committed is helping their people when the nobility won’t.”

“Don’t play games with me,” the captain spat, releasing her as she took a step back.

The heiress grinned, danger glistening in her eye. “It’s too late for that.”

The guard was unprepared for the swiftness in which the thief moved. A shove and her foot behind her ankle was all it took to have the captain laid out on the stone path. The heiress was upon her the moment she struck the ground. “You will help me, Captain,” she said inches from her face, “or you will lose everything you’ve worked for.” “I’d never help someone like you,” the guard seethed.

“Oh, but you will.” Unable to resist, she lowered her head, letting her lips scrape along the cusp of her ear. “There’s a necklace in your quarters that belongs to the Duchess of Eldoria. How long has it been missing? Three months? Five? Imagine what she’d do to you if she found out you were the one who’d stolen it.” The heiress pulled back, grinning down at the guard. “So you can work with me, or you can face her wrath.”

The guard stared up at her, at a loss for words. Stars above, she was adorable looking up at her like that.

“If I don’t have a letter in my hand by tomorrow night, I’ll take it as a no, but,” she traced her finger along the woman’s jaw, “if you decide to accept my offer, I would love if you accepted it in my chambers, preferably in my bed.”

In one fluid movement, she rose and stepped away. “Goodnight, Captain.”

#short story #lesbian #lesbians #lesbian short story #sapphic short story #sapphic #wlw #wlw post #wlw yearning #heiress x guard #thief x guard #lesbian literature #sapphic yearning #day 2

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rom-e-o · 1 year ago

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The Call - Ebenezer/Constance Modern!AU

A continuation of Ebenezer and Constance's meeting in a modern and AU setting. Here, they FINALLY set up a first date!

This story also includes characters from @quill-pen and her universe, including her Ebenezar/Wolf, Bess, Addie, and Gal, as well as characters like Eddie and Pippersnipe that have manifested through shared headcanon discussions!

The sound of the doorbell added further chaos to the already bursting cottage.

“Oh, yay! Pizza’s here!”

“I thought we were only making snacks for tonight. I just popped popcorn!”

“Who the heck complains about pizza?”

“You gals are like bloody garbage disposals – how can you eat so much?” Eddie asked.

“Oi, ladies, can we start this flick ‘ometime in the next fifty years?”

After each woman had filled their plates with pizza and grabbed a glass of their favorite wine, the group filed into the cottage’s cozy living room and piled in front of the television for a much-needed movie night.

“Here you go, Eddie,” Constance said as she handed the older woman a hearty plate of food and a flute of her favorite blackberry liqueur.

“Tryna to get me liquored up, are ya?” she asked playfully as she accepted the very full flute.

“That’s what sleepovers with the girls are for!” Constance teased in return, giving her shoulders a playful squeeze before making sure her blanket with tucked in place.

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen ‘Anastasia’ – it’s a classic!” Bess exclaimed to Addie, who giggled as she assumed a spot on the floor. She put the bowl of freshly popped popcorn between them. “Gosh, I used to watch this with Millie on repeat when she was younger. I could probably recite it word for word.”

“Try t' contain y'self, Lass,” Gal said, stealing a fistful of popcorn as she fell into her seat of choice.

“Sorry, I’ve just … never had a reason to see it,” Addie reasoned with a shrug. “But I’m excited! Is it a romance?”

“Oh-ho! 'Tis a MUSICAL ROMANCE!” Gal corrected. She was lying across one of their tufted armchairs, her back resting on one armrest while her legs rested atop the other, socked feet bobbing up and down. “Wit' talkin' critters too.”

“How are you familiar with ‘Anastasia’, Gal?” Bess asked curiously as she twisted her long, dark hair into an updo. “It doesn't quite seem like your type of movie?”

“Eh, I dun'mind a princessy tale now and again,” she said, taking a sip of her drink. When the stares from her friends didn’t relent, she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Also, Jake fancies it.”

