#Like if you think your partner should pay for everything that’s completely fine

[humormehorny]

And it so often does.

I feel like Anna Akana puts it best here:

was talking to my mom about the trend of (cis) (femme) women saying "i'm a feminist but men/butches/mascs should always pay for dinner" stuff and just. if i've said it once i'll say it a million times. feminism is not "being nice to women."

like if someone offers to pay for anything, you are not obligated to deny them For The Sake of Feminism. its a nice thing to do for a date or a partner. but for one, I think we should always be suspicious of treating things popular in patriarchal culture as something secretly feminism, especially when its related to how interactions between men and women should go. and two, putting yourself in a position as a marginalized gender, where you expect to be dependent on a cis man for financial support, is potentially dangerous. its good and healthy to establish financial independence. and three its just nice to have displays of equality and partnership in a relationship. idk man putting that kind of expectation on a partner simply for their gender/gender expression would make me feel gross and mean.

[akutasoda]

HEYYOOO me again :D

How abt bsd with ADHD s/o? Like zoning out, moving alot etc. quite childish and just silly fellow having fun instead of working :3 (me fr)

Mby Ranpo(bro should be ready for s/o stealing sweets), Yosano, Chuuya, Aku, Poe, Sigma(poor boy), Dazai and mby Nikolai? (if its not too much ofc🥲)

ILY STAY STRONG

you make everything precious

synopsis - how are they with a s/o thst has adhd?

includes - dazai, yosano, ranpo, chuuya, akutagawa, poe, sigma, nikolai

warnings - gn!reader, reader has adhd, fluff, slight crack, wc - 819

a/n: HII! :D you stay strong as well!

osamu dazai ★↷

↪you two were the absolute worst when it came to completing paperwork. you would most often zone out and that's fine but then dazai would encourage you to join in with his antics a little too easily.

↪energy practically bouncing off eachother as you two always seemed to have endless amounts. especially when it came to be childish at work.

↪dazai would also offer you his hands to fiddle with should you need to. he found a comfort in it, even if you zoned out half way through as you still did it subconsciously.

↪but should the time ever need you to fully pay attention, you bet he's great at helping you stay focused and on track.

akiko yosano ★↷

↪the absolute best for this sort of thing. she probably knows more about adhd than you do, so is very good at helping you out especially being so sweet with it.

↪short attention span that affects your work? she's got ten different methods to help ready. cant sit still for too long? she'll happily walk around and keep you company.

↪she finds your childishness rather endearing as you do rarely take it too far and she thinks it's rather cute sometimes. surprisingly loves your company in her office guaranteed she has no patients.

ranpo edogawa ★↷

↪you both are very similar in some regards. you both find it hard to hold your attention span on pretty most everything. and you both can be rather childish which then in turn seems to bounce off one another.

↪making both of your productivities go way down. but it's not like anyone can complain as you both eventually get stuff done.

↪however one thing that ranpo couldn't stand sometimes was when you got extremely bored and started hiding his things. more specifically his sweets - not eating just hiding.

↪but he never stayed angry for long as he often got them back and he really just couldn't stay mad at you.

chuuya nakahara ★↷

↪at first your childish nature did remind him of an old partner... a rather annoying one but you were different. he could actually stand your traits and find them endearing sometimes.

↪he enjoyed your antics sometimes as he always enjoyed seeing you so happy. however he also knew how to get you to focus when needed.

↪would also be more than happy to lend you his hands when he's near to fiddle with. he found it rather relaxingand you enjoyed fiddling with them so it was a win win.

ryunosuke akutagawa ★↷

↪he never really could keep up with your energy. he really didn't understand how you had so much so often and so often just let you do your thing and he'd do his.

↪ sometimes you would get bored and decide to hang around him. unintentionally annoying him but due to his own thing and he'd sort of try and make you stay still - ultimately failing.

↪would hate it should you zone out somewhere that put you in danger. always lightly scolding you for it. eventually became an expert at stopping you zoning out.

edgar allan poe ★↷

↪ another one that could often be stumped with your seemingly never ending energy. never being able to keep up with you and your childishness.

↪but he always found it rather endearing and would always watch you with a fond smile. karl also became a victim to your boredom as he cured it quite well.

↪ initially didn't know what to do when you zoned out as nothing seemed to break your trance but eventually snapped you out of it.

↪ always looked for ways to help you in day to day activities you may struggle with. but loved how openly childish and silly you always were.

sigma ★↷

↪can't keep up with your energy part 3.

↪he has no clue how you have so much energy practically all the time. he admires it but is more confused than anything. that doesn't mean he doesn't like it.

↪he loves how childish you can be, especially because if it's in a more private location he can also indulge in you activities and feel free in a way.

↪his hair would make for a great distraction. and he happily let you play with his hair when you got bored or fidgety. he probably zones out with you.

nikolai gogol ★↷

↪another one that bounces off your energy. you both radiate such childishness and silly behaviour that it fuels the over to the point the other is practically encouraging the other to do more.

↪loves every little quirk that comes with your adhd. he either helps you with some or completely makes it worse by encouraging more childish behaviour.

↪ another to gladly lend you his hands to fiddle with. that or his cloak. especially because no matter how far away he can always offer you his hand.

[loverslodge]

leading up to the date

You have been very unlucky in love. You were a thoroughbred romantic but that definitely wasn't a good thing when it came to actual experiences.

You had been in quite a lot of relationships, none of which lasted more than six months. Now, here you were, at the ripe age of 30, wanting to finally settle down and have a consistent lovelife. But when has your plans ever worked out for you? With no potential partner and an exhausting dating scene, you were worn out.

So you decided to do what you do best. Watch rom-coms, cry over how perfectly the couples fit each other and have wine and pizza.

You got tipsy, more on the drunken side and a thought popped in your head. So you opened your email and did the one thing only a drunken desperate idiot would do. Send emails to every famous crush of yours to ask them on a date for one night. You were feeling generous so you also added that you will pay them $10000 for their troubles. You wrote a few of your conditions and it was a surprise that for a tipsy person, your email was well written.

…………………..

Three months had gone by and you had completely forgotten about what you had done. Honestly, when you woke up the next morning, you thought that either the people you emailed to will either spam it, delete it or laugh at it. So you laughed at how ridiculous it was and just went on with your days.

You were working from home that day, luckily, and things were going just fine. You were on a lunch break when you heard two pings from your email box. Thinking it must be work, you popped open to see your personal email had received two replies. The subject line glaring at you and your breath quickened.

You had received responses, on your three month old desperate email. By one Steve Rogers and one James Buchanan Barnes. They both had agreed to every terms and conditions and were asking when it would be okay to meet for the date.

You spent two days contemplating. Should you even agree? Did your drunken thoughts even matter? Even if you do agree, whom will you choose? You liked them both. Of course you didn't know them personally but their public presence has always attracted you to them in a way. They were the two men about whom you've daydreamt, occasionally with a vibrator but also, respectfully.

On the third day, you decided that it would be best to leave this decision on both of them. Make them choose who wants to stay for the date. Because you were really using up a lot of your money to pay one person. Why try and lose sleep when you can throw the ball in their court?

You opened their emails and sent them the exact same reply saying that they can meet this Saturday at your usual cafe and then plan from there. Surprisingly, you received both their replies within an hour agreeing.

………………….

Life had been very unforgiving to Steve and Bucky. While they did have women fawn over them, they were having a hard time dealing with the female fanbase.

Bucky tried it once, one night stand with a fan. It did not end well. She had to be dragged away by security and Bucky started questioning what went wrong. He withdrew completely. He did flirt but that was the end of everything. He called it healthy flirting, good to practice just like training.

Steve, after witnessing this, drew back even more. He had been in love with Peggy, still. Seeing Sharon, he saw hints of Peggy in her and so developed a relationship with her. It didn't end well. After just two months of trying, Steve found the relationship exhausting which it shouldn't. He talked to Sharon about it and they both deemed it best to end things while they were ahead. They were just colleagues now.

But one fine day, in the middle of the night, both of them received the same email. A random woman had asked them out on a date and was willing to pay them $10000 for their efforts. Well, not them together but individually.

They were sitting together when this happened. They found it ridiculous and joked about it. Later, bidding each other goodnight, when they were in the comfort of their own room, they both actually started thinking about the proposition.

They both asked FRIDAY, separately, privately, to look into this email. They wanted to make sure they were not being lured into something unknown. All they received was a photo of yours and very clean data. They started thinking about this more.

Finally, they both mustered the courage to email you back saying they agree. Both Bucky and Steve wanted to add that they don't need money but thought they will refuse the money once the date is over.

Steve never actually wanted to date again. He had his chance to go back to Peggy but he didn't want that either. He saw her life flourish and he wanted her to rest now. He said yes to your email mostly because he found it interesting. Also, it was for one day. It was a no strings attached offer and it will help him get his mind off of his stagnant love life.

Bucky found this entire thing funny. But he said yes regardless because he wanted to talk to the brilliant mind that came up with this. But somewhere, in the back of his mind, Bucky also thought that this idea of one day romantic excursion without expectations was titillating.

Steve and Bucky were having dinner together when they both received your email confirming their email and set up the day and time. They both pretended that there was something very important in their phone and agreed to meet you.

The rest of the week was torture for both of them. They wanted to tell each other about this thing but also wanted to hide because who in their right mind would agree to something like this?

They spent the rest of the week separate. The rest of the team found it weird but did not question it. They didn't want to get in the middle of whatever was going on.

As Saturday rolled by, Steve left almost two hours early for the date. He didn't want Bucky to ask questions. He went to a local florist and bought three pink roses for you.

Bucky also wanted to be sneaky so he waited till he heard nothing but silence to leave the compound. He went to a local florist and bought three pink roses for you.

[agi-ppangx]

💭fake dating (100 followers special)

chan | minho | changbin | hyunjin | jisung | felix | seungmin | jeongin

"yn, it's 7 in the morning," changbin mumbled after he opened the door, rubbing his tired eyes. "what's so important that you're already here?" he added, looking at you. you took a moment to stabilise your breath and when you did, you instantly started to ramble. "you remember this guy i was kind of dating recently? well, we kind of broke up and now i need someone to go with me and attend my sister's wedding. and that's why i'm here - will you please go with me as my boyfriend?" changbin's eyes were wide open right now, his face full of shock. he looked like he was seriously taking this into consideration, but then a simple "no" left his mouth. "binnie, please… i'm her maid of honour and i promised my family i will bring my boyfriend and now the wedding is in a few days and i really don't know what to do. if you want i can even pay you, just please help me from embarrassing myself in front of my family," you desperately pleaded, though you were starting to feel defeated, losing your hope.

it's not like you cared so much about what your old aunts and cousins are gonna say, but you told your sister months ago that you'll bring your 'other half' to her wedding and now it was too late to change your mind. except you didn't have an 'other half'. in the past few months you've dated three different guys but none of them stayed with you longer than a couple of weeks. something just didn't click, so now you were all alone, feeling hopeless and you started wondering what your excuse is going to be.

changbin was examining your face carefully. he noticed your sad expression and he sighed loudly. "don't you think it's going to be weird? y'know, you introducing me as your partner…" you looked at him dumbfounded and let out a slight chuckle. "bin, c'mon, we've known each other for four years and we've done so many silly things together. it's just gonna be two days and that's it. please, i'm desperate," you didn't give up. you noticed his expression getting softer and finally you heard him mumble. "fine. but after the wedding i expect you to take me to some fancy restaurant." you giggled at his words and trapped him in a tight hug, thanking him over and over again. he huffed a soft laugh, amused by your behaviour. you eventually let go of him, letting him breathe. "i'll text you all the details. thank you once again, i owe you!" you exclaimed, leaving his apartment.

you picked him up on saturday morning and drove to the wedding hall. you explained everything to him - where's his changing room, at what time he should be ready and where you were going to be in case he needed your help. as a maid of honour you were supposed to spend the whole time with your sister, helping her with make-up and outfit.

the ride was peaceful, you two didn't talk much, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. it just felt right, listening to music in a car with changbin, occasionally cracking a joke. you didn't notice, but as you were focused on the road, changbin was stealing glances at you from time to time.

"okay, this is your room - you can leave your things here and get ready," you told him when you arrived at the hall. "i'll be there, down the corridor. if you need me, just text or call me," you added and changbin nodded. you waved at him with a soft smile and soon disappeared around the corner. he stood there for a while after and then shyly entered the room in order to get ready.

at the same time you struggled with your dress, desperately trying to get it on as quickly as possible. it wasn't your style at all, if you were picking it, the dress would look completely different, but since your sister was in charge of the outfits, you had to agree to wear it. besides, it was only for a few hours, so you figured it couldn't be that bad. "yn, someone's calling you!" you heard your sister say from across the room. she was sitting in front of the vanity table where you left your phone. you quickly managed to zip the dress and rushed to pick up. "hi binnie, do you need anything?" you said as soon as you heard changbin mumble your name. "yeah, um… that's quite embarrassing, but is there anyone who could help me with my tie?" he blurted with a faint huff. you giggled softly at his words, finding it oddly endearing. "sure, can you give me like two minutes?" you asked and changbin responded with a simple "mhm" before he hung up.

you knocked at his door only a few minutes later and when you heard changbin's voice, you entered the room. you saw him sitting hopelessly at his bed, his tie loosely hanging from his neck. changbin looked up from his phone and his jaw immediately dropped when he saw you in your gown. "are you sure it's not you who's getting married? you look stunning" changbin whispered the last part, his shocked expression made you laugh out loud. apart from the dress your appearance was rather messy - you were wearing a random pair of sneakers, your hair and make-up was undone and overall you looked miserable. but somehow changbin still reckoned you were the prettiest, though he didn't vocalise his thoughts. "okay, show me this tie," you hummed and changbin stood in front of you. you took a quick look at what was happening and you went to work. you started from the scratch, carefully forming a knot and when you finished you slightly adjusted the tie on his neck and smoothed the fabric of his suit. when you looked up you met changbin's eyes and for a brief moment everything around you stopped. it felt as if something shifted, though you weren't exactly sure what it was. eventually, you cleared your throat and took a step back. "i think i- uh… i should go get ready. i'll see you in a bit," you uttered and quickly made your way out of the room before changbin would say anything. your face was burning and you were sure no amount of foundation and concealer would be able to cover the evidence of you blushing.

changbin was way too good at talking and entertaining your family. within the first hour he was able to make friends with half of your cousins and gain the approval of your parents and aunts. "you make such a cute couple!", "i suppose you're next in line, right yn?", "his eyes say everything!" you heard from them and surprisingly it didn't make you uncomfortable at all. in fact, it strangely felt right, with changbin by your side holding your hand and placing a soft peck on your temple from time to time. god, what was happening to you?

"i think we're quite good at this whole fake dating, don't you think?" changbin asked you later when you were dancing to a slow song some of the guests picked. his arms were secured around your waist while you laced your fingers around his neck. you faintly smiled at his words, his piercing gaze was making you shy. you felt this weird urge to take him far away from all of those people and kiss him until both of you would run out of breath. "what are you thinking about?" he hummed, his soft voice bringing you back to reality. "you," you responded simply, gathering all of the courage in yourself. now or never, you thought. changbin's eyes widened in disbelief, but shortly after a smirk appeared on his face. he understood. you leaned a bit, stopping halfway through as if you wordlessly wanted to ask him for permission. changbin was quick to respond and closed the gap between you two. for the second time this day you felt as if the world stopped around you, but you didn't mind at all. after a long while you two broke the kiss but didn't really pull away from each other, your foreheads touching while you were still swaying to the music. "i suppose it's me who should take you to a fancy restaurant now, am i right?" changbin giggled, making you blush.

feedback and reblogs highly appreciated🫶🏽

[ohmyamor]

ateez as college bfs during finals

it's my finals week and head hurty but crazy form good hnngjdnjgnjdf

hongjoong

will help you study but only if you bribe him a little

it's not that he wants to see you fail

he definitely does not want that

but at the same time

you would most likely do just fine studying on your own

he has a sneaking suspicion you just want to bother him

it's not until you bring out the "I'll do whatever you want for the next two weeks" that he's quick to agree

would he use this promise to his advantage? absolutely

hongjoong would help you study but then once you pass (you'd definitely pass with his help), he'd be quick to make you buy him food or pass him the blanket that is literal inches away from him

if you want to pass, you could also guilt trip him into helping you study by saying you'll just go to your TA

who's a man..

your same age...

hongjoong is real quick to whip out the flash cards after that

unless you give him a hard time, then he'll personally take you to the TA's room himself

7/10- would help you study but is all the work he would make you do after worth it?

debatable

seonghwa

absolute king

would drop everything to help you in the blink of an eye

he's got the studying playlists on youtube

anything you want to listen to, he's got it

lofi? yup. asmr? check. dark academia aesthetic? absolutely

color coded notes, flashcards, practice quizzes up and running

can seem a bit overwhelming at first but seonghwa gives me the vibes that he would just know you so well

and therefore he would know what type of studying or work environment you thrive in

and you're his baby, he wants to see you succeed :((

if you ever get frustrated or overwhelmed, seonghwa would 100% have your favorite drink and snack ready

some coffee to stay awake? whatever u need, some tea to relax? bet, he's got the honey and everything

your number 1 hype man frfr

10/10 need him in my life

yunho

honestly, also really good to have around during finals

strikes me as the type of bf to kind of sit with you and also silently work alongside you so you don't feel lonely

does that thing when you're writing a paper or smth and you look up to think of the word you want to use and the two of you make eye contact and he'll send you a wink and a big smile

little motivations yaknow

would also definitely use the pomodoro method

has a timer on his phone for every 45 minutes and when the time is up he'll gently shut your computer and grab your hands and just chat

would be the best person to bounce ideas of off

"yuyu, should I say this or this?"

and he would give genuine feedback

if you need help studying for an exam, yunho might not know all the answers but you can bet he would be right there with you watching videos of people working out the problems

gives you little high fives when you both get it

9/10 might get occasionally distracted by his beautiful blinding smiles but honestly a pretty solid study partner

yeosang

mans is just there to vibe and honestly same

i dont wanna say he has absolutely no clue what's going on

because he does listen to you and he does pay attention when you talk about your classes

but at the same time, he doesn't really give me the vibes he would be as great at studying as some of the others

more there for moral and emotional support than anything

might feel bad he can't be of more help so he tries his best to listen to your lectures if you're at home, but man, it sounds like a different language somebody save him

would definitely make sure you're eating and resting well though

"sweetheart I think it's time to take a break"

"yeosang I just need to finish a few more problems :("

"you can do it after you eat something, it'll be easier to finish with a clear head and a full tummy"

crying screaming throwing up

would otherwise leave you to your devices tbh

doesn't want to distract you but also doesn't want you to be completely alone in case you forget to take care of yourself

8/10 man is doing his absolute best and we love him for it

san

honestly this could go one of two ways

he could either be the most serious, hella studious mf you've ever met

or he could be the most unserious, menacing bitch you've ever met

it all depends on his mood

serious san is in the mf ZONE

he's got the glasses on, he has his notes out, comfy sweater and gray sweats ON

ready to give you a mom look every time you get distracted

at one point you'd probably try to play footsies with him and he just kinda stares at you over the top of his glasses with one eyebrow raised and you just slowly return your gaze to your work

that being said

glasses ON, sweats ON, absolute fucking menace

teasing you fs

maybe not even like in a sexual manner, just tickling you and cracking stupid jokes because he wants your attention

WILL kiss your neck and tell you "you're so smart baby, you're going to pass no matter what"

your will power needs to be better than the lords because LORD

what san wants, san gets that's all imma say

5/10 you don't know what you're gonna get and it's scary

mingi

im tired of the mingi is dumb allegations

mans is smart as hell, not only in math but also the amount of lyrics and songs he helps to produce??

studious mingi is one hell of a study partner

it might be a little bit of a learning curve at first, especially if you're the type of person to want to chat or bounce your ideas off of someone while you're working

mingi gives me the vibes that he would be dead serious and focused while working

so it might be a little intimidating at first

you look up to ask a question and he's sitting there, eyebrows furrowed and fingers flying across the keyboard

and you're like damn i don't want to disturb him so you swallow your question and move your eyes back to your work

but mingi is also very observant, so he definitely notices that

"what's up baby?"

