#OVE BEEN FUCKING STARVING

[teenageukulelescreamo]

I feel like I’ve regained access to an OC of mine I expected to be shelved away for a long time, but she has suddenly found herself back with the original story she was going to have and it’s actually… so cool???

[tomasweetheart]

Hi! Can I pls request boyfriend headcanons for Uramichi, Mitsuo and Iketeru with a female reader? Thank you ❤️❤️

꒰ uramichi, ikereru & mitsuo x f!reader ꒱

° sypnosis: some headcanons about three of my fav cringe adults being boyfriends

° warnings: cussing, mentions of depression, mentions of alcohol and smoking, dirty jokes, nothing else really, sfw 🫡

° notes: i am so sorry for the wait. also, like everything else i write, this is x female reader but there's really no use of pronouns.

✮ uramichi :

he hasn't been in many relationships. maybe one or two actual serious ones, but otherwise he's been too busy with gymnastics and pulling himself out of holes to focus on dating.

so imagine you coming into the picture.

he's not against taking the initiative, but he'd probably appreciate it more if you made the first move.

even later in his life, he isn't too concerned about dating, but he's not opposed to it either.

you have to understand, uramichi is affected heavily everyday by his depression. there's some days where he doesn't even recognize himself, so you're going to have to earn his trust and learn him from the inside out.

as an actual boyfriend, uramichi will put his best effort into you.

he'll try to cut down on drinking and smoking, to some people that's not a lot, but he is trying really hard. unless you don't really mind either of those things, then the amount he'll cut back will be smaller.

he's touch-starved, but it'll take him a while to warm up to it, but once he does? oh boy.

who needs sleeping pills or booze when he can just hold you? his sundays off are reserved for just lounging on the couch together after his workout.

since he's older, he'll probably see your relationship as endgame...after you date for a couple of months. that nagging voice in the back of his head telling him that time is running out is the most annoying thing.

he tries, he takes you out. not on like, overly expensive dates but he'll go for walks with you, run errands with you, maybe take you to the bar with the rest of the cast

the cast probably doesn't find out about your relationship until later on, they catch him calling you on one of his breaks. usahara almost has a heart attack.

does have a temperment, you will fight. but uramichi is not one to not take responsibility.

if he says something completely out of line, he'll feel horrible and spend the rest of the day (or week...or month...or year...) trying to make up for it.

this is all new to him, but he loves you with all he has.

✮ kumatani :

first of all, you've got to like cats. if you don't, it's a dealbreaker. even if you're allergic, you have to at least appreciate cats.

kumatani isn't too concerned with dating, he just goes with the flow really. you'll probably have to make the first move.

he's a morally driven person, if you don't match his morals, he won't even bother with you. but if you have similar ideas to him, he's more willing to open up.

you make him smile, he likes being in your presence that much. typically, he finds stupid jokes annoying but you get a pass.

movie night dates!! he doesn't look it, but he loves showing you his favorite low budget films.

he's more casual about your relationship. he's not gonna come outward and tell everyone, but he won't deny it when someone brings it up.

takes you fishing with him, even if you don't really like it. just having you sit by him is enough, making conversation or reading a book, as long as you're in his vicinity.

he's also not one to beg, but assuming you aren't allergic to cats, he'll do everything in his power to convince you to adopt one with him.

nonchalant™, but let someone fuck with you. goes 0 to 100 real quick. he's not against using physical force to defend his morals, or you.

random infodumps, he'll just nonchalantly talk about things. you don't even need to understand, but just having you there to listen is enough.

gentleman, holds doors open for you, cooks for you, etc.

he's a good boyfriend, he has his moments, but overall he's just very serious. his love is shown more through his actions rather than words.

✮ iketeru :

good lord. he doesn't even know you're dating, he just thought you were being nice.

first things first: sayuri HAS to like you.

him being oblivious is an understatement.

you're his first real relationship, but let's be clear: just because he's clueless doesn't mean he's a baby. he's still a grown ass man.

he's a lot more laid-back than the other two, and a lot more open with his love.

he's not touch starved, he just likes touching you!!

holds your hand in public, cuddles you when you go to sleep, kisses you goodbye every morning, etc.

clingy baby.

househusband material my god. cooks, cleans, the whole nine yards. and, he likes doing it with you too so it's a win.

make dirty jokes, i beg.

he already laughs at all your jokes, but one penis joke and he's gonna cackle.

loves when you take part in his interests. especially when it involves music and his singing.

he'll sing for you, he actually really likes doing it, makes him feel loved because of how much you like his voice.

will ask you to settle arguments between him and his sister, even if you don't know jack shit about music. will probably get pouty if you take her side tbh

he'll tell everyone you're dating, but really it's not like they couldn't tell. you two are gross with the pda.

he doesn't mind if you drink, but hopes you understand that he doesn't really because of his low tolerance and therefore just asks that you don't ask him if he wants any, force it upon him or do it in moderation

10/10 one of the sweetest little guys ever.

[manmuncher777]

Mornings|John Price Smut

a/n - once again i want to say a huge thankyou for all of the love on my posts. it means a lot. i’m surprised i’ve been able to produce so much work at the moment, and it might slow down within the coming days. but PLEASE feel free to send me ideas. i love writing someone else’s thoughts.

Warnings - smut, oral fem receiving, pet names, v light overstimulation, fem reader

You hated mornings, you honestly couldn't stand them, if it were possible you would sleep all day and be awake at night. Mornings always made you feel shit, that was until you met John Price, to say he made them a little bit better would be an understatement.

So there he was. 8:37 in the morning, eating you out like a starved man. Head under your white linnen covers as he gets to work. His tongue twisted and turned through your folds as your hands had a grip on his short tufts of hair. His huge hands on either sides of your hips, keeping you still in the position of his liking so he could really get his job done. See John didn't mind mornings, he didn't see anything wrong with them, his time the military always caused him to be awake super early and he didn't always sleep easy, he would often find himself staring at you in the morining, admiring you for hours while you slept, he would watch your chest raise and fall with every breath, always checking you were real, and that you were ok.

soemtimes he didn't want to take his eyes off of you incase you might dissapear and leave his grasp forver

He knew how much you hated mornings, so sometimes John liked to give you something nice to wake up to. The fact that he enjoyed it as well was just a bonus.

"John, Fuck!" you moaned out as your back arched off of the bed, your voice strained as it was the first time it was being used that morning. The goosebumps rising on your skin caused you whole body to shiver, the pleasure tingling all the way up your spine

he was completely under the covers, his hands on either sides of your hips using them as anchors to pull himself further into your pussy, his nose bumping your clit with each movement. Everything was so intense, feeling all of this at once as soon as you had woken up had tears already springing in your eyes.

John had you sprawled out on the bed, legs draped over his shoulders as your hair is all over place and your hands searching for something to grip, the bedding beside your head wasn’t cutting it. That was the only negative of John being under the s was that could couldn’t pull on his hair, something you enjoyed. And so did he.

You also didn’t get to have his gorgeous eyes staring up at you while he ate you like he was your last meal, it made the moment that much better

You take all your concentration into sitting up far enough to push the covers onto the floor, deciding you much preferred it when you would actually see your husband.

“happy to see me sweetheart?” he mocks, smirking as you feel relieved to be able to see his face

He didn’t even give you a second to respond before diving straight back in, his tongue eagerly lapping at your folds, before moving slightly further down the fuck your with his tongue and let his nose do the work on your clit, after all he knew how much you liked that. John knew everything that just made your body tick in the right way, he knew you inside out.

Your hands now happy with their new found home tugged in his dark hair causing him to groan into you, the vibrations only making the feeling more intense.

“oh God”

“not God, just John sweetheart”

If he wasn’t making you feel like your body was on fire in the best way possible, you would’ve slapped him on the back of the head for being a smart ass. But seeing as the only thing you could say was his name and a string of curses, you weren’t exactly in a position to be talking back

Your hips were grinding into his face as you could feel yourself getting closer to that point of release and he could tell too. his focussed on your clit, his tongue flicking over the bundle of never as he sucked on it. he knew it was working but the squeals you were letting out

”John- i’m so close’

“i know, i know sweetheart. cmon now, give it to me”

he needed it, he needed it just as much as you did. that thought sent you over the edge

the only thing coming from you mouth was John’s name as you sung his praise. only he could make you feel this good.

he didn’t stop, he helped you ride out your high, he wasn’t finished until he had drunk you all in and you were pushing his head from overstimulation.

“well good morning to you too” you said, after finally catching your breath

[callofdudes]

Did they just post artwork? Yes. Am I in love with every viking/cod au that crosses my path? Yes. Do I like shifters? Fucking absolutely.

And @aidenlydia has fed me all of those at once. So obviously I'm writing something for it because it's beautiful! Here is their original post.

Winter fall.

09 SoapGhost

Snow in the Highlands was always to be expected. Even in the deep treks as the white specks of freezing cold weather clung to his beard. Icy blue eyes only added to the background, wind whipping around them up in the mountains.

John stopped in the slow, noticing part of the thick pine tree line had been caved in. Branches snapped and trees arching from a weight.

Deep foot prints quickly being filled by the pummelling snow leading into the dark abyss of the forest.

Along his collar, Ghost stirred. Fluffing his feathers along John's neck, making him shiver a little.

"You wanna go have a look?"

The rather large crow's wings puffed out from the fuzzy fur cloak John wore, making a rather disgruntled noise.

John chuckles. "Be quick then, we're both hungry."

His little feet bounced, pushing off of John's shoulder and flapping his large black wings against the harsh winds. Snow landing across his feathers and beak.

John watched as Ghost took the wind, soaring up over the tree line and dashing through the pine wood.

The trees bowed and swayed, bending as Ghost monitored the snowy forest floor. Seeing broken branches and trees bent all the way down the side of the embankment.

Sharp eyes surveying every inch until he spotted their goal. The large elk that had wandered it's way into their trap and woken their stomachs gnawing on some grass.

Ghost cawed, alerting John before diving toward the large beast.

Hearing his cry, John grabbed his axe, rushing through the flurry of snow. Past pine branches and into the thick darkness.

Following the deep trails of the elk until coming across the opening where Ghost was picking a fight with it.

Feet planted on the elks muzzle as it tried to shake him off and cant him away. Ghost squawked, flapping his wings into its face, disorienting it.

Before the elk could figure out what was happening, John slammed his axe in an upper cut, the blade lodging between the thick fur and skin, tearing at the ribs, making the animal cry.

Blood covered the pearl white snow, soaking into the flurry as it fought and then fell to its demise.

Ghost squawked, flapping his wings rapidly and landing on John's head and fluffing his feathers, stretching out one wing to finely clean the feathers.

John secured the elk to a rope and pulled it up over his shoulder. "You all good up there??" John reached up and Simon hopped along the top of his head, crooning his beak to peck at John's firm hand.

"Good lad. Let's get this back to a fire. I'm starving."

Simon flapped his wings, hopping down into the fur of John's cloak, snuggling up and puffing out his feathers a little.

They trekked back through the snow with their meal, heading back to the cave opening where they'd been set up to hunt game for the last week.

Their leather bed rolls laid across from each other, the rocks pulled up around thee scorched wood of last night's fire.

John set the elk onto a rock, grabbing out his dagger. "Get the fire going yeah?" Ghost nuzzled his beak against John's neck and flapped down into the snow.

Tight leather shoes crunching to the snow. Ghost wrapped his arms around his body, the cloth scarf that wrapped around his neck, one end falling to end at his breast, the other wrapped over his nose. Hiding his pale complexion amongst the flurry of snow.

His eyes still resembling the sharp, cunning gaze of the crow. Nimble hands wrapped in leather picking up wood from under their small camp out and replacing the old logs.

He looked up at John, his large muscles flexing as he split open the elk. Stripping the intestines and skinning the top from the meat of the animal.

He grabbed their chipped rocks from by John's bedside, striking them over the fresh wood and watching them catch light.

"How long will that last us?" He finally asks before blowing on the starting sparks of the fire.

"A week or two if we eat wisely." John replied, throwing the skin into a pile next to the rest of their leather, which they would use to package and conserve the meat in the cold climate.

"How long do you suspect we'll be out here?"

"Long enough. Why? Wanting a vacation already?" John chuckles softly.

Simon scoffs, folding one knee up to his chin, poking the fire with their stick. "No, just wondering."

A gentle silence followed. The howl of the wind passing by their small alcove but never entering. And the occasional noise of John chopping up the fat of the animal.

It wasn't a long process, they'd done it before.

When John was ready he pulled off part of the pure thigh meat. The slick slabs from each side laying in the snow.

For now he'd leave it. So he took the pieces up and sat near Ghost on the small rock carve out, his leather sleeping pad cushioning his arse barely.

He got the metal hook and slipped one of the slabs of meat onto it. The flames in the pit sparkling, popping and reaching up to the meat. Blood dripped into the fire, making it sizzle and crackle.

Ghost watched it. Still poking his stick around in the fire aimlessly. John noticed, even Simon's small amount of feather coverage around his forearms, shoulders and ears were barely enough against the wind that passed.

He unclipped his heavy cloak, pulling the emblem away from his neck, catching Ghost's attention.

It was a silent exchange when he laid the cloak over Ghost's shoulders. Watching him slightly slump as the fabric engulfed his body into the warmth that John's own body had.

Ghost pulled it close, sinking into it while he watched the fire.

John's large muscular shoulders bare to the cold weather turned slightly red around his neck muscle, dusted with barely noticable freckles.

Ghost looked over at him, shifting a little closer. John hummed softly, feeling Simon's smaller body closer to him, "We'll head back to the village soon for proper rest."

Simon hummed, staring into the fire. "We can get some alcohol too.."

John chuckles softly. "And alcohol, bloody yes we're getting alcohol."

Simon looks up at him, leaning slowly against his side. "You're a dumb drunk."

"Mm, well I can say the same about you."

John tucked the cloak in tighter, pulling Ghost right against him, surprising the smaller man.

He huffed softly, looking away at the ground, but it was warm. John's large hand wrapped around him, holding him protectively. There was always something so nice about it.

His eyelids fluttered slightly, drooping and allowing himself to lean in further to the side of the steady man.

A branch snapped, making him sit back up straight again.

John's attention also moved to the opening of the cave, placing a firm hand on Ghost's thigh. "Easy, just the wind." He assured.

Ghost slowly relaxed, looking back over at the snow covered land once more to double check.

John's arm remained protectively around him, holding his thigh, letting Simon curl up closely to him.

John poked the fire with the stick, splashing more embers up onto the meat. The time slowly ticked away as it cooked.

The small amount of feather coverage on Simon's forearms bristled. One arm poking out from the cloak, crooning his neck to nip at the mashed feathers and preen them back into place with his teeth.

John thought it was adorable. Sitting with him in that peaceful moment. Getting some time to just relax. Knowing they'd be out here for hunting season quite a while. But they made a good team, that's for sure.

I was gonna do more but got a road trip and I love these two. This was what I could splurge onto the page. I want more 😭😭

[ghostly-penumbra]

Seven Ways to Summon the Ghost King

Chapter Two: The Friend of a Friend

[1] [here] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Ao3

Summary: Dean wants his brother's soul back. Danny is ready to help.

Warnings: Some blood and the aftermat of a fight.

- - -

Dean left the shitty store and Doc. Roberts’ shitty ‘office’, standing in the middle of the convenience store that served as a front for the doctor’s more arcane business. “This better work.” He said to himself. “Messorum evoco qui me titigit.”

“Dean? What the Hell?”

Dean turned around, meeting his reaper once again after all these years. “What do you know? It worked.” She seemed to remember him well, if her choice to go with her human-looking shape rather than her ‘spooky bed sheet ghost’ attire was any indication.

“I was in Sudan!” Tessa exclaimed. “What’s with yanking me ov-” She stopped, actually seeing his current state, “wait, why are you dead?”

Finally! To the point. “Tessa, I need a favor.”

“Oh, you’re kidding. You died to ask me-”

“Tell your boss I need to talk to him.” The hunter hastily interrupted. Only three minutes.

“No.” Tessa said immediately.

“Please?”

“Where do you get the nerve?”

“Desperate times.” That was as simple as he could say it, since he didn’t consider the bread aisle next to the rotisserie chicken to be the perfect place to talk about it.

“He calls for us.” The reaper finally explained. “We don’t call him.”

“You make an exception!” Dean snapped, his patience was wearing thin.

“I can’t!” But even a reaper had limitations. There were rules they were bound to.

“Can’t or won’t?!”

“Both!”

“Hey, um, sorry to interrupt, but you’re Tessa and Dean, right?” A lanky guy that almost looked like Tessa’s little brother interrupted and- wait, was he actually her Reaper lil’ bro or something? To be here with them in Limbo…

“Danny?” Was what she said instead, gobsmacked. “I mean, sir-”

“Danny is okay, really.” The guy said, putting up both hands in front of himself, as a placating gesture and to fend off the formality. “Anyway, Death sent me.” That caught Dean’s attention. “I’ll take it from here.” Danny told her kindly. “You can go back to work, don’t worry.”

Tessa looked back at Dean, lips pursed and finally nodded. “Behave.” She warned the hunter one last time before disappearing.

“So, who the fuck are you?” Dean demanded from the new guy. “Can you actually do something or do I have to ask for the big boss again?”

“Woah, calm down, man. I just got here. My names Danny, by the way. Death’s busy so she delegated to me. What do you need?”

Ignoring the odd pronoun, Dean went right back to the chase. “My brother’s soul is in Hell, in the Cage! While his body is up here being a fucking psychopath!” He was breathing hard, closing his hands into fists and then opening them again. “He’s down there being tortured by Lucifer and Michael and I… I can’t leave him there.” He looked up to meet Danny’s eyes.

Had they been green a minute ago?

“Where is his body?” He said with a chilling intensity.

“Why-”

“You said his body is up and about, I need you to keep it in one place. I don’t know how long it’ll take me, but I need you to keep his body in one place: where?”

“… Singer Savage, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.”

Danny nodded. “Go there, lock up your brother’s body and wait for me.” He commanded firmly. “Understood?”

At Dean’s nod, Danny put a hand on the hunter’s chest and-

-Dean came back with a deep gasp, as his lungs tried to compensate for the time his body had been starved of breath.

“I have to go.” He sat up shakily, just in time to avoid a shot of adrenaline. “I need to-”

“Aw, this was the best part.” The goth chick next to him grumbled, syringe still in hand.

“Oh, boy, you’re alright! How did it go?” Doctor Roberts asked him, and Dean felt his heartbeat accelerate.

“It was- great. Awesome. And I have- I need to go back to Bobby.” He made for the door, but Roberts put both hands on his shoulders and sat him back down.

“Dean, you are in no state to drive. You just came back from the dead, you need to recover.” He said, handing him a glass of water of dubious origin.

“No! What I need to do is go back with Bobby and keep Sam in one piece- place, and quickly. Danny said-”

“Alright, big boy.” The assistant drawled, smirking. “No need to throw a tantrum. I can drive you there.”

Dean seriously considered saying Cristo right then, because the smile Eva gave him was nothing short of devilish.

- - -

Dean stumbled into Singer Savage, thankful he had left his baby back here, otherwise he feared Eva would demand to drive herself back. That girl really was hell in four wheels.

“Bobby!” He called, entering the old house and looking for the old man. “Where is Sam?!

“Over here, boy.”

As he walked towards the voice, he noticed the disarray the place was in, with broken furniture and stuff thrown around all over the place.

He found Bobby sitting in front of a big metal door nursing his flask close to his chest.

“What happened here?” He asked in concern.

“Your baby brother is what happened.” Bobby said, pointing at the door with his thumb and taking a swing from his flask in his other hand. “Fuckin’ tried to kill me and failed!” He told him, with the last bit thrown over his shoulder towards Sam’s cell.

“So he’s there? He’s trapped?” Dean looked through the small window, finding a dirty and bloodied Sam sitting on the floor glaring daggers at him with heartless –soulless– eyes.

“As well as ‘can be since we don’t have a human-trapping circle yet. You know, other than walls.” Bobby extended his hand and Dean took it, helping the older hunter stand up. “Did you make it? You got the deal?”

“Yeah, I- I got the deal.” He put a hand in his pocket where the ring-

The ring wasn’t there.

Had the kid taken it while Dean didn’t notice? How could Dean not notice? Had he tricked him into believing he would save his little brother so Dean would back off?

A lump formed in his throat and his knees trembled. Had he damned Sammy?

“Move over!”

It happened in a flash. One second he was questioning all his actions that led up to this moment and the next his life of obeying his father was kicking in and he instinctually followed the order.

The next moment, both he and Bobby had a lot to process.

Not just because a glowing, white haired kid with a bruised face caked with a green substance had just passed through the steel door dragging an equally bruised, equally glowing Sammy, but also because he had left another person behind, laid on the floor just as bloody and bruised but not glowing like them.

“What the hell was that?!” Bobby voiced their thoughts.

“Adam?” Dean knelt next to the still form of his half-brother. The surprise and confusion were clear in his voice, not only for the fact that Adam was there but for his current condition. Was he actually alive? Was this his dead body and had his soul already left?

A blood-curdling scream tore Dean away and back towards the door, where he only caught a flash of bright light through the small window before he could finally find both Sammy and Danny thrown on the floor, unconscious.

Bobby turned to Dean, confused, “Son, you better start doin’ some explaining.”

- - -

“So, this half dead thing, how does it work?” Bobby asked Danny, handing him another ice-pack, this one going to his split lip.

“Usually better than this.” The young man replied with a grimace. Young man. An adult again, while his other half had been just a boy. “Usually I heal kinda fast, but I don’t think that’ll be the case this time.”

“Because you took on two archangels.”

Danny almost doubled over laughing, but his cracked ribs and Bobby’s firm hand on his good shoulder stopped him from causing himself more damage.

“Easy, boy.”

“Sorry, it’s just- I didn’t ‘take on’ two archangels. I didn’t even face them! I just, got in while they were at each other’s throats, distracted, snatched up the guys, and turned tail as fast as I could when they noticed.

“If I had actually tried to fight them, none of us would have gotten out.” His face had sobered, looking at his bandaged hand.

Who had he been holding with that hand? Would it had been Adam or Sam who got dragged back to Hell? Bobby shuddered to think that. These boys deserved to be finally free.

Speaking of which…

“But you still went to the end of Hell and back to get ‘em back. And I owe you for that. Thank you.”

The boy blushed and ducked his head, shrugging. “It had to be done.”

“No, don’t.” The weathered hunter gripped Danny’s shoulder more firmly, but still mindful of his injury. “Don’t undermine what you did, kid. You saved these boys. So, again, thank you.”

Ha had saved Sam’s soul, and if his soulless body’s previous attempt at patricide showed something, it was that Sam saw Bobby as a father as much as Bobby saw him as a son.

And maybe he hadn’t raised Adam like he had his boys, but he still was so young, with a whole life ahead of himself. He would have to come to terms with his mother’s loss and the years he’d missed but if he had that Winchester stubbornness in him he would be okay. Eventually.

“If there is anything I can do…” Bobby offered again.

“Uh, actually…” Danny’s sheepishness turned into outright embarrassment. “I could really do with a ride home. My friends and sister are at college and I really don’t trust my parents’ driving.”

Bobby huffed out a laugh. Of all things he could have asked…

“Sure thing, kid. Do ya mind if I call someone to pick you up? I gotta fix this place, and I really wanna keep an eye on these boys.”

“No prob’, sir, just, generally speaking, if we could keep the ‘half ghost’ thing between the people here, y’know, don’t let word get out, that would be great.”

“Understood.”

- - -

Sam and Adam were still out cold, but alive. Dean had wanted to stay by their bedside, but Bobby left no room for arguing in that he had to thank Danny before he left for home. Home, which was his parents’ house in Illinois, when he wasn’t at college.

Was he seriously just some guy? Part-timing as a reaper… ghost… friend of Death of all beings.

Said guy was currently resting against Garth’s truck, eyes closed and face tilted upwards just basking in the sunlight after having gone to the depths of Hell and back. Because Dean had asked.

Yeah, he should thank him face to face.

“Hey.” He called out as he approached.

Danny looked back down and Dean finally got to see his busted lip and split eyebrow, which had been easier to ignore than the arm in a cast, but harder than the bad posture hiding his broken and bandaged ribs.

“Hey, man.” He said with a weak grin. “Ready to move on, huh?”

“Yeah, I already called my parents, told them I’ll be visiting… I didn’t tell them it’s gonna be a recovery visit, though, or they would have insisted in driving here.” Danny said with a grimace. “I’m just waiting for your friend Garth to finish talking with Mister Singer, and then we’ll go.”

Dean nodded along but on the inside he steeled himself, cowboyed up, and began, “Hey, listen, about Death’s ring, I know you already took it but-”

“I didn’t take anything.” Danny said calmly making the hunter pause. His expression was knowing and serene. “If you had something of Death’s that she wanted back, there was nothing you could’ve done to keep her from getting it back. Death is everywhere and you can’t escape her forever.” He said it so matter-of-fact and with such acceptance that it rankled Dean, who had already died and come back as well.

“Ok, well, then you still went to Hell and saved my brothers, and I know you told Bobby we owed you nothing and only want a ride home but-”

“Mister Singer owes me nothing, but you do.” The halfa interrupted him again, leaving Dean flabbergasted.

Was he really saying…? Well, it’s not like Dean wasn’t in the middle of offering anyway, but still…

The hunter nodded. “Okay.” He didn’t know what he was signing up to, but he had already sold his soul once to save Sam, and he would do it again if it came down to it.

“You don’t owe me because I saved your brothers.” Danny explained. “I’d have done that for free, any time. You owe me one for not telling your youngest brother that you didn’t even think of him when you asked me to go on a rescue mission to Hell.” Danny’s glare wasn’t hateful or even angry, just disappointed and disdainful.

Dean was still stunned, he closed his mouth then opened it again but no sound came out. He really hadn’t thought… hadn’t considered… fuck. Shit! Damn it!

He shook himself out of his thoughts and nodded again. He deserved whatever he got.

- -

Garth and Bobby wrapped up their conversation, and soon enough Danny was out of Singer Savage and headed back to Illinois.

They still had to deal with the angels’ war, and see what would happen with Adam, what he would choose.

His brothers were fine, they were safe for now, and they would get better soon.

Still, as he watched the back of the speeding truck get smaller and smaller, Dean was left feeling hollow.

- - -

The first bit of this chapter was directly taken from a transcription of "Appointment in Samarra", the episode where Death has Dean do his job for a day to teach him the lesson that murder is okay if done by someone better dressed than you! asdfghjklñ. I just added some descriptions.

There, Death asks him "which brother" to save from the Cage, since Dean tty forgot about lil Adam smh.

Let's just say that the setting (me, being the one to write this) demanded Danny to be Not Cool with that, so this is a little fix it. I did this for Adam and have no regrets. Youngest half siblings for the win!

[pickel182]

~The First Night at Last Light~

Summary: Dammon and Karlach put her upgraded engine to the test.

Rating 18+: Explicit F/M intercourse

A date with Dammon is the last place Karlach thought she’d be after getting her engine under control. After exchanging a few heated (but no longer supernaturally heated) kisses in the forge, she wanted to test her upgraded engine, and was surprised and flattered when he’d so enthusiastically volunteered.

The blacksmith had then asked if she’d have dinner with him first. She was so fucking touch-starved, she was ready to take him then and there, but she’d never seen eyes so big and soft as his. As soon as he’d turned them on her looking so hopeful, she was done for. Completely doomed.

They talked over dinner at Last Light Inn about both of their time spent in the hells. Hers as a warrior, and his in a devil’s smithy before they both found a way out. He was so handsome that it was hard for her to focus on his words and not just stare.