Amused cooing erupted from the other ladies.

“If ye tell 'im I told ye, I'll knock ye brains out an' serve 'em as fritters!”

“Eh, leave the poor man alone, it’s a cute little movie,” Eddie added, who was comfortably situated on the room’s other armchair, which sat opposite of Gal’s. “The mousy lad she falls for is quite the darling. A little young and an awful dresser, but I think I could fix him up nicely.”

“Shhh, no spoilers!”

“I haven’t seen it either, Addie,” Connie chimed in, reaching down from her position on the couch to take her hand, lace their fingers, then swing their hands like a pendulum back and forth. “We can be surprised together!”

“Seriously, you too?” Bess asked. “How did I not know that? I would have fixed this long ago!”

The redhead shrugged. “I just don’t watch movies very often.”

“Now, that is not true, Con,” she refuted, poking her friend in the knee. “You have a weird taste in movies, not a non-existent one. I know WAY too much about what happens in the ‘Sex and the City’ movies because of you alone.”

“W-Well…” she went to argue as Gal snickered from her position in the chair.

Truth be told, it would be nice to have the distraction of a movie for the evening. While Connie was doing her best to play it cool, her mind and heart were still racing from her morning shift.

That was when, motivated by her friends’ insistence and reasoning, she had found the courage to write her phone number on the cup of Ebenezer Samuel Scrooge’s morning order. It had taken weeks of build-up and peer pressure to take the seemingly small step, but it had been preceded by maddening amounts of flirting.

As if giving him her cell number wasn’t enough, she’d written the note ‘Call me~” right beneath it, and signed it with the letter ‘C’ for good measure.

That had been seven hours ago. And not a single call or text had come through.

Crickets.

Nada.

Goose egg.

With a sigh, she slipped her phone into the kangaroo pocket of her oversized sweatshirt and took a bug gulp of her wine. Well, she’d probably just lost her best customer. That would be fun to confess to her boss on Monday.

“Okay, everyone ready?” Addie asked as she reached for the remote to start the film. “Annnnd … play!”

About halfway through the film, after the two jumbo pizzas had been demolished, Constance felt a buzzing from her pullover’s pocket. She’d silenced the phone for the movie, not expecting anyone to reach out to her (after all, all her friends – aside from her mom and their landlord Mr. Pippersnipe) were in the room with her.

Constance glanced down at her phone and saw a familiar number flash across the top of the screen. She hadn’t created a contact profile for the number yet, but she knew it by heart already after weeks of seeing his number amongst her daily orders.

“It’s him!” Constance exclaimed as she all but shot out of her seat. “H-He’s calling me! H-He really is!”

Gal practically spat out her drink.

The other girls collectively gasped while Bess turned to shush them. “PAUSE! EVERYONE SHUT UP!”

“W-Who? Wait, is it that handsome man from the coffee shop?” Addie asked, which made Constance blush bright red before nodding. “Oooooh, it is!”

“I’ll be damned – the blighter has a backbone!” Eddie cheered, hoisting her flute. “Now you can check that front-bone of his, too.”

“Eddie!”

“MISSION CONTROL, WE HAVE CONFIRMATION THE ADONIS HAS MADE CONTACT WITH THE SUN!” Bess continued, scrambling for the television remote. “Pause! Ugh, at least MUTE, darn you!”

‘Adonis’ was an affectionate nickname Constance and her friends had given to the silver-haired man that frequented the New Grounds Coffee Co. daily. It never needed explanation because, as soon as one saw a picture of the man, the reason for the name was evident.

“W-What do I do?” Constance asked.

“ANSWER IT!” all the girls cried in unison (“And put ‘em on speaker!” Eddie chimed in loudly before Addie frantically shushed her).

Constance took the deepest breath she’d ever taken before accepting the call.

“Um, h-hello, this is Constance,” she spoke timidly into the receiver.

“Constance! I’m glad you picked up. Um, hello. I-It’s Ebenezer.”