"mmmm nothing" you mumble, trying to figure out this particular problem

he'll shut his laptop off and scoot closer to you

wordlessly helps you figure out whatever it is you're working on before giving you a small kiss to your forehead and moving on

8/10 he can be the stem major to my humanities major

wooyoung

let's be fr, not the best study partner you could ask for

love wooyoung with all my heart but mans gets distracted easy as hell

has probably tried the pomodoro method but it just doesn't work for him

sitting for longer periods of times just makes him antsy yk

i get the feeling he'd be the type of person to get one of those moving desks that goes up and down and then puts a treadmill or smth under it because he needs to be moving or else he'll get very distracted

do NOT take this man to a cafe to work, he will do everything but study

especially with the people watching

"babe look at that guy over there, his shoelace is untied"

"that girl's shirt tag is sticking out, should I say something"

"the barista spilled that woman's drink"

if you're okay with background noise, it probably wouldn't be too bad....

until he starts wanting attention and now he's playing footsies with YOU

"woo, babe, I really need to finish this, it's due tomorrow"

"so you don't love me is what you're saying"

and now two hours have passed and you only have half of an assignment done

will buy you food and/or coffee to make up for it

"sorry for distracting you, you don't need a degree, your ass is great"

3/10

jongho

scary

scary studying man

has everything organized to a T, do NOT touch his notes unless you're okay with dealing with the 3 days of silent treatment afterwards

im jk

maybe...

no but fr, jongho takes studying seriously

if you ask him for help, he would probably be the best bet besides seonghwa or yunho

but this shit is like boot camp, okay? so be prepared

no fooling around on jongho's watch

you want to pass, guess what baby, you're gonna PASS

does that thing where if you're not getting something, he might not explain it to you, just re-asks the question louder

"what's 3 + 4?"

"6"

*sighs* "WHAT'S 3 + 4?!"

or might just stare at you blankly when you try to joke around

mans acts like he's training future CIA members or something

once you do finish studying he's back to regularly scheduled bear bf but studying??

only for the strongest soldiers

6/10

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

[coryothesub]

I imagine President Coryo at a very important business dinner with his first lady, and she starts touching him under the table, he doing his best not to make noise. (Jajsjsjjshs... I need Therapy)

All hail to Mr. President himself finally making appearance on this blog and of course deep down he’s just a desperate little sub...

nsfw / mdni / president!sub!coryo / firstlady!dom!reader

“No, I am not buying you that dress!” Your husband shook his head in disapproval, making you pout.

“But it's so pretty!”

“Just look at that cutout, it would put your cleavage on full display, it's totally inappropriate for the first lady,” Coryo pursed his lips signaling it would be useless to argue. His decision had been made.

“Alright, Coriolanus!” You looked at him, a spiteful smirk adorning your face. You knew he was gonna pay for this.

You were always acting like a perfect wife in public. You dressed modestly and elegantly, toned down your voice, always just smiled and nodded, no matter what you were told. You knew it was essential for the young president’s image. A quarrelsome and rebellious wife would tarnish his reputation. 

You gladly let him have it knowing that you would always be the one to have the upper hand in bed. He was completely under your control as soon as the bedroom door had closed behind you and that was more than enough for you.

But that dress was just so damn cute and it came from the new Capitol Couture summer collection! Coriolanus usually had an impeccable taste, but this time he was just wrong. And you had to get some fun out of that situation even if you couldn't get it your way.

So later on while you were sitting by your husband's side at one of his important business lunches, a sinister idea came to your mind.

“We're about to sign this state contract with the  Manufacturers League of District 1 for supply of luxury goods,” he had explained to you earlier. 

“Everything has been prepared, it just needs my approval.”

The approval turned out to be taking a few long hours, Coryo continued to query the business owners, he was meticulous as ever. You were sitting at the table, smiling, nodding and pretending to be interested as usual, not letting anyone suspect that you were bored out if your mind and all your thoughts kept leading back to that dress. It would look so good on you while riding your handsome husband's cock.

One of your hands, previously resting neatly on your lap, reached out to your right and landed on Coryo’s thigh.

He didn't pay much attention at first, not until you started caressing him, all your attention still on his unsuspecting business partners.

You noticed Coryo starting to mix up his words, he was not used to you behaving like that in public. A little smirk appeared on your face, still subtle enough for no one else to notice.

Your hand glided in between his thighs starting to make circular movements dangerously close to his most sensitive area and he gave you the look. It lasted only for a split second but you could clearly read it as “Don't!”

You had no intention of stopping though, quite the contrary, you moved even higher and started palming his dick through the fine fabric of his perfectly tailored pants.

Coryo swallowed thickly and one of the men across the table raised his eyebrow. Of course he had no idea of what you were doing but the President seemed to be acting a bit unusual.

When you grabbed Coryo's cock and squeezed it gently through his pants, your husband had to clench his jaw to avoid letting out a moan. You noticed that he was getting desperate and he looked so damn hot like this.

“The fabric mentioned on page 63,” Coryo spoke in a slightly shaky voice. “It says here that it's very pleasant to the touch, but I don't think we’re going to order it.”

He gave you a quick glance. 

“I think it comes for too high of a price.”

“I don't think we should spare any funds for pleasure of our dear Capitol citizens,” you added, looking at your husband innocently while your fingers unzipped his pants masterfully, a little trick you had learned during your secret little meetings under the strict supervision of your parents before getting married.

You quickly found your husband's half hard cock and ran your thumb over the velvety tip, causing Coryo to let out a sharp gasp.

“President Snow, are you alright?” The man who had previously raised his eyebrow now sounded slightly concerned.

“Don't worry, Sir,” you took over the conversation seeing that Coryo was using up his strength to keep composed.

“It's too stuffy in here, Mr. President just needs some fresh air.”

“Yeah, that's right,” Coryo mumbled under his breath as he loosened up his tie a bit.

He glanced over at you sitting properly wearing your mandarin collared blouse and a chick designer jacket. You were fully covered up, but Coryo couldn't help imagining your soft warm breasts underneath. Got, he just wanted to grab them and squeeze them right now.

Your poor husband was trying to focus on the papers before him, but everything was now just a blur, everything he could think about was your hand pumping his cock at an easy pace making sure for his business partners not to notice your movements.

Coryo was now a complete mess, desperately clutching at the contract copy in his hands, aching for his release. You just loved to see him pathetic like that, completely under your control.

“I'm sorry,” he finally gave up. “My wife was right, I think I should really get some air. Maybe we can continue tomorrow.”

You smirked and nodded, zipping him back up with a swift move. Poor Coryo had to use his contract copy to hide his massive hard-on while shaking hands with his business partners before he left.

“What's wrong, darling? Was the meeting too hard for you?” You giggled and disappeared into the bedroom before your husband managed to catch you.

As soon as you opened the door you noticed a Capitol Couture box laying on your bed. He had actually bought that damn dress, wanting to surprise you. And you had turned his business lunch into a real torture.

“I'm sorry,” your voice sounded genuine hearing him entering the room and standing behind you. “I didn't know that…”

“I’m afraid sorry won't cut it, my dear wife,” Coryo murmured, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind. You could feel his prominent erection pressed firmly to your derriere.

“Please, mommy! I need you to take care of me!” He whispered under his breath, slightly embarrassed by his submissively pathetic addiction to your pussy.

You closed your eyes and exhaled deeply imagining his massive cock stretching you out, while you were showing off your new dress.

It almost seemed like your husband had the actual ability to read your thoughts.

“I think it's time to consecrate your new dress…”

[dullgecko]

To go with my earlier ask I was thinking more about goblin tail flirting (I love that as a thing now) and what would be considered particularly forward/almost indecent.

I’m thinking that touching the tuft and anything below a halfway point is fine but the higher you go the more intimate it becomes.

So Fabian maybe gets annoyed with rizs thrashing tail hitting him in the face from where he’s perched on his shoulder or in an attempt to calm him down grabs rizs tail near the base and in a clearly jokingly intense way tells him to stop or he’ll pass him to gorgug to sit on instead (his second favourite perch, he likes being taller than most for a change).

Only the goblins who can’t speak common see is Fabian suddenly grab rizs tail way too high up (scandalous) and say something very intense they can’t understand.

The entire hoard just look at each other like 😳

Also if it is ever brought up to riz; maybe someone congrats them on his relationship to Fabian, or one of the bolder teens just straight up asks how sex works between them “cause ya know he’s like twice your size?!”

Either way poor riz is incredibly embarrassed and desperately tries to explain that no him and Fabian are not dating or fucking and no they definitely don’t need a separate room in one of the more sound proof section of caves.

I don’t think riz would immediately say anything to Fabian and the rest of the bad kids but they definitely notice how upset and embarrassed he’s suddenly become and manage to eventually get the info out of him. Xx

Riz only realised that he should have stopped Fabian from being so unintentionally grabby well after the point where it would have saved him the embarrassment. He had a good excuse at least, basically noone in Elmville even knew about goblin social graces or how physical contact could be interpreted differently. It was easier to just view everything through the eyes of a Solesian and move on with your day. Getting into a fight because someone insulted you or groped you unintentionally wasn't worth it so Rizs default reaction was to just let it go.

His problem this time though was that they were currently surrounded by people who DID know those social customs, and were currently holding them to them. Fabian had no way of knowing that what he just did was the equivalent of shoving your hand up your partners shirt in public, the INTENT wasn't there and that was the important part.

His friends were used to treating him with some care but he still hadn't had a chance to teach them everything. These goblins were gracious enough to forgive the weird tall-men for any minor blunders they made anyway.

Riz had mostly zoned out by this point, safe from any harassment on Fabians shoulder, and had settled into people watching mode. He was currently watching the girls on the other side of the cavern, some tiny goblin kids trying to teach them how to play a traditional game. Adaine must have used one of her few remaining spell slots (kristen and fig were completely out due to a fight earlier in the day) to cast comprehend languages at some point because she seemed to have caught on pretty well.

He was so focused on watching the game that he'd stopped paying attention to his own fidgeting. Tail flicking in such a way that he accidentally thwacked Fabian in the face with the tuft. The move earning him a flinch and a surprised sputtering g from the fighter.Riz was about to apologise for the affront but the words died in his throat with an embarrassing choking noise because, in an effort to stop Rizs tail moving and hitting him again Fabian had reached behind him, grabbed the base of his tail and /squeezed/. From Fabians point of view the manoeuver had the intended effect, because the goblins tail went completely limp as if his spine had been snapped.

"If you don't stop you're going to loose perching privileges. You can sit on Gorgug for the rest of the night." Fabians tone was playful but Riz absoloutly did not absorb what he'd actually said. Brain having ground to a screeching halt as he tried to switch gears from 'those goblins were grabbing me like that to flirt' to 'Fabian is grabbing me like that because he doesn't /know/ any better'.

"Hrkkgh." Nope, try again Gukgak that's not a word. Riz swallowed, relaxing his hand on Fabians shoulder from where he'd clenched down to the point his claws had almost punctured his armor with a shuddering sigh. He was glad they were more geared up than usual for this mission or there would have been bleeding.

"Sorry. My bad. You can let go now." The rogue sounded a little more strained than he meant to, having absoloutly whiffed his attempt at deception to make it seem like nothing was wrong.

Fabian gave him a sceptical look, releasing his tail even as he readjusted his seating position slightly so he was cross legged. Riz sweaing when the fighter suddenly pitched forwards to dislodge him from his perch with practised ease so he landed with an 'oof' on the balled up battle sheet in his lap.

"You can't fool me that easily The Ball." Fabian said with some annoyance, grabbing the base of Rizs tail again (more gently this time) so he couldn't scamper away.

"I knew that little shit that upset you earlier did something. You should have told me you were injured when it happened I would have gutted him like a fish."

"It's wasnt something worth fighting over I'm not even - ow what the /fuck/ Fabian." Riz flinched and hissed the last few words, baring his teeth because Fabian had flicked him on the ear with the hand not holding him in place with a grip on his tail.

"You are going to shut up and let me check to make sure nothing is broken or dislocated. If it IS I will force feed you a potion, I know they're in limited supply but letting a spinal break set wrong will cause issues in the long run and Kristen and Fig are tapped for spells." Fabian said matter of factly, pinning Riz down as he started squeezing at his tail again. Starting at the base and carefully feeling to make sure nothing was out of place or broken as he worked towards the tip.

Riz brain fully stopped producing coherent thoughts at that point and he tried very hard to focus on NOT biting the armor on Fabians thigh that was right in front of his face. He was suddenly very glad they'd been forced to wear more armor than usual or they WOULD have to use one of their few emergency potions. The rogue also having to remind himself that there was no amorous intent involved right now; Fabian was just worried he was injured and was conducting a medicine check.

Huffing when Fabian finally stopped and released him from the pin Riz reached around and thumped him in the side with the side of his fist.

"Nothing broken, but if hurts that much you should get one of the girls to heal you in the morning" Fabian shrugged, leaning back against the wall and getting comfortable.

Riz hit Fabian lightly again, flinching and whipping around to face the rest of the cavern when the elderly goblin woman from earlier laughed from where she was still trying to feed Gorgug with the others.

"THATS how you do it elf-lad. You shouldn't have stopped it looks like he was enjoying himself." She heckled, one of her friends rolling her eyes and handing something to her. Apparently someone had just won a bet of some kind. "Or do you two perhaps need somewhere a little more private now?"

Riz sputtered, belatedly remembering that they were in fact currently in a room full of other goblins. Face blushing all the way to the tips of his ears as he tried to duck down to hide more in Fabians lap.

"He's not... we're not... it's not LIKE that." Riz protested, voice breaking as he tried to curl up smaller. Critically failing on an attempt to stealth as he tried to get under the battle sheet and disappear.

His prayers to Cassandra for the ground to open and swallow him whole went sadly unanswered, but he redoubled his efforts when one of the teens from earlier came over and crouched down to speak to him.

"You should have just said your boyfriend was the possessive type. Niktlek was worried he was going to attack him since he's been glaring at him all night." She whispered, glancing up at Fabian who just looked incredibly confused by the commotion. "I mean, he could always join us if he wanted to though you'll have to explain the logistics. How does it even work with you two... is it proportional?"

Riz made a choking noise, covering his face with his hands which muffled his voice substantially.

"We're not /fucking/, gods we're not even. NO. Thankyou. We're not interested. I'M not interested. At all. Ever."

The teen shrugged, eyeing off the rest of his party before trotting over towards the girls. Riz had so thoroughly curled in on himself to hide that he missed Fabian mouthing 'what the fuck was that' to a thoroughly confused Adaine. The elf shrugging and looking just as perplexed; even though she understood what the goblins were saying she had totally missed the events leading up to it.

Fig was grinning like a maniac though because she totally had caught everything. She had also been pretending not to understand what anyone was saying for the whole night because it would spoil the surprise she'd been working on for months. The bard may have also been doing a bit of extra study on goblin customs as an addition to learning the language and 100% knew why Riz was suddenly so horribly flustered.

[gracev0609]

You Look Really Good Like That...

Josh X Danny X Y/N

A blurb within the Iced Chai Universe... The one where Josh and Danny get body modifications.

WC: 800

Warnings: The Iced Chai Universe is 18+ only!, mentions of sex, body modifications.

The three of them got out of the car walking closer and closer to the front door of the tattoo parlor. Josh was rambling, a little anxious about leaving Hazel with his brother for the afternoon.

“I'm just worried about her, that's all!’

Y/N squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him,” I know you are. But, Jake has it covered. It's only for a few hours, they'll be fine!”

Danny held the door open for his partners ushering them inside, he was meeting with his artist today, and getting a new piercing.

After filling out all his necessary paperwork the three of them were brought back to the piercers room.

Danny sat down on the chair, while Y/N and Josh stood with their backs against the wall waiting with him for moral support.

As his piecer grabbed all the tools necessary to complete his piercings he took his shirt off, handing it to one of his loves.

Y/N couldn't help but stare at his chest, imagining the way he was going to look in a few minutes,” You're going to look incredible baby.”

Josh smiled, playing with Danny's cut up tee shirt in his hands,” So fucking hot Danny!”

The piercer lined up the dots on his nipples making sure they were even before sending him off to inspect the placement.

“Perfect! They're going to look amazing! I'm super excited.”

Danny grit his teeth muttering curses each time the needle went through his nipple. Josh's jaw hung slack, his husband looking so fucking fine. He realized he wanted the piercings for himself.