He squinted, mid-sentence as a light shined over one of his eyes, and Karlach turned to find a certain vampire’s dagger peeking out from under a door. Her friend was doing his best to spy on her date with the knife's reflection, and she couldn’t help but snort from laughing as she heard Tav fussing at him for being so nosey.

Dammon laughed too, and her stomach did the strangest little flip at the rumble of his voice. “We could-,” he started just as she asked “Do you want to-?” And both dissolved into laughter again realizing they were both ready to go someplace more private. He took her hand as they traveled across the courtyard and up the stairs to his room over the forge. He stopped at the door, and faced her, his eyes transfixed on her lips. He glanced back up as she blushed. “Well, go on,” she smirked.

It was all the encouragement he needed.

His lips were unbearably soft as they pressed into hers. She moaned as his tongue swept against her bottom lip, hesitant, but eager. He cupped her cheek ever so gently as he sought to deepen the kiss.

Karlach would have melted into the delicate touch, any other time. But as it was, she hadn’t kissed anyone in years. Hadn’t had a tumble with anyone in longer than that. There was no time for slow and gentle when she’d been robbed of intimacy for so long. Too long.

Dammon gasped when she lifted him at the hips and pinned him against the door to his quarters. His arms came around her shoulders and his groan of approval was swallowed up against her mouth, urgently plundering his in a clash of tongues and teeth. She reached for the doorknob and moaned in despair when she found it locked, reluctant to tear away from their kiss.

She opened her eyes to find his heavy lidded and color high on his cheeks. His kiss-swollen lips pulled into a shy smile. “Sorry. Left it locked.” Karlach set him down and he pulled a key from his pocket, quickly turning the bolt. She bit her lip as she admired his broad, strong shoulders while he faced away from her.

Gods below! She thought. How long does it take to unlock a door? Her insides clenched in anticipation. She managed not to moan at the sensation, but only just. He turned the knob, but barely cracked open the door before turning to face her again.

She furrowed her brow in a silent question and he licked his lips in anticipation before bracing his hands on her shoulders and hopping back into her arms, legs locked around her waist. “Now, where we’re we?” He murmured before nipping at her lower lip.

“Hells,” she gasped before pushing the door open and kicking it closed behind her.

Both of their hands tore at any clothing in reach, and she set him back on his feet just shy of the bed in the center of the room. His shirt was now missing several buttons, and she shivered watching him shed the offending garment. Labor of decades spent as a blacksmith had forged a physique that could bend the will of any lover just as easily as molten metal in his hands.

He pulled the chainmail she wore over her head, and she couldn’t help but blush under his gaze. His eyes, the color of the clearest blue sky widened as he devoured her form. They raked over the heavy scarring of her shoulders, the vents of her infernal engine, and she watched his hunger deepen all the while. He reached out a hand toward her breast before stopping himself at the last moment “Can I touch you?” He asked, eyes seeking her permission even as they stood moments after tearing at each other's clothes.

“Please,” she choked out, nearly a sob.

Calloused fingers stroked over the hardened peak of her nipple just as his lips crashed over hers once again. His hands traced the curves and hard muscles of her body greedily, groaning at the feel of her. He felt down the curve of her ass and groaned before lifting her knee to hitch over his hip.

He lifted her against him and Karlach cried out as the hard line of his throbbing cock pressed into her through her leathers. She was lost in a haze of lust, mewling into his urgent kisses, and only vaguely registered the bed under her as he set her down beneath him.

“You don’t know,” he panted as he placed open-mouthed bites down her neck.

“You don’t know how often you have consumed my thoughts.”

She dug her nails into his shoulder as lips found her nipple. “How many times I’ve pictured you underneath me,” he groaned as she raked her nails down his back. Or me underneath you,” he added before rolling his hips into hers.

“Ah! Fuck!” She cried out at the sensation of sweet, precious friction between their bodies. She tugged at his trousers and he helped her push them down so he could discard them. She glanced down to find his cock leaking prespend already, and her thighs convulsed involuntarily in anticipation of that length stretching her.

Dammon hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her leathers and peeled them off as he kissed his way down her body, tossing them and her underwear aside. He threw her knee over one shoulder and wasted no time before licking up her soaking core. Karlach’s head flew back as she arched into his mouth. He traced torturous circles around her clit and she bucked against his mouth, grinding against him as his hands dug into her hips.

She held onto his horns for dear life as he lapped at her folds. It was too much. It wasn’t enough. She knew what she wanted and there wasn’t time for anything else, so she pulled him back up her body as she pleaded. “I want to feel you. I want you inside me,” she whimpered.

Dammon was all too pleased to comply.

He braced himself on one arm as he lined his thick, straining member up with her center. Karlach cursed and quivered as he ran the tip up through her wetness, teasing and exciting her before pressing back at her entrance. She was so wet that his girth barely met any resistance and they both cried out as he thrusted inside.

His head went back and eyes closed, enraptured in the tight confines clenching around his length. Karlach tan her nails down his chest, making him curse as they slid over his nipples and bunching abdomen.

“Fuck, fuck,” he groaned as she twined her legs with his and matched his steady rhythm. Her hands wound around his waist and while one groped over his taut buttocks, the other closed around the start of his tail. She tightened her grip and pulled hard, eliciting a sinful groan from him as he picked up the pace of his thrusting. She kept a hold of the base of his tail as he fucked into her, pushing and pulling to match his movements.

Dammon shuddered hard before he grunted and stilled, seizing her hands and pinning them above her. He grabbed the back of her knees and effortlessly folded her body so that she was spread wide with legs up over his shoulders. He captured her mouth in a searing kiss before moving her hands to the headboard above her.

“Hold on to that,” he panted, bracing himself with hands on either side of hers. She cried out his name over and over as hips snapped savagely against her, pounding at a relentless pace. Sweat gathered between them, and Karlach felt the coil deep inside her winding ever tighter as the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh filled the room. Her eyes rolled back as he bottomed out inside her, and his hands went to her hips, gripping desperately as he slammed into her again and again.

“Oh gods, fucking gods!” He moaned as his hips pistoned into her.

“Don’t stop, don’t stop! So close,” she implored as she tangled one hand through his hair, the other hand still holding on to the headboard like a lifeline as he ravaged her down below.

Her orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, and lights danced behind her eyes as her body clamped down onto him.

He rammed his cock into her as deep as their position would allow, and held her tight against him, shuddering as his member spurted its violent release.

A long time passed before either one of them moved from their tangled pile of limbs and sweat. Dammon finally summoned the strength to roll off of her, but was pleased as Karlach pulled him in close to settle against her side with her arm around him. Another long while passed, and she laced her fingers with his as their hands rested on her stomach. She was certain she’d never felt more content, until his tail wrapped lazily around her leg and he nuzzled into her shoulder.

She looked over to find his eyes on her, searching her face.

“Copper for your thoughts?” She asked softly, as if speaking too loudly would break the spell that had come over them when they entered this room.

“You have to live,” he said simply.

She sighed and turned away to hide the sadness she knew he’d find in her eyes. Karlach knew what her options were, and she’d rather die than go back to Avernus.

A gentle finger beneath her chin turned her to face him once more. He looked so conflicted, as if he knew that arguing the point would only doom her further. He propped himself up on one elbow and ghost of a smirk pulled at one corner of his mouth before he spoke. “At least for the next few hours. Because if there are any gods who’ll take pity on me, we’re doing that again.” He said as his tail caressed up her inner thigh. He raised one brow as his fingers traced indulgent circles over her lower stomach. “You said you’d ride me til I saw stars, remember?”

She laughed before pushing him over onto his back and straddling him. “That, soldier, is a promise I can keep.”

[harrygoeswest]

Trigger warnings: None

Word Count: 8,651

Chapters one & two

three

Since Federico, I hadn’t really been an affectionate person. At least, not when it came to my one night stands. I gave Ruby all the affection she wanted, from falling asleep with her to helping her bathe to accepting any kind of hug she threw my way. I would give that girl any attention she wanted as long as she wanted it, because I loved her.

Romantically, on the other hand, I was a dry well. I guess I didn’t really see the point in letting someone swaddle me with cuddles and kisses outside the parameters of sex because I didn’t want it to disturb the rest of my life. Especially not Ruby’s life. We were settled - we had a good routine and she’d never even mentioned the absence of a father figure in her life. I hoped that was because she considered her grandad that figure. Why would I want someone else coming into our little world and potentially ruining it?

It was why I found myself surprised when I rather enjoyed the feeling of a man’s arms around my middle some weeks later. He was warm, and I felt utterly at peace with it. I didn’t care for the time of day, nor my responsibilities that awaited later on after he’d been jettisoned from my house. All I was focussed on was how comfortable this stranger made me feel.

I had my back pressed against his chest, somewhat deluded by the patterns his lips made against my bare shoulder. I was in a complete trance. I couldn’t remember this man’s name, but I could tell you every inch of my body that he’d visited the night before, and where I had his in return. He made me feel like a priceless artefact; a Saint; a goddess. I’d lay like this until I starved. It wouldn’t matter, because at least I was wanted. Maybe even needed.

His hands travelled to sacred places and I shamelessly relished in it, writhing in his hold on me like an otter bathing in water. I felt him everywhere on me, in places less frequently visited as the days rolled on. I was going to rinse this moment for all it was worth, and so I turned to face him between his grip, my mouth searching for his-

“-Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!”

I squealed at the intrusion from my daughter; heart thudding in my ears mangled with white noise and accompanied by a sweaty forehead (amongst other places). I jolted upright in bed, heaving like a pig in heat.

I was remiss to find I had clothes on compared to the nakedness I had in my deep fantasy.

Ruby clambered onto the bed - ignorant to my horror - and crawled straight into my lap, “Mummy!”

“What?” I demanded, a more forceful tone on me than I would normally use, to the point I surprised myself.

“I had the best dream!”

I sighed, more in self-pity at my own forever lost dream. “Oh, really?” I prompted, wrapping my arms around her small body. I rested my nose onto her head, sniffing her hair. “What was it about?”

“We got a dog!”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. I choked. “Did we now?” I asked in a quizzical voice.

“Yep. He was a blue Great Dane, and his name was Bongo.”

“I’ve never heard of a blue dog before.”

“Mummy, please can we get one? Please? I’d look after it so well, I promise.”

“Baby, I’ve seen Great Danes and I can promise you you’d be flying through the air the moment it started running.”

“Not if we got him as a puppy! He’d be little - just like me!”

I could see her logic, but even though I was no Einstein I still knew that dogs grew much faster than us mere humans. “He will still outgrow you very quickly, Ruby.”

She sighed, a pout on her lips and a mature crease in her brow. I stroked my thumb over both in succession while she whined at me. “Mummy, I really want a puppy. I don’t want anything else in the entire world except a puppy. It would be the best birthday ever.”

Yikes. She was getting really good at being persuasive. Or perhaps I was just weak - I could never figure out which one it was. I hoped it was the first. As stupid as I was, I still had a lot of pride.

My alarm began to ring on my phone. Still clinging to Ruby, I reached over and quickly stopped it. “Right,” I said, looking at her pointedly, “we are going to park this conversation for today so we can get ready for school. Okay?”

“Mummy, please actually think about it this time.”

I held back my childish scoff. “I will, I promise. But you can’t bring it up again for at least a week.”

“But you might forget!” She squeaked, accusation lost on her voice.

“I won’t. I will really, really think about it, and if I can’t find a way to do it I will think of another option.”

My child gawked at me for a moment, her innocent face full of a premature scepticism. “Okay.”

“Good.” I said and patted her back. “Go and start getting ready - I’ll be there in a minute.”

She made an unintelligible grunt and scrambled off me again. I watched her to make sure she definitely went to her bedroom, and then slowly made my way to the bathroom with a screwed up face.

The first thing I did was check my temperature, and then my pulse. I was neither feverish nor dead, so my dream had some sort of truth to it. Apparently I was suddenly the type to crave attention from men I didn’t know.

Wait, that doesn’t sound right.

I’ve always liked what little attention I could get. It was the intimacy I didn’t usually care for. But something had changed, it seemed.

I didn’t know the man in my dream. He was faceless, or rather just out of view; behind me, characterless and somewhat ethereal. If it was Rico I’d never be able to tell - especially not now that I was conscious. I didn’t know what his voice sounded like because I couldn’t remember him talking, only that content heavy breathing with the odd placated sigh that told me he was as relaxed as I had been.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be asleep again.

I refrained from grunting and slapped myself across the cheek instead.

Get a grip, Floss.

I washed my face and cleaned my teeth, keeping an ear to Ruby’s room. I could hear her talking to herself, or one of her toys. I yanked a brush through my painfully knotted hair and threw it back up into a hapless bun. I scoured my wardrobe for a clean t-shirt - a black one with ‘I’M KIND OF A BIG DEAL’ printed on the front in big yellow letters - and a pair of navy cargo trousers.

I found Ruby and helped her dress while she told me about the drama between Barbie and Winnie the Pooh (two toys I never thought I’d hear of having beef), plaited her hair and put her shoes on for her.

Once I was booted up we loaded into the car and drove to the school for Kids Club. I held my breath as she squealed her way to the cabin door, stayed with her until she finally calmed down (though her complexion was far from calm), and cuddled her for an extra minute longer before I finally let her go.

“I’ll be back for you later, Rubes.” I whispered, inhaling the scent off the top of her head. She always smelled good, like apples and innocence.

“Okay,” She sniffled.

I pecked her nose and watched her wander inside with the assistant, a concerned furrow between my brows. I really struggled to comprehend what it was she hated so much about the place when she loved her actual school time.

As I ambled back to the car I was still deep in thought. What was it that triggered her like that? Why did she constantly work herself into such a state over a mere hour with other kids she knew every single morning?

I sat behind the wheel again and let out a heavy sigh. I needed to make it my mission to work out what was going on in that hut. If any alien probings were being carried out on my baby girl I would tear the place apart.

Someone pulled into the space beside me, and I turned a dopey look that way.

My stomach dropped when I registered the dentist fiddling with something in the centre console, and I quickly looked away again.

This man had an exceptional knack for turning up at the most annoying times.

I turned the engine on and reversed out much faster than I normally would. I dared not look in his direction but I saw his head turn towards my bright orange car and the commotion of my hasty departure. I was desperate not to look him in the eye again. Ever.

I raced out of the gate and to the main road before I even thought about driving in any kind of cautious manner. That sexy dentist was not under any circumstances allowed to register my existence, even though he likely just had. This fucking car.

Even I am willing to admit that nothing about me really adds up. I’m too stupid to have a child and a bright orange Ford Focus doesn’t really fit the ‘serious mechanic’ agenda. Everything does naturally fit that ‘local fruitcake’ brand I’ve somehow awarded myself. Maybe one day I’ll settle down and drive a normal car, like a Citroen Picasso or a Honda CRV.

Zara was already waiting at the garage when I got there. I dumped my bag in the office and checked through the diary, not before plugging my phone into the speakers. Today was a day to be serenaded by a gorgeous voice, and the gorgeous voice of choice was Hannah Reid - aka, London Grammar.

“That is without a doubt my favourite t-shirt of yours.” Zara said with a smirk as she leaned over the bonnet of the car I’d already started working on.

“You say that every day.”

She scoffed, “They’re just all so good, Floss! No one has a better t-shirt collection than you.”

“Well, I appreciate that.” I giggled. “I don’t think it’s the best one.”

“Which one is your favourite?”

I stood straight and pursed my lips. “Probably… er, The Very Hangry Caterpillar one.”

“Oh yeah, that’s a good one.” She nodded. “Do you want a coffee?”

“Oo, yes please.”

Zara nodded like Churchill as she disappeared again, and I carried on with the very broken car in front of me. I quietly sang along to the music drifting through the big garage, tapping my toes against the concrete in time.

At the sound of tyres pulling onto the forecourt outside, I stood straight again and wiped my hands on the cloth I kept nearby. My glance around the raised bonnet was lazy but curious, and I had to wait for my eyes to adjust before I could really see who it was.

“Oh shit.” I hissed, and dropped to the floor in front of the big SUV.

My heart was thudding against my chest, my body awash with heat. I peered around the side of the car again, trying to make sure he couldn’t see me.

Dr Styles was standing just outside and looking up at my admittedly intimidating barn-like garage, while blindly trying to shove his sunglasses back into their case. He was wearing ripped jeans and a bright pink crew neck with a print on the front I couldn’t decipher.

“No, no, no, no,” I ranted as I scurried towards the office on all fours, hoping I’d be able to make it there without being seen.

“Hello?” His voice echoed off the walls.

I slipped into the boxy office room, hiding just underneath the window on my knees. “Fuck, fuck, fuckety fuck fuck.”

“Hello?” He called again.

I looked towards the small kitchenette where Zara was still making tea. I heard her scamper out from her own hiding place and into the main garage, thankfully not spotting me on her way.

“Hi,” she greeted the dentist, always cheery. “Can I help?”

“Yeah, sorry… er, my car - it’s playing up.”

I couldn’t see, but I could just imagine the look on Zara’s face.

“Playing up… how?”

“There’s a kind of knocking sound? Like, only at slow speeds, but it sounds dodgy as fuck and I wondered if you could have a look at it for me?”

“Oh, sure. It won’t be me, but we’ll fix it.”

“Do you need to take any details?”

“Er, yeah,” Zara cleared her throat, “wait just one second.”

Another shuffle later, and Zara appeared in the office doorway. She looked at me like I’d finally hit rock bottom.

“Don’t look at me.” I hissed, pressing my finger to my lips. I was now sitting on my backside shrinking against the wall, my arms wrapped around my knees.

She querked her brow and moved towards the desk. “You are one crazy bitch, Floss.” She mumbled, only for me to hear.

Seconds later she was back outside and handing Dr Styles a form to fill out.

“You’re the new dentist, right?” She asked, forcing a conversation.

He seemed to give an awkward laugh. “That’d be me, yeah.”

“How’d you like it here so far?”

He made a weird and contemplative sound. “It’s nice, in a typical kind of way. Like, it’s pretty to look at.”

“But…?” Zara pushed him.

“I don’t know, I feel like I’m missing something here. Maybe I just need to get used to it a bit more.”

“All the locals are fucking nutters if that makes you feel any better.”

I knew that comment was a dig at me rather than the other villagers, but she wasn’t wrong.

A strangled pause followed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s okay - they all know it.”

He laughed again, and my stomach churned. “Er… I think that’s done.”

“Great!”

“Will the guy that does it call me to let me know when it’s done?”

“She will call you once she’s figured out what the problem is.” Zara loved doing that.

I squeaked at the thought of having to later ring him.

“Oh, rad.” His voice had a strange lilt to it all of a sudden. “Look forward to it.”

“Do you have a way to get back to the village?”

“Oh, I’m good - I’ll walk. It’s a nice day and the practice is closed.”

“Alright, we’ll keep you updated.”

“Thank you.”

One pair of footsteps shuffled out of the garage, and another pair made their way towards me. I still wasn’t going to stand up yet. I was pleased with myself for narrowly avoiding having to speak to the man, and I was confident I’d be able to keep it up with any future close encounters.

Zara returned, form in hand and arms folded across her chest. “Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I don’t want to see the dentist.”

“Well, I gathered that. Why?”

“Because I just don’t want to.” I huffed. “Is he gone?”

“Yes.”

I stood up, using the window frame for support.

“What did you do?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I deferred, brushing myself down.

“Yes you fuckin’ do - why are you hiding from that oblivious man?”

“I’m not!”

She glared at me, unmoving from the doorway so I couldn’t get out.

I made a noise that was something between a scoff and a sigh. “I made a fool of myself in front of him when I went to the dentist, didn’t I?”

Zara rolled her eyes and dropped her aggressive stature. “You nit. When did you even go to the dentist? You’re terrified of it.”

“My mother bullied me into it, obviously.” I said as I passed her, snatching the form out of her hand.

I looked at the paper and I stood in front of his car, pulling at my lower lip. Harry Styles. Sounded like a rubbish English fashion designer from somewhere really dull like Nantwich or Wigan.

I didn’t really want to spend any time on this man’s car, so I did what I did best and ignored the problem until I absolutely had to. “Move it off the forecourt for me?”

Zara frowned. “Aren’t you going to look at what the problem is first?”

“Nope - already know what it is.”

“What?”

“Same problem all the fucking Range Rovers that come in here have. The front arm suspension is damaged.”

“Is it safe to drive?”

I gave her a flat look.

“Right. On it.”

I caught myself daydreaming a lot for the rest of the day. I didn’t like being in that kind of mood, because it was distracting and I tended to become a bit useless. I was sitting in the office just before closing time, and I was meant to be calling the dentist to confirm the problem with his flashy car, but what I was actually doing was quite different.

I still had a photo of Rico in my camera roll, and I’d gone searching for it while my brain seemed to be in airplane mode. I didn’t consciously make the decision to go and find it, but apparently I did it anyway.

It was from one of our annoyingly cute little outings; we’d driven out to Bourton-on-the-Water and had a long wander around before having an early dinner at The Mousetrap Inn. The photo in question was of Federico sitting on the narrow stone footbridge with his feet dangling in the Windrush. Just the image alone reminded me of his smell - that delicious tobacco and amber scent he used to wear, mixed with his own raw Italian musk. He looked happy in it, and I remember being happy. Now on reflection, all I felt was lonely.

So many days we’d spent like that, and I hadn’t had any kind of desire to feel that content again until this morning. I knew I was never going to replicate the feeling specifically with Federico, but something similar would definitely be nice.

“What’s wrong with your face?” Zara materialised.

I looked up at her blankly, and I realised I must’ve been pouting. “I don’t know… I feel weird today.”

“Weird how?”

“Like… alone. I feel like I’m on my own.”

My friend looked startled. “Oh, mate,” she patted my shoulder, though it seemed somewhat patronising, “it’s not like I haven’t tried to set you up with people before.”

“Yeah, I know.” I muttered.

“I’m sure it’ll go away. But the easiest solution is to just go out with someone.”

“Yeah, I’m still not really sure I want to do that.”

“How do you know if you don’t try?”

“Because I don’t like the idea of meeting someone that way. Call me old fashioned, but I want it to be romantic and natural. Not… I don’t know, the opposite of whatever that is.”

“Just let me set you up on one date?”

“No.”

“You’ve just moaned that you’re lonely, but you’re not even willing to try, Floss.”

“Fine, in all honesty I don’t trust your choices.”

“I am offended.”

“Oh, come on, Zara. I like Mickey, but his friends are knobheads.”

She looked at me for a moment, expression thoughtful. “Okay, I guess that’s fair. What if I found you someone Mickey has no association with whatsoever?”

“That would be better, but I’m still not entirely sold on the idea.”

“You at least need to try. I will arrange everything, and all you’ll need to do when I’m satisfied is turn up. I really reckon I could pull this off, mate. I’ll have you courting before you know it.”

I screwed my face up at her. “Did you really just say ‘courting’?”

“That is literally what you described to me not two minutes ago.”

“Bullshit - I said romantic and natural. Not… Austentatious.”

Zara’s eyes widened, and she blinked once. “I beg your pardon?”

“You know, like Jane Austen?”

“That is not… never mind. Just please let me set you up?”

I pressed my lips tightly together. “Fine, but if it’s a disaster I will literally hunt you down and murder you.”

“Okay, well there’s no need to go all Rose West on me.”

“I don’t know who that is.”

“Call the dentist.” Zara pointed at the phone on my desk. “You need to leave in a minute.”

Bollocks.

I waited until Zara had left the room before I searched for the form with Dr Styles’s phone number and punched the digits in. My heel was tapping rapidly against the floor and my nails were being chewed to pieces. They tasted metallic.

It only dialled twice before he answered. “Hello?”

I cleared my throat. “Hi, is this Dr Styles?”

“Yeah, speaking.”

“Hi, sorry - I’m calling from the garage about the Range Rover you dropped off this morning?” I was very careful not to mention my name.

“Oh, yes, hi.”

“Hello. Yeah, um - the problem is a damaged front arm suspension. It’s easily fixable if I have the part, but sadly I don’t. And it can be done in two ways, but I’d rather you decide.”

“Okay… What are the options?”

“So,” I swallowed thickly, trying to stop my hands from shaking, “you can either replace the bushes, which is the part that is really damaged and the cheapest to fix, but doesn’t mean the problem won’t return in due time. Or you can replace the entire front arm, which gives the car a longer life but it’s more expensive. You’re also more likely to pass your MOT when it comes to it if you replace the whole thing.”

“I see. How much is either option?”

I pulled my thumb until it clicked. “It’s about £350 for the bushes, or £500 to do the whole front arm. And that’s including labour fees.”

“Alright, er…” a vacant pause followed, “I might sound cheap, but I can’t really justify £500 on the car at the minute. So, order the hedges-,”

“Bushes.” I corrected, an automatic reaction.

“Yeah, sorry. Just do those and I’ll look at finding a way to… prolong it. Got any tips?” He laughed.

I clutched the phone tighter to my ear, suddenly endeared by him. “Um… It’s a bit fussy to explain.”

“That’s fine, don’t worry.”

“Okay, well… I’ll be in touch when it’s done.”

“Do you have an idea how long it might be?”

“If I order the part now it should be here by the end of the day tomorrow, so we’re probably looking at Wednesday?”

“That’s fine. I can manage a couple of days without it.”

“Okay. I’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you.”

I quickly put the phone down before it could get any weirder, and then took two deep breaths. I didn’t know why this man made me so antsy, but it was starting to irritate me. No man had ever made me feel nervous like that. Not even Federico. I could only put it down to him being a dentist - it was the only reason that made any sense.

Because I spent so long faffing about calling the dentist and ordering the parts for his car, I was late to pick up Ruby. She was waiting by the school gate when I arrived with a teacher standing beside her. I immediately felt guilty.

She was running towards the car before I’d even stopped driving. I hopped out as soon as the engine was cut off, and she immediately launched herself into my arms.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Rubes!” I whimpered and kissed the top of her head repeatedly.

“It’s okay! I know it’s because you were thinking really hard about the puppy!”

The dog hadn’t crossed my mind once. “Yep, you got me.” I laughed, but it wasn’t humoured at all.

“Thank you!” I shouted over to the teacher with a little wave, and she smiled and nodded once before turning away back towards the school.

“Are we going to see abuela?”

I smiled at her question. “Not today - mañana. Let’s get you buckled up, aye?”

Ruby and I drove straight home and completed our Monday evening routine. Dinner was quick and easy; she told me she wanted hot dogs and chips so we had hot dogs and chips. At bath time she continued her persistence about getting a ‘blue’ Great Dane like the one in her dream. I wasn’t entirely sure how ‘blue’ this dog was supposed to be but I was starting to worry that if I ever did somehow find the funds to adopt one, it wouldn’t be quite as blue as she hoped.

I read to her as she drifted off to sleep, but whatever she’d been doing at school, paired with the excitement of a possible pet had clearly tuckered her out, since I barely managed to read past the first page before she closed her eyes and nodded off. I read on until page 3 anyway, and then snuck out of the room, only leaving the door slightly open.

I prepared for bed, and my phone buzzed midway through my nightly hair taming attempt. I read the notification while I crawled under the covers, finding a text from George - the same one from a couple of weeks ago. I screwed my face up and didn’t bother reading it.

Instead, to absolutely nobody’s surprise (and especially not my own), I found myself down a rabbit hole of images of Federico in all that time we spent together. I always kept them on my phone - I couldn’t put Ruby through the pain of knowing that images of her father were smattered around the house when she’d never even met the man. If she ever did have the opportunity to meet him I didn’t want her to resent me for any of it. Although, I suppose deep down I knew that was always an inevitability should she ever be introduced.

I often found myself wondering what would happen in that instance. Would he recognise that Ruby was his? Would it immediately click or would he be none the wiser? I’d always thought she looked more like me but there was a definite likeness in her nose and her mouth. Would he see that? And would they even get on well? It was nice to imagine the two of them together but I also thought Ruby might hate him for one reason or another. How would that play out?