Her heart did backflips at the excited tremor in his voice. “H-Hi! I thought I recognized your number, haha. I’m glad you called.”

Now on her feet and pacing around in her black shorts and crumb-covered pullover, she was so thankful he hadn’t opted for a video call. While it was always nice to see him (literally, he was a treat for the eyes), she knew she looked like an absolute mess, with wine-stained lips and her hair in an updo that nothing but a shower could help.

She they talked, she saw her friends watching in intrigued, their reactions running the gambit from eager cheering to sly, flirtatious lip puckers.

“Are you busy?” he asked.

“Um, not really,” she replied truthfully, frantically gesturing for the girls to stay quiet. “I’m just at home. I-I hope you are too. It’s cold out.”

From her vantage point in the kitchen, she could see the beginnings of a gentle snowfall dusting the surrounding buildings in a flimsy layer of frost.

“I just finished at the office, actually,” confided, his voice low. “It’s been a long day, so I wanted to warm up with a drink before I left. I did want to give you a call as soon as I could. To tell you the truth, I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

Constance was sure she looked like a crazy person as she spun in excited circles at his admission, but she was far too happy to care. “Really? I’m kind of relieved to hear that, actually! I’m glad I didn’t scare you off.”

“Hardly,” he replied with a warm laugh. “I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner.”

“Oh, please don’t apologize! You were working. I’m just glad to hear you can head home soon.”

“You’re very sweet,” Ebenezer said, and her heart leapt again at his praise. His voice always got a little rumbly when he was pleased, and the melty effect it gave her legs was just as effective over the phone. “Constance, I wanted to ask … um, are you off this Saturday? We’re supposed to have a break in this cold front, and I was wondering if might be interested in going out to dinner to enjoy it?”

He was asking her out! It was REALLY happening!

She mouthed out ‘Dinner date!’ to the girls. The reveal was immediately greeted with silent clapping and eager thumbs-ups. Of course, Eddie mouthed back an ‘I told you so’, complete with a pointed finger to accentuate her correctness.

“I would love that,” Constance replied, tousling her hair nervously while she answered. “I’m free all afternoon and evening that day, honestly.”

The second the admission crossed her lips, she felt instant regret. Great, she thought. Now he probably thought she sounded desperate and needy for attention. Yet, Ebenezer only laughed again (goodness, his laughter was so nice – she could listen to it all day, every day).

“Fantastic! Would 8 p.m. work? There’s a fabulous restaurant on the riverfront called Estella’s that I think you’d enjoy.”

Estella’s on a Saturday night? The restaurant was well known for only serving London’s most upper of upper class. Without connections, it was nearly impossible to get a table.

“I’ve heard of it – it’s very exclusive! I-I hear it’s really hard to get in.”

“I think we should be fine,” Ebenezer said, his tone confident but not arrogant.

Unbeknownst to her, he was eyeing a reservation email in his inbox that confirmed the details of the dinner. He’d reached out to the restaurant’s owner and successfully booked the space before even calling to mention it to her. That way if she accepted his invitation, there would be no risk of him not being able to fulfill it. The last thing he wanted to do on a long-awaited date with the first woman he’d had a crush on in literal decades was not deliver on a first-date promise.

“Can I pick up at 7:15 p.m. or so? I know it’s early, but if we have some extra time beforehand, there’s a lovely lounge on the restaurant’s second floor with a nice artwork display. We could grab a drink or two as well. I-If you wouldn’t mind that, that is.”

“That sounds so lovely,” she answered. Heavens, how long had it been since she’d been on a date that sounded so nice? Why, it probably hadn’t been since before her marriage to her ex-husband, Orin. That would have made it over 20 years.

“Yes, 7:15 p.m. would work perfectly! I don’t think I live too far from you.”

As she gave him her address, she heard the click of a pen and the faint sound of scrawling. He was writing it down.