“Um! Do you have time to do mine too?”

Danny's piercer smiled,” Yeah of course!”

Danny looked at Josh,” Really?! You're going to look so good Josh.”

After Danny was done, the piercer set everything up for Josh. They repeated the process except this time Josh audibly said,” Oh fuck!’ each time the needle passed through his nipple.

“God damn! My chest hurts, it really feels like big needles went through them.”

Turning to Daniel,” How are you not complaining?”

Danny chuckles,” Wasn't that bad I guess.”

Y/N tries to stifle her snickering, knowing that Danny often likes the pain in the bedroom so why should getting pierced be any different.

As they filtered out of the piercers room after professing their thanks, they went over to where Danny's tattoo artist was set up. Y/N retrieved a bottle of water from her purse, cracking it open and handing it to Danny.

“Thank you love.” Danny said before taking a few long pulls of the liquid.

“Gotta make sure you stay hydrated since you're torturing your body today.”She giggles, reaching for his water.

“Im fine, I'm fine. S’why I had a big breakfast this morning.”

After a few hours Danny was finally finished, he stood inspecting the new tattoo on his opposite bicep. It was a beautiful smattering of hazelnut tree leaves, buds and nuts following the contours of his arm.

“This looks incredible! Thank you so much!,” he turns to his artist,” I know Hazelnut trees aren't the most beautiful thing, but you made it so lovely. It's perfect for my daughter.”

After Danny gets wrapped up and pays his artists they get back into the car. Her head swimming, thoughts of how incredibly delectable her partners look with their new body modifications. Gently she shifts in her seat, clenching her thighs together attempting to calm herself down.

Danny smirks, his hand coming over to pat her thigh,” You okay love?”

She nods her head agreeing as his fingers massage into her plush muscle,” A little hot and bothered?”

“Yeah…. You both look so hot!”

Josh's face appears over her shoulder and his arms wrap around her and the seat. His hands travel to her chest, thumbs gently rubbing across her nipples,” Pretty baby thinks we look good with these pierced, huh?”

“Josh!” She whined, back subconsciously arching pushing her chest further into his hands,” Do you think we could go home first before we pick her up?”

Danny tsk’d, “ You know Jake said he has plans this evening, we can't be late.”

She huffed, settling back into her seat and crossing her arms making him move his hands. She knew she was pouting, but she couldn't seem to care to stop.

Josh leaned over the seat yet again, placing a kiss to her cheek,” You know… you could always come to the back seat with me love.”

Whipping around to face she exclaimed,” Joshua! I can't believe you!”

“I was just offering if you don't want to wait sweetie.”

She shook her head, laughing in disbelief.

“I can wait until tonight. I want to ogle the both of you anyway.”

[lvrcpid]

confessions — modern!au

you felt as thought you could projectile vomit. you were going out. with neteyam. alone. of course you two have hung out before, the fact he lied to you just to make sure you said yes was a little fishy to you. nonetheless you rolled yourself out of bed and rummaged through your closet, huffing and puffing as you couldn't seem to find anything the suited the occasion.

you settled on a outfit after 5 minutes before quickly putting on your shoes, bolting downstairs to meet the faces of your confused parents. "and where do you think you're going?" your father was quick to stop you, your mother barely sparing you a glance. they're going out with neteyam, let them be' your father quickly understood before opening the door for you. , on cue neteyam pulled up with that cocky smile of his. you bid goodbye to your parents before walking out of the door, watching as neteyam got out from the drivers seat, opening your door for you. i see you couldn't wait for me you just quickly got into the car before he closed the door.

the drive to the mall was..fun to say the least. neteyam was blasting his playlist while you sung the lyrics next to him. you had to constantly keep reminding him to slow down or you two would get a ticket, to which he replied i'm the cops, they should fear me!' you couldn't help but laugh at his statement and smile. unbeknownst to you, neteyam caught himself staring at you a little longer than normal, completely mesmerized by you. on the outside he looked fine but on the inside he was freaking out, he was finally going to tell you how he felt about you.

when you two arrived to the mall, neteyam was quick to pull you into h&m. he has a very strange obsession with everything in there. you both spent 45 minutes playing dress up and walked out of the store with nothing. it was typical for you to walk hand in hand with neteyam so when you wrapped your hand around his, he wasn’t surprised. but he still couldn't get over the feeling of your hand against his.

so (y/n)..uh..do you have your eye on anyone?' the question took you aback. yeah i do, you. of course you didn't want to say that, what if he didn't feel the same way you did? you just shrugged your shoulders and looked at him. 'maybe, what about you?' you turned your head to him. yeah i do, but i'm scared they won't feel the same way' you honestly felt your heart shatter in that moment. so he didn't feel the same way about you. you just frowned a tad and nodded, looking away from neteyam.

neteyam caught wind of your frown and internally celebrated. he knew he had this confession in the bag.

you two had stayed in the mall for a few more hours, making your rounds at all different stores, hitting the pretzel place about a good 5 times and walking out with only three bags each. neteyam didn't let you pay for a thing and of course since he works at foot locker he gave you a free pair of shoes.

the drive back to your house was filled with lots of laughs and jokes. when he pulled into your driveway he frowned a bit, looking at you with a sad smile. 'well, we're here" you looked at your house and nodded, taking off your seatbelt sadly. just as you were about to get out of the car, neteyam quickly stopped you. "(y/n) wait. there's one thing i need to tell you' you quickly sat back down in your seat and nodded, ‘of course neteyam anything.’

the boy sighed before speaking. you know how i told you i liked someone..that someone is you. it's always been you and it will always be you. you're in my thoughts when i wake up..when i go to sleep..and i can't bare the thought of not being with you any longer..so what i'm really asking is..(y/n)..will you be my girlfriend/boyfriend/partner?’

[jazzthatonewriterchick]

Hit ‘Em Up! (18+ Fic)

Pairing: Cowboy!Gojo Satoru x Cowboy!Geto Suguru x Black!Cowgirl!Reader (Slow Burn/Enemies to Lovers)

Synopsis: You get to meet Geto & Gojo the Gunslingers, the notorious outlaws that have every town and law enforcement in a twist, when your bum-ass BF offers you as payment to avoid going to prison. Little do they know that this is only a part of your plan to get what you desire. But when you realize that the infamous gun-slinging, smooth-talking cowboys could be everything you want and more when they offer you a deal to team up with them, will you successfully be able to go through with it? 

Warnings: Smutty Smut; 18+ (MINOS GTFO); poly!SatouSugu; Reader is Black & Fem; Mention of other JJK characters; Porn with Plot; Tragic Backstories; T/W for Childhood Trauma, Parental Death, Violence, Panic Attacks & Torture; Angst/Hurt/Comfort; Hand Kink; Masturbation; Voyeurism; Gay Sex; Polyamorous; Double Deepthroat; Mutual Oral; Fingering; CMNF; Spitroast; Riding; Unprotected PiV Sex; Creampies; Outside/Public Sex; Shotgunning; Multiple Positions; Spit Kink; Facials; MDom/fsub Undertones; Aftercare

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!

Writer's Note: I wanna take this time to thank everyone for continuing to read & support this story. I can't begin to express my gratitude & love for all of you! I feel like the updates for his story have been lacking a bit since I've been in school. Now I'm starting work this week, I'm afraid I'll become slower w/ updates, but I won't give up on his story. I love it so much. Even if it takes me till December to finish it, I WILL. I hope y'all enjoy! -Jazz

Chapters: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen PT I & II. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One. Twenty-Two. Twenty-Three. Twenty-Four. Epilogue + Soundtrack.

********

FOURTEEN: SWEET MEDICINE.

You wake up the next morning to a blinding light. 

At first, you think the snake bite got you and you’ve officially entered the afterlife, but then you hear Gojo’s voice. He is laughing and singing, his voice loud and off-key. You also hear the sound of running water. 

Once your eyes adjust, you find yourself lying beneath the trees in the same spot you feel asleep in. You slowly sit up, naked underneath your blanket and your foot elevated. You’re not in any kind of pain from the bite. Surprisingly enough, you don’t feel anything, but that doesn’t scare you like it should. 

Instead, you feel thirsty. You have a burning in your throat that can only be quenched with water. Any normal human being would simply go get water, so you do just that, not even paying any mind to the fact that you’re completely buttnaked. The early morning summer breeze cools your balmy skin as you walk through the forest, following the sound of the running water and Gojo’s awful singing. 

When you finally make it to your destination, all thoughts of water suddenly leave you at the sight of your partners in crime soaking in the water. The trees have given away to a beautiful creek and waterfall where cool, refreshing-looking water rushes freely down into the creek Geto and Gojo occupy. The water luckily hits their waist, so you don’t see anything below. 

You stand behind a tree with a thick tree trunk, shamelessly watching the outlaws scrub their arms and legs, sinewy with muscles and fine hair, with handmade soap and fern from pine leaves. Gojo faces you, his pecs and stomach glistening with water, while Geto has his big, muscular back to you.

“Would you please stop singin’ that song?” he groans, exasperated. “Other songs other than “Texas Hold ‘Em” exist, Satoru.” 

Gojo laughs, his blue eyes glistening in the sunlight. “But it’s the only song that matters right now!” he protests. “Don’t act like it ain’t catchy!” He continues to sing, his voice echoing among the empty forest, as loud as the rushing water. 

Geto shushes him, splashing him. “Keep your voice down! She’s probably still…” Gojo suddenly goes quiet, his eyes meeting yours across the way from where you stand. Geto turns around, his eyes aglow at the sight of you. “Oh, never mind.” 

“Hey, you!” Gojo cheerily says, breaking out into a smile. “You woke up just in time! We’re almost done if you want a dip. How’s that foot doin’?” You don’t answer, instead silently staring at them. You greedily drink in their bodies, hardened and scarred by years of their outlaw lifestyle. 

“Y/N?” Geto blinks at you, confused and worried about you not talking. Holding his beautiful, mahogany eyes with yours, you slowly reveal yourself to him and Gojo, stepping into the sunlight. Their lips part and their eyes widen at the sight of your naked body. 

Slowly, you stumble towards them, but Geto quickly reaches over and stops you, his arms blocking you from walking any further into the creek. “Whoa, whoa, wait,” he protests. “What are you doin’, little miss?” 

You twist toward him in his arms, smiling at the way the sunlight sparkles in his eyes. He’s so handsome. “You look so good,” you sigh. “I want you…want you to fuck me now.” Your hands trail down his chiseled chest, down his stomach, and farther down, down down— 

Geto quickly grabs your wandering hands, stopping you from moving down any further. “Hold on just a sec,” he says. “W-We can’t–” 

“He can join too,” you add, nodding at a shocked Gojo watching from afar. “I can handle two of y’all. Just let me show you…” You lean in towards the black-haired outlaw, your eyes trained on the same lips you felt on your body last night. 

“Wait, Y/N, stop,” he firmly says. His expression is hard, but worried. “Don’t do this.” You take that as a sign of rejection. He doesn’t want you. Suddenly, you feel burned and your lip wobbles as a random rush of tears begins to break. “Don’t you want me?” you sniffle. “Don’t you…” 

A sudden wave of nausea stops you from talking and you press a hand to your forehead, suddenly light-headed. Geto presses a hand to your back, rubbing it gently. 

“Y/N?” he questions. 

You open your eyes to look at two of them, but find there to be four, spinning and whirling and mixing into one another. “There’s four of you,” you giggle, gripping Geto’s forearms. “I-I feel funny.” 

That’s the last thing you say before you feel yourself lose your head and fatigue fall over you. Your knees crumble and you go limp in Geto’s arms. “Y/N!” Geto shouts, that being the last thing you hear as darkness overtakes you. 

*********

The next time you wake up, you see another blinding light. Now you really think you’re dead. 

“Oh, good,” an unfamiliar, deep voice says. “You’re awake. I was so sure you wouldn’t wake up at all.” 

When your eyesight adjusts, you turn your head to your head to find a handsome blonde man sitting in an armchair reading a book and drinking coffee. A white lab coat drapes over his blue button-up and slacks underneath, glasses perched on his nose. You squint at him, unsure of why he seems so familiar to you. 

When you see his eyes, that night at the train tracks comes rushing back to you. You sit up immediately. “It’s you!” you exclaim. “What are you doin’ here?” Once you do sit up, you regret it and press a hand to your pounding head. 

Nanami smiles at you, closing his book. ‘Well, you’re in my infirmary,” he chuckles. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Ms. Y/N.” 

Infirmary? Now that your vision has cleared more, you take a look around the strange room: polished wooden floorboards, butter yellow walls, and a wooden nightstand where a covered bowl of fruit and a glass of water sit. You sit in a comfortable bed surrounded by machines, including an IV in your wrist. These machines and the paper gown you wear prove Nanami’s words correct. 

Nanami rises from his seat, places his book on his chair, and walks to the window. “Where am I?” you ask. “I mean, other than in your infirmary.” He twists the blinds open, hitting you with rays of sun and a sight of apple trees blossoming with pink flowers outside your window. “Willow Springs,” he answers. “Your friends brought you here about three days ago. They rode like hell to get you here after you–” 

“Wait, wait,” you cut in, your eyes widening at the newfound information. “I’ve been here for three days?” Nanami nods, closing the blinds the minute you begin to rub your temples. 

You try to backtrack your steps and remember the last time you were conscious. You see flashes of the Devil’s Trail and its hot, sandy trails; the snake lashing at your ankle; the starry night sky; Gojo and Geto’s eyes. They’re all just flashes. No clear, cut memories you can focus on. “Why the hell can’t I remember nothin’?!” you exclaim. “Why can I–oh, my head hurts.” 

Your head feels like it’s about to explode with how hard it’s pounding. Not to mention how parched you are. As if reading your mind, Nanami passes you the glass of water along with the bowl of fruit. “Relax, eat and take a sip.” 

You do as he says and take a long sip of the water before taking off the lid on the bowl and popping a strawberry into your mouth. The sweet, juicy, tarty taste of the berry explodes onto your tongue and you tingle with pleasure. Nanami watches you from afar, arms crossed. 

Then he begins to relay more information to you: “After you were bit by that snake, the venom had a prolonged spread, meanin’ that it didn’t spread as quickly in the first few hours after you got bit. But after some time, probably during the night into the next morning, it slowly spread throughout your veins. Your immune system couldn’t fight the toxins, so that’s why you fainted at some point and were unconscious for so long.” 

He comes over to the end of the bed and takes hold of the warm cotton blanket covering you. “Brace yourself,” he says before peeling back the blanket to reveal your foot. 

You gape in horror at your foot tightly wrapped in bandages, your toes slightly red and peeking out of the handmade boot. “Oh, my God,” you gasp. “Look at my toenails!” They are black as if some kind of fungus has formed underneath them. 

“Those will clear up with the antibiotics I’ve been givin’ you,” Nanami explains. “As I said before, the Gunslingers rode like hell to get you here and immediately made a call to me to ask for help. Since you’ve been out, I’ve been takin’ care of you.” 

You blink up at the doctor, your heart fluttering at the mention of the Gunslingers. They brought you here? “They thought you were dead when they brought you in,” Nanami solemnly continues. “If they would’ve waited a day longer to bring you here, you would’ve been.” 

You don’t even want to think about that. “Where are they?” you ask. “Where’s my horse?” 

“All stayin’ at a bed and breakfast ten minutes away for the time being while you recover,” the doctor replies. “They’ve been visitin’ you daily, so they’ll be happy to know that you’ve awakened.” 

Once again, your stomach flaps and flutters like a jar full of butterflies at the mention of the gunslinging duo. Not only did they rush to bring you here while you were on the brink of death, but they also have been visiting you. You sip your water to hide how much this affects you. “Well, thank you for the help, Kento,” you say, “but I need to–” 

“I’m sorry, but you can’t go anywhere just yet,” Nanami interrupts, his tone soft but firm. You blink at him, confused. “You’ll have to rest at least for another week and gradually move on to walkin’ again. But you will walk.” 

You gape at him, wondering if he’s deadass. A week?! You can’t afford to lose a week of lying about when your target is out there somewhere…and probably looking for you. “Listen, I can’t be here right now,” you sternly argue, peeling back the blanket. “I have someone after me. Benji the Bandit–” 

“Doesn’t know you’re here,” Nanami says, putting the blanket back on you. “And before you ask, yes, our sheriff knows you and the Gunslingers are here, but he agreed to keep you here until you’ve recovered and as long as you don’t cause trouble. I doubt you’ll do much of that on that foot.” 

He nods down at your tightly wrapped foot that could scare even the hardest man alive. You sigh, realizing he’s right. You can’t do anything right now. “Thank you,” you say. “I mean it and…I’m sorry I’m so paranoid.” 

You feel embarrassed for acting the way that you do. Suddenly, you remember Geto’s words that he said to you on the Devil’s Trail: “You’re too hellbent…too reckless…” 

You wither with shame, realizing that he’s right. The reason you were put on those train tracks and bitten by that snake is all because of you and your stupid decisions. Maybe a week stuck in a bed is exactly what you need. Maybe it’s God’s way of telling you, “Slow the fuck down, my child!” 

Nanami shrugs, looking like it couldn’t bother him less. “Don’t mention it. I told you already that this town respects what you and the Gunslingers do for those who’ve been victimized by troubled folk.” You smile, feeling good about that. You didn’t realize so many people respected you other than feared you. 

The door suddenly creaks open and a young man with fluffy, pink hair and a bright smile pokes his head in. “Oh, she’s awake!” he says. “Mr. Nanamin, there’s an old couple downstairs who wants to see you, sir!” 

Nanami nods, already walking to the door. “Thank you, Itadori.” The pink-haired boy’s smile grows wider and he pops out of frame. “Excuse me for a moment,” Nanami says, taking his glasses off and placing them in his coat pocket. “Help yourself to the rest of the fruit.” 

He then closes the door and leaves you alone to your own devices. You sit there and chomp on the sliced apples, oranges, and strawberries before you hear the door creak open once more. “She’s right in here,” Nanami whispers. “Just please be gentle with her. She looks like she’s had a rough journey.” 

Your heart leaps, thinking that it’s the Gunslingers coming to see you. Though these visitors aren’t, your heart still pounds as fast as a hummingbird’s wings at the sight of the old couple standing before you. 