I groaned inwardly and tossed my phone away to the end of the bed before I could become any more tortured. I was wide awake when I desperately wished I wasn’t.

I rolled out of bed again and collected my laptop from its hiding place in my desk drawer. I decided in that moment that I really did need to do some research on these bloody dogs Ruby kept going on about if I was seriously considering buying one.

According to Google, blue Great Danes were a real thing, and not just something Ruby had made up. Admittedly they were very good looking animals, but the sheer size of them, even as puppies still terrified me. And of course, not cheap either. If I was going to do this I was going to do it properly, and buying from a reputable breeder was important. Part of me (or all of me) would’ve much preferred to adopt some sad looking thing from a shelter, but this was for Ruby - not for me.

I stayed up until a ridiculous hour looking into them, before I eventually fell asleep with my laptop still open. Tonight it was me dreaming about blue Great Danes, and topiary Range Rovers in Bourton-on-the-Water.

four

My mother was ranting at me in Spanish again over the print on my t-shirt. Apparently it wasn’t appropriate to wear in front of a child Ruby’s age, but my argument was that I’d been wearing a jacket any time I was anywhere close to my daughter.

“Cálmate,” I told her to calm down, brushing my hand over the ‘Don’t Be A Prick’ cactus logo on the chest of my top, “she hasn’t noticed.”

She continued to tell me, in Spanish, that just because Ruby hadn’t noticed yet that it didn’t mean she wouldn’t. I ignored her.

Ruby had gone straight to the sofa like she always did, flicking through the TV channels next to Dad to find something more entertaining to watch than Escape to the Country. She was chatting away to her grandad about the puppy again and how excited she was, even though I still hadn’t told her we were getting one. I pretended not to be listening to it and instead went to the bathroom.

On my return Ruby and Dad hadn’t moved an inch, and Mum was hanging laundry up in the garden while it was warm enough.

“Dad, can you come into the garage for half a day tomorrow while I take Ruby to the dentist?”

He turned over his shoulder to look at me as I sat down at the dining table. “Sure. That with the new bloke?”

I shook my head. “No. Fortunately he’ll be collecting his car at the same time. We’re seeing Dr. Wade.”

“Oh right. What was wrong with the car?”

“Faulty front arm.”

“Range Rover?”

I nodded, and shoved a grape into my mouth from the punnet in the centre of the table.

“Abuelo, do you like the name Bongo?” Ruby asked.

“What for, poppet?”

“For my puppy!”

I turned away again, hiding my face. I was never going to hear the end of it. Apparently my mother had noticed the confused look on Dad’s face when she returned inside, because she came straight to me.

“¿De qué está hablando?” She asked what Ruby was talking about.

“Ella quiere un cachorro para su cumpleaños.” I muttered her desire for a puppy.

“¿Que clase?”

I sighed. “A Great Dane.”

My mother laughed hysterically and patted my shoulder. “Is she serious about it?”

“Desgraciadamente.” Unfortunately.

She gave a short giggle. “She doesn’t want a party?”

“I wish she wanted a party. I tried that angle and she still insisted she’d rather me use the money that would go to a party towards a puppy.”

My mother hummed, contemplative, and then summoned my dad. “Dave, ven aquí.”

He finished what he was saying to Ruby before he stood up and joined us. The rest of the conversation was spoken in whispered Spanish.

“Ruby wants a puppy for her birthday.” My mum said.

“Well, I gathered that, Daniela. I just can’t figure out why on Earth she’d want to call it Bongo.”

“She wants a blue Great Dane.” I said.

“Bloody hell! They’re gigantic!”

“I know this, but she won’t shut up about it and if I don’t turn up with one on her birthday it’ll break her heart.”

“I was thinking…” my mother started, a delicate tone about her, “maybe we could contribute.”

“Mamá, no seas ridícula!” I hissed. “They’re nearly £3000, we can’t afford that!”

“Well, we can if she goes without Christmas and birthday presents until she’s 10.” My dad shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not letting you do that - I’ll figure something else out.”

“Can you not adopt any kind of dog from a shelter?” Mum suggested.

“I’d prefer to do that, but it’s not a blue Great Dane, is it?”

“Who’d ever heard of a blue dog before?” My father looked perturbed.

“I thought the same, but they’re real. It’s like a dark grey kind of colour - they’re very pretty.”

My dad sighed and folded his arms over his chest. “Let me think about it. I might be able to figure something out.”

I shook my head. “Even if you can’t, it’s okay. I know she never asks for much but it’s a lot of money and that’s just to buy the damn thing, let alone feeding it and whatever.”

“We’ll work it out, Floss.” My mother rubbed my shoulder again.

I lifted my head, but admittedly I struggled to believe it. I was having a moral crisis, which was unusual for me. Well, it was unusual for me to be aware I was having one; I realised later on down the line that I had many, many moral crises.

I had a daughter who I wanted to give the world to. I wanted to make her happy always, and give her everything she ever wanted because it was the least she deserved. I wanted to support her in any way I could and shower her with endless love and affection, even if it came in a more materialistic manner.

On the other hand, I didn’t want her to become one of those children who failed to learn the value of money because her mummy always gave her whatever she wanted. My parents had always, or so I thought, been very good at showing me that. Perhaps it was because they lived comfortably for as long as I could remember - they could afford to live and have the odd treat every now and then, but they were never extravagant and they’d never used it as a weapon. I wanted to deliver that same wisdom to Ruby for when she had to start making financial decisions for herself. I wanted to make sure she understood the value of money.

Somehow, as much as it pained me, buying and adopting a pet worth £2500 didn’t seem like that would be teaching her anything at all, apart from that if she talked about it enough she’d probably get whatever she wanted. I realised that this was probably about to become the first real test I’d had as a parent; how well did I know my daughter?

I left my dad in charge of the garage for the afternoon while I sorted Ruby out with her dentist appointment. There were a lot of cars in today; apparently the heat was affecting everyone’s vehicles to the point they were breaking. I just couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t actually that hot and the locals were being dramatic. Like that had never happened before.

Because he’d asked so nicely on Monday, I’d made the dentist a document on how to better take care of his expensive car. It definitely didn’t mean that the problem was resolved now that it was fixed. Like I’d told him before - it was a temporary solution to a wider problem. No doubt he’d be back with it in a few months, or worse, Dad or I would have to rescue him after breaking down. I’d cross that bridge if and when it came to it.

At the school I had to wait in the reception area for Ruby because I was collecting her early. I had left a note with her teacher yesterday and a reminder this morning just in case. I could tell they weren’t happy that I was taking her out before the school day was officially finished, but for the sake of half an hour on one day, I thought they could just shove their sour faces back up their own arses.

I quickly ran her home to clean her teeth (and mine), because it’s bad enough having someone right up close to her face without them chancing the smell of today’s cafeteria lunch on her breath.

She was chatty today. Someone (Oscar?) kept making her laugh, she’d had a good P.E session in the morning (which sounded like an alien concept to me), they had an art session in the afternoon and she was sad she didn’t get to finish it. Now I felt bad.

“What did you paint?” I asked, trying to keep her mood happy.

“Bongo!”

Of course. And here I thought we’d be able to have at least one conversation this week that didn’t involve the dog we don’t even have.

I held her hand as we walked from the car park in the village over the road to the practice, and then sent her to sit down while I checked her in.

“Hi, Susie,”

“Hi, Floss,” she smiled up at me from behind the glass pod she always sat in.

“My daughter has an appointment at 3?”

“Right, of course. Full name?”

I frowned. She knew my full name. “Florence Fuentes-Carter.”

She gave me a dead look. “I meant your little one.”

Whoops. “Sorry. Ruby Fuentes-Carter.”

“And date of birth?”

Ruby’s, not yours, Florence. “1st of May 2016.”

Susie nodded, smiling. “Not long until she’s 6?”

“I know.” I said, and made an exasperated face.

“Okay, he’s a bit late - he’s just out running an errand, but he won’t be long.”

“Sure. We’re in no rush.”

I went and sat next to Ruby where she was playing with the children’s toys. We kept going with our conversation about her day while she played and I aimlessly scrolled through my phone. She was still talking about whoever it was that was making her laugh, but I hadn’t managed to work out who it was yet. Not because I wasn’t listening but because the name she was saying sounded weird and I hadn’t heard her talk about them before. At this point I could only deduce that it was a boy. I was just pleased she wasn’t talking about ‘Bongo’ for five minutes.

I wasn’t sure how long we were sitting in the waiting room, but it got to a point where I was beginning to get fidgety and Ruby literally ran out of things to talk about. I nearly got up to ask what was taking so long, but just as my patience reached its rare end, Susie finally shouted for us.

“Ruby, you can go in now!”

Thank fuck for that.

I stood from my chair as Ruby did from her place on the floor, and I took her hand to walk her in the right direction. When we reached the door I let her go in ahead of me, and she was still full of life apparently, since she all but bounded into the room.

“Hello!” She shouted, announcing her arrival.

I laughed and shook my head, ready to greet Dr Wade. Except it wasn’t Dr Wade at all.

“Hello,” Dr Styles grinned at my child, a surgical mask pulled low around his chin as he fixed a flimsy looking cap on his head, covering his curls, “who have we got here?”

Oh, shit.

“Ruby Fuentes-Carter.” My daughter said proudly, already clambering up onto the chair (the correct one, I might add) in preparation.

“Well, Ruby Fuentes-Carter,” the dentist swivelled on his chair, his full focus on Ruby, “are you ready for your check up?”

“Yes!”

“Excellent!” He clapped his hands together once. Then, he looked right at me, and I felt like an ugly potato all over again. “This must be Mum?”

I cleared my throat. “Hi.”

“Florence, right?” He asked, lip twitching with a smile. “Or Floss, I think we established last time?”

“That’s me.” I muttered.

“Would you like to sit down?” He offered. “The sofa is perfectly acceptable this time.”

I wanted to cry. “Thank you.”

I moved over to the sofa and sat down, but I was far from comfortable and rigid as an iron rod. Where was Dr Wade?!

“So, Ruby, have we been cleaning regularly?”

“Twice a day!”

“Good girl.” He said, snapping a pair of gloves on. “Can you open your mouth for me?”

Ruby opened her mouth as wide as it would go, meanwhile the dentist raised the chair until it was practically touching the ceiling.

“That’s it,” he said, moving right into her personal space, “now say ‘ah’,”

Ruby’s “Ah,” felt like it lasted an entire lifetime.

“Perfect! Now I’m just going to have a closer look to make sure everything is as it should be, alright?”

“Okay.”

For the next five minutes, Dr Styles poked around my baby’s mouth with metal prongs and that one utensil with a teeny tiny mirror on the end of it. He mumbled unintelligible nonsense to the nurse on his left, who typed more nonsense into the computer.

I didn’t notice it straight away, but as I watched them I rocked back and forth where I sat like a schizophrenic in a psych ward. I stopped it immediately when Dr Styles looked straight at me again.

“She hasn’t lost any teeth yet, has she?”

I blinked, taking a moment longer to register his question as I stared at him. “Er, no. She hasn’t.”

He nodded once. “Right. Well, I’d say by the looks of things they’re starting to loosen up. Might wanna get them pound coins ready.”

“What for?” I asked stupidly.

The nurse rubbed her cheek. The dentist cocked his head at me.

Ruby sat up straight even though no one had told her to. “The tooth fairy, Mummy!”

“Oh, right… yeah.” I produced a flat laugh.

“Well, apart from that, everything looks absolutely fine. You’ve a very healthy set of teeth, Ruby.”

“Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.” He grinned. And then he looked at me again. “D’you fancy trying again, Floss?”

My stomach fell out of my arse. “Trying what again?”

He licked his lips, clearly fighting off laughter. “A check up.”

“For who?”

He pressed his mouth shut tightly and shook his head. “Never mind. You’re um, free to go.”

I stood up in a flash and held my hand out. “Come on Rubes. Say thank you to the dentist.”

“Thank you, Dentist!” She squealed as she grabbed onto me, dragging me whilst skipping out of the door.

“You’re welcome!”

Although Ruby’s eagerness to leave perplexed me somewhat, it did match my own desire to get the fuck out of there as quickly as possible. We practically ran to the car.

“Mummy, why were you so weird around that man?”

I swallowed thickly. “I don’t know what you mean, darlin’.”

“You were funny with him! You forgot about the tooth fairy!”

I failed to see the correlation between the two. “I did forget about her, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. Are you in love with the dentist?”

“Blimey, no!” I giggled. “I don’t know him at all - he’s a stranger.”

“Oh. Do you think he’s pretty?”

I wasn’t sure why Ruby felt the need to interrogate me about him, but I knew if I didn’t answer her she’d just repeat herself until I did. “I guess so? I’ve seen worse-looking men.”

She went quiet for a moment. “Okay.” She turned her head to look out the window, and never said a word until we got home again.

Another day, another screaming match at the front door to the kid's club. I was overwhelmed this morning. I couldn’t understand what it was. I know I kept repeating myself but I was at a complete loss.

I didn’t do it very often while she was in such a state, but I picked Ruby up onto my hip and held her to me as I wandered inside to talk to the lady in charge. I couldn’t find her immediately, but I was horrified by the amount of children that were screaming and making a mess.

“Er, Lorraine,” I started as soon as I’d found her, hidden away in a kind of cubby hole making a round of hot drinks.

She looked at me, a somewhat irritated expression about her “Hi, Florence,”

“Hi, yeah, um… have you figured out at all what’s happening?” I asked, admittedly in a rather short manner, but I was annoyed. Why was she worried about her own drinks when there were close to 20 children wreaking havoc in the next room with no other member of staff in sight?

“No, I’m sorry. Ruby generally keeps to herself when she’s here, no one bothers her and she doesn’t bother anyone else. Perhaps she doesn’t like leaving her mum.” She shrugged, taking two mugs off the side and squeezing around me.

I followed her with a glare. What an absolute load of bollocks. My daughter, who never shut up about school and all the friends she had there, did not seem like the kind of child to ‘keep to herself’.

“I’m sorry, I just find that hard to believe.”

“Why? Don’t the two of you get on?” Her question came off as patronising. “That might be understandable being an only parent and all. Might be some feelings inside about not having a father figure in her life she’s suppressing.”

“Excuse me?” I was on fire in all ways except literally. “I was talking about the fact that Ruby seems to have a never-ending list of friends at school and it seems very unlikely that she’d keep to herself when I know for damn certain that a number of them come here in the mornings as well.”

“Oh, I was just telling you what I’d observed, Florence. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“No, but you were quite happy to give your opinion anyway.” I was squeezing Ruby to me as if I felt she might vanish. I didn’t want to leave her here. “I am just asking you to do your bloody job, Lorraine. Something is happening to her here in the mornings and I want you to find out what it is, because it is literally in your job description. I wouldn’t just not fix a car that you brought in because I didn’t feel like doing it, would I? Because I’m pretty sure you’d be pissed off ab-,”

“Please don’t swear in here.”

I wasn’t a violent person, but I wanted to smack her. Really hard. I imagined grabbing her by her stupid hair and dragging her around the room. “Just keep an eye on her, please? It really isn’t that hard.”

“Don’t tell me how to do my job, Florence.”

I placed Ruby on the floor again, but I never looked away from Lorraine. “Don’t tell me how to live my life.”

I turned my back to her, focusing on my child again. I brushed my hands over her wet face, and tucked her fluffy hair behind her ears. “Baby, I really have to go.”

She sniffed and wiped the cuff of her school cardigan under her snotty nose. I grimaced inwardly. That’d need to be washed later. “I’m sorry, Mummy.”

“Don’t be sorry. I don’t want to leave you here when you’re like this, so I’m the one that’s sorry.”

“I’ll be okay.” Ruby said with some newfound determination.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I promise.” She nodded.

I sighed and stroked her cheek. “Alright, give me a hug.”

She fell into my open arms, and I squeezed her tightly again and littered kisses into her hair. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mummy.”

I reluctantly left her in the Hut from Hell and made my way back to the car. I took a minute before I turned the engine on, because underneath the exterior I showed off to Lorraine and to Ruby, I was upset. If anything, I felt a little exposed, but I was angry that I was exposed by someone like Lorraine, who never showed a sentimental feeling towards anyone.

I rested my head against the steering wheel and took multiple long and deep breaths. I shouldn’t let a woman like that get under my skin. She was essentially evil delivered in its most basic form; I knew all she was out to do was make people feel like shit so she could feel better about herself.

I drove to work still with a heavy heart. What really got to me was that she questioned my bond with my baby. Ruby was my entire purpose in life wrapped up in the way of a sweet, funny and intelligent little bundle of joy. Who the fuck was Lorraine to question the strength of our relationship based on the fact that her father wasn’t in the picture?

Once I got to the garage and it was opened up I sat at my desk and started crying. I didn’t cry very often - I didn’t have a reason to. I had a good and happy life. I had a child that I loved and that loved me. I had parents that I had a close relationship with, I had friends I saw on a regular basis and could rely on to help me if I needed them. There was nothing to be sad about in my life, not really. So why was I letting this horrible woman make me feel like I’d done something wrong?

“Floss, are you alright?”

I looked up through wet eyes at Zara. “Am I a bad mum?”

Her eyes widened, and she wiped a tear away rolling down my cheek with her index finger. “Er, no. Absolutely not, you’re an amazing mum. Why, what happened?”

I grunted and scowled at my lap. “Nothing. The woman that runs the morning club at the school said something about Ruby not having a dad and it’s just kind of… bugged me a bit.”

“What a fucking bitch.” Zara scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “Is this because Ruby has a panic attack every morning when you drop her off?”

“Basically. I asked her again to watch out for her and just look at what’s happening and why Ruby might hate it and she got so, like, just rude. Saying she wouldn’t be surprised if Ruby had some ‘suppressed’ feelings towards me, whatever the fuck that means.”

“Floss, that is completely out of order. You should put in a formal complaint to the school about her - she can’t say shit like that.”

“And if I do complain about her? Then what? She might make Ruby’s life there worse than it already is. I’d love to stop sending her there but there is nowhere else I can take her.”

“Well… I could always look after her for an hour while you open up here.”

“Zara, you don’t have a car to take her to school in.”

“We could walk - it’s not that far.”

“It’s all along that main road, though. People drive like idiots down there - I’d be terrified.”

“I’d hold her hand.”

“No, Zara. I will figure something else out, it’s fine.”

“Well, it’s obviously not fine because Ruby hates it there and you’re upset.”

“I’m a grown woman.”

“A grown woman who doesn’t know what suppressed means.”

“I bet lots of people don’t know what suppressed means.”

“Okay, anyway,” Zara shook her head, “I think I have something that will cheer you up.”

“What?”

“I found you a date.” She grinned.

I cringed. I forgot she was even looking for someone to send me on a date with. “Really?”

“Yep. You’re gonna love him. He’s very sexy.”

I made an unintelligible noise. “Are we talking by your standards or mine?”

“I will not take offence to that… but by anyone’s standards. If there is a person on Earth who doesn’t think this man is good-looking, I have no hope for them.”

I snorted. “Okay, well… you better be right.”

“Excellent.” Zara grinned. “You’re going out on Friday.”

“Not tomorrow?”

“Ew, no. Next Friday, at The Swan.”

“Right…”

“And if it goes terribly, me and Geri will be at her house so you can run away, and we’ll get you drunk enough to forget about it.”

I blew my breath out harshly. “That’s a good idea, I like that.”

“I thought you might.” She smacked my shoulder. “Right, come on. There’s a Honda Civic out there with your name on it.”

I looked out into the main garage. “What’s wrong with it?”

“The engine is overheating, apparently.”

“Fun. I think I need a cuppa first, though.”

👂🏼👂🏼👂🏼👂🏼👂🏼

five & six

[sugarcult]

So I learned the part about fucking up your liver the hard way. From the ages of 7-18, I had no healthcare. Literally none. My dad took me to the doctor and paid out of pocket for my vaccines so I could go to school twice, but I never went to the doctor unless there was something very seriously wrong with me. I had the swine flu when I was ten and remember being so sick I legitimately was afraid I was going to die, and I never went to the doctor even once during that time, because my dad couldn’t afford to take me. Because of this, about a year after I started menstruating, my periods became debilitatingly painful, but my dad couldn’t afford take me to the doctor, much less to see a specialist. So I survived from the ages of 11-16 entirely on willpower, ibuprofen, and occasionally Midol. (Not sure if it’s available in other countries, but Midol is an over-the-counter medicine created specifically to address symptoms of periods.) I regularly bought 250 count bottles of ibuprofen and would go through them in about 2 months, then buy more to continue to function.

Between the ages of 15-16, my periods became painful enough twice that I had to leave work in the middle of a shift (could not afford to miss work) and have my dad take me to the ER. The first time, we sat in the waiting room for five hours without being seen, and I eventually started feeling a little better so I asked my dad to just take me home and I spent the next day in bed. The second time, I was seen within about an hour.

Over the course of the day, since I had been working and trying to tough it out until the end of my shift, I had started taking Advil (ibuprofen) and Midol early in the day and increasingly more frequently as time went on, because I was so desperate for relief. You are supposed to take an absolute maximum of 8 Advil per day. By the time I went to the hospital, I had taken 15 Advil and a handful of Midol (maybe 4-6, because Midol had never been very effective for me so I did not rely on it as much).

So anyway, I was at the ER. They took some of my blood, and I waited in a room for like two hours hooked up to an IV. (No idea what they were doing that whole time, because nobody came back to check on me until immediately before I was discharged. I imagine they were severely understaffed.) A doctor I’ve never seen before comes into my room while my dad is outside smoking and tells me they couldn’t find anything wrong with me and that they’re going to send me home. Then he launched into a lecture about how taking that much over the counter pain reliever was going to kill me because it would cause my liver to shut down. I was already aware that I risked damaging my liver, but I didn’t realize it was to a severe enough extent that I could die. Regardless, I was incredibly angry at the doctor’s response and told him that I could either rely on OTC pain reliever or I could starve to death from missing work and not being able to afford food. He did not take this very well, I think because he thought I wasn’t taking him seriously. I was taking him seriously, just explaining the nature of my situation.

I tried to cut back on pain reliever or at least switch ibuprofen and acetaminophen to minimize damage to any particular organ. At the age of 20, I was diagnosed with a chronic pain disorder. Shortly after, my periods became less painful. No idea why, possibly because of the medication I started taking, but even unmedicated, I haven’t experienced those issues again to that degree. However, I was in regular enough pain elsewhere that I was still taking pain reliever nearly every single day.

Six months later, my GP told me I had liver damage. I had Fatty Liver Disease, which can be a precursor to cirrhosis of the liver, something that killed my grandfather about 6 months before I was born. I stopped taking pain reliever altogether aside from my prescription, and I still don’t take it except on very rare occasions (maybe 2x per year). Thankfully, my liver healed over the course of about a year and my Fatty Liver Disease has not come back, which is great!

But, it is important to me to be transparent and add that the only reason my liver disease was caught is because I had had access to healthcare for only two years since being a kid, and that I had a serious enough health problem that I had to go to the doctor regularly. And it’s also important for me to add that, while my liver issues have cleared up, my chronic pain is so debilitating that I have had to leave 3 jobs in two years due to the pain of doing various tasks and I am currently unemployed. I don’t know if this is because my chronic pain is objectively worse or if it just feels worse because my pain is not medicated. But I do know that I am not capable of “toughing out” the pain anymore and thus can’t reliably work.

This is why so many Americans buy ibuprofen in massive quantities. It’s because a lot of us do use them that regularly, even knowingly at our own expense. Because for a lot of us, we can go to the doctor and go into immense debt, or we can manage our pain without a professional’s help and work long and hard enough to maybe afford to go to the doctor one day when we “really need it.” And probably not even then.

wait americans can just. buy massive bottles of ibuprofen what the fuck

[solardick]

Theres snow outside! What?! No way?!

Yes way.

Uh, not the best. Starts good with fear. But overall message works. It moves on to Dax

And the news about ukraine and the pope. Mr. francis. Asking ukraine, to put up a white flag. At roughly the same time my preliminary attention began focusing on Russia. Ukraine themselves said “no.” No peace talks with russia. While asking every other nation they can to aid them. It seems on surface level. That they are unwilling to sacrifice what little land they have already lost.

This all seems very familiar to the last few years. Save knowing it started long before the war. It serves as a supportive influence of the fortification of the will.

Thinknim dying. Lung hurts. Still. Its been months. Sorry i didn’t listen god but they wouldnt leave me alone always sabotaging me. Im not going theought hat treatment. For a slim chance at survival. Why? Ehats tje point of oiving ajyway. Ti be fucked with some more? Except for that weeks vacation time i took. My lung didn’t feel a thing. Until i went back to work. I gotta quit. Go back to being jobless again. Whochbis syicide anyway. I miss women. The only guidance ove wver got was from you. People suck. No one has ever told me anything upfront. 40 years of nothing. And the very few times they have. It’s been indirecr as of speaking of another person. I hate been alive.

Make ne guess at these stupid cards when there’s already a complete set out there. Holding the answer being language. And too bar the Devs of tblr are lgtbqueer mental disorder enthuthiasts. Ruinign abgreat platform.

Tv commercials are judge beauty, played by judge judy. Justice. Wc donalds. Get it? The wheel and the moon. The horrible tarot version of bs and death and then it goes to a cancer charity. Hahahah. Oh god. Blow up the world pls. Pardon me while i get assinated. Slow and painfully by my own government.

And i was having the first dream in… i cant remember when. I was living with my only x. And one day. She was gone and while i was in my appartment. I found she “moved” in. As she had put her stuff in my place. But, it was out of a horror flick. And i had a spychotic break from reality because of all the unexpected foreign horror crap. Like a dolls head as a ceiling light. That was talking to me. And furniture out of place. Hard to describe. But then she comes back. And theres still this distance. And i told her what haopened. She didnt really care. So i startted brushed my own cheek with my thumb. An dit felt really good cause she wouldn’t comfort me. And i felt at peace for a minute and then my alarm goes off and i wake.

And then i receive a message from tmblr. It was another lgtbfuck solidarity message. Ugh. While my lung hurts. And having proctisis like symptoms. Only severe on the weekends. Apparently. Except the lung. Only at work. So. Da fuck. Still being raped. Nearly 40 straight years. So when my lung isnt hurting i have a constant desire to take a shit. To the point its almost painful. While the news about the war is full of bs. Russia saying we cant rule out world war. If foreign bodies cant mind their own bussiness by helping ukraine. And allied forces saying we cant rule out sending troops to help ukraine. I hate life. Whole ukraine says. We aint listening to the pope. We ain’t having peace talks with russia. While a large oercentage of americans, canadians specificaaly. With the whole gay movement is agaisnt the church. Because they are the source of all wars. And they fondle little boys and dont supprt people sucking each other off for satisfaction of desires. No shit.

But now im working with a moroccan. Who practice yabadon or whatever. Where they practice resistance agaisnt bodily desires by starving themselves periodically through out the year. This kid knows atleast three languages.and so optimistic. So thats an upside i guess. Doesnt help mych if im already dying. And get bombarded with this other bs. Consistently. At every step and turn of my life. But ehy they decide to move to the americas when they arew the anti-thesis to all their beleifs. Starves yourselves what?! Fuck their dumb. Why do they do that to themselves. Man, every fucken american says the same exact thing about them. Go suck yourswlf offf eoth. Banana flavours condoms. And your extra large mc donalds servings. But atleast i have something positive to absorb to counter the consistioning of free peace and butt love and succubing to desires over the rational. Unlike what is olagues this fucken country. I camt believe they have the wntire land brainwashed into believing this shit is true. So while he’s doing that. Im going to fallow suit. Absorb his motovation. And quit smoking. Not starve myself. Because. That would be senseless and none required at this point in time. Though they arent as productive as the americans are. Because they are starving themselves. But its all in good conscience. Something. That isnt very well supporting here. And we’ll see if my ling problem goes away. And if it doesnt. It does t really matter. I’ll die. Not going through that without any love. Suicide it is. Ive been beaten enough by my own family and the last several years of this fake reality and this community of assholes.