“Sounds perfect,” he said. “I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.”

He was actually going to drive her? Ebenezer Samuel Scrooge, one of London’s most esteemed philanthropists and self-made billionaires, was going to drive her personally?

“Oh, good! We don’t have a ton of parking here, but when I see your message, I can walk just up the street to the –”

“Nonsense,” he interrupted. “London’s winters are frigid! I’ll not have you walking and waiting in the dark. When I’m there, I’ll get out, ring the bell, and walk you personally.”

This all had to be some elaborate dream, she thought. Perhaps she’d fallen asleep during the movie after all and was just one nudge away from waking up and seeing that their phone conversation was nothing but an imagined flight of fancy.

“O-Okay, that sounds wonderful.”

“Excellent. Well, I won’t keep you, dear. I will tell you that I’m very much looking to our date.”

“Me too,” she revealed. “T-Thank you again for calling. I honestly can’t wait.”

“I’m glad to hear that, and I hope you’ll trust me when I say that it’s my pleasure.”

She laughed, an easy smile crossing her face. She leaned against the kitchen wall and sank down until she was seated on the floor, knees nestled just beneath her chin. “Well, I really hope you have a safe trip home. Goodnight, Ebenezer.”

“I certainly will,” he said. Then, after another beat, he said, “Goodnight, angel. I’ll see you Saturday.”

Constance ended the call. After checking to make sure she’d hung up the phone, even dialing another digit to hear a dial tone click in, she shot up and danced in circles. The woman was just about to run to the living room to alert her friends only to see that they were all waiting in a gaggle on the other side of the threshold.

“So?” Addie asked, already beaming.

“8 o’clock on Saturday,” she revealed.

Bess was the first to cheer and pull her friend into a tight embrace. “I knew it! I knew he would eventually do it!”

“Where’s he takin’ ya?” Gal asked. Upon hearing the answer, her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “Estella’s!? Blimey, he mighty does like ye if he's takin' ye to a fancy galley like that!”

“You think?” Connie asked, then giggled again as Addie hugged her tight.

“The real test will be the night of,” Eddie said, waggling her glass mid-air. “What he does during the date…and after.”

“I-It’s just a first date, nothing serious,” the redhead said.

Bess and Gal exchanged unconvinced looks. Addie hummed idly. Eddie all but snorted.

“Just don’t forget a change of clothes,” Eddie teased. “Or…do. He may like that more.”

Connie yelped and Bess only rolled her eyes at the older woman’s teasing. Meanwhile, Addie looked slightly lost in thought, eyes glazing at she rubbed her chin and stared with oddly serious intent at the floor.

“Addie?” the raven-haired woman asked. “You okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine!” she said, “I was … just thinking. Um, you said his name is Mr. Scrooge, right?”

Constance nodded.

“Ebenezer, or Ebenezar?”

“Um…Ebenezer?” Constance answered, her brow furrowing. “With an ‘er’ at the end.”

Without another word, Addie suddenly trotted back to the living room. The other woman trotted after to find her crouching on her knees, arm rattling around a small magazine rack they had under their end table. It was a common resting place for junk mail, catalogs, and other unnecessary mail items that didn’t have a purpose or deadline attached to them.

“Almoooost ...a-ha!”

Addie pulled a semi-smushed, rolled up finance section that had gotten mixed up in their morning newspaper delivery on accident. She flipped through it quickly before finding the page she desired. Then, splaying the pages open with her thumb, she held out the publication for the other ladies to view.

Right there, in the paper’s centerfold, was a featured article title: Scrooge Brothers Diversify Financial Portfolio with Expanding Philanthropic Efforts! Expert panelists weigh in…

There, beneath the headline, was an image of both men, side by side, engaged in some kind of presentation before a crowded room of onlookers.

One of the men was the man Constance knew from the coffee shop. Ebenezer Samuel Scrooge, the man who never ordered the same thing twice, complimented her skills, and remembered her birthday even when all her other coworkers had forgotten.