The woman wears a floral blue dress and matching flats, her silver hair that you remember always playing with when you were younger tied into a long braid going down her back. Her face has more lines than before, aged with time, but she still has those loving brown eyes that remind you of those chocolate chip cookies she used to bake you, warm and sweet. 

She covers her mouth at the sight of you, her eyes glassy and the gold band on her ring finger gleaming. It’s nice to know that after all this time, they are still together. “Y/N,” she tearfully sobs. “Oh, my darlin’, it’s really you!” 

You feel tears begin to push past your eyes too when you recognize them. “Mama,” you whisper. “Papa.” 

Her husband, who has more prominent lines and wrinkles in his face, takes his cowboy hat off of his head, showing off the same salt-and-pepper hair that he has on his chin. He wears a flannel and slacks with a corduroy jacket that you remember him always wearing. 

“Sweetheart,” he gasps. “Thank God, you’re okay! We’ve been worried sick about you, my love!” 

Mr. Eren and Mrs. Yuri Tokyoami immediately rush to your bed and stand on either side of it. They don’t touch you immediately, too afraid of startling you or possibly accidentally ripping out a wire, but they still take your hands in either of yours, gripping them tightly. 

You can’t believe it. You can’t believe your parents are here after all this time. “How’d you find me?” you ask, shocked. 

“We’re year-long patients of Dr. Nanami,” Yuri explains. “Your father needed his knee fixed years ago and we mentioned him to you.” You look at Nanami who only smiles, silently watching by the door. 

“Minus the outlaw part,” Eren chuckles, placing his hat at the foot of the bed. “I guess he put the pieces together once you were here and he called us immediately. We moved here three years after you left ‘cause the taxes got too high. After I sold the old farm and Yuri’s apprentice took over the bakery, we bought a much bigger farm here a couple of miles down the road.” 

The gears in your head turn slowly, processing all of this newfound information, but when your dad tells you that they moved to Willow Springs three years after you left home, you pause. “Y-You’ve been livin’ here this whole time?” you shakily ask. 

He nods, his expression confused. He doesn’t understand. He can’t understand. Neither one of them could ever. 

For so long, you’ve been wondering where they are and if they still lived in Elden’s Valley. You resisted the urge to go home, to call, or to even write a letter. You wondered if they still missed you or if they were still looking for you…if they even remembered you. 

And here they are now, aged with time and yet still so full of the same love they had for you years ago when they found you in that cart of flowers. 

You burst into tears again, covering your face. Yuri places a hand on your back, comforting you. Then you feel both of their arms around you, finally being embraced by the people you love most. “I’m sorry,” you sob. “I would’ve sent a letter or called if I knew, but I couldn’t–” 

“Honey, we know,” Yuri coos, caressing your hair. “We’ve seen you in newspapers and on those ‘Wanted’ posters. All we could do was pray for you to be safe and to one day come back to us.” 

To hear that be made perfectly clear to you—that they never forgot you—makes you cry even harder. “I’ve done so many things!” you cry. “Papa, I-I’ve–” 

“Hush now, darlin’,” he shushes you, pressing your head into his chest. He smells of tobacco and mint like he always has. “You’re still our little girl. Our flower, no matter what you’ve done in life. We could never be disappointed in you, my love.” 

You clutch his jacket and cry, cry, cry, letting all of your pain and longing come up to the surface. And at some point, Nanami leaves the room to give you time alone with your family who cry with you. 

*******

 That night, after your parents leave you to head back home, you spend the night in Nanami’s infirmary where you’re visited by two ghosts of your very recent past. 

Those ghosts being Geto and Gojo the Gunslingers. You’re chomping down on your dinner of assorted fruits, a spring salad, and green tea (Nanami insisted you eat light for now) when you hear a sudden knock at the door. Nanami has retired to his home, leaving the overnight staff to watch over you. 

You turn, expecting to see one of his aids or nurses there, but your stomach flips when you see Gojo standing there in his cowboy attire, hat and boots included. He only thing different with him are the sunglasses he has on instead of his blindfold. He looks like the fourth blind mouse with them on, but you also find them endearing. 

“Well, look who decided to join the land of the livin’ again,” he jokes. He takes the glasses down, giving you a peak of his blue eyes. “Did a bad dream wake ya, little miss?” 

Geto slides through behind him, taking his black cowboy hat off while Geto keeps his on. His hair is tied into a ponytail, the simple yet sexy hairstyle accentuating his handsome face. “It’s good to see you up, Y/N,” he sighs, sounding relieved. “We were worried.” 

They walk farther into the room, Geto taking a seat in the chair beside your bed while Gojo leans against the wall near the window. You sit up in the bed, feeling slightly embarrassed for them to see you in such a state. You can tell that Geto is genuine too when he says they were worried and you think back to Nanami telling you how hard they rode to get you here. 

“Thank you,” you softly say. Gojo smiles, happy to hear you talking. “We’ve got another visitor here to see ya.” He peels back the curtains to the window and raps lightly on the glass. 

A familiar, long face with big, black eyes and a silky fur appears behind the glass, staring at you. “Reneigh, darlin’!” you joyfully shout. As if hearing you, her ears wiggle.  “We’ve been takin’ care of her while you recovered,” Gojo explains. “Just brushin’ her and braidin’ her hair. She’s a sweetheart.” 

Hearing that they’ve been caring for your horse while you were unconscious makes your heart flutter. You pass it off as being grateful for their generosity. You take. sip of your tea, breathing in the steam, herbs, and lemon. “Nanami told me y’all visited me while I was out.” 

Gojo nods, moving to pick an orange slice out of your fruit bowl without asking. You let him do it. “Had to make sure you were okay,” he says like it’s so obvious. “Y’know, we thought you were already dead when we brought ya here. You felt like a limb noodle.” 

“Well, snake venom will do that to ya,” you chuckle. The duo laughs along with you. “Y’all met my parents too, apparently.” Geto’s eyes light up with recognition. “Oh, the farmer and his sweet wife?” he asks. You nod, inwardly cringing as you remember your parents mentioning the two while they were here. 

While Yuri was rather happy about the idea of the two being your friends, Eren was less than approving. “You’re friends with the Gunslingers?” he asked, sounding extremely perturbed by the idea. Yuri laid a hand on his arm, calming him. “Eren, honey, they saved her life,” she argued. “And they were so nice to us!” 

You gaped up at them, almost dropping your glass of water. “Y’all met them?” you gasped. 

Yuri nodded, smiling fondly. “Oh, they’re such gentlemen,” she gushed. “They came here to visit you at the same time as us one day and we learned that they rode ya in here. Such sweet men, they are.” You still gape at her starry-eyed expression, the gears in your head slowly turning. Geto and Gojo met your parents? 

Eren grunts indifferently. “They may be sweet, but they’re still wanted outlaws.” 

In that moment, you see yourself in him like you’re looking in a mirror. You would have said this same thing months ago before you met Geto and Gojo. All outlaws were the same to you…until them. And you need to defend them. “And so am I, Papa,” you argued, placing your hand on his bigger, wrinkled one. “They don’t kill innocents. They go after evil people, just like me!” 

“And they saved her life,” Yuri added, her eyes loving yet firm as they stared into her husband’s. “Just give ‘em a chance, dear. Y/N did and they seem very happy together.” She turned to you, still starry-eyed and excited. “So how long have you known ‘em? When’s the wedding?” 

You blinked at her, confused. And then you went hot with humiliation. “H-Huh?!” you stammered. “No, Mama, you’ve got it wrong! We’re just friends!” 

Eren looked relieved while Yuri looked like you just shot her. “See, Yuri?” he sighed. “Always jumpin’ to conclusions. She’ll get married when she gets married!” You didn’t ask why your mom seemed so overjoyed about you marrying two of the most notorious outlaws in the Wild West, but you didn’t want to know. 

You flush as you look at the two now, Yuri’s question about marriage still bothering you like a pesty fly. “So how were you two handlin’ things?” You ask, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible. 

Gojo points at the fruit bowl questionably and you nod, rolling your eyes. Now he decides to ask? He plucks a strawberry out of the bunch this time. “Eh, it’s kinda weird bein’ in one place for so long, but we’ve gotten used to it. It’s pretty nice to sleep in a clean bed and take a shower every mornin’.” 

“We’re stayin’ at a bed an’ breakfast for now,” Geto explains. “Just until you’re healed up, but we don’t really have a timestamp on how long we’ll be stayin’ there for.” 

“And it’s for free!” Gojo happily announces, his joy over such a thing endearing to you. “The old lady who runs the place told us she loves us for our work, so she gave us the room free of charge.” He smirks at you. “To tell ya the truth, I think she just wants to fuck us.” 

Suddenly, a series of memories come flooding back to you: the starry Western skies; the moonlight turning the tips of the trees silver; the softness of Geto and Gojo’s hair between your fingers; their calloused hands; their wet tongues and soft mouths; Gojo’s piano fingers sliding inside of you while Geto plays with your— 

You press a hand to your head, wincing at the embarrassing memories. Now they decide to come back to you of all times?! Geto notices your discomfort and places a gentle hand on your knee. “You alright?” he asks, concerned. 

When you flinch at his touch, he notices and quickly backs off, afraid that he hurt you. “Y-Yeah,” you reply a little too quickly. “M’fine.” You cough into your hand, attempting to recover. “So when are we thinkin’ of gettin’ back on the road to find Benji?” you ask, changing the subject. 

The duo look at each other, silently speaking to one another, and you can see that you said the wrong thing. Gojo quickly sprinkles some sugar on the awkward moment though. “Whoa there, girl,” he chuckles. “Relax! You just woke up from a venom-indunced coma. Can’t the Bandit wait till you’re better?” 

“But I am better!” you protest despite your black toenails and throbbing foot. “Nanami said I should be good in a week, so we can leave then.”

Geto becomes the voice of reason despite your disagreement with him. “You need rest,” he soothingly says. “We’ll have plenty of time to go after Benji once you’re 100%, but for now, just take this time to recuperate.” You think about his and Gojo’s reactions to holding you almost-lifeless body and give in to the duo’s “suggestion”. And just like that, it’s settled. 

“So what’s this about us gettin’ married?” Gojo asks, plucking another orange slice from your fruit bowl. “Your mama seemed pretty animate about that.” He gives you a smirk as he goes to peel the slice, but you snatch it back before he can. 

“Please shut up,” you sigh while Geto laughs. 

[carionto]

I just wanna know if it'll work!

The Monolith!

A massive perpendicular structure - 1 meter deep, 4 meters wide, 9 meters tall - with a perfect 81 centimeter diameter circle cut, with its center 64 centimeters from the top.

Naomi Glasnikova was grinning like mad. She couldn't figure out where to put squares of 4, 5, 6, or 7 in the design without overcomplicating things, so decided to just forego them. It'll be fine, she's sure everything will work out just as planned.

What is the plan, her fellow scientists from the Coalition species ask? To see if placing ominous black metal alloy structures around a planet with primitive lifeforms will make their brains go "Oh, this is different, I should... *think* about it. Yes. Thinking is a thing I can do now. Thus, with the power of thoughts I can look at other things and go "Oh, what if I did this!" and make myself evolve into a civilization (once I figure out how to come up with prerequisite concepts)."

Is the inner dialogue Naomi was having. Her colleagues, both Human and Alien alike, had long abandoned the idea of trying to talk to her about her projects. She would just get into this deep staredown with you while simultaneously not paying any attention to your existence. Her mind begins to race with the possibilities, the what ifs, who dunnits, why nots, etc., and after a few minutes of complete stillness she would suddenly rush out, writing furiously on her digi-pad, often bumping into chairs, tables, walls, other people, one time she almost vented herself from the station. They put a micro-tag on her pad that would wirelessly turn off nearby lights at any intersections that didn't lead to her office. She subconsciously veers toward bright lights.

This latest monolith project came about after one of her equally eccentric interns (nobody knows where they come from, she just seems to naturally attract ones with similar brainwaves or something) showed her an ancient fictional documentary about possible technological developments in the early 21st century. The image of this simpler monolith instantly embedded itself into her mind.

WAIT! I've got it! Four groups of monoliths arranged in different patterns. The group of 16 will make a perfect square. 25 a star. 36 a hexagon, and 49 a... hmm heptagon would be too similar, and it doesn't look right no matter how you shape it.... hrrnnn No wait, a seven layer circle! One in the center, fourteen in the outermost and the rest... I'll do the math later. The areas will need to be perfectly cleared and flat too. Oh! Line patterns on the ground itself. Ones that show core scientific truths! One of the primitives will surely one day follow the lines and map them out either in its brain or on a simple data recording apparatus and see Science! They'll be so stunned! Gotta write that down, get one of the helpful people (her interns, whose names or faces she doesn't even know, yet they don't care either. Look, it's weird, but their kind of non-relationship works out somehow) to begin production. They will need to be made of non-corrosive alloys, of course. Each with a different core metal though. But then the color might change. No paint, that is an unnecessary element. Hmm... Evolution will take millennia, hopefully a few less with my help.

Last month her focus was on making a fully transparent species of frogs to see whether they would go extinct due to being unable to see their partners, or overrun the ecosystem. Nobody has seen the results of that yet.

We also don't know what she's actually a PhD of. Her diploma just says applied robotics, and it is a legit diploma from the Henderson University of Greater Estonia. But her published thesis is on viral infection vectors in sub-tropical moths. We thought she might be a fraud, but the science checks out in whatever she has put out so far. Whatever she is, she is allowed to do whatever she wants. Like most scientists out on these stations now that I think about it.

What are we even doing here, other than... Science?

Mmmm, fuck it, unlimited funding. Let's go!

[colderdrafts]

wait, wait!!

the creature is acting and talking in such annoying way that they get in reader's nervous, so the reader starts saying snarky things back and talking about how morgan is the best partner they could over have (and I don't know what else im just giving out ideas im terrible at writing dialogue lol)

(Continuation of another ask! When you finally get Morgan a night out and someone gives you a hard time about it) Love this idea. A little piece for this scenario below. R takes defensive positions :)

The idle conversations have started up around you again. Finally.

It’s always too eerily quiet when you and Morgan first arrive somewhere. At least until people realize that you’re not going to attack anyone. Now, you just need to relax, too.

The inside of the tavern is fairly standard of the common-folk world. Craftsmanship of the facilities are wooden and rustic, having several spots for comfortable seating. There’s a single bar managed by a large hare-woman, a scent of inebriated people and food in the air. The interior is bustling with common-folk utilizing the area for their late night rest, and a well-deserved drink after a long day’s work. From gruff-looking wolves to a sleek falcon, common-folk intend to get their fair share of winding down. And tonight, you and Morgan have joined them.

Well, 'joined', is perhaps generous. You’ve found a secluded corner to sit in, and most others make sure to stay a good distance away from you. You try to pay it no mind; Morgan is not exactly welcome in these spaces, after all. And, as their companion, neither are you. But, you’ve managed to convince the hare at the bar to provide an actual roof over your heads for the night, and food is on the way. That’s something. It might even smell like progress.

It took a lot of convincing on your part for Morgan to even consider spending a night in a place like this. Too many people, too little space to move around. Too exposed. But you’ve paid a hefty sum for a room, having an actual bed to look forward to, and a good meal that’s actually been stewing, and came from a pot. You're not about to give that up.

And so far, your efforts have paid off. Everything's been going surprisingly well, mostly. Even if Morgan's been switching between speaking with you, and keeping an eye on anything and everything moving inside the tavern. It’s an odd mixture. Their confidence might allow them to not be completely on guard, but their constant monitoring of vibrations in the air might make it difficult to stop.

To be fair, most patrons inside of the tavern seems hellbent on keeping an eye on Morgan, too. Perhaps it’s sensible they’d return the favor. Your arachnid companion has their usual unseemly aura in place, like just daring anyone to try and oppose their being here. It might fool a common-folk, but you can see what they're doing. It's a defense mechanism; you can't be hurt if you can't be approached. You really wish they didn’t think this was necessary.

But this is supposed to be a fun night out. You intend to make it so, in any case.

“Could you please calm down your feelers?” you ask Morgan, when they’ve been aloof for a little longer than usually. They’re staring dead ahead at a point behind you. You tap at their front leg with your foot to snap them out of it. “I think we’re fine.”

“Oh, I am completely calm,” Morgan purrs and smiles widely, still not looking at you. They don’t even blink. “That pale lizard over there, however, is clearly not.”

You glance over your shoulder at said lizard. Sure enough, the white scales of his head seems like they should be an angry red, judging by the way he’s glaring your direction.

“Well, obviously he’s not if you keep staring at him like that,” you argue, switching tactics and gently pulling at their hand instead. “Come on, can we just have a calm night? No fights, no threats, no blood, just – I want you to have a good time, for once.”

“Me?” Morgan grins, finally severing eye contact with their opponent to focus on you. Their hand promptly curls around yours. “Since when have you become so nice to me? Not that I’m complaining.”

Ugh. You knew you should never go there with Morgan, but perhaps that’s what’s needed. Give an inch, and all that. You’ll just have to hope they won’t take more than their usual mile.

"I've always been nice," you assert. "You just haven't earned experiencing it."

Morgan laughs, nodding at your hand in theirs. "So, what did I do to earn this?"

“Our dinner’s ready,” you deflect, noting two stewing, deep plates that’s just been delivered at the bar. Excellent timing. The barkeep’s eyeing you a bit excessively, perhaps reluctant to call you up. Simultaneously, she probably does not want Morgan to come collect the food.

Morgan’s eye darts to the bar. “I’ll go-”

“Sit,” you bark at them before they’ve even stretched a leg. The less risk of them bumping into someone, or, gods forbid, someone bumping into them, the better. “I’ll get it.”

You walk away before they can protest, ignoring the feeling of Morgan’s eyes burning into the back of your skull.

The barkeep looks relieved when you approach, and hands you your food. She holds onto the bowls momentarily as you grab them, preventing you from leaving quickly.

“Could you please tell your custodian to stop staring at my patrons?” the hare hisses lowly, urgently, ears flat against her head. “It’s making people uneasy. I gave you a room, but I don’t want-”

“YEP!” you interrupt, flashing her a strained smile. “I’ll get right on that.”

The barkeep narrows her eyes at your rudeness, continuing. “And when you sleep here, I don’t want any noise or unnecessary nightly wandering-”

“I know!” you interrupt her again, pulling at the food to get her to let go. You don’t have the time, nor patience, for the usual complaints. You need to get back before-

The barkeep's long ears suddenly stand up straight. She sucks in a startled breath, fixating on a spot behind you. Right. That.

You groan, and turn around, leaving your precious food in the barkeep's hands.

Morgan is unfortunately standing up. And, in front of them, is the very lizard they’ve spent the night staring at.

Said lizard is up in Morgan’s face, spewing words you can only imagine are not words of fondness. Either he's very brave, very good at fighting, or very drunk. Possibly all three.

By contrast, Morgan looks unpleasantly nonplussed, like they're casually wondering where best to grab on and start tearing.

“No,” you seethe. Absolutely not. Not tonight.

You march across the tavern in long strides toward the pair, prepared to put an end to this fight before it even starts.

“-don’t care where, but you’re not staying here!” the lizard’s voice reaches you through the idle noises of the crowd.

Morgan looks up at your approach, still not looking particularly affected, albeit slightly amused when they spot the look on your face.

You force yourself into the small space between the pair, your back against Morgan’s front. You suppress a shudder when you feel their hands softly coming to rest on your shoulders.

The lizard steps back once you do so, narrowing his eyes at you. He opens his mouth to say something, but you cut him off by leaning into his space.

“I spend one night, trying to have a good time, that’s not inside a cave, high up in a tree, or sleeping on dirt, and then you-!” you scold the lizard-like person. “- just had to escalate things!”

The lizard takes the verbal hit silently and stares at you, baffled. Perhaps he’d not expected you would take up this fight. He frowns, regaining composure. “Listen here-”

“No, you listen!” you spit. Morgan's face enters your peripheral vision, a genuine surprised expression minutely replaced by a shit-eating grin full of teeth. You ignore them. “We want to stay in taverns sometimes! Why can’t you let us have that?”

“YOU are alright!” the lizard states with a hiss. He points a clawed finger at the large arachnid behind you. “That monster you’re hanging out with is not!”

“Monster?” Morgan scoffs and pouts, feigning hurt. “Why, you've barely seen anything. That’s a little excessive, don’t you think?”

“Not when it comes to you,” the lizard snarls back at them. “You nasty red-eyes especially."

"I think my eyes are pretty," Morgan says.

"Can’t believe you didn’t get snatched," the lizard continues, not listening. "Should’ve nailed you when they had the darn chance. Better off dead than adult.”

A miniscule pause is what changes this entire interaction. It’s not often Morgan reacts to the usual slander people throw their way. And if it wasn’t because of your bond, you probably wouldn’t have noticed it would be any different this time.

But there’s just the slightest little twist of their energy shifting, like being splashed with cold water. The comment hit something. Morgan's face doesn’t falter a bit, expertly holding up the nonchalant, unaffected facade. But their claws are scraping across the wooden floor, their grip on your shoulders tightening ever so slightly. You can feel their energy reaching for you to calm down, almost on instinct. For once, Morgan seems slightly, genuinely, upset.

You step into the lizard’s space again without warning, shoving him backwards and out of your corner. Interrupting your fun night out is one thing. Suggesting your companion should’ve been killed as a hatchling is quite another. You’ve just about had it.

“That monster has treated me better than any of you ever did,” you fume, walking the offender back to his own spot. “You lot have done nothing but cause problems. What gives you the fucking right to be judging life and death?”

Morgan doesn’t intervene, but their presence behind you is heavy and reassuring. Their energy is fluttering around you, leaning into your anger. Letting you know you’re not fighting alone.

“You’re completely brainwashed,” the lizard laughs coolly, waving you off. “As always. It’s filthy, the shit they do to your minds. I don’t know what I expected. I almost feel bad for you.”

Brainwashed?

Perhaps it’s the heated moment. Perhaps it’s just because you want this incredibly hostile person to leave you alone. Perhaps it’s because you just want to have the final word, and prove a point.

But your hands almost acts on their own when you spin around, grab Morgan’s arms, and pull them down towards you. They follow your instruct without complaint.

Without warning, you cup their face, and plant a firm kiss smack on their lips. Morgan’s eyes widen in surprise. Then excitement. You hear them purr deeply as they relax into your grip, reveling in the softness you've suddenly bestowed upon them.

When you let them go their hands are on your waist. They don’t stop chittering as you turn away from them again to face the threat.

“I don’t care what you think I am,” you say to the lizard. “But whatever it is, you still have no reason to treat us like this. Leave us alone.”

The lizard looks flabbergasted at the display. Then it turns to horror. Then disgust. “Unbelievable. Are you really-”

“Go. Away.”

If it’s you or Morgan that says it, you suddenly aren’t sure. Your voice came out like a harsh, guttural whisper, not unlike the way Morgan’s does when they’re angry. Perhaps you both just spoke at once. But the lizard averts his eyes, finally, acknowledging this is not the space to start this fight. He skulks off, leaving you and Morgan in full view of the entire tavern.

You glance around, only now noting the wary eyes of the common-folk. Their stares carry a mixture of fear, repulsion and, worst of all, pity. And it strikes you what has just transpired. That display might have caused more harm than good with this particular crowd.

Crap. You’ll need to leave again, won’t you?

You regretfully look up at Morgan, who's simply looking to you. Pleasantly calm, and dutifully awaiting your next move.

“Yeah, yeah,” you sigh, and wave the entire tavern off. “We’re going. Have a good evening. Sorry for the disturbance,” you spit the last part, grabbing Morgan’s wrist to drag them outside.

“A kiss?”

Morgan startles you out of your skin with the words, their voice suddenly appearing from the dark. Seems they’ve returned from collecting firewood.

Took them long enough.

The small make-shift camp under the stars offers only a bitter respite from what tonight could have been. Morgan had offered to go collect some fuel, as they can see better out here now that it’s dark. You hadn’t planned to stay the night in the woods again, after all.

“What about it?” you reply, not bothering to hide your sulking.

You’re seated close to the humble fire to keep the night chill at bay. Morgan enters the light shortly after, eyes reflecting it. They set down the branches, casually throwing in a few extra sticks to feed the flame, and seat themself next to you.

Morgan playfully pokes at your shoulder. “Sentry, if I’d known starting fights would get you-”

“Please, don’t even finish that sentence,” you complain. “I didn’t want to fight that guy. I just didn’t like what he said.”

Morgan hums. “You wanted him to not think I’ve control of your mind?”

“Something like that,” you grimace.

“Well,” they lean on you heavily, teasing. They speak into your face with a drawling whisper. “What’s there to suggest that I don’t?”

You snort, and shrug them off. “Bond thing, sure. I can’t go anywhere without you. But I’m pretty sure my head’s still mine.”

“Well, yes. And no. And not quite,” Morgan smiles. “It’s mine.”

“It wasn’t just that,” you continue quickly, before that train of thought develops. “The whole snatcher thing he said. It’s just -”

“Judging life and death?” Morgan echoes you, staring into the open flame. “Sentry, at this point it shouldn’t surprise you. That’s how it works. Their judgment will always favor my death.”

They speak casually, like telling you it’s going to rain. Nothing but a minor nuisance. It brings a bad taste to your mouth just how used to this they seem.

“I know,” you give after a beat, shifting uncomfortably. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it. And I really, really don’t.”

Morgan eyes you with a wry smile. “Don’t worry, they’ll be sure to remember that. Well, also after your amazing outburst. Have I ever mentioned I adore your theatrics?”

You frown, ignoring the last statement. “What do you mean, also?”

Morgan leans on their arms, calmly moving leaf litter out of the way of the fire before it catches. “I figured you defending my honor - while efficient, and I am eternally grateful - wouldn’t get the point across fully,” they say offhandedly.

You quickly turn to stare at the side of their face. They want you to ask, and you almost don't want to know. “Morgan. What did you do?”

Morgan turns slowly, and smiles at you, clicking their fangs together. “Well, their ale supply might make the patrons feel bad for a while. Maybe a little cramping? Maybe a little .. un-moving? Is that a word?”

Blood drains from your face.

“If I'm being honest, I have no clue what consuming my venom does to a person,” they ponder. “Actually, we should stick around. I want to see-”

“You went back to-!” You throw your arms out in frustration. “This is why we can never go anywhere!”

“On the contrary,” Morgan laughs. They lean over and curl their fingers around your wrists affectionately. They gently press their forehead against yours. “This is why we can go anywhere.”

[skellebonez]

A Matter of Affection (A Gen LMK Oneshot)

I have a lot of feelings about AroAce MK and Sun Wukong. So, naturally, I HAD to write my own little oneshot of MK realizing he is now a celebrity and that comes with the side effect of... suitors. That he does not want. I am not aromantic, but I am asexual and have talked to enough aromantic people to know there is a lot of overlap between our experiences. So I did my best to convey this through MK and everyone else.

Hope you enjoy this!

(Note: DragonFruit, FreeNoodles, and IronBull are mentioned in passing. Written BEFORE Season 4 came out.)

AO3 Link.

Ok, MK, you can do this… You just have to ask him… ask your mentor for some advice, this is totally fine and not awkward at all. Asking for advice is completely normal. This isn’t awkward. Just. Ask… for advice…’

He was lying to himself, he knew it.

How could this not be awkward?

MK had never asked anyone, let alone Sun Wukong, for help with something like this before. He wanted to ask Mei, she was the only one who knew… well, everything about him at this point, but she was live streaming and he didn’t want to interrupt her while she was having fun just to ask for some advice. Even IF she would gladly pause the stream for his comfort once she realized he was being serious.

So, instead, he found himself flying over in bird form to Mount Huaguo so he could pay his mentor a visit. He’d been doing this just about every day he had free time (and wasn’t due for training) just to say hello, make sure the king wasn’t lonely and to bond more after everything that had happened over the last year. Things seemed to have finally smoothed out into some kind of new normal for everyone.

MK claimed the visit was to deliver Sun Wukong a free “canceled” order of noodles that was close to what he normally ordered, which was not entirely a lie. But he normally would have just eaten it himself or given it to Tang. So in reality it was just an excuse.

But in his attempt to psych himself up to ask for advice he managed to almost psych himself out.

This should be easy! The Monkey King and him were as close as they had ever been as mentor and student (to the point some people, Mei and Sandy namely, said they came off as family). And given who the Monkey King was he MUST have had to deal with similar awkward situations in the past.

So…

“Hey, uh, Monkey King?”

“Yeah bud?”

“Have you ever had someone confess they liked you before?”

Sun Wukong turned to look at his student, an almost disappointed look on his face.

“MK. Bud. I’m Sun Wukong. I’ll give you two guesses and the other one doesn’t count.”

“That many huh?”

“It was CONSTANT,” Sun Wukong said with a laugh. “I mean, I get it. How can I not attract so many admirers when I am…” The monkey king stood, smirking as he struck a pose worthy of any popular C-Drama poster. “Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King, Great Sage Equal to Hea-”

“Did you ever accept?” MK interrupted, immediately cringing at the fact he did so.

“Absolutely not,” Sun Wukong said with a shrug, seemingly not bothered by the interruption. “Even if I ever wanted a partner like that? I was way too busy. Journeys to journey on, monks to keep from being eaten alive, you know the story.”

“You never wanted a partner?” MK’s brow raised as he tried to remember all the stories about the immortal he had heard in the past. “Never?”

“Well… hmn” Sun Wukong trailed off, seeming to drop deep into thought as he rubbed his chin and looked into the distance. MK assumed he was trying to find the best words to use for his explanation. “How do I put it… Not never as in never wanting to have a companion. I loved being around people! And I loved some people, just not in the way other people seemed to have loved me. I wouldn’t mind having a life partner who’s cool with hugs and cuddles and spending all our time together without any of the other stuff! I don’t hate thinking about, like… kissing someone? Unless it’s on the cheek or something I’d rather just avoid that if I can, but if it makes my partner happy I think I would be ok with only that. That make sense?”

There was the softest kind of half joking grimace on the Monkey King’s face when he mentioned kissing, the same kind that MK had seen on his own face in the mirror. And then it clicked.

“Oh… my gosh…” MK said, eyes widening in realization. “Is this really going to be how I find out we’re both aroace? SERIOUSLY!?”

“Arrow what now?” 

“You don’t have any interest in being with anyone romantically?” MK asked, jumping to stand in front of his mentor. He almost bounced up and down in place, barely able to hold in his excitement. “At all? And never have?”

“No..?” Sun Wukong said slowly, reaching out to put a hand on MK’s head to hold him steady for a second. “Bud, answer my question pl-”

“Aromatic asexual,” MK blurted out, awkward and almost too fast.

It clearly took the king a second to process what he said, but once he did…

“THERE’S A NAME FOR IT!?”

“THAT’S WHAT I SAID!” MK replied to the king’s outburst with a laugh. He bounced harder, despite the hand on his head, in sheer excitement. “I’ve never actually met someone else in person who’s aro or ace or bot, only online! And-and it’s YOU of all people and- WAIT!”

MK held out his hands, taking the immortal’s hand off his head.

“That was a sudden change of tone,” Sun Wukong joked when he caught the serious look on his student’s face. “I’m gonna take a guess and ask if this aroace stuff is related to your initial question?”

“Yeah,” MK said, now feeling a bit more confident and comfortable in being able to ask for some advice. “There’s this girl who’s been coming to the shop over the last few weeks, almost every two days. I think she’s one of the civilians I rescued last month when that clan of beetle demons came to attack the city. And uh…”

“She asked you out, didn’t she?”

“YES!” MK said with a groan as he pulled at his hair. “And she’s super nice and really pretty and any guy or girl would probably be SUPER LUCKY to date her but! I don’t! LIKE PEOPLE IN THAT! WAY!”

“Breathe, MK,” Sun Wukong said, gently guiding his student to let his hair go. “What did you tell her?”

“I had to… think about it?”

“Oh boy…”

“I didn’t wanna tell her no immediately!” MK said, biting his lip now. “I felt… I dunno, pressured? Pigsy and Tang were watching me and…it was awkward.”

“Well, you have to tell her no somehow,” Sun Wukong said with a nod as he rubbed his chin. “You can’t leave her hanging, there’s bound to be some hero worship driving her to ask you out the way she did so quickly and that can be a tough thing to accidentally play into.”

“I know…” MK said. “But I don’t know how. And what about after that? Are MORE people going to ask me out?”

“Definitely, you’re a celebrity now,” Sun Wukong said, almost sounding apologetic.

“Aw man… what should I do?” MK asked as his mentor paced around him in a circle. “Just say ‘I don’t swing any way ever, I’d rather just have super close friends’ for the rest of my life? I’ve only had to say it like… twice and I’m already feeling burnt out!”

“You turned down two other people?”

“No,” MK said with a shake of his head. “I’ve told Mei I’m aroace and I had to tell the metal brothers so they would stop trying to set me up with Mei and Red.”

“Understood. Well, you don’t have to say it every time,” Sun Wukong said with a wave of his hand. “You could wear a hat with that on it.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Listen,” the monkey king said with a smile as he finally stopped in front of his student. “If you can handle the Lady Bone Demon you can handle telling a normal human you’re not interested in them. And if they give you any trouble, you have a whole family behind you to back you up… Even people who can pick up a building with their bare hands could use emotional support, or so Sandy keeps telling me.”

“... that means a lot, Monkey King,” MK said with a genuine smile. “But I… how do I tell her no if she asks me at work again? I don’t wanna be unprofessional and make Pigsy look bad.”

“Good point,” Sun Wukong said with a hum. “And my usual ‘no thanks’ and flying off wouldn’t really work when you’re trapped by societal convention… BUT! There’s someone else who may be able to help you since he also works in the service industry!”

“... wait, you don’t mean-”

~

“What do you want, Noodle Boy?”

“Aw, no hello to your second best pal?”

“HELLO, Noodle Boy,” Red Son said as he rolled his eyes. “What do you want? Answer quickly before I shut this-”

“How do I turn down a girl who asks me out on a date?”

The fiery demon stared blankly at him, blinking only when MK rushed into his house to get out of the fiery inferno around the Bull Family home and into some shade.

“I… someone asked you out on a date?” Red Son asked, raising one eyebrow in confusion. “You? Noodle Boy? The man who literally never noticed when people are flirting with him?”

“I don’t do that!” MK said, immediately pausing. “... have people been flirting with me? Really?”

“Constantly,” Red Son said as he shut the door and turned to face his unwanted guest. “I honestly don’t know how you never- WHY ARE YOU IN MY FACE?”

“Listen to me carefully,” MK said as he held Red Son’s face in his hands. “I trust you with this information because you’re my friend and Mei loves you. I am aroace. If love was pizza you could order? And platonic love was the toppings? I would be ordering none pizza with left beef every day of my life. So I wouldn’t know flirting if it bit me on the ass.”

“... oooooooooooooooh,” Red Son said with realization dawning on his face as he pushed the other’s hands away. “I see, you’re like the Monkey King. That changes nothing, really, barring the urgency you must be feeling.”

“You knew the Monkey King was aroace?”

“It wasn’t hard to piece together,” Red Son said with a shrug. “I should have guessed the same about you, given your obliviousness to the aforementioned flirting. And also how strongly you reacted when someone assumed you were dating Mei the other week during your last third wheeling session on our date.”

“And I am very sorry about that,” MK said honestly. “But I could still use some help.”

“And what do you want me to do about it?” Red Son asked with a frown. “If the Monkey King couldn’t help you in this area? I was the worst person for you to come to as a second choice. I wasn’t exactly waving suitors off with a baseball bat while working on my bots or helping my mother plan father’s return. Neither was flirtation the first on anyone’s mind when the New Year celebrations were in full swing with my father standing behind me and people coming back to complain my food was ‘too spicy’. And considering we live in the middle of nowhere I didn’t exactly have a lot of experience with random peasants flirting with me, you know.”

“There’s no way that’s possible when you look the way you do,” MK countered.

Red Son sputtered, looking at the other man in shock. “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“I’m aroace, Red, not incapable of recognizing when someone is objectively hot… pun not intended.”

“I am just going to let that be a compliment and move on,” Red Son said, his face matching his name more and more the longer he spoke. “Anyway, Mei is the first person to ask me out in centuries. I genuinely have no idea how I would tell someone no because I haven’t had to since I was like… the demon age equivalent of 15. And I didn’t have a chance to because that guy was trying to steal from us and got pushed off the roof by one of my Bull Clones.”

“Going to overlook the admission of murder-”

“HE LIVED!”

“-and instead ask if you know anyone else who can help?” MK continued. “I’d ask Mei but, you know, streaming.”

“Hmmn… You could always ask my parents?” Red Son offered with a shrug. “From what they’ve mentioned in the past they were both quite popular with their own respective circles, father especially. They had to turn down more suitors than they could count so they would likely be your best bet for discussing a plan of action.”

“... I mean… I guess that makes sense?” MK mused for a moment. “You’re sure they’re not going to just… tell me to ‘crush them like the unworthy peon they know themselves to be’, right?”

“I make no promises.”

“Ah. Great… I don’t… I mean, I… Could we keep the aroace thing between us for now?”

Red Son looked at MK for a moment before sighing, resting a hand on the other’s shoulder.

“They’re my parents, Noodle Boy, you don’t have to tell them anything you don’t want them to know.”

“... thanks. I mean it.”

And he did.

~

DBK stared at MK.

MK stared at DBK.

"I… usually ran away," DBK admitted with an oddly embarrassed and soft tone.

"I don't know what answer I expected. But it wasn't that."

"I was a VERY shy calf, THIEF!"

MK had managed to avoid having to come out to literally everyone he talked to that day, but in exchange for having Red Son keep his secret for the short time being until he felt it necessary to tell the entire Bull Family (and there was no need in his mind, they could live without ever knowing this about him) he was now having one of the most awkward conversations of his entire 21 years of living.

And he thought asking the Monkey King was going to be awkward.

“It was quite adorable to see him literally running away from his suitors,” Princess Iron Fan said with a chuckle. “Maybe that’s why I gave him a chance when he finally worked up the courage to ask me. Even when he saw me literally blowing his competition away with my fan he still braved the chance to give me flowers and ask for one afternoon together.”

“Aw, that’s really sweet,” MK couldn’t help but say when he saw the wistful look Red’s mom wore when looking at her husband. Romance may have never been for him personally, but a good romantic story or seeing other people happy always managed to make him happy by proxy. “Unfortunately, I don’t think those are options for me.”

“Understandably so,” DBK said with a gruff nod. “You have both an image to upkeep as the simian’s successor AND as a duty to your boss.”

“Maybe Mei is done streaming…” MK muttered. “She’s had to tell so many people no, especially stream snipers, that she’ll probably know what to do.”

Princess Iron Fan chuckled at the mention of her son’s girlfriend.

"Frankly I'm quite amazed that Mei had to be the one to pursue my son, considering he is usually the one more prone to pining."

"MOTHER!"

"It runs in the family, dear."

"Not you too, father…"

“And I am going to head out before Red Son feels I know too much!” MK announced, turning to leave. “Thank you for the advice anyway, I appreciate it!”

"You know you could ask your dads for advice, right?" PIF said suddenly.

"...I forgot I could do that."

"How are we not dead?" DBK questioned under his breath. "He forgets so much."

“I THOUGHT YOU ALREADY ASKED THEM IF YOU CAME TO ME, NOODLE BOY!”

~

MK felt so… stupid.

He couldn’t believe that he never thought to just ask Pigsy and Tang. They were right there and all he would have to do was wait for the day to end. So… why?

Why not just ask his dads?

“MK!” Mei’s voice suddenly sounded as he slowly walked his way back through the city, pulling him from his thoughts. “I was just heading to get some dinner at Pigsy’s! I assume you’re heading in the same way?”

“Sort of?” MK answered with an awkward chuckle. “I’m kinda… taking my time in a walk of shame since I realized I just made my day a lot harder than it needed to be.”

“What do you mean?” Mei asked as she fell into step beside her friend.

“A girl I rescued asked me out on a date and I didn’t exactly tell her no or yes,” MK started, watching as Mei grimaced in sympathy. “So I asked Monkey King for some advice since, you know, he’s bound to have experience with fans and stuff asking him out. But he couldn’t help me with telling her no if she asks while I’m at work. Then he sent me to Red Son who also couldn’t give me advice so he sent me to his parents, who ALSO couldn’t give me advice because they either ran or literally tossed their confessors away from them and THEN PIF said I could have asked my dads and I realized she was right and I wasted basically my whole day running around for dating advice… and now the Monkey King and Red Son know about me being aroace too, that also happened.”

“Whoa, slow your roll,” Mei said, pulling MK to the side of the walkway so people could go around them. “You told Sun Wukong and Red you’re ace? One after the other?”

“Yeah,” MK said with a nod.

“OK, well,” Mei said with her own nod. “Considering you’re telling me and nothing else was mentioned I assume they both took it well! Which is good, glad for you, but… I also know your dads don’t know yet. Are you comfortable coming out three times in one day to four people?”

“It’s way less embarrassing than what I’m going to ask them,” MK said slowly. “And embarrassment is really what I’m worried about-”

“I’m not asking if it’s embarrassing,” Mei said slowly. She put a hand on MK’s shoulder. “I’m asking if you’re comfortable. You had a panic attack when you told ME. And I know they’re them and things are definitely going to be ok, but it’s a lot in one day dude. That’s… that’s a lot of coming out one after the other.”

MK paused, looking at Mei for a moment before smiling and taking her hand off his shoulder to just hold it for a second.

“I think I’ll be ok,” he said. “I’d appreciate some support, though? I think after LBD my anxiety meter is a little broken so I may be running on adrenaline right now.”

“You don’t even have to ask,” Mei said as she squeezed his hand. “We’re BBFs, Best Buds Forever. A little support is the least I can offer.”

“Thanks. Like I said though, I’m more worried about the embarrassment. Do you know how embarrassing it is to ask your parents for relationship advice?" MK asked with a deadpan tone. "Let alone dating advice from ones who don't know you have no interest in dating and you have to ask them about how to turn people DOWN?"

"Nope," Mei said. "I looked it all up online."

"I fear for what you may have read."

"I am eternally traumatized!" Mei said with a wide smile, her tone making MK chuckle despite the implications.

“... you’re a really good friend, you know that?”

“... I try to be.”

“Thanks. I mean it.”

And he meant it then too.

~

“I… I need to ask you guys something,” MK said almost immediately after they got to the noodle shop.

Maybe it was his tone, more tired and shaky than he meant for it to sound. He guessed some of the adrenaline had seeped away from him on his short walk back with Mei. Or maybe it was the fact it was such a slow day that Pigsy never even had to call him back and the shop was empty and quiet until the door opened for himself and Mei.

But something about the situation made his dads look at each other in concern.

“Sure, sit down,” Tang said, gesturing for MK to sit next to him. Mei sat down to his other side with no need for guidance.

"What’s up?” Pigsy said as he stopped what he was doping to stand in front of MK. When there was no reply he sighed, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. “You know you can talk to us about anything, right?" 

That softest smile that was reserved only for comforting family made MK feel like he really could be honest with his dads. He told everyone else by now so… why not them? He could totally do it.

"Well… I have… a bit of girl trouble?" MK started, holding up a hand before either of them could say anything else. “But it’s… I want to… turn her down?”

“That’s it?” Pigsy said with a raise of his brow. “Is this the same girl that asked you out yesterday?”

“Yeah…” MK said slowly. He felt Mei squeeze his hand in silent assurance. “It’s just… she’s pretty! But I have no idea who she is and… I don’t… I don’t… wanna date. I don’t wanna date anyone… ever?”

“MK,” Tang said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “MK, were you worried about telling us that?”

“Yeah?” He said quickly with a shrug. “I know, you always say you’ll love me no matter what, but… I mean… you two looked so excited at the idea of me dating someone that I felt I couldn’t say no to her. Plus, I didn’t wanna look like a jerk as the Monkie Kid or make Pigsy’s look bad because of me. I-”

“Whoa, hang on,” Pigsy said as he leaned over the counter. “Kid, MK, you’re not gonna make the shop look bad because you turned down someone who asked you out on the job. If anything, I’d make us look bad by chasing them out if they gave you any trouble for it.”

“Wait, you mean it?” MK said in awe as he stared at his dad. 

“Yup,” Pigsy said with a nod.

“We’re sorry if we made you feel pressured to say yeah by being excited,” Tang said, looking at Pigsy and waiting for his nod before continuing. “We just want you to be happy.”

“And what if never being with someone is what makes me happy?” MK asked. “What if I wanna just be with you guys and have friends I can hug and that’s it?”

“Then we’re happy if you’re happy,” Pigsy and Tang said at the same time, looking at each other in surprise before chuckling at the way they synced up.

“Oh thank HECK,” MK said, immediately slumping down onto the counter. “I was worried over nothing and now I’m exhausted.”

“Hey, you were worried about how they’d react and that’s understandable,” Mei said as she spoke up from his other side. “Like how I was with my parents.”

“And there’s no exhaustion that a nice bowl of Pigsy’s noodles can’t fix,” Pigsy said with a chuckle. “Come on. Tell us everything. It sounds like we have some revelations to go over because you’re… non-romantic?”

“Aromantic,” Tang corrected. “Hmn… maybe that explains why you have so much love to give to everyone else platonically.” 

His tone of voice told MK that was clearly a joke made in an attempt to lighten the mood. 

And it worked.

As awkward as it was, MK started to laugh.

“Well… it started when I saved her about a month ago.”

[retlasute]

I've been following your work since the beginning of Turbinio and i'm COMPLETELY IN LOVE with your writing. When i saw that you take requests i just screamed

can you please write a Gyro or Diego nsfw? I'm so curious to read one of your nsfw and i'm sure it will be wonderful!

I HAVE TO SAY THAT YOUR REQUEST MADE ME SHY AND I TOOK LONGER THAN I SHOULD HAVE WRITING THIS BECAUSE I'VE NEVER WRITTEN AN NSFW IN MY LIFE

I really have a problem choosing between two options, usually I always want both. In this case it was no different, I had to put both in the same fic because I love a weirdo and an idiot cowboy together

Well, I hope you like it, because I particularly think I did a good job considering this is my first time writing something like this and thank you very much for your trust😭😭❤️❤️❤️

✦ Change Partners - Gyro Zeppeli/Diego Brando ✦

You didn't consider yourself to be a jealous or even vindictive person. But that didn't cross your mind when you saw Gyro reveling in the whims and attention of his fans and, huffing with rage, you went to the bar in search of something better than a bottle of whiskey.

WARNINGS: NSFW, adult content, sex, birds and bees +18 and that kind of stuff

Word Count: 6216 (I'm incapable of writing anything smaller than that)

Naturally, you had to be on your guard at all times, because you fully realized, in the lucidity of your jealousy, the danger of those flirtations. You tried to turn around, but you couldn't - not because of a physical impediment, just because you simply couldn't move.  

You were being a fool to feel hurt. But you were enraged by the whole thing; your mind in an irrational moment called him a disgusting traitor, a pervert, a womanizer and a bastard, and it was possible that you would have ended up losing your mind if you hadn't realized that what angered you most was Gyro depriving you not of a certain specific satisfaction, but of some general freedom, even if without realizing it.  

During the months riding with the two men, you and Gyro made a habit of torturing Johnny with flirtations and jokes with ulterior motives. At first, it was all a joke initiated by Gyro, and you took it as such. Until the compliments and flirting continued even in Johnny's absence, and then during a confrontation with a group of terrorists. Of course, you knew that Gyro was never the most serious man in the world, but flirting became commonplace in situations that were too insinuating for what was supposed to be just a joke to annoy Johnny.  

Of course, you reciprocated the flirting. Apart from the expected loneliness of taking part in a transcontinental race, the fact that you were one of the few, if not the only, woman in the race didn't help when it came to trusting a partner, even for one night. Your mother did very well to make you paranoid about venereal diseases and broken hearts, and you made a point of honoring her even if it meant sacrificing a certain frequency of pleasures.  

But Gyro was everything you needed and more. Handsome, strong, funny, charming, Italian accented and reasonably hygienic, something too high for what you were used to seeing. And, surprisingly, he kept flirting with you. And he seemed extremely happy when you reciprocated, just as he seemed highly frustrated when Johnny made a point of interrupting a kiss he was about to steal from you.   

And now he was there, planted at the finish line, paying attention to the dozens of women who made a point of touching his muscles and hair - and he was receiving all this attention with a damn golden smile on his face.  

You were trying to be reasonable, though. You couldn't be absolutely sure that in the course of the race he hadn't casually established some inappropriate relationship with unknown women; of course, no matter how much you controlled yourself, there would always be cold stares with extremely elaborate explanations to say that he wasn't unaccompanied. Your jealousy would sink its pointed fangs into the fine filigree of the Italian's falsehoods, but in the end you felt you had no reason for serious alarm. It was normal for him to stay with other women for one night. Irresistibly obvious in this race. From the sweaty drunk with large breasts to the young woman full of herself with the almost insignificant possibility of no venereal disease.  

What infuriated you, you already knew. Your feelings for Gyro didn't allow you to be with other men. You'd rejected gentlemen like Mountain Tim based only on the remote possibility that one day Gyro would take the flirting to the next level, as easily as he does with his fans. But months have passed and this man has brought you nothing but frustration. 

Clenching your fists and watching the sun go down, you threw your devastated conscience out of the window. You felt romantic, hot, thirsty and very, very angry. You spun on your heels and pulled your horse up in front of a saloon, tying it to the post and taking a deep breath before entering.  

Guiding yourself through the depraved netting of the lamp-lit veranda, you walked through the door. The bar had a dim, impossibly ruby light that always signaled dubious strongholds in the old United States, but here it meant a strictly family place made for refuge. As you crossed the saloon, you had to skirt around a group of women who were saying goodbye to each other with mille grâces after an afternoon of drinks. With a harsh exclamation of recognition, one of them lunged at you. It was a short girl who attacked you with a smile of admiration, gleaming with curiosity.  

With pleasure, you greeted her. As a woman who was a candidate to win the race, you had become extremely popular, but unfortunately, your positive reputation was restricted to women.  

You sat down in front of the counter for a drink. The moon-faced attendant was holding a tray with eight glasses of sherry, but made a point of serving you with your whisky. You thanked him.  

The atmosphere seemed to suit your mood and it wasn't long before the cup was empty. Feeling hot, you took off unnecessary clothes and left them on the counter, thinking.  

What the hell was wrong with you? You and Gyro had been through so much together, and just one little group of women was enough to make him completely forget about you? You shuddered, feeling foolishly betrayed. It was warm enough that you didn't notice the tingling in your nose as you held back your sobs.   

Was he too much for you? No, he wasn't. Throughout your life, you've heard enough compliments to be sure that you were prettier than most other women, even if the obstacles and conditions of the Steel Ball Run left you more overwhelmed. And Gyro was no Mountain Tim or Johnny Joestar, you thought.  

He just had charm. Apart from that, you were prettier, smarter, and had a lot more potential than he did. But what on earth did a group of women have that you didn't?  

Several women, you thought, being only one. And then your questions began to escape from your head to overflow into your mouth and then into the attendant's ears.  

"Me, beautiful, smart, sexy, and alone. Can you believe it?"  

It was then that the tired attendant turned around, picked up a fancy cup and placed it on the counter in front of your melancholy head. Before you could look, you shuddered at the thud and, after glancing at the attendant's face, looked down at the glass.  

A very fancy drink that you had never seen before. Something like Scotch whisky, you judged by the color and smell.  

"For you." The attendant said, and you raised your head.  

"Oh, you were touched and gave it to me as a gift?" You asked, holding the cup and smelling the aroma.  

''No, that guy asked for you.’’ 

"Huh?'' 

A little disappointed, you saw that the attendant pointed at someone behind you.  

''Really? How tacky! I just want to see the bragger that...''  

And a pair of somehow emerald-blue eyes shone. His hair shone like candlelight as he lifted his face to look at you. A look so intense and direct that, if it could make a sound, it would be the same as a sword being drawn. His expression was seductive, yet cordial, retaining all the life that pulsed from the muscles marked under the sleeve of his navy blue shirt. His hat made him a man who needed no introduction. 

Dio.  

Then you turned your head back to the attendant like a pigeon would.  

Diego Brando? The pretty, talented, British jockey, Diego Brando? What the hell was he doing in a place like that? Why did he buy you that drink?   

"Are you going to miss this chance?'' The attendant asked. "Since you're so alone.''  

He was right, after all. You felt pathetic like you needed help. Like seeing a kitten with its head stuck in a meat can.  

''(Y/N)?'' A voice echoed behind you. ''(Y/N), the horsewoman?''   

''Ah!''  

You can't help but be startled. You were so surprised that you didn't turn around to see who it was, the person had to sit down next to you before you could look. It was Diego Brando, in flesh, bones and beauty. You'd never seen him so close, and he knew your name? That was an honor. An honor so great that your cheeks heated up ridiculously.  

"You're (Y/N), aren't you?'' He asked once more, his relaxed, pointed eyes coming closer to you with a confident smile.   

As a last resort, you confirmed your identity, without much idea of how to continue the conversation. Diego seemed engaged with you. He asked interesting questions, made surprising comments and seemed to know you in a strangely satisfying way. Diego Brando ordered the same drink you were having, and now you knew the name. Of course, you were too drunk to record it, but watching the attendant prepare the drink you understood that it was something with Scotch whisky, orange and a strange but delicious syrup.  

"I saw some of your work and I found it exciting.’’ He said 

Diego kept the conversation going. You were too dazed and drunk to think of anything decent to say, and you were pleased with how elegantly he took on the task of doing it for you. That man seemed like a promise, you thought. A promise seductively concealed yet nobly kept. A promise that tonight you would have company.  

"Who knew that the great British jockey liked my work?'' You said when he vaguely mentioned a championship you took part in a few years ago.  

"I did my research. You're fascinating, you know that?'' He smiled when he saw you smile in response. ''Your performance in the fourth stage? Fascinating too. You beat me twice.''  

''Jeez, do you even remember that? It was pure luck and little reward...'' 

"Besides...'' He took a sip of his drink and put it on the counter. ''You're breathtakingly beautiful up close.''  

Man, what a shame. You thought. But he's so hot.  

You weren't very happy with so many compliments coming from someone like Diego. His ulterior motives were obvious, and so were yours. Diego was rich, famous, very handsome and, above all, British. You weren't stupid and you knew that no man like him would compliment a woman so freely.  

But then again, he's so hot. And the evening was getting interesting, everyone was looking at you. You couldn't let it end there, on that counter. And Gyro will see.  

"Hey, Diego...'' You said, resting your chin on your hand, languid as a mermaid. ''I'm tired of staying down here, it's too noisy. Don't you want to drink and chat upstairs?’’ 

He looked around discreetly. He was still alone and had already drunk his share of whisky.   

''But in this place? Are you sure?'' 

''Of course.'' You laughed seductively. ''Or are you afraid I'll beat you again?''  

''Maybe I'd like that, miss.''  

You finished your drinks and went upstairs. You tried to hold back the urge to vomit - so easily attributable to fear and alcohol - but you felt a small weight suddenly burning in your belly. You bit your lip hard, and the nausea didn't overwhelm you.  

He didn't want to talk, that much was clear. But if you still had a shred of doubt, it simply disappeared when he locked the bedroom door and grabbed your waist. His breath was warm and smelled of whisky and jasmine as he stood in front of you, his hands tighter, his figure silhouetted against the murky room, illuminated by the thin candles.  

"Miss...'' He said serenely. ''Unless you have any other business to attend to, I believe our conversation is over.''  

You remained motionless, your vision blurred, and at that instant you heard your heart explode. It was a small, sharp sound, like the snap of a flower stem breaking.  

He was slow and careful; so were you. Every touch, every moment needed to be enjoyed, treasured - appreciated like a talisman of foolish revenge.   

In the same way that a gentleman pours his guest's glass of wine before serving himself, Diego took off his shirt before taking off yours. You touched every soft cavity of his torso, the hidden places of his body. You felt the grace and strength of every curve of his bones, the wonder of his tightly entwined muscles, slender and supple across the width of his shoulders, smooth and solid across the expanse of his back, rigid as young oak on the columns of his thighs.  

Then his hands, cold as a lizard’s, landed on your breasts, giving you a pleasurable thermal shock.  

"Diego...'' 

"You must be honored..." He said, his breath warm on your neck, teasing each nipple with small circular touches. "A man should pay homage to you and your body. Because you are beautiful and you have that right." 

He kissed you and you closed your eyes. His lips were warm and dry, familiar - yet you felt a shockwave run through your body.   

Your lips, which you threw in front of him so that he couldn't help but kiss them, paralyzed you and encouraged you. Now, looking down, you could clearly see the swelling and commotion in Diego's pants. As you were already too far gone to stop properly, and in fact were no longer able to hold back or wait for the slower progress of your shyness, you slid your hands between his thighs, on one of which you could see and feel something rigid and hard, confined by his pants, and for which your fingers couldn't find the end.  

You didn't feel the air moving against your face, you didn't feel the hot breath coming from his nose or mouth. It was like kissing a mask. The air, humid, coming from the depths of his lungs, blew cold on your neck, like the exhalation of a cave. You felt the hairs on your arms stand on end and you took a step back, hoping that neither shock nor revulsion would be evident on your face.  

Yes, revulsion. You were disgusted, but not by Diego. Diego was a gentleman, attractive, charming... but an enemy. Kissing him like that tasted like betrayal. Gyro and Johnny saved your life at the start of this damn race, and this is how you repay them?  

His eyes were closed tightly. The muscle in his jaw twitched.  

"I'm sorry...'' You whispered, squeezing the muscle in his arm to make him believe it. ''I can’t do it.'' 

"What?'' Confused by the sudden interruption, Diego kept his hands in the air, holding the glowing silhouette of where his waist should be. ''What do you mean?'' 

His clearly dissatisfied face showed how offended he was beginning to be by the situation. You bent down and picked up your shirt, thankful that it was the only piece of clothing you had taken off, and put it on with the same skill as a chimpanzee, staggering, grunting and cursing. 

"I know...'' You said when you finally managed to get dressed. "Sorry, I'm not feeling well. I think the drink made me sick.'' 

And then you gave an embarrassed smile, opening the door and running out of that damn bar at such speed that you could beat any stage of the Steel Ball Run without needing your horse. 

"It's hot as hell!" That's what they shouted after you.  

You reached the cliffs just before noon. They weren't really cliffs, more like limestone ledges and columns, jutting out of the yellowish grass of the surrounding hills, like the ruins of an ancient city. The clear tips showed cracks and fissures caused by the passage of time and the weather, dotted with thousands of tiny, strange plants, which found a foothold in the slightest remnant of eroded soil.  

You left the horses on the grass and walked up to a wide, flat limestone ledge covered with tufts of wild grass, just below the highest cluster of rocks. There was little shade from the sparse bushes, but at that height it was possible to feel a slight breeze.  

"My, how hot it is!" Gyro said. He unbuttoned his shirt, which fell around his feet as he began to shed some of his clothes.  

"What are you doing, Gyro?" You asked, trying not to laugh.   

"Taking my clothes off." He answered pragmatically. ''Why don't you do the same, bella? You're sweatier than I am.'' 

"Me? Take off my clothes? Which of those rocks did you hit your head on?"  

He laughed, his voice resonating in his broad chest and glistening in the sunlight.  

''There's no one to see, don't worry!"   

''Oh, yes, of course... You're just another horse grazing around, aren't you?''  

"I'm the best audience you can imagine." He joked. "At least take off the parts of your clothes that are making you sweat."  

After a moment's hesitation, you did as he suggested. It was an entirely isolated spot; too rocky and hard for sheep, the chance of even a stray flock getting up there was very remote, and Johnny would be busy in camp for quite a while. And alone, naked, away from Johnny and the waves of unwelcome fans... Gyro spread his cape on the ground as you stripped off your sweat-stained clothes, leaving only a strip on your chest and your pants.  

All my clothes are making me sweat, you thought critically.  

He stretched languidly and lay down, his arms behind his head, completely oblivious to curious ants, sparse pebbles and thorny stumps of vegetation.  

"your skin must be like goat leather." You observed. "How can you lie like that on the bare ground?"  

Naked like him, you stretched out more comfortably in the thick folds of the cape he had thoughtfully laid out for you.  

He shrugged, his eyes closed against the heat of the afternoon sun. The light bathed him in gold where he lay, making him glow in golden-red tones against the dark background of the wild grass.  

"That's good for me. But you have to be careful, it would be a shame if those ants stung your beautiful skin." He said comfortingly, and fell silent. The sound of his breathing was close enough to reach you above the faint whine of the breeze that crossed the rocky ridges above you.  

You turned over on your stomach and rested your chin on your crossed arms, watching him. He was broad in the shoulders and narrow in the hips, with long, vigorous hips and thighs, and slight depressions formed by hard muscles even when he was relaxed. The warm, gentle breeze stirred the still-damp tufts of soft, hay-colored hair in his armpits and ruffled the golden hair that fluttered delicately about his wrists, where it held his head. The slight breeze was welcome, because you could feel the warm sun on your shoulders and shoulder blades.  

God, how you loved that man. Every fiber of your being loved every fiber of his being. The bad jokes, the singing, the flirting, the impromptu songs, everything that made your day in the race better was him. You smiled, and smiling you felt your heart beating like a drum against his cape. You breathed heavily, trying to control your beats, as if he might hear them at any moment.  

"Did you manage to sleep?" He asked, smiling.  

"I think so. Did you sleep well?"  

"Like a baby."  

''As always."  

The outline of a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. After a moment, he rolled over on top of the cover, much closer to you. A few leaves clung to his back and arms, but he didn't mind them as much as he minded the leaves on your shoulders. He pushed one of them away and you shivered slightly at the touch of his fingers.  

However, instead of continuing to remove the leaves, he stepped back a little and watched you, leaning on one elbow. Gyro saw something in your expression that he didn't understand and that made him slightly uneasy.  

"A penny for your thoughts." He said, tilting his head, his shiny hair sliding down his face.  

You looked at him and gave a sad smile.   

''Nothing, it's just... Whisky really didn't suit me last night."  

''Yeah... If I were you, I'd never drink again." He joked. 

''What about you? What are you thinking?’’  

He thought for a few seconds, then pulled the leaves back from your hair and shoulders, running his fingers along the ridges of your neck. Then he shifted just enough for you to see all of him and took a deep breath.  

"Well... I was wondering..." He began, then stopped, the smile disappearing from his lips. He looked down, playing with a little flower that was popping up from the grass.  

''Wondering what?" 

"Why... you went into that room with Dio."  

You thought your heart had stopped for an instant. You felt all the blood drain from your face, because you could feel the numbness of your lips as you tried to pronounce the words.  

"With... Dio?" 

''Don't worry, I didn't tell Johnny because I knew he'd be very upset... I know you were drunk, but you're not some kind of idiot. Diego could never seduce you, so... why?" 

He raised his eyes, just trying to make a superficial attempt at a lopsided smile. But the unstable smile had faded and his face was as livid as his own. He lowered his eyes again, avoiding your fixed, shocked gaze.  

"I guess everything I was imagining..." He muttered. "It was whether I'd done something wrong... Whether I should have gone to the bar with you when you invited me."  

You saw him bite his lip as if he wished the words hadn't been said, but it was too late for that. 

"How did you know?" You asked. You felt dizzy and exposed. You turned over on your stomach, pressing your body hard into the short grass.  

He shook his head, his golden teeth still clenched over his lower lip. When he finally released it, a deep, reddish mark appeared where he had bitten it.  

''(Y/N).'' He said, in a whisper. ''You don't know how to lie, let alone omit. I know you more than I should and less than I'd like to, but you're too confusing for me. The only thing I ask of you now that we're alone is sincerity. How long have we been riding? Two months? Three? Since the moment I saw you. And I've seen you smile and cry how many times... five hundred times or more?" 

He then touched you with a finger, gently, like a moth's paw, tracing the line of your arm and shoulder, down your back until you shuddered at the touch and rolled over, pulling away and facing him.  

"You've never been this distant with me." He said, his eyes attentive to the path his finger had traveled, dipping down to feel the curve of your spine. "Not even when I didn't even know your name did you act like this. But now... I thought you were tired, or simply scared of all these stand users we're meeting out there. But now I know better.''  

Then there was a long silence. You could feel the strong, painful beating of your heart against the cold ground and hear the chatter of the wind in the pines. Small birds called, far away, and you wanted to be one of them. Or at least to be far away.  

"Why?" He asked quietly. "Why lie to me and Johnny?" 

You lowered your eyes, staring at your hands, clasped under your chin, and swallowed.  

"If..." You started, swallowing again. "If I'd told you I'd been with Dio... you'd have asked about it, and then thought I was a traitor. I didn't think so... maybe you could forgive, but I would never forget." 

You swallowed again. Your hands were cold despite the heat and you felt a ball of ice in your stomach. But if you were telling him the truth now, you should tell it in full.  

''If you asked... and you did, Gyro, you did! I'd have to talk about it, relive it all over again and I was afraid...'' Your voice trailed off, unable to go on, but he didn't intend to let you go.  

"Afraid of what?" He urged you on.  

You turned your head a little, not looking at him, but enough to see his dark silhouette against the light, peeking through the bright curtain of the sun in his hair.  

"I was afraid you'd know why I did what I did." You said serenely. ''Gyro... I was angry, I... How long did you stay out there, surrounded by women crazy about you? Long enough for me to drink a bottle of whisky and talk to Diego and go into the bedroom with him and... I was so angry, Gyro, about the race, the flirting. And because you'd forced me to do it... to go to that saloon alone. I wanted to do something to take my mind off you, to make sure I didn't think about you for at least one night. I did it, well, partly... because I wanted to hurt you...'' 

A muscle twitched at the corner of his mouth, but he kept looking down, staring at his interlocked hands. The chasm between you, so dangerously connected by a bridge, opened immeasurably, unbridgeable once again.  

"Yes. Well, you did it.''  

His mouth closed into a thin line and he didn't say another word for some time. Finally, he turned his head and looked straight at you. You wish you could have avoided those green eyes, but you couldn't.  

''(Y/N),'' He said softly. "what did you feel... when I preferred to stay outside, with other women?''  

A small shock ran through your body, from your scalp to the tips of your toes. It was the last question you wanted to hear.  

You opened and closed your mouth several times before finding an answer.  

"I don't know..." You said weakly. ''Anger, of course. I was furious, outraged, afraid and... feeling sorry for myself.''  

"Were you jealous?'' He asked, his tone serious.  

You took a deep breath, feeling the grass prickle your elbows.  

"Yes. I think so.'' You bit your lip, looking down.  

"Yeah, me too.'' His voice sounded low and practical next to your shoulder. ''I was angry too. Furious, outraged, and feeling sorry for myself.''  

He put his two thumbs together, one on either side of a blade of grass, and concentrated on pulling it out by the roots. The leaf came off its stem with a tiny noise. Then he lifted it between his thumbs, brushing it lightly against his lips.  

Your breathing was ragged and your eyes were brimming with tears, but not a single tear escaped to slide down your cheek. You saw Gyro drop the grass and lean his head forward, resting it on his knuckles.  

"You said you wanted to hurt me. Well, the thought of you in bed with Diego hurt more than any injury I've ever suffered on this race...''  

"But I did nothing!'' You immediately tried to explain yourself. ''I... I was going to, but I said I was sick so I left first. I didn't go to bed with him, Gyro...''  

His mouth opened silently, then closed tightly for a moment, until he found the strength to continue.  

''I don't know if my injury is mortal, but bella... I feel the blood drain from my body every time I look at you.''  

The silence between you grew and deepened. The slight buzz of an insect calling from the rocks vibrated in the air.  

Gyro was motionless, his face expressionless as he stared at the ground below. You couldn't bear that expressionless face and the thought of what might be hidden behind it. You had caught a glimpse of his despairing fury at various times and your heart cringed at the thought of that hatred, mastered at such a frightening cost and now held in an iron grip that contained not only anger, but confidence and joy. 

You desperately searched for some way to break the silence that separated you; some gesture that would restore the lost trust between the two of you. Gyro sat up straight, his arms wrapping tightly around one knee, and turned, staring out over the tranquil distant valley.  

You reached over the chasm that separated them and put your hand on his arm. It was warm from the sun, alive to the touch.  

"I love you, Gyro.''  

His head slowly turned towards you. His face still looked calm, although his emerald eyes narrowed even more as he stared at you in silence. He reached out and finally placed his hand on your cheek.  

"Ti amo anch'io, mia bella.''  

You looked down and smiled, letting out an embarrassed giggle.  

"You know I have no idea what you said...'' Your lips were trembling so much that you could barely pronounce the words.  

Suddenly, the hand that was holding your cheek rested on the back of your neck, and he surprised you when he kissed you forcefully and impetuously. Then he pulled you closer to him, holding you tightly, your mouth matching his. Then he laid you on the ground, his weight immobilizing you. His broad shoulders darkened the bright sky above you and his hands held your wrists, keeping you prisoner.  

Then he stopped kissing you, pulling his face away to admire your form.  

"Ah, bella... you don't know how long I've imagined what you'd taste like.'' He murmured, leaning down briefly to kiss your neck. You can't help but be exasperated. "But I'm still furious.''  

''Furious? Gyro...''  

"I'm furious because that bastard Diego kissed you before I did." He said firmly. ''That hurt more than waking up from the hangman's noose to feel the knife plunging into my stomach to extract my guts, bella...''  

You let the air out of your lungs with a moan when, firmly, he undressed your breasts and plunged his face into them, emerging again to kiss you, and then caress you.  

"I was a fool. But now I know how much I want you. How much I love you. Me. Only me.'' He said, the words punctuated by kisses on your neck. "Do you hear me? Only me. Never anyone else, only me! Look at me, say it! Look at me, (Y/N)!''  

Your hands, lost in desire, pulled him in for another kiss. His weight was like a rock on your chest. He moved his hips against you as he undressed you, in an imperious command, and you felt your legs spread for him in ecstasy.   

"Gyro...'' You murmured, now feeling him pull down his pants and lean in again. The friction of his skin made you throw yourself at him, wanting more. And more. 

"I want you...'' He said, more softly. "for me. I want you to say you're mine. My girl.''  

You felt the rough, thorny grass under your body, just as you felt his hand descend from your hip to your folds, exploring, playing, teasing. He felt and slid over every inch of your body, his lubricated fingers occasionally wetting the inside of your thigh when he tried to spread your legs further apart. He was delicate, something you would never expect from him. Calm and delicate, as if he was looking for the right spot to pleasure you - even if he was about to explode if he didn't seek his own pleasure soon, the vigorous member framed by tufts of lightly trimmed blond hair made that clear.  

Its prodigious size made you shudder and prop yourself up on your elbows. You can't, without pleasure, contemplate without venturing to touch; such length, such thickness of living ivory. Perfectly tanned and shaped; the arrogant rigidity stretched the skin, whose lustrous, velvety softness was highlighted by a tuft of curly, blond hair around the base; then, the broad, rosy head, and the blue streamers of its veins, you'd never imagined anything like it.  

Without being distracted from your lukewarm lust, you kissed him again and jolted when you felt his shaking, wet fingers inside you.   

You moaned and Gyro swallowed your moan with another kiss, his thumb firmly and perfectly positioned on your clitoris. You could feel the pungency of pointed rods crushed in the grass, like the scent of the man who possessed you. Your breasts were flattened under him and you felt the hairs on his chest stimulating your skin as your bodies rubbed together.   

"Bella... Why are you shaking?'' He whispered in your ear.  

Gasping, you tried to organize your thoughts to answer.  

''I'm not... Ah!''  

He let out a soft, playful ''nyo-ho'' when he saw you squirm beneath him. His fingers were firm on a perfect spot that now made you shiver and moan in a way you had never done before. The fingering continued, to the point where you could hear the sticky sound of his fingers.  

"You're shaking, see?'' He joked, but you were too busy exploding in waves of pleasure to laugh.  

You felt an intense shiver run down your spine, cruelly interrupted when Gyro took his fingers out of you and caressed your cheek, wetting it with your own fluids.  

He suddenly penetrated you hard, and you moaned and would have turned your head, but he held your face between his hands, forcing you to face him, to see his sweet, wide mouth contorted with pleasure. You gasped as he gave you what you were looking for. You thrust against him as if you wanted to escape, your back arching, pressing against his body. He lay fully on top of you, barely moving, so that your most intimate connection seemed little more than the joining of your skins.  

You closed your eyes, escaping the intensity of that gaze, and sharpened your ears to hear him panting and moaning just like you. A delicate, inexorable pressure turned your head to face him again, while the rhythmic movements continued, softer. 

"No, mia bella...'' He said half-voiced. ''Open your eyes. Look at me. Look at what you've done to me.'' 

And you looked, trapped, bound to him. You watched as he dropped the last of his masks and revealed to you the depths of his own being. His body held you captive, guiding you ahead of his noose, like the west wind in the sails of a ship.  

And you traveled into him, as he into you, so that when the last little storms of love began to shake you, he moaned louder, brutally usurping control as he moved to the rhythm of your inexorable pleasure.   

Gyro didn't need more than a few thrusts before he was overwhelmed by the wave that rushed down his spine and erupted like a rebar crashing against the rocks. When you parted, he plunged his face into your breasts again. His head was just an indistinct golden spot against your chest. The holes in the granulated leaves in the sky above you admitted only a faint glow into the heavy sky; the distant rumble of an autumn thunderstorm murmured constantly in the hills beyond your fragile tree walls. Gyro was still stiff, so stiff with desire that the touch of your hand made him moan again with a need close to pain.  

When he could no longer endure the rest, he possessed you again, and you moved together, hard, pressing, desiring, longing for that moment of ultimate union, and fearing to reach it, knowing that after it there would only be exhaustion and uncertainty.  

Over and over again he brought you to ecstasy, without you knowing exactly how, holding back, stopping, gasping into your neck with affectionate and sometimes nonsensical words in Italian, then shuddering. Until finally, you touched his face, threaded your fingers through his hair, squeezed him tightly and arched your back and hips under him, pushing, urging.  

"Come on...'' He said in a whisper, "Now. With me, bella.''  

He surrendered to you and you to him, desperation taking over passion, so that the echo of your moans seemed to die away slowly, resounding in the darkness of the cold clearing floor. ��

You remained embraced, immobile, his body was a blessed weight, a shield and a consolation. A so solid body, so full of life and warmth. Why did you wait so long for this? Should you believe what he told you a few minutes ago?  

"Listen...'' He finally said, softly. "Can you hear?''  

At first, you heard nothing but the humming of the wind and the dripping of the dew through the leaves and daisies. Then you heard a steady, slow beat of his heart, pulsing against you, and yours against him, both in the same rhythm, in the rhythm of desire. The blood flowed through his body, and through its fragile link, through you and back to him.  

You lay like that, entwined. Finally, he pulled away and got dressed, looking around.  

"Are you looking for Johnny?'' You asked, standing up and feeling your legs go numb and somehow sticky. 

"He must have left us by now.'' Gyro replied, in a good mood. ''What did we come here for anyway?'' 

You sighed and laughed.  

''Water, Gyro.'' You replied. ''To get water for us and the horses.'' 

[theladyofdeath]

Lady Death's Lover {II}

Lady Death's Lover Masterlist & Summary

19th Century Period AU Nesta x Cassian Secret Affair / Enemies to Lovers / Forbidden Romance Fanfiction / Characters from Sarah J Maas / ACOTAR Based on a prompt sent in by anonymous

A/N: I'm sorry I waited until, like, midnight to post this. As the school year approaches, I find myself in a constant state of panic and stress. Haha. Anyways, thank you for reading the prologue and chapter 1! I love seeing your feedback. This chapter is fairly light in the way of trigger warnings, but as always, know that this story contains the following. Thank you for reading! x

TW: marital abuse, sexual content, language, depression, alcohol abuse

This story is for readers 18+. Mature readers only. Content should not be read by anyone under 18.

Nesta

The gown I’m wearing cost more than what my sisters, father, and I spent in a year on clothing only a few years ago. It’s a stunning deep blue that brings out my eyes. The skirt is full and the bodice is laced in beads that sparkle when they hit the light. A braid crowns my head and the bruise has faded on my cheek enough that the powder covers it. 

I wait in the foyer for Tomas who seems to be taking his sweet time. It takes a certain level of disrespect to keep someone waiting for an extended period of time, but it’s the least of the cruelties that my husband inflicts upon me. 

Just when I’m ready to board the carriage alone, Tomas comes down the grand staircase dressed in his finest. He is handsome, only a few years older than myself. He’s wearing his full evening dress, and even I, who loathes him, has to admit that he looks fine in tails. I hate it, hate that he’s handsome, hate that I have to hang on his arm all evening instead of gracing the dance floor. 

The carriage ride is silent. We sit on opposite benches, facing one another. We’ve nearly reached our destination by the time he speaks.

“How was your afternoon?”

His words are so sudden that it makes me jump. I clear my throat. “Fine, I suppose. I went to the dressmaker and had tea with Gwyn and Emerie.”

He cringes at the informal use of my closest friends’ names. I rarely see them and know that Tomas disapproves, even if he’s never said it outright. “Lovely, dear.”

I do not progress the conversation, I simply let it drop and stare out the window once more. 

When the coach stops, we are sitting in front of a grand townhouse. It’s massive, larger than our own home in town. I’ve not been here before nor do I know the owner. It’s one of Tomas’ many business partners, the names of whom I don’t bother to memorize. 

Nonetheless, the home we enter is beautiful. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’m mesmerized as I cross the threshold. 

Everything is black, but it is elegant. Among the dark interior, there are paintings of the night sky, murals on the ceiling of the famous starlight of Velaris. White roses are strung throughout the hall, the stark petals leading to the ballroom, where people are gathered and a string quartet plays. 

“Beautiful,” I breathe, allowing myself to be dragged by Tomas.

“Hmm? Oh, yes.” It’s clear he’s not paying attention to me, but right now I don’t mind. “Chin up. Back straight. Don’t speak unless you’ve been asked a direct question. Think wisely about your answers before you voice them.”

I don’t respond. A sudden, familiar emptiness fills my core.

We round the ballroom until we’re gathered with a herd of people I don’t know but Tomas seems to. My arm remains looped through his and I smile, completely charmed, as voices surround us. The conversation is nothing more than muddled noise that I ignore as my eyes scan my surroundings. I watch as gentlemen ask the young ladies of Velaris to dance. I watch as they take to the floor and follow the commonly known steps while the music plays jovially from the platform near the corner. 

I envy them. I used to love to dance, used to come alive as the music played. Even now, I feel it in my bones while the quartet plays and I feel nothing but dread as I remain perfectly still, side by side with my husband. I don’t show it, though. The smile remains plastered on my face and I nod politely as each new person is introduced to me.

“Care for a smoke, Mandray?” 

Tomas looks at me and frowns, but I smile politely. “Don’t worry about me, my dear. I’ll get a drink and stand with the other married ladies.” 

He thinks for a minute, but then he nods and his arm slips from mine, giving me a sudden sense of freedom. I know he doesn't like leaving me alone in a room full of people but to decline an offer would speak of a weakness in both our marriage and his manhood, so he leaves me be. 

True to my word, I walk toward the refreshments table and grab a filled champagne flute. The bubbles tickle going down my throat and I can’t help my foot as it begins to tap along with the tune. 

“Lovely, isn’t it?”

I spin around, nearly flinging the fillings of my glass over the rim as I do so. A man stands behind me, tall and broad-shouldered, smiling kindly. His hair is long, which I find ridiculous, even if it’s pulled back neatly at the nape of his neck. He’s handsome, but not as a gentleman should be. He looks as if he should be working by the docks or in a lumber yard, perhaps in the mines. He looks more like a man that would live in my old village, not a member of high society. 

“The music?” I ask, and he nods. “Yes. Beautiful.”

I turn away from him, back towards the quartet. I watch as they expertly handle their instruments. 

“Would you care to dance?” 

My back stiffens as I turn to face my intruder once more. “Pardon?”

“Dance?” he asks, and his hazel eyes are lit with humor. “You know…what they’re all doing out there. Having fun.” 

Fun.

That was a word I haven’t heard in a long while, a word I haven’t felt. The offer is tempting and part of me wants to say yes, just to feel alive for a few minutes. 

“I’m married,” I say, simply.

He stares at me. Blinks. “And?”

My brows, I swear, shoot up into my hairline. “And…that means I cannot dance with you.” 

“Does it?” he asks, and a stupid, cocky little grin lifts the side of his mouth. “I don’t recall reading that in the rulebook.”

Knowing full well there isn’t a rule book, I feel my eyes narrow. “You, sir, are awfully inappropriate.”

“It is not inappropriate to ask a Lady to dance.”

“But it is to ask a married woman. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mr…”

“Nazari. Lord Cassian—”

“Yes, well, thank you for the offer but I obviously must decline.” I hand my half-emptied glass to a passing server and go to step around Lord Cassian. 

He steps in front of me. “I did not catch your name.”

“My name is not yours to know,” I say, and try to step around him yet again.

He follows me once more. “Please do not make me endure the rest of the night without us being properly introduced.”

I take a deep breath, trying my best to keep my cool. “Lady Mandray.” 

That cocky smile of his fades, and he’s left staring at me looking completely unsettled. “You’re married to Tomas Mandray?”

“I am,” I say, the words feeling hollow as they leave me. 

He nods and bows his head. “Very well. I apologize for the disruption of your evening. Enjoy the music.”

Before I can reply, he’s hurrying far away from me. It seems my husband has the same effect on strangers that he does on me. 

His reaction makes me think a little better of the man I just met, as awful as that may seem.

I do not join the other married women. They don’t seem to like me all that much and I honestly don’t care for them. The conversations are meaningless and I don’t care to answer over and over again how soon we’ll be having children. I wish Emerie and Gwyn were here. Although they’re at some of the events that I’m dragged to, they rarely come to the balls. They are not married nor are they looking for husbands, claiming and content to be spinsters, but that is what drew me to them in the first place, their freedom even in society. 

So I stand here, close to the refreshments even though I’ve given up my glass. I watch young gentlemen and ladies dance, watch as they smile and laugh and move freely to the music. And I can’t help when my eyes find Lord Cassian as he speaks with another young lady across the hall. His body is so relaxed, his smile so easy, and I loathe him for that.

Jealousy is a bitch and it’s all I seem to be feeling tonight. Jealousy, and loneliness.

…….

Cassian 

“Would you like me to introduce you to Mandray?” 

My smile falters and I clear my throat. “Of course. Eh, let’s hope that the fact that I tried to charm his wife doesn’t ruin his impression of me.”

Beside me, Azriel snorts. Rhysand’s lips form a tight line. “You hit on his wife?”

“I didn’t know she was his wife,” I mutter, crossing my arms. “I didn’t know she was anyone’s wife. I saw a pretty woman. I asked her to dance.”

Rhysand’s eyes narrow. “Why do I feel that wasn’t the end of the conversation?”

I sip from my champagne.

Pretty isn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe Lady Mandray, but I can’t tell my brothers that she is, by far, the most terrifyingly beautiful woman I have ever crossed paths with. Traditional beauty had been thrown out the window and replaced with a cold, intricate beauty that was unknown to society and the world beyond. The type of beauty that was Lady Mandray could not be replicated. No, I wouldn’t tell them that. That would be inappropriate and although I love the inappropriate most of the time, being inappropriate with the man I’m attempting to invest with to boost my fortune seems to be crossing a line.

“Well, let’s hope his wife remains quiet and no one overheard,” Rhysand says, shaking his head. “It would be just like you to cause a scandal at my event, of all places.” 

“No scandal, just a misunderstanding,” I assure him. At least, I try to. The look in his eye tells me to watch myself for the remainder of the evening. I try not to let that piss me off as I take another drink. 

Just as I’m about to ask Rhys to make the introduction, I see a familiar face out of the corner of my eye and a slow smile spreads across my lips. There’s someone I could have fun with and cause no scandal.

None that hasn’t been spread before, anyway. 

“One dance, then I’ll meet Mandray.” I’m moving before the words are out of my mouth. I move around the outskirts of the dancefloor, tossing my drink aside on the way, until I’m stopping behind a long-legged blonde in a red dress.

I bow. “Miss Morrigan.”

She’s turning, eyes narrowed, before I stand back at full height. “I swear, every time you call me that it makes me hate you just a little bit more.” 

“You don’t hate me.” I grin. “If you hated me, you wouldn’t accept the dance I’m about to offer you and we both know that you can’t say no to a dance with me.” 

With a roll of her eyes, she takes my outstretched hand and we join the other dancers as a quadrille begins. It’s not the best dance for conversation but we seem to carry one anyway without caring about those around us. 

“You’re late,” I say, as the music becomes lively. “I didn’t think you were going to show.”

“Missed me?” she asks with a wink. “You missed tea this past Monday. Maybe I was angry with you.”

We come together and spin around as I ask, “No, I just figured you were holed up with someone you weren’t supposed to be again.”

Her eyes grow bright as we part and the softest shade of pink tinges her cheeks. She looks around to make sure those closest to us didn’t hear, but I know they didn’t. It takes a few seconds for us to come back together, but when she does she says, “No, that was last weekend. Tonight I just felt like arriving late so that everyone would have to look at me as I entered.” 

It worked. It always did. Mor was stunning, beautiful to everyone who looked her way. She took my virginity, and I took hers, when we were teenagers. It was awkward and horrible and I lasted no more than twenty seconds. It took her a long time to convince me that such a horribly awkward experience wasn’t what opened her eyes to realizing that she didn’t like men at all in such a way — a fact that only a few of us know and keep secret in her honor. Me, Azriel, Rhys, our friend Amren. We’ll keep that secret until we no longer walk this earth. 

But, it’s nice to know that she finds someone to spend her time with every now and then. I want to ask about the mystery woman that she spent the weekend with, but it’ll have to wait until Monday’s tea time. 

The dance ends a minute later and we all take our bow, then I’m sweeping her to where Rhysand and Azriel are in deep conversation with a group of young ladies. Mor’s arm loops through mine when I see her. 

Lady Mandray is watching me, and I can tell she’s pissed that I caught her. I offer her a smile, but maybe it comes off a bit too cocky because her pursed lips seem to amplify. She quickly turns on her heels and exits the room, which leaves me confused and strangely aroused. 

Mor catches me looking and leans in closer. “And who is that?”

“The wife of Lord Tomas Mandray,” I answer, my smile fading. “Met earlier tonight. We didn’t hit it off.”

Mor gasps, patting my arm. “Lord Cassian Nazari didn’t instantly sweep a woman off her feet? My, my. You must be getting old.”

I shoot her a look that makes her grin widen, but we say nothing more as we reach our destination. I fall into the chaos that consists of the ladies of Velaris desperately wanting to charm a man into becoming their husbands until we politely dismiss ourselves to find Lord Mandray. 

We find him in a smoke-filled room full of gentlemen and Rhysand makes the introduction. We talk for no more than two minutes before he’s called away, apparently a much sought after man of high society. 

After those two minutes, I deduce two things.

One: investing with him will make me more money in a month than all my tenants combined make me in a year. 

Two: I would hate to be the woman married to that asshole. 

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for wanting to meet my QPP and going out of my way to try to do so after they’ve said no?

Okay, so. This is a very complicated situation, I’ll try to offer as much details as I can, but I am currently running off a fresh four hours of sleep and I am dead on my feet.

Me (18 genderfluid) and my partner, X (17 nb) have met almost three years ago on Tumblr. We have become really close in that time, and I asked them to be my QPP last year.

We’ve never met irl, because of the simple fact that we live on different continents and were both until this summer.

Well, as it happens, X’s parents decided to take him on a trip overseas in august. As soon as they learned this, they told me and we both freaked out.

Because the trip would put him and me only a two hour flight away. I immediately asked my parents if it would be possible to do something about this, fully expecting to be denied.

However, my parents not only Agreed, they helped me devise a full timeplan and schedule and find plane tickets and a hotel.

I told this to my partner excitedly and they were obviously excited, I was, too. Since it was a family trip, they had to ask his parents, though. One of them was completely fine with it, but the other just said no.

It was made worse by the fact that it was a step-parent to X.

Usually, I am a very calm person, and am able to accept a logical argument. But there was no apparent reasoning behind the step-parent saying no. At least not one that me or X could see.

I cried for the entire day after learning of this and I just couldn’t calm down. I was so close to meeting the most important person in my life and it slipped out of my fingers right before it became a reality.

Anyways, it pissed me off beyond reason and I booked the tickets, hotel and invited my mom for an impromptu three day holiday. Obviously, she knew why I was going, since she helped with the planning, so she agreed.

My partner learned of this, obviously. I told him as soon as I decided to do it, but because of timezones, they were already unavailible when I told them.

So I flew out yesterday. I should probably mention that I will be paying everything back to my Dad, who bought the tickets, which will be almost the entirety of my savings.

I gave an option to X. If he wants to meet, I’ll meet with them, if not, I’ll leave it. Yesterday, he wasn’t sure. We discussed it for a long time, I cried again.

I was emotional, sleep deprived and in a completely different country, so I was mean. I tried not to be, but I did say some things that I regret. I apologised immediately, but still.

Mostly, I was asking about why he’s scared to meet. I won’t elaborate on the reasoning, since it’s his own bussiness, but Basicaly, it was his parents. Because they hadn’t Agreed to the meeting.

Well, I begged him to at least try asking again and went to sleep.

X texted me whilst I was sleeping, saying he discussed it with his step-parent and tried to convince them to let us meet.

However, this is where their step-parent finaly revealed their reasoning.

The trip they are on is meant as a sort of ‘goodbye’ trip for X, since he’s turning 18 next year and for whatever reason, they don’t expect him to be very happy to spend holidays with them again.

Yea, I know, I’m being sarcastic and salty, but I think it’s deserved. Why Oh why would your child want to cut contact with you once they turn 18, you shall never know.

In any case, I learned of X’s family’s plans for the following day and it was a thing that I Also really wanted to do (since I did give him the option to tell me yes/no for the meeting I turned the trip into a holiday with my own mom). I have been super excited to do this during the trip and it just so happened that the weather was perfect for the activity as well, so I just decided to go Anyways, much like with the trip.

My main motive was absolutely the trip itself, but the possibility of running into X Also influenced my decision.

We didn’t end up meeting, but if we did, it would’ve Caused trouble for him and they already said no to meeting me.

I understand that everyone’s boundaries and fears are different and I try and respect them, but I’m so frustrated with this situation, because were our situations reversed, I would’ve met with X, whatever the consequences.

So. AITA?

What are these acronyms?