Wow, that was much. Im afraid to read it.

Anyway. I think i need to go to the hospital. My lung is fucked. Theres something wrong with it. Its dying. Im so stupid. Its unbelievable. Can’t help it. I have a death wish. And now i think. That maybe…. Maybe my life instinct reaction. Whatever. Comes in. At the end. When its too late.

Life accomplishments….. i invented a couple tarot cards. Not much to look back on. Tried my best to avoid it all. But people wouldn’t let me. What it is, is a question to ask. The existential question of life. Knowing i was murdered. Slowly. But its ok. Cause theres is no point whne one looks back to the beginning. Not one point. Nothing good. I never stood a chance. From the get go. There’s no longevity that isnt negative. The positives are fleeting. They killed me. My family and then all them else. Needed some peace. Never got it. Hit after hit. Year after year.

[anantaru]

"𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗬 𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧?"

❁ heizou is craving your attention and love after coming home from a long day of work feat. heizou x fem! reader

❁ a/n: this is from my collab event with blue which you can find here!

❁ warnings: nsfw : soft heizou n needy heizou : touch starved! heizou : cumming inside : kinda sleepy sex in the beginning : he's whipped lolol

being a detective was everything heizou wished to be, and of course, said wish coming true since as of now— he has been known to be a remarkable detective with outstanding unique skills. One of the main struggles in your relationship was the difference in schedules the both of you shared, hence why he was very much delighted to finally be off work for tonight, meaning he’s finally able to see that pretty smile of yours.

it was already late at night, the way he opened the door was carefully, trying his hardest to prevent himself to cause any commotion when he knew you were probably already in a deep slumber. Heizou’s assumption was turned true once he slowly walked into the bedroom the both of you shared and archons, he hated himself very much right now. Truth is, heizou was riled up all day, his cock hard against his pants and craving for your attention yet he knew it would already be night once he‘s actually home. He’s quick to wiggle himself out of his work clothes, putting on some comfy garments instead before finally plunging next to you on the bed, the soft bedsheets engulfing his figure which was very much tired right now, muscles sore from working all day yet the attention in his lower area wouldn‘t going away. 

he turned to you, his sleeping beauty, watching your chest heave up and down so calmly while he noticed that you were indeed wearing one of his shirts. "Is that my shirt?" the way heizou was rolling that sentence from his tongue was mixed with some sort of smirk on his face— utterly pleased by your looks he advanced forward to spoon you, his arm lazily thrown over your body while you huffed out lovingly at the familiar feeling, yet your eyes still remained closed.

you‘re fucking adorable, he figured, pulling you closer against his embrace when he uncontiousely started to move his hips against you lightly, only a bit with barely any strength behind his doings before nuzzling his head in the crook of your neck. The slow rutting was able to stir you from your sleep at some point as you fluttered your eyes open to the barely lit up room, rubbing the sleep of your face to feel the man against you breathe harshly against your neck.

"heizou?" your voice was whiny and still sleepy, since you just woke up, yet the moment heizou heard you he couldn’t be happier. You were finally awake now! He was so needy for your touches yet he still felt bad that he really did end up waking you from your sleep. "yes, darling?“ you could feel that big smirk on his face again, didn‘t even have to turn around to feel him grin against your figure before he picked up on pace, his hips now rutting against the plush of your ass with an even faster speed but still rather carefully.

now that you were finally awake he really didn’t care any longer, "i missed you so much." heizou‘s sentence was voiced in a desperate and whiny demeanor, making multiple shivers run down your spine when his rough tongue traced a straight like from the back of your neck until it hit your earlobe. You’re panting, chest heaving up and down as your skin shivered from his mere touches. You're turning around to face the man behind you, rubbing the sleep of your eyes before showing him a bright smile in return.

your arms are looped around his neck to pull him closer, engulfing his lips in your own and kissing him lovingly, prying your tongue out to circle it around his own wet muscle. Heizou's hands were placed tightly on your hips, tracing over your natural curves before finally hooking your panties up to meet your throbbing cunt. It was warm and aching, craving for his touches before he swirled his pointer finger over the desperate bundle of nerves teasingly, resulting in you moaning out heavily against the kiss. You‘re lazily kicking your panties off your feet before pulling him closer into your embrace.

heizou retracted himself a bit so he'd now hover over you, guiding your legs so you'd wrap them around his hips before lowering himself to kiss you passionately. He’s sliding his pants down until they hit his knees, freeing his cock to the cold room which had a shiver run past his body.The kiss— which was sloppy at first, turned into a heated make out session as you could feel his tip prod teasingly over your hole. "please." you're whining, unhappy that heizou would still tease you now despite the fact that he literally woke you up from your sleep because of him being so needy tonight. With a quick grin he pouted his lips apathetically, "don't worry." he's panting, "leave it to me." it didn't take him much to shut you up, his tip now pushing past the wetness until he felt you suck him in already.

you're a panting mess once he's fully sheathed into you, girth throbbing around your walls as you made sure to clench around him dearly, his fat vein grazing over your delicate flesh and hitting all those right sweet spots he knew you were very much going crazy over. Heizou was your ultimate worshipper, he would give his everything in any moment, in his life, any minute, his vision showing truly that once he's locking gazes with your heartfelt eyes. You're looking up at him through your lashes, truly lost in the feeling of his warmth radiating inside of you.

he's smiling unexpectedly out of joy, reassurance and utter love which only you were able to give him. "I love you." he's chanting now, "I love you so much." his face was hiding in the crook of your neck and leaving open mouthed kisses on your sensitive skin up to you collarbone, simultaneously with the steady thrusts he was going for now. Heizou would make sure to grind himself deeper into your cunt whenever he'd be fully sucked in by you, rolling his eyes back whenever your pulsating walls would hold him in. He's so alert in the moment, doing his best to be present and cherish your body like no other.

you were so perfect in his eyes, body spread out for him while he's hovering over your figure, passion filled and animated. Your arms cradle around his neck to pull him closer into a kiss, tongue prodding against his own when you eagerly tasted him on your lips. His erection was growing harder inside of you, pace picking up as the both of you moaned into the lewd kisses, not daring to break it off. He's showing your hips down the mattress with one of his hands to be able to gain a deeper entrance into your tight hole. You could feel the infamous tight clench deep in your gut form and threaten to break and so did heizou. Toes curling with each snap forward of him.

he was aware of your body like no other, could always exactly decipher on when you were about to climax around him. One of the signs coming true once dozen amounts of your juices were staining his shaft, a faint ring of white decorating and circling around his shaft once he's holding your legs up to throw them over his shoulders. Your spine arches against him, pleasure getting pumped even deeper into your veins as you scrunched your eyes shut to properly taste the feelings he was inflicting on you. Your body was trembling now, blood rushing through your veins when you practically tasted your release on your tongue.

"heizou, baby." you're whining, eyes blurred as you blinked to get rid of the blur, "I'm so close." you're moaning out screaming, his name chanting like a lost prayer as he pulled forward so his lips would meet the shell of your ear, "I know darling, I can feel you." he's finishing said sentence of with a grin, a wide one at that. He was clearly enjoying himself very much right now, truth be told he has been fantasizing about this moment for days, finally being able to fuck your brains out without a single care in the world.

"how do you want me?" voicing that in between harsh pants, heizou was close as well but he wouldn't forgive himself if he was to come undone before you, proceeding in hooking his fingers against your clit to stimulate you harder, the fast swiping movements threatening to turn your mind hazy and blank. "I don't care." you were screaming out, lifting your hand poorly to touch him and pull him closer to your embrace again in which he obliged happily to. Heizou was quick to bring you to your orgasm and as it hit you you weren‘t able to keep yourself from shivering, biting down on your lower lip to throw your head back.

his sweat covered body was flat against your own as you arched your back into him, crying out soft reassurances of love and praise to the man above you as he spilled his seed into your tight cunt that was nowhere near loosening up, still sucking him in and taking everything he has given you. You couldn't move underneath him, his body almost crushing you as you twisted your arms around his figure, not giving a single flying fuck that he was still very much buried deep inside of your cunt. "you feel so good," your voice is lower in pitch, throat stained from all the screaming prior as he heard a sound of happiness underneath your tone.

heizou wasn't saying anything back to you, didn't need to since you felt how he was feeling about you every single second of the both of you being together. Your body simply gave up on you, the painfully slow buzzing carried on through your limbs, deeply strained as heizou slipped out of you, propping himself up with his arms before laying down next to your figure, looping his arm around your waist to pull you closer into his embrace with a big smile on his face. He's so happy right now, calming himself in his afterglow as he carefully watched you doze off in a careless sleep again.

do not! share, copy or repost my work. ✎ ©ANANTARU 2022

[inu-mxki]

change of heart / eren yeager x fem!reader / college au

a/n: got serious s4 eren brain rot. we’ve all been there

warnings: MINORS DNI, smut, sexual themes, strong language, smoking/drinking, kind of toxic!eren to begin with, consensual sex, descriptions of sex, praise kink, pet names (angel, baby, princess)

word count: 2621

College was made for people like Eren Yeager. Captain of the football team, undeniably beautiful, a stand-up student, and the biggest fuckboy you’d ever met.

It wasn’t that Eren couldn’t hold down a woman, he just straight up didn’t want to. There’s just too many options. With popularity like his, he hardly had to look for a quick hook up, and he wasn’t about to throw that away to lock himself down to just one person. They were all far too starry-eyed for him anyway, and lust wasn’t love, he knew that much, not that he even knew what love was. So, when he met you, he had his intentions set. 

You were just how he likes them, the new girl who just transferred across the country and needed a nice boy to show her the ropes, big innocent eyes matched with a shy demeanour. Jesus, you drove him wild, right from the moment you wandered into his literature class. So pretty, so sweet, you’d be the death of him. He knew it, how innocently you asked if the seat beside him was taken and then proceeded to ask if you could walk to the next class with him. Like he’d say no. Like he’d turn a beauty like you away, God he’d never seen such a pretty little lady in his life. Even if there was someone sitting there, you were going to be his desk buddy, he’d walk you to the next class and pull out the chair for you. ‘Course he fucking would. Needed to butter you up, didn’t he? Get you all doe eyed for him, have you looking at him with those damn eyes as he’s picturing what on earth he was going to do with you.

And so it began, his favourite pastime, replacing all logic with him and him only.

And it worked, for a while. Had you in his dorm room within a month, suckling and lapping at the pretty sight between your legs like a man starved, feeling you gush around his fingers, around him, probably four times a week if he was lucky. But something happened, something strange and uncomfortable and downright pathetic happened, and you started invading his mind, and not just with thoughts of you under him, panting his name and sucking on his length, no, this wasn’t sex related. These thoughts were genuine, involuntary, in the middle of the night as he lay there awake, when you didn’t show up to class, when he saw you across the canteen, and he hated it.

He physically shook his head when the smile on your face became clear in his mind’s eye, clutching his chest when his heart felt like it had flipped over and back again as you cuddle up to him in your sleep, cursing out loud when he realises that he actually misses you. He’d never hated something so much in his life. Why couldn’t you be like the others, an airhead whose mouth opens just to please him, why couldn’t you cry when he called off your plans for his friends, pleading and begging him to give you attention. Why, why did you just smile and say, “that’s cool, have fun and make sure you eat something.”

And why the heck was he thinking about you the entire time instead of pressing another girl up against Jean’s bedroom door?

He’d had advances, all night, so many pretty girls in about as much clothing as you could get on your little finger wanting him to ravish them, but something stopped him each time their hand ran down his arm or pushed against his chest. He took their wrist, and said sorry, he actually said sorry, and then left to down a shot. Jean wrapped his arm around his friend’s shoulders and gave him a little shake.

“What’s going on with you, dude?” he laughed, red cup in his hand and hair a mess from where Mikasa’s hands had been only moments before, “Historia just came up to me crying about how you turned her down. I thought you wanted to fuck her?”

“I did,” Eren said over the music, throwing another shot back, “but I’m not feeling it tonight.”

“Not feeling it. What’s wrong, you sick or something?”

“Yeah, of you,” Eren smirked at his childhood pal, and Jean pretended to look hurt, “nah, I just want to save some energy. Big game tomorrow.”

“We all got tickets,” Jean said, refilling the cup in his hand, “Armin got us front row. Scarily persuasive that one.”

Eren laughed, looking across the room at Armin, who was trying his best to not appear absolutely wrecked in front of Historia, who’d chosen her next prey.

“I’m going for a smoke,” Eren said, feeling the alcohol setting in, “coming?”

“Nah, I’ve got unfinished business,” Jean grinned, “just getting ‘Kasa a drink, like the good boyfie I am.”

“Please never say that again,” Eren said, grimacing at Jean’s choice of words, “catch you later.”

The night air was colder than he thought, and he shivered against the breeze as he rolled his cigarette, licking a clean stripe along the paper to hold it down. He lit the end, inhaling sharply and falling back against the wall. Frat parties used to be his favourite weekend activity, but tonight he felt odd. Just that afternoon he’d found you in the library, and that stupid feeling in chest had him clutching at his jumper again before he cancelled your plans for that night. You didn’t put up a fight, to his displeasure, and just said it was fine.

Fine, you said.

If you were anyone else, he’d have told you how annoying it was, but Eren couldn’t do that. The mere thought of not getting to fuck you into his mattress was enough to keep him up. He could easily be accused of being obsessed, but he swore he wasn’t. He found a good fuck and wanted to keep you around, that’s what he told himself, his friends, and anyone who questioned his behaviour.

But now he was thinking about you again, the alcohol making his hand fumble with the phone in his pocket. He wanted to call you, hear your voice down the phone asking if he was alright, and clumsily he found himself scrolling for your contact. It rang, three times, and then went to answer phone, and his heart dropped into his stomach. His hazy head started calculating, are you with someone else? Someone that’s not him, is some other guy finding all those sweet spots he knew like the back of his hand?

That’s when he legs took him over to your block, still drunk and puffing harshly on his cigarette, but ready to knock out whoever dare touch his property. He punched in the passcode, the one you gave to him months ago, and headed up to your room purely from memory at this point. His fist met the door with force, and from the other side he heard you fumbling about before the lock clicked and there you were. His reason for going there suddenly left his mind, seeing you in just a t-shirt, his t-shirt that fell before your knees, bare legs and hair tied up messily. Have you always looked this good in his clothes? He didn’t care, and the smell of your shampoo drifted as you moved closer to him, eyebrows creasing and questions not reaching his ears.

“Ren?” you said again, “everything alright? I thought you were with Jean.”

He couldn’t find the words, everything in his clouded head was just you, in his shirt, your legs he’d kissed down a hundred times and the way you moved a strand of hair from his face that had fallen from his bun.

“Renny?” you say sweetly, the nickname falling off those soft, plump lips, just how it did when he was making you feel oh so good, and his body moved before he could think, taking your face in his hands and pulling you into to a feverish kiss.

His lips were hot and desperate, and you realised why he’d come here, taking his jumper in your fist and pulling him through the doorway with you. He was so familiar, his hands untying your hair to tangle his fingers in it, kissing you like he’d never get a chance to again, tongue tasting each inch of your mouth as you both clumsily reached the bed. You fell, softly, with his weight on top of you, pushing you against the fabric as his mouth moved across your jaw, down your neck, hands roughly grabbing at your shirt to get to your favourite spot, just below your collarbone, and there it was. Such a sultry sound, breathy and fucking delicious, his name rolling off your tongue and making him groan into your skin.

“Again,” he panted, hands reaching under your shirt to palm at your bare breasts, mouth leaving wet kisses along the expanse of your neck, “say it for me, baby.”

“Renny,” you breathe, and the growl in his chest was almost feral, rolling your nipple between his fingers as your back arched your body into him.

“Missed you,” he found himself mumbling, swallowing your little whimpers as he gave the other breast the same treatment, “needed to see you.”

“Fuck me you mean,” you say light-heartedly between his lips on yours, and he stops, your breaths heavy and chests heaving. His eyes were onyx, pupils blown wide, a drunk but adored look in them. He spreads his hands over your hips, moving you down to slot against him like a puzzle piece, his growing arousal pressing against your clothed core.

“That’s just a bonus.”

He wasn’t usually like this, so needy, whining in such desperation as you rolled against him, your thighs now straddling his bare hips. His hands gripped your sides so harshly they were leaving red marks, helping you bounce up and down on his impressive length. Eren was usually rough, perhaps a little harsh, not giving you time to even catch a breath before slamming his hips into you, but tonight was different. It was intimate, softly panting into each other’s mouths, slow, soft kisses and his hands caressing the curve of your ass, the plush skin of your thighs.

“So pretty,” he mumbled against your lips, snapping his hips into yours roughly, causing a rather lewd moan to rumble in your throat, “my pretty baby, my pretty little baby.”

“Renny,” you whine, detaching your lips from his, his half-lidded eyes looking up at you like you were something ethereal, “I’m getting close.”

“I got you angel,” he says softly, gripping your hips again to help you through it, “do it f’ me, yeah?”

A high-pitched moan left your mouth, eyes closing as the coil snapped, clenching around his length so tight it took everything to not lose it himself.

“Fucking hell, that’s it, my good girl, my good fucking girl,” Eren praised you, voice both rough and airy, his head falling back against the wall, “fuck, you’re perfect.”

“Renny,” you cry again, overstimulated as his hands continue to bounce you at the same speed. He loved it when you whined like that, told him it was too much, drove him silly.

“Not long now, baby,” he forced out, chest rising and falling rapidly, “jus’ feel so good, princess.”

You ran your hands down his toned torso, feeling each crevice, when his grip tightened so harshly you squeaked.

“Fuck, gonna come angel,” he strained quietly, resting his forehead against your shoulder, goosebumps forming as your nails trace down the back of his neck. His movements stutter, a deep groan vibrating in his throat as he came. He shamelessly nuzzled more into your neck, wrapping his arms around your waist, softening inside. Your nails still traced his neck, down to his shoulders, lips pressing soft kisses below his ear.

“Good?” you ask him, and he just nods into your skin, not wanting to leave your embrace. He felt you chuckle against him, resting your head on his, “I missed you too.”

His heart clenched again, that horrible feeling he always got when you said something like that. He hated it, but he was slowly realising why he hated it, why he hated thinking about you, just you, and nothing else, because deep down he knew what it meant. He hugged you tighter, before moving to look at you. Calloused hands tucked hair behind your ears, those green eyes everyone talked about scanning over your features like he was memorising them. He pressed a soft kiss to your jaw, adoring the way you exhaled in pleasure.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been with,” he says, pressing more kisses along your jaw to your ear, “Christ, I don’t even think about anyone else anymore.” You wanted to ask what he meant, but his soft kisses against your shoulder were making you lose your train of thought, “I’m so fucking mad,” he continued, “you’re just there, all the time, and I can’t stop it. You’re all I think about.”

“Ren,” you say softly, taking his face in your hands and forcing him to look back at you, “what are talking about, honey?”

Honey. He loved it when you called him that. Sometimes he heard you say it in his head even when you weren’t there.

“I don’t know even know,” he admitted, eyes searching yours, “all I know is I’ve never felt like this before and I’m doing a really shitty job of telling you about it.”

Your eyes were so soft and gentle, smiling at him with that kind look on your face, pressing a peck to his nose and rubbing his cheeks with your thumbs.

“You’ve never been good with words, Renny,” you giggle lightly, “but that’s okay, sometimes we don’t need words, you know? Sometimes our actions speak for us.”

God you’re so damn perfect, touching him like he’s never done anything wrong before, like he deserves to be treated like that by you.

“What do you mean?” he asked, like a child, watching you so intently, each movement, each flicker of your eyes. You just smiled, nudging your nose against his.

“I thought you’d come here tonight for the same reason you always do,” you tell him gently, “but this was different, you are different, in such a beautiful, vulnerable way, Renny.”

He didn’t deserve it, that was his conclusion as he yanked you closer and captured your lips in another hungry kiss, but he didn’t care right now. His guard was falling, the walls he’d built were crumbling under your touch, and he was at your mercy, on his knees for you, he’d grovel to keep you, go to the ends of the earth to wake up next to you every morning from this day on. But he just couldn’t say it, he didn’t know how to, so he hoped that his actions could be his voice, he hoped that this kiss was enough, he hoped, prayed, that you knew what he meant, that you could feel it in every bone and vein in your body, like he did, like he felt it every time he saw you, how your name hung around his head like balloons on a ceiling. He prayed to God that you knew that he loved you.

Oh God, he loves you.

He’s so in love with you.

“Please understand me,” he breathed against your mouth, and felt you smile.

“I understand,” you whisper to him, “I understand, and I want to, for a long, long time.”

disclaimer: i do not own aot or any of the characters/storyline associated with it

[lottiebagleywritesobx]

Love Language

At the time they'd made it the language had felt like no one would ever be able to understand it.

They were only 9 and JJ had been granted permission to stay at her house, her parents used to be around a lot, although they weren't anymore, and they'd always welcomed her blonde best friend leading to his near constant presence at their home.

It was late for two kids, maybe 10 pm, and they'd been wrapped in blankets in her box sized room that felt so much bigger when they were young.

They always got each other in a way no one else understood for reasons way more complex than a secret language they would use to write each other messages, but at 9, all they needed to know was that the language was another thing that tied them together.

It was simple: to spell a word you combine the first letters of the other words.

So to write Hello  you would write Hungry Elephants Love Lollipops Okay

It had stuck a lot at first, they used it everyday and it drove Pope and John B insane, but as they got older it died out.

It was used a few times at 12 when they had an annoying teacher who made students read notes out if they were caught passing them, to everyone else it sounded like gibberish.

It was used once at 15, the world help spelled out when an older Kook boy wouldn't leave her alone and she knew he was reading her phone screen over her shoulder, not wanting to trigger him.

Now, at 17, she had laughed out loud when she'd unfolded the note tucked into her locker.

In JJ's scrawl that only she could read with ease.

 Ukraine

Rollercoaster

Penguin Ranch Eyelash Tractor Tangerine Yoghurt

You are pretty. She blushed a little, looking around for any sign of the familiar blonde boy but he was nowhere to be seen, she tucked the note into her bag, hating the way he made her heart race, before shoving the books she didn't need over the weekend into her locker and walking down the corridor and out of the front doors.

When she arrived at the twinkie her friends were already there "Took your time," John B smirks from his open window, occupying the front seat

"She was probably busy flirting with Mack," Sarah teases from the passenger side

"For the last time Sarah, he just needed tutoring in bio,"

"You are shit at bio," Sarah smirks even wider

"Better than you sweetheart," The girl grins, climbing into the back and diving out of Sarah's reach as she moves to try and flick her. Both girls laughing loudly

"I'll get the door then," Pope chides

"Thanks P, i can't get too close  or Sarah will attack me," She grins, Pope rolls his eyes but sends her a grin as he leans forwards to pull the door to the twinkie closed.

She moves through the seats to her usual space, she always sat next to JJ, no matter what. They could be drinking at the chateau, relaxing at the beach, adventuring on the boat. No matter what they were next to each other. It wasn't uncommon when one of them was feeling tired, or clingy, or touch starved for her to end up in his lap, his arms wrapped around her stomach and his chin on her shoulder.

She leans up pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, it wasn't uncommon in their friendship, often used as a greeting, a thanks or even just out of the blue, and so the other's don't think anything of it even though JJ feels himself melting into a puddle. What is a little different though is the way she grabs his hand giving it a tight squeeze before pulling her own away and settling down in her seat as John B starts up the van. He knows what it is. It's a silent thanks for the note, not wanting to say anything in front of their friends but it was a sign she got it and she was grateful for it.

He wraps his arm around her shoulder, his touch gentle but Pope gives him a knowing look, the touch is supposed to claim her. She either doesn't notice or  doesn't seem to mind though, instead leaning into his now open side as she chats happily with Kie.

**

It's monday morning and JJ is in first period history. He fucking hates history, yet, it had become his favourite subject simply because it was the only one all 6 pogues shared. He opens his school bag with sigh, placing the textbook on his desk and starting to fish around the bottom of the bag for a loose pen.

Pope turns around from the seat in front of him, placing a pen on his desk with a knowing smile. JJ drops his bag to the floor, opening the text book only for a note to fall out.

Her neat writing fills the page and the smile on his face is immediate.

Umbrella

Rocket

Happy Ant Neck Drop Surf Olive Mars Egg

JJ tries to ignore the feeling of a red hot blush creeping up his neck as he turns to look at the next desk along, she's already looking at him with a smirk shooting him a week before turning to face the front, god if JJ can't feel himself falling.

**

It continues for weeks.

Tucked into the wind screen wiper of her old shitty truck.

Taped to the sandwiches she would bring him to lunch.

On her pillow when she went to bed one night.

Stuffed into the pocket of the hoodie she borrowed.

Her school bag.

The bathroom mirror at the chateau.

They both started to home a large collection of notes. Her's placed neatly in a drawer in her bedroom. His tucked in a box under the floor board that lifts up in the room he claims as his at the chateau.

**

"What you writing?" John B questions as he steps onto the porch

"Just a note for y/n,"

"You guys have been passing a lot of secret notes recently," John B comments, JJ shrugs placing the pen down "It's sweet,"

"What d'ya mean by that?" JJ questions, John raises his eyebrows giving JJ a knowing look before having a realisation.

"You still haven't told her you're head over heels in love with her?"

"No," JJ admits, he was way past his days of fighting back when his friends accused him of being in love with her. "I don't know how to. You know me, I never say things right and I just- I really don't want to fuck this up. Only got one shot at it,"

"So write it," John B shrugs like it's obvious

"I can't,"

"You can,"

"What if she doesn't feel the same?"

"JJ, you're the most annoying person I know and she puts up with you all the time and has done since you were 2 . She feels the same,"

**

She's only wearing a bikini and a tshirt that belongs to JJ when she exits her house on Saturday morning. Her plans to meet at the Chateau go surfing with Kie already made, she grabs her board and at first she doesn't even notice it, attached to the cool box full of water and fruit she'd loaded up the night before is a note.

Ice

Art Magic

Igloo Note

London Orange Venus Elephant

Wine Ill Tiger Hungry

Yam One Under

It takes less than a minute for her to decipher the note, abandoning her surf board and the cooler in favour of sprinting to the Cheateau.

JJ is seemingly waiting for her when she arrives, he's pacing in front of the house, going still the second he sees her.

"Are you kidding?" She questions, he's stares, eyes wide not quite able to process why she looks so hopeful. "Because JJ, if this is some fucked up joke I will literally never speak to you again,"

"It's not a joke," He assures

"It's not?" She questions, it's het turn to still, having expected to arrive for him to laugh and ruffle her hair like he was her brother.

"No. I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since we were 12 and you stole my cap and started wearing it everyday,"

"We were 14 and you snuck into my room because my parents were fighting and you read harry potter to me cause you knew my parents used to," She states

He nods, now it was all out there in the open neither of them quite knew what to do.

"For fucks sake kiss already!" Pope shouts, they turn seeing all the pogues watching them from the porch.

JJ looks at her, an unspoken question in his eyes. "Just promise me if this all goes tits up we will be friends, cause I can't loose you maybank,"

He holds his pinky out, smiling as she loops her with his and squeezes slightly. He pulls her into his chest with their pinkies. Lips crashing onto hers, spare holding her closer to him by the small of her back. Her empty hand moving to play with the blonde curls she's wanted to run her fingers through a thousand times. Their pinkies stay linked by their side, his thumb stroking at her hands lightly.

Yeah, she'd be keeping the note he left in there little love language.

[sinnaminsuga]

Title: Money Counter Part 2

Summary: Just the filthy continuation of the first part of this mess

Word Count: 2629

Warnings: smut, power struggle, slapping, choking, rough sex, a tad violent, a little blood, daddy!kink, i think that's it if i missed something let me know!

A/N: hello again! the beautiful @connieisland popped into my messages and inspired me to make a part 2 to my latest fic and this is what i came up with! feedback is appreciated! thank you for reading! ❤️

Link To Part 1: right here

Tags: @october505 @infinite-shite @hope-to-hell @inlovewithhisblueeyes @littlefreya @viking-raider @wolvesandhoundshowltogether @foodieforthoughts @raspberrydreamclouds @wendimydarling @oddsnendsfanfics @its--fandom--darling @the-soot-sprite @connieisland @feralrunaway @oddduckthatgirl

There was no mistaking the groan and shudder that ran through that dangerous man’s body when you spoke softly into his ear. “Now. Let's talk about your punishment for doubting me. You'll be a good boy for me, won't you darling?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Henry’s grip tightened on your waist. “I demand control in all aspects of my life. I don't give that up easily.” he growled.

“So I'll just take. What. I. Want.” you hissed, shoving him backwards swiftly, his broad back hitting the sturdy wood of the table with a muted thud. His eyes widened in surprise at the quick change of his position. Before he could really even adjust, you straddled his waist and leaned down to suckle at the soft tender skin of his neck. You wedged your hands between the already straining buttons of his dress shirt and pulled as hard as you could, sending the buttons flying in every direction. Henry groaned as your lips continued their assault down his now bare chest. You moved slowly and lapped at the skin above his waistband as your hands palmed at his solid length through his pants.

“Well fuck! Are you going to do something or what? I'm dying here!” He all but whined, hands scrabbling for purchase, meeting nothing but loose hundred dollar bills. You giggled to yourself as you fondled him, doing no more and no less than you had been. His hands crumpled the copious amounts of money and as he became frustrated with your lack of desire to do anything but fuck with him, he threw the cash as a feral scream tore from his throat.

Suddenly you were the one at a loss for words as your body was pulled up and flipped over onto your back, thrown into the position Henry was just in. Henry hovered above you, eyes frantically scanning your dress clad form. “Too much.” was all he ground out, not unlike a caveman, before using one hand to tear your dress right down the middle, and making quick work of your panties as well. “HENRY! Do you know how much that dress cost?!” You shrieked, slamming your fists into his chest.

He caught your flailing limbs and pinned them on either side of your head. “Don't care. Get you a new one later. Fuck baby, I can smell you. Like raspberries. And sugar.” Henry moaned lowly, running his nose along your jugular, sharp teeth grazing over your buzzing skin. You couldn't stop the shiver that wracked your body, your sensitive core pulsing around nothing.

“Needy little thing aren't you? You want me? Tell me you do. Because I want you. More than anything. Say you want me, want this, and I’ll take you to levels of ecstasy you’ve never even thought of. Would you like that?” Henry whispered, his knuckles running over your steadily weeping entrance. You whined out a “yes”, lifting your hips looking for friction.

As soon as he got your permission, Henry was on you, his thick strong tongue diving into your lush cavern. You fell victim to his honey coated tongue and soft hums rumbling from his chest. He repeatedly flicked his tongue over your sensitive clit with the vigor of a starving man, pulling sugar sweet moans from your throat. He used his thumbs to pull your folds apart and marvel at the depraved sight that was your aching cunt. You flinched a bit when you felt the pads of Henry’s fingers ghosting over your most sensitive place. He ran his fingers through the sticky sweet slick dripping from you, coating them thoroughly before raising them to his mouth and sucking them clean. The animalistic growl that tore its way out of him was something you’d never grow tired of hearing. When he sank his tongue back into you and curled it in such a way that it rubbed against that spongy flesh inside you, your hand flew to his thick mass of curls atop his head. You could feel him grin against your damp flesh before he lifted his gaze to meet yours.

“Come on sweetheart. Beg me for it. Beg me to cum.” He hissed with a grin. The smile on his face wavered just a fraction when he felt your sharp nails dig into his scalp, sending sparks of pain shooting down his spine.

Tightening your fist around the handful of his hair you had in your hand, you pulled his head up and met his eyes with fury burning in yours. “Fuck you. I don’t beg for a goddamn thing. Never have. Never will.” You ground out between your teeth. Never breaking eye contact with you, he huffed out a laugh and said “Then I guess, I'll just. Take. What. I. Want.”

With a speed you've never experienced, you were flipped over onto your stomach, breasts mashed against the now forgotten money. You attempted to push yourself up onto your forearms but Henry’s broad hand quickly shoved you back down. The lack of control agitated you and you turned as much as you could in his grasp, wriggling your way into a half turned position. Henry attempted to turn you back onto your front and your palm connected with his cheek with a resounding CRACK that echoed in the room.

The force of the slap you delivered had split his lower lip after it collided with his bottom teeth. Henry brought his thumb to his mouth to assess the wound, blood coating his fingertip. You raised an eyebrow at him as if to say “What are you going to do about it?”. A wicked grin split his face, baring his glittering white teeth to you. “Oh you little bitch! You asked for it.” Henry bellowed, his hands once again finding your waist and manhandling you to your front where he had you before. The only difference was his massive hand pressing the side of your face into the wood of the table.

The metal clanging of his belt coming undone sent your body into a frenzy, your pussy clamping down hard around nothing but air. The soft rustle of fabric being pulled down was followed by the sound Henry moaning just a bit as his hand made contact with his engorged manhood. You managed to turn your head under his hand just to get a glimpse of his glorious cock. You knew it would be massive, no one carried themselves around like Henry did if they weren't packing some serious heat.

His erection stood proudly at the apex of his thighs and you shuddered at what you saw next. He held his length out steady, and let a mouthful of spit pour out from between his pillowy lips to land directly onto his shaft. He wiped the excess drool from his mouth with the back of his hand before using it to pump himself, his own spit slicking the way. You keened, watching him intently. When he was ready, he leaned in close so his mouth was against the shell of your ear and his tip notched against your opening.

“I want to fuck you now. But I don't know if you deserve it. Submit to me, wildling,-” you stiffened beneath him, ready to fight him off again, but he continued speaking with his hushed tone. “-and I’ll make you touch the stars. It doesn't make you weak, to let someone else take care of you, you know. I know what you want, what you need, sweetheart but I need to hear you say it. Let me give it to you. Cmon baby.” he murmured.

You weren't ready to say anything just yet and he could tell, so he slowly slid the tip of himself into you, punching out a whimper from your chest. But then he stopped. No movement, nothing. “You can have the rest if you use your words, love. Cmon. Just say it. I gotta hear you say it. Please please please.” Henry rambled, his forehead pressed to the side of your head. Your cunt squeezed around what small piece of him had pushed inside of you, attempting to suck him in further. You burned with need, the ache almost becoming painful. You gritted your teeth, trying to wait him out for about another minute. Then you gave in, the need coursing through you taking over and making you a soft, pliant, whimpering mess. You fell limp against the table and tried to push back onto him.

“Oh god please! I cant take it anymore! I cant go another minute without you inside me! Please oh god please Henry please fuck me please I’m begging you!” you cried, begging was foreign to you and it caused shame and tears to soak your cheeks. Henry brushed your hair behind your ear as he tutted at you. “See? Was that so hard darling? I’ll give you what you need. Shhh don't cry. I'm gonna make it all better okay?” He cooed, lapping up the briney tears that streaked your face as he pushed into you. He bottomed out inside you and you howled with the feeling of being so complete. He pulled back and slammed into you again, his tip kissing your cervix.

“Jesus fucking christ woman you're so tight. Like a god damn virgin. You take me so well. Do you feel me? Here?” Henry splayed his massive hand over your lower stomach. You were unable to form coherent thoughts or words so you nodded as best you could. His palm once again slid up your back and sunk into the hair at the back of your head. He roughly yanked your head back causing you to gasp and sputter. “I'm going to fuck you like an animal. I’m not going to be nice and i'm not going to be gentle but that's what you want isn't it?” Henry spat, his hips beginning to piston his cock in and out of you at a rapid pace. He kept spewing filth into your ear as he moved in and out of you, grinding your clit against the table causing the most delicious sensation that teetered on the razor thin edge of pleasure and pain.

“I’m going to fill you up over and over and over again until your hungry little hole is spilling over with my cum. I want to see it drip out of you. Maybe I’ll give you a baby, would you like that, little one? Yeah I want to see you round with my child.” Henry spewed his heated words as his heavy length plundered your channel. Your walls squeezed him, attempting to force him out but also suck him back in at the same time. Your body moved against the table but your brain was mush. He hooked his hand under your left knee and pulled your leg up to rest on the table, opening you further. He tipped his hips at just the right angle, hitting that spot inside you causing you to scream out.

“Oh god yes Daddy!” rolled off your lips and you felt Henry’s rhythm falter.

“Oh sweetheart, I could get used to that. Say it again. Let me hear you.” he moaned.

“Fuck me Daddy! P-please! I-i need to c-cum!” you whined, pathetic and broken. Henry stopped moving for just long enough to gently turn you over onto your back, never slipping out of you. He picked up his pace once again before answering.

“Go ahead pretty girl. Cum on my cock. Yeahhhh just like that baby. Fuck! You're squeezing me so tight” he snarled, massive hands tightening and bruising your waist. You felt the coil in the pit of your stomach snap as you came around him, sparks of unbelievable pleasure shooting up your spine and radiating out to the tips of your fingers. Bliss took over your body and a strangled cry clawed it's way up your throat and out into the hot air between you two.

Henry kept fucking into you as you rode out the aftershocks of your orgasm, drawing little “Ah!” sounds from your sweet mouth. He halted his movements long enough to lift your naked form into his arms to continue fucking you while in the air. You noted the fact that you were moving around the room but you didn't know where and to be honest you didn't really care as most of your attention was firmly focused on the slick rod impaling you repeatedly. Suddenly your back met the wood of the door and Henry’s right hand snaked it's way up and settled around your vulnerable throat, applying a good amount of pressure.

“Cmon baby give me another one. I know you can. Give it to me. Give it to Daddy, yeah?” Henry barked through clamped teeth, hammering up into you harder and harder with every thrust. His hand on your throat tightened, limiting your speech. That hand left your neck and weaseled it's way between your bodies to rub fast tight little circles over your clit causing you to gasp. Henry rushed forward and licked into your open mouth and your hands flew to his shoulders, sinking your nails into the supple flesh. Neither of you realized how hard he was railing you against the door until you heard the splintering of wood and the crash of metal as the locking mechanism in the door gave way at the same time that you came around his throbbing length once again. There was now a hole in the door but neither of you gave a fuck. Henry pulled you tight against his chest and continued to piston in and out of you at a near punishing pace, now chasing his own high.

“Fuck! I-i’m gonna cum sweetheart. I’m gonna cum inside you. Fill you up real good. Put a baby in you. God fuc- shit! Oh my god!” Henry roared and thrashed like an animal as he shot deep inside you, soothing your aching womb with his seed.

He lowered you both to the ground so you were straddling his lap, still full of him. You rested your head on his shoulder, the both of you panting desperately attempting to fill your lungs with the sex-thick air. Henry's fingers danced up your spine as you relaxed against him.

“We made quite the mess, young lady.” he mumbled, nudging you to turn your head and look. The money you had been tasked with counting now littered the entire room, your supplies for banding the stacks of cash strewn about the floor.

“Yes I suppose we did. Wanna make another one?” You snickered, tightening your walls around his softening length inside you. He let out a low hiss before delivering a light snack to your ass.

“Let me get you to my bedroom first, you heathen.” Henry remarked with a grin as he planted a kiss on your shoulder. “Well cmon then Daddy. Show me what else you got.” You giggled with your hands on either side of his face.

Henry’s broad frame shook with his laughter before he looked you in the eyes, his glinting with mischief. His tongue ran up the column of your throat, lapping up the salty sweat glistening on your skin before whispering “Oh I’ll show you what I’ve got darling. Don't you worry.”

Your response died on your lips as his teeth sank into the meat of your shoulder. This man had ruined you for anyone else. And you couldn't find it in yourself to even pretend to be mad about it.

THE END

[jinterlude]

Protecting Each Other

↳ Header created by the amazingly talented @kimtaehyunq from the BHQ’s Banner Request Board.

—Pairing: Seokjin x OC (Sumin) —Genre(s): The Last of US!AU, Zombie Apocalypse!AU, Fluff, Romance, Angst, Fantasy, Slight-Action, & Slight-Humor —Warning(s) / Rating: zombies, semi-graphic description of violence (mainly shooting and killing zombies), weapons (guns and a sword), light graphic description of injuries, blood, brief mentions/hints of deaths of a loved one, light suggestive moments (mainly making out), & swearing / 18+  —Word Count: 16K —Summary: In just one year, the virus swept the planet, destroying everything and everyone in its path and drastically changing the world. However, at least one thing is for certain—Seokjin & Sumin will always have each other.    

—A/N: The moment you guys have been waiting for! It is the release of my BB Summer Collaboration Fic! Cue the cheers and confetti! I’m quite proud of myself with how this turned out! I would like to thank my soup friend and forever my number one supporter, Jey @softjeon. It is because of her that this story even came to be the way it is, so this story is dedicated to her. 

↬ It is also dedicated to my amazing people: @jinned​​, @hobiance​​, @j-sope​​, @mindays​​​, @ppersonna​​​, @miamorjoon​​​, @parksfilter​​​, & @mygsii​​​. Thank you guys for supporting me and just cheering me on when I needed it. You are truly one of a kind. ↫

» Feedback is always appreciated and thanks for giving my story a chance!  

Destruction. That single word echoed in Sumin's mind frequently—on an endless loop. The faint smell of burnt and decaying flesh invaded her poor nostrils as the exhausted young woman carefully maneuvered around the lifeless bodies. Her eyes surveyed her current surroundings, noting how colorless the world had become. How the suffocating silence circled her, engulfing her entire body. Oh, how she missed the times where the sounds of laughter and lively chatter greeted her like a dear old friend. Instead, it was either the painful silence or agonizing screams that said, "hello," to her.

No longer did she see the vibrant colors that caught her attention before the outbreak began. Shifting her gaze downwards, she noted her attire. A faint yet amused smirk formed on her lips as she thought about the irony of her previous observation. She, too, no longer wore bright colors. Now, she wore all black from head to toe.

Her leather jacket? Black.

Her shredded jeans? Black.

Shoes? Black.

Every article of clothing that covered her bruised and wounded body was dark. Well, at least she'd be ready to pay her respects if someone close to her tragically died.

Now, standing in front of a man, who's currently crouched down catching his breath, Sumin remained on high alert. Her right hand gripped the hilt of her Japanese sword to the point that her knuckles turned white. Meanwhile, her left hand held the trusty semi-automatic pistol in front of her. Her index finger rested nicely on the trigger—ready to pull it back at even the faintest snarl heard. She needed to be prepared to fall into action. She couldn’t afford to falter because if she did, then it would cost her significantly. Her hesitation would cost her the life of the person who was the keeper of her heart. She would lose her long-time companion—Seokjin.

Protecting that man was the reason she needed to stay alive. Sadly, he was her only reason to do so. Her family and friends had tragically died one-by-one over the years. To be exact, it was ten years. Ten fucking years since this outbreak came into the picture. Ten fucking years since the zombie attack destroyed any ounce of normalcy she established since she was a child. Then, in a blink of an eye, it was gone, vanished with a snap of someone's fingers.

Only her boyfriend remained by her side, and the protective young woman prepared to do everything and anything to ensure it stayed that way.

As Sumin continued to stare into the fog, searching for any strange shadows, her eyes picked up a faint sound. Her breath hitched as she clutched her weapons, prepared to attack at any second. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a hand. Without a second thought, she swiftly turned around, pointing her pistol at the person's forehead. At the same time, the blade of her sword pressed into the intruder's neck.

But then, she dropped her weapons, both of the lethal items dangled by her side. A long sigh of relief exited her lips as the exhausted Sumin gave the person a dirty look.

"Jesus, Seokjin. I could've easily slaughtered you. You know that right." She scolded the young man, who only chuckled in response, which further irritated her.

Seokjin wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he planted a sweet kiss on her temple.

Sumin grimaced and pushed him away, "Ew. I'm all sweaty and bloodied up, Jinnie. No kissing until you and I shower," and just as she finished her statement, she dreaded it instantly. This sense of mischievousness twinkled in his eyes. His lips formed this playful smirk.

Oh, boy. Those two features never made a great combination in Sumin's book. If anything, what came next always left her either a blushing mess that couldn't string a coherent sentence together or chasing the idiot and threatening to punch him.

Silently, she prayed it would be the latter. Sumin wanted to make sure that she could still punch an undead person.

"Jinnie..." She began, forcing a sweet smile on her filthy face, "You better choose your next words carefully or else."

Seokjin's smirk grew, "I don't know what you're talking about sweetheart," He took a step forward, "I was about to suggest something that any loving boyfriend would do for his wonderful girlfriend." He shrugged as his eyes flickered towards Sumin for a moment.

Sumin's breath hitched but soon composed herself.

"Oh, so that's how he wants to play. Game on, Jinnie boy..." She amusingly thought, nodding her head slowly as an alluring smile crept on her face.

Without any warning, Sumin turned the pistol's safety on and tried to fire the gun as a precaution. She then tucked the firearm away in her thigh holster. She secured her prized weapon in its confinement, whistling softly to herself.

As she did that, this unsettling sensation washed over Seokjin's body. His heart raced as if he ran away from a hoard of starving zombies. He suddenly felt parched as Sumin continued to instill fear in him. Her body crouched as she tightened the shoelaces on her boots. How completely still she was as she did something so minuscule. His eyes continued studying her body language, noting how completely balanced she was. He subtly tilted his head, hoping to get a better look at his princess.

"Speaking of ass..." His eyes drifted down Sumin's back, but he forced himself out his unholy thoughts, "Wait, now is not the time to be checking out your girlfriend, Seokjin." He shook his head furiously. His ears perked up at the random sound Sumin made as she stood up. She dusted off her torn jeans before turning her body towards him. An overly sweet smile greeted the scared man.

Seokjin flashed a smile, chuckling nervously at her as he swallowed his saliva; his Adam's apple bobbed a few times. Sadly, it only made him thirstier.

His tongue swept the bottom of his dry lips. Then, he spoke,

"Princess," He began, clearing his dry throat, "Are you preparing for another battle with the undead?" A nervous chuckle escaped his lips, "You know, the more you whistle, the more anxious I become. Do you want that, Sumin? Do you want to be dealing with a nervous boyfriend while we fight for our lives? I think not!" He finished his rather dramatic yet short monologue.

Sumin's face went poker-faced as she nodded her head slowly. No words escaped her lips, maintaining the eerie silence that surrounds the environment. Her eyes narrowed as she homed in on her target. She cracked her neck, releasing the tension in her muscles as she took a step toward the poor man.

As she stepped forward, Seokjin stepped backward. The attractive couple continued this rather odd dance for a few minutes until - suddenly - Seokjin grabbed his pack and bolted away from the menacing young lady.

Sumin bolted after him, shouting at him to stop being such a coward and face her like a real man. Though, she was careful not to alert any enemies of their presence. The last thing she wanted to deal with, on top of Seokjin behaving like a child, was a mob of ravenous zombies.

Yup...definitely not on her nonexistent to-do list.

With her lungs practically begging for air, Sumin refused to let that man escape her grasps. She easily dodged the low hanging branches while keeping her eye on the prize. The prize of closing the gap between her and Seokjin, so she could punch the living shit out of him. What made the situation funnier was that Seokjin taunted her endlessly. Each insult that spewed out of that gorgeous man's mouth fueled her desire - that competitive drive - to tackle him to cold hard concrete.

Then, as if God answered her wish, Sumin's eyes gleamed with excitement as she focused her attention on his perfectly still body.

"HA! I knew you'd stop being such a little bitch and take my punch like a mature adult!" She exclaimed as she jogged up to him. Just as she drew back her fist, she swiftly caught on to Seokjin's odd expression. No longer did he wear this playful mask but now dawned an emotion that Sumin thought she'd never see again.

Complete and utter disbelief.

Carefully, Sumin placed a warm hand on the young man's broad shoulder; her eyes dripped with concern.

"Jinnie..." The concerned lady began but was soon interrupted.

"Do you know where we are, Sumin?"

"I...uh..."

"Imagine everything lit up. The entrance sign lit so brightly that blinded anyone who dared to stare directly at it. Now, add the sounds of the arcade and carnival games going off every second as loud chatter mixes in with the lively atmosphere. Children that scattered all over the fairgrounds as they ran towards their parents, screaming from excitement as they begged their parents to win them yet another gigantic stuffed animal."

Sumin still didn't quite understand what Seokjin was talking about until he said,

"Look at the broken-down stand in the far-right corner," He pointed in that specific direction, "You see those beaten up stuffed animals?" He asked as he intertwined their fingers together. He then guided the two of them towards the row of carnival games. The unhappy pair carefully maneuvered around the fallen debris, planning their steps accordingly. The last thing they wanted to do was deal with one of them having a broken ankle.

The more Seokjin and Sumin adventured down the row of destroyed carnival games, the more Sumin's face became solemn as sadness washed over her entire body. Her jaw clenched, and her breath hitched. She couldn't believe it. She took in every single torn down - practically shredded - dull banners as she passed the poorly maintained game stands. The same game stands she and Seokjin used to frequent every summer and the reason she came home with a massive pile of stuffed animals. It was thanks to that lovesick fool that she no longer had space in her closet for her cuddly friends. At the same time, it was because of those soft stuffed animals that got her hooked on Seokjin's charms in the first place.

God, the more she reminisced about her countless summer spent at this fair, the more she became depressed. However, she couldn't stop thinking about those specific moments in her life. After all, those days led her to the man that she absolutely could never imagine living her life without him.

"I wonder if this place was the first to go?" asked Sumin, voicing her innermost thoughts as her doe-like gaze switched to Seokjin. She noted how tight his jaw was as if he tried his hardest to maintain his composure.

"I hope not..." He trailed on as he continued to survey his surroundings, "Though, it wouldn't surprise me if it was since the annual summer fair always drew in a massive crowd." He finished, letting out a soft, airy chuckle.

The corners of her lips curved upward as Sumin read his mind.

"Yeah. Kind of how it drew us together for the very first time, right?"

"What do you mean, kind of drew us together? It matched two beautiful people together."

Sumin's face fell, "Are you sure? Because I remember our fateful meeting quite differently."

Seokjin gawked. He couldn't believe the words that came out of his princess' mouth.

"Oh, do tell how that day went, then, Minnie

"Gladly...!" She exclaimed with an intriguing twinkle in the corner of her eyes.

Seokjin scoffed playfully, "Oh, I can't wait to hear this."

The petite young female shot an irritated look at the attractive man before beginning her tale.

"Well, as you know, it started on that Friday evening. You had just gotten out of her last class of the week and..."  Sumin trailed on. Her words echoed in the back of Seokjin's mind as he, too, recalled their meeting so vividly.

For the twentieth time that evening, Sumin checked her appearance using her front-facing camera. Her trembling hands ran through her beach curled hair, positioning it in a way that made her look charming yet radiated innocence. It wasn't every day that she was set up on a blind date by a good friend of hers. However, she wasn't a stranger to the dating scene, so why did she feel so damn nervous? Why did her heart pound against her chest as if she ran from her house to the fairgrounds?

Suddenly a look of complete and utter dread washed over her face as this horrendous thought implanted itself in her frenzied mind. Without a second thought, Sumin subtly smelled herself, praying to every God known to man that her sweet rose perfume still lingered around her body. She sneakily raised her arms and took a quick whiff under her armpits.

"Oh, thank God. My tropical fruit-scented deodorant is still working." She thought as this massive sigh of relief exited her lips. She dropped her arm, and as she raised her head, her eyes went round. Her breath hitched as this feeling of embarrassment hit her like a tidal wave.

"Please don't be my blind date. Please don't be my blind date." She repeatedly chanted as a drop-dead gorgeous man started walking up to her. With every footstep, he slowly closed the gap between them, and as he closed that distance, Sumin's anxiety increased. The butterflies in the pit of her stomach flew into a flurry, which only caused the poor young girl to smile nervously. She also chuckled softly as she awkwardly waved her hand.

"Great. Now, that handsome fellow is going to think I'm this huge doofus." She mused as she quickly mustered the sweetest smile and introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Sumin. I'm Seokjin, but my friends call me Worldwide Handsome." The handsome fellow greeted back, playfully winking at her as he displayed this thousand-watt smile.

Sumin became lost for words. She slightly parted her mouth as she wrapped her mind around the fact that this attractive man seriously said that his friends called him "Worldwide Handsome." Her eyes flickered with annoyance before switching back to politeness.

But before she could ask him if he was serious, Seokjin beat her to it.

"I'm kidding. My friends don't call me that," Another wave of relief washed over Sumin, but once she heard Seokjin's next sentence, that moment of peace was over, "I call myself that. I've been spending my entire high school career trying to get my tasteless friends to admit that I'm good looks are enough for me to hold the title of 'Worldwide Handsome.'"

Out of nowhere, Sumin felt a slight twitch in her right eye. Her body heated up. Her breathing grew heavy as her nostrils flared slightly.

Yeah, they didn't even get past the formalities., and his words ended the date right there.

As the irked young lady opened her mouth, ready to apologize to him that she wanted to end the date, a high-pitch noise emitted from his lips. It was almost as if she activated her car's windshield wipers.

"Oh, my God, I can't keep this charade up any longer," He paused, continuing his fit of laughter. The laughter grew too much for him as he clutched the sides of his stomach. "Congrats, princess. You passed." He vaguely announced, further irritating Sumin.

The serious honey-brown haired woman stared at the tall immature man through slit eyes. Her mind battled if she should ask him to clarify or not. Part of her - scratch that - most of her wanted to go home, but, sadly, the curious side got the best of her, so she asked Seokjin what he meant by his strange words.

The towering, well-dressed man cleared his throat, "Well, my young and surprisingly beautiful princess, what I meant is that you passed the, 'can this potential girlfriend handle my arrogant side and be honest with her reaction rather be fake?' test." He answered, keeping this calm tone of voice.

Suddenly, Seokjin shot Sumin with a playful wink, as he dug out his wallet from the pocket of his light pastel blue zipper hooded sweatshirt. A faint, "ah-ha," escaped his plump lips as he waved his black leather wallet in front of the unamused female.

Sumin raised her brow, finding Seokjin's actions odd and silently berating herself for not going home yet. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something in the back of her head told her to continue humoring the princely idiot.

Her conscience had better be right.

"Is that your hint that you want me to pay for our entrance tickets?" inquired Sumin as she prepared to dig for her wallet in her cotton candy-colored purse. However, as her fingertips grazed the zipper of the wallet, Seokjin gently grasped her wrists. For a split second, a single strand of electricity shot up through her right arm, igniting the nerves that laid beneath.

The longer Seokjin touched her wrist, the more Sumin's cheeks became heated. Just this once, Sumin was glad that it was Summer. She could easily blame the heat on her flushed cheeks, and not the fact that she felt this unspeakable spark between them.

Not wanting to become a blushing mess, Sumin gently tore her hand away from his grasp—much to Seokjin's dismay. Unknown to her, but he felt that spark as well. Never in his years of dating other women did he feel the same that Sumin did. The kicker was that she didn't even know that she had this hold - this magnetic pull- over him. Seriously. She could ask him to tell his friend Jungkook that he sucked at bowling, and he would gladly do it even though it was a death wish in doing so.

Wait, what happened? Where did those thoughts come from as he usually would never think about that, especially towards a woman he had just met? Pushing the confusion away, Seokjin lightly shook his head and plastered a sincere smile on his attractive face.

"Anyway, since we are losing daylight, why don't we go inside the fairgrounds, and yes, I'm gonna pay for your ticket. Don't argue with me on that, okay?" He kindly suggested as he maintained the wicked smile that caused both men and women to swoon over him.

Sumin chuckled, "Alright, you can pay for my entrance ticket, but I'm gonna pay you back by winning you a stuffed animal, cool?" She said with a sunny, innocent smile.

Seokjin's body slightly froze as he thought, "Okay, she might have beaten me in terms of having a smile that caused hearts to skip a beat," He quickly pulled himself back into reality and agreed to Sumin's suggestion.

Though, it wouldn't result in her trying to win him a stuffed alpaca. An hour into their date, Sumin wanted to succeed at winning him that cuddly stuffed alpaca but kept losing at the ring toss. Refusing to give up, the stubborn young lady shelled out another ten-dollar bill and slammed it on the wooden counter.

"Alright, Seokjin, prepare to- wait, what are you doing?" She questioned as Seokjin took the tiny plastic ring from her dainty hands.

The equally as determined man positioned himself in front of her and said,

"I'm gonna win you that alpaca, princess," He stretched his right arm, warming up his muscles, "So, prepare to be amazed by my professional throwing skills!" He announced; his voice was almost loud enough to be overheard by every single person at the carnival.

Sumin giggled softly, shaking her head playfully. Then, a brilliant yet bold idea popped into her mind.

With a seductive grin painted on her lips, Sumin stood on the tips of her toes and courageously planted a kiss on Seokjin's cheek. On the outside, Sumin appeared calm as a clam. However, on the inside, it felt like there was a tornado in the pit of her stomach. Then, a feeling of regret followed, but Sumin pushed it away. A good friend of hers told Sumin that she needed to be confident and more flirtatious. Now, she hoped that her friend's advice paid off.

"I'm sorry if that was too forward, I thought you could use a kiss for good luck?" Sumin quickly apologized, averting her gaze. Her cheeks became flushed as the bashful woman messed with the hem of her dress.

Then, a hand clamped over hers before the cold sweat from her hands left an embarrassing stain.

Sumin's eyes trailed upward and soon widened with how close Seokjin's face was. He was so close that their noses were merely inches away from bumping into each other.

As the doe-eyed Sumin parted her mouth to speak, Seokjin gently pressed his right index finger on her lips. Sumin's gaze flickered to his hand, noticing the plastic ring hanging on his pinky.

"First, thank you for that sweet kiss. It granted me all the luck in the world needed to win these rigged carnival games," He removed his index finger and stood up straight, "Second, now I'm even more determined to win you that alpaca so that I can get another kiss. Perhaps, this time, maybe on the lips?" He flirted, winking at her before he turned his back towards her and prepared to play the ring toss game.

Sumin mustered enough courage and composed herself.

"Let's talk after you win me, RJ."

"RJ?"

"Yeah, that's going to be the name of our cuddly stuffed animal."

Seokjin chuckled at how adorable Sumin was.

"Okay, RJ, it is."

Sumin cheered as she shook her hands in excitement, eager to hug the alpaca.

Her cheers faded into the back of his mind as Seokjin gently pulled himself away from that beautiful memory. It honestly felt so real to him. The smell of deep-fried food lingered around his nostrils while the sounds of Sumin's cute protests echoed in his ears. A reminiscent smile formed on his gorgeous face as he recalled the events that happened after he successfully won her RJ. She dragged him around each food stand and paid for any item that they wanted to try together, though Seokjin offered to pay for the more expensive food items. However, being the stubborn woman that she was, Sumin swatted his hands every time he reached for his wallet.

To this day, he could still feel the stinging sensation on the backs of his hands. Who would've thought that his princess had some strength to her?

"Why are you rubbing your hand, Jinnie?" Sumin's voice pulled Seokjin away from his thoughts. He glanced down and low and behold; he did rub his hand as if she smacked his hand a few minutes before. He ceased his odd action and then threw a warm and loving arm around Sumin's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Don't worry about it, princess, but I still think that you told some aspects of our first date incorrectly." He teased with a lop-sided grin. "If I remember that night correctly, it was I who tried out the ring toss stand first," He playfully tapped Sumin's nose, "And it was you came to my aid like the breathtakingly goddess protector I know you are." He finished before innocently pecking her sweet lips.

Sumin playfully rolled her eyes as the corner of her mouth curved upward. She then lightly shoved her foolish boyfriend, creating space between them.

"Anyway, where should we go next? We still need to find these so-called, 'Fireflies,' if we want any answers on this cure." She asked, surveying the abandoned fairgrounds. Her eyes flickered from every direction, ensuring that there weren't any abnormal shadows nearby.

A faint hum emitted from Seokjin's mouth as he, too, looked around. Then, something captured his attention as he was about to finish his search. He quickly focused his gaze onto the Ferris-wheel as he annoyingly pushed Sumin, repeatedly telling her to look into the distance.

The annoyed honey-brown haired girl lightly slapped his hand away, demanding that he stop being weird.

"I can't help it. You just make me a fool for you, Minnie." Seokjin flirted, causing his girlfriend to gag.

"I swear you are too much sometimes," She readjusted the strap that held her Katana, "But, when you want to, you do spout some intellectual things," She smiled brightly at Seokjin, "Let's head towards that Ferris-wheel and use it as our vantage point." She suggested, which of course, Seokjin agreed as he laced his fingers with hers. Then, the two hiked over to the gigantic wheel, hoping that it could give them some form of a clue.

Minutes later, the duo arrived in front of the rusty Ferris-wheel. The curious young woman broke away from her boyfriend as this strange magnetic pull forced her to step towards the poorly maintained ride. Her fingers grazed the rough cold metal as Sumin noted both the rust and vines that surrounded the wheel.

"It's so strange..." muttered the shocked girl as she stepped back.

Seokjin slowly nodded, unsure what to say next as specific memories plagued his mind. Thoughts of him and Sumin passing by this very Ferris-wheel as he begged her to go on it with him. Whenever he explained to Sumin why they had to ride this attraction, he always told her that it was part of the book of romance. Naturally, his sweetheart demanded that she sees this book so that she could see that so-called rule. The more he thought of that event, the more he chuckled.

His princess was always the skeptical one, but that made their relationship refreshing. They never behaved like any other couple, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

As he forced himself away from his beautiful memories of his lovely lady, he noticed Sumin doing something strange in the corner of his eye.

"Uh...sweetheart? What are you doing?" questioned Seokjin as he continued to watch his girlfriend with curiosity.

Sumin hummed as she glanced over her shoulder, "Oh, I’m gonna climb the Ferris-wheel and use it as our vantage point." She explained as she undid the belt that held her Katana and shrugged off her leather jacket.

"I see...I see..." Then, her words finally registered in his mind, "I'm sorry? Did you say that you were going to climb the Ferris-wheel? Miss ‘I'm afraid of heights’?" He asked with a quizzical expression on his face. The longer he thought about his girlfriend climbing up that poorly maintained carnival attraction, the more he became concerned. It didn’t help that those worries conjured up every worst-case scenario known to man and flooded his mind with them.

Yeah…

He definitely did not want Sumin climbing up there, and just as he shrugged off his jacket, Sumin spoke,

"Yup! Now, stay down here and keep watch, okay? You have my sword if you need an extra weapon." She said with a cheerful smile, reassuring her worried boyfriend. It was as if she read his mind and wanted to wash away his unnecessary concerns.

Seokjin looked utterly stunned. Every time he opened his mouth to say something, Seokjin swiftly closed it as he knew that he couldn't stop his headstrong princess from doing something if she already made up her mind.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Seokjin quickly hugged her and placed a warm kiss on her temple. As he pulled away, he told her,

"Remember what I told you the first time we rode this together?"

"Yeah...don't look down."

Seokjin uttered a quick, "good," as he released his loving hold on Sumin and watched her start her journey up the rusty fair ride.

His eyes remained glued on her body as he watched the love of his life climbed up the ladder of the neglected attraction. Seokjin's mind drifted to the first time he successfully got his princess to ride the Ferris-wheel as he stared at her fading backside, slowly becoming one with the sky.

Crossing her arms underneath her chest, Sumin blinked a few times. She tilted her head slightly as she tried to comprehend the fact that her boyfriend of almost two years wanted her to go to the Ferris-wheel. Also known as the fair's local death trap.

A short yet heavy sigh escaped the hesitant woman as her gaze focused on Seokjin, who currently nibbled on his bottom lip. A cute little habit that Seokjin had whenever he was deep in thought. That was one of the many quirks she learned about him over their two years of being together. The fun part of that sentence was that he always had her learn something new about him every day.

That was one part of their loving and entertaining relationship that she would never trade for the most expensive diamond in the entire universe.

Seokjin was priceless, and Sumin was incredibly lucky to be with someone like him.

Speaking of which...

"Okay, I got the ultimate bribery for you, princess!" Seokjin piped up, pulling Sumin away from her loving thoughts.

The corners of her lips turned up as curiosity burned in Sumin's eyes.

"Oh? And, what are you exactly going to bribe me with, huh, Jinnie boy?" She asked with hints of playfulness in her words.

Seokjin chuckled, "I'm glad you asked, my curious kitten," He then pointed at the nearby cotton candy stand, "If you go on the Ferris-wheel with me, I will buy you all the cotton candy your heart desires!" He exclaimed with eyes practically pleading Sumin to say yes.

A hum escaped her lips as Sumin lightly tapped her chin; her bottom lip jutted out as she "seriously" thought about his offer.

"I don't know, Seokjin, you know well enough that I'm deathly afraid of heights, you're practically asking me to risk my life just for tonight since you want to see the 4th of July firework show at the top of the wheel," Sumin lightly shook her head, "You're gonna have to do better than that, Jinnie." She stated, shrugged her shoulders.

Seokjin's eyes narrowed on her as he mentally cursed at how argumentative Sumin could get—when she wanted to be. He made a mental note to make sure that his princess never hung out with a particular headstrong friend of hers. If he didn't know any better, he knew that Sumin's good friend more than likely told her about his romantic plans for their 4th of July celebration.

"That pain in the ass..." He muttered to himself, rolling his eyes.

Unfortunately, for him, Sumin heard his words and assumed that he called her that. However, she knew better not to start a fight with him over an assumption. She learned that lesson the hard way after an evening of arguing with him over a hunch that almost caused them to break up just before the night of their big first-anniversary date. From that night on, Sumin learned to always ask for clarification. She vowed never to feel that devastating heartbreak again.

Mustering an innocent smile, Sumin eyed him accusingly, "I'm sorry, who's 'that pain in the ass'?"

Seokjin nearly choked on his spit. His body tensed. He then slowly focused his gaze onto the woman that not only made his heart skip a beat but also instilled fear into him. There was nothing in between those two feelings.

The nervous young man opened his mouth to speak but soon closed it as he had to pick his next choice of words carefully. Having a full-blown fight with her was certainly not on tonight’s romantic agenda. Instead, he wanted to share the most magical kiss with his princess and then confess how much he loved her.

While, yes, they had been together for almost two years, Seokjin and Sumin never said, "I love you," to each other. Their mutual friends told them that they took their relationship a little too slow for their liking. Still, Sumin wanted to make sure their feelings towards each other were genuine, and Seokjin respected that.

He wanted her to know that he was just as serious about them as she was.

Which motivated the handsome fool to say,

"Not you," He gently took Sumin's hands as complete and utter adoration burned in his eyes, "Which is why not only will I give you an endless supply of cotton candy, but I will bestow you the most romantic kiss ever known to man, if you agree to go on the Ferris-wheel with me," He quickly glanced at his watch, "We have exactly an hour to wait in that line, get on one of those carts, and slowly ride up to the top of the wheel where we will stop and enjoy the firework display," He smiled warmly at her, praying to every God out there that she would say yes, "So, how about it? You and me? All alone in that surprisingly roomy compartment?" He finished, eager to hear Sumin's answer.

Sumin remained silent as she glanced up to the Ferris-wheel, pondering for a moment. Then, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, she opened her sweet lips and said,

"Yes. I will ride the Ferris-wheel with you."

Sumin suddenly shrieked, followed by this soft laughter as Seokjin abruptly picked her up and twirled her around. Bystanders would've thought that he just proposed to her, and she said yes. That was how ecstatic Seokjin was for finally getting Sumin to agree to ride the wheel with him, especially since he knew how afraid of heights she was.

That was true love right there, and it solidified the never-ending devotion he bore for her.

Gently placing his princess on the ground, Seokjin softly pecked her nose before intertwining their hands together.

With a sincere smile painted on his lips, the handsome young man guided the woman, he absolutely adored, towards the semi-long waiting line to get on the ride. The happy couple passed the time by talking about everything and anything popped in their heads. They talked about how their college courses went the past Spring Semester. They spoke of how goofy their group of friends was, especially when two of their friends sabotaged each other's audition for the theater department's Spring musical.

Sumin still couldn't believe that Jungkook and Hoseok became infatuated with the same girl, who auditioned to play the main heroine in the play.

Slightly shaking her head, she cuddled up to Seokjin as she wrapped her arms around his waist, covering her goose-bumped riddled arms. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the addictive scent of his cologne.

Seokjin peered down with an amused smirk plastered on his face.

"I'm starting to think that you only restocked my cologne with this scent because you personally like it," He shuffled their bodies up to the front of the line, "Not so much that you think that it's a scent that works well on me." He teased, chuckling at how precious Sumin was as she vigorously shook her head.

She then looked up with her doe-like gaze, “I bought it because you said that you personally liked it and it worked well for you,” She untangled himself for her but only for Seokjin to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder, “Don’t pin it on me, mister.” She stated as the ride operator asked if they wanted to ride alone or together while the cart slowly stopped in front of the couple.

Seokjin quickly answered that they wanted to ride together before Sumin had the chance to say some sarcastic remark.

The ride operator nodded and waved them over, allowing them to cross the safety line. The carnival worker politely helped Sumin into the cart then helped Seokjin afterward. The worker quickly did the safety check, making sure everything worked properly before pushing the start button.

The second the cart moved upwards, Sumin’s breath hitched. Panic settled in the pit of her tummy. Her breathing grew sporadic as the carriage continued going higher.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seokjin noticed how tense his princess was and reached over to grab her hands. He gently caressed the backs of her hands as he whispered words of encouragement and peppered her faces with kisses.

“I know it’s too late to say this, but don’t look down.”

“Oh, you’re damn right it’s too late to say that!”

A low whine escaped her mouth as she continued to resist taking a peek down below. The extremely stressed out girl flailed her legs as if she hoped that maybe her kicking her legs would speed up the ride. It didn’t, but a girl could dream, right?

Sumin whined, “Ah, how much longer to the top, Jinnie?” She asked, her voice shaky as she placed a trembling hand on her chest. She felt how her heart practically hammered against her chest, and then it suddenly stopped.

Slowly prying one of her eyes open, Sumin saw Seokjin’s hands tightly holding hers. That explained why she suddenly felt this warmth transfer to her cold hands. However, she began to feel more than just his body heat; she started to feel his courage. The longer he held onto her, the more she felt safe with him. With Seokjin by her side, whispering words of encouragement and showering her with all of the admiration he bore for her, she felt invincible.

Seokjin challenged her by facing her fear of heights. He showed her that while yes, it terrified her to no end, she still had a courageous side to her that needed just a little shove.

Ah, Sumin hated when he unknowingly proved a point to her… God damn it…

Gently opening her other eye, a faint gasp escaped her gentle lips. Her eyes widened at the marvelous view. The city lights twinkled like the stars in the night sky as tiny streaks of red and white gradually passed by the fairgrounds.

What she currently saw, at that moment, was the epitome of a brand-new world—and she owed it all to Seokjin.

Without a second thought, Sumin grabbed Seokjin’s face and kissed his cheek sweetly, letting out a giggle as she pulled away.

A boyish grin appeared on Seokjin’s princely face, “What was that for, princess?” He lightly questioned.

Sumin maintained her loving smile, “For always pushing me to be better,” She said, resting her head against his broad shoulder, “You always know me better than I know myself.” She added as Seokjin rested his head against hers.

“Well, think of it as me returning the favor. You constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone, so naturally, I’d do the same for you.” He stated with a meaningful expression as the Ferris-wheel momentarily came to a halt.

Sumin’s brows furrowed as tiny creases formed on her forehead. Curiosity washed against her body but soon evaporated as the couple heard loud booms followed by flashes of colorful lights.

The easily enamored young lady stared into the night sky in complete awe. Her eyes sparkled like the fireworks that lit up the sky. It was during that moment that Sumin briefly forgot that she was an adult with responsibilities. Responsibilities that came with being a college student who enrolled in a full course load of classes. She forgot about the endless pile of assignments, group projects, and presentations.

For only tonight, the only thing - the only person - she needed to focus on was the attractive fellow that sat next to her.

Which reminded her…

Taking a slow, deep breath, Sumin emptied the nerves that riddled her body. She repeated that action a few more times until she felt weightless. For the past few

months, unknown to Seokjin, she practiced how to confess her love to him. After all, this would be a gigantic leap for them in their relationship.

With a final deep exhale, the shy brunette turned her body towards her boyfriend as the fireworks continued to decorate the black canvas that covered the town. Flashes of color illuminated the Ferris-wheel as Sumin slowly leaned in with rosy-colored cheeks.

“Seokjin…?” She softly called out to him, causing the boy to hum in response; though, his eyes didn’t leave the firework show.

“Can you look at me for a second? I need to tell you something.”

“Oh, that is not something any boyfriend wants to hear coming out of their girlfriend’s mouth.”

“I’m serious, Jinnie!”

“I’m serious too, princess! The moment any girlfriend says that  to their significant other, it’s—”

Seokjin’s lips were captured by Sumin’s. Her hands slowly reached up to his neck, gently grasping it as she pulled him closer. Their chests pinned against one another as the couple gradually became lost in each other’s embrace. Seokjin’s hands rested on Sumin’s thighs. At the same time, her fingers entangled themselves in between locks of his hair, gently tugging at them as their kiss grew more fervent.

Tiny moans floated into the air, mixing with the powerful booms from the firecrackers, as the two battled for dominance; neither one of them allowed the other to win, as Seokjin and Sumin remained in their tight embrace for what seemed like an eternity.

Reluctantly, Sumin pulled away as she remembered why she called for him in the first place.

“As I was saying before we passionately kissed each other,” She smiled brightly, chuckling as she wiped away her remaining lip gloss off Seokjin’s swollen lips, “I need to tell you something, and no, I’m not confessing a relationship sin nor am I breaking up with you, you dramatic doofus.” Sumin paused again, soothing the butterflies that fluttered in her tummy, “I wanted to tell you that…I’m in love with you…” She finally confessed with bright red cheeks as passion burned in her eyes.

A massive sigh of relief escaped her lips as she finally and courageously announced that she was utterly head-over-heels in love with him. Now, she didn’t expect Seokjin to say it back since they both agreed, at the beginning of their relationship, that they would say, “I love you,” at their own pace, but a part of her felt afraid. Scared that maybe she said it a little too soon for Seokjin’s liking and now scared him off.

Oh, great. Here came the regret of announcing her love too early, hitting Sumin like a massive tidal wave as her boyfriend remained silent with a straight face.

Sumin sucked in air between clenched teeth, nodding her head as she scolded herself for confessing her love. Slowly, she turned her body, and as she was about to create space between them, she felt a pair of hands cup her cheeks and pull her into the most mind-blowing kiss ever.

Her eyes fluttered close as she became lost in the kiss, and during that heated exchange, she heard Seokjin say in between pecks,

“I’m…in…love…with…you…too…”

With one and final kiss, Seokjin pulled away, though he would instead continue kissing her as he showed her just how much he loved her. As he unraveled himself from her body, he couldn’t help but smirk as he noticed how flushed Sumin’s cheeks were.

He wasn’t going to lie, seeing his princess, a total blushing mess boosted his confidence as this sense of pride surged through his body. He unknowingly puffed out his broad chest as he flung a warm around Sumin’s chest while the Ferris-wheel slowly resumed operating.

“You know, I don’t think our future anniversaries are going to top this one.”

“Yeah. I think you might be right, but I’ll still love you even if our next year’s date consists of us chilling on my roof and stargazing.”

“Huh. I think you just gave me an idea for our annual Autumn dates!”

Slowly opening her eyes, a faint smile graced Sumin's face as Seokjin's words echoed throughout her mind.

And true to her boyfriend's word, he did set up a stargazing date for their yearly Autumn dates.

It still baffled her mind that he was always consistent whenever he suggested something unexpectedly, but that was something that made her fall more in love with Seokjin.

Speaking of love…

Peering down with an exciting twinkle in her eye, Sumin took a deep breath before shouting,

“If I recall that night correctly, I did not confess my love to you until the week after!”

Not even a minute later, Sumin heard Seokjin’s fake laughter, causing the amused young woman to genuinely chuckle as she shook her head, slowly climbing down the Ferris-wheel. There was no point in staying up there if she didn’t see any abnormalities in the shadows.

As the fearless lady descended the ladder, Sumin could hear Seokjin make a few jabs at her memory—or lack of one.

“And another thing, my gorgeous yet always wrong princess! How could I’ve told the story wrong when my memory is ten times better than yours!? So, there! I win!” bragged Seokjin, completely forgetting the fact this booming voice could easily attract a horde of the undead.

A low growl escaped from the annoyed girl’s lip as she paused in her steps. Her gaze drifted upward as the anger bubbled within her chest. Her grip tightened on the rusty metal of the ladder; her knuckles turned white, which meant that the poor girl was seconds away from punching her oh-so-charming boyfriend.

Was it too late to leave Seokjin behind while she journeyed off to find the Fireflies? After all, her boyfriend could easily manage a bunch of zombies on his own.

Forcing out a sigh, Sumin continued her journey down, loving yet hating the fact that she could never leave him behind.

She loved him too damn much…

Little by little, Sumin gradually closed the gap between herself and the sweet ground that she wished her feet stepped on as opposed to the tiny stairs. As much as she didn’t mind heights anymore, she would rather be on the floor if she could help it. More comfortable to defend herself and Seokjin if necessary.

“Ah, I hope he’s doing….” She mumbled to herself, stopping abruptly when her eyes picked up something strange into the distance. She halted in her place. Her eyes squinted, hoping that it would help her vision become sharper. Then, her breath hitched as it grew sporadic. Her chest tightened as she gripped the ladder once again.

This heaviness of complete and utter dread crashed into Sumin’s body like a gigantic tidal wave that hit into a city. She slowly felt the wind knock out of her as the horrific shrieks drew near.

Then, her heart completely stopped the moment she heard Seokjin cry out to her in terror.

“Seokjin, just leave me!” She commanded sternly as the adrenaline-fueled woman rushed down the ladder, no longer caring if she fell from the ladder. Sumin was close to the ground anyway and could quickly get into a combat-ready stance while Seokjin dashed to safety.

Seokjin’s safety would forever and always be a top priority for Sumin…

As the worried young woman descended from the maintenance ladder, practically near the gravel, she heard Seokjin idiotically taunt the undead as they surrounded him, desiring so much to eat his warm flesh. However, the secretly terrified young man couldn’t let his fear consume him. He needed to protect Sumin as he could never imagine living his life without her. Since the start of this horrendous outbreak, the lovestruck man vowed to protect his beloved and ensured that no harm came her way.

He hasn’t failed yet, nor would he ever fail at keeping his promise because, just like Sumin, Seokjin’s utmost priority is his girlfriend’s safety.

Using his sacred promise as his motivator to keep fighting, Seokjin peeked into the scope and fired shot after shot with his semi-automatic rifle, readying another round of ammo as his ammunition clip emptied.

Just as he pulled out the emptied ammo, Seokjin felt something sharp swipe at his right arm, creating a gash on his bicep as blood streamed down and stained his black leather jacket; though, it didn’t matter as no one would notice it.  Well, the horde of undead caught it as the addicting scent of fresh plasma enticed them even more, sending them into a frenzy.

The injured man winced as the pain grew increasingly unbearable, but he refused to stop fighting. The moment he ceased firing, they would attack Sumin and more than likely kill her.

No…

Seokjin would never allow that to happen…

Not as long as his heart continued beating…

Exhausting his last amount of strength, Seokjin suddenly stopped firing and rammed the end of his semi-automatic rifle into one of the zombies before shooting a few bullets into its decaying body. As the adrenaline-fueled protector readied to fight off more zombies, he failed to realize that he had a few rushing at him from his flank. As their growls grew close, Seokjin knew it was too late to fire a few rounds at them while five more zombies ran at him from the front.

No matter which direction he focused on, those undead bastards would aggressively claw at him before devouring his juicy flesh. However, he couldn’t let that thought deter him from his personal objective; his mission of getting Sumin to the Fireflies, so those groups of doctors could create a cure that would one day restore humanity on this lonely planet.  

That’s why he had to keep fighting….

Breathing deeply, Seokjin readied his weapon, releasing bullet after bullet at the horde in front of him, ignoring the ones that rushed at him from behind.

But he also neglected his ride-or-die partner…

A loud grunt entered one ear and exited through the other, followed by the sound of a sharp object impaling one flesh after the other before bodies dropped right behind the handsome man. Their decaying, decapitated heads rolled towards the assailant’s feet before the person kicked to the side like a soccer ball.

Seokjin faintly scoffed as he glanced behind his shoulder and whispered, “And I thought it was my job to save you, p-princess…” as the last bar of his energy finally depleted. His face paled from the amount of blood that slowly drained from his arm. His eyes shuttered close as Seokjin gave in to the exhaustion that plagued him. His legs wobbled as his knees buckled in, ready for his entire body to collapse onto the pavement.

Yep…Seokjin depleted all of his energy…

However, as he was seconds away from dropping to the floor, Sumin quickly sheathed her Katana and grabbed Seokjin before he could. She then wrapped his uninjured arm around her shoulders as she hoisted Seokjin and supported his weight with all the strength she mustered minutes before.

“C-come on, Jinnie…” A few grunts left her lips, “You c-can’t give up on me just yet.” Sumin’s voice quavered as she struggled to reach for Seokjin’s assault rifle. Her fingertips grazed the strap a few times before she successfully wrapped them around the leather material and hung it around her boyfriend’s neck. Of course, she switched the rifle’s safety on before doing that. Insult to injury would be that she caused the death of her boyfriend.

“Alright…” She softly began as she surveyed her surroundings, hearing loud shrieks in the distance. Terror settled in her face, but Sumin didn’t allow it to show. No. The second she let the fear win, it was game over for her and Seokjin.

And Sumin would never allow that to occur, so she had to think of a place for them to hide.

Her mind went into overdrive as she thought of all the possible places for them to wait for the horde to lose interest in them quietly. The site also had to provide them enough cover that could not only disguise their scent but ward off the stench of blood as she patched Seokjin’s deep wound.

Sumin’s concerned gaze glanced at her boyfriend’s limp and severely injured arm as streams of blood stained his scarred hand.

Quickly shaking her head, the worried girlfriend forcibly pushed away any possible worst-case scenarios as it would neither help her or Seokjin in their current situation.

Suddenly, another thunderous, bone-chilling scream echoed in the eerie atmosphere, and this time it sounded nearby.

“Shit…!” She cursed through clenched teeth as she readjusted Seokjin’s weight against hers. “Okay, do you remember where the Hall of Mirrors was at?” She asked, guiding them away from the pile of lifeless zombies.

Seokjin groaned a few times. His eyes fought to stay open, but he found it difficult to do so. Shit, he barely registered Sumin’s question. That was how drained he was.

Sumin’s brows furrowed as wrinkles formed on her forehead. Her heart tightened from Seokjin’s lack of response.

“You know what, it’s okay, Jinnie,” Sumin forced an affectionate yet tired smile, “I think I remember where it was at,” She said, hunching her body as Seokjin’s weight slowly collapsed on top of her tired body. Still, she exerted enough of her depleting energy to keep them standing.

“Alright, let’s go.” She whispered, hobbling the two of them over to the entrance of the Hall of Mirrors. She kept her right arm anchored on Seokjin’s waist. At the same time, her left hand interlocked with his as she practically dragged them towards the entryway.

In between her grunts, she suddenly heard Seokjin let out this light chuckle. Sumin couldn’t help but giggle as her boyfriend’s delirious expression was priceless; though, she shouldn’t find his dying state hilarious. She believed the dehydration slowly crept on her emotional state and took a mental note to take a few big gulps from her canister. Just one of the many containers filled with water that Sumin and Seokjin filtered by boiling out the impurities from a river they stumbled upon a few weeks back.

But before she could dive into the hilarious memory associated with that river, a string of slurred words entered her ears followed with pain-induced groans.

Sumin forced air through her nose, “Seokjin, save what little strength you have. Okay?” She kindly suggested, though, it sounded more of a demand.

“B-But…princess…” Seokjin winced as his eyes opened slightly, “We can f-finally settle o-our bet once and f-for all.” He finished, stumbling over some words.

Sumin briefly halted their steps but swiftly resumed as they couldn’t afford to stop with a pack of starving zombies on their trails. 

With a raised brow, Sumin asked what he meant by his rather vague statement as she and Seokjin finally passed through the entryway to the Hall of Mirrors. Correction. The place was now a dark, spacious area surrounded by broken mirrors and cracked glass decorated the pathway.

“I mean, S-Sumin…” He coughed twice, causing the tired girl to become alarmed and even more concerned for Seokjin’s wellbeing, “Don’t you r-remember on our fourth a-anniversary that y-you a-and I made a bet—” Seokjin let out a loud cry as Sumin accidentally bumped his injured arm against the wall as her body finally gave up on her. The two of them collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.

“Sorry, Seokjin.” The exhausted young lady mumbled as she took a minute to catch her breath before moving his body to a more comfortable position.

Seokjin made a face before continuing where he left off.

“As I w-was saying before you c-carelessly d-dropped me,” Sumin shot him an icy glare, resulting with him swiftly apologizing before resuming, “Anyway, you a-and I made a b-bet on our f-fourth a-anniversary because neither one of us h-had y-yet to come inside here,” Seokjin repeated, hoping that something – anything – triggered Sumin to have this lightbulb moment.

Then, like clockwork, she did.

“Oh, my God…” She trailed on as she took off her jacket and tied her hair up in a pony-tail, “Are you talking about that stupid bet that you created because you were too much of a chicken to go in this place by yourself?” She questioned, emphasizing a specific word.

Seokjin gawked but let out a few more coughs, “That b-bet isn’t stupid!” He declared, wincing loudly as Sumin carefully removed the torn leather jacket sleeve from his arm. The fabric lightly grazed his gaping wound, creating an endless wave of this unbearable stinging sensation.

Sumin smiled wanly as she gently held his injured arm, assessing the severity of the wound.

“I know you’re in pain, Jinnie, but the bet was stupid, and I’ll tell you why.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone, not realizing that Seokjin closed his eyes, surrendering to the darkness that slowly swamped his mind. Sumin didn’t notice this yet, but Seokjin sadly began reacting to the virus that caused this damn outbreak in the first place.

Minutes rolled by and still no snippy remark from Seokjin. Panic settled in Sumin as she immediately shifted her focus on him. She gently cupped his marked-up cheek; her eyes dripped with fear.

“Jinnie?” She lightly tapped his face while the anxiety settled within her chest, “You gotta stay away, okay? Just stay awake for me. P-please…” She desperately begged as tears formed in the brim of her eyes. “After all, you have to travel down memory lane with me on how that stupid bet came to be…” She stated in a soft-spoken voice as she applied pressure to his wound, refusing to give up on him.

Sumin’s eyes fluttered close, slowly breathing out of her nostrils. Her mind wandered off, transporting her back to that fun evening.

Harden stares. Smug smiles. Two people proudly stood in front of each other, hiding one of their hands behind their backs. The unusual duo anchored their bodies in front of the infamous entryway to the Hall of Mirrors, calculating the other person’s next move in their fun game of rock-paper-scissors. Rumors surrounded the infamous carnival attraction as legends said that a couple of fair-goers had unexpectedly grown ill and currently fought for their lives in the downtown hospital. Knowing that only enticed every single customer to want to brave it out and check out the attraction for themselves.

But not for Seokjin and Sumin. Nuh-uh. This quirky couple would rather look like complete fools in front of the infamous fair attraction than go inside.

And this all started because Seokjin stubbornly refused to go inside the Hall of Mirrors by himself.

Naturally, Sumin called him a coward; thus, it led them to their current predicament.

With an arrogant smile painted on her beautiful face, Sumin’s stare narrowed as if she had telepathic abilities, allowing her to read Seokjin’s next move.

“Stare at me all you want, princess, but you will never defeat the rock-paper-scissors champion!” taunted Seokjin with an equally cocky smirk plastered on his gorgeous face.

Sumin snorted; her eyes briefly flickered to the side.

“You and I both know that there’s no such thing as a champion of rock-paper-scissors. You giant doofus!” She quipped in a high-pitched voice, earning her a few odd glances from a few bystanders.

Yeah. That reaction resulted in Sumin’s boyfriend doing his infamous windshield wiper laugh, causing a couple of people to stop in their tracks with a confused expression.

The embarrassed college student hung her head low. Her cheeks heated from unwanted attention.

Shyly, Sumin lifted her head, uttering a few apologies to the strangers before shooting Seokjin a cold stare as he continued cackling for a good three minutes.

The agitated brunette blew air upward from her mouth before stalking up to her hysterical boyfriend and punched him in his bicep.

Seokjin yelped but showed no sign of his laughter ceasing any time soon, which further annoyed Sumin.

Finally fed up with her cackling boyfriend, Sumin shouted, “Enough! I’ll go inside the stupid hall of mirrors with you!” She walked towards the carnival worker, dragging Seokjin by his wrist while his laughter slowly faded away. He quickly wiped away the tears that formed because he laughed so hard that his stomach ached.

Ah, he hadn’t a good laugh like that since Namjoon broke their Chemistry professor’s beaker and set off the smoke alarms in the classroom.

Good times right there…

Softly shaking his head, Seokjin handed the worker two entry tickets. Then the employee granted them entrance into the Hall of Mirrors.

Gradually, the couple walked further into the hallway. The light from the sunset faded in the background as the young pair went deeper into the creepy attraction.

Without a second thought, Sumin wrapped her arms around Seokjin’s forearm and clung to her protector. The frightened girl shuffled alongside her boyfriend, disregarding the fact that she could’ve easily tripped him. Her heart pounded against her chest as she caught glimpses of her funny reflections in the mirrors.

Tiny whines left Sumin’s lips as she cutely stomped her feet because Seokjin wanted to admire his humorous reflection.

His action shocked her tremendously since it was Seokjin’s idea in the fucking first place that they played rock-paper-scissors to see if Sumin accompanied him or not inside this terrifying place. Now, she started believing that the attractive idiot she called a boyfriend hustled her.  

If that were the case, then what she was about to do next, she wouldn’t feel guilty whatsoever.

With both a devious smirk and gleam on her innocent face, Sumin turned her attention towards Seokjin, slightly tilting her head.

“Hey, Jinnie…”

“What’s up?”

“Wanna make a bet, especially since it’s our fourth anniversary together?”

Seokjin blinked a few times. His lips thinned as this uneasy silence covered them like a warm blanket on a Winter’s night.

His stare darted between Sumin’s innocent face and the random stranger squeezed by them.

The confused man opened his mouth but soon closed it as the longer he stared at his girlfriend’s doe-like eyes, the more he realized that there was a trap waiting for him.

With knitted brows and taking a step backward, Seokjin hesitantly took the bait and asked what kind of bet Sumin talked about.

“Simple, Seokjin,” She gestured to their rather cramped surroundings, “Since you and I both do not want to be in here any longer than we have to,” She then pointed towards the direction in front of them, “And judging from the bone-chilling screams that echo every five seconds, it seems that this place is only going to become even scarier.” She explained, though, not really getting her point across.

However, that was the beauty of their relationship. Seokjin always understood what went on in Sumin’s beautiful yet devious brain.

And sadly, for him, this was a bet that would result in his loss…

Looking briefly displeased, Seokjin sighed heavily before interlacing their fingers together and continuing their journey inside the spooky attraction.

“So…what happens if you lose the bet?”

“Me? Ha. That’s comical, Jinnie. Tell me. Who’s the braver one between us two?”

“Well, that depends princess on what we’re doing, you big goof.”

Sumin scoffed, rolling her eyes, “You just don’t wanna admit that I’m braver than you.”

Now, it was Seokjin’s turn to scoff.

“Uh-huh. Let’s see if you keep that mindset once we near the end of this hallway since I believe that is when we heard the most terrifying induced shrieks.”

“You’re on!”

And true to his words…Sumin freaked out first and punched one of the costumed workers in the stomach.

Yeah…

Safe to say that the carnival manager banned the couple from entering the Hall of Mirrors ever again.

Well, at least there was a positive aspect of this epidemic…

Seokjin and Sumin were allowed inside the attraction; though, the concerned woman wished it were under better circumstances…

A defeated expression washed over Sumin’s face. Yet, the anxious but determined young woman refused to allow Seokjin to succumb to the deadly virus. A few sniffles echoed slightly as Sumin maintained pressure on the wound, allowing the disinfectant to have some sort of effect on the injury.

“Come on…” The distressed girl repeatedly uttered as tears cascaded down her dirty and bloodied cheeks. Out of anger, Sumin threw the blood-soaked gauze and hurriedly applied another, cleaning and dressing the gash some more. The upset girl’s tears landed on Seokjin’s arm, unknowingly stirring the man from his pain-induced slumber.

A couple of faint groans escaped his precious lips as Seokjin’s eyes slowly fluttered open. He slowly turned his head; his gaze landed on Sumin’s.

A small smile displayed on the handsome man’s face before he started to reach out to Sumin with his injured room, stubbornly ignoring the severe shooting pains that surged through his veins.

“…n-now…why is m-my princess crying…?” whispered Seokjin as his bloodied hand cupped Sumin’s soft cheek, “Beautiful w-women shouldn’t s-shed any t-tears…” He added, successfully causing his concerned girlfriend to chuckle.

Sumin leaned into his warm touch, maintaining her solemn smile, before grasping his hand with hers.

“G-gross Jinnie…” She teased, forcing herself to make light of the situation for not only her sake but Seokjin’s as well, “I don’t want you touching me with your bloody fingers.” She added, removing her hands from his bloody one as she resumed tending to his wound. Using her jacket sleeve, the brunette carefully wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. The last thing she needed was her purposely causing more minuscule pain to Seokjin.

Seokjin tried laughing, but they soon turned into small coughing fits. The injured man rolled his eyes; though, he maintained his tiny, playful smile.

“Well, I’m s-sorry that I c-couldn’t w-wash my hands before doing t-this—” Seokjin suddenly yelped as he felt this unbearable pain shoot up his arm once again. Then, he felt a cooling sensation that followed shortly. Wondering what it was, Seokjin’s gaze followed Sumin’s arms and then noticed yet another gauze slowly soak up his tainted blood. Not even a minute later, that excruciating ache returned.

“Ouch woman!! Be a little gentler next time!!” cried the injured man, shooting glares at his girlfriend.

Sumin gawked, “You know what…I take my tears back now,” Her face became emotionless, “Since you’ll be fine now seeing as that you finally stopped stuttering caused by that excruciating pain you were in earlier.” She said blankly, blinking a few times before turning her back towards him to put away their shared medical supplies.

Tiny chuckles escaped Seokjin’s chest as he slowly sat up, examining his bandaged-up arm. He stared at his wound as curiosity slowly washed over him. His eyes trailed over to Sumin and instantly noticed that her left hand dawned a bandage. Then, it occurred to him. She must’ve fused her blood with the disinfectant and made a quick cure for his wound before the virus had a chance to completely take over.

With the corners of his mouth turning upwards, Seokjin shuffled his way over to Sumin and warmly placed a hand on her head. Love glowed in his eyes as he stared affectionately at her backside.

“Well, it’s thanks to you that I’ll be fine,” but not even a second after saying that, he winced; his hand rested on the side of his torso. “Damn, did those undead bastards get me somewhere else too?” He bitterly thought but was soon thankful that he didn’t feel any fresh blood on his fingers. However, he didn’t want to alarm Sumin yet again. He saw how anxious she became when those zombies severely injured his arm. Seokjin couldn’t put her through that heartache for a second time.

Through gritted teeth, the stubborn fool repeated that he’d be okay and that he could never die.

“As long as I’m breathing and standing before you, I will always protect you,” He pressed his plump lips to Sumin’s temple, “Again, nothing and no one can kill me.” He declared; his eyes burned with determination as if he made another sacred pact to himself.

A faint scoff escapes her lips, unbothered to show her face to him.

“What if someone is successful and does kill you? Then, what, Jinnie?” She asked; her breath hitched for a split second. “I-I can’t afford to lose you…” She added, muttering as her voice softly broke in the beginning. Then, Sumin closed her eyes, slowly exhaling through her nose as she desperately tried taming the anxiety that gradually swallowed her body. The thought of losing Seokjin always triggered it for her. There were days where she wished that she were this emotionless, ruthless killing machine immune to emotions such as love, but that wasn’t the case.

It was thanks to those beautiful emotions that Sumin was herself. If she was this robot, then she wouldn’t have met Seokjin.

And with that final thought, the uneasy young woman turned towards her boyfriend, facing him with a brave expression as Sumin swung her backpack around her shoulders and tightened the straps.

“And that is why I will not stop at nothing until I find that safe haven.” She declared suddenly yet firmly; her eyes sparked with this undying resolve for her personal mission. “You hear me, Jinnie? I will find us that secure place. I s-swear to you.” She finished, letting out a few sniffles as her eyes became glossy.

Seokjin remained speechless, unsure of how to answer Sumin’s question. He was also taken back from Sumin’s sudden declaration; however, his mind soon drifted back to her earlier question.

Truth be told, he never thought about his death since that was something, he couldn’t afford to even imagine it.

No.

The moment he thought about someone killing him, it would be game over. His body would succumb to the fear that Seokjin channeled countlessly into courage. He needed to be strong for him and Sumin.

He just had to…

Tapping his chin, Seokjin hummed in response before wrapping a warm around Sumin’s shoulders, pulling towards him. His chin now rested nicely on top of her head while his courageous girlfriend finally broke down and sobbed in his chest, dampening his shirt. She could only hold that brave face for so long.

“Aw, Minnie…” He cooed, softly rubbing her back and sweetly kissing her head, “You don’t have to worry about keeping me safe, and do you want to know why?” He asked softly; his eyes blazed with absolute devotion and admiration.

Sumin nodded her head but remained glued in his broad chest as more tiny sniffles escaped her precious lips.

Seokjin couldn’t help but chuckle in response, finding his girlfriend extremely cute at that moment.

“Well, the reason why you don’t have to worry about keeping me safe is that I’m already safe, princess.”

“Huh? How’s that possible, Seokjin?”

Then, he grinned widely before answering,

“Because I’m always safe whenever I’m with you, sweetheart.” He happily stated, earning himself a light shove and angry stare from Sumin. “Ah, that tiny push was worth it since you’re no longer upset and shedding your beautiful tears when they aren’t necessary.” He added, smiling brightly. His smile was so vast that his cheekbones practically touched his eyes, causing them to disappear.

Sumin made a face, “Unbelievable…” She trailed on, walking away from him, “After all these years, you still manage to become cheesier than your last attempt!” She shouted over her shoulder, wearing this amused yet teasing smirk on her face.

Seokjin shook his head, forever enjoying their endless game of cat and mouse.  

“I swear, I must be a masochist…” He humorously thought before chasing after his woman.

Inch by inch, Sumin peeked her head out; her gaze flickered toward every single direction, making sure the close was clear before leaving their hiding spot.

Seokjin’s breath fanned the back of her neck, creating goosebumps to appear. Tiny giggles emitted from her lips as Sumin hunched her shoulders, hoping that it would stop the rather affectionate man that she called her boyfriend.

However, it did not. If anything, the lovesick fool saw his girlfriend’s protests as a challenge. A challenge that he’d surely win.

Without a second thought, Seokjin wrapped a protective arm around Sumin’s shoulders, pressing his chest against her back. Then, he slowly lowered his head; his plump lips hovered over her ear.

“So…is the close clear?” He whispered; his hot, breathy tone caused the poor girl to become flustered as a small, yet enticing moan escaped her innocent lips.

Then, seconds later, a loud smack echoed throughout the dark, empty halls of the destroyed carnival attraction.

Seokjin grunted, rubbing the area where his girlfriend smacked him.

“Did you really have to go for my chest? You know how sensitive I am in that area.” He whined, pouting cutely as he continued rubbing his injured chest.

Sumin scoffed, ignoring his rather cute complaints, “Obviously. Why else would I slap you in your most sensitive spot beside your humongous ego.”

“Ego? That’s a weird name to call my—”

“Finish that sentence and no sex once we find the safe haven.”

Seokjin flinched. His face tensed from the mere thought of not being intimate with his girlfriend. Then, he hung his head low, “I’ll behave, princess.”

The triumphant young lady uttered a quick, “good,” before placing an innocent peck on his scratched-up cheek. She then gestured towards the exit, announcing to him that it was safe to run towards the fence that faced the abandoned, ruined mall. During the couple’s attempt at escaping the hungry horde, Sumin noticed a destroyed wall in front of the mall that she and Seokjin frequented for many years.

“You ready? Do you have enough energy to dash towards that gate?”

“I think I can manage, sweetheart.”

Tightening the strap that held her sword in place, Sumin slowly inhaled then released the pent-up stress and other frustration through her nostrils.

With a look of determination on Sumin’s smudged up face, the fearless woman charged out of the entrance; her gun fired round after round, emptying the clip before she quickly inserted another ammo clip. She briefly took note of how many clips she remained before she completely ran out.

Running behind her, with an infinite release of ammo from Seokjin’s semi-automatic, the protective yet still injured man guarded his girlfriend, protecting her like a royal knight for his princess as he safeguarded her from any harm. He shot down any undead bodies that rushed at Sumin, finding it a bit therapeutic as killing those zombies was another form of revenge for him.

Funny, huh?

Gradually, the abandoned mall became large as it appeared in the running couple’s sights. Their hearts drummed against their chest as they felt the adrenaline deplete from their bodies, but they couldn’t give up. Not just yet. They needed to find a safe haven and restore humanity to this rotting planet.  

They just had too…

Skidding towards the open gate, Sumin held it up, widening the gap so Seokjin could fit in the hole. She breathed heavily while her eyes homed in the rushing horde that slowly closed the distance between them. With her free hand, she aimed her gun at the dead crowded, firing a few times. The frightened girl landed head-shots and permanently killed them.

“Come on, Sumin!” hollered Seokjin as this wave of anxiety washed over him as well. Being on the other side of the fence did not sit well with him whatsoever—scratch that. Not standing right beside Sumin did not sit well with him at all.

Just as the worried man readied his weapon, Sumin scrambled through the hole, earning herself a small cut on the back of her hand.

Seokjin instantly noticed, grabbing her uninjured hand, and pulled her towards the ruined building. The exhausted boy tapped into any reserve energy he stored. At the same time, Sumin addressed his wounds earlier as they continued their mad dash for the broken mall building.

With the entrance doors in sight, Seokjin practically shoved Sumin inside before following after. He swiftly scanned his surroundings, looking for anything that could be used as a barricade. Seconds later, his eyes focused on a pile of pipes.

“That should work…” He frantically thought as he grabbed a couple and stuck in between handles. For added measure, he rolled over some of the fallen metal trash bins, completely ignoring the surging pain in his right arm. Even though Sumin wiped away the virus from Seokjin’s body, his gash still remained and gradually reopened.

A few winces escaped his plump lips, instantly alerting Sumin. She tucked her pistol in its holster before helping him push the trash bins.

Playfully shaking her head, Sumin gave him a look, teasing him in the process.

Seokjin rolled his eyes, scoffing before flashing her a boyish grin.

“You know I could’ve rolled that by myself.”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” Sumin pointed at his injured arm, “And that’s why your wound reopened, doofus.” She stated before maneuvering the metal bin in front of the door, securing its position.

Seokjin jokingly mocked her as he felt a slight tug on his wrist. He obediently followed Sumin, sitting down when instructed to. His eyes trailed up, noting how breathtaking his princess was despite the many cuts, bruises, and dried up blood that decorated her face. Soon, the corners of his mouth curved upwards as he continued watching Sumin redo his bandages. He couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt like he transported back to the day he first fell in love with her.

And it all because of the angelic smile that graced her beautiful face…

“Okay, all done.” Announced Sumin, tightening the knot on the bandage. “Next time you reopen up your gash, I’m gonna let it get it infected.” She warned with an overly sweet tone before placing an innocent kiss on his cheek.

Seokjin chuckled, jokingly saluting his woman before standing up. He grabbed his weapon and flung the strap around his shoulder, allowing it to lazily hang beside him as he and Sumin journeyed deeper inside the empty mall.

Walking past broken glass displays, where only a few shards remained hanging on the wall, Sumin mumbled the name of each storefront. Suddenly, she halted, tugging on Seokjin’s jacket sleeve.

Seokjin peered down, asking her if she was okay, and why they stopped in their tracks.

Without saying a word, Sumin simply pointed at the storefront. The concerned young man followed her finger and soon gasped.

“Is that—”

“Yup.”

Sumin took a step forward, walking towards the broken counter. She observed the discarded plastic cups and open cash registers. She clicked her tongue, devastated seeing one of their favorite food places utterly destroyed. She turned her head but quickly looked away after seeing the bloody hand prints that decorated the door that led to the kitchen.

The bottom of her lip disappeared as Sumin closed her tear pooled eyes. A few drops trickled down her cheeks, alerting Seokjin. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before pulling her body towards his. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her head as he whispered loving words, hoping to soothe away her sadness.

“It’s just not fair, Jinnie.”

“I know, princess, but at least we have each other.”

Sumin sniffled before mumbling, “Kind of like how Hoseok had Lainey?”

Jinnie chuckled at her sudden lighthearted comment as he pulled away from his now smiling girlfriend.

“No. I think you’re thinking of Renae, sweetheart.” He corrected. Though he secretly could be wrong as he too couldn’t remember which girl, he and Sumin successfully paired Hoseok up with for his third blind date.

Quickly wiping away any remaining tears, Sumin cleared her throat a few times before speaking,

“I don’t think so, Jinnie. It could be this one girl. Oh, what’s her name…?” She trailed on, snapping her fingers in hopes that it’d help her remember. Then, it finally clicked. “Ah! Bunny, I believe, was her nickname!”

Seokjin shook his head briefly humming before correcting Sumin yet again.

“Nope. Wrong again, princess. She ended up with Jungkook, remember?”

Sumin lips fell slightly open, silently berating herself for having the worst memory. Granted, she and Seokjin busied themselves with saving the human race and fighting off countless undead hordes, so that played into her favor.

With her brows knitted together and her lips thinned, Sumin thought long and hard on who the fuck ended up being Hoseok’s girlfriend. Alys? No, she remembered that she wound up with Namjoon. Kenzie? That was also another no since she ended up with Jimin—or was it her good friend Lindy? Oh, my God. Sumin drew a fucking blank on the name as she swiftly ruled out another friend of hers, Bean, who ended up being Yoongi’s adorable girlfriend.

“Fuck!” She mentally cursed as she gnawed on her bottom lip, desperate to figure out who ended up with Hoseok.

Seokjin, on the other hand, laughed at how serious yet adorable Sumin looked. He found it especially cute when her cheeks puffed out as the frustration slowly washed over her face.

Should he be a good boyfriend and help her? The amused young man quickly weighed his options, finding both the pros and cons to helping Sumin out but decided to assist his poor, agitated girlfriend.

“It’s Nina.”

“Nina? Oh! Nina! I’m a dummy. I can’t believe I forgot her.”

Seokjin gave a lop-sided grin as he wrapped a loving yet protective arm around Sumin and repeated, “It’s okay,” and “I still love you, stupidity and all.” He then guided her away from the ruined food court and resumed their journey inside the mall.

Laughter echoed throughout the three abandoned floors of the humongous building. For that brief moment, Sumin and Seokjin were simply two lovebirds on a simple date.

The loving couple recollected all the times they ended up at the mall after an extravagant dinner. Seokjin gently caressed the back of Sumin’s date, releasing a chuckle or two as she recalled the time Jungkook stole a black leather jacket.

“I’m still trying to figure out why he thought it was wise to steal the mannequin as well.” Sumin laughed, smiling brightly as she oddly felt relaxed.

Seokjin shrugged, “I have no clue, but with Jungkook, I never do. That boy has always been a strange one.” Suddenly, sadness clouded his handsome features, halting his steps, the more he thought about Jungkook and the rest of his close friends. He had yet to receive any news on their whereabouts. The last time he heard anything was 7 years ago.

7…long…years…

Before he could dwell on his friend’s untimely demise, he felt a warm hand cup his dirty cheek. His solemn gaze trailed down and met Sumin’s loving and comforting stare.

“Hey. Think positive, Seokjin.”

“How can I? For all I know, they could be long dead, and I wasn’t there for them, like the older brother I was supposed to be for them.”

Sumin sighed but quickly validated his feelings. Shit. She felt the same way about her close friends and family, and she allowed the guilt to eat away at her conscience. However, it wasn’t until the 3rd year of this pandemic that she turned the blame into resolve and swore that she would avenge everyone she loved.

Softly rubbing Seokjin’s marked up cheek, Sumin plastered a sweet smile and said,

“Once we find that safe haven, we will go look for your friends, okay? I mean, they have Namjoon and Yoongi with them, so the rest of them can’t be dead. Alright?”

The distraught boy nodded his head as the corner of Seokjin’s mouth twitched.

His princess always knew what to say, especially to light a fire underneath his depressed ass.

He sweetly pressed his lips against her forehead and muttered a quick, “thanks,” before taking her hand once more and resumed their exploration.

The completely smitten couple journeyed to the third floor, both of them finding it humorous that they actually walked up the broken escalators. Years ago, when it worked properly, the duo always rode it up to their designated floor. Even when it became evident that walking up the escalators were so much faster. However, they didn’t care.

They were proud to be called the “lazy” couple within their group of friends. Shoot. Sumin secretly found it amusing that they were dubbed that since she and Seokjin studied medicine before this horrific pandemic began.

Funny how everything turned out for the two of them. Seokjin became her protector, and she carried the cure that could potentially reverse humanity back to its original state.

Jogging away from Seokjin with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, Sumin peered behind her shoulder, enticing her boyfriend to chase her. Soft laughs escaped her sweet lips as she picked up the pace, wanting to increase the distance between their bodies.

“Be careful, princess!” advised Seokjin, feeling the anxiety slowly settle within the pit of his stomach. His worried gaze remained on Sumin’s retreating backside as the gap grew wider with each passing second.

Out of frustration, the concerned fellow ruffled his hair before running after his woman. Within minutes, Seokjin closed the gap between them and protectively wrapped his arms around Sumin’s torso as he shouted,

“Gotcha!”

Sumin laughed, smiling radiantly as her boyfriend peppered her face with soft kisses and whispers of adoration.

“You know that I love you to the sun and back, Sumin. Right?”

“Of course, Jinnie,” She turned her body, though, she was careful to not whack him with the hilt of her Katana, “And you know that I love you to the moon and back. Right?” She said sweetly and softly.

Seokjin hummed in response as his brows furrowed together.

Sumin gawked, lightly slapping his chest, and pulling away from him.

“I’m kidding, princess! Please come back! I need you in my arms, or else I’ll die.”

“Oh, my goodness. You’re such a drama king, Jinnie.”

“Well, yes, but that’s beside the point! Please give me a hug?”

Now, it was Sumin’s turn to playfully think about it. Then, not even a minute later, the stubborn young lady simply shrugged and walked up to her pouty boyfriend. She cupped the back of his neck, locking her fingers into place, and gently pulled Seokjin’s face towards hers. Their noses lightly bumped into each other as their dirt-stained foreheads pressed against one another.

The two of them, dawning warm smiles, remained lost in each other’s gaze for what seemed like forever until something captured Seokjin’s attention.

“Is that one of those luxurious contest cars?”

Sumin perked up her brow as she peered behind her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she untangled herself from Seokjin and ran up to the car, much to his dismay.

Curiosity got the best of her as her calloused fingers traced the cold metal of the car. She couldn’t help but admire how beautiful the car still looked despite its surroundings destroyed.

Well, until she heard a loud smash, causing the poor, unknowing girl to flinch as Seokjin swung his assault rifle back to its original position, blissfully unaware of Sumin’s death glare. He then carefully reached through the broken window and tried to feel for the door lock. His fingertips grazed the car door handle a few times before finally latching over the lock. Seokjin pulled it towards him, the two of them heard a click before swinging it open.

Like the gentleman he was, the attractive young man gestured towards the door, politely bowing his head at Sumin.

“Your chariot, my lady.” Joked Seokjin in a poorly imitated British accent.

Sumin chuckled lightly as she shook her head, brushing her shoulder against his.

“Why, thank you, my good sir.” She played along before removing her Katana from her back, making it easier for her to maneuver inside the vehicle.

Using the sleeve of her leather jacket, Sumin carefully brushed off the broken window shards from the car seat.

“You know, I’m thankful that the car battery died because you would’ve definitely attracted a crowd of zombies to us, you impatient dork.” She quipped, shimming her way towards the backseat. The exhausted lady let out a massive sigh of relief as she rested her head against the leather seats. Through a tired, cloudy gaze, Sumin squinted at the door and then realized something.

“Hey, Jinnie.”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“You’re a jerk for having me shimmy my way towards the backseat,” She then reached over the backdoor and unlocked it, “When you could’ve just reached even further and unlocked this door as well.” She finished, opening it up and flashing him a knowing smile.

Seokjin rolled his eyes as he teasingly closed the door on her before finally entering the car. He quickly placed his gun on the passenger seat and then put both hands on the steering wheel.

With a boyish grin written on his face, Seokjin glanced over his shoulder and asked,

“Where to, princess Sumin?”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she leaned in her seat and poked her head between the two front chairs. With an alluring smile painted on her lips, Sumin hovered her mouth over his ears and whispered sweetly,

“To the stars…” Before grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards the back of the seat. Though, it was a bit difficult at first given how bulkier and taller he was than her.

A faint grunt exited his lips as Seokjin found himself plopped next to the love of his life. His eyes bore into hers as he couldn’t help but admire how breathtaking she was despite going through hell and back.

Without a single thought in his head, the utterly smitten young man cupped his girlfriend’s stained cheek, gently caressing it. Then, slowly, the two of them inched their faces closer. Their eyes flickered from each other’s loving gaze to their lips before the gap finally closed.

A gentle moan escaped Sumin’s lips as she entangled her fingers in Seokjin’s hair. She slowly massaged his scalp, resulting in a low moan from Seokjin as he anchored one hand against the door-frame and the other against Sumin’s hip. He slowly lowered her body onto the seat, careful not to accidentally bump her head against anything.

“I love you, Kim Seokjin,” Sumin whispered, briefly breaking their passionate kiss.

Seokjin, slightly panting, simply smiled before capturing her precious lips once more. He poured all the love he bore for the woman underneath him and hoped that she knew how much he loved her.

For that single moment, Seokjin knew that actions spoke louder than words. Releasing her addicting lips, he trailed fiery kisses down the side of her face all the way to the base of her neck. His teeth lightly grazed her soft skin, causing a few moans to leave Sumin’s mouth, further igniting Seokjin’s hormones.

His hands buried itself underneath her shirt, the warmth of her skin contrasted the coolness from his hands. Seokjin’s fingers lightly trailed upwards, and just as his calloused fingers grazed the fabric of her bra, they heard a loud, terrifying shriek.

The couple instantly broke apart, fixing up their disheveled appearance as Seokjin promptly peeked through the window.  Now on full alert, he hurriedly scanned the area; his ears picked up even the tiniest of sounds. Then, the thunderous, horrific cry echoed throughout the mall once more.

Not wanting to chance it, Seokjin quickly instructed – well more like demanded – Sumin to run for cover while he provided covering fire.

Her mouth fell open while her eyes went round. Did Sumin hear him correctly? What Seokjin planned was a suicide mission as the hordes would easily overwhelm him. Still, deep down, Sumin knew that as she studied his overall body language. The frantic young girl vigorously shook her head, rejecting his idiotic idea with her entire body.

“Well, do you have a better idea, princess?” Seokjin asked, giving her a look.

“Yes, you run beside me, and we protect each other,” Sumin paused, cupping both sides of his face, “Like we did every single time we faced these undead bastards and will continue to do until it’s no longer necessary.” She finished in a courageous tone of voice.

Seokjin was rendered speechless but soon composed himself. Sumin was right because if he ended up dead, then who would protect her in his stead? No one worthy of her that was for sure. He needed to remain alive for her sake.

And she needed to remain alive for his sake…

Taking a long, deep breath, Seokjin’s eyes sparked with fearlessness as he stared at Sumin. He gently took her hand into his and quickly pressed a sweet kiss on the back of it.

“Okay, as soon as I open this door, you better be running right beside me. Got it?”

“I should be telling you that, Jinnie.”

Seokjin snorted, ignoring her comment as he pulled on the door-latch and opened the car door. He quickly grabbed his weapon from the passenger seat before diving out of the car. He readied his semi-automatic and peeked through the scope, looking for any scouts. Luckily, he saw none, but they needed to hurry and find cover. Then, his ears picked up a soft grunt followed by a string of swears.

With an amused grin, Seokjin glanced to his side, noticing Sumin rubbing her chin.

“Let me guess you hit yourself with that Katana.”

“Shut up and run.”

Sumin repositioned her sword and began running with her pistol out and ready to fire. Seokjin quickly followed behind, mimicking his sweetheart's every movement. This continued for a few more minutes until they found a suitable hideout and ducked behind the concrete wall. The two lovers seized that relaxing opportunity and calmed their irregular breathing. The last thing the two of them needed was to pass out while fighting a raging crowd of zombies.

Slowly, the loving couple inhaled the sweet oxygen through their nostrils and exhaled it through their mouths. With each breath they took, Seokjin and Sumin felt both their physical and mental strength restored.

They were ready to fight once more…

Slightly tilting his head, revealing this lazy smile, Seokjin gave Sumin a quick glance-over, making sure she didn’t have any secret injuries.

“So, are you ready for round 3?” He jokingly asked.

Sumin snorted, “Round 3? It’s more like round 5 at this point, Jinnie.”

This time it was Seokjin’s turn to let out a quick snort as he stood up with his assault rifle ready to fire at any given moment. The second he stood up, the blood-curdling shrieks grew near. Seokjin gave those undead gnats about ten seconds – give or take – before they swarmed their position.

“Careful, princess. People might think you’re talking about our sex life.” He joked, shamelessly winking at her as he pulled the trigger, firing a few rounds at the undead horde.

Sumin rolled her eyes as she unsheathed her Katana and shot up from her spot.

“What people?” She quickly gestured at the two of them and then at the never-ending onslaught of zombies that approached them, “In case you haven’t noticed, Jinnie, we’re the only ones here, so you have nothing to worry about.” She bluntly stated, completely missing Seokjin’s sarcasm, before impaling one zombie and decapitating the second one before raising her gun.

Sumin then cocked back her pistol and aimed it at the enemy, emptying the clip as she landed head-shot after head-shot. She hurriedly reached for another ammo clip and loaded it into the pistol.

Meanwhile, with Seokjin, the poor boy shook his head as he observed how frantic Sumin slowly became. He swiftly focused his weapon on her direction and fired at the zombies that threatened to swarm her.

“With you around, sweetheart, I will always worry.” He announced as he quickly fired at the zombies that rushed towards their direction. He then spun around and fired at his original path.

Sumin’s face reddened but soon composed herself, though her cheeks remained rosy.

She quickly cleared her throat before speaking,

“And to think, I thought you couldn’t get any cheesier.”

“Only for you and always for you…”

Protecting Each Other is copyright 2020 by jinterlude, all rights reserved.

[abbystanaccount]

Abby/Owen St. Mary's set fic "II"

A sexy time fic, anything I wrote in here just pretend I didn't 😳😅. This was done so I figure I should post it for the shipping squad, everyone else keep scrolling pls... I have unfinished fics set before and after but I figure I can just put this one here for now until those are finished, then maybe put the whole thing on ao3... or nah idk.

It was such fun having a secret lover. Ever since Abby had arrived at St Mary’s two months ago, she’d had her eye on Owen, and he the same back. He made her warm and giggly and everything just fell into place a few weeks ago when he kissed her. Just the other day, Owen told her he’d never felt this way about anyone before or even had a real girlfriend.

She never had sex before, and Owen only had a couple of times years prior. But four days ago they did it for the first time in one of the empty rooms, and it’d been amazing. Abby couldn’t help but think about him and the way he felt in her since. Now beyond just him always making her smile, her mouth watered when she saw him. Owen was all she could think about. But she still had her duties to attend to as a Firefly and no one else could know, especially not her dad.

Abby’s shift finally ended and she knew Owen’s did at the same time. As planned, he was going to wait for her by the south exit and meet up with her.

“Psst” she heard him call. Abby spotted him and grinned, half jogging up to him.

“Hey!” she greeted before being pulled in close for a kiss. Owen gripped her body tight, one hand moved to the front of her shirt and held her breast. Abby blushed at his forwardness, he normally kept it cool.

Owen leaned his head down, exhaling hard, “I kept thinking about you all day.”

“Me too,” Abby admitted. Just being near him and holding him was starting to make her wet.

Owen gave her a light squeeze on her side, and then dropped his hand down to hold hers for a second.

“Let’s find a room.”

They went down the halls, peeking in the rooms for a good one. Finding a largely intact and cleanish looking one, Abby pulled Owen by the hand inside. The tall teen shut the door with his other hand and turned to kiss Abby fiercely, holding her close and kissing her as if he’d been starved for it. Abby did her best to keep up, opening her mouth to let in his tongue and pawing at his shirt.

AN: ok I figure by now the people not interested in this aren't reading so if you want to have a premium reading experience, I based this fic off a risque set of renders made a few months ago. Warning graphic 18+ PLS don't click unless you want a good time lmao link

Owen leaned his head to the side to stop and guided her to a chair in the room. He sat down with a plop and wiped the dust off it. Abby glanced around, she supposed it was better than the old hospital bed.

“Sit on my lap, babe,” Owen offered, and with a shy smile Abby obeyed and went over to sit on him. She hoped it wasn’t uncomfortable for him, that she wasn’t too boney or heavy, but Owen seemed happy and leaned in to kiss her again. It was turning her on so much how he was leading the way.

Their makeout seemed to spice up a bit as Owen moved his hand to the crotch of her pants, rubbing her over the fabric. Abby hummed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. After a moment his other hand wandered to her shirt and Owen pulled it up revealing her tummy and lacy red bra. Owen paused to look and admire her.

“You were wearing something so sexy this whole time? You’re such a bad girl, Abigail.”

Abby felt a tinge of self consciousness, “How am I bad if I’m doing it just for you?” She played with the collar of his shirt. “Shouldn’t that make me good?”

Owen gazed intently at her, “Yeah, you’re right. You’re a good girl. But good or bad,” he began rubbing her crotch again over the pants in circles. ”I’ll take either one.”

Abby bit her lip and kissed Owen again, desperate for more feeling. She then brought back her hands and undid her belt, then struggled to pull her pants over her thighs and ass which were thickening with muscles from the tireless training she’d been doing.

Abby then pulled up and over her shirt leaving her in just her red, silky underwear. She remembered finding this set at an abandoned store on the way to Salt Lake. She’d discreetly tucked them in her bag, hoping no one noticed. Abby always did kinda of like pretty or girly clothes, it’s just she was never in the environment to wear them. She always had to be ready to be down and dirty, though sometimes she’d dream what it’d be like in the old world, hanging out in something flowy and soft at the park with her friends.

Abby’s daydreams were interrupted by Owen’s strong fingers now rubbing her crotch over her thin panties, she could feel the warmth of his hand over the thin layer of fabric. When Owen had done that during their first time, he’d driven her crazy with anticipation. It seemed they were both at a point though that the teasing needed to go further.

“Take them off,” she told him.

His amber eyes looked black as they met hers and Abby squeaked as Owen pulled off her panties with one hand and pushed in two fingers with the other.

“You’re so wet.” He murmured and Abby inhaled sharply.

“Because I want you so bad.” Abby responded and bit her lip. Owen moved his hand in and out, and her slick pussy squelched. Abby groaned and gripped his shoulder ducking her head. His fingers were thick and he curled them in her as she moaned.

“Fuck….” Abby whimpered, she made eye contact with Owen and it was almost intimidating, he seemed so dominant.

Then he pulled out his fingers and Abby opened her mouth in protest. Owen responded by sticking the digit he’d had in her into her mouth. Abby began to suck them as she figured that’s what he wanted. She tasted sweet on his skin.

“Damn, you are such a good girl,” Owen hummed, his pupils were wide. He pulled out his hand and began to shimmy down his pants. His cock, Abby thought, pressing her thighs together. She wanted it.

Owen pulled out his thick member and rubbed it vertically against her pussy. Abby adjusted herself on his lap. “Where’d you learn all this, Goober?” She asked, putting a hand on his face.

Owen tilted his head. “Porno DVD’s. That and Manny telling me shit in great detail. It’s way better in real life though.”

“Are you gonna fuck me hard?” Abby teased. He’d been gentle the first time but she could handle it. She was almost trembling next to his cock.

“You want that, don’t you?” He purred, putting a hand on around her jaw.

His cock was hot and grew rock hard as she could feel it pulse next to her. She was getting so wet.

“Yes… please put it in me,” she whispered to him. “I want it.”

“Hmm,” hummed Owen, giving her a confident smirk. He hooked a thumb through the back of Abby’s bra and gave it a tug, undoing the clasp. Abby gasped as it came loose and Owen leaned forward to give her chest and nipple kisses.

Abby moaned and held the back of his head as he kissed her. He was teasing her so much it was torture, Abby grasped at his cock, craving at least some friction. Owen growled and Abby pressed herself up against him. “Put it in me,” she practically begged.

Owen shifted them both and leaned back to align himself up with Abby’s entrance. Abby lifted herself up and could feel the head pushing to get into her. Her nails dug into Owen’s shoulder and she gasped as the slickness of her pussy allowed his dick to slide in. Abby scrunched her face and toes as he slid in deeper and deeper until Abby was sat all the way down in her lover’s lap, him pressed against her. Abby let out a dangerously loud noise and threw back her head. Owen brought his hand around her thin waist to her clit, and Abby began to shift her hips around in circles with him in her.

“Happy now, baby?” Owen asked her in a low voice, and Abby moaned a “Yes!” and nodded.

It felt so good, Abby wanted to cum already. She was really enjoying this sex thing, it beat just sticking her fingers in herself and wishing they were someone else’s.

Abby got the urge to move around a bit more and adjust her weight to her limbs, moving her hips a bit more. Owen moved his grip to help her, the smack of their skin reverberating throughout the room.

Abby gripped the arm of the chair and used her legs to push herself up and down. Owen’s cock went in her deep as she bounced up and down in her lover’s lap.

“Fuck, fuck…” Abby moaned.

Owen held her hips as she moved, but her moved one up to grab her breast as he thrust.

“Your tits are bouncing as much as your braid,” he kneaded it, “I love your beautiful little tits.”

“Mmmm,” Abby hummed, appreciating the dirty talk. He just turned so possessive when he had sex, and she was loving it. Abby was also happy he found her attractive and it made her feel wanted. She found him very attractive as well, so handsome and tall. The sound of the bodies hitting together filled the room, Abby wasn’t well versed in having penises in her, but his felt really good.

Abby leaned back into the seat and looked at Owen. He lifted up her leg and brought it in, moving his hips. This angle felt even better and Abby moaned needingly as she stared at him.

“You like how my cock feels?” Owen asked, his eyes full of lust.

“Yes!” Abby mewled with a gasp, she figured he’d like dirty talk back. “It’s so big. It feels so fucking good, Owen.”

Owen leaned in and kissed her ferociously. He then gripped her tight and started thrust up rapidly and Abby squeaked against his mouth as she struggled to keep steady. She was getting close and moaning as it built.

Owen could tell and brought a hand to her clit, going in circles, the pressure was just what she needed.

“Fuck! Owen I’m gonna cum!” Abby buried her face into his neck, his pace was merciless as his balls slapped up against her and his length moved in and out. “Owen! Oh my god, fuck! Owennnn!” She dug her nails into his shoulder.

He shouldn’t cum in me. Dad would be so mad if I got pregnant! But for some reason Abby didn’t care, and felt her orgasm take her over the edge as Owen thrust up in her rapidly. Abby squeezed her eyes shut and held onto him for stability and moaned as she felt the pleasure hit her in waves, the pressure from his hand and his cock stretching her magnifying the feeling.

“Owen… cum in me,” Abby groaned, her pussy was extremely sensitive from the orgasm, but it was what she wanted to feel. He’d pulled out the first time, shot his warm loads all over her tummy. But now Abby wanted him in her so bad.

“I want to cum in you too, goober,” Owen responded, but he seemed a little hesitant.

“Do it, please!” Abby begged, burying her head into his neck and squeezing her nails again into his shoulder.

Her boyfriend grunted and clenched Abby’s hip hard as he moved her body to his liking. His cock twitched in her and was deep in her as it came its multiple loads.

Owen cursed and groaned loudly and Abby felt him grip her tightly onto him as his hot cum began to fill her and then bubble out.

“Oh my god,” Abby gasped, unable to keep her thoughts straight. She could hardly believe she was in this position with someone. Three months ago she’d have never have guessed. But three months ago she wasn’t in love.

They stayed there for a minute, breathing hard. Eventually, Abby knew she had to get up and gingerly pushed herself off of Owen gasping as she felt him leave her body. Everything was so sensitive. Owen had gone semi-limp and watched her as she stood up naked, cum beginning to run down her leg.

Abby swore and took an old cloth to wipe it off. In her peripheral she saw Owen sit up.

“The way your ass jiggles, Abs… maybe there is a god.”

Abby snorted and gave him a look of disbelief. She tossed him the cloth as he looked like he needed it.

They put back on their underwear, but when Abby reached for her shirt, Owen grasped her forearm and guided her back to the chair. She let him pull her into his lap again, despite knowing they had to go soon or people would notice.

She put her legs up and Owen wrapped his arm around her bare legs and torso almost as if she were a baby.

“Hey, goober,” Abby murmured to him with a smile.

Owen’s face was relaxed but confident, “I love you,” he told her. “Sorry if that’s too early to say. I wanted to say it weeks ago, though.”

Abby felt her stomach flutter, she almost felt like she was in one of those teen romances she used to read. In this hard world she lived in, maybe this was the closest thing she’d ever get to that. She was good with that.

“I love you, too.”

[captainkurosolaire]

Destined ‘X’ Forever

“Ye wouldn’t b’ doin’ anything that’d take a special kind ov’ stupid now would ya’ ma’ Lord?” A cheeky rattle hit in a echo of the barren Ruins. For all intended reasoning's this wasn’t a planned encounter. Last he saw his Noble other halve was after attempting to salve some helpful advice to put him in a discovery. Though what the amber optic witnessed was anything but the type of discovery he meant. The pirate meant from the self. This was someone who couldn’t move on. Didn’t know how. This is hurt. He had been there, embraced it, and the result damaged him past the point of repair a self-searing that he still hadn’t entirely resolved. And forever because he couldn’t contain or control his heartbreak he discredited and discarded it. Letting it coal until he lost himself and a savage feasted on his homed temple. A severance between souls. A path to nefarious and damaging for anything that crossed was a clear future for Elune. If he paid the price and fed that side of demonizing that festered in all thing’s in varied degrees of morality. He would become consumed with dangerous and devastating levels that may scar him in irrecoverably.

                   “I..hate..you.” Muttered off breath before turning to face and direct to ensure this was more personal his regality was cracking he was so shortly an ilm away from being granted his wishful desire by utilizing a forbidden relic that protruded a hint of Mhachi. However, by activating this, It’d cost his last remaining dignity, his humanity he akin to most chose to run from it thinking and disassociating it as ‘weakness’ for the appearance and value it often represented no-good. He was possessed and consumed with the empty. That hollow part of losing a piece that stabled and made you feel wholly, he had forgotten what living was like without it after a sip. Without something to protect to be any meaning, he found himself misplaced. Knights didn’t exist without their duties or their morals to wage crusades in belief or service; they were dull like any Samurai in the obligated swords sworn after they slew their intended advisory it was weightless and immeasurable. None of that crossed his mind that once was recognized and pristine for being intelligent, all other forms living or to be sacrificed were insignificant, they could all be shriveled and pay the price even if it brought utter devastation and internal turmoil to that which he so starved to have returned to him. This resentment stood beyond even their current vessel’s their souls were entwined to contest. Negatives and positives. “I hate you. I hate everything about you, your stupid hat, your trashy ingrate demeanor. All of it! Hate is my sum for you.. You--- you’re, why I am here in this position. You cost me, my world! If you weren’t such an irritating blight, I would’ve never lost control… I’d still have them!” Flailing his arms out in the arm like a tampered child throwing his blame. The crystallized air around him howled in chimed ice sang like a banshee as his instability continued. Captain swallowed soft listening before presenting a stepped chortle and follow, “You need a tissue? Or a tampon for yer leakage?” The Seeker fired back as during that entire rant he just nodded his head. “Mate, I’ll b’ straight blunt yer being a bitch. O’ boohoo, ye lost something in your sheltered life, you in your fancy Ishgardian Walls always catered and given and throwing a hissy fit when ye didn’t get something fer Starlight. Your rant is the same shite I’d get from a dozen of stuttering cucks at the Quicksands for me so effortlessly tossing their lass over my shoulder and tending to them from their plagued bore. -Ye hate me? What a crock… Matey you don’t hate me, you just hate yourself. You got caught, ye won a battle but I got in your most prized place -- your head. Fail to understand your performance in our last skirmish saw you ACTING more like a pirate than a noble. Ye can’t get those thoughts ov’ me outta your mind… How naughty.” Tsking with a finger waggle further adding antagonizing fuel with even more expression by holding his chest to shield his exposure in that unnerving smug. “Standing over there and wanting t’ talk about hatred and losses. Ye murdered my near entire crew, ye tried dismantling another. Ye kidnapped my Star Healer and stole her away to fuck who knows where and then n’ your whole, ‘I gotta be th’ Elite White Shining Knight’, ye let her suffer alone and vanish to silence! Ye point and like t’ remind others of their failures, their faults, but conjure a solid mirror with that fancy-dancy magick. Leviathan… I gave ye an ale and I didn’t even charge ye on your last visit t’ my Cabin. I told you…! I warned you…! I did more than enough in my part, so-wait, is this what I’m missing out on sticking around for parenthood? Just sheer disappointment? This was supposed t’ be your discovery, but let me guess, the only thing you figured out in this entire time is that, ‘O I’ve got a dick, so well, I must be one and I’ll damn the rest in my way even the ones I love? Not even factoring their own thoughts? YOU aren’t wanted back. There’s isn’t any riveting other reasoning why they discarded themselves from you.” He unleashed every form of his smash-mouth and laid out the crass even if overkill. Thick skulls often were swelled in ego and ego was born often of entitled never spoken against, here enters the brazen. All the while Shiro’s fist rattled and quenched his inner demonic price for all his sin’s and wrongs began transforming and corrupting his veins, his roots that stemmed inside became a grotesque green. “Enough! What does the pirate know of actual loss and pain? You are thieves, takers, you’re scum. Compassion and your kind don’t mix, nor does it exist. Use everything and leave, you can’t even remain devoted to a single solitary thing. Always roaming without purpose to the next big thing for your greed. Making every little detail’s about yourself. Do not forget, I met your crew… None of them are innocent. It didn’t matter which you led. They were all heathens. Neither of them could listen to their betters. They didn’t respect anyone outside you, and when you were missing and disappeared on your so-called ‘shipwreck’ those who salvaged and carried your flag paid your price. You brought them into a War against a literal Sea Empire. None of them were equipped or readied. And without me, they would’ve all been slaughtered maggots. They even wanted to kill each other and decapitate the latter to get some heroic favors or get into the panties of your ‘woman’ you led only a cult of unwashed stains. Threatening like the barbarians you raised to even lash out at my sister because her own heart was on the opposing side. Who even was brainwashed and used as another pawn on the board though despite that fact their inbreed tribal and unorthodox wild crew of yours was but the essence of chaos. You mere peasants outside the Pillars and the arrogance you bestow, are far grander than anything we harbor.” Now it was the Keeper’s turn to verbally unleash a hailstorm. They bickered like an old couple cover many generations of grudges. Building their resentments and hatred until… that moment where there wasn’t going any back and one swung. The words actually began rattling against the Captain’s inner instincts and primal urges. For his own bonded knot was mentioned and brought up. The tone of Shiro’s higher ‘superiority’ shout echoed against the blank and outdoor ruins in a condense clap. Was steering and disturbing a slumber that snarled, his complexion became more heated. Irregular and unnatural... The scoundrel’s blood began surging. Weapons in War only ever are mentioned what was used to quell or the materialistic solution. Never in mentioning how any War or Battle began. Often originated from disputes. The contesting of disagreement is what drew first-blood before any sharp dared part flesh from. “What th’ seventh hell did ye say?” The ruffian stepped in closer even against biting and foreboding chills. A vein vessel popping out of his forehead. Shiro’s visage turned to a dastardly and deviled one impractical aetherial horn’s started to lowly form on his temple. “Many things and all I assure you, I mean them all. Your crew was worthless they lapped up and swam under your dirty seawater. You a Captain? A joke, your, -kind- don’t have admirable emotions or hearts, you are written as heartless and crude as you’ll always be known utter tasteless, savaged buffoons. THAT is your booked cover and shall always be to me and anyone else with somewhat wit.” The Seeker’s steps continuing forward his framework began bulking up hit by a nerve earlier. Every part of Shiro’s weighted words came from a merciless and mean intent. Making every remark sound as categorized and labeled as possible. The first step of all Jailers and those that hide behind anything against the grain or that make them feel even the slightest uncomfortable about the insecurities often came from classification putting a firm distinction between someone else innocently in the cross-hairs to try so desperately to distance themselves and stay on their elevated ladders, artificial thrones above someone. Despite that answer wasn’t what left a sour look on the mug of the rugged slicker those didn’t seem to be what triggered him.    “No, the other.”  He corrected calmly his stance seemed like a preparing lunge.

Shiro knew all too well what he said and brought a gleeful sinister grin to further elaborate the struck cord. “Ah right, the pathetic and high-excuse of a complex woma--” Right before he could finish that deplorable remark. The Blackguard used a rash Ghost Step (Shukuchi) to close in and lob for a full-force spinning roundhouse.   (Previous)  — /References/ —   ♫ ‘Invincible ♫ — (Next Page)