The other man beside him had the exact same face. Longer hair and a slightly sturdier frame, but otherwise, the resemblance between them was eerie.

Bess poked her head over Connie’s shoulder for a better look. Upon seeing the brothers featured, she grabbed the article and went bug-eyed. “No way.”

“Way. He’s a twin,” Addie said, “An identical twin!”

That had gone well.

Or, he thought it had … hadn’t it?

He allowed himself the pleasure of letting out a little laugh of relief. Bloody hell, he’d been so nervous about calling her. When he’s first seen the note she’d left him, he’d thought he’s been dreaming. Or, perhaps she was pranking him. Regardless, he’d tucked the note in the breast pocket of his coat for safe-keeping. Even the small scrap of paper carried the aroma of lilies and fresh pears, a perfume he’d come to associate with her. It paired quite nicely with the sight of her brightly greeting customers as they came in from the cold. After shuffling down the cold and sometimes hollow alleyways of London, the mere sight of her tanned visage and coppery hair was like glimpsing the summer sun.

Then, when he’d worked up the nerve to call (after the help of some liquid courage and from within the safety of an empty office) the sound of her voice had lured him into a sanctuary of further boldness. Each word from her lips was as clear as a bell, her articulation precise and her tone welcoming. Eager, perhaps. He certainly hoped so.

Ebenezer polished off the glass’ last finger of whiskey before pulling up a new tab on his laptop. After loading the website of a local florist he knew from their work at other charity events, he began to browse through the different flower varieties and arrangement options.

What flowers should he bring? Tulips? Too juvenile. Roses? Certainly beautiful, but still not quite right. Orchids? No, lilies! And sunflowers. An unconventional combination, he supposed, but it seemed so perfect for her. The lilies for poise and elegance, and the sunflowers for the way she lit up even the darkest days in the darkest city with just one smile.

As he clicked through different options, he saw the phone he’d temporarily set aside vibrate gently upon his cherrywood desk.

He was greeted by a text from his younger twin brother.

>>Ebenezar: I can see the office light on from my flat. What the hell are you still doing there? <<Ebenezer: I’ll be leaving shortly. I’m just grabbing a drink. >>Ebenezar: Must be a strong drink – you were pacing around the office with the loopiest grin on that mug of yours. Now, you’re browsing for flowers?

Ebenezer went to the window and yanked the blinds shut. Blast, he’d forgotten his brother lived so close to the damn office.

<<Ebenezer: Spying? Are you so bored at home? >>Ebenezar: I’m not calling on Yankee ladies like you. If that’s what you mean.

How the hell had he known? Blast, he must have heard him chatting about the phone conversation with Bob.

<<Ebenezer: Perhaps it would do you well. You’re handsome enough. >>Ebenezar: ‘He was hilarious.’ That’s what they’ll say on the day someone finally knocks you on the head for your smartass comments. <<Ebenezer: Pot, meet kettle. Like I said, I’ll be leaving shortly. Sorry to cut your entertainment short. When you start calling on Yankee ladies, I’ll warm them of your voyeurism. >>Ebenezar: Smartass wanker.

Ebenezer rolled his eyes and pocketed the device, quite content to abandon his post and get some sleep. It was getting colder out, after all, and Constance had expressed hope that he’d head home soon.

In a way, he wanted to honor her wishes, even if she wasn’t technically present to witness it.

The fact that she cared so much made heat flood his cheeks, and he suddenly doubted if he’d even need his winter coat anymore to keep his blood from freezing.

I really hope you have a safe trip home. Goodnight, Ebenezer.

His heart started again. The blush didn’t leave his face, even after he’d closed his laptop and shut off the lights.

For a man who enjoyed a productive and jam-packed workweek, suddenly Saturday night couldn’t come fast enough.

#scroogeverse #scrooge 2022 #scrooge netflix #scrooge x oc #oc constance dogoode